My Week & Clothes Haul

I haven't blogged in a while, due to having a busy week this week, which is quite unusual for me. I am the sort of person that waits for each day to come and then decide what I am going to do on that day. However, over the last three days I have had some plans which I will now talk to you about.

Last weekend, my parents went away to Milton Keynes in order to attend an event there. They stayed at a hotel and then travelled home the next day. However, opposite the hotel was a massive Primark, River Island, H&M, New Look, etc. Before heading home, they decided to have a look around, and, when they arrived home, my parents had treated me to some items from Primark and Next. I was not expecting this one bit, and I felt like a little child at Christmas, opening up my presents.

So, I thought I would share with you guys what I got...

Kabuki Brush - £2.50 

The first thing I got was a powder brush. I really like the make-up brushes from Primark as I think they are just as good and do the same job as a high-end brush would do. I would recommend getting Primark brushes if you are new to make-up, like myself and then maybe getting a more expensive brush when you become more confident applying make-up.

Two packs of Antibacterial Hand Wipes - £1

Next up I got two packets of Antibacterial Hand Wipes, which are great to use during this sticky and humid weather we are currently getting in England at the moment.

Necklace - £6

Recently, I have been loving statement necklaces and when I saw this one in the bag I fell in love with it. I love the pastel colours used in the necklace which are great for the summer time. I wore this necklace to my brother's graduation, which I will talk about later in this post.

Owl Mirror - £2

This little, cute Owl Mirror will be perfect for my make-up bag. I think it is always useful to have a mirror on you at all times, as you never know when you might need it.

Dress

I love the colours and the material of this sun dress. I wore this to the Odney Club (which I will talk about later in this post). The material had a silky feel to it, which left me feeling cool and I think it would look great on holiday over a bikini, after you get out of the pool.

Pink Pumps - £4

These bright pink pumps would go perfectly with the sun dress above and I think I would probably get a lot of wear out of these, as I could wear them to sixth form either with trousers or a skirt in the winter.

Beige Pumps - £8

I got another pair of pumps as well. I really love the colour of these pumps as they would go with anything in my wardrobe and I could wear them all year round. I love the fact the pumps have a chain and strap which makes them a little bit different and adds a bit of colour. Again, I think I would get a lot of wear out of these.

Skirt - WAS - £22 NOW - £10

There was a sale on in Next in which I got this pastel pink skirt with beige pattern on it. I think this looks really summery and would be perfect for sixth form as well. I would pair this with the beige pumps above and for half price as well! What a bargain!

Stripy Pumps

These stripy pumps were also from the Next Sale. I'm not sure how much they cost as I took the label off. I have worn these already and they are super comfortable. I really love the colours as I don't own any black and white shoes or stripy shoes for that matter. I think these would look great with shorts and a crop top or maybe in the winter with black skinny jeans and a jumper. I think you could probably get a lot of different looks out of these one pair of shoes.

Dry Shampoo - £2.99

Another thing I wanted to share with you was this Batiste Dry Shampoo Original. Now, this year I have been testing and trying new things that I wouldn't normally do. For example, wearing make-up is something totally alien to me but I have been really enjoying it. Another thing is my hair. I never really did much to my hair except getting the occasional short cut. However, this year I have opted to grow my hair and try new hairstyles and products. Last weekend, my cousin straightened my hair, and, as I don't own a pair of straighteners myself (but I am asking for a pair for my birthday) I was so excited. I really loved my hair straight (as I do have naturally curly hair). In order, to keep my straight hair for as long as possible, I went out and bought some dry shampoo. I had heard about dry shampoo before, but never tried it out and I am so glad I did. It is like a miracle worker. It is so easy and simple to use as well. All you have to do is spray it onto your roots and massage it in and it feels like you have just washed your hair. This would be great if you don't have time in the morning to wash your hair or if you are going to a festival this summer, then this is a must-have. I also really liked the smell of the original shampoo which was a massive plus.

On Tuesday, I travelled to Swanage for the day with my mum and dad. Swanage is my childhood holiday destination, as we used to always go to Swanage and rent out an apartment and me and my two brothers spent out summer holidays, either playing on the beach, building sandcastles or splashing in the sea, or in the arcade, wasting the last few pennies we had on us or trying to sweet-talk our dad into giving us some money to play on the machines. These are some of my fondest memories and ones I will always treasure for a long time. Therefore, I could not wait to finally arrive. We got up bright and early and went out to get some breakfast. Then, we started on our journey. It took us longer than usual, due to traffic and the queue for the ferry was so long we had to go all the way round in order to get into Swanage. But, we finally arrived, and the weather was amazing!

View from the beach

The beach was packed and the sun was blaring down on the sand, which made it so hot to walk on, but it was such a nice day and I even managed to get a tan on my back, which I was quite proud of. As well as sunbathing, I went into the sea, which was so warm and lovely to dip your feet into.

Obviously, I had to make a quick visit to the arcade, to play on the 2p machines, but I didn't win anything, except gaining a few pennies out of the machine!

And another...

Then, me and my mum headed to this little knick-knacky shop called The Curiosity Shop, which has all sorts of bits and bobs, from sea ornaments for your home to bracelets and rings, but I didn't find anything I liked there, so we decided to leave.

I took this when we were on the ferry coming home. 

Recently, they have opened a tiny New Look in Swanage and I couldn't resist having a quick peek inside. This was the wrong idea, as I soon found lots of things I really liked, and ended up buying some clothes for my holiday.

Later on, we had some fish & chips for dinner (a must-have when going to the beach) and headed home.

Here is what I got from New Look...

Trousers - £19.99

I found these patterned trousers which are quite baggy and have a turned-up end. I thought these would be perfect to travel in on the plane as it is normally air-conditioned and these were so adorable. I also own a pair of harem pants and I got so much wear out of them, so I will probably do the same to these. I also love the colours and they are so bright and summery. Perfect for holiday!

Blouse - 14.99

When I saw this blouse sitting on the hanger, I knew instantly I had to have it. I think this would be perfect for sixth form in September as it can be quite warm when we return. This is me all over and I cannot wait to wear it! I am also a big sucker for a Peter Pan collar which made me want it even more!

Maxi Dress - WAS - £29.99 NOW - £15

I have never worn a maxi dress in my life, but I always wanted to try one out and it was in the sale so it was perfect. I love the deep royal blue with the bright pink aztec print incorporated in the dress. I love how the dress goes in at the top, leaving a baggy look on the top half. When I tried it on, it fitted perfectly and was very flattering. I love the silky material and it made me feel very grown up. Very pleased with this purchase!

Yellow Crop Top - £9.99

I have quite a few of this style of crop top and have already got so much wear out of them. I have one in a duck egg blue and a white one as well. I was going to get this crop top a while ago (which I have mentioned in a previous blog post) but they didn't have my size, however I have finally got it and I know I will constantly be wearing it.

Orange Vest - £9.99

My last item I got from New Look was this silky vest top. I thought this would go perfectly with the trousers and I will be wearing this to the airport. I don't normally go for these type of tops but it was very flattering on and I couldn't resist.

On Wednesday, I went to the Odney Club in Cookham as my cousin, Hannah invited me to go there so we could go swimming and rowing. It was such a great day out, and it was even better as we got beautiful weather as well. We arrived at the club (which you do need to be a member of but as Hannah worked there we didn't have to pay), and got our bands in order to go to the outdoor swimming pool. As we got in the pool, it was the perfect temperature, not too hot but not too cold either. We swam around for about an hour and a half, as they did have floats as well so we chilled on them. Then, we got changed and headed to get some food.

A view from the boat

I chose the Tomato, Pesto and Mozzarella Panini with Chips and a lemonade, while Hannah opted for a Fish Finger Sandwich with Chips. Hannah ended up sharing my lemonade in the end.

Hannah's fish finger sandwich

My Tomato, Mozzarella and Pesto Panini

After we had eaten our lunch, we went to reception to get the Boat Key. You have to pay a deposit of £5 which you get back at the end, they give you a key and you get your life jackets and oars from the nearby shed. Then, you open the padlock of your numbered boat, hop inside and off you go. It was so much fun, hard work and hilarious at the same time. We managed to get into a routine, and we did survive in the end, although, some man did crash into us at one point but we just laughed it off.

Once we had locked up the boat and returned the life jackets and oars, we went to get an ice cream and cool off.

Another view from the boat

Finally, on Thursday I went to my brother, Alex's graduation. It was again such a great day and the weather was so hot that we all ended up melted by the end of it. It was held at the Festival Hall in South Bank which was such a lovely place. Unfortunately, there wasn't any air conditioning in the entrance, plus hundreds of people radiating body heat did not help the situation. Let's just say that everybody was fanning themselves.

Inside the graduation ceremony, it was much cooler and bearable. The ceremony was very long but it eventually got to Alex and we all gave a massive cheer. He also shook hands with Jacqueline Wilson which was so cool, as she is my favourite childhood author. I have read all of her books and my favourites are probably either Double Act or My Sister Jodie.

Anyway, that was my week, quite busy but very enjoyable. Hope you have all had a great week. What have you been up to?

All images in this blog post we taken by me.