My Everyday Make-Up Essentials

I'm so excited to be posting again, with a refreshed blogging mind. Sorry for missing Wednesday's post, but motivation isn't easy to conjure when you're in a slump, so I took a break and now my mind feels jam-packed with ideas. I've done many posts that incorporate these Make-up items before, but I've never explicitly shown you my everyday essentials.

 



Okay so as for face related items (well they're technically all face related but you know what I mean lads) I go pretty much all out Rimmel. I know Rimmel haven't had the best press lately and I've cut some products out of my collection because of it all, but when you find products that suit your skin its desperately difficult to say goodbye. I adore the Wake Me Up foundation - let me tell you I have tried high end foundations, but THIS baby just makes my heart grow wings. It isn't cakey but you get good coverage, and the tone of it is a pretty darn good match for my skin. I use the True Match concealer, which lasts a flippin lifetime; I bought this concealer three months ago and I use it every single day, can't really beat that sort of staying power.

 

The Stay Matte powder is a new addition to the routine, I used to use a different Rimmel powder with a teal packaging but that seems to have disappeared (or has the packaging just changed?) - anywho, it works like a powder should, so I'm happy about it. My most prized possession is my Nars Laguna Bronzer (CULT. CLASSIC.) which is so beautiful I sometimes want to cry, and has exactly the right amount of shimmer. Finally for this first category, I often turn to the Me Me Me highlighter, which I put into my most recent favourites. It's easy to apply and is bold enough to satisfy - definitely worth taking a gander at that brand people.

 

 

Anyone that knows me and my make up knows that the Maybelline Master Precise Eyeliner is the one to beat. I've tried Benefit, I've tried Rimmel, I've tried No7, but nothing even comes close to this eyeliner. It's a sponge tip so doesn't feel scratchy, and just glides on like a dream. Buy it. Just buy it buy it buy it. Also in this Maybelline love affair is the Lash Sensational Mascara which every blogger seems to go on about, and I completely understand why. Such a good find, such a great wand! To doll up my eyebrows so they're on fleek (I hate myself for typing that), I usually use the brown shade in the Naked Basics Palette or the eyebrow pencil from Rimmel, either work well so I just go for whatever reaches my hands first.

 

 

I'm not going to lie here, I generally just reach for my Carmex on weekdays, since school isn't a runway and I like my lips to be protected from Winter *shudders at the thought of dry, cracked lips*. If it's a weekend day or I'm feeling a little bit bold, I'll go for my MAC lipstick in Spirit, which I absolutely cherish (I'm not even exaggerating, I thought I'd lost this at a party once and shed a tear, and I wasn't even drunk).

 

It's safe to say that in terms of sweeping the board, Rimmel do the face, Maybelline do the eyes, and MAC will always do lips. What do you reach for on a day to day basis?

 

Stay beautiful!

Em xoxo

Vlogpost #1

 

Hey guys! So today I wanted to start a new series of posts. I'm a huge fan of vlog channels on Youtube, but since I'm too awkward and shy to ever film myself in my bedroom, never mind out in the big wide world, I thought I'd start doing 'Vlogs' without videos! (Basically some snapshots of my day, so you can see what I got up to.) If this doesn't go down well, then, like with any type of post, I won't continue the series - tell me whatcha think!

 

 

Today I started out with a 11am appointment to get my helix pierced. Well, actually it was just to get another lobe piercing, but when it came down to it I bit the bullet and got what I was really afraid of getting, but also have desperately wanted for AGES. I was worried about getting cartilage pierced due to horror stories and extra pain - it turns out it hurts no more than a lobe piercing if you're wondering. I'm super happy with the result and although I know piercings aren't everyone's cup of tea (*cough* my family, *cough*), I think it adds to my style and how I express myself. I might do a blog post on piercing care and tips, I've had some tough experiences regarding aftercare, and I think it might be wise to share the wisdom!



 

 

We (H and I) had about an hour to kill before our lunch, so we did a bit of shopping; LOOK AT THIS MUG. Clueless is one of my all time favourites, accompanied by Beauty and the Beast, Love Actually, About Time and Dirty Dancing. I was pretty darn excited when I found this, at a steal for £2.99. Eugh, as IF. 

 

 

I'm one of those people that never thinks a photo of a bowl of pasta looks appetising, but I put it in anyway because this is very possibly the best bowl of pasta I've ever eaten. It's my guilty pleasure, and I get it every time I visit Prezzo - the Chicken Ravioli. Order this next time, you won't regret anything!

 

 

I didn't really know how to capture the rest of my day in photography to be honest, it's a pretty difficult task. I went to work for a miniscule 2 hour shift and sorted through a ton of new pyjama sets, that looked extremely cosy but in actual fact just succeeded in making me feel colder. After that I cozied down underneath my duvet and watched Christmas films with Harry for the rest of the night.

 

In the aftermath of what seemed like a brilliant post idea at the time, I find myself wondering if this is just a boring old ramble, the subject of which you couldn't care less *cry laughing emoji*

 

What do you think? Is it interesting to see someone else's day to day life?

What have you been up to today?

Emily xo

22 Lessons I've Learned From Blogging

Oh I do love to write chatty posts. My blog theme is really jumbled up at the moment, because all the beauty posts I've been wanting to write require more funds than I currently have...bring on payday! Until then you'll have to enjoy rambly, lifestyle posts - it's been a struggle to get anything up in the last week since I've been focused on my Uni applications and some mid-term assessments. I do love to type irrelevant nothings don't I? It's been about 15 months since ASD was born, so lets dive into all the things blogging has taught me.

1. The most important hours of the day involve daylight
Once you hit the 5pm mark (even earlier in Winter), you ain't gonna get no photos taken Missy.

2. Face make-up always looks slightly orange on camera
Does it worry me that I possibly look like a Wotsit in my day to day life? Yes. Yes it does.

3. It's flipping hard to get views at first
You have to work your butt off to get any views when you first start a blog, but its so rewarding when your traffic first starts to increase. I remember hitting 1000 page views and being deliriously happy.

4. Don't jump at every offer of a collab
Think about the message you deliver with your blog style, and your target audience. Will your readers enjoy a collaboration with a wedding company? Probably not. On another note, will you look a bit silly promoting something you know absolutely nothing about? Probably yes.

5. Routine posts can get very tedious
This is just a personal preference, but I don't like to do monthly favourites or playlists anymore - it got me into a comfortable slump which sucked the excitement out of blogging, and I much prefer taking it week by week and writing about the things that excite me. I find it's so much nicer to read an enthusiastic post - you can tell if the blogger is bored!

6. Not every post is going to be a smash hit
Sometimes you won't get a single comment or over 50 views on a post, and that's okay! It's helpful to know what posts go down well - a bit of market research never did anyone any harm.

7. Exposure is your new BFF
By far the effect I use most on PicMonkey is exposure, it improves the aesthetics of a photo by so much and is (I feel anyway) one of the most important photography tools. Dull photos are just that...dull.

8. People who know nothing about blogging can be extremely judgemental
Ignore them haters, and keep doing what you do.

9. Get a Boots points card
With the amount of money you'll be spending on beauty, it would be stupid not to pick up a Boots card and collect a TON of points.

10. Blogger events are pretty much the most fun ever
This time last year, attending an event with a room full of strangers would have felt like the worst idea - in reality, meet ups are the best days. Spending time with likeminded people and picking up some great free goodies is a dream come true.

11. Post at a specific time and day
Getting posts up on the same days at the same time is integral to bumping up views. It makes you reliable!

12. You might have to take about 100 outfits photos to get the right one
Patience does not come easily to me at all, but you have to accept that outfit posts are difficult, and it may take a heck of a lot of shots before you're happy with it.

13. Read read read
Read other peoples posts to get inspiration (but never copy, that's just rude) and to generally get a feel about what posts are popular at that time. Plus, commenting on posts can attract viewers (another lesson, don't just link your blog in the comments because that's V annoying, actually take time to write a thoughtful comment!)

14. If you want to post it, post it
Don't feel that you can't post something because it doesn't quite fit your 'theme' - its your corner of the internet, go for it! Exhibit A: My blog. A mishmash of post types that I couldn't love more. If you don't love what you're writing, then I'm pretty sure you aren't writing the right thing.

15. You can never have too many lipsticks
Enough said really.

16. Don't compare yourself!
Comparing yourself to other bloggers in a negative way can never end well, I promise. You are here to represent your own style, not someone else's.

17. Invest in a template
Pipdigging my blog was one of the best decisions I've made! I love it - and so easy to install.

18. SOCIAL MEDIA
Get your blog out there. How is anyone going to read if you expect them to just stumble across it? My favourite platforms are twitter and Bloglovin (Links at the top of the page).

19. Planning
Purchase a planner, dedicate a notebook - do anything you can to get organised and know when everything is getting posted. You don't have to stick to it, but a rough outline eases your mind and is so useful when you're making a list of everything you need to get done.

20. Writing style develops with time
I don't fully feel like I've got there yet, but I know that I'm improving with every post (at least I hope I am!)

21. It's okay to be in a slump
If you don't post for two weeks and take the time to gather your thoughts, that's fine! Everyone needs a break sometimes, and no one is an exception.

22. Bloggers are the best
It's not a competitive area, we all lift each other up! So many bloggers have been lovely to me, and I think making connections and meeting so many nice people is one of the best parts of this whole experience. At the end of the day,whether you have 2, 200 or 2000 followers, we all need a nice comment and a pick me up sometimes.

I hope you enjoyed this - something a little bit different!
What have you learned lately?
Emily xoxo

Autumn Pretzel Treats

 

Yet another recipe...I'm addicted at the moment! I saw this on Pinterest and decided to put my own spin on it - Autumn themed chocolate coloured pretzels. They taste so good and are ideal as a snack for lunchtime, or to pile into a gift bag and give to a friend for Halloween. One of the recipes went wrong so we had to adapt it slightly, who knew that melted chocolate could go so weird when you added a bit too much food dye? Anyway, I'm rambling. All you need to know (except from how to make the treats) is that these pretzels are hella cute and super tasty.

 

 

Ingredients:

Pretzels

Milk Chocolate

White Chocolate

Orange Food Dye

Autumn Sprinkles

Green M&Ms (you don't actually need these for the recipe I did in the end, but I'll explain how you could incorporate them if you wanted to)

 

 

Recipe 1: Milk Chocolate, 'Leafy' Pretzels

• Melt half a bar of milk chocolate and set out a baking tray with a baking sheet on the top of it.
• Cover the pretzels in chocolate and place them on the tray.
• Place three leaf sprinkles on the treat, and then dust some orange edible glitter on the top for extra pizazz.
• Keep in the fridge for 15 minutes and then take out and eat! Yum.







 

Recipe 2: White Chocolate, Orange Pretzels

• Melt some white chocolate and stir in some orange food dye so the mix goes bright orange.
• If you don't completely mess up your batch of chocolate, then place on a tray and put a green M&M on the top to look like a pumpkin stalk - a pumpkin pretzel if you will!
• If you mess up the first batch like Harry and I and you don't have much dye left, make a new batch and only slightly colour the chocolate. Coat the pretzels and sprinkle with orange and yellow sprinkles. We also added a pumpkin shaped sprinkle on the top.
• Keep in the fridge for 15 minutes and then take out and enjoy!



I actually decided to bag mine in these little pink and white bags and give them to family as a cute little treat bag! It's such a cheap and easy gift and goes down so well - who could resist something as yummy as this?

What's your go-to Autumn treat?
Stay beautiful!
Emily xoxo

My Best Fashion Find This Year

 

 

I am EXTREMELY excited to share this post with you guys! The title is intriguing is it not?!

Basically, I've found a dupe for Topshop's Plunge V Neck Cami (here) that everyone raves over. The Topshop version however pretty it might be, isn't right for my body shape, and that honestly saddened me a lot before I found this dupe. New Look have released a range of Double Strap Layered Camis (here) which I think look super similar to the Topshop cami - and, its £3 cheaper! That might not seem like a lot, but when you plan to buy a TON of colours like I do, it adds up. 

  

 

I wanted to show you how versatile the shirts are, so I put together a casual and a dressy outfit for you to see what I mean. In the first outfit I paired it with a pair of Damask Velvet patterned pants from Forever21, which are so beautiful and were a steal for £14 (I think). If I was actually leaving the house I'd probably throw on a black leather jacket or a white cardigan for warmth, and a pair of black flats. In the second outfit I paired the white cami with a Pelmet skirt from Urban Outfitters, that I bought in the sale a while back and is surprisingly warm. 

 

 

 

This fashion find made my whole day when I discovered it, and I can't wait to order more colours. Especially because - top tip - when you use student discount the cami only costs £11.70!

 

Are you a lover of basic camis like I am? 

Emily xoxo

Blogs to Watch Out For

This past week I've really enjoyed sitting down for half an hour each night with my green tea and reading some blog posts. It baffles me that even with the sheer number of bloggers out there, we manage to show such individuality with our pieces! I thought that since I didn't have anything that exciting queued up I'd do a post all about my favourite bloggers right now, so that hopefully you find some new reading material and I draw attention to some really amazing people!

1. Hannah Gale (Visit the blog here)

I LOVE this blog! I'm fascinated by 'list' posts lately, I think reading a long list of ideas or life lessons or funny anecdotes is so relaxing. I've always been the girl with millions of To-Do-List notebooks, so a blog that incorporates all of that into well written posts accompanied by pretty photography absolutely had to make it onto this list. There's something so refreshing about a blogger that tells you how it is, and doesn't sugar-coat everything so it appears picture perfect. Also, her new kitten Granger is totally adorbs. 

2. Salt and Chic (Check it out at this link)
You know the type of blog that just has it all? The type of blog that makes you feel really glad that you stumbled across the whole community? Yep, I've found it. I love to read posts that make me think, and Amy's recent post on social media was equal parts shocking and fascinating - similar to an issue I raised in a post earlier this year, I think the whole debate is super interesting and should be discussed more. Please go read that post, and whilst you're at it read everything else!

3. Corrie at Dizzybrunette 3 (which you can view here)
Corrie's blog is one of my all time favourites, and one of the first blogs I ever started to read. Her posts are addictive, because she's truly found her 'voice' in blogging and the photography is always on point. Despite the fact that Corrie is one of the bloggers with a larger number of viewers, she never acts superior or better that anyone else, and I think that's so important and an admirable quality. Her dog is the cutest ever, and the engagement video might just make you shed a tear - if you haven't seen Dizzybrunette3 then you 100% need to re-evaluate your life choices and click that link, you won't regret it I promise!

4. Dorkface (you know the drill, click this link!)
Let me start by saying how genuinely nice Jemma is; I met her briefly at a meet up not too long ago and she just seemed so lovely! Her blog is quirky and unique with the bright colours and anecdotes, and she just won two awards for it all - congrats again Jemma! Her etsy business is so impressive, and if I wasn't the poorest I've ever been ever, I know I'd be popping over to spend some $$$. I honestly think that this blog has something for everyone, so it's worth having a read to see if it floats your boat (I can guarantee it will).

I hope you enjoy these wonderful blogs, and never forget to share the blogging love, because we sisters have to lift each other right on up! (Literally can't believe how many exclamation points I just used, it must be some sort of record).

Stay beautiful!
Emily xoxo

Current Favourites

I haven't done a favourites post in AGES, mainly because I think putting one up every month gets a little repetitive and tedious (along with a monthly playlist, I think doing regular posts got me into a rut where I was bored of my blog content). I still like to write and read favourites posts however, so I'm just going to do the occasional post on it!

 

Eylure Volume Lashes - I LOVE THESE LASHES. Literally the best lashes I have ever tried, I don't think I'll be purchasing any other type for quite some time. They don't look too garish and fake, they look natural but add a ton of volume to any eye look. And for only £4.99 (£4.50 with student discount), they're such a steal.

 

Me Me Me 'Beat the Blues' Highlighter in Pearly Pink - I don't use this every day, but I've been using it a lot more these past few weeks. I apply bronzer first, and then add a few dots of this above it, ready to blend. It doesn't look shiny like some highlighters, it just looks slightly dewy and gives you a healthy glow. I'm not sure where you'd buy this as I got it in a beauty box, but I'm sure you could locate it on the interwebs somewhere.

 

Sephora lipgloss in 'Fresh Peach' - This looks so pretty over a nude brown lipstick, or just on its own. I didn't use this in Summer, but now that we're moving onto Autumn I think it looks super lovely.

 

 

(We see you creeping Bobo)

 

Garnier Ultimate Blends Shampoo - I am extra fussy about shampoo, because some brands tend to clog up my hair and make it feel dirty as soon as its been washed (cough Pantene cough). I'd been having a love affair with a Tony&Guy shampoo ever since Christmas, but its a little pricey and so when I found this shampoo, I knew I'd hit the mark. It's affordable, but makes my hair feel so soft! Also, the honey smell from this lasts from wash to wash, I've been told that it makes my hair smell nice, so that's always a bonus. The only thing I'm not really a fan of is the packaging, but ah well, its what's inside that counts.

 

Philosophy the Basics by Nigel Warburton - I've been reading a few Philosophy books and articles lately, since its the subject I want to study at Uni next year. Of all the books I've tried this is by far my favourite; it explores most areas of the subject (at beginner level) using clear language and not over complicating things like these books usually do. It's got me completely hooked and I can't put it down - if you want to know a little bit more about Philosophy, or want to get ahead, read this book!

 

My True Love Gave to Me - This is a collection of short stories by leading authors, such as Stephanie Perkins and Rainbow Rowell. I honestly don't care that its October, Christmas is well under way in my mind and there's nothing I love more than settling down by the fire with a great book. Since I've been busy with schoolwork I haven't had a lot of time to read for leisure, so a book with short stories is ideal to fit into the pockets of time I have to fit around homework.

 



 

Scarf (New Look) - How gorgeous is this scarf?! I'm definitely a scarf person, and after adding this one to my collection its made its way to the top of the stack. It's so Autumnal, with purple, gold and navy blue tones. It goes with a lot of outfits and keeps me warm throughout the day - SO happy about this purchase!

 

What have you been using a lot lately?

Emily xo