5 Things I Didn't Know Before Blogging

Hello! Before my friend Katy created her blog over a year ago, I wasn't really aware that there were so many blogs dedicated to fashion and make up and I didn't watch YouTube videos. These blogs also work bloody hard! However, after a year of constant reading and watching, I feel like I've learnt a few things about the stuff that I had no idea about before. I'm not sure if this has been done but I'm kind of 'tagging' Katy, as well as all of you, to tell me what you've learnt since you have been blogging and whatnot!

1. That you needed more than one shade of blusher. Or really, that you need more than one of quite a few things really! However, I'm now a self-confessed blusher collector, my favourites being my Nars, Dior and Benefit Blushes and I reach for these regularly. I just never really thought that having more than one blush was 'necessary' but neither did I know you could have so much make up. Having my blog, reading other peoples blogs and watching Youtube videos has definitely widened my make up collection and I can't say I don't love it. Why have one shade of blush when there are so many pinks, reds, corals and all make me feel or look good in a different way. Girls, eh?

2. What Real Techniques brushes were. To be honest, before I got into blogging and Youtube, I owned two brushes; one for eyeshadow and one for all face powders. I didn't really know that there were different brushes for each part of your face and different parts of your eye. Now, I can't apply my foundation without a brush and my daily routine includes at least 4 different brushes, even for the simplest of looks. I'm so glad that I discovered brushes, I really couldn't go back to only owning two now! Also, I was embarrassingly unaware you had to wash make up brushes... I now wash mine deeply once a month and even do my mums on the odd occasion! I'm currently lusting over Zoeva brushes so I will let you know when they're added to my collection!

3. The importance of skincare. I just used to use make up wipes and face scrub in the shower. No micellar waters, no oils, no moisturizer! Seriously! Now I use all three and my skin looks and feels so much better for it, not to mention how much better it makes your make up look if you simply look after your skin! I'm still not a high-end skincare girl and although I lust over so many items I just find lots of drugstore products do the job pretty well. Perhaps that's another thing I will look back on!

4. There are so many brands. I've been to Boots and I've been to Superdrug and I knew about Dior and Chanel and the ones that have really made a name for themselves in both the beauty and the fashion world. But I had never visited the beloved Space NK. Shock, I know. I didn't even know what it was until I started watching YouTube and even when I heard it for the first few times, I thought it was a make up brand. What a rookie. Now my dad and I sometimes pop in and it is a whole new world of brands. Admittedly, I can't afford to spend all my money on brands sold in Space NK and nor do I think it is completely necessary, although a girl can browse, right? But I have learnt the ins-and-outs of brands while reading blogs and learn a new one at least twice a month. It's a big world out there.

5. That I loved beauty and fashion so much. If I think about it, and I'm sure other people would agree, I've always had an interest or a soft spot for beauty. I would always be interested in what other people had in their make up bags and what skincare they were using, mixing up all my different hair products to make it all smooth and playing about with a couple of bits. However, never before had I owned more than one foundation, blush, bronzer or mascara at any one time, nor did I spend so much on make up and head to the shops especially to hunt down gels, creams, clothes, jewellery, perfume and brushes to try out for myself. It's also made me realize how much I love writing about it as I've always loved writing as well and it's something I can see myself keeping up for a long time. So, I guess I've also learnt something about myself!

Looking back on how 'clueless' I was before kind of makes me cringe, but I'm sure there are a couple of things you didn't know before you started reading blogs! I hope you've enjoyed this! If you would also like to do it, leave a link to your version of it down below. Maybe I will find myself thinking 'oh god me too!' because really before, I had no idea!

Check Mate

Hello! I officially moved house today, so this is just a quick post! I couldn't help noticing that while searching through ASOS that there was an awful lot of check about and if there is one pattern I would currently choose to wear all day everyday, it's check. Check, Tartan, Gingham, they're all my favourites of the moment and I really love how often I've seen them while doing my daily scroll through ASOS and such sites. So, quite simply, here are my top Check, Tartan and Gingham picks from ASOS, and I really really want it all!

FROM TOP: ASOS SHELL TOP / ASOS AFRICA JUMPER / ASOS DENIM GINGHAM SMOCK / ASOS VINTAGE SWEAT / ASOS TARTAN SCARF / ASOS DUFFLE / ASOS SMOCK / 

ASOS SKIRT AND SHIRT / D&S BY RALPH LAUREN SHIRT / ASOS SMOCK / ASOS SHIRT / LOVE MOSCHINO CHECKED PANTS

Let me know if you've been loving check!

Clothes Cravings

Hello! As I said in my 'Black is the New Black' post, I have had a craving to buy clothes and in the past week I have fed that craving... whoooops. I got myself some things from Topshop, H&M, Pull & Bear, a cute vintage shop I found as well as a few non-fashion items and I'm really happy with them all so I thought I would share them with you!

KATCH Slip On Trainers, Topshop - I mentioned these in a previous post but in black. However, in Topshop they didn't have these in black with white soles and I really liked these. They're a subtle way to prevent me from going completely back to black... I wore these today and they were really comfortable and I think maroon is so wearable with black and jeans, so I'm really happy with the colour. I would happily buy another pair, especially as I think for £20 they're really good quality and quite comfortable.

Stripe Pocket Cropped Tee, Topshop - I've been after a stripey top for ages that will go with anything and I saw this in Topshop and thought that the pattern is exactly what I was looking for, it will be really lovely in summer and I thought that for £14, it was rather cheap. Not Primark cheap, but for Toppers, I thought it was pretty good. I also find that their t-shirt material always lasts really well and doesn't go funny in the washing machine. I would also probably buy myself another one of these for summer!

Sweatshirt, H&M (similar) - Take a wild guess at how much this cost me? £5.99! It's a thin cotton-jersey jumper which is lovely for slouching around in and is great for layering under and over other things. It's slightly cropped although longer than the t-shirt above and I think I'm going to get so much wear out of it. I nearly bought two but wasn't happy with the other colour they had but I love it and can see myself getting lots of wear out of it this spring! I can't find the exact one on the website but linked is an uncropped version.

Vintage Shirt - I found a lovely vintage clothing and accessories store today while I was buying my cousins birthday presents and spotted this in the window. I love buying things in shops like this as you know you won't be wearing the same thing as everyone else. I think the colours and the print isn't something you see in lots of shops. I think this will be really nice in summer under my dungarees, with a skirt or with shorts!

Mini-Bag, Pull & Bear - I've heard of Pull & Bear but never shopped there until it caught my eye in Brighton. Who knew there was a store there?! I have been looking for a small black bag for so long as I currently have a brown one but it doesn't go with everything so when I saw this for only £9.99 I had to snatch it up just in time to go back to school. I only keep essentials in my bag such as my phone, gum and money so it's the perfect size and I could always remove the strap and use it as a clutch for another occasion!

So Long, See You Tomorrow, Bombay Bicycle Club - I have wanted this album since the day it came out but I really hate buying things on iTunes, although I had to give into that to buy Luna when it was first released. Bombay Bicycle Club have been one of my favourite bands since I saw them at Alexandra Palace 2 years ago and I'm so happy they're getting all of this recognition at the moment for Luna because they deserve it and it's such a good song!

Vitamin E Moisturizing Day Cream, Superdrug - In Superdrug I picked this up because I've heard a few good things about this range and wanted a simple moisturizer with SPF because I've been having really dry skin above my eyebrows and on my cheeks, presumably from the cold and windy weather we seem to be having. I haven't tried this out yet but I will be sure to review it once I've put it to the test!

Nivea Daily Essentials Hydration Primer Dry/Sensitive - I also spotted this while picking up moisturizer and after having tried it before I thought I would buy myself one. I'm hoping this will help to keep my skin moisturized during the day when I'm wearing make up and smooths out my skin nicely!

I hope you enjoyed seeing what I'd treated myself to this week! Is there anything you suggest me taking a look at to add to my wardrobe, skincare routine or music collection?

A Very Simple Recipe

Hello! Welcome to my first 'lifestyle' post all about what I really really love - food! I love carbs, I love fish and I really love garlic so I decided to seek out a recipe online to find something that combined all three but I felt it needed sprucing up a bit as it just seemed a little boring, so I'm bringing you my vamped up version of this dish which is so simple, even Katy from The Rawrdrobe could cook it (probably!) And I also cooked some garlic bread so there's a quick how to on that!

Firstly, I advice prepping ingredients as once you've added everything, you're pretty much done! I don't measure out my ingredients so I will explain what you need throughout the recipe but you will need:

- Linguine

- Butter

- White Wine

- Garlic

- Parmasan

- Lemon Juice

- Sugar Snap Peas / French Beans

- Salt and Pepper

- Baguette 

First of all, if you're wanting some garlic bread, slice the bagette but not all the way through so that you can put butter, parsley and garlic into the gaps. I use about a clove and just spread as much butter as I need inbetween each piece and place in the oven at about 150 to melt the butter and soften the garlic!

I start by putting about a table spoon of butter into the pan - I know that sounds like a lot so if you would like you can change this amount but it is so that I don't have to use any type of oil in the dish as it will turn more creamy as it continues. Also remember to put on a pan of slightly salted water for your beans and pasta - you can use the same for both so you only need one!

I tend to start with about this much Parmesan but tend to add a little extra as I go through if it needs it. For garlic, I use 3 cloves and chop it up quite small.

Just before adding the Parmesan and garlic I add about half a centimeter of wine, enough to cover the bottom of the pan and a little extra for sauciness. I then add the garlic and leave to soften for about a minute before adding the Parmesan in and stiring to create a creamy sauce.

Here I add about a teaspoon of lemon juice. Have a taste, see if it's creamy and thick enough, whether it has enough wine or if it needs a little more lemon juice and add salt and pepper to your tastes. Taste again to make sure you are happy with the taste and consistency. I advise leaving it slightly thinner here as you're going to leave it to simmer for a while, you can taste later! Aaaand leave on a low heat to simmer!

 While you've left your sauce, place your beans into your pan of boiling water, turn the heat right down and leave for about 5 minutes. You want them to soften slightly so have a taste after 5 minutes and then remove them from the boiling water with a spoon and leave on a plate to cool. You can then use the same water for your pasta! Just turn up the heat and add enough for everyone. This should take about 10 minutes so gives you plenty of time to finish your sauce and lay the table!

Back to this pan, I have added a small amount of cream just to make sure the dish is slightly creamier but you could very easily leave this step out or use ricotta/cream cheese depending on your tastes. You really don't need to add much though, it doesn't add taste, just texture. Add your prawns to the sauce and turn up the heat! These should take four minutes so keep stirring and turning and then turn off the heat and add the beans!

Lay the table, remove your garlic bread from the oven and plate up! I've made this three or four times now and every time one of my parents says how good it tastes and even my brother loves it even though he isn't the biggest fan of prawns! I hope this is easy enough to understand and I have a few other recipes coming up which I love cooking at the moment! 

Let me know if you cook this, or are planning to! Do you have any recipes that you really enjoy cooking? I'm moving at the end of this week into mid-next week which may be very hectic and am also juggling mock exams but I will ensure there is always a blogpost every Saturday and Wednesday and you can also keep up to date with everything I'm doing on Twitter and Instagram!

Black Is The New Black

Hello! I've had an overwhelming craving at the moment to buy clothes. However, I tend to hesitate when purchasing a tshirt costing above £20 and my debit card cowers in the corner when I even think about purchasing a new pair of shoes. Having said that, I window-internet-shop at least 3 times a week and have baskets and baskets full across different websites, barely any of which I will probably ever buy but I have noticed a strong theme in my baskets. Black. I love it and I feel like I need it in my wardrobe. Plus, you know what they say, Black is the new black.

PEEP TOE FLAT BOOTS / BLACK SKORT / WOOL COAT / CROC-PATTERN SLIP ONS /
STRIPEY CROP TOP / SCALLOP EDGE SHORTS / PEEP TOE HEELED BOOTS

I love both pairs of boots, especially the flat ones and at £68, I'm already saving up. The skort and skirt will be amazing in the summer for smarter occasions, and you can get both in so many colours, not just black. I'm also in love with the Skater Shoes Topshop are doing at the moment in so many different materials, and rumour has it that they're super comfortable - bonus.

I hope you all had a lovely Valentines Day!

Make Up Menu: VALENTINES DAY

Hello again! The day is coming... Valentines Day! Whether you have someone special to share it with or you're spending the evening with your gal pals, I thought I would share with you some make up ideas that are perfect for going out for a meal, staying in with your friends or maybe a more fancy date you're being taken on. If so, lucky you! I will be spending my Valentines Day with two of my best friends eating good food (that's probably mainly carbs) and drinking wine. It's better that way!

For a more simple look, use a mineral powder make up, such as BareMinerals as a base with a small amount of concealer, I use Collection Concealer in Shade 2. Then use Maybelline's Brow Drama Mascara to make your brows look fuller and frame your eyes. I used Benefit's Cream Shadow in My Two Cents on my eyes to add a golden shimmer that is quick, easy and simple although you could use any cream shadow base as they're so foolproof to apply. I ran Topshop's Eye Crayon in Pewter along my lower lashline and topped off with Maybelline's The Rocket. Keeping it simple on the cheeks I used Benefit Coralista blush which has a slight shimmer to add glow to my cheeks without any bronzer and then Baby Lips in Cherry Me to add a subtle flush of colour. If you're having a meal in or just prefer a simple look, this would be great.

For the second look, I would go for Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum as I find it has better coverage and holds products I put over the top better. For my brows I repeated my previous method, although you could apply an eyebrow pencil underneath to give you more definition. On the eyes I have gone for my Naked 2 palette, using Verve on the inner corner, Half Baked all over the lid and mixed YDK and Busted in the crease and outer corner. I then used Rimmel's Exaggerate Liquid Liner to create a cat eye and define my lash line before again repeating my same mascara routine with Maybelline's The Rocket. On the cheeks I have used Bourjois Chocolate bronzing powder in the hollows of my cheeks and on my temples to contour before adding Topshop's Glow in Polished underneath Dior Rosy Glow, keeping it light on the cheeks alongside the eyeliner. To finish the look, I have again kept it fairly light, using MaxFactor in 510 English Rose, and for some extra shine, Tanya Burr's Lipgloss in Chic.

Hope you enjoyed this! I really like this as a way to show you my make up looks, so hopefully I will do a lot more in the future! Let me know! Have a lovely Valentines Day!

January Favourites (& Welcome)

Hello! I've been well and truly out of the blogging loop recently. I previously had a blog which I didn't feel very passionate about and always felt I was posting sub-standard content so I sat back for a while while I got some inspiration and motivation and now I'm back with posts about what I love - beauty and lifestyle - and a brand new name. My make up collection grows on a weekly basis, I'm just moving house and have taking over the kitchen recently so I'm excited that I will get to write about these things as I come to them - and feel passionate about them!

So, to kick off my brand-spanking-new blog I thought I'd share some beauty things I have been loving especially since Christmas time which seems so so long ago now!

Firstly, my Naked 2 palette which was very hard to come by around Christmas but ever since I finally tracked one down I've been in love with it and I can see the hype. I wear a little of this everyday for school just to spruce up my lids and I've been playing around with different looks. If you're hesitating, don't! This beautiful NARS blusher is from Guy Bourdin in the colour Day Dream which I love. I think it is a muted, non-shimmery version of Orgasm and it's beautifully pigmented. Perfect for a flush of colour.

I've kept my nails relatively polish-free recently as I've found my nails are super brittle at the moment, but for the times when I just need a little bit of something, I've loved a couple of coats of Essie's Power Clutch, an old favourite stone grey colour which is just a little less harsh than black! A spritz of Addict perfume from Christian Dior is the best way I've found to start my day or my evening! I have been lusting over this for a while and my brother very kindly bought it for me for Christmas. It's also not too large so really good to throw in my handbag incase I need a top up! A slick of Topshop's Hazard has been brilliant for when I want a dark but not too dark red lip. I also love the formula of their lipsticks and this has a semi-matte finish.

The next thing I've been loving is my Rimmel Liquid Eyeliner in 001 Black and this has been my favourite eyeliner for so long. I think it has an amazing formula that stays put all day and I like the felt-tip style nib. I'm not a fan of felt tip eyeliners because I find them too dry but I love this and you can create lots of different eyeliner styles with it. Maybelline's The Rocket should come as no surprise to anyone who has tried it, although I understand mascara is a personal things. This beautifully separates my lashes and has a big brush which is what I look for in a mascara. This, as well as my eyeliner, is a repurchase, so you have my word!

 Finally, Maybelline's Brow Drama Mascara in Medium Brown has been amazing since I got it. It makes my brows look so much fuller and I can wear it without powder underneath if I just simply can't be bothered. I was a bit sceptical about trying this at first because of the strange shape of the brush but I think it's what makes it so easy to use!

I hope you enjoyed my recent favourites, I will keep uploading regularly on Saturdays and Wednesdays and I am so glad to be back blogging about the things I love!