TOP: Apps
A post with a difference today as I (briefly) bid farewell to the worlds of fashion and beauty to introduce you to a new feature which will hopefully be popping up in your Bloglovin feed every few weeks or so from now on. As you know I'm one for lists, and TOP will see us journey through a plethora of lists detailing such subjects as my favourite books and films, to my favourite designer brands, most-watched vloggers, must-buys from Boots, and whatsoever else you wish to read (let me know in the comments!). Starting today off with a must-read for the iPhone/iPad users amongst you, I give you, my top ten apps...
Wunderlist (iPhone/iPad) - Free As previously mentioned, I am a devotee to the concept of list-making (and seriously doubt I would make it through the day without my to-do list). Although I love going old-school and have a number of beautiful notebooks dedicated to the art of the list, Wunderlist is my app of choice. It's super simple, just create and name your list and then add as many individual points as you wish. For my fellow organisation obsessees, you can sync your lists between your iPad, iPhone, and MacBook for seamless on-the-go list making. Thank me later.
Timehop (iPhone) - Free If you're one of those people who (like me) loves knowing what they were up to exactly one year ago (or more for that matter), then Timehop is the app for you. I swear I must drive Danny and my family mad with daily outbursts along the lines of 'OMG it's been four years since the first time we bought a Krispy Kreme dozen?!/Oh man, this time last year I was eating fro-yo with an A++++ view of Manhattan, etc etc', but I love it. Guilty confession: this is the first app I check upon waking.
VSCOcam (iPhone) - Free If you follow me on Instagram you'll no doubt be aware of my photo editing app of choice. A smart, clean, easy to use app that allows you to choose from a range of pre-set filters, as well as adjust exposure, brightness, fade, and tint etc, I can't remember the last time I didn't use VSCOcam to edit a picture pre-upload. The latest Instagram update has some very similar (read: suspiciously identical) features, but as for now I'm a loyal devotee of the VSCO...
Sleep Cycle (iPhone) - £0.69 I'm one for statistics and graphs, and here is another app that I barely go a day without using. Tuck your phone under your pillow (with Sleep Cycle running) and wake up with a wonderful line graph and range of statistics detailing how well/long/deeply you slept. Boring? There's more. Sleep Cycle not only records your sleep but uses your movement to analyse the best possible time to wake you up. Set the time range you want to be woken in and Sleep Cycle will wake you when you're in your lightest phase of sleep, meaning that you'll wake up feeling well-rested and raring to go (I kid you not, it makes such a difference). Choose from a range of (surprisingly non-annoying) alarm sounds or pick a song from your iTunes collection to wake to.
Bloglovin (iPhone/iPad) - Free Did you know that your go-to site for reading/following blogs has a fully functioning iPad and iPhone app?? When I'm out and about and done with my Twitter and Instagram feeds, Bloglovin is the ultimate on-the-go boredom buster. Yup, waiting in line just reached a whole new level of fun. Not the best app in terms of aesthetics and performance I'll give you that, but I'm a beta tester for version two and let me tell you, it's something else...
Newsstand (iPad) - Free This pre-installed app sees a lot of lovin' from me around the start of the month when my Vogue and Elle subscriptions pop up in the notification centre. Whilst print versions of magazines are always the first copies that I turn to, I love to use Newsstand to read whilst I'm on the go. I've loved observing the evolution of digital magazines (especially Vogue) as they've started to move away from typical PDF flick-through's to being much more fun and interactive. I also use Newsstand to read weekly issues of Stylist magazine, and my new fave train journey read Harrods Magazine, for a monthly dose of high-end beauty and fashion.
Paprika (iPad) - £2.99 I've previously waffled on about Paprika over here, but as one of my favourite and most-used apps it's well-deserved a second mention. Essentially a glorified notebook specifically designed to make recording, storing, and using recipes as efficient as possible, Paprika allows you to type in your own recipes as well as add those from other sites with the click of a button. You can create shopping lists, calculate portion sizes, add photos, and create folders. My favourite feature is the app's ability to prevent the screen from timing out, saving your pristine iPad screen from accumulating floury fingerprints and greasy smears.
Countdown+ (iPhone) - Free Cheap and cheerful this app is most certainly not featured here for being especially beautiful or functional. With the prospect of something exciting happening at the end of a term spent surrounded by dusty books in the library, there is nothing I love more than knowing exactly (and I mean exactly) how long there is to go until said event. From birthdays, Christmas, and summer holidays, to shopping trips, visits home, and the the latest beauty launch, few events escape being added to my countdown list. I rarely open the app itself but value it mostly for the red notification badge displaying the number of days until the next event.
CityMaps2Go (iPhone) - £1.99 An absolute must-buy for the frequent flyers amongst you, this app was life-saving on my last trip Stateside. When touring a large number of US states and cities in the space of a few weeks, not wanting to spend fortune on maps and guidebooks for every place was completely understandable, and CityMaps2Go saved the day. It very cleverly latches onto nearby wi-fi hot spots (without actually connecting to them) and uses them to pinpoint your exact location on the map. Individual maps are available for just about everywhere, but must be downloaded when you have wi-fi in order to be used when you're offline. You'll be so glad you downloaded this when you're lost in a Venetian alleyway on the hunt for that elusive off-the-beaten-track gelateria that 'you simply must visit'.
Hay Day (iPhone/iPad) - Free The grand finale feat. my current guilty pleasure. On the rare occasion that I have absolutely nothing to do (blogging is busy work!), I love nothing more than settling down on the sofa with a cup of tea and 30 minutes of mindless activity. In the manner of the best simulation games, Hay Day allows to monitor your own farm, grow crops, and sell produce etc etc. It may sound incredibly mundane but I can assure you, it's a slippery slope to addiction. Give it a whirl and you'll be hooked (my mum and I certainly are).
I would absolutely love to know what apps you love, so do let me know as I'm always on the hunt for good ones! And again, if you have any requests/ideas for future TOP posts, let me know! To stay updated you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Bloglovin.