St Claus Day: Little Christmas GIVEAWAY

The 6th of December marks St Claus's Day in Poland - a day on which Santa brings you presents and leaves them under your tree! I thought it would be a great idea to giveaway a little party bundle of goodies to mark that day, and my return to blogging, of course. So, read on to find out how you can enter, and what you could win!

#MartyEats: Festive Brunch at All Bar One

Hello hello! I thought I'd kick off coming back to blogging with a post about two of my favourite things - food and champagne! Last Saturday (26th of November) was my birthday, and few of my friends and I headed to All Bar for their Festive Brunch. They currently have an amazing deal of brunch and a glass of Prosecco for £10, or brunch and a glass of Moet for £14 - a steal if you ask me. And, when you sign up to their newsletter, they send you a code for a free glass of bubbly for the table.

#MartyEats: All Bar One, Norwich Relaunch

#MartyEats: Burger & Lobster, Soho

I used to love Burger & Lobster. That is until they've expanded their menu (you'd think that would be a good thing) and upped their prices. Oh, and made their portions smaller. This is not going to be a good review, and I am super sad about that.

Lisa Angel Review + Discount Code!

Recently (well, a month ago now) I attended a Norwich Bloggers event - and it was amazing. It was so nice to finally meet fellow bloggers from Norwich, and I made great friends already! If you're a blogger from a nearby area, definitely get involved. Anyway. There was a lot of brands there, giving out goodies (eek!) and one of those brands was Lisa Angel. And I fell in love.

My Favourite Lingerie

I must admit, buying lingerie is one of my guilty pleasures. I like to spend a lot of money on it, and I like to do it often. Although it's seen by an extremely limited number of people, I find something really empowering about wearing fantastic underwear. I know that Marilyn Monroe (Queen) supposedly said "Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world", and I feel like that about lingerie (shoes too though, don't worry). I'm quite busty, so finding a well fitted bra at a reasonable price can sometimes be a challenge, but I feel very #GirlBoss when my underwear matches, and also like I really have my life together haha. So today I felt like sharing my favourite pieces from my favourite places, in hopes to inspire you to go match your bra and panties and go kick ass today!

#MartyEats: Wild Thyme, Norwich

The same day that my friends and I headed to the Plantation Gardens, we decided to try out a veggie restaurant called the Wild Thyme. We heard good things - apart from Sam, who feels very strongly about having meat in all of his meals #CrossFit. So we just didn't tell him where we going, until we were on our way haha (hi Sam!). 

KEDSxASOS

Back in May I was lucky enough to be invited to celebrate 100 years of Keds at ASOS headquarters in London. It was lovely to see that the brand was created with women in mind, love a bit of good female empowerment. I also learned that the term 'sneakers' supposedly came from them - the rubber sole makes for such a silent shoes, people would say they were being snaked up on ;). 

Mini Review: Arbonne Skincare

A few weeks ago I was in touch with Maimie Yelland via Twitter, and she was kind enough to offer me a little sample of Arbonne skincare. Now, I won't lie - I've never heard of Arbonne before, but after a quick Google search I was curious. 

REVIEW: TIMELESS TRUTH BEE VENOM MASK

SPOTLIGHT ON: ROSIE FOR AUTOGRAPH

I love Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. And I love makeup. And I love rose gold. So of course this happened.

BEAUTY HAUL

So recently I took a little trip to Superdrug, and as they had a 3 for 2 offer going on (when aren't they though, to be fair) I decided to treat myself.

COCKTAIL MASTERCLASS AT REVOLUCION DE CUBA

(source: Revolucion de Cuba, Norwich)

The UEA Cocktail Society held one of its socials at Revolucion de Cuba, and honestly, it was probably one of the most fun nights I've ever had (most likely due to the amount of alcohol I had consumed, but ah well).

TEA VS CHAMPAGNE

APRIL WISHLIST ♥

Student loan is coming soon (oops!) and so has payday, so these are a few bits I am debating purchasing. I'm feeling a slight revamp of my wardrobe, and I'm really into these pieces. Just click on the photo and it'll take you straight to the website.

#MartyRambles: TAKING TIME FOR YOURSELF

Sundays are perfect for a little self love. We all need some time for ourselves sometimes, and as someone who suffers from anxiety I know about that all too well. Often, if I’ve spent too much time with a lot of people around me (a night out, for example) I need the next day to be all about myself, mainly alone. That’s just how I like it, how I recharge. A lot of people don’t understand that, which often causes some disagreements – it shouldn’t, your friends should understand this sort of thing. And if they don’t, then well, I’m sure you know what I’m going to say about that. So today, to kick off my Self Care Sunday series, I’ve decided to share a few ways which I find help me function properly again.

1. Pamper yourself – pouring myself a bubbly bath has always been one of my favourite ways to relax, so of course I’d do it on a day I want to recharge. I make sure it’s warm (usually hot) (but not too hot because that’s not good for you), I pop on face and hair masks, put some music on and read a book. Yes, I spend an hour or so in the bath. Yes, I look like a dried fruit when I get out. No, I will not stop.
2. Read – I love reading. I study literature, so I should. But to be honest, studying it has actually put me off reading for recreational purposes and now when I do, I prefer to read something easy, usually YA. I’m currently finishing off the Mortal Instruments series (yes I know I am very late – to my defence I read City of Bones as soon as it came out, and then I just kind of forgot about it) but I’m also reading Amy Poehler’s ‘Yes Please’, which is just absolutely hilarious, so glad I’ve picked it up. Reading has this magical power of helping me disconnect with everything else around me, and it’s also a great way to let time pass!
3. Watch some crappy TV – right. Let me tell you something. I love shitty TV shows. I mean, I love good TV shows too, but there’s not many things as good as bad acting. So, on the topic of Mortal Instruments – the Shadowshunters series that is currently on Netflix, is absolutely atrocious. My housemate and I have made it ‘our thing’ on Wednesdays, and we honestly just watch it for a laugh now. It’s so disappointing, as you’d expect the series to be better than a movie, considering they’ve got more time, but alas this isn’t the case. No one will ever compare to Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell-Bower, can’t fake that chemistry (well you can, but yano). I also enjoy The Big Bang Theory & Brooklyn99 for a chilled out watch. Or a decorating show, Fixer Upper is MY LIFE.
4. Meditate – this is something that I’ve only recently began doing, but find it’s slowly but surely helping. Anxiety makes it difficult to switch off almost 99% of the time, so getting my mind clear was a real struggle at first. It’s still difficult, but I’m getting there. I like using the apps Calm and Meditation (they’re also good with sleep specific ones, especially Calm). My goal is to eventually do meditation twice a day, after I wake up and right before I go to sleep. One day.
5.   Exercise – now, I am lazy AF. There, I’ve said it. But #bodygoals are currently encouraging my ass to get myself to the gym and be a little happier with myself. Sport in general is obviously good, so do whatever you prefer – I find that running or using the rowing machine helps me destress the most. I’m also lucky enough to go to a uni on very pretty grounds, and even though I’m a second year and live off campus, I still find walking around the lake very calming.
6. Baking or cooking – probably shouldn’t have written this straight after ‘exercise’, but I find there is something very soothing about watching cupcakes grow. You created those calories. You eat them gurl.
7. Colouring – I’m sure by now you’re sick and tired of hearing this, but don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! I myself have three, one of which is the Vogue edition and the other one is the Harry Potter one. Both are brilliant and I usually like doing these before bed.
8. Journal – this one I have yet to master, I’m not very consistent in keeping a journal, but I know that once I write my thoughts and feeling down I feel much better. So I really should do it more often, but hey. Planning my week out also helps, I have a great planner from ban.do and cannot wait for 2016/2017 ones to come out, they’re gorgeous. Although I’ve also had my eyes on The Happiness Planner for a while now, and think I might cave once the new ones come out.
9. Unplug – I’m planning on having an electronics free 48hrs in the next few weeks, so I’ll write more about that then, but turning off my phone at night (or putting it on Night Mode) has helped me so much. I just forget to check it after a certain point, and since my phone isn’t buzzing, I can focus on whatever else I’m doing. Which usually involves napping.
10. Get away – if possible, go away for a while. I’ve recently been to Spain with my Mum (travel diaries are up here), and although it was only for a few days I already feel more relaxed. Even a day trip helps, just not being in your usual environment is what’s needed sometimes.

What are your favourite ways to relax?

Marty x

#MartyTravels: Eastern Mallorca

I travelled to Mallorca with my Mum last week, and thought it'd be a good idea to share a little bit of my experience. I've also done a review of the hotel, you can find this here.

Cala Millor

This is a very small place, located just above Porto Cristo, and this where we stayed. There is absolutely nothing to do here (it was off season) but everyone is super friendly and the beach is stunning. We didn’t do any sunbathing because the weather was in its high 18s and 19s, and that’s nothing crazy out here. I did get in the water a few times, because you know, when life gives you lemons, but I'm not tanned - plus I burn anyway. I’d recommend to stay here, just because it’s quite pretty and people are nice, but if you’re looking for something more lively or to somewhere to go out, this is not the place to be. On our last day here we took a boat trip down the coast, seeing the other amazing beaches and honestly, that's something I would recommend. It was €22 and lasted two and a half hours.

(best pizza at La Sangria)

(the one day I wore a swimsuit! it's from ASOS, here in black)

Manacor

Manacor is Mallorca’s second largest city, after Palma. It’s most famous for artificial pearl industry, but most importantly, blessing the world with Rafael Nadal (who supposedly still lives here). We went on a Monday, which meant seeing the amazing markets: fruit and vegetables in Placa Constitucio and a general market in Placa Ramon Llul. They both close quite early (1pm) but they’re worth having a look around if you’re near. We spent the rest of the day wandering around, grabbed some coffee and cake. Again, not really much to do. But we did buy an amazing cheese rolled in rosemary, so I'd say it was worth it for the cheese alone.

Porto Cristo

My absolute favourite because of the views. There's a lot of resturants overlooking the port, and the coastline is very pretty so it makes for a very pleasant lunch setting.

Palma

Though Palma isn't on the Eastern coast, I spent quite a long time there and thought it was worth mentioning, even if it's only to say how amazing the latte was at the Cafe Stacion at the bus station. It was honestly the best latte I've ever had, and I've had about 5 just from there, that's how good it was. Also - how cool - they've got free charging stations scattered around, and I'm not going to lie, it did help me out a little.

Excuse the quality of all the photos - my Mum forgot to take the camera, and that was her job.. So they're all taken either on my iPhone or my Mum's Samsung. 

Hope you enjoyed this quite little blog post, I'll see you soon! 

Marty x

#MartyTravels: Hotel Elegenace Vista Blava in Cala Millor

(all photos from: Elegance Hotels)

Whilst in Mallorca, my Mum and I had the pleasure of staying at the Vista Blava hotel in Cala Millor. which is a three star hotel. It was very clean, close to the beach (literally about 5 minutes down the road) and the staff were all lovely. 

A major downside was the food. To say the dinners were bad is an understatement. Food was either very untasty or just bland, and lacked variety. A few nights all we ate was bread and jam (that we knicked from breakfast), because the options were honestly that bad. They also had fruit and desserts that weren't too bad, so props to them. Breakfasts were good, but it's hard to mess up breakfast. I ate croissants with honey pretty much every day, they did however have cereal and full English all the time. You also unfortunately have the option of Half Board and All Inclusive only, so the dinners are included whether we like it or not.

Another downside was the WiFi - it only works in the bar and pool area, which for 2016 I think is quite bad. And even then, it wouldn't always work. Though a lovely gentleman would often reset the router for us haha.

The room we got overlooked the pool, which was quite lucky, as one of the other sides overlooked a run down building. We had two single beds, with very thin covers on - which proved to be difficult first night, as it was really cold, but we were given blankets the next day. The whole room, and the bathroom, were very clean, however the light in the bathroom was oddly dim.

If not for the awful dinners (which seem to be the issue for everyone, not just us!), I would definitely recommend this hotel. It's quite disappointing that such a clean hotel with lovely staff is being let down by its kitchen.

Marty x

REVIEW: MY LITTLE BOX 'BUBBLE' EDITION

I must say, 'My Little Box' has to be one of my favourite subscription boxes. Why? I really enjoy the variety of products every month! Yes, of course, we all love makeup, but I like the fact that MLB does special themes each month (last month's being 'Home' - amaze) and that they include their own brand products (moisturisers are actually quite good).

This month's theme is Bubble - I'm still not entirely sure why and what it means, but I enjoyed the box regardless. The first three products are by MLB themselves: a hairbrush, a lip & cheek tint and a BeautyBlender dupe. I've tried both the hairbrush and the tint, and those are awesome - I mean it's hard to f up a hairbrush, but I like that it's small enough to throw in my handbag. I'm going on holiday to Spain with my Mum at the end of the week, so that'll definitely come in hand. As for the tint, it's not really my shade cheek wise, as it's very purple, but I love it on my lips!

 

 

The next two products are by others brands. Huygens and Givenchy, to be exact. I was surprised to see the Givenchy product, as I've never received something so high end from My Little Box. The mascara itself is great so far, I'm wearing it today and I haven't noticed anything that would put me off it. It also came at a great time, because as I've mentioned I'll be going away, so a travel sized anything will come handy. Might do a full review after I've been using it for a week, who knows? As for the body scrub, I haven't had the chance to use it yet, but I'm a bit meh on the scent - I've noticed that there was another one in the boxes and I honestly wish I got the other one. But hey, beggars can't be choosers eh!

That's all for today's post, but I've got a few more lined up before I head off to Spain, so you can look out for those :) Do you subscribe to any My Little Box? Or if not, what's your favourite subscription box? Share in the comments below, I love trying out new ones!

Love, Marty xoxo

50 FACTS ABOUT ME

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                                                                                                              (credit: Viktor Hanacek)

1. What's the first thing you notice about someone when you first meet them? How they treat the people around them.
2. What's your favourite Beyonce song? Probably 'Love on Top'. Or 'Partition'.
3. What's you must-have fashion accessory? Simple silver earrings that go with anything, like these or these.
4. Chocolate or vanilla? 100% chocolate.
5. Favourite type of flower? Tulips and peonies.
6. What toppings do you put on your pizza? Literally anything and everything.
7. What city were you born in? Konskie, Poland. 
8. What city do you spend the most time in? As I'm now at university, I spend most of my time in Norwich.
9. Favourite city? Amsterdam. I love everything about it.
10. Favourite movie? That's something that changes all the time, but I'm currently obsessed with Deadpool - if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favour and do so ASAP!
11. What's the greatest invention? I mean I know there are greater inventions, but the one that affects me directly has to be the iPhone.
12. What's the craziest hairstyle you've had? I once decided to have blonde highlight whilst I had brown hair. 0/10, don't recommend. I hated it so much that I don't even have any photos of it left. I'm sure someone somewhere does. They'll come back to haunt me.
13. Favourite Ninja Turtle? Raphael. Or maybe I'm just biased because that's my Dad's name.
14. Hot dog or hamburger? I refuse to choose.
15. Are you allergic to anything? Mosquito bites, mould and I'm slightly intolerant to gluten. But that doesn't stop my love for all things bread.
16. What's your favourite colour? White.
17. What's your biggest fear? Spiders and heights, equally.
18. What was your first car? I still haven't done my driving test. Oops.
19. What's your favourite dance move? Anything Beyonce does. Anything.
20. When was your first proper kiss? I want to say in Year 9? I feel like it was Year 9. Clearly not very memorable.
21. Favourite workout? I love HIIT workouts, boxercise and I enjoy lifting weights, I feel super satisfied with myself after I'm done.
22. What's the most meaningful gift you've ever received? For my 20th birthday, my friend made me a collage of Penguin book covers to have in a frame, and she also designed one with my name on it. Very thoughtful.
23. What qualities do you look for in a 'Prince Charming'? Loyalty, honesty and sense of humour.
24. What song makes you cry? Currently, '7 Years' by Lukas Graham.
25. Who's the last person you called? My Mum.
26. How tall are you? 5'7 and a half apparently.
27. Any tattoos? Five.
28. Do you have a favourite animal? Dogs.
29. What's something you miss? Snow.
30. Zodiac sign? Sagittarius.
31. What's your favourite time of year? Mid-Spring.
32. Stay-cation or African safari? African safari! I've always wanted to go.
33. Who's your fashion icon? Marilyn Monroe.
34. Place you want to visit? Thailand.
35. What will your wedding dress look like? Lace, fitted, champagne coloured, probably backless.
36. Who was your first crush? There's videos of 2 year old me begging my parents to change the channel so I could dance and stare at Ricky Martin. There's your answer.
37. Finish this sentence 'If I wasn't a student right now, I'd be...'? A fashion stylist.
38. Worst pick up line you've ever heard? 'Do you love water? That means you love 80% of me already!'
39. Favourite piece of jewellery? An infinity bracelet my parents gave me.
40. Do you have any siblings? Nope.
41. Why did you start a blog? So I could share all my experiences and thoughts freely.
42. How long does it take for you to get ready in the morning? Anything between 10 minutes to 30.
43. Who was the last person to text you? A girl I'm on a society committee with.
44. Finish this sentence 'I'm really bad at...'? Time management. 
45. What's something you're really good at? Cooking and baking.
46. What would your last meal on Earth be? Anything and everything I can get my hands on, pizza, chocolate, cheese & crackers, you name it.
47. What's your favourite smell? Something fresh, like lemons or fresh cotton. 
48. Any secrets? None I can think of.
49. What was the last thing you splurged on? Charlotte Tilbury makeup.
50. Favourite make up product? Mascara. Can't leave the house without it.

Inspired by this video.

MY EVERY DAY 5 MINUTE MAKE-UP

As a student, more than often I find myself rushing out of the door in the mornings (and let's be real, afternoons too). But thanks to that, I have managed to perfect my '5 Minute' look and I look almost presentable and 100% like I've put a lot of effort into my make-up. Some of the products might be considered a little out of a student's budget, but I've got three things to say about that:

~ I have a part time job and a splurge here and there won't break my bank.

~ I find that high end products last longer, therefore they're worth it.
~ I like to 'invest in my future': my friends laugh when I say that, but I like putting good products onto my face, so it doesn't look awful 20 years down the line. I mean just saying.

EYES

Many moons ago,I decided to fill in my brows, you know, just for fun. And then I never went back. I absolutely love filling them in, and am trying new products constantly. I always start with the brows first and my current favourite and go to is the Cailyn Gelux Eyebrow in Hazelnut. Realistically, Nutmeg would be my perfect shade, but I'm pretty sure I received this in a subscription box, so beggars can't be choosers. I use the Real Techniques Brow Brush to fill them in, because even though this product comes with a brush, it's way too tiny and fiddly. 

I move onto eye shadow after that. Some may think it's too excessive for a 5 minute make up routine, but I like throwing a little shade onto my eyes, just to look a little bit more alive and like I haven't just rolled out of bed. Lately, I've been reaching most for the Revolution Eyeshadow Palette in Flawless Matte, in particular the shade Leather. Then I throw a coat or two (usually one is enough, I've got pretty long eyelashes) of Benefit Roller Lash Mascara, and that's the eyes finished!

FACE & LIPS

When it comes to my skin, I want it to be two things: dewy and fresh looking. I use a BB Cream on an everyday basis, and only wear full coverage foundation on nights out or when I have a big event to go to. Since my gap year, my absolute and only favourite has been the Burberry Skin Fresh Glow B.B. Cream in Fair no.1 - yes I know it's pricey, but it really is worth it, and it lasts me about 2.5/3 months, so if I save a tenner a month - I can treat myself to lovely skin again! I either blend that in with a Beauty Blender, or with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush - whatever is closer to me at the time. Then I grab my Real Techniques Blush Brush (yeah I know, I've got a problem) and my MAC Blush in Margin and pop a little of Sleek's Illuminator in Monaco onto my cheekbones. I finish off with either Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Diva Red or H&M Beauty Lip Gloss in Tuscan Blush, depending on how I'm feeling that day. 

So, there it is, my 5 minute 'I woke up like this' make up routine. What are your favourite go to products when you're in the rush? Comment below and don't forget to subscribe to keep up to date! 

Marty xo