Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014!

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I honestly cant believe that today is the last day of 2013,i say this every year but this year really has flown by which is quite scary! This time last year i had just left home again to fly back to Finland for my last 4 months of exchange, it really is insane! 2013 has been an amazing year for me, the biggest highlights for me were finishing my exchange year in Finland which was undoubtedly the best experience of my life, surviving a long term relationship, i managed to treat and get rid of my acne which was terrible this time last year and of course i started my blog and have now been blogging for 5 months!! My only regret is not starting blogging earlier as i have had such a fun time doing it since i started and have met some of the nicest people, so i would like to thank you for all of your kind support and for reading my blog! My blog initially started as somewhere to write about everything really but it has slowly evolved into more of a personal style blog, i love documenting what i wear daily just for people to see what i wear, i definitely don't wear the latest catwalk looks so i don't see what i wear as an inspiration to anyone but when people say they really like my style it really does mean a lot to me! 
The only negative for my year has been that i have had very poor health, i ended up in hospital in Finland (very scary!) with almost pneumonia,nothing is as upsetting as being ill but when you're by yourself in a foreign country where you cant tell them what is wrong in Finnish nothing can compare, but it made me grow up significantly and made me realise that i can do anything when i put my mind to it. Also after living with severe stomach problems for months, even years i have finally been diagnosed with IBS, since then i have still struggled to control my condition and i am still managing now, i am just thankful that i now know what is wrong and i can move forward! Sorry for the rant but i also thought it would be a chance to let you all get to know me a little bit better! Anyway on with a few of my resolutions for 2014 which i have split into two categories!
Blogging 1.Post regularly whilst at uni, 3-4 times a week 2.For my blog to continue to grow 3. Attend a LFW event 4. Continue to interact with all my lovely readers 5. To attend another bloggers meet 6. To makeover my blog layout 7. Make more time to read and comment on others blogs
Life 1. Graduate from uni 2. Stop worrying! 3. Organise some travelling and holidays 4. Get a job for after uni 5. Get my IBS under control and stay well 6. Keep a jar of happy memories of 2014  7. Spend quality time with family,boyfriend and friends

I hope you enjoyed reading about my year and my resolutions and i will try my best this year to complete every one! If you follow me on instagram i compiled a flipagram of my year, if not you can view it here! Whatever you are doing tonight have a fantastic time and stay safe! I wish you all the happiest and healthiest new year that anyone can have!
What were your highlights of 2013? What are your resolutions for 2014? What are your NYE plans?

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OOTN | Back to black

Top - Primark Skirt - Topshop Shoes - Kurt Geiger Watch - Michael Kors
I hope that you all had a lovely weekend! I always think there's such a big gap between Christmas day and New Years eve and that there isnt too much to do at all apart from eat the leftover foods! Last night was one of my friends 21st so it was a great chance to catch up with my old school friends that i have not seen in about 2 years so i had a really good night despite the horrible rainy and windy weather! I thought i would share with you what i wore on the night, i apologise about the background of these pictures,outside outfit pictures are not happening at the moment, living in the South West and by the sea means that it has rained most days since being home boo! 
Anyway despite how rubbish i think the sales are this year i spotted this gorgeous net cut out velvet long sleeve top for £3 in the sale in primark which is insanely cheap and even at its full price of £6, it would look great in the day as well with high waisted jeans or a casual skirt! I thought i would treat myself to something for the night in my favourite shop, this skirt is really deceiving as it looks like it would be really hard to the touch but its actually surprisingly fluffy, i love it so much and i can see myself wearing this a lot this year as it will go with so many tops i already have!
What do you think of this outfit? What sale finds have you found? What are your plans for NYE?

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Christmas Presents!

Hello! I hope that you all had a really lovely Chirstmas with your families and you all got some lovely presents! I dont think im speaking for myself when i say im currently bursting at my seams from all the food i have consumed in the last 2 days! I think i might not have to eat until next year now haha. I also managed to make it into the sales today which i think for me is one of the most exciting times of the year, after Christmas of course, but i must say its always the same and i went away mostly empty handed and didn't see anything that striking in the sales,it just left me wanting all of the full priced items which is dangerous for me! Although, i did manage to pick up a few bargains in Primark! Anyway, i just wanted to share with you all what presents i got for Christmas as i love reading these kind of posts so i hope you enjoy!

 Who doesnt love receiving socks for Christmas?! The ones of the left were knitted by my mum and i cant get  over how amazing they are, they definitely look like they are from somewhere like Jack Wills. I am also obsessed with primark socks and these Barbie ones have outdone themselves,in love!

 If you didn't already know, one of my biggest passions is swimming so these bits and pieces are some of my favourite presents!

 This is one of my favourite presents from my parents which is this adorable necklace, its so delicate and i cant wait to wear it!

 Lush bath bombs are one of the fastest ways to my heart, now i have to try and fit in as many baths before i return to uni next week!

 I have been wanting to try the sleek contour kit for ages regardless to the fact that i dont know how to use it haha! Essie polishes are also one of my favourite brands as they stay chip free for ages! I also wanted another intensive conditioner to try on my long hair so look out for reviews to come on all of these!

 Body shop butters are some of the nicest smelling creams, i cant wait to try these out!

 My lovely friend from uni got me this, i have never tried perfume from Marks & Spencers before but it smells amazing!

 Who doesn't love chocolate?!

 A few uni essentials to take back with me for the kitchen, anything heart shaped and i am sold! My sister also got me the cutest cookie cutters for me which are shaped like fruit and veg!

 Uni essentials!

 As well as James (bf) getting me some of the other lovely presents above he also got me these two jokey presents which are super thoughtful and funny as i am always stressed with uni and my endless worrying so this stress ball is definitely what i need! He also got me a grow your own sunflower which is such a cute present and it will look so nice once i have grown it!

 James also got me what i have wanted for an age and i have also posted this on a wishlist before so hinting does help! Basically its a map of the world and when you have visited a place or a country you scratch that part off the map which reveals a different colour. I have been lucky enough to do a lot of travelling at such a young age and i am excited for what next year brings so this present is perfect!
Thanks for reading! What did you all do for Christmas? What do you think of my presents? What did you get for Christmas? Leave your link believe if you have done a similar post!

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Christmas Wishes!

My winter in Finland last year, i'm still dreaming of a white Christmas.. WOW! Who can believe that it is Christmas Eve?! Despite being 21 i still found it difficult to sleep last night because i'm so excited! Who else is the same? I just wanted to write a post to firstly thank all of my lovely followers for reading my blog this year and being truly lovely. But most importantly i want to wish you all the happiest Christmas and to enjoy your time with your family's! Don't get me wrong i love presents as much as the next person but this is the only day of the year that you really get to spend the whole day with your family, and of course the food is one of my favourite parts of the day! Whatever you're doing stay safe and enjoy your day! I thought i would leave you all with some of the decorations in my house, enjoy!

 You probably guessed this is an artificial tree as its too perfect and we have never actually had a real tree, the shopping for one sounds so exciting though as well as the gorgeous pine scent that they have.

 One of my favourite Christmas decorations which i think was from Paperchase!

 Orange and cloves are such a simple thing to do and they smell great!

 Some of the Christmas animals that my talented mummy knitted!

The cinnamon wrapped candles are a really simple DIY which you can find how to do here. Once again i wish you a very merry Christmas, do you still leave a mince pie out for Father Christmas? In our house it is still very much a tradition as well as leaving out our Santa sacks! What do you think of our decorations? What are your favourite Christmas traditions?

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OOTD | Tartan Trousers

Top - Urban Outfitters Tartan trousers - Motel Rocks Fur collar - Topshop Necklace - Ebay Boots* - Bank I hope you're all having a lovely relaxing weekend before Christmas! If its anything like mine then it wont be, i have frantically been round the shops this morning in a bid to finish my Christmas shopping and i have finally finished! I really am not leaving it so last minute next year, there are far too many people around for my liking!
Anyway a couple of weeks ago i was lucky enough to win Crystalcosmicchic giveaway of anything up to the value of £70 from Motel Rocks. I had been having a rubbish weekend and i really couldn't believe it when i found out i won as i never win anything! I love Motel Rocks so much so of course i had a few ideas in my head of what i would like and as you can see i picked out these amazing tartan trousers and a dress which will be gracing an outfit post very soon!
This type of tartan isn't the typical red you get and its very much in your face so it looks great with this simple black cropped long sleeve top and i just had to bring in my fur collar again which i'm still very much in love with!
What do you think of this outfit? Do you like tartan? Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet?

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Heaven Skincare Bee Venom face mask Review

Heaven skincare bee venom mask* - 15ml £25.30 This little pot of beauty otherwise known as the Heaven Skincare Bee Venom mask was in the Southwestbloggers meet goody bag that i received back in November. I have heard about using bee venom masks and even snail slime masks (eww) for a while now as a natural alternative to botox. This bee venom mask in particular is from Heaven skincare and it contains some really simple ingredients using venom from bees in organic hives in New Zealand, manuka honey and Shea butter,rose and lavender essential oils which are all really gorgeous and natural ingredients so they definitely don't upset your skin. The mask works by controlling facial muscles for immediate lifting,tightening and firming, whilst targeting frown lines and wrinkles.
I applied quite a thin layer of this to my skin as the product is quite expensive, the consistency is just like a moisturiser and after a while you can see that the product almost completely sinks into your skin. I applied the mask to cleansed skin and it advises to leave it on for 20 minutes before washing it off but it says you can also apply a small layer to leave underneath your foundation, but i am yet to try this as i think my skin would look even oily than it normally is!
As i have 20+ skin i cant really comment on that fact that it improved my wrinkles because my skin is pretty plump already and i don't have any wrinkles,or so i hope! I actually would just use this as a normal mask though as the fragrances of the ingredients are gorgeous and it didn't irritate my skin in any way which is often a problem that i find with masks, it was also really moistursing so i would definitely use this as a maintenance mask, i did feel afterwards that my skin did feel fuller and looked fresher!
Because i cant really comment on all of the improvements of this mask i also got my mum involved in it to see what the effect was on a 50+ skin. Again she really liked the scents and it didn't irritate her skin at all and she felt that it really plumped her skin out for a few days after but you would probably have to keep regularly using this for permanent results.
Overall if you are looking for an alternative and cheaper version to botox this could be your answer as it is a completely natural and non evasive method! 
What do you think of the bee venom mask? have your tried it before? What are your favourite face masks?

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OOTD | 70's Sheepskin

Coat - Vintage Blouse - Hollister Skirt - Urban Outfitters Tights - Primark Necklace - New Look Boots - Next (old)
Well how lucky am i?! I managed to get these outfit pictures this morning 5 minutes before the rain started,what a relief! This weather really is playing havoc with getting decent outfit photos at the moment, how do you all manage to get yours?I need some tips!
This coat was passed down to me by my Mum and it is amazing! It is a sheepskin coat from the 70's and coats really aren't made to such good quality nowadays as this. Its crazy to think how old an item of clothing can be and without sounding mad what memories come with the coat, for a start its seen many different winters and different owners, but now i have it in my possession i'm not letting it go! Its so warm and different to the conventional fur coats, i actually haven't seen any like this in mainstream stores this season.
I'm finally wearing a different pair of shoes in an outfit post, hallelujah i hear you cry! These boots are actually quite old but i love the length and fit of them, i think they were pretty cheap at the time too. I'm definitely after a new pair though when all the sales hit on Boxing day, who else cant wait for the sales?!
What do you think of this outfit? Do you like vintage clothes? How do you cope with taking outfit pictures in the winter?

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New Look Christmas party outfit | Red Carpet Style!

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This is my style entry for the New look Christmas Red Carpet Competiton which involves recreating your favourite Red Carpet look of 2013 into a Christmas party outfit from the New Look Party Collection. My inspiration for this was the gorgeous Lea Michele who is famously known for starring in Glee, not only is she absolutely stunning she is also an aspiring role model. Lea wore this cracker (excuse the pun) of a dress at the 2013 Peoples Choice Awards. Her outfit has the right composition of sparkle and bright colour, a lot of dresses you see on the catwalks are always quite dark colours, but where is the fun in playing it safe. This is why this outfit is perfect for Christmas to brighten up the dark winter nights!

1. Dark pink sequin sweetheart strapless dress - £39.99 2. Cream patent double ankle strap heels - £22.99 3. Mink fold over twist lock clutch - £12.99 4. Gold solid triangle ring - £3.99 5. Pink and Gold triangle drop earrings - £4.99 I opted for this stunning strapless dress in the same hot pink colour, pink really is a colour not normally associated with Christmas, but pink and sparkles are appropriate for every day wear if i could get away with it and i would be sure to stand out in this number.
Lea's outfit is very eye catching although, i love how simple she has accessorised, as less is definitely more in this case.  As the dress does all the talking i haven't overdone it with the accessories, i chose some classy drop earrings similar to ones that she wore and i matched it with a gold triangle ring which pair together so well. 
The strappy sandal heels she wears are almost identical to the New Look ones and i am sure a massive fraction of the price of hers. The muted colour of pink really suits the boldness of this dress as anything of a similar colour or darker would just overpower the outfit. I also picked a similar coloured clutch bag to match the shoes! This Red carpet look can be achieved on a budget and at an easily accessible high street store, i guess i am one step closer to looking like Lea Michele now! I dream...
What do you think of this outfit? What will you be wearing to your Christmas parties? What are your favourite shops for party outfits?

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