ASOS & Topshop Haul

Hi everyone,

Over the past few weeks I have been treating myself to little bits and bobs in-between all of my workload madness, a small bit of retail therapy. I think it is good to treat yourself every now and then, whatever it may be that you are interested in :-)

I'm going to begin with my two purchases from ASOS: 

I bought this bralette, as a lazy alternative to doing my washing (I was also in need of a new one, i promise) and when I stumbled across this beauty I knew I had to have it. Black is such a classic (you can't go wrong) colour, and the scalloped lace edges makes it very pretty :-) If you are going to order this I would recommend going for a size up as they do run small. 

Secondly this necklace is everything I love compiled into one! I have always worn gold jewellery (and still do) but recently I have been getting into silver, I just think that there is something more elegant about it. Also, anybody who knows me is aware that I have an obsession with stars and the moon so this fit the bill perfectly :-) It is a choker necklace, but it can be adjusted for a looser fit which is handy. 

Bralette: ASOS £18.00 (Grace Applique Triangle Bra)

Necklace: ASOS £6.00 (Moon Star Charm Choker Necklace)

Then I went to Topshop and as it is my favourite store, I couldn't resist a few things…

A few weeks ago I purchased the burgundy coloured vest and have worn it to death since, so of course I had to snap it up in a few different colours! I would definitely recommend these to anyone who is looking for some staple items to put into their wardrobe. They fit nicely on your top half and skim out from underneath the bust area - very flattering for all body shapes :-)There is also many different colours to choose from. 

The top on the right is different for me and I am still unsure whether to keep it or return it, but there's something about it that I really like. I think the colour drew me in and it complemented my skin tone well which is a bonus! It also has an exposed black zip on the back. 

Vests: Topshop £12.00 (Crepe Swing Vest)

Top: Topshop £18.00 (Zip Back Tee)

Lastly we come onto the more decorative/fancier attire I picked up :-)

What people wear to go out clubbing at university is a lot more dressier than where I go back home, so I decided to pick up a top that was more appropriate. It is a black velvet texture, has thin straps (best worn without a bra) and an invisible zip at the back and I am in love with it. I might do an outfit of the night with this top soon to see how it can be worn! 

I wore this navy top to the Kooks the other night and I just think it is brilliant, every detail has been carefully selected from the pattern to the cut-outs which reveal tiny snippets of your skin and is a very interesting piece :-) 

Let me know if you want to see more hauls soon or even an outfit of the week post featuring some of these items :-)

Lots of love

Sarah x 

The Kooks

Hi everyone,

On Thursday I went to go and see one of my favourite British indie/rock bands called The Kooks and honestly it was the best night ever.

The concert began with their support act called Walking on Cars who play a similar style of music to that of the Kooks :-) One of my favourite songs from them was called Tick Tock which you can check out here. 

Not long after Walking on Cars had finished their set, The Kooks came out and began their show which was just stunning. They played a mixture of songs from their new album 'Listen' amongst their older classics such as she moves in her own way, ooh la and always where I need to be. Now of course, when they said goodnight I was absolutely devastated that they hadn't played my favourite and probably most famous song but I wasn't giving up hope just yet! Everyone was chanting for them to come back on which they did, and two songs later they ended their show with Naive - I had the biggest smile on my face ever! :-)

Whilst the band said goodnight the drummer threw one of his drumsticks into the crowd which I very luckily managed to grab! I know it may seem silly to be excited over a drumstick but now I have a keepsake from my favourite concert I have gone to :-) 

If you can manage to snag a ticket for The Kooks I would most definitely recommend going or to any gig that you're favourite band may be doing - there's something so magical when you hear your favourite songs performed live. 

I hope you liked this post!

Lots of love

Sarah Marie x 

October Favourites

Hi everyone,

I have been re-discovering and loving a lot of new clothing and other products in October so I thought I would share them with you :-)

Let's start off with the fashion favourites. Now the first one may appear to be more of a summery clothing item to some but I think that it can be worn seasonally if styled accordingly. Recently, I have been pairing it with a pair of black ripped skinny jeans and boots to give it more of an edgy look :-) The light grey v-neck top has been a go-to basic for those days i've been struggling with what to wear or running late! Just throw it on with a pair of jeans and you are good to go and adding a bralette underneath so it peeks through also looks super cute. 

Top: American Apparel £24 (Jungle Leaves Print Crop Top)

Top: H&M £7.99 

Lastly, the dark grey top which is probably a love it or hate it item (!) is great for those lazy days where you just don't feel like accessorising :-) Now this next favourite may seem a little odd but when I was buying my fancy dress costume for halloween (I went as a cheerleader) I required some sporty looking socks - luckily I managed to grab the pair i needed plus two more to get the offer at Topshop. I think these are super cute for a rainy day when you need a cosy pair of socks or for when you want to add a sporty vibe to your look :-) (Ps they do come as a pair but I thought i'd put two different ones on to show you a selection!)

Top: Topshop £22 (Fluffy Cornelli Tee)

Socks: Topshop £3.50 each or 3 for £8 (Two Stripe Trainer Sock)

As some of you may know I've been into reading alternative fashion magazines this past month to expand my knowledge which will help benefit me on my course! It's also super exciting to see what each unique magazine has to offer - some are shiny, some are matt, some draw you into a world of art whereas some pages are prettily decorated, it's all very fresh :-) This is the second issue of a new magazine called Violet Book, which features Alexa Chung on the front. 

Magazine: http://violetbook.co.uk 

I'm not one too usually obsess over make-up but I have to say this MAC highlighter has been a game changer for me. The highlighter is called Global Glow which is a dusky pink shade with gorgeous gold flecks throughout. I would definitely recommend this product if you have a more olive or tanned skin tone like me as I think it compliments my skin tone better than a regular bright white highlighter. In September I attended London Fashion Weekend, where there was a room full of Maybelline products with the offer of three products for £12 which I obviously had to go for! One of the items that I picked out was the Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser. Now, I have been using Benefit's porefessional for years so I thought it was time to try something new and i have to say it creates the perfect base for my make-up which lasts nearly all-day (whose make-up stays on all day anyway ;-) haha).     

Highlighter: MAC £23 (Mineralize Skin Finish - Global Glow)

Primer: Maybelline £7.99 (Baby Skin Primer) 

Sorry for the length of this post but I hope you all enjoyed my monthly favourites! :-)

Lots of love

Sarah Marie x

The Botanist

Hi everyone,

Yesterday me and my boyfriend celebrated our year together with a lovely meal at The Botanist. We spent the day relaxing and enjoying each others company before we headed out later that evening. In case you hadn't figured it already The Botanist restaurant is orientated around the idea of flowers and greenery :-)  

It was tucked away down a little street in Leeds - you would miss the place unless you were really looking and despite it being hidden away, I could tell straight away that is was very well loved with the amount of laughter and chatter I could hear as soon as we approached. We were seated promptly (I would recommend you book) into the corner of a cute room which resembled that of an Englishman's shed. Behind me on the walls there was an array of flower pots, and the ceiling was lined with numerous lamps and miscellaneous items such as some old ice skating boots to give the 'shed-like room' an authentic feel. 

After being given our menus the friendly waitress came over and took our drink orders - I went for a raspberry mojito (delicious!) - and shortly after she took our food order after much debate on what I wanted to have, it all looked so yummy! For starters we decided to share a Home made houmous board (£4.95) which came with crudités and flatbread which didn't take us long for us to devour! 

For my main I opted for the Chicken and mushroom pie (£10.95) which was served with either mash or chips (which I went for), mushy peas and gravy. If you are looking for proper English food this is the place to go for it! The pie was almost like a home comfort for me, from the plate it was served on to the taste and to the gravy - real comfort food if I do say so myself! Jon opted for a Lamb Kofta Hanging Kebab (£10.95) which was served with a bowl of chips underneath and a pot of sweet chilli, ginger and garlic butter that was poured down the entirety of the kebab and dripped onto the chips - he enjoyed it greatly! The hanging kebabs are known to be one of the Botanists signature dishes.     

I have already told my parents that we are going to go there when they come to visit me - so I would most definitely recommend it to those who want a little escape from the city and fancy feeling like they are living in a little English town :-) 

Check out The Botanist here.

Lots of love

Sarah Marie x

Faux Fur

Hi everyone,

As the weather has become even colder in November, I decided I needed to start wearing much more cosy and warmer clothing I could snuggle into. I actually purchased the coat on a trip to London in the summer and I have to say it is one of the best decisions I have ever made!

Today, I decided that I wanted to change up my look from wearing simply black and white most days so I thought i'd dig out some clothing I hadn't worn in a little while. I must say I felt very autumnal in it! The coat is a lovely dark green with a detachable faux fur trim on the neckline which is perfect for when I want to spice up another outfit. The thin-knit jumper ensures I'm not too hot in the coat, and the zip jodphur treggings add a nice bit of detail. I think that the colour of these chelsea boots brings the whole look together :-) 

Lots of love

Sarah Marie x

Top: Hand-me down   

Coat: Zara £79.99 (Coat with detachable fur collar) 

Treggings: Zara £25 (similar here: Ripped leggings with zips)

Shoes: Topshop £45 (MONTH Leather Chelsea Boots)