A Nod To Halloween

I'm quite partial to a theme so once Halloween comes around I often try to sneak some pumpkin orange hues into my outfits and make-up. When I saw this First & I dress in the asos sale for £13 I had to snap it up. It's so comfortable and soft but as it's a body con fit I went up a size so it doesn't cling to my lumps and bumps. The orange and burgundy stripes are very autumnal so I continued the theme with tights from Primark and loafers from Office. When I left the house I threw on a camel coat and my outfit was complete

My Cullen-esque pale skin in these pictures make me realise that after Halloween I need to crack open a bottle of fake tan! My plans for tonight involve going for a meal with friends so quite a tame Halloween for me but I do plan to rock a Gothic look. I hope you enjoy tonight however you spend your evening. Happy Halloween!

Autumnal Hues

I don't get out that much nowadays and spend most of my evenings at home or my boyfriend's house so it's always nice to have evening plans to look forward to. Last night our friends invited us round their house for food and drinks and it was really nice to catch up with everyone. I've been doing work experience for the past two weeks which involved being on my feet all day and was quite physical which means I've been wearing mostly jeggings and trainers so I saw last night as an opportunity to dress less casually. I bought a faux fur gillet from TK Maxx about 3 months ago and wore it for the first time with a polo neck top from Lindex, skirt from River Island and boots from Public Desire (£40)

I'm hoping to get out a bit more around my birthday next month and during the festive period as long as my health continues to improve (fingers crossed!)

Ascot QIPCO British Champions Day

Yesterday I went to Ascot for the first time with a group of 12 friends. I had a bit of an outfit panic as I only got my ticket two weeks ago and I've been interning for the past week so didn't have much time to find a suitable dress. I did have a Zara dress but when I tried it on the arms and chest were way too tight and I managed to rip it down the back trying to get it off! In the end I decided to wear my See By Chloe dress from TK Maxx as it's classy, loose and comfortable. As it was so chilly I also wore a pink coat from Topshop and a pair of tights with grey suede shoes from next which I struggled to walk in as I'm not used to heels anymore! I felt very underdressed next to my friends in their smart dresses and fascinators.

The day itself wasn't quite what I expected but I enjoyed the excitement of the races despite not winning anything. The downsides for me were the lack of food places but abundance of bars, (I only ate chips all day as I could only find one food kiosk) the crowds and how easy it was to get lost! We all kept losing each other and spent most of the day trying to regroup. I ended up with pains in my head as I didn't eat enough throughout the day so that pretty much ruined the experience for me. The journey there and back was also mostly sitting in traffic so if I was to go again I'd definitely get the train! One thing I will say is that one of the men who worked on the disabled seating area was very helpful and accommodating towards my friend who has a disability which isn't visible. His name was Mick and I would like to thank him for making her feel so comfortable and being understanding. Sadly, some of the race goers were not so sympathetic and a group of young men called my friend a 'lazy c**t' for needing to use the lift as they were unaware of her disability. This really angered me and put me in a bad mood for a few hours. I'm not sure if I would go again but if I did, I would need to be back to full health and take some snacks with me!

Lush Oxford Street Mini Haul

I've been wanting to visit the Lush store on Oxford Street since it opened but I thought it would be sensible to let the crowds die down a bit before I braved the hustle and bustle of the West End to get there. I finally went at the end of September and boy, was it worth it! If you're a fan of Lush you will feel like a kid in a sweet shop in this three storey cosmetic heaven. They also already have their Halloween and Christmas ranges on sale which I can never resist, even if it is a bit early! The staff are all really friendly, cheery and helpful so I can't wait to go back and replenish my stash once it starts getting low. One regret is not picking up the Yognog bath bomb as I've since smelt the soap which smells good enough to eat

I picked up Peeping Santa bubble bar, Rub Rub Rub shower scrub, Big Bang bubble bar, two bath oil melts, So White bath bomb and Stardust bath bomb but once I'm working I plan to have a proper haul! 

Peeping Santa (£3.95) looks like a cute, festive macaroon and once you've crumbled it into your bath it smells like a subtle strawberry bubblegum. Despite appearances the scent isn't particularly festive which means you can use it from now all the way up until Christmas and beyond. I got two sweet scented baths out of this so that's just under £2 per bath

I love a Lush body scrub and Rub Rub Rub doesn't disappoint. At £8.75 it's on the pricey side but you get quite a lot of product for your money and a little goes a long way. I love the fresh blossom scent and although the exfoliating salts aren't as gritty as those in Ocean Salt they do the job and leave your skin soft, smooth and delicately floral scented

The Big Bang smells like a citrusy soap and half is enough so you can get two baths out of it. At first you see blue, pink and yellow swirling around which is almost like a firework effect then the water turns light blue which is pleasant. I would buy it again as it's revitalising and helps you wake up if you're feeling tired which I often do!

I picked up two bath oil melts as I'd never tried them before and they looked intriguing. I know that the blue one is called Oil on Troubled Waters but my receipt doesn't mention the green one. (it just says oil on troubled waters x2) Anyway, I tried the green one and it smells gorgeous - like crisp apples with a hint of cinnamon so quite festive and autumnal. It also had just the right amount of oil for one quite deep bath. Just make sure that the bath is hot when you first run it to ensure that it melts properly. I will be buying more!

Last but not least, Stardust bath bomb has a comforting, light vanilla scent which reminds me a bit of butter bear. Apparently it releases tiny stars as it fizzes but I didn't notice them at the time! I love the smell though so would use it again

Have you been to Lush Oxford Street yet? What else would you recommend from there?

The Lindex Autumn Hitlist Blogger Event

On Wednesday evening I was lucky enough to attend a showcase of Lindex's key Autumn pieces in their Westfield Stratford City store. Lindex first opened in Sweden in the 1950's but didn't arrive on our shores until earlier this year. I have to admit that this was the first time I had been to Lindex but I will definitely be going back! After browsing the store and picking up some staple items, we watched Nina Starck, head of design at Lindex and Emily Johnston of Fashion Foie Gras present the expertly selected Autumn Hitlist pieces and give tips on how to style them. 

Lilah Parsons DJ'd whilst we continued to browse, enjoyed drinks from LBD and took a picture using the Photo Booth. 

There was 30% off all items at the event so I picked up two roll necks and a pair of nude tights. My friend and I also received a goody bag each with our purchases which was completely unexpected and a really nice touch

This stretchy cotton top will be perfect for layering and I love the burgundy hue. At £14 you can't really go wrong, especially as it feels like great quality 

This jumper was only £20 and will be so versatile for the winter.

For the event I wore an orange mini skirt from River Island (£32) with a lace shirt from Primark (£14) and a past season Topshop blazer and Zara boots. My tights are a few years old but my bag was bought recently from H&M (£14.99)