A quick sorry!

Hello :)

It's Leah here. I just want to quickly apologise for the lack of posts. Basically, when myself and Melissa set up this blog we hadn't been given placements by our university and so had a lot of spare time on our hands. Since then, we have both got placements and we are now busy 8-5 Monday-Friday and we then have to work through the evening.

Because of this we have had no time to update our blog. We both have a week off now and so I will try and get some more posts up this week and then hopefully by Easter we will be able to update again.

I've been messing around with the blog template/layout a bit and I just can't find something I'm happy with, so ignore the mess of the blog for now. Any suggestions would be welcome :)

Thank you for being understanding :)xx

Ikea!

Hey guys,

I wanted to start by quickly saying sorry for the lack of blog posts, I plan to do a post after this one that will explain in more detail!

So back to the main focus, Ikea! Last night, me and my mum decided to take an impromptu trip to Ikea (we always go in the evening because it's a lot quieter). I'm a little short on money so I didn't go overboard, but I bought a few bits and bobs and thought I would show you.

I am currently living at home and not at uni, meaning I am back in my bedroom. For some reason, about 5 or 6 years ago I decided to paint my room bright blue and green. It looks completely ridiculous and looking back on it I completely regret it. Because I have a few spare days, I have decided to clear it out and paint the green walls a more neutral colour, to stop it looking so silly. To help me with this, I treated myself to a few decorative items from Ikea!

 The first two things I bought were this gorgeous candle holder/plate and ball candle. I must admit I have wanted a ball candle for a while and so finding this plate which fits it so beautifully made me so happy! I'm not 100% sure of the price, although I know both cost me under £5 for the two. 

I also bought these tins which came in a set of three. I love the design as I'm going through a phase of loving black and white at the moment so they were a must buy! I've placed them on my shelf of special items and used them as storage to tidy the shelf up a little bit.

I also bought some wall decoration stickers, but I'm not 100% sure where I will put them yet or if I will put them up at all so if I do I will show you. 

Hope you liked these purchases as much as I do :)

Leah x

Must have Winter/Spring cardigans!

Hey Everyone! It's been a while as we both are working hard so it may be a short while before be post again or our posts will be rare! But I (Melissa) thought I'd do a quick post as I've recently purchased some new clothing most of them were must have cardigans.
I think that cardigans come in handy throughout the year for everyday wear or work wear! In this case I bought the cardigans for work but will continue to wear them most of the time. I though I'd share them with you because I like them very much :).



Left to Right Top H&M: Powder Beige, Apricot, Mint, Light Yellow, Light Beige, Raspberry Red.
Bottom Left to Right: H&M Apricot Cardigan,  Mango Multi Print Silk Scarf, Mango Multi Print Scarf.

The cardigans are all from H&M and cost £9.99 some of the lighter colours are now in the sale at £4.00 but might not still be available. The scarves are both from Mango at a cost of £8.99 reduced from £33! I think the scarves go really well with the cardigans especially for work wear. They keep you looking nice and bright!
H&M also have many other cardigans like this for £7.99 that come in darker colours such as purple. I bought a few of these too :). They are nice and soft and light to wear, they look nice with jeans or trousers and you only need to wear a vest top or t-shirt underneath.
I think they are great value for money and I buy them every year.

Visit: http://www.hm.com/ to find out more! 

Highstreet vs Designer: Bags

Hey again!

Today we thought we'd blog about one of our current loves...Bags! We've both been lusting over several designer handbags (Mulberry and Prada) and although being students there is not way we could afford them, it is nice to dream! However, on a recent shopping trip we tried to get these designer bags out of our heads and find some more affordable ones. We found that River Island and Accessorize has some particularly nice ones which were much more affordable.

We thought it would be fun to find our favourite designer bags and our favourite high street bags and compare them, deciding which one is the overall winner. We will have 3 categories: tote, clutch and satchel. We will pick similar style bags to show how easy it is to find a designer-looking bag for less.

Let's get started!

Clutch:

Gucci - http://www.gucci.com/uk/styles/310005CMB2G6260#
Oasis - http://www.oasis-stores.com///oasis/fcp-product/5330028376#GBP

Melissa's views - I really like both clutches, but I think the high street one would actually go with more because of the colour. If it was the gems that made you fall in love with the Gucci clutch, you could always have a go at DIY'ing the high street one. Overall, I would pick the high street clutch as it would go with more.

Leah's views - This is a tough one, as to be honest I am not overly in to clutches. I like to have a bag with a strap because I'm so scared I will put it down somewhere. I personally think the high street one looks a lot cheaper than the designer one, especially if you zoom in on the actual Oasis website. However, with that being said I think I would still pick the high street clutch because I don't love the Gucci clutch enough to spend that much money.

Designer 0 - 2 High street.

Tote:

Prada - http://store.prada.com/en/UK/woman/handbags/totes/BN2438_NZV_F0OIU
Accessorize - http://uk.accessorize.com/view/product/uk_catalog/acc_1,acc_1.7/3891330900

Melissa's views - This is such a hard one, as that Prada bag is my dream bag! The only thing that has made me change my mind, is that I have decided to go out and buy the Accessorize tote, so my vote has to go for the high street tote.

Leah's views - I am a big fan of Prada bags, but this is an easy one for me. The Accessorize one is a really nice quality and in my opinion looks more expensive than it is. Again, my vote goes for the high street tote.

Designer 0 - 4 High street.

Satchel:

Mulberry - http://www.mulberry.com/#/storefront/c6493/8503/moreviews/
Topshop - http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=1&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=8517266&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=208548&parent_categoryId=204484&pageSize=20&refinements=category~[209976|208548]&noOfRefinements=1

Melissa's views - I'm not that keen on satchels in general so neither are overly appealing. However, the designer bag wins my vote here because I like the colour and it has a bit more going for it.

Leah's views - This Mulberry bag is possibly my favourite bag I have ever seen! I love the colour, the detailing, the shape, everything. I don't like the Topshop bag much, it's alright and would be practical but it's a bit boring. This is an easy one, my vote goes to designer.

Overall score: Designer 2 - 4 High street.

So the overall winners are the high street bags, which is good because it shows you that it is not always worth spending the extra money on the designer bags. We can still dream though, as Melissa loves the Prada bag and I (Leah) love love love the Mulberry bag.

What is your favourite designer bag? Would you spend the extra money on any of these designer bags?

Lush!

We are both massive Lush fans and have been for some time. I (Leah) never used to think much of Lush as I always found it too expensive for what it was but since I tried my first bath bomb a few years ago I was well and truly hooked!

We both received a couple of Lush items for Christmas, so thought we'd show you the ones we've got left and talk a little bit about them.

The bath bombs are Leah's and the Snow Fairy is Melissa's.

Starting with the bath bombs, this is my favourite part of Lush, purely because the shower gels/shampoos etc seem to expensive for what they are. I can justify the price of the bath bombs as they are the perfect thing when I'm feeling stressed.

The two I received for Christmas where 'The Enchanter' and 'Space Girl'.

L-R: Space Girl & The Enchanter.

Firstly, the Space Girl ballistic has to be my all time favourite bath bomb by Lush, which is probably why I got it for Christmas. I researched on the Lush website, which says it's main scent is grapefruit, which is weird because I'm not a big fan of grapefruit. However, this bath bomb is one of the nicest smelling things I've ever smelt, and the smell lasts in the bathroom even after you've got out of the bath. When I first tried this one, I was worried about the glitter as I wasn't overly keen on having glitter on me when I got out of the bath. Luckily, the glitter didn't seem to rub off too much and I didn't really notice it getting out of the bath.

The second bath bomb is The Enchanter. I am yet to try this one, but it honestly smells amazing! It might become a new favourite of mine. It's a very citrus smelling bath bomb which is why it appeals to me so much as I am often drawn to citrus scents. I love the colours and although the picture isn't showing it that well, it is a really beautiful combination of oranges and pinks! I can't wait to try this.

 

Melissa got the Snow Fairy shower gel, which is something I have been pining after for a while so I am very jealous. Firstly, it smells amazing! Both of us and all our housemates can't stop smelling it as it really is that good. You don't need that much of it, which means it lasts longer than a lot of shower gels. After using it, you can smell it on your skin for a while and it gets a lot of compliments. The sad thing is, it is a Christmas limited edition which means you can't get it all year round!

That is all the Lush we got for Christmas! Did you get any Lush for Christmas? What is your favourite Lush product?

Lipstick Collection

Hey again! Melissa and Leah here :)

Today we thought we'd give you an overview of our lipstick collection. We don't have them all here because some are at home and we're currently in our uni house.



L-R - Barry M 151, Kate Moss 101, Revlon Lip Butter 080 Strawberry Shortcake, Avon Red Kiss, Rimmel 260 Amethyst Shimmer, Rimmel 400 Berry Queen.


 

The dior one wouldn't stand up next to the others so we had to take a separate photograph.

 

Dior Addict Extreme 536 Lucky.

We also did some swatches so you could see what the colours looked like slightly better.

 

L-R - Barry M 151, Kate Moss 101, Revlon Lip Butter 080 Strawberry Shortcake, Avon Red Kiss, Dior Addict Extreme 536 Lucky, Rimmel 260 Amethyst Shimmer, Rimmel 400 Berry Queen.

 

Our favourite is the Dior Addict which is Melissa's, as it's really wearable and even though it's quite bright it could be worn for all occasions all year round. The Barry M one would be particularly nice for the summer as it is a really bright orange and comes up that way on your lips. The Avon Red Kiss and Rimmel Berry Queen look really great with a black dress for a night out. I (Leah) really like the consistency of the Rimmel lipsticks as they go onto the lips really nicely and the colour comes out true to the swatches :)

 

That's all for now, what is your favourite lipstick brand and colour?

 



Candle Collection

We LOVE Yankee Candles!

Over christmas we have collected a range of different yankee candles because the smell so good! Here is a few of our faves...

 

 

Leah has also found a new love for candle holders....

 



This one is from Next, not too sure how much it cost as she got it for christmas but it may still be on the website, its worth a buy its a beaut!

REVIEW: Clinique 3-Step Introduction Kit Skin Type 2

Hey everyone it's Leah! :)

For my birthday last year my parents bought me the Clinique 3-Step skincare set.

 

I've always struggled to find skincare that keeps my skin in good condition and doesn't irritate my skin so I was really excited to try this out. I got the Type 2 which is for dry combination skin.

 

Step 1 is the liquid facial soap mild, which I gave a good go when I first started using the product. However, after around 2 months of using this set I gave up on the liquid soap. The main reason for this is probably laziness but I found this stage in the process made no real difference to the overall result.

 

Step 2 is the clarifying lotion which I cannot recommend enough! This has honestly changed my life, as cringy as that sounds. Before I started using this, I often had that one week a month where my skin felt dry and patchy. Since using this I have rarely experienced a bad skin day. It's like a toner water, and when I apply it to my face I can feel it working on the areas are dryer than others. If I have a week where i'm feeling lazy and stop using this, I really can notice my skin going downhill and so this has become an essential to my beauty routine.

 

Step 3 is the dramatically different moisturising lotion which is another essential for me. Whilst I am still incredibly loyal to E45 lotion I tend to use a combiniation of both. The only problem is in this starter set the packaging doesn't come with a pump so it is quite difficult to get the last little bit out.

 

When this starter kit ran out, I quickly repurchased the clarifying lotion and moisturising lotion. However, I have barely used the facial soap and so their was no need to repurchase. Overall, I really reccomend this set as it has completely changed the condition of my skin. When purchasing the clarifying lotion seperatly it comes in a much bigger container, which in my opinion is well worth the price tag.

 

 

The introduction set costs £20 and can be purchased in Boots and Debenhams, or online. The moisturiser ranges from £17 to £29.50 and the clarifying lotion ranges from £16 to £25.

 

Have you ever tried this product? What other skincare products do you recommend?

 

 

Leah xx

Shopping the Sales

Hello again!

Although it's always sad when Christmas is over, it only ever means one thing...SALE SHOPPING! I'm a sucker for good bargains when the christmas period is over, and I thought I'd share one of my favourite purchases with you.

These little beauties are from Nine West which I got in the sale from Selfridges for just £35!

http://www.ninewest.co.uk/shoes/high-heel/drought-28.html They are still on the Nine West website for £29 but they've only got size 4's left in stock.

They were £115 so in my mind that is an absolute bargain. They are really comfortable which is good because often heels can really rub. Usually I go for a heel with a strap, because my feet are quite wide and so heels often fall off, but these heels stay put on my feet!

 These shoes are also in the sale, although again they have limited sizes. Luckily, they have the second pair in both mine and Leah's size and we've both got our eye on them!

What's your favourite purchase of the sales?

Our Nail Varnish Collection

Hey!

We thought we'd show you both our nail varnish collections, but we ended up just picking a few favourites because if we showed you them all it would take a long time!

Top Row (L-R): Gold By Giles, Gold By Giles, Gold By Giles, Andrea Fullerton - Naomi, Rimmel 198 Azure, Rimmel 705 Tangy Tangerine, Rimmel 80 Purple Reign, Rimmel 700 Block Your Green, No7 Damson Dream, Gold By Giles, Gold By Giles, Gold By Giles.
Bottom Row (L-R): Collection 2000 Damson Jam, Barry M 309 Strawberry, Barry M 308 Berry, Barry M 337 Pink Silver Glitter, Barry M 340 Aqua Glitter, Barry M 352 Pink Sapphire Glitter, Barry M 150 Red Glitter, Barry M 273 Raspberry, Models Own Hedonist HK05.

The Gold By Giles nail varnishes on the top row do not have names, but they came in a multipack from New Look.

We also though we would show you our favourite nail varnishes for the summer and winter.

Melissa's Favourites:

Winter: I love this combination for Winter because it adds a bit of sparkle to the cold weather and looked great on New Years Eve!

Summer: This nail varnish is great for Spring/Summer as it is such a lovely pastel shade. This is the first nail varnish I use when the Spring/Summer months begin.

Leah's Favourites:

 

Winter: I was really excited when Rimmel brought out the Metal Rush collection as I loved the colours. This is my favourite colour from the collection and makes a great Winter shade. 

Summer: I LOVE this colour! I wore it throughout Summer last year and it looked great with a tan! The only problem is, I find it really hard to get off my nails and it leaves your nails looking a funny colour.

 That is our nail varnish collection and some of our favourites for Winter and Summer. What are your favourite nail varnishes for the Winter and Summer?

Bare Minerals Review

Hey! This is Melissa...

I've recently changed my make up to Bare Minerals and think it's amazing! so i thought i'd start the blog off by reviewing it so you can all try it.

I bought Bare Minerals after seeing it advertised and on sale in Debenhams. I did some research and found that it is extremely natural therefore good for the skin. I bought the starter kit which includes 3 brushes, 2 original spf15 foundations in medium and medium beige, you also get warmth (bronzer) and a mineral veil.

 

I love Bare Minerals because it's very light on the skin, it's different from wearing thick foundation where your skin can't breathe. You can start off by using a tiny amount of the primer over your skin and then the foundation. It's extremely long lasting and covers all the blemishes and doesn't make them look worse than before. If you have that one blemish you just want to cover you can use the small max coverage concealer brush dipped in the foundation to get maximum coverage on those small areas.

Overall I would definitely reccomend Bare Minerals, I give it 8/10, if the pot sizes were a bit bigger for the price then it would get a better rating. The only problem is they run out very quickly.

Thanks for reading, hope this helped. Have you ever tried Bare Minerals?



 

Get to know us tag!

We thought we would do a get to know us tag so that you could find out a little bit more about us. We will both be answering the questions, so Melissa will be answering in Purple and Leah will be answering in Red.

We found this on ThePersainbabe's youtube and thought we'd give it a go!

The questions:

Vital Stats:
Name : Melissa/ Leah.
Nicknames: Melly, Mewissa, Mel/ Don't have any!
Birthday: 12th August/ 8th June.
Place of Birth: England/ England
Star Sign: Leo/ Gemini
Occupation: Student/ Student

Appearance:
Hair colour: Brown/ Blonde
Hair length: Long/ Mid-length
Eye colour: Brown/ Green
Best feature: Bum (haha!)/ Figure?
Braces: Used to/ Used to.
Piercings: Ears/ Ears
Tattoos: None/ None.
Righty of Lefty: Righty/ Lefty.

Firsts:
Best friend: A girl called Sarah/ A girl called Laura.
Award: Swimming/ Swimming!
Sport: Running/ Swimming.
Real Holiday: Florida/ Florida.
Concert: Pop Idol (Gareth Gates& Will Young!)/ Steps.

Favourites
Film: Titanic/ How to lose a guy in 10 days.
TV Show: One Tree Hill/ 90210
Colour: Pink/ Purple.
Song: Lawson - Learn to love again/ Bruno Mars - Locked out of Heaven.
Restaurant: Frankie and Benny's/ Nandos!
Store: H&M/ Outfit (bit of a cop out!)
Book: The Lucky One/ From Notting Hill with Love Actually
Magazine: Cosmopolitan/ Look.
Shoes: My Kurt Geiger beauties/ My converse

Currently...
Feeling: Good/ Happy
Single or Taken: Single/ Taken
Eating: Angel Slice/ Crisps.
Listening to: Nothing/ Nothing.
Thinking about: Food/ Food
Watching: Nothing/ Nothing
Wearing: Jack Wills hoody & leggings/ PJs.

Future:
Want Children: Yes/ Yes
Want to be married: Yes/ Yes
Careers in mind: Teacher/ Teacher
Where do you want to live: England/ England.

Do you believe in:
God: Unsure/ Unsure
Miracles: Yes/ Sometimes
Love at first sight: No/ No
Ghosts: Yes/ No
Aliens: No/ Maybe, not as we picture them though!
Soul Mates: Yes/ No
Heaven: Yes/ No
Hell: No/ No
Kissing on the first date: Yes/ Yes
Yourself: Yes/ Yes


Hope you enjoyed reading this and anyone who wants to do it as well is tagged!

First Post

Hey!

Welcome to TheStudentLife, a blog written by two second year students attending university in England. Our names are Melissa and Leah, currently living together in a student house with three other friends.

We are going to blog about everything and anything that we are excited about, but in particular beauty, fashion and lifestyle.

We hope you enjoy reading our blog and get some useful advice!

See you in our next post,

Leah and Melissa :)