The British Tag

Since I was tagged by TheGirlWithTheWingedEyeliner, I no longer had an excuse to ignore my patriotism and miss the British Tag. So, here it goes!
1. How many cups of tea do you have in a day and how many sugars?
I don't really drink tea, and feel like I've let down the nation because of it.

2. Favourite part of your roast?
Yorkshire puddings. Although, recently, I have become partial to my dad's roast potatoes.

3. Favourite dunking biscuit?
Since I font drink tea, we'll have to assume this is in a hot chocolate, and I'd say chocolate digestives.

4. Favourite quintessentially British pastime?
Waiting for The Great British Bakeoff to start. The waiting normally begins around March, which is months off the actual programme.

5. Favourite word?
Quidditch or Simultaneous.

6. Cockney rhyming slang?
My grandad made it his duty to teach me this when I was little so I know quite a bit.

7. Favourite sweet?
Fruit pastilles are a newfound favourite of mine.

8. What would your pub be called?
The Red Lion, a typical pub name, I know, but mine would be decorated like the Gryffindor Common Room.

9. No1 British Person?
Don't make me choose! Emma Watson is everything goals, Joanna Lumley is a credit to this world, let alone Britain and Barbara Windsor shaped Soaps to be what they are today. But, overall, we can't forget about JK Rowling, can we? She did basically inspire an entire generation in various different ways, and lost yer billionaire status because she donated so much to charity, not to mention setting up her own.

10. Favourite shop?
Primark and Waterstones.

11. What British song pops into your head?
Wannabe by the Spice Girls.

12. Marmite?
Never tried it.

And that's it! You have now witnessed me confess my innermost britishness, and I tag you all to do the same!
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July Favourites

Hello!
Since August is just around the corner, I simply could not resist letting you all in on some of my favourites that I have been unbelievably thankful for whilst Summer is still only beginning. Without further ado, let's touch upon some of my July saviours.

TV:

As a diehard Netflix user, I have a knack for bingewatching TV shows and feeling extra emotions. Naturally, I thought "Huh, I keep seeing people saying their hearts are dying inside of them over Parks and Recreation- Imma watch that!" Yes, this was only about 4 weeks ago. Yes, I'm partway through Series 7. Yes, I'm seriously panicking because I'm running out of episodes. And yes, Andy and April are now my OTP. But seriously, every single storyline and character is written and performed to perfection, Many, many tears have been shed, from both hilarity and heartbreak, earning it a large designated place in my already pretty crowded heart. My favourite character? I love all of them for different reasons, but watches Ron Swanson grow has pleased me no end. That said, April is pretty much an embodiment of my inner thoughts and feelings and I can't help but laugh.

Makeup:

I did discover this a little while ago, but I've been especially grateful for Rimmel London's Scandaleyes Rockin' Curves Mascara. As I mentioned in my last post, I recently went on a school trip to Boppard, Germany, and since we only had under an hour to get ready, I didn't have time to do all of my makeup. The idea of going out into the world without eyeliner basically terrified me, however knowing I had - in my opinion- the best mascara available in drugstores reassured me greatly. And, it worked! By the end of the week, I had only worn eyeliner once, and got a lie in through the process! This particular mascara has a "broken heart" shaped brush in order to follow your lash line to maximise both length and volume simultaneously, a must have in a mascara for me. It retails at £6.99, but I got it for £4 in a sale, though would be happy to repurchase and pay the full price. If this is a bit steep for you, however, I have seen it cheaper in various stores.

Sprays:

When on a trip to Birmingham last month, I took a look inside Hollister - although with the lights that dim it was more of a game where you had to squint and tilt your head to identify the items for sale. Typically, my first port of call was to pick up one of these infamous body sprays. After trying out a few, I chose Palisades Beach, a sweet and clean smell. As the weather has warmed, I have begun using this spray even more, due to the scent perfectly capturing the essence of Summer. 

Books:

This month, the news arose that Netflix would be making an original series adaptation of the childrens' novels, A Series of unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket, Having cherished these books when I was younger, this replenished my love for them, thus inspiring me to reread the series. I'm currently on the Wide Window, the third book in this thirteen part series, and I must admit that I am enjoying them just as much these many years later. Although I may be looking at them in a different light, they still hold the same wit and likeability as before, despite my newfound hatred for Coconut Cream Cake. I would recommend these to any age group, and I cannot stress enough how high my hopes are for this new show for 2016.

Apps:

Much like any 21st Century teenager, I'm always on the hunt for an app I can use for entertainment without the need of WiFi if I ever need it, and after much searching, I think I have finally found the one. Colorfy is basically an adults' colouring book, but on your phone. It comes with two free palettes, with many others you can purchase, and many, many different pictures to colour in.It's incredibly therapeutic, and a lot cheaper than other adult colouring books, since it was free! Not to mention, since it's on your phone, you will always have it handy.

That's all for this month! I sincerely hope that, after discovering these favourites of mine, they will bring you equal joy if and when you try them.
Welcome to my Paper Life.  

Links:

Scandaleyes Mascara

Palisades Beach Body Mist

First Book in A Series of Unfortunate Events

Primark Haul

Hello!
As always, sorry for my recent absence, but this time I have an actual reason. I know, weird. I was in Germany for five days recently, and have spent the time afterwards enjoying the beginning of summer fully, which I believe will give me lots to write about! Anyway, onto this post.
Both before and after my trip, I took a *quick* trip to Primark and picked up an array of summer wear.

Shoes:

 The first lot of items I picked up were various pairs of shoes. The first were a pair of powder blue, buckled ballet pumps for the evenings, which could easily have been worn in the day for walking, since they didn't even rub me after several hours. I believe they were £6, but prices may vary over sizes. 

 The second pair were some Pepsi Cola Retro themed flip flops, a poolside essential. I'm yet to actually wear them outside, but in the small time I have worn them, they proved to be cushion-y (if that's a word) and comfortable. Comfort is often something I cannot find in flip flops, with many a blister having been a result of a bad pair of them. These were only £2, and I trust Primark enough to know that I found myself a great deal. 

 This pair were a done deal when I saw them, instantly catching my eye. They're black and white striped retro style, with white platforms on the bottom. They are also extremely comfy, and provide plenty of way to adjust this, with the multiple buckles. I can honestly say that these are one of my new favourites, especially considering the £8 price tag.

Socks:

Similar to every other trip to Primark I have made in the past, I couldn't resist picking up some of their socks. I'm trying to collect more pairs of socks with frills, as they can be worn with both casual and a little more formal outfits, adding extra class either way. 

 I, therefore, decided to buy them in a variety of versatile colours, as they would then match pretty much any outfit and avoid clashing with any of my shoes (About a year ago, I decided that I wanted a pair of paint splatter-style shoes, and ended up buying more than one pair. but more on that in another post).  Either way, I got two packs of three for £2 each, and the singular grey pair for £1.50.

Tops:

Since their was a sale on the second time I went, picking up as many tops as I could carry was a no-brainer. Unfortunately, I did have to select my few favourites, however they really are just that. 

 Originally, I picked up this top in white, but my long-term preference for dark colours took over- as usual - and I ended up selecting this maroon coloured one instead. It has lace straps on the shoulders, with the same material going along the front of the top. Underneath this is a slight gap and a tie on the top of it, adding extra decoration to the front. It also has off the shoulder, three quarter sleeves, allowing it to have a looser fit, adding variety in comparison to some of my other clothes. I recall that this was £3, brought down from £6,  as were the other colours in this style.

This top was also £3 down from £6, although I honestly would have been happy to pay that price. With the two layers, this top is warm enough to wear in cooler weather, and, let's face it, we can't always rely on Britain to give us sun just because we got a nice t-shirt we want to wear. The pattern on the front added colour, yet in a simplistic, classic manner, making it perfect for multiple occasions.

This one was not in the sale, but at £6 was still considerably cheaper than most band merch elsewhere. Being a hardcore Nivarna fan right from when I was little, I knew as soon as I saw this that it was coming straight to the checkout with me, no questions asked. It's high necked, with long sleeves to add to the grunge look. Additionally, the back is split into three grey strips, each with a knot in at symmetrical levels. This design is great, until you wear it out in the sun and you get two triangles sunburnt onto your back. Then they tan and stay there for much longer than you would prefer...

















Again, this is a Primark essential. At a measly £2.50, this grey vest top has already proven its' purpose to me in many ways, from simply going under shirts and flannels to wearing it to my new Zumba class.

This vest top is very similar to the one above, only it was more of a replacement than a find, after my original one ripped at the strap. I have many of these vest tops in an array of colours, and I'm certain that I would be lost without them. These are normally stacked on a display piece in many, many colours for only £1.80 each.

Shorts:

 Seemingly, every year when Summer finally rolls around, I am left with a Short count of zero. Obviously, when on the search  for comfy, cotton shorts, I turn to this holy grail shop. At £4 a piece, these shorts could be used for daywear or pyjamas, thus making them an opportunity I could not surpass.

These shorts were the same price as above, although served a different purpose to the previous ones. I recently wore them to a theme park, and they complimented my Marvel shirt better than I could have expected. Aswell as the unique colour, the thin yet opaque material means you'll be kept cool, without having to worry about the person being getting a view of your pants, because it's not like you haven't been there before.

And that's it! Although it may seem like I brought quite a bit, along with some hairspray, jewellery, a dress, eyeliner and several other odd items, these two trips only came to £30-£40, which you can't deny is impressive. 

Welcome to my Paper Life.