AUTUNM / WINTER PASTELS

I'm in love with these autumn / winter pastels this season. I'm in need to purchase all of these items above (despite the cake) I just thought it looked really pretty! Sorry I haven't been posting as much, I've had so much college work to do and I've been having to deal with my personal issues at home. I'll try and update more often, now, its a new term, a fresh start and I'm going to try to be more dedicated. 

MY TRAVEL BUCKET LIST

I've aways wanted to write a 'bucket list' for a long time now, but deflected the idea, worried I wouldn't accomplish it. However, this time it's different, I have a plan, next year I will be taking a full year-long gap year in between college and university to travel around the world. That's right, a 12 month travel adventure. Another exciting part about this, is that, I will be documenting every single part of it. I'll be posting pictures and vlogs in all the different countries and cities I'll be living and working in. So, I thought I'll begin by sharing the places I've been and plan to go. The list is not complete, and I'll be sure to add some more along the way. This is something I'm extremely excited about, I love blog photography and having the opportunity to see many different parts of the world and the beauty within each country is something I cannot do without sharing it with you all, taking you with me on my year-long travel adventure. It begins Septemeber 2015. One year from today, and if I know anything about how quick time goes by, it won't be long.  

EUROPE:

- Germany

- France (check)                     

- Italy (check)

- London (check)

- Stonehenge (check)

- Ireland

- Scotland 

- Spain (check)

- Portugal (check)

- Cyprus

- Hungary

- Greece

- Austria 

- Belgium (check) 

- Turkey (check)

UNITED STATES:

- New York City

- Washington D.C

- Miami, FL (check)

- Hawaii

- Sarasota, FL (check)

- Fort Lauderdale (check)

- New Orleans                 

- Hollywood

- Nashville

- Napa Valley

- Boston 

- Vancouver

- Los Angeles

- San Diego

- Texas

- Arizona

- Alazka

AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC:

- Sydney

- New Zealand

- Fiji Islands                

- Papua New Guinea 

ASIA:

- Taj Mahal, Phuket

- Thailand, Bali

- Indonesia

- Singapore         

- Nepal

- Bejing

- Japan

- India

- China

AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST:

- Dubai

- Egypt

- Cape Town

- Sri Lanka                    

- Johannesburg 

Obviously, I have a lot of work to do! What else should I add to my travel bucket list?

Inspirational Quotes to Brighten Your Day

Never give up. If you are ever lacking inspiration or motivation then read these quotes. Don't give up on yourself, because failure is not falling down - its refusing to get back up.

Back To School || Quick and Easy Make up

Whether you're starting a new school, college, university or just another year, it can be scary yet very exciting. However, if you are like me, not much of a morning person and dread having to get up early and need a quick and easy make up routine, I can help you out. 

STEP 1: BASE
For a clean, yet not cake face, I would recommend to use Rimmel's Wake Me Up Foundation. I apply a very small amount onto my beauty blender, then buff and blend it outwards to give my face an airbrushed effect. However, if you are more fortunate and already have a clear complexion or prefer not to apply foundation, then I would use a concealer: either Collection Lasting Perfection or Rimmel Wake Me Up . Apply a generous amount of the product underneath your eyes to cover the dark circles, and on any 
breakouts or blemishes you may have. To set this, use a light translucent powder. 

STEP 2: CHEEK COLOUR
To appear more awake than you may actually feel, you can add a bit of colour to your cheeks, to give you a natural, gorgeous flush that you want. Use a blush brush to apply a rosy pink or peachy coloured blush. I've recently been loving bourjours blush in the shade 54 forested rose. 

STEP 3: THE PERFECT NUDE LIP
Lips play an important role in a natural make up look. If your school has a make up rule, then a nude lip would go down unnoticeable, keeping you out of trouble but also looking your best. Always start by moisturising your lips, this will keep the lipstick on for much longer. Then, I recommend the MAC lipstick in the shade Creme Cup, and apply a light coat to your lips. 

Reflective Wednesday

It's not very often for me to just sit down and write a 'spur of the momement' blog, but today I had imaginative and creativity pouring out my finger tips, and was in a reflective mood, thinking back on how different my life was this time last year. Looking back at how quick these past 9 months have gone is astonishing, I mean it's setpetember now, autumn is upon us and this year is flowing by, too fast for us to grab or to even hold onto.  

However, if I'm completely honest, I don't think I've accomplished and done anything really this year that I can say I'm truly proud of. Which is sad really. 2014 hasn't been my year, I give you that. I've had a lot more downs than ups this year, and that's no way I wanted to live my life this year. The sad truth is that, I let too many peoples opinions of me and of what I've done get to me, I believed the lies and the rumours that they created and told of me. It really put me down, and pushed my self esteem way down, to the point where I didn't want to leave my room or go to college. 

Rumours and gossip can be a cruel cruel thing, that we will all have to go through as some point in our life. A cruel game society likes to play on us, to test our inner strength and resistance. 

Reflecting back on the past year, a year filled with pain, tears, rumours, gossip, laughs, giggles and love, I can tell you that it does get better. That the pain or hurt that you feel right now will slowly but surely disappear and you'll remember what it's like to feel happy again. Trust me, the most important lesson I've learnt this year is patience. Be patient, wait for it, you're time will come, the pain will fade and you will come through the other side a much stronger and independent human being. 

Autumn Fever

The word 'Autumn' is clearly the most elegant way to describe a season. It even sounds beautiful. 

My favourite things about fall/autumn is the cosy nights in leading to christmas, those cosy nights where you can just relax in front of the fire with a delicious hot chocolate, dressed in oversized sweaters, jeans and slippers. Your sleeping experience is almost guaranteed to be better in the fall. Everybody knows how difficult it is to fall asleep when it is hot and muggy in your bedroom. Throw on your favourite sweats that you haven't seen since February and cuddle underneath your comforter that you can finally take out of storage. Autumn may not be my most favourite season, however the idea of it makes me so happy. Furthermore, autumn gives us the chance to experience some of the things that I love and wait in anticipation for every year.. cozy sweaters, warm drinks, cold weather, scarves, mittens, bonfires, movie nights, carving pumpkins, cuddling,  leaves changing colour, long walks, candles and crisps fall air. 

Motivation Post

Life is short. Today is a gift and tomorrow is no guarantee. We can't predict what tomorrow will bring, so the only moment you have is now. Make the most out of being happy and enjoy your life. It doesn't matter where you are, who you are with or what you don't have in you life. Only you can choose to be exactly who and where you want to be right at this moment. The way you see the world around you is a choice. You can choose to look for the good or you can choose not to. It's completely and entirely up to you. Change your point of view and your whole life will change to.

Stop resisting the things in your life that you can't control and aren't the way that you want them to be. Stop worrying about what other people do or say. Start accepting things for how they are, regardless of whether you think it's right or wrong. When you do this, the resistance starts to melt away and the negative emotions inside your head and heart also start to disappear. 

Stop doing the things that make you unhappy.

Surround yourself with positive people who bring you up, not being you down. 

My Day In Photos

So, this was my day in photos. I did a lot, but also at the same time I didn't do much. 

I found some great inspirational quotes that I've added to my motivational wall and also found other quotes that have helped me throughout my day when I needed a pick me up. 

I went for a run, which is something that I do regulary and with that I also did a ten minute tummy workout. So, I'm feeling pretty good with myself today for what I have done about my body.

I also catched up and re-watched some of my favourite TV programs, they include; witches of east end, the following and criminal minds. 

I added and designed some new blog ideas in m little note book, as well as reading through some of my favourite blogs to give me ideas and inspiration. 

Finally, I took a well needed long soak in the bath and headed to bed with a cup of tea.

Overall, this was a pretty average day for me, it was a nice relaxing day, a day I've needed for a long time now, so thank you for having a sneak peak into my day, I hope you enjoyed this sort of blog post, I think i might do these more often.. maybe?

Planning For The Future

As I said in my most recent post, time is flying by for me and the plans for my future need to be thought out and planned pretty soon... with this in mind, the daunting big decisions for my future are creeping up on me and I've decided to start settling them now. This is huge for me and I couldn't be prouder of myself. If any of you know me, you'd know that I don't do well with pressure and making decisions for myself, however, I've pushed past this fear and instead of the future being scary for me, I've changed it to become something to be excited about and to look forward to. 

Now I'm beginning my final year at college, the next few years are important and need to be throughly sorted out and planned, I've decided to take a gap year and go travelling the world. This is something i'd never thought i'd do ever, but this dream I once had as a child is about to come true. I'm taking the whole year off to travel around as much of the world as I can with my best friend. We plan to work as we travel, making as much money as we can in the different places of the world to get the chance to see as much as we can, to experience the wonders of the world and create a million and one life long memories that can never be forgotten. 

Once my travels are over, I plan to go to university. I'm planning on working extremely hard in my final year of college to get the high grades that I need to get into the university I'm aiming for. With this in mind, if I reach these grades and accomplish my goals, I'll be heading to uni for 3 years. If all goes well and I like the course I hope to either take a masters or a doctorate in the subject, therefore, furthering my chances in getting a job when I leave. This is all sounds pretty and perfect but it's going to be much much harder than I except. My plans for the future could change at any minute, they could change suddenly and or easily, I'll just have to see what the future has got in store for me. 

Now, further into my future, when I leave home for the first time, after university, I know I won't be living in my dream house, as it will be financially impossible, but I hope to rent an apartment thats big enough for me and big enough for me to decorate. A passion of mine is interior design, and I cannot wait to decorate my very own apartment/house. I've already planned the colour scheme for certain rooms, i.e. the kitchen will be cream, with pastel utensils and appliances. I've seen lots of cute little home gifts that I want to buy myself for my future home, I would love little wooden signs around the apartment and cushions in the living room. 

Planning my future can be extremely stressful, especially the next 4 or 5 years will be hard, but I'm looking forward to planning, organising and decorating my own home with the family I wish to have one day. 

Planning your future doesn't just have to be scary, I've learned this recently, it's a chance to find out who you really are and what you really want, it can be exciting and fun, you just need to see the bigger picture. 

NEVER GROW UP

It's scary how the older you get the faster time goes by. I remember my parents used to tell me that ''your school and college years are the best years of you life, don't forget that'' and I would tell them that their wrong, that I couldn't wait to leave, but now I'm creeping into my last year at college, it's hit me hard, how time has gone so quickly and the past 6 years of my life have flown by. I'm about to start my final year at college, and I've had to plan for the future, plan my gap year, my adventures, what university I want to go to, what subject I want to study further and what career I want and wish to do for the rest of my life.. and it's all getting too much for me. It's a lot for a 17 year old girl to think about right now. I'm not good at making decisions, I never have been, I've always been flakey and indecisive when it comes to making important decisions. 

I've always been the one to follow the crowd, or be known as a 'sheep', someone who just follows the pack and never leads their own path. I think this is because I lack a lot of confidence in myself, as  person and I am very critical of myself. 

I hope I'm not the only person that feels this way, that society puts a lot of pressure on us young adults at such a young age with weighing decisions, that can set our future in stone. I hope to come out of this a much stronger person than I am, someone who is more confident in themselves and succeed whatever I do with what I've got. I'm tired of putting myself down all the time, worrying about the past, worrying about what I've missed out on and what I should of done back then but can't do anything about it now. 

I wish I listened to my folks when I was younger and grasped every chance I had and made the most out of my childhood, because from where I'm standing, my childhood is gone, it's over, I'm moving into the next chapter in my life.. adulthood. I's scary, it's big, it's daunting and I don't know if I'm ready, but, I'll never know if I never try and now is a good time to find out as any. 

Wish me lucky, I'm gonna need it, a 17 anxiety sufferer headed into the adult world, oh boy. 

25 Facts About Me

1. I like to constantly mix up and change my hair style or hair colour
2. I have a pasion for make up and beauty
3. Keeping up with the kardashians is my guilty pleasure
4. I've already named my future children 
5. I can't wait to buy my own house and decorate it the way I like
6. My middle name is May
7. I don't open up to people easily
8. I listen to sad music when I'm down (and i have no idea why, it just makes me feel worse)
9. I run when I'm stressed, down, upset or feel like it
10. I have a tendency to be a perfectionist, which can be a right pain
11. I find it hard to trust people
12. If I act like a wierdo around you, it means I can be myself with you
13. When I'm down I watch Grace Helbig on youtube to cheer me up
14. I'm a proud British girl 
15. I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks
16. I sing all the time when i'm alone, but i would never sing in front of anyone else
17. I'm addicted to magic stars
18. I love driving along long roads and discovering new places
19. I dream about living on my own and becoming an independent young adult
20. I've planned to take a gap year and travel the world in the year 2015-2016
21. I hate big crowds and confrontation 
22. I used to do modern, jazz and ballet from the ages of 3 to 16
23. My spine is out of alignment, this was caused from years and years of gymnastics and dancing, however, I go to the chiropractor to get it back into place
24. I'm a vegetation
25. I have the worst selective hearing, it's nothing personal 

WHAT'S IN MY MAKE-UP BAG

This is a pretty self explanatory blog, it's what I've currently got in my makeup bag. For the most part, here are my tired and true favourites that have gotten repurchased over the years. These are probably the products I've used the most and have loved each and every single one of them. I'd be lost without any one of them, they are the current products in PANDORA'S beauty box right now. 

L'oreal True Match Foundation - Most definitely my favourite summer foundation to date. It's light on the skin but still gives great coverage without clogging your pores, but allowing them to breathe. What could be better in the hot summer weather?

Bourjours BB Bronzing Cream - I love this product, it gives you a natural looking glow to your skin and as its a BB cream it does cover your face like a foundation, it soaks into your skin and leaves you with a flawless complexion. Plus it smells pretty amazing too.

Benefit PoreProfessional  - I will not put on my make up until I have this beautiful product on my face. I bought it over a year ago now and will not let it out of my sight. It really does make a difference to your foundation, it real does make it last all day and all night with my make up moving or cracking. Its perfection in a bottle. You must purchase this for flawless looking skin.

Maybelline FIT Concealer - One of the many concealers in my collection. A girl can't have too many concealers right? This is actually the newest purchase to my make up bag, I only brought this a week or two ago but felt the need to add it to this blog because it's sensational. All the reviews i've read on it were right, it's great i carry it around with me everywhere for the occasional touch up throughout the day. 

Gosh Powder Pearls - If you want a natural sheer tan glow to your skin, you gotta try this. I use this everyday whether I'm going out or not because it doesn't instantly make me look orange, it gives me that even summer glow that I am always looking for.

Maybelline Dream Touch Blush Peach  - Everygirl needs a dash of colour on their cheeks to make them look awake and healthy. I've come to love cream blushes and bronzers recently and this by far is one of my favourites. I don't usually like applying a pink tones blushed to my face but this peach toned blusher is to die for. I've used and re-purchased this 3 or 4 time now and I still love it. 

Bourjours Healthy Mix Concealer - Another concealer from my collection. I love this concealer because I love the bourjours foundation that goes with it, I love how it feels so light on my skin and the smell is gorgeous, therefore I occasionally will add a little bit of this concealer either to the mix with my maybelline concealer or on its own. 

Rimmel Kate Lipstick Shade 113 - In my opinion, one of the best matte nude lipsticks I've ever found. I'm extremely fussy when it comes to nude lipsticks because i don't want it to look like i've just layered foundation onto my lips (not a good look ladies) but as soon I discovered this, I'm never going back to anything else. It's a perfect day time lipstick for any weather. 

MaxFactor Extentions False Last Effect Mascara - An old old old favourite mascara of mine, I've repurchased this a billion times over, I think this was one of my first mascaras I used when I started getting into make up when I was barely a teenager, so its come along with me ever since then, 4/5 years later. 

Bourjours Stick Anticernes Correcteur Concealer Stick - Oh look, another concealer, whoops! Unlike the other concealers, this one is  cream stick, and i usually apply this before my foundation, so under my eyes, on and around my rouse, chin and t-zone. It's so handy and great for all skin tones.

Rimmel Kate Lipstick Shade 107 - My go to party/night time lipstick. I'm a sucker for deep rouge or purple lips and this shade is so me. It's a deep plum colour with a hint of red, perfect for nightie wear but I'm not afraid to wear it out in the day time too. 

Do you have any of these products in your makeup bag? Would you like me to review any of them in detail? Let me know please....

Lots of love 

SPLURGE OR SAVE?

Which products are worth paying for and which products should you get for a steal?

I've been asked these questions multiple times before: Do I really need to spend £20 on a foundation? Can I get a good enough foundation from my local drugs store? Do I need to spend lots of money on all my beauty and skin care products? Are there any similar cheaper products that will give me the same results? 

Well, I'm here to break it down for you: what products are worth paying for, and which you can buy from your local drug store. 

SAVE on Eyeliner - pencil eyeliner is initially made of wax, which is not worth the cost of £11, when you can get a great pence eyeliner from your local drugstore for £3. 

SPLURGE on Eyeshadow - When it comes to eyeshadow, quality is quantity. A great eyeshadow will stay on your eyes all day long, while a cheap £4 eyeshade palette will have faded by the time your ready to leave the house. 

SAVE on Primer - Getting your make up to last all day can be tricky but a good primer will secure the long-lasting finish you aspire. However, a cheaper primer from your drugstore may start of well but it will not last the whole day, you will notice your makeup moving or cracking. A primer that is worth saving on is Benefits PoreProfessional, this will help your make last all day long, it's the one I use and I could not live without it.

SPLURGE on Moisturisers - A good moisturiser is the key to a healthy glow completion. When considering moisturisers, you need one for your body and one for your face. I'm not saying that you have to spend loads of money, but a good moisturiser usually starts from about £8-10.

SAVE on Concealer - You can easily buy a perfectly good concealer from you drugstore, thats where I buy mine. There's no need to spend £15 on a concealer when you can get a similar one that will last the whole day for just £5. Simple really. 

SPLURGE on Foundation - The chance of finding your perfect shade in your local drug store is either a hit or miss. I've wasted so much money buying the wrong shade of foundation from my local drugstore, I've learned my lesson to save my money and buy a more expensive foundation that will work wonders to my skin.

SAVE on Lipsticks -  The formulations in Channel, M.A.C and Dior you can't beat. If you want that long lasting perfect finish on your lips, you'll need to save up your money. However, you can get a cheaper lipstick from your local drugstore that will work just fine. 

SPLURGE on Make Up Brushes - To get that flawless finish you need a good makeup brush. Cheap makeup brushes can be harsh on the skin, therefore dragging the foundation or product all over your face, which can cause the cake-look you may of noticed. I recommend real technique style brushes, I loosely say the word 'style' as you can buy mock real techniques brushes that can be a lot cheaper but do give the same results. 

Hope this helped,

Lots of Love 

JULY FAVOURITES

I still can't quite believe we are already a couple days into August?! Well, it's definitely safe to say that 2014 is flying by extremely fast. July has come and gone which means it's time for some monthly favourites. I got to try some exciting new products this month as well as loving and re using my old reliable favourites. From make up to skin care, here are Pandora's July monthly favourites: 

Vaseline Spray & Go Body Moisturiser - I've been using this body moisturiser for a month or two now and I'm utterly in love with it. New favourite body moisturiser alert! The spray applies gently onto the skin and it dries instantly. It's light and requires none to little rubbing in. It's perfect for those of you who don't have a lot of time in the morning and wonder why you feel your skin is lacking something - it's moisture. Plus, it smells amazing. I purchased the Cocoa Radiant scent because I'm in love with all beauty products that are cocoa scented. I highly recommend this moisturiser.


Benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion - A skincare product that I've been dying to try. For as long as I can remember I've always been a fan of benefits skincare products and I've always used Benefits Total Moisture Moisturiser but recently I decided to change it up a bit and try something new. I'm so glad I did because this moisturiser is to die for. This sheer oil free facial lotion also includes SPF 15+ which is great for this time of year. I recommend that you all try as many skincare and beauty products that contain some form of SPF in them, especially in the summer. 

L'Oreal Paris True Match Warm Nude Beige - I'm always up for changing my foundation throughout the seasons, as summer is upon us, I decided to try a highly recommended foundation. This product is perfect for day to day wear as it gives you a very natural look throughout the summer day, it's light on the skin but still gives great coverage without clogging your pores. I found the foundation to be smooth and radiant on my skin. This is definitely going to be one of my  most loved foundations so far. I highly recommend this for those of you who are new to foundations, don't know what foundation to begin with or those of you who need a summer foundation. It's perfect! 

Garnier 5 Sec Blur - Ok, so this product I've seen everywhere, and its reviews are crazy good, so I thought, why not give it a try. The product aims to minimise pores, reduce fine lines and radiant your skin. You only need a pea size amount of the product to apply to your whole face, and you apple it after your moisturiser just like you would with any other primer. My skin looked immediately matte, and in 30 seconds my pores were minimised and my skin definitely looked radiant throughout the day. An extremely good buy if i say so myself. 

Gosh Powder Pearls - I've definitely jumped back to my young teenage years when I first started playing around with make up. I remember using a cheaper version of these powder pearls and absolutely loving them, so now I'm older and am more experienced with make up I thought I'd jump right back on the train with Gosh's version. I love Gosh make up, I think they deliver what it says on the package, so I knew I couldn't go wrong with this choice. I applied the pearls with a real techniques bronzing brush and am loving the outcome. My face instantly looks more tanned, it gives it a natural glow and it's perfect for contouring. I was weary that it would look orange on my skin because I'm naturally quite pale, but I recently got back from holiday so I have a natural tan. I carefully applied little of the product at a time, to make sure I didn't cake on the bronzer and look unnatural. Overall, I love this product and am so happy I re-discovered it, I'm not letting this one go for a long time now. 



Which products have you been loving this month? Have you tried any of these products?

Lots of love 

EVERYDAY MAKE UP ROUTINE

Hiya!

I would just like to say that, this isn't much of a 'everyday' of the week routine, it's only when I'm going out of my house or to a party. I don't wear this much make up to college - partially because I don't have the time!

1. MOISTURISER - BENEFIT Triple Performing Facial Emulsion
2. PRIMER - BENEFIT PoreFessional
3. CONCEALER - COLLECTION Lasting Perfection Concealer
4. FOUNDATION - L'OREAL True Match
5. CHEEK COLOUR - GOSH Powder Pearls / MAYBELLINE NY Dream Blush
6. POWDER - BENEFIT Hello Flawless
7. EYES - COVERGIRL Eye Enahancers 
8. EYELINER - L'OREAL Superliner Super Slim
9. MASCARA - MAXFACTOR False Lash Effect Fusion Mascara
10. SETTING SPRAY - URBANDECAY Setting Spray 

Hope this was helpful

Lots of Love