CASIO GOLD MINI DIGITAL WATCH

For years, I was never a watch person. I think as a child I had a couple of watches with characters on, like Hello Kitty and such, and then as a teen I had one watch and once the batteries ran out, I never went back to it. However, for the past 6 months or so, I've been wearing this Casio Mini Digital every single day.

The reason I like this is because it doesn't look like the classic watch. I have very very small wrists and a lot of watches therefore tend to look bulky and just don't suit me, which also lends to why I chose to buy the 'mini' version rather than the standard size Casio. But this is different. It has a sort of 'old school' vibe to it, and it is also ridiculously simple. The best part is that I got it for about £20, and it still looks almost brand new except the general wear and tear.

It also works really well for me due to the fact it is 'water resistant'. Of course, I'm not going to go swimming with my watch on, but as I work in a café I'm used to a lot of splashing and things and this just means I can still wear it to check the time and not be fretting constantly that it's going to get damaged.

For someone with a personal style similar to mine, I think this watch is such a good purchase, and it isn't exactly breaking the bank either. It's easy to wear, style and is the perfect size too. Perhaps, I'll even get the silver...

PROM 2015 JEWELLERY PICKS

My Year 11 prom is swiftly approaching and the preparation is in full swing. Until recently, I had the dress, shoes and bag all at reasonable prices and I was just waiting to see what jewellery to buy. I knew I wanted gold as my dress is a pale blush nude colour and silver washed it out a lot (despite it being my favourite for jewellery I had to make the compromise), and I got quite a few good picks.

The chunky chain you see is actually a head chain/hair chain. This was from ASOS and is the Flat Curb Chain Hair Crown and although I'm still not quite certain I can rock it I will be giving it an attempt on the night with some beachy curls. The necklace you see is from ASOS too, and is the Mini Shard Necklace and I really liked the small clear crystal-esque detailing it had and was super dainty too (my dress is strapless so it looks rather nice on).

That necklace then inspired my next purchase which were the earrings from New Look. These were a mere £2.99 and have the same sort of hanging clear crystal on them, so they look like they are literally made for the necklace. The ring was a bit of an impulse buy in a pack in Primark, but I realised that the stone in it looked very similar to the colour of my dress too, so it might be an addition on the night.

If you are interested, I could do a complete post on my look (dress, jewellery and makeup etc.) after the night as I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures to spare.

MIXING THE METALS

Ask me a few years ago, and I would have claimed rose gold to be my favourite type of jewellery. I then moved onto gold, then more recently silver, then onto both gold and silver. What? Mixing metals has been a new thing for me and I actually have been enjoying it. I know a lot of people hate the clash between gold and silver but I really like the contrast. 

What got me into this is the larger necklace from Primark. It cost a mere £1.50, so isn't the best quality but the concept is what I love. The gold 'v' is about as statement as you will see from me when it comes to jewellery, but it's pretty thin and dainty, and what I personally like is the thin contrasting silver chain. In terms of necklaces I also have some more subtle options, and I have a selection of gold ones from Forever 21 that I sometimes wear at once, or wear one with this silver knot necklace from H&M. 

In terms of rings, I have quite the collection, as I tend to go a little bit mad in the sale section of H&M, and pick up a good four packs at a time - especially when my older ones are looking a little worse for wear (I don't have the money to invest in pricey rings). I like either really thick, bold rings or very thin dainty ones, and at the moment I have a good mix of the two, in gold and silver, both midi and regular in size. I love wearing rings, because I have quite short stubby fingers almost and I really dislike my bare hands, however when I wear lots of rings they look far more elegant. 

Do you love or hate the mixed metal look?

TODAY'S FACE #3 - A SWITCH UP

Dr Lewinns Anti Ageing Primer / Dr Lewinns Illuminator / Rimmel Matte BB Cream / Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer / Rimmel Stay Matte Powder / ELF Pebble Eyeshadow / Soap and Glory Archery / Avon Eye Primer / Nars Laguna Bronzer (all over lids) / Milani Glimmer Stripes Honey Shimmer (inner lid) / Urban Decay Half Baked (lower lashline) / Stila Smudge Stick in Moray / Benefit They're Real / Sleek Face Form / Gosh Soft n Shine Lip Balm in Barbie

Last weekend I was certainly feeling experimental in the makeup department as I found myself applying a look I'd never tried nor considered in the past, after a root around in my Ikea Alex drawers and discovered a couple of disregarded products.

I actually really liked the khaki liner alongside the strong gold on the lower lashline. The skin was left pretty natural and I tried the Rimmel Matte BB Cream as I had a mini from somewhere lying around but it was actually rather nice, and wasn't what I would call 'matte' just less dewy than other BB Creams that tend to slide off my face anyway.

I'm rather glad I've been a bit more inventive with my makeup recently and I definitely will be trialling a few more looks that if they fit the standard will probably be making an appearance in this 'today's face' series.

FESTIVE SEASON

It has begun again. The first of December marks my true excitement for Christmas (although my present shopping did begin beforehand as I have rather busy collection of weekends coming up). I thought I would just put together a little post together on what I'm doing this year present wise and how I'm wrapping.

Between my close-knit group of friends we have organised a Secret Santa so we don't have to buy each other a separate present as budgets are low this year (I don't really know why but we all seem to be a bit short on money), so we are each getting a £20 present instead rather than lots of little bits. Of course, some of the girls slipped up and gave it away meaning a few of us 'cryptic' gals could suss out who has who, but I'm still excited to see what we all buy for each other. That means I have more money to spend on family, as some of my other friends and I just promised each other chocolate and so we wouldn't have to spend much more either.

As for wrapping, I decided to go for what I was going to do last year (but Mum got ahead of the game and had already purchased various rolls of printed paper). The idea is to wrap everything in brown paper then decorate it with bakers twine, bows, ribbon and elastic cord, and so on, to make it really customised. I've gone for a red, gold, green theme and managed to get most of my supplies in Wilkinson and Home Bargains to save some pennies. I think buying presents is my favourite part and seeing others open them, and I'm really pleased with my finds this year.

If you celebrate Christmas, how are you planning things this year?

POISON IVY FT. GOLD RINGS

Inspired by Megan who has the best style you ever did see and seems to 'wake up, flawless' *sings*. I saw that she was sporting a deep green nail polish with gold rings at school one day, so I went and bought the supplies myself.

The rings are all a mix from H&M and cost me a fiver for the lot (although some are a little big so it's a bit hit and miss but I try), and the polishes are now my new favourite things in my nail collection.

The polish in question is Collection's Lasting Gel Nail Colour in Poison Ivy, a stunning deep black green that looks bloody brilliant on long nails, and only costs a mere £3.19 - I used my Boots Advantage Card to pay so I felt even better about the purchase. The topcoat was a TkMaxx gem in the form of Ciaté Speed Coat, a fast drying formula that leaves the nails shiny as ever. I used to be completely hooked on Essie Good To Go until it became unbearably thick and peeled my manicure off in a day, and this has taken it's spot right away. High shine, fast drying and long lasting finish. Need I say more? This was a tiny £3.99 from £11 so that bargain put a smile on my face.

I think the dark green shade has definitely overstepped my burgundy addiction from last year...

DAINTY NECKLACES

The stages of statement necklaces have more than passed for me, and nowadays I tend to crave the dainty, tiny accents round my collar, and when in America I found some perfect candidates in Forever 21 for the equivalent of about a £1-£2 so I picked up a good little trio.

The first is two rings kind of interlinked into each other. This is different to anything I've seen before so I couldn't resist it of course. I've been wearing this with my beige-y coloured jumper and LOVING it to be fair. I also like to wear this with the tiny triangle necklace as they look rather nice with one shorter than the other. They both have a normal chain, and I love how they look barely-there.

The other is on a different more boxy chain, and is a small 'v'. This one is like others I have seen before but I think it's a good staple to own so of course I chose that one too. I wish I had looked at the other jewellery in Forever 21 as there were some really affordable pieces in there, and if you get a chance to go in there either in London or elsewhere, definitely browse the masses of jewellery.

BARGAIN SUNGLASSES

Whilst browsing Matalan the other day, I found a pair of sunglasses I instantly fell in love with. I never spend much money on sunglasses because I either go off them, or leave them floating around in the bottom of my bag to get scratched. But, despite the £2 sale price tag of these (reduced from £8), I will be keeping them in good condition because they are just too darn nice. Sunglasses rarely suit me, so the fact I'm blogging about this pair is a huge statement.

They have quite a Kourtney Kardashian vibe to them in my eyes (excuse the pun), as they are slightly winged in the top outer corners, and they also don't have any plastic round the bottom which I think makes them look that little bit more chic. The lenses themselves are fairly round, but the black plastic on the top diverts away from this giving them that stunning shape.

I also quite like the gold arms, they just add to the style, and honestly I don't know why but wearing these makes me feel so fashion forward, that I don't want to take them off. These will definitely be coming with me to my trip to America in October, so despite the late purchase, I will be getting my wear out of them.

EXPERIMENTAL EYES #2 - PINK AND GOLD

You might remember my first installment of 'experimental eyes' and today I'm here with part two, which is a bit more wearable and is a soft, almost quite romantic pink and gold look. I will add that my brows were not looking on point on the day and I can't help but gawp at them instead of focusing on the shadow, so apologies.

I started by using the Avon Eye Primer as per usual, and then took Shade 2 from the MUA Undressed Palette (a budget friendly look today) on the inner half of the lid to create a slightly pink sheen. Shade 4 (a pale brown/taupe shimmer) went over the rest of the lid with Shade 6 (quite comparable to Half Baked by Urban Decay) in the centre of the lid to add that golden sheen.

For the pink crease I began with Shade 5 as a warm matte brown base, and then took Crochet from the Sleek Lace Blush By Three, along with the pink from the H&M Spring Flowers Blush to transition it as it was a bit lighter in colour. I don't own any pink shadows so it's all about working with the products you own whether that be blushes, bronzers or something else. As usual I blended the outer edge with a touch of the Sleek Contour colour to give it a warm, seamless look and is pretty much foolproof.

I used the Barry M Blink Pen Liner to create a wing slightly less dramatic than shown in the previous look, but still fairly noticeable. I also used the same array of mascaras as the previous look, Soap and Glory Thick & Fast, followed by Sheercover Lash Fibres, then Too Faced Lashgasm - a bit of a creature of habit it seems (or maybe not considering I just put pink on my eyes). 

RIMMEL WAKE ME UP INSTANT RADIANCE SHIMMER TOUCHES

Since the whole 'radiant glow' thing has become really popular this past year or two, I have been subtly been jumping on the bandwagon, what with my combination skin in tow. 

I have been seeing these Rimmel Wake Me Up Instant Radiance Shimmer Touch products for a while, and after the rest of the Wake Me Up range has been getting some serious hype, I thought it would be a good idea to give these a go. I wasn't too sure about getting these, so when I spotted them each in a Poundland, it is the perfect time to trial them. 

The 2 shades available are Shimmering Sand and Radiant Rose, none of which I use as a highlight, as they are just far too dark. I use Radiant Rose as a glowy, pale blush colour when I am feeling adventurous, and some people think it's crazy, but I love the way it looks on my skin tone. 

Shimmering Sand is the anomaly of them, as I don't really know what to do with it. If you have darker skin, this would look stunning on the cheekbones as a highlight, but unfortunately for me it's just too dark. The main way I get use out of this is to either blend it in with some foundation, to create a really glowy base, or sometimes I apply it very, very lightly over the whole area of my cheeks and blend it well with a brush I used for foundation (the Real Techniques Buffing Brush that would be), and it adds a pretty subtle golden glow. 

A nice way of adding glow, without the disco-ball aftermath. If you see these in a Pound Store, throw them onto the till and give them a go yourself...