It's been about a month and I'm finally committing myself to blogging again. It's been a major adjustment being back in the Netherlands, and I haven't really been able to find my way here again - in other words, it sucks and I want to go back to the UK! In the last month I've mostly been getting back to uni again, settling in in Nijmegen and been on a really, REALLY enjoyable trip to France. However, I think this is the best time to blog, as I have a bit of time now before the thesis hell really breaks loose.
So, let's take a look at the little gems I found in England. I just want to point out that these things might seem really commonplace to some of you but as a Dutchie these products aren't easily available to me at home, which explains why I'm so happy to have them.
First up, books! The first one is this Barnes and Noble leatherbound edition of Dracula that I got for Christmas. Okay, this one is not actually bound to England in any specific way, but you can get this edition for a fairly good price at Waterstones, as well as a number of other leatherbound classics.
I absolutely love it, it's so beautiful. I almost never spend money on expensive books except if I really like a certain one, and Dracula just happens to be one of my favourite novels, Iehhhh.
Then there are a few other books I got in Exeter (it's a good place for booklovers and I don't even count myself as such but apparently it's infectious). There is a little shop near the Quai area called Book Cycle. It's located in a really cute little house and sells secondhand books. The concept of the store was entirely new to me: you can decide for yourself what you want to pay for a book, and every visitor can buy three books maximum a day. The money that they make goes to projects to provide less fortunate children in third-world countries with books. I loved this concept and knowing that I was supporting a charity really helped with chosing what to pay for the books - which is the tricky part.
I got these lovely books there:
I paid 10 pounds for these three books, which is about 3 pounds a piece. I'd been meaning to buy The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time for a while and I was very happy to see it there! The middle one is Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days, but in French. Now okay, this might seem really pretentious but I read the book in English and very much liked it, and I loved the look of this one. It's from about the 1920s and if something is as old as that I just need to have it, even if it means taking twenty times as long to read it because it's in French - but fortunately I'm picking up that language again! The top one is Waverley by Sir Walter Scott. Again, I liked the look of this one, it's old, and I've been wanting to read some of Sir Walter Scott's work for a while now. Also, it has some really nice pictures in it that are great for Snapchat, just saying.
Okay, then it's on to beauty products. I LOVED being able to pop into Boots and Superdrug. They sell so many brands that are a pain (or just downright impossible) to find in the Netherlands, and it was really nice just going to the shops and looking at all these new products (of which I couldn't buy many because I'm a poor student). However, I did manage to buy some products that I have been loving so far.
First up is this body lotion by Soap&Glory.
I had heard about Soap&Glory by a lot of British bloggers, and knew I had to try it. Unfortunately, this stuff is not cheap. I paid 10 pounds for the above bottle, BUT I am sure that it will last me a loooong time. Also, this stuff is really worth it. This botty lotion smells like a little piece of heaven. I bought it for my sister for Christmas and after unwrapping it on Christmas eve she kept rubbing little dollops of it on her hand because she loved the smell so much. I decided I had to have one as well and bought this one just before going back home. I also bought my sister one of their body scrubs which is very lovely. It does what it's supposed to do (clear the skin), as well as leaving it soft and smelling amazing. They really have some gorgeous products and I wished I could've bought some more - or all - but alas. I know I'll be trying more of their products though, or giving them away as gifts because just look at the packaging, so cute!
The last things I really want to mention are some lipsticks that I got at Topshop. I'm in the habit of watching youtube bloggers and have heard them talk about Topshop lipsticks many times. I got two, and I was certainly not disappointed!
I got a nice classic red colour 'Hazard', and a more purplish one 'Role Model', which I have been absolutely loving, Both are matte lipsticks, but they do not feel dry on the lips as some matte lipsticks tend to do. They are more creamy and the colours are just amazing. My lips have a tendency to dry out very quickly while wearing lipstick, but these keep my lips fairly moisturised, which leads me to wear them more often. They cost 8 pounds a piece, so about 10-11 euros if I'm not mistaken. Not the cheapest lipsticks out there, but I do believe you get great value for your money. Certainly recommend! (and you can just get these via the Topshop website). Topshop also have some very nice nailpolishes, I've especially been enjoying the matt-velvet ones, so pretty!
So yeah, these are some of the things I've been enjoying in England and which I brought back with me to enjoy at home. I can't wait to go back to the UK and get some more bits and things :).
