Spring Wishlist

The sun is shinning and the dark, cosy knits are starting to get pushed to the back of the wardrobe. In come the florals, pastels and the flowy tops ready for the warmer weather that is about to be upon us. 

We love Spring, but we do not love our budget (where there's a love, there's a moan!). With our bills due, and our loan rapidly running out, we've found ourselves lusting over some Spring essentials that we absolutely cannot afford (why we do it to yourselves, we will never know). 

River Island - Tote Bag (£50) 

There is nothing better than Spring neutrals. This bag is huge, is the perfect balance of two tones and contains black handles so that it goes with absolutely everything! Why oh why is it £50!? It's beautiful, and compliments the warm weather perfectly. We know there are far cheaper options available, but this one is such a staple, and would be timeless so come on it must be worth it? 

New Look - White Leather Ankle Strap (£34.99)

We both have never really got involved in the white shoe trend. We don't like the big clumpy white shoes that are in fashion, no idea why, we just can't see ourselves wearing them. These on the other hand are subtle, and sophisticated whilst successfully fitting the white trend. They are understated, and fit our style much better than many others on the market. Our only problem is how much we would ruin them. They are a nice idea, but who could keep these clean after one too many drinks!? 

Accessorize - Floral Burst Satin Vest Set (£24)

We are obsessed with PJs. Seriously we can't get our pyjama draws closed, and yet we still find ourselves buying more on a weekly basis. We've never really thought of ourselves as girlie girls, but our pyjama collection really does say otherwise. Kirst has an obsession with matching, and this set is perfect for that. It's satin, and floral making it perfect for a comfy (but pretty) sleep as the weather gets warmer. 

Cath Kidston - Cake Stand (£36) 

We admit we are bit old before our time. We couldn't even count the amount of time we've wasted walking around homeware stores dreaming of our future home. Spring is the absolute perfect time for baking, and while we don't really get round to doing much of it at uni we still like to lust over kitchenware. This cake stand from Cath Kidston is the perfect stand for Easter treats, and could easily brighten any home. 

Dune - Natallie Embellished Flat Sandals (£69)

We are definitely the type to buy sandals and chuck them out after the season is over. We usually spend £10-£20 and ruin them within a few weeks of wearing them. They are not really something we put a large amount of thought into, despite them being a Spring/Summer essential. These from Dune are gorgeous! The detail is summery, but isn't too much. Definitely couldn't ruin these and chuck them away for the price though! 

H&M Bikini Set (£21)

We are both obsessed with this style of bikini, and it was the only type we wore on holiday last year. It suits our body shape (by that we mean lack of boobs), and is versatile with the removable straps. We've had lots of H&M bikini's in the past and they fit well, and lasts from all the chlorine. The floral pattern makes it perfect for round the pool, and would look so so nice with a tan (oh if only we could afford a holiday!). 

Mac - Please Me Lipstick (£26)

Colder weather calls for the deep, dark lipstick shades but warmer weather calls for warmer colours. We do need to be more adventurous in our lipstick shades, as we tend to stick to safer colours, but this one just seems perfect for Spring. It's bright enough for your lips to stand out, but soft enough to compliment the bold florals you are likely to be wearing. 

New Look - Lilac Scallop Hem Cami (£12.99)

Sunshine means pastels. While this top is pretty plain (some might even go as far as boring), there's something about it being in lilac. It doesn't stand out at all, but at the same time is unique and pretty effective for such a simple top. Definitely something that should be in your wardrobe that could easily be paired with other pastels. 

Missguided - Lace Halterneck Drawstring Playsuit (£35)

We're not sure whether this item of clothing itself, or the desire to be able to pull something like this off is what we are wishing for here. The combination of white and floral pattern make this absolutely perfect for summer. It could be worn on so many occasions, and has that simple but stylish look. Something that you could throw on, and still look like you've made heaps of effort (the best kind of outfit!). 

O.P.I  Hawaiian Orchid (£11.50) 

In keeping with the neutral Spring theme this shade is definitely the one. It's a pastel but it's bright enough to stand out. Often when we buy pink nail varnish it looks lovely in the bottle, and then goes sort of 'see through' when it's applied. This one makes a statement, but is light enough for Spring and pairing with those bold statement tops. 

We know we're daydreamers, but if we had everything we wanted then what on earth would we have to moan about!? 

Why We Will Never Leave No7 Foundation

All we ever see is bloggers blogging about Mac, Benefit and heaps of other expensive designer foundations. There's no denying they are probably good, but we can't help feel that with make up you are often just buying the brand. 

No7 is not really a brand that is considered by the blogger world, but we have used the foundation for years, and can't see ourselves leaving it anytime soon. 

The first thing that drew us to No7 was the colour match. There is nothing worse than going into each room, looking in a mirror with a different light, paranoid that the colour of your foundation isn't right.  The colour match completely eliminates this worry, as it gets your complete natural skin tone, and matches you to an exact colour within the No7 range. 

Another major benefit is the selection of ranges that are on offer. We both use foundations from different ranges, as we use it for different reasons and our skin types are not the same. 

First up: Stay Perfect.

Emma uses Stay Perfect in Warm Ivory (£14.50). One of the main problems I had with foundation was making it last throughout the day. By mid-afternoon it would look patchy, and the coverage was beginning to fade away. If ever I was able to find a foundation that would stay all day, I found it to be far too thick and it would often look too much. The Stay Perfect range promises 24 hour coverage, but is lightweight and breathable. It will last all day, whilst barely feeling like I have anything on. It is also so easy to build up, it can be layered well depending on how much coverage you want. 

It comes in a glass bottle, with a pump and the one big criticism is that you never get to use the whole bottle. Once it reaches a certain level the pump no longer works, and taking the lid off only allows you to reach some of the remaining content. 

Kirsti uses the Instant Radiance in Vanilla Rose (£12.50). No7 say this range is best for tired and stressed skin, which perfectly sums up my skin prior to using No7. If I had even just one spot, my face would appear red and angry looking. My skin tended to dry out around my T-Zone and I was constantly switching brands every time I bought a new foundation. I would get through 3/4's of a bottle and suddenly my skin would break out, dry out and whichever foundation it was, just clogged up my skin and it ended up looking like I'd put waaaaay too many layers on. 

I have used this foundation for over 3 years now and it would take a lot for me to look elsewhere. I love how this foundation can be built up, I could put 3 layers on for a night out and it still wouldn't create a fake and over-done look. Sorry to the Mac lovers, but this is exactly what the Mac foundation did to me.

Both foundations are a really good price for a good quality foundation and with Boots handing out No7 vouchers almost every time you purchase anything, it is often that you don't pay full price for a bottle anyway. 

Now we know we haven't had a lot of experience in the foundation department, and we haven't tried a lot of the brands out there but it's important to not feel like you have to jump straight to the £29.99 ones. Make-up is totally individual, just because it works for your best friend does not mean it will be perfect for you.