Fashion | Phase Eight & London Fashion Week

Hey guys,

Although I'm not a regular shopper at Phase Eight (damn you unfriendly student prices!) I do often have a peek in store and on their website. Plus their sales are amazing - I picked up a tan/orange leather satchel type bag from them a few years ago at something like 75% off!

Anyway, London Fashion Week starts this Friday and I decided to put this outfit together, featuring Phase Eight that would be perfect for the FROW.

For this look I chose the Jessica Jumpsuit (link) which I particularly liked because of the neckline. I paired it with simple nude accessories including the Suzie Patent Leather Court Shoes (link) and the Suzie Patent Leather Clutch Bag (link). I've finished the look off with the Isabelle earrings (link).

I then added in how I would style my hair, going for a simple updo to show the neckline and earrings off. Makeup wise I went for a neutral eye with a winged liner, plus a pink Chubby Stick from Clinique which you could use to either add a wash of colour, or build it up so it's more intense.

What would you wear if you were FROW?

Love Alice x

Beauty | Clarins Splendours Colour Quartet & Liner Eye Palette

Hey guys, bit later this week than planned, sorry!

I may have found a rival to beat my favourite palette, the Urban Decay Naked Palette!

Now this palette isn't a dupe for the Naked Palettes, however I have definitely fallen in love. This is the Clarins Splendours Colour Quartet and Eye Liner Palette. I bought this product with the voucher that I won from Clarins a few months ago - I made a blog post about that here.

First up, as you'd expect, it's packaged beautifully in a velvety pouch and then in an amber coloured case.

But what is inside is even better! You receive 4 eyeshadow colours - a Pale Gold, a Rose Gold, a Copper and a Deep Brown, plus a Plum colour to act as a liner. All of these colours work so well together, which makes it the perfect palette for both day and night. I've worn the lighter shades blended together during the day, and added the deep brown and plum liner to make my eyes more smokey and dramatic for the night. All of the shades are highly pigmented and creamy so incredibly easy to blend together.

Top - Copper and Pale Gold
Bottom - Deep Brown and Rose Gold
Alongside - Plum liner

L-R - Pale Gold, Rose Gold, Copper, Deep Brown, Plum Liner

It also comes with a little card showing you how to achieve 2 different looks - one more suitable for day time and the other for the night - which I think is a nice touch.

Despite this palette being quite expensive at £31, it is beautiful and definitely worth the money. It was limited edition so isn't easily available anymore, however I found that Debenhams still have some in stock in the UK which you can find here.

Love Alice x

Lifestyle | What's In My Bag

Hey,

I love reading what's in my bag blog posts, so thought I would do my own version!

I got this bag for Christmas after spotting it in a little independent shop near my home. It's a tan and cream colour block satchel type bag from the brand 'Fashion Star' (who after a hunt online only seem to stock directly to stores - sorry!). Two aspects of this bag I love, firstly it's size. It's big enough that you can fit lots in but not so big you overfill it, which I often do. And second is the many different sections inside the bag which you can see in the photos below.

  

So what's inside?!

Inside the front pockets I keep my iPhone. I recently upgraded to the iPhone 5S in the Silver, and it's beautiful - plus 4G is the best thing since sliced bread!

In the zipped back section I keep my keys, and in the middle section at the back, some essential items - tissues, a mini Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream (link), Soap & Glory Hand Maid (link), a nail file and some pens.

  

Then in the main section I keep everything else! Here you'll find my diary which I got from W H Smiths (which is an essential item for me at university), an umbrella which I got from ASOS (because living up North it rains...alot!) and my purse which is a purple/red snakeskin effect from John Lewis, crammed with more loyalty cards than I thought was imaginable! And lastly I have this MAC case which I was given years ago as a gift which at the time was filled with travel sized MAC eye brushes. In here I keep some other essential items including hair bands, a Rimmel stay matte pressed powder in Translucent (link) and a random brush. You'll also find an array of lipbalms - the Carmex Original in a pot (link), a Boots Essential Lip Salve in Peppermint (link) and the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lip Balm in Dark Chocolate and Mint (link). I normally also have my headphones which are by Sony in there (link), however I seem to have lost them since moving back into my house here in Newcastle (argh!).

 

So that's everything in my bag!  I hope you enjoyed today's post, and feel free to link me to your what's in my bag posts below, I love reading them.

Love Alice x

New Year, New Start

Hey guys,

First up I hope you all had a brilliant Christmas and New Year!

Second, a massive apology for not blogging more regularly at the end of 2013. Things at university got a little hectic and then before I knew it, it was Christmas! Last week I handed in 3 assignments which are the last for a while now, and combined with no January exams I have some free time! 

I thought I would also tell you all my New Years resolutions. Every year I make them but never stick them out for the whole year, so perhaps by writing them down it will make me!

1) Blog More

Like I said, my blog got very neglected at the end of last year. So this year I'm going to stick at it and write more posts for you all! My aim is to blog once a week (and if you're lucky more!), and publish my post every Monday - a nice way to start your week.

2) Lose Weight, Tone Up & Get Fit

I'm combining these under the one resolution. I restarted my health kick at the end of last year and have lost 5 pounds so far (yay!), but now I aim to lose a further 14 pounds/1 stone. Yes it sounds alot, but I was this weight at the end of Sixth Form (nearly 3 years ago) so I know it's possible. To get there I'm going to increase my exercise and tone up. I've restarted running again, still playing water polo, plus doing other cardio and strength exercises to help. I'm going on tour in April with my university water polo team so want to look and feel better by then.

3) No Takeaways

I'm sure many of you can relate - you've been on a night out, perhaps had 1 drink too many and you find yourself in a takeaway shop. This happened to me far too many times last term, and I need to kick the habit. I had this as a resolution last year when McDonalds became my best friend after a night out. I managed reasonably well, only eating 2 between New Year and the middle of June, but it went very downhill when returning to university in September! I transferred the cost of a McDonalds into a separate account after every night out and saved so much money, so I'm going to do the same this year and use that money to treat myself.

4) Run Another Half Marathon
I ran the Great North Run last September, and dare I say it...enjoyed it! I'm aiming to run it again this year in aid of charity. I ran it in 2 hours 18 minutes last year and am aiming to run it in 2 hours-2 hours 5 minutes.

5) Keep Working Hard At University
Being in my second year now, everything counts towards my final result, so I want to keep working hard and am aiming for a 2:1 at the end of this year (or a 1st if I'm lucky!).

What are your New Years resolutions?

See you next Monday!

Love Alice x

Lifestyle | My Week #6

17th October - 14th November 2013

1. Reunited with my lost keys!

2. Night out with 2 of my housemates

3. Water Polo Halloween Social - Scary Ballerinas!

4. Halloween with my housemate

5. Halloween with my other housemate

6. Pres at mine for Halloween

7. Fireworks

8. Housemates birthday cake baked by me!

9. Invitational Water Polo Social - Doctors & Nurses

10. Invitational

11. Invitational

12. Invitational

13. Won our first match against Durham 6-5

What have you been up to recently?

Love Alice x

Quick Post!

Hey,

Just a really quick post from me now (back in university at 4!) to apologise for the lack of posts over the last few weeks. Things got incredibly hectic with assignment deadlines, water polo training and matches and life in general! 

There will be a photos post later tonight of the last few weeks and then normal blogging should resume now I have no more assignments to hand in until January.

Also I'm nearly at 100 followers, so thank you for reading!

Hope you are all well,

Love Alice x

Beauty | Rimmel Scandaleyes Eye Shadow Stick

I love Rimmel and I love this Scandaleyes Eye Shadow Stick.

I picked this up a couple of weeks ago after hearing a few people talk about these products. I went for the shade 003 Bad Girl Bronze. This shade is light brown/bronze shade with bronze shimmer running through it. I thought it would be perfect for both in the day smudged into the lash line and for the night as a base or to add intensity at the lash line. They also claim to be 24 hour and waterproof.

I apologise for the fact it's blunt, the night before I took these photos I dropped it onto my carpet, and I can't find a pencil sharpener big enough for it?!

Firstly, it's incredibly soft and creamy so applies easily and as a result it's very easy to blend out. It also lasts a long time, however I do always wear a primer on my eyes due to habit so I couldn't comment on whether it really would last the full 24 hours! 

In the day it's nice just to smudge into the top (and bottom if you wish) lash line and blended out to add a little something to the eye. In the evening I've been either wearing it again along the top and bottom lash line, smudging out, and reapplying, smudging out etc until I get the intensity I want or applying it to the outer corner/through the crease to add depth to the eye. The only thing with this product is it does require a few applications after blending out to get the full shimmer/intensity of the colour.

Top - smudged out
Bottom - 'normal' application

I'm going to pick up a few of the other colours soon to test out.

Have you tried these Shadow Sticks? Any colour recommendations?

Love Alice x

Lifestyle | My Week #5

10th October - 16th October 2013

1. Selfie before PlanSoc night out

2. First PlanSoc social

3. We love PlanSoc!

4. September Monthly Favourites - read them here

5. Water Polo social

6. Water Polo terrorising a very drunk friend...oops

7. Abs challenge day 1 (I died) whilst my friend sat and watched me whilst eating

What have you been up to this week?

Love Alice x

Beauty | Clarins Haul

I warn you now, this is quite a long post, get a cuppa and get comfy is my suggestion!

A few weeks ago as I was walking home from university I received an email from Clarins saying I had won a £250 voucher to spend on their website! I thought at first it was a scam, but to my delight it wasn't! So I quickly went to their website and chose my many products.

Clarins isn't a brand I normally look at or buy from, but I had heard of a few products from them which I was eager to try out. This post is just to let you know what I got, I currently haven't tried anything out but when I have I'll let you know my must haves!

The first product I knew I wanted was their Beauty Flash Balm (link). This is a cult product that claims to be an instant radiance booster. I thought it was just used as a makeup base but it says it can also be used as a face mask. I'm very excited to try this to see if it lives up to the hype!

Next I bought 3 of the Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 02 Apricot Shimmer, 03 Nude Shimmer and 05 Candy Shimmer (link). I've bought one for myself, one for my Mum and the last for my Sister. Again another product I've heard alot about, but I love lip products that are more balmy/glossy than a lipstick so this is right up my street. It says it helps to nourish, repair and protect so I hope it lives up to this.

Left - Right : 02 Apricot Shimmer, 03 Nude Shimmer, 05 Candy Shimmer

The only other makeup product I bought was the Splendors Colour Quartet and Liner Eye Palette (link). This is such a pretty neutrals palette with a champagne, a bronze, a mink and a chocolate eye shadow plus a plum liner. Swatching them quickly shows that they look fairly pigmented but I'll let you know when I properly test it out. I wanted a smaller neutrals palette to my beloved Naked palette for if I'm travelling and this could be the perfect one! It also has a fairly decent sized mirror in it as well, ideal for travel.

I've wanted to try MAC Fix Plus for ages but never got round to buying it, so I picked up the Fix' Make Up (link). This product is a refreshing long lasting mist that says it holds your makeup in place. It says that it keeps your skin matte, and as someone with oily skin I really want to put this to the test!

Next an item I actually needed - an eye makeup remover! I wear quite a lot of mascara and eye products on nights out so I thought the Instant Eye Make-Up Remover (link) would be a good one to try as it claims to remove waterproof and heavy makeup. 

Another item I needed was an eye cream. I've been using and loving the Clinique All About Eyes Serum but I've nearly ran out so thought I would try one from Clarins. I decided on the Eye Revive Beauty Flash (link). I'm assuming it's in the same line as the Beauty Flash Balm so thought it should (hopefully) be good.

I have also wanted a new clay mask so decided to try the Pure And Radiant Mask (link). This has pink clay in it which helps to purify, tighten pores and refine skin texture along with the alpine willow herb. It also says it leaves a matte finish because of natural tanaka powders. I'm very excited to try this out as any product that can mattify my skin is a must have!

Next I purchased the Blemish Control (link). These are 2 x 5ml tubes with a roller ball top to use on any blemishes. Recently my skin has been good but I think that's due to a good diet/exercise/sleep pattern whilst living at home and I find my skin always goes a bit crazy when I move back to university so I'm sure it won't be too long until I try these out!

The last product I purchased was the Lotus Face Treatment Oil (link). I was worried about this, putting an oil onto oily skin sounds disastrous, but this is formulated for oily/combination skin. Reading the reviews about this, people said it was such  lovely product even with oily skin, so I'll let you know how this goes!

Then at the time of ordering Clarins were offering a free gift if you spent over a certain amount so even more goodies! In this I got the Moisture-Rich Body Lotion (link), the Relax Bath And Shower Concentrate (link), the One Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser (link), the Hand and Nail Treatment Cream (link), the HydraQuench Rich Cream (link) all in a cute drawstring bag!

Left - Right - HydraQuench Rich Cream, Moisture-Rich Body Lotion, Hand and Nail Treatment Cream, Relax Bath and Shower Concentrate, One Step Gentle Exfoliating Cream

And then I got to chose 3 miniatures! So the final 3 products are the One-Step Facial Cleanser (link), the Pure Melt Cleansing Gel (link) and the Pore Minimizing Serum (link).

Left - Right - Pore Minimizing Serum, One-Step Facial Cleanser, Pure Melt Cleansing Gel

So that's the end of my very large Clarins haul, of which I'm incredibly grateful for winning!

As I try these out I'll be sure to let you know what they are like.

What products would you like to try from Clarins?

Love Alice x

Monthly Favourites #2

2 posts in one day, bit keen! But, September was a very weird month for me, at the beginning I was still living at home and at the end I was back in Newcastle and in lectures! I love being back up here in Newcastle but things have got a bit hectic (hence the lack of posts), but here is my monthly favourites from September.

Beauty

1. Urban Decay Naked Palette

(link)

This is my go to eye palette for nights out. I love all the colours in this palette but I have a few favourites. I use Virgin or Sin for the inner corner of my eye, Naked for across the lid, Smog or Darkhorse through the crease and Creep as a liner. There's so much choice in this palette, I couldn't live without it!

2. Maybelline Baby Lips - 'Cherry Me'

(link)

I had wanted to try the Baby Lips for months and finally got my hands on one. I use this all the time, both for day and night to add a subtle hint of colour to my lips. I also love the fact they are super moisturising! I definitely want to try out some more of the range. 

3. Clinique High Impact Mascara - 'Black'

(link)

Again another go to product for nights out! I love the fact that this mascara not only lengthens but volumises my lashes giving me really big, full lashes. I am a massive fan of big lashes but can't apply fake eyelashes to save my life so any mascara that does that is a definite favourite of mine. 

4. Dior Pure Poison

(link)

Yes another night time favourite - can you tell I like/go out a bit too much at university?! Anyway, I adore this perfume. I had a mini version of it, but my Mum kindly gave me her almost full bottle of this during Summer. I love the scent of it but I couldn't tell you the notes in it!

Miscellaneous

5. Converse - 'White'
(link)
Another pair of Converse in my monthly favourites, but I love them to much to not include them! These are so comfy for walking to and from university and go with everything. I just hate getting them dirty so feel I won't get much more wear out of them this year!

6. ASOS Culottes - 'Floral Print'
(link)
These shorts were a bit of a risk for me as I tend to stick to denim shorts for nights out but I love these. They are so comfy and teamed with a black tee, I think it creates a really nice outfit. I've just bought another pair as well to add to my wardrobe!

Favourites minus my Maybelline Baby Lips because funnily enough I lost it on a night out!

What are your September favourites?

Love Alice x

Lifestyle | My Week #4

3rd October - 9th October 2013

1. Pre drinks with 2 of my housemates

2. Silly faces

3. Work is already building up

4. Casual Sunday morning on our road

5. Selfie before Wednesday night out!

What have you guys been up to this week?

Love Alice x

Lifestyle | My Week #3

An even bigger apology than normal for my lack of posts recently. I started lectures on Monday and things have been a little crazy this week with the open day/lectures/water polo/nights out!

26th September - 2nd October 2013

1. Wristbands with Geordie sayings from the Newcastle Open Day

2. Haul - find out what I bought here

3. Clarins parcel arrived

4. Lots of Clarins goodies - post coming soon

5. First NUSWPC social of the year

Haul | Boots & Miss Selfridge

Oops, I've done yet more shopping before my student loan comes in!

I popped into town the other day 'needing' some bits and pieces from Boots. I picked up another can of both the VO5 Plump It Up Dry Backcomb Spray - £3.89 (link) and the VO5 Give Me Texture Dry Texturising Spray - £3.89 (link). I love both these products to add volume to my hair, and an added bonus that selected VO5 products are buy 2 for £5! 

Then I bought the Boots Essentials Lip Salve in Spearmint - £1 (link). I'm always losing lip balm so hate spending lots of money on them, so these are perfect. They won't be winning any prizes soon for the best lip balm, but they do a decent enough job for me. These were also on offer for buy 2 for £1.80. 

Next I repurchased my favourite spot treatment, the La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.I. Targeted Breakout Corrector - £9.19 (link). This was also on offer for £6.89, and I'd been holding out for ages for somewhere to do an offer on La Roche-Posay before I repurchased it. It's not that I don't think it's worth the full price but I know that La Roche-Posay frequently has money off, and I am a student after all! I use this twice daily on any spots I may have and it definitely helps them to clear up quicker. 

Next round to the Rimmel stand where I purchased the Scandaleyes Shadow Stick in Bad Bronze - £4.49 (link) and their version of the Chubby Stick, the Colour Rush Balm in Drive Me Nude - £5.99 (link). I'd been wanting to try out the Shadow Stick for a while having seen them being spoken about and I'm going to have a full review up on it very soon. 

Final stop in Boots was to the No7 stand, I love their nail varnishes and I conveniently had a No7 voucher so I picked up 2 shades of their Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Foxglove and Star Shower - £6 (link). 

Then I went to Miss Selfridge where they had a buy one get one free sale on. I picked up this grey floral jumper which I love. It originally was around £25, but reduced down to £15. I split the 'free item' with my flatmate so I only paid £10 for it in the end! I also purchased a pair of earrings. These are gold 6 pointed stars with a black stone in the middle and were a bargain at £2. I don't often wear earrings but I thought they would look nice on a night out. (Neither items are still online, however check your local Miss Selfridge store as I saw both items in my store a few days ago). Then I purchased this Black Rollcuff Crop Tee - £10 (link). I'd purchased these floral culottes from ASOS a few months ago, and thought this tee would go nicely with it.

Weirdly everything I bought was on offer, so my bank account gave a slight sigh of relief (although not much!).

Have you bought anything recently?

Love Alice x

Fashion | Win With MRP

Quick post from me but who doesn't love a competition?! 

MRP is a South African based company that sells amazing pieces at even better more amazing prices. Think cute polka dotted jeans for £10, printed cardigans for £6.50 and embellished shirts for just £5.50. A bargain in my eyes!

Not only this but with postage at only £4 to the UK it makes it a very affordable option!

And now for the good part, MRP is running a competition to win a years supply of clothing from the site. All you need to do is click the link below and enter your details, easy as.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Have you entered?

Love Alice x

Lifestyle | My Week #2

19th September - 25th September 2013

1. Quiet night in

2. Bongo fun whilst watching Geordie Shore

3. Attempt to sort my life out

4. Snazzy t-shirt and badge for the Newcastle University Visit Day this Saturday

5. I won a £250 Clarins voucher as part of their Summer Draw!

Quiet one on the picture front this week! 

What have you guys been up to?

Love Alice x

Tag | The Beauty Tag

I saw this post over on the blog Blue Eyed Beauty by the lovely Caroline. I thought it looked like a really nice beauty related tag, so here's my version!

How many times do you wash your face daily?

Twice a day

What skin type do you have? (dry, oily or combination)

Combination - oily through my T-zone and normal everywhere else

What is your current facial wash?

I have the Elemis FreshSkin Peachy Perfect face wash, but I use Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish too

Do you exfoliate?

Yes, I love exfoliating!

What moisturiser do you use? 

Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser light for combo/oily skin

Do you have freckles?

Yes, across my nose and cheekbones

Do you use eye cream?

I use the Clinique All About Eyes serum

Do you or did you have acne prone skin?

No, although I did have a very severe breakout earlier this year which I would class as acne

Did you ever use ProActiv?

I couldn't even tell you what that is!

What foundation do you use?

For day either Garnier BB Miracle Skin Perfector - Oil Free in Light or L'Oreal True Match in Rose Ivory

For night Revlon ColourStay for Oily/Combo skin in Natural Beige

How about concealer?

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection in shades 1 and 2

Do you know your undertone colour?

Not really! Can you be in the middle?

What do you think of fake eyelashes?

Tried them once about 5 years ago, was useless so not tried since!

Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?

Yes, but I don't, oops

What brand of mascara do you use?

Too many! I love L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic at the moment

Sephora or Mac?

I don't own anything Sephora, so MAC

Do you have a MAC Pro-Card?

Nope

What make-up tools do you use in make-up application?

Brushes by Real Techniques, Body Shop, MAC and Urban Decay

Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?

Yes

What is your favourite eye shadow? (Colour or Shade)

Neutrals, my favourite palette is the Naked palette by Urban Decay

Do you use pencil or liquid eye-liner?

Kohl

How often do you poke your eyes with an eye liner pencil?

Not very often, I don't wear it much anymore

What do you think of pigment eye shadows?

I love them but too messy for me! 

What is your favourite lipstick?

I don't wear much lipstick, but I love Clinique Chubby Sticks and all the spin offs in particular No7

How about lip gloss? 

Not keen on it, so I don't wear it often

What is your favourite blush?

Benefit Coralista or the blush in the Sleek Face Form palette - see my review on it here

Do you buy make-up on e-bay?

No I haven't

Do you like drug store make-up?

Yes I love it

Do you go to CCO's? (Cosmetic Company Outlets)

Yes, I love the one at Bicester Village which is very close to my home in Oxfordshire, and I've been to the one in Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth and the Designer Outlet in Swindon many years ago

Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?

No, I like make-up but it's quite expensive!

Are you clumsy in putting on make-up?

No never!

Name a make-up crime that you hate?

Umm....the wrong shade of foundation which hasn't been blended down the neck, so you end up with a line!

Do you like colourful shades of make-up (lipstick, eye shadow) or neutral tones?

Eyes, definitely neutral, but I'm being slightly more adventurous with lipstick nowadays

Which celebrity always has great make-up?

Too many!

If you could leave the house with just ONE Make-up item, what would you use?

Concealer

Could you ever leave the house without any make-up on?

I do to ride and run, but I wouldn't to go to uni/town etc. When my skin is good, I could leave with very minimal makeup on though if that counts?!

Do you think you look good even without any make-up on?

No definitely not!

In your opinion, what is the BEST make-up line?

Tough one, I want to say Rimmel but I'm not overally keen on any of their foundations (yet to try their new Stay Matte Foundation) but they do brilliant powders, eye products, lip products etc

What do you think of Make-up?

I love make up, brilliant invention IMO!

Have you done this tag? What do you think of it?

Let me know if you have or are going to do it so I can have a read of your version.

Love Alice x

Fashion | Wishlist #2 (With Fashion Union)

This month I rediscovered Fashion Union after etailPR emailed all it's bloggers to offer us the chance to win £500 to spend on the Fashion Union site. 

I remember placing orders with the company many years ago but I had forgotten just how great a site it was with the latest trends at affordable prices! 

So here's my fashion wishlist for this month from Fashion Union.

Grey Sparkle Knitted Jumper With Zip Detail (link) £25
Blue Supersoft Blasted Jean (link) £22
Khaki Fur Collar Parka With Removable Sherpa (link) £65
Brown Sheep Skin Shoulder Bag (link) £15
Tan Flat Pull On Chelsea Boot  (link) £25

I think this outfit would be perfect for a shopping trip up here in Newcastle. Nothing too uncomfortable, or difficult to get in and out of whilst trying on clothes, yet I think it would look 'put together'. And anything with a bit of sparkle, like this jumper, I'm instantly in love with!

Cream Single Strap Woven V Neck Vest (link) £12
Black Aztec Print Mini Skirt With Side Zip (link) £20
Black Basic Blazer With Cream Lining (link) £20
Black Suede Gold Tip Pointed Court Shoe (link) £25
Orange Neon Envelope Clutch (link) £18

This outfit I thought would look really nice to go for drinks with friends. I like the monochrome theme running through the outfit, teamed with the neon bag to add a pop of colour. The gold tipped shoes add a twist to the simple black court. Add some simple gold jewellry and you're good to go!

Black Chiffon Playsuit (link) £25
Blue Peep Toe Platform Heel (link) £25
Black Metal Belt (link) £10
Black Snake Clutch Bag (link) £7

I'm not really a dress person, so I thought this chiffon playsuit would be perfect for a party. Again, I've added a pop of colour with the shoes, but kept the rest of the outfit very simple, with the metal belt to define the waist.

If you would like to be in with the chance of winning the £500 prize, create your own wishlist from the Fashion Union site. All the details can be found here.

Also this month, Fashion Union are offering free delivery so even more of an excuse to go and check them out! Click on the photo below to be taken straight to their site.

What would be on your wishlist?

Love Alice x

Lifestyle | My Week #1

A new weekly post from me - my week in photos!

12th September - 18th September 2013

1. (Larry) Lucky Lamb birthday cake - my sister's 15th birthday

2. Goodbye Oxfordshire

3. BUPA Great North Run

4. Completed in 2:18:45!

5. Unpacking in my university room

6. First night back out in Newcastle

7. Club Trop

Love Alice x

Quick Hello!

Hey guys,

Sorry for being so rubbish at blogging over the last few weeks, but I thought I'd make this quick post to explain my absence! 

Last Friday I moved back up to Newcastle to my new house ready for my second year of university. My house is so lovely and I'm sharing with 4 other girls this year. Since moving in I've been sorting out my room and meeting up with friends that I haven't seen since June so I haven't had much time to sit down and write a proper blog post.

As well as this I ran the Great North Run on Sunday in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. It peed it rain near enough all day but I actually enjoyed the experience so much. I ran the 13.1 miles in 2:18:45, which was over 10 minutes quicker than my original aim of 2:30 so I was very pleased. I enjoyed it so much that I'm pretty certain I'm going to enter again next year...what am I thinking! If you would like to sponsor me for this run, you can do on my JustGiving page here.

So that's my quick update, but now things have settled down a bit I can sit down and write some proper posts for you all.

Hope you are all well!

Love Alice x

Lifestyle | 5 Tips For Starting University

It's that time of year again when lots of people are off to start university. I'm very jealous of anybody being a 'fresher' this year, I had an amazing first year and would love to do it all again!

But here are my 5 tips for those of you starting university -

1) Make the most of 'freshers' week

If your university is anything like mine, not only will you have a variety of nighttime events, but also events throughout the day. I wish I had made more of an effort to do these daytime activities rather than just sitting around the flat (admittedly with others!). They had such a wide range of activities including cocktail making sessions, paintballing, beach trips, tours of St James' Park, the list goes on! Not only will you get to meet even more people, but the cost of all these was already included in our (rather expensive) wristband for the week.

2) Get involved - societies, clubs etc

Join societies, sports teams etc and get involved with them. Not only will you meet people with the same interests as you, it will get you out and about and looks great on your CV if you take on an active role.

3) Stock up on paracetamol, cold and flu medicine etc

Word of warning now - you will get freshers flu. Its inevitably going to happen, hundreds of new people put into one area and germs are going to spread like wildfire. Stock up on all your cold and flu remedies before you go, so at the first sign of 'the flu' coming your way you can start dosing yourself up without having to try and find the nearest chemist. 

4) Stock up on cupboard essentials

Another stock up, but this time with kitchen cupboard essentials - tins of beans, soup, dried pasta, jars of pasta sauce etc. When you've spend the majority of your loan and you still have another week until you can go home for Christmas these essentials are vital.

5) Enjoy first year

Don't stress out too much, do some work, but also go out and have fun. The phrase 'work hard, play harder' springs to mind. First year is such an amazing year of your life and is the only time where the phrase 'you only need 40%' can be used! This time next year, you'll be sat here like me, thinking this year I'm going to have to do some more work...

Are you off to university this year? Have fun!

Love Alice x