January Playlist

Hello again guys; I’m sorry if it seems like I’m blogging less at the moment, but I promise that I’m not! Honestly, I blog for pleasure and make no money from my blog so my blogging fits around my everyday life, which is fine but it does mean that I upload really erratically at times. This month I’ve been loving (as always) listening to music on the go, to and from work. I find it super relaxing and it’s a good to get into the mood for work, or to wind down after a long day. I listen to whatever I want to, I’m not fussed about if it’s cool or not, I do love a cheeky guilty pleasure to listen to. None of the songs below are in any particular order, they’re just the fifteen different songs that I’m obsessed with listening to at the minute; I keep absent mindedly hummed the tunes to myself without realising, ahah!

1. Beautiful Trauma - P!nk

2. Something Just Like This - The Chainsmokers & Coldplay

3. One Last Time - Ariana Grande

4. Reggaetón Lento (Remix) - CNCO & Little Mix

5. Échame La Culpa - Luis Fonsi & Demi Lovato

6. Where We Go - P!nk

7. Where Do Broken Hearts Go - One Direction

8. Dusk Till Dawn - Zayn feat. Sia

9. Reggaetón Lento (Bailemos) - CNCO

10. Crying in the Club - Camila Cabello

11. Payphone - Maroon 5 (feat. Wiz Khalifa)

12. Still Into You - Paramore

13. Heart Skips a Beat - Olly Murs (feat. Rizzle Kicks)

14. Elastic Heart - Sia

15. Havana - Camila Cabello (feat. Young Thug)

Blogging on a Budget

Hello again guys; I’m sure that many of you who have been reading my blog for a while will have realised that I mention being a budget a lot of the time. I’m not ashamed of being on a budget, a part of life is learning how to look after your money. However, I have to admit many bloggers and YouTubers make it seem like lots of money is needed to be successful and this post is about showing you that you can be a blogger and on a budget! It's not fun to be on a budget, but it is definitely something that it a part of growing older and reaching the age where saving needs to be more important than splurging. I don't make any money from my blog, so I'm very aware of the importance of keeping the costs low but the content great for my blog. All of these little tips are applicable to another blog, they're just little things that I've learnt through trial and error over the part eighteen months of blogging.

A creative mind

The one thing that any blogger definitely needs is a creative mind; you need to be able to think of content, take decent photos and write eloquently. However, all of those things also come from time, passion and practise. No blogger starts off as a complete professional, with thousands of views and it’s important to remind yourself that each blog and therefore blogger is unique, so avoid comparing yourself and your blog to others. Concentrate instead on wanting to improve your content for yourself and your readers, rather than giving up because someone else is more established so therefore more competent in various areas. This is something that I have to tell myself in a regular basis, as I always feel like my blog isn't professional or perfect enough, so I know how hard it is. However, I like to remind myself that no one else has a blog like mine and that is the beauty of blogging.

A decent camera

During one of my very poor times, I regrettably sold my canon DSLR on eBay and although I miss it, I can manage to live without it. One of my life’s vices is my iPhone; for all of my blog photography I use the camera of my iPhone 7 Plus and use free editing apps to change the brightness, contrast, depth of field and add some cute lens flares. I studied photography at university and I do want to reinvest in a DSLR, but that’s more because I miss the one I used to have more than because my phone camera isn’t up to scratch (the camera on my iPhone is more than adequate for taking photographs). It’s more about the layout of the image than anything else; it’s difficult to tell what camera anyone uses as all of the cameras are of excellent quality these days, even on phones or other portable devices. 

Blog photo props

For my blog, I like to use a variety of props around the centrepiece of the photo (which is usually a book). I use perfume bottles, books, makeup brushes and eyeshadow palettes; in fact, all of those things are fairly affordable. You can buy empty perfume bottles for as little as 99p (minus postage costs) on eBay and I’ve done that myself in the past - one of my favourite props is a £70 bottle that I paid 99p for and no one has ever noticed that it is empty because the bottle alone looks fabulous! All of my props are laid out on a fluffy cream rug that I paid £8 for and it’s perfect as it’s both pretty and neutral to use as a background as it goes with everything. It’s super easy to fake a photogenic lifestyle whilst spending as little as possible, although it is important to be resourceful. I've heard of other bloggers photographing flatlays on tiles or squares of wood, too, which if you buy a sample size is very affordable and looks really effective against the bright colours and aesthetic goodness of products and perfume bottles.

Unique ideas

Probably the most important part for the creation of a blog is to have the ability to think of excellent content. If every blogger was posting the same opinion, topics or images then nobody would want to read it, so it is very important to try and create a range of idea that are uniquely yours. For many weeks I had my 'Happy Things' series which was a great way to talk about the positive side of life and in turn, my issues with mental health. It wasn't something I'd seen another blogger do (although I'm sure that someone, somewhere in the world will have done something similar) and it was also very important to me, personally. It's important to post regularly but not constantly repeat the same ideas; variety is key. Don't limit yourself to a niche, for example fashion as that's how you lose the creative side to blogging.

Passion

This is something that is completely free; to start a blog is very easy, all you need to do is turn on a device make an account on blogger, wordpress or something similar and then write. However, in reality it is actually a lot of time and effort to keep up writing a blog and you really need to be passionate about what you do. It's so important to remember that blogging isn't about making money; it's about wanting to share your ideas and to an extent, yourself with the world.

Snippets of Life: September // October

Hello again guys; this post is a summary of my last couple of months. Autumn and Spring are the months that I usually prefer as I don’t like to be too cold or too hot (yes, I’m one of those people!) I actually hadn’t realised how little I’d been posting over the past month but I don’t really have a schedule to stick to I guess that’s hardly surprising. September was a good month, I spent a lot of it living my life and not worrying about taking photos or documenting what I did. I definitely was trying to be more spontaneous during that month, whereas October has been more of a reflective month. I’ve spent the last few months (trying to) not worry about my weight and instead focus on enjoying food and drink and company, which actually was refreshing. Probably the best part of the last two months was visiting the Harry Potter Studio Tour; I absolutely loved it and I made some great memories that day. Plus, it was like reliving all of my childhood dreams in one day! I definitely plan on going again as there’s so much to see and do it’s impossible to take it all in with one visit. I’ve had a good couple of months but I feel like I want to document my life a bit more again; for two months of photos I feel like I don’t have many memories to look back on. One of the best things about blogging is that you document all of the little things and I feel like I’ve been forgetting to do that recently. So here’s to having a great November and I’ll be posting again soon! :)

October Moodboard

Hello again guys; once again I’m starting the month off with a moodbaord based on a variety of images that I found on Pinterest (no hate please, I know it’s bad there’s just so much inspiration to be found from there) using the search keywords Halloween, Autumn, Autumn fashion, Halloween DIY and October. I don’t own any of these images but they can all be found on Pinterest using the same search keywords. I really, really love the autumn and fall colours, the orange, reds and yellows are simply beautiful and honestly I can’t wait for the leaves to start falling properly, even if I’m not a fan of the darker nights and shorter days. Another thing that I’ve been getting excited over is decorating interiors for the upcoming seasons as the one thing that is super enjoyable about the autumn and winter seasons is having cute decorations all over the house and I like seeing the house looking a little more cozy and warm in the colder months. I’m definitely tempted to buy some more big cozy jumpers as it is starting to get more cold in the mornings and evenings now, so maybe I’ll take some inspiration from the colour schemes that can be found in some of these images. Is there anything that is getting you excited about October? Let me know in the comments :)

A Beauty Haul

Hello again guys; I feel like I haven’t posted a beauty related haul in a while and amazingly, all of this haul was gifted to me by best friend. Am I not incredibly lucky? She’s such a sweetheart, she definitely knows the kind of things that I’d like, for example pink nail polish and the mascara... Put it this way, mascara is probably my main make up related vice, if I could choose only one item of make up to wear for the rest of my life it would definitely be mascara as I just feel so much more confident whenever I’m wearing any as it literally makes the eyes pop a lot more. I love it whenever I get the opportunity to try out new make up or various products so this gift box of products was a dream for me, I can’t wait to test out some of the products as I do love experimenting sometimes. I’m forever on a budget so I don’t often get the opportunity to test out new products regularly, so whenever I do get the opportunity to try out new make up or products I really enjoy it. I’m so, so grateful to my bestie for this random gift box of goods and I can’t wait to let her know what ones I loved the most as well as you guys. There’s a huge amount of variety in the products provided in the gift box so it’s going to be super enjoyable to see what ones I’d consider buying again. Let me know in the comments if you like these kinds of posts :)

James Read Gradual Tan - Sleep Mask Tan Body 100ml - £30

As I’ve mentioned many times before, I’m so incredibly pale skinned that I literally glow in the sun haha. I’ve never really had a lot of success with fake tanning and I must admit that it’s not something that really appeals to me; I’ve learnt to embrace my natural ghostliness over the years so I’ve never really been tempted to tan. However, judging by the reviews of this brand I may try and tan my legs as it is a bit of a pain to constantly wear flesh coloured tights every summer. Obviously with the arrival of autumn, I’ll be leaving this product for next year but I can’t wait to try it, even if it’s just to even out my skin tone a little.

M&S Beauty Sun Smart Moisture Protect Sun Lotion SPF 30 - £8.50

Now, this is the perfect product to protect my ghostly skin; in fairness, everyone needs to wear sunscreen but I’m fairly careful generally with my skin in the sun because I’m terrified of ruining my skin with sun damage so I tend to use a lot of sun screen in the summer months. Ordinarily I would use SPF 50+ on very hot days, but for days spend wandering the city, this one will be great. Again, this is an item that I’ll be saving for next summer as autumn has definitely arrived in the UK for now, so this product will be a great addition to my summer skincare.

Studio 10 Youth Lift Glow-Plexion 15ml - £26

In all honesty, I’ve never been one to be interested in keeping my skin youthful, although that’s possibly because I’ve always been more interested in having healthy, happy skin instead. I tend to use moisturisers fairly often as a way of keeping my skin glowing as I have very dry skin. However, the reviews of this product are extremely positive which excites me; I’m looking forward to trying this as a f primer and illuminator before applying BB cream for understated, natural make up looks as it’s supposed to give you healthy, glowing skin that covers any visible imperfections which I really like the sound of as I’m loving ‘no makeup, makeup’ looks at the moment.

Filorga Time Filler 15ml - £16.20

In all honesty, this isn’t a product that I would’ve even thought of purchasing as I’ve never been concerned about wrinkles (watch in 10 years time when I regret that statement ahaha) but nethertheless it’s true; I’m fairly lucky in that I don’t have wrinkles yet and the laughter lines around my eyes have never bothered me as everyone has them and they make a face look perfectly natural. I’m really not a fan of the frozen face look of Botox ahaha. I will be likely to give this product to my mother as although she has amazing skin she would be far more likely to use this than I would and I hate wasting products.

Philip Kingsley Instant Beach 25ml - £8.99

This product is super exciting for me; whenever I try to style my hair, the idea of having long, tousled, beachy waves is exactly what I’d love to create as I think it looks amazing and low maintenance. I’ve always loved the hairstyles of Mary-Kate and Ashley and this product will definitely be able to help me to recreate that kind of look as it’s a texturising spray that doesn’t ruin the hair, which is a relief as my hair is quite thick due to having lots of strands but the individual strands are fine. It’s supposed to give volume and texture whilst holding the waves well, so I’m really excited to try this product as it’s definitely one that I’d repurchase if it does what it says on the tin.

Alpha H Daily Essential Moisturiser 50ml - £29

As I’ve mentioned many times before, I do have incredibly dry skin so I was very happy to see a moisturiser inside my besties box of gifts as one of the only skincare products I use regularly is a moisturiser due to how excellently it works for my skin. I’m one of those people who needs to add cream to their face immediately after washing or showering, or even in the morning before I apply any make up. As a result of moisturiser being a massive part of my skincare routine, I’m really excited to see how good this one is... For the price it should be amazing, but we’ll see soon enough.

Leighton Denny High Performance Nail Colour in Plush Pink - £12

Since I’ve been working in a job where I can wear nail varnish I’ve definitely started to enjoy it, I feel much more fancy whenever I wear it and I’m a massive fan of pink and purple shades as they really stand out and I like seeing my nails look half decent, haha. Considering the price of this polish, I’ve got really high expectations for it; I’m expecting it to be super long lasting with minimal chippage through everyday use, hopefully it’ll be as bright a pink as the bottle shows it to be as the shade looks absolutely beautiful if you go by the bottle colourisation.

Eyeko Sport Waterproof Mascara 8ml - £19

This is definitely the item that I was most excited about; I love wearing mascara as I feel like it really makes the colour of my eyes stand out. I’m a huge fan of wearing mascara everyday, even if I don’t want to have a full face of make up. Sometimes just a bit of mascara just makes you feel a little more confident and that’s definitely true for me; I have really fair eyelashes so the addition of mascara really makes a difference for me. This one is surprisingly expensive so I’m hoping it’ll be a fantastic addition to my mascara collection, plus it’s the sport edition so it should be able to last all day without flaking or drying out; I’ll be testing this mascara as soon as possible and I have high expectations for it.

September Playlist!

1. What About Us - P!nk

2. Hard Times - Paramore

3. Learn To Love Again - Lawson

4. Sorry Not Sorry - Demi Lovato

5. Battle For The Sun - Placebo

6. Power - Little Mix feat. Stormzy

7. Came Here For Love - Sigala & Ella Eyre

8. Unpredictable - Olly Murs and Louisa Johnson

9. City of Angels - 30 Seconds To Mars

10. Rock N Roll - Avril Lavigne

11. Skyscaper - Demi Lovato

12. Don't Look Down - Martin Garrix (feat. Usher)

13. Crying in the Club - Camila Cabello

14. Here's To Never Growing Up - Avril Lavigne

15. It Ain't Me - Kygo & Selena Gomez

I love to listen to many different types of music and I'm sure that's fairly obvious by the range of artists and genres from my list typed above. When I was younger I limited myself to certain artists and genres and although I don't regret that, nowadays I really like having variety on my iPod as I listen to music that suits my mood a lot of the time. I don't have a long journey to and from work, but I enjoy listening to music on my journey as it cancels out any other noise and gets me in the zone in time for work. I have a busy job so it's important to have a way of chilling out before and after the working hours of the day. I have an iPhone, but I prefer to save my battery and use an iPod as it's just so easy to use and they've really lasted the test of time for me. I'm also less likely to brake my iPhone by using an iPod, haha. What music have you guys been loving recently? Let me know in the comments :)

Life Update // Blog Goals

Hello again guys; you may or may not have noticed that I've been posting a little less often on my blog and there is a reason for that... The 'Happy Things' posts were a fantastic way of looking after my mental health by finding the positive in the everyday, however that can't always be how I live my life. Mental health is something that you have to constantly work at and although it was a great way of improving my life for a period of time, I'm now stepping away from forcing myself to be happy and I'm trying to be naturally happy. At the moment I'm concentrating on finding happiness without active searching for it; I guess a more accurate description would be that I'm determined to find contentment. I've decided to limit the posts to a single Happy Things post each month which will be a reflection of all of the good things that have happened throughout the month, instead of counting of the perfect amount of positivity. It was a great idea and it worked really well for months, but at the same time, I spent too much time dwelling on whether I would, or could find the perfect amount of Happy Things each week and that's not a way to live.

I mentioned on my twitter the other day that I'm considering starting a YouTube channel to work alongside my blog and other social media. For me, this is absolutely crazy; I honestly never thought that I'd even think about starting a YouTube channel as I'm far more comfortable writing my thoughts than speaking my thoughts. It also sounds a bit stupid, but I don't feel like I fit the mood all that well as I'm not exactly the most confident of people; I'm actually pretty awkward, particularly because I have a deep voice for a female so I don't sound as feminine as I feel like people would expect of me. I have an issue in the sense that I don't own any equipment like microphones or cameras that would work all that well for this kind of work; for my blog work I use an iPhone 7 plus so I definitely would need to invest in some kind of equipment before making the decision to start a YouTube channel.

One of the reasons that I'm feeling unsure whether or not to take the plunge into the YouTube world is that I'm worried that my videos won't be interesting enough to watch; I have some ideas for video creations but I'm just concerned that I would run out of ideas quickly and then I'd just give up. Although, I haven't ran out of blog post ideas yet so I guess that's just me doubting myself. Another reason that I'm a bit nervous is that I don't have a particularly photogenic bedroom to film in; I know this definitely comes into the whole idea of 'first world problems' but basically I haven't decorated my room since I was roughly 9 years old so it just feels like my childhood room. If I do decide to go ahead with YouTube, I will definitely be considering redecorating my room beforehand as I feel like that will make me feel a lot more confident about creating content on YouTube, as strange as that sounds. I don't really know why, but I would feel a lot more comfortable with a nice background to my videos as then I wouldn't feel like the sole focus of the video was on my face haha!

I would absolutely love it if you could leave a comment with your opinion on my dilemma down below, because I really do want to see what the people who actually read my blog posts think about the slight changes to my blogging style (posting less frequently, but better content) and whether or not a YouTube channel would suit the kind of content that I create. I really want to create content that works well for those who read my blog, so I would love any kind of feedback from you guys as although I don't have the biggest blog following in the world I do appreciate every one that takes the time to read my ramblings so I would love to hear from you. Overall, I'm feeling a little better in myself at the moment so I'll be posting more regularly across all of my social media and if you want to connect with me just get in touch as I would love to get to know you :)

Harry Potter Haul

Hello again guys; I recently did a blog post the 'Harry Potter Tag' so I'm sure that it won't surprise anyone that I'm a massive Harry Potter fan... I'm actually going to the Harry Potter Studio Tour later on in the month so I'm sure I'll be posting more Harry Potter related content over the next month. Recently Primark have really upped their game in terms of variety in their clothing and I've been dreaming about some Harry Potter pajamas for a while now; I actually wear a lot of the Primark Harry Potter t-shirts around the house and in bed so after thinking on it for ages I decided to take a trip to Primark and see what merchandise took my fancy. I was fairly lucky in that the Primark branch that I visited has quite a good selection of the range in terms of clothing, although it was lacking a little on the homeware side. The first thing that I decided to buy was pajama trousers; overall navy coloured with red and white stripes and trims with a slouchy, tracksuit style fit I like how they have all four houses along the left leg coloured in gold. The attention to detail is nice too, with a little lapel saying 'Property of Hogwarts School' and the label being a mini replica of Harry Potter's first letter sent from Hogwarts. The Prisoner of Azkaban is my favourite book of the series so I was so excited to snap up the only remaining Marauders Map pajama trousers in the shop. They're a similar fit and slouchy style to the other trousers, but a lighter shade of blue with white trims and the map printed on in white; of the two pajamas these are definitely my favourite simply because I love the design of the Marauders map.

This isn't the biggest haul in the world, but I also purchased two sets of socks from the Harry Potter range; of the two, the Hogwarts houses are the better value for money as you get extra pair of socks for the same price. They're a soft grey with the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin crests on each one with matching stripes around the toes and the tops of the ankle. A standard but classic design and they're also incredibly soft and comfy. I do like the Fantastic Beast designs a little more as they're less common than the regular Harry Potter designs. They feel like they're made of a similar quality, although I'm assuming that the slightly higher price tag is because the designs are a little more intricate with woven sparkles coming through the designs too. I like the quotes on the Fantastic Beast socks and I suppose that they seem a bit more adult when compared to the Harry Potter designs, although that could also be because the Fantastic Beasts series focuses more on adulthood in general and Hogwarts makes me think of adolescence. I'm really happy with the few things that I managed to find from Primark and I think that the quality is great, especially when you factor in the affordable price tag too. The Obliviate notebook was bought for me by my boyfriend and although it wasn't from Primark it makes sense to include it in this Harry Potter haul. All of the Harry Potter merchandise that is coming out at the moment looks amazing and I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want all of it!

Harry Potter Marauder's Map pajama trousers; £8 - Harry Potter Hogwarts School Houses pajama trousers; £8 - Fantastic Beasts socks; three pairs for £3 - Harry Potter Hogwarts Houses socks; four pairs for £3 (all items from Primark)

Fantastic Beasts Obliviate notebook; £7.99 from Waterstones

September Moodboard

Hello again guys; I don't know about you, but I feel like August disappeared so quickly... I was not ready for September to be here already, but if I'm honest, autumn has always been my favourite season as I'm not a fan of the humidity so the chillier weather is a plus as my favoured fashions are those with huge cozy jumpers and ankle boots. I'm definitely a boots, jeans and jumper kind of girl and so September is the start of my favourite couple of months of the year, plus I do love firework displays and they're not far away now. Like I post every month, I don't own any of the photographs in the grids below; I do choose the images and places them into collages but they're not my images. I simply go onto Pinterest and type in keywords; this month I used the words Autumn, September, ear piercings, Cath Kidston, autumn fashion and some of the images are by my favourite blogger Rebecca who honestly creates the most lustworthy autumnal images. I'm really looking forward to having hot drinks and wearing big fluffy scarves to stay cozy. I love getting into a warm bed at the end of a cold day and simply enjoying watching the world go by. Is anyone else super excited for the months to come? Let me know in the comments :)

Book Review: Little Pieces of You and Me

This novel is one that attracts a reader due to its beautifully laid out front cover; the artwork is fairly minimal, but somehow still manages to stand out on a bookshelf. Recently I've been reading books that contain quite difficult subject matters, so the intention was to read something a little easier and more fluid; however this book was a bit of a shock in the sense that it wasn't at all what I'd expected. Isla and Sophie are best friends and have been since their student days, however life has taken them both in very different directions. Sophie never completed her medical degree but is working in a hospital and has a husband, Liam and step daughter, Rebecca at home in Bristol, whereas Isla is a carefree, single actress currently living and working in Amsterdam with dreams of making it big within the theatre world, either by acting or scriptwriting.

Whilst they were at University the two women each wrote out a list of dreams for the future and both them still think about achieving them, although Sophie definitely feels like her dreams are much further from her reach. Isla has dreams of going to broadway and very nearly hits that dream hard on the head. Through a few short months, both of their lives rapidly change. Isla unexpectedly finds love when she isn't looking for it and he seems like the loveliest of men and his bookshop sounds so interesting; even his customers sound out of the ordinary. One of the reasons that I really enjoyed this book was that not everything in life goes to plan; Isla's life grinds to halt when she's diagnosed with a long term medical condition and she's forced to make several decisions; to give up her broadway dreams, to leave Amsterdam and a love behind and go home to her mother and grandmother in Bristol.

Each of the characters seem to be flawlessly devised and I loved the dynamic between Berenice and Rafael, how much time and energy they gave each other in terms of friendship; a foreigner abroad and an elderly lady with a lifetime love of books. Both of them came across as very kind, creative people who enjoyed having someone to talk to although they both had their own secrets to hide from the world. All of the characters make some sacrifices throughout the book, however you could argue that Sophie made the most, as when Isla was unable to fulfil her dreams of travelling, Sophie went for her and helped her to feel like she was there; they had a fantastic friendship, an incredibly supportive and almost sister-like relationship. In fact, her relationship with Isla is the strongest out of all of her relationships and that is made clear by her struggles to work around Rebecca's near constant teenage angst and her non existent relationship with her parents as they disapprove of her husband.

Overall, I found this novel to be such a surprise; I'm not sure what exactly I expected, but I definitely assumed that it would be an easy, carefree novel and that it wasn't! Well, actually it did start off very full of life's positives, however it did change fairly rapidly, with Isla's diagnosis. There were many themes in this book, including illness, faithfulness, friendship and relationships in general. Sophie was a far stronger character than she appeared at first glance and I admired how well she faired in the face of adversity, whereas Isla was far more sensitive than she originally appeared, although arguably that was due to having a shock diagnosis. As I mentioned previously, the characters of Berenice and Rafael were not only intriguing, but also key to a large portion of the plot, particularly Berenice, which considering the amount of page space she was given, ultimately had a hand in ending without even being present. Greene writes so fluidly, every word flawlessly connects to the next and makes for easy reading due to how well the novel flows, but I liked how there were many underlying elements to the book. It's a great read, but I did feel like it ended abruptly and could've had a bit more explanation in some places, for example Rafael's background was fairly unclear even after finishing the novel.

Favourite Blogs #12

Hello again guys; every month there are a few posts that I always try and find the time to post, although obviously if I don't feel my best then I take a break from blogging in general. This month I've discovered several new blogs through various social medias and so this post is a kind of celebration between blogs that I love, whether I've just discovered them or if I've been reading them for a while now. I like to read a range of blogs, including beauty, lifestyle and mental health, however my preferred blogs are always those with a dash of positivity. I'm currently loving reading blogs compared to magazines as I feel like they're written by people like me, for people like me which is refreshing. There's a feeling of authenticity that comes from blogs, which is why I enjoy reading them so much.

http://rosetintedpics.co.uk/

I found Amelia's blog fairly recently, after following her on instagram for a while, but once I saw her blog I instantly fell in love. There's something lovely in the simplicity of her photographic style. With a mix of beauty, baking and lifestyle her posts offer something for everyone, although I prefer the beauty posts generally. As a huge mascara lover myself I do love a good review and she regularly reviews mascaras by various brands in detail, which are super helpful as she even talks about packaging and longevity and the reviews do feel honest; I trust her opinions as she seems very down to earth and passionate about whatever she writes about.

http://www.asyouwishuk.com/

I actually found Georgie's blog through her twitter page and haven't looked back since. Her sense of wanderlust and thirst for adventure is pretty catching; as in her travel photography is enough to make you want to quit your job and travel the world, discovering the beauty of life. However the travels are mixed in with a range of lifestyle and beauty posts too, which is also great. There are some really useful posts, for example what products to take in a make up bag (or generally in a bag!) for various holiday destinations and I also like her '10 things that made me happy this month' posts for a dash of positivity. 

https://palegirlrambling.wordpress.com/

Another twitter find, I absolutely adore her blog and other social media; this blog is definitely one for the beauty and stationary lover and the photography is simply fabulous a they're so much going on. Overall, she's definitely more of a beauty blogger and I do love how that also includes skin and nail care in this instance as I'm fairly lazy about those kinds of things so it's great to read reviews that coax me into making more of an effort! There's also a healthy mix of high end and drugstore beauty products so whether you want to lust after beautiful things or break your bank, this is the perfect blog to read if you want to spend some hard earned money as you'll want it all.

https://nospaceformilk.com/

I've been following Rachel on various social media and reading her blog for about year (maybe more) now and I love how her posts incorporate a range of themes including mental health, wellbeing and lifestyle. As a mental health nursing student, it's amazing to see mental health from another perspective and I really admire her creative ways of tackling mental health and the stigma surrounding it. Honestly is really important to me whenever I read a blog and Rachel's blog is a true insight into her life, for example when writes about the tough times as well as the good times and that's so refreshing for someone like me, who wants to see real life.

https://www.jasmineprecious.co.uk/

The final blog that I've been loving this month I found very recently, through another blogger. Jasmine has a lovely blog, I like how she's taken so much time with it to the extent that she even built her own site to blog on. Her posts are mix of lifestyle and beauty and I love how down to earth and honest she is; her recent post on why she avoided university was great as it was a completely different perspective to my own but it also tackled an important topic that most people don't really talk about. The other posts that I like to read are favourites posts as well as budgeting posts as they're always a good way of working out if you want to spend some money. Jasmine's blog is definitely one for the hard working as she details some really important stuff and I loved her explanation about spending and bank accounts so much!

August Moodboard

Hello again guys! Before we start this post I want to make it clear that none of the images below are owned by me and I am definitely not passing them off as my work or anything like that; I know it's a bit dodgy to name Pinterest as a source, but that is truly where each and every one of them are from. Literally, though searching for 'ear piercings', 'floral tattoos' and 'perfume bottles' was how I found such a diverse set of images. At the moment I'm absolutely loving cute and dainty ear piercings; I myself have a lot of ear piercings but I wouldn't call any of them cute or dainty, but after looking at these images I'm definitely lusting after some new earrings to redecorate my ears with. Similarly, I do have a tattoo but I'm thinking about another and it's likely to be floral but I have no clue of the placement or design so I'm enjoying browsing through scores and scores of images for inspiration. Finally, I've rekindled my love for beautiful perfume bottles; visually my favourite will always be the Daisy range by Marc Jacobs or the stunning female bodies by Jean Paul Gaultier. I'm on a budget for the next few months so I'm enjoying lusting after things and thinking about the kinds of things that I could have if I chose to spend my money in a few months time - fingers crossed! What kinds of things are you loving this month? Let me know in the comments :)

The Liebster Award Tag

Firstly, a huge thank you to the lovely imwithbeth (click her name to head to her blog, she's honestly one of the most supportive bloggers out there!) Beth actually tagged me in her Liebster Award post over on her blog, which is where I then got the inspiration for this post. I'm so excited to have been tagged in something like this, it's such an amazing thing to be included in; as a new(ish) blogger, I love using social media as a way of getting to know other bloggers. It's also great to read other blogs, there's so much talent and inspiration to be found in this world so it's fantastic to be a part of this community and I think a lot of people don't realise just how much time you spend on all of the different aspects of blogging; the photographs, the writing, the planning, etc. So this tag is the perfect way to commend bloggers for their hard work!

1. Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging mostly so that I could express my creativity. I studied Fine Art and Photography for many years and so I felt like I needed to use my degree in some way. I originally started this blog whilst I was at university, but it was always at the back of my mind until I finished university and was settled in a full time and repetitive job. About a year ago I decided to redesign my whole blog; the photography, the name, the brand overall and I haven't looked back since. I love getting my creativity out and most of all I really like expressing myself and having something that's truly 'mine'. It's really helped my mental health too by getting to know other bloggers and getting involved in the blogging communities. It's such a supportive place and I'm enjoying it; I don't blog to make money, I have a full time job so for me blogging is an enjoyable hobby.

2. What is a quote/motto you live by?

Honestly, there are so many things that I live by, but I guess the most important for me at the moment is 'it's ok not to be ok'. Over the past few weeks I've been really struggling with my mental health and that quote is really helping to remind me that I'm not alone and that I need to talk about it. However, another quote that I absolutely love is 'she believed she could so she did' as it's so empowering and inspiring. It's one of those things that you can apply to all of the different aspects to your life. I truly believe that attempting to think positively has a genuine affect on your mind.

3. If you could visit any place in the world where would it be and why?

I would love to visit Prague in Hungary. If I'm honest I'd love to see so many places around the world, although I do want to explore the many countries of Europe more than anywhere else. For the past couple of years I've wanted to go to Prague and I don't think I'll be disappointed if I ever manage to visit; although if there was only one place I could ever visit it would have to be Poland as I've really fallen in love with that country.

4. Where do you see your blog in 5 years?

I'd like to still be blogging, ideally but I don't want to be blogging as a job. I know that sounds bizarre as there are so many people looking for a career in blogging, but for me personally I like having a regular job (one that I enjoy) and using blogging as a way of finding happiness. I'd like to see myself still documenting my life, at whatever stage of life I'm at in five years. It's mad to think that I'll be 29 in five years! So, if I'm honest I have no idea where my blog will be at in five years!

5. Who is your favourite blogger/influencer?

There are so many bloggers that I've loved over the years, but my favourites are probably Liv Purvis from WhatOliviaDid and Carrie from WishWishWish. They're so naturally beautiful and chic with a penchant for beautiful items and I feel like they have really lovely taste. I must a admit, I'm a sucker for those who blog in London as I grew up in London so I just enjoy seeing new and exciting parts of the city that I never realised existed before.

6. What advice would you give to new bloggers?

I would say don't start blogging to become famous, or to make thousands of pounds as that's so unlikely to happen; there's so many other things to blogging and there is a great community out there. Although it's difficult, it's also important to stop comparing yourself to other bloggers as no two blogs are the same, just like no two people are the same; it's all about individuality and creativity above anything else.

7. What is your biggest fear?

I've got a ridiculous list of things that bother me; I'm not a fan of heights, deep water amongst so many other things. I'm also afraid of having my mental health get worse, of being alone too much. They're all fears that are fairly irrational, but they're terrifying for me all the same and I hate how much some of these fears can literally take over my life at times.

8. What is your favourite tv series?

This is a hard one actually. If you asked me when I was younger it would have definitely been Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Friends, and The Simpsons but I have to admit that currently I'm not massively into watching lots of tv anymore as I prefer YouTube or reading (yes I'm a bit sad like that haha) but if I had to choose then I'm a big fan of Doctor Who, Broadchurch and Outnumbered. 

9. What is your favourite accessory?

I'm a massive jewellery fiend; I literally always have some kind of jewellery somewhere on my body (with 19 piercings that's hardly a surprise) so I always have earrings or rings on, although it's more likely to be earrings. However in terms of fashion accessories my favourite for the summer months would be shoes and in the winter months scarves; if I could live in autumn all year round I would, I absolutely love autumn fashions and accessories.

10. If you could only eat one item of food for the rest of your life what would it be?

Anything with potatoes! I absolutely love any kind of meal that involves potatoes somehow, whether that's chips, hash browns, wedges, jacket potatoes etc. so I'd be pretty happy to live on something that includes that kind of food for the rest of my life as that's more or less what I already do!

11. What can you not live without?

There are so many things I can't live without; in a literal sense, air, food and water but in the sense of luxuries then I couldn't be without my phone, my handbag and also my friends and family; without them I actually don't know what I'd do in terms of my day to day life. As this is a bloggers tag I feel like I should say that I couldn't live without my blog too ;)

Below are the 11 bloggers I have decided to tag with a link to their blogs:

bethanykwalton

planetwhispers

heldtogetherbypins

littlethoughtsfromlittlepeople

elleanorwears

carolineosbel

palegirlrambling

elliesbitsofbeauty

Raeoxoxo

jaspreciousblog

parlezvousparisien

So that leaves me with some questions for the 11 blogs I have tagged:

1. Why did you start blogging?

2. What are your current blogging goals?

3. If money wasn't an issue what would you want to do with your life?

4. Where do you see your blog in 5 years?

5. What would you describe your blogging style (e.g. Lifestyle, Beauty) as and why?

6. What advice would you give to new bloggers?

7. What is your biggest fashion or beauty faux pas?

8. What is your favourite beauty item?

9. What is your favourite form of social media?

10. What tools of the trade would you recommend to new bloggers?

11. Would you ever stop blogging?

Snippets of Life: June/July

Hello guys, I feel like I've been so disorganised with my blog over the last month or so because I was planning to post this towards the end of June and now it's the start of August, I'm such a mess at the moment! (I will be posting why that is in a few days) I do like to post some photographs to do with my life every month and I usually have many photos to choose from, however all of the images below have been taken during June and July and I feel like there's not many; I've definitely had a bit of a dip in creativity in the last month or so. That said, I've been enjoying watching and taking things in outside of a camera; watching the sun rise and set, going for walks along the riverside and just generally living my life outside of a lens. I guess I'm enjoying life for what it is and watching the long summer days before they disappear. Looking through the photos that I've chosen to post, I'm definitely feeling a bit of wanderlust right now, I'm in the mood to see things, absorb knowledge and explore the world, but obviously that needs money so I'll settle for exploring London for now. I had a lovely June and good July, so hopefully August will be even better. I want to focus on my blog mor ethics month, so I'll see you very soon. Take care, love Rachel :)

 

 

Favourite Instagrammers #12

Hello again guys; for the past couple of months I haven't been loving instagram as much as I did before, I feel like that's because I decided to have a bit of a break from it. I wanted to have a break because as a blogger, I like using social media as a way to interact with other people (bloggers or not) and gaining inspiration, which I felt instagram was lacking for me. I started using Twitter and Pinterest a lot more, and I found that was the perfect mix; Twitter is fantastic for interacting with other people, making friends and supporting each other. Similarly, Pinterest is great for inspiration, but I love instagram again now too. I feel like after having a break, I've realised why I liked it. I just really enjoy scrolling through and seeing people's lives and loves. So, this month I've decided to have a look at some of the Instagrammers who I've been following for a couple of years as there must be a reason why I've followed them for so long... (hint: the feeds are lovely!)

 

sirenandrose

I've been following Megan on social media since she was more commonly known as TheBriarRoseBlog and I've always loved her girly, whimsical and quirky sense of style. Over the years she has definitely changed, mostly because when I first followed her she had vibrant, waist length red hair and now her hair is (just as stunning) still long, but curly and bronde ombré. However much her hair has changed, her beautiful photography hasn't and nor has her sense of style; whenever I see a floral dress on Megan I instantly think that she looks like a fairy! It's hardly surprising that she has so many followers because of the mix of the lovely coastal Cornwall views and pastel, girly and Disney inspired homeward splashed all over her feed.

 

justmolly

I have no clue when it was that I followed Molly, but I'm going to assume it was a while ago, as I found her feed through her YouTube video 'the piercing tag' and she had only one tattoo then. She's definitely a bit of a geeky, girly girl with a love for Harry Potter, Doctor Who and many more. She takes some beautiful photographs of nature, friends, pets and architecture and often dabbles in cosplay and writes interesting little captions to match the images. Recently she's been working in a bullet journal and I'm enjoying seeing the updates of where she's at with that, her drawings and collages.

 

rosietheginger

Rosie has the loveliest instagram feed; full of selfies, various outfit of the day posts, travel and her art. I've followed for a couple of years and she honestly comes across as so mature, much older than she is with her incredible sense of style. I like how she fully embraces her pale skin tone and often posts make up looks that suit pale skin. I tend to prefer feeds that don't have a theme, (at least, not an obvious one) and I like how Rosie posts about food, nature and many other things as you see snippets of her real life that way, rather than a fake reality. 

 

itslittlelauren

Lauren's feed is a foodies dream! Honestly I feel like whenever she posts I'm ready for whatever fantastic treats she has laid out; whether it's chocolate, milkshakes, cupcakes, fruit, macaroons or many more she always manages to make me crave the naughtiest things! However alongside her foodie posts there are many just as lovely outfit posts, room displays and photos of her out and about. I like the mix of different interests and you get a snippet of all the parts to her life; I just feel like she's keeping it real whilst being super girly and having the most beautiful decor for photo backgrounds I've ever seen.

 

emmablockillustration

Naturally, Emma's instagram feed is an array of her illustrations and I've been following her since before I finished university (which is a few years ago now!) and I love to see her beautifully hand drawn images pop on my homepage. There's some quirky and slightly whimsical about her watercolour painted illustrations; however the main reason that I love her feed so much is that I like getting a glimpse into the different creative steps and stages she passes through before finishing a product. Likewise, recently there's been more selfies and nature appreciation posts and that also nice as it's mixed things up a bit; now I see the person behind the drawings which is really nice, particularly as I've followed her for so long!