RECENT WARDROBE ADDITIONS

First thing first, sorry for the lack of posts, I have been swamped with coursework and revision and so needed to prioritise. But, I have picked up a few fashion items recently and thought they would be worth a share considering I have been preferring fashion over beauty recently *gasps*

In Topshop (quite a fair while back) I found this slightly cropped blue checked light slouchy top. It was £10 in the sale I believe, and I have got so much wear out of it that I probably would have paid full price. Another sale item was this monochrome jersey gingham pencil midi skirt from New Look which I paid a mere £3 for. This is from the teen/kids section but it fits me so all is good.

Also from New Look came the chunky 'cleated sole' sandals that have featured in almost all of my outfit posts recently. They were £24.99 which isn't bad for this type of shoe, and the price is justified with how versatile they are anyways. As well as the shoes, I finally got my mitts on some 'Mom Shorts' after seeing Megan style them so well, and these cost me £19.99
In H&M I came across this light boxy mint green polka dot shirt for only £12.99 and practically threw it onto the till. I know they did have a pastel pink gingham version so I may have to go back and get myself that one too. Also from H&M came the necklace and the neon yellow 'aviator' style sunglasses, each totalling £1-£2 in the clearance.

More recently I went to London and had a spare half an hour nearby Westfield and so I had a quick look in Forever 21, and came out with 3 accessories items. I got another pair of sunglasses, these are all over black with two gold details and are fairly oversized. These were only £4.90 and I am hoping the sun arrives soon so I can wear them. I also got this star necklace for £2 and the pack of earrings for £2.50 - Forever 21 accessories are so affordable.

A bit of a rambly one today, but expect to be seeing a bit more of that in the upcoming week or two as I am going to do some major shopping with friends at the weekend, not that I need anything else...

BEAUTY HAUL: CCO AND LOCAL

After not spending any money on beauty for a good 6 weeks, Megan and I went to Bicester Outlet Village for her birthday and had a little spend up, and both came out with bags full of bargains. I also popped to my local ASDA and got some clearance and roll back items so I thought they would be included too.

The first thing I got in the CCO was the Bumble and Bumble Classic Hairspray for £7.50. This isn't the largest size but as I am going away soon I thought it'd be more appropriate. I haven't tried anything from the brand prior to this and I'm pretty excited. I must say, the scent is a bit odd, but I'll post a full review shortly.

After running out of my DHC cleansing oil a while ago I noticed my skin was falling back into its bad habits and when I stumbled across the Origins Clean Energy Gentle Cleansing Oil for £15.75 I instantly took it to the till. It is a pretty large bottle might I add, so this will be lasting me for quite some time I predict.

I was also running low of my current Kiko Natural Concealer that I use to brighten the under eyes, so when I saw a Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener for £13.75 I instantly picked one up, as did Megan. On first impressions I do really like this. I also got the Smashbox Limitless 15 Hour Wear Cream Shadow in Gemstone for £10.50 on Megan's recommendation and it honestly does last such a long time.

From ASDA I saw the NSpa Deep Hydrating Facial Oil for a mere £5 and thought I would give it a go. To be 100% honest, I was sold by the pipette bottle (such a child), but I am looking forward to getting some hydration going on. I also found a Maybelline Colour Show nail polish in Urban Turquoise for £1.87 in the clearance and I have it on now, and I am so impressed. It was opaque in 1-2 coats, dried almost instantly and is such a unique colour in my collection. I have added more of the range to my wishlist already.

Oops, so many purchases. Might I add, I am thinking of getting some Nike Free Runs or Roshe Runs (have you tried them? Let me know your opinions), after seeing Anna style them so well countless times and I think I will be able to get a children's size saving me some money... the joys of tiny feet.

DRESSING UP THE MOM SHORTS

MOM SHORTS: NEW LOOK

BELT: PRIMARK

LEATHER JACKET: SELECT

JUMPER T-SHIRT: H&M 

SHOES: NEW LOOK 

NECKLACE: FOREVER 21

SUNGLASSES: FOREVER 21

In the same way as my best friend Megan, I think after adding a pair of 'Mom' shorts to my wardrobe (at a pretty good price of £19.99), I will be doing a few of my weekend outfit posts dedicated to them, from dressy, to casual, to summer day wear (and if any other suggestions, leave them below). 

I think the leather jacket, shoes and sunglasses really finish off the look, adding the monochome touches I have in every outfit I sport. Even though the sunglasses are very oversized they were such a bargain and I am determined to make them work. 

MINIMALIST BLUSH PART 2

You may remember a while back I did a post on 'Minimalist Blush', where I featured two of my natural blush picks that I can sweep on, on a daily basis. Today it's time for part two, focusing on the extremely natural, almost nude shades which are both relatively new to my routine (well, the L'Oreal offering actually belongs to my mum, but I'll be borrowing it rather frequently).

Both blushes are actually designed for pale skin which is a huge plus for me as it doesn't seem I will be tanning all that much this year. The same as last time, there is a cream, and a powder offering to suit either end of the spectrum blush-wise.

For a cream, it's Billion Dollar Babies by Dainty Doll, a heavily brown toned pink which I can almost get away with as a blush/contour in one by applying it a little lower than usual and blending a little, which makes it even more minimalist for the rushed mornings I generally face.

For powder, the offering is in the form of the L'Oreal Le Blush in 125 Rose Nude/Nude Pink and although the texture isn't the best I've tried of cream blushes it is a stunning natural nude pink colour that stays put for hours - I went out in the morning and when I came home early afternoon my foundation was starting to fade and go patchy around the nose etc., but this blush was still standing strong on my cheeks, making it an instant winner.

I think I will be making this 'Minimalist Blush' thing more regular if I manage to seek out some more offerings from the high street, as everyone loves budget - leave suggestions below if you have any...

KYLIE JENNER ESQUE LIPS

In the past months, there is one particular celebrity makeup-wise that everyone is going cray about. Kylie Jenner and her widely discussed full lips, along with the dramatic winged liner and her fresh chop have sparked many inspired looks to be plastered all over Youtube and blogs and obviously I was going to get my turn. 

I was simply focusing on the 'overdrawn' almost nude lip, as winged liner has been a part of my routine for a while now and is nothing new to me, and I think I have found the 2 products to get me the perfect look. Now, they are both high end, but I honestly think both a worth the money although I am hunting for drugstore dupes along the way. 

To create the base I go in with the Too Faced Perfect Nude Perfect Lip Liner all over the lips and slightly over the edges on the cupids bow and lower lip. This is totally matte, so a lip balm is a wise option beforehand. Then, patted over the top is MAC Faux, which is slightly more plum toned and ties the whole look together and almost nails Kylie's colour on the head. 

Whether she has had the surgery that she has denied for months or simply goes on heavily with the lip liner, it's safe to say that Kylie Jenner is looking on point makeup-wise as per usual and I can't wait to see what looks she'll be going for in the future.