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?

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!

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?

How to get motivated

I, more than anyone, know how it feels to be completely unmotivated and lethargic - especially around exam season. We all have those days where we just want to stay in bed all day and then we regret it and feel guilty afterwards - been there, done that, got the t-shirt, and worn it pretty much all year. However, if you have work to do or even jobs that need doing around the house, it is often hard to get that bit of motivation to get started. Fear not, I've got a few tips that may just help...

Create a list

Write down a list of all the things you want to do and the date that you want/need to have done them by. Whether it be that wardrobe you said you would revamp last summer or that homework piece you keep putting off, scribble it all down. This will help you see what exactly you need to do and just how long you have to do it.

Prioritise

Once you've made your list, prioritise your tasks. You could use one colour to underline things that need to be done asap, and other colours for things that can wait a little longer (although that doesn't mean you don't do them at all!) 

Be realistic

By this I mean don't  tell yourself that you're going to complete all your tasks in one day - this will only make you stressed and more unmotivated. Instead, set yourself realistic goals that you can achieve- you'll feel much happier being able to tick off one thing that you put all your effort into than ticking off several things you rushed and did half heartedly.

Get in the zone

When I have things to do I often make a music playlist on spotify to listen to whilst I'm doing it - it makes the task that bit more endurable. For example, when I need to tidy my room, I'll listen to some music as I go along - pick up beat tunes, it'll put you in a happier and more motivated mood. If you need to do homework or something that requires your full concentration then music is definitely not one for you. Instead, you could give yourself a reward. For example, you could tell yourself that once you've completed that piece of homework you will sit down with a cup of tea and watch your favourite film. Not only does this make you more motivated to complete your work, but it also gives you some relaxation time in between tasks where you can just forget about work for a while and enjoy some 'me-time.'

Tick off your tasks

As you go along, tick off the tasks you've completed. I don't know about you, but I find there's nothing more satisfying than scribbling the hell out of things I've completed. My exam timetable is a prime example!

I hope this helped some of you. I often find that when I have a lot to do I just see it as one big task whereas confronting each task individually makes the process a lot more bearable. 

Let me know if you'd like to see more posts like this!

Beauty Wishlist #2

My beauty wishlist is progressively starting to resemble a scroll. Calling it a list is a tad - and by tad, I mean colossal - understatement. There are just so many things I want/need to get my hands on. 

First up, Nars Sheer Glow

I'm sure you've all heard about this foundation. If you haven't then...how's that rock you're living under? I have wanted Nars Sheer Glow since the beginning of my makeup addiction and it's about time I saved up my pennies and made a trip to Selfridge's.

Stila One Step Correcting Primer

I haven't really seen that many reviews on this primer but a few weeks ago my favourite online magazine, Nouvelle Daily, posted a full review of this which you can see here. Anything they review has me scribbling it down. I don't really have that much interest in primers as my skin is on the drier side, but even their post had me wanting to make a sneaky online purchase.

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Red Square

I want this. I need this. It will be mine. No more need be said.

Charlotte Tilbury Palette in the shade The Vintage Vamp

For ages I lusted after the Dolce Vita Palette but I was recently perusing the Selfridge's website and came across the shade Vintage Vamp. It's fair to say it was love at first sight. At a gasp-worthy price of £38 the palette is obviously on the higher end of things, but it is beautiful and it is less than the Chanel Quad that is similar so therefore, in my books, it is fully justifiable. 

Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess Perfume

A big massive YAY for this one. I'm so happy this is being relaunched on the 1st of May. I wanted this perfume desperately last year but my student budget just didn't agree with the price tag. Needless to say I'm still on that budget but I'm willing to save for this one.

I know all these products are high end but they are things I've wanted for a looooong time. Do you own any of these products? I'd love to see what's on your wishlists, so please leave comments to posts you've done.

Skincare Wishlist #1

Pixi Glow Tonic

I know nothing about skincare. And by nothing I mean I know that the three steps to a standard routine is cleanse, tone and moisturise. What can I say, Caroline Hirons would be ashamed at my lack of knowledge. Talking of Caroline, I remember reading her post on this toner ages ago and well if it is good enough for the queen of skincare it's definitely good enough for my chops.

Clinique Take the day off cleanser

I've heard a lot of good reviews about this stuff. I've never actually tried a balm cleanser, I tend to use my trusty Bioderma or a cream cleanser, so I'm intrigued to try this to see whether I prefer it.

Hydralauron

So this is probably the smallest serum I have ever seen. I remember seeing an opened box in boots one time and actually gasping that the full-sized serum is actually smaller than something sample-sized. That aside, it must be incredible stuff as it always pops up in people's skincare routines on YouTube.

Origins Drink up intensive overnight mask

I've wanted to try origins skincare for so long now and I have heard so many good reviews on this mask. I have combination skin at the moment but in the winter my skin is very dry. This may just be my savior come winter.

Origins Ginzing Moisturiser

I really need to try this moisturiser. I think it will be perfect for fresh and awake skin for summer. Origins look out.

Are there any skincare items you're lusting over lately?