Primark shopping haul

I bought this lovely lot during one of my London weekends to spend time with Rob, meet up with old school friends and of course shop! I'd heard lovely things about Primark recently so I decided to head to the Oxford Street store early Saturday morning. Now, Oxford Street Primark on a Saturday is usually a place to avoid at all costs if you would like to keep your sanity, however I was just early enough to miss the real mayhem and surprisingly actually enjoyed the process (instead of feeling as if I'd slipped into hell... no kidding). Anyway, I'm soo happy with the items that I got and feel that they're all going to be well and truly loved as Autumn comes round.

So, first off I bought these two lovely pairs of loafers. I'd had my eye on some Office ones very similar to the brown pair for ages but they're so expensive for what they are that I had been seriously put off. Therefore, when I saw these ones I did a li'l dance of joy! Admittedly at £12 they are at the top end of the Primark shoe price range, however they look really good quality and I know that I'm going to be wearing these constantly through the Autumn. There was such a great selection of black flats that I had to spend some time deciding which ones to go for and I'm so happy with these little faux suede ones, especially as they were only £8! I also couldn't help these maroon frilly socks from falling into my basket. Anyone who knows me will know that I'm a bit of a frilly sock enthusiast - I wear them with everything. Oh I can't wait for Autumn to come so I can start getting frilly again!

Red Floral Patterned Shirt: £12

Black Ditsy Floral Shirt: £12

Slouchy Aztec Patterned Cardigan: £12

As soon as I saw this red shirt, I was drawn to it like a magnet! It's such a gorgeous colour and the pattern is so pretty. I know that Primark also does a dress made of the same material which has been flitting around the blogging world but sadly I couldn't find it. Anyhow, I was so happy with this shirt that I wore it the same day that I bought it. Always a good sign! As I have a serious weakness for shirts I also picked up this black floral print one. It did have a very tacky plastic chain attached to the collar, but once I'd whipped that off I had a big smile on my face. I like that Primark are paying more attention to the little details now, such as giving items nice buttons (these little white ones are really cute), as that makes their clothes look, well, less Primark-y I suppose! Finally we come to my favourite item of all; my slouchy Aztec cardie!  This cardigan was a total impulse buy as it's quite different from my usual knitwear, but I luuuurv it. I honestly have hardly taken it off. It's so comfy and just looks great with so many different outfits. Yay for impulse buys!

So there you are. I hope that you like my li'l Primark shop. If you follow my Instagram then you'll know that I've spent the last couple of weeks catching up with friends which has been so lovely, as well as working at the Eastbourne airshow for a bit of cash. I've now only got a couple of days until I start my work experience, eek! I'm not really sure what to expect but I'm buzzing with excitement!

Essie x

Review: Nivea in-shower body moisturiser

£2.56 from Boots

The concept of this product is fantastic. Simply apply in the shower after using your normal shower wash, rinse off, dry yourself down, get dressed and you're all ready to go. Nivea then are promising a product that eliminates those cold, miserable mornings of standing around feeling sticky and uncomfortable whilst waiting for your moisturiser to dry. Err, I'll be having that then please!

Pros:
- It smells soo good.
- Your skin is definitely left feeling silkier.
- I found that it worked quite nicely as a shaving cream.
- The price is good for the size of the bottle.

Cons:
- It does feel quite greasy when in the shower, although not once you've dried off.
- Tougher areas such as knees and elbows aren't really left feeling any different and need an additional moisturiser.
- It just doesn't do the job like a body lotion.

Verdict: 
Although I will definitely be using this product in addition to my body lotion and not as a replacement, I'm still giving it a thumbs up. The reason is that I'm rubbish at moisturising and I know that sadly that's never going to change. Therefore, as this does leave your skin feeling softer it is perfect for those in between days when moisturising is just never going to happen. The hitch is that without using any other body moisturising product my skin has still started to dry out, and so Nivea's promise that there is 'no need to apply an additional body lotion' is simply not true. There may be no need to apply one everyday, but every now and then I will unfortunately still have to go through that uncomfortable, and oh so slightly miserable process of moisturising my body. Shame.

I'd be interested to know whether any of you have tried this product and if so, what you think about it. Also, if anyone has some alternatives to try and soften my dislike for moisturising (and therefore help soften my skin... sorry that was bad...) I would love to hear them!

Essie x

Ways to Wear: Urban Outfitters daisy cropped tee

Daisy Cropped Tee: Urban Outfitters

I'd had my eye on this cropped tee for weeks before I bought it but had been really put off by the price. Normally I get my tees from shops such as H&M, so at £28 I was aware of how much of an absolute bomb of a price it was for a t-shirt. However, after a lot of thinking (and lusting), I decided to blow caution to the wind and treat myself (I tried to justify that my student discount made the price more reasonable... it didn't).

BOY I'm so glad that I did! This top goes with EVERYTHING (...nearly). I've already worn it loads and know that it's going to become one of my 'go to' items. I still think that it's expensive for what it is, but I also think that sometimes it's worth splashing out a bit on an item that you know is always going to be a wardrobe essential and that you can create so many different outfits out of. I really don't think it's going to take me long to get my money's worth! 

So, here are a few ways that I've been wearing my cropped tee recently...

1. Worn over a dress...
Wearing crop tops over dresses is my new favourite thing. It spices up a dress that you may be slightly bored with and can either dress it up or down (depending on the dressiness of your crop top). I've done it here with my Primark bodycon denim dress but it works well with skater dresses too. Tip: If wearing over a skater dress, put a belt around your waist. Although the belt is covered by the tee, it still enhances your waist and gives you a lovely shape :)

2. Worn under a shirt...
Tees are great to wear under open shirts. I'm wearing my Topshop lumberjack shirt here with high waisted denim shorts for a very casual, daytime look. You could also tie the shirt loosely at the front, contrast the patterns and colours or dress it up with a smarter shirt.

3. Worn with a feminine skirt...
I love pairing t-shirts with floral or lacy skirts such as my H&M skirt. Apart from being black, this t-shirt is pretty girly (I mean, it's covered in daisies...) but you could go with something a lot less feminine for a real contrast. This outfit also looks great with tights, Chelsea boots, frilly socks and a denim jacket, so I'll definitely be donning that when Autumn emerges.

4. Worn on those days when you just can't be bothered...
Tired, late, simply can't be arsed - we all have those mornings! Cue cropped tee. Just throw it on a with some jeans (any colour will do) and some comfy shoes (I've gone for my New Look plimsolls here). It takes 30 seconds, there's no need to engage your brain and you've still got a great outfit. Might even have time to get back into bed for a few minutes...

So, I hope you've enjoyed my frantic attempt to convince myself that it is OK to spend £25.20 on a t-shirt! I'd love to hear your favourite ways to wear a cropped tee. I'm thinking about doing more 'ways to wear' posts in the future so please let me know if you've enjoyed this. Plus I just love hearing from you lovely people :)

Essie x