February Favourites

Last month, when I was thinking more about the kind of content I would like to post here on my little corner of the internet, I decided that as I like to read through other bloggers favourite things during the month I would try writing one myself. I realised through taking the photographs below for this post, just how much your tastes change throughout the different months. Last month I was loving so many perfumes and lots of different make up pieces. This month, I feel like I've been concentrating more on caring for myself, giving myself a pamper and trying to focus on positive things rather than solely on material possessions. For example, a current favourite of mine that I haven't pictured is actually a new hobby; I've reignited a love for reading books, which has become a means to focus on keeping busy, not overthinking and simply enjoying having some time to myself.

 

I snapped up a Garnier Skinactive Micellar Cleansing Water for sensitive skin from Poundland of all places! I'd seen it for far more than that in some other shops, so naturally for the bargainous price of £1 I bought 3 of them! I love its small size as it's great for having stashed in a make up bag on the move and it clears the make up off my face so quickly and it doesn't feel rough afterward. After using the cleansing water I've been indulging in the Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser all over my face which for the price of £4 it is not only affordable but it also seems to last for literally ages. Moisturiser is a must for me as I have such dry and sensitive skin. I've spoken about the Zoella Beauty Ginger Cream in other blogposts and I feel like I can't rave about it enough; I've fallen in love, which was a massive surprise as I'm always sceptical about non-sensitive creams on my skin, but this one is nourishing and smells divine. Recently I've been careful to not wash my hair excessively so I've been relying on the Batiste Blush Dry Shampoo to keep my hair looking volumous and fresh between washes. A bonus is the gorgeous floral smell it gives my hair.

 

I was amazed to find these beautiful storage pots from Lidl for £3; I naturally bought two packs for two green and two pink holders. They're designed for candles but I've been using them for items like nail varnish and make up brushes. They've really cleared up the sides of my room as they fit a lot of things inside. They feel extremely hard wearing too which also great. I've been loving the Real Techniques Berlin Brushes this month, not only because they look lovely but they're super soft and clean up so nicely. The duo fibres work really well and feel nice against my skin, too. Priced at £20, I feel like for five brushes that was really reasonable. I've been pampering myself a lot this month and so I've been enjoying getting use out of the Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Body Butter on my wrists and elbows which not only smells incredible on the skin, it's incredibly hydrating, costing only £6. The Zoella Beauty Hungry Hands smells amazing and soaks into the skin really well whilst on the move; I often use it at work. However my absolute favourite is the Body Shop CHANGE Hemp Hand Protector which is simply fantastic. 

 

Throughout February I've been pleasantly surprised with the quality of the Zoella Beauty range; I've been loving the Shower Glaze to the point that I've been using it every time I have a shower, without fail. I love the smell of gingerbread and it feels fantastic and frothy against my skin. I feel like the smell of gingerbread really sticks and makes my skin smell amazing too. My favourite of the body mists is definitely Let's Spritz! From the tutti fruity collection; it's so light and summery, I can spray it a lot and it seems to last for ages considering it's only a mist. The smell feels delicate against my skin and the bottle is really pretty too. However, I've also been enjoying getting use out of the body mist Blissful Mistful; not only so I adore the name of it, I also love how it looks. All of the Zoella Beauty range is visually pleasing, but the body mists have become a firm favourite of mine. Priced at £8 each, they're affordable and long lasting, a must for anyone who wants nice beauty products whilst living on a budget.

This month I've been pleasantly surprised by the quality of products from Make Up Revolution. The strobe highlighter in Ever Glow Lights was such a fantastic investment at £3; it is literally an amazing everyday highlighter as it's insanely pigmented but is nice and light. I've not stopped using it throughout this month and feel like it gives my skin a lovely healthy glow. I'd been desperate to get my hands on the Fortune Favours The Brave eyeshadow palette ever since I'd been spotting it all over instagram; at £9.99 for 30 gorgeously cosmic shades, I have no regrets. It's a naive day to night transition palette and I feel like it's going to be a favourite of mine for months as it's got a great range of Matte and Shimmer shades. It's got such a massive mirror too so it's great to use for topping up make up whenever necessary. Another highlighter that I've been obsessed with is the Sleek Midas Touch palettes, which I feel is an absolute bargain at £10 as you get four beautiful shades for that price. I only recently realised that it's a limited edition, so I'm really worried about using it too much now as it's so pretty if you want a lovely nighttime look that's really glowy and fresh. The shades are literally perfection for anyone with pale skin and the size of the palette is great for travelling.

I've been in love with the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams in the shades London and Saõ Paulo; the perfect nude and the perfect berry pink. What I like about them so much is the fact that the have amazing lasting power, as well as their wearability. I feel confident to wear the two colours both day and night, they're very transitionable. As I get older, I prefer to invest in make up that I'll get a lot of use from and these lip creams haven't been off my lips since I first discovered them. I would happily recommend these to anyone, I even apply them without a lip liner. An added bonus is that they look very expensive but they're totally affordable, priced at £6 each! Back in November 2016, my boyfriend bought me the Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer from duty free and I loved it so much; the lightest shade was perfect for my skin tone. However I kind of forgot about it, until a few weeks ago. I just love it's consistency and the way that it covers any areas that don't look as great as I'd like them too. I'd say it's fairly high coverage, but for me personally if I wear make up I don't care if it looks like I am, as if I've made the effort to apply it, you may as well make it noticeable! I've found that during February I've loved a lot of different products which have made me feel a little more confident about myself in different ways. What products have you been loving recently?

 

A month in Instagram #8

During February I feel like I haven't actually been posting much to instagram. Well, actually that's a bit of an exaggeration as I have been posting but this month I feel as though I have been liking lots of posts and gaining heaps of inspiration towards where I would like to see my own photography reach. I'm always looking to improve and work on my creative side, photography has been a great way to distract myself and keep more positive. Throughout February I've seen my best friend a lot, which obviously meant it was high time for a treat day (that's said, it turned into more of a treat month... oops). Alongside that, I also spent some time with my boyfriend and just generally tried to keep happiness a high priority as I do struggle a little when the weather changes. 

 

  

Hopefully the month of March will provide more good memories and I'll spend more time actually connecting with people on instagram; I always seem to like photographs I see but I never really get involved in writing comments so I'm thinking I should try to. I like keeping instagram as a kind of visual diary, as well as a way of promoting what I do on my blog. It's also a fantastic platform to see what other bloggers are doing and see what kind of things people want to see from blogging. Right now I'm loving getting more involved with reviewing books and finding new hobbies. Until next month :)

 

Happy Things #9

 

1. This week I have the weekend off, and to be honest I'm so excited to relax, sit back and basically spend the whole of it in my bed. I just want a bit of 'me' time.

2. I'm looking forward to having a nice cold Kopparberg with my boyfriend to celebrate surviving another week; I've found that the best way to keep positive to have small, realistic goals that keep my head propped up on my shoulders.

3. I've finally nearly finished a book that I haven't been enjoying and I'm so excited for it to finally be over with. The problem is I hate not finishing a book once I've started so I need to keep going.

4. This week I've actually taken th plunge to join the gym so I'm on the way to starting more exercise, which will hopefully clear my mind and help me feel better about myself in general. I'm actually proud that I even bothered to sign up to a programme.

5. This is a small, but fairly uninteresting positive thing; I'm actually really happy with where my blog is going right now and I'm genuinely enjoying finding opportunities to be creative and share my opinions on my own little corner of the internet.

 

Zoella Beauty Haul

Hello again! After being pleasantly surprised by the Zoella Beauty Ginger Cream which I got as a part of a gift set, I decided that I wouldn't mind trying out some other products from the range. As I bought the gift set via eBay, I was given some suggested and similar items through an email so naturally I had a quick sift through because who doesn't love a bargain? So I cam across the items pictured below. I have to say, I do love a good eBay bargain, but I'd warn against the sellers that put the prices of items up becauase it's a popular brand, or because it's no longer available in stores... Although, with that said, if you hunt around patiently enough you'll usually find what you're looking for a reasonable price so you can't complain really.

 

The items pictured above weren't parts of the Zoella Lifestyle or Beauty ranges that I was desperate for, but they came as an added extra in the eBay listing so were a nice surprise. The first item was The Key to Inspiration which costs £6 from Superdrug and although it's in the most gorgeous marble patterned packaging and I like the rose gold themed key ring, I felt like it appealed to a younger audience than I am. This may be because I collected key rings as a child and teen so I've subconsciously connected the two. Similarly, Tutti Fruity Cosmetic Purse which has the same price point of £6 is equally as lovely in person but it's not an item I would've rushed out and bought. That said, I do like the size and I'll be using it as a mini make up for essentials for work I think as the design is nice in person and it feels sturdy so I'm more than happy with the quality. 

 

The main reason that I decided to bid on the listing was actually for the Zoella Beauty Let's Go Places with the RRP £25 from the Christmas collection. It had sold out in my local Superdrug so that was why I went on an eBay hunt after seeing some similarly suggested listings in my email inbox. I was actually very lucky; I paid a grand total of £16.50 for all of the items shown in this blogpost, which feels like an absolute steal when you consider the overall price of the items together. I like the suitcase style packaging and the pastel pink and white stripe scheme is cute especially matched with the rose gold style luggage tag. I have to say that I really love the style of packaging Zoella goes for from all of her products, they're cute and seem to appeal to a lot of people. I have no idea what I'm going to do with the suitcase though!

 

The three creams that were inside of the suitcase packaging are absolutely lovely; the Ginger Cream I actually have two of now as it was also in the Bake My Day gift sets I knew as soon as I saw it that I loved it. It's always good to have a spare product that you know you like so that you can use it again when you run out. Particularly as this is a limited edition product, so it's not so easy to find now. I was very excited to see a Hungry Hands hand cream included in this set as I suffer with bad excema on my hands, so hand cream is (naturally) one of my favourite things. On the whole I'm not a huge lover of Christmas but when it comes to these creams I'm definitely madly and truly in love with the scent as well as the consistency of the creams. I didn't even realise that I'm such a fan on sweet and spicy scents, although that said I do love the smell of ginger in general. I've been loving the Shower Glaze recently too, I love the feel of it against my skin. It's not too light or too heavy, but it has a very frothy and creamy texture which somehow provides a lot of bubbles on my skin and actually makes my body smell insane, I could literally eat myself haha.

 

Overall I'm really happy with my purchase, although I'm not sure I would've bought the purse or key ring separately; they're not items that seem like a must have from a beauty range for me. However, I'm in love with every single one of the creams from the Let's Go Places suitcase set and the inclusion of a shower sponge is great as it works really well alongside the Shower Glaze, which is also my favourite out of all of the products listed. I hadn't purchased any of the Zoella Beauty or Lifestyle ranges until recently as I wasn't entirely sure about the quality of the products in comparison to say, the Body Shop but I have to say that I've been pleasantly surprised by how good the quality of the Zoella products actually was. The only negative comment I have is that I wish there was an option for different types as I'd love a range for sensitive skin. I would definitely recommend the creams from her ranges and I'm planning on buying more for sure!

 

Beauty Favourites #1

During the month of February I've been getting into looking after my skin and generally pampering myself as a way of cheering myself up a bit. My skin is actually pretty sensitive so I'm a massive lover of beauty products that nourish and care for sensitive skin and so I've always loved The Body Shop as my mother has always been a fan so as a young teen I used to be a bit cheeky and basically borrow, e.g. steal from her stash, haha. There are a few items that I literally adore which are not the cheapest but definitely excellent value for money, especially when you consider they're all made from natural sources and are in general really good for you. Creams for sensitive skin are usually more expensive anyway, so I'm not afraid of having to spend a little extra to get the extra back into my skin. I'm also really pale and get the worst excema so looking after my skin is an absolute must.

 

At the moment there are a few different creams that I'm loving, for example the Zoella Beauty Ginger Cream is fantastic as it's very dewy and feels nice against the skin; I often use it as an on the go item for any dirty patches (for example on my elbow or neck) which does the job throughout the day and the smell is lovely. Although that said, my boyfriend isn't so keen on the smell, which is a shame as I love it. However during the recent winter months I've realised that I do need to take better care of my lips as they've got a tendency to chap, flake and dry out completely so I've been loving the Body Shop Strawberry Lip Butter which at £4.50 for 10ml is a little pricey but worth the money as it's incredibly hydrating, especially as I have a terrible habit of biting my lips unintentionally whilst I think. 

 

In all honesty, I love the Body Shop Body Butter range in general and own a few products from that range alongside the Lip Butter. The Pink Grapefruit Body Butter cost me £6 and is in a smaller size, which is not only great for travelling and on the go but I also adore the smell. It feels amazing against my skin and I like to use it on my knuckles, wrists and elbows; basically the spots where I do suffer the most from having dry, flaky skin. The second is a much larger tub of the Raspberry Body Butter which is my favourite fruit to eat and smell; the price was £14 which is more expensive but as the pot has literally doubled in size, so in my opinion is definitely worth the price. This size is the one that I invest in to use more regularly at home when I want to really pamper myself and I use it for literally my whole body, but particularly my legs and stomach. I would definitely recommend these tubs for the price and the smell... After use, your skin smells like fresh fruit which I love. Plus, they're super hydrating, which is a definite must for me.

 

I'm also a massive fan of the Body Shop Hemp Protector range; thus far I've only invested in a hand and foot cream, but oh my gosh they are amazing! The hand cream is what I use the most, which I bought in a larger size of 100ml so I paid £12, but it does start at £5 for the smaller size. The reason that I chose the larger size is because I do have awful excema on my hands. I have to say, it was worth every penny as the excema on my hands has completely cleared up since using it and it's the only non-steroid based cream to have done so. The Hemp Foot Protector is equally as excellent but for the hands. I have incredibly small and wide feet so I often tread awkwardly on the underside of my soles and so my feet do require more attention then is usual for anyone. The Hemp not only smells lovely but it really does soften and then protect from any hard or damaged skin. Priced at £11 for 100ml it's excellent value for money as it seems to last forever as you need only a small amount to cover the whole foot. This month I've loved rediscovering products to look after the body as I'd neglected my skin for what seems like ages!

 

Zoella Beauty Bake My Day Gift Set

Hello once again; after indulging in some of the Zoella beauty range previously, I realised just useful a body mist is. I like the way that they smell and how light but strong they are against the skin. Plus, for the price you don't mind to use them all the time as they're easily replaced, not looked my regular taste in perfume. As a result of falling in love with Let's Spritz! I then decided I need to find myself more of the Zoella beauty range. Needless to say, the first thing that I chose to find was the last body mist, one that doesnt seem to be available anywhere, anymore. As in, I literally had to hunt mine down! It was a serious case of desperation.

 

Naturally the first place that I looked was the Superdrug website, as all of the Zoella products are available from there, as well as Boots. However many products there were available I literally couldn't find the last body mist, the Gingerbrad version. So, I did the sensible thing and spend what felt like my entire life going through so many of Zoe's YouTube videos to find her product accouncement video. That was a good call, as it told me that it was a Gingerbread and Vanilla Fragrance Gift Set priced at £11. However... I then also found out it was part of a Christmas collection, a limited edition collection that was in the January sales and was now out of stock. You can imagine how much that irritated me. So, naturally a google search seemed like a good option.

 

Somehow, I managed to find a reasonably priced new and unused gift set from eBay for £13. Yes, that is more than the RRP but that does include the delivery price and so I wasn't too worried about paying a little more. It was in the original packaging (which I really liked) and sold as an unwanted gift, plus when it arrived it was as described so I'm a happy bunny. Very happy, actually as it is a limited edition. The bottle is same 45ml as the other body mists, with the same box style shape with a golden metallic lid. The back of the bottle has a cutesy pattern of gingerbread men in white silouhettes which can be seen through the clearness of the bottle from the front. The front of the bottle has Zoella Beauty written in metallic gold alongside Bake My Day! In bright red capitals, followed by a description of the scent in cursive writing also in red. I'm not a fan of the cursive writing, as although it's pretty it would have been nice to have a cute gingerbread man instead. 

 

The scent is rather spicy, with notes of gingerbread, cinnamon, and chocolate sweetened by the mix of vanilla. I'm not usually a fan of Christmassy scents; however I've always liked the smell of gingerbread so naturally I love this. That said, it's very strong and lasts on the skin better than any of the other Zoella beauty body mists which is great if you like that, which personally I do. It just means that it's fantastic value for money, as mists usually fade fairly quickly. I actually really like the packaging of the Ginger Cream; the burgundy shaped bottle works well visually alongside golden metallic cursive descriptive script and a sweet little gingerbread silouhette with a pink cap. The scent is very similar to the mist and incredibly creamy against the skin, it's a definite bonus part to the set, especially because I wasn't too bothered about the cream; I was only desperate for the mist, if I'm honest.

 

Overall I'm really happy with this set, ultimately it was a great purchase as I loved the scent and much to my surprise, the cream. I'm really happy that I managed to find the full size bottle as I like the fragrance and it matches in size with the rest of my Zoella beauty body mist collection. The set is, in my opinion excellent value for money and I don't feel like it aims only at tweens, the packaging feels more aimed towards an older audience now and actually I'm excited to try some products from the rest of her range as I was so pleasantly surprised by the body cream.

 

Happy Things #8

 

1. After having a good weekend off, seeing my best friend, spending time with my boyfriend I'm in a good place to start the week and am actually looking forward to it's unknown challenges.

2. My boyfriend is changing his shifts, so I'm looking forward to seeing him more, spending more time with him and just enjoying his company. Time flies when you're having fun.

3. I'm planning to try out some kind of Pilates during this week to try and Up my fitness game and hopefully lose some weight and clear my mind. I guess I'll find out if I like it or not after some time. 

4. I've been enjoying getting back into reading and so I want to finish the book I've been reading at the moment, especially as I'm not enjoying it much. Maybe the ending will be better? I guess I'll find out soon enough.

5. I've decided to try and make an effort to learn my boyfriends mother tongue; I've never been fantastic at learning languages. I might've taken French to GCSE level but I'm actually better at Spanish, so I can only hope for the best. Fingers crossed if I stick at it, it will be ok...

 

Book Review: The Fault In Our Stars

 

This is one of those books that you start to read with an open mind; as in, it could be awful or it could be amazing. This is because The Fault In Our Stars directly links to what is usually a completely taboo subjects across all areas of life. However, like all taboo subjects, cancer (particularly in adolescence) is something that it is important to acknowledge as it is a real situation for many people; it doesn't not exist just by ignoring it as a problem. Although this is a fictional story, there are so many parts to it that really pull on your heartstrings - be prepared to be full of tears in some chapters. I suppose that is one of the reasons I really loved this novel; because not only did it successfully tackle a difficult subject matter, Green made it feel relatable, as though you knew the characters. As a reader, you are rapidly drawn into Hazel's world, her worries, her likes and dislikes. 

There are so many ways in which this book creates a strong sense of emotion within the reader, mostly because it's story is not pushed across as being all sweet or happy, there are many sad moments and it feels very honest. To view the world from a sixteen year old cancer sufferer is not only unusual, but also difficult at times; as it's almost as though you can forgot how hard it must be for her to watch those that surround her; those who cancer spreads, or worse, who die from the disease. I like how it becomes a love story, a true love story. One where two adolescents bond over similar experiences to the point where they fulfil their 'wish' of meeting Hazel's favourite author; an author who writes a novel about childhood cancer, a parallel to what Green himself is doing. During their trip to Amsterdam, Augustus is finally honest about various things to Hazel and for a few chapters the novel seems like a regular teenage love story. However, with cancer being the distructive disease that it is, fate changes rapidly and the tears begin to fall.

Considering this story centres around such a horrible disease, much of the book is fairly uplifting with bouts of humour, banter and sarcastic remarks flying between the main characters. Although alongside this, the book is also very sensitive and handles the topic well as it also details how cancer affects not only the sufferer but also their family and friends. Throughout the book the characters do their best to remain strong and brave in an attempt to hide the worst from their parents, Hazel in particular. They also acknowledge some of the side effects of cancer such as depression are not widely known about, especially when you consider how much they have to lose; their lives, their limbs, their friends and family. It's a lonely life, one that Green somehow transfers into words and definitely raises awareness of the struggles of both illness and impending adulthood. As ultimately due to their cancer situations, they have had to grow up faster, to the point that the characters come across as more adult than adolescent the majority of the time. 

The ending is incredibly tough and not one that as a reader, you expect or are prepared for. However, I thought it was a fantastic translation of the truth of cancer. It's a disease, one that isn't fair and doesn't let go of its prisoners easily. As a reader, you are provided with a rather blunt view of the disease, to the point that Hazel even declares 'Depression is a side effect of dying.' Which is why I loved this book so much; it truly resonates with the reader the issues that come with having to deal with not only death, but the ideal way to die. Considering that death is a huge topic throughout the book, it actually isn't acknowledged often as many of the characters have a fear of death, which is hardly surprising considering their situations. The overall story was thought provoking, extensive, at some moments sad and at other moments truly enjoyable which was due to the first person writing style, as a reader you really connect on a personal level with the characters. I would completely recommend this book, but I would also suggest reading it before seeing the film adaption. 

 

A Mini Haul #6

After seeing so many YouTube videos and bloggers raving about Make Up Revolution products I decided to have a look in my local Superdrug and investigate the hype for myself; not only is the make up super affordable but it's got such a range of different products to the point that I could've spent a ridiculous amount of money on so many things. I was disappointed because the brow promade looked incredible and they didn't have my shade in stock so I have to keep an eye out for when it's available instead. I did manage to get my grubby paws on a couple of items though, which made me very happy as they're excellent value for money. I'd recommend just having a browse through the range if you're after make up on a budget as every item is very reasonably priced and feels fairly sturdy for the prices too. This little haul is definitely the start of experimenting with more make up and Make Up Revolution products seem to be very versatile as there is so many shades in their palettes; you can find something for every skin tone.

 

 

As I wasn't full of money to spend, I decided on a highlighter and an eyeshadow palette. In all honesty, I'm such a mess when it come to making decisions... I struggled to limit myself but I'm so excited with what I bought. I decided on a strobe highlighter in the shade Ever Glow Lights which was a fantastic price at £3; I'm amazed at the amount of pigment in such a small pot, even on the back of my hand it was incredibly glowy. I'm so excited to use it properly on my face but I feel like it's not a natural highlight, it's one to wear for a special occasion, for me anyway. However if you're a fan of glowy highlights for everyday, this is one to use as its so affordable and easy to replace if you hit pan. I also indulged in an eyeshadow palette that I've been obsessed with since seeing it all over instagram. It was the Fortune Favours The Brave palette priced at an incredible £9.99 for 30 different shades. 

 

I'm actually in love with each of the 30 shades and I feel like they're super versatile; as in, you could make use of so many of the available shades for different looks; from a natural day look, to a more shimmery, smoky night time look. I adore the packaging too, it feels very sturdy for the price and comes with a huge mirror which is a great addition to a make up bag, as it enables you to top up your make up throughout the day if necessary. I'm not a fan of the brush that comes with the palette, but that's only because I have brushes that I prefer to use that don't have a sponge end,  it's really not too bad if I'm honest. If you're on a budget without having any make up brushes it will still work really well. One thing that I really love about the shades in this palette is that they have shades running through them which looks amazing in the pan and on the lid. I can see why this palette has been loved so much on social media. I'm a massive convert to Make Up Revolution now and I'll definitely be buying more make up palettes from them; I already have my eyes on a highlight blush palette, but for the price it's definitely acceptable to indulge sometimes!

 

Favourite Blogs #7

Every month I feel like I read so many different blogs and get a whole host of different tips, ideas and understanding about how other people live their lives. One of the reasons I love blogging so much is that it keeps my mind busy; often when I have a spare moment I have a tendency to overthink, whereas now I have something to occupy my mind either by reading the posts of others or writing posts for my own blog. This month I've been enjoying a range of lifestyle and beauty bloggers and the five bloggers mentioned below have provided me with so much inspiration for my blog to the point where they're definitely on the list of my firm favourites right now.

 

www.wishwishwish.net

I'm absolutely loving Carrie's more recent posts where she details getting married and all of the little snippets from her big day. She's covered more less everything most people would want to know when knowing more about weddings, such as the bride and bridesmaid dresses, the honeymoon, the legalities, planning in general, a playlist, invitations and stationary alongside many, many more tips and trips. Aside from her wedding posts I love her blog in general, especially her personal style whilst on travels and in England posts as they're just so beautifully captured, the photography is amazing. To be honest her whole blog is so effortlessly polished, I love it!

 

www.nospaceformilk.com

Rachel's blog is excellent for raising awareness for menth health issues, but also provides a great source of support for those actually need help by giving tips on how to combat negativity within your life. She's currently studying mental health nursing so she definitely knows what she's talking about; I personally have found her blog to be sensitive and helpful, for example giving advice on how to self love. Her blog isn't only about mental health primarily a lifestyle blog, so you'll see many cups of coffee and showing parts of her life and what she enjoys doing in her spare time.

 

www.veryberrycosmo.co.uk

Primarily a lifestyle blog, Kayleigh shows her background in graphic design through her lovely blog design. She's not the most regular poster, but what she does post is always interesting and definitely something that has taken up a great deal of time. For example a post about female contraception and its side effects; such an important issue but one that is rarely raised in public and also a lot of mental health experiences, such as being isolated at university and alone in suffering alongside more happy posts relating to beauty and social events. It's nice to see someone showing the importance of looking after mental health whilst continuing to live their life.

 

www.sophieetc.com

I found Sophie's blog through following her on social media; I like how she incorporates her personality and hobbies into her posts. She's very frank about her struggles with insecurity and anxiety, with posts outlining how she feels like a blip in the blogosphere. However, I like her honesty just as much as I enjoy her thoughts on food such restaurants she's visited, fashion likes and dislikes and lifestyle posts in the form of what she's read, or how to ace a job interview. I enjoy reading her down to earth, fun and honest reviews and I like her taste very much in general, from make up, books and travel. I peeking into other people's lives and her blog is a nice reflection of Sophie.

 

www.jadeannloves.blogspot.co.uk

I love finding new blogs to read through and Jade is a blogger who I've quickly fallen in love with; I originally found her blog through instagram and having reading throughout this month. Her posts are a mixture of beauty, fashion and lifestyle, with tips on how to increase your follower count on social media, reviews on beauty products such as the Too Faced Sweet Peach palette and foodie aspects, like afternoon teas. I like that I've found her blog at the beginnings of its life, as it's so nice to watch a blogger grow from a small following to a larger following; blogs shape so much in their first few years and I can't wait to see how her blog keeps growing.

 

A Mini Haul #5

Hey again; at the moment I've been loving highlighter and eyeshadow palettes. That said, I'm also on a massive budget at the minute too so it makes sense that my most recent purchase was a set of two eyeshadow palettes and a contour palette all for the bargain price of £17 from W7. Before buying this contour set, I owned another contour palette from the Kate Moss by Rimmel in the lightest shade and it's definitely my preference to the W7 version as it's far more pigmented, but also better suits my skintone. That said, there wasn't actually a specific skin tone choice with the W7 palette, it just was an extra in a set of three palettes. In terms of pigmentation I definitely prefer my Sleek highlighting palettes over any others, although the Rimmel contour palette is my favourite for a natural, everyday look. The W7 The Cheeky Trio is sadly not the best for me, but perfect for someone with a more medium skin tone and especially if you want a palette that's good value for the money you spend.

 

The two eyeshadow palettes that came as the other parts of the W7 set are In The Night and Colour Me Nude. I love the smokiness of the In The Night eyeshadow palette as it has such an amazing range of Matte and Shimmer shades. The layout of the palette is very similar to the Urban Decay Naked series, although I personally think the W7 versions are sturdier as they're tins, not board. A nice bonus is that there is a brush included in the palette which works reasonably well, but a second brush makes is far easier to blend the shades together than the brush included does. The shades included in the palette really suit what it says on the tin; I'll definitely be using these shades for a gorgeous smoky eye for evenings out with friends. Although there are some lighter matte shades which made an excellent eyeshadow base, like the nude colours to the left of the palette which could also be used for a shimmery daytime look too. Actually that's why this palette is so good, not only because of the good pigmentation, it's the range of shades available which you can use to create any kind of make up look, whether that's for day or night.

 

 

For an everyday look, I'm actually in love with the Colour Me Nude eyeshadow palette as it's the perfect set of Shimmer shades to add a hint of glam to a natural make up look. This is the palette that I'll use the most from the three palettes as it's got an amazing range of base eyeshadow shades and more glamourous day or night time shades. Like the other palette in the set, this palette is a good dupe for the Urban Decay Naked series as the shades and layout of the palette are fairly similar but at a better price point for many people, myself for sure! On myself I usually have a nude eyeshadow because as I'm getting older I feel as though less is more, it's more about assentuating what you have rather than painting a mask so this palette is perfect for that paired down but pretty make up style. I would definitely recommend the two eyeshadow palettes to any skin tone and especially to someone who would want a lot of choice for their budget, but I have to be honest that I'm really not keen on the contour palette. Overall, this set was a massive win for me. What palettes are you guys enjoying at the moment? Let me know in the comments :)

 

Favourite Instagrammers #8

Hello again; another month, another love for Instagram. Anyone who has bothered to read this blog before will know how much I love Instagram. It's such an amazing way to find other bloggers and also learn more about photography. I've been following so many more people this month and I've been loving non themed feeds as they're so much more realistic and relatable to real life. I've definitely become more interested in fine art style photography during this month which is a surprise compared to some of the feeds I'd been loving during the past few months.

 

poppydeyes

Poppy is like mix of the girl next door or best friend that you never had; one of the reasons that I love her instagram feed is that it feels so personal even though the photography is insanely polished. There's a theme but it doesn't feel rigid like they usually do; the photographs are based on the seasons mixed with some personal style. I adore the way that Poppy dresses, it's so laid back but super stylish, which literally translates through her photographs so well!

 

callmeamye

I haven't been following Amy for long at all, but her feed is literally amazing; full of blogger worthy posts, such as skincare routines and homeware/lifestyle flatlays and hauls. There's an overall theme, but I like that it's not rigid; it's more about the photography and connecting with her personal life. I like the down to earth feel to her posts, which often include jokes and titbits that reflect her personality. Photographs of her current favourites, such as lipstick are great for discovering new products without having to read through blog upon blog.

 

bambi_xoxoxo

I recently followed Jessica on Instagram and instantly loved her feed, I felt like we have really similar tastes for example in books and skincare. I love her laid back but girly feed which is full of some lovely items of homeware, beauty and the most amazing stationary. I feel like her posts are really personal, which is nice. Basically her feed is cutesy without being in your face and I liked it instantly because it's so full of everyday objects like plates or necklaces that she makes look beautiful that I usually wouldn't even notice!

 

aclotheshorse

I absolutely adore Rebecca's instagram feed, I love how each photograph is so carefully planned to every last detail. Her photographic style is gorgeous and there is a theme of personal style, books, handiwork and adventures but it's not rigid. I discovered her feed during the autumn months and since then I've been literally obsessed with following her outfits, how she styles her hair and her accessories. Her series of outfit posts in the woodland areas of Northern Ireland are my favourites and I wish to visit Ireland one day now!

 

alwaysalicex 

I started following Jayd Alice towards the end of last month, I love her flatlays and mix of beauty, lifestyle and architecture. Every photograph is super polished but it's not a rigid theme, they're a good mix of different themes and that's what I'm really loving at the moment; it feels like real life and as though you're getting to know the person behind the photograph, not just some unattainable beauty. Plus she posts some delicious looking photos of food, which never fail to make me feel instantly hungry. Bonus!

 

Happy Things #7

 

1. Finally after working six days in row, I have a day off where I plan to relax and literally sit and recharge my batteries, ready for a new week ahead with a positive frame of mind.

2. I'm currently in the midst of rebuilding a close relationship with my best friend from sixth form, which is lovely as it's nice to remember the old times and reflect on how much we've changed and grown as people since we were seventeen.

3. Seeing my best friend for dinner this weekend which will be great. Having some weekends off is amazing as it gives me the opportunity to keep in touch and catch up with her as often as I can as she's a fantastic friend. She always manages to pick me up when I'm down.

4. I've reached a point where I'm comfortable with liking wearing make up and not wearing make up. Which is great as when I'd just started my new job I was super self conscious and therefore make up became like a form of confidence mask. Now I've realised how stupid that is; instead I'm wearing it only for myself and for the right reasons.

5. Sometimes it's ok not to be ok; not everyday, or week will be fantastic and I'm learning (very) slowly that is fine. Sometimes you have to ride a rollercoaster, even if it terrifies you.