My Hopes for 2019

As another year draws to a close & the new year is upon us, it's hard not to look back & reflect on 2018 & all that it's brought.

For me it's been a bit of a rollercoaster if I'm honest, with some of the highest highs, but also some of my lowest lows. But looking back on what 2018 has bought me, I'm grateful for everything I've been faced with - both the good & the bad - as it's made me a stronger person as a result.

Now then, my hopes or 'resolutions' as many people call them aren't the standard: "I'll go to the gym more...", "I'll eat healthier...", "I'll make sure I keep onto of my work..." & so on.

But instead, for 2019 my hopes are to start putting myself first again;

To prioritise myself & my goals;

To take some time for myself;

& last but not least, to generally care for myself more & give myself more credit.

These things probably sound basic, but prioritising myself & my mental health is so important! Sometimes with everything going on it's hard to remember to put yourself first, & this year I've let myself take a backseat.

So in 2019 let's all try to put ourselves first a bit more & do what's best for us! I know I'll be going into the new year with an open mind & ready to make this year one to remember!

Bye 2018 it's been a pleasure but...thank you, next! xoxo

Christmas Gift Ideas for the girls

Happy December everyone!

For once I’ve managed to get all of my Christmas shopping done already and not left any of it until the last minute.

Personally I’ve got to say I’m quite proud of myself! (Although I couldn’t help but treat myself to a few bits too - can’t win them all though I guess.)

But if you haven’t finished Christmas shopping yet - or for those that haven’t even started - I’ve put together a few affordable bits and bobs to help you with that Christmas shop!

Whether it's shopping for your secret santa or family and friends, hopefully there's a few bits here to help you with it!

(All the websites are linked below.)

Who wouldn't want a new scarf this time of year?
River Island - £18

This set has everything you need and is perfect for people starting out with strobing! Plus it's 3 for 2 on selected Christmas gifts like this one at Boots.
Boots - £16

The ideal gift set for skin care lovers.
Beauty Bay - £16

Topshop - £11.60

Would look great with the earrings above am I right?!
Topshop - £7.25 

How cute are these slippers? I'm living for the llama trend right now.
New Look - £11.99

A perfect set for perfume lovers.
Debenhams - £25.50

With tips on how to care less and do more, this book makes a great stocking filler!
SkinnyDip - £12.99

Lush - £14.95

This big 1kg bag of bath salts will be sure to put a smile on anyone's face who loves a bit of a pamper.
Beauty Bay - £9.95

ASOS pyjama set - £38

9 summer essentials every girl needs

Summer is finally here & everyone is starting to get ready to fly off on holiday. There’s no doubt that holiday shopping is one of the most exciting things about prepping for holiday, but on the other hand, packing is definitely one of the most stressful parts. As I’m finally away on holiday, I find myself thinking about the stress that goes into packing & trying to remember all the little things that are actually quite important. So, as I’m sat here soaking up the sun I thought why not write a blog post up about summer ‘essentials’ to help some of you out?

On the way there & back:

Passport - now I put this first as it’s the one thing you NEED to be able to get on the plane, but it’s also the one thing that is also commonly forgotten or conveniently remembered as you’re leaving. So as you’re busy piecing together outfits, don’t forget to pop this in your hand luggage.

Book or magazine - if you’re on a flight for several hours with no internet then I would definitely suggest getting either a book or magazine for the plane ride there. I usually get these at the airport as it gives me something to do whilst I’m waiting for my gate to open for boarding.

Headphones - you might need these to drown out the sound of any screaming babies on the plane.

On holiday:

Bikinis &/or one piece - this is a fairly obvious one, but everyone needs something they feel comfortable in when they’re by the pool or at the beach. So get yourself some swimwear that you loveeeee!

Sunglasses - also an obvious one, but no one wants to be squinting because of the sun the whole holiday! (Primark & River Island have some really nice ones in right now!)

Argan oil - when you're in the heat your hair dries out much quicker than usual, so keeping it hydrated is a MUST whilst you're on holiday to avoid split ends. I use argan oil after I wash my hair anyway, but if you don't already use it I would definitely recommend it at least whilst on holiday / when you're exposed to excess amounts of heat.

Jewellery - accessories always add a little something to an outfit, but we usually just have them with us back home, not giving them a second thought until we need them...so it’s not really the first thing we think about taking on holiday with us.

Perfume - a few sprays of good perfume will last all day and will keep you smelling fresh & summery - so make sure to bring one that you love for your holiday!

Portable charger - there's nothing worse than having a dead phone battery when you're away in a foreign country - especially if you're alone! Avoid the worry if you're out and about all day & pack one to take in your handbag.


I hope this has helped some of you or reminded you of bits whilst packing! Enjoy your holidays & I'll see you back here soon, xoxo

Orange...this years summer favourite?

So it's officially summer! Which means that holiday season is upon us, & we're all going to be frantically adding new clothes, bags & accessories to our baskets for a new summer wardrobe! Holiday shopping is expensive - as I'm sure we've all learnt the hard way - so why not think about adding some colour & variety to your wardrobe whilst you're out making some new purchases?

I loveeeeee summer for so many reasons, but one of them is that it gives me the excuse to wear all these different colours that I wouldn't necessarily always wear the rest of the year.

This year the colour I seem to be drawn to the most is orange. Everywhere I turn when I’m out shopping, flicking through magazines or just scrolling through my social media I’m seeing lots of it & I’m living for it!

Reds, yellows & greens are usually 'safe' colours to go for when trying to add some colour to an outfit as they're vibrant but aren't necessarily too 'out there'. Orange on the other hand will always make a statement, whether it's just wearing something as small as orange earrings you'll be sure to stand out!

I haven’t properly started my summer shop yet but I’ve bought a few bits here & there, & a lot of it seems to be orange so far...so I think it’s fair to say I’m slightly obsessing over it right now.

I've detailed a few of my favourite new orange additions to my summer wardrobe below for you...

Earrings - Primark

Tote bag - Matalan
This bag is a must-have in my summer wardrobe this year! I love the handles as it makes it look a bit more quirky, but it also comes with a strap if you want to wear it over the shoulder (see cover pic).

Bodysuit - Boohoo
Plain bodysuits are just an easy option to throw on when you go out, but I love the fact that when I put this one on I stand out a bit - even when I haven't necessarily put much thought into the rest of my outfit!

Beach playsuit - River Island
I bought this a couple of weeks ago for my holiday coming up next month so I could wear it over my bikini when I'm out and about. But I've actually worn it a few times here in England because unlike many other beach playsuits - this ones not see through!

Enjoy shopping for your summer wardrobe & I hope you add some orange to it now too! xoxo

Top 5 countries I want to visit in Europe

Photo taken on holiday in Tenerife.

There's finally some sunshine in England, and now that we've had a little taste of summer I can't stop thinking about it! I constantly find myself daydreaming of being on holiday, sipping cocktails and relaxing in the heat. And anyone that knows me knows that I loveeeeee being out in the heat!

I've had so many memorable holidays and travels away, and I always seem to be planning my next the second I get off of the plane back home!

I'm always away in Tenerife as I have a lot of family there but I love travelling to other places! Peru is definitely the best place I've been to as the culture is so different, but I've also loved my holidays away to places like France and Italy. My holiday to Portugal has just been booked, and I'll soon be booking my second to go to Tenerife with my boyfriend to visit my family!

But the excitement of the summer and going on holidays has gotten to me, and I'm constantly thinking of all the other places that I want to go and visit over the next few years- and trust me there's a lot! I could spend hours just browsing online at all of the different places I want to go and see!

I've decided to focus on Europe in this blog post because there are too many places I want to visit outside of it after I finish uni, and I'm sure I'll be writing up another blog post about that nearer the time!

Here are just 5 of the countries (and places in it) that I want to visit in Europe:

• Italy - Venice, Rome & Milan
• Greece - Santorini, Athens & Rhodes
• France - Bordeaux, Cassis, Paris & Saint-Tropez
• Ireland - Dublin, Galway & Cork
• Hungary - Budapest
• Austria - Vienna & Hallstatt

There's so many other beautiful places I'd love to go and visit, both in and out of Europe...and I can't wait to tick them all off of my bucket-list!

I hope you're all enjoying the sun and I'll see you all back here soon! xoxo

My new outlook on exams

Exam season is a difficult time of the year for anyone in education. Whether it's GCSE's, A levels, uni exams or anything else where exams are involved - they're just not nice!

I've never been one to like exams, so when I finished my A levels I was so relieved, only then to come to the realisation that I would have to do exams at uni as well. I only have one exam left (whoop whoop) but over the last month I've found myself constantly stressing about revising and what I don't know.

But after spending so much time obsessing over the little things, I've reached the conclusion that exam season is a time where everyone seems to focus on what they don't know, and never take a step back to realise everything they do know. So instead of beating myself up like I've been doing before every other exam, I've decided to give myself some credit for once and take some time to see all the things that I've learnt and progressed with over the year - and there's actually quite a lot!

Maybe take half an hour just to go through your work and notice what you are confident with, or make a checklist of your topics and tick off the ones your confident with. Anything that just lets your reflect on the positives will make you feel much more positive and I'm sure will give you a much needed confidence boost!

So... as stressful as exam time is, and all the work that needs to be done, remember to take some time to notice the things you do know and are confident with. That's what I've started doing, and honestly, it's put me in a much more positive and relaxed frame of mind - because who needs the negativity and extra stress when exams are coming, right?

Good luck to you all with your exams! xoxo

Shop my outfit

Hello again!

I wore this outfit for our housewarming / mums 50th joint party, and I've had quite a few people ask me where it's from so I thought I'd write up a blog post about it!

I was trying to plan my outfit for a few weeks before the party so that I didn't have to be stressing out last minute to find an outfit. I literally couldn't find anything I liked, or that fit in the weeks leading up to to party, and I thought I'd have to end up just picking something I'd already worn before out of my wardrobe. (Just to clarify, I don't think there's anything wrong with doing this, I just wanted a new outfit as it was a special occasion).

A few days before the party I went on an impromptu shopping trip as I was on my way back from the bank, and managed to find all of the bits for my outfit in one go! I couldn't believe my luck when everything fit, matched and was reasonably priced. And to top it all off I got all of my outfit in about an hour...jewellery, shoes and all!

Below I've detailed where it's all from and linked the websites too.

Petite black skinny flares - Topshop, Size 4, £20

Red sequin Bandeau Top - Topshop, Small, £19

Black strappy heels - New Look, Size 3, £27.99

Earrings - Primark, £3 (Primark don't have online shopping so unfortunately I can't link these. But they are new as of about 2 weeks ago so I'm sure they'll still have them in most Primark stores)

xoxo

My favourite home buys from my new room

As many of you know, my family and I have moved house recently. And although it's taken us near enough a year to move in (it's taken so long I know), we've finally made it and we've moved in!

So now that I'm all settled into my new home, I thought it'd be nice to share my favourite bits from my new room with you all!

Below are the photos, and underneath them I've detailed where I've gotten everything from for you all. If you scroll down to the bottom I've also included some recommendations of where I found it best to shop from and some of my top tips if you're thinking to re-do your room!

Sequin duvet cover & matching pillowcases - Dunelm
Beige faux fur cushion - Home Sense
Grey faux fur cushion - Tesco
Pink jewelled rectangular cushion - Dunelm
Bed throw - B&M

Heart shaped fairy lights - Homebase
Rose fairy lights - lights4fun.co.uk

Moroccan style diamanté lamp - Next

Grey and white blanket - Tesco

Vanilla & jasmine reed diffusers - Tesco

Copper picture frames - Dunelm

Dressing table & stall - Wayfair

Bedside table - Wayfair
Glass jar - B&M
Fairy lights - Primark
Copper picture frame - Dunelm

Furniture set - Wayfair

Light up mirror - Boots (No.7)

Tea light holder - Dunelm
Pink dragon fruit Yankee Candle - Love Aroma

Light shades - John Lewis

As I'm writing this post I've noticed that a lot of my favourite bits from my room seem to be from Dunelm. This isn't a blog post trying to hype them up or anything, but honestly they do some great things for a very reasonable price, so I'd definitely recommend taking a look in their stores or online if you want some new bits for your room. I'd also recommend looking in Tesco's home section as I was very surprised with all the nice things they had in store the first time I took a look there!

If you're on less of a tight budget then it might be worth taking a look in places like Next, Debenhams and John Lewis. All 3 of these shops have big home departments so you'll be sure to find something you're looking for!

I found it really hard to choose furniture for my room that matched and that had all of the bits of the set that I wanted (e.g.: dressing table, different types of drawers etc.) Sometimes I'd find sets that looked lovely but the sizes were just too small and weren't practical. I was having a browse online and stumbled onto Wayfair. I found so many lovely furniture sets on there and they really do have a variety of budget buys as well as high end products, and I ended up ordering all of my bedroom furniture from there! This is the last of my recommendations in this post, but if you are thinking of getting new furniture then I'd definitely suggest taking a look on their website.

Here are my top tips if you're thinking to re-do your room:

• Choose a colour scheme / base colours and work around it (mine are dusky pinks and greys)
• Add some fairy lights, candles or cute lampshades (or all of them if you fancy it). It really makes a room feel so much cosier
• Shop around! Don't go for everything you see in the first store you go into. Take your time and go into a few shops before you make any big decisions - remember, you can always go back in and get it!
• Don't over-do it with picture frames. They take up more room that you realise, and waste a fair bit of space if you're already lacking it. I'm definitely not saying have no picture frames...just try not to clutter your room with them! As an alternative maybe try pinning some photos to a pin board with some fairy lights draped over them (that's what I have in my uni room and it looks very cute!)

I hope you've enjoyed taking a peek into my new room! xoxo

What's on the next few weeks...

Hello again!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've had a lot on these past few weeks with uni work and moving house (it's finally happened!!!) But hopefully now that I have some time off of uni, and with my summer break coming up soon I'll be posting a lot more on here.

This is just a little post to let you know what's coming up on my blog soon. I'm planning on doing a few posts on my personal favourite make up products, my best home buys from my new room, as well as writing up a post at the end of my 2 weeks on boo tea (I'll have some before and after pics in there too...eek!)

Sorry again for being quiet on here for a while but I'm back now! So feel free to comment below or to drop me a message or e-mail if there's any other posts you'd like to see me to do!

See you again in a few days! xoxo

Review: Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara

I purchased this product on Monday as I had ran out of my usual mascara, so I decided to trial a new one - Maybelline Lash Sensational.

After a quick browse of the 7 variations of this mascara in Superdrug, I decided to buy their standard Lash Sensational mascara in shade intense black.

When you open the mascara, the brush is a curved shape with thin bristles alternating in length. The bristles are spaced quite closely together to avoid lashes clustering together in big clumps.

When I first applied the mascara it went on very evenly, not leaving behind any lashes with no product. With just one brush of mascara my lashes instantly seemed much longer than before. But because I do like quite volumised as well as long lashes I went over them a few more times with the brush to create the look I wanted.

On the Maybelline website it says: "Inner bristles capture the tiniest lashes you didn't even know you had whilst outer bristles volumise & define the look of longer lashes." And after using the inner then outer bristles I have to confirm that it did have a volumising effect on my lashes after using each in turn.

Before mascara

After mascara

As you can see, after just a thin coating of mascara my lashes look visibly fuller and much longer. I've worn the mascara for 8 hours straight so far and they look nearly just as fresh then as they did when I first applied the product - leaving no smudges on my eyelids either! The only thing I can fault about the product is that when it comes to removing it, it can take a while to come off properly so it may take more than just a make up wipe to remove fully.

I'm usually very picky with my mascaras, but overall I'm very impressed with the results of this Maybelline product and will definitely be adding it to my make-up bag!

xoxo

6 ways to spend Valentine's day if you're single

You either love it or hate it. Valentine's day is just 2 days away and no doubt we will see our newsfeeds crowded with mushy posts and pictures.

Although I'm not single, I won't be spending Valentine's Day with my boyfriend... so I've decided not to stay in by myself like I do every year; but instead to make the most of the day that so many of us dread!

So if you're single or not spending the day with your partner, here are some ideas of things you could do:

1. Have a girls night in! Order a takeaway, have some drinks and put a few films on. We all know a night in with the girls is a great way to spend an evening any day of the year, so why not Valentine's day too?!

2. Treat yourself to a little shopping trip. A bit of retail therapy never hurt anyone - and it's a great way to spend the day on the person who matters most - YOU!

3. Get a few of your closest friends together and go out for some cocktails. It's always a lovely way to spend your evening.

4. Go to the cinema! 50 shades freed is out now, so if you want tickets be sure to book them as soon as you can as I'm sure they'll be selling out soon for the 14th.

5. Why not stay in and have a pamper? Put on a face mask, do your nails, and even top up on your tan! We all need a bit of TLC from time to time.

6. Have a night out! There are plenty of club events on Valentine's day, so take your pick, let your hair down and have a great night out.

So whatever you decide to do on the 14th I hope you all have a great day and I'll see you all soon xoxo

5 reasons you need to invest in Garnier's micellar cleansing water

When it comes to skin care we all know we need to find the products that are right for us, and we all know it's through trial and error. Whether it's moisturiser or face wash, each person is different and we each need different products for our skincare routine.

As much as Garnier's Micellar water is amazing for make up removal, there are other reasons you should go get this asap:

1. Acts as a 3 in 1
According to a Huffington post article it acts as make up remover, face wash and moisturiser all in one. Although you may want to use face wash or moisturise as well as using micellar water, the truth is that you don't need to because the oil moisturises your skin as well as removing impurities and make up!

2. It takes those mud stains out of suede heels an absolute treat!
I've had a few pairs of heels I thought I'd never be able to wear again because I had somehow managed to ruin them on a night out. As any girl, I hate saying goodbye to pretty heels. Even though they were ruined I couldn't bare to throw them out!
I saw a post on Twitter the other day about a girl that cleaned her 'ruined' heels with Micellar water, and I'm so relieved I came across it. I tried it almost as soon as I saw the post and my old heels I thought I'd never be able to wear again are looking as good as new!
(Scroll down for before and after pictures)

3. Cleans your make up brushes
I've always used a separate product for cleaning my make up brushes. But when I ran out of it once and was looking for a quick fix, I actually found that micellar water worked better! I was very surprised at first, but I guess it makes sense that it works so well considering it's supposed to be make up remover! (Make sure you rinse them off with water after; you don't want any lingering micellar water on your brushes.)

4. There's one for almost every skin type
Whether you've got dry, sensitive or oily skin; there's one perfect for almost everyone to use. It's nice to see they're including a little something for everyone as it really does the job!

5. Removes every last bit of make up so easily
One of my favourite things about Garnier's Micellar water is that it removes make-up you didn't even think you had left on. After using a make-up wipe and thinking I've taken off as much as was there, I go back over it with a cotton wool pad and some Micellar water and I'm always still so surprised at how much comes off!

Gainer's Micellar water range has a new edition to the collection specifically for delicate skin and eyes. Their range now also boasts of 2 gel versions of the micellar water products. You can check out their full range for yourself here.

Before & after using Micellar water on a pair of my heels

xoxo