Ted Baker Bubble Bath

I decided to treat myself in the boxing day sales to this lovely Ted Baker 'Royally Relaxed' bubble bath from Boots. In complete honestly, it was the glass bottle and beautiful design that first caught my eye. I love the rose gold lid and detailing on the side of the bottle. It smells absolutely beautiful too!

I have only used it a few times, as I don't have many baths at Uni, but I really love this. It is so nourishing, and it's brilliant knowing that you are using something that is such great quality. It was a little difficult to get out of the bottle to begin with, but with this, a little goes a long way. I've been using it in all my baths I've had recently and can't imagine having one without it. If you want luxurious bubbles, this is perfect!

What is you go to bubble bath?

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A short post from me today, but check out my posts earlier in the week if you are wanting more!

5 Current Favourtie Lipstick Shades

My 21st: Titanic Themed Hotel and Afternoon Tea

5 Current Favourite Lipstick Shades

L-R 

Maybelline 'Always Plum' 

Rimmel Kate Moss '03'

MUA 'shade 13' (this is older so may have changed)

Illamasqua 'Magnetism'

Rimmel 'Asia'

When it comes to lipsticks I can never get enough of dark pink and berry shades, it's probably because anything slightly coral looks terrible on me, but berries will always be my go-to shades.

Of the five above, my most recent purchase is the Maybelline 'Always Plum (first left). I am absolutely obsessed with this lipstick and featured it in my January favourites a few weeks ago. I have been wearing it most days, and it's definitely the shade I feel as though I have been searching for forever.

In contrast, the lipstick I have owned the longest is the MUA 'shade 13' (middle), when I first bought this I use to wear it every single day to sixth form. It is such a versatile shade, while it added a bit of colouring to my lips, it also keeps them quite natural and perfect for the day time. Plus, for only a £1, you can't really go wrong.

I stumbled across both the Rimmel Kate Moss in shade '03' (second left) and the Illamasqua lipstick in the shade 'Magnetism' (second right) by complete accident. Both were on offer at separate times and knew they would both be brilliant additions to my collection. The Kate Moss lipstick is the perfect neutral in my opinion, without looking like you have applied concealer to your lips. While the Magnetism is brilliant for night time or mixing with a bright red for vampire tones.

As for Rimmel 'Asia' (Right), this would have to be my classic lipstick. I know that I could wear this anytime of day, and to any place and it would work. Sometimes I wish it was slightly darker for the evening time, but for the most part, this is perfect.

What are you current favourite lippys?

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My 21st: Titanic Themed Hotel & Afternoon Tea

As mentioned in a previous post, my Mum took me on a lovely trip away to Liverpool for my 21st Birthday.

I live around 40 minutes on the train from Liverpool so have been there quite a few times, but mostly for shopping, and had never stayed the night. My Mum had booked this beautiful hotel called '30 James Street', it was a really lovely building, full of high ceilings and twisting staircases. The hotel has 64 Titanic themed rooms from Rose's Suite to Ismay's Quarters. We had booked to stay in the Cunard suite which has two double beds, a sofa bed, balcony and a whirlpool bath.

Before checking in, my Mum has booked us afternoon tea Carpathia Restaurant in the hotel. We were hoping to have some prosecco but sadly weren't offered it, none the less, the afternoon tea was absolutely beautiful. We had enough scones, tarts and cake to fill us up for the year, and after 3 cups of tea, I was more than stuffed. 

Unfortunately the room wasn't ready for the 3pm check in time so we didn't get into our room till after 4pm, and even then the room wasn't finished. Nonetheless, when we were finally in the room, I was so happy. The balcony view was beautiful and made me wish I had one at home. As for the whirlpool bath, it was simply amazing and I was pleading with my mum to convert our spare room into a bathroom... we can only dream!

we spent a lot of the evening just spending time together, and as I am University most of the time, I really cherish the time that I get to spend with my family. The next day, we decided to go to the cinema to see The Theory of Everything which was incredible and left us in tears.

Overall I had a brilliant time and honestly did not stop laughing the whole trip. I really enjoyed the afternoon tea and the breakfast the next morning was delicious! (typical me to remember the food most!)

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One little thing to be aware of if you are staying, is if you are going to leave your bags at the hotel before you check in, or after you check out, they don't currently have anywhere secure to leave your bags. It's not to bad when you only have clothes in your bag, but I had my DSLR in my suitcase and the bags were just left in the reception area with no identification for whose bag was so whose so anyone could take them.

Vintage Find: Handbag

If you know me, you'll know that I am always looking for a bargain. Of course it's no surprise that I love vintage and charity shops for finding a great deal. My latest find was this lovely black bag. I've been looking for a bag for a while that was big enough for my purse, keys, phone and any other rubbish that most of us tend to carry round in our bags, but small enough that didn't feel like I was dragging a holdall round with me. When I saw this in my local charity shop for only £4.50 I knew it was exactly what I was after.

The inside of the bag has three compartments, one with a zip. They are the perfect size for storing all my possessions and keeping my bag organised. I love the gold detail on the strap, making this go perfectly with my black leather jacket, which also has gold detailing. This bag has been great for when I go shopping as it doesn't get in the way, I can swing it on my shoulder and be done with it. For less than £5,I think that is a pretty good deal for a bag like this originally for Marks and Spencers that appears unused (or ridiculously well cleaned). I know this is going to be my bag of choice for some time, mostly due to how convenient it is.

What is your latest second hand bargain?

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Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

After an impulse buy while waiting for a train, I was a little skeptical as to how Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation would actually work with my skin, (great research Faye!) I picked it up in the shade 'vanilla' as this seemed to be the closest match to my skin. The next day as soon as I started applying this to my face I knew it was exactly what I was after. One of my absolute favourite things about this foundation is the ability to build up the coverage depending on the occasion. I've been wearing about one pump during the day, but if I am heading out in the evening, I'll go for 2. It's brilliant that you can add more without looking cakey.

With my acne not being it's best at the moment I am having to wear a fair amount of concealer to cover my blemishes, but I think it's worth it for how this feels on the skin. I know this will become an essential in my collection during summer time when I am looking for something more than a tinted moisturiser.

Overall, I wouldn't hesitate at all to buy this foundation again at all. It left my skin feel nourished and smooth, without looking greasy. I have been after a foundation like this for so long, my only regret is not trying it sooner.

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February Wishlist

| Shirt | Dumb bells | Smashbox Contour kit | Book | Top | Bracelets | Roller Lash |

As it was my Birthday last week, I was kindly given some money by family and friends to treat myself to some goodies. So hopefully this wishlist will soon become an 'I own' list!

Being my wild 21 year old self, I can't wait to get some dumbbell weights, crazy I know?! I have been working out more recently and feel like these would be super helpful at increases the quality of my workouts.

I picked a few things out from Topshop that have caught my eye. I love pretty much anything light blue, so the blouse was pretty much a must have. As for the bracelets, I am in love with their aztec print and feel like they would be perfect for summer.

The Smashbox Contour kit looks absolutely beautiful and I love the mix of shades. One thing I really lack in my makeup collection is a brilliant contour kit, and this one looks perfect.

I feel like everyone and their mum has been raving about Benefit's Roller Lash. Although I am yet to try the sample free with this months Elle, I am pretty sure that I will be buying the full size when it is released in March. It looks too good to be true.

What have you been lusting over this month?

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What I got for my 21st Birthday

As I mentioned in my previous post, it was my 21st Birthday on Wednesday. I spent my Birthday with my University friends but went home for a few days before to see my family. As usual, they all spoilt me rotten and made my Birthday extra special.

My Mum took me to away to Liverpool which I will be posting about soon, but she also bought me a couple of things too. I absolutely love the wooden frames and I know a perfect place for them to go in my room. She also bought me some of my favourite lush bath bombs from their Christmas collection. I hate not being able to have a bath at Uni, but as soon as I'm next home, I know that they won't last long. The little personalised bag has a bottle of Prosecco in it which I have since drank, I think Prosecco has become one of my favourite drinks recently (I must be growing up!)

My Brother kindly spoilt me with a HP 8 tablet. I knew that he had bought it during the boxing Day sales but was still so chuffed when I opened it. I've been on it non-stop since I got it and absolutely love it.

My Dad kindly bought me the Pentax K1000 film camera that I had been after for a while. It's a brilliant film camera and looks so beautiful. I have already loaded it with film and can't wait to take it out with me. My Dad's Girlfriend bought me the Shea Butter Yankee Candle, it smells absolutely delicious.

My university friends kindly bought me a picture board with images of all of us on, a gorgeous blue necklace, a box of celebrations and a beautiful box full of tea lights. (I took the picture above before I received these lovely gifts)

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21 TODAY

I can't believe I'm 21 today! 

I seriously swear I should still be about 14 years old. I think back to a few years ago and how a pictured a 21 year old girl (I should probably say women now, right?!) should think and behave and I can honestly say I am nothing like that. I always assumed a 21 year old would be sure of themselves, have clear plans for the future and know where they were heading. Now, it might just be me, (although I highly doubt it), but I can honestly say I feel like I have so much more learning and growing to do. I'm not complaining of course, I think it would getting pretty boring if who we were at 21 was how we were for the rest of our lives. 

Although I've said I fine it extremely daunting at this stage in my life, I realise how extremely lucky I am to have so many choices and options for the future, so many different routes I could go down... it is very exciting!

Today I am going into Uni for a few hours and then out for dinner with my housemates in the evening and maybe a few drinks! Expect a 'What I got for my Birthday' and a 'What I did for my Birthday' blogposts going up in the next week.

How do you/did you see yourself when you turn/turned 21?

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Vintage Coat OOTD

During summer, me and my Mum went to our favourite antiques place close to where we live. While a large majority of what they sell is furniture and ornaments, they do have a small section of vintage clothing and handbags. I normally have a quick browse and may pick up a handbag but never really the clothes. 

When I last went however, I spotted this beautiful woollen coat for only £28. It was originally for a male, but as soon as a laid my eyes on its camel coloured beauty I knew I had to have it. Despite it being in the height of summer and absolutely sweltering, I had my eye firmly fixed on winter fashion as soon as I saw this coat.

Since I bought it a few months ago, I haven't been able to wear it as often as I had hoped, but it's still one of my go-to coats. I just love wearing it over top of skirts and dresses as a way of immediately smartens an outfit. I can't wait to start wearing it more now, particularly during this cold spell. Expect a lot more OOTDs featuring the beauty of this coat!

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Urban Outfitters Jewellery

For Christmas one of my Mum's friends bought me this lovely necklace set from Urban Outfitters. I don't buy a lot of things from Urban Outfitters but their jewellery is always something that catches my eye and I am absolutely in love with this set. I always seem to prefer silver or chrome jewellery to gold so when I opened these beauties on Christmas day I was over the moon. I initially thought they were all attached together but they can actually be worn separately.

The great thing about these necklaces is I feel like the could be worn all year round. I have been wearing the black stone necklace a lot recently, as I feel like it goes with every outfit. I can't wait to layer them up during summer, they are the perfect way to dress up the t-shirt and shorts combo I will most likely be wearing everyday.

What's your favourite place to get jewellery?

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January Favourites

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

I bought this foundation while waiting for my train at Waterloo station. While it was an impulse buy, it was something that I had been thinking about picking up for a long time. I'm going to do a full review on this so I will keep this summary brief. I LOVE IT! It's so easily to apply and great for building coverage. I've only had it about 3 weeks, but it has already become a staple in my everyday makeup routine.

Maybelline 14hr Lipstick in Always Plum

After wearing similar lipstick shades for years I decided to try something a little different and go for a plum shade. Not only am I obsessed with the 'Always Plum' shade by Maybelline, but the quality is brilliant too. I can apply this in the morning and maybe have a few retouches after I have eaten but otherwise it will last all day. It's extremely moisturising and I'm so happy I got my hands on it as I have been after something like this for a long time.

Prison Break

I feel like I have been talking about Prison Break all the time recently, it just seems to find a way to wriggle into every post. It will be of no surprise that it is one of my clear favourites for this month. I wrote a whole post a few weeks ago about why I love it so much which you can read here. I encourage you to watch a least the first 5 episodes (it's on Netflix) before you make a decision, I promise you won't regret it!  

Chromecast

For Christmas this year, my brother bought me a Chromecast to use with my TV. As there a no ariel cables in my University room and my internal ariel is practically useless, I really missed being able to put on my TV, even if it was for a bit of background noise. My Brother managed to find the Chromecast which basically means that you can stream Netflix, Youtube, BBC iPlayer and a whole bunch of other apps from your phone or laptop on to your TV. I have been using it non-stop since I got it.

The Simple Things Magazine

I stumbled across The Simple Things magazine by accident when I bought it for one of my University units. The byline for the magazine reads 'taking time to live well'. It's full of beautiful pictures, tasty recipes and brilliantly written articles. I had never heard of it before, but can already tell it is going to become one of my monthly must-haves.

What have you been loving this month?

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Southampton Blog Meet Up

Image Credit

Image Credit

A few weeks ago I was kindly invited to a mini meet up with some of the Southampton blogging girls. I hadn't seen them all in a couple of months so was looking forward to catching up after the rush of Christmas. We had lunch at a Caribbean inspired restaurant called Turtle Bay in Guildhall square. Despite hearing great things about their cocktails, I had never actually be there and was very curious to find out what they had on offer.

I opted for the Pulled Pork Bun with Sweet Potato Fries. I am extremely sensitive to spicy food so wasn't surprised when I found the pulled pork a little too strong for me. That being said, it was extremely delicious and the Raspberry Reggae cocktail I ordered was the perfect combination to cool my burning mouth (I'm so dramatic!)

It was so nice to have a proper chat with the some of the girls and catch up with them all. It wasn't long before we were all sat chatting away about what we had been up to and our latest Netflix obsessions. The wonderful Natasha who had organised the meet up with Alice, gave us lovely goody bags filled with sweets and beauty samples.

Overall I had an absolutely fantastic time. Blog meet ups can sometimes feel a little daunting for me when there are lots of people, but it was great to go out with a smaller group and really get to chat a lot more. I will link everyones blog below because I seriously enjoy reading them all. I can't wait for the next meet up!

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Amy, Alice, Brogan, Catherine, Charlotte, Conny, Tanya, Karis, Jessica, Jessica, 
Natasha, Mandy and Samantha