Tolly Dolly Posh

 Bourjois Ultra Shine So Laque Nail Polish in Bleu Fabuleux 60, Mavala Lipgloss in Bubble Gum 28*, Alison Claire Remarkable Mango Body Butter £7.99 for 50ml*, TRESemme 24 Hour Body Shampoo & Sleep In Rollers Princess Gift Set £19.96*.

Bourjois Nail Polish: I have been loving this colour! It’s such a beautiful blue colour. It’s bright, but it’s not neon, and it’s also muted, but not pastel, so it’s just perfect. I would say you could apply 1 coat for a light shade, and 2 for fully opaque. It does chip unfortunately, and quite easily, so if they could just improve the formula, it would be perfect, as it has a great size brush which means easy application. Rating: 7.5/10

Mavala Lipgloss*: I got sent this ages ago for a gift, and at first I didn’t really like it. I think it’s a marmite product, where you’ll either love it… or you’ll hate it. The colour is quite nice, and for me who isn’t generally allowed to wear such a bold lip, it’s great. I like to dab it down to stain my lips, then add a sheer lip balm over the top so it is less vibrant. On it’s own though, it isn’t too sticky and it isn’t too matte, so overall it’s pretty good. Rating: 8/10

Alison Claire Body Butter*: I have finally found a body butter I like, well actually, I think I love this one. There are several reasons, 1 being the fact that it doesn’t leave your skin feeling sticky, it seems to soak in well, and with this boiling hot whether, it’s pretty darn good that it doesn’t. Secondly, the smell is quite nice. It reminds me of the fruit salad sweets, sort of sweet but sort of sour. I like. Finally, it’s perfect for travel. The size of the bottle is great, and it has a handy pump so it won’t leak everywhere. Rating: 9/10

Tresemme Shampoo: This shampoo is amazing! I love it! On my hair, it doesn’t exactly add too much volume, but it does make it feel very revitalised and fuller than usual. The texture is like a gel texture so it actually soaks into the hair. It’s been helping my hair from getting tangled as much. Rating: 8/10

Princess Sleep In Rollers*: Okay. I’m not quite sure what to say. I’ve been interested in these for ages, and when I got to test them out, I was pretty glad I didn’t have to buy them. Unfortunately they didn’t work. I did exactly what it says on the pack, which was to use on dry hair, roll them in and grip them in place, then sleep. I did this, in fact I did it well. I rolled them in tightly, and I gripped them in tightly, AND, I slept all the way through the night. I woke up, took them out, gently brushed my hair to de-frizz the, ‘what were meant to be curls’ and the below picture is the result. Yup, that’s me the morning after. I wasn’t satisfied, but I think perhaps it could be the fact my hair is so limp and thin. Rating: 4/10 🙁

Voodoo Girl Crop Top*, Zara Shorts, Peace Popband*

I hope you enjoyed this month’s ‘The Beauty Reviews’! I really enjoyed doing this one, because I got to do product shots with the new camera! Woop! Hehe, sorry I’m a bit over excited about it! I am actually not going to be here on Monday, well I am just not blogging, but a post will be up then to explain. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

(Any products which were sent to review, or were sent to be featured in this post are marked with a *. All opinions are 100% honest.)

Until a week or so ago, I was statement necklace -less. I had none. Zero. Naught. NONE. It was catastrophe. I kept seeing instagrams and blog posts with gorgeous neon necklaces, and I was extremely jealous. I would go into shops and be like ‘I ain’t paying €15 on dat’.’ (Okay, maybe not like that…) But then, I found BijouxBoxes eBay store and my life was complete. Seriously, the whole in my heart was filled!

Chelsea Doll Name Necklace* (Give-Away win)

White Geometric Dangle Necklace £2.15, Neon Acrylic Bib Necklace in Pink £3.14, Shining Silver Bib Necklace £1.29 & Huge Floral Gold Tone Bib Necklace £1.16 (All from Bijoux Boxes).

As you can see they are all very very pretty, AND they all cost under £3.50?! BARGAIN ALERT! Bijoux Boxes is a cheap and cheerful eBay store which is based in China (the reason it is so cheap). 99.9% of the things they sell have free P&P and there are Buy It Now or Auctions on most pieces. The necklaces I bought were all on auction which meant they went for pennies. I am pretty sure there is automatic bidding on most of them so that you don’t get them for 3 pence, but the most you will pay is around £6 which is cheaper than buying elsewhere. The links I have put above are either similar ones, or Buy It Now ones, so they may be more than I payed for them.

The quality is really really good and they aren’t too plasticy which is what I was expecting. The only problem I had was one gem coming off on the pink one, which was an easy glue gun job. They are all really nice styles too, which means if you are fussy like moi, then you will find something perfect. I would warn you that if you do go on the auction ones, you may get slightly addicted… oops! The postage was quicker than expected (they were due to come on the 26th July, but came on the 12th) and there was only that one gem falling off.

If you are wondering where the name necklace is from, sadly, it isn’t from Bijoux Boxes, but it is from Chelsea Doll! I won it in a give-away and thought I’d mention it! It’s AMAZING! I think I may where it everywhere now. They were so kind and gave me more than the allowed amount of letters and put it all on three lines. I loooooooove it! The colour, the writing. Eeeep! Everything!

As you can tell I am pretty darn happy with all my statement necklaces now! I’m going to try and do a mini ‘how I wear’ look book for you with all of them! Enjoy browsing both Bijoux Boxes and Chelsea Doll! They both have some awesome stuff! If you’re wondering if these pictures were taken on the new camera, they weren’t. The picture quality will be improving shortly!

So, I don’t usually do ‘one brand’ focused posts, without it being a review, a wishlist etc, but today I am being very nice and doing one. The lovely people from The White Pepper sent me one of their summer magazines, and oh my. I have officially fallen in love. 0_0

Even from the cover, I think you can tell that The White Pepper is utterly gorgeous. I mean come on. Watermelon and white nail polish = perrrffff. Not only have they got the front cover covered – pahahaha – the inside is even more perrrffff. I love the fact they incorporate the trends with their own style, by using making everything very crisp and clean but adding quirky touches with fruits (pineapples for example). It sounds odd, but if you get your hands on this booklet of amazingness, then you will truly understand what I am trying to get at. I usually look at brands and think that they are the same as everyone else, but I think The White Pepper have something a little different, and I like it.

These above are a few scan in’s from the magazine. Just look at them. They all look like they could jump out the screen! I know that a lot of bloggers and people I speak to, LOVE The White Pepper, and I totally agree. If you are looking for your summer ball dress, but don’t want something to flashy, they have it. If you need something for work, they have it. If you just feel like treating yourself, you can. The prices are probably Topshop prices, so the higher end of the spectrum, but not so much that you will be penny-less (well, if you are me then you will be)! I now officially want these overalls, this mac, this twin set, also this blouse, and of course this skirt, oh and maybe. I should probably stop now. Stop reading this now and just go and look for yourself. And I am very sorry if your bank account is empty by the time you re visit my blog… just so you know, I have warned you.

If you want to buy the 1st magazine you can just here! It’s FREE (excl. P&P)

(This is not a sponsored post. The White Pepper sent me the magazine but I did not have to review it. All views are a 100% honest.)

As you may know, a few weeks ago me and the family headed off to Andorra for the weekend to stay with my brother before his friends arrive for summer. It was a long 2 and a half hour car drive, but I am sure after reading this ‘my style’ post, you will understand why it was worth it. The scenery was phenomenal, and that is not an exaggeration, at all.

Kenzo Jungle Trousers – €3.00 (Jumble Sale) & Dr Martens – €35.00 (Jumble Sale)

If you don’t know, Andorra is a country in between Spain and France, and it is about 3 times the size of the Isle of Wight… but the population is less due to it all being mountains. On the border of France, is actually quite epic. We had to drive up a long (and actually quite scary) mountain edge. At first you think that the mountains are quite small, but when you get into Andorra, they are so big. I had never been to any mountains before, so it was interesting to see what they were really like.

A village an hour away from the border.

I’m sorry, I kinda’ had too… 

Haha, it seems like every time I feature Papa Posh he is always doing a ‘looking out at the view’ pose… he’s good at them…!! Oh, and can you see me by the little pointy hut thing? Anyhoo… as you can tell, the whole place is beautiful, by that I mean the scenery… the towns aren’t that amazing, seeing as they are all catered to skiers, and not holiday go-ers, but it was nice enough! Also, definitely don’t go there when it is a religious celebration…. when you have people throwing fireworks into the road, right outside your apartment window, it is quite annoying… and scary at times!

What I Wore: White Studded Jacket €1.00 (Jumble Sale/DIY), Mustard Yellow Peter Pan Collar Vest (Matalan), Pale Blue Pleated Maxi Skirt £6.00 (ASOS), Mint Green Converse Style Trainers £7.99 (H&M), Floral Sunglasses (Shop in Carcassone), Orange Bag €9.99 (H&M).

I decided to play it comfy for the days that we are out seeing as we were going up and around twisty roads for long(ish) periods of time. I am really happy with my new H&M bag! I thought it was sort of a rip off at first, but now I can see why it is quite a lot of money for faux leather. It is the perfect size, it looks great, and according to my brother, it looks more expensive than it really is, and I totally agree. I love the colour, and am totally happy I bought it now! Woop! As you can see also, I am still loving my maxi skirt and fake converses! They look nice and are super duper comfy, so it’s win win!

Whilst we were in Andorra, we also visited a few places, including a Historical Art place which is where the first 2 pictures here were taken. Doesn’t Mama Posh look good in her first blog appearance? I think so! We also visited a place called Naturlandia, which is an adventure place, literally at the top of a mountain! I would definitely recommend going there because there is, a 5.3 KM toboggan! Nope! You did not read that wrong! It is the world’s biggest and it is soooooooooo fun! Me and my brother went on it twice, and definitely don’t regret it (well, except the bruised backs from the dodgy seats)! You sit in and it takes you up for 10 minutes to the very top of the mountain, you literally sit vertically at one point! The view is spectacular when you look back (probably wouldn’t recommend doing so but, if you can!), and you don’t realise how high up you are until you drive up. The toboggan is different to most, because you can control it and go as fast or as slow as you like. Me and my brother being the most daring of the people on the ride decided to go full speed ahead… which meant having to break about 6 or 7 times for the slow coaches in front. I cannot recommend it enough going just for the toboggan, it was amazing! Seriously it was! You can find more info here: Naturlandia!

I hope you enjoyed this little lifestyle post! I am going to be doing a design collection inspired by it, so watch out for that!  You may notice a slight difference with upcoming OOTDS… our family maaaaaay have got a new camera! YAY! So excited to start doing proper good ones! Woop!

Hello, I hope you are all well! I have a few designs for you today, which have a little meaning behind them. If you want to know what they are all about, do carry on reading, because it may just make you feel a touch more grateful and inspired.

Keep On Swimming Print Top & Lilac Skater Skirt (Left) Lilac Maxi Skirt with Keep On Swimming Print Ruffle Detail (Right)

These designs are very basic, but I love them. I think the print is really cute and could be worn with most things. I’d like the top to be that in between length of cropped and not cropped. The skirt would be a nice ‘thick but thin’ cotton jersey material, in a lilac colour. The dress on the left again would be a ‘thick but thin’ stretchy material, with a printed ruffle detailing. The neck would be haltered with a tie at the back.

Keep On Swimming Pink Print Bikini Top & Bottoms (Left) Keep On Swimming Ombre Maxi Dress with ‘Keep Swimmin’ in Bright Pink (Right)

Again, this bikini and bottoms would be very simple, with the same print but in a pink colour. The neck would be clasped at the back and the bottoms would be more of a boxer shape so they are more comfortable. The dress on the right would be quite loose fitting, but not baggy. It has an ombre print from blue to white, with ‘Keep Swimmin’ at the very bottom so it pokes through now and again. I think this dress would look great with a leather jacket.

So, as I said at the beginning there is a meaning behind these designs. It’s a sad and happy story, so here we go: A young girl called Talia Joy Castellano, age 13, just like me, has recently lost her fight against cancer. You maybe thinking, well, why do you care? The reason is, is because, again just like me, she was a blogger, a YouTuber to be precise. Talia fought her battle for 6 years, and was and still we be an inspiration. She touched many hearts and was a very strong human being. Before she passed away a couple of days ago, I was following her updates, and one of them was a request for people to complete things on Talia’s bucketlist.

Some of these things included, having a cake fight, and covering a car in post it notes. Many of the things are things which most people would take for granted and think were ordinary things young children do. One of the things was to create a clothing range, and it made me really want to do something. Obviously I can’t just go out and make hundreds of dresses but if I could have, I would have. So, that is why I showing you these drawings I did. The reason for the name, is because Talia used to say ‘Keep On Swimming’, so I thought it would be a nice way to keep her inspiring story part of the ‘collection’.

I hope one day that I can produce this collection and that everyone who wears it remembers the true inspiration of which is Talia Joy. Although she may not be here now, she will be in a perfect peaceful place. Seeing as Talia and many other children my age go through these terrible times, I am going to be a lot more grateful from now on, because my life could be turned upside down within moments.

Along the same lines, I have decided to donate my August & September ad space money to Children In Need, so if you’d like to advertise in these months, it won’t go to me, it will go to somebody like Talia. You can see prices here.

Since I was featured in Mizz Magazine in March, I have had quite a few emails saying ‘How do I start a blog?’ or ‘What should I do for my first blog post’, and instead of ignoring them, I replied and helped as much as I could. Obviously I don’t want to give my personal tips and tricks away, but I definitely know that some people need that little extra boost to get started, so I have put together a few things you should know and have in one handy post! *Awesome* Even if you are not a new blogger, I hope you enjoy it!

Notebooks: It may seem an obvious one, but until seeing Alex from Bambella Blog instagram a picture of all her blogging notebooks, I didn’t own any! It’s super duper helpful to have some at hand because when you are a blogger, you need to remember ideas, email addresses, when you are going to publish a post etc. A top tip would be to colour code or label them! Green is for Monthly Ads, Upcoming Features, Packages in the  post and email addresses. Yellow is for my Blog Post Schedule. Blue is for Blog Post ideas. I have found it really helpful since buying these and most notebooks are very cheap, so go pick up a few! This is also a brilliant way to back up contacts etc because one day you may just find your laptop dies on you… poop.

Laptop or PC: Again, it is a rather obvious one! You are obviously going to need a device to publish your posts on, but don’t worry about what you are using! I am using a Netbook which is pretty much a mini laptop. It does the job, but it is just small! When my MacBook broke recently it was annoying but I guess it was pretty old anyway, so don’t worry if you either have to down grade or you have to use an old one for a while, because the only things you need are the internet, a blog platform and the laptop!

Camera(s): A lot of bloggers worry about not having the newest camera and all the newest lenses, but really it doesn’t matter! Sometimes I look at blogs and am like, ‘WOW, how is that a good camera they are using?’. The pictures in this post are all done by the iPhone 4?! Pretty impressive, non? Sadly once again, technology wasn’t on my side, and my camera broke too 🙁 It was pretty good actually, so if you are interested it is the Sony Cyber-Shot N50.  I really don’t think it matters whether you use a fancy camera or an iPhone, because as you can see these pictures came out well! I personally think the editing you do makes everything better.

Photo Editor: Speaking of editors! I use PicMonkey along with a lot of bloggers! It is free (Premium account available) and does a really good job. You can re-size images, sharpen them, add text or shapes, and even add pretty effects! If you want to take it a step forward, I would probably suggest Photoshop, as you can now get one of the old versions for free! My family has Photoshop CS4 which is pretty good and it does everything you need, but I have found everything on there on PicMonkey, sooo…? You can decide on that one! The one thing I would say is if you are using Google Chrome, make sure you get the Ad Blocker plug in, because the ad at the bottom of PicMonkey can be annoying!

Blog Cards: These babies are by MOO, in which have THE best customer service, a shop where you can pick up your cards (…on the run to the Style Blogger Awards…), and choose from different sizes, finishes and even cases?! I ordered the mini matte ones as they were the same price as the ordinary sized one but you got 150, instead of 50. I really would recommend MOO because they are ‘fast and affordable’ (No, this is not a sponsored post!). I think VistaPrint and other places do good value ones too.

I hope you enjoyed this post! I am thinking of doing another one along the lines of ‘how to deal with..’ because I know it might be helpful. As I have said above, it really doesn’t matter what technology you use, as long as you are happy with the outcome yourself then don’t worry! I did all of that on an iPhone and I am definitely not worried about it! Good Luck and if you are starting a new blog make sure to link me! I’m a nosy parker! 😉

Did these tips help you? Are you thinking of starting a blog of your own? What are your top tips for blogging? Make sure to share your thoughts in the comments below!

WOW! It has been a heck of along time since I did some full on ‘bloggy woggy’ stuff hasn’t it? I have missed it very much, so here is a double decker post! A very odd, 9, ASOS bargains for both men and women! I hope you enjoy the old me again! Haha! Also, scroll down for something extra special! Yes, I do mean my Girl Talk feature! Eeep!

1. Shiny Pu Jacket £14.00, 2. Petite Exclusive Tie Dye Skinny Jeans £10.50, 3. Fetch Leather Studded Sandals £10.50, 4. Peace Sign Skinny Waist Belt £2.00 & 5. T-Shirt With Embellished David Bowie £17.50.

 PU Jacket: I don’t really know why, but I LOVE this jacket! I would never go for something like it, but it just looks quite unusual! It’s a right bargain too in the sale! Hopefully if I get some more dosh, I will be able to grab it before it goes off the site! I would probably wear it with some nice smart printed trousers, or a jumpsuit.

Skinny Jeans: Again, what a bargain?! These are so cute! They would be perfect for summer with a nice neon top and some sandals. For £11.00, you can’t really go wrong with these jeans!

Sandals: I have been needing some sandals for ages now, and these are so cute! I love the multi coloured studs and the fact that they look quite comfy is a plus too. I prefer sandals with wider strappy bits so they feel more secure on my tiny feet!

Belt: Just like the PU Jacket, I’m not really sure why but I kinda’ love this belt? It’s very cheap and cheerful, and for £2.00 I am thinking maybe to buy it! It would be nice with a maxi skirt or a jumpsuit!

David Bowie Top: HELLO! OMG. This top is so cool! If you are a lover like of the legend himself, just like me my whole family, then I believe you may need this. It is quite expensive, and I am sure you could find a good dupe, but I love how it is embellished, and it looks quite slouchy, so it is a nice tuckable(?! – I do make up some funny words!) top.

6. Primark Mickey Mouse Sweat Top £8.00, 7. Cropped Boyfriend Sweatshirt £16.00, 8. Green Tort Wayfarer with Mirror £7.00 & 9. Round Sunglasses with Multi Colour Mirror Lens £15.00

Mickey Mouse Sweatshirt: There are quite a few reasons I shouldn’t even be looking at this jumper. 1 – I simply do not have the cash, 2 – The weather is *fingers crossed* staying hot from now on, and 3 – Primark on ASOS don’t ship abroad! I know it’s a UK brand, but you would have thought that would be a reason for going on ASOS! #rage. However, you guys in the UK are very lucky because you can buy this amazingly cute and retro sweatshirt. You lucky devils.

Cropped Sweatshirt: Again, I really shouldn’t be looking at sweatshirts when it is 35 degrees outside.. *oops* but I just LOVE this one! It’s a really nice colour and I love how it is cropped. You could make this really dressy with smart trousers, or simple and casual with a pair of jeans or shorts. Simple but sweet!

Mirrored Wayfarers: These are actually from the men’s section at ASOS, but I LOVE them! I used to own a £1 pair similar to these from Primark, but when we moved house, sadly they passed away – RIP Mirrored Lens *sob sob* – but these are even better! They have such a cool print and a nice lens colour!

Round Mirrored Sunglasses: Again, sticking with the theme of men’s mirrored lenses, these are AMAZING!! I have been really loving LLYMLRS blog and she has been rocking a plain black pair of these. I simply need them in my life. NOW…. sadly my bank account does not agree.

I hope you like the bargains I found! Moving on to the extra special thing… LOOK! It’s me in Girl Talk! I was only expecting to be in the magazine and on the plastic sleeve, but it was quite a nice surprise when I saw my face on the cover! WOOP! It would make my day if you could pick it up! Sorry these aren’t amazing quality pictures, but I have put a PDF image below too!! Thanks so much for your support once again! Love you guys!

One of last month’s advertisers, Flora from Pretty Little Things To Do, to be precise is here to talk to you about her blog, fashion and all things lifestyle! Take it away Flora!
(Images courtesy of Flora Pick)

What inspired you to start your blog?: Probably reading successful blogs like ‘A Beautiful Mess’ by Elsie Larson. I saw how big something relatively easy to make could become, I think I just thought: ‘if she can do it why can’t I?’. I guess that another aspect of my inspiration was my ambition to become a journalist. It’s been my dream job for quite some time and as I’m still too young to work I wanted to come up with a way of sharing my views easily. 

Why did you choose fashion and lifestyle?: I chose my blog to mainly focus on fashion and lifestyle because those are the kind of things that interest me and they’re already big parts of my life. Fashion is just so fun to write about because there are so many different looks, styles and opinions and it’s constantly changing. 

What are your top tips for starting a blog?: I know that this is what every blogger says, but it’s important: Blog about what you love. There’s no point in forcing yourself to write about something that doesn’t interest you, you want something you can stick with. But always think: people visit their blog for a reason, what’s the reason they want to visit my blog? Their are so many blogs on the internet that it’s hard to get noticed but if you are unique people will listen. Also, have a design you love because it will draw your readers in. My final tip: Network! Make friends with other bloggers on Twitter, Facebook, Email- whatever! Most bloggers are friendly, just like you Tolly!

What are you’re blogging targets for this year?: To write posts more often- currently I’m too lazy, include more of my own photography- again, the reason I’m not doing that is my own laziness. Pay to get my blog professionally designed- I’ve found someone but just need to decide what I want and save up and learn html coding- I think it will really help me to develop my blog.

Who are your favourite fellow bloggers?: You (Tolly) obviously! You were one of the first bloggers I made proper contact with. Kat – I know Kat (distantly) in real life. She’s friends with my mum and her blog is probably one of my favourites ever. Florence – I haven’t actually made contact with Florence yet but I recently discovered her blog and I love it! Blossom – Blossom is a wonderful new blogger who is just starting out!

What trend are you most looking forward to working, this S/S 13?: Definitely belted vintage dresses, they are something that I would love to wear anyway so I’m pleased designers have put this style on the catwalks. 

Where’s your favourite place to grab a bargain and why?: New Look because it’s not just good for on-trend styles but also for simple wardrobe bases. It may seem weird but I can never go into a shop without picking out a nice vest top (yeah, kind of odd) and new look just have loads of cute things like that. As I’m 12 and pretty much broke all the time I find It’s the best place to get fashions that fit my budget. 

What’s your favourite piece of clothing you have ever bought?: Even though I didn’t strictly buy them myself (they were an amazing present from my mum) I’d have to say either my jack wills playsuit or leggings. I honestly don’t have many expensive clothes but the ones I do have I wear all the time. The playsuit is white and lacy and just a really cute thing to throw on on rare sunny English days. And the leggings work in loads of different ways whether it’s casual or dressy.

Who is your favourite lifestyle brand and why?: My favourite lifestyle brand is definitely Hambledon. They are a relatively small business run from a shop in Winchester very close to where I live and sell all sorts of cute stationary, make-up and (admittedly expensive, but gorgeous) fashion. I could pretty much make up my whole wish list out of stuff found in this shop. If you are down south make sure you visit it!

What’s your personal style and what do you do to work it?: I’d probably say that my personal style is a bit quirky, eclectic but a bit preppy. I love chunky knitted jumpers, shorts, and brightly coloured tights/ weird leggings. I also like to accessorise- I own a ridiculous amount of hats, and hair stuff. I love my massive- and I mean massive- red bow hairband because it goes with anything in a sort of weird way!

MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW FLORA’S BLOG HERE!
Follow on Twitter too!

P.S Tomorrow (July 10th) is my (TDP’s) feature in Girl Talk Magazine! I’d love if you could pick up a copy! Make sure to tweet me a picture too! Thanks guys!

I don’t know about you but I LOVE The Apprentice. It has it’s reality show stupidness I know, but it is very entertaining. If you have been watching the recent series, you will know what I mean by ‘eyebrows’. But on a serious note, I have an itching question and I want it answered. Why are all the contestants the same? No, I don’t mean they are all clones, I mean they all have very similar features. Bare with me please, as I *hope* some of you will agree… (Images via the BBC)

Hopefully from looking at the image above, a light bulb has gone off in your head and you realise what I mean. If not, these are my thoughts.
Where are the ‘big’ people? In my eyes, this years (and years before – below image) contestants are all average height, average ‘weight’ and are all reasonably ‘good looking’… (excluding the eyebrows…), none of them are big, short, or ‘ugly’. As well as their looks, obviously they are all quite good minded, but after watching the show up until now, I got asking myself, are they really? Like Lord Sugar pointed out on the Online Dating episode, a 10 year old could have made a better site than one of the teams did…
*cough cough* 😉 Sorry… In my eyes, none of them are geniuses, none of them really have a unique spark, they are all average; as I said, in my eyes.

When I was about 6 we had a coffee shop as a little hobby, and I enjoyed it very much, and without sounding big headed, a lot of people said to me that I could go on The Apprentice when I was older, and I loved the idea, but I am not really sure anymore? I look at myself as a ‘crazy’, ‘wacky’, ‘adventurous’ person, definitely not ‘normal’ (haha), so although the customers of our small cafe motivated me into thinking I really could go for it, I would probably be turned down for being too weird, non? It wouldn’t just be that, I would probably be turned down for being too small. I don’t mind that, and I would never know, but if only these types of contestants are on the show, then how are us weirdos, meant to appear on it? How is Mark-with-the-marvellous-idea *deep breath* who-eats-too-many-chips-and-could-be-classed-as-obese meant to show the world his plans?

Mark-with-the-marvellous-idea simply will have to wait, he is broke and The Apprentice simply cannot cater for his ‘type’. It’s entertainment right? If Mark was on it, I might not be seeing ‘Ooh I fancy Mark #theapprentice’ in my Wednesday evening Twitter stream, instead Christina will carry on fancying Myles from this year’s series.  To make entertainment, surely they need have not so clever, good(ish?!) looking people who come up with stupid ideas? They need people who annoy the viewers, not people who are actual geniuses. Mark, I am sorry to break it to you, but I doubt you will get accepted. Sorry!

I hope you take on board my opinions! Let me know what you think! Are they excluding the ‘so say’ not so good looking just for entertainment, or is it purely coincidence? Leave a comment below!

Howdy! As you may know, I live in France, the south to be precise, which means getting my, by the pool essentials spot on, takes a little bit of thinking! I don’t want to be too hot when its 30 degrees do I? So, I decided to write a little post on what I take to the pool (or beach) with me!
*cue hawaiian music*

A Lilo: For a while we didn’t have a lilo for our pool because the last one burst, but now we do, and I am so glad! Having a lilo is so nice! You can just sit back relax, not get your hair wet, and even sun bathe, all at the same time! It’s also good for people who aren’t the best at swimming, and of course for those sunny evenings when you don’t want to get in, but would like to float about for a while! Our’s cost around €15.00 because it is quite big, but usually on holidays I think they cost about €8.00, and usually the shop staff will blow it up for free so no worries on your lungs exploding! If not, then… unlucky, loser!! Hehe

Floppy Hat: I bought this from a jumble sale and it is perfect! Hats are a big essential if you burn a lot because they will protect your face which is most sensitive to the sun rays. The reason a floppy hat (don’t you find that funny? Floppy?) is good, is because it should cover your shoulders and neck with the shadow, which will add extra protection to us ‘burners’.

Flip Flops: These are my favourite flip flops! I got these for my birthday once and I love them! They have that holiday/festival feel to them, and as any flip flops are, they are convenient! You can just slip them on, walk to the pool, and take them off, instead of sandals etc where you have to unbuckle them… I know I’m lazy…

Sun Cream: Quite an obvious one, but I know a lot of people are guilty of not putting on a bit of SPF! I use Amie’s Skin Shield Moisturiser* for short periods of time in the sun, and a ordinary SPF30 sun cream for long periods. It is always good to have some by, especially after coming out of the water, as that is when your skin is more prone to burning.

Bikini: I don’t usually wear bikinis at the beach, but the by the pool, I don’t mind whipping one out! This one is from M&S and it is so pretty with the laser cut frills! I also like how the straps are around the neck, as I love wearing crop tops where you can see the bikini, I don’t really know why, but I just do! If I’m not wearing a bikini, I will wear a swimsuit and if it is a little cooler, I will wear trunks on top (I know, but they are girls ones!)

Cover-Up: When I’m at home, I usually just use my dressing gown, as it is a 2 in 1 (towel), but when it comes to the beach, I probably don’t want to be spotted in it.. so a light oversized shirt does the trick! I like to look out for nice ones at Jumble Sales and they work a treat! Not only can you cover up, you can also do up the buttons and put some shorts on for when you are going to go grab a nice cool drink!

Sunglasses: Obviously if you are wearing a hat, you may not need these too, but if you want extra protection, I always think people should carry a pair around! The yellow pair above are from Claire’s and I love them! I would wear my Zoobug AVs*, but I would prefer to wear an old pair if they are going to get wet!

Beach Bag: I don’t have a proper beach bag, but I find that this green and yellow crochet one does just the trick! I got it from a Jumble Sale, and at first I thought it was a bit old, but when my parents saw it they told me I had to have it, and I agreed, I did. It fits everything in and I love the detailing. My favourite bag of the past month!

Private Swim Lessons: I know this isn’t a fashion-y one, but I thought of it and had to mention it! Before last year I couldn’t swim, embarrassingly enough! I was able to get private lessons for free by my school and without it sounding too dramatic, it seriously has helped me so so much! I would search around for cheap private swimming lessons because I know what it feels like to not be able to swim. Most teachers will be really understanding and will go through each step at your own pace. I can now swim on my own, go under water in the deep end, and if somebody asks me to jump in… I will attempt it. I know it can be nerve racking at first, but it is so worth it.

Ironically, I am now looking out too grey skies again, so I will have to wait to get these all back out! I love summer, but I think for everyone this year has been a very unlucky ’13’ for the weather. *touch wood* it comes around soon!

Would you like more essentials posts? What are your by the pool essentials? Make sure to let me know in the comments below! LOVE YA!

If you don’t know already, the Posh Fashion Awards Shortlist was released yesterday! Congrats to all the bloggers! Find out who was shortlisted, by clicking here!

(This is not a sponsored post, products which have been sent to me will have a * beside them, but none of them were sent to feature in this post.)