The Best Songs Of Summer 2014

Summer seems to have buggered off here in the UK, I'm pretty sure it's still August but Mother Nature obviously thinks it's October. So what to do when the weather is rubbish and getting you down? Blast out your favourite summer tunes and pretend you're still lying on that gorgeous beach with the waves lapping at your feet consoled with the fact that your pasty English skin saw at least a glimpse of the sun this year!

Songs have such a unique way of holding memories whether it be thinking of a time when the song was playing or the words acting as a reminder of the past and for me these songs sum up my summer perfectly. It's quite a random mix I'll give you that but there's not really one genre I love more than any other, I just appreciate a great song. No more explanation needed, just hit play.

George Ezra - Blame It On Me

Milky Chance - Stolen Dance

Charli XCX - Boom Clap

Clean Bandit - Come Over feat. Stylo G

Route 94 - My Love feat. Jess Glynne

Wankelmut and Emma Louise - My Head Is A Jungle MK Remix

Rizzle Kicks - Tell Her

Do you have a favourite song from the summer? Any recommendations? Let me know below!

Growing Out A Fringe - The Topknot

I'm at that awkward stage with my hair at the moment of growing out my fringe. It's driving me nuts I'm not going to lie but I'm determined not to give in and just chop it back in again. It was thick, blunt and started quite far back on my head so it's quite a big chunk of hair I'm growing out which it makes it all the more difficult to keep it out of my face. Currently it's sitting just above my mouth so at that length it's starting to get easier to incorporate into hairstyles and I'm needing fewer and fewer bobby pins. At the beginning however my hair was just a disaster! Once it grew past my eyes I tried pushing it to the side but I hated it, no matter how much I blow dried it it didn't sit right. Then I tried splitting it down the middle and I ended up with awful 90's boy band style curtains, the shame!

The only answer in the end was a good old top knot. I resisted at the beginning because I wasn't a fan, in fact my sister and I would regularly laugh at what we called 'pineapple heads' walking down the street. Slowly though I began to see the beauty of a top knot, my fringe would stay out of my face and there was no styling involved whatsoever. Now I'm a proud pineapple head! My sister's still not a fan but hey, you win some, you lose some.

My top tips for growing out a fringe:

• Booby pins are your best friends, buy lots of them!
• Invest in a strong hold hairspray to keep it off your face, I recommend L'Oreal Elnett Satin Hairspray.
• For the perfect top knot, tie you hair up in to a pony with your head upside down. Use a brush to make sure you get all of your fringe tied up. Then you can twist it and pin it into place.
• The messier the better, if hair falls out just go with it. If anyone asks (they wont), it was meant to be like that, duh!
• Make sure to get it trimmed regularly so the hair grows out strong and healthy. I know it seems like it's defeating the object but you don't want it breaking off as soon as you've grown it out. Plus, healthy hair grows quicker!
• Stick with it! The temptation will be there to just cut it back in once it's past your eyes but don't give in, soon you will be fringe free!

I don't want this to put you off getting one however. I'm still a huge fan of a fringe and I absolutely loved mine but I'd had it for four years and I just fancied a change. That and it also made me look super young and with my baby face I need all the help I can get. If you need evidence, every time I go into my local Indian restaurant they offer me a lollipop so now I refuse to go in there, I'm 21 not 12!

I've experimented with tons more hairstyles to help with growing out a fringe which I'll share with you in the coming weeks so keep an eye out!

Primark A/W 2014 - My Picks

It may be August but I'm already getting excited for Autumn/Winter fashion, I'm getting a bit bored of my Summer wardrobe now if I'm honest. You've probably already noticed a few cold weather items sneaking in to the shops and I reckon now is as good a time as any to get started on your cold weather wardrobe before all the good stuff is gone. With that in mind I've had a sneak peak at what Primark has in store for us in the coming months and picked a few of my favourite pieces.

                    Tie Front Shirt Dress £13 (in store now)                       Slavo Studded Dress £17 (in store 22.10.14)

The 90s is very much still a trend for Autumn/Winter and I don't think I've seen anything more 90s than this shirt dress with tie front. It's definitely something I could see Angela from My So Called Life wearing, there's a girl who knew how to rock a check shirt. 

How beautiful is this printed dress, it's not something I'd normally expect from Primark but I love that they're trying something new. It would look stunning paired with thick black tights and chunky gold jewellery for a Christmas or New Years party. 

                 Floral Shirt Dress £13 (in store 20.8.14)                    Embellished Trophy Skirt £16 (in store 2.10.14)

This floral shirt dress is one to take you straight through from Summer to Autumn. Wear it open at the top and a pair of sandals whilst it's still warm or buttoned up with tights and boots for the colder months. 

There's something a little 1920s about this embellished skirt, paired with a simple black silk cami and heels, it's perfect for all those Christmas parties there's to look forward to. 

           Layered Textured Dress £13 (in store 27.8.14)                 Fur Collar Crombie £25 (in store 14.9.14)

This layered white dress is another great transitional piece, I'm picturing it with a colourful, chunky statement necklace and sky high heels for an alternative going out look that works in all weathers. 

As soon as this fur collar coat hits the shops I will definitely be buying it! It's totally 80s in a garish sort of way but that's why I love it, if you have to cover up your outfit with a coat you may as well make a statement! 

Zip Front Peep Toe Boot £16 (in store 7.7.14)              Wine Wool Floppy Hat £8 (in store 22.8.14)

LE Cut Out Detail Boot £18 (in store 29.8.14)

Primark always hit the mark with their shoes and accessories and their Autumn/Winter collection is no exception. Make like a fashion blogger and buy yourself this floppy hat, it's the sort of style that suits everyone.
These peep toe boots are perfect to take you through to Autumn and once it gets chilly switch to these buckled boots to keep your tootsies warm. I for one will be picking up both!

What do you think of the pieces I've chosen? What are you looking forward to wearing come Autumn/Winter? Let me know below!

* All pictures property of Primark *

A Quick Trip To Amsterdam

I had a whistle stop tour of Amsterdam with my Mum at the end of last last week, she was there for business and I decided to tag along (yay for airmiles!). Amsterdam is one of those places I've always wanted to see so when the opportunity came to go I jumped at the chance so off we went at 4:00am for an hours flight into Schiphol Airport. Once my Mum had finished her meetings and I had had a nap we spent the rest of the day ambling through the tiny canal lined streets past suspicious smelling cafes and dodgy looking shops (yeah THAT kind!). That was when we realised we were probably going in the wrong direction! It was an eye opener to say the least and no, I didn't go anywhere near the red light district or the dodgy cafes!

It really is a beautiful city with such quirky architecture that's so different to the British architecture I'm used to. Apparently there used to be a tax on how wide you built your house hence all the strangely slim buildings squashed in next to each other that Amsterdam is so famous for. It really is a beautiful, unique city and so picturesque!

After some lunch and a little shopping, we successfully managed to avoid being run down by the hundreds of people on bikes whizzing through the streets and made it to our canal pizza cruise for a guided tour of the city. It was a slightly strange set up, you chose which pizza you wanted before you boarded and 15 minutes in to the tour we stopped to pick them up. We did expect to get a table to ourselves considering we'd paid good money for it but by the time we got there all the tables were taken so we had to share. Thankfully we sat next to a really lovely young couple from Australia who were holidaying their way around Europe. They were really chatty so thankfully no awkwardness there. 

Unfortunately one place I missed out on seeing was Anne Frank's House, her story is one I've always been fascinated by since reading her diaries when I was younger. I managed to see the building from the outside but the queue to go in was huge, even at half past eight at night so there was no way we were going to get tickets. If I ever visit again, I'll be sure to book tickets way in advance!   

Amsterdam is definitely one of those  cities that you can see in a day quite happily. I didn't really know much about the place before I went there so I had no idea what to see and where to go. I may well have missed all the good stuff without realising! But do you know what, I really enjoyed just wondering around aimlessly! It's much more laid back than most other cities and has such a great feel about it that you don't feel as if you need to rush, I'd highly recommend a weekend visit!

How To Get Victoria Secret Style, Wavy Hair

I thought it was about time I did another hair tutorial considering the last time I did one it was about 6 months ago, woops! I like to call this look 'Bloggers Hair' because it's how a lot of fashion and beauty bloggers wear their hair, in loose, carefree waves with a middle parting. It literally only takes 10 minutes to do so it's great for first thing before school or work when you haven't got too much time to style your hair as you don't have to worry about it looking too perfect. 

You will need:

• A Curling Iron (at least 1 1/4 inch)
• Strong Hold Hairspray
• A Paddle Brush.
• Works best on medium to long hair.

How To - Loose, Voluminous Waves:

• Put your hair roughly in to a centre parting

• Split your hair in to two down the middle

• Stating from the back (no need to section) curl pieces of hair aproximately 4cm wide making sure to curl in the direction away from the face only. 

• Repeat throughout the whole head of hair.

• Curl from half way down the head only.

• The aim is for it not to look perfect so if there are parts that aren't completely curled then that's ok. 

• Leave for around half an hour or even just while you do your make up for the curls to cool and set.

• Brush through the curls to loosen either with a paddle brush of your fingers, giving it a good shake to seperate the curls for more of a wave.

• Make sure to push it up at the top so it's not flat against your head. A little bit of back combing might be needed at this point.

• Finally give it a good spray with a strong hold hairspray. I like to use good old L'Oreal Elnette hairspray, my Granny always used to use it and her hair wouldn't move an inch! 

There you have it, gorgeous loose waves to rival any Victoria Secret model! What's great about this hairstyle is that it looks just as good the next day when the waves are slighter looser, it's more of a cool, undone look. I've only just started doing my hair this way but now I don't want to wear it any other way. I like that it doesn't look over styled, as if I just woke up that morning and my hair was just the right amount of wavy! Oh and in case you're wondering, I used the Remington Jumbo Curling Iron similar to this one.

Let me know if you'd like me to do any more hair tutorials and what styles you'd like to see!

When Did Blogging Stop Being 'Fun'?

I'm sure you've already guessed what this post is about just from reading the title and it's a pretty controversial one at that. I love a good healthy discussion and it's not something I've ever done on my blog before but it's a subject that I've been thinking about a lot recently and I'm interested to hear other people's opinions on the matter.

When did blogging stop being fun? I'm not saying there aren't any people left who blog just as a hobby because there are tons, or even that I no longer find blogging fun, just that blogging is fast becoming big business and I'm not quite sure where this leaves me as a blogger or where I fit in. This past year has seen a sharp rise in bloggers being taken much more seriously by brands who are finally seeing the huge selling power of blogs. It's something that many bloggers have been striving for for years and I'm all for it if it means they are rewarded for all the hard work they put in.

What does this mean for the rest of us bloggers? Does it mean that fame and fortune and working with top name brands is what we should be striving for? Obviously that's something we need to decide for ourselves. Something I've been asking myself a lot recently is why I continue to blog. It started as a distraction during a difficult period of my life but now that I no longer have purpose for it in that way, I'm not really sure what I want out of it. It's a tough situation to be in, I've noticed that many of those who freely admit they want fame and fortune through their blog get looked down upon by many of the blogging community. Honestly I don't see why, there's nothing wrong with ambition, you'd strive to be at the top of your game in any other business so why not blogging.
Is there only so much room at the top? Does first come first served mean newer bloggers aren't getting a look in? Many of the top bloggers have been working hard for years to get their blogs noticed so it's only right that they should see the benefits, but with so much more competition now from other blogs than there has ever been, the divide between the two seems so much more prominent.

With this new potential for blogging as a career, does it still have it's place as just a hobby? Everything about blogging has become more business like. In this new wave of the internet celebrity, social media has become an extension of our own 'personal brand'. With that comes added pressure, suddenly it's not enough to just be a blogger, you have to master instagram, facebook, twitter and youtube too. Blogs themselves have become top quality with pictures that wouldn't look out of place in magazines. (I can't be the only one who's jealous of all these bloggers with amazing photographer boyfriends!) I'm just starting to wonder if maybe we've sacrificed what used to be completely personal and unique about blogging, a space for people to air their thoughts with other like minded people for just another thing that can be manipulated by big companies to make money out of. Or maybe I'm just being way too cynical and still no where closer to deciding my place as a blogger.

Thoughts? Let me know below!

What's In My Makeup Bag - Summer Edition

What started off as a 'What's In My Makeup Bag' post has, to be honest with you, turned in to an excuse to show off the super cute makeup bag my sister got me for my birthday. I mean c'mon, It's got my name on it, what could be better than that?! I've started using it to carry around the products I might need throughout the day so if you wanna see what they are then keep reading. 

Let's start off with the base, in the summer I tend to switch to a tinted moisturiser rather than a heavy foundation but with the Bourjois CC Cream I feel like I have the best of both worlds and I can easily apply it with my fingers if I'm in a rush. Teamed up with the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer to keep any pesky spots covered and my skin looks clear and fresh all day long and thanks to my favourite travel companion, the No7 Pop and Glow Cream Blush Stick in the shade 'Rose Blossom', I no longer look pasty faced half way through the day. Trust me, If you're feeling tired and worn out, a little of this cream blush instantly makes you more awake which makes it a must for me when I'm travelling.

On to the eyes, I tend to carry round a mascara with me just to give it a little refresh half way through the day or to vamp it up a bit for the evening. My favourite L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara does the job perfectly!, the brush really seperates the lashes so I don't have to think too much about what I'm doing and dries quickly so no smudging. A liquid liner in my bag is a must to keep my cat eye flick looking fresh, I'm guilty of forgetting I have eyeliner on and rubbing my eyes, especially when I'm tired and there is nothing worse than patchy eye liner. The Rimmel Glam'Eyes Liquid Liner makes it so easy to apply when I'm in a rush.

Lastly, for my lips, my two favourites; YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in the shade 'Peach Passion' for during the day and Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in 210 'Unapologetic' for an evening look. Peaches and pinks are what I stick to with my skin tone and these two are staples in my makeup bag for the summer.

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream (Review) - £9.99 boots.com
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - £4.19 boots.com
No7 Pop and Glow Cream Blush Stick - £9.95 boots.com
L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara (Review) - £8.99 boots.com
Rimmel Glam'Eyes Liquid Liner - £5.29 boots.com
YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick (Review) - £24.50 boots.com
Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm - £7.99 boots.com