Things I've Won

Gosh I am so inventive with my post titles, but I couldn't think of anything witty or snazzy so I just went for something basic. Now, I love entering giveaways as much as the next blogger, but I consider myself a very unlucky person which was why I was so amazed to discover I had won not one, but TWO giveaways! I waited until both deliveries had arrived so that I could blog about them together, so here goes. 

The first giveaway I won was by Abbie at ohabbie. Her giveaway was very festival themed, and because I love festivals I decided to enter. I won a very colourful bracelet, an equally colourful peacock feather headband, and some dainty heart earrings. Even though festival season is over for this year, I'll definitely be wearing these things next year, and I like to wear the feather headband just for fun because it reminds me of summer. 

The second giveaway was held by Molly at The Geeky Peacock where I won $50 store credit at FragranceNet who sell well known brands in makeup, perfume, skincare, haircare and aromatherapy. It took me a long time to chose what to buy but eventually I picked a smokey eye makeup palette by Lauren Luke, Bed Head Treat Me Right peppermint hair mask and Bed Head Ego Boost Split End Mender Leave-In Conditioner (what a mouthful!). I thought I'd treat my hair especially as the cold wintery air is arriving and I have noticed my hair getting dryer. I've also vowed not to get it cut at the hairdressers until it's long (they always cut off too much anyway) so it needs some extra TLC. In the parcel that arrived early in the morning I also received two little perfume samples and a free compact mirror, nice one!

The makeup also came with a super fruity lip gloss which I have been using daily. I've been needing some new makeup as my current makeup is getting a bit old and clumpy, the colours in this palette are nice and simple, and there's even a little message on the mirror saying "I just want you to feel special, Lauren :)" Well thank you Lauren, I do feel special now. This complete makeup palette for eyes, cheeks and lips has now become my new daily makeup set.

The Ego Boost split end mender is a bit of a lifesaver as I get terrible split ends and dry hair. This Ego Boost not only leaves my ends feeling silky and smooth, but it smells incredible and I'm pretty sure it's the same stuff hairdressers use once they've cut your hair, so it's nice to give my hair this little treat, and only a small amount is needed each time so the bottle will last ages.

The Treat Me Right peppermint hair mask is also something I've been needing for a while. I never have time for baths so I tried it out in the shower in the morning which was a great idea because the strong peppermint is perfect for waking me up. It felt very refreshing and I could feel the cool peppermint getting to work on my hair. I left it in for 5 minutes and could instantly feel the results, my hair felt very soft and lightweight and still smelt of peppermint! I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a quick way to revive their hair, or looking for a bath-time treat.

So those are the things I've won, be sure to check out Abbie and Molly's blogs and head over to FragranceNet for some great deals on well known brands. The only negative feedback I have is that even though this was an international giveaway, I still had to pay for shipping and VAT so bear that in mind when entering international giveaways.

Have you used these hair products before, or have I persuaded you to buy them?

Instagram Update #1

I was planning on doing a different post for today but I ran out of daylight for the photos, so instead I thought I'd share some of my Instagram photos, I don't know if I'll make this a regular thing yet. 

1. One of my many desktop backgrounds, saw this and couldn't wait for winter and all the snow.

2. Changing out of my suit into this cosy outfit

3. My cat Tom looking more like a chipmunk

4. Early morning deliveries are so exciting, but also made me late

5. Monty couldn't resist an empty cardboard box and hopped straight in 

6. Gorgeous galaxy print on a chiffon dress I painted myself (DIY coming at some point)

Music I've been listening to: Bronte - Gotye / Kingdom Come - The Civil Wars / Home - Gabrielle Aplin / To Build A Home - The Cinematic Orchestra / Almost Everything - Wakey!Wakey! / Revival - The Rocket Summer

What I've Bought (Part II)

Hello! Been a bit ill recently, running a temperature and feeling dizzy, I think it's partly down to the stress of writing personal statements, preparing my art portfolio, starting driving lessons and all this horrid cold weather. So, in between doing catchup work, I thought I'd do a blog post. 

After falling in love with the movie trailer for The Perks of Being A Wallflower, I decided to buy the book (and the book is usually better than the film). I've actually finished it already, only took me a week to read and it's now one of my favourite books, I just wish it was longer! It is written in the form of letters to an anonymous friend and gives a deep insight into a year in the life of Charlie. One of the best coming of age books in my opinion, and you really get to know and feel for Charlie, if he was real I'd want to be his friend and probably give him a hug! The mix tape music listed in the book is pretty good too. 

Also bought some frilly Topshop socks (Two black pairs and one minty green pair). Got a good deal on them and they are perfect for adding a girly touch to my creepers, or for keeping my feet warm when wearing heels.

Recently discovered Kaleid Bracelets on Etsy and bought one of their dainty little slip knot and charm bracelets, mine is black with a tiny silver leaf charm. It arrived only a few days after ordering it, and I haven't taken it off since!

Music I've been listening to: Origin of Love - MIKA / Winter Song - Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson / Babel - Mumford & Sons / It's Time - Imagine Dragons (From The Perks Of Being A Wallflower trailer) / We're On Our Way - Radical Face (From The Perks Of Being A Wallflower trailer) / If I Ever Stray - Frank Turner / Factory - Band Of Horses

What I've Bought

Here's a little post of a few things I've bought recently. When I was at the duty free in the airport a few weeks ago, I thought I'd treat myself to a new perfume. My current perfume is Daisy by Marc Jacobs, the perfect summer fragrance. But when I spotted this Fantasy perfume by Nina Ricci in it's adorable little apple bottle, I had to try it! The bottle represents the perfume perfectly; floral, sweet and fresh. It may not be the strongest fragrance, but it's lovely and subtle and doesn't make me sneeze when I spray it!

After watching Ella's video on how she styles her wild and stunning hair, I went out and bought a mini bottle of Umberto Giannini's Flirty Curls Scrunching Jelly. I've been on the hunt for a product that gives my hair natural looking curls and I have finally found it! It gives my hair lovely texture and feels weightless, not to mention the effortless curls I have been looking for. Pictures are below.

Also, the Wish and Aesthetic magazines arrived. They are jam-packed full of beautiful illustrations, inspirational bloggers and some super stunning outfits. I love reading about everyone's success stories and how they landed the job of their dreams, it makes me want to show the magazines to the careers department at college, jumping around like an excited kid with evidence that you don't have to be a lawyer or accountant to be happy. (They don't exactly approve of my chosen career path) I think it's inspirational to read these ladies' success stories, and makes me more determined to follow my dreams and do what makes me happy. So anyway, I highly recommend you buy these magazines, sit in a comfy chair with a cuppa tea/coffee, and enjoy! 

D.I.Y Goddess Headband

Setting up: Wear old clothing that you don't mind getting dirty and covered in gold spray.
Use newspaper and work in a well-ventilated area, or outside.

Step 1: Spray the paper flowers, including the stalks, over the newspaper (I used gold car spray paint, but you can use craft spray paint, or just paint)
Step 2: Spray both sides of the fake leaves over the newspaper
Step 3: Leave everything to dry (it took about an hour for mine to dry) and make sure nothing is overlapping otherwise they'll stick together. I used pliers to hold the flowers and leaves while spraying them, and wore rubber gloves because the spray paint was super strong and doesn't wash off skin too quickly. I also used a thin, old paintbrush to paint the insides of the flowers, or anywhere the spray missed. 
Step 4: Once everything is dry, wrap the flowers around the headband. 
Step 5: Tuck the leaves into the entwined flowers (or glue them, but I wanted to have the option of removing the leaves)

I made this headband for a fancy dress party and dressed up as a roman goddess. The leaves added to the roman look, but because I didn't glue the leaves on, I can happily remove them after the party and have a gorgeous golden flower crown.