Airport Outfit Of The Day

As you read this, I'm basking in the glorious sunshine in Greece. I thought I'd make the most of the oh so beautiful scenery around the villa so I have an outfit post for you lovely lot today. And what's more fitting than an airport OOTD, sharing what I wore on the flight to Athens?

I'm always one to set aside a 'travelling outfit' a few days before I leav,e to avoid a mad rush in the morning (hurrah for crack of dawn flights), and (of course) I always like to look as presentable as possible just in case I spot any foreign (or British for that matter) eye-candy. We all know we're never going to look like Victoria Beckham when we step off the plane, but it's worth putting a bit of effort in anyway.

When travelling, everyone wants to wear something comfy, and something not too hot, not too cold; in true goldilocks style. I'm not going to lie, if I could travel in my jarmies I totally would, but I think this outfit is the next best thing.

On my top half, I have my 'go-to' summer top: a simple sleeveless crop top from H&M. For only £3.99, these tops are such bargains so I 'accidently' purchased five of them (in a selection of colours) ready for my adventures abroad.

Trouser-wise, I have these little wide leg beauties. I actually purchased them from Depop but they're originally from New Look. The floral print is so perfect for the summer months and they're very light which makes them super comfy. I paired them with a simple brown Primark belt just to jazz the look up a bit.

For my shoes, I wore some gladiator-style sandals, which I picked up from River Island in a end of summer sale last year. They have a slight wedge-heel to them but are still really comfy, so you can have glamorous looking feet without being in pain when walking the - what seems like - 1000000 miles from the concourse to the gate.

I didn't want to go O.T.T with accessories because of the faff of taking it all off and popping it back on again at airport security. So, I went with a simple with a hat from Topshop (£10 in the sale; what a bargain for Topshop) and two bohemian-style necklaces, but I can't for the life of me remember where I brought them from. I'm also wearing three rings but again, I have no idea where they're from.

My carry-on bag is this beauty from New Look. It's rather huge, which makes it perfect for a plane journey as I can fit in all the bits and bobs I need for the flight, along with any airport purchases (oh how I love you duty free). I'm planning a 'what's in my carry-on bag' post for sometime in the not so distant future, so keep your eyes out.

Top: H&M

Trousers: New Look

Belt: Primark

Shoes: River Island

Necklases: Unknown (sorry)

Rings: Unknown (sorry)

Bag: New Look

Hat: Primark

On my Nails: Essie 'Bikini So Teeny

Is anyone else heading off on their holidays soon?

Topshop Nails: "Flamingo Coral"

Summer is a time where my love of beautiful nail colours goes full steam ahead. I'm a sucker for a pretty summer nail colour - particularly if there's a pastel or coral shade involved; they're just bees knees - and the sunny season is the perfect time of year to release these colours to the world.

The shade in question today is Topshop's "Flamingo Coral". This shade was seen more often than not on my nails this time last year, and I'm so excited we've now got to the time of year where it can make a reappearance.

"Flamingo Coral" is one of the most beautiful pinky-coral shades in existence (at least in my books anyway) and it's a tough task to put into words how much I love this little bottle of coral goodness. Just look at it. It's just mesmerising. Imagine Topshop physically taking summer and just popping it into a little nail polish bottle of magic, and you have "Flamingo Coral". Also, whilst we're on the topic of nail polish bottles, topshop you've done a fabulous job of creating the cutest little bottles; well done you.

I'm not going to lie, the Topshop nail polish collection isn't high on my list of favourite nail polish brands practicality-wise. I find the longevity of the polishes isn't great as they chip a lot easier than the likes of Barry M, Rimmel and more expensive brands like Essie and O.P.I. Also, the consistency of the polishes is never that great, so it tends to be the colours (and the names; I'm a sucker for a lovely shade name) that draw me in to buying the polishes, rather than the practicalities. But to be honest, I'd much rather have a beautiful colour on my nails that requires a little more T.L.C, than an alright colour that's more practical. As silly as that may sound, 'tis true.

"Flamingo Coral" retails at £5.00 and is available from Topshop online (here) as well as in some of the bigger stores where they stock a larger variety of the nail polish shades (the store on Oxford Street in London is my go to store for anything Topshop makeup related, so I'd hit that one up if I were you).

Are you a coral nail kind of gal? What's your favourite summery nail polish shade?

Superdrug Detoxifying Dead Sea Mud Mask

My hunt for a face mask that actually achieves the results it claims to, has been going on for what feels like forever and a day. I've been looking for a mask that will actually do some good for my acne-prone skin, and I seem to be on a road to nowhere. Surely I'm not the only one who seeks a lot in a face mask only for it never to deliver?

However, I think my quest may have come to an end; a surprising one in fact. And this end comes in the form of a superdrug mask. I'll put my hands up and admit it: I actually purchased this product in a bid to get my superdrug online order total up to £10 so I could get the free delivery. We've all done it haven't we? Although it was brought on a bit of a whim, I haven't looked back since.

"This Detoxifying Mud Mask contains ultra-purifying Dead Sea Mud, which effectively unclogs pores and draws out dirt, oil and impurities, leaving skin feeling soft and revitalised. Dermatologically approved."

It was definitely the detoxifying element of the mask that intrigued me, as well as the fact that's it a mud mask, as I know that clay masks are the best at unclogging pores and targeting blemishes, as well has giving your skin an overall deep cleanse.

The mask is your typical mud grey/green colour, which does leave you looking like some sort of creature from doctor who, once it's dried. Consistency-wise, I found it to be much runnier than any mud masks I've used in the past. I was a bit apprehensive about this at first, but I found that it just made it that little bit easier to apply as it just glides onto your face.

I use this mask 2-3 times a week and I simply apply it all over my face (alternatively, you could just over your problem areas if that's what floats your boat) and leave it for a good 20-30 minutes, sometimes longer as I like to wait until I feel like it's gone stiff and worked all the magic it can. During this time, the mask dries and actually separates itself out around your face, with your 'problem areas' staying the dark colour and the not-so-bad areas of your face turning a much paler shade, so you know it's targeting the areas that need a bit more T.L.C. To remove it, I simply run a flannel under warm water and wipe it all off, and it's actually surprisingly easy to remove.

One of the things I like most about this mask is you can actually feel it working. Whilst it's on your face, there's little tingle every now and again that just assures you that your skin is in good hands, and the mask is working it's magic.

However, this might be a product to avoid/use with caution if you have sensitive skin. It does sting slightly for a minute or so after application (but it settles down eventually, don't worry), and although after this it doesn't really have any further negative affects on my skin personally, I'm not sure how well sensitive skin would cope, so tread carefully.

Another plus point (in my opinion anyway) is the smell. I do find that rather a lot of face masks have a rather bizarre scent, but this definitely is not the case with this mask. The smell reminds me of that of a spa (do spa's have smells? Is that a weird thing to say), with a bit of lavender and seaweed, and I think this really helps to relax you whilst you wait for the mask to work it's magic.

Overall, I'm thoroughly impressed with this facemask. It's one of the first masks I've tried that actually produces the results it's claims to. I've found it to do a really good job of unclogging my pores, reducing the size and redness of any blemishes and it just really leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed. Also, at £2.59 it's such a bargain. One things for sure, next time I want to treat my skin to a good ol' facemask, I know what I'll turn to.

What's your go-to face mask?

Prom

To celebrate the end of an amazing five years as a year group, we had our year 11 prom last friday. I have to admit, I did have quite a few butterflies in my stomach before hand, but they all melted away as I was getting ready and I had a truly incredible evening. Luckily for us, the bad weather we'd had during the week melted away, leaving lots of sunshine and warm weather, which made the night even better.

I took a trip to my local Bannatynes Spa with my godmother on the Friday morning, where I had my eyebrows done and nails painted in a gorgeous french manicure. Bannatynes is definitely somewhere I'd recommend going (they have them in lots of locations all across the UK), particularly if you're under 18 as they do amazing treatments for teens, that are surprisingly budget-friendly.

My hair was done by my hairdresser at a local salon, and if I do say so myself, he did a fabulous job. I'd had a trial a week or so ago (with the final result featured in this post) and he did it so perfectly first time that he just had to recreate his masterpiece on friday afternoon. I'm not one to go for an updo normally so not having my hair down was a tad on the strange side at first, but I grew to love it.

I was lucky enough to have a truly fantastic makeup artist work her magic on my face, and I was so impressed by the results. It was done by the lovely Niki McEwan and I honestly can't recommend her more. If you're in london or parts of central england and on the look out for a makeup artist, definitely get in contact with her.

My dress was purchased from a local evening dress shop, and was actually designed by the owner himself, which made it extra special. I picked up my clutch bag from New Look and paired it with some black peep-toe heels from Dorothy Perkins.

Our location for the evening was the Marriott Hotel, here in Peterborough. I do have to admit, I was slightly sceptical at first, as the hotel can be found in a rather large business park on the edge of the city and I'm sure you'll agree when I say that it doesn't really sound great, but it honestly is a (well) hidden gem. The venue was truly perfect for the event; there was a red carpet on arrival to ensure we really felt like celebrities, beautiful gardens to us to explore, and even a picturesque lake to provide a stunning backdrop for our photos.

The night itself was fantastic, and definitely a night to remember. It was so nice to see everyone all dressed up. The whole atmosphere was amazing too. We had a professional photographer snapping photos of everyone in their finery, and there was also a DJ to add some music to our evening. To be honest, I wasn't sure how many people were actually going to get up and dance but we all ended up having a bit of a boogie. The DJ even played a great selection of McFly and Busted songs; huge thumbs up from me.

Towards the end, there was lots of sitting around simply chatting and reminising over the past five years we've had together. Although I may moan about certain individuals rather a lot, I was lucky enough to be in a year group with a pretty fantastic bunch and I have so many amazing memories with them. A large percentage of us are staying on for sixth form, which is just great as I don't really think I'm ready to say goodbye just yet.

Overall, I truly had a fabulous evening and I'd love to experience it all over again.

Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer

Today I'm going to be sharing with you the latest addition to my makeup bag: the Nivea Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer. I picked this up from a supermarket a month or so ago when I was on the hunt for a more budget-friendly primer to replace my trusty Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer, and I was definitely not disappointed.

Here's how Nivea describe the product:

"This provides an even and smooth base for effective make-up application;helps your make-up stay put, absorbs instantly thanks to its light texture and uses an effective hydrator for lasting moisturisation."

The product comes in two variants - one formula for dry/sensitive skin (with a pink lid) and one for normal/combination skin (with a blue lid), and I have the latter to suit my combination skin.

One of the first things I noticed about this primer is how gorgeous the consistency is. It's so refreshing first thing in the morning and leaves my skin looking so healthy. Also, a little goes a long way so you hardly need any product to completely prime your face to perfection.

I also noticed that, as if by magic, my skin looked instantly refreshed and awake as soon as I applied the primer. It turned my ever so tired face into something bright eyed bushy tailed, and we all need that of a morning, don't we?

The primer has a lovely silky smooth lightweight feel on the skin and was absorbed into my skin almost instantly, so there's no more having to faff about waiting for your primer to sink in before you can start your makeup; giving you an extra five minutes or so in bed!

Using this product ensured that my foundation (Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum if you're interested) and concealer (Collection Lasting Perfection) stayed put all day long and actually made my 'base' makeup application considerably easier, which gets a huge thumbs up from me.

Not only is this a primer, but also a rather fantastic moisturiser. It does a fantastic job of keeping my skin all lovely and moisturised throughout the day, to the point where I don't actually need to use a separate moisturiser in the morning. This cuts out the middle man which makes it not only more convenient and fuss-free but also much better on the old bank balance.

Another benefit of this primer, is the amount of product you get for your money. It comes in a pot of 50ml, which I do believe is considerably larger than your average primer, so definitely a product for the more frugal ones amongst us.

This product retails at around £4.99 (although I do believe you can currently pick it up from Boots for £2.49 so be quick and grab yourselves a bargain).

I'd definitely recommend trying this product if you're not really a primer person, maybe because of the heaviness of some products for example, because it will honestly convert you. You get all the bonuses a good primer can bring, without really noticing it's even on your skin.

I would honestly purchase this product again in a heartbeat. For a budget primer, there is literally nothing negative I can say about it, and I can't imagine my morning beauty routine without it. I can't lie, my loyalty does still lie with my Max Factor primer but I think this will do just fine for a good everyday primer, leaving Max Factor to tackle the slightly more special occasions. Well done Nivea, this product has won a place in my heart.

What is your current favourite primer?

Pinterest Craft Inspiration

I'm just going to put my hands up and admit, I'm a bit of a (huge) craft geek. I could honestly spend all day sitting around making whatever crafting project takes my fancy that week, whether it be card making, scrapbooking or any of the other projects in the wonderful world of crafting. Sadly though, I did have to give up crafting on a regular basis when I started year 11 as the school work load increased, but now I have the whole summer ahead of me, I'm determined I'm going to start it all up again.

And so my search began for a whole load of exciting new craft projects, I could get into. Of course, my search began at the crafters-paradise that is pinterest (shameless self promotion moment: if you'd like to follow me on pinterest and stalk all of my pins and boards, you can find me here).

Today I thought I'd share with you some of my ideas for craft projects. The plan is to later on feature tutorials for some of my favourite projects, here on my blog, for all your lovely people to see.

First up, there's this paint-sample calender. I've seen this dotted around pinterest for so long and I really want to do it. It's made up of a seven rows of paint samples (they could be the same, like in the image, or different colours; it's up to you) that are stuck down onto a piece of card. Then, all the neccessary details (such as days of the week) are popped down on top of the samples, and the whole thing is popped into another fancy frame. You're then free to write on the glass and use it as you would any normal calender, using a dry wipe marker of course. I think this would look super cute in my room, especially if I choose pastel colours, as they fit in with my colour scheme. This is definitely a project I'm going to try out and write a post on, so keep your eyes out.

The second project I'd like to share with you, is this lovely scrabble coaster project. This could look so lovely, and it's actually simpler than it looks. You simply stick a selection of scrabble pieces onto a large piece of cork - creating words of your choice - using some type of strong glue and cut the edge of cork off, leaving a lovely coaster. Obviously, this project looks better using woodern scrabble tiles and you can pick up bundles of these tiles on the likes of ebay. This is such a cute little project, as everyone needs a coaster, right? And what's better than a personalised one?

Finally, we have the most complicated project of the ones I'm featuring today; a beautiful DIY rose. To complete this project you'll need: a selection of fake roses; a candlestick holder (or similar), a Styrofoam ball (craft shops sell them for a couple of pounds), glue and some double sided sticky tape. All you need to do is stick the roses securely into the ball, using the glue and making sure that all of the ball is covered. Then, you just attach the ball to the candlestick and you're good to go. The only thing that makes this project complicated, is it's going to be quite fiddly. But practise makes perfect so give it a couple of tries. This would look beautiful in my room, so I'd love to give it a go.

Hopefully this post has not only given the crafty-ones amongst you a bit of inspiration for future makes but also helped to share the crafting love with the less-crafty bloggers and encourage a few more of you to get creative. Crafting can be so relaxing and you end up having lots of lovely handmade bits and bobs; what more can you ask for?

Have you got any ideas for new craft projects? Let me know!

Baby You're So Classic

Last Saturday I popped over to the hairdressers for my prom hair trial. I thought I'd make the most of having posh hair, and take some outfit photos for another fancy pants outfit post.

The 'statement piece' of this outfit is definitely the skirt. I picked up this vintage 60's wrap around mini skirt from a cute little vintage fair I went to a few months back. It was a complete steal at around £5.00 and I'm honestly completely and utterly in love with it. I'm a huge fan of mini skirts at moment and you can't really beat a proper vintage one can you?

I paired it with this black cami from New Look. It's got a bar strap back and a V neck, which makes it a little bit different to your typical cami top. I tend to tuck it into the skirt but give it a baggy look, which makes it look a bit more casual. I also think this baggy style really compliments the straightness of the skirt, which is fab.

Although we're heading into the summer months, it still tends to be a bit chilly here in the UK sometimes, so I popped on a simple black cardigan from H&M and some black tights.

Shoe-wise, I'm wearing my Topshop Chelsea Boots. Chelsea Boots are such classic footwear and they're also super comfortable, so your feet don't have to suffer in order for you to look fabulous. I think these boots give the look more of a casual-feel, but if you were looking for something a tad more formal, heels would also work well with this look.

Skirt: Vintage

Top: New Look

Cardigan: H&M

Boots: Topshop

Are you a fan of vintage clothing?

P.S: At the moment, I tend to be using song lyrics (that work well with the look in question) for the title of outfit posts such as this one. I think it makes posts seem more original, as it's not the stereotypical blogger OOTD title, but something a bit more quirky, and it also gives you a bit of an insight into what I'm listening to at the moment. I'll always leave song details at the bottom of the posts, so if you're interested you can have a nosey. What do you think of this song lyrics title idea? Let me know x

(title: lyrics from the song Classic by MKTO)