What's In My University Bag...

This week I've started my first week at uni! I've seen quite a lot of posts and videos on other peoples university experience which has been helpful to some extent, but most talk about their experience of moving away from home which is something I'm not doing. Since I didn't have the excitement of buying pots and pans and what not for moving into halls, buying a new bag and stationary was as exciting as it got. I thought I'd give a little look inside my bag.

I have a mild Michael Kors obsession, and I was very kindly brought this bag (Jets Set Travel medium saffiano leather tote) by my boyfriend as a gift for getting into uni. I love it! I am normally much more of a arm bag kinda gal but I thought that for carrying around books it would be much easier to opt for a shoulder bag, (and I wanted something different from my Selma bag). In Hindsight the bigger size might have been better, everything fits in but its a bit of a squeeze and takes some careful arranging. 

I really wanted a Jack Wills pencil case, they're so pretty and I wanted one I'd use for the year rather than get sick of and change. I don't live anywhere near a Jack Wills and I wasn't prepared for the £4 postage so I opted for this one by Caroline Gardner. It's so pretty, fits loads in and is excellent quality!

When buying a planner I normally take a trip to Paperchase and buy the prettiest one, but this year there just wasn't any that I was really drawn to. I don't know if it was because I was looking later in the year or whether their selection just wasn't as good this year, but I didn't get one from there. When in the que to buy my pencil case I saw this planner. At first I thought I'd just get this one for the moment and when shops bring more out in January, I'll get a better one, but it's AMAZING. It has everything in it you'd need. Obviously it has the diary section with space for writing in assignments ect. but it literally contains everything a student would need! From check lists to recipes and tips on revision and managing stress! This planner is a life saver for a student and I highly recommend it!

Other things I have in my bag are my car keys, little snacks for the day, the Oxford note books (love the thick pages!), purse for cheeky trips into town (been there for three days and already done some damage in Topshop! Oops!) and of course a mini make-up bag for touch ups.

Hope you've found this useful! - What's everyone else taking to uni? 

LUSH: King Of Skin and Ro's Argan Body Conditioner

When it comes to moisturising after bathing I am so lazy. It's just one of those beauty chores that is just a faf, applying body moisturisers and waiting for them to soak in, no body has time for that! So when I heard about these in shower body butters I was instantly sold. At the end of my shower I apply then take a quick dip back under the water to rinse and my skin feels instantly so soft. 

Ro's Argan Body Conditioner - £15.95

I first tried this product when I got it as part of the Rose Lush box. I'm not really into baths so hadn't really tried much from Lush before, and when I saw this in the box I was intrigued because I never thought of Lush for having products like this. As soon as I tried it I was instantly impressed, it is so moisturising and contains lots of lovely naturally ingredients that my skin loves! This product is also amazing as a substitute for shaving cream, leaves my legs hairless and moisturised, what more could you want? Only down side is that £15.95 is quite expensive for how long it lasts. I would say the full size would last about 14 uses depending on how generously you applied it (I am quite generous). No where near as long as a pot of soap and glory body butter, but then again I use it more since its easier. It smells amazing and the sent lingers all day, I'm not normally that fond of the rose sent but oh my this smells divine! 

King Of Skin - £5.50 

I tried the King of Skin after hearing Tanya Burr rave about it. It is really moisturising and so easy to use since its just like a bar of soap and in some ways a lot easier than scooping out of the tub. When I first saw it I thought it would be quite harsh on the skin but once wet it melts and glides across the skin without tugging. Like the Body Conditioner it is full of lots of lovely ingredients leaves the skin instantly softer and I end up stroking my arms all day! It has a really unique smell which smells deliciously and it may sound weird but it just smells nourishing! It is a little cheaper than the Body Conditioner but doesn't last as long.

I love both products but if I HAD to choose one over all I would purchase the Ro's Argan Body Conditioner above the King of Skin (sorry King of Skin, I still love you). It is just as moisturising and they both smell amazing, but the added bonus of using the Body Conditioner as a shaving cream (skipping another boring step) and the extra luxury you get from applying a cream rather than a bar just out weighs the lower price from the King of Skin. However the skin of skin is easier and it will stay in my shower for days I am feeling extra lazy! 

Have you tried either of these products? What are your thoughts?

#1 Inside My Make-Up Bag- Favourite Foundations

I love having a nose through other peoples make-up bags, to see their most loved products and the products that get used everyday. I thought I'd give you a look through my make-up bag and show you all my favourite products. 

Firstly I love a good make-up bag and when I saw Anna's 'you look lovely today' pouch in her photos I knew I had to have it. I went straight to notonthehighstreet.com and had a look through the make-up bags on their site. There was so many lovely ones but in the end I went for this one from Alphabet bags, which is the same as Anna's but a 'wash bag' rather than a pouch. It is huge, and as I do a lot of travelling is perfect because it holds everything! I has one big compartment which I like since I'm not the neatest person and normally in a rush I love that I can just chuck it all in one place. I would defiantly buy from Alphabet bags again, have my eye on a pouch for my handbag. My order came very quickly and was packaged lovely with the cutest postcard saying thank-you. They have the most lovely products that would make lovely gifts! 

Now on to the make-up, I thought I'd start this series with a look at my favourite foundations. Now to some people foundation might be the most boring part of make-up, its not all exciting like eyes or lips, but foundation is my favourite part. Finding the perfect foundation has always difficult because I am so pale, so trying lots has always been a must (sorry bank balance). I have though found three foundations I will always repurchase.  

  Clarins Ever Matte foundation- £27

I think Clarins as a make-up brand is always over looked in the beauty community, I rarely hear it talked about (apart from the natural lip perfector) and its such a shame. I love Clarins and not just for foundations, I also love their blushes and eye shadows, but that's all for another day. The Ever Matte foundation, leaves the skin with a lovely velvet finish and covers everything without being too heavy on the skin, its oil free so perfect for girls like me with skin slightly on the oily side. It has amazing staying power and doesn't melt off the skin or cake up over time. It has quite thick consistency so you have to work it into the skin well but it blends flawlessly. I love this foundation for days where my skin needs a little extra coverage or I have a busy day where I wont be able to touch up throughout the day. Only down side to this foundation is that it runs out so quickly and at £27 a go you'd expect it to last a little longer. The bottle is made out of quite hard plastic so once the majority of the product has gone its difficult to squeeze out anything left behind, a little trick though to leave it standing upright for a while and a good shake gets a tiny bit more out. 

Rimmel Match Perfection- £6.99

Rimmel is my favourite drugstore brand, and they do amazing foundations. Everyone raves about the 'wake me up' foundation and even though I do like that foundation I find it a bit too shimmering when my skin is at its oiliest. The match perfection foundation is amazing. It has a very thin consistency which has surprisingly good coverage. It has amazing staying power and will last all day long and at the end of the day it still look like you've just done your make-up. Because the consistency is very thin it is easy to go a bit over board so you have to be careful with that, but if applied sparingly it looks fantastic. This foundation is perfect for everyday and is good for anyone on a budget or just looking for a great drugstore foundation.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere- £33

Finally the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet is probably my favourite of the three, it's good skin in a bottle. It does exactly what it says on the bottle it creates a perfect velvet finish and makes the skin feel so soft. Even though it has a matte finish it doesn't leave skin looking dull. It smooth over any imperfections and give the skin a smooth air brushed look. It is in no means a high coverage foundation, one coat is very sheer but it is buildable. It doesn't cake and looks just like your skin but better. The problem I normally find with Chanel make-up products is the limited range of shades, I've tried the  Mat Lumiere compact and found the lightest shade far too dark, but in this foundation I have shade 10 and its perfect. It is long lasting but I do find I need a few little touch ups throughout the day to keep it looking perfect. It is expensive but so worth it, it feels very luxurious to apply and the packaging is very sleek. I love this foundation.

What are you're favourite foundations?

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12837443/?claim=hcnkp2j43cv">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>