Let me take you to... Ibiza Old Town

Hello!

Ok, so, I have just got back from an amazing holiday in Ibiza with my family and one of my best friends, and I thought that I would share one of my favourite days with you.

I'll start off by saying that having a friend come on holiday with the family this year certainly changed the dynamic, and although it was lovely to have him around, it did stop us from doing certain things, such as travelling far away from the villa, as we couldn't quite fit all six of us in the five-seater car... However, we managed for ten days and (I hope) we all had a fab time around the pool and beach. 

Sadly (and luckily I suppose...), Charlie left before we were due to leave, so we had three days to occupy ourselves without him, and as we now had enough car space, we made the journey to Ibiza Old Town, and hour away from where we were staying. 

oh my god

I love it there. It's one of those old, beautiful, cobbledy stone streets places where you can't imagine anybody ever living but of course people do and you just want to stay there forever. Theres not really much I can say to do this divine abode any justice, so I'll just show you.

Here is Ibiza Old Town in pictures:

 

I hope you like this style of post! I'm thinking about making it a recurring piece, maybe for more travelling or day trips???

And finally, here is one of my favourite of all of the holiday photos...

M

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My Travel Essentials

Hello!

Ok, so today I'm VERY excited so I thought I would show my travel essentials to try and relieve some of this enthusiasm. My family and I travel to Ibiza next week and I think I'm the only one excited about it at all. Although, that may be because this year we are being joined by one of my bestest friends! 

I am beyond looking forward to it...

So, here we have my travel essentials. These aren't necessarily tailored to any specific type of holiday or travel experience, so these are just the general things that I take for any trip.  

I usually like to take quite a big bag as a carry-on or whatever, so I've used my satchel for this. It's a leather square-ish bag from Scaramanga and its pretty much perfect. You could probably use it for anything: I used it as a schoolbag for the past two years, but it could easily be used as a handbag or carry-on bag, or maybe even a briefcase type thing, as it's definitely big enough to fit a laptop.

BZRK - Michael Grant

I always bring a book (more like four) with me when I travel, especially on long car or plane journeys because I find that theres something about holidays that just make me want to read loads. I do usually read at home, but not much and not very often, unless I find a REALLY good book and I read it in a matter of hours. Anyway, this is the book that I will be bringing next week in my hand luggage. I'm already halfway through it and so far I really like it. It's one of those darker, creepy books (I know, I'm rubbish at describing things...) and its still sort of all a mystery to me, but it's got to one of those bits where it starts to get soooo good and you think it'll end too soon and theres still loads of the book left and you have no idea where its all gonna end up. Yeah. It's one of those.

Another essential, probably not just for me, is my purse, or some kind of money-storing-device. My purse is from Fossil and I love it to pieces! It's very handy, with a slot compartment to hold your phone on the inside, which makes it perfect for travelling. Its one of those great purses with so many slots and compartments for cards and money and coins and it basically caters for everything you may need in a purse.  It also has a detachable wrist strap, which is also very handy, but I've found that when you take the strap off, theres no zip bit to hold to make it easy to open, it just leaves a little loop, which is quite tiny if you have big fingers like me. However, thats the only flaw that I have found with the purse, its just so pretty to stare at, even the inside is a fab purple colour.

The next things that I always like to travel with are my beautiful notebooks. I think they are Paperblanks, but I bought them both in a local gift shop. I bought the smaller one first and I spent quite a while trying to talk myself out of wanting it, because if I'm honest, they're not cheap notebooks and I have limited notebook funds. Anyway, I ignored my senses and bought it anyway. The second one was slightly easier to reason myself into buying. I mean, its called 'Black Moroccan' and I was going to Morocco at the time so I simply couldn't resist...

 Anyway, they are incredibly good quality, and they have that lovely thick paper that just feels really good to turn. You can get them lined or unlined, but I bought both of these unlined because I like to draw and stuff and lines get in the way. The big book has a funky fold over magnetic flap to keep it shut, and protects the pages from dust and crumbs when its shoved to the bottom of my bag.

And finally, we have some general travel bits and bobs...

Phone and Headphones: a true essential for me. I hate not having my phone accessible at all times. Its not that I'm always using it, but I like to know that its there so that if I need it, I've got it. I always pack loads of stuff to do in hand luggage, but I usually end up listening to music and staring out the window the whole way, and I end up pointlessly carting around loads of heavy, and wholly unnecessary books and pencil cases and all sorts. 

Hand cream: This hand cream is the coconut Body Shop one, but it comes in a diddy squeezy tube, which makes it fab for flying because of the restrictions with the amount of liquid you can travel with. I always like to have hand cream on me,  although I don't usually use it, my mum and brother get really dry hands and always need it, so its always useful to have.

Sunglasses: Of course, this depends on where you are travelling to, but if you are going to a nice sunny place, they're probs quite important to protect your lil eyes from the sun. I like to keep sunglasses in hand luggage instead of in a suitcase because I get really worried that they'll get crushed and I'll unpack to find smashed up glass in with all of my clothes and stuff. (I don't know whether this is a completely irrational fear or not???) These groovy green frames are also from Fossil.

Lipbalm: I ALWAYS have lip balm on me because I'm one of those people who can't stand dry and chapped lips. Always gotta be prepared! This Eos Tangerine lip balm is currently, and will probably forever be, my favourite lip balm. It doesn't really smell orangey, or like anything recognisable, but I quite like the smell, and its great for hydrating the kissers.

Water: Water is very important to have wherever you are, and I have recently discovered Voss water. I had always thought that this was incredibly expensive and not readily available in the UK, but I spotted it in Tesco and had to get it. I got it for £1.30, which is expensive for a water bottle, but much cheaper than I was expecting, and its a glass bottle, so I have been reusing it over and over. I don't know what it is about drinking water from a bottle, but sometimes I hate it and sometimes I love it. This happens to be one of the bottles that I love and I end up refilling it like 20 times a day.

However, a water bottle like this may not be allowed on flights, because of the restrictions, but its definitely good for car journeys.

So there you have it! All of my travel essentials!

M

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A Week in Hair Styles...

Hello!

Now, I'm probably the worst person to post about hair and how to style it, because I literally repeat the same two hairstyles every day and hope that nobody notices.  However, in an attempt to broaden my hairy horizons, I've decided to document how I've done my hair every day for a week. 

Wish me luck...

WEDNESDAY:

This really was a quick do today - simply parting my hair and plaiting very loosely, securing with a transparent elastic hairband. I then sort of just ran my fingers through it to rough it up and loosen the plaits even more. 

It felt especially good to have loose-goosy hair today, on the HOTTEST DAY OF THE YEAR!!! In England, we're lucky to even see the sun most days, so the ultimate heat was very well received!

THURSDAY:

I've always known that messy hair is my thang, so this hairdo was way up there with my favourites. Again, its totally simple. All I did (which you can't really see anyway!) was take small pieces of hair and plait them so that I was left with teensy cute braids. I also took small chunks of hair and backcombed them a little bit,  just to make it look super messy. 

Finishing off a diddly plait is a tricky business - I never know whether to use a tiny clear elastic band or whether its just too big for plaits so small? I've resorted to ever so slightly back combing them so that they don't come undone and aren't bulky, which works quite well. Although, it does make them a pain to brush out...

I also quite like to have one larger plait positioned sort of behind my ear, which I do use a hairband to fasten, and pull the strands out with my fingers to make it looser.

I know that you can't really see any of the plaits in these pictures, but my hair is veeery thin and lanky, so I like to position the plaits on the underneath of my hair as I find that it helps to make my hair look thicker and more healthy :) 

FRIDAY:

I've only recently learned how to french plait, so you could say that I've been wearing the life out of them recently. I feel like this half-plaited 'do is great for keeping hair out of your face and doesn't really take long to do, perfect for school!

All I did to achieve this was french plait the top section of my hair, down to about half way down the back of my head, before I stopped adding in more bits of hair and plaited the hair to the end, holding it in place with a clear hairband. 
Easy stuff.

SATURDAY:

Once again, not a particularly adventurous style, but a kind of classic. Everybody loves a bun; even my brother says its his favourite hairstyle for a girl to wear.
A loose and bobbly bun is my go-to 'do for days when my hair just won't do what I want it to!



I reckon most people know how to do a bun, but if you don't, all I do is gather my hair into a ponytail, usually keeping it loose and I tie it with a hairband. Next, I twist the ponytail until it naturally begins to curl and it wrap it around the band, either tying it with another band or slotting in bobby pins.

SUNDAY:

 

I can't stand a flat ponytail, so I like to seriously backcomb mine... I also like a really high ponytail, so I tend to put my hair up by flinging my hair upside down to get it as high up on my head and physically possible (or at least as high as I can get away with...)

MONDAY:

Here we go, something slightly different!
I'm not really sure what this would be called, or even how to describe it, but basically, 
its a twist at the back of my head. (Sounds attractive, I know...)

Looks pretty cool, huh?

Even better, its so easy! 

To make your hair do this wonderful thing, collect all of your hair at the back of your head in a low ponytail and tie loosely with a hairband. Next, make a gap in the hair, above the band, so that you can fit your fingers through. Flip the ponytail through the hole so that it creates a twisty loop and pull the band tighter if needed!

TUESDAY:

I looove having curly hair, but I hate having to curl my hair all the time, so I don't often do it, but what better way to end a blog post dedicated to hair?
 I don't know what it is about the process that makes me hate it so much, but I always find myself getting very hot and stressed and everything curls the wrong way and I usually end up rushing the last few sections, resulting in wonky, and wholly unattractive half waves. 
It's a nightmare, I tell ya.

  
However, I reckon I've found a solution to the pain, red facedness and overall uncomfortably long process. I separate my hair into four chunks and wrap them around the curling iron for about a minute each. Thats it. Crazy. I know it might only work for me because my hair is quite thin, but I really like the loose wave look that it gives. To hold the curls throughout the day, I simply spray it with a bit of hairspray and brush through it with my fingers to make it look a bit more natural, and less on the crispy side.

 So, theres my week in hairstyles! I really hope you like it! (I know I did! It was fab posing for my brother with the camera. Not sure he enjoyed it as much as me though...) 
Until next time,

M
x

It really is the little things...

Hello!

Ok, so recently there has been a lot of stuff going on for me. In the past two months, we have finished Year 11, sat all of our GCSEs, gone through Induction week for Sixth Form, and had our Ball (or Prom, to most people), and its been so emotional! I've been a mess of stress, fear and tears. It's so difficult to sit exams knowing that in a few weeks, you will be seeing everybody that you have come to know and love over the past five years for the last time - at least for 10 weeks, if not forever. I realise that it is the last thing I should have been worrying about during that time, but I couldn't help myself. I am my happiest when I'm with friends and it'll honestly be so hard to not see everybody over the summer. 

However, enough complaining. This week has been the loveliest week, and it has made me realise that it is the littlest things that mean the most to me.

One of the most relaxing things for me to do is walk the dog. It gives me a chance to think, and I know thats the most generic lost-in-the-woods thing to say, but it works, and it makes me happy. It makes her happy too, and thats all I need.

Thankfully, we have been able to spend a lot more time together as a group, and I've been able to get closer with people that I never thought I would be able to speak to. You could say that I have huge confidence issues - I find it so hard to speak to people that I don't know like the back of my hand, and my fab friends have helped me to build up the courage to talk to more people and become far more confident in myself. 

Thank you guys so much. 

On the day of our last exam, after we had spent an hour digging around in our brains for any little thing we knew about physics, we all met on the Common and had a picnic. One of the simplest ideas, but it has left me with one of the best memories. We did nothing all afternoon but catch up after months of revising, and it felt so good to have the tribe back together.

Our Year 11 Ball was a big day for me, because it was the last day that I'll be able to see many people for a long time. It was wonderful to see all of the girls looking stunning in their dresses, and gents looking dapper in their lovely suits. Although the most important thing is living in the moment, I'm so pleased that I managed to take photos to savour the moment. I know they'll cheer me up no end when I'm feeling a bit down.

Hattie, Charlie and myself have been best friends for years and so getting a picture of us at the end of five years of high school was one of my priorities. I reckon it's lived up to my expectations.

I also plucked up the courage (with the help of Hat)  to get a picture with one of my favourite people, and best friends (which I won't upload because I love it too much to share, and he probably doesn't want it on the internet...) and that moment meant an awful lot to me.

There was a professional photographer at the venue, but they haven't released the photos yet... I might make a whole blog post including these when we get them???

I'm sure everybody also feels this way, but music is one of the little things that influences my mood immensely. One single song can take me higher than the stars in the sky or lower than the creepies on the ocean floor.  IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS, YOU SEE!

This weekend, I was very generously allowed to stay over with friends, and had a truly amazing time with them. We went strawberry picking at one of the local PYO farms and came out with tonnes of juicy strawbs. You can tell which punnet was mine - I hadn't been picking in years and it turns out that I wasn't the quickest, or best at selecting the big ones...

One final thing that made me very happy recently was riding in their funky Land Rover (one of the ones with a canvas roof!) and having a mini picnic on a sunny day. (Theres a bit of a theme here, hmmm...)

See, it really is the little things...

Lets try a new thing!

Please leave a comment telling me about the little things that make you happy!

M

x

May Favourites 2015

Hello!

It's nearly the end of May ALREADY. Man, its going quick. Anyway,  here's my favourite bits from this month...

BEAUTY:

The Body Shop - Baked-to-Last Bronzer

I honestly don't think this picture does justice to the beauty of this bronzer. It's probably the prettiest product I own, and I just love it. I didn't exactly need a new bronzer when I bought it, but I couldn't walk away from it in the shop, so I just had to buy it... At least that's what I'm telling myself to justify the price. It's one of the more pricey beauty products in my bag, but at £16, I can sort of afford it and it looks fab on my face. The bronzer is extremely shimmery and quite pigmented, so it's quite dark, but I think theres a lighter one available for lighter skin tones? (Don't hold me to it)

An all-round fab bronzer.

Lancôme - Perfume

(Is perfume a beauty product?)

Ok, this is quite difficult because I have no idea what this perfume is, or how to describe how it smells. I'm not even sure it's lancome(I think it is). I was given this perfume by my parents, who bought it in an airport, so I don't know much about it, except that I love the bottle and the colour and the smell. The lid is the cutest, with a little purple gem on the top to match the colour of the perfume. It smells fresh, and kind of fruity, but I would't be able to identify a fruit that it smells like? It smells good, anyway.

FASHION:

Urban Outfitters - Watch

This isn't exactly a new favourite, but I feel as if I have newly appreciated it this month. I accidentally smashed the glass face of this a while back, and it was fine until I pushed the cracked piece of glass back and it got stuck, preventing the hands from moving. I was not impressed. It was with the repair man for ages, and I was stuck with my old, somewhat less sophisticated purple plastic watch until it was ready, so I was more than glad to see this guy again. I have a new found love for this watch and I have dedicated my life to protecting it from danger (and by that I mean not flailing my arms around quite as wildly anymore). 

Another favourite that I have recently begun to appreciate again is the beautiful bracelet, bought for me by my beautiful best friend.

MISCELLANEOUS:

A Work In Progress - Connor Franta

I am incredibly proud to be able to hold this book in my hands, knowing that it was written by a truly talented gentleman who put so much effort into the creation of this masterpiece. The book is written by Connor, as a memoir, and is filled with stories from his experiences growing up and his beautiful photography. Even the cover is beautiful. 

Flawless, Con.

Magnifying Mirror - Tiger

Ok, let me start by saying that it is virtually impossible to take a good picture of this mirror. I swear, it may be cursed. Anyway, this was a incredibly good value, only £2, and looks pretty funky sat on my dresser (not on my mum's bed...). It has got a simple wire stand that allows it to flip over from a flattering regular mirror, to a oh-wow-look-how-spotty-you-are, see-everything magnifying mirror on the other side. Once you are able to stop focussing on your skin, its pretty good for using to apply makeup.

So, that's pretty much everything I have been loving this May!

M

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