Cheap Student Decor- The New House!

My friends and I recently organised our housing arrangements for second year and I am already so excited. I've always loved change and back home I was forever rearranging furniture in my bedroom. I can't wait to have a living room again, as the halls of residence I'm in at the moment don't have a social area.For this post I thought I'd share some items I've got my eye on for decorating our new house in September. I'll also recommend some highstreet stores for cheaper options so that if any of you are looking to make student accommodation a little more homely, it won't break the bank.

There is an Ikea in Southampton which isn't too far from us so we'll be making a trip later in the year. The first thing I'll be picking up is a few of their potted plants  which are currently £4.50 for three. Cacti are supposedly very easy to keep alive and healthy, so they are perfect for us students who often forget to do the simplest tasks... I think they will look great on the kitchen windowsill or in the bathroom to add some green to the house!

Another must-buy from Ikea is this set of two scented candles with brightly coloured pots. I have always loved Ikea's range of candles so I'm looking forward to trying these mandarin and sea salt scented ones. Since it'll be heading into winter when we move in, it'll be nice to have vibrant and cheerful items to warm us up- and there's nothing more calming than candlelight. These are £3.50 for 2!

H&M home is great for homeware as they have such a big range of more affordable options, alongside some very stylish, more expensive pieces. I can't resist this set of two body towels because, well, I just love bananas! I don't think I've ever seen such an interesting print and it'll be nice to have enough bath things when guests come to stay. These are £6.99 and I've seen that there is a matching shower curtain, so I'll have to persuade my housemates on that one!

The last item I've found is from Ohh Deer, a site which has lots of quirky items. This Jungle print oven glove  is something I must get as I love cooking and have had too many flimsy tea towel related burns to not buy a proper glove. I much prefer this print over the floral, feminine Cath Kidson alternatives and this is only £7.95!

If you are looking to find cushions, blankets or other larger items, I'd recommend visiting TKMaxx and Zara home as their products are great quality and if you hunt around, you'll definitely find some bargains. I'll be updating you later in the year with all the decorating news!

March Empties

I've collected a bunch of products I've used up and thought I'd write a review for each item once the box was full- so here goes, my first empties post.

           

First up is something which came in a Lush gift box and so it isn't what usually catches my eye in store...

It's Lush's 'Fun' in Blue, a playdoh-like bar filled with chamomile and lavender oil to use as a body wash, hair wash or for bubble baths. The scent is fresh, sweet and floral but not super feminine. It is pretty fun (excuse the pun) to be able to mould little shapes out of this 'soap' and I'm sure would be a hit with little ones! In terms of price, I'm pretty sure these are under £5 and last for ages.

Next up, two samples from Aesop, the purifying facial exfoliant paste and the 'fabulous' face oil. 

The scrub contained fine quartz, rosemary leaf and lactic acid which was fairly powdery rather than scratchy. Despite the overwhelming herbal smell which was quite medicinal it did a good job of smoothing out all bumps and reduce redness. The abrasive texture meant that I would only use it on the chin area- definitely not on the eye area and was too harsh for everyday use.

The oil was a concoction of juniper berry, ylang ylnag and jasmine, which as you can imagine was quite intense fragrance wise. The scent was spa like but I didn't want to smother my face with it. The residue remained on skin in a strange way as if it wasnt absorbing despite being on for an entire sunday. My dry patches in between eyes remained so not much hydration happening- major letdown.

I am a huge fan of the Twinings green tea and peppermint range but the Salted Caramel was not to my liking. The smell was insanely good, like danish pastries and honey. The taste however was weak and bland with a hint of butter which was frankly, rancid. 

A bit of positivity with this one finally! My ultimate bedtime beverage, a sweet peppermint and chamomile tea from Celestial. If you see this anywhere just give it a sniff- beyond delicious and although it's probably the warm drink sending me off, I find that this really helps me drift off.

Two candles which have burnt beyond reuse, both very subtle. The Gardenia one is more floral and creamy whereas the Muji one is citrusy and sweet. I would recommend both for affordability and lasting power.

Last but by no means least is my go-to cream cleanser by Botanics. Marshmallow and sweet almond oil leave my face nourished and clean without feeling stripped. It is also very soothing on sensitive skin so would definitely reccomend for unruly teenage skin or for those looking for a budget cleanser - this bottle is around £8 and lasts for ages.