Wednesday Wisdom:

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Mini Primark Haul:

Pineapple shorts - £4

Elephant Print Gypsy Top - £4

White Gypsy Top - £5

Black Frilly Socks - £1.50

3 Pack Scrunchies - £1

Cleansing Wipes - £1

A super quick, summer ready, Primark haul from me this month - I only went into Primark for face wipes and earrings and managed to come out with a bag full of things I didn't need (and no earrings!). I swear Primark has some sort of weird magical pull that makes you forget that you came in for a purpose but that you really, really need those pineapple print shorts...

In terms of clothes I only picked up these gypsy tops (that I am totally digging for summer; they are the perfect boho piece!) that are beyond flattering and versatile - i've been wearing them with my black ripped jeans and can't wait to pair them with my cut off Levi's when the sun finally comes out. The shorts were a total wild card for me as a self confessed colourphobe but the relaxed fit and and the cute print won me over - I think they'll be perfect for throwing over bikinis on holiday and for relaxed days in the summer.. how ever far away it feels! I also picked up my face wipes that I swear by on lazy days (although can someone please tell me if the tea tree ones are still available?), another three pair of the scrunchies I can't get enough of for a comfortable, relaxed hairstyle and some frilly socks that I have already in white and love - you can't beat pairing frilly socks with cut out boots for a cute, unique summer look that keeps your feet warm when the temperature drops!

I'm really happy with my mini haul - have you picked anything up you love from Primark recently? 

G 

#16:

AKA 'The Throwback' 

Dress - Topshop (Similar)

Long Sleeved Top (Similar)
Choker - Primark (Similar)
Duster Coat - Topshop (Similar) 

Another day, another vintage themed outfit! You might have seen this long sleeved New Look tshirt (still available in store for a bargain £5) featured a couple of days ago where I mentioned you'd probably get sick of seeing me wearing it and here it is again.. oops! This dress is a Topshop buy from last year that I still wear to death; never let anyone tell you any item of clothing is 'seasonal' - I wear this 'summer' dress all through the winter and keep warm by layering it up! I added my favourite Primark choker and a pair of ankle boots, my favourite Primark scrunchie and a pair of thick tights and I was good to go - a 90s themed outfit that's perfect for life in the (freezing cold) 2000s!

G

Missguided Wishlist:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Isn't this just the most perfect boho, summer ready wishlist you've ever seen? I *accidentally* ended up on Missguided to scour the endless dress section but the 'Desert Wanderer' collection on the homepage caught my eye and I managed to fall in love with every piece; i'm not normally one to dress head to toe in a certain brand but the styling of these pieces is spot on and has got me daydreaming about summer and my vintage Levi's! I'm lusting over every piece but the fringed leather jacket, the playsuit and the fringed crop top may just be my favourite - when the summer rolls in I find myself drawn to anything that has a hippy / boho vibe - think Vanessa Hudgens at Cochella and you've basically got my idea of the perfect summer wardrobe - and the inspiration behind most of this wishlist! 

I've never shopped at Misguided but it's definitely be a site i'll be checking out more often - if only for the fringed leather jacket of my dreams. Do you like Missguided? Any other sites I need to check out for the perfect boho summer wardrobe? 

G

Collection 'Work The Colour' Eyebrow Kit

Collection 'Work The Colour' Eyebrow Kit

You might have seen in my Boots Haul a few weeks ago I raved about this product and promised a post devoted to it (I'm also considering doing my full eyebrow routine as a separate post - what do you think?) and never really got round to it - bad blogger that I am! However I was putting my eyebrows on this morning and thought 'I need to tell people about this gem'.

As you might have guessed, I picked up this kit from Boots for a bargain £3.99 which considering you get three shades, a brush a clear mascara seems too good to be true. I thought it was worth a try regardless and settled for the darkest shade in the kit (the bottom one on the swatch) which suits my eyebrows perfectly. The result? I was amazed. Seriously, this stuff glides on, applies evenly and is so easy to work with. I honestly don't think you can tell a difference between this and my Benefit eyeshadow i've used for years expect the colour is a more natural and closer to my actual eyebrow colour. My only bug bears are the brush that comes with the kit was a little brittle and flimsy for me (but for £4 what do you expect?) so I use my Benefit brush instead and the powder doesn't feel as secure as my Benefit eyebrows did - that stuff was near enough waterproof. The Collection kit doesn't smudge or fade, but if i'm going on a night out / long trip i'll set my eyebrows first with an Avon eyebrow definer pencil so they stay perfect allllll day. Like I said, for the price it's not a big deal and i'm probably just paranoid but melting eyebrows are not a risk i'm willing to take.

All in all i'm so happy with this product; I love that you get a variety of good quality shades to play around with, I love the price and I love the way it looks. Any more bargain eyebrow / Collection products I need to try - I think i've been converted!

G

#15:

Ribbed high neck Tshirt (similar)

Ripped jeans 

Barely there sandals (similar)

Statement necklace (similar) 

Dressed in my favourite colour, I've barely taken this outfit off this week! I bought both the top (which you can also find here) and the jeans from New Look after wanting a pair of ripped knee jeans forever and loved how they look together - a really simple but flattering look and since the tee is a little thicker than normal, perfect for these winter days. Prepare to see a lot more of both these pieces because I love them so much! I've been wearing the outfit with my cut out boots (see them here) but with the weather cheering up a bit, I broke out my love-to-hate sandals. Finally, for a teeny bit of colour, I added this amazing Primark statement necklace I picked up from Selfridges in Birmingham over Valentines weekend. It matches my mint green ICE watch perfectly and goes with everything.  

I absolutely love this outfit - it's quickly become my go to look and suits all occasions.  

Do you love all black outfits? Any statement necklace fans out there? 

G

AVON Nailwear Pro - Impulsive Sky:

Isn't this just the most gorgeous colour you've ever seen?
 It half reminds me of a Mediterranean sea and the bluest summer skies. I'd actually picked up a very similiar shade already via Avon, but I couldn't resist this pop of colour (you can see how I love it... i'm wearing it in this post!). Although you can't really see from this picture (thanks Apple for randomly deleting most of my carefully edited and selected blog pictures!) this polish is actually a really stuble shimmery shade with large flecks of glitter / sequins in it which gives it a really quirky, 3d look. I love a nice bit of shimmer and it just adds to the summery feel of this colour. The polish itself applies really smoothly and not too watery or gloopy (is that a real word?) which is something I love about Avon nail polishes; they're consistently brilliant for a good value and they have some gorgeous shades. 

Any other Avon shades I need to try? 

G

Wednesday Wisdom:

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Lush Fairtrade Foot Lotion:

LUSH Fairtrade Foot Lotion

 Now hang in there with me, I know this is a seriously unglam product - it's up there with deodorant and shaving cream isn't it? But seriously, this stuff is next level. I posted a picture on my instagram and it got so much love I decided to give it its own post.

Understandably, the lotion smells like peppermint (insert your Mean Girls reference here) but not run of the mill, boring chewing gum peppermint, oh no... this is Lush peppermint so it smells insane. It smells to me, like Candy Canes and i've actually found myself on a couple of occasions rubbing it into my hands because it smells so sweet and minty and... edible. I think LUSH really excel themselves in making products that make you really breathe in the smell, bring back memories and make you want to just eat all the bath goodies (and foot goodies in this case!). Aside from the smell, I found this lotion really cooling (perfect on hardworking feet!) and it worked a dream on healing and calming down a couple of blisters I'd actually got on my hands - the cooling element of the lotion really helped soothe that awful burning blister pain. I try to apply this lotion every night, before bed and because i'm a weirdo, I throw on a pair of socks to sleep in to let the product really sink in... but if you can't sleep in socks then just let it air dry instead and it'll work just as hard. I recieved the foot lotion either with my Think Pink box or as a Christmas present and it's definitely a great present idea; it's not something I would necessarily have ever bought for myself but i'm so glad I have it now!

I'd definitely recommend this product (if only for the smell!); it's hardworking and, of course, against animal testing which I love. Do you have any random LUSH products I need to try? 

G

#14:

Dress - Rihanna For River Island (Old) (Similar) 

Necklace - Primark (Similar) 

I'm sure I can't be the only one that has one item in their wardrobe that quietly sits there, mostly forgotten about waiting to be worn, time after time - always appropriate and always slimming. For me, that item is this River Island dress from Rihanna's collection a couple of years ago. On paper it really shouldn't work; it has a low front, a high thigh split and a cross up back. I picked this dress up on a total whim in the winter sale thinking i'd probably barely wear it.... who knew i'd be so wrong. Wearing a bandeau under the dress solves issues the low front / cross back issues for me (if you're the kind of girl that can go without a bra I hate you!) and I love the thigh split - it isn't inappropriate and it can be pulled down / moved around to make the dress less revealing. I seem to pull on this dress everytime I go on a night out or for drinks for something I know will flatter me while still making me feel kinda classy and a little bit risque. 

You can still pick up this exact dress on eBay (search Rihanna River Island black dress) or anything very similar in pretty much any high street store and i'd really reccomend buying your own version: it's true what they say about LBD's - you really can't beat them!

What are your wardrobe staples? 

G

What To Expect From a Water Deprivation Test:

For a while now (approx 6 months) i've been experiencing terrible thirst, exhaustion and constant headaches. I didn't really think much of my symptoms and it wasn't until I told my mum I was drinking 9 litres of water a day (yep, that's not a typo, nine litres) and her practically forcing me to the doctors that I thought, 'hey there might actually be something wrong with me..' I won't go into boring details but the long and short of it is, if you're experiencing sudden and incurable thirst go to your doctor. Seriously! I hate to sound like your mum but it could be something and nothing (too much salt in your diet) or it could be something potentially very serious like diabetes. After a round of tests everything was showing fine but after a couple of fainting fits and an increase in my water intake, I was booked in for a water deprivation test to see if someone could figure out what was wrong with me. 

Now, deprivation tests are incredibly rare and most of the time not necessary - 9 times out of 10 the doctors can find a cause straight away and fix it. The doctor that conducted my test told me on average he does between 10-40 a year so in the grand scheme of things, not that many. So understandably, Googling 'what happens on a water dep test' and 'can I take my laptop to a water dep test'  brought up nothing so I stubbornly and angrily told myself that after my test i'd blog about it so if even one person finds it, reads it and knows what to expect, i've helped someone. 

I can happily and easily say that the test wasn't as bad as I thought as yes my hospital (Pinderfields in Wakefield) were fine with us bringing our laptops in for some entertainment so seriously - buy sims, write up some blog posts.. anything that keeps your brain ticking.

In terms of the actual test, I was basically locked in a room with a male doctor and a female nurse and made to go to the toilet every hour with blood taken every three hours. I was hooked up on cannula so the bloods were an absolute breeze (personally). 

I was kept without water from 8.30am until 4.30pm when I was allowed a drink of my choice (hospital coffee never tasted so good!) and allowed to leave although for some, the test can last another 2 hours (with fluids in the last two hours). The hardest part for me, personally, wasn't actually the lack of water but the lack of food. You are literally only allowed dried foods (which is harder than it sounds!) I'd taken sweets, pasta, crisps and soft mints but wasn't allowed any of them: allowed foods are biscuits (great when you're thirsty.. not!), hard boiled sweets and that's about it. You're not allowed gelatine or anything with a high salt or water content. As you can imagine, when you're sat in a room, bored and restless you just wanna eat so that part, for me, was awful. 

 also took loads of magazines and a book but ended up being too tired and too headachey to read them which wasn't great as it left me with nothing to do - rookie error! If you're into knitting or crosswords or any other grandma influenced hobby, i'd seriously recommend taking that along. No-one will judge you for taking loads of things to keep you entertained but you will hate yourself if you end up bored. For me, I wish i'd downloaded more apps (games, duo lingo etc), taken a blanket (you will end up tired and probably freezing) and maybe some colouring or something to keep me entertained but not something that would induce or aggravate a headache. I wasn't allowed to walk around the hospital or go outside even with someone monitoring me for fear that I might get too weak / dizzy etc but its always worth asking and I was allowed to nap which was great because like I said - the test really takes it out of you. 

Surprisingly, the next day actually left me feeling much more lethargic and light headed -my doctor told me I should have had the day after off work which I really wish someone had told me before! The lack of water and constant blood taking really effects you so you will wake up the next morning feeling a mix between flu and a hangover. Luckily this only lasted for the day after for me, but it really wasn't a great feeling!

If you have any questions about how you're feeling (seriously, again, go to the doctor if you're experiencing extreme thirst, I won't tell you again!) or what else to expect from a WD test please feel free to email me at georgiacwood@gmail.com or tweet me at georgia_cwood and i'll do my best to help. It's scary feeling like this with no end in sight so please don't suffer alone. 

G

John Frieda 'Brilliant Brunette' Intense Conditioner:

John Frieda 'Brilliant Brunette' Intense Conditioner:

It's been all go for me this week - I had a water deprivation test done at my local hospital, celebrated one of my best friends 21st birthday and managed to pass my driving test as well! I'll be posting more about my deprivation and driving tests because I really struggled with both and want to pass on any tips that might be helpful to anyone else!

With my hectic week finally behind me I decided to treat myself to a pamper session this morning; armed with my LUSH facemask, a hot bath and this John Frieda hair treatment I settled down and hoped for the best. I did only dye my hair last week so it's a little dry and needed a bit of TLC. I'm a long time John Frieda fan; there Frizz-Ease shampoo is a long time favourite I always go back to and I have used the Brilliant Brunette conditioner before so I was expecting good things - John Frieda are a brand that know what they're doing and do it well. This intense conditioner definitely didn't disappoint - it's a really thick conditioner and although there was only just enough for one use for me if you had shorter / thinner hair it would probably stretch to two. First up, the conditioner smelt divine; oh my god I can't even explain! I left it on for the recommended 15 minutes  and wow... It has a delicious woody, musky, floral smell that if it was bottled, I would use as perfume for myself I loved it that much. The scent lasted after washing and blow drying as well which is always a bonus. The actual conditioner left my hair so soft it was a dream to blow dry and brush through. The conditioner does sell itself as a 'brunette' option though so I was interested to see how my colour would look afterwards; as you can see in the last picture (left is before!) the conditioner definitely made my hair look so much shinier and did the job nicely - my colour definitely looks deeper and more 'multi tonal' as promised. 

I love these little John Frieda sachets and couldn't recommend them enough; they're the perfect 15 minutes your hair needs to make it soft, shiny and smelling amazing. What more could you want? 

G

Homeware Haul:

Dressing Table Mirror - The Range (similar)
 Wine O'Clock Cushion - Dunelm Mill
Love cushion - Primark (similar)
 House Tealight Holder - Poundstretcher
Flower effect lampshade  - Next

It's recently been all change at whatgeorgiadidnext headquarters (aka my home!) after my mum and dad decided to add a dormer extension to our house. We've lived in our house for the majority of my life so it was so unsettling and exciting to be moved out of my tiny room and be given a brand new bedroom.. complete with a dressing table (finally!). I'm planning on doing a proper bedroom tour once my room is properly finished but for the moment I wanted to show you all some bits i've picked up recently because I don't know about you, but I absolutely love homeware goodies.

First up, although the dressing table mirror and Love cushion aren't available online, I know they're both still in store (when will Primark finally get an online store?) so you can pick up the exact same ones at a much cheaper price than the links. I'd also recommend going into Dunelm for the Wine cushion because a. it's a really fun way to spend an afternoon and b. there was 20% off when I went in. I'm a serious cushion hoarder and love any that are a little bit quirky, cute or really speak to me (like the wine one... it's always wine o'clock in my house!). My mum actually bought me the tealight holder before Christmas because home is definitely where the heart is for me and although i'm currently using it to store nail varnishes while I use up another candle, it throws out such a lovely, home inspired light that is just so cosy and welcoming. It's a really cute ornament to have on my shelves too and £2.99 is so much cheaper than a lot i've seen advertised. My Next light was actually a present from my mum as well (girl got good taste!) after I was devastated when I couldn't have the ikea 'Maskros' pendant i'd had my heart set on. Being the absolute gem she is, my mum scoured out a look a like that, coincidentally matches my 'Fillsta' lamp so I could have a gorgeous, vintage floral effect light that throws off a really amazing light. Finally, as I said above, the absolute highlight of my bedroom change has been finally getting a dressing table! Mine is actually an ikea desk and isn't quite finished but this The Range mirror fits it perfectly and I mostly love the three mirror effect- although not on a morning when it's bad enough seeing one sleep and caffeine deprived Georgia, never mind three..

Do you love homeware hauls too? Anywhere I can buy more cushions from? 


G

Rimmel Apocalips in 'Luna':

Rimmel Apocalips in 'Luna' (I think!):

I've been eyeing up the Apocalips range for a while after reading so many rave reviews but never quite got round to purchasing any of the range being more a lip balm kinda girl.  Then I spotted this insane dark pink nude in B&M for a bargain £1.99 and I just had to have it - even though mine doesn't seem to have a name! It was between this strange nudey pinky colour and a bright red but as a colour-phobe, I decided to stay neutral.

 I've been wearing the lacquer non-stop for a couple of weeks now and absolutely love it; it applies like a gloss then stays on like a stain. My only criticism is that it takes such a long time for the product to dry onto my lips since it's quite wet and while I like the gloss effect whilst its drying, it fades off as soon as I talk, move, think... However once it does dry, it barely moves and the colour is exactly the same as it's advertised which I absolutely love in a product. 

 I'm really loving Apocalips and i'm seriously hoping I can find some more shades; I'd quite like to try a proper nude and maybe a red or a bright pink.. who knows!
Have you tried Apocalips? Any other shades I need to try? 

G

Barry M Gelly | 'Lychee':

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in 'Lychee':

First up, as a blogger and slight English Language nerd, i'd just like to express my disgust at the ridiculous name of this product; 'Gelly'? 'Hi-Shine'? 'Nail Paint'? Spelling mistakes aside, i'm absolutely obsessing over this polish. I've never been a huge Barry M fan but after scouring the internet for the perfect nude, I decided to give it another go and i'm so glad I did.
It takes a couple of coats to get the colour right, but the 'Gelly' effect means the polish glides on and layers up easily although it took two coats to get the perfect coverage for me. Colour wise, I think this is the perfect nude; it's more grey toned than pink or yellow which makes it look really fresh and neutral rather than just an average pale pink polish like a lot of nudes out there. For the price (Barry M are currently on 2 for £7 at Superdrug too!) it's quickly becoming my go to varnish for a sleek, fresh and simple everyday look. 

I'm so happy with this polish and would happily recommend it- I definitely think it's better suited to paler girls though, on someone with more pink or brown toned skin it might look a little bit too grey and harsh but i'm so happy to have finally found my perfect nude!

Do you Barry M Lychee? Any other shades I need to try? 

G 

VO5 Matt Definition Spray:

VO5 Matt Definition Spray 

I couldn't resist this spray when I saw it for a bargain £1 in Sainsburies.. i'm constantly on the hunt for products to give me those perfect Pinterest worthy beachy waves and to add a little bit of definition to my seriously unruly hair. I'm not madly obsessed with this product on my long hair - it does add some definition and I love the matt effect but for the amount I need on my long locks, it starts to make my hair look greasy and drops out quickly. On my mums lob though (fashionable mum alert!) it had the desired effect and made her hair look so defined and beachy... i'm not jealous at all!

Overall, for a pound this product does the job but it's definitely one for the short haired girls. Have you tried this product before?


G