Little Black Playsuit | Holiday Outfit of the Night

Black Floral-Printed Playsuit | Boohoo.com

~ Playsuit Link ~

Black Strappy Vest (Worn Underneath) | M&S

~ Vest Link ~

Limit Floral Strap Watch | Limit at Argos

~ Watch Link ~ 

Brown, Double Buckle Sandals | BHS

~ No Longer Available ~

This is the second of two blog posts to show you my two favourite outfits that I wore while away on my incredible holiday to the beautiful island of Majorca. This outfit is a dressy yet relaxed appoach to an LBD, taking on an exotic and 'holiday' vibe to accompany the lush weather and beautiful scenery. 

I found this playsuit on Boohoo.com, a website I always look to for affordable fashion pieces! I instantly fell in love with the pattern, a bright array of gorgeous, exotic flowers. I think the design is very bright and summery, perfect to compliment any skin tone as well as bringing beautiful colour across the outfit. Set against a black background, this is the perfect combination for a summery night-out look. The material is slightly textured too, which adds further depth and makes it appear more dressy than just a simply, jersey material, again adding a more sophisticated feel. The top half is styled with a wrap-around front, something I wasn't feeling quite brave enough to sport. I simply slipped a plain, black vest on underneath to give myself a little more coverage, however, the style of the front is really flattering if you are more comfortable than I am with this style. The synched-in waist allows attention to flatter your figure and, while the shorts are a little on the the shorter side, they definitely don't reach the point of being inappropriate and, for someone petite like myself, really aid in giving the appearance of longer legs. I chose not to style this piece with a necklace as I wanted to keep the statement upon the playsuit and its bright and colourful pattern. Nonetheless, I do think a small pendant, worn with the original, lower neckline would really bring attention to the wrap-around front and definitely compliment the outfit! I know this would flatter so many shapes and the general idea of a playsuit seems a lot more fun than a dress, while still keeping the aspect of glamour. 

I chose to pair this with a pair of brown gladiator sandals. Sticking with a subtle colour, I chose to keep the emphasis on the playsuit itself, and with the beautiful weather we had while away, this simple pair of sandals aided the 'holiday' feel of the outfit and helped to keep it further towards the casual side for an evening meal.

I knew the second I pulled this playsuit from the packaging, when it arrived at my door, that this would be such an amazing outfit to support the beautiful sunshine, not only in Majorca but back home too, on the days where the same old LBD just wouldn't cut it! Have you thought about switching up your style and rocking a playsuit for a night out instead?

Thank you for reading, click here for Part 1!

- Becca x

♡

Poolside Chic | Holiday Outfit of the Day

Black Bow Straw Sun Hat | H&M

~ Hat Link ~

Brown, Half-Frame, Round Sunglasses | New Look

~ Sunglasses Link ~

Blue Printed Playsuit | Primark

~ Playsuit Link ~

Turquoise Printed Bikini (Worn Underneath) | Debenhams 

~ Bikini Top Link ~

~ Bikini Bottoms Link ~

Brown, Double Buckle Sandals | BHS

~ No Longer Available ~

I had the most wonderful time on my recent family holiday to the gorgeous island of Majorca. I wanted to share two of my favourite outfits that I sported away in the beautiful sunshine, the first being this poolside playsuit combo I am in love with! 

Whilst holiday shopping during the weeks that approached my holiday, I was in search for a stylish cover-up that could easily be slipped on and off by the pool or on trips to the beach. I picked up this playsuit from Primark for the amazing price of £5! However, the incredible price tag of this product isn't the only reason I fell completely and utterly in love with this summertime staple. The material is really lightweight and loose, perfectly suited to the hot weather we had while away. I doesn't cling to your figure, except for the elasticated waistline which is very flattering, and is easy to drape over a bikini or swimwear whilst out and about. I also find it the perfect length short-wise, not too long but covers you up! I may venture back to Primark to pick up a couple more of these playsuits! They had a lovely range of patterns and colours and the design is not only perfect to slip on and off on holiday but also just on a day out in town at home!

I styled this outfit with my poolside necessities of a straw hat and some sunglasses. I searched from shop to shop to find a simplistic straw hat that didn't swamp my little head. I found this round hat, styled with a black bow, in H&M that was the perfect size for me; big enough to keep me shaded but still a suitable size for my petite size! What's more, it came in sizes Small, Medium and Large, depending on the size of your head, making it suitable for all. Teamed with my large, round sunnies, I felt these accessories added a glamorous touch to a simple outfit.

I wore this outfit all throughout my holiday and know I will continue to sport these items back here in the UK too! I couldn't recommend each product enough for a hot, summer holiday on both style and practicality and definitely suggest popping your head into the shops listed to see if anything takes your fancy!

Thank you for reading and stay tuned for Part 2!

- Becca x

♡

My Holiday Makeup Bag 2015

*Products listed from left to right as shown above*

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Real Techniques Powder Brush

Sleek MakeUp Face Contour Kit in Light

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake

Maybelline Lash Sensational Lash Multiplying Mascara in Black

Real Techniques Duo-Fibre Face Brush

Sleek MakeUp Blush in Rose Gold

Revlon Colorburst Laquer Balm in Whimsical

No7 Stay Perfect Amazing Eyes Pencil in Brown

Revlon Lash Potion by Grow Luscious Waterproof Mascara in Black

Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Peach Glow

Rimmel London Wake Me Up Concealer in Ivory

Real Techniques Cheek Brush

****

As I am soon to be venturing off on a lush summer holiday and have been preparing myself over the last few weeks, I thought, to get myself even more excited, I would share what cosmetic products will be travelling with me for the evenings when I want to look a little more glamorous for dinner. 

First of all, I will be taking all my makeup in this adorable Beauty Bag from Zoella Beauty (mentioned in my last Fave Five!). This is the perfect size to fit not only my makeup products but my brushes too and the washable, plastic material makes it even better and more durable for travel. As you can probably see, I have been quite reserved with my choices for this holiday, my bag not carrying an abundance of the same products. Even here in the UK, where the weather isn't exactly off-the-scale scorching, I still find wearing a lot of face makeup quite uncomfortable out in the summer heat and find it just doesn't last on my skin. With this in mind, my facial makeup routine will most probably consist of a dusting of pressed powder and some blusher to add colour and shimmer to my complexion. For these I have chosen the Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder and the gorgeous Sleek MakeUp Blush in Rose Gold, the perfect shimmery, golden coral shade. The blusher I have included I have absolutely fallen in love with! It gives my cheeks a beautiful, healthy glow, adding shimmer to suit any occasion. If you visit Boots or Superdrug, have a little look at this shade, it's so pretty! I've also slotted in my Sleek MakeUp Contour Kit, mainly for the gorgeous highlighter to add a beautiful glow to my complexion, but also if I want to bronze myself up for a summer evening by the pool. I have also included the Rimmel London Wake Me Up Concealer, which I am not actually the biggest fan of, but purchased due to the fact my holy grail Collection Lasting Perfection concealer was out of stock every time I visited Boots or Superdrug! It is quite a light coverage concealer, alot better suited for summer weather, so it'll be coming with me just in case I want a little more coverage than just my powder. 

In terms of eyes, I have kept my selection very simple. You'll probably notice I haven't included any eyeshadows, which is very unlike me! I know that in the hot weather, any eyeshadow will just slide off my eyes and, as much as I love adding a splash of colour to my makeup with my eyeshadows, I don't want purple and pink powders half way down my face! I've stuck to just a brown eyeliner - I'm taking the No7 Stay Perfect Amazing Eyes Pencil. I most probably won't wear this everyday but I'll smudge it across the top lash line for a more dramatic look some days - a quick, easy way to give my eyes a bit more depth. In terms of mascara, I'm taking my favourite mascara at the moment, the Maybellline Lash Sensational Lash Multiplying Mascara as it makes my lashes so long and fluttery, perfect to compliment a subtle and simple makeup look for my evenings. I know that this will primarily be my go-to mascara on the trip but I am also packing a waterproof mascara - the Revlon Lash Potion By Grow Luscious Mascara - just in case.

My makeup this holiday will be all about the lips! With such simplistic eye and face makeup, I want to add a more glamorous feel with bright and colourful lips to compliment any outfit. If you know me, you'll know I stick to nude lips on an everyday basis. Both the lipsticks I have chosen will push me to be more daring with my lip colour and dress up any look. First is the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake. What I love about this product is it keeps your lips hydrated but it's also really buildable, perfect for someone like myself who isn't used to seeing strong colours on the lips. This bright, 'Barbie' pink is the perfect holiday colour and will give a lovely sheen to the lips too. I have also chosen the Revlon Colorburst Laquer Balm in Whimsical, a shimmery fuchsia shade. This is a really glamorous shade and compliments my complexion really nicely too. I know it will add a pop of colour to my simple makeup and always makes me feel confident and pretty when it's on my lips!

Finally, the brushes I will be taking with me are all, to no surprise, by Real Techniques. The Real Techniques Powder Brush is just amazing at applying soft and even powder across your face, perfect for building, depending on how much coverage you want. I know this will be the best brush for applying my powder on holiday as well as blending out blusher and bronzer. My other brushes are the Real Techniques Duo-Fibre Face Brush and the Real Techniques Cheek Brush, both of which are from the Nic's Picks Collection (Read a full review here!). I will use both for either bronzer or blusher application; the Duo-Fibre Face Brush giving a lighter touch and the Cheek Brush for a more defined and dramatic look, all depending on how I'm feeling! 

All in all, my holiday makeup bag doesn't look like that of the average 'makeup fanatic', but I know I love each and every product I will be taking and I won't have to worry about spending so long on getting ready and enjoy soaking up the sun! 

Are you off on holiday this year?

- Becca x

*prices listed in order of products above*

- RRP £10.99

- RRP £6.49

- RRP £7.99

- RRP £7.99

- RRP £29.99 (for whole 5 brush set including 'Cheek Brush')

- RRP £4.49

- RRP £7.99

- RRP £7.50

- RRP £9.99

- RRP £3.99

- RRP £5.49

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A Day at Weymouth Sea Life Centre

On a recent holiday with my family to the lovely area of Dorset in the South of England, we spent a visit to the Sea Life Centre in Weymouth, home to a range of aquatic animals. I must confess I am a huge animal lover and was more than excited to take a trip here, not only to enjoy the fascinating behaviour of each animal but also to admire the hard work the staff put in to help with the conservation of some species which the world could soon be saying 'goodbye' to.

From otters to eels, sharks to penguins, Weymouth's Sea Life Centre lets you get up close and personal with so many creatures and animals in fun and exciting ways. I had been here before but I was much younger and on my second arrival couldn't really remember any features. What's more, we'd chosen to go during term time which meant we didn't have to push through waves of people to get a glimpse of our favourite animals.

The underwater tunnel is something I had faded memories of and one of the best parts of the whole day. The tunnel allows you to walk underneath a giant tank full of swift sharks, beautiful and colourful fish and gracious sea turtles. It was such an incredible experience to be surrounded by the hundreds of different creatures - it almost felt as if you were in the tank too! Everywhere you looked, there was something interesting to watch. The way the sea turtles bob in the water with such grace or the the way the clusters of fish shimmer in the spotlights. I found it such a calming experience to lose myself in the creatures around me.

Another part of the day that I personally loved was our visit to the penguin habitat. Anyone who knows me knows I'm mad about penguins so I had to restrain from squealing upon arrival. This visit was different to any I had experienced in any zoo though, and in the best way too! The penguins were perched on the rocks right by where we were stood. This meant I could see every tiny detail all over their little faces and bodies. It was also adorable how the Centre had specified which couples were together, referencing the coloured armbands they wore to match them up. I feel like this added a cute and exciting feature to the experience and I could see all the other children matching up the penguins as they watched.

The one thing I can't appreciate enough is all the work that the members of staff at the Sea Life Centre do for the animals in terms of conservation and protection. It's no secret that more and more sea life creatures are becoming endangered due to fishing, poaching and pollution. The ways the staff recognise this and tell visitors of their breeding programmes and conservation schemes boasts the importance of supporting and understanding why and how these are so important. The visit was not only fun and enjoyable, but educational. I learnt surprising facts that definitely changed my perception on the protection and conservation of endangered species. Did you know that less that 10 people are killed by sharks each year, but 100 million sharks are killed by humans each year? Shocking facts like this really made me appreciate the wildlife around me and feel proud to be supporting such a great cause through my visit.

I thoroughly enjoyed my day here and would definitely recommend a visit to anyone and everyone. Whether you're an adult, child, grandparent or family, the experience at the Weymouth Sea Life Centre was so enjoyable and even now I desperately want to go back! There are Sea Life Centres dotted all over the country including London, Blackpool and Brighton so, even if Weymouth is particularly out of reach for you, I'm sure a local Sea Life Centre would be happy to have you. For more details visit: http://www.visitsealife.com/

I took lots of little videos throughout the day and have edited them into a short and sweet video to show some of my favourite parts of the day! Take a look below!

Thank you for reading and maybe I've even encouraged you to visit!

- Becca x

P.S My blogging hat is most definitely back on again! Due to work and the holiday I had away without my laptop, my blog has desperately lacked in posts. I have some exciting ones on the way and am excited to be able to start writing again!

♡

Camping Holiday in The New Forest

Between the 14th and 17th of July, my best friend Hannah and I travelled to the New Forest, a National Park located in southern England, where we were set to camp and explore. It was amazing experience to travel without our parents and families, doing everything on our own and escaping just us two. As I mentioned in my 'This Summer' blog post, we literally had nothing planned, the whole trip would be one big spontaneous idea each day, which I guess didn't really hit home until the night before as I tried to scrape together a bag full of necessities not sure what I might be lacking or not even need.  

DAY 1

We arrived at the campsite in the morning of the 14th. We'd chosen to stay next to the little village of Ashurst, where there were plenty of services in case we needed anything and was a mere 2 miles from Lyndhurst, deemed to be the 'capital' of the New Forest. The campsite was really nice, luckily we'd picked to visit out of peak season so it wasn't too crowded and the staff were very friendly and welcomed us onto the site. The New Forest is famous for its animals that roam freely through the National Park, especially the beautiful New Forest Ponies, many of which wandered happily through the campsite, as Hannah shows in the picture above. We pitched the tent before adventuring off for our first insight into the New Forest environment for a picnic. We came across a stunning woodland which featured not only the famous ponies but also deer and cattle, enjoying the summer weather just as much as we were. The afternoon was very relaxed as we continued on exploring further into the woods. We came across wonderful fields full of life, igniting our excitement to further explore the New Forest over the coming days. We headed back, enjoyed dinner at the local pub 'The Happy Cheese' before settling in for an early night in preparation for the following day.

DAY 2

The night before our second day, Hannah and I had picked up as many leaflets as we could carry to see what we could plan for the next day. After discovering a 'New Forest Tour Bus' with 3 different routes, we settled on seeing where that could take us and what we could do. We caught it early morning, travelling via the 'Green Route' stopping in Brockenhurst, Lymington and Beaulieu. When stopped off in Brockenhurst, we phoned through to a place where you could hire kayaks in Lymington to find out the prices. We then decided we should go for it, without having ever kayaked before or wearing any of the right clothing to do so. We arrived in Lymington and made our way to the quay, where we were set to kayak, or at least try to! After being suited up in our life jackets and mistaking 'dry bag' to be some sort of sophisticated jargon (but literally meaning a bag for our belongings) - the man who helped and served us was most probably awfully worried for us by this point -  we made our way to the water, filled with excitement and nerves. We were both surprised how easy kayaking was and after a little practice we became more and more confident and our two hour adventure began. I am so glad we chose to do kayaking. I must admit, I was nervous and knowing we had no knowledge or experience with kayaking, I was terrified we'd fall out or something, especially knowing our luck! It was so much fun though and I would really recommend it to anyone up for a laugh and adventure with their friends or family! After this, we were quite happy to relax by the river in Beaulieu Village. This was a nice conclusion to a packed day, along with a nice meal at 'The Forest Inn' after which we fell asleep, pretty worn out and sunburnt from all our activities!

*Disclaimer* The animals we petted and took pictures with in the New Forest, we approached with caution and as soon as we saw they were comfortable, went on to pet them. They did not react negatively or appear unhappy when we did so. We didn't do this for every animal we came across and are well aware that some of the animals in the New Forest aren't as comfortable with human interaction as others. Also, although it looks like it in the picture above, I assure you I was not feeding the donkey!

DAY 3

On our third day, we decided to hire bikes locally in Ashurst, something we were certain we wanted to do from first planning the holiday. We cycled the two mile trip to Lyndhurst, the unofficial 'capital' of the New Forest, and upon arrival, were eager to explore the town and environment around. We first greeted a few animals that relaxed by the gates, who gave us a warm welcome into the surrounding land, filled with nature and beauty as far as the eye could see. Shortly after, we made our way down the high street. Lyndhurst boasts lots of cute and quirky shops, as well as a large variety of cafés selling delicious 'New Forest Ice Cream', an absolute must when you visit of course! After enjoying a short exploration of the local shops, a peaceful lunch in the solitude of the open countryside and befriending a couple of adorable donkeys, we headed off for what would be the longest bike ride I've ever experienced. We'd bought a cycle map in the morning and chose a route near Lyndhurst, but also with lots of different options for where to go. We cycled along the path through the woods, our eyes constantly scanning the surroundings for any wildlife. It was so peaceful to cycle through this part of the New Forest, away from the roads and busy tourist spots to simply enjoy the area and beauty within it. We caught sight of buzzards and deer on our adventure while having fun cycling up and down hills - although we are guilty of walking up most of the hills, especially towards the end! - and along the paths under the summer sun. Four hours later, at about 9pm, we finally made it back to Ashurst to return our bikes and placed a rather large order at the local Fish and Chips shop, hungry and thoroughly worn out from our trip in and around Lyndhurst.

DAY 4

We woke bright and early on our final day to give us enough time to put the tent down, pack all our things away as well as get ready for the day we still had planned. Once we'd cleared everything, we said our final goodbyes to the campsite, that had treated us well for the past couple nights, and the ponies, that had kept us company - one even poked their head into our tent that morning! We planned to visit 'Longdown Activity Farm' for the day, where you have the chance to feed and hold lots of different farm animals. The farm was quite small but there was so much to do. We got to see so many cute animals that were roaming around in the lush weather. It was quite funny how we were seemingly the oldest people there that didn't have children! It was such a fun experience though; I love animals and it was so nice to just spend a day watching all the cute pigs, little ducklings and adorable donkeys happy and doing what they do best. We also saw the smallest and sweetest baby guinea pigs, something I've never seen before, running around in their little pen - trust me, it was far more exciting than it sounds. All in all, the day was much more relaxed and not as jam-packed as the rest, which was definitely for the best as we were quite worn out by this point. We still had a lot of fun at the farm, feeding the animals, bouncing on the trampolines and just acting like big kids for the day! We the made our final trip to the local pub for a refreshing cold drink to cool us down before making our way back home, having had one of the best times ever. 

This little holiday was one I won't forget. If I had to choose one word to sum it up, it would be hilarious! I had so much fun with my best friend and it was a great experience to not only have the chance to choose whatever we wanted to do but also decide it all spontaneously! I really hope I get the opportunity to do something like this again and would recommend each and every thing we did to anyone wanting to get away and explore the New Forest!  

- Becca x

♡