Bright Footwear for Summer

I've always been a lover of Converse all year round and bought my first pair at 15, the typical black and white styled hi-tops. I went on to buy all black hi-tops, pink and purple double tongue lo-tops and red and white lo-tops. You can't get bored of the simple style and fit, offering a more casual alternative to wearing bulky trainers during the warmer months. When I was approached by Fat Buddha Store to have a £20 voucher to purchase something from their store, I leaped at the chance of getting some brighter, whiter Converse for summer.




With a 10% off for new customers, Fat Buddha Store sells products from brands such as Nike, New Balance and Adidas for both men and women. As much as I wanted a pair of New Balance trainers (which remain on my wishlist) I couldn't afford them with the discount as a student, so chose some beautiful white lo-top Converse.

They don't just sell footwear though, Fat Buddha Store also stocks accessories and even spray paint supplies for those budding artists (no pun intended). I was tempted to buy a beanie but getting into hotter weather deterred me and made me opt for a more sensible choice! You can wear Converse with almost anything. I will be taking them on holiday to Spain with me in August to pair with denim shorts or a playsuit when my feet need a break from wearing sandals. As you can see from above, I love wearing them with jeggings and jeans, they even go with my kimono.

I think the white Converse and other bright coloured ones worn with summer dresses look adorable too. Add a flower crown and you're set for summer! They're lightweight so wearing them on a plane is great, or putting them in your suitcase won't take away too many of your kgs of allowance! 


Do you wear Converse?
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How To Make Your Phone Look Pretty | Iconemesis

As a teenager going through about 20 phones before I went onto a contract, I used to love getting new phone cases. Some included stuck on gems, some had mad designs (I even had a Playboy one in year 8!) and some were just weird. As I got older I decided to stick to more simple designs so I couldn't get bored of them. I had one iPhone case which was rose gold around the outsides and I was happy with it. My best friend bought me one with tons of photos on for my 21st and I adore it too. I like to switch a few cases around now, and when Iconemesis offered to let me review one of their cases, I leaped at the chance. I chose the Cat Sims Feathers case for iPhone 5*.
My favourite colours are white and blue so it seemed silly not to have this case. It's a bright white case with what looks like drawn on blue feathers and it is so pretty! My iPhone 5s is white anyway so it matched perfectly. I would find it really hard to get bored of this on my phone since it isn't too distracting and isn't a typical 'girly' case so I imagine a lot of people will enjoy it.
You know what is the best about this case though? The edges. For someone so fussy with things I adore how smooth they are! It feels almost like marble but isn't heavy. I don't get an awkward dent in the side of my hands when I've been on Pinterest for 5 hours straight. I didn't even know I could favour a phone case for being particularly smooth but I am seriously impressed. So Smooth!

I think it goes with everything too. It's not exactly neon orange and yellow and jumps out. I would describe myself as a realistic with positive hopes and dreams and this case sums me up well. As an introvert I particularly enjoy the subtle feather design. Since the case is made with a glossy finish it won't be stained or scratched too.
Iconemesis also sell cases for iPhone 5c, 6 and 6 Plus and this case is currently on sale for £5, bargain!

Rocker Femme Fantasy by Britney Spears

Since I was little I admired Britney Spears like no other. I had her albums on tape and CD and listened to them until I fell asleep. I was quite a girly girl and looked up to her as a role model ever since her first single. When her first fragrance came to the UK when I was about 12 I picked it up and loved it. Used every last drop and then fell out of love with perfumes and went onto body sprays (bad decision). Now Britney has released her latest fragrance in her collection, Rocker Femme Fantasy* which is sold by The Fragrance Shop.


I was intrigued to see whether the scent lived up to my expectations and potentially bring back a sense of nostalgia from 10 years ago. This is a limited edition fragrance and the packaging reminds me a little of Avril Lavigne, another fan of mine when I was a pre-teen (and forever since, kinda).

Packaging
The bottle is the same shape as a lot of the fragrances by Britney, with studs around the circular bottle, a chain-like top middle and a shiny top. I love the ombre effect too. It's simple, and the shape of the bottle will forever remind me that it is Britney's fragrance, clever marketing there! Pink and black together aren't the typical 'perfume' colours so I adore that this stands out from the crowd, envisaging the idea of having a more rock and roll personality.

Scent
There are notes of blackberry liqueur and coconut and you can tell instantly it was a lovely floral scent with a twist. I always head straight towards floral scented perfumes since I think they reflect both my personality and age. I'm young and looking for something fresh to make me smell lovely and last all day, and this delivers. It isn't as pungent as the "Fantasy" Eau De Parfum I had many years ago but nonetheless lasts all day. You can tell from spraying it that there is coconut involved and almost makes silky in a way. I would wear this for everyday use and sometimes in the evenings if I wanted to mix things up a little.

The Line
I'm not a stranger to celebrity fragrance and it certainly doesn't put me off purchasing another. As long as the scent is great and I enjoy it then that's all that matters. Rocker Femme Fantasy is a lovely perfume for summer and it will be coming with me to Spain when I go in August!


Rocker Femme Fantasy is currently on offer for £25 from £40 at the Fragrance Shop now.

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Designing My Own T-shirt | Tostadora

I've always been into customised t-shirts. I love wearing tops with quotes on; they reflect your personality and what you love.  I find it difficult to find a quote that really speaks to me, so creating my own t-shirt with a quote I chose has been amazing to me. Tostadora gave me the opportunity to do this.


You can personalise your t-shirts, hoodies, and other items with over 125,000 unique designs from over 25,000 international artists if you wish. I chose my own design because the opportunity to have your own t-shirt design doesn't come to you very often. There are so many different options to choose from; a photo from a tv show, a funny photo, or even uploading your own photo. To me it was a no-brainer. I chose this Oscar Wilde quote:

"You can never be overdressed or overeducated"

When choosing a quote, it has to be something that reflects you. Doing a law degree in uni makes me sound like I might "know it all" to some, but you can never stop learning. I am never going to rule out the possibility of getting a Masters or PHD because there are no limits to your education. I've always been one of those people who wonders what to wear to events and whether I will look "too casual" or "too dressy". How can you look one or the other? I learned to dress for how I want to dress.

To create your personalised t-shirt* you simply select your product (t-shirt, hoodie, iphone case, tote bag). Upload a photo or choose from a design from the marketplace using the search feature on the Tostadora website then add your own text (this will cost a little more). There are plenty of different colours and designs available to choose from, with different sleeve lengths and sizes to suit everyone. The women's t-shirts go from size S to XXL and should fit everyone. 

If you purchase 2 or more items you get free shipping, you can have your personalised order within 48 hours using the priority shipping mode and you have 30 days to exchange or select a refund. Tostadora look after their customers and they definitely accepted even the pickiest of people (me).


What quote would you add?
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Mixed Opinions - Love Me Beauty Box

I've always loved the thought of reviewing a beauty box. I wanted one that was affordable, and one where I could pick the products myself, and keep the cute box it came in. When I saw a discount code for Love Me Beauty I bought one as soon as I could. The concept is great, but I had a few issues.


The Process

So ordering a Love Me Beauty Box is fairly simple. You register online including details of your skin tone, products you're interested in etc. You have 6 credits and you pick the products you want from the Boutique. Fairly simple. You can also buy extra products if you wish. For this box I didn't buy any extra products. I chose various products including nail varnish, eyeliner, lipstick and skincare products. The "second box" however, didn't work out so well. I spoke to someone from the Customer Service team and said I wanted to switch from a one box subscription and pre-pay for multiple boxes at a cheaper price. The person switched me over to this service and I ordered my second box including paying £9 for some Too Faced samples. The box never came.

The Products

The products in this box were absolutely fine, small samples that I got along really well with. I love that you can choose from brands such as Nails Inc, Benefit Cosmetics, Too Faced, Lord & Berry and other well known brands. The products change each month allowing you to change the products you wish from skincare, nail care and beauty if you feel like it! You can choose all nail varnishes or all lip products if you wanted.

I can't even tell you how disappointed I was when I asked where my box was. Apparently it hadn't been processed, even though I did exactly what I did the previous time. Those Too Faced samples have now gone and I can't get the samples elsewhere. There aren't any samples on the Love Me Beauty website that I would be interested in at the moment either. For these reasons, I chose not to purchase another box.

The Customer Service

The person I spoke to online was lovely. He switched my account and it was in place just like I asked. I emailed this person and told them that it would question me buying another and I never got a reply. Due to the lack of reply, it furthered my choice not to buy another box. From my perception (this may not have been the case) it looked like when I was interested in purchasing, the customer service was great, but when I had a problem I didn't receive a reply. My email could have just gone to the junk folder (unlikely since it was a thread) or they just read it and forgot to reply. I won't say I will never buy a box again, but it won't be for a little while.


Do you have a favourite subscription box?

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The Perfect Accessory For Summer

 I'm such a typical navy/black bag girl and repeadtely buy bags in different sizes in these colours. I had a tan bag once and barely used it, but for the summer those colours don't go with as much. It's all about bright colours, pastels and white, a lot of white. The Hut Group gave me the opportunity to review the Fiorelli Mia Grab Bag £59.00* and I leaped at the opportunity of having a light bag!


Since it is a grab bag you would expect it to be smaller than it actually is. If you give me a huge bag, I will fill it in an instant, name it the heaviest perfume and my whole makeup collection "just in case" in need it. Bags like this are a wonderful size, great for carrying your everyday needs with extra room for bits you might buy when you're out, or an extra lipstick for your date that evening. It has both handbag straps and an over the shoulder strap which you can take off if needed.

There are three compartments to this bag. I put my purse, keys and ID in the back compartment to keep closest to me, and everything else goes in the other two. You get the same amount of space without having everything mixed up. Your shiny new lipstick won't get scratched by your keys, nor will your phone or anything else you need to keep in tip-top shape.

The design is beautiful; the envelope front adds subtle detail which makes it look so much more expensive than £59. On The Hut Group website it is advertised as 'white' but I think it looks more cream/peach which is perfect for me nonetheless (it's not dark!) It will go with almost any outfit, especially with grey and pastel pink which I love for summer fashion.

I can't wait to style this up with future outfits, so keep an eye out for my fashion posts!

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A Healthier Me

I've teamed up with Slim Fast to do the #SlimFastChallenge for the next 14 days. I've tried Slim Fast before and it worked, but I only had a few snacks and some different flavour shakes, never the whole shabang. Anyway I'm going to track my progress and on day 14 I'll be letting you know how I got on.



The Challenge



I have to complete the plan outlined by Slim Fast which consists of 3 snacks a day, 2 meal replacement products a day and 1 balanced meal a day. It seems daunting and the original image is totally to do with the shakes but there is more food than you think here! I decided to have my balanced meal in the evening. I cook for myself and my boyfriend most of the time, often spending a few hours making things from scratch so I didn't want to miss out on that.


The products


I received the following:
Simply Vanilla Shake Powder. Just add 250ml of skimmed milk and you're done!
Pre-mixed Shakes in Rich Chocolate, Simply Vanilla and Summer Strawberry.
Meal Replacement Bars in Chocolate Crunch, Summer Berry and Chocolate Peanut.
Snacks (Savoury) in Sour Cream & Chive Pretzels, Cheddar Flavour Bites and BBQ Tortillas.
Snacks (Sweet) in Chocolate Caramel Treat, Heavenly Chocolate Delight and Chocolate Nutty Nougat.

I envy those with the full sized Rich Chocolate Powder as from previous times using it, it tastes like chocolate cake mix! 


I am strong willed so although I will most likely crave snacks in the evening, I am determined to do this. I've taken note of my weight and measurements and I joined the gym today! My goal is to lose weight over the whole summer, but with most weight loss programmes a lot of your weight comes off in the first month or so. Fingers crossed that in two weeks we will see some results! I want to be fit and healthy for my future; my graduation, holidays etc so I hope this is the right way to start off.




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Exam Tips & Advice

Both my brother and my sister-in-law are studying for exams in school, and with myself and Andy have just completed our degrees in Law LLB and Geography BSc, I thought it would be useful to anyone studying for any type of exam to know some tips and tricks.


Identify your study method

Not everyone can write out word for word what they have learned. Not everyone can just read a book and intake all of that information. Not everyone can make a colourful mind map full of neon highlighter and squiggly lines. Do what is best for you. I found that mixing up reading, writing out and colourful mind maps helped me the most. Don't spend a whole day making mind maps if you won't be able to read them later or it won't really help. Don't read a book page to page if it won't help. Sit down and think about how you would prefer to revise.

Get up early

The earlier you get up (reasonable of course) the better. Most people are productive in the mornings which tends to reduce as the day goes on. Apart from this, you have more of the day. If you don't get up until midday you have lost 1/3 of your day which I can imagine will lead to added stress as time goes on. Little things like that can add up, and you want to do the best you can possibly do to get yourself the best grade.

Reduce distractions

Turn your phone notifications off for social media and games. You can check your phone in the breaks. If you have it next to you and your Instagram is going off every 5 minutes because someone has liked your photo is really won't help your revision nor your motivation. There's nothing wrong with having breaks, whether it be every hour for 5 minutes or every 4 hours for 1 hour. Just don't spend every other minute on your phone. Trust me, Youtube and Twitter were limited because I could spend a lifetime on them.

Narrow it down

Start off with a plan on what topics you're revising and what they include. Start revising all the information in your chosen method. As time goes on you can reduce this information into bullet points with sub bullet points. A few days before the exam reduce the information into the key points you need i.e. paragraph titles. You will be able to reel off information from the main points.

Teach somebody

Even if the person isn't studying what you're studying, or they are a parent or friend etc, "teaching" them is a really good method to get the information into your head without you trying to cram information in and get stressed about it. As long as they respond to you when you "teach" them (otherwise you're just talking at them) it should go in. The more you teach, the more you will learn. Mostly likely they will also know the information afterwards too, so teaching with people studying the same subject can help too.

Question, question, question

Asking somebody you know to ask you questions that you can answer will help identify what you know, and what you don't know. You can do this at any point during revision. I used to do it a few days before and the night before, just to make sure I was constantly answering the questions. I find this is another great way to revise since you can ask the person questioning you to pick topics at random so you aren't used to answering them in a set order, since an exam may not flow in the way you've been taught.

Practice

Not only is this to make sure you are reading the question properly (is it a problem question, an essay, a small answer or something else?) but to get into the habit of doing questions. The more you practice, the more you get to grips with how the exam works and your timing. Even if you answer in bullet points or abbreviations it still helps. Better yet, ask a teacher/tutor to mark a practice answer to identify where your faults are. The sooner you identify your weaknesses the sooner you can fix them.

Remind yourself of its importance

This will keep you motivated. My last exam was worth 100% of a 30 credit module out of 120 credits for the year. This means after my dissertation, it was my second biggest module of the year, so revising for my exam was vital as after that, nothing else counted towards my final degree classification. I made sure I worked hard to know the information and practice writing past paper questions out so I could do the best of my ability.


Best of luck to everyone studying for exams and handing in assignments!

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An Introduction to Summer Skincare

Skincare has always been a topic I've never been overly confident on. With oily/combination skin, and a bad habit of simply taking makeup off and then moisturising my skin has been crying out for some TLC. The Proactiv+* skincare range has made my skin more healthy, and responds to makeup better since trying out the products for a couple of weeks.




The skincare system was created to target spots and blemishes, hydrate the skin and prevent new breakouts. It aims to "reduce redness, pore size, fade post-blemish marks and even skin tone". Proactiv+ aims to deliver a "more radiant and glowing complexion" from three key ingredients (including salicylic acid), suitable for all skin types.


Skin Smoothing Exfoliator 

This is small beads inside to gently exfoliate the skin and remove dead skin. This is definitely gentle. Sometimes I feel like I needed a deeper exfoliation so will use this along with an exfoliating glove but on days after using this alone is fine. I fine my skin is very tough in the sense that without a good scrub not much touches the surface. It would have been nicer for bigger/rougher beads but this wouldn't be suitable to sensitive skin.


Skin Purifying Mask

If you have time to apply this, you apply to dampened skin and leave on for ten minutes, rinsing with warm water after you have used the exfoliator. I use this about 2-3 times a week as recommended as my skin can fluctuate being oily/combo so if the weather is bad my skin dries out so the mask is needed. Although this can be used as an overnight blemish treatment (after using the hydrator, rinsing with warm water in the morning) I have yet to use it for this purpose since my blemishes seem to come and go fairly quickly.


Pore Targeting Treatment

This facial cream is used to target your pores and reduce them. I noticed a small change in my pore size but since I seem to have ridiculously sized pores, I doubt they will ever shrink up to a tiny size. You don't rinse this product off and once soaked in you then apply the Complexion Perfection Hydrator.


Complexion Perfection Hydrator

I adore this moisturiser in the sense that it stops the dry element of my skin and seems to make my skin stronger. It doesn't encourage spot breakouts nor does it make my skin oily or encourage oil. I have had a nightmare trying to find the correct cream to hydrate my skin whilst keeping oil at bay. This was my favourite element of the skincare regime since I feel it made the most amount of difference.

I quite liked this skincare system. Not only did it get me into a better routine in taking makeup off and thoroughly cleaning and cleansing my skin, but it worked. The whole system is £19.99 and I would pay that again since I know the products worked. If anything I would purchase the hydrator again since that made the most difference in my skin, which I expected anyway. If you have oily/combo skin you should give this a go!



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Summer Co-ord Style with Blue Vanilla

I am so ready for Summer. It has taken me a while to feel a bit more 'body confident' and whilst I'm not completely happy with my body, you have to embrace it no matter what. For me, my best area is my waist. I've always had a small waist, and high-waisted items have that annoying gap in the back where they don't quite fit my as they are too big, but won't fit my hips otherwise. Elasticated trousers/pants are the way to solve this little issue, and this blue co-ord set from Blue Vanilla is fabulous for those wanting a bit of skin on show, without fully committing to having all your legs or all of your stomach out.

Co-ord - Blue Vanilla* via Etail PR
Sandals - Primark
I rolled the top up a little on these photos. Why? Because I'm 5ft 4 and the top being down completely makes this look like a jumpsuit because I seem to have a small body. The elastic on the bottom of the top means that you can have it at any length that suits you. If you couldn't tell, I adore the colour blue, especially dark and royal blues. For us blondes, they seem to suit us. 
The pattern is very different to my usual tartan or flowers also demonstrated by accident here. I love how it looks very different up close and from afar too, kind of like an illusion. The ends of the trousers (I call them pants, but whatever) have elastic on them too, so they won't go further down than your ankles and won't swap your tiny size 5 feet too...
I braided my hair and wrapped the braids around the back of my hair in a crown-like fashion in order to get my hair out of my face, perfect when it eventually in the UK becomes really hot. The material is light, so although you will be covering up, you won't be too hot. I think it's a great outfit for days where you want to wear your sandals and you don't want to spend ages trying to pick out outfits when a simple co-ord can give you everything you desire in a summer outfit.
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Summer Essentials: Orelia Jewellery

I have always been one of those people who love simple jewellery that can make or break and outfit. For me, jewellery is my way of expressing myself. I tend to wear a lot of black/navy/white outfits so adding metal or metal effect pieces add an element of class. Orelia Jewellery kindly sent me both the rose gold and silver Hammered Bangles* £22. If you have seen my Pinterest page and previous rose gold posts (here) and (here) then you will know I'm a huge fan of copper and copper effect items. As a blondie, having silver pieces of jewellery stand out against my hair, and in my opinion, silver looks more expensive too.


Style
I love that these bangles come in silver, rose gold and gold. I wear both rose gold and silver the most so I thought it would be a wise decision to pick these. They have a simple clasp so you can open them to put them on, instead of having to squeeze your hand through them like most bracelets. I get joint pain due to hypermobile joints and being able to open the clasp to slide it on instead of slowly putting my hand through not only saves time but also potential pain for me. The clasp doesn't take anything away from the style as you can see, as the overlap is subtle and I adore the rounded edges. The 'hammered' effect makes them look almost hand crafted and remind me of my nan's jewellery that I used to be in awe over when I was younger.

Quality
I think for £22 you're getting great quality for a clasped bracelet. The pin has came out slightly in my rose gold bangle as you can see from above but I just slid it back in and it's fine! Since wearing them through April and May they haven't scratched unlike some of my other bracelets I own. I'll admit I am clumsy sometimes and it is my fault, but these Orelia bracelets are fabulous and so far, so good!


Do you own any Orelia jewellery?

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