Girl Online review

'Girl Online' - Zoe Sugg

As a huge Zoella fan, I had to put her new novel 'Girl Online' onto my Christmas list. Due to the fact I write a blog myself, I was really interested in reading this as (hence the name) it's about a girl named Penny who writes an anonymous blog. The story itself really reminded me of something along the lines of 'Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging' which is a stereotypical teenage girl book/film - like the Bridget Jones of today's youth! It's a classic portrayal of a teenage girls life: crushes on boys, stressful school, falling in love, embarrassing moments, confidence issues and bitchy friends. The book is charming, sweet, funny and a pleasure to read. I'm usually a massive fan of sad, tragic, epic love stories but it's refreshing to settle down and relax with a cup of tea and a book that is as light hearted as this. Zoe should be really proud of herself as she has done a wonderful job with her first novel and I'm definitely looking forward to reading any more of her future works!

Casual & Evening Inspo

Since downloading Polyvore I have become obsessed with creating outfit ideas and inspirations! I love how there is so much choice and variety; I can create outfits with high street clothes I already own and designer items which I hope to one day own! For someone like me who loves outfit planning, this is a great easy website/app to use!

The first outfit I decided to plan was a casual daytime outfit. I absolutely love denim shirts, they're so timelessly classic, effortlessly cool and also perfect for layering! Personally, I think everyone (female or male) needs a great denim shirt in their wardrobe as it's a staple basic! They look great paired with a pair of jeans, leather boots and a trusty shopper bag. During the day it's essential for you to feel comfortable in what you're wearing and this outfit definitely caters for that need! Make-up wise, I feel like you can never go wrong with a nude lip during the day for a natural perfected look!

~ Miss Selfridge Molly Faux Leather Biker Jacket £49 

~ Office Maxine Chelsea Boots £60 

~ Zara Reversible Contrast Shopper £33

~ New Look Blue Denim Long Sleeve Shirt £18 

~ Topshop Black Ripped Joni Jeans £38 

~ Nars Dolce Vita Sheer Lipstick £19.50

~ Hugo Boss Boss Nuit Pour Femme £50 

~ Fossil Virginia Silver Dial Stainless Steel Ladies Watch £85 

After doing a daytime outfit, I definitely had to plan an evening outfit too! I think coated jeans are perfect to glam up an evening outfit if you're not feeling like wearing a dress or a skirt. They are also a great alternative to leather trousers/leggings if you aren't feeling brave enough to wear these! When it comes to evening outfits, monochrome looks work so well - they are simple yet sexy! I adore snake print and I get a lot of wear out of my snake print court heels but I love the feminity of these strappy sandal heels! When it comes to accessorising, you can't go wrong with a simple black clutch and quirky pearl earrings which look amazing paired with a bold red lip. 

~ Topshop Deco Lace Bralet £25

~ Topshop Black Coated Joni Jeans £40

~ Mango Double Pearl Earrings £6.99 

~ Fossil Virginia Silver Dial Stainless Steel Ladies Watch £85

~ Nars Semi Matte Lipstick in Shanghai Express £19.50 

~ Urban Decay Perversion Mascara £17

~ Whistles Small Clutch £40 

~ Topshop Ruby Snake Effect High Heel Sandals £46 

Check out Polyvore today!!  http://www.polyvore.com

Katie x 

Glossybox review

My first ever Glossybox finally arrived!! 😁

For months, I have heard so much about Glossybox from friends and family to YouTubers and bloggers that I am fans off! As it's the start of a new year, I decided to subscribe to it and give it a go! For all of you who don't know, Glossybox is a beauty website you subscribe to and as a result each month you get sent a beauty box. There are different set payment plans you can choose but I chose to pay monthly (£10 per month) as it means I can cancel my subscription at any time. Each month in your Glossybox you receive 5 products which can either be make-up, skin care or hair care. What I love about this is the variety that you get sent! The products vary from niche, up and coming brands to drug store and high end. This means you will get the opportunity to try brands you'd never thought you'd try/maybe never even heard of! When signing up on the Glossybox website, you fill out a little profile about yourself about your skin type, hair type, make-up preferences etc and this information is used to help cater your box to your specific beauty needs.

In January's Glossybox, the 5 full size products I received were: 

~ MeMeMe Eye Liner Pencil in Clay £4

~ Nicka K New York Colorluxe Powder Blush €8.95

~ Jelly Pong Pong All Over Glow Illuminating Gel £10

~ Kueshi Natural & Pleasant Cosmetics Revitalising Face Toner €10.70

~ Naked Lips Organic Lip Balm Superfruits €5 

I also received 2 free gifts which were: 

~ Simple Kind 2 Skin Illuminating Radiance Cream 

~ Nails Inc Nail Polish in Bruten Street 

MeMeMe Eye Liner Pencil in Clay 

I literally had just ran out of kohl liner so this was a god send. During the day, I love wearing brown eye liner on my waterline to add some definition. The colour of this eye liner is a lovely dark brown which is really pigmented. The liner itself is really soft and creamy which means it is easy to apply to the lower lash line as well which is something I like to do when creating a subtle smokey eye. 

Nicka K New York Colorluxe Powder Blush 

The application of this blush is really interesting. The sponge is connected to the powder so when you press down on the sponge, the powder comes out. An appropriate amount comes out with each press but I feel like it does need blending in properly with a blush brush. I'm not really 100% sure with how I feel about this kind of application. The blush itself is a gorgeous deep pink and is very complimentary for your skin during the summertime. 

Jelly Pong Pong All Over Glow Illuminating Gel

I found the consistency of this gel really light which made it easy to apply and didn't feel like it clogged up my skin. It's a beautiful golden bronze which catches the light and has a natural glow to it. This product is oil-free which is amazing for someone like me who suffers from oily skin. I'd definitely take a look at more products by Jelly Pong Pong. 

Kueshi Natural & Pleasant Cosmetics Revitalising Face Toner

After cleansing my face in the evening/washing in the morning, I've been applying this toner to my face. It makes my skin feel extra clean, really soft and firm like I have a completely fresh face. This product contains natural products so is great to use on sensitive and spot prone skin. It helps to control the oily areas of your skin yet hydrates the dry patches which is perfect. I also love the fact that the liquid is pink, so pretty and girly. 

Naked Lips Organic Lip Balm Superfruits

I am a lip product junkie so this is right up my street! This balm is super moisturising and really nourishing. This product is 97% organic and 100% natural so is really kind to your skin. It's great for on the go use and is handbag friendly! The 'Superfruits' which create its flavour are blueberries, acai, goji, baobab and pomegranate so it smells good enough to eat! 

Simple Kind 2 Skin Illuminating Radiance Cream 

I use this cream in the morning and it leaves my skin feeling so smooth and soft! It adds such a lovely glow to your face which is perfect as that is what my winter skin seems to be lacking. 

Nails Inc Nail Polish in Bruten Street 

I love this nail polish, I'm a big fan of Nails Inc so I knew it wouldn't disappoint! The polish is really opaque so only requires two coats. Its a highly pigmented dusky pink colour which is gorgeous for the winter to spring transition. 

I absolutely love my Glossybox! Let me know your opinions of it! 

Katie x

If I Stay/Where She Went book review

For a while now I've been meaning to do a little review on two books that I have recently thoroughly enjoyed. A few months ago the film 'If I Stay' starring the gorgeous Chloe Moretz was released in cinemas and I was dying to see it! Unfortunately I never got round to seeing it but i noticed that the film was adapted from the book of the same name so decided to purchase it! 

'If I Stay' - Gayle Forman 

'If I Stay' written by Gayle Forman is a book with a storyline based closely around true real life events. I don't want to reveal too much about the storyline but it's about a teenage girl called Mia whose life completely changes after herself and her family are involved in a fatal, tragic accident. It's a very heartbreaking story that is a real eye opener. It helps you to realise how short life really is and how important it is to appreciate your loved ones endlessly every single day. It shows how delicate life is and how things can change so much within the blink of an eye. 

'Where She Went' - Gayle Forman

'Where She Went' is the sequel to 'If I Stay' which shows Mia's boyfriend Adam's experience with Mia's tragic family accident. This book really emphasises how powerful and strong a true first love can be. It also highlights the fact that serious events in life unfortunately have a knock-on effect. They impact on not only the lives of everybody involved but also the family, partners and friends of the victim. It makes you grateful that you have not experienced anything like that but let's you know that if, God forbids, any thing like that occurs in your life then you're not alone.

Both books are beautifully written and extremely captivating. I would highly recommend these to anyone who loves a read which really tugs at your heart strings and gets you thinking. 

Make-up wish list

Pay day is almost here which I'm super excited for! I worked a lot over the Christmas holiday period so I am looking forward to treating myself with my wages! There's a lot of new make-up bits and bobs that I'm dying to try so I thought I'd share my make-up wish list with you! 

I've heard such great reviews about all of these products so I thought it was time for me to experiment and try a few new things. Trying out new make-up is always a fun process! 

~ Estée Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover foundation 

~ Mac Paint Pot in Vintage Selection & Frozen Violet 

~ Too Faced Chocolate Bar eye shadow palette 

~ Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters in Cotton Candy & Pink Truffle

~ Urban Decay Naked lipglosses in Liar & Walk Of Shame 

~ Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Soft Brown 

~ Smashbox Cream Eyeliner in Caviar 

~ Real Techniques Bold Metals Collections Arched Powder Brush 

Have you tried any of these products? 

I know this was short and sweet post but things are a bit quiet at the moment! Earlier this week I subscribed to Glossybox and I'm very excited to receive my first box! When I receive it I shall do a review and tell you about Glossybox if you don't already know what it is 😊 

Have a good day, 

Katie x

OOTN - Dinner & Drinks

Last night I went for dinner and drinks for a friends birthday so I thought I'd share with you the outfit I decided to wear. At the moment, I love wearing simple casual outfits with eye catching accessories and small delicate details. 

This scalloped hem top is a gorgeous twist on a basic tshirt. The colour is perfect for this time of year and I love how the dainty hemline contrasts with the leather skirt. Leather skirts are timeless! I feel it's essential for every girl to have a well fitting leather skirt hanging in their wardrobe as it's the easiest way to add a bit of edge to an otherwise plain outfit! This Missguided skirt has the perfect amount of 'give' to it which makes it comfortable for day-to-day wear (even after scoffing down a meal) yet still is very flattering of your figure. 

The necklace I'm wearing is from Claire's Accessories, it was a bargain and I think it's such a stunning piece. I love wearing pearls as they're so pretty but this necklace gives a twist on a classic pearl necklace which I think helps to add a bit of glamour to any outfit! Originally I was going to wear some black loafers with this outfit to give it a more 'preppy' look but I decided to pair it with my trusty black leather heeled boots instead as I realised I didn't want to look too casual! Lastly, I thought I'd add in that tonight I am christening my new bag! I spotted this Love Moschino beauty on the House of Fraser website during the January sales and I instantly fell in love! I adore quilted chain bags; very Chanel-esque! The quality and detailing is amazing and it's a great size, enough to fit everything in from day to night! It was definitely a bit of a splurge item for me but I couldn't say no!! Moschino is a beautiful label! 

Top - New Look 

Skirt - Missguided 

Bag - Love Moschino 

Necklace - Claire's Accessories 

Watch - Fossil 

Rings - Pandora/Chapelle 

Enjoy your weekend!! 

Katie x 

First haul of 2015

Happy New Year everyone!! Originally, my first post of the year was going to be about my favourite beauty buys of 2014 although I decided against this as all the products I chose have been mentioned in previous posts and I didn't want to sound repetitive! Instead, I'm going to be doing my first mini haul of 2015. The products and items in this are a combination of Christmas gifts that I've only just started making use of and ones that I've picked up during the first week of January! I mainly have make-up to talk about but there's also clothing, shoes and jewellery!

I don't do much with my eyebrows but I really wanted to experiment with some brow products. I wasn't sure how I'd get along with using powders or waxes for my eyebrows so I wanted to purchase something slightly cheap before I ventured out to something more high end. I decided to try the Sleek Brow Kit in Dark (top left). It consists of a dark brown wax, a lighter brown powder, 2 brushes and a small pair of tweezers. The wax and powder are highly pigmented and very easy to apply! The size and the brushes make it travel friendly and perfect for your handbag! It's a great starter product for someone who's new to experimenting with make-up. 

Before Christmas I brought the Sleek Contouring Palette in Light and absolutely fell in love with it so as a stocking filler, my mum brought me the Sleek Highlighting Palette in Precious Metals (top middle). Within the palette there are three shades with a creamy consistency (Platinum, Royal Gold and Renaissance Gold) and a powder shade (Antique Bronze). All the shades leave a healthy glow on your skin which is long lasting throughout the day! Highlighting is my new favourite thing to do!! 

A girl can not have too many mascaras so I was thrilled to unwrap Urban Decay Subversion Lash Primer and Perversion Mascara (top right) on Christmas Day! I have used it every single day and will definitely be repurchasing the full size primer! It's such an amazing duo which definitely elongates your lashes to the max and really does open up your eyes. Perfect for day or night!

Every girl has to find her perfect nude lipstick, I thought I had found mine in the likes of Mac's Taupe which I adore but recently I've found it a bit too dark for me! I've heard so much about Mac's Velvet Teddy (bottom left), apparently it's the lipstick that Kylie Jenner uses for her classic big pouty nude lip!! When I went into House of Fraser and swatched it, I knew straightaway that this was going to be my Winter nude and that it was going to stay in my make-up collection a very long time! It is sooo perfect for an everyday nude and the matte finish is flawless. 

I never used to be a fan of lip liners but seeing as I wear lipstick near enough every day, I thought I'd get back into them. I decided to go for some drugstore lip liners which were retailed at £5 each which I thought was an absolute bargain! I purchased Sleek Eau Lala Liner in Venom & Raisin (bottom middle) and Gosh Velvet Touch Lip Liner in Cardinal Red & Simply Red (bottom right). Both brands have created a lip liner which is waterproof, smudgeproof and long lasting. Their creamy texture makes them easy to apply as they glide straight on! Venom and Cardinal Red are great for dark reds, Simply Red matches any bright red/orange toned red and Raisin perfectly compliments purple lipsticks! 

One of my favourite outfits this time of year is a big oversized shirt, jeans and comfy boots! I have been looking for the perfect checked and striped shirt for a long time so I was so excited when I found these! I've been eyeing up a pale blue and white striped shirt on the Topshop website for quite some now but I'm so glad I was hesitant on buying it because it means I wouldn't have snapped up this bargain! For Christmas I received a £20 New Look voucher and I had no idea what to buy with it until I saw this shirt (top left) which was only £17.99! The quality is great - it's such a soft shirt and perfectly lose fitting! If all of New Looks shirts are this gorgeous and cheap then I'll definitely be buying more! The checked shirt (top right) will probably be my favourite purchase of the year because I can't stop wearing it! It was a January sales bargain (£65 down to £32) from Massimo Dutti which I think is one of the most beautiful, timeless, classic clothing brands out there! Their products are so well made and always on trend! Since I purchased this, I've picked up a few more things in their sale and I'm still tempted to have another little look online! 

Throughout the year I get so much wear out of loafers out of my beige and brown loafers so it was natural for me to add a black pair to my collection for the Winter months (bottom left)! I love the loafers from Office as they're good quality, long lasting and a very affordable price! They are definitely a shoe that belongs in everyone's wardrobe - male or female! 

Because I work at Claire's Accessories, I have to wear their jewellery during my shifts to 'showcase' it. I also get 50% off as well so any jewellery I do buy for outside of work tends to end up being from there too! I love the pearl trend at the moment and all of my earrings seem to express this! When browsing online on Asos I found these earrings (bottom right) in the sale for £3 and I knew I had to have them in my life! They're the perfect edgy spin-off of a classic pearl earring which can add some gorgeous detail to a otherwise plain outfit! 

What have you been loving so far this year? 

Katie x