ROUTE IDEA #3

I am long overdue of a new route plan.
This is the third version and I know it's going to change... Scratch that, it has already changed!

I still have to sit down with my pals and go over it, as we definitely want to be in Thailand for Songkran (cannot miss this!) but have to decide which way to go after. But even with an rough itinerary, we know that our plans will (definitely) change.

I found this great website to help plan itineraries, be sure to check it out if you're planning your dream trip! http://www.tripline.net

Are there any festivals you think are unmissable? Or an amazing town that I haven't got on my itinerary? Comment below, I would love to hear your advice!

·Hi, My name is Melissa and I'm a shopaholic·

Since the start of planning for my travels, I always knew saving would be hard.

Retail therapy could be no more.

The momentary happiness inducing activity that I have always known and done had to go on hold.
(Doubly hard for a fashion student).

It all had to change from the moment travel plans were in full swing. Shopping had to go to the back of the line (on top of everything else). Every penny needed to go into my travel piggy bank. And so far everything has.
With my last pay, I left a little bit of money to treat myself, and to my surprise (and to those who know how bad my addiction is) I still haven't bought anything.
Am I a changed women? Can't be...

My shopping basket on all the different websites I shop on are full. But why haven't I bought something for myself?
I guess I have been saying 'No' all this time that I am too afraid to make the commitment on an item(s) just in case!
If you are saving for anything and have an addiction to something - you will know how hard it is to suddenly stop. But the best thing to do if you accidentally pop into your favourite store and see this beautiful item that you must have - Just ask yourself:

· If I buy this, will it be coming with my on my journey?
· Will it even fit in my rucksack?!
· How far would the price of this beautiful, can't live without item get me in SE Asia?

And if I cant answer those questions properly, back on the rack they go!

This is the difficult situation between travel junkie and fashion addict. It can only be one or the other at one time - unless, that is... you are filthy rich... Jealous?... Me?... No...

One thing I can say is that everyone's style continuously changes, whether you follow different trends and seasons or not. So maybe (just maybe), we should sacrifice one love for another and leave that money to create the best memories, the best experience and the best friends - and see this World we live in.

All in the name of travelling.


Do you have any recovering shopaholic saving tips? I would love to hear from you!

·THE DOUBLE 'M'·

Money Management.

Managing your money whilst you're away isn't easy, especially on a long term trip.

Imagine the feeling that you're half way through your trip when you realise you are - heart sinks - low on cash. We all know someone who has had to cut their trip early or call home to get more money to actually fly home.
So here are some tips I've learnt/picked up to help us all stay on our trips as long as possible!

The first thing that comes to mind is to be realistic. Always, always be realistic.
It's so easy to get carried away with how much you think you'll need before you go.
Know the amount of money you've saved and the length of time you're away, and make a mental note of how much you've spent BUT don't obsess over it.

Do your research with different countries. It can get confusing with foreign currencies with how much you are actually spending. So set yourself a budget in your own currency - knowing how long you're away, and how much money you have, set your budget or you're daily allowance to spend. This will include food, drink, activities, everything.
To save money, try to find hostels that include breakfast/dinner, or have a self catering kitchen. If not, eating on street stalls is super cheap, plus it's usually the best local food! They say food and alcohol takes up the most money, lucky for me - I'm a lightweight!

Overestimate. You should always overestimate what you think you will spend. You will go over you're budget sometimes. It will happen.
Also look out for ATM fees for getting money out with them that can add up to a lot after some time so make sure you know what ATM's do free withdrawals and also look into bank cards there don't charge for overseas withdrawals.

Prepare for emergencies. Sickness is a possibility anywhere you are. Watch what you're eating and drinking. In some areas like SE Asia, drink bottled water and find out where the water in the ice cubes are from. Another possibility is things getting stolen or misplaced.

If you are travelling in a group Hostels aren't always the cheaper option. Look out for family run hotels, they are usually cleaner than big budget hostels plus if you can sleep 3 in a room it will cut costs down. You will also be helping local families.

If you are travelling in Australia, America or Europe, you can save money by house sitting. This saves you tonnes of money on accommodation and lets you get to know the place a lot better than if you were just passing by.

I hope these tips will help you or give you ideas for your next trip AND lets hope I take my own advance when I leave for mine!
If you have any money managing tips to share, please leave them in the comments below. It's always good to learn new tips from others.

·HAPPY HAY BALE·

Top - H&M | Jeans - Urban Outfitters | Shoes - Topshop Allegra

Hay bale fun with Mylo. Being a big kid, I've always wanted to climb on these things. Finally, I did.

·POP OF COLOUR - WEDDING OOTD·

Stripe top - H&M  |  Skirt - Topshop  |  Jacket - H&M  |  Shoes - Office

We all love a good wedding, and this definitely was a great wedding!
I haven't got many fancy clothing, I mostly live in jeans/shorts and tops. So I knew I had to get something to wear for my friends wedding, and in the true Melissa style, I decide to do it the day before the wedding. Clever.

I already had my fluorescent jacket that I bought a few months ago, and no, I haven't been mistaken for a builder or lollipop lady! Thank god...
I also bought these shoes for Graduation last year so those were sorted - I just had to find everything else in between.
After searching high and low in all shops, trying on everything (man, that really was a work out) I decided to go with a skirt and top. Mostly because I knew I could dress them down if I wanted to and with a fancy dress, who knows when I might wear it again?

What's your favourite wedding outfit?

·CURRENT SAVINGS #3·

Cannot believe we are already in to September - My, my how this year has flown by!
I haven't done one of these in a while so after working loads and just having sold my beautiful iMac (sad face),  I thought it was about time to look at my total savings so far for travelling.
Drum roll please...

·PATTERNED SKIRT·

1. Top - Topshop  2. Dress - Motel Rock  3. Shoes - Converse  4. Bag - Melbourne

This week, the sun has been shining (mostly) and it's been warm enough to bare those pastey arms and legs!
I'm sure we are all happy to see this weather has been sticking around!
Since I'm saving my pennies like a crazy person, I've been working non stop, so on my days off I like to make the most of it. Went around the shops, met some friends, went to the Pavilion gardens, chilled in the sun and then found a pub that - can you believe it - has a projector with an old school N64 hooked up to it! Nerd time. Best of all, it was all for free!

So anyways, back to the outfit - As I'm saving, I haven't been able to buy anything and everything I want. So I've been digging through my wardrobe to find pieces in my wardrobe to re-work or make something new out of them. They always say fashion moves so fast that all people do is throw 'last season' clothes away. Personally I don't follow trends, I just wear whatever I like but at least making something new out of something you're bored of saves them from going in the bin!
The striped bottoms I'm wearing are actually a dress that I'm thinking of turning into a skirt...
DIY projects in the near future? Yes, I think so.
Watch this space.

·TAKING A WALK·

I've always known English weather is very unpredictable but what has been going on with the weather here?!
We've had some really nice hot days recently (not complaining!) and then followed by clouds, wind or rain (complaining). You wake up each morning not knowing what your going to see when you look out your windows!
So it was a lovely hot sunny day and we took Mylo for a walk on the seafront.
As you can tell, Mylo loves the camera!

Let's hope the weather is here to stay, at least for a few more days!

·HOSTEL TIPS·

As a backpacker, We've all heard the horror stories that is... hostels.

Most of us will be looking for and staying in dirt (literally) cheap places to crach so that we can budget the rest of our money for other things. Mostly - if you look properly - you can find a descent place to stay even if its a dollar or two more than the real bad ones or better yet, the same price!
If there's a group of you, you can get a much nicer private room and once you've split the cost it is the same as what you'll spend in a dorm. 

Here are some of my tips about hostel staying:

·· Always ask to see the rooms before agreeing to stay (duuuh).

·· Location is always important, if you can walk to some places then you save a little bit of money.

·· If you are travelling in a group and are staying in a dorm, check to see if they are same sex or co-ed dorms. It's nice to stick together.

·· In room lockers are a must and bring your own padlock.

·· Seeing as we are in the 21st century, most of us - including me - can't live without the internet.
How the hell did people used to survive without it?

·· Lounge areas are a great place to meet fellow travellers and this way you can tell each other wheres good to go etc. It's also amazing when you arrive after a 12 hour night bus at 6AM when the staff aren't even there yet... hammocks make everyone happy! (As seen below. Sorry about the fuzzy early morning photo - it looks like even my camera was struggling that early in the morning). Catching those Z's at Monkey Republic, Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

·· If staying in a private room, check little things like if the rubbish bin has been emptied or the bathroom and this is usually a good indication if they have cleaned the room. Maybe try to check the sheets for hair or questionable stains.

·· In some cities, if you are travelling in a small group, staying in a budget hotel room might be cleanner and actually be the cheaper option. Also will include extras like hot water and air-conditioning, luxury! Plus maybe after staying in dorms for a while, it will be nice to have your privacy back.

·· Are any meals included? breakfast and/or dinner will save you some dollar.
Some hostels might have a guest kitchen. If you are planning on making your own dinner then maybe check to see how much equipment they have and try and get there early to make your dinner, everyone will be making dinner at the same time.

·· Some hostels include some trips or cooking classes on certain days so if you are there on those days then score!

·· If you are really strap for cash then some hostels let you volunteer there and in return let you stay for free.


Do you have any hostel must haves or tips?

·BOY MEETS GIRL·

This is my kind of style - keeping it simple.
Like I've said before, I hate feeling fussy or claustrophobic with clothing. Loving a bit of fashion and beauty are the only two 'girly' things about me - other than that, Im pretty much a boy!

I spent a little bit of money last week (naughty, naughty).
I've had my eyes on the Topshop Allegra boots or something like it for a while now. I finally got my hands on these bad boys from eBay, good ol' eBay! Got them a bit cheaper than others were selling for too. Score!

Whilst I'm travelling I know I'll be living in simple tees. So I've been looking for some that are simple, go with everything, but has something different about them.
I got this basic tee from Topshop as well - I love the rolled sleeves and lowered hemline at the back. And for £12.60 (using student discount), why not!
I haven't been liking Topshop much lately, even if this post begs to differ! The cut of the clothing got really bad at one point and I've had some bad experiences with their customer service, but once in a while I'll see something that I like in there that's worth buying, and this tee is one of them!

When it comes to make up I like it to be pretty low maintenance.
I got a miniature sample of the Origins VitaZing SPF 15 and when I tested it out, my skin wasn't behaving itself so it slowly got pushed to the back of my make up stash.
I rediscovered it (slightly covered in dust) and haven't stopped wearing it since. It's a moisturiser with a slight tint. I wouldn't call it a tinted moisturiser but it just gives your skin a nice glow and evens out the skin tone a little. This will be perfect for when I go travelling through humid weather and just giving me a bit if colour, whilst hydrating and a little bit of SPF is always good!
On the places that need a little extra coverage I use my Chanel Vita Lumier Aqua SPF 15 or my new Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer.

I only recently bought this concealer, before this I've only ever tried two - so I'm no concealer expert!
What I can say about the Healthy Mix concealer is that it covers up any marks well and also doesnt crease under the eyes, that for me has ticked all the boxes.

I'm not much of a lipstick wearer, I love how it looks but the high maintenance has always put me off.
Always having to check when something has faded badly or moved half way across my face is too much hassle for me. I know so many girls who wear them beautifully, I don't know how they do it.
So when I saw the Revlon Just Bitten lip balm stain, I thought I would give it a go. First off, I got the colour Rendezvous, which is a orangey shade, I love the texture and it moisturises well. the colour pay off is great but I prefer it after it has faded a bit. It does fade out nicely leaving a slight tint to the lips so you don't have to think about it after you've put it on. Thumbs up!
I'm thinking about getting the shade Honey next.

Are there any fuss free beauty products you would recommend?

·HALF & HALF·

1. H&M jacket  2. Topshop crop tee
3. Urban Outfitters skirt  4. Office shoes
5. Market sunglasses 

Summer finally arrived in England, although it's looking like it's on it's way out already! Sigh.
If I wasn't leaving next year, I would probably be crying and the crappiest summer EVER.

Anyways, I'll stop being so English- talking about the weather all the time!
I have been so good at resisting the need to buy clothes (or shoes, or bags). So when I saw this monochrome blazer for £10... I could not pass. What a steal!

Every time I see something I want I have to ask myself if I really need it before travelling or will I bring it with me. I've been putting a lot of stuff back all in the name of backpacking!
I have bought a couple more things in the last few days (I'll post about them soon), been looking at mostly tee's as I know they will be the best things to take backpacking. While you're being a sweaty Betty- all you want is a t-shirt!

As I'm also going back home for Chinese New Year, I'll probably bring a few pieces of clothing that are a little more dressy for dinners (trust me, theres going to be SO many dinner parties), house visits and general CNY things! I'm thinking I'll leave them at my sisters house whilst I travel and maybe get her to post them to me in Oz, as I'll probably want my better clothes there! Especially going out in the cities!

·TAKE THE PLUNGE·

I have always been lucky enough to have had the chance to go to/grow up in different countries, and yes that adorable little thing with arm bands is moi (Selingan Island AKA Turtle Island, Malaysia). 

Until now, I haven't been able to pack up my things and go for a long length of time without having to rush back for college, University or work.

Life just seems to take over sometimes.

There is always a reason not to go but if this is what you want to do then you need to find the time to do it. After finishing education, I know this is the perfect time for me to go, get inspired, and have the best time of my life.

Create a life you want instead of what people think you should be doing.

Some photos from my last trip to Thailand & Cambodia, I went in 2010 during the rainy season. It was such an amazing trip but once again, I had to rush back in time for my final year of University. Being rainy season the temples weren't as busy, which was great for some nice shots.
I cannot wait to go to Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom again. It is one place you need to go to at least once but I feel like the time we spent there was just not long enough. I think I may spend all my time there next time!
I'm getting so excited even tough I've got ages till I leave... Sad, I know!

·SAVING SAVING SAVING·

Just keep telling yourself it (If you're saving that is...)!

How have I been saving?

Cutting out most of the unnecessary spending - You don't realize how much those meal deals add up by the end of the month.

In order to save, you have to look at everything differently, cutting down on a lot can be hard when you're so used to what you have. But sacrificing now means I can do more when I'm in South-east Asia and Australia.

I've cut down on eating out- Having more friends over for dinner or going over friends for dinner is a nice way of seeing each other without it being as expensive as a meal in Pizza Express or that nice Indonesian restaurant I love so much.
Changing my phone contract from £20 to £16.50, which isn't loads but will help.
Cutting down on nights out- I love partying, but I've never been a 'live for the weekend' kind'a girl. I don't know if it's my Asian culture coming through because I know it's a big English thing. I'm more of a 'live for everyday' kind'a girl. But cutting down on when I go out or choosing one night to go out will definitely keep my bank account happy.
Having to cut down on clothes shopping has been the worst. I've tried to direct my attention on researching where I want to go but almost always find myself on a shopping website. I havent bought anything for a while now... so maybe I can next pay day?

Something else that I've been doing is selling stuff on eBay. At one point I got a little addicted to it, then after it all I realized I had sold almost my whole wardrobe, which was not the best thing to do!

Sadly, I am selling my iMac and also very sadly... selling my Bestival ticket. Will be sad to miss out on Bestival this year, with a lot of my friends going, but the cost of the ticket plus getting there and money whilst you're there will be too much.

Never have really saved this much before, so if I can do it, you definitely can.

·Wish List·

1. Topshop Allegra boots  2. Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser SPF 20 Oil free 

3. Alpha H Liquid Gold  4. Bumble and Bumble surf spray 

5. Liz Earle Mineral sun cream SPF 20.

I have been really controlling my wish list lately, only eyeing up things that I might take with me on my travels.

Even though these boots will probably not be the best idea in Asia. I'm looking at them for Australia, as my more dressy shoes. Still not sure weather I should take some boots like this... What do you think?

I've really been preferring tinted moisturisers lately (so much more natural), so I've been wanting to give this Laura Mercier oil free one a try (as I have normal/oily skin). I won't be wearing much make up whilst I'm in Asia but will take some with me for when I want to dress up.

I've been eyeing up liquid gold for a while now! And again, not sure I would take this with me. I definitely want to try it before I go though, but as its a little more pricey, I've been holding back.

Bumble and Bumble surf spray may be something I'll bring. I have naturally straight Asian hair that I never really do much to style it. I'm pretty lazy about my hair! So maybe whilst I'm away, I can style it with this to give it texture that my hair doesn't have.

Liz Earle is one of my favourite skin care brands and she has a sun cream that I am wanting to bring with me. I hate the usual sun cream that is greasy, I don't mind them on my body, but my face needs something a little less shiny!

Would you recommend any of these products?

·Route Idea #2·

Having spoken to my travel buddies, this is a new rough idea of our route. We have now added Australia at the end of my trip and one of my friends will continue on to New Zealand while I come back to the UK and go to Florida.
So this is the list of places we are thinking of going. It will definitely change again and then again when we are out there I'm sure!

1. Tawau, Malaysia. (I'll be flying out first to see my sister & family).
2. Sandakan, Malaysia, (Chinese New Year with my family).
3. Then off to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. (My friends will meet me either here or in Sandakan)
4. Kuching, Malaysia
5. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
6. Langkawi, Malaysia
7. Phuket, Thailand. (Island hopping).
8.Wildlife Friends Foundation, Thailand.
9. Bangkok, Thailand.
10. Chang Mai, Thailand.
11. Siem Reap, Cambodia.
12. Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
13. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
14. Hoi An, Vietnam
15. Hanoi, Vietnam.
16. Vientiane, Laos. (Need to look more in to where to go in Laos).
17. Bali, Indonesia.
*Look into Philippines*
18. Darwin, Australia. (Road trip somewhere in Oz).
19. Perth, Australia.
20. Adelaide, Australia.
21. Melbourne, Australia.
22. Sydney, Australia.
23. Brisbane, Australia.

Wow, that's a lot of places!

Liz Earle

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish has been talked about by (probably) every single beauty blogger out there- I can guess that you're no doubt super bored of hearing about it (so I'll keep this short and sweet)!

I'm no skincare expert and like my clothing, I prefer my skincare regime to be fuss free and easy. This is why I love the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish (and her Skin tonic) so much. It has sorted out my super oily skin and I know a lot of people say you age slower with oily skin- which yeah, thats great- but having oily skin is a bitch!

I will definitely be taking them with me on my travels!

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic & Cleanse and Polish

Current savings #2

Today's date: 29/06/2012 and current savings = £1,652

Pay day has arrived and now I'm one pay day closer to leaving!

I met up with one of my travel buddies a couple of days ago to start planning where we want to go. We've still got ages but I'm getting really excited (already).

We are now planning to see more places than we thought, and adding Australia onto the end! Rough route plan coming soon.
Watch this space!

·Get Your Knit On·

 1. Holey Knit - Nasty Gal 2. Leopard jeans - Urban Outfitters
3. Flatforms - ASOS 4. Double peace necklace - Topshop
5. Ear cuffs - Mr. Kate 6. Earrings - Urban Outfitters

This was taken when the weather in England had a glimpse of the summer we should be having right now. As I am writing this post, it's getting pretty grey and cloudy outside and Mylo has gone a little insane running in circles around the garden! But on the bright side, at least it isn't raining (yet)!

My holey knit (aka hobo knit) is one of my favourites in my wardrobe right now, paired with some awesome leopard jeans- statement jeans will make any outfit look interesting without trying too hard, And if you know me, you probably know I hate fussy outfits/clothing.
Flatforms are a good way of giving you some height (if you are a little short like me) without having to wear heels!

If you live in England like I do, I hope the weather gets better for us!

Hope you're all having a rad day! x

·Meet Mylo·

Mylo is my one year old pug!

My sister who is living in Australia at the moment bought him the Adidas tee he's wearing. What a cool dude he is!

If you follow me on instagram, you would have definitely seen lots of pictures of him.

Route idea #1

Rough route idea of my trip- Staying in to try and save money makes you start planning way too early. A bit too eager maybe? 

I cannot wait to start my trip back home and see my family for a while, plus everyone will be around for Chinese New Year- I'm dribbling already just thinking of all the food.

My travel buddy/buddies will probably meet me in Malaysia a little while after, where we will start our travels together.

Cannot wait to see the places, meet the people and eat the food. Yum Yum.

Current savings #1

Today's date: 24/06/2012 and current savings = £1,150.



It has been almost a year after graduating and I have to admit, I wasn't sure where I wanted to take my life/career next. To be honest, I'm still deciding now!

After a very difficult year, I realised that life- like people always tell you- is too short and I wanted to put my career on hold to recharge my battery that was so destroyed. Like when you find your old tamagotchi- that has a leaking, rusty battery inside.

So for a while I was 'umming and arring' and now I've decided to go back to where I was born (Malaysia) in 8 months time! I'm planning on being there for a month then meeting a/some friends to backpack through Southeast Asia and see where it takes me -excited!

Being a girl, It's hard to decide what to bring with you for an 8 month trip! And on top of that, being a fashion graduate and having to take a fraction of your clothes is pretty daunting... but you don't really care too much what you look like when you are in the most amazing, beautiful, sweaty places.


If you do decide to follow my journey through saving, planning and whatever I feel like blogging about on that day, then watch this space.

Let's rock 'n' roll!