Coping with Exam Results

This Thursday, teenagers all over England are receiving their GCSE exam results, myself included. This can be a highly anticipated day which can cause a lot of worries and stress in the time leading up to it. I expected myself to get extremely stressed around exam time but to my surprise, I stayed weirdly calm, probably more so than nearly all my friends. I have the same attitude towards results day but I know a lot of my friends are the opposite. I figured there must be a lot of you out there who are getting nervous, so here are a few things to remember that stop me worrying.

Your exam results do not determine your success. Being good at exam papers does not make you better than anyone else and people have all sorts of talents that exams don't test. There are people who are seen as the world's most successful who probably didn't do great at school, so don't go thinking that you can't still achieve.
Not every result matters. Yes, it's fab if you managed to do well in your results all-round, but if you want to go into a career in medicine, it's not a problem if you didn't get an A in English Literature. If you want to go into fashion and didn't pass Textiles, there are still opportunities to resit exams that are important to you.
You don't need to compare yourself to other people. If you were happy with your C and your friends got Bs, it really doesn't matter. Your goals have nothing to do with anyone else. People often focus on those who did better than them, but remember that there are also people who didn't excel in that subject as much as you did.
No one else needs to know what your results are. If you're a bit embarrassed about that A* in Biology or that U in Maths, they don't need to be mentioned. Sure your college or future employers will want to know, but they've seen a whole range of exam results and yours are unlikely to be anything new. 
Don't focus on the bad. Maybe you studied really hard for subject and didn't quite get what you wanted (I've been there) but you have other things to celebrate. Be happy with your B in French or your A in Geography, there's no need to wrap yourself up in disappointment. If you're not the best academically, then think of ways to improve on the things that matter to you and use it as a motivation to do better on your resit, if you are choosing to take the exam again.
You can learn from your mistakes. If you're looking at your results thinking "I wish I'd started studying sooner for that" then do so with your A Levels. If you're not going to college, you could put effort into focusing better during your apprenticeship, for example.
It's okay to be proud of yourself. Some people can be wary of showing off and for that reason like to keep things quiet, but if you're impressed with yourself, it's fine to say so (as long as you don't go on about it, of course). Maybe buy yourself a new pair of heels afterwards as a treat. You got yourself through your exams, and you deserve it.
The hype will be over after a couple of weeks. There will be a period where results seem to be all everyone talks about, but in a month's time, chances are they'll hardly be mentioned. If the constant chatter about results is a bit much for you, just take yourself away from social media for a bit and relax. You could even have friends over with a 'no exam talk' policy to give everyone a bit of a break.

It might be a good idea to plan what you're going to do after receiving your results. If you'd rather be alone that's fine, but I personally find myself over-thinking when I'm alone, so my friends and I have planned to go round to someone's house where's we're just going to chill and catch up with each other whilst looking forward to the after-exam party on Saturday. A takeaway with the family or a shopping trip are good ideas, too.
Finally, I wish everyone the best of luck for results day, and remember that all you can do is your best, and you can't ask for any more than that. Thank you for reading, Tasha xo

What's In My Carry On Bag?

For those of you who don't know, I'm off to New York tomorrow morning! I'm very excited and will hopefully have a huge beauty haul post ready for when I come back. This is actually going to be my first time on a plane, so I did my research before packing my carry on to make sure I have everything I need.

Let's start off with the bag. I got this from Accessorize a good two years ago so I doubt this particular one is available anywhere, but I know Accessorize still stock very similar bags. I chose to use this one as it has the two pockets at the front which is perfect for small things and there are also a few little compartments inside to hold phones etc. Now for what's actually in the bag...

In the front pockets I keep:
Tissues, as I often get sniffly in the mornings.
Complimints (Aldi). I'll use these to freshen up after food.
Blotting Sheets. I've heard planes can be very drying on the skin which would cause mine to become oily. These sheets also have a small amount of translucent powder on them which I really like.
Two pens. These are for both writing and using with my loom bands (yep, I've fallen into that trap, more on that later...)
Earphones. I can listen to my music or block out sound if I want to sleep.
A mirror. I'll use this to check my hair and touch up my makeup.
I keep my iPod, my portable charger, my lip balm and my phone (not pictured as that's the camera I use) in the zipped pocket on the inside.

Loose in the main part of the bag is a magazine, a notebook, a photocopy of my passport (my mum is carrying my actual one) and a book. Except for the photocopy (obviously) these are all just for entertainment. I have with me my sunglasses, normal glasses and some makeup also. I took my Bare Minerals Foundation, my Rimmel Stay Matte Powder along with the brushes for touch ups before the plane lands. I brought the MUA Highlighter and my Naked Palette as they seem a bit too delicate to stay in my check-in bag! In the last picture I have a few miscellaneous bits that I'll go into more detail on:
A blow-up travel pillow. I definitely recommened the blow-up ones as that way you can decide how sturdy you want them and they can be deflated to take up less room when they're not in use. They're usually a lot cheaper than the cushion-y ones too.
Fluffy socks. I'll probably be taking my shoes off on the plane and no one wants chilly feet, so these should keep my toes toasty.
Body Lotion. This will hopefully stop the plane's drying effect on my skin doing too much damage.
A hairbrush. I'll use this if I want to redo my hair, and it's nice and small so it doesn't take up too much room.
Loom bands..? My friend's little sister showed me how to make these and I thought they'd be a good time-consumer! (It's actually pretty fun)
My purse, obviously to keep money and my ID etc in.
This old little Totoro purse, which I'm keeping GBPs in just in case.
Finally a map, so I know where I'm going! I've labelled on it the places I'm hoping to go, like Sephora and Bath and Body Works etc. This came inside a pocket travel guide.
Other bits I'll need such as hand cream, charger cables, snacks and my passport is going in my mum's bag, so don't worry, I haven't forgotten!

Is there anything else you think I ought to take? Let me know! Thank you for reading and see you when I get back, Tasha xo

My Makeup Brush Collection 2014

I've noticed that the makeup brushes in my daily routine haven't changed much recently, meaning I must be pretty content with my collection at the moment! I thought I'd do a post to share with you what brushes I like to use.
First up is the Bare Minerals Full Flawless Face Brush. It was probably a mistake starting off with my least favourite here but at least that's it out of the way. This brush is especially made for the Bare Minerals Original Foundation, but unfortunately the brush quality doesn't match that of the foundation. It does its job and applies the makeup well, but there is so much fall out it's untrue. After using it I have to go and pick up all the shedded bristles off my face, and having looked at other reviews, I know this isn't just a fault in my brush, it's across the range. Despite this, I do like it for this foundation and will continue to use it. Now onto more positive reviews!
The Bare Minerals Flawless Face Brush is a lot finer than the Flawless Face Brush and also a lot better. I use this to apply the Bare Minerals Warmth (which is basically a bronzer) and it works very well and is nice and soft and fluffy. If I'm using Mineral Veil, I will also apply it with this brush.
The last of the Bare Minerals brushes now, the Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush. I use this to apply the foundation as a concealer and it works perfectly, very soft and makes an easy application. This can also be used with liquid concealers.
Next is the angled brush which I got as part of a set a few years ago. I imagine the set was from somewhere like Superdrug (I received it as a gift) so I've linked a similar one. This brush doesn't have the softest bristles going, but it does apply my Natural Collection Blush nicely so it's definitely worth a go.
Another brush that I don't have an exact match for (sorry) is the blending brush. This is nice and fluffy and I just use it to soften out the edges of my eyeshadow. 
You might think the Avon Foundation Brush isn't really needed since I use powder foundation, but I like to use this to blend out my Bare Minerals BB Primer and also my Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer if I decide to use that for extra coverage.
The Urban Decay Eyeshadow Brush came with my Naked 1 palette and it's been perfect as I'm so used to just applying eyeshadow with just my fingertips and it's much more precise this way. The brush is very soft and I use the thicker side to blend and add shimmery colours on top.
Finally the H&M Mini Kabuki Brush which I've raved about before in my Budget Beauty post. An all-time favourite for its incredible softness and its ability to pick up plenty of product. I use this for my Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder and it works perfectly with next to no fall out at all.

So that's my little everyday brush collection, I'd love to know what brushes you use if you think there's something I should try out! Thank you for reading, Tasha xo

Summer 2014 Nail Favourites

After having left high school this year, I'm finally able to wear nail polish without hiding it under my sleeves every time an adult comes near. There are a lot of colours I've been especially loving this Summer, so I thought I'd share my current nail favourites.

Avon Opal Top Coat - This is a nail product that I would only tend to use on a feature nail as it definitely can look very 'blingy'. Not necessarily a sophisticated polish, but the sparkle makes it perfect for nights out all year round. If I'm using nail glitter I use this as the top coat.

Rimmel Disco Ball 500 - Another top coat, this time with a lilac and blue colour instead of just clear. I've found this compliments a lot of nail colours and is subtle enough for use on all nails without being overpowering. A very pretty glitter which can be built up nicely with multiple coats.

Topshop Bound - This product was on my Topshop wishlist post and I decided I just had to get it. It has turned out slightly more green than expected - I thought it would have been more blue-toned - but it is still a gorgeous colour. There is a shimmery finish and this colour suits almost any outfit. If the Rimmel Disco Ball is applied as a top coat it looks mermaid-like! Perfect for the Summer days.

Barry M Indigo 312 - This polish is like a dark blue with the perfect hint of purple. I love how the colour is deep yet still vibrant. A definite favourite from Barry M.

Barry M Blueberry Ice Cream 306 - I would describe this one as a vibrant sky blue. It looks much brighter on than it does in the bottle, and this is the perfect shade to make your tan 'pop'. The name of this polish makes it even more desirable! 

Maybelline Acid Wash Top Splatter 250 - This has already been mentioned in my July favourites so I'll say again, a beautiful jazz up to any polish and perfect for a nice and easy feature nail. I've seen they have some other colours in the Acid Wash collection so let me know if you've tried any of them!

Sally Hansen Sonic Bloom 260 - This has been a long-time favourite of mine and is one of my go-to nail colours. It's almost like a red/pink neon, and I love wearing this with monochrome outfits to give them an instant splash of colour. The Sally Hansen brushes make their polish very easy to apply so don't let the bold colours scare you off! I couldn't seem to find this on a UK website and I received it as a gift, but I expect it is available to order worldwide.

What are some of your nail faves this Summer? I'd love to try a few new ones out! As always, thank you for reading, Tasha xo

A Pleasant Surprise

I may have gone slightly overboard with the highstreet shopping recently (after having not going for almost a month I've now gone three days in a row) and I've noticed there are a lot of sales on recently, with many stores starting to transition over to their A/W stock. I'm not the best at sale shopping as I usually find it far too busy for my liking, but there is one sale which did impress: Matalan. Now, I must admit I usually think of Matalan as a more 'mumsie' shop (probably just because my mum likes it there) but after having a look around today, my opinion has definitely changed.

If you have a look at the items pictured you might estimate them to cost maybe £30-£40, but I picked up these four items for just £12 in total! I plan on using the bag for college as it's certainly very spacious, and at just £5, I could hardly resist. The pastel colour will compliment a lot of my outfits, and I love the floral print. There were other similar bags available too, so even if this one isn't for you, it's worth a browse. I had been looking for a monochrome flannel-type shirt to wear as a jacket rather than an actual shirt and this one fits it for me. It has the softer material which I was looking for, and even though I could only find a size with is 3-4 sizes up for me, it still looks fine tied around the waist or worn as oversized. This was just £4 and there were other designs available too. The glasses case was a pound, and I plan on using it for when I don't have room to cart around my big chunky case around with me. At £2, the bikini top was my favourite buy. It's something I would expect to see somewhere like Topshop rather than Matalan, and I love the vibrant colours. Matching bottoms were also available for around £1.50.

I found the general layout of the sale very good as it was split into sections and was well-spaced out. About half the shop was made up of sale items, so you're bound to find something. If you don't have a Matalan near you, go to their website and shop by your size and hopefully you'll find a few bits! 

What sales have impressed you? Happy shopping, Tasha xo