London Haul

My boyfriend took me to London for my 21st as i mentioned in my previous post and of course when in London you shop!! So here are a few... of my purchases from the weekend as well as a couple i have bought since arriving back at uni! Sorry in advance about the picture quality of some of these i haven't got round to using my new camera yet!

Urban Outfitters - I have been looking for a black long sleeve crop top for soo long now. You cant see on the picture but the fabric is also ribbed which adds a bit extra to a plain black top.This will look great with high waisted bottoms and a tartan scarf! I also picked up this beautiful playsuit!! Its quite summery but will be nice in the autumn with some thick tights and boots.

Tk Maxx - These were from the shoe clearance aisle for only £8. I didn't need them but I love the funky leopard print pattern and these would look great with black jeans on a casual day.

Topshop - I featured this cropped jacket in my latest ootd, but i also bought these beautiful oxblood velvet high waisted shorts which look great with this jacket. The colour is so appropriate for A/W and i will be getting lots of wear out of these. The necklace was a last minute purchase which was £10, statement jewellery is still one of my favourite things to jazz up an outfit.

Gilly Hicks - I actually think i prefer Gilly Hicks underwear as opposed to VS nowadays,i think the colours are more fun and young. I picked 5 pairs up for £20 which i'm not sure is good in comparison to other shops but i was happy with my purchases and i love the signature scent they spray them with!

Calzedonia - I am a big fan of this shop! I also have another pair which i have worn to death so when i'm in London this place always gets a visit. I love this style with the textured strips down the side,they remind me of riding style pants,these were £20 which come in a fair bit cheaper than the similar ones in Zara.

Primark - If you have ever been to Primark on Oxford street on a weekend then you will have experienced hell, it is the busiest place to be and you really cant find what you're looking for or have a pleasant browse. I had been looking for these cute muppets pjs in my size everywhere and of course the Oxford Street store pulled up trumps,these were only £10.

Leather skirt + Top - I also picked up this quilted faux leather skirt which i have seen on soo many blogs which was only £10! Another thing which will go with most colours but i picked this top to go with it and if you can see on the second photo its has a lovely ribbed texture to it,this was £6.

Boots - My current cleanser just hasn't been cutting it with removing my eye makeup so after asking for some recommendations the lovely Laura Loves suggested this Garnier one which she has likened to as a Clarins dupe so i am expecting great things from this! Since coming back to uni all my nails have decided to break off, they have never been so short boo so i decided to invest in something that can hopefully help strengthen my nails!

Models Own - The models own stall in Westfield is amazing,there is literally too much choice but i picked out the colour Emerald city which is a great glittery colour for the christmas period!

I hope you enjoyed reading! What do you think of my purchases? Do you own any of these?

Benefit They're Real Review

Hello everyone, and a welcome to all my new followers! I have just got back from holiday today so sorry about the no new posts this last week! But I have lots of exciting posts lined up for you so I hope you enjoy reading!Anyway onto today's post, as I'm sure most of you did i picked this travel size version of They're real up in Glamour magazine a few months ago,there have been lots of reviews on this since but i have only just got round to trying it and it really is love. I've always been fond of trying out lots of mascaras to see which one i prefer and i am currently also using Loreal Paris telescopic lashes which is great but this is a real contender for perhaps my favourite mascara yet!

As you can see i naturally have quite long lashes but the ends are quite blonde so the impact of the mascara is more apparent. The applicator is quite thick to normal ones which i'm not too keen on but it does apply easily,my only niggle is that it is also has a smaller wand than most BUT it does a fantastic job at coating my lashes and its design helps to coat each individual lash meaning that is doesn't look clumpy (like spiders webs). 

The coverage in my opinion is fantastic and as you can see in the pictures above,it achieves dark lashes,and as it states on the box 94% of people saw dramatic volume and length,i definitely agree with this however i saw more length to my lashes than volume. I also used my eye lash curler beforehand to achieve more of a lift and the mascara holds the curl like this all day. Unlike some mascaras i have tried you don't end up having specs of the mascara half way down your face or under your eyes. It really is long lasting,it lasts me a full day which means its also harder than most mascaras at removing,so you do need to use a good  eye makeup remover for this. 

Overall, i will definitely be purchasing the full version when it has ran out,it helps me to achieve much longer and darker lashes than other mascaras i have tried. You can buy it from Boots for £19.50 which is at the high end but, at the moment they have an offer on where you get the booster set for this price which includes the full size and the travel size which is perfect for travelling and on the go touch ups.

Have you tried They're real?What are your thoughts on this product?

Soap and Glory hair supply

My sister gave me this travel sized Soap and glory hair supply to try out, before then i wasn't even aware that soap and glory did hair products,seriously. I would never have opted for this before hand as i always associate soap and glory with shower gels,scrubs etc and just kinda think stick with what you know?! Anyway, here is my verdict.

Soap and glory products all have that distinctive floral scent, i sort of like it but for someone who has sensitive skin i don't usually like using products with a fragrance. Anyway,this hair mask is no different, i love the consistency of this when i apply it to my hair,it says to massage it from roots to tips but for me i would look like a big grease ball if i did so, so i applied a generous amount to the mid to end lengths of my hair. When  i had applied it and combed it through my hair felt so sleek and soft, it suggests leaving it on for 60 seconds but if you're like me and like a more intensive mask i leave it on while i'm having a soak in the bath.

After washing it off my hair it did feel super soft and more manageable with no tangles. I liked the product but i kept smelling the product on my hair even after washing it off thoroughly, which isn't a bad thing but for me it was too strong a smell. My hair the next day was also really fluffy, so for me i wouldn't purchase this product again,it may just be because my hair is so long and it needs something that is more moisturising. But for someone with shorter hair this product is probably perfect, and at least i gave it a go! But It definitely doesn't change my opinion on their other products which i will always keep repurchasing!

Have you tried any hair products from soap and glory? What do you think of this product?

Bourjois nails

The Last time i was in boots i took advantage of the 3 for 2 offer on Bourjois, i don't actually own many products from their range so i picked out two of their nail polishes, shade 25 -Melon from their 1 seconde range and their new manicure laser toppings number 38 - Sun Scales,i also picked up one of their new colour boost glossy lipsticks which i love,review will follow very soon. They also threw in a pair of sunglasses in the 3 for 2 offer which are actually surprisingly nice!

This is the first time using nail varnishes from their range and the fan effect brush for the 1 seonde nail varnish and the manicure topping is life changing! You can pretty much cover the nail in one brush,meaning that i am no longer covering my entire cuticles in the polish and the nail doesn't look thick with all of the excessive amount of brushing to cover the nail. As well as this it also claims that the varnish drying time is 50 seconds which i definitely think the polish reflects,it dried really fast for me and i could use my hands to do things soon after without it chipping off.I am really taken with it and will definitely be buying more from their range due to the ease of it. I popped the new manicure laser toppings on top, this one is called sun scales and it features strands of gold,bronze and almost light pink,in the sun it really brings out the different colours in the fibres they use. I think these two colours layered on top of each other look really effective!

What do you think of these nails? Do you own any from the Bourjois range?

Too Faced // The Bronzed & The Beautiful

Hello everyone,i hope you all had a lovely weekend! I'm going to be telling you about my favourite bronzer today. I purchased this set called 'The Bronzed & The Beautiful' while I was shopping in New York last year. I purchased this set from Sephora,my first ever visit to one of their shops and i was in love!!You can also purchase it from boots which retails at £28.00.

The packaging on this is gorgeous, it looks old fashioned with the sepia seafront scene and with the pink and brown stripes. It really reminded me of the soap and glory collection as well as Benefit,maybe this was why I was so drawn towards this product.The set is a perfect size and it contains 4 different shades of bronzer, my favourite is the Chocolate Soleil which is a matte bronzer and it really helps to achieve that darker looking tan if that is the look you're going for. There is the classic bronze which can be used for most looks and this is called Sun Bunny, Snow Bunny is deemed as being a winter bronzer and lastly the Powdered Sun which is great to be used as an illuminating highlighter to contour areas of your face. Also included is the Deluxe Primed & Poreless SPF 20 bronze tint skin smoothing face primer. This can be used before putting on your foundation or bronzer,it also helps to achieve an overall smoother and flawless tan on your face. As I am no makeup artist I love how enclosed in the set is 3 how to do cards; How to lose 10lbs in 10 seconds,Glamour Bronze and Classic Bronze.

I have been using this product for almost a year now and i will definitely be repurchasing!!Personally, I think that the primer included is perfect if you have a natural dark tan anyway but for the times when my skin is pale(most of the year then!) the primer is far too dark for my skin and it ends up making me look like i'm caked in makeup, and not in a good way! I love all of the different bronzers as you are able to achieve different looks  with the added help of the to do cards. I use this product daily and on nights out , and it really does make me look like I have just got back from holiday with the perfect sunkissed tan, it looks so natural as well. On a night out I tend to use the Glamour Bronze look and in the day I usually dull it down a bit with the Classic Bronze. 

This product retails at the high end but for me it was totally worth it and i am still using the one i bought last year,amazing! Although, I am lusting after the Nars Laguna bronzer but is it worth the cost?!Please let me know if you have tried it i would love to know how you got on with it!

Have any of you ever tried this or any other products from the Too Faced range before?

Half way there, spring semester

Well I am half of the way through the year now studying as an exchange student in Tampere, Finland. Everything feels completely different to when i first arrived here back in the summer. The corridors in Lapinkaari which used to be noisy and where there was always someone to chat to are now deadly quiet and since I have arrived back I haven't seen one person here. Hopefully some more people will start to move in in the following weeks. Because I have been so bored I thought it would be best to be productive with my time and start my blog up again!

The weather here now is cold but I thought it would be a lot colder as it is only just reaching into the minus temperatures again. However, there is still a lot of snow on the ground and there is forecast to be more on the way for the rest of the week. Because the temperatures have slowly risen a bit its meant that the ground outside it pretty slippery and even with the best grips on my snow boots i'm still at a risk of slipping over. My mum gave me some spikes that can be fitted onto shoes so i'm going to definitely try those out. Has anyone else used this and do they work?!

The snow in December in Tampere

Also in my accommodation there is no freezer space at all so last year I really struggled with cooking a variety of foods but because the temperature is freezing now I have put up a make shift freezer outside which is working brilliantly! So easy to use and its right outside my window!

Freezer complete with a Stockmann bag-you don't get more Finnish than that!

My classes aren't due to start until next week either so I have a free week to myself so i'm hoping to get right up to date with my blogging and also start going to the swimming pool a few times a week again. The only thing so annoying about swimming in this weather is if you go outside with wet hair after it freezes straight away, its pretty funny but must be awfully damaging for your hair I can imagine!

Feeling sorry for myself in bed writing this after picking up a horrible cold while at home in England for Christmas,typical really as I haven't been ill once since living in Finland.I really do think the air is so much fresher and healthier here, I don't suspect any viruses would be able to spread in this cold weather anyway!

Would love to hear from fellow bloggers out there about any winter survival tips!

Moi Moi  Nicole xo