Wish List #1

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Now is it just me, but when asked by family if there’s anything you would like for Christmas, my mind goes blank yet every other time of the year there are tons of things you wish you could afford to buy yourself. Although I was treated to lots of little gifts at Christmas, these are a few things that have caught my eye over the past few weeks.

1. I bought this box set for my best friend for Christmas as we’re both massive fans of New Girl and I knew she’d love it. I managed to get it at a brilliant price and it hasn’t dropped to the same price since, I knew I should have got it for myself as well! I can’t wait for the next season to start, trying to avoid spoilers when they’re all over Tumblr is a nightmare!

2. I discovered the Fujifilm Instax Mini cameras on Tumblr a couple of weeks into January and having a massive love of Photography and wanting a polaroid camera for ages, it immediately went in my Amazon wish list. I don’t think the camera itself is a bad price at around £55 however the film would become costly to keep replenishing but it may have to be kept for special photos. I’m hoping to get it before the summer so I can take it with me to Barcelona, it would create some really beautiful shots.

3. I noticed this Topshop necklace in the Meadowhall store about 2 weeks ago and just loved the simplicity of it. At £12.50 it would make such a lovely gift and can be bought in gold or silver. I already have far too many necklaces but this is one I’d love to add to my collection.

4. I have wanted to try Bioderma for a good couple of years but never managed to get my hands on it and never really made the effort to order a bottle from Ebay however last week I discovered a dupe. I heard about the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water on Youtube and Beauty blogs and so far have only heard positive stuff, hopefully will give this product a whirl at some stage.

5.  I personally think this bag looks a lot nicer in person than online but I’ve always loved the classic Chanel quilted style handbag. This River Island version looks like such a useful size and could be more versatile than many smaller ones I’ve seen that would just be used for nights out and evening wear. At £28 I think it’s quite a good price too.

6. Finally, a slightly random thing to include on a wish list but this sounds awesome! Individual bags of strawberry and white chocolate flavoured popcorn from M&S, that is one of my all time favourite flavour combinations. I should have just bought it when I saw it in the shop because it was also discounted, I really hope they still have it next time I go in!

Being a student, it’s unlikely I’ll actually get to buy many of these but a girl can dream, that’s the point of a wish list anyway right?!

Have you got any of these products? If so, what do you think of them? Let me know any things you’re currently lusting over.

I hope you enjoyed this post!

My January Favourites

After receiving lots of small gifts for Christmas, a few of these became immediate favourites for  January, making the miserably wet and cold month slightly more cheery. Lets face it, unless you’re lucky enough to jet off abroad and miss out the British January altogether, its never the amazing start to the new year we all hope for. Now into February, I’m finally getting back into the swing of Uni and looking forward to what’s in store this semester (I can’t believe I’m half way through my first year!) Anyway, lets get into the favourites…

Boohoo Kim Oversized Baseball T-shirt ~ During mid January, I ordered a couple of tops from Boohoo which arrived during my first week back at Uni, a very welcome delivery! Although the other top was a disaster, I am so pleased with this one. I had been on the hunt for a baseball tee for about a month and was considering one from Topman but at just £8, I couldn’t resist. The black and white was exactly the combination I had been looking for and the loose, slightly oversized fit is really flattering in my opinion. Although the material doesn’t feel amazing quality, this wasn’t a surprise considering the price. I love pairing this with skinny jeans, converse, a leather jacket and a silver chain (also a favourite).

Accessorize Silver Chain ~ I received this necklace as part of a Christmas present from my best friend and have found I’ve been wearing it almost everyday. It’s such a versatile accessory, I’ve worn it on so many different occasions; over plain tees, button up blouses and jumpers. I wear mostly silver jewellery so it goes well with my rings and bracelets. Personally I think it adds a cool, rocky edge to pretty much any outfit.

Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Body Buttercream ~ This body cream had been on my birthday/Christmas wish list for over a year but apparently when my mum went to pick it up for me she smelt it and assumed I had written down the wrong one as she wasn’t keen on the scent, so from that its obviously not to everyone's taste, but I LOVE it! I really like using bodybutters during the winter as I have dry skin anyway, so the rick consistency of Body Shop’s bodybutters for example are brilliant however they just take so long to soak into the skin and dry, which is one of the reasons I wanted to try this. Being described as a ‘buttercream’ I would say its in between the thickness of a body lotion and bodybutter so perfect for people who aren’t keen of having to wait ages to get dressed after application. Most of all though it was the smell that hooked me. Described as having a “Pistachio, almond and sweet vanilla fragrance” along with coconut, I knew it was just made for me! It is an extremely sweet scent (which I am personally a fan of) and feels super indulgent after a relaxing bubble bath.

Benefit ‘So hooked on Carmella’ ~ Having first picked this up in Sephora in Florida around 2 1/2 years ago, I knew it would be a purchase I would repeat. For me, the scent reminds me of that holiday and therefore makes me think of it as a summer perfume, however after receiving it for Christmas I’ve already started using it. As it is an eau de toilette I personally don’t think it lingers on the skin for a very long time however people do comment on it so it may just be that I get used to the smell. I’ve heard lots of people describe it as smelling like Malibu and while I do get the strong hint of coconuts I personally don’t think it smells of alcohol, that wouldn’t be attractive! Its been one of my top 3 favourite perfumes for ages now and am very happy to have a new bottle in my collection.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish ~ This really doesn’t need much of an explanation does it?! I’m pretty sure 90% of the population have tried this (ok, slight exaggeration but you get my drift!) with a ridiculous number of blog posts dedicated to reviewing it. I have received this from my grandparents as my Christmas present for around 3 years now and 1 bottle lasts me almost the entire year. I would recommend picking it up around Christmas time though as they usually do a larger bottle at a discounted price. Basically, it’s amazing, I love it and can’t see it being replaced by a different product in my skincare regime any time soon.

Film: That Awkward Moment ~ A pretty late addition to the January favourites seeing as though it was only released on 29th January but I went on opening night and had already arranged my second viewing before seeing it the first time. Based purely on it staring Zac Efron and it looking quite funny, my female flatmates and I headed out for a girly cinema trip. It’s a movie I found entertaining from start to finish with laughter the whole way through. No its not ground-breaking but its a light-hearted chick flick and I don’t see how any female could say no to Zac Efron on the big screen  

Book: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green ~ Again, this was another stocking filler and I had been looking forward to reading it for a while. I’m not sure whether it’s just been hyped up so much but whilst I was reading it I was expecting something more yet at the same time was completely engrossed. Once I had finished it I think I understood the hype more, it turned out to be such a good read and I realised I hadn’t got that much into the story of a book for a long time. I am definitely going to check out more of John Green’s work, next on my list is Looking for Alaska.

TV: Take Me Out ~ I’m not going to deny it, I love Take Me Out. It’s my guilty pleasure. I know its ridiculously cringey and cheesy but I think its brilliant. My mum regularly has to tell me not to end up on it (which I find slightly insulting) but love watching it in bed on a Sunday with a cuppa.

Music: Night Visions – Imagine Dragons ~ I first heard of Imagine Dragons back in maybe April/May last year when they were just starting to be played on Radio 1 and only remember this because they had just been announced as part of the line-up at T in the Park which I had tickets for. They were the first band I saw at T and were such an incredible start to one of the best weekends ever. I didn’t actually get round to buying their album until the January sales but for 3 solid weeks I had the CD playing in my car wherever I went. Without a doubt one of the best albums released in 2013.

Well there we have it; my first ever favourites post. I really enjoyed compiling this little list of things I’ve been loving, what were your favourite things in January?

Thanks for reading!

My Festival Experiences - Part 1

 As the cold, rainy days continue, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one daydreaming of the oh-so-distant summer ahead. Looking at holidays abroad and being tempted by the spring, pastel shades on the high-street is only making this wait more excruciating. One of the first things that comes to mind when I hear the word 'summer' is festivals. For me, they just embody everything about British summers; the combination of denim shorts and wellies = our never ending hope for sun paired with our unwanted practicality knowing deep there's a 95% chance we're going to be joined by rain and mud all weekend.

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I love festivals. The range of different music, the relaxed atmosphere and the memories created make them incredibly appealing to me. Which is kind of lucky seeing as though I'm studying for an events managements degree and want to go into the festival industry. I love learning about all things festival-related and could talk about them all day but I'm just going to get into it.

With the line-ups slowly being announced for this year and having been to 3 very different types of festivals myself, I thought I'd share with you my experiences (the good, bad and just down right disgusting!) 

1. The first 'festival' I ever went to was Hard Rock Calling on Saturday 27th June 2009 in Hyde Park, London. Although it is a festival, its not what most people would consider a 'proper' festival, it extends over a full weekend but there's no camping involved so you don't get the true festival experience. I went to this because my mum bought my dad 2 tickets for their anniversary present as the headliner was Neil Young, one of my dad's all time favourite artists. However, old rock not being my mum's cup of tea (and one of the acts being the Fleet Foxes) I offered to take her ticket, it's a tough life, I know. Yes, I know what you must be thinking, "you went to a festival with your Dad?!" But for a 14 year old who was dying to experience any type of festival, I didn't care. That's something I love about festivals, there are so many different acts they can appeal to such a wide age range. I think there's actually something quite cool about teenagers and middle aged people jumping up and down in a field, singing along to the same music. 

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After a sunny, June morning on Oxford Street, we made our way to Hyde Park. I vaguely remember first walking into the festival site through the queuing lanes. That massive stage in the middle, the vast area of clear grass (a slightly different image to 11pm that night trying to leave through a swarm of plastic beer bottles) and tents lining the outside. Having picked our spot just off centre about 1/3 of the way back, we settled down on the grass for the long awaited start. That wait was painful, not due to the anticipation but the weather, it was a heat wave that day and being fair skinned, I was craving some shade. However, once the music started, and thanks to countless ice cold Red Bulls, the excitement soon kicked in. We saw The Original Sinners, Rudy Vaughn, The Pretenders, Seasick Steve, Ben Harper, Fleet Foxes and Neil Young. I had never heard of Rudy Vaughn but I distinctly remember his performance because he did an incredible cover of Michael Jackson’s Beat It as it was just 2 days after his death. Seasick Steve was also new to me but he was so cool. He’s such a chilled yet enthusiastic musician and clearly loved performing. I remember his weird, personalised guitars and just think its pretty inspiring for someone to be touring the world in his 70’s. Considering I was most looking forward to seeing Fleet Foxes, they were totally overshadowed by the oldies in my opinion. Researching the line-up again now, I’ve just found out Mumford and Sons performed on the smaller stage that day. Having seen them live since, I bet it would have been so good to see them before they became so huge. That’s another thing I love about festivals, the majority of the unknown acts become famous in the future and there is just something about seeing these acts before other people hear about them, when you’re part of this small fan-base watching their popularity grow.

I’m going to be honest, before going I didn’t really have a clue who Neil Young was. Most teenagers don’t. When he came on stage, I hadn’t a clue what to expect. Granted, he’s not everyone’s cup of tea and I understand why my Mum didn’t go but he was brilliant! The weather had completely changed during the day and while the stage was being set up, everyone was wearing their waterproof ponchos and huddled under umbrellas but when he came on stage, the crowd just kind of woke up! I only recognised a few songs from listening to my dad’s albums in his car but I really enjoyed it. He was so energetic and has an awesome voice, a true rocker. Seeing my dad get so into the music was hilarious, I can vouch that dad festival dancing is just as bad as dad wedding dancing *cringe*.

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When Paul McCartney came out to join him at the end, everyone was just in a state of shock, they just jammed for ages and was so cool to watch. His set overran by a good half hour but nobody left early. I've been to see Neil Young on tour with my Dad since but it was a let down compared to Hard Rock Calling, it really was a great day.

I learnt some valuable lessons regarding festivals at Hard Rock including:

• Massive handbags are the WORST idea at festivals.
• Those portaloos were delightful compared to the ones you’d experience in the future, seriously running water and flushing…luxury!
• Wearing jeans on what turned out to be a scorcher of an afternoon was such a bad idea, feeling like you're about to pass out from the heat is not a good look, ever.
• Not knowing some of the artists isn’t necessarily a bad thing, you may come away surprised at how much you enjoyed it and become a fan of some artists you’d never heard of before.
• Being in a crowd with your dad and drunk men throwing plastic beer bottles is not dangerous or shocking, just wait!

Looking back on the day now, it was so tame, but for a young girl from a tiny countryside village, it was like nothing I had ever seen or experienced before. The surprise performance from Sir Paul McCartney was awesome, to  be able to say I’ve seen a Beatle live is pretty cool. Overall, it was the perfect introduction to festivals and definitely where my love began and just one of my favourite memories with my Dad.

Have you been to any festivals? What was the first festival you ever went to? Do you have any recommendations of which festivals to go to? Let me know in the comments below!

I hope you enjoyed part one of this mini blog series, next week will be my experience of Wireless Festival.