Topshop spree

As promised, here are my shopping finds from this week! Be prepared for lots and lots of pictures.

So, let's start off with makeup! I bought this beautiful grey nail varnish in the colour Hopscotch. It applies really thinly and takes AGES to dry. But I really like the colour so I don't mind. Excuse my trampy nails - this is after two days of printing and stressful nail-biting! This was £5.

Next I got a cream blush in Nutmeg for £6. I have wanted a cream blush for a while. I was going to get a MAC one, but I saved £10 by getting this one and I really like it! I didn't like the look of the packaging on the website but I actually quite like it in real life. Nice and matt.

Next, two crop tops! This one is very summery and light. Quite good if you want a bit of decency at the beach but still want to get a tan! This was £12. Stripey top number nine!

This pink one is £15 and I really like the shape of it. It's a little longer than the purple and white one but still shows a bit of tummy (unless it's worn with something high-waisted like I did today). It's not a colour I would usually go for but I really like it!

This is what I wore to college today (last day!)

My mum bought me these shorts from Zara at the weekend. I couldn't decide between the tan ones or these ones. I liked the tan ones but they were a bit big in XS, and yet the navy ones are a little small in the same size?! So I think I need to go back and try some more on. Irregular high street sizes send me crazy sometimes! I love the shorts though.

I took the photos in the window because I couldn't get enough light on my walls (it was 6:30pm). But I wanted to show you what a beautiful day it is today!) This is my view from one of my back windows. I love this hot weather!

And speaking of hot weather, I bought this picnic hamper from a charity shop today for £10 for my exhibition. I have printed a hammock, garden cushions and a picnic set to go with it. I want to line this hamper to go in my exhibition. I'm not sure how to go about lining the part with the straps though!

I still have to do loads of work - catching up with my sketchbook, putting together my hammock and cushions, lining the hamper and photographing it all! PHEW. But I don't have to go into college at all for a week so I'll have more time to blog as well! :)

xxxx

p.s. I am thinking of this amazing woman as she undergoes her operation. Maybe you could spare a thought or a little prayer.

3 super duper girly things to look forward to

1. This week ~ I am having a girly night in with a friend. With chick flicks, pyjamas, popcorn and duvets!

2. 5th May ~ Topshop makeup line is released! I think I'm going to wait and see what their nail colours are like before I order these

3. 28th May ~ Five words: Sex and the City 2.
Ahh I am so excited! My sister, my friend and I have already planned to go and see it together. Who is your favourite Sex and the City character? I love Charlotte, she is so cute and I agree with so many things she says!

xx

Pastel nails

This summer I want my nails to always be colourful

Pastel pinks and blues, warm greys or sugary peach

*

I've got my eye on Models Own nail varnish

£5 each, or 3 for £12
I'm going to order some soon... maybe 3. But I can't decide which ones to order
There are so many pretty ones!

Buff pink?

Grey day?

Lilac dream?

Utopia?

Or fuzzy peach?

Nude beige?

Which is your favourite?
I'm liking grey day.. but I can't decide on the rest!
xxx

*

Click the stars under the pictures for the sources

Spring Shopping

Clockwise from left - floral dress: Urban Outfitters £45, bikini: Topshop £25, Mineralize skinfinish/ natual powder: MAC £18, You Rebel Lite: Benefit £21.50, Moon Beam: Benefit £17.50, Bandeau playsuit: Topshop £25

I've been babysitting four times this week! Which means I now have some money to spend on some new spring-like things :)

I haven't bought any good quality makeup in a while and need an update! I like Benefit and Mac makeup a lot. I used to have You Rebel Lite and it worked really well for my dry skin. I always steal my sister's Moon Beam so I think I'll finally pick up some of that for myself!

For a bit of clothes shopping, I love the Urban Outfitters floral dress as a pretty but easy to wear spring/ summer dress. I love the simple, casual shape. And although I might feel a bit self-concious wearing a bright orange bikini, I feel like something different this year to wear on the beach so I think I need to nip to Topshop to try it on!

xxxxxx

Nude colours

I love these colours at the moment. They are in make up and in clothes. Creams, greys, pale pinks, beige, ivory, mushroom...
They can be seen on the catwalk:

It's all about texture and silouette. Try chiffon, ruffles, lace...

Vogue says, "As a broad rule, the choice of which neutral to wear is in inverse proportion to your skin tone; paler skins suit darker neutrals in cinnamon and coffee, while darker complexions can wear more buttery colours. Layer up pieces in the same hue or wear a few different tones"

I have also seen a lot of inspiring magazine shoots lately. Here are a few photos I took of them:

How to...
Here are a few pieces to help you achieve this look:

I LOVE this lacey cream dress (£62) from Jovonna London. It is so gorgeous and wearable. It would look great with bare legs or sheer pale tights, teamed with these ballet pumps (£70) from French Sole.

This dress, now only £28 from Asos, would look equally gorgeous worn in a similar way


And if you're worried about wearing all light colours, try just wearing smaller items like these white lacey leggings, £18 from Topshop. They would look lovely under a long top, skirt or dress.

And to throw over these pretty dresses, this blazer, £62 from Asos again


And don't just stick to clothes, bring nudes into your makeup too. Nude coloured lips are so in at the moment.

MAC lipstick in Myth (£11.26) is perfect:

To get this look right, it's all about creating perfect, flawless skin. Use foundation on the skin, then sweep some face powder across to set it. Finish your skin by brushing on some pinky blusher. I use MAC powder blusher in Dame (£14.68). It is very pink and gives a nice glow and slight shimmer.

Next line your lips, then apply the light lipstick. If you want to save money, try brushing your lips with your concealer instead, then dabbing some lipgloss on top. Finish your look with only a couple of brushes of mascara on your lashes. If you like to add more to your eyes, use Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes. It gives you a step-by-step guide to creating the perfect eyes, and includes an under eye concealer as well as a pinky colour, a mid brown and a darker liner brown.

I hope you enjoyed this post! I will be posting a lot more from June onwards, as that's when exams finish for good, but until then I will do my best.

Polly R x

Our Top Ten Beauty Buys

As well as being rather addicted to fashion, we rather like making ourselves look beautiful through make-up and beauty products too!
We thought we'd share our top five beauty products each. We have all of these products ourselves and so they are all tried and tested AND all under £25!

Polly AB's Top Five:

1. Shu Uemera Eyelash Curlers (Space NK, £17.62)
I don't know about you, but if, like me, you've tried any cheap eyelash curlers, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about. In the past, I found that my cheap ones from Superdrug seemed to pinch my skin and pull out my eyelashes more than curl them! When it comes to eyelash curlers, the Shu Uemura brand is considered the crème de la crème of eyelash curlers. And, my god, do they work! After using them for only 10 seconds on each eye, the lashes look as if you've got mascara on. They curl and lengthen even the shortest and straighest of eyelashes. They are not cheap, but they are REALLY REALLY worth it.

2. Mat Lumière SPF15 (Chanel, £25)

This silky fluid foundation leaves your skin looking radiant and matte, for total base coverage. As a teenager, I have fairly oily skin, and foundation that made my skin look matte was really important. It makes your skin look and feel really radiant and comfortable, all day. If you then apply your blusher or bronzer over the top, your skin will look flawless and beautifully fresh. You can also mix the foundation with some of your favourite moisturiser for a homemade tinted moisturiser.

3. Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Pink Champagne (Boots, £4.20)
Pale pink lipstick is a great alternative to bright red. I often find my make-up looking a little too heavy if I use bright red, so I stick to my trusty Pink Champagne lipstick by Rimmel. The colour is just gorgeous, and it looks even better with a summer tan. The colour is enriched with 50% more 'long-wear colour-boost' pigments, meaning the creamy formula will stay put for up to eight hours. And at under £5, it's a bargain lipstick!

4. Erase Paste (Benefit, £18.50)
I had tried so many shades of concealer that were all so wrong for me before I discovered Benefit's Erase Paste. Dubbed as brightening camouflage for the eyes and face, it is an ingenious concealer that targets dark or uneven bits on the skin to leave you looking fresh-faced. It comes with a little leaflet that tells you how to apply the paste depending on whether you want it to conceal bags under your eyes, spots or whatever else! The paste comes in three different colours so, whatever your skin tone, you have no excuse for those dark circles to remain untreated.

5. Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in Espresso (Bobbi Brown, £13.70)

Bobbi Brown's eyeshadows are just to die for. Their silky, matte formula glides on smoothly and blends easily. I really love this dark grey/brown shade to create a smoky eye for a night out. If you blend the eyeshadow on your eyelid and then use black eyeliner to draw a line along your lash line, it really does create a gorgeous smoky eye.

Hope you have enjoyed! I will now hand you over to Polly R!

Polly R's Top Five:

1. No7 Instant Radiance Concealer (Boots, £12.50)
It took me a while to find a concealer that suited my skin tone and that was the right texture for me, but I think that this concealer is my most staple piece of makeup. I hate having bare skin as I feel really self-conscious, but this just improves everything! It has ‘light-reflecting particles’ and it really brightens up your under-eyes. It is also good for concealing blemishes and redness. There are two shades but I think shade II works best for most people (including me) as the other one is too pink.

2. Lustre Lipstick in Plink! (M.A.C, £11.26)
My sister bought me this for Christmas as I’d asked for a nudey pink coloured lipstick, and this is perfect. It is a gorgeous shell pink colour that can be worn during the day or at night, and nude coloured lips are in right now, and are perfect for spring! It is really shimmery but not too glossy, and as MAC describes it as "Colour plus texture for the lips". For a well-known and good-quality brand, I think that it is quite a good price too. I think that it would suit most people too, expecially those with fair complexions like me. I am also a little obsessed with the gorgeous lipstick tube, which is so smooth and round and satisfying!





3. Coralista (Benefit, £22.50)
I got this for my birthday a couple of weeks ago and I love it! It looks really bright and orange in the box, but it’s fine on the skin. I think it’s great for Spring/ Summer as it looks really glowing and gives your skin a bright and healthy look. It has a shimmer to it which I really like. I wear it on the apples of my cheeks then brush it across towards my hairline.



4. You Rebel (Benefit, £19.50)
I like this because it is in between a foundation and a moisturiser, so it is better for your skin to wear on a normal daily basis. It also gives you SPF 15 protection against the sun, and soft skin. I use You Rebel Lite because I am super pale. This would also be good in the summer as it would prevent your skin drying, getting burnt and also give you a clear complexion :)

5. Bourjois So Laque Nail Enamel (Boots, £4.88)
This is a great price for this product. I have been looking for this colour since last summer. It is a gorgeous pinky, nudey brown which is perfect for wearing everyday and will suit anyone. It is a strong colour, so I only needed one coat, and I found it dried really quickly too. It also lasted a suprisingly long time too - so I really recommend it!

We hope you have enjoyed reading our reviews on these products and perhaps you will go out and buy some!

Polly and Polly xx