Snap Happy #28: My Week In Photos

1. me basking in the sunshine. hello sexy hair, not. 2. pastel coloured houses 3. claire and i enjoying the sunshine 4. blossom in the back garden 5. mama's hydrangea 6. bacon sarnies galore! 7. my new NARS blush 8. grandma's flowers 9. blossom 10. gorgeous housing 11. blossom 12. claire's spring nail colour 13. cherry blossom! yes, i love blossom

Hello everyone! I'm currently back home sans the internet so I apologise for being a little quiet over here of late. It's such a nice feeling to be back home surrounded by my home comforts after three months away! I surprised my mamabear and sister with my return so it was quite an emotional moment. Although, my sister did later admit to me that she didn't remember who I was when she first clapped eyes on me. Sisterly love, eh?! The sunshine has been working absolute miracles for my usual moody disposition and I've been feeling quite contented with everything. It's amazing what being home (and steadily adopting your west country accent back again) can do for the soul! These are just a selection of photographs that I've taken recently. As you can see, I've gone a bit mad for flowers. I just get so bloody excited when there is sun in the sky! 


I've had quite a chilled time since I've been back. I've just been hanging out with grandma whilst she forces 8-9 mugs of tea a day down my gullet, summery walks with mamabear, bbq's where I eat my own weight in meat with fatherbear, mass cuddles with the cat and massive rants about anything and everything with my sisters. It's been perfect! I'm off camping towards the end of this week so I'm sure I'll be documenting that trip on here for you. It'll also be the three year anniversary of my Grandad's passing and what would have been my brother's 21st birthday this Saturday so I'm sure it'll be a cider fuelled day of nostalgia and toasts. That's how we do mourning in the west country ;) 


I'm off to go on a walk with the Motherbear so I'll have to love you and leave you. I'll be back soon - life without the internet is actually pretty lovely, by the way!!

Top 10 Spring/Summer Beauty Picks: Natural Collection, Korres, Essie, Models Own, Toni and Guy, L'oreal, Revlon, 17, Marc Jacobs

Hello ladies, apologies to the few gents who won't appreciate this post! Alternatively, stick around and get some inspiration for gifts to surprise your ladyfriend with...As the sun has decided to rear its yellowy head, I thought I'd share my top cheap high street/drug store beauty products for this season. I don't own any high end make-up; I'm quite humble and, to be honest, I believe that there are some great products out there that don't break the bank. Hopefully, you'll be able to grab a few bargains as a result of this post and make me feel less crap about my own spending issue. They're all in no particular order and I apologise for some of the photos - there's either too much sun or not enough! I was also in a bit of a hurry because we were in a public parky bit and I looked a tad strange; oh blogger woes!

1. Natural Collection blush in 'Peach Melba'

This is a holy grail blush product, in my humble opinion. It comes with a very small price tag and the packaging is back to basics but it's a staple in my daily routine and it's one of the few products that other people have picked up on. I get lots of compliments when I wear it and it makes me feel great. Despite its price, it's really nicely pigmented and doesn't feel too chalky once blended into the cheek. You need this in your Spring routine!

2. Korres Lip Butter in 'Quince'

I'm a little lip product mad, so I thought I'd include a range of different types of Spring/Summer lip to suit most tastes. Korres lip butters are particularly good for those that don't like the stickiness of a lipgloss or the heaviness of a lipstick in the summer heat. This balm is great for moisturising and for adding just a sweep of colour to the lips whilst also looking amazing swept over a lipstain.  These are great for an everyday wearable lip and they come in a range of different colours. Go check them out!

3. Essie in 'Mint Candy Apple'

I featured this in my 'Recent Purchases' post not long ago but I couldn't not include it in this post because it's the ideal minty hue for Spring. Lash on a couple of coats of this and you're good to go throughout the summer. I'll hopefully be rockin' this with a crackin' summer tan bit hopeful and some beachy waves. It's amazingly beautiful and I've already had people ask me what shade it is. If you're only planning on buying one shade for this summer, this should be it. 

4. Toni and Guy Texturised Salt Spray

I'm an absolute sucker for beachy waves so I'll be applying this spray to my freshly washed hair before scrunching and topknotting in order to get the nearest to a Californian beachy wave as possible. It's one of the few haircare products that I use so that must be saying something! This has worked for me and if you lack a perfect wave, it may work for you too. 

5. Marc Jacobs, 'Daisy Eau So Fresh'

I cannot stop smelling myself! I've worn this scent a couple of times already, naughty, and it's incredible. I'll be wearing this throughout the summer and I'm sure it'll evoke all manner of memories of sunshine and amazing company. I'm a massive fan of the original Daisy but this version is just as lovely and smells a little less acidic and a little more sophisticated. I adore it and it's well worth the price tag. You can read about the other perfumes in my collection here. 

6. L'oreal Caresse Rouge Lipstick in 'Dating Coral 301'

This is pretty much L'oreal's version of the Revlon Lip Butters. I'd swatched this a few times in the local Boots and eventually took the plunge and bought the bloody thing. It's my first coral shade and I adore it. I'd been on a hunt for the perfect coral but everything came off too orangey. This little beauty combines both peach and dusky pink to create a really flattering and wearable summer hue. The formula is also extremely light and is therefore perfect for days when the sun decides to shine. I'll be wearing this with my beachy waves and summer attire. P.S Abby of ABBBBZZWAAAAA fame complimented me on this lipstick ;)

7. Models Own in 'Lilac Dream'

I picked this up on a whim the other week thanks to Boots 3 for 2 cosmetics offer. It's a really pretty shade and it holds its own as well as looking lovely with other pastel shades. It's only the second nail polish that I own but it's taking pride of place in my spring hue collection. I'm pretty sure it'll compliment my summer style perfectly. I just need to grow my nails a little before I lash it on! 

8. Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in 'Peony'

 Lets face it, lipglosses can be a bit of a pain in the bum but I'm suprisingly taken by this shade. It's a stunning shimmery pink shade with a texture ideal for summer breeze because it's not overly sticky or heavy. I've been wearing this as both a sheer sweep of lipgloss and as a gloss over my lipstick. I can confirm, it looks gorgeous both ways! It's got quite a hefty price tag for a lipgloss but I think it's something that I'll be grabbing for summer day trips.  

9. L'oreal Telescopic False Lash Effect Mascara in 'Black'

This is the best mascara I have ever used! I am head over heels in love with it. It's one of the few products that I've really seen make a drastic difference to my lashes and will forever be in my make-up bag! I can imagine it looking perfect for a summery doe eyed look and I'll be wearing it every friggin' day. Value for money and then some! 

10. 17 Mirror Shine On Lipstick in 'Beehive'

One of my favourite everyday hues and one of my favourite formulas. It's another product that makes me feel amazing and I've also had a ton of compliments when I wear it.  It's such a wearable shade but it also makes a really nice difference to a natural look. It's a lipstick I will forever be repurchasing and I've already encourages mates to go and buy it for themselves too! Everyone should have this lipstick loitering in the bottom of their beach bag. 

I hope you've found some products amongst those that I've featured that you're interested in. If you'd like to see further swatches of these products, please leave your suggestions in the comments! Have you got any of these beauty products? What are your top Spring/Summer beauty products? Thanks! I'm a bit delicate today and really upset so I'm just gunna have a quiet night ♥

Bee's Photobomb: My Adopted Hometown

Winter pretty much kills my chances of heading to one of my favourite parts of my adopted hometown so when the sunshine recently graced the skies I thought it was the perfect opportunity to catch some rays and give you an insight into my surroundings. I was looking at analytics recently and it astounded me to see where some of my readers live, from good ol' UK to tucked away in Texas, from France to Indonesia. Therefore, I thought it'd be quite nice for you guys to see where I spend my days because I always find it quite interesting to see my favourite bloggers' natural habitats; it's a tonic to my own wanderlust and helps me to understand their experiences. As you can see, I live by the seaside; I've always lived by the shore and I know I'll find it pretty difficult if I ever have to prise myself away from it. I call this my 'adopted' hometown because this is where I live whilst I study at university; it's a lot larger than home but it's still pretty cosy in its own way.  These photographs were taken on different days, as you can tell by the warmer/colder juxtaposition! You can see other photographs that I've taken of my adopted hometown HERE. 


Hometown aside, this week has been a bit of a strange one. I've not really done much of note apart from plan things. We are off further down the coast tomorrow to visit family before heading out for some fresh fish and a blu-ray night with Luke's brothers and gorgeous Brazillian wife. I'm pretty looking forward to it. In this next week, I'm hoping to get week in photos posts up and maybe do some photo an hour posts because I want to get Viva back into the lifestyle swing of things. How does that sound? I will also have a sketchbook update up ASAP as an absolute shed load of you seem to be looking forward to it! You lot are a mad bunch ;) Would anyone be interesting in a creative writing tips/inspo post too? Tell me what you'd like to see in the comments!


By the way, If you've done a post on hotspots in your hometown, leave them in the comments and I'll have a gander! I quite liked doing this post so if you'd like to see more like this, I'd be happy to show you specific areas of interest and/or the local food that is on offer....Let me know! What's your hometown like? If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? I'll see you soon, have a lovely weekend!


P.S Don't forget to enter my giveaway if you'd like to win a brand spanking new iPhone case!

Refining my Jewellery Collection: The Jazzy Up or Down Necklace

Kate Benjamin Multi Stranded Beaded Necklace c/o Accessories Direct

*I apologise for the darker lighting in this post, we have one source of light in this teeny tiny flat and that has been obscured by an attractive piece of scaffolding! Can't wait to head home and embrace natural sources of light!

My jewellery collection leaves a lot to be desired at the moment, hence the quest to refine it and bring it up to date. I want to invest in more timeless pieces and make my collection a lot more season friendly. With this in mind, I was pleasantly surprised when Accessories Direct kindly gifted me with this necklace from their Kate Benjamin range. Take a peek at their website if you'd like, they've got a range of different styles to suit most tastes and age ranges! From what I've experienced, their service is really good! 

This particular necklace oozes femininity and I really like the ribbon tie on the back - albeit when I don't get my hair caught in it whilst attempting to tie it up on my tod! At £40, this necklace is a tad out of my price zone, it's two weeks worth of food shopping, but I know that I'll be using it throughout the spring season; furthermore, its pastel tones will work perfectly with even the simplest white t-shirt, pair of denim cut offs and beachy waves. Would I have bought the necklace of my own accord? Due to my personal financial issues, no, but as a once in a full moon treat - I think it's allowed.  Regardless, it will gladly take its place in my new refined collection as the jazzy up or down necklace, because I think it could be pulled off in both the day and the evening. What do you think of it? What's the stand out piece in your jewellery collection? 

I'd just like to say hello to my new readers and a big thank you to everyone who has voted on my poll so far. I'd love your input!  I'll be using it to sketch out a few new posts/features and so far, its proved rather interesting! There shall be changes to Viva's content as well as design very soon! Keep your eyes peeled. I'm off to spend the night in the library slogging over these three essays before a late night face mask and movie combination with my good friend, Claire. I hope you're all well!