Diving Into My Desk

Having recently created an office for myself at home, I've been super busy organising my desk into my new little haven.

I love having my own place where I can study and do work without it all getting unorganised and cluttered with all the stuff in my bedroom. I also love how it means I really can separate work and play - and can remain focused on doing work without being distracted.

Although it's still a work in progress at the moment, I really can't wait to properly decorate the room - but at the moment I simply love being able to just organise all of my things.

Yay for organisation!

Being the cool kid that I am, I've even brought a diary and decorated it with this uber-awesome Marvel print - I freaking love it! Having this also means I can be so much more organised with my life - as I never really get along with the calendar on my phone (takes too long for me!).

My new study has also meant that in breaks between studying, I get to dive into this new blog and continue to write posts for you. One of my favourite things to do in go through the process of writing a blog post (taking pictures etc.).

I can now really focus on organising my bedroom, and mainly my clothes, meaning creating fashion posts such as outfit of the days is going to be so much easier.



I have loads of different posts lined up and in the making, and many being planned in my head (and now my new diary..!). So look out for my fashion post up next. 

OOTD: A Cyprus Wedding

Last week I was lucky enough to attend a family wedding in Cyprus - it was truly wonderful and beautiful. I had the best time, and enjoyed every second. 

I found it difficult deciding what to wear to a wedding that was abroad - as I wanted to remain both smart yet cool (as in temperature - not streetwise... hahaha). Although I was the only one in shorts (such a trend setter :p), I was still really pleased with my outfit.


WHAT I WORE:

| RED STRIPED SHIRT - ASOS (HERE) |

| NAVY BLUE SHORTS - PRIMARK |

 |RED AND BLUE DRIVING SHOES - ASOS |        (HERE)

My favourite find are the shoes.. I found them in the sale on ASOS (£18... bargain!) - and I think they're somewhat unique and definitely a statement piece. They're really comfortable too! 

Looking back, I also love the look that the striped shirt gave over a plain one - I think it makes the outfit less boring. I am however slightly regretful that I didn't bring a blazer for the evening.. I ended up wearing my grey cardigan (not the smartest thing ever - but not the end of the world), as it did get slightly chilly outside. Saying this, once I started busting my moves on the dance floor I soon started working up a sweat....



















I did also wear my new (ASOS again...) sunglasses (here), but I can't seem to find any pictures of me in them on the day.. so here's a picture from another day (you can just imagine!). 

Oh and don't worry.. I didn't wear the hat on the wedding day (they probably wouldn't have been pleased about me looking like I was about to go the beach in the pictures...)!



Now I'm just at home, trying to think of somewhere else to wear the shoes....

Product Review: Blue Corn 3-in-1 Deep Cleaning Mask

While fishing through The Body Shop's website when they offered me 50% off everything (too much money was spent because of this offer.. haha), I came across this little gem of a face mask - it's the 'Blue Corn 3-in-1 Deep Cleaning Mask'. 

Having never, really, used a face mask religiously (I've only really used the Lush ones when I get them free in exchange for 5 empty pots), I was excited to try this one. I was particularly attracted to it due to it's 'deep cleansing' and 'purifying' qualities, and it sure to hell does keep up to these promises - as well as it's supposed exfoliating attribute, reasoning the '3-in-1' title. 

The first time after I had used it, it was clear that the oil on my nose and chin had practically vanished, and it had even reduced the appearance of the blackheads that were there... bonus! It also softens, as well as brightens, the skin. The admirable results are claimed to be achieved from the ingredients 'kaolin clay', to aid with purifying, 'corn oil', for moisturising, and the essential oils 'bergamot', 'geranium' and 'ylang ylang' to uplift.

The consistency of the mask is quite thick, with their being prominent exfoliating beads in there - but applying the mask remains easy. You simply apply all over a wet face (avoiding the eye area!), and then just leave for 10-15 minutes - I adjust this depending on how much time I have, and how oily my face is at the time. To remove, massage in the hardened product, which exfoliates the skin, and then rinse off. In terms of when to use, I try and use it about two times a week, possibly three. I like to use it on a Sunday night or Monday morning, and then repeat during the week. The whole pot is going to last me ages as well.. as I have used it this often since before christmas and there is still loads left (the amount on the left)!

I would usually use this is replacement for a scrub/cleanse, and then follow with the usual moisturise, as the cleansing power of this would probably be likely to be too strong to use in accordance with two other cleanses in the day.

I hope this quick review was beneficial to you, and I'm glad to have shared what I believe is an awesome product, in terms of skincare.

You can get it here, and their other face masks can be found here - I really like the look of the Seaweed one and Tree Tea one.

How To Wear: Oversized shirts

I was brought this BEAUTIFUL Topman, white and light blue checkered shirt about 2 years ago by my Aunty, but it was about three sizes too big, so I never wore it, and kept it tucked in the back of my wardrobe. This was until last month, when I was having a clear-out of my closet, and tried this bad-boy on. 

I instantly realised how nice it was, and what I was missing out on.. and after trying on various outfit combinations, this is how I how wear it...

 For trousers, I really like super skinny jeans paired with either an oversized jumper, sweat or in this case a shirt - so I wore my super skinny jeans from ASOS, in either my black or navy pair.

For jacket, I either like to wear my Topman Green Parka, for a more casual look, or my ASOS Black Duffle Coat, for a smarter look.

..and finally for shoes, I would usually wear my Nike (from ASOS) grey shoes, if, again, I'm going for a casual look, or either my Lacoste Blue 'Marcel' shoes, or my Lacoste Grey 'Pyron Col' shoes, for a smarter look.

Everything in that is still available I will link below, but as the shirt and green parka are old, I have included some alternatives that I have found (just remember if you want the shirt oversized then get it in a few sizes bigger). 

Shirts: Very similar Blue and White here - Red here or here - Red, Blue and White here - 

Jeans: Black here or Navy here

Jackets: Duffle coat here or Parka here

Shoes: Nike here or Lacoste Grey here and Blue alternatives here (Blue no longer available so alternatives I'm afraid!) 

P.S If I wanted to wear a bag, I would go for my Topman Plain Black Rucksack, to not draw attention away from the shirt, or the rest of the outfit. Link here (which is an alternative as mine is no longer available).

Brand Spotlight: ASOS

asos.com, or simply ASOS, is the ever growing online fashion provider, with it being the UK's largest online-only fashion (and beauty) store. It features more than 50,000 own label, but also branded, product lines. It had free international delivery, and free next day delivery in the UK, when you spend over £100 (which is very easy.. trust me!), and you can generally order up to 9pm for this. So if this isn't enough.. why do people rave so much about this site?

Well, over the past year my obsession with ASOS has grown and grown, with a huge part of my wardrobe being from here, and 99% of that being from it's own label. The main reasons for this are as follows:

1 - The Selection

Thinking about 50,000 different products is pretty hard to comprehend, and put into context, and ploughing through all the new styles has become a bit of a hobby for me lately - which probably isn't that healthy - but totally worth it.

Wearing all ASOS for a day out in London - whoops.
I have on their black 'super skinny jeans',
a denim shirt, and a chunky cardigan.  

I'm pretty sure that every time I visit the site, I fall into the allure of of their amazing looking products, and seem to leave having departed with some of my money. Trust me though, it does take some time looking through all the yards of stuff, unless you know exactly what you want, so you can use their search feature, or 'refine' features to only look at a specific category.

2 - The value

First of all, with free delivery and returns, ASOS have a great start in making their service value for money - but as well as this, the price of, particularly the own-branded lines, is exceptional. They are, in my opinion, more reasonably priced than the high-street giants, such as Topman and River Island, but (obviously) more than, say, Primark. So in general, they are a perfect middle-of-the-road clothing retailer. 

As mentioned earlier, ASOS also have many other brands,
such as Nike (which is specifically footwear, I think).

I must admit that - as many other users would - not all the products are exceptional quality, but that's what the easy, free returns are for.. right? So do except to sending some of your order back, as you really have to see some things in the flesh to get a feel for the quality.

But, saying this, ALL of the clothes that I have purchased wash incredibly well, and still look good on you after the first wash (unlike some retailer's products.. *cough* Primark *cough*).

I would warn you though, some of the products, specifically high-end branded ones, on the site are ridiculously priced, as you would except from

these brands.

3 - The sales

Yep.. unlike some retails, ASOS's sales are actually good and have decent products in them. Whenever they have sales, I'm pretty sure it's the law that I have to look at EVERY single product that is in it, and therefore have to spend some money. Along with the decent products in them, the discounts offered in the sales are very good - again unlike some places, who seem to think that 1% off  an item is a good deal...

They also offer student discount all year round, and are prone to offering further discount codes fairly regularly, such as 20% off everything, or 30% off a certain category, such as 'Winter Essentials', for example. So make sure you are subscribed to their emails and are always on a lookout for promotional codes, as they can allow you to get some good bargains.

4 - Simplicity and experience

A cheeky reappearance from that denim shirt, and
the black 'super skinny jeans' - which I LOVE.

This may seem like a basic point, but the whole site is one of the best layed-out webpage that I have used, which is understandable considering that they are online only. But the whole design is easy to use, which improves the whole, overall experience.

Also, the 'save item' feature is really cool, which allows you to, well.. save items for later on - and, if you're logged on to your account, you can pick them items up again, on another device, not just a later date. 

The app is also great.. but it does make shopping more dangerous, as I am partial to having a cheeky look on my phone or iPad, which then that leads to me placing an order... I'm warning you!

So to sum up... ASOS has a huge selection of products, is great value, has great sales and offers and is also a pleasure to use. If you have never, or haven't in a while, looked on the site, or if I have convinced you already, I would highly recommend you have a sneaky look now.. you won't regret it.

My Current Favourite Skincare

As my first post here, I thought I'd share a quick roundup of my favourite skincare products that I am currently using at the moment, on a daily basis. 

I have included my current cleanser of choice, as well as my go-to moisturiser, an easy to use eye roll-on, and my recently discovered 'Tea Tree Oil'. 

L'Oréal Paris Men Expert's 'Pure Power' Scrub

Or L'Oréal Paris Men Expert's 'NEW PURE POWER SCRUB x2000 BEADS ANTI-BLACKHEAD -100% BLACKHEADS appear reduced' if you want the long name....

I purchased this to attempt to clear my rather oily nose, as well as attempt to clear away the blackheads that have accumulated there. 

You can pick this up at Boots here
(RRP £5.99 - but it's usually on offer for around £3)

Now despite the confusing name, this scrub is honestly the best I have ever used. It is, as it states, 'gentle enough to use every day without over-drying', yet, in my opinion, harsh enough to clear away dead skin cells, and keep any oily skin at bay.

Despite me saying this, I am going to contradict my own opinion, as it is not that great at doing what it states - in that it hasn't really cleared any blackheads. But nevertheless, it is still great in my eyes, as it gives my skin a great, clean look, and softens it as well.  

I tend to use this at night, before going to bed, and then use a nice face wash in the morning.

Bulldog's Original Moisturiser

Now that's a better name.. right? 

With it's acclaimed '8 essential oils, green tea, green algae, konjac manna and vitamin E' this moisturiser is one of the best moisturisers I have tried, and is great to use after the previous product, with it's amazing rehydrating qualities soaking your skin again after your deep cleanse.

You can also pick this up at Boots - but
I found it cheaper on Amazon here

The moisture isn't too heavy in my opinion, for my combination skin, as long as I control the amount I put on. Also no sign of breaks out due to this.. woo! 

As with the other products I have tried from the rest of the range, I really do find this amazing quality, particularly considering the price. I also believed that they do not conduct animal testing, which is a mega bonus.




Nivea For Men's 'Skin Energy' Eye Roll On

Instead of a traditional eye cream, I always go for an eye roll on, as I find them to (generally) work really well, and are an easy solution to reducing tired eyes and dark circles.

This one from Nivea, in particular is no exception. Having purchased this after I ran out of my previous No7 eye roll on (which was expensive, and very disappointing . sorry No7), I really do love the results it gives me, at banishing the dark circles I tend to wake up with. I also use this at night as well, more as a light moisturiser for my eye area. 

I did purchase this in Boots - but I can't seem to find it on their website.  They do have it on Amazon here though.. but it's quite pricey as it's not on offer like it often is on Boots.. sorry :/ 

 As well as this one - I also highly rate the eye roll on from Bulldog - as it's a little more conditioning. But this doesn't take away the fact that this product works really well also.

The Body Shop's 'Tea Tree Oil'

Having heard great thing about Tea Tree Oil's great reducer of spots, as well as the scaring that they can cause - I decided to purchase this from The Body Shop when it was 50% off last month, for £3.50. Having used it on any spots in the evening, after moisturising, I am very pleased with the results. 

This can be found here

I must admit that it really isn't the fastest at getting rid of a blemish, but it does so in a way that completely removes all signs of it, so no scars are left. This in it self, is why I have fallen in love it, and would highly recommend it to any trying to find a product which effectively removes blemishes. 

I have just also had a nosey at the rest of the products in this range which also look promising - I will probably give them a go soon too.

*Side note - I also love Lush's Tea Tree Water, which is great at giving your face a further clean, and also reduce spots (you can get it here)*


I apologise for the fact that this short post has turned into a rather large one - but I hope these more in-depth reviews of my favourite skincare products is beneficial to you. I will be sure to review other products when they become my favourites.