BACK TO SCHOOL | 1 SKIRT 3 WAYS

As I'm going back to school soon, I believe that one of the main things to remember about what you wear is to buy and use basic clothing items. There would be no point in me going out and buying some orange boots and a blue coat because I would get minimal wear out of them and they wouldn't go with everything in my wardrobe.
I purchased this skirt from New Look a few months ago and I think it's a really nice transitioning piece and a good piece for back to school. I like midi skirts because they give my thighs and bum a better shape and they're really comfortable to wear. They cut off at the right place on my legs and you don't need to worry about having any 'Marilyn Monroe' moments.
It's not made from actual denim, it's a cotton-denim it's really comfy, easy to walk in and to style. Denim will never go out of fashion which is why this piece is timeless and great to wear with many things.

FAKE TAN COMPARISON | ST TROPEZ VS ST MORITZ

I've found myself to have been using a lot more tan than usual in the summer. I've taken this approach since I was in year 8, to use fake tan regularly as I prefer the look of my body with a tan. It's personal preference, but I just think I look healthier and more toned. As much as I love going on holiday and sunbathing, I would much rather fake it and get the same effect than baking in the sun for hours. Also; because my skin is so fair, it takes a few days in the sun before my skin gets to see the slightest bit of tan, but usually it just turns to the deepest, darkest red colour.

These two brands were the first two that I've ever tried, but I've also tried many others such as Garnier, Nivea, Palmers, Soltan and Sally Hansen. But as good as some of them are, I find myself always reaching back to these two. I thought that these would be really cool to compare against each other; firstly because they have very similar names and packaging (which I think is the overall effect) but also to compare all elements of the products such as their packaging and image, price, quality and application of the product.

Firstly, the big difference between each product is the price. St Tropez is known for being a really good tan but it's known for also being very very pricey. They're tans can range from £15-£40. What I like though about St Tropez' range is that it's more readily available than St Moritz. It's available in the UK and overseas- in most stockists like Boots, Superdrug, Debenhams, John Lewis and Howells. What I also like about St Tropez is there range is quite diverse and there's a lot more products for different people, whereas St Moritz tend to stick to a basic colour range and formulas. St Tropez also sell products like tan enhancer, tan primers, tanning wipes, body moisturisers and exfoliators which will give you that pampered, long lasting treatment of luxury from their tans.
Whereas St Moritz doesn't offer as much, you can't really complain about the price, as their tans range from £2-£4 and their products are raved on lots of blogs and YouTube channels. They stick to simple formulas like sprays and mousses, which doesn't overcomplicate things and targets their market perfectly. I also think that St Moritz is a good alternative/dupe to St Tropez for younger people like myself. Sometimes, it's nice to pamper yourself or enhance your tan when you're going out. I think St Moritz offers this because of it's price, its affordable for lots of people. Many young people can't really afford to buy monthly bottles of St Tropez, and I only really use mine on special occasions because of it's price.
Price wise, I think that St Moritz is a better price, but I feel that St Tropez has more things to offer in terms of the quality and long lasting effects of their products. I also think that it's more value for money as most of their products aren't instant and so the tan itself will last alot longer, which is very important for special events such as birthdays, weddings, proms ect.

Secondly, I'll be comparing the packaging of each brand of tan. Both of them are pretty similar- I believe the idea of St Moritz is that it's a dupe in everyway for St Tropez. It's all down to personal preference, but I prefer the packaging of the St Tropez products. I think their packaging is alot more classic and sleek, and I think the way it's presented looks more professional. Although, the packaging is pretty self explanatory because St Tropez is more expensive, their products are obviously going to look better whereas St Moritz is very cheap and so the packaging is going to be basic, like a product that 'does exactly what it says on the tin'. 

Finally, I'll be comparing the quality and application to the tan. As I addressed earlier, I believe that St Moritz is a tan that can be applied for a night out or as a quick touch up if you're wearing a skirt/shorts that day. Just because it's an instant tan, so you don't have to have it on for a number of days so it'll easily wash off and is just a quick and easy process. Although; because of its quality, alot of moisturiser is needed on the skin before application and in the process of it too, otherwise it can become streaky and patchy looking, especially when it comes into contact with water. As an instant, it's an easy process but it does take a lot of preparation for the skin such as exfoliating and moisturising before its application. With this tan, it's also essential to use a mitt, there's no way it can be applied with your hands because the product will thin out and it will stain easily.
However, St Tropez is a much better quality product with a better consistency than St Moritz. It does take longer to dry as it's a thick lotion, but it's non streaky and patchy, and you can see the colour straight away which I think is great. I would usually use this tan for some sort of special event such as prom or a wedding. I think that St Tropez has a lot more plus points in general than St Moritz- the tan isn't instant so lasts a few more days (3/4) when exfoliated off. The tan itself can be buildable and looks alot more natural. I love that it doesn't have that typical, biscuity smell that lots of cheaper tans do. It's also a more readily available tan, people from overseas and the US can buy it as well as people in the UK, whereas St Moritz is only readily available in the UK and in parts of Europe, so shipping costs are higher.

I don't have a favourite between both tans. I believe that both are as good as each other, they both have their strengths and their weaknesses. And so I would most definitely recommend them both! 

BEDROOM TOUR 2014 ♡

Surprisingly, I haven't yet shown my bedroom to any of my blog readers. One of my favourite things I love doing is buying things for my room and changing the things up in them. I'm really inspired by youtuber's such as Zoella and BeautyCrush as they have an amazing eye for interior design. 

I decided to film a room tour on my youtube channel, filming in quite an arty way instead of the bogstandard talky room tours.
Please let me know what you thought and I'll leave some pictures below.
Have a lovely day!♡

From a Haul to a Lookbook

I've recently bought a few things that I thought I'd share with you. I filmed a new 'try-on' video which was me trying on the purchases that I'd bought.

They're links to the clothing and my social links in the description box of the video, why not go and have a little nose and let me know what you think ♥

MY S H O E COLLECTION

I don't usually like to advertise my YouTube channel on my blog, but I thought it would be different for my readers to look at instead of reading a standard post with some images.
I've had my YouTube channel for about a year, coming up to two years now and it's one of my favourite things to do. The whole process of filming, editing, uploading and socialising with my subscribers is really cool.

Lately, I've really been into buying shoes. I never have really been into shoes, I used to only buy like one or two pairs a year because I was more into fashion and I didn't think of matching my shoes with my outfits (I have a whole photo album of these fashion creations).
I feel really happy and content with the shoes that I had and I just wanted to share them with you.
I hope you like it!

Fitness Motivation and Tips

At the moment I've been using the gym a lot and exercising more, so that my body looks its best in the summer time. I really enjoy working out; I've always been a very active person and I feel really good when I exercise and eat healthily.

I'm not in any way a 'fitness freak' or a health doctor/specialist but I thought my readers would appreciate my viewpoint on it.

One thing I would suggest before you decide to work out is to plan your routine. I would recommend just getting a notebook/paper and write down what you want to achieve in the next week/month/year. Having a goal to set yourself will help to motivate yourself to exercise. Then you want to plan your exercise around your daily routine; whether you choose to work out every morning, every other evening or just on the weekend is completely up to you.
You also want to really think about what type of exercise you like. I wouldn't suggest exercising just because you're friends are or just because it's exercise. If you don't like/enjoy the exercise you're doing, it's more likely to demotivate you and your body. They're so many ways to exercise, so explore and choose the right thing for you.

When exercising and perfecting your body, you need to be aware that you NEVER compare yourself to anyone else. It's okay to be like 'wow her body looks amazing' or 'Her legs look so nice!' but you should never
aspire your body to look like someone else's, because you are YOU and that person may have body issues just like you so be aware of that.
But there's nothing wrong with going on Tumblr or Instagram and looking at some fitness accounts, the Ryan Gosling picture is a cheeky favourite of mine.

Another thing with regards to eating more healthily, just think about what you put in your body will determine what your body will look like on the outside. So if you're constantly eating Mcdonalds and junk food, your skin is more likely to look not as good as if you eat a lot of fruit and vegetables daily. Also, if I do eat chocolate/biscuits 'shit' basically on a daily basis, my body and mind won't feel very good.
Whereas if I'm eating a bowl or raspberries and strawberries, I'll feel better about myself.

Another main rule for eating healthily is to NEVER skip meals. Some people think that skipping meals is healthy and will help you lose weight, it's not the answer. I tried it and I found myself snacking when I got home from school on junk basically. So it's important to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with a few balanced, healthy snacks added in.

Finally, I would recommended having a friend along with you for your 'exercise journey' if you like. It helps if you've got someone with you so that they're going through the same thing, and they'll feel better about their body as well. It's better and more enjoyable to go to the gym and do exercise DVD's with a friend as well! :)

♡ SUMMER ESSENTIALS ♡ Fashion and Beauty

Summer is one of my favourite seasons, one thing about it is the weather. It's usually always sunny and it stays light until late in the evening too. It also means that when summer is on it's away, school should be over very soon.
I also love the clothes that the shops bring out this time of year; they're really bright and colourful which makes me feel really happy.
So, these are my fashion and beauty summer essentials.

Enjoy! Lots of Love.

My first essentials would be a good pair of shoes/sandals and a nice hat or hair accessory; by that I mean something like a floral crown or headscarf. Those are more for complementing a outfit, but a sun hat or regular hat is perfect for the summer time as it looks good and will protect your face and hair from the sun - having a burnt face isn't a good look in my opinion.

Usually in the summer, I'll be going on holiday or doing a lot of walking, so a good pair of shoes is essential. These JuJu jellies from ASOS are bigger than ever this year, they don't make your feet sweat and they're really comfortable. I also like how they're a bright colour rather than your usual brown or black sandal.



A few products that are essential to me in the summer time; firstly is some sort of curly hair product. Curls can be more difficult to maintain in the summer because of the heat and if you visit the beach or pool quite alot. You're hair can begin to look quite damaged; so if I want to achieve the 'sea beach' hair look, I'll use this Garnier Texturising Gum which is based for curly hair and gives you that 'beach surfer' hair which looks really natural and is easy to achieve if your hair is wet or dry.
A beauty product I tend to use a lot more in the summer is a cream blusher. This is a peach and pink duo by Topshop and I love it! Cream blushes maintain alot more in the heat and the colours look really fresh. I don't wear a lot of makeup in the summer anyway, but if I'm going somewhere all day or if I'm going out after a day at the beach, this is a great multi-purpose product. You can apply it with your fingers because it's easy to blend and the colours come up on the skin really pigmented.
The 3 products to the right are absolute life savers, especially for pale skin like mine. The first being sun cream. I think every body tone and skin colour should use sun cream no matter what. I'm not a fan of sun cream, I hate the smell and the stickiness it has but I know it'll protect my skin, and they're many more formulas for people to try like sprays and oils. I use factor 30 as I'm guaranteed a tan and my skin to be protected.
If unfortunately I do burn, I'll use after sun or this 'after burn'. It's amazing if you burn easily or if you have really pale skin. It's a cooling gel that you can put on your skin and it cools and reduces the redness rapidly. It's available from Boots or on line, and it works a lot faster than usual after sun.
I also like to top up my tan by using a gradual one. I mix this in to my moisturiser to gradually give me a stronger glow and tan. This one is by No7 and I would also recommend this for pale skin as it looks really natural.



As I said before, one of the best things about summer is going on holiday! I'm going to Crete this year, and my next two essentials would be a pair of good sunglasses and a cute bikini. I also have a cute polka dot swim suit which looks really cute also.
My sunglasses shown are from TX Maxx and I bought them there because they're discounted and I'm guaranteed they'll be UV protected. There's no point buying sunglasses if they don't contain UV otherwise they won't protect your eyes.
My bikini is from Motel Rocks, and I love it because of the 'bralet' style and the high waisted bottoms. I've noticed a lot of people have been buying the Triangl bikini's but they're not my cup of tea. I prefer the vintage style. I originally bought this from ASOS, and they do some great bikini sets.
I love seeing different shapes and sizes on the beach, I think it's great that lots of women want to embrace their bodies.

 

My final summer essential would be a pair of high waisted denim shorts. They sell these everywhere; from car boot sales, vintage and charity shops. The top pair are from Oxfam and the bottom I bought from Camden in London. I think shorts go with everything, and I like getting my legs out in the summer so they'll tan. I love the shape of high waisted things and they're so many variations of shorts out there.