MAY. Little Haul & Mini Reviews.

Hello little darlings, how are you all doing??

Is it just me that is slightly alarmed by how quick this year is going so far? Come on, it's May already! 5 months in and the sun has finally come out and you're all embracing it I'm sure. I spent the warmest bank holiday weekend of the year at work, boo ): 

I've spent a little bit (only a little bit!) recently so I thought I'd give you a peek of it today. It's a mix of beauty buys and clothing so here we go. 

Cíate Nail Polish in Pocket Money

So I cheated a bit here because I didn't actually buy the nail varnish, it just came as a freebie with last months Marie Claire (£3.50) and this was just a bonus. 

I've never tried any Cíate products before so I was excited to get this in my magazine. I've heard really good things about them, they're a high-end brand, and the bottle is adorable. Not only this, but Pocket Money is the PERFECT shade. I'll go as far as to say this is my all-round favourite colour in my collection, just because the caramel shade goes with anything. Anything. 

Pro's 

• The colour. 
• The brush is amazing, it leaves no track lines and application was so easy. I hardly had to concentrate.
• Highly pigmented, only needed 1 coat. 
• Hasn't chipped at all so far, woop! 
• Dried within 2 minutes, max.  
• It comes in the best bottle and I am a strong believer in making your product look as classy as possible. 
• Well, it was free but Cíate polishes are usually around the £9 price range. Normally I would say this is too much for a nail varnish but I'd pay it. 

No Con's!

Avon Perfect Kiss Lipstick in Smitten Red

Again, this is a Marie Claire purchase (£2.50 for this the June issue!) This time I got this Avon Perfect Kiss lipstick in Smitten Red, which is actually more pinkish than red. I've never purchased anything from Avon before but I've heard very good things about their make up range so I rushed to try this out. 

The results? I love it. 

Pro's

• Really nice, appealing packaging. It has a 'clicky' lid which I always look for because I've had many mishaps with the lid coming off in my bag and all of my belongings have been smeared with lippy. 
• Long lasting. I applied it this morning and since then I have eaten and it's all still on. 
• It's super moisturising, my lips feel really smooth and nourished instead of dry and chapped, which many lipsticks seem to make them. 
• Easy application, it glides on.

Con's

• Requires a couple of applications to get a block, all over colour.
• Maybe a bit pricey for £8.50. That's just my personal opinion though. 

Next Petite Vest- Charity Shop

I love charity shops as much as the next person, but I've got to be in the right mood to go through all the other rubbish that they sell in them. I was in the best of moods this day though as I got this little spotty vest and the jeggings below all for £3.50. This top was only £1.50, but can you imagine how much this was originally?! Primark do similar ones and they're not even this cheap. I like the fact it's light weight and floaty because it makes it perfect for the summer sun. 

Primark Jeggings- Charity Shop

I like Primark denim and I'll forever sing it's praises no matter what people say. Yeah, a couple of months down the line they kind of lose their shape but come on, the most I've ever paid for some jeans are £11 so you can easily invest in another pair. These were £2 from my local charity shop and they fit so well and they're comfortable. I couldn't ask for much else.

Grey Cardigan- Primark

Speaking of Primark, I spotted this grey and white, oversized cardigan on sale for £3 and snapped it up. I love it and I've found it goes with pretty much everything and it's a perfect cover up in the spring sun. 

Black Heels- Primark

My taste in shoes is going through a massive change. I used to love big platforms and sky scraper heels, and I still do for a big night out. However, they just aren't appropriate for a quiet night down the pub or having a relaxing meal with my friends. Here come these beauties, which are a really soft, mid heel, pointed toe shoe which I find I'm wearing everywhere. I can hardly take them off and they're only £10!

Oversized Grey Split T Shirt- New Look

I'm so glad I spotted this in amongst all the mess of the New Look Sale. I've been wanting a top like this for absolutely ages, but as I am skint most of the time I don't want to pay big prices for one. This one is super soft, has two splits down the sides so I can show off a nice bralet or top underneath, and only cost me £5. Yes, £5. 

Internacionale Oriental Shrug- Charity Shop

Another quality charity shop buy here for £2.50. I love the summery colours, how it hangs, and how it can completely jazz up a simple vest and jeans combination.

I'm so impressed with my bargain buys! 

Do you love charity shops too? Drop us a comment and tell us about your favourite second hand purchases (: 

XXX

Mani Monday & Jungle Fever!

Hello (: Jenn here! 

We're really sorry about our lack of posts lately, we've both been stupidly busy so you'll just have to forgive us for the time being. 

Got a double whammy for you today, with a nail polish review (it's Manicure Monday!) and a quick outfit post which I haven't done for ages because the weather is so messed up ): 

Today our manicure comes in the form of Sinful Colors, an American brand which Boots stores all over the UK have now claimed. I've never heard of this brand or of their collection before so after spotting this absolutely lovely shade, and after seeing they are only £1.99 each, I was quick to grab it. 

 The colour of this caught my eye immediately, I don't have many greens in my own collection but this looked very refreshing and fit for spring. This one is called Pistachio and is slightly more vibrant than these photos suggest. 

Pro's 

• It's £1.99 and the bottle is quite big so you're getting a lot for it. 
• Highly pigmented, needs 1-2 coats (2 is really pushing it though)
• Dries reasonably quick, give it about 5 minutes. 
• I've done loads today and it still hasn't chipped, yay! 

Con's 

• Quite a gloopy consistency, so you have to make extra effort to wipe off the excess before applying. 
• Leaves slight track marks but it's quite easy to fix so that's not a massive issue. 

I really, really like this nail polish and I like it even better because it's so cheap and it doesn't lack in quality which most expensive brands seem to. There are 70 shades in the Sinful collection and they all look beautiful. You can find them here or at your local Boots store. Go, run! 

I also mentioned at the beginning of this post that I have a look for you, but it's just a really quick one (: So, it's stopped snowing (finally!) and the sun is starting to come out, kinda, and I can now go out without wearing my biggest coat which makes me very happy. 

Leopard print batwing t shirt- Topshop 

Jeggings- Next

Brown leather boots- River Island

Brown leather jacket- New Look

Alright, so it's not warm enough to go out completely without cover but my favourite leather jacket does the job perfectly. (I also wore it in this post!)

You can find it here in brown and mink for only £39.99. 

Have a lovely day (: 

XXX

HUGE haul - Spring wardrobe!

Hello friends!

Today is the first day of spring, so first of all, happy spring! 

I can barely refrain myself from having a cheeky peak into people’s shopping baskets when I’m in the queue at Tesco, so you can imagine my excitement when someone posts a good haul for me to nose through. Lately I’ve been feeling so bored with all my clothes, and like I have nothing to wear and no particular style which always makes me feel a bit run down. I haven’t really made many new additions to my wardrobe recently, and as spring is on its merry way I thought it was about time to freshen it up a little. I don’t want you to think I’ve gone insane by buying this many things in one go, with clothes I tend to save up for a while and keep my eye out for the type of things I want then do a one off military-style sweep of every shop within a ten mile radius until I locate exactly what I want for the cheapest price possible. The things I’ve gone for should see me through spring and into summer and, inspired by Gok, I’ve tried to go for items that I can mix and match so it’s all nice and easy for me to throw something on for a 9am lecture and still feel stylish. Some of them are just basics that I needed for one reason or another, but I hope you enjoy reading.

New Look                                                                                                                                               

I’m absolutely loving all the ‘spiritual’ style things that are popping up in shops recently, and when I saw these t-shirts in New Look it was love at first sight. I really do appreciate that some of these symbols and things are not just passing fashions but representations of people’s values and beliefs, so I always make sure that I understand exactly what they mean and where they come from and do a little reading before hand. I don’t really subscribe to any religions but I find things like this so interesting.  

Hand of Fatima top: £12.99, New Look

Absolutely love the colour of this top, makes me feel summery already. The Hand of Fatima (or Hamsa) is said to predate Christianity and Islam, and goes by a few different names although Fatima was the name of Muhammad’s daughter. They are said to provide protection from the evil eye if facing upwards, and represent good luck and God’s blessings if downward.

Yin and yang top: £9.99, New Look

As soon as I saw this boyfriend style Yin and Yang top, I knew we just had to be together. It was definitely meant to be because it was the last one left in the shop! Yin and Yang are Chinese symbols of opposite, but complementary forces found in everything from femininity and masculinity to darkness and light.

Zodiac T shirt: £6.99, New Look

And finally I got this astrological chart top, showing the 12 signs of the zodiac. I thought this was really cool and unusual.

ASOS                                                                                                                                                          

Leather skinnies: £15, ASOS

I’ve been after the perfect pair of leather skinnies for longer than I care to think about, and I came across these bad boys from ASOS in the sale! They were exactly how they looked on the website and I’m so so so pleased with them, they’re trouser style so fine to wear with short tops, skinny fit, and the detailing and matte-effect makes them look like real leather even though they’re not. They’ll go with everything and not bad at all for £15!

Primark                                                                                                                                                  

Skull jumper: £10, Primark

I thought this skull jumper was really unusual and looks like something you might find in Topshop for about 5 times the price! It’s quite thin so it’ll be good for Spring and the 90s-esque almost-crop style is going to look amazing with high waist jeans or shorts. 

Black jumper: £5, Primark (reduced)

                                                       Essential black jumper!

Knitted vest: £6, Primark

I love this for Spring because of the contrast between the knit and the vest style top. I have a sneaking suspicion that this might go fantastically well with my leather ASOS skinnies. 

Midi dress: £7, Primark

I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to style this midi dress (falls just below the knee) or how flattering it will be, but I'm going to give it a go!

Maxi skirt: £8, Primark

Maxi skirt: £8, Primark

These skirts are so perfect for throwing on in spring or summer with a t-shirt for day or even a little vest or bralet for the evening. They’re so easy yet so stylish, I have a similar black one that I pretty much lived in last summer.

Closed toe sandals: £12, Primark

Half way between shoes and sandals. So perfect for those inbetweeny days that don’t call for shoes but aren’t quite warm enough to get your toes out! 

Bracelets: £1.50, Primark

And I adore these bracelets for £1.50, they’re so unique and will match my tops and earrings perfectly to jazz up my basics.

H&M                                                                                                                                                         

T shirt: £3.99, H&M

T shirt: £3.99, H&M

Boyfriend T shirt: £7.99, H&M

T shirt: £3.99, H&M

 Basic t-shirts in pretty simple colours that I can throw on with my skirts or jeans.

T shirt dress: £7.99, H&M

And finally I picked up this simple grey T shirt dress. I have the black version of this and they’re so easy to wear with bare legs and sandals or tights if it’s cooler. 

So I’m all set for Spring, now I’m just hoping the weather will keep up with me! Hope you enjoyed reading, let me know if you’ve picked up any spring things recently or any good bargains, and if you’ve just done a haul of your own then please link me below so I can read yours too!

Loves loves

Sophie xxx

Casual Tuesday- Outfit Of The Day

Hey guys (: I know it's been a while since I did an outfit post but I actually look half okay today so I thought why not! 

It's still mightly, mightly cold outside (boo!) so I can't break out my dresses and short sleeves without covering up with masses of cardigans and coats so you'll just have to bear with us whilst it's still chilly. 

Sometimes I find it really difficult to look casual, yet still relatively stylish, as most of the time I just feel like a massive tramp. I think the trick is to know how to acessorize, especially if you're just a jeans and t-shirt kinda girl. 

The tee trend at the moment seems to be the ones where the words 'GEEK' and 'DORK' and all that silliness, is 'adorned' across the front. I don't know about you, but I really don't like it. I much prefer my little, white, bike t shirt (Topshop, £20) Unfortunately, Topshop don't sell this anymore but here are a pick of my favourite alternatives. 

Grey 'Twin Peaks' T Shirt (Topshop £22)/ Green Bird Print T Shirt (River Island £15)/ Black Hand of Fatima T Shirt (New Look (£7.99)

SHOES

My black ankle boots are from New look here (they also come in khaki). They're only avaliable in the wide fit section but that just means they're that little bit more comfortable for your feet! I adore the paisley detail in the cuff and they're a bargain at £19.99 (: 

ACCESSORIES 

Aquamarine and white make a great pair, which is why i've chosen these accessories to wear with my simple t shirt and jeans. The earrings are from Primark (part of a set of 12 for £2.50) which Sophie reviewed in this post here. The ring is actually from Greece, and if you're planning a trip this year then definitely keep an eye out for stuff like this, it's everywhere and, most of the time, it's quite affordable. If not, have a mooch around your local Primark and River Island as it's a popular colour at the moment.

EVERYTHING ELSE 

 

 It's far to cold to be going out in just a t shirt, so don't forget your big, chunky cardigan. Mine is actually Sophie's (which I stole, sorry!) But I adore it so much, it's so warm and I love anything that's oversized so this does just the trick. 

My leather bag is years and years old so it's looking a little battered, but it was from Topshop and it was in the sale for £20. Bargain. 

 

Till next time!

XXX