Collective Beauty Haul | March 2013

 

Hi girls, so I don't know about you but I'm the kind of girl that one week/month I'm more obsessed with fashion and the next I'm back to being more obsessed with beauty. This past month has definitely been a 'beauty month'. I ALWAYS have a beauty wishlist on my laptop and tend to work through it as and when I can afford it throughout the month.
This month I've bought some lovely beauty goodies so I thought I would share them with you.

Garnier Summer Body Moisturising Lotion Sun-Kissed Look

This product is a body moisuriser and a gradual self-tanning lotion. I am not a lover of fake tan, I must admit. My friends often laugh about my constantly pale skin, the nickname 'Casper' has been thrown around. It really doesn't bother me though as I can't stand that biscuity smell that comes with fake tan and I always worry that I wouldn't apply it properly and would end up looking like a streaky mess. However, I do really like having a tan. So I picked up this product with the hopes that it would give me an even, natural-looking tan, without the strong smell of most fake tans. I applied this last night and was really impressed with the smell! It contains apricot extract and it really does smell lovely when you're applying it. BUT, within an hour, I started to smell that familiar scent of biscuits. And it was coming from my skin. So yes, this product smells delightful at first, but it isn't completely free of the nasty fake tan smell. I am going to keep using this over the next week though to see if it does give me the 'light sun-kissed look' that the bottle promises.

 

Garnier Ultimate Beauty Oil

I have seen so many bloggers talking about the magic of oils recently. I can't remember where I saw this product but I really wanted to try it. This product contains four oils - argan, macadmia, almond and rose and claims to illuminate, nourish and perfect skin. I have tested this on my arm and I have to say it really does all of these things. As soon as I applied it my skin had a glowy, radiant, almost satin-like look. I am really impressed with this product so far and can't wait to use it all over tonight before I go out to make my skin look lovely. I can definitely see myself using this up and re-purchasing it.

 

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub
Wow. That is the first thing that came to mind when I opened this product yesterday. This stuff smells unbelievable. It contains crushed brown sugar and lime and this combination results in the most sweet, refreshing scent I've ever come across. Aside from the smell, it is also a fantastic exfoliator! I used this all over and my skin felt so smooth afterwards. I actually suffer quite badly from dry skin on the top of my right arm, and after I used this body scrub on the area, the skin felt 100% smoother. I'm so impressed with this product, I cannot recommend it enough.

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash
I haven't used this product yet but it is the accompanying body wash to the body scrub above so I know it is going to smell amazing too. I've been using the Soap & Glory Clean On Me Body Wash which has the same colour and consistency as this one and I've been really impressed with that so I know I'm going to love this product even more.

Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Body Cream
Boots currently have an offer on their Soap & Glory range where if you spend over £10, you get this Butter Yourself body cream free! This product actually costs £10.50 on its own so that is a fantastic deal, in my opinion. It's a full size 300ml tub and as with most Soap & Glory products, it smells delicious, very citrusy and fresh, so I'm looking forward to trying this out too.
 

Nars Blush in 'Orgasm'
Onto makeup, I am sure you have seen so many beauty bloggers raving about Nars products, particularly their blushes and bronzers. So when Asos were offering 25% off for students last week I just had to pick up one of each to see what all the fuss is about. Orgasm is one of the most-raved about blush shades in the range so I thought that was a good place to start my Nars collection. This blush is a lovely peachy-pink with a subtle golden shimmer running through it. I really like it, it's very pigmented so you only need a light application to add a natural flush of colour to the cheeks. I'm really enjoying this blush so far.

Nars Bronzer in 'Laguna'
Again, Laguna is the must-have bronzer according to all my favourite beauty bloggers, so I knew this was the shade I wanted from the Nars range. I love the colour of this bronzer, it's a pale brown with a light golden shimmer. It's not in the least bit orange which is always my concern with bronzers. Now this product is seriously pigmented so you only need a tiny bit of product on your brush when applying it and it does need to be blended properly to avoid looking patchy, but it is perfect for contouring the cheekbones or adding an all-over warmth to the face. Loving this bronzer and I think it will be a staple in my makeup bag from now on.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in '52 Vanilla'
Like most girls, I love a bargain. In the North East where I live there are various makeup stalls in shopping centres like the Metro Centre or Eldon Square that sell some of the top 'drugstore' cosmetics for a cheaper price. I always scour these stalls before paying full price in Boots or Superdrug. So I was over the moon when I spotted the much-raved about healthy mix serum, in my shade - and it was the last one left on the stall! I haven't tried it yet but I hope it lives up to my expectations and I am sure it will feature in a post soon.

L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara
This used to be my favourite mascara a while back but I lost it/my little sister stole it, I don't remember ha. Since then I've been religiously using my YSL false lash effect mascara (full review here), so I hadn't re-purchased it, but when I saw it on the stall in the metro centre for only £5.99 (it's usually £10.99 I think), I thought it would be a good time to pick it up again. This mascara is amazing for lengthening your lashes. It's not great for volume but the length and separation of the lashes that you get from this mascara is fantastic. Can't wait to use this again.

Rimmel Apocalips in 'Nude Eclipse'
Ok, so again these have been majorly hyped up in the blogging world recently so naturally, I just had to have one. I chose the nude colour, which I think was a mistake. I really like the formula of these but this colour just does nothing for me. I think I will buy another one of these soon but in one of the pink shades, maybe 'celestial' or 'apocaliptic'.

So I hope you enjoyed my first haul post, I'm sure there will be more of these soon as I am constantly picking up the beauty products on my wishlist. Have a lovely bank holiday weekend girls!

Have you tried any of these products? Which beauty products have you bought recently?
Holly xo
 



Automatic self destruction

First of all, I'm very sorry I haven't posted for a while, I've been feeling very uninspired this week! I've tried to take photos for outfit posts and they just were not coming out the way I hoped so I gave up until today when I thought 'pull yourself together Holly!'.

 

This outfit is all about this beautiful faux leather top with cut-out detail that I got from eBay last week. I love it, it's a size M which is slightly too big for me but I just couldn't resist bidding when I saw it. Today I paired it with my teal topshop jeans and boots for a little shopping trip to the metro centre. I didn't add many accessories as I think the cut-out pattern speaks for itself so I'm just wearing a pair of stud earrings.

 

The back of this top also feautres a cut out pattern with sheer material.

 

 

Top: Zara (via eBay) | Jeans: Topshop 'Leigh' | Boots: Topshop 

Nails: Avon nailwear pro+ in 'Sea Breeze' 

 

Sorry it's not a hugely exciting outfit post today girls but at least it's something!

Have you found any amazing pieces on eBay recently?

Holly xo

Review | Gold by Giles Lipsticks

Gold by Giles is a collection for New Look by British designer Giles Deacon. The collection includes women's clothing, accessories and my personal favourite, cosmetics.
Now I never thought I would be raving about a clothing store's cosmetics range but the Gold by Giles collection offers fantastic quality makeup with a very low price tag.
This review is going to focus on the lipsticks in the collection, which retail at £2.99 each in New Look stores, (I apologise if you don't have a New Look in your country).
I LOVE the formula of these lipsticks, they are so creamy and moisturising so are perfect for people with quite dry, chapped lips (like me). The colours are also so pigmented, they give a lovely full coverage.

L-R: Pulse,  Bliss, Jazz, Flare

 

Pulse ^

Bliss ^

 

Pulse and Bliss were the first two colours I bought from this collection late last year when nudes were my lipstick colour of choice and I thought that reds looked ridiculous on me (I actually bought this lipstick for Halloween). Now, I absolutely love red lipstick and Pulse is a really nice deep red colour and I think it is so wearable. Bliss is a very pale nude, it might not be to everyone's taste as it really does cover the lips and I know some people worry that nude lipstick can leave lips looking a little 'dead'. I personally like it.

 

Jazz ^

Flare ^

 

I only bought these two colours last week, and although they are very bright (definitely not for those who like 'safer' coloured lipsticks), I think they look amazing on. They add a gorgeous pop of colour to the lips and dress up plainer outfits.

 

Overall, I love these lipsticks and hope that Mr. Deacon brings out some more shades in this lipstick range so I can expand my collection!
Have you tried these lipsticks? Which colours are you drawn to?

Holly xo

Emphasise who you are

 

 

 

Denim Shirt: Topshop | Disco Pants: Ebay (Topshop) | Shoes: Primark | Earrings: Topshop 

 

This was my Saturday outfit. My boyfriend and I went to a little vintage fair in Newcastle. Finding it was a nightmare as I have a terrible sense of direction and got us completely lost (even though I've been to this building twice before for exams). I love denim shirts, I just think they are so easy to style and add a sort of androgenous feel to any outfit. This is a pale acid-wash denim colour, I'm also after a mid-wash coloured one, preferably with proper buttons rather than poppers, so if anyone knows where I can pick up one of these, please let me know in the comments below! I was over the moon when I won these disco pants on ebay a couple of weeks back because I've been dying for a pair like these with a button fastening (as my other ones are just elasticated).
The vintage fair was a little disappointing if I'm honest, I was expecting everything to be super-cheap and maybe find a couple of hidden gems, but everything was actually fairly pricey and I didn't find anything I was really excited about. I did pick up this cute little key necklace though for £4 so at least I didn't leave empty-handed.

Hope you had a nice weekend ladies,
Holly xo

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Polka dots fill my eyes

 

 

Shirt: New Look | Jeans: Topshop 'Leigh' | Necklace: Topshop | Boots: New Look | Watch: Fossil

 

 

This is what I wore for work on Friday. I love this polka dot shirt, it's so versatile as it looks good tucked into pants or worn out over leggings, and with the sleeves rolled up or down. One shirt, various looks - always a good thing, right? I've seen so many bloggers wearing chain necklaces at the minute and I love them, but unfortunately due to lack of hours at work, I am running a bit low on cash so decided to double over a long chain necklace that I already had to wear this look. The Topshop 'Leigh' jeans are so comfy, I much prefer a softer denim for skinny jeans as they allow for so much more movement and their stretchy quality means you don't feel as guilty when you scoff a 3-course meal while you're out (just me?). And of course, I never go to work without my trusty Fossil watch so I can count down the minutes until home time ;)
For my makeup I wanted to try a kind of 60s style look with dramatic winged eyeliner and a bold red lip (using my pixi endless silky eye pen and pixi tinted brilliance balm, see review post here).

Thanks for reading, enjoy your Saturday night girls!

Holly xo

(PS: I'm sure you've all heard about the inevitable(?) demise of Google friend connect, so please do click this link to follow my blog using bloglovin!)

When the sun goes down

 

  



 

 Jumper: New Look | Blouse: Topshop | Disco Pants: River Island | Shoes: Primark | Necklace: New Look

 

Lips: MAC 'Blankety'  |  Nails: Barry M Gelly Hi Shine 'Prickly Pear'

 

So today after university I headed to the pub for some dinner with my boyfriend. This is actually the first time I've worn the 'shirt under the jumper' look, I don't know why as I always love it on other people. I decided to add my favourite sequin collar necklace to dress it up a little bit. I love this necklace, I often wear it under my blouse collars, with my plain peplum tops or even with a high-neck LBD for a night out. I picked up these studded flats from Primark yesterday (they're now £6 in the sale instead of £10). I couldn't decide whether to go for these ones or the black ones, but I decided to go for the less 'safe' option and chose these, they're like an off-white/very pale lilac colour and I love them. I finally got round to painting my nails again the other night after a week off, I was proud that I didn't smudge them once as I sat still to watch Skyfall with my mam. I'm slowly working my way through all the colours in the new Barry M gelly hi shine collection.

 

 Hope you're all having a nice week ladies. Let me know your thoughts on the outfit!

Holly xo



My Collection | Hair/Body Products

I was sifting through my drawers when it occurred to me just how many hair/body products I have, so I decided to do a little post to show you the kind of things I have and tell you which ones I like best.

Hair Products (L-R):
Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm | Toni & Guy Seal Salt Texturising Spray | Batiste Dry Shampoo (Fresh) | Wella Silvikrin Firm Hold HairSpray | GHD Uplift Spray | SP Repair Mask | SP Color Save Mask | Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Deep Nourishing Intensive Mask | Aussie Heat Protection + Straightening Leave-In Spray | VO5 Frizz Free Creme

I've used this heat protection spray and hairspray for years, because my mam has always used them and it just stuck with me. Batiste dry shampoo is an absolute lifesaver on those days when you want to freshen up your hair but don't have time to wash it. It comes in lots of different scents, my favourites are this one (fresh) and the orange one, which has a lovely tropical scent.
I can't wait to try out the SP hair masks, as I actually got them in a salon hair kit for christmas and haven't gotten round to trying them yet! My GHD root uplift spray is great when I want to add volume to my hair. You just spray it directly into the roots of towel-dried hair before blow-drying and it works a treat.

Other Products (L-R):
Pretty Quik Instant Nail Polish Remover | White Musk Libertine Body Lotion (The Body Shop) | Coconut Body Butter | Mango Body Butter (The Body Shop) | Nivea Firming Body Lotion | Next Fragranced Bath Petals

This little pot of instant nail polish remover is a wonder product in my opinion. I hate faffing on taking nail polish off, and I know a lot of other people do too because my mam, sister and even my grandma got so excited when I showed them this product (they've since bought themselves one each from Superdrug). As it says on the pot, you just 'simply dip and twist' your finger in it and voila! no more nail polish. Simple and effective. This deoderant has been my favourite for a while now because it smells delicious - this one is the watermelon scent. The body shop's body butters are great, they always smell beautiful and leave your skin feeling nourished. I got these little fragranced bath petals in a set from Next, I'm saving them for when I'm feeling self-indulgent. I bought this Nivea firming lotion ages ago in the hopes that it would reduce the appearance of any cellulite I had (unpleasant, I know but we all have it!) but I didn't find it made any noticeable difference tbh, maybe I didn't use it often enough though?
I know I didn't talk about every single product but I felt that would make this post too long/boring ha.

Do you own any of these products? What do you think of them?

Holly xo

Like an Egyptian

 

 

 

 

 Top: New Look | Maxi Skirt: River Island | Heels: Primark | Ring: Pandora

 

I spotted this Egytian print crop top in New Look when I was working on Friday night and for £9.99 (£5.00 with my staff discount), I couldnt' resist. I thought of a million ways I would like to style it before I even took it out of the bag. This was just one idea I had, I thought my maxi skirt with slits up the sides would add a touch of glamour for a night out. I didn't want to over-accessorise this outfit as the print speaks for itself so just added a simple Pandora ring.

 I haven't owned a polo-neck top since I was around 8 years old but I think this cut is really flattering. I'm still loving my Zara-dupe Primark heels, they are a perfect feminine touch to an outfit like this and are also great for dressing up a more casual outfit.

 

Holly xo 

 

*Sorry for the terrible quality of my blog photos, I am useless at posing for other people to take pictures of me, and can't think of a better way to take these kinds of photos myself yet - if anyone has any advice for me I would really appreciate it!

 

Outfit/Face of the Day

 

 

 

 

Tee: New Look | Jeans: New Look | Belt: New Look | Bag: River Island | Jacket: Miss Selfridge | Ring: H&M

 

All credit for these jeans goes to Jenna, who I work with at New Look and looked amazing in this jeans and belt combo, so I copied! If you like this style, I suggest you check out her blog too. I have never owned a pair of boyfriend jeans, I've always worn skinnies as I find them so easy to style. But I have to say, I absolutely love these, the oversized/androgenous look is really trendy and they were only £19.99 from New Look. This bag is also one of my absolute favourites, I use it every day for uni and I've had loads of people ask where it's from and comment that it looks more expensive than it was and that's always a good thing! All my favourite bags are from River Island, I've never seen one in there that I didn't like. I just think the quality is amazing for the price you pay.

 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation (True Ivory) | Rimmel Stay Matte Powder (Transparent) | YSL Bronzing Powder | Rimmel Powder Blush (Pink Rose) | Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen (Black Noir) | Urban Decay Naked Palette (Naked and Buck) | Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara | MAC lipstick (Creme Cup) | Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (02 Light)

 I really hope you enjoyed this post, if you did please let me know and I will try and do more like this.

Have a great weekend!

Holly xo

 

 

What's in my Wardrobe

 

I thought I would post something a little bit different today, so here is a look inside my wardrobe. It's a double slide-door mirrored wardrobe from Harveys if anyone is remotely interested ha. In the right side I have all my casul clothes (organised by style, OCD or what ha) and my casual shoes and boots (sorry you can only see the front row of shoes), and underneath I have a strorage box containing my smaller bags as well as my uni stuff and some DVDs. I clear out my wardrobe every few weeks, giving things I don't wear to my little sister, because I buy far too many things and don't have anywhere to put them!

  

 

 

 I thought my two pairs of Carvelas deserved a close-up, these were Christmas presents from my Dad over the last two years and I LOVE them.

 

My new Primark shoes can't fit in my wardrobe yet so until I pick a pair to give to my sister, they are sitting outside.



 

In the left side of my wardrobe I have my shorts, skirts, long and short dresses and jackets. In that order, yes I'm ridiculously organised. I have all my heels on the shelf underneath and below that I have two storage boxes (the left has all my books in it and the right contains 'memories' and other important things). I also have my pathetic little barbie weights for when I feel like exercising (rarely).

Oh and next to my wardrobe I have a large stack of cosmo magazines which I can't throw out for some reason, I think it's because they're so glossy and pretty. I'm sure you'll see a lot of my clothes appear in future outfit posts :)

So that's what's in my wardrobe, hope you enjoyed this little post.

 

Hope you're all having a lovely Thursday

Holly xo