WISHLIST #2 SPRING

Topshop Drape Blouse |  Deena & Ozzy Suede Panel Backpack | All Saints Farrah Coat (Sand) | Lime Crime Venus Grunge Palette | Next Flare Jeans | Aphrodite Necklace | Prada Cat Eye Sunglasses | Hologram Lace Up Brogue | Benefit Roller Lash | Monki Dungaree Dress

Come every season I always feel that a wardrobe update is due, whether or not I need new clothes is a question better left unanswered. So here we are yet again looking at another seasonal wishlist post! For spring I seem to be largely lusting after monochromes, and neutral colours which isn't that different from my winter palette of choice. Usually by this is the time my love for mixing pastels appears. Maybe there is time yet. It just does not feel like spring is ever going to come right now although March isn't that far away, most likely something to do with the snowy weather over the last few weeks. So let's dig in to what I have been eyeing up recently!

Topshop Drap Blouse

This is a lot more elegant  and effortless than what I would tend to for in a blouse. I just think this a beautiful basic to add to my wardrobe and would go lovely with a leather jacket, black jeans and boots. It is also available in black and a beautiful rusty red. But you really can't go wrong with the white.

Deena & Ozzy Suede Panel Backpack

I have been glancing at leather backpacks in the shops for some time now, they seem to be a great solution for when you can't be bothered carrying a heavy handbag around everywhere, and they don't look mismatched with a nice outfit too. It is very easy with backpacks to look like you are back at school and not exactly the look you were going for.

All Saints Farrah Coat

Oh god, a girl can dream right? Every season without fail all saints brings out new coats that I just fall in love with. It would be a dream to own this coat since it isn't brown enough to be camel or green enough for a light khaki, I think it is a good in between which would suit my skin tone much better. 

Lime Crime Venus Grunge Palette

Since Doe Deere released instagram photos last October showing off her new 'grunge look' to the public I have been seriously lusting after this palette. Unfortunately it is quite hard to get a hold of in the UK, and when stockists had it available I was patiently waiting for my student loan payment to come through! Since then it has literally disappeared off the face of the earth to buyers, nowhere UK based had it in-stock and even the lime crime website has sold out. (It definitely isn't acceptable to spend £100 on eyeshadow eBay sellers!)
There has been a lot of claims lately all over the internet regarding credit card information getting in the wrong hands after ordering from Lime Crime itself. Hence, I will not pass any of you guys onto the website, I will also just have to patiently wait for UK stockists to buy it back in. Sigh!

Next Flare Jeans

Since the age of around 13 or 14 I have bought nothing else jean wise apart from skinnies. I couldn't even bring myself to buy straight leg jeans, however I have been really loving flared jeans lately! The 70s is on trend and I kind of love it. The style is flattering on curvier figures. The flare elongates legs and they appear longer, in essence a dream come through for an hourglass like myself.

Aphrodite Necklace

For those of you that haven't heard of the Serpent Club you should check them out. They make lots of wonderful quartz style jewellery that is just right up my street with my witchy jewellery taste. I really love the Aphrodite necklace that they released not to long ago. It might of even be a valentines day release, correct me if I am mistaken!   

Prada Cat Eye Sunglasses

I guess this is another 'if I were rich' wishlist kind of item. I just adore my cat eye shaped glasses that I use on a daily basis, so if I could afford fancy sunglasses these would be a winner.

Hologram Brogues

Holy crap these shoes are wonderful I think I spotted them on Zoe London's blog or youtube not that long ago. They are the perfect more adult alternative to creepers. Not that I would part with my much loved underground dalmatian beauties.

Benefit Roller Lash

The blogasphere basically exploded last month with tasters of this product, either from being sent samples from Benefit or those that were savvy enough to buy Elle magazine when they gave away sample sized mascaras. I am really hesitant about this product, is it worth the hype? - I am currently using their best-seller 'They're Real' and if I am completely honest I haven't been blown away by the product and actually preferring my drugstore alternative. I am still really curious about Roller Lash after reading a lot of good reviews, and I mean a lot, so it remains on my wishlist. 

Monki Dungaree Dress

I thought this dress was ultra cute. I have been drawn to dungarees for a few years now, yet I hold back from buying them in fear of looking like an oversized child since I am such a short arse! I think this dress might be my option of avoiding this problem, or I hope it will be anyway. 

What has been catching your eye for spring? Are you loving the florals and 70s style appearing everywhere in the shops or are you hating on it?

THE VINTAGE KILO

After living in the west end of Glasgow last year like any other student I discovered my love of thrifting. You can really find amazing one off pieces for a nice price as well as the enjoyment of rummaging around. This weekend was no different for me when I realised that the Vintage Kilo sale was in town. A whole kilogram of shopping for £15?? Yes please. I also realise that the Kilo Store on Great Western Road has the same sale on all year round , but it nice to go to and see a different stock which is being refreshed throughout the day.

It was being held in the Wasp Studios just off Argyll Street in the city centre so as you can imagine the crowds were flowing in, with only a £1.50 entry fee after twelve. It was fairly spacious and lots of light coming in from the ceiling so it was very easy to inspect pieces of clothing. One of my pet peeves is when vintage or thrift shops have bad lighting and you didn't spot a stain or mark when purchasing an item! There was plenty of big chunky ugly knit jumpers, denim jackets, old worn leather jackets, baskets of filled with Levis and other classic jean brands, as well as silky scarves, skirts and dresses. 

I personally have a technique of sifting through this type of shopping 1) colours/prints 2)texture 3)shape 4)damage 5)decide. So this meant whilst combing through the racks or baskets I would pick up anything with an eye-catching design then have an inspection? Do I like the feel of the fabric? Does it look like it would suit my figure? I then check for any stains or tears then decide whether to reject the item and put it back or try it on. I find this to be very efficient when I am not really going in a shop expecting to buy a specific item. 

In the end I went home happy with 6 new items; two chunky knits, a denim skirt dress, a cute beaded bag, a maxi skirt for summer and a silky scarf for my mothers day which I am sure will appear on here at some point! (I am planning to get more organised and feature more outfit posts when daylight in the day is longer giving me more time to get snaps outside.) I also had a peep at the vintage jewellery for sale all of which were very reasonably priced and so pretty, but by then I had spent a good 45-60 mins looking around. On reflection I wished I had a better look around this section but I do have very specific witchy taste in jewellery! To top it off for hungry shoppers there was beautiful decorated homemade baking just ready to be munched, I would very much recommend the vintage kilo sale to anyone new to buying second-hand items, just look out for the dates when it comes to the city nearest to you. 

What is your opinion on thrifting? Love it? Hate it? I can't resist affordable prices for unique items! 

MAC RUSSIAN RED | GO RED FOR VALENTINES DAY

I am not someone who particularly celebrates valentines day. Although my best Valentines day ever was going to see Brand New in 2012 with Sam. We weren't going because it was valentines day but because they are an awesome band and I love them, and it just so happened that the tour dates were in February. I believe that romantic gestures should be spontaneous therefore I am not a big fan of having a particular date where it is expected - that is what anniversaries are for and they are specific to you! To sum up, I think V day is just a silly commercialised holiday where singles feel bad and couples feel pressured to go all out, and I would be more surprised and appreciative of spontaneous roses on the likes of Halloween or something.

But if you are going out on a date night, or just feeling like changing up your make up for the day, then go bold with a beautiful red! There is nothing much better than a bright bold red lip. I have never really been a pink lipstick gal myself.  I have numerous different shades in my collection so it was about time that I tried out MAC's bestselling red for myself.

It is a gorgeous blue-tone red with matte finish, and as seen in the pictures above the colour pay-off is incredible. Once applied to the lips and dried I found that it lasts for the majority of the day without really shifting. Perfect for long days at uni! Or in this case a date? I find that with most red lipsticks they transfer and stain everything in sight, but transfer was minimum with this particular lipstick which is great. It was however a little drying on my lips so I applied a lush lip scrub and lip balm once I removed it at the end of the day, to keep my lips in tip top soft texture. I hate having dry flaky lips. What is perfect with blue toned reds in comparison to orange or pink toned reds is that they make teeth look whiter which is great for photo opportunities.

I can see exactly why this particular shade by MAC has managed to stay timeless - it is still super popular despite being launched in the 80s! I would definitely recommend Russian Red and is a fantastic addition to my red lipstick collection, in fact I would put it in my top 5.

For anybody that is wondering in the picture above I am wearing Russian Red outlined by a L'Oréal lip liner in shade velvet robe.

MY BEST TIPS FOR ECZEMA #PRODUCTS

Hello everyone, this is the final post for the tips for dealing with eczema series and probably the one that most of you beauty gurus will be interested in! Seasonal changes are the times of the year where I notice most changes in my skin, and those of you who don't have eczema will probably notice this within themselves too.

Winter comes every year with a wrath attacking my poor skin. This is why is important to be prepared for skin problems when the weather changes. I advise stocking up on a good thick moisturiser designed for dry or combination skin.  It should probably be thicker than your usual favourite that is used during the rest of the year as the cold temperature dries out skin. A regular morning and evening skincare routine also works wonders, during the winter months I have been using Lush Celestial in the morning, and Simple Cleanser, Eau Roma Toner and virgin olive oil on a cotton pad with some water in the evening.  It is advisable to create a personal routine to protect your eyes and cheekbones from the dreaded dry skin patches which can be super sore, and an ordeal to apply make up over. It is also a good idea to have plenty of body lotion to apply to prone spots such as elbows or knees. I use a mixture of Lush's Dream Cream, which is best for calming down raw skin, the Body Shops body lotions and body butters, and Diprobase prescribed by the GP. I like to have a good hand moisturiser at all times of the year, my favourites include Lush Helping Hands and the Body Shop Vitamin E Hand  & Nail Treatment as dry cracked hands are a bit of a nightmare. I really liked using a deep moisturising tea tree and peppermint hand treatment to relieve pain on my hands from Semi-Chem which cost 99p. Not bad for the winter months at all.

There are also new products that I am interested in trying out and reviewing for you guys such as face oils, and the Clarins Hydraquench range. I can always excuse treating my skin!

As always if you are still having issues with eczema, it is a good idea to visit your GP. Sometimes moisturisers and shop bought hydrocortisones are not enough to keep your skin in check, there are many steroid creams and/or ointments that your doctor can prescribe to help this your skin problems out. I highly recommend the zinc bandages which prevent you from itching the skin to give it time to heal, and Elocon ointment which seems to work wonders for my skin in times of great need.

I hope this helps anyone that is struggling with eczema problems, and isn't too sure where to start! Learn to look after yourself and your skin, and I promise you it will become more manageable. If you find a routine that works for you stick to it! And if you want to introduce new products that is absolutely fine too but remember to monitor any skin changes. Give your skin time to heal, and you will feel beautiful again. 

THE WANDERLUST TAG

I have been seeing quite a few blog posts recently with this wonderful 'wanderlust' tag, and thought that I would join in the fun since I have thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone elses travelling dreams! The questions were swiped from Efia, I have been thinking a lot about things on my bucket list lately, and the majority of points are travel based, so although this is not strictly a travel blog I hope you all enjoy reading it!

Q: Where was your first plane to?

I am pretty sure that my first plane was to the Algarve in Portugal for a holiday with the family when I was around seven years old. I remember being super excited because it seemed like such a big deal going on a plane because prior to that my parents were big fans of the trek in the car down south to England then across to France on the Ferry. So it was a pretty damn good concept - what dya mean we'll be there in 3 hours?!! 

Q: Where have you travelled to that you would love to visit again?

My two favourite places that I would go to again in a heartbeat is New York, and China. I basically want to road trip around America but New York is one of the most wonderful cities I have ever visited. I loved the vibes, the food, the people, the shopping. Yeah it was pretty awesome, there is also a lot of beauty products that are pretty hard to get in the UK that I would like to buy so a visit to America would not go amiss. I also want to travel all over China, although on my last trip I went to Xi'An - I probably wouldn't visit there on a China tour though. I would like to see other cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. I think it would be interesting to visit Xi'An again in like 10-20 years though as there was a lot of construction work going on when I visited, but the purpose of the trip was volunteering to look after Giant Panda's rather than where I fancied going if you catch my drift!

Q: You're leaving tomorrow, money is no object, where are you going?

Japan. A million times over Japan. It is the place that has been on top of my bucket list to visit for sooo long but it is quite expensive. Although money is no object so can I say a tour Japan, Thailand, and China, then a trip down to Australia and New Zealand???

Q: Preferred method of travel: planes, trains or car?

I guess it depends on where I am going. I do get quite restless as a passenger in a car, and I don't love driving. But it is nicer having your space than on a crowded train! I do enjoy a good plane journey since I feel like I'm travelling somewhere important but I can never sleep on planes. Cry. 

Q: Top three travel items? 

Sunscreen, a good book, and a personal organiser. I'm a bit of a freak when it comes to making sure things are prepared, I need essential travel items accessible, and what I want to do planned. There is nothing worse than being stranded in foreign country in a mad panic or forgetting something you wanted to do while visiting! 

Q: Favourite travel website?

I like scrolling through the Lonely Planet website for inspiration but do prefer reading their books! I also like looking at 'gap year' opportunity based sites such as i-to-i (the company I went with for my China trip), as well as watching travel vlogs on YouTube Fun For Louis has some really awesome videos!

Q: Where would you travel to just to eat the food?

Take me anywhere in Italy and I will be a very happy (possibly overweight) girl! Glorious stone baked pizza, pasta dishes and home made ice cream mmmmmmmm.

Q: Is there a place you would never go again?

Interesting, there isn't really a single place that comes to mind - there are places I'm not bothered about going back to but I wouldn't cross them out completely. Maybe a couple of shoddy apartments that weren't too good, but not a country/city specifically.

Q: Can you recite your passport number from memory if asked?

Definitely not, it is such a random combination of numbers! If I were travelling on a more regular basis I think I would like to able to though.

Q: Do you prefer window, aisle or middle seat?

I am the mean person that takes the window if given the choice- sorry travel companions! I think most people prefer the window. I find it helps any travel vertigo, and enjoy watching the scenery.

Q: How do you pass the time on the airplane?

I usually take that time to get into a good book, I never spend enough time reading in comparison to how I would when I was younger, so its a good time to set aside being able to do that. I also listen to music, or check the movies on long haul flights. 

After writing up this post it has me thinking about my travelling dreams and that I should really try and save my extra pennies for more time spent exploration anywhere and everywhere! If you could visit anywhere just for one day where would you go?