Life: My 23rd Birthday Wishlist

Life: My 23rd Birthday Wishlist

Friday, 9 September 2016

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The best month of the year has arrived once again and the time has come for me to throw together a teensy-tiny little birthday wishlist. Every year without fail I have friends and family get in touch a few weeks before my big day to find out what I want, and every year without fail I can’t think of a single thing I need. This year, I decided to get ahead of the game and I’ve put together a wishlist that’ll give people a few ideas over what to buy for me.

For the last few years, I’ve been umm-ing and ah-ing over whether or not to have someone buy me this beautiful Tiffany’s necklace. I still want it, 2 and a bit years down the line, so I’ve added it onto this little list in case someone feels particularly generous this year.

I got a lovely new purse for Christmas off my boyfriend’s mum and I absolutely LOVE that one, but I do kind of need one that’s a little bit smaller for when I go out for food or drinks with pals. This Ted Baker one is absolutely perfect both size wise and colour wise, so I’d absolutely love to receive this. If not, it’ll be the thing that I treat myself to come 24^th September.

I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t ask for a few books for my birthday. I’ve managed to limit my choices down to three, which for me is pretty good going. I’ve been wanting to start reading the Sherlock Holmes books properly for a while, so thought that getting a pretty copy of A Study in Scarlet would ease me into the series. I’ve read the first two books in the Miss Peregrines trilogy so adding the third to my collection is definitely necessary. My final choice is The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that, as a book blogger by trade, I’ve not read a single Hemingway novel, but I’m hoping to see that that is amended as soon as possible!

My final little goodie that I’d love to receive for my birthday is the Lush Dream Cream. I’ve been looking out for a good, thick body lotion for a while now and having looked at the reviews and listened to a few fellow bloggers, the Dream Cream seems like a pretty good shout! Hopefully I’ll wake up to it on my birthday!

Should I be lusting after anything else? Let me know!

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Life: Homeware Wishlist Numero 3

Life: Homeware Wishlist Numero 3

Saturday, 25 June 2016

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I've found that the older I get, the more inclined to spend all my money on homeware I am. You might have read on my twitter profile that I’ve recently secured a little flat all for me and I’m super excited to kit it out in cute stuff. I put together a little homeware wishlist and thought I’d share some of the things I’m wanting to buy with you!

I absolutely LOVE me a good print and I’ve found some super cute ones on Etsy to treat myself to. AbbieImagine has some absolutely amazing prints and there are two Disney ones that I’ve had my eye on for a while. I absolutely love this simplistic The Little Mermaid poster and I think this would look really lovely on my bathroom wall.  I’m also absolutely LOVING this Once Upon A Time print.

Next is probably my favourite shop to buy bits for the home from so it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t include a few goodies from there. I keep telling myself that the reason my boyfriend never buys me flowers is because I don’t have a pretty vase to put them in (a girl can dream!) I’ve been eyeing this one up for a while now and I’m definitely going to get one of these when I have a bit of spare dosh! I also love this little tea, coffee, and sugar pot and think it’ll look really pretty set up in my lovely new kitchen.

Finally, I think the ultimate blogger dream is to furnish their entire homes with stuff from Anthropologie. I 100% cannot justify the price of half of the stuff they have there, but there’s a little sale on at the moment so a little splurge won’t break the bank too much! I love this little tea towel with fruits de mer printed on it! Just like the tea, coffee, and sugar pot, it’ll look absolutely lovely in my new kitchen!

I’m so excited to get buying little bits and bobs for my new home (is it obvious!?)

What should I be kitting out my new princess palace with?  

Wishlist: New House (Soppy) Homeware

Wishlist: New House (Soppy) Homeware

Wednesday, 2 December 2015

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Anyone who reads this blog, my twitter or knows me in real life will know that I’m in my 4th and final year of university at the moment and also that I’ve just been accepted onto my PGCE in Primary Education (yay me!) I’m 22 now and while I know I’m not exactly decrepit and falling apart, I’ve decided it’s about time I stopped living like a student and so in June I’m planning on moving into my first real house, and assuming everything goes to plan and we don’t murder each other in the next few months, my boyfriend will be joining me in the move. 

Like any good student, I’m using any spare time I have (aka I’m procrastinating) searching for the perfect house and, more recently, the perfect accessories to really make it the home that we want to live in. I was recently introduced to the absolute JOY that is not on the high street by a friend of mine and while scouring it for Christmas present ideas, I discovered that they have a home section. I thought I’d put together a little NOTHS homeware wishlist to keep track of the lovely things I’ve seen and also share them with you guys, if you’re in a similar position (or else if you just like homeware!) 

I’ve always been a fan of fairy lights but my previous student houses haven’t allowed them or else the room’s been completely massive and they just wouldn’t have looked right. I really want to get some cute little ones to put on the wall behind my bed to just brighten the place up and make everything just a little bit more cosy! These ones are £22, super cute and delicate looking and exactly what I’m looking for. 

I am a candle hoarder, always have been and always will be. I LOVE personalised gifts (as you can probably tell already from this wishlist) and these personalised initial candles are adorable (and scented!!!) I was planning on buying one with my own initial and the OH’s initial as well because I’m a secret romantic (or else a saddo, you decide!) but knowing me I’ll probably start spelling words out before long. 

Continuing in my cutesy romantic theme, I love the “love is all you need” heart shaped light. It’s adorable, I absolutely love the song and it would look so cute in my future lounge. I’m not sure how well this one will go down with the OH but we will have to see whether I can work my magic there… 

My boyfriend and I support different football teams and while they’re not actually rivals in any sense of the word, things do get a little bit heated on the very rare occasions where they actually play each other. I saw this print and fell in love with it immediately because it combines our love of football with adorable decoration and allows both of our teams to be coloured in. I just think it completely suits our personalities and this one is definitely something I’ll be buying as soon as I have the money spare. A little bit more pricey than the others but definitely a very personal gift.

I think the next one is a little bit self-explanatory to be honest, because we all know who the real boss in a relationship is. 

My final item on my wishlist is soppy again - I think I’m going to just have to name this post accordingly, aren’t I!? You can choose which letters you have and the colour of the heart which I think is absolutely adorable. I think this is probably a little bit too much sop for me but I thought it was too cute not to include really! 

Where else should I be looking for houseware and cute little accessories for my new home? Let me know in the comments or else tweet me @holinwanderlust ! 

Wishlist: Birthday Wishlist

Wishlist: Birthday Wishlist

Tuesday, 8 September 2015

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It’s my 22nd birthday this month and I’ve been eyeing up quite a few beauty goodies! I’ve been on a complete and utter shopping ban for the last 2 months and I’ve done SO well, I only slipped once in that time and that was purchasing something I actually needed as opposed to wanted so I’ll let it slide! 

I’ve been eyeing up the Naked Smokey Palette from the moment it was announced and I’ve read so many different reviews by bloggers to see if it’s worth the price and I think I’ve been convinced. The colours look amazing and the packaging alone was enough to make me fall in love with it. I didn’t get around to getting any of the other Naked palettes as I’m not much of a neutral eye makeup kind of girl, so I definitely think the smoky one is much more suited to me.

I included the NARS contouring kit in my NARS wishlist and I haven’t got around to buying this one yet, so I thought I’d include it in this wishlist as well. I’m quite glad that a few months later I’m still lusting after this product because it is quite expensive so at least I know for sure that I actually do want it. I love the packaging and the look of the product and I’ve heard nothing but good things about it! 

Every year I receive a few pieces from pandora and the ring and the charm here at the two I’ve chosen this year. The charm has the birthstone for September on it and I think it’s absolutely gorgeous! The ring will go beautifully with the one I already wear so I’m looking forward to stacking them up! 

I absolutely love the Real Techniques brush sets so I thought I’d ask for some nice new eye brushes, considering how I’m hoping to purchase the Naked Palette. I’ve heard that these are very good brushes and they’re very reasonably priced as well.

Finally, I’m really getting into cooking lately and I absolutely love Gino D’Acampo. Italian food is definitely my favourite type of food so I hope his cookbook is as good as it looks. I’ve asked my little brother to get this one for me! 

Wishlist: NARS Cosmetics

Wishlist: NARS Cosmetics

Wednesday, 29 July 2015

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I’ve never purchased a product from NARS before but I’ve been eyeing up a few bits and bobs which I’m going to ask family members to pick up for me for my birthday! I’ve chosen 3 different products which I’ve heard quite a lot about so hopefully they’re as good as everyone makes out! 

The first product that I chose is the NARS Contour Kit in the shade Olympia. I love the look of this little kit and the colour seems to go with my skin tone. I’ve heard that it’s a pretty good product from other bloggers so I’m hoping that it blends well and looks natural on me. 

I then chose one of NARS’ most renowned product, their Powder Blush in the colour Orgasm. I almost bought this for myself a few months back but I persuaded myself against it but I still want it months later so I think I’ll get it this time around. 

Finally, I chose a Pure Matte Lipstick in the shade Terre de Feu, which I love the look of. I love trying out different brands of lipstick and this one is very different from the colours I already own so I think it’ll definitely fill a gap in my collection! 

Which NARS products do you love and recommend?? Let me know in the comments! 

Haul: Thursday Treats

Haul: Thursday Treats

Thursday, 7 May 2015

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I’ve been working as an English teacher in France for the last year and have just moved back to the UK. The shifts in France were tedious, planning for lessons took up most of my time and even my weekends were full of work and preparation. To get me through this, I told myself I was allowed to spend a portion of my wage on treats, one of which was allowed to be something I normally wouldn’t be able to afford. I’ve started working back at debenhams since moving back here and I’ve grown really attached to Thursday treat day, as I called it, so I’m going to continue that here and blog about it every fortnight! 

This time, I’ve mostly bought things from the May wishlist I posted last week but there are a few other little goodies that I treated myself to that I haven’t mentioned yet. 

I posted a tweet a few days ago asking people for LUSH recommendations. Over the years I’ve received a few LUSH gift boxes from family members, with preselected products, but I’ve never actually gone into LUSH and chosen any myself. A few lovely fellow bloggers recommended the Comforter Bubble Bar and I only had to smell it to fall in love with it. It smells like my childhood, but the closest thing I can think of that the smell reminds me of are those blackcurrant fizzy sweets.  The bar lasts for around 4 or 5 baths, depending on how many bubbles you want, so it’s pretty good value for money as well. I love the smell and quite frankly anything that turns my bath water baby pink is fine by me. 

I nipped into Topshop at the weekend and I ended up buying the skirt that I’d included on my May Wishlist,  but I also found an absolutely gorgeous pair of floral shorts in the last chance to buy section. I did actually buy the matching top but thought it was a little bit too much pairing them together, so I’ve returned that, but the shorts are so lovely. I wore them out on a night out over the bank holiday weekend and they got some lovely comments from my friends. They’re also perfect for summer and my travels, so I’m really happy with this purchase.

I also mentioned in my May Wishlist that I’m not a heel-wearing kind of girl, normally. I decided against the ones I loved from Public Desire, just because I wasn’t sure what size I am there, and I needed them for the weekend so it would have been a bit of a rush. I went into River Island with a guy pal, looking for shirts for him, and came out with these beautiful little heels. The height is perfect for me because I am quite tall anyway, but they do add that little bit extra and elongate my pegs. They were a tad expensive but I know I’ll get plenty of wear out of them so I’ve justified it to myself. 

What have you treated yourself to lately?

Wishlist: May Edition

Wishlist: May Edition

Saturday, 2 May 2015

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I’m trying to be really good and not spend any of my wage until after the 18th May, when I get back from my trip to France, so my wishlist for the next month is quite a small one compared to my usual. Unfortunately this means no YSL splurges this month, but I think I’ve got some lovely bits lined up regardless.

The first thing I’ve chosen is this gorgeous 70s style skirt from topshop. Normally, I am dead against denim skirts but this one has to be the exception. I think it’s really cute, and I particularly love the buttons down the front of the skirt. It gives it a bit of edge and makes the whole thing that bit more interesting. It’s £25, which isn’t too bad at all and I definitely think I’ll get a lot of wear out of it. 

Secondly I’ve been lusting after the NARS Orgasm blush for months. Every time I’ve gone to buy it, my mum’s persuaded me against it but I definitely think I’m going to splurge this time as I just keep going back to it over and over again. I love the colour and I don’t have anything like it in my makeup collection so it would be a good investment, I think!

I’ve been looking around for a nice pair of heels for a while now. I’m quite tall so I tend to just go out wearing flats, but I’ve decided that I want to wear heels from now on. I didn’t want anything too high so I think that these are perfect for a nice night out! They’re from Public Desire- I follow their instagram and fall in love with every pair of shoes they post about but I’ve never actually bought from them before. I’m really looking forward to making my first purchase from them, especially when their prices are so reasonable- this pair of beauties will only set you back £24.99! 

Missguided is another place I’ve never actually bought from. Generally speaking, I’m a Topshop and Zara kind of girl and I tend not to stray away from these shops when I’m clothes shopping. I had a looksie on their website for the first time this evening and I absolutely loved this little playsuit. The skort pattern is super cute and I love the high neck. I’m looking forward to wearing this on a night around the town. It costs a super reasonable £20. 

My last choice is a bit of a geeky one. I love John Green and I love his books. The Fault in Our Stars isn’t my favourite of his (I actually enjoyed Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns more) but this phone case is just so lovely I couldn’t resist adding it to this wishlist!! I found it on eBay for less than £10 and I definitely think I’ll be getting this in a few weeks time!! 

What are you wishing for this May??? 

Wishlist: let's go to the beach-each!

Wishlist: let's go to the beach-each!

Thursday, 9 April 2015

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I’m planning my holidays away this summer at the moment, and obviously, beach holidays = new swimwear. I have certain bikini styles in mind, mostly because I have a very boring shape so here are my choices for this summer’s galavants. I’m off to Barcelona for a few days with a bit of luck in a few weeks as one of my friends lives there, plus I have my yearly Malta trip with my brother to look forward to at the end of summer. 

I’ve already bought a bodysuit for lounging around on the beach sunbathing, from Hollister. I couldn’t resist it as it was an absolute bargain in the sale for £12, but I obviously won’t be swimming in it. I love the black and white stripes and it’ll just be lovely to sit on the beach in! 

I’ve been having a scout around for the perfect high waisted bikini, as they suit me the best of all of the different styles and I really like this red-orange triangl stye bikini. I love the bold colours against the black outlining and I think they look really lovely on. The same can be said for the white swimming costume- I think it looks really classy and sophisticated for the beach. This one’s from River Island and retails for about £30! 

Finally, I really like this floral bikini top from ASOS. I wasn’t too sure about the matching pants so I’d probably just wear it with a pair of similar blue pants that I already have - they’re actually almost exactly the same colour, from what I can tell, but I think the balconette style is really flattering and this will be a lovely addition to my bikini wardrobe.

What are you planning on buying for the beach this year?

Wishlist: ASOS pay day treats!

Wishlist: ASOS pay day treats!

Saturday, 28 March 2015

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I finish my work placement in France on the 24th April, which scarily, is now under a month away! I’m really excited to get back to the UK, though, although I’m quite surprised by this as a few months back I didn’t want to ever leave Strasbourg, let alone be quite looking forward to it. There’s nothing wrong with this place, but there are certain aspects of French life that I just can’t get my head around and I’ll be looking forward to the normality of England. 

However, one of the things I’ve missed most about living in England is ASOS and next day delivery! Obviously, ASOS exists in and can be delivered to France, but dodgy reception areas and delivery times have put me off ordering things. So, naturally, I have a hefty wish list and here are just a few of my March faves which are definitely going to be ordered when I get home! I’ve chosen   my top 3 items to share with you today! 

For my 21st birthday last year, I was completely alone in a brand new country and at that point, I hadn’t made any friends. I hadn’t started work, I hadn’t really settled and it was pretty rubbish, to say the least. To make up for it this year, I’m having three celebrations- one with my friends from home before we all head back to uni/start jobs, a big party the week before my birthday for my uni friends and then a night out on my actual birthday with my flatmates and close course mates. 

I’ve already started looking for the perfect outfits as I’m ridiculously picky about nights out and I think that this will be one of them. It’s from ASOS and costs £35, in the sale. I’m really into glitter at the moment and this shape usually looks quite good on me so I’m hoping it suits me and looks as nice in the flesh as it does on the picture.  

I’ve wanted a nice pair of patterned trousers for a while as well. I found these ones for just £35 pounds and they’re exactly what I’m looking for. They’re classy and sophisticated but also casual enough to wear on a  daily basis.  

Finally, I’ve been looking for a leather jacket for the longest amount of time and I finally think it’s time to splash out a little bit! My favourite so far is this one from the River Island section on ASOS. It’s £100 and real leather, so not very pricey either! I have to wait until I fly back before I can order, just in case things don’t fit so it’s going to be a long month with these on my “save for later” section of ASOS! Can’t wait to treat myself to some goodies after a very long year of hard work!