Matalan Holiday Shop | Set for summer

In 2 weeks time I will be cruising around the Mediterranean for a much needed break, and I cannot wait! Matalan have completely hooked me up for my holiday with some pieces from their dedicated Matalan Holiday Shop range. Having a dedicated section for a holiday shop makes it so much easier to find outfits suitable for hot weather, they also have lots of different travel essentials such as suitcases and beach towels, it's your one stop shop for anything holiday related, and they have a really great selection this year! With a bundle of lovely holiday products to pretty much cover every eventuality I have styled the pieces to show you that if you invest in the right staples you can mix and match and never have the same look again!

So many gorgeous bright colours and patterns!

I picked out the main essentials that you would need for almost every summer holiday, that I knew I could mix and match with ease. One pair of black denim shorts, 5 different boob tubes, sandals, sunglasses and a bikini! The holiday shop currently have a 3 for 2 offer running across their products which is a great deal if you're looking to buy a new wardrobe for holiday. Without further ado lets kick it off with some stripes!

This is one of my favourite looks, black and stripes will always be an effortless look. So easy to wear! 

Boob tube* - Matalan Holiday Shop

Denim Shorts* - Matalan Holiday Shop

 For a more daring look, this brightly coloured top will certainly turn heads! I don't normally wear boob tube tops as they don't suit my swimmer arms and back, but I love the long length of them meaning that they can be tucked in to high waisted shorts easily!

 Boob Tube* - Matalan Holiday Shop

I love being 10 minutes from the sea, nothing can compare to closing your eyes and listening to the calm sea lap the rocks. 

 Boob Tube* - Matalan Holiday Shop

 Boob Tube* - Matalan Holiday Shop

Sunglasses* - Matalan Holiday Shop

I'm starting to branch out with the type of sunglasses I wear and was instantly drawn to these cat eye sunglasses, the red colour isn't something I would normally wear but they look so chic with an all black outfit like this.

An all black look never goes out of fashion.

The great thing about these black shorts is that they literally do go with every colour and pattern under the sun, as you can see. They are so versatile and perfect for taking on a short getaway where you can't pack much! As the staple piece that I picked from Matalan Holiday Shop you can see how many different ways you can mix this look up, enough options to last for a 5 day holiday!

Boob Tube* - Matalan Holiday Shop

Sandals* - Matalan Holiday Shop

These sandals are insanely comfortable and will be perfect for all the sightseeing/walking that I will be doing on my holidays! I love the double criss cross of straps, obsessed with straps like these and lace up sandals this year.

Floral Bikini* - Matalan Holiday Shop

I am a bandeau bikini type of girl through and through, I'm all about maximising my tan and I don't need any straps getting in the way of that! I love the candy coloured floral pattern and know it will look amazing with a tan!

So, pretty much a whole new wardrobe for a holiday and all under £50! With the 3 for 2 offers and the wide selection of products being reasonably priced there's no end to what products you can mix and match, there really is something to suit everyone's taste from their Holiday Shop. If you're not looking to spend much money on holiday items but still want a good selection of products then you need to have a browse at their one stop holiday shop!

What do you think of the pieces? Do you like Matalan's Holiday Shop? What outfit is your favourite?

*Products marked with an asterix (*) have been sent to me for review. However, all opinions in this post are 100% my own

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OOTD | Patterned jeans

Shirt - New Look

Jeans - Topshop (last year)

Necklace - New Look

Sandals - Topshop

Bag - Topshop

It should be summer and we should be wearing shorts, dresses and sandals, but English weather is funny like that and the sun never lasts long! I feel like I've made the transition to spring clothing at last though, and my love for structured white shirts in the winter has definitely progressed into spring, and I fell in love with this soft, cotton white shirt from New Look that is just what I have been looking for. It's not as harsh as a structured shirt and looks amazing with pretty much everything, patterned, textured or plain. We all have a pair of jeans, shorts or a skirt that you just struggle to find anything that goes with it. I bought these joni jeans last year which I still adore, but like I said I really did struggle to find something that would go with them. I think this shirt is a match made in heaven for the jeans and it's such a cool, casual look. I also picked up some new necklaces from New Look at the weekend as it was buy one get one free, how could I resist?! I always lack in the jewellery department and feel I should make more of an effort as it really does help to finish a look off.

Oh, and I just had to include the last photo! An unexpected visitor decided to photo bomb my photos, but I'm not hating on it, I think it was kinda cute!

What do you think of this outfit? Do you like patterned jeans? Have you had any photo bombers like this?

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Packing for holiday | My suitcase essentials

source

I still can't get my head around the fact that it is June already! The years really do seem to fly by when you get older, the only plus side is that my holidays are now on the horizon, I'm going on a Mediterranean cruise at the end of the month and also to Mykonos in August for a week (super excited!). As my clothing and beauty obsession gets worse year upon year I get lumbered with the job of trying to condense 2 wardrobes worth of clothes into a tiny suitcase for a week. The reason I love cruises that leave the UK the most is that you can bring as much stuff as you want, of course  our car can only fit so much so I still have to be sensible. If you have read my cruise posts before, I've mentioned that it's a common thing to change your clothes at least 3 times a day (heaven!) so I thought I would plan ahead and share some of my suitcase essentials for you and tips to make sure you never forget anything!

Source

Write a list - A list will create the main foundations for your packing and this is probably the hardest bit. I found a template off pinterest last year that had the main staples you need for a holiday which I found super handy, as an avid list writer anyway it makes the packing process much easier and ensures you don't miss out anything important.

Toiletries - A beauty blogger will never be without her overflowing makeup bag and wash bag. Toiletries can be incredibly heavy and it is always a worry if you have a certain weight restriction to fly with. Regardless to this I never take full size products anyway, I either buy mini sizes of shampoos etc or I decant full size bottles into smaller empty bottles, you can buy a pack of these for £1 from Primark, this is a much more cost effective way of doing things. I also save up samples and mini beauty items throughout the year to take away with me, Benefit do the cutest mini makeup items. Some hotels even provide you with showergel, shampoo etc so it might be worth researching that beforehand. I also never carry a full sized perfume with me anymore after my last one leaked all over my suitcase and ruined my clothes, not to mention wasting my favourite perfume *sobs*. I always decant this into a travel perfume atomiser now, they are so much easier to carry and can easily be slipped into a handbag for when you are back at home too.

Clothes -  You wouldn't get far on a holiday without any clothes, I always panic about my suitcase not turning up at the airport, it's probably my worst nightmare. Anyway, clothes really are the one thing I never stint on and I always take far too much and never end up wearing half of it. On cruises you have to cater for the formal nights too which I usually carry on separately in a suit/dress cover. With clothes I would take your staple pieces like white tops, denim shorts etc which can be re worn again but with different items, this way you half the amount of things you have to bring with you if you are short on space. I always roll my clothes when I pack them as you can fit much more in. I really do think it's a lot about the way you pack your suitcase that dictates how much you can bring, taking the time to pack really does help you in the long run, however tedious it is!

Medical supplies - If you take medication you really don't want to forget this!! I always take a little first aid/medical kit with the essentials in such as paracetamol, plasters, hand gel, sun cream etc, these products are always much more expensive at airports and abroad as they know that travellers will want to buy this type of thing. Once abroad you never really know what you are buying, so it is best to stick with medication brought from home if you can manage it.

Don't over pack - I never over pack my suitcase as I always have the thought in my mind that I might want to buy people presents for people to bring back home. Previous holidays when I visited Orlando I would never pack my suitcase to the top, and only take old clothes to chuck away and I would then bring back a suitcase full of new clothes bought from all the discounted malls, it was amazing! 

Weigh your suitcase - If you do have a weight restriction on your suitcase I would 100% recommend weighing your suitcase on some scales or a handheld portable strap luggage scale that will indicate whether it's overweight or not. There is nothing worse than having to unpack your suitcase at the airport to redistribute the weight. 

Most importantly...Don't forget your passport, travel documents and specifically your Iphone, ready to catch every moment of your holiday to be uploaded straight to Instagram, you'll thank me later! 

AgeUK have also put together a really handy selection of tips to help you pack for your holiday, they also have lots of tips for packing for a cruise which will be incredibly helpful for me in the next few weeks! You can read their tips here.

What do you think of my tips? What are your suitcase essentials? Are any of you off on any holidays this summer? Have you been on a cruise before?

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Life lately through Instagram

L-R

My obsession with Instagram is no secret, and I love documenting snippets of my life on there to share with the world. Life really has been hectic recently and a lot of exciting things have been happening which is my reason for being slightly absent on the blog front recently. I thought I would incorporate Instagram into this post with some of my pictures to keep you in the loop with some of the highlights of the last month or so. I definitely can see this becoming a regular feature, so let me know if you want to see more update posts like this in the comments below.

1. A few weeks ago I visited James in Hitchin (30 mins from London!) and we headed into London for the day, for Christmas he bought me a Virgin Experience Days voucher which included a trip to the view of the Shard! It was one of the best experiences I have had to date, the whole experience and the views were just breathtaking and I would recommend anyone to visit if you get the chance. 

2. As you'll know if you read my last post on my Lush Oxford Street haul, after visiting the shard this was the first shop I headed to. I probably spent about an hour in there and it still wasn't enough time. All of their displays were so eye catching and bright and I'm already planning my next trip!

3. So..big news for me last week, I landed myself a dream graduate job in digital marketing for a large E-commerce company in Plymouth!!! I have worked so hard for the last year since finishing uni, with my customer relations job and running the social media marketing on the side for a baby company called BabyDam and writing my blog, it's all been a massive juggling act but, I wouldn't have it any other way. I am now SO excited to start my new job next week and to learn even more about the industry I love working in. So as you can see celebrations were in order, as a tee total 22 year old I enjoyed my mocktails in the sun followed by a yummy meal!

4. Food is a major focal point on my Instagram and there will always be a cake or two popping up! Wildwood restaurant opened in Plymouth a few months ago now and it has already become a firm favourite of mine. Their chocolate brownie is what I can imagine heaven would feel like.

5. I'm off on a P & O cruise with my family next month in the Mediterranean so have been frantically searching for some more formal outfits. I picked up this stunning sequinned top and puffy floor length skirt from Coast stores and I fall in love with it every time I look at it - it's very Carrie Bradshaw and totally worth the money!

6. At age 22 I finally had my first experience of macaroons, and oh boy aren't they delicious. The flavours are so delicate and delicious, however, this won't replace my love for Ben's Cookies. 

7. I have been after this Calvin Klein set for months now and it's finally mine!! The pants were from Urban outfitters and the top was from the Calvin Klein shop on regent street, it was certainly a mission finding it in stock and in my size but well worth the pursuit!! 

8. And back to the food.. Rumpus cosy in Plymouth do the BEST hot chocolates, they have the quirkiest tea cups and saucers and who else would think of putting marshmallows in a teeny flower pot - adorable.

9. Finishing off with a selfie, something pretty rare for me! During May Benefit boutiques were offering a free Gimme Brows worth £18.50 with every brow wax. I always love how they wax my eyebrows in Benefit as my brows quickly outgrow their shape, it's my first experience with gimme brows too and I absolutely love it as I find it really helps to set my brow shape after using powder and it also looks really natural.

There we have it a brief round up of my last month. A very busy but exciting month and the next one is set to follow suit, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Same time, same place next month?

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