July & August Instagram Roundup

we're so fancy ♥ my littles ♥ Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ♥ Carla

blurry Barcelona ♥ Pacey & Joey ♥ books books books ♥ down the river

casually befriending cats ♥ such a poser ♥ Teen Wolf + coffee ♥ beach day

sunrise ♥ Dead Poets Society ♥ most recent picture with mum ♥ Bonnie photobomb

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My Skin Care Travelling Essentials

Yes, ladies and gentlemen. Yes. It's happening. It's taken me two months and a half, but I am finally going on holidays. Not far away, and not for long, but I could not be any more excited.

About long time ago, when I used to sit in the back of the class with my best friend doing nothing but thinking about how awesome it would be to be allowed to have laptops in class (funnily enough, I am allowed to bring my laptop to class now and I never do it), we decided we would go to Madrid together one day. It's not that far from Barcelona so we could save up some money and, being even in the same country, we thought it'd be easy to convince our parents. It's taken us four years to actually plan that trip. Not because our parents are strict because I don't think either one of us actually asks our parents for permission anymore and definitely not because haven't had the money in four years, because we both have jobs. It just fell in the back of our minds and we never talked about it again. But somehow, it came up last winter. Neither of us had trips planned for this summer -and we were both dying to see the musical of The Lion King in Madrid!-, so we decided that now was the perfect time.

And since I've had to pack my bags for the week, I thought I'd show you what I've considered are my skin care travelling essentials.

My savior: makeup remover wipes! Yes, I know it's cheating. Yes, I know I should stick to a more serious routine when it comes to taking off my makeup - and I do when I'm at home. But when you get to your hotel room after being outside for hours and hours, this is the easiest choice. These are the deep cleansing facial wipes from P.S. Love Your Skin and they can be found at Primark for 1'50€ the twinpack.

I don't use body butters that often when I'm at home (I've got very sensitive skin and it requires products that are somewhat more... pharmaceutical), but I thought this one from The Body Shop was the perfect one to take away with me. It's got types of body butters in the container: the normal one and a more dense body butter for dry skin areas. And it smells amazing.

My facial skin care essentials! I've been using this Nivea Soft moisturizer for ages now (as seen on my 2013 Spring Favourites!) and I don't think I'm gonna switch it for anything else anytime soon. It is so, so soft and gentle on the skin and it is a wonderful base for your makeup. Another thing I can't live without is my Biotherm Aquasource eye cream. Unlike many of the things shown here, it's on the pricey side, but I cannot stress enough how much I love it. It's not an anti-ageing cream (hey I'm only 20), it claims to soothe under eye bags and lines and it just makes me look so much more awake.

The Essence anti-spot gel is just one of those "what if" products. What if I get an annoying little spot on my chin while I'm away? What if I have a random breakout? It fights spots drying them out (just like toothpaste, which works fine if you're at home, but it's not the fanciest thing to put on your face if you're away) and it claims to reduce post-spot marks, which are my absolute nightmare.

And last but not least, something I always throw in my handbag when I know I'm going to be outside for the day: this Sephora body lotion. Apart from using it on my body if it gets itchy (sensitive and dry skin problems, what up), I have also used it as a hand cream. It is very, very light and it's just a great product to carry around with you, just in case.

So that's it for my travelling essentials!

I'm leaving on Tuesday morning and won't be back until the end of the week, but a new post should go up on either Wednesday or Thursday, if I've programmed this thing correctly. If that doesn't work for whatever reason, see you when I'm back :)

Tania x

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Music Festivals: Where Are The Female Acts?

A few days ago I was contacted by someone from the luxury fashion website Farfetch and the subject immediately caught my attention: "Where are all the female bands?" While one may think it doesn't have much to do with what I usually write about here, I have always said that I'm not going to be selective regarding the content of my blog as long as I believe in it and I am very interested in the topic for two very simple reasons. First of all, because Cultural and Gender Studies is something that I'm doing at university, hence something that I'm familiar with. But most importantly, because I'm a female that struggles to understand how in the 21st century there is still such an important gender gap, or gender hierarchy, in most aspects of our culture.

The infographic below focuses on three of the world's biggest festivals: Glastonbury in England, Roskilde in Denmark and Rock Werchter in Belgium. I have to admit I have never been to any of those festivals, or any other festival abroad, but I love music and I'm a bit of a pop culture geek and so I'm usually familiar with, at least, the names of the biggest artists out there, what they're doing or where they're playing. Despite not having been to any big festivals, I have always known that number of women on stage was significantly lower compared to the number of males performing and headlining the shows, but the statistics still shocked me. Only 17% of this year's performers were female and even a lower percentage of females were headlining those festivals.

 The question that should now pop up in our heads is, "Why?" Is it a matter of popularity? Do you turn on the radio and find songs sung, almost exclusively, by male performers? Of course not. The audience is not picky. Some of the biggest stars right now are women: Ellie Goulding, Lana del Rey, Rihanna, Shakira, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Little Mix. Some of them may not seem "festival material" to you (who decides that, anyway?) but they're still artists who sell out arenas and have fans all around the world. How come most of them are not playing festivals? Tay Jardine and Sydney Sierota, from We Are The In Crowd and Echosmith respectively, recently gave an interview on what it's like to be a female musician on Warped Tour. While they said there's not "too much sexism", they did say that they have found themselves in awkward situations, such as not beint let on stage for their own show or being hit on, simply because they are women. Is that the reason? Could those things make a female uncomfortable when it comes to playing festivals? Would they rather play only their own shows, where they know what and who they're going to have to face? Or are they simply not getting hired to do so? In my opinion, that's more likely the reason why the numbers are so unbalanced. I struggle to accept that females are turning down offers to play festivals and I am instead more inclined to believe that most of those -very popular- female artists are not given the opportunity to do it - even if some of them could gather a crowd just as big, if not bigger, than any other male artist.

Take a look at the infographic below:

Picture via.

Interview here.

Infographic courtesy of Farfetch.

Tania x

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Back to Uni Wishlist

Since blogging is the most therapeutic thing I have going on at the moment, and I'm all about putting my confessions down on paper (or, alternatively, online), I thought I would admit something: I am so nervous about going back to university for my fourth, and hopefully last, year as an English student. I don't even want to think about what I'm going to do afterwards, although I know that eventually I will have to, so I have been spending my time thinking about what I want this year to be like instead. While most of that does not involve material things, there's a part of it that definitely does. I would like to add that these are not, however, things that I need or I'm definitely going to purchase, but rather just a few bits and pieces I wouldn't mind getting my hands on!

1. MaxFactor False Lash Effect mascara (x), Wet N Wild Colour Icon Trio in "Walking On Eggshells" (x), Rimmel London Match Perfection (x) / Wake Me Up (x) concealers

I can live without every other makeup produc that I own (but please don't take them away from me now, eh?), but leaving my house without a good layer of mascara and concealer is a no-no. Especially because I'm not usually a big sleeper on school nights, something that hopefully will change someday, and those dark circles need to be hidden. The Wet N Wild trio is just something that I think I would use so much. I don't wear eyeshadow every day (lazy girl problems, what's up), but it seems like a good combination of shades for a neutral, I'm-in-a-hurry-but-wanna-look-ok kind of look.

2. Wilko Camper floral notebook (x), "Mickey Mouse, The Hipster" from Cotton On (x)

I know I said these are things that I don't actually need, but I really need a notebook. I just have to carry one around with me everywhere I go, otherwise I end up writing things on my hands and/or making mental notes and, more often than not, they don't really work.

3. Tom Ford "Jennifer" shoulder bag (x),Vince Camuto bag (x) 

I definitely went overboard choosing these but they're the only ones I really liked on Polyvore. Hey, a girl can dream. I do need a black bag, though, but it doesn't have to be as expensive or fancy as these ones. Just a good ol' black bag that I won't mind leaving on the floor when I'm in class.

4. Vans (x), Adidas Honey Stripes (x), Nike Dunk Sky High-top Trainers (x), 

Nike Blazer Mid High-top Trainers (x)

Most basic thing ever. Ever since I can remember I've had at least one pair of black trainers. I don't know what I'd do without them. No matter how many times I say I will try and wear other types of shoes more often, I always end up choosing my black trainers. I have now had a pair of Converse for about a year and after wearing them nearly every day I think they're ready to go away to their retirement home (that is, the drawer under my bed). I chose a few random pairs but I still have no idea which ones I will end up purchasing!

5. Jigsaw Leather Makeup Bag (x), Oliver Bonas "Layla" Clutch (x), 

Otte Comme des Garcons Very Black Makeup Bag (x)

Alright, first things first, I'm just going to go ahead and admit that I'm not willing to spend that much money on a makeup bag, which is why I will probably end up buying one from H&M or Primark. That being said, the ones I chose are just too cute - especially the blue one. I think I might be in love. I do have one now but it's been jumping from bag to bag for a year and a half, which means it has powder and eye liner stains everywhere, some which have proved to be impossible to get off. I think it's time for a new one!

So that's it, those are just a few things I would like to have in preparation for this new school year. 

What would be on your wishlist? :)

Tania x 

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MUA Power Pout - "Crazy in Love"

Do you ever go on a crazy online shopping spree and once you get the products, you forget about some of them? Please, just tell me I'm not the only one.

A while back, and by that I mean in February, I ordered a few MUA goodies as I'd heard amazing things about the brand's new collections but I hadn't had the chance to get my hands on them. One of the things I was looking forward to the most were their famous Power Pout lip crayons. As I always do with the things I'm not sure are going to be right up my alley, I only ordered one - the darkest shade they had. It's not too dark, just a lovely plummy pink, which means it's a highly wearable lipstick product. If you want a lip product that will look good but still won't be over the top, this is your shade. It is also a very glossy lipstick, which I wasn't expecting it to be (I guess I associate the idea of "lip crayon" with actual crayons?), but it feels very mosturising. The glossy touch tends to wear off within an hour or so, but it leaves a lovely rosy stain on the lips which lasts for quite a long time.

However, there's a downside to their Power Pouts. They are really, really soft lip products so they can easily melt, not only in hot weather, but also just by carrying them around in your makeup bag (the writing on the packaging also starts to fade away just by carrying them around, but being such a bargain I wasn't expecting it to stay there forever!). The second day I decided to wear it I was in the bathroom of my university ready to re-apply and the tip of the lip crayon just broke off, which wasn't fun. Hence why it looks like that now. I have to keep it in the fridge in order for to keep it solid - it's not the fanciest thing, but it helps!

Have you tried MUA's Power Pouts? 

Thoughts?

Tania x 

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2014 Teen Choice Awards: 5 Favourites

 I don't usually check the number of visits I have on each and every single one of my posts simply because I don't want to obsess over what other people enjoy on my blog. I write about what I like, whether that's fashion or beauty or the latest book I've read, and if other people enjoy that, then I'm happy. However, I've noticed that my Teen Choice Awards post from last year went down really well so I thought I could do another one this year. After all, I've been obsessing over awards shows fashion for the longest time now, so why not share it with on my blog?

I admit I watched neither the red carpet nor the show this year, even though I should have because Tyler Posey was hosting and I just love him. Alright, I've probably been watching too much Teen Wolf lately. The first thing I did when I woke up this morning, though, was check what my favourite celebrities -and other random people whose names I don't even know because apparently I'm too old for the teen scene now- decided to wear. There were obviously some disasters, but some other people were spot on. Here's my top 5!

Lucy Hale tweeted about her dress, hair and makeup before she even arrived so she was the first lady I got excited about. Do you remember her outfits from previous Teen Choice Awards? Check this out. She just never disappoints. Her makeup was flawless, and her hair? Dreamy. I was not able to find the designer of her beautiful red dress, but she's wearing Brian Atwood shoes and a Michael Kors clutch.

Okay, I may be a little bit biased with this one. Anyone who knows me knows I love Taylor Swift. I have since I was 15 and her style has changed so much over the years, but lately she's been walking the streets of New York in such pretty outfits that when I heard she was going to be a presenter at the TCAs I was just impatient for her to hit the red carpet. She's been rocking the crop top and skater skirt trend lately and I'm happy she chose this Novis outfit for the awards. I'm not a fan of those Charlotte Olympia shoes, however. But she just looks amazing.

I'm also glad she decided to step away from the red lip for the night!

You wouldn't believe how excited I was to see Nina Dobrev - especially because I don't even watch her TV show, The Vampire Diaries. She just nails it every time. I'm not a big far of her makeup, but that Vionnet outfit was worth a mention. So colourful, so elegant, so lovely. Like Lucy Hale, she also opted for a braid, which might just be the perfect hairdo for something like the Teen Choice Awards - a more casual kind of gala. And if you never see those gorgeous pink shoes on her anymore, don't worry. I stole them from her. ;)

She was on my list last year as well, but I admit I did not expect to love her outfit as much as I did. I haven't been watching Pretty Little Liars lately so I wasn't sure if they were nominated or if the main cast would go, but Shay Mitchell did and she looked stunning. I'm a sucker for lace and dark lips, so the moment I saw her, I was sold. She was wearing a Misha Collection top and midi skirt, Jimmy Choo shoes and a Rodo clutch. Flawless.

Do you remember Debby Ryan from The Suite Life on Deck on Disney Channel? I saw her on another TV show not long ago, Jessie, and I thought "Wow, she's gorgeous." And she just gets prettier every time I see her. I feel like wearing long trousers and a basic shirt and/or blazer (like Selena Gomez, for example) can make you look way too dressed up for this type of award shows. Office, boring-secretary kind of dressed up. It just doesn't work for me, but Debby Ryan totally rocked this BCBG Runway playsuit. And I'm in love with her hair colour. 

Who do you think were the best dressed celebrities last night?

Let me know :)

Tania x

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#FashionFriday: Ashley Tisdale's Fashion Blog

I'll start this post by admitting I was a huge High School Musical fan back in the day. Yep. No shame. Eventually I forgot about pretty much all of it, but I've been keeping an eye on Ashley Tisdale, basically because her style has always been my thing. While some people are more into Vanessa Hudgens' boho look, I've always felt like Ashley's style was the one I could relate more to. It's laid-back yet chic, edgy and, many times, leather-oriented - and I would definitely wear most of the items in her wardrobe. That's why a while ago, when she announced she was working on her own fashion blog, I couldn't have been more excited!

Ashley launched her new website about a month ago and boy, is it dreamy. Each blog post consists of a banner, three to five separate pictures showing different angles and details of her outfit and a brief description. It also includes links to every single item in the pictures and even a "Shop The Look" option, showing similar pieces of clothing to those worn by Ashley from different stores, which I think can be very helpful. 

Wether she writes all that herself or not, I guess we will never know, but that won't stop me from enjoying her posts. The pictures are taken by a professional so even if you don't like the way she styles her clothes, you can always get ideas and inspiration for your future fashion posts, photography-wise.

You can pay a visit to her fashion blog at ashleytisdale.com 

All pictures were taken from her own website. Credit to Ashley Tisdale and Elias Tahan.

Any fashion blogs you've been loving recently? :)

Tania x

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Claire's Bargains

About a couple of months ago I decided to have a massive nail varnish clear out, as out of 85 little bottles I had (85!) most of them were either too old to use or simply things that I knew would never be loved again. I thought that maybe I could replace them with colours and brands that I enjoy more nowadays - that's why yesterday I couldn't stop myself from walking into Claire's to pick up an orange nail varnish. The problem is... that's not the only thing I purchased. When I was about to pay, the lovely lady at the counter let me know that they had a 3x5 deal: buy three products, no matter the price, for 5€. How could I say no to that?!

Apologies for the quality of the pictures - my camera died and I had to take them with my phone and the weather's being crazy this afternoon, hence the changes in lighting.

Okay, you tell me, how cute is this Minnie Mouse lip smacker? I'm the kind of person that never has enough lip balms because I usually just throw them in my handbags and then forget where I put them, so I thought having yet another one could do no harm. Plus, cupcake flavoured lip balm? I'm sold. Originally 3.99€.

 

I'm convinced that your happiness is dictated by the glitter on your nails. It may not be scientifically proven (it should be), but I'm a sucker for glitter so that's something I like to believe. Even if it's a pain in the butt to take off. I usually struggle to match the nail varnish I want to use with a glittery one, so nothing better than these nail duos. Originally 8.99€.

Something that I've always been very curious about and have wanted to give a try for a long time is the plush nails trend. I'm not too sure I'm going to like the texture on my nails but I thought if I was ever going to purchase a similar set, I would never find it for less than 1.66€, so it was a no-brainer really. Originally 8.99€.

The nail varnish I wanted to purchase in the first place! I watched Sprinkle of Glitter and Chewing Sand's vlogs a couple of days ago and I just fell in love with Louise's nails. I thought this was a pretty similar tone so I'm excited to try it out!

I would've had to pay about 25€, but with the 3x5 deal I ended up getting all four of these items for 8€. Pretty good, huh? Nothing like bargains to make a shopaholic happy!

Have you tried any of these? 

Let me know!

Tania x

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July Highlights & Favourites: WWAT, Macklemore & more

 I haven't posted anything since I wrote my Romantically Challenged blog post, which was on June 27th (woah there). On the one hand, I wasn't even home for most of the first part of the month so there was really nothing I could do. Or write, for that matter. On the other hand, I really liked my last post, if I do say so myself, and I was finding it hard to write something that could follow that up. Since it's the start of a new month, though, I figured that a monthly favourites was the perfect excuse to get back on the blogging train!

The first couple of weeks of this month were filled with music (1D's "Where We Are Tour" and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis later on), which basically means I spent my time with friends, walking around Barcelona until the early hours and trying to sneak into fancy hotels - which we failed at. Oh, and running into Harry Styles. You read that right. I ran into Harry Styles at a random bar in the city. The usual. Yup. Also, our French friends came to town so that made our whole adventure a lot more exciting. It's unbelievable how music can make you connect with people. After all, as one of our friends said, being on the road is not so much about what you do but about who's making it all worth it.

And needless to say, both One Direction and Macklemore absolutely killed it live.

 

As expected, after spending a few days surrounded by people night and day, I needed some alone time. I don't even question it or get surprised anymore - I just know it's coming. It wears me out and I know that just enjoying the quiet life for a few days is my system's own way to recharge, so I just obey. Plus, I've come to realize I really enjoy walking down by the river in the evenings. Who knew!

Now here's what I've been loving...

Literature

Paper Towns, by John Green

Last Night I Sang to the Monster, by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

TV & Film

A little bit late to the party but I'm hooked on Dawson's Creek! The first few seasons were more entertaining and I'm kind of stuck on the fourth one now but I'm still obsessed. Love me some Pacey Witter. I have also been catching up and loving the fourth season of Teen Wolf (but I do miss the good ol' Stiles & Lydia more than I can tell) and re-watching Charmed because what can I say, I'm a sucker for witches who can kick some ass and have a job at the same time. Give me some supernatural drama and I'm happy.

As for films, I really enjoyed The Fault In Our Stars earlier this month. I applaud both the actors and everyone involved for turning a great book into a great movie.


Makeup

Topshop lipstick "All About Me"
L'Oreal Super Liner Perfect Slim (bless this thing)
Revolution "Iconic 3" palette

July Playlist

Albums:
X - Ed Sheeran
Road Between - Lucy Hale

Songs:
Don't - Ed Sheeran (from X)
Rude - Magic!
And We Danced - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Arrows - Fences ft. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
I Can't Make You Love Me - Adele 
(cover by Kacey Musgraves & Katy Perry)

See you soon,

Tania x

 

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