Wednesday 25 June 2014

#BeautyDaysOfSummer / Summer Tanning



It's week 2 of the challenge, and this post's focus is on tanning. I am a naturally tanned person (I wear NC20) and have always been the most tanned one out of my group of friends; because of this, I've never felt the need to fake tan. I know that recently fake tanning has become really popular and most girls now fake tan regularly, but I continue to think that it does look fake and isn't flattering. 

I was struggling to think of ideas for this post until the other day when I watched a YouTube video by Gaby aka velvetgh0st called 'My Beach Bag Essentials'. Towards the end of the video she discussed tanning and advised girls to fake tan rather than get a natural tan and risk skin damage. I personally think that this is the wrong message to give to teenage girls. People always seem to be complaining that girls are becoming fake so why would you encourage it? I'm not sure if I'm the only one who feels like this, I'd really like to know your opinion on the topic but I think fake tan should always be a last resort and should never be favoured over a natural suntan. 

I'm sorry for the short post, but I'm not sure any of you would have continued to read it if my ranting was any longer. Please watch Gaby's video and see if you think she is giving her viewers the right message. 



Wednesday 18 June 2014

Primark Haul / April 2014

Over the Easter holidays I decided that it was time to start buying summer clothes for my holiday in August. This year I'm going to Phoenix, Arizona which is going to be boiling hot, so I've tried to buy lightweight clothes that won't add to the heat. Please note that even though it might seem like I've bought too much, I've gone down two sizes in the past year so most of my old summer clothes don't fit me.

Bikini set - £6
Bikini top - £6 / Bikini bottoms - £4

Bikini's are obviously an essential for a summer holiday and for me it's important to have at least two, preferably different styles, to try and eliminate some tan lines. The first one is definitely my signature bikini style as its the type I've worn for the past few years, the top is a twisted bandeau with removable straps and normal bottoms. Although I don't think strapless bikinis are as flattering, they're a must for tanning at the pool or beach. I also bought a normal bikini (picture 2) which is more of a traditional bikini. On the hanger it said that the top was push-up, but to me it just seems well padded and doesn't make your boobs look like they're popping out.

Jade Shorts - £3
White Shorts - £3
Grey Shorts - £5

I also picked up 3 pairs of shorts in colours that will hopefully go well with my bikinis and vest tops. During the day on holiday I prefer to wear shorts while walking around because the heat plus my thighs can make them quite sore, which I really don't want. 

Beach Dresses - £5 each

My sister pointed these out to me and I fell in love! They had quite a few colours and styles to choose from so it was difficult to limit myself to only two, but I'm pleased with the two I picked. These will be perfect for when we go out for a casual meal, like to a diner, so it's more dressed up than shorts but isn't a full on dress which will make me overheat. The only negative I can find about these dresses is that the top half of the first dress has got gaps in so you can see your bra through it, but one of my bikinis is a similar colour to the dress so I'm hoping that will eliminate the problem. 

Sandals - £6

I was in need of some flat shoes to wear for walking around in America, I've got some slip-on sandals for walking by the pool so I decided that I needed a different pair for meals ect. I've seen so many shoes with the strap around the ankle and I've finally caved in and bought some, but I think the strap looks quite stylish on these when it can sometimes not really match the shoe. I have tiny size three feet so I was really happy when I saw that primark actually did my size.

Bra and Underwear Set - £3
Bra with removable straps - £4

I know that for some reason people don't like seeing underwear on blogs or in YouTube videos, but I find it really interesting to see the styles of bras people wear, and if that makes me weird then so be it. The top set does come with matching knickers but they were in the wash when I took these pictures. This is the first 'pretty' bra I own, all of my others are just plain black or white so purchasing this set was quite a big milestone for me. The only downside I can find isn't going to be a problem for most other girls, it's just that even though the straps are adjustable, they don't go tight enough to fit properly on my tiny shoulders; I'll still wear it, I'll just have to be careful that nothing slips out. 
However, I don't have this problem with the second bra as the straps easily tighten enough to fit my shoulders and even smaller. I'm really impressed with this bra as its got three rows of three clasps on the back so it fits its purpose and is secure enough to wear without the straps.

Necklace - £3 Rings - £2.50

I've bought my first ever primark jewellery! My sister has a necklace similar to this one that I keep borrowing so I decided to buy myself one. I haven't worn it yet but it seems like it will be easy to style. I also bought a pack of rings which contains 12 different styles. I chose to get mine in a medium, which fit fine but are too big to be worn as midi-rings

Aztec skirt - £6

I couldn't resist buying this skirt, it's so perfect for summer holidays or even warm weather in England. It comes with a thin belt and has buttons down the middle. I love the colours and the pattern, I think it will look quite good with my dark hair so maybe I'll do a blog post on how I style it.

I also bought two tank tops from primark, one in a medium pink called lipstick and one in black. They cost £2.50 each and like the vest tops I've bought previously they are quite long.

Boob tube - £4

I purchased this top from Matalan and I think the pattern is amazing. Even though it is a bit dark, the colour on it matched with some lighter shorts will look really cool. I bought tops similar to this one from Matalan before and I really like the fit.

Kaftan - £12

Finally I went to Select and bought this Aztec fringed lace kaftan to wear over my bikini. My dad initially showed me it in a bright orange/pink but I thought that would clash with my bikinis so opted for the safer white version. The cutout detailing and the fringing makes the shapeless dress look more flattering and I love the way it looks with a bikini underneath. 

That is it for my haul. This will probably be my last blog post for a few months as my exams are only three or so weeks away and they're my priority.
Please let me know if you would be interested to see how I style any of these items, or even give me some suggestions. 




Monday 16 June 2014

#BeautyDaysOfSummer / Summer Skincare



During the summer I try not to use products that feel too heavy on my skin, like moisturisers that feel really wet or a mask that will dry out my skin, of course there will be the occasional day when I will need the extra moisture but I try to avoid adding too many products to my skin.
Here are the four basic products that I use throughout the warmer months, however what I use isn't set in stone as on some days my skin will need more or less attention.


This is my Skincare as if I was wearing makeup throughout the day, as I use significantly less products when I'm not wearing makeup.

To start with I dot some of the Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser all over my face and rub it in using an oval cotton pad in circular motions. I have oily skin but I find that this hydrates my skin without adding any extra oil or stickiness to my face which is a huge plus for me. However if you have dry skin this might not work as well for you so you might want to try a more heavy duty moisturiser. 

I take off my makeup on a night with either a face wipe or an in shower cleanser, these are bought and used out of convenience rather than for quality.

I then remove any makeup left on my face with the Simple Kind To Skin Purifying Cleansing Lotion using the same method as I did with the moisturiser. The consistency of the cleanser is thicker than most others which I why I like it so much, it feels like it's being worked into my skin rather than just sitting on top of it. 

To get rid of any excess product on my face I use the Simple Kind To Skin Soothing Facial Toner, I really like this product but a toner is a toner so it's nothing special.

Once a week I use The Bodyshop Shea Butter or a similar face mask to give my face a deep clean. I prefer exfoliating masks as I feel like they're doing more, but again I only like them because my skin is oily. I do feel like the Shea butter adds a lot of oil to my face which is why I don't use it everyday.


I hope it has been useful for you to see which Skincare products I use throughout summer, this post is part of an ongoing series with other beauty bloggers called #BeautyDaysOfSummer so make sure you search the hashtag on twitter to get involved and read the other posts which will be posted every Wednesday at 6pm.