Shopping Haul | End of Summer into Autumn

So who else is trying their hardest to hold onto summer even though we're only a few days away from October? It's pointless really but I even changed into shorts and had an ice cream in the sun that lasted for half an hour the other. I supposed I'm just really bad at letting go of things I love.... which sounds very very sad.

Anyway, I have been shopping a few times in the past month and picked up a few things that I should have bought mid-summer rather than beginning of autumn but, well, what can you do? So here is my end of summer into autumn haul!

First stop, The Body Shop.

I usually only go into The Body Shop if it's for a friend/family member's birthday or Christmas and I have never bought anything for myself in there before, yet there I was 10 minutes after entering the shop buying 2 products.

Fuji Green Tea Exfoliating Soap
Japanese Cherry Blossom Fragrance Mist

This soap is one of my favourite things at the moment. It had a strong but subtle scent of green tea as you could definitely smell it but it was quite gentle, which is something I notice when I buy soap.

I really hate being able to smell something 40 minutes after I wash my hands especially when my hands aren't anywhere near my nose. But with this I can only smell it when I smell my hands and it's a nice smell. Bonus: my hands get dry very easily but since I started using this soap they have not got dry once!

The smell of the fragrance is also a favourite right now. I reckon that if the sky on an early summer sunset had a scent it would be this! It's weird to say this but it smells pretty. I know, it's strange how I would describe it that way but it's true.

Original Fruity Flapjack

Next I popped into Boots to pick up one thing (it turned out to be four things but we'll get to that bit later) and the food section started to scream at me - literally. OK, maybe it didn't but it felt like it was. Anyway, I have tried Graze a few times before online and I love their snacks and I was so glad they sold this because this is a real winner with me.

Vaseline Intensive Care Essential Body Lotion
No 7 Beautiful Skin Hydration Mask for Dry/Very Dry Skin
Baby Lips - Pink Shock

On to the rest of what I got from Boots. A very good body lotion for the dry skin on my arms, legs and feet was needed and Vaseline is notorious for helping dry skin plus this one had a nice scent that was not too powerful.

The No 7 mask was an impulse buy. I had just enough money left to buy it so I did. But I do not regret it! So far it has been really hydrating to my skin and I am going to do a proper review on it at some point.

And finally, a second purchase of Pink Shock. I love Baby Lips, as I have probably mentioned in previous posts, and this colour is perfect. I used to always go back to buy a Baby Lips that I had just finished but I would always get a different shade, but this time I have actually re-bought a colour that I already have.

Aaand last but not least (indeed - these were quite pricey!). I have been wanting some circular sunglasses for well over a year now but I have never been able to find any until I walked into Topshop!

Thankfully there are still days where there's not a cloud in the sky and I can whip these out and look the pinnacle of fashion no matter what I'm wearing. Unfortunately, I think Topshop are no longer selling these particular ones but there are some similar.

Phew! I feel quite puffed out after this post and I certainly did after buying these products. Now I just need a job to get some more money.....

Anyway, until next time goodybye!
- Zin

Thinking out Loud #3

What to know what's going on? Click here.

1. I miss a ToL last week. I wasn't expecting to but the day slowly came to an end as did my motivation so I just told myself that I'll just pick up as soon as I feel like it. Which was last night after my guitar lesson was cancelled. Anyway, enough rambling about events that led to other events!

2. My college starts next week and I want to know if I'm the only one who thinks about upcoming events like starting college solidly all day from the week before? I'm serious! From the moment I stop talking to someone I will think about college. I'm not exactly nervous but rather excited (if I'm honest I don't really understand why I'm excited either) and I think I'm over thinking too much because I'm not really sure what it will be like. I mean I've been off school for like 10 weeks and it's going to be hard changing my routine, you know?

3. I crave feel good songs daily so much that I usually get bored of them quickly from listening to that one song only. Common problem, right? Well, Verbal Jint and Sanchez's song 'Doin' it' is one of those songs so I was super pumped when they released a new song.

I love Sanchez's kind of imitation of Michael Jackson's voice (You are my Fav O RIT-a AC! cident) along with the funky guitar makes this my favourite ;)...

4. I also just want to share with you what I have been baking this week, which was super easy can I just say?

May I present to you home made Jammy Dodgers! I actually haven't had one of those delicious sandwiched biscuits in way too long but these certainly made me want to buy some.... or just make another batch of these. As you can see I slightly over filled them with butter cream and jam so they look proper rustic!

But these really are so simple because you just get an easy plain biscuit recipe (maybe add a drop of vanilla extract but they are just as good without), bake them for less than 10 minutes, prepare store bought butter cream and jam or even better - make it yourself then sandwich together and viola! Simple as simple does.

5. Finally, I realised that once I posted what was in drafts it motivated me to actually post them instead of keeping them hidden for an extra 2 months so I think I will give you another sneaky peek at some pictures that will feature in posts to come.

Stay tuned if you want to know how these pictures are relevant to anything and see you next time!
- Zin

Lifestyle Blog: Where I've Been - Leeds

Where have I been? Leeds! And it was such a beautiful Sunday morning that I think it will be stuck in my mind as one of my most favourite days this year.

A pale blue sky with wispy white clouds as the sun slowly shrank the shadows on the buildings. It was picture perfect, however I came to Leeds with my Dad who does not like to hang around resulting in limited photos of the picturesque scene that surrounded me.

After finding out the art gallery and city museum were both closed at 9:40am on a Sunday morning, we went for breakfast at a Caffe Nero. 

Now let me tell you that this apricot croissant with orange juice was truly bliss. I have recently moved to favouring Caffe Nero out of all of the chain café's (and I'm not going to mention which one it has replaced).

After the city museum trip, we moved to the art gallery which had a Terry Frost exhibition. His art is very hard to describe but the example above will hopefully help you to visualise his other pieces. 

The art work is very much just shapes of paint sometimes featuring other elements such as pencil (e.g the one above). The title of the artwork gives you more of an insight as to why he painted what he did. 

Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the piece above and there was no luck in searching the internet for it but there was a similar piece with a name involving winter. In this case you would be able to tell that the connection to winter is that there white, grey and black colours prominent in winter.

 After all the brain work and walking we went to the gallery cafe, The Titled Hall, for lunch. I absolutely love it in there even though I sometimes suffer from a bit of agoraphobia (fear of large spaces, you may get a bit of an idea from the pictures below if you have never been).

The tiled walls and ceiling is really what I love about the hall that leads to the library because it offers such beauty. The architecture also impressive and offers such a beautiful atmosphere. If I lived in Leeds I would undoubtedly visit this cafe at the drop of a hat.

Afterwards, we walked around some shops but our time was up in Leeds all too quickly so we headed back to catch a train home.

I hope this lifestyle blog has been somewhat interesting as the one I have done and I might do one for my trip for London so watch this space!
- Zin