Pandora Bracelet

I was given this bracelet for my 17th birthday and I have loved it ever since! I have accumulated quite a few beautiful charms so far but I like being able to show the actual bracelet so I don't want to have too many on at a time. But here are my three favourites.

The christmas tree charm I think have to be my absolute favourite charm, it is solid silver with a solid gold star on the top. I love the silver pandora charms but adding this little bit of gold on top makes it even better! Christmas time is in my opinion the best time of year, not only because I was born in December but just because it's christmas!!! Who doesn't love christmas! So I like to keep a bit of christmas with all year round hence this gorgeous charm which funnily enough I got for christmas! 

The other two charms are pretty simple, the heart is just the perfect charm that looks so pretty on the bracelet and the pearl drop charm is so me! I love pearls and this was my first real pearl jewellery item before I got my necklace and bracelet set for my 18th. I like how is adds an extra dimension to the bracelet having it dropped down on a clip.

These bracelets go with just about anything and are really easy to wear! I love it!

Do you guys own pandora bracelets? What are your favourite charms?

Fridays Letters #1

 [Another walk up the hill, one of my favourite views of Edinburgh]

Taking inspiration from The Sweet Season Blog  I will be starting Friday's Letters to give you all an insight into my week and whats going on in my life! Here goes! 

Dear Friends why do you all live so far away! I miss you and I can't wait to be with you all for our holiday in Belgium next month! I am thankful for Facebook, our conversations about Wimbledon and Apprentice wednesdays to keep us connected. Looking forward to September already to be back at uni and with you lovely people again.

Dear Skype you are amazing. Being able to talk face to face with 9 of my friends, at the same time, all spread around the world has been amazing this summer!

Dear Sun I have forgot you even exist! Where are you?! Scotland needs you right now! 15 degrees C and cloudy is not okay for the end of June! Come back please!!

Dear Sister (Emma) You left for an adventure of a lifetime yesterday, travelling all the way around the world to Malaysia. I know you will have the time of your life and I hope you enjoy every second of it! I know you were stressed about traveling but it is only a means to an end and once you are there it will be worth it! I love you and I will see you in two weeks! 

Dear my lovely readers thank you for stopping by at my little corner of the internet, feel free to look around and comment to say hi! You will make my day! 

Skin Care Routine!

Recently after coming back from a very stressful and crazy last few months at university, filled with exams, a few too many late nights and general unhealthiness my skin was looking pretty dull and spotty. After a week or so at home back on the healthy wagon it wasn't looking much better; so I turned to my skincare routine and thought I would make a few changes to see if anything improved. The changes were also slightly fuelled by all the skincare bloggers putting up post after post on skincare, and inspiring me to look at a few new products. 

My routine before was nothing special and blatantly wasn't doing anything for my skin. I was using the Liz Earle Cleanser in the evening and not even washing my face in the morning ... I know! What was I thinking?! Then applying Clinique's dramatically different moisturising lotion, and that was it. Not a particularly good routine what so ever! But after a few purchases and a completely different out look on my skin, my routine looks a lot different! 

Morning routine - 

 Every morning I apply Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser and remove it with a warm muslin cloth before splashing my face with cold water. The cold water helps to cool my face down as I have problems with redness. Then I apply my moisturiser which is the Vichy Aqualia Thermal all over my face and then apply my Origins Gin Zing Eye Cream. 

Evening Routine- 

To remove all my makeup from the day I use the Bioderma water all over my face and eyes. This is my first step in cleansing my face and it makes a huge difference to the rest of my routine. Then I move on to use the Liz Earle Cleanser again to remove the last traces of my makeup and give my face a bit more moisture. Sometime I will apply the Liz Earle cleanser twice if I feel I need it. Then I moisture and apply my eye cream just as I do in the morning. 

Now I am not saying this is the perfect routine, I want to include a toner in their somewhere but I am still doing some research into what will be the best one for me (If you have any suggestions they would be appreciated!). But this is the best my skin has looked and felt for a long time! This is mainly down the the Vichy moisturiser I think which has worked wonders for my dry skin. 

So I am pretty happy with all of the new additions and it's fair to say I am coming pretty skincare obsessed! I feel like my makeup looks and feels so much better on my skin because of this routine and I am actually having to wear much less of it which is a bonus! All of the products listed here will have or have reviews done on them on my blog so click on any of the underlined products if you are interested about a more in depth look into them. 

Have you guys been into skincare lately? Do you have any products you think I should have in my routine? 

Wednesday's face.

I have been having a lot of low maintenance makeup days lately which is lovely! This is mainly due to my skin which after completely over hauling my skin care routine is looking rather great at the moment if I don't say so myself! This means today I have only used a handful of products to make me feel less ... naked. 

I started off with the Origins VitaZing blended all over for a dewy finish and a subtle glow, then moved on to use my holy grail Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer to cover any blemishes and finished off with the Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder. So thats my base done! The powder and the concealer just add extra coverage but if I am feeling very brave I sometimes go for the Origins on it's own. Today I wanted something extra on my cheeks so went for the Nars Cream Blush in Penny Lane for a really natural flush of colour. This combination is really easy and quick and can be applied without using any brushes which is great for me since cleaning my brushes is such a chore. 

Moving onto the eyes I have used simply curled my eyelashes and applied a few coats of the Bobbi Brown Everything Mascara which is one of my favourites when I don't want to use eyeliner on the top lids. Then I applied a little of Mac's Powerpoint Eye Pencil in So there Jade on my bottom lash line which really enhances blue eyes.

And thats it! I told you my summer makeup was sparse ... and this is now considered a lot of makeup compared to my no makeup days!

Do you wear makeup in the summer or go au natural? Let me know! 

New Shoes

[Bertie Striped pump £15 sale price Crew Clothing Co.]

After years of longing after a pair of toms, I found a much cheaper and gorgeous little alternative! I had been considering buying a pair of toms when I found these in the sale at Crew. 

I am heading off to explore Belgium next month and I had been looking for a pair of shoes that were comfy and sturdy for strolling around various European cities. These are really comfortable so far and look perfect with white shorts or jeans or just about anything! And they are so me! I love stripes and I have a fairly preppy style, not all out Lily Pulitzer but more J.Crew ( even though we don't have it in the UK ... sighs), so these will go with just about everything in my wardrobe!

I am looking forward to wearing these for the majority of the summer, if the sun would hurry up and reappear! 

Do you have any summer staples you are looking forward to wearing? Let me know!

Origins GinZing Eye Cream Review

Now this is something I never thought I would be reviewing on my blog! I have never been an eye cream kind of girl, mainly because I never saw the point. I don't have a problem with dark circles or bags under my eyes mainly because I make time for sleep. It has always been drilled into me by my parents that you must sleep. I am the annoying person who has never had to stay up late for to work on a paper or study because I plan my time around my sleep. Don't worry I am not this sensible all the time! 

Having got this for christmas in a set, I tried it out really not expecting much, but I was surprised to find out I loved it! The product come in a nice container and has a moisturiser-like consistency, a salmon pink colour ( haha sounds odd but it does!) and a really nice smell similar to the Vita-Zing. According to the pot this eye cream will brighten and depuff your eyes, sounds good to me! 

I use this product evening and night as I find it is cooling under my eyes and even at night time make me look more awake! That is one thing I didn't expect this eye cream to do, it really brightens up your under eyes without making them look like you just dumped a bucket of glitter under there! I find I can use this alone without concealer to brighten up my under eyes perfectly. The other reason this is a great product is the fact it works amazingly as a base for my concealer, which goes on much easier and smoother than without this product underneath. It acts almost like a brightening primer and I never but under eye concealer on without it!

I would have to say, even though I haven't tried many this is a great eye cream and I would highly recommend it! Here is a list of the pros and cons of this product to help any of you who are looking to buy it! 

Pros- 

• Nice Fragrance not over powering. 
• Does what it says on the tin and brightens really well!
• suitable for sensitive skin
• Nice Constancy 
• Cooling 
• Nice packaging  
• Works well as a primer for concealer 

Cons -

• Expensive ( and mine is running out ... sigh) 

The pros outweigh the cons rather dramatically for this product which seems to explain why I love it so much! However it comes in at £23 which is why I am so distressed at the fact that my little tester one is running out! On a student budget that is rather hefty! Though for this product I think I can just about stretch!

  Let me know if you have tried the Gin-Zing Eye Cream! What do you guys think? 

Currently ...

[Taking a walk up the hill on a beautiful summers day in Edinburgh]

Watching: New Girl, my best friend was up this weekend and we took the chance to have a vey lazy sunday of TV and movie watching and on the menu was many, many episodes of New girl!. I have also been loving the new BBC series The White Queen, not only because it's a period piece but also one of the main characters is so gorgeous! It's worth a watch for him alone!

Thinking: About lots of different post ideas. I have lots of free time this summer to relax and I really want to build up my blog and have fun with it! 

Listening: To Hunter Hayes. I am British through and through but country music is just the best thing! I have always loved it but it's not really a thing here in the UK. Luckily I have lovely university friends from Texas who share my love of country! We have weekly conversations of "ooohhh have you heard this!" on Facebook! 

Reading: Lots ( well trying to!). Like just about everyone else, summer is a time for reading! It's the only time of year when reading is relaxing and not squeezed in to a 10 minute window of a busy day! I am currently looking for book recommendations if you guys have any it would be much appreciated! 

Loving: Wearing no makeup! It's finally the time of year where my skin is bare and beginning to tan! Unless I am going out or wanting to look perfect, face makeup is minimal and my skin is loving it. 

Drinking: Water! Lots of it! I am the most useless person when it comes to drinking water, I always forget! I have been known to frequently have 1 glass a day ... I know it's awful! So this summer I have been making an effort to drink more water and it's proving rather difficult!

Eating: Lots and lots of FRUIT!! This is the time of year where Scottish strawberries and raspberries are perfect and it just feels so healthy to be eating them! Dollop some greek yogurt and honey over the top of them for a healthy desert, yummmm!

Missing: The sun! Yes you heard it! It's a novel idea right sun in summer? Scotland pull yourself together and bring back the sun! 

Looking forward to: My travels this summer! I am off to Belgium in a few weeks with a gang of my university friends to visit another friend out there. I am the classic european who has only been to a handful of the beautiful countries in Europe. My student years are for exploring so I plan to visit as many european countries as I can! At least 1 more will be ticked off my list this summer!

What have you guys been up to currently? 

Flat Inspiration - Getting excited!

After just finishing my first year at University in Scotland, I am already looking forward to second year! Crazy I know, but I couldn't love the friends I have made at university more and it's hard being without them for so long. I can't wait to be back at university and with them all again. 

Another extremely exciting thing about next year is the fact I am moving in, with 4 other girls, to my own little flat! It is amazing! There are 4 bedrooms, a large hallway with a piano in it, a lounge and a large kitchen, top all that off with the fact it's on the top floor, has great views of the hills and wait for it ... has a turret. Yes you heard correctly a turret! I have been so blessed to get this flat through a friend and I can't believe it is really ours! 

As we are getting the keys to our wee turret flat in less than 10 days I have been spending hours on Pinterest  getting inspiration for my room and for the rest of the flat. I have been having way too much fun with this. I can't wait to finally be able to decorate the walls and have fairy lights after the strict rules last year in university accommodation! Here are some of my favourite pins from Pinterest!

It is the first time having my own flat and being able to decorate it is doubly exciting!!! I am also working on a few DIY projects for the flat which I will be sharing with you all soon. 

Have you guys got any decoration tips for me? How did you decorate your first flat? 

Bioderma Review - jumping on the band wagon!

So this is me, hoping on the band wagon that is Bioderma! Slightly behind the rest of the blogging world, but I would just say I am fashionably late ...

This was a bit of a random purchase for me! Having come back from uni I have found I have lots more free time on my hands than I would normally do. Naturally some of this free time is spent browsing the internet and looking at beautiful clothes and makeup I really can't afford! However, after coming across Bioderma on sale on a certain beauty website (http://www.escentual.com p.s it's still 1/3 off ! score!) I couldn't really pass it up!

I had been meaning to try this for some time, after hearing rave reviews from so many other bloggers. But nipping over to Paris for the day just couldn't fit into my busy schedule ... But finding it at a discounted price online with cheap postage seemed like the perfect opportunity! 

The product itself, if you are not already familiar with it, is a water with special ingredients ( don't ask me to explain what or how, I am not going to pretend like I have any idea!) that removes your makeup. What's interesting about this product is that it's non-rinse and can be used just like water; expensive water mind you! Paired with the fact that it acts as a cleanser, is fragrance free, soothes skin and is gentle enough to be used on the eyes, makes it the complete package!

Personally I use this as the first step in my nighttime routine to remove all the makeup and the general gunk off my face. I use it with large cotton wool pads and all my makeup come off easily. It really does feel like you are just removing your makeup with water! I use it all over my face and my eyes as I don't find it dries out my skin at all, and having dry skin this is a real plus for me! After the Bioderma I use my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish to fully cleanse my skin (stay tuned for a full skincare routine coming soon!!). 

Overall this is a great product and I would recommend this if you are looking to try a cleansing water! Here is a list of the pros and cons of this product to help any of you who are looking to buy it! 

Pros- 

• Fragrance Free
• Non-Rinse (although I would always use another cleanser after this! But great for travelling and for those lazy nights)
• removes all traces of makeup 
• Suitable for sensitive skin
• Non-drying 
• removes eye makeup too 
• relatively cheap 
• nice packaging  

Cons -

• Quite hard to get in the UK so needs to be bought online (http://www.escentual.com for the 1/3 offer at the moment!!) 
• I end up using a bit more than is needed because of the way it comes out the bottle so may not last me that long, but it makes up for it in price 

As you can see, there are many more pros than cons to this product! If you have been wanting to try it for a while and haven't had the chance, I would say go for it! It's a great product and really worth all the hype it gets!! 

Let me know if you have tried Bioderma! What do you guys think? Is it worth the hype? 

Letters Are Underrated

Hey Guys!

Since this is my first post on my new blog, I wanted to talk about something that is personal to me. I know it's always hard to get to know someone through a few words and images on the screen but I hope I give you a wee insight into me with this post. 

As you can tell by the title I want to have a wee chat about letters. To me they are undoubtedly one of the best way of communication! Okay ... they aren't the fastest or the easiest, however they are the happiest! That sounds a bit odd I suppose, describing letters as happy; But they most definitely are. 

For me letters are so exiting! Actually thinking about what you are going to say to someone rather than replying in a few seconds to a text is refreshing. We live in a world where social media has taken over, where instant gratification is the sign of a great product. I am not saying I could be without my trusty iphone, which hardly leaves my side. However, writing letters to people and waiting for a reply is so much more fun in the long run! 

This topic is relevant to me at the moment, as it's summer and all of my university friends are scattered around the country, and the world! Okay I can communicate with them fairly easily in this day and age through text, facebook and email. But this summer we are doing things a little different! A few of my friends and I have decided to write letters to each other. I have been loving it! I get so excited when one of the little envelopes comes through the door and I can't wait to read what they have written. I love the feeling of waiting for something to arrive, its like waiting for a present and by writing to multiple friends I get these little envelopes of happiness through the door around every week. 

So letters are happy! The ones I have been receiving are full of summer plans and things to look forward to. They are also tangible and you can store them away as little memories, and they are so fun to look back on in years to come. 

So what do you guys think? Are letters just facebook messages that cost to send and take days to come in the post? Or are they pages of words with actually meaning, that took time and effort for someone to create just for you? Let me know! I personally love them :) I hope you enjoyed this little musing of mine! I will be doing a beauty post in the next few days so keep tuned for that!

Speak soon :)