Lush Christmas

Well, it's officially 8 Fridays until Christmas... so it's acceptable to write my first Christmassy post! I was lucky enough to be invited to Lush's Christmas party at their Leeds Spa and it certainly got me in the Christmassy mood:

The store was stacked high with goodies, covered in sparkles and glitter. Everything smelt amazing, as you would expect of Lush, and my favourites were the ever-popular Snow Fairy, alongside new products Reindeer Rock and So White. I can't believe I've never treated myself to Snow Fairy for Christmas, so I'm sure I will be popping back into store soon to stock up!

The gift options are fantastic. They are beautifully packaged, opulent and self-indulgent, which is exactly what you want for Christmas. I was unluckily given a bath-bomb-only gift box to take away, which my brother was more than happy to take off my hands since I don't have a bath! His seven male housemates has certainly enjoyed them, so they have gone to a good home - and if these boys like them, they must be good. I was happy to note that there is choice for those of us who don't have baths in the gift options, so there is something for everyone. The thought that has been put into every box is so impressive; my favourites are probably the Winter Garden tin, which you can hang on your Christmas tree, and Good Tidings, which is sure to give you wonderful soft skin. I also love the fact that the packaging is always something you would be able to keep and use again, which is an important consideration when there is so much waste at this time of year. All in all, they are a great gift to sit under your tree and unwrap on Christmas Day.

Make sure you check out Lush's Christmas goodies - which is your favourite Christmas product?

OOTD: It's My Birthday!

It's my birthday! Today I'm feeling 22, because that's how old I am (sorry, I've been waiting to be able post that joke!) I couldn't resist getting a little dressed up to celebrate and, of course, share it with you. Unfortunately the weather is absolutely terrible today, and I only managed a couple of snaps before it started tipping it down with rain - so please forgive the quality!

Skirt:Topshop. Jumper: Asos. Shoes: Topshop, Necklace: New Look. Handchain: Accessorize. Balloons: Poundland.

I had some fun posing with these Winnie the Pooh balloons from Poundland. I added some bright pink ribbon and felt like a child to heading their birthday party! I knew that I wanted to wear my amazing skirt from Topshop on my birthday. I've had this Limited Edition skirt on my wishlist since it arrived on the website, and as soon as I saw that it had been reduced by over 50% in the sale, it headed straight to my basket. I adore the fun, bright shapes and the A-line is perfect for that nipped-in waist look - although it does make my bum look big! The quality is fantastic and I love anything mint coloured, and anything with pockets is always a winner. The colour doesn't show very well in these photos but check out my Instagram photo of the skirt to get a better idea of how pretty the colours are.

Today I teemed it with a plain cropped jumper from Asos. I thought the navy blue complimented the mint green and I didn't want to distract from the eye-catching skirt, so I kept my top half simple. Finally, I added a pair of metallic heels and a statement necklace to add some extra glamour - if you can't dress up on your birthday, when can you?

I'm planning to spend the day in Cambridge and then I'm off for a lovely meal at The Pantry in Newmarket with my parents. It should be a great day and I'm excited to celebrate with my nearest and dearest. I'd love it if you could give me a follow on Bloglovin' or a comment on this post. If I could reach 200 Bloglovin' followers today, that would be an amazing birthday present!

OOTD: Winter Is Coming

It's time for an outfit of the day! I've been making a few naughty purchases over the recent months, as I start to build up my Winter wardrobe and take advantage of all those sales. Today I wanted to share some recent Primark goodies and a killer pair of shoes. Apologies in advance for the gormless bitchface...

Top: Primark. Skirt: New Look. Coat: Primark. Boots: Jeffrey Campbells. Socks: Primark.

Oh, Game of Thrones. As soon as I saw this tshirt, which cost a measly £3 in the Tottenham Court Prmark, I knew I had to have it. It's a great addition to my selection of Harry Potter and Disney tshirts from Primark and remarkably versatile in my wardrobe. Today I teamed it with my New Look sale skirt, a monochrome and rose design. Although it is described as A-line and is in reality definitely bodycon, I love the print and find myself reaching for it for a pretty monochrome look. It will look great with black tights as the weather gets colder and it is sure to become an Autumn/Winter staple with a chunky jumper thrown over the top.

However, today it was warm enough to brave bare legs and so I added some ridiculous heels in the shape of these Jeffrey Campbells. The amazing Sammie from Little Blonde Life gifted them to me and I adore them. The claws up the back of the heels are super sexy and badass and I love how tall I am in them! They are surprisingly easy to walk in, thanks to those huge platforms and lace up style, and I am now feeling more confident about wearing them for a longer period of time!

Last but not least, I threw on another amazing Primark find. This red over-sized jacket with a fluffy fur collar was just £25. It was also available in a gorgeous camel colour, which was out of stock in the smaller sizes in the Primark I visited, but I will definitely be picking this colour up too if I manage to find it anywhere! I successfully picked up the last size 10 in the red, and this gives me enough shoulder room to wear a thick jumper underneath, as well as a great over-sized tailored look. The fur collar is amazingly snuggly and the bright almost orange red adds a vibrant kick to the otherwise neutral outfit. I love pairing it with a matching lipstick, which leaves me feeling polished and glamorous. 

What are your latest Primark finds? I'd love some outfit inspiration!

On Cloud Nine

I rarely talk about hair on my blog, mainly because I'm very fickle with hair products. I tend to buy whatever is on offer, and therefore rarely repurchase. My thick hair tends to be able to withstand more mistreatment than thinner hair types, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't need some TLC sometimes! I was sent these goodies by Cloud Nine and they have fitted into my routine perfectly:

I was kindly send the Cloud Nine Magical Duet* which includes 50ml versions of the Magical Potion and Magical Remedy. I adore the Magical Potion, which has completely transformation my haircare routine. A few spritzes of this over wet hair promises to reduce drying time by half. It seems like a huge claim, and I was surprised to discover that it really is true. As I've mentioned, my hair is extremely thick and it therefore takes an age to dry, which is a particular pain in the colder months when I don't want to leave the house with wet hair. This cuts down my hair-drying time to only about 5 minutes; it really is miraculous!

Not only does the Magical Potion work wonders on hair-drying time, it also works as a great detangler on my damp hair. I adore the packaging, with the 'don't forget to shake me' message on the bottle, which reminds you to shake the ombre mixture into a turquoise blue like you see above. It also smells fresh, slightly salty and doesn't leave any unwanted texture or residue on my hair. Overall, it's a complete wonder product which I am sure to repurchase when it eventually runs out.

For days when my hair is feeling slightly dry and damaged, Magical Remedy is a thick and luxurious cream, which can be used as both a hair mask and a conditioner. I've been simply using it as a conditioner, and even after a few minutes smothered over my ends, I can really feel the difference. If I've been using my GHDs on a more frequent basis than usual, using this instead of normal conditioner in the shower is guaranteed to give my hair a nourishing boost. My hairdresser just told me today that my hair is in wonderful condition, so it must be working!

Have you tried any Cloud Nine products? I must say that I'm a convert to their accessory range and now eyeing up their range of stylers!

My first MAC lipstick!

After visiting London for my first London based blogger meet, I visited Selfridges with two of my favourite bloggers, Katie and Simone. Unsurprisingly, they enabled me into buying my first MAC lipstick, which I wanted to share with you today:

After swatching what seemed like the every lipstick in Selfridges, I finally settled for Impassioned. It's an Amplified finish, which is bright, strong and matte - just how I like it! The colour applies to my lips just how it appears on the bullet, and I like the vibrant colour it adds to my look. The application is smooth and doesn't feel drying - although it would probably benefit from the use of a lip liner too, but I'm just lazy!

I would never have previously paid £15.50 for a lipstick before I started blogging, and I still feel like this is a huge splurge for me. I have justified this luxury by comparing it to how much I spend on clothes - if I can spend £20 on a top, why not pay £15 for a lipstick which I will wear many more times? It's a shift in logic towards beauty which is new to me, but I'm really enjoying starting to discover more high-end makeup. I'm now extremely tempted by something from Charlotte Tilbury - I love the look of Coachella Coral or Amazing Grace for a more matte look, but at £23 my tastes are getting more and more expensive!

Are you yet to launch into MAC? Or, if you are fan, what was your first MAC lipstick?

The One British Blended Whisky

It seems particularly apt after the recent referendum to be reviewing a new British Isles blended whisky, The One, that still correctly includes Scotland! This unique blend of whiskies from across the British Isles combines a range of distinctive characteristics - does it make a drink which is truly better together?

The Lakes Distillery is a new distillery unsurprisingly in the Lake District. The whisky itself is very pale and therefore quite different and perhaps not strong enough for regular whisky drinkers. However for me, I like the more subtle flavours, which include hints of spice, nuttiness and smokiness. As the weather gets colder, it would definitely be perfect in a hot toddy on a cold evening!

The Lakes Distillery's next venture is the release of a gin and I am very excited! I am a huge gin fan and I'm excited by the sound of a unique gin distilled in the Lake District, using local ingredients from the surrounding area. I do love a gin and tonic!

Have you tried this new blended whisky?