We Were On A Break

Greetings, it's been a while. A very long while. On a whim I scrolled through NG a few weeks ago, partly out of curiosity, partly to indulge in nostalgia. I smiled as I looked through old posts, the connections established with fabulous bloggers from around the world and nostalgia soon snowballed into motivation; it's time to start blogging again.

I didn't stop posting for any reason, something reflected in my last post, dated 29th March 2016, a list of my favourite lip products. Life just got in the way. I hit third year and the work piled up, I became an editor for my student magazine and time that wasn't spent in the library or magazine office was spent with friends, enjoying our last year of all living together in Nottingham. When I graduated I had a summer deciding what I wanted to do with my life, researching different options, before eventually settling on my first plan of action, go back to uni and get an MA. I can't wait to begin this September.

I've missed blogging, having a platform to create a conversation, express your opinion, discovering new, exciting blogs. I'm wondering why I ever left.

See you very soon,

NG <3

Crazy for you

Is it really possible to beat such a wonderful item as a multi-seasonal piece? When taking these shots I originally thought that I had not posted this playsuit on the blog before but I was wrong, I actually did last July, during a heatwave. I've swapped the wedges for brogues and bare legs for tights.

 I'm wearing a New Look coat, brogues and bag, H! by Henry Holland playsuit and Primark tights.

  

Sorry I haven't posted much lately, I left my camera at home which was really annoying (these pictures were even taken on an iPhone!) but now I've retrieved it so expect more outfit posts coming your way!

 

 

NG <3

 

 

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Deadlines

Alas, the coursework is in, the exams have been sat and my deadline week is officially over! It's been a stressful, emotional, exhausting, occasionally optimistic, mostly pessimistic week with some bizarre statistics;

• 1 birthday party with a very painful game of musical bumps
• 0 pre-3 AM bedtimes
• 100495960493 words written
• 1/2 of a bottle of wine (drank at 2am, out of the bottle, no less)
• 2857 gallons of caffeine consumed
• 1 stress-fuelled Boohoo order
• 3 Ginsters steak slices
• 2 all nighters
• 1 day where revision was abandoned to go shopping which resulted in 1 Benefit purchase (it was my birthday!)

And now? I'm making the most of Netflix before the next semester begins on Monday. Good luck if you still have exams!

NG <3

What's in my bag?

My original plan was to do an outfit or beauty post but unfortunately I'm not in any state to be photographed as I am couped up at home with a box of tissues and a very, very red nose. So I decided to do a generic 'what's in my bag?' post.

 

Boohoo Shopper.

Being ill, lemsip and lockets are my handbag essentials at the moment. I have the book Zofloya which I'm reading for my University course so it's quite handy to have it in my bag so when I get a spare moment I can read it. Other reading material? The latest Look magazine. You're probably wondering why I have a random DVD in my bag, but I've come home for the week so I grabbed one of my favourite films Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, because let's face it; daytime TV is pretty dire. Even when I'm ill I still have my beauty touch ups, though not as many as usual. 17 Blusher is a great, inexpensive way to add a quick flush of colour to the apples of my cheeks. I also carry strawberry lip balm and Bourjois 3D effect lip gloss, so I have a choice of lip finish. I also carry Aussie curl definition serum. Even though it's for curly hair I use it when my hair's straight too and it's great to keep in my bag to tame any fly-aways.


What are your day-to-day essentials?



NG <3

Friends Reunited

Tonight I'm enjoying the calm after the storm. Well, I use the term storm to be cliche, as it usually has very negative connotations, and last night was in no way negative. I'm back home from Uni this weekend for my A-level presentation evening which took place last night, basically a night where everyone comes home and goes out and drinks. A lot. Talking to people I haven't seen since August was so much fun, but as you'd imagine there was probably a little too much catch up to do for one night-what an excuse for getting away and visiting friends at their Universities-particularly Leeds. So good for shopping!

I'm wearing Boohoo jacket, Dorothy Perkins top and necklace, New Look jeans, Primark belt, River Island clutch and H&M earrings.

 Hope you are all having a fabulous weekend.


NG <3

Lace on lace

There is something so romantic and enticing about lace. I will forever be a fan. And it has infinite powers. Lace can create a vintage facade. Lace can create a very sophisticated sexy. Lace can transform you into an English rose. Today I went for double lace, the casual way. The word 'double' when referring to textures and materials can have nauseating consequences-think double denim done badly. But rather than going OTT I opted to keep it just on top layering a lace waistcoat atop a lace, embellished top.

Of course, when running round campus in November much more is needed than a waistcoat to keep the goosebumps away so enter the trusty wool Winter coat and boots.

I'm wearing a Zara coat, Barratt's boots, Boohoo top and shopper, New Look jeans, Primark belt and H&M necklace. Oh, how I do love the British high street.

It's only Tuesday and it's already been a busy week, full of essays, assignments, reading, and not to mention my first poetry piece that I'm reading on Thursday! I'm not much of a verse writer so let's see how it goes. Fingers crossed it'll be more Armitage than 'keep at arm's length'.

Hope you're all having a great week-how did you guys celebrate Bonfire night? I spent it learning to ballroom dance whilst gazing out the window at fireworks, not the most seasonal of celebrations, I'm sure you'll agree. Stay wrapped up and warm!


NG <3

Oil me up

I have never tried a hair oil treatment before. So, naturally as any fashion/beauty blogger would do, I oiled myself up, well my hair anyway. My product of choice was 'V05 give me moisture hot oil'.

The application is simple: hold the capsule under the shower or in the bath to heat it up, then apply to hair for a minute before washing off and partaking in the usual shampoo/conditioner routine. Post-treatment, pre-shampoo, my hair was noticeably smooth. The oil replenishes dry and damaged hair-which, no thanks straighteners+Winter winds my hair did need. After I had styled my hair I didn't see a big difference, however, but healthy hair needs moisture so I assumed the product had worked to repair my hair as it was a little smoother. However,seeing pictures of before and after the treatment the difference in shine, gloss and just general healthiness is noticeable!

Before (left) and after (right):

Verdict-The weekly treatment takes minimal effort, which is always a plus in my eyes. A great product for adding oomph and shine to hair. The capsules are great ideas as they allow just the right amount of product to be applied so oily, greasy hair wasn't a major problem. Remember though, when it comes to hair oils I am a novice!

Have you used this product? How does it compare to other hair oils?


The top five hair tracks I swear by:

1. Leave conditioner on whenever possible. I try to leave it on for about two minutes before washing it off-leaves hair so soft.
2. Salt spray! Whether you want to add some oomph to poker straight hair, or perfect your bedhead look. It doesn't have to be expensive, beauty shop's own brands are great. I use Superdrug's version. Beach hair in winter? Check!
3. When you have a day off, a lazy day if possible avoid the straighteners give your hair a well deserved rest!
4. Once a week treat your hair to a hair mask, there are plenty of treatments to choose, whether you want repair, hydration, nourishment, protection. Sit back in the bath and grab a magazine and a glass of wine for the ultimate relaxation.
5.  Finally, eat well. Vitamins and nutrients are key to healthy hair, as is drinking plenty of water.

What are your hair commandments?

 NG <3

Braving the cold

This time of year I'm much more accustomed to wrapping up in a knitted scarf and wool coat, but wearing a cable knit jumper to go to a club is a step to far on the practical scale-so much so that it becomes very, very impractical (trust me, I recently wore a woolly beanie on a 'Where's Wally' themed night out in a club-not good!). So I opted to wear leather leggings for a night out, especially as I still haven't fully shaken freshers flu. But seriously, as if you need an excuse to wear leather.

I'm wearing Miss Selfridge top and leggings, River Island clutch, New Look wedges, and Primark bracelets.

This weekend winter I'm saying:

Keep it colourful

Go on, brighten up those dark nights. 

As always, Have a great weekend.


NG <3

 

Freshers

Firstly, my most sincere apologies. It has been a long time since I last posted, but I've been so busy lately as it has been my first fortnight of university! Between lectures, societies, sports and, what every fresher does best, partying, there has been little free time to blog. On the eve of the beginning of my third week though, I set some time aside to post which I promise will be a regular occurrence now I'm finally settling down to a routine and (partial) normality. I just wanted to share a few snaps with you guys from freshers week!!

 And my new room! Note-curtains belong to hall, definitely not my choice!!

Stay stylish!!

NG <3

Goodbye Summer

In a way, I'm kind of willing Summer away. I know, it should be a crime, I spend days and days planning summer, the heat, the parties, the wardrobe, and most of all moaning when we don't get the heat I anticipated. But then Autumn comes, and it's not actually that bad. Once you look past the falling temperatures, shorter days and lack of flip-flops, you see an enchanting, glorious world of shearling, mulled wine, leather boots and Halloween! I thought I'd better get my wear out of Summer's wardrobe before I say goodbye to kaftans and hello to jumpers, until I go forth into the magical land previously mentioned.

 

 
River Island skirt, New Look boots, necklace and vest top, Primark denim waistcoat.

What are you most looking forward to about Autumn?


NG <3

I got bitten by the blog bug!

A huge thanks to Lulu over at 'Hey it's Lulu' for nominating me for this award.You should definitely check out her blog, it's fab!

1) When and Why did you start blogging? I started blogging a few years ago, under a different name and on a different blog, The Natwalk. I really enjoyed it and as an aspiring writer it was a great place to practise my skills. In the end that kinda trailed off though-posts were few and far between and I wasn't that proud if it. This blog is very new, I only started it this Summer, after a holiday inspired me to go for it and pursue my passion :)


2) What do you love to blog about and why do you like it? Fashion, beauty, culture, my life. It's just a general mismatch! I love having the chance to write about what I want and post my thoughts, opinions and pics. One thing I would like to do more of is outfit posts-watch this space.


3) How did you get your blog name? I couldn't think of anything-I just used my initials and it kind of stuck.

 4) What do you think is your best post yet? I don't have many to choose from, NG being fairly new. I  would have to say it's probably my most recent post 'New York Fashion Week S/S 2013'. I put a lot of work in editing the pictures and I think it was probably one of the better written pieces. I'm planning to do a similar post for London, Milan and Paris fashion week-will have to find a window of time during freshers week!!

5) What is your inspiration for blogging at present? This is going to say cliche but anything and everything. Pictures I see, articles and blogs I read, people I meet, places I visit, the list goes on.


6) Message for your readers- Thankyou so much to all my readers! I get so excited seeing a new follower or comment, getting feedback is one of the best things about blogging. That's another reason I love blogging so much-it connects you to people around the world from different cultures and with unique styles, I find that so interesting. People reading my blog really are my motivation so I owe a lot to you!

The six bloggers I would like to award; 

• Cafe fashionista
• Luxessed
• Ellie
• Jump into puddles
• Jessica Stallard 

NG <3 

Animal house

It would be nice to say that all my energy is currently concerned with preparing to exclaim "Toga, Toga, Toga!" (Animal House style), but sadly for the inner John Belushi in me, I can't say that's true. Well, not entirely true! As you can see below, a great deal of my time at the moment is devoted to my pre-arrival reading list for university, and this is about a third of the books I have to read. Boo!

Goodbye social life, hello Shakespeare!

  So that is my, albeit crappy, explanation for the few and far posts between this week. Don't get me wrong though, I'm so excited to be a fresher and live in a vibrant, cultural city with an amazing nightlife and atmosphere, all the while studying my fave, English! All I have to do is get through the Old English textbooks first, yay.

Last word, and don't worry I won't bore you with Old English, I just wanted to share these dazzling earrings from H&M with you. They do such great, affordable jewellery pieces that make stunning statement pieces to perk up an everyday outfit or simple LBD. I just love the clashing colours and, of course, they're sparkly girls!

Almost the weekend, keep going!



NG <3

Shake it up

The Foo Fighters. Florence and the Machine. Metronomy. Kasabian. Passion Pit. Sleigh Bells. Santigold, to name but a few. My first festival did not disappoint. Even the weather stayed cheerful, bar a few odd showers but lets be honest, the true British festival experience would not be complete without a little downpour, and besides waterproofs were on hand.

 I had such an amazing time soaking (if you will pardon the weather pun) in festival culture and lifestyle, in particular the unique nightlife that surpassed the live music into sunrise!

I'm already planning my next festival, summer 2013 watch out! ;)

NG <3

Just add wellies

Well I'm saying adios (see my Spanish is coming along!) for the weekend, as I'm off to a place where personal hygiene is non-existent, and it costs more for just one burger than two MacDonald's meals put together. Where? I here you cry, a music festival, I reply. It's my first time at one so as you can imagine I'm pretty darn excited, and as much as I'm excited I'm inexperienced, but with all my might I'm trying to look the part. Donning my wellies, I'm all stocked up on dry shampoo and salt spray so I'll at least be a tad presentable, and trying, that been the key word, to recreate a chic, surfer girl look.
Can't wait to share the pictures and stories you, but make sure you follow my adventures on Twitter! 

Have a great weekend, and share your festival experiences and tips below-very much appreciated for a novice like me!

NG <3

Starter for 10

I have some amazing news to share! I'm very pleased to inform you that I have a place at the University of Nottingham to study English Language and Literature after meeting my target grades at A-level! Alongside brushing up on my English skills I'll be blogging from Nottingham about student life, style, culture, interests and just general NG stuff. I'm so excited to be one step further to my dream career and to be going to such a prestigious university with graduates like D.H Lawrence. Tough footsteps to follow in, but here's hoping.

 

 Celebratory champers!!

So stick around, things are about to get a little more mature and a whole lot more crazy ;)

NG <3