Education is one of the most important things in my life. I have always valued education from a young age and believe it is something that we should all take advantage of. Living in the UK, it is such a privilege to have the resources we do to gain knowledge, insight and learn about the incredible depths of the world. My love for education and learning has prompted me to post a few 'back to school' posts, especially as I will be starting a new journey at the end of September. I am moving on and will, finger crossed, be attending the University of Lincoln...but more of that in a future post! I'm here today to give you a very exciting giveaway. Being a stationery lover, I thought what better than to give my incredible readers the chance to win these gorgeous stationery prizes. Over the past few days, I have found some stunning stationery that will equip any office worker, university student or those going to school some supplies to keep them going through the year. I'm also holding two more giveaways (AS WELL AS THIS ONE) over on my two Youtube channels so make sure to stick around to the end of this post to find out how you can enter to win the other bundles!

PRIZES

Weekly Planner

Rose Gold Striped Notebook

3 Rose Gold Metallic Pencils

2 Glitter/Patterned Tapes

6 Pack of Gel Pens

Rose Gold Pencil Case 

Jar of Pastel Paperclips

Now summer is well underway, it is time to switch up my nail wardrobe. I always forget how many nail polishes I've hoarded over the years of being a self-acclaimed beauty addict. Today I'm back with a newly found nail polish brand, The Edge Nails, which I'm absolutely loving for this summer. I always love changing my nail polish colours seasonally, as I feel like it is completely necessary in the beauty world. This summer, I'm throwing it back with some good ol' pastel vibes. Pastel was such a huge trend a few years back but I'm still loving summer pastels more than ever for Summer 2017!

The Edge Nails - Annika Polishes

The three nail polishes I chose were three of my favourite pastel shades -a baby pink, mint green and duck egg blue. These colours will be perfect for the entire season, switching between each pastel shade or even wearing them all at the same time. Seeing as I've just come back from Mexico, my skin tone has changed to a lovely sunkissed tan. I always think that pastel polishes look gorgeous against a tan, making both the colour of the polish and the intensity of the tan to be emphasised. In terms of formula, the polishes apply smoothly and you only need a single fine coat, as the pigment is incredible. I wasn't expecting the pigmentation to be so intense but the smooth consistency and thin layer provides all you need for gorgeous pastel nails. Finally, the longevity of the products are similar to the other much-loved products in my nail collection. From application, the products lays comfortably on my nails for about 5 days before showing chips and imperfections. This is usually a satisfied time before having to re-apply the product again or switch up the colour on your nails. Overall, I am really impressed with this new, innovative brand from packaging to formula.

Shades 

BLUSHING BEAUTY

POOL PARTY

ENVY

What is your favourite nail polish brand? What colour(s) do you love to wear in the summer months?

Lots of love

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The nail polishes were gifted for review; however, all opinions are honest and my own.

Number 1 being my self-confidence. This is something that is very difficult for anyone going to, or on, holiday due to the endless media pressures and 'beach body' expectations. It is insane that there is pressure to have this 'perfect', idealistic model prior to even stepping on the plane. For months leading up to my holiday, I succumbed to this pressure - not only because of the pre-made expectation but because I was simply not happy with my weight. I had gained a lot of weight over winter 2016 and I seriously wanted to lose some weight. Unfortunately, I was struggling with money over this time period too so I had to cancel my gym membership. This made it slightly more difficult for myself - I had to pluck up determination and motivation to achieve significant results in such a short amount of time, as well as balancing my time sufficiently in the middle of exam season. Over this period, it was so tough and I struggled with it a lot; however, it heightened the holiday even more when we arrived in Puerto Vallarta. I could forget all of my worries that were waiting for me 5,677 miles away at home. Overall, I managed to lose just over a stone, which I was, and still am, super proud of - I couldn't believe I managed to stick to healthier eating and regularly exercising. This inevitably made me so much happier in myself, and the way I looked, which allowed me to dress how I wished and feel confident in myself. In no way at all am I saying that you have to lose weight to feel happy on holiday - I had just gained significant weight and it was healthy for me to lose it in a long-term way. There are many other ways to improve confidence on holiday, more of which I will be covering in the rest of this post...

Before I carry on talking about confidence, I thought I would talk about one of the outfits that made me feel happy, confident and care-free when on the beach. Both the kaftan and sunhat are from UK Swimwear - a brand that self-explanatory sell a vast variety of swimwear, cover-ups and beach accessories. The main component of the outfit is Iconique's stunning white Paloma Kaftan. The Boho-style and laced crotchet detail lining the bottom and neck of the piece, instantly made the item look Mexico-esque. The lightweight material and loose-fitted design allowed comfort in the scorching 40 degree heat - comfort is a huge thing for me, as comfort equals confidence. If my beachwear is too tight in the wrong places or clings to areas that made me feel discomfort, I find it very difficult to feel 100% good in the outfit. I was so happy with how beautiful this fit my figure - the float-y cut out arms and lace trimming made me feel super elegant and feminine whilst strolling along the beach. This was the first time I've actually felt completely confident in my beach attire on holiday, so that made me extremely excited. I would also like to thank UK Swimwear for sending along a Sun Hat from Gottex to accompany the white lace body. The black and gold combination complemented the bright white kaftan - all three tones worked together to complete the beach goddess vibe I was attempting to master. A loose floppy hat was utilised well during my trip - protecting my face and scalp from the intense heat, as well as looking stylish on the beach. I love the loose clothing, floppy hat combo and will continue to dress similarly for future beach holidays. I cannot get over how incredible these two products look together.

Remaining within my personal comfort zone is something I am very guilty of doing, especially when it comes to clothing. I would love to wear some of the crazy, quirky outfits that models work on the front cover of magazines or the laid-back, street style that some bloggers can pull off. However, I always seem to opt for the same style of clothing and fitting. When hauling the clothes for my Mexican holiday over on my Youtube Channel, I realised that I had actually stepped ridiculously out of my comfort zone. This made me very nervous but excited to try something new and a greater reflection of what I want to wear. Two weeks away allowed me to experiment with my style, ensuring I was happy, comfortable and felt 100% me in my new outfit choices. Whenever you have some free time, try some new outfit combinations in your wardrobe and you will be surprised at what you master up. I never thought I would pair some things that I owned together but I honestly loved the outfits I managed to conjure up. You don't even need to go out and purchase lots of new clothing, I bet you there are several pieces in your closet that you had no idea would look incredible when worn simultaneously. Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone is a risk, but more than worth it!

What are your tips to stay body confident during the summer period? Do you find it just as hard as I do?

Lots of love

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This outfit was gifted by UK Swimwear; however, all opinions are honest and my own.

One of the many perks of being a blogger is discovering new, upcoming and innovative brands. I love browsing the beautiful creations of fellow bloggers and wonderful pieces people have created from scratch. Recently, I fell in love with the gorgeous array of trinket dishes, cute greeting cards, as well as the beautiful range of prints and mugs. I fortunately was able to get hold of a few products so I could share with you my thoughts on this instagram-worthy, extremely aesthetically pleasing brand. 

The Pink Rose Bud was launched last year by the wonderful Rosie, whom designs and crafts all of the products available to buy. The aim of the brand is to bring a contemporary feel - making everything bright, colourful and enticing. The care and attention to detail on all of their products is evident and well-thought out, from quality to delivery everything seems to be perfect. Not only are the products are completely unique to anything I've seen on the gifting market, the prices are super affordable and can be bought to make an ideal gift for a partner or your bestie!

Trinket Dish & Greeting Cards

The products were delicately delivered, hand-wrapped in cute pink and white packaging - matching the aesthetics of the brand. Even from the packaging and the brand-printed stickers, you are instantly aware of the time, effort, dedication and attention to detail is made when delivering the products, as well as the overall creation. I was super impressed with the swift delivery and the delicacy of the package when it arrived. In terms of products, I cannot be more in love with the beautiful, luxurious-looking golden leaf trinket dish. This pretty little trinket dish is ideal for popping in my small pieces of jewellery that clumsy me usually loses. I love that the dish is super productive but also added beauty to my dresser by the classy golden detail. Alongside the trinket dishes, Pink Rose Bud also supplied me with these cute little greeting cards. For those wanting to make a gift extra special, what more could you want than a individual greeting card that is completely unique! I love the simplistic design paired with the snappy occasion printed in the centre - the colour choices for the cards are all definitely up my street and I cannot wait for my next friend to have a birthday so I can use on of these. 

What are your favourite lifestyle brands? What products do you like from the Pink Rose Bud?

Lots of love

Strobing is something I've seriously gotten into over the past year. For those unaware of what 'strobing' actually is, it is makeup terminology for using cream or liquid products to accentuate the areas of the face that naturally reflect light (i.e. the cheekbones, cupid's bow and brow bones). Whenever there are new highlight/strobing product releases, I am always one to cave in a buy something from the collection - I am honestly like a magpie and instantly attract to anything that shimmers or glows. After everyone had been hyping over the new Maybelline Master Strobing products, I knew I had to get my hands on them. Fortunately, the incredibly generous team of girls at Maybelline kindly allowed me to try their beautiful new range so I thought I would share my honest, genuine opinion on both their strobing liquids and strobing stick.

Strobing Liquids 

Something I've never quite ventured into on the makeup front is liquid highlighter. I always tend to opt for a classic powder or if I want to be super glowy I'd pop a cream highlight underneath with powder on top. How did I not realise the power of strobing liquids? These Maybelline beauties are an absolute dream to work with. The first and lightest shade is an iridescent shimmer - the champagne-toned product is extremely brightening, uplifting and makes me feel like a glowing goddess. With a gorgeous white/silver reflective glitters catching the light, this shade is all you need for a glamorous evening out or any special occasion to make you feel confident. Alternatively, for a more peachy glow and your cheeks to pop in the summer months, medium/nude is the perfect shade for you. A stunning deep pink that not only brightens your face but injects colour and life into your complexion. This will work wonders in the warmer months due to the pink undertones; however, will be the perfect pick-me-up in winter to draw warmth to the face. I also found these strobing liquids work perfectly combined with foundation - a balance between glow and coverage is something that really completes my base makeup during summer, and these liquids are the ideal product to do so.

Strobing Stick

If you are a huge fan of cream products, strobing with the new Maybelline Face Studio Illuminating stick is definitely something to purchases. The formula for cream products is so difficult to create - concocting the desired balance between longevity, blend-ability and pigmentation is something that has proven to be very hard to find in the makeup industry. However, Maybelline have managed to create the perfect formula to illuminate your cheekbones, cupid's bow and all the high points of your face. With a single swipe onto each area of interest, this strobing stick is blended out in seconds - dabbing lightly with my finger usually works best with cream products and blending this out is such a dream. I cannot wait for people to buy this and realise how incredible it really is - for only £7.99, it is super inexpensive and definitely something to look into for the coming summer seasons!

Have you tried anything from the Maybelline strobing range? Which product would you like to try if not?

Lots of love