As I don't buy many things that often, it is hard to put together a monthly favourites post for you all. However, not wanting to let this beauty influencer cliché escape me, and seeming as we are now half way through the year (cue me sounding old beyond my years by yapping on about where the time went), I thought I would share with you what I have been loving for the first half of 2017. It was super super hard to narrow it down to a top 10 list so I gave in and did 14 😂. Enjoy!
p.s. I have added hyperlinks to the headings of products that you can still buy/I could find online :) (None of these links are affiliate links btw)
1) MAC Burgundy Times Nine Palette
The pigmentation of Antiqued and Star Violet is
what makes this palette. I have been raving about them on Instagram non-stop
and am basically IN LOVE. From someone used to cheaper eyeshadows, I now know
the quality I have been missing out on- no prizes for guessing what my next
pay-check is going on! I constantly reached for this palette to create gorgeous, pink toned day and evening looks over the last 6 months, and know it will be a
firm favourite for a long time to come.
You can read my full review/first impressions of
the palette here.
2) Real Techniques Accent Brush (part of a set)
Despite it's size making you think you wouldn't
use this brush that often, I have been reaching for this brush constantly. It
is the perfect width to quickly smudge eyeshadow on the bottom lashline for a
smokey eye, and I love using it to intensely pack on shimmery products on the
centre of the lid. It is also handy for applying eyeshadow in precise, small
areas of the eye such as the inner corner or outer V. This brush can nearly do it all!
To read my initial thought on the brush, and the
set it came with, click here.
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| Didn't realise how creased this was, please excuse :) |
Now I'm not being over the top when I say that, before this purchase, I owned too many formal dresses, and no casual ones. I mean I still own too many formal dresses that I love but hardly wear, but I really didn't own any casual summer dresses. I made it my mission to buy one this year, and the blazing heat of the last month gave me the perfect opportunity! This dress from H&M is exactly what I was looking for: a nice SIMPLE (which is so hard to find among the unnecessary 'on-trend' frills and super low necklines) floral dress, thin, flowy, perfect for summer and keeping cool in warmer days. Paired with a denim jacket, this is a PERFECT, day time summer dress and a summer staple.
4) Clarks Alania Posey Shoes in Sand Nubuck
As someone with weird feet (there's a size
different between them) buying shoes - especially summer shoes - is a nightmare. Cue
memories of spending an hour in shoe shops going through piles of school shoes and
being left with the 3 ugliest ones to choose from. As much as I would love to
wear cute slip on flats, I have come to accept that this simply isn't possible
for me. However, what other styles of pretty, day time, non-sandal shoes are
there for the summer? Well, these cute lace-ups are one option! Once I had worn
down the backs of them enough so they stopped ripping the backs of my ankles to shreds - true
story - I have grown to love them. The cute cut out detailing makes them more
feminine than your traditional brogue, and the neutral colour means they go
with basically anything - they are now a summer staple (if you haven't started already, drink whenever I say 'summer staple' XD)
5) Lottie London Nail Polish in Road Trip
If you have paid close attention to my Instagram,
then you will be familiar with this product. My go-to accent nail colour for
basically every nail design I have done all year, I bloomin' love this product.
Yes it chips easily, but the glitter is so intense (in
comparison to some, where there is hardly any glitter to the amount of clear polish)
that I don't mind. I mean for the price alone (currently £2.99) this should be
making it's way into your Superdrug shopping basket in the next 10 seconds! From the size
of the range on Superdrug's website (3) it looks like the company might be
phasing their nail polishes out, so grab it while you can!
6) Pull&Bear Coat
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| so soooooffftttttttt 😍 |
This was the year I finally got myself a
spring/summer coat. I normally just do with an old dark green one all year
round, but enough was enough and I got something lighter. I'd heard about Pull&Bear but never tried anything from them, so armed with my UniDays student discount
and having found the perfect coat, I went ahead and purchased this beauty. This
coat is super soft and in a speckled/fleckled design (I think that's the right
term), meaning that if you look closely there are a variation of different
shades of dusty pink that make up the coats material. The pockets -
although without a zip - are HUGE! Yes, us women finally have big enough
pockets to not need a handbag 😊😊.
Although thin, it does offer a bit of warmth, as on warmer days I have been too
hot wearing it. I know this, like the shoes, will be in my summer wardrobe for
many a year, so look out for this hitting my Instagram a lot in the next few
months and then reappearing March 2018! (edit- this is British summer we're talking about, make that one hour of surprisingly warm weather in June 😂)
7) Outlander
THIS. PROGRAMME. IS. AMAZING! I'm a bit late on
this bandwagon; I discovered it on Amazon Prime when packing to come home
from Uni at Easter, following my friend recommending it. A period drama (so as a history student and period drama
lover, as well as someone looking to fill the gap Downton Abbey left behind, I
was bound to love it), the premise is a woman who travels back in time from the
1940s to the 1700s and finds herself rebuilding her life in Scotland during the
time of the Scottish Rebellion led by Bonny Prince Charlie. Originally on
Amazon Prime (with series 3 coming out this September - I can't wait!) I saw an
ad for it being shown on More4 in the UK starting this week- so now there's no excuse not to watch it!
8) Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Lipstick in Naked Talent
I have found my perfect nude! A slightly more toffee/warmer
tone to my actually lips and of a more natural sheen finish to a matte one, it
is now my go to lip shade, and a gorgeous all-year-round colour. While it
doesn't last all day, it's close enough to my actually lip colour that it isn't
obvious it's faded. It took a good 45+ minutes of searching Superdrug and Boots, swatching every lip colour under the sun, to find, and was totally worth it!
While it was slightly more expensive at £9, it was worth every penny - well
apart from the fact that the inner and outer tube of the cap have separated
meaning the outer cap can slide off when ever it wants. But that's my only
complaint, so go buy!
9&10) Necklaces from LisaAngel (silver one)and Warren James (rose-gold one).
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| Please excuse the wild hair XD |
Super dainty, short and simple (i.e. the sort of
jewellery I like - my friends know me well hehe) these are gorgeous pieces and
having one gold one and one silver one means I have a necklace for every
outfit. I put them together cause I couldn't decide between them, they're both
great! The gold one is super elegant and features swarovski crystals, whilst
the other one is two metallic peas in a pod cause the person who gave this to
me and I are as close as two peas in a pod hehe (I'm the pink one, obviously).
11) Primark Throw
This is one of the best buys I made this year. In
my first term of university my heating was broken and because I was using a
summer duvet in November (cause it's the most versatile), I got super cold at
night. In need of an extra layer I popped into town and found this beauty. Super fluffy on one side, and
silky smooth on the other, it's great for snuggling under on a cold day. And at only £15 don't look anywhere else, cause I doubt
you can get throws much cheaper! Oh, and the fluffy side makes for a good
background for product pictures for Instagram haha. Primark have a huge variety
of throws to choose from and I think you can get some there for even cheaper than this!
12) Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara
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| Featuring two types of bristle, the wand allows for the most control in the type of lash you want. |
I have repurchased this mascara a good 4 times now. It gives great volume and length making it wonderfully versatile. I wouldn't recommend the waterproof one, purely because my lashes suffered a lot from removing it (though this is the same for most waterproof mascaras) but it's non-waterproof sister is fab! Click here for my full review.
13) MissGuided Bag/Clutch
Received this as a birthday present and finally got round to trying it the other week. If you carry a lot on your nights out, then this bag will be perfect for you. The right size to hold 3 phones and then some (just don't go telling everyone or they'll give you their stuff and leave their bags at home!), it's detachable chain strap means you have the option of
holding it or wearing it on your shoulder.
14) The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo
Book series of the year for me! I'm rubbish at doing synopses, but it's a fantasy novel where basically a girl find out she has magic powers, then goes on to try and defeat an evil 'magician' from destroying the world. Doesn't sound amazing when it's put like that, but it is!! If you loved the
Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan (which is one of my all time favourite series), then you'll love this!
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