upcycling yankee candle jars

A cheeky little DIY post from me today. I love crafting, not only is it fun it's also a great way of saving yourself some pennies!

Pinterest is full of cute ways you can use jars around the house, but kilner jar's can actually be pretty pricey and why not use what you've already got. I'm addicted to buying Yankee Candles and wanted to find a pretty way of re-using them! So, in this case I decided to empty them out and fill them with... yet more candles (I know).

So when you've come to the end of burning your candle, pop the jar in the freezer. Wax contracts when it freezes so when you take the jar out the wax will be easy to remove. Then, instead of throwing that wax away invest in a tart burner, there are loads of cute ones on ebay and it means you really aren't wasting any of your money.You can peel the labels off, or actually I think sometimes they look quite cute left on.

Then get to work on decorating your jars- the best bit! I have a craft box where I put anything I have saved up over the years. I always keep the ribbons off of gifts and the pretty row of houses I have stuck on mine is from a housewarming card my mum got me! I stuck it down with glue dots and voila!

There are so many things you can fill these with- cotton wool, hair bands, tea lights. After I had taken these photos I emptied out a third jar, skipped the decoration and filled with fairy lights for my bedside table.

A kilner jar costs almost as much as buying a Yankee Candle alone and this way you get double for your money!

Do you have any other ideas on how to use jars around the house?

Happy crafting!

spring ready nails

Nails Inc George Street- £11

My nan always buys me a selection of Nails Inc and Leighton Denny for birthdays and christmases and this was in her latest offering. George Street is the perfect, easy to wear, dusky pink nude. The colour is beautiful and definitely one that could be worn on a range of skin tones. I'm not one to wear a bright pink polish and so I find this shade a nice, subtle way to wear the hue. Paired with a pastel coat, this polish will see you are Spring ready!

On the flip side though, I do think £11 for a nail varnish is way over priced and you could easily find a cheaper alternative in Superdrug. Espescially as I found this streaky on application (as I do with most lighter colours). I also find that nudes start to look grubby after a couple of days and so it doesn't really matter what the staying power is like.

This nail varnish is gorgeous, but in no way is it a game changer. 

marwell zoo

dress; primark

jacket; primark mens

bag; primark

socks; primark

rings; primark and republic

necklace: topshop

shoes; office

rayban clubmasters

lipstick; look beauty hypermelon

just putting it out there, i love the zoo. it is awesome. i have loads of good memories from trips to the zoo and i could probably go every day of the week. i want ash to take me to edinburgh to see the pandas but until then marwell will suffice.

i am starting to really hate primark and it's not like me to wear so much of it, but i popped in the other day and they had some gems. this bag and dress i picked up for £8 each! they're great quality and i had been lusting over a bag similar on asos for a lot more money. i paired it all with my topshop, zoo appropriate, animal necklace which is one of my biggest loves in life. i am struggling to put together outfits with this weather. normally i opt for denim shorts and tights but it is just too hot! 

i am feeling rubbish about the amount i post on here and i wish i could do so more often. whilst i have been home from uni since january i have been sharing a room with my sister with all my things in the spare room. this means that i simply don't have the space to take photos. at the moment the only way i can post is by roping someone in to photograph for me. this being said i have some good ideas for some festival style, beauty and practical tips. i consider myself to know a thing or two about festivals so i hope you will enjoy these over the next month.

i hope you're all enjoying your weekends; zoe xxo

**photos taken either by my dad or gorgeous sister (@danniiambros)

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mickey's leather clad girlfriend

topshop leather studded mouse ears

so i don't care how ridiculous you think these ears are. I LOVE THEM. now obviously i won't be wearing these down to the supermarket but i can tell you now- come festival season these will be attached to my head. and the possibilities for fancy dress! they were £12.50 which might seem a bit overpriced but i can confidently predict i will have these for years to come. they were a gift from my mama and what a freaking treat they are. everyone needs a few things just because and not for practicality. (forgive the webcam photos and pathetic attempt at a cute mouse impression)

dainty doll liquid foudation

Dainty Doll by Nicola Roberts Liquid Foundation in 003 Medium

i think Dainty Doll is one of the most intelligent make up brands on the market. Nicola Roberts created this line especially for pale girls, like myself. 

after years and years of using maybelline dream matte mousse I decided it was time for a change and so for the last six months i have been on the hunt for a foundation that is more true to my skin tone. after many trips in to debenhams for a colour match (every single brand chose the lightest shade and every one was soooo wrong!) i stumbled across a dainty doll stand in boots on oxford street. normally i have to take a tester but knowing the brands focus was on paleys i took the plunge, being the absolute daredevil that i am!

let me start by saying this is the first ever foundation I have used which has come even remotely close to the natural colour of my skin. i got the foundation in shade 003 medium. they were sold out of 002 light and 001 very light is practically white, which was TOO PALE for me. i never thought i would see the day a foundation was too light for my skin! the coverage is medium but is buildable, i do tend to build this up a fair bit. it gives a very natural finish and blends easily. the packaging is sleek and simple, but i think it feels quite cheap and i don't know if i just got a dud but my pump plays up a lot as well- sob sob sob! for me personally, it is too dewy and i need to invest in a good matte powder to compensate for that.  i actually picked up the dainty doll powder as well which i thought was complete rubbish and does nothing for me whatsoever. 

in reality, if it wasn't for the colour i would probably dismiss this foundation but as it stands i can't sing this foundation (and the brands) praises enough. not all of us want to fake tan, some of us actually like being pale and thank god there is finally a brand out there that has recognised it!

DISCLAIMER- i was blessed by the skin gods in that i am not in any way acne prone and i very rarely get spots. however, my skin is dry, dehydrated and dull, as well as being extremely sensitive (eczema sufferer). after using this for two weeks i have seen no evidence of it irritating my skin or emphasising any dryness. i can't however comment on how it would be on anyone elses skin type.

she called me chauvinistic but she can't even spell it.

 

jumper; oxfam

skirt; primark

shoes; office

nails; MUA shade 23

lips; look beauty shade 8- hypermelon

ring; republic

bracelets; pandora and a gift (?)

oh the irony of the title of this post! i had to google chauvinistic to see if i'd spelled it right.

staggered by the amount of page views i am getting- 100 a day. i know that in the grand scheme of things that's not very many but to me it means a lot! 

i'm trying recently to move away from wearing shorts as much, they are still my favorite thing in the world but it can be pretty samey and boring. this midi skirt is really good quality for primark and i think it was only about £7- so no complaints! now i know what you're all thinking- the jumper?! what possessed me to buy it. well i saw it in the oxfam tent at bestival back in 2011 and fell in love with it. my boyfriend thought it was hideous but i had to have it. once it was on he said it looked nice, not sure if he just didn't want to make me mad though. i normally wear it more casually , with denim or leggings (and always get the weirdest looks) but today i wondered what it would look like with a more formal skirt and like how it turned out. lesson for today- don't be afraid to experiment and even if people think you look weird- who cares if you feel comfortable. at least it's not boring!

i am taking my daddy and perhaps my godfather to see django unchained tonight which, thinking about it, if i'm seeing my future husband- leonardo dicaprio i might have to change out of this hot jumper ;)

i built a man made out of bricks, and lived inside his chest

 hat; h&m

dress; h&m

tights; primark

jacket; primark

shoes; office

bag; marks and spencers

ring; republic

lips; kate moss for rimmel 107

are you all impressed by me keeping my word and saying i will be blogging often!? i'm almost shocked myself but i'm really enjoying it. forgive the horrific quality of these images, i'm on my mum's computer so can't use my normal editing software and as soon as i cropped the photo it looked so blurry and weird.

fairly simple outfit today as i wasn't really doing much. how amazing are polkadot tights, i used to wear them a couple of years ago but stopped for some reason. i think they are so cute, the downside is the expense compared to how long they actually last, which is one-two wears. fresh on today and already laddered! this tshirt dress from primark is amazing, i wanted it in a size 18 but they only had a 16 and i do still wish it was a bit more oversized but i like it none the less, it will go so well with my array of patterned jackets! and the price was a major plus. talking of sizing issues- this hat is way too small for my head but i couldn't bring myself to take it back because i love the colour so much. i have decided there is no way i'm giving up the a/w dark reds and berries trend. this kate moss/rimmel lippie is only the second lipstick i've ever finished. i am so attatched it's a bit ridiculous and will definitely be repurchasing. these shoes have barely been walking but after wearing them to digital they have been well and truly battered. i think i will start wearing them more often though as i love boots so much but always feel self conscious being a foot taller than everyone else. these are just little mini heels so prevent any #tallgirlproblems from flaring up.

i'm already planning my spring/summer wardrobe, i genuinely can not wait. not that i have anything to do or any money to do with it. i love all my friends to bits but it can be lonely having them spread out along the south coast. if anyone has any festival suggestions for a girl who loves glastonbury and likes bestival then send them my way! i'm looking to getting day passes this year.