Kendall and Kylie at Topshop Collection Review

Last week the 'Kendal and Kylie Topshop Collection' came out and I'm sure everyone saw something to do with it, whether it be on their Twitter or Instagram news feeds.  Many people tweeted saying it 'wasn't really their style', or 'they didn't like the collection as they thought it was dull and boring'; however, I actually liked some of the garments which were revealed!

These are two of my favourite finds from the new collection:

Floral Print Playsuit By Kendall + Kylie at Topshop

Product Code: 12M05HMUL

Price: £45.00

The casual playsuit is oversized and has a larger fit; therefore if you are typically a size 10 and want a normal but comfortable fit, you may have to go down to a size 8.  The playsuit is made from a soft 100% viscose fibre content and has an easy handle, meaning that it will be comfortable to wear and not irritate your skin when wearing it.  The garment also has an easy after-care as it can be machine washed.

This is an item which can be both dressed up and dressed down, depending on your own style and the occasion.  I would wear this product for a 'chill out day' with friends or for a road trip were I wanted to look sophisticated yet be comfortable.  For a day look, I would pair the playsuit with some 'Havay Flat Sandals' black sandals from Topshop and either a small black or light baby pink bag such as the 'Mini V Panel Holdall' bag from Topshop.  For evening or nightwear, I would wear the Sara Black Lace Up Heels' from Public Desire along side the 'Gold tassel box clutch' bag from River Island.

Overall, I think this is a great buy and would keep it in my wardrobe for the sunnier days this season!

Blouson Cold Shoulder Top By Kendall + Kylie at Topshop

 Product Code: 12M02HCRM

Price: £32.00

The 'chilled out' boho style blouse is such an essential for everyone's spring/ summer wardrobe picks!  Seeing as it is a Blouson blouse, the blouse will have fullness both through the sleeves and the bodice length, making it a key item for comfort.  The string ribbon at the bottom of the blouse will allow you to tighten and loosen the fullness of the blouse as you wish.  This is great to be able to accentuate the waist if tightened, or loosen for a relaxed look.  The off-the-shoulder elasticated collar shape enables you to place the collar as high or low as you wish; ensuring that the blouse remains tight around the collar, with all of the gathering of the fabric extending from the collar to the waist line.  The garment is 100% polyester, therefore it is wrinkle resistant and is shrink resistant which is always a bonus!  It also has an easy care as it is machine washable and dries quickly.

I would wear this blouse to go to the beach, relaxed day-time events or for cocktails in the evening with some friends.  This is also an essential item to pack for a summer holiday, as it fits every chilled occasion.  During the day, I would pair this blouse with some 'Floral Croquet Denim Shorts' from Miss Selfridge and some 'Freemont Lattice Sandals' from Miss Selfridge as well as a 'White Mini Frame Flap Bag' from River Island to finish off the look.  In the evening I would pair this blouse with a 'Black Side Split Maxi Skirt' from River Island and a 'Lion Head Crossbody Bag' from Topshop.

This is probably my favourite piece from the whole collection, as it's so versatile and can be worn practically anywhere with anything!

I would definitely encourage everyone to take a look at the collection as it's full of extravagant or simple garments that tailor everyone's needs.

Lilly x

You Can Do It!

Seeing as I only have another intensive 6 days until I have finally finished my A2 exams, I thought why not take the time to encourage and motivate everyone else who is studying or carrying on with their daily routine and needs some motivation!

I'm yet to take my Media, Textiles and Spanish Exams which will basically determine what I do with my future.  I should be doing hardcore revision, instead I find myself watching endless episodes of Netflix series and making multiple cups of tea.

I am defiantly one of those people that gets distracted with practically anything! I typically find myself watching beauty youtuber's or flicking through my social media sites.  If there is anything which I can blame for my lack of revision it would definitely be Instagram.  I am OBSESSED with Instagram!

My best tips at keeping yourself focused and motivated:

1. Always setting yourself a deadline- Make sure that you give yourself a precise time period in which you have to do / study something.  This way you're pushing yourself to get as much done in as little time possible instead of making it all drag out.  Then you get to watch more Netflix!!
2. Friendly bonding sessions- If you can, get together with a friend who is doing / studying something similar and keep testing or revising together. This will act like a bit of friendly competition and benefit you both.
3. Take breaks- It's always great to plan your time and focus on what you can be doing in an hour or so.  I would encourage people to do 50 minutes revision then take a 10-15 minutes break.
4. Keep organised- There's nothing that I hate more than not having my school things organised.  I even go to the extent of cutting out coloured paper in preparation for my next days revision notes.  I love new stationary and use this to motivate me too.

I hope that this helps even a few people gives you some ideas on how to keep focused, you will achieve whatever you are aiming for as long as you put in the hard work!

Lilly x

Healthy Start

Yes, yes, I know this may seem like what everyone is currently doing at the moment, but I have recently decided to cut out the american diner eating and all those delicious cakes in order to not only achieve a fitter body but a healthier lifestyle.

I usually just eat whatever I want, binging out on cakes and doughnuts without a care in the world, but I find that its usually due to boredom.

Usually, I wouldn't last two seconds on a diet, but this time I'm committed!  I've found that cutting out on all the unnecessary sugary or fatty foods makes such a big difference.  The cravings have now started to stop, and on top of that I find myself feeling happier. I've also now started to eat breakfast before school, even if it's jsut grabbing a banana and eating it on the go!  Usually I'll opt for something tasty like granola with greek yoghurt and chopped up fruit like blueberries or banana, and I'll also drink a large glass of water to re hydrate my body from the previous night.

I'm hoping that this new healthy start will just become my new lifestyle choice and mentality towards unhealthy food, to improve every aspect of both the body and mind.

Lilly x

Long distance relationships

Since September, my boyfriend has been off at University whilst I've been home to finish off my A Levels.  Not exactly ideal, I must say! I love spending time with him, and any sort of time that I now see him, I cherish.  We manage to get through all of our struggles, and he comes home every 2/3 weeks or every month on a push.  For me, the first week is always the most difficult as it takes the most adjusting, often with a few tears for the first few days.  As it progresses it becomes easier, and I start to count down the weeks and days until I get to see him again.

Relationships in my opinion are something special, which you should cherish and hold on to as long as possible.  Love with all your heart, and give the other person your all.  This is something which I like to put into action in my own relationship.

Of course, no one wants to have a long distance relationship, but sometimes in life it just has to happen.  The best thing to do is just acknowledge the fact that if both of you want to make it work, it is possible.  As long as you are 100% committed with no 'if's or 'but's.

My tips to make long distance relationships easier:

1. Happiness  Make sure that you are both happy with continuing the relationship long term, and talk over any worries or issues which had been kept in the dark.  Lie all your feeling on the table and just think of it as honest time.  Without honesty, relationships are pretty much a lie.

2. Communication  Don't be all in the other person's face with constant messages and calls, but a message every hour or so doesn't hurt (if you're in the same country).  If not keep on top of Facetime's or Skype's.  There's nothing better than seeing your other half and even just hearing their voice.  Phone calls if you can, are also great if you can't text much.  Get into the habit of making this regular and setting a time that suits you both.  I always love falling asleep to a goodnight message.

3.  Be Open  No holding back. A relationship is for two people, not one, you're a team.  There's no room for secrecy, or lies.  Always communicate how you're feeling, whether you've had a brilliant day and visited new places, or even just had a cosy day in bed and miss your other half.  This way you can talk about all your thoughts or concerns instead of letting them brew up in your mind.  I'm a massive worrier, and if I don't let things out then they just overwhelm me!

4.  Trust  Remember that they are with you for a reason.  They love you, and are with you.  Therefore there's no reason to worry about them spending time with other people.  Trust is the key.  Also be understanding with one another.  Don't jump straight into conclusions, and give the other person a chance to explain themselves if you happen to face a conflict.  You're probably just over thinking it in your head!

5.  Future Plans  Always have a date set to next see each other.  This is a great way to power on and motivate you throughout your relationship.  That way you don't have hundreds of down days, as you can simply think about the future and your plans that will come.  Even set a place or event to go to, the more adventurous the better!

6.  Ask For Advice  Don't be scared to ask for some guidance.  When times get hard, and it's all getting a bit heavy, talk to a reliable close friend or a parent.  They have you're best interest at heart and will give you the best advice they can.  At the end of the day they're looking out for you!

Hopefully you have found this somewhat useful and are able to apply this to either your own relationship or friendships.

Lilly x

Outfit of the day

Today I decided to just whack on something which I thought would be comfy yet chilled suitable for going round a friends house or going out.  Seeing as it now December, and the weather's now turned chilly, I find it best to always wear a cardigan or a coat on top of any outfit,  I love the 'all in black' look as it's always a safe bet!

Black Top- Topshop

Black Jeans- Topshop

Black Chelsea Boots- Boohoo

Lilly x

The Liebster Award

After having changed my original blog a year ago onto wordpress, I decided to return back to blogger, so yes that would be the reason as to why there's barely any posts!

I've now been nominated four times to take part in this award, so thought why not!  I've now been nominated by Maddie Browne, It's only Bec, Blonde Amy and Jess Louise Life so make sure to look at their posts!  I have incorporated questions from all four bloggers and made a list of 12 questions for me to answer, to keep it as short and simple as possible.

The aim of these trending blog posts is to widen the blogging society and introduce new fresh bloggers to other bloggers.  Through the posts that I have recently viewed, I have already been introduced to other bloggers which I hadn't come across before.

The Rules:

1. Answer the questions sent to you

2. Nominate 11 bloggers that have under 200 twitter followers (or near enough 200)

3. Ask them 11 questions thought of by yourself

4. Notify them that they've been nominated

Enjoy!

Who or what inspired you to start a blog?

For over three years I have been a fan of bloggers such as Zoella, Tanya Burr, Pointless Blog and Marcus Butler, whether it be through a blogging site or through YouTube. So two years ago I attempted to make a blog on blogger dedicated to my thoughts, and used it as a space to just write whatever I wanted, however I took down the blog shortly afterwards.  After reading a few more blogs, I was inspired to re-create a blog, and focus on three aspects of my life- fashion, beauty and lifestyle.  Unfortunately I started this on wordpress, but have now transferred onto blogger.  Blogger is ace for layout and easy designs!

What is the best thing about Christmas for you?

Well... Christmas is coming! Thankfully!  I always love this time of year because everyone gets into the 'festive spirit'!  The most exciting part for me is definitely buying loads of presents for my family and friends, I always seem to buy waaaaay too much and spend loads...

I love how all of the street get decorated and all the old classic films get aired on TV like home alone... can never go wrong with that!  I sometimes visit family in Spain for Christmas, which is also lovely as I get to spend it with my mum's part of the family.  However like last year, this means that I miss out on staying home with my lovely boyfriend.

What would be your last meal?

As some of you may know, I'm not the most straightforward of eaters, in fact I'm probably one of the pickiest people ever! As my boyfriend has definitely picked up on and teased me about!  Anything with bits (even orange juice) is a no no, such a child... I know!

So, choosing one meal isn't exactly the most straight forward of tasks for me, but I'd have to go with the Pizza Express Lasagne.  This is the best lasagne you will ever witness, no joke! If you haven't already tried it, you need to!

What's your favourite magazine to read?

I don't read many magazines as I'm more of a 'hand back book' sorta girl, but every girl needs a magazine here and there to build up a magazine stack!

As I am a textiles student, I love to have a flick through the occasional LOOK or OK magazine just to see current on-trend garments.  I also like to see how to make put together an outfit of high street clothes and make it look designer inspired!

Hair up or down?
100% down! I always always aaaalways keep my hair down unless I'm running late and need to whack my hair up.  I'm definitely one of those people that thinks they don't look good with their hair up and would feel sloppy all day!  However on the odd occasion I'll put my hair in a bun if I'm going for the sophisticated look.
It's also a lot easier to tame curly hair when it's down, surprisingly... as you only need to brush it when it's wet and add some mouse or sea salt spray if wanted. No need to worry about getting untameable frizzy bits!

Follow your head or your heart?
As much as I would love to encourage everyone to follow their head, I'm a sucker for following my heart!  I always think about those that I love the most and go from there.
In terms of boyfriends, I always follow my heart.  I believe that it's all about how that special someone makes you feel inside and thinking optimistically.  So cliché!  This has helped me throughout my own experience with my boyfriend.

Where's your favourite place to go when you're feeling stressed or down?
Like many teenagers, I have outbursts of anxiety.  This stops me from dealing with situations as other people would and stay relaxed.  It also can affect me to not do things out of my comfort zone as I get panicked by the thought of change and new things.  Anxiety is common in many teenagers and young adults, but it is manageable!
In order to keep relaxed I always tell myself positive affirmations when I can tell I'm panicking, I also think it's essential to let someone know what's going through your head and taking deep breathes.
I like to sit in a quiet room, usually my bed room, as it's somewhere where I can feel relaxed and simply fall asleep.  When at school, I always take myself away from whatever situation I'm in, and go for a walk down the outside tree area.

Who do you think is the sexiest male celeb?
Lately I've been obseeessssed with the Gossip Girl series and have stayed up every night later than I should to try and cram in as many series as possible.
Due to this, I would have to pick two male celebrities which could be called the 'sexiest', or just simply the 'good looking' characters throughout the series.
To start with their's Nate Archibald played by Chace Crawford... I think he speaks for himself! He takes on the whole casual yet good looking role and can model pretty much anything to make it look fab.
Then there's Chuck Bass played by the English Ed Westwick.  In fact he was voted to be the 'sexiest man alive' by people magazine in 2008!  From the second series onwards he wears sophisticated bespoke suits and always looks suave and slick.

What's your favourite AW14 make-up trend?
I love testing out loads of different looks throughout a season and never really stick to just one look. I try to experiment with a range of looks for different moods/occasions or days.
For a day to day make-up routine I love to apply minimal foundation and just cover up blemishes with concealer, followed by a thin eye-liner line on my top eyelid, a few brush strokes of mascara and contour my cheek bones with a dark foundation or bronzer.
Considering we're now in the colder months, when I go out I like to stick to the 'colder' colours.  For example a dark red or dark burgundy lip, with smoky black eyes and possibly some natural looking eyelashes.  Its essential to wear a nude-ish lip if going full out with the eyes to not over do a look though!

Favourite quote?

I would say this is one of my favoruite quotes as it's all about looking past all the negative feelings which may have been bringing you down, and focusing on the future and being optimistic.

You go into Boots to buy make-up wipes, what else are you likely to walk out with?
I always end up buying more than I intended to buy... and that's no over exaggeration  When taking a stroll into Boots or other cosmetic stores I always take a good look through the whole store.  Whether it be hair products, skin care or even perfumes and aftershaves!
On my last visit to Boots I went in looking for one specific item and ended up buying black and brown hair grips, black hair bands, Garnier hand moisturiser, soap and glory lip balm, spearmint chewing gum, 2 Rimmel foundations, Katy Perry eyelashes, E45 cream, batiste dry hair shampoo and the wake me up concealer.  Not much is it?..

What's your outfit of the day?
One outfit which I love wearing is one which I bought especially for my trip to Milan previously this year.  I bought a turtle neck black sleeveless top from Topshop with a ribbed texture, with some black and white chequered joni jeans from Topshop.  I wore a burgundy hoodie around my waist from Topman, paired with some black converse.  This was a great way too look casual yet make an effort!

My questions are:

1.  Who or what inspired you to become a blogger?
2.  What're your ideal holiday destination?
3.  Who's your favourite fashion designer?
4.  Would you rather use drugs store make-up brands or high end make-up brands?
5.  Who or what motivates you most in life?
6.  What's your favourite make-up product of beauty essential?
7.  What quote do you live by?
8.  What's your current guilty pleasure?
9.  Do you prefer the Spring/Summer seasons or Autumn/Winter seasons?
10. What's your outfit of the day?
11. What makes you happy?

I nominate:

Shannon Stacey

Eleanor's Project

Peppermint and Panda Eyes

Monnii Blogs

I love Your...

The Beauty Paige

Fortyfied Beauty

The Modern Audrey

Chloe Louise 96x

A Glass Of Ice

All Over This

Lilly x

Trip to Milan

Milan pretty much speaks for itself… The detailed architecture of the Duemo, the range of galleries, the designer shops, the busy atmosphere, the list goes on.  This is without a doubt the most mind-blowing city that I have visited and it was even more of an adventure as I was travelling with my friends.  There's variety of places to visit and something suited to all interests.  Whether it be to see the last super painting, visiting the Opera House or shopping at the Quadrilatero della moda.  

Although there are plenty of affordable high-street shops, there's nothing like going window shopping or seeing the latest designs in shops such as Versace, Gucci, Prada and other well known designers. Other than them, there was also shops which I had never heard of from Italy, of which my favourite was 'Kiko'.  This is a branch of small make-up shops scattered all over Italy and other European countries, which are high quality yet affordable in price.  Of course, not being able to budget my money properly, I spent quite a lot of money in there, and ending up buying over 30 items! 

I also surprised myself by eating a pizza for the first time in years! Usually I would say I absolutely hate the thought of having a pizza, but I thought maybe I should try an actual Italian pizza, and actually enjoyed it!  This showed me to stay open to new things and give everything a go even if you end up hating it! At Lake Como, we also had a very enjoyable boat trip which I managed to fall asleep on! Probably to my lack of sleep and late nights!

Outside The Duomo

View on Lake Como

Inside the Milan Opera House

Art Gallery

Quadrilatero della moda

Outside a Dior shop

Group picture by Lake Como

With Bronwyn and Kezia in the Garden of the last supper painting

With Kezia and Elise on the roof of the Duomo

View ontop of the Duomo

One of the nicest pizza's I've tried! At Como

Boat trip on the Como Lake

Group picture by Lake Como

Lillly x