something different: my skincare heroes

** This post may be 'too much information' for some people but I wanted to write it as a lot of women are on the pill and experience these initial breakouts.

Back in July, I went back onto the combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP) as I knew I'd be going on holiday and didn't want to be, ahem, 'on' whilst on holiday. The last time I'd been on the pill was in 2014 but I didn't anticipate the initial breakout that occurred this time around. I knew this could happen and I asked specifically for a pill that I knew worked for me and my skin in the past. However, I also know that it can take a month or two for my skin to get used to the hormone levels so braced myself!

Bit of background: my skin has never quite behaved. It is combination/oily and prone to breakouts during that time of the month. Earlier this year, I'd finally found a skincare routine that worked to keep my skin pretty much 95% clear. That is, until I went back onto the COCP.

Here were a few of the products that helped keep things under control. Prevention is, of course, better than cure, but a few cystic spots were inevitable on the COCP for me (at least, initially).

Left to right: Murad Time Release Blemish Cleanser, Alpha H Liquid Gold, Origins Out of Trouble Ten Minute Mask

Murad Time Release Blemish Cleanser - I've been using this for about a year now and you can see that I'm only halfway through the bottle. I use it once in the evening as I find it dries out my skin if I use it twice daily. There is no scent to it and a little goes a long way. Used in combination with a clean muslin cloth in the evening, it has helped my skin clear up considerably.

Alpha H Liquid Gold - I started using this back in July and I saw a difference almost immediately. My skin was clearer and brighter and my pores were smaller and less noticeable! I follow the recommended instructions and only use it on alternate nights and I don't use anything else on my face after applying this.

Origins Out of Trouble Ten Minute Mask - I use this once or twice a week (depending on how much my skin appears to need it) and it helps keep new blemishes at bay. It also dries out existing blemishes. I'm currently looking for another mask to use straight after this one as it is quite drying and it doesn't brighten my skin as much as I would like it to.

These three products don't come cheap so I usually wait for a discount code before stocking up on a bottle or two at a time. However, I've spent so much money on cheaper products over the years (and with no success), that I'm happy to spend a bit more on my skincare as good skin makes for a happy Angela :)

Mizon All in One Snail Repair Cream

Snail cream sounds gross but it's been great at brightening up my skin. I use this straight after cleansing my face and let it sink in before my night cream. Again, this is something I only use in the evenings as I find too many products in the morning can make my face oily by the end of the day. It doesn't smell of anything and didn't cause any initial breakout. It is perfect for my combination skin with it's stringy/gel-like texture.

Panoxyl Aquagel 10% Benzoyl Peroxide

Panoxyl was a lifesaver a few years' ago when I used it daily. It didn't completely solve all my skin issues but it did go a long way in improving its appearance. So when it was discontinued, I was absolutely gutted. When I heard that it was coming back onto the market, I ordered a tube straight away and haven't looked back since. 

I'm unsure about how safe these products are for long-term use but for now, I'm happy to use them as the results have been worth it. Now that I've been back on the pill for a few packs, my skin is finally settling down :)

Did you experience a breakout when starting the pill? If so, what worked for you? :)

five pretty things

In this materialistic world, a good design can make all the difference: the only proof we need is the Apple brand. Critics continuously praise the design of their products and also their usability. In this post, I thought I'd be a bit materialistic and show off five pretty things currently in my life.

1) Tinned Scented Candles

Muji candles are my new scented obsession (thanks to my sister). Though possibility not the most environmentally-friendly, they give off a scent even when not burning and I don't know of many candles that do this. They come at £3.50 and I like how they are in tins so that they can be transported easily. Elderflower is my personal favourite with its mellow and relaxing tones.

2) A plushie Totoro my sister made for me

Earlier this year, my sister made me a mini Totoro using some felt and thread. It sits on my desk, propped up against my computer monitor. My Neighbour Totoro is a film that really stuck in my mind for some reason but the same can be said for most of Studio Ghibli's films!

3) A fully-filled pen pot

Is there anything better than this?

4) Floaty Summer Skirts

Now that summer is kind of here, I can finally unleash my summer wardrobe again. This includes floaty skirts and a pair of Rayban Wayfarers.

5) Midori Brass Number Clips

I purchased these just before revision time and they were perfect for prioritising what I needed to revise. Another thing they could be used for is to mark the start of a new month in your planner (there are twelve of them... Coincidence? Probably not!).

Now that summer is here, I can appreciate the prettier things currently in my life. Pretty things don't always need to be expensive either - as shown by the Totoro plushie that my sister made me which is cute but also has sentimental value.

introducing: popbasic!

Do any of you subscribe to monthly beauty boxes or even Graze/snack boxes? Subscription boxes are something that have become quite big in the beauty world but have you ever thought of buying a box every month that include a few basic items that can transcend any season? Popbasic are a company that offer this and although they are based in the United States, they ship worldwide... For free!

This month, the Frankie box retails at $78 with the collection consisting of a grey marl long sleeved top, a white leather belt with a rose gold buckle and a polka dot scarf. The grey tee is soft and fits well - I am a big fan of basic long sleeved tees because I like wearing them on placement. I need comfortable basics that can be dressed up when paired with a pencil skirt or a smart pair of tailored trousers and this top fits the bill in that respect. The sleeves are easy to roll up too (sounds trivial but I find that some tops have sleeves that roll down of their own accord - bad because the uniform dress code states that we must be 'bare below the elbows').

The white leather belt can be worn on the waist or on the hip. The scarf wraps around my neck comfortably with seriously soft fabric that feels luxurious against my neck. It is large enough to also be worn wrapped around your shoulders, like a shawl - useful if you're a student who sits in lecture theatres or work in an office that only has two temperatures with one of them being freezing cold.

I like how the box comes with a small postcard that introduces the items in the box and also provides outfit ideas.

Overall, this was a box that was a pleasure to unwrap after a long day at uni - the items will suit everyone and they are all of decent quality. The price may seem a bit steep for those in the UK, especially when you compare them to Primark prices, but looking back at some of the other Popbasic boxes, they do have boxes that may provide better value for money!

Thank you, Madeline from Popbasic for sending me this box to review :)

NB: Although I received these products as review samples, I have reviewed them just as I would have if I had paid for them.

my favourite additions this summer

This summer, I added a few new items to various parts of my life and I thought I'd share my favourite ones with you all. Let's start with stationery!

I came across these Midori metal duck paperclips on ASOS while browsing their website one day and with my 10% student discount, it would've been rude not to add them to my vast collection of stationery. They complement the paper index clips I purchased last year and ducks are my favourite animals so that made it equally hard to resist buying these.

Next up, my wardrobe. I added these Swedish Hasbeens to my shoe collection and I justified this purchase because I don't have many pairs of summer shoes. They are flatforms which are perfect as they don't add too much height (I'm not exactly short...) and are so comfortable and easy to walk in. They go with everything - jeans, dresses, floaty summer skirts - and so are perfect.

Adding a bit of luxury to my beauty routine through this Ren Hot Cloth Cleanser. I love how soft it leaves my skin and the hot cloth step makes me feel like I'm experiencing a luxury treatment rather than just cleansing my skin once daily.

Finally, another addition are these pretty Leuchtturm 1917 notebooks. I love the colours and just how cute they look on my bookshelf. I cannot wait to get stuck into them next academic year!

So, these are my favourite additions this summer - it's so nice having had a few weeks off but I go back to uni in a few days. Hard to believe that these items were bought back at the end of May or end of June... Where does the time go?

styling my kate spade agenda

Another pictorial post where I try and make up an outfit to match my Kate Spade agenda. I have done my Smythson one and also my Deco, so this one is the last in this series.

Like with the amethyst Deco, red is also another colour you won't really see in my wardrobe but this did not deter me. The Kate Spade agenda screams 'business' to me so I tried to make an outfit fit for any boardroom.

A bog standard cream blouse from Zara and a rust-coloured pencil shirt from NW3 by Hobbs is the result. Rust is as close to red as you will get and I think a blouse tucked into a high-waisted skirt wouldn't look out of a place in a business setting.

My Smythson outfit still remains my favourite :)

a bit of fun: styling my deco

Following on from my post about styling my Smythson organiser, I thought I'd style my Slimline Deco in amethyst too.

Dark purple is a colour I don't really have in my wardrobe but this was quickly rectified through a dress I purchased using vouchers (so, not breaking my 'no spend challenge'). The dress is an indigo colour (as close to dark purple as I will go) but with a whimsical dragonfly print.

The cream suede interior would be represented by a cream cardigan... Or my Mulberry bag:

The colour of my bag is actually quite similar to the hue of the cream suede interior. However, the Deco is such a versatile binder, I think it would go with all sorts of attire but if you want to dress as similar to it as possible, I think this would be the way I would go :)

Personally, I prefer my Smythson outfit. Do you match your clothes and/or bags with your binder?

laura ashley a/w13 press day

Last month, I attended the Laura Ashley A/W13 Press Day. Having never attended a press day before, I had no idea what I was letting myself into! It was held at Il Bottaccio, near Hyde Park, so to return to an area I love so much (West London, I miss you!) had me in a great mood the moment I stepped off the train at Victoria and walked up Grosvenor Place. 

Anyway, I took plenty of pictures of my favourite Laura Ashley items and here they are for you all to see :)

First up; look at this rail of clothing! I wish every single garment was mine - the colours would fit in so well with my existing wardrobe and the prints are right up my street.

I also love this tweed jacket:

Leading from this small room of fashion-related goods were two larger rooms of things focussed on the home decoration category of products. And within these two rooms were some very beautiful items.

Just look at that chandelier (it had me thinking 'how can I persuade myself that this would be perfect for my bedroom?!'):

And the cute items in the next picture that could instantly spruce up a plain room. I just love the duck doorstop!

Because the Laura Ashley brand is sixty years old this year, there was a room dedicated to celebrating this. In this room, there was a board detailing the important events of the past sixty years and it sure did make a fascinating read.

There was a board dedicated to each decade and here was my favourite one:

But I also loved the board showcasing the more recent decades:

Another great feature was a display of prints from the past and the present:

More prints, candles and mugs (I want them all!):

Finally, my favourite display: the duck egg blue themed bedroom. I felt that the furniture really complimented the vintage-feel of the duck egg blue colour.

Oh, how I wish the bedroom on display was actually my own proper bedroom!

My favourite item in the bedroom just had to be this armchair. It's neutral in design and looks ever so comfy and I can just imagine sitting on it, on a warm summer evening, my legs curled up under my body with my Kindle in one hand and a cool drink in the other.

I have always loved and admired the Laura Ashley brand and products they have to offer. To see them like this, firsthand, was a pleasure and I'm pretty sure I fell in love with pretty much the majority of the items on show.

Thank you, Marin at Green Light Digital for inviting me to the press day :)

styling my Smythson organiser!

Today, I thought I'd do a random (and hopefully fun!) post on styling my Smythson organiser. So, what do I mean by this? Well, I thought I'd try and find an outfit from my existing wardrobe (or closet, if you are from the other side of the pond) that would compliment this binder and this is what I've come up with.

Firstly, a reminder of the binder itself (as if you needed the reminder - I've posted pictures of it at every opportunity; so I'll take this chance to do so again!):

Firstly, I decided to seek out some pens that would compliment the binder perfectly and this was the result: a Muji 0.5mm pink gel and a Muji 0.5mm erasable pen (Muji should so employ me as their ambassador!). The erasable pen is a lighter hue of pink whereas the Muji one is more assertive in colour so I think they would compliment each other nicely!

And now, onto the outfit. I opted for a pink chiffon scallop detail blouse by Topshop and a pair of camel shorts by Whistles. I think both were bought sometime in 2011 so I don't think they will be sold in their respective stores anymore, although eBay may be your best friend if you want to seek them out :)

The pink blouse goes well with the pink colour of the binder but the camel shorts also represents the inside of the binder. As shown in the next picture, a lot of my tabs are a creamy colour and so that is why I chose this pair of shorts - not only do they look great with the blouse, they also represent my Smythson binder in a more subtle way.

I've yet to find anything in my wardrobe that is the perfect shade of cornflower blue so there is nothing in this outfit that represents my diary inserts unfortunately!

I hope you enjoyed this blog post :) It is a more playful post than usual, I think, but I enjoyed the process I went through in taking the pictures and writing it. I hope to do another two styling posts for my Slimline Deco and also my Kate Spade organiser soon, so sit tight!

Who said you can't be organised and fashionable? ;) (No one did - it's a rhetorical question.)

a hack to keep a jewellery box organised

If you're like me and possess a jewellery drawer instead of a jewellery tree, you might also share my frustration when you reach in for a necklace and find them all tangled up into one giant mess.

My jewellery drawer - I usually have my current favourite necklace resting on top for easy access. Along with my watch and hair pins and bobbles.
Drawer is from Muji, just in case you were wondering.

Anyway, what can you do to stop all of the tangles? Well, a few months ago, after moving house, I found these random bags that used to contain spare buttons that come with clothes. Luckily, being the hoarder that I am (this is one time where I am glad I didn't go all minimalistic), I have loads of these bags:

It's quite obvious what will come next - I put each necklace into a bag of its own and sealed it.

And then, put them back in my drawer. The larger necklaces (of which I only have one) doesn't fit into any of the bags I have so it is just loose. But that is fine - as one necklace can only create tangles within itself rather than with five gazillion other necklaces.

Not only does this save time when you are getting ready in the morning, it also looks neater and allows you to see what necklaces you have at a glance. I have other necklaces which have currently fallen out of favour with me all in another box - and when I was sorting them out, I noticed that they were all tangled. And that's how I got this idea to use these bags. It's such a simple hack but one that I thought I would share as I've not seen an idea like this on a blog or on the internet before.

I thought I would also take this opportunity to show off the bottom drawer of my jewellery box. This part holds my rings and earrings. Muji has been perfect in that they also make these soft jewellery holders. 

Seeing my jewellery in their box has made me realise just how many rings I have. However, I normally layer rings and wear four or five in one go (sometimes three on one finger and two in another, etc) so I am persuading myself that this picture isn't as bad as it looks...

Have you thought of other simple hacks that have worked well for you in daily life? :)

my paper lovestory

I did a handwritten post back in November 2012, and I thought I would follow that up with another but this time, detailing my own paper lovestory. It's mainly just me rambling on a side of A4 about my obsession and also some other random bits. Kind of like a 'paper lovestory' but kind of not.

Either way, I hope you enjoy it. This is another sample of my handwriting - I tend to alternate between loopy/girly (usually in lecture notes and the like) and print (which you see every week in my diary) so this post gives you a chance to see my 'girly' handwriting :)

Feel free to share your own paper lovestory below :) Alternatively, I am open to hosting a guest post for a handwritten post about your own paper lovestory if you'd like. Just email me at paperlovestory @ outlook.com :)

wardrobe challenge: six items or less

Last month, I opted to undertake a 'Six Items or Less' challenge. This was part of my minimalism pledge and I feel it was quite a success. I will explain why as this post goes on.

So to recap, here were my six items (well, five in the picture):

Five of the six items. The last item is a coat - originally, I had chosen an Aquascutum mac but because of the adverse weather, I changed that item to a Whistles wool coat. This meant I still stuck to the 'six items or less' rule :)

The hardest part of this challenge is being creative with the daily outfits. Six items can only mean that the combinations of outfits are less than if there were ten items, for example (mathematics can explain this quite easily). This meant that one had to be dedicated and also learn and develop the art of perseverance. Nothing in life is easy (everyone says this, and I'm pretty sure we can agree that this is true) which is exactly why this is called a 'challenge'.

Also, another problem is that you can get bored easily with such a limited number of garments. However, using the creative side of your brain can help you even if you're more of a scientific person (like I am). Even within science, creativity and the ability to think in different ways can be beneficial but enough of that and back to the topic in hand.

With this challenge a success, I have found it has helped with my new urge to be minimalistic. It has reinforced the need for me to downsize my wardrobe and sell some items on eBay this summer. And it has also taught me that I can live on fewer items too. I'm quite bad in that I love all of my clothes but I don't wear nearly half (at a guestimate).

How my wardrobe looked in my old house... and I hope it won't look after a good declutter; as a direct result of this challenge!

As a result, I believe that this challenge will help me declutter. The positives I have taken from this challenge are:

- that although it is good to have a lot of choice, a smaller number of items equates to less time wasted choosing outfits each morning and;

- that the 80/20 principle might actually be true and maybe I should apply it to my wardrobe! Something that can be related to being a minimalist too, I guess.

I have to admit that this challenge was hard. Laundry had to be done more often and I only chose one cardigan so that made my outfits a bit more boring than I would have liked. On the other hand, the positives I have taken from it has only spurred me on to get rid of more items. A massive sale is next on my list and with me being on a 'no clothes shopping' ban this year, my wardrobe size will surely have reduced dramatically in size in a few months' time.

If you have a similar problem to me - too many clothes, etc - then this challenge would be ideal for you. My advice would be to do it in the summer so that a coat doesn't take up one of the items and possibly expand it to ten items if you think six is too few, and then maybe go down to six the next month.

How do you think you'd fare if you had to do this challenge? Or have you done one already? If so, how did you find it?

fashion and functionality

I'm a big fan of fashion, shopping and clothes. I'm also a big fan of being organised. That's why the binder I use is just as important as an outfit I wear to dinner or whatever. Fashion and functionality is the reason why the weeks that I post every Sunday are as colourful as they are. It is also why I use stickers, washi tape and whatnot to make it pretty.

This is all why I purchased the Smythson binder I did. I love how bright it is and also how it kind of reflects who I am. I am quite girly (though, I do have a more 'masculine' side to me - the side that loves sports a bit too much!) and although I don't particularly like to stand out, the bright pink and the Smythson brand reflects the fact that I like to be original and different when it comes to most things.

Fashion and functionality can also be applied to other items - for example, spectacles. I have been wearing glasses since I was about thirteen and I used to hate it. However, in recent years, I've seen it as an opportunity to use it as a fashion accessory and my two favourite pairs are ones that suit my face and are ones I'm not ashamed to step out in.

Shoes is another thing. For me, I'm mainly in flats as when I was growing up, I had a growth spurt when I was about ten or eleven and so was one of the taller girls in my class at the time and I hated standing out.  Because of this, I never really embraced heels but I do have a pair of chunky heeled boots which are perfect for the autumn and winter.

How do you feel about fashion and functionality? Have you compromised one or the other when choosing your diary or other things?

what's in my bag #10

After seeing the Modalu Pippa on Deborah's blog, I was convinced that this bag was my perfect one. Compartments (perfect for organising! A dream for someone like me!) and the lovely shell detailing... yum. So, since the summer, I've been lusting after this handbag. However, two months ago, one popped up on House of Fraser - and it was on sale! And because I had a lot of vouchers for HoF, I ended up getting this handbag for very cheap. I didn't get it in the more popular 'Shark' colour, but instead chose the 'neutral' colour. It looks like a pale, dusky, nude pink.

I've not seen any blog posts on this colour so I thought I'd incorporate that into this 'what's in my bag' post. So, at the front, you'll see this. The two mini zipped compartments are super handy for tissues, and throat lozenges, etc.

Before I get onto the topic of what I cart around with me in this bag, I just want to show a few pictures of the detailing that I love so much.

First up, the shell detailing on the main compartment zips (there are three compartments so, therefore, three zips):

And the shell-print lining:

The backside of the bag, there is a zipped compartment, which is extremely spacious. It was hard to take a picture of just how spacious it could be but trust me on this!

 And that compartment at the back has this zip detail too:

So in the first big compartment, you're greeted with this sight:

The middle (smaller compartment):

And the other big compartment:

What is really deceptive about this bag is the space. It doesn't look as if it could hold much but the amount I can cram into it is unbelievable. However, I refrain from doing that because not only could it ruin the bag, it also bloody hurts to carry around so much on my shoulder/arm!

Everything laid out...

From top left: Paul and Joe bag that has make-up, medicines, etc; Kindle K4, Slimline Deco, The Body Shop almond handcream, Cath Kidston travelcard case, duck contact lens case (my sister gave me this as a present!), medical tape, iPhone 5, Luella purse, tissues, mirror, Burt's Bees lip balm and Softmints.

I'm trying to decrease the amount I carry around and this was what I carried on a recent trip to London. There were some papers in there too but these were only present in the journey to London and not on the way back.

Do you carry the kitchen sink, or do you try and carry as little as possible?