Travel // Barbados

Barbados. Sun, sea, cocktails and beaches. I have now been to Barbados three times, once when I was about 8 and twice last year in July and December.

I don't remember much from my holiday when I was 8, however I do remember this loverly moment.... The one of the right was the bell boy and on the left was the guy in charge of water sports. He used to strut up and down the beach whilst teenage girls oggled him, and who can blame them!? ;)

 So last July I went on a family holiday plus my best friend, Emily, to Barbados. Which, as you can imagine, we were both crazily excited about! We had a great time, staying in The Colony Club hotel in St. James province. We made lots of friends with the hotel staff, including a lovely waiter called Antonio who used to patrol the beach handing out cold towels, cucumber and ice cream. I was in my element! The picture below is one of the bar men called Neil. We caught him sneaking plantain chips out of the tub when no one was looking. 

 This is Javany. One of the watersports instructors, who also ended up showing us the nightlife in St.Lawrence Gap.

Most days we spent chilling on the beach, listening to music and getting our tan on. One day we hired a car and drove round the island. It was fascinating to see a completely opposite, far more relaxed way of life when compared to the hustle and bustle of England. It was a way of life I could definitely get used to.

 As a foodie the highlight of my holiday was without a doubt going to The Cliff restaurant near St. Lawrence Gap. If you're not familiar with the cliff it is essentially a restaurant set on top of a cliff (funnily enough), with great big torches coming out the side of the restaurant, illuminating the water below enabling you to watch the different fish and sting rays as you eat your dinner. Not only does it look stunning but the food is also pretty damn amazing. 

 Another highlight is Oistins Fish Fry, where you get lush food for super affordable prices, can have a browse round some stalls and dance to live reggae music in the square. When I went during summer it was slinging it down with rain, so me and my friend danced the night away to reggae in the rain. 

 Me and Emily loved our time in Barbados so much that we decided to work throughout what was remaining of summer 2015 and put our pennies together to afford a plane ticket back in December. We share the same birthday (Dec 19th) so we decided to spend our birthday out there. This time we stayed in a hotel in the buzzing atmosphere that is St. Lawrence Gap, directly opposite the nightclub 'Sugar' and just down the road from a karaoke bar. Every night we could hear people singing their heart out till the early hours of the morning... yes this did get slightly annoying after a while! We also met up with some of our friends we made from the summer and it was lovely to catchup with them! 

                                            Fruit Punch aka. THE BEST DRINK EVER.

 I can safely say Barbados is one of my most favourite places I have visited so far. If you can put up with humidity making you hair go frizzy I would strongly recommend a trip to paradise! I really want to explore more of the Caribbean, maybe somewhere like Jamaica or Antigua.

♥

A much needed UPDATE...

It's actually sickening to think my last blog post was back in June 2015. It's now March 2016 and I have finally pulled myself out of my blogging funk and feel ready to get my blog on.

In September 2015 I moved from Kent to Nottingham to go to university! Since then it has felt like a complete whirlwind of starting my course, making friends and actually falling in love with someone. The past 6 months have been crazy to say the least. I plan on doing a separate blog post all about my experience so far at uni so keep an eye out for that! 

Now I feel inspired and miss my blogging days. So I'm (finally) back and ready to get my blog on. 

Love,

Laura 

♥

Hand Luggage Essentials!

I have (finally) finished my A-Levels meaning it's time to get my blog back on! On Saturday I am jetting off to Barbados *excited squeals* so I thought I'd share with you what I'm taking in my hand luggage to possibly give you a lil inspiration if you too are jetting off somewhere fancy this Summer. Or maybe you just feel like being nosy and having a peak at what's in my hand luggage! ;)

...Oh and don't worry, I shall be sharing many posts ALL about Barbados with you!

1. Bag. Starting off with the most important part of hand luggage - the luggage bag itself. 

Rucksacks are fab for airports as you still have your hands free to browse the shops whilst waiting for your plane. It's also a lot better for your shoulder than carrying a heavy shoulder bag (trust me, I have had my fair share of excruciating shoulder pain before... thanks schoolbag.)

2. Makeup 

I purchased my clear makeup bag in a pack of 3 for £8 in Boots. Obviously, in hand luggage you have to carry a clear plastic makeup bag for security reasons, but I just LOVE this clear makeup bag and I have no clue why!? I guess I kinda like being able to see what I've packed inside. 

In Flight : 

Airplanes MAJORLY dry your skin out, and personally, I HATE the feeling of dry skin! Above I've packed:

Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating face & body moisturiser - £1.29

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula body moisturiser - £1.50

This moisturiser smells like chocolate it's amazing, plus it's super moisturising!

Revlon Colour stay Moisture Stain in 'Rio Rush' - £7.99

Personally, I don't like wearing makeup on long-haul flights however I like to add a bit of colour to my face whilst keeping my lips moisturised. 'Rio Rush' is a pretty light pink colour, if you apply a good amount it comes out fairly vibrant (which is perfect for the beach), however on an airplane I tend to just dab it on just to add a hint of colour.

Just before landing :

As I don't want to land in Barbados looking a complete mess (and lets face it, after an 8hr flight the dark under-eye circles will no doubt of made an appearance) I like to freshen up and apply some natural looking makeup just before landing.

Shown above:
Rimmel Volume Lash Scandal Eyes mascara in 'Black' - £6.99

Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer in 'True Ivory' - £5.49
I swear by this concealer. It's for sure one of my 'holy grail' makeup products.

Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer - £6.99
Primer is a must, especially seeing as I will be tired and therefore my dark circle prone. Also I'll be entering a very humid country meaning my makeup will slip off my face super easy - not sexy. I LOVE this primer, it makes makeup last so so much longer and also leaves skin feeling super duper soft.

Maybelline Dream Touch blush in 06 - £6.49
I have been using this blush for as long as I can remember, and although the packaging makes it IMPOSSIBLE to get product out if you have long nails, I still love the natural, dewy look this blusher gives.

Rimmel Sun Shimmer bronzer in Medium Matte - £5.61
This bronzer is a touch too dark for me but when lightly applied gives a really natural bronzed look. I don't want to get off the plane looking too pale and sun-deprived!

Revlon Color Burst matte balm in 'Audacious' - £7.99
This stay on for AGES and has a lovely fresh minty scent to it - just what I need after a flight. It's a very bright orange colour, making me feel instantly tropical!

3. Sunglasses are a must when soaring above the clouds and for when you land.

Casual reflection there...

I recently purchased these sunglasses from American Eagle and I'm IN LOVE. I love aviator sunglasses. These instantly make me feel super summery!

4. Books

Airplane journeys are the perfect time to catch-up on some 'me' time. I personally love the Bridget Jones film so decided to read the book this summer. Will make a nice change from academic reading! A light-hearted easy read for a plain journey is a must, whilst being a book you can totally immerse yourself in. I also purchased the book 'Cat Therapy'. This book is essentially 100 complex pictures of cats that you have to colour in (basically an adult colouring book.) I love colour and find it really relaxing and a perfect way to pass time on a flight.

5. Mobile & Headphones

'scuse the dirty phone screen...

Of course do NOT forget your mobile and headphones when travelling. I have recently downloaded a whole bunch of new songs ranging from upbeat dance tunes to more chilled out songs. Music and phone games is a perfect way to pass time on a flight. I've been loving the game by Ellen DeGeneres 'Heads Up' which is great to play if you're travelling with a friend and 'What If' which is also I highly amusing game. Alternatively I'll just sit and edit photos of clouds for a bit!

6. Other bits & bobs

Some other essentials include hand sanitizer, a nail file, and some journals. The brown one is my personal diary and the green one is just a random/ideas notebook. Usually on flights I'll spend time planning blog posts or jotting down some activities I want to do on holiday.

Oh and also don't forget some snacks! I haven't pictured my snacks here as I will buy them at the airport but I always like to take some Sultanas, Chocolate and some sucky anti-bacterial lozengers (you know how germy planes can be) and some chewing gum.


So that's it for my hand luggage essentials! I hope you've enjoyed this post and it has given you some ideas if you are going on holiday soon.
Let me know in the comments your holiday essentials and if you are travelling anywhere exciting this summer, I'd love to know!

Love,

Laura

♥

A girl with a plan.

As you may or may not have noticed, I really haven't been posting very much content AT ALL on this blog, for this I am really really sorry. In fact, I have only wrote one post so far this year... it's nothing to be proud of I know. 

HOWEVER, I am a girl with a plan. I love this blog a crazy amount and have had many ideas for blog posts, I have sooo many drafts stored up it's crazy. As some of you may or may not know I am currently in the last few months of studying my A-Levels so they are my priority at the moment. Stress is an all-consuming beast, even as I take a break from my studies to write this blog post now I feel stress slowly creeping in and eating away at me. 

Anyway, back to my plan. On June 20th I am jetting off to Barbados (super excited) where I will start vlogging, as drum roll pleeeease ...... I am going to start a YouTube channel! I shall be YouTube-ing and blogging throughout the summer and beyond. I am so excited by this prospect and quite frankly it is one of my main sources of motivation. I want to begin now but I can't :( 

So this is a post to say that I'm still here, by no means have I ditched my blog, bear with me, I will be back bringing with me some fab content and YouTube vids. 

Thank you to all my 66 lovely subs. Speak to you soon <3 <3 

Love,

Laura 

♥

What I'm Wearing : Red Carpet Themed Party

Tomorrow night I am off to a 'Red Carpet Themed Party', something I've never attended before, let alone a red carpet event (but a girl can dream!) So, to prepare myself for getting 'glammed up' I ventured into town to have a browse round some shops to get some inspiration and hopefully spend buy a dress fit for the occasion (whilst keeping to a fairly tight budget...) So here's what I'll be wearing...

My Outfit

 

Miss Selfridge  - reduced to £17.50

Have had the leather jacket for ages so can't remember where it's from but desperate to invest in a new one! I wanted to pair the leather jacket with my dress to give my outfit a slightly edgier look.

New Look

 Can't remember where my shoes are from either I've had them for quite a while! 'scuse the grass inside they have braved many parties! I think the bag and these heels ensure my outfit is kept glam yet edgy with the leather jacket.

What would you wear if you went to a red carpet event? 

Love,

Laura

♥ 

Autumn/Fall Tag

1. What's your favourite seasonal drink from Starbucks/Cafe Nero/Costa etc? 

So far this year I haven't actually had a seasonal drink! Although I have been loving Starbucks hot chocolates with a shot of caramel.

2. Accessories- what do you opt for: scarf, boots or gloves?

Definitely a scarf - I've been wearing one everyday! But I do love boots rather a lot as well... 

3. Music- what's your favourite music to listen to in the autumn?

At the moment I have been loving Ed Sheeran, I think his song 'Autumn Leaves' is rather fitting for this post!

4. Perfume- what's your favourite scent for this time of year?

I am currently on the look out for a new favourite scent, however as always I have been wearing Abercrombie & Fitch 'Wakely' perfume on a daily basis.

5. Candles- what scents will you be burning this season?

My top 2 candles that I've been LOVING at the moment are both Yankee Candles (surprise surprise) one is called 'Fireside Treats' the other is 'Ginger Dusk.' Next time you're in a Yankee Candle shop I definitely recommend giving them a sniff!

6. What do you love most about autumn?

Going for long walks in the countryside, coming home curling up by the fire and of course a good roast dinner with apple crumble is perfection. 

7. Favourite makeup look?

Black eyeliner cat eye with either Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick 107 or another berry tone lipstick.

8. What are you looking forward to the most in autumn?

My favourite part of autumn is always halloween and bonfire night but seeing as they have both passed now, so probably just buying some more snuggly jumpers and am desperate for some more ankle boots!

I tag anyone who fancies giving this tag a go!

Love,

Laura

♥ 

heart to heart ~ it's okay not to be okay/ Laura's Guide on how to have a darn good 'down day'

I have decided to start a new series on this blog called 'heart to heart'! The aim of this is to discuss more serious/controversial issues. Essentially these posts are the place where I become a Buddha-like figure and try as best I can to answer and give a bit of past experience/wisdom about certain issues... I'm by no means so philosophical guru so bear with me, I'm trying;)

Recently, I have been hearing about from others or experiencing myself the very shitty rut also known as sadness or 'feeling depressed.' I put 'feeling depressed' in speech marks as obviously there is a difference of severity being feeling depressed and actually being depressed. Feelings of sadness can be caused by many thing; relationships/breakups, family issues, friendship issues, worries, school or some days you just wake up and feel really darn sad for no apparent reason, which is also completely normal. 

Today has been one of those 'sad' days. For no apparent reason I have felt doom and gloom, no matter how hard I've tried it has been painfully difficult to try and force a smile. All day I have spent trying and trying to make myself feel cheery and upbeat, longing for a hint of joire d'vivre. However, I still haven't found my joire d'vivir today. That's when, approximately half an hour ago I realised, it's okay to have a sad day or a 'down day' as I like to call them. So here is an exclusive preview to:

 LAURA'S GUIDE ON HOW TO HAVE A DARN GOOD DOWN DAY.

1) Shower ... I know we're having a down day but that doesn't mean hygiene goes out the window ok? Never ever never. 

2) Once showered tie hair in crazy messy bun, resembling a pineapple as best you can. 

3) Put on cosy pj bums and an oversized hoodie (preferably one bought from the men's section)

PJ bums - Gilly Hicks

Hoodie - Republic #downdaychic

4) Grab some chocolate and get ready for those endorphines to be released... I've opted for Minstrals. 

5) Get yo'self on Netflix. 

6) Cry, mope and just keep yourself to yourself for a day ... (although we are having a down day we don't want to be spreading on sadness to anyone else so maybe tuck yourself away for a day.) 

 So embrace the day. It's okay to feel gloomy for no apparent reason  once in a while. Through experience I've come to realise the only way to deal with a 'down day' is to embrace that down day, wallow and eat chocolate, watch films and weep if you must. 

Now I am aware that their is a possibility of two thoughts flouting through your cranium; 'I thought this post was meant to be uplifting?' and 'Why is she telling me to be down? This isn't how wikihow told me to deal with my sadness.' 

In answer to any thoughts of a similar nature you might be having right now, yes, I am encouraging you to be sad and wallow for a day BUT and it's a big but... when the clock strikes 5 do something productive and feel good no matter how big or small it may be. Whether your productive deed is doing 20 squats or rustling up some super healthy feast make sure you do. 5 o'clock is the time to put on a flick of mascara, take your hair out of that pineapple bun and throw on some leggings (as opposed to crazy checkered pj bums.) 

The whole purpose of a down day is to make yourself feel better without even realising it. My piece of productiveness seeing as now is the end of my down day is writing this post. I sit here tapping away on my keyboard, admittedly still sporting the pineapple bun, however a lot happier. Because now I know that even when I have a low day I can still achieve something, making something of that day. If it hadn't of been for my overall feeling of glumness today I probably wouldn't be sat here writing this post. I have also made a plan of what I'm going to achieve tomorrow and gathered some exciting ideas for up and coming trips out with friends over Christmas.

Having a down day isn't a lifestyle choice. It's a day. A single day. For me I'd say I have approximately 10 down days out of 365 days in a year. Don't let sadness hold you back. Embrace it then move on. Make plans, exciting plans that you can look forward to, watch uplifting films/shows on Netflix, gradually you'll start to feel brighter and more motivated to ensure tomorrow is a good day.

Now you have been exposed to the wisdom that is Laura's darn good down day guide I hope you're feeling full of wisdom;) Seriously though, it is okay not to be okay sometimes, not everyone is happy and jolly 24/7. Embrace every emotion and feeling, just embrace some more than others. Embrace the feeling of sadness but not for so long it consumes you. 

Love, 

Laura

♥ 

PS. If today has been your down day it's past 5 o'clock, you now should have completed something productive and fulfilling, looking forward to the new day that is tomorrow :) 

Remember a down day is by no means everyday, it's only a one off kinda deal.