Record Of The Week: David Guetta

A bit different this week as i've chosen an entire album! I've always loved David Guetta and his music is making me so excited for freshers week(s)! With this album I think there's something for everyone; with collaborations from Jessie J, will.i.am and Usher to name a few I think this is my favourite David Guetta album so far. My favourite songs are definitely Night Of Your Life with Jennifer Hudson and Repeat with Jessie J so give them a listen!

Where You Been Hiding Lately, Where You Been Hiding From The News?

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.1. In two weeks time i'll have left home and moved into my uni accommodation. Slightly scared by this as it's come around so fast and i've hardly got anything that i'm going to need! I'm not really sure what I need which doesn't help - I don't want to buy lots of things I won't use! If anyone has any suggestions on things I really should buy or things I shouldn't bother with i'll be really grateful! 

.2. I finally made a Models Own order as a treat for getting into uni and I do love a good sale ;) It was a massive effort as my basket got cleared a million times and the site was really slow! My order also ended up going through twice but the Models Own Customer Services were really efficient and refunded the second one. I then emailed them back as I never got an email receipt for my order only for them to tell me it hadn't gone through. So i've re-ordered and i'm hoping it will be simple and they will have refunded the right money to my account. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a few new polishes and a nail art pen so I can have leopard print nails!

.3. Muffin went to the vets on Friday as she had to have a few injections. She's had them before and hates the vets so I don't really like taking her as she's 4 and a half and stressing her out isn't great for her. This time she saw a really nice vet, he actually seemed to care and loved the fact that she's very cute and tame which was nice! Most Guinea Pigs squeak when they have injections so he was really surprised when Muffin didn't but that's what you get for having the best Guinea Pig in the world ;)

♥ Quote of the week: 'If you always worry about what you’re missing out on, you will miss out on what you already have.' Zen Habits

♫ I'm currently listening to: Ben Howard - The Wolves and Florence + The Machine - What The Water Gave Me

Record Of The Week: Delphic

There's nothing like rediscovering an old favourite is there? I love this song so much; there's something about it that makes it so easy to listen to and after quite a few nights where I haven't been able to sleep i've had this stuck on repeat. I love Delphic and their album Acolyte has some really good tracks on it. I'm hoping they'll release some new material soon or at least make 'Remain' a single so more people can love it as much as I do.
Oh and i've just been to the dentist and had my entire mouth numbed so I can't smile or talk properly, the only thing I can do is blog ;)

Falling From High Places, Falling Through Lost Spaces

I've been making the most of my opportunities to bake in the past few weeks as I know when I get to uni I won't be doing it very often! Here are a few photos of my creations which you'll be pleased to know I shared with my family :) I've linked to the recipes under each one just in case you want to make them yourself.
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Victoria Sponge Cake

Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes

Jam Tarts (I cheated and used ready made pastry)

Mini Flapjacks (I divided the mixture into cupcake cases as I didn't have a tin big enough)

♥

Who Needs A Degree When You're Schoolin' Life?

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.1. On Wednesday I got my A Level results and I got into uni! In three weeks time i'll finally be leaving home and starting my degree in Advertising and Marketing Communications. Some of my friends didn't get into their first choices or had to go through clearing which has meant two of them are joining me at uni! In some ways i'm gutted about it as I don't think i'll be as likely to grow up and make friends with other people but in other ways i'm really happy about it as i'm 19 a month today and i'll have some familiar faces to celebrate it with! 

.2. I've been really enjoying TV this week - I watched Beaver Falls and the return of The Great British Bake Off and Big Brother. But most importantly The X Factor is back and i'm actually quite liking the new judges :) I can already see Frankie Cocozza and Janet Devlin going far but i'm sure there will be a few more surprises along the way. 

.3. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to comment on my Uni Advice blogpost - i'm loving all your suggestions so far and I know for sure that i'll be making the most of my time at uni - only 3 weeks to go! I'm also going to put all your comments into a post to help out anyone also going into their first year so look out for that coming soon (and feel free to add any more advice in the mean time).

♥ Most recent purchase: 5 Stone Rings Mix from JWLRY

♫ I'm currently listening to: Schoolin' Life by Beyoncé and Free by Boy Banned (this song is such a guilty pleasure!)

I Need Your Help - University Related

As most of you know I got into uni yesterday which i'm still so happy about! 

I know quite a few people who read my blog go to or have been to uni so I thought it would be a really good opportunity to ask you all for a little bit of advice.

There isn't really anything specific that I want to know but if there was one piece of advice you'd give to someone about to start uni what would it be? 

This can be anything, from what to take with me to studying and living with new people :)

I also hope this post is useful to anyone in the same situation as me, and thanks to anyone that takes the time to comment.
♥

Record Of The Week: Ben Howard

I like to think my blog is a little bit like a diary and the reason I started posting Records of the Week is because I wanted to have a collection of my favourite songs to look back on. So making Ben Howard Record of the Week for the second time is completely intentional! I've listened to this song so much in the past few days and it's always going to be symbolic of the countdown to results day. I love the lyrics too and they definitely helped me to think positive instead of expecting to fail! 
'Keep your head up, keep your heart strong. Keep your mind set, keep your hair long. Keep your head up, keep your heart strong. Keep your mind set in your ways'.
The official video was released today so I had to post it as it's one of the nicest videos i've seen in a long time!

This morning at 7am I logged onto UCAS and found out i'd got into uni which i'm so happy and relieved about! Thanks to everyone for their lovely tweets and messages - it really means a lot :) I hope everyone else who got their results got what they were hoping for and after sitting for 3 hours with a friend going through clearing, I really know why everyone gets so annoyed with UCAS ;)

You Shoot Me Down But I Won't Fall, I Am Titanium

Max Factor recently sent me a few of their products to try including their new Smooth Effect Foundation so I thought i'd let you know my thoughts on them. Max Factor are a brand i've always liked - their Mini Nail Polishes and Vibrant Curve Effect Lipglosses are some of the best i've tried so I had quite high expectations for the products they sent me.

I was sent the Smooth Effect Foundation in Golden (75) which is a bit too dark for my skin tone so I can't really comment on the shade of it. There are 4 shades available in the range: Creamy Ivory (45), Natural (50), Golden (75) and Buff Beige (55) and I think Natural would probably be a better shade for my skintone. The formulation is nice, not too thin but thick enough to build up a medium coverage. The Smooth Effect Foundation retails at £7.99 which is really affordable for a Max Factor product and i'm definitely going to have a look in Boots for a colour that matches my skintone. Apologies for the lack of swatches, if you'd like more information feel free to have a look at a review of the lightest shade (Creamy Ivory) on The Beauty Bite here. 

I was also sent a Max Effect Gloss Cube in Vibrant Raspberry. When I first saw this I didn't think it would be a colour i'd like as it's quite bright and I tend to opt for more subtle colours. I actually really like it - it is bright but not nearly as bright as I thought, I think the colour could probably be built up if you wanted it to. I really like the packaging of this lipgloss as you don't get a lot of product on the wand each time you use it so it doesn't get sticky or messy which is good on nights out. The lipgloss itself isn't sticky and applies really nicely; it lasted for a reasonable amount of time although I did re-apply it a few times after i'd had some drinks. This lipgloss retails at £5.99 which a price i'd be happy to pay for a lipgloss and there are some really nice shades in the collection.

I'm definitely more of a neutral kind of girl and I normally stick to the colours in my Sleek Storm Palette if I want to wear eyeshadow. Aqua Marine is a really pretty blue/green colour and although it is quite vibrant I think it is wearable. I did experiment with this and was really impressed with the quality and pigmentation and it wasn't chalky. The Max Effect Mono Eye Shadow retails at £4.99 which is fairly affordable for a single eyeshadow. I'm not sure if I would purchase another as i'm happy with the colours I currently have in my collection but if there were more natural, wearable shades I would consider them.
♥

With Just One Touch You've Got Me Falling

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.1. Don't think i've really done anything interesting this week to be honest. I have done quite a bit of baking though so i'll share it all in a post sometime as i've taken quite a few photos. I also can't believe that in less than a week's time (Thursday!) i'll have my results and will know whether i'll be into uni - i'm so nervous! If I have got in it will be less than a month until I move into my accommodation so i'll have lots to sort out!

.2. I'm so jealous of everyone in America's Ben & Jerry's flavours. I had a look on the US website and there are 6 pages of flavours! I actually want to go to America purely for this, we have what, 10 flavours?! On my Need To Try list are: Maple Blondie, Mission to Marzipan, Red Velvet Cake, S'mores, AmeriCone Dream, Peach Cobbler, Bonnaroo Buzz, Boston Cream Pie, Cake Batter, Cheesecake Brownie, Crème Brûlée, Dublin Mudslide, Volun-Tiramisu and Cinnamon Buns (yeah, pretty much every flavour we don't have then!)

.3. I got the new carpet for my room on Friday so when I finally get hold of some nice photo frames my room will be just about finished! It looks so much nicer and the carpet looks so much better than the dark pink one i've had for the past 17 years! It really doesn't take much to please me does it?

♥ Russell Brand's thoughts on the riots: Big Brother isn't watching you

♫ I'm currently listening to: Hannah Trigwell - Headrush and Charlie Simpson - Hold On

Record Of The Week: One Direction

I have no shame in saying i'm a complete sucker for a cheesy little boyband number. And i'm not ashamed to say that I like One Direction's new single and so much so that it's my Record of the Week. It's catchy and isn't too badly written and no doubt they'll head straight to number 1 with it thanks to their army of screaming fans. 

I know it's different to my previous Record's of the Week but I enjoy listening to it so why not?

I Don't Need A Parachute, You Don't Need To Ask If I'm Okay

I just want to start this post by saying that my thoughts are with anyone affected by the riots in this country. I genuinely can't understand why anyone would want to destroy and steal from their communities. It's just heartless and there is no excuse for their actions - if anything, they need to listen to this woman. It's going to take months to clear up the damage; innocent people have lost their jobs, homes, cars and businesses all of which costs money which many don't have. To anyone who has helped with the clean up and the emergency services: thank you. It shouldn't have taken this long for the government to sort themselves out and take proper action but let's hope it all stops now before it gets any worse. 

I haven't done a week in photos post for a while so I thought i'd share a few of my recent photos...

Muffin rocking the Hawaiian look ;)

Here's a sneaky peak at my new wallpaper and my favourite Yankee Candle.

I tried one of these for the first time - this flavour is becoming one of my favourites.

 Possibly the nicest ice cream i've ever tried! I'm gutted i've finished it and they don't make it anymore - we need another Royal Wedding!

I got my blue blood donor card, it really encourages me to continue donating - i'd love to get to 100 donations although it will take me 25 years!

I sorted through lots of old toys and donated most to the charity shop, I love the idea of them going to children who will really enjoy them and that the money raised will go to a really worthwhile charity.
♥

Keep Your Head Up, Keep Your Heart Strong

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.1. I went out for my very first Indian on Monday night to catch up with a friend I haven't seen in forever. I don't really eat a lot of Indian food but I opted for Chicken Korma which was lovely and instead of rice I had a Naan Bread which was so good! On Wednesday we went to the park but after a few hours of ice cream and sunny weather it decided to rain and thunder (typical British weather!) so we headed back to my friends house. We had a bit of a gossip and then shared a Chinese which is always a winner (i've eaten out a bit too much this week!) :) 

.2. I went to the dentists on Thursday which wasn't fun, especially as I left with 2 appointments for fillings! My teeth are just crap and I don't drink many fizzy drinks or tea but I always manage to get holes in them! This is the last time i'll get free treatment too, I honestly don't think i'll be able to afford to go to the dentist once i'm a student so I might as well get them all filled now!

.3. This weekend I managed to have a massive clear out of the stuff that has piled up in my room as well as getting rid of other old things from around the house; I bet the charity shop love me! I ended up feeling a bit nostalgic as I discovered things like my old dolls I had when I was little which I was really attached to. I ended up not wanting to get rid of them but I suppose if they can find a new home instead of being kept in a cupboard unloved then it's a good thing. I also made just over £30 using Music Magpie which i'm pleased about! A post on my newly decorated room will be coming very soon - i'm just waiting for my new carpet - can't wait to get rid of my old pink one!

♥ On My Wishlist: Lightning Bolt Necklace by Gogo Philip (I really wish delivery wasn't £10!)

♫ I'm currently listening to: Ben Howard - Keep Your Head Up and Hey Rosetta! - Young Glass

Record Of The Week: Ben Howard

Really not been feeling the whole blogging thing this week hence my lack of posts. Not sure what's go into me to be honest but I just don't feel inspired to write anything interesting. I thought i'd do a quick Record of the Week anyway, I like doing really simple posts and it's nice to look back on the music i've loved :)

I've only recently started listening to Ben Howard's music but so far i'm really liking the summery sound it has. Keep Your Head Up is a track I heard on Radio 1 and i've been listening to it ever since. Ben's music is sort of similar to Jason Mraz and Benjamin Francis Leftwich so if that's your kind of music then maybe you'll like this. Ben's album is out on October 3rd so i've got a while to wait but i'm really looking forward to it after hearing a little teaser.

This is the acoustic version of this song but if you have a listen here from 3:45 you can hear the recorded version :)

We Talk About Your Friends, Bad Jokes From Last Weekend

Happy August! It's actually warm today although it's not exactly sunny! I thought it was about time I did a favourites post again, I haven't done one for a while (not even sure if i've actually done one this year!) and I have quite a few things i've been loving! Fitting in with the 'theme' of my blog i'm going to try and mention favourites for beauty, food, music and life just to add a bit of variety into the mix.

My beauty favourites are all pink this month! I haven't mentioned anything makeup wise as there isn't anything that has really stood out for me recently. Most of the new things i've bought have been repurchases and i've been on a bit of a mission to use some of it up before uni starts in September as I can't take it all with me!
Here are a few things that I did think deserved a mention...

Original Source Vanilla Milk & Raspberry Shower Cream - this smells like Strawberry Milkshake and i've also purchased it in a soap because I love it so much! Definitely my favourite Original Source scent and also perfect for summer.

Ted Baker Rich Body Soufflé - again something I love because it smells so good! I got this in a Christmas gift set and I thought it was going to be one of those really cheap horrible body lotions but it's actually really good quality and I would consider purchasing it.

Barry M Nail Paint in Flamingo Pink - i'm currently rocking this on my nails and it's the perfect colour for summer. I don't need to tell you that Barry M Nail Polishes are really good quality and also super affordable - i'm sure you already know that! I'm still lusting after the new(ish) Peach Melba shade, definitely need to pick it up sometime soon!

Essie Pink Parka - i've had this in my collection for a while but I wasn't daring enough to paint my nails neon pink! I decided it would be a perfect summery shade for my toes and it's made a really nice change from the red I normally wear.

Saclo Tomato Pesto - I know this is really random but i'm totally addicted to this! It has such a nice flavour and I literally add it to so many savoury dishes. I really enjoy it in a chicken sandwich and it's also nice with pasta too! I normally just love sweet things so it's quite rare that i'm actually liking something savoury for once!

Meet Me At The Cupcake Cafe - I read this book a little while ago but I had to include it as I really enjoyed it! It's quite a girly book which is pretty much all I read, if you like Sophie Kinsella's books you'll probably love this :)

Schoolin' Life by Beyoncé - I've only just started listening to Beyoncé's music properly (I know, where have I been?!) so I got the Deluxe version of '4' which features a few extra tracks including 'Schoolin' Life'. Out of all the songs on the album it's actually the one i've played the most. It's a really 'feel good' song and is probably going to be one that reminds me of finishing sixth form.

Red Dress by The Suburbians - I've been listening to The Suburbians a lot after finding their cover of The A Team and their original music is just as good! I got Red Dress and Breathe free from their Facebook page and i'm really excited for the re-release of Red Dress as well as their album in October :)

I also have to mention that i've loved so many of the sets at iTunes Festival and really wish i'd won tickets! Although it's hard to pick favourites I loved Bluey Robinson and Swedish House Mafia's sets.
Link me to your favourites posts :)