The 'Night Out' Beauty Bag

If you read my blog post last Monday, you would know that I went out on the toon for the first time in Saturday night. I had an amazing night, but with the overcrowded clubs, bright lights and lack of air circulation creates a sweatier, smellier, more tired version of myself. From this photo I only took a couple of these things, but now I have been there, done that, and got the t shirt, I have collected the things I slipped into my bag on the night...and the essentials I wish I had taken for this post.

First, I will start with the bits I did bring, and seeing as sore feet were at the top of my 'possible scenarios to avoid' list, I was sure to slip a pack of Scholl's Party Feet in my F&F clutch bag (FYI I didn't include a seperate beauty bag inside, cause ain't nobody got time for dat). They do what they say on the tin, but that didn't stop me from kicking my heels off at midnight, a job well done by my Primark Flats, comfy and only £4 - so no need to worry if they get ruined - win win! I also included my scent (Juicy Couture's Viva La Juicy) in roll on form, which is perfect for a handbag, and my lippie for the night, which was the new Revlon Moisture Stain in the shade 'Barcelona Nights'. Unfortunately it didn't feel like Barcelona in the cold British, summer night weather here, but it was as close as I could get.

Now for the things I could of done with, or the fails. As it was my first night out, a few bumps in the road were bound to happen. The first of these was forgetting powder. I applied my Stay Matte powder from Rimmel before I left, but after hours of dancing I was in need of deshining my t zone. Another sweat-free tactic I missed were hairbands (!) for emergency pineapple situations. And two things that weren't missed too much, but that I would of loved the luxury of, was my eyeliner and mascara, both from the Benefit They're Real range; to keep my eye game strong, all night long. 

Nevertheless, not any vital mistakes were made, but the whole experience could have been a lot smoother and sweat free with a few of my beauty friends.

The Saturday Night Out

Oh Monday, you are my enemy right now. Particularly this week; as on Saturday I had my first night out/clubbing experience. Boy, it was good.

Me and 12 of my friends hopped into our local Italian 'Da Vincis' for some good grub, then I followed their footsteps as they showed me how to have a good night in our town. I had their spinach and ricotta tortelloni in a rich creamy sauce *drools* with a glass of rosé (because, now I can!). After our meal, we popped into the local pub for a drink, before heading to the clubs. We danced the night away and I didn't get home until after 2am. 

The first thing I organised for my birthday was in fact my outfit - #bloggerproblems or what? I lept into this strapless jumpsuit number, partnered with this beautiful beaded clutch, from none other than F&F, or otherwise known as Tesco. I definitely would not expect this outfit to be a supermarket purchase being such good quality and wonderful fit.

I spent most of my evening on the dance floor, so by about midnight I abandoned my 4 inch platform heels for my trusty Primark flats. Nevertheless these heels are actually the only pair I own. Yes, you read that correctly. Thankfully they are so simple and worked nicely with the outfit, so I opted out of buying a new pair of heels. Perhaps next time...

I wanted to wear things that made me feel comfortable, and in turn the most confident, so I kept my face makeup bronzed and fresh, all thanks to my NYC 'Sunny' Bronzing Powder, and a few dabs of the Soap & Glory . For my eyes I used my much-loved Naked Basics Palette to create a subtle smokey eye, and my favourite eyeliner of the moment; Benefit's They're Real Push-Up Liner (in love) and the matching mascara. And for my lips I was very excited to test drive Revlons Moisture Balm Stain in Barcelona Nights, which stood the test of time as it dried almost instantly and lasted all night - so it was smiles all round in the lip department.

Overall I had a great first night out on the to'on, but let's not get too carried away, we all know my next will be how I found a new flavour of green tea in Sainsburys.

Jacob's Coffee House, Bath

It's no secret that I love coffee. So when my parents offered me a lift into the beautiful city of Bath; somewhere I visited countless times, but definitely more for rugby matches than shopping or mooching, i took prime opportunity of taking some time on TripAdvisor the night before to find the best independent cafés in the centre. Let's face it - I am a coffee snob...

The cafe is tucked away on a corner of Cheap Street - one of the main shopping streets in the city. The cosy size and rustic interior invited me in, but it's polished overall look convinced me that this could be a damn good cup of coffee. I usually take my coffee black, but over the summer I find myself falling for an iced soy latte, and I was very pleased to hear not only that they carried soy, but there wasn't an extra charge. Win win! 

I perched myself on a bench outside of the cosy cafe, as the weather was sunny and the view of the Abbey was too pretty to miss. Plus it was incredibly busy in their upstairs seating, so I am assured the cafe is a local favourite as well as a TripAdvisor tourist hotspot. However I noticed the temperature had risen about 10 degrees as I climbed the stairs, so perhaps if it were cooler I would of waited for a seat on the top decks.

The most important factor was the coffee, of course, and it did not disappoint. The milk was light and smooth, not the tangy, and sometimes the almost gone-off, taste that some other soy milks have. I should of asked what brand they carry to bring the Jacob's taste back home with me! The espresso was just how I like it too, strong but not too bitter.

So thanks Jacob's for a great coffee, but I wouldn't visit you on a humid rainy day - as either sitting in the rain or the hot just, well, doesn't sound hot!

Until the next post,

Libby

5 Things I Have Learnt Working 9 to 5

      

Over the last month I have been working in a small team of ladies; tucked away in our local council offices for 3 days a week on a 9-5 schedule for the holidays. So I thought I could update you all on the matter by suggesting 5 lessons I have learned working from full time:

1) Caffeine is your best friend

I have always been a morning person, but by 4pm I am ready to get my PJs on and put the day to rest on the sofa. For the rest of the day, I will drink gallons of green tea and water, but relying on coffees and teas at that 4 o clock slump is a must.

2) Your travel-sized stash will come in handy

When in a rush, I have a habit of throwing more than I need for the day, which results in handbag zips that won't zip and very sore arms! To keep things simple, I always keep a mini hand cream, sanitiser and perfume, plus my lippie of the day. Yesterday I discovered 8 different lipsticks in my bucket bag, so a reminder to constantly clear it out is now on my agenda!

3) Yes, you can do eyeliner flicks in under a minute

I always leave doing my makeup till the end of my morning routine, so an on-demand steady hand for my flicked eyeliner has been required for the last month. And my skills with the pen have proved quite successful; surprisingly smudge and stress free!

4) Every meet up is now always a catch up

Now that I only have two days in the week free, meeting up with friends has been proven quite difficult (especially with holidays and their corresponding jobs) so I have found I am falling behind the radar. So weekly catch ups with at least one friend, and accepting every party invite I get are almost compulsory if I want to stay on top of the goings on in my social group!

5) You will spend 90% of your spare time shopping

And finally, as we all know, points make prizes, or in my case, several pay packets a month, and even saving most of my cash for driving lessons, still leaves me enough to introduce new friends to my wardrobe and beauty drawers. Besides, I do deserve it.

A Peachy Post

Hello again!

For me, aside from religiously wearing Birkenmocks and plaiting more halo braids than the amount of times I have Ed Sheeran's new album on repeat (which is a lot, by the way), for me this summer I am crazy for anything peach. So naturally, I am dedicating a blog post to my peach favourites.

I always shower in the morning; my favourite time of the day, so the smell of warm, fuzzy peaches from The Body Shop's Vineyard Peach Body Scrub just makes showertime the best time, and smell of the day. After scrubbing my sorrows away, I apply lashings of The Body Shop's Vineyard Peach Body Lotion, which is super moutrisitng, non-sticky, and smells just as amazing as the body scrub. I can literally smell the fuzz on the peach skin!

Peachy pink tips look sophisticated, and the cool, light hues make your tan look oh-so-fab. My favourites are Tanya Burr's Nail Polish in Peaches and Cream; one of my favourites from her new line is a pink toned peach colour, and Barry M's Nail Paint in Peach Melba; possibly my favourite drugstore nail polish formula of all time (behind the Gelly version!) and the perfect orange-toned peach colour. 

And for a pop of dusky peachy-pink cheek colour, I always turn to my trusty blush in Peach Melba by Natural Collection. It gives a natural glow and a tanned tone to the skin, and at only £2 a pop, this has been repurchased by me almost every summer.

Lastly, as my complexion doesn't agree with pale nudes, my picks for a peachy pout are slightly darker, but definitely just as fruity. Revlon's Balm Stain in Elusive is the perfect pink - like the fruit slightly ripened, and a quick coat of Tanya Burr's Lip Gloss in Afternoon Tea adds the nicest shine.

Speaking of afternoon tea, I am drinking gallons of this Sainsbury's Green Tea with Peach at work and home, tastes and smells insane and is only 90p - I am sold.

Until the next post,

Libby x

Week in Photos No. 2 // deskparties

Hello again!

It's been an eventful month; I have started a second job for the summer and I am currently training for my last ever cheerleading competition (until Uni, at least) so finding my balance between work and play has been a little top heavy (towards the work front) this month. But of course I did squeeze a couple of cute days out and #foodporn to share for you all!

• walking my westie, Skye • samples shopping with my friend • sibling selfies • 

• bournemouth beachfront • mr whippy kind of weather • my beach beauty bag contents •

• iced coffee in newly discovered cafes • letting my hair down • lazy day essentials •

• tgif traditions • saturday night in stash • sunday brunch watching sunday brunch •

I hope the month of July treats you well; this month sees me competing in Bournemouth, having bbqs with friends and turning 18 (finally!). What will you be up to in the month of July?

Until the next post,

Libby xx

The Weekend Post #2 // deskparties

In my last weekend post, you saw me going for a family meal for my dad's birthday; an activity that has always been a rarity in my family. Therefore today I thought I would share a more realistic sight of my weekends, or Saturday night, in this case.

Above is my standard Saturday night in set up - amazing, huh? Yep, I am counting down the days until I turn 18, and evenings spent vegging out are as frequent as days dancing the night away. Nevertheless, I am happy to drown my sorrows in diet coke and cheesy musicals for the time being.

As I came in from work, I slipped into my cool and comfy clothes, aka a big hoodie, leggings and these cute as a button owl slippers from Matalan. After eating dinner and feeding the dog, I popped some Graze popcorn; in the flavour Slightly Sweet (the best of the box - more posts on this subscription snack box in the future!) and my favourite tea of the moment: Clipper's green tea with peppermint. Perfection.

Before switching on my film - tonight it was Mamma Mia (I sang, alot. And really loud...) I lather on a thick layer of any face mask, but as I am suffering from a breakout at the moment, I went for the Superdrug Purifying Mud Mask with Witch Hazel; to bust those bad boy blemishes. One fact about me is that I always paint my nails at night, and as I had some extra time this Saturday I tipped my fingers with Tanya Burr's Nail Polish in Little Duck, and on my toes Rimmel's 60 Second Nail Polish in Coralicious. Mint blue and coral is my favourite mani-pedi combo at the moment; so bright and enhances my tan.

What did you get up to this Saturday night? Let me know in the comments!

Until the next post,
Libby xx