What's In My Travel Makeup Bag

Hey guys! As you guys should know from my previous posts, I'm currently in the states on holiday with my family. Whilst I've been here I have been trying to find time to write and publish a blog post for you guys. With doing a bunch of activities and the time here being 5 hours behind the UK, it has been pretty difficult but today we had a pool and resort day since its our final day in this particular villa before heading to a hotel for week 2, so I sat down and decided to write this for you guys! 

I wondered what was appropriate to  write about and then finally decided to show you guys whats in my travel makeup bag! Since I did one for my hand luggage, why not show my makeup bag too?

My makeup on holiday is very different to on an everyday basis. I prefer to wear minimal as its easier to catch an even tan and its way too hot to wear a full face, ESPECIALLY here in Florida *breathes heavily* 

I still like to bring options for evening times and for the gram of course, so without further ado, here is my makeup bag! 

I definitely want to buy a bigger makeup bag for holidays as I've had to bring 3 in order to fit every product AND tools/brushes I want (Hint to anyone struggling to find me a birthday present).

I'm going to do this in order of how I would do my makeup. The first things I have are primers. I have a matifying primer by Barry M for the day time as its smoothing, lightweight and keeps away the oils in this blumin hot weather! I also have an illuminating primer by seventeen for the evening or when I want a more glowy base. I like to have the option and having combination skin makes it a whole lot easier to choose.

I also have my collection eyebrow kit that I use everytime I wear makeup. Whether I'm wearing a full face or nothing, I ALWAYS have to do my brows. I have literally no brows naturally so sometimes I do my brows and I'm out the door. 

I brought my LA Girl foundation with me for when I'm taking pictures or going to dinner. I don't wear foundation in the day time just because its extremely hot and can get uncomfortable when out in the sun. 

It was a bit more difficult when it came to choosing one concealer to bring as I do have a few in my collection. In the end I decided on the collection lasting perfection as it feels lightweight but it has great coverage and can be used to highlight and carve out my brows if needed. 

For powder I brought the collection loose powder (can you tell I quite like collection?) to set my foundation or concealer and also bake if I want my makeup to last through the evening time (which I haven't done yet). 

For contour I brought my LA contour kit as its travel size. I'm not a huge fan of this product but its all I have at the moment since I completely hit pan on my other kit and its near enough gone. I'm hoping to buy a new one whilst i'm out here though. I don't really tend to contour on holiday but I do like to bronze up my skin which this is ok for. 

I also brought my LA pro conceal in toast to cream contour. I find that cream products last longer so I choose to cream bronze/contour with this more so than the powder. 

For highlight (again was a difficult choice), I decided to bring my sleek cleopatra's kiss palette. The colours will match me even when I'm tan so it was the safest way to go. 

For my eyes I brought a small eyeshadow palette that has 5 shimmer shades that I can just sweep over the lid. These shadows are actually SUPER pigmented and the palette is travel friendly. I haven't used it yet but its there if I want some colour. 

I also brought my Maybelline lash sensational waterproof mascara. I prefer to use waterproof in hot conditions as it lasts longer and doesn't smudge if I'm sweating. 

Although I'm still struggling to apply lashes, I brought three different pairs with me. I brought some from eyelure, superdrug and kiss. 

For lips I brought some vaseline to hydrate my lips because I have very dry lips. I brought a red lipstick for the evening time and 2 nude lipliners which are actually from Primark and they're so good! Aswell as that I brought my Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker lipgloss.

So that is what I brought on holiday with me! I hope you enjoyed reading. 

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x

What's In My Hand Luggage

As I write this, I'm at the airport waiting to board my flight with my family! Super exciting. In the past I have done a what's in my school bag and thought it would be cool to do a hand luggage version. I find these sort of posts super interesting (maybe I'm just nosy) and I know that some of you guys do too.

This is my hand luggage bag. Do not judge me! I know it isn't the most mature bag for an almost 18 year old however it's very practical and such a decent size so I'll continue to use it until I purchase a much more mature bag.

The first thing that is in my hand luggage is a book. I love to read but I haven't read in so long. Last time I read back in June, which for me is a very long time. I started reading Me After You as soon as I finished my book about mid June but never continued reading it for some reason. I'm only on chapter 3 so I want to read further on the plane and during my holiday. I read books fairly quickly so I should come home after my holiday with the book finished.

The next thing in my hand luggage is my camera. I'm bringing my camera with me to take a bunch of pictures and stuff and I don't want to damage it by keeping it in my suitcase, since the workers like to throw the bags around carefree sometimes. Along with the camera I'm keeping the charger in the bag too, obviously to charge it when the battery runs low.

Similarly, I have my phone charger (and phone of course) with me in the bag too.

I definitely want to listen to music and watch movies on the plane since it will be a total of 13 hours travel. That means I'll need my earphones! These are essential on long flights.

Sometimes when I'm not reading, watching movies, listening to music or sleeping, I like to write. That is why also in my bag is a notebook and some pens. I like to write notes, make lists of things I want to buy on holiday, write a story etc. I really enjoy writing.

Another important thing that I keep in my hand luggage is my purse. I like to keep both British money and whatever else (in this case dollars) in my purse. I bring pounds for the airport and dollars of course for when I'm on holiday.

To freshen up and stuff, I like to have with me some perfume or body spray. I'm travelling for hours like I said so I keep some sort of fragrance in my hand luggage to freshen up. With that I also have hand cream in case my skin gets dry and some sun screen too.

I'm keeping my eye cream with me just in case my under eyes get super dry on the plane.

I'm bringing my nail polish colour with me in case it needs another coat on top or starts to chip.

I carry hand sanitizer EVERYWHERE with me because you never know when you're going to need it the most.

So that is everything I am keeping in my hand luggage. I hope it was somewhat interesting. 

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x

A Day In My LIfe: Day Before Holiday Edition

Eeek! So I'm going to Florida tomorrow! My flight is early in the morning and I'm so hype right now. I've been thinking about doing this post on and off and finally decided to do it. I wanted to share with you a day in my life but before I go on holiday. My family and I like to travel as much as possible and it has become a huge part of my life and who I am. The day before any holiday or trip is always super busy for my family and I and I thought it would make a good blog post. Today I did a bunch of tasks and I wanted to show you what I got up to! So here we goooo!

I actually woke up at about 11am this morning. I was super tired and thought I'd have a lie in. The time difference is 5 hours behind in Florida too so I'll probably feel tired, so may as well get as much sleep as possible now. 

I went downstairs and did my usual morning routine which includes having breakfast, watching YouTube videos and talking to my brothers. We were getting really excited for the holiday and having normal sibling chats. 

Then I went and had a shower and got ready. You know, the usual.

I picked out a super casual, lounge around outfit for the day as I knew it was a busy one and didn't feel the need to get all dressed up.

I made myself some lunch so I was energised for the rest of the afternoon. I know super noodles aren't the best for you but they're quick to make. 

Straight after lunch at about 2:40pm I went upstairs to clean my room. I'm away for 2 weeks and its nice to come back to a clean and neat bedroom. I cleaned the shelves, vacuumed the carpet, folded some of my clothes, cleaned my mirror etc. 

After neatening up my bedroom I washed some of the makeup brushes that I am bringing on holiday with me and then left them by the open window to dry. 

I finished all this by about 4pm and relaxed for half an hour before packing the final few bits in my suitcase. 

At about 6pm I did some pre-writing for this blog so that when I'm at the theme parks having fun, all I have to do is sit down for 5 minutes to publish it. I'll definitely be writing out there too but it helps to have some ready to go.

At about 6:45pm I packed my hand luggage. Hopefully a what's in my hand luggage post will go up tomorrow so look out for that.

And then at 7:20pm I repainted my nails. Why not have a fresh coat of polish before your holiday, right? At the moment I've been loving white. Primark actually do really great nail polish for only 90p! The nail polish I used was called Marshmallow and I used their 2 in 1 Top and Base coat too.

For the rest of the day I just had dinner once my mum got home and watched TV with my family. I'm going to bed early as we have to be up by 3am.

I hope you enjoyed this post! I enjoyed sharing my day with you. This one has been a lot more chilled in comparison to other holiday prep days.
If you want to see a Day In My Life: On Holiday Edition. Then I can do that one of the days I am there!

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

Sixth Form Advice (Year 12 Edition)

So, I've had a few requests to do a blog post on starting A-levels. It seems like some of you guys are quite nervous, so I'm here to put you at ease (or at least try to). So I am answering the questions that you guys want being answered, I asked you guys to message me questions that you have and I also have some things of my own that I wanted to mention.

We'll start with your questions first.

1) Is the difference between GCSE and A-levels really as high as everyone says?

YES! I knew it would be difficult but honestly I didn't get what everyone meant when they told me that A-levels were a huge jump from GCSE. Now I understand. You can go from being an A* student to getting U's if you don't put in the work. Its not like GCSEs where you're completely spoon fed information and sometimes can ace an exam with no revision. If you don't study, you will fail. That being said, if you work hard you can do it. Don't fall into the trap of thinking work load will be small because you're going from 12 subjects to 3/4. The workload is actually far larger even with only three subjects. This brings me on nicely to the next question.

2) How do you manage your time effectively and stay on top of work?

My biggest tip I have for you is to start revising from the beginning. Make your flashcards and posters from the start of the year. I did that to begin with but stopped around Christmas time (what an idiot) and let me tell you, I got STRESSED. After every lesson, make sure you go over everything and understand all the content because during the exam period, teachers don't have time to be teaching you things over and over again. Keep everything organised into binders or folders and divide them into each topic so during exam season you already have the resources to study from. I wish I knew this sooner.

In terms of managing time, make sure you have a planner/agenda. I wrote EVERYTHING in mine. Even little things. When you're busy it is so easy to forget things so make sure to write it down and always look at your planner everyday because I once forgot to look at mine for a week and realised I had a presentation due the next day that I hadn't even started. I ended up having to do it in my free and completely winged the speakers notes to go with the slideshow. So check your planner! Also, use your frees. I'm working in pretty much most of my free periods. Do homework so you get a bit more time to yourself at home, do some revision, go through class notes. Really use your free time effectively. Its so tempting just to nap on the sofa (guilty of that) but honestly, using your free periods will make a huge difference to your stress levels and even your final grade. To be honest I could do an entire post on time management and work load, so I'm going to leave it here before it gets too long.

3) How long did it take you to get used to sixth form?

I got used to sixth form life very quickly. Mentally I still couldn't process that I wasn't a high school student anymore. It felt strange to tell people I left school, but actually getting used to sixth form wasn't difficult. I guess for me it was mainly because I already knew most people as I stayed at my school's sixth form. Everyone's experience is different but I was fine.

4) How did you avoid getting stressed?

You literally can't. Stress follows you when you're at sixth form. You think you're done with all the work for the evening and then remember another one you didn't write down. You think you're done with work in your free and go to relax but your mentor screams EPQ. Stress is real in sixth form. I thought year 11 was intense but man. The good thing is that I've learnt how to handle it now. I've kind of figured out how to minimise it as much as I can. My advice would be to remember that grades aren't everything and to take it one step at a time. Its very easy to see your long list of tasks to do and want to crawl in a hole. Break the list down and do everything in chunks. Don't feel like you need to do 10 things all at once. Sit down and plan. Its all about organisation really.

So those were the questions you guys wanted me to answer and now I'm going to answer some that I think are important that weren't asked.

5) How do you make new friends at sixth form?

Now, like I said I went to my school's sixth form so I knew pretty much everybody, however there are external members that I was first getting to know. When you're in secondary school, you make so many friends that become your best friends and it can be hard to make new ones after being with the same people for 5 years. Making new friends can be difficult but it really doesn't have to be. My advice on making new friends is to talk about your summer, prom or sixth form. These are all good ice breakers and conversation starters. If you did NCS you can tell everybody about your experience, you could talk about prom or even share your thoughts about what you think sixth form will be like. These sort of conversations really break the ice and will hopefully lead you into a beautiful friendship.

6) Do you get a lot of support when it comes to the work?

You get support from teachers and mentors where it is needed. You'll never be left completely alone, especially if you're learning something new. However you are expected and going to have to do your own work and research outside of lessons and school hours. That might be simple things like reading textbooks and watching documentaries. They won't spoon feed you all the information that you need like back in school. They'll sort of be like the backbone. They'll provide you with a foundation but you have to build upon it.

7) Is it all work or do you have fun at sixth form?

No. Sixth form is not just all about work. It may seem that way but you actually do have fun. You get to go on trips and do fun things too. I went to London for the day with my politics class to visit parliament and then we spent a couple hours on oxford street shopping, we went ice skating during the Christmas season, we the £5 challenge where we were each given a fiver and had to turn that into a profit. Sixth form isn't all work and stress. So look forward to it!

My final advice to you is to get involved. When it comes to year 13 you can really show yourself off and put all you've done on your personal statement and mention them at interviews for universities and apprenticeships. I was a mentor for younger students, I helped out at school discos and school events etc. All these things that you may not want to do at the time will really pay off so say yes to opportunities.

If you're starting sixth form now or in the future, I hope this was helpful and answered some of your questions! Make the most of it because it will be gone in a blink.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

LA Girl Pro Coverage HD Illuminating Foundation Review

Hey guys! Today I am coming at you with ANOTHER foundation review. This time I am reviewing the LA Girl Pro Coverage HD long wear Illuminating Liquid Foundation (longest name ever haha). I got this foundation about 2 weeks ago and spoiler alert...I'M OBSESSED. But you have to read the rest of this post to know why.

What I look for in a foundation:

• Good Coverage (Medium-High)
• Long Lasting
• Satin/Dewy Finish
• Light/Medium Texture

Foundation Claims: 

• High Coverage 
• Illuminating
• Long wear

The shade I got in my foundation: Warm Biege 

Amount of product: 28ml 

The foundation claims pretty much match what I look for in a foundation, straight off the bat. I had my eye on it for a good few months before I purchased it. I decided to use up my L'oreal Lumi Magique before buying it. I saw this foundation being featured a lot on YouTube by beauty gurus and it looked so amazing on their skin that the more I saw it, the more I wanted it. I even watched a couple beauty gurus who compared it to the Makeup Forever HD foundation. 

The foundation claims to be long wear, and I've definitely noticed that it lasts. I expect it to be melted off by the evening and its still stuck on my face. It isn't the way it first looked obviously, but it is definitely there. I would say it lasts about 10 hours, which is pretty good in my opinion. I'm at school for about 7 hours and hopefully it will last throughout the day. I'm on summer break right now so we'll have to find out when I go back. It also claims to be illuminating, which I can say is 100% true. I love the finish of this foundation. It gives the skin a beautiful radiance and makes the skin look super healthy. For someone who has combination skin and can sometimes get a little dry, it is the perfect finish. Oily skin babes may not be too into it as its quite dewy but if you get a good matifying primer and setting powder, it may work for you. 

The coverage is really nice. With one coat is covers most of my blemishes and looks really smooth on the skin. Any areas that need more coverage, I just apply a bit  more as it doesn't cake up too easily or I'll use concealer. 

 When it is first applied, I can definitely tell that I have makeup on, however after  a few hours it feels super light weight and you kind of forget that you have foundation on. 

.  Extras: 

Pros: 

- It's affordable. 

- There is a fairly wide shade range available. 

- It has sleek packaging. 
-It has a pump

Cons: 

- The foundation has a strange smell to it. It kind of smells like weak paint.  

- It oxidises a little bit.
-It transfers quite easily (one thing I'm not too fond of about this foundation) 

Overall, I am really loving this foundation. It could potentially be my favourite drugstore foundation. I've only had it for 2 weeks so I'll have to give it a month for a final statement on that but it's looking good. 

Here are a few links to where you can purchase it: 

http://www.beautybay.com/makeup/lagirl/procoveragehdlongwearilluminatingliquidfoundation
https://www.lagirlusa.com/products/pro-coverage-illuminating-foundation?variant=21095238405

Thanks for reading, 

Have a great day x 

Bad Days.

So, I had a different blog post that was all ready to publish but I thought I'd post something different today. I usually plan my blog posts but this is very raw and spontaneous. I'm literally just writing this on my phone from the top of my head so I'm sorry if its not the best.

Today I've been having one of those horrible days where I've just felt bad about myself. Not appearance wise but other aspects. I don't know, I've almost felt a bit lost and all over the place. Like I've lost myself and I'm not sure where or who to turn to (besides God). I've had a bit of a confidence drop recently due to a collection of things and events. I haven't told anyone about it but I've very much felt different these past few weeks. Some people may have noticed and others probably not. I wish I could write this the way I want it to come across but its not easy.

Overall, I'm a very outgoing person, I can be super crazy and i'm definitely a people person but recently I haven't felt like that person. I've tried to be but it doesn't feel as natural as it should be. I think because my confidence has dropped a bit, so has other personality traits. I'm still myself but not 100%, do you kind of get me? I'm not sure if I make sense to be honest.

During this time of feeling not so great, I've just felt a bit alone. And of course I have friends and family, but when you're not completely secure in yourself it doesn't matter how many people are in your life, it can often feel like hardly anyone is there. Like an unheard screaming fan at a concert way at the back of the arena.

This post doesn't have much of an aim to it, its literally just me talking I guess. Maybe someone who comes across this will relate, who knows.

I'm not going to lie and say that I'm positive and happy all the time because I'm not. I try to be but sometimes life gets the better of you. It wouldn't be possible not to sometimes feel hurt about things people may do or say to you and its not possible to always brush off when you feel down. Sometimes it takes time. I have bad days that last longer than a day but also some that last about an hour before i'm over it.
My point is that everyone has bad days but its how you combat them and how you get back up when you fall.

Even the happiest people can feel unhappy and thats something we all need to remember. When I'm not feeling the greatest, like today, I like to just think. Think of all the reasons why I feel the way I do and cry about it. I think, overthink and think again until I've cried as much as I need to. Believe it or not, crying doesn't make you weak, it can actually make you stronger. Once I've got all the tears out, I like to write down on a piece of paper all those thoughts and then scrunch it up and throw it in the bin. By doing that, I release all the emotion that has bundled up and I choose to let it go. All those insecurities and thoughts that probably aren't true go straight in the bin. I choose to let it go and move on. Today I wrote 3 pages. Three whole pages. And right now it is happily ripped apart in the bin, and I'll never look back. If you keep those thoughts, it will get the better of you but if you choose not to accept it and to think NO thats trash, then it can help you grow. I literally started writing this about 20 seconds after throwing it and I thought I would share that. Not sure why, I just felt like it I guess.

I'm sorry for this. Its not the best post and probably irrelevant to anything in your life but I started this blog to not only help you guys but me too in a way.

If you're having a bad day, wipe the tears away, lift your head up and look forward to the blessings. I love you lots and I know others do too.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

How To Be Productive This Summer (Summer Revision/Work)

I know what you're probably thinking, why would I work in the summer? Hold up, hear me out. This blog post is specifically for people going into year 11+. The year that you are going into is going to be a tough one and you're going to want to be prepared. Now I'm not talking about hours worth of studying. Heck no. It's summer time! Who has time to sit down at a desk and literally revise. What I'm going to be talking about is keeping your mind alert and constantly refreshed so you're not thrown into the deep end once its time to go back.

I thought I would share with you things that you can do this summer that will benefit you a lot when you start sixth form or year 11.

First Tip: Wake Up Early

Wake up early? No its summer! That's probably what you're thinking, right? When I say wake up early, I don't mean 6am or what not. Have a lie in but don't sleep until mid day because then half the day is literally gone. I like to wake up at about 9am as I get a nice lie in but I also don't miss half the day. By waking up "early" you have more hours in the day to be productive and get things done. If you want to, you can even get some stuff done in the morning and get it out the way. It doesn't have to be everyday obviously. I mean lets be real, I've already woken up at 12pm this summer holiday.

Second Tip: Have a good breakfast

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Think about it, you're sleeping for 6-8 hours, sometimes even more (especially in the summer holidays) and the whole time you're asleep, you haven't eaten. That means your body NEEDS food once you wake up. I know that when I'm awake, I eat every 10 minutes, so not eating for more than 8 hours would be mental. Eating a good breakfast is going to one, make you happy (who doesn't like food?) and two, allow you to concentrate for much longer,

Third Tip: Write a list of what needs to be done everyday

I love lists. Without them, I would be so unorganised. I would recommend sitting with your breakfast and writing out a list of everything you want to get done that day. For me, I do politics so I may put on that list to watch the latest PMQ, so I'm up to date with whats going on (which I definitely need to do actually...). If you're a literature student, you may put that you want to read a chapter of one of the books you'll be studying etc. It doesn't have to be anything major but something that will benefit you. I'm currently in the process of applying for university, so each day I've been trying to find open days to book and things to put on my personal statement.

It really is a great feeling when you look back on the list at the end of the day and everything is ticked off.

Fourth Tip: Select Specific Times

This is an extension of the third tip. Once you've written your list of tasks, try to match it with specific times. So write down how long you want to spend doing it and what time you're going to start the task. This saves you from wasting the day without realising and then trying to cram it all in before bed. For example, you may decide to read for half an hour at 1pm but have a long break to yourself until you do coursework at 4pm. I've found that doing things this way has made me super productive and this is actually how I managed all my revision during exam season.

Fifth Tip: Log Out of Social Media

If you're anything like me, getting notifications distract you. I'll be typing on my laptop and may see the glow from my phone on the other side of the room. That glow will then distract me and I end up checking it. So, what I've been doing lately is logging out of any social media apps that I get notifications from whilst I'm doing something. For me, I get a fair few notifications from Instagram and Snapchat, so I usually log out of there for a bit until I am done. If you can work without being distracted by your phone then you can obviously skip this tip but I would advise it, as it makes such a difference.

Sixth Tip: Reward Yourself!

Once you've completed a task, reward yourself! You've been productive so now its time to reward yourself. Go out with some friends for a couple hours, watch a movie, eat. What I love to do at the end of the day is watch YouTube videos. I love just sitting in bed with the ipad watching vlogs or makeup tutorials. It's my time just to chill. I've been doing it a lot these past few days and I look forward to my daily dose of YouTube.

So these are my tips on how to be productive this summer. The aim isn't to over work yourself but to keep your mind working. I've studied so much this year that I wouldn't do that to myself, its just hopefully going to make September bearable. I hope it was helpful. Let me know if there are specific posts you want to see.

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x

Beauty Products I Want To Purchase When I Go To America

I'll be going to America this month, on holiday in Orlando! I'm extremely excited to go back to my favourite place on earth. While I am there, I'm hoping to do a lot of shopping and of course that includes beauty products, so I thought I'd share with you some of the products that I am hoping to purchase.

#1 Coty Airspun Translucent Powder

I've heard some amazing things about this powder and its from the drugstore. It's apparently incredible for baking and it lasts a very long time so if I find an Ulta, I definitely want to get my hands on it.

#2 Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

I already have this and use it every time I do my makeup, but I need to replace it. I've had it for about 4 months and it's super stained and probably not great to use on my skin anymore so whilst I'm in the US I'll buy a new one. Mainly because it actually works out cheaper than it would be to get it from Superdrug.

#3 Mario Badescu Rose Water Spray

I'm on my last few sprays of my cucumber spray and it's actually devastating but they sell Mario Badescu in the US (obviously) so I really want to get the rose water one. I love the cucumber one but because the rose water spray is so popular, I want to give that one a go and see which one I prefer.

#4 ELF Eye Brushes

I've heard really good things about ELF makeup brushes from YouTubers and they're only a couple of dollars so I want to get my hands on some eyeshadow brushes as I have enough face brushes but I could do with more eyeshadow blending brushes and crease brushes etc

#5 Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

I've hit pan on my powder and I can tell that I'll need a new one soon, so whilst I'm there I may as well pick one up. Believe it or not I've never tried the stay matte powder and it is highly raved about.

#6 ELF Mist and Set

I'm in need of a setting spray and ELF has one for less than $5 that is suppose to be really good.

#7 Ardell Demi Wispies Lashes

This is a cult favourite in the beauty industry so I want to give them a go. I'm getting better at applying lashes. It still takes me 500 hours but I can get them on.

#8 NYX Pigments

They look so pretty and they sell them cheaper over there than in the UK.

So these are all the things I can currently think of, but I'm sure I'll return home with more. I might to a haul of everything I buy over there, but we'll have to see.

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day X