The Ibiza Prep Post: Losing my Ibiza Virginity

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In August I will be flying to Ibiza for a week of sun, partying, beaut sunsets, and most probably very little sleep. In other words I will be losing my Ibiza virginity, which by the sounds of it is gonna be better than losing your actual virginity. So naturally I'm super excited. Ibiza is a strange holiday though, much like how I imagine Marbs to be. People seem to get glammed up during the day when they're partying by the pool. Hair done, makeup done, bikini always accompanied by a kimono, bum bag and cool sandals - edgy vibez - or heels if you're feeling the towie vibez. Clearly, preparation is key. So here is what I've prepared for my first time in BEEFA.

Create an Epic Playlist
So pretty much as soon as I booked Ibiza I compiled an Ibiza Playlist on Spotify which has been FAB. Especially when you're in a bad mood, like those days when everything goes wrong and you're like WHY ME GOD?? But it doesn't matter. Just listen to your playlist and your troubles will quite literally fade into the chilled sounds of summer house music, as you imagine yourself sipping a vodka tonic by the sea.

Swimwear
Never has there been so much choice in swimwear than this summer. Swimsuits are fashionable (thank god) so if like me, you know that eating paella and patatas bravas is inevitable, and you're gonna feel insecure, then NO NEED TO WORRY GURL. There are tonnes of beautiful swimsuits on Missguided. However my fave thing this year has been the 90s style bikinis (like the leaf one in my pic). My fave selection was on ASOS, where mine is from. AND what is even better is that these seem to suit most boob sizes - I mean I'm no Gok Wan, but they're comfort than a bandeau. But it's not just bikinis or swimsuits you have to worry about. I've spent as much time tracking down beach cover ups, sandals, sunglasses and jewellery - YES people are wearing chokers so mine will probs make an appearance. So basically there is the whole shebang! So enjoy mixing your beach look up!

Plan Your Outfits
Although crop tops and shorts don't take up huge amounts of space, it's nice to plan out which pieces go together. Plus, there are so many beaut swimsuits at the moment which can totally double up as a leotard/top for a night look (and will save space!)

Learn How To Braid Hair
Marie and I are starting to panic cause we really wanna have French braids whilst in Ibiza - like really badly! So unless anyone teaches us, I'm probably going to watch a YouTube tutorial the night before and hope for the best. I'm particularly keen to acquire this skill as I'm prone to a Monica in Barbados hair disaster (if you don't watch Friends, who are you?) So anyway, as well as rhi's being a fun hair style, it will also maintain that crazy mane if you have curly hair like me!

Tanning
I don't want to wait until day 3 before I'm brown enough to wear my white denim shorts - these bad boys' sole purpose in life is to make me look tanned in my pictures. I've started getting sunbeds which if you're reading mum I *know* are so bad, but I promise I'll stop after my holiday! St Tropez is the king of fake tan so obviously this deserves a mention also. The tan optimising moisturiser is also perfect for avoiding any patches. I've invested in some Piz Buin sun cream, SPF 30 and will move down to SPF 15 once I'm sure I've successfully avoided the lobster look. Both of these have UVB which means protection + enhancer - amazing.

Waterproof Mascara
Usually on holiday I wouldn't touch mascara during the day, but is Ibiza during the day different? I really do not know! Anyway, just to be safe ive been on the hunt a decent waterproof mascara. I finally decided on this Maybelline Lash Sensational one. They have a good selection with different types of brush, so you can find one similar to your everyday mascara.

Hair Removal
Waxung is so necessary for a holiday. Shaving your bikini line every few days is no bueno. Get it waxed and it's one less thing to worry about.

Feel Confident With Your Body
I'm definitely not preaching to eat celery and go for a run - we all saw what happened to those 'get beach body ready' ads. But everyone wants to feel confident on the beach in a bikini. For me I would love to tone up - literally writing this hours after eating a huge burrito from Wahaca, so as you can imagine I'm finiding it difficult! Don't get distraught if you've not reached your goal weight - I've accepted that it ain't 'appening. Just remember A TAN MAKES YOU LOOK LIKE YOURSELF TIMES 1000. So babe, you're gonna look gr8. 

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6 Ways to Stop Feeling Like You're Getting Dumber After You Graduate

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The inspiration for this post derives from a level of anxiety I had that I wasn't using my brain after I graduated from university. If you’re still in education but on your summer hols you’ll probably know what I am talking about too. I mean sure, when you finish your finals you’re all like ‘I NEVER WANNA LEARN A THING AGAIN’. After a solid few weeks of cramming you feel like you physically have no room left in your brain. But then a month later suddenly you can’t even remember what you were cramming. Then you get this overwhelming fear that you’re not using your brain and hence are becoming fick. Like even right now I'm not sure that the title of this post even makes grammatical sense, pls help meh. Anyway here are my 6 ways to stop you feeling like you’re getting dumber by the day and remind you that you are in fact amazingly intelligent!

1) Read Books: You won’t believe how nice it is to read a book that isn't a text book. You can actually choose what you read. For me, commuting can be mind numbingly boring, and exhausting – seriously, scrolling through Facebook for an hour sat down is tiring. There’s not much else to do on the train so you’ll get totally immersed in the book. I decided to read all the classics when I graduated and it's fab cause it makes you feel super smart.

2) What’s better yet is casually bringing up these well known books in conversation. Nothing makes you sound more sophisticated than comparing a political situation to George Orwell’s 1984 or Animal Farm.

3) If you’re not into novels, you can always read the paper – please note that reading certain papers will not result in higher levels of intellect. I'm not naming names but if you know who I mean – well done you are probably intelligent.

4) TV can be educational. When you’re in bed in summer, and your days are simply distinguished by which season of Friends you watched, MAYBE you should alternate and watch something like, you know, David Attenborough (I'm actually more of a Michael Palin kinda gal). But don’t put yourself down too much – memorising every line of every Friends episode IS a skill okay and it’s one you should be proud of.

5) Look at your graduation photos. You know the one where you’re in your gown holding a piece of tube pretending it’s your scroll? (I must admit my framed one is still in the box and yeah I should really practice what I preach, and *maybe* this is a new level of laziness but whatever) You’ll look at yourself and think ‘I actually have a degree and the world is my oyster’. Or if you’re thinking jeez Nicole this is so lame, you could even read over a piece of work you got a 1st in – One time I legit read my entire dissertation for reassurance that I was in fact not stupid. LOL too many confessions.

6) Find challenges at work. Most people’s first adult job may as well be titled ‘admin bitch’ because you feel like you’re not doing anything important. I remember in my first month at Ogilvy getting frustrated that I couldn't do something on Excel – suddenly the guy who didn't go to uni knows more than you. Work is a completely different way of learning to school or university. It's much more practical and you’re also dealing with lots of characters you wouldn't usually interact with. Just completing your projects on time and forming relationships with colleagues is a learning curve – and an important one. Don't let yourself feel too stupid if you're not ending world peace just yet.

                                                                                    

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Why You Should Ditch Your Microbead Exfoliating Scrub

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I recently discovered that the microbeads found in exfoliating scrubs pollute the sea and end up in the stomachs of little teeny tiny plankton. Beauty products containing microbeads are having a devastating effect on the environment and sea life.

Now I definitely didn’t plan to cover serious environmental issues in my blog when I first created it. But this issue has a close tie with beauty and skincare brands that you and I have no doubt used. As a proud Geography graduate and a beauty blogger I would be mad to not to raise awareness of this environmental issue. Chances are if you’re reading a beauty blog, you probably have used products containing microbeads which are damaging the environment. So please carry on reading!

Microbeads that we wash down the bathroom sink are too small to be caught in filters that prevent plastic being discharged into rivers. These microbeads are about the size of fish eggs, therefore plankton and small fish mistake them for food. Lots of fish consume plankton - so yes you guessed it, this in turn affects a whole food chain of marine species. Oh and it’s not just scrubs, they can be in shampoo, soap and toothpaste.

This isn’t a brand new discovery - after a quick search online I discovered numerous articles on this topic. In fact, cosmetic companies such as Unilever and Procter & Gamble have already agreed to phase out microplastics but not until 2017. So how do you know if your exfoliator is a threat to marine species until then?

Look out for polyethylene and polypropylene listed in the ingredients of a product. Or if you wanna be super savvy you can download the Beat The Microbead App for free. How easy is that? After a quick scan of Boots it became clear that the Neutrogena and Clean and Clear scrubs are serious culprits. Johnson and Johnson which owns both these brands are one cosmetic company who are phasing them out by 2017, but until then you should use your power as a consumer to avoid them!

Well what can I use I hear ya ask? Thankfully my beloved St. Ives Apricot facial scrub is free from plastic which I discovered on this website, so naturally I’m excited about that. I also love the Korres Basil Lemon body scrub which is fab and plastic free. Also on the good list are Soap & Glory The Greatest Scrub of All. There are tonnes of other plastic-free products made with salt or other naturally occurring particles. So ditch your microplastic scrub and opt for a more sustainable one. Also if you want to keep it simpler, I sometimes get great results just from using a body brush, exfoliating gloves or a loofah. 

You may be thinking jeez Nicole I didn’t come here to read this, I just want to know which mascara is the best to use… BUT as beauty lovers we should exercise our power as consumers if it means that we can save marine life.

Let me know if you have any sustainable body scrubs that you love! x


                                                                                    

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