Winter Nail Polish Favourites #1

After deciding I want to get back into blogging again, I thought I'd start with a little series of posts on what I love most... Nail polish! Over the next few weeks I'll post pictures of my favourite nail polishes for winter, including brands such as Barry M, Nails Inc and Essie.

First up is Barry M's Gelly polish in Mustard. I was desperate to get this polish as soon as it came out and it didn't disappoint! Sometimes I feel like Barry M's new season polishes can be very similar to older colours which have just been slightly revamped but I love how different this shade is!

Have you tried this polish? What is your favourite nail polish for winter?

Laura x

Life Update: Uni Life, New Hair and Weight Loss | PatternedAndPolished

I haven't posted in a long time now because I've been so busy with uni and making plans for my future so I thought I'd post a little update on what I've been up to, and I'm going to try and post a few times a month from now on too.

So I'm now in my final year as a History student at university and I'm on track to get a First class degree which I'm so pleased with! There is so much reading to do for third year but it will be so worth it in the end.

I'm really looking forward to Christmas and I finally finished my Christmas shopping last weekend so I have a ton of wrapping ahead of me!

Another big change since I last blogged is that I cut my hair off; I did it in two stages because I was so nervous to cut my super long hair off but I did it and I'm so glad I did!

I also continued my weight loss that I'd previously blogged about and altogether I've now lost 20lbs since March which I am so proud of! These pictures are the best 'before and after' examples I can find, although I've lost another 5lbs since the second photo.

Hope you enjoyed this little update and I'll try and keep this a more regular thing!

Patterned Polish of the Week #4

So after a week away 'Patterned Polish of the Week' is back and in my opinion, better than ever (although I am biased!) with more of a classic, occasion nail look this week; a french manicure with a twist.

I haven't done a french manicure on my nails for soooo long so when I came to dig out a french polish set, I found myself a difficult challenge. I was so set on this design that I had to make do with what I'd got. So in the end I found an Avon Nail Experts French Manicure Set of which the nudey pink colour was still the right consistency, and used Barry M Nail Paint in White for the tips which worked surprisingly well! For the super glossy finish I used my all time FAVOURITE top coat which is made my Color Club.

So here is the french manicure which provides the foundation for this week's 'Patterned Polish'. I have to say I'm pretty pleased with it to say I haven't done it for so long, I'd go as far as saying it look pretty professional! Once again I'm pretty biased though!

Then comes the nail stamping! This week I wanted something pretty and subtle to maintain the classy look of a french manicure, but at the same time make it look special and unique. Therefore I chose a simple flower design from the Konad M20 Stamping Plate.

And here is the outcome! I have to say I love it and once I've purchased a new french manicure kit I'll be doing it again!

So what do you think of this weeks 'Patterned Polish of the Week'? Do you have a french manicure polish kit that you can recommend?

 

BOOK REVIEW | Gone Girl

So a few weeks ago I wrote a 'Mid-Book Review' because I was enjoying the book 'Gone Girl' that much that I decided to write a review whilst still half way through as I just couldn't wait to share how I was feeling about it! Therefore, I'm not going to go too much into detail about the plot etc because you can find that here. I'll also start by saying that this post will contain spoilers, not substantial ones but I really want to give my opinion of the ending. If you want to know nothing of the plot before reading, I'll give you a warning as to when to stop reading this post if you haven't read the book yet!

So as I wrote in the mid-book review, Gone Girl is a book absolutely full of twists and turns! I previously wrote 'I really have no idea how this is going to end, when you think you've figured it out something happens which changes my thinking entirely!' and in the second half of the book that is exactly what happened. There is absolutely no way that you can tell how this book is going to end, as the twists continue to take place it makes it almost impossible to put the book down as you just want to know what is going to happen next!

It's one of those books that you just want to tell all your friends about the twists because they're that good! I persuaded my sister to read the book just so I'd have someone to talk about it to!

It's almost time for the spoilers so for those of you who plan to stop reading now, I would definitely recommend this book to you. If you like thrillers, and even if you normally don't, this book will have you gripped from start to end and you should get yourself a copy to immerse yourself in before summer is over!

SPOILER ALERT TIME!

Whereas I massively enjoyed the book as a whole, I have to say I was really disappointed by the ending. And from what I gather, this feeling is generally shared by many who have read the book. Gone Girl is so addictive, page after page after page, but I feel like the ending was unrealistic and gave no closure to the book. It was one of those endings where you turn the page expecting there to be more but there wasn't... The book had been SO good all the way through and it had so much more potential for a better ending instead of what I felt was a huge anti-climax. I've read that the film out later this year might have a different ending, I don't know whether this is true but if it is I really hope it gives the story an ending it deserves.

I'm currently half way through my next book 'Me and Mr Darcy' which my boyfriend's mum recommended and lent me. So far I'm really enjoying it and a review will be up once I've finished it! Then I plan to finish my summer by reading the Divergent book series, I loved the film so bought the books! 

So, book review wise, there's something for everyone over the next couple of months!

What did you think to Gone Girl? What has your favourite book been recently?

Patterned Polish of the Week #3

So this week has been a really busy one for me, having had a week spending time with family I haven't had much time at all to dedicate to my blog! Therefore tonight's post won't be as detailed as usual but if you're interested in the methods I use, look back at my previous posts. Tonight I'm back with my Friday feature, Patterned Polish of the Week, and this week may just be my favourite yet!

So this week I reached for a more summery colour which was Barry M's Peach Melba. 

Then using Konad M64 Image Plate and Konad Special Polish in Black I created this design!

I hope you like this week's Patterned Polish of the Week! 

Normal service and regular posts will return next week here at Patterned and Polished :)

June Favourites!

So although a little late, I've finally got round to sharing with you my favourite products of June!






First up is a particular scent I've been loving and using in a variety of different ways. That is the Body Shop's Japanese Cherry Blossom products in the Body Butter, Eau de Toilette and Body Mist. I've had these stashed in my wardrobe for quite a while but had completely forgotten about them until I was clearing my room out the other day! White Musk aside, Japanese Cherry Blossom is definitely my favourite scent from the Body Shop and I've been loving using all products at once as I feel they just smell really summery and light - especially when the British summertime isn't quite living up to the definition of summer so I can get that summertime feeling whilst staying inside the house too! Saying that, today is a good day and I'm writing this post on my iPad in the warm sunshine in my garden! Fingers crossed the sun is here to stay for a while!







Next up is my favourite moisturisers of the month. My favourite facial moisturiser is the Neutrogena Visably Clear Oil-Free Moisturiser and for my body Clinique Turnaround Body Smoothing Cream. You may have seen in one of my previous posts that i suffer from keratosis pilaris, or tiny pimples, mainly on the backs of my arms but also around my jawline and slightly onto my face. I've found that although they haven't completely cleared the condition up, they have both helped massively to clear up the redness and lessen the amount of tiny pimples on my arms and face. Even if you don't suffer from keratosis pilaris, I would still hugely recommend both the two products. Both leave your skin so soft and super hydrated! 












I have one standout make up product this month and that is the Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Elusive. After wanting one for ages, I've FINALLY got round to purchasing a Revlon balm. The matte balm I picked up is so pigmented and is really opaque after just one coat. I love the colour Elusive for both day and night time wear, it's a noticeable pink colour which isn't too bright or in your face and I'd say would be suited to many skin tones! 








A more random product I was loving last month is the Colgate Max White One Optic toothpaste. I'm always looking for ways to brighten my teeth and decided to give this a try when I found it for half price in Tescos last month. Although whitening toothpastes are not miracle workers and there is only so much whitening they can do, I've definitely noticed a difference. This Optic version promised to give a brighter smile after just one use and it certainly does, leaving teeth super shiny and clean for the day after brushing! 










The final thing I've been loving in June is a TV programme. Something I've been absolutely consumed by this month is Orange is the New Black. I've heard so much about this programme over the last year or so but never really knew too much about its premise and never had the time to watch it when I was still studying at uni. Once I broke up for summer I decided to get my monies worth out of Netflix and give it a watch... I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED. From the very first episode I've been hooked, it's like nothing else on tv at the moment and I cannot recommend it enough. I've just watched the last episode this weekend and I really don't know what I'm going to do with my life now that I have to wait until next year for the next season. I could go on all day about this AMAZING show but I'll just say that I recommend it to you so so much if you haven't already watched it!







So that's it, my first ever favourite's post for the month of June!











What were your June favourites?

Patterned Polish of the Week #2

It's Friday and therefore it's that time of week again! But what patterned polish have I settled on this week?

Well for starters, this week I chose the colour Cobalt Blue from Maxfactor's Glossfinity range. And I chose this colour for no reason other than I absolutely love it! 

But which pattern did I decide to stamp it with from from Konad M83?

This especially pretty pattern!

I feel like it looks really classy and intricate but is so easy to just stamp on!

As usual, I stamped using Konad Special Stamping Polish in White.

Hope you liked this weeks patterned polish! Come back next Friday for my next design!

First Impressions: L'Oreal Elvive Fibrology Shampoo and Conditioner

The L'Oreal Elvive Fibrology Shampoo and Conditioner has been much written about over the last couple of months and so after reading both the hype and disappointment people were experiencing, I decided purchase the shampoo and conditioner to make my my up for myself.

I have long hair, which whether I blowdry or airdry, is naturally very straight and flat. I've tried many volumising products in the past to try and give my hair thickness and bounce and although my current routine is working (post on this coming soon), I couldn't resist trying out L'Oreal's new offering.

Unlike normal volumising products, L'Oreal Elvive Fibrology products claim to thicken individual strands of hair, which in turn creates volume and thickens the hair wash after wash. L'Oreal write that this is all possible through a revolution in haircare with the creation of filloxane, which is 'a patented ingredient proven to penetrate the fibre and expand hair from within.'

So does it actually work? After the first wash using the shampoo and conditioner, my hair feels slightly thicker and definitely looks more voluminous. Another bonus is both the shampoo and conditioner smell really nice and after the first wash have left my hair feeling smooth and soft.

On the whole, nothing drastic as of yet but after the first wash things are looking promising!  A criticism I've read is that after multiple washes the products can leave your hair feeling pretty dry and looking dull, whether or not this will happen with me I don't know, but a full review will be posted after I've used this product for a good few washes and I'll let you know what I think!

Have you used any of the L'Oreal Elvive Fibrology products? What did you think?

The L'Oreal Fibrology Shampoo and Conditioner are currently half price at £2 each for 400ml sized bottles in Sainsburys.

Patterned Polish of the Week! | #1

Taking inspiration from my blog's name, 'Patterned Polish of the Week' is my new weekly segment which showcases my love of nail stamping and each week's chosen design! I got into nail stamping around a year ago and surprised at how easy it was, and how good nail art created with stamping looked, I quickly became addicted.

So for this week, and the very first 'Patterned Polish of the Week', which nail stamping design from Konad M63 did I choose...??

It's the Dogtooth pattern!

At first I considered stamping a traditional black and white but as I wanted to keep my nails pretty summery, I decided to go for something for a little different!

So here's what I came up with!

Classic dogtooth nails with a summery twist!

The base was created using Barry M Nail Paint in Turquoise. I had a tidy/clear out of my ever expanding nail polish collection yesterday and came across this polish which I haven't used in so long and had pretty much forgotten about! It's such a lovely colour for summer!

For the stamped dogtooth designed, I used both the Konad M63 Stamping Plate and Konad Special Stamping Polish in White. 

I think the colours really complement each other and give a perfect twist on classic dogtooth print!

As you can see from the close up of this design, the stamp didn't transfer perfectly in some places but overall I'm really pleased with the results!

Do you like the idea of me posting a weekly 'Patterned Polish of the Week'? Have you ever tried nail stamping? What do you think of the twist on the classic black and white dogtooth print?

My Weight Loss Journey! 11lbs Down and My Easy Tips!

Around 3 months ago I got to the point where I’d began to get uncomfortable with my weight and decided it was time to change. I’d attempted to ‘diet’ a few times over the last couple of years and within around a month I’d always end up back where I’d started and giving up.

But this time was different and as of today I’ve lost 11lbs so I thought I would share my story so far with you seeing as, at least for me, this time my efforts have worked! I wouldn’t normally share specific details about my weight loss but today’s achievement puts why I’m writing into context. I decided to begin to lose weight when I tipped the scales at 10st 10lbs (150lbs) . I think it’s important to state I’m 5 foot 5 inches and whereas I don’t think I’ve been officially ‘overweight’, I was unhappy with my body hence the decision to change my eating and exercise patterns. I’m writing this post today as I achieved my first big goal and weighed in today at under 10st! Now I’m 9st 13lbs (139lbs) and seeing that number on the scales has definitely given me motivation to keep going!

So now I’ll go into how I got there. First I just want to say, although this worked for me, it might not work for you, I haven’t followed a diet plan or used Weight Watchers etc, I’ve just done this my own way. But seeing as this is the first time I’ve lost so much weight whilst actually intending to, I thought I could share my tips and tricks and who knows, they might work for you too!

1. Cut Down Portions

     The main thing I’ve done which I believe has contributed to my weight loss is cutting down portion sizes. I LOVE food and I could never ‘eat clean’ or cut out certain food groups to lose weight. That definitely does not work for me. So for my main meal on an evening especially, our meals consist of a lot of veg as sides anyway so generally I can still have an average sized portion.  But as l live at home and eat with the rest of my family, if the meal happens to be something with higher calorie content, I’ll just have a slightly smaller portion than I would have used to have. And that’s it! Easy peasy,right?

2. Boredom Snacking is BAD

I’ve realised that the main reason that I snack is because I’m bored. Whether it’s whilst doing uni work in the afternoon or watching TV on an evening, I find crisps or chocolate find their way into my stomach so easily! So now I think very carefully whether or not I’m hungry or bored. If I’m hungry I try to snack healthily, on foods like fruit or nuts. But hungry or bored aren’t the only two options, you could be thirsty. A lot of the time when you think you’re hungry, you’re actually thirsty! I found a great tip is to drink a glass of water when you feel hungry, and if you’re still hungry then have a snack, if not, you were just dehydrated!

Which leads me onto my next tip nicely!

3. Drink Water!

It’s a tip you’ll hear again and again but it’s SO important! I try to drink a pint (around 500ml) of water with every meal and then lots of water in between meals too! It will help with weight loss and improve your skin and hair too!

4. Green Tea with Breakfast!

There are varying reports as to the benefits of green tea, with many experts believing it speeds your metabolism. This is yet to be confirmed, but I thought I’d try it anyway! I drink Twinings Green Tea and I was surprised that it doesn’t taste too dissimilar to normal tea! I’m not sure how much difference it’s making but the benefits of green tea besides those for weight loss are enough for me to keep drinking it anyway! I have a glass with my breakfast everyday.

5. EXERCISE!

Exercise isn’t something which is crucial to weight loss but it will speed up the process! Personally, for the first 6 weeks I did Vicky Pattison’s 7 Day Slim which is great if you have a busy lifestyle as it only takes 10 minutes a day! I think during this time I lost around 6lbs. Following this time I had university exams and found myself needing all the time I could get for revision but continued to lose weight through eating healthier. I’ve not actively exercised eg. cardio since this time, but I have done slower paced things such as walk my boyfriends dogs. BUT I still lost another 5 lbs in this time, so exercise is not crucial. Hitting under 10st today has made me decide to start exercising again, and tonight I did 5km on my exercise bike and I now plan to keep this up! So what this section is trying to tell you is, exercise is not crucial, but if you have time, even 10 minutes a day is good, as it will aid weight loss and make you feel healthier!

6. IT’S TRUE! A Little Bit of What You Fancy Does You Good!

Everything in moderation is key. I’ll use my own experiences to explain what I mean here. I started my weight loss just before Easter, and before I knew it I’d accumulated 4 Easter eggs from friends and family! To begin with I kept them in their boxes and as it turned out during this time I hadn’t lost much weight. But when eating a bit of egg in moderation on an evening for example, I found the weight started falling off. I think that sometimes you can deprive yourself too much and I’ve found if you fancy some chocolate, then have some, but in moderation!

7. Find What Works for YOU

It’s taken me a while but I now have a meal plan/pattern that I stick to pretty much every day. I’ll start by saying I barely ever drink anything but water, its good for you and free of calories!

My breakfast generally consists of:

- A slice of wholemeal toast and thinly spread Nutella

- A cereal bar such as Jordan’s Frusli in Juicy Blueberry

This is always with a glass of green tea and a pint of water. My breakfast is generally low in calories, I’m not hungry in the morning and years ago I would never even have breakfast, so this works for me!

An average lunch would be:

- Wholemeal pitta filled with half a can of tuna and low fat mayonnaise

- A low fat yogurt

- Low calorie snack bags/crisps such as Morrisons Nume Baked Salted Pretzels

Evening meals are the only things that differ but will generally be things like:

- Fish with vegetables such as broccoli and potatos

- Spaghetti bolognaise (but in a smaller portion)

- Nando’s style chicken with homemade sweet potato wedges

I will have snacks in between meals if I’m hungry such as fruit or wholegrain crackers.

This meal plan may not be for everyone and I’m no expert in dieting but this is working for me so thought I would include it to give you an idea of how I have lost weight! I hope you’ve enjoyed my story and hope my tips can help you if you’re trying to lose weight too! 

Unfortunately I don't have any full length photos of myself to show the before and after shots but if my journey continues as I'd like it to there will be a follow up post where I'll find a photo from before I began, and a photo of me when I reach my goal.

Do you have any weight loss tips? Are you on, or have you been, on a weight loss journey too?

Flashback Friday! My Prom!

This last Wednesday marked 4 years since my school prom! I can't believe it's already been 4 whole years, it only seems like yesterday I was trying on my dress. I say dress in the singular form because this is the only dress I tried on. After searching the boutique for what seemed like forever, trying to find something I liked, the owner asked if I liked 'princessy dresses' and then brought this from in the back. I fell in love as soon as I saw it! How often do you get to wear a dress like that?! After trying it on I knew it was the one!

So much has changed in the four years that have passed since my prom; I've spent two years at college sitting my A Levels, and following that I was accepted to The University of Hull to take my degree in History. I've just finished my second year so only one more to go! 

Anyway, 4 years later. I'm still with my boyfriend, James! These photos were taken just a couple of weeks after we met! 

I can't believe how young and different we look in these photos! 

Here's a picture of us at the seaside a couple of weeks ago for you to see for yourselves! 

What did you wear for your prom? Would you like more posts like this in future?

Primark and H&M Haul - June 2014

Yesterday saw a shopping trip into Hull for my friend Yasmin's birthday! It was a longggg shopping day which actually ended in a Primark sandwich. What I mean by this is we dashed straight into Primark and bought a few things, went round tonsss more shops in which I was quite disappointed and couldn't find very much I liked, and ended up back in Primark and bought a couple more things! Basically I'm really loving Primark at the moment! So, what did I get...?

Right so first I'll go through the first part of the 'Primark Sandwich.' The first thing I found was these pair of light summer jeans. I've lost a bit of weight recently and my old pair of light jeans are a tad on the baggy side, so at only £10 these were the perfect replacement!

The next thing to find it's way into my basket was this simple patterned cami. I must admit I've been pretty late to purchase a cami but after recently getting my first one I couldn't resist this black and white one; a steal at just £4!

I really love the cute little pattern and I definitely think the cami looks more expensive than it was!

Next up was a trip to the shoe section. After seeing so many sandals on blogs and vlogs I was so excited to have a look around and I wasn't disappointed! I have flat feet so shoe shopping can be quite difficult for me, but after trying on 3 or 4 pairs, I settled for these nude, strappy sandals! Once again, at only £4 they were a bargain! Especially after seeing VERY similar styles in Accessorize for a whopping £35! 

So next up came the 'Sandwich filling' and although I found a couple of good buys, I have to say the likes of New Look, Topshop and Zara were quite disappointing for me. There were some nice pieces but for what I was looking for (summer tops and a maxi skirt) I struggled to find anything which tempted me into parting with my cash.

But something I was particularly happy with was the selection of belts in H&M. Having not been shopping instore for a while, I'd been disappointed with the lack of trouser belts online with the majority of belts being waist belts. But hats off to H&M as they had a nice selection of trouser belts! I picked up the brown belt for £6.99 and the blue belt for just £1.99! I especially love the brown belt which looks especially good quality!

Next is a more random purchase! For the last few months I've been consciously trying to be more healthy and lose a bit of weight. As part of this change I've been drinking green tea with my breakfast everyday and I've been wanting a clear glass mug instead of a normal tea mug to drink it from. I was therefore so happy to find this glass mug in Wilko's for just £1.50! A very simple/random buy, but it made me very happy this morning to drink my daily green tea from it!

Another random purchase was a Jelly Bean Air Freshener in Blueberry for my car. It cost only £1.86 from Sainsbury's but my car smells soooooo good!

So it was at this point that we made a trip back to Primark to complete the final stage of the 'Primark sandwich'. During the first trip I'd found a gorgeous navy and white striped maxi skirt which upon locking myself in the changing room, I realised was a size 16 rather than the size 10 promised on the hanger. At the time I thought it was the only one left but when going back in I found the one I had had was in the wrong place and there was a full row of them with plenty of size 10s! IT WAS FATE; I HAD TO HAVE IT! 

So here it is, the gorgeous navy and white maxi skirt, which rather than being in the long flowy style, is an elongated pencil skirt with knee high slits down the side. This skirt cost only £8, is so flattering on and will be perfect for those days when you want to keep cool but not have your legs out. 

Last but not least, I had been searching all day for a cropped summer cardigan for those days when you just need something to cover your shoulders and the tops of your arms for when the typically British weather gets cool or breezy on a summers day. This peach cardi is perfect to slip on on top of dresses or summer tops and is so soft too! For only £6 I might even have to return for another colour! 

So that's everything! To say I only spent £32 in Primark altogether I'd have to conclude it was a pretty excellent day for bargains! And all that for less that the almost identical £35 sandals in Accessorize!

Do you own any of my purchases? What's your favourite high street store this summer?

Would you like to see more posts like this in the future?