Summer Wish List Edit

With my better half Bex (aka Grace) already on her post third year de-stress holiday & mine just around the corner the Summertime wish list is getting slightly out of control. I've picked out some of my favourites to share with you that will definitely be in my suitcase when I jet off to New York in just two weeks!

Lolli Flor Draped Swimsuit ~ £139 @ asos

Kensington Passage Gel Effect Polish ~ £14 @ Nails inc.

Son of a Beach Towel by Ashish ~ £45 @ Topshop

Navvy Sandals (also in white & silver) ~ £48 @ Topshop

Printed Jumpsuit ~ £25.99 @ Zara

Alice xo

Alice & Grace Love: bareMinerals

I've had a recent conversion and not the religious kind. I was recently in Newcastle Fenwick and decided to try the much recommended bareMinerals. I started off with one of their 'Get Started Kits' which was matched up to my skin tone. The kit costs £50 but comes with the foundation, bronzer & mineral veil (to keep make up in place), a tester size primer (which actually lasts quite a while) as well as a foundation brush, a bronzer brush & a concealer brush. In my opinion that's a hell of a lot for £50. You're also taught how to use it all, which is helpful if you're a novice like me. 

After this I was so impressed I had to go back for more & invest in some of their skin care which would compliment the use of my new foundation. My favourite piece has to be their 'Blemish Remedy' that comes with it's own little brush and costs a very reasonable £15. I can confirm it works wonders.

Since making the change to a powder foundation I can see a massive difference in my skin, it feels so much healthier. The main reason for this is that bareMinerals is completely natural & therefore a lot better for your skin than caking it in chemicals. Has anyone else tried their new skin range or fake tan? Let us know!

Alice & Grace xo

When In Rome

The eternal city is undoubtedly my favourite place in the entire world, bold statement I know but if you've been there you'll know what I mean. The street food. Do I need to say anymore? Fresh pizza on the go is the work of the gods. And obviously being a bit of a ancient history fanatic this is obviously the perfect place for me but you don't need to have any previous knowledge of the Roman Empire to enjoy the sites here. Entry into museums and monuments are generally really reasonable but if you're a student make sure you take your student card as it will get you discount - even better, if your degree is in historical studies you get in free. A recommendation of mine is Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary which isn't on the beaten tourist track. The Sanctuary does some amazing work looking after strays that live amongst the ruins where Julius Caesar was murdered in 44BC. You just couldn't make this stuff up. 

I stayed at ARS Hotel which was truly amazing. The staff were unbelievably helpful and their English was a heck of a lot better than my Italian (learning Italian is definitely on my list, somewhere). Although it's a 20/25 minute bus ride to the centre of Rome the public transport is really good and reasonably priced, buses run up until midnight from central Rome. 

Italian being my favourite food I was naturally in heaven here but my favourite restaurant by far was the Mercato Hostaria at Piazza Campo di Fiori. When I picture real Italian cuisine this is what springs to mind. The service was great, the food amazing and the wine reasonably priced. It wasn't the cheapest place I ate while I was there but the prices were reflected in the meal. 

For me this was the perfect time of year to go, it was around 23 degrees most days which was perfect for a bit of site seeing as it can get extremely hot at the height of summer. If you have any tips for sightseeing in Rome, where to eat or way to stay please let me know - I'm already planning my next trip back!

Alice & Grace xo

Bank Holiday Vibes

Since we haven't left the library in what feels like 100 years, we thought a chilled bank holiday weekend was just what we needed to interact with the human race again. We didn't do anything to hardcore though, we are sensible third years in prep for adult life after all, just a few cocktails with friends and a well deserved lie in! 

Jacket~ American Eagle Outfitters

Jumper~ Primark

Pants~ Forever 21

Sneakers~ Primark 

Jacket ~ Topshop

T-shirt ~ Cheap Monday

Belt ~ Topshop

Watch ~ Urban Outfitters

Jeans ~ Asos

Sandals ~ Topshop

Alice & Grace xo

The Trainer Edit

Flats are the footwear to be seen in this season (thank god) & what's even better is trainers are having a rather glorious fashion moment right now. At last it's acceptable to wear your running trainers on a day to day basis & still be on trend. Being a bit of a trainer fanatic myself this new take on everyday sportswear has been warmly welcomed. My collection is slowly growing, although a good trainer can be quite pricey but it's worth the investment. 

My current collection: New Balance (current favourites), Nike Free+ & trusty old (& well loved) Converse.

Despite already having a few pairs my trainer wish list is growing (pretty quickly). Here's a few of my pay day picks…

Adidas Gazelle ~ £67

Nike Free 5.0 Tr Fit 4 ~ £85

Tech Super Trainers by Topshop X Adidas Originals ~ £90

Zara Sneakers ~ £59.99


Alice & Grace xo

The #nomakeupselfie for Cancer Research

As you've probably seen (unless you've been living off under a rock this week) the #nomakeupselfie has taken over social media. In aid of Cancer Research lots of ladies have been daring to bare in order to raise awareness for breast cancer. It's been a controversial matter that's got a lot of people talking so we thought you'd like to hear our opinions on the beauty phenomenon! So, check out our selfies & get donating…

Alice

When I first saw this trend taking off on Facebook I'm not going to lie, I was dreading the moment someone nominated me. While I'm not in to wearing loads of makeup I still like it as a sort of comfort blanket. But when I did finally get nominated I gave myself a good talking to for being so vain - this project has raised so much awareness and money (8 million pounds the last I heard?!) which is truly unbelievable considering they're not even sure how it started. Unfortunately my family has been affected by the big C in the past couple of years so I can assure you every single penny helps those diagnosed with cancer & their families! Even if you don't agree with the campaign you're still talking about it ain't ya? Point proven! Now donate please…

Grace

When I fist saw my feed filled with beautiful bare faces I thought it was great! Finally social networking being used for something useful (and it beats seeing half naked uni students necking tequila, although somtimes that is pretty funny). But then I started seeing those slating status', you know the ones sayin 'it's a fad and no one really cares', 'just another excuse for a selfie', 'they have a cure anyway it's all a conspiracy' and the worst 'girls, quite frankly, you all look disgusting'...It was mind boggling. I mean, what's the difference between trends like this and Sports Relief or Red Nose Day? All of them are commercialised on the run up to the event, pull in a mass sum of money and then slip off the radar for a while. WHO CARES?! It's for charity. #DontHateDonate

If you haven't already please text 'BEAT' to 70007 to donate £3 to Cancer Research UK, it really is that easy.

R.O.I text 'PINK' to 50300 to donate 4Euro to the Irish Cancer Society

Alice & Grace xo

OOTD #1

Just because our degree & being a third year insist we spend the majority of our lives in the library doesn't mean we need to start dressing in sweats all the time (yet, give us until dissertation deadline & we might be saying something entirely different…). 

Today's OOTD is all about my current obsession with Topshop Boutique. It may be a little more expensive than usual but I'm completely sold & my collection is slowly growing. This top is 100% silk and feels absolutely gorgeous. I know for a fact I'll be wearing it for years to come so I can justify the splurge, right?

What I wore…

Mac Coat ~ Zara, £69.99

Oversized Top ~ Topshop Boutique, £85

Jeans ~ Topshop, £36

Heeled Chelsea Boots ~ Topshop, £45

Handbag ~ Michael Kors

Watch ~ Urban Outfitters, £24

Necklace ~ Camden Market, London

Alice & Grace xo