Wardrobe Additions: Topshop & Romwe

I did a little shopping at the weekend, and wanted to share the fashion items that i picked up. As you will see, I've been loving Topshop lately- their autumn/winter collections are spot on this year. It can be a little hit and miss sometimes, but this year i haven't struggled to find things that i really love!

Initially i just purchased the nude version of this jumper, but as i loved it so much, i had to go back and get the burgundy colour too! I just adore the intricate, embellished collars. They give an otherwise ordinary jumper, a stylish and eye-catching twist. Studding, and anything that's embellished is a huge trend this season, along with the it-colour, burgundy. The nude version looks great with my burgundy jeans, and my leopard print pair too. They also look great with skater skirts, and my tweed jacket. I think they're the perfect additions to add a little glitz to your a/w wardrobe, and there are so many colours to choose from. 

I also picked up some new accessories to update my winter pieces. Something that i had spotted on their site and wanted instantly, was the burgundy faux fur snood. It's so soft, and adds such a glamorous touch to any outfit. I wanted it to go with my tweed jacket, and they go together beautifully. It looks very classy and elegant, perhaps even a touch of Downton Abbey!? I then got a knitted burgundy loop scarf, as a casual alternative to the fur snood. This one is ideal for everyday, casual wear, and goes really well with my Hollister gillet that i wear to college. I also couldn't resist these cute ankle socks. I spotted them on the mannequin paired with a skater skirt, thick tights, and black ankle boots, that were very similar to mine from Aldo. They look really cute worn over the top of black tights, poking out of a pair of winter boots. Once again, they're in this seasons' it colour, burgundy- i can't get enough of it!

Lastly from Topshop, i purchased this ribbed, black skater skirt. After seeing the cute socks-and-boots combo on the mannequin, i had to get the skirt too! I think skater skirts look really nice paired with blouses, and jumpers, along with thick tights and boots. They're a nice alternative to my usual option of skinny jeans, and are a very flattering style on most shapes. The material is nice and thick for the colder months, and i can't wait to pair it with my new jumpers, tweed jacket, and faux fur snood! 

I also have a new addition from Romwe. They kindly sent me another item to try, and i picked this gorgeous black peplum top. Peplum silhouettes are another key trend this year, and i also loved the extra addition of the gold collar tips and exposed, gold zip. Peplum shapes are very flattering and are the perfect way to incorporate something a little more dressy/smart into your outfit. This one, is very well made and super affordable. I went for a size small, which i think would be suitable for UK sizes 8-10 (although it does run quite large). I will be pairing this with both my new skater skirt, and burgundy jeans. 

What are your favourite a/w trends?

Love, Claudia x

Weekly Summary #9

1. My autumn/fall beauty picks (video here), 2. Cute Halloween displays at a local bakery, 3. Saturday shopping was successful- lots of new beauty and fashion items to share in a haul soon!, 4. Beautiful, autumnal view from my window,  5. The cutest thing i've seen all week- a teeny weeny Chanel No.5 perfume bottle!, 6. My college beauty essentials (post here), 7. My latest collection of empty beauty products (video here), 8. Cadbury's newest creation- milk chocolate with Oreo's- very yummy!, 9. Reusing my empty candle jars as makeup storage- this is my 'Buxom' pot! 

I hope you've all had a lovely week, and have been enjoying autumn just as much as i have!

Love, Claudia x

My College Beauty Essentials

Although i've only been back at college for a month or so now, i've already got tons of coursework, essays and exam revision to get started with. As a result, i practically live in the library at the moment! So i thought i'd share my beauty must-haves with you, that i rely on to keep me looking presentable. I don't wear much makeup to college, but i do like to keep a few items at hand in case they're needed. Plus, you never know what might come up after college. 

Boscia Green Tea Blotting Sheets: Anyone with oily skin will understand how much of a life-saver oil sheets can be. I love the Boscia variety (available from Sephora in the States), which absorb all traces of excess oil without disrupting my makeup. The green tea scent also feels very fresh on the skin- perfect for using before powder touch ups. 

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfecter: This is one of my all-time favourite lipglosses for everyday, natural makeup. The Clarins lip perfecters do exactly what they say on the tube- perfect the appearance of your lips! I have the shade 01 'Rose Shimmer', that just adds a beautiful healthy sheen to the lips, with a slight hint of pink. The formula is very hydrating and makes your lips look fuller, and overall, very healthy. The sponge tip applicator allows for effortless application, any-time any-where, and the vanilla scent smells great. I can't recommend these enough!

B&BW Antibacterial Hand Gel: This is something that i simply can't be without! Hand sanitizer is an essential for me, and Bath and Body Works offer the best range of scents- i always stock up when i visit the States. Here i have, 'Bellini Dream'!

Victoria's Secret PINK Body Spray: Again, this is another American product. I love the Victoria's Secret body mists (which you can now find at the New Bond Street store in London), and the mini sizes are ideal for keeping in your bag. I have 'Sweet & Flirty' which is a very sweet, fruity scent, consisting of pink grapefruit and berry notes. It's great to just spritz on when you want to freshen up, and despite being super inexpensive, i always get compliments when wearing it! It smells so fresh and fruity- love it. 

Of course, chewing gum is another college essential, along with a handy compact mirror and spare hair bands/grips that always seem to go missing! 

What are your favourite beauty items for college/school? 

Love, Claudia x

My Autumn Beauty Picks

Now that were in the autumn/winter season, i've been changing up my products and found some new favourites along the way. I always reach for cosy, warm scents, during this time of the year, and anything that offers lots of hydration!  Here are my beauty picks for this season...

Darphin Aromatic Hand Cream: Hand cream is a must during the colder months, and this one by Darphin does the job perfectly. I picked it up recently from my local CCO store, and was instantly impressed with how well it worked. It left my hands feeling much softer, and my favourite thing, was that it only took a number of seconds to sink in. Plus, the scent it very light and fresh, so it doesn't interfere with my perfume for the day. It's lightweight and fast-absorbing, yet does exactly what it's supposed to- ideal for keeping in your handbag. 

Lanolips 101 Lip Ointment & Lanolips Lemon Lip Aid: I always reach for Lanolips products during the colder months. All products contain ultra pure grade lanolin- one of natures greatest moisturisers. The 101 lip ointment is a fantastic lip balm for rescuing chapped, dry lips, and the best part, is that everything contains 100% natural ingredients without any fragrance or colours. You can also use the multi-purpose balm for cuticles, elbows or any other dry patches. I also love the Lemonaid Lip treatment, which is a lip exfoliator/balm in one, and works wonders at smoothing chapped, flaky lips. It smells amazing, and leaves my lips feeling ultra smooth and ready for lipstick application. 

Gucci Guilty Perfume: This is one of my favourite winter perfumes, that i come back to each year. The scent is very warm and sensual, containing notes of peach, amber and patchouli. The staying power is great, and of course the bottle looks amazing on my counter top too!

Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille Body Creme: This smells ah-mazing, and the scent is perfect for the autumn. It's a sweet scent, yet still very mature and sophisticated. The notes of Amber, Vanilla, Brown Sugar and Coconut, work together to create a warm and cosy scent that i love. It smells amazing, and completely unlike anything else I've used before.  The Vitamin E, C and A extracts really nourish dry skin, alongside the Grape Seed and Rice Bran Oils. Besides the gorgeous scent, it leaves my skin feeling so smooth and silky, with no stickiness or greasy feeling at all.  

Laura Mercier Vanille Gourmande Perfume: To work alongside the body cream, i also have the Laura Mercier fragrance in 'Vanille Gourmande'. There's not a perfume to accompany the new 'Ambre Vanille' range just yet, but this vanilla based scent is the next best thing. Once again, it's a very warm and comforting scent, with lots of vanilla, amber and musky notes. It works perfectly when layered with the body cream, for a sweet, yet sophisticated scent, that lasts all day. It also works equally well when worn alone, and its a great one to have in your collection for mixing with other fragrances.

Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel:  This is a product that i always look forward to using during this time of the year. The 'snow fairy' scent is a Christmas exclusive for Lush, and one of my favourites. It's super sweet, based on the smell of pear drops and candy floss, and scents your whole bathroom. My countdown to Christmas always begins when i purchase my first bottle of this! 

Dior 'Amazonia': The latest shade from Dior's 'Golden Jungle' collection, Amazonia is a dark, olive green with brown undertones. It doesn't sound too appealing, but on the nails it looks great, and makes a nice change from the typical black/plum shades that are popular for this season. 

Chanel 'Rouge Noir': A classic shade from Chanel, Rouge Noir is a staple in my a/w nail polish stash. It's a unique colour- a cross between black, and oxblood red- very vampy, yet classy at the same time!

Chanel 'Vertigo': Vertigo is the latest it-colour from Chanel. In the bottle, it's an inky black, with plummy-purple tones and fine, red shimmer. 

Chanel 'Frenzy': Also from the Chanel fall collection, 'Frenzy' is a very light, cool-toned grey with lilac undertones. It's a clean-cut shade, and one that will make your nails look well-groomed and elegant.

O.P.I 'Light My Sapphire': This is a beautiful and unique shade, that acts as a nice alternative to the typical dark colours. It's a deep, dark navy blue with a rich undertone of silver shimmer. It looks amazing on the nails and compliments many skin tones. 

O.P.I 'Lincoln Park After Dark':  One that's always been in my collection is OPIs 'Lincoln Park After Dark'- it's an amazing vampy nail shade that looks very sophisticated on the nails, and has incredible staying power.

What are your favourite autumn beauty products?
Love, Claudia x

Weekly Summary #8

1. Friday night pizza, 2. Editing my 'top knot bun hair tutorial', that i finally got round to filming! Will be up later this week, 3. New favourite snack- healthy & authentic noodles by Kabuto, 4. New OOTD video featuring my Topshop jumper that i'm in love with!,  5. Shopping for Halloween goodies at John Lewis, 6. Enjoying my winter fragrances once again, 7. Catching up with history coursework- so much college work already!, 8. Cinema trip to see 'Hotel Transylvania'- worst cinema experience ever! Why do adults take screaming toddlers to the cinema? (fortunately we got a refund), 9. Catching up with you tube videos :)

I hope you've all had a lovely week

Love, Claudia x

Weekly Summary #7

1. My favourite products for the month of September (video here), 2. Mums' homemade carrot cupcakes- sooo yummy!, 3. My favourite accessories of the month, 4. My latest wardrobe addition- a light nude jumper with a beautiful embellished neckline from Topshop,  5. My new bath and body products from Laura Mercier- the body cream smells divine! (review here), 6. Sunday reading material- whilst i wait for Downton Abbey to start!, 7. Using my 'sleep in rollers' for the first time- they work really well at creating big bouncy hair, with lots of volume- even if they're not the most comfortable things to sleep in!, 8. My exciting find from TKMAXX- socks that are designed to be worn with converse! I had been needing something just like these to wear with my chucks- the low cut means there's no visible socks poking out!, 9. Cinema trip to see 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower'- such a good film, although a little teary! 

I hope you've all had a lovely week

Love, Claudia x

Sweet Scents: Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille Body Cream

 I've always coveted the Laura Mercier body products- the scents are delicious and the packaging is just so indulgent. However, it wasn't until i discovered their recent scent, 'Ambre Vanille', that i really wanted to purchase something from the range. I picked up two products; a perfume and souffle body cream, which both work beautifully alongside each other. They were quite expensive, but oh so worth it! 

'Ambre Vanille' is the latest addition to the LM body and bath range. Just the scent alone sold me on this product- it smells divine.  It is a sweet scent, yet still very mature and sophisticated. The notes of Amber, Vanilla, Brown Sugar and Coconut, work together to create a warm and cosy scent that i love. It smells amazing, and completely unlike anything else i've used before. It's a very comforting scent, and perfect to slather on when you want to indulge yourself. The body cream itself, is beautiful too. The Vitamin E, C and A extracts really nourish the skin, alongside the Grape Seed and Rice Bran Oils. It leaves my skin feeling so smooth and silky, with no stickiness or greasy feeling at all.  Of course, it is an expensive body cream and not one that i use everyday. However, i love having this beautiful jar on my counter top and always reach for it when i'm looking for something to pamper my skin with. My favourite thing about it though, is the amazing scent- it will leave you smelling good enough to eat and i always receive lots of compliments when wearing it.

To work alongside the body cream, i also purchased the Laura Mercier fragrance in 'Vanille Gourmande'. There's not a perfume to accompany the new 'Ambre Vanille' range just yet, but this vanilla based scent is the next best thing. Once again, it's a very warm and comforting scent, with lots of vanilla, amber and musky notes. It works perfectly when layered with the body cream, for a sweet, yet sophisticated scent, that lasts all day. It also works equally well when worn alone, and its a great one to have in your collection for mixing with other fragrances. I've really enjoyed wearing it over the past couple of weeks, as i transition between my summer and winter scents.

Whilst these body products are an indulgent treat, i highly recommend them if you want to give yourself a little pampering. They're so worth it, and to me, the scents are just delicious. They also make perfect christmas gifts for friends/family this year, or to yourself! Both products have quickly become my new favourites, and are perfect for the autumn/winter season.

Love, Claudia x

September Favourites

Although i haven't purchased any new makeup recently, i still have quite a few favourites for the month of  September. I've been loving some new body care items, hair products and lots of nail colours! 

Dark Nail Colours

I've been rediscovering some of my favourite a/w nail colours this month. One that's always been in my collection is OPIs 'Lincoln Park After Dark'- it's an amazing vampy nail shade that looks very sophisticated on the nails. I also have a few new additions from the Chanel fall collection, including 'Vertigo', a dark inky black with purple hints, and 'Frenzy', a neutral putty shade. Not to mention the new shade from Dior, 'Amazonia' which is a dark, sludge-green. It doesn't sound great, but believe me, it looks fantastic on the nails!

Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille Body Cream

This product was a bit of a splurge, but oh was it worth it! This is the best smelling body cream i have ever come across- it's delicious. Laura Mercier's body and bath range has always received lots of positive feedback, and their latest scent 'Ambre Vanille', did not disappoint. The body cream itself leaves my skin feeling so silky and smooth, with the most amazing scent ever. It's very sweet, with notes of vanilla and amber, yet still remains incredibly classy. It's not a sickly sweet scent at all. The packaging is also gorgeous, and whilst i don't use it everyday, if i want to indulge myself with some pampering i always reach for this! If you want to smell good enough to eat, you must give this a try- but be prepared for lots of compliments! 

Laura Mercier Vanille Gourmande Perfume

To accompany my LM body cream, i also picked up their vanilla fragrance. This too, smells divine! It's a vanilla scent that works very well alongside the body cream, or worn alone. The staying power is perfect and it's a great scent to mix with other perfumes to add a little more sweetness. 

Palmolive Lotus & Watermelon Deodorant

I always go on about my favourite American deodorants, and how they have the best scents on offer (cocoa butter kiss, or summer berry anyone?!), but i recently found this range from Palmolive that has some lovely scents. The Lotus and Watermelon scent is very fresh and fruity, and it just does the job really well.

Greenscape Honey, Rhubarb & Mint Shower Gel

I love all of the shower products from Greenscape, but this scent in particular is definitely my favourite. To me, it smells just like one of my favourite sweets, Rhubarb and Custard! The scent is delicious and what i love about the brand most, is that everything is free from petrochemicals, sulphates, parabens, glycol's and synthetic colours. They work really well, and are a much healthier option for your everyday routine. 

Sleep In Rollers

I've always loved voluminous, bouncy hair, but struggled to achieve the perfect look that i wanted. I always tend to end up with tight curls, when all i want is loose waves and lots of body. However, when i tried these rollers, i finally found what i was looking for! I had seen lots of positive reviews on these 'sleep in rollers', and most of the TOWIE cast are huge fans of them too. When they launched into Boots this month i decided to give them a go, and after trying them a few times I'm so pleased with the results. I have fine hair and struggle to achieve volume, but these rollers leave my hair looking big and bouncy- just like I've had a professional blow dry. They don't create tight curls- just loose and full waves- perfect! What i love about them most, is the heat-free method. My fine hair is so sensitive to heat, and now that i have a heat-free routine, it can be difficult to find hair tools that achieve waves without the use of heat. However, these require very minimal effort and most importantly for me, absolutely no heat. You just need to put them into clean, dry hair- i also add in some volumising mousse- and remove them the next morning. Despite the claims, they're not the most comfortable things to sleep in, but the results are definitely worth it. I highly recommend these if you want big bouncy hair,  without creating any heat damage- they're so easy to use and very travel friendly. Love them.

I've also been loving some accessories this month. I can't stop staring at my adorable Laduree key chain- i love it so much! It's so cute and totally me- i'm not even sure if i want to use it yet! My favourite handbag this month, has been my Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac in burgundy. The colour is perfect for a/w this year, and i just love everything about the bags' design. The cross body style is ideal for hands-free shopping, and can easily work as a day or night bag. Plus, the adjustable strap can transform it into a shoulder bag, or clutch. 

What are your favourites for September?

Love Claudia x