The Girls' Holiday Preparation Checklist

A girls' holiday is the perfect excuse to turn your Instagram into an basic white bitch summer account, become uncomfortably close with your best friends and go a little bit crazy or a lot of crazy I won't judge ;) 

Since I'm heading off to Malia in almost a week (i'm totally not counting down the days cough 10 days cough) I decided to start on those holiday vibes early and get on that preparation. 

1. Prepare a summer playlist [ ]

Whether it's all the new hits for this summer or your old favourites, make a playlist for your trip that gets you in the summer mood. The best thing about this is when you listen to it after the holiday, it'll bring back all the feels! 

2. Get a new scent [ ]

You know when a certain smell triggers all these memories? Well by using a new scent on holiday every time you smell it after will take you back.

3. Workout a little bit extra [ ]

It's too late to get a complete summer body if you haven't been at it already for a few months but every little helps! Nothing is worse than feeling self conscious in a bikini.

4. Cut ties with party poopers [ ]

Considering last time I went on a girls' holiday I spent a good 40% of my time crying, this time i'm taking all the precautions. If there is someone in your life who upsets you or is a little unpredictable, cut them out at least a week before so you can have your cry time and then get back to the fun. Hopefully you'll have such a good time you'll cut them out for good! (gotta throw in some life advice while I'm here) 

5. Charge everything [ ]

By everything I mean cameras, speakers and phones because there is nothing worse then bringing something along and just before you wanna use it, it dies.

6. Plan events & parties you're attending before [ ]

Whether its a neon party or a bar crawl  you need to bring an outfit suitable for the occasion, or something you don't mind never wearing again due to an explosion of paint. And it's a good way to keep check of your already growing holiday fund.

7. Detox  [ ]

If you're planning on having a wild time on holiday, you need to let your body prepare for the amount of alcohol you're gonna be having. Have a healthy week before with no alcohol so you can feel that little bit less guilty when your downing 10 shots in a row.

8. Hang out with your squad [ ]

Whats almost as exciting as the holiday itself, is the planning and preparation for it all with your friends. Dancing around to your playlist and planning your outfits will totally give you those holiday vibes. 

9. Pamper session the night before [ ]

You know the holiday is going to be one big photo session and you want to look your best, or at least the best you can be after being hungover for 3 days in a row. 

10. GET EXCITE [ ]

By far the most import point to check off your list is to just leave all the drama and problems at home and prepare for a holiday you'll cherish forever. 


xx

Sunday Thoughts | How To Not Screw Up Your Life

Recently a lot of questions about the future seem to keep cropping up on me, what do you want to do? Where do you want to live? How are you going to get a job? It's honestly terrifying. Not because I don't think great things are going to happen, but simply due to the fear of the unknown. I've decided to write a few tips that I think prevent me from going into a spiral of decay. 


Don't Rush

Apparently peer pressure is at it's peak during high school but I call bullshit. Pressure about the future can be a lot worse. Thinking of taking a gap year? "Oh they're not taking this seriously" Not being able to find a job? "They aren't trying hard enough" and so on. It may seem like you're being rushed but honestly take some time to really think about what you want to do and who you want to be, nothing is worse then waking up to the realisation that you're unhappy with who you've become.


Be Confident Not Egotistic

By all means embrace your best assets and the things that make you individual but don't get cocky about it. Confidence shows you know what you're doing, you enjoy what you're doing and people will see that. But being egotistic and bringing people around you down won't make you any better at what you do. 


Dream Big

Having a big dream that you strive towards gives you something to wake up for, something to try your best for. Fair enough you may never become the multimillionaire bachelorette you dream of but you should damn well try. Average dreams get average results.


Forgive Yourself / Respect Your Choices

For me personally this is such an important mindset to have. Everyone does silly things and you may look back and think, "what the hell was I thinking"? But you have to respect that you wanted to do that at the time so whatever the outcome be confident with your choice.  You can't rely on other people to understand you or forgive you but if you can rely on yourself life becomes a lot easier.


Don't Compare Yourself To Others

I get compared to so much by other people that if I did it myself I'd probably go a little crazy. It's so easy to look at someone's life and think, "well they've got their shit together" but that's not always the case, remember that we only post what we want other people to see on social media. 


Choose Your Friends Wisely 

It's so easy to get caught up in social groups and tell people all about your goals and ambitions. But not everyone will be supportive. A handful of people who love and care about you is worth much more then an roomful of people who mock you. 

I'm thinking about making "Sunday Thoughts" a frequent thing where I just write about what's on my mind at that time. Let me know what you think? xx 

How To: Handle Humidity

We all love a good tropical holiday, but with cocktails on the beach and lounging around the pool comes the dreaded humidity. 

Because i've spent my life growing up in an extremely hot climate, humidity is just another everyday occurrence, but for people who aren't as used to it heres a few tips to keep in mind for the summer. 

• Take care of the frizz 

Hair has got the be the worst thing to deal with in humidity but it's easy to forget about the change in weather and try and style your hair like normal, but the moment you step outside BOOM you turn into a pompom! It's best to buy and test a product that keeps your hair under control before you start styling it, my personal favourite is Loreal's hot and smooth styling spray, put this on your hair after washing it and then straighten it and it'll say straight throughout the day. 

• Find the perfect up hair do

When you're so hot and sweaty the last thing you want is hair sticking to your and making you even hotter. If you put your hair up all nice before you step outside it will keep you cool and a bit fresher as well as staying in position for most of the day. 

•  But get used to a messy top knot 

No matter how hard you try, you will eventually give up with your hair and just want to get it off and out your face! 

• Attempt a more natural look 

If you're out in the day and under the hot sun, makeup will just slide off your face in a big sweaty foundationy mess! But if you can't go out without a little makeup try to use mostly waterproof products and instead of foundation just use powder. 

• Primer Primer primer 

You can get away with wearing a bit more makeup in the evening since it won't be as hot, but in order to keep your makeup staying lovely you're gonna have to prime up, hard! 

• 2 in 1 moisturiser and suncream 

It's so important to where suncream, especially on your face as it's so sensitive to the sun but it's also very easy to forget and can be extra effect if your in a hurry to get to the beach.

• Mini Sprays = Your Best Friend 

With heat comes sweat and with sweat comes... not the best smells. Make sure to stock up on mini sprays or deodorant so you can throw them into your bag and keep fresh all day. 

I hope you have a fizz free and beautiful summer, even if it mean changing up your routine a little xx

Don't Get Lippy With Me!

 The beauty world has blessed us with hundreds of different types of lip products, from frosted lipsticks to matt glosses. Although it's fabulous to have so much choice it also makes finding the perfect one a whole lot more difficult. You don't only have to think about the shade anymore, you have to have the right texture and consistency.

I'm one of those people that can't leave a store like Boots or Drugstore without a handful of goodies to smudge all over my face, so looking and trying out all these new products is like a dream come true. But I know many people who just want to pop in, find what they're looking for and go, so having such a variety of lip products makes life that much more difficult for them.

I've narrowed my review to 3 different types of lip products, lip gloss, lipstick and lip butter in 2 different colours. I chose these products because they are all different consistencies but share a lot of eachothers traits.

First up it's Lipgloss

Natural Collection: Cherry Drop 

This sparkly candy pink gloss is a beautiful colour in the tube but dissapointly lacks much colour once you apply it on your lips, although the sparkle remains giving you a little pop of glamour when you enter into the light. The gloss is a thin consistency so i'd advise you to apply a little more than usual just so the colour comes through a little better. I was surprised to find that it really wasn't that sticky at all, so it would be a perfect replacement for a nude lip.

Calvin Klein: Burst 

The gloss looks a lot more orange in the tube than on your lips so don't let that scare you. The application of this gloss is a little messy as it's very thick and difficult to control. I had high hopes for this product as its Calvin Klein, but it's extremely sticky and doesn't really do much for you lips except make them look like you've licked them shiny!

Now Some Lip Butter 

Collection: Popping Pink

Collection: Vintage Rose 

Thought I would review these 2 product together since they are from the same company, lip butters are a new addition to the lip product family and I can certainly see what all the buzz is about. They are as moisturizing as a balm, as shiny as a gloss and as pigmented as a lipstick. The perfect all in one lip product! Personally I prefer the Popping pink because of its gentle brightness, as most pink lipsticks are almost neon! The Vintage Rose colour is also very subtle but its unique mixture of nude, orange and a little pink makes it a perfect natural colour. Their crayon like application makes it so simple to apply and is also very handy for on the go. They only negative comment I can say about this product is that its a little greasy but defiantly a super product in my eyes! 

Last But Not Least  Lipstick 

GOSH: Tropical Pink 

There's no denying that this lipstick is extremely pink, like I can see you from the other side of the street kinda pink!  It's a good consistency for applying, as its moisturizing to start with but once its on, the drying process is rather quick. This extremely girly colour will be perfect for spicing up any outfit or if you just feel like having a girly day. 

M.A.C: Fresh Moroccan 

If you've been reading my blog for a while now you know I love a red lipstick. This Frosted M.A.C lipstick has tiny flecks of gold, which shimmer through in the light. I hate to say it but this lipstick is very dry and cracks easily, I would advise you a use a red lipliner before applying this lipstick just so that when cracks do appear its not as obvious. 

Swatches up to down: Natural Collection Cherry Drop, Calvin Klein Burst, GOSH Tropical Pink, M.A.C Fresh Moroccan, Collection Popping Pink, Collection Vintage Rose. 

I love using all these products as they are required for different looks, I use lipgloss for more natural and subtle looks as well as layering it on top of my lipstick. I have found myself reaching for my lip butters instead of my lipsticks now for daytime looks as they last longer and I can apply them easily throughout the day. I save my lipsticks for more dressy makeup looks like going out or fancy dinners. 

What's your favorite lip product and do you recommend any for me to try? xx 

Triangl Bikini Fad/ Dupes

 I have been seeing Triangl bikini's here, there and everywhere since the beginning of summer. It's the new favorite bikini for everyone I follow on instagram and even celebs, like my favorite Kylie Jenner. I'm never normally to phased about bikini's but for some reason ( probably because everyone has one) I wanted one. But oh my $89 US or in English terms £54 for a little bit of waterproof fabric and some string? NO WAY. Are they really worth the price? 

What makes these overpriced bikini's so popular is firstly their adorable colour range, from Candy Pink to Las Vagus Lights, their unique design that to me looks like the inner lining of a bra (in a good way...kinda) and lastly the fact that they look so flattering on your body. I've also heard that they come with a mini black leather backpack to give you more bang for your buck. 

Triangl- Las Vagus Lights 

Now you may be thinking, it can be a little treat for yourself or one of your splurge items for the summer. But with so many dupes around you may be able to save some big ones! I wasn't even searching for a dupe when I stumbled across one in Cotton On for only £12. Which I just had to buy even though it's a tinyyy bit to tight. The only noticeable difference between the two is that the Triangl bikini has a black outline around the whole top, while the Cotton On one only has a black outline in the centre. 

Cotton On also had a range of colours very similar to Triangl's, but sadly my boobs were too big (that's like a good and bad thing!) 

Cotton On 

Triangl- Candy Pink 

Sadly the Cotton On website doesn't have any sign of these dupes but i'm sure if you look in the shops they'll be there. But Asos also do a similar styled bikini without the black detailing. 

 Asos- Embossed Floral Longline Bikini 

Hope you all enjoy the last few weeks of summer and don't forget to #beachessentials xx

Fantastically Fake: Nails

For the past couple of months i've tried out a range of fake nails from the cheapest to the semi designer, to see if it's worth investing on nails that you'll only wear for a day. I was originally going to do a post on "The perfect nails for summer" but since there were so many brands and price rangers to choose from it made me curious to know if there is a dramatic difference between them all. 

Being a fake nail virgin, it was difficult to choose what nails to test but I eventually decided upon the brands Primark, Boots own, House Of Holland and Ted Baker. Although there are many more brands out there, this selection gives me a good range to test out and see if I love them or hate them. 

Primark: £1.00

Brought from: Primark

When I first saw these £1 nails I was a little taken back and to tell you the truth they are what gave me the idea of making a post on nails. But although you're saving money, you are giving up quality. They were extremely plasticy (I know they are supposed to be plastic but I don't want people to know they're fake!) Although I filed them down quite a bit, they still looked and felt like claws. They made the simplest things such as changing clothes a difficult task. Removing them was a messy process as they became very slimy but only took about 2 minuets for each hand to come off. 

Boots Own: £5.50

Brought from: Boots

The next cheapest brand I could find was Boots Own and being 5x more expensive I had higher hopes for them. But they were rather disappointing, filing them was difficult and made them lose their smoothness and shininess (WORD OF WARNING: don't attempt to cut the nails down once you've stuck them on because they will be ruined!) but the colour looked very similar to nail polish, so at first sight people won't notice they're fake. They were much longer than I expected and trying to type out a text took a lot of patience! They were also very hard to remove as the glue was so strong which is good for keeping them on longer. 

Ted Baker: £8.00

Brought from: Boots

Ted Baker is what i'd call semi designer because its not as expensive as brands like Prada and Gucci but it is still very well known and has a good reputation. So when I saw that they did a fake nail collection the glamor girl inside of me squealed with excitement. It means you can be a part of the Ted Baker society without spending a lot. There is really nothing bad to say about these nails, they are the perfect size, they are very natural looking and I was very comfortable wearing them for over 3 days. But if I must critique these perfect nails the only thing I can say is that the glue wasn't as strong as other brands. The nails didn't stick as quickly as others so make sure you hold them down for about 10 seconds on each nail. My thumb nail came loose after the second day but after a quick glue fix it stayed in place for another day. 

House Of Holland £8.99

Brought from: Boots

Since all the nails I previously tried on were square I decided to step out my comfort zone and try the new craze of pointy nails that all the celebrities are sporting. Before putting them on I was worried that they'd be very impractical and since I didn't like the primark and boots own nails for being long these would be worse. But I was very surprised, although they're long they felt extremly comfortable as well as looking super cute (who wouldn't want mini ice creams all over their fingers?!) They came with a free nail file which was thoughtful of them, the glue was also super strong so they almost instantly stuck onto my natural nail and stayed put all day.  

Overall my two favorite brands would have to be Ted Baker and House Of Holland because they looked gorgeous and were very simple and comfortable to work with. While Boots Own and Primark were still pretty but too uncomfortable and impractical to wear for longer than a day. So yes I would agree that spending that bit more gives you better looking nails. 

What's your opinion on fake nails? Love them or hate them? xx 

Summer Self Confidence

Summer is finally here, the season we've been waiting for all year, those amazing summer sales have started, the days are longer  and your dream of getting a gorgeous glowing tan might come true. But with the warm weather comes a lack of clothing and while some people are embracing the crop tops and short shorts, I'm feeling more insecure than ever. "Will my thighs stick together in these shorts?" "Does this skirt hide all my wobbly bits? these questions are constantly on my mind. 

Now I don't consider myself as big, I'm a size 8-10 so people naturally assume I'm confident about my body. But I'm far from it, I completely despise my legs due to a lot of bullying while I was growing up. But this summer I'm putting a stop to my worries and insecurities and I want you to do the same as well! Wether you hide behind your jeans or makeup, it's time to fall in love with your appearance. 

By changing your mindset when you look in the mirror, you can build up a positive wall and protect yourself. Change those negative thoughts of "My thighs are too big" to "Society says I need a thigh gap, but how can you have a great bum without strong thighs." Our bodies are built the way they are for a reason, so whatever size you are, if you feel good then you can look twice as good. 

Although changing my mindset hasn't had an immediate effect as I'm still afraid of short shorts, I have being wearing my dresses and skirts without tights and I couldn't feel prouder of myself. These baby steps help you stay confident and comfortable in your own skin for life rather then feeling confident straight away and having one comment or bad outfit bring you down. 

Get your legs out this summer and embrace your insecurities! xx 

5 Bikinis You Need For Summer

Summer is just brushing against our fingertips and I can't wait! With this fabulous weather England is having (teasing us), It's the perfect time to get out your summer wardrobe and get organized for the holidays.

With summer comes beach trips and pool parties. Every girl needs the perfect bikini but lets be honest, one is never enough. So I have come up with a list of the essential bikini styles you need for every summer holiday occasion. 

1. A Neon 

For those late night pool parties, this bikini will keep you glowing under the moonlight all night. The contrast of the bright colours against your skin will also make your tan look darker. 

2. Animal Print 
This bikini make sure you rock up to the beach in style and looking as sexy as ever,  unleash your wild side as animal prints are so in this season.

3. A Classy One 
You never know when you're going to have a summer fling and dive into the unknown, so this bikini is for those last minuet dates to keep you looking sexy and sophisticated.  

4. Tie Dye 
Tie Dye is always in during the summertime, the mixture of colours makes your bikini stand out and look oh so Coachella. 

5. Frills 

Now this bikini may look a little boring compared to the rest, but frills are extremely flattering and will make your boobs look a cup size bigger. Now thats impressive. 

Happy Shopping xx