January Favourites & Pets in Clothing.

How is it January 2017? How am I now 20? How am I three months in to university? SO MANY QUESTIONS. Admittedly I should be graduating this year but, you know, someone decided she was going to go travelling for a few years and I honestly wouldn't have had it any other way. Despite now being at university and being on a very strict student budget, I've somehow managed to accumulate a whole bunch of new products. I suppose I do like to do things my own way, even if it does mean having an emptier bank account than usual...

I Was An Extra in Game Of Thrones?

Ronda; a historic town situated in the south of Málaga and one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited. It's also where they film part of Game of Thrones. If I were to visit now, I know that I'd be taking photos of the famous bridges, mountains and dainty streets that it is known for. When I last visited, some four years ago, my friend, Meg, and I spend the day antagonizing Jed and Julia, photobombing and pretending to be bulls... as you do. I'd say this is one of my favourite holidays and best days ever.

Favourite Fashion Instagrammers.

Today has been one of those days where I have spent hours absentmindedly staring into my larger than average wardrobe but still can't seem to find anything to wear. It's days like this when I turn to one of my favourite social media platforms, Instagram, for a bit of fashion inspiration. While that may mean sieving your way through endless photos of Givenchy Antigona bags, fluffy Céline shoes and more Kylie Jenner selfies than one wants to see, but I've learnt to skip that part and go straight to some of my major Instagram style crushes' pages. 

15 Under 15 (With One Exception).

As a student, I don't have a lot of money to spend on fashion and beauty so I have to be incredibly careful with my purchases. You'll often catch me having a browse through NARS, MAC, Charlotte Tilbury, etc. but I never really buy anything from there. I'd say about 90% of my make-up is KIKO or Rimmel, with the odd exception being from a more expensive (or cheaper) brand. Here are 15 reasonably priced products, tried and tested, that I consider to be staple products...

From Me to You: Tips for Long-Haul Flights.

It's safe to say that I've done a few long haul flights in my life. Two personal highlights include a fifteen hour flight followed by a nine hour flight - they were GREAT (major sarcasm) and oh so long. They involved me becoming so ill and the plane staff being no help whatsoever that I burst into tears and told them they were going to have to give me drugs or do an emergency landing... So they gave me Calpol. NO HELP WHATSOEVER. Those two flights aside, the rest have been great and I've strangely enjoyed them, so I thought I'd share a few tips with you. Oh, and once you're back flying short haul, it will be like you've blinked and you've landed. It's so weird. 

A Once in a Lifetime Experience.

As an animal lover/human with a brain, I know zoos can be a touchy subject. So, when a trip to Perth Zoo was suggested, I was understandably a little bit skeptical, but, after much research into all the work Perth Zoo do and just how much they give back, I was determined to give it a go, and I'm so glad I did. The habitats were large and designed to be exactly like the animals' regular home, and the Zoo itself works with charities across the globe and is determined to fight the extinction of many animals the zoo is home too. While there, I was actually allowed to have a one on one experience with some of the animals. You can book to do this either online or on the day, and can meet/feed/help bathe so many different animals: giraffes, elephants, different breeds of monkeys, etc. (prices vary). With the giraffes, you would normally be in a group of 10 and each person is allowed to give a giraffe one branch. I was lucky enough to be allowed to do it on my own and spend a good twenty minutes up there. Giraffes are easily one of my favourite animals, so this was a dream come true. Myself and Armani (!!) got on very well. All in all, I don't have a problem with certain zoos, as long as they are actually trying to better the lives of animals in the long run, with breeding and research that they do with the animals in their captivity. AND NO SHOWS.

My Happy Place (Excluding the Bankruptcy).

Is there anything better than a complete stranger coming up to you whilst you're wearing a £6000 Dolce and Gabbana crown and telling you how much it suits you? Just in case that hasn't happened to any of you, I can tell you that there's not. It almost made me jump for joy (the crown was being carefully watched by a shop assistant, who was ready to dive for it at a moment's notice). this happened in Bicester Village, a shopping outlet in Oxford, which is basically heaven on earth. Oxford is about 40 minutes out of London and clearly Geography isn't our strong point because it was much more in the countryside than we expected. Ariadna's first words once we'd stepped off the train, other than "take a photo of me", were "it smells of horse shit". Charming. Asides from that, there are designer stores with items just a fraction of their usual place, pop-up stalls, places to eat and, if you go in December, the most amazing Christmas decorations you will ever see and an incredible playlist of Christmas songs. Make sure to wear an amazing outfit and to take your purse and a lot of self-control. I ended up buying a Mulberry card holder and a Fossil watch. 

Snug as a Bug in a Rug.

I didn't think it was possible to own as many coats and jackets as I do and still want more. Black, camel, leather, denim... you name it, I've probably got it and, if I don't have it, then I'm probably currently saving or have my eye on it. Yes, living in wet, cold and rainy England can sometimes get you down, but there's something about wearing more layers than an onion has that it oddly satisfying. This winter, I'm determined to avoid the combination of a thick jumper, coat, jeans, snood and boots. Instead, I want to incorporate them into my everyday look in a different way. Also, I want to bring tracksuit bottoms back in a big way, mainly because I can't be bothered to get dressed for university on a morning... Here are some looks I'll be hoping to copy...

 

2016 Memories: What I Ticked off my Bucket List and 2017 Wishes.

I know 2016 was, on a whole, such a sad year for many but for me personally, I'd say it was on off the best yet. I got to travel and explore new cities, countries and continents, strengthen friendships and make new ones, as well as achieving some personal goals. I also got the chance to tick a fair few things off of my bucket list. I hope 2017 is just as good, if not better. I hope to continue conquering my anxiety, travel even more (I've got some big plans for this year) and continue to spend more time with the people I love. For now though, here's some of my 2016 highlights...

I Want To Get Away.

It's wet and cold in England and I am ready for some sunshine. I'd put up with it all - the not buying any clothes so I could save for a ticket, an annoying kid behind me kicking my chair, the inflatable pillows and air-conditioning that's set to freezing and the awful plane food - if it meant being able to jet off another adventure, preferably somewhere tropical with sandy beaches, palm trees and crystal clear water. I feel a warm winter holiday coming on... Until I (hopefully) get around to going on one, I'm going to spend my time on Tumblr and Pinterest, searching for all things Summer and the perfect holiday destination for some sun in Winter...

January Wishlist - Perfumes.

Everyone has their vice. Mine personally is watches and coats - I have a rather large collection of each, far more than your average person needs, but not far behind them is perfume. Perfume is definitely something I own too much of, but always something I want more of. Scent is such a personal thing and, to me, the perfume I choose for the day depends on my mood, the weather and what I have planned for the day. These are the five I currently have my eyes on...

Back to Blogging & a Happy New Year!

A lot has changed since the last time I blogged. Posts may have been going up, but they were written back in July, way before I was too busy getting drunk at university to really string a coherent sentence together about anything other than tequila. But "New Year, New Me" and all that. Now that it's 2017, I'm looking to crack on with work more and really knuckle down, as well as getting back in to the swing of blogging. After all, it'll be good to have a hobby that doesn't involve damaging my liver.