Bada Bloom

Before we begin, I'd like to apologise for the picture quality of this post. I took these pictures on my iPhone in a moment of excitement as I didn't think my nails would turn out quite so pretty! Here goes; 

To read is to live a thousand lives.

Today I thought I would take some time to show you guys what I do best. Books. This is a list of the books I am currently desperate to read. I currently have over 100 books in my Amazon wishlist, as well as around 20 sat in my bedroom waiting to be read. These are the first 6 I came across whilst deciding on which ones to share with you guys and are in no particular order. I was going to write the blurbs but instead I have given you the links to Amazon, where you can have a quick read yourselves if you'd like! 

The Summer Tag

I saw this tag over at Writing Essays With Wine and thought I hadn't done a tag in a while, so today I'm going to give it a go! If you're a lover of Summer then I urge you to take part and leave me a little comment letting me know so I can take a peek! 

What's your favourite thing about Summer?

Holidays. I am a massive holiday junkie as I'm sure most other people are. I'm very fortunate in the fact that I've never had a year when I haven't flown to somewhere super hot and I think this has spoilt me a little. So now I try and get away as much as I can during Summer. 

Do you have a favourite Summer drink?

Daiquiris. Any flavour. Any place. There is a place in Nottingham, Revolution, that does frozen daiquiris and whilst they're a little pricey for your average night on the town, they are totally worth it. I love fruity cocktails, alcoholic or not and there is nothing better than sitting in the sun with a cocktail in hand whilst you slowly turn a beautiful bronze colour.

Is there a location you like to go each Summer?

Well, Summer is festival season right? After Download this year, I'd now quite like to fit at least one festival in each year. Maybe not involve the camping, after experiencing being in a tent in this heat I think I'll skip that part, but I love the festival atmosphere! I've been before and wish I was going again this year, but next year I'd like to try Leeds Festival.

Favourite make-up look for the Summer?

I kinda wear the same make-up most of the year, despite having a beauty blog, I am not very experimental. However, for example, when I'm on holiday and it is FAR too hot to slap layer after layer of make-up on, I opt for natural. I ditch the foundation, stick with a REALLY light powder and a cat flick on the eyes with a nice summer coloured lip!

Dresses or skirts?

Both? I live in dresses and I own several skirts. Although, we're in July and I still haven't really had my legs out much! That's what you get for working inside 5 days a week in a uniform, sad face :( 

Sandals or ballet pumps?

Sandals. All the way. I really don't think ballet pumps suit me, at all, so I tend to avoid them like the plague. I don't actually think I even own a pair. Sandals on the other hand.. I am a gladiator sandal fiend for sure.

Do you prefer to wear your hair up or down for Summer?

I actually hate wearing my hair up, although I do at work a lot of the time to try and get an extra day out of it before washing it. So for this one, I'll say down. I always have my hair down.

Deep smokey eyes or bold lips?

This is a tricky one. I love a good smokey eye but I'm a serious lip junkie. I'm gonna pick bold lips because a smokey eye is a smokey eye, whereas a bold lip can be any bright colour you choose. I'm loving my new Kate Moss lipstick ATM which is a purple with a deep pink. That makes no sense, but oh well!

Favourite perfume for Summer?  

I'm currently wearing Juicy Couture in Noir, which I've been wearing all year. I'm not a huge perfume person and will never buy it for myself so I tend to ask for a few different bottle for Christmas/Birthdays. 

Last but not least, favourite music for Summer?

My music taste is constantly changing, I never really listen to the same things two days in a row. But why don't you take a look at my July Playlist and see what I've been listening to so far this month!

Empties // Haircare

I finally have enough empty products to do my first ever 'empties' post! Whilst I was going through all the bottles, I realised the majority were haircare. So I decided to group them together and do a haircare related empties. 

The Playlist | July

My playlist at the moment is seriously unlike me - it's pretty much ALL chart music which I usually hate. However, for some reason I'm loving everything that's popular at the moment. So I thought I'd share with you what I've been listening to over July. It's really pop related!

My favourite has got to be Classic by MKTO which is seriously catchy and has me prancing round the kitchen whilst I'm cleaning. I'm really surprised by my love for It's My Birthday by will.i.am because I literally despise him - but this song is so hard not to like! Everyone is loving Ella Henderson at the moment and I'm no different, she's way too pretty for her own good, however. And I've always been a huge fan of the ginger cutie that is Ed Sheeran, perfect boyfriend material right there.

What are you listening to at the moment? 

Let me know in the comments!

- Charli, xo

Review // Silk + Honey

Morning!

I received this product in June's Birchbox (which I unfortunately won't be reviewing) and even though I wasn't massively intrigued by it, it was the first item I used from the box. I'm a bit funny about what I put on my hair. It's taken me a long time to get hair this long and thick so I tend not to try new products for fear it will have a bad effect. However, I decided to try this and well, I was not impressed. 

It's by a brand named 'Silk + Honey' of whom I have never heard of. That's no problem, I love discovering new brands. I used this in the shower last week, I washed my hair and then slapped this on while I did my thang for around 10-15 minutes. I've used hair masks before and most have made my hair feel so glossy as soon as it's washed out so I was hoping it would be the same with this. The first thing I noticed was that I felt like I needed so much product and I only used it on the ends of my hair. It just didn't feel like there was anything in my hair - which I don't like. Secondly, my hair didn't feel any different whilst I was washing it out (yano how you get that glossy, soft feel?) so I was disappointed. So, I blow-dried my hair and still felt no difference whatsoever. At £55 I expected this to make my hair feel immense and even though I still have half the product left, I probably won't use it again. 

I won't be purchasing this product and it's put me off the brand altogether. If a mask that expensive can have so little effect, then what are the rest of their products like? 

Shea Butter Hair Mask - £55

Have you used this brand or this mask before? What did you think?

- Charli, xo

Currently // July Edition

Reading // Tempted by Kristin and P. C Cast. Okay so I'm on the fifth book now and I'm just getting more and more addicted. I thought I'd fallen in love with one character but he's a real ass and so I have moved onto someone else. His name is Stark and he uses a bow and arrow. How sexy is that. Alright mate, calm ya tits, he's just a character. Anyway, I am still loving this book series and just cannot get enough of it! I just wanna be a Vampyre. 

Listening to // Avenged Sevenfold. Since Download I seriously cannot get enough of these guys. I've always been a huge fan, since I can remember and saw them at Download a few years ago and seeing them a few weeks ago has reignited my adoration for them. I'm enjoying singing as loud as I can and convincing myself I sound like a slightly 'gothic' goddess. In fact, I'm doing that as I write this. I find some of their songs are good to listen to when I'm pissed off and I just turn my headphones up as loud as I can, block the world out and pretend I can growl along with Shadows.

Thinking about // What to do next. Okay, so I finished Uni and my current job has offered me a full time contract which I have decided to take whilst I figure out what I want to do next. I had an interview for PDSA which I was seriously close to getting but unfortunately one other girl had more experience. So now I guess I'm just looking for my dream job. But in the mean time, me and Bear are properly saving for a house now, now I'm full time I should be able to put loads away each month. And each month I get one step closer to my own, bigger house!

Loving // I'm really loving 'me' time at the moment. I know last month I said I was enjoying having a social life again, (if you can call it that) which I am, but after spending so much time at Uni and now spending so much of my time at work, it's nice to come home (when Bear is on nights) and sit in front of the TV in my PJ's and some junk food and just relax by myself. I've never liked my own company so this is very new to me and I'm really liking it!

Watching // Desperate Housewives. NAHHHTTTTT. I finished off series 8 last month and have moved onto bigger things. Hello Teen Mom and True Blood. I've found myself getting VERY involved with the Teen Mom episodes (it's now on series link record) and found myself crying into a chicken burger the other night. As for True Blood - I've always been a huge fan and have watched up to series 4 (I think) so I'm starting them all again, a bit like I did with DH and I'm currently on series 1 at the moment. I'm loving all this time to watch TV!

Looking forward to // I have so many things planned this month! I have a 'birthday party' this weekend, the week after we get Luna (more on this to come) and it's my graduation meal with my family. I have a whole weekend off to spend with Bear half way through the month. I feel like I'm forgetting something? Oh yeah, it's kinda my best friend's birthday. I'm looking forward to spoiling my Sian rotten and giving her an amazing (and soppy) birthday. July should be fun! 

I'm going to try and do more life posts this month as you guys seem to love them!

My mission this month is also to take more photos! I barely use Instagram or my camera at the moment, so this needs to change.

What are your currents?

- Charli, xo