Personal Style #7

Trench Coat - Primark || Necklace - Primark || Top - Topshop (no longer available) || Trousers - Primark || Flats - Primark

Tried & Tested // H&M Beauty

New in for Autumn 2015 is H&M's gorgeous new beauty line, like most people I had never taken the time to check out their make-up line just because it had never looked appealing to me. However, after seeing shots of their fabulous new packaging and hearing of the supposedly better formula I just had to pick some up for myself to try!

First of all I picked up a small make-up bag,
1. Because I was struggling to hold all the bit and bobs I'd picked up
2. Because I thought it would look perfect/ be handy to have in my university bag
I absolutely love it! Its so classic and minimal, and also I can see all my lovely pieces inside.

First off is eyes; One of the products I was most excited about was the eyeshadow palettes, the 'Smoky Nudes Palette' had sold out online so when I went into store I was so excited to see it stocked on the shelves. This palette is a blend of browns, pinks and a little bit of gold and comes with both shimmer and matte eyeshadow; perfect for multiple looks! In terms of consistency I felt the lighter shades didn't really pack a punch and we're hardly visible unlike the darker colours however when applied with a slightly damp brush or primer this pay off issue quickly resolved itself with some beautiful bold shades. I also love the fact the palettes come with a little 'how-to' leaflet which shows you three looks ready made to try out. Overall a gorgeous palette with a wide range of shades and looks to try.

However the New High Colour Impact Eyeshadows won in terms of both pigmentation and pay off, with only one application resulting in a strong gorgeous wash of colour. I picked up the shades 'Sharp as Mustard' (a warm/golden green shadow - actually my favourite out of the three), 'Ginger Snap' (a golden orangey bronze shade - very similar to M.A.C's Amber Lights) and 'Sahara Dawn' (a beautiful burgundy colour - a brilliant dupe for M.A.C's Cranberry). H&M have a great colour selection and supposedly are made in the same factory as M.A.C products so it doesn't surprise me that several of their single eyeshadows are excellent dupes for M.A.C. I also picked up a cream eyeshadow in 'Sirocco', i've mainly been using it as a brown eyeliner however a wash of this shadow over your eye would create a perfect dark eye unfortunately I haven't had occasion to use it yet.

I have quite a love hate relationship with painting my nails however there was such a wide selection of nail polishes I had to try some out! I picked up 'Science Fiction' (a beautiful aquamarine mix of deep blue and green's) and 'Precious' (a pure gold colour). I quite like the brush for a nail varnish as it fits nicely to the nail (less likelihood of painting the whole of your finger too) and the varnishes only need roughly 1 -2 applications for a nice strong colour. However you can still tell they are only £3.99, they are good for drugstore quality but they are clearly still drugstore products so I wasn't expecting them to be my new favourite nail varnishes. I also picked up a Quick Dry Nail Spray (mainly out of curiosity) which it does exactly what it says on the tin. My nails dried incredibly quickly but it did leave a matte effect of my nails which I wasn't fond of as it made my nails texturised and not glossy how I like them.

Last but not least are lip products! I picked up a cream lipstick in 'Ember Glow' (a warm autumnal red) and a lip crayon in 'When in Rome' (a dark nude colour). Both products are high in consistency but my favourite is definitely 'When in Rome' as its so easy to pop in my bag and as a lip crayon it both moisturises and adds colour to my lips. 

(Smokey Nudes Palette:- R - L /Bottom - Middle - Top)

(Top-Bottom / Sharp as Mustard - Ginger Snap - Sahara Dawn - Sirocco - Fairytale - Ember Glow - When in Rome)

So that's it for my first impressions of the new H&M Beauty, let me know if you have tried any of their new range!

Bloggers Love Fashion Week #BLFW

Previously I had heard about the Bloggers Love event's but had never managed to go to one, luckily I popped it into my calendar last year so I could remember to book a place this year!

Blogger's Hangout (Previously Blogger's Love) are a company based on bringing blogger's and brand's together for new opportunities. The dress code for the event was Black Chic but unfortunately I have nothing purely black in my wardobe so I opted for this Black and White Dogstooth Dress from Primark with Joe Browns Ankle Boots and a Green Hat from Asos.

When I first arrived at Waterloo station I tried to find the people I had been messaging on Twitter but to no avail, instead I occupied my time playing "Spot the Blogger" (ie. who's wearing black). Whilst playing the game I met Katrina who was also waiting for other bloggers, Ana and her friends.
We all headed off to the OXO Tower in London to be greeted with a room full of bloggers and brands.

First up was the brand With Love Lilly, featuring a mother and daughter power duo focused on bringing girls unique and handmade intimates which make them feel Confident, Free and Sexy.
One of the things I love about this brand is its ethos and how they want their beautiful lingerie to empower girls, and let's face it with the media nowadays a lot of girls are not as body confident as they should be myself included. I also noticed whilst scrolling through their site that their bra's go up to a 34 DD/E which I expected as most delicate lacy bra's are more suited to a smaller bust however they have inserted a "Custom" option where you can give them your size details and they'll make the product tailor made for you. If only I was small enough to not need an underwire....sigh.
Here are some of my favourites:
 Champagne Blush Bralette | Luna Bralette | Ariel Bralette | Nina Bralette

One of my many favourites of the day was MaisonVes, a company that sells luxury hashtag candles! With themed printed hashtags around the candles base, this makes them ideal gifts for special occasions such as Birthdays, Engagements, Weddings or even as a simple Thank You.  As candles go they look clean, modern and "totally instagrammable" (is that even a word?). My favourite is the #BFF Candle with a Cassis, Apricot, Fig and Cherry Blossom scent..yum! Which includes the following hashtags, #BFF #BESTIE #PARTNERINCRIME #FRIENDSFOREVER #GIRLS #MEMORIESFORLIFE #YOUMEANTHEWORLDTOME #XOXO.

A brand i'd researched quite a bit before the event was Little Ondine, this nail varnish  promises to be odour free, quick drying and easy to peel off (instead of using acetone) so I thought I would investigate. I was pleased to find that all of this and more was true! Little Ondine uses natural ingredients in it's varnishes so your nail-beds remain undamaged by chemicals, this is also to give your nails a smooth and hydrating finish. Take one of their twins sets in your handbag to either refresh or change your colour on the go without worrying about stinking out the room thanks to their odour free formula. These are the elements of varnish that put me off painting my nails more often (mainly because its more trouble than its worth) but after trying some out at the event, I might have to buy some for myself! My favourite colours of the moment are:
Ripple | Admiration | Afternoon Tea | HoneyMoon

Motel Rocks was next with their new Autumn/Winter Collection which looked absolutely stunning. We were asked to pick out our favourite piece and mine was this gorgeous turtle neck black sequinned dress pictured below, perfect for a winter evening event! They were also lovely enough to give me a gift bag filled with lots of goodies which will be at the end of the post. Here are some of my favourite picks from their site:

Suede Winnie Dress | Gabby Sequin Dress | Paulo Jumpsuit | Deena Dress

Fleur of England was a brand I had never heard of till this event, and I must say I am in love with their lingerie! A luxurious brand which prides themselves on being purely British, Fleur of England is designed by women for women. They also have a handy "Gentlemen's guide" which makes the process of buying lingerie for your partner that much easier. The brand styles up to a 36DD which again unfortunately is too small for my bust, maybe a diet might be in order to fit into these beautiful bra's.
My favourites are:
After Dark Balcony Bra | After Dark Playsuit | Scarlet Boudoir Bra

Paul & Joe is possibly one of my favourite brands ever despite not owning a single item from the beauty brand. Apart from it's amazing quality Paul & Joe is best known for its emphasis on packaging which was something I noticed when I first started looking at the brand (They had a beautiful Alice in Wonderland collection a few years ago and I was hooked from then on). This year they have wowed yet again with their AW15 collection featuring many a cat print, as you can see from the images below there are individual cream eye colours, cream and powder blushes, waterproof eyeliner, balms and my favourite of all lipsticks which feature a "chat de cafe that reappears with every application" in the centre of each lipstick. You may have also noticed the makeup bag sitting in the first image which comes with a few of the collections products as-well as eyeshadow slips which can be opened and sealed (so it doesn't go all over your bag) and each can be used about 15 times. Perfect for a christmas gift or if you don't want to lug an eyeshadow palette on holiday with you.

I had lovely time at the event meeting lots of new bloggers and brands, and I for one can't wait till next year! I brought home two goodie bags filled with items that I thought i'd show you. Thank-you to all the brands who worked at the event and gifted me lots of lovely items, and thank-you for Bloggers Hangout for putting on a great event!

Tried & Tested // Tanya Burr Cosmetics *re-release*

On 20th august 2015 Tanya Burr re-released her cosmetics line with a lovely new gold packaging. All the products are the same but with a few changes to the smell and consistency. A few new products were added including three eye palettes, a brow palette and the nail colour duvet day. As I already own the majority of lip glosses I instead decided to try the Hollywood eye palette and Duvet Day nail varnish. First I'll start with the eye palette, I chose Hollywood due it's lovely gold/brown shades (perfect for any eye) my favourite shadow out of the palette being Enchantment. When it came to applying the product I found a lot of product came off on my brush (causing me to tap out a lot of excess) so I would say for the couple of first timers to makeup who bought this palette, use your fingers! (You're much less likely to get excess product and then fallout under your eyes after applying. You can get several looks from this palette, a cream eye, a light gold eye, a bronzed smoky eye the list goes on. For anyone starting out with makeup this is the perfect palette to have in your collection. I've done a small tutorial on YouTube so check that out too!

As for the nail varnish,  I was really disappointed by this product. I am in love with the colour as it's a neutral grey with a slight blue tinge. However when I tried to apply the product I struggled to get a clean, glossy finish. Thinking this problem may just be down to my horrific nail painting abilities I asked my mother (a professional beauty therapist) to repaint them, however we still got the same uneven result. To get an "okay" finish I would suggest 3/4 coats though I felt this nail polish was just a cheap 25p formula with a Tanya Burr label slapped on the front.

So a mixed review today! Let me know what your experiences are with the Tanya Burr cosmetics line down below! 

Tried & Tested // L'oreal's Infallible Matte Primer & Foundation

After hearing tons upon tons of hype around the new L'oreal Infallible Range I took it upon myself to buy them in a recent trip to the Supermarket. I had been in the market for a full coverage foundation as I still suffer with some bad spot days that I wanted to be able to cover up. So here is my review:

Starting off with the Primer, i'm not the biggest fan of primers as I feel they don't make much difference to my makeup, however as these products are both from the same range I wanted to try out both together. Compared to some others i've tried in the past, I much prefer the formula of this primer and how it has a more gel like feel (rather than rolling into bits in between my fingers) because of this it's so much easier to apply! Obviously because it is a MATTE product it is quite drying so this primer is designed for a normal to oily skin type.


Onto Foundation, my major No.1 problem with face cosmetics is finding a good shade for my pale/fair skin tone however the lightest shade in the range suited me just fine! Just as a medium to full coverage foundation should do it covers up pretty much everything including redness and spots however if even more coverage is needed the foundation is build-able to an even fuller coverage. Personally I prefer a lighter foundation for spring and summer however I shall be looking to these products for a flawless finish on a night out.

Weekly Twitter Chats for Bloggers

As a lot of my readers are coming from twitter, I think it's about time that I wrote a list of the up to date blogger chats! Blogger chats are a wonderful way of getting to meet new bloggers and sharing your blog posts with the world , so I'm mainly making this list of chats as a reminder for myself. I will be updating this with new chats I find along the way so make sure you keep checking back! In terms of networking, stats and getting yourself out there, the twitter chats are one of the best blogging tools you can have in your arsenal.
 So here's the list, enjoy!

Monday

#Girlstravel          6am-6.30am - Travel talk for Women

#LTBloggers        1-2pm & 5-6pm - Lunch Time Bloggers {Topic}

#Bdib                   7pm-8pm - Bloggers Do It Better {Topic}

#Bundlechat         7pm-8pm - Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle bloggers

#JBtalks               7pm-8pm - All Bloggers {General}

#Fbloggers           8pm-9pm - Fashion bloggers {Topic}

#Creativebizhour  8pm-9pm - Creative Chat

#HealthySelves     8pm-9pm - Chat about getting & being healthy {Topic}

#BeautyBabble     8pm-9pm - Beauty lovers

Tuesday

#LTBloggers        1-2pm & 5-6pm - Lunch Time Bloggers {Topic}

#Askablogger       7pm-8pm - All bloggers {Topic}

#Bookbloggers     7pm-8pm - Book Bloggers {Topic} 

#Craftblogclub     7pm-8pm - Craft bloggers

#Mybchat             7pm-8pm - PR, Networking & How to market your blog

#Fblchat               8pm-9pm - Fashion Beauty Lifestyle chat {Topic}

#UKBlogtalk        8pm-9pm - All UK bloggers

#Musicbloggers    8pm-9pm - Music bloggers

#Bloghour            9pm-10pm - All bloggers {Topic}

#Tweetursis          9pm-10pm - Chat about promoting small business'

Wednesday

#LTBloggers        1-2pm & 5-6pm - Lunch Time Bloggers {Topic}

#Lbloggers           7pm-8pm - Lifestyle bloggers {Topic}

#Stylechat            8pm-9pm - Style chat

#Bbloggers           8pm-9pm - Beauty bloggers {General}

#Blogtacular         9pm-10pm - All bloggers

#BBOE                 9pm-10pm - 'Blogging Bit of Everything' All bloggers

Thursday

#LTBloggers        1pm-2pm & 5pm-6pm - Lunch Time bloggers {Topic}

#Bloggerspace      7pm-8pm - Chat about blogging wherever you are

#Crazybloggers    7pm-8pm - All bloggers {Topic}

#Fitchat               7pm-8pm - Fitness & health

#Fdbloggers         8pm-9pm - Food bloggers

#Fbloggers           8pm-9pm - Fashion bloggers {General}

#Foodiechat         8pm-9pm - Food bloggers

#CFBloggers        8pm-9pm - Cruelty Free bloggers

#Monetizemyblog 8pm-9pm - Tips on Monetizing your blog

#Vloggerschat      8pm-9pm - Vloggers & YouTubers

#Blogphotochat    9pm-10pm - Blog photography chat {Topic}

#Teenbloggers      9pm-10pm - Teen bloggers

Friday

#LTBloggers        1pm-2pm & 5pm-6pm - Lunch Time bloggers {Topic}

#Beautychat         7pm-8pm - Beauty Chat for bloggers

#Gbloggers          7pm-8pm - Gorgeous bloggers 

#Bdib                   8pm-9pm - Bloggers Do It Better {Topic}

#Mblogchat          8pm-9pm - Parent Bloggers

Saturday

#SITSblogging      3pm-4pm - All bloggers

#Socialbloggers    6pm-7pm - All bloggers {Topic}

#Everyblogger      7pm-8pm - All bloggers

#Tbloggers           8pm-9pm - Teen bloggers

Sunday

#Pabchat              5pm-6pm - Pick A blogger {Topic}

#Lbloggers           7pm-8pm - Lifestyle bloggers {Topic}

#Bbloggers           8pm-9pm - Beauty bloggers {Topic}

#Greenchat           8pm-9pm - Green Beauty bloggers

#Hbloggers           8pm-9pm - Health Bloggers

#Pbloggers           9pm-10pm - Parent bloggers

#30sbloggers        9pm-10pm - Chat for bloggers in their 30's

#PSbloggers         9pm-10pm - Plus Size bloggers chat

Let me know your twitter usernames down below so I can say hello!

(Photo Source)

Back to School : What to take to University + FREE University Checklist Download

To those of you who are starting university in the coming months...

First of all well done! 

2: Are you packed and ready to go?

This year I am going into my Second year at Norwich University of the Arts however I remember last year around August/September time I started getting really excited about university hauls and shopping for university items myself. Even though I am doing a small haul this year (definitely not as big as last year’s) I thought I would write a Back to School/University Series instead focusing on Hairstyles, Cookbooks, Easy Recipe’s, Makeup Tutorials, Whats in my Bag and more to help the one's of you gong to university (and hopefully it will help the one's not at university too!). 

Today Im bringing you a University Checklist, Their are some things I haven’t included such as Gender Based Items ( Makeup), Clothing and other items that are dependant on the person.
 However these are my basics I would take to University:

Click here to Download the PDF Version

Stationary

These are general essentials whilst at university, and you wont be able to borrow them from your parents drawers!  I made sure to buy a cheap Hole punch and stapler and these will be useful for Research Files and Essays.
I have also listed Blutak and Masking Tape, I tend to have Bluetak around just in case but for putting pictures and posters up on the wall I would suggest masking tape as it doesn't leave marks behind which is one thing Landlords will make you pay for! (suggestion: make sure the the masking tape isn't in direct sunlight as it will cause the stickiness to melt slightly and leave a mark). Plus a memory stick will come in handy when transferring files to work on at the university computers.


Kitchen
A lot of these items you can share but I suggest having your own as these will serve you in later life when you find your own house. Kettle's, Toasters and Microwaves tend to come with properties however sometimes you may have to fork out for one for your student home; For this I suggest gathering £5-10 from each tenant (depending on how many are in your household) and buy communal items like the one's above as-well as mop's, brooms, washing up liquid, sponges and so on. If you have a food allergy or preference (vegetarian/vegan) it might be worth mentioning this to your other housemates as well as bringing separate kitchen utensils.

Cleaning
Again some of these items are communal (sponges, bin bags, kitchen and toilet roll, washing up liquid), however I would keep a couple of items like Multi-purpose spray, pegs and an airer separately for just your use. 

Bathroom
Just for hygiene reasons I would suggest not to go communal on bathroom items, also if you have a communal bathroom I suggest buying a small basket so you can carry all your essentials to and from the bathroom easy!

Bedroom
Many of these item's are basic but make sure to check with your university halls or landlord what size you will need for your new bed. Mattress Protectors are also essential as if your mattress is stained with anything from Fake Tan to Alcohol you will be charged for a whole new mattress ! Blankets/Throws are perfect for when it comes to those wintery cold miserable days and if your a lover of candles be careful of where you place them (on a coaster and with nothing directly above) also keep your window slightly open if it smokes as this will set off fire alarms.

Other
These are other little pieces which I found I really needed throughout the year. Extension cables are brilliant for putting next to your desk or bedside table incase you have one to many charger or your power socket doesn't quite reach where you want it to. When I started university my Mum made me a sowing kit, a first aid kit and a tool kit; the Sowing kit didn't really help me in any way (mainly because I have no idea how to sow) However make sure to be taught how to do basic sowing as this will come in handy when rips come along! For the Toolkit she got me a simple screwdriver and some different ends which was incredibly helpful when it came to undoing battery bags and such sort. The most important of all was the First aid kit as this contained plasters, paracetomel, ibroprofen,my own tablets, bite/sting cream & savlon, I added to this as time went on to include eye drops, anti acid tablets (for inflamed tummies) etc.

Tech
This is more dependant on what you own however when it came to university I found it was important to own a laptop, a phone, a printer and a camera. Most of these are self explanatory but at first I was hesitant to get a printer but once I got to university I realised how expensive it was to print and how bad quality those expensive prints were, in that sense it was more cost effective to save us for a printer of my own. Mine also has Instant Ink from Hp which saves you money on printing (perfect for students!). Make sure to bring a camera to capture all your university memories on as-well!

Important Documents
Here it is! The Last one! One of the most important things to take to university is your important documents which include your CV (if you want to be able to apply for a part time job), Your acceptance letter and ID (You'll need these if you want to enrol), Your student finance letter (so you can receive money for the year) and all the other bits listed up above!

and here's and extra bit..
Here's a list of my favourite shops to go for university bits and bobs:

Wilko's - For general supplies (they also have a university feature on at the moment!).
Dunelm - for towels and discounted bathroom items.
Asda - For general bedroom items (bedding, cushions etc) and cheap yankee candles.
Primark - For decorations, bedding and candles.
Apple - Student Deals on Laptop's.
Endsleigh - Student Insurance.
Ikea - For general storage and kitchen essentials.
Paperchase - All things Stationary! Art, Cards and Wrapping Paper too.
WHSmiths - Stationary & books

Well I hope enjoyed this post!
 If you got into university this year let me know down in the comments and tell me what you are most excited about starting this year!

(photo source: amy rose)