New In: Zara Box Messenger Bag

Hello strangers.

It has been far too long since I've blogged properly and I have missed it so much. Exams are finally over and the dreaded wait for the results begins *boo*. I hope everyone's exams went well and I wish you all luck on results day, I have my fingers and toes crossed for all of us.

Since exams have finished I've been on a bit of a shopping spree (haul post soon maybe?) and I picked up this beautiful little bag from Zara. Zara never disappoint in the bag department and with this gorgeous piece being only £23.99 I couldn't help but fall in love with it. My boyfriend very kindly got this for me as a little after exams present which was incredibly kind and I haven't stopped wearing it since.
Firstly, I adore the colour. This bag actually comes in 3 colours - blue, green and neon yellow, all of which are gorgeous so it was hard to choose but I couldn't resist this bright, electric blue. It's the perfect sized bag to carry everything I need and I love all the compartments it has. It's split into three inside. The zipped pocket is great for make-up or any valuables and the two sections either side are really spacious for other daily items. There's also a pocket on the front which I use to store my phone so I can easily take it in and out without rummaging. As always the quality of this bag is lovely, it's held it's boxy shape and I love the envelope style.

I think this is the perfect summer bag and if you can get you're hands on this piece I couldnt' recommend it enough.

'Til next time,

☼ J.W Anderson for Topshop; My Picks ☼

Stripe Print T-Shirt by J.W Anderson for Topshop ~ £29.99

Embroidered Cotton Shirt by J.W Anderson for Topshop ~ £39.99

Ghost Handknit Sweater by J.W Anderson for Topshop ~ £69.99

Football Scarf by J.W Anderson for Topshop ~ £12.99

Leather Loafers by J.W Anderson for Topshop ~ £59.99

Tortoise Print Tee by J.W Anderson for Topshop ~ £29.99

Cat Print T-Shirt by J.W Anderson for Topshop ~ £29.99

Zebra Print Skirt by J.W Anderson for Topshop ~ £39.99

Pinafore Dress by J.W Anderson for Topshop ~ £69.99

Stripe Cotton Dress by J.W Anderson for Topshop ~ £39.99

Quilted Spider Print Skirt by J.W Anderson for Topshop ~ £69.99

Belted Trench Coat by J.W Anderson for Topshop ~ £99.99

I don't really care much for Topshop Collab's but this one really impressed me. Everything is just so lovely, from the nautical theme throughout to the quirky paisley and animal prints. You can see some of my favorites above. I especially like the quilted spider print shirt and the tortoise printed t-shirt which I may just buy, although £30 is a lot for a t-shirt, but the print is too cute. I also love the ghost jumper but I think almost £70 is a little bit excessive, if only.

I also like how they have included a range of iPhone and iPad cases and notepads within the collection all with some of the quirky prints on them. There are also posters in the collection, along with rulers, an umbrella, a broach etc, which I think is a nice touch and kind-of brings everything together.

What do you like about this collection? What would you buy if you could?

'Til Next Time,

★ Essie Nail Polish; My Thoughts ★

I was very intrigued by Essie's nail polish after hearing blogger after blogger and youtuber after youtuber saying how amazing they were. Also, the Essie shade range is beyond amazing and all the hype surrounding the nail polish's made them seem so amazing. At around £7.99 per bottle I was a bit hesitant, as I'm sure lots of other people are. When I saw a pack of two of Essie polish's at good ole' Tk Maxx for just £7.99 I couldn't resist. The pack came with one coloured polish and a base coat called "Nail Foundation".

I was actually really pleasantly surprised by the Essie polish I picked up which is in the shade Cocktail Bling and it's a beautiful grey/blue toned purple and I think it looks really good on my nails and with my skin tone.
 I believe I have this with the new brush because the brush is pretty wide which makes it so so easy to paint your nails perfectly and I always look for larger brushes when picking nail polishes. The formula of the polish is really nice, the perfect inbetween being thick and thin, it's not gloopy but it's not runny. I found it extremely easy to paint my nails with this polish which is really impressive. I was also impressed with the stay power of this polish, it stays for 4-5 days without chipping which is really helpful for me whilst I'm at school because I never find the time to change my polish regularly. Bear in mind that I've only tried one of the Essie Polishes and I know the formulation with different colours may vary but Cocktail Bling is very nice. The base coat is nice but I wouldn't repurchase in a hurry.

Overall I'm actually really impressed. I wouldn't say to run out and get one as they aren't the only polishes that are good out there but I do think you get what you pay for with these polishes, even if £7.99 is a little steep. I would definitely buy an Essie polish again if I was in love with the colour or if there was a good deal on. 
Rating: ★★★

♡ Geometric Mint ♡

Mint Crop Top ~ H&M // Geometric Necklace ~ Dorothy Perkins // Cardigan ~ Newlook // High Waist Jegging ~ Newlook

I took some photo's of my outfit in a new area of my room. I'm sorry there aren't many photo's for this ootd but I didn't expect to be using them. Do you like the new background? I much prefer it but I find it really difficult taking photo's of my outfit's whether it's just me and the tripod or someone else is helping me out.

I really love these high waist jeggings I got from Newlook. They are almost like a thick pair of leggings with pockets and a button and are so so comfy. I originally got them for school but I'm definitely going to buy another pair in maybe a grey or wine colour. I also love this mint crop top from H&M. Massive bargain at £1.99 compared to the Topshop prices and again really comfy to wear although I did feel a little conscious of having my stomach on show. I also wore with this outfit my Topshop Vecra Studded Slippers and my Silver Casio, very casual indeed.

I've just started back at sixth form and it's ok so far. I'm excited to start my Biology, English and Chemistry A-level's but not so much maths. It's really worn me out though, I'm currently feeling pretty run down due to me waking up at around 7 o'clock every morning (I'm not use to being up bright & early!). I'm sure I'll get used to it though.

How are you finding sixth form if you've just started? & how do you like the background?

'Til Next Time,

✌ Autumn Wishlist ✌

Topshop MOTO Acid Supersoft Leigh Jeans £38

Topshop Floral Print Cigarette Trousers £36

Monki Dannie Shirt

River Island Black Lace Maxi Skirt £30

Topshop Alien Chunky Fringe Boot  £95

ASOS 3 Simple Gold Band Rings £8

Topshop Knitted Pointelle Jumper £38

Topshop Scandi Bead Handchain £10

Topshop MOTO Pale Khaki Leigh Jeans £38

• I have been lusting over the ASOS Gold Band Rings ever since I seen them on Barbara from ThePersianBabe on YouTube. I think they're so chic and simple and I love them. I am un-sure about getting them though as I don't wear a lot of gold and I can't find them in silver sigh.
• I've seen lots of handchains around lately I think they look really nice with a simple outfit as abit of a statement peice. I love this Topshop one because I looove berry shades for A/W and I love the beading. I can't wait to get my hands on this.
• I also love the Topshop Knitted Pointelle Jumper. I love the 'fish net' style and think it would look really effortless with a pair of acid wash jeans and these Topshop Alien Fringe Boots. Perfect.

What trends are you loving this A/W? Any of you off to London fashion week? (I'm jealous)

✩   Instagram (caryslloyd)   ✩   Tumblr   ✩   Twitter   ✩   YouTube   ✩

❤ Underrated Bloggers I Love ❤

Bit of a different, non-beauty/fashion related post today as I fancy sharing some blogger love.
I've noticed lately that a lot of the blogs I love and continuously read shockingly don't have too many followers when they really should have thousands. So I thought I'd do a post letting you all know about my favourite 'underrated' bloggers to share some love and let you all know about blogs you may be missing out on and because I can't upload any images right now as the computer crisis carries on and I miss blogging!


http://mymee-moo.blogspot.co.uk/ - I adore this blog. She takes really good quality images and her blog is just nice to look at. Her posts always, always interest me and she's beautiful. Her blog is definitely top quality  and she only has 59 followers?! What. Her blog is a mix of everything, beauty, personal and a little bit of fashion, she also reviews stuff a lot. Seriously just follow her, her blog is fabulous.


http://overlyselected.blogspot.co.uk - Although I wouldn't say 300 or so followers is underrated, she definitely deserves more. I adore her outfit and nail posts and she is absolutely gorgeous which makes me a little bit jealous. Her posts are so pleasant to read and I just find her blog generally interesting to browse through. If you enjoy fashion posts and the odd unique nail designs then why are you not following her already!?


http://zozeze.blogspot.co.uk/ - One of the first blogs I followed when I started blogging and I'm so glad I did. She is always posting and I always read her posts whether they're relevant to me or not. Again, she's not exactly underrated because she is so wonderful but she deserves 10x the amount of followers she has! She's always reviewing beauty products and I always look to her blog if I want to see a review of a beauty item I'm thinking of purchasing as her reviews are in-depth and informative. She seems really lovely and again, she's beautiful. She also does 'Week in Photo's' posts which are always interesting to snoop through. Plus she has a lovely give-away running at the moment :) 


http://www.jdrmakeup.co.uk/ - Aw, I adore her blog and her YouTube videos which I've been watching for years. Literally, she was one of the first people I started watching on YouTube and I still do. She's also my age and in the same year as me in school (I think) which makes her easy to relate. She seems so mature beauty wise and I can always trust her view on a product. She's pretty big on YouTube but I'm pretty sure she's just started a new blog, maybe, I'm not sure. Her reviews are always spot on and she's beautiful inside and out as cliché as that sounds. Her blog is also really nicely set out which is always a plus!


http://dinas-thoughts.blogspot.co.uk/ - Someone new I've been reading a lot from lately. She is seriously and boot-sale queen and always lists what boot-sales/jumble-sales are on over certain weekends etc and she reviews some boot/jumble sales she's attended. I think her blog is very unique and it could turn out to be something really really great. The things she finds at sales make me soo jealous, she always finds something amazing for an even better price. I just enjoy looking at her finds! If you love all things vintage/charity shops/boot sales etc then you really should be following her, you're missing out! 

If you manage to wander over to any of these lovely ladies' blogs then it would be great if you could just let them know I sent you as I'd love for any of them to read this post, it's nice to spread a bit of positivity. 


Hope you enjoyed this post and let me know your favourite underrated bloggers in the comments. I love finding new blogs to read!

Also I'm almost on 100 followers and I'd like to know if you'd like a give-away and what of? Maybe some Essie nail polishes? Or some of my fave high-street make-up, something small just to say thanks :) 

And would you guys be interested in a Graze Box review? Not really too beauty/fashion related but let me know if that's something that you'd like!

'Til Next Time,

Carys xox

The 7 Deadly Sins Beauty Tag

Hey guys. I've totally been stuck on what posts to do recently as some of you may know that I can't import images from my camera onto my computer, if not I think I explained it in the post before this one if any of you are interested.. but yeah, it's really hard to think of interesting and fun posts to do when you can't take your own pictures of your own products! I really love blogs which have all self-taken images on there, I think it adds a nice, personal touch :) But anyway I've seen this tag floating around YouTube and I decided I wanted to do it. I hope you enjoy :-)


*sorry for the rambley intro haha*

GREED - What is your most inexpensive beauty product? What is your most expensive?

My most expensive beauty product is probably my NARS Blush in 'Deep Throat' but it's definitely my favourite blush. I got this from a Sephora whilst I was in Paris in the summer and I'm so glad I did! 29euro well spent :) I also really want their new blush in 'Gaiety' so if anyone has it or has swatched it etc. can you please let me know what it's like pretty please :)

My least expensive beauty product is probably my E.L.F Wet Gloss Brow and Lash Clear Mascara. I love it to set my eyebrows and it's really inexpensive at £1.50 from the eyeslipsface website. Totally recommend trying this if you're looking for a cheap but effective brow set/clear mascara.


WRATH - What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with? What has been hardest to find?



I have a love/hate relationship with the Jemma Kidd Make-Up School All Over Radiance Cream in 'Iced Gold'. I was so excited to receive this a few weeks back. I ordered it from the feelunique website when they had their winter sale, so I got it for £13.60 instead of £17 and free shipping *good deal if you ask me* and the first time I tried it I absolutely loved it. But since then I've been up and down with this product which was a total surprise. It's been described as a 'natural, non glittery' highlighter which is what I expected but the downfall of this product for me is the chunks of glitter in the highlighter which is exactly what I didn't want in this product, and it can make the highlighter look unnatural and harsh which I really dislike. Although some days I think it looks great and adds a glow to my face.. I haven't really made my mind up on this product yet so I definitely need to start getting my use out of it :) (If you don't mind the glitter though I'd definitely recommend!)

I don't really have a product that was hard to find because I usually buy make-up on a whim, or if I'm lusting over something it's usually readily available where I shop (Cardiff Shopping Centre) because there's a wide variety of make-up stores and various counters there. I'd definitely recommend the John Lewis in the new arcade for anyone who lives near by and hasn't been to the beauty department there, it stocks hard to find high end brands like NARS, Laura Mercier, OPI, Bobbi Brown etc. :)

GLUTTONY - What are your most delicious beauty products?


I'm not 100% on what it means by delicious but I had to go with my Bourjois Delice de Poudre Brozing Powder (known as the infamous chocolate bronzer) in shade '52', just because it smells, well, delicious. Literally everytime I use it I have to smell it a few dozen times and it's a great everyday, almost matte, high street bronzer! 

SLOTH - What beauty product do you neglect due to laziness?



I rarely use lipstick on a day to day basis just because I always forget/laziness/all the shades I have are inappropriate for school.. so I literally only wear it if I do something on the weekend like shopping, the cinemas etc. If I had to pick a specific lipstick then it would have to be the MAC Lipstick in 'Rebel' just because it's a really intense purple/pink colour and it's too much effort to re-apply throughout the day, so I usually wear it out and then never re-apply it sigh. I loved it and wore it to death when I first got it though, and I really need to re-kindle my love for it haha. If anyone can recommend me a nice everyday lipstick that would be awesome! :) 

PRIDE - What beauty product gives you more confidence?
 

It's really hard to choose but probably concealer and mascara. I use the ever-so-popular Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in the shade 'Fair 1' and I have been since I was about 12, it's the only concealer I've ever properly used and really liked, I'm thinking about trying the MAC Select Moisture Cover Up though so if you've tried it or reviewed it or seen any good reviews a link below would be greatly appreciated :) 

I switch up my mascaras a lot jut because I have long eyelashes anyway and I don't need a really good one, but right know I'm using Revlon 'Grow Luscious' mascara which I really like and the soap and glory 'Thick and Fast' mascara that came free with this months ELLE.. but I'm not the biggest fan! 


LUST - What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?

A sense of humour, someone I can be best-friends with aswell as being a boyfriend, a nice smile and eyes and a nice bum.. basically Mick, who's my boyfriend *cheesy boyfriend post* haha. Thought I'd just pop a photo of us on, even though it's compplete un-related to beauty, just because I've never mentioned him before :) (Not the greatest photo as we had been at the beach all day but oh well tehe)

ENVY - What item would you most like to receive as a gift?

Um right now I would really love either a NARS Blush in Gaiety or Sex Appeal, or the NARS Smudge Proof Eye-shadow Base as I've heard a lot of good things about it and my eye-shadows tends to crease a lot even with I use Urban Decay's Eye-shadow Primer!

I hope you've enjoyed this post and I tag everyone who follows me to do this and if you do link it below so I can have a nose tehe. 

Till next time, 

OOTD - Bonfire Night!

Hope you all had a lovely Bonfire night/weekend! This is a quick post showing what I wore Friday as I went to watch some fireworks with some friends at a nearby park and it was nice!
Hype on lookbook.nu please and thank-you.

'Til next time, 

Halloween "Scary Eyes" Nails! + Tutorial

I couldn't sleep Friday night so I decided to do something fun/new/interesting with my nails! I saw a design very similar to the one above on Tumblr, and thought it looked pretty simple and decided to try it out :-) I am very pleased with the results and I have received many compliments on them, it was quick and easy to create also! :-)

• Apply a base-coat to you nails, I used No.7's "So Smooth" Base-coat. This will protect your nails from any damage from the nail polish.
• Apply an opaque coat of white nail polish to all of your nails. I used Natural Collection's "Nail Tip Whitener".
• With the brush/applicator of any nail polish that is an appropriate colour for an eye, and dab it into the centre of the nail. This should create the larger circle, or "iris", of the design. I used No.7's "Stay Perfect" nail polish in "320 - Minty Fresh".
• Then using the tip of a bobby pin or hair slide, dip it into a dark coloured nail polish, preferably black, and dab it into the centre of the larger circle you previously created. This will be the pupil of the eye. I used Barry M Nail Polish in "292 - Navy".
• Then get a tooth pick and dip it into the same white nail polish that you used as a base, and place it on the right, or left, side of the "pupil" or the small, darker circle you just created. This will make the eye stand out and look more realistic. 
• Then use another tooth pick and dip it into a red shade of nail polish. Create lines that flick out at the ends, rather like branches on a tree, around the eye until satisfied, I did it 5/6 times. This will act as the blood vessels surrounding the eye, and make the eye seem more "scary". I used Collection 2000's "Hot Looks" Nail Polish in "28 - Hip Hop". 
• If you want to make your nails look more detailed then use a peachy colour and place that, with a tooth pick, alongside the red colour you applied beforehand. This will add shading to the nails, and again make them look more detailed and realistic. I used Barry M Nail Polish in "318 - Peach Melba".
• Then apply your favourite top-coat. I used No.7's "Stay Perfect" Quick drying top-coat.
• Then you should have Halloween ready nails :-) 

I hope you enjoyed this quick and easy nail tutorial and I'd love to hear if you wanted any more tutorials? Or any other requests, just leave them in the comments below! Thanks :-)



                    'Til next time, 

Birthday Haul! Topshop, MAC, Urban Decay, H&M, Primark, Boots etc.

Hey guys! I haven't posted in ages, and I'm so sorry! I've been really busy with school work and revision as I have my maths exam in two weeks and I've been stressed about that but my birthday was on October 6th and I got quite a lot of money so I thought I'd show you what I spent the majority of it on :-) I've been shopping since I bought all of this stuff so expect a collective haul soon :-) Hope you enjoy! And hopefully I'll be posting more often after my exam :-) 

Suede Lace Up Wedges - £19.99 - H&M

I absolutely love these wedges! I've been looking for a pair exactly like this for ages, they're so comfy to walk in, due to the fact they are soo light and have a platform. They literally look good with anything, and I love them :-)  

Studded Loafers - Topshop - £28

I'm in love with these also! So comfy, and look good with anything.  Been wearing them non stop :-) 

Skull Ring - Topman Sale - £1
Gold Studded Bracelet - £12.50 - Topshop

Chunky Black Crosses - Topman - £4

Skull Gold Ear Cuff - Topshop - £6.50

Cross Earrings - Newlook - £4.99

Spotty Tights - £2.50 - Primark

Set of 5 No. 7 Nail Polishs - Boots - £10

L-R; Hot to Trot, Damson Dream, Totally Teal, Sing the blues, Vivid Violet

No. 7 Stay Perfect Top Coat and So Smooth Base Coat - £7 (or £2 with No. 7 Voucher!)
Nail Polish - Topshop - £5 - Eyes of Steel 

Nail Polish - Topshop - Eyes of Steel - £5

Angled Brush - H&M - £1.99
UBU No. 31 - Angled Brush which I use on my eyebrows :-) - £2.27 - Asda

17 Wild Metallics Eyes - Wild Nude - £3.99 - Boots

Without Flash

With Flash

Not too sure about this product. Not very long wearing as it creases really easily, but easy to apply and give a pretty shimmery colour :-) 

Urban Decay 'Naked' Palette - Debahams - £35 - And I'm sure you've all seen this before!

Overview of eyeshadows (with flash) 

Urban Decay "Karma Brush" and Mini Primer Potion which came with the palette :-) 

L-R; Sin, Virgin, Naked, Sidecar, Buck, Half Baked and Smog

L-R; Buck, Half Baked, Smog, Dark Horse, Toasted, Bustle, Creep, Gunmetal

Overview without flash!
I love this pallette, and even though it was rather expensive it was totally worth  it and I haven't stopped wearing  it :-)

Some wierd angle I thought would look all ~cool~ haha. Didn't quite work out!

MUA Proffessionals - Mosaic Blush - English Rose - £2.50 - Superdrug

Without Flash!

With Flash - I love this "sheen" of this blush, it really makes your entire face look more radiant! :-) 

Sleek Makeup Blush - Superdrug - Life's a Peach! -  £4.49

This picture is very true to colour! (without flash!)
I love this blush, and I've wanted it for ages :-) I always get complimented whilst wearing this :-)  and It's matte which I love in the majority of blushes! 

Natural Collection - WaterGuard Mascara in Black - Boots - £1.99

Not too exciting, but surprisingly I really love this masacara! It serperates my lashes perfectly, and the price is pretty much unbeatable. I use it with the 'One by One' mascara by Maybelline, and it makes my lashes look perfect :-) 

Roses from my boyfriend :-) tehe

MAC Satin Lipstick - Rebel - £13.50

I absolutely love this lipstick! It's literally the perfect autumn colour for me. As you can see it doesn't swatch as dark as it looks in the bullet, but it gives off such a beautiful fuchsia, purple colour, with looks really nice with my pale, fair complexion. It's a satin also, so it has no shimmer, but still gives off a subtle shine, with I love! Well worth the price :-) and it was my first purchase from MAC so that's exciting tehe.

Daisy Fresh by Marc Jacobs - Boots - 75ml

My mum bought this for me and I've wanted it for such a long time so I was so thank-ful! It has a lovely sweet, fresh and clean scent, which I love as it's very subtle. And the bottle is gorgeous and looks great on my shelf! :-) 

Plain Shirt - H&M - £12.99

I love the back detail of this shirt, and it's really long so it could be worn on its own, or tucked into shorts, jeans etc to look shorter! And I was very impressed with the price! 

Sheer Striped Vest - Primark - £4

Just a basic vest with a pretty sheer pattern. Goes with so many things :-) 

Vintage Levis - The Ragged Priest @ Topshop -  £28

I was so surprised to see these at topshop, and there was no way I was leaving them there as I'd wanted them for ages!  They were from an awesome vintage concession, which also sold oversized leather studded jackets, and big knit jumpers, they were beautiful! Visit the website: www.theraggedpriest.com 

Leopard and Black Patent Skinny belts - Newlook - £4.99 for both

Thanks for reading, and if you'd like a review on any of the items above just leave a comment, and any requests for posts are welcome :-)


                 'Til next time,