January Reads

 Post holiday season I always end up with a stack of books to keep me going over the next few months. I have been working my way through some life and beauty books which is so refreshing after constantly reading fiction for so long. As we depart January and head into the rest of the year I feel it was a month of books well spent, all this fashion inspiration and beauty related tips have helped get 2015 off to a good start. 

Pretty Honest - Sali Hughes 

This book is like the beauty bible. Seriously. For any new-to-makeup girls out there or for someone who just wants all the beauty advice summed up in one place, this book is for you. There are chapters in here that range from How to look good in a picture to Red lipsticks and Beauty icons. Plus the book looks beautiful sitting on my book shelf in all its hardback glory. It would make a great present for a mum, sister or friend. 

Not That Kind Of Girl - Lena Dunham 

If you're looking for a cheer-me-up book this one's for you. The book is made up of a collection of essays written about Lena's personal life, she talks about everything from love to her appearance and her career. I laughed out loud so many times during this book and just couldn't put it down. Her writing is so raw and honest, it gives a real insight into life as a young women, which for someone like me is super relatable.

It - Alexa Chung 

A book that is just beautiful inside and out. Before reading this book I knew of Alexa Chung and who she was, but not much about her. This book didn't take me long to read at all, I think the volume of photos on every page is the reason for this, but all the photos are so lovely I'm not complaining. It's a book that I would read twice or even three times and spend just as long every time staring at all the photos and doodles as well as marvelling at the thickness of the paper (anyone else loves it when pages of a book are all thick and 'quality'). 

Georgina x 

The Super Easy DIY iPhone Case

 Phone cases seems to be one of those beautiful objects you just can't have enough of. Whether it's a £1 case from eBay or a £30 one from some fancy online store, the case, for me, is just as important as the phone itself. That's where DIY cases come in handy. They're so much cheaper and quicker than buying online plus, if you're fussy *raising my hand here* and don't like what's in store, I can just go home and make what I'm looking for. I think I saw a similar idea on a blog a few years ago and I'm sure this is nothing new, but considering how cheap these are to make, I thought I'd share. 

  So to begin with you need a clear plastic phone case, this can be as chunky or colourful as you like, I've used ones in the past with coloured, rubber sides to them - super cool..  just as long as the back of the case is clear. Then all you need is some scrap paper or card, cut into the size of your phone, so that it can fit in between the phone and the case. (I found the thicker the card the harder it is to fit your phone in on top - the thinner the better)
 Now it's all down to some - as cheesy as this sounds - creativity! The easiest thing to use would be some coloured card or wrapping paper, but if your feeling artsy crafty, go wild and crack out the sharpies and water colours. You could really do anything here, which is why it's so great because if you get bored you can just change it up, like that, with no extra cost. Easy peasy. 

-Georgina-

Budget Work/School Minimal Makeup

  Prepping your face for the day not only makes you look great (well, at least that's the aim) but it also wakes up your skin and hopefully keeps it nourished throughout a working day. Returning home in the evenings and seeing no trace of that concealer you'd religiously applied before rushing out that very morning is something no one wants, we've probably all had it though right? My aim is to avoid that heart-sinking moment, spending as little amount of money as possible. I've listed down below a few products that nudged their way into my daily makeup routine and ones that really work for my skin (normal to oily). 

Yes To Carrots Day Cream 

Even if I wasn't wearing any makeup this would still be a must. Although my skin gets very oily throughout the day, after washing my face in the mornings my skin needs to be fed moisture and this really locks it in. I noticed a big difference in my complexion after I started using this. It's quite a rich cream, as it says on the tin, so a little goes a long way. 

Garnier 5 Second Perfect Blur Primer 

I hear this is a dupe for the Benefit Porefessional primer, and although I cannot say whether that's true or not, I can say this is a brilliant 'smoothing-out' primer. Once I've applied it to my skin any makeup that I put on top sits much better, this 'smoothness' also lasts pretty much all day.

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream 

I'm not a big fan of full-faced foundation (especially just for school) so a BB or tinted moisturiser is the perfect middle-ing option.If my skin's having a good day I will just skip this step and go straight to concealer. This Maybelline BB Cream feels so refreshing in the morning and keeps my skin really moisturised throughout the day. It's one of those products that feels like it's doing my skin some good instead of clogging it all up.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer 

Such a classic, hyped about, drugstore concealer. I know. But it's just so darn good for the price, I don't want to replace it. I use this both under my eyes and on any blemishes. I have been eyeing up the Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Roller for a while, but in the mornings I find it quickest to use just one product for concealing.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

Yet another praised drugstore product, one that I have repurchased quite a few times. I must admit the packaging isn't great, especially for travelling. But the product inside is great at what it does; mattifying and keeping the face shine free. My one is super battered from carrying it around.. I think I'm in desperate need of a new one. 

 I thought I would stick just to base products here, as my eye makeup changes a lot depending on how much time I have. Sometimes I'll leave the whole eye completely bare, whilst other times I'll feel like a thick black eyeliner look. I hope this was useful to any one searching for some budget makeup items. Another post soon! 

-Georgina-

White Nails Whatever The Season

  White nail polish has to be my all time favourite shade. There is something so simple and chic about it plus it looks great on pretty much any skin tone. I remember last summer everyone was lacquering it up - Instagram was swarming with mirror selfies where you caught a glimpse of white nails clutching a phone or camera. Even in mid January, when even spring feels like a long way away, white seems to be a colour you can pull off.

  The one I'm using here is Rimmel 60 seconds 703 White Hot Love. I picked this up quite a while ago from Boots, I wanted to try out this whole 'dries in 60seconds' claim. I must say it's not a bad nail polish for the price, it's pretty opaque and dries fast (although I wouldn't say in 60 seconds). After two layers and a top coat I'm good to go- my nails are officially prepped and primed for summer.. 

--Georgina-- 

My Makeup Storage

 Applying my makeup in the morning is something I love to do. This may sound vain or shallow but blending concealer into my under eye area or dusting some bronzer onto my face makes me feel ready for the day, inside and out. I guess you could call it 'war paint' if your preparing for an early Monday morning start. 

 Where I sit down and apply my makeup is, to me, just as important as what I slap on. Knowing where all my products are and which brushes go where means I can get out of the house that little bit faster in the mornings. 

 I used to have this tiny cupboard in my room that was piled high with boxes full of stuff I didn't use anymore, but when I jazzed up my room it felt like such a waste of space. So off the door came and in with the paint brush and trip to IKEA. I painted the walls white and then added these swirls of colour, free-hand - it took some practice, using mini tester pots of wall paints. I then bought or scavenged all the necessities like a table, chair, lights and a mirror. Then went about arranging it to look all girly and cute with some sparkly fabric and fairy lights. 

          

  I adore the way it turned out plus it beats hovering in front of a full length mirror every morning attempting winged eye-liner without anything to lean on - big mistake. I guess the down sides are there isn't a great amount of storage for my makeup at the moment, luckily I don't have too much to store. Perhaps I can get a set of draws to go under the table? Another problemo is the lighting; unless a window appears overnight (you never know right?). IKEA lamps and an illuminated mirror will have to do!

-Georgina-

Mid-Month Motivation || January

 From mid January through to February, I find motivation levels can sometimes dwindle. Especially for anyone unlucky enough to have revision and exams coming later on this year (yup, me included). Summer can seem such a long way off, sometimes I need a little boost of energy in these bleak winter months (wow, doing a great job of making my self feel better there).

 Sometimes I'll come across a quote or cute photo edit and if the words make me laugh or smile it seems to give me that boost I needed *speaking from the heart here people*. 

 I thought I would share with you my favourite quote/poem that lightens my mood when I'm trudging through an early Monday morning start. 

 Okay I will admit I have no clue what this poem means but I love the spontaneous feeling I get from reading this poem, the ending always makes me smile. 

-Georgina-

You Can Never Have Too Many Rings

As the title suggests, I have a little bit of a love for shiny metal things that I wear on my fingers. Yup. Sounds weird when you say it like that. I am always drawn to someone's outfit if they're wearing heaps of rings on both hands, it looks so effortless and adds a bit of sparkle to a plain outfit. I seem to go through phases with my rings, wearing a bunch in the same order, switching them up every few weeks. I thought I'd share the rings I've been religiously stacking onto my hands every morning for any other curious ring lovers out there.   

 I think we can safely say this is the most statement and beautiful ring I've got on. The colour looks glorious in every lighting and adds a burst of colour to my otherwise silver-y collection.  I couldn't find it on the Essentials website but am pretty sure it can be found in store.

The wave ring and plait ring (I couldn't find quite the same ring on the website, but it's very similar). 

The twisted ring and silver ball ring.

 These final two rings I bought in a collection from H&M. I'm not going to lie, they're not the best of quality, but the geometric shapes in midi and normal sized rings made them a must-have. 

 So there you have it, a little insight into my oh-so-loved jewellery collection. Perhaps you love chunky silver rings or delicate pearls.. I'd love to hear..  

--Georgina-- 

Bands I Would Love To See Live

 I haven't written much on Wanderings Of A Lost Soul yet about my fashion or music tastes so I thought now was a good time to do so. Something that's so unique to everyone is their love of music, it's so rare to find someone who totally loves the same bands as you, its such a gem when you find it. I've been to a few concerts in my time and would love to keep adding to that short but sweet list. 
 I've tried to keep the artists below to current ones, I adore The Kinks, The Who, Elvis, Led Zeppelin.. the list could go on, but too my deep despair, drooling over Elvis Presley in concert isn't going to happen. Lets get real here people. 

 The Vaccines. I love the sound of this band, the lead singer's voice is so grungy and very 'rock like' which pairs perfectly with the carefree/'young and free' vibe they've got going on. Both their albums; What Did You Expect From The Vaccines and Come Of Age are consistently addictive. Their second album (Come of Age) definitely has a slightly different sound, in my opinion it's cleaner and perhaps sounds more mature, both albums however are wicked. 
 The Family Rain. I first heard this band as a support act for another artist, when they started playing I was instantly hooked. They're a similar set up to The Vaccines (I think we can see a trend developing here) and are I think they're a newer band with only one album out - Under The Volcano. My favourite songs are probably Trust Me... I'm A Genius, Don't Waste Your Time, Together and We Are In Love - the riff at the start of this song.. so feel good. 
 The Dead Weather. Another rock band, surprise surprise! (I promise I do listen to other kinds of music. haha) There are some albums here that I like more than others, they produce some pretty intense rock and I prefer some 'softer' rock if that's even a thing. Their music is so brooding you can really get pulled into the song, my favourite songs are probably I Can't Hear You, Blue Blood Blues, A Child Of A Few Hours Is Burning To Death (I Know. Cheery name) and Hustle and Cuss. 

 I could name so many more artists that I would love to see in concert but I thought I should keep my ramblings to a minimum. I hope I've helped you discover an artist or branch of music you've perhaps not enjoyed before, that can be the best feeling. I'm now going to go search for some tour dates - it's worth a try.  

--Georgina--

How I Created My Pin Board

 This pin board sits proudly above my desk and has pretty much become the focal point of my bedroom. It's packed full of inspiration and memories as well as framing my desk nicely. When I first bought the boards (I couldn't find one big enough with these lovely black frames, so I bought two smaller ones) I gravitated towards Pinterest for ideas and inspiration. There seemed to be two routes to take; cram it full of photos and bits and bobs until you can't see the board. OR arrange things in clusters for a more minimal look. 

 Being a bit of a neat freak I went with the less cluttered idea, picking out groups of things I wanted on the board. Photos and Polaroids were a must. As well as magazine cuttings - I'm always tearing out scraps of outfits I love but didn't have anywhere to store them! 

 I then printed off a ton of photos, some from Instagram, and went about arranging them. Any magazine words or old cinema tickets were pinned up too. I also googled some quotes and wrote them in my attempt at 'fancy' writing before adding them too. Any random feathers and photo booth strips have made their way onto the board and before long it was brimming (I say brimming - what I mean is as full as I wanted i.e. spaces everywhere, haha). 

 

 I love the way it has turned out, it gives such a personal touch to a room. I guess now it's all about updating the photos and magazine trimmings, kinda wishing I'd bought a bigger board!

 --Georgina--

New Years Resolutions (And All That Jazz)

 As the festivities come to an end *sobs*, its time to think long and hard about this year and what 2015 may hold. Being a lover of lists, I thought this time of year was a perfect excuse to make one. Although I think this 'New Year, New You' thing never quite works, thinking of goals and improvements is refreshing and perhaps ups the motivation levels as we start the new year. 

 Try New Makeup Looks. There is only so much eyeliner and red lipstick a girl can wear! I want to make 2015 the year I spend that extra minute on my makeup in the mornings, smudging something shimmery onto my eyes.
 Make Exercise Part of my Routine. Although it feels good after doing a run or going to the gym, finding the motivation to go out and do it is something I seem to lack! Incorporating a run here and there into the week will hopefully get me feeling healthier, and not so guilty about the chocolate orange that seems to make its way to my mouth. 

 Non Fiction is the way to go. Fiction seems to be what takes up most of my bookshelf, only over the past month have I really started being interested in biographies and beauty books, occasionally it's nice to read about things in the real world! 

 'Live In The Moment'. There are so many occasions when I catch myself quickly checking twitter, or replying to a text when I've got friends or family sitting right in front of me. Turning my phone off more often is something I want to do more of, it forces me to fully focus on where I am, instead of what the rest of the world is doing (woah there - getting a bit deep!).

 So there you have it. Some of those will definitely be easier than others, maybe this has helped you think of some resolutions? I better get started on that jog... or maybe next week... 

--Georgina--