Back To School - Fashion Haul

I cannot tell you how long I have wanted to show you what I've been buying for Sixth Form and finally the time has arrived. These are things which I've been saving up for a couple of months to show in a haul and that is why you may notice some of the price tags are missing because I couldn't resist wearing the majority of them, but then there's no point me buying things and not getting my wear out of them!

When my Dad suggested I had a look in TK Maxx for a school bag I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical as TK Maxx is not somewhere I typically shop. Hesitantly I agreed to have a look and after hopelessly looking around the bag section for a good few minutes I saw it: the bag of my dreams. Okay it wasn't the school bag I had been initially looking for but I've been looking for an everyday bag for months and this was the perfect bag that I knew I had to have. 

The bag is a good size, black, has gold hardware and is structured which were all things I had been looking for in a bag and the only other place I had found anything similar was Zara, but there was no way I was going to pay their prices! It cost £24.99 and was worth every penny.

TK Maxx Bag £24.99 (rrp £49.99)

I must have looked at this hair cuff in H and M at least 10 times before I eventually bought it when I was shopping in Cardiff on my birthday. I'd seen it in hauls millions of times and was always so close to buying one for myself but for some bizarre reason I could never part with my cash, but for £2.99 I can wholeheartedly say it was worth it and I wish I'd bought it sooner!

H and M Gold Hair Cuff £2.99

We all know I have a cami obsession so when I saw this beauty in River Island the least I could do was take it home with me. I'm not what material this top is made out of but it has the slinky appearance of silk. I think this top adds elegance to any look and unlike my New Look cami's it has adjustable straps which means no awkward moments where your top falls down and your assets are exposed, which is always a bonus!

River Island Black Cami £10

Now you may recognize these jeans as they are incredibly similar to the American Apparel Easy Jean and the Topshop Joni Jeans but WAY cheaper. I've never bought jeans from primark before but these fit really well and haven't faded yet. I love the super high waisted fit of them and they are such a bargain when compared to the American Apparel and Topshop version!

Primark Jeans £10

Before I went shopping I only had two pairs of jeans, which in my opinion is definitely not enough when I wanted jeans to be the basis of my casual Sixth Form wardrobe, so when I found these jeans in the sale section of Dorothy Perkins I though it'd be worth trying them on because they were a nice colour and a good price. These jeans fit me perfectly and were exactly what I was looking for, so I'd really recommend looking in the sale in any shop for jeans as I often find some gems in sale.

Dorothy Perkins Jeans £15

When in Primark I decided to stock up on a few basic clothes for school and that included t-shirts and in Primark they sell loads of cheap boyfriends tees for £2.50. I wanted to get a black and a white but unfortunately they didn't have any white t-shirts so I could only get black but it's alright as I can just get more another time as it's the kind of thing they sell all year round.

Primark T-Shirt £2.50

The last thing I bought was this cream quilted t-shirt which was only a bit more expensive at £6. I love the quilting detail and the slightly thicker material for the colder months and personally I think that this t-shirt would easily be found in Zara or River Island. The only thing I'm not sure I'm keen on is the chain across the pocket so I might cut it off.

Primark Quilted T-shirt £6

I feel a bit late with everything this month as everyone (including myself) has gone back to school now but then again this could be considered as just a regular haul, but none the less I hope you enjoyed it! If you've just gone back let me know down below how your first day back went!

Eleanor xx

Sunday Nails - A Spot Of Gardening

Today I have painted leaves on my nails and yes those leaves look strikingly similar to marijuana leaves. I am endorsing drugs? Of course not silly, it's just a pattern of some leaves! Are we clear on everything? Yes, now let's get on with what really matters, the nail art.

My nail art this week is inspired by those Huf socks that everyone in fashion blogs and on Tumblr seem to own. The truth is I don't really like the socks for the pattern but more for the colours that they come in as the clashing colours are what make them stand out, and if you are going to pay over £10 for a pair of socks of course you want them to stand out. So for this nail art I picked two contrasting colours green and orange but to avoid them looking like a carrot I used a Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Papaya a lovely bright peachy orange.

I hope this Sunday Nails wasn't too 'controversial' for you all but the colours are so bright they are helping me grasp onto what's left of the summer. And however much I will miss the pretty colours of Summer I am looking forward to buying burgundy and more black clothing and also layering (one of my favourite past times). What are you looking for to about Autumn and Winter?

Eleanor xx

August Rate Or Hate

First off let's pretend that this post is not three or four days late (I won't tell anyone if you don't) okay? Few, now that's out of the way we can get onto what I've been rating and hating this month and may I add that this month's post is very lippy. Not lippy as in I will be talking like a gobby brat who needs an attitude adjustment but I will talking a lot about a couple of luscious (and not so luscious) lip products. 

This months Rate and Hate -

Topshop Lip Paint and Maybelline Baby Lips

Rate -
I think it's fair to say that I was not the only person who was extremely excited about the launch of the Maybelline Baby Lips at the beginning of the month so the first chance I had I was straight into Boots to buy some of them. When I was in Boots they were on 3 for 2 so I did contemplate getting all of them but I resisted in case I didn't like them but I really wish I'd bought them all as I love them. Luckily I received another one for my birthday so now I only have two more to get them all, the colours I have are Mint Fresh, Cherry Me, Pink Punch and Peach Kiss.

My favourite lip balm used to be Carmex but these have replaced that as my favourite lip balm. The coloured lip balms leave a sheer wash over colour over the lips and the clear lip balms contain SPF 20 to protect your lips from the sun and they all leave my lips moisturized to perfection. They claim to leave your lips moisturized for 8 hours which I can't quite agree with but they are still pretty good.

Hate - 
I love Topshop for their clothes but I've never really used their makeup. I own one lipstick from the Topshop makeup range and nothing else has ever caught my eye but when I saw this bright orange Lip Paint in the sale for £1 I thought it was worth a try.

I expected the Lip Paint to be like the Sleek Pout Paints or the Hourglass Liquid Lipsticks but I really got it wrong. The Topshop Lip Paint applies unevenly and sits in the wrinkles in lips, it also isn't that pigmented and doesn't stain your lips which I personally was looking for. The colour of the product when it's in the tube is an amazing bright orange but when just looks like I've got tomato soup all over my mouth, it's fair to say I'm a bit disappointed so I'm glad I only spent £1 for it.

Tomorrow is my first official day of Sixth Form and I know my Baby Lips will be coming with me in my bag and I will not be wearing the Lip Paint in my school photo's! Good luck everyone else who is going back to school and let me know in the comments how you first day goes!

Eleanor xx 

Holla Holographic

If you read my last post which was "What I Got For My Birthday" then you'll have seen the holographic nail polish that I got off my friend Maddie, but being the idiot I am at first I didn't even realise that this polish was holographic despite it even saying on the bottle. But the other night when I was chilling just watching TV, something shimmery caught my eye, I looked over and I could see this rainbow shiver running through what I thought was just a silver nail polish, it was then I realized that this was no ordinary nail polish.

Instantly I painted my nails with it and was mesmerized by the rainbow shimmer shimmer when the light hits my nails, unfortunately this didn't photograph that well but if you happen to be in boots go have a look a this nail polish because it's so pretty!

On another note I'm very tempted not to post a August Rate Or Hate this month is that bad? I've just bought so many nice things that I want to do a haul but all in good time.

Eleanor xx

What I Got For My Birthday

I have to admit that right now I'm feeling quite guilty for not posting yesterday, I'm sorry I was busy so please don't shoot me. I'd wanted to post a bit more this week as I have a lot of content planned in my head but life just got in the way and I've still got things to do before I start Sixth Form next week *hysterically sobs at the thought of going to back to school*. But I've got a lot of things to be grateful for and one of them is how spoilt I've been by my friends and family for my birthday so I thought I'd share with you what I got. One thing I'd just like to add is that this post is going to be filled with lots of pictures and not a lot of writing, I hope you don't mind!

Disclaimer - I am extremely grateful for everything I received for my birthday and in no way am I 'showing off' (who would even do that?). I personally enjoy reading these posts so I thought you might be too and some people mentioned on my last post that they'd like to see what I got (minus some chocolates,vouchers and money) so here it is!   

The first thing I got was this beautiful candle and photo frame from one of my best friends Harriet. This candle is actually one of best things I have ever smelt in my entire life, I'm not a candle connoisseur but as you can probably guess it smells like apple and elderflowers and will probably rival my Yankee Candle in Fluffy Towels for the prime position of my favourite candle. The picture in the photo frame is of both of us on our last day of school and I think she might have said that it is from Urban Outfitters.

My friends Lizzie and Megan bought me these beautiful pair of sterling silver butterfly earrings and some truffles yummy (the truffles that is not the earrings)!

One of my oldest friends Beth bought me these cute little friendship bracelets from Accessorize and a couple of yummy chocolate bits including a personalized happy birthday chocolate slab from Thorntons which is always a good present for chocoholics like myself!  

This next present is from my friend Abi who lived in California for a long time before she moved back to the UK a couple of years ago so of course she had to get me something american in the form of a Victoria's Secret spray, which may I add smells A-MAZING, and this really pretty mug with flowers on (all of my hot drinks will definitely be tastier in this mug)! 

My friend Maddie, who like myself is also obsessed with beauty and painting my nails, got me a few nail varnishes and a Maybelline Baby Lips. Now Maddie did an amazing job here because she managed not only to get me a Baby Lips in a colour I don't have but also 3 nail varnishes that I have nothing similar to in my collection, which is pretty difficult considering I have over 80 nail varnishes, I take my imaginary hat off to you Maddie!

This butterfly is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen! It's made out of glass and I'm going to hang it in my room by the window so that all of the light shines through it and it's from my friends Marianne.

There's a bit of a story behind this teacup but basically when I'm older I don't want matchy matchy mugs like normal people I want teacups. Every teacup will be different and have it's own story so one of my oldest and bestest friends Helena got me this beautiful china blue tea cup and it is just perfect.

This present from my best friends Hannah and Louise was such a suprise as they'd hidden them in a pot of pic and mix so I'd unwrapped this pic and mix and Louise was like "look inside" so I opened it and all I could see was sweets but then I dug down further and saw some Mac goodies and I literally screamed with excitement! I've never owned a Mac nail varnish or pressed pigment but I don't know why I've never bought these because they are the most beautiful colours I've ever seen! The nail lacquer is in the colour Girl Trouble and the pressed pigment is in the colour Light Touch.

Me and my sister like to spend a lot of money on each other at Christmas and birthdays and this year she has really treated me so much, I couldn't believe that she'd got me a Pandora bracelet and a Mac lipstick, they were both things that I've wanted for so long! The Mac lipstick is in Vegas Volt a beautiful pink/coral/orange in an amplified finish.

For my birthday my parents are getting me some new wardrobes for my room from Ikea and a new phone because my contract is running out in September so I wasn't expecting anything from them at all but they bought me a charm for my new bracelet and the book Revenge Wears Prada the sequel to Devil Wears Prada. Devil Wears Prada is one of my favourite films ever but surprisingly I have never read the book so I have bought the first book and I am going to read that and then the newest book.

Thank you everyone so much who wished me happy birthday, I had a lovely day shopping in Cardiff with my family getting a few new clothes for Sixth Form that will be in haul sometime next week I promise...

Eleanor xx

Sunday Nails - Happy Birthday

It's my birthday on Tuesday and I think it's fair to say that I am a bit excited, okay that's a bit of an understatement...I'M SO EXCITED I CAN BARELY BREATH! Yes on the 27th I'll finally be turning 16. One of the worst things about having a late birthday is that everyone else in my year can apply for jobs and some will be able to start learning to drive next month, and it will never change; when they're out drinking and partying in clubs at 18 I'll still be too young. But then again you can look at it from the brighter side, when they're all crying about turning 50 I'll still be in my 40's, oh yeah!

You may be wondering how I am going to celebrate my birthday and the answer is the same way I always celebrate momentous occasions: by painting my nails. But apart from painting my nails I am going to celebrate by going to Cardiff shopping on my birthday as I've already had a 'party' with my friends last Friday. We went for a lovely picnic in the park and even though it did start to spit with rain at one point the rain held off and it was a great afternoon.

I'd love to know how you've been spending your week, maybe celebrating GCSE results perhaps? (I know I was!) Also do you want to see a 'What I Got For My Birthday' style post? I love reading them but I just wanted to know if anyone else does!

Eleanor xx

Back To School - Stationary Haul

With lots of people already going back to school I thought it was about time I started my back to school series. In this series of posts I'm planning on doing this stationary haul, a fashion and beauty haul, what's in my school bag and then I'll finish with a week in school outfits, hopefully it'll be interesting to you whether you're going back to school or not! Onto the haul! 

Isn't stationary beautiful? Stationary really feeds my need to be organised and neat, it's also bright, colourful and pretty but if stationary ain't your thang I'd probably exit this post right now because I will probably say the word stationary over 50 times and I'll be getting overexcited about coloured pens and hole punches.

But even though stationary is very pretty it can actually be very expensive and however much I'd like to spend £10 on a pad of paper from Paperchase because it has a pretty pattern on the front I can't afford that so I've just bought all of my things from Tesco and Asda who both have large back to school ranges for very low prices, plus I still think I managed to get some cute girly things to satisfy my needs!

First thing I got were these folders or ring binders (whatever you like to call them!) I got 4 large ones (one for each subject) and one small folder. I'm planning on taking the small one to sixth form everyday and putting all my notes in it and then at the end of the week I'll transfer each subjects notes into the larger folders, because there is no way I could bring all four big folders in my bag everyday, they would be way to heavy and big!

I got all five from Tesco sadly they didn't have many nice patterns so I ended up with two plain coloured folders and three patterned ones, I think they ranged from around £1 - £4 or £5 the Zebra print one being the most expensive.

I then got some plastic wallets, dividers, a 360 page refill pad, reinforcement hole thingys, sticky notes, rubbers (or erasers if your american), a stapler, a hole punch, highlighters, maths set, tipp-ex, fineliners, rainbow pens, black pens and pencils and they were all under a fiver each. The only thing I couldn't get was a pencil case but that was just because I was too picky and couldn't find one I liked and anything else I didn't get like a scientific calculator I didn't get because I already have it.

Sorry I couldn't be more precise about prices but I've lost the receipt *slaps herself on the wrist*, but it was all reasonably priced and quite cheap because there were lots of offers on. So how are you getting ready to go back to school/college/uni/work?

Eleanor xx

Sunday Nail - Tartan Disasters

Who knew tartan would be so difficult? Seriously this took me hours and it ended looking a mess anyway but it just goes to show that my nail art isn't always as perfect as it seems. Nail art takes a lot of practice and even when you think you're getting somewhere, not everything looks as great as you imagined it. 

Occasionally my nail art is such a fail that I don't even show you it, I panic like it's the end of the world then quickly do a different design (so that no-one will ever know about my disaster) then post that. But maybe I should admit my failures and show some of my 'dodgy' nail art? 

Hopefully when I get my GCSE results on Thursday I won't find that this nail art isn't the only thing I've failed at! Good luck to anyone else getting results on Thursday and I hope all of you who got your A/AS Level results got what you wanted, if not it's not the end of the world now is it?

Eleanor xx

Primark A/W Collection - My Favourites

Occasionally I like to go onto the Primark website and look at the 'Products' section. In this section they often have pictures of their new season collection giving me an idea of what they are stocking in stores, as even though they are starting to sell their clothes through Asos it is only a small selection, so apart from this the only way I have of knowing what is in stores is by watching Primark hauls on YouTube.

The truth is that I was pleasantly shocked and impressed by this year's autumn/winter collection as the clothes look not only on trend but my style as I love wearing neutral colours but experimenting with different textures and patterns. That is why I have decided to share with you my favourite outfits from the collection!

Images Sourced from http://www.primark.co.uk/products/womenswear/products/

Image 1 - Coat £32, jumper £10, trousers £12 

Image 2 - Coat £28, shirt £12, trousers £12, bag £10, trainers £12

Images Sourced from http://www.primark.co.uk/products/womenswear/products/

Image 3 - Dress £13, boots £20, tights £3.50

Image 4 - Coat £35, skirt £10, top £10, shoes £14, tights £3.50, necklace £8

Images Sourced from http://www.primark.co.uk/products/womenswear/products/

Image 5 - Skirt £10, top £6, sweatshirt £8, boots £15, bag £8, tights £3.50

Image 6 - Jumper £14, skirt £14, shoes £16

One last thing I did notice about this collection was that prices are definitely higher than the usual low prices I'm used to paying in primark but I think that the pieces in the collection are nicer than in the past and if they were being sold in Topshop we'd be questioning why they were not double the price, I just hope that they are good quality and I'm not disappointed when I go to buy them in store!

If you want to see more pictures of the collection there are hundreds on Look Magazines' website here.

This post is a little different to my normal posts so if you liked it tell me and I might consider doing more of these in the future! Also I'd just like to add that this is not a sponsored post I just thought it would be nice to share my thoughts on the collection!

Also I'd just like to mention that I've just noticed that I've reached over 700 followers on Bloglovin and GFC combined so I just wanted to say thank you so much as it really means the world to me and I promise I'm not just saying that! 

Eleanor xx 

Sunday Nails - Unicorns I Love Them

As you may have noticed I've redesigned my blog (again), it's still not perfect but it's closer to how I want it. When I was redesigning it I made my own blog button, now that I have a blog button I'd love to do a button swap so if you are interested please let me know in the comments or email me or tweet me! Anyway onto my nails...

I love unicorns, I mean seriously who doesn't? They're so fluffy and cute and sparkly and magical and everything the five year old girl inside me dreams about. This love for unicorns was recently reignited when I bought myself a unicorn onesie from primark (it sounds amazing I know). I've never been one for a onesie and didn't really get on the onesie band wagon but when I saw the unicorn onesie I knew we were meant to be. 

So in tribute to my new best friend (soz Harriet) I have painted a unicorn on my nails. Okay the unicorns a bit dodgy but you can still tell what it is, so it is a success in my book!

The sparkly top coat I used is L.A Colors Sassy Sparkle, it was £1 and is one of my favourite topcoats because it not looks amazing over any colour but catches the remaining light in the evening making your nails look like a mermaid's tail. 

Please tell me I'm not the only one obsessed with unicorns?

Eleanor xx