Tuesday 17 December 2013

The Weekend Post: Fairy Lights & Diamond Rings

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Last weekend I met up with a couple of my besties and we headed to Manchester. We had lunch at a restaurant called Rosso, which is owned by Rio Ferdinand (who plays for Manchester United for those who are not familiar with the football world!). We’d never been before, but I knew it advertises a fine dining experience of the Italian variety and that it’s often a celebrity haunt (the walls are plastered in photos of celebs who have visited). Unfortunately we didn’t bump into anyone famous, but it was definitely an experience!

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It’s situated in a slightly posh area of the city centre, with lavish old buildings and a Vivienne Westwood right next door, and plenty of super nice cars. There is a doorman that greets you and a swarm of employees dressed all in black that offer to take your coat and seat you. We didn’t book a table and although it was quite full we managed to get seated straight away. The interior is b.e.a.utiful, high ceilings, lots and lots of fairy lights and garlands of ivy and baubles for the festive season. Our waiters were Italian and posh and I felt so out of place haha!I ordered a mocktail called Inhibition which was passion fruity and yummy, and I went for the safe option of a 4 cheese pizza, although it was a laced with patches of a greenish grey substance (Soz if you are eating whilst reading this), I can only assume it was blue cheese. It started out okay, but half way through I was starting to regret my choice and was feeling sick, clearly my stomach isn’t accustomed to anything other than cheddar, mozzarella or halloumi. On the upside the portions were big and the prices were not as bad as I thought they were going to be.

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Although I think I'm definitely more comfortable in a Nandos, it was a nice restaurant, with a lovely atmosphere and I probably would go back, although next time I’d choose something else off the menu!

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After lunch, we made our way through the busy city centre and had a look in a few shops, including Selfridges and of course Tiffany’s. My friend and I were just drooling over all the beautiful diamond encrusted rings, not literally of course…that’d be embarrassing!

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The city was lit up in lots of pretty fairy lights (in case you haven’t picked up on it yet…I'm a sucker for twinkly lights!) and the German Christmas markets filled the streets! I love Christmas time in the UK and visiting all the markets in different cities, I go every year and each year I buy pancakes with Nutella..they are just SO good!

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Who else loves Christmas Markets?
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Thursday 5 December 2013

‘I heart…’ Book Series

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I love reading…whether it’s an autobiography, a classic novel or an easy-going book aimed at teens. The ‘I heart…’ series by Lindsey Kelk is one of my all time favourites. The first book (I heart New York) in the series actually came free with Glamour magazine, I think it was, a few years ago and I read it on holiday not expecting much from it, but Boy do I loves it! The minute I came home I scoured the bookshops for the rest and bought the next 3 (Hollywood, Paris and Vegas).

The story follows the whirlwind life of Angela Clark, who after catching  her fiancĂ© cheating on her, ups and leaves her life in England and flies out to New York. Angela’s new crazy life filled with new friendships, men and opportunities (as well as the odd unfortunate event) is documented in this easy and fun read. Sure it isn’t the hard –hitting, factual book with a complex story line but it is a great chick lit and the characters and settings make it awesome! Plus sometimes I feel like I can relate to Angela…if only I had the funds to jump on a plane and head to the big apple…*sigh*.

I recently ordered the latest two books in the series (London and Christmas) and cannot wait to find out what happens next. Another thing I love about these books (as you may know I love travelling) is that at the end of each one there is a proposed itinerary which features some of ‘Angela’s’ favourite hotels, shops and attractions in each of the cities the story is featured in.

Has anyone else read these books? If so, Do you love them as much as I do?
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Monday 2 December 2013

November Photo Diary

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1-4. Short weekend visit to the city I went to Uni with my best friends (minus one =[), stayed the night in a hotel, had such a fun time and experienced loads of hilarious moments.

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1&4. Went bowling and got a strike! Even got presented with a sticker haha! 2. It’s been a long tradition to go to Nandos with my friends…mainly because we are an indecisive bunch and always end up there! 3. Watched Gravity and really enjoyed it…space looks beautiful and scary at the same time.

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1. A festive Trinity Leeds Shopping centre 2. Cute primark gloves/mittens…I am panda obsessed! 3&4. First time I have been in a Victoria’s Secret store…so girly and pretty.

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1. Winter is slowly making it’s way…I love this time of year because England looks so pretty. 2. Fitting room selfie…like my tee? I love it! 3. Getting my Movember on! haha I have an addiction to Snapchat. 4. Sitting by the fire with hot chocolate and a book is the best!

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1. New Caffe Nero lattes 2-4. Festive Costa Coffee drinks…so yummy and look how cute the baby gingerbread man is! I know, I know, I have a coffee addiction I think…I probably spend about the same amount of time the cast of Friends did in coffee houses =/

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1-4. Went to my friend’s masquerade ball themed bachelorette party. It was SO much fun and saw some friends I haven’t seen in years…it was nice to dress up and do something different!
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Meet Frank.

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Frank is my new best friend! Frank is a body scrub, a coffee body scrub to be precise. I came across him on instagram (@frank_bod) and was presented with pictures of gorgeous women with enviable figures and the promise of smooth skin and a revived complexion…SOLD! What can I say, the cheeky captions loaded with innuendos won me over.

About

So, Frank is a dry scrub that is full of minerals, essential oils and oxidants and obviously a high caffeine content. To use this scrub to its full potential you massage onto damp skin in circular motions, concentrating on your problem areas and leave the scrub to dry for 5-10 minutes to let the caffeine get to work, then rinse off the scrub! You only need about two small handfuls of scrub for your whole body or you can choose to scrub problem areas only (about one handful) as this scrub aims to target cellulite. You can also use this on your face too although its not advised if you have sensitive skin as it is quite course.

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Ingredients


Roasted and Ground Arabica coffee beans - Target cellulite and stretch marks

Brown Sugar and sea salt - Smooth lumps and bumps

Cold pressed sweet almond oil - Moisturise and improve skintone

Orange essence - Smells nice

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Thoughts

I have used this product several times, about 1-2 times a week, and it leaves my skin silky soft and just generally improves the appearance of my skin, I have Keratosis pilaris on my upper arms and although it has improved over the years, I feel this scrub has helped with the stubborn rough areas. The website’s FAQ mentions that they have had positive feedback regarding Frank helping with other skin problems such as eczema and acne, although it will take a good few weeks to see results…patience my friends..patience! On the plus side, soft skin is noticed after your very first scrub!

A word of warning though, as Frank is primarily made of coffee the smell is somewhat overpowering (duh) and if you hate the smell of coffee well then this isn’t for you.

Extra Deets

The company is based in Australia but they ship worldwide (shipping time and costs varies depending on where you are in the world). My Frank got to me about 10 days after I ordered him and cost $21.40 (£12.07) for 200g, which is pretty decent for such a great product. A new Frank is now available for the warmer months (as it is summer in the land of Oz) and is packed with coconut and grapeseed oil. For more info and to buy your very own Frank go to frankbody.com.

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Thursday 7 November 2013

Bubbles, Bubbles… My bubbles!

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I haven’t been into Lush for aaaagess, so when I popped in the other day for a quick nosy I ended up leaving with an excessive amount of goodies. In fact no, I think I did quite well, I did reign myself in so my bank balance wouldn’t hate me, but I’m likely to go back for more at some point…what can I say I’m a sucker for sweet smelling bath products!


I’m actually more of a shower person than a bath person, I just prefer to wash and go, however I am partial to the odd bath when I’m feeling indulgent or looking for a simple pick me up (more so in Winter)! I’m even more inclined when I have a Lush Bath bomb or Bubble Bar to hand, they just smell so darn good (I sometimes buy the soap just to leave in my room so it smells divine) and they look so amazing. So without further ado…here is what I picked up!

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First up is this Snow Fairy Sparkle Bar and HANDS DOWN snow fairy is my favourite lush scent!! If the colour pink was a scent it would smell exactly like this, sweet, candy flossy and so edible…I LOVE it! It may be too much for some, but I don’t think I can get enough of it. This is basically like a massage bar (which I have never actually tried) and when I tried it in the shop it felt so buttery and moisturising. It is glittery which doesn’t make it suitable for a daytime look (unless you’re all for that…then go ahead, no judgement here!) and it is really small for the price, but y’know I’m a sucker for snow fairy!

**I probably should warn you that the majority of what I purchased have the same smell as Snow Fairy…I have an addiction to that scent and I probably need help. If this isn’t for you, you can just admire how pretty they all look, and if you hate pink well then…this is awkward.**

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Next up is Cream Candy Bubble Bar, this is something I buy every time I visit a lush store and is a long-time fave. Again, very sugary and sweet and turns the bath water pink! All in all an enjoyable bath that leaves the skin soft and supple and the bathroom delicious smelling.

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Candy Mountain Bubble Bar’s shimmery swirliness and (surprise surprise) vanilla sweet scent is what drew me in. I’m excited to use this, however I've heard it’s quite glittery so may be a ‘mare to clean the bath later!

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Okay, so last super sweet scent I promise! This Magic Wand Bubble Bar is so pretty and is basically Snow Fairy on a stick finished with a bell…what’s not to love! Just swish this reusable bar in the water to create a bath full of bubbles and enjoy!

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The Comforter is really big so you only need a small amount to create the perfect relaxing bath. This smells a little sweet but there is a fruity element to it too, as it contains blackcurrants, and looks like a yummy pink cinnamon swirl, dontcha think? Okay well the one I happened to pick up doesn’t so much..but check them out in stores they totally do!

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With the fast approaching Christmas season, there are a bunch of new festive themed bath treats, in fact too many to choose from, but I ended up picking out Snowman Ballistic for now (I will be back for the rest though..no doubt!). This little guy is just adorable, with his orange nose and cute red scarf and he smells like baby powder with a hint of vanilla. This bath bomb contains cocoa butter which will leave skin soft and nourished.

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Have you tried any of these bath treats? What’s your favourite product from Lush?                
Pea-ess…Can anyone tell where the title of this post is from?
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Saturday 2 November 2013

The Bucket List

Surely everyone has one, right? Whether it’s a mental list or one that’s actually written down, I’m sure everybody has dreams that are both mundane and once in a lifetime, and I’m not an exception. So here is my list of things I want to achieve before y’know..I kick it.

  • Start a blog  ( 18.09.2013)
  • Skydive
  • Bungee Jump
  • Get a drivers license
  • Sphering/Zorbing
  • Own a Chanel 2.55 Jumbo Bag
  • Own a Celine Phantom Bag
  • Visit my Top 10 Countries (USA, Japan, Norway, Australia, Brazil, Peru, Thailand, Singapore, China, Italy)
  • Travel the whole world
  • See pandas up close and have a photo taken with a panda cub (hence China)
  • Have photos taken with baby Tigers (hence Thailand)
  • Buy/Rent a Volkswagen Camper van and road trip it across Europe with friends
  • Road trip across America, especially New York, LA and Las Vegas
  • Swim with dolphins
  • Write and publish a book
  • Work in the fashion industry
  • Design a clothes capsule for a label/ have my own fashion label
  • Visit Disney Land Paris before I’m 25!
  • Visit Disney Land, California and Disney World, Florida
  • Visit Universal Orlando
  • Visit the set of a film/TV show
  • Visit Dubai and go to Dubai Mall and Burj Al Arab
  • Go up to the top of the Shard in London
  • Go blonde.
  • Become fluent in Spanish
  • Attend a fashion show
  • Have a spa day
  • Own Louboutins
  • Perfect my homemade macaroons
  • Become a mother
  • Adopt a baby
  • Adopt a kitten
  • Design my own wedding dress
  • Marry my best friend
  • Take part in Race for Life
  • Volunteer with a charity abroad
  • Get a rook piercing
  • Visit New York during Christmas season
  • Ride a mattress down a staircase
  • Fly First Class
  • Attach a love lock to a bridge in Paris
  • Ask a 3 year old life's mystery questions and see what their take on it is
  • Walk through Japan’s Tunnel of Lights
  • Learn to Surf
  • Ride a Hot Air Balloon
  • Learn to Snowboard
  • Float in the Dead Sea
  • Have a squirrel eat out of my hand and touch it’s tail
  • Attend a Masquerade Ball
  • See Justin Timberlake in Concert
  • See One Direction in Concert
  • Go to the Ballet
  • Own Art Work in my home
  • Sell a painting/Drawing
  • Meet Kate Hudson
  • Start a Youtube Channel
  • Meet Charles and Alli Trippy (CTFxC)
  • Attend Comic-con
  • Attend a YouTube Convention
  • Own my Dream House
  • See the Northern lights
  • Spend a night in an Ice Hotel
  • Learn to a tie a knot in a cherry stem using only my tongue (Summer 2012)
  • Learn how to crack an egg with one hand (Winter 2013)
  • Do 10 consecutive push-ups
  • Go to a drive in cinema
  • Go camping
  • Experience zero gravity
  • Helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon
  • Go the airport and buy a plane ticket for the first flight out to anywhere
  • Go hiking in a rainforest
  • Go to Go Ape
  • Make a massive scrapbook of my life so far
  • Take my parents on the holiday of their dreams
  • Start a recipe book (Spring 2011)
  • Read all the books on my book list
  • Watch all the films on my to watch list
  • Go to Hajj
  • Live abroad for a year
  • Go on a Canal Boat
  • Fly a kite
  • Pick strawberries
  • Try out a bucking bronco
  • Do a flip on a trampoline
  • Lie in the back of a pick up truck with blankets and watch the stars
  • Visit my childhood homes
  • Give blood
  • Pay for a stranger’s coffee
  • Be an organ donor
  • Learn First aid
  • Attend Coachella
  • Make my own perfume
  • Bake a tiered cake (September 2013)
  • Eat lobster
  • Take drum lessons (Winter 2003)
  • Play an elaborate prank on a friend
  • Whistle with two fingers
  • Go to a spin class
  • Go to a Kickboxing class
  • Sweat at a Bikram Yoga class
  • Be flexible enough to touch my toes
  • Attend an American football game
  • Go to a fright night during Halloween
  • See the pandas in Edinburgh (June 2012)
  • Go Quad biking (June 2013)
  • Own a Range Rover
  • Go Paragliding
  • Teach someone to read
  • Visit Prague
  • Design a restaurant
  • Travel in an Uber
  • Take a photography class

Bare in mind this list is never ending, everyday I decide I want to add something else to my already ambitious life menu.
In the words of Walt Disney (which is also etched onto my laptop)…

’If you can dream it you can do it!’

November Wish List

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I like to do a lot of window/online browsing when the weather is rubbish and I am procrastinating, which leads to a (long) wish list including but not limited to fashion items, beauty products, home ware, electrical's and food (yes food…namely something within the sugar department and not sold in your average grocery store…like this.) Anyhoo…this is just a small selection of what I’m currently lusting over this month.

1. Mulberry Animal Jacquard Swing Dress, Topshop £42- Oooh this colour! oooh and the jacquard print. It’s just lovely and perfect for a date night…paired with heels and a statement clutch for a fancy dinner, or with a leather jacket and beanie for a more casual affair with a side of sexy, this dress caters for all.

2. Clutch Bag, H&M £14.99- Arent gold and black just gorgeous together? Such a sleek combination and this clutch with it’s statement casing would be the perfect finish to any simple outfit.

3. Purple Geometric Diamond Print Raglan T-Shirt, River Island £25- I have always been intrigued by co-ords/matching sets but never been brave enough to try them out…I think there is a chance of looking less ‘runway chic’ and more ‘frumpy grandma chic’. Anyways something about this combo (3 & 4) just drew me in, perhaps it’s the colours and print or the casual vibe of the two but I really like it and could be the set that lures me into this trend.

4. Pink Geometric Diamond Print Trousers, River Island £38

5. Rose Gold Mulberry Bayswater Bracelet, Selfridges £225- Ahh Mulberry…I will one day own the famous Alexa bag but right now my eye is on this baby. I own a ridiculous amount of rose gold items, I’m have an iffy relationship with gold (yellow old makes me want to vom…seriously!) but rose gold is my best friend, its such just such a pretty colour and I find it very wearable. I love this lock detail of the bracelet too adds a little somethin’ somethin’ to the simple piece.

6. Original Tall Hunter Wellies, Hunter Boot £85- Each winter it snows and each winter I am in a pickle as to what footwear will be most appropriate (flashback: walking to clinics in formal office wear and trainers weren’t my finest fashion moments but more of a ‘sod it, sliding down a black iced hill in heels doesn’t sound like fun’. I have been on the verge of buying these each year but somehow never ended up actually purchasing them…perhaps this will be the year! Pea-ess I ADORE the little socks that you can accessorise the wellies with.

7. Charlotte Olympia Sleeping Kitty Leather Slippers, Selfridges £485-As an absolute cat fanatic the CO kitty slippers have been on my wish list for a while and this sleeping kitty version were made for me (I heart cats..and sleep..go figure). These are the perfect combination of sleek and quirky…definitely need to save my pennies and invest in these bad boys!

8. ‘One Night Stand’ Nars Cheek Palette, Space NK £45- I actually do not own anything from Nars…and it isn’t because nothing appealed to me, oh no…quite the opposite actually. I’m intrigued by SO many items I actually don’t know where to start ( I actually am the worst decision maker in the world). This palette, which is exclusive to Space NK, seems like a good place to start as it includes 3 of Nars’ cult products; Laguna bronzer,Orgasm blush and Deep throat blush. It also includes two other pretty blush shades and a highlighter…I’m sold!

9. Grey My Little Pony Print Dolman Top, River Island £25- Oh my…this just reminds me of my childhood! I love loungewear and this looks so cosy and cute that I feel I must own this. Also seeing Nicole Scherzinger in this has definitely  made me want it more!

10.‘Rebel’ Lipstick, Mac £15-  Described as a ‘midtonal cream plum’ this berry shade is definitely made for fall and just looks beautiful. When is the perfect time to venture into darker shades of lip colour if not now?!

11. Trixette Cross Over Jumpsuit, Missguided.com £24.99- I actually first saw this on BeautyCrush’s lookbook video and she looked so hot in it. It’s classy and sexy at the same time and it only needs minimal accessories to make a hot outfit.

12. Grey Knitted Jumper, H&M £14.99- It’s that time of year again where layering and chunky knits is the way to go. Fling this simple jumper over a white shirt and finish with a statement necklace and you have a stylish casual outfit perfect for Autumn/Winter.

Tuesday 29 October 2013

October Photo Diary


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1. Autumn is here! 2. Trying bubble tea for the first time…can’t say I am a fan though 3. Online shopping 4. Cosy Autumn essentials

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1. Mirror selfie in Trafford Centre, wearing my new trench from Miss Selfridge 2. Gym time 3.Healthy berry banana smoothie..yum! 4. Night time Selfie
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1. My hometown in the evening <3 2.Surprise post from one of my best friends 3. Foot long Cookie dough..mmmm!! 4. All black errthang…well, except the cobalt blazer…OOTD for a family dinner
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1. Favourite hot chocolate ever at Caffe Nero 2&3. Homemade goodies…Chocolate tart and apple pie 4. I spend A LOT of time in coffee shops!
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1. Mummy- Daughter lunch date 2. Mozzarella dippers 3. Yummy chicken Salad 4. Sneaky toilet selfie…because I’m classy like that
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                                            Pumpkin Carving! I LOVE Halloween!

Saturday 12 October 2013

Topshop Haul

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So a little while ago Topshop were doing a 20% student discount promotion in store and online and I am a sucker for extra discounts, even if I am no longer a student...(thankfully I have siblings who can hook me up with NUS card numbers!)

My local store is very small and limited in stock so I spent a Thursday night cosied up in bed trawling the Topshop website (I obviously lead a very eventful life..) and piling my virtual shopping bag with anything that took my fancy. I do this with all online shopping sprees and it normally leads to an obscene amount of items with a high total price tag, so I make sure to whittle it down to only ‘must-haves’ and ‘one-of-a-kinds’ (it’s incredible how I can justify any purchases as a necessity) so my debit card and I remain friends.

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I’ve been ill all week and so the arrival of my package was the perfect pick me up!

The first thing I picked up was a pair of Leigh skinny jeans. Now these are my all time favourite jeans, I have them in practically every colour. They are just so soft and comfortable (no stiff denim here, ladies) and fit like a dream (no baggy knees!).

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I saw this shirt in store and immediately fell in love with the miss-matched pattern design. It’s also monochrome, which allows me to dress it up or down and accessorise it any way I like.

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I love the burgundy colour of this casual sweater, it’s also quilted so not just your boring old jumper. I think I may be returning this though as I found that it’s quite boxy and on the shorter side (i.e. it sits right above the hips, on me anyway) and I prefer slightly longer, slouchier tops.

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Next up…these hot heels! How gorgeous are these bad boys! The vibrant magenta is just beautiful and I think pairing these with a simple outfit like jeans and a blazer will make it interesting. I am, however, a little worried about walking in them (perhaps a test run around the house is in order…don’t pretend you don’t do that too), the heel is certainly not the highest I own (these are 3.5 inches), but the heels are quite thin.

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The last three items are all frivolous accessories, that weren’t really a necessity, but who the hell cares..YOLO am I right! (*smh* I can’t even believe I wrote that…).

I got a grey beanie, simply because I like hats.

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These midi rings are cute and sparkly…I like sparkly.

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This has to be the silliest of all my purchases and to some it may be tacky, but it’s a velvet scrunchie (instantly thrown back into my 90’s childhood when I used to adorn my ponytails with obnoxious scrunchies…it was cool alright!) and it has bunny ears(!!) and I LOVE IT!!

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And that’s it! All these items are still available on the UK website here.

Aya
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