New threads.

I've been meaning to do a post with some of my recent purchases, but hadn't managed to get round to it due to one thing or another. So, here it is! These are some of my most recent purchases:

White crochet back barbie shirt, Never Fully Dressed

Olive Jones cardi, Never Fully Dressed
Black cotton barbie shirt, Never Fully Dressed
Earrings with cuff and spikes, Topshop
Chandelier earrings with small crosses, Topshop

Rose gold cross necklace, Topshop
'Let's Roll' tee, Topshop
Pastel print shirt, H&M

Gold stone pendant necklace, Topshop

I actually don't shop at Topshop much, but I do like their accessories and beauty section as it's pretty affordable so you can treat yourself. This pastel print shirt from H&M is really cute, its long enough to wear with leggings and I have had a bunch of compliments from my friends since getting it. I am a big fan of a shirt because you can wear them with anything and make it look dressy or casual and I think H&M do some great shirts that look like they are worth a lot more money.

Never Fully Dressed is probably my favorite place to shop (I know big statement!). I discovered their cool London boutique site whilst I was at university and immediately fell in love with every single item on their site. They have managed to create an effortlessly cool collection with pieces you can wear in the daytime with a knit or at night with a blazer. I think its really important to find items of clothing that are versatile and Never Fully Dressed have got this down to a T. Also, their model Kasia looks amazing in everything she wears which makes me want to buy even more!

I will do some outfit posts to show you how I have worn my new purchases, currently I have only worn the H&M shirt here (ignore the messiness of my room, I am in-between packing/unpacking/clearing/organising!)

Pastel print shirt, H&M
Black tank top (under shirt), H&M
Olive Ostrich feather gillet, Never Fully Dressed
Leggings, Asda
Boots, M&S

November's GLOSSYBOX

Happy gift to me, happy gift to me! It is literally like getting a present every month as you kind of forget its coming and then BAM some little beauty treats arrive. This is what November's GLOSSYBOX had to offer...

 

DR.JART+ 'Water Fuse Beauty Balm'
This BB cream is a cult product over in Korea at the moment, which happens to be the country my 19yr old sister has been obsessed with for as long as I can remember. She knows everything there is to know about the Korean culture, music, lifestyle, clothing and beauty products, so I am 100% getting her to test run this BB cream for me as she is a) dying to and b) practically an expert - I will let you know her verdict! 

Burberry 'Burberry Body Eau de Parfum' 
Cutest glass bottle/bullet award ever. This is like a little dose of luxury, which I love. The scent is best described as 'classic', it has a subtle floral smell that isn't overpowring which I think will suit everyone. The packaging has the perfect beige colour with rose gold print, which totally compliments their branding and the classic scent of the perfume. I tried to find out whether it was 100% recycled material and apparently it has been made to be completely eco-friendly which is a bonus (also shows that you can be conscious yet classy with your designs, so top points). Despite it being far too adorable to use this will deffo be a welcome addition to my handbag.

Alison Claire Natural Beauty 'Mango Body Butter' 
I love the smell of mango in body butters, so I was really excited to try this. The packaging is great as it has a pump action so you don't end up using too much, which can be an error with body butter when you end up spending an hour rubbing it in due to accidental overload. I have used this since getting it and I have to say although it was a good cream it just wasn't mango-ey enough! I don't know if others will disagree, but if you have used The Body Shop's body butter in Mango before then this one doesn't quite impress. 

Nails Inc 'Kensington Caviar Top Coat' 
Smallest bottle ever! I'm a fan of nails inc and I know you shouldn't like something more because of the names or packaging, but they do name their nail varnishes really cool names. I have tried this top coat and it seems to be a good-un, it dries really quick and top coats are always great to have - thumbs up! 

Dermalogica 'Daily Microfoliant' 
If it's good enough for the models, then its good enough for me! A models favorite according to GLOSSYBOX that promises to leave your skin smoother and brighter. It's a bit like talcum powder that turns into a paste/foam when you put water on it - crazy! I used it the other day and I have to say my face did seem brighter and a lot smoother, so they haven't lied there. It also has a really fresh baby clean type smell which I personally like (not that I go around sniffing people's babies...). A lot of my friends say I have really nice skin with small pores, so as an added bonus to this post I will share a few skin secrets with you... 

1) Keep whatever skin exfoliator and/or cream you are using in the shower, your pores are then opened by the hot water making sure you get a good clean
2) Don't clean your face every day. Some people are probably like 'Whaaaaaaat' but I strongly believe that your skin needs to find its own balance of oils and whatever else it does and I think its good for your skin to deal with dirt and grime on its own to build up its own defenses. Too many chemicals and products are not good, so rest your skin every other day! 
3) Always remove your make up before bed. I like to remove mine with a face wipe and then use a cleanser to get rid of the extra make up that's left (this is because I'm lazy and I can't always be bothered to put cleanser on those little cotton wool pads - life's too short for cotton wool pads!)

Think that's it. Overall, November's GLOSSYBOX was pleasing - let me know what you thought if you are signed up or if you are thinking of signing up then check back here each month to see what you could get your mitts on.

Looking good!

As you may have noticed 'Life by Emmy' has had a bit of a makeover! Really happy with the design, makes it so much easier to read everything now. 

The template is from Carrie over at 'Carrie Loves Design' which you can check out here. They are really affordable (and amazing) so if your new to blogging like myself then they are worth a purchase before you start getting any expensive custom ones. Also, it only took Carrie about 10mins to apply the new design, perfect if you are worried about it taking ages. 

I am 100% heading back for a custom template when I have been blogging a bit longer! What do you all think? Are there any designers you would recommend? 

October GLOSSYBOX review

Ok, so I have finally had time to test the products out from my October GLOSSYBOX and can share my verdict with you all. If you want to see the products then click to view my post here

Anatomicals 'Don't just clean it woman, scrub it body scrub'
I liked this scrub a lot, it has a nice smell and it's a great gentle exfoliator that you could use on a daily basis. I would use this as an everyday shower gel and something with more of a sea salt scrub for better exfoliation every 2ish weeks.

Yves Rocher France 'Instant Anti-Wrinkle Moisturiser - HYDRA VEGETAL'

Well, i know look 12 years old thanks to this anti-wrinkle cream! Just kidding, but I do really like it as an everyday moisturiser before bedtime. It smells really fresh and clean and you don't need to much to get good coverage, I would purchase this in the future.

 

Skinetica 'Anti-Blemish'

My spots did seem to reduce quite a lot after 2-3 days which was sooo good as I had my graduation, so I can fault it in that respect. The only downside is it kind of smells a bit funky, but that doesn't put me off.

The Organic Pharmacy 'Enzyme Peel Mask with Vitamin C & Papaya'

I have only managed to use this once since getting it and I do really like it, but £49 for the real deal...nahhh.

Sally Hansen 'Complete Salon Manicure'

I got a bit of a random colour to be honest, it came out like a grey-ish-black that wasn't the best, but it seemed to last quite well. Think I may need to use this a few more times - still not convinced!

Hope that helps anyone thinking of making these purchases! Let me know what you thought of the same products if you have used them, are you a GLOSSYBOX fan?

Love & kisses, Emmy x

Beauty Buys.

Aloha! I've been a bit naughty this week with my shopping habits and I have been getting sucked into every offer that I come across doing the classic 'But its 30% off!' and not really thinking that it's still 70% on...oops?!

Boots had a 'Buy one, get one half price' deal on this week and these were my two treats:

The first purchase is the Bourjois Sweet Kisses Lipstick in 'Rouge Intemporel' which is drunkenly modelled by me and my friend from the weekend in the last picture there. Its a great colour, although I thought it would be slightly pinker/purple rather than red when I bought it. I would definitely recommend it though, as after a fair few cocktails my lipstick was still pretty fresh! It's priced at £7.99 and comes in a really sleek case (cool button thing - whoohoo), so I would give 4.5/5 overall.

The second purchase was a 'Revlon PhotoReady Eye Primer' which was definitely a 'oh-my-god-I-get-something-half-price-quick-grab-something-now-that-really?-yes-I've-always-wanted-one' moment. I always have trouble with highlighters, as I haven't managed to find something that I adore. Sadly, I'm not a huge fan of this either! It has a clicky twisty button which ends up shooting the product out and the coverage is quite light. The original (non-deal) price is £9.99, so I would give this a 2.5/5 overall as you can probably find a cheaper one that will do the same thing.

I have bought a few new clothes AND jewels (naughty), so I will have to do another post for those, but if anyone can recommend a highlighter for me please do!

Peace, Emmy x

Life by Carl: Vol 1

As this blog encompasses my life, one big aspect of my life is my family. My dad is called Carl and he recently moved to London after accepting a job there, which has since led to a series of funny stories and ‘daily errors’ that he relays to me. The best way I can describe my dad is he is pretty similar to Chandler off 'friends', so in my eyes he is pretty hilarious! When I have sorted my blog out a bit more I intend to have a section called 'Life by Carl' which will be a series of stories about my dad's mishaps (I say stories, this is actually what happens to him). Hope you enjoy and laugh at/with him as much as i do!

Image from weheartit

 

First Day.

The first day of work is always a daunting one full of nerves and excitement as you begin a new journey. After spending months trying to find a flat in London that was close enough to the tube, but easy enough to drive back to the Midlands, Carl was finally ready for his first day of work...

 

Skipping back to the Saturday, Carl had his last game of tennis at the tennis club before he bid his friends farewell and headed to the city. Obviously wanting to make a lasting impression he decided to lunge about on the court (channelling his inner Andy Murray) and managed to pull/tear a ligament in his leg leaving him to have to be picked up by Liza, his wife.

 

Monday has arrived. Cleverly, Carl set his alarm to give himself an extra hour to get to the office so he could grab a coffee and prepare himself. The day started well, his leg was hurting but he made it to the tube station grabbed a copy of the metro and began the commute. The tube stopped. Silence. About ten minutes later a voice came on the tannoy system telling the passengers that someone had jumped onto the track and the train would be stationary for the next ten minutes before they can reach the next station and everyone can change lines - nightmare.

 

Panic has set in slightly at this point, but Carl is quite a cool character so he doesn't get too worked up and finds the next tube train with ease. Well, so he thought...he manages to get on the wrong side of the platform taking him ten minutes in the opposite direction, panic? Check!

 

If anyone hasn't got the tube, no matter what the weather or time of year if you get it during rush hour it's hot and unpleasant at the best of times, so heading in the opposite direction to where you need to be on day one + lots of sweaty people + dragging your own limb = bad times.

 

Realising his mistake, Carl corrects it and manages to hurl himself through the doors at the office at 8.59 hair dishevelled and dragging his broken leg behind him.

 

"Carl! Did you get here OK this morning?"

 

"Yeah, no problem at all."



V&A Ball Gown Exhibition

The day after grad, me and my mum were in London and we went to the V&A museum to see their ball gown exhibition. They had some of the dresses worn by the stars on the red carpet and there were all the recognised designers like Giles Deacon & Vivienne Westwood. There was also loads of info on the history of the ball gown and how its style had changed over the years!

If you are in London then go visit the V&A museum as it is stunning and they have some really great exhibitions. The ball gown one and Hollywood costume (totally want to go to as well) finish in January 2013, so not long. Here are some pictures, which you weren't allowed to take, so hopefully nobody in charge ever finds this.... I'm promoting it anyway right?

Class of 2012

Its been a busy few days! It was my graduation on Wednesday, so we travelled down to Bournemouth on the Tuesday night and stayed in a 'hotel'. I say 'hotel' because it was a bit retro and it was run by this man who was completely bald, but had THE most amount of back/neck hair I have ever seen (truly bizarre).

The graduation ceremony was really official, but it was great. The walking across the stage part was sooo nerve racking! I basically forgot to bow to the 'high chancellor god of the realms of bournemouth' or whatever he was called and sort of nodded at him like 'Alright mate?' which was a bit embarrassing, but i didn't fall which was a bonus! There were some great names at the ceremony, including 'Woo Woo' (sounded like the lady announcing the names was cheering for the previous graduate when she said it), 'John Wayne' and the best.... 'Prince Baby' not kidding.

After the ceremony, there was champagne and canapes plus a lot of photo taking. My dad insisted on taking me on some kind of beach photo shoot which was hilarious. We then headed to London (where my dad works) to have some cocktails and food at this amazing Mexican place called Wahaca at the Westfield shopping centre. Overall - great day.

Pose for my camera...

I saw a status on Facebook by a boy that read "what the hell is instagram?!" to which another boy replied "You don't need it mate! For all I can see it is a place where girls take photos of themselves, food and animals" on that note, here's my recent snaps...

  

Finn the cat - 2013 diary - posing with my new fringe - flowers from my boyfriend - my first glossybox - a doughnut man/obsession - funny stocking from noths - menu from wahaca resturant in Westfield, London (recommend!) - posing again, Christmas jumper - bread overload/carbacide - my favourite Fiorelli handbag - a little doodle (i doodle a lot)

If you enjoyed my pics, you can follow me @Emmylouisejane

Love, Emmy x