Wednesday 31 August 2016

Meet The Beauty Blogger: Laura Byrne

Yes, it's back again. It's time for the third instalment of my Meet The Beauty Blogger series, and this time we get to meet Laura Byrne. I first of all want to say how amazing the response has been to this series, so thank you so much for that. It's great for not only me, but the amazing bloggers who's hard work I get to share. It also means all the time and effort has been worth it. Now let's get on with meeting the absolutely lovely Laura.

What got you into blogging? I've always had a keen interest in makeup and beauty products but a few of my friends suggested that I should set up a blog and I also want to improve and gain more knowledge in relation to makeup so I thought blogging would a be a great way to do so. You can check out my blog here: http://www.queenbeeie.com

How did you decide to blog beauty? Well I decided to select beauty as my main topic or area of my blog simply because I had such a keen interest in makeup and also I wanted to gain better knowledge of the beauty/makeup world and see if I can go further and explore my interest. 

How long have you been blogging for? I have been blogging a year now. I started back in June of last year I wasn't fully aware of how big the blogging community was. I set the blog up as a hobby to explore my interests and improve my knowledge in relation to makeup.

What's your biggest blogging achievement so far? My biggest blogging achievement has to be being nominated "best beauty blog of 2016"  for the blogger choice awards which is run by the irish blogger agency. I never even expected to be nominated it was such a shock at the time and a great honour. 

What post that you've written are you most proud of? Oh I really don't know I can't really say I don't know if there is one that if been like oh I'm really proud of I tend to be really hard on myself but If I would pick one that I'm happy with I would have to say my review of Beverly Hills products you can click here to check it out: http://www.queenbeeie.com/blog/product-reviewbeverly-hills-formula


What's your current favourite beauty product? Oh this is easy right now I'm obsessed with is All bright Radiance Balm from the Botanics range at boots, your skin looks instantly brighter and the glow from this balm is amazing. You can apply a small amount before you apply your foundation or you can apply it just on its own for that natural dewy glow.

What one item (beauty/skincare) could you not live without? Okay I can not live with out my boi-ing concealer by benefit. It's so easy to apply it's quite thick but it hides any dark circles or fine lines and underneath my eye looks brighter and awake. 

Who's your favourite blogger of the moment? My Favourite blogger at the minute is Louise O'Relliey from stylemecurvy. Louise is an international plus/curve model and fashion blogger she recently was on the cover of irish magazine U. Click the link to check out her blog http://www.stylemecurvy.net/


Are you happy with where your blog is right now? Right now I'm content with my blog. It could be better but I'm constantly looking for ways to improve my blog. I love reading other posts by fellow bloggers sharing their tips and tricks on improving your blog it's a great way to learn new things or even by taking part in Twitter chats with fellow bloggers. Click here to check out my Twitter : https://twitter.com/_l_a_u_r_a____

What's your biggest goal for the future of your blog? Oh this is a tricky question well I would like to learn more in relation to blogging maybe do a course to help me improve my website design just to help polish it up a bit and make it more appealing to readers. I hope to post a lot more in the future and have more time to do so. 

"Don't tell people your dreams show them". - Unknown 

Make sure you go and check out Laura's blog here and her Twitter here as she's definitely worth a follow. 

Thank you so much for reading today's post and I really hope you're enjoying this series. As always, let me know your opinions of it or if you yourself want to take part. Thank you so much and I hope you all have a wonderful day!

See you guys soon x

Monday 29 August 2016

What's In My Bag?

As a beauty blogger, I love all posts makeup and skincare, but some of the posts I love reading the most are ones where I can be a bit nosey. What's In My Bag and Makeup Bag posts are some of my favourites, so that's why I thought I'd do one of my own for todays post. I have to say I'm a very messy person when it comes to my handbag, so opening it up for this post made me realise how much crap I really keep. Apoligies in advance - I'm a bit of a hoarder.

The bag

My mum bought me this River Island bag for my birthday last year, and I use this as my daily bag wherever I go. It's really spacious which I love, and I really like the colours and patterns it has on it.

My purse

I've had a little Miss Melody purse for a few years now and refuse to use any others. It's been my trusted purse for so long and has all the compartments I need. It's really spacious and fits a lot in it - mines is absolutely filled with receipts and tickets (told you I'm a hoarder). It also has just the right amount of spaces for my cards which is perfect. This purse goes with me absolutely everywhere, so it's no surprise it's in my bag.

Hand Food

Now another thing that goes with me absolutely everywhere is my trusty Soap & Glory Hand Food. I get dry hands very easily, so this thing has saved me many a time. I can't leave the house without having a hand cream with me and this one is my current favourite.

Krispy Kreme voucher

I was at Glasgow Central station on the 11th of August when the new Krispy Kreme store opened, so was given this voucher at the shop. It allowed me to get a free coffee when I bought a doughnut, but at the time I wasn't allowed caffeine so I couldn't redeem it. That meant this voucher has been sitting in my bag since then, but since it's out of date I should probably throw it out.

Thorpe Park map

I spent a few days at Thorpe Park at the start of August so picked up this resort map while I was there. I had such a good time while I was there as I'd never been before but I absolutely love theme parks. Things like this I tend to keep as I always like to have a memento of trips or holidays I go on, even though I know I'll never use it again - I just can't seem to part with it.

Safety glasses

I can't believe these are still in my bag. I do Pharmacology at University and used this bag while I was there. These are my safety glasses I use for my labs and I've left them in there since I was last at Uni - which was in March.

Calculator

My Uni bag. Enough said.

Headphones

To be honest, you'll probably find a pair of headphones in most peoples bags. I make sure I always have a pair on me in case I need them - which is pretty often. I genuinely think I would die if I was on a train and didn't have these in my bag.

Pens

Considering I took this bag to Uni with me last year, it's no surprise there's so many pens in here. Plus it's always handy to have one on you. Maybe not 5 though.

Citizen M key card

Citizen M is a chain of hotels, one of which is in Glasgow that I stay at quite a lot. After your stay, you're allowed to keep your key card, so one of mines has managed to sneak it's way to the bottom of my bag. This is another thing I like to keep to remind me of trips or overnight stays.

Drink coaster

I saw this cute little drinks coaster when I was at The Social bar in Glasgow. It says Heads on one side and Tails on the other which I thought was quite cute, so I had to take one home with me. I haven't actually used it though which is why it's still in my bag.

To be honest, I'm surprised my bags not more cluttered than it is. I never really clear out my bag, so there's some stuff in there that's been there for quite a while. As a beauty blogger, it's surprising there's no beauty products in my bag, but that's because they're the only things I make sure I take out my bag at night so I don't lose them. Let me know what kind of stuff you keep in your bag and if you're as bad - or worse - than me. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a great day.

See you guys soon x

Saturday 27 August 2016

Kiehl's Skin Brightening Exfoliator

Kiehl's is becoming one of my favourite skincare brands of the moment. Their facial cream absolutely saved my life, or at least my face, and that's why I've been desperate to try some of their other products. I had actually never used an exfoliator before I bought this product, so I knew that's exactly what I wanted when I walked into the Kiehl's store. I picked up the Skin Brightening Exfoliator as it sounded like something I'd really love and enjoy using - and I was right.

I first of all want to say how much I've loved using this. I only apply it once a week, and honestly do look forward to getting to use it. The feeling it leaves you with after you wash it off is amazing, and it smells so fresh as well. It's very gentle on the skin, which is something I always need to watch for considering how sensitive my skin is and how easily it can be irritated. This exfoliator helps to reduce skin discolouration and help restore hydration levels, which are the main reasons I really wanted to try this product. The other main reason I chose this product is the fact it helps to brighten and illumintae your skin, which is something I was really needing to be honest.

This does exactly what it says on the tin - I've noticed such a change in my skin since I started using it. I have honestly found my face looking much brighter, softer and illuminated, and it has definitely reduced any irregularities my face had. This paired with my facial cream has definitely helped increase my skin hydration levels, and I rarely find my skin to be looking dry anymore which is something I'm incredibly happy about. My complexion looks much more even and I've found a very noticeable reduction in any dark spots I used to have. I honestly don't have any negative things to say about this exfoliator - I honestly love using it.

If anyone is on the lookout for a new exfoliator or a new skincare product, I'd definitely recommend this one. It has really helped improve the look and feel of my skin and has been worth every penny. It's very easy to use and wash off, and feels beautiful on the skin and not at all irritating. Kiehl's really is a great skincare brand that I'd encourage anyone to try out if they haven't before. I'm desperate to try out more of their products soon.

Let me know if you've tried out this exfoliator before, or any of Kiehl's other products, Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a wonderful day!

See you guys soon x

Wednesday 24 August 2016

Meet The Beauty Blogger: Avianne Robinson

It's time for part 2 of my Meet The Beauty Blogger series which I'm very excited for. I hope you guys all liked my last post, and for this one we're getting to know Avianne Robinson a bit more. I didn't know Avianne very well before writing this post so this just shows how this series can help intoduce you to bloggers you'd never spoke to before. 

What got you into blogging? I originally wanted to start a YouTube channel, but I was on vacation so I couldn't really film. I decided to just start a blog so I could be used to getting myself out there online. I wasn't that into it once school started back ,but I had gotten pretty ill during the school year. I was spending a lot of time at home not feeling well ,so I finally got back into blogging & videos as a way to deal with the things going on in my life. 

How did you decide to blog beauty? I started out with beauty because that was the first thing I was exposed to plus i started to get more into makeup. I later steered away from beauty and more to lifestyle when I noticed I wasn't that into doing tutorials. 

How long have you been blogging for? I have been blogging on and off (mostly off) for about 3 years. I have had like 4 different blogs ,and most of them had less than ten post. I really started to take my blogging serious this summer. I really only count these past 2 months. 

What's your biggest blogging achievement so far? As mentioned above I haven't been taking blogging too seriously until recently so I have really achieved anything major. I did just recently hit 400 subscribers on my Youtube Channel so I am feeling pretty proud about that. 

What post that you've written are you most proud of? My favorite post on my blog is actually pretty old. I help a discussion with authors who write in various genre's ,and we talked about their thought on young adult fiction. I think it's my favorite because it was just so much fun doing a collaboration post with multiple people. (http://www.xoavianne.com/2015/07/what-do-authors-think-about-ya-category.html)

What's your current favourite beauty product? My current favorite beauty product isn't a store brand product. I have been loving aloe vera. I buy a piece of the plant from my local grocery store ,and basically use it as a mask a few times a week. I immediately notice the difference in how my skin holds moisture .and how good it feels. 

What one item (beauty/skincare) could you not live without? I currently can't live without lip products! I love liquid lipsticks, liners, lip gloss ,regular lipstick ,and I just like to collect them. I'm getting into mastering false eyelashes ,and I think once I master them they will be my new obsession. 

Who's your favourite blogger of the moment? It's a tie between Helena Sula ,and Jemma from Dorkface. They are both so down to earth and real on their blogs! 

Are you happy with where your blog is right now? Honestly not at this exact moment ,but I am working on improving it and getting it to be where I want it to be. 

What's your biggest goal for the future of your blog? My biggest blog goal is to be a full time blogger. I think that being my own boss is the best thing for me ,and I just love getting to interact with other people. 


If you want to get to know Avianne a bit more, you can check out her blog here and her Youtube channel here. You can also go over and follow her on Instagram here

I hope you guys are enjoying this new series and feel free to let me know your opinions of it. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a wonderful day!


See you guys soon x

Monday 22 August 2016

My Current Lipstick And Lipliner Combos

I absolutely love lip products and find myself always trying a brands lipsticks when I'm new to their products. I'm one of those people that thinks you can never have too many lipsticks, so I'm constantly buying more. Along with lipsticks is of course lip liners, which I think not only help keep your lipstick in line but adds to the overall look too - especially if you use a slighly different shade. That's why todays post is going to be a look at what lipstick and lip liner combinations I've found myself using the most recently and why I love them so much.

Sleek Matte Me lip cream in Petal with NYX lip liner in Pink Cantaloupe - If you read my blog, you'll know I'm currently really loving light pink lips, and this Sleek lip cream is one of my favourites. The shade of this is so beautiful and is one of my favourite feeling lip creams - it feels so smooth and not at all drying. I think that this pairs really well with this light pink lip liner from NYX. The liner is slightly lighter than the matte cream which makes the lips stand out that bit more. This liner has such an amazing texture and is more of a crayon than a pencil which is my favourite kind. This also makes it very easy to apply and shade. It's so easy to wear and is currently one of my favourite lip looks to wear at the moment.

Jeffree Star velour liquid lipstick in Mannequin with Kylie Jenner lip liner in Dolce K - Now I've also really been loving nude and brown lips recently, and this nudey brown combo is just perfect for me. I do enjoy using the Dolce K lipstick but I find it to be quite drying, whereas I absolutely love the liner. The brown colour of Dolce K matches perfectly with the nude shade of Mannequin to make a lip I've been wearing constantly recently - actually most days to be honest. The velour liquid lipstick isn't drying on the lips at all so feels so lovely to wear, and this liner is like a crayon which is my favourite type to use. This is my go-to lip combo of the moment.

NYX Liquid Suede cream lipstick in Cherry Skies with MAC lip pencil in Burgundy - Another one of my go to lips is dark red, especially coming into Autumn. I think a good red lip can go with any outfit and I find it can be worn so easily. I'm really liking this liquid suede just now, even though my first impressions of it wasn't the greatest. The colour is really bold and goes so well with burgundy shade on the MAC lip liner. I love MAC lip pencils, even though I always say crayons are my favourite. They last so well, are great for shading your lips and are so easy to use which is why I love them.

MAC lipstick in Taupe with MAC lip liner in Etcetera - Now this lip combo has been one of my favourites for quite a while now. Brown lips are my go-to lips for everyday wear, and these two products go together so well. I feel like MAC made both of them to be worn together because they just suit each other perfectly, as the liner is just that bit lighter than the lipstick which creates a really great look. I love MAC lipsticks, and they're probably the only lipsticks I wear right now that aren't liquid or matte.

Let me know what your favourite lipstick and liner combinations are right now. Also let me know if you've every used the combos I've mentioned. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a wonderful day!

See you guys soon x

Friday 19 August 2016

Ultimate Blends: Mythic Olive Nourishing Balm

I suffer really badly from dry hair and it's something I've always tried to find solutions for. When I buy any new hair care products, especially shampoo and conditoner, I always make sure they make my hair feel more hydrated. When I was reading through my August issue of Glamour magazine, I found this little sample of Garnier's Ultimate Blends Mythic Olive Nourishing Balm and thought it was perfect for me. It targets dry and brittle hair and locks in the moisture, which is exactly what I needed. Since this is only a sample I was only able to use it a few times, but I have to say that I really loved it.

I never used to care much about haircare products - I only ever used to use whatever shampoo and conditioner was on offer. That was until I got a bit older and realised how thin and dry my hair really was, and that it needed a bit of TLC every now and again. I've tried quite a few different shampoos and conditioners in the past few months to add moisture and thickness to my hair, most of which have worked really well. But when I saw this hair mask, I thought it was such a good idea and something I knew I'd love using. Since it's only a sample I knew I'd only be able to use it a few times, but I got much more out of this than I thought I would.

To use this balm, you squeeze all the excess water from your hair and apply a generous amount from the middle of your hair to the ends. You then leave it on for 1-5 minutes (I normally leave it on for the full 5) and then rinse it out. It contains Virgin Olive Oil and Safflower Seed Oil which are known to lock in moisture and hydrate your hair. It smells and feels beautiful which is great, and really does leave my hair looking much healthier. I notice as soon as I towel dry my hair that it feels much less brittle and a lot more moisturised, and it's even more noticeable after I blow dry it. It also leaves my hair ridicoulously smooth and soft which is a massive bonus. It doesn't weigh down your hair at all and is very weightless, helping hair that's prone to breaking stay that bit stronger. I can definitely say that this has left my hair much more nourished and in a much better condition and I really want to buy the full sized version of this product soon.

I'm really happy with how well this has worked for my hair considering this was just a free sample. My hair is much more nourished and stronger, as well as feeling so soft when it's just been washed. I'm really impressed with this and want to buy the full sized version soon.

Let me know if you've ever tried this nourishing hair balm or another one - I'm up for trying other ones too. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a wonderful day!

See you guys soon x

Wednesday 17 August 2016

Meet The Beauty Blogger: Miss Cosmetic Blogger

I absolutely love blogging and meeting new bloggers, especially beauty bloggers like myself. That's why I decided to start a new series called Meet The Beauty Blogger, so not only can I get to know more beauty bloggers but you can too. I'm so excited to start this series and share the blogs of some really amazing people. Todays first post is about Beth, better known as MissCosmeticBlogger. I really enjoy reading her posts and was so happy that she wanted to get involved in this series. I've followed her on Twitter for quite a while and she's just so lovely.

What got you into blogging? I started blogging because I used to watch loads of YouTube and some of them had blogs. I couldn't do YT when I was first watching as I had no camera or confidence so decided a written version would be more me. 

How did you decide to blog beauty? I chose beauty as I found a love for makeup. I wanted to share my love with other people. And also my friends were really bored of listening to me drone on about the latest palette or makeup look I wanted to try. (To be honest I don't blame them, I did talk about makeup at least 90% of the time and as people who weren't as passionate as makeup as I would have found me boring. However, a couple of times when I was practising FX makeup I would send them snapchats which slightly scared them... which also might have been why they got bored.)

How long have you been blogging for? I think I've been blogging since around the end of 2012, my posts say otherwise as a few of my very first posts were embarrassingly bad. I properly started blogging in 2014 really.

What's your biggest blogging achievement so far? This was a difficult one for me. But I have to say that probably working with the likes of Nickelodeon to promote a show was pretty amazing. That and making blogger friends, I love the community of bloggers it is such an achievement for all bloggers, definitely not just me! Oh and furthering my makeup skills, I am so much better than I was.

What post that you've written are you most proud of? I've written quite a few posts now but simply due to positive response I am really proud of my oil pulling post. It is my most viewed and commented post and it still gets views even after a year.

What's your current favourite beauty product? Current beauty product would probably have to be my Gwen Stefani eyeshadow palette. I use it almost every day as it has so many colours to play around with. It wasn't cheap but it was such a good purchase.

What one item (beauty/skincare) could you not live without? I love my mascara, my favourite being Soap&Glory's Thick & Fast. If I'm having a no makeup day it's likely that I will still be wearing mascara as it makes you look more awake.

Who's your favourite blogger of the moment? My favourite blogger at the moment is probably Cole from ColeoftheBall. I love her YT and of course her blog!

Are you happy with where your blog is right now? I am definitely happy with my layout right now but I think there are aspects of my blogging I can improve. My photography isn't the greatest however, I recently bought myself a proper camera, so I should be able to up my game a little at least.

What's your biggest goal for the future of your blog? Biggest goal has to be starting a YT channel. Now I have my camera I feel like I can start soon, I'm hoping halloween as that is my favourite time of year for makeup! I already know I am going to do a 'twoface' Batman tutorial so if you like gore my channel may be for you!

Make sure you go check out Beth's blog here and her Youtube channel here. You shoud also give her Twitter a follow here - she's definitely worth a follow.

I hope you guys like the idea of this series, so let me know your opinions or if you want to get involved yourself. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a wonderful day!

See you guys soon x

Monday 15 August 2016

High Street vs High End: Cream Contour Kits

NYX Cream Highlight & Contour Palette - £12
Anastasia Bevery Hills Pro Series Contour Cream Kit - £39

Now I'm not a makeup artist or amazing at applying my makeup, but one thing I do love to do is try contouring. I do contour daily using my powder bronzers and highlighters, but when I'm going out I like to use contour kits. I do like powder kits but I though cream ones would be easier to use and blend. That's why I picked up these two: the Anastasia Beverly Hills one and the NYX one.

High Street - I've became such a fan of NYX recently, especially their Soft Matte Lip Creams. Since I'd only ever bought lip products from them before, I decided I should try one of their other products so purchased this cream contour kit. I already had my ABH one, but since that one costs quite a bit and I use a lot when I contour, I wanted a more affordable one. The NYX one doesn't have as many shades to alternate between, but I don't use all the ABH shades every time anyway. I do have to say that I bought this in Deep, not realising how dark it was when I really should have picked Light. The first time I tried this out, I have to be honest, I really didn't like it. I though the consistency wasn't creamy enough and it felt like I was smearing mud on my face when I used the darker shade. I found them really hard to blend because of this, and they ended up looking very sparkly on my face which isn't what I was wanting. I've used it a few times since and have found them easier to use, but I'm honestly not a fan. I'm so disappointed because I'm such a fan of NYX and really wanted to like it, but I just haven't. I wish I'd just went for the powder version as it looks much better than this one, but I guess you live and you learn.

High End - When I bought my ABH cream contour kit, I hadn't bought anything from the brand before - I have done since though. I had heard so many great reviews on the product so when I decided to go for a cream contour kit, I knew I had to buy this one. It is a bit more costly than other kits but I wanted something that was good quality that I could wear when I was going out. I was honestly so excited when I finally bought it because it was something that had been on my wishlist for so long. And I have to be honest, I haven't been disappointed in it. This product was already featured in my June Favourites post here becuase I loved it as soon as I tried it. The consistency of the creams is just amazing and they blend so easily and beautifuly when you apply them. The colours match my skin really well and I find they look so professional when they've all been blended - and I'm definitely no pro at makeup. I've loved how easy to use this kit is and how great quality they are. You can tell by the photos this product has definitely been well used - I honestly can't wait to use it when I'm going out. If you're in the market for a new beauty buy or specifically a contour kit, I'd highly recommend this.



After reading this post, my answer to 'high street vs high end' can't really be a surprise. Even though I love NYX and high street products, I was so disappointed by this product and had really wanted to like it. The ABH one is great and is definitely one of my favourite beauty products right now, so in the battle of the cream contour kits, high end wins for me.

Let me know if you've used either of these product and what your opinions on them are. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a wonderful day!

See you guys soon x

Friday 12 August 2016

My Learning To Drive Experience

I was the kind of person that, as soon as I turned 17, I was out in a car and ready to learn how to drive. I live quite far away from the nearest town, so being able to drive would make my life so much easier, and it also meant no more buses (yay). I was lucky enough that I was able to start lessons with a driving instructor not long after my 17th birthday as well as go out in my own car for some extra practice. That's why I was really excited when Book Learn Pass got in touch with me about doing a post on my experience learning to drive. I loved learning to drive, and would encourage anyone who's able to do it to learn as early as they can.

For my 17th birthday, my mum and dad got me a block of 20 driving lessons with a driving instructor my dad was really good friends with, which was good as it meant we got them at a discounted price. I was really lucky they were able to afford this, as I know that the cost of lessons can be a big reason why so many people don't learn to drive. I was so excited to start my lessons and to be out on the road, and had even got my provisional license sent away for 3 months before I turned 17 - I was far too eager. On the day of my first lesson, I was picked up after school by my instructor and taken to a quiet street nearby most instructors take learners to on their first lessons. I was so excited, but really nervous I wouldn't be able to pick it up. I had no reason to be worried though as I took to it really easily.

My first lesson didn't exactly go to plan though. I was going along one stretch of road when I saw a woman reversing out of her driveway. Since I was on the main road, I knew I had the right of way and kept driving along. She either never saw me or thought she had the time to pull out, but she ended up reversing right into the front of my instructors car. It was terrifying, and even though I had done nothing wrong, I felt as if I had. I was nervous my instructor would be mad at me or that the woman would somehow twist it and blame the situation on me. It ended up working out fine though as they swapped insurance numbers and my instructor got his car got fixed - even though he did need to use a courtesy car for a week. It never even knocked my confidence or stopped me from getting back in the car for a lesson the following week. My instructor even told me he was surprised by how much the situation hadn't phased me, as that really could've caused a lot of people to stop learning completely. I'm so glad I kept going though - why should I let some stupid woman stop me.

I was very eager to pass my test, but still didn't want to rush the whole 'learning to drive' experience. I waited a few months before I sat my theory test, as it is quite a bit of money for a student and I wanted to make sure I'd be able to pass. Thankfully I did pass first time and booked my practical test straight away. I really enjoyed my lessons even though it did get a bit repetitive by the end, but practice makes perfect I guess. I was lucky enough that before my test, I was able to buy my own car that I could practice in whenever I liked. I feel like this was a really big help to me as I was out practicing almost every night, and it also meant I had some experience driving in the dark. So by the time I finally sat my test, I felt very confident that I knew how to drive well. After 25 lessons with my driving instructor and numerous out in my own car, I passed my driving test at the end of 2014 and have been driving every day since.

I love being able to drive and the freedom it gives you. Not only does it mean no buses or taxis or lifts from family and friends, but you can go out and do things you wouldn't have normally done. I even love just going drives at night by myself or nipping out to McDonalds - I actually did put on some weight when I passed with all my fast food trips. Passing my driving test has honestly been one of the best things I've done and I'm so happy I learned straight away. I think the earlier you can the better, because, as time goes by, a lot of people start putting it off and putting it off and end up never learning. It honestly does give you a new lease on life and I'd encourage anyone, who has the money, time and will, to get out on the road.

Let me know about your learning to drive experience or, if you haven't learnt to drive yet, what's been putting you off. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a great day!

See you guys soon x 

*This post was written in collaboration with Book Learn Pass.

Wednesday 10 August 2016

Quick Fix Facials: Calming Clay Mask

I love face masks, especially ones that help with irritated or sensitive skin as they're my biggest skin issues. If you read my blog, you'll know I love Lush's Mask of Magnaminty to help with my breakouts. So when I saw this Calming Clay Mask and that it helps with sensitive skin, I just had to pick it up. It's very affordable and easy to find so I thought it was worth a try. I've seen very mixed reviwes on this product but honestly, I've really liked it.

I have to say that a little bit goes a long way with this mask. You don't need a large amount to cover your face and the bottle contains quite a lot. The mask itself is white clay and isn't as thick as I first thought it would be - you can barely even see it on your face after you apply it. You apply a thick layer onto your skin and leave it for around 5-10 minutes. I normally only leave it on for about 5 minutes as I find it works better for my skin that way.

The biggest thing for me about this mask was helping with my sensitive skin. It also helps with red and irritated skin, but I don't suffer from these problems as badly. It contains various ingredients that help with all these different problems - oatmeal to help with dry skin, aloe vera to reduce inflamed skin and moisturise, chamomile extract to help calm sensitive skin and rose extract to help minimise redness. I've used this product quite a few times now and have definitely found it to have helped my skin. It's not as sensitive as it used to be which is the biggest positive for me, and I have noticed my skin has been much more moisturised and smoothe. I definitely find my face to be a lot softer after I wash the mask off, and I've been really happy with the results of this mask,

Now I've seen some people say they find this mask actually increases redness, but I have to say this hasn't happened to me. I've had nothing but good experiences while using this and my skin's been looking much better since I started applying it. It might be different for every person, depending on their skin type and what their main issues are. I myself have really enjoyed using this product and would really like to try some of the other Quick Fix Facials products.

Let me know if you've ever used this product or any of the other products by Quick Fix Facials and what your opinions on them are. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a wonderful day!

See you guys soon x

Monday 8 August 2016

Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipsticks

I'm totally in love with liquid lipsticks right now, and had wanted to buy one from Jeffree Star Cosmetics for quite a while. Every time I'd go to buy one though, my favourites were all sold out. That's why, when he released two new shades, Rose Matter and Mannequin, I just knew I had to buy them. I've really been loving these lipsticks recently, especially Mannequin, and my love for liquid lipsticks stays strong.

One thing I have to say about these is that buying them in the UK can be quite tricky. Actually buying them doesn't cost too much compared to other brands, but there's a customs charge when shipping them over that I didn't know about. This made buying them a bit more pricier than I really wanted them to be which was quite annoying. It's also what's stopping me for repurchasing more products from Jeffree Star, and would only do it if I was purchasing a larger order. One massive positive though is the fact that these products are 100% vegan and cruelty free. That's something that I really love and wish all companies would follow suit.

 Rose Matter - If you read my blog, you'll know I've been trying out pink lipsticks quite a lot recently. I never used to like them as I always thought they were to bright for me, but just now I'm actually really loving them. That's why I was really excited by the look of this coraly pink shade. This colour looks absolutely gorgeous when it's applied, and definitely doesn't look too bright - it's actually quite neutral. It's nothing like any of the other pink shades I own as most of them are baby and light pink and this one's much darker. The consistency of these lipsticks is one of the best I've ever tried. They don't feel drying at all when applied and actually feel very smooth on your lips. The matte look it leaves looks amazing and is very long lasting - I find it looks just as good at the end of the day as it did when it was first applied. I really love this lipstick right now and am really happy that I bought it.

Mannequin - When I first saw this shade, I just knew I had to buy it. Nude and brown lipsticks are my favourite shades, and this dark nude colour is absolutely gorgeous. It looks beautiful when applied and I've been wearing this constantly since I bought this. The consistency of this lipstick is just as great as Rose Matter and I feel as if I have nothing on my lips when I'm wearing it. The fact these are non-drying is one of my favourite things about them, as that's always a turn off for me in liquid lipsticks. If you're in the market for a Jeffree Star lipstick, I'd definitely reccomend this shade as it's absolutely amazing. I feel like it's became my staple lipstick and is definitely my favourite nude of the moment.

I've really been liking both of these lipsticks and I'm really happy I finally tried them out. The shades are both absolutely gorgeous and their consistency is one of the best I've ever tried. The fact they require a customs fee when buying them from the Jeffree Star website is the main thing putting me off repurchasing, so if I was to repurchase, I'd only do it if I had quite a large order.

Let me know if you've tried out any of the Jeffree Star velour liquid lipsticks and what shades you've been loving. Also let me know if you've tried Rose Matter or Mannequin and what your opinions on them are. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a great day!

See you guys soon x

Wednesday 3 August 2016

My Blogging Process

The process a blogger goes through when writing their posts varies from person to person. I, for one, love finding out how other bloggers go about writing posts, planning their schedule or taking photos and that's why I thought for todays post, I'd share my blogging process. Everyone goes about it differently and each person does what suits them, so what I do may not work out for you. But I thought, if you're anywhere near as nosy as me, you may like to know how I go about planning my blog posts.

Post ideas

I'm not normally one for brainstorming ideas or taking time to think up blog posts. Most of my ideas pop into my head during the day, most of the time when I'm out and not near my laptop. If I think of an idea, I usually write it in the Notes app on my phone then transfer it over to the Notes section in my planner. I write any ideas I have in two columns - one for posts I could write now, and one for posts I'll write in the future. I know it's not the most organised way of going about it, but it's what works best for me.



Planning posts

I use this weekly planner I bought from Paperchase to plan out my blog posts. I write down on every day what I need to do - take time to write posts, take photos, comment on other blogs. I also plan out what specific posts I'll write and post on what days so I know in advance. I then tick off everything after I've done it. I only plan a week in advance because my ideas change so much in my head and I think up so many ideas, I feel like planning just for one week suits me best - plus I think if I tried planning out a whole months worth of posts I'd get bored half way through.

Taking photographs

I know quite a lot of people take photos after they write their posts, but I'm one of the people that takes their pictures first. I just find it easier to write my posts around the photos and then take additional ones if I need to, rather than the other way around. I use a Nikon D3100 to take my photos and use natural sunlight, which means my photos all need to be taken during the day. This can be a bit of a hassle but I find my pictures turn out looking better. I use my white window sill as my background which I just prefer for my pictures as I normally do flat lays for my posts. I'm not a professional photographer in any way, and I definitely think this is the past of my blogging process that needs the most help.

Photo editing

To edit my photos, I use Photoshop CC 2015. It do pay monthly for this and there's plenty of other free photo editing services, but I really like Photoshop and it works well for me. It's very easy to use and barely takes me any time at all to edit my photos. I don't do much to edit my photos - mainly brightness, exposure and vibrance - but it's very easy to use more complicated tools.

Writing posts

I normally plan an hour or so to write a post when I know I'll have enough time to complete it. I normally only write one post a day unless I have a lot of motivation - which isn't a lot to be honest. Some posts I write gradually, such as advice posts, where I'll write a bit every so often until I feel like the post is complete. I absolutely love writing posts, and find myself having to edit them quite a lot after I'm done as I ramble quite a lot.

Posting

I write my posts in advance so always have to schedule them. I have certain days and times that my posts go up - Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6pm - so schedule them for these times. Scheduling your blog posts makes everything so much easier as it means I don't have to be near my laptop when I want my post to go live. After my post is up, I always promote it on social media, especially Twitter. This helps get traffic to my posts as well as gain feedback on what I've wrote about which I absolutely love. I normally tweet my posts with the hashtags #bbloggers or #lbloggers, depending on if the post is beauty or lifestyle, and #blogginggals. I also always tweet @FemaleBloggerRT as they're an account that helps widen your audience by RTing your post to their thousands of followers.

My blogging process isn't anything new or different, but it works well for me and helps make blogging that little bit easier. Let me know what your blogging process is and if it's anything similar to mine. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a wonderful day!

See you guys soon x

Monday 1 August 2016

July Favourites

How is it actually the end of July and the start of August already? It feels like just yesterday I was writing my June Favourites post. Quite a lot has happened to me over the course of the month. including getting myself a new job which has been very exciting for me. Over the month, I've been using a lot of makeup and bought myself quite a lot of new products, which my bank account hasn't exactly been loving but I have been. So here are all the things I've been loving over the month of July.

Makeup

ABH Brow Wiz in Dark Brown - If I'm honest, I'm a bit of an eyebrow novice and never use a lot of products on my eyebrows. I've used gels before but I've never liked the way my eyebrows look after, so decided to give Brow Wiz a little try as I get on best with pencils and crayons. It's not the cheapest product around and I've seen a lot of posts on High Street dupes for it, but I was willing to pay the price if it did the job well. I'm happy to say I've really enjoyed using this product. The brush side is great for shaping your brows, and the pencil side, which is actually more of a crayon, is perfect and easy to use for shading and filling in the gaps. It's made doing my brows so much easier and doesn't make too much of a fuss. It's definitely my go-to brow product at the moment.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Sydney - I feel like I've been going on about these lip creams for forever but I can't help it - I honestly love them. My favourite shade over the course of July was definitely Sydney. I was never much of a fan of lighter pink shades on my lips until I bought this, and it's definitely helped me change my mind. The conistency of these creams is just amazing and I love the way they feel on my lips. The colour of this shade is just beautiful and I've loved wearing it as part of my summer makeup looks.

Kiko Milano High Pigment Wet and Dry Eyeshadow in 37 - I featured this product in a haul post here and have been loving it ever since. This shade is a peachy colour that has shimmers of gold through it, and is very pigmented which I absolutely love. It's a shade that's very easy to wear and blends perfectly with other shadows. It lasts me all day which I'm so pleased with considering how affordable this product is. I'm definitely planning on picking up more of these High Pigment Wet and Dry Eyeshadows the next time I'm within 50 feet of a Kiko Milano store.

Sleek iDivine Eyeshadow Palette in A New Day - I featured this product in a haul post here and I've loved it ever since I bought it. I may not have had it the whole of July, but I've used it almost every day since I've had it, and it's fast becoming one of my favourites. For how affordable it is, the shades are so pigmented and honestly last me all day - and still look as good as when they were first applied. It's made me become a big fan of Sleek Makeup. and I'm looking into buying myself another palette soon.

Urban Decay Naked 2 24/7 Glide-On Double-Ended Eye Pencil - I'm such a massive fan of eye makeup, especially smokey eyes with a lot of liner. That's why I decided to pick up this eye pencil, as I really liked the idea of having two different shades in the one product. This liner contains the shades Perversion and Pistol which both look gorgeous. I like the texture of the pencils as they feel very creamy and soft, and are actually more like crayons than pencils. They have a slight glitter to them which I wasn't sure I'd like but I actually really enjoy, and I've been really loving wearing this product over the month of July.

Skincare

Lush Mask of Magnaminty Face and Body Mask - I've already gushed over my love for this product in a blog post here and I still love it just as much. It smells amazing, feels amazing, and leaves my skin feeling great after I use it. This mask is great for acne prone skin and for people who suffer badly from breakouts, which is a category I come under. It's left my skin looking and feeling much better and I've had very few breakouts since I started using it.

Random Favourites

Will and Grace - This TV show has been around for years but I'm currently rewatching it and forgot how much I love it. I own all the box sets and have been watching it all day every day - I'm a tad addicted to it right now. It's hilariously funny and is the perfect show to cheer me up when I need a laugh.

Macaroni and Cheese - This is a bit of a weird one, but I currently have such an obsession with Macaroni and Cheese. I absolutely love cheese but never ever used to like Macaroni until I tried the Batchelors version and I fell in love. I honestly eat so much of this it's ridiculous - but god it's good.

Let me know what your favourites this month were and make sure to link me your blog posts if you've wrote one. Also let me know if you've used any of the products I've mentioned and what your opinions on them are. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a wonderful August!

See you guys soon x