New Look Haul

The warm and sunny weather we've had lately has made me realise that I don't have any nice summer dresses to swish around in, so that problem had to be solved with a quick trip to New Look. I find it so much easier to find clothes I like in summer than in the winter months. Everything is bright and colourful and happy - perfect for somebody like me who doesn't do "muted" or "understated" when it comes to clothes.

I love the loud, bold print on this dress and the cut is also incredibly flattering for my hourglass figure. It ties in at the waist and the foldover V-front gives amazing cleavage. I made it as far as the pub toilet after buying this and had to put it on straight away! The material is nice and feels cool and airy even in hot temperatures.

What do you do if you can't decide between two dresses? You buy them both! I wasn't too sure at first about this because of the longer sleeves, but it looks so much better when worn than it does on the hanger. The material is very stretchy, so it hugs every curve, while the loud print hides any bulges in places we'd rather not have them. When you come out of the changing room and your boyfriend says "This dress makes you look like Lana Del Rey" it would be criminal not to buy it.

I wasn't too sure about this floral headband at first, but now I'm so glad I got it! This is what would be considered a festival essential, but then I like to look every day as if I'm at a festival, haha.

And finally, no summer outfit would be complete without a matching pair of shades. I love the unique yellow colour on these and the amazing palm tree print on the sides of the frame. I feel like I'm instantly being transported to Miami wearing these!

What was the last thing you bought from New Look?

Primark Haul!

Thanks to our recent move into a new flat and the costs of moving/decorating/van hiring, plus deposits and bills mean that I've had to seriously tighten the belt when it comes to beauty and fashion spending. But when my friend/new flatmate just kept coming back with new Primark goodies every time she left the house, I simply couldn't resist popping in myself.
Primark's printed t-shirts and brightly coloured jeggings have pretty much turned into my work uniform and I just cannot believe how good their things have become in the recent months. So, naturally, I didn't quite leave empty-handed.

First up were these amazing sunglasses for a bargain £3. Granted, you'd get some funny looks walking down the street in these, but for festivals or for going out these will be amazing. Absolutely adorable!

I love phone clutches, they are just such a practical invention for when you want to go out without taking a big bag. They also allow you to hit the dance floor without having to have a designated bag watcher person or making that awkward pile of bags and jackets on the floor while sorta dancing around it in clubs. This was £6.

I still remember those times during my early teens when my mum kept buying me "happy socks" with colourful patterns and prints and I thought it was the most embarrassing thing in the world. All I wanted was some plain black socks... how things have changed. I went a little wild for the neons here and at £2 for three pairs or £1.50 for three pairs of the ankle socks I just got all the brightest ones.

Onto more formerly embarrassing things: Onesies! I am a firm believer that everyone should own at least one onesie (I now have three) and wear it out in public at least once in their lives. Me and aforementioned friend/new flatmate simply couldn't resist buying matching strawberry ones, so that we can hang out in our lounge and be strawberries together. As you do. This was £12.

Onto some home-y items. I'd describe my style as loud and bright with a dash of rock'n'roll, but when it comes to home decoration I'm a massive fan of countryside interiors and anything vintage. I just couldn't say no to this comfy floral print and polka-dot owl cushion which again was a snap at £4. I've not yet decided on a name for my pet cushion though, any suggestions?

Carrying on with the owl theme here is this bath mat, as pictured on our incredibly glamorous bathroom floor. You know that horrible moment when you're all warm and cozy in a steamed up shower and then you have to get back out again into the cold real world? I just made that moment just a little bit more bearable with this cute little mat, which cost £6.

Last but not least I couldn't resist a little bit of jewellery. The above picture actually shows two sets of bracelets, but I got so excited about them I put them all on straight away and then I couldn't remember which came in which set. Awesome for summer, they're hippie, grunge and rave all in one go. Unfortunately the poor manufacturing showed in these straight away, as most of them broke just a few days after I bought them.

Have you been to Primark lately?

Westfield London Haul

It's been ages since I've written a haul post, because, quite frankly, it's been ages since I let go and treated myself to a big shopping trip. I do feel that these posts can look a little self-indulgent, but personally I really enjoy seeing what other people have lugged home in their shopping bags, so why not, eh?

I was treated to a bit of money for Christmas under the strict instruction to spend it on nice things and not waste it all on day to day stuff, so I obliged happily. I know, I know, should have waited till the post-Christmas sales, but I fully intend to spend pretty much all Christmas partying like an 80s rock star and then I'm in France for the New Year - and nobody wants to wait that long! Besides, I hate how shops get all messy and unorganised during the sale season, I much prefer neat tidy ones. (Admittedly, that's a little less rock'n'roll of me)

Aldo Aureola bracelets

I had a little snoop around in Aldo for some shoes, but didn't find any I liked. Instead, I picked up a pack of these bracelets to add a bit of fierceness to some of my outfits. Generally speaking, the high street jewellery I saw was a little disappointing. I'm bored of owls, moustaches and crosses. Any tips on where to look for something a little different?

Lush Bath Ballistics: Golden Wonder, Father Christmas and Melting Snowman

Lush was quite the experience: Small, hot, crammed with shoppers, concentrated soap smell and overexcited staff (the girl on the till started dancing when I paid). But it was worth it for a few limited edition bath goodies. I've been eyeing up Golden Wonder and the Melting Snowman last year already, but was gutted when I didn't manage to get them. On a side note, whatever it is that Lush give their employees, I want some too.

Little Big Planet Karting for PS3

A little something to play with the boyfriend or whoever fancies to pop in on quiet nights. Spent about an hour and a half playing it tonight and kept losing resulting in a massive strop on my side. Perhaps it's not such a good idea to buy racing games when I'm such an awful loser...

Ice Aquarium from Pylones

I'm not a massive fan of Pylones. I like colourful things, but this shop pushes even my limits. The boyfriend's a fan, however, and that's how we ended up with a fishy ice cube tray. Why ever not, eh?

H&M Dark Side of the Moon Print Top

Not sure if this counts as a dress or a top, but if in doubt you could always wear it as both. It looks equally good over leggings or tights as it does on its own and the slouchy fit makes for very comfortable wear, though the sleeves are cut very low, so skipping the bra is not an option!

Models Own Nail Polishes in (from l-r) Peaches & Cream, Pink Punch, Luis Lemon, Magenta Divine

Being a beauty blogger, there was naturally no way I could have just walked past the giant nail polish bottle that was the little Models Own shop. They had a promotion on where you could buy one nail polish for £5 or four for £12. It would have been rude not to. These aren't exactly winter colours (apart from the glittery one), but there's nothing to cheer me up on a dreary, soggy day like a pop of neon nail polish. Reviews and swatches will naturally follow.

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers

The very first purchase of the day. At the beginning of the year I put them on my beauty wish list, yet all along I just kept on putting them off, because let's face it: Beauty tools aren't a particularly exciting purchase. I hope these live up to the hype, but either way I'll let you know how I get on with them!

River Island White lip printed t-shirt

I used to have a similar t-shirt that I loved to pieces, but it got ruined in brown gooey mush when the washing machine broke (sad story, isn't it?). Spot colouring usually makes me cringe a little, but surely this doesn't count?

Nip + Fab Dark Circle Fix

Does anyone else find shopping for eye cream to be such a chore?? It took me forever to find one that sounded sort of appealing. I would have just stuck to the Murad one I tried recently, but this blog's causing this urge to try new products all the time. Expect a review in a month or so, when I've had it long enough to see any effects.

Urban Outfitters Grey Carlton High Top trainers,  Glitter Phone Clutch and Triangle necklace

By far the most successful stop of the day was Urban Outfitters. These amazing hi-tops were on sale for £20 - bargain! The necklace is an attempt to build my pretty much non-existant jewellery collection and you can't really go wrong with geometric shapes.
Now, when I saw the phone clutches I almost screamed. Which genius came up with this idea?? The amount of times I headed out and only wanted to take my phone and some cards, but had to lug around a hand bag to keep them in - this has a compartment for your phone and one for your cash as well as a few card slots and a handle that can be wrapped around the wrist. Genius. Simply genius.

Have you treated yourselves to any shopping lately? Let me know in the comments section below!