Bath.

Hello! A few weeks ago me and my boyfriend decided to take a little staycation for a break and a rest before I went back to university and after he had worked hard all summer. We made a joint decision on Bath as not only is it a beautiful, quaint city in itself but there is also a lot to do in that area of the country. 

When we arrived at our already impressive hotel we found out that we had been upgraded from a standard double room to a junior suite which was compiled of three rooms. The bedroom had a king size bed with an impressive view of the Bath countryside, the bathroom was massive with a huge bath in the middle of the room and finally there was a sitting room which made us feel very homely. The hotel also very kindly gave us breakfast for free which was all cooked to order from fresh ingredients. 

We had an amazing few days together away from sight-seeing to relaxing and eating yummy food. One of my favourite days was when we went to Longleat Safari Park. I had been before about 10 years ago so was very excited to go back as I love animals and the quirkiness and characteristics each individual animal holds. Although a little bit sweaty from the late summer heat, we had a great day even if we are 20 years old!

I also enjoyed seeing the architecture of Bath. It is so different to any other cities I have been to in the United Kingdom and when you are there it literally feels like you are in a different country. I would 100% go again for this reason. Another bonus is that they have a Christmas shop that operates all year round! Here are a few of my favourite pictures we took when we were there;

Where are your favourite cities to visit? Abroad or at home.

Holly xx

Autumn Wishlist.

I know that after saying I wanted to blog more this summer that I have been MIA, however due to personal reasons blogging has taken a bit of back seat. I do enjoy blogging and its a place where I can write my opinions and I find it therapeutic if I am honest. I am hoping to do a few more lifestyle posts as although I enjoy writing all genres, lifestyle posts are my favourite, so let me know if you have any requests or ideas.

So, Autumn is my favourite season. I love the magic of Winter too (obviously for Christmas), but there is just something about Autumn.  The crisp weather, crunchy leaves, thick jumpers, hot chocolates, halloween and most importantly pumpkin spice lattes which I am obsessed with! I just love how casual and cosy this time of the year is. Another reason is autumnal fashion, the colours, the materials and the style is perfect for me. I have been looking to doing a massive autumn fashion shop ready to go back to uni this month so here is my wishlist of what I have found so far.

A big bag is always an essential whether you're going back to university, school or college. I need one to fit all of my books in as well as my MacBook and other essentials. I love the colour of this one from Asos and I feel it would be perfect for me.

I have wanted a fur lined denim jacket for a while now but have never bought one for many reasons. I think this would look perfect with a striped t-shirt, black jeans, converse and a bobble hat.

This striped crop top would look perfect with some black high waisted jeans, ankle boots and a red lip! Perfect for autumn and also when it gets to the festive season!

As I have already said, thick wooly jumpers are one of my favourite things about the autumn season. I also think grey jumpers look so effortless. This jumper from Miss Selfridge would look perfect with a pair of jeans and converse.

As you probably know, bomber jackets have been in for probably nearly a year now and have been everywhere. They don't look like they're disappearing soon with many high-street stores bringing out new ones in their new A/W collections. I love the different colours on this bomber jacket from Topshop and would look great dressed up or down.

So here is everything I've been lusting over for the new season. One of my favourite stores to shop in when the new season comes in is Primark. You can pick up so many essentials for such a cheap price and well in terms of autumn and winter, Primark do some of the best jumpers, scarves and hats out there on the high-street!

Next week I am going to Bath for a few days so look out for a post on that!

Where are your favourite places to shop for the colder months?

Holly xx

5 Summer Goals.

Hello! I have been off uni for the summer for around 2 months now. I've done the drinking, catching up with friends and duvet days watching Netflix and I'm not going to lie I am bored. I am bored of doing the same things day in day out, I work about 2-3 days a week so the other 5/4 days I have the same mundane routine. This in combination with the warmer weather has made me motivated to not waste the next 2 months I have off, thus I have come up with 5 goals for me to achieve this summer before the real hard work begins again.

1. Get back in the gym.
This is something I have been trying to do for absolutely ages. I know once I have initiated the first move by getting off my bottom and going back for the first time in a while that I'll be fine but I'm finding the first move very daunting and the thought of it is making me very anxious. I know it sounds silly but this is the reason I have been putting it off! However, after putting a bit of weight on, I am determined to get back there soon!

2. Healthy eating.
This goes hand in hand with going back to the gym. I am so fed up of feeling in a slump after eating crap foods. I just find it so much easier to grab a packet of crisps or a biscuit than make something healthy, which is SO bad! I really need to get out of the habit of not eating very well and nourish my body with nutrients!

3. Read more.
I adore reading but I always forget to do it. If I have spare time I usually just stick a tv series on or watch a YouTube video. I have a pile of books I already want to read and the list of new ones I want to read keeps growing! When I am at uni I don't really have enough time to read and so I would like to read at least 10 books before I start 3rd year.

4. Have a clear out.
I have already started this and I feel so much better already. I have got rid of so many things that I don't wear/use anymore and my wardrobe is pretty empty, a shopping spree is definitely needed! I am hoping to sell some items over on my depop so go and have a look, my username is: @hollrileyxx. I think it is very good for your state of mind to declutter and I have definitely noticed a difference already.

5. Blog more.
My last summer goal is to blog more. I really enjoy putting my thoughts and feelings online as it is like having someone to talk to who doesn't judge you! I know want content I want to write, however I find it difficult as the only camera I can use is my boyfriends and so I can't just spontaneously write a post if it includes images! I hope to take more blog pictures though and improve on the quality and quantity of my blog this summer.

Do you have any summer goals? Let me know if there is any content you would like to see from me!

Holly xx

How to stay organised

Wow I have been busy! I want to apologise for promising regular posts and not fulfilling that promise. In the past month and a half I have celebrated a birthday, spent a week in Greece and spent a few days in London so as you can see I have been busy, busy, busy! Ironically, I thought I would do a post on the best ways to stay organised. 

1. A Diary: This probably goes without saying, but a diary is the number one thing I would recommend to staying organised. I like day-to-day diaries better than week-to-week diaries simply because you have more space to write things. I write appointments, when I have lectures/seminars, whether I'm at work, blogposts, any exams/assignments I have in, birthdays etc. the list is literally endless. One day I would love to buy an organiser but at the moment I cannot justify the price of one. I also tend to buy academic diaries which generally run from August to August as I believe this fits better with me being at uni. You can pick up good priced but pretty diaries from many places but my favourites are Tesco, WHsmiths and Paperchase. 

2. Lists: I am a massive list lover. I love stocking up on pretty notebooks and writing lists about absolutely everything from to do lists, and shopping lists. If I don't have a notebook on me I like to write lists on the iPhone app as I can tick it off once I have done it or remind myself when it gets closer to the time.

3. Time Management: You cannot be organised if you don't have good time management. My biggest tip for managing time actively is giving yourself more time than you will probably need. I like to wakeup 15 minutes before I need to just incase anything goes wrong and have to rush. This is similar when I leave the house, just in case I get stuck in traffic or even when I catch a train to make sure I am there on time. This also works for exams and assignments, so getting to an exam 15 minutes before you need to be (this way you can go over your notes) or finishing an assignment a few days before it needs to be in just case the submission crashes or I re-read it and realise I have forgotten something important.

4. Prioritising: This goes hand-in-hand with time management. Its important when staying organised to prioritise your list of things to do with what is the most important. For example, revising for an exam is more important than popping in to town to get those shoes you really want. I like to go down my to do list like this and then the fun things feel like a reward for the more mundane things you have to do. 

So, here are my top 4 tips of how to stay organised. I also find that if I am organised I feel more motivated to get on with whatever I have to do such as university.

Do you have any tips to stay organised?

Travel Wishlist.

Do you ever want to just pack a bag of essentials, get on a plane and never come back? I do quite regularly. My urge to travel and see more of the world has become part of me for quite a while now. Ask anyone who is remotely close to me and they will know how much I desire to see different parts of the world and experience the variety of cultures. However, responsibilities and emotions have kept me from packing this bag and going every where I want to see. Instead of doing this I have tried to take the approach of ticking off as many places each year I can afford to. 

I am very lucky to be able to travel and to be able to say that I have already ticked off a few places I have wanted to see. However, my list gets longer and longer every time I think about it. Oops! I have a board on Pinterest just for travel destinations so it may have got a little out of hand! Anyway, in this post I am going to list the top 5 places I want to see.

1. Barcelona.

Every thing I hear and see about Barcelona just excites me. Having spent 5 consecutive years going on a family holiday to the same place in Spain, the Spanish culture is my favourite. Who wouldn't love shutting up shop in the afternoon for a siesta? The Mediterranean is my favourite place on Earth to be. I love the food, the people and the sunshine and I think if I were to ever migrate to another country, Spain would be my first choice. Having been there so often I have picked up some of the language and dream of being able to speak it fluently. The buildings and the landscape of Barcelona look so beautiful and I really hope I get to visit here soon.

2. Dubrovnik.

I am a HUGE Game of Thrones fan. If you watch the programme you know exactly why I want to explore here. The whole of Croatia looks so beautiful but Dubrovnik is just on another level. You have the simplicity of the beautiful beaches as well as the ancient grounds where a lot of Game of Thrones is filmed. Looking at images of Croatia I believe it is highly underrated. My plan is for this to be the trip for my 21st birthday which is only a year a way, hopefully it goes to plan!

3. Prague.

Until last year I had never been interested in this region but as I have got older and read articles and posts of where people have travelled it has been added to my list. I love how gothic this city looks, not forgetting the history of this area of the world that happened not so long ago. I can imagine myself here with my best friends sipping on wine and cocktails taking in the picturesque views.

4. Paris.

Ever since I was a little girl I have dreamt about roaming the streets of Paris. Everything about the city just screams elegance and sophistication. It is one of the most romantic cities in the world and I can see myself being in my element in the beautiful city. The city has had some terrible events in the past couple of years that makes we wary about travelling here but I am not going to let that get in the way of my plans to see as much as the world as I can. Especially the beautiful sites of The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, The Arc De Triomphe, Notre Dame, The Sacre Coeur and of course Disney Land but for a different reason. 

5. Italy.

I don't even know where to start with Italy. I would love to do a road trip of the whole country as there are so many places I would love to visit here. Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice, Pompeii; the list goes on! This country again looks so beautiful and I would love to experience the Italian culture. Pizza and pasta are probably my two favourite foods and whenever I go out for food I always choose an Italian restaurant so would definitely be in my element experiencing the local cuisine! Plus who doesn't love the look of an Italian man? 

So here are some of the places I would love to travel. I don't particularly see these in any order of where I would like to go the most but some are definitely more accessible than others. This list also isn't exclusive as my list goes on and on and on of the different places I would like to explore. However, I guess these places are the most realistic in the next couple of years!

I love reading travel blogs so if you have any suggestions of the best ones then please let me know!

Where have you been recently that you would recommend? And what is on your bucket list?

Holly xx

Getting back to normal and Scarborough trip.

Hello! It has been a while since I have posted and I apologise for this! I have been super busy with university work and also my part time job. However, I have finished second year of university and have a lot of spare time now! I hope to use this time effectively and get this blog running and looking how I want it to, so let me know if there are any posts you would like to see from me.

To celebrate me finishing second year and to spend some time together, me and my boyfriend took a road trip up to the Yorkshire coast for a couple of days. The weather wasn't the best for the time of year thus a lot of places were not open. Nevertheless it was still nice to relax and we still found things to fill the time we had without rushing.

We stayed in Scarborough but took a trip up to Whitby on one of the days and then on the way back home went to The Deep in Hull which is similar to a sealife centre. It was so lovely to just sit back and not have to worry about any of the stresses going on at home, being the perfect end to a stressful second year. 

The best carbonara I have ever tasted! With a pretty pink lemonade. 

Road trip!

On top of the cliff in whitby, a shameless selfie and the view of the bay.

All in all it was a lovely couple of days that allowed us to relax, enjoy nice food and take in the Yorkshire countryside. I perhaps relaxed a little too much as I didn't take many pictures oops! However, we are going on another break to London next month and I'm sure I will get more pictures there.

So here is a bit of a catch-up and a few pictures from my break away. I hope to be posting regularly in the next couple of weeks and I have a few posts planned.

Thanks for reading.

Holly xx

Beauty Review: Makeup Revolution - Hot Spice Ultra Blush Palette.

With being a student I don't tend to have a lot of money to splash about on luxury beauty products so I am always on the hunt for cheaper dupes or makeup brands that are just as good as the high end ones without having to splash the cash. After hearing good things about the Makeup Revolution brand I decided to check a few of their items out. Well I was definitely missing out by not having any of their products. I went for a eyeshadow palette, 2 lipsticks and this blush palette and I am in love with each product.

Blusher has never really been a thing I have been very adventurous with. I usually buy one muted pink colour which then lasts me about 6 months and then I will go back and buy a similar one when that has ran out. However, recently I have been wanting to get more out of my comfort zone when it comes to makeup such as different eye looks and lipsticks, but also different coloured blushers and blush colours I would almost definitely always stay away from. There are a few blush palettes available however a lot of the other palettes were cooler toned and more suitable for paler skin tones, whereas I have quite a warm skin tone and so decided this was the one for me. 

It comes with 8 different blushers and each one has little bits of glitter in it to add an extra shine to your cheek bones. The two end colours can also be used as highlighters on there own. For only £6 I am literally in love with this palette, I use it everyday with my NARS Kabuki Brush - Yachiyo Brush dupe which I got here. My favourite one so far is definitely the sparkly pink in the bottom right hand corner, its so pretty!

I will definitely be going back and buying more Makeup Revolution products, I would quite like to try more of their eyeshadow palettes and also try out their lip liners as they are only £1! Complete bargain!

Have you tried any of the Makeup Revolution products? If so what is your favourite?

Holly xx