A #veryclearancechristmas





2 weeks ago I was lucky enough to get a last minute spot on the #verymerrychristmas event which involved some crafts and a talk about fashion buying.  When I got there you could see the girls had made such an effort and they had put on an amazing spread - even with their own personalised wine bottles!
Firstly we kicked things off with a little crafting when we each got to design our own bags, I wasn't overly creative and copied Hannah and Catherine's idea of using a doilie to get a kinda circular lace imprint and then put my initials inside. Such an easy and simple idea- it looked great and would make an amazing personalised gift to someone! Next we just chatted while eating some of the lovely bits they grabbed ( FYI apricot Wensleydale is a DREAM) and we even had a guest appearance by a dog - which was so freakin cute!!
Lastly Hannah gave us a small insight into fashion buying and why she picked out the items they brought along to show us, where they came from and some tips on styling them as well. They had some gorgeous jumpers/ dresses and even some Millie Mackintosh clothing! We were all chatting away so much that we had to be kicked out the room as our time was up! It definitely was a lovely event and the girls have been kind enough to offer £5 off when you spend £15 using this link - http://www.ebay.co.uk/sme/veryclearance/so.html?_soffid=5010239108&_soffType=TargetedOffer&_soprvw=1 -it's valid until the 13th december! 
Let me know if you get anything! Merry Christmas guys! :) 

P.s sorry for the lack of posts, 1) life's been mental 2) my internet is playing up and I can't figure out why! It's taken me several days to get this post up!
 
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

Halloween ideas

I'm really gutted I'm not rich enough to go all out and do some really awesome costume. I think I'm going with a leopard this year but I have been looking all over pinterest for some idea's and found quite a few different inspirational costumes I wish I could do!! May have to find an excuse to dress up - especially like Iggy Azalea's Cruella! 








what are you guys dressing as?
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

The perfect way to end a week?


I've been slacking... I know, I've been very painting motivated lately so the blog has kinda fallen by the wayside(?). It also doesn't help that I changed cards and haven't updated my photoshop subscription and now I don't have it -oops expect poorly edited photos!!
Last week I decided to test out my Lush yoga bomb as I had had a little bit of stress going on and apparently 15 minutes of the yoga bomb is the same as 3 hours of yoga..... nooooot quite sure how true that is but I'll take lying in a bath over downward facing dog any day. 
This bath bomb has a really nice refreshing and uplifting smell which I found quite energizing, it had a lot of glitter which I didn't expect it also randomly started producing purples and other colours which was exciting! I'm always a bit apprehensive about glitter in the bath bombs but it didn't stick to me at all which is great but then you do have the afterbath ( aftermath...see what I did there?) of glitter ALL OVER YOUR TUB. So after you are all nice and relaxed you then gotta do some cleaning up - not quite the dream there but I will let it slide....aaaanyway a lovely lush bath with Rudimental's new album playing was just the perfect way to end the week off, I'm seriously loving this album and it's feel good vibes so the two together are a dream, I just feel a bit sorry for my neighbours who may or may not have heard my screechy cat voice singing along. Oh well, swings and roundabouts. 
What's your favourite Lush bath bomb? What music do you play to compliment it?
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

Learning an old(ish) skill




I'm FINALLY living my dream of painting again, except this time I am tackling oil paints. This isn't something I have done since high school and I am pretty much making it up as I go along. I decided to swap to oils because if I ever wanted to paint in colour with acrylics I was finding by the time I had mixed the paint got a stroke on it would then be dry( I maaay be exaggerating a little there) but I tend to paint with a very dry brush which didn't help. I was at a point where I felt like acrylics just weren't for me but at the same time I found the idea of oils very overwhelming and I was struggling to find the space and also the creative drive to paint for years. 
Oils definitely AREN'T as scary as I thought, they have all these liquids and extras you can use but I actually prefer them without for now. It is hard reteaching myself because I haven't actually painted for years and I haven't used oils since I was like 17 but I am slowly learning the way I used to paint and adapting it to oils. I really love the challenge and seeing the picture come together.  I thought I would start by painting Ella Eyre which.. maybe wasn't a smart move to start with considering I am awful at hair but I got there and I'm happy with it -ombre and curly hair was definitely a challenge!
I've found I've got a whole new drive for painting, the new space I'm in is really helping me and I feel so creative. There is a lot for me to work on with both painting and relearning to sketch and draw and develop a style I hope people will see and recognise as mine. I get so frustrated with it sometimes when it doesn't come out like I feel it should it look; so I need to learn to work past that and admit that sometimes some things are going to look absolutely awful while I am still learning.
I've ordered a couple of books of oil painting paper so I'm going to keep picking out pictures and people that inspire me and hopefully test my painting skills so I can become better and then at the same time start developing idea's for collections which I can start next year and hopefully get into a gallery. It'll be a bit of a challenge with working full time but I am hoping to get out 30-50 portraits by the end of the year! I'll keep you updated on how it goes! I will be selling these on etsy and I am thinking about taking commisions as well! 
Have you tried something new lately?
Laura x
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

Make up desk envy

Now that I have moved I have space in my room for a make up desk! I'm going for what seems to be the standard Ikea Malm dresser table but I've been scanning pinterest for some ideas and pictures of how people have done their desks. I know when it's all done that I don't really want any MUJI drawers, I know they are popular but they just aren't for me! I've got a little set up at the moment but can't wait to get my desk going when I FINALLY get it. money wise this may take a while but I promise as soon as it's done up I will be doing a mini post. ( I think I will have a home one coming up anyway!) - So here is what's inspiring me! 







Link me some of your inspirations!! x
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

Beauty: IPL hair removal

I'm sure I'm not the only one who hates shaving, I have epilated my legs but, my god is it painful. A friend of mine said she did IPL ( laser hair removal) and for over a year now I have been debating it. In March I decided to bite the bullet and try it out for myself after getting a Groupon deal at Bellisimo in Manchester.
I opted for my armpits and a brazilian ( just a little bit more than a bikini) and bought 6 sessions. It wasn't that painful, some zaps were a little bit but overall it's completely tolerable and it only took 10-15 minutes to do both areas, you can also ask them to lower the settings so it doesn't hurt as much. After a couple of sessions I did start to notice the hair was growing back slower and shorter and now it's really patchy. I will need a couple more sessions but I'm really chuffed with the results; so far I can tell that some hairs aren't coming back. DREAM. 
I really recommend trying this, it works best on darker hairs so sadly I can't do this on my chin which annoys me to no end! It can be a little expensive so try and find yourself a deal before hand to help with the costs! 
Ciao!
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

Finally getting my hands on the tartelette palette

I knew as soon as I saw this palette I was going to own it. I asked a few friends to pick it up in america because the £45 they were asking on amazing was ridiculous! Anyway they both were unable to find it and I managed to get it from QVC for £28 which is around the asking price in the states anyway! 
The packaging of this is stunning for all you fellow packaging geeks out there, I actually keep this in the box. I'm not sure why I just prefer it in the box! Overall you get 16 stunning matte shades from nudes to browns and light pinks to purples. Dreamer is a great alternate to MACs mystery for my eyebrows and natural beauty is a good dupe for the Naked 2 tease.  The colours all go really well together and blend really nicely, the light colours are good for some highlighting. You also get a really decent brush with it too and the mirror is big enough to do a lot of your make up. 
This is definitely the perfect travel set! at £28 I think it was well worth the money!  I think my favourite shade has to be best friend. 
What did you think of this palette? 
Ciao x
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

whitening your teeth naturally


cocowhite natural teeth whitening mint flavour
Whitening my teeth is something I have wanted to do for such a long time as years of fizzy drinks has definitely taken its toll. I just wasn't sure how to go about it, I had seen heaps of home kits and heard about people to go and see but I just wasn't sold. 
I came across cocowhite on instagram and bought the packet the next day, natural whitening? Yes please! I was worried about the horror stories of making your teeth incredibly sensitive and all the chemicals that could potentially be making them worse off and eroding the natural enamel. Cocowhite uses a technique called oil pulling, you pretty much just swish it around your mouth for 5-15 minutes and it helps bring out all the bad plaque.
At £20 for a two week pack I thought it was pretty bargainous as I had seen other packs for around £60. It also has 3 flavours a vanilla, mint and also a lemony one, I got the mint as I thought it would be a little bit weird to use vanilla right before brushing my teeth and I'm not a lemony fan. 
As this is coconut oil this does solidify quite easily so you can either accept that or try to heat it up in your hands. I was worried about shoving this in and gagging a little as you can't swallow so I kinda just shove it to the side and slosh it around until it's all dissolved. I try to do this for 10-12 minutes and then brush my teeth and use a mouthwash after. It actually tastes really nice and it's super easy to use. I haven't regularily used it so maybe I would have had more of a difference in shade if I had but I have noticed my teeth have gone whiter and the colour is more even so I do think I will be picking this up again and trying to use it every couple of months to keep on top of my teeth whitening. 
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

A Charlotte Tilbury nude you need in your life

charlotte tilbury matte revolution norma parkinson miss kensington
Safe to say my nude obsession is still going strong, after lusting after Bitch Perfect for so long another CT nude popped up and caught my attention.... CT's Miss Kensington. I Umm'd and Ahh'd about this because I looked at loads of different swatches to figure out how it may look on me. Easiest thing to do? try it on in store!! I'm sure you've guessed the rest of the story I bought it straight away and it was everlasting love there onwards.
This is a fantastic nude and I feel the colour does adapt to the colour of your lips. It's a subtle pinky nude and looks really natural on the lips which I have to be careful of having fatter than average lips. As per all CT products the quality is amazing and this is soft and moisturising. It has a good colour stay but I do find I have to reapply but this is probably another downfall of fat lips as it's more obvious when the colour starts to fade. At £23 I think it's worth spending that little bit more to get and as it's limited edition I would recommend snapping one up fast!
Ciao x 
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

Book review: Queen of the tearling

I was looking for some new books for my holiday and heard that Emma Watson was loving this book ( so much so she is starring in the film version and even producing it!) so I thought this would be the one to take with me. Safe to say I know why she loved it so much. 
This is such a fantastic book, I didn't quite catch at first this was set in the future as she was referencing Harry Potter and the Hobbit and then I realised. Basically in the future Jonathan Tear has a vision of a life where we aren't ruled by technology and we start afresh- this gets expanded much more in the sequel so I'll leave it at that for now. 
Kelsea is a normal 19 year old, except she isn't, she's about to come out of hiding to inherit the throne and rule a country she doesn't really know anything about. Her Uncle is the current regent and will stop at nothing to make sure she doesn't make it to claim what is rightfully hers. Her Uncle is also working with the powerful and immortal Red Queen for Morteseme. Kelsea has to prove to her guard and the rest of the Tearling she isn't just some girl is who isn't afraid of getting her hands dirty and she stays true to her beliefs no matter the cost all whilst trying to stay alive.
I really don't want to give too much away about this book, I think I say this with all my book reviews! It's a brilliant dystopian novel and Kelsea is really relatable. You have a great insight into how her mind works and why she makes the decisions she does. She is trying to best not to be a queen like her mother was but to do the right thing for her people. She's also a 19 year old who has no experience of the life outside of her adoptive parents and hasn't really had any interactions with men or what life is really like. Guiding her is the mysterious Mace head of her queens guard but she comes across many other influencial characters such as the Fetch. 
PICK THIS UP NOWWWW 
I loved this so much I bought the sequel as soon as I got back from my holiday so look out for that review coming soon! Erika Johansen PLEASE finish the 3rd book and also do more books than the planned trilogy. 
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

A potential skincare staple?

alpha-h pigment reducing vitamin C serum
At the #nwmeet we were given some amazing products to try. One of them was this vitamin C serum by Alpha-H with the aim of improving the look of dull,tired, sun damaged and prematurly aging skin.Alpha-H also use one of Charlotte Tilburys favourite ingredients in this - Hyaluronic acid. 
They state:
Grape Seed and Liquorice Extracts together with New Generation Technology are blended with Botanicals to cleanse the skin and gently remove dirt and oil from clogged pores. Locking in essential moistures and keeping the skin hydrated, the high performance formula helps to reduce pigmentation on the skin whilst improving skin tone and texture. Providing ongoing protection, Vitamin C Serum repairs damaged skin cells caused by the intense heat of the sun and acne breakouts whilst preventing future skin damage.

I've been using this daily and I do notice a difference when I haven't been using this mostly in the pigmentation. My skin is visibly less red when I use this! The smell of this isn't particularily nice but it does feel refreshing on the skin and soaks up nice and quickly which means I don't have to wait long to start applying make up.  

I do really love using this but with a price tag of £58.50 I'll have to find a cheaper alternative - I'm thinking the Pai rosehip oil but if anyone could recommend one that would be fantastic!

                                                                      Ciao x

Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

When you thought your favourite lush product couldn't get any better....

I don't think I am the only one here when I say that the comforter bath bomb is my all time favourite. It smells amazing, produces ridiculous amounts of bubbles for  me to enjoy. When I went to Lush in June I HAD TO get the shower gel version, how could I not?! 
And let me tell you. ITS AMAZING. It smells just as delicious as the bath bomb with subtle glittery bits in it. It's the perfect little pick me up after a long day.
My only downside is I do think it's a little pricey? maybe thats just me? I can't remember how much this bottle was I think £9-10? I really wanted to get more but it just would have been too expensive, they had a mega bottle for £30 which is insane. it was HUGE. I've used this so much I've nearly used half the bottle I love it that much so I will definitely be repurchasing no matter what the cost but may get it as a treat every now and again. This was a Oxford street purchase but I think I've heard the liverpool one is getting it - fingers crossed otherwise I may have to frequent London more than I planned to. 
have you tried this? 
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

#nwmeet Sept 15









Last Saturday I was lucky enough to attend the #nwmeet up hosted by Sam and Katy.They did an incredible job and found us the coolest location ( even if we did think we were all off to our deaths on the way there!) it was a warehouse that has been converted with Saloons, a meditation room, sewing workshops and a really cool rooftop garden ( complete with the cutest little Frenchie call Martha!!)
Sam and Katy did an amazing job! It was really lovely seeing them again and a few of the other bloggers from the previous meet plus lots of lovely new people. This time the meet was raising money for the recovery bag project which is an amazing project that helps anyone with any kind of mental illness with perfect goody bags to help you through those moments, mental health is such an important thing and we are finding more and more people struggling so this is an amazing idea! - we helped raise over £100!
When we first arrived there was a surprise draw which we then found out certain numbers won a disney couture item - I didn't win and I'm not going to lie I was a little jealous, they were stunning but what an incredible surprise for the girls that did! 
We were fortunate to get two goodybags with heaps of products to try - including the Tarte lights camera lashes which we were all gobsmacked about! - keeps your eyes peeled over the next month for reviews from a lot of the items!
After we had all arrived, chatted, taken photos on the selfie wall and put our mark on the kissing wall ( where W7 had kindly donated some new lipsticks for us to try!) we were visited by Lush Lpool who gave us a little demonstration of some of the products we had been given and I found out that they use ground almonds or coffee in their exfoliators instead of plastic and also 15 minutes of the Yoga bomb equals 3 hours of yoga ( I will be testing that out soon!) 
It was a gorgeous day so we spent a lot of time outside chatting and enjoying the last of the summer. Later on we had another visit from Material Culture who brought some gorgeous jewellery for sale and gave us some great advice about working with brands. After that it was time for the raffle! There was so much on offer and I was lucky enough to win a Sass and Belle pillow from Cheekyboo - perfect for the new house! What was really lovely was that we all made sure everyone won a prize.
 During the day we had a challenge to guess how many midget jems were in the jar and the top 4 won a dress - I won!! I was 4th but I actually ended up with the dress I liked the most, sadly it was a little too big for me so I gave it to the lovely Hannah! Lastly we were given one last surprise with a gift from Rocket & Rye - an LED letter of our name - oh my god, I really wanted one of these and now I am over the moon with it! 
It was such a gorgeous day and it was lovely to see all the girls again and meet a lot of new people. I managed to meet some more Manc bloggers! I can't wait for the next one ladies! 
x
What a long post! I could chat even more but I will leave you with this picture from the selfie wall - this mirror and all Secret Warehouse decor needs to be in my life. 
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

Book review: The Red Queen

I'm just going to say..casually... YOU NEED TO BUY THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW. 
like RIGHT NOW. like click here and buy it. NOW.
did you buy it? good choice! This is like a dystopian fantasy book where there are two kinds of people in the world red blooded people or silver blooded people. The red blooded live in poverty whilst the silvers are rich with superhuman powers. Mare Barrow is angry, angry with the world and the way it is. Why are her people the ones to suffer? She's the kind of girl that does what she needs to to survive regardless of what other people think.
One day Mare finds herself in a new situation and all of a sudden is thrown in with all these silvers disguised as a long lost silver princess and is engaged to one of the heirs. She uses this position as one of power and tries to help a red rebellion take down the silvers. 
I'm really trying not to give a lot away because this book has some seriously amazing storylines that I really didn't expect. I felt like Mare herself was a really great character and always stayed true to herself. She falls in love with one prince and ends up with another and I was really shipping her and Cal but then the more she interacted with Maven I was like oh god. Who should she end up with? Both of them had really great points and were written so well. All the while she was putting herself and her people first and doing whatever it takes to survive. Oh gosh, honestly this is so hard to write just how amazing this book is without giving it away. 
I closed the book and immediatly wanted MORE. There are two mini novellas coming out in January I beleive and the next book is due out next year. This is one of those books you just don't want to end!
I'm doing it. 10/10.
Bravo Victoria Aveyard - write me 20 more books please!
Have you read this?!
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

Charlotte Tilbury light wonder foundation

I'm in love, like actually in love with this.... is it possible to be in love with a foundation? Like all things at the Charlotte Tilbury counter this really hasn't disappointed ( if you couldn't tell by my outburst) and has left me wanting MORE. 
Since my trusty NARS tinted moisturiser finished I was debating picking up another bottle or getting a CT foundation. Let's be honest, it wasn't much of a debate, that gorgeous rose gold packaging drew me in very easily.
 I knew she had a new foundation coming out so I popped instore to figure out which to get and after speaking with the sales assistant we figured this would be the best option for me. Just to give you the low down, generally I like my foundation very light. I don't like feeling it on my skin especially as I have combination skin and my forehead and chin can get incredibly oily. So the light wonder has a lighter more build-able coverage then the magic foundation which is a more medium to heavy coverage.
The NARS tinted moisturiser was lovely don't get me wrong, I would really repurchase it but I did find my chin and forehead still getting quite oily. BUT. oh god, I had been touching my chin all day the first time I wore this like some absolute weirdo because the CT light wonder really doesn't make it feel that oily at all! It feels, hmm, I'm not 100% sure how to describe I guess it felt silky-ish in my oily spots. The coverage is really good and apart from the fact I kept touching my face in one area it stayed most of the day and  I found it covered my redness really well though there was room to comfortably add a little more if I wanted to.
 The next day I didn't touch my face and it lasted all day and literally felt like I had nothing on and no oilyness! The girl at the counter also put on a lot more on me then I usually would when we tested it out and it still felt really light. At £32 I think that's a fair enough price at 40ml, which is slightly smaller then the 50ml NARS moisturiser but for all the extra goodness you can't complain and it definitely out shines NARS. ( sorry NARS)
The girl at the counter was so lovely and tested out several products on me like the cleansing balm and the magic cream along with the retoucher and powder. Saaaaaafe to say even more products have been added to my CT wishlist - someone want to get me the Norma Parkinson highlighter? ...any takers?...no?
Ciao x
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

a healthy easy to make work snack idea

I've been looking at other ways to keep healthy while at work as I was getting a little bored of apples or carrots. Whilst I was in Aldi I came across these chia and oat crispbreads I thought they would be perfect! Chia is really good for you and something I have been trying to put in my diet more. I decided to whip up my own guacamole to put on top as avocado is something I am trying to eat more of too and it was super simple!! 
1) get a ready to ripe avocado, I didn't know these existed till the other week so make sure you get one because it makes your life A LOT easier. put the avocado in a bowl and cut it up into small pieces and then mash it up.( - if your avocado isn't properly ripe your going to really struggle to mash it as it comes out quite chunky and also doesn't taste as nice)
2) put in some garlic powder and some chili infused oil ( this will depend on how strong you want it) 
3) cut up some baby tomatos and chuck these in and you are DONE. 
Literally it's that easy, I usually make this in the morning before work and take half in this cute little jar and spread it over the crispbread. one avocado can spread over 4-5 crispbreads. YUM. I'm thinking about trying hummus next! 
what would you put ontop of the crispbread? give me some ideas! x
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

Another update - I'm back!

Hey guys! I know it's been a while but I AM BACK.

The internet basically didn't get set up until friday - a lot later then expected!!  3 weeks without the internet has been a little refreshing but I have missed blogging and I have a list of things I am excited to blog about so I am hoping to get regularly posting again from maybe weds or friday onwards. I want to get some pictures and posts written up in good timing and not rushed. 

I was debating doing a mini house picture post - of like little details we've done to make the house more homely. I'm not sure just yet, I may wait a while until things are more set up and we have a few more bits and bobs in the house. I really want to do a room post but the walls need painting and frames bought so perhaps October when I have worked on it and got it how I want it set up.

Being in the new place has already sparked my creativity and inspiration, it's insane how quickly life has changed. We've been cooking really healthily and I may do a few meal posts and healthy idea posts which is exciting. I've started creating ideas and brainstorming for my clothing line again, I really want to get this out next year and I've been thinking of ways to raise the funds for it. I've also started drawing and hopefully going to start watercolours and re-learn how to oil paint! I'm thinking about selling my paintings to help raise money to start the brand so keep an eye out! the oils are going to be portrait practices so we will have to see how I get on as I haven't painted with oils since high school and I haven't really done colour portraits. all in all I'm just really excited about life and thinking about what my life may be like this time next year - fingers crossed I won't be stuck in a call centre! 

What have you all been up to?  x

Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

A quick update

this is just a quick update as to why this blog has been a little quiet, basically I am moving house weds plus a holiday last week and I just wasn't organised enough to get some posts ready. I'm aiming to start regularily posting again from next saturday onwards so keep your eyes peeled! 
Hope you're all well!
x
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

Trying to save money

I am THE WORST at saving money, there I said it. It's sad to think I am so bad at it yet I am A LOT better then I used to be. I'm moving house next week plus doing driving lessons to get a car - with a holiday/festival and shopping addiction - it's hard being me and my bank balance. Here is how I am learning:
1. Send things back or walk away: I used to be pretty bad at returning items I've ordered or bought if I didn't like them and I usually left them with tags on until I sold them. Then I went through a phase of ordering myself things as a weight motivation and convincing myself once I lost weight they would be a great reward AND they would look much better. ( spoiler alert this has never happened and I usually don't like the item once it fits). Now I send things back if they don't look right or if I'm not 100% sure, I have to be 110% sure I love it if I keep it with the aim as a weight loss treat. I tend to see something in a shop and then put it down and walk away, if I can walk away fine, it's not true love and I don't truly want it. If I get (mild)palpitations about someone else owning it ( that actually happens....anyone else?) then I just may get it but only after I have a big inner battle about wants and needs.
2. Budgeting, I write out my wage each month and then knock off things like rent, bills to see what I have left, then I account for food, a shopping limit...( it's nice to think I have one...even if I always go over it) and what's left for spares. If I account for a shopping budget and keep an eye on what I've spent so far so I know when I am reaching the end of it I have to really think about buying something else. 
3. Don't buy things because they are cheap, before going on holiday I was in H&M and saw a t-shirt dress for £8 and I thought 1- this is perfect for the beach 2- SO CHEAP. I picked it up instantly, knowing I didn't have much money I then though...will I really wear this again? what will it go with? I ended up putting it down because that super cheap £8 can build up after a few times and really I didn't need it.
4. Remember what you are saving for, maybe put pictures on your phone or around the house to help remind you so when you feel bad about not getting that lipstick you can feel better about that new ride or house you'll be getting. I actually get really excited when I think I have saved now as it means I am closer to new goals. 
5. Find something to distract you, late night shopper? read a book or go for a run instead of browsing topshop or ASOS.
6. If you have a bad shopping addiction you are trying to curb or saving up for something maybe open a  new bank account. I was really struggling to save money to buy art supplies and start an art career so I opened a lloyds account and transfered some money each month. When I bought something I knew how much I had so I couldn't over spend. 
What are your tips and tricks? 
Ciao x 
 
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube

When bloggers meet up... feat. Kitti





(all these photos have been taken from Emma, please check out her post for even more photos!)
A while back Jemma asked a couple of us bloggers from the previous #nwbloggersmeetup if we would like to meet up again but this time with the assistance of santanders new app Kitti
Not only is it named well but this app is really handy for organising events with friends, basically you can start a fund and invite your friends to join in. So we started one for a nice meal and drinks and each of us put in how much we wanted to spend. There is a small fee for adding money, something like 35p each time but that's not too bad. Jemma then got a card and pin that we used on the night - super easy! We actually had some money left over we had to ask the waiter after we paid to let us tip him it all! 
So I got to see Katy, Jemma, Holly, Sarah (for the first time!), Emma again and we all picked to go to smugglers cove in liverpool. I was so excited as it all looked delicious and the place looked amazing with awesome decor. The service was excellent (props to poor Eddy who had to put up with us!) and the food was delicious - FYI I had the chicken and rum pate which you can see above and a chicken burger. Only problem was me and Katy were facing a giant window and pretty much couldn't see anyones faces if we looked that way! The drinks were delicious and some of us (... maaaaybe me and Jem more than others....) enjoyed a few more then we should have on a school night. 
Overall it was a lovely night and I can't wait to see the girls again! I would definitely use the Kitti app again as well it was really handy for paying and knowing how much you had to spend! you can also see what I wore here
Have you tried it out yet? 
Ciao x
Keep up to date with my latest posts by following me! :)
- Bloglovin - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest - Youtube