A day with Kate #4!

I got to meet up with Kate again on Wednesday as exams are long gone so instead of Guildford, we went to London to go somewhere different and mix it up a bit! 

As she's never been before, I took her round Covent garden and the surrounding area - next time she's taking me to Camden as I've never been there, I'm super excited! 

While I was waiting for Kate to arrive, I went to Forbes bookshop in Waterloo station and bought The Secret History by Donna Tartt as I'd heard about it from a friend reading it and it sounded super interesting! I read a bit on the train home and I love it already! I will post a review when I'm done.

We looked around my usual favourites (Kate Spade, Banana Republic etc.) and went to Ed's Diner in Soho for lunch which was really good! We meant to take photos of our lunches but we forgot - it was so good though, they never disappoint! The music also helps with the 50s American diner vibe they give out - bar seating and booths galore!

We went to H&M where Kate got 2 dresses, then went to TK Maxx where I found the softest jumper which will be perfect for when the weather gets colder again, I can't wait to wear it! I spent way too long looking at the jumpers and figuring out which looked the best and which was softest - I'm so happy with my choice as it'll look perfect with jeans and boots come Autumn! It has just the right amount of slouch to look laid back but still pretty and I love it! TK Maxx is such a great place to find cheaper pieces from more expensive brands. My jumper was £7.99 and was from Vero Moda.

We also went to Laduree so I could get my macaron fix and I got some sweets from a shop just off the main part of Covent Garden - the marshmallows are so yummy and are quite addictive, the raspberry jelly stuff inside makes them less sickly and just nice! I also didn't go overboard like I usually do, I'm trying to cut the amount of sweets I'm eating slightly in an attempt to become a bit healthier and get better control over my diabetes.

We then went to Oxford Street and to Selfridges to look around and it was crazy how expensive the items in there are! I was really close to buying a set of Ciate nail polishes (even though they're a bit harder to put on, their lasting time is amazing!) but decided against it eventually as they were £18.

We then went to sit around in Southbank while we waited for my train and found a cooler corner in the building away from the scorching heat.

I always love meeting up with Kate and despite the crazy heat, I had such a good day!
Jess xx

High End vs. High Street.

2014 Blogger Challenge post time! The topic this time is in the title - High End vs. High Street! 

I'm not really sure what counts as 'High Street' and 'High End' as where I live, there are pretty expensive shops but they aren't to the standards of brands like Gucci or Prada. 

Clothes

I think, as a student and having no income (yay for having no time for a job...), I would have to say High Street is my favourite out of the two as they're more affordable and last quite a long time if you choose wisely. Some of my favourites are probably New Look, H! for Henry Holland and Red Herring in Debenhams, Next, Banana Republic and Crew. 

I own a lot of clothes from Crew because there are yearly factory/warehouse sales which are great for buying their clothing cheaper. The quality is amazing and even at full price, spending the money is worth it as the styles aren't seasonal and can be worn for however long you want! 

New Look is great for vest tops and ballet flats as they last for ages and are super cheap for the basics. I'm not a big fan of most of their clothes but when they have pieces I do like, they last for ages and fit me perfectly. 

Debenhams are perfect. Red Herring do some of my favourite pieces of clothing that I wear and will go back to over and over again and my two all time favourite dresses come from H! by Henry Holland. They both fit perfectly, have cute, fun designs that still look good and are made of great quality material. They're also not outrageously expensive. 

Next are the only place I'll buy jeans from. I have quite big legs which makes it a problem for me to buy jeans from designer places but Next make jeans of great quality that last for ages and look good too! There are also loads of styles and not just drainpipe skinny which is helpful for me as I suit straight leg better. 

I discovered Banana Republic when I went to Covent Garden a little while ago and I fell in love. This goes at the more expensive end of High Street with Crew because they go on the same sorts of prices. They have a perfect mix of classy and casual pieces that are amazing and I would happily buy most of their shop if I could afford it. I rarely say that about anywhere so they must be pretty awesome! I wish I could go there more often because the two tops I have from there are both perfect and look great!

I'm not sure how many of these really count as High Street but they're mostly affordable so I think that's how I would class them!

I'm not really sure how to class High End because different people class them as different things. I'm going to say that my favourite (and only) High End brand is naturally Kate Spade though. Their prices are completely ridiculous and a lot of their pieces are very hit and miss with me but when I find something I do like, I fall in love with it and then cry about the price tag. I was over the moon when I found out that there was a Kate Spade shop in London and I was even happier when I bought my first ever piece from there, my stripy bow top. I also have a ring, scarf, purse, bracelet and mug from there and I love them all. The quality is second to none for the clothes and while the jewellery has minor problems (magnetically held bracelets are NOT easy to wear in daily college life), I still love them. I try to go there when sales are on as the price drops are crazily good and make everything vaguely affordable but they're still more expensive than most of theHigh Street brands I previously mentioned! I think if their prices were lower I would be so much happier but I think I'll just have to put up with just staring at the pretty pieces over the internet for a little while longer (or forever unless I get a REALLY good job). 

Make Up

I love pretty much every piece of make up I have ever bought so this is a tough one. 

I would have to say though that as my favourite foundation (Max factor), lipstick (Rimmel), blusher (Ruby and Millie) and nail polish (Essie) are all High Street brands, I'm starting to lean that way.

However, my favourite mascara (Benefit), eyeshadow (Urban Decay) and eyeliner (Eyeko) are High End, so it does even itself out quite well. 

I think that because I use my High Street products more as I don't have a problem with replacing them due to their cheap prices, I can say that I prefer them. I also have fairly good High Street options for mascaras and eyeliners to choose from as replacements for my High End versions. Urban Decay will never be beaten on the eyeshadow (or primer!) front though - I'm definitely willing to spend out for them as they're so good and last for so long! They're also cruelty free which is a nice addition!

I would happily use more high end brands for make up because they are good quality, but the high street ones aren't that much worse and the quality difference doesn't compensate spending another £10/£20 essentially just for a name plastered on the side. Yes, the packaging is prettier, but the product in the tube is what counts really!

I do love both, but for affordability purposes, High Street wins hands down here for me! 

Jess xx

Challenge post three.

London again!

Over the last few months, I seem to have gone to London more times than I have in the last few years put together, it's crazy but great - it's probably my favourite city! Covent garden is also my favourite part so visiting there a lot has made me so happy!

Last post, I told you at the end how I was given a scarf from Kate Spade for Christmas. It seemed completely perfect and I'd wanted it for as long as I could remember liking their brand, however, it wasn't meant to be. When I opened my present, I noticed that there were some holes in the fabric so considering how much my parents had spent on it, I showed them and we decided that we would take it back to see if we could get a refund (we had to return a t shirt of my brother's too so we killed two birds with one trip!).
We went back up to London yesterday and the people in the shop were really nice, took the scarf back and said I could exchange it for something of equal value! As it was the sale, I came away with more than I thought I would!
The lady that helped me and my mum out suggested this scarf and said it was super popular so I had to snatch it up, especially as it was less than half of the usual price! I loved the matching clutch they had in store a few months ago so I'm really happy as this scarf is perfect. The pattern is amazing and it's almost silky, I love it so much and I'm actually quite glad we returned the other one as this feels much better quality! I can't wait to put an outfit together around it!

I thought that was all I was going to be able to get but it turned out that because it was a sale item, I had quite a bit extra to spend! This owl coin purse was the last in the shop and for that reason he's a bit delicate and has a few circles missing from the back. We were given a pretty good discount off him and I'm so glad as he's gorgeous, so quirky and is made of leather so it's so worth it as the circles can be sewn back on (they were inside him!). 

I had a little bit of money left and after contributing a bit of extra money, I bought this bracelet. I love Kate Spade jewellery and I love bows so this is perfect! It also has a really cute engraving on the inside saying 'tie one on' which is a bit difficult to see in the picture but it adds a little bit extra to an already amazing piece! 

After that, we decided to pop into Banana Republic as there was also a sale on there and their clothes are usually quite expensive. I found the last one of this gorgeous T-shirt for £17.99 and I fell in love with it instantly - it's a little baggy but it looks amazing on, I think it's a perfect lazier looking top which I can't wait to wear! 

The green sleeveless blouse was £29.99 and I found it just before we went to pay. It has little gold buttons and navy details which I completely adore, navy is a weak spot for me I think! It's such a good quality blouse though as most items I own in the same material are see through but this one has a lining so doesn't require another layer underneath which I'm really happy about! 

Both of these shops have such cute bags as well, I always keep them as they're really sturdy and easy to store away! 

I'm so happy and thankful for these late presents - I'm actually quite glad that my scarf was faulty (it was beautiful but the damage was so bad for the price and quality expectations for Kate Spade!) because it let me choose some other gorgeous things I wouldn't have otherwise! I guess some things just happen for the best!

Jess xx