11 books I want to buy this Spring

Today I'm living vicariously through this post because I'm on a bit of a self-induced book buying ban due to 'the big move' (which is happening in less than two weeks, and we still haven't found a new place to move into yet, but IT'S FINE). My TBR pile is basically my entire bookshelf at this point, but there are some really great books out there that I NEED to get my hands on.

February favourites and life update

February absolutely whizzed by (let's use this as my reason for this going up so late). I've been focusing on trying to take some time out and actually switch off a little, so things have been a little more quiet on this blog than normal. But, once I've got a grip on, well, life, it should all get back to normal.

Massive LUSH Easter and Spring products haul

LUSH really has gone all out for Easter this year haven't they? I always felt as though their Spring/Easter range was lacking a little, but there are so many new products this time around that I hardly know where to start. 

10 Reasons Why I'm Excited for Spring

It has felt *almost* Spring-like this past week, hasn't it?! We've had clear blue skies, I've spied some snowdrops starting to pop their heads up, and it hasn't been bitingly cold. I'm so SO excited for Spring this year - the start of 2018 has been so hard for me, and I really feel as though the new season is going to help things get a lot easier. So, here are all the reasons why I'm excited for Spring (eeeek):

39 Spring Blog Post Ideas

Spring is finally here (sort of), so I'm kick starting the season with a big ol' blogging brainstorm. Let's go!

February Favourites and Life Update

February, aka the shortest month of the year is gone. Finally Spring is here. The start of March makes me so nervous but so excited: in almost exactly a month today I'm heading out to Florida. The holiday panic is nigh: I have a buttload of money I need to make and save and a buttload of exercise to do to make sure I don't end up as exhausted as I always am whilst I'm away.

So, what did February hold for me? In blogging terms it's the first month in which I've achieved all of my social media follow goals across board, which has given me such a lil confidence boost. It's also a month in which I've been really proud of so much of my content. I've created some important mental health posts, and I've loved everything I've been putting out there.

New In: Korres Lavender Blossom Range*

Lavender is hands down my favourite scent of all time. I know it has a bit of a rep for being a 'granny' scent, but quite honestly I simply don't care. It relaxes me, I don't find it overpowering, and it's about the only floral scent that my nose enjoys. Hand me a LUSH Twilight bath bomb and some lavender chocolate (yes, that's totally a thing, and you can get it here), and I'll be your friend forever.

ASOS Spring Fashion Wishlist

Spring has officially sprung, sun is in the air, flowers are blooming and all that jazz. This week marks the first week in MONTHS that I will actually be earning a livable wage from my freelance writing (all hail trying hard for super long and eventually succeeding!), so I decided to have a little peek at what ASOS has to offer us this Spring. 
I'm not going to lie, I fell a little bit in love with pretty much everything, so it was actually really different to whittle it down to this ... err ... *mere* thirteen-item wishlist. So, it's time to bring on all the pretty nudes and flowy clothes. Oh, and time to bankrupt myself ...
From top left to bottom right:
Fame and Partners Ashleigh Maxi Dress Just Female Etiope Black Culottes River Island Cigarette Trouser New Look Sleeveless Belted Coat Disney Princesses Squad Goals Sleep Tee Closet Midi Skirt in Stripe Organza ASOS Denim Flippy Skirt with Braces ASOS Off-Shoulder Body with Ruffle Detail and Thong J.D.Y Quilted Bomber Jacket
New Look Zip Detail Chunky Heeled Boots ASOS Scallop Cross Body Bag Missguided Knot Barely There Heeled Sandals River Island Clutch Bag
Would you have chosen any of these?

March Favourites | Beauty, Lifestyle and more

Seriously how did March slip away so quickly?! 2016 has been the first year that I've not been in education that I can remember, and it has been absolutely whizzing by. Each month seems to get better and better, especially with March heralding the start of Spring. I'm SO in love with everything Spring at the moment - long walks in the sunshine (a rarity here in the UK), pretty flowers everywhere and joy of joys not having the heating on. As you guys all seemed to love my February favourites post, I thought I'd do another round up for this month. Here we go:
Tulips and my Easter cactus Flowers have SUCH a positive impact on my mood, and are the perfect blog prop AND make my blogging area look pretty, so they're a win, win, win in my mind. 
Clear Lipstick Holder I'm going to hold up my hands and admit it - before this month I owned no makeup storage and just shoved everything into a drawer. I picked this cheap beauty up alongside a brush holder and my chest of drawers looks SO much prettier now. 
The Body Shop's Seaweed Face Mask I've actually got an entire post dedicated to this here.
Nip + Fab Glycolic Cleanser My pores have been truly awful this year and I'm really working on making them smaller and my skin brighter. After using this for a couple of days I noticed that my skin actually looked a lot more radiant and glowy - I can't wait to keep this look throughout Spring. 
Avalon Organics Lavender Shampoo* I feel like I've been endlessly banging on about this to you guys this month but c'mon it's shampoo that's vegan and smells like lavender. I'm in heaven *drools*.
Aloe Dent Triple Action Toothpaste I know I know, toothpaste aka snore, but fluoride is really REALLY bad for you, and this fluoride free one actually tastes minty (unlike other ones I've tried, *shudder* - licorice toothpaste is just NASTY).
Simple Hydrating Moisturiser Every blogger and their dog has raved about this, but honestly it is an absolute godsend for combination skin that needs a little pep up to avoid becoming dry.
Coconut Lane Mermaid Case This is another one that I've already blogged about - you can check the post out here. You can also get 20% off with the code 'nourishme20'.
Disney Puzzle You can grab this on my depop, but puzzles have been my favourite thing to do in March to help me chill out in the evening.
Alice in Wonderland Colouring Book Have I saved the best till last? Yes, yes I have. When I went home for Easter my mum greeted me with this and it was the best Easter present! 
What were your favourites this month? 
Here's my March favourites Youtube video!

Rimmel by Kate | Collection in Progress

I've always been a big fan of the bold lip - if I'm going to bother wearing lippy it's going to be a bright red or deep purple lip to get everyone's attention (and inevitably end up smeared everywhere after a few too many cheeky tipples, the shame!). But this winter everything changed. I started to appreciate a subtle lip, and actually wear lipstick to work everyday. 
My lips are pretty dry all year round and winter is a horrendous territory where there are actual ravines in and crags in my lips, so anything matte or vaguely drying is 100% out of the question. So long sweet MAC *sheds tear of beauty blogger pain*. 
I started off with Timeless All (08) which is the darkest of the three shades I have so far. This one is fairly similar to my actual lip colour, but with a hint of purple and brown added to the mix. It is the least obvious of the shades and I love putting it on when I want a casual, professional look that isn't too bold.
We move from this to the boldest one: Shade 34. This bright pink concoction is the girliest lippy I've ever owned. I'm not entirely sure about this one - the colour doesn't wear as well on my lips and it's not dark or thick enough to overwrite, so my puny top lip can't be puffed out at all, ugh. BUT, it does make me feel a little like Barbie.
Finally we have the middle ground: Shade 32. This is such a happy bright colour without being too overbearing that I definitely see it being a firm favourite for Spring. It's almost a cross between coral and pink, and I'm sure you'll all be seeing it in some makeup looks soon!
This collection is the first ever lipstick range that I've considered hoarding, and wanted to get a good number of (read: you will see another post as it expands in the future). The wear is fab; they tend to stay in place for about 6 hours including eating, drinking and chattering! For £5.49 they're definitely worth a go. *This post is not sponsored, I honestly just love the range*.
Have you tried any of them out? What's your go-to lipstick at the moment?

February Favourites | Beauty, Lifestyle and More

It's time to remind myself that February wasn't just a cold-ass month from hell, but actually contained some awesome things in it that I'm genuinely extremely grateful for. So, to remind myself that life isn't all that bad (as I sit surrounded by a mountain of tissues, wallowing in the throes of the dreaded Winter Cold), I've made a list of my beauty and lifestyle favourites of the month. Here goes:
MAC lipstick in Sin This is pretty much every blogger's go-to winter berry lipstick, and after I picked it up earlier this month I fell in love with it and the sass it brought to my face. Here's the post on my mini MAC haul that this was part of.
Rimmel by Kate in Timeless All This has been a great transitional piece for me as we go in to Spring. It's my every day lipstick that I use when I don't need a bold lip, but want a dash of colour on. 
Tommy Girl Fragrance My sister got me this for Christmas and I've fallen a little in love. The packaging is really pretty and the scent is quite a musky one, so it's great for evenings out. 
Pure Colour New Look Hairbrush This is basically a cheap, brilliant tangle teaser. I've never owned one before and have actually loved it so much I said goodbye to my traditional hairbrush and it said hello to the landfill (it was broken, I hate waste).
LUSH 9 to 5 Cleanser LUSH rarely fail to impress me, but this one was a real winner. I use it before I go to bed to remove my makeup and moisturise my skin without making it too greasy.
New Look Elderflower and Prosecco Tealights These smell SO GOOD. I don't remember the last time I bought tealights, so now these have a permanent space around my bath when I want to sink in for a soak. It's been so cold that that's been pretty often this month (who wants to shower when it's frosty outside?!).
New Look Tartan Scarf (similar) I have a little confession to make ... up until this Winter I haven't owned a scarf in the last four years. So, I was pretty picky when it came down to this one. It's so classy and casual, plus it doubles up as a blanket shawl for when I get really chilly!
That Lame Company Art Prints If you've come anywhere near my twitter or Instagram recently you'll realise that I am OBSESSED with these and all of the products the guys make. I've dedicated a whole post to them here.
I hope you enjoyed! What have you been loving this month?

Spring Favourites 2015

Summer appears to be finally approaching (aka here in the UK it doesn't rain every single day anymore, hallelujah!). So, I thought I'd do a little post on what's been keeping me sane and positive over the hectic last few months of my degree. I've been studying at the University of Warwick for the past three (almost) years, and making my student houses feel a little homely is really important to me. Here are just a couple of picks that have helped spur me on recently to achieve everything I want to get done without being super miserable in the meantime.

Living as the sole female in my university household of five means that anything that smells nice is a MAJOR win in my book. I'd previously tried the Lenor Unstoppables after cheekily borrowing them when I was at my parents' house, but hadn't got around to purchasing them. When I did I was jubilant. My washing now smells gorgeous, even after coming out a washing hamper that it *may* have been in for a couple of weeks. You can get a whole variety of scents of these, but Fresh has remained a firm favourite!

Plus, combined with my new Sure maximum protection 'Confidence' deodorant, I feel like I'm fully prepared for the heat of summer. This leaves me mostly sweat (and body odour) free all day, and I honestly haven't found anything that compares at all!

The last couple of months have been super stressful trying to juggle what seems like seventeen different things all at once. So, taking time out to relax with a cup of this delicious Clipper strawberry green tea every evening has proved a great way to get a little "me" time in. I love sipping this whilst sitting down to write one of my favourite recipes down in my Paperchase recipe book.

Also, as we've both been so busy with university work at the moment, me and my boyfriend have started to try and allocate a little fortnightly "date night" so that we at least spend some time together without our laptops. As student times can be a bit rough on the pocket, we don't splurge on these too much, so a night in together with Netflix, a nice meal that we've spent time cooking and a relaxing massage is a winner! This has been my favourite way to spend time together this Spring, and The Body Shop's sensual massage oil smells absolutely amazing - it's our go-to at the moment!

What have been your spring favourites?

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