Summer Book Tag

I love tags and this one incorporates two of my favourite things, so here we go!

What book cover makes you think of summer?

The cover of We Were Liars, one I have yet to read but it currently in my hand luggage so that i can read it on the coach or plane (depending on the trip). It has water on the front and it reminds me of the sea. I don't know what I am talking about but it makes sense to me!

What book has brightened your day?

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. I have read this book so many times and I come back to it so much because it is perfect!

Name a book with yellow on it?

The original cover of the hardback version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix

What is your favourite summer beach read?

It depends what I am feeling like, but probably Chris Higgins' Tapas and Tears, which is old and I read it in like year 6, but is close to my heart.

What action book had you running for the ice cream man?

I don't really read action books but probably Insurgent by Veronica Roth!

What book has left you with a bad ending?

I am going to go controversial and say, Allegiant, the last book of the Divergent series because *SPOILER ALERT* you can't kill off one of the main characters. I swear that has to be in the rules of book writing somewhere.

What book gave you the happiest feeling when it ended?

Girl Online, On Tour. It is just so cute!

What book reminds you of a sunset?

Slightly weird one but the only one I can think of is The Giraffe, The Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl because of the colours of the original cover. They are orange and yellow, which is sunset colours, right?

What is one book series you want to read this summer?

I think I would like to reread Harry Potter again, of course. Who wouldn't?

Stay happy,
Katie xx

Top 3 Summer Reads 2016

As you may know, reading is something I enjoy immensely but yet seem to be doing less and less, due to my recent phone upgrade (oops). Here are 5 books I would recommend for this summer!

Me Before You
A majority of the books I read are either about people dying or murder mysteries. This book is one of the best ones I have read. I love Jojo Moyes anyway, but Me Before You is just perfect. Unfortunately I have not yet been able to get to see the film but I a sure it will be good. However, I do know that it will not be as good as the book because I read the book first and therefore it will always be better in my eyes. Anyway, you should totally read this book this summer. It is not hard-hitting but it definitely is not a light read. I love love love it.

The Girl on the Train
I loved this book when I read it and, yes, it is a crime book, but I loved it so much and although I know what happened, I would totally read it again. It is such a good book because it is one that genuinely, you cannot put it down. Honestly, read it. You will not regret it.

Girl Online, On Tour
After reading Girl Online, I couldn't wait to get the sequel. I finally got it for Christmas last year and I read it within three days. I read it again since and I will read it again this summer. It is so relaxed and it is about Penny's summer as well so you can relate in that sense and many will will relate in other ways as well.

Stay happy,
Katie xx

Summer OOTD

For a summer day, I thought I would give you an idea as to what I wear!

In this I am wearing:

Cropped T-Shirt - I love this cropped shirt. It is from Primark and I have two, one in the black and white stripes and one in pink and white. They are so cheap as well, which is fabulous!

High-waisted shorts - These are also from Primark and they are so nice and comfy! Also, I love that they are high-waisted because it means it doesn't show so much of my tummy.

Hoodie - This was from New Look and I wear it with everything. It is comfy and goes with so many things!

Stay happy, 

Katie xx

My Top 5 Items Of Clothing July 2016

When I go on holiday or even when I am around on a sunny day, my top 5 items of clothing come into practice. I love clothes that are comfortable because although I don't exercise a lot, I am quite active. I can sit still for very long and I need to feel confident and comfortable all day long. Here are my top 5 pieces of clothing for this July (the rain or the sunshine!)

T-Shirts
I love my t-shirts. In fact, I live in them. Whilst others dive into silky tops and floaty sheer pieces of material, I prefer the good old t-shirt. Primark does really nice, cheap ones or you can go more out and go for Topshop or New Look. My favourites at the moment are these two below!

Shorts
I love shorts but there aren't many that suit me or fit me in the right places. However, these ones from Primark are high-waisted and they are super comfy and stretchy. It means I can keep cool and tan, as well as feel comfortable and in fashion at the same time!

Dungarees
I have one pair of dungarees and a denim dress. I love both of them and wear them so much more than I wear my jeans, even though I used to live in my jeans! I can wear them with a nice top to go out or I can wear them with a casual shirt for just being around the place. They are an essential to me and if you do not have any, I would highly recommend you buying some. There are many types, but mine are from New Look. Topshop ones are expensive but very good quality if you like that type of thing!

Hoodies
I have quite a collection of hoodies, from school trips, leaving places, organisations but the one that makes every outfit I wear slightly more casual is this one from New Look. It is so comfy and I wear it with dresses and whatever else I wear to make it more casual and less dressy!

Patterned Trousers
Something loose is nice for hot days, so these patterned trousers are so comfortable for lazy days. They are from Primark and I love them so much!

What are your favourite clothes for July?

Stay happy,
Katie xx

My Travel Makeup Bag 2016

When I go on holiday, it is the perfect opportunity to take my favourite makeup and try out some new looks. This is what I am going to be taking on my holidays (to Austria with my choir, Greece with my family and my auntie's with my sister).

Face

So for my face, I will be taking three main base products. These will be my Rimmel BB Cream, my Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer and my Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer. These products are very light and don't provide a lot of coverage, which is what I want if and when I use them on holiday.

For my other skin products, I will take my Collection Matt Bronze Glow, which is very pigmented, my Babylips Balm and Blush, which I love and my Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter, which is also another love of mine. These will be the only things I use on holiday, so there is no need to pack any more than that.

Eyes

For my eyebrows, I will be taking my three stale products, my clinique palette, which I have well and truly wrecked, to my horror, along with my Rimmel Brow This Way gel and my Rimmel brow pencil. I use these whenever I do my eyebrows and I will not stray from them until my Clinique palette breaks, which is when I may consider swapping to a brow kit of some sort (recommendations?).

For my actual eyes, I will be taking my Revolution What You Waiting For palette, which has all the shade I need in, along with my Clinique palette. I will also be taking my Rimmel Lash Sensational Waterproof mascara which, as you know, is my favourite. I bought a new one and now my old one has officially run out, just in time for my holidays! I am also bringing my eyelash curlers because they are a must!

Lips

For my lips, I will take quite a few things. Firstly, my two lip crayons, one from Rimmel and one from Collection, which are nice as casual lip colours, but are more 'poppy' pinks rather than my usual nudes. I will also take my Seventeen lip gloss in this nice nude colour, which is so nice, but slightly sticky. I will also take my Natural Collection lipstick in Raspberry, which is a nice pink, but not too bright. As well as this, I will be bringing my two favourite lipsticks (only one is photographed because it is currently hiding and I am not sure where). Both of these lipsticks are nudes, which are good on an everyday basis. Also, I am just bringing my Body Shop Argon Oil Lip Balm, which is lovely!

Brushes

As you may be able to tell, I have quite a few brushes and have had to pack a separate bag to fit them in! My first ones are from Amazon and they are these lovely blue ones. They were only £5.99 for a pack of 8, which is so good because they are such good quality. 

I'm also taking my black brushes, from eBay and they came in a massive set, which was something like £9.99 for 30, which is not a deal to be missed!

I am also taking my beauty blender, which is just from Primark and I use it for my concealer.

Bag

My bag is from Boots and is quite old, so it isn't sold anymore, but there are similar bags with different designs on, which are just as cute!

This is my full travel collection!

What are your holiday essentials?

Stay happy,

Katie

P.s. by the time you read this I will be on the way to Austia on a 16 hour coach journey!

July 2016 Playlist

I love my music. I listen to it everywhere I go. As I have been going on my transport lately, to meet friends and run errands, I have been listening to my playlists a lot. Here is my summer playlist for you to listen to. A few of my recommendations. The link to it will be below!

Daydreamer - Adele
Oblivion - Bastille
Grow - Frances
One Dance - Drake
Guns and horses - Ellie Goulding
Can't hold us - Pentatonix
Wonderwall - Oasis
East of Eden - Zella Day
Girls - The 1975
That would be enough - Hamilton
Waves - Mr Probz
Here I am - Tom Odell
Concrete - Tom Odell

Listen to my full playlist HERE!

Stay Happy,
Katie xx

My Beautiful Teenage Sister | A Poem

My Beautiful Teenage Sister,
Phone closed in her hands,
Stays in her room all night,
And works on dates and plans.

My Beautiful Teenage Sister,
That barely talks all day,
To me or mum or anyone,
But her friends who come and stay.

My Beautiful Teenage Sister,
With highlights in her hair,
Brushes it hour on hour,
With either a smile or a glare.

My Beautiful Teenage Sister,
I miss you a bit everyday,
You're here in my house,
But you always hide away.

Stay happy,
Katie xx

Summer Makeup Routine

Here is another generic beauty blogger's post. However, I quite enjoy writing them and I hope you enjoy reading them! Enjoy my summer make-up routine!

In summer, I don't like to have heavy make-up, so usually, I won't use any foundation and I rarely use a BB cream. I will moisturise (usually using a moisturiser with an SPF or use suncream as well, as it is quite hot and I am going away to hot places, so I will do this anyway).

I will then go straight in with concealer. I use a mixture of Soap and Glory Kick-Ass concealer and Collection Lasting Perfection, as this gives me the coverage I need for both under my eyes and any blemishes or scarring.

                           

I will then do my eyebrows. I use three products for my brows, as I like them to be nice and not too blocky, but a prominent part of the make-up look. I use my Clinique quad, which I believe is in the shade Pink Chocolate, and is the dark brown on the palette. I will then use my Rimmel Professional Eye Brow Pencil in Black Brown, which I then use to line the inner end of the brows, closest to my nose. I then set them in place with the Rimmel Brow The Way Gel in Mid-Brown.

I then do my eyeshadow. I use my Make-Up Revolution Palette called 'What You Waiting For?'. I usually go for the pinky shades or gold shades. My most used shades are 'Take a Chance' 'Now It's Only Me', which are both shimmery pink shades.

I then go onto my cheeks. I like a very bronzed look, so I use the Collection Bronze Glow Matte in Terracotta on my cheeks and my temples. I then use my Babylips Balm and Blush in Flirty Pink. I really love this product, even though I was cautious, to begin with, but it really works when it has been blended in! Then, on the tops of my cheekbones, I will use my Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter, which is such a good buy. It is so cheap and so pigmented and lasts so long!

I then use my Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof mascara, which, as I have mentioned before, is my absolute favourite mascara. I trust it so much and unless something amazing happens, it won't be leaving my makeup bag anytime soon.

Then, I will wear a nude lipstick, which is either my Rimmel Naughty Nude or It's A Keeper, which are two amazing nude shades, one slightly more shimmery than the other. I rely on these so much, because they can dress us any look immediately.

I hope you enjoyed this! Here is the final look:

Enjoy this little time lapse of me doing my makeup feat. my IPod falling off the desk!

What are your favourite makeup items?

Stay happy,
Katie

P.s. I am part of a new blog, Through Our Eyes, which has started running now! Take a look HERE!

Through Our Eyes

You may not know, but I was recently included in a little group we like to call TOE. Through Our Eyes is our new blog that we post our own opinions on topics every week. It is a great experience and i love being apart of it with the rest of the crew who are all incredible and lovely people.

If you care to take a look, our link is http://throughoureyes7.blogspot.co.uk/ and you can now read my post, which is the first post! I will always post on a Monday, but of course, read every day so you can see everyone else who participates!

Enjoy!

Stay happy,
Katie

(p.s. sorry it was short, but my everyday summer makeup routine is on its way!)

How To Get Through Missing Your Friends During The Summer Break

That is a bit of a long title, isn't it? But it tells you exactly what I am going to explain in today's post. During summer, you may go away, your friends might go away, you may just be busy and forget to meet up. But at some point, you realise you miss them. Because I finished school so early this year, I have found that ads a lot of my friends have gone on holiday for long amounts of time while everyone else is still at school, leaving me behind to wait for my sister to finish school.

As I sit here, I have one or two friends who are away in America and I have come to miss them a lot. After spending so much time with them during school and after school ended in the week up to prom, when they suddenly disappear, you lose all sense of bearings and wonder what to do next.

I have a few ways of getting through these problems. They are simple and work in many situations. I have also used these for people at school that I miss, for example those few teachers that you miss even though you vowed that once you left school, you would never look back. You learn, in many cases, it isn't that easy. Here are my tips...

• Hang up your pictures! It is such an easy way to 1) make your room look nice and decorated and 2) let you see the memories you want to in snippets on your wall, so you can see them whenever and wherever you are in your room! Get a cute frame, as big or as small as you want and put your favourite photos in! Simple and easy, yet cute and memorable!

• Get a picture board. They don't cost a lot to buy, or you could make one yourself using some material, string and cardboard. There are plenty of tutorials on Pinterest that you can easily follow. Once you have one, pin it on your wall and slip as many photos as you want to into it! It is cute and means you can arrange the photos in whichever way you decide! You can also put letters in there, notes and other bits and pieces that you want to remember!

• Get a book and get your friends and teachers to write in it. Little notes mean the most because they are heartfelt. I have a book that you can put the name of the person, a space for them to write their message and put any contact details they want to write in, which is helpful if they/you don't have social media. I read these every now and again and it gets me slightly emotional but also lets me remember all of the good memories that I had with that person. So simple and yet so lovely!

• This may seem like an obvious one to some, but message them! I'm sure they would love to hear from you! Organise things for the future so, if you go to different schools/colleges/universities, you have things to look forward to wear you know you are going to see them. This prevents losing touch and also means you can look forward to things that are going to happen! The best thing to do is to go and have some time shopping or having a coffee or going to a park and having a picnic. Movies are great but you don't talk during them, so you don't get to say as much as you may want to if you were together. Me and my friends use Skype or FaceTime to speak to each other if we are away because then it is like being together, even if you are either sides of the Earth!

• Scrapbook. Scrapbook. Scrapbook. I cannot recommend scrapbooking more. I enjoy it because it is relaxing, but then when you are having a moment where you are missing them, you can look through your scrapbook and look at your memories. It is a cute way to remember people but also it is creative and you can put your heart and soul into designing it in whatever way you wish to! I am going to do a scrapbook post soon, so stay tuned!

I hope these are helpful! They work for me and hopefully they will work or you as well!

Stay happy,

Katie xx

Read my June Sum-Up!

5 Favourite Apps

This is a bit of a different one, but I absolutely love talking about technology. I love reading about how I can make programs faster, how to fix laptops and how to get the best use out of phones. I thought I would give you my top 5 apps that I have on my phone.

My phone is an IPhone 5.

1. Snapchat
Pretty much all of us either have Snapchat or know someone who has it. It is completely addictive and such a good way of showing your friends snapshots of your life, whatever you may be doing. I love showing people what I can see, whether it is a rainy day at home or I am out sailing or enjoying the sun in a hot, foreign country. I don't have a blog Snapchat but if I got enough people who would use it, I may consider it, but until then, my Snapchat is something I can enjoy with my friends, as well as looking at what my favourite celebrities are up to.

2. Timehop
Timehop makes me laugh because I can see things that I did up years and years ago. I love seeing what I have done over the past years and remembering those funny memories that you so badly want to relive. It also tells you something that happened on that day, sometimes in British or American history, sometimes in pop history and film history and sometimes something completely different. That is another reason why I love it!

Vergecampus.com

3. Grid Diary
This is different because it does not relate to social media. Grid diary is like a journal that I fill out every night before I go to sleep and then I can look back at my days and see how productive I have been or what I thought was good about that day. I really like recording my day and because I can do it on my phone, it makes it a lot easier to do and slightly more enjoyable, although there is nothing like writing in a journal by hand. The layout is down below!

4. Solitaire
As a child, I used to love playing solitaire on my Windows XP computer and I found the perfect app version to enjoy whenever I need some entertainment, whether in a car on a long journey or just when I am bored. It is addictive and I cannot stop playing, which is weird because it is such an old card game.



5. Spotify Mobile
Although adverts are annoying, I have paid for 3 months of Spotify premium for 99p. I love it because I can listen to whatever music I want, whenever I want. I love it when I am going on a train and don't have anything to do. I can stick some headphones in and float away into my own little world, which I love. Follow my playlists here!

I hope you enjoyed this type of thing, I enjoyed making it! Would you like a what is on my IPhone?

Stay happy,
Katie xx

July Goals 2016

As the summer sets in, although it doesn't seem like it here in the UK with our low temperatures and high chances of rain, but as I am going abroad this month, I thought I would give you a quick rundown of my goals for this month. I am going away during August as well\, so there will be August goals, but here are my July goals! Enjoy

My goals are:

• To finish Orange is the New Black - I am on series 2 so this is a plausible goal
• To read at least 4 books this month
• Buy a bikini which I am confident in wearing (and looks good!)
• Feel better about me in summer clothes (You don't have to wear tights with those dungarees, Katie)
•  Don't spend all my money in one week like you did in June, you will very much regret it (I know you want 7 new lipsticks, but you don't need 7 of the same colour from different brands)
• Eat more fruit and vegetables
• Get more confident when talking to people I know - they like you (most of the time) so don't worry about stating your opinion!
• Buy more outgoing clothes - jeans will not be the way this summer!
• Enjoy time away from wifi - you don't need it all the time, not everyone is going to message you all the time!
• Use my own camera more to take better photos instead of using already taken ones that aren't even very good quality
• Learn to save when going abroad - You tend to think that foreign money means less that British Pounds and spend more - You WILL regret it!

Kushandwizdom - Tumblr

What are your goals?

Stay happy,

Katie xx

5 Favourite Daily Vloggers | June 2016

This month has been the month of YouTube! I have been watching a lot of YouTubers because so many people have been daily vlogging this month or this summer, which is so good for me because it means I can have a good time sat at my desk doing stuff and watching YouTube at the same time! Here are my 5 favourites at the moment! (This isn't in an order!)

5. Beauty Spectrum - Molly
I recently got introduced to Molly through following her on Twitter and through Eve Bennett, but she is just the nicest person and she is literally so pretty. I can't get over her make-up skills and I love watching her daily vlogs because they follow her whole day, which is so nice!

4. Eve Bennett
I have loved Eve for a long time and her daily vlogs are not disappointing. I love watching what she does, whether she is out in London or having a home day, she always cheers me up! I also love her main channel videos, which she puts so much effort into, but her daily vlogs are so good at the moment!

3. Gabriella Lindley
I love Gabb. She brightens my days and always makes me laugh. She is such a brave person and her vlogs are always so good and she puts a lot of effort into every one of them.

2. Louise - Sprinkle of Chatter
I'm not sure whether she is calling it daily vlogging but I am counting it because I love Louise. Lousie was one of the first YouTubers I ever watched and when I first started my fan page on Instagram, it was a Sprinkle of Glitter fan page, so I have always loved her. As I have grown older and she has started producing more informative videos, she has helped me and advised me in many different ways. Also, Darcy is really cute!

1. Saccone-Jolys
The Saccone-Jolys vlog everyday anyway but I have been enjoying their vlogs recently because they are also so exciting and cute! Emilia and Edwardo are so cute and I love Anna and Jonathon!

Who are your favourite daily vloggers?
Stay happy,
Katie xx

June Sum-Up 2016

As June comes to a close and we enter the holiday season, I came to the end of my secondary school life, finishing at approximately 10:02 on the 17th June. This month had a very busy start, but then has calmed down, which has been ever so nice. So, here we go!

Favourite Songs?
My favourite songs have been a mixture of old and new. I have been listening to old playlists a lot, so I have rediscovered a lot of songs! But, I must say that my absolute favourite song has to be East of Eden by Zella Day. It is such a feel good song. I discovered it when watching a lot of YouTube videos, as they seem to use it as a song for lookbooks etc! Also, Lost Boy by Ruth B has been a very emotional one this month. I love it so much but I seem to have looked too far into the deeper meaning and it has made me really like it because of how sad it actually is. That sounded weird. Any, I have also loved Hamilton, as always. I am not going to lie, I have obviously been loving Adele, but this month has seemed to be the month where I really want to see her live again. I love her so much and my dream is to meet her. We can dream, can't we?

Favourite People?
As previously mentioned, of course, my favourite this month has been Adele. However, more close to home, I lost my Great Auntie this month, along with my rabbit, Nugget, which really hit home. I will miss both of them a lot, especially my rabbit, who would always listen to my problems and be there when I cried, which sounds odd but he did. Also, Meryl Streep has been another favourite, but when is she not?

Favourite Makeup?
I can't say that I have purchased any new makeup, apart fro a new Rimmel One 1 lipstick in It's a Keeper. It is another pretty nude, but a shimmery one this time!

Favourite Drink?
Orange and Pineapple squash, as always! It is so refreshing! I can't say I have had any other new drinks that have been particularly poignant!

Favourite Pictures?
A lot of these are from Prom, but there are some others from meeting up with friends and other things like that!

What have been your favourites this month?

Stay happy,
Katie xx