Tuesday 24 December 2013

Joyeux Noël

Christmas already! This is madness. 

I am now home for Christmas in rainy and windy Wiltshire and I love it. The last few months in Toulouse have been some of the best for my life but its always nice to be home with family and friends! 

It has again been a while since my last post - in all honesty I have been lacking inspiration. Well, that as well as life just getting in the way!

Here is my last month in a nutshell..


1. I recieved some lovely letters a while ago from my old housemates - it makes such a nice change to have handwritten letters rather than a text message!
2. Me and my housemate ready for the 'Vous etes des Animaux' party with our university. Of course I had an extremely origional outfit involving anything leopard print I could find.
3. The Coca Cola truck came to Toulouse and brought Santa along!!
4. I jetted home for the weekend at the beginning of December to see my brother as he won't be around for Christmas this year
5. My excited 'im going home' face
6. We decorated the christmas tree! Its not a real one but good enough :)
7. Christmas dinner No. 1 - beaut
8. The Toulouse christmas lights at Capitole are beautiful
9. My christmassy outfit ready for our '12 pubs of christmas' pub crawl (needless to say I only made it to 6 of them!)
10. Something you don't see everyday on the metro haha
11. I went to my first rugby match Toulouse vs. Connacht (sadly we lost!)
12. My housemate made me a delicious lasagne for dinner.
13. With the end of term came exams and the first bit of work I have done in months!
14. A lot of my friends left Toulouse for good this Christmas - very sad to see so many of them go!
15. Mail from my lovely mother.

It has been an amazing term - can;t believe how fast it has all gone! Sadly it ended on a slightly sour note though as my bag was stolen leaving me with no phone, cards, etc. But tt the end of the day possessions can be replaced though - happy to be home and healthy for Christmas.

I hope you have a very Merry Christmas :)

Alice x

Tuesday 3 December 2013

Shoulda put a ring on it

A short post today about my recent obsession with silver jewellery, particularly rings! Sadly these are not all real silver (hence the orange tinge to a few as they start to lose their colour) however I am on the look out for some real ones to start building up my collection. But for now, these will do...

Left to Right
-Two silver bands - Brandy Melville
-Above knuckle ring - Primark
-Sterling Silver rings - Daisy and Pandora
-Above knuckle ring - Galleries Laayette (not sure of brand!)
-Small silver ring - toe ring from random shop
Zig-zag ring - Brandy Melville
Eye ring - H&M
-Silver band - Brandy Melville
-Nail colour - MUA (not sure of shade)

Excuse my freaky hands they look a bit weird in these pictures! So yes I love these small silver bands from Brandy Melville however as I said they have begun to lose their colour already as they are not real silver. So I am on the hunt for some cheap silver ones soon. Any suggestions?

Alice x

Friday 8 November 2013

Before I knew it...

It has been a ridiculous amount of time since my last post - It is already November.. where did October go?

Needless to say that this month has been a busy one


I had a week off from university so was lucky enough to take a spontaneous trip to Barcelona with a friend. We got a lift there with 'blablacars' through the mountains which was stunning. Barcelona itself is a beautiful place and I can't wait to return soon!


With October comes Halloween and a poor effort on my part. I was very busy so I bought the first Halloween thing I could find which was these cat ears from H&M. Very unoriginal but they did the job! "I'm a mouse.. duh" (mean girls reference if you see what I mean). I went to a house party and clubbing for Halloween. Although this was extremely fun, as a friend pointed out, when does Halloween stop being about candy and start being about getting drunk? I miss trick or treating! Next year I plan to be in a candy coma instead.


More frequent posts will be returning hopefully from now on!
How was your October?

Alice x


Thursday 10 October 2013

September Snaps

My Instagram from the month of September
My first Urban Decay Naked Pallette - Ready for a night out in Toulouse - Dinner out with my housemate - Walk around the Capital in the sunshine - Heading out to a Latino Bar with my housemate - Sephoraaaa - Picnic in the park with friends - The smoking area at a french university is a well utilised facility- Friday evening rooftop party - Sunset view - Trying to be healthy with salad and salmon - My 'Alice' candle holder
Instagram - alicesmithh

Monday 7 October 2013

September Favourites

A couple for my favourite bits and bobs that I have been enjoying this month...

Clothes

I have been absolutely loving Bershka this month! Back home there isnt a shop near me but here they are all over France. I love the fashion and it is sooo cheap. I purchased some jeans, 3 tops and skirt all for 60 euros the other day. Not too shabbyy. The crochet/lace top I am wearing below was in the Bershka sale for 9.99 euros. 

Sephora

Oh its tempting. Its oh so tempting. I have only bought a couple of things so far but one of which was the Urban Decay Naked Basics Pallette. Im very excited to try it out! 


TV
Top of the Lake
I was recently sent the DVD of 'Top of the Lake' - a drama which was aired on BBC2 a few months ago back. If you enjoy watching mystery-suspense programs this is worth a watch! It is full of twists throughout - I am only part way through it but I would definitely recommend so far.
(http://www.amazon.co.uk/Top-Lake-DVD-Elisabeth-Moss/dp/B00B4F8K20)

Great British Bake Off

This program staggers me how every time I watch it I get so absorbed and tense about the rise of the dough or consistency of the custard. If you don't watch it - do. Very easy watch on a Tuesday evening!

Music

I have been loving all sorts this month. In particular I have enjoyed:
Lana Del ReyHer whole album but especially Summertime Sadness and Blue Jeans

The Other TribeThis is one of the bands I saw at Fieldview Festival this year. If you haven't heard of them definitely give Skirts and We Should Be Dancing.
Bears DenThey are very chilled and amazing musicians - if you enjoy Mumford and Sons or City and Colour then give them a listen.
James Blake
He never gets tiresome, Retrograde is amazing.



What have you enjoyed throughout September?

Alice x

Friday 27 September 2013

A month in Toulouse...

This Sunday I will have already spent a whole month in France! C'est ridiculous, non? Its been a busy and hectic month, but as I sit in my french apartment writing this, there is no where else I would rather be right now (apart from maybe in a bar with un verre du vin - as you can tell I have learnt the important french phrases).


With the beginning of the month came the exploration of Toulouse and a few discoveries such as when the metro doors shut, they shut. Even if your head is between the doors (much to my housemate's dismay). Also we had our first experience of the French nightlife which is beautifully relaxed as everyone has pre-drinks on the riverside before moving on to bars or clubs. I love the bar culture here compared to clubbing at my home university - it makes a nice change to wear just jeans and flats as opposed to short skirts and heels (I find I can last a lot longer in flats!) Not everything is different though, people still chant drunken songs on the metro to the club similar to the rowdy drunken chanting on the buses back home.


We then had our first few days at University where we met all of the exchange students and had a chance to get to know each other in the sunshine. With an amazing total of 31 nationalities between us, it's safe to say we won't run out of things to talk about anytime soon with such characters. Thankfully for me everyone communicates in English most of the time as it is the common language. University is good apart from the trek to get in (about an hour journey) and the hideously long 3 hour lectures. I'm sure some of you would think that an easy feat but 3 hours of someone wittering on about the 7 P's is a struggle at best (if you are a marketer you will know my pain). I have not yet found out what happens if I fall asleep in a lecture but I cant see it being long until I find out.


The social life in Toulouse is perfect with busy cafes in the day and busy bars at night and of course a lot of shopping which my bank balance has already felt the brunt of. Like England, the cinema is a popular pass-time but at a fraction of the price at just 5 euros for a film, about £4.50, as opposed to almost £8 in England. As an attempt to immerse ourselves in the french culture and language further me and some friends went to see 'Jeune et Jolie', a very good film about a french student who is a prostitute. This film naturally had a lot of sex scenes as you would imagine from the storyline but it made my day to hear someone say 'ooh la la' in the cinema at an especially graphic point. If you get the chance to see it though I would definitely recommend!

With these few weeks technically being our 'freshers' there is no shortage of nights out which is great fun - everyone is so lovely and we all get on really well; an event we went to last week was a Mexican themed night involving a lot of maracas and sombreros. 


Anyway, I'm going to wrap this up as too much has happened in a month to fit into one (already too long) post. I have only scratched at the surface of Toulousian life and I can't wait for what's next.

Alice x








Monday 23 September 2013

Purple Haze



Hat: Urban Outfitters (Sale)
Top: Zara
Jeans: Asos
Shoes: H&M

I looooove this hat. Adds that 'something' to any outfit. Et c'est tres Francais ;) 
France is holding onto the Summer weather at the moment hence my sporadic posts - The sun needs soaking up!


What has been your favourite item of clothing lately?

Alice x



Monday 16 September 2013

Home Sweet Home

My new french apartment! It took months of blood, sweat, tears and paperwork but me and my housemate found ourselves in our dream apartment for our year in France. It is spacious, clean and cheap so we really cannot complain! 



With a new year comes a new bedroom to move in to. This is the part where I say a big thankyou to my housemate as we only had one double room and one single; so after flipping a coin I got the double (Thanks Hy <3 ).


It is very basic and simple but I love it now I have my little personal touches in it - Can't go wrong with some bunting and photos :)



Although it was a long and hard process finding an apartment in France it has all been so worth it now that we are here and settled. I couldn't ask for much more really!

More regular posts will be coming soon bear with me :)

Alice x




Sunday 8 September 2013

Bienvenue à Toulouse

My Erasmus year is well under-way - I have been here in Toulouse for a week already! I have already fallen in love with the city with its endless restaurants, small windy streets, beautiful scenery and buildings, friendly people and, of course, too much cheese and wine.


River Garonne
This first week has been incredibly busy yet amazing - it has been like freshers all over again with so many names to remember that I am relying on Facebook to help me out. Everyone is incredibly friendly at my university and from what we have already experienced of the city sights, shopping, restaurants and nightlife I know already that I will be very happy here.



On the day I flew out I was incredibly nervous as I thought about my limited language skills and the doubts in my mind as to whether I would even like Toulouse. However, I have barely had time to think about that as I already feel so at home here.

Me and my friend have certainly landed on our feet with our beautiful apartment - it is cheap, perfectly located, clean and spacious. Couldn't ask for more :) I am just about finished settling into my room so make way for a bedroom post coming up in the next few days!



As if it wasn't hectic enough moving to another country, I celebrated my 21st birthday on Monday! It was a nice and quiet celebration with a few friends as we had to wake early the next day but it was still lovely. I feel very fortunate to have celebrated my birthday a few times over this year as I had early celebrations before I left so I cant complain!



This is quite a rambling post so I apologize if I am boring you! So much has changed in a week its hard to put into words. But at the moment, its looking like this is going to be a year to remember :)

À bientôt!

Alice x

Friday 30 August 2013

Packing, packing, packing

As I have mentioned in a few posts I am soon to leave England and jet off to France for my year abroad at university there! So I am currently very busy packing and organizing myself for that.

It may seem weird but I actually love packing, it's a great excuse to organise and gets me very excited for my trip. However, I think even my organisational skills would not allow me to fit my whole life into one suitcase, so I decided to ship over some stuff also!

I decided to use Send My Bag which is an amazingly cheap service which allows you to send a bag or box to another country (to send my very large box it cost me just £25!) which was ideal and most definitely needed for my extra shoes, clothes and home comforts :)

A cuddly toy? Dont know how that got in there...

If you are embarking on a year abroad or just going on a long holiday, here are my top packing tips! (they are probably quite obvious but you never know :) )



1. Write a list before you do anything - rather than aimlessly throw things into a suitcase really think about what you will need. Less chance of forgetting something important!
2. Put on a film or tv show as you pack - Packign can sometimes take hours so a good film can make it much mor enjoyable!
3. Wrap your valuables in other clothes - Your bag might be thrown about a bit so be careful.
4. Bag up liquids! You don't want to open your suitcase to find that your clothes are drenched in shampoo.
5. Finally, weigh your bag! Nothing worse than having to re-pack at the airport in front of a line of people if your bag is too heavy.

If you are also going on a year abroad this year, or you;re considering doing one, check out thirdyearabroad.com as its great for tips and tricks of what you will need to do before you go.

Are you going on holiday or on a year abroad? 

Alice x

Thursday 22 August 2013

Beautiful things

Thought I would share some of the bits and pieces that I have been loving recenty.



My beautiful Urban Outfitters shorts have been great for all the festivals this year. Very comfy and go with everything!


I got this jumper in the Zara sale for an absolute steal of £5! I just loved the design and it was great to chuck on when the evenings get chilly at festivals (the next time I say 'festivals' hit me). Not the greatest quality as the unicorns are coming away at the edges but for £5 -very cute.


It is my birthday at the start of September and my wonderful friends gave me my gift early as I will not see them on the day! Part of my present was this beautiful handbag from M&S. Its a perfect everyday bag and fits endless amounts of clutter inside with the various pockets :)


As featured in my few posts you can probably tell that I love flowers for the summertime - they give a bohemian twist to any outfit. These are all from Primark apart from the smaller daisy one at the bottom which is from H&M.


As much as I love the summer I have been enjoying wearing these beauties again as the evenings get a bit chilly. They are so comfortable and give you a nice height whilst still looking casual. I got them last winter at Topshop (they were quite cheap considering they are leather), no doubt they will bring out something similar this season.

What have you been loving recently?

Alice x


Tuesday 20 August 2013

Flowers in her hair

As you know i've luckily been to some small festivals this summer - with flowers, dresses and wellies it is one of my favourite times of the summer!

I have yet to master taking good outfit photos so as a compromise I thought i'd do a little run-through of my favourite festival fashion from the photos I already have from the festivals alongside my favourite pieces.




Outfit 1
Headband - Primark
Sungrasses - Ebay (here)
Crochet dress - H&M 

Outfit 2
Headband - Primark
Sunglasses - Ebay
Strapless Top/Dress - Peacocks
Shorts - Levis Urban Outfitters
Duffle bag - New Look

Outfit 3
Crop Top - New Look
Shorts - Levis Urban Outfitters
Belt - H&M
Headband - Primark

These outfits are pretty casual but I have been obsessed with these flower head-bands and I think the rest of the outfit can't be too loud otherwise it will look like a car crash. These Urban Outfitters shorts have been my summer staple - the £35 price tag was painful at first but I think they have been worth it as they go with absolutely everything!

Make way for a lot of packing/orgaisation and birthday posts coming up as I leave for France in less than two weeks! This summer has flown by.

What are your plans for the rest of the summer?

Alice x

Thursday 8 August 2013

Festival Fever

The last few weeks have been pretty busy for me due to going to a couple of local festivals - WOMAD and Fieldview Festival. They were absolutely amazing because of the incredible weather, music, food and company.


Fieldview Festival is very special to our area as it has become somewhat of a tradition for me and my friends to go every year as it is small and personal and yet never fails to impress. I would say this year was the best yet which is bitter sweet as it is also the last ever year! What am I meant to do next summer?!

Bec and Me
I am hopefully going to do a couple of posts on my Festival OOTDs very soon so stay tuned for that!

The Other Tribe
With a great festival comes a great playlist so I just thought I'd share just a few of the gems I descovered thanks for Fieldview Festival this year:


Bears Den
Luke Sital-Singh
Jacob Banks
The Other Tribe
Colour The Atlas

Bears Den
Are you going to any festivals this year?



Alice x

Saturday 13 July 2013

Summer Nails

My Go-to summer nail polishes!


Rimmel London 60 Seconds - 415 Instyle Coral
This is a beautoful Coral which goes with anything and has great staying power.

Barry M Gelly - Prickly Pear
I love the Gelly Nail collection from Barry M, they are super glossy on the nails and again stay on for a good amount of time!

Barry M Gelly - Lychee
Perfect Nude when you find you can't wear a bright colour on the nails.

Miss Sporty - 17
I love Miss Sporty - super cheap and a great colour range.

Maybelline Super Stay - Mint for Life
The perfect pastel mint for summer and it stays on for a good amount of time (maybe not exactly 7 days like it says on the packaging though).


What are your summer nail polish favorites?

Alice x


Thursday 4 July 2013

Go-To-Makeup

I thought I would do an updated every-day make up post today as my last one was agess ago. Just thought i'd show you the products I reach for every day and do some mini-reviews of them!


I realise these photos are quite washed out because of the lighting but you get the general idea.

Rimmel 'Wake Me Up' Foundation - 100 Ivory
This is probably my fourth bottle of this stuff as I really enjoy it. I'd say it gives a medium but build-able coverage and does what it says on the bottle and 'wakes me up'. I am one of those people with a very fair complexion and this is the lightest shade they do and it blends perfectly into my skin.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - 1 Fair
This is my holy grail product which I cannot live without. It is perfect for under the eyes and covering up any pesky break-outs! And it is reasonably affordable too. I usually have one of these in my bag so i'm prepared for anything haha.

MAC Pro Longwear Eyeshadow - Sweet Satisfaction
This is my first ever MAC product and was a gift from my friend. I really like the colour as it is a perfect every-day shade to wack on the eyelids and not worry about having to blend it etc. I do really like it and it has great staying power and its lasted since I got it in September so I would probably repurchase as it's worth the money!

Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner - Black
This again is a repurchased item - it stays on all day, is cheap and is easy to use so what more do you need. I always wear my eyeliner with a slight wing to it - it feels weird if I don't do it now.

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara - Black Drama
This mascara is amazing and im sadly running low so gonna have to fork out £7 for a new one :( It is great at giving length and volume though! My only complaint is I cant use it on my bottom lashes as it can run.

Rimmel Soft Khol - 061 Jet Black
This is a nice soft liner for my water line. I don't take this all the way along my bottom water line just half way in.

MUA pressed powder - Shade 1
I have nothing much to say about this product it was just what I had at the time and it was cheap - won't necessarily repurchase but its not horrible.

Natural Collection Bronzing Powder - Golden Glow
I have used this for almost years now but not because I have repurchased it but because I have never finished it! I don't love it though so can anyone recommend a good drugstore bronzer please?

Benefit Blush - Bella Bamba
This is just a sample product but I really like it and it is actually lasting me a very long time! I could never bring myself to actually buy it though as benefit prices are just too much for me - not worth it in my opinion!

Natural Collection Eyeshadow - Crushed Walnut
I actually use this eyeshadow for my eyebrows! It works perfectly to fill in any little gaps and shape them a little and as long as I brush through them after applying it it stays put all day. And its an absolute steal at £1.99.


What would you say are your go-to make up products? Also leave me suggestions for a good drugstore bronzing powder please!

Alice x

Sunday 30 June 2013

Blogger Lovee

Bit of a different post today - I was so pleased to see that I have been nominated for the Liebster Award by Cat from Drops of Fashion Thread. Check out her blog, she has amazing outfit posts and leaves lovely comments. Below are my nominations of blogs I have been enjoying recently, go and check them out :)

 1. Who is celebrity crush?
Leonardo Di Caprio - he's beautiful
2. Weirdest experience?
Going down a slide at a water park and crashing into a man who appeared to be stuck in the tunnel. Maybe more awkward than wierd!
3. Have you any fears?
I don't like creepy crawlies.. too many legs.
4. Chocolate or crisps?
Crisps
5. Do you match your toenail and finger nail polish?
I do when I can be bothered
6. Favourite sweet?
Sour strawberry laces
7. William or Harry?
Harry
8. Favourite reality show( if you don't detest them)?
Has to be Keeping up with the Kardashians!
9. Blonde, Brunette or Redhead?
On me - brunette, on a guy - not picky but probably brunette also
10. Gold or silver?
Tough one but I'd have to say gold
11. How do you love to spend your weekend?
Ideal weekend would be lots of lie-ins, days out with friends and maybe a night out thrown into the mix for good measure :)

My Nominations (check them out!)

My Questions:

1. Sweet or Savoury?
2. What is your favourite film?
3. Who would you say is your celebrity style icon?
4. Where would you love to go on holiday?
5. Ross, Joey or Chandler?
6. Favourite high street shop?
7. Make up product you can't live without?
8. Favourite song?
9. Hair up or hair down?
10. Describe your ideal day

Check them out! :)

Alice x

Wednesday 19 June 2013

Summer Holiday

I haven't posted anything in a while - this is because I have just returned from a beautiful week in Bulgaria! I had the opportunity to go away with some friends and it was a beautiful week of sunbathing, eating, drinking and relaxing.


I have never been to Bulgaria before but it was a beautiful place - the weather was mostly amazing apart from the odd 10 minute rain storm. It was extremely cheap in terms of going out for dinner as a two course meal on the beach would cost about £10 which compared to English prices is amazing.


I managed to go the whole week without getting sunburnt which for me, being very fair skinned, is quite the accomplishment! I have pretty much no evidence of a tan though sadly - at this point I have learnt to embrace the paleness!


I ate soo much good food on holiday and found myself forming a new addiction to Greek Salads. In no way are these Bulgarian and I know you can get them here but for some reason I had an ungodly amount of feta cheese on holiday and I love it.


Overall a great week away and im now quite sad to be back in somewhat cloudy England!

Have you got any summer holidays planned this summer?

Alice x