Get The Look: Shay Mitchell

After the massive unveil of 'A' during the Pretty Little Liars finale, I thought I would put together a 'Get The Look' for each of the actresses. Each outfit is more focused on the actresses own personal style, as opposed to their characters style. However, if you enjoy these five instalments I will be happy to put together a 'Get The Look' for each Liars personal styling.

My first 'Get The Look' is the beautiful Shay Mitchell aka Emily Fields. I love Shay's style as it is so simple and effortless. She doesn't really use lots of colours in her outfits, but she still manages to look put together.

Outfit 1

The first outfit Shay is wearing is so simple that you can replicate it at home for yourselves, plus all of these pieces should be staples in anyone's wardrobe. Shay is wearing a simple grey cotton jumper with a pair of ripped and distressed low rise jeans. To complete the look. Shay paired the outfit with some brown wedges to make the outfit look more smarter and less casual. She didn't do anything to her hair so it gave the illusion of a just-got-out-of-bed look. 

TALL MOTO Ripped Hayden Jeans - Topshop - £42.00
V Neck Jumper - H&M - £14.99 (Also in Khaki Green, Dark Grey and Beige)
Light Brown Sling Back Wedges - New Look - £22.99 (Also in Black)

Outfit 2

The second outfit has lots more pattern and creates a Boho/festival vibe. Shay is wearing a simple black off-the-shoulder crop top, which has been the craze this spring/summer. To add a vibrant mix of colours, she is wearing a patterned maxi skirt which suits her so well. For accessories, Shay paired the outfit with some of her own Quay sunglasses and a simple gold necklace. For her hair, Shay has some beach waves which makes her look put together and ready for a festival!

Cornia Ethnic Print Maxi Skirt - Boohoo.com - £12
Black Bandage Bardot Neck Crop Top - New Look - £19.99 (Also in White)
MY GIRL Sunglasses by Quay - Topshop - £30
Gold Tone Double Coin Necklace - River Island - £6

Outfit 3

The third outfit Shay is wearing is much more smarter and sophisticated than the previous two. Shay outfit is a white lace top and a suede beige pencil skirt, which makes her look like she is ready to go to the office. For accessories, Shay paired the outfit with some diamond earrings and a chunky bracelet. Shay has some soft curls in her hair and a bold red lipstick to make her look more effortless and chic. 

Tan Suedette Zip Front Skirt - New Look - £12.99 (Also in Black, Grey and Burgundy)
Natasha Organza Lace Shoulder Panel Oversized Shirt - Boohoo.com - £20
Helen Tassel Chain Earrings - Boohoo.com - £5
Facet Bracelet Pack - Topshop - £14

Outfit 4

The final outfit Shay is wearing has got to be my favourite of the four. She looks so chic and sophisticated but she is only wearing three items. Shay wears another pair of ripped distressed low rise jeans with a over sized striped shirt. To make the outfit look more smarter, she paired the outfit with some black heels. I love Shay's hair in this picture, she has simply pinned her hair back but left her fringe and extra pieces of hair out to make it look more boho inspired. 

Anita & Green Blue Stonewashed Ripped Jeans - New Look - £22.99
Double Stripe Tie Front Shirt - Miss Selfridge - WAS £32 NOW £28.80
Black Comfort Platform Court Shoes - New Look - £24.99 (Also in Deep Red)

I hope you enjoyed this blog post. Let me know whether you would be interested in seeing the Liars personal styles and also look out for my next 'Get The Look' blog post inspired by 'Pretty Little Liars'.

Monthly Book Review (July): The Duff

This blog post has been long overdue (as per usual), but I have finally got around to writing it up. August has been a very busy month for me as I went away with my friends for a couple of days and then I flew to Turkey for 10 days with my family, which was so much fun and very hot. I have got quite the tan which I am very proud of, especially as the weather in the UK is non-stop rain!

Anyway, I finished my monthly book of the The Duff a while ago now and have even finished two more books, so I am quite behind with these blog posts, but don't worry I will get up to date soon. I really needed to finish The Duff quite quickly as I borrowed it from one of my friends and I wanted to return it to her ASAP. Therefore, I probably finished this book in about two weeks or maybe a little bit less.

Source: http://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/movie/movie_poster/the-duff-2015/large_duff.jpg

What is the book about? (Copied from the blurb) - Seventeen-year old Bianca Piper may not be the prettiest girl in her high school, but she has a loyal group of friends, biting wit, and a spot-on BS detector. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of a man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush, who calls Bianca The Duff - the designated ugly fat friend - of her crew. But things aren't so great at home and Bianca, desperate for a distraction, ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a secret enemies-with-benefits relationship with him. Until it all goes horribly wrong. It turns out Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realises with absolute horror that she is falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone. 

Opinion? - I thought this book was really good. I was recommended this book by a friend and we were discussing the movie together and she explained that the book was nothing like the movie. I have to agree, as the book and movie are completely different. I had seen the film before reading the book and really enjoyed both. It was nice to read something that was different from the film and wasn't an exact replica of the movie. The characters are essentially the same but the plot is completely different, for example, Bianca has a friends-with-benefits scenario with Wesley as opposed to him helping her become less of a Duff. 

Positives?- The book was well-written and easy to read and I grasped the plot pretty quickly. I read this book in less than a week as I just could not put it down, despite knowing exactly what would happen. I liked the fact that the movie and book were different as it told a different side to the story and also dealt with more pressing themes such as alcoholism, divorce and friendships. 

Negatives? - It was a little bit repetitive in places and as I have said before, it was predictable. If you don't like books that are romantic or have predictable endings, then you probably should not read this book, maybe watch the film instead. 

Would I recommend it? - Yes, I think it is a good book overall. I think that if you enjoyed the movie as much as me, then maybe give the book a go to see a different side to the story. 

Would I read it again? - Probably not, as it isn't the sort of book to re-read. I would definitely watch the movie another thousand times though! 

Price? - £5.99

Rating? - 3 and a half/5

Hope you enjoyed this blog post. Let me know your opinions of The Duff and whether you have seen the movie as well. 

My next book is The Accident Season, so I will see you next month for my review. 

Sorry for being behind of my blog posts. I don't really have an excuse for being late but I will try and get more content out. I will keep doing these blog posts as I enjoy writing them. I have read three more books since reading The Duff so I am ahead of myself but behind in writing these blog posts, so instead of writing the review next month, I will try and get it out sooner. As soon as I am up to date, the posts will go back to a normal monthly basis. 

Monthly Book Review (June): The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

One of my new year's resolutions was to read at least one book per month. So far, I have kept to this plan (probably the only new years' resolution I have ever succeeded in), despite being one book behind. Although I haven't kept you up-to-date on my books, I thought it would be a good idea to start a new series on my blog where I voice my opinion on the book I have read each month. I would love it if you could recommend any books for me to read and also let me know your opinions of the book I have read.

As I have said previously, I am behind on my books and have only just finished reading my book for the month of June. The reason for being behind is due to schoolwork, revision and exams, but now that those horrible things are over with, I have been trying to read my books as much as possible.

I thought I would split up my book reviews into sections, so it is a bit more organised and easier to read.

So, the book I read for the month of June was the The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (a very long title!).

Source: http://sweatpantsandcoffee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/curious-incident-small.jpg 

What is the book about? (Copied from the blurb) - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a murder mystery novel like no other. The detective, and narrator, is Christopher Boone. Christopher is fifteen and has Asperger's Syndrome. He knows a very great deal about maths and very little about human beings. He loves lists, patterns and the truth. He hates the colours yellow and brown and being touched. He has never gone further than the end of the road on his own, but when he finds a neighbour's dog murdered he sets out on a terrifying journey which will turn his whole world upside down. 

Opinion? - I thought this novel was okay. I had heard a lot of talk about this book as it had been made into a stage production recently. Therefore, this made me want to read the book to see what the hype was about and also to find out who killed Wellington (the dog). The book is quite difficult to read, not in the sense that the words or language is hard but as Christopher (the narrator) suffers from Asperger's, the novel is written in long, complex sentences, meaning there are not many pauses or breaks. I thought the book was aimed at children between the ages of 10+ due to the front cover, the diagrams which are used and also the language, but as I got further and further into the book, I was mistaken. I definitely think that this is a much older book as it does have quite a few swear words in the book, which I was quite surprised at given the cover. 

Positives?- The book is well-written and is very authentic. It has a mixture of humour, sadness and mystery. I liked the diagrams which were included throughout the book as it is quite unusual for me to read a book which does have drawings in as this broke up the novel. The pictures also tied in well with the novel. 

Negatives? - The novel is quite hard to read and can get a little bit tedious due to the way it is written, but I guess that it all part of the book. I also thought that the book did get quite slow in the middle but did get a little bit better towards the end. 

Would I recommend it? - Yes, I think it is a good book overall, but not my favourite. I think it is a little bit young for me but overall, it is really well-written and very authentic. 

Would I read it again? - Probably not, but I would like to see it on stage, just to see how they put the production together and if they keep true to the book. 

Price? - £6.99

Rating? - 3 and a half/5

Hope you enjoyed this blog post. Let me know your opinions of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and whether you have seen it on stage. 

My next book is The Duff, so I will see you next month for my review. 

A New Blog?

I'm back...again! Now, I know this may seem confusing, but I have decided to change my blog name. Although I did have some people reading and commenting, which I am so grateful for, I wasn't happy with the name of my blog.

When I started creating content for my blog, I needed to think of an original and enticing name for my blog which I would be happy with. At first, I did like 'Beaute Mode' as it was different, but slowly I began to dislike the name. So, I came up with 'The Life Diaries'.

'The Life Diaries' is all about a mixture of topics that I am interested in and allows me to talk and discuss so many different areas, not only beauty and fashion.

I hope you enjoy this little re-vamp of my blog and continue to enjoy the content I am trying to compile for you. I feel that now I have decided on a solid name for my blog, I can really start to get into creating content I am happy with.

I will probably be making a few more changes in the foreseeable future with regards to my blog, but don't worry, the name won't be going anywhere. I have also changed the format and design of my blog so let me know whether you are liking these changes. There are still a lot more changes that need to be done as the blog isn't working and functioning as I would like it to, but you can see the direction I am trying to take my blog to.

Let me know what you think of my new blog name and whether there are any more changes you think I should make.

6 Summer Essentials: Fashion

The next part of my summer essentials is back, but this time focusing on fashion. There have been so many trends this summer, including fedora hats, coloured sunglasses and patterned shorts and I have tried to condense it down to six for you.

These are my 6 fashion summer essentials...

         

1. Pink Floral Print Frill Bandeau Bikini Top - River Island - £16

    Pink Floral Tie Side Bikini Bottoms - River Island - £12

2. Hayden Coin Trim Tie Dye Playsuit - Boohoo.com - £15

3. HAVAY Flat Sandals - Topshop - £24

4. Petite Red Tile Print Pom Pom Trim Shorts - New Look - £14.99

5. Silver Round Dip Pilot Sunglasses - New Look - £5.99

6. Blanket Woven Backpack - Accessorize - £37

A definite summer essential is a good bikini. This is every woman's essential for the summer time. It is time to get rid of the layers and start to show more skin in order to get that gorgeous summer glow. I love wearing bikinis during the summer time, especially patterned bikinis. So, when I found this bikini from River Island, I instantly fell in love. However, you don't have to wear a bikini for summer, swimsuits have made a massive revival this S/S15 as well as high-waisted bikinis. Whatever makes you feel comfortable, then go out and rock it!

My next essential is a playsuit. Again, the one I picked is patterned as I am instantly attracted to anything with colour. I loved this tie-dye playsuit with the coins dangling from the top half. This screams out festival fashion to me. However, for a safer option, a plain white playsuit can look great with a tan, or a simple black playsuit can be layered up with accessories and a statement bag. I think the great thing about playsuits is they are an outfit on their own, without any hassle. The only problem is when you need to go to the toilet, that's when they become a pain!

A pair of simple black sandals are a must this season. They go with any outfit and look effortlessly chic. 

A pair of statement shorts will spice up any outfit. Pair them with a plain top for a simple, yet stylish outfit. I actually own these shorts are they are super comfortable as they are made of a jersey material so they feel like you are walking around in your PJ's, which is amazing. They are also a lightweight material so don't make you feel hot. 

A pair of sunglasses to complete any outfit, as well as keeping your eyes protected from the sun.

Why not change your regular handbag for a backpack this summer? They are comfortable, practical and stylish at the same time. Perfect for festivals or for hand luggage on holiday. 

Hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know your fashion essentials in the comments below. 

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First Impressions #3: Barry M Quick Dry Nail Polish

Another first impression post. Sorry about the lack of post on Monday, but I went out to meet with a friend at short notice and forgot to edit this blog post, but the schedule for blog posts still remains the same. Anyway, I popped into Boots on Saturday to pick up some essentials that I needed to get and some new items I wanted to try out. 

I had heard a lot about these new Quick Dry Nail Polishes from Barry M and knew I needed to try one of them out. I absolutely love painting my nails and buying new polishes to try out, so when I heard about a Quick Dry range, I knew I needed to put it to the test. As most of my nail polish collection is Barry M, I knew I wouldn't be disappointed by the formula and application and I, sure enough, wasn't. 

Sorry about my chipped nails in the picture above!

Barry M Nail Polish in Pit Stop 512 - £3.99
This colour looks grey in the bottle but when applied is more of a grey-lilac colour. 

Packaging: First of all, the packaging of the product is the same as all Barry M nail polishes are, except for the black and white checkered lid. I love the packaging as it is simple, classy and good quality. The black and white lid allows the polish to stand out in my collection, so I am aware that it is a 'special' nail polish.

Description: There isn't really a description at the back of the product. However, on the front of the nail polish it says 'Speedy Quick Dry Nail Paint'. I have to agree with this description as this nail polish does dry very quickly. Once you have completed applying one coat onto your nails, the first nail that you first applied onto will be dry. Obviously it won't be completely bone-dry but it isn't wet either. Once both applications have been applied, after about 5-10 mins your hands should be okay to move around without the risk of smudging. However, just check your nails before doing this.

Consistency: The consistency of the product is very good, just like all Barry M nail polishes are to be expected. Although the first coat of nail polish does appear stringy and patchy and doesn't appear to be very good, however after the second coat, it is perfect. Very opaque, smooth and no patches. Also, the brush on the nail polish is very different from the normal Barry M polishes. The brush is much more spread out, making it easier to apply and coats the nail in one swift movement. This will make it so much easier for those of you who find it hard to apply nail polish anyway. 

Price (reasonable or overpriced): £3.99.  This is a great price for this product. Great quality, application, colour range and the fact it drys quickly, makes it such a reasonable product and is so hassle-free.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Definitely, I have already recommended it to my friend that I met recently and I would recommend it to anyone.

Would I repurchase it?: Definitely, next time I make a trip to a Boots I am picking up another colour.

Verdict: 5/5

Hope you enjoyed this blog post. Do you like the Barry M 'Quick Dry' Nail Polishes and if so what is your favourite colour?

*All opinions are my own and all photos were taken by me.