August Favourites

 I haven't really tried tried anything new beauty-wise that can merit being called a 'favourite' of the month, purely because I haven't had time to use them enough! However, there have been a few things that I kept coming back to over the past month. 

Shirt, Afflecks Palace- I bought this a few months back from a little independent store in Affleck's Palace, Manchester. It looks great with a pair of black skinnies and can be dressed up too! It's a little bit different which is why I love it. It featured in an outfit post a month or two back, which you can see here. 

Wish Bone & Feather Necklace, H&M- These two bracelets are both so delicate and pretty. I usually like big, chunky necklaces but these look really pretty together, and because of their neutral colour I can wear them with everything! 

Rose Necklace, New Look- I've had this necklace for a year or two and it's a favourite of mine. I like wearing it with a button down shirt, see my post Blue x 2.  

Beau Jardin Hand Cream*- This stuff smells so good. The fragrance is 'Citrus Grove', which has Limes, Lemons and Oranges in it. It also makes the claim of having no sulphates or parabins, which is pretty handy. Oh lord, I apologise for that joke, I regret it already... 

That's it for this month, but what have you been loving? Let me know in the comments!

*PR Sample

Throwback Thursday- My 1st OOTD

It feels like ages ago since I uploaded my first outfit post. There I was, setting the timer and running to get in the shot. The idea of outfit posts used to scare me- as much as I loved reading them, I never imagined myself creating that content on my blog. I don't know why I changed my mind, but I'm so happy I did because they're some of my favourite posts to create now.

Read the full post here! 

Meow.

Finally a new outfit post! I feel like I've been battling with the weather recently. I wanted to shoot this sweater on Saturday but it was so grey and miserable outside. Yesterday saw a second and third attempt, because (as surprising as this sounds) it was too bright! The first set of photos were scrapped because I was squinting and my eyes were so tiny they were practically non existent! 

This sweater is from H & M, and I love it so much. I'm all for some serious, grown up clothes but for me, dressing will always be fun and I like to keep an element of immaturity to it, like having a huge cat's face on my top. I think Isabella from Views Of Now summed it up perfectly in her latest post, where she said:

"Fashion, in my opinion, is one aspect of life that should be fun"

Great Photos, Beauty and Writing #3

Great Photos, Beauty and Writing #3 by rubysterland 

Great Photos- Natalie Off Duty- Merci Beaucoup. Natalie has a great style- preppy/sporty/folk is probably how I would describe it, even though they all contradict each other. It's always effortless but well put together, and the photos she posts on her blog are beautiful. 

Great Beauty- What I Heart Today- WOMF #30. I loved how Lily recreated her first edition of What's on my Face. It's a really classic, pretty look which I might try re-creating myself...

Great Writing- Nana Wintour- 20 Ways to Brighten a Not So Sparkly Day. This post was originally on Sophie's blog back in November, but she tweeted about it again this morning and I had a read. There are so many nice little ideas in here and I definitely recommend you read it. Bookmark it so you can have another read whenever you're having a bad day.

Wearing: Vendetta

I can't believe I've never blogged about this nail polish. Along with a few pastels and nudes, it's my favourite nail polish colour. It's purple, almost black colour means that I only wear it in Autumn and Winter so I have to admit, it feels a bit strange to be wearing it mid August, but I couldn't resist any longer. 

This polish was a birthday present from a friend a few years ago and I've used it so much it's not far away from running out. *cries* It's the only high-end nail polish I own so I'll probably still keep it once it's all gone, just because the packaging is so pretty and I'm a sucker for it. I like a really opaque colour on my nails and for that you would definitely need two coats, but its finish is really glossy and in theory, you could get away without a top coat, if only it were more chip resistant! Having said that, I couldn't say a bad word about this nail polish (even though I have £4 polishes which are more chip resistant). 

Wish List: 21/08/13

Wish List: 21/08/13 by rubysterland 

Spiked Rhinestone Necklace, Forever 21- I love me some rose gold so this ticks the box. When I was last in London I spent a long time in Forever 21 and I wish I had bought some jewellery from there, because there is a LOT of jewellery in there.

Mighty Black Leather Zip Boots, Topshop- Woah, that's a long name. I already have a pair of black heeled boots but hey, can you ever have too many? Topshop have some very tempting boots at the minute and the next are no exception.

High Top Wedge Trainers, Topshop- I've been umming and aaahing over these for a while now: I could never decide if I liked them enough to buy them. In the end I decided that yep, I like. They look super comfy and I can't say no to a pair of comfy heels.

Jersey Dress, H&M- Carly from the blog A Walk In The Park wore this in her latest post, which I read this morning. She looked amazing in it and I'm a cat person, so it makes perfect sense that I need this.

Contrast Embroidery Oblong Shirt, Marks and Spencer- Marks and Spencer isn't really somewhere I would shop (for amyone unfamiliar with it, their target market is probably twice my age...), but they were featured in the August edition of Vogue, so of course I headed over to their website. This would be great with black skinnies and the Topshop ankle boots/ sneakers.

Jersey Top, H&M- H&M have some great pieces at the minute and I always go there for basics like this tank top. I tried one on recently and the fit is really flattering- it doesn't drown you. I'm definitely going back to get a few of these.

Nail Polish in 573 Accessoire, Chanel- Red nail polish isn't something I would usually go for, I tend to shy away from the bright colours. This oxblood, purple red would look really nice in Autumn  and Winter, which is when I branch out to darker colours. I think this one might be staying on the Wish List, so I'm looking for a dupe!

Nail Polish in Bit Faker, Butter London- Damn you beauty bloggers, you're such enablers. Anna from Vivianna does Makeup is responsible for this one. I like a bit of glitter and this bronze-y brown isn't too bright for me, I think it will go with everything this Autumn/Winter.

Blue x 2

Hi everyone! My brother's shirt is back. You might have seen it's first appearance on my blog (here.) It's so comfy, (if a little huge) which is why I paired it with a little denim mini that I rediscovered recently. 

The blog was a little quiet this weekend because I've been to a festival! I would love to say I spent the weekend in a perfect, Coachella style haze of amazing-ness, but it wasn't really like that at all. There was mud, and rain (because it's England), but I still had a great weekend. I hope you all did too! I'm spending tonight planning blog posts and I bought a new coat last week that I'm in love with, so keep an eye out for that. 

At the moment I'm celebrating because we have a jar of Nutella in my house- the temptation to grab a movie, a spoon and the Nutella is too much right now. Does anyone else get that feeling? Also, granola with Greek yoghurt at breakfast = YUM. 

Red Brick

I was in need of a good catch up with my cousin Jodie (who now has her own blog, by the way!) and we decided to have a photo day. You can see the other set of photos on Jodie's blog- We All Start As Strangers. 

I went to the cinema last night to see Now You See Me, and it was great! If you haven't seen it and still have the chance then you should go, it was definitely full of plot twists. 

I hope any of you who received AS or A Level results today are pleased with what you have, and good luck to all those doing GCSEs next week. Y'all will do great, I know it. Now, I'm off to the dentist, then I'm hot-footing it to a festival. Hope you all have a great weekend.

Wearing: Districtly Come Dancing

I've been trying to push the boat out with my nail polishes recently. I would usually stick to pale colours, like lilacs, nudes, peaches- you get the idea. But I fancied a change and thought I would try out some new colours, and this one really caught my eye. This picture is a little deceiving because I think that, in real life, it's a bit greener than it looks here. 

On the first coat it was so streaky and patchy, but actually, with one more it looked pretty good. I'm not overly mad about the formula because I prefer a thicker polish (think Barry M Gelly Nails) but the brush is nice and big, which makes painting my nails super quick. I've just been eyeing up the collection on Boots and it looks like they have loads of nice colours. For just over £2, I'm not complaining.   

Have you tried this collection? What's your favourite polish at the minute? 

RNIL: H&M

RNIL: H&M by rubysterland 

I went into H&M last week I was seriously blown away by all the nice things in there. (I'm definitely heading back over there with my birthday money.) Here is a little selection of things I saw and loved. I've said it before, but I get stupidly excited for Autumn. The air is crisp, the mornings are dewy and you can wear a shirt with a slouchy jumper, jeans and boots. (So, basically, all the above.) Bring on the movie afternoons on a Sunday, curled up with hot chocolate. 

WOMF #1

I cracked out the eyeshadow today, inspired by Anna's post I read a few days ago. My base is a sample of the Liz Earle Colour Sheer Skin Tint, I'm wearing Fair Skin. I dusted a bit of Rimmel's Stay Matte Poweder over the top, and used my good old Vaseline Rosy Lips to add some flush to my cheeks. 

Now to the eyes... I started by sweeping Benefit's Disco Dust all over my eyes, then used Solid Gold and Get Down Brown in my crease. I swept a teensy bit of Get Down Brown under my eyes. I finished with lashings of, yep, more Benefit- the "They're Real" mascara. 

Last, but not least, a dab of my old faithful- Moisture Renew Lipstick in Notting Hill Nude, and a bit of Bare Minerals Marvellous Moxie lipgloss in Spark Plug. I blotted it out to leave only some of the shine. It's a super pigmented lip gloss, but it's a bit sticky too! 

What's your go-to 'look' been lately? I'm usually quite a simple girl, but I thought I would experiment and change it up a bit! This is pretty out there for me, but maybe a dog can learn new tricks...

Ditsy Florals

Hurrah! The nice weather has returned. I've been trying to think about things I could update y'all on, but I couldn't think of much. I've pretty much been moping around the house everyday, listening to music, watching tv, reading blogs, looking at uni courses. That's pretty much my life at the minute, other than bits of school work. I've been watching Skins, and after I've seen all those I'm going to watch New Girl. Anyone have any ideas of how I could procrastinate the next few weeks away? I have a few things planned, but other than that, nothing much... 

Oh, also, one week till results day. EEEEK. 

Autumn Wishin'

I was flicking through Harper's Bazaar and Vogue earlier when I realised how many amazing new campaigns there are this season. This is probably the first time I've really seen the Autumn campaigns, and I thought I would share some of my favourites with you all! I love summer, but by August I start getting excited for winter. I know I shouldn't wish away the (usually disappointing) summer weather but I love dressing for winter. All the chunky jumpers, the jeans and boots, the layering, I enjoy it more than summer! Does anyone know what I mean, or am I going crazy? 

Paul Smith

Mulberry

Valentino

July Favourites

This month hasn't been great for new products. I'm in a good routine and I'm pretty happy with the things I'm using, so I've yet to try any little samples I have. However, I've got a few new things which I've loved, and a few things I've rediscovered. 

Calendula Shampoo & Body Wash, Weleda- This is a new one. I've known about the brand for ages but I've never tried their Baby range. Yes, I am nearly 17 years old and I'm using a baby range, but that's okay because it's great for sensitive skin! Anything that's gentle on your skin gets a thumbs up from me, and it smells so good. 

"They're Real!" Mascara, Benefit- Another newby. I bought this at John Lewis after meeting Lily Pebbles. I don't know why I went for this mascara, I guess I just needed a new one. I was torn between this and Benefit's Bronzer, and for some reason this was won. Needless to say, me likey. The wand is designed to create the 'falsh lash effect' but actually, you can build it up to whatever level of volume and length you want, so you can still keep your lashes pretty subtle. It is, unfortunately, a serious pain to get off. Any tips or products great for a stubborn mascara?

Rosy Lips, Vaseline- There's not really many exciting things to say about this one. It's always in my bag, along with a few other lip balms and it rarely gets used. But, I was out and about in London last week and needed to retouch my face when- crisis, I had no blusher with me. I dabbed a bit of this on my cheeks and it didn't look too bad- blended out with my fingers it gave a dewy flush to my cheeks. 

Breakfast at Tiffany's- Another story from my trip to London. I took a few DVDs with me and remembered that I had this gem. I sat in bed one night watching it, and thought God, I love this movie. It somehow made me forget I was away from home, and for 2 hours I escaped. 

Dual Personality Spray, Aussie- Another product that gets a ten out of ten for the scent. I hear beauty bloggers rave about products like the Oribe Dry Texturising Spray all the time and wondered if I could find something a little bit more budget friendly. I picked up Aussie's offering from Boots and I think it's fab. It adds texture and volume but also conditions your lengths, which is just what I need with all this hot weather. (Having said that, as I type this the rain is pouring down) The only thing I would say is... because I have thick hair the hold isn't all that great, but it's pretty purse friendly so I can't really complain!

White Loafers, New Look- The only fashion favourite for me this month. I wore these so much whilst interning in London, they were so comfy. Plus, I have a real big soft spot for loafers, whether they're simple, a penny loafer or a lace up, I love 'em. 

Comment with recommendations- what have you been loving recently? 

Great Photos, Beauty and Writing #2

Great Photos- Classy Girls Wear Pearls- I Like Large Parties. First of all, a great name for a blog. Secondly, always great photos. I especially love these though. From the cute little headbands and Great Gatsby-esque style to the energy captured. These are the kind of parties I need to be going to! 

Great Writing- Kerralina- Escape. Kerry's blog is awesome for making me stop and think. This post was no exception- even though the subject was running. (something I don't have much of a passion for). However I've decided that, even though it'll be an ugly sight, I'm going to go for a run tomorrow morning. Yep, you heard it here first. I guess now it's on the blog I've got to do it. Follow me on twitter to find out how it goes...

Great Beauty- Amelia Beauty- Top 5 Summer Nail Shades. I really should not be allowed to read posts like these because I've recently developed a huge weakness for nail polishes. I have my eyes on that gorgeous lilac by Butter London, because you can never have enough lilacs, right? 

Let me know who's blogs you're all reading this weekend- I always love finding new ones!