From Top: Accessorize | Handmade | Dorothy Perkins
I haven't made a friendship bracelet in years! But as I said one of my 2013 goals was to get more creative, even in small ways like cobbling together a handmade bracelet. I'm still proud of it mind, and the process was quite meditative and soothing. The DP bracelets were part of a large set of gold and pink stacking bracelets. I've lost a few already but i think it was about ten for £16 which wasn't too bad! I know it's still winter but like I said in my last post I'm buzzing for the warmer weather and have already started slipping in the odd pastel shade. Can you tell?
Bella
Bella
xox
I admit it. I'm completely bored with autumn/winter. I've had just about enough of living in grey and burgundy and trying to wrestle my coat off without removing my hoodie in lectures. Spring to me signifies a fresh start and I always feel much happier and more positive when the sun's shining and everyone's dressed in colours. I've been collecting little bits here and there, magpie fashion, for when things eventually perk up.
Anyway I just wanted to show a little collage I made out of various fashion magazines in my journal. (Yes I have a journal #sad) It's a great way to get in the mood for spring and to get ideas for colour coordination and mixing and matching key pieces which, when you're on a student budget is a necessity!
Apologies for the random 10 day hiatus. I've had a lot to get done and managed to get ill last week too. I do pick my moments.
I got this in a nice big set for Christmas along with a lot of other S&G goodies. Anyone who's stepped into my bathroom knows I'm a Soap & Glory freak. The packaging, the scents, the quality and the price of their products all tick my boxes so they're a brand I use time and time again.
This body scrub, first off, smells utterly fantastic. Not like the usual musky florals of the righteous butter etc, I sat for a good while with my nose in it, wondering what it smelled like until it hit me. It smells like citrus cake! The sharp smell of lime mixed with the sweet batter-y scents of sugar, vanilla and nuts go so well together and it was a nice change from the usual S&G scent.
The 'scrub' comes from tiny particles of smashed brown sugar and larger macadamia grains, so it's a good mix of big chunks to really exfoliate and smaller bits to polish and buff. I use this twice a week in the shower and afterwards can't stop stroking myself! (that sounded wrong; my arms people!) I get rough skin on my knees and elbows and having used this for a few weeks now along with a nice thick body butter I'm happy to report that the scaly skin is no more.
Once I've used this up I'm really keen to try more S&G scrubs. I liked Flake Away and I'm thinking about the Breakfast Scrub. Any other recommendations of your favourites? They just have so many!
Thankyou for reading!
I got this in a nice big set for Christmas along with a lot of other S&G goodies. Anyone who's stepped into my bathroom knows I'm a Soap & Glory freak. The packaging, the scents, the quality and the price of their products all tick my boxes so they're a brand I use time and time again.
This body scrub, first off, smells utterly fantastic. Not like the usual musky florals of the righteous butter etc, I sat for a good while with my nose in it, wondering what it smelled like until it hit me. It smells like citrus cake! The sharp smell of lime mixed with the sweet batter-y scents of sugar, vanilla and nuts go so well together and it was a nice change from the usual S&G scent.
The 'scrub' comes from tiny particles of smashed brown sugar and larger macadamia grains, so it's a good mix of big chunks to really exfoliate and smaller bits to polish and buff. I use this twice a week in the shower and afterwards can't stop stroking myself! (that sounded wrong; my arms people!) I get rough skin on my knees and elbows and having used this for a few weeks now along with a nice thick body butter I'm happy to report that the scaly skin is no more.
Once I've used this up I'm really keen to try more S&G scrubs. I liked Flake Away and I'm thinking about the Breakfast Scrub. Any other recommendations of your favourites? They just have so many!
Thankyou for reading!
It's been a funny old week. I've returned to uni but was suddenly struck down by illness and so haven't really made it to many of my lectures! I'm glad I'm back though. Surrounded by my wonderful flatmates who are nothing short of fantastic, and like a second, younger and better looking, family to me.
I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do this year. I mentioned in my last 'Weekly Inspiration' post that I want to start creating more so I've taken the plunge and ordered a needle felting set from a seller on Etsy. I've wanted to try it for ages after seeing all the cute things you can make (see little mouse-bear thing in the middle of the board above) and have finally gotten round to it so if it goes well I'll share my creations. I'm also hoping to get back into drawing (I'm a little rusty) and really crack on with drafting my novel. I have a really phobia of endings in fiction, so I'm struggling to think of a way to round off the story!
I can't wait to start building up my SS13 wardrobe as well! I just want stupid, cold January and February to be over and done with so it can start warming up a little (please PLEASE let it be a nice warm summer this year!) Current lusts include this skirt, these heels and this bikini set.
Speaking of bikinis I've decided to try to get in better shape recently. For a while, being in a not particularly happy place, I've neglected myself and stopped eating properly and exercising. But now that I'm getting back in the right direction I'm taking good care of this little body of mine. It's gone through some rough times and needs some love. If anyone would be interested on a regular diet/exercise update feel free to let me know and I'll see about making it a feature. I've found some really good exercise videos on YouTube and also some healthy tasty recipes that I've been enjoying so I'd be more than happy to share.
In all I want to start pushing myself. I want to break out of my little comfort zone bubble I've been floating around in for these past few years and really explore new realms of life. It's quite exciting really!
In all I want to start pushing myself. I want to break out of my little comfort zone bubble I've been floating around in for these past few years and really explore new realms of life. It's quite exciting really!
Right, I need to go to bed now. I'm completely knackered and have quite the to do list for tomorrow!
Thanks for reading
One of my 2013 promises to myself (not really a
resolution as it's hardly a serious life changing thing) is to take
better care of my hair. Come the end of last year my hair was a wreck:
over-bleached, dry and matted and just generally a horrible thing to have on my
head! Now it's returned to an easier to maintain colour and has be cut and
thinned so all the tangles are out and it feels so much healthier. I just need
to put in the effort of keeping it that way!
I'd been seeing reviews on hair serums and decided to opt for something that had good reviews, but was still affordable. I ended up with this and I do really like it. I wasn't sure quite how to use it or what to expect but after a bit of trial and error I've found it a godsend.
After washing and towel drying my hair I use two pumps run through the midlengths and massaged into the ends before brushing through and blowdrying. My hair looks and feels considerably softer and smoother when I use this regularly, and at around £6.99 a bottle it's far easier on the old student budget than thirty quid's worth of Moroccan oil! I do only use this twice a week however, as much more and I find my hair getting greasy quicker.
I am interested in investing in a more luxurious hair oil in the future when I've got a bit more money to spend, but right now this one's doing me just fine. Let me know if you have any hair treatments you swear by.
I'd been seeing reviews on hair serums and decided to opt for something that had good reviews, but was still affordable. I ended up with this and I do really like it. I wasn't sure quite how to use it or what to expect but after a bit of trial and error I've found it a godsend.
After washing and towel drying my hair I use two pumps run through the midlengths and massaged into the ends before brushing through and blowdrying. My hair looks and feels considerably softer and smoother when I use this regularly, and at around £6.99 a bottle it's far easier on the old student budget than thirty quid's worth of Moroccan oil! I do only use this twice a week however, as much more and I find my hair getting greasy quicker.
I am interested in investing in a more luxurious hair oil in the future when I've got a bit more money to spend, but right now this one's doing me just fine. Let me know if you have any hair treatments you swear by.
I rarely ever buy anything from Miss Selfridge. I'm not sure why but it's a brand I've always neglected. However I really think their SS13 evening wear is gorgeous! It might be a bit strange but I'm loving the slightly lingerie-esque feel to these dresses. The sheer black fabrics and sexy lacy bits give it a really seductive feel, and then adding some tough glamazonian shoes and jewellery gives a beautiful contrast without it looking cluttered or too 'try-hard'.
Everything here, aside from the shoes which are from New Look, can be found on the Miss Selfridge site. Just add some big sexy tousled hair with clean, simple makeup for a look that toes the line between 'classy, glamorous lady' and 'just rolled out of the bedroom.' It would be very easy for this style to look like you've actually stepped out in your undies, but I think the way Miss Selfridge has designed them keeps it very elegant with just a little tongue-in-cheek suggestion of sexiness.
Everything here, aside from the shoes which are from New Look, can be found on the Miss Selfridge site. Just add some big sexy tousled hair with clean, simple makeup for a look that toes the line between 'classy, glamorous lady' and 'just rolled out of the bedroom.' It would be very easy for this style to look like you've actually stepped out in your undies, but I think the way Miss Selfridge has designed them keeps it very elegant with just a little tongue-in-cheek suggestion of sexiness.
I didn't end 2012 in a very happy place. Not at all. But I'm determined to leave that behind, and use 2013 to do a lot of the things I've wanted to do for a long time. I think a lot of people want to see new years and fresh starts as a chance to find themselves. But I think I'd rather think of it as a chance to create myself.
Thing is, I don't think we are anything other than who we choose to be. I think sometimes it can be an excuse for someones bad qualities or undermining to someone's good qualities. People use "That's just who I am" to justify being rude or unkind. At the same time sometimes we don't appreciate when someone does something good for others. Just because that's who they are, of course they would do that.
I think it's so important to be conscious of our own behaviour so I want to give myself the next year to develop attributes I want and to improve myself. I want to improve my organisation, be more giving and more creative. I also want to be free in the way that I think and approach things. I want to be more appreciative of the little things and I want to make other people happier. I want to be silly, honest and kind.
I haven't really made any solid new years resolutions but I'm simply opening my mind to new things and hoping to discover and create and generally reach 2014 a little prouder to be me. I want to get into crafts, learn to cook properly for myself, find a form or exercise I enjoy and finally finish a draft of a novel! I don't care if noone reads it, I've wanted to write a book since I could first read and I just want to finish one!
I'm planning on having a weekly inspiration board such as the one above to help me get inspired. Feel free to use it to inspire you too! Or better yet create your own and link it below. I'd love to be see what inspires you. Every week I'll be talking about life and thoughts and just general things that wouldn't really fit in a normal post.
Thankyou for reading.
It smells a bit grim. Like plasticine. But aside from that I really can't see any pitfalls when using this on my normal/ slightly combination skin. The packaging has the standard adorable S&G look to it and for £8 it's definitely a treat anyone can enjoy.
I hope that was helpful. I got a huge pile of Soap and Glory stuff for Christmas so if there are any others I find really impressive I shall make sure to share them.
Thanks for reading!
Long time no see! Feels like forever since I've been away though it's only been not quite three months. (Still a long time let's face it.) I'm back from university on Christmas break and didn't actually plan to start blogging again just yet but I found myself perusing the spring previews on some of my favourite fashion sites and really loving what I've been seeing so I thought I'd share some of the bits I've already got my eye on.
This is 'casual edition'. There are a few different combinations here all of which I'd wear for a day out shopping or a lovely summer pub lunch. I think this spring is going to be much more understated. A little bit of a 50/60's nod and a lot of gorgeous muted hues and classic shapes. I'm actually excited to wriggle out of my spiky jumpers and creepers for a bit if I'm honest and feel a touch more ladylike.
The three pieces down the centre and the flats on the bottom are from River Island and the navy wedges are from New Look. Everything else, surprisingly, comes from Primark! So that means I can actually stock up my summer wardrobe without bringing my bank balance to tears!
I'll be doing a few more of these: The dressed up edition, the beauty edition and maybe the holiday edition. If you have any other suggestions or things you'd like to see please don't hesitate to ask.
I'm really excited to be back. I'll do a catch up post at some point, you'll probably notice my blog going through (yet another) makeover at the moment. It's not quite finished but it'll be lovely when it is. I've decided to drop 'Maisy', a name that I made to protect my teenage identity and start going by my real name, Isabelle. Now that I'm twenty, I find the idea of sharing a small portion of my life on the internet far less daunting. Hopefully nobody minds. :)
I wanted to call this ttfn or something cutesy. You know how we bloggers roll but the title's a more honest representation of what I'm doing. I really am just fucking off for a bit. I'm starting uni on Sunday and I need to focus myself on packing and pre-reading and spending time in the real world with Elliott and my family and friends before I go off on my new adventures. And as a very socially nervous person once I'm there I've made up my mind to throw myself into it as much as I can, and not give myself anywhere to cower and hide. Y'know like the internet.
Also to be honest I've fallen out with blogging a little bit. Not that I really don't like it anymore or anything like that! I just feel my passion for it is all dried up at the moment. My posts are becoming few and far between and lacking that certain something I prided myself on. (God knows what it was but there's something different between posts that you look at and think 'yes, I did good' and posts that just seem to suck for no apparent reason) And as a result of that lacking in inspiration/ passion the activity on my blog's taken a massive nosedive. My blogsale was such a dismal failure I actually laughed for a few minutes before deleting the stupid thing and the post that came after it got even less love. BELLAETC has stopped being a cute creative scrapbook of my life and something on which I just churn out what I can and hope to god someone cares enough to comment so I don't look silly.
I hate being negative. But maybe that's why I've run out of steam? I look back and all my posts are so airbrushed. I think I wrote a few sentences about the tax office charging me too much back in April, and that's been it for mentions of the less chirpy sides to my life. The whole 'chin up' thing is something I do in every aspect of my life really and, while I think it's really important to stay positive and keep smiling (you should have seen me do Duke of Edinburgh trying to lead everyone in song while we trudged through fields for six hours - I was infuriating!) It does at times feel like I'm being a bit fake, which in turn becomes bland and boring. I have no personality on here. None at all.
I don't want to give up blogging. I've really enjoyed it and made some lovely friends and have generally found my life enriched by being part of this whole community. I just feel I need a breather. Some time to reflect and give BELLAETC a rest and hopefully find a way to put a bit more of myself into to my little blog again. A little more heart and soul rather than just a stream of 'Here's a beauty product. It's good stuff!' posts. I'm not really sure how. I'm hoping it'll come to me.
This is the probably the most heartfelt post I've ever done. I think I'm just going to hit publish and have done with it. For a start if I read it I know I'll over-edit myself and it'll just end up like the rest of my recent blog content. Also it's 2:15am and Elliott's coming round to make brownies at 10am!
So that's that I suppose. I hope noone thinks I'm being silly or attention seeking. I was very hesitant about writing this sort of post and it was meant to be short but once I started typing it all came tumbling out. I just wanted to give you guys an explanation for why I was going to be absent for a bit. I'm not sure how long.
But if you've read this thankyou :) I really do appreciate every one of my readers, every comments makes my day and I will definitely miss chatting with you while I'm away. I still plan to do book reviews over at The Blogger's Library once it's up and running (any day now!) and will still be social networking away (probably drunkenly during freshers so that should be good for a laugh)
But I will be back. I'm sure of it. I just need to find myself a little bit and stop editing myself. There's a way to have clean professional content and still have a personality filled blog. I know because that describes perfectly some of my fave blogs!
Which reminds me, before I leave, I want to share a little list of some of my all time favourite blogs. These are blogs that I sit down with some toast to read through, that I purposefully don't look at for a little while just so I can have a catch up session and read all the new posts in one go. A few people that I think you would really enjoy because I do!
.Cupcakes Clothes. Vivatramp. The Magpie Girl. Scathingly Brilliant. A Beautiful Mess. SCHADENFREUDE. Nekoblog.
of course there are more but hey. Lucky number seven eh?
So that's it. I'm off on a great whirlwind adventure and hopefully I can come back with fresh new ideas and BELLAETC can become something inspiring and insightful and the sort of thing other people sit down to read with excitement and a round of hot buttered toast.
ttfn
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