Clothing Sale Haul - Topshop & Zara!

Hello everyone, today I'm here with another little haul (three hauls in a row, I need to contain myself. Seriously.) A couple of weeks ago, I went shopping in Glasgow and picked up a few things from Topshop and Zara in the sale so I thought I would show you!

I spotted these two necklaces when I was in the queue going to pay for another item I'll be talking about in a minute.. My boyfriend actually spotted the teal feather necklace and I spotted the red pirate/shark tooth necklace and I decided, why not get both? They both have the homemade look about them and have a kinda rustic/tribal vibe (can't believe I just said vibe) and I think they would look good with any casual outfit! One was actually £2 something and the other was £3 something as I got student discount and the tags were wrong, so it was a bargain.

First of all, this was not in the sale and was £10 from Zara. Second of all, did you notice it? Did you notice the typo with "COFFE"? I didn't, until I got home and showed my Mum and was suddenly horrified. We then decided, it MUST be deliberate, there's no way they could have accidentally made this t-shirt without realising. WELL. I went into several Zaras in my area, searched online for it and can't find it anywhere. So now I'm sitting here like oh my lord do I have a rare collectible type/error t-shirt from Zara?! Either way, I like the quote and the monochrome style of the t-shirt and think it'll be great to wear to my 9am lectures on Monday mornings. It will be very appropriate then!

Last but not least, I got this beauty from Topshop in the sale - down from £38 to £9 with student discount! SAY WHAT. I actually wore these out which you can see here. At first, I actually thought it was a skirt but I fell in love with it even more when I found out they were shorts. I just loved how bright they are and how baggy, flowy and pleated they are. They are also not too short being high waisted so they are comfortable to wear and you are not obsessing over whether your bum is hanging out or not (you can relate, don't lie) and I just think they are great for both day and night outfits.

So that's it! That was all I got from the sales this summer, not much but I hate rummaging through clothes a lot of the time so for me, this was pretty successful! Hope you enjoyed reading this post, did you pick anything up in the sales recently?

Have a lovely day, and don't stop smiling. :)

Hannah, xx

Barry M Gelly Nail Polish in Blue Grape - NOTD #12

Hello everyone! Today I'm back with a NOTD and it's a nail polish that I've wanted to try for a long time - the Barry M Gelly range! Out of the many colours, I chose Blue Grape as I don't have a colour like this in my collection, however there are so many pretty colours to choose from.

The whole point of this formula is it is meant to be "gel-like", very pigmented and super shiny and glossy, which I must admit it is. For me, it was nearly opaque in one coat but I decided to go for two, which is impressive considering that for some Topshop nail polishes, you have to do at least 3 coats for it to be opaque.

When on, the polish and colour is extremely vibrant and super glossy, which for me is a bonus as I love shiny nails. However, I was really let down with the lasting power of this polish. It says that it is a "chip resistant formula" however for me that just wasn't the case. I don't know if I got a dodgy one or if my base/top coat don't go well with this polish (let me know what one you use!), but it just didn't last on me at all. I've seen so many reviews of this polish (not this exact one, just the Gelly range in general) saying how well it lasted and how it lasted for a week without chips.

For me, that was not the case. Not even a day after applying this nail polish I had chips on 3 of my fingers, and not just tiny chips, I mean big chunks had came off. So, I reapplied as I just thought maybe I had applied it wrong or something.. But the next day, honestly, nearly all of my nails had big chips in them and I didn't even do a lot and had just applied it as normal, so I ended up just taking it off after 3 days of wearing it. I'm really disappointed with the lasting power but again, I am really unsure why on me it didn't last but on so many other people it did, as I have genuinely seen dozens of brilliant reviews over them and their lasting power. 

Saying that, the shade range is brilliant, there are so many colours to choose from and it really is opaque in one coat (almost for me, but it was close) and it is so shiny, just for me it didn't last long. I will try again though, it could have been a fluke!

So, that's about it for this post, thank you for reading. What are your views on the Gelly range, have you tried it, and what did you think of it if you did?

Have a lovely day, and don't stop smiling. :)

Hannah, xx

Skincare/Make-up Haul - Simple, Vaseline, Maybelline, Collection, Barry M & Real Techniques!

Hello everyone! I'm here today with a little (it's quite big actually) haul for you all. I decided a couple of weeks ago to take advantage of some of the 3 for 2 offers and I'd also saved up some money to get some of the things I've wanted to try for a while, so here we go! Also, I haven't used some of these products, so for some I'll be telling you what it's like from what the description of it is on the Boots website, just so you know!

Vaseline Spray & Go Body Moisturiser: I've personally never owned one of these but I have used my Mum's can quite a lot.. So I decided it was about time to get my own! The whole point of it is that your skin gets moisturised in seconds and you can just put your clothes on and go - perfect for people in a rush! For me, it definitely does dry in fast, like, one minute fast, which is still great considering most other moisturisers take ages. I would highly recommend this to anyone who just wants a quick, easy and simple moisturiser.

Simple Kind to Skin+ Protecting Moisture Cream SPF30: Again, bought this on a whim - I decided I needed to buy a moisturiser with SPF in it and with this being only £4, I thought it was a bargain! It has SPF30, protects your skin from UVA and UVB rays and is meant to last 24 hours. It has Vitamin B3, Vitamin E, Glycerin and Sweet Almond Oil in it. I have used this once so far and what I can say is at first it didn't really sink into my skin well, it sat for a while but eventually it did sink in and it felt as if I had just put moisturiser on, it didn't have the sunscreeny feel. However, I will continue to use this and let you know if my opinions change or not.

Simple Kind to Eyes Soothing Eye Balm: This for me is a repurchase, I'm just about finished with my now third tube of this and I have to say I really do like it. It has Pro-Vitamin B5 which restores, softens and smooths the skin, and Vitamin E which moisturises the skin. I also has Jojoba Oil, Shea Butter and Bisabolol too - and no perfume or harsh chemicals, which is a plus for me as I have super sensitive skin. It's meant to reduce puffiness and relax tired eyes, and for me it definitely has reduced puffiness. I'm hoping to do a full review of it soon but for now I really do love it and it works well with my skin, I'd highly recommend it.

Simple Kind to Eyes Revitalising Eye Roll-On: I bought this kinda on a whim, I've not read any reviews about it but since I love the Soothing Eye Balm, I thought, why not try this? It's again got Pro-Vitamin B5 and it also has Cucumber Extract, Glycerin and Lupin Extract. This has a gel-like formula and it's meant to wake up your eyes and again reduce puffiness - I bought this as I have to get up pretty early for University when I go back next month so I thought this would be perfect to wake my eyes up! I'll let you know how I get on with it.

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge: To be honest, I don't know why I really bought this - I think it's cause everyone always goes on about how great these sponges are, that I decided to try one for myself. I've not used it yet and quite frankly I am a little scared/don't really know how to use it so I think I'll watch a few YouTube tutorials of it before I use it. I'll be sure to let you know how I get on though!

Real Techniques Stippling Brush: I bought this as I knew I would need a proper brush for something I have bought below.. I read reviews online that this just gives a nice, even finish and you can use it to build up product, going from a light to full coverage. I'm someone that is personally terrified of foundation and feeling something on my skin therefore I know full coverage will never be for me - however, I have used this with the BB Cream below and it gave the nicest, light coverage - it blended it in perfectly and I couldn't feel anything on my skin. I know this brush is going to be a favourite of mine.

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream SPF 30 in Light: This is something I have researched a lot about. I decided I wanted a BB Cream for the days/nights/events where I wanted to feel a bit more made up, as I am terrified of foundation, and I thought this was the perfect compromise! Every BB Cream I looked at for pale skin was usually too orange or had something else wrong with it.. Originally I had my heart set on The Body Shop's All In One BB Cream but when I tried it on in the shop it was orange. So I moved on and eventually found this, which is meant to do about a billion things for your skin and it also has SPF30. I've only used it once, but when I used it it glided onto my skin and blended in perfectly. For me, it is a little bit too dewy but with a little bit of powder it looks great. Since I've only used this once, I'll be trying it out more to get a full opinion of it, and I'll get back to you!

Maybelline Expert Wear Blush in Rosewood (62): Again, totally bought this on a whim, didn't know anything about it, I just got it because of the 3 for 2 offer. It just seems like a nice, natural blush that would be good for every day use. Again, I'm someone who is also terrified of blush as I have quite chubby cheeks as it is and I just feel like blush will accentuate that.. And I don't know how to use it. Guess I'll be using YouTube again for tutorials..

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 HR in Metallic Pomegranate: This is something I have wanted for so so long, the colour is just perfect for going into Autumn and Winter and when I saw it again, I knew it had to be mine. I've done a review of another Color Tattoo which I will link here but it's basically meant to be long lasting, highly pigmented, very creamy and it's not meant to crease on your lids, even if they are oily. 

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair (1): I bought this as I've heard so many people rave on about this concealer, and I was on the market for one, so I thought, why not try it? It's a high coverage concealer that's meant to have a 16 hour wear and it's meant to be water proof and transfer proof. I have tried this but unfortunately it was too light for me right now, so I'm hoping I can try it again in the winter and get a feel of it then.

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Blue Grape: This is something I've again wanted to try for a while, more for the formula than for the colour selection (which is big!) I decided to go for Blue Grape, a vibrant royal blue as I don't have this colour in my collection. This polish is meant to give a glossy, gel-like finish and you only need one coat. I actually put this on just today (so a few days ago by the time this is up) and it definitely is very glossy and it can be opaque in one coat, however I put two on because some of my nails did need the extra coat. I will be putting a post up of this shortly as I'll give a full review of how I find it, if it really is chip resistant and how long it lasted!

That's it for this post, that's my haul! I hope you enjoyed reading and if you want to see a specific review on anything above, just let me know! I have a note of the one's I want to review soon so they should be up in the next month or so (I am slow, so I apologise!)

Have a lovely day, and don't stop smiling. :)

Hannah, xx

Baku, Azerbaijan - Day 5-7

Hello everyone! Today I am back with my final instalment of the Baku holiday/photo spam.. I've crammed sorta 4 days in as I don't think I did enough in the last couple of days to do 2 separate posts so this is more of just a photo spam and a few comments here and there about what I did, I hope you guys don't mind! But for now, here are the last days of my time in Baku.

DAY 4 (more here)

These are some photos that I took on my phone as I just spent the day on the balcony - I just thought they were too nice not to put in!

DAY 5

Day 5 of my trip away consisted of me watching the Commonwealth Games (I know, what can I say, I'm from Scotland) however at night we went out to a fancy seafood place, to which I tried calamari and liked it.. However my Mum left out the key ingredient: OCTOPUS. I was like I JUST ATE OCTOPUS WHAT?! Still, it is nice.. Oh, I also had a burger. So original for a seafood place, right?

Dress - Forever 21

Yes, I am having a coke. And my face is shiny due to the 30 degree heat. However, later on I started having vodka and orange, which I forgot wouldn't be Smirnoff vodka, it would be pure Russian vodka.. Yeah. It was strong.

This is a statue of Nariman Narimanov who was a famous Azerbaijani revolutionary, writer, publicist, politician and statesman. Fancy, huh?

DAY 6

Day 6 consisted of going to the shopping market, which I didn't actually take pictures of but it was HUGE. I mean, about 15 miles-long warehouses huge. I came out with 2 scarves, a pair of sunglasses and a clutch - not bad! These photos below are the journey back from the warehouse.

I absolutely love this photo - the contrast of architecture in Baku is immense but every building is beautiful!

That's the largest flag in the world. Just wait until the close up photos.

That is what is going to be the gymnasium arena for the 2015 European Games!

It's big, huh? (that's what she said)

The Flame Towers in all their glory!

That's the beautiful pier right at the Caspian Sea (which is basically a massive lake)

That is a carpet museum. It's never been opened, but it's there. 

DAY 7

This was the last day, which consisted of mainly travelling home, however I do have some interesting things to show you! OoOoOoOo the suspense is killing you isn't it! No? Okay..

You may be wondering what this weird looking building is.. Well, it's actually a museum for the late President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, who passed in 2003. What's so cool about the Heydar Aliyev Center though is if you look at it from above, it's Heydar's signature! So they have made a building and the shape and structure of it is his signature, which I just think is such a lovely and heartwarming thing - it's very sentimental, as everyone in Baku loved him. It's now been accredited as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and it is now a must see attraction.

These buildings are where the athletes are going to stay in the 2015 European Games!

I think above that stadium is going to be used for the opening and closing ceremony of the 2015 European Games!

I'm pretty sure that's going to be the athletics stadium for the 2015 European Games.

AREN'T THEY SO COOL?! They are huge wooden pod thingys that are in the new Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku - they are going to become little shops and some are already open, with a coffee shop and spa on the go! I just thought they were so creative and so aesthetically pleasing!

And that's it. My Mum and I went home and my Dad stayed to work another couple of weeks, however he is home now for a week which is great. I really enjoyed writing these posts and showing you all the photos, as Baku isn't a place that anyone had really heard of before the Eurovision back in 2012. It truly is a beautiful place to visit and if you are in to architecture, you will love it. There are also mud volcanos (yes it is as terrifying as it sounds) and they have Gobustan National Park, which has caves and prehistoric drawings dating back 5000 years! I have been to both these places and if you would like to see photos, I'd be more than happy to make a post about it as it was truly fascinating to see!

I really hope you enjoyed reading my little Baku series and if again you'd like to see some more pictures of when I've been before, I'm more than happy to show you guys.

Have a lovely day, and don't stop smiling. :)

Hannah, xx