Girls Holiday: Final Preparations

So you're holiday is in less than a month. Whether it's your first holiday away from your parents or the third time this year, the growing mix of anticipation, excitement and nerves is completely natural. It can be quite daunting travelling without family, especially if it is something that is out of your comfort zone. I'm going on my 'girls holiday' next week so with it all at the top of my mind, I thought it would be a perfect time to write a blog post and help those that may be a bit nervy. So I've compiled a list of checks/tips for the run up to your holiday, enjoy!

1. LISTS LISTS LISTS
I am a self proclaimed list-a-holic. As you may be able to guess. Therefore it comes naturally for me to write lists for just about everything. It might be a good idea to grab a note pad and start listing in preparation for your holiday. Write a list of things you need to take, don't forget the less obvious: plug adaptors, bum bags, shampoo! Write lists about things you need to do: exchange money, research the area your travelling to, book transfers. Write lists about things you need to buy: a new swimming costume, a phrase book? You get the idea.

2. RESEARCH
You booked the holiday, so I am hoping you already know a bit about where you're going. But before you set off, it is a good idea to research in a bit more detail. Where are the closest restaurants/beaches? Is there a theme park you need to save some money for? Are there any activities that you will need to bring specific equipment for? What about the closest doctors in case of an emergency? It is good to know a bit about the area so you know what kind of things you will be doing and how much money you will need, plus it will help avoid that awful sense of lost-ness that we all experience on the first day.

3. HOTEL
With less than a month to go, your accommodation is probably booked. But sometimes when you get to your accommodation they require a deposit, or they will charge for the mini fridge. Knowing what facilities are available and whether or not they're free is always useful. Things to check: WIFI, if you have 2 rooms, can they be next to each other? Do they provide towels? You can find most of this stuff out online but if you're really struggling, it's no problem to email/call the hotel directly.

4. TRANSPORTATION
Easily forgotten but a very important (and sometimes quite expensive) aspect of your holiday. If you're flying and visiting a popular tourist destination then organising transportation to and from the airport is normally easy. If you need to reach airports, trains and organised busses tend to be cheaper than private taxis. But if you're in a small group, and travelling early or no where near a station, splitting the cost of a taxi is a much simpler prospect. Don't forget you'll need to pre-book your travel arrangements for your return journey as well, it will save a lot of stress later on.

5. EXTRIES
You're going away, that means a lot of down time travelling or relaxing if you're going on a beach holiday. Don't forget to download your music, find a book you wanna read, you don't want to be sat on a bus/train/plane with nothing to do or listen to. It's actually a really good time to finally read that book you've always said you wanted to.

6. PACKING
Now comes the fun bit, if admittedly a bit stressful. Before you start, find out any limits on weight limits on your luggage. Sometimes you have a weight limit on both hand luggage and hold all but you want to stick to them! Talking of the two, look down your list (that you should've made by now tut tut) and split it into hand luggage and hold all. You won't want to be carrying loads in your hand luggage, just the necessaries. (Don't forget the liquid restrictions if you're travelling by plane! 10 ml is not a lot.)

7. YOUR FRIENDS
Now I could write a whole separate blog post on things to think about when travelling with friends, and I will if anyone needs it. But to summarise, it is often a good idea to meet up as a group a few days before you leave to sort out any problems. Confirm the sleeping arrangements if you have more than 1 room. Talk about sharing things to avoid packing 5 different body washes and 5 different hair straighteners. Try to all bring a similar amount of money to ensure you're on the same budget, otherwise it could become a problem later when some people can afford to go out while others can't. If you're going somewhere lively, it is especially important to talk as a group about 'rules' for your holiday. It might not sound fun but it is crucial to stay safe, and if that means one person staying sober each night or deciding to look after each other in pairs, then that might be something to talk about before you go. Sorry to sound like a bummer, but my mum would kill me if I didn't put that in and it is probably the most important thing in this whole post.

So that's all I can think of for now but at the end of the day just have fun and stay safe. Don't stress too much about packing and the superficial aspects, you probably won't even remember by day 2 if you've forgotten your favourite dress or not. But get all the big things sorted and your holiday should be stress free and exciting.

Let me know if you can think of any more tips, leave a comment below to help others out! Have fun and I'll speak to you soon,

Laura x
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Halloween!!

Hiya lovelies!

 

*Quick note: Sorry for my short leave of absence, I have been very busy. I can't really make up an excuse so I'm just gonna be honest and admit some of my school work is a bit overwhelming so I just had to get myself organised and on top of things before continuing blogging. I'm writing a catch up with me blog post today which should be up shortly. Thank for sticking with me!*

It's that time of year again. Every supermarket is strung with paper bats and pumpkins, film channels start to show Hocus Pocus on repeat and everyone starts fighting about whether or not we're too old to go trick or treat'in. (Yes. You probably are.) Halloween.

So what does Halloween mean for those of us that can't go trick or treat'in and still maintain their self respect? It probably still means pumpkin carving and eating lots of sweets, but primarily it means dressing up and partying. (Or not partying, up to you!!) And every year there's the age old question of 'how slutty is too slutty??' That's the question I'm hoping to tackle today, how to dress up for Halloween as a teenager.

 

The event

 

What kind of event you're actually attending on Halloween is the most important thing to start with.

 

 If you are going to a party it's a very different costume to if you're trick or treatin' with your young sibling which is again very different to a scary movie night in. I'm going to be talking about Halloween parties today. Generally, if you're going trick or treatin' with a younger sibling, you need to put in a bit more effort so your neighbours don't just think you're using it as an opportunity to get free sweets (which, let's be honest, you are...) If you're doing a movie night in, the dress code should be specified but pyjamas is widely accepted.

 

What to go as?

 

So you've been invited to a Halloween party and everyone has to dress up (groans). This may seem exciting at first but actually it just means coordinating with friends, deciding on your costume then quickly rushing around the shops on Halloween morning with money you shouldn't really be spending.

 

I must say though, as girls, we drew the lucky straw when it comes to Halloween. I was speaking to a guy friend who is completely stuck on what to go as without being labelled a 'nerd' or 'dick who didn't try.' In my opinion, if you're a guy, just go for it! Everyone appreciates the effort. If not, a mask always goes a long way. Or try covering an old white shirt in fake blood, wear a suit and bam, you've got yourself a suave looking Halloween costume.

 

Some go to costume ideas for girls include:

 

cat, zombie, demon, angel, witch, creepy doll, wolf...

 

Last year I went as a demon which included a red dress, black thigh high tights, black stilettos, little red horns and a lot of black/red makeup. It was quite fun and simple to do. But be careful with these kind of outfits, you don't want to look like the girl that's gone a bit too slutty and forgot that it's Halloween. To avoid this, I recommending steering clear of animals. Not that they're bad costume ideas, but they've been made into iconic slutty Halloween costumes by the go to girl movie itself, Mean Girls. (See gif above for reference!) Make sure you accessorize properly so you're not just in a nice dress with no reference to Halloween whatsoever. It doesn't have to be anything big. A witch's hat or clip on tail will do.

 

 

I recommend wearing a dark (or light if you're an angel) dress then accessorising with things related to your costume. You can find so much makeup/costume inspiration on Pinterest, there's loads you could do. Use makeup to your advantage, you could wear the most boring outfit but do awesome makeup and you're totally forgiven. Buy cheap eye shadow/lipsticks/eyeliners in different colours from brands like Collection, Natural Collection, MUA.

 

 (On a side note, if you buy a red lipstick, get it from Natural Collection in Boots. It's £2 and is one of the best lipsticks I've ever used.)

 

 

If you want to go a bit more out there, try going down the more 'scary' or halloweeny outfit. Going as a pumpkin is always quite funny and you can find some great pumpkin costumes online. If you really wanted, I guess you could probably find a 'sexy pumpkin costumes' but come on, that kind of defeats the purpose of going a pumpkin.

Vampires are also great and show that you've put a bit more effort in to your costume. Try finding a cape and pair of fake teeth and you are sorted. (Just put it over black clothing if you're not that keen on shedding out all your money on Halloween.)

 

 You could buy coloured contacts for any costume which looks AWESOME and actually scary. But be careful, if you're going to buy contacts, get good quality ones else you are in real risk of an eye infection. (Sorry to ruin the fun, but seriously it's not worth it.)

 

Clowns are also some of the best costumes I've seen and are truly scary. Seriously, I have had nightmares over some of the Halloween costumes I've seen in my time.

  

 

If you are more of a quirky person, definitely go for a funny costume. I think they are always the best costumes, they're clever, funny and show you've thought about it. Also great conversation starters. Make sure the costume is actually clever/funny rather than a lame pun that you'll spend the whole night explaining though. Some ideas could be from movies, TV shows, games, memes, anything to do with social media. Think about big thinks everyone would recognise. For example,  recreating the blue/gold dress would be quite fun and sure to spark up the debate yet again. If you can't think of anything, there are thousands of ideas on the good ol' internet so take a look around.

 

I hope this helped some of you who are stuck with your Halloween costume! Remember that you don't need to spend loads to have an awesome costume. Just have a look online and I'm sure you'll find something you could do. Have fun and drink responsibly guys. (Joking, go wild!!) Let me know what you decide to do in the comments below or tweet me a picture, I'd love to see!

 

Thanks for reading and see you all next time!

 

Laura Stone x

 

Packing for your holiday: Toiletries

Although packing toiletries might seem like a small task, these bottles, liquids and potions are actually quite a stressful part of packing. It might not be what you're packing but how much and where (think carry on or suitcase.) So without further ado, here's my best advice on packing your toiletries.

First you have to get a few things clear in your head:

• You will need two bags of toiletries: one in your suitcase and one in your hand luggage. We're not doing any swapping about at the airport so lets just try and get it right first time.

• There will clearly be a restriction on liquids in your hand luggage so please don't take your favourite hand cream in your hand luggage to find out it's too big and lose it forever. *cries violently*

• Related to the previous point, check the restrictions at your particular airport for liquids in hand luggage before you pack! It's pretty easy to find online but if you really can't find it out, most are 100 ml maximum for each item. Also make sure you have a suitable plastic bag for your liquids in hand luggage, don't be that person that is fussing and flapping at the front of the queue; stressing us all out!

• You wanna be prepared for everything but don't be stupid.

Okay, so what kind of thing will you need?

- Shampoo and conditioner
- Moisturiser (hand, body and face)
- Face wash (the one that will prevent a break out, no matter what!)
- Makeup remover
- After sun and sun cream (please!!)
- Fake tan or tan maintainer
- Tooth brush & tooth paste
- Deodorant
- You're favourite summer scent (body spray or perfume)
- Insect repellent and insect bite cream (depending on how adventurous you're being)
- Razor or waxing strips
- Roughly 3 nail polishes and nail polish remover
- Hair brush and hair ties (for that unruly holiday hair... we all have it.)
- Medicine (paracetomol, travel sickness, hay fever, diarrhoea as you never know what you're gonna eat)
- Moisturising lip balm

Hmm... that's quite a lot. But being a DofE and 'restricted space' sufferer on family holidays, I have quite a few tips to pack lighter.

• So although at home I have about 10 different bottles in my shower, that's just not effective while you're on holiday. Forget all your face scrubs, masks and body buffers and restrict yourself! Try a 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner and a face wash that doubles as a makeup remover. If you're desperate for your hair masks and shaving creams, buy some smaller containers so you don't have to take loads of massive bottles. And don't forget that they do sell shampoo in Spain!!

Think about different ways to carry the same thing...

• The new compressed deodrants by the big brands are great because they're so much smaller but last just as long! A great buy.
• I would not recommend taking a glass perfume bottle. You could decant a body spray into a small plastic container with a nozzle. If you want to take your favourite perfume, try purchasing something like the travolo so it is a much better size.

Minis!!!!

• Minis are your new best friend! Personally, I love minis because they're so cute but more importantly they are so useful for holidays and travelling. If you go to a big Boots you can find almost anything mini: toothpaste, moisturiser, face creams, hand creams. Even better is that they do minis of your favourite brands (look out for Soap and Glory minis!)

Advice on what to take

Sometimes its the deciding that really is the hardest part, especially when it comes to nails and makeup.

These are my 3 summer colours- look out for a post on these

I recommend taking about 3 nail varnishes. Any more is a bit over the top and you'll spend more time painting your nails on holiday than actually vacationing. Colour wise, summer holiday is all about light pastel colours. Not only are they more summery but they also make your tan look stunning! My favourite are pale lilac, pale blue/pink and white. *Can we just take a moment to appreciate how stunning white nails look in the summer. Thank you.*

Don't take a whole bottle of nail polish either, most super markets or drug stores normally sell these little pre wet pots of cotton pads. Or you could try out Bourjois magic nail polish remover as it's less fiddly for the summer.

White musk set from The Body Shop

A mini perfume set from Next

Try buying the mini sets that you find in places like the Body shop or Boots. Normally they will contain mini perfumes or mini body washes that all coordinate scent wise so are perfect to take on holiday.

To take straighteners or not to take straighteners: that is the question. And unfortunately, that's the one question I cannot properly answer. As someone that straightens their hair regularly to make it look decent, I can't imagine 2 weeks without straightening my hair. I've kind of forgotten how to style my natural hair... it's got that bad. But on my other shoulder is a little angel telling me how good it would be not to take my straightens. My hair would get a break from constant damage and (no matter how much we insist we like doing it), I'd get a break from straightening my hair. I'll keep you updated on my final decision via twitter.

Whilst on summer holiday, everything is dry. Your hair, your lips, your face. Unless you have particularly oily face or hair, I would 100% go for moisturising everything!! Try Sudocrem for your body if it gets super dry. It's the heat guys, our little hair follicles can't take it. Talking about hair, you might also want to consider taking some kind of 'taming' product. Whether that's a leave-in-conditioner, an oil or a spray. Holiday hair is definitely a thing and (no matter how much you tell yourself otherwise), it will definitely come back again this year unless you do something about it!

Try buying small plastic pots and decanting your fav products

Try to take solids as much as possible. From solid makeup, solid soap, solid perfume, solid body washes to solid shampoo and conditioners (yup, I'm talking about good old lush right now.) These all reduce the risk of leaks into your bag and ruining your clothes. If you have solids that aren't in pre-packaged containers, but them into a small plastic box. Good thing about solids is you can leave them which leaves more space for all your holiday shopping in your suitcase coming home.

Whilst many people take fake tan on holiday, some are not about the whole fake life. A pretty good alternative is either a gradual tanner or tan maintainer. With both of these, there is no awkward application where you turn orange and sticky for 8 hours until you shower which is probably a benefit for your busy holiday schedule. I really recommend the Ambre Solaire After Sun Tan Maintainer. It's kind of like an after sun with a teeny bit of fake tan mixed in; apart from a slight weird smell, you'd never know it was fake tan. In fact I used it last year and I honestly didn't realise it was at all fake tan for about 2 weeks and I noticed how tanned I had gotten.

Okay, being a makeup-oholic, I have been writing this whole post thinking about the massive elephant in the room: what makeup to pack. I have been deliberating whether or not to do a separate post on what makeup to take on holiday and concluded I should. Because it's quite a big topic so this post would be megaaaa long.

 

 

So to finish off this post, I'm finally going to be talking about the age old battle of hand luggage versus suitcase.

Basically, toiletries that go in your hand luggage are anything that you desperately need or you have to use the day you travel. For example, I put most of my makeup in my suitcase so there's no chance of it being "confiscated" at security. However I put minimal makeup on to travel (think bb cream, concealer and mascara), so this would have to go in my hand luggage.
But what else do you need in your hand luggage?
 
- A moisturising lip balm as your lips always get really chapped when flying
- Hand cream (for a similar reason)
- A teeny tiny spray of some kind (like those sample perfumes) to smell nice once you get off the plane
- Maybe a mini deodorant if you're worried about sweating throughout the day
- A mini tooth paste if it's a long flight as you'll probably want to brush your teeth again
- Any medicine for travel sickness or other illnesses

 

 
Most other things like shampoo, conditioner, fake tan and after sun, can go in your suitcase to use once you're there. But be careful to keep them in air tight containers or bags so if they leak they will not ruin your whole suitcase full of clothes.

Thanks for reading and I hope this helped break down packing your toiletries for some of you. In the end, do not stress too much, just try and enjoy your holiday as much as possible.

 

See you next time,

Laura Stone x

 

* You may or may not have noticed, but this is my first blog post in which I have only used my own photos. I hope it is an improvement but you might have to bare with me for a bit while I work out which are the best angles and where I can find the best lighting! Thank you for sticking with me, Laura x *