UNI LOOKBOOK

I've finally finished my First Year of uni and to say I'm excited to go home is an understatement! I thought I'd share the last module I worked on which was to create a lookbook for a brand of our choice, I worked with the photographer Liam Pye and the shoot was styled and directed by myself. I also edited the photos, I'll link all clothing used in the shoot and the photographer's website down below. I chose to create a lookbook for the brand & Other Stories although not all of the pieces are from & Other Stories. Let me know your thoughts...

Photographer: Liam Pye

Model: Jules Lyn

Clothes:

Pleated Midi Skirt: & Other Stories

Lilac Silk Maxi Dress: & Other Stories

Corset: & Other Stories

White Boyfriend Shirt: Primark

Lilac Suit Co-ord: Topshop

Barbados Tee: Topshop

Lilac Converse: Converse

Slip-On Vans: Vans

SKINCARE UPDATE

I've recently got my hands on a few more skincare bits that I thought were worth the mention and a mini skincare haul, and they're definitely making my skin so much better. My newest purchase is the Khiels Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado, with eye moisturisers I can never tell straight away if their worth taking the time to put them on but after using this for a week or two I've definitely noticed a difference. My eyes look so much better, less puffy and barely any dark circles and of course, it feels so good to put on. This was definitely a treat after it arriving and it being teeny tiny but still definitely worth the purchase.

Although I've spoken about the Glossier Mega Greens Mask and the Rich Priming Moisturiser before I had to mention them again as it's getting time to re-stock them both. These are what I reach for on a daily basis, I love the mask and my skin feels so much cleaner after using it and I use the moisturiser pretty much every day. If you're going to make an order with Glossier these should be the first two things on your list! I also really want to try the Pure Serum and that's definitely my next Glossier Purchase as well as those beautiful Lid Stars. 

I also recently purchase The Ordinary Retinol and the Peeling Solution but haven't had a chance to try them properly yet but I will keep you updated.

I pretty much mention trying to post more often at the end of every post, I'm definitely trying my best but the last term in uni is stressful! Keep your eyes peeled for another post hopefully pretty soon!

THINGS I MENTIONED:
- Khiels Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado 
- Glossier Mega Greens Mask
- Glossier Rich Priming Moisturiser

DUA LIPA

Photo credit to Liv - @oliviaelrchds

I went to see the beautiful Dua Lipa in concert back home in Cardiff and it was such a great concert! For starters I have to come to terms that she’s only a year older than me and is my new crush, she is beautiful not to mention her body is amazing yet I still look 16, sad but I’ve now accepted this. The concert didn’t all go to plan as I had to run out half way through to throw my guts up and for once alcohol was not to blame. I had to go home early but I managed to see most of her performance just stood at the back closer to the toilet in case of emergencies. She was amazing and I’d love to see her perform again minus the sick. I’m in love with her hair that short and it’s almost convincing me to cut mine that short but let’s be honest with myself I do not look like Dua Lipa and frankly look like a boy when I have short hair so maybe I’ll just stick with a trim. I had the best night even with being ill and 100% recommend you all listen to her ASAP and if you can get tickets to see her live, go for it!

GOD'S OWN JUNKYARD

If you’ve seen God’s Own Junkyard on instagram you’ll know exactly why this has been on my list of places to go for so long! My lovely mum offered not only to pick me up from uni but to take us to London on the way home, well to take a detour to London. I’ve wanted to go here for so long but it’s not exactly central London and is just slightly out of the way. It’s in East London but well worth the 3 journey that it took us. God’s Own Junkyard is a psychedelic paradise of neon lights and vintage signs hidden away in a warehouse in Walthamstow. It’s a neon heaven and if only you could live there, of course, I took about a dozen photos but sadly no flash photography or big cameras allowed so my iPhone had to suffice. 

Of course, so I’ve seen so many bloggers with their lovely neon photos from here and had to get my own. Honestly, if you’re going to London anytime soon I definitely recommend you taking a slight detour from the usual spots like Oxford and Carnaby and heading straight to Walthamstow! I’m now looking for a relatively affordable neon sign of my own and need to fill my future house to the brim with neons!

A REFRESH

So it’s not the 1st of January and no New Year resolutions are in sight but I’m in need of a restart and a refresh. Nothing dramatic has happened to urge this restart but I’ve just grown bored of the same things, the same routine, the same feelings of boredom and frustration. This has felt like the longest winter and with snow only just stopped being forecasted I’m sick of being inside and the grey weather. I’m sure we’d all feel better if we just saw some sun and the beginning of Spring and hopefully a long hot Summer. This time last year I was heading to Asia with one backpack full of all my summer clothes to last me four months and my favourite person by my side. This year, however, seems slightly disappointing in comparison with rain still falling and gloomy Birmingham being my current home. It’s got me thinking was uni the right choice and should I swap modules for Mai Tai’s and Thai Islands. Of course when the weather is this depressing we look back on sunnier times and holidays so I can’t help but flick through my backpacking photos at 3am when I can’t sleep knowing I have to get up at 4:30am for work and then go to uni straight after. If you can’t already tell I’m feeling very doom and gloom but I know uni was the right choice and I love my course and backpacking couldn’t have lasted forever.

The whole point of this post, that I am trying to get to, is what to do when your feeling doom and gloom and nothing seems to be changing. One thing I’ve started to do is refresh my instagram as lately I’ve felt bored with social media and instagram especially when I used to love scrolling through instagram and posting pretty much every day. I thought almost restarting my account would be a good start, posting photos I wouldn’t usually post as I felt stuck in a format* and trying different layouts. Of course, a self-promo is to follow, so if you don’t follow my instagram it’s _caitdavies and I’d appreciate the follow seen as the instagram algorithm seems to be throwing everyone under the bus with me losing more followers than I’m gaining. 

I’ve recently just come off working nights thank the lord! Honestly, if you’re ever contemplating working nights for extra money while in uni don’t do it, I’d have rather starved. The only thing I was doing was working and then going to uni, I mean the main appeal of uni is the so-called social life it promises you. Now, however, I'm back on the lovely early morning shifts which I have never been so thankful to start work at 5:30am again. This means I actually get to do stuff like go out and drink and start going to the gym which I promised I would try harder to do which is easier said than done when your working from 11:30pm to 10:30am. But now there are no excuses and I need to get started on this ‘summer bod’ I promised I’d achieve! 

I’m someone who likes change and gets bored easily so when I can’t make drastic changes like moving house or escaping the British weather I like to make little changes like the instagram refresh. Although I’m hoping to dye my hair which is just a little drastic change for someone who’s never dyed their hair. Let’s hope the sun arrives soon and we get this Spring we’ve been told were meant to get and that I get a move on and get my arse in gear - wish me luck!

UNI PROJECT - FASHION COMMUNICATION

I thought I'd share a few images from my recent uni project because it was such a fun project and I loved working on this! The module was Visual Literacy and as part, of this we had to create and direct a photoshoot which I have never done before. It was so fun to work on and luckily I managed to get a great model and photographer and the photos turned out so well. I will link Connor's instagram down below (photographer), he's a great photographer and so easy to work with and definitely worth checking out his work! And of course, it helped that I had the lovely Hanna modelling for me as well. 

Connor's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connorgordonphoto/

Connor's website: https://connorgordonphoto.com/overview

NEONS & MIRRORS AT CADBURY'S WORLD

When it's grey, miserable and raining and your sister's up visiting what else do you do in Birmingham other than take a day trip to Cadbury's World! At £9 for a student ticket and free chocolate, why would I not go? I'd say the main attraction for us had to be the gift shop, you can buy as much chocolate in bulk as you like, who doesn't need 50 Freddo's?! I honestly had the funniest time, we ate chocolate all day and got to be as childish as we liked. I definitely need to do more days like this, it just makes a change to the usual trip into the town centre of Birmingham. Sometimes I struggle to think of things to do here just because I live in the centre so my first thought is to just go into town. But it gets so boring and too busy and I definitely don't have enough patience to deal with swarms of people for more than two hours max. 

If anyone knows of any interesting things going on in Birmingham do let me know because there's only so many times you can visit the Bullring and it be interesting. Also a round of applause to Cadbury's World for providing the best photo opportunities with all the mirrors and neons, of course, me and my sister took advantage of this and be sure to keep an eye out for a Cadbury's World Instagram coming very soon.

OUTFIT:
Kiss Sweatshirt - Cow Vintage
Jeans - BDG, Urban Outfitters
Slip On Vans
Sunglasses - Primark