Festival Series: Do's and Don'ts

Don’t want this one to be too boring but thought I’d pop it in anyway. A quick list of dos and don’ts at a festival, enjoy!

·         Do pack light; nothing worse than dragging a suitcase worth of stuff you don’t need and a tent and whatever else through the heat to the campsite or worse the mud and rain! Definitely plump for a backpack- one of the few times practicality should be put before style

·         Though not too light; those of you who believe two pairs of pants and one t-shirt is enough think again (you know who you are ;))

·         Do go out of you comfort zone and try a more festively look than perhaps your used to

·         Don’t model yourself on Kate moss though if you are more curvy (a la moi), accentuate your positives, so if you’re more busty than leggy think fitted vest top over baggy t-shirt

·         Do take dry shampoo, and lots of it! There may be showers but the four hour queue for ten minutes water really isn’t worth it

·         Don’t just wear a bikini! Ok that’s not quite true, if its blistering sunshine and you don the bikini top and shorts go for it, but don’t rely on it we all know what British weather can be like. . .

·         Do take your own food. May sound obvious but it’s so much cheaper and not something everyone considers, and definitely take food into the arena if you’re not planning on stage hopping – eleven hours without food stood up not the best night ever!

·         Don’t wear heels! Even wedges, they may look great and be far more flattering than wellies but trust me, unless you’re a VIP and can go to a hotel and stay off the mud it just isn’t worth it.

·         Do have fun! Hope that didn’t bog you all down too much because they are supposed to be just that! Happy festival-ling,

Love Lola

Festival Series: On a Budget . . .

Now festivals are not usual known for being the most glamorous, civilised of places but most girls (and guys) want to look their best, or at least decent given the circumstances. So due to this I thought I didn’t really want to take my best most expensive products- especially make-up. A friend and I then went shopping for budget alternatives of the make-up we thought were necessary!

First things first, foundation. Good skin can mean the rest of your make-up looks so much better and after hearing good things about the range I went for the natural collection shine away foundation. I have yet to give it the full testing but hope it goes well as it’s all I’m taking with me – eek! If not I shall be at the little stores and people tents begging for some form of coverage!

Another base product I shall be taking is the collection concealer, a brilliant budget buy, the packaging may not be great but the product speaks for its self. 

And to keep all that in place I shall use the MUA powder. An amazing price of £1- almost too good to be true but I like their products so I’m putting my faith in, may do a post festival guide telling you all the full review but as of yet a good product for the price.

 

http://www.superdrug.com/content/ebiz/superdrug/invt/204755/204755_l.jpg

As for eyes there is one product I cannot live without – eyeliner. I’m going for a pen just for easy application and no brushes, again an MUA one at £1.50. Now overall I find nearly all pen eyeliners dry out fairly quickly no matter what you spend so I thought this was a perfect price for a weekends usage. http://www.superdrug.com/content/ebiz/superdrug/invt/267451/267451_l.jpg

And the final product I bought on my budget list was also MUA and mascara. I went for their basic mascara in shade five; it’s a black and really lengthening and a great price – only 1 pound! Couldn’t believe it great for a weekend away when you don’t want to take anything that could get nicked/lost/broken etc.

And I think that’s everything, obviously I’ll be taking a few other bits and pieces but budget wise this is what I went for.

Love Lola

Festival Series: Hair

Ok so just a really quick one today, I found this video on the John Frieda YouTube channel. Thought it was a great idea for a festival hair, especially when you haven’t really got good access to a shower for four days! A good alternative would be one fish tail braid all over one shoulder for more of a bo-ho look, and surprisingly easy to do which I found surprising as most videos with a professional in usually look easy but leave your hair looking like you’ve been pulled through a hedge! So big love for this style and recommend checking out some of their other videos, though some do take longer and are much harder than others. Enjoy!

Click here if video doesnt work, 

Love Lola

Post Holiday Routine

Ok so not part of the festival series but thought I’d post this now anyway as I’m I have just finished sorting out my skin post hols and I thought I’d do a bit of research. So there are thousands upon thousands of blogs, articles, slideshows etc. all telling us how to get holiday ready in the lead up to sunny summer (if where lucky). But what about when we get back? If you’re like me then it’s likely that your routine slipped slightly while away, not quite as heavy with the SPF as we know we should have been, not bothering with a full exfoliation in the shower, falling into bed with half your makeup on and I’m sure there are many other things that I can’t even think of. So when I do get home I like to blast away all that damage I’ve done to myself.

First thing is exfoliation, I actually completely forgot mine when I went on my recent holiday and didn’t my skin feel it after a week!? I like to really scrub the skin cells away and I use Sanctuary body scrub which is really fine scrub and with a body shop loofah works wonders. I also like to really go over my skin, particularly my upper thighs with a body brush just to give it another kick into action.

I do a similar thing to my face but I am much gentler. I use a Neutrogena grapefruit face scrub and really work it into the skin (avoiding delicate area such as under the eyes) especially around the nose and places where dirt and bacteria love to stick. I also use a pore strip across my nose to get rid of any stubborn impurities that have built up over a week of improper cleansing.

After all that I like to give my skin a really deep moisturise as its now been scrubbed raw and been subjected to a week of drying and damaging sun. On my body I tend to go for aqueous cream which even though a bit boring is really rich and great for those on a budget. On my face, despite having combination/oily skin, I go for one designed for normal skin the beauty parlour day cream with SPF- saving face. It’s a great cream for those who don’t want anything too heavy but still something a tad richer than normal – smells great too!

Hair wise I don’t do anything too radical except sleep with a hair mask on. I use the Aussie 3 minute miracle reconstruction, after plastering it on to wet hair I tie it in two plaits and bun my hair to keep it out of the way and comfy enough to sleep on.

Another couple things I like to do on my post-holiday beauty blast (its turning out to be quite a long one this!) are tanners of sorts. I add an after sun to my daily routine with a touch of self-tan to prolong that glowing tan as long as possible. I really like the Garnier Ambre Solaire hydrating tan maintainer which has a small amount of self-tanner. I also like to try and even out my tan lines. As I definitely don’t have the confidence or guts for any topless sun bathing or nude beaches I tend to have a lovely tan and then an awful pasty bum! Which no-one will find attractive let’s be honest, so I use a little of the St Tropez gradual tanner to try and blend them away, I also use it on the tops of the thighs if I’ve caught the sun while wearing shorts and where my bikini top has been.

And the final thing I like to do is sleep with moisturising gloves and socks on my hand and feet with the Scholl deep moisturising cream on to nourish them too.

That’s pretty much it in terms of the blast back into my usual routine, I think it’s really important to get your skin great after a holiday not only so people see you and think wow but to keep it in tip top condition. Hope this helps and inspires you all to keep up those intense routines despite being back from holidays! Sorry it went on so long but couldn’t bear to cut any out! (hehe)

Love Lola

Festival Series: essentials

As I’m off to reading in a few days I thought I’d do a little series on festivals. Starting with the essentials. Now obviously tents, pants and clothes go without saying but I thought I’d go through my must haves beauty wise. Now of course there is the wet wipe. This goes without saying, not only is there a lack of water for face washing so nessacary for removing make-up but with the queue for the showers taking about an hour maybe two odds are other methods of cleaning will have to be found. I’ve gone for a few different packs, first are anti-bacterial, Garnier for face and just a basic pack for body.

Next of course sun cream. I won’t go on here because you don’t need a rant about skin cancers etc. but I do recommend one with a five star UVA rating for those of you who don’t want to wrinkle (even if you go for a lower SPF).

Dry shampoo. I go for the Batiste Dry Shampoo on the go in blush, usually just a mini when I’m travelling but without access to showers I may take a large. 

Deodorant/anti-perspirant. Need I say more?

Moisturiser for both face and body. I really like the Liz Earle ones for my face, I use the one for oily/combination skin but there are many available.  For body Im taking a great one by pai, its an all natural skin care brand that i discovered after reading a review on A Model Reccomends. Its really thick and doesnt  leave any residue. Its also in a pump action bottle which is great if you dont want to have any mud/germs getting inside the pot. I love the comfrey and calendula one.

Vaseline, I’m taking a big tub of boots own petroleum jelly. After v-fest last year I didn’t realise how useful it was so I’m making sure I have it this time. Great for dry knees, scratches, lips and much more! 

Eye bags are never good, and highly likely with hangovers and lack of sleep so and eye roll on is a must for me. I’ve chosen the tinted one also from Garnier but if you find yourself without one two cold objects work really well. Such as two metal spoons, though your tent-mates may give you a few looks . . . 

Fizz ease, I really can’t be without this stuff. Whether I’m at home, abroad or at a festival. I like both the night and wet hair versions to tame my wild mane but I will be taking it in smaller bottles for space saving.

Another hair product is finishing polish by Percy and Reed. A great product and I shall review it later, nearly on my second bottle and recommend for everyone!

Now not sure if everyone will see this as an essential but I do like to take a mini toner just to revive my skin in the mornings but does need cotton pads too but I recommend these for their many uses. I’m taking a Liz Earle instant boost skin tonic from a set of minis bought for me by a friend. 

And of course tissues, tooth paste/brush, plasters and sanitizer. That’s it in the main, make up will come in the next post and any extras I think of! Ill also be doing a few festival fashion posts and anything else I can think of. Let me know if you enjoy this series/have and requests,

Love Lola

OOTD x 2

Oh my look at my face in these photos! Not my best photo, but never mind thought I’d post these anyway. Now I had planned on a little holiday look book but my camera filled up so quickly that my friend had to take my ootd photos for me and I haven’t got them yet so here’s the first two. My first outfit (the one where I look a tad grumpy shall we say) is a turquoise play suit I bought from Asos and love, it hangs really well and I think the cut outs add a little something extra. I paired it with a brown plait belt to nip in the waist for a shapelier look and cat eye Topshop sunglasses. I twisted my hair up in a French twist and went for subtle bronzy make-up. 

The second with my frightening smile is a purple floaty skirt from h and m and a white vest top. It’s a very simple outfit and I have my polka dot pin up style bikini on underneath and cat eye sunnies. I finished it all off with a peach coloured bangle (also from h and m) and floral wedges from Dorothy Perkins which are surprisingly comfy.

And that’s all for now folks, I’ll post more outfits from my holiday later and they’ll all go on my chictopia as always. Enjoy,

Love Lola

Back Again!

Hi everyone,first things first sorry I haven't posted in a while I've been in France on holiday and got back today. I did plan on having posts lined up on schedule but I never got round to it and before I knew it I was back home sat on the sofa writting this! But I do have lots of exciting up and coming posts I hope you'll look out for and I will try to post more regular from now on with no holiday breaks!
Speak soon,

Love Lola

Pin-up Girl

Hi all, just a quick fashion post today. Recently I’ve been really getting into the glamorous pin-up look. Very sleek style, winged sun glasses, polka dot halter neck clothes etc. so I thought I’d post these couple things I’ve bought to achieve the look at the beach or pool side on holiday (or at home though the weather isn’t ideal for sun bathing at the moment!) So to start these lush sunnies from Topshop, there £16 pounds so not too pricey and a great shape! They come in a few colours but I went for cream as I thought it would match a lot of stuff – very boring reason but practical. The jury’s still out on the quality of these as the do seem a bit plasticy but I shall give them the benefit of the doubt and if not I think they’ll be a great season/throw away buy.

I then got this great bikini from Debenhams. It’s red with white polka dots and has a good amount of support and padding to really enhance figure and give a classic hourglass shape which is essential for this look. The top is underwired with padding similar to a water bra; the bottoms are a simple brief style with very cute bow ties on the side. Overall I thought this is a really great bikini I didn’t feel like my boobs would fall out or as though I was over exposed. Definitely recommend this one!

Then to finish off the beach pin up look id add an oversized floppy sun hat – I got one from Primark for about five pounds if you want a budget alternative and then a large beach bag, maybe a blue and white stripy one to contrast the patterns and give a slight sailor touch to the look.  Hope you like,

Love Lola