new sixth form clothes

Hello all! Today was my first day back at school and it was pretty easy to be honest - only one lesson and we basically just read an article. But anyway, I mentioned in a previous post that on Sunday I went shopping with my parents to get some new sixth form clothes and thought I would share them all with you. I reckoned the post would be useful for those who are also looking for business/school appropriate clothing or for those who are just interested in clothes!

Would just like to apologise in advance for the photo's! It was my first proper time 'posing' for the camera so they're probably not the best and I seem to be pulling faces in nearly all of them. And they're probably not of the same quality of other 'bigger' bloggers but I hope it shows you the items of clothing okay!

blazer - oasis

This year I was in such bad need of a new blazer. I had two but one of them became so well worn that it had holes pretty much everywhere and the other was getting too small for me. Therefore a blazer was definitely on the shopping list! This one is from Oasis and it's pretty light weight but still feels of great quality. What drew me towards it was the gold zip details on both the sleeves and the pockets. It's not really standard on most blazers so I thought it was a nice touch. The shoulders are slightly padded (best picture to show this is the second) but not so much that it's weird to wear it to school. It's average blazer length (reaches to about my hips) and doesn't have buttons. Not being able to do it up isn't a problem for me as I like to wear my blazers open at school but I understand it may be annoying for others. The inside print of is also quite sweet - it's covered in roman numerals. I can't remember exactly how much this was but it was around the £60/70. Expensive, I know, but I think it'll last me all year so worth the price.

blazer - topshop

Unlike last year, I had so much luck finding new blazers and this is another. This one is from Topshop and I feel is completely different to the Oasis one. The length is far longer (goes past my bum - today, however, i had to be very careful that it didn't cover my skirt completely) and feels much heavier. I like that it is longer as it feels much comfier and more laid back. It also has a baggier feeling, despite it being weightier, which I really like. This blazer does have a button so if you wanted to do it up, that would be possible. On the downside, when I bought the blazer, the supposed 'pockets' weren't open so today had to do my own little make shift job and cut the threads to make them actual pockets.

top - oasis

I decided that this year I was going to be more 'smart' with my outfits instead of wearing plain t-shirts to school and the occasional white baggy shirt. Therefore, when I saw this on the rail, I thought it was the perfect compromise. It's not exactly a business-like, clean-cut shirt and the deer print is slightly casual but the collar adds a bit of smartness to it. The material is just soft cotton and it's nice and light so I don't need to worry about overheating in these muggy days we seem to be receiving (something i suffered with today...). There is an elasticated strip near the bottom of the top but I believe it's supposed to be worn around the waist so that there is a baggy feel overall. Therefore, when worn, the top of the top (nice mouthful there) is baggy and below the elastic, it's more floaty which is cute. The collar is made of a thicker material, kind of like a blazer material, and I don't own any tops with a collar so I like it. When I first saw the top I could have sworn it was navy blue and the collar was black but when I pulled it out of the bag to try on for these photos, it was all black (i don't have a problem by the way...). I wish that there were more patterns to this top as I really like the design - it can be tucked into my skirt or worn with a pair of trousers. 

top - topshop

Another top with a pretty collar! This one is much more sheer than the top from Oasis as you can see from my bra showing through in the pictures. To be honest I don't mind as it warns you guys and it's not like I'm wearing some hideous raggy thing underneath. Also, I wore it to school today and wore a white bra with it and that was much better. The material is not cotton like the other top but I can't put my finger on what it is. It's 'stronger' and not 'stretchy' like cotton if that makes sense (i really hope it does!)? It's shorter in length so if I'm to wear it with trousers I'll have to be careful it doesn't rise up and show more than I want. I did wear it tucked into a skirt today and even then it rose up slightly, bunching a little. Pulling it down quickly fixed that though and I really liked wearing it. But my favourite part of the top is definitely the collar. The little gold studs are really cute and whilst standing out nicely, they're quite subtle. Definitely recommend sizing up, though, if you're thinking of buying the top as it's a little tight round the arms. Again, I really wish it came in other colours but overall, it's a really nice top!

dress - french connecton

This year I hit the jackpot when I finally found a black dress I can wear to school! I saw plenty of other business like dresses but not in black which is what I have to wear. However, when I walked into French Connection, I spotted this instantly and couldn't help but think how perfect it was! When I first looked through the rail I thought that there wasn't my size (i was looking at the wrong number, idiot...) but then my mum double checked and there it was! I'm so glad I got it as it's a really comfy dress and unlike the usual fit that I get. It's longer than my typical dress. Reaching just above my knee (i usually get mid thigh), I thought it would be really unflattering on my already short legs but it's actually alright. I wasn't convinced straight away as I feel it accentuates my hips drastically but my mum fed me compliments (not that i completely believed her) so I had to get it. I like that it's full sleeve as it'll be perfect for winter but I can at least roll them up for now. The pictures don't show it that well but there's a sort of lining around the waist that slims it, thankfully, and I feel it's flattering. It's a thick dress which I like and the material is soft (again, sorry i don't know what it is). I'm really happy I found this dress and would recommend it to others. However, unlike with the tops, I don't actually think it would look good in other colours. It's smart and sophisticated in just black which I think is just fine.

Here is a quick picture of my boots for winter. I'll mostly be using them for school which is why I put the picture in this post. From left to right there are Doc Martens, my mum's old Russel & Bromley chelsea boots, old Topshop boots that I got last year, some lace up boots from Clarks and a new pair that I bought on Sunday from Sole. I was going to post some pictures of me wearing the new boots but I didn't like the pictures so this will have to do!

These next photos are of clothes that I didn't buy on Sunday but were 'new' for the school year.

These two shirts are from Zara and were intentionally bought for my trip to South Africa to wear at the school but were perfect for sixth form as well. The collar and animal print were what attracted me and I first saw them all over different blogs. I really recommend them to all as the fabric is so soft and of great quality. However, I'm pretty sure everyone owns the jaguar print one so my recommendation probably doesn't even matter...

These lovely trousers are from River Island. They're almost jeans and when being worn, they do look like they're made of jean material but they're slightly stretchier. I don't actually feel that trousers suit me (jeans are a definite no go) but these actually look nice! They're so unbelievably comfy and wearing them doesn't seem like a hassle. The zip detailing is nice too and they cut off at a really good point on the leg so would probably be flattering to most.

This skirt, from Miss Selfridge, was also bought for my trip to South Africa but is also great for school. The pattern is really different and looks slightly woven. When I first saw it I wasn't keen and thought it would be too short but trying it on, I fell in love. I will admit that it is quite short and going upstairs is a struggle trying to keep my dignity but it's manageable. I wear it high waisted with tops tucked in and I feel it works for me. This is something else I think everyone should go and have a look at! But even if this isn't for you, I did pop into Miss Selfridge on Sunday and saw other, similar skirts that may take your fancy.

The final item I bought on Sunday is a new Cath Kidston pencil case. If you read my sixth form post from last year, you'll know I had a Cath Kidston pencil case then so I just had to get a new one. I thought this design was cute and I liked the slimmer style of this one compared to my old one.

Wow, that was a hard post to write. I find writing about clothes in a semi-professional way quite hard but I think it went quite well this time (at least i hope it did!). I hope you enjoyed this post and found it interesting, whether you're looking for similar clothes or just wanted a read.

Updates!

1. Not much to tell you guys today apart from I had a successful day back. I don't want to bore you with details so I'll just leave it at that.
2. Went to the cinema after school with two friends to see the new Diary Of A Wimpy Kid film (don't judge, it's our guilty pleasure...) and whilst it was enjoyable, it wasn't as good as the others. I suppose this quick review doesn't really matter to anyone though as I doubt anyone will go and see it but ah well, there's my two cents anyway!
3. Going to Glasgow open day tomorrow so I'm hoping to post after that. I think I'm just going to do a wishlist as I haven't done one in a while and they seem to get a lot of views so assuming people like them? Also planning the rest of the week's posts in a minute which I'm quite looking forward to!
4. My new Moleskine diary arrived today and I'm in love with it! It's so cute and having a new, fresh diary is always nice. I posted a picture on my Instagram (username: bethsutton_) if you want to have a look.
5. Speaking of Instagram, I'm thinking of doing a weekly summary/Instagram type thing. I know a lot of other bloggers do it but I was reading one of Lily's posts (link!) on how to arrange the pictures in the typical format and it's something that I really want to do. I don't know for definite if I'll do it or when I'll do it or what I'll title it but it's something I'm interested in.
6. My Jack Wills Autumn 2012 Handbook also arrived today and I can't wait to look through it! I think I'll do a wishlist when I've finished going through and highlighting what I like (come on, who doesn't star/highlight the things they like in catalogues and magazines). 

And I'm done! I'm now going to go to bed and start reading a university prospectus (if i don't fall asleep) so I wish you all a good night :)

may 2012 glossybox

Another late glossybox post but I only have 3 more after this! I really want to get through them in time for the September glossybox arriving (i got the payment confirmation e-mail today) so please bare with me!

The May glossybox was an anniversary one as it had been a year since their first box was released which is pretty exciting. I hopped on the glossybox bandwagon a little late and my first box arrived in July. After that my subscription was cancelled until November when it started again and I've received a box every month ever since.

Whilst the colour of the box was the same, the packaging inside was themed and it was very cute! However, less descriptions and more pictures!

How cute are these?! Glossybox included a nice little compact mirror (it actually feels of really good quality as well. unlike the usual flimsy freebies you get) and a birthday balloon! 

I've never heard of this brand before but it really stood out to me when I opened my box for some reason. A bath and shower gel is always useful but the name 'Summer Rising' is the thing that caught my eye. Unfortunately, summer is coming to an end for me so I'm a bit late to use it in the right season but nevermind! The scent is very 'perfum-y' and quite unlike the normal bath/shower product smell but I like it. A slight problem is that it is a very very strong smell but I think used in water, it will die down a bit (hopefully!). I'm quite interested in looking at more products from Noble Isle so I'll let you know how the search goes.

Whilst catching up on reading the blogs I follow, I came across a post on Kate's blog about the Lolita Lempicka 'L'Eau en Blanc Eau de Parfum' (link!) and instantly fell in love! I don't know if it was the pictures on Kate's blog, the way she described it or the shape of the bottle that attracted me the most but I knew I definitely wanted to try it out. Therefore when I reopened this box I was excited to see these two samples in there. Not only was there the 'L'Eau en Blanc' but also the normal (i assume it's the normal/original - the inside of the sample says 'Le premier parfum de Lolita Lempicka') 'Eau de Parfum' too. I wanted to try and spritz some in order to give you guys a sense of the scent but I just attempted to get some of the 'L'Eau en Blanc' sample out and nothing even came out. The sample isn't even full either (barely half way!). However I can smell it a bit and it is a nice smell. Not my favourite but tolerable. I think it's quite floral but also very soft. Had some difficulty with the other sample too but when I finally got some out, I much preferred that one! It's a completely different scent and much stronger. I think if I were to buy a full size, it would be of the purple one.

Whilst I would never pick this product out for myself (don't even know what it was to be honest, it's all in other languages), I thought it was really nice as in my first box I got a Weleda product (no one probably cares except me...). Looking at the box and some of the German (5 years learning the language may finally come in useful!), I think it's a night cream or something. I can't say I'm excited about trying it out but I'm sure a full review will come up in the future...

Eyeliner is one make up product that I have a lot of but never use. I think it may be to do with the fact I don't know how to apply it properly or in a way that makes my eyes look good. Usually it turns out wrong and makes my eyes look smaller. However, I feel like I should experiment more so this product may be the perfect opportunity to do that. I don't own a brown eyeliner so this could be my golden product - something that suits my eyes! I also like that it's Collection 2000, a brand that I've used before and I'm happy with. 

Now I'm a little sceptical about this product. Whilst I was excited to see another HD brows item in my box (i missed out on the eyebrow palette), this is probably not for me... There is a slight problem with the fact that I don't really have eyebrows. They are thin, light and barely need attention. Therefore a 'brow beater' is not something I really need and when I had a little go today, it did absolutely nothing... Ah well, I'll probably still do a review before passing it on to someone else.

Ahhh, finished. Sometimes I find glossybox posts hard to write as I don't always know what to say about all of the products but I think this one went well. As with all the samples I get in my sample boxes (glossybox and latest in beauty), I intend to do full reviews which I quite look forward to doing as using the products in more depth should be interesting.

Updates!

1. Today was my last day of summer before back to school tomorrow (slightly excited, slightly not). I spent most of it just relaxing around the house and doing random stuff which was okay. I was going to go on a bike ride to my local Staples shop but my mum offered to drive me this evening so I missed out on a McDonald's too (ah well). However, I still went on a bike ride but it did not go well. I wanted to cycle to a certain point but about 3/4 of the way there I suddenly felt sick/faint and my mum said I might be having a panic attack (lolz, so totally over the top...) so had to stop at the side of the road which was slightly embarrassing. Anyway, managed to cycle home and picked up an ice cream on the way and when I got home I comforted myself with Modern Family episodes. I guess it just goes to show that I need to do more exercise which I suppose is a good thing. When my mum got home I finally went stationary shopping and stocked up for tomorrow (new stationary always makes me feel good :)). Then had an emergency staff meeting - not really emergency, I just didn't realise I had one so had to rush there. But I am now sat watching more Modern Family (actually the last episode of season 1; past two days well spent). 
2. My Moleskine diary was delivered this morning but unfortunately I missed it so it's being redelivered tomorrow morning - I can't wait for it to arrive! Fingers crossed it's here before I go to school! Also hoping my Cambridge satchel comes tomorrow as well. I was assuming it would be here in time but it might not be. Ah well!
3. As well as taking the photo's for today's post, I also took them for tomorrow's! Look who's being organised! I think it's a really good idea to do this - taking all the pictures for the coming week's posts on the Sunday. It'll mean I won't have an excuse not to post and will save me a lot of time on week days. I would have taken more today but I ran out of time.
4. As I'm finishing writing this post, I've also finished season 1 of Modern Family. It's absolutely hilarious and I recommend to all, seriously!

For all those at work/school today, I hope it wasn't too bad and for all those going back tomorrow, like me, I wish you luck! For now though, good night! :)