I wanted to share a few things which I have picked up recently that I've been really enjoying using/wearing. The first few bits are some items of clothing, these are recent Asos purchases. I have quite an unhealthy obsession with Asos, however all the orders which I have been putting through recently have just been going back as although I fall in love with the item online, when it gets to me, its just not right.
However (thankfully) these I have kept. Anyone close to me will tell you that I have been on the hunt for the perfect denim jacket for a while now, they go so well with everything but I always love denim for this time of year when it gets slightly colder. I used to own a very light blue one (also from Asos) that I worn to death before getting another (from marketplace) which was very cool and very oversized. I also wore this for a bit before deciding that I wasn't "cool" enough to wear it and in fact just looked like an utter twat.
The search eventually ended with this little discovery from monki, I was watching a try on haul on youtube which featured this jacket and I absolutely fell in love. I wanted a denim jacket which was a little be unusual and different to the tons out there and I think this fits the bill perfectly because of the black black which shows ever so slightly on the sides of the jacket. It is meant to be quite oversized so I got a small and it fits like a dream. The only downside is I have to be quite careful with what I wear with/underit as it attracts fluff like anything (something I discovered when I wore a scarf which is now definitely going back) however this is something which I can live with.
The very observant of you (well done) will also notice the bag which I have included, this is another new purchase (also from Asos) and is quite different for me as I ALWAYS like large bags (they make me look smaller and you can fit SO MUCH STUFF) and if I don't take a bag with me, I use my jeans pockets for my phone/cards/lipstuff. I think that this bag is the perfect in-between for what I want. It's big enough to fit all my essentials, I can wear it cross body and it looks really cute/goes with everything. I love the gold hoop detail, different texture AND it also has an inside pocket. This bag definitely has it all.
The third and final fashion purchase was the little black pair of sunglasses also (you guessed it) from Asos. I wanted to get some which were slightly cooler than my pair that actually help me to see, this style suits me quite well and they'll go with everything. It has not stopped raining since I picked these up which is just typical.
As well as the clothing, in the first image, the background is a new little rug which I picked up from UO as well as the pink floor cushion. These have made the area where I get dressed/put make-up on look so much more cosy and are some good additions to my room, I also had a 20% discount code so HAD to treat myself, ya know?
What purchases have you made recently?
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Now that I'm back at uni, I thought that I would share a few unusual magazines which I find really help me when I'm looking for inspiration and don't want to look in the obvious places. All of these magazines I picked up in Whsmith, I've found that the one near me does a lot of fashion magazines and tends to stock a few of the unusual ones. This is something which does change store to store I believe but bigger stores should have more of a range and I think you can check online what they stock and perhaps order them to store.
Suitcase is one of the first more unusual magazines that I picked up. It's a mix of travel and fashion and just has the most beautiful images inside which will appeal to most people. I like magazines with good inspiration images but with good articles mixed in. With a lot of Fashion magazines, I find a lot of the pages can be filled with adverts, so generally I like to pick up "other" magazines which can be quite different with their content. With any type of magazine, I don't buy them each month, I don't pick up the same magazine each month and I don't care about issues or dates. I've gotten "out of date" magazines on gumtree before for free which have been more inspiration to me then that months Vogue for example.
I would recommend any of these three magazines pictured as they are slightly more unusual with their images and content, yet are still inspirational and refreshing. Not pictured but also highly recommended is "frankie" magazine which is from Australia but again, you can find in Whsmith. These are all magazines which you can flick through, keep on your coffee table or sit down and properly read. I find that they are also quite timeless so I can also pick them up months later and they are still "current" or relevant.
I would love some magazine recommendations as I'm always on the look out for unusual/inspiration magazines.
After my recent post about some of my closet clear out tips I thought that it was only right that I share a few tips to help you get the most out of ebay, selling all those unloved clothes! I have to admit that I hardly ever buy from ebay however I have got some timberland boots from there once which were a bargain. I mainly use ebay to sell clothes however these tips apply to whatever items you need to sell, be it a car, radio or a shed.
My first tip is that you should always put things up for auction on the weekend - mainly Sunday. I've been selling on ebay for probably around two years now and have always found that whatever I put up on a weekend has always done better at selling then other items. I think that this is because people don't tend to work on the weekends if they have a normal 9-5 job so this is the day that they can be around to snap up those deals.
Another thing that might seem quite obvious but is so helpful is to take lots of photos of what you're trying to sell, whether this is a car or a dress, there is nothing more annoying then there only being one or two photos to look at. When I buy things, I always appreciate lots of images to flick through as this shows off the item and gives you a good idea of what you're buying. So for example, as well as taking front and back images of a blouse, I will also take photos of any detailing such as buttons and of the label. It also helps to take photos of any damage which you might have mentioned in the description box as more often then not, I find that this doesn't put people off the item but gives them a much better idea of what they're buying and a realistic idea if they can cover/fix/live with.
My final tip would be to send it off as soon as you possibly can and also make sure that you package it well/uniquely. You don't want people having to message you to ask where there item it when you haven't actually sent it yet. I wait for the buyer to pay before I package it up and then as it is usually a Sunday, I send it the next day on the Monday.
I always try to make something about my packaging slightly unusual, recently I wrapped the items I sold in plastic and then wrapped them in newspaper because the plastic was slightly see-through, this was the only thing that I had on hand however the women at the post office liked this so much she actually showed her colleague. Little things like this can really change the impact that your parcel has.
What are your eBay tips?
I picked up this weekly list planner as I thought it was such a good idea. I like that you can do it week by week instead of monthly and that you can tear the page off and throw them away when the week is done. I'm hoping that this will help me with productivity when I start uni, with planning and deadlines etc. It also doubles up as a really cute mousemat which I'm quite pleased about.
What are your uni/office essentials?
This is (as the title suggests) an extremely small haul! As I mentioned in my home wishlist, the bank holiday for me was going to be spent in ikea however while we were out we also looked around various shops and went into Primark. A lot of the stuff which I have been wanting clothes wise recently has been online (good old Asos) however I decided to pick up a few bits as I hardly ever get the chance to shop in Primark.
The first thing that caught my eye was these two scarves, I know that its still quite hot outside and it's only the start of September however I just couldn't resist getting these! My love of all things Autumn got the better of me I think. I picked up the black one as I thought it was simple but nice and although I wear a lot of black already, I could always pair this with a bright hat or coat. The second is a lot more bright but still simple, I already have something quite similar to this however you can never have enough scarves/winter wear (thats what I keep telling myself anyway).
As well as these two bits, while browsing I also picked up two things from the beauty range, the first being this silicone make-up brush which I did see on Lily's blog and she said it would be the perfect tool to apply skincare masks with, I thought that this was such a good idea which I've since told my mum about and she agrees, much easier and hopefully less messy then using fingers.
The second thing that I purchased was this brush cleaner. Now normally when I clean my brushes I use my hands and swirl the brush around in my palm to clean it however this brush cleaner could be a good way to really get into the brush and clean them properly. I know this is only cheap and that real techniques also do a similar but bigger brush cleaner but I just wanted to try this out and see how I got on with it with the intention to perhaps purchase a different/bigger one in the future.
What have you been buying recently?
This is something which I like to (have to) do quite regularly as it allows you to really see everything that you own and offers a good opportunity to re-organise your wardrobe. This should be done ideally every change of season as it allows you to look at what you have. I used to be really guilty of keeping stuff just because it was pretty even if I never worn it or it was too small. However recently I seem to have learnt more about myself and my style and what I enjoy wearing. I tend to wear everything in my wardrobe now and it really does make a difference.
The first tip that I would say which might seem pretty obvious to some is to do this on a day/evening when you can give it your full attention. This isn't something you want to start when you have to go out in twenty minutes nor do you want your whole room to be filled with clothes all day. Set out some time when you can concentrate and this will not only allow you to get through this task quicker but it'll be easier and less hassle.
Something that I find really helps me is putting on music, I like to do this when I'm doing any sort of task which could get a little boring after a while. I would suggest something like Adele (25), Fleetwood Mac or even something like Beyonce. This is going to make the whole process a lot more fun and enjoyable without you even realising.
Another tip which really works for me is to get everything out of your wardrobe before you start organising it. This allows you to see the amount of space that you are working with and also forces you to look at each item before making a decision about keeping it or not. If you decide to keep it then it can just go straight back in. I find that this really helps as you could have items which were right at the back hidden away which you'd forgotten about. It also allows you to organise your wardrobe as you put stuff back in straight away. I would say that if you're unsure about whether to keep something or not, then keep it until the next time that you come to organise your closet and if you still haven't worn it, then it's time to get rid. There's nothing worse then regretting getting rid of something. You just have to be careful you don't do this with every item.
I would definitely say that you should never keep anything which is "too small" with the hope of fitting back into it again, this is useless and will no doubt make you feel crap in the long run. Getting rid of it presents an opportunity for other items of clothing to come into your life which you definitely will wear! I think that you have to really be aware of what you feel comfortable in and what you like to wear every day, if you're a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl, there no point owning 200 dresses. A minimalist wardrobe with plenty of basics and a few occasional items works well however this all comes down to personal style and taste, you have to find what works for you.
Once you have the items you don't need/want anymore, there is a variety of things you could do with them, give them to charity, friends, family or even put them on depop or Ebay. This is a great way of making a little bit of extra money, recycling and getting use out of something which was just hanging in your closet unused.
Have you got any tips for having a tidy, organised closet?
These are just a few bits that I find myself reaching for quite a lot and I have found that are some essentials for me personally.
Nail Polish and Base Coat
I generally always have acrylic nails however I have found that nail polish is something which I always have to own. I usually have my toenails painted in some colour or another which lasts for ages, I do this myself as I like having pretty feet however I don't see the point in paying someone for this as it's mainly only me who will see it and who likes having their feet touched!? I don't own too many bottles however I usually have a mint or a light pink available. It's also handy if I chip the polish on my acrylics I can just touch them up/paint over. Base coat is also an essential for anyone who paints their nails as it stops them from turning yellow, I try to buy strengthening ones as I just think that this is better for my nails.
Lip balm
This is something which I always have to have with me at all times. I am OBSESSED with always having moisturised lips so much so that I have two by my bed, two on my desk and more in my bag. On the rare occasions which I don't have any lip balm with me you'll know about as I tend to get a bit grumpy. Nivea do some really nice lip products and this one is a recent favourite as it smells like blueberries and is such a pretty colour. I normally go for ones which I don't have to use my fingers to apply (ew) however this was discounted to 50p and I couldn't resist.
Eyelash Curlers
I am someone who always wears a lot of dark eye make-up in the form of a black eyeliner (always a wing) and lots of mascara. This is something which I have worn for so many years it is just me now and I feel a bit strange without it. Because of this I find eyelash curlers a must have as they add so much lift to the eyes, help mascara to go on better and are literally eye opening.
Light Coverage Foundation and Concealer
The one in the image is technically a BB cream which I like however this one shown is in the shade medium which is a tiny bit too dark for me (I'm very pale) so I tend to mix this with a light foundation. I've found that as I have gotten older, I prefer to wear less heavy looking/feeling make-up and often I hate most foundations as they end up looking cakey. I much prefer a very light coverage foundation or BB cream which sometimes I will still use a damp make-up sponge to lighten even further. I'll then use a concealer to cover any blemishes etc. I find this the best combination for me and my skin personally. The above concealer (Lasting perfection - lightest shade) is one that I have worn for many years and is so good for a hughstreet concealer, this is something that I always repurchase.
Beauty Tools
Pictured is a variety of "beauty tools" which I often use on a daily basis and don't need much explaining. I always have hairbands on my wrist or in my bag as you never know when you or a friend will need one and theres nothing worse than needing one and not having any with you. The same goes for bobby pins however it is very rare for me to need these as I hardly ever pin my hair back, but it is good to own.
What are some of your beauty essentials?
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