Topshop Lip Crayon in Coy

Whilst in Topshop the other day I thought I'd go over and check out their makeup range. I have never tried of the products before, but I have read many reviews in which most people highly rate the products they've tried. After a little research, I decided I would try one of the lip crayons. I went for the most popular shade "coy" - a vivid coral based pink.

It is incredibly bright. Personally I adore the colour - it literally reminds me of summer. In my opinion it definitely is not an everyday winter shade as it does look a little neon once applied (no joke), but for a night out and particularly for in summer, it will look amazing.

However, I hate the formula. I did read on some blogs that said it was drying. But not that drying. Even though I exfoliated and moisturised my lips before, it still looked incredibly drying and cakey. It felt so uncomfortable to wear I had to remove it instantly which is such a shame because the colour is so unique.

Thumbs down.

September Favourites: Makeup, A/W Fashion, Music and Randoms!

Firstly, I can't believe it's October 1st. It's literally my favourite month with midterm coming up then halloween and my birthday. This year has gone so insanely fast. Secondly, writing favourites posts are always fun. Especially when I have products I've been truly loving. This month I have several beauty favourites as well my autumn/winter fashion picks, music obsessions and just some general favourites so, let's get started...

 Let me first of start by apologising that two of my seven favourites aren't available in the UK. I'm sorry.

You're probably sick of me talking about this, but it deserves another mention - Covergirl Lash Blast Volume mascara. This has definitely become a holy grail mascara of mine - it creates length, volume giving full looking lashes without the clumpy appearance. Please come to the UK.

Another favourite that needs to be bought over to the UK are the Wet n Wild Lip Colors. So cheap, yet so pigmented and come in the best variety of colours, from nudes to pinks to reds. I can't get enough of the four I own, they're so good. My current favourite has been "Spotlight Red", a bright, blue based red. I can see this being a constant favourite when we get into the winter season. It's very comparable to Russian Red by MAC, but notably cheaper...

Quarry eyeshadow by MAC is one of those shades that looks incredibly boring in the pan, but a must have nonetheless. It's the perfect transition, and crease, colour - especially if you have brown eyes as it has a slight purple undertone to it. I love using this shade smudged along the lower lash line to give warmth and some colour. It's more subtle that a black or brown, yet still really pretty for an everyday look.

My foundation favourite this month has been L'Oreal Lumi Magique (I have shade W3). I can't gush about it enough, click here for my full review for my full thoughts and stuff.

Rediscovering past obsessions is always nice. I used to use the NARS Powder Foundation all the damn time when I first bought it. Then it kind of got forgotten about. Now I've been reaching for it more, I remember how much I love using it. It's perfect to use either on top of liquid foundation to set everything and give extra coverage, or to use on it's own. For what it is, it's lightweight and doesn't look cakey. Pricey, but 100% worth it.

Gotta include Baby Lips! I love the shade Pink Punch, it smells heavenly and looks so nice on; really subtle.

Nordic rose cardigan: Urban Outfitters
Floral print kimono: Miss Guided
Burgundy and black camis: Topshop
Animal print cropped jumper: Urban Outfitters
High waisted jeans: New Look

Deciding my favourite clothing items of the month is easy: cropped jumpers, high waisted jeans, kimonos, plain cami tops and oversized cardigans.

Autumn weather in England is extremely bipolar; one minute it's raining and freezing, then the next it's warm and you just wanna take all your clothes off! For this I love wearing layers. I start with just a plain cami - easy to wear and come in so many colours. Then I throw on a baggy, oversized cardigan. I've been loving the ones from Urban Outfitters; they're thick, warm and some in some really lovely patterns. I then just throw on either high waisted shorts (plus tights!), or opt for some high waisted jeans. My most used are by New Look, especially the black and dark navy ones.

When the weather is more on the warm side, I've been really into kimonos. Miss Guided offers some really affordable yet super flattering varieties, plus I've seem them crop up on Asos and in stores. Pictured above is my favourite, black with green, blue and cream coloured flowers. I also love wearing cropped jumpers as they look amazing with high waisted jeans/shorts. Again, Urban Outfitters is the place to look for them.

I'm thinking about doing more posts dedicated to seasonal fashion picks. What do you think?







23 by Mike Will Made-It
It's probably the most catchiest song ever. The day I bought it on iTunes I played it 32 times in a row, yep, that addictive. It's featuring Miley Cyrus (who I love, but may not be everyones cup of tea), Wiz Khalifa and some person who I've never heard of in the likes of Juicy J. Seriously, what kind of name is that?

Wings by Birdy
This is such a cute, melancholic song that you need to listen to if you haven't already. Birdy has such a gorgeous voice for a 17 year old, and I love the video for this song too, it's very medieval.

Diana by One Direction
This song was leaked a few weeks back so I pray that you can still find it somewhere online. If not, then mark November 25th in your diary as thats the release of their new album. Anyway, the song Diana is supposed to be written for the fans who have suffered from depression or suicide. When you listen to the words it's really quite sad, but the song as a whole is really catchy and has some great hooks in it. Love!

Burn by Ellie Goulding
Yeah it's an old song, but I've been going through an Ellie phase and this is one of my definite favourites of hers. It's totally different to my regular style of music (to be honest, all of these songs I've mentioned are completely polar opposite to my usual style which is alternative/rock) but I just find myself listening to this all the time!

Yay for the random favourites!

First is iOS7 (for all you Apple users). At first I thought it was really childish but now I actually quite like it. It's simple to use and, I know it's stupid, but I love how the background colour is incorporated into the button colour and tab background, if you know what I mean (see pic!). And have you all seen the new iPhone in gold? *wants*

This past month the X Factor has been my guilty pleasure, it's pretty embarrassing. Well it's not as bad as my mum who downloaded the bloody app on her iPad. Nevertheless, I always watch on the weekends when I can. Team Shaz!

Ok a weird favourite this month is a YouTube channel that you've *probably* all heard of called SourceFed. A group of super likeable hosts post five videos a day each with current news stories. Yeah it may sound boring, but they present them with humour but actually convey important messages to keep us up to date with current affairs. They're short videos (3 mins on average) which make them perfect to quickly view if you don't have enough time to sit down and watch the full length news programmes.

Favourites completed! I really enjoyed writing this months post. Hope you did, too. Have an amazing October :)

PS, who's already downloaded their "countdown to Christmas" phone app? I have! 91 days to go...

Pastels

From all of the spring and summer trends I've seen so far, it seems that pastels are the most wearable and adaptable to suit any style. The most simplest outfit (i.e. jeans, t-shirt and wedges) can be transformed into a really nice, well put together ensemble. 

These are some of my favourite combos:

First row: River Island, River Island and Miss Guided
Second row: J.Crew, Topshop and River Island
Third row: H&M, River Island and Mulberry

Cute, right?! Looking at most online stores and recent fashion shows it seems that popular colours this spring and summer will be coral, pink and off-white/beige. It's obvious as too why: they're so wearable and, aside from the Mulberry bag, pretty inexpensive! I have found that River Island have a lot of pastel related trends on their website - check it out here as well as Miss Guided, here!

Thanks for reading :)

Suzanna xoxo

Ps. I've just ordered some stuff from House of Fraser, so a haul-type post will be up later this week. I normally post around 17 posts per month which, unfortunately, will decrease in June because of exams. I only have two exams this month (well, in May) so after that I'll be revising like crazy. Hope you guys understand! <3

Spring Topshop haul

I'm sure you are all aware that Topshop are having a major "spring" sale right now. There is up to 50% of pretty much all of the winter items and some of the upcoming summer items. So, taking full advantage I logged online and browsed for a good half an hour. I am always hesitant to buying online as I have had many negative experiences whereby they've hacked my card, lost my order somehow or simply take months (literally!) to arrive. To prevent number #1 happening again, I always make sure that the shop accepts PayPal - it is the most safest way to buy online, pretty much guaranteed.*

Any-who, in my final basket were four lovely items with price reductions that I simply could not refuse. My aim was to get full-sleeved items as spring in England is cold, but of course I had to get some items for summer. Oops.

Le pictures:

Chaos sweater. I think this will look nice with light blue shorts and large gold jewellery. I love sweaters like this, they are so nice and comfortable. Plus, it's by my absolute favourite in-store designer Illustrated People that make effortless, almost American themed, items. They remind me of a cheaper alternative to the incredibly expensive Wildfox Couture. The majority of their stuff costs almost half the price of a baggy beach jumper! Here's a link to their online store via the Topshop website.

This one is really simple and the reason why I got it is because of the little lion emblem. I love little details like that; strange reason to get it, I know. This cost me £12 which, I think, is pretty awesome considering it was £28. If it wasn't on sale, I don't think I would have got it. Get it here!

I saw this in the store and I absolutely loved the "netted" look it had about it. The only thing that put me off was the fact it looked - and felt - uncomfortable. Despite this, I picked it up anyway due to the huge reduction and I absolutely love it. I tried it on yesterday with some pale blue denim shorts and some black boots and it looks great. I must admit that I didn't go outside wearing it as it was raining/thundering/nearly snowing! I know I definitely will when summer comes around. 

I couldn't find it online, sorry! :'(

This is probably the worst image I have ever took. You can't even see what it looks like. Omg! I'll try and describe it. It is a dark grey (don't get put of by my idiotic camera lighting) lightly baggy cami with the words Established embossed on the front. It's safe to say that I am probably the most boring person when it comes to fashion. I always go for the effortless, lazy look. Jeans, a baggy t-shirt and boots are my favourite combo for winter and for summer, replace jeans with shorts. Simple as. This is mainly why I always buy clothes like above. I have so many tops like it, it's unhealthy. Once, I tried to get into layering and it went completely wrong. I have learnt never to copy anyone else's style completely - adapting it to suit yourself is fine but copying someone - especially without full confidence in what your wearing - doesn't work and it looks so wrong. I have learnt that. I now know not to mix leopard print, floral and colour blocking in one outfit. Yes, it sounds weird but at the time it was cool, ok?! Ha-ha! 

Going off in a tangent here...

I find Topshop to be ridiculously expensive (for what it is) so when the sales come around, I get happy. If you haven't already check out the online sale here or go into your local store. I advise going online first as they have more stock available online than in store!

Happy shopping.

Suzanna xoxo

Ps. Anyone looking forward to the Barcelona vs Chelsea match tonight? Yes, I'm a girl, but I love watching football. Even though I support Arsenal, I think Barcelona are my favourite international team. I'm definitely going to watch! Thank god for Sky Sports.

*Not paid to say that.

Mary Katrantzou for Topshop and Longchamp

Spring has just started (well, two days ago but still)! This means that it's time to put your coats, scarfs and gloves away and break out your favourite spring attire. For me, I couldn't be more happy about spring. The weather is instantly improving and I'm so glad to be rid of wearing a thick coat everyday! Spring, for me, is a mix of winter and summer; it still can be chilly yet it always seems to be sunny. After summer, spring is definitely my favourite season. Today, I'm going to talk about my new favourite designer collaboration which screams excitement and is perfect for spring.

Designer collaborations with popular high street shops are always exciting. H&M have always been a favourite of mine in producing the best collections with world-famous designers. In the space of just two years they have teamed up with Marni, Versace, Jimmy Choo, Tom Ford, Lavin, Sonia Rykiel and Givenchy - and I'm pretty sure there are many more to add, and many more to come in the future.

This time, however, it's high street giant Topshop who are collaborating with the designers. Previous designer collaborations have been with Christopher Kane and Kate Moss with both proven to be highly successful. Topshop's newest teaming is with designer Mary Katrantzou...

Mary Katrantzou is a greek designer who's works include busy floral prints, splashes of colour and avant garde structured items. Her collection with Topshop is just that. Previously, she has designed two small lines for the store both inspired by English country gardens, florals and ornaments.

Yet this time, her collection is bigger and, for me, better!

The exclusive nine-piece range is available now from Topshop online and stores nationwide.

In addition to Topshop, Mary is also teaming up with designer brand Longchamp to two exclusive bags bearing exclusive new prints!










These bags are available at many department stores such as Selfridges and Harvey Nichols and prices range between £94 and £345. Pretty steep, but just look how awesome they look!

I believe that they are limited edition so grab them while you can.

Anyway thats all I wanted to talk about! My original plan was to do a list of spring fashion essentials so when I was researching some items, I came across this collection and knew I needed to talk about this instead. I can't believe I've never heard of Mary Katrantzou before - I love her designs.

I hope you enjoyed this, and I'll talk to you soon!

Suzanna
XOXO

PS. I just found out that Julie Andrews (actress from Sound of Music and Mary Poppins) went to my high-school. Seriously, how awesome is that?! And the bassist from one of my favourite bands You Me At Six went their as well!

Arsenal won the football last night so I'm pretty happy :)

Simple and stylish blazers

The blazer has been a fashion essential ever since the idea of masculine chic was invented. The prominent structure of a blazer revitalises and pulls together any outfit.

Everything looks good with a blazer thrown over it. Fact.

For me, the best thing about blazers is the fact that everything works. Pair it with matching trousers and you get a conservative, work appropriate look. Or wear it with a tee and distressed jeans for a casual weekend look. Even layering it over a mini dress for a night on the town works.

The reason why I'm talking about blazers is the fact that, this year they are making a fashion comeback. Blazers are getting back to the basics in classic shapes, neutral colours and a reasonable balance of masculine and feminine designs.

Here are some of my favourites:

This Topshop Grey Boyfriend Blazer is great for those casual days. Pair it with skinny jeans, boots and a simple tee for an effortless yet stylish look. For £65.00, I think you could find something a little better with a much lower price tag, however if you have the money to spend, this is definitely a good choice.

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H&M have always been a favourite brand of mine because of their vast selection of simple and colourful pieces. Their new blazers are simple yet fashionable with a wide range of bright colours. My favourites are the pink, red and blue and at £24.99 each, you can't go wrong!

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Everyone needs that staple, black blazer that goes with everything and anything. I really like the look of this Theory Risea Stretch-Wool Jacket (it's called a jacket, but it's definitely a blazer) from Net-a-Porter. It's simple yet incredibly wearable, and you can see this by the image above - the blazer is paired with a white tee, high-wasted trousers and nude pumps.

Unfortunately, this bad boy costs £375 and I'm 99.8% certain most of us wouldn't fork out that much on a blazer - especially a black one. So here is a pocket-friendly alternative...

Here we have a black long sleeve blazer from River Island that is only £55.00 compared to the Theory blazer. My advice is to buy a cheaper blazer and dress it up by adding lavishing accessorises and pairing it with bright shoes.

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Leave a comment and follow me!

Suzanna

XOXO