Collective Haul! -Summer 2014

Over the past week or so i have been shopping and bought a few items i thought id share with you.

Shift Dress £8 New Look     Bag £25 Urban Outfitters

These are two of my favourite purchases! I absolutely love shift dresses at the moment and i luckily found this bargain in the New Look sale the other day. The colour is so spring/summer and definitely makes your tan look 10x better! 

This bag is my favourite thing ever! I was on the hunt for a new bag which was made decently and would last me a long time when i stumbled across this amazing leather studded bag in Urban Outfitters in the sale! It a perfect size, especially for college and the beach and just looks amazing with anything and everything!

Kimono £24.99 New Look     Denim Shorts £10 H&M

I think the festival look is really in at the moment and i personally have wanted a kimono for a long time. I think they pull any summer look together and also protect you from the sun; win win situation!

Already i have one pair of denim shorts from Topshop which i have had for around 2 years or so, and i adore them! But i thought i would try a darker shade out for this summer. I really like the rips as i think it gives it a more carefree look and can make your outfit look instantly more interesting. Again i found these in the H&M sale!

Playsuit £14 Primark    Sandals £10 Urban Outfitters

Today i was hunting around Primark and came across this gorgeous baby blue playsuit. I think its such a nice colour for any skin tone, and it's got such a flattering shape! There was also a printed version, of which i think i will be purchasing asap. It was unbelievably cheap and made very well!

These sandals are going to be my holy grail for summer! I recently broke a well loved pair of white sandals that i had owned for years and i was in desperate need for a new pair! White is definitely the 'in' colour for this season and i believe it's an underrated colour; white makes you look way more tanned, and looks super summery! I found these in the Urban Outfitters sale for only £10!

Floral Co-ord £22 Urban Outfitters

To finish i found this amazing floral co-ord in, again, the sale of Urban Outfitters! it was only £22 for both the top and the skirt. I am absolutely in love with it! i think it's so vintage but also really on trend with the pink/purple floral print.

Why Is Peppermint Tea So Good!?

 

Recently i've been trying to go a bit more healthy and by doing so i've had to cut out my favourite drink ever, tea. 

Well... normal tea anyway.

My friend, Beccy, introduced me to Peppermint Tea which i'm not going to lie sounds way to healthy for me BUT as I'm on this health hype i decided to give it a try. At first i totally despised it, but i think it's because I'm a sweet lover and my tea always had about 3-4 sugars in it...

Anyway i made my mum purchase some from Waitrose and have forced myself to drink it every morning to refresh and cleanse my body, and i have in fact grown to love the stuff.

It leaves a real refreshing after taste and makes you feel cleansed and it's actually quite relaxing.

It's very healthy as you only add hot water to the tea bag, no milk or sugar.

And in addition it has soooooo many benefits! 

1. Relieves stomach pains: Peppermint is considered a stomach healer that can assist with irritable bowel syndrome, nausea, stomach aches, diarrhea or constipation.
2. Aid digestion: Peppermint acts as a cooling carminative that helps to relieve pain in the digestive tract by helping gas to move through your stomach and intestines after you have eaten.
3. Relieves nausea, fever and cough: The antispasmodic qualities of peppermint can help to prevent vomiting. The analgesic properties of the tea can help to calm and relax the stomach and intestinal muscles that can help to get rid of irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea or stomach cramps.
4. Boost immune system: Many people consume peppermint tea when they are suffering from the cold or flu because it is full of calcium, vitamin B and potassium that can give the immune system a boost.
5. Reduce bad breath: Those with bad breath can sip peppermint tea to help encourage a more pleasant smell.
6. Relieve stress: The taste and smell of peppermint are known to help relieve stress. Drinking peppermint tea is found to help people sleep more easily at night because of these stress-relieving properties. 
7. Other benefits: Some claim that peppermint tea can suppress the appetite, which is helpful for those that are trying to lose weight. Others think that giving a baby peppermint tea to sip on can help to manage colic. Still others have found that drinking peppermint tea can help reduce the discomfort that is associated with headaches or migraines.

Go grab some peppermint tea and try it yourselves!

How I Got Silver/White Hair!

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                                   BEFORE                                                    AFTER

DISCLAIMER:

This will not work on dark hair, you will need to be a very light shade of blonde like i was.

I have wanted white/silver hair forever and now i have finally left school i decided to attempt to do it myself! The reason i don't go to hairdressers very often is because i never think they achieve the result i actually want. My hairdresser, Louise, actually does get the results i want as you can see i wanted to be a very light blonde and she achieved that (see before picture) but i just genuinely prefer doing it myself as i feel if it goes wrong i can only blame me.

Provoke Touch Of Silver Shampoo + La Riche Directions White Toner

To go from the light blonde i was to white/silver i didn't actually use a 'dye', i used a white 'toner'. I brought this toner online from Amazon.co.uk for around £3 a pot -amazing right?

I'd say i used around 3 1/2 pots as i have quite long hair. If you have shoulder length and thin hair one is probably enough.

Before i did any of this i did ALOT of research, i watched a tonne of youtube videos and read lots and lots of reviews on the toner i was about to purchase. I have intact used Directions before when i dyed my hair pink last summer so i knew it was a good brand.

Prior to the process i did a strand test to find out how long i should leave the toner on.

I also had washed my hair a few days ago so it was in need of a wash. Make sure your hair is product free.

I began by sectioning my hair from the bottom working my way up (like you would when curling or straightening). I used a hair colouring brush (you can buy these so cheap online) and layered on the white toner making sure to evenly cover all my hair. 

P.s you don't need gloves as the toner isn't dye and won't stain your hands because its white.

After i had covered all my hair, i put it all onto my head and clipped it when a massive bulldog clip. The pot says to leave it on for 15 minutes but i left it on for an hour or so because my hair wasn't an extremely light blonde and i also have dark areas as my hair was highlighted.

After an hour i rinsed out the product, i didn't use any shampoo or conditioner because the toner itself is very conditioning, it doesn't cause any damage.

And that was it! i was then left with silver/white hair.

This won't last forever though as it is only toner. Therefore i brought myself some Provoke Touch Of Silver Twice A Week Brightening Shampoo, this stuff will maintain the colour of your hair. 

Its got a strong violet pigment which cancels out any brassiness and keeps the white tone. And it's only £3!

Buy them now:

La Riche Directions White Toner

Provoke Touch Of Silver Shampoo

Prom/Summer Ball Makeup 2014

So i don't know if I've ever said, but i am actually only 16, and therefore have FINALLY finished my GCSEs and completed all of my school years...actually quite upsetting.

Anyway, due to having successfully survived the last 4 years of constant work we, of course, had our end of school prom or summer ball.

(aka dress up and look as good as possible)

Being as obsessed with makeup and hair as i am i of course had to show you what i wore on my face, in my hair, and on myself.

EYES

To begin my makeup i primed my face with my MAC prep + prime which kept my makeup on from about 2pm-3am so it is AMAZING!

Next i primed my eyes with my Urban Decay eye primer (as i suffer from oily skin and eyelids this is an essential for me) which literally kept my eyeshadow on ALL night.

As my primer was sinking in and working its magic i began my eye makeup. I began with the MUA heaven and earth palette (cheapest, best makeup ever!) and picked the first shade which is a light champagne. I put this all over my lid with a flat eyeshadow brush.

I then opened up my beloved Naked palette and took 'Hustle' and placed it in the crease, i then blended this with my insane 217 blending brush (makeup essential!). I then added some 'Buck' to the crease to make the look warmer and blended that again to make sure there were no harsh edges.

To pull this look together, i did a winged liner look with my favourite eyeliner ever; Miss Sporty's waterproof liquid eyeliner (o m g can i just say how I'm so bad at eyeliner yet this makes it actually look okay ALSO its waterproof and with stands my oily eyelids and lasts ages! 

ITS SO CHEAP TOO!)

And finally added some of my favourite Eylure false eyelashes to create to illusion of full, long eyelashes!

i didn't apply any mascara to my bottom lashes at all.

FACE, BROWS AND LIPS

I filled in my brows with the fashionista eye brow kit (i think it has been discontinued unfortunately) and combed through them with a brow set from the Collection brow kit.

Now onto the face! 

I used my Real Techniques expert face brush to apply my MAC face and body foundation all over my face. I then applied a little bit of Collection lasting perfection concealer under my eyes and on any problem areas and blended using my foundation brush. 

To contour i used my trusty NARS orgasm and laguna duo. I used laguna under my cheek bones (to actually give me cheek bones) and then orgasm to create a subtle blush. Then i grabbed my Urban Decay face case in 'Shattered' and used the highlighter on the tops of my cheekbones to create a really natural glow.

To complete and mattify my face i took my amazing MAC mineralise skin finish in 'Light' and powdered all over to make sure i had no flashback in pictures!

And finally lips. I used my favourite lipstick; 'Lovelorn' by MAC.

MY HAIR

So, in my hair i had a headband with gorgeous floral and pearl detailing from Accessorize. I also have extensions in from Sally's which are 100% human hair.

I just loosely curled my hair, teased the crown and gripped it half up/half down. 

MY DRESS!

My amazing (what i like to call) 'Elsa' dress is from a small shop in Brighton, but the original make is Paparazzi by Mori Lee, and the dress is called: 95090 Beaded Chiffon Prom Gown. It actually came in many other colours included a beautiful mint colour!

I don't have a picture of my shoes, but they were platform court heels covered in a sparkly fabric, and they were from Next.

I think overall this look is natural enough for my age, but also enhances my eyes and makes me look warm and glowing without getting that horrible flashback in photos!

Here's some more pictures from my prom :-)