Catch up...

I really wanted to post something but I haven't had any time or bought anything new recently. I've been a busy little bee with lots of exciting things going on so I wanted to catch up and fill you in! First off I want to apologise (AGAIN) for not posting as regularly as I should, but now things have calmed down and I have a bit more free time I will try my best to get back into a routine of posting weekly! 

My first bit of exciting news is that I passed my third year at university which means I am graduating in June! Yaaaay! I finally made a decision on what I wanted to do; if I wanted to do fourth year or not...it took A LOT of tears and stress but I got there in the end. Luckily this made way for my second bit of good news which is that I got a promotion at work. We have a new store opening and I am going to be store manager, I'm so excited to see what it looks like and get in there! But for now I'm doing my training and enjoying my new challenge :) So after all that stress it all turned out well in the end. 

Can you believe this is where I'm going to work, it's so pretty! 

As well as all the good news, I've just got back from my holiday to Kos. We had a great time, the weather didn't go completely our way but we had a nice relaxing time! Kos is a beautiful place we stayed in Lambi (near Kos Town) which is the quieter end of the island. The food was amazing and the people were lovely! I would definitely recommend the hotel we stayed in: Pelagos Suite Hotel, it was absolutely stunning it even had sunbeds in the water (perfect for hungover naps) and the staff couldn't do enough for you. One week just wasn't enough and we were so sad to go home. We are already planning our next holiday for (hopefully) later on this year. 

Excuse my paleness! Can I go back please?!

I do feel like 2014 has definitely been a good year for me so far and I hope that continues! I hope you are too! Post soon! 

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Buchanan Galleries Window Displays.

A while back my friends and I entered a competition that had been set up between Buchanan Galleries, Beattie Communications and Glasgow Caledonian University. The brief was simply to design a window display and a pod display around the theme of "Spring/Summer" in small groups. I want to be a Visual Merchandiser so this kind of thing is what I love to do. We were already swamped with other assignments but we made the time to sit down and make a rough CAD drawing aaaaand this was the design we came up with.  

We decided to go with a floral garden theme to make sure it was bright and eye catching. The idea was to lay grass on the floor, hang a swing to display accessories etc. on, hang flower pom poms and ribbon from the ceiling and make the models the main feature by replacing their heads with giant flower pom poms. So we submitted our entry and waited...

...and we WON! Not only were we asked to install one window display we were asked to do both! We were so excited! We arranged to meet with our lecturer to figure out a game plan. We decided that we would have a pastel window and a bright window to make them look slightly different. She managed to order us grass and her husband kindly made our swings for us (THANKS!). Which was a massive relief! We then bought a million and one sheets of tissue paper in all different colours to make all of the flower pom poms. Which took forever...I hope I never have to see another pom pom again!

These are the finished displays! With help from our lecturers and Sarah from Beattie we installed the design which turned out exactly as we had imagined (with only a few mannequin related problems). The next day we were asked to attend a press call to have our photos taken. We ended up in The Metro, The Herald and The Evening Times. The whole experience was amazing and it's made me even more determined to become a VM! We installed our design on the 11th May and it will remain in Buchanan Galleries windows until the 25th May. So if you are from Glasgow have a look!

Let me know what you think! I hope you like them!
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River Island Chunky Gladiator Sandals.

As you may know I go on holiday at the end of May, so I have started to buy a few bits and pieces for it. In reality I'm using it as an excuse to buy myself new things during study breaks. I always feel like you have to get in quick with summer clothes, before you know it it's July and everything's gone. I learnt my lesson last summer when I spontaneously booked to go to Italy in September, absolutely no summer clothes anywhere! This summer I decided to be safe, start early and buy a few bits every month...which also helps spread the cost! So to add to my extensive range of bikinis (who actually needs 10 bikinis in Scotland?!) I acquired these pretty sandals. 

Now I know they may not be every ones cup of tea, but I really like the chunky shoe trend at the moment and they are surprisingly easy to wear. They are from River Island and cost £40. The upper is made from a pretty decent quality fake leather and the sole is plastic. They have two ankle buckles to fasten, which if you have slim ankles and feet like me is ideal because they fasten quite securely so they don't flap around. The heel height (if you can call it that) is 6cm, so it gives a little height boost but they are still comfy. 

I think these will be ideal for nights out while I'm away...I don't know about you but I think that wearing heels abroad doesn't feel right. There is far too much dancing to be done, I don't need heels killing my feet. So far they feel pretty comfy, I haven't worn them outside yet because I don't want to ruin them (yep, I'm one of those people). But I like the fact that I can wear them at home too, because they are a bit more chunky I will get away with wearing them when the weather brightens up a bit. They go with almost everything I've bought so far and they make even the simplest things are bit more interesting so in my eyes they are a winner! They also come in gold and light pink...you can get them here!

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Winsdor Smith "Grunt" Dupes from River Island

First off let me apologise for committing the cardinal sin of bloggers...my last post was almost a month ago. But I have good reason...I'm coming to the end of my last year at uni so I've been swamped with course work and studying and trying to figure out what I'm going to do with life after uni (you'd think this would be easier since I've already done it once...but nope). I absolutely hate not having a plan so I'm feeling a bit out of control at the moment. But hopefully once my hand ins are over and I've had a bit of time to regroup I'll feel better. Mean time, studying is my life. But I have felt very guilty about not keeping up my weekly post so I've decided to make time to blog. 

These boots featured in my Instagram round up post and I mentioned at the time that I would do a full post about them later...so this is it! I love shoes...I think it's because they always fit, they don't get too tight after the Christmas season or shrink in the wash. It also has a lot to do with my Mums influence...we cannot walk past a shoe shop without "just looking". It's probably why I'm willing to spend more money on shoes than I am on clothes.

Recently I came across the shoe brand Windsor Smith who make the most amazing shoes. They are so simple in design but so beautiful. If I could have one of everything that would be awesome...but being a student they are slightly out of my price range at the moment. Although that's not to say they are ridiculously expensive, they are on a par with or slightly cheaper than Jeffery Campbell pricing. I fell in love with a pair of boots called "Grunt" boots which cost £111.17 (to be exact) but I pushed them to the back of my mind for the time being because I just couldn't justify that for sky high heels. However I was browsing through River Islands website and came across these...

Windsor Smith                                                                                                                                                               River Island

These are the River Island "Black Cleated Sole Extreme Platform Boots". They are almost identical to the Windsor Smith "Grunt" boots but with a slightly lower price tag of £75. Now normally I'm not a big fan of "dupes" because I always feel you get the quality that you pay for, and I am in no doubt that the Windsor Smith version will be of a higher quality. However for the amount that I will actually wear these boots, I felt that paying the lower price tag was the best option. I also used a 25% off voucher code that I had at the time which made them £56. Bargain(ish).

They are leather, with an elastic Chelsea boot style panel down either side and a rubber cleated sole. The heel is 14.5cm which is half a cm lower than the WS boots and have a 4.5cm platform. I have to say they are insanely comfy considering how high they are! I think it's the rubber sole, you almost feel like your feet bounce if they bang off the ground. Getting them on and off can be a bit tricky the first few times because the elastic is pretty tight but the tag at the back helps. On the whole the boots are really good quality I haven't had any issues with them at all. However be warned that after the smallest amount of wear the creases that you can see around my ankles start to form, but I don't think that's an issue it makes them look worn in. They have a higher rise on the ankle so they look best with shorts, rolled up skinnies or very short skirts/dresses so they don't cut off your leg. They are beautiful boots and add edge to simple outfits. They are available in Black, Grey and Pink from River Island.

What are your feelings on dupes? Do you prefer to save or buy the real deal?

x

#nomakeupselfie

You would have to live on the moon right now to not be aware of this trend! Basically girls are removing their war paint and taking a 'selfie' which is then posted to any social media site. Originally this started as one of those annoying chain type messages you get on Facebook...you know the ones! They claim to be raising awareness for various forms of cancer. Correct me if I am wrong but the whole world is painfully aware that cancer exists. Everyone has been affected by it whether it's personally, a friend or a family member. So to me posting random statuses about where you leave your bag or taking a make up free 'selfie' is not going to have any great impact on the cause. 

I guess that's why I was pretty negative about this when it all started. To me, posting a picture of your face is not going to make a difference at all. Although I suppose in a way it did make a difference because it made people question what the point to these 'selfies' actually was! 

Luckily people have realised that the best way to actually make a difference is to donate what ever you can afford. Cancer Research have already reported £2million in donations from the last 2 days alone. That's why I succumbed to peer pressure and took my own #nomakeupselfie. If it encourages just one person to donate then it's done some good. 

To donate £3 to Cancer Research text BEAT to 70099. It's for a great cause and lets be honest we don't look that horrific without make up! 

Have you taken your #nomakeupselfie yet?

x

Bits and Bobs from Boots...

Basically someone made me go into Boots and forced me to buy this stuff...well that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Here's what I though of what I bought:

Real Techniques Silicone Liner Brush

I have always loved cat eye flicks. However I'm an absolute perfectionist when it comes to make up and I can never quite get it right...ones always seems to be higher or thicker than the other. So unless I have hours to get ready (which is never) I don't even attempt it. Until I tried this brush...it's like flicks for dummies. I have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of it for doing liner on my lid because I don't feel like I have enough control over the brush. But for flicks it works so well...I used gel liner  (I should probably have used liquid) and while pulling my eyelid to the side slightly (you know what I mean) I ran it along the lash line and flicked it out at the end...I then went back over it, joining the point of the flick to the lid line about a quarter of the way back in to thicken the line and make it more precise. They are available from Look Fantastic for £5.09. It's also available from Boots but Look Fantastic are currently offering it at a cheaper price!

Eyelure for Boots 'Lash Pretty' in LP5

I love false eyelashes, and since the disappearance of Mister Mascara (where did he go?) I've been looking for a new favourite. I think I might have found it, these are so pretty. They give lots of volume but don't look too over the top because they aren't too long. They are a really nice curved shape that makes application easy, they sit nicely on your lash line with minimal need to poke them about to fit. They are exclusively available at Boots and cost £6.50.

TIP: Glue your eyelashes on normally, once you are happy with them dot a few blobs of glue along the band and pat in gently with your finger. This will reinforce the original glue and make your eyelashes less likely to fall off. Wait for the glue to dry and then apply eyeliner (carefully), this will let you cover up any messy bits and also means if you mess up in the first place you won't have eyeliner everywhere.

Models Own Hyper Gel in Pink Veneer

First things first...look how pretty the colour is!! This is an easy way to nail the pastel trend if you are usually a lover of dark clothes (like me). The consistency of the nail polish is slightly thicker than Models Owns normal range but it applies just as easily and dries quickly. It took me three thin coats to build up to an even all over cover and after around 20 minutes I felt like they were dry enough to go about my life again. Pretty good so far right?...but this nail polish claims to be a gel like polish. Give it it's dues it does have a really pretty high shine finish but I found that after around 2 days I had chips and what looks like cracks all over the ends of my nails. Not what I expect from gel. I probably will buy this in other colours but I wouldn't expect much more from it than a normal nail polish. Available from Boots for £5.

L'Oreal Skin Perfection Soothing Gel Cream Wash

The Skin Perfection range is my new favourite. I've been using the serum, day moisturiser and eye cream, I love it all so far so I thought I might as well try the face wash! I'm not a big believer that face washes have any impact apart from removing dirt but since I started using this I have noticed that my skin has been clearer than normal. It's soap free and is designed for dry and sensitive skin so it doesn't have a fragrance. It has a really nice gel like texture and lathers up well so you only need a blob about the size of a 5p. Overall I think I will be sticking with this for a while...it's available from Boots for £2.99.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair

Not the best photos but you get the idea...

I suffer from pretty bad dark circles under my eyes so finding a concealer that hides them well is like finding the holy grail. This one definitely lives up to all of the blogging hype that surrounds it. It's quite thick which gives fuller coverage and means you don't need as much because it also blends really well. I use my Real Techniques Pointed Foundation brush to blend it once I've applied it around my eyes and down the sides of my nose. Considering it only costs £3.99 it definitely beats a lot of more expensive alternatives. Get it from Boots!

Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm in 220 Showy

Serious pout...

Generally when you think of matte lipstick, you assume it will be drying right? Not this one! Not only is this super pigmented it's also really moisturising and has a nice minty smell. It doesn't give the most matte effect but it does the job without drying. Which is really good news for my already dry lips. The colour is so bright and cheerful it livens up any outfit. It's a perfect way to wear a lip colour through the day. I'm going to have to physically restrain myself from buying every shade. Available from Boots for £7.99.

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My Month in Pictures...

I know this isn't technically fashion or beauty related but...I want to do a round up of my photos. So I can look back every now and then and remember the things that might not have been such a big deal at the time. 

• The boots and sandals arrived today and I'm already in love! I'll probably do a separate post about them once I've worn them. 
• The range board (computer screen with drawings on it) is the collection of menswear we designed for uni, we are so proud of it. I genuinely think someone should give us a job based solely on that. Haha!
• The window display is from work. I want to be a Visual Merchandiser when I finish uni...so I love doing all of the displays and creative stuff at work. Fingers crossed for me that a job comes up in the next few months! 
• The photo in the middle is a very rare photo of my Mum, my sister and I at Christmas time...I only managed to get a copy of it last week! It's not the best quality but we can blame my Dads lack of photography skills for that!
• The baby scan is of me...as a baby, I'm not preggers. My "hilarious" attempt at a #throwbackthursday. It's strange how rubbish 80's ultrasounds were, I mean that's actually me and I don't even know where I am?!
• The other two of my face and my lovely friend Rebecca are from nights out. Everyone loves a selfie don't even try to deny it!
• Now for the most important part...the food:

I've eaten out A LOT recently at some amazing new places. My favourite one has to be Bread Meats Bread...basically if I was on death row, this would be my last supper. To let you understand I'm not a big meat eater, the majority of my Mums side of the family are veggie so I've not really grown up with it. Factoring in the fact that I'm not too keen on red meat in general and a place with the name "Bread Meats Bread" should not be somewhere I would be falling over myself to get to. But I am, among other amazing things they serve this amazing Canadian junk food called Poutine which is chips (fries) covered in gravy and cheese curds, it's like a heart attack on a plate but it is magical. 

Another mention has to go to Tribeca, they do the most amazing breakfast. My friends and I went this morning and the sheer amount of food we got was ridiculous! I had a stack of pancakes with berries and maple syrup (this may not be a big deal to Americans but for British people pancakes aren't widely served). But the award for biggest portion had to go to the girls omelettes...which were made from 5 eggs (plus the two doorstep pieces of toast). Can you overdose on egg?

So if you live in/near or are visiting Glasgow, then I definitely recommend that you give both of them a visit...you will not regret it! 

x