Jamberry Nail Wraps | 7 Day Challenge

So I was recently sent some nail wraps by the lovely Jamberry Glitter Sparkles. I don't often get the chance to sit and have a little pamper and do my nails, But, I needed a little 'me time' so couldn't resist! They do such a wide range of designs(I'm not kidding, some of them actually glow in the dark!), I can 110% guarantee you'll fall in love with at least 10 and there's a design for every occasion- take a look here.

I took part in their 7 Day Challenge, and it was so incredible that they actually lasted two weeks. I can't emphasize enough how good these are- so here are some photos from the challenge!

As you can see, I wore the wraps on my ring fingers. I really like this as it draws the attention to a feature nail and highlights the really pretty pattern. The nail polish I used to accompany them was Urban Decay's 'Superfreak'.

I find nail wraps in general pretty great because your nails look like you've had a really fancy manicure, yet it costs a fraction of the price (and in all honesty, it probably lasts longer).

If you're ever considering purchasing some new nail products I'd highly recommend this company- I know I'm very keen to!

I was also sent a sample sheet of wraps, and post regarding those will be up in the not too distant future!

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this post!

Top Tips for Getting a Job!

I've recently managed to get myself a part time job (a total miracle, I know). So, I've decided to share some advice for any of you who may be trying to earn a bit of cash, or just a way to spend your free time!

Step 1- Find Available Jobs-

-Firstly, try sites such as Indeed and Reed. Many organisations will list positions here as its quick and easy to do. You may need to register and submit a CV through the site, or it may link to an online application- or give an email address for you to send your CV to. Either way, make sure to research the job first and make sure it's right for you!

-Check in stores/restaurants. They may not always advertise, or there's a chance that a role may be coming up soon. If so, you could have a chance of getting a job without having to fight off competition!

Put Yourself Forward as a Suitable Candidate-

-Have an up-to-date, relevant CV. There's no point in telling an Italian restaurant that you were part of a litter picking committee in the middle of primary school. List anything that may interest your potential employer, alongside any important qualifications- for example English. You may also wish to mention any previous employment, detailing your responsibilities from that role.

-If you're going into a store to enquire about available positions, or to hand in a CV, remember that you don't get a second chance to make a first impression! It's best to keep a formal look so that you make a good impact on the potential employer.


Be Prepared for an Interview-

-Research the sort of questions that you may be asked. A really common one is 'Why do you want to work for us?'. You can be ready for this by doing a little bit of research prior to the interview. Find out a couple of basic facts about the company- this will really impress the interviewer and immediately set you above others.


And Most Importantly-

-Have self confidence. Again, this will stand out to potential employers. Not only this but having a positive outlook and believing in yourself is the key to living a happy and healthy lifestyle!


I really hope you found these tips helpful. Remember, having a job is not the be all and end all- always focus on long term things like education. But if like me you just need a little bit extra cash, or are hoping to work full time- I wish you all the luck in the world!

Higher Photography | My Final Images

After months of literal blood sweat and tears, back in May I finally completed my Higher Photography portfolio. I'd seen the standard of some of some of the portfolios that had previously failed, they were incredible! So, as I'm sure you can imagine, I was beyond stressed about how I'd get on.

But it turns out that all my worry was for nothing, as last Tuesday (9th August) I got my results! I got a B in Higher Photography! So I've decided to share my photos with you- my theme was Travel and I really hope you enjoy this post!

These photos were taken at a variety of locations, including Newcastle, Edinburgh and my hometown of Hawick. Again, I hope you enjoyed this post- if you're keen on photography and are considering taking it as a course at any level- do it! I picked up so many new skills and tips from this, so don't hesitate!

Results Day

So as a Scottish student, I received my exam results on Tuesday last week. I'm aware that a lot more results are being revealed in the coming days, so I just wanted to do a mini post to bring together my advice for this stressful time.

-Despite common perception, exam results really don't have to define your entire life! Where there's a will there's a way, and I can almost guarantee that no matter what that piece of paper says, if you want it bad enough, you WILL get to where you want to be in life!

-Don't stress over what other people will think. It's natural for parents, teachers and peers to want you to succeed, but no matter how things go they will always be willing to support you.

-Speak to people if you have queries about the aftermath of your results. Your teachers and parents will always be keen to help you! You can also contact universities etc directly- most will have a specific hotline or email address for results day. Check their websites for more details.

-Don't be afraid to use clearing. Last year, 1/8 of people accepted into universities got their place this way. It's not a subject I'm totally aware on, so if it applies to you, I'd recommend checking UCAS website.

-Ensure you get some sleep! It's inevitable that stress will make it hard to get a full nights rest, but regardless of how it goes, results day takes a physical and emotional toll on us all!

-Above and beyond all of these, remember to think positive, be positive- and positive things will happen! I can't reiterate enough the fact that results don't define your whole life- there's always another doorway to success!

Walt Disney, Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln- what do all these 'household names' have in common?
All 4(and countless more) had a rough road to success, overcoming many obstacles to get to where they wanted.

So, never give up, and in the words of Dory, just keep swimming!

Mid-Year Review | How's My Life Going?

So as a few of you may remember, I did a post back in January about what I hoped to achieve this year.

I decided to take this opportunity to reflect on these aims, and see how I've come along over the last few months!

My first goal was to become more confident. This is quite a tough thing to evaluate as I don't think I'll be ever someone with complete confidence, however now that I've sat back and thought about everything I've done this year, I'm really happy to say that my confidence has grown slightly! I think the key to achieving this is just always believing in yourself and always trying to have a positive outlook on life.

Another goal was to see NCL Richard Squad more often. Unfortunately this hasn't really happened as we all have a lot of commitments, but this just means that when we do manage to see each other, it's even more special.

My third goal was to become more healthy, and, as expected, chocolate won this battle. I managed to eat healthily for about a month before resorting to good old mars bars. There's always next year, right?

I also aimed to read more books. This has definitely been achieved, and I've read such a wide variety of fiction books! I think my favourites would have to be Behind Closed Doors and Me Before You.

One of my main goals was to see Brad as much as I could. This happened in a bit of a whirlwind, as I met the boys 4 times in the space of 5 days back in April, but I haven't met them since, and don't have anything guaranteed for the rest of the year. I'm being optimistic about Fusion Festival and the possibility of book signings though- and you should too!

I aimed to start to use a better routine for my hair and my skin, which I've half achieved. I've become much better at looking after my skin, using a good routine every morning and evening. This particularly helped at exam time, preventing any major stress related breakouts. I'm still working on the hair routine though- any tips would be welcome!

Probably the most exciting thing I've achieved is finally getting myself a part time job. I'm really happy about this as it's something I didn't think I'd achieve, but now I have I can finally have some money to buy myself the things I want.

Unfortunately I haven't managed to find any work experience in media, because any time I contact somewhere, they tell me I need to have had experience.I mean where's the logic, I need experience to get experience?!

I've managed to improve ever so slightly on guitar, using the little free time I have to teach myself some new chords. Here's hoping that by the end of the year I'll have come even further!

Now, exam results are something that terrifies the best of us. The lead up to results day was quite possibly the most stressful time EVER, But, it turns out I was stressed for no reason, because I received far better grades than I'd ever expected. They may not have been 'the best of the best', but that wasn't what I aimed for, I wanted grades that made ME happy- and that's what I got!


So that's how my 2016 has gone so far. I'm proud of myself for how far I've come. I really hope that by the end of the year I'll have achieved even more. I'm also going to do my best to get into more of a pattern for uploading to my blog- whether or not that happens is something that only time will tell!

A Trip To Edinburgh | Photography

I'm lucky enough to live just a couple of hours away from one of the most beautiful cities in Britain- Edinburgh. I manage to get up about once every couple of months, and ALWAYS take advantage of the trip by getting some photos!
The majority of these photos were taken whilst on a trip with my college class- the weather was really miserable so these photos aren't the best- but I just wanted to share them with you!

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed taking the photos! Feel free to let me know what you thought, and share any ideas you may have for future posts! x

10 Places I Want to Visit | Travel Bucketlist

Travel always has been and always will be one of my favourite things. I've been lucky enough to travel to quite a few amazing places, but there's so many more I would absolutely love to see! If I listed each and every one of them, this blog post would be longer than the bible- so I've narrowed it down to my top 10. These aren't in any particular order, I just tried to fit in the places I most want to visit.

Blue Lagoon

Bondi Beach

Bora Bora

Eiffel Tower

Forest Igloos, Finland

Grand Canyon

Great Barrier Reef

Masai Mara

Times Square

Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World (again!)

So that pretty much summarizes my main travel goals at the moment! I'm really hoping that I get to experience these beautiful places in the not too distant future- what about you? Where do you hope to visit soon?

Summer Holidays Bucketlist!

It's the first day of my summer holidays today, and there's a lot of things I'm hoping to do over the next few weeks! I have rounded up my main aims, and decided to share them with you...


-Visit somewhere new. I've already had my big holiday for this year, but there's so many different places near me that I'd really like to visit. At the top of my list is probably Whitby beach- I think it looks so pretty!

-Go to a theme park. I've not been to a U.K. theme park in  a long time so I would love to take a day in summer to spend time with my friends at one!

-Go to a concert. As you've probably gathered, I absolutely LOVE going to concerts, and I 110% want to get myself to one over the course of the summer! I've got my tickets for Twin Atlantic already, but who knows, maybe I'll squeeze a second one in!

-Get a part time job. Ok so in a way, this links to the whole concert obsession. I really want to get a job so that I can manage to save up money! I also want to get some experience in the working world to gain new skills and meet new people!

-Make a tie-dye t-shirt. This sounds really weird and like something a 5 year old would do, but it's something I've wanted to do for so so long!

-Make homemade ice-cream. I've done this before and found it so fun! The bonus of this is the end result- getting to eat it!

-Have a bake-a-thon. I absolutely love baking, but haven't done it in ages because you know, exams and all that. I want to get together with a group of friends and make a massive selection- cookies, brownies, cupcakes- the whole shebang!

-Do the summer photo challenge. I want to take a photo EVERY day in summer! Then, at the end, I'll be able to look back at everything I've done.

-Improve my YouTube channel. I've neglected it a bit because of exams(ugh, they ruin everything don't they?). But I'll hopefully have a bit more free time over the next few weeks to produce some videos and build up my channel!


So that pretty much sums up everything I'm hoping to achieve over the coming weeks! I hope you enjoyed this post- feel free to let me know what's on your bucket list for this summer!