TAG // SUMMERTIME

Hey guys!

I'm hoping to have a few blogs written and uploaded in the next week - I've actually had a few plans and not been an antisocial hermit for once, shock horror! - so I decided to just add in this tag while I'm working on the other blogs (I love a good tag once in a while!)

This one caught my eye, and because it's summer I decided there was no better time to post it than now! I tag all of you :D

1) What books are on your summer reading list?

I recently read Paper Towns by John Green, which was on my summer reading list (it was amazing). Some of the books that are still left on my summer reading list are -

The Runaway Princess by Hester Browne

Don't Tell The Groom by Anna Bell

You Don't Have To Say You Love Me by Sarra Manning

Ice Cream At Carrington's by Alexandra Brown

The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

2) What's your favourite summer song at the moment?

At the moment I'm loving I Will Never Let You Down by Rita Ora, Somebody To You by The Vamps, She Looks So Perfect by 5SOS and Still Into You by Paramore

3) What book/song/movie/TV show reminds you of past summers?

All the cheesy summer one hit wonders usually remind me of summer! Pretty Things by Sarra Manning always reminds me of summer too, as it's a perfect summer read (to be fair, it's just a perfect book) and there's not really any shows or films that specifically remind me of summer!

4) What's your favourite summer clothing thing?

Definitely sunglasses! For me, the bigger the better!

5) What's your favourite thing about summer?

Being able to wear sunglasses! I also like going to the beach and not nearly getting frostbite when I go paddling, and who could forget barbeques?

6) What are you most looking forward to this summer?

Hopefully a bit of beach time and lots and lots of barbeques! Also hopefully catching up with my friends and doing fun, cheap outdoor things like going for picnics or just chilling outside somewhere nice!

7) Favourite place to go in summer?

As mentioned above, I have a massive soft spot for the beach, so I'd ideally love to go somewhere with a beach for a while.

Flamingo Candles!

Hey guys!

Before I start, just a disclaimer - I am in no way affiliated with, or sponsored by, Flamingo Candles. I was not asked to write this blog post, I just really liked the candles, so decided to make a blog post about them. I am not getting paid to write about these candles or mention this brand.

Last week, I was idly scrolling through my instagram feed - as I do multiple times a day when I get bored - and I stumbled across a competition being held by Flamingo Candles, a company my friend had recommended to me but I hadn't got round to ordering anything myself - I am a massive scented candle junkie, so I am always looking out for new brands and stuff to try! You basically had to repost the picture they'd posted with a hashtag to be in with the chance of winning 4 candles, so I thought "why not" and did it, then promptly forgot about it.

Last Friday, I was sitting on the sofa with my mum channel flicking, and a notification from instagram popped up, so I checked it and saw it was from Flamingo Candles, so I went on there and saw they'd tagged me in a post saying "congratulations!" and telling me I'd won! I got really excited - my mum was like "umm, are you okay?" and I was like "I WON!!" and she got so confused until I explained it, haha xD 

So, I've been waiting impatiently since I emailed them my address (I hate waiting for things, I'm so impatient!) and they arrived yesterday! I couldn't wait to open them and smell them, they all sounded so amazing - they are Green Tea and Lemon, Candy Floss, Black Raspberry and Vanilla, and Orange Mandarin and Basil. 

The first one I smelt was the Black Raspberry and Vanilla one - it's quite sweet but with a hint of sharpness, and has a lovely smooth vanilla undertone, which makes it not too sugary sweet and overwhelming. I am also a little bit in love with the glittery pink flamingo on the front - so cute!

The next one I smelt was the Green Tea and Lemon one - the lemon was less prominent than I was expecting, but it's sharp and delicious smelling, and the green tea makes it smell fresh and clean. This is more of a unisex scent, so would be a great present for a male as well as female :D

Next up was the Candy Floss one - the smell reminds me a bit of a fruity milkshake, only sweeter and more sugary. It smells more like a lolly than candy floss, in my opinion, but it's a lovely sweet scent which will appeal to people with a sweet tooth ;) it's so pink and girly, the pastel flamingo is a lovely touch too!

Finally, I tried the Orange Mandarin and Basil one - it's sharp and citrussy, with a lovely hint of warm herby basil so it's not too overwhelmingly sweet. I think this is definitely one I would repurchase in the future, as it works well for both summer and winter, and it smells amazing! I also love the contrast between the orange flamingo and yellow candle.

I decided to try the Black Raspberry and Vanilla one - which is burning as I write this - and now I'm really excited to try them all out! They also smell extremely potent, even without them being lit, so the smell fills the whole room!

So, all in all, I am really happy with them all - they smell amazing, the packaging is amazing (the white flamingos engraved into the lid make them even prettier!) and they're a reasonable size, so will last for a while, even if I burn them a lot! I would highly recommend them to any scented candle junkies :)

Thanks again, Flamingo Candles - I will definitely be purchasing some different scents when these run out!

If you'd like to purchase some for yourself, head on over to www.flamingocandles.co.uk <3

Summer Evenings!

Hey guys!

How are you all enjoying the sunny, sweltering weather we've been having recently? Personally, I've been struggling slightly - I'm not a massive fan of the heat, give me autumn any day - but it's nice having it stay light for longer in the evenings.

Over the weekend, me and my best friend were incredibly bored to the point of tears, so we decided on a whim to meet up at Waterloo and just hang out for a while at Southbank -  by the time we decided what we were doing, it was getting fairly late, so we decided to meet at around 6ish (as at the time, I was still in my pjs and needed time to charge my phone, wash my hair, etc, and she needed to charge her phone and stuff too)

When I arrived at Waterloo, Lisa texted me to say she had miscalculated the timings of her trains and stuff, so she would be later than she thought, so I took the time to go and freshen up before heading to Starbucks to get a cool lime refresher (literally addicted to those in the summer, along with the new banana yogurt frappuccinos!) before heading back to the designated meeting point. Before long, she arrived, so we headed out to Southbank to get some food, as neither of us had eaten much that day and we were starving! Once we had food, we strolled back towards the London Eye, and found a patch of grass to sit on - it was really close to the eye, but not so close that we were surrounded by people, so it was lovely.

Once we'd eaten, we just sat there for a while, catching up and even just sitting in silence for a while (not awkward silence, luckily, we never have those which I'm forever grateful for) and people watching, before taking about a million selfies (and deleting most of them again) and chatting again. I kind of got a bit carried away with telling her something, which I probably could have explained more concisely, but she listened to the whole thing and didn't judge me, which was lovely. It's funny, we saw each other on Thursday too for a gig (which I may or may not blog about too) and we chat every day via text, but we still had masses to chat about, which to me is one of the signs of an amazing friendship <3

We decided at around 9pm, when it was just beginning to get dark, that we would go back to Starbucks, as we were really thirsty, so we strolled back to Waterloo (as that's where the nearest Starbucks is). On the way there, something happened that made us laugh so much - we were just walking and chatting and Lisa sneezed, and I was about to say "bless you" but some random tourist man beat me to it, and for some reason it just made us laugh and we couldn't stop laughing for ages!
and got refreshers - I got the cool lime one, as I'm a little bit addicted, and Lisa got the Valencia orange one, which is also delicious - and a banana yogurt frappuccino to share before checking what time the last trains home were at and heading back to Southbank.
When we got back, we lay down on the grass and looked up at the sky and the London Eye for a while - it wasn't dark enough to see stars - plus London has light pollution and stuff, so it makes it harder to see stars anyway - but it was still really nice and relaxing to just lie there and not have to fill the silence with mindless chatter. At one point, the lights on the London Eye were flashing to different colours, but Lisa didn't believe me when I told her, haha, and told me I was imagining things - typically, it didn't do it again after that, as is always the way!
Unfortunately, we had to head back and get last trains and everything, so we didn't get to stay for much longer, but it was an amazing impromptu trip and it was lovely to see Lisa again, as we don't have any plans together for a while now and it makes me sad!

                             Are you making the most of the long, light summer evenings now too?

Popshack!

Hey guys!
Last weekend I went to an event called Popshack, which was headlined by Union J and hosted by the lovely Dan and Phil (danisnotonfire and amazingphil) who as you probably know, I love an awful lot.

Pretty much as soon as my best friend told me about it, and mentioned they were presenting, I was like YES LET'S GO so we bought our tickets the morning they went on sale, and had been impatiently waiting. Another thing that made it amazing for me was, about a week before the event, Popshack help a few competitions to win meet and greets with some of the acts - Union J, Kingsland Road and Loveable Rogues, I do believe - and I somehow ended up winning the Kingsland Road one and a plus one, so I was ecstatic - I'd met them before at another meet and greet, but they're lovely guys so I was excited to meet them again!

Finally, it arrived, and me and Lisa met up at Westfields first so we could make a day of it, rather than just turn up at the show and then leave straight away - we don't see each other masses, so when we do we usually make a day of it! First stop was Nandos, as neither of us had eaten any breakfast (oops, the excitement and early start) and we decided on wing roulette to start, as last time we played it, it was mega fun and delicious! After that, we had lemon and herb chicken in pitta, and finally rounded it off with mango frozen yogurt - one word, YUM!

We wandered idly round for a bit, then headed to Starbucks so I could get a cool lime refresher before hopping on the tube (they're amazing, plus it was really hot and I didn't want to dehydrate on the train...)

When we arrived, the first thing we did was try and sort out our wristbands for the meet and greet - which took a while - then joined the queue and waited. When we got called in, me and Lisa were at the front of the queue, which was awesome, and one of the people there recognised me (well, by name anyway, not necessarily by my face) because they ran the twiiter page and I tweet a lot! Anyway, so we were given a poster-y thing to get signed, and when we went in we got hugs and had a little chat with the guys, before I decided to crash Lisa's group picture (sorry again, haha, I just felt really awkward for no apparent reason!) When that was done, we were given a Popshack top (which I will probably be using as a pj top!) before being led back outside.

We decided to go for a wander, and when we got back we queued again, and made a new friend, Jenny (if you're reading this at all Jenny, tweet me because it'd be cool to hear from you - @amyhavok) so we got chatting. She seemed surprised when me and Lisa said we were both 22, and said she thought I was 18 (I seem to get that a lot - how old do I actually look? It's surprising because I feel like I look my age)

When we were about to be let in, there was a seperate queue for the people who had meet and greets, so we left Jenny and told her we'd save her a seat inside - once in, we ended up being 5 rows from the front, which was amazing - even more amazing was that we didn't have anyone super tall in front of us, so we both had a clear view of the stage!

I won't bore you with all the minute details of everything, but I was pleasantly surprised by a lot of the acts who I'd never seen before - a few of the main ones being Matt Defreitas, Ollie Sloan and Brad Kavanagh, although there were some more too - and I have a new found love for Hollywood Ending (I highly recommend them to you all, because they're fantastic) but for me personally, the highlights were definitely Dan and Phil - I've loved them for a while now, and to see them in the flesh, doing Dan vs Phil and other various funny little commentaries was amazing. I also very much enjoyed Kingsland Road (they have been amazing every time I've seen them though) Elyar Fox and of course, Union J!

A massive thank you to everyone who arranged and organised Popshack - it was amazing, I had a perfect night and I'd definitely love to do it again!

                                 Were any of you guys at Popshack too? I'd love to hear about your experiences!

TAG // SUMMER LOVIN'

Hey guys!

As I've mentioned before, I like tags, and this one made me smile so I decided to do it - I tag you all, hope you enjoy it!

1. Summer lipstick you're loving?

At the moment I'm in love with the Barry M lip paint in Genie - on me, it turns a really pretty hot pink!

2. Summer nail polish you're loving?

Bikini So Teeny by Essie - it's a perfect creamy cornflower blue, which in my opinion is perfect for summer! I also love Hertford Street by Nails Inc - a pretty, slightly corally pink, which looks amazing with a tan

3. Bikini you're loving this summer?

I don't wear bikinis so I pretty much just cannot answer this.

4. Favourite summer Frappuccino from Starbucks?

In the summer I don't usually go for frappuccinos, but they've recently brought out a banana yogurt flavoured one which sounds amazing, so I might have to give that a try next time I'm at Starbucks!

5. Favourite fake tan?

I prefer the gradual tanning moisturisers to full on fake tan, and at the moment I like the Johnson's Holiday Skin body lotion - it's not too dark, and it smells nice too! 

6. Favourite summer song?

At the moment, Last Night by The Vamps, Waves by Mr Probs, Money On My Mind by Sam Smith and Rather Be by Clean Bandit

7. Favourite summer accessory?

Definitely massive sunglasses!

8. Favourite summer fragrance/perfume?

Ooooh, this is a hard one! In the summer I like to use a lighter perfume, and one of my personal favourite is So...? Kiss Me - it smells amazing, and it's perfect if you're on a budget too!

9. Summer book you're loving?

It's not really a summer book, but I recently read The Weight OF Silence by Heather Gudenkauf and it was so gripping and sad - I would definitely recommend it, even though parts of it were rather shocking!

10. What are you most excited to do this summer?

Hopefully go to the beach!

30 Things To Do Before I'm 30!

Hey guys!

I decided that, as I'm still in my early 20s, I would like to make a list of 30 things to do before I'm 30! I know I could have done 25 to do before I'm 25, but then I decided on this one instead, as it means I have longer to do things so I can choose some more exciting, more complex things to do, as well as some things I've just always wanted to do! Some are going to be easily achievable, some harder and more time consuming, but here goes nothing!

1 - see the northern lights

2 - swim with dolphins

3 - go on a road trip around America

4 - stay up and watch the sunrise in a foreign country

5 - learn to drive and/or ride a motorbike

6 - be in a band (cliche, but I love singing and have wanted to do that for a while)

7 - be in a long term relationship again (my last one was 2 years but it didn't exactly end well, so I'd like one that lasted and was happy)

8 - learn to love myself and be comfortable in my own skin

9 - visit at least 5 countries

10 - stay up all night stargazing with people I love

11 - keep blogging!

12 - learn how to play an instrument

13 - read a book a day for a month

14 - try and do more new things, even if they scare me

15 - conquer a fear

16 - move out! (and hopefully live with my best friend)

17 - meet my idols! (I've already met most of them, luckily, but there's still a few to go!)

18 - make more good friends

19 - start making YouTube videos

20 - write a novel

21 - learn how to make the perfect cake

22 - live in another country for a while, whether it's a few months, a year or longer

23 - own a pug

24 - have a beach party

25 - master the perfect eyeliner flick

26 - write more letters to people

27 - learn a new skill

28 - learn how to walk in high heels!

29 - get and keep a job I love

30 - be happy!

So, that's what I came up with, after a lot of thought. Hopefully, I will be able to achieve a large chunk of it, if not all of it, and I look forward to seeing how I do!

TAG // Twitter

Hey guys!

So the other day, one of my lovely friends on twitter did this tag, and it caught my attention so I decided to steal it for myself and do a blog post, as I haven't posted in a while (it's supposed to be done on twitter, but oh well, I can waffle more on here....mmm, waffles)

1 - closest twitter bestie/s?

The people I tend to talk to most on Twitter are probably Vicky and Lisa <3 @vicky__friday and @thisislisa_xo

2 - middle name?

I don't like people knowing my middle name. Let's just pretend I don't have one. (If you're one of the people who does know it please do not post it anywhere online)

3 - selfie?

I will include a selfie at the end of the post in case you want to see one :')

4 - birthday?

My birthday is still a while away yet - November 2nd

5 - favourite food?
Mmm, this changes a lot, but at the moment I really like chilli and lemon chicken with noodles

6 - age?

I'm 22, but people reckon I look anything from 15 to my actual age

7 - something I really want?

I'd love a tweet off @amazingphil or @danisnotonfire please! That, or a pug <3

8 - someone I miss?
Oh god, I miss far too many people to mention them all. Just assume that I miss you all guys, because I probably do!

9 - favourite twitter accounts?

At the moment, probably @amazingphil and @danisnotonfire.

10 - a confession

Oh my God, this is gonna be a hard one. Um...I confess that I don't actually want to keep in touch with you, and that I'm an idiot for putting up with you for so long. Read into that as much as you like.

11 - 3 fears

Spiders, small enclosed spaces, and the feel of cotton wool

12 - 4 turn ons

LOL, I'm gonna say nice eyes, nice hair, nice hands and taller than me

13 - 4 turn offs

Smelly breath, general uncleanliness, arrogance, rudeness

14 - celebrity crush/es

Phil Lester, Davey Havok and Richard Wisker - I don't really have that many at the moment

15 - heels or sneakers?
I can't actually walk in heels, haha, so I'm going to go for sneakers (or trainers because I'm in the UK)

16 - my motto?

I don't actually have a motto, so I'm gonna go with a lyric I love a lot - THROUGH OUR BLEEDING, WE ARE ONE

17 - favourite colour/s

Purple, black and silver

18 - 3 things that annoy me

Unnecessary rudeness, people who cheat in relationships, liars

19 - the reason I joined twitter

I didn't want to get Facebook and it seemed like the next best thing :') now I love it!

20 - favourite ship?

Um I don't know what it's called, but Misty and Ash from Pokemon! Also Edie and Dylan from Diary Of A Crush and Zoe and Alfie (Zoella and PointlessBlog)!

21 - fries or pizza?

You can have fries with more things, so I'm gonna go for those, although I do like pizza a lot :)

22 - things that make you upset?

Being shouted at for no reason, people swearing at me, spiders, liars, cheats, to name but a few things

23 - type of phone that you have?

I have an iPhone 5C with a Pikachu case

24 - iPhone or android?

Considering I own an iPhone, I think I'm going to go for that, although the battery life is rubbish

25 - any question you'd like 

(how many cups of sugar does it take to get to the moon - you tell me?)

26 - insecurities?

Oh my God literally everything! I don't think there's ever been a day that's gone by without me feeling insecure about something!

27 - an unpopular opinion?

I don't like One Direction or Justin Bieber. I know, people rave on about them, but nope.Also, I've never seen Game Of Thrones!

28 - sweats or jeans?

Neither, I always wear skirts and dresses! If I had to choose, jeans though.

29 - relationship with parents?

It's okay, it could be better but it's not too bad at the moment. We argue and stuff, but everybody does, right?

30 - favourite holiday?

I love my birthday, and I also love christmas a lot!

So there you have it! If you'd like to follow me on twitter, my username is @amyhavok

                                                       I tag anyone who enjoyed this tag!

Eurgh, selfie from question three!