Little Mid-Season Clothing & Beauty Haul

 So someone (me) went on a little shopping trip last weekend and couldn't resist picking up a few bits as I find this is the perfect time of year to go shopping because I find all the best stock is out and I will never get enough of winter clothes!

Ok, you're probably all thinking 'I'm pretty sure you just brought a pair of black chelsea boots in your last haul what are you playing at?' but I regret to inform you after almost daily wear for a good 4 months they died and the sole started detaching itself *moment of silence*. Anyways, I realised as materialistic as it's sounds I cannot live without a good pair of chelsea boots, they go with everything and ah I just love them. I decided upon choosing this pair from New Look not only because they were in the sale for £13 (!!) but because I love how they were a little quirky and different with the elastic section being a slightly different shape compared to your bog standard chelsea boot.

  I am a hater of those cardboard feeling tight skinny jeans - I'm one for comfort with clothing so these are the best thing I think I have potentially ever purchased. These are in fact leggings that look just like jeans and I've even asked my friends if they think they are leggings or jeans and they all said jeans. As well as having the comfort factor these have to be the most flattering item of clothing I own. Unlike regular jeans/ leggings they have been cut in such a way that they don't cling to weird places and the seams have been put in such an idea place that they make you legs look even more fabulous. plus they are high waited but not too extreme which I love love love! These are a new staple to my wardrobe - I got these from Next which is somewhere I never shop but maybe i will start to...

Also from New Look I picked up this little purse because I was in desperate need for a new one. I'm not completely in love with this one but it was a necessary purchase and hopefully I will find an ideal one soon. I just think this size is so practical.

                                   

On another note this jumper from New Look I am utterly in love with! It's your bog standard grey jumper that goes with everything but because of the altered stitching it makes it hand and look really flattering on. Plus its the perfect length between cropped and regular that it goes with any bottoms if it's a skirt, jeans, leggings ext.

I'm not usually one for following huge style trends because fashion always changes and to be honest it can be a pain/ a lot of money to keep up with. However I'm really loving this subtle turtle-neck trend going on at the moment and I think as its been modernised from an old classic that this could be around for a long time. I really like this one I found from one of New Looks brands 'Cameo Rose'. I don't know what else to say about this other than I love it and it's pretty flattering too - I think this pairs really nicely with the leggings I brought from Next *heart eyes*

Finally I made a cheeky trip into Boots. As usual I picked up my Collection Lasting Perfection concealer because mine has reached its last legs and dried up. I was also in need of a new foundation as I'm still on the hunt for the perfect one and I spotted L'oreal had a deal going on which meant I could buy two products for £14. I went ahead and got the Infallible foundation in the lightest shade going which is actually a perfect match and one of their lipsticks in '302 Bois De Rose' which I have already made a blog post about which you can check out here. 

I'll speak to you all soon,

Sarah x

Brighton Home/ Clothing/ Beauty Haul

For my friends birthday it has become a tradition that we all make a little trip to Brighton as we have now gone 3 years in a row now on and around Halloween (yes this post is 2 weeks delayed I'm very sorry haha but everything should still be in stock). We all love shopping there because of the variety of quirky/ vintage shops that you don't get in our area and it's so nice even if you are just browsing. We also went on the pier in the evening and sat on the deck chairs and honestly it's one of my favourite places in the world.

Probably my favourite shops in Brighton is 'Snoopers Paradise' which is full of so many old nick naks from vinyl's and jewellery to dolls and cutlery. There are 2 levels to the shop and I went upstairs to 'Snoopers Attic' and found a selection of little fake flowers that were too good to leave as they were only £2 in total. There is also an amazing photo booth that we all love to go in and take goofy pictures in which we did this time but I haven't included a photo of them in this haul.

Whenever I go to Brighton, even when it's not on the birthday trip, It has become a tradition that I go into the most adorable shop called Sass & Belle and pick up one of they their decorations for my bedroom. I just think they are so cute and give such nice finishing features to a bedroom/ anywhere else in your house.

I have been after a raglan/ baseball t-shirt for at least 2 years now so when we popped into Dirty Harry's and when I saw this I was all over it. I especially like this one as it's not super tight like most of this style and is a little baggy. It also has long sleeves instead of three quarter length ones which I love and it was a bit of a steal for £12. Such a staple item for winter.

I don't have a stand alone mac store near me, I always have to go into somewhere like John Lewis but in Brighton there is a really nice one so I always make the effort to have a bit of a nosy around. As you may have seen on my Autumn/ Winter Wishlist I have been after the Cranberry eye shadow for a while as it is a 'bright' colour but it is still reasonable subtle and not too in your face.

Along with the cranberry theme, in Urban Outfitters I picked up this little beauty of a nail varnish as I think it is such a traditional winter colour and for some reason I didn't own anything similar to this before so I picked it up and I have actually tried it out and I love it! It dries super fast also which is a must for me. It is in the shade 'Raspberry Beret'.

Finally we went into one of my all time favourite stores called 'Evolution' which I think has a few other stores around the UK as I know there is one in Reading. It sells really unique home peices and I smelt this candle and was in haven. It was only £3.50 which I think is really cheap and it kicks off so much sent and burns for I believe 40 hours, so overall a very good buy!

I'll speak to you all soon,

Sarah x

Collective Haul

I have recently started college (which also means putting up posts is becoming a little difficult so sorry for the slow updates - It's hard to even find time for myself at the minuet) so over the summer I have visited the shops a fair bit to try and pick up some clothing items that would be suitable to wear then and also a few beauty products as I just couldn't resist!

Primark:

You can never go wrong with Primark shoes. They don't break the bank, their comfy, and also for the most part look lovely! I've been on the hunt for some little brown ankle boots for a while but I didn't want to spend a lot of money on one pair. I adore these and think they would look great all year round as they go with dresses, skirts, jeans, leggings, literately everything! 

Lately I've been trying to organise my wardrobe as it's getting a little hectic and needed a little clearing out. I decided to get some new hangers as the free plastic ones from the shop just weren't cutting it for me any more. These ones from Primark allow so much more space to be created in your wardrobe as they are so skinny and their also non slip unlike the plastic ones! defiantly get these if you are becoming tight of space in your wardrobe.

As you may have seen in my 'Autumn/ Winter Wish List' I have been after a boyfriend style coat and I saw this and fell in love. I adore the monochrome colours as that means that it will go with everything also I love the fact that it has a slight twist where it doesn't have the collar round the neck which I quite like as it will position scarf's nicer in the winter and also it's quite flattering and doesn't swallow me up. These  are going super fast so if you're looking for one go ASAP I also recommend sizing down! 

I was in need for a new bag for college that would go with everything and have a lot of space and this fit the bill! Despite being 'cheap from Primark' it is still really good quality so think this last me a while. I love how many sections and roomy this bag is so it will be super easy (hopefully) to keep all my things organised.

Ok, how could anyone walk past this beauty of a bag?! It's a lovely embossed print on fake burgundy leather and looks so chic and expensive (even though it was around the £10 mark!) This makes a lovely everyday/ evening bag and I'm also tempted to tuck the strap in and use it as a large clutch bag.

Urban Outfitters:

I love Urban Outfitters hunting through the Urban Outfitters sale (because let's be honest their full priced stuff is so expensive) and I came across this beautiful monochrome 3/4 length sleeve floral top with a low back - but not too low that you can see your bra strap cause that's not a fab look. It's so flattering and I fell in love. It goes with so many things and I've worn it a fair few times already.

H&M

Recently I went on a little shopping trip to Reading with my oldest friend Charlotte (she isn't old but I have known her since I was born kinda thing) and it was a bit of a reunion as we hadn't seen each other in a while. We know each others style so well so when she picked this off the rail for me I fell in love! This is right up my ally and I have been looking for something like this! I adore the flower print on the back and collar area and the cute little buttons are probably my favourite bit. The only thing I slightly dislike is that it is a little bit too cropped but I just pair it with high wasted things.  

 Boots

I have wanted this sleek blush in  the colour 'rose gold' for a long time now as apparently it's an exact dupe to Nars's 'orgasm' (yes that is in fact a real blusher name). It's such a beautiful pink colour with subtle gold shimmers that make you look radiant and I think would suit all skin tones. 

You may have also seen in my 'Autumn/ Winter Wish List' that I have wanted to repurchase the Toni & Guy salt spray which i love so much and it is at such a reasonable price. I only got the miniature one because it lasts so long as you don't need much and I didn't feel the need to get the larger one. I already know I love this and would recommend 110%.

Despite being an enthusiast in good eyebrows I have never branched out far enough to use an eyebrow pencil as I have been so worried I would look silly and draw them on wrong so I always returned to my comfort blanket of eye-shadow through the brows. It wasn't till recently when one of my friends asked me to fill theirs in for them, and baring in mind I had never used one before I fell in love with the results on her, and was determined to try one out on myself ever since. This one was super cheap as it was my first time trying one but to be honest I don't think I will ever switch as it's so amazing and precise. Just remember to be soft with it and not hard because they come out with 2 very different looks...

For a long time now I have been looking to try out this Kabuki brush to use for things like mineral foundation, powder and for normal foundation blending too and this really appealed to me as it's retractable which is so convenient for travelling and such. plus the packaging is just beautiful and the brand have really good morals which is a bonus.

John Lewis

Ever since I first started reading Blogs/ watching YouTube this has been a product that has been so raved about and I'm questioning why it took me so long to buy. I will defiantly do and update of how i find this Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish and shall report back if it's worth the hype which i really hope it is. Also just take a moment to appreciate this packaging too...

I'll speak to you all soon,

Sarah x

New York Haul!

I was lucky enough to go on holiday with my family to New York!! I've wanted to go ever since I can remember and as soon as I found out we were going I started to save my money straight away because we all know New York is famous for it's shops!

One of the first stops we made on the trip was to Sephora as there isn't one in England. I didn't want to go too crazy so I just picked up 2 things I was pretty certain I'd love! I brought the Sephora own brand lip crayon trio 'Lips in Bloom' as I could see myself wearing all 3 colours and as you by them in a pack you save yourself $12 which is always a positive. I also brought the 'Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation' as Essie Button always talks about how amazing this mineral foundation is and I have been dying to try this for so long.

I wondered in to the department store 'Macy's' with my family and came across the mac counter and couldn't resist a sneaky purchase. I chose 'New York Apple' because I have in fact been eyeing this up a while because of the beautiful colour and finish but the name of the lipstick was relevant to the trip I was on  plus mac is £5 (!!!) cheaper in the states so I was like ''why the heck not''. And as strange as this may sound but now every time I use this lipstick it will bring back nice memories.

In the states a drug store called 'Duane Reade' I believe owned by Wallgreens (?) became my family's second home as it contained so much food and drink and as I quickly discovered: beauty products!! I couldn't not buy these things as they again aren't available in the UK as far as I know and I knew I'd regret it if I didn't. As you can see I went a bit lip product crazy... I purchased 3 (oops) EOS lip balms in mint, summer fruits and coconut milk because I have given into the hype and really wanted to try them. I picked up 2 wet and wild eye-shadow pallets in 'Sweet As Candy' and 'The Naked Truth' along with a lip crayon as they were incredibly cheep and I always hear good things. And finally a Dr Rescue Baby Lips in 'Pink Me Up' as you can't get these in the UK and after the flight I had super chapped lips, also from the same brand but in the Electro collection I picked up Oh! Orange!

Next up Forever 21! I have always wanted to go to this store ever since I first heard about it so I'm so glad I managed to go in even though it was quite brief. I picked up a really lovely gold feather necklace that looks so dainty and it was insanely affordable (like most of the jewellery in Forever 21) so I could not resist and also this grey bat winged top with super tight arms which is actually quite flattering despite how oversized it is.

I never originally planned to go into American Eagle because I have heard about how expensive it is but I saw a massive sign on their shop window saying all their jeans were $30 (£18) rather than their usual price of around $50 so I headed straight in as I always hear about how flattering their jeans are supposed to be. I picked up 2 pairs; One being a regular black skinny pair and the over a light distressed pair with rips in. I find it so hard to find cheap-ish jeans that are flattering so I would definitely recommend American Eagle. I also was in need of a cream cardigan so I picked up this one which I love and is also slightly bat winged.

A bit of a random purchase was this New York themed magnet. I got this from the New York Public Library which is apparently one of the biggest in the world (?!). It's one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen. It had paintings on the ceiling like in Beauty and the Beast and it just felt so magical.

One of the days I was away my family decided it would be a good idea to go to the Natural History Museum which was so amazing and to top it off they had the most amazing gift shop (Of which I got something for one of my friends in hear and I'm tempted to keep it for myself). I went over to the jewellery section and found a selection of stone necklaces which were so pretty and I was actually eyeing one up earlier that day on Instagram. I narrowed it down to this one as purple is one of my favourite colours and i just loved it.

Now on to some kinda patriotic purchases... I got these adorable 'I ♡  NY' pj bottoms as I couldn't leave without them and they looked so cosy and also this grey New York hat. Not going to lie one of the reasons I picked up this hat is because one of my favourite actresses in a movie wear this and I've loved it ever since and also I'm not a huge fan on 'Snap Backs' I much prefer them curved which is kinda hard to find.

Finally the last shop I brought clothes from was Aeropostale. One of my friends recommend this to me before I went as they said it was super reasonable and they weren't wrong. they had so many by one get two free's I was in my element. The first thing I could were the burgundy and white lace cami's which I loved and are just good quality basic items and these were in the 'buy 1 get 2 free section' so you may be wondering where the other one is but that is actually a gift to the friend who recommended the shop. The second thing I got was a black a white floral skater skirt from the Bethany Mota collection which was love at first sight and is so flattering a fits lovely, you could either wear it on it's own on with thick tights in the winter. A tip I can give you is if they don't have your size out front ask a member of staff if they have any out back as they most likely probably do and it doesn't hurt to ask, that's what I did. And the last thing I got from this entire crazy haul was a pink and blue plaid shirt which i love and is so versatile for all seasons and amazing for layering.

I'll speak to you all soon,

Sarah x

Small Topshop/ Marks & Specers Haul

When it's a typical rainy day in England (even though it's summer time!) I always get the urge to go shopping (is this just me?!) so I picked up a few little bits and thought I'd show you!

Topshop:

I wondered into Topshop and one of the first things I saw was this black scalloped t-shirt which I instantly loved! I always liked their tank top version of this sort of style but never really enough to purchase one but I love this style so much more. I feel like this is so lovely to wear on it's own in the summer and you could easily layer this up in the winter. It was £14 which is cheep for Topshop but still a little overpriced...

As you can see I was on the hunt on this shopping trip in particular for t-shirts because I always seem to wear the same ones over and over. My mum found this hidden behind some other designs and I'm so happy she did. This is such a casual plain t-shirt but it still looks like you could wear it fairly formally if needed. The fabric of the t-shirt is so soft and is so comfortable to wear! This was £12 which i think is pretty reasonable for the quality. Topshop is clearly 'on point' (I hate that phrase but I can't think of any other way to describe it) with their basics lately.

Marks & Spencers:

Ok so I know what you're all thinking: 'Hey Sarah, why on earth are you shopping in Marks & Spencers isn't that shop meant for middle aged women?!' Well everyone I kid you not, Marks & Spencers sell life changing leggings. I struggle so hard to find leggings that aren't see through but this company makes leggings that don't reveal your undies at all! Although saying this they have redesigned their plain leggings so now you can see your pants through them (not a good look if you ask me!) But I found this amazing pair that look like trousers (they even have a zip, buttons and back pockets!!!) but are actually just leggings just jazzed up a little with no chance of anyone seeing what's underneath as they are super thick. These were  £19.50 and will definitely last a long time so worth the money.

As I just mentioned above, they have redesigned their plain leggings so now they are see through but I came across this jodhpurs style that are super flattering, and again not see through. These were  £18 and an amazing alternative to plain leggings (wow how many times have I said leggings in this post!)

I'll speak to you all soon,
Sarah x

Summer Primark/ Boots/ H&M/ Accessorize Haul

Primark:

I cannot express in just one blog post about my love for frilly socks! They are so damn cute and make any outfit you wear look a touch more girly. Weather you can see the frills poking out of a pair of ankle boots or sandals they work for all seasons! These ones from Primark are only £2 for a pack of 3 and in my opinion are nicer than the Topshop ones that are almost four times the price for the same amount! 

Wow wee this was such a bargain. I was walking down one of the isles in Primark and came across this gorgeous kimono and it was love at first sight. It was £13 and for how much detail and the quality of this it was such a bargain. Especially since I have come across lots of similar ones that are double that price. 

I love Primark pj's so very much! I wanted to get the matching top to the shorts but unfortunately all the sizes left were too big for me so I went for a little hunt and got this white vest instead which matches reasonably well. I think in total the top and shorts came to around £5. These are so so comfy and great for summer time as they are made from quite a thin material. They have lovely lace detailing and i just like them lots.

A little later on I discovered these very similar pj's but in a different pattern. Luckily they had my size in both pieces so I went ahead and put these in my basket. You may be thinking that 2 pairs of pyjamas in one shopping trip is a little much but I'm planning to take these on holiday with me and I before had no summery sleepwear.  

Accessorize:

I've been looking for some hair accessories recently for me to wear at my school prom and as my dress has  no 'sparkle' or whatever you want to call it so I thought these would be perfect. These types of clips are great because you don't need to worry about bits sticking out. These were £6 for a pack of 4 which I think is fab because of how expensive they actually look.

I have a serious case of 'I have lost my earrings again' so I am constantly buying new ones. I love this pack and I think their great as you could wear them with anything and I'm thinking of wearing the pair second to the left for prom. They were £10 which is kind of expensive considering I'll probably loose them soon but the damage has been done.

Boots:

The other day I was reading someones blog post (I can't for the life of me remember who) about how much they love this concealer and that it in their opinion is potentially better than the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer. It's around the same price and I have tried this once and it's super creamy - I will get back to you all with a cheeky review on this once I get a proper opinion.

As some of you may know I'm a crier. Not just when I'm sad - In fact when I'm sad I very rarely cry. But whenever I'm really happy for someone or about something I will just burst into tears and I'm yet to try a waterproof mascara? Also coming into the summer months all of my make-up tends to smudge all around the place. I have previously already tried the non waterproof version of this so I already know I love it and can we just take a moment to appreciate the beautiful packaging. It's on the higher end of high-street/ drug store make up at £10.

I am soon to be writing a skin care blog post about my love for this stuff so I wont rant too much about it now but this is great for people with acne and is a super cheap (£2.19!) effective solution that could also be used as a moisturiser.

As I just mentioned I will be uploading a skincare routine post so I wont go on about this product too much. This solution is one of the main things that have saved my skin. It's great for getting rid of make-up/ getting rid of impurities on the skin.

I have raved about this amazing powder before in this blog post so I made a cheeky re-purchase before my current one completely runs out. This powder is so lovely and affordable and never looks cakey - the powder almost sinks into the skin and makes it look flawless.

I am yet to try a Sally Hansen nail varnish so I have picked up this one to wear potentially for my prom (I am bringing this up a lot but this is the reason for most of my purchases oops) It's a lovely pale pink colour and I got the shade called 'Arm Candy' which is a little funky sounding but whatever. 

I am before today a false eyelash wearer virgin. I picked up these individual Eylure eyelashes as I heard these look the most natural on which is what I wanted because all I'm really looking for is length. After looking at a tutorial on YouTube I conquered these bad boys and managed to apply them in about the 3rd time which I think is pretty good for a first timer?

H&M:

You will be able to see from these next 2 purchases that not only do I love wearing dresses but I also have a love for ditsy floral prints. This skater style shift dress is so lovely for summer but with a bit of layering and a pair of tights you could definitely get away with wearing it in winter. It was around £12 (?) and I already know I'm going to get so much wear out of this as I wear dresses similar to this all the time.  I think this dress would suit anyone of any body shape as it's not particularly tight fitting and I think the colours would really suit darker skin (and pale skin too but you know what I mean).

What really drew me to this dress (apart from the floral pattern) was the straps that connect at the back which look super flattering and eye catching when you wear it even though it's only a little extra detail. This dress is slightly out of my comfort zone as it's not completely body-con but fairly tight fitting which is something I don't really go for but I thought that I should be comfortable to wear tight clothes even though I don't have the 'perfect' figure as I should be comfortable in my own body and so should you. This was the same price as the first dress and I think you could really dress this dress down or up with a few accessories.

I'll speak to you all soon,
Sarah x