Kellicious

A week in the life #5

2012-02-27T21:58:00.001Z

This week has mostly been coursework, sleep, energy drinks to avoid sleep and eating whilst doing coursework! I have two assignments due in tomorrow so will definitely feel better during the rest of the week - it just feels like it's taken forever to get through these last two essays, my brain is literally frazzled *see above confused face photo* Referencing can go do one too, haha.

I've made my personal Twitter a little more 'me' and made the blog one a little more 'blogger me'. Feel free to go and add me on either account - @Kelliphant if you want life updates, @Kelliciousxo if you want blog related tweets.

I got so stressed yesterday I went and had a mini spree at Boots, which I'll put up on here tomorrow. Got a few reviews to write as well, so expect a few more posts this week seeing as I won't actually have anything else to worry about...for now at least.

I was going to go to pound a pint, but the housemates I usually go with left without even inviting me, pssh! Oh well, it will give me time to go over my coursework again and make some final adjustments before the 2pm online submission deadline tomorrow, you can submit as many times as you want which is rather handy - I've already uploaded both assignments but being the panicky person I am, I'm sure I'll find something to correct.

Spring Face

2012-02-27T21:53:00.000Z

Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil (Dark Brown)

Rimmel Soft Kohl Eye Pencil (Black)

Rimmel Scandal'eyes Mascara (Black)

Rimmel Sunshimmer Compact Powder (Light Matte)

17 Spring Fling Spring Palette (Pink and gold)

Bourjois Blush (Rose Ambre 74)

Natural Collection Moisture Shine Lipstick (Pink Orchid)

It's not every day I take my glasses off and expose my face to the world, but I was experimenting with a more natural look (for me, at least) with some spring influenced colours. I'm really feeling the pastel and neon shades on the high street at the minute, feel like I'm in a sweet shop!

Review: Carmex Lip Balm SPF15

2012-02-22T22:31:00.000Z

My lips hate the winter months and dry up at the drop of a hat, which is ridiculously annoying when I wear lipstick on an almost daily basis. Flaky lipstick is a big nono. So how do I prevent the horrible dry look? I turn to my good ole' friend Carmex.

I love anything cherry flavoured, so Carmex is a winner with it's cherry fragrance. It feels quite tingly when first applied but you soon get used to the feeling. If you're quite sensitive to fragranced products, you might want to test a little bit before taking the plunge! Unlike some lip balms (especially the stick versions), it almost instantly moisturises after only a small application. As a result it forms a great base for lipstick, which also enchances the overall gloss/matte finish of the colour you choose to wear on top. I don't think it makes any difference to the length of wear, but I don't know whether that's because the lipsticks I use are generally quite long lasting regardless.4

It is also SPF15, so use can be transitioned to the summer months to protect your smackers from the harsh UV rays of the sun - yes, even your lips need a bit of sunscreen!

The price really depends on the retailer. You can pay from around £1.92 on Pharmacy Plus up to almost £4 at Topshop, so shop wisely as some stores will cheat you out of money when they have no real reason to ;) It also comes in a squeezy tube, which makes application easier if you don't like the idea of using a pot. I'd thoroughly recommend it if like me, the winter is a harsh time for your lips and you want them to be kissably soft again with the minimum effort.

A week in the life #4

2012-02-20T18:41:00.000Z

My room smells like pizza at the moment, so I decided to make a stand with a good old Glade smelly ;) It makes me think of Christmas though, because my mum only over seems to use Glade stuff when we have the family over for the festive season, haha.

Me, Charl and Rach decided to be naughty after our analytical skills practical last Monday and went to Cabot Circus for a lunch date at Nandos. I was right pig and had my usual order of a chicken pitta (hot) with cheese, chips and macho peas...with 3 chicken wings 'cause I was in a fattybum mood. I looked pregnant afterwards, but it was worth it!

I've been on a 'no-alcohol' campaign for 2 weeks but decided to have a bottle of wine to celebrate handing in my first assignment of 5 that are due in over the next month and a bit - it would be rude not to, after all! I am eating a lot more healthily, walking more and drinking less at the minute, and I already feel 10000x better for it :)

I bought this gorgeous dress from Miss Selfridge for £15 reduced from £33 on Wednesday, I actually remembered it from Lily's graduation outfit post and how amazing she looked in it, so I snapped it up straight away considering it was the only one in the store and was in my size, which never normally happens to me! I love the colour blocking and the pleating at the front, does wonders for your boobs too, aha.

My room needed a major spring clean today, and in the process I came across all these train tickets, plus about £8 in various change thrown around the place. It's actually quite amazing how much junk you can accumulate in a short space of time!

I've decided to make a new Twitter dedicated to the blog, as to separate my *real life* and *blogging life* to some degree, basically I don't want to spam my friends with lots of blog related stuff. So if you are following my personal account (@Kellicopter), please feel free to carry on, but also add @Kelliciousxo to get all the latest blog updates and little fashion/beauty related tweets I feel like posting.

The one where I feel much better

2012-02-19T10:30:00.000Z

Looks like I need my fringe cutting again...

I promise that from now on, posting will be regular again! I am feeling a lot more like me again after a hard couple of weeks, I was having a little bit of a personal dilemma and also went home to support one of my best friends through a tough time she is currently having, so things were a little emotionally draining! The stress of uni was becoming a little too much with a load of coursework being thrown at us and everything felt way too much out of control. I think I'd just worn myself out physically and emotionally and needed a break. Going back home put things into perspective and I've got my feet back on the ground :)

I've got my work/social life balance back on track and my coursework is going rather nicely :) I'm still looking for jobs without much luck, but hopefully my luck will change soon! Hoping I get a 4hr sales position at Oasis that I applied for earlier - it's pathetic hours, but I'm hoping it might lead to more if I was to get the job, any money will be welcome right now! I'm on track to become a PAL Leader at uni next year, which is basically holding tutorials with 1st years to help them with one of the Biomed modules...it's £8.73 an hour so not too shabby wage wise at all - the only problem is I'd only be doing it 2 hours a week max. I miss the days when I had a 12 hour a week job and EMA, I miss having money to spare :( Damn student life, however much I bloody love it, haha.

I've got some hauls and reviews to post over the next few weeks, along with the new 'Flavour of the Week' feature I'm trying out, where I will post about trends that have caught my eye. It might be clothes, music, food or anything else in between, so keep your eyes peeled.

Still hmm-ing and ahh-ing over whether to buy tix for Bristol Fashion Week or not, let alone whether to apply for a blogger pass! There will be 18 catwalk shows over the week from various high street brands so it would be well worth a peek...I just don't know if they will take me seriously as a blogger! I should stop being so negative, shouldn't I?

Flavour of the week: Spikes&Studs

2012-02-18T20:21:00.001Z

Back in my emo days, studs were a particular favourite of mine, especially in my belts! Now I'm older and wiser, and fashion has embraces the whole gothic vibe and made it glamourous, spikes and studs are once again making their way into my good books.

001. Oh, if only I were thin enough to wear a bralet! This would look awesome with a colour pop pencil skirt or tribal/geometric print with some sexy wedges for a night out, or with some denim cut offs, a mean tan and sandals for the summer.

002. Plaited leather bracelets seem to be everywhere on the highstreet at the moment, and this Miss Selfridge beauty is a winner. It's enough to make a statement in an outfit but doesn't pose a threat to the fabric of your clothes (trust me, I've had a few snagging incidents with badly made studs on jewellery!) I like the contrast between the studs and the suede, kinda badass and delicate all in one.

003. I am gradually building up a collection of spiked earrings, and these hoops keep bang on the neon trend with the pink 'pop' and gold spikes. These would brighten up any outfit and create an awesome statement piece.

004. I developed a bit of a thing for tunnels when my ex started stretching his ears (back when were together, of course #imnotastalker) There's something quite sexy about ear tunnels to me, but I'd never find the guts to stretch mine! So I am extremely glad that faux tunnels are becoming quite the thing in the world of accessories - get the look without the pain ;) I bought the neon pink Topshop ones a few weeks back and adore them, they make an awesome statement and look pretty genuine.

005. I've been coveting studded loafers for a while now and wish I'd snapped up a black pair from Topshop before they sold out *sob* I can't imagine being safe with some spiked loafers as some shops offer (I would spike everyone and everything!) I might get some off eBay once my uni bursary comes through next month, oh decisions!

006. This mink clutch keeps it subtle and sexy to keep in with the emerging pastel trend this S/S. It would look cute with a lemon or mint dress/top/bottom half or an LBD on a night out, it's quite versatile as the colour will go with almost anything! It also comes with a detachable strap to help you make the transition between night and day wear.

Review: Trevor Sorbie Beautifully Straghtened

2012-02-17T11:55:00.001Z

Trevor Sorbie Beautifully Straightened

Protection Shampoo

Protection Conditioner

Overnight Repair Treatment

I like to keep it a bit of secret but my hair isn't naturally straight! *gasp* In reality, it's quite a fluffy, wavy mess when it hasn't been touched, so I pretty much burn it to death with straighteners every day...with a few exceptions, of course. Messy buns, plats and ponytails sometimes give my poor hair a break from torture :)

To help me get straight hair, I've been using professional straightening products for a fair few years now. I started off with Lee Stafford Beautifully Straight, with his gorgeous bright pink packaging and lush smelling products but couldn't really afford his products, so moved onto Mark Hill Sexy Straight, which smells pretty nasty to me :( Luckily, my auntie bought me some Trevor Sorbie minis for Christmas and I instantly fell in love with his range and went out to buy the full size beauties.

The main difference I've noticed between this range and other straightening ones is the fragrance. Never before have I gone into a lecture and been told my hair smells beautiful, let alone find myself sniffing sections at random intervals! The conditioner, when left in for 2 minutes, makes my hair feel really light and soft to the touch. It actually feels like I've used a much more intense conditioning treatment on it.

I've used up all my lightweight serum and really need to buy some more - you work it through towel dried hair before drying and it reminds me a little of the Miracle Oil I reviewed a while back as it reduces drying time and helps to further condition the hair.

One my favourite products from the range has to be the Overnight Repair Treatment, which is a definite saviour for my horrible dry, splits ends from heat abuse. You smooth it through the ends before you go to bed, sleep, and wake up with your hair feeling totally soft through the whole length! It's simple but does a lot for the overall look and condition of your hair.

I'd thoroughly recommend the Trevor Sorbie range if like me, it takes some work to get your hair straight. It's affordable, effective and smells good - a winning formula in my books!

Oo, and Boots are doing 3 for 2 on professional haircare at the moment, so get yourself down there ;)

A week in the life #3

2012-02-13T11:32:00.000Z

In my Microbiology lab, I managed to shatter a glass tube just by touching it. My reflex action was to catch the broken glass, and I ended up making this rather attractive cut in my finger, which gushed blood all over the place - the lab tech almost fainted when I showed her my dripping red hand! Haha. I then had to fill in a 2 page accident report for my misdemeanour, it was like being punished for having a total accident! It's almost completely healed now, it just looked a lot worse than it was initially :)

I became electrode girl on Wednesday in our Human Anatomy and Physiology lab when we took in turns to electrocute each other and cause nerve stimulation in our thumbs, it was highly amusing to see my friends recoil in pain as I fiddled with the controls, aha I'm such a sadistic bitch ;)

I went back to Coventry on Wednesday to see my family, clear my head and support one of my best friends through a tough time she is currently going through. I've been finding it almost impossible to sleep and just generally feel run into the ground at the minute, so it was nice to see everyone back home again, eat homecooked food, have some good ole' Esquires white hot chocolate and have some proper 'me' time without feeling smothered by the pressures of my degree in Bristol. I feel much better now and ready to attack my huge pile of coursework with a positive outlook! Sometimes you do just need to slow down and take a step back, I have been overdoing it a bit recently and kinda burnt my body out temporarily...I want a first in my degree and to have a good time, which is possible if I balance everything properly.

Some of my chill out time included howling with laughter at the sudden emergence of university memes on Facebook - the UWE once is brilliant! I've also been reading a lot of trashy magazines (guilty pleasure, sozzz) and came across a rather interesting article about those weird reborn dolls, *shudder*

I'll be updating the blog as much as I can this week, sorry about my disappearance last week, I should have told you I was stuck in a bit of a rut!

A week in the life #2

2012-02-05T23:19:00.000Z

This week has been a little bit of work avoidance, my bad! I have started all my assignments but really need to finish them as they are due in 3 weeks...it's just been hard to find the motivation, especially when our boiler was broken for a week. It was like living in an igloo and I felt soooo ill and moody as a result of shivering 24/7 - I was sleeping in a hoody, 2 pairs of socks, a sleeping bag, double duvet and a blanket and still felt cold :( I could have kissed the British Gas men who fixed it...it took 3 attempts by engineers to sort it out, though. Only me and the housies could have problems that complicated, aha.

I am already a published poet, and added published journalist to my repertoire of fabulousness recently when my work was used in the university newspaper...I only discovered I'd made the cut this week though, 3 months after the paper came out! *facepalm* Hopefully I'll be writing more articles soon...if you look real close you can see my name ;)

I'm officially in love with the Trevor Sorbie Beautifully Straightened collection, it's the first straight hair product I've found in a while that actually smells nice! My Mark Hill stuff smells kinda..funky, but not in the good sense :/ I will pop a review up soon, I've got quite a few new buys to blog about, just need to find the time.

Instead of working I have been doing what I do best, partying. I did three nights in a row this week and still feel dead :/ Went to Thekla again, which is my totally favourite place because it's on a boat ;) As you can tell from the pictures, we were totally sober...it was an awesome evening though :D

Hope you've all had a good week and aren't too cold!

Adios, January!

2012-02-01T22:31:00.001Z

Is it just me or did January feel like it went on foreevvver? I feel like I've done so much in 2012 already even though it's only been 31 days! I had wonderful university exams at the beginning of the month followed by a lovely revision free week at home - it was so nice to spend quality time with my mum, sister, nieces and everyone else in between without any festive or university related hassle.

I'm 3 weeks into semester 2 now, having started a new module and I am now back in my wonderful little world under a pile of assignments, woo. I've signed and paid for my new house for year 2 and I'll be picking my modules for next year this month, eeeek. On a lighter note, I've already got 2 firsts and a 2:1 this term, which takes my total up to 4 firsts and one 2:1 in my degree so far...hopefully I stay on track for a first! Some people see this year as a doss but I have my heart set on a summer placement either at UWE or the University of Cincinnati, so need the best grades possible - unfortunately competition is extremely high! Of course I am still managing to keep my social life going quite swimmingly too, already had a fair few hilarious nights out with the housemates and other friends :)

NYR wise, I've only really continued losing weight because I've been ill...don't tell anyone I said that ;) but the improvements I've seen in the way I feel and look even after losing my post-Christmas blubber is driving me to be much better to myself diet wise. When I did my food shopping yesterday the cashier commented on how healthily I was eating, so I must be doing something right!

I hope y'all had a good January whatever you got up to! ♥

Introducing...StyleSays

2012-02-01T00:27:00.002Z

NOTE - This post isn't in anyway sponsored, I received a message on IFB about the website today and personally decided to write this post as I can see a lot of potential in it. As a result, this post is 100% my opinion and my personal take on the site.

I personally see StyleSays as a bit of a fusion between Polyvore and Pintrest, where you can 'say' your favourite products from any website and make collections for everyone to see. For example, I'm collecting shoes, dresses and accessories amongst many other things. It's pretty straightforward- put a 'Say it!' button on your toolbar et voila, instant sharing of your favourites. As you can see on my sidebar, you can also put widgets on your website to show your readers what you're currently lusting over. The best part is, the site will alert you when your most coveted products go on sale, so you know when it's time to bag that bargain!

There is also a featured stylist section, where the best fashion orientated bloggers can allow readers to recreate their looks with links to the products they are wearing or similar ones - now it's even easier to take inspiration from your style crushes.

I have a VIP code for 10 people, so click this link and enter the promotion code stylesays.sanrio.899 if you want to get in before everyone else!

A week in the life #1

2012-01-28T12:41:00.002Z

~I'm going to start my 'week in the life' again, which will hopefully make me do it every week like I initially planned to!~

This week has been a pretty productive one, had my job interview/recruitment evening at Lush (but I didn't get a bloody job, so back to the search once again, *le sigh*) the same day as discovering that Bristol has a motherfreaking Shakeaway! I used to go there all the time in Canterbury when I went to see my ex at his uni, we have a similar francise back in Cov but the selection is pretty crap imho - Shakeaway put popping candy in your sakes, fgs ♥

My 'Keep Calm and Do Science' poster is now pride of place above my bed - one of my housemates just sighed when he saw it haha, they're too used to my science geekiness now! Wednesday was our traditional night at Propaganda, where I got very drunk and did a lot of handbanging...as you can see my flyer wall is gradually growing thanks to the flyers from a lot of my evenings at Props, haha.

I've been a bit of a shopaholic this week and stocked up on some Topshop socks as I haven't had an injection of colourful cuteness in a while - lions, in t-shirts? Goddammit I had to get them. Afterall, I did get a first in my Cell Biology and Biochemistry assignment, I needed to treat myself ;)

PS. I'm having a little play around with the blog atm so sorry if colours aren't matching or whatnot, it will all look very lovely soon, promise!

A Lush evening

2012-01-22T22:57:00.000Z

Even if I don't get a job, I can safely say that the recruitment evening at Lush was extremely enjoyable! (obviously I am keeping everything crossed that I get a job, though!)

There was 35 of us in hopeful with only 2/3 jobs on offer, so the tension was pretty high right from the word off. Of course there had to be one person that spoke up so much that they didn't seem confident...just plain bloody arrogant! After a talk on the company, their history and their ethics, we were split into 3 groups and rotated around the group activities. I started off with bath bombs, ballistics and melts (my favourite things from Lush, eee). We were told to pick up and smell as may as we could then were taught how to demo the products to customers, which involved lots of bubbles and getting our hands stuck in :) After that we moved onto massage bars, where were told about about what suits each skin type and had a go at massaging the supervisors at the store - it was weird touching someone I hadn't known long, haha. We finished a bit early so ended up rubbing every type of skin cream and lotion available onto our arms and hands - I'm still covered in glitter now! Finally we had a little Q&A session, where we passed around a pot of questions and chose one to answer. Examples included 'what historical event would you visit and why?' and 'would you rather have the key to every door in the world of be invisible?' Hard hitting questions ;)

It was a nice change from other formal job things I've been too and gave us a real chance to get stuck in and sample loads of Lush products at the same time - now I just have to wait for the all important reply, eeeek.

The one where I need a job...

2012-01-21T14:14:00.004Z

Rewriting my CV at the moment ready for the recruitment evening at my local Lush store tomorrow to accompany my 'creative' cover letter that we were requested to write (as you can see above) - I actually really enjoyed handwriting and doodling all over something for a job, I'm so used to being all formal and well formatted, aha. I'm keeping my fingers crossed as I really do need the extra moneyz in time for next year.

Talking of next year, we got the house we wanted *celebration dance* We were kinda petrified because another group had already confirmed their interests before Christmas but they hadn't paid up so we got in at the last minute. Contracts are signed and the deposit is paid so I'm good to move in come July time! I'm so excited because Bristol is one of the hottest parts of the country so come summer time I'm just going to come down here, then get the train to Weston-Super-Mare and sit on the beach, muahaha. The house is a little more expensive that the one I'm currently in due to it having one extra bedroom, 2 showers and it's much closer proximity to the city centre (something I was dying to have, I live on the wrong side of campus to everyone else atm and it sucks), so job hunting is definitely needed if I don't want to be living off Tesco's 24p noodles for the next 2 years!

PS. I got a 2:1 in my Human Anatomy and Physiology exam, woooo. Considering I only styarted revising on the day of the exam having been drinking the night before I'm shocked I did so well! Haha. I spent a lot more time working my ass off for Introduction to Biology of Disease so fingers crossed I get the first I want when the results are published next week!

What lies underneath (your clothes)

2012-01-16T12:30:00.000Z

Since I've come to uni, my boobs have randomly decided to have their first growth spurt in like, 4 years or something, aha. I've even gotten a little taller! Is there something in the water in Bristol? I suppose we apparently don't stop growing until we're 21, so I have 2 and a bit more years of growing time left ;)

I heard about LaSenza going into administration just before Christmas and heard on the grapevine how they were selling off all their products last week, so I went to the store at Cribbs Causeway yesterday to pick up a couple of lovely new bras to make my chest happy (aha) - it turns out my local store is one of the lucky ones to be bought out by the new company that is taking over, so there will be opportunity for future processes! I was quite impressed with the discounts and ranges on sale - I spent £15 on 2 bras that would have cost me £36 if they were still at full price...I couldn't have justified spending that much despite how gorgeous they are ;) Is it just me or are LaSenza sizes smaller than other shops? Whenever I've been, I'm literally bursting out of my normal bra size when I try stuff on! Anyways ~tmi~ haha. I love the detailing on these, which make them look as expensive as they are - the floral push up bra looks even more gorgeous in reality! I know you're the only person that sees your underwear but I always feel better when I have a lovely (matching set on.

All change, please

2012-01-15T17:13:00.001Z

Little bit of a change of scenery on the blog - I have a fringe and I'm back in the land of Bristol for the second term of university! Ok, so I temporarily came back last week for my exams but that doesn't really count. It's sooo good to be back, even if I already miss home cooked food courtesy of my mum - a whole month of it was a well deserved treat after last term's workload ;)

My housing situation is also going in a new direction! I spent 18 years of my life in the same house and never moved. Now in the space of 5 months, I've already signed the contract for one house and moved into it and may be signing another contract tonight/tomorrow for next year! I love my homeboyyzz but we've decided we all want to move on, and I do miss living with girls...there are 2 girls and 3 guys moving in with me next year so it should be fun timez, considering 3 of them are some of my besties off my course :) I will have to learn to budget a lot better as the rent is a bit higher but I can't complain because the house is nearer to town and is generally a lot nicer - I am quite frankly sick of my box room here :P Only me, Jamie and Ellie could make the viewing earlier today so we're popping back tonight with Hayley and Elliot to make a final decision and tell the landlord what we're planning to do, eeeeeee!

UPDATE - WE'VE GOT THE HOUSE, WOOOOOOOO.

Money wise, I am going to a recruitment evening for Lush next Saturday so *fingers crossed* I get a job - I can't think of a cooler place to work! My creative cover letter looks amazeballs too, I'll get round to posting it on here at some point :)

I'm also starting a new module at uni this week, Introduction to Microbiology, which means I may get the chance to meet some more Biomeds due to our lecture and lab groups being smaller :) It will be weird to start something new again, but it all looks rather exciting!

Love will tear us apart

2012-01-08T18:38:00.001Z

Jacket New Look

Tunic (worn as shirt) New Look

Earrings Primark

Bracelets eBay

~I really need to find a proper 'outfit post location' because I really want to get back into the swing of outfit posting..am I the only person in the blogosphere that doesn't have a huge blank coloured wall in their house? There is one in my student dugs though, so hopefully I can take some photos in secret so the guys don't think I'm a freak, aha.~

Been coveting a leather look jacket for a while now, espesh as the weather is stupidly mild atm (it's January, right?) and this beauty is currently in the New Look sale for £12, reduced from £32.99, bargain! I got the tunic a while back in the New Look sale and it was already a couple of seasons old, so if you want it, good luck finding it (I say this, it's probs floating around on the interwebz somewhere though!) - I have worn it just on it's own with leggings but is a little too sheer with that kinda combo, so I just tucked into my staple H&M bodycon skirt to maintain my dignity :)

I have weird phases with bracelets to be honest, I either wear loooads or none. I've recently fallen for simple string charm braclets a la Urban Outfitters but about a 1/4 of the price (I bought a gorgeous UO bracelet in the sale and I lost it 2 weeks later, booohisss) I've found a really good seller on eBay to meet my needs in the form of hippyspiritjade - cheap, fast delivery and really pretty bracelets...me gusta.

My 2012 goals

2012-01-04T22:05:00.001Z

Drop a dress size

I depressed myself when I was clearing out my wardrobe a couple of months ago and found a couple of size 10 tops back from when I was about 14. As soon as my body filled out *BOOM* I became a size 12, which went up to a 14 at one point but that stage was soon nipped in the bud ;) I would love to be a size 10 again, and in all honesty it would make me a lot more in proportion. My plan of action? Eat less junk, go running more often and start swimming again. I can't afford the luxury of a gym so the great outdoors it is!

Get a first and get on a summer placement

I am currently on a sandwich degree but don't particularly like the idea of taking a whole year out to do a work placement. I was actually told at one of my interviews last year that it doesn't put you at an advantage in Biomedical Science, so when I found out my university give the best 5 students on the course a chance to assist our lecturers with their research projects, I got my ass straight into gear! I am on track so far with two Firsts in my first lot of coursework, and will hopefully carry on the hard work and be a successful applicant come May/June time :)

Stop being a frivolous spender

I am one of those people who gets a little carried away as soon as there's more than a three digit number in my bank account. OK, so it's not the point where I'm going into overdrafts or missing rent/bill payments but I would definitely like to feel a little more in control of my finances, so I am going to be a MUCH better budgeter this semester and only buy necessary things with the occasional treat

Be a better blogger

My updates have been a little sporadic since I've been at uni, and I would like to get back into a steady pattern so you readers know when you can come on and see something new! I have loads of stuff to review and loads of clothes to feature in outfit posts so after my exams finish this week, I shall try and keep a little tidy schedule going :)

(image source)

Hello 2012

2012-01-01T23:28:00.002Z

So, it's 2012 already...pretty scary, huh? 2011 was a huge year of change for me, in terms of personal relationships, education and my attitude to life in general. I started university, moved to a different city on my own for the first time and met some truly amazing people who have already made an awesome impact on my life. I won't waste my time blabbing on about everything that happened, you can go over to my 365 project blog for that ;)

Kellicious will be one year old in a couple of weeks, and I think 2012 is just the beginning for me in terms of blogging. I have a lot to learn but my visits are going up every day and this month has been the busiest I've ever had - I really appreciate the fact that people have carried on to read the blog and enjoy it...I promise it will only be getting better from now on! So yeah..thanks for sticking around, promoting me on your blogs, putting me on your Follow Fridays on Twitter and everything else in between - it really is the little things that make a big difference.

Happy new year!

All together again...

2011-12-28T23:38:00.002Z

Homemade gifts galore!

Our friendship group was finally reunited as one for the first time in 3 months today! I have seen all of them either at their university, back in Coventry or they've been down to see me in Briz but we've never all been in one room together since we all left, so it was beyond lovely to spend some quality time with my 6 fave douches (♥) We went for a Christmas meal at Harvester, which has left my stomach suitably bloated but satisfies with its contents, aha.

I got some rather nice pressies from the girls - I went down the 'homemade' route as I am a poor skint student afterall...I've happily spent over £200 on friends and only some of my family back when I had a job and EMA, which I can't really do atm! I popped into ASDA yesterday and spent £15 on ingredients and decorations for cookies and truffles, then spent the evening covered in chocolate and icing putting little goodies bags together for everybody. They are definitely a cheap and cheerful way of giving, and I must also add that they are very tasty :) A couple of my presents will be reviewed on here soon, so keep your eyes peeled!

Ho ho ho

2011-12-26T22:47:00.001Z

Here, have an awful webcam photo of me in my Christmas onesie looking nice and rough after lots of food and suffering from my annual festive cold ;)

It's been so lovely to have a proper family Christmas this year - the last 2 years have been a little mental as I disappeared off to Oz in 2009 and was then the worse company ever last year as I was going through a breakup, was working all Christmas and had the flu (great combo eh?) I think I've appreciated being around my family even more due to being away at university for so long...however, I am getting a little too used to my mum's food and constant heating! Student life is just sooo tough, aha *insert violin solo*

I got some lovely presents as always, lots of the usual smellies and chocolates amongst some lovely new clothes, even more make-up and nail varnish that I will get round to reviewing soon, a brilliant stack of DVDs to take back to uni, a few owl related things (naturally) and the best present of them all..STEPS TICKETS! It's the week before my 19th birthday in April so I am going to have a very exciting Easter holiday!

I hope you're all having a lovely festive season and enjoying your time off from school/uni/work, have a good'un :)

Bye for now Bristol, brb

2011-12-16T16:47:00.001Z

I am writing this as a distraction from packing...I am far too easily bored by mundane tasks such as folding clothes! Semester one finally finished today, and I am going home for a month tomorrow :)

I can't quite believe that I've already been here in Bristol for 3 months...it feels like yesterday I was packing my life in Ikea bags and cardboard boxes to move down here. It's been the most random, eye opening, side splitting, liver damaging and incredible 13 weeks of my life by far. I've learned so much about myself, met the most amazing people, had some hilarious nights out and lived the dream in the form of doing science every single day!

I am now in an extremely Christmassy mood now my Introduction to Biology of Disease coursework is over, it was taking over my life! Oh and I got a lovely early Christmas present yesterday courtesy of my genetics lecturer...I got a freaking FIRST in my assignment *cue fireworks and celebration dance*

I am in two minds about how to feel about leaving. I actually kinda want to cry about leaving as I think I'm going to feel like I've lost a limb living without my homeboys John, Stu and Sam! However, there are a few friends from back home that have been too busy to visit me in the last 3 months, so I am beyond stoked to be seeing them again - many nights out to catch up are required! Me and Polly have already booked our traditional gossip, coffee and mince pie session at Starbz ;) And then of course there is my lovely family to see too, my mother's peace and quiet at home will soon be ruined once again, aha. It will be weird to have everyone back in Coventry, it's been far too long! Unfortunately I have 2 exams to revise for over the holidays but I'll survive, I should be used to it after bloody A-Levels, psssh. IT'S BEGINNING TO FEEL A LOT LIKE CHRIIIIISSTTMAASSS ♥

Frohe Weihnachten!

2011-12-11T20:58:00.001Z

Translation - Merry Christmas!

Sunday was a rather lively day in my life for once! I took a break from revision and went to Birmingham for the annual Frankfurt Weihnachtsmarkt with my mum - we go every year so I couldn't break tradition! Typically it decided to rain, but we still spent time drinking plenty of Glühwein (mulled wine - we sampled quite a large portion of the menu, my new personal favourite being Kirschwein, mmm) and speaking German..it made me realise how much I miss A-Level lessons! I really do need to find a way of getting to use the language again, feels like 7 years of it will go to waste otherwise... One day I will actually go over to Germany for the weekend and visit one of the markets in a city like Cologne (I went there in the summer 3 years ago and it was such a lovely place, so I'd like to see it the winter). I just adore the way that Germans do Christmas, there's a really traditional feel to it that I feel has been kind of lost here in England :(

We also took the time to wander round the shops, where I dropped some hints about some of the presents I'd like this year - we had a look at the phone I want and had to avoid the Swatch store because their gorgeous watches are far too expensive...haha. My mum also treated me to some Poundland Christmas decorations for my room in Brizzle - the lads haven't made much of an effort to do anything Christmassy in our house apart from wear Santa hats to I decided it was time to take matters in my own hands and at least make my room festive ;) How tacky is my mini fibre optic Christmas tree? You have to secretly love it, though! I am tempted to buy some more £1 packs of 20 fairy lights, they look so pretty and I don't want to take them down from my by bed, like, ever because they're so cute.

Tomorrow is my last day of revision before my first assessed oral presentation of the year, eeek! After Tuesday I've only got a few tutorials left so I'm going to enjoy being able to properly kick back for the last bit of semester...I'll finally be home for Christmas on Saturday...excited isn't the word!

All I want for Christmas

2011-12-08T19:29:00.001Z

If you haven't noticed already, it's that time of year when things get a little colder and a lot more sparkly...good old Christmas time! University is gradually gearing up for the festive season, as you can see from me dancing very drunk in a Santa hat at the SU party ;) There was a snow machine, so I was a very happy Kelli! I even had my first Christmas dinner today at the restaurant on campus, it was lush! I'm especially excited at the minute as semester is almost over, which means I get to spend 3 weeks with my family back in Coventry. However, I need to get my first exam out the way before I can go, bleeuugghh.

I'm definitely glad that I'm not working this year...I was a Sales Advisor at Debenhams this time last year and it was hell (albeit very well paid hell) with all the sales and mad rushes for last minute presents - I had angry customers swear and throw things at me and had to work every Bank Holiday whilst suffering from the flu! Not the best way to spend Christmas, aha.

After a phone call to my Mutti yesterday, I realised that I haven't actually come up with a wishlist yet! So instead of doing coursework, I decided to compile one whilst I'm home alone.

My Samsung Monte is on his way out and I need to get my arse onto a contract, so it's the perfect time to invest in a slightly more expensive phone than usual. I've offered to go halves with my mum on it, so the Galaxy S2 was out of the question, as sexy as it is ;) I feel a bit out of the smart phone loop and would like to join the world of geotagging and apps! #imsosadhaha

I get a new A/W wardrobe every Christmas, so I need to start looking around the shops properly and pick up a couple of staple looks for the party season. I have a new addiction to sparkles and skater dresses, so Topshop looks like a dead cert for my shopping spree!

Yes, I know I already have purple and black Vans but they are my equivalent of Uggs in the world of comfort dressing at university. When I'm hungover, Vans, jeans and a jumper are all I need to feel dressed! And every girl needs shoes after all..

I have a couple more textbooks that I need to purchase before my exams in January, so I'm hoping my family will help me out a little bit. I'm getting good at finding dirt cheap second hand ones on Amazon but some of the the recommended reading is brand new so there are only £50 first hand copies around :(

Ever since I got this set from Glamour magazine, I have been using Benfit tints to death and I am now dreading the impending doom of running out! So, a new set please?

I have broken 2 watches since I've been to uni, so would rather like a nice new white one (I have a thing for white watches, not too sure why aha) This Swatch on is gorgeous but at £110 it may perhaps be a liittlee steep.

I have decided that I require nail wraps, gems and some more varnishes to feed my desire to constantly change my nails. These floral wraps from Accesorize are so cute, they'd look gorgeous and add a lovely new dimension to my outfits!

It will be OK!

2011-12-04T15:21:00.001Z

001. Definitely need a haircut when I get home for Christmas....my fringe has taken over my face! I don't think I could have a side fringe all the time, I find full fringes much easier to manage because you can play around with them a lot more. The only problem is once they start to grow out, you're a bit screwed ;)

002. I hate uni work so much. I'm stressing over my first assessment next week...I've been sat for hours in this bloody study making posters about diseases based on a case study. The requirements for font size and line spacing are driving me up the wall! I can't wait until next Tuesday afternoon when it's all over :(

003. Thursday was a random evening to say the least. I saw the one and only David Haselhoff (no word of a lie, I was in hysterics haha) in Cabot Circus (Brizzle's main shopping centre) and then went to Thekla (a club...on a boat!) and met Sebastien De Souza, Sean Teale and Will Merrick, who you might know better as Matty, Nick and Alo from generation 3 of Skins. Gen 1 is still my ulitmate favourite, but they were really lovely and I even got a kiss on the cheek and hug off Seb, so I can't complain! Bristol life is so random, I love it.

003. Got a couple more reviews to pop up on here over the next week - went a bit crazy on the purchases the past couple of weeks! A couple of hair products and nail varnishes...if you have any particular preference to which I post first, please ask :)

One night in Brizzle

2011-12-01T12:00:00.000Z

Champagne, limousines and the Clifton Suspension Bridge at night ♥

I've been waiting for all the photos from Saturday night to appear on Facebook, hence the post being a bit delayed! It was my lovely friend Rachael's 21st on 18th November, which she spent back home in London. As a result she decided to have a Brizzle birthday last weekend, which was just beyond awesome.

Her parents had managed to book a limo without her or us even knowing, so it was quite a shock to find out I was getting a free journey to town in a luxury setting ;) We went for a 40 minute drive around Brizzle, stopping near the end to see the Clifton Suspension Bridge at night, which is super pretty - I've only ever seen it in the day before, but it is definitely worth a visit one evening :) The journey was accompanied with 8 bottles of champers, which went down quite well to say the least! We then went down to Oceana, which is a bit of a rip off price wise (£5 for a single vodka and coke, anyone?) but great fun once you avoid the slimy 30-something men who decide it's acceptable to randomly come and kiss you on the cheek and grab you on the dancefloor..pssh, some men.

Ooo, guy in the purple top in the big group photo? He's Tom from back home, if you remember me mentioning him before ;) aha.

I'm off to Gourmet Burger Kitchen tonight, followed my pre-drinks at Jamie's flat (the house of banter, paha) and a crazy indie night at Thekla...a club ON A BOAT! I am so excited, it'll be like Christmas has come early ;)

Barry M Lip Paint 145

2011-11-29T13:30:00.000Z

Barry M Lip Paint in 145 Punky Pink £4.49

I've spent quite a long time sporting Barry M TMP and decided to find a new pink shade that would pack just as much of a punch. I was stood in Superdrug swatching samples on my hand for ages, deciding against Shocking Pink despite how awesome it looked because it looked a little wrong against my skin tone...I think my lips prefer quite warm intense pinks.

To be perfectly honest, this lipstick kinda reminds me of my favourite shades of pink I often coded my MySpace layouts in, good ole' #FF0033! It's kinda 'in yer face' without looking like you're in fancy dress make up. It's long lasting and has a lovely matte finish which I personally love about Barry M's lip paints. It's an affordable and high quality addition to my make up bag and will definitely be up in the ranks with TMP - the only thing that lets 145 down is that it doesn't come green and change pink (simple pleasures for simple minds :P)

All that glitters

2011-11-27T20:29:00.001Z

Miss Sporty Sparkle Touch £1.99

(worn with Models Own Lilac Dream)

I found this varnish by accident while I was in Boots yesterday but instantly knew it would become a new favourite of mine. I love glitter nails (yes, I do channel some girly vibes, believe it or not!) but it's annoying being held down to a limited number of colours due to the ranges that brands produce, Barry M being my usual port of call for such sparkly gifts! However this Sparkle Touch top coat will solve that problem and will greatly increase the amount of colours you can wear for the desired effect. Of course it's still a bit limited as the glitter is blue/silver and wouldn't go with all colours, but pastel shades such as lilac and dusky pink would look especially nice with it :)

For a cheap nail varnish, it applies smoothly and dries quickly but I wouldn't actually use it as a top coat as it feels too rough to the touch, so a layer of normal clear top coat will finish the look and you can sparkle away to your heart's content!

Life as I know it

2011-11-21T17:23:00.001Z

I realised that I haven't really been talking about the going ons in my life, so this goes back to around Halloween time, sorry!

001. Hannah came across from London to see me and had the honour of being the first girl visitor to stay at our house, haha. As you can see, we got quite drunk at the SU ;) To be honest, we got drunk before we had even got home from campus to make dinner...my fajitas were still bloody tasty though!

002. I was a zombie for the Monday Lock In Halloween Party at the SU, definitely a brilliant and fun budget outfit to make. Lots of red hands thanks to daubing everything (including myself) in red face paint - John had too much fun covering my arms in it. The guys went as the Ghostbusters and made their own costumes, they were flipping awesome but I didn't get any photos :(

003. We have consumed a LOT of pizza this month in our house...it looks like we've finally embraced the student way of eating! I really need to go on a food shop to stop the temptation of getting take aways, but I've been so busy recently that I just haven't had the time!

004. I went back to Coventry from 12th-14th November and it was just awesome to see my lovely family again :D I also enjoyed the general pampering and homemade food - how I didn't cry with joy when I had Sunday Dinner round my nan's, I'll never know! My baby niece remembered me very well albeit having grown up far too much for my liking, and spent a lot of Sunday evening climbing on me and demanding I build Lego towers with her ♥ I also went to the Colly (dedicated readers will know this is my favourite club back home :P) with some friends from school who go to uni back home and met a rather lovely guy called Tom who will hopefully be making many more appearances in my life soon ;) He came down to Brizzle with his friends this weekend and we had a hilarious night at The Bunker. I woke up with a half eaten Subway and a poster stolen from the club with no recollection of how I obtained either...oh dear.

005. My Lego family in my room is gradually growing. How awesome are they?! I've always loved Lego people for some reason, I just find them really fascinating for the size that they are ;)

Hello new shoes

2011-11-21T14:20:00.001Z

New Look £24.99 (£22 with NUS discount)

After 9 weeks at university, I finally satisfied my craving for new shoes after realising I had quite a substantial amount of my Student Loan left ;) It didn't help that I was also with my wonderful friend Emily (who had come to Brizzle to see her boyfriend and me, seeing as we're both at UWE...rather handy, eh?) so was already excited because I hadn't seen her in ages and she kept saying 'go on, buy them!' whilst I was wandering around New Look in them.

I've coveted shoes in this style since A/W 2010 but as I wasn't 18 back then, I didn't really have the 'I need new shoes for clubbing' excuse. Now I'm at uni, it's the perfect excuse :) The girl that served me said that were the comfiest going out shoes that she has ever bought, and they really are! I wore them out to The Bunker in town that evening and had no nightmare-ish first time of wear incidents, which can often occur when you least want them...even when you've been wearing the damn shoes all day to make sure they are well and truly broken in! I don't know whether it's because of the fact you have more support than a court style (tbh I find all New Look shoes super comfy, but my feet are quite resilient) but they are a worthwhile investment for clubbing in the winter months :)

Wish list: The ASOS edition

2011-11-09T14:54:00.003Z

One ♥ Two ♥ Three ♥ Four

One I know bodycon dresses aren't everyone's cup of tea but this Lipsy dress manages to make the style look particularly elegant, I think the ruched front has really added a different dimension to it - I just wish I was thin enough to wear one! I know they say 'bodycon' but you have to have a pretty nice body to start with to actually pull the look off!

Two I LOVE all the art deco jewellery that is around at the minute...it gives me faith in triangles not just being cemented as a hipster thing. These drop earrings are so gorgeous and I would totally wear them with an LBD just to set off a killer look

Three I am a satchel whore, and this Modalu satchel is quite a steal on ASOS atm as it's almost half price in the sale! I'm a sucker for attention to detail, and the plaited straps on the front panel just give the bag an edge over my usual Primarni substitutes. If only I could live life with unlimited money...I'd grab myself a Mulberry Alexa too then ;)

Four LOOK AT THOSE SHOES! They are just incredible and colourful and well...lethal looking. I love statement shoes and these say more than a thousand words to anyone who sees them. I could imagine being the centre of attention at a party with these bad boys on ;)

Why being the only girl isn't the end of the world

2011-11-03T16:37:00.001Z

I've been at university for 6 weeks now but when it comes to meeting new people in the SU, we're all still in interrogation mode, a common question being 'where do you live?' Cue my typical response of 'I went through clearing so I don't live on campus, I have a house instead', swiftly followed by the 'who do you live with?' question. That's the point when I turn around and point out my main men; Stu, John and Sam, and get the confused face, usually succeeded by the person lowering their volume, leaning in closer and saying 'are you...the only girl?'

They say it like it's the worse thing to ever happen and look at me like I deserve all the sympathy in the world. Of course when other guys have found out, they normally take the typical male approach of 'you guys are so lucky, if she doesn't get with all of you by the end of first year I'd be surprised'..but I'm so used to hearing that now that I just laugh along. That's the 'Lad' approach for you, aha.

Anyway, I've decided to set the record straight and tell you all why it isn't a bad thing that I am the only girl in my house and why it's actually quite the opposite. So sit back, and let me smash those stereotypical views that many of you have

You realise that it's OK to look trampy sometimes
I would be the first person to put my hand up and admit that I used to be one of those 'omg I can't be seen without a nice outfit, neat hair and a full face of makeup' girls, but I've started to learn that noone actually really gives a crap. The guys don't pull faces at me or point out spots unlike some of my female friends have been known to do (after my response they learned to never do it again) and I'll happily sit around with a bare face and my hair shoved up a lot more than I used to. And you can tell when they like my outfits on nights out because they just smile at me...haha.

You reap the benefits of chivalry
I've always known that chivalry isn't dead but the guys have kept my faith alive in the form of buying me drinks, trying to find men for me in nightclubs (and failing, bless them), paying taxi fare, making sure we all find each other after a night out and generally just being total sweethearts. Stu has even been my hero when I've thrown up from mixing my drinks up a little too much, aha. I'm not some feminist warrior so I quite like the kindness and generosity of them all..and I have course returned the favour on many occasions!

You are the alpha female, no matter what
I love all my female friends dearly, but there are some absolute bitches out in the world of girls and I have met quite a few at uni. I have also met some truly lovely girls who I get along super well with, but I am thoroughly enjoying the break from being around females all the time. I often feel a sense of competition, like you have to assert your authority within the group in some way or another. In our house, we're all individuals that work together as a unit and really enjoy each others company. There's no clash of oestrogen and I don't feel like I have to compare myself to anyone. I should really just emphasise that I don't hate other girls!

You learn A LOT about the male mind
As Stu's mum said to me the other day, 'Kel, you are certainly having an education from this experience' and she is very right. When we go out clubbing together, I am amazed at how they scout girls and make a game plan within seconds (well, it's mostly John that does this to be honest) and the way they talk about girls fascinates me too. I get involved in the whole male banter thing and definitely have a much better insight into what makes men tick. I've never actually had a kitchen joke made in my direction, which I am rather pleased about :) If anything, they do more housework than me! Men are rather houseproud creatures ;)

You become an invaluable source of advice
I've actually had chat up lines practised on me to see if other girls will appreciate them, plucked eyebrows (yes, really), chosen outfits, given opinions on girls...it appears that guys do need girls to help them survive! I've even had to explain why irons have a steam function to John, bless him :)

You start to truly appreciate banter, and you can suddenly drink a lot more
Males seem to be naturally more 'banterific' than females, and it's been great to get involved in stupid pranks and taking the mick out of each other relentlessly over stupid little things. However, having them trying to drag you down the stairs and throwing traffic cones at you can get quite scary when they seem to forget that you are not as physically strong as them! Males also have much more resilient livers, and nights out with the guys has put me up to their speed ;)

They actually put the seat down, do more cleaning than me, don't make sexist jokes and are true gentlemen in my books. In conclusion, I actually love being the only girl in my house and this year will certainly give me some invaluable training for when I get married and to survive with just one man in my house ;)

They did the monster mash

2011-10-27T22:23:00.001+01:00

I lost my Propaganda virginity last night, and safe to say it was a very enjoyable experience! for those who haven't heard of it, Propaganda is a weekly club night in various locations across the UK with a twist...it's all about indie and rock music instead of commercial pop and RnB. I do love the latter in clubs, but it was really refreshing to dance to proper music all evening. I am much more a rock person when it comes to personal listening of music, and shouting along to the likes of Nirvana, Franz Ferdinand, Vampire Weekend, Jimmy Eat World and Fall out Boy was a LOT of fun :)

Seeing as it is Halloween on Monday, last night was the 'Halloween Spooktacular', which meant time to dress up! I definitely did myself proud on a budget - the only things I had to buy were a £1 set with cat ears and a tail, £1 eyeliner (I would have cried if I'd lost my usual £7 eyeliner in a club while topping up my whiskers haha) and some £2 knee high socks :) We were quite an eclectic bunch with our costumes, with Spartans, skeletons and Batgirl in our taxi home! I'm just waiting on some theatre blood to be delivered then I'm starting on my zombie costume for Monday - I will show you my DIY expertise on here when it's done!

Sometimes you just need to let your hair down

2011-10-23T20:46:00.002+01:00

I finally left Bristol after 5 weeks and went up to Reading to see Sarah this weekend, which was a well deserved break from a testosterone filled house! It was lovely just to sit and chat shit, dance to stupid music while drinking and then having a fun night out on the town. Bristol wins in the nightlife stakes, but the club we went to felt like a Colly Monday back in Coventry, so I was a very happy Kelli :) Oh, and we did some well deserved shopping today...well, I was enjoying the whole female company thing, it had to be done!

I think I've picked up Reading Fresher's Flu now, though! I almost died in their kitchen because it had a weekend's worth of washing up from 17 people lying around...I'm too used to living in a house! I definitely see the positives and negatives of halls, but I'm really not that fussed that I had to live in a rented house straight away. It feels weird to be back in a man filled house again!

Accent Nails

2011-10-20T18:26:00.003+01:00

Models Own Lilac Dream

Barry M Pink Flamingo

I've see quite a few people with 'accent nails' recently, which is basically when one nail is painted a different colour to the rest...or you could go for a look à la Lily with gems (I personally adore what she did, I will have to give it a try very soon once I get my paws on some nail gems!) It's a simple look but is very effective, especially when the right colour combos are used.

I got bored at about 3am this morning (I'm feeling pretty run down and ill at the minute *sob*), so decided to give the look a go. I went for pink and lilac as it's a pretty safe combination and the pastel shades I've used make me feel like I've dipped my nails in sugar, aha. Have any of you tried out accent nails? What colour combinations would you go for?

One month later...

2011-10-17T12:17:00.005+01:00

Kebab vans, tiger onesies, blank faces, stolen roadworks, Nandos, nights on the town, £1 pints on a Monday, sexy labcoats, drunken poses, Sainsbury's Basics Skittle Vodka

I have officially survived living on my own in Brizzle for one whole month, wooo! University is so much more than I ever could have expected. I knew it was going to be an amazing once in a lifetime thing but nothing like this - the people I've met, the experiences I've had...I won't forget them in a rush!

Hello boredom

2011-10-15T19:27:00.001+01:00

Wow, a photo with my teeth? I know, it's shocking. Half of the house have gone back home for their birthdays (Stu's isn't until Monday, when we're having a huge piss up, but he went to see his family this weekend) and Sam is currently power napping after his 17 hour shift yesterday, so I got a bit bored and played with my webcam, haha.

I can't believe I've lived in Bristol for a whole 4 weeks now, it's totally flown by! Expect a soppy post about how much I am loving it here tomorrow...

My friend Hannah is coming down on the 28th, I am so excited that it's untrue! I've spoken to my friends on Skype, my mobile and over Facebook but it's nothing compared to actually seeing them and getting up to all kinds of mischief with them ;) I think I'm suffering from overload of testosterone in this house...I need some more female backup around me, even if it's just for a weekend. I will become a man by the time it's Christmas, aha.

A bag of surprises...

2011-10-13T18:15:00.000+01:00

Spooky Name Necklace (£10)

Chunky Metal LOVE Necklace (£14)

Kokeshi Doll Mini Necklace (£6)

Robot Heart Necklace (£6)

Daisy Flower Hair Grip (£4.50)

As you may have read in previous posts, I am quite partial to making purchases from PunkyPins, which is definitely one of my all time favourite jewellery shops. It's all about bright colours, cute charms and cheerful prices, which is a perfect combination in my opinion.

So when I was sent an e-mail announcing that were giving away a free Spooky Name necklace with every order over £10, I logged straight on to get my hands on some goodies. I couldn't decide on one thing so took a gamble and bought a Mega Mystery Surprise pack, which contains at least £25 worth of products for only £10. You can also buy a personalised version for £25.

I was super chuffed to find 3 new necklaces in my mystery pack, especially the LOVE necklace...it's trashy but sassy all at the same time (you've got to love a bit of chunky trash, c'mon) The acrylic robot and Kokeshi doll necklaces are super cute and make me feel like a wannabe scene kid all over again ;) and the daisy hair grip is really unusual due to it being a photograph printed on acrylic, but is rather dashing, and would look especially sweet with a messy up do. Apologies for the state of my hair, the wind in Bristol doesn't like me much.

I only paid £12.50 (including P&P) and ended up receiving over £40 worth of products, all of which I will definitely be making use of! They always say it's worth to take a gamble sometimes, and right now this the perfect thing to be taking a chance on...you have nothing to lose!

Review: L'Occitane Plum Blossom Skin Moisture Gel

2011-10-08T20:39:00.001+01:00

Part of the A Taste of Plum set, available from QVC for £26.76

My housemate's mum gave me a bag of samples from the new L'Occitane store that has opened at Cribbs Causeway in Bristol, so I decided it would be a great opportunity to write some reviews! I've read about L'Occitane in many magazines, as it's normally mentioned by many celebrities as one of their favourite skincare brands, but have never had the chance to see for myself as their full sized products are rather pricey!

The first product that I tried out is the Plum Blossom Skin Moisture Gel, which according to the bottle is 'a smooth gel texture with delicate powdery notes...this velvet-soft, nourishing body gel leaves the skin soft, supple and delicately perfumed'

The first thing that caught my attention was the simple and elegant design of the bottle, which definitely complements the gorgeous scent. It is obvious enough but not 'in your face' like some cheaper skin moisturisers can be - it's just enough to make you happy that you smell rather lovely. The gel itself is absorbed by the skin very quickly and leaves a powdery but moisturised finished. It left a wonderful looking glow on my hand, which didn't scream 'eugh, this could be grease' but instead said 'this person takes very good care of their skin' :)

In the case of skincare, it is normally the more expensive products that give much better results, and this is definitely one of them. It gives a lovely finish and you don't even need to use much to achieve the look you desire. I would definitely recommend this as one of the examples of quality skincare available on the highs treet, and now cannot wait to try the rest of the L'Occitane freebies that I have!

Twit twoo

2011-10-03T13:37:00.003+01:00

As you may have realised, my Sol Cal Owl Hat from Republic arrived this morning - I seem to be having a lot of luck with super fast delivery from online shopping at the moment, I only ordered it at about 11.50pm on Saturday! There was no point in paying extra for next day delivery as the next day was Sunday (and we all know Sunday is a great day because there's no post...had to throw some HP in there, sorry) so I probably even saved some dolla in the process :)

The hat is well worth the £12.99 as it's really good quality and super soft - and it's a mother flipping OWL, so I'm pretty much in love. As much as I love this Indian summer, I would like the cold weather to come back so I can wear this badboy out in public!

I got so over excited that I took a picture of me in it as soon as it arrived, hence the lack of make up and epic bed hair. I'd only had 6 hours sleep but as soon as I got the text from Republic telling me it was being delivered, I had to make sure I was ready to receive it!

What I've bought this week

2011-10-02T20:28:00.001+01:00

Soul Cal Owl Hat Republic (£12.99)
Padlock Purse New Look (£12.99)
Stud pack Dorothy Perkins (£3)

Bead drop earrings Dororthy Perkins (£2)

Submarine DVD HMV (£6)

Fight Club DVD HMV (£3)

W7 Mega Matte Lips (£2.50)

I decided that as I've only been spending money on alcohol, uni textbooks and food in the last fortnight, I should probably have some proper 'treat myself' shopping, so made a trip down to Cribbs Causeway. It's like the Bull Ring's little sister (I haven't been to many large malls as I find Birmz the most convenient place to get to, so it's my only comparison!) and is only 25 minutes away from my student house by bus, bonus! The only downfall is that Bristolian buses are rather expensive, and it cost £3.90 for a return ticket...I suppose it's like paying £4 to get the train to Brum but buses aren't meant to cost that much!

I took advantage of the 20% student discount fortnight at most shops, and bagged some new jewellery from Dororthy Perkins, one of my first ports of call for nice affordable earrings - I also got a cute little set of black and gold studs because my second holes are feeling kinda lonely recently after I keep buying big earrings for my firsts :) My absolutely awesome owl hat is currently in the process of being delivered as it wasn't instore...I am rather excited about it arriving some point this week. I think that will be enough owl stuff to last me a lifetime now - the other day I realised I was wearing an owl top, pants and socks haha. After weeks of searching, I finally found a proper purse in New Look, which actually has space for all my cards...quite a miracle in my case! Oo and I got a really nice vest top from Topshop, which I couldn't find on their website again. I think I fail at searching for things!

I haven't seen either Fight Club or Submarine before, but have a feeling I shall enjoy them so when I was them going for so cheap in HMV I was like 'ah, why not?' I did get asked for ID though, that hasn't happened in a while! Whenever I have my hair in a bun I seem to get asked...does it really make me look so much younger?

It's the student takeover at Cabot Circus next week, which is the main mall in Bristol city centre. I'm rather excited as loads of the shops are doing at least 20% discount, in addition to free food, drinks and goody bags. Oh and there's free samples of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, heelllooo!

Greetings from Brizzle

2011-09-25T14:10:00.000+01:00

Helloo everybody! I am sat on the sofa in my living room whilst my housemate Stu is playing COD on XBox Live swearing at random people...we have different priortities when it comes to taking advantage of our new fibre optic broadband connection ;) I am officially alive and recovering from all the crazy antics of Freshers 2011 - they say it's a time you'll never forget and of course, what happens in Freshers stays in Freshers *insert evil laugh here*

I've been to a school disco, met Rizzle Kicks, been on the barrier at Kissy Sell Out, got a little jolly at a stock market of drinks, posed with a guy in a tiger onesie, sat and ate toast and yogurt playing COD at 4am, watied in extremely long queues for toilets, drank so much the barmaids actually know what me and the housemates are going to order...there are just so many crazy things that I could sit here and tell you about but that would take too long!

I've settled in really well and as my housemate John said yesterday 'it actually feels like a home now' I've heard nightmareish stories about shared houses at universities but my setup is definitely not one of those situations! It's quite amusing how many times people have expressed sympathy towards me when I mention the 'I live with 3 guys and I'm the only girl' thing. It's actually worked out really well and they are very domesticated creatures who have done hoovering, ironing and everything :P I give them impartial advice on their outfits and aftershave, and in return get drinks and my taxi fare paid for. I am also the giver of girl advice, and they have given me the world's most comprehensive insight into the male mind when it comes to dating. It sounds like the storyline to some crappy CBS sitcom or something, but I couldn't ask for anything better :)

I have a 9 o'clock lecture tomorrow, which majorly sucks but I suppose it can't all be fun and games! I had a few course inductions over the last week and it looks like this should be a really interesting year, albeit the hard work required. I'm going to work my ass off and get a summer placement, maybe even in Cincinatti if I can work out the logistics.

This week has been amazing!

Flying the nest...

2011-09-16T22:31:00.002+01:00

Well, the time has finally come...I'm moving down to Bristol tomorrow! I'm just about packed - the food and essentials were a breeze, the only challenge was deciding what clothes and shoes to take. I've realised how large my wardrobe really is :/ My bed was covered in mountains of clothes stacked into categories whilst I was flapping around trying to cull anything that was too summery, aha.

My house currently doesn't have the internet, so I'll only be able to update the blog in the library and various coffee shops between induction talks and lectures. Please don't think I've disappeared from the world of blogging, I'm very much still here! One positive thing is that one of my housemates text me to say that hehoovered the house today...my men have standards :P Paha. They best keep up their chivalrous ways otherwise I will not be impressed!

For now, enjoy my brief absence* ;)

*sorry, I meant sob your hearts out and set up shines in my memory

Review: Schwarzkopf BC Oil Miracle

2011-09-15T00:15:00.000+01:00

I went to my usual hairdresser's today for my once every 3 months tidy-up (my fringe was beyond ridiculous, noone has seen my eyes for weeks haha) and was introduced to a new hair product that I just had to write a little post about. It is the Schwarzkopf Professional BC Bonacure Oil Miracle, which I had never heard of before today. When Brogan (my hairdresser) bought over the bottle, I was a bit like 'huh, what the heck is that?' - it looks like someone has stored some olive oil in a bottle, aha.

My hair has been a bit of a dry mess recently, especially at the ends because of all the heat damage I cause with blow drying and straightening it so much (please forgive my sins), but this definitely put things back into a wonderful condition. You apply a small pea sized amount onto towel dried hair and work through before blow drying.

As the Schwarzkopf website states;

Finish your style with a touch a luxury. The Schwarzkopf BC Oil Miracle Light Finishing Treatment is the ultimate finishing treatment for fine to normal hair, helping you to achieve locks that shine with health and vitality.

The formulation is everything that you want from a nourishing hair oil, infusing intense shine, touchable softness, and anti-frizz control without overburdening the hair or weighing it down. The versatile Oil Miracle also helps to speed up your blow-drying time and offers light style control without that oily feel.

This is thanks to the unique Schwarzkopf Evaporating Technology, a mixture of a carrier oil and a precious botanical oil. The carrier oil spreads extremely finely to ensure that the botanical oil is dispersed properly, and then evaporates completely when drying to leave an ultra-light layer of precious oil on the hair. Hair is weightlessly smoothed, has zero-gravity swishability, and looks ultra-glossy.

It really did reduce the blow dry time by around 5 minutes, and my normal lions mane was tamed in a much more gentle manner than usual, so it will reduce the amount of heat damage I do through drying - which my hair will most probably appreciate! It looks like it would make your hair greasy but I have never actually felt my hair so soft before, and never have I seen it so shiny! It comes in two varieties, and my mane needed the normal to thick version but there is also one for thin to normal, if you are lucky enough to have that kind of hair :)

Cue an awful picture of me;

My webcam doesn't do it much justice, but I think it does give an idea of the sleekness the product offers. And this is without straighteners and a quick blow dry, which would normally result in major waves and kinks in my mad hair world.

You can buy a full size bottle on Amazon or find a local hair salon that sells samples like mine, which is £2 but will have a decent amount of uses in it. I'd personally give in 4 out of 5 stars as it does exactly what it says on the tin, but is a little out of my price range for regular use. I may try and hunt down some cheaper evaporating oils and see if they are as up to scratch. However, if you can part with £17 with much less guilt than me, go for it, you won't be let down!

Oh hai

2011-09-11T22:43:00.000+01:00

Sorry about my complete failure at updating the blogrecently, it’s been a bit hectic!

It was my baby niece's blessing last Sunday, and I had the absolute privilege of becoming a Godmother (unfortunately, not a fairy one *wah*). I also made a huge batch of cupcakes for the guests, and got a lot of genuine praise so safe to say I was quite chuffed with myself ;) I wore a gorgeous dress from the Rage boutique range at New Look, which managed to overpower the gloominess of the rain that decided to appear for the day.

On Monday, I logged onto Facebook to see that there were 2rooms going in a house 15 minutes from campus, so I jumped at the chance andbooked a viewing for the next day. So at 7am on Tuesday, I was on the train to Birmingham to catch my connectingtrain to Bristol Parkway. Even though it was bucketing it down with rain(typical), I found the house and instantly fell in love with it. It’s at theend of a cute little cul-de-sac on the northern border of Bristol, completewith a large sunny garden and a proper lounge, which is quite a luxury forstudents! I’ll be living with 3 guys, which might be a pretty interestingexperience…but I shall survive to tell the tale. I met one of them at theviewing and he was absolutely lovely, so hopefully the rest are too. Bylunchtime I had paid my deposit and signed all the paperwork – so I am a veryhappy Kelli…I’ve never felt so stressed about something before.Seriously, thestress levels go from accommodation hunting>clearing>waiting for A Levelresults>exams>waiting for UCAS track to update>applying to uni. So ifyou’re just starting the wonderful process of the 2012 UCAS cycle, I’m sorry tosay that things will only get more painful over time – then the first week willbe awesome, or at least I hope! I’ve had to buy my tix in advance, so I’veplanned to go to;

UWE Welcome Party (complete with a DJ set fromone of my fave Radio One DJs, Greg James)
Monday Lock In School Disco (it’s £1 a pint somight be a little jolly that evening, aha)
UWE Neon Paint Party (featuring Matt Edmonson,so should be a wicked laugh)
Jongleurs Raw (I do love a bit of stand up, yousee)
The Allstars Party (with Mann, Rizzle Kicks, TheView etc, so should be pretty good)

I’m starting to get the buzz now, but I’m also super nervousabout leaving everything back home! I suppose everyone goes through the samefeelings though, so I’m trying not to get worried too much because at the endof the day, I won’t be the only one. It’s always good when everyone is in thesame boat, right?

I had one of those random impromptu evenings on Friday thatyou wouldn’t have thought of having but love all the same. Let’s just say itinvolved eating McDonald’s and chocolate digestives in a Travelodge at town atmidnight, haha. The random things are always the best in my opinion, even ifother people may just be thinking ‘huh?’ ;)

I went to Pizza Hut with Sarah on Saturday as she’s off on herhols with her boyfriend, so she won’t be around when I leave. However, sheloves Bristol so I’m sure she’ll be down a lot to see me (well, she best be atleast aha). It’s weird to know that it really is time to leave now, and itmakes me kinda sad :(

I’m not entirely sure when I’ll have the internet at my newcrib, so there may be a slight silence during Fresher’s Week – the truth is,even if I do have the internet I’ll probably be too busy to actually sit downand blog, so bare with me! I’ll still be on Facebook and Twitter on my mobilethough, so if you want to keep up to date with my Fresher’s relatedshenanigans, feel free to follow me on there :) Then I’ll sit down and tell youthe epic story of my week, complete with many lulz and anecdotes for futureuse, I’m sure!

All I want right now

2011-08-31T17:24:00.000+01:00

Ever feel like you're going round in circles? Well, that's how my life currently currently seems to be going, at least in terms of finding a house in Bristol in time for the start of term on 17th September. It's so bad that I already have an offer to live on someone's sofa in their digs for Freshers' Week! You can probably tell that I'm stressed because I even spelt accommodation wrong when I was making notes D:

Whenever I find somewhere remotely suitable, it turns out that it is already occupied and that the Studentpad website just has conveniently forgotten to be updated. Then there's the added trouble of getting down to Bristol, viewing the houses and choosing one that I actually like. Today I actually made a breakthrough and found a nice house, as well as actually finding a bunch of people willing to live with me (shocking, I know), only to find out we're not being considered as priority by the landlord, wah. It looks like I'm back to the long search again!

If a uni has a place for me, then why can't the provide somewhere to live for me? I know I would've had to go through this stress next year anyway but I at least wanted one simple year in halls without much worry. I have friends who can't even find places to live at their insurance uni, it's horrible! Oh well, things will work out :) Is anybody else having a university accommodation nightmare, whether you went through clearing or not?

We had a sick night bitches

2011-08-30T10:21:00.000+01:00

Last night was a pretty darn epic Colly Monday, and I actually managed to make my friends be photogenic for the evening (well perhaps not photogenic, but at least willing to be sexy with me on camera, lulz)

It's times like these when I really appreciate being able to just let my hair down and have fun. I feel like I have way too much responsibility at the minute with all my uni dealings...I hate and love it at the same time. My main challenge at the minute is to find accommodation, damn me being a clearing student!

You're so last summer

2011-08-28T22:31:00.000+01:00

Lookbook 365 Project

Jacket H&M

Tunic New Look

Scarf Primark

Boots ASDA

It was actually reallly cold today, so I decided to layer up for the first time in ages. I love my Primarni scarf, I bought it on a whim after a long day at work last year and it has definitely been worth the £3 I spent on it ;) My lace tunic from New Look is a bit of an oldie now, I retrieved it from the remenants of A/W 2010 lurking in the depth of my wardrobe. I do love it when trends stick around for a while - it makes me feel less guilty when I splash out on clothes because I know it will be worn a lot ;)

It was also a chance to give my ASDA boots a second outing, they are SO comfy! They are my 6th pair of leather boots in the space of a year because I wear every single pair to the death...it's worth the money though, I promise.

Taking a u-turn

2011-08-19T16:18:00.000+01:00

So, university didn't really go to plan as I intended! I got BBD and an A* in Extended Project, so missed my insurance offer at Kent by only 4 UMS (actually gutted). My offer at Kent was still conditional when I looked at UCAS track, so I tried to get in touch to see if they were planning to accept me, but the system has gone down and the university helpline didn't even know my results or offer! I then phoned later to find out I'd been rejected, so got prepared for the process of clearing. You think that would be easy, right? No, it wasn't easy at all because my appliction status hadn't been officially changed so technically I wasn't allowed to apply for a clearing place anywhere. A stressed out phonecall to a Liverpudlian UCAS Customer Service Adviser produced no solution, so my next option was to track down my head of sixth form, who told me he'd phone Kent with me the next day.

So today I ran to school and we rang Kent, who said I couldn't reapply throuhg clearing and then suggested Social fricking Antropology! I didn't even know what the heck that was before I got home and looked it up, aha. She also said I could apply for Computer Science...it was hard not too laugh because I'd be completely useless. At this point I was ready to leave the country for good, but decided a phone call to the University of the West of England may be worth a try. After a half hour wait on hold (with the worst music ever, which me and Mr Miller were ripping relentlessy and laughing far too hard over - I'm glad they didn't connect when we was howling at me saying it was making me more despressed, haha), they took all my details and gave me a beautiful, beautiful provisional offer!

So I am now going to study BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences at UWE next month :) I can't wait - I LOVE Bristol! It's going to be hard not to spend so much when I'm living by Cabots Circus and Cribbs Causeway though, haha. I hope everyone else got the results the wanted and if they didn't, managed to go through clearing successfuly - I feel so luckly I managed to survive the whole Clearing nightmare!

Get it nailed

2011-08-17T22:44:00.000+01:00

I have been coveting a very beautiful piece of nail art equipment for a few months now, and I finally decided to part ways with some of my cash on Sunday in order to obtain a Models Own nail art pen! I also bought a bottle of Buff Pink, as Boots are currently giving away a free bottle of Lilac Dream when you buy 2 products from the range - you have no excuse not to treat yourself ;) Especially when you have an Advantage Card too!

I still need to train my hand to be a little more precise, but this was my first attempt at leopard print. I'm actually quite impressed, if I say so myself :D It's the first time that I've used Models Own nail varnish, and so far I'm very impressed with the wear - I've had it on since Monday and it still looks as good as the day I did it.

Don't Forget: Your fingers

2011-08-12T21:18:00.000+01:00

Another part of the body that is often ignored when it comes to dressing up are you fingers - which can make an extremely awesome statement if the right ring is placed upon them! I never used to wear rings at all, mainly because they were banned from the school uniform. However, once I hit sixth form I started wearing them all the time. I've spent goodness knows how much on rings over the past 24 months! From cute little stacker rings to in-yer-face cocktail/dress rings, they are a very simple way of adding a colour 'pop' or adding a focal point when wearing an LBD or something similar.

A ring such as the Blossom one from Temporary Secretary is the perfect addition to a plain dress, to really add another dimension to the overall look. Just think how much it will stick out in photos if you remember to stick your hand(s) on your hips! Just remember not to go too OTT with the accessories when you are wearing a big ring though - keep the bracelets on that arm delicate or even non existant, and make sure the earrings compliment the ring in colour/style. I know your fingers and hands are quite far apart, but can be seen together! I'll either don big earrings or big rings, never normally both - unless I'm feeling brave :)

I also like cheap and cheerful plastic rings, such as this cute as the moustache one from Punky Pins. I personally have a few plastic ones from H&M, which are normally around £1.99 as part of a stacker set. These can just be simple everyday rings that jazz up your outfit in a subtle way, and are normally available in a range of colours to match all manners of clothing. I'm the kind of person who will sometimes buy 2 of the same thing if they come in different colours - most of the time that is an acceptable thing to do ;) (if anyone moans at you, just ignore them - I permit you to do so!)

I've calmed down a bit recently and mostly only wear my white gold and diamond ring from my 18th, but I do still find time to crack out my favourites when I'm in the mood. If you are experimenting, I'd recommend H&M or Primark, as they are cheap and of surprisingly good quality. There's nothing worse than spending loads on something, only to find out the style doesn't suit you (talking from personal experience there, don't let it happen to you, please!). Choose carefully and you'll find the perfect 'look at me' ring. Remember: don't forget your fingers. They are very important parts of your body and deserve to be treated to a little bit of razzledazzle.

A week in the life

2011-08-07T22:52:00.000+01:00

I was still suffering from a major lack of friends this week (they've all been off on their hols, lucky buggers) but I did manage to fit some social-ness into my life ;)

001. I journeyed over to Kenilworth to see Beki and make use of her swimming pool (choose your friends wisely, haha) because it was actually boiling on Wednesday! It was lovely to see Beki, Sarah, Becca and Adam again - it felt like an absolute lifetime since I'd last seen any of them! Becca and I also made sure we both got accounts on Pottermore in between food and swimming, which we succeeded in doing, with great excitement. I'm PatronusMirror67, baby ♥ Yeah, I'm a total HP geek but I'm never going to be ashamed of the fact!

002. I tweeted my favourite nightclub (the Colly) last week saying I hadn't been for a while and was suffering withdrawal symptoms. The result? They gave me 3 guest list places for Friday - free entry instead of £4? Er, go on then! I took Polly and Shaun along with me and we had a banging evening - Shaun enjoyed the female company greatly, the little p.i.m.p that he is (aha) A random bloke told Polly and I that we have 'tremendous pins'. That's the power of high waisted shorts and heels, girls! I'm a girl with a 30 inch inside leg, I'd never get that comment in flats ;)

003. Today I went to my friend Dale's 18th BBQ, which was very interestingly Christmas themed. I mean, I've been to Australia when it was Christmas time so I'm used to sun and Christmas together, but moving it forward 4 months? It was like a very weird dream, haha. It was such a lovely day though, I saw friends from my old form group that I haven't seen since July and ate a lot of tasty food. It just all fitted together rather wonderfully - it was lovely to go to a party where people aren't just aiming to be off their faces (sometimes an alcohol free party is required in life, believe it or not!)

This week I'm volunteering at Spark in the Park, a week of free activities for children and their parents at the War Memorial Park in Coventry. It's organised by the local churches in the South of the city, and basically provides children from all backgrounds a chance to have fun at no extra cost. There are also evening sessions for families, such as discos and quizzes, which I will also be helping to run (which should be amusing!) In the daytime, I'm helping run the craft activities, so I'm probably going to be a gluey, painted mess by the end of the week :) I haven't given anything back to the community for a while, so it will be lovely to get stuck into volunteering again!

The 'Don't Forget' Feature

2011-08-03T22:57:00.000+01:00

I thought I'd make a little series of posts about the parts of outfits that some people often overlook, from earrings to nails. I'll be posting about a different aspect every week for the rest of the summer holidays to shed some light onto how to enhance your overall outfit. After all, accessories and make up need some attention too! If you have any suggestions for anything I could write about, feel free to drop a line at kelli.gallacher@gmail.com

Don't forget: Your ears

2011-08-03T22:45:00.001+01:00

A recent obsession of mine is most definitely earrings. From intricate studs, to huge feathers and hoops, I seem to find myself buying every style imagainable whenever I'm browsing the high street. My main sources of earrings are probably H&M and Primark - they are both super cheap and (mostly) of surprisingly good quality for the price. I'll let you into a secret; children's earrings from H&M fit absolutely fine and are sometimes half the price (it's a godsend at times, promise)

In my opinion, a good pair of earrings can transform an outfit just as easily as a good pair of shoes or a nice clutch can. I especially love wearing big statement earrings with a casual white vest and shorts combo as a way of 'jazzing things up' to make myself feel a little bit better (I feel a bit naked without colour pops somewhere on my person, which make the plainest of outfits come alive) My favourite style is probably the foolproof feather earring - it's been around for a few years now and can be worn at places like festivals and the local nightclub. They come in so many colours and variations (peacock feather, anyone?) that you will be hard to not find a pair that will match at least one thing in your wardrobe. I've just ordered a couple of pairs off VIPXO's store, they are only £3 and look amazing compared to some that I have seen recently.

Quirky studs are also a handy thing to have in your jewellery box, my personal favourites are Lego earrings from iluvu - next time you're in Birmingham, make sure you go and visit their stall at the Oasis (by far the most awesome independent fashion outlet in the West Mids) I am often wearing my happy Lego man and green Lego brick studs when I can't be bothered to weigh my ears down! I se them as a bit of an instant mood booster, and plastic studs like my ones from H&M make me feel that little bit like a child again, just without the painful clips that those damn clip on earrings had!

As long as you're not emulating the style of Pat Butcher with your big earrings, go for it!

A Little More About Me

2011-08-02T23:06:00.002+01:00

The time has come to unleash my awful Coventrian accent on all of you, don't say that I didn't warn you. Sorry about the random dog barking in the background near the end, stupid animal.

I don't just want to be a picture you look at one the sidebar whenever you come onto the blog, so here is a little video just to tell you a little more about me. Anything else you want to know? Feel free to Tweet me some questions at @Kellicopter - I will make sure I get round to answering them :)

In the world of blogging, I think it's important to get to know each other that little bit more. I mean, we don't need to know each other's address or card number, but those little facts make people seem that little bit more real, rather than just a figure behind a computer screen.

LOOK's Blog Competition 2011

2011-08-02T21:52:00.000+01:00

I logged onto Twitter today and saw that Look magazine are holding their annual blogger awards, with the amazing opportunity to win an absolutely awesome weekend at The Look Show as part of London Fashion Week (I could squeeze so many more adjectives in but I shall restrain myself!). I see this as one of those once in a lifetime things that I would give a left leg to be able to experience - but I'd rather not have to sacrifice my leg as I would have to buy a gorgeous pair of shoes to sashay to my catwalk seat in, naturally.

I've always loved the whole buzz of London Fashion Week, and it would be an absolutely huge honour to get the chance to get Kellicious some front row fashion action, and I would make a solemn pinky promise to keep Twitter, Facebook and this blog buzzing with up to date news about the whole event. I haven't been in the blogging game for that long (and still have a lot of time to make up!) but I see this competition as a very promising gateway for us fashion and beauty bloggers of the world! One of my favourite bloggers is most definitely the wonderful Lily, who won the first LOOK Blogger Competition, and is even in this week's issue talking about her experiences since winning. Imagine those opportunities! I'd never realised how many doors and avenues this blogging palarva could actually open, and I feel silly for never realising!

I'm a regular reader of LOOK, and love the articles that are published every week, and often take inspiration from the shoots they do, along with beauty tips and star buys. They are a great source of information and have introduced me to all manner of online stores and styles that I'd never even imagined of. I also blame them for my new obsession with the bright coloured patent bags in Primark (I have resisted buying more than one at present, but the situation may very well change)

I'm not the most amazing looking or dressed person in the world, but fashion has a very important place in my heart and I would love to be involved in something as big and exciting as this event. I would certainly never forget it and certainly feel extremely lucky for being given the chance.

July Favourites

2011-08-01T19:30:00.002+01:00

I've been having a bit of a clearout the past couple of weeks in preparation for university, and made good use of my adorable desk sized Henry the Hoover. He was a present from my friend Hannah, and he is one the coolest things that I have ever owned. One day I will have a full sized Henry (or a Hetty, I'm currently undecided haha) but for now I am most enamoured with my little bundle of joy ;)

July was an awesome month for spending time with my friends, thanks to many eventful Colly Mondays, year 13 prom and our holiday to Weymouth - we've definitely been able to make up for all the lost time we had thanks to bloody A Level related stress, and then some!

This should have been a June favourite, but play.com decided to mess me about and take forever to process my lost order request, so a month after the first product was dispatched, I finally got The Breakfast Club on DVD through the post last week. It's an absolute gem of a film and I'm very glad I paid the £3 for it - it's refreshing when the films I watch actually have a solid plot that you can relate to. It's one of those films that will always be relevant to every generation - I have a thing for 80's teen movies anyway, but I think everyone should give it a try :)

I think I may have caught the baking bug over July! I've never really been one for cooking and decorating cakes/biscuits but I suddenly had a change of heart and became a baking monster at the beginning of the month - if you haven't had one of my cakes forced upon you, watch out ;) It's quite a therapeutic thing to do and now I have nothing to do with my life, it's a superb time filler!

Charlie Simpson isn't just a flavour of the month, he's been a huge favourite of mine since I was 10 years old! But this month I finally saw him live after years of waiting (as you can see, the photo is an example of my shocking photography from the gig, aha), and he certainly didn't disappoint me - I am totally obsessed with his solo work...it's just beautiful. I've been caught up in all the excitement surrounding his forthcoming album Young Pilgrim (out 15th August, FYI) and seen a lot more of him on the television, in magazines and on the radio at the minute so he's definitely made an impact on my July.

If you haven't heard of Hero and Cape yet, then you will do very soon! I randomly came across them on Twitter (@heroandcape) last month, and they are a very promising prospect in the world of fashion. I love the way they've incorporated hand drawn illustration into the prints they use on t-shirts (which are all handprinted), and with ranges for both men and women everyone is spoilt for choice. A personal favourite of mine is the 'It's All About The Chemistry' tee, just because I'm such a science geek ;) They also sell jewellery, such as the gorgeous New York Skyline Necklace - what's stopping you? Go and take a look

A giveaway worth entering

2011-07-31T21:46:00.003+01:00

I've been reading the lovely Ellis' blog for a few months now, and she is currently holding an amazing giveaway which I think you should all check out, as the prize is pretty darn awesome.

I've been coveting an Urban Decay Naked palette for a quite a while now. I almost caved in and bought one in the Debenhams sale, but still couldn't justify the amount of money I was planning to spend...I've met a fair few people who would also love one of these beauties. The good news is, Ellis is giving one away to one lucky reader.

Feeling lucky? Then go and enter before 20th August to have a chance

Hello, Summer!

2011-07-28T23:45:00.003+01:00

Is it just me or did it actually feel like summer today? I even spent the whole afternoon in the garden, sipping on the cocktails my dad had randomly invented whilst my mum and I went food shopping this morning - Fanta Fruit Twist and Gin is a lovely mix! I've been a lazy cow recently, but the weather even compelled me to go on a half hour walk (where I treated myself to my first Starbucks Frappuccino Low Fat Milk Drink...they're so lush but a little too expensive for regular consumption, aha) - something must be in the air today!

However, it's still not as lovely and sunny as I would really like. I would love to wake up tomorrow and get on a plane to some really exotic place, does somebody fancy taking me?

Get Waisted

2011-07-27T14:23:00.000+01:00

It's a trend that has been around for a while now, but I've only really just realised the true beauty of it - the high waisted short. Whether it's denim, or silk as Sienna Miller and Alexa Chung have effortlessly passed off in the past - it's a classy staple that can transform any outfit. When you find the right pair, it offers a flattering cut which hides any depressing nasty bits of your stomach and adds another dimension to the top half of your outfit.

I invested in some high waisted denim shorts from Topshop on Monday - I had to get a 14 to accommadate my huge bum (I seriously think that it will always stay the same size regardless of how much weight I ever lose, haha - luckily I quite like my bum despite it's size) but I think it will allow ample space to tuck things in ;) they were £32 (£28.80 with my NUS discount, winwin) but when it comes to denim I am willing to spend a little more money to ensurte quality. I'd previously found shorts in New Look but I thought they actually look quite cheap, mainly due to the size and colour of the buttons - I do have a pair of standard denim shorts from NL but they look much more expensive than what they are! If you were willing to change the buttons, they would be a worthwhile investment if you didn't want to spend much more than around £20. Miss Selfridge also offer a lovely pair for £32, which also comes in brown or white. I stuck with standard dark blue to make sure I can wear them for a fair few seasons without the fear of the colour going out of fashion - I like to spend but also justify such splurges ;)

I saw this vest when I was leaving Topshop, and I think it would look perfect with my shorts...and it's just so damn cute! I might have to go back and buy it at some point, when I'm feeling a little bit less skint You can pretty much tuck anything into high waisted shorts, from blouses to vests. Or you can wear them with the front tie and side tie vests that are everywhere at the minute (my polka dot vest from New Look looks awesome with them) And of course, they have the ability to be worn in the winter as they look just as gorgeous with opaque tights and boots!

The thing I love about them is that they can be dressed up and down, and will (fingers crossed) stay classy for more than just one season in the world of fashion! Whether it is with heels, tights or Vans and a jumper, they will look simple yet gorgeous.

Laquer Love

2011-07-24T19:54:00.000+01:00

I found a BT Openzone, so I'm going to blog about my love affair with nail varnish ;)

When I was at secondary school, nail varnish was banned so I never really wore it - sometimes at parties and at Christmas, but even then it was applied with a lack of thought! Once I started sixth form, the ban was lifted and my collectin began to expand extensively as I discovered what those little bottles can add to your life. If you have ever been in my bedroom, you will have seen my rainbow of nail varnish - my friends have tried to rearrange it without me noticing, but I'm OCD enough to know from a mile off #notobsessed

I see ny nails as an 'outward expression' of my personality and mood in some senses. This week I've been rocking Barry M Flamingo Pink, a lovely colour *pop* that matches my extremely bright and in your face mood this week. I've been up to loads this week and had a really good laugh, and the pink says that wihtout using words ;)

I'm not the most artistic person in the world but my nails are probably the component of my outfit that I pay the most attention to - if it doesn't match, the nail varnish remover comes out! I need to invest in a WahWah Models Own nail art pen and get drawing - I've seen some AMAZING designs (mostly those on Dainty Dresses and Gem Fatale) and would very much like to copy them at some point ;) I have a big penchant for animal print atm and I think having it on something as small as my nails is the perefect canvas as to not detract attention away from my outfit ;)

My favourite brands are nails inc (when they're free with magazines or heavily discounted, haha), Barry M and Boots 17, which are definitely value for money due to the quality and wear. Another bonus is that Boots normally give away free gifts with 17 such as nautical make up sets and mini nail kits which make it even more of an incentive (and if you have an Advantage Card, it's an opportunity to get more points!) I have about 5 bottles of 17 Pink Lemonade thanks to the freebies they do - good job I love the colour, really!

Does anyone else put as much thought and time into nail art as much as I do? Please tell me I'm not the only obsessed one...