Haul: Makeup, Nails & Clothing

So last Wednesday I went shopping. I accidentally brought some stuff and thought that I'd share it with you!

Although I went shopping not needing to buy anything in particular, as I was walking around I soon started to find some things which just needed to be bought. The shops are not amazing near where I live and there isn't that much variety due to the town centre being quite small, but I still managed to pick up some bargains and some necessities.

Maybelline Volum' Express Falsies Mascara
http://www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-The-Volum-Express-Mascara-Falsies_1150618/ 

Although I didn't really know what I was looking for, I knew that I needed to buy a new mascara as my current one is starting to get a bit old so I took a trip into boots. Instead of buying the same one again, I chose to try out the falsies mascara by Maybelline as my sister uses it and she recommended it to me. It was also reasonably priced at £7.99 so I thought that it was worth a try.  

Barry M Hi-Shine Gelly in Passionfruithttp://www.boots.com/en/Barry-M-Hi-Shine-Gel-Effect-Nail-Polish_1281299/

 As I was walking past the Barry M stand I had to stop to take a look and see if there were any nail polishes which caught my eye. With a bit of money left over from buying the mascara I decided to treat myself to a new nail polish, as usual. The shade that caught my eye this time was another from their 'Hi-Shine Gelly' collection called 'Passionfruit.' It is a really bright red colour and this was the first red that I would have brought from Barry M so I decided to purchase it and it cost £3.99.

  

After visiting Topshop, H&M and New Look I came out with three tops and a skirt. For somebody that didn't need anything I brought quite a lot of stuff. These haven't photographed very well, but I'm still going to show you them anyway!

Green skater skirt from Topshophttp://www.topshop.com

When I went into Topshop, they still had a small amount of items on one side of the shop. I find looking through sale rails challenging because sometimes there are some lovely pieces and at other times it isn't worth the time looking through it. However when I looked in Topshop last week, I found this dark green skater skirt in the sale. It had been reduced from £16 to £10 and thought this was a bargain. Although summer is almost over, I still think that I will be able to get wear out of this during the autumn with tights and I can always keep it for next year!

Baseball style top from H&Mhttp://www.hm.com/gb/product/15933?article=15933-A#shopOrigin=SD

When I went into my local H&M I was slightly disappointed with the stuff that they had in there. I had been in there about a month ago just before I went on holiday and found lots of lovely clothes. However, last week I didn't find hardly anything that I liked and the stuff I liked online wasn't in the shop. I did find this baseball style top in there though and this was something different from what I already have and a total bargain at £6.99. I love the grey marl colour and the maroon coloured sleeves and it is slightly oversized so I can easily team it with leggings or jeans. 

Basic t-shirt with rolled sleeves from H&Mhttp://www.hm.com/gb/product/10458?article=10458-G#article=10458-B

The other t-shirt I got from H&M is just a simple white short sleeved top from their basics collection. I've previously brought a grey top similar to this one and it is so comfortable I wanted a different colour and because I don't have many, I decided on white. What I love about these t-shirts are the rolled up sleeves as it makes the top look more interesting and again was a bargain at £7.99. This is also oversized because they didn't have my size so I think I'll be wearing it with either jeans or leggings and I can easily wear this throughout the rest of summer and autumn. 

Peplum top from New Lookhttp://www.newlook.com/shop/womens/tops/red-peplum-shell-top-_284011360

My final purchase of the day was from New Look. Recently in their sale I brought two peplum tops, a dark plum purple and dark green and I've found these so versatile that when I saw this red one I had to buy it. I don't have a lot of clothes which are red so this is a nice change from the colours I usually buy and I can wear this on either a night out or during the day in autumn. It was also a total bargain at £8.99. 

The F1 Title Battle

Aside from all the rumours flying around in the world of Formula One, there is still the small matter of the World Driver's Championship. We are over the half way point of the season, and it is usually at this time where we can determine how well each team has performed. 

  However, instead the main focus will be on the title battle and the chances of each contender ultimately winning the WDC at the end of the season in Brazil.

   Currently there are four drivers which stand out in terms of being in contention for the title as they have amassed the most amount of points and there is a fair gap in points between the 4th and 5th placed drivers, illustrating a clear group which have stood out from the rest. These four drivers are reigning triple World Champion Sebastian Vettel, former double World Champion Fernando Alonso and former champions Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton. Each driver represents a different team, consisting of Red Bull, Ferrari, Lotus and Mercedes and this illustrates how competitive this season is becoming and how close each car is to each other in terms of performance.
  Leading the standings with 172 points from 10 races is Vettel. With his worst result this season being a retirement in the British GP from a technical problem, and an impressive record of four wins and three additional podium finishes so far, it is clear to see why he is at the top of the standings. Aside from the retirement, his worst results have been fourth place at the Chinese and Spanish Grand Prix.

   A further 38 points behind in the championship is the Finn Kimi Raikkonen. After scoring points in 19 out of the 20 races last season, Kimi has contiuned his consistent form in 2013. So far he has finished and scored points in every race and alongside his win in Australia, his consistency has been rewarded with 2nd place in the standings. Not only is Raikkonen consistent, but he is also consistently good, with 5 2nd place finishes this season. 

  A single point behind Raikkonen is the Spaniard Fernando Alonso, driving for Ferrari. Like Vettel, Alonso has only had one non point scoring race this season, but what has stopped him from being higher in the standings is the lack of race wins and podiums. From the nine races Alonso has had 5 non podium finishes, which illustrates that the Ferrari is not as competitive as the other cars surrounding it. Alonso takes the most out of the car at each race, which is evident when you look at Alonso's performance against his team mate Massa. 

   Finally, 48 points adrift from the top of the standings, but still in with a chance, is Lewis Hamilton driving in his first season for Mercedes. Like Vettel and Alonso, Hamilton has also had one non points finish and has only so far managed to pick up a single win. However, this season's Mercedes is a huge improvement from the one we saw last season and after seemingly putting their tyre trouble behind them they are now starting to pull in some good results with Hamilton. With Hamilton so far this season it has quite consistent like Raikkonen, but instead of consistent 2nd place finishes, they have been consistent 3rd, 4th or 5th place finishes. 

Sebastian Vettel now has over a race win between himself and his closest rival. This means that as it stands, even if Vettel wasn't to finish the Belgium GP and Raikkonen was to win, he would still be leading the WDC, by 13 points. Even if Raikkonen then went on to win the next GP as well, Vettel would only need to finish 4th to keep them on the same amount of points. A 3rd place would mean that he would still be leading the championship. However, with a fairly reliable and extremely quick race car, if Vettel can just keep doing what he has already done this season, a fourth successive championship is surely inevitable. The Red Bull has the pace to win races, which also massively improves his chances. Some believe that he has already done enough to secure another championship, in terms of securing enough early points and only needing to remain consistent for the rest of the season. 

   Although Vettel has won the previous three championships, the 2012 season was not as dominent as the previous. The title went down to the final race, which was something he has not experienced in 2011. This illustrates that it is getting harder and more competitive to win the WDC, although many were not shocked when he won it last season. 

  Another factor which plays into Vettel's hands is the fact that he has three close contenders. Although this may not seem as though it is an advantage, in the coming races we will see Hamilton, Raikkonen and Alonso all taking points off each other, which will allow Vettel to further extend his lead.   

With only 9 races left of the 2013 season, it is now that we usually see the bigger teams pull away from the smaller because of their budgets and rates of development. Some teams will now also put more focus into their 2014 car, especially because of the new regulations coming in. However, I still expect to see these four compete for the title, with it hopefully going down to the last race in Brazil. I still also hope McLaren can spring a surprise, although their title hopes went nearly as quickly as the season started. Will Raikkonen be able to continue his consistent form? Will Hamilton win more races during his first season with Mercedes? Will Vettel suffer with any problems with the car? And will Alonso have a more competitive car for the remainder of the season?

Only time will tell, and with the Belgium GP under two weeks away, it's nearly time to start the speculation again. 

Current 2013 Standings: Driver's Championship

Sebastian Vettel: 172

Kimi Raikkonen: 134 (-38)

Fernando Alonso: 133 (-39)

Lewis Hamilton: 124  (-48)

Reflection: Sixth Form

Last Tuesday, I was reminded that I had left Sixth Form over two months ago. This got me thinking and I have wondered how time has managed to go so quickly. It seems as though I've only been finished for a few weeks. 
  Even this time last month I was in a foreign country, enjoying the hot sunshine and relaxed atmosphere.
  Being reminded of when I left has got me thinking about the time that I spent there. For the past two years of my life Sixth Form has literally taken over and has dominated all aspects of my life. So to suddenly not have to go to school or do any kind of coursework was really strange. For the first couple of weeks it didn't feel as though I had actually finished and it took me a while to realise that I could now do whatever I wanted to, without having the guilt of knowing that there was school work to do. 
  Throughout my time at Sixth Form both myself and others would moan about how rubbish it was. We would moan about how we hated our subjects or one of the new rules which were introduced, but looking back at it now, it wasn't really that bad. I mean, all in all I really enjoyed the two years I spend there. There were a lot of good things that happened to us whilst we were there and I think it is important to remember these when reflecting on the past two years. 
  At the start of Year 13, the second year of Sixth Form, we were told that half of us would be moving from the other campus so that all Sixth Formers would be located in one campus. Initially we were sad and angry that we would have to be moved, as we had been in the same school for six years and wasn't up for the move for our final year. However once we were there it wasn't that bad. We got to meet people from the other half of our year and we've made new friends, which we wouldn't have done otherwise. Although we still had to cross-site for some of our lessons, this was alright by the end of the year because many of us got our drivers licenses and cars. 
   Sixth Form was also a chance to study subjects which you had never studied before. In my case I took photography which was a totally new subject because I decided not to take it in GCSE. The past two years have been a challenge for everybody, as it has always been a careful balance between school work and having a social life and it is totally different from what we were all used to. 
  One of the highlights for me is being involved with the iPads which were introduced to our school. Firstly I was part of a team which tested them out before they were distributed to the rest of Sixth Form and then during my final year I became an iPad ambassador, which focused on helping out staff and students if they had any problems with the devices.
  As part of this me and five of my friends went to the Hilton hotel at Stansted to present to over 100 associates and headteachers of the AET about the iPads and how they have influenced our learning, which was an amazing opportunity and experience for all of us. From putting a presentation together to delivering it, we put so much effort into the day and we were all lucky enough to be able to keep our devices at the end of the conference, which was so unexpected. 
  Our Sixth Form also got involved in many charity events such as Sports Relief and Children In Need, which were memorable days. As well as raising money, the whole Sixth Form came together to organise stalls and events which made the days enjoyable for everyone. We even dressed up for these events, for the first Children In Need the theme was fictional characters, for Sports Relief we dressed up as footballers and for the second Children In Need we had a pyjama theme. Soaking our head of Sixth Form with wet sponges is one of my memories from Children In Need, as well as watching a massive group of people dancing to Gangnam Style on the school field.  
  On our last official day at Sixth Form we had our leaver's assembly. I think this was one of the days when we realised that it was nearly over and it actually started to feel real. After giving out comical awards and watching a video put together by myself and my friend we were meant to have a BBQ. Typically though, it was raining so we had an impromptu one in our cafe, which was still great fun.  
  Moving away from the events that happened at school, there were also quite a few parties in during the two years which we attended, particularly in our last year. There are also many highlights from these, with each one being memorable for one reason or another.
 It's hard to believe that I've been at one school for seven years. It feels like 7 minutes and it's scary how quickly it has gone by.  


Now as we look forward to results day, it will be the day that determines what happens next. With many of us going off to University or Apprenticeships next year, it is inevitable that we won't see or speak to the people we would at Sixth Form as much. Some of us will be the other side of the country, or occupied by a full time job and I think that this will really sink in on results day. I hope that I do continue to speak to as many people as possible, but there are some people now that I haven't seen or heard from since our last day or Prom, but that's part of life. Although I moaned about Sixth Form, next year I am going to miss it, but it will be the people that I will miss even more. 

Tutorial: Monochrome Aztec Nails

Aztec prints and patterns have been very popular recently, particularly in clothes. However a different way to wear the trend could be in the form of your nails. Aztec nails can add something to a simple outfit on a night out or can be used alongside other aztec prints to enhance your outfit. You can even reproduce the same aztec pattern from your clothing onto your nails to create a matching outfit.

Although aztec patterns look intricate and difficult to transfer onto your nails, they are mostly made up of a variety of simple shapes and lines and I've found that you can easily create an aztec nail look in your own home. This tutorial will focus on a monochrome aztec nail effect, but you can change the colours and the patterns used to suit your own style or taste. 

Aztec inspired nails

Before you start, you will need to ensure that you have used a nail polish remover to remove any nail polish that you are currently wearing. I also recommend that you take this time to cut and shape your nails so that they look even and straight. 

Polishes Used: L-R Avon Base Coat, Barry M in Matt White and Models Own Nail Art Pen in Black

To create this look you will also need a base coat, a base colour and a nail art pen. The base colour and nail art pen can be any colour of your choice, but for this tutorial I am using a white base colour and a black nail art pen. I think a dark/light colour contrast works best for this look, because it makes the pattern really stand out. 

Step 1

Step 1: Apply a base coat to your nails. This will prevent the coloured nail polish from staining your nails and can prolong the wear of your nail polish. Once the base coat is dry, apply two coats (depending on the consistency of your nail polish) of the base colour to your nails and allow plenty of time to dry.  Here I am using Barry M nail polish in the shade 'Matt White.'

Thin nib part of the nail art pen used for intricate designs

It is essential that the base colour is completely dry before the next stage, as the nail pen will work better and will not stick to the polish already on your nails. 

 Next, you should get a nail art pen ready to use. The best type of pen to use is one which had two applications. A thin nib at the top for intricate detailing and then a long, thin brush which is used for lines and strokes. The models own nail art pens are brilliant for this job as they feature both and I am using their nail art pen in the colour black. 

Step 2

Step 2: Once the base colour is dry, take the nail art pen and using the nibbed end, paint three small dots at the bottom of the nail, near the cuticles. As you are doing this whole look free hand it may take a while to get the hang of being precise, but practise makes perfect. Don't worry if you find that your line of dots are not straight, it does not necessarily need to be accurate. 

Step 3

 Step 3: Then using the same technique, use the nail art pen to draw three more dots at the top of the nail. If possible, try to align these dots with the bottom dots which you have already drawn to make the nail look symmetrical. 

Thin brush for strokes and lines

Step 4

 Step 4: For the next stage of the nail, you will need to use the thin brush as this will be used to draw the lines. Using the brush, drag the brush along the nail, from one side to the other, starting at the bottom of the nail. Then leave a small gap and then using the same technique draw a line across the middle of the nail as pictured above. 

Step 5

 Step 5: Once the lines have been drawn across the nails, it is time to draw the zig zags which are found just below the top dots. For this stage I usually change back to the nibbed applicator as I can join the lines up easier than the brush. You then need to draw the zig zag in the space between the top line and the top dots.

Step 6 & finished nails

 Step 6: To finish the nails, using the nibbed tool, go back to the space between the two lines drawn with the brush and then draw some more zig zag patterns to fill in the gaps. Finally, using the nibbed tool carefully paint dots in between the zig zags in between the two lines and then wait for the paint to dry. 

At this point you could add a top coat to preserve the nail polish, however I do not usually use a top coat for this look because of the texture created by the nail pen. 

You can always try experimenting with different patterns and colours. If you have more than one nail art pen you could always paint different parts of the pattern with different colours and make your nails look really unique. 

Ralph Lauren: The Big Pony Collection for Women No. 2 Review

During a recent trip to Majorca, I found that I had some time to spend in the duty free whilst waiting for my flight back to London. Instead of heading towards the makeup, chocolate or alcohol, I knew that I wanted to try out a new perfume and I was spoilt for choice.

A few minutes later I had picked up hundreds of perfume tester cards and was trying out a range of the perfumes out on display. By the time I had got to the Marc Jacobs stand, my nose was completely overpowered and the choice was insane. 

  However, when I went over to the Ralph Lauren stand I felt drawn in by the 'Big Pony Collection.' I have previously brought one of these fragrances for men for my dad and was intrigued to find out that they had brought out a women's collection. 

  Like the men's collection, 'The Big Pony Collection for Women' have four scents available, named 1-4 and all of them smell completely different. 

   I decided to try out all of the scents available and immediately fell in love with the number two, which is in a bright pink bottle. 

Ralph Lauren The Big Pony Collection for Women No.2

The bottle was a big factor which influenced my purchase of this perfume because I loved the bright colours. There is a good contrast between the lime green logo and pink bottle and although the bottle itself is quite simple it makes it look rather sophisticated.  On the back (or front?) of the bottle in blue is the number 2, telling you which scent in the collection it is and the bottle is completed with a silver lid. 

The perfume itself is very sweet and is described on the box as a 'fruity sensual fragrance' which makes it very girly and perfect for summer. I can particularly smell cranberry notes in the perfume and it is very fruity, which I love. It reminds me of the fragrance 'Fantasy' by Britney Spears but there is a clear difference between the two brands. 
 The only real disadvantage to this perfume is that the smell itself doesn't last very long. After a few hours I cannot smell it and feel the need to reapply the product. Nonetheless it is still a lovely perfume for the summer and I'm sure that I will wear it throughout winter as well.
  As it was the first time that I purchased this perfume I decided to get the 50ml version, however it is also available in 100ml.  

Although I purchased this from the duty free at the airport, you can purchase this fragrance at most retailers such as Debenhams in the UK. The perfume is also available online at websites such as www.theperfumeshop.com, which costs £36.99 for 50ml. 


  

Majorca 2013: Part 2

The view from our hotel, looking down over the pool and sea

Once we had arrived in Palma, we quickly made our way to the baggage reclaim section of the airport and waited whilst our bags were put on the conveyor belt. Typically our bags were one of the last to come out, but we managed to find all of them. We then had to find our coach to transfer us to the hotel. 

  After a lengthy journey I think we finally got to the hotel at 4pm local time. We then checked in and collected our wrist bands from reception, which were a good indication to how tanned we were by the end of the holiday. By this time I had been awake for nearly 30 hours and so we were pretty tired! Luckily we were on the fifth floor instead of the ninth!

The view from the fifth floor lobby

 The location in which we stayed was beautiful. The views were amazing and really relaxing. We walked along the cliffs to the beach a few times and this was when I took the majority of these images. They are mostly taken during the evening too, which shows just how beautiful the place was. 

The main swimming pool in our hotel

 We spent most days just chilling out near the pool or the beach and it was just lovely to not have to think about all the stress and worries at home or during normal life. It was a chance to just relax and enjoy our time away for a week. 
  The main swimming pool was always busy and we often watched people wait around the pool at 8am waiting for the man to unlock the sunbeds. After about 10 minutes the pool would be packed full of occupied sunbeds and towels.

View from the hotel grounds of the cliffs and walkway 

 We also spent some time walking to the little shopping centre about 10 minutes away from the resort and brought souvenirs and trinkets which you wouldn't buy at home. I think most of us came away with sunglasses and t-shirts, a total novelty shopping trip!

Flowers found in the hotel grounds

 As well as the amazing views and scenery within the resort, there was also a wide variety of beautiful flowers and plants. There was a tree with lots of roots growing from it's trunk and hanging from the branches as well as some gorgeous flowers such as the ones above. 

Views from the hotel grounds

On our last evening at the hotel, a few of us went out to get some last photos of the island and we realised how much we were going to miss our holiday and how we did not want to leave. The scenery here was a complete contrast to the views that we are used to at home. 

Views from the cliff-tops near the beach

 I love this image taken near the beach. Although it looks like a panoramic shot, it is indeed just a single shot and the way the land is shaped makes it look like a panorama. The beach itself was beautifully sandy and the sea was so clear and blue, a complete change from the sea and beach in our home town. One day we enjoyed pizza on the beach, played bat and ball in the sea and some of us even explored some of the coves.

The swimming pool which we regularly went to

 Although the main pool in the resort was always packed, the hotel had many other pools which guests could enjoy. On our first night we discovered the pool pictured above, which was located near the second of our two rooms. This was also our usual sunbathing spot and we found that you could always get a sun bed at this pool whenever you went down to it. One day the entertainment team brought down a water carpet and allowed the adults to attempt to run across it which was extremely funny to watch!

The entertainment team performing their rendition of 'Grease'

 In the evenings we typically went down to watch the entertainment. Whilst we were there we watched a circus act, played bingo, watched the entertainment teams interpretations of 'Mamma Mia' and 'Grease' and some of us were even forced to participate in the children's disco! The entertainment team there works extremely hard and are thoroughly entertaining, making sure that everybody gets involved and they happily chat to you whenever you see them.

The main pool at night

Sunrise on the last morning

 We awoke on the morning that we left at about 6am because we were being picked up at 8.40. We had time to finalise our packing and take a few more photos and it was amazing to see the sun come up over the horizon. The photos do not do justice to how red the sky and sun was when they first appeared. We knew that it was likely to be hot that day, and knew we wouldn't be experiencing any of it.

The sun rising on our last morning

We left our hotel, boarded the plane and soon arrived back in England. It's been nearly a month since we went now and it was one of the best holidays I have been on. Not only did I get to experience a beautiful resort and island, but I also got to spend it with my closest friends that I will not necessarily see all the time next year. Going on holiday was one of the best decisions that we made and I would do anything to go again because it was truly a brilliant week. 

Oh and if you're wondering what happened to that group of lads that went to Magaluf... On the flight home one of them was sick, and they said that they 'were never going to Magaluf again' because 'it was a total sausage fest' according to them. Sounds like they had a brilliant time!

Part 1: http://tammypenton.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/majorca-2013-part-1.html

Jake Humphrey: The Inside Track Review

When Jake Humphrey announced that he would be writing his own book on his experiences of presenting Formula One coverage on the BBC, I knew immediately that this would be a book that I would purchase.
  Fortunately, I received the book called 'The Inside Track' as a Christmas present in 2012 and I was really excited to read it. However, because of commitments with Sixth Form I wanted to wait until it was over so that I could guiltlessly enjoy the book. So in July I finally had the time to sit down and read it, and I was not disappointed. 

 

Whilst I was reading the book, it was almost as though you could imagine Jake himself telling the many stories and experiences shared. You could really hear his voice whilst you were reading and so much of his personality that viewers of the BBC coverage grew to love was evident throughout.
   On page 16 Humphrey writes "It's the sport that never takes it foot off the pedal, and whether you're driving the car, making decisions from the pit wall, cheering in the stands or glued to the TV, F1 has something for everyone." I found that like the statement made, this book also has something for every fan of F1. Even if you are relatively new to the sport, Jake retells and describes events and aspects of Formula One in a way that is easy to understand, even if you do not know everything there is to know about testing and developing a new part for a Formula One car or how the safety of the sport has evolved over time. Jake also shows his deep understanding of many aspects of the sport, such as the detailing in how a team works and how the car works and this illustrates his genuine love of the sport.
  For those who have followed Formula One for a long time, this book gives you the opportunity to relive some of the greatest moments in the sports recent and past history, such as the way that the 2012 season started with a record breaking 7 different winners in as many races and the moment that both Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton won the World Driver's Championship in 2009 and 2008.  So even if you are a 'F1 fanatic' and don't necessarily learn anything new from this book, you are reminded of some of Formula One's greatest moments!
  Jake Humphrey also gives us access to a world of Formula One that us fans never usually experience. He describes what it was like moments before going live on his first ever live broadcast as presenter for the BBC and even how he got to the job in the first place. From reading this book, I've learnt about many things that I wouldn't have learnt about otherwise and you can really tell that he has passion and love for what he is writing about, much like the people reading. 

If you're looking for an interesting read on how one sport has influenced someones life, then look no further than this book. Humphrey even explains his decisions for leaving the BBC and his plans for the future as well as casting his opinions on the safety of F1, the expansion of the sport and Lewis Hamilton's departure from McLaren. I have really enjoyed reading this book and could have easily read a hundred more pages. 

'The Inside Track' is available from many retailers and is also available to purchase on line. 

Majorca 2013: Part 1

I love travelling and visiting new countries so when it was suggested that i should go on my first ever girl's holiday with my closest friends I was so excited!
   All seven (yes, 7!) of us piled into our local Thomas Cook and spend hours deciding on the perfect holiday. For us it would be our first holiday abroad without our parents and at the time it felt very surreal because all I had ever known was packing my suitcase and going. For the first time we were responsible for everything to do with the holiday, from booking it and packing to arranging transport to the airport and the best thing was we could go anywhere in the world that we wanted.
  Immediately we all agreed that we wanted to go somewhere hot and sunny, to have a break from the typical British summer. It was a cold January's day when we crammed into the travel agents and the thought of sun opposed to the snow outside was amazing. Although we decided sun and preferably sea were essential, we knew that we did not want to or had the money to spend fortunes, so we were looking for a reasonable deal. 
  After considering a number of countries and islands we set ourselves on going to a hotel on the East coast of Majorca, a mere two hour flight time away. 
  From the start of our planning, we all decided that more than anything we wanted a relaxing holiday and although we wanted the opportunity to go out if we wanted to, we didn't want it to be the focus of our holiday. For this reason we avoided the notorious Magaluf and went to a resort called Callas De Mallorca. 
  The best thing was that none of us had been to the resort before or even Majorca which meant that it would be new and exciting for everybody. There was even people in our group that had never been on a plane or abroad before! 
  We also knew straight from the start that we did not want to be buying or cooking food every single night that we were away, although we wanted the option to eat out for a couple of nights at restaurants if we wanted to. Therefore we found an all inclusive option at a resort which consisted of three hotels and although we were warned of a potentially long transfer time, we booked our holiday.
  Then the countdown began. At first I found that the weeks and months were going by so slowly and our holiday seemed ages away. However, once the holiday got closer and I realised that we only had 100 days until we flew the days started to go by quicker. By the time that it was one week until our holiday I had barely brought new holiday clothes and sorted out my travel insurance.
  It was a strange sensation knowing that you would be leaving the country, yet all of your family members would be left behind. I think the whole experience has made me realise that I am growing up quickly and that I am going to be doing more and more things without my family around all the time. But more than anything I was excited, and I was ready to see a new island. 

As our flight was scheduled to leave Gatwick airport at 8.20am, we knew that we needed to be at the airport for 6am at the latest. It took us about 2-2.5 hours to get the airport from our home so we were leaving our small town at 3am, whilst everybody else was still sleeping. Luckily for us, there were no accidents or delays on any of the motorways or roads that we travelled on so this made our journey much more enjoyable. None of us had been to sleep either, and in fact I was still putting last minute items into my suitcase at 10pm! High on excitement, we arrived at the drop off point and said goodbye to both my dad and my friend's dad and we went up the lift to the main terminal. At this point the fact that we were leaving still didn't feel real, although now we were alone in one of the country's biggest airport. 
   Overall our journey to Majorca was fairly straightforward, we checked in with no problems and all our suitcases were underweight, we boarded the plane without problems and there was no delay in our flight. So far so good. The only problem we had with the plane was that 4 of us were sitting in row 32 and the other three were sitting in row 7 so we couldn't really speak to them much, if at all.

  The flight itself to Palma was rather interesting. Behind us we had several rows of boys going on a lads holiday to Magaluf and so the whole journey there they were singing 'Maga Maga Magaluf Magaluf' which after about 3 minutes got rather annoying. Directly behind me was a family obviously not travelling to Magaluf with a young girl who decided to throw the Monarch seat cover type thing onto my head, which admittedly was rather funny.
  Not to be left out, the other three in our group also travelled near groups of lads going on a holiday to Magaluf. However instead of the singing, they decided to congratulate our pilot Alistair when he successfully landed our plane and then proceeded to give him a round of applause. Brilliant. 

At around 11.30 local time we landed at Palma airport. As we were coming into the airport it almost feels as though you are going to be landing in the sea because of how close you are to the ground when you come across the island and you are slightly shocked when you realise that you are actually going to be landing on the ground. 

  We walked off the plane, with the sudden heat hitting us, knowing this is the place we would call home for the next week...  

Current Top 5 Barry M Nail Paints

By far my favourite nail polish brand is Barry M. I love the wide range of colours and the consistency of the nail paints that they produce, which means that I am constantly purchasing more of them. Another bonus is that they are reasonably priced and totally worth the money you pay and they are always bringing out new and innovative paints and nail effects. 

This summer I have been purchasing more bright and vibrant colours to expand my nail polish collection and I've found that there are a few colours that I reach for when my nails are ready to be repainted. I have complied these into a Top 5 and I've found that these cover a range of colours so I always have some choice!

L-R Mint Green, Pink Flamingo, Lychee, Papaya, Prickly Pear

This first nail polish is one from the normal nail paint range by Barry M. This particular shade is called Mint Green and is fairly self explanatory as it comes out a gorgeous light green pastel shade. I always apply two coats of this nail polish to provide ultimate coverage, and it lasts about a week before I feel it's time to remove it because by that time it is fairly chipped, especially on my index fingers and thumbs.
  You can pick this up along with the other Barry M products at places such as Superdrug and Boots in the UK as well as ordering them from www.barrym.com. This product costs £2.99.

The next shade that I currently love is called Pink Flamingo. After recently going on holiday I think this shade looks particularly good when you have a tan, and because it is so bright it is perfect for summer. It is a really girly shade and although I do not wear a lot of pink I find this colour can brighten up a monochrome outfit! Again, I usually apply two coats and I picked this up from Superdrug for £2.99. 

Barry M are always bringing out new nail effects and one that I've really brought into is the 'Gelly Hi-Shine' nail polishes. Recently they've brought out even more shades to this collection and many of them are brilliant for summer because they are a mixture of bright and pastel shades.
  However, I've been looking for a neutral shade for a while and when I saw this on the shelf at Superdrug I had to buy it. This is currently the shade I am wearing and I think it looks sophisticated and it's a nice change from the other shades which I have been recently wearing. It is called Lychee, and is a beige/brown which looks amazing on the nails. The consistency of these hi-shine polishes are slightly thicker than the original paints, but I still like to apply two coats to make sure that I have covered my nails.
  Although each nail polish in this collection is £3.99, they are definitely worth the extra £1! 

Another polish from the Gelly Hi-Shine collection that I have loved is the shade Papaya. I think it is a lovely mixture between an orange, pink and coral nail polish because it is not super bright like a neon orange, but it isn't a really vibrant coral either. It definitely went on my nails lighter than I expected, but I love it because it is different from the other shades I already own. The thing I loved most about this shade is that it didn't stain my nails when I took it off, unlike other nail polishes which are similar to this colour.
 Once again, I brought this from Superdrug but you can purchase these from the Barry M website as well at £3.99.

The final nail polish is also from the Gelly collection and is called Prickly Pear. Within my collection I have quite a lot of purple shades, but these are mostly either metallic or deeper colours such as plums so I thought it was about time I brought a lilac shade. Obviously I went straight to Barry M and found this shade and fell in love with it. It is a little lighter than the picture shows but it is still a lovely subtle purple and I usually apply two coats. I also find that the Gelly paints last a bit longer than the normal nail paints as it was about a week and a half to two weeks before I removed it because of the chips. This shade was brought from Superdrug and retails at £3.99.

The F1 Rumour Mill: Mark Webber's Replacement

When Mark Webber announced that he would be leaving the world of Formula One and his racing seat at the triple world champions Red Bull Racing, it sent the media into overdrive. Since then, everybody has wondered who will replace the Aussie and at the time this blog was published, it had still not been confirmed.

   At first Red Bull confirmed that the two drivers in the running for the vacant seat were former world champion Kimi Raikkonen and Daniel Ricciardo: a driver in Red Bull's sister team Toro Rosso, which is designed to allow young talent showcase their skills in order to determine whether or not they have the potential to graduate into the Red Bull team. This is commonly known as the Red Bull Young Driver's Program and it is one which Ricciardo has been part of for both the 2012 and currently the 2013 season. 

   The idea is once the drivers have proved themselves they are promoted into the Red Bull racing team, which then allows them to race arguably one of the best, if not the best racing car on the grid. However, this scheme has not been the most successful, with Sebastian Vettel being the only graduate that has progressed to the main team and so Red Bull are keen to show that their program works.
   We saw at the end of the 2011 season that Torro Rosso are relentless in their driver selections. They firmly believe that if a driver has not graduated within two seasons of racing with them that it is then time to bring in new drivers, which then aim for the same target as the previous drivers. This is exactly what happened to Sebastian Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari and so the pressure is on the two current drivers Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne to perform. With this being their second season within the team, you get the feeling that this is their chance to perform and show that they have the ability.
   Mark Webber's announcement has now added even more pressure to the two drivers, especially Ricciardo, as not only the media, but fans and those involved at Red Bull are watching the drivers much more closely. The pressure is certainly huge, but Ricciardo has proved that he can perform,  regularly qualifying in the top 10 in recent GP's, such as in Britain and Hungary. 

  Unfortunately because of the current pace of the Torro Rosso he and his team mate tend to go backwards during the race, but he regularly finishes races and is hardly ever involved in on track incidents and accidents. It is clear to see that the young man behind the wheel has the potential and you can see why Red Bull are considering him for the vacant seat.
   In comparison, Kimi Raikkonen, with 20 GP wins under his belt and with experience of 187 races, is the other candidate for the Red Bull seat.
  Since his return to the sport in 2012 he has impressed many pundits and Formula One enthusiasts as he has not appeared to have lost any of his race craft during his time away spent rallying. He is notoriously known for his speed on track and his lack of words off track, and the fact that he just gets on with the job in hand is perhaps one reason why Red Bull are considering him for the seat.
  A win in Melbourne at the beginning of the current season and consistently impressive race results means that he is currently in the title hunt, and Sebastian Vettel's closest contender.
  Raikkonen has also provided the first win for his team Lotus in many years and so clearly they will not want him to leave and the possibility of finding a replacement must daunt them. Would a move to Red Bull really be good for Raikkonen?

  Red Bull will also need to acknowledge that Vettel needs to be considered. Vettel himself has said that he will get a say in who partners him from next year and therefore he will have a big influence on the situation. During the time that Vettel and Webber have been team mates it is clear to see that they are not the best of friends, which is not expected. The infamous event at the Malaysian GP this season involving 'Multi 21' illustrated how strained their working relationship is. Obviously both drivers have mutual respect for each other, but the team will not want to have these situations arise again with the new team mate. 

  This poses the question of can two world champions operate within the same team realistically? If so, Red Bull will need to successfully manage the two drivers in order for it to work and possibly will need to let the two drivers race each other. 

   Both drivers in question can bring different things to the team, Raikkonen with experience and Riccairdo with young talent and the willingness to learn, amongst other factors. If Red Bull are looking for a long term solution and a chance to prove that their Young Driver's scheme works, it is the perfect opportunity to give Daniel Ricciardo his chance in the spotlight. 

 One thing is for certain though, it is bound to be another summer full of speculation and rumours, and not only regarding Red Bull but the other teams around them as well.
  

   

Finishing Sixth Form, Re-designing my blog and Pets!

 For the past two years I've been so busy studying hard for my A Levels at Sixth Form that I have not had time to necessarily do all the things that I love doing. 
   Last Friday, I completed my final exam which meant that I had officially finished Sixth Form. 
   All of a sudden, I found that I no longer had to revise for upcoming exams, I had no coursework deadlines to complete and I felt as though all of the pressure and stress had been removed from my life. I then realised that I could spend my time doing things that I love and enjoyed, and so the first thing that I decided to do for myself was to re-design the layout of my own blog. I spent two nights designing and creating a new header and layout, realising that I now have the time to enjoy writing new posts.
   Throughout Sixth Form I knew that I loved having a blog profile and wished that I had the time to put in the effort to keep an updated blog. One of the main reasons why I haven't blogged in such a long time is because I wanted to concentrate on my studies, but I also wanted to have the time to write posts which aren't rushed, and so now I feel it is the right time to start writing again.  

I feel that this post is a combination of the two things which I love doing. Ever since I created my blog I have loved writing posts on various topics and situations but I feel as though they could have been improved with a few of my own photographs. Cue my second love. Photography. Although I took photography as an A Level subject, I sometimes felt as though I could not always take photos of things that interest me and found that I constantly had to have a critical eye for both my own photos and other photographer's. So when I picked up my camera yesterday the first thing that I wanted to capture was parts of my own life and character. 

For as long as I can remember, we have always had pets within our household. These have ranged from cats to parrots, and from fish to hamsters. However, we have always had at least one cat in the household and this probably explains my love for the animals. The four animals which I have included in this post are a combination of old and new additions to our household.        

  Whilst they are all currently living in our household, they have all been introduced at a different time in my life, but all apparently love having their pictures taken!

   

In the first photograph is my cat Lily. In July she will be two years old and she has been with me throughout my time at Sixth Form. Just after I started Sixth Form I brought her home when she was only 8 weeks old and I cannot believe how quickly the time has gone. In the time that she has grown from a tiny kitten to a full grown cat I have completed my A Levels.
  

Next is my other cat Stripey. In January she turned 10 years old but she is still as playful as ever.  When we brought her home at 8 weeks old I was only 7 years old. At this point I was only then starting my education and a decade later she is still with us. Considering this, it's amazing to think how much has happened in this time. I feel as though Stripey can represent my past and all of the things that I have achieved, whereas Lily represents my present.

The next two images are of the two new additions in our household. Delilah and Barnaby are our two Chinchillas and are a change to the previous animals which we have had. This is the first time we've had these types of animal and so I have learnt a lot about them since they have arrived. These two critters represent the change in my life and also represent the future for me, especially as they were introduced at the end of my time at Sixth Form. 

I've just realised that I've used my pets as representations for my own life. Wow.