5, 4, 3, 2, 1: How to avoid overpacking!

Follow this method of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and avoid overpacking for a week away. The boyf and I are looking forward to a week in Tenerife and I thought I would share with you a recently discovered godsend.

It essentially means packing: 

-5 tops (which includes jackets), opt for a kimono/denim jacket, I shouldn't be encouraging cheating so early on into the post but wear one on the flight and pack the other as part of your five tops. Then keep your options open with a black one, a white one and a colour one, then throw in a different sleeve length to be on the side of caution.

-4 bottoms, a pair of denim shorts, a pair of cotton shorts, a skirt and for me a pair of white jeans as the Canary Islands can get quite windy! If you don't want to pack jeans throw in another pair of denim shorts for good measure! 

-3 dresses + shoes, opt for your favourite pair of sandals/trainers and a nice pair of heels just in case. For dresses go for a day dress a more evening dress, and a playsuit or maybe some dungarees!

-2 swimsuits + bags, pick your two favourite swimsuits and pack a beach/pool bag along with a little over the shoulder bag for day trips!

-1 pair of sunnies (also goes for hats/watches/ beach towels) I always take 2/3 pairs with me but I know exactly which ones I will end up wearing all week!

Stick to this and you should end up with a relatively light suitcase. Obviously this rule does not apply to the extras that find themselves in your suitcase (toiletries etc) but keeps you from packing 50 outfits for a secen day trip but leaves you with options. 

Things you should overpack: 

- knickers, kinckers, knickers, empty the whole damn draw into that case

Things you CAN NOT forget

- your passport/important travel docs (duhh!) 

- a plug adapter 

- suncream + aftersun

There you go, simple but effective. Just the way I like things!

Leave me a comment with any packing tips you may have...

My favourite time of year!

It's exam season, can i get a hell yeah? Hell no! Everybody's stressed, tensions are rising high and there's more roasting in the group chat than ever. The girl sat next to me in Psychology is pulling her god damn hair out again, and the guy next to me in English is telling me he needs to start revising. Start?! The exam is next week... 

Are you stressed out with exams? Never fear because today boys and girls I am here to teach you all the tips and tricks that are a sure fire way to pass your exams. 

REVISE

This one is key my history teacher once told me to spend 6 hours a day revising, so if you're not getting those 6 hours in then my god you're not getting enough. BUT don't forget all your homework and coursework as well as your 6 hours. Easily done, am I right?

SLEEP 

So when you're done doing your insane amounts of revision and other school assignments you better sleep, you're a growing person (i'm assuming) so you are going to need a good 10-12 hours to make sure you don't fall asleep during your revision. 

EAT BREAKFAST 

Now you're going to need to eat breakfast before your exam, all your hard work will go to waste if you're too preoccupied thinking about the chicken wrap you're going to have for lunch. So after your revision, after your sleep, then you eat. Easy enough! You may not be awake on time after the 10-12 hour sleep you took because you're tired from the mass hours revision but you must eat before you leave the house. It's a must. 

DON'T SOCIALIZE 

Stay away from hormonal teenage girls during exam season, they're stressed. You're stressed. Everyone's stressed. That's usually when the claws come out. Good news is, you won't have time to revise, sleep, eat breakfast AND socialize  So lucky enough for you this step will be easy. 

OR 

For a sure fire way to fail your exams, you can fob off all your responsibilities and spend time with your boyfriend. There will be no revision, no sleep but there will be food and guess what?!? You didn't pay for it and you also won't have to pay for extensions. Unlike the girl in my psych class, bless her. 

How are you exams going? Are you getting all my tips done? If you are then who are you and how do I become you? 

Nyx blush and lip cream review.

Like every girl who started using makeup thanks to YouTube videos, there's just one little problem. American makeup (particularly drug store) brands differ from the brands you'll find in the UK. From the ripe old age of 13 i've dreamt about being let loose in a target and buying as much wet n wild or Covergirl makeup as i can fit in a trolley (don't judge I did say 13), so when I was walking past Boots today its no surprise I noticed the new Nyx stall they've put in. 

Okay so i'm a tad exaggerating but who really cares? 

The point is Boots bought in Nyx. Those soft matte lipcreams and eyeshadow sticks in cottage cream (or something like that) I could finally get my hands on easily. 

I think it was last Friday that Boots officially launched it and I couldn't help but popping in, I filled my hands with about £70s worth of stuff I don't need but then realised pay day was only yesterday and i'm supposed to be saving for a holiday.. And a car. So yeah I settled with just two products that I wanted to try. 

(And some other new things but hey I never claimedto be good at saving). 

The blush is in Crimson and its a crazy red, but its really cute and with a light hand just gives a prominent flush of colour. 

I wore the soft matte lip cream in Milan on a night of eating and drinking on the weekend and only really had to apply it once or twice. Its the perfect pink that I love its a bit darker than the photo of me wearing it shows (i'm also wearing the blush) but its still quite vibrant and isn't too drying either! 

I really love these products i'm going to have to revisit the Nyx stand, god help my bank balance haha.

Have any of you tried any of these products? Let me know!

Friday Favourites

Woo, Friday is here! Oh wait... I work weekends. Still, the Friday feeling is there! Friday nights are just so much better than any other night even with the knowledge that I've got work in the morning. To celebrate I thought I would do a Friday favourites post and tell you all what I've been loving recently so get excited. Also I got a couple exciting packages today which I will also be writing about on the blog so keep your eyes peeled.

To kick off my favourites post, we'll talk about TV. Oh my god, I can't stop watching TV its just sooo good. Two new TV shows however (and when I say new I mean like 2 seasons in but new to me). FIRST OF ALL Jane the Virgin. This show had me through one season of Netflix in a day and consequently onto E4oD straight away for season 2 because, damn cliff hanger. If you haven't watched it the generally low down is this girl Jane who still hasn't popped her... Is artificially inseminated and bam is pregnant. I want to tell you so much about this show, because its my favourite show at the moment as its funny and there's romance problems and a really weird but that's what makes it so good voice over. Everything I need in a TV show.

The TV love doesn't end there though, also on 4oD, is You're Back in the Room. Josh said we should watch it and I was like welllll if you want to babe whilst secretly thinking no no no, I sort of thought it was a psychic thing which is not my thing. It is however amazing. I laughed so badly through the first episode I watched, I actually could've cried, and I actually got Josh to pause it so I could wee before I wet myself. The idea is a group of 5 people do tasks to earn £25,000 to split between them but at the same time they're hypnotised to make it harder. For example they were in a diner set up and one person gets the burger the next the fries etc ectc. One girl was hypnotised to think she was covered in grease and could not even stand up, I was crying it was so funny. The other guy believed he was in a shampoo commercial (he was bald), and was rubbing ketchup and mustard all over his head and Phillip Schofield's it was hilarious. A lot of people say they don't believe in the hypnotism, but even if you didn't its still an absolutely hilarious show to watch!

Next on my list of favourites for this week is...

Nakd Cocoa Orange bars

These little bars are so good! This week I haven't had any chocolate or basically anything that's not that good for you, all my snacks are either fruit or chopped up veggies and it's getting boring. I neeeed chocolate so I snapped up these to fill my need. All that's in them is dates, cashews, raisins, cocoa and a hnt of natural orange flavouring. So they're a pretty healthy snack and I get to feel like i'm eating a chocolate bar! Haha, they're a little bit pricey as they are £2.50 for only four bars but I have found since eating healthier I am actually saving money! And my mom told me healthy eating was too expensive. No more quick maccies or subways at lunch, no more meal out or chocolate buying sprees in Sainsburys, or spending £10 a day in Costa. It actually is so much cheaper, so I don't mind paying £5 a week for the closest thing I'll get to a chocolate fix (for now).

Seventeen Easy On The Eye Palette and L'Oréal Paris Super Liner

This palette is a new favourite of mine, every time we went out somewhere, or I got brunch with friends or drinks in Weatherspoon's I would just put shimmery rose colour all over my lid. It's the top row second from the left, its just a lovely subtle colour and I have never really put a pinky colour as a base before I am a fan of beiges and gold or browns but i'm loving the simple shimmer and hint of colour this has and it looks really nice. It has good staying power and lasts even longer if I put one of the cream shadows underneath! I kept away from a crease colour with this look, but I made sure to line my eyes with my favourite L'Oréal eyeliner and add a subtle or dramatic flick depending on the occasion.

Primark Cleansing Brush

Sometimes when I cleanse my face I never feel like its got deep enough, got all of that makeup that's still sat in my pores. I recently picked up this little pink thing and its made my face washing routine so much better! Sometimes I use it with my L'Oréal gentle exfoliator and sometimes with my BalanceMe cleanser and both times it works perfect. As its got little bristles it definitely feels like it has more impact than my hands for bringing up the dirt and makeup of my face that's for sure! It's silicone as well, so its so easy to keep clean, I just wash it under water or with my cleanser now and again and walah its brand new again. It also has a sucker on the back so its easy to stick in the shower or on the wall next to my mirror stopping it lying around the bathroom somewhere and probably losing it! It's not clarisonic but for £1 you would be a fool not to pick it up.

So there you go, there's my favourites! Now it's time to write more posts, have a chicken salad and call up some party venues (exciting), happy Friday! Let me know of any favourites you've got at the moment in the comments so I can try them out!

Butterflies

I'm tired and I can not sleep. I sleep on my left side and it hurts, I sleep on my right side and it hurts. When I get comfy my mouth suddenly dries up like the sahara desert so I move on to have a drink and then shit i'm back to square one. Basically soz holl but you aren't sleeping tonight or this morning or whatever. Its surprising how much crying, Jane the Virgin (my new fave on netflix btdubz) and codeine you can fit into one night (that was a joke only every four hours I know). And since I cannot blue peter style a here's one I wrote earlier there is no time better than the present to write a blog post.

So before every gland in my neck decided to swell up nicely :) :) :) I did some things. Some cute things, and had some cute feelings to document on the blog so here we go. 

]

The boyf and I took a trip into Stratford on good Friday to go to the butterfly farm, this is something I used to do all the time when I was a kid so I was mega excited. The butterflies were cute and one sat on josh's shoulder and just wouldn't move. There was also a really cool ants nest (is it a nest?) and I was fascinated watching the ants carrying leaves, if not a little creeped out though. 

I've also been developing a new kind of butterflies. A silent butterfly that instead of fluttering around in my stomach just sits and glows. Probably thinking of double cheeseburgers or ooooo I could polish off more than one maccies hash brown rn. Anywho yes i've got a glowing butterfly in my stomach and at first I thought it was just love (aw yh i know it gets more sickly) but i've changed my mind now. I've named this little butterfly appreciation. 

I don't know if thats exactly what this warm glow is, maybe i'm wrong, wouldn't be the first time but it will do for now. Is it weird to appreciate someone's presence in your life? Like just having them sat accross from you whilst you're eating, and appreciating their efforts. Just spooning and having your hair stroked after polishing off more than a spoon ful of Ben&Jerries. Someone who's texts leave you feeling content no matter how dull because they take their time to message you. 

I just kinda look at Josh sometimes and think about how sad I would be without him, and whaddya know the butterflies making a visit again. 

Ah that's got to be it for today because its time to stop rambling and call my doctors, or ya know just lie in bed all day till I eventually fall asleep. Maybe even do some revision.. Yeah.. Haha...

B. Makeup Brush Cleanser: Review

After a trip to Superdrug, I nearly purchased the Real Techniques brush cleanser, as I am in love with their brushes and they need the best care! However I stumbled across the B. Makeup Brush Cleanser which was only £3 (less than half the price) and decided that I would try it out. Then make up the difference buying a new powder...

It's a conditioning cleanser that disinfects and cleans brushes, It's a gentle formulae that can be used on natural and synthetic brushes and is gentle enough for everyday use, and is antibacterial. I didn't have amazing hopes to be honest but if you look at the before picture you'll know that they were in dire need of a wash. It comes in a spray bottle, and its recommended that you use 3/4 sprays and then wipe on a tissue, so not a deep cleanser.

I started with my rose gold brush which is disgusting, and I will let you in on a secret. I actually did this without taking photos but was so impressed I left it a few weeks before doing it again for the blog! P.s. should I start using my camera for photos, these grainy iPhone pictures just aren't that great.

I sprayed, cleaned it on a tissue. Then repeated a couple more times. It is amazing. The brush cleaned up so quickly! I use it for bronzer so the fact the bristles are white again is amazing! I would 10% recommend this for people who like to regularly clean their brushes and keep them nice and pretty. However it isn't a deep enough cleanser for everything, I attempted to clean up my foundation brush and it didn't really make a dent in the deep rooted foundation in the bristles. Gross I know. I will pick up the Real Techniques cleanser at some point to tackle my foundation brushes but until then I will definitely keep using it! Cheap and effective. Who could resist?

Available here or from Superdrug stores.

The amazing results!

Have you tried this cleanser, or have any other favourites? Let me know in the comments!

No sun, some sand.. Where I've Been?

Where have I been? For a whole damn month? I wish I could say I was too busy revising, that I have had to concentrate on college or work or ya know, something the slightest productive. But no. Apart from a week in Spain I have just been using my spare time to sleep. I am just as ashamed as you guys, I know its bad.

But I am back! Exams are creeping up and I am more then a little stressed out with both college and uni at the moment (I haven't even got there yet and I am sick of it) so posts may be sporadic may end up being a month apart but I will try my hardest to get some up.

So... Spain! Whilst looking back it wasn't that awful, it definitely wasn't good, but it could've been worse. I don't know if I hated it that much, or if I hated the fact I had spent so much money for an average week.

Why was it so bad? I don't really know. The weather wasn't great, just cold and extremely windy. The food wasn't great, as we were all inclusive we basically ate the same thing every meal. The atmosphere wasn't great because everyone was old and Spanish which whilst possibly entertaining... Just wasn't what I was looking for.

The alcohol was plentiful but my favourite night was when we sat out on the balcony getting drunk off of 1 euro bottles of wine, of which we went through about 4. Playing cards and 'don't show Keith your teeth' wrapped up in what we labelled as 'itchy blankets' that the hotel left in the wardrobe.

Fair to say it wasn't the worst week of my life, the same week back in Birmingham and £600 cheaper and I would be over the moon! What I will say is that I finally quenched my first for a nice Mojito. Cocktails just don't taste the same when not drunk on a beach bar. Which actually leads to a funny story, for another day...

The moral of the story: don't book a holiday out of season.

Got any holiday stories? I want to hear the good the bad and the ugly, leave them in the comments!