Halloween Makeup Haul

Halloween is one of my favourite times of the year and I absolutely love dressing up. I've dressed up every year since I was young, and one of my favourite things to do is make my own costumes. I don't necessarily mean sewing it together, but making it up myself instead of just buying a pre-bought one. And one of the other main things I love is doing the makeup. The past few years, my outfits have required a lot of makeup, normally dark and gory, but this year the makeup I'll be doing is a bit different. I am going to two seperate events this year and have two seperate costumes, but my second costume is a skeleton which isn't makeup but more facepaint. My main costume this year though is a Unicorn, which I'm really excited about. Mostly because I've seen so many cool makeup ideas for it on Pinterest that I'm really excited to try and recreate. That's why I went into my local Boots and picked up a few pieces to help me create my perfect unicorn look.

NYX Vivid Brights Eyeliner in Vivid Petal - To create the look I have in mind, I needed pink, purple and blue coloured products. One of the main things I knew I needed was a bright coloured eyeliner, which is harder to find than you think, but NYX has a lot of really great bright coloured products just now. I saw their range of Vivid Brights Eyeliners and decided the best colour for my look would be the pastel pink shade of Vivid Petal. The colour of this eyeliner is exactly how it looks on the box and applies so easily, which I didn't think it would as the tip is quite long and I'm not used to that. I've seen some reviews saying it applies transparent but I'd have to disagree, as when I've tried it out it's looked very pigmented and bold. It's very affordable for a product I doubt I'll use much after Halloween, although you never know, so I'm really happy with this product overall.

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Eletric Blue - I've seen this as such a multi-use product - for eyes, lips, cheeks - everything. I thought this would be great for both my eyes and the side of my face to create the look I have in mind. It's so smooth to apply and easy to use, especially as it's a jumbo pencil so has a large applicator. This product is extremely pigmented which I'm so happy about as that's exactly what I need, and it has a slight sparkle to it which is perfect. It's such a great price for the quality of it, and I'm really excited to give this a go.

Seventeen Eye Shadow in Magenta - The final thing I needed to complete my look was a dark pink matte eyesahdow. I own quite a few light pink matte shades and shimmer dark pink ones, but none like this. It's exactly what I was looking for: highly pigmented, easy to apply and stays on well. This was extremely affordable for how good it is, and is a product I can see myself using after Halloween.

These products, along with other eyeshadows and lipsticks, will hopefully create the unicorn look I have in mind. Let me know if you're dressing up this year, and I hope you all have a great Halloween!

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See you guys soon x

Meet The Beauty Blogger: Annmarie Reddie

Time for Part 9 of my Meet The Beauty Blogger series where we'll be meeting Annmarie Reddie. She writes beauty bargains and fashion finds, and also has another called Annie's blog where she writes about more personal things about her family.

What got you into blogging? I first got in to blogging completely by accident.  I thought I could become the next Charlotte Tilsbury and tried to open an online make up store called mums beauty club.  I bought make up from the whole sellers and put it up on my store.  Unfortunatley the competition was fierce and my little store had no chance in competing with the much bigger companies and their amazing campaigns and promotions.  Along with the store I also had a blog where I would write my own reviews about the products I was selling, I done polls on different make up related topics, and I also asked what very little followers I had what they would like to see in the store and to give their personal opinion on different brands.  I found that I loved it and being able to talk/write about something I was passionate about was a real escape for me, usually I would be sat discussing what peppa pig got up to on todays episode of peppa pig with my kids.

How did you decide to blog beauty? I have always loved make up, I used to sit in front of the mirror trying to perfect new techniques I had read about in magazines.  I had a talent for make up and when I was only 18 done make up for a wedding party including the brides. So I had some knowledge with make up that I loved sharing with others.  The only other passion in my life is my family.

How long have you been blogging for? I have had my blog for only a little over a year and a half, so I am still a newbie.

What's your biggest blogging achievement so far? Anything I get asked to do that is related to my blog I see as an achievement.  I have done product reviews where I have only been approached because they read my blog.  I am being featured in Lylia Roses media links page. And of course this interview.  I also love being sent the odd freebie here and there form small business's, individuals that have read my blog and liked it.

What post's have you written that you are most proud of? I am proud of a few, but one that I enjoyed doing the most as well as enjoyed researching as my findings were shocking was the "Counterfeit make up and the dangers" I actually was thinking of a topic to pitch as guest blog post, and instead of doing a product review I wanted to do something that people cared about.  So I came up with this topic after reading a short article about jeffree stars products being copied.  The more research I did the more shocked, worried and glad I was that I choose this topic so I could warn people just like myself of the dangers. I also liked doing a personal one called "Codys first day in P2 and the wobbly tooth" about the struggles of getting 5 year old back in to the early morning of the school routine and her wobbly tooth".  The post I think that is most beneficial to my followers is the big brand current deals posts that I do on beauty bargains and fashion finds.

What's your current favourite beauty product? (Oh Erin you do ask the most difficult questions) This has to be most difficult question so far.  My favoutite product right now has to be Benefit they're real mascara, it is the holy grail of all mascara's. I am also really liking Models Co Cheek and lip stain in peach.

What on item (beauty/skincare) could you not live without? I could not live without in transit camera close-up Mask, moisturiser and primer in one.  It is said to be one of Victoria Beckhams  favourite beauty products. Well I don't know about Vicky but I love it.

Who is your favourite blogger at the moment? My favourite beauty blogger at the moment is Mrs Strawberry blonde, she is a self confessed beauty drugstore addict with awesome nail of the day tutorials and picks and also Gemma Emily Makeup, Sorry Erin I couldn't limit myself to just one.

Are you happy with where your blog is right now? I am loving where my blog is right now, it is getting some recognition which is amazing, especially since I started off with no thought on where blogging may lead.

What's your biggest goal for the future of your blog? To be featured in a by a big brand, and to get as many people possible reading my blog. And to be in a position to help other bloggers like myself get to where the want to be.

You can check out Annmarie's Twitter here, her Instagram here and you can check out her blog here.

Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a wonderful day!

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See you guys soon x

How I Juggle A Job, Uni and Blogging

When I first started out blogging in Spring of this year, I was lucky enough to have finished my first year at Uni and at the time, I didn't have a job. This meant I had loads of time to really concentrate on my blogging, writing posts and taking photos. I always had posts ready to go well in advance and even had back up posts incase I was busy. I posted 4 times a week, which I always found an easy target to reach, and I always had time to really focus on my blog. That was until July when I got myself a job and ended up working up to 6 days a week, and then September when I went back to being at Uni full time. This meant blogging couldn't always be my priority and I had to find myself a balance of all three. I still struggle now finding time to sit and write posts or take photos with all my studying or overtime I do, but I think I've found myself a routine I like.

Making a plan is something I find to make things much easier. I've always made myself a blogging plan, where I set certain days where I'll write certain posts, take photos or read through other bloggers posts. It means I'll usually always have my posts ready to go, unless of course I'm really too busy to write posts. I cut back my posts and now blog three times a week, on a Monday, Wenesday and then a Friday or Saturday, which I can usually stick to, but of course some weeks can be harder than others. A plan means that, if I know I'm going to be really busy one week, I can write two blog posts in a day so will have an extra ready to go. I've also added study hours to my plan, as I'm now at the point in my Uni semester where the work is really starting and I need to set aside hours to study, write essays and do assignments. My education is my priority at the moment, so when I have a few hours to spare I'll study nowadays when I would have used to write posts. But having a backup store of posts on extremely busy weeks can make life so much easier.

Something I've learnt in recent months is not to stress when I don't get a blog post finished in time. I know I'd much rather wait and post a quality post I'm proud of than rush a post just so it went up on one of my assigned days. Some weeks over summer, I'd be working all day for 5 or six days, so when I got home all I wanted to was sleep and eat and my motivation to write posts was pretty low. Sometimes I'd want to force myself into writing one, but I knew it would be half-hearted and it wasn't worth it. So I've learned now to only post blog posts I'm proud of and happy to share, rather than posting just because I feel I have to.

Another thing I always do is take my laptop with me to Uni, so on any breaks I have during the day, I can write up blog posts then. Some days I might have a two hour gap between lectures, so dedicate an hour to studying and the other to my blog, which is an extra hour I wouldn't have thought to used. I work weekends just now while I'm at Uni, and any breaks I have there are pretty short and I need them to eat my lunch, so I never take my laptop with me there. But finding any spare hour here and there really does make a big difference.

The most important thing I've learned about having a job, a blog and going to Uni, is you can manage all three if you take your time and plan it out. Some weeks, one will have priority over the others and you may have to shift your plan a bit, but it makes life so much easier in the long run. Cutting down on the amount of blog posts you write to make sure you're proud of every one you post isn't the worst thing in the world, and I'm sure my readers will appreciate it.

Let me know if you have to juggle a job or Uni with your blog, and how you work around it. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a great day!

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Meet The Beauty Blogger: Tanya Smalls

Another Wednesday, another instalment of Meet The Beauty Blogger. This time we'll be getting to know the lovely Tanya Smalls and her blog. Tanya has a self confessed passion for fashion, and posts some great beauty reviews.

What got you into blogging? Honestly, it feels like I woke up one morning and decided to blog but that can't be how it happened lol. I probably told myself I'm a fashion genius (which I'm not) and a beauty expert (definitely not) and I should tell the masses about it LOL.

How did you decide to blog beauty? I decided to blog beauty because of the fascination I have with products and reviewing them. You may never ever see me do a tutorial but a review is always right around the corner. I admit recently I haven't done much beauty posts other than hauls but I'm working to correct that.

How long have you been blogging for? I have been blogging on and off for 4 years, started when I was in my first year of university.

What's your biggest blogging achievement so far? Umm, I consider all my blogging achievements to be the biggest LOL. It's probably between being sent jewellery to review because if people trust you enough to take a gamble and send you their products for free then that is pretty big. So it's between that and when I got to put together two styling posts, dealing with summer wedding attire, for Paul Fredrick.

What post that you've written are you most proud of? At this point in time, I'm very proud of my "On The Inside" posts. It's a new interior design series I started on the blog two weeks ago and the content just make me so happy.

What's your current favourite beauty product? Right now, I'm obsessing over Danimer liquid lipsticks. Bought them locally (Barbados) a few weeks ago and I'm still drooling over them LOL.

What one item (beauty/skincare) could you not live without? Powder. I'm a powder freak, I thoroughly enjoy packing on the powder.

Who's your favourite blogger of the moment? I don't have one favourite blogger, I have a group of them, Barbadian bloggers. I don't know most of them personally but they will ALWAYS be my favourite bloggers. the genre doesn't even matter, I read their posts and enjoy them.

Are you happy with where your blog is right now? I've been struggling with this for the last year or so and I'm now coming to terms with it. I am happy with it right now but I still have little its and bits I'm trying to figure out to improve it.

What's your biggest goal for the future of your blog? I want the blog to keep evolving and gaining readers and helping readers. It may turn into an online magazine or it may not, it may turn into a book or it may not, who knows.

You can follow Tanya on Insagram here and Twitter here. You can also keep up to date with her snapchat - fashionnnp - and chek out her blog here.

Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a great day.

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See you guys soon x

My Liz Earle Essentials

When it comes to skincare, Liz Earle is one of my absolute go to brands. I feel like I can trust all of their products with my dry, spot prone and sensitive skin, which is something I can't always do with other brands. I always have had to pay extra with skincare due to how bad my skin is, which is something I'm used to, but I feel Liz Earle is really great value for money, Along with Kiehls, they're a major part of my daily skincare routine. Today's post is a look at my three favourite Liz Earle products that I honestly couldn't be without now.

Instant Boost Skin Tonic - This is the fist toner I ever purchased as I never eally knew all the in's and outs of skincare and toners were a bit foreign to me. I decided to finally try this tonic, as I'd heard some really good things about it and thought it was about time I gave one a try. This product smells absolutely amazing and doesn't have that acidic smell other toners have - it's quite floral scented which I love. It does exactly what it says on the tin and tones my skin so well, as well as really calming down any red patches or blotchy parts of my skin. You really don't need a lot of this to see a big difference, and I only apply a small amount to the cotton pad when I use it. It's also really hydrating and soothing on my skin, and leaves my skin looking and feeling more refreshed than it's ever been before.I'm so happy I tried out this product, and now it's one of my absolute essentials.

Intensive Nourising Treatment Mask - I really love face masks and own quite a few, but this one is one of my favourites. This product is specifically targeted for dry skin which is why I wanted to buy it, and it helps to de-stress and relax irritated skin. It also smells amazing - Liz Earle really knows how to do lovely fragrances - and I love it's creamy texture. It's so soothing on the skin when you apply it, and doesn't cause any red patches when it's removed which some face masks can do. This isnt a hard face mask, which means you can apply it quickly and wash it off easily as well as being able to wear it overnight which is great. It is eactly what the name suggests - a nourishing treatment face mask.

Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser - This is one of my favourite skincare items I own and definitely my favourite from Liz Earle. Cleansers are so important in your daily skincare routine, so it's vital you find one that works well with your skin type, like this product does with mine. It's a very deep cleanser and removes makeup and daily grime so well. I use this twice daily and find my skin looking so clean and refreshed after I use it that I've actually had some great compliments on how good my skin's been looking. Your skin also feels really hydrated and nourished which is great, and I can honestly say my skin looks much brighter and clearer when I use this.

Using all three of these products combined has really helped cleanse and smooth my skin, and I honestly couldn't imagine not using them anymore. They may be a bit pricey but I can honestly say they're worth every penny - but if you are only going to buy one, I'd definitely recommend the hot cloth cleanser. Liz Earle has became one of my favourite brands recently and it's definitely worth a try if you haven't already. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you all have a wonderful day!

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Lush Halloween Haul

Lush is a brand I've never used too often in the past because of how sensitive my skin is. I used to get quite rashy when I used their bath bombs but loved some of their other products like their face masks. But at this time of the year I love having a good bath, so just had to buy some of their new Halloween range - and will definitely be purchasing some of their Christmas range soon. I'm really excited by the look of these products, some I've already used and others I'm yet to try.

Pumpkin Gift Set - When I was looking through this years Halloween products, I just knew I had to buy this adorable gift set. It contained most of the products I already wanted to buy so this made it so much easier for me. It contains the Sparkly Pumpkin bubble bar, Pumpkin bath bomb, Boo bath melt and Lord of Misrule bath bomb which all look so amazing. I haven't used any of these yet as I'm trying to keep them for closer to Halloween night, but they do look so tempting - I'm really considering using one of these tonight. They all smell so amazing, and the smell of these kind of products really do make such a big difference in my opinion - I'm especially a fan of he smell of the pumpkin bath bomb. I'm so excited to use these, especially the bath bombs, because who doesn't love a good bath?

Lord of Misrule Shower Cream - My Soap & Glory body wash just ran out, so it was the perfect excuse to pick myself up one of these shower creams. I absolutely love the earthy smell of this and I love how it's a dark green colour - it's definitely getting me in the Halloween spirit already. It leaves me smelling great for ages afterwards which I'm so impressed with, as most of the shower creams I've used before have fragrances that disappear very quickly. It's definitely became one of my favourite Lush products at the moment.

R&B Hair Moisturiser - This isn't exactly a Halloween product but I bought it at the same time so I'll include it in the haul. When I saw this product in the Lush shop, I wasn't sure about it but the smell of it won me over. I absolutely love this orange flower fragrance as it reminds me so much of being away on holiday when I was younger. This product helps to moisturise and hydrate you hair, as well as leaving it smelling amazing. The only downside is that, as I apply it before I dry my hair, it can sometimes take a bit longer to dry it. But this is something I can look past becuase of how incredibly smooth and hydrated my hair has been since I started using it.

Mask of Magnaminty - This is a product I will always repurchase from Lush because I love it so much. This face mask really helps me with my spot prone skin and helps reduce any blotchiness I have. The peppermint smell is amazing - it always makes me want to eat it - and I find it to work so well. I've honestly seen such a reduction in skin outbreaks since I started using this, so I'd be an idiot to ever stop.

I'm so happy with all my purchases and am so excited to try out my bath bombs. Let me know if you've picked up anything from Lush's Halloween range this year yet or if you've used any of the ones I've mentioned. Thank you for reading my post and I hope you all have a wonderful day!

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See you guys soon x

Meet The Beauty Blogger: The Blonde Cafe

Today's post is part 7 - how are we already on part 7? - of my Meet The Beauty Blogger series, where we'll be meeting the lovely Summer Coleman and her blog, The Blonde Cafe.S he's currently doing Blogtober where she'll be posting every day, so if you've never read her blog before, now is definitely the time to start. 

What got you into blogging? I'ts a pretty stereotypical answer here, but I've been reading blogs and watching vloggers for a while now. Articles on blogs are everywhere now so it's pretty much impossible to miss them in one form or another! I've adored writing ever since I was really young and used to write mini novels, poems, stories and journaled endlessly. So It was inevitable that I would eventually start my own. 

How did you decide to blog beauty? I've always had an interest in various different segments of beauty - originally it was with skincare (I used to have awful problem skin) and then after reading and watching a load of tutorials I started getting into make up and so on until I felt confident enough to blog about it - and that's my aim in the end, to make people feel confident, whether that is with a product, its application or within themselves! 

How long have you been blogging for? In terms of beauty blogging and this blog in particular I've actually only been involved since July. However, I have helped with the setting up and editing of Pie Magazine (an online magazine/blog for my university) and I've set up art based blogs in the past to do with various festivals and events! 

What's your biggest blogging achievement so far? I don't like to aim for milestones - I'm more of a progress is progress type of person (it's just personal preference!) but I would have to say it would just be having the confidence to actually set up and post my first ever post - it takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there and sometimes it can be pretty scary! 

What post that you've written are you most proud of? It would either have to be my Five Year Plan (https://theblondecafe.wordpress.com/2016/08/10/my-five-year-plangoals/) post, or my Urban Outfitters on a Budget (https://theblondecafe.wordpress.com/2016/08/05/urban-outfitters-bedroom-on-a-budget-dupes/) post. The plan took a long time to decide (even though it's not specific) and it was something that I found hard to put into words, which I think you can tell by reading it! But I really like how it turned out and the photography is some of my favourite! The Urban Outfitters on a Budget post took a lot of research, and I feel like the dupes I found were pretty accurate and for sometimes less than half the price! I had a really good response to this post as well - a lot of people messaged me saying how helpful they found it - and in the end that is the goal! 

What's your current favourite beauty product? I'm in love with No7's Airbrush Away Pore Minimizing Primer. I was using Benefit's Porefessional Primer, but the No7 one is a really good dupe and for just £16 it's really not a pocket burning price! It feels really silky on your skin and the foundation just glides on beautifully afterwards. I would definitely recommend it to anyone with problem pores.

What on item (beauty/skincare) could you not live without? Just ONE?! I would probably have to say the primer I literally just raved about. It's just perfect and I love wearing it on those days where you just want to pop to the shop and can't be bothered to put on your foundation but you can't stand bare face!

Who's your favourite blogger of the moment? I adore Rhianna @ www.robowecop.com she's just got a really unique and personable voice and she comes across as very genuine and honest!

Are you happy with where your blog is right now? I've only just began my journey as a blogger I really hope to grow this blog and get to meet new friends along the way (too cheesy?) I am happy with where I am at this moment in time and I cant wait to see what the future holds!

What's your biggest goal for the future of your blog? I would love to have a decent size following by the end of the year - but I worry that if I put a number on it I might jinx it. I would love to have around about 5k followers by the end of this year, but I'm not sure exactly how realistic that is!

Make sure you go and check out Summer's blog here and follow her over on Twitter here.

I hope you've enjoyed reading this post and all the other posts in my Meet The Beauty Blogger series, and of course let me know if you want to get involved yourself. Thank you for reading and enjoy your day!

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See you guys soon x

September Favourites

How is that September over with already? I can't believe that's us officially in October - the month of Halloween - and now getting so close to Christmas. Quite a lot happened to me in September including starting back at University, and I ended up not buying as many new beauty products as I would have liked to considering most of my money was going on Uni things. But I do have some products I really loved over the course of the month, some old and some new.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - I just did a whole post dedicated to this product here, and if you read it you'll know that I'm absolutely loving it right now. It's very easy to use, and is great as it can be used to remove both eye and face makeup. It's really affordable and easy to buy - if you're from the UK - and I find it great on my sensitive skin as it's very gentle. This is definitely my favourite makeup remover I've used and is one of my favourite products of the moment.

Kiko Milano High Pigment Wet And Dry Eyeshadow in 54 - I already own two of these Kiko Milano eye shadows and I absolutely loved both of them. That's why, on a recent shopping trip, I decided to pop back in and buy myself another one. This shade is pretty similar to my other two as I feel Kiko Milano do pink and purple shades so well and I wanted a darker one this time. It's exactly what is says in the name - high pigment - and this grape colour looks absolutely beautiful on. For how great quality they are, these eyeshadows are so affordable and I even picked my Mum up two for her birthday.

MAC Lustre Lipstick in Syrup - Now I'm an absolute sucker for a MAC lipstick, and I honestly can't go into the shop without picking another one up - it's honestly a sickness. So when I went in to pick my friend up one for her birthday, I obviously had to get myself a new one too. This pinky shade looks beautiful on, even though it does apply slightly darker than it looks. It's very long lasting and feels very soft on the lips which I love. It isn't matte which is what I normally go for but it's a nice change and I've been wearing it constantly since I bought it. It's fast become one of my favourite MAC lipsticks of the moment.

Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette - This isn't a new product for me as I've had it for quite a while, but I seem to have used it loads over the month of September. Autumn and Winter always make me want to go for a more smoky eye and this palette is perfect for doing that. It's not the most afforable palette around, but I absolutely love all the sahdes and how long lasting they are as well as how pigmented they are. It may be an oldy, but it's a goody.

Tarte Showstopper Clay Palette - Up until buying this product, I had never actually owned anything from Tarte before so I was really excited to give it a go. The palette has a highlighter, bronzer, blusher and 6 different eyeshadows all in the one which is just perfect for me. They are all such great quality and are perfect shades for me, as well as being very pigmented. The highlighter is one of the best powdered highlighters I've tried and I'm currently wearing it everyday over my normal favourites, it's that good. This has became a holy grail product for me and It's definitely gave me a very good impression on Tarte as a brand.

Let me know what products you loved over the course of September and if you've been loving any of the ones I mentioned. Thank you so much for reading my post and I hope you have a great day!

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See you guys soon x