New Job - OOTD

As Monday came around, so did the day of starting my new job. After being a student for the last 3 years - and never working full time before, I really didn't know what to expect. Starting a new job can obviously be a stressful and anxious time - wondering what your colleagues will be like? Will you be good at the job? etc etc - but one of the main things I found myself wondering about was "What am I going to wear?". 

Now this really isn't THAT important, but I found myself wondering which of my clothes would make a good "full-time working person" outfit. Will my clothes be suitable? What would other people be wearing? Heels or flats?

Plus -  just to add to all of this - we've been having some glorious weather here in the UK. Now I'm 100% not complaining about this but it certainly does make finding an appropriate outfit, that won't cause your body to reach a level close to melting. 

After a little while rummaging around in my wardrobe, I eventually settled on the outfit below. Even though it was warm out, I decided on tights as I felt they made the outfit a little smarter yet still appropriate for summer and comfortable to wear all day. 

Top - Topshop

(I was given this for Christmas so unfortunately can't find a link for this - but they may have 

it in shops)

My trusty Skater Skirt - New Look

Sunglasses - Free with a Cosmopolitan Magazine

Overall I feel this is smart/casual outfit that is suitable for a day in the office - when did I suddenly grow up?  

xxx

Small & Blonde's Makeover

This is just a quick post to say that (as you can hopefully tell) I've given Small & Blonde a makeover. 

At around 11pm last night I started fiddling around with the settings in blogger and a few hours later felt pretty happy with the outcome and my beloved blog's new look. 

If anyone has any feedback or even tips to improve the look then it would be appreciated.

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(Good old Mean Girls!)

xxx

Date Night

As a little celebration for our university grades and moving into the flat, my boyfriend's parents deciding to come and visit and treat us to a meal. They chose an Indian restaurant that neither me nor my boyfriend have eaten at before, but according to reviews was amazing.

Outfit - 

Top - Primark
Skirt - New Look
Sunglasses - Free with Cosmopolitan magazine (bargain!)

Although you can't see my shoes in the original 

photo - I couldn't resist adding a photo as I adore these heels, especially 

as I got them for £10 - Bargain!

Unfortunately the light means you can't see the white heel quite as much but

take on a look on the New Look website for a better picture. 

I'm usually a little sceptical about new restaurants, especially ones where I don't know too much about the food. Due to this I played it relativity safe by ordering my usual - Chicken Tikka Masala, rice and two poppadoms. My boyfriend has previously recommended me trying a chapati (which is a type of bread if you didn't know) which is delicious - so I ordered one of these to. 

Despite being a little cautious as first, it's safe to say I was not disappointed! The food was delicious and the atmosphere/service in the restaurant was amazing. The waiters were polite, with the food arriving at the perfect time (no-one likes to wait ages but feeling rushed isn't great either) and the décor was lovely - I wish I'd snapped a few photos. 

As a nice little touch after the meal our waiter brought out some hot wipes for our hands and a chocolate  each too which was such a lovely touch. If you're ever in the Birmingham area and fancy an Indian meal, I definitely recommend The Saffron. 

After the meal we headed back home and each had a few drinks, a slice of home-made cheesecake (Oreo and white chocolate cheesecake - definitely thinking of writing a post about this - Yum!) and some chit-chat. 

I love date nights, and this was made even more special by spending some time catching up with my boyfriends parents - perfect. 

xxx

Nivea tinted moisturiser - review

If you're living in the UK at the moment, you'll know that we've been having some glorious summer weather. However, as much as I love the summer and hot weather, it can be a bit of a nuisance for us make-up loving girls. Foundation + sweat does not end well (although of course us girls don't sweat properly - everyone knows that!)

So after applying my foundation sparingly the last couple of days and finding that within a few hours my face had almost completely reverted to its original *slightly terrifying haha* pre-foundation state I stumbled across an old friend. This old friend is my Nivea tinted moisturiser. 
If I'm honest, I'd pretty much forgotten about this product until this morning - oops - so upon finding it at the bottom of my make-up bag I decided to see if this could help with my summer-foundation troubles. 

(Please excuse the grubby packaging - 

the poor thing's been buried beneath my other make-up)

I purchased the moisturiser in the shade "natural", which is slightly darker than my natural skin tone, but as I do get a (teeny tiny) bit of a tan throughout the summer months it's not to much of a problem. However - due to this - this probably isn't a product I'd use in the winter months in order to avoid looking like my face had gone on holiday without the rest of my body... which obviously wouldn't be great.

I applied the moisturiser with my Real Techniques Stippling brush (which you can read my review on here if you like) by buffing the product into my skin. I found it had a pretty good coverage considering it's not a foundation, but without feeling too heavy on the skin. Perfect for warmer days. After application, I simply dusted over with a light coverage of setting powder and then added a little bronzer to my cheeks, jaw and hairline before completing the rest of my day to day make-up (eyes, eye-brows etc).

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this product as it lasted well throughout the day - despite me being out and about in the sun - and it felt like my skin was able to breath. Bonus (x2) - this is perfect for dryer skin (which I have) due to the moisturising effect and the product has an SPF 8. Always nice to have some added protection from those nasty UV rays!

Now I know you can purchase light coverage foundations - I have some from Rimmel that I love - but personally I feel this is much nicer on my skin for warmer weather.

This is a perfect alternative if you want some coverage on warm summer days or simply prefer a lighter product compared to a normal foundation.

If you're interested in purchasing the Nivea Tinted Moisturiser, you can purchase it from Superdrug for a lovely low price of £3.59 (remember those NUS cards if you're a student for discount!) or click here to view the product on their website.
I personally purchased mine from the shop Savers (not sure if these can be found through-out the UK or not, but if you have one by you be sure to check it out. It usually has lots of products on offer at cheaper prices and I LOVE it haha!

If anyone else can recommend some perfect foundations/tinted moisturisers/BB creams for summer use, please let me know. I'd love to try something new! 


xxx 

Liebster Award.

At around midnight yesterday my email pinged to say I had a new comment on one of my blog posts - which is exciting in its self. However this comment was from the lovely TashEmily over at A World Full of Wonders  - if you haven't already, check out her blog - it's adorable - nominating me for the Liebster Award. 

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I've seen this floating around the blogging world and I think it's pretty well known, but if you haven't heard of it these are the rules: 

• You must answer all questions that are given to you 
• You must link back to the person who nominated you 
• When you finish this, you must nominate eleven bloggers who have less than 200 followers
• Provide your nominees with eleven questions of your choice
• You cannot nominate the person who nominated you 
• You must inform your nominees that you have nominated them 
• Provide your nominees with a link to your post for more information

So... The questions given to me are: 

If you could describe your blog in one word what would it be?
I would have to say "chatty" - I think most of my posts are generally just me chatting - but instead of talking, I'm writing. This may not make as much sense to anyone who may read this as it does in my mind... But yeah.. Chatty. Haha. 

Favourite clothing shop?
Umm.. At the moment I would probably say... Forever 21. I love the range of pretty and girly clothes they have on offer and the prices are student friendly too (Bonus!)

What was the last book you read?
I have recently finished reading "Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy" by Helen Fielding. After having this one my shelf for ages, I finally got around to reading this. Personally, I really enjoyed this book. It's easy to read and perfect for some bed time or on the beach reading. 

Who is your idol/inspiration?
I'm not sure if I really have an idol as such - But someone who inspires me is my mum (a little cheesy I know haha). But she really always has and does everything she can to support me (even if I'm just calling for a rant over nothing in particular) - and is always there to offer me honest advice.

Biggest phobia?
Now I have a couple of phobias but my biggest one - which I'll just warn you may sound a little odd - is a Zombie Apocalypse. The thought of Zombies or a Zombie apocalypse honestly terrifies me... I'm a huge fan of The Walking Dead (best show ever)  but watching it (or anything else zombie related for that matter) honestly gives me nightmares.. and yes I am 22 haha! In fact my fear is so huge that sometimes when I'm out and about I try and plan what I'd do if a zombie was to appear - crazy I know. 

Are you more likely to scream or laugh on a roller-coaster?
100% scream. I don't really like roller-coaster as I'm scared of heights so I would definitely be screaming a lot.. and possibly crying haha. 

Favourite T.V show?
As previously mentioned my favourite T.V show is by far The Walking Dead. Despite my huge fear of Zombies and not usually liking anything gory I LOVE this show. I have the first 3 seasons on DVD, am waiting for the 4th of cannot wait for the 5th to be aired.. If you haven't seen it... Go and watch it right now! 

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Something you're looking forward to in the future?
Ooh there are lots of things I'm looking forward too.. but one thing I would chose is the point when I can (hopefully) have a little kitten of my own.. (hello crazy cat lady) and a puppy too. 

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I think everyone usually has a few things they'd like to change about themselves - even just teeny tiny things - but (without going into too much detail putting a downer on this post) I suffer with anxiety when in a situation I'm not comfortable with. It's not a massive issue and I know there are loads of people who suffer much worse - but it's enough to stop me from doing things I'd like to - especially those including travel or places I'm not familiar with. So I would take that away if I could. 

If you could only visit one place in the world - and then never leave your town/city again - where would you go?
Ooh this is a tough one... There are so many places I'd love to visit. If I had to narrow it down, I think it would have to be America. I've been to Florida previously, but I would love to road-trip around the of the the USA. 

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What is the most important possession you own?
I'm not 100% if this counts as more than one possession - but I'd say the photos I have printed out is my most important possession(s). I love looking  back at the memories and think they're perfect to look at when feeling a little low. 

Thanks to TashaEmily for nominating me - I really enjoyed writing this and feel it's a good way to interact with other bloggers. 

My nominees are: 

1. Cara from #lifeshaketogo
2. Amy from Amy In Wonderland 
3. Doireann from Life Beauty Blogger
4. Christina May from Hey Christina May
5. Kristine from Kristine
6. Kirsten from Kirsten Gillies
7. Lauren from Lauren Gillies
8. Urika from U is for Urika
9. Chloe from Chloe Alice
10. Sinéad from Miss forever chic 
11. Jenna from The Domestic Diva Diaries 

And the questions for you to answer are:

1. What inspired you to start your blog?
2. What is your favourite film?
3. Who is your favourite blogger?
4. What is your favourite food?
5. Which actor/actress would you chose to play you in the movie version of your life?
6. What would you say was your favourite holiday/vacation?
7. What are you favourite pizza toppings?
8. Are you a cat or dog person? If neither what pet would you say is your favourite?
9. What would you say is your guilty pleasure?
10. What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
11. Who/what is your favourite fictional character?

If you complete this I'd love to read your answers so send me a message or comment!

Have fun! 
xxx

Back in the 21st century and a thank-you.

After not being having proper access to Small and Blonde for around 2 weeks I am so so excited that I finally have WiFi in my new flat and therefore can start blogging frequently again! Whenever an idea for a blog post has popped into my head whilst having no internet I’ve made a note of it on my phone and have managed to build up quite a list. Over the next week or so I’m very excited to start putting these ideas together before I enter the real world and start full time work on the 28^th  * eeek scary *.

As a little side note my little blog reached 50 followers around a week or so ago. I know in the world of blogging this is a teeny tiny number, but I only created this a few of months ago (I think… is it bad that I can’t fully remember? oops) and I am unbelievably happy with reaching this number. So, I just wanted to say a quick thank-you to anyone who has followed Small and Blonde.

I can’t wait to get back into blogging regularly again!

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(This is pretty much me right now..)

xxx

No WiFi

As I said in my latest post I've recently moved into my new flat.. Yay! However this means that we currently have no WiFi and therefore I can't make many posts on my beloved blog..

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Okay - That is probably a little dramatic but you forget how much we rely on the internet and then when it's gone.. BAM .. you realise. 

Today I've hooked my laptop up to my phone as a personal hotspot but I know it's going to eat up at my internet allowance so it's not something that I can use until our WiFi is installed. 

Obviously this is just a quick post and sorry to anyone who reads it for being so rubbish - but I couldn't stand neglecting Small and Blonde any longer. So this is just a quick little post to say why I haven't written anything recently, but I have a few ideas for future blog posts so I'm very excited to get back and write more frequently again.

The WiFi is due to be installed on the 18th July (ages away I know) but hopefully my phone's internet will survive and I can come on and write a few more posts before then! 

Fingers crossed!

xxx