H&M (and some Primark shoes)

12.99

12.99

12.99

19.99

Primark 8.00

H&M is most definitely my favourite shop for summer especially for dresses. I think they do really reasonably priced little summer flippy dresses in nice colours and prints and I always get a couple every year. With my trip to Italy booked and all my festival tickets purchased I decided I could finally inject some summer in my wardrobe.

My favourite piece is by far the neon shrug which is super bright and makes me looks super duper tanned! It goes with the monchrome dresses I got and it will keep the sun of my shoulders on holiday without making me hot (Apparently Rome can be like 35 degrees in July)!

The shoes were an impulse purchase as I'm really enjoying flats on nights out right now and these look really nice with disco pants and a cream peplum top!

I'm going to set myself a little challenge of not buying any clothes until June now as I am determined to drop a little more weight and hopefully another dress size. Steak and chips for dinner tonight was not a good start. I think I will be doing a wishlist every week in May so I can share the pretty things I want to buy after my little ban!

What's your favourite shop for Summer?

How to survive the last weeks of your dissertation

I know how awful this time last year was for me, after a year of being poorly on and off my dissertation was put to the side so I could finish my other projects (which included running my own event along with a 20,000 word report). It quickly crept up on me and I really struggled. It affected all aspects of my life and not in a good way.

It's too late for me to tell you "Don't leave it until the last minute", "Organise your time effectively", etc. What I can tell you are my tips for how to get the last massive chunk of it done and hopefully with less stress than I went through!

All images taken from Pinterest

1. Firstly get yourself to the library. And go alone. As much as its fun sitting with your friends if you are anything like me you will spend the time looking at what dresses you want to wear to your graduation ball instead of working. Collect your huge pile of books for the day & go to the silent room. If you need some noise upload some house music with no lyrics onto you ipod. This will keep your mind focused on the words in the book not the lyrics in the song.

2. Eat some good things. It was way too easy to stock up on red bull, other fizzy drinks and all kinds sugary treats when you are having a study session. I was eating at really irregular times and was definitely not getting the right nutrition. This leads to a lack on concentration, feeling more tired and worst of all... spots. I have never had a outbreak of spots like I did the last 3 weeks before hand in date and it was not a good look.

3. Sleep. Make sure you try and get eight hours. I always find I work better late at night and would stay in library until way after dark but that was just me. If I went to bed at 3am it wouldn't bother me as I would lay in a little and then get cracking again around lunchtime with a nice 2 hour break (and maybe a little 45 minute nap) around dinner time.

4. Unwind. Make sure when you do have a break you don't just watch TV or stare at another computer screen. Go out for dinner and get some good nutritious food in you. Go to the pub and treat yourself to a cider. Go to the gym. If you leave the environment of where you are studying then it will feel more like you have had a break than if you just put down the laptop to switch on an episode of Friends.

5. Never underestimate how long it will take you to put the dissertation together. Whoever invented the Harvard Referencing System is a douchebag. This will take you ages and I really recommend you do this yourself and not use sites which put them together for you in case it makes a mistake. Contents, appendices and actually formatting take ages.  I only pulled one whole nighter at uni and that was day before my paper had to go to the printers to get all these things done. I was exhausted!

6. Don't panic. I know you will but I took it too far. I made myself very poorly to the point I was worried for myself and had to speak to a Doctor. I was pale, being sick, feel dizzy, biting my tongue so hard in my sleep it left indentations for days and had panic attacks where I couldn't breathe and cried uncontrollably. For someone like me, who sailed through every other aspect at Uni and is pretty fearless and sometimes over confident, this was very scary. Yes I shouldn't have left over half my paper with 3 weeks left to go but I did. Worrying and panicking actually hindered me getting it done earlier as I remember when there were times I would sit and cry in front of my PC for like an hour. An hour which could have been spent typing. I guess it all comes down the the pressure you put on yourself and I didn't want to allow myself to get lower than a 2:1 in anything I handed in, which was stupid as I put my health at risk.

When I handed in my paper the relieve was amazing (although the first thing I did was call in sick to work and sleep after my all nighter) but I was also worried for the grade as we all would be. The day I did receive my grade is a day I'll never forget. I was more proud at that moment than I was at my graduation. The best thing was knowing that all the effort and stress I went through paid off. As it will for all of you.

 At the end of the day, you have had the chance to go to University when so many people in the world don't get the opportunity to have an education, you have made it to your final year which is huge as so many people drop out by this stage and you have actually written a dissertation. Even if you don't get the grade you are after think about these things and feel proud of your accomplishment!

10 Things that have made me happy this week.

01. Remembering how stressed I was with Uni this time last year and know how great it was when I handed my dissertation literally a year ago! (The above pic was taken on the evening of our Graduation Ball where we were drinking champagne from 3pm!)

02. Watching Castaway with my Dad & Sister. "WILSON!" Mum went for a work meal and it's rare for the 3 of us to spend time without her there. Also my sister dislocated her knee this week so can't go anywhere so we actually get to see her as she is always out!

03. My beautiful tunic from H&M. Although not the most summery of colours it's so lovely on and looks so much more expensive than it was. (£14.99 if you care!)

04. My friend bought this clock. It was £20 because of a fault. A fault that 3 of us didn't notice until she sent me this picture and asked me. Go on I bet you can't tell which vital part of the clock is missing??

05. Going to the market with Mum and getting loads of fruit and salad! It's so much cheaper than the supermarket!

06. Summer dresses. And pastel colours. 2 things that make Spring, more Springy.

07. Going to the gym on a Sunday morning instead of having a lie in. It made me feel like I was making progress in this whole healthy lifestyle. It took a lot of motivation though...

07. Looking at old holiday photos and how awful we all looked :)

09. The sun finally being out and drinking at 5pm whilst having a massive BBQ round a friends house. Perfect evening with lots of laughs.

10. My bedroom for the next two nights. I have work training in a different place and get this nice plus bed to myself. Currently writing this post in the bed, cup of tea in hand, way too many sweets next to me and Bride Wars about to start.  

Primark Spring/ Summer 2013 Take Two!

All pictures taken from Look.co.uk

I am a rather big Primark fan and Look Magazine's website put up their latest Spring/Summer releases. I love summer dresses and floral prints and well, just bright colours in general so a lot of this stuff is right up my street. I'm going to my first festival this summer and definitely think a few of these bits will be perfect! My favourite pieces have to be the floral print dungarees and the floral bralet top!

Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick

Bourjois always has the prettiest of make up stands in Boots and Superdrug but they just aren't a brand I reach for often. I definitely know them for their round blush pots (which I have had only one of until the other day) but never have I heard of their lipsticks. Until they realised the Rouge Edition lipsticks. I have read so many reviews on there and I wish I could pull off red lips everyday but I can't! I find orangey, peachy shades are most complementary on my skin and I love them in Spring.

I picked up shade 03 Peche Cosy which is a gorgeous orange toned peach and definitely the prettiest colour I've picked up in a while. It is so wearable, I haven't found something it doesn't go with. 

The formula is lovely, nice and hydrating without being sticky or too wet. It doesn't have the most incredible of staying powers, about 2-3 hours max but I always touch up throughout the day so I can forgive it this sin as the colour is so beautiful!

I got mine in Boots for £7.99 (3 for 2)! Next I really want to pick up 12 Rose Neon, a bubblegum electric pink!

Photo Diary 04.

First day of filming our new project / Leaving meal from my old job / Sweating it out / Pretending to be posh before a night out / Friends visiting & bringing me things I left behind / Wagamama's / Fun nails / Green smoothie for breakfast / Loving the Beyoncé documentary

I've been off for the last 9 days as I am switching over jobs which I start today! I'm really nervous but excited too; luckily I'm a chatty, quite confident person so I'm sure I will make new friends quickly. I've spent the past week meeting friends that are back from Uni, eating out way to much and just having a good old time. I count myself quite lucky that each day I got to see different people and not once have I sat in the house bored all day. I remember feeling quite lonely this time last year as I was having trouble at home, struggling with my dissertation and with my relationship. A year on and I am perfectly happy (minus the wisdom tooth extraction which is trying to heal but aching the hell out of me). My number one thing that makes me happy is my friends and I really am lucky to have a whole heap I can rely on!

Photo Diary 01.

Terry's Chocolate Orange with Toffee Chunks (Ahh the holiday season is nearly upon us!) / A pumpkin bib I got for a friends baby for Halloween / Burning lots of candles now it's dark out / Rubicon Lychee is the best sweet drink ever / Bit of arm candy / Starting to flash my winter clothes / Prosecco at Prezzo for a friends birthday /  The best soup I have tried in a while / My amazing penguin hot water bottle / The biggest serving of nachos I've ever seen (only managed 1/5 of it)

Blue Ombré nails

O.P.I Nail Envy Original, Ticket to Gorgeous Nails Kiss Me Quick, Primark Beauty Nail Polish, Models Own Bloo Bloo, Primark Beauty Nail Polish, O.P.I Fly from the Nicki Minaj Collection

I was bored the other day and wanted to paint my nails. I never realised my obsession with blue/green nails! I did a take on ombré nails but I guess they are slightly like a blue rainbow haha. I liked the effect nonetheless and wanted to share them with you! 

O.P.I Nail Envy - I used this as a base coat for all the nails so as not to stain them!

Ticket to Gorgeous Kiss Me Quick Nail Polish - I got the royal blue in a set for Christmas from a lovely client of mine! These were available in Boots but no longer are. I have found them on eBay though!

Models Own Bloo Bloo - My favourite brand and I love this baby blue!

Primark Beauty Nail Polish - Primark do some pretty little sets of 4 polishes for £2 and I picked up a pastel set last year. The pale blue and mint green are both shown. You need 2 coats of this for it to look decent.

O.P.I Fly A dark turquoise green colour which is fully opaque after one coat.

A bit of a different post but my nails made me happy the last few days so give it a go and see if it brightens your day!

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Fresh & Foamy Body Wash

Oh hayyy there new Soap & Glory product. Of course you had to me in my possession. I didn't even need a new shower gel; that's how loyal I am to the brand. So say hello to the Sugar Crush Fresh & Foamy Body Wash. 

Even though the Sugar Crush scrub isn't my favourite of all the Soap and Glory scrubs, I always loved the scent. My favourite body wash by the brand is Clean On Me which is really moisturising but more of an evening gel as the scents are relaxing rather than refreshing. With my new job on the horizon and having to wake up a whole hour earlier than I used to, I need something to wake me up in the morning alongside my flask of coffee! And what isn't to like about washing with a body wash that smells like mojitos?

As with most S&G products they provide lots of oils to really nourish your skin and this one is no different with Lime and Omega Veggie Oil included. Sometimes I feel oils don't allow the product to go foamy but this isn't the case here; I love that it lasts ages and gives enough foam to last a few minutes to you can enjoy shower time! 

As with all their shower gels, S&G provide a large 500ml bottle which always last around 2 months so are definitely worth the price. £6.50 isn't really that bad when you get a good quality product and I run through a bottle of Radox shower gel in like 2 weeks as you need lots for a foamy shower!

If you want to try the body wash pick it up from Boots here!

O.P.I Nail Envy

This is a product I have wanted to try for ages. I have decided that this year I am not going to use acrylic on my nails and that I want to have healthy longish nails. O.P.I Nail Envy basically promises to help strengthen your nails and therefore increase growth due to less breakage. My nails have always grown at a reasonable rate but they do break easily and I'm on of those who can't have one short nail when the rest are long so they usually are cut short. 

You use this product by apply two coats on the first day then one coat every other day for a week, then restart. I like my nails to be coloured and I definitely don't have the time to repaint all my nails every other day so I haven't really stuck to this regime; I do find using it as a base coat each time I do my nails  has worked well though. Results? Well I find my nails are growing longer than usual before breaking and they are definitely a little stronger but I have only been using this for about 3 weeks so perhaps in a few weeks the results will be even better! (I would show a picture of my nail growth but I had a wisdom tooth removed yesterday and as I was so nervous I ripped my nails to shreds)!

As you can see I have the Original Formula Nail Envy and the Matte Formula Nail Envy. It kinda speaks for itself but the Original leaves a glossy clear finish (but not stupidly shiny) and the Matte one leaves a natural finish. If I had to choose between the two I would go for the Original at it just feels nicer on the nails. 

I haven't mentioned the price until now. These come in at around a whopping £18 each. I'm not too sure they are worth this to be honest! Now if you haven't heard of Buyapowa I am rectifying this. It's a website where you bid on certain products and the more people that bid the lower the price. I'm sneaky at wait until near the end when a product is at it lowest possible price then swoop in and make my bid. This is how I got this Nail Envy's and got them both with P&P for £14.50. Much more reasonable. Serious check out the site, today they have Estée Lauder's Advanced Night Repair for £10 off the RRP!

Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede

Revlon is still going strong as my favourite drug store brand right now. Especially when it comes to the lips. As I was going a little mad in Boots a few weeks back I picked up two colours from their latest creation, Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede.

Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede in High Heels and Socialite

When I first heard the word suede, I imagined a true matte finish but with a velvety feel. On application, which can be built up but not massively as it has high colour, the finish is slightly shiny and high on colour pigmentation. After a while the product starts to dry and you are left with a matte finish. I find when this starts to happen you can tell if you lips are moisturised or not so use a lip scrub and balm before applying for best results.

High Heels - Socialite

I love a pink lip so opted for two fairly muted pinks within the collection (there's a decent amount to choose from, Revlon always provide lots of colours)! High Heels is a true girly pink, which has a slight blue tone and perfect with cat eye liner and lots of mascara. Socialite is more a more subtle pink which on me leans towards a nude, my lips but better colour and definitely a keeper for a work lip and it doesn't draw attention.

I do worry my lips look & feel dry with this product but I think it's the way the finish is meant to feel. I absolutely love the colour of these products but I'm not sure how a bright one would look in this finish, more subtle colours will suit the finish better. I would love to try a plum or dark raspberry this Autumn though!

You can pick these up for £8.99 each or 3 for 2 at Boots!

LOOK Glow & Go Highlighter

LOOK Glow & Go Highlighter was a slight impulse buy when I was wandering through Superdrug about a 7 months ago. It was definitely a one minute wander and made it to the bottom of drawers very quickly. I found it whilst having a clear out about 2 weeks ago and I'm hooked. Powder is something that is rarely used in my daily routine and I've been embracing natural, dewy skin for a while now.

There are three ways to wear this product; on it's without foundation, under foundation for a all over glow or on top of foundation above the cheek bones (my personal favourite way to wear it). I apply by using my Real Technique's buffing brush and dabbing it along my cheekbones and then blend.

The colour is a pale pink colour with quite a bit of gold shimmer (think Benefit's High Beam) so steer clear if you aren't a fan of shimmer! I'm not sure if you can see the effect so well in the photos above but the last one shows how it  highlights along the wrist slightly. It's very subtle and I wouldn't suggest building it up because the whole point is a small hint of shine above the cheekbone.

This is a really good dupe for High Beam so you should try this out before spending the £21 at the Benefit counter. You can pick up LOOK's Glow & Go for £8 in Superdrug here. Oh and LOOK products are on 3 for 2 right now. Don't blame me if you spend lots though, ok?

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paints

Hi everyone, I hope you had a fantastic Easter! I have eaten, drank and laughed so much the last few days!

As I have mentioned before lately I have been a huge fan of gelish manicures over acrylics so when I heard Barry M had released their version of gel nail polishes I was very excited! I think Barry M are really on top of their game when it comes to copying and putting their own twist on higher end nail trends and offer such amazing offers and colours!

Their version of the gelish manicures are called Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paints. There's 13 colours so far to choose from and the colours are mainly summer colours ranging from pale blues and lilacs to bright orange and hot pinks. 

I opted for a hot pink called Dragon Fruit which is a beautiful colour for holidays and warm summer days and Lychee, a nude cream colour which I thought was quite sophisticated and would look good for nights out. 

The great thing about these is you only need one coat for a full coverage. It does take a little while for it to dry as it is so thick but the result is a high shine finish which I haven't seen in a polish before. I would definitely recommend wearing a base coat which the brighter colours as it will stain your nails.

So far so good right? Well...I have one little moan. For a product which is so thick and gives such an amazing finish, I cannot believe how easy it chips. I'm one of those girls that can get away with my nails not chipping for days on end but I can't go a day without chipping this polish. So really you need a top coat for the polish to last, but as it offers a high shine finish this really annoys me as it shouldn't be needed!

All in all I think they are great polishes but I think I would prefer to stick with regular shine polishes that last longer than a high shine polish that lasts a day on me. If you can deal with doing your nails a lot then definitely go for it as I love all the colours.

*A quick side note* As everyone is aware GFC will no longer exist from July. My favourite way to follow blogs is on Bloglovin' so if you would like to follow me on there, I would love to see you other there. You can find my blog here.