National Colours

So I, like pretty much every other person in the country, have been glued to my television supporting Team GB. I never thought I would be so interested - I normally find most sports an absolute yawn-fest (tennis and rugby are the only exceptions) - but it has been amazing to see how well G.B. are doing! If only we could host every year...

Anyway, it seems just about impossible to watch the Olympics without spotting about a hundred Union Jacks (or just about anything, what with this being the Diamond Jubilee year as well!). So I thought I'd have a wee look at what's around for those who fancy wearing their Union Jack, rather than waving it!

Possibilities seem to range from the subtle to the outright patriotic, but there is certainly something for everyone! Granted, there is plenty of stuff which is miles out of my price range, but hey, a girl can dream!

Union Jack by smallestsarah featuring wayfarer sunglasses

Vivienne Westwood Gold Label pleated dress
net-a-porter.com

Vivienne Westwood Gold Label sequin dress
matchesfashion.com

Forever 21 knit sweater
forever21.com

Printed legging
boohoo.com

Mantaray navy shoes
debenhams.com

Stone jewelry
sheinside.com

Jimmy Choo wayfarer sunglasses
saksfifthavenue.com


Sarah x

Essie Nail Varnish in Cute As A Button

Now as a dedicated No. 17 nail varnish lover, £7.99 seems a bit steep for a little bottle of polish. However, when I saw the new Essie stand in Boots, I just couldn't resist! I've heard a lot of good things online about Essie and their colours always look amazing, so I decided to treat myself to a bottle of 'Cute As A Button'.

I absolutely love the colour of Cute As A Button, it's a sort of bright coral-pink, which is perfect for summer. 

The staying power of the Essie polish seems really good too. I am a nightmare when it comes to chipping/chewing my nails, but two days in and it's still intact. I'll be interested to see how much longer it stays perfect! 

Although I certainly can't afford to feed my nail varnish addiction with a regular Essie hit, I will definitely be treating myself to another one.

Sarah x

It's all scone wrong...

So I tried to come over all 'domestic goddess' and bake some scones this afternoon and boy did it hammer home just how bad I really am at cooking! I swear I followed the great Delia Smith's recipe TO THE LETTER and they still turned out looking more like biscuits than scones. They were tiny and flat (and yes I did use self-raising flour) and generally a huge disappointment. I always find myself lusting after those amazing baked goods people seem to be whipping up left, right and centre and then posting on their blogs but this experience has reinforced my belief that baking simply is NOT for me!

So, to cheer myself up I naturally spent some quality time over on Pinterest where I found a few of these beauties:

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Drooling yet? I know I am! They all look a little different, but they certainly look nothing like my weird scone-biscuit hybrids! Ah well, I guess I'll stick to fairy cakes from now on...

Does your baking ever go drastically wrong or does the finished product look like the ones above? Any fail-safe recipes I could try?

Sarah x

Product Review: Liz Earle Essentials Skincare

So Liz Earle products seem to have taken the blogging world by storm and I thought I'd weigh in with my opinion too! I had huge problems with acne when I was younger, so I am really careful about what I put on my face. I'm not really a big one for choosing products purely because they're natural, but I must admit it's nice to know that you're not putting a ton of nasty chemicals on your skin with the Liz Earle collection.

After exchanging a couple of emails with the sales team, they advised me on the best products for my skin, so I bought myself one of their little 'Try-Me' kits. As I'm still working on a student budget, I didn't really want to buy a set of full-size products unless I knew they would work for me!

Liz Earle Essentials Try-Me Kit

The kit comes with the famous Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (plus cloth), as well as the Instant Boost Skin Tonic (toner) and two different moisturisers (one for dry/sensitive and one for normal/combination skin). I also requested a sample of their moisturiser for oily skin, as I sometimes get a super-oily t-zone.

What did I think?

First impression of Liz Earle were excellent, as my products came in lovely packaging, with plenty of information about the rest of their skincare range, as well as some testers of their new make up collection.

I'm really glad I got the 'Try-Me' kit - The cleanser and toner left my skin feeling really lovely and clean, without that overly 'tight' feeling that I sometimes get with the harsher Clinique 3-step program. I'm not used to using a cloth for cleanser, but I was very impressed with the results! They advise that you wash your muslin cloth after every 3-4 uses, which I know is super important if you are prone (like me) to spots. I would probably advise get a couple of extra cloths so that you are never without or tempted to over-use. Sadly, however, even the light formulation of the Skin Repair moisturiser left my t-zone feeling a little oily. I hoped it might sink in over time, but I just felt my skin was still a bit greasy. All the products had gorgeous scents and felt lovely to use, but I guess the moisturiser just isn't for me.

Would I re-purchase?

As I said above,  the moisturiser is a definite no - I much prefer my Clinique Dramatically Different gel. However, I have re-purchased the cleanser and toner however, which have now replaced my Clinque cleanser and toner.

Overall I loved the Liz Earle experience - great customer service, packaging and (most importantly) I loved the products!

Have you tried any Liz Earle products? What did you think?

Sarah x

Looking Forward, Looking Back #6

Looking Forward


I am really excited about my upcoming move to Kingston! I'm studying for an MA at the university there and have managed to bag myself a place in a lovely little house with two other students, so it really feels like everything is coming together nicely. Quite a few difficult situations arose in the last few weeks of university and, although I am really sad to leave, it was definitely time for us all to move on. I am so looking forward to my MA and living in a new place. Also a lot of my friends are dotted around London, so it's nice to know that they are all within reachable distance.

Kingston-Upon-Thames, here I come!
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It's not every day you get to have a completely fresh start in a new area with new people, so I'm looking forward to getting stuck in here and having a great time!


Looking Back


As I said, quite a few less-than-ideal things happened towards the end of my time at university, but nonetheless I left confident that I made the right decision in going there. I made some amazing friends, had some pretty crazy times and somehow managed to leave with a degree as well! It's a pretty big 'looking back', but the past three years have been jam-packed with awesome times, which I can confidently say outweighed the less awesome times. University was definitely one of the most formative and enjoyably experiences of my life so far!

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Sarah x

A little something for Monday morning

I've never been a Monday kinda girl - I know some people love diving into a fresh new week, but alas I've always been a little more of a pessimist! So just before I set off for the library to start a long day of revision for my last ever undergrad exam, I thought I'd share a little something that helps me perk up on a Monday morning, courtesy of Bishop Allen. Enjoy!

Have a lovely Monday everyone!

Sarah x

Topshop Nail Varnish in Domestic Goddess

I was so impressed with the last Topshop nail varnish I bought that I decided to treat myself to another!

Domestic Goddess is a lovely dusky pink - not too girly girly, but a great pink nonetheless.

The staying power hasn't been quite as good as 'Heart of Gold', but that's probably partially down to the fact that that one was metallic. This is perfect if you want a feminine colour, without going for a candy pink.

Sarah x