NYE 2012 outfit

I'm happy to say that for once I actually know already what I'm going to wear for NYE!! How did this happen? Well I realised the other day that the party dress I bought for our company Christmas trip to Ljubljana (yes really, more on that in a future post!) would be perrrfect for seeing in the New Year. 

Usually I'm not a fan of New Year's Eve...the options are usually limited to an overpriced club, overcrowded pub or trekking to a house party on the other side of London. This year my friend Danielle is hosting a small gathering where we'll be a short walk from Alexandra Palace and can watch the fireworks whilst sipping Prosecco (real classy!). 

Now on to the outfit...

Zadar, Croatia

Winter Coat dilemma

Winter came around rather quickly this year, didn't it? It hardly left me any time to find the perfect winter coat. After finally retiring my beloved red duffle coat which saw me through uni, I'm on the hunt for a classier cover-up. 

After having a browse through all the usual suspect's online stores, I have to admit that I've been disappointed with their offerings. Everything feels a little same-y; oversized men's style, contrast sleeves and THAT leather Zara coat. Don't get me wrong, each one can look great on the right person but not really what I'm looking for. 

Instead, I'm torn between two different coats- one with buttons and one without.

First up, this Military Pea Coat by ASOS:

These boots were made for walkin'

I know it's been a while- September was a hectic month! And there was me thinking that once uni had finished I would have more time to focus on blogging... 

This is a short n sweet post to share with you a cheeky purchase I just made. I have spent the last week searching for the perfect pair of ankle boots online and in stores. I had these brown ankle boots delivered from Deichmann's:

Primark Haul

Faux-silk vest £8, Primark

London Fields Brewery

Product Rave: Aussie 'Take The Heat' shampoo and conditioner

Hello everyone!

I wanted to dedicate this post to the Aussie 'Take The Heat' range. Since my hair ended up in a dire state after my summer holiday last year, I have been on a mission to get it back into good health. Before I begin raving about these products I should add as a sidenote that I have stopped using my hairdryer. Initially this wasn't by choice- my little travel hairdryer decided to pack in a few months ago. But what a blessing in disguise that was! Within a week I began to notice an improvement in my hair's condition and texture. Now I know you may be thinking *no sh*t sherlock!* but hair-drying can be addictive-especially as I had been doing so for years.

Now onto the products:

My life recently...

 

Wanderlust

As much as I love London when the sun shines, it leaves me craving a beach holiday. This year I will be waiting a little longer and wont be travelling until September. Although I have yet to book, I am intent on going to Croatia (luckily the bf is in agreement with me!). 

Croatia is often recommended as a cheaper- but just as stunning- alternative to Italy. It has yet to join the EU (although they are set to in January) so they still have their own currency and appears to be far less touristy than more popular destinations. Its not just a pretty face though- from what I've seen/heard, it has retained a lot of its rich history and culture. So plenty to explore!

Here are my favourite photos from the Lonely Planet Guide to Croatia:

Summer-ish Haul: Part One

I called this a 'summer-ish' haul because although these were bought for summer, the weather has not delivered! Luckily these pieces are versatile and can be dressed up, down and worn with other layers if the weather is a little chilly.

I apologise in advance for all the different backgrounds- I've been trying to photograph this little haul for weeks! Some of the photos were taken in my (old) room in Leeds and in London but they say variety is the spice of life ;-)

Cheap Date

I'm not ashamed to admit that one of my favourite things to do is to eat out. Whether it be with family, friends or the boyfriend; to me there is nothing better than enjoying delicious food with others. 

However this can become an expensive activity especially if alcohol is thrown into the mix. Which is why I rarely go to eat out unless I have found a voucher. According to a recent article in Glamour magazine, I'm not the only one! In this 'economic climate' or 'austere' times (gotta love media jargon) in which our wages no longer stretch to as much as they used to, people are no longer afraid to pull out a voucher at the end of the meal. These days in fact, its a lot more swish for those who have a smartphone- simply download the voucher to your phone and present it to the waiter who will write down the code.

So how to find these tasty deals? Well my first port of call is usually VoucherCodes, and more specifically, their restaurant section. 

(Image from Google Search)

Hello sunshine!

Day Trip to York

Just wanted to say....

Hello lovely readers, just wanted to say that I am so THRILLED with all the comments I receive and the people who have started following my blog- thank you very much! I am surprised that people actually like reading my waffle and I am sorry that I have been lacking in posts recently. Unfortunately this will continue till at least the 10th of May because I am drowning in final year deadlines. 
Here is the evidence:

Give yourself a pat on the back if you spotted the box of Cadbury's Chocolate Fingers buried beneath the papers....essays are not good for your figure! 

So new followers, please be patient and stick with my blog for a wee bit longer, I promise there will be more from me soon.

Lots of love,

Smaz

xxx 

Zara shoes of dreams!

Just a reeeeally short post to introduce you all to my new pair of shoes! I'm so taken with them that I thought they deserved their own post. I actually almost bought them in the haul from my last post but left them in the store. After I came home and consulted Katie (who then went ahead and bought them for herself!) I ordered them online and they arrived today. I love the colour, style and they're actually comfortable!
So without further ado.....

Spring fashion haul (H&M, Zara and Topshop)

SO, the loan finally came in which meant I could actually do some retail therapy (ya know, to get me through the last few weeks of uni!). There is SO much more I could of bought from all three of these shops but I narrowed it down to these pieces. You may notice a bit of a theme with the colours, ha!

Hope you like them, sorry I'm not brave enough to do an OOTD post...

H&M Dress £12.99 (not on website but fits like this) 

Products I'm currently using #1

I fully intended to get on with some uni work but found this post and couldn't resist posting one myself. Hopefully you're all as nosy as I am and find it interesting!

Shampoo: VO5 Give Me Moisture Shampoo
Conditioner: Organix Renewing Morrocan Argan Oil Conditioner
Hair Mask: Herbal Essences Ignite My Colour Deep Intensive Mask/ Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Mask 
Styling Products: Organix Coconut Milk Hair Serum, Batiste Blush Dry Shampoo, Olive Oil Heat Protection Serum
Shower Gel: Dove Green Tea & Cucumber Shower cream
Body Moisturiser: Soap & Glory The Righteous Body Butter/ Body Shop Brazil Nut Body Butter
Face Mask: Mudd Deep Cleansing Clay Mask
Moisturiser: Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream/ Superdrug Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream 
Cleanser: Clarins Daily Energizer Cleansing Gel
Foundation: Rimmel True Match Foundation in 001 Ivory
Powder:  Collection 2000 Sheer Loose Powder
Concealer: None
Blush: Body Shop Baked-To-Last Blush in 01 Petal
Bronzer: None
Highlighter: None
Eyeshadows: Maybelline 24hr Color Tatto in On & On Bronze/ L'Oreal Color Appeal Chrome Shine in 171 Dazzling Khaki
Eye Primer: MUA Professional Eye Primer
Eyeliner: Soap & Glory Smoulder Kohl
Mascara: Maybelline Colossal Cat Eyes Mascara/ Avon Great Lengths Mascara 
Lashes: None
Lipstick: None
Lipgloss: None but I constantly use Vaseline or whatever lip balm I can get my hands on- I'm addicted!
Perfume: None at the moment but my favourite scents are DKNY Be Delicious, Marc Jacobs Lola and Jimmy Choo. I also use Body Shop Vanilla Spray or the Boots Natural Collections Vanilla Spray for a budget buy!
Nail Colour: Last couple of days it's been Rimmel French Manicure in Cafe Au Lait

Hope you've enjoyed reading despite the lack of photos! Maybe it will be a regular monthly post? (Obv depending on how often I change my products!)

xx

Products I'm loving #2

Happy Easter everyone! Hope you've all been treating yourselves to a chocolate egg or three. As I've recently been lucky enough to get my hands on some great beauty products, I thought I would share them with you.

Oranje, Naranja, Arancione!

For those of you unfamiliar with European languages (I'm not either, cheers Google!), the title of this post translates as "Orange, orange, orange!" as this post is a dedication to a colour which has long been a favourite of mine. Only in the last year has this cheerful shade been considered 'on trend' and it is being fully embraced by fashionistas. Here are my two favourite looks I ADORE:

Spring Wishlist

From L-R: Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Cream, Blush Professional Hot Earth 88 Palette, Maybelline Color 24hr Tattoo Eyeshadow in Bronze, Lilac Converse, Soap & Glory Peaches & Clean Cleanser, Zara Bucket Handbag with Double Strap

Spring fling

The clocks went forward last night, the days have become longer, the sun has been shining.....it can only mean one thing- Spring has arrived! Unfortunately I won't be able to maximise the weather for a little while as I have 7 and a half weeks left of uni and too many words to count to write. However that doesn't mean I won't be dressing accordingly!

This weekend thanks to my wonderful and generous boyfriend I welcomed this little number into my wardrobe.....

Review: Clarins Daily Energizer Cleansing Gel

I have always loathed the skin on my face. Which sounds like an extreme statement but it's the truth. Whilst I did not suffer from acne as a teenager, my skin was always very spotty. It settled down a lot when I got to about 16/17 but it is still extremely reactive and unpredictable. As for skin type, parts of my face seem to be either oily, dry or sensitive so I guess that would pop me into the 'combination' category. As you can imagine, this makes finding the right skincare routine very tricky. Admittedly, I used to only use face wipes to take my makeup off which isn't ideal. So in the last few months, I have made it my mission to find the perfect routine.
This is where the Clarins Daily Energizer Cleansing Gel comes in (I know, took long enough!). I have been considering purchasing the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish after reading SO many rave reviews but it is a little out of my price range. So when I read this review, I knew I had to try the Clarins cleanser instead; particularly as it is £9.45 with free postage from Feel Unique.

Longing for Spring

A short but (hopefully) sweet post inspired by longingly gazing at my neon pink Converse praying for warm enough weather to wear them. I thought would share two of my other brightest pieces in my wardrobe...the shorts and bag were both bought from H&M last Spring intended for my holiday to Salou but ended up rather worn-in beforehand. The Converse were actually an impulse buy- I found them half price on a random surf website for about £17. They are usually a conversation starter whether it involves being shouted at by a crackhead or being poked by someone in a bar because they glow in the dark (true story, I was mortified!). 

Smaz ♥ Soap & Glory

As you may have gathered from my first post, I am a huge fan of Soap & Glory. I have been using their body and bathing products for almost 5 years. The love affair started with their 'Sexy MotherPucker' plumping lip gloss which -aside from the irresistible name- smells like chocolate and makes your lips feel like they are buzzing, a strangely addictive sensation! The same year I was given a Soap & Glory gift set for Christmas and have made someone get me kindly received one each year since.

A few months ago, to my delight, they launched their very own makeup. Naturally I have been eager to road test as many of the cosmetics that I can get my hands on. So far my haul includes the 'Smoulder Kohl' eyeliner and the 'Thick & Fast' mascara.

Thou shalt not covet...

Products I'm loving #1

Hello everyone, sorry it's been a little while. I have been preoccupied with (finally!) going back to uni and settling in. That and struggling to think of interesting posts! This is one that is done by a lot of bloggers and one that I like to read myself so thought I would share the products I'm loving at the moment. 
I may not have said this already but I am by no means an expert when it comes to hair, makeup and beauty. In fact I would go as far to say I am a beginner. Although I have been wearing makeup from the age of 12, I only started properly wearing foundation last year. So if you are looking for expert advice then you may want to go back to Google (assuming that's how you've found this post!). Otherwise, let's crack on!

A few recent purchases

Hello there! I know it has been a wee while but I have had a couple of things occupying me including an annoying 3000 word report. I wish I could say that I have been doing lot's of dissertation work but that would be a barefaced lie. Instead I have been taking several trips to both Westfield shopping centres which leads me on to my wee haul. I have bought quite a few things over the last couple of weeks due to the eagerly anticipated student loan finally coming through!

I will start with my Topshop purchases. Now usually I am not Topshop's biggest fan *shock horror*. I feel that it can be very overpriced and there is the risk of bumping into someone wearing the exact same thing. Obviously this is a risk with most high street stores but I hate the idea of being a Topshop clone. 
However, I was on the lookout for a real leather wallet and when I stumbled across this baby online, I HAD to have it...I was shocked that it was only £16!

Smaz's first post

Hello there. Yes, it is extremely arsey to refer to your self in third person but in keeping with the name of the blog, I thought it would make a fetching title for the post. Seeing as this is my first post, I will briefly introduce myself. My real name is Sarah, I'm 22 (eek) and currently in my third and final year at uni. What is the purpose of this blog? I'm not sure really...I read so many, I got a lovely little camera for xmas (cheers boyf!) and I have been told that I need a hobby. Maybe something for the CV depending on how it goes? Highly unlikely! Here are a few recent photos and current lusts to get me started, enjoy....

NEED this watch in my life...I already have a Baby G but not as swish as this! Extremely steep at £250...I mean that is how much you pay for a designer watch, isn't it? I wouldn't know, I've never looked into buying one but I can imagine I may get a better name for the price. Although I have always loved Baby G so maybe a graduation present?