LIFESTYLE | Cruising around the Mediterranean

The reason my blog has been a bit lacklustre recently is because my life has become quite hectic. And that's something I never thought I say. For the past four and a half years I've managed to juggle this blog, with my education and a part time job. Yet finishing university, moving out of two houses in the space of three weeks, going on holiday and starting a new job really has gotten on top of me. Today is the first day in a while I've felt relaxed, and able to chill out and write a proper blog post.

I decided that I would focus on my holiday seeing as I promised more lifestyle posts (don't worry, the beauty will always be there)! I went on a cruise around the Mediterranean for a week with my grandparents, my mum, her partner, my sister, my auntie, uncle and cousin. It was really lovely, but I don't think you'd find me cruising anywhere in the near future as one of the nights was quite rocky and off putting. We sailed from Spain, to Italy, to France and back to Spain again and got to see many beautiful places. That's the beauty of cruising, you're not just stuck in one place for a week. This world is huge and full of fascinating cities, and I definitely want to explore every single part of it.

One place I definitely need to go back to is Italy. I've now visited Rome, Venice, Verona and Lake Garda and I've loved every inch of it. Sadly in Rome, we only spent a few minutes at the Colosseum so the next I visit, I must go inside of it. I absolutely adore historical Rome and the Romans. I also have to go to Pisa! I've only decided to show a few photos from the holiday mainly because in total, there was 700+ photos taken and I don't think Blogger, or your computers, would be very happy with me if I uploaded them all. So here are a few. Mainly on the boat, in Corsica, Rome and Cannes.

Have you been on a cruise before? What's your favourite place in the world to visit?
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Holiday packing: hair care

On Tuesday, I'll be going on my first cruise. I'm incredibly excited as I haven't been on holiday for a while, and also there are eight other family members going. For me, the best part about going on holiday is picking up miniature beauty products. They look adorable, and you get the chance to try out new things. So although I have another week before I go away, I have already packed my beauty bits (minus fragrance and make up) so I thought I would show you.

Shampoo and Conditioner

When choosing a shampoo and conditioner to take on holiday came around, I really struggled. Some days my hair is extremely oily and fine, but other days it's very dry and in need of a bit of love. So I decided to take two products I've never tried before; the Aveda Damage Remedy Restructuring Shampoo* and Conditioner* - full size £22 & £24.50 and two products I have tried before; the Bumble & bumble Surf Foam Wash - full size £18.50 and Creme Rinse - full size £20. The Aveda products will be perfect for when my hair is in need of some TLC and the Bumble & bumble products are wonderful at injecting a bit of life back into my hair. They also smell incredible.

Style

Bumble & bumble Surf Spray - full size £21.50

I absolutely adore this product and if I could afford it, it's one that would always end up in my collection. I got this and the shampoo and conditioner in a little travel-sized set from Boots' clearance section. It cost me a measly £4.50 (plus staff discount!) even though it currently retails for £18. Bargain.

Macadamia Control Hairspray* - full size £15.70

I've never tried this hairspray before but I love Macadamia so I doubt it'll let me down. I don't really style my hair, just straighten it every now and then, so I tend to use hairspray to add a bit of volume and lift. This one claims to resist humidity and also has UV protection in it. Perfect for my holiday.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Cherry* - £1.50

A dry shampoo is a must-have for me. I use them mainly to inject volume into my hair, but considering I have oily hair, they're an absolute staple. I haven't used this scent before but in terms of affordable dry shampoos, you can't go wrong with Batiste.

John Frieda Frizz Ease Nourishing Oil Elixir* - £9.99

I can't live without hair oils and the only reason I'm packing this one is because it comes in a plastic bottle. It's also a lovely hair oil that doesn't weigh the hair down or make it greasy. It is, however a little bit large so if anyone has any decanting ideas, please do let me know.

Aveda Pure Abundance Volumizing Spray* - full size £16.50

Originally I was going to take a Bumble & bumble volumising spray but this one is much smaller. I haven't used it before but I did get it used on me at an Aveda consultation. It added lots of body and movement to my hair, and hopefully I'll be able to do the same with it.

Treatments

Aveda After-Sun Treatment Masque* - full size £21

Of course, I had to pack this little hair mask. I can't remember how my hair reacts to the sun so I'm taking this just in case. I'll use it as a mid-week pick me up to nourish and repair my hair. It also smells absolutely delicious.

#1 Holiday Packing: Skin Care

#2 Holiday Packing: Body Care

#3 Holiday Packing: Hair Care

Are you going on holiday this year? What beauty products will you be packing?
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Holiday packing: body care

On Tuesday, I'll be going on my first cruise. I'm incredibly excited as I haven't been on holiday for a while and also there are eight other family members going. For me, the best part about going on holiday is picking up miniature beauty products. They look adorable, and you get the chance to try out new things. So although I have another week before I go away, I have already packed my beauty bits (minus fragrance and make up) so I thought I would show you.

Sunscreen

Soltan Moisturising Sun Lotion SPF 30 and SPF 50 - currently £5 each

For me, sun protection is very important and was the first thing I bought for my holiday. I haven't tried Soltan before but the 5* UVA rating really drew me into the product. I also love that it has protection against insects too as apparently, I'm attractive to insects. Nice.

KIKO After Sun Milk* - currently £11.10

I've never tried this before but I was sent it last year and considering I steered clear of the sun last summer, I had no reason to use it. As a brand, I love KIKO so I have high hopes for this aftersun. KIKO claim that this is fast-absorbing, moisturising and that it prevents peeling and prolongs suntan.

Soltan Baby Hypoallergenic Sunscreen SPF 50 - currently £2

I bought this to pop in my everyday bag for touch-ups throughout the day. In case you didn't know, I'm going on a cruise so I won't be sat around the pool all day, I'll be out and about. Because of this, I don't want to be carrying around the full-size sunscreens.

Mouth

Dentyl Active Plaque Fighter Mouthwash* - £1.20 and Arm & Hammer Advance White Toothpaste - £1.25

Of course, the essentials. I had the Dentyl mouthwash laying around and I'd enjoyed using it in the past. The toothpaste is one that I randomly picked up as I thought it was cute in the tube. I'm hoping that it has a nice taste.

Wisdom Travel Toothbrush - £1.49

I did originally want to take my electric toothbrush with me but it's heavy and bulky and it meant I would also have had to have packed my charger. So instead, I bought a classic travel toothbrush. It's nothing special but it is really cute.

Others

Mitchum Advanced Control Deodorant - £2.99

I have no idea why I bought such a big deodorant. But seeing as Mitchum is a great brand, I decided to stick to it. This deodorant is unscented so it doesn't interfere with any fragrances and it's also the most hardcore deodorant I've ever used. Perfect for the sun.

Gillette Satin Care with Olay Shaving Gel - full size currently £2.74

I don't like showcasing my legs very often, but summer is one time when my pins are constantly out. So because of this, I need to make sure they're fuzz-free. I did want to take my RazorPit Bump Foam with me as I'm prone to ingrown hairs but it's too big so this one will have to do.

Kiehl's Creme de Corps* - full size £45

I haven't tried this body lotion before but I've heard good things about it. In fact, I've never tried anything from Kiehl's before so hopefully this product will set off a love affair. It's supposed to have a dramatic effect on skin texture whilst providing intense hydration.

Butter London Scrubbers* - £6 for ten

I'll be painting my nails the day before I go away but in case of chips, I'll be taking the bottle along with me. I've popped one of these Scrubbers in my case as they're perfect for travelling. It's basically a cotton pad soaked in nail polish remover.

Shower Gel

For shower gel, I could either have taken one decent sized shower gel or three minis. And considering I love having a variety of body washes in different fragrances on offer, I decided to take three smaller ones. The first is the Korres Basil Lemon Showergel* - full size £8 (from the Best of Korres Gift Set* - currently £12.67) which smells absolutely delicious. I then have two from Weleda. The Citrus Creamy Body Wash* - £1.95 and the Pomegranate Creamy Body Wash* - £1.95 which once again smell incredible. 

#1 Holiday Packing: Skin Care

#2 Holiday Packing: Body Care

#3 Holiday Packing: Hair Care

Are you going on holiday this year? What beauty products will you be packing?
*PR Sample
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Holiday packing: skin care

This time next week, I'll be going on my first cruise. I'm incredibly excited as I haven't been on holiday for a while, and also there are eight other family members going. For me, the best part about going on holiday is picking up miniature beauty products. They look adorable, and you get the chance to try out new things. So although I have another week before I go away, I have already packed my beauty bits (minus fragrance and make up) so I thought I would show you.

Cleansers

Clean & Clear Truly Gentle 3-in-1 Facial Wipes - £3.05

I'm not someone who uses face wipes often as I'm a big believer in the double cleanse, but they are useful and definitely come in handy. These face wipes are my favourite. They remove make up incredibly well and leave the skin feeling hydrated and refreshed.

Elemis Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser* - full size £29 (from the Elemis Summer Set Glow collection* - £49.50)

I haven't tried this cleanser before but I'm incredibly excited to. I've heard wonderful things about it and I'll be using this as my pre-cleanse/make up remover each night. It's to be used like the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish - massage it into skin, and remove with a flannel.

Korres White Tea Fluid Gel Cleanser* - full size £15 (from the Best of Korres Gift Set* - currently £12.67)

I haven't tried this face wash before but I trust Korres as it's a lovely brand. I'll be using this morning and evening to clean my skin and rid it of any impurities. It's also supposed to brighten, moisturise and nourish the skin which is a definite bonus.

Toners

Elemis Soothing Apricot Toner* - full size £22 (from the Elemis Summer Set Glow collection* - £49.50)

Once again, another product I haven't tried but this smells delicious. It's quite big for a travel sized toner, but who am I to complain? Elemis claim that this toner soothes the skin to give it a radiant appearance and also say that it's perfect for sensitive, delicate and hormonal skin.

Pur Minerals Miracle Mist Hydrate & Set* - full size $19

For some reason, I can't find this listed anywhere in the UK. I was contemplating whether or not to take this with me but a quick spritz on the face and it was instantly packed in my bag. It's very refreshing and cooling, so it's perfect for the heat.

Treatments/Serums

Soap & Glory Sunshield Superfluid SPF50+ - £15

This is my facial sunscreen of choice as the packaging for it is perfect. It's really small and compact, which makes it a must-have for travelling. The sunscreen itself feels lightweight on the skin, doesn't leave behind a white cast and is SPF50. Perfection.

Freshskin By Elemis Face Mask Duo Pack* - £15 for 6 sachets

I decided to take a face mask for a bit of a mid-week treat. I'm taking the Deep Clean Purifying Mask from this set as it's a great way to draw out impurities, balance the skin and reduce pore size. I also get around four uses from this sachet so I'm sure all the ladies in our party will also be trying it out.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo [+]* - full size £15.50

I've tried the original Effaclar Duo before but not the new version. This one claims to be a lot stronger on scarring, which is perfect for my skin, especially because the sun is deadly when it comes to hyperpigmentation. 

La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.I. Targeted Breakout Corrector - £9.50

I really do like this spot treatment as it's gentle and non-drying yet fast working and hard hitting when it comes to blemishes. I'm going to be taking this just in case my skin reacts to any new products, or even to the weather. You can never be too prepared!

Moisturisers

For me, deciding which moisturiser to take proved to be a pain. My skin is combination, which means that sometimes it can be incredibly dry, and other times exceptionally oily. So I decided to take three different moisturisers which will hopefully help with each skin condition. 

The first is the Korres Wild Rose 24-hour Moisturising and Brightening Cream* - full size £20 (from the Best of Korres Gift Set* - currently £12.67) which I'll be using if my skin is particularly dry and also at night time. I've used this before and I love it. The next two are for when my skin is more on the oily side. Both the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ - full size £17 and the Clarins Daily Energizer Cream - full size £21 (from the Clarins Daily Energizer Kit - £15) are wonderful lightweight moisturisers. They sink into the skin instantly yet leave it feeling hydrating.

Extras

Liz Earle Daily Eye Repair* - £7.75

I chose this eye cream because my two everyday eye creams are quite bulky. This one is great as it hydrates the eye area and helps diminish dark circles. It also contains SPF 10 which in warm weather is a definite bonus. 

Piz Buin in Sun Lipstick SPF 30 - currently £3

And finally, SPF for the lips. This one tastes and smells incredible but sadly, it doesn't add any moisture or hydration to the lips. It does, however protect them from the damaging sun, without interfering with any make up.

#1 Holiday Packing: Skin Care

#2 Holiday Packing: Body Care

#3 Holiday Packing: Hair Care

Are you going on holiday this year? What beauty products will you be packing?
*PR Sample
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Happy Easter!

Image taken from Tumblr

Happy Easter! That's if you celebrate it. To be honest, I won't be celebrating Easter too much because as of yet, I'm consumed four Easter eggs - what diet? Oops. But you know, when an Easter egg is £1 and a bar of chocolate is 80p, it's obvious which option you're going to choose. So yes, this is just a quick blog post as I don't usually blog on Sundays as I have work - bank holiday, day off, love you Jesus - but I hope you have a lovely day :)

xxx

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OOTD: Holiday Edition

As promised, whilst I was on holiday I took pictures of the outfits that I wore daily. I must say now, in the pictures with the bird top I'm not wearing a bright pink bra, it's my swimming costume as this was my 'I'm going swimming out' so yes, I just wanted to clear that up haha!  Also, we went away in England and luckily for us, the few days that we had away we ended up with niceish weather. Not scorching hot but a lot better than what we've been getting recently so it allowed me to get my legs out.

Bird Top - Primark £8.00

Knitted Cardigan - knitted by my grandmother

Black Skirt - New Look £12.99

Brown Belt - Primark £2.00

Navy Blazer - New Look £24.99

Love Birds Dress - Primark £13.00

White T Shirt - Primark £4.00

Yellow T Shirt - Vero Moda @ Republic £7.00

Yellow/Navy Heart Dress - Primark £10.00

Leggings - Primark £3.00
I really love all of these outfits, especially the ones with the New Look skirt and it's definitely become my favourite item of clothing! It goes with pretty much any tshirt and is extremely flattering, pretty and easy to wear. I must also mention that the blazer doesn't have an exact link on the New Look website because I've had it for such a long time! I think I bought it when I was 15 and I saved up my lunch money to buy it and it's been a staple in my wardrobe ever since haha. To think it's lasted me 4 years is incredible and that definitely shows how well made New Look blazers are. So yes, these are my outfits that I wore on my holiday.
What outfit is your favourite?
xxx

REVIEW: No7 Anti-Dark Spot Facial Sun Protection

My number one beauty tip would be to always, always.. regardless of the weather, wear sun protection on your face. The sun is the biggest factor when it comes to your skin ageing so sun protection is vital if you want to keep your skin looking young. With my No7 £5 vouchers I thought I'd dabble in their sun protection and it's a good job I did!

This sun screen helps to reduce the signs of sun damage and it contains a patented antioxidant complex and sunfilters that help protect the skin from damaging free radicals. It also has a skin brightening complex which helps to improve the appearance of skin tone and colour whilst also helping to prevent dark spots and hyper-pigmentation which is caused by the sun. Like all Boots own brand sun protection this has a five star UVA protection and No7 also do the same sun protection in factor 30 and 50+. Unlike most sun protections this is very light and absorbs instantly and easily into the skin. It isn't oily, it doesn't break me out and it immediately leaves me skin feeling moisturised. The best thing about this sun screen is that it instantly adds radiance and smooths over my skin. It acts as a great primer and I feel comfortable wearing this out alone. It doesn't add colour and it doesn't provide coverage but it does blur and disguise the appearance of blemishes mildly. I'm absolutely addicted to this and I think that this has become my go-to sun protection for my face. I only picked up the factor 15 because it was all that Boots had in stock at the time and I needed it for my holiday. But next time I buy one (when the next No7 vouchers come out) I'll be picking up a factor 50+ on as my skin is prone to burning.
You can buy this sun cream here for £12.00.
Have you tried this sun protection before? What's your favourite facial sun screen?
xxx

UPDATE: Holiday, University

Hey guys! I must apologise for being a bad blogger. I guess I should also say that I did pass my first year at university which I was very happy about as I was so nervous about finding out my results! I thought that once university had ended I'd be able to blog more but I just haven't had the time and it's been pretty hectic recently.  But hopefully after my holiday, I'll be blogging normally and regularly again. I say hopefully but don't quote me on it!

I am going on holiday today for 5 days and I originally wanted to schedule a few posts to keep you all busy whilst I'm away but unfortunately, I haven't gotten chance to so I'm really sorry about that! But hopefully everything that I wanted to write about and schedule will have a post after my holiday. Plus, if you want to stay in touch/keep up with what I'm doing on holiday then you can always follow me on Twitter as I'm an addict. But yes, I hope you all have a wonderful week and once again, so sorry about being a bad blogger!

xxx

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WANTS: Swimwear

When I was looking at things that I had bought for my holiday I realised that I had bought everything except for possibly the most important - swimwear. I'm only going away in England so I'm obviously not bothered about tanning and I'm pretty insecure so I want a swimsuit and not a bikini. I went on various different websites looking for swimwear and from my experience I've realised two things; one, there are barely any swimsuits out there and two, since when did swimwear become so expensive?!

Red or Dead Red Message Bottle Swimsuit - £64.99, Boudoir Grey Fiji Swimsuit - £44.99, Floral Print Halterneck Swimsuit - £17.24

These are my three favourites and all three are from New Look which I believe have the best range of swimwear out there. Unless Primark has a good selection. I love that the red swimsuit has the piece of string around it so it can pull you in at the waist. I also love how it's the basic swimsuit shape which suits everyone. The black one is great because it uses body sculpting inside it and if I had £50 to spare, no doubt I'd be buying this one. And finally, the third one is just so cute! The first two are very expensive and although I love them, I couldn't bring myself to spend that much on a swimsuit. But I thought I'd show them you anyway as they're so pretty. So I'll probably end up getting the third swimsuit.

What stores would you recommend for swimwear?

xxx

MORE: Holiday Essentials

Since my last holiday post I have picked up/gathered together a few more bits and pieces for my holiday and I thought I'd show you what they are. I haven't gone into too much detail about each product as some of them haven't been tried before or I've previously reviewed them (and provided a past link).

Batiste Dry Shampoo Fresh - £2.99

I've started washing my hair every 2 days to try and correct it and stop it from being greasy so recently, I've been relying on dry shampoo to revive my hair in between washes. I haven't tried this version before but hopefully it'll smell nice.

Boots Essential Toothpaste - £0.59

I didn't want an expensive toothpaste and ideally, I wanted a travel sized one but I couldn't find one anywhere. So I just went with this cheap Boots one that I can throw away if I don't want to bring it back with me.

Bic Soleil Lady Travel Shaving Gel - £1.89

Hopefully the weather will be nice and I'll be able to get my legs out so I definitely needed some shaving gel. I've not tried this one before but it smells absolutely gorgeous and the travel sized bottle is so cute!

Anti-Aging Hand Sanitizer* - £22.00

This is my favourite hand moisturiser so I had to take it away with me. It's the perfect size for travelling with aswell. You can read my full review of this product here.

Sanctuary Daily Spa Escape Body Moisture Spray - £2.50

Boots still have their 3 for 2 offer on and I was in need of a third item so I picked this body spray up. It smells beautiful and I need to find a full sized version. I'm trying very hard not to use it before my holiday but sometimes I can't resist. It smells very clean and fresh and it does add moisture to the skin.

Listerine Stay White Mouthwash - around £1.10

Listerine is my favourite mouthwash as they taste isn't very strong so when I saw the travel sized version I couldn't say no as the bottle is just so cute!

TRESemme Split Remedy Sealing Serum - £5.69

I had to bring this product with me and the fact that it's a small sized bottle made me want to take it even more. I won't go into too much detail about this as I've done a full review here.

Soap & Glory Travel Size Clean On Me Body Wash - £2.50

I decided that I needed another body wash in case the one that I had wasn't enough so I went into Boots and picked up a Clean On Me as it's my all time favourite body wash.

GLAMGLOW* - £49.99

This is the best face scrub/mask that I've ever tried and because I have a small sample size I decided to take it on holiday with me. You can read my full review here but I'll also just say that it completely transforms your skin in an instant, perfect.

Boots Extracts Bergamot Body Butter - From a Christmas gift set (a similar one can be found here.

This smells beautiful. When I first bought the gift set I stayed away from this body butter as I had no idea (and I still don't) what bergamot is. But whatever it is smells bloody lovely! It's a fresh scent that isn't overpowering and the body butter itself leaves skin feeling soft and smooth.

Boots Travel Toothbrush - around £0.50p

I managed to find a travel toothbrush! It was really cheap but I can't seem to find it online anywhere.

No7 Cleansing Sponges - £3.75

I've been using these so much lately and I have one unused one that I thought I'd take on holiday with me. They're pretty big so remove cleanser instantly and they also exfoliate your skin at the same time.

Dr Organic Aloe Vera Wet Wipes* - £2.75

I can be quite messy so I decided to take some wet wipes with me. These ones sooth and refresh the skin whilst cleansing them.

Are you going on holiday this summer? What essentials are you taking with you?

xxx

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Holiday Photos - Salou!

A really quick blog post as I'm moving into university currently so I'm incredibly busy!

 Bikini - Primark

Top - Primark

Trousers (& belt) - Primark 

Top - Primark

Dress - Matalan

Bag - Primark 

 Top - Primark

Top - Primark

Shorts - Primark

Bag - Primark 

Top - Primark

Trousers - Primark 

This post has not been sponsored by Primark.. I promise haha! I just loveeee that shop! How are you all?

xxx