The Sparkliest Christmas Present

I've just uploaded these photos and now I can't stop staring. Wowzas.

Anyway, Merry (belated) Christmas everyone! And if you don't celebrate christmas, then happy time off school or anything else you may celebrate! Hope you've all had a wonderful time off so far. I just thought I'd share my favourite present from this christmas which is a gorgeous Swarovski ring from my incredible boyfriend, Danny. (hello you, cause I know you'l be reading this) It wasn't quite the surprise he had hoped for since I have weirdly sized fingers and we had to go for a try on, but I still lost my breath a little when I opened the box on christmas day. I had a lovely time celebrating with all my family and Danny and it's simply lovely being home from uni even if I am still working. 

What did you guys get for christmas?! I'd love to know, particularly if it's makeup related as I've got christmas money to spend and the Bullring, Birmingham to go to! Wishing you all love and happiness at this time of year. xx

A Hearty Hello To You (Remember me?!)

Well good afternoon (or morning, wherever you may be) and a hearty hello to you. If you're still following me on bloglovin' or another network then thank you for bearing with me. Yes, another one of those 'hello, I've not blogged in X months, soz' posts. Any one who says second year of uni is easy is a big liar liar pants on fire and really needs to shush (and put out the fire in their pants).

All photo's are from my instagram which you can find HERE.

-Top Row-

Random surprise of a dozen red roses and dinner | This one makes the stress of life a lot more bearable | Thai Green Curry! Getting back into cooking and loving every delicious second of it 

-Middle Row-

I finally invested in an Oh-So-Grown-Up Black coat - feeling v.sophisticated | Halloween ft. liquid latex cuts and chiseled collar bones | A quick weekend away to a very chilly Wales coastline 

-Bottom Row-

Treats in the form of chicken and cocktails, what more could you want | Made a kitty friend who I tried to pay in chicken to do my assignments, instead she just napped and distracted me | I spend a good majority of my week in this position, and I couldn't be more content

Of course this seems like all I've done is eat good food, go on holiday and do fancy makeup but in reality, these are just the highlights and 98% of my time has been spent behind this laptop and with my head in journal articles. Who said uni wasn't fun? I've have missed blogging incredibly and I have so many ideas whizzing around my brain only to be written in my notebook and never to flourish into something I hope to be wonderful. I've realised that I need to factor in a little 'me' time and hopefully that will materialise into more blog posts. 

That's all for now, but keep your eyes peeled!

Gratitude

Source

The past few weeks have been extremely stressful to say the least. I've spent them tying up loose ends at home, moving into a brand new house and spending 4 days completely alone to figure things out. The time alone consisted of a broken shower, a late night call to my boyfriend to come keep me company the first night because I want utterly terrified and spending my days extremely anxious and on edge due to the sheer amount of things I'm meant to be juggling this academic year. 

Finally I'm feeling better after refusing to live in 'ignorant bliss' and sorting everything out. This year finally seems 'possible' and it's going to be bloody tough but I know I can do it even though it's going to be completely different to last year.

I thought I'd take some time to reflect on what I'm grateful for. I made a list when I was feeling down, just to keep myself grounded and realise that in the grand scheme of things, I'm doing alright. 

1. Family. My wonderful, caring, selfless family. They're always there for me and supporting me in whatever way they can. I'm not going to be able to go home to see them as often this year but I know they're only a phone call or skype call away so that's reassuring.

2. My boyfriend, He's also incredibly supportive of my studies and getting a job too. I love how he never fails to make me laugh no matter how crap I feel, how he thinks I look cute when I've just woken up and is always being his silly self.

3. My friends. Both at home and at uni I've got a great support network of friends who are all up for a laugh and there to pick each other up when we're down. They make life at uni ten times more amazing and I can't wait for more memories with them this year!

4. My degree. I'm incredibly lucky to be studying a course that I love and at my dream university. I'm so grateful that I get the chance to achieve my career goal.

5. Accommodation. We've got a good house at a good price and yeah, it's not incredibly and has its flaws but I have a roof over my head, clothes on my back and food on my table which is so much more than a lot of others. 

Those are the big things but I'm grateful for so many little things too like: the first cup of tea in the morning, my phone, cosy nights in watching the tv, fairy lights, and my comfy chelsea boots which I can't wait to make another appearance this autumn/winter. 

Writing that list has honestly made me feel so grounded and to realise that life for me is actually pretty good. It's rewarding to remember the greater things and obviously I encourage anyone to do that same!

Tips For Shopping On A Student Budget

After living on my own at university for a year now, I'd say I've learnt quite a lot on shopping on a budget and cooking for one person, it's a lot harder than you expect! You'll get portions wrong, have gone off bananas and nothing to do with them and spend far too much money than is needed in the first few weeks but hopefully I can give you a few tips to help you out. P.S This is the first post written from my new house (shared with 4 of my uni friends), hoping to get a blog post up on how I've decorated my room after I have perfected where I want all the furniture to go, so keep your eyes peeled!

Frozen/Fresh:-

• Chicken - buy frozen as it's cheaper and the quality is just the same, just remember to defrost the day you want to use it!
• Mince - bought fresh, split into portions and then frozen for individual portions or cooked into batch to make chilli or spag bol, makes for a quick meal on days where you have late lectures!
• Veg - easily bought frozen which is cheaper and means you can just use it when you need with no risk of it going off before you get chance.
• Berries - Again, buy frozen and use for breakfast with yoghurt and granola or made into a delicious smoothie.
• Natural Yoghurt - Great for breakfast or to cool down a spicy curry.
• Milk
• Frozen Onion - great to add to soups, chilli, homemade sauces and can be kept in tthe freezer for months and used when needed. 
• New Potatoes - can be boiled, roasted, fried or used cold in salads.
• Eggs - A good addition to lunches and salads.
• Fruit - Buy individually if you can to stop it going off before you eat it.
• Stir-Fry vegetable mix - Lasts easily for two meals and is cheap!
• Garlic - An essential for making your own sauces, etc.
• Butter
• Bread

Dried:-

• Tinned Tomatoes - Use in curries, pasta sauces, chilli, spag bol, etc.
• Cereal - Granola is great because it's filling and can be eaten in a variety of ways!
• Herbs and Spices - You don't need all the herbs and spices available, it would cost a fortune, but a good start would be salt and pepper, chilli and stock cubes.
• Tinned Fish - Good for sandwhiches, salads or as a filling on jacket potatoes.
• Rice/Pasta - Buy these in bulk before coming to uni because they'll last all year!
• Cous Cous - Great flavoured as a side dish instead of potatoes or in salads.
• Dried Fruit/Nuts - Raisins and Almonds are my favourite, they're great as additions for breakfast or as simple snacks. 
• Tea/Coffee/Sugar 
• Rice Crackers/Cream Crackers - Great topped as part of lunches or as a snack.
• Preserves - Jam/Peanut Butter/etc, good for breakfasts or as a snack on top of rice cakes. #
• Instant Noodles - an obvious food to list but make a pretty filling lunch and are dirt cheap!
• Dried Fruit - Raisins, Apricots, Cranberries, etc. make a great snack or to go as part of breakfast.

General Tips:-

• Lots of vegetables nearing the end of their fridge life? Make a hearty vegetable soup by simply boiling the veg in stock, you could even add any left over chicken or other meat you fancy. Easy to make and can be frozen to eat at a later date.
• Just because it's from the value range at your supermarket, doesn't mean it isn't good quality. 
• Make sure you write a shopping list before you go, and more importantly, stick to it! It's very easy to spend over your budget on things that are on offer or that you're tempted by when you're walking around.
• Don't go shopping on an empty stomach, you'll simply buy more, and possibly quick snack foods (like chocolate or crisps) that you wouldn't normally buy, just because you are hungry.
• Make batches of food (eg. Curry/Chilli) that you can freeze and defrost the morning you want to eat it - an easy meal if you have late lectures. 
• The reduced section of a supermarket is a fab way to pick up ready meals cheaply, and freeze ready to eat another day. Just make sure you can freeze them before you buy!

Review | Anker Astro Mini External USB Charger

Anker Astro Mini External USB Charger

This little beauty is new to my handbag but something that I feel deserves a whole blog post of its own cause it's just that great. Hold onto your hats, people.

Have you ever gone on a trip out and run out of battery half way through the day? Are you a keen iPhone photographer and are always draining your battery taking photos? Or are you just a tweetaholic who cant make a full charge last all day? Of course you are, well here is the answer to your problems. A very simple device but one which is well worth buying. 

Price

As I bought this from Amazon, I ended up getting a great deal as the RRP is £39.99 and I only paid £13.99, with free delivery! I have no idea how long this offer will last for so I suggest if you consider buying it after reading this post then dive in quick.

Power

I have an iPhone 5 so can only speak on how it performs with this model of phone, but I managed to gain a full charge, 0% to 100%, from this little bad boy but it can cope with 2 to 3 half/part charges before it dies. To charge the charger itself, you simply plug the charging lead provided into the powerpack and then into a USB charger (such as the plug of an iPhone charger) and it charges on its own. It only takes a few hours to fully charge which is great but I tend to charge it overnight ready to go straight back into my handbag.

Size

As you can see from the photo above, it is only just bigger than the average lipstick which is pretty impressive as it can easily be slid into a handbag and not take up much room. It comes with its own little mesh bag to keep it in and this is big enough to fit an iPhone lead in too. Although the iPhone cable was not provided, I'm not too bothered as I can order a cheap one online somewhere just to keep in my bag. 

Overall I am so so impressed with this little charger, it is a permanent item in my handbag and has already proved invaluable. I can only imagine that when I'm back at university and spending lots of time on campus that this will come in very handy. It's well worth the money, especially with the discounted price, and I'm going to get lots of use out of it. 

Currently... | August

Reading: 'Before We Met' by Lucie Whitehouse.

Watching: Dexter on Netflix.

Dreaming of: A holiday somewhere hot where I can lounge by the pool and sip cocktails all day!

Trying To Plan: Lots of blog posts for the Autumn season.

Making: An effort to show those close how much I appreciate all they do for me.

Stocking Up On: New bits and bobs for my new house at uni.

Wishing For: The next week to go fairly quickly so I can move into the new house.

Enjoying: My last week at home.

Trying to: Get up earlier and get back into the routine of a normal human being.

Eating/Drinking: Lots of tea now the weather is a lot cooler.

Goal Setting: For my second year at uni.

Excite For: Freshers week and being reunited with my uni pals!

Working On: Improving the composition of my photography.

Lusting After: Autumn clothes!

15 Things I Wish I'd Known At 15

Image credit: @Pollyvdsz

Today I was inspired by Polly, who had visited the Heartbreak hotel at Southbank in London while the 'festival of love' is going on. She shared on twitter some images from the exhibit titled "Things I wish I'd Known At 15" and I found myself interested in the wide range of statements made on a range of topics so I thought I'd compile my own list of things I wish I'd known at 15. 

1. Not all friends will stick around but once you’ve found the right ones, they’ll last a lifetime.
2. Revision isn’t all about reading books and copying up notes, past papers are the key to success.
3. You’ll think you’ve found the love of your life but sometimes you couldn’t be more wrong.
4. Take risks. You’ll never know unless you try.
5. Take your time. You don’t need to rush into growing up and entering the adult world. When it’s your time you’ll regret the times you forgot to be a child.
6. Your thoughts will destroy you if you let them.
7. You won’t always be a size 8, and that’s okay.
8. Don’t be so trusting, but also don’t stop trusting.
9. Listen more. Everyone has a story to tell.
10. Stop trying to please everyone, you can’t make everyone happy even if you want to.
11. Vodka isn’t the answer to your problems, it just leads to more regrets.
12. Don’t stop doing what you love. Be passionate and screw anyone who doesn’t accept that.
13. You’ll never see what others see when they look at you. Just because you don’t see it, that doesn’t mean it’s not true.
14. Trust your instinct, it’s there for a reason.
15. You’ll reach your goals. The journey will have hiccups and will probably take longer than expected but trust that you’ll get there if you keep trying.

I might only be 19 years old, with most of my life still to live but I've learnt so much in the past 5 years in particular that I feel they are still worth sharing. It'll be good to look back on this in perhaps another 5 years and see yet again how my outlook on the world has changed. We can choose to never stop learning and that's exactly what I intend to do. 

Face Mapping | What Do My Spots Mean?

We are all partial to getting spots whether you suffer with acne or are lucky enough to only get the odd one. I often find myself waking up to the horrible sight of a new spot and wondering why it has all of a sudden decided to appear. I decided to do some research into what spots actually mean in relation to where they crop up on your face. I came across the concept of 'Face Mapping', there is so much information to be discovered and it's guaranteed to change the way you try to treat your spots. 

'Face Mapping' is basically the process of splitting your face into 'zones' and each represents a different part of your body. It basically analyses what is going on internally and how that is translated into getting spots. 

Zones 1 and 2: Digestive System - 

Spots in this area are caused by eating 'junk' and processed food in excess. The action to take is simple, just eat healthier and drink more water. As simple as that.

Zone 3: Liver - 

Spots here are caused by the overconsumption of alcohol, rich food and could possibly be due to a food allergy. 

Zones 4, 5, 7 and 8: Kidneys - 

Spots here indicate that you are dehydrated so the easy solution is to drink more. Also try to cut down on caffeine and alcohol as they cause dehydration if consumed in excess.

Zone 6: Heart - 

The first thing to do would be to make sure you are washing your makeup brushes regularly. This area contains dilated pores which means bacteria is more easily trapped, causing spots. Another possible cause could be high blood pressure, try to cut down on saturated fats and eat more healthy fats (contained in oily fish and nuts), but if you think you have high blood pressure, definitely consult with your doctor.

Zones 9 and 10: Respiratory System -  

The people who suffer most with spots in this area are those who smoke or have allergies. Green veggies may help due to their high vitamin content, but also make sure your pillow cases are clean!

Zones 11 and 12: Hormones - 

Spots here are a major indicator of stress or hormonal change. Not much can be done if it's *that time* but make sure you are cleansing really well, eating healthy and exercising. 

Zone 13: Stomach -

Your stomach works super hard to deal with all you throw at it, so if you get spots in this are, adding more fibre to your diet can really help to get things back on the straight and narrow.

Zone 14: Illness - 

Spots here indicate that your body is trying to fight off bacteria, simply drink more water and get lots of rest. It's really important to recover properly when you're ill and get as much rest as you need. Another reason for getting spots here maybe due to your perfume. 

All the information I found on Face Mapping was from Suzie's blog post and from the Dermalogica website and I'm so glad I discovered this concept! Just another reason to maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine in my opinion. 

Summer Reads | You Had Me At Hello

Before I completed my GCSE's I was a major bookworm, always switching time outside to stay in, read and drink tea. I was a complete bookworm. My studies took over but I still loved, and still do love reading so I thought I'd share with you a book a finished just a few days ago. I bought it months ago but it took me until the other week to start reading. 

The Storyline //

Mhairi McFarlane explores the concept of 'The One Who Got Away' and what happens if they come back into your life unexpectedly, through humour and romance. 

"Rachel and Ben. Ben and Rachel. It was them against the world. Until it all fell apart. It’s been a decade since they last spoke, but when Rachel bumps into Ben one rainy day, the years melt away.

They’d been partners in crime and the best of friends. But life has moved on: Ben is married. Rachel is not. Yet in that split second, Rachel feels the old friendship return. And along with it, the broken heart she’s never been able to mend." (the blurb)

My Thoughts //

I found myself instantly relating to everyday situations that Rachel finds herself in as she travels through life at university and beyond, whether it be meeting people for the first time, dealing with boss's/colleague's are far from professional and friends who aren't what they seem. I found myself laughing at the awkward and embarrassing situations that we've all found ourselves in and crying when she is nursing a broken heart, they're experiences that we have all been through so I found it easy to connect with how the character was feeling and experience things with her, especially as it is written in the first person.

The chapters are fairly short which means it's a book which is easy to pick up and put down and not lose your place, and easy to read for hours, or short bursts, however you prefer. The book is mainly set in the present but sometimes switches back to the past when extra insight is needed to explain why she is feeling the way she does or to highlight an event which she remembers in that moment. I like that, it gives depth to her character and makes her even more believable and easy to relate to.

I was hooked on this book by the end and I could easier have read a little more into what happens next, (SO difficult not to spoil the end!) and for anyone who loves a good rom-com, I thoroughly recommend this book as an easy read which is enjoyable from beginning to end. 

Skincare Splurge

Isn't it just sods laws that almost all your skin care will run out at once? I recently found myself running low on cleanser and my facemask and took to the online shops to buy replacements and ended up with a few extras thanks to discounts and free gifts. 

Pixi Glow Tonic //

I have never used a toner. Whenever wanting to exfoliate my skin I've used horribly harsh facial scrubs which left my face feeling stripped and dry. Not a pleasant experience. I've seen Zoe (from Zoella) talk about this liquid exfoliant/tonic water which claims to "tone, smooth and refine skin's texture". She, and Caroline Hirons (skincare goddess) speak highly of it and as my as my routine was missing a toner it was quickly added to my basket. 

The Body Shop Vitamin E Cream Cleanser //

After finishing yet another bottle of the Soap and Glory 'Peaches and Clean' cream cleanser, I felt like a bit of a change so took to the body shop. There's so many to choose from, but as I am using this cleanser in the morning and not to remove makeup, I just wanted something gentle which leaves my skin clean an soft in the morning, and this claims to do so.

The Body Shop Almond Hand and Nail Cream //

This was a free gift as I ordered over a certain amount of goods and as a full size product I'm happy! This will be great to pop in my handbag and smells dreamy.

Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream //

As a long time contender on my wish list, I finally took the plunge and ordered this little orange beauty. Smells divine and contains Vitamin C and Caffeine to wake me up in the mornings; an essential for 9 o'clock lectures and the day after the night before...

Sanctuary Spa 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask //

Another product influenced by Zoe, but another skincare item that needed to be replaced. I've never tried a heating clay mask before so this was new to me but I love it! It feels great when applied and within minutes it has cooled and is ready to be rinsed off, meaning it gives you a spa like feel but in a fraction of the time. It left my skin feeling so smooth and clear and didn't break me out or cause me to have even oilier skin than usual. A total winner. 

Along with all of these, I also bought The Body Shop Seaweed Purifying Facial Cleanser and Day Cream for my boyfriend. (Do I win extra girlriend/blogger points for sorting out a bit of a skincare routine for him?) 

// FROM COUCH POTATO TO A HEALTHIER ME //

I've always been someone who has struggled immensely with my relationship with food and my body image and it took me a long time to realise that nothing changes overnight so I have to remain positive about these things. My first year at university was filled with junk food, excessively amounts of alcohol and lazying around watching stupid amounts of Netflix series', and of course this had a knock on effect on my weight, health and now, has impacted on my self esteem. But, don't think that this post will just be me feeling sorry for myself, oh no, this is to note down the goals I have set myself as of today. I'm making a change for me, but I'm hoping you'll join me on this journey! 

GOALS 

More water. I drink so much tea/coffee, and the occasional energy drink/fizzy drink and it has to reduce significantly. I can get through anything from 1 to 6-8 cups of tea/coffee everyday, so I aim to replace this with water. I'll never be able to give up my morning cup of tea with my breakfast but I want to keep a pint glass with me when I'm in the house, this way I can keep sipping and refilling all day. An easy change to make but one which will help improve my skin and keep me hydrated. 

3 main meals a day and healthier snacks. I love cooking but make the mistake of going for convenience over consistency when it comes to meals, mainly lunches. (I need to step away from the supernoodles) I go for the quick option instead of planning ahead (I'll come onto that later) so I want to start having proper meals and healthier snacks. It's an easy swap from the likes of pizza/chocolate to pasta salad and a banana. It will keep me fuller for longer and make me feel good on the inside too!

More exercise. I aim to complete at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, it doesn't have to be all from one activity, it can be a combination of many. It's easy to complete exercise in my house too, via youtube videos or even running up and down the stairs, but I want to get outside more too. I'm hoping to go on more country walks/runs and maybe even start going to the gym once I'm back at university and can easily access it and pay for a membership. Hopefully I can get my family/friends and boyfriend involved too. 

More 'clean' foods. This kinda follows on from '3 meals a day and healthier snacks' but I want to stop eating all those horrible prepacked ready meals, etc, they contain next to no nutrition and I always feel bloated and sick after I eat them. So why I do, I have no idea! 

Prep and plan meals. To stop running to the convenience food, I need to start planning what meals I'm going to have. It will be a little more difficult while I'm still living at home over the summer, but once I go back to university I can really plan ahead with my shopping. When it comes to lunches, I can easily find time in a morning to prepare something in advance so it's easily grabbed out of the fridge ready to eat there and then or take in a lunchbox to uni/days out or wherever I'm going. 

Get up earlier. In order to fit in more exercise/cooking, I need to get up earlier. The days of lying in bed until midday (or sometimes all day...) watching TV and slobbing about are over! I need to start getting up at a reasonable hour, going to bed earlier and just getting motivated for the day. 

MEAL IDEAS

Breakfast:-

•   A small banana cup up topped with greek yoghurt (2 tablespoons) and a handful of granola. (could also add a teaspoon of honey drizzled over)
•   Fruit with greek yoghurt. (eg. Apples, peaches, banana, strawberries, blueberries)
•   Fruit smoothie.
•   Green smoothie.

Lunch:-

•   Chicken breast with salad (lettuce leaves, cucumber, bell peppers)
•   Pasta salad – tuna/chicken/salmon & lettuce leaves and veggies.
•   Meat/Fish (chicken/tuna/white fish) with rice and veggies (broccoli, peas)
•   Pesto pasta (could add salami/chicken/mushrooms)
•   Ham, salad wholemeal sandwich

Dinner:-

•   Pasta dishes (bolognese, tomato sauce, crab pasta, chicken and lemon linguine)
•   Chicken, rice/potatoes and veggies.
•   Wholemeal pitta pizza
•   Homemade chicken/vegetable curry
•   Cottage pie
•   Chilli and rice
•   Homemade fish cakes
•   Turkey meatballs

(Picture is linked via pinterest.)

EXERCISE IDEAS

At home:-

•   YouTube videos
•   Circuit training
•   Running stairs
•   Crunches and Squats
•   Yoga

Outside:-

•   Walk more – less relying on public transport/lifts
•   Jogging
•   Bike rides
•   Country walks with family/friends
•   Sports

SUPPORT NETWORK

I’m looking for anyone who has similar goals with their lifestyle and wants to join me on this and support each other. It doesn’t matter if your goals are exactly the same or slightly different but I’d love someone with a positive attitude to chat to and share recipes/exercise plans/tips with. It’s as much for you, as for me. Feel free to comment on this post and we can communicate via twitter/email/whatever method we can both agree on!

UPDATE POSTS

I want to keep my blog updated with how I’m getting on so I intend to write blog posts at regular intervals (perhaps every fortnight/month) to keep track of my progress. I want to be able to look back on this when I’m feeling a little demotivated and find inspiration and remember what I’ve achieved. This way I can share my favourite meals, exercise routines, what I need to improve on and anything else motivational to help me along. (quotes, etc)

I’m so happy to finally be getting back into my healthier routine and I can’t wait to feel and look better. It’s gonna be tough but I’m ready for this. *insert bicep emoji* ;)

// SUMMER DRUGSTORE HAUL //

I'm a massive fan of the 'first impressions' style post so instead of the usual haul where you just say why you bought stuff, I thought I'd combine the two and that way it's a little more interesting for you all. 

real techniques duo-fibre collection //

I am a big lover of the Real Techniques brushes as they are amazing quality, affordable prices and easy to find in any town with a Boots/Superdrug. I've had my eye on the duo-fibre collection for quite a while and just couldn't put it off any longer. I am once again, not disappointed as they are fabulous. There is a face brush, contour brush and eye brush so you're pretty much covered and each one blends product flawlessly. I've only used them with powder based product (setting powder, contour powder and powder eyeshadow) but they work like a dream. This leaves me with a few more brushes which can be multi purpose (the RT contour brush used for blending concealor, for example) and means my setting powder can be effortlessly, but lightly dusted over oily patches during the summer months. 

l'oreal studio line #txt wave creating spray //

I've already tried and loved the Volume Supersizing Spray from the range so thought I''d give this new addition a go. It's a bit like a salt spray, giving 'lived in' textured hair and is meant to be used in conjunction with heat. At a first go, I sprayed this on my already curled hair and it gave a nice tousled wavey look, it held pretty well and with a bit of back combing, would have looked even better. The directions are to spray this into damp hair and blow dry a little, twist into buns and secure with clips, and then blow dry until completely dry. I'm sure this method would work extra well, and I can imagine the effect lasting longer. 

garnier bb cream for combination/oily skin //

In my past experience of BB creams they didn't work for me because of my oily skin and I ended up a shiny mess after only a few hours, so after I was recommended this BB cream for oily skin, it quickly went onto my wishlist. I tried this BB cream on this bright Sunday morning as I don't have many plans so if I had turned into an oily mess it wouldn't be a total disaster. First of all, the colour is okay, with only 2 shades in the range (Light and Medium) I had little to no choice, but being NC13 in MAC foundations I undoubtedly went for the lighter shade which is a little too warm toned and dark for me but I just used a tiny bit at a time. The coverage is quite good, better than I expected, light at  first but easily buildable and once concealor and powder are applied, I'm happy with the finish. I used the Collection Lasting Perfection concealor in the lightest shade which helped to brighten my undereyes and lighten the overall tone of the BB cream. It lasts around 5/6 hours before I need a touch up of powder so for a BB cream, so I have to say, I'm pretty impressed (although this will obviously vary on the heat, your individual skin, etc). Then powder on my oily areas to help set and hopefully keep oil at bay. I have to say, my skin looks really good all things considered (spots and redness) and I feel like I have a bit of a 'glow' compared to my usual full coverage foundation and I'm glad I've switched for summer. 

rimmel apocalips 'aurora' //

Liquid lipsticks have been frequently mentioned in the blogger world recently so I thought it was about time I tried one. With many offerings such as Bourjois, L'Oreal and Rimmel I chose based on which colour I fancied and Aurora caught my eye. It's a pink toned red which suits any eye makeup whether dark and smoky or bright and bronze so suitable for both summer and winter. The pigmentation is excellent and the lasting power not too bad either so for the price I'm happy. 

// SUMMER CUT //

After much debate and searching around Instagram for inspiration, I finally decided to go to the hairdressers and get shorter locks for summer.

before //

When poker straight my hair reached to just under my boobs (can I say boobs?) and despite a few longer (and very grown out) layers, it didn't have a lot of shape. The ends were dead and overall I just needed a freshen up so I finally took the plunge and booked an appointment. 

after //

I simply explained how long I wanted the overall length, asked for some long layering and feathering to frame my face. Simple! I'm so happy with how it turned out. It's going to take some serious getting used to but I'm so happy with the end result. 

I think I might do a 'How I style my hair' style blog post if anyone would be interested at all? It'll take me a few weeks to figure out how I style it myself but would be an easy but informative post to write. I could throw in my hair care routine for good measure too. 

// ALL ABOUT BROWS //

I was recently inspired by the wonderful Anna from ViviannaDoesMakeup and her video about her brow history and thought I'd create a blog post sharing photo's of how my eyebrows have come to what they are today and how I keep them in check! So be prepared for a few embarrassing photos and a few brow disasters...

June 2011 - Year 11 prom

So these are the brows I started with, pretty bushy, literally no shape but a tad sparse in areas and this is how they stayed until I realised just how horrific they were and that everyone around me was taming theirs and I wasn't.

Although despite this, it took until January 2013 to finally ‘borrow’ my Mum’s tweezers and give plucking a go. After watching numerous YouTube videos and gaining inspiration from some of my favourite beauty bloggers/vloggers I ended up with this…

Yeah, over plucked into a rounded line and then filled in with a rogue brown eyeshadow I had. But I remember this day so well, I went into town with my Mum and felt über confident with my new brows. If only I knew how awful they looked.

In February 2013 they improved slightly, with a little more shape as I begun growing them out a little, but still I was apparently a fan of the arched line, but not in a stylish way.

In May 2013 I bought a MAC 266 brush which transformed my brows no end and by July 2013 I had an actual shape to my brows, hurrah! I was well in the depths of filling them in with MAC’s Charcoal Brown eyeshadow and to be honest, they don’t look too bad.

But instead of leaving them be, according to this photo I wanted a more ‘square’ shape to the fronts, but this was the complete wrong way of going about it.

By October I’d realised the error of my ways and they look alright again. I had dark hair at this point so loved a strong dark brow. They looked okay, but a little too unnatural for my current liking.

June 2014 saw a lighter hand with my shadow and a good arch which was a great improvement and I like how my brows look here.

These are two recent photos where I am pretty happy with how my brows look, although they are obviously given a little nudge with the help of some shadow, they don’t look ‘drawn on’ with the likes of a dark brown pencil so I’m satisfied.

As I'm growing out to my natural light brown hair, I use a MAC 266 with Charcoal Brown eyeshadow to start and create the main shape and arch of my brown but focus the product mainly on the underside of my brows and the tail end. Then I simply use ‘Naked 2’ shadow from the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette to build up the fronts and top edge of my brows. I feel like this works well and gives the effect I desire. For now, this is how I want my brows and seems to be fairly ‘on trend’ with the bushy brow look. I’ll never have wonderfully busy brows but at least I can give a little of that effect and keep them looking tamed and in check. I don’t wax or thread, simply pluck any stray hairs every 4 days or so, this way I’m still growing them as much as I can from my 2013 disaster but keep them looking neat and tidy.

// CAKE POPS //

Yes, I've jumped onto the 'cake pop' badwagon and as a first attempt I just went as simple as possible to avoid a complete disaster! I'm actually quite happy with how they turned out and can't wait to make them again and mix up the toppings.

for 30 (ish) cake pops, you will need //

• 110g self raisng flour
• 110g caster sugar
• 110g unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• a few drops of vanilla extract

for the topping //

For this I used melted chocolate and icing (made from icing sugar and water mixed together). It's a little trial and error in getting the consistency right so just bare with it and experiment! I then just sprinkled on some 'raspberry fudge balls' and 'sugar sprinkles' which I bought from Lakeland. But you can use whatever you like, be creative!

method //

1. Preheat the oven to 180°c/Gas Mark 4 and lightly grease the moulds.
2. Place the butter and caster sugar in a large bowl and beat (with an electric mixer if preferred) until soft and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs.
3. Sift in the flour and then using a metal spoon, fold in gently. 
4. Spoon the mixture into the moulds (one teaspoon per round) and bake in the pre-heated oven for 18-22 minutes. To check if they are done, poke in a skewer - if it comes out clean, then they are ready. Transfer to a wire rack and let them cool.
5. Make your toppings (ie, mix icing/melt chocolate, etc) and once the cakes have cooled, dip the end of each stick into the icing/chocolate and poke into the bottom of the cake until you reach half way. Stand in polystyrene (or I used floral foam) and place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes for it to harden.
6. Remove from the fridge and cover with icing/sprinkles/topping of your choice. Place back in the fridge until ready to eat!

// 20 FACTS ABOUT ME //

One of the most popular post on my blog is my '20 pretty pointless facts about me' written aaaaages ago so I thought it was about time I updated it, gave you some new facts and some updated pictures!

1 // My favourite meal is breakfast and I love to have natural yoghurt and a banana topped with granola, and a cup of tea.

2 // I passed my driving test in June 2013 and haven't driven since! I'm pretty scared to get behind the wheel again, but also quite excited to have even more independence.

3 // I constantly have cold feet. Even in summer.

4 // I can't wait to have my own class of children to teach. My dream is getting oh-so closer (only 3 more years until I'm qualified) and I'm so excited for what the future holds.

5 // If you can make me laugh, I'll almost certainly like you lots and want us to be friends. Laughter is the best medicine!

6 // I'm a complete weirdo. Which you'll soon find out if you get to know me. But weird is unique and good, right?

7 // When watching the TV or listening to music, the volume has to be on an even number. No if's, no but's.

8 // I'm trying to improve my photography skills but am afraid of taking my Canon 1100d out and about with me, for fear of it getting stolen/lost.

9 // Cherry Coke is my favourite fizzy drink. I adore it. *runs to the corner shop to buy a can... or two...*

10 // The last time I went on an aeroplane was 4 years ago when I went on a pilgrimage with my church to Assissi, in Italy. I really want to travel and visit more places in the future.

11 // I am hardly ever late for anything because I get really anxious about not being on time. Especially for trains.

12 // My birthday is the 18th of May and although I used to get extremely excited as a child, I don't feel the same excitement now I'm older.

13 // I grew up in the Midlands, and have lived in the same house all my life (until I moved out to go to university)

14 // One of my favourite books is 'One Day' by David Nicholls. The film is also amazing, highly recommend!

15 // I was born on a Thursday. 

16 // I've only ever been a bridesmaid once, and that was for my Mum when I was 11.

17 // I love Cornwall and it's coastline because I have so many fond memories of family holidays there. 

18 // I can't wait to start a family, get married and have children. (not for another 5+ years though, hold your horses)

19 // I have watched the Shaytards vlogs every single day for the last 4 years! 

20 // I found it really difficult to think of 20 facts about me!