August favourites

This is a type of blog that I don't usually write but I have wanted to do for a while. It may be a little bit different to how people usually do this sort of thing but I don't particularly aim to fit in. What's the point in changing to suit other people? As I've been away for a while, some of the products may have been bought back in July but everything has been used in August. I also intend to do a similar sort of thing in vlog form at some point in the future when I can find enough confidence! So here are my August favourites...

First up are a couple of beauty items. We have the Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream in the shade Light because I have the palest skin going! 

I have found this a fantastic product as it isn't too heavy so can be used quite subtly but covers blemishes up very well. It is designed for oily skin which helps to keep my skin in (slightly) better condition but at the moment the condition of my skin appears to have gone down the pan! (Along with my immune system) Another excellent thing with this BB Cream is that it has SPF 15 so it can be used in the sun in place of sun cream avoiding the horrible greasy feeling on your face. It also prevents the need to worry about your skin becoming red and flaky with excessive exposure to the sun. I picked this up on offer in Asda for about £4 back towards the beginning of July before my Ghana trip and it proved very useful! If I can find it on offer again anywhere soon I'll be picking one up but I'm not too keen on the idea of paying £7.98 which is the usual price.

My next product is the Rimmel London Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Power in the shade transparent which is 001. And I'll let you guess why I need that shade! 

This powder works well over almost any foundation base to remove excessive shine and provide a more matte and natural look. The product was fairly cheap so I would recommend this product to everyone as long as you made sure to match the shade to your skin well. It is perfect for use at anytime of the year but is excellent during the summer as it is very light and not too obvious! 

Product number three was something I picked up quite hurriedly when I was running around town between Ghana and Egypt. It is the Collection Work the Colour Eyeshadow Pencil. 

I bought these in two shades, Vanilla Sky 1 and Vintage Blush 3, because they were 2 for £5. I wanted a couple of new eyeshadow a to go with my new dresses and skirts without having to pay rip-off airport prices and I wasn't let down! Usually I'm not too much of a fan when it comes to pencil eyeshadows but these are so simple to apply and the pastel shades practically go with anything I want them too! I must admit that I prefer the Vanilla Sky but that's because I'm not to keen on pinky colours so I mainly bought it for my sister's use (fantastic sister I am!) but I did quite like it. 

My next product is the essence studio nails nail polish corrector pen. 

I didn't go out specifically to buy this product but I saw it in Wilkinsons for £1.49 and thought I'd give it a go! I am a victim of rushing nail polish (because I swim so much it comes off easily then I have to reapply it) so it can often be quite untidy but this has made it so easy to clean up the untidy bits. It comes with 3 spare nibs (is that even the word?) for when the original gets too dirty, and most importantly it lasts an extremely long time; great value for money.

And one more beauty-type product. This is the Simple Kind to Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser.

When I came back from my travels, my skin was awfully dry as I'd been in such hot countries and, particularly in Ghana, I didn't really have time to look after it well. So this product has been my saviour! I picked up something 'Kind to Skin' as I'm allergic to practically everything. Within a day, my skin was a lot less dry and flaky and that's all I wanted from the product. I would definitely say it's worth a try!

Now for a few random August favourites..

My first one is a CD. With all of the travelling that I've been doing I've had plenty of time to stick my earphones in and just relax, listening to absolutely whatever I've wanted to. So what I've been listening to most is The Fault in our Stars soundtrack. As odd as this may seem, it is the one CD that I particularly associate with my summer.

At the beginning of the summer I went to see the film with my best friend (who I'd not seen for ages because we're at completely different colleges) and fell in love with everything about the film after already enjoying the book! Since then, I think I've listen to at least some music from the soundtrack every day. 

And my last one has to be the TV show I'm watching the most. Now a few people may know that I absolutely love baking! So a new series of The Great British Bake Off had me really excited. I'm loving watching to see how the series pans out and it gives me some great baking ideas to try out.

I'm sure everyone watching GBBO has their own favourites but right from the start I've have my own two favourite contestants: Martha (however she managed to juggle sitting AS exams and filming I'll never know!) and Kate. They're both fantastic bakers and I'd be thrilled if either one of them won! A contestant who has grown on me quite a lot is Nancy. Her baking seems quite unique compared to the others' and I look forward to her new creations each week. And if you're not watching it yet, BBC iplayer. Right now!

Let me know what you think of my new type of post; if you want to see another one like it in the future.

Keep smiling,

Kathryn x

Back to...

It's that dreaded time of year again. Summer has come to a close and people are back to reality: work, school, college or university. A lot of schools across the country have returned over the past two days but my college only return tomorrow and, for possibly the first time, I am genuinely excited! 

I'm going back into year 13 so it is my last year before university so the last year with a lot of my friends so in determined to make it a good one! At the end of the year I'll have to sit my A levels to gain a place at university and will have to work extremely hard all year to ensure this happens but I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to enjoy the new opportunities that a new year offers! 

I certainly hope that you are all looking forward to the year and if not, that it turns out a lot better than you are expecting. A lot of you will have important exams at the end of the year too. Just remember to keep on top of the work; do little bits every day instead of cramming work all at once and you'll do absolutely brilliantly! (And feel a whole lot less stressed!) Good luck for whatever the year brings you! 

Keep smiling,

Kathryn x