Lifestyle | My first smear test, told by a hypochondriac.

A cervical screening, more commonly known as a smear test, checks the health of your cervix. It's not actually a test for cancer, it's a test to prevent cancer. A swab of cells is taken and then tested for changes to cells in your cervix. All females aged 25 - 64 are invited to have a smear test. Up until 50 it's every 3 years and then it changes to every 5. Please check out the NHS site for more information HERE.

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Day I received my smear letter | 15.12.19

I got my letter today that it was time to book my first smear test. I knew this letter was on its way as I shall be turning 25 this year so I wasn't surprised to have received it. Over the past 6 months I've been googling smear tests and watched many informative videos about the process, whilst also accidentally stumbling across a few horror stories here and there. I've asked friends, my mum and any female that will stop long enough if it hurts and I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't hurt, it just feels strange. So with all of my research keeping me sane, I straight away booked my appointment. Well my mum did, cause I may be a grown up who's moved out of my family home but my mum definitely still books all of my doctor appointments. The thing I'd say is don't sit on your letter. Just book it and book the first appointment you can get so you don't overthink it and also check when you're due on so you don't book when you are!

Day before the smear test |  29.12.19

It’s the day before the smear test. I spent the majority of the day in front of the TV with my legs in a diamond shape. This is the shape that everyone tells you you’ll be in for the test. To create the shape bend your knees and place them together and then flop your legs to each side. In the evening I’ve decided to have a pamper. Partially for me to relax and partially for the nurse so I don’t smell! I basically feel like I’m going swimming tomorrow so have to be a lady and make myself presentable down there, if you know what I mean. I’ve also taken note on my phone the date of my last period as this is something the nurse will ask. I am surprisingly not nervous, not sure if this is a good or bad thing!

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Day of the smear test | 30.12.19

It’s the day of my smear test and I had to wake up at 7am to get to my Doctors on time. Have to say maybe don’t sit in the diamond shape for the day before as my goodness do my legs ache, feel like I’ve just done leg day in the gym. I didn’t feel too nervous until I got there and literally had to run to the toilet for a serious case of IBS.... I then got so worried I’d now smell so I did my nurse the cutesy of quickly wiping the area with a wet tissue too... TMI I'm sure. I waited in the waiting room with my mum (moral support is always nice) and then went in to see the nurse. I have to say probably the one time I’ve been called in on time and not been made to wait ages.

The nurse was really lovely and asked me when my last period was and explained what the smear test was. Then before I could hyperventilate she said pop on the bed. I wore a dress - highly recommend - it makes the process quicker and also means you have a bit more dignity. I took my tights off got on the bed and then realised I hadn’t taken my underwear off! Tip. Take your underwear off!!! So once I had done that and got back on the bed she asked me to pop my knees up and open my legs into the diamond, which after doing all day yesterday I was very prepared for and a master in, if I say so myself. The nurse had two sizes speculums and you’re able to ask for a smaller size if it’s more comfortable for you. Then she has a look for your cervix which took her a bit of time to find, to which I exclaimed ‘do I not have one?’. I am pleased to say I do have one but it’s hidden, which is not uncommon. This did mean this step took a little bit longer as she had to wiggle the speculum around and it felt peculiar. Next she put a long thin swab in to collect cells. I couldn’t even feel that!

I popped up and put my tights etc back on and sat back on the chair. The nurse checked my phone number was still correct and let me know I’ll get a text with my results. I’m nervous for my results and really hope they’re negative as although the experience wasn’t unbearable and shockingly painful, like I thought it would be, I wouldn’t say it was fun and something I’d like to do again so soon!

My appointment took about 15mins from saying hi to bye and the smear test part was about 5min long, mainly cause I forgot to take my underwear off and had to get back up and do so! 

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The wait for my smear test results | 06.01.20

Whilst waiting for the results I did begin to imagine all sorts of outcomes and scare myself, so I highly recommend just not doing that. What will be, will be, so there's no point in worrying about it and just try to forget you have results coming. I received my text exactly 1 week after my appointment and was happy to have received a negative result and suggested I take the test next in 3 years, I also received a letter in the post saying the same thing.

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Completion of my first smear test experience

So that's it, after all the worrying it was over. I guess you could say I faced my smear! If I can do it, someone who couldn't say the word 'bra' in public and still runs into the pool in fear of people seeing me in my swimwear, you can too. So what are you waiting for? Go and book your appointment.

Lifestyle | sewing station in a small space

When we moved to our new flat, and first time having an entire place to ourselves, I was so excited to see that we'd even have a spare room. It was decided that we'd have to pop a bed in here but we'd also have so much room for more. My hobby is sewing and crafting which definitely calls for a desk, so this spare room was the dream space for my creation station!

The desk was in my bedroom as a child and had been kept safe in the loft by my Dad! I know IKEA sell very similar designs.

Muji storage for embroidery threads with a sewing Polly Pocket toy for decoration. I had a lovely time organising these into colours! I also have a mug which I've used as a pen pot since I was a child.

Stationery drawer featuring the rug from Aldi

Arts & Craft drawer

Sewing & paint drawer

Underneath I kept some felt and fat quarters in a white straw basket. My sewing machine also lives here alongside wrapping paper and a wooden storage box which holds spare bedding etc for the bed in this room.

The star of the show is definitely my IKEA peg board. This is available in a variety of sizes and then you can pop on whatever you like e.g. pegs, shelves, pots etc.

I absolutely love having this space to be able to craft away! I am the type of person who likes to have my things on view to make it easier whilst working on a project, so the IKEA peg board was the perfect addition for me. It also adds a lot of colour and personality to the room, along with the acrylic Muji storage.

I hope this has shown you creative ways to store your art bits and bobs in a small space.

FASHION | 4 ways to take your Summer dress to Winter

The sun may have gone into hibernation but that doesn't mean your Summer dresses have to! Here's how to make your Summer dresses work year-round...

Knitted Cable Crop Jumper |  4-Pack Wool-Blend Socks

Layer up a pretty Summer dress with a neutral knit, complement your printed dress with a textured jumper. A cropped design will emphasise your waist and stop the outfit from looking frumpy. Wear a pair of thicker boot socks and leave them poking out of your converse to keep you warm, whilst matching the outfit and creating a cosy look.

Faux Leather Jacket | Chelsea Boots | Tights

Toughen up a pretty Summer dress with an edgy leather jacket, pop on a pair of thick tights and simple chelsea boots for an effortless look.

Teddy Bear Jacket | HeatTech Leggings | Dr Martens

When it gets to shivering temperatures layer up with UniQlo HeatTech leggings, puddle jumping approved Dr Martens and a cuddly teddy bear coat.

Turtle Neck

Layer your Summer dresses with a fitted turtle neck underneath, the best way to make your dress look its best and keep warm! If it's a more delicate dress pop a sheer blouse or pretty frilly t-shirt under.

What's your favourite way to make your Summer dresses appropriate?

LIFESTYLE | How To Make A Beautiful Table Setting At Home

On Sunday I hosted Afternoon Tea for my family for the first time. Of all honesty I was pretty nervous about the whole thing. Baking and cooking are not my forte but I do love a tad of interior design so focussed my nervous energy into making the table look beautiful and here's how it turned out...

The table cloth is a huge part of the aesthetic and as my dining table is in my lounge I chose something homely and ensured it matched the colour theme and style of the lounge. This particular one is from Zara Home. 

I then thought paper napkins might have made it look less put together and if you're buying them every time you entertain they'd add up, so these linen napkins from Amazon are perfect for the environment, your purse and the look of the setting. After scouring Pinterest for ideas I popped to The Works and bought these shabby chic tiles with letters on and some pipe cleaner inspired by Winter greenery. 

I simply pinched the napkins to a point and then wrapped the letters around with string and poked the pipe cleaner through. Simple, easy and very effective! This would make a perfect way of showing where people are to sit, except if like my guests you double up on people with the same first letter!

Due to this I needed another way of directing people to their seat and I decided on little goody bags, these ones are from HobbyCraft. I filled mine with a mix of sweets and chocolate but for a big occasion you could definitely personalise your gifts per guests.

I used a gold marker to write everyones names on their goody bags and placed it on their plate with their napkin.  I do regret how I wrote the names and in the future I shall do it more delicately by adding a gift tag to the bag and writing on that.

A lovely touch my mum has always done at family meals is to type a menu, it's such a fun addition to the table whilst serving a purpose! You could make these as fancy or plain as you wish, I made mine on PowerPoint and then printed them out in A5. If you're able to print them in card then they'd look great stood up in the middle of the table too.

I hope you like how I decorated the table and it's given you some ideas for when you're next hosting.

LIFESTYLE | AD | Personal Planner

In a digital age where my thumbs spend their day scrolling endlessly there's nothing quite like practising the art of putting pen to paper. Personal Planner have made my dream diary a reality...

A5 Personal Planner

Personal Planner is the brain child of Paula and Anders, who like me struggled to find the perfect diary in the shops. Whenever I found a planner that had a cute cover the pages wouldn't be quite right and vice versa making the entire process frustrating, so they came up with the most brilliant solution - Personal Planner allows you to design your planner from scratch in a few minutes! There are plenty of great designs to choose from or you could upload your own photographs. You start the process by designing your front and back cover then it's onto the inside - because that's what really counts, right?!

My favourite part of designing the planner is working out how I like the pages to be. I'm very fussy with journals and how the pages are laid out, I love to be able to see a week view at once so I can work out my work and social life at a glance. 

You can also even choose the elastic closure and ruler bookmark, I went for a bright green to match my cover design. If you create an account at this point you'll be able to add in personal dates too which means you shan't forget any birthdays coming up!

I love that you can also customise the bottom section of the planner by choosing quotes, lists, menu plan, workout plan, idea of the week, graphs, tests this work, tune of the week, colour-in and many more... making the entire diary versatile to fit everyones lifestyle. I've had this diary 3 times now and I'm really impressed how they've updated the choices each time! Looking forward to next year already!

At the back of your diary you can add more pages, such as an overview of the year ahead, note paper and address book. In addition to a plastic wallet - which makes the perfect storage place for tickets for the year ahead.

A lovely touch to buying your planner is the addition of buying stationery to go with it - I've always been a sucker for stickers and the first thing I did when the planner arrived was decorate all my important dates and add even more personality to my Personal Planner. These mini pens also make colour coordinating each week a possibility and I'm totally okay with that!

Head on over to Personal Planner now and share your design with me on Instagram! I've also now announced the winner of my competition, in collaboration with Personal Planner, so make sure to check if your luck is in... fingers crossed :) 

Lifestyle | The Art of Letting go ~ Toxic Friendships

Any type of change can be difficult to cope with and letting go of things or people is a change which I find the hardest of all especially when it's cutting off a person you have so many memories with.

Toxic Friends

As I've said multiple times on this blog,  I believe that friendship is one of the most important contracts you'll ever commit to in your life. The fact that you've decided to give your ear, shoulder and time to another person is a huge decision and whether it's a friendship or a relationship it shouldn't be made half-heartedly. Although, with this said, I think it's also important to know when you're being taken advantage of, when someone has simply changed and when your bond has loosened causing you to drift apart over time. It's easier said than done... how do you get over a toxic friendship and let burnt out relationships go?

I had the most fantastic friend when I was at university, she got me through first year by ensuring I was okay, making sure I joined in sociably and even contacting my mum when she thought I was isolating myself. Neither of us were overly popular and we were quite content with each others company, with the odd addition of another every now and then. We lived together and were on the same course so we really did live in each others pockets for the majority of the year. 

Fast forward to year two of uni and I began to become my own person a bit more and I knew what I did and didn't like to do e.g. no to big nights out, yes to movie nights in.. that kind of thing. That's also the time where I met my boyfriend. My time was now not all hers and I could feel a snag in our friendship instantaneously. She wasn't overly keen on my boyfriend and made it apparent and when she got a boyfriend, soon after, I didn't like the stories she'd tell me about how he'd talk about her appearance etc and didn't really have the maturity to know how to go about it. So I decided distancing myself from her would be the best coping mechanism.

We actually lived together for all three years of university and I do believe we both wanted to go back to the way we were in year one but knew we'd never have that kind of friendship again. By the end of year three we had stopped talking to each other altogether, which is actually quite a skill to be honest as we lived together, did the same journey to uni, were sat in the same classroom etc.

It took me about a year after graduating before I properly got over this friendship loss, which I know sounds pretty silly and dramatic but when you take friendship as seriously as I do and really pour all of your self into it it's hard to come to terms with never being able to speak to that person again. I truly believe losing a friend can be just as painful as breaking up with a boyfriend.

I started my first job after uni in a shop in Covent Garden and one day before a shift something just clicked, I needed some sort of closure to the friendship so I could move on. I no longer missed her, I had started to make new friends through work, people a lot more like me with the same interests etc and when I really thought about it I knew in any other settings we'd have a. probably have never met and b. wouldn't have been friends.

I decided to write a letter and send it over Facebook, basically explaining how I felt, letting her know how grateful I was for her at uni and how she really helped me, I let her know that if she did want to talk then I'd still be here to listen but basically left it that we'd parted ways. Writing it was incredibly painful and brought up lots of memories but as soon as I clicked 'send' a huge relief rushed over me. I got rid of the guilt that I hadn't kept my end of the friendship bargain and realised that you're allowed to out grow friendships, you'll also allowed to have less meaningful friendships which suit the time and place you are in your life.

I hope if you're going through something like this that this post helped you know that you're not alone and that sometimes having a clean break from a friendship, rather than just drifting and going quiet can help you move on.

Lifestyle | Things I'm Excited for This Autumn

Autumn is by far one of my most favourite seasons. I can't wait to go on a brisk walk and hear the satisfying crunch as I skip through a thick layer of sunset leaves, layered up in my cosy chunky cardigans, cable knit tights and sheepskin boots, whilst warming my hands against a pumpkin spiced latte! I mean, come on, how can you not love this season?! 

Clothes

A big part of why I love Autumn is the clothes this seasons cold weather allows you to wear! I love to cover up and one of my most favourite ways to do this is by layering thermals, dresses, tights, jumpers and boots. 

Candles

Big statement about to be made..... Autumn has the best offering of candles! Just a quick pop into Home Sense and you'll be in a fluster with the incredible options available to you... what will it be? Pumpkin spice? Toasted marshmallow? Spiced apple? One of each is always the best way to go when faced with this predicament. 

Food / Drink

I'm definitely a foodie throughout the entire year but Autumn is my time to shine! I just seem to want to eat everything - maybe it's my way of staying warm?! I love a big bowl of mac and cheese or soup, such comfort food! I also tend to become a stranger to coffee shops throughout Summer and when Autumn arrives there's no place I'd rather be!

Family

I am a huge family kinda gal and I see and speak to mine tooonnnsssss but there's nothing quite like spending time with your family and friends snuggled in a big fluffy blanket on the couch and relaxing. (Or just talking through all the TV shows your mum wants to watch)

Shopping

I love the shops in Autumn as they're either having last minute sales from Summer or getting decked out and tarted up for Christmas. As someone who loooves Christmas and buying gifts for people I like to start my shopping early and buy gifts slowly and carefully which makes this season a really exciting time for me!

What are you looking forward to this Autumn?

LIFESTYLE | 5 things you'll learn about yourself and other people whilst working in retail

Working in retail is something most people have experienced, or will experience at some point in their career. For some people it's a job of choice and something they wish to progress in, whilst for others it's a job to get them through college or pay the bills as they search for their dream job. Whatever the reason I really do believe it's a job everyone can benefit from having due to the invaluable skills you learn from it. 

I am having my last ever shift today after 2 years of working in retail (+ a Christmas temp in retail and a weekly volunteer retail job when I was at school) and I thought looking at all of the skills I have acquired (and you can too) would be a fitting post for today!

1- Communication  

Retail is the perfect environment to learn this significant transferable skill. When I was a teenager I couldn't even order my own food, let alone chat to a complete stranger about their day! Now I'm confident to talk to people of all different ages and cultures and more importantly I'm happy to approach people and start a conversation. 

2-  Forgive and Forget / Patience 

I'm sure you've had one of those days where you've jumped out of bed, shimmied into your uniform, skipped into work and then a customer comes in and ruins your entire day..... The first few times you'll definitely take any small comment to heart but after awhile you know it's not you. You'll give the most fantastic service with a smile that by the time they've bought every up-sale in the book, they even leave smiling!

3- Initiative

Nobody wants a colleague that stands around waiting to be told every tiny thing especially on a quiet day in a shop. It's important to know a standard list of what you can get on with and just do it! They may not be the most exciting things to do but trust me when I say, they'll make the day go quicker! It's also a great day to suggest ideas to your manager and maybe if you're lucky you'll be allowed to get creative with the visual merchandising and window display for the store!

4- Organisation

Considering the only paperwork I touch is to give a customer an order form to fill in, I didn't think that this would be a skill which I would have enhanced whilst working in retail. However, keeping your social / college / other commitment calendar up to date in advance to be able to give your availability to your boss is a vital skill if you want to ensure you don't double book yourself and mess people about. 

5- Memory

In retail you need to know your products inside out, their codes for ordering them and where they are in the shop. In my current place of employment (dance shop) we get a lot of Dads on business trips come in with an image or code on their phone. I can then grab all their items quickly so they're able to seamlessly make their purchase and go back to work. In addition to knowing about your products to make customers feel special and enhance their shopping experience it's a nice touch to remember their names (if possible) or at least recognise their face and what they usually buy. When you get chatting to your customer you'll find you have a much more enjoyable day as you learn lots of things. I've had one customer who was buying character shoes for the Jane Austen festival in Bath, she came back in a month later to simply show me pictures on her camera of the event! I always love it when older people come into the store as they normally have brilliant stories about when they were younger and danced or they'll tell you all about what their grandchildren do!



Now here's what you'll learn about other people....



1- People don't understand vouchers / offers

No matter how obvious a discount will be there will be many customers who try to enhance the offer to work in their favour. We've had customers try to choose what 4th pair of tights they get free, so they can get the most expensive free. We've had customers try to get 20% off a leotard because another leotard has 20% off but they don't want that one.

2- If you close at 6:30pm someone will come in at 6:28pm, declaring they thought you shut at 7:00pm

Not only will they come in at 6:28pm they will touch every rail which you've just tidied, panic try on 3 pairs of ballet shoes, dramatically hop scotch out the store trying not to step on the mopped floor and to top it all of they won't buy anything.

3-  Customers expect you to know what size fits everyone in their family

Everyday, without fail, a customer will approach you holding a product and say what size will fit my *insert family member* ?!

4- Customers don't believe your answer when they ask what size they'll be

Nobody want's to hear they need a larger size than they thought they were but in a dance store our leotards run small, so we are mainly telling people to try on a larger sizes. Customers don't believe you and take a xs in the fitting room and then soon after are surprised that they do need the size you recommended and reveal in shock that you're right!

5- If you work in a dance store you will get west end wannabes who think they could be scouted

This could be the mums talking over the top loudly about how their daughter is at such-and-such school and has two auditions next week. Or a customer trying on socks and doing an entire dance piece in the store to check they fit, whilst simultaneously checking that everyone is watching them.

Whatever things you end up learning about yourself and other people whilst working in retail I can promise you it's worth the early mornings, late evenings and weekend shifts as they're all transferable skills.

KEEP SMILING

FASHION | How to style | White Jeans

I've wanted a pair of white jeans in my wardrobe as they make a brilliant alternative to your everyday blue denim - they look that bit smarter and cooler. I've created 4 looks from Topshop to give you some ideas on how to style this Summer trend.

Jeans £40 | Top Left | Bag £27 | Top £19 | Hair slide £10 | Shoes £49 | Bottom Left | Shoes £54.99 | Bag £25 | Belt £24 | T-Shirt £16 | Top Right | T-Shirt £14 | Belt £22 | Boots £89 | Bottom Right | Shirt £35.50 | Boots £89 | Belt £22

My initial thoughts were cowboy boots so I styled a casual weekend look with a print T-shirt and tan coloured accents and then I went for a smart work look with black accents. I also went for another casual look but with the main colour being black and finally a summer party outfit. I definitely think wearing neutrals and tan colours works the best with white jeans and pairing them with printed t-shirts looks effortlessly cool.

KEEP SMILING

BEAUTY | Makeup Empties

I'm hitting your screens today with a good old fashioned empties posts, I've been on a strict spending ban which means I've been using the makeup I already have instead of being tempted and buying more things to try and of course, as this always seems to happen to me, all my base makeup has finished at the same time! Luckily I already have a few spares in my stash and my birthday is around the corner!

First up is the Maybelline Instant Anti Age under eye concealer and this is my first time having this, I think it lasted around a year which is amazing! As I just use this under my eyes I didn't mind keeping it for this long but if it was a concealer I used on spots I'd definitely change it more regularly. I bought it in the shade 'light' and I'm certain there was only a very limited colour selection to choose from, now they have 10 shades to choose from to suit a variety of skin tones.

Next I finished my second tube of the It Cosmetics CC+ cream in Light. This stuff is a miracle, I used to smother my face in foundation and for over a year I've only used this CC cream and it works so well at evening my skin tone and covering spots, whilst simultaneously showing my skin through it. It's so quick to apply just using your finger tips and gives a lovely glow.

I love the Urban Decay de-slick setting spray and I believe this is my third bottle, it doesn't last all that long as I love to spray a lot. I've had a few days where I've forgotten to wear it and my makeup does slide off my face and I look a lot shiner.

On the same lines I also love the primer in the same line and this is the second bottle I've finished. I use this everyday by patting on a tiny amount onto my problem areas. This is definitely for very oily skin so I don't put it on my cheeks as they tend to be a lot drier than my T-zone.

So there are my empties and they're products that I adore and use a lot! What product do you find keeps running out?

FASHION | Primark Gold Jewellery haul ft the initial necklace every blogger is wearing

Gold jewellery is everywhere at the moment and I've been loving how it looks, so even though I swore to myself and you that I was a silver jewellery girl, here I am with a gold jewellery haul. I promise I'm not fickle in any other part of my life!

I've been researching where to buy gold jewellery and found a lot of very cool Instagram shops but I didn't want to spend a lot, incase I can't uphold the gold life. So I went where every girl on a budget goes, Primark! I did that typical thing of shopping in Primark and holding up items to decide if they looked like Primark and if it didn't I bought it! So here are my top finds...

The first item I saw was this gold / rose gold simple chain which was £1.50. In an ideal world I would have liked this to be slightly thinner but it looks really cool over chunky jumpers.

I love this set of gold hoops which were £2, I've worn the closest pair almost everyday since buying them! The other two are quite big compared to what I'd normally wear but I've kept them for when I'm feeling more adventurous. 

Shells are one of the biggest fashion jewellery trends of 2019 so I thought this shell would make a really cool layering necklace with my other gold finds. I'm really impressed with the fact that all the pendant necklaces are on different chains, it adds more texture to a layered necklace look.

Finally the necklace that every person on my Instagram feed is wearing, a gold bamboo style initial necklace. This one was only £2 and is a lot smaller than the 'real deal' and it actually suits my frame a lot better. I love how long the chain can be so I can easily layer it with more delicate necklaces. If you're on the look out for your initial I'd say head to the Tottenham Court Road Primark and get comfy on the floor, take a flask, slippers and a pocket full of patience, and just go through every row of jewellery because it really did take me ages to find an S.

It's a shame that they don't sell the same designs in silver too as I'd love to get the initial necklace in silver, they did have one but it wasn't the same bamboo style and it looked really cheap. I am so excited to start experimenting with layering this jewellery and having more personality with my jewellery.

Lifestyle | A practical guide to packing your suitcase for vacation

Before I've even booked the holiday I've mentally packed for it and once I have actually booked it the physical packing begins, no matter how far in advance I've payed for the holiday! So as someone who genuinely enjoys packing and finds it an exciting activity I thought I'd share with you my many tips!

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

If you're someone who hates the thought of having to pack up your life to go away then you're also probably the same person who puts it off and frantically packs the night before. This is a recipe for disaster! Firstly you're going to chuck in so many random things that a. they won't even match so b. will probably not even be worn! Lastly, you are taking a situation which you don't really like and proving to yourself the reason you don't like it, if you take the time to plan and then slowly pack in a civilised manner you'll find the entire process a lot more fun and relaxing!

Write it down

The first step to packing a suitcase/bag for me always starts with sitting at my desk with an abundance of coloured gel pens, a pretty notebook and a cuppa. I then will write down the dates of my holiday so I can clearly see how long I am away and finally what I need to dress for eg. swimming, outings, smart dinners etc. Once I decide what I'll bring then I also write that on the same page.

Shop your wardrobe

The easiest way to decide on outfits to take is to actually look at your clothes! Take your time to re-introduce yourself to your Summer wardrobe and the pieces that only seem to make an appearance when you're on holiday! Then see what you can wear multiple times in different ways so you don't have to pack too many things.

Go to list

After you've done this a few times you can scan back in your notebook and soon you'll see a pattern on what you like to pack every time eg. washbag / make up bag/ chargers / sunglasses / book etc which really speeds up the process for your next holiday!

Lay everything out on your bed and take 5 away

If you find you're someone who over packs and you know you always end up bringing things back home unworn, lay everything out on your bed so you can see it all easily and then take away 5 items. This may seem difficult but it will show you that you don't really need 5 swim costumes for a weeks holiday, or 7 pairs of shorts for a two week break and you can wear things more than once and style them differently. I would at this point recommend over-packing on underwear as you do tend to shower a lot on holiday and change your clothes multiple times in a day!

Think small

I am very proud to say I can easily pack for a week long holiday in a carry on suitcase, mainly because of the above steps, but also because of how I physically pack;

1. Stuff your shoes with underwear, pop each shoe in a plastic bag and place where the wheels of the suitcase are.
2. Put your wash-bag in a plastic bag and again place near the wheels.
3. Any thicker clothes e.g. jeans which can't be rolled, fold in thirds and put at the bottom
4. Roll your other clothes (individually) and put on top of the jeans
5. Finally leave your chunkiest item e.g. jumper/coat/towel and cover the entire top of the suitcase with it. This works well if your suitcase magically pops open whilst travelling as your items won't fall out! It also means your items are compact and won't move around which is perfect if you're packing anything fragile. 

I hope you're enjoying this mini packing series and seeing what I've packed for my most recent trip away!

Lifestyle | Packing Must Haves

I'm back again with another packing post and this time I wanted to share some must have items to include/use when packing.

I came across this pink bra pouch and I think it's a genius idea, its a soft small pouch which is big enough to hold money, credit cards and even a key. It connects to either the middle or side of your bra and wouldn't be noticeable under a baggy top/ jumper. It's a brilliant way to keep your personal belongings literally close to your heart, although I guess you'd have to be quite strategic with getting your money out so you don't flash everyone!

Next up is another great invention, a collapsible water bottle , I think this one is particularly great because it's most similar to a normal bottle. 

If you're carrying liquids on a flight then clear bags are a must have and instead of frantically unpacking your makeup etc into the plastic bags they have at the airport just go prepared with these TSA approved clear bags.

A great way to pack is to use packing cubes, they make your suitcase a lot more organised, it's also a lot easier to unpack when you arrive to your destination and I think it's just more hygienic than having your shoes touch your clothes etc.

Luggage tags are a must when travelling and I'm sure you've already got one attached to your suitcase, however, I think a lot of people forget to pop one on their handbags / rucksacks, so here's your reminder!

This one may come as a surprise but I always pack washie tape! I use this to tape down the lids on my toiletries so there's no leaks in my bag, I use washie tape as it peels off easily and you don't need scissors to cut it off.

Using bright luggage straps are the best way to quickly recognise your luggage and they're also practical as you can a. lock them for extra security and b. if your zip breaks this will keep your suitcase shut.

Last but not least lock your suitcase and rucksacks with TSA approved padlocks to keep all your things safe.

My finally suggestion would be to buy a bright and ugly suitcase so it stands out when you're collecting your luggage and deters people from touching it! I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful for your future packing!

Beauty | Essie Nail Varnish Collection

It's been a good few years since I've shared my nail varnish collection and the huge cake tins filled to the brim are no longer with us! I now have a new minimal nail varnish collection which I store in an acrylic holder which was from Poundland! I am sure as time goes on I'll probably end up buying another of the holders and adding to the collection but I am trying to use my polishes up and not let them get dry so at the moment it's a one-in-one-out situation!

As I am sure you've noticed all of my nail varnishes are from Essie. I've tried a lot of brands and love their formulation, colour choice, brushes, packaging and the fact that they're often 3 for 2 in Boots.

Nudes

mixetaupe

ballet slippers

Pinks

go ginza

lovie dovie

Sunset

meet me at sunset

aim to misbehave

fall for nyc

Blues

mint candy apple

lapiz of luxury

Dark

cocktail bling

haute tub

Top Coat

gel setter

My newest addition was the yellow polish and that was hard to find as they aren't selling that in drugstores anymore so I found that one on Amazon and the small bottle was a free gift with purchase. All of the other polishes are still being sold in store so will be easy for you to find!

I hope you enjoyed this post and found it gave you some nail varnish inspiration