Why Summer Camp Was The Best Choice I Ever Made

So as you may know this past summer I went to America. I spoke previously about how I was going to be a camp counsellor, this is essentially the role of being a mentor for the kids I looked after whilst they were at camp. The experience in itself was absolutley amazing for so many different reasons; it taught me so much about myself, about others, about different places and cultures. I can safely say that going to camp was one of the best and most worthwhile decisions I've ever made and I would encourage anyone who is considering going, to just go for it. 

If you're interested in travelling, seeing new places, meeting new people and being open to opportunities then camp is one hell of a way to do these things! I could rave about the joys and pleasures of camp all day long but I don't want to bore you so I'm just going to tell you the top things that camp taught me:

1. That I am a very patient person. Despite what I previously thought, camp taught me that when it comes down to it I can be very patient. Whether this is with a homesick child who for the past 6 days has told me they want nothing more than to go home, or with a whole group of children who are trying their best not to listen to me, or even with myself, when I'm still adjusting to new time zones, places & people.
2. That everyone has a different story but when it's important everyone comes together no matter what. Team work was absolutley compulsory at camp; from the kids to the counsellors, it was pretty difficult to get anything done if no one is cooperating. However it's really surprising and comforting to see that no matter people's differences everyone supports each other when it's vital. You can see this in the girls in group activities and in the staff when events take up your entire weekend meaning you don't get a day off that week.
3. That I can organise 16 girls, myself and 12 horses on 6 hours sleep (if that). Obviously I had help, my amazing co-counsellors, but really the sleep I got was precious! When my head hit the pillow at night I was out like a light; it was exhausting but so so worth it! I was an equine counsellor so even though it was technically my job to supervise the girls, I still had to help at the barn, that included feeding, mucking out, exercising, grooming and more. If I didn't think I could multi-task before, I definitely learned to at camp! This also showed me that I can be organised and I can lead, something that really boosted my confidence over summer.
4. It is the hardest job you'll ever love. I was told this my first week of being at camp whilst we were in training and it is the truest statement. Don't get me wrong I have the highest praises for it as a job but it is hard work. The days are long, the breaks are short and it requires all of your effort all of the time; but that is what makes it great! It is all consuming and it makes you give everything you have. It is so rewarding and teaches you things you can't learn anywhere else.
5. Being a kid is fun and so cleansing! Essentially my job was to ensure that the kids were having as much fun as possible. The easiest way to do this was to join them! Literally become a big kid and they love it. It's so enjoyable and rewarding to become friends with them and for them to look up to you; but also, you'll never believe how restorative it is, just acting silly without any worries really is a form of therapy!
6. Worries from the outside world are smaller than they seem. Following on from my last point, camp is like its own little bubble. Allowing yourself to fully let go of the worries and concerns you had in the outside world for a period of time, really highlights how a lot of our anxieties aren't necessarily as bad as we thought. As well as this things we felt obligated to do eg. wear makeup or act a certain way to to please people, seem trivial and pointless. 
7. You will make friends for life and they will be the BEST. I made friends at camp who saw me at my most exhausted, my most worn down, at the tipping point sometimes, but they were also there to see me at my highest, they were there when I was crying with laughter, when I was soaking wet and covered in bubbles. They saw me with no makeup, when I'd just woken up and they saw me at the end of a really long, tough day. They celebrated with me when we got through training, open house, Mommy and Me weekends, each and ever week of kids and finally clean up. You go through so much in such a short period of time and somehow that just makes you so much closer.

I realise this post is a lot longer than I anticipated but that just shows how much good I have to say about the experience. It truly is unforgettable and irreplaceable and one of the best choices I have ever made.

Beth xo

If this sounds like something that you would like to join in on then visit USA Summer Camp here and apply today! Hint: The sooner you apply the better chance you have of being placed.

Away But Not Gone

So it's finally come around to that time when I have to leave. Not forever. I will be back I promise. I could never leave this blog for long.

I am about to leave the country for three months to a place with questionable wifi and little to no signal; so it will be hit and miss as to when I will be able to update this little space. I have been way to unorganised to follow through with my original plan of pre writing enough posts to cover two posts a week for 3 months and to be honest I didn't want to put that much pressure on myself, I wanted this to be a time for me. 

I am sure there will be more than enough to post about when I'm back to make up for the gap. 

So here's to an almighty adventure! I'll see you on the flip side.

Beth xo

Super Afforable Brush Set For Beginners

Being the makeup junkie that I am I'm always buying more makeup, experimenting with more makeup and seeing new makeup. As I have learnt since I first delved into the world of makeup, brushes are amazing tools that can help you transform meagre makeup into flawless makeup. And who doesn't want flawless makeup?! Being me, I am super lazy when it comes to cleaning my brushes. I mean I do it when I have to and I get around to it but I put it off for as long as possible. As well as this certain makeup looks, especially when it comes to the eyes, require multiple brushes that do the same thing, therefore it is always good to have spares. So the point of this rambling intro is that I bought new brushes cause obviously I don't have enough as it is!

I had seen a post about this set from eBay a while ago and it was such a great review. Firstly they were only around the £5 mark, which is incredible considering you get 12 brushes (one of which has gone walkies already), the bristles are so soft and don't scratch the skin at all when using them like some brushes I have. I mainly bought this set for the eye brushes as I don't have as many of these as I do face brushes. They came with a handy draw string bag which can carry them all if necessary, this is great for taking them away with you to keep them all clean and together.

As you can see from the pictures you get 6 face brushes and 5 eye brushes. These come in such a great range of sizes that can be used for all sorts of jobs not just those they are designed for. The bristles are lovely and fluffy, great for blending and don't shed to much (or even at all)  as far as I can tell. The bamboo handles are comfortable to hold, however the only thing I would say that reflects the price of this set is that the smallest brush came without a ferrule, which means I'm going to have to be extra careful when washing it.

I'm so chuffed with this set and I would totally recommend it to anyone looking to start their brush collection or just to add to one they've already got!

Love, Beth xo

My Top Affordable Lip Liners

Lip liners are having a moment, it is undeniable and I am totally on board! 

I was never really into lip liners until they exploded back onto the scene lately and always thought of them as something from the world of professional makeup artists or the 90s (not a look that many people would pull off nowadays). However I am a total convert and wear them with lipstick to help keep it neat and long lasting as well as wearing it alone for super longevity.

I must admit the first lipliner I actually bought was a clear one, just to keep bold lipsticks actually on my lips without that pesky colour bleeding. But saying that it is so handy having a one-fits-all lip liner which saves the hassle of matching the right colour to your lipstick every time. This one from Rimmel is great and the fact that it's a twist up pencil saves the hassle of sharpening it too!

Much like many others I was drawn in by the lips of the one and only Kylie Jenner, let's face it who wasn't?! and for the whole time she was telling us it was all makeup everyone wanted a piece of that, including me. To bad it turns out it was quite like that, but that didn't stop everyone and their mother posting tutorials to youtube showing you how it's done.

Cue me buying the closest pink/mauve/brown matte lipliners I could afford. Bringing Rimmel's Exaggerate Lip Liner in Eastend Snob into the game. Can I just say that I love the name! This is a great product, so good in fact that when woke up after a night out to find that I had lost it, I was genuinely said and on a mission to buy a replacement ASAP. It's comfortable and such a flattering colour, which lasts forever and again no need to sharpen it. 

I went onto pick up another Rimmel liner, brownie points to them for bringing it in terms of great quality and affordable prices, this time from the Lasting Finish range in Spice. This colour is beautiful. That's all. Only down side is that when it's not fully sharpened the pencil can be uncomfortable on the lips, not make or break though.

On to the one I've used the least out of the bunch but that is still lovely, Maxfactor's Colour Elixir in Mauve Moment. This is definitely more of a purple than I thought it would be but it is still lovely for those days you want a darker lip rather than a nude. This has a great consistency and goes on so smoothly.

Finally (I forgot this one when taking photos sorry! but it is the bottom swatch) Makeup Forever's Aqua Lip in 1C. This isn't quite as affordable as the others but I wanted to sneak it in anyway as I bought this on an impulse to try out some new brands whilst I had a discount code and some money off on a website, so technically it was affordable for me! This is an orange toned nude which looks lovely with a bit more of a tan. It is the most matte out of the four coloured liners and therefore is a tad more drying but nothing too intolerable. This product has great pigmentation and stays put!

Overall these are some really great, affordable lip liners that are wearable and long lasting. These brands have a selection of colours and formulas that mean you don't necessarily have to spend to get a great product.

Beth xo

Products mentioned:

Rimmel Moisture Renew Universal

Rimmel Exaggerate Eastend Snob

Rimmel Lasting Finish Spice

Maxfactor Colour Elixir Mauve Moment

Makeup Forever Aqua Lip 1C

Handbag Sized Perfume | Zara Oreintal

This was a guilty last-minute-till-stand purchase. 

I had picked up the bottle of this in the store whilst browsing but put it down as I don't really need another perfume. However when I saw it in the rollerball I just couldn't help myself, 'how handy' I justified as I added to my pile. 

This is a gorgeous mixture of musky vanilla and sweeter tones; it contains "Caramel, Strawberry, Vanilla and Musk". It's such a beautiful smell that is classic and not too over powering. The only thing I would say about this product is that it doesn't last a long time, which is kind of a given with cheaper perfumes, so it's nothing I didn't expect. However the convenience of the rollerball almost makes up for this as you can easily carry it in your bag and top it up as and when.

I will definitley repurchase this when it's runs out and at around the £3 mark it's a steal!

Beth xo

Top Tips For When Your Gap Year Goes Wrong

In case you didn't know I am on a gap year and also the plans I have ended up with are not those I had when I decided I was going to take a gap year, neither are they the same as they were at the start of my gap year or even a couple of months ago. But that is not to say I am not incredibly excited to be on a gap year or that I regret taking one.

All I am trying to say is that your plans may not go as intended and even though that can be scary, it's ok!

 Taking a gap year has always been on the cards for me, and when it came to my second year of A Levels and applying for UCAS I knew in my mind that it was something I had to do. I am someone who really, and I mean really stresses about exams and grades. So after going through GCSE's and A Levels my stress rate was at an all time high, I had a melt down the night before one of my final exams and my brain was kaput at the end of it all. So I was incredibly pleased and relieved when summer finally came and I knew I had a whole year to not worry about education or learning or revising or exams. In fact, this is kind of what got me through it all.

I will admit that I was a bit naïve about my plans and didn't really put them into effect as quickly as I should have. I didn't do much research, I had next to no money saved up yet but I settled on the idea of a couple months of interrailing with a friend. I thought that I could just work solidly for a few months and then head off. Safe to say, this never happened. Down to a couple of reasons really. So, ultimatley I was left with no plans and no backup.

Whilst worrying I had wasted a year and was sat at home jealous of my friends on freshers, I discovered Camp America when talking to a friend. After researching it some more it looked like something I would be really interested in and even though entries had been open for a couple of months I applied anyway.

Now six months later I am preparing to fly to the US for 3 months and I couldn't be more excited! It was quite a lengthy process and there's a lot to sort out but I really think it will all be worth it. I'm already planning on going again next year and I haven't even got there yet.

Now I'm not saying Camp America will be for everyone and it's not something that will take up your entire year off either. All I'm saying is that even if your original plans go wrong, or you have no idea what to do with a whole year off, there are so many options that you might not even have heard of.

If I were to do this year all over again here are some tips I would give myself to ensure that it went a bit more smoothly:

• Have a plan in advance. Don't leave it until you've finished college to make your plans. Think about what you'd like to do and what's available to you.
• Have a backup. As they say, 'don't put all your eggs in one basket'. Don't depend on just one friend, or if you do make sure you're both as invested as each other. Have several ideas and see which is the most viable.
• Do your research. Check out how much things will cost, what your plans will entail, how likely they are to actually come through. Definitely look at all your options eg. volunteering, interrailing, summer camps, trekking.
• Budget. Luckily, this is something I have done quite well with. Make sure you can afford your trip. Get a savings account and put a proportion of what you earn aside every time you get paid. Possibly set up a standing order to transfer the money, this means you won't forget or spend it. Getting into a routine of saving money really helps towards your end goal. Don't think about the clothes you could have now, think about the amazing time you could be having later!

I hope this was helpful for anyone looking in to taking a gap year or anyone who is worried about planning one! My biggest tip is not to worry if your plans go wrong. There are so many options nowadays and even more people out there to help! 

I would most definitely recommend a gap year, it's a great time to relax and enjoy yourself. It gives you valuable lessons in time and money management and lets you travel whilst you still have minimal ties and responsibilities. Saying that, I'm so excited to start uni in September and haven't lost my urge to go back into education at all.

Beth xo

Lunch at the Blue Bar

I think it's safe to say that spring is finally here! 

Even though there is still some clouds and a few showers the warmth is lingering and the evenings are wonderful. 

Even though it's been a bit overcast I took a trip to the beach with my friend for a catch up and some food. 

The Blue Bar in Porthtowan is a lovely little spot just at the edge of the beach, with picturesque views and a delicious menu. It's a favourite spot of ours for a bit of fresh air and a coffee and for making the most of being able to sit outside without getting drenched or shivering to death!

For lunch I got the dirty chips (pulled pork, jalepeños and cheese on top of rustic chips) which actually turned out to be a sharing plate, oops! So I'm betting the waiter thought I had a rather large appetite eating it all on my own, but obviously I couldn't finish it. Daisy got the halloumi fajitas, which are AMAZING and definitely look the part too, yum! 

After our food and a lengthy catch up we took a walk down the beach to the sea which turned out to be very windy and a lot colder than expected, so it wasn't long before we headed back. 

I don't think I appreciate living so close to the coast enough, being a 15 minute drive from the beach really is a privilege, even when the sun isn't shining.

Beth xo