What's in my evening bag?

What's in my evening bag?

I love reading blog posts and watching YouTube videos of girls showing off their bag and the contents inside of it. I have really wanted to do one for a while, therefore I thought I would but I wanted to show you what I pack in my evening/clubbing bag. Just because I have fallen in love with my new evening bag from Primark. They have some truly, gorgeous evening bags in Primark at the moment. I prefer to have plain ish evening bags so that I don't have to struggle trying to match my outfit to my bag. This black, croc detail faux leather bag was perfect for what I wanted with the tiny detail of the gold and tassels on the front. Believe it or not, it was only £5! Fabulous!

Now I haven't put everything in the photograph of what I would take out as I thought they were the obvious ones; money/purse, phone and keys! Other than those obvious essentials, these are the other things I like to take with me in my evening bag..

The first thing, which again is probably obvious, is your ID. Yes embarrassingly mine is my Passport. If you forget your ID your night is basically ruined from your first steps out of your door. Next I make sure that my iPhone portable charger is fully charged to put in my bag. When you are trying to find your lost drunken friends, taking hundreds of selfies and then ringing for your taxi back home the last thing you need is your phone dying on you! Another item I always pack is the lipstick I am wearing. Unfortunately when drinking, unless your lipstick is magical, it doesnt seem to stay perfect all night. Which means that you need to take it with you so that you can quickly just put some more on. I always take my favourite lip balm out with me as well just in case I don't have the time to redo my lipstick. Other items I would advise packing, if you have room in your bag, is a packet of chewing gum and a small hairbrush.. or my beloved Tangle Teezer in my case. You might want to take other makeup with you, but you don't want to be spending all of your time when you are out in the ladies! 

- Kat Melladay x

Book review: PAPER TOWNS by John Green

Book review: PAPER TOWNS by John Green

Blurb: "Quentin has always loved Margo Roth Spiegelman, for Margo (and her adventures) are the stuff of legend at their high school. So when she one day climbs through his window and summons him on an all-night road trip of revenge he cannot help but follow.

But the next day Margo doesn't come to school and a week later she is still missing. Q soon learns that there are clues in her disappearance . . . and they are for him. But as he gets deeper into the mystery - culminating in another awesome road trip across America - he becomes less sure of who and what he is looking for."

The first thing I realised about this book, which makes it different to any other book I have read, was that the first person is actually a boy/young man. Meaning that you are reading the story all from his perspective. Which was so unusual to me because I always seem to read books which have a lady as the first person. It was actually a nice change. The book is about a young man called Quentin who has always had a childhood crush on his neighbor, Margo Roth Spiegelman. They went through a creepy situation together when they were children and ever since, Quentin has been mesmerized by every part of Margo. You soon discover that Margo isn't your average, gossiping high school girl. She appears to be in with the popular crowd, gets attention from the boys and is very socially active with going to all the best parties etc. However the truth is, Margo is really the most mysterious girl you could ever imagine. There are so many different parts to her personality and she has so many broad interests, hobbies and opinions that nobody would ever expect of her. Of "their Margo". 

I won't ruin the whole story for you, but throughout the book, Margo manages to really test Quentin without really meaning to. He begins to do things that usually he would never dream of doing, but he would do them for her. He breaks laws and goes on crazy adventures all over America all behind his parents back, which he usually would never dream of doing, but he would do them for her..

I really enjoyed this book. John Green is the author of the massive success which is "The fault in our stars". Please don't hate me.. but unlike most other young woman I know, I haven't actually read that book. I watched the movie at the cinema and thought that it was ok, and I thought I might give the book a go as it would probably be better than the movie. However whilst in Waterstones, I spotted Paper Towns and thought I would much rather read it instead. I would definitely read another book by John Green, the story was really easy to follow but not too simply written, and had me not being able to contain myself for the answers! The ending can be a bit disappointing depending on how you take to the story. I found myself  a little disappointed, however at the same time not so disappointed that it made me hate the story overall as it certainly didn't. 

Buy your own copy here: click here to buy!

- Kat Melladay x

Top 10 things to do on "nothing days".

Top 10 things to do on "nothing days".

It is approaching the end of our long summer holidays. We may have been on our vacations, gone on days and nights out, caught up with friends and partners but now it is close to when we go back to school or university. This is when I feel, that we are faced with those "nothing days". Or even if you've not just had the summer holidays, you'll still have those days where you just don't have any plans and are stuck wondering what to do with your time. Therefore, I thought I would make a top 10 list of all the things you could do when you have nothing else left to do. I will save you all from your boredom! 

1. Create new make-up looks:

We buy all these different blushes, mascaras, eye shadow palettes etc (the list is endless..) so try to be creative with them! I am sure I am not the only person that has "the look" that they always seem to apply as an everyday look for them. But it is always great to be creative with your makeup to try and make yourself look a bit different. Even just using different shades of eye shadow on your eyes or changing shade in your lipstick can give you a completely different appearance. I love playing around with different looks for both day and night time occasions.

2. Listen to music:

Whether it is finding new music or artists to listen to or rediscovering your long lost favourites, listening to music can be a great way to pass by some time. I love searching through YouTube and iTunes and finding that one song that I cannot stop listening to, on repeat, for days. Then after a week I will get fed up of it and have to find my next song fix..

3. Read a new/old book:

At the beginning of the year I started to read books again and I am so glad I did now. To me, reading books does honestly change the way you think and your interests too. It is just wonderful to get sucked into a story and imagine the characters. It is like meeting new people and experiencing new adventures, even though really you are just reading one book. 

4. Pampering session (yaay!) : 

What better way to make your day fabulous by making yourself literally feel fabulous! Do whatever it takes, have a bath in the dark with candles, lather yourself in your favourite body moisturizer (mine is Sugar crush by Soap and gloary), put on a face mask, naughty bit of fake tan. Do whatever makes you feel completely relaxed and beautiful, as it will make for a very positive day.

5. Watch a movie:

I feel like this is the obvious one which everybody does when they have nothing days. But regardless, watch a movie!! My favourite movies are definitely rom-coms or kid movies. They really are my favourite, they are all the movies that I own. The choice in the movie really counts, therefore I would always advise you to watch a "feel good" movie rather than one which will make you cry for too long afterwards. My choice would be one or all of the High School Musicals. I especially like to dance and sing along to ALL of the songs, but that is totally up to you of course.

6. Watch YouTube videos:

Again, I feel this is another obvious one to do when there is nothing else to do. I love watching YouTube videos to see what other people are buying or wearing or to mainly, be inspired. They are a great way to take up the time too because you can never seem to just watch one video once you go on YouTube.

7. Paint your finger and toe nails:

This could be part of the pampering session to make you feel fabulous and totally girly. Don't just paint your finger nails though! I know the summer days are slowly saying goodbye, however your toe nails like to look pretty too. Just because you will be covering them up with fluffy slipper socks soon enough, you can still see them!

8. Henna time:

Henna tattoos are amazing. Ever since I was introduced to it, I have never stopped loving it. It is the pen you can see in the seventh photograph next to my nail varnishes. You use it like a pen, the henna comes out and you simply just draw all over yourself! You can find so many inspiration photographs on Tumblr and Google images if you need some help. I especially love doing them on my feet, as they aren't as obvious as drawing them traditionally all over your hands but they are still noticeable and look great! They only last for approximately 1-2 weeks which is the really good thing, as you can create new designs or wash them off for things such as work.

9. Take some photographs:

Just go around your home or venture out into your garden and take some photographs of things. It could even be an excuse for you to go for a walk, having an adventure and taking photographs as well. And I suppose you could throw a couple of cheeky selfies in there too if you are in the mood.

10. Create some lists:

I have so many lists in my notebooks. You can write all sorts of different lists. It is always a good idea, especially if you do not own a diary, to have a "to do" list. That way you can keep on referring to it and you won't forget anything important. All girls need to have a shopping list so that they don't forget about something they really want. You could also write lists like a "bucket list" for example where you list all of the things you would love to do before a certain date. Just get bullet pointing and writing!

I hope you won't find yourself quite as bored now. What do you do when you have nothing planned?

- Kat Melladay x

Prints and textures 1.

Prints and textures 1.

It is usually a repetitive tale of black, and that is all as far as my style is concerned. Since it has been spring and summer, and surprising enough it has actually been quite pleasant for weather in Britain, I decided to buy a lot more clothing items with more colour and quirkiness. I selected these items from my hauls of shopping I have done in these past few months as I feel that they are my favourite and I love the prints and textures of them so much.

Blue tile print "Leigh" jeans:

I believe you would have seen these jeans before, either on others when you are out and about or on other blog posts. I have seen these tile print jeans worn by so many women and worn in so many different ways. I fell in love with the print straight away. I think it is so girly and kind of ditsy! There is the option to have them in a washed black colour, however I thought I would be different and go for the blue. I did worry when I received them that I wouldn't be able to find a lot of things to pair with them. I couldn't have been more wrong. I feel like you can put these jeans with many different colours, many different types of shoes and even jackets (for the colder months sadly ahead). Even though I would say that these jeans are quite summery looking, I still think they would look just as great with jumpers and converses or little ankle boots when autumn/winter comes back to haunt us. Click here to purchase your own!

Fluffy space dye jumper:

ASOS sales really do make me crumple. I was browsing through and spotted this short sleeved jumper, it jumped out at me! They have labelled it as "space dye" but the first thing I thought when I saw it was "it looks like a fluffy unicorn jumper!". I sounded just like Agnes from Despicable Me hehe. The colours in the jumper bring so much fun into your outfit. I thought it was unique and I just had to have it. The quality is amazing, it is super snug. Paired with a simple black leather jacket it looks ace. Click here to purchase your own!

Dogtooth leggings: 

It's the return of the dogtooth print! When I brought these leggings home, my mum said that she had skirt that she adored in this print when she was my age. The dogtooth print has been a popular, trendy print for years and now it is coming back into fashion again. I thought that these leggings were so different.. even though they are from Topshop so that means a lot of women will also have them soon. But they are so noticeable and can be paired with whatever you desire. They are the sort of thing that can be paired with almost anything and look awesome. I am even tempted to wear these next time I go on a night out, as they are so warm but still daring. Click here to purchase your own!

- Kat Melladay x

Outstanding Orange!

Outstanding Orange!

Shade: Infrared.

Shade: Mango.

This summer, it has been all about the colour Orange! Orange was never one of my top favourite colours, however it has brightened up my summer this year. I thought I would pick out a few little orange things that I have been loving these past couple of months to show you. 

Tangle Teezer: 

I never really took much notice on the type of hairbrush I used, it was just something I didn't take into consideration. Yet at the same time I am forever trying new products, like conditioners, to try and help my hairs condition. I had read reviews about these teezers and thought I would try one for myself. I have not gone back to a traditional shaped hair brush since! Holding the teezer in the palm of your hand is so much easier than holding a heavy hairbrush by its handle. I have noticed the big bonus of having this brush, that it doesn't seem break my ends as easily as the traditional, cheap hair brushes did. This is what will keep me using a teezer if nothing else! I chose this funky orange and yellow coloured teezer but there are a variety of different colours and sizes to choose from. At approx £10 per standard size teezer they are probably more than you would usually spend on a hairbrush, but I am still loving using mine. To me they look like little jelly beans hehe.

Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm:

My lips have been very dry recently for some reason, so I just wanted to buy a cheap and cheerful new lip balm to add to my big collection. I am always trying new lip balms. You can always rely on me to have at least 3 of them in my handbag.. when I suppose I do only need one. I chose the classic honey flavour, I just wanted a plain lip balm as I have lots already that are fancy with different flavours and different tints. This one does the job! It is quite a thick balm and stays on my lips for quite a while before having to re-apply it. The smell of it is gorgeous too.

Billy & Me by Giovanna Fletcher:

I am yet to start reading this book as I am currently reading "Paper towns" by John Green, which I will be sure to write a book review about (it is really good). I thought I would include this book though as the cover fits in nicely with my orange theme and it sounds like a book that I am going to really enjoy. 

Blurb - " Sophie May has a secret. One that she's successfully kept for years. It's meant that she's had to give up her dreams of going to university and travelling the world to stay in her little village, living with her mum and working in the local teashop. But then she meets the gorgeous Billy - an actor with ambitions to make it to the top. And when they fall in love, Sophie is whisked away from the comfort of her life into Billy's glamorous - but ruthless - world. Their relationship throws Sophie right into the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy? And most of all, is she ready for her secret heartbreak to be discovered and shared with the nation? "

Topshop Lipstick:

I think all of the beauty bloggers that I have either watched on YouTube or seen their blogs have this shade of lipstick for this summer from Topshop. If you do not already know, it is called "Infrared" and as you can see it is a red lipstick but with a strong tint of orange running through it. So I guess you could call it a dark orange, rather than a neon orange. This is what I really love about this shade. It is not too over the top but it is still the orange that I wanted for my lips this summer. The Topshop lipsticks feel so nice on your lips and are very pigmented. A tip I would advise, would be to make sure your lips are in perfect condition before wearing this lipstick. Make sure you dont have any cracks or dryness on your lips, they need to be very smooth otherwise this lipstick shows up all the imperfections! (now you have to treat yourself to the Burt's Bees lip balm too!).

Barry M Gelly Nail Varnish:

These are my favourite nail varnishs to purchase. I have so many Barry M nail varnishes now I should probably stop buying them, but I doubt I will. I must buy another one that I totally need every payday at least. One of my favourite colours out of the vibrant gelly range is this orange which is called "Mango". It looks beautiful on your fingers and toes! It is the perfect orange and it would be perfect for if you are lucky enough to go on vacation this summer. However if you're not this year, this colour would also be perfect to brighten up a dull looking summers day here in sunny Britain.

Do you have any orange must-haves for this summer?

- Kat Melladay x

Beauty review: Rimmel London Colour Rush Lip Balm/Crayons.

Beauty review: Rimmel London Colour Rush Lip Balm/Crayons.

Shade: Give Me A Cuddle.

Shade: Not An Illusion.

Shade: Drive Me Nude.

My next beauty review had to be about these lip crayons. Rimmel have brought out these wonderful lip balm crayons recently, in a variety of many flattering colours for all skin tones. I think out of the colours to choose from, I got the three most nude shades. Nude lip colours will always be my favourite and first choice. I absolutely love lip crayons. I find them so easy to apply, it is a blessing. Sometimes I feel like I have to really concentrate when applying traditional shape lipstick to stay in the shape of my lips or to not put too much on. Whereas with lip crayons, it is just so much easier with less effort to apply as much as you like, and I find the colours look a lot more subtle this way. 

I got the shades: Give Me A Cuddle, Not An Illusion and Drive Me Nude.

Out of these these shades, I would definitely say that Drive Me Nude is my favourite shade. I haven't seen a lip colour quite like it before. The photograph I have taken does not do it justice. It is like a typical nude colour but more brown. I would say it is similar to the colour Taupe with a hint of pink/purple. I have been wearing this colour nearly everyday since I bought it a couple of weeks ago, I think it is so lovely. Give Me A Cuddle is a bright, light pink colour. They also have a bright, hot pink shade (Boom Chic A Boom) but I felt this would be too much for me.. I am too used to my nude shades! Give Me A Cuddle is still bright and noticeable, but not too much. I would say that Not An Illusion is probably the most common colour in the range. As in, you could buy this shade in probably all the lip crayon ranges by all brands. It is a very pretty colour for the lips, I think that it is a colour which could work for all occasions.

In conclusion, I would go as far as to say that I LOVE these lip crayons by Rimmel! I have tried many lip crayons, and so far I have found that this Colour Rush range is by far the best. I love that the colour of the sticks are exactly the same colour when you apply them on your lips. And I love that the colour is excellent just like a lipstick and balmy/glossy at the same, yet you can also still make them look quite natural and not over the top. As they are balm lip crayons, they leave your lips feeling very smooth and even help their condition. I will definitely be purchasing more from this range. I think I will have to be brave and come out of my love for nude shades a bit so that I can try the bright reds and purples.  

View the complete range of colours here!

- Kat Melladay x

TAG: Liebster Award.

TAG: Liebster Award.

Greetings ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the Liebster awards!
I was nominated by my beautiful friend Hannah. We started doing our blogs at roughly the same time as each other. We both absolutely loved reading other peoples blogs and reviews and were becoming little fangirls! So we thought why don't we create our own? We both absolutely love writing our blogs and hers is a great one to read! Thank you for nominating me to do this tag.. I hope I do it correctly? hehe.

THE RULES:

-  Thank the person who nominated you.

-  State 11 facts about yourself.

-  Answer the questions that they have set out for you.

-  Nominate other bloggers and write out a list of your own questions for them.

11 FACTS ABOUT ME:

1.  Elephants are my favourite animals in the world and my bedroom is full of them!

2.  I have lived in the same place and the same house all of my life.

3.  I have wanted a tattoo for years now, but I always chicken out because of the pain.

4.  I would love to live 5 minutes away from a beach when I grow up.

5.  My hair colour has been nearly every colour you can think of (other than pink and green) and I am never happy with the colour of it.

6.  Beards are horrible to me, they hurt and I hate the look of them.

7.  My go to shop when I need a new outfit quickly for an occasion (like a night out) is always Topshop.

8.  I cannot stand seeing my own, or other peoples toe nails when they aren't painted with nail varnish. Gross!

9.  I have never been behind the wheel of a car, never had a lesson.
10.  I am currently planning to go to university and I am thinking of going into English studies.
11.  I HATE pretty much all vegetables. Only like sweetcorn!

QUESTIONS FROM HANNAH:

1.  Cats or dogs? Dogs all the way for me, there is nothing I would love more than to have a puppy!
2.  Favourite place you've visited? I would say probably Disneyland Paris, because I just adore Disney that much and everything is so cheerful there! Menorca is also beautiful though.
3.  Biggest fashion icon (dead/alive)? My main fashion icons would probably be Ashley Tisdale, Vanessa Hudgens and the gorgeous Olsen twins.
4.  Look back, what was your first post? What are your thoughts on it now? My first post wasn't all that long ago haha. It was just a TMI to introduce myself a bit really.
5.  Favourite Disney princess? Oh no.. well I have always liked the appearance of Belle and Snow White. But I like Rapunzal from Tangled and of course I like Anna from Frozen because they're so full of life and really friendly. I love Elsa but she is the Queen!
6.  You win the lottery, how do you spend it? I think the first thing I would do is sort out my parents somewhere nice to live, as they want to move desperately. Then I would buy the cutest puppy I could find and go to America. I would probably save most of the money for a massive house too.
7.  Any pets? Unfortunately not (waaaahhh). I would love a puppy or guinea piggys though.
8.  Any siblings? Nope!
9.  What is your favourite blog? I really like Gabby (from velvetgh0st)'s blog! And I love Lily Melrose's fashion blogs because I love her style!
10.  What are your hobbies? I would say my hobbies are watching movies/television, reading books, shopping, socializing and writing blog posts!
11.  If you could be anyone else for 1 day, who would you choose and why? Honestly I never really wish that I was someone else because that just makes me feel depressed as it can never happen. But if I had to choose because I love what their lifestyle looks like and what they look like, I would probably love to be Ashley Tisdale for the day. She lives in a beautiful place, has an adorable dog and is stunning! She also seems like an interesting, outgoing person.

MY QUESTIONS TO YOU:

1.  Do you have any tattoos or piercings?
2.  If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
3.  How long have you been blogging for?
4.  What is your favourite thing about writing a blog?
5.  Are you a winter or summer lover?
6.  What is your favourite book that you have ever read?
7.  If you could choose one shop only to spend £100 in, which shop would you choose?
8.  What is your favourite colour to wear?
9.  Any bad habits? (I know you have some..)
10.  If you had to live without hair dye or foundation, which would it be?
11.  What is your favourite animal?

MY NOMINATIONS:

HARRIET

LAURA

SARAH

I think this is great for finding new blogs that you have not seen before and recognizing what lots of people spend a lot of time doing, and enjoying!

- Kat Melladay x