Hello Autumn

If I haven't made this clear already, I love Autumn time. The colours, the weather, the clothes. Anyone agree with me?

One of my favourite things about this time of year is the fact that I can start burning candles again. Not just any old scents either. Autumn means one thing...cinnamon. This one is from Ikea and I wish I'd bought a few more because I'm sure I'll be burning it every day for the next couple of months. 

Another thing that I use a lot of during the colder months is hand cream. I've been using one by Burt's Bees which of course, smells like honey and has a nice thick consistency but isn't too greasy.

Every time I've been to Primark recently at least one pair of socks has ended up in my basket. They've got some really cute frilly ones in so many different colours which I've been wearing with a pair of ankle boots.

One of my favourite lip products right now is Revlon's Balm Stain in 005 Crush. It looks quite dark in the tube but if you don't want to go for too much of a dark lip then it's lovely when applied once and not built up too much.

I realised recently that I didn't own a red tartan scarf. I have a neutral coloured one somewhere and got a lovely bright green one from H&M last year, but I thought it was time to get a red version as it's a great staple to have in your wardrobe for Autumn/Winter. I found this one in Primark.

& Other Stories | Stud Ring

& Other Stories is quickly becoming one of my favourite shops to browse. I say 'browse' because I find a lot of their clothes and accessories to be pretty pricey (no matter how lovely it all is).

I've had my eye on this ring for a while and when I was in the store with Ben the other day he very kindly offered to buy it for me, thanks Ben! I'm so pleased with it, I love the contrast between the gold and the gun metal grey and how unique it is. All of their jewellery pieces are really interesting shapes and so different to anything else I've seen. The ring also seems to be really good quality and I've worn it almost every day.  

Have you been into the shop recently or bought anything from there?

Ring £12

Life Lately | Graduation

The space between posts seems to be getting longer each time, sorry! I'm back today because I just wanted to write a quick post about my graduation which happened on Friday. It was so lovely to come home for the weekend (I went to University in my home town) and see my family and friends.

I swear the most stressful part of graduating was finding a dress to wear! Did anyone else have that problem? Every dress I wanted seemed to be out of stock. After going to the Oxford Street Topshop last weekend and not having any luck I eventually got hold of the ballerina style dress in grey after ordering it from the website. I'll write about  the dress separately later this week.

My dad wouldn't stop taking photos all morning so here are a couple from the day. Congratulations to everyone else who graduated from Bournemouth this week! 

Fortnight In Photos #13

The last two weeks have flown by! I can't believe it's November already, it will be Christmas before we know it. The lead up to it is my favourite time of year and I'm already starting to plan lots of festive things. But before that I need to get through graduation, which is next Friday. I'll probably post about what I wear next week but for now here's what Ive been up to recently. 

Favourite popcorn, SO happy to meet Tom Fletcher, Biggie being extremely cute, night in with my friend who came to visit this weekend, favourite restaurant Wahaca, Harrods is looking Christmassy.

In love with the Soap & Glory Smoothie Bodybutter, decorating a desk at work with birthday balloons, re purchased bareMinerals Touch Up Veil, mini Ikea make over in my room, work looking very autumnal, jacket I'd been eyeing up in Primark was reduced. 

Instagram @hannahcelder 

Fallen Leaves | What I Wore

Autumn is finally here! I walked through the park on my way to town today and the trees had started to turn a lovely golden colour and there were leaves all over the grass. The clocks also went back today which makes it feel even more wintery, as it's completely dark outside as I type this.

I love summer but I think I might enjoy the colder months even more because it means you can wear more of your wardrobe all in one go. Today wasn't particularly cold but it was extremely windy as apparently there's going to be a storm tonight, so I'm glad I decided to wear this cosy scarf which is from H&M. The coat used to be my mum's (originally from M&S) but she very kindly gave it to me when I went home last week so I've really been enjoying wearing that this week. Another thing I love about Autumn is wearing Boots. The ones I wore today are from Primark which have a small heel and buckles down the side. I can definitely see myself getting a lot of wear out of them in the next couple of months.

Are you happy that Autumn is here?

Fortnight In Photos #12

I used to write this post every other Sunday, but I think it's been a month since the last one now. That's because I haven't been posting as many photos on Instagram and that's probably because I haven't been doing a lot, other than working. I've been keeping pretty busy in the evenings and weekends for the past two weeks though so here are some photos from those days...

First time on a Boris Bike in Hyde Park, Frozen Yoghurt for dinner, Sunday brunch, pretty evening sky.

Wrapped up warm, two portions of pasta at Prezzo, visiting Biggie this weekend, trip to the lovely Swanage. 

Instagram @hannahcelder 

Bouquet On A Budget

There's something about flowers that can really brighten up your day. Only thing is, sometimes it's quite a lot of money to spend on something that will only last for a few days. I love having flowers of some sort in the flat so will probably get some artificial ones eventually, if I can find any that look realistic enough. If you can recommend a place to get them please let me know!

 For now, I've been popping into Sainsbury's once a week and picking up a £2 bunch of Gladioli (or Gladiolus, not sure which one is plural). They usually have a good selection of colours to choose from and last week I went for these beautiful pink and white ones. I guess you can't really call this a bouquet as it consists of just the Gladioli, so I like to liven them up a bit by displaying the flowers in interesting ways. 

In my bedroom I use this glass bottle which once contained sparkling water and in the lounge I use my IKEA jar as a vase, which was also only £2. Recently, I've been using picture frames as trays and have stolen Ben's film print as a base for the flowers. I told him that it's only until we can find somewhere to hang the picture, but I quite like the way it looks at the moment. 

I've Fallen In Love...With a Body Mist

It's happened. I've found a scent and fallen in love with it.

A couple of weeks ago I went to Oxford Street and it suddenly occurred to me that & Other Stories had opened on Regent Street a few months ago. I decided to have a nose around as I'd heard pretty good things about their beauty section. The shop itself is lovely and I really like the way everything is laid out on tables as well as racks, with a white metal stair case in the centre of the shop. It just has a really nice vibe to it. 

The beauty section is at the back of the shop. There is a mix of own products as well as some branded ones like Dr. Bronner and Eyeko. I was instantly drawn to the packaging of their own beauty products. I know it's a bit silly to like something just because it has nice packaging. I don't know about you, but  in my case it's a fairly important selling factor.

I started trying out a few different body mists and body lotions, not expecting to find anything special. This was until I picked up one called Equatorial Dreams. Have you ever smelt something and been instantly drawn to it? Like it's all of your favourite things in one scent? Well, that's what happened when I tried this. The description on the bottle is "Tropical orchids in a golden amber haze". It definitely has a tropical element to it and is a pretty sweet scent but seems to have more of a fresh, cottony smell to it than you'd expect. It's actually a really difficult scent to try and describe as I'm not sure I've ever smelt anything like it before. But let me tell you, this stuff lasts a good few hours, which is a massive selling point for me. I don't own many body sprays and usually go for perfumes because body sprays just seem to wear off straight away, but this one is quite heavily perfumed. They also have a body lotion in this scent and I'm very tempted to go back and get it as they would be lovely to layer together. 

The only downside is that this costs £12 which in my opinion is pretty expensive for a 'Body Mist'. However, when you combine the quality of the packaging, the actual product and the amazing scent you can just about justify the price. 

Have you tried anything from & Other Stories?

Autumn Accessories | Rings

I go through phases where I'll cover my fingers in rings and where two necklaces at a time then suddenly I'll go weeks without wearing a single piece of jewellery. At the moment I'm in the mood to accessorise and have had my eye on a few different (very affordable) pieces so picked them up when I was in town yesterday. 

The first lot are these three midi rings from Primark which were an amazing £1.50. They are not the best quality to be honest and the infinity ring has chipped already, but I'm not complaining seeing as you get three rings for under £2. They are also available in gold, but they were pretty much sold out and only had M and L left. I'm usually an M but these rings are made so large that a S was the only size that stayed above my knuckle, so I'd suggest picking them up in a size smaller. 

Next is this multi pack from H&M. They are also available in gold but there was something about the silver pack that really stood out to me. They are so pretty and have a rough surface that almost makes them look sparkly. I thought they looked really unique and there are twelve in a pack which makes them great for stacking and wearing on different fingers. Good old H&M are brilliant for sets like this and twelve rings for £3.99 isn't bad either!

Do you like to wear a lot of jewellery? What's your favourite thing to wear at the moment?

Highlights At Home | L'Oreal Kit

I went home last weekend to visit my family and my best friend (and my cat). I had decided that it was definitely time to get a hair cut. My hair had grown quite a bit but was in such bad condition that it had seemed to...stop growing. I booked an appointment with a hairdresser who had been recommended to me back home and decided to just go for it and get quite a lot off of the length. I'm so pleased with how it turned out and will definitely go back there next time. 

Seeing as I'd had quite a bit off the length the lighter bits of my hair weren't as prominent any more. This is when I decided that I was going to try and do something about this...at home! Why go and pay £70 plus when you can spend a fiver on a kit and do it in the comfort of your own home right? (That's what I told myself, hoping that I was right).

When I was about thirteen my mum helped me put highlights in my hair at home and it went horribly wrong. We used a kit that came with a little odd shaped applicator and I ended up looking like a leopard. So this time I decided to go with a kit that comes with a brush. I'll be honest, I was terrified. Especially as I was letting my mum do it. Neither of us have had ANY hairdressing experience. I watched a few tutorials online to get ideas about the best way to get more natural looking highlights and we eventually decided to just go for it. As soon as my mum started applying the product, mostly concentrating on the underneath and not taking it all the way to the roots (that's where we had the problem before) I began to trust her. The kit came with a cap but we decided to just apply the product randomly with the brush, taking different sized pieces of hair. She started by applying it half way up the bit of hair, putting more on the ends and then brushing the rest towards the roots.

We decided not to leave it on for too long so I washed it off after 20 minutes as I was trying to go for a more 'natural' effect. I'm actually really pleased with the result! No patches and most importantly no copper tones. I'm really tempted to apply a few more highlights in a few weeks time being a bit more brave, making them go all the way from the roots. If I do then I'll definitely use this L'Oreal kit again. It was incredibly easy to use and so affordable. 

Have you highlighted your hair at home? What was your experience like?

Fortnight in Photos #11

I guess I haven't been sticking to the schedule where I said I would post on here every Wednesday and then one day of the weekend...sorry! It's because I STILL don't have proper internet at my new place (BT have been an absolute nightmare and it's actually getting a bit ridiculous now). I think for the moment I'll stick to one post a week, which will be up on a Saturday or a Sunday until everything gets back to normal. That way I can concentrate on talking about something interesting (hopefully) instead of always updating you with Instagram photos. I came home and stayed with my parents this weekend. It was so lovely to see them and also have a chance to catch up with my best friend and my cousin. My bedroom (which is my favourite place in the world) didn't really feel like it was mine anymore, even though lots of my things are still there. I can't figure out whether that's a good thing or not. I guess it is because it means that I'm comfortable with my bedroom in the new place? Has anyone else found that after moving out?

Stain glass window (perk of living in a converted church), Five Guys for the first time, cosy evening, another costing evening spent watching Fantastic mr Fox, lovely display in the Anthropologie window, my friend got a tiny new kitten called Audrey!

Oops...not quite, chilling out on a Saturday night last week, Mr Bigs...got in a fight and the cut adove his eye just makes him look shocked all the time, Biggie feeling sorry for himself, my best friend made this for my boyfriend and I as a house warming gift (I LOVE it), went for a new hairstyle and got quite a lot of my hair chopped off.

Instagram @hannahcelder 

Green & Black | What I Wore

Top-H&M

Jacket- Urban Outfitters

Jeggings- GAP

Boots- Jones

Bag- Cambridge Satchel

Watch- Nixon (Time Teller P)

Necklace- Tatty Devine

I ventured out of the flat today to explore the area I moved to recently. I came across my local Primark (which is huge and not good for my bank balance) so I feel like today was pretty productive. I was expecting it to be really cold out today, but it ended up being surprisingly warm so I'm glad I wasn't wearing a thick coat. I got the jacket from Urban Outfitters a while ago and it was just right for today's strange weather. I always seem to get most wear out of it in Autumn and Spring. I wore a tunic from H&M but tucked the front into my trousers because it pretty much looks like a dress otherwise. The full on Winter boots have come out of storage this week and are so comfy for walking around town. They will be perfect for when the weather turns a bit colder.

What have you been up to today?

All Used Up #2

Long time no speak! I'm all moved in, so things should return to normal now. I took these photos a couple of weeks ago when the weather was still lovely in the UK. It's sunny today but it's turned really bitter outside (definitely coat weather) already and I'm stuck in the house with a pretty bad cold...It really is starting to feel like winter. It's a good job the products that I've used up are everyday essentials that can be used all year round. 

So I've done it again...I've actually managed to use up a few products instead of forgetting about them, hiding them away in a cupboard when they are still half full. 

I usually have a few different body moisturisers on the go but recently I've been trying to use up a whole tub before moving onto the next one. I got this nspa Shea Butter Body Butter from Asda a while ago and remember it being extremely cheap. I also remember being extremely surprised when I first used it because the quality is so good for the price. It has a nice, thick consistency and is not greasy at all. The smell is lovely and kind of reminds me of the smell of a packet of mini eggs (strange thing to compare it to I know).

I originally never intended to purchase this product. I looking for the Effaclar Duo but it was sold out in all of my local Boots. They had an offer on at the time where you could get two La Roche- Posay products for £15 and I wanted to try the Effaclar Mat (which I recently repurchased because it's so brilliant) facial moisturiser so took advantage of the deal by picking up this little beauty as well. 
It's supposed to target imperfections and stop breakouts from developing. I used this every time I had a blemish until it disappeared and did notice a difference. I still suffer from scarring occasionally but this product is perfect for me and would be for you if you seem to get one or two spots at a time. 

I've been a big fan of the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Frizz Remedy since I was a teenager. It leaves your hair smelling so clean and is one of those scents that reappears every time you move your hair throughout the day. I love having a product like this at hand to give my hair that extra bit of care a couple of times a week and will definitely be repurchasing it.

The Tigi Bed Head Control Freak is a serum that I've had for a while and had completely forgotten about. I'm so glad that I did find it hiding in my room because I've been using it recently and think I'll have to repurchase it. The serum itself smells a bit plasticy and almost like grapes (in a good way) and has little tiny bits of glitter in it which actually disappear when you work it into your hair. I apply this to the ends of my hair when it's wet and it helps keep my hair feeling smoother and flatter (no idea why but I'm obsessed with keeping buy hair flat).

This stuff is amazing. Smells like pear (childhood), costs about £1.99 and really helps get those knots out of your hair. That's pretty much it, this product is just a great all round.

Bigs came to join me...he's so nosy!

It's not often that I find products that I would repurchase so I feel like today's post has been pretty sucessful. Let me know which ones you have tried and whether you agree with me!

See You in A Bit!

House Drawing: Google Images 

I don't want to disappear for a couple of weeks without an explanation so this is just a quick post to explain why you might not see anything on here for a bit (I'm not sure how long it will be yet).

I'm moving into a new flat at the weekend and we aren't sure when the internet is being installed! As well as the internet issue I'm still settling in to my new job and will be unpacking for the next few days after the move so I've decided to just go a little bit quiet until the internet is installed. I hope that's ok! It's not particularly exciting news, I just wanted to let you know.

P.S My new flat looks nothing like the one in the drawing above, I thought the drawing was was cute and reminded me of a dollhouse I used to have.

See you soon!

Fortnight in Photos #10

This post is going up slightly early but here's what I've been up to for the past two weeks...

Went home for the the bank holiday weekend and got a bit crafty, the finished product, grumpy Mr Bigs, beautiful ceiling at a random Thai restaurant, picnic time, view from the train on a Friday evening.

Twister lipbalm- smells and tastes nothing like a Twister lolly though! Cute Jams from France, pamper evening, drinks in the lovely weather after work, Bigs chilling in what can't be a comfortable position, eating lunch by the lake at work.

Instagram @hannahcelder 

Hair Care

Lined up on the shelf are all of the products that I love to use when washing or styling my hair. Apart from this brand of hairspray which is a fairly recent  addition and the shampoo and conditioner, which I change every time they run out I've been using all of these products for a long time and have been so happy with the way they work on my hair.

So lets start with the products that I use first...shampoo and conditioner. Like I said, when these run out I will usually replace them with a different brand each time (whatever is on offer really). I received the Organix Macadamia Oil shampoo and conditioner for my birthday in June and have been using them for the past month or so. When I first started using them I loved the way that they made my hair feel shiny and soft. But after using them for a while I noticed that they were actually making my hair quite greasy so I have switched to Tresemmé for the time being. Has anyone else tried the Organix Macadamia Oil products? I'd love to hear what your thoughts are as I'm so undecided about them. I also have the actual hair oil which I've tried a couple of times and really liked, so maybe it's just the shampoo and conditioner.
If I'm not washing my hair then I'll use a dry shampoo. The best one that I've used is by VO5...to be honest VO5 is my go to brand because I've loved everything I've ever tried from them. I use the 'Refresh Me Quick' one and love the sweet smell it has. 

After washing my hair I love to use a de-tangler and believe it or not my favourite ones are from  Superdrug and L'Oreal for kids. They smell like pear...how cool is that?! Only a kids hair product would smell like pear, have a picture of a sheep on the front or be in a bottle shaped like some sort of animal. Is it just me or does that make the product even more exciting? Until recently I was using the Superdrug's own one but when I ran out I switched to the L'Oreal Kids Tangle Tamer. They both do a great job and only cost between £1.50 and £3.00.

I always use some sort of oil on the ends of my hair because it's so dry and brittle. I've been loving the Organix Weightless Moroccan Argan Oil. It smells absolutely amazing and leaves my hair feeling lovely and soft.

When I style my hair with heat I always use a heat protector. The one that I've been using for about two years now is the VO5 Heat Protect Style Spray. If I'm honest all heat sprays seem to do the same thing, I just like smell and very reasonable price of the VO5 one which makes it a winner for me. I don't really see the point in spending a lot of money on a heat protector, unless it does a few different things to your hair.

My hair gets so frizzy all year round so I love using the Trevor Sorbie Humidity Control Spray. When I first started using it I definitely noticed a different but I think that now I've been using it for a while it's starting to have less of an effect on my hair. I do still use it though, probably because it gives me peace of mind...and I'm determined to use up the bottle before starting another one!

I will lastly, always apply some hair spray. I had been using a mini James Brown one but heard such good things about the Fudge Iced raspberry and Vanilla Hair Spray that when I saw it on offer in Superdrug I snapped it up straight away. I like it because it smells good, helps fight the frizz and isn't sticky at all. But I'm not sure if I will repurchase it when it runs out as I'm still looking for that perfect hairspray. Can anyone recommend any amazing ones?

What products do you use on your hair? Can you recommend any that help fight the frizz?

What's in my Make up Bag?

I'm so nosy and love seeing what other people have in their make up bags, so here's a peek at all of the products (I know it looks like a lot) that I like to take with me if I'm going away for the weekend. These are products that I enjoy using on a regular basis to create an everyday make up look and I was visiting Ben the weekend I took this lot with me so thought it would be the perfect opportunity to put this post together. 

Starting with face products, my favourite foundation is the Bourjois Healthy Mix. I love everything about it, the way I can apply it so easily with a Real Techniques Buffing Brush, the way the shade is such a good match to my skin and the great amount of coverage that it gives. For concealer I use either Rimmel Wake Me Up (I'm also a big fan of the foundation) or the Maybelline Dream Touch Lumi. Both of these are great highlighters for using under your eyes. I also take my Revlon Nearly Naked powder with me, although I haven't really been using powder recently. There's also a Soap and Glory pen liner that I used to create a winged effect.

I'll usually take one or two of my favourite lipsticks of the moment. I've really been enjoying using the Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in shade 03.

My go to bronzer is the Bourjois Delice de Poudre, but I am looking for another one to try so if anyone can recommend a good bronzer that would be great! I use the MUA Pro-Brow kit every day to fill in my eyebrows and the white coloured powder from the Collection Shimmer Shades to highlight my cheekbones. A blush I've really been enjoying recently is a  No7 Powder in Cool Pink. It's such a pretty, rosy pink with the tiniest bit of shimmer.
I probably mention the Maybelline Colour Tattoos way too often, but I just love them...a lot. I usually wear the shade Pink Gold with some shades from the Urban Decay Naked Palette.

As for brushes, I've really been enjoying using the Real Techniques Core Collection. I also have a couple of trusty elf brushes, which aren't amazing but do the job nicely and a DirtyWorks brush for my eyebrows which I picked up in Sainsbury's. I probably could get away with taking less brushes and would if I was just packing up my make up bag for the day, but it's nice to have the choice if you are away for a weekend or longer.
As well as using the MUA Pro-Brow kit I also like to use the Rimmel brow pencil in 002 Hazel, which I will either use alone or with a powder. I highly recommend this, it's great if you are doing your make up in a hurry.

I change my mascara a lot but have been using this travel size Benefit Bad Gal Lash recently...I'd forgotten how brilliant this mascara is. I also have my much loved MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study which I would say is my holy grail product. It's brilliant and I often use it over an eye primer before I apply powder or cream eyeshadow. Last but not least is an eye crayon from Topshop in the shade Equinox, which I purchased a while ago. It's a beautiful gold and I like to use it in the inner corners of my eyes to make them look a bit brighter. 

So there you have it, that is everything in my make up bag. I know it looks like a lot but I really do use every single product if I'm applying a full face of make up. I feel like all of the things I take are really versatile and can be worn throughout the day but also used to create a different look in the evening.

What's always in your make up bag?

Fortnight in Photos #9

Souvenirs, cat highlighters from Paperchase, daily update of my cat from my dad, swing ball on a Sunday morning, new desk buddy, came home to my crazy cat this weekend. 

I've spent the last two weeks settling into my new job and looking for somewhere permanent to live. I finally feel like a real adult and spent half the time embracing this amazing opportunity but the other half has been spent feeling pretty stressed. I have come for a couple of days to spend the Bank Holiday weekend with Ben, my cat and some friends from home which has been really lovely. 


Instagram @hannahcelder 


What have you guys been up to recently?