the waiting game

top: h&m

necklaces: lilac edge

skirt: primark

gilet: boohoo

boots: primark

since presenting for one module last week and handing my dissertation in yesterday, i've essentially been playing a huge waiting game, nervously anticipating my results from my first module of the year which were said to be given to us before the end of this week, so as you can imagine i'm currently sat around frustrated at the fact that they still haven't gone live. i just need to know so i can lay it to rest (!!!!!!!) 

in other news, had you noticed that stripes are my new go-to? well if not, they are. this top and skirt combo is an outfit i've been reaching for lately when i can't be bothered to properly plan an outfit, simply because i know it works and it's a comfortable option. i've been feeling a bit icky and a little ashamed of myself lately, so i've picked my bum up now i've recovered from my stint of illness over the last week or so and am back on with doing the 30 day shred again to try and get back into shape after failing to do so over the summer. seeing as i failed this summer just gone, hopefully i can make up for it by making it my goal to be in shape again by this summer!

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leather edge

 

necklaces: lilac edge

faux leather gillet: primark

dress: h&m

belt: asos

satchel: primark

boots: missguided

so it seems that as of late, my favourite thing to do is pair a feminine dress with my leather gillet in the hope of create a more casual looking outfit, and so far, i'd like to think i'm winning with it. for years now i've been in search of a simple white summer dress, and i finally found it in oxford street's h&m sitting on a sale rail for just £7. the dress itself is nothing special, simply plain white with a textured material, however the off the shoulder fit gives it that element of femininity that i'm really into at the moment.

i wore this yesterday for a day out to sheffield, and through the day i drank pink hibiscus beer simply because we all know what a sloth's favourite treat is, right? well, if you don't know, a hibiscus flower is a sloth's favourite treat, comparable to how a human may feel when presented with cake. if that's not a good enough reason to try a new beer, what is?!

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here comes the sun

sunglasses: primark

 jacket: h&m

top: primark

necklace: handmade

rings: primark

jeans: topshop

sandals: primark

the sun has decided to show its face again as of late, and with the resurrection of the sunshine, i always decide it's a good idea to resurrect my joni jeans. because the jeans emphasise, ahem, how wide i am, i always like to team them with a light, flowy top to try and balance out my top and bottom, meaning during the colder months when i'm in need of something a little thicker on top, my joni jeans are a no go. just the way i like to play the game, unfortunately!

i nabbed these sunglasses for a quid at the back end of last summer, and am i glad i did because they're definitely my favourite pair of sunglasses i've ever owned. i also picked up a white pair, because at a quid it'd have been silly not to! i assume these sunglasses will now see me through several summers, and i have high hopes of the sandals doing the same, too. before buying this pair, i'd previously had the same two pairs for the last three years, so if that's anything to go by i'll be safe for sandals. i can't say that'll stop me buying more pairs of chunky black boots in abundance, however...

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layering up

hat: h&m

jumper: primark

blouse: charity shop

dress (worn as skirt): asos

necklace: primark

shoes: primark

when i bought this dress back in september, i bought it solely as a going out dress, but soon realised that it's far too dressy for what i like to wear on your average night out. because of this i started thinking about other ways to wear it to make sure i'd get my money's worth out of it. i generally don't wear bright colours like this, with muted colours making up the majority of my wardrobe, so it was definitely something different for me to consider for everyday wear. once again, hundreds (maybe a slight exaggeration) of layers make for perfect winter wear, so this look will be something i'll be sporting until the weather warms up and i have an appropriate occasion to wear the dress to. who knows, maybe i'll go on holiday in 2014 and get plenty of wear out of it. it seems more realistic that it'll make an appearance on a warmer evening in britain, though. shame.

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winter florals

hat: h&m

dress: h&m

blouse: charity shop

necklaces: ebay

coat: ebay

boots: ebay

i find the easiest way to keep warm while making good use of the majority of your wardrobe is to layer everything up with a good collared shirt, and today's post is no exception to that. florals look good all year round, however some colours and styles are more suited to the colder months than others, and when i spotted this gem in h&m for £8 i knew i'd found the perfect floral winter dress. i say dress, it's intended to be an oversized shirt, but by being cautious while sitting and standing it's easy to make work as a dress! thrown on with some red lippy and my trusty bowler hat, this outfit works a treat for adding a little bit of life to what can otherwise be dull winter outfits.

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h&m | eyeshadow palette

h&m eyeshadow palette, 'biscotti dreams': £2.99

i'd eyed up the h&m eyeshadow palettes every time i'd stepped foot inside a store for a fair few months, and after doing a little bit of research and discovering that h&m's cosmetics are cruelty free, i decided to head back to my local store and pick a palette up.

i opted for the 'biscotti dreams' palette which features three nude brown shades and a cream as i like a fairly subtle, nonchalant looking smoky eye. i like smoky eyes because while looking effortlessly grungy, colours such as browns help to make the green in my eyes really pop (good god, i really do sound like a beauty blogger now, don't i?) and i think from now on i may retire my felt tip liner for a while and trade a pristine catflick for this more effortless (see also: lazy) approach.

admittedly, the eyeshadows do somewhat rub off throughout the day with the darkest colours appearing lighter when you've done your 9 - 5 at uni, however they don't rub off around or under the eye at all so there's never any mess to tidy up; it's just a case of reapplying if you're busy in the evening! at just £2.99 i'm definitely not complaining, and i'm also debating going back to buy a couple more eyeshadow palettes as there were also palettes featuring greys, blacks and pinks that i was fairly intrigued by.

have you used h&m cosmetics before? if not, will you now be having a browse yourself?

 

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let's be bold // ootd + video

hat: h&m

shirt: charity shop

dungarees: new look

necklace: ebay

rings: shop dixi, topshop, ebay

boots: matalan

for a while i'd been eyeing up the leather pinafore dress in primark, but every time i walked past it i told myself i didn't need it (probably still true...) however, when i spied these leather dunagrees in the new look sale for just £8, i couldn't say no. where is my will power?! i don't know.

as much as i hate myself for spending money where it's not necessary, i'm very, very happy with these dungarees. all it takes is these, some bold red lippy and my bowler for me to feel fab! i find the dungaree/blouse combination a tad plain, so to make things i little more interesting i chose to accessorise with some spiked jewellery to give the outfit a little bit of edge in an attempt to make it look less 'formal'.

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moving on

hat: h&m

crop top: new look

jeans: topshop

earrings: robynmakesthings

ring: shop dixi

shoes: charity shop

i'm currently gritting my teeth and just dealing with how wide my hips are in the top two pictures... swiftly moving on! you may have noticed that my hair here is significantly shorter. if you weren't aware, this isn't because i've gone for a massive chop, but because i've taken my extensions out. i've grown tired of them getting knotted, constantly washing and colouring them and generally just having to deal with them on a day to day basis, so i've said to myself that i'm going to make an effort to give them up altogether! i'm expecting it'll be quite difficult for me as i've worn extensions now since i was about 15...

if you're wondering why my hair's failed to grow an adequate amount in almost five years, it's simply because i'm a fiend with hair dye. i always get bored with my hair style/colour and then opt for a new look by either dying it or chopping it, thus either shortening it or damaging it, so growing it is a massive chore. just over a year ago i had a terrible haircut where my layers were cut so terribly short (never again,) and i've just about grown the layers back, meaning my hair now has some body to it. length is a work in progress, but in the mean time, i'm happy that i can use what hair i do have to create a certain amount of volume.

outfit wise, i adore my joni jeans. admittedly, they're not too flattering in photos, but in life they make me feel fab and are so, so comfy. i picked the crop top up on a whim because it was adorable and just £6 in the sale, and the same goes for my shoes. every time i see a pair of shoes in a charity shop that a) i like and b) fit me, i feel compelled to buy them, and these shoes were just so adorably ugly that i couldn't leave them on the shelf!

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little pink dress

hat: h&m

necklace: primark

dress: asos

belt: asos

shoes: missguided

i first stumbled upon this dress on asos in black, and just before i added it to my cart i noticed there was another colour option, so i asked myself the question: do i really need another little black dress? and in that moment, i did something really daring and bought a bright pink dress... ok, it was daring for me.

i'm pleased i went for the pink, the colour's really pretty and i feel instantly girly and feminine when i slip it on, although i do like to dress it down a little with my hat so i still feel a little like myself when wearing it. i wore this dress for my first night out during freshers and it couldn't have been a more appropriate choice, what with me being stuck in a sweaty room full of giddy drunken first years (ah, god bless 'em.) the fact that this dress is rather lightweight and there's, erm, not very much to it, means that it's a good choice for when you know you're going to be pretty warm all night.

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