DIY: Easy Summer Drink | #summerstyle

Hey,

So today is a DIY for a quick summer drink. In summer time, summer drinks are great to have- why not try something sweet, something sour or something fruity? We all love a starbucks or costa beverage but I’m not too sure those drinks are good for our tummys or our purses. This DIY is literally so easy but a great way to spice up a basic drink.

This is how you make a aquatic iced orange, which, in other words, is water with orange.

1. 
   

1.The night before, take a fruit of your choice, in this recipe we use orange, and cut it up into slices. Put these slices into a freezable zip-lock bag and put it into your freezer. This takes up very little room and time.
Also, using an ice cube tray, which are available in a range of shapes, sizes and prices. Fill it with water and leave over night to freeze.
2.       Keep water in the fridge. If you keep a bottle, it means you can have cold water at any point- much cooler than from the tap. So grab a glass and fill it with cold water.
3.       Go to your freezer and put in 3-4 ice cubes, this keeps the drink cold for a long time. I had heart shapes ice cubes, the tray was from Ikea.
4.       Also get your zip lock bag and open it up. The fruit may be stuck together- this doesn’t matter. Try to separate the pieces of fruit or snap them apart, and put them in to the iced water.
5.       Add a straw and go!

1. That’s it! So simple but delicious. I find this drink is great because it tastes fresh, and is similar to squash without the extra sugar and preservatives. Orange has been my favourite so far but why not try lemon, berries, watermelon or grapes! It’s wonderful to experiment with and fab for all ages.

So what do you think? Have you tried this basic recipe before? Let me know in the comments below. Sorry this is just a quick one,

Loving your Lips- lip balm review | #summerstyle

Hey, so todays post is all about loving your lips. In summer, when you’re out in the sun a lot, enjoying the day, your lips can become easily neglected. We all love to have pretty lips, especially when you’re braving a bold lip colour, and protecting them from dryness in the sun is so necessary. If you’re going on holiday, or are just appreciating the sun where you live, remember that your lips need to be taken care of.

Here I am comparing and reviewing five lip balms- great products for applying throughout the day and keeping your lips hydrated. The balms I chose are all really affordable and most are available from drugstores and supermarkets.

No7 BB lips, Beauty Balm

This was a freebie but I think No7 do sell this, or a similar product. The shade I have is called blink pink.

When you first put this on your lips it feels waxy and sticky, but I don’t find it too uncomfortable. Its slight pink tint does look really pretty on your lips and although it comes out bright, its sheer consistency creates a really nice natural lip. I feel that this lip balm slowly hydrates, and it’s SPF (20) is protecting my lips well from the sun. Unlike some, I feel this lip balm lasts really well but I do think it can be waxy. The product comes in a handy tube, which means there’s no need to use your fingers- this is perfect for on the go use. A negative point for me though is its price, this is the most expensive of all the balms I have tested and comes in at a high £9.00. Overall I would give this balm 6/10, as it’s great for colour but its hydrating effect is disappointing for the price.

Buy: http://www.boots.com/en/No7-BB-Lips_1325423/

The Body Shop, Born Lippy- Watermelon, Lip Balm

So the Born Lippy balms come in many flavours and I chose the watermelon one because it is my favourite. 

The product smells really strong and sweet, and when I put it on my lips I do feel like I am moisturising them. However after a few seconds I feel the consistency turns sticky, similar to the No7 BB lips. The packaging isn’t very good for on the go, as the lip balm comes in a small pot and requires you to apply it with your fingers. There is no colour tint, but there is a sheer shine on the lips. They have changed the look of the packaging since I bought mine, but the product is identical. One negative point about this is that it is only available from the Body Shop, which is inconvenient. However its amazing price of just £2 and huge flavour range do balance this. Overall I would give this product a 6.5/10 as it does have some good qualities but the hydration isn’t very strong.

Buy: http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/skincare/lip-care/born-lippy-pot-lip-balm-watermelon.aspx

Vaseline- Original, lip therapy

As soon as I put this jelly on my lips, I think my lips feel very hydrated and soft. My lips don’t feel sticky or

uncomfortable, just very smooth. I normally use this sort of product in my daily make up routine before a lip colour. It can feel slightly greasy, and, if you’re already wearing a bold lip, it may decolour it slightly. Similarly to the Body Shop lip balm, this product isn’t too great for on the go as it comes in a tin that requires you to put it on with your fingers. The tin is larger than other tinned lip balms. Amazingly, Vaseline also comes in at an amazing price of £1.23, and does have a same range of flavours. Overall I think this Vaseline deserves a 8/10, as it works well as a lip balm, is cheap, but it’s on the go use isn’t great.

Buy: http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=252312971

The Body Shop, Lip butter, Coconut.

So this used to be one of my favourite ever products and I see now when I began re-using it. As you put it on, my lips turn to pillows of softness. This feels less like a lip balm/butter and more like a cream as it feels so hydrating. The coconut scent is strong, possibly not as potent as the Nivea lip balm, and I feel like the smell

stays for a while after application. The lip butter comes in a small pot, where you dip your finger in to apply- so not fab for taking out with you. However the packaging is just so cute and classic and the screw lid does mean it won’t open be accident. This lip butter is £4, which is slightly more expensive, as well as the fact it is only available from the Body Shop stores. So overall I am giving this product a 8.5/10, still a classic for me and it moisturises so well but it price and availability do pull it down when compared.

Buy: http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/coconut/coconut-lip-butter.aspx

Nivea, Lip Butter, Vanilla & Macadamia

When I put this product on my lips, I love it. My lips feel soft and full, as well as being very hydrated. The best thing about this product is defiantly the smell. This product smells so good, and reminds me personally of my winter candles. It smells nutty but creamy, with a sweet scent. 

It nourishes my lips so well and makes them feel so smooth. This lip balm also comes in a tin, although thinner than the Vaseline tin. It does

need your fingers to be applied, but I often use this on the go as it hydrates so much and the size is practical for pockets and make up bags. This product is just £2 and does have a few different scents in the line. Overall I’d give this lip butter a 9/10, as it is defiantly one of my favourite products for the way it moisturises my lips and the indulgent smell means I am constantly re-applying this!

Buy: http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=278481712

So I’ve found my favourite summer lip balm in Nivea and I hope you will be more likely to try it. Which lip balms do you use in summer? Have you tried any of the above? Let me know in the comments below, enjoy the sunshine today,

Summer Nights make up look | #summerstyle

This is exciting, a post on a Friday! So I have found myself with a bit of extra time in the holidays, and I have been feeling really creative and want to do more posts on my blog. I write this blog as a hobby, and over the summer I am going to try putting up three posts a week, Sundays and Wednesdays as normal- but also Fridays! I hope my few readers will enjoy this, if you do read my posts I’d love to hear your opinions or improvements.

So today I am doing another make up tutorial, however this time it will be a more dressed up look- perfect for summer nights. This look is still quite simple, and defiantly achievable for anyone. I will list the products I am using, but you can always switch them up for your own alternatives.

So to start the look I begin with concealer. I am currently using the stick concealer from Rimmel London, called the ‘Hide the Blemish Concealer’. I think this product is ok but I find it quite drying. It’s cheap, which is why I bought it, but I’m not sure I personally would repurchase it. It worked well in this look though.

Begin by putting the concealer in any areas you want to cover, for example dark circles, red-ness and spots. I look really quite scary in this photo, but I know for beginners this may be helpful. I like to blend my concealer in with a cheeks brush.  

Over the concealer I put foundation. In the summer I normally stay away from foundation, even BB cream, because I like a lot less coverage. However for nights out, I do sometimes like its effect on my skin. The

foundation I am using in this look it the ‘Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Foundation’. I have been using this one for a while and I must say for a cheap-ish product it works very well. I also like how it has undertones of pink instead of yellow, as this appears more natural.

I dot this on my chin, forehead and cheeks, blending it in again with a cheeks brush.

To set my skin I use powder. I like to use powder because it eliminates shine and matte-afies your face. I use the Rimmel London ‘Stay Matte’ powder. This product is amazing and is probably my most re-purchased item. I you a fluffy brush and put the powder all over, especially in the T zone.

Next I do my eyes. I am using eye shadow in this look, but decided to keep the colours quite natural and wear a bold lip. Then I put all over my eyelid is a new favourite of mine. This shade from Seventeen makeup and is called ‘funfair’. I like this because it appears natural on the eyelids, but steers away from using too many warm brown tones. I like this because I normally wear those colours in the autumn and winter, so the choice is something different. I use a large eye shadow brush- although you can use your finger if you want. The colour is a pink with a tiny bit of shimmer, although it does not make your eyes glittery.

In the inner corner of your eye (here is a photo to help you), to brighten your eyes use a light shade. I decided to use my ‘Colour Infallible’ pressed eye shadow from L’Oreal. Mine is in the shade ‘Hourglass
Beige O2’ and is sadly broken, however I still use it. The colour is very light and shimmery and I think it has rose gold undertones. I like this because it adds a little touch of glimmer to the yes, without looking childish or tacky. I use a small pointed brush to apply it and then blend it slightly.

To contour the eyes, you will need a dark shade. I chose a brown shade because I wanted it to look quite dramatic. I used a No7 eye shadow in the shade ‘Truffle’, and bought it in around my crease and under my bottom lash line. I do find this quite difficult as it takes quite a while to blend the crease with the lid colour, nonetheless it is definitely worth it.

Next I light to add some eyeliner to my waterline, this is optional and takes practise if you are a beginner. I like to do this as I think it makes my eyes look bigger and bolder. The pencil I use is from Rimmel London and is their ‘Soft Kohl’ eyeliner pencil in black.

For eyeliner on my eyelid, I am trying a new eyeliner to replace my Primark pen eyeliner. The only reason I am doing this is because I have found myself getting bored of it and I do find it doesn’t stay very well. I would defiantly recommend the Primark one for beginners though, as it is cheap and easy to apply. I am using the Soap & Glory ‘SuperCat’ liner in ‘carbon black’. I take the pen nib and line from just away from my inner corner, taking it out (whilst following the lash line) getting slightly thicker towards the end. For this look I do a small cat-eye flick, this takes a lot of practise but you basically just flick the eyeliner and join it up.

Because this look is for I night out I use my ‘They’re Real’ mascara from Benefit. This is the best mascara I have ever used, but it is so expensive. I only buy drugstore make up and Benefit is the higher end of drugstore. I was actually given this travel-size from my Nan, and I keep it for special nights out so I don’t use it up. I would really like the full size, but I can’t justify spending that much on a mascara at the moment. A cheaper drugstore alternative is the Maybelline ‘the Falsies, Volume Express’ mascara.

So that is my eyes done, now I move onto lips. I moisturise my lips I use Vaseline in ‘original’. This is really great for hydrating my lips before applying colour.

For lips I decided to choose a bold lip, something I don’t always go with but the shade feels so summery to me. This bright orange lipstick doesn’t actually come out so florescent on the lips, more of a salmon/coral colour. This lipstick is from Rimmel London and is in the shade ‘Coral Queen’.

The products:

Concealer- http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-Hide-The-Blemish-Concealer_6976/ 

Foundation- http://www.boots.com/en/Collection-Lasting-Perfection-Ultimate-Wear-Foundation-SPF-20_1436025/ 

Powder- http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-Stay-Matte-Pressed-Powder_1015573/

Funfair- http://www.boots.com/en/SEVENTEEN-Solo-Eye-Shadow_927050/

Hourglass Beige- DISCONTINUED 

Truffle- http://www.boots.com/en/No7-Stay-Perfect-Eyeshadow_1273244/ 

Eyeliner pencil- http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-Soft-Khol-Kajal-Eye-Pencil_6950/

Eyeliner pen- http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory%C2%99-Supercat%C2%99-Eyeliner-Pen-Carbon-Black-Extreme_1450229/

Mascara- http://www.boots.com/en/benefit-theyre-real-mascara_1231677/

Alternative mascara- http://www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-Falsies-Mascara-Waterproof-Black_1416719/

Vaseline- http://www.boots.com/en/Vaseline-Lip-Therapy-Petroleum-Jelly-Original-20g_1421/

Lipstick- DISCONTINUED in boots but avalible: http://www.chemistdirect.co.uk/rimmel-moisture-renew-lipstick-coral-queen-620/prd-2g4k

So that’s it! I hope you like this look, and found my instructions as helpful as possible. If you would like any other makeup looks or tutorials, or even tips, just let me know in the comments. Have an amazing weekend,

Harbor Festival 2014 | #summerstyle

So on Sunday I went to the harbor festival, which is an annual event in Bristol at the harbor-side. There are loads of stands and stalls selling food and advertising companies, as well as stages for dance and musical performances.

I had an amazing day and am so happy I got to go. I went along with my best friend and her family, and we walked around for many hours. One of the highlights of my day was going on the vue wheel, which was basically a Ferris wheel that they had put up temporarily. It was £5 per person for the ride, but it was so much fun and the views of Bristol were stunning.

In the middle of the day, we all enjoyed some ice creams. The ice cream van we went to had a combination of 99 ice creams, I got a plain one but there was also a sherbet and mini marshmallow flavour!

Also in the day, at the Cascade Steps stage I listened to music by Brian Inglis and Darren Hodge. I especially enjoyed Darren Hodge’s music, which was a mix of instrument guitar pieces and singing.

At the end of the day we also went to the dance stage, where we saw people dancing with shopping trolleys as well as a beautiful ballet performance.

For the day I wore a simple outfit. The clothes I wore were basic and monochrome, putting me outdide my comfort zone of floral prints and patterned garments. I wore a plain black crop top for H&M, a white floral emboss skater skirt from H&M, white frilled socks from Primark, a brown sactual from Primark and a pair of fake Converse from Peacocks. On my nails I wore a pretty light blue shade, which I liked because it was not too pale or too bright. The shade was ‘Duck Egg Blue’ and it was a No7 nail polish, available at boots.

So thats all for my day at the harbor festival 2014, I hope you liked this type of post- with an outfit and vlog-style images, have an amazing day,

Dressing for shapes and sizes | #summerstyle

So it’s the summer holidays! I am so excited for this break from school and work and have time for friends, sun and being free to do whatever you want. My school broke up on Friday and go back in about 6 weeks.

 I just wanted to say I’m sorry I missed the upload this week but I had a lot on and decided that I’d rather miss a post than put up one that isn’t done well. But now I have some more time on my hands, I hope I will be creating some improved content.

So this post is about dressing for summer. I love summer, it’s a great time of year for doing things you don’t normally do and creating friendships. But summer does also demand a wardrobe of clothes for the heat and the sun. This is something I know, that, especially in England, isn’t always something I have. It is also, occasionally, something I am not confident with.

Summer outfits are normally made out of more skin that fabric, with short skirts, hot-pant shorts and crop tops.

Now I am someone that is not thin, and I try to work with what I have, and still feel good in what I’m wearing (because after all that’s what really matters). I am curvy, with thighs and a tummy, and I try to not let this force me out of summer clothes. Now I can’t give my advice on dressing for other body shapes, but I am happy to talk about mine if it will help other people.

I used to be lost in this world of shorts and strappy tops, when I used to where a pair of denim shorts that did not suit my body type and skin-tight tops that did me NO favours. Here is an image of just some body types, I am still unsure on my personal shape, but I know this might help some of you. It’s good to know what your body shape is, as you can do research online about the best clothes to wear.

I’d just like to say that everyone is a different shape and size, and people should remember to not judge and know that this is ok. Not everyone is thin, not everyone had large boobs, not everyone is short, not everyone has a thigh gap… and this is because we are human. We must all remember that looking thin and looking good are different things; all that matters is that you feel beautiful and then everyone will see that.

So here are my tips for the more curvy girls, like me. It may also become handy for other people of different shapes, if so let me know.

• Focus on what you want to enhance. To give myself a better figure, I like to focus on my waist- as I personally think this gives me a nicer silhouette. You might want to focus on your legs, arms, shoulders etc.

• Wear what you like to wear. I am a dress and skirt person, or at least I am at the moment. I think, like the point above, this gives me the waist I want to enhance. There are lots of different types of skirt/dress and some suit me and some defiantly don’t. I like to wear skater skirt styles, where the skirt is fitted around the waist and then floats out. You may prefer something else, take shorts for example shorts. You could try tighter shorts, ‘boyfriend’ shorts or fabric type shorts (as well as others). Each type enhances a different part of the body, as well as hides a different part.

• If you like something don’t always think I can’t wear that that’s for someone of a different body shape. You must think could I make that work on my body shape? Now there are sometimes clothing garments that I can’t wear, they don’t suit me because I’m short or because I have quite a large chest. This is ok. But other times, with crop tops for example, there are many ways I make them work. I like to size up on ‘crop tops’ so that they fit slightly looser and don’t expose me too much. I also match them with high-waisted skirts, as this shows no skin- as I personally don’t like to. Therefore, I can wear the style in my own way.

• Experiment once in a while. I often get caught in wearing the same outfit but in different colours, try to experiment and work with an item in different ways. Lately I have tried to wear jeans again. I have found jeggins work best with me, and I have been loving wearing light washed jeggins rolled up at the ankles to give them a summery touch.

• Remember clothes are just clothes. Sometimes you can make an outfit work better and make you feel more confident in it by wearing your hair a different way, by painting your nails or just doing something different with make up.

• Don’t let others stop you. I’ve been called ‘fat’, people have said that my skirts are too short. And all I can think is how I don’t care about their opinions. I like the skirts I wear; they actually make me feel confident in my own skin. My family, especially my mum, don’t think that my skirts are too short- so I do not let others affect me. Some people just like to judge you to make themselves feel better, these people are selfish. Someone might say that you can’t wear that playsuit because you have no chest or because you are too fat. Just remember that this person should have no impact on your life, it’s your style, not theirs, so don’t let them choose it.

So that’s just some of my summer tips for dressing for larger shapes. We are all human and this is so necessary to remember. I commonly wear something and then look at the photos a week what was I wearing, I look so large and this is OK too. I am aloud to judge myself, we all judge ourselves. What matters is that next time I make sure I wear something where I don’t think I look that way. We all make outfit mistakes, no matter what shape or size you are. Just remember that everyone is different and we can’t all be the same, so don’t be.

later and think

I hope you enjoyed this type of post, it’s something a bit different and a bit more personal, got any tips? Did you enjoy the post? Let me know in the comments and hope your summer has really begun well,

Book Review: Paper Towns by John Green

Hey it’d time for this months book review, and this month it is John Green’s ‘Paper Towns’. I decided to read this because I am really liking John Green’s writing, and my sister recommended it. I am also hoping to read some more John Green in the future.

Paper Towns is a very different book. It meddles in the genres of romance, detectives and action. It tells the story from the view of ‘Q’ or ‘Quentin’, a boy, and is all about the disappearance of one of his friends ‘Margo’. Margo leaves clues, of her location, that he must piece together, but in this journey Quentin must also discover who the real Margo is.

The story twists and turns and you really understand the emotions of Quentin. He is on the verge of a breakthrough but, at the same point, he is also contemplating giving up.

Overall I liked this book but I didn’t really love it. I don’t think it compares to the Fault in out Stars, or Looking for Alaska, as I found it took a while to pick up and bored me at times. Therefore, it took me longer to read and didn’t grasp at my imagination. I would still say the book is written well but the style of Quentin’s view is a little dull.

Paper Towns is split into three sections and the first and last are defiantly the best. I read the last section in just a day, as the plot really takes off and encourages you to read on.

I would say Paper Towns is great for John Green fans or teens, especially if your looking for something that isn’t just the same old romance or a novel predictable to it’s genre.

To buy Paper Towns, go to http://www.amazon.co.uk/Paper-Towns-John-Green/dp/140884818X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405186317&sr=8-1&keywords=paper+towns+john+green.

Sadly this review was short but sweet, as I didn’t really have a lot to say about it. Have you read Paper Towns, if so what did you think? Comment down below and have a great summery week,

My Travel Diary - Sorrento, Italy '14

Hey everyone,

So last week I went on holiday! I wanted to start a long-running series on my blog where I can show you some of my travels, for example holidays and weekends away. This new series, called 'my travel diary', will include some photos and my thoughts- although these images will not normally feature people as I am not comfortable with sharing photos of my friends/ family online.
These photos are just a snapshot of some of the things I did this holiday, I'm sorry the quality isn't great either- but it's quite good considering it's take on a basic camera (with a horrid focus and zoom)!

My holiday this year was a school trip to Sorrento for 6 days. Sorrento is a picturesque town on the coast of Italy, near to Naples. I found the location stunning, filled with a beautiful blue seas and gorgeous Italian houses. The weather was beautiful all week and our small Hotel, the Hotel Cavour, fitted our needs, as a school trip, well. I did so many amazing things, and made lots of new friends, as well as luckily getting to explore many cultural sites.
In this jam-packed week I climbed Mount Vesuvius, visited the Pompeii ruins, made pizza, visited a mozzarella farm, made Gelato (Itailen ice cream) and ate a lot of it, as well as going on many visits into
Sorrento town and market. On one day I also got to go on a boat trip, with deckchairs like a cruise ship, to Amalfi- where we spent time in the town and on the beach! One amazing memory I made from this was jumping off the boat into the sea with my best friend, we were nervous but the water was warm and it was so much fun.
I was very privileged to get to go on this trip with my school, and would definitely encourage anyone who has the chance to take it, as you meet a lot of people and learn so much about them. I got to go with my friends as well, and I think we all had an incredible time.
I ate a lot of good food, bought a lot of souvenirs, put on a lot of sun cream and made a lot of memories. I miss you, Sorrento, so much and hope one day I can come back again!

What's in my Travel Hand Luggage? | #summerstyle

Hey,

So I love what’s in my bag type videos/posts so today I thought I’d have one themed around #summerstyle. Summer brings holidays and holidays bring hand luggage, and seeing as I’m going on holiday soon I decided to do a what’s in my travel hand luggage.

The holiday I have packed this for is with school, so I will not personally carry my passport and I had a bag in the hold, so these are just my on-plane essentials.

My bag is a faux brown leather satchel from Primark and it was just £8.

The first thing is a must have for me, fuzzy socks. As soon as I’m on a coach or plane for a long time I just have to put on my fuzzy socks. They keep my feet warm and comfy and relaxed all through a journey. Mine are just an old white pair with pink spots.

The other thing is a tiny pencil case with some pens and pencils. I always take a notebook; see later, so a pen is a must needed item for me!

The next item is a purse with some money for the airport. I love this purse, which I got from a friend for my birthday, because it is a really practical size and looks so cute. It is a mix of pastel shades, mainly pink/ nude faux leather, and a pretty floral pink. In this purse there is a section for cash and cards. Sadly my version is not available but there are similar ones for similar prices at http://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/bags-purses/purses/_/N-9ujZc7l?No=20&Nrpp=20&Ns=sort.price.uk%7C0

The next items are my liquids so are in a separate clear plastic bag to take out at the airport. I don’t like to take too many liquids because it is a bit of a fuss, but I like to take a lip balm for dry lips and some hand lotion to moisturise my hands.

The other item is a camera. Because it is a school holiday, I didn’t want to take an expensive camera that I’d worry about loosing. This is my old battery pink camera in a plain black camera case for protection.

The next thing in my bag is a small zip coin purse which I keep my Skullcandy ear-bud headphones in. I do this so they don’t get lost or tangled, and so I always know where they are. I love my headphones as they work well and never sound leak.

To go with them is my iphone which I use as an ipod for my journey. Some songs I am really loving at the moment are Classic by MKTO, Eliza Doolittle’s old albums and What a Night by the Lovable Rouges (an old summer favourite for me).

A book is always necessary for me, and I am currently still ready my June book which is ‘Paper Towns’ by John Green. I am really enjoying this book at the moment, like most of John Green’s work, but if you want to know more I will be doing a review next month.

The other items are notebooks which are so key to a journey, especially with school. I take an old notebook for games like squares and hangman. This is great for passing the time and having some old-fashion fun.

The last item is my special blog-organising notebook. I keep this Cath Kidston notebook with a calendar of each month and mark on my ideas for blog post. I am yet to plan into July so I am hoping to do this on the plane or coach when I am on holiday!

And that’s all that’s in my travel bag. Did you enjoy this type of post? What’s your summer travelling essential? Let me know in the comments below,

Have a wonderful summery week,