A dash of lifestyle, beauty, fashion and a bit of everything!

Wednesday 27 December 2017

The Autumn Aviator Steal



I'm not normally one to do fashion posts, but I couldn't help but blog about this gorgeous coat!

I've had quite a few questions asking where it is from, and compliments on the train, etc, so I had to share it with you all.

This is a beautiful Primark piece, believe it or not! I've owned this for at least a couple of months now and actually, the quality on it is still brilliant. This is the coat that I grab off the hanger and pull on most of the time when I'm rushing to leave the house... and it's fair to say I adore it!

I've seen a number of other coats that are similar, yet are all much more expensive in price, often double. I picked this one up in the Canterbury store, but have seen them in quite a few Primarks since then!

The inside is all fur lined - you can easily wear this with a short sleeved shirt and not get cold.

Due to Primark not having an online store (which is SO frustrating, although probably thankful for my bank account and student loan), I can't link this. But I'd recommend popping into your nearest Primark and trying to locate this - you won't regret it.

What have you been loving this season? Let me know below!

Katy x
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Saturday 21 October 2017

My University Experience // One Month In








So, you'll all notice I've not posted on this blog for about three months - I'm so sorry!! Life has been more than a bit mad, with starting uni and various other things, so I didn't have time to write a post. I had ideas of various posts I wanted to do, but I felt that I didn't want to post something that was rushed and I wasn't 100% happy with.

If any of you follow me on Instagram (there will be a link down the side of the page or along the top if you're viewing this on a laptop and want to check it out), you'll see my bio has changed and the beautiful landscape of Brighton has been featured largely on my feed.

It's official: I'm a University of Brighton Undergraduate! I always feel quite smug saying that, but I do feel it's good to realise you're own achievements. Results day went better than I ever could've expected (ABB holaaaaa) and I got into Brighton uni! Now I've enrolled and gone past the induction phase of my course, everything is starting to settle down and feel like a new 'normal'.

I have to say I've loved every moment of my uni experience so far, particularly meeting so many incredible people from various backgrounds that I wouldn't have otherwise met. Everyone seems so happy and friendly, with plenty of pastoral support, which I always highly rate.

Despite the campus being fairly small and close together, all the buildings are like mazes, meaning there's been plenty of moments where I've piled into the lift with lots of other girls and we've all wondered round completely lost, eventually finding our classroom. Thankfully, 1 month in, I think I vaguely know where everything else is (although the Checkland Building, which any of you will know well if you've studied/are studying at this uni, is a whole 'nother story).

One concern I had was the change from college, in particular the step up in work to do by yourself and a smaller amount of contact hours. I've adjusted to this surprisingly well, and am finding despite loving my lectures and seminars, I do enjoy coming home and being able to work independently. Time organisation has saved me!

Another worry I had was having to socialise and make new friends. I'm an introvert in public situations, but despite this, I've made myself a group of friends and everyone is so friendly there's at least a few people I can talk to in all of my seminar groups, which is nice.

I'm studying Criminology and Sociology BA Hons, which I'm finding incredibly interesting and eye-opening. I was a bit hesitant to go for a joint honours degree, but I feel studying two different subjects that interlink yet are slightly different keeps the course engaging, rather than getting boring and too repetitive.

If any of you would like me to do a uni Q&A, I'll be doing a poll on my twitter account soon, so feel free to check that out! (Again, link down the side).

Katy xx
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Monday 31 July 2017

July Makeup Picks






It's been a while since I've done a makeup related blog post, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on some products I've been using recently.

May and June were pretty much makeup-free months for me - I was busy revising and taking exams, so the last thing I wanted to do before a day full of revision or a three hour English paper was sit and put a full face of makeup on!

Since I've finished college, I've been enjoying taking my time with my makeup in the morning before I leave the house and also trying out new bits in my collection, or similarly, other pieces I've had a while and just haven't used in a few months. 

EYESHADOW PALETTE ON THE LEFT:
Sleek 'i-Divine' Eyeshadow Palette  // in 'AU NATUREL 601' // £8.99
I hadn't actually investigated Sleek makeup until quite recently, but my friend recommended their eyeshadow palettes to me, so I thought I'd check them out. I do have some high-end eyeshadow palettes too (the Two Faced 'Chocolate Bar' Palette and the Urban Decay 'Smoky' Palette), but I also have quite a few drugstore palettes I love.

This palette has 12 shades, all lovely and neutral. I think this palette would perfect if you're just getting into makeup, and want something nice and simple, without a complicated 'look'. It's also under £10, so it's a nice palette to buy if you just want something to put on your eyelids, without being too OTT.

I often use the orange-tones to create a champagne type look that pops nicely on the eyes, along with often mixing and matching with the other palette. You can create a number of looks using this palette and I would definitely recommend it. The pigmentation is only slightly weaker than my higher-end palettes, which is impressive from the drug-store. I've been using this on days where I want a slightly lighter makeup look, and it's served me well.

Sleek 'i-Divine' Eyeshadow Palette // in 'VINTAGE ROMANCE 141' // £8.99
Unlike the previous palette, this is filled with bold, colourful, bright shades with plenty of shimmer in them. This would be good for a night out, or maybe just a day where you feel you can go bolder with your makeup. I often use the 'Au Naturel' palette to create a base, then use a couple of colours from this palette so that I can layer it up a bit, and use some shimmer on the top and inner crease. I feel that Sleek palettes are so underrated, but this one is definitely worth getting your hands on.

Rosie For Autograph Highlighting Powder // in 'ROSE BUD' // £18
I was lucky enough to have this bought for me as a present for finishing my A-Level exams, and have been hooked ever since. It is a very fine powder, so you don't need much to create a lovely highlight on the top of your cheekbones. I find that this is both a subtle highlight, yet pops nicely in the sun. You only need a tiny amount to make a lovely glowy look on top of your foundation. At around the £20 mark, it is slightly pricier than your average highlighter (there are plenty of drugstore alternatives that are similar), but the luxury just oozes out of this. I genuinely think that this has made such a huge difference to my makeup since I've started wearing this, and would recommend purchasing.

Urban Decay 'All Nighter' Setting Spray // TRAVEL SIZE // £9
Again, I was lucky enough to have this bought for me. I received this for my birthday (hence the old packaging - the new version is a navy and purple rather than white), and I have to say, I can definitely see why there is a hype around this product. I have been using this product on and off, but got back into using it a couple of weeks ago, and I don't know why I didn't get back into using it sooner! I love this product so much - I have no clue what I'd do without it in my makeup collection. It just sets a lovely light mist over your face, and makes your base look absolutely flawless, as if your face has been edited in a photoshoot. I will definitely be picking up the full size version when this runs out.

Soap & Glory Lipstick // in 'NAKED TALENT' // £9
This lipstick isn't matte, but isn't incredibly shiny either. It does have a nice sheen to it, and sits comfortably on the lips. I find even after food, I'll only have to top this up once during the day, rather than multiple times (as you find with some lipsticks). I love this colour, as it is a pink-toned nude, adding just a bit of colour to your natural lip colour. Even the packaging of this lipstick is super classy - it's in gold casing, with a 'S&G' on the lipstick as well, which is a nice touch. I'm quite pale, and I find this shade to be perfect - not too dark and make me look white, but not too pale and look strange on the lips. 

So, there you have it - my top makeup products I'm enjoying during July! Let me know in the comments below the makeup you're loving below - I'd love to hear what you've been using and recommend.

Katy x
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Monday 17 July 2017

Empties #2







Rimmel 'Wake Me Up' Concealer  // £5.49
So, I've kinda got mixed feelings about this product. I have to say that I think I'd be a bigger fan of this if it didn't have such an orange undertone and wasn't quite as light coverage. I did enjoy using it for a while, until I have to say I had a love affair with this product and switched back to the collection concealer. 

WOULD I BUY THIS AGAIN? NO

Simple Makeup Wipes // £3.29
I've used these wipes for such a long time, and they are always a winner. Simple can be a slightly pricey band to purchase from, but for a drugstore brand, you're definitely onto a winner. Also, 3 for 2 offers are on quite a bit with Simple products, so you can often stock up for a few months. These wipes always feel super soft on the skin, and if you've got sensitive skin, this is a win-win situation. 

WOULD I BUY THIS AGAIN? YES

Simple Face Wash  // £3.80
I'm not going to lie, I've been pretty rubbish with my skin-care. I always seem to be too tired or not bothered to do a 'skin-care routine'. I have been using it, and I do think it's a good face wash. I don't know if I would say it's the best on the market, but if you're like me and don't fancy spending your precious pennies in the £15+ region on Liz Earle products (as incredible as they look), then I'd say this is a good shout. It has cleared my skin up nicely, along with my Simple moisturiser (which I have to say works WONDERS). 

WOULD I BUY THIS AGAIN? YES

Simple Makeup Remover // £3.80
I bought this on a bit of a whim, and I have to say, I'm not overwhelmed by it. Yes, it did the job; I removed all of my makeup using this nice and quickly. Despite the title of this actually being an 'eye make-up remover', this works perfectly well over the face as well. I don't think it was exceptional though, and for paying almost £4, you only get a tiny amount. If you're somebody that wears makeup every day/most days, you will make your way through this small bottle quite quickly. Since I've finished this product, I've been using the GARNIER MICELLAR WATER to take off my makeup, which feels much better on the skin and will last much longer.

WOULD I BUY THIS AGAIN? NO

Body Shop Mango Shower Gel // £5
Okay, so I'm aware there is a huge blogger hype around the Body Shop products (especially the body wash) so I won't bang on about this too much. However, I have to say I literally adore this. You can tell that the Body Shop don't test on animals and use natural ingredients - the product feels luxurious, yet isn't hugely pricey. For £5, this is fairly cheap to purchase, yet will last you a good three months. When I was using this, I was receiving compliments most days about my scent, when in reality, it was the mango scent staying on my skin rather than a perfume! Would so, so recommend.

WOULD I BUY THIS AGAIN? YES

Herbal Essences Camomile Shampoo 400ml - £2 (on offer in Boots atm) - usually £3
I've been a huge fan of Herbal Essences hair products for as long as I can remember. They are slightly expensive, although most shampoos and conditioners are (compared to Pantene, it's quite cheap!) This smells soooo soothing in the shower, especially after a stressful day. It leaves your hair silky smooth, super shiny and lucious, and doesn't leave it sticky (I find I have to be careful with shampoos, as some of them do this to my hair). If you're looking for a drugstore brand, next time you pop into Boots, be sure to pick this up!

WOULD I BUY THIS AGAIN? YES

So, that's my ramble about my latest empties! Some were sucessful and I will definitely repurchase as soon as I get some money, whilst I think I'll be skipping on others. Let me know in the comments what you've been using recently, and whether you'll be repurchasing or not.

Katy x



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Sunday 5 March 2017

February Favourites




I've not done a favourites post for months, and they're one of the posts I enjoy writing the most, so let's jump in with beauty!

NYX Highlight & Contouor Pro Palette // £18 // Boots
For a drugstore contour palette, for some, this may been seen as a bit pricy nearing the £20, however, the value for money is insane. You get four different contour shades for different skin tones, along with different shades of concealar and highlight. I use the lovely shimmery highlight on the top left to highlight my cheekbones and nose, and the banana yellow powder next to it under my eyes. I also use the white shade as a transparent powder to set the conceler under my eyes and the darkest contour shade to fill my brows in.

I don't usually find contour shades do much for me at all (usually I either go a strange shade of orange or look as tanned as an ompa lumpa), but this is the perfect in between; the shades show up and chisel my chubby pale face, but without being too OTT. Love itttt.

NYX Liquid Suede Lip in 'Soft Spoken' // £6.50 // Boots
As you can tell, I got a little excited around the NYX counter in the Brighton Boots in my February half term! I do have far too many nude lipsticks already, but I was looking for another liquid lipstick in particular - the only other one I own is the 'Revlon Ultra Matte Lip' (which if you know this blog, you'll know I'm obsessed with), but I wanted something a little darker and brown toned. I did have a bit of a shock, as this does actually plump your lips out quite a bit, which I wasn't expecting. It emphasises my cupids bow really nicely, and is a nice shade. I do find it slightly drying, but the wearability in incredible - I just put lipbalm on all the time the day before and after wearing it.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette // £39 // Debenhams 
My lovely Mum bought me this palette for my birthday at the end of January, so during February I have experimented with it quite a bit and adore it. My favourite look to do with it is using a combination of the burgandy shades on the eye, then using a shimmery highlight in the middle of the eye and blending it out.

Literally everyone has this palette, so I won't bang on about it too much, but the pigmentation, shades, wearability and everythinggg is incredible.Worth an investment 100%!

All The Bright Places - Jennifer Niven  // £5.99 // Waterstones
There's not a large amoun that I can say about this book without giving anything away. but all I can say is the emotional rollarcoaster that I went through whilst reading this was so mad.... let's just say it broke me! Niven writes in an intelligent way, and it is such a fascinating read, especially if you're interested in plots with mental health at the core. Despite all of that, I would read it again - it is incredible.

Pink Suedette Trainers // New Look // £19.99
I've recently developed an obsession with trainers - they are all I seem to wear! Stylish, yet comfortable seems to be my motto now, so I am accumilating quite a collection of trainers. I own a pair of Adidas Gazelles in mint (I spoke about them in my August Favourites Post Here), but I wanted another pastel pair. These are a great and cheap alternative - I've dug them out to co-ord with slightly more spring-like outfits, and I am in love. I've received so many compliments on them, they go with pretty much everything, are super comfy and look so cute.

So, that's what I've been loving this month!

Let me know your favourites in the comments below  :)

Katy x
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Saturday 18 February 2017

LIFE: Helix Piercing Experience!!



So, this is a bit of an unusual post, but I thought I'd tell you all about my new cartilage piercing. It is a life update I guess, and something I'd like to talk more about, as a lot of information on the internet I read beforehand was not particularly accurate. I know this is quite a common piercing to get and a lot of people are quite nervous about the pain and experience, etc, so hopefully this'll help :)

Preparation: Okay, so if you want any sort of piercing, you should give it a lot of thought beforehand. This is not the piecing to go and get spontaneously with your friends one day whilst you're out - you need to really decide if you are committed to it. I'd recommend buying a fake nose/ear ring - websites such as Asos do these for around £5, allowing you to decide whether it's something you'd like permanently.

The procedure itself: I had decided previously I was going to get it done on a day whilst shopping with my friend, so that I wouldn't think about the pain for the rest of the afternoon and also had some moral support, without being pressurised into doing it. I went straight into the piercers and requested my cartilage to be done, indicating where exactly on my ear by marking it with a pen. Just a heads up: you will need some form of official ID - this varies in different places, but I find a passport is a good one to bring.

I was incredibly nervous; my pain tolerance is super low, but I'd wanted this piercing for a good couple of years on and off (I kept wimping out because of the idea of the pain), and the guy that pierced me was lovely, putting me at ease and talking to me throughout the process.

He cleaned the ear, marked it up again to check and then started to push the needle in. I would say the majority of the procedure was not bad painwise; more a burning, unpleasant sensation than sheer pain. The last part, however, was so bad; I don't know whether this is my bad pain tolerance, I was expecting it to be bad or just as it is a sensitive part of the ear. Regardless, it was over really quickly, literally about 5 minutes max start to finish,

Beforehand, I had read that the pain was between a 2-4 on a pain scale of 10 (with 10 being excruciating pain) - this was completely wrong in my experience, but I think it is different for everyone. Don't let the pain put you off though.

Immediately After: understandably, my ear was not too keen about having a random metal object shoved through it with a needle and was protesting a lot; the whole of my ear burnt up for about 2 hours afterwards, and the pain was awful. However, by the time I'd got the train home and squirted the saline solution on, it had massively settled down to a gentle throb.

Aftercare Advice: the main reasons piercings get rejected is due to bumping them, sleeping on them and infections. These are all really unlikely to happen (do not let the internet pages terrify you stiff, as they did with me), as long as you are incredibly careful.

The saline solution I am using I bought from the piercers straight after the piercing was done, so I could go home and I knew I could just spray it directly on in the evening. You can make your own salt solution, but I think personally, this solution is incredible. My piercing was done on Monday (5 days ago), and so far, I've barely had much trouble with it. I couldn't rave about the solution enough!

Good precautions to take: it seems a bit drastic, but I've changed a lot since I've had this piercing done, and so far, it is healing well (although general healing time is at least 3-6 months).

  • Sleep with your hair up, on the opposite side of the piercing.
  • If you wear glasses and have horrific eyesight (such as myself), put your glasses on very slowly in front of a mirror - I find lifting them up, along then down a good technique. Be careful nudging them up your nose as well if they slip down - you could knock the piercing.
  • Sleep on the other - do not sleep on it. You shouldn't feel a need to sleep on, due to the intermittent pain and throbbing ear, but it's not the best idea! I toss and turn a lot, and have found a good trick to be putting a pillow or small cushion underneath my ribs on the other side, so you are not only propped up, but not as tempted to roll over.
  • Douse your ear in saline solution/wash it twice a day - many people become super lazy with the cleaning routine early on and consequentially get issues with their ear. Not only does it deal with the pain well, but obviously helps your ear heal. 
  • When you wash your hear, rest it on the opposite side of your piercing and massage gently, so as little shampoo goes onto the piercing as possible. If it does, just wash it off and put saline on it afterwards.
  • Do NOT touch it - sounds obvious, but it can be easy to subconsciously go to scratch your ear when it's itchy and healing. You'll regret it and possibly get germs in the ear itself - not good.
  • Be careful putting on tops - avoid any hoodies, rollnecks or anything tight around your neck for a while.
At the moment, it is early days - I've only had my piercing for less than a week, so I can't say much about the healing process. All I do know is that it is common for it to be red, sore, itchy and swell. Just bare in mind it'll all be worth it in the end and I adore my piercing so much!! Between 9-7 at the moment, mine does not hurt at all and then just throbs and goes a bit red in the evening:)

Lots of people were shocked it cost £30 - personally, I'd rather go somewhere expensive, hygienic and friendly than a little shop without the right jewrelly and equipment, etc - this is such a good place to go. 

Where I got my piercing done - Guru Website and Facebook Page
Saline Solution I use - Amazon.

Katy x



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Saturday 14 January 2017

Chatty 2017 Goals


I'm aware that we are a couple of weeks into 2017, so this is a little bit late, but I really wanted to post a New Years Goals post - not only so you can enjoy reading it and get inspired, but I can look back on it if I need reminding or motivation! I've called it 'goals' rather than 'resolutions', as I feel like goals are easier to stick to and sound a bit more positive than resolutions do. Let's go!

Blogging - this is sort of self-explanatory, but I want to blog more reguarly. It's not like I'm unorganised and don't plan my posts - I honestly do - but I just find myself with little time after all my college work is done. The winter lighting is also quite difficult. I'm determined this year to improve my content and to blog more often.

I've also set myself a goal of reaching at least 300 Bloglovin' followers. I know that followers aren't the most important part of blogging, but I'd just like to see my number steadily increasing. I've been reaching around 150-200 views per post recently, which is a lot for me! (If you want to follow, click the + button on the right hand side to go to my Bloglovin' page - thank you.)

Happiness/Self-Love - the last few months, I have been a lot happier overall, and I'd really like this to continue. I am really going to focus on my positivity this year and try to make people around me happier. It's so cliche, but your happiness is the most important thing - anything could happen, so you need to make the most of every moment. I'm thinking of doing a full blog post on this soon - let me know below if this is something you would be interested in reading.

Learning To Love My Body - you may have noticed on my Instagram (if you don't follow it, the pictures are displayed at the top of my blog) that I have been posting more 'full body' pictures . It's been really nice to finally start feeling happier with my body and embracing my curves, which I used to hate. I'd really like to be able to say by the end of 2017 that I love my body and not be afraid to look in the mirror, or only see my flaws.

Getting Good Grades/Getting Into University - this was one of my goals last year, and I managed to get BBB at AS Level, which I was really pleased with! Unfortunately, due to the A-Level structure changing, these don't count towards my final A2 Qualifications. I need 3 B's to get into university to do a primary education teaching degree, and pass a few entry tests. I really want to get onto this course and kick-start my career, so this is my academic goal.

So, there we have it! 4 fairly simple, personal and academic goals! Let me know in the comments what your goals are for this year :)

Katy x

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Tuesday 3 January 2017

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes





I did a blog post on my fairy cakes (read it here if you haven't already) and many of you seemed to really enjoy it, so I thought I'd do a second installment. Today, I'm going to be sharing with you a trusty recipe that I've used for months. It never fails to produce incredible cupcakes either.

This is also a super simple recipe, so even if you consider yourself to be 'bad' at baking, you shouldn't be able to mess this one up!

The ingredients you will need are: 

  • 225g/8oz of plain, unsalted butter 
  • 225g/8oz of caster sugar
  • 225g/8oz of self-raising flour
  • 4 free range eggs
  • Just under one teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • Two chocolate bar blocks to break up into the mixture
Weigh out the amounts for the sugar and butter, pouring them both into a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, Kitchen Aid or just a wooden spoon (if you have the effort), cream these together. Once you have done this, alternate between adding an egg, then some of the flour mixture and so on. 

Now the fun bit - break the chocolate squares up into 2 bits each (split them in half) and add them to the mixture. I like to do this gradually - add, mix, and so on - just to I can see how the mixture is absorbing the chocolate and if there is too much/too little. 

Pop them into the oven for around 10-15 minutes on gas mark 5 or 190 degrees Fahrenheit, but keep an eye on them.

Icing Stage
Break up two blocks of chocolate. After putting them in a bowl, put the microwave onto the 'medium' heat setting and leave for between 30 seconds - one minute. Stir in any remaining chunks and carefully apply to the tops of the cakes, putting on decorations straight after (the mixture dries extremely quickly). 

Let me know if you try this recipe below, or just your general thoughts.

Mixer used (highly recommend): available on Amazon 


Katy x
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