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

Dublin.

Just over a month ago me and my boyfriend set out on an adventure to a place we had never been to before. It was a impromptu get away with us only deciding to book it about three weeks before. We got up in the middle of the night on Wednesday 27th January and got to the airport in plenty of time. I am quite a nervous flyer so the short flight was very appreciated. After we had arrived we got the coach to the city centre pretty much straight away since we only had hand luggage. Getting the coach and having just hand luggage definitely helped with keeping costs down, I am quite the bargain hunter so I may do a post on how to keep costs down when travelling, let me know if you would like to see that. Both of us had only had a few hours sleep the night before and so we were a bit wary about not being able to check into the hotel until 3pm, however when we went into the hotel to see if we could leave our bags they had a room available in the new section of the hotel which was a bonus! After we travelled down the street and found somewhere to get some breakfast we went back to the hotel to have a little nap! After this we finally went out to have an explore of the city and I am so happy we decided to go to Dublin. The history and beauty of this city is incredible, I definitely recommend it and will 100% go back at some point in my life. We had an idea of the different places we wanted to see such as the Guinness Storehouse and Kilmainham Goal but we also wanted to go with the flow and just have a real good adventure. Here are a few of the pictures we took while there.

So here are a few of my favourite photos that my boyfriend took on his camera (Sam Weedop Photography). We cannot recommend this city anymore, however, beware that in the winter it is very cold and windy so wrap up warm!

Where are some of you're favourite places to travel? Have you ever been to Dublin?

Holly xx

My Netflix Recommendations.

I am one of those people that starts watching a series on Netflix and I can't get it out of my mind. If I watch one episode I have to watch at least one more and then I can't stop thinking about what is going to happen next or any theories that I can come up with. I thought I'd tell you some of my favourite series that I have watched.

Gossip Girl.

Gossip Girl was always one of those programmes I had heard about but never actually watched. If you love fashion, chic flicks and hot men then this programme is for you! It got a bit cringe at times but I think that is to be expected on American teen TV shows. Beware, you will get jealous of Blair and Serena's wardrobe and there lifestyle! Oh how I'd love a life on the Upper East Side!

How I Met Your Mother.

My boyfriend has always raved about this show since we got together and I have to be honest it was something that never really appealed to me. However, when I saw it had been added to Netflix I thought I would give it a shot. Omg, my life went on the day I started watching that show, with each episode only being 20 minutes long it meant that I could get away with watching half a series in one day (sometimes even more if I'm honest!). I finished HIMYM today and I was not expecting that ending, I finally have my life back after 4 weeks but after the surprise ending I feel like my life has gone in a completely different way.

Pretty Little Liars. 

Another show that will have you gripped right from the very start. If you like shows like Gossip Girl then you will most likely love this show. Similar to Gossip Girl, I had always heard about PLL but had never watched it. It got a bit weird at times but I still found myself watching it. This show is still ongoing so a new episode is added every week, I have to say even though I enjoyed the first few series, this latest one is a little boring and I'm sort of passed the whole storyline in a way. Although I still watch it every week in the hope of it getting more griping

Once Upon A Time.

Another show that is very chick flick based. If you love everything Disney and fairytale then you are most likely to enjoy this. However, be warned it is not your typical fairytale. It is thrilling and on the edge, another show that will leave you on a cliff-hanger wanting more. This show is also still ongoing  and I cannot wait for the next season!

Making A Murderer

Completely different from stereotypical 'girly' shows such as Gossip Girl and PLL. Making A Murderer is shocking and will leave you feeling a little helpless and wanting to be disconnected from society. Being a psychologist student I love reading books and watching crime documentaries on murderers and similar subjects so this is something right up my street.

Here are my top 5 Netflix recommendations for you to watch.
What are your recommendations?

Holly xx

Determination.

Well it has been a while since I have posted a blog post, nearly 2 months in fact. It isn't that I haven't wanted to blog, I have been crazy busy with exams and assignments for uni as well as working my part time job. As well as that I just felt like nothing that I could come up with was good enough. However, I feel like February is a new start for me, so I have decided that my 2016 starts from now. January was fuelled with late nights and stress filled days and I dislike that. So my aim for the next 11 months is to breath and appreciate the world around me. I want to enjoy life the best I can, whether that is on my own, with my friends or with my boyfriend. I have a lot to look forward to this year, including more deadlines and exams that I hope to take in my stride. Overall I am hoping for a more productive and motivational self. I hope to be the best version of my self that I can be, through my blog and my uni work. Therefore, I will be putting more time into making blog posts not just for readers but also for myself because at the end of the day I enjoy the writing and seeing the finished piece which is hopefully something I can be proud of. I have a few posts that I want to write over the next few days/week including a round up of my trip to Dublin last week, so look forward to that! And here's to the future. 

Holly xx

Christmas Baking: Mince Pies and Jam Tarts.

Wow, I can't believe how fast the countdown to Christmas is going. I feel like I am up to my eyeballs in University work and don't feel like I can really enjoy it until my assignments are done. They're not actually due in until the beginning of January, however I would like to get them done before Christmas so I can enjoy the day itself and then prepare my exams properly without having to worry about finishing an essay! However, so far this is not going to plan, but positive thinking and all that!

To try and get myself in the mood for Christmas and to have a proper break from reading a book or a computer screen I decided to do a spot of Christmas baking. I love baking all year round but I believe that Christmas time is the perfect time to do a spot of baking! So off I popped to the shops to get some ingredients! 

I wanted it to be fairly simple and not complicate things so literally all you need for this recipe is 4 ingredients. I don't like mince pies myself so I thought I would do an alternative version for people like me! 

Ingredients

Short crust pastry
Mince pie filling
Strawberry Jam
1 egg

Step 1. Pre-heat the over to 175oC.

Step 2. Roll out your pre-made pastry on a clean, dry work surface. Using a cookie cutter, cut out the desired size and shape for the bottom of your mince pie/jam tart. I used a circular, flutter edge one. Place these one by one into your muffin/cupcake tray. 

Step 3. Gently stab, with a fork, your pastry in the middle of the circles. Once you have done this, place a spoonful of your desired filling into the middle. 

Step 4. With the remaining pastry, cut out the tops for your mince pies/tarts using your desired shape. I used Christmas trees as I don't have a star cutter which is what I intended to use. Once you have done this, place on top of the filling.

Step 5. Crack an egg into a small bowl/cup and whisk. Brush this over the pastry.

Step 6. Place your mince pies/jam tarts into the over for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

I think these are served best with a cup of tea for an afternoon snack!

Christmas Gift Guide: Main Presents/Luxury Items

It is officially less than one month until Christmas!! Woohoo!! I am so excited! Although not looking forward to how much University work I have to between now and then! I have 4 assignments and 2 exams in January and life is a little stressful right now! I am glad I have my blog to vent to and get my feelings down. 

This is the last in my Christmas Gift Guide series. It is just a few ideas for if you are wanting to splash a little more cash on someone you love!

Xbox One Fifa Bundle: A unisex present but stereotypically more for that special male in your life! Do be warned though, you probably will not seen the person you buy this for for a while! I know from experience!

Ipad Mini 4 Gold: I am an Apple product lover and although I have an iPhone and a MacBook Air, I would not be upset if I got one of this under my tree! On the other hand I won't be asking for one! However, I know a lot of people who would be happy to unwrap this and I think they can be very useful.

ghd Platinum Vintage Pink: My ghd's are my holy grail product, I would never ever go back to another branded pair of straighteners as I don't think they are as good as ghds. I have the rose gold ones which I love! The black ones are just as nice however I think for a present limited editions ones are more special and personal.

Michael Kors Watches: I also have a Michael Kors watch which I got from my Mum and Dad for my 18th birthday and its so special to me. I have one of the rose gold (yes I am obsessed with rose gold!) ones however I do like pretty much the whole range. These silver and navy matching mens and ladies are so cute! Some people may argue this is cringey but I think it would be quite cool to have matching watches. These are so sophisticated too!

So they are the last of the presents in my Christmas Gift Guide. Whether you buy these items for yourself as a pre Christmas treat or if you buy them for that special someone in your life, these luxury items would get a good use out of. I also think there is a good range of gifts to get a gamer, a tech savvy, a beauty fanatic or a fashionista.

See you in my next post!

Holly xx

Christmas Gift Guide: Stocking Fillers for Men!

Time for the second instalment of my Christmas Gift Guides! 

Personally I think that men can be much harder to buy for than women. They are so picky and I think there is a lot less choice of what you can buy them (I also think that men can have a much more expensive choice than women!!). This post will be stocking fillers for men, showing you a few presents you can buy for under £15 for the men in your life!

1. Chocolate Set: Who doesn't love chocolate? I think this would be a perfect stocking filler for the men in your life! It gives them a choice of 12 different chocolate bars and who knows they may be generous and share it with you!

2. Star Wars Egg Cup: So this December the new Star Wars film is released, pretty much every male in my life that I know is excited for this but it also means new Star Wars merchandise! This egg cup would be perfect for any age in my opinion. Who doesn't love egg and soldiers?!

3. Cure For Farting: I personally think this is hilarious and is perfect for a joke gift.

4. Blackboard Mug: This mug would be perfect for someone of any age or any gender in my opinion however, I think men are lovers of novelty/joke gifts. No excuse for getting their drink wrong now!

5. Christmas Dinner in a Matchbox: Finally is this Christmas Dinner in a Matchbox gift. It includes a '3 course meal' in form of a hardboiled sweet which apparently tastes of sage and onion stuffing as the starter, roast turkey as a main and Christmas pudding as the desert. Just a bit of fun really!

So here is my pick of the best stocking fillers for men!

Thanks for reading!

Holly xx

Products I Want To Try.

I am supposed to be doing uni work right now I'm in a serious procrastination mood! Oops! So I thought I might as well do something productive and write a blog post! 

I have always been into make-up however, over the past few years I have started to get more interested in different make-up looks and different brands, probably since my interest in blogs and YouTube started. Personally I think you should treat yourself every so often whether thats a new item of make-up, clothing or something else you've been pining over for a while.

These products I have chosen are products that I've been lusting over for a while.

1. Origins Super Spot Remover: This product, if I remember correctly, used to be quite popular in the beauty blogger community a few years ago but I never got to try it. I've suffered with minor acne for probably about 8 years now and it is something that I'm very insecure about. No matter what I try, my skin never manages to clear up to how I want it to be. However, I have heard great things about this spot remover gel, and a few of the other products in the spot remover Origins range.

2. Soap & Glory Arch De Triumph Eyebrow Shaper & Highlighter: I have been after a new product to fill in my eyebrows for a while now. I have only ever used one product on my eyebrows that I have had for a good few years so probably should throw it away! Oops! Anyway this product has always been an eyeshadow so I've been wanting to try a different kind of product and I've heard good things about this!

3. Soap and Glory It's About Prime Eyeshadow Underbase: Personally I have never used an eyeshadow primer but this is probably the explanation as to why my eyeshadow never stays on throughout the day! I've heard good things about the Soap and Glory make-up range and although I have never tried any of the products myself for £4 you can't really go wrong for this product!

4. Max Factor Smokey Eye Drama Kit: Whenever I wear eyeshadow I usually go for a gold toned smokey eye and I never really experiment. I LOVE the colours of this pallet and I really think they would compliment my skin tone and eyes (although it does say it would compliment blue eyes when I have brown eyes!). They also do this pallet in other colours but this was the one I was drawn to.

5. NYX Intense Butter Gloss: I don't know much about the NYX brand, however everything that I have read or seen about these brands has been positive and I know that they are knew to the Boots website. This colour is such a pretty deep pink called 'Spice Cake' I do believe. Their products are also reasonable priced.

6. DKNY Be Desired: For Christmas I am after a new perfume as I am running out of all of mine! I don't know how though, I had 5 on the go at one point! When reading the new Glamour magazine with Tanya Burr on the cover I came across a sample for the new DKNY perfume and it smells delicious. I'm rubbish at describing scents however the Boots website describes this as including hints of orange oil, blackcurrant and violet.

So here are a few products I've been wanting to try recently. Are there any products you can recommend? Or have to tried any of this products?

Back to the uni work I go!

Holly xx 

Christmas Gift Guide: Stocking Fillers for Her!

Its that time of year again where some of us are well under way with our Christmas shopping while the rest of us are stuck in the dreaded mental block of what gifts to buy for their loved ones! Personally I'm usually the former but this year I'm definitely the latter but love spending hours browsing the shops and online stores to see what I can give to people.

When thinking about what I could do my blog post on today Christmas instantly popped into my head. To be fair, at this time of the year Christmas is always in my head! I love this time of the year and think its so magical! So I decided, why not do a Christmas gift guide series for all the people (including me) struggling for what to spend their money on this festive season.

The first in the series is stocking fillers for her. I've decided to stick to just one online store for this to stop it from getting too complicated! I've chose Not on the High Street for this as I think they do unique yet affordable gifts that personally I'd love to receive which is particularly good for stocking fillers.

1. This personalised mirror is so cute and it just so happens to be my name as the example, that is fate right? Or could just be because it is a festive name? Who knows! However, this is very cute and would be the perfect addition to a stocking. What girl doesn't need a hand held mirror?

2. How cute is this bookmark? I personally love reading and if I was gifted this bookmark with my favourite pictures of someone I love I would be happy and for £7.99 what could go wrong?

3. Who wouldn't love these pink pencils with your name on? They certainly wouldn't go missing in other people's pencil cases!

4. This heart bangle is so elegant yet so pretty and would be the perfect addition to any female in your life's wrist!

5. These initial paper clips are £2! £2! How amazing is that? And they're certainly better than any other normal paper clip!

6. A floral letter print frame  would be the perfect addition to any room but particularly a female's bedroom! So many high-street shops sell items like this for ridiculous prices but this is £8! That is crazy cheap.

7. I love this personalised locket and think it could be really sentimental. Perfect for that someone special in your life if you don't have a lot of money to spend on them!

8. This necklace is also very cute. This is sentimental in a different kind of way. If they love reading, in particular Jane Eyre, why not get them this necklace in sentiment of this. They also have different versions relating to different authors and novels.

9. If your giftee is a jewellery fan but they're very picky, this jewellery stand is perfect. It is decently priced but also unique from ordinary jewellery stand.

10. Finally is this personalised notebook. This would be perfect for any female (or even male) who loves travelling or wants to travel in the near future as they can get all their ideas and memories down in one notebook.

So here are 10 stocking filler ideas for any special women in your life, they are reasonably priced but also very personalised so it looks like you've thought a lot about what to get them.

I will be following this post up in the next few weeks with a stocking filler guide for him, and then also special gifts you can get for male and females if you're wanting to spend a little more money on them!

Thanks for reading!

Holly xx

P.S. Only 45 sleeps to go!

The Best Of: Missguided New In.

1:Teal Jumpsuit 2:Cigarette Trousers 3:Wrap Dress 4:Kimono Cardigan 5:Coated Mini Skirt

I love Missguided and have ordered from them a few times. It is good quality for the price that you get and the clothes are gorgeous!

I love this teal jumpsuit and after recently seeing Kendall Jenner in a jumpsuit similar I have fell in love with this one. Teal is my favourite colour and I think it is perfect for this time of year! Whether I actually have anywhere to wear this is a different matter!

I am usually a leggings or skinny jeans kind of girl so if I were to buy something like this cigarette trousers I would be quite far out of my comfort zone. However, I think these would be perfect for this time of year for a night out or cocktails with the girls as they would look sophisticated with a pair of heels but would also keep you from freezing to death!

I recently tried a wrap playsuit on in Miss Selfridge and I loved it on, however I could not justify £60 on something I wouldn't wear on a regular basis, however, this is a fraction of a price for £30. I love the lapel collar on this dress!

My favourite thing about the winter months is wrapping up in wooly jumpers and cardigans and this oversized/kimono cardigan would be perfect for grey and cold days in the run up to Christmas!

This skirt is not something I would usually go for but I love this, there is just something about it! I think it would look perfect with a polo neck and a pair of boots!

Do you like Missguided? Do you know of any other good online stores?

Holl xx

About me!

Before I delve fully into the world of fashion and beauty, I thought I'd let you know a little bit about myself.

I am currently 19 years old and I am in my second year of university where I commute 3 times a week. I also work behind a bar part time as I like to have a little splurge now and again! I absolutely love working behind a bar and prefer it to working in retail due to the increased interaction.

I love reading whether it be books, magazines or blogs and I also love watching YouTube videos with my favourite YouTubers being Zoella, The SacconeJolys, TheMitchalaks, VelvetGh0st and FleurDeForce to name a few!

When I'm not busy being lazy (oops) I love to experiment in the kitchen which hopefully I can express with posts on this blog whether it be classic dishes or experimental baking! 

So please follow my blog if beauty, fashion or lifestyle type posts interest you and I'll do my best to impress. If you have any requests for posts please do leave a comment.

Holl xx

Introduction.

Today is the 20th October 2015. Just another day? Or the day to remember as when I created this blog? Who knows? 

This isn't the first time I have created a blog actually. I have attempted many before but have never been happy with it and decided to delete it each time. This time I hope for it to be different. I deleted every single one that I created before for two main reasons: 1. I didn't have the time and 2. I HATED the design and the layout. I am a little bit older now so as well as maturing a lot since my first blog I have come to realise and accept that my blog will probably never be as good as the big names such as Zoella, I don't have the money to pay for a graphic designer, a good camera or all the products that come with it! However, I am determined to stick to it this time. I love writing, not that I am any good at it, and I love having somewhere where I can just write without any restrictions of what its about or how long it can be!

I hope you enjoy this blog as much as I will enjoy being the creator of it (hopefully)! You can expect to see a mixture of beauty, fashion and lifestyle posts.

I hope that you stick around and comment on my posts, all constructive criticism and suggestions are welcome!

See you in my next post! 

Holl xx