Bicester Village Haul ft Fendi, Barbour, The White Company and Jack Wills

On the hunt for a Prada purse, I recently visited Bicester Village on a sunny Sunday to see what was new in at one of my favourite shopping spots.

Halfway between Birmingham and London, I met my London-based friend there for some lunch and retail therapy.

Here's what I bought:

Jack Wills

The first shop to tempt me to part ways with my hard earned, I've managed to lose my navy hooded jacket and decided to take a look and see if I could find a replacement. I quickly picked up a bargain plain grey marl jumper for £19 and blue hooded jacket for £32 in Jack Wills. Bargain.

The White Company

Next up, I headed to The White Company for some serious interior and home inspiration. I dream of a White Company bedroom but for now, I consoled myself with a candle and candle lid. Although it is pretty pricey for a candle, they are fabulously scented and on the wish list for any candle connnoisseur along with Jo Malone and Diptyque.

Barbour

My favourite find of the day, I managed to pick up a Barbour jacket at the newly opened Bicester Village store. I've wanted one of these for years and never quite been able to justify it, but after trying on a few styles, I managed to find a Barbour that just seemed to suit me better than any I've seen before. Mine is green rather than navy, which is what I thought I'd end up buying, and I haven't worn it yet thanks to our long summer. However, as soon as the rain comes I'll be in this!

Fendi

Last but not least, this was a little bit of luxury! I love the Fendi brand and to me, it conjures up images of Italian glamour and luxury. Although I was tempted by a bargain 2Jour bag, I settled for this adorable Fendi stripe make up bag instead.

And the Prada purse? Well, I picked up all of the above for less than the price of a Prada purse at Bicester. Although I did manage to pick out a lovely style in a timeless colour, I still felt that I should maybe wait until next time for the big splurge.

Happy shopping!

Drugstore Beauty Haul basics featuring Collection Lasting Colour Lipstick and Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Eyeliner Reviews

Not every trip to the shops is an exciting one; sometimes you just need to grab a few essentials and go.

Last week I made a quick dash into my nearest town to grab a few essentials I was in need of, but don't worry I did find a few treats for myself too! Can you believe it, all of this is from Wilkinsons and Bodycare!

Really, I needed sponges, make up sponges and cleansing sponges, but I did get a few other bits I'd been meaning to get hold of too. Here goes.

First up, these facial sponges from Bodycare's Salon Basics range. I think you get 4 in a pack for £1.49. I love using these to wash off my cleanser and remove daily debris and they help to gently exfoliate the face too. They can also be used to remove facial masks.

The sponges on the right are great with foundation and I use these after my foundation brush to smooth out foundation if I feel it needs it. Another bargain at £1.59.

The pumice is hardly glamorous but an essential (£1) along with these cuticle sticks (50p), both from Wilkinsons.

A word about the foundation brush. I've been using my ELF brush for over a year but last week it gave up the ghost and lost all it's bristles. I was in desperate need of a brush and picked this up from Wilkinsons for £3. I have since tried it and sadly it's really bad for losing bristles! 

I'm really interested in tooth whitening but am wary of a trip to the dentist as I have really sensitive teeth. For now, I'm going to try out Pearl Drops Ultimate Whitening which can help to make teeth 4 shades whiter in 3 weeks. This was just £1.49 from Bodycare!

Onto the makeup section of the haul. The most exciting part of this haul has got to be these lipsticks from Collection. I picked up the shades Pink Shock 2 and Sweet Tart 8 from the Lasting Colour range. I've been trying to be a bit braver with my lipstick choices and picked these up as an experiment. 

Pink Shock has turned out to be my best buy. The formula is so rich, thick, intense, matte and moisturising. It's a perfect pink for a lot of skintones and I love the way it gives a grown up pop of pink colour. The colour gives a huge colour payoff and is a rich opaque formula. It is a long lasting lipstick and I really put it to the test when I wore it to work the other day. On first applying, I used a lipbalm underneath to help moisturise and prevent the matte colour from picking up ay imperfections. 11 hours later then I admit, my lips had dried out a bit but the colour was still going strong. I'm so impressed with this lipstick and judging by the  5 star ratings on the Collection Cosmetics website, so are you guys! You should definitely try it out, and the best part is it only costs £2.98.

The next colour is Sweet Tart. This is a great coral pink shade and is as good quality as any high end lipstick. 

Last up is Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Eyeliner in black. I bought this after a recommendation. With a long handle, the brush is short and thick with a tapered edge. As you can see, the brush gives a thick, black line. This is great for any dramatic eyeliner look, especially a retro one. It lasts really well and doesn't flake. I do prefer this as an evening eyeliner and will still be on the hunt for a good everyday liner that is just a bit thinner. This was the most expensive part of my haul at £4.98 but it get's a thumbs up from me! 

H and M Basics and Neon Earrings Haul

Everybody needs a few basics in their wardrobe. Whether it’s that perfect pair of skinny jeans or go anywhere black blazer, they’re the backbone of every good look.

The T Shirt has got to be the king of wardrobe staples.  It has to be plain, for me a loose fit makes it easy to wear, whilst a detail like a pocket or zip makes it a little more interesting.

These ones from H&M fit the bill perfectly. Slouchy, not too thick to make them heavy but not so thin as to be see through. They’re so good I bought them in black, grey and navy.

The flirty black and white polka dot skirt are also from H&M and were a steal! 

The navy blue TOMS style pumps were from an independent store and I thought they'd go really well with the t shirt and skirt as a super casual outfit.

As for the silver buckle bracelet, I just couldn't help myself, especially as I've been lusting after this one from Mulberry!

The harem pants are not such an essential, but at £7.99 I thought I’d give them a go, just as soon as I can figure out what to wear them with. Maybe a pair of high top trainers.

Onto the best part, these neon earrings! I have such a neon jewellery obsession at the moment, I love how it instantly picks up an outfit and drags it into fashion territory. I’ll be doing my best Pat Butcher impression with these.

What are your wardrobe staples?