Quick & Easy No Bake Summer Desserts

Alright I'll go ahead and admit it. I'm still trying to squeeze as much out of summer as I can, the lack of hot weather may be the only issue here. It's been a while since I last mentioned baking and what's he best way to envision a lovely sunny day in the UK? Why strawberries and cream of course. This picture springs to mind specifically. Do you know what isn't fun to do on a hot day? Getting anywhere near an oven. So what solution have I created to trick myself into thinking the UK is still as hot as Spain? That's right, a video on no bake desserts! 

As you may have noticed, I'm not a baking expert and a Mary Berry protege I certainly am not. So I prefer quick and easy recipes that won't break the bank. In fact all of the ingredients combined cost me less that £20, winning! 

Looking for sugar free recipes? Yeah this probably won't be for you but I do include a vast amount of strawberries so that counts for something right?

Victoria

Summer Outfits '16

So where has the lovely July heatwave gone then? I'm a bit late with this post considering the UK has gone back to its usual rainy self, but we still have August.. Okay so maybe I'm being slightly optimistic but a last minute flight to sunny Spain should always be in the cards!

Most of these outfits are catered for ACTUAL warm weather, so my miserable face is just anticipating the rain to come.

Bardot crop top - New Look

Harem Pants - Miss Selfridge

Black crop top/trousers/sunglasses - Boohoo

Having a cas chat with the hydrangeas 

Dress - New Look

(I didn't actually need a wee, even though my stance says otherwise) 

Butterfly Jacket - BHS

Victoria

P.S - I did my hair like this with the Lee Stafford Chopstick Styler, the link to which is in my latest video <3

Summer Hairstyles for Long Hair Tutorial

Considering we've been dealing with a mini heatwave here in the UK, I thought a tutorial on summer hairstyles would be very apt. Now I'm in by no means a hair stylist, but I did spend a lot of my teen years on YouTube looking up various hair tutorials and even as a child I've always been eager to learn new ways to do different kinds of braids. Combine this with the fact I'm quite lazy when it comes to doing my hair on a daily basis, I think I've managed to come up with some of the most simplistic styles that don't require too much effort, yet you manage to not look like you've been dragged through a bush backwards.

All the styles focus on getting hair away from your face/neck because I don't know about you, but I've been quite the sweaty Betty this past week and the last thing I need is my hair clinging to me and creating my own personal scarf. Great for winter but now? Yeah, not so much.

Speaking of lots of hair, does anybody else feel really sorry for their furry friends at this time of year? I'll moan about how warm I am, yet I can't even imagine how they must feel encased in their little balls of fluff. Poor things! I've taken to putting ice cubes in my dogs water bowl and I even sometimes let him finish off my ice cream because he is an absolute dairy fiend.

If you do want a video on different hairstyles for your dog then this probably won't be for you as my hair is slightly longer than the average pooches. 

Anyway, let me know what you think!

Victoria

Amsterdam 2016!

In my last post I mentioned that in June, I'd been to Amsterdam with a few friends. We were only there for three nights and we did so much in those few days that I thought my feet were going to drop off -  honestly. 

The city in general is so pretty with lots of detailed architecture and the many canals that flow throughout the city. It's a very different atmosphere than being back in dear old Blighty, the weather was extremely warm and sunny for starters. Even when it rained overnight, the drizzle seemed to have settled by the afternoon and it went back to being extremely hot. Everyone also seemed really friendly and everything about the city had a very chilled out atmosphere, unless you'd just missed your tramp that is. 

To remember my experience, I've collated a few pictures from my trip which really stick out as memorable moments - hopefully you will enjoy them too!

The Science Musuem

 Tulips from Amsterdam

A photo posted by Victoria (@freckldfiend) on Jul 8, 2016 at 1:48pm PDT

We were there a total of four days (but the last one doesn't count as it consisted of travelling). Luckily, we managed to visit pretty much every museum/well known areas that we wanted to. NO not that area, cheeky. Unfortunately the only place we didn't managed to get into was The Anne Frank House, as the queue was longer than most rides for amusement parks I've been to. Yes THAT long.

If you're really eager to visit European cities I honestly think Amsterdam is a must. You don't have to be there long to really get a feel of the city and if you're open minded, embrace the Dutch culture with open arms. I really don't think you'd be left disappointed :)

Thinking about going to Amsterdam but don't know where to start? Drop me an email/tweet on my contact page and I'd be happy to help in anyway I can!

Victoria 

Essential Hand Luggage Items For Short Flights!

Last week I traveled to the fabulous city of Amsterdam for just over three days. The weather was beautiful and I was in awe of the scenery and architecture (but I'll get to that in another post). 

Since holiday season has well and truly kicked in for many, I've seen a fair few posts on what to take for long haul flights, but very few for short ones - it was roughly a 50 minute flight to Amsterdam and back from Leeds Bradford airport. Obviously you need to pack more for longer journeys, but I decided to compile a list for my short flight essentials.

Facial wipes: Even on short journeys, my face can be prone to getting a bit oily so I find including a small packet of wipes in my bag can really help me feel refreshed and revitalised - just make sure you've tried them beforehand so they won't react badly with your skin.

Deodorant: Unfortunately unless you're a clairvoyant, you're probably not going to be able to guess the temperature of your plane before take off. Even though most have air conditioning, it's not great sitting next to that stranger who could've done with doubling up the amount they put on that day - even worse when it's you. Save yourself the embarrassment and pack some roll on deodorant anyway for fresh pits and a better overall smelling journey. 

Entertainment: Just because a 1 hour flight is shorter than most, doesn't mean you can't feel bored very easily. If you're not taking electronics or have forgotten your earphones, always make sure you pack a book or magazine to keep yourself entertained.

Brush/comb: I don't know about you, but I find nothing worse than knotty hair getting tangled up in everything in your line of vision. No matter where I'm going, I always pack my small trustworthy tangle teezer in the unfortunate event that my hair decides to stick to everything in sight. 

Head/earphones: If you're a nervous flyer, listening to music can help calm you down and distract you from your surroundings. Whilst you probably won't be using them to watch a film, they can't also help you seem busy and unwilling to talk to the person who insists on spending the whole journey telling you about all the 'exciting' and 'fascinating' places they've been.

Lip balm/small amounts of makeup: Whilst I can't imagine why you'd wear a full amount of makeup on any flight, long or short, including a small amount of makeup in your hand luggage may help you feel like less of a zombie at the end of the flight. I also have a bit of a vivid imagination so the thought of my suitcase going missing with all my makeup inside genuinely fills me with a feeling of complete and utter dread.

Mints/chewing gum: Feel like you're getting a dry mouth and the on flight water is a bit too weird tasting to handle? Make sure you have some mints or chewing gum to hand for fresh breath so you won't be knocking out any of the flight attendants anytime soon. Chewing gum can also help sufferers of anxiety in stressful situations, so again if you feel a bit nervous about your flight - get chewing!

Sunglasses: Even if you're not jetting off to a sunny island paradise, packing a pair of sunnys means you don't step off the plane being blinded by the outside world. Also if like me you suffer from migraines and one happens to get triggered on the plane, I shudder at the thought, then a subdued amount of light can really help reduce the strength of the symptoms. Speaking of glasses, if like me you wear you have to wear them and alternate between spectacles and contacts - make sure you pack yours so you don't have to worry about any visual issues which may occur.

Think I've missed anything? Let me know down below!

Victoria

Getting Fit For 2016

I'll be honest, I'm not the fittest person and the planet right now and I feel like doing something about it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not rolling around like the Michelin Man, but I'm not exactly in peak physical condition either. I've always had a slim build and try my best to eat healthily as much as possible, but there are only so many times you can eat the same 'healthy' foods and work out using the same routines before you face a serious burnout.

I feel like 2016 is the year I will finally get properly motivated to exercise more - yeah Vicky, wait 'til 6 months in. I can't make any promises about eating less crap though (I can hear McDonald's fries calling me as we speak). I'm also a bit of a sugar fiend so if I could cut down on less baked goodness that comes from my grans oven, that would be a start. Don't get me wrong, I won't cut it out completely, she'd kill me first, but baby steps to consuming less sugary treats will be a start in the right direction.

I mentioned as party of New Years resolutions that I would join some kind of fitness club, but lack of funds mean any new projects are being put on hold right now, but I will sign up to a class before the year is out! I've also purchased some fitness gear from Missguided so being able to work out and keep everything place will be a major benefit.

I'm contemplating buying Charlotte Crosby's Bum Blitz DVD, as I've heard great things about it and learning the routines would make exercise far easier. I don't necessarily want an overly toned athletic body, I'd be happy to just feel as healthy as possible and if abs that could break blocks of cement come of it, I won't complain. I also lack upper body strength, but I did accidentally break my grandparents door the other day by pushing it with some extra force that was not needed.. & there was the time I accidentally winded someone by playing hitting their chest too hard. Maybe I shouldn't focus on them right now? If my scrawny arms can do more damage than the Hulk, then imagine how much power I would have if I actually worked on them, deadly.

Anyway jokes aside if anyone has any recommendations for work out DVDs that have really helped you, I'm all ears! I know I won't be joining a gym anytime soon, because I probably wouldn't go so it will be a waste of money but I'm more than happy to exercise at home with my dog giving me very concerned looks. I'm also considering buying a cookbook full of healthy recipes, but we'll see about that one.

Victoria

NYX // Sculpt & Highlight Face Duo

Ever since NYX has released their products to Boots stores, no matter the store location, it seems to be an incredible to struggle to get to the NYX products. The swarms of young girls and their mothers is enough to make anyone want to run away and take cover, so the fact I even managed to pick up this item is a miracle in itself.

I mentioned the other day on Twitter that I was looking for a new contour kit, as my basic bronzer just wasn't making the cut. I've talked about my love for NYX lip liners in my previous post, so when my friend mentioned their contour kit I was eager to try it out. That was until I found out that they were pretty much sold out online everywhere - sad face. So you can imagine my delight when I found out I could grab one from my local Boots store, but oh no, they were sold out there too - sad face x2.. Instead, I opted for their new Sculpt & Highlight Face Duo in the hopes that this would just be a good, smaller, alternative.

I want to start off by saying that for the price of the stick, the product has a great consistency and a small amount goes a long way. Buffing a small amount of the contour just underneath my cheeks using my Real Techniques angled brush and buffing it in with my beauty blender, means I get a look that's not too heavy that I can build on if need be. I like to blend the contour with the 'highlighter' to prevent the colour looking slightly brash - I say it like this as I find it to be more useful as a concealer than a highlight. I picked up the lightest shade, yet the highlight blended in with my foundation so it doesn't really sit on the tops of my cheekbones well - I'll stick to the Benefit High Beam for now.

The creamy consistency means of the product means it clings to my skin like a dream and won't budge for the whole day/night, unlike some other powders I have tried. I feel it could be slightly more pigmented, but as I mentioned before it is buildable and a darker powder could be used on top to keep it set in place.

I still fully intend to purchase the NYX contour palette at a later date, but at £9 at Boots, I'm happy to keep using my Sculpt & Highlight stick until I get a few more pennies into my bank account.

Victoria