Polka Dots

Shirt: Paul Smith

Skirt: Topshop

Pumps: Jaeger

Ring: Miss Selfridge

Sunny Day

I realise I haven't done an outfit post in a long time, so I figured I would show you what I was wearing yesterday afternoon as it was a lovely, warm day. I bought this shirt 2 years ago in London but I think this is only the second time I've actually worn it. I know that polka dots are going to be big this coming season so I reckon I'll get a lot of use out of it (although I would like to buy myself a polka dot blouse...). The ring I'm wearing is from the Miss Selfridge sale by the way (£3!) so if you like it, go get it, because I think they're still in stock!

It's my birthday on Sunday so I'll be doing posts on what I've been getting up to for my 18th (woo)! I've got plans to be with my family on Sunday; Alex on Monday; & my friends on Tuesday so I'll show you guys what I wore, where I went and any gifts I received. Oh, & I'll make sure to show you my nails as I'm going for gold this time! I'm also moving away next Saturday so hopefully I'll have time to blog about that beforehand!



Sleek Makeup

Pout Paints
You've probably already heard of Sleek's latest beauty product, Pout Paint.  If you haven't, they are small tubes of highly pigmented lip gloss that dry matt after a few minutes.  They are very similar to the OCC Lip Tars - in packaging and in quality - but come with a much smaller price tag.  At £4.99 each - with a current 3 for 2 promotion at Superdrug - they're hard to resist! They come in 11 colours I believe, most of which are abnormal for lip products, and are fantastic if you want something effective for photoshoots, creative makeup, fashion shows or even dressing up! I bought Peek-A-Bloo (blue), Cloud 9 (white) and Pin Up (red) and even though I haven't actually tried them out properly yet, the swatches really impressed me as I only had to use the tiniest amount to get a vibrant colour! If you look at the swatches, I compared the quality pigmentation of MAC's Russian Red to that of Sleek's Pin Up, & I think we can all agree that they really are good quality!

The great thing about them is that you can mix the colours to your needs - ie red+white=pink - so you're getting a lot of value for money. I could genuinely talk about these all day as I really think they're great, but I don't want to bore you. The only thing I don't like about the products is the fact they're only got 11 different shades; I would really love to see a black in there!! Personally, I'll be buying more (I've already got orange, fuschia and hot pink on my mind), but if that's not to your taste, they've also got some subtle colours, like corals and soft nuetrals.


*I wasn't sponsored in any way to do this review. The opinions above are genuinely my own. I just thought it would be nice share this with you!*

Sparkly Nails

Glitter!
Haha, I love these nails. I did them this afternoon when I was bored and had time to kill. I wanted to do something different but I didn't want to do nail stickers because I'm saving them up for special occasions ;o So, I flicked through my Beauty References scrapbook (yes, I'm a loser) and got inspired by a nail tip given by LOOK magazine a couple of weeks ago.  I applied Nail Inc's Caramel (freebie from Diet Coke promo) as a base and Barry M's base/top coat nail varnish, before dipping my nails into some copper-coloured glitter (nothing special, just normal glitter from Hobbycraft).  The only downside to doing these nails was the mess it provoked, but I'm quite happy with them so I guess it was worth it!

France

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A few pictures from my family holiday in France. Hope you enjoy!

Versailles

Paris

 

La Rochelle

Fontainebleu

PS. I GOT IN!

Good Results
As you may know by now, I applied to study at Heriot Watt University last year. After producing a portfolio for them and going through the interview process I managed to get an conditional offer at the university. A few days ago, I received my exam results and found out that I met the conditions and secured my place at Heriot Watt!! I am going to be studying Fashion Communication at the School of Textiles & Design. I move away on the 3rd of September, and start my Freshers Week on the 5th; my course formally starts on the 12th.  I am very excited about becoming a student at Heriot Watt and look forward to what the future holds!

Ps. Remember my Advanced Higher Art & Design Portfolio? I got a B for that :)

NAILS OF THE WEEK

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that I tried out my nail stickers for the first time! Over the months, I've found myself buying them that I eventually grew quite a collection, only realising recently that I had never actually tried them out once. So I thought I'd give them a go, starting with these cheap ones from Primark (so if I ruined them it wouldn't matter), & discovered that they're very easy to apply, giving your nails an easy makeover in just 10 minutes. I've still to try out heaps more, but I'll update you when I do & see if I can recommend any for you.

Fashion Illustration

A Work of Art
So whilst I was in Paris, me and my family decided to pay a visit to the famous flea market, Les Puces de Saint-Ouen, because we had never been there before and I had heard a lot about it.  I loved it! It's insanely huge but there really is something for everyone (from antiques and art decor, to vintage fashion boutiques). There's supposed to be something like 2,000 stalls in the flea market, making the it the biggest in Europe, and I don't even think we saw half of it!  Anyway, whilst I was browsing through, I came across this fashion illustration stall, and had a look through the stuff.  I fell in love with so many of the sketches, but I didn't want to spend too much money so I decided on one:

This one really caught my attention.  It reminded me very much of Coco Chanel because of the suit and the whole sense of glamorous power dressing, and I knew I had to have it.  What makes it even more special is that it was painted by an artist in 1963, so I have an original copy.  Now I have to decide where on my wall I should hang it, or if there's even any point, because I'm moving into my halls for university in a month's time...!  More photos of France still to come :)

Holiday Shopping!

I must admit I've been a bit naughty these past couple of months, but the sales have just been too good to me! I haven't even plucked up the courage to view my bank balance since I came back from France (reason for my absence btw) because I fear the low figures!  Having said that, I don't regret anything I've bought in the past few months because to be fair, they are all either things I've wanted for a long time, or practical, or just great value for money! So here is what I brought back from France:

Bags: Lancel

Shoes: Timberland

Nail Stickers: Sephora

Eyelashes & Fix+: MAC

I actually got Makeup Forever's HD Foundation in Spain, but I thought I'd just throw it in there because I didn't think it deserved a picture of it's own. Just to let you know, all the make-up was bought at full price :( !

Alongside this, I also bought a cardigan from Pinko whilst I was in Paris. The camera doesn't do it much justice but the fabric is sort of lyrca-ish mixed with jersey and cotton, and it has some slight detailing on the sleeves and on the back:

This bag is from H&M and I bought it whilst I was in Madrid. It wasn't in the sale but it was still pretty daymn cheap :)

This Ben Sherman leather jacket was very well priced! I've always wanted a good leather jacket as they are timeless and a definite must-have in your wardrobe.

I didn't actually like this Ben Sherman coat at first, but once I tried it on I completely changed my mind! It fits well and the leather detailing is a nice touch :) perfect for a night out when you don't want anything too heavy or too light.

Finally, this Barbour jacket was bought before I even went to Spain but I know I will get a lot of use out of it, specially with Scotland's weather! It's fully water-proof and has great padded lining. You can also cinch it at the waist to give you more of a figure, and the hood is detachable too.

I'll be uploading more pictures soon, so stay tuned :)