21 February 2022 /

My trip to Edinburgh





After the uncertainty of the past two years, I decided that 2022 was going to be the year that I push myself out of my comfort zone and start living my life again. And what better way to take that leap than by booking myself a little solo city break? 


I didn't really have a preference of where I was going so I just checked online to see the cheapest flights. Edinburgh came up as the best deal and although I had been before when I was a child, I didn't get a chance to properly explore the city. However, with current guidelines surrounding COVID testing (plus the extortionate luggage fees) it actually worked out cheaper, and less stressful, for me to go via train. Luckily I wasn't restricted to dates/times and I also have a railcard which meant I had the freedom to do a bit of tweaking until I found the cheapest price. I managed to get return tickets from Leicester to Edinburgh for £71 and the flights, including luggage and taxi transfers, would have cost around £100.

I stayed at the Frederick House Hotel which couldn't have been in a more perfect location. It was just over a 10 minute walk away from Waverly train station and Princes Street. I paid £122 for 3 nights without breakfast through booking.com. The hotel was quiet and my room was very spacious and comfy. The room was also cleaned every day and there was a water machine on each floor which I thought was a nice added touch. The reception staff were friendly and I felt completely safe in the hotel and the surrounding areas, which, as my first time travelling solo, was very important. 



On my first day I threw myself straight into exploring the city, and after having breakfast at The Standing Order, I hopped on the city sightseeing bus tour. The ticket cost £16 for 24 hours and you could use it on two different bus routes throughout the day. The routes varied slightly but the main points of interest were Holyrood House, Old Town, the National Museum and Edinburgh Castle.




On my second day I ventured slightly out of the city and visited Edinburgh Zoo. I looked up the bus times and it was pretty easy to work out which one I needed. It also dropped you off right outside the entrance. Two single tickets cost £3.50 on the bus and the zoo entry fee was £20. I booked the first time slot of the day which was at 10am and although the queue was full of school children that were on a trip, once I got through it was relatively quiet. I ended up spending 3 hours there as the grounds are very spacious and there are so many different animals! It's definitely the best zoo that I've been to and it's the only zoo in the UK that has Giant Pandas (which I was lucky enough to see close up in their enclosure)




I started my last day with breakfast at Stack & Still. They do sweet and savoury pancakes and the menu includes every kind of topping that you could ever think of! I opted for the buttermilk double stack with Nutella and strawberries and an apple juice. I then walked back into Old Town and visited the cat cafe, Maison de Moggy. The entry fee was £10 for an hour and you could buy a variety of cakes and hot drinks whilst inside. My favourite cat was this gorgeous, fluffy Maine Coon named Pauline. Unfortunately she wouldn’t fit in my case, so I had to leave her behind and make my way back to the train station to travel home.




Overall I had a lovely 2.5 days exploring and sightseeing, I can't believe I managed to avoid the rain! I think Edinburgh has become one of my favourite cities and I hope I can go back again one day.


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13 January 2022

Vogue 73 Questions


I've been a fan of the Vogue 73 Questions videos for years so I thought I'd do my own. I've changed a few of them to make them more relevant to me but I hope you enjoy! 

1. On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about life right now? 6.5
2. What's your biggest weakness? I can be very stubborn
3. What's your biggest strength? My memory, I still know the birthdays of people I haven’t spoken to for 10+ years 
4. Dream job? Something to do with fashion (styling or content creation) or the film industry (extra work/marketing) 
5. What’s one city you've always dreamt of visiting? Rome
6. What’s your pet peeve? People who stop right in the middle of the street to have a conversation with someone
7. What’s your go to bed ritual? Take my makeup off, brush my teeth and get a glass of water 
8. What’s your favorite time of day? Evening
9. What is one thing no one knows about you? Only a few people know this but I was in an advert for ASDA when I was a baby 
10. Dream country to visit? Australia
11. What’s your biggest regret? Not taking time to figure out what I wanted to do after finishing my A-Levels
12. Heels or flats/sneakers? Flats
13.Vintage or new? New
14. Sweet or savoury? Savoury
15. Style icon? Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
16. What are three things you can’t live without? The internet, music and my family/friends
17. Which movie makes you laugh the hardest? 21 Jump Street
18. What 3 people living or dead would you like to make dinner for? Robin Williams, Audrey Hepburn and Robert Pattinson
19. What’s your biggest fear in life? Constantly feeling unfulfilled
20. Window or aisle seat? Window
21. What’s your current TV obsession? The O.C
22. Favorite app? Twitter
23. Secret talent? I can do accents
24. Most adventurous thing you’ve done in your life? Moved away for a month to work as an extra on a Disney film
25. How would you desribe yourself in three words? Witty, thoughtful and loyal
26. Favorite piece of clothing you own? My faux fur coat
27. Must have clothing item everyone should have? A striped tee
28. Superpower you would want? Teleportation
29. What’s a movie that made you cry? The Best of Me
30. Best piece of advice you’ve received? Don't go to bed angry
31. Best advice you’d give your teenage self? Take the chance and don't worry about the opinions of people you won't ever see again
32. A book that everyone should read? Twilight
33. What's your guilty pleasure? Cheesy crime dramas (Muder She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder etc)
34. Favourite movie of the last five years? The Greatest Showman
35. What do you love most about your body? Do eyelashes count?
36. Best way to take a rest/decompress? Paint your nails or watch a film
37. What's your favourite cocktail? Pornstar Martini
38. If your life were a song, what would the title be? Groundhog Day 
39. If you could master one instrument, what would it be? Piano
40. If you had a tattoo, where would it be? Somewhere hidden like the top of my thigh
41. Dolphins or koalas? Dolphins
42. What’s your spirit animal? A lion or tiger
43. Best gift you’ve ever received? Anything that I can tell has had real thought put into it 
44. Best gift you’ve ever given? I surprised my Dad with Coldplay tickets 
45. What’s your favorite board game? Articulate
46. What’s your favorite color? Pink
47. Least favorite color? Red
48. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds
49. Drugstore makeup or designer? Drugstore
50. Pilates or yoga? Yoga
51. Coffee or tea? Coffee
52. Dark chocolate or milk chocolate? Milk chocolate 
53. Summer or winter? Summer
54. Favourite actor? Taron Egerton
55. First crush? Max from Hocus Pocus
56. You are stuck on an island, you can pick one food to eat forever without getting tired of it, what would you eat? Pizza
57. A dessert you don’t like? Rice pudding
58. A skill you’re working on mastering? Learning Spanish
59. Best thing to happen to you today? My car got fixed
60. Worst thing to happen to you today? Having to pay the bill after getting my car fixed 
61. Best compliment you’ve ever received? That people enjoy my company
62. Favourite smell? Coconut
63. Hugs or kisses? Hugs
64. If you made a documentary, what would it be about? The effects of social media on young people's body image
65. Last piece of content you consumed that made you cry? Chaos Walking, the scene with the dog and the river, iykyk
66. Lipstick or lip gloss? Lipstick
67. Girl crush? Hailey Bieber
68. Favourite album? The Pussycat Dolls first album
69. Song you can listen to on repeat? Middle of the night - The Vamps
70. If you could switch lives with someone for a day who would it be? Kim Kardashian
71. What are you most excited about at this time in your life? Starting a new chapter 
72. Your go to for having a good laugh? At the moment, TikTok
73. Your affirmation for today? Find something to be grateful for in every day 
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12 April 2021 /

H&M Spring Edit



It's here. We made it! Stage 2 of lockdown regulations lifting has officially commenced. But now the question is, what to wear? 

If you've been living in joggers for the last few months (I know I have..) and you've forgotten how to put together a 'proper' outfit, I've got you covered. Here's a few of my fave Spring pieces from H&M to give you some style inspo.



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13 April 2020 /

Reviewing SGX NYC hair products


Disclaimer: These items were gifted to me but I'm under no obligation to post about them, I'm just genuinely impressed with the products and wanted to share my review with you.

A few weeks ago I was kindly sent two hair products from SGX NYC to try. I recieved their "So Whipped" mousse and the "Happy Place" dry shampoo. As someone who has a very love-hate relationshiop with their hair, I was excited to use something new and I definitely wasn't disappointed..



I have naturally curly hair so anything that can tame the frizz and define my curls is very much appreciated! Firstly lets just appreciate the packaging. It's so pretty and striking. I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I did judge this product by its bottle and let me tell you it also smells as good as it looks. The actual mousse itself gets a huge thumbs up from me. I was pleasantly surprised by how well the foam activates - a little goes a long way - and it doesn't leave your hair feeling or looking crispy like some mousse products do.


This is my favourite product of the two and probably my most-used. Coconut is my favourite scent so I knew I was on to a winner with this dry shampoo. It's so lightweight and doesn't leave any visible residue. My hair still feels clean and soft after I've used it which is a huge bonus because the worst thing about hair products is when you can tell that they're in your hair. The scent is also very long lasting, throughout the day whenever I swish my hair I get a waft of tropical goodness.


Overall I'd happily recommend both of these products and I'm so grateful that SGX NYC gifted them to me. If the two that I mentioned don't float your boat, they do the dry shampoo in other scents as well as different products such as texture sprays, finishing sprays, curl creams and styling oil. 

When the products have packaging and names that are this cute, 100% vegan AND affordable, you can't go wrong!

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5 April 2020 /

The ultimate feel-good film guide


I think it's fair to say that during this lockdown, we're all watching a lot more TV/films. I've always viewed film as an escapism and I've made a list of all the ones that I think are upbeat and make me happy. I'm not one for a weepy film and there's enough negativity in the real world without having to see it in a fictional world too. I've tried to choose uplifting films that don't really have any sad moments (i.e the tragic death of a beloved character, I'm looking at you Walt Disney..) Films are a good distraction from what's going on at the moment and I hope these can bring you a couple of hours of entertainment and laughter in the same way that they do for me :)

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1. Mamma Mia!

2. Walking On Sunshine

3. Hairspray

4. Grease

5. High School Musical trilogy

6. Dirty Dancing

7. Mary Poppins (1964)

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1. Shrek 2

2. Flushed Away

3. Moana

4. Sing

5. Chicken Run

6. Toy Story

7. The Incredibles

8. Shark Tale

9. Aladdin

10. Madagascar

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1. Bridesmaids

2. Mrs Doubtfire

3. Cheaper by the Dozen

4. Meet the Fockers

5. Night at the Museum

6. Bad Neighbours

7. Girls Trip

8. Booksmart

9. White Chicks

10. Bruce Almighty

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1. The Princess Diaries

2. A Cinderella Story

3. 10 Things I Hate About You

4. The Lizzie McGuire Movie

5. Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

6. Wild Child

7. Legally Blonde

8. 13 Going on 30

9. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

10. Clueless

11. Maid in Manhattan

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Feel free to comment your favourite feel-good films in the comments below :)


Hope everyone is staying safe and staying at home x
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3 April 2020 /

5 key pieces you need in your Spring wardrobe


Spring has sprung and our Instagram feeds are being filled with pastels, nudes, florals and more recently, loungewear (let's be honest, who is actually wearing "proper clothes" during this lockdown??) However, if you're still getting dressed up or if you just fancy a distraction, I've put together five key items of clothing that everyone should have in their spring wardrobes. And the best part is, they're probably things you already have from previous years/seasons..


THE BLAZER


One of the classics. Blazers are such a staple item and I'm a firm believer that everyone should own one. Whether you wear it to a job interview, with joggers and trainers, over a dress or even as a dress. A blazer is so versatile and easy to style up or down.


THE BRODERIE ANGLAISE SHIRT


The prettiest fabric known to mankind. If I could own an item of every type of clothing in this material, I would. It's already nice to look at so you don't need to make much effort when you wear it as it speaks for itself. Also perfect for the summer months too.


THE MIDI DRESS 


Also known as the most versatile item of clothing you can own. In the cold seasons? Wear it with tights, boots and a leather jacket. Summer seasons? Wear it with sandals/trainers and a denim jacket. The only negative is trying to get the right length. This one was almost a maxi on me but I love it anyway!


THE LIGHT DENIM JEANS


Spring means ditch the black jeans and inject some colour into your life! Blue denim is always popular once the season changes and there are so many shades and styles to choose from. It's taken me a while to find the perfect pair but I love that these aren't too light or dark in colour.



THE KHAKI JACKET


Khaki jackets are the perfect transitional piece for when the weather is getting warmer but it's still not warm enough to leave your coat at home. They come back into fashion every year so it's an investment that will definitely pay off. This one was originally from Primark but I got it for a bargain 99p on eBay!
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17 January 2020 /

Testing Primark Beauty products


I've been using Estee Lauder's Double Wear foundation for a few weeks - I have a sample size so I only use it for special occasions or when I know I'll be needing a full face of makeup for the whole day. On a daily basis I use a lighter coverage as I prefer a more natural look and my skin is quite dry at the moment so anything matte scares me. However, I love the airbrushed effect that Double Wear gives, and the incredible variety of shades (I was colour matched and it was the perfect shade!) so I thought about adding something with a fuller coverage to my collection. 

At £34 a bottle, the Double Wear foundation is way out of my price range. I also found it too heavy for every day use and therefore couldn't justify spending that much money on it. So I decided to take to the internet and ask for suggestions for dupes of Estee Lauder's Double Wear foundation on my Instagram stories. The results varied from L'Oreal Paris Infallalible to Arbonne but the product that came up multiple times was Primark Beauty's Double Coverage Matte Foundation. Obviously, I headed straight to my local Primark to hunt down a bottle of my own..

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I think there were only six shades available and it took me a long time to decide which one would be the best match for me. Not only because some of the testers were missing (The worst part about makeup shopping, it's soo inconvenient) but also because there were quite a few people crowded around the stand who were also trying to grab a bargain and find their shade too. I ended up choosing Ivory which to be honest is a pretty good match. It's slightly more pink/cool toned than I would like but it's not overly noticeable and for £5, I can work with it. 

It has the same scent and consistency as Double Wear but I found the coverage to be slightly lighter. Which isn't an issue for me as I didn't want something too heavy anyway but if you're expecting it to be as full as the Double Wear, you will notice the difference. 

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The second product I tried was their Shimmer Lip Glaze lipgloss which was only £2. A few years ago I bought two of their metallic liquid lipsticks and I was not impressed. The consistency was thin and it smelt strange. Looking back I shouldn't have even attempted to test them because metallic lips are not a look for me but at the time, I definitely got caught up in the trend. 

However, this lipgloss has completely restored my faith in Primark Beauty lip products. I've used it every day since I bought it and it's the perfect colour. Unfortunately the name of the shade was only on the outer packaging so I can't actually tell you what it's called but there were only two options - this one (I think it was called daze or flame?? Don't quote me on that) and a lighter, more peachy colour. It doesn't dry out your lips, it has a sweet scent but it's not too overpowering and it adds just the right amount of shine. I also think it makes my lips look fuller and plumper as well which is a nice bonus! 

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Overall, I've been very impressed with these two new Primark Beauty products that I recently picked up. I've used their lipliners for years but now I've branched out into their face makeup too, I can't wait to try some of their other products!



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