WRAPPED UP

Down Parka- Zara, Burnt Orange Tartan Shirt- Topshop (available in store) similar here, here & here, PETITE Moto Dark Jamie Jeans- Topshop, Bronze Glitter Boots- ASOS- similar here & here, Grey Knit Scarf- Zara- similar here, Black Drawstring Backpack- Victoria's Secret- similar here.

Lips

Lip Bullet in MOTEL- Topshop

Lip Liner in BROWN- Primark

Hello people of my blog! It's a couple of days after Christmas now and this is the outfit I wore on Christmas Day- very casual indeed. I hope you all had a lovely few days of holiday  whether you celebrate Christmas or not. I'm going to go right ahead and jump into the outfit details...

As usual my mum asked me what I wanted for Christmas and this year I actually found it really hard to pick out things that I liked. I thought I should go for something practical seeing as I do a lot of walking to and from university and I don't own a hooded coat believe it or not- which is ridiculous because we all know about this British weather. I looked everywhere online and in stores to find something suitable that didn't look like the typical khaki parka...I will cut the 'not quite what I was looking for' Parka story short- I found this beauty. I picked this up before it went into sale (£79.99), now it has been reduced, but it is so classy and well made that I think it is worth every penny. I can't say enough good things about it; it's padded on the inside, the pockets are lined with fleece, the fur on the hood doesn't look like the cheap stuff that you often find on most parkas, it's a lovely olive green with a water resistant finish. What more could you want? 

I've said it before but this season I'm really excited by the more neutral and natural tones so when I saw this burn orangey/brown tartan shirt in Topshop, I put it straight on my wish list. I'm a huge lover of tartan shirts- always have been- as well as the over-sized look. This one is available in quite a few colours in store, but I couldn't find the exact item online at all. It has these lovely long slits from the waist to the hem which gives it a bit of interest compared to your usual plaid shirt. Also I'm fussy with fabrics and its perfectly soft and lightweight so can definitely be layered with a chunky knit jumper as well. The camera hasn't picked up the beauty of these orange tones at all but it just reminds me of autumn and winter and I simply adore orange this season. On the same tonal lines these bronze glitter booties have been sitting in my room for a year now and I just haven't had the chance to wear a bedazzling all-glitter shoe but if you can't wear something like this at Christmas then when can you?

On to jeans. My current favourite go-to style of jeans is the Topshop Jamie jean. These will be my third pair in the space of about 6 months because I just adore how they fit. I picked up this dark navy wash most recently because they can literally be paired with anything. They're so comfortable, they have loopholes for a belt- which I always like- the fabric is very soft and the two pairs I already have, have lasted so well after many many washes. I don't really buy my jeans anywhere else for the simple reason that I have found the perfect ones for me. 

I know this outfit is really really casual but it's kind of the perfect outfit for a cold day. It's simple, comfortable with a bit of glitter for Christmas but you can easily substitute these glittery boots for a nice black or brown leather pair for the remainder of the colder months. I think the key here for me was practicality- definitely an outfit I can wear to university. 

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GIFT GUIDE: FOR HER

Seeing as Iv'e been accumulating quite a few little gifts that also happen to be really pretty, I figured it would be a huge shame not to feature them on the blog. These are all ideas that can be used as stocking fillers, secret santa gifts or even 'main presents'. Like most students I don't have a ton of money to spend on gifts for people so all of these are relatively affordable but equally wonderful because I'm not one to pass up on quality. 

Topshop

Lip Bullets

Topshop have a lovely selection of gifts out, not bad on price and so, so cute. Their Lip Bullets have great reviews and I would love to receive one of these mini bullets in this adorable little pyramid bauble. The pyramids come in 3 different colours or you could go for the pack of two which is slightly more expensive but for someone who likes lovely lip colours is just perfect. Also, theres glitter. Lots of glitter. I think what's pushing the product massively here is the packaging because it's just so hard to say no to. 

Mini Lip Bullet Pyramid in Get Me Bodied

Mini Lip Bullet Pyramid in Motel 

Lip Bullet duo in Tamed & Joyride

 Cheek Glows

These little glow domes are quite pricey for the small size they are. It's all about the hi lighting at the moment and both these shades have stunning iridescent finishes- perfect for the season, so I may just keep one for myself. I ordered them and was expecting them to be quite a bit bigger, but I'm interested to see if they're worth the £9 each. 

Chameleon Glow in Shuffle The Cards

Chameleon Glow in Wax & Wane

 3 for £8 socks

Topshop have this offer on their socks all year round but their selection right now is bedazzling and pretty socks never go to waste. 

Socks- 3 for £8

Zara

Zara have a lovely and actually quite extensive collection of their own brand fragrances, I've tried quite a few and there is a huge variety of scents. At the moment they have these mini roller-ball sizes that are the perfect stocking fillers. I think some of their fragrances are actually incredible and definitely could compare to the more expensive options on the market. Also, as usual their packaging is so sleek and upmarket. 

Friday Night Eau de Toilette

I couldn't find these mini roller-balls on their site, but they definitely have them in stores, in abundance too. This is a very sensual scent with sweet notes, they have testers in store. 

Oriental & Fruity Eau De Toilette (100ml)

Again, They didn't have this mini Fruity roller online or the prettily packaged bottle, but they do have the set along with the Oriental fragrance. Both these scents are incredibly sweet, floral and feminine- very different to the Friday Night scent. Head into a store for the mini sizes because they come in at £3.99 and are just perfect handbag size. Also in store, the grey box with a bow again contains the Fruity scent but is so so pretty and only £7.99. Their pricing is amazing for the quality of the products I must say. 

This Works

I heard a few bloggers talk about this product and I was willing to try it because both my mum and I find it hard getting to sleep at night. The product is supposed to calm the mind and body with the scent of lavender and chamomile also "alleviate stress, settling the nerves and establishing a feeling of balance, whilst its sedative action also treats mental and physical exhaustion". It's not cheap, its not overly expensive so I figured it was worth a try because I do find it really hard to switch my mind off at night. 

Deep Sleep Pillow Spray (75ml)- Feelunique.com

With Sleep Comes Beauty set- ASOS if you wanted to spend a bit more.

KIKO

I purchased a lot of products during their black friday event. I won't go through each product because there are a lot. What I will say is that I have lipsticks, mascara and nail polish from them all of which are beautiful Italian quality and they are incredibly affordable. I'm not sponsored by them I just think that what they provide is exceptional compared to other brands in this price bracket. Their quality, their packaging, the service you get in store is all really lovely, I can't really fault them. 

Anyway I picked up some excellent stocking fillers, if you haven't been to a Kiko store definitely pop in or have a browse online (also their delivery was very impressive). 

Pure Colour nail polishes (now £2.50!) - huge selection of colours.

Gossamer Emotion Creamy Lipstick in 105 Pinky Brown

Smart Lipstick in 905 Red Coral

Supergloss in Pearly Salmon Pink

Colour Veil Blush (now £3.90!)

Soap and Glory

I love soap and glory products. I have the Righteous Butter and it's one of the best moisturisers I've ever used, and I've tried a fair few in my time. It smells incredibly, absorbs really well and leaves the skin so silky smooth. It comes in at £10 a tub, the brand isn't cheap so I thought this set of 6 crackers containing all their different shower gels was perfect to split up and give as individual gifts. They have a huge selection of gift boxes and current;y have 3 for 2 across all their products in Boots at the moment. 

SOAPRISE Cracker Set- Boots

Ohh Deer

I'm a complete stationary whore- I can't get enough of the stuff so when I came across the Oh Deer site, I was all kinds of excited. I ordered 3 of their A4 ish sized notebooks. They're abut £5 each, the quality of the print is really nice and also the paper inside- there's nothing worse than cheap/flimsy feeling paper. These are also lovely little gifts for anyone who like making notes or goes to school/college/uiversity- they're just so pretty and useful of course!

View their selection of notebooks here. 

O.P.I

Every girl loves a good nail varnish and O.P.I is probably one of the most renowned brands for nail products. Single bottles of O.P.I are on the pricey side but they have a lot of little gift sets this time of year and you know you will definitely get the quality with these, plus they're stocking sized and really cute. They could also be an excellent idea for a Secret Santa gift- depending on your budget. 

                                       All Stars Starlight Holliday Collection- John Lewis

I hope this little gift guide was somewhat useful and I haven't left it too late to post. All these brands are available for delivery and you should still be in time to order for Christmas  but obviously check their Christmas delivery dates just in case.

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NOVEMBER LOVE LIST

I knew I had to get this post up because it's nearing the end of the month and it's almost not acceptable to say  it's Autumn anymore,because let's face it, it's definitely winter outside. Having said that, there are some lovely Autumnal and Wintery things out there at the moment and now that I'm a student it's lovely to be able to dream and have a few luxury items on my love list. I think this time of year is definitely a season for luxury and investment pieces that can be pulled out every year. A girl can dream right? Everyone knows I'm a complete lover of autumnal tones and the wines and burgundy's have never been more appropriate. 

Over Size Mustang Biker Jacket- Olive Clothing, Saint Laurent Textured Camera Bag- Net-a-porter.com, Stud Ankle Boots- Mango, Charlotte Tilbury Mini Lipstick Trio- Selfridges, Check Scarf- Zara, Gingerbread Large Jar Candle- Yankee, Floral Skirt with Braces- Zara, Westend Tomatoe & Hyde Park Court Gel Effect Polish- Nails Inc @ Boots, Glitter Lace Ankle Socks- Topshop, Velvet Turban- Zara, Foil A5 Exercise Books- Paperchase, Cream Flower Triangle Bra- River Island. 

Let me know if you prefer items to be numbered with a little description of each one like I used to.  I find this way of doing it (without numbers etc.) far more visually appealing and professional but I'm always open to suggestion. 

Ev

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IT'S OKAY TO RELAPSE

I'm going to go ahead and talk about depression again. My last post was more of an overview of my experience with the illness, but today I feel like it's time to go into a bit more depth. Relapse. A reoccurrence of the past or a past state. I'm writing this post because I relapsed hard this week and I want people to know that although it feels impossible to get up when you get smashed backwards by life, it is completely and utterly okay for that to happen. It's also completely normal if you're going through mental illness or addiction or any other kind of illness- we don't all miraculously recover from these things and it's just not realistic to think that we will. Obviously I'm no mental health specialist but I am an expert in my personal experience with it. Let's face it- sometimes shit happens that we're not in control of and I know in my case my mind usually reacts to that subconsciously. To be completely honest I don't know where this post will lead, but last time I spoke of my illness I felt so empowered and received an array of messages encouraging me and sending me such positive vibes.  I don't see any councillors or therapists or anything like that at the moment so I find it quite therapeutic to pour out my story and my knowledge too. The world doesn't talk about mental illness, so damn it I will!

My birthday week back in October, I truly felt as though I was healing from depression, as if I was in recovery and moving forward in all the right ways. Since then I've been completely all over the place with my mood but just generally really down. I don't think it was a specific event that's caused the relapse but I have had constant issues with my stomach and bowels for like 3 months now, sometimes  I can't eat at all, sometimes it's pure pain and other times I'm absolutely fine. The theory is that it's Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which is related to stress and anxiety and that makes sense because i'm a very stressy person in general. It's been so persistent in it's random phases of flaring up sometimes I genuinely feel like it's ruining my life! I feel like if mentally I'm in a good place I can get through anything and because I'm in a bad place at the moment, everything seems to be overwhelming me. 

In my experience one of the biggest problems for us sufferers of mental illness is that we are so hard on ourselves and set such high and sometimes unattainable standards for example I will never relapse or I will not have a down day this week. We need to realise, I say we because Iv'e been so harsh on myself lately, that relapse will happen it could be mild or it could be extreme but it's almost inevitable. I have self harmed twice this week after many months of resisting the urge but I feel like sometimes unfortunately it has to happen. It shouldn't at all and it's not helpful in any way but it has because mentally I'm extremely fragile these days. The one positive thing that I can probably pull from this is that from that low point of despair and hopelessness it can only get better. It is also a little reality check that I'm completely damaging myself, moving backwards 10 steps and making it much harder for myself to get back up. I guess we should look at it like this; If we were to try and cut someone else's wrists or hack away at their hair with sharp scissors in a moment of anger, we'd probably get arrested for assault or attempted murder, so why the hell treat ourselves so badly? It's extremely complex, the topic of self harm because we all have different reasons for our actions but there is always a running theme of self-hatred/anger/despair/hopelessness- that's just the nature of mental illness. 

It can be torture for the most part, but that doesn't mean we should surrender ourselves and let that bastard illness win. We must fight on. As cheesy as it sounds, when you love yourself and carry a great deal of self compassion (few do, more should) these actions and negative thought patterns simply do not happen because you realise your worth. I say it from experience. I'm in part perhaps having this relapse because of my self-neglect at the moment. I haven't been taking care of myself; my diet is all over the place because of my dodgy stomach, I haven't had my eyebrows done in well over a month and blah blah blah, sometimes it really is the little things. I plan to get back up though, because I always do and because I haven't given in to this mother fucker and I never will plus we appreciate the good days more than anyone else ever will.  I need to remind myself more often of how many people I have helped by having gone through all this mess and now being far wiser about life in general.  My compassion and empathy for the struggles of others comes in abundance because  it's these very struggles that make us who we are and make our successes even more incredible. So in some ways, as painful and twisted as it is sometimes I'm actually grateful for my experience. 

I know it's ridiculously hard to get back up from relapse, Iv'e had so many in my time and to be honest I'm still figuring this whole thing out after 4 years of living with it but I will hold on to the fact that I WILL GET BACK UP, and that will pull me through. We should treat mental illness as any other illness and I'm still healing but that's okay. 

I hope this was helpful or insightful in some way because life really isn't always butterflies and unicorns for some of us but it shouldn't be all dark clouds either. Feel free to leave comments below and hopefully my next post will be a little more fashion- orientated, I think it was important to get a little serious for a minute though. 

All my love fighters,

Ev

OOTN: KHAKI CUT OUT'S

Khaki Culotte Plunge Jumpsuit & Harness Bralette- Missguided- Sold Out :( 

Similar Options from Missguided: Culotte Jumpsuit Dark Rose, Satin Feel Khaki Culottes & Satin Split Front Crop , Harness Detail Bodycon Khaki/ Black.

Black Leather Jacket- Zara (Similar)

Black Platform Lace Ups- Similar Here

Faux Pony Hair Clutch- Similar Here

Lashes- Eyelure Definition No. 121

I've had this outfit hanging up, ready to wear for a few weeks now and in the time I attempted to get my shit together and head out, the two new pieces I purchased from Missguided really annoyingly sold out. Obviously I can't give you a direct link but Misguided specialise in this kind of sassy party wear so I've found a lot of similar options which will definitely have the same vibe as this outfit. I jumped on the 'harness' bandwagon because I feel like, done right, it can actually look really demure, so I had a go! The deep 'V' is definitely balanced out with the loose structure of the culottes- they make it far more wearable. I guess this is a good tip if you want to try something low cut or more revealing on the top half, to avoid the prostitute vibe then it needs to be balanced out by covering up the bottom half in a classy way with a midi or maxi skirt, culottes or some dark skinny jeans and pointed courts. I also really like this sleeve length, it also takes the outfit down a different route, instead of the usual sleeveless style of most dresses, playsuits or jumpsuits in the party wear sector. 

I don't think I'd wear this outfit during the day, not even in summer, it's just far more club/bar appropriate. Theres absolutely nothing stopping me from putting a little black or grey roll neck underneath if I did want to wear it for daytime because I think the beauty of a jumpsuit is its versatility. Most people wouldn't think to wear it layered like so but in a simple neutral shade like khaki, it can be dressed up or down countless times. 

When you've got something a little daring going on for the main part of your outfit it's always best, I think, to go pretty basic with the accessories- you can NEVER go wrong with a beautiful black leather biker and if anyone tells you otherwise, they're lying. 

It's been my first Outfit Of The Night in a long while, so let me know what you thought.

Ev

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Last Minute Halloween Inspired Picks

So Halloween is a few days away and as usual, I'm not prepared. I've found a few last minute bits and bobs that could help with costume ideas, but are not solely synonymous with the day itself. I selected items that can be worn anytime during these festive next few months because in all reality the majority of us can't afford to spend a load of money on something we will only wear once, so I guess I'm being economic as well! All the items listed below are available for next day delivery, so if you see something you adore for Saturday (Halloween) then theres nothing stopping you snapping it up in time. 

 NYX Avant Pop Palette in Art Throb- Selfridges, NYX Macaroon Lipstick in Key Lime- Selfridges

 Devoré Velvet Dress- Zara, Suzywan DELUXE Large Celestial Earring- ASOS

Face Lace Day of the Dead- Rosa- Face-lace.com, Face Lace Halloween Gothamour Eye Lace- ASOS

Socks- Topshop 3 for £8

Say You Do Too Heels- ASOS

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