Hello my lovelies,

Here's a quick post for you all while I can use the internet (yes, our on-going broadband saga is still a pain in the neck - grr!). Last night my two besties and I attended our university's Snow Ball in an attempt to reclaim our youth and dance the night away (FYI we only just lasted past midnight, oh how old we are now). I always enjoy getting tarted up though, especially with my friends as we all swap make-up and do each other's hair! 

I used some of Stephie's Urban Decay Vice palette shadows to create a big ol' smokey eye, teamed with a 17 berry lip stain for a dramatic look. Geo did an amazing job of curling my hair and generally giving it some shape and volume - it stayed all night without hairspray and was lovely and voluminous when we woke up this morning as well, so I was super impressed with her skillz!

My dress was from Forever 21 (how very apt, given our antics) and of course I couldn't resist pulling a few silly poses:


Ah, good times pretending to be a student again! Do any of you ex-students still visit your old uni? Do you miss it as much as we do?!

Love Dani
xoxo

Hello my lovelies,

Just a quick outfit I threw together yesterday to run some errands in town. I sampled one of my favourite cold-weather drinks (hazelnut mocha, mmm) and finally got round to joining the local library - it's sure to become one of my favourite haunts! There was a distinct chill in the air yesterday so I wrapped up in my favourite H&M jacket/cardigan; it's so cosy and snuggly and I love the fur trimmed hood. I also curled my hair for the first time in ages, although they dropped out almost as soon as I stepped outside - I really need to get my hands on some decent hairspray!

Hello my lovelies,

Quick outfit post for you tonight as I'm round at Jon's parents' house watching Strictly! It's been such a chilled weekend, I even managed a lie-in for the first time in ages (my body just cannot stay asleep past 8am these days). I had a lovely domestic afternoon yesterday tidying the flat and baking brownies, albeit from a mix, and today we trudged up the hill to sample a Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate - erm yum! I don't know about you but we've had gorgeous weather and its been so sunny here, but there's definitely a slight autumn chill in the air so I've been assembling my A/W wardrobe with gusto!





These jeggings came highly recommended by my best mate Geo and oh my goodness they are so comfortable. I am in love and literally do not want to take them off! Continuing my rose gold love affair with this jumper I found on eBay, it matches my pumps perfectly! So cosy and soft as well! The snood is an emergency panic purchase made courtesy of Jon's NUS card as I stupidly left my lovely snuggly blue one on the train last week :( this one is longer though and very soft - ASOS call it khaki but its really not what I would imagine khaki to be?!

Hope you have all had lovely weekends too - I always get ridiculously excited about Christmas this time of year, no matter how far it may seem. I've even bought my first Christmas candle! How about you?

xoxo

Soap & Glory Cheekmate lip and cheek stain: I was so pleased when Soap & Glory brought out their make up range last year as they are a brand I love. This stain was my first purchase and for some reason I wasn't overly enamoured at first because it did by get on with the foundation I was using at the time (Double Wear, FYI). Then I mislaid it and completely forgot I owned it up until last week. Decided to try it over MAC studio sculpt and ta da! Perfectly flushed cheeks. Less is most certainly more, as with all cheek stains, but it lasts all day without fading and gives me lovely on-trend berry lips too. Winner!

Hello my lovelies,

If you're a regular reader you may have noticed I have more than a little penchant for stains - in fact, any product that literally glues itself to my face is a winner in my eyes.

So, as a splurger trying to get used to a tighter budget, the last few months have been TORTUROUS for me (please note this may be a slight exaggeration). When Revlon released their balm stains I had to forcibly stop myself from ever entering Boots or Superdrug - for the first time ever I was glad to be working in the back end of nowhere, as temptation was removed from my daily routine. I stopped myself from reading other bloggers' posts about them just so I wouldn't lose my head and run screaming down Brentwood High Street whilst waving my debit card. Then, Stephie made the fatal error of whipping hers out the other week to reapply whilst on the train - I imagine my reaction was that of an alcoholic having a bottle of Veuve Cliquot waved under their nose after months of not drinking.
My mind was made up - I needed one. Surely I could spare the 8 odd pounds needed?
Of course I could! Passing through Liverpool Street station last week, I dashed into Boots, stopped myself from swatching every single one (oh, the restraint!) and marched up to the till with Crush.
And oh, it is indeed a crush.

Hello my lovelies,

So last Saturday I was invited by Stephie to accompany her to the Aussie Angels pamper day at the Chancery Court Hotel spa - sounds blissful, right? It WAS.

It was terrific - we all commented on how we felt relaxed as soon as we walked through the doors to be engulfed by the sweet smell of essential oils and candles.
The lovely Aussie girls whisked us through to a delightful relaxation room, with the comfiest beds I've ever laid upon, as well as masses of fruit and glossy magazines to read. We were all given snuggly Aussie dressing gown and slippers to lounge around in - I loved mine so much I was tempted to wear it on the train home! Stephie took a photograph of me looking very pleased with myself:


Shortly after this I was whisked off for my very first massage...this needs to become a regular occurrence, methinks! After 30 minutes of having all my aches kneaded away, I stumbled out in a haze of relaxation and was promptly taken to have my hair done! I admit, I asked for the Kate Middleton 'do - I know everybody wants her hair, but let's be honest... it is fabulous hair. Here's how mine looked:

After yet more pampering, we were treated to a first glimpse of Aussie's new range (which I posted about a couple of days ago): the Miracle Shine collection! Suffice to say, they are my new favourite products and I shall be stocking up to take them on holiday!

Finally, after what was possibly the most blissfully relaxing afternoon we'd had in a long while, I headed home...and I must say I was so impressed that my hair held up even after a ride on the Central line!

Apologies for the quality of the photos - I ended up using my phone as my camera decided it did not get on with the light in the spa! It was a terrific way to spend the afternoon, especially after the stressful horror that was moving house, and I am so grateful to Aussie and to everyone at the spa who made it such a pleasant experience - would recommend all of them in a heartbeat!

xoxo

 

Hello my lovelies,

Just a quick Sunday post for you today as I'm back at the civilised home of the in-laws! I haven't done many what-I-wear posts in terms of make-up recently, so I thought I could take this quick opportunity to show you. I always love the berry shades that are released every A/W - I like to try and match lips, cheeks and nails if possible, doesn't matter if it's overkill!




This is what I wore for a wonderfully chilled Sunday of Starbucks, Disney movies and lovely chats with my bessies - the trusty shorts came out again, alongside this ridiculously comfy tee from Next. I'm not super confident about showing my arms (never have been, not even in my slimmer days) so the length is perfect. I love this one so much I bought it again in pale pink as well!



 Hope you've all had an equally blissful Sunday! I shall try and pop more posts up when I can, although they may on occasion have to be icky iPhone ones. Has anyone tried using their phone as a wifi hotspot before?? Would you recommend?

Hello my lovely readers,

I am once again hijacking the in-laws' wifi to bring you this post! I absolutely cannot wait for Sky to install our broadband; I am most definitely addicted to the internet, and I am not ashamed in the slightest!
Alas I did not actually return to university for this post - however, the new flat is situated in an area that looks very much like our old campus and moving in was so very similar to moving into halls four years ago as all our neighbours are our age and were helped by their parents! Now if only I could spend all day watching old Gossip Girl episodes like I used to...I am getting myself a library card though in a desperate attempt to recapture the old student spirit.

Anyway, to celebrate these new beginnings, I decided to put together an outfit with more than a little nostalgia. Now, I didn't blog for the first two years of uni, but if I had, you would have seen me in denim shorts A LOT. I basically lived in shorts and opaques for a long time, as I refused to wear jeans and still didn't feel totally comfortable in dresses. Eventually though, my faithful denim companions would always rip, tear, or just completely fall apart - and I discovered tea dresses. Really I have no need for shorts anymore, as I can't wear them for work and we don't really seem to "do" summer in the UK anymore! However, I am going somewhere delightfully hot in a few weeks' time and these high waisted lovelies from Next seemed ideal, so, out came eBay and in came the shorts!


Simple, yet comfy - what more could you ask for? I teamed these with some Converse lite I picked up on (you guessed it) eBay and spent the day skipping about feeling young and carefree again...until I remembered words like "mortgage" and "full-time work". Oh well!

Do you like nostalgic days too? 

Hello my lovelies,

Last week I was lucky enough to witness the unveiling of Aussie's brand new range Miracle Shine*! The new products were released nationwide earlier this week so I imagine they should now be sitting prettily alongside all their other collections (FYI Miracle Moist is a favourite of mine, although I still cannot stand the word "moist"!)

 

Now as my hair is naturally curly it's not exactly given to natural shine,so I was super excited to try these products out! I received the shampoo, conditioner and the 3 Minute Miracle for the range and promptly used them all in succession. The shampoo is a similar formulation to the Miracle Moist one, all creamy and white. Apparently it contains pearl powder as well to help your hair shine.
I absolutely adore the smell- it's so fruity and fresh, with strawberry, raspberry and peach as well as various essential oils to pamper your hair. It made the whole bathroom smell divine, I wish Aussie made room sprays as well!
Smell aside, how did the products fare when confronted with my wild locks? 




I found my hair was noticeably shinier and also much softer - all I used for straightening was a little heat defence cream (Aussie of course) rather than my usual blend of Kerastase and Moroccanoil. It also smells gorgeous and the smell really does linger - there's nothing I dislike more than delicious smelling hair products that vanish within minutes! I spent all day swishing my hair about and feeling very pleased!
As you can see my hair is noticeably shinier, but I was so overwhelmed by the softness as well - of course I did use the 3MM as well as a dab of extra conditioner at the end (seriously, my hair cannot have enough conditioner!) but it dried beautifully and stayed soft and neat all day. I've not used any other products all week since receiving these - I think I may be addicted! Thankfully the range is now available at Boots - go forth and get your mitts on them, I promise you will not be disappointed!


*These products were provided by Aussie for my consideration, but I have reviewed them as honestly as I do all other products. I do love Aussie products anyway though, as I'm sure you've gathered by now!

Hello my lovelies,

For those of you that follow me on Instagram (polkadani, by the way), this post should come as no surprise, as I've essentially been building up to it since the end of July! Before the Olympics landed in London I was vaguely looking forward to it as I did quite enjoy the Beijing Olympics while they were on too, but I certainly wasn't expecting to become obsessed to the point where every break at work meant whipping out my phone to see what event was currently live, and more importantly how Team GB were doing in the medal table! If the Olympics weren't impressive enough, I have absolutely been blown away by the Paralympics - it has truly been an inspiring summer and I am desolate now that it has ended. 

My patriotic outfit for the Athletics! Dress - H&M/ hoodie - Sports Direct

Thanks to my fiancé spending his time hooked up to the website I have also been extremely fortunate in terms of obtaining tickets. I got to see the dressage twice, visited Wembley and the terrific Olympic Stadium, and even squeezed in a last minute visit to the Aquatics Centre (absolutely incredible!) Each time I was blown away by the jovial atmosphere, the companionship and the general happiness of the crowd, with people from all countries laughing and crying together, swept away by the emotions created by the athletes' efforts.
  

Sophie Christiansen riding for gold!

The night I saw Jonnie Peacock, Oscar Pistorius and Alan Oliveira run - amazing, my 2012 crushes I think!

Aside from my visits I have been eagerly soaking up every bit of coverage I can, screaming at the television and playing different events on any possible type of media. It really has made me want to see more events like this on television - especially equestrian events as I'm a bit of a horse freak - and I do wish there could be a sports channel dedicated to showing sports other than football, rugby, cricket and F1. I really don't know what to do with myself now it's over - I have no vested interest in X Factor, and football really has lost its gloss for me, as it appears to have done for many others. Where is the passion, where is the determination? Where are the people fighting against disadvantages to achieve their dreams? 

On a personal level I felt so much more appreciation for the Paralympic athletes. I don't want to take away from the Olympians as I feel they all worked equally hard and I am proud of every single athlete that took part this summer, but the Paralympians were truly inspiring and on many occasions moved me to tears. I read somewhere that it was at the Sydney games where the Paralympic athletes became equals, but it was only in London where they became heroes, and I do hope that the coverage and attention lavished upon them will not die out once the flame is extinguished tonight.

I truly feel that the slogan of the Games - to inspire a generation - has come true over this glorious summer. How many times do we sit there and tell ourselves we cannot achieve what we would like to do, how many times do we make excuses for our inability to dream big? I know I do - I tell myself I'm not clever enough, not hardworking enough, that my health issues are holding me back, that my depression is the reason I can't do the things I want to. 

My grandad has always told me that there is no such word as can't - it is an attitude we condition ourselves to maintain, that it is a habit. Well, habits can be broken. My fiance has a dream in mind now, to make it to Rio one way or another. Spurred on by his ambition, I feel it is the time to break my own self-destructive habit. I want to dream big. I want to make myself proud, no matter how hard or how long it takes. My journey starts now - how about yours?

Hello my lovelies,

I am currently trying to control my emotions whilst watching the Paralympics Closing Ceremony and attempting not to think of the prospect of autumn approaching - it really feels as though this super summer is over now! My best friends and I decided to make the most of this sunny Sunday, heading up to Forty Hall in Enfield with a Starbucks treat. Naturally I decided to take advantage of our gorgeous surroundings and roped them into taking outfit photos!

My dress - Select via eBay/shoes-Primark/ Stephie's dress - ASOS

 We had ourselves a jolly good time, sprawling in a quiet walled garden, drinking our frappuccinos and reminiscing about uni life (conclusion - we all desperately miss it!). Of course a bit of tree climbing took place in order to convince ourselves that we haven't grown out of our childish habits! We then progressed to a Harvester for lunch and spent the remainder of the afternoon watching The Hunger Games and rocking out to the Spice Girls. Bliss!

Hope you've all had a fabulous weekend - may the week ahead be as wonderful for you all!

Hello my lovelies,

I do hope you're all enjoying the lovely weather we've had recently! Jon and I hopped on a train this morning to visit my grandparents in Ramsgate and it was absolutely wonderful, strolling around in the sunshine pretending we were holidaying in the Med! I coaxed Jon into taking this photos by Ramsgate Harbour, after a very indulgent afternoon spent in Miles' bar eating chips and garlic bread and drinking Rekorderlig (strawberry and lime is my absolute favourite). I really want to go back for a proper meal though - I am always very nosy in restaurants and love seeing what other people eat, and the smells emanating from fellow diners' plates was absolutely divine! If you do visit Ramsgate I would recommend this place 100% (it's near Pizza Express by the harbour) - the cheesy garlic bread is out of this world! Anyway, enough about food (although I could happily go on for ages) and on to the outfit...

Blazer-Next/Trousers-New Look/Top-C&A/Bag-H&M

I spent far too much time obsessing over this stunning lace blazer, as well as the pony print trousers - I made a poor assistant in Next run around searching for the blazer (and ended up buying it in a bigger size as it's all they had - I love it that much!). I came across the trousers on the New Look site whilst they were full price and searched in-store for weeks to no avail, before discovering they'd been reduced to just £7 online! I adore the pony print, which is literally the only reason I bought them...but they are super comfy and light, perfect for hotter days like today. 

In other news we have finally been given our moving date, so from the end of this month I should be blogging from a brand new location! My mind is completely filled with interior design ideas, all on a budget of course, and I am enjoying scouring other people's blogs for inspiration. If you can think of any blogs or posts with gorgeous home ideas, please do feel free to share - you will have my eternal gratitude!

 What have you been up to this weekend?