Zara Cropped Jumper

Just a quicky from me - I recently got a car and it has not been healthy for my bank (I can drive and go shopping when it pleases me rather than having to beg my mum to take me)
Put it this way; the local shopping centre has been my second home for the past 2 weeks!

Anyyyyway, I recently set myself a goal of buying clothes that I wouldn't normally buy due to them being 'too adventurous/colourful', I normally stick to monochrome clothing.

So what item did I buy? 

Zara, £19.99, Size S

HOW CUTE?! This piece isn't particularly adventurous but it is a piece that I definitely would not in a million years have thought I would buy, let alone wear. It is cropped, however my photo doesn't show that. It crops just above my belly button; raw hem. I love the quote/written on it as positivity about reaching your dreams has always motivated me, especially due to my anxiety holding me back.

blah blah blah let's not get into this

It is a raw piece and does make you look like a box up until your belly button, the writing has a faint hint of white glitter over the writing, which after one wash I can happily say has not faded or washed off - well done Zara, you have achieved the impossible. The sleeves are slightly short, but I just tell myself they're meant to be like that, as if I bought a size bigger the jumper itself would be too wide and box like at the bottom - I will state that it does not increase in length (except the sleeves) the bigger the size is, it merely grows outwards.

Overall, I love it. Although it isn't as warm as I hoped it would be - perhaps I was expecting too much from a cropped jumper that gapes open at the bottom? -  it is still very comfortable and as far as I can tell, doesn't fade/shrink/crumple or anything along the negative lines. Thumbs up from me!

Glossybox: November 2013

I always look forward to my monthly Glossybox - even though it is only my second box. I just love coming home and seeing the signature Glossybox stamped package sitting on my bed, waiting to be opened to unleash its products. Albeit I am sometimes very skeptical when it comes to trying out new things as my skin is quite sensitive. However, I know that Glossybox take all the nitty-gritty details into account which makes me feel at ease, especially when trying products like moisturisers.

This months Glossybox contained 5 carefully selected beauty products tailored to my preference, judging by what I filled out on the Glossybox beauty profiler. The November box featured 3 Vichy testers, Elegant Touch Nail Varnish Removing Pads, Yves Rocher Cocoa Hand Cream, Connock London 'Kukui' Eau de Parfum, and Emite Makeup Black Eyeshadow. 

Can we just take a moment and appreciate how cute they all look!
They are about the size of my palm - I have very small hands. However,
so far I am very impressed to how much come out of these little
guys! I haven't been using these sparingly at all and in about
2 and a half weeks I have only used up one!

I will be honest and say that the only product I was particularly thrilled about was the Vichy Idelia Life Serum as I am familiar with this brand and know that they are of great quality as one of their moisturisers (that I cannot remember the name of - sorry!) was one of my HG products until the price got bumped up. I was intrigued by this especially as well as it was new to their skincare products, and states that it is suitable for all skin types; from previous experience, this means that my skin will normally suffer horribly from the product and therefore I tend to stay away from it. However, it claims to even skin tone and tighten pores and in short, improve your skin altogether, especially if your skin is exposed daily to pollution, stress and if you have an UNBALANCED DIET. UNBALANCED DIET?! This is what drew me in to give it a try. My diet is quite possibly the most unbalanced diet that ever existed! 

Boy oh boy! I am forever thankful to Glossybox for sending me this, it has done my skin wonders - no exaggeration! I do have quite large pores on one side of my nose, which to be honest I haven't seen a change in - I have only been using it for 2 weeks so I'll let that bit slide. However, I suffered with slight redness on the apples of my cheeks which has completely disappeared, I have worn foundation for a few days because I simply do not need to cover it anymore. Along with the redness, I have very very very very very very very dry skin, and seeing as we are entering winter, I have been bracing myself for my skin to become even drier due to the cold weather. I am very grateful for this moisturiser as it has helped the dryness in my T-Zone - odd place to suffer from dryness, i know - but I still have random dry patches around my face, but I'm able to deal with that as long as my problem areas - cheeks, T Zone and chin - are being dealt with (which they are!).  I will add that if you have oily skin you may have problems with this moisturiser as I feel that it is more tailored for dry and sensitive skin.

But like I said, it has only been 2 weeks since I included this in my daily skincare routine. There is still plenty of time for this moisturiser to act up - hopefully it doesnt! I don't suffer from regular break outs so if I suddenly develop an acne product, we know who to point our fingers at! 

My gosh is this heaven in a bottle? I THINK SO! I tend to prefer sweet perfumes like Fantasy by Britney Spears, but this is quite possibly the most beautiful flower perfume I have ever tested. It lasts the whole day as well! Most flowery perfumes smell like it would bring on hayfever by just spraying it, but this reminds me of a really good sweet tea - haha. It is really so beautiful and delicate, but seriously Connock London?! £75 per 100ml bottle? I THINK NOT, to my dismay I will not be purchasing this as I cannot justify that much money on smelly water - booooooo.

Really?! Personally, nail polish remover pads are one of my pet hates. However, just for you guys, I decided to try them out in order to write a decent review. I honestly do not know why these are made out to be more amazing than normal, moisturising nail polish remover because these do not seem like anything special - they remove nail polish without damaging my nails, just like my Holy Grail Sally Hansen nail polish remover. However, I wouldn't go to the extent of raving about these pads, and they certainly don't give Sally Hansen a run for her money. Not as impressive as I had hoped, but I don't see anything wrong with them, so all in all, they work fine and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

Overall, this Glossybox is my favourite - out the 2 I have received. This is solely due to the Vichy moisturiser that was included. The hand cream and eyeshadow I will not be reviewing as I do not use handcream, and have not yet used the eyeshadow, but as soon as I use it I will include a look and review of it - I promise. I am now waiting anxiously for the next box, I am so impatient and it won't come until mid next month! 

XO

OOTN - DATE NIGHT

I wore this outfit to a slightly posh restaurant as I was celebrating a significant event, however, this outfit is also casual and by altering shoes/adding jewellery can be made more classy/casual to suit whatever the event.

This simple yet on trend outfit combines shape flattering, comfort and style in one outfit. I wore this outfit to a dinner date celebrating an anniversary. It is casual yet classy enough to wear to a significant event. 

Dress: Motel, £38

This dress is very flattering, especially for women with a 'pear' shaped body type like mine as it is a skater dress. It pinches in at the waist, visibly slimming your mid-section. The dress is made from cotton fabric and is therefore incredibly comfortable. I bought the dress in black as it is easier to style, and also classy looking, even if it is a very simple dress. It may seem a bit pricey but the quality of the fabric and stitching is high, however, I feel £30 would be a more reasonable price - but hey, I'm a cheapskate anyway. 

Shoes: Zara, £29.99

I have fallen in love. These shoes are the apple of my eye at the moment. I feel that black and gold always go together so I tend to wear these colours together a lot, e.g. a black outfit with gold jewellery etc. Anyway, I have had my eyes on 'combination high heels' for a while but never found any worth buying, until these beauty's were spotted, that is! They are made from a suede material so not suitable for most weather conditions and therefore fit perfectly for a dinner date. These shoes do not have a platform so are a reasonable height to go to a restaurant in, however, I find these shoes more difficult to walk in in comparison to heels with platforms.

APOLOGIES

Sorry to anyone that reads/visits my blog for the last few months of rare acitivity, what with christmas, moving and school work piling up!:(

I will be posting Naked 1 and Naked 2 palette review/looks/comparisons as well as OOTD/OOTNs etc.

BODY IMAGE AND SELF ESTEEM

Thought I'd try writing about something a little bit more different than just makeup and fashion, and since I'm focusing my media project on it I thought why not.

How do you know when you're TOO skinny or TOO fat? Maybe it's determined by the number on your scales, or maybe the amount of skin you can grab off your stomach. Or is it when you look in the mirror and feel disgusted at the reflection staring back at you? Is it when your bones show too much or not enough?
It's all down to your own perspective and even if people tell you you're a good size and 'soo skinny' sometimes you just don't feel happy with yourself because your own idea of a "perfect figure" is completely different to theirs.
Now, people are too good at putting themselves down and lowering their self confidence with no help from anyone else, it's not always bullying or other people calling you fat/too thin that cause people to over eat or under eat. Bringing down your own self esteem is what causes you to feel shi' about yourself, because you then feel worthless and that alters your perspective of yourself - you could go from a happy, healthy and cheerful person to an overweight, sad and lonely person purely because your self esteem got knocked that day by a comment that someone made. Or maybe it could be because of Tumblr. Tumblr has claimed quite a few of my "I'm too fat." moments as I tend to look at the picture blogs of the skinniest girls (not intentionally -it's just the blogs I follow) and then as I keep going through a person's blog of all these 'perfect', skinny girls I look in the mirror and feel like a sack of potatoes in comparison to those girls, these moments will usually end up with me eating because I'm upset or just not wanting to eat at all. I'm not saying that Tumblr is the main reason girls feel awful about their self image but it could be a culprit. I can definitely tell when one of my friends has been on tumblr too much because she stops eating and is constantly complaining about her weight, even though she is at a pretty much perfect weight. Tumblr can also knock your self confidence and esteem with all the 'couple' pictures which make it look like only skinny, long haired, tanned girls can get boyfriends, even though that's not the case and if it was then that boy isn't worth your time and then it's time to 'join the nunnery'!

Next up is fashion shows and runway models. Oh. My. Gosh. This disgusts me. The designers need to realise that parading skeletons up and down a runway will not sell clothes, their business would be 100 times better if their models were curvy, happy women who don't look tired all the time but actually look confident and happy with themselves.

Runway models are looked up to - I don't even know.... - because apparently some girls think it's a good look to have your ribs on show. In my opinion, it's not. However, some girls genuinely can't put on weight, like a girl in my textiles class who eats and eats but can easily fit into childrens clothes no problemo purely because her body doesn't put on any weight whatsoever. Thankfully, the measurements of models are becoming bigger and most designers have banned almost anorexic models from their shows and magazines such as VOGUE have banned them too as it's not portraying a healthy image for younger people. Tyra Banks also kicked a girl off ANTM for being too skinny.
Girls are being influenced by the image of Barbie as she is considered perfect. Barbie's measurements have been altered a lot since the 90's and seems to be teaching young children that you have to be thin and therefore they grow up to be dangerously thin, if Barbie has been idolised by them.

Which brings me onto another good point - Idols. Everyone idolises someone, mine happens to be Pixie Lott and Beyonce, both are perfect sizes and famous for talent and not for their dad/family... Kim Kardashian is another celebrity that can be a super role model as her body is hourglass shaped and most girls with big bums feel self conscious about it.
Throughout school, pressure builds because of what ever reasons - exams, family, boyfriends, friendship groups falling apart etc. - this can also cause you to feel a bit down in the dumps with yourself because you may get lack of sleep which can cause your skin to become more dull, also making you feel like shi'. Stress can cause severe weight loss that isn't normal and can also become very dangerous. It can also cause over eating which can make you gain weight and therefore, unless you want to gain weight, your self esteem gets worse and then you doubt your own body image and feel worse about yourself. Boyfriends as well as family cause stress - you may get broken up with and therefore feel worthless and like you're not good enough causing under eating or over eating again.

BUT SIZE DOESN'T MATTER, everyone is different and if you do feel like crap about your body image or your self confidence is low - focus on all the postive+ stuff in your life and about yourself/your body.
If that doesn't work then remember that to me you're all beautiful.

Shoe Collection : Favourites

This is my favourite shoes from my wedges collection:

Leopard Print Ankle Boots

Heel height: 4.7"

Platform height: 1.1"

I got these wedges from a shop called Select, I don't think they have a website so I can't link them to you:( I got them in their sale in December 2011 for £25 down from £40. I've worn them clubbing and they are very comfortable and easy to walk in. They feel like they're made from cotton or a soft fabric similar to that.. The black contrasting strip at the back of the shoe is my favourite detail, it's just a shame that the black strip isn't in line the whole way down:( These are probably my most worn out of all my 'going out' shoes.

Black Strap Wedges

Heel height: 4.9"

Platform height: 0.9"

 I got these wedges from Amazon, from a brand called glitterati. The sole and inside of the shoe is gold, there is also a contrasting golden zip fastening at the back of the shoes which also matches the inside and goes nicely with the black. The shoes are a velvety type fabric which I'm not too keen on but these shoes match anything really so you can't really complain. They're generally comfortable to walk/dance in, however, after a while the back of the zip started to bend inwards and cut the back of my foot. Theses were £24.99 down from £50, which is a good steal in my opinion, hehe:)

Leopard Bandage Wedges

Heel height: 5.9"

Platform height: 1.9"

 These wedges are from eBay but I think you can probably get them anywhere to be honest. I got these for £14.99 and they are super high compared to my other wedges. The leopard "bandage" is made from a soft felt fabric I think and adds to the comfort of the actual shoe. It has a fastening like a belt which is convenient because then you can tighten the shoe as much as you want and also makes the bandage fit your foot better. The bottom has a cork effect which doesn't appeal to me, but they're leopard print so it balances out. At first I didn't really think they'd be too comfortable and the bottom of the shoes look really hard, but they are actually surprisingly comfortable and probably the most comfortable out of all my heels and wedges. The bottom is sort of cushiony and sponge like which is probably why they're so comfortable as your feet kind of 'mould' into the shape a lot better.

Peep Toe Glitter Wedges

Heel height: 5.1."

Platform height: 1.3"

I got these shoes from Primark and they were around £18. Normally I don't particularly like peep toe shoes, but when I saw these I had to get them because it's rare that you get nice looking glitter shoes (that, and I have an unhealthy obsession with glitter..) The top of the shoe is a soft cottony fabric and the bottom is pure GLITTER! Considering the shoes are from Primark, they have lasted really well, none of the glitter seems to have dropped off, and I've worn these shoes clubbing quite a few times. They are relatively comfortable except from the fact that the peep toe part of the shoe crushes my toes:( There's no fastening, so you could just slip them on which is really convenient. These would be my most favourite if only they didn't have a peep toe!:(

 I may do a blog on how I would style these shoes, with some other ideas of how to wear them casually/more dressed up, if it's wanted.

SCAMMED: Hoola Benefit Bronzer

This time last year I was stupid enough to buy a "100% Authentic Benefit Bronzer" off eBay. I bought Hoola as I'd been using my friend's whilst we were on holiday and I loved it. Being the cheapskate that I am I decided to buy it off eBay, I found one that wasn't too expensive and bought it after looking through the seller's profile and feedback so I was a 100% certain that it would be real and good quality. It took roughly a month to come as it was being shipped from Hong Kong.

L-R: Hoola Benefit Bronzer - £23.50, Fake eBay Hoola Bronzer - £9.

You can tell that the packaging and sizes are completely different from eachother. The benefit logo isn't even on the fake one, it just says "by benefit" written underneath the title of the product. The fake one also looks as if it's been photocopied and the colours are completely wrong.  

When it did come, it looked a bit battered and tatty but I didn't think anything of it, I just thought that it was probably because of the shipping and the parcel had been battered along the way or something along those lines. I used it for a good 9 or 10 months and then I decided I wanted to buy a lighter bronzer for my prom as I wasn't as tanned anymore. 

You can see the colour difference between both of the bronzers here. The real one is lighter, smoother and more pigmented than the fake one. The fake one is very dark and brown in comparison. It also has bits flaking off and chunks missing. The boxes are also completely different shapes and the fake one isn't as sturdy.

When I went into the benefit store, they had all their bronzers and blushes on display - as the always do - and I noticed their Hoola bronzer didn't look the same as mine, I thought they'd just changed the packaging but it was also lighter and more pigmented than the one I had, I bought Hoola from benefit even though it was a bit pricey and went home and compared them. 

The box sizes are completely different and the side picture definitely looks like it's been photocopied. 

The sizes of the brushes are different as well as the feel of the actual bristles. The fake ones are more harsh, rough and spikey compared to the benefit one. 

I realised mine was fake and completely different in every possible way. I was disappointed but then again, the bronzer I bought off eBay wasn't terrible, I can still use it when I have a tan. However, I would advise that you don't buy any sort of makeup, off sites like eBay, that claims to be a well-known makeup label, whether it's MAC, Bobbi Brown, Benefit etc. as there is a high chance it will be fake. 

The back of the fake one also looks photocopied and completely different, when you pull the 'peel here' tab the fake one reveals nothing whereas the real one peels back and you can see the information about the product in Chinese and other languages. 

 I have tried looking for the seller who I bought this bronzer from so I could warn you incase you come across their "100% Authentic" makeup eBay shop but I can't find them. :(

I advise everyone not to fall into this trap, no matter how cheap the products are/how much positive feedback a seller has/how much they claim their products are genuine etc. 

NARS Super Orgasm Lipgloss

I love the packaging as it's simple and memorable. Everyone knows that this is Nars' signature packaging. 

I bought this from Sephora when I went to Paris for the day - 24.99 Euros, which is a bit pricey for a lipgloss, but hey ho. The brush is a standard sort of fluffy brush that most lip glosses have. It picks up just the right amount of product so you don't have to use so much in one go and use it all up. This lip gloss will probably last me a very long time. 

  BARE LIPS                                                            SUPER ORGASM

There isn't a lot of difference with the colour of my lips other than the fact they look more glossy and more pink than usual. The product is also a little bit glittery which I love. However, the product is very sticky which is very inconvenient if you have long hair, also the taste of it is terrible - kind of plasticy and industrial like (if that makes ANY sense haha), and in my opinion lip glosses should be tasty. Despite this, the lip gloss does last a long time and it doesn't dry out your lips either. 

Overall I wouldn't re-purchase because of the taste and stickiness but other than that, it is a perfect long-lasting, natural looking lip gloss, it is also perfect if you have dry lips as it moisterises them, I'm not too sure if it is supposed to or not but either way, it does, so that's always a bonus.