November Favourites

With the month of November ending a couple of days ago, and my lack of posting, I thought I'd tell you some of my favourite things from November!

The first thing is Snow Fairy Shower Gel from Lush. Every year I see this plastered over Instagram, there's so much hype about this shower gel and I never understood it, so I finally took it upon myself to purchase some. I have to say it smells divine!! I now officially understand, it's pink and smells like candy floss and bubblegum and it's also really nice to use, makes your skin feel and smell amazing, so now I'll be one of those people waiting to get their hands on it every year.

Image from boots.co.uk

Next is Best of Benefit from Boots. It's miniatures of all Benefit's best sellers, and it's exclusive to Boots as it includes an exclusive discount code you can use to get Boots Advantage Card Points and a free makeupper voucher. Included in the set are The Porefessional, Bene Tint, High Beam, Boi-ing, Hoola, They're Real Push-up Liner and They're Real Mascara. To be honest, I was drawn to this by the super cute packaging, and then the lady in Boots told me they had 2 left and wouldn't be getting any more, I knew they were probably just sales tactics but by that point I already knew I wanted it! Although I do want to try the eyeliner and mascara anyway, so this was a way to do that without spending all that money on the full-size versions. If you can manage to get hold of this, it'd be a perfect Christmas gift!

Image from asos.com

I've been pretty beauty-orientated lately, I do go through beauty-obsessed phases, so I'll do some clothing next!

So this is a lovely midi-dress I purchased of ASOS. I love a good midi, and this one doesn't disappoint. I'm so happy with it. Looks great, feels great, and I wore it to an interview and finally got a job, what more could I want from a dress?

Image from topshop.com

As you know I love sparkly thangs, so here's a bag my friend got be as a very very belated birthday gift. It's glittery holographic fabric and it's a drawstring backpack, cute and practical! Oh and if you want one too it's from good old Topshop!

The Walking Dead might just be my favourite TV series EVER, I am a self-confessed TV bum, and The Walking Dead has been an addiction of mine since series 1. At this point in time I need to share my feelings, as women do, about the show. Now I warn you, if you're not up-to-date, i.e. if you haven't seen the season 5 mid-season finale then this post will contain spoilers (much like the facebook page did)!

Right, so Beth is dead, and I'm not going to lie I'm pretty gutted. She definitely wasn't my favourite, however I felt like they spent a good amount of time developing her character in season 4 and now it's over. I mean, what was she thinking stabbing Dawn in the shoulder? It wasn't a death stab, but what was Beth trying to achieve?  I was more devastated for Maggie, who just found out one of her family members was still alive, but was only able to say goodbye to Beth's lifeless body. Although in the episode I was glad the confrontation didn't develop into a full-on guns-blazing battle after Beth and Dawn were killed.

In contrast to that disappointment, I really was hoping the walkers were going to end Father Gabriel, his stupidity and denial are borderline insufferable. It also would have pleased me to see him die in the same way which he let others die, locked outside his own church. But anyway, Michonne and Carl managed to save him and re-unite with Abraham's group before heading to the hospital in Atlanta where the rest of the group were.

At the end of the episode it also would have been nice if some people from the hospital joined Rick's group, I think some new faces would be of benefit, but that is something I'm expecting in the next half of the season. The important thing is that some of the most-loved characters are continuing on together.

Something I particularly liked was the re-entry of the character Morgan at the end of the show, if you don't remember, we actually met Morgan and his son in series 1 originally, but anyway, he was at the church after everyone left and saw a map with Rick's name on, so I think in the next half of the season we'll see Rick and Morgan reunited.

Image from The Walking Dead Facebook page

Scents of 2014

I am going to post some more outfits soon, PROMISE! I've just put on a bit of weight and I'm feeling very bleh, but there will be outfits gracing this blog before the festive season is out.
Anyway, I cannot believe how quickly 2014 has gone by! And now it's nearly Christmas! All the Christmas lights are on here in Plymouth, and everyone seems to have started their Christmas shopping, then there's me over here being a poor student who can't afford to buy people presents. The struggle is real. I LOVE buying people presents, and I don't want to brag, but I'm pretty darn good at it. There's nothing nicer than watching someone's face while they open the perfect present.
Around this time of year there are so many offers on fragrances and gift sets, so it's the best time to invest and get more for your money. I've actually bought a few perfumes over the course of the year and I thought I'd share my top 3 with you, just in case you want to treat yourself or someone else.

Viktor & Rolf - BONBON

'BONBON is composed of sparkling, effervescent mandarin and orange slices - crystalised into crackling pieces of caramel wrapping succulent fruit. The sweetness of paradise peach accord flirts tenderly with supple caramel notes, clinging to the roundness of peach’s fleecy surface. Sun-filled jasmine is sustained by orange blossom whose sweet flavour clings to the soft smell of caramel.'*

I purchased BONBON back in May, it hadn't been out for long. I decided to give it a whiff because I know how popular Flower Bomb by Viktor and Rolf is, and personally I thought this was even better! I love sweet scents and this really hit the spot, it's delicious. And truth be told, I've had so many compliments when wearing this! If you see it in a store, definitely give it a try, it might be my favourite ever.....

Marc Jacobs - Daisy Dream

'Light and airy, Daisy Dream is both floral and fruity. The fragrance captivates with delectable top notes of blackberry, fresh grapefruit and succulent pear. The heart imparts a rich, feminine jasmine, notes of lychee and blue wisteria. A dreamy drydown of white woods, musks and coconut water.'*

Can we just start off by looking at how pretty the bottle is! Absolutely adorable! My parents picked this one up for me when they got back from holiday in August, they weren't able to get it in duty free, but decided to treat me. It's not as sweet as BONBON but it's still sweet, light and feminine. It's a lovely everyday fragrance. Definitely one of my favourites.

Yves Saint Laurent - Black Opium

'Discover Black Opium, the feminine fragrance by Yves Saint Laurent – new glam rock fragrance full of mystery and energy. An addictive gourmand floral with notes of: Black Coffee – for a shot of adrenaline; White Florals – to instantly seduce; and Vanilla – for sweetness and sensuality. '*

This is my most recent fragrance purchase. I have a friend who works in Debenhams, so I got it for £31 instead of £44 which is brilliant! Also, because it's a Christmas set you get a 10ml one for your handbag, and the set costs the same price as the 30ml on its own. I'd had my eye, or my nose, on this one for a while, it's delectable. I can't really describe it, I just love it, and so does my mum now too. I also love the bottle, you can't see it too well in the photographs but the bottle is black and glittery with the glass circle in the middle, very chic.

*All perfume descriptions from http://www.theperfumeshop.com/

Skincare for Oily Skin - The Bane of my Life

Skincare is something I have a deep-rooted obsession with, and it extends to a foundation addiction.
I have very oily skin, and find that makes me more prone to large pores, spots and blemishes. On top of that, the oil my skin produces means that my foundation rarely lasts more than a few hours without the shine creeping through. I'm on a lifelong mission to make my oily skin become normal skin, and products are what I use to help get me there, so I'll let you know what I like, and I might slip in a couple of dislikes too! These are my opinions, and everyone's skin is different, so if I like or dislike a product, it doesn't mean it will affect your skin the way it affected mine.

Cleansers are just one of those things which you can buy and buy, and to be fair, I've not found any I hate using. I personally feel like a cleanser is a cleanser, as long as my skin feels clean then it's done the job. At the moment I'm using Clinique Liquid Facial Soap for Oily Skin, and I'm also using Fresh Farmacy from Lush, and I can't fault either of them. I like to switch it up and use multiple cleansers at the same time so my face doesn't get bored!

I also exfoliate a couple of times a week, and I'm currently working my way through a tube of Boots Skin Clear Ultra Deep Pore Facial Treatment Scrub which works well for me. Most weeks I will also use a face mask, and I found a great one in TK Maxx called Quick Fix Facials Anti-blemish Mud Mask. It was only £4 for a tube, which you can (supposedly) get 10 uses from, and it feels really nourishing, my skin feels super soft afterwards but it's not harsh at all, a great one if you've got sensitive, spot-prone skin.

Next come the toners. My favourite toner is Clinique Clarifying Lotion 3, which I'm actually out of at the moment! I can't really afford to buy more either, stupid small student loan! I would note that this toner is quite harsh, so if your skin is really sensitive maybe opt for something else, but I love the fact that my skin feels clean and tight after using it. So when I'm not using Clinique, I opt for Garnier toners, I like the ones with the Salicylic Acid in, because it helps to fight spots. Salicylic Acid is something which I often look for in facial products because it can dissolve dead skin cell build up in pores and encourages the shedding of the top layer of skin which prevents the pores from becoming congested.

Even if your skin is very oily like mine, it's very important to moisturise! Always remember that keeping your skin hydrated starts from the inside, and you should make sure you drink plenty of water each day. But there are also some great products available to add some moisture from the outside. I really like Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream from The Body Shop and Enzymion from Lush, these are my current go-to products of a morning. Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream sinks in like a dream, its more of a gel consistency, but nonetheless is moisturising and mattifying. When I first used Enzymion I was unsure about it, it left a residue on the surface of my skin which isn't something I like, however I do like the smell and the feel of it, and my make-up lasts just as well using Enzymion as it does when I use Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream.

Of an evening I usually opt for a serum, because I'm more likely to exfoliate or do a face mask at that time, and I just want something which will help my overall complexion while I sleep. For a little while I have been using Freederm Daily Complex which claims to visibly improve the complexion of spot-prone skin. I can't say I have seen a great difference since I've started using it, but it still makes my skin feel smooth and nice. However I won't be using it for a little while now as I've just purchased Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Serum, and according to the packaging I'll be able to see a visible improvement in my complexion in 2 weeks. Supposedly, glycolic acid regenerates collagen,thickens the epidermis and dermis, and evens skin tone. I've only been using it for a few days, but it's more gel-like than the Freederm serum, and smells citrusy, so I do quite like the formula. But only time will tell if it can live up to the claims it has made!

I'm not sure how I feel about primers if I'm honest, but I've got 2 on-the-go at the moment; Benefit Porefessional and MAC Prep + Prime. By the time I've cleansed, toned and moisturised, I generally feel my skin's ready for make-up without a primer, but I do like to use these if I'm having a no make-up day to improve the overall look of my complexion.

When it comes to foundation, I've tried SO many! At the moment I have 2 favourites; MAC Studio Fix Fluid and MaxFactor Face Finity All Day Flawless. Studio Fix Fluid is very full coverage and matte finish, I'm really happy about the shades they offer, they go very pale which is exactly what I need, I'm shade NW13. With Studio Fix Fluid I also use MAC Pro Longwear Concealer, which is my favourite concealer ever! It's my morning saviour for dark circles and blemishes. When it comes to high street, Face Finity All Day Flawless is my favourite, not as full coverage as Studio Fix Fluid, but still a decent amount, and it's just easy to apply. Also, it's primer, concealer and foundation all in one, so no need to buy loads of products if you're looking for a foundation you can slap on in a morning rush!

In contrast I've got 2 of my least favourites in the photo; Benefit Big Easy BB Cream and Urban Decay Naked Skin Liquid Makeup. The BB cream claims to leave a matte finish. It does deliver on this claim, it's such a light formula that somehow you look quite powdery with no coverage, and also, it doesn't last 2 hours on my oily skin. Definitely not worth the money. I had really high expectations for this, expecting light coverage, matte finish and good staying power, but that's not how it worked for me. The Naked Skin foundation was even more disappointment. It claims to have optical blurring technology (whatever that means) to blur imperfections, but it just covers them like any foundation. Also, it claims to have a demi-matte finish, and it did just after applying, but it didn't last. However that's not the worst part; the formula separated when my skin started to go oily and I looked very blotchy and awful, I was so embarrassed!

If you have any questions just drop me an email, and also please email me if you could recommend any products for my troublesome oily skin; kateannharvey@gmail.com
Thanks!

Iridescent loveliness

Today I thought I'd share all of the shiniest goodies I own with you, aren't they beautiful!

Pyramid Bag / Topshop

Iridescent Snake Cross Body Bag / River Island

Iridescent Snake Make-up Bag / Topshop

Iridescent Croc Notebooks / The Works

Holographic Coin Purse / River Island

Iridescent Snake Phone Cover / Topshop

Holographic Phone Cover / Primark

Happy Halloween

So yesterday it was All Hallows' Eve and I decided to get in the spirit of things, as you can see above.

Last week I purchased Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup by Urban Decay, and because of this I got a free make-up session with the girl on the Urban Decay counter, so when better to use it! I went for a sort of infected zombie look, and due to being a poor student I couldn't really afford to go all out and buy a costume, so I dug up some old clothes, chopped them up and got a bit of fake blood out. All the make-up used was by Urban Decay apart from the lips, as they didn't have a shade which fitted the look, so I used one of my Topshop Lip Bullets. I also painted my nails for the occasion, the polishes used are Barry M, the black is matte and the red is one of their gellys.

I saw Lady Gaga and I cried

Good evening all, I just wanted to do a quick post about artRAVE: the ARTPOP ball.
Just in case you have recently emerged from living under a rock, and don't know about this, I will explain.
artRAVE: the ARTPOP ball is the tour which the greatest pop artist of all time, Lady Gaga, is currently doing, following the release of her album ARTPOP almost a year ago in November 2013. This time last night I was at her Manchester show at the Phones4u Arena attending her concert as a proud little monster (Gaga fans are known as little monsters!).

I had purchased my early entry ticket in February, which set me back over £150. I couldn't really afford it, but I was devastated when I missed out on tickets to her previous tour, the Born This Way Ball, so this was my way of making up for it. Following the concert I'd get the same ticket again in a heartbeat. I was right in front of centre stage, third row back and had an amazing view! I was also presented with a tote bag which contained a lanyard, a hardback tour book and an artRAVE bubble gun which were included with with the price of my ticket.

The first photograph of this post is the moment she emerged on stage, she may have been half an hour late but she was undoubtedly worth the wait. First of all the arena went pitch black, and then the strobe lights were flashing and the rave had begun. Gaga's loyal, talented troop of dancers were first to the stage in their wacky costumes, some were holding flashing light sticks and others were throwing around huge inflatable balls, and then Lady Gaga herself emerges from the floor as if from a spaceship.

Lady Gaga opened with the track which her album and tour are named after; ARTPOP. She then followed this with a huge collection of her work, old and new, including; G.U.Y, Swine, Gypsy, Applause, Do What You Want, Judas, Just Dance, Poker Face, Alejandro and Bad Romance, to name a few. Throughout the show there were several outfit changes, one of them even took place on stage, and by the end I was knee-deep in various types of confetti!

During the concert, there was a very touching moment where Lady Gaga called two of her fans to the stage, to help one gentleman propose to his boyfriend, and of course he said yes. She then serenaded the couple with Born This Way on the piano whilst they sat with a Union Jack Flag wrapped around them, it was really lovely to watch.

Lady Gaga also performed Sonny Bono’s Bang Bang, which was thoroughly enjoyable. She dedicated this track to Tony Bennett, whom she recently collaborated with for their jazz album; Cheek to Cheek.

In between performing tracks, Lady Gaga also gave words of wisdom to her fans, stating "You don't need a record label to be an artist.". She also spoke about acceptance and love in a very passionate and inspirational way.

I adore Lady Gaga so much, and was emotional when I saw her on stage for the first time. I love the fact that she is so accepting of everyone, and encourages love and creativity. She is not afraid to be innovative and different, and she consistently creates brilliant music, her talents never falter. I will always look back on this concert fondly. I plan to frame the ticket and some of the photographs I took and hang them in my bedroom. I cannot wait to see where Lady Gaga's talents will lead her next, and hope to be as lucky as I was this time, and get a ticket next time she tours the UK.

This is the only photo not taken by me! Just wanted to show you the amazing stage!

Update 25/10/2014

Hope you like the post, I just wanted to do a little add-on and show you the frames I made! I wanted to preserve my ticket and wristband and frame my favourite photos, so this is what I created..

The backgrounds are holographic card I bought on ebay, and this is how I've ended up displaying my little memories, I'll have to convince my lovely father to put them on the wall in my bedroom for me.

artRAVE outFIT

As you can tell from these first 3 photos, the makings of this blog post did not begin well! I may have gotten a tad frustrated at the weather! The sun was in my eyes and the wind was blowing my hair into my mouth and my dress up, it's funny on reflection, but it really wasn't at the time. I tried going inside but I just couldn't get the light right, so I went outside again, then I finally went inside again, and the photos were ok so I decided to call it a day...

Yesterday morning I got back from London, I was staying with my friend Karine, but I also met up with everyone from uni who was visiting London. We went to see the Horst exhibition at the V&A, and visited several independent shops. I got to experience Shoreditch and Brick Lane for the first time too. It was a great trip and I ate lots of delicious food and spent too much money. Definitely need to be a bit more tight-fisted from now on though, because I still don't have a job! The clothing store Blue Inc called me on Wednesday to offer me an interview on Thursday, I explained I was in London for a few days because of my studies and they said if I could not come Thursday they would not offer me another date, which I thought was very disappointing and unfair. So I'll just have to keep applying everywhere and hope someone takes pity on me.

On a more positive note, let's talk fashion. The dress and pyramid bag pictured above are my new goodies from Oxford Circus Topshop. Living life like a true magpie, I left Topshop with the shiniest things I could find, and I'll be wearing these shiny new things when I go to see Lady Gaga in Manchester on Tuesday! I'm bursting with excitement! I'll try and get some good photos to post, but no promises, I might be so mesmerised by her presence that I forget. I've got an early entry ticket, so I need to be at the arena by 4pm to get my wristband. I'll try and post again on Wednesday or Thursday to tell you all about the concert!

Bag / Topshop

Dress / Topshop

Shoes / Miss Selfridge

Necklace / Topshop

Wonder Magazine

Wonder Magazine is something which I stumbled across on Twitter. It's a cute, online magazine run by Alice Tucker.
They have a new theme every month, and this month's theme is 'New Beginnings'. I've recently started at Plymouth College of Art, which has been a whole new beginning for me! Alice wanted some personal experience articles to post this month, so you can see my written contribution for Wonder Magazine here.

No more Summer Lovin'

October chills are upon us. Summer has been and gone, and now it's time to embrace jackets, boots and woolly scarves. However before all warmth has completely faded away, I thought I'd share a couple of outfits which I wore at the start of September when it still felt like summer.

These photos were taken before I started at Plymouth College of Art. They were for a summer project we had to complete before starting, and for me it wasn't the easiest task. It may surprise you, but I despise having my photo taken. I am partial to a selfie, but anyone else coming near me with a camera is unacceptable behaviour in my books. It might be because I'm not brimming with body confidence or that posing makes me feel sufficiently uncomfortable, but I'm trying to move past it! We were allowed to photograph our outfits however we wanted, so I could have just placed my clothes all nicely on the floor and snapped them, but I wanted to push myself. I'm in my early 20's and now is the time to push myself and try new things. So this was one of my baby steps. If I'd like my blog to be successful, snapping clothes on the floor won't cut it, so I used these images to get me started. I'm glad I did now, I can get used to it, maybe eventually it'll be the most fun thing ever, who knows! So I hope you like my end-of-summer outfits, details are below!

Outfit 1:

Sunglasses / Topshop

Scallop Frill Tee / Topshop

 Mom Jeans / Topshop  

Slip-on shoes / Topshop

Bag / River Island

Necklace / Topshop

Outfit 2:

Shirt Dress / River Island

Bag / Topshop

Sunglasses / River Island

Shoe Boots / Miss Selfridge

Monochrome Interview Chic

So this is my interview OOTD! Most of my outfit was in the sale or discounted which is great on my new student budget. My interview was for the Jack Wills pop-up shop which is due to open at Drake Circus Shopping Centre in Plymouth later this month. Unfortunately I don't think the interview went particularly well. It was a group interview and I didn't feel I got to showcase my abilities and strengths due to there being one particularly strong personality in the group. But I'll hold on to my optimism, as it's likely they would want someone less assertive and more relaxed and approachable (I hope anyway!). The dress code was smart casual, so I chose to lean more to the smart side as I'd rather be overdressed for an interview than under dressed. This outfit was very comfortable and easy to wear, I'd also wear all the garments in other outfits as they are very versatile. I stuck to a monochrome theme and took one of my favourite bags, which I purchased at TK Maxx. It's actually All Saints and was originally £195, but I got it for £60, amazing savings. I'd recommend having a look in TK Maxx if you need a decent bag, sometimes they have some great stuff, you just have to put the effort in to find it. Anyway, I'll let you know if you get the job, here's what I wore......

Dress / H&M

Duster Jacket / H&M (Similar here)

Patent Shoes / New Look

Bag / All Saints

Prescription Glasses (frames by Gok Wan) / Specsavers

Watch / Vivienne Westwood (purchased from ASOS)