Music Monday | Top 5 Songs of the Week - 29/06/15

1. The One - Kodaline

"You make my heart feel like it's summer, when the rain is pouring down."

The One is definitely my favourite song of the moment. If you haven't heard it yet, why? Kodaline never fail to release amazing music and this song is so beautiful. The video is pretty cute as well. 

2. Someone New - Hozier

"I fall in love just a little, oh a little bit everyday with someone new."

Everyone loved 'Take Me to Church' by Hozier whenever it was released, myself included, but I think I actually prefer this song. It's quite repetitive, but what song isn't these days? It just helps it to get stuck in my head more. It's a lot more upbeat than Take Me to Church and it hasn't been over-played. Yet. 

3. Beautiful to Me - Olly Murs

"Love, don't ever change the way you are. You light the sky just like a star."

As soon as I heard this song I fell in love with it. It's so beautiful. I think it's such an underrated song and I can't believe it didn't chart in the UK Top40! Like the Kodaline video, this is really cute as well.

4. Roads - Lawson

"No matter what I do, every road leads right back to you."

I am so glad there is finally some new music from Lawson! I've been listening to them since 2012 after I saw them open for The Wanted. This is a great, upbeat song that I can't help singing along to. It's a little bit different to their older music, but I'm really liking their new sound.

5. Kiss Me Quick - Nathan Sykes

"Nobody's looking right now, ain't no time for messing around, but it won't take a minute, baby come kiss me quick."

I was a fan of The Wanted whenever they were still together and even though they're not together anymore I was excited to hear that Nathan was releasing his own music! Kiss Me Quick is his first solo single and it's a really good song (obviously). His music has changed a lot since his days in The Wanted, but it really highlights his incredibly talented voice. You can pre-order Kiss Me Quick here if you want to. 

What songs have you been loving this week? Let me know in the comments!

Sarah-Michelle x

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You can find last week's Music Monday post here

Summer Lovin' #4: Dry Shampoo

Summer is the time of year for festivals, camping, and lazing around in the sun. Or, sometimes you’re simply busy or hit the snooze button one too many times (guilty!). My hairdresser told me a while ago that washing your hair everyday can strip your hair of its natural oils. So how can you keep your hair looking and feeling fresh? By using a dry shampoo, of course!

There’s only one brand of dry shampoo that I like to use that’s loved by many, and it’s the Batiste dry shampoo. I’ve tried using other brands, but none have compared to Batiste; it smells fresh and it adds more volume and texture to your hair which is great for creating pretty plaits (or braids) and other cute, summery hairstyles.

The dry shampoo with a hint of colour easily blends in with your hair colour rather than leaving a white residue on your hair (which can end up looking like dandruff), or even cover up those pesky roots that need dying.

The Batiste dry shampoo with a hint of colour in the shade light & blonde

Have you tried the Batiste dry shampoo?

Sarah-Michelle x

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Music Monday | Top 5 Songs of the Week - 22/06/15

Music is one thing that I couldn't live without. Listening to music makes me feel so much better if I'm feeling down, relaxed if I'm stressed, or just happier than I already am. You will rarely see me without my earphones in, much to my parents’ annoyance as most of the time I don't hear a word they say!

Here are my top 5 songs of the week!

1. Shut Up and Dance - Walk the Moon 

 "A backless dress and some beat up sneaks, my discothèque Juliet, teenage dream." 

 This song hasn't left my head since I first heard it on the radio. It's catchy and upbeat and I love it! Shut up and dance makes me want to, well, shut up and dance really.

2. One Last Time - Ariana Grande 

 "Baby I don't care if you got her in your heart, all I really care is you wake up in my arms.”

 Again, this is a very upbeat song. I love songs like this because they put me in a really summery mood for some reason. Ariana Grande’s voice is huge for such a small girl. It’s amazing and I honestly wish I could sing like her.

3. Where Are U Now – Skrillex & Diplo

 “When you broke down I didn’t leave ya, I was by your side, so where are you now that I need ya?”

 This is a song that makes me want to go out partying! I have to turn it up loud any time it comes on, no matter where I am. I don’t usually listen to Justin Bieber, but this song is so good and perfect for summer.

4. Bad Blood – Taylor Swift

"Band aids don’t fix bullet holes, you say sorry just for show; if you live like that you live with ghosts.”

 Who doesn’t like this song at the minute? Taylor Swift is the biggest female artist right now and she is seriously slaying. I’ve loved Taylor Swift since the days of Fearless and Love Story, but Bad Blood is a lot edgier than her other music and I love it!

5.  Runaways – All Time Low

“They won’t catch us in the dark, roll like thunder, burn like stars.”

All Time Low are one of my all-time favourite bands and I was so excited when they released Future Hearts back in April. I love all of the songs on the album but this past week I’ve found myself listening to Runaways more than the others. I’m also lucky enough to be going to Belsonic in August and I cannot wait to see ATL play live!

What songs have you been loving this week? 

Sarah-Michelle x

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Wish List | The Button and Bow Factory

I first discovered The Button and Bow Factory on Instagram. I scrolled through their feed and instantly fell in love. They have some really gorgeous and unique accessories. I especially love their necklaces and sunglasses. I haven’t purchased anything from it yet but I really hope to soon!

Here’s my current wish list: 

   1| Retro Round Sunglasses  2| Believe Necklace 3| Gold Elephant Necklace

   4| Retro Pink Sunglasses 5| Cartoon Giraffe iPhone cover 6| Gold Bambi Ring

Sarah-Michelle x

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A Wee Change...

As you may have noticed I have changed my blog name! I thought 'Just Buffy' sounded a tad too similar to what a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan might call their blog...

So, my blog is now called Life With A Dash.

I know that technically there's a hyphen and not a dash between my two names, but when I was younger I always said Sarah - dash - Michelle. All of my content will be the same, but you can now find me at lifewithadash.blogspot.co.uk.

Sarah-Michelle x

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Wanderlust: 5 Places I Want To Visit

I love travelling to different countries and this October I'm lucky enough to be travelling to Kraków in Poland. I'm so excited!!

However, there are so many countries and cities that I've never been to. I've managed to cut down my endless list of places to only 5 - which was extremely hard by the way - and now I'm going to share them with you! 

1. Rome, Italy

Rome looks like such a beautiful city with so many historical places to visit. Both of my sisters and one of my brothers have been before and they loved it! I was supposed to go with my school last year but sadly wasn't able to. And I was really looking forward to my Lizzie McGuire moment too :(

2. New York City, New York

Who doesn't want to go to New York? As you probably know if you have read this post or this post, I've been watching Gossip Girl recently and it's been making me want to go even more. I'd love to shop on fifth avenue, take a stroll around Central Park, and see the Statue of Liberty. It's also a great city for taking photographs and I'm in love with the New York skyline.

3. Sydney, Australia

I would absolutely love to go to Australia and Sydney seems like the perfect place to go! Don't even get me started on the accents. Australian accents are definitely my favourite. I could listen to them all day long.

4. Los Angeles, California

I've wanted to go to LA since I was little. With the gorgeous weather, beautiful beaches and the famous Hollywood sign, who wouldn't want to visit LA? 

5. The Maldives 

The Maldives look so beautiful. The White sandy beaches, the clear blue water and the blue skies make the islands seem like the ideal holiday destination to relax and get some sun. The Maldives look like paradise. 

Where would you like to visit?

Sarah-Michelle x

*all images are from tumblr

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Summer Lovin' #3: Fake Tan

The Summer Lovin' series continues and this week it's fake tan!

During the summer months we all like to have a tan, but let's face it, when you live in the UK it's hard to get a natural tan. That's when fake tan comes in useful! This week I actually have 3 fake tans that I like to use in the summer. 

1. Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs

I know it says 'airbrush legs' but I use this all over my body and it never fails to leave me with a perfect streak-free tan! I really like using this one if I'm going on a night out because it's quite a dark tan and it has the teeniest bit of shimmer in it. Also, it instantly makes my legs look better. It covers all of my imperfections and I feel more confident wearing skirts and dresses when I'm wearing this tan. 

2. Dove Summer Glow

This is great if you want a more natural day-to-day tan. It moisturises your skin as well and it always leaves my skin feeling super soft! I find that I need a couple of layers of this to get the colour I want but with only one layer it still creates a really nice, natural looking tan. 

3. Cocoa brown 1 hour tan

Again, like the Sally Hansen tan, I wear this if I'm going somewhere. The first time I used this was for my school formal back in March. The other tan I had on turned out patchy once I showered (just what I wanted before my formal). The one hour tan was great because I was literally slathering it on an hour before I left the house! The colour turned out really nicely and it's perfect for summer. It's even Kylie Jenner approved!  

What fake tan do you like to wear during the summer? Or are you extremely lucky and have a natural tan? 


Sarah-Michelle x 

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What I'm Currently Watching

My exams are completely finished and it's now officially summer for me! That means two and a half months of binge watching TV shows. Here's what I'm currently watching...

Gossip Girl

If you read my May favourites (which you can find here) you will know that I've been watching and loving Gossip Girl. I've watched the first series and I'm now onto the second, and I love everything about it. Well, everything except Georgina (ugh).

Supernatural

I started watching this after my friends recommended it and after seeing endless amounts of gifs on tumblr. I'm only about half way through the first series, but I love it already! Every single episode keeps me on edge the whole way through. Dean's sass is also pretty great.

Pretty Little Liars

I'm on series two of PLL and it's soo good! I'm so glad it's on Netflix now because I've been wanting to watch it for ages. I'm definitely going to be marathoning this soon because I can't wait to find out who A is. No spoilers please.

The 100

The 100 is filled with drama from the very start, much like most of the TV shows I'm watching at the moment. I love how it's set in a post-apocalyptic world and has a sci-fi feel to it, although it still has the typical romantic story line which I have to admit I like in a show. It drew me in from the very start and I need to watch series two now!

The Vampire Diaries

I used to watch TVD religiously but then, for some reason, I stopped half way through season 4. However, I've started watching it again and want to finish watching the last few seasons. The story lines are always really interesting and I love me some of the Salvatore brothers. Who doesn't?

What have you been watching recently?

Sarah-Michelle x

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Sorry!

I haven't really had much of a chance to write these past few days because of revision, so instead of sitting down to write a lengthy post for my Summer Lovin' series I thought I would share some of the photos that I've taken over the past few months. Some were taken with my iPhone and some with my DSLR (and you can probably tell the difference). After Thursday I intend to post more frequently. Follow me to keep updated.

I hope you enjoy! 

You can find my instagram here

Sarah-Michelle x 

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Procrastination, Pinterest and Pastels

It's a Friday night and most teens my age are out with friends, partying.

I have three exams this week; one on Tuesday, one on Wednesday and one on Thursday. *cries*

Any time I take a break from revision, or in other words, if I just feel like procrastinating for a little bit longer, I usually find myself endlessly browsing Asos or scrolling through Pinterest - my latest obsession. 

I've noticed a bit of a trend with all of the clothes I've been adding to my basket (only to exit out of it and not buy anything - I'm not the only one, am I??) and the stuff I've been pinning on Pinterest. 

There's a lot of pastels. 

Pastel colours are so gorgeous, especially in spring/summer. They're soft, girly and cute! Looking at pastel colours makes feel relaxed as well, for some reason, which is helpful during exam time. I may even have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to all things pastel...

Comment your blog name so I can read a few after my exams :-)

Sarah-Michelle x 

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Summer Lovin' #2: BB Cream

It’s June and summer has officially started! Hello sun!

Oh wait. *looks outside* Never mind. 

Nevertheless, it is technically summer and this week in my Summer Lovin’ series I’m writing about BB cream!

BB creams are an essential for me in summer as they’re not as heavy as foundation. I hate wearing thick foundation in the summer, especially when it’s warm. And you have to wear a primer underneath and constantly powder to ensure it remains on your face and doesn’t disappear after half an hour in the heat - too many layers. Also, a lot of foundations don’t contain SPF which is necessary during the summer months (and, in fact, all year round).

This BB cream from Rimmel London is ideal for the summer. It’s lightweight, it contains SPF 25, and it moisturises. Perfect!

There definitely aren’t as many shades of BB cream as there are foundation, but this BB cream is available in 3 shades from Boots: very light, light and medium. I love how this BB cream comes in the shade very light because sometimes light just isn’t light enough for my pale complexion. 

What BB cream do you love to use during the summer?

Sarah-Michelle x

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