If there’s one trend that’s dominating this summer it has to be all things tribal. Aztec, batik, ikat and abstracts with South American, Indonesian and African influences can be found everywhere; on t-shirts, dresses, shorts and swimwear. Accessorize with oversized hoop earrings, beads and wooden bangles.
L-R Sunseeker Swimsuit, Fantasie Cover Up, ViX Bikini
L-R Roxy Bag, Seafolly Sandals, ViX Dress, O'Neill Sandals, Roxy Bag
L-R Sunseeker Bikini, Maryan Mehlhorn Swimsuit & Pareo, Aguaclara Bikini
No more frantically fumbling around in your Spanish phrase book, or forgetting your swimsuit, or getting horribly lost, or wandering the streets searching for somewhere to eat . These 5 must-have travel apps will take the hassle out of your holiday abroad and help you relax and make the most of it.
1. Postcard on the Run – Free
This is brilliant. You take a photo on your phone and it sends a real postcard of it to the person or people of your choice. You can add a personal message and even draw your signature on. Postcard on the Run deal with all the postage admin. The app is free but it does cost to send a postcard. We all still love receiving postcards, so this is a novel way to combine 21st century technology with good old fashioned tradition.
2. Packing Pro - £1.99
Don’t forget your toothbrush! This app acts as your own portable, personal packing helper. You create and manage packing lists, plus there’s a built-in catalogue with loads of suggested items and packing tips so you don’t leave anything out. You can email your list to other users too. This app is ideal for big trips of a lifetime or if you’re just a bit on the forgetful side!
3. Google Translate – Free
With the Google Translate app, you can translate the words and phrases of more than 60 languages, 17 of which you can speak the text instead of typing it. It also has a Conversation Mode, available in 14 languages, which allows you to communicate with another person using speech-to-speech translation. For more common phrases you’re going to need to repeat, you can store them so you’ve got easy access to them when you need it.
4. TripIt® - up to £2.54
The ultimate travel organiser, this handy app stores all your travel plans in one place so there’s no scrambling around looking for hotel directions or car rental phone numbers etc. You don’t need an internet connection, so you can access all the info. you need anywhere. You can also share your travel itinerary with family or friends.
5. XE.com – Free
This is a must-have travel app for anyone who ever ventures abroad. It can convert every imaginable world currency. It tracks currency rates and updates them every minute too. Great for checking prices quickly, wherever you are in the world.
Just a quickie to let you know you can get £10 off on Wonderbra Ultimate Strapless bras at Simply Beach in May.
The Ultimate Strapless is nothing short of genius, it’s so supportive up to a G cup and invisible under tight clothes. Take your pick between plain or lace.
If you’ve never experienced the revelation that is the Ultimate Strapless, check out The Style Rawr’s brilliant review here .
There’s so much to choose from this year when it comes to colour, whether print, plain or block colour. Apricot and the slightly deeper coral shades are big news, as are monochrome and metallics. Apricot is a great colour to show off a tan, especially when you pair it up with white. Monochrome never goes out of style and metallics add a bit of glamour to your beach wardrobe.
L-R Melissa Odabash bikini, Roxy bag, Reef flip flops, Melissa Odabash dress, Seafolly hat, Seafolly bag
L-R All by Seafolly
L-R Melissa Odabash kaftan, Seafolly sarong buckle, ViX flip flops, Seafolly bag, Melissa Odabash swimsuit
You can find all of the pieces above at Simply Beach
We’ve handpicked 3 holiday capsule wardrobes, whether you’re splurging, splashing out or saving. These easy pieces are versatile enough to form the base of your holiday wardrobe and are neutral enough to mix and match with the rest of your beachwear.
Each set includes 1 x one piece, 1 x bikini, 1 x beach dress, a pair of beach shoes and a beach and you can buy everything you see below here.
Oxfam launched their Big Bra hunt this week; a brilliant scheme appealing to women throughout the UK not to bin their old bras but to donate them to Oxfam throughout the month of April. Some of the bras will be sold in their UK shops, but a large proportion will be sent to West Africa, where bras are scarce because there aren’t the facilities to manufacture them. As part of Oxfam’s Frip Ethique project in Senegal – which sorts and trades second hand bras from the UK – the donated bras will provide employment for women in the area and raise money for investment Oxfam’s work for poor communities there.
You can drop your unwanted bras off in any Oxfam store across the country or you can arrange a group collection with your friends, with collector’s kits with invitations and party ideas available. Details can be found on Oxfam’s website http://www.oxfam.org.uk/
The charity hopes to get in excess of a million bras by the end of the month. Considering we keep hold of an average of 3 bras each that we no longer wear, that should definitely be achievable if we all have a clear out!
Did you see those fab photos of Abbey Crouch in her lingerie-inspired lace effect bikini on the beach in Dubai? Daily Mail article here
If you’re desperate to get your hands on one for yourself but have been wondering where to find it, your search is over! It’s this Delicate Print moulded halter bikini by JETS White Label, the exclusive collection from JETS by Jessika Allen.
JETS by Jessika Allen White Label swimwear is fabulously glamorous, made from luxury fabrics and featuring striking prints and show-stopping cuts. This one Abbey wore has a vintage feel, with a contemporary twist. A striking combination.
If SS12 will be known for one thing, it will be the year full coverage bikini pants finally came into their own again, after years of less-is-more. This year, vintage-inspired high waisted, skirted and boyshort bikini bottoms are hotter than ever, which is excellent news for women of all shapes and sizes. These styles are immensely flattering and bang on-trend and if you’ve always dreaded bikini season and struggled to find a full coverage bikini that’s actually fashionable, now’s the time to shine!
Here are our 3 key full coverage looks :
High Waisted
L-R Seafolly Tea Rose High Waisted Bikini, Moontide Screen Sirens Bikini, Seafolly Safari Bikini
Skirted
L-R Red or Dead Ducks Bikini, Freya Fever Skirted Bikini, Seafolly La Vita Bikini
Boyshort
L-R Fantasie Chicago Bikini, Banana Moon Poko Hela Bikini, Freya Samba Bikini
We’re loving this survey of British holidaymakers that reveals us as – in no particular order – flirty, celeb and work-obsessed, a little naughty and happy to admit to a petty theft. Here are some of the results:
The secrets of trying to get a flight upgrade:
· 41% of holidaymakers admit to flirting with check-in staff in a bid to get a flight upgrade.
· And 12% confess they would even flirt with check-in staff of the same sex if it meant getting an upgrade.
· 34% have pretended to be on a honeymoon.
Getting away with it at security:
· Almost a third of travellers have breached airport security, with sharp objects or oversized liquids not being spotted in their hand luggage when going through security.
Look what we packed:
· 22% of people admit to sneaking heavier items into their partner’s suitcase.
· 5% of adults are soppy enough to take their teddy bear on holiday.
We can’t get enough of the celebrities:
· 68% of people have spotted a celeb whilst on their travels and 10% of Brits say they go over and introduce themselves. Two thirds will ask to photo with the celebrity.
· Prince William and Kate Middleton are the golden couple with most people (35%) wanting to sit between them on a flight.
Brits on holiday just can’t switch off:
· 60% check emails at least once a day while on holiday, with 20% confessing to checking emails more than that.
· Depressingly, 6.5% check their emails between five and 10 times a day while on holiday.
Who is arguing?:
· The average number of arguments on holiday is 0.4 for honeymooners, 0.5 for stag/hen holidays, 0.7 for retired couples, 1.2 for married couples and 1.9 for family holidays.
You’ve taken that?!:
· Top hotel items to pilfer are toiletries, slippers, dressing gowns and even pillows and shower curtains.
· Customers think it’s acceptable to take larger value items if the hotel service is poor, so hoteliers beware!
Is there anything you would like to admit to while holidaying?
* The survey was carried out by holidaysplease.co.uk
What do you look for in a beach? Jaw-dropping beauty, utterly deserted, turquoise seas and crystal clear waters? If you’re looking for great places to holiday this year that include some of the best beaches in the world you might want to read on.
Five out-of-this-world beaches
Whitehaven, Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia: It’s difficult to choose a top beach in Australia because there are so many fantastic beaches. However, Whitehaven is truly and utterly stunning. Super-fine white sand surrounded by warm, clear, azure waters sandwiched between tropical forest and islands.
Zanzibar, Africa: The island of Zanzibar is a true gem off the east coast of Africa. The awesome beaches on this amazing island offer sand so fine it actually squeaks when you walk barefoot upon it! One of the best is Nungwi, near the northern tip of the island. The coastline has a shallow slope so the sapphire water, white sand and coral build-ups forming a calm sea that stretches for miles.
Las Islas Cíes, Galicia, Spain: Spain doesn’t boast just one sea, but two. Away from the more popular Mediterranean is the Atlantic sea. One of the gems on the Spanish Atlantic coast is Las Islas Cíes, reached by a 40-minute boat trip from the town of Baiona. Cíes is an uninhabited and truly stunning national park, which is open to the public only in summer. Holidaymakers will find whiter than white sands and turquoise waters.
Palawan, the Philippines: The Philippines boasts more than 7,000 islands and a multitude of deserted beaches. You’ll probably find yourself with your very own couples or family beach! And what a beach you’ll have. Gorgeous sands, fabulous waters and even the chance to dive to various wrecks.
Sandwood Bay, north-west Scotland: Okay, so you might not find the hot sun here every day of summer but you will discover a truly stunning beach that will take your breath away. The only way to reach this beach is by foot and over six miles of countryside but it is well worth the effort. It’s a paradise for surfers, too.
Image Credits : Sandwood – Anne Burgess, Palawan – Torox, Whitehaven – Damien Dempsey, Zanzibar – hobbs_luton, Las Islas Cies – Iria Gonzalez Sierra
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