On My Jolly Holidays...

Recently I went on holiday to Wales for a few days. I used to travel there all the time when I was younger because my Nan and Granddad live there. Though I haven't managed to return for quite a few years now, and was so excited when booking my holidays this year. 

Before we had even got to our hotel, we decided to stop off in Abergele and climb a mountain. And let me tell you.. it was a mountain alright! It must have taken us around 30- 40 minutes to make it to the top, especially with the steep slopes and guessing the way. It was also around the only time throughout the whole holiday that I managed to gain any signal too. The view was beautiful too (the top photo), though i'm slightly gutted that there are black marks blocking some corners of my photos, which is down to my phone case. I didn't realise until after I got home. 

We traveled up to Llandudno and stayed in such a cute hotel. It had a purple and white vintage theme and was exactly how I imagine my room to be in the future. Any vintage/ beauty fanatic would have loved it; I sighed a little every morning when I had to leave the room and go out, it was that nice! We only stayed for three days because of work, but we were sure to make the most of it. 

Almost immediately after we arrived in Llandudno, we went straight for fish and chips, a holiday favorite of most, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. I somehow also managed to find myself in an arcade after trailing through all the cute gift shops. Let me just say I am ace at those 2p machines! I was also shown what rock pooling was, which i'm now ashamed to admit I had never done before. For all you other first timers, you should really hurry up and take part, its so exciting finding all sorts of sea creatures under such tiny rocks! 

Of course, on the second day I just had to go crabbing. I hadn't done it in so long and it's almost a necessity when in Wales, especially when we were so close to Colwyn. We had only been there for an hour, and managed to catch 53 crabs.. they weren't small ones either! I'm happy to say I soon caught the knack of that too, and had a smug smile on my face for the rest of the day. 

The third day was travelling home day, but not before we went to the Welsh Mountain Zoo. A post on that will probably follow tomorrow. Not many of you know this, but I'm on a Zoo Management Degree Course, and I was quite shocked to see the enclosures these animals are kept in. I'm unsure whether that's because I'm used to Chester Zoo standards or what, but more of that will follow tomorrow! 

All in all I had such a lovely few days in Wales, letting my hair down and having fun!

Where are you off on holiday?

Nail Art Tools

 Over the years, I have gained quite a large collection of nail polishes, which I will show in depth sometime soon. But i'm also always on the lookout for new art tools to use to make the nail designs look a lot more professional. I've already shown you some of my designs, so I thought today I would move on to the tools I use. All of these were extremely inexpensive- I literally brought all of these for around £10 off ebay, they're so cheap!

Okay, so obviously these weren't under £10, but I think they were only around £18 for 36 of them! They come in quite tall bottles too, which all started off full to the brim. I bought these unbranded colours simply because the brush is a fine tip for extreme nail art designs. I use these for most of my designs because they are so easy to use, and the colour ranges are incredible. 

I'll start left to right with these ones! When I first brought the finger for my false nails, I thought it was the scariest thing I had ever seen! But it has come in handy so much. I now use this every time instead of getting the paint on me or anywhere else. It was only around £2 too! 

Secondly are the extra fine brushes. These are just paint brushes that I cut down to the sizes I wanted. The white/pen-like brushes are actual nail art brushes, but i've only used them a few times. I don't use the brushes as much though, since I can't really get on with them. They are a lot harder to use than I thought. Each set was around £2-£3 depending on the seller.

The black and white 'wheel' kind of things are literally stickers. I've used these quite a bit for when I want straight lines, as they are easy to pull off, or even to give straight/thin lines to a nail design. Once a top coat is added, they last for quite a while. Again these were dead cheap (2 for £1).

The wooden sticks are basically cuticle pushers/cleaners or whatever they are called. I got them in a nail set for christmas quite a while ago, they're extremely cheap to buy though. I use these to help add gems or touch up a design without having to use big brushes. They are mainly used when I do water marbling though. (Post soon to follow).

Lastly are my dotting tools. Hopefully most of you will know what these are already. They are literally just plastic tools with different sized balls on either end. I bought a pack of 5 for around £2, if that! These are a must for anybody wanting to do even simple nail designs. They help to easily add layers of paint or spread the colour easily. I really can't praise these enough, and they're so simple to use too!

So the close up of my brushes don't make them look very good at all, but they are. You can pretty clearly see that I cut the first three myself, since they look more staggered- I know I didn't really do a good job of it, but they still work fine. I needed them shorter! The last three are still the original size, which is probably why I find them so hard to use, since they are so long. I've also found (as you can see above) the small hairs tend to part, which makes it even harder to create the thin/neat lines.

I hope you all enjoy my nail art obsession. I'll more then happily show you techniques, tips and tricks on how to use these tools too!

Summertime Haul

I was wandering around Asda this morning, looking for a last minute Mothers Day present (I know, shame on me!) and I couldn't resist treating myself too along the way. I had been umming and arring about getting most of these for ages, and finally came to the conclusion that I deserved to treat myself! Obviously the tights were a necessity for me anyway because I always find myself ridiculously short on them, and i'm far too self-conscious to get my legs out in public. After that, I found my basket started to become heavier and heavier... 

I've read so much about green tea and how good it is for you.. yadda yadda. So I finally thought instead of constantly reading reviews about the effects, I should just give it a go already! I had to pick one with a bit of flavour, since i've heard it's like drinking warm water otherwise. I didn't realise just how many brands and flavours there are! I'll let you know how and if I get on with these ones later on! 

Next, I just couldn't resist it any longer- I had to buy some fake tan. Now I have never, like EVER fake tanned in my life. So lets just say I am extremely nervous about it! Being the ridiculously pale person I am, i've always imagined it would look completely stupid on me, but I can only cross my fingers and hope that it comes out really well for tonight. I'm that new to tanning too, I didn't realise how many different types there were for this either. It was a spur of the moment purchase, so I picked up the mist, which after reading some reviews straight after, I wish I hadn't have- the mousse sounds so much better! Especially for a first timer like myself!

Lastly I had to buy myself some new eyelash curlers, since I use them every day and my old pair had decided to split. I never realised just how much this beauty malarky would cost me! You should be pleased to know that I did eventually find my mum something too, which she will hopefully like :)

Nail Art Designs

Today I thought I would let you in on my nail art designs. If theres one thing I love doing, its designing nails. I've done it for around two years now by simply watching youtube videos, or copying pictures of other peoples nails. Now I am in no way at all a professional, and I know that a few of them aren't perfect, but I try my best. I found it easier over the years to use fake nails too, as working in retail, it's basically a waste of time to do my own, as they chip the very same day.

I recently bought myself a set of around 25 fine tipped nail polishes, which nail salons work with to get the fine details, so i've been practicing with them too to make my designs. Together with my already large collection of nail polishes, I must easily have 50+ different bottles to play around with. I picked 22 designs that I have accumulated over the weeks of messing around with the polishes, which I am quite proud of. I used many different techniques too (water marble, sponges, dotting, tape.. etc), which I may show you how to perfect later on if you like this!

Hopefully it will inspire some of you to attempt a few different nail designs in the future! :)

Statement Necklaces.

Well statement necklaces aren't exactly new in the fashion world, but it's something I have only just become interested in. Considering I have my own accessories department where I work, you would also have thought I would own loads of them by now, but I actually get bored of the sight of them all. After treating myself to a haul of new clothes a few weeks ago, I thought it was about time to jump on to the bandwagon and purchase some for myself. I didn't realise just how much I would wear them after buying them either- almost every day!

The silver diamante necklace is definitely more of a going out kind of necklace for me, since it is very pretty and girly. In my post from a few weeks ago, you can see me dressing it up for a night out (read here). I seem to have my own style with fashion, and don't bother with trying to hunt for the latest fashion, or look at what celebs wear. I tend to wear what is more comfortable for me. So for me, the diamantes on the necklace dress up each outfit a little too much, and they never seem to go with what I am wearing.

 These last two are the complete opposite, which is probably why I like them so much. These two suit my fashion sense so much more, because they are much bolder with the colour. I love the fact that this one has the added black colour too though, so I can often match either my shoes or trousers with it. The only flaw i have with this necklace is the fact it is plastic rather than metal. I suppose it wont oxidize and eventually turn green, but up close it does look a bit cheap.

My last necklace is the first one i ever brought. It's still my favourite and the one I mostly return to day after day. It's so simple, yet so detailed at the same time that it fits in with almost all of my outfits. The block gold colour helps a lot too. 

I know that eventually I will end up with a ridiculous amount of statement necklaces, especially since I work around them almost every single day. Yet i'm not even worried, because these statements have become almost a necessity for my outfits. 

You can't tell from these, but i'm really trying to add a bit of colour to my outfits, honestly! Especially coming up to summer, I really want to get in to summer colours again this year, with the hippy/boohoo kind of look.

What's your take on statement necklaces?

Sunday Funday

 So it's Sunday, and in the blogging world, this means it's the day of photos. I've been pretty ill for most of the week, but since I also love taking photographs of random things, I still have a collection of them somehow! Lets just take a second to acknowledge how small I am compared to everybody else, considering I was wearing the highest heels too. This makes me pretty sad. (Fun fact: The girl/woman in the middle jumped out of a plane for charity today)

      

The first two pictures (where you can actually see me) are from my Deputy Managers leaving meal (She's the one in the blue and white playsuit). I must say, I am absolutely gutted that she has left because we got on so well, and we were so alike! Theres no doubt she will be missed by everyone! 

I literally spent a whole day painting different nail designs too this week. Once I get started, I can't seem to stop myself. At least one fun thing came out of being ill, i guess!

     

 I spent two nights up in Chester, seeing some of my uni friends and celebrating a mates birthday (the guy in the picture). It was so much fun and I was so happy to finally catch up with everyone again, since i've not seen many people since I left in July! I find that whenever I get a smidge of alcohol in my system, I can never pull a normal face. I am also aware that my face looks pale, whilst my arms look orange. That wasn't the case, it's just the lighting.

     

Again with the awful face. I tried applying my fake eyelashes again on the night, and they actually went on on the first try! Though they did fall off after a few hours. I've realised that whenever I wear them, I insist on opening my eyes ridiculously wide. I guess I feel like my eyes look droopy otherwise, since they become really heavy.

And lastly.. my little puddy tat. I can't resist taking photos with her, and as you can tell, she is quick enough to jump in front of the camera too. She most definitely knows she is one pretty cat!

Outfit Of The Evening

So I thought I would try something different and post an OOTE, instead of the after pictures from the night. I absolutely love this new dogtooth print that is coming back into fashion, and the day this outfit came into stock at work was the day I purchased this baby. The only fault I have is that they both only come in two sizes- S/M or M/L. Very American. This suited me fine, as I was able to buy the S/M for both, but the M/L didn't look much bigger at all. 

The top was £12.99, and the skirt was £9.99. Luckily for me, I work for New Look, so got them both half price. So as you can imagine, this just made me even happier with my purchase! I'm always after new outfits that are able to show off my figure properly, as (since I have much bigger boobs than most) I can't wear many types of dresses/two pieces, as they make me look big and frumpy. I also forgot to mention that I am extremely pale, and have not yet fake tanned.

The necklace was an added extra at the till, since I love big statement jewellery pieces at the moment. I'm slowly starting to gain a collection of them all, which i'm not complaining at! I think the necklace was around £12.99, which again was half price for me (YAY!)

I've saved my purchase of the day until last, as I absolutely love them, and still can't get over the price. If you have ever worked in a clothes shop, you will have realised just how many odd pairs of shoes that are left over, when people don't bother to look at the shoe sizes before buying/selling them. At New Look, we decided to sell the odd shoes, to get rid of them whilst still making a profit. You can't tell when they are on, but these are actually one size 5 and one size 6. They have stretched really well, so fit me just like any other shoes do.. and now for the best bit... They were only £3! I know, i couldn't get over that either!! 

If you can live with knowing one shoe may be bigger/smaller than the other, than it is really worth asking clothes shops if they do have any odd shoe sales. A lot will not put them out on the shop floor, as most customers are too ignorant to understand that this is how they are being sold. But it's a cute little saver if, like me, you don't mind! 

What is your opinion on the dogtooth pattern coming back in to fashion? And would you ever buy odd shoes for this price?

100 Bloglovin' Followers!

This was my face when I recieved the email telling me i now have 100 followers on bloglovin'

I never in a million years thought i would get 10 people that actually want to read my blog, let alone 100 of you lovely people! 

I know for most of you out there, you have probably already passed this, and many more milestones in blogging. You may not think it is a big achievement compared to your own, but I can't tell you how shocked I am, considering I have been blogging properly for only three months now.

I am so negative about everything, that I finally do feel like I can try to be more positive about my blog posts, now I know that people actually want to read what i have to say. So for that, I say thank you!

I guess I should get my act together and start buying a few more products to review for you all!

Liebster Award Tag

Now i'll be honest, i have never heard of this tag before, and don't even know what Liebster means... I just googled it.. It means 'Sweetest/kindest/welcome' so that's cute.

So the rules of this Award are:

• Write 11 facts about yourself.
• Answer the 11 questions given by the person who nominated you. 
• Create 11 new questions
• Nominate 11 bloggers and tag them in your post 

11 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:

1. I have never fake tanned
2. My favourite animal is a panda
3. I hate wearing lipstick or anything else on my lips
4. I have green eyes
5. I prefer hot to cold
6. I used to be a netball player
7. I am a part time Youtuber
8. I am doing a Zoo Management Degree
9. I have never been abroad
10. I can solve a rubiks cube
11. I have three tattoos 

My 11 questions to answer:

1. What's your favourite music genre? pop/rock if that is even a genre?
2. If you had to pick ONE item if you were on a desert island, what would it be? My kobo- That's really sad isn't it?
3. Most worn makeup product? Rimmel Scandaleyes khol eyeliner pencil
4. Favourite M.A.C. product? I don't own/have never tried M.A.C :(
5. Dog or a cat person? Cats all the way!
6. Who is your celebrity crush? Umm.. Gary Barlow!
7. What camera do you use for your Blog? Panasonic V110 camcorder
8. Do you have a YouTube channel? LETS FOLLOW EACH OTHER! Yes! Robyn6464. How original ehh?
9. Favourite TV show? Pretty Little Liars. Though it's not shown in the UK anymore. Two and a half men for us British folk.
10. Can you drive? Of course, you know my driving is amazing!
11. Your favourite clothing item in your wardrobe? Blue plaid top- the best purchase i've made in ages!

MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO ANSWER:

1. What number one eye product would you love to try?
2. Straight hair or curly hair?
3. What blogs do you check daily?
4. What is your favourite perfume?
5. In your opinion, what is your best blog post so far? Give us the link
6. Gold or silver jewellery?
7. Favourite make-up brand?
8. Who is your style icon?
9. Make-up or hair products?
10. If you could be best friends with one celebrity, who would it be?
11. What is the last beauty product you purchased?

BLOGGERS I PICK:

Paige

CristyNottingham.blogspot.co.uk

JustJess642.blogspot.co.uk

FashionAndAllThingsBeautiful.blogspot.co.uk

MissAbbyKababy.blogspot.co.uk

SophieJessie08.blogspot.co.uk

Pingle91.blogspot.ie

Shopping for Summer | Contest Give Away

I hope i'm not the only one already shopping for summertime outfits. Summer is definitely the best time of year for me, since i am always cold as it. And theres nothing better than wearing cute outfits and being able to go out in them, rather than covering it all up with a massive coat! You may hopefully have noticed by now that i work for New Look, so everything i buy/want to buy will be from there. I absolutely love the stock we get in throughout the summer, and i always spend way too much money on new things. I also spend endless hours on their website, putting together cute little outfits that i always end up buying. So today i thought i would share one of them with you. 

I know it's still not quite warm enough to wear it just yet, but i will still be buying it in preparation for the summer. I really love the festival look of these clothes, and it's what i had in mind when picking them out. I've never been to a music festival, but i would like to think that when i do go, i would wear something like this. I love the fact with these picks too, they can be reused in other ways. You can never have enough jewellery or shoes either! 

1. Denim Gilet- £14.99 

2. Aztec earrings- £2.99

3. Strapless playsuit- £12.99 

4. Gold plated sandals- £24.99 

5. Aztec cuff bangle- £5.99 

6. Dented gold necklace- £7.99

Voucher Give Away

I want to do a small give away for three lucky people. I have been given three 25% off vouchers to give away to my fellow bloggers, which i thought was nice of New Look. All you have to do is use the widget below and you can be entered up to 5 times!

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get To Know Me | 35 Facts About Me

I noticed i haven't really introduced myself that much to my followers, so today i thought i would do something different and tell you a few facts about myself. Nothing to personal or deep however, and i'm sure these facts will also be completely useless to you too. But on with the show!

1. I dislike all fizzy drinks except for sprite/7up.

2. Anything sold in New Look will instantly find it's way into my wardrobe. 

3. I laugh at my own jokes for hours after i've said them. 

4. I am absolutely obsessed with Harry Potter and Pitch Perfect. I watch at least one of them every single day!

5. I am a wiz at Rubiks Cubes, and can do them within minutes. (This is a big achievement for me!)

6. Although i blog about beauty and fashion, i would love to work with animals one day. 

7. I can't play any instruments at all, and probably never will be able to. 

8. I have extreme mood swings where i can be happy one minute, and fuming the next. 

9. My cat is so spoilt because i love her so much. In fact, i just love cats in general. 

10. I really dislike dogs. 

11. I am so bad at cooking, it's unreal. I can just about microwave things. 

12. When i was younger, i used to write teen stories, but get a few chapters in and get bored, so start another. 

13. My current phone case is Batman.. Get it?

14. I used to post a lot of youtube videos with my friends, which were quite successful. But now i'm way too scared to start them on my own. 

15. I prefer online shopping. I really hate the thought of spending hours walking round shops, trying to find something. 

16. I get really mardy when i have to get up early, or if i get woken up on my rare days off work. 

17. I have three tattoos: Left foot saying "You light the skies up above me", left wrist saying "Dad", and right rip saying "Illigitimi non carborundrum".

18. I use a Fujifilm Finepix T camera, which is apparently one of the worst cameras for vlogging. Whoops. 

19. I absolutely love Graze boxes, and have one every week. For anybody who doesn't know what these are, you're really missing out! Google it!

20. I often go shopping in my onesie. (Yes, i'm one of those people!)

21. I recently brought a 42" flat tv, even though i only watch three tv programmes. (Pretty Little Liars, Two and a Half Men and Nothing to Declare). 

22. I currently have 7 different lip balms in my bag (i just counted them all), and i'm sure i have at least one in all of my coat pockets. 

23. I love singing, and if you've been around me, you'll have heard me. But i assure you, i'm not very good at it. 

24. My eyes are green, so i love wearing purple eyeshadow to make them stand out more. 

25. I get bored of reading fashion and celebrity magazines, yet never miss a Take a Break mag. (Don't judge) 

26. Gary Barlow is in love with me. Unfortunately he doesn't quite know this yet, but he will understand eventually. 

27. I still live with my dad. 

28. I am a twitterholic. 

29. I hate going out without wearing eyeliner or mascara. 

30. I can't handle romance. Not at all. Nope.

31. I have a body shape most girls would love (big boobs, small waist), yet i absolutely hate it.

32. I absolutely hate when people post attention-seeking statuses on facebook. I immediately block their posts or delete them off it. 

33. Snapchat is my best friend.

34. As well as beauty, i'm also a girl gamer. Yep!

35. My female crush is, and always has been Rihanna. Who wouldn't?

I'd love to get to know my followers better, so feel free to answer below and link me to your blog. Use this as a big of a tag too if you're stuck for blog posts! I hope to hear from you all soon! :)