Keep or Return.

TOPSHOP dress; H&M necklace.

Another fine example of my obsession with all things coral. I picked this dress up in the Topshop sale, and although I do like it, I'm not sure if I would actually wear it. Planning on returning it I think.

Leeds has been so warm today! I was not prepared, I hadn't painted my nails (so I couldn't wear sandals) and I was pasty pale (and therefore anything floaty and summery was not an option!). My flatmate and I went and had a wander around town and I bought a few more summery outfits... although I'm pretty sure I probably missed the hottest day.

These past few days have been all about finding some work experience in Leeds, I want to do something in marketing or PR eventually, ideally centred around beauty and/or fashion so I'm trying to fit in some experience around my full time job. It's proving to be near impossible finding anything.

What's everyone got planned for tonight then? I'm pretty sleepy after today so just going to fake tan and watch a movie. Thinking of getting my hair did tomorrow, I'm actually so sick of it! Thoughts?

Wishing.

TOPSHOP dress & top; PRIMARK jacket; ROCK N ROSE necklace.

Another thrown-together outfit! I actually was just trying on my new clothes to see what this top would go with. I was a bit worried because its a funny shape and didn't know what to wear it with, but I think it goes well with the leopard print.
I also wanted to test out the blank wall in my new flat for taking pictures.

I got my Glossybox yesterday, I know everyone is pretty divided on them but I do still think they're a great idea. I'm a bit annoyed they upped the postage, as I signed up for a flat fee of £10. It seems the people that are being negative about them don't actually have one so therefore, don't really have an opinion!
I'm all for them, I spend hundreds a month on trying new products so this is made for me but I understand it's not for everyone. And I also understand that they can't send full size products every month so I wasn't disappointed by the June box.
I'm interested to see what Boudoir Prive will be offering up, they started following me on twitter a few months ago and I've been waiting excitedly ever since!

Had a rubbish few days, but I've got two days off so looking forward to relaxing and doing nothing! Stocked up on chocolate biscuits, magazines and my new favourite series Game of Thrones!
I'm currently using my phone as a "wifi hotspot" on my macbook to get this blog post up, and it's taking forever. I don't get the internet until the 1st but I'm going to get a few blog posts scheduled tomorrow because I can't go without blogging for much longer!

Recent Purchases: Topshop Sale.

Just a few things I picked up from the Topshop sale, which I thought was really good (it was here in Leeds anyway!). I could have bought heaps more but I'm trying to be better with money. Nightmare.
I have both of the tops in different colours already but they are ones I wear all the time so it's justified.

The little eyeshadow duos were only £3 each, which is amazing as I wanted to buy them the other day so I'm glad I waited.

What did you get in the Topshop sale?

Recent Purchases: Liz Earle.

I think I've expressed my love for Liz Earle enough since my blogging debut 6 months ago, but I thought I'd do a small post on some things I've purchased recently. We have a shop here in Leeds which is lucky but also slightly terrifying for my bank balance. I do think the Liz Earle products are reasonably priced considering how lovely they are.
I bought the Botanical Shine Shampoo and Conditioner (normal hair). I've heard lovely things about these products and they are really great. There is only one variety of shampoo, but the conditioner comes in a few different types (I bought one for normal hair, but there are others such as one for oily/fine hair and also dry/damaged ends).

I also bought a new moisturiser. Moisturiser is one of those products which I can never seem to get right, and my skin has become quite oily recently (but also dry on my cheeks) so I went for the normal/combination moisturiser in the hope it will help my skin type to become a bit more normal. I love this moisturiser, it's very light and you only need such a small amount which means this tub will last a while. It's not heavy or greasy and my makeup applies well afterwards. I was going to go for the oily skin type moisturiser but chose this in the end to deal with my drier areas as well.

Lastly, I bought a pack of muslin cloths as I always use these. I know I could have got heaps off ebay for cheap but theres something about the LE ones, they are so soft! Ahh a new pack of muslin cloths, about to be turned orange from my makeup!

Anyone else had a Liz Earle splurge recently?

Currently Loving #04.

01. A little bit of change. Nothing drastic, of course. Yesterday I moved house, literally five minutes away from my boyfriend but I love my new flat & I've settled in nicely. It's nice to have everything you need in one place, all organised and laid out just the way you want.

02. Routine. I've come to realise recently that I'm far too unorganised and really need more of a routine. I'm mainly talking about skincare (but it can be applied to other things, I guess). I have so many products (I'm sure you've seen from previous posts) that it's hard to just settle for one cleanser, one moisturiser etc. I'm taking time to find a few good products that work for me, and I'm planning on sticking with them.

03. Holidays. I'm massively jealous of everyone getting ready for their summer holidays abroad at the moment! I don't have anything planned this year, my boyfriend travels a lot because of his job, so holidays (and travelling in general) isn't anything special to him. Hopefully he'll get a sneaky gig somewhere exotic last minute that I can gatecrash.

04. Getting back in to blogging. It's not that i'm bored of it, I've just been really busy with working, moving and studying (part time). My new flat doesn't have internet at the moment but hopefully it won't be long until we do. I'll be abusing the internet at my boyfriends flat until then!
If you could hang on just a little bit longer, gh0stparties will be back in action soon!

Recent Purchases: Clinique, Body Shop, ELF.

I thought I'd post about a few products I've bought recently. Clinique had a free gift recently when you bought two products (one to be skincare) and as I needed my Clinique Even Better foundation (and the gift was pretty good) I thought I'd get a cleanser to take off my makeup too.
The second photo shows the products in the gift - a scrub, Moisture Surge, eye cream, eye makeup remover, hand & nail cream and mascara. They're all sample size, but still pretty reasonable. I'm sure you will know from reading my blog that I travel a lot so having miniatures to take with me is really great.
I'm not sure how I feel about the Take the Day Off cleansing milk, I like a cleanser that takes off my eye makeup as well but I tried to use this on my eyes and it was torture. I honestly thought the pain would never end. So this is definitely for the face only! I'm sure if I wasn't so lazy I would love this.
I'm also not so keen on the eye makeup remover, it doesn't seem to be as good as others I've tried. It's very oily, which I'm used to, but the cotton pad seems to soak up all the liquid and then the cotton pad feels quite dry... but oily at the same time. It doesn't really "wet" the eye area so the makeup isn't dissolved. I'm not sure if that just means I need to use more, I will have to experiment. It's a very handy size to take away with me though so I'm sure it will get some use.

I also bought InStyle magazine which I read anyway, but it came with a free £5 Body Shop gift card which is pretty good! I think The Body Shop has really gone up in price and is almost too expensive for what it is. I love like their products though, so I'll definitely find something to spend this on.
I've had the Models Own & Wah Nail Pen for a while, my first one broke on the first use so they sent me another one but it's been sitting at my parents house in Scotland for months. I will definitely be using this a lot in the next few weeks, trying to get the hang of nail art!
I was sent this Soap & Glory Make Yourself Youthful Eye Cream at work, and I've not tried it yet but it's a massive seller so I'm looking forward to it!

Lastly, I made a small order to ELF recently as it was 20% their Studio line and I have been dying to get the Stipple brushes for so long. I ended up buying two, as well as a Complexion brush, an Angled Contour Brush and a Fan brush. Really excited about using these tomorrow morning. I think I will use one Stipple brush for my foundation and the other for my cream blushers. Any tips for applying foundation with a stipple brush?

Ps. I've said this on twitter already, but incase she doesn't have twitter, I just wanted to say sorry to the girl who spoke to me in Tesco today. I felt a bit self conscious that you looked at me funny, I genuinely thought I had something on my face! It made me a bit awkward and I didn't understand when you asked about my blog. Not sure why it didn't click, but I felt like an idiot when I got halfway home and realised! I'm so sorry! If you read this, please say hi so I can stop worrying about it! <3

Americanised.

TOPSHOP top (1); URBAN OUTFITTERS necklace & skirt; PRIMARK jacket & top (2).

I did something a bit different in todays outfit post (did any of you notice?) I have two different tops on. The first picture is what I wore today, I've worn that top many times before. I've mentioned before that I like to recycle clothes, Topshop items are getting expensive so you have to get a good few uses from them. I think the beauty of fashion is that you can make an outfit look completely different with accessories, shoes and handbag.
The other top I'm wearing is a lovely top I picked up from Primark! I rarely shop there (nothing against it, it's just always packed full with awful people!) but I had to have this top. It reminds me of 50s swimwear! I tucked it in to my skirt today (the same style as this one - I love stripes!) but it does have a nice flared bottom to it. Not sure how to describe it, but I'm sure it will feature at some point.

I've changed my hair to a middle parting, as I was seriously getting sick of my hair. I do prefer it like this but I have massive issues with getting it to stay big and backcombed. I've mentioned before I have really soft hair which doesn't stay in place but to be honest, I don't really like products in it! There's no winning.

I've been massively busy today, I'm trying to move flats but it's no easy task! As I'm moving I want to have a really big blog sale to get rid of some things but its just an issue of getting to the post office when I work full time!

Wishlist #5: Cosmetics.

YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick; MAC 187 Stipling brush; KIEHLS cleanser & masque; TOPSHOP cream blusher in Head Over Heels. 

I've never done a cosmetics wishlist before, and I'm sure there are hundreds of other products I want but I've limited myself for the sake of your sanity. 

The YSL Rouge Volupte lipsticks are incredible, so pigmented and a lovely variety of colours. In fact, theres so many gorgeous shades that the reason I don't own one is because I couldn't possible choose just one. And with their price tag, it really would have to be just one. 

I've fallen in love with Stipling brushes, they are so versatile! I have a Sigma one which I use for cream blushers but I'd love to try a MAC one for foundation to see what it would be like. 

I mentioned on twitter recently that I was given some samples from Kiehls whilst in the store recently (which has just opened up in Leeds) I am a massive Kiehls fan - their Amino Acid shampoo is incredible! My skin has been truly awful recently, I've been really busy so lack of sleep, stress and bad diet means I look 13 again. 

The samples sorted me right out - although, they didn't last long and I'm really considering buying the full size! The Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser was one of my favourite products, it has tiny exfoliating beads to leave my skin so smooth. I also liked the Deep Pore Cleansing Mask. 

Lastly, I'm going to be sprinting (ha!) to Topshop tomorrow to get me this new cream blusher. Such a gorgeous colour! I'm actually excited... 

What products are you dying to buy this month? 

Festival Fashion.

TOPSHOP shorts, jacket & jumper. VANS shoes, RAYBANS sunglasses, URBAN OUTFITTERS pendant. 

If you follow me on twitter, you'll know I just got back from my first festival of the year which was Rockness in Inverness, Scotland. It was awesome fun! I'll hopefully be posting some pictures later, I'm just gathering them up from friends as most of mine are awful!

Instead of doing an outfit post (I was in a hotel with the boyfriend, he would never agree to take pictures of what I was wearing) I thought I'd do a post on an ideal festival outfit. The above is basically what I wore this weekend. 

I bought a quilted jacket from ASOS about two years ago, and I get so much use out of it. It's great for festivals as it's so warm. I went for a pair of denim shorts mainly because last year I wore jeans and the rain was on and off and it took ages for them to dry. Obviously, I wore thick black tights with the denim shorts. 

I didn't wear wellies because we flew up with only hand luggage and I don't actually own a pair of wellies anyway. I stuck with my Vans, I knew I wouldn't be out in the rain too much anyway (and yes, it did rain!). 

This cute coral jumper will brighten up your outfit, and also keep you warm. It's better to wear layers at festivals so you can take them off if it's sunny and add more at night. Most festivals I've been to have been all over the place weather-wise, so I always make sure I come prepared for all seasons!

I would love a pair of Ray Bans, I'm waiting for a sale somewhere but I have a lovely vintage-style pair from Topshop which I wear all the time. I think a pair of sunglasses hide a lot - running mascara, dark circles, tired eyes and make festival photos look a lot better!

Complete the outfit with a cute pendant, like this one I picked up from Urban Outfitters recently. 

I've got a few more festivals hopefully lined up for this summer, are you heading to any?

A Smashbox Makeover.

I've blogged before about my love for Smashbox makeup, so I thought I would do another post about a few things I was sent recently.
I received the Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara, Lip Stain and Colour Seal Balm and Soft Effects Powder Eye Liner.
I'm wearing all three in the picture, to give you an idea on how they look on. The Lip Stain is amazing for giving a natural "just bitten" look. My favourite thing about this product is that it's easy to create a lovely shape around your cupids bow with the pen-type nib. I've used other lip stains in the past which come with a brush, and are useless. I had a bad experience with one where I put so much on, I swear I was still wearing it a week later. I was wary of doing the same thing with this one, but luckily it's almost impossible. The colour I'm wearing is "Petal" which I think looks natural, and lasts well with the balm on top.

The mascara has replaced all other mascaras in my collection, you can see in the photo of me how amazing it is. I can't believe how well it lengthens and separates my lashes. With this product I found that (especially at first) there was too much product on the brush, which clogged my eyelashes a bit so for the first few uses I scraped any excess off on the side and then blew on it slightly (I read somewhere that this helps, and it worked).
If you're looking for a new mascara you need this!

Lastly is the Eye Liner which is a powder. It's a dark purple shade, which is a nice change from my usual black. I think I actually prefer this as it isn't so harsh on my eyes. Going back to my black liquid eyeliner after this felt strange, I think it makes my eyes look smaller somehow.
This Smashbox Eye Liner blends well for a smudged smokey look, and lasts all day. It has a tendency to rub on my eyelids through the day (i'm not sure if this is just me as all my eyeliners do this) so I have to use a primer.

Overall, some seriously lovely products. Has anyone tried any other products from Smashbox which they would recommend?

Sidenote: I'm wearing Topshop cream blusher in Flush as I know I will be asked this!
Sidenote #2: I've changed my layout ever so slightly, it's still a work in progress but i hope you like!

Review: Jurlique Picks.

A quick post about a couple of my recent favourites. I love the idea of natural products especially organic and those containing lots of antioxidants (which prevent damage from harmful free radicals). (Note: I'm not entirely convinced about products which are paraben free as I know first hand that cosmetics need preservatives in order to have a reasonable shelf life and to stay free of microbes.)
Jurlique are a skincare brand which use naturally-sourced ingredients in their products. I've tried the Rose Hand Cream and also the Rose Lip Balm and had to post about them.
The scent in both is gorgeous, not overpowering but quite a fresh, natural smell of roses (ie not that synthetic smell that some products have). The hand cream isn't at all greasy and the smell lingers just long enough in my opinion. It's the perfect size for travelling too.

The lip balm has the same clean scent, and has now become my "go to" lip product. It's very light, I may have mentioned before I only ever use Chapstick on my lips because I don't like the feel of anything heavy or greasy. Jurlique lip balm is my current favourite because it's extremely moisturising without having that heavy feeling like Vaseline or Carmex, which I personally can't stand. I put my Jurlique lip balm on in the morning whilst doing my makeup and it has my dry lips sorted by the time I'm done, ready and prepped for lipstick.
A definitely new favourite of mine, and I highly recommend! Any other Jurlique products I should check out?

London.

train/nails/wired/hotel/cocktails/grum.

Back from a wonderful night in London! We were down for a friends birthday & also because Graeme had a gig. The gig was really good, I love going out in London - it's so busy and always buzzing! Never dull.

I wore this outfit out, I was planning to wear a dress but felt a bit overdressed so went a bit more casual. 

I feel a bit bad for not blogging so much recently, trying to get a few posts up today but I'm under the duvet watching TV so it's unlikely! 

NARS Blush in Gilda.

I don't feel like there has been enough love around the blogs for this gorgeous matte coral blusher. I have a lot of blushers with a sheen to them, so it's nice to have something that is matte every once in a while. Saying that, I do find matte blushers can be hard to blend, and can take some time getting right. No one wants two big stripes of blusher on their face.
One of my new favourite blushes, although no rival for the gorgeous Orgasm.