5 Staples for your A/W Wardrobe

Autumn is upon us, and Winter is approaching fast behind it. The weather is so cold right now that my heating is on high, yet i'm wearing two jumpers and desperately regretting all wooden flooring and not having double glazing because boy are these floors cold, and how is the heat escaping so damn quick?

Anyway, i've been thinkng about my favourite staples for an autumn/winter wardrobe after a small (I promise it was tiny) clothes shop a few days ago. Some things I bought this time last year needed replacing, since getting with Josh i've put on a bit (or more) weight, and absolutely ruined the heel on my favourite pair of black winter booties. But we're good! I found some new favourites which i'll feature in this post today!

Be warned.. You will see that I favour burgundy/dark purples/dark reds. I just cannot help myself, they're my favourite colours to wear and I loooooove them. Usually I see this time of year as an excuse to dress gothic without looking gothic! Dark lips, dark hair colours, dark clothes, dark shoes. You get my drift? Then of course closer to Christmas out comes the bright red christmas jumper, and emerald green skater skirt (not at the same time though)!

1. My first favourite would be a knitted jumper, the one I show here is quite light weight yet cosy never the less. I found that its perfect for those warm afternoon (minus coat) but chilly evenings (plus coat). It was from New Look which you can find here.I just paired it with some black jeans, and booties which are another staple of mine.

2. I also think that dresses, with tights and booties look incredibly cute and brightens my dull overcast days with a flick of a skirt and click of a heel. I had a cute black one with white bows on from H&M but this year its a bit... tight. So here's one I only purchased two weeks ago and i've worn it four times, it would've been more but I go to the same place everyday and there's only so many times in a row you can outfit repeat. I love its short sleeves, since I would've just rolled them up anyway and the casual yet cute look of this dress. I can't really pull off the whole straight and not form fitting dress, and if you're the same this one has a tie at the waist which really makes it look cute and effortless to me. 

3. This time of year, is the time of thick socks and warm ankles! That's why I love a good pair of booties. You look cute and put together but your feet aren't sweating! Or freezing! I've had so many compliments since I bought these, and yes they were from New Look, again. I love the dark yet warm colour of them with the cute tassels on the side, they are comfortable enough for a days wear and for £40 that is not bad at all!! 

4. What's more important in the bitter cold of the British weather then a warm coat! This particular one is from H&M last year, but I found a similar one here. It doesn't have a hood which is its only downside, but I make up for that with #5 on this list! It's also not waterproof, and now i'm beginning to question it's practicality... But it's lovely! I love the wool and colours of this coat and it has a black lining on the inside so it's super comfortable and not itchy at all!

5. This one is probably a key staple for all year round in England. Number 5 for me is an umbrella, not necessarily a wardrobe staple (cheating a bit there), but something you need never the less. My coat doesn't have a hood as discussed above so I would be absolutely lost without an umbrella! Nobody likes their hair to get wet on their commute to a long day at college/work. Nobody!

These are my staples for this years colder months, and as always i'd love for you to share yours in the comments below! 

What to get the man in your life this Christmas!

It's nearly December! I started my Christmas shopping yesterday and I am definitely feeling the christmas spirit. I always find guys hardest to buy for, so these I've bought for the guys in my life this Christmas that may well help you decide what to buy the man in yours!

My first suggestion is tickets. This could be anything from football tickets, concert tickets or like I did for Josh this year tickets to see the strictly come dancing tour! I am not even kidding when I say Josh is going to enjoy this more than me. Just find something that he's interested, if its football you could get a season pass maybe? If he has a favourite band or tv show do they have a tour/events on? I personally would stay away from experience days etc because I know in the past I have had one and so has Josh and neither of us have ended up doing them. Unless its something you can do together of course, then I find you're more likely to do it.

If you know the man you're buying for quite well, as I assume you will, then you'll probably know what aftershave they like (or if you don't also like then buy him something you do), for Josh I know he either wears Armani or Paco Roban and I prefer Paco Roban since it reminds me of the first few dates we went on so I'd buy him that.

For my dad I tend to always buy giftcards its just something that he will always use, above I pictured a B&Q one but you could always go for a sports shop or clothing store like TopMan for a brother maybe. If you have a younger brother (or older) who likes to go to the cinema a lot with friends/girlfriends then a cinema giftcard would also be a good gift!

The thing i'm going to get my dad this year though is a book, personalised to the team he loves (Birmingham City) and to him. Full of newspaper reports etc of the team from the past. I think its such a unique idea that my dad will love and its not something you would buy for yourself which is sometimes what a gift is all about.

Other book could include the one I bought Josh yesterday also pictured above. Josh is obsessed with Danny Dyer's cockney accent and his twitter account. I've never actually seen Josh read a book so when he picked it up in a store the other day and said "this is what you can get me for Christmas I was quite shocked. Turns out boys do read!

I hope this helped somewhat with picking out a Christmas presents for those pesky men this Christmas. Got any ideas? Leave them in the comments below!

Since when did cheating become the new therapy?

I read an article in Glamour today when I was on my way home, and I couldn't believe what I was reading and here's why...

*In no way am I intentionally trying to bash anyone who has this opinion but when I read this I was shouting in my head as my opinion is such the opposite and I just feel like sharing it. Maybe you could leave a comment explaining why you agree or disagree, maybe you'll change my mind. Just make sure they're reasonably polite comments. This post is in every way subjective, it is my opinion and I wanted to share it so maybe someone could spread some light and dim my confusion on how cheating could ever help a relationship. I'm also nowhere near a relationship expert, nor do I claim to be.

The article started off saying "nice people don't cheat", which I completely disagreed with to begin with. In my opinion cheating doesn't determine whether you are 'nice' or not it determines how much you love your partner and how you consider their feelings and cope with your own towards them. 

Then it continued on to what could be considered as different area code cheating. The excuse of long distance, from business trips to a girls holiday that gives an excuse for a one night stand. Now if I was to take a holiday or work trip away from my boyfriend it wouldn't be more than a couple of weeks most likely. It surprises me that in the short time like a girls holiday that you would even consider sleeping with someone else. It's a 'girls' holiday. To go a week or two without someone you've become attached to is horrible, I know. But I can only imagine involving yourself in a sexual relationship, even if it is a one night stand, would make this worse. You're not going to miss the one you love less, probably more. And if this is your idea of being able to try something new or different because your other half is not around then I just can't see how you would justify that. It does however mention working abroad, which may be a bit longer. Long distance relationships can get tough, but I can never imagine why you would fine someone else to fill the void. If you want someone to make you smile and forget it for the time being then find some friends! If you need the intimacy that you're missing how can you find it from someone else. It's always going to be different and its always going to end with someone getting hurt whether its a mutual agreement or not. Love is a stong feeling, and i'm afraid it often comes with jealousy and hurt multiplied by a thousand. And if you think your relationship is worth it, then why are you considering swaying from it? 

As the article itself quotes from sex therapist Dr Tammy Nelson, "Virtually all couples' therapists have believed since the field's earliest days that no troubled marriage can ever recover as long as there's a 'third party'."

The article also said how we live in an age when you can lie in bed with someone 'but simultaneously e-cheat'. I don't know about any of you guys out there, but if i'm spending quality time with my boyfriend in bed its because we're cuddling or watching tv together, maybe in silence but still will some intimate physical contact. A touch of the hip, a squeeze, a forehead kiss. This could be down to the fact that I don't live with my boyfriend, so when I do see him (which has been every night for the past two weeks) is very important because the next night I could be in bed alone missing him. 

I feel like if you can e-cheat on someone while they are lying next to you in bed, then why are you in bed together. Why don't you want to be there spending time with the person you love. Asking them about their day, or talking about deeper issues which I find is always best to do in bed after sex. I find both parties are always more relaxed and open at this time. When i'm with the person I love I can't imagine being with anyone else, cherish every moment you have together. 

There's also the idea of websites that can delete texts off of phones yours or someone else's, ones with internet access you can't trace blah de blah de blah. If you're deleting texts or hiding your internet then your cheating therapy is obviously not mutual. This is an obvious break of trust, and we all know that trust is important in a relationship. If you can't trust them how can you expect them to be there for you when you need them, to put you first, to make you happy. 

Another line that really stuck out to me was 'actively helping couples to negotiate how to be unfaithful' with a set of guidelines to create 'a pre-nup for your heart not your bank account'. Sets of guidelines about your affairs. This is is crazy to me, maybe it works, maybe i'm wrong. But the idea of boyfriend sleeping with someone else drives me crazy as it is. I would never tell him he could, and whilst he does what he pleases I don't control him I would expect him not to want to. I know that porn is a thing and its other people, but fake re-enacted fantasies in his head are so much different from his hands or his lips on another. 

Apparently the motivation for cheating has also become less personal.Out of the100 women who were signed up to Adultery sites, not one wanted to leave their partner, and most said how much they loved them. I just can't get my head around this one at all, but what I can say is that if you loved them they wouldn't you consider them?

I think the worst part of the cheating is not the cheating itself, its the emotional aftermath. How is someone supposed to feel wanted by you when you are always looking for something or someone else. Oh, its just a one night stand. Its just sexting. Its just flirting. Why do you need it elsewhere? If you're missing that in your relationship the you need to discuss this with your partner and if you can't find what you need, you might need to find someone else. 

Let me just finish this off by saying that if you are a cheat/have been cheated on then i'm not saying you shouldn't be forgiven or forgive someone. Everybody's circumstances, everybodys relationship differs but I would never see this as a solution. 

Call me old fashioned, call me naive, the idea of cheating being good for a relationship truly baffled me.

Friends, fireworks and fairground rides!

It was Guy Fawkes night last Thursday, which for any of you who don't know is something that happens every year over here to celebrate when Guy Fawkes was caught before he could blow parliament up. More commonly known these days as bonfire night, where people set fireworks off and dogs owners hate it.

We went to a fireworks display last weekend and I was really excited. It was a chance to drink hot drinks, wrap up warm, cuddle up by the bonfire and watch the display. What I didn't think about was wellies. It had rained most of the day Saturday night and so when we walked across the field to get to the bonfire we sank into the mud. My vans are still in Josh's garage covered in mood, whoops.

Apart from that we were snuggly and warm as we managed to get to the very front of the bonfire and the heat off it had me roasting, we watched the first show and I ate a cheeseburger whilst we watched. It was really good to spend some time out with Josh and our friends watching the sparks. There was two displays on an hour apart, so after the first one Josh somehow convinced me to go on the big wheel. Let me just explain to you that I don't do rides. I don't do themeparks. I don't do heights or fast rides. When we went to fairs when we were younger my favourite 'ride' was hook a duck. I've tried them I promise, and I can say that after the guy had to stop the twister I went on with my mom so I could get off because I cried that badly, rides just are not for me.

So when Josh asked me when we got there if I wanted to go on it of course I said no way, yet after the first display I found myself in the queue. I tried to back out, I was freaking out but Josh made me. So I got on the ride and closed my eyes. Just a thought, aren't big wheels supposed to be slow? Well this one was pretty fast. Even with my eyes closed I could feel in my stomach how fast it was going.

When we were stopped at the top I opened my eyes and a naughty word popped out before I shut my eyes again. But eventually I got a little used to it and turned around where Abbie and Hannah took a picture as they were in the cart behind us. I cried a little bit as well, but we won't get into that.

Once we were off I was in a crazy happy mood, I was very proud of myself and I text my mom to tell her. I know. I know. I'm lame.

I also made Josh buy me a light up wand that had a tiara on top and lights up.

We watched the second one not by the bonfire, which was cold and a lot less muddy. We saw some one of Josh's friends who he used to work with who's with a girl I work with so that was nice and then after that we had a long walk back to the car since parking was insane.

It was a great night and I had lot's of fun, I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Everyman Cinema & Spectre Date

Josh and I didn't get to spend much time together this week because of work and stuff, so I decided to take him out Friday night to watch Spectre because he wanted to see it. One of my friends and also one of Josh's friends had recently been to Everyman cinema and both gave really good reviews, so instead of booking the tickets for the Vue in Redditch where we usually go, we booked them for there! The cinema is in the mailbox but we decided to park a bit away in the Arcadian so we could take a little stroll through town and see the new Grand Central which is the rebuilt New Street station which Josh did some work on in the office and onsite which is quite exciting! I was very proud.

The cinema is actually next the the Canal and a few other bars etc and to stand outside it was really beautiful. The water looked black and was glistening in the lights of the night since we went quite late. 

The entrance of the cinema was the bar instead of the usual ticket and food stands, and when we walked through the door there was a woman who asked us if we had prebooked tickets etc and asked us if we wanted a cocktail menu! I've never had a cocktail in a cinema before! 

I don't usually dress nice to go to the cinema, jeans and a jumper is my usual attire but i'm glad I did this time haha. They had a range of cocktails that were named specially after Spectre which was so cute! I went for a coke though and Josh had a beer. We had a few drinks before the film started and we also had some pizza which was delicious. Because we'd got there a while before the film started we ate before but the great thing about this cinema is that you can get popcorn/pizza/burgers and chips brought into the cinema during the trailers! 

The screen itself is all sofas! Not an uncomfortable seat in sight.. The sofas were so comfy and velvet with little pillows on with little tables next to them and a little wooden footrest on the back of the seat in front. It was so comfortable that the guy behind us in the cinema fell asleep! 

Spectre was great as well! I've not watched any of the other films, and I had heard from a friend that it might seem a little long if you don't really know the Bond films but I really enjoyed it! Josh enjoyed it a little less than I did which I was surprised about but I loved it never the less! 

I wouldn't go to Everyman just for the sake of going to the cinema, but if you want a nice night out to watch a film you really want to see then I would reccomend it! 

With booking fees two tickets cost us £27, but tickets for £12 each is not bad when we usually pay £8/9 anyway. 

The drinks and food were not badly priced considering how tasty the pizza we had was. It cost about £6 for Josh's beer but it wasn't a small bottle it was more pint sized and a coke was only £2.50 for myself. So price wise its still quite reasonably and to pay the little bit extra is well worth it in my opinion!

Have you been to Everyman/ want to go? I'd love to hear what you think!

Review: Real Techniques Bold Metals

For any of you British readers before you even read this post let me tell you that the Real Techniques Bold Metals Essentials with a clutch is on sale in Boots now for £30 down from £64. That is amahzing. So go get them/order them now, and if you still don't think its worth it then read this...

I've always lusted after the real technique brushes but never actually bought them, for about £10 a brush its not too bad but that's not something I would usually buy. I have brushes I like and that work so its just not on my to buy list. But these brushes are usually over £20 a brush and I wanted to snatch this kit up for cheap while I could.

I told Josh to feel the brushes and he said "how am I supposed to know what makeup brushes feel like" then I brushed it on the plam of his hand he was shocked at how soft they were. There you go, boyfriend approved!

The kit includes the Angled Powder brush (103), its angled (duh) and is the largest head yet! It is apparently good for seamless blending and and contouring. I've been using it to apply my powder and it does the best job, i've actually also used the Tapered Blush (300) brush which explains itself really its tapered to get the perfect highlight but i've used it for my powder also because the angled brush is way too big to powder under my eyes and i'm not a massive blush fan. So I use the blush brush to to set my under eye concealer. Lastly there's the Oval Shadow brush (200), its got a small flat head which is for perfect all application. I used this for my halloween makeup to blend and it worked amazingly but now I have to wash them because the white tips are red!

These brushes aren't just functional, they're beautiful. They have really cute brush hairs with coloured roots to match the brushes and white tips, they're different colour metals (bold metals.. duh). There's a gold, rose gold and silver brush and the handles are very long and they taper at the ends but are also squared. They are very unique and special compared the the mac or seventeen brushes that i've come to love. They look so good in my brush holder.

The set also includes a cute silver gold and white clutch which will be great to throw your keys and cash into this party season! I think the bags meant for the brushes but I think i'll use it differently!

It's a wonderful, great value set, and I would definitely recommend it.

Have any of you tried the Real Technique Bold Metal collection? You should let me know if you have!