Pauline - Back To School: Transitioning Into University

By the 21th of September, I will have moved into Birmingham and on the 28th I will begin my university studies.

Pinterest - Bullring Shopping Centre

Luckily for me, I already know who my flatmates are and a fair idea of what they're like thanks to the magic that is Facebook. I hope we still get along when we actually meet but only time will tell.

Moving into university is both exciting and nerve-wrecking for me.

On the one hand, I get to experience a change of scenery; I'll be in a different city in a different region of the UK which means, yes, different accents. A Birmingham accent doesn't seem to be popular amongst my friends so I hope that it doesn't rub off so much on me.

It also means I get the chance to be independent and live (sort of ) on my own. That's what I'm looking forward to the most.

However, it also means I'm away from everything that I find comfort in - he and I will be making frequent journeys to and fro between cities. There's no way I'm going for a long time without my boyfriend. There's also the case of being in a place where everyone's interests are the same and it's harder to stand out. At school, your friends, yourself, others in your class, you all had varying hobbies and you felt unique and you stood out.

In school, you would join a club to find people with similar interests. Uni is like one really big club with about 50, 100, even 200 people who have the same skills, the same knowledge, ideas. It's harder to stand out and it makes me feel nervous because I have no idea how good everyone else will be compared to me. I know I'm not the only one that feels that way, especially since I'm going to a big university which would have a lot of people on the same course.

That's all for now. Stay beautiful x

PS I know this is Fashion week but I thought doing this was more important. I saw that a lot of people are nervous about moving into uni and outfits are at the back of everyone's minds.

School Uniform Pros & Cons

Hello Fabulous Internet!

In my school (or nearly every school in Ireland), there is a school uniform that we most wear. Since this week is 'Back To School Fashion', I can't do it as I wear the exact same thing every day to school. I thought to myself that I should do the pros and cons to wearing a uniform and show you my uniform. One thing you may need to know about my school is that it is very strict on uniform,

Pros

• I don't have to spend 20 minutes every morning trying to figure out what to wear or if my outfit matches my school bag etc. etc.
• I don't have to worry about outfit repeats as I do them all the time.
• I don't have to worry about someone wearing the same outfit or shoe as me.
• I have nice clothes to where at the weekend as they are not all in the wash from the previous school week.

Cons

• My school jumper is 50% wool, 50% acrylic, that means if it goes above 17`C or 59`F, it gets really warm.
• If you spill anything on your uniform that stains, you will have to wear it for the rest of the week.
• The pockets in the trousers aren't deep enough to put in a phone.
• You are wearing the same thing as your whole school.
• I cannot express myself through my clothes.
• It can sometimes be uncomfortable. 
• It sometimes looks slightly depressing. 

This is my school uniform, it is a black jumper with a red rim around the collar and the school crest, under that is a light blue shirt (I don't know why it turned out white in the photo!). My trousers are dark navy with red pin strip going down the leg. My shoes are black shoes with lepoard insoals.

Have you or did you have a uniform?

See you,

Ró

My Blog: http://totallyro.blogspot.ie

Guilianna's Back To School Fashion Must-Haves

Hello everyone,

Before I get into this blog post, I wanted to quickly apologize for not staying on track with the rest of The Little Chatter Boxes. I have been super busy preparing for the upcoming school year. Anyway, since we are all getting back into the swing of things, we thought we would share our fashion must-haves with you. 

Please note that my school does not require a uniform, but there are still restrictions. For example, all bottom pieces must reach fingertip length and our blouses must be at least 2 inches wide. I hope you enjoy this post.

A Go-To Pair of Denim

Jeans are a staple. I probably own at least 10 pair. I recently picked up 2 pairs of jeans from Hollister for $25 each; what a steal! Everyone needs a pair of jeans that they glide right into and feel confident in.

A Go-To Hoodie

A basic for your locker. My school is either too hot or too cold, especially during the winter months. I typically keep a gray sports hoodie in my locker for those lazy days. 

UGGS

I would highly recommend you invest in a pair of high quality boots for the fall and winter season. I have two pairs of UGGS that my sister and I both share. I love these specific UGGS because they go with anything and everything. They're perfect for those lazy days.

What are some of your fashion must-haves for back to school?

Thanks for reading,

Guilianna

My Blog: http://guiliannamarie.blogspot.com


Looking for more back to school posts? Stay tuned! Next week we're posting our hauls!

Vacay Beauty Essentials with Guilianna

Hello everyone! x

Summer is coming to an end! Most families here are trying to get their final vacations in before the school year starts. My family is traveling down south for a few days- let me show you what beauty products I'm bringing with me.

insert picture of makeup bag

// Face Products //

Honestly, I don't like wearing a lot of face makeup during the summer- even if my skin is slightly broken out. The sun helps dry it out. I recommend wearing nothing more than sunscreen and concealer.

For those special dinner nights out I recommend putting on some powder and blush. This is still very light.

// Eye Products //

Curl them lashes and be done! If you're feeling it, throw on a coat or two of mascara. I love One by Calvin Klein. It's a very natural-looking finish.

// Lips //

A tinted lip balm can go a long way, but I'm guilty of bring three to four of my favorite summer glosses.

That's pretty much it. I like to keep is super simple. 

Thanks for reading,

Guilianna 

My Blog: http://guiliannamarie.blogspot.com

Pauline's Travel Essential: Nivea Soft Cream

I spent a week up on the coast of Yorkshire a couple of weeks ago. Due to having really dry and sensitive skin, I always have to have a tub, not a tube, a tub, of moisturiser around to make sure I don't start itching away. TMI, I know, but for those like me, you understand the struggle and the importance and dependence on skin care products made specifically for us.

At first, I would always have a tub of E45 with me since it was pretty good at keeping my skin hydrated and soft as well. The one thing I didn't like about it was the smell. It reminded me too much of a hospital since it isn't fragranced so the chemical smells just take your nose, especially when you use the stuff on your face.

I decided to buy the Nivea Soft Cream one day because I went into Boots and they had run out of the tubs of E45, both big and small. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the cream; it smells a hell of a lot better, it lasts just as long as E45 and it isn't expensive for a 300ml tub (£5.99 at Boots).

The tub is wide but short so it fits easily into a bag. I always make sure I have one when I'm on holiday or I'm visiting somewhere that means I need to reapply, like at the beach or a pool.

I probably should have a small tube with me constantly as well because sometimes I forget to wear it and during the day, I do get more and more irritated by my own body. Being a versatile product, it's really useful; you don't have to buy separate ones for your face and body like with some products.

That's all for now. Stay beautiful x

Bella's Travel Beauty Tips and Essentials

Recently I went on a trip to England, Spain, and France. It was a ton of fun and a really long trip, so I learned a few things about packing light. Here are my favorite travel beauty tips and essentials.

      Tip 1: Bring multi use products to limit the amount of stuff that you bring.BB cream can be used as moisturizer, foundation, and sunscreen. Blush can be used as eye shadow. Highlighter can be used for basically everything. The list goes on and on. 

      Tip 2: Put a cotton round or cotton ball in your compacts and eye shadows to keep them from breaking in case your luggage gets tossed around. You can also tape them shut to keep them from opening in your suitcase. 

      Tip 3: Untwist the caps of your bottles and put a piece of plastic wrap in them to make sure it doesn't spill all over your stuff.

      Essentials # 1: This adorable makeup bag is by the brand Laura Ashley and it is perfect because it holds all of my makeup and toiletries but doesn't take up too much space in my bag.

      Essentials #2: These travel containers are from Target and the ones pictured above are from Marshalls. The target ones are great because they were only $1 and the other ones are super convient because they squeeze out the product.

      Essentials #3: Nail clippers, disinfectant, and clear nail polish are awesome things to have because you never know when you will need them. 

That's all for this post thank you so much for reading! 

~Bella 

Twitter- @arabellajaneee

Instagram- @arabellajaneee

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Email- arabellajaneee@gmail.com

My Travel Skincare Products

Hello Fabulous Internet!
This week on The Little Chatter Boxes, the topic is travel beauty essentials. I hope you enjoy!

Travel skincare products are so important especially if you are going on a plane! Your skin may react to the stressfulness of traveling or air pollution. So here are a few tips and items I think is needed in a travel skincare routine.

Tips

• You don't have to buy travel size items especially if you are on a budget. Buy travel size containers as you are able to get them nearly anywhere for really cheap. 

• Buy 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner as this will save on space instead of bringing 2 bottles.

• Don't bring items that you haven't tried yet with you, as you may react to it and that's not fun.

My Travel Skincare 

Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser 

I put this into a little travel bottle as it isn't the easiest thing to pack. I have been using this moisturiser for the past 3 years. It is so nice on the skin and keeps your skin really hydrated and soft.

Nivea Lip Butter 

These are compact and can be shoved into any space. The packaging is made of tin which is handy and the lip butter itself is so nourishing and nice on the lips.

Botanics Purifying Face Scrub 

I would also put this into a container. I love this scrub as it is very gentle but gets off all the dead skin also it smells amazing.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner 

I already have this in a spray bottle. It really helps to get rid of spots and makes my skin feel really nice and fresh. If you have sensitive skin I would not recommend as there is a lot of alcohol in it.

Lush Grease Lightning Spot Treatment

This is quite small anyways so there would be no point in putting some into a container. I bring this everywhere, just in case I get a spot as this shrinks the spot overnight.

Nivea Lip Care Sun Protect 

This has SPH30 and is waterproof. I sometimes use this all over my face. It is really compact so it is perfect for travel.

Vaseline Intensive Care Spray Moisturiser
This moisturiser is perfect for anybody who hates the greasiness of body lotions or are lazy (like me!) as you simply spray all over and rub it in simply. The only thing is I don't think  you are able to get smaller ones (the normal size is 200ml).

Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Facial Wash 
I use this as a dual product as a face wash and a face mask. I love using this as it has charcoal which helps to drag out the impurities from the skin. It is a nice facial wash and I found (with my skin anyways) it doesn't dry out my skin like some face washes can.

What are in your travel skincare products?

See you,

Ró  
My Blog: totallyro.blogspot.ie

Pauline's Summer Barbecue List

It felt silly to add "Food" onto the list since that's a given...

Anyway, you can't have a good summer without a barbecue. It's just not allowed.

The list up there is what I consider makes a great barbecue asides from the burgers, sausages and steaks on the grill.

British people complaining constantly about the weather happens a lot because we have something serious to complain about. The sun doesn't like us and, when it's out, it's scorching but barbecue ready. I don't understand the weather here and I don't think I ever will. 

Next point!

My go-to barbecue drink is beer; I am old enough, I like it and I consider myself to be quite responsible. If you're under the age limit then obviously don't have alcohol. Stick with cold fizzy drinks and juices. If you can, splash out on drinks like J2O. They taste so much better at a barbecue. Barbecues are a great excuse to eat and drink unhealthily without judgement from others. If they do judge you, they don't belong there. Eat and drink as much as you can handle, my friend!

"No restricting outfits"

"What does that mean?" I hear you ask.

If you and your friends are a hyped up bunch of people like my own then it is important that you are wearing something that isn't restricting your movement. Especially if you have friends with big gardens to do some running or a trampoline to jump on. Be a child! It's great.

Bella's DIY Starbucks Refresher

      Starbucks anyone? This week is all about Summer foods. What screams summer more than a cool summer drink! I have a super easy tutorial for how to make your own Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade refresher. 

Ingredients

• one packet of passion tea
• 1/2 cup of lemonade
• 1 tsp of sugar
• 1 cup of ice (to pour drink over)

      I'm not a tea drinker so I decided to make mine with a packet of the TAZO passion herbal tea and it tasted amazing! 

Directions

• Follow directions on the box to make passion tea 
• Add lemonade and sugar 
• Stir
• Pour finished drink over ice 

There you have a super easy and delicious summer drink! Please tweet me if you try this drink! Thanks for reading :) 



Twitter- @arabellajaneee

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Image One: www.starbucks.com

Ró's Breakfast Sundae

Hello Fabulous Internet,

I got this recipe from the book Love, Tanya by Tanya Burr. I love having this for breakfast in the morning, I much prefer having this over having a bowl of cereal. The longest thing to make is the stewed apple and the fruit compôte. Together they take about 20 minutes to make. After that it is just combining the apple and oats and layering in a glass. The great thing about it is that you prepare this the night before and then its ready in the morning when you get up.

Ingredients 

• 1 apple
• 85g/ 3oz oats
• 1 cup of milk 
• 2 large handfuls of any kind of berries

Method

1. Peel the apple and chop into chunks. Put the pieces into a saucepan with a dash of water and simmer until soft (8-10 minutes). Mash with fork and drain excess water.
2. For the fruit compôte, blend the fruit with a hand blender until it is semi liquid.
3. Mix the milk, oats and stewed apple together in a bowl.
4. Get a sundae glass or a long glass and layer the two mixtures. 
5. Put in fridge overnight (for 6+ hours). 
6. Roll out of bed and grab your sundae from the fridge. Enjoy!

The great thing about this recipe is that you can change anything in it to suit you. You could use a pear instead of an apple and for the compôte you can use any fruit you wish.
 I have made a document with this recipe so you can print it out and try out making it click HERE.

This is the one I made a few days ago. I used strawberries to make the compôte. I love eating this in the morning as it keeps you full for 3-4 hours and also it tastes great.

See you,

Ró
My Blog: totallyro.blogspot.ie

Healthy Summer Treat Ideas

Hello everyone,

This week on The Little Chatter Boxes we're talking about summer treats. I wanted to share some healthy snack ideas to keep you cool and energized to last the rest of the summer. Enjoy! x

1. Add fruit to your water.
This isn't necessarily a recipe, but it's still a great idea to keep you cool this summer. I'm considering picking up an infuser water bottle for school. You can mix and match different flavors to suit your fancy. Check out Pinterest for some inspiration.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/melissaharrison/fruit-infused-waters#.ggwnMmd9D


2. Make frozen fruit kabobs.
Again, these can easily be customized. Freeze some of your favorite fruits. Throw some cut up apples, bananas, and kiwi on a skewer and you're good to go! Don't forget to drizzle on some chocolate if you have a sweet tooth like me!

http://www.superhealthykids.com/frozen-fruit-kabobs/

3. For those Sunday nights by the fire, while you're sharing memories munch on an oreo parfait!
I'm actually considering making these for a last minute treat this weekend! They look SO good!

http://www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/cool-creamy-oreo-parfaits/


Thank you so much for reading,

Guilianna

My Blog: http://guiliannamarie.blogspot.com


*Images are from We Heart It.

Pauline's Spirit Flower Crown

Last summer, it was all about my anklets and, this summer, I was planning to make it the same. That is, until I found this gorgeous flower crown at H&M when I went to see Magic Mike with my bestie a few weeks ago.

My one is smaller than your usual ones but I like it that way. It's less-in-your-face.

Pre-bedtime flower crown selfie 

This flower crown is now my life; I wear it pretty much anywhere except to work. It's not uniform unfortunately. Sad times.

I want more!

I never actually understood why flower crowns were so attractive. Before I found my one, the ones I have tried on looked so tacky and didn't really work for me at all. But right now, I feel like a fairy!

Get a flower crown and be in my flower crown crew!

That's all for now. Stay beautiful x

Bella's Summer Purses

      This week on TLCB we are sharing our favorite summer accessories with you! I have chosen to share my favorite purses! 

      This light pink over the shoulder bag from Garage is perfect for any summer event because it is super small and easy to carry. It's also a perfect touch to any outfit.

      This bag from Target screams summer with it's florescent pink color! (Can you tell that I like pink?) Although it's pretty bright and unique it is still versatile because you can dress it to make a statement or to blend in with the rest of the bright summer colors. 

      Last but not least I have this beautiful white bag with gold detail. The light color is perfect for summer and is super versatile. I love this bag because I can just throw it on my way out the door and I know that it will match whatever I am wearing! 

      That's all for this week's post! Please tweet me your favorite summer accessories and be sure to come back next week! Thanks for reading :) 

Twitter- @arabellajaneee

Instagram- @arabellajaneee

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Email- arabellajaneee@gmail.com

Summer Accessories Necklaces and Bracelets

Hello Fabulous Internet!

This Summer I have been wearing a lot of jewellery. My school is very strict on uniform, makeup and jewellery. So during the Summer is when I get to wear as many necklaces and bracelets as I want. Here are a few pieces I like to wear.

I really love wearing this necklace as it has my birthstone and it is an angel. 

I got this necklace from Topshop for €5 (I know, a steal). I love wearing this with one of my shirts. it is one of those really long chains.

My dad got me this when he went to Australia and the colours from the shell is so beautiful.

I got this Thomas Sabo bracelet when I was younger and I have started to wear it a lot more recently. I really need to add more charms to it though! 

This has been a new addition to my jewellery and I have been wearing it nearly every day for the last month. I really love the saying on this bracelet 'It is what it is', I feel like it speaks to me.

Of course I have to put in this TS bracelet which I got when I went to see Taylor Swift in Dublin. I love the way it is so casual and easy to wear.

Some of these I wear everyday, I feel jewellery in general can change or enhance an outfit. 

What necklaces or bracelets do you like to wear?

See you,

Ró

Summer Accessory Must-Haves

Hello everyone! x

This week on The Little Chatter Boxes were talking about summer accessories. My post will include all of the accessories you need in your wardrobe to survive the rest of the summer.

*Taking these pictures outside was definitely a new experience for me. When you're trying to set objects up, and then you're trying out different angles... And then the neighbors start looking at you... It's kind of a strange experience. Eventually I'll grow more comfortable though. Thought you would all enjoy that visual, ahahah.

// Ray-Bans //

These shades are a classic, staple piece. I love the fact that they are black with silver accents they go with everything in my wardrobe!

 // Large Summer Tote //

I personally use this Michael Kors tote. It's so big- it carries anything and everything I need. I like having a large tote for summer since I'm usually out on day trips, whether it's at the beach or a family BBQ. Click the link below to check out a guest post I did for the Boston Beauty Buzz blog featuring my tote!

My Day Trip Essentials-
http://www.bostonbeautybuzz.com/2015/07/guest-post-day-trip-essentials-by.html

// Black Dressy Flops //

Flip-flops are a must for summer despite their color. I personally like having a black, dressy pair that way I can dress them up for family outings. This black pair is from Michael Kors. I love them to death. 

// Floral Headband //

You can find these anywhere! I got mine at PacSun. They are the perfect statement piece to add a touch of bohemian to your outfit. Super cute!

That's it for my summer accessory must-haves. I hope you enjoyed this post! Next week we'll be covering summer foods. Be sure to check that out next week! 

Thanks for reading,

Guilianna

My Blog: http://guiliannamarie.blogspot.com

*My Back to School series starts August 10th if you're interested.