My August Highlights

Whenever I do posts like these it makes me realise just how fast time goes by. Are we seriously nearly in September?? Crazy. Although, having said that, I'm really looking forward to Autumn and Winter (even though we've practically endured autumnal weather all summer here in the UK, but I digress). August has been a really crazy and special month for me so I thought I would share my highlights.

1. Getting into University

If you're not from the UK it was A Level results day on Thursday 13th August which meant thousands of Year 13 students across the country were not only getting their A Level results but were also finding out if they had got into their University of choice. As soon as UCAS went live on Thursday morning I logged on to see that I had been accepted by my University to study the course I wanted and I have never been so relieved and happy in my entire life. I cannot tell you how stressed and worried I was for months leading up to results day and I am so glad all that hard work and worry paid off! Not only did I get into my University of choice, but my best friend also got accepted too which is amazing as, come September, we will be starting University together and I could not be happier. 

2. Results Day Celebrations

As soon as Kim and I knew we were going to the same University we were ready to celebrate. We have a results day tradition - after we have been to school to collect our results, we head into town for a Costa and a massive splurge on makeup and other stuff we probably don't need but have wanted for ages. We then head back to mine, watch  a film with a glass of champers, and then use everything we've bought during the day to get ready to go out for a meal at our favourite Chinese restaurant. We then went for drinks after but frankly we were so exhausted from the day that we had one drink in the bar and headed back to mine to fall into a deep sleep (after all we had no sleep for at least a week prior to results day with worry and dread). It's honestly one of my favourite days of the year.

3. My Mum's Birthday

Another highlight of August was my Mum's birthday. As her birthday fell on a Wednesday it meant that she had to go to work during the day but we all had a family gathering at my grandparents house in the evening which was lovely. It was really nice to see everyone and catch up over lots of birthday cake. No shame. For my Mum's birthday my Dad had planned to take her to London to see her favourite musical Les Miserables. The jealousy was real. I love Les Miserables and so I was very jealous that she was going to see it but also excited and happy for her as I knew she would love it. This is a lovely lead on to my next highlight.

4. I'm going to see Mamma Mia! in London

As a surprise treat for getting into University my parents have booked for us to go to London and see Mamma Mia. They landed me with this huge surprise right after I had told them I was in University on Thursday morning. So as you can imagine, I had just stopped crying tears of joy over getting into University and then started all over again when they told me we were going to see Mamma Mia. If you don't already know, I LOVE Mamma Mia. Well actually I love Meryl Streep but Mamma Mia is one of the best feel-good films ever and so I am so excited to see the west-end show. We are going next weekened which means it is sure to creep up in my September highlights.

5. University Shopping

So as soon as Kim and I knew we were both going to the same University we headed straight to Ikea to pick up some bits. We had such a nice day mooching and buying things and talking about University. Me and my Mum have gone shopping for things too a couple of times which I enjoyed. I just love buying homeware things! And don't even get me started on stationery shopping. Me and my Mum are also having a shopping day out tomorrow which will be nice. I'm trying to spend as much time as I can with her before I move out because I know I'll miss her a lot.

So there are my August highlights. It has been such a crazy month but one I will never forget. I'm really looking forward to September, I have a weekend in London planned and obviously I move to University which will be scary and exciting. What have your highlights of the month been? 

My Month Through Instagram: July 2015

1. Beautiful view of Kos walking along the beach| 2. Cocktails in town| 3. So many pretty flowers| 4. Ready for a night out in Kos Town| 5. More yummy cocktails| 6. Happy and ready for more lovely Greek food| 7. Kim picked a flower for me. How romantic| 8. A holiday isn't compete without a Palm-Tree shot| 9. One thing I did miss terrible when I was in Greece - a lovely cup of well-brewed tea| 10. Pretty flowers in my grandparents' garden| 11. Loving the sunny weather| 12. The coat of dreams from Zara| 14. Out for Dinner| 15. New cute notebooks make me happy| 16. New hair| 17. Saturday vibes| 18. New pretty eye shadows.

Firstly, can we all just take a moment to ask ourselves where the hell July went? HOW IS IT AUGUST ALREADY?

Rants about the speedy progression of time aside, as you can probably tell my month got off to a lovely start - my best friend and I jetted off to Kos for our first holiday together. It was so so nice to just spend a week lounging by the pool, soaking up the Kos sunshine and sipping on cocktails - it was definitely what we both needed after months and months of exams and stress. However, like all good things it came to and end pretty swiftly and now it feels like it was months ago. I find it really hard to believe that we were there just at the beginning of this month - crazy. Other highlights of my month include new buys such as my beautiful new lace coat from Zara, some eye shadows from Makeup Revolution, a new pair of cat-eye sunglasses that I simply adore, and a new notebook that I probably didn't need but just had to buy; I'm such a sucker for cute stationery. If you don't already follow me on Instagram, you can here, and keep up-to-date on all of my new purchases (that I really shouldn't be buying) and also probably a lot of selfies and pictures of tea. Hashtag no shame. 

Andddd, with the end of July comes the beginning of August, which means I am now officially in the month where I get my A Level results and find out if I'm into University or not - so not a big deal at all. I also have my mom's birthday this month so that should be nice. 

What have been your highlights during July? Have you got any exciting plans for August?

My Top 5 Red Lipsticks

From left to Right: MAC "Russian Red," Revlon "Cherry Blossom," Rimmel Kate Moss 101 "kiss of life,"Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Lipstick in "Brick," Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Colour Moisturising Lipstick in "Scarlet"

1) MAC "Russian Red"

I think pretty much everyone owns this lipstick. It's a gorgeous deep red shade, and the matte finish is lovely and long-lasting but not at all drying. I tend to apply a little layer first, pat it in with my finger to create a stain, and then add another layer for a nice deep bold red lip.

2) Revlon "Cherry Snow"

This is a lovely moisturising lipstick. It's not completely matte, but isn't at all glossy on the lips. It's a lovely raspberry red shade and I really like wearing this in Summer when I want a red lip but something more fresh.

3) Rimmel Kate Moss 101 "Kiss of Life"

Again this is a lovely true red lipstick. The matte finish isn't drying at all, and the lasting power is great. A great drugstore alternative to MAC's Russian Red.

4) ELizabeth Arden Ceramide Lipstick in "brick"

This is such a lovely lipstick. I'd moisturising, but lasts throughout the day/evening. The brown undertones of this red lipstick make it unique and go well with a brown smokey eye for an evening look.

5) Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Colour Moisturising Lipstick in "Scarlet"

This gorgeous hollywood red suits pretty much any skin tone. It's lovely, rich red tones definitely give your makeup that hollywood glam vibe. I would have to say that this is probably my favourite out of the lot, I just love the colour and the formula is lovely too.

What are your favourite red lipsticks?

School's Out For Summer, School's Out For Ever.

Sincere apologies for my absence on here, but I have a good excuse - promise. Since about February I have been studying for my A Levels. If you didn't know, I'm in my last year of Sixth Form studying English Literature, History and Psychology and all throughout June I had my exams that decide whether I get into University or not (not a big deal or anything); hence my lengthy absence on this blog. But finally, after months and months of stress, I have finished all my exams and now have a long Summer off catching up on all the blog posts, YouTube videos and trashy TV shows I've missed - which also means I'll have a lot more time to create posts and blog more regularly. It feels so good to finally be free of exams

and not have to stress and worry about something (except results day, yuk). 

For my next post I was thinking of doing my top five favourite red lipsticks - what do you think?

Have any of you had exams this month? 

Music I'm currently loving

Besides having a love for makeup, skincare and anything beauty-related, I also love music and enjoy listening to different artists from different styles and genres. I often go and see bands live and so I thought I'd share my favourite current artists with you to mix things up and deflect from the usual beauty babble. 

1. Little comets - Now I was fortunate enough to see little comets last month and after trying to see them twice before, both attempts ending in complete disaster, I can officially say they were worth the wait.They are by far my favourite band. Like. Ever. And as big as a bold statement that is to make, it's true. Their songs are beautifully written, each song explores a different social issue and they are so talented. My favourite songs from their album 'In Search of Elusive Little Comets' are Adultery, One Night in October, Joanna and Dancing Song. Favourites from 'Life is Elsewhere' are A Little Opus and Bayonne. THEY ARE SO GOOD. I also love Violence Out Tonight, Semaphores on the Lawn and Woman Woman. They've recently brought out their new album, 'Hope Is Just A State Of Mind,' and worthy mentions go to Fundamental Things, The Gift of Sound, The Daily Grind and Don't Fool Yourself. I highly recommend checking these guys out.
2. James Bay - everything by him. His album is incredible; every song is unique and could easily be majorly successful as singles. So happy I got tickets to see him in October. Favourites include If You Ever Want To Be In Love, Running, Best Fake Smile and When We Were On Fire.
3. Angus and Julia Stone - love this brother-sister duo. Favourite songs of theirs has to be Big Jet Plane, A Heartbreak and Grizzly Bear.
4. Laura Mvula - Recently re-listened to her and fell in love with her voice and music style all over again. Worthy song mentions go to Sing To The Moon, Like The Morning Dew, Can't Live With The World, Is There Anybody Out There? and Green Garden.
5. Hozier - I first heard Take Me To Church ages ago, way before it hit the charts and became popular and I really liked it. After listening to this album, my favourites have to be From Eden, Like Real People Do and Cherry Wine.

What artists are you currently loving? Hope you're all having a lovely week.

(PS: I'm struggling to think of posts to do so if you have any ideas on what posts you'd like to see feel free to leave them in the comments!)

Matching Lips and Nails for Spring

Whenever it comes to Spring, I love ditching the deep reds and burgundy's that I've sported throughout the Autumn and Winter for more neutral and pretty pink shades; hence this perfectly spring-orientated duo of Barry M's nail polish in the shade 'Ballerina,' and Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet liquid lipstick in 'Don't Pink of It!' Firstly, I love both the names of these products (superficial, I know, but true all the same) as well as the gorgeous blue-toned pink shade they both offer. I'm definitely one of those people who match their lipstick colour to their outfit, but lately I've taken a real liking to matching my shade of lipstick to the colour on my tips. Needless to say the formula of both of them are lovely. You can get away with even one coat of this nail polish, but two just gives it that lovely pop of colour and considering I painted my nails on Saturday and there are still no signs of any chipping, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed. I already knew what to expect for this Bourjois lipstick as I already have one in the shade 'peach club.' I love the - as the name would suggest - velvet texture that glides on the lips and makes for a very easy and precise application. The formula is lovely - matte, long-lasting, but not at all drying and wears nicely throughout the day. I'm so in love with this pretty pink combo and I'm sure I'll continue wearing it all throughout Spring.

Have you been loving any nail/lip choices lately?

10 things that make me happy

1. Having some alone time.It may sound sad but I really enjoy having time to myself to think about things and just relax. As much as I love spending time with my family and friends, I think having time to be alone with your thoughts is important.
2. Sundays evenings. I have a little pamper session on most sunday evenings to unwind and prepare me for the week ahead. I then watch films in bed (most likely something with either Meryl Streep or Grace Kelly in) with a massive mug of tea and, of course, biscuits.
3. Costa dates with my bestie; it's when we usually have our best talks.
4. Reading books that you can't put down. Worthy mentions go to The Picture of Dorian Gray, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Fault in our Stars. (Can you tell I'm a literature student?)
5. Watching the sun go down on the beach in Greece. It was beautiful.
6. No makeup days. Any girl who claims she loves wearing a face full of makeup 24/7 is lying. Letting your skin breathe feels so good.
7. Seeing my grandparents every friday. I'm so close to them, and I'm grateful for everything they've done/do for me.
8. Meals out with my best friend. We recently went to our favourite Chinese restaurant for results celebrations; it's kind of become tradition.
9.Lazy days where all I do is catch up on YouTube videos and drink copious amounts of tea in bed.
10. Days out with my mum; whether it be lunch, shopping or even just a chat over tea and cake. I'm so close to my mum so spending time with her is the nicest thing.

What things make you happy? Share them in the comments!

Welcoming September and the Last Year

I can't quite believe that it is September already, where has the year gone? On the 4th of this month I go back to Sixth Form, which means it'll be the start of my last year in school (I can't lie, the thought makes me extremely happy.) I wanted to make a post at the beginning of my last year, and set myself some goals for the academic year ahead so that I can look back on them and see if any were achieved. So, without further a do...

- Get into university. It's an obvious and standard goal for people my age but this year my biggest goal is getting into university (preferably my first choice) and studying a degree I enjoy.

- Finding a balance between work and social life. Last year I hardly went to any of the events organised by the enterprise team so this year I'm going to make an effort to attend more of them. 

- Stop Comparing myself to others.  I'm so bad at this. I need to stop focusing on how everyone else is doing and just concentrate on myself and my own success. 

- Spend more free periods doing work. Although I worked through most of my frees this year and didn't actually have many frees where I was just sat doing nothing, that was mainly because I'd deliberately leave all my homework to do in frees. Not a smart move. This brings me onto my next point...

- Do homework on the night it is set. I started off really well this year but as the year progressed I started leaving homework till a couple of days before and I was buried in work. I'm going to make a conscious effort to not let that happen again by completing my homework on the night it is set. Getting it out of the way is the best thing to do, because I can't even count how many nights I spent worrying over work that I hadn't started.

- Stay organised. Dear me, if only you could have seen the state I was in this year. I had random pieces of paper dotted all over the place and I had various notes from different subjects in the same notepad. One word, shambles. This year I need to make sure I file away all my paperwork and notes and stay organised. I can't be rummaging for hours to find that one piece of paper that had everything important on it again this year. Just, no. I'm hoping that if I buy a lot of cute stationery, it'll encourage me to actually use them. Am I the only person that does this?

It feels so bizarre that I'll be going back as the eldest in the school. It always feels like there's another year group above you, but this time I really am in my last year. Crazy. 

I hope that any of you starting Sixth Form or even High School in the next couple of days enjoy it, and good luck!

My Month Through Instagram; August 2014

1.Skiathos island view from the plane| 2. The best cocktails I've ever had| 3. Dinner with a view| 4. Re-reading TFIOS on the beach| 5.Celebratory meal with my bestie| 6. Movie date with Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant accompanied by tea and biscuits.| 7. Chilled Saturdays| 8. Sundays are for musicals and copious amounts of tea| 9. Sweet treats| 10. Happy to be reunited with my bestie| 11. Another picture of tea featuring my new pretty ikea teacup.| 12. Re-kindling my love for both Mary Poppins and Emma Thompson by watching Saving Mr Banks.

The month of August has been a great one. The first two weeks of August were spent on the sunny island of  Skiathos (aka Paradise). If you haven't seen it already, I did a post all about my trip here. On the Saturday after I got back I went for a lovely meal with my best friend, Kim, to celebrate our AS results; she's the best. Other highlights of the month include many film nights, over indulging on biscuits and sweets, and, as you can see, a lot of cups of tea! You can follow me on instagram here.

Hope you've all had a lovely month. I must admit, although I go back to Sixth Form in September, I'm excited for autumn to come. I love wrapping up in jumpers and watching the leaves change colour on the trees; definitely my favourite time of the year. Are you looking forward to September?

A Journey to Paradise

You may or may not know that on the 1st of August I jetted off to the sunny island of Skiathos in Greece for two whole weeks. I had always wanted to visit Greece; I really didn't mind which part because everywhere looked so beautiful, and when we settled on Skiathos I was so excited as I knew it would be the ultimate relaxing holiday, and it was exactly that.

1. Skiathos Island| 2. The pool at the apartment.| 3. Kourkounaries beach

4. Elias Beach| 5. Walking down to Agistros beach| 6. The sea at Agistros

The main reason for why Skiathos was such a beautiful destination is all due to the true blue waters and white sandy beaches. Whilst we were in Skiathos, we visited a total of 4 beaches; Koukounaries, Elias, Agistros and Lalaria. Out of the four, Koukounaries had the best sea/sand, however it did get very busy with the locals. All beaches we went to were absolutely stunning, with thick blue waters and white, grainy sand. We visited Lalaria beach when we went on the Mamma Mia! boat trip (more on that later) and it was the most stunning beach I've ever seen. It's only accessible by boat, meaning it was very quiet and serene, the most tranquil place I've been to in a verrrrry long time.

7. The Clock Tower| 8. Ready for dinner and drinks| 9. Long Island Iced Tea

Other than the beaches and boat trip, this post would be nothing without mentioning the food.....ah the food. Being so close to sea, we were offered fresh, locally caught fish every night. We dined at a few of the tavernas near our apartment; worthy mentions go to Elias for some seriously equisite food, and Augusteras for the best cocktails you'll ever have.

On the Monday of our second week we decided to book the Mamma Mia boat trip. For obvious reasons, I couldn't come all the way to Skiathos and not visit Skopelos/the Mamma Mia church. It was everything I imagined it to be and the beach surrounding the cliff where the church was was equally as beautiful as the ones on Skiathos island. The climb up to the church was, to put it mildly, a very tough struggle. The steps were very steep, and it was about 35 degrees, and we were without water. Great. It was all worth it though because the view from the top was incredible. It was such a bizarre experience to be stood where they'd filmed Mamma Mia and it was a day I'll never forget.

10&11. On the boat, ready for the Mamma Mia trip| 12. Lalaria beach| 13. The Mamma Mia cliff| 14. The view from the top| 15. The Mamma Mia church in all its glory| 16. Lalaria beach (aka the most beautiful beach I've ever been to| 17. Chilling by the beach| 18. Boats by Kourkounaries

This is mostly just a post for me to look back on my holiday and give me a serious case of the holiday blues but nonetheless I hope you've enjoyed having a little insight into my holiday. I really would recommend Skiathos for people who want a really relaxing holiday. All the locals were very friendly, and it was definitely one of the best holidays I have had.

Sorry, again, for the lack of posts, I will hopefully be getting back into posting more frequently. The combintation of being on holiday and being completely uninspired has unfortunately resulted in an absence around here.  Would you be interested in a 'What I Wore' post from when I was on holiday? Let me know. Have any of you done holiday posts? If you have, be sure to link them in the comments! Hope you're all having a lovely weekend.