Study Abroad - Do it

"This one time in America" "When I was in America".........If you know me, you are probably sick of me starting sentences like this. I studied abroad in Rhode Island (USA) for 4 1/2 months in 2012 during the autumn term of my final year of university and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am such an advocate for studying abroad - If you ever get the opportunity to study abroad, do it! I am going to share a few of my pictures and memories of my time in the US and reasons why I think studying abroad is great.

I managed to pick my schedule very carefully so that I only had class on Tuesday - Thursday, leaving long weekends for optimum travelling. I managed to do so many fun things - trips to Washington DC, Atlantic City NJ, Boston, Canada, New York....and so much more!

NYC 2012 

New York City in November -such a clear day and a beautiful view from the Empire State Building. My boyfriend came to visit me half way through the term and as NYC is only 4 hours from Rhode Island we spent a week in the city. A distant relative has an apartment in NYC which he kindly let us stay in so we got to live like real newyorkers in the upper east side. New York is one of my favourite cities. 

RedSox's Vs Yankees Baseball game at Fenway Park.

A few weeks in to my time in Rhode Island I got the chance to travel to Boston with the other international students and go to a real life baseball game - as a British girl who has only ever seen baseball on tv, this was beyond exciting. I can't remember the score and I didn't really catch much of the rules but I do remember eating hotdogs, peanuts and cracker jacks whilst singing 'Take me out to the ball gaaaaaame'. Oh, and we all bought foam fingers (typical tourists)!

Newport - Rhode Island

The Rhode Island coast really is beautiful. In early September we took a trip to Newport, a small town in Rhode Island. It is so beautiful and the town itself is really quaint - typical of New England. 

Hot dogs in the USA - photograph by Anya Kubilus

American 'Candy'

A trip to the US wouldn't be complete without eating all of the stereotypical snacks - Hotdogs, corndogs, pretzels, cheese steaks, froyo, twizzlers, hersheys, lucky charms.....You name it, I tried it. I am surprised I didn't gain 10 stone!

You've seen a few of my memories - why should you study abroad?

1. You make friends from all over the world.Sharing such memorable experiences with new people helps form a really close bond and a friendship that I will cherish for a lifetime. I have friends in Norway, France and Canada who I am so lucky to have met. 
2. Studying abroad is such a unique experience. You get to spend 4 months experiencing new things and living life to the full without having to take time off work or university to do so.
3. It looks great on your CV - studying abroad shows that you're adaptable, determined, willing........and all those 'Buzz words' that employers love to hear.
4. Every weekend is an adventure.

Don't ask yourself why should I study abroad, ask yourself why not? I encourage you all to speak to your professors and see if you're able to study abroad! Let me know if you have or are thinking about studying abroad. I love to hear other peoples experiences  :) 

xxx

Soap & Glory No Clogs Allowed Review

In my search for baby soft skin, I picked up the Soap & Glory No Clogs Allowed Super Self Heating Deep Pore Detox Mask (what a mouthful!). I have only tried a few self heating face masks before and I have never really been a big fan. They tend to leave my skin red and slightly irritated and so I was rightfully quite apprehensive about trying this. 

No Clogs Allowed Self Heating Mask - RRP £11.50

You apply a grape sized amount of the product to your dry face and massage all over (obviously avoiding the sensitive eye area) and then wet your hands and massage over again. This turns the face mask from white to blue and activates the self heating aspect of the mask. After 5 minutes you remove the mask and voila, your skin is smooth and less clogged. It really is quite clever - and I am such a sucker for 'cool' or 'clever' skincare products!

The warming effect of this mask felt comforting and like it was actually doing work without feeling like you're having a harsh chemical face peel (like some of the previous warming face masks I have tried). Most face masks I have tried have also made my skin feeling really tight and dry once I removed it, however, my skin doesn't feel dry at all and so it is definitely one I am going to use again.

I was really impressed with this product - my skin wasn't at all irritated and after I removed the mask my face felt so soft. I have combination skin and judging from first impressions, this mask has worked really well for me. I would definitely recommend trying this and it is relatively inexpensive compared to some of the other self warming clay based face masks on the market.

Let me know which face masks work well for you :)

xxx

Spring OOTD

Spring is finally here, and it seems to have arrived rather unexpectedly.....on Monday I was scraping ice off my windscreen before work and today I went for a run in the sun in shorts and a T-shirt! I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of warmer weather so that I can ditch my big grey coat and scarf and start to wear more summery clothes. 

This was yesterdays OOTD 

Saturdays OOTD - Top Forever 21, Skirt Topshop, Boots NewLook & Tights Primark 

This outfit is really simple and comfy but looks really put together. I have long legs in comparison with my body so it's sometimes hard to find skirts that aren't really short, however, this skirt is the perfect length for me. High waisted skirts and blouses are a great combination and can be worn during the day with boots (as shown) or in the night with heels and a blazer. 

I have recently bought a few more items of clothing so keep posted for a spring look book. I hope you have enjoyed the sunny weekend :) 

xxx

Travel Beauty Essentials

 If you follow me on Instagram or twitter then you'll know that I've spent the past week in France visiting a friend who I met when I studied abroad. I really enjoy visiting France and if any of you have never been, I highly recommend taking a visit. I got an overnight ferry form Portsmouth to St Malo for just £50 return so it is really inexpensive! I had such a lovely time exploring Brittany with her and ate enough macaroons, cheese and bread to last me a lifetime.

Boulangerie in Brittany - amazing cakes and macaroons 

Apart from the travelling itself, one of the most exciting things for me is packing, especially my travel makeup/beauty bag - purely because travel sized products are so cute. I love picking which items I'm going to take away with me and I really enjoy using products that I usually wouldn't have time to use during a normal week e.g. face masks/deep treatment. If you're nosey like me and like to see which items other people take away with them, I have listed my essentials below :)

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser 

The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter 

The Body Shop Strawberry Shower Gel 

Batiste Dry Shampoo Original 

Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo 

Aussie Miracle Moist Conditioner 

Botanics Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask 

EOS Lip Balm Honeysuckle Honeydew 

Soap & Glory For Daily Youth moisturiser 

Boots Vitamin E Gentle Eye Cream 

Everyday makeup essentials mentioned in my FOTD Post 

Maybelline 547 Pleasure me Red Lipstick 

Benefit Dandelion Lipgloss 

Rimmel 60 Seconds Little Bo Peep nail polish

Kalms tablets (I'm a nervous traveller - especially when I'm alone)

And obviously the boring essentials e.g. toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, inhaler, paracetamol etc. 

Let me know what you put in your travel bag and what essentials you need when you're on holiday :) 

xxx

Everyday makeup FOTD

Everyday Makeup 

 I don't tend to wear makeup every day of the week (I love sleep too much!), but when I do get up on time, this is my go to look. My everyday products stay pretty much the same, with the exception of lip products which I tend to change up a bit more regularly :) 

Face

Maybelline's Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser - £7.99

Rimmel Match Perfect Foundation in Ivory - £6.99 

Benefit's High Beam -£19.50 

Soap & Glory Solar Powder Bronzer - £11.00 

Eyes/Eyebrows 

The Body Shop Liquid Eyeliner in Black - £9.00

The Body Shop Shimmer Cube Palette in 06 Warm - £16.00

Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara - £10.00

Lips

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Nudist - £8.00

Brushes used
Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - £9.99
EcoTools Bamboo Blush Brush - £7.99
EcoTools Bamboo Foundation Brush -£7.99
EcoTools Bamboo Eyeshadow Brush - £5.49

Hope you've all had a great day :)

xxx

Lush Haul and Product Review

Until recently, I had never really been a big fan of Lush products, with the exception of the bubblegum lipscrub and the Snow Fairy shower gel which I love! However, since moving into my own place with my own bath, I have ventured into the world of Lush bath products and am wondering how I ever lived without them.

Candy Mountain top left, tistytotsy bottom left, snowfairy sparkle centre, dreamtime top right, rose queen bottom left

Candy Mountain Bubble Bar - £2.65

I have honestly never had a bath with so many bubbles, this bubble bar is great and worth every penny. I used probably 1/4 of the bubble bar which left my bath full the the brim with bubbles my bathroom smelling like a sweet shop. It's a good job this product can be used multiple times as I have to wait until Christmas time to repurchase - I will definitely be bulk buying this next year! 

Space Girl Bath Bomb - £2.25 

Definitely my favourite product from this review, probably because it smells and looks like a parmaviolet sweet (one of my favourites). It turns the bath water purpley-blue/ red and fills the room with a sweet fruity smell. It is one of the cheaper bath bombs and is great value for money. I will definitely be repurchasing this. 

Space Girl Bath Bomb 

Snow Fairy Sparkle Massage Bar - £4.95

I'm a lover of the snow fairy shower gel and so had to try the Snow Fairy Sparkle Massage bar. I wasn't sure how to use it so I ended up using it in the shower as soap which was a big fail! I then read a few reviews and realised you were actually supposed to massage the bar onto your dry skin after showering.I tried using it the right way and loved it - it leaves the signature Snow Fairy smell on your skin all day and is really moisturising. It is a bit pricey for its size but it is the smell is amazing and it is a fun treat.

Rose Queen -£2.75

This rose-scented bath bomb leaves your skin silky smooth and smelling great for hours. As this fizzes in your bath, it turns the water a baby pink colour and releases flower buds and petals. If you don't have much time to clean your bath afterwards, I wouldn't recommend buying this product as I spent a good five minutes after picking out the leftover flower buds. The scent was amazing however I don't think I will repurchase this product - I am not a fan of floating flowers in my bath water.

I am yet to try the Tisty Tosty Bath Bomb and Dreamtime Luxury Bath Melt so stay posted for a review of these products. Let me know which Lush products are your favourite :) 

xxx

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Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Review

Like most girls, I am in search of the perfect skin care routine - It is what first attracted me to the world of blogging - so I thought it would be ideal for my first post to be about skincare.

After reading endless skincare blogs and watching countless YouTube video reviews, I decided to take the plunge and buy the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, and I am so very glad I did! I have dry/combination skin and this works perfectly for me. The muslin cloths remove any excess dead skin cells and leave my face feeling soft and smooth without having to use a harsh exfoliator.

I have never been great at keeping to skincare routines, mainly because I'm very lazy, but now I have a found a cleanser that works really well for me, I actually enjoy cleansing and keeping to my skincare routine! I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who is in search of a great cleanser.It is a bit pricey at £14.75 for a 100ml starter kit, but in my opinion, it's worth it as the results are fantastic!

Let me know what your favourite skincare items are as I am always keen to try new things

xxx







Available online at:
http://uk.lizearle.com/cleanse-tone-moisturise/cleanse-and-polish-hot-cloth-cleanser.html