September Wedding Style

I know September's nearly over but I thought I'd post this anyway - September weddings are becoming more and more popular and most of the time, September doesn't greet us with the same glorious weather that the summer months do. 
My cousin got married last weekend and the weather was amazing so I didn't get to wear the original September-ish outfit I had planned (it didn't turn out great anyway). So this was my back up outfit, it's summery but I changed it slightly by adding black accessories instead of white or cream ones. 
I apologise for the fact that I don't have a full length picture - there wasn't really much time to stand about and get pictures on my own because weddings are so packed full of things to do, people to see, food to eat, etc. But my parents were able to get a few shots of me outside the church, and they like closeup photos, which I do not.

Also, my hair was not at it's finest that day! We had to travel to get to the wedding and stay overnight and yes, I forgot my straighteners. I just had to take a deep breath and deal with it.
I absolutely love the colour of this dress - it's perfect in every season because of the shade of blue that it is and it's just so lovely and wedding appropriate.
My dress is from Asos Petite and unfortunately, it's sold out now because I bought it in February! There are lots of similar style dresses from Asos Petitie though.
Shoes - Office (similar here)
Bag - New look (similar here)
Hope you enjoyed this, this look is also perfect for Spring weddings too! You can never go wrong with pastels.
CJ x

Topshop Magic Liner

I confess! I am quite possibly the worst person with liquid liner that you have ever met. I can't even apply it, let alone apply it neatly, so I basically steered clear for the stuff. But recently, I got the free Push-Up Liner with Benefit's They're Real Mascara and I was quite impressed with how easy I found it to apply so I decided to test out the different types of liner out there.
As you saw on my previous post, it was the Student Lock In in the Trafford Centre so whilst I was buying some gorgeous cigarette pants, I was taken in by Topshop's beauty ranger (as per) and decided to pick up the magic liner.
As soon as I tried it, I just had to tweet about it and tell the world how amazing it is! So if you haven't tried it, it's basically like a felt tip pen and it's extremely easy to apply! It comes out so black instantly, unlike previous pen liners that I've tried (ie the one by Maxfactor where you have to continuously draw on the back of your hand before it decides to come out black instead of grey), and it just glides on. The nib is so tiny that you can really get the precision you need to do your winged eyeliner. 
Overall, I would definitely recommend this for those who aren't blessed with the gifts of patience and steady hands! It's now part of my daily makeup routine too! At £6.50 you really can't argue, because the quality is amazing. Hope this helped.
Link to the liner here
CJ x

Student Lock In - The Trafford Centre

Everybody knows it's that time of year (season) again ....... STUDENT SALE TIMEEEEEE. I spend all semester saving on to the last scraps of money knowing that all the student sale events will occur a week or two before my student loan comes in. I have been to one of these before and this was at the Arndale in Manchester, it was one of the best shopping experiences I've ever had in my life, so I thought I'd review it on my blog this time.
So, the concept of these is, that if you are signed up to emails from the shopping centre hosting them (or at student lock in online) you will be notified of the event near you. They say you have to register but most of the time you just need a valid student card. And a massive list of shops participate in the sales. Most of the shops do a special 20% off for students offer and some, like Vans (absolute fave) host games such as beer pong to win further bonuses!
The pros of this kind of event are obviously the money that you are saving, the atmosphere of everyone buzzing around you from excitement at all of these offers and just how special it makes you to feel to be a student. Let's be honest, the student lifestyle isn't the most glamourus and privileged so once you are even acknowledged - it's great!
However, there are cons to these types of events - not every shop participates with discounts, it is EXTREMELY busy and uncomfortable, stock becomes unavailable quickly and the customer service in shops suffers terribly. The only shop where I was truly satisfied with the service was Kurt Geiger (I may go into more detail about shop service in another blog), the girl that served me was so lovely and helpful and it made a nice change from the evils I'd been getting from the rest of the shop assistants.

I took full advantage of these special prices and picked up just a few items. The first of which are this year's AW boots, they are part of last year's collection from Kurt Geiger but I think they are still in style, so comfortable and I'm sure I'll get a lot of use out of them. I wish I could've walked out of Kurt Geiger with more than one pair of shoes (I especially have my eye on those Miss KG ones which go with Benefit's They're Real mascara - they're just so beautiful), but I'm thankful I got my Autumn/Winter Boots at a discounted price.
I also headed into Topshop and bought the dogtooth cigarette pants as seen on my friend April in a previous blog because I couldn't resist, as well as the Magic Liner to try out.
Only one purchase from The Body Shop, which had 30% off I might add, and that was the Tea Tree Night Serum because I was so impressed with the tester I'd been given.
I also bought my favourite Yankee Candle (Candy Corn) and I picked up a T-Shirt for my boyfriend from Vans.
Overall, I'd say that you should go to the event if it's near you, because this is something that you don't want to miss and I can't wait for the next one!
CJ x

The 1975 Outfit Post

I went to see the 1975 this weekend in Manchester with my friends from university and it was amazing! We used our o2 priority to get quick entry and the priority bar, so the lack of lines were a definite plus!
It was the first night that the 1975 were playing in Manchester (which is also their home town) so it felt really special. They are one of my favourite bands and so much fun to watch live, the atmosphere was fantastic even if they were a little late on stage!
So all of our outfits were very last minute as we thought it'd be warmer than it turned out to be! We were all planning on skirts, shorts and dresses and clearly that didn't happen.
Me:

Bralet: Topshop
Jeans: Topshop Joni jeans
Boots: Topshop (so much Topshop - sorry!)
Cardigan: Missguided
Lipstick: MAC Rebel

April:
Top: Topshop
Trousers: Topshop
Boots: New Look

Why I love Autumn

Happy Autumn Guys! So it's not officially Autumn until September 21st but let's just pretend that it's Autumn already. Although, this is probably the least Autumnul weather I have ever seen in September. This is my absolute favourite time of year and I thought I'd tell you why!

1. The Weather

- Early Autumn is generally the time for slightly colder, dry weather with overcast clouds and crunchy leaves! It's not so cold to wear coats, hats, scarves etc. but it's definitely layer weather! Which brings me on to the next point ...

2. The clothes

- I LOVE the Fall fashion - there's nothing better than tights, boots, cardigans, leather, scarves, hats, jumpers and all the wonderful layering essentials! The colours are also AMAZING in Autumn - burgandy, navy and khaki all make an appearance in my wardrobe at this time of year.

3. The makeup

- To expand on my last point, makeup also develops during these months. It is way more acceptable to wear dark lipstick in autumn than any other time of year (even more so than Winter in my opinion). Also, metallic or dark eye makeup is also acceptable on a day-to-day basis, as is dark, metallic or glittery nails! Futhermore, fellow pale people need not be afraid of the outside world from September onwards.

4. New School Year

 - This applies to everyone 22 and under, but a new year = a new you. At 19 I still feel like I start fresh on September 1st, you're faced with so many new opportunities, and studies suggest that people who start the gym in September are more likely to stay than those who start in January. I say New Year's Resolutions should be made and kept in September instead!

5. The food

- Now is the time that my all-time favourite drink returns - yes, you guessed it, it's the Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks! Apple pie, stew, casserole, toffee apples and treacle toffee also make frequent appearances in my kitchen.

6. The smells 

- A bit of an expansion on food, the smells in Autumn are to die for! Even the smell of outside is better (plus there's no more hay fever - yay!) Once you get past the crop season, which is particularly bad if you, like me, live next to a field. My favourite Yankee Candles are autumn ones too - Candy Corn, Berrilicious, November Rain, Fireside Treats

7. The TV!
- Oh. My. God. I literally become such a house bunny in Autumn because the TV is so damn good! Absolutely all of my favourite shows return in August, September or October (barring Game of Thrones - boo!). But America's Next Top Model comes on, next thing you know Dr Who is back on Saturday nights! Then it's September and The Biggest Loser, Grey's Anatomy, Modern Family, The Big Bang Theory AND Criminal Minds sneak back onto our screens! Aaaaaah I'm in heaven.

8. Halloween and Bonfire Night

- It saddens me that not everybody celebrates Bonfire Night as it is such a massive tradition here in the UK! Apart from my asthma kicking off the day after, I love Bonfire Night for the food, fireworks, bonfires, sparklers and socialness! And need I mention Halloween? Probably my favourite holiday despite not being the biggest fan of scary films, but once again I love the food associated with this - and of course, the costumes!

9. IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!

Yes, it is in fact my birthday right near Halloween, so what's not to love about a birthday, THEN trick or treating, THEN bonfire night, and then it's pretty much Christmas after that so we all know I'm a winner in the birthday department (if only we had Thanksgiving here too!)

On the other hand ...

If there's one thing that makes me DESPISE this time of year, it's cocky little spiders who think it's all right to make themselves at home IN MY BEDROOM just because the weather has got colder. Also, they are getting more and more outgoing - i actually caught one running up and down my bed the other day! Cheeky bastard.
CJ x



(Images are from google.com, topshop, starbucks and Yankee Candle)

Skincare Routine

I used to be someone who just took their makeup off with a wipe, washed their face with whichever cleaner I fancied buying that month and be done with it. But, as this year has gone on, I've branched out and really begun to love skincare products! (mainly thanks to the Body Shop). I am getting older now, and I'm definitely noticing that some products and brands work better than others, so I thought I'd talk about my new skincare routine!

Every Morning

• Simple Kind to Skin Makeup Wipes - the first thing I do every morning is use a makeup wipe to make sure I've got rid of any excess makeup that I may have missed the night before (usually a bit of mascara - damn you benefit!)
• The Body Shop Tea Tree Foaming Cleanser - I cannot recommend this stuff enough! I have combination skin and I don't find this drying at all. My skin cleared up so much after using this stuff for about a week, and it feels foamy and incredible
• The Body Shop Seaweed Exfoliator - my skin feels so nice and smooth after I use this, it gets off all the dead skin on my nose that I tend to get and just gives a really glowing feel
• Nivea Everyday Moisturizer - as my skin doesn't tend to get overly dry (yet) apart from my cheeks, I find that a cheap, everyday moisturizer works perfectly to keep my skin hydrated

Every Evening

• Garnier Cleansing Lotion and cotton wool pads - I find that a cream cleanser is so much quicker to take your makeup off and it's much better for your skin than makeup wipes! This stuff really does the trick, however it's the first one I've tried to I'm open to suggestions of more!
• The Body Shop Tea Tree Foaming Wash (again)
• The Body Shop Vitamin E Night Cream - again, this was the first night cream I've purchased so I'm a bit unsure of it. The Tea Tree night serum has been recommended too and I have a tester so I'll be giving that one a go! The Vitamin E one however, works really well to moisturize the skin at night (obviously) and made my skin feel much softer!

Twice a Week

I use The Body Shop (shocker) Warming Mineral Mask twice a week. This was actually my first purchase from the Body Shop and this is what got the whole obsession started. This mask is perfection. You can actually feel it warming your skin up and after you've taken it off, and applied a bit of moisturizer, your skin feels like a dream! Love this.

Twice a Month

The Glamglow Youthmud mask is honestly the best mask I have ever tried in my life! It goes on almost black and dries grey, but where it's pulled out the excess oil from your skin remains black so you can really see how well it's worked! I wouldn't recommend using this mask any more than once a week as I feel like it's too harsh a treatment (and too expensive) to be used more than that.

As I've said, skincare is my new obsession and I'm open to suggestions of any sort, I'm looking into eye creams and cream cleansers at the moment if anyone has any recommendations! Thanks!

CJ x

My Benefit 'Must Haves'

Let's all take a moment to appreciate Benefit make-up - for my daily face, Benefit is my go-to brand! I'm not saying that everybody has to buy these products - but they are my personal favourite products to use at the moment. I haven't tried everything from Benefit, and I also don't love all of them, but some of them are just pure genius!

'They're Real!' Mascara - oh. my. I can't even begin to describe the amazingness (is that a word?) of this mascara, it is unreal! Everybody has heard of this, it's the UK's number 1 best selling mascara and I can see why! One coat of this leaves my lashes looking so much fuller, more curled, thicker, darker, just perfect. Thank you Benefit for this life-changing product!

'High Beam' Highlighter - my most recent discovery, I really needed a highlighter and I was contemplating several different brands but when I went to the counter and tried this on I knew it was the one for me! It's like little drops of pink-pearl heaven and once applied, it just reflects so perfectly in the light and makes my face look so much better!

'Brow-zings' Brow Kit - I received this for Christmas from my Mum and I really don't know how I managed to cope without it! It's just so efficient to do your brows with - I can outline my brows with the wax and fill them in with the powder! Having ridiculously blonde eyebrows, I need a really strong product to actually make it look like I'm a normal person with normal eyebrows. This is also amazing!

'Porefessional' Primer - another recent purchase. I used to be a Smashbox primer user but I have been officially converted! This stuff just glides on to the skin so smoothly and really reduces the look of pores to give a flawless base for make up.

'Boi-ing' Concealer - I like a high coverage concealer and this one does the job! It doesn't crease under my eyes like some thick concealers can do but it still covers every little blemish my skin throws at me! Well done, Benefit!

'High Brow Glow' Brow Highlight - One of my first daring purchases from benefit, this was my first ever highlighter and I honestly think it's the best brow highlight I've ever used. It's so much better than using a shadow to highlight as it's so quick and easy to use, being in pencil form, but it still has that sheen and long lasting wear that you'd want.

'Hoola' Bronzer - I have to admit it, this is my second favourite bronzer of all time, narrowly being beaten out by Nars laguna. This bronzer is one that will suit most people which is great! unfortunately, I think I might be a teeny bit too pale to use this on an every day basis without tan on. (I understand that this isn't shown on the picture,I haven't had a chance to repurchase it yet - oops!)

Wish List

• 'It's Potent!' Eye Cream
• 'Rockateur' Blush
• 'Total Moisture' Moisturiser
• 'Gimme Brow' Brow Gel

Hope you enjoyed my appreciation of Benefit cosmetics, and maybe share my obsession? Let me know of any products I should try in the comments!

CJ x