OBLIGATORY PLANE POST

As everyone else does around this time of year, I'm doing a post on what's in my plane carry-on bag for my 9 hour (cry) flight next week. I love these posts, I love seeing what other people have in their handbags and carry-on bags, so for me this is a lot of fun.

Firstly, a little bit of 'admin', the basics before you even think about packing your carry-on: The Bag. My carry-on bag is my black classic Fjallraven Kanken bag, which I got for Christmas and have featured in an outfit of the day post on the blog before. Whilst we're on the topic, now seems a good enough time to talk about what I'll actually be wearing on the plane. Planes are cold so I'm going to be wearing my Topshop Jamie jeans (my favourite jeans, and also the only pair of trousers I'm bringing on holiday with me, it's going to be hot), and a thick jumper. I'm also wearing my bulkiest shoes, so that I don't have to pack them in my suitcase and take up too much room.

There are three main categories to the carry-on bag: 'listening material', 'reading material' and 'everything else'. I'm bringing all this stuff but, frankly, we all know I'm just going to spend the entire journey watching films.

Listening Material
There are two things I want to mention in particular for my listening material, so we'll start with the latest edition to my iPod. Hamilton. I haven't spoken about Hamilton on my blog yet but, like everyone else in the world, I am OBSESSED. It's one of the best, most clever things I've ever listened to and it's the only thing I'm listening to at the moment. My whole family is absolutely loving it and I know it's going to be basically the only thing we listen to over the next few months (we're already so excited for October 2017 when it's coming to the UK).

The other thing I wanted to mention is Audible, which is another one of mine and my mother's new obsessions. In the spirit of summer, the audiobook I've downloaded for the holiday is 'Since You've Been Gone' by Morgan Matson, which I've already started and am really enjoying. I've heard so many fabulous things about it and I know it's going to be the perfect summer read listen. I'm really enjoying Audible and I'd highly recommend it. (I'm on a one credit a month contract, in case you were wondering).

Also included in listening material is your own headphones, as the free ones they give you on the plane are really uncomfy.

Reading Material
As with the listening material, there are two main things in my reading material. We'll start with magazines, which I'm planning to stock up on at the airport. I haven't decided on which ones to get yet, but I know a copy of Heat magazine will definitely be featuring in there somewhere.

The other part of my reading material is, obviously, the book I'm currently reading. I'm bringing two books on holiday with me, as I don't tend to read that much when I'm away, and I'm so excited for both of them. The book I'm currently reading is 'A Court of Mist and Fury' by Sarah J. Maas (SO excited to have this one), and I'm also bringing 'The Unexpected Everything' by Morgan Matson, which I know is going to be the perfect summer read. Both of these are quite long and I know I'm going to just love both of them.

Everything Else
The everything else section of this post is a couple of random things in my bag that I think would be good to have on the plane with you; all of the 'wash bag' variety. Firstly, wipes, both hand and face. Wet wipes are just really useful to have and I more or less never leave the house without a packet in my bag (ditto tissues). Face wipes are also really useful to have on a plane, as it's more difficult to wash your face properly, but face wipes can help to keep it clean and reduce the chance of the plane doing anything bad to your skin. Along the same lines we have a toothbrush and a mini toothpaste, because oral hygiene is important; and lip balm and moisturiser, because planes are really drying.

Rosie

THREE MINI BODY SHOP REVIEWS

It's been a long time since we had one of these. If you're new to the party, I have a slightly unhealthy addiction to the Body Shop, and every so often we revisit the classic Body Shop reviews. When I say mini, I mean seriously mini. So mini that we're going to do the first one right here, right now. It's more of a shoutout than a review, but I needed to mention the new Pinita Colada range. I have literally never smelt anything more incredible in my life. I want to live in a bubble of it so that I can smell it forever. Smelling like pineapple and coconut, it's the most delicious, tropical, summery scent that will have you watering at the mouth and crying over how good it smells. Even if you don't buy it, you need to make a trip to your local Body Shop, just so you can smell it.

The BB cream is pictured here in the old packaging, the new packing is the same as the pore minimiser

So onto the two main products up for mini review, both are from the Body Shop tea tree range, which is my absolutely favourite for skin care. Tea tree is really great for clearing up spotty and blemish-ridden skin, and I would highly, highly recommend anything from that range (especially the face mask). Another thing I wanted to add up here as it applies to both of them, is that they have quite a strong tea tree scent, but that fades really quickly so you don't spend the entire day walking around smelling like tea tree.

Tea Tree Pore Minimiser 
I always use the two products being reviewed here together; I never put on the BB cream without the pore minimiser underneath, as it protects my pores from getting clogged up by the makeup. Honestly, I can't tell you if it works to actually minimise my pores, I haven't studied them closely enough to see if they're looking smaller, but it definitely reduces how clogged they get. I use a small amount of this on the areas where I have noticeably (to me, anyway) larger pores and it works as a really good, slightly matte base for my makeup. Overall, I really like this product and, though I don't know if it's making my pores smaller, I definitely think it's reducing the number of black heads I get.

Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream
I'm not the biggest fan of foundation (I don't actually own one), I don't like the feeling of having something too heavy on my face and running the risk of making my bad skin worse. The tea tree BB cream is great as it's like a light foundation and kind-of spot treatment combined. I wasn't sure at first that it had the best coverage, until I took it off later that evening and I could see a noticeable difference in how my skin looked when I wasn't wearing it (if you know what I mean, I didn't explain that very well, basically it has better coverage than I thought). I really like this product, it gives me enough coverage on days when I don't feel happy with my skin, without feeling too heavy or being too bad for my skin. I love these two products as a pair and I'd highly recommend both of them.

Rosie

Back with the Body Shop love

IN ORDER TO HIGHLIGHT MY NEW RUCKSACK - #OOTD 26/08/15

I'd wanted a leather rucksack for so long but real leather ones are just so expensive. And then I saw this Accessorize beauty online. This rucksack was literally perfect, it's fake leather so still has the same look as a real leather one just for a fraction of the price, and it was just so beautiful I couldn't resist. The only problem was the £35 price tag, I told myself I couldn't justify buying it until I got a job. Two months later I had my first pay day of my new job, and the first thing I did was go and buy this bag. I am a very happy bunny. This bag is also the perfect size, it fits all my everyday things with room to spare, and I'm confident that it's also going to be able to fit all my college stuff come September. I am in love.

Bag- Accessorize (£35)

Jumper- Boohoo (£12)
Top- H&M (£9.99)

Jeans- Topshop Jamie (£40)

Boots- Dr Martens (£100)

CAMBRIDGE - 13/08/15

Last Thursday, my father, brother and I took a day trip to Cambridge to do some sightseeing and general touristy things. I'd never been to Cambridge before but I thought it was absolutely stunning. The pictures below include our (rainy) punting trip down the river, our visit to Kings College Chapel and the grounds of a few of the colleges we wandered into- Christ's, Gonville and Caius, King's and Pembroke colleges.

'I AM HEATHCLIFF' - 11/08/15

Back in October, my father and I visited Haworth in West Yorkshire, the home of the Bronte family. Since October, I have been desperate to hike across the moors to Top Withens, which is thought to be the house that Wuthering Heights is based off in Emily Bronte's novel, 'Wuthering Heights'. This August, I finally got the chance to visit, and it was fantastic. 

MY SUMMER HOLIDAY TBR

For those who don't know, TBR stands for 'To Be Read'. This is just going to be a quick post of the books I definitely, definitely want to read over the course of the summer holidays, a.k.a July and August.

1. 'The Dream Thieves'- Maggie Stiefvater
This is probably my most anticipated book of the summer, I read the first book in the Raven Boys series in May, and I absolutely loved it. I've been excited for months to read the second book, but I've been desperately trying to hold off until my holidays. I'm beyond excited to read this.

2. 'Blue Lily, Lily Blue'- Maggie Stiefvater
This is the third book in the Raven Boys series, and obviously I can't not read it. The cover for this book is beyond beautiful, I don't know how I'm possibly going to be able to wait till 2016 for the fourth and last book in the series to come out.

3. 'The Invasion of the Tearling'- Erika Johansen
I read the first book in this trilogy, 'The Queen of the Tearling', in the early months of this year, and the second one is coming out tomorrow, 16th July. I loved the first book and I'm really excited to see where the series is going.

4. 'Hier of Fire'- Sarah J. Maas
This is the third book in the Throne of Glass series, and basically I'm tyring to read the whole series so far before the fourth book comes out in September/October. This is going to be a six book fantasy series, plus one book of five novellas, it's very popular and I'd highly recommend.

5. 'The Kiss of Deception'- Mary E. Pearson
I've heard incredible things about this book, I've heard it has one of the biggest and most amazing plot twists and I've been dying to read this book for months. It finally comes out in paperback in August and I'm so excited.

6. 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' (trilogy)- Jenny Han
I've been really in the mood for a summer contemporary recently, I'm thinking something along the lines of 'We Were Liars', being set on the beach with romance and beach houses, etc., you know what I mean. I've heard good things about this trilogy, it sounds exactly like what I've been looking for, and I'm planning to read the entire trilogy over the summer months.

7. 'Second Chance Summer'- Morgan Matson
Another summer contemporary with the same kind of beach themes as 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' trilogy. The summer is the most perfect time for contemporary reads, and I've been really in the mood for them recently. I've never read a Morgan Matson books before but I've heard really good things about her.

8. 'Amy and Roger's Epic Detour'- Morgan Matson 
I'm really in the mood for a road trip book after reading 'Paper Towns', and this sounded the perfect mix of road trip and summer contemporary. This book is exactly what I'm in the mood for.

OUTFIT OF THE DAY - 20/06/15

First things first I have a couple of guilt points to mention. Firstly, I meant to photograph and upload this way back in May/early June and I'm majorly annoyed with myself that it's only getting uploaded now. Secondly, I've been neglecting my blog for so long, it's not a good feeling, but I've had loads of deadlines and I don't know where the time has got to. As of next week I'm officially on my summer holidays, and that is all.

This is basically to show off my new favourite trousers, the most beautiful pair I have ever owned.

Trousers- Topshop (£40)
Necklace- Accessorize (price unknown)

OUTFIT OF THE DAY- 16/04/15

I wore this out to dinner on my 18th birthday and it has already become one of my favourite outfits, I can see myself wearing this a fair few times as the weather gets warmer.

I wore this outfit with a plain black cardigan and my black heeled Juju Jelly shoes, and also with some simple black and silver earrings and rings. I decided to go simple with jewellery, but I'd also wear this outfit with long precious stone necklaces. In terms of clothing additions, I also think this outfit would look really great with a white cropped top and a chunky-knit cardigan.

Outfit:
Skirt- Mango (in Pearsons) (over a year old)
Cropped top- Topshop
Tights- Marks and Spencers

THE BIG FEASTIVAL

During the summer we went to Jamie Oliver's Big Feastival (I last went in 2011) which is a combination of a music festival and a food festival, though much more pleasant than your normal music festival. The Big Feastival is held in the Cotswolds on Blur's Alex James' cheese-making farm (you heard me right) and is an experience I would definitely recommend, the place is full of food stalls selling the mpst amazing and delicious food and you want to eat all of it.

Hello 2011 Rosie...

Just to add that I'm trying out different ways of blog post layout currently, I appologise for the fact that the photos overlap into the sidebar, I am not very good with technology.

Caroline Craig and Sophie Missing signing their book 'The Little Book of Lunch'- you need this book

Stupid hats calls for stupid pouts

Alex James' cheese- his 'No. 5' cheese was to die for

Sylvania Families were my entire childhood

Not quite Fleetwood Mac...

And not quite Abba...

SPAIN #6- SAGRADA FAMILIA

The Sagrada Familia is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever been to, yet again I have over 100 photos that, sadly, it is impossible for me to show all of them. I would definetly reccommend the Sagrada Familia if you get the chance, the first walk through the front door is literally breathtaking there are no words for it.