Black Friday | Where To Spend Your Money

I'm hoping I'm not too late to the game with this post, as all the Black Friday deals seem to be starting so early this year! But I thought I would create a post with all the best discounts I have found so far. It's so easy to get carried away when you can pretty much get a discount on anything this weekend, and it's especially hard to control yourself when you're a poor uni student... I'm actually taking a trip to Westfield's on Saturday, which I now realise is a bad idea! Anyway, I think it's important to make sure you don't spend a crazy amount of money on impulse purchases. Of course, Christmas is soon approaching (I'm already finding it hard to contain my excitement) and what better time to get all your presents than now? I'm trying to be good and prioritise all my family and friends, and try and get all their presents sorted, so there will definitely be some links to discounts with present shopping in mind.

Below is a list of all the discounts that I personally think are the best, and save you the most money. It's very easy to get carried away, so just make sure you're buying something you need or have been lusting over for a long while!

Happy Shopping! 

Clothing, Shoes & Accessories 

Topshop - Up to 50% off on selected lines, including gifts

H&M - Selected shoes & accessories have up to 40% off, and if you join H&M Club you can receive 20% off anything with free delivery (ending tonight 23.11.17) 

New Look - 25% off everything (although New Look quite frequently do discounts)

Mango - I can't believe Mango are doing 30% off everything! This is definitely a discount to utilise if you find anything you love

River Island - 20% off when you spend £75

ASOS - They of course have their trusty 20% off everything, but I always love this because of the vast amount of brands sold on the website 

Pull & Bear - They have actually shut down their website until 10pm this evening (23.11.17) when they will be launching their discounts, including 20% off all clothes and 30% off all shoes... so get prepared! 

Bershka - The same goes for Bershka, who are launching their up to 50% off selected items discount at 10pm

Missguided - They are back again with their amazing 50% off everything (excluding sale) 

AllSaints - An amazing 30% off everything! It's the perfect time to buy that leather jacket you've been lusting over... 

Dune - Up to 20% off everything

Jack Wills - Up to 50% off everything, with a guaranteed at least 25% off! 

Whistles - 25% off everything (excluding Wedding & Sale)

Revolve - They have an 'extra special sale' with up to 50% off prices 

Urban Outfitters - Buy one get one 50% (on all stock)

Anthropologie - 20% off everything with free delivery, the perfect place to get some lovely gifts 

Aldo - 50% off the original price on all sale, and 20% off full-price merchandise

Mint Velvet - 20% off everything (they very rarely do a discount of more than 10-20%)

Very - Hundreds of different deals, including up to 50% off selected clothing and footwear

Kurt Geiger - 20% off

Office  - 20% off with free UK delivery

Next - 70% off all Black Friday event lines!

Zara - 20% off selected items

Stradivarius - 20% off everything

Forever 21 - Up to 50% off Black Friday deals, an extra 30% off sale items and free delivery!

& Other Stories - Selected items are discounted

Department Stores

John Lewis - They are price matching competitors, offering a variety of different discounts and I have to say there are some great ones! 

Selfridges - 20% off and 10% off beauty and fragrance 

Debenhams - They have several discounts on, including VAT free prices on all fragrance and half price coats and jackets (today only)

House of Fraser - Up to 40% off, with new offers being added every day

Beauty

(Remember the department stores also have discounts on beauty)

Illamasqua - 25% off, and a free gift worth £55.80 when you spend £60 

Kiko - An amazing deal of buy 3 products and get 3 free (online & in-store until 26.11.17), also with free express delivery online

Tarte - 25% off almost everything

Sephora - Several deals on several products found on their 'deals-giving' page

The Body Shop - 40% off hundreds of items

Stila - 20% off everything 

Miscellaneous

My 1st Years - Up to 50% off selected items, and 30% off everything... I love this brand for those more special presents for the little ones 

Red Letter Days - Up to 70% off over 600 deals, the perfect place to find gifts for couples 

Amazon - Several discounts, with new deals every day 

Waterstones - Half price offers, as well as books under £10... another great place to pick up some Christmas gifts

Links of London - 20% off (10% off 18kt gold)

Not On The High Street - Huge sale with up to 50% off, the perfect place to find gifts

Kikki.K - 20% off storewide and free monogramming

Disney Store - 20% off selected lines

Oliver Bonas - 25% off selected items, another great place to find lovely gifts

A couple last things to note... Be aware that not all brands have discounts running all weekend, some will end on Friday night, so make sure you shop your favourites first! And keep checking back at this post as I will update it over Black Friday and the weekend as more discounts are revealed.

Good luck if you are braving the shops like me!

*Black Friday image taken from Topshop.com 

Feeling Comfortable in Your Own Skin

This is quite a difficult post for me to write, because really I have only recently become comfortable within my own skin. And of course, every now and then I still get doubts and I still nit-pick at myself, but that's normal. Recently I've been thinking a lot about how easy it is to put yourself down, and how hard it is to make yourself feel good. And I've come to realise that most of it is down to false expectations and caring too much about what other people think. I'm definitely guilty of that. I feel like I've spent the last 5-10 years of my life caring about what everyone else has to say about me, and what they might think of me. But I've now come to understand that thinking like that is only going to negatively affect yourself, it's never going to change the way people will think. It's all about forgetting about everyone else around you, all the stereotypes and judgements, and just doing things that you like and make you feel comfortable.

When it comes to fashion I think it's crucial to dress the way that you want to dress. Who cares if your styles a bit eccentric, a bit boring or a bit fancy... as long as you feel comfortable then that's all that should matter. I personally find I'm always usually the overdressed one, who turns up wearing boot heels rather than trainers. But who cares? Honestly, when I'm wearing a pair of my favourite boots I feel one million times nicer than I do when I'm wearing my vans. It doesn't mean I'm pretentious or arrogant! It just means I dress for myself. I dress in things that make me feel good about myself, and really, what's wrong with that? I've spent so much time in the past worrying about whether or not I should wear a particular item, because of how I'm worried people will judge me. And now I look back and think how silly I was to care so much.

It's so easy within today's society to get wrapped up in expectations and how we should look. The media is constantly defining the way our bodies should look, and the way in which we should dress ourselves. And yes, of course I follow hundreds of social media accounts, and yes I know it's easy to compare yourself to those people. But that's where you have to understand that everyone is truly different and everyone has their own identity, and there is no reason why you should try and emulate that. You should create your own individual identity. After all, how boring would it be if we all dressed and looked the same?

So I guess what I'm trying to say (and I hope this is clear), is that everyone should be true to themselves. Put all those negative opinions and associations to the back of your mind, and do whatever makes you feel good about yourself. By doing that, you will definitely be one step closer to feeling comfortable in your own skin.

My Autumn & Winter Colour Palette | Knitwear

Finally, the cold and crisp weather is kicking in. And I have to say I am extremely excited to have gotten all my knitwear back out of my wardrobe! I guess there is a pretty standard colour palette that goes hand-in-hand with Autumn/Winter, you know black, burgundy, grey etc. But I thought I would show you what my own personal colour palette consists of for the current seasons. Of course there's black, it will always be my base colour, it is just so easy to dress with. This usually comes in the form of jeans and boots. I will always be a burgundy and grey lover too, they are of course still neutral colours so are easy enough to integrate into anyone's wardrobe.

The new colours I have discovered for AW17 that I may not have previously experimented with so much are blush shades, red and camel. Pantone Colour Institute released their colour report earlier on this year for AW17, featuring some lovely camel-toned shades 'Toast' and 'Copper Tan'. There's a beautiful bright red 'Flame Scarlet', and some gorgeous earthy tones. So clearly we are going to be seeing lots of clothing along this colour wavelength this season. Some of these colours featured in the colour report are still currently on my wish list, however sadly university means less online shopping. But I am on the hunt for a beautiful camel coat, and would really like to get some boots this year that AREN'T black for once (we'll see).

I've put together several outfits for you, focusing on knitwear. Seeing as in Autumn and Winter that is basically what I live in, it only makes sense. Most pieces are new/recent, but I have included a couple from last year. I think I've found some pretty great wardrobe staples to see me through the colder months. Here are some of my favourite pieces...

The Cable Knit | Red

The Bardot Knit | Grey 

The Back Detail Knit | Burgundy 

The Turtle Neck Knit | Grey 

The Sleeve Detail Knit | Beige 

I hope you like the pieces I have picked out, I have linked the ones that I can. I think it's pretty safe to say that I'm now covered in the knitwear department! 

The Black Blazer

I've finally got my hands on a Black Blazer, and I can't stop wearing it. For some unknown reason, I haven't had one in my wardrobe for years. After recently having a wardrobe clear out, I realised that I was really lacking in my smart jacket department... and the item that has solved this problem is this black blazer. It literally goes with everything, and turns the most casual of outfits into smart ones. I opted for a double breasted, more boyfriend fitting style, which generally I would avoid. I find that more oversized clothing styles don't tend to suit my body shape, but for some reason this one seems to work. I picked this one up from Stradivarius for an amazing price... I know I've definitely already got my price per wear out of it! Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that if you don't already own a black blazer, then it's about time you invested in one. Trust me, they will solve all your wardrobe malfunctions. Now if I'm having an outfit meltdown, I just reach for my black blazer and all my problems are solved!

Canada In Photos

Hello! I apologise for abandoning my blog for the last few weeks, I've been off exploring (again). You may or may not know (I'd be surprised if you didn't) that I spent the first half of September travelling around Western Canada. If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen lots of photos from my trip. It truly was an experience of a lifetime, and I couldn't recommend visiting the country more. Myself and my boyfriend visited Vancouver, Whistler, Jasper, Banff and Calgary. All places were completely different, but I have to admit I absolutely fell in love with Vancouver. I've always been a City person, but somewhere like London is just too busy for me. Vancouver seemed like the perfect City... parks, beaches, a harbour, mountains, and a lot more laid-back and less populated than your usual. It was a trip I will never forget, and I hope to visit the country again in the future. You may be thinking 5 destinations in 2 provinces over two weeks seems a bit busy, and it was. We did a lot in a short space of time, so I thought the best way to show you what I got up to in Canada would be through photos. Of course if you have any questions on any of the places we visited, I would be more than happy to answer them and provide you with more in-depth information.

As a photography lover, Canada couldn't have been a more perfect location to experiment more with my camera skills. I think I filled two memory cards, so I apologise in advance for bombarding you with lots of photos. Looking back at them now makes me incredibly happy, and makes me miss it like crazy! It really is the most amazing country I have ever visited, and if it isn't already on your bucket list, I hope it is after you've read this post!

Day 1-2: Vancouver

Beautiful sunset over Vancouver's waterfront.

View of Stanley Park whilst on the boat.

Whale watching tour with Wild Whales, an amazing day trip with amazing staff. Well worth the money even though it is expensive. If I could recommend to you one thing to do whilst in Canada, it would most definitely be Whale watching.

The Whale watching tour also featured visiting the seals that are usually bathing on these logs, especially on a sunny day.

Day 3: Vancouver to Whistler

Beautiful Shannon Falls in Squamish. Definitely worth stopping at on the drive to Whistler.

The walk from Shannon Falls to the Sea to Sky Gondola.

Next door to Shannon Falls is the Sea to Sky Gondola, which provides you with the most incredible views. Out of all the Gondola's we went on in Canada, I would say this was my favourite. With several walking trails, you could spend hours up there.

The perfect photo backdrop.

The suspension bridge up on the mountain.

Day 4: Whistler

Ziplining across mountain valleys with Superfly Ziplines. A truly incredible experience, run by an amazing company. Whistler offers so many different activities, if you're visiting this one has to be on your to do list!

Looking back on the first zipline 600 feet high.

Day 5: Whistler to Jasper

We were lucky enough to receive an upgrade on our rental car, so we had the pleasure of driving round Canada in this Dodge.

Driving past Mount Robson.

Day 6-7: Jasper

One of my favourite things about the country is the huge amount of beautiful animals that inhabit it. We had a close encounter with this Deer at Maligne Canyon. We did in fact see a Black Bear whilst in Fairmont Hot Springs (to my delight... I had been waiting all holiday!) in our accommodations back garden, but unfortunately didn't get the chance to photograph it.

Has water ever looked so beautiful?

Another shot of the incredible Maligne Canyon. A must see for anyone visiting Jasper.

The perfect place to spend hours wondering.

A very hazy Maligne Lake. Something to note which we did not realise until we were there, was that in order to visit Spirit Island you have to book onto a boat tour which takes around 2 hours or rent a kayak/canoe which takes 8-9 hours. Because we didn't realise you couldn't access Spirit Island by foot, the boat tours were unfortunately booked up for the day when we were visiting, so definitely book this in advance.

Sunwapta Falls.

Athabasca Falls.

Wondering around the area of Athabasca Falls, my personal favourite out of the two waterfalls.

Honeymoon Lake. Somewhere we never even knew existed, but were pleasantly surprised when we decided to take a detour from the main road. If you're ever on a road trip and passing Jasper, this would be a lovely spot to camp at.

Day 8: Jasper to Fairmont Hot Springs

Mount Athabasca.

The Columbia Icefield Glacier Adventure, where we were driven onto the Athabasca Glacier. An experience I would recommend, but bear in mind you are only on the actual glacier for around 20 minutes. The adventure also includes the Glacier Skywalk, which is great, but not the most fun in the rain!

Day 9: Fairmont Hot Springs/Banff

The most incredible scenic drive from Fairmont Hot Springs into Banff.

Probably the most hyped up place that we visited on our trip, and it definitely lived up to it's expectations. Lake Louise is truly beautiful. Full of tourists, but completely worth seeing.

The glacier fed water is the most amazing shade of green.

I completely fell in love with Lake Louise, my only regret is not having enough time to go out on the lake with a canoe.

Sorry... another photo of Lake Louise.

Banff Gondola takes you up to Sulphur Mountain where you can experience some breath-taking views of Banff and the Rockies. It's pricey, but the views are certainly worth it.

Amazing views on such a bright, clear day.

We were incredibly lucky with the weather whilst visiting Banff. The previous few days had been so smokey from the wild fires, that we weren't entirely sure the views would be that clear. But as you can see, you could quite literally see for miles.

Sulphur Mountain.

Another amazing lake, Moraine Lake. This time the most beautiful turquoise blue. Be aware that this lake has a lot less parking and access than Lake Louise does. When we originally tried to visit the road down to it, it was actually shut off. We returned later on in the day, which we found to be less busy.

An amazing sunset whilst driving back to our accommodation from Banff.

Day 10: Fairmont Hot Springs

Kinsmen Beach in Invermere, a few minutes down the road from Fairmont Hot Springs (where we were staying). We also visited the actual Fairmont Hot Springs that morning, which was nice and relaxing. This was our one day of the trip that we took some time to really chill out, and it was lovely weather. Kinsmen Beach is basically a small strip of sand around part of a very large lake, it's actually quite surreal sunbathing with mountains in the background.

Day 11: Fairmont Hot Springs to Calgary (stopping in Banff)

Lake Minnewanka... yes it really is pronounced the way it's spelt! We visited hoping to rent a boat for a couple hours, but unfortunately due to the wind we were unable to do so.

Despite the cold winds, it was a very beautiful lake, once again that amazing shade of blue.

Day 12: Calgary

This is the Simpson River, a beautiful area we spotted on the side of the road and just had to stop at. Unfortunately, as we were in Calgary for such a short amount of time and the weather wasn't great, I didn't get any particularly good photos (not blog worthy ones anyway). So, instead I thought I'd show you something amazing we saw on the drive there from Banff. But just for some information, whilst in Calgary we visited the Olympic Park, which we didn't find as exciting as we thought we would. We spent the rest of the day exploring the city centre which is really lovely and has some great shops! I just wish we had more time to really discover Calgary and all it has to offer.

Day 13: Calgary to Vancouver

We caught an extremely early flight back to Vancouver, where we spent the last couple days of our trip.

Day 14-15: Vancouver

Cycling around Stanley Park. A really lovely way to spend a sunny day and take in how beautiful the city of Vancouver is.

View from Stanley Park.

It really is hard to believe that this photo was taken in a City.

Vancouver Skyline.

Vancouver waterfront. One of my favourite spots, where you can watch all the sea planes taking off.

Even the high-rises look beautiful in Vancouver.

We spent our last evening watching the sunset up the Lookout Tower. The views really are pretty spectacular. I'd recommend booking your tickets in advance as they are slightly cheaper, as with any activity/excursion that you want to do in Canada.

As you can see the weather was up and down the whole trip. Vancouver both at the beginning and end was warm and beautiful sunshine. However, a big chunk of our trip including Whistler and Jasper was interrupted by a very smokey sky due to local forest fires. Of course this is something that couldn't have been helped and it was horrible seeing some of the devastation, but that will be why some of the photos seem a bit more hazy.

So, finally we have come to the end of this post... hopefully you managed to get this far! I hope you enjoyed seeing my photos of Canada, I certainly enjoyed taking them. If you're planning on visiting any of these wonderful places (you really should), and would like any more recommendations on restaurants etc. I am more than happy to answer any questions below.

Thank-you for reading!