BACK TO SCHOOL: BAGS

Hi guys,

As we approach the final weeks of summer *sob*, it's getting to the point where we all need to start thinking about what we're going to need for when we return to education in September! Some of you might be moving up a year at school and just want new things for a new year, and others of you, like me, will be starting somewhere completely new and want to make a good impression on your new teachers and peers!

 

 

In the spirit of all this, I have selected some of my favourite bags I have seen online over the summer, as inspiration for you girls looking for that all-important new bag, and the ones I have chosen have a mix of both style and practicality! Here they are:

 

 

 

1. Formal Structured Satchel - Next - £45.00

This bag is such a classy design, whilst also being big enough to fit in your all-important books. The bright red colour also makes it easy to find in a busy cloakroom. The metallic details also add a nice touch and compliment the red perfectly.

 

2. Structured Leather Shopper - Zara - £99.00

 

 

I absolutely adore the plum colour of this bag! The shape of it makes it easy to fit in A4 sized books or folders, and the outer zip is handy for easy access to important things! The long strap also offers a useful alternative carrying option in case the short straps ache your arm. The only let down is the price, but I guess that's what you have to pay for real leather!

 

3. Grey Stud Side Tote Bag - New Look - £24.99

For those of you on a slightly tighter budget, this bag is a great choice as it also has a handy zip at the front, and the neutral grey colour means it can be worn with a coat of any colour and you won't need to worry about too much overpowering colour! The studs also add great on-trend touch to the bag.

 

4. Office City Bag - Zara - £50.00

A completely classy, leather-look bag that is a cult favourite amongst bloggers and YouTubers. The crosshatched texture is a nice alternative to leather, and the wine coloured lining compliments the black and gold detail perfectly. The padded laptop and iPad pockets are also a great addition, along with the many other compartments.

 

5. Black Metal Trim Long Tote Bag - River Island - £50.00

The gold detailling on this bag really helps it stand out from the hundreds of other black bags you can find on the market and at school, of course. This bag, in my opinion, is a less expensive version of the Zara Structured Leather Shopper as it also has a detachable long strap, an outer zip and is a good size for A4 documents. Perfect for those who want the features of the Zara bag but don't fancy shelling out £100!
 

 

6. North Face Back To Berkeley Back Pack - Office - £49.99

This rucksack is great for females who want something easy to carry and very practical for school and everyday use! The funky pattern means that you'll also feel very cool carrying it around and you will always be able to find it in a busy cloakroom! This is perfect for those who are more bothered about the practicality of the bag strap rather than the style when it comes to lugging heavy books round all day!
 

 

7. Black/White Bag - H&M - £14.99

This cute little drawstring bag hits two trends with one stone by sporting the monochrome aztec pattern! Although loose sheets of paper are more prone to getting tattered in this bag than any of the others, it's great for carrying around small books, or for those who have a locker. At a bargain price of £14.99, it's practically a steal!
 

 

8. Orange Tumbled Leather Messenger Bag - River Island - £40.00

Orange is a great colour to choose if you want to break away from the typical black schoolbag! The gold detailling on the bag also gives it a very summery feel, which will be great during cold December when you're pining for the sunshine to return! The long handle also makes it easy to carry and transport essentials round campus.

 

9. Imitation Leather Bag (Mole) - H&M - £14.99

 

Another alternative to a black bag is this lovely cream number from H&M. The bag has an option of a practical shoulder strap or two sturdy handles to hook on your arm. I really like how this bag appears to be real leather, you almost can't tell the difference! Retailing at £14.99, this is an amazing bag for those who want size, style but don't want to fork out too much!

 

 

And my favourite is...

 

 THE ZARA OFFICE CITY BAG

 

The reason I went ahead and purchased this bag over the others is because it seemed the most practical for what I needed, and was also the most tailored to my own personal style! I'm starting at a sixth form college in September, so I need to be able to accommodate numerous A4 notebooks. The laptop and iPad compartments are also handy, as it means I can carry a laptop with me to use in my free periods, and it also serves as extra protection for any other items I don't want to get damaged! The size of the bag means that paper won't get creased or torn either. I liked this style because it was crosshatched, and I thought the gold detailling looked very classy and was to my taste. The wine coloured lining also makes it easier for me to find objects in the bag as they stand out against that colour. This bag was also within my price range (which was the reason for not buying some of the others I mentioned) and I think it will give me good value for money.

 

Thank you for reading this post, let me know in the comments which your favourite bag was, or if there are any others you think I should check out! Also, any requests, comments or questions should be left below and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Good luck to all of those recieving exam results in the next week or two also!

 

Beth x x

 

HOLIDAY ESSENTIALS

Hi all!

I'm sorry about the lack of posts on here recently... I know it must seem like I made a blog, was interested for about a day and then gave up, but that's honestly not the case! I've just returned from a 19 day holiday to Rhodes, a Greek island, and I've had a serious lack of internet there, hence the reason for the sparse posts!

 

 

 

Anyway, instead of doing a July favourites blog post, I thought I'd do one on my holiday essentials, as July has been a very hot month in both the UK and Greece, meaning I haven't been wearing masses of makeup or trying out too many new things! So here are my must-haves for any sunny holiday!

 

#1: Suncream

 

 

 

The most obvious essential for spending time in the sun- suncream! The cream I have been using whilst abroad has been the Piz Buin Allergy cream in Medium (SPF 15). As I have been away for so long, I have used this in both a cream form and a spray form. I found that the spray was much quicker and easier to apply, especially when you're applying it away from your apartment/hotel etc. However, to me it seemed like using the cream felt like it gave a better, more fuller coverage, hence better protection. This miniature sized bottle was very handy for taking to the beach or other pools, and it was easily re-filled with cream from the larger bottles. If you only listen to one thing on this list, I would definitely insist it be suncream, because nobody really wants to look like a beetroot after a day in the sun!

 

 

#2: Sunglasses

 

 

As most of you know, it's usually incredibly sunny abroad, and to stop yourself squinting and damaging your eyes from the sun's rays, I would definitely recommend wearing a pair of sunglasses throughout the day! I even wore mine in the pool most of the time! My favourite sunglasses were these aviators that I found in a little shop in the resort I was staying at.

 

 

#3: Aftersun

 

 

A gel aftersun is really important to put on your skin after you've showered on holiday! The sun, sea, sand and pool can often leave your skin feeling very dry and tight, so it's really important to rehydrate your skin after activities such as these. Aftersun can also be very useful if you have sunburn, and it also helps your tan to last longer! The aftersun I used was a green gel by a company called Tropic, and although it felt very sticky on your skin upon application, it definitely helped soothe any sunburn and keep my skin soft.

 

#4: Moisturiser

 

No post about essentials would be complete without moisturiser! I usually apply the aforementioned aftersun after my shower and before I go out for the evening. I tend to put moisturiser just on my face at this point, then I put it all over my body just before I go to bed to ensure my skin is totally hydrated for the following day! My current favourite moisturiser is Steam Cream, which retails online at roughly £12- totally worth it though. The tins are also very pretty and come in lots of different designs, and can be used for storage afterwards (e.g. for hair grips.)

 

 

#5: Lip balm

 

A lip balm is also essential to stop your lips getting dry on holiday! Strictly speaking you should wear suncream on your lips, but for those of us who don't want to look like a cricketer, putting a balm on throughout the day helps keep your lips soft. There are also ones available with SPF which are great. This Body Shop Lemon Lip Butter is my favourite and retailed at £2 at the time of purchase. I have also reviewed it in my previous blog post if you want to know more!

 

#6: Deodorant

 

 Everybody knows how horrible it is to feel hot and sweaty during your evening meal on holiday, so it's really important you have a good deodorant on hand! My favourite is the Vaseline deodorant as I found it left no white marks, smells fresh and doesn't make your skin sore (as well as minimising sweating!) This can be picked up in most shops for minimal cost (mine was from Tesco for £1).

 

#7: Conditioner

 

 My final holiday essential would be a deep conditioner! On holiday, hair can become quite matted and hard to deal with from being tied up all day, combined with the sand, sea and chlorine in the pool, so it's very important to have a good conditioner to help keep your hair as healthy and manageable on holiday as possible! My favourite conditioner is the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle, as it smells great and does an amazing job as well!

Although there are many other things that are well-needed on holiday, these are my top seven essentials, as I find that most people couldn't go away without these, and they help to make a holiday much easier! Make sure to leave a comment below with your top holiday essentials!
Thanks for reading guys,

Beth x x