Mini Shopping Haul

On Saturday I went to Leeds for a spot of shopping with my fiance and I couldn't help myself, I just shopped until I dropped. There are so many beautiful items on the High Street at the moment that it's impossible not to surrender to the beautiful array of colours and prints. So here's a mini blog post about a few of my top items I've recently bought. 

Firstly, I bought this beautiful little red silk crop top from New Look. I love New Look and have done since I was rather young. I'm pretty sure that almost three quarters of my wages goes into their cash tills every month. This top was at the bargainous price of £9.99.

Next item is this lovely fuchsia crop top from Miss Selfridge. The man who served me almost squealed in excitement when he scanned this through. "This top is absolutely fabulous, I love seeing girls buy it." I just love how vibrant the colour is and I'm sure it will go so well with a pair of jeans for a dressed down day feel or a nice skirt or leather pants for an evening dress up. I think I'll be wearing this for quite a long time.

Finally here's my new Miss Selfridge coat. I'm so picky when it comes to winter coats and I admit that I'm one of those girls who will happily go out half naked in winter to look fashionable, rather than wrap up and avoid getting cold. It took me several hours, darting from shop to shop to find this beauty. I love the colour and it's so warm inside. The coat seems very hardy and the zip is really sturdy, making this a fabulous long lasting purchase.

What have you bought lately?

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What's in my suitcase? So far...

Going on holiday is undoubtedly fun and exciting, but if you're anything like me, packing your suitcase can be an absolute nightmare. When you think about it, you have a small luggage allowance and you have to decide exactly what you're going to wear for the next few days. When you're packed, that's it - no turning back. I've decided to a 'What's in my bag' inspired post regarding suitcases to help other travellers get a grasp of what to take on holiday, plus it gives you all a chance to unleash your voyeuristic side and analyse my clothing decisions.

So this in my suitcase with everything thrown into it. I still have a few days to pack and still a few things to add, but I thought I'd show you what I have so far. My baggage allowance is 20kg and currently I'm on 11kg. Obviously it's important to leave space for items you're planning on bringing back home, so I aim to travel light knowing my shoppaholic tendencies.

First into the suitcase are my beautiful Madden Girl sandals I bought in a House of Fraser sale not too long ago. I love the colours and I bet they'll look fantastic on the beach. Following the scandals are my Gucci sunglasses that I wouldn't leave the house without.

Next are a few dresses. I still have more of these to pack, but so far I have two evening style dresses and this gorgeous maxi dress from New Look.  The middle dress will definitely be one of my Ibiza party dresses and that was bought from Lipsy by my fiance as a Christmas present.

As many of my readers will know, this holiday is going to be quite symbolic for many reasons. Firstly, it's my first ever adult holiday abroad due to my laziness in renewing my passport, secondly it's my first holiday abroad with my future husband and third, I've never ever worn a bikini before and after losing all this weight, I think it's about time. I fell in love with both these bikinis as soon as I tried them on. The one in the above image is from Primark and the one below is a high waisted bikini.

Due to the hot weather, it's inevitable that I'll be spending the majority of my time in shorts. I'm taking my new lace shorts from H&M and my stars and stripes shorts from Topshop, along with both crop tops from New Look.

I bought these amazing pink heels from a local boutique a few weeks ago. I think they'll be great for partying and nights out. Teamed up with a white dress, they are the perfect statement wear.

Wedges from Primark! I'm not usually a Primark girl, but these are so comfy. I'm guessing I'll be wearing these quite a lot.

A mask and snorkel and an underwater camera. I love my water sports so I can't wait to take lots of photos!

A few weeks ago I was kindly given these samples of Suntegrity's lastest range to review. It's a natural face moisturiser with a 30 SPF sunscreen protection and can be also used as a primer. Each of the products have a wonderful citrus scent and provides anti ageing properties. When I get back, I'll properly let you know how well they did in the Ibiza heat.

For now, the last things in my suitcase are my Euros, European health card - vital if you're an EU citizen travelling abroad and of course my passport. European health cards are just as important as travel insurance as they allow you to get state health care for free or a reduced rate in emergency situations. Being accident prone myself, I would never even consider travelling without travel insurance or a healthcard. 

So that's my suitcase so far. I still have yet to pack my makeup and a few other essentials. I hope you're enjoyed your sneak peak into my bag and the advice I've given. One last tip, always pack in advance - it makes sure you don't forget anything!

Are you going on holiday soon?

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Confessions of a Shopaholic

A few weeks ago it was my 22nd birthday and I never really got round to announcing it or showing my brand new treats. It was very difficult time due to the loss of a family member, but I dealt with it the best way I know how...shopping.  I'm an impulsive shopper and always have been. My shopping habits are generally triggered by emotion and I'm ready to argue with anyone my belief that shopping is a real addiction. Do you ever get anxious if you haven't shopped in a long time? Have an overwhelming desire to have something new in your life on a regular basis? If you're answering yes, you're very much like me. I just can't help it, I love to shop. When I buy something I feel happy, until six months later when I have literally no wardrobe space from impulsive buys and my bedroom is literally cramped. The time I generally spend shopping is when I'm stressed. I love to stroll around and distance myself from life and pretend that I live in a different universe where money is limitless and the sky is literally the limit. Okay...maybe I have a problem. 

I never really do the whole 'haul thing', because I don't like to brag about what I've bought a lot of the time. I'm one of those people who sees someone showing off their brand new Mulberry Alexa and then sulks for days because I can't really afford one. Marriage and university life comes first, Louis Vuitton, YSL and Mulberry will come when I've made all my younger sacrifices. I want to be able to get my first full time job and properly be proud of my new handbag - when it comes to expensive things, I like to feel like I've earned it. 

One expensive item that I feel like I've really deserved lately is my sparkly new Macbook Pro.  My last laptop was literally falling apart. I used an old mouse from a windows 98 computer to work it, my laptop switched off every time it came unplugged because the battery stopped working and it weighed far too much carry around on a regular basis. I was kindly given a bursary by my university and decided to treat myself to my new Macbook when I went to London.  When I returned home, I quickly ordered this barbie pink case from Ebay to protect it from scratches. I get so many looks due to this case whilst I'm at university. I really think people assume I'm like Elle from Legally Blonde without the blonde hair. 

My next purchase was this gorgeous yellow Zara dress. I love colour in my wardrobe, because it makes me feel so confident. This dress compliments my brunette hair and looks great for springtime. It can easily be dressed up for a night out or dressed down for a girly day out shopping. I try to make my wardrobe as timeless as possible to save money and I think this is a great investment.

These shoes were brought from River Island a few weeks ago. I had an urge to buy wedges as soon as the sun came out and I love this nautical, french design. I think they're so cute and they're amazingly comfy. At £25 (with student discount) I'm glad I snapped them up.

From shoes to dresses. I seriously cannot go in New Look lately without browsing endlessly at their amazing line of floral dresses.  These two beauties are my recent purchases my New Look and I'm really impressed with the quality for such a low price. I love buying all my basics and staple daywear from New Look, I feel like I can never go wrong.

To complete all my outfits, I surrendered to buying this adorable Marc B bag. I love the Marc B range as they're always affordable, reliable and very sturdy handbags. It has got to the point where my mother has stolen my other Marc B bags as she agrees with me - you just can't beat them for durability.

Finally, my last big recent purchase is a well deserved week trip to Ibiza. I haven't been abroad since I was 13 - nearly 10 years. My parents bought me a passport for my birthday and I couldn't wait to book a holiday. Me and my partner are going to Ibiza for a week in July and I'm mega excited.  It's going to be my first ever adult holiday and even better, I get to go with my handsome fiance. Life is feeling quite a bit better now.

I think my next treat will be these beautiful Prada sunglasses so I can enjoy the weather properly.

http://www.smartbuyglasses.co.uk/designer-eyeglasses/Prada/Prada-PR09PV-1AB1O1-162683.html

Have you bought anything nice recently?

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