The Graduate Series | Fashion Journalism

You may have noticed, if you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, that I've recently graduated from university.  Now there's a sentence I never imagined typing.  The last six months have been a whirlwind - quite stressful at times owing to the deadlines but in the end so rewarding.  I wanted to document the last three years in a blog series. Today I'll talk you through my course and there will also be posts on my university experience, Graduation day and what's happening after university.

Internet Copy for graziadaily.co.uk - Year One; March 2011

Long Interview Piece - Year One; April 2011

For as long as I can remember I've always loved reading anything from fiction novels to glossy magazines and I always used to wonder how journalists came up with the stories and put them on the pages before me.  So journalism it was, but when I began my UCAS journey (the thought of that personal statement still makes me shudder) I really had no idea that a course specifically tailored to the magazines I loved existed.  I happened upon Fashion Journalism and although some thought I was backing myself into a corner, I went with my gut and took the plunge.  What I will say I learnt very quickly was not to judge a book by it's cover.  My first year was by no means fashion specific, we had a couple of modules that required us to focus on fashion topics but other than that, the units were broad, teaching us the basics every journalist needs to know - news writing, broadcast, interviewing, internet copy, as well as styling and imaging.  What I liked about this course is that you don't just learn how to write, but you're also taught how to use industry standard packages such as InDesign and Final Cut Pro.

 Shopping Page - Year 2; October 2011

Feature Piece -  Year 2; January 2012

STYLEBYTE Magazine

Difficulty was increased in second year with modules in the first semester including opinion writing, features, shopping pages and catwalk reports.  Second year was tailored a lot more towards fashion and I used this to develop the beauty bug that was becoming quite apparent, as well as choosing a topic for my long feature that was outside of my comfort zone - escorting or sugar daddy dating as it's otherwise known. As the year progressed we began group project, which was to give us a taster of what was to come with FMP.  My group created a technology magazine for women called Stylebyte, which was hard work but also a lot of fun.  We then went off on our own and undertook a months placement, which we were to set up ourselves and had several tasks to do each week whilst we were working.  I ended up as a social media intern at a small dress agency in a local town and I had a lot of fun - there was endless amounts of Anya Hindmarch, Mulberry and DVF coming through the doors day in and day out. 

Investigative Feature - Year 3; November 2012

CONTOUR

Within what felt like seconds, third year was finally here - a year that I'd dreaded and heard many a horror story about.  We were told to enjoy it because it would be gone before we knew it - something I didn't believe at the time but the three units we endured really made the time fly.  Our first unit was Investigative Journalism, a unit I was dreading but ended up really enjoying.  I wrote a piece about internet trolling, an article I'm still really proud of.  I interviewed an Olympic athlete, the police, a cyberpsychologist (yes, that's a real job) and many more before piecing the feature together.  After Investigative, the real work started with Dissertation consuming much of my Christmas break and pretty much the whole of January 2013.  I'm not the most academic person so I wasn't looking forward to the unit, and it didn't help that my tutor didn't get my topic and therefore wasn't interested in helping me, but somehow I got a 2:1 for it.  My topic was "How has Generation C affected consumerism with specific regards to beauty bloggers?"  The last unit was Final Major Project, we each had to come up with a magazine concept, pitch it and then see it through to the final product.  Being a bit of a technology junkie, I decided to create an iPad ready magazine all about - wait for it - beauty.  We had a 10,000 word limit and had the choice to produce shoots to go into the magazine too. Although it sounds like a lot of fun, which at times it was, at times it was frustrating, stressful and I wondered if I'd ever see the end of it.  

Overall, I really enjoyed the course and I don't feel like I backed myself into a corner at all.  I gained a lot from it, from meeting great friends, making good contacts, getting the experience and also learning from mistakes.  If like me, you're thinking about a career in women's magazines or fashion and beauty but are unsure of how to go about it - definitely give the syllabus a read.  

If you have any questions at all about the course, please leave a comment and I'll answer it as best as I can. You can view all my work here or visit my online portfolio here.  

Year in Review | Best of 2012

Happy New Year! 

This is part two of my 'Year in Review' series.  Yesterday I wrote about my Top 12 Beauty Products of 2012 and today I'll be talking you through each month and all the things that happened to me.  So without further adieu...

JANUARY

While for many, January is a horrible month, for my family it was a really happy one.  On Wednesday 25th January my Sister-in-law gave birth to William Alexander and he's brought so much love and happiness into the family (and quite a few sleepless nights for his Mum and Dad). Without sounding too soppy, it was the best possible start to the new year.

FEBRUARY

My birthday month always brings good memories.  This year was no exception and on my birthday we went out on the town.  The club was packed thanks to Joey Essex and Diags from The Only Way is Essex making an appearance but I can't really remember much else from the night.

MARCH

A busy month at university.  We were creating a magazine in a group as part of our course and it was a lot of hard work which would eventually pay off.

APRIL

April was both a good and a bad month.  Tuesday 4th April brought the end of my favourite TV show in the entire world - One Tree Hill.  On the plus side, I have all the box sets and will continue to watch them for years to come! At the end of the month, I started a social media internship at Phoenix, a designer reseller which meant I was surrounded by Chanel, Louboutin, Mulberry and many more for a whole month.  At lunch time, I often found myself in a small shop called 'At Home' where they sold delicious but humongous  sandwiches.  The shop was also situated about two minutes from Space NK and inevitably, I got the bug.

MAY

With the end of my internship also came the end of second year at university.  I continued freelancing for Phoenix whilst they were between interns.  May is also a big month for birthdays in my family with my brother on the 7th and my youngest niece Alice on the 25th (are you noticing a pattern with birthdays?)

JUNE

On Tuesday 5th June, myself and two of my best friends went on holiday to Spain.  It was the best 10 days of my life, we laughed, tanned, shopped and just had an amazing time.  Definitely what we needed after a stressful few months at university.  Sophia Bush, aka Brooke Davis from One Tree Hill also tweeted me on the 20th June - a pretty cool highlight.

JULY

My second internship of the year was in June at More! Magazine. I spent two weeks working with the fashion team as well as contributing to the magazine which was fun, as I read More! on a weekly basis. It was a lot of hard work, more so the commute than anything else but it was also great experience for my CV.  July also saw the arrival of another baby in the family.  My auntie gave birth to a baby girl who is absolutely adorable.

AUGUST

While I didn't get to go to the actual Olympic park (still kicking myself), I definitely got the Olympic bug.  Luckily, the cycle race came through my hometown so I got to feel the atmosphere without paying a pretty penny for it.  We saw Wiggins, Cavendish and the boys for all of about two seconds as they whizzed past.  

SEPTEMBER

I made an Apple investment in September and bought my iPad, which I've found difficult to put down since.  The first thing I did when I got it was buy Allure magazine, my favourite magazine and one any beauty junkie should read!

OCTOBER

After what felt like a year off, it was time to go back to university for my third and final year (eek).  Of course, October also means Halloween and I celebrated with the girls at a house party. I decided to go as Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter because I don't think I could have passed as Hermione with my bleach blonde hair.  

NOVEMBER

I popped my spa virginity in November as we celebrated one of my best friends 21st birthday by getting pampered. Although I didn't have any money to get a treatment, we had access to a relaxation room with herbal tea and fruit, both steam and sauna rooms as well as a jacuzzi, where we spent the majority of the day.  We finished the day with Mexican food and cocktails.  

DECEMBER

Gossip Girl ended but Christmas softened the blow.  December is one of my favourite months and the lead up to the big day was made more magical now that Alice is old enough to understand and really believes in Santa Claus. On the 10th, the girls and I got together for our very own Christmas day, complete with Secret Santa, Turkey and all the trimmings. 

That's my year in review, thanks for reading my blog this year and here's to another good year! I've got lots to look forward to in 2013 including (hopefully) graduation, seeing Girls Aloud, Williams 1st birthday, my 21st birthday and hopefully I'll be able to leave Tesco for a big girl job (fingers crossed).

How has 2012 been for you?

Panache

Panache Masquerade Persia Sapphire Lingerie Set*

The festive season is already over, I can't believe how quickly it's left us! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas with plenty of goodies.  Today's post is something a little different.  Panache, a beautiful lingerie company recently approached me and asked if I'd like a set of their lingerie for the festive period.  Not one to turn down a Christmas present, I chose the Persia Sapphire from the Masquerade collection.  I'm always drawn to these colours during the winter - there was also a gorgeous burgundy set which I might treat myself to.  

When it comes to lingerie, I tend to stay on the safe side because I wear a lot of neutral or soft colours and anything other than white or nude bra's would show through.  In the winter, it's a lot easier to get away with wearing darker colours as we tend to cover up in thick jumpers to keep warm.  It's hard to feel feminine when we have to bundle up, so pretty lingerie is the best way to feel more girly.  The Persia set has navy and cream lace detailing on satin and is extremely comfortable and elegant looking. Navy and burgundy are always popular during the autumn and winter season and it's nice to incorporate that with your lingerie too.  

Do you change up your lingerie with the different seasons?

Panache is available online here 

Merry Christmas!

A very Merry Christmas from me to you (and the girls)! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas filled with friends, family love and laughter and not forgetting, great food!

Sunday Update #4

This week has been spent adjusting to being back at university and the heavy workload our lecturers have thrust upon our shoulders - oh the life of a third year student.  Last Sunday evening I spent doing my usual routine; washing make up brushes, painting my nails, dousing hair in deep conditioner and so on.  Doesn't my nephew look cute in his Halloween "costume"? Speaking of Halloween, what are you planning on doing? I'll be off to a house party dressed as Luna Lovegood - I'm going through a serious Harry Potter phase right now.  

I made an online order for a hard to find birthday cake mix for my sisters special day and two bags of candy corn happened to end up in the box too... I'm a sucker for the stuff.  Being back at university and in my third year means the dreaded dissertation. I've began my research but honestly, I don't understand anything these theorists have to say.  I'm keeping my dissertation beauty related to keep me motivated, hopefully I wont end up resenting it by the time I had it in! 

I curled my hair for the first time in ages on Friday, using my Remington Pearl Conical Wand.  It turned out pretty good, the curls lasted all throughout the day and I even had a cute curled ponytail at work yesterday, result!  I've been loving my studded camo jacket that I bought from Topshop. I found this cute little pooch at the train station (with her owner of course) and she was extremely friendly.  Growing up I had two springer spaniels and this puppy made me extremely nostalgic, springers are a gorgeous breed.  

All of my favourite american shows started back this week including The Vampire Diaries - do any of you watch it? The season premiere was amazing and I'm already counting down the days until the next episode.  

How has your week been?

New Season Wardrobe Wants

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

I love this time of year, when the old season stock slowly fades out of the shops and in replacement are the new season bits.  Autumn and Winter are two of my favourite seasons as it's acceptable to layer up, put your boots on and go. Lately, ASOS has been catching my eye, as well as old faithful, Topshop.  I've been putting together a wish list of pieces from both shops that will see me through the new season, although I still need to find the perfect winter coat.  

1. Studded Camo Jacket; Topshop - £58: I really like the camo jacket trend that seems to be popping up everywhere and this one happens to have silver studs too - a winner in my eyes.  This jacket it great to chuck on over jeans and a top or a skater skirt and shirt and will keep you warm through autumn.  

2.  Burgundy Beanie with Faux Fur Bobble; ASOS - £10: The colour of this hat drew me in, I love burgundy and oxblood colours for autumn and winter.  Plus, no one wants a cold head! 

3.  Knitted Stud Rib Cardi; Topshop - £48: I love studs, just going to put it out there. I don't know why or when my obsession with them started but I now gravitate towards anything studded.  I can imagine this cardigan to be pretty comfortable and easy to throw on over anything but it's a bit pricey so I might keep my eye out for a dupe...

4.  Adelaide Leather Chelsea Boot; ASOS - £45: I'm really bad during the winter when it comes to shoes.  I always complain I have cold feet, but that's probably because all I ever wear on my feet are pumps.  The only other pair of boots I have are my Topshop Allegras but they are heeled and aren't always the best choice on days I'm walking for ages.  ASOS have a great selection of Chelsea Boots right now, but I really like the Adelaide design.  

5.  Lace Trim Ankle Socks; Topshop - £3.50: I have a white pair of these ankle socks and I like how they look with the lace peeking out of boots so I want some more.  I hope Topshop release a burgundy pair too.  

6.  French Connection Purly Blizzard Mittens; ASOS - £20: I made the mistake of going through winter last year sticking my hands in my coat pocket, rather than putting on a pair of gloves. Plain black mittens that will go with anything and keep your hands warm at the same time. 

What are you most excited about for the new season?  

'Swap' Until You Drop

Have you ever cleared out your wardrobe, making room for all the purchases you plan to make for the new season and wondered what to do with the clothes you no longer want? I find it physically impossible to throw anything out that I once loved and clothes are no exception to the rule.  You may not wear that item anymore, but it doesn't mean to say someone else wont.  There's so many different options when it comes to recycling your old get ups - charity bags, hand me downs and clothing swaps.

An old friend told me about an event she was holding with a few of her chums called SwapAholic UK. They came up with the concept over a glass of wine (the best ideas are always born that way) and it's pretty genius if you ask me.  You take your unwanted clothing and in exchange you receive a token per accepted item, to swap with other 'swappers' at no extra charge.  Now, it goes without saying that the items you bring must be in good condition otherwise it wont be accepted.  It's a great idea, if you're like me, waiting for pay day or student loans to arrive or even if you're just a thrifty mrs who likes to bag a bargain.  

The next SwapAholic event is taking place from 11am - 2pm on Saturday 22nd September at Oxford House in London's Bethnal Green (all details will be linked below).  All you need to bring along is yourself, £3 to gain entry into the event and some clothes to swap until you drop. 

For further information, click here to go to the SwapAholic event or check out their Facebook page.  

Crown Jewels

When it comes to jewellery I'm a big fan of simple, silver pieces.  I don't like to clutter my wrist but a few bracelets stacked together always look good.  I'm always on the lookout for online boutiques that sell different items, so I was pretty happy when I stumbled upon online retailer (and fellow blogger) Jewel Rhi.  After a quick peek, I fell in love with her friendship bracelets with small, silver cross or skull charms and at £3 you can't really grumble!  I popped an order in and four days later I was really happy when it turned up on my doorstep.  

The bracelet came packaged in a pink and white patterned bag with a note, which I thought was a nice touch.  I chose the colours pink and purple for my bracelet and although it wasn't what I originally thought in my head, I really liked the finished result.  Unfortunately the bracelet was a bit too small, so naturally I was devastated.  I got in touch with Rhi who couldn't have been more apologetic and offered to send a replacement out.  

When the replacement arrived yesterday morning I was surprised to also find a necklace, which she sent as an apology gift which I thought was really sweet.  It's a silver chain with a dainty angel wing charm which sits nicely under a shirt collar.  Check out Rhi's shop here and also her blog too! I've now got my eyes on the "Till Death Do Us Part", "Don't Cross Me" and "Sugar and Spikes" necklaces.  

Where do you buy your jewellery from?

My More! Magazine Experience

As most of you will know, I've recently completed a two week placement with my favourite weekly, More! magazine.  While I am sworn to secrecy when it comes to upcoming features and photoshoots, I thought I'd share my experience and the kind of things I got up to.  The most prominent lesson I learnt was that timing is everything - you've got to be in the right place at the right time.  

The first day was nerve-racking - although I was more nervous about the commute rather than actually walking into the More! magazine office. More! magazine is part of Bauer Media and is based along Shaftesbury Avenue in Endeavour House.  I started at 11am alongside two other girls and we joined a further two interns who'd been there for a week already, in the fashion workies corner.  We were told that our only job really was to return clothing to PR companies, something I expected.  The first couple of days were slow as the fashion cupboards were empty, awaiting call in's from PR's for the next shoots.  We sifted through the 'unknown' boxes, looking out for any jewellery we recognised so that we could send it back to the appropriate places. We also got to shortlist some bloggers we liked for the website, which was fun - It meant I got to catch up on some of my favourite blogs whilst at work.  

On the second day, myself and two of the others headed out at lunch to Hummingbird Bakery - a first for me - where we picked up a sweet treat before heading back to the office to devour it.  I chose a Red Velvet cupcake which was delicious.  One of my favourite things to do in London, if I'm not rushing around, is to walk around and see the sights.  We wandered past the Palace Theatre where Singin' in the Rain is currently running.  I thought the umbrella's were a good idea, seeing as we were experiencing a glorious summer of rain, rain and more rain.  

On Thursday, I was sitting with another intern surfing Fashion Monitor for returns addresses when the editors assistant came up and asked us if we'd be able to help out her intern on a little project.  We needed to go out and get some vox pops, asking 20 hot men that week's big question, which turned out to be 'Would you wear bum-enhancing pants?'  Of course, we jumped at the chance and set off for Carnaby Street and the surrounding area, where we weren't short of a few hot guys.  When we got back, we had an hour for lunch before returning to the rest of the fashion workies and telling them all the gossip.  Thursday was definitely a good day, as later on I got asked to write a solution to one of the 'Friendship Fixer' page problems.  As a budding journalist, I was thrilled to be given this opportunity, even if it was only a 70 word piece.  I was given a computer over with some of the other writers of More! and given a deadline - I felt like a professional.  It has yet to be published in the magazine, I think it was next week's issue they were closing, so I will Instagram (@NickiShepShep) as soon as I see it!

Friday came and went far too quickly and just like that, my first week was over.  As usual, Monday came round far too quickly and it was time to get up and go again for another week.  We didn't have much to do as we waited for another new intern to start at 11am.  After a while we were asked to come up with some ideas for the fashion pages, which was fun. Throughout the majority of the week we had various returns and odd jobs to do which kept us busy.  

On Wednesday, one of the beauty team asked if I'd like to help out with something they needed for a new page.  She took me into the beauty cupboard - a beauty bloggers heaven, there were rows upon rows of products ranging from foundation to cleansers to eyeshadows and nail polishes. I had literally died and gone to a glittery heaven.  I picked out this Jemma Kidd Hi-Shine Hydrating Glosstick (review coming tomorrow) and to my surprise I was allowed to keep it!  Whilst I was in the cupboard, I expressed my interest in the beauty team and was offered two weeks work experience there and then (in exchange for my CV).  I'm ecstatic and can't wait to start in January as I've become a lot more interested in writing for a magazines beauty team rather than fashion.  

My last day came round like so quickly and to finish the two weeks off, I was given a horrific task of trying to find three items of unidentified jewellery and get their credits.  I flicked through every single docket I could find and in the end only found one of the items.  It was quite a stressful task as the fashion had a deadline for the shoots and in the end no one could find where the items were from.  After a stressful last day, we were given a goody bag from the beauty cupboard which included MAC, Bourjois, Ciate and more.  

I am so glad I got to work at More! magazine as it really opened my eyes up to how much I wanted to work on a magazine, more so than PR which I dabbled in last year.  I'm definitely going to hunt around for some more experience before I return to More! in January, to get my CV looking good before I graduate next summer (eeek!) I'd really recommend More! magazine's fashion placement as I learnt a hell of a lot.  Plus, seeing your name in the masthead makes all your hard work, worth it.  

Buyapowa's Blue Sky Co-Buy Week

Today marks the beginning of Buyapowa's 'Blue Sky Co-Buy' week, where they have asked bloggers for their essential summer products.  Last year they held a bloggers week and it became so successful, with over 1 million tweets about it, that they decided to give it another go.  Non Optional was chosen and my co-buy choice was a Canon EOS 1100D.  For those of you who are unsure as to what co-buying is, it's a way to get products cheaper than their RRP. Buyapowa gets in products from all sorts of different brands including GHD, MAC, Benefit, Canon, Clarisonic and put it up to co-buy.  It will begin at it's original price and the concept is simple, the more people who commit to buy, the cheaper that product becomes.

I chose the Canon EOS 1100D as my summer essential because it's a great beginners DSLR.  Not only do I use it to take great quality pictures for my blog posts, but it's also great for any summer events you may have (I've got a Christening coming up this week) - in fact, it's something you can use all year round.  The 1100D also allows you to shoot HD video, so great if any of you are thinking about starting a YouTube channel over the summer, or perhaps want to document your summer in film.

Buyapowa have 10 Canon EOS 1100D's up for grabs.  The co-buy starts at £399 with it's best price being £339.  If you're in the market for a DSLR, then why not grab it at a discount? Click here to see the co-buy!

Hope you're all having a good week!

Sunday Update #2

After an afternoon spent with family, cooing at my baby nephew, I've ended up running around like a headless chicken trying to get jobs done in preparation for the week ahead.  Tomorrow see's the start of my much anticipated placement at More! magazine.  I've been feeling a mixture of emotions, mainly nervous and excited but I know it will give me an insight into another side of the industry I'm so desperate to claw my way into.  Needless to say, I've been spending the last few hours getting myself organised.  It feels like the night before the first day back to school after summer. I've got my bag ready with a new notebook (I'm a sucker for a pretty notepad), a travel make up bag with all the essentials, my nails are newly painted and I'm about to jump in the bath.  Other than getting ready for a week of working in the Big Smoke, I've also got a Christening next Sunday.  I've picked up a new dress but need to find something to wear on top as the weather in the UK hasn't been the best... 

What are you getting up to this week?

Pay Day Splurges

I popped into town on pay day, with the hope of finding a christening dress but to no avail.  Instead, I picked up a few items off of my wish list and a couple of other random bits.  

Essie's Fiji, Tart Deco and Sexy Divide

When I heard that Essie would now be readily available in Boots and Superdrug, I was pretty excited.  After hearing so many great reviews from American bloggers, I knew I'd want to add a few colours to my overflowing collection. I know they are available online, but I don't trust the swatches you see online because 9 times out of 10 they are completely different in real life.  I'm currently sporting Tart Deco on my fingers and toes and absolutely love it.  The brush is thicker than a usual nail polish applicator, meaning you don't have to continually apply product to cover your nail.  The formula was creamy and opaque, I only needed 1-2 coats to get full opacity.  I put my nails through a days work at Tesco, where my nails usually end up battered and broken and but the end of the day I had one tiny chip which was unnoticeable to anyone else.  Needless to say, I'm impressed and can't wait to use more from the Essie range.  Do you have a favourite Essie colour?

It seems that every high street make up brand is jumping on the BB Cream bandwagon. I had yet to try one and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about so picked up the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in Light. I'll let you know how I get on with the product and whether I prefer it to foundation.  

It's no secret that the Bioderma Micelle Solution became incredibly popular within the beauty blogger world, but unfortunately it's not the easiest product to get hold of in the UK.  I happened upon this No. 7 product whilst browsing Boots.  I had a £5 off voucher so this was only £4 - a bargain when you can buy Bioderma on eBay for £20+.  It comes with a pump which allows it to easily and evenly distribute product.  If you'd like to see a review on this, let me know!

I've needed a new travel make up bag for a while, but haven't found any that I like.  I popped into Urban Outfitters looking for a necklace when I stumbled upon this.  It's perfect to fit everyday essentials in and will come in so handy next week when I start at More! Magazine for a two week internship.  

I have been looking for a sideways cross necklace for what seems like forever.  After seeing them on Etsy and being forever sold out, I gave up hope and forgot about it until I watched an OOTD video that ThePersianBabe put up. Low and behold, she was wearing this necklace and I knew I needed to try and find it when I next went to Urban Outfitters.  It's really simple and dainty, but most of all it's silver! I love silver jewellery at the moment and hardly ever wear gold, so I was so happy they had these is silver and gold.  

My beloved Vectra's have been falling to part for a while now, but I love them so much I went into denial.  I decided enough was enough and picked up a new pair.  These are made of canvas, whereas mine were the originals made from suede, but I've been told that these are a bit stronger and should last longer! 

I must find a Christening dress now and stop spending money on beauty and miscellaneous items.  Do you have any online boutique suggestions that I could look at?

A Cheeky Request

So I'm not usually the kind of person to hassle people for something.  However, I am the kind of person that grabs an opportunity with both hands and runs with it.  ELLE always do fantastic internship competitions, paid internships for that matter (both a luxury and a rarity in the industry) and this year is no different.  Whilst I was in Spain I stumbled across the latest internship opportunity - they want 10 interns to help put together the October Issue of ELLE.  As a Fashion Journalism student, this is an opportunity I couldn't pass up and applied as soon as I got home.  I now need YOUR help to give me a little boost.  

I've applied to be the Celebrity Editor and part of it was to choose three potential coverstars for the October Issue and the second part is to create a buzz and market our work by sharing over social networking platforms.  All I need you to do is click the link below and then press the 'Like' and/or (if you have Twitter) 'Tweet' button.  I would be extremely grateful if you did.  If you've entered as well, leave your link in the comments and I'll happily return the favour!

To read my application and vote, click here.


Thank you in advance!

Final Preparations

It's no secret that I'm leaving on a jet plane for Spain on Tuesday. It's given me an excuse to shop (not that I need one) so I went out yesterday to try and get the final things together and I think I've managed it.  After tweeting about a few things I bought, I was requested to do a haul. Whilst compiling it, I realised there were a few other things I had picked up over the last few weeks which I hadn't yet hauled - so please don't think I went out on a mad shopping spree! 

BEAUTY

In H&M I picked up a wash bag to put the majority of my toiletries in.  It's a really cute turquoise pattern with gold zip detailing and inside has side compartments which will come in handy - a real bargain at £4.99 and comes in two different patterns (nearly picked up the second). I will probably use this as a make up bag for all of my high end bits when I come home.  

I had my roots done on Wednesday and decided to pick up some of the new L'Oreal Ever Pure shampoo and conditioner which is sulphate free. I'm planning on using them tonight and if they are any good I will let you know! They were £5.99 per bottle. 

I picked up a bottle of TreSemme heat defence as I was running low and will need it on holiday. I've used this one before and it was pretty good from what I can remember - I'm not fussy when it comes to heat defence products, so long as they do their job!

I popped into Space NK just to browse and came out with two NARS products.  I picked up the 'Larger Than Life' lipgloss in Place Vendome which is a gorgeous raspberry shade which will look nice once I start tanning. I also bought up the 'Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Primer'. If I wear any eyeshadow on holiday, I want to be sure it will stay. I have tried the Urban Decay Primer Potion but found it doesn't work for me. Fingers crossed the NARS one will.  

Before I go away I need to add a bit of colour to my skin, I wouldn't want to blind anyone with my pasty British skin.  I decided I wanted a mousse tanner and St Tropez seemed to be the best.  Luckily, I was given this bottle to try as someone didn't want it anymore (score!) so I just bought a mit in Boots to apply it with.  I've tried it out on my legs and it gives a nice colour - I'll try it all over my body and let you know how it is.  

The last thing I picked up was the new Bourjois 1 Second Magic Nail Polish Remover that seems to be hitting the blogosphere.  Although I'm getting acrylics put on in Spain when I arrive, I will be able to apply and take off nail colour with this as it's acetone free. I was also running low on nail polish remover.  

FASHION

All of my clothes are from H&M - I had a lucky streak in there!

Possibly my most favourite thing I've bought for the holiday.  At £12.99 it was a right bargain and when I saw there were only two left, I pleaded with the H&M rail that one of them be in my size. The odds were definitely in my favour.  

I needed a lightweight blazer to take on holiday, just to throw over my shoulders should it get a bit chilly in the evenings.  This was £24.99 and feels lovely on.  

Just a plain white tank top at a bargain price of £3.99. 

This top is gorgeous.  I bought it to wear over my black bodycon dress for a quick and simple evening look.  This was £7.99 from the trend section.  

Talk of the devil.  I bought another black bodycon from the basics section in H&M as I wear my other one to death. You can never have enough bodycons!

This seems to be quite a popular print in H&M at the moment. I've seen dresses, skirts, shorts and tops in it.  I picked up these shorts to throw on when we are walking to and from the beach or even to lunch.  These were £7.99 and are extremely comfortable.  

A new pair of sandals as my feet kept falling out of my old ones (not a good look).  These were £26 from Next and I love them!  I picked up a hat from H&M as I will need to keep the sun off my head at times as it's bleach blonde and I don't want to burn my scalp.  This was £9.99 and comes in two colours - I thought the minty colour would go nicely with my bikini's.  The clutch is from New Look and was £14.99.  I plan to use this in the evening when we go out to dinner or to a cocktail bar.  

RANDOM

My two guilty pleasures of the moment - Nerds and The Kardashians. 

If I haven't got everything for the holiday now, I don't know when I will! Are you off on holiday soon?