Natural Everyday Make Up Look

Hello and welcome back! For today's post I thought I would do my natural everyday make up look. This is something that I'd wear if I was just staying in but fancied a bit of make up or if I'm just popping out for an hour. This is such a simple look, I absolutely love it. It's super quick and easy so I thought I'd share it with you!

So, after I've prepped my skin I use the Max Factor Face Finity All Day Primer and it's currently £10.99. I'd definitely recommend this if anyone is looking for a drugstore primer. This is definitely worth the money, it makes my foundation stay on a lot longer and it gives a really nice base to work with. 

Next, I will do some colour correcting using the L'Oreal Paris Infallible Total Cover Concealer Palette which is £12.99. I think this is a really good basic palette, it has a green, purple and 3 concealer shades which have very good coverage. So, for this look I would use the green shade just to cover any blemishes and I'd use the lightest concealer shade just to pop under my eyes to add a bit of coverage. So, really like this palette. 

Depending on the amount of coverage I want, I will either go for the No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream (which I raved about in my August favourites) £14 or the Rimmel London Wake Me Up Foundation which is £8.99. For me, the Wake Me Up foundation has just a bit more coverage so if I am going out for an hour or so, I do tend to lean more towards that. But both are fab products and work wonders. 

For an everyday make up look, I will always go for a cream bronze/contour rather than a powder and the one that I use is the Sleek Cream Contour Kit in Medium 096 which is £10.99. This one comes with 2 highlighting shades and 4 contouring shades. I just use this under my cheekbones, on my forehead, temples and under the chin just to add a bit of a natural glow. 

For powder I use the No7 Perfect Light Loose Powder, £10.50. I find this super light without it being cakey but it makes my foundation stay put and I absolutely love it. This is definitely my go-to. 

For brows I use the Rimmel London Brow This Way Brow Styling Gel for £4.49. I absolutely love this stuff, it comes with a little spooly but I always find it too thick to put on that way so I just use a small angled brush to apply it. I absolutely love this, it just looks really natural. 

I always have to add a bit of eyeshadow so for this look I will use the Bourjous Bronzing Powder which is £7.99. For me, this does nothing as a bronzer and I don't really know why, I loved this a lot a few years ago but now I just can't seem to like it. But it is a really nice shade to add a little something to the eyes so I'll just swipe this all over the lid. 

To finish off the look, I curl my lashes and then use the Maybelline Rock Volume Express Waterproof Mascara which is £7.99. This doesn't give super duper lashes, but for me, it just enhances my lashes and adds a little bit of volume. 

I love this, it's just simple and quick. So, let me know what you think! Also, remember to follow me on social media, all of my links are in the 'Contact Me' section above. 

Lauren x

Monthly Favourites - August

FIRST POST BACK! And what better way to kick it off than with my monthly favourites from August. I am doing it a little differently, so rather than just listing every single thing I've loved from the month, I've picked a few categories and I'm just going to say my favourite item from that category. Basically. 

SO let's get started!

My  favourite lipstick... 
Hands down, the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in the shade 12 Beau Brun. I bought this a few years ago and I loved it but eventually I ended up just putting it to one side and forgetting about it and about 3 weeks ago, I re-discovered it and I'm so happy I've found it again. It is an unbelievable shade, it's such a pretty pinky/red which I find goes so well with most of the make up looks I wear. The formula is so good, it's not drying at all. It honestly feels like I have no lipstick on when I wear it. Also, I wanted to mention the fact that it lasts so well when I'm eating, it is unbelievable. Very happy with this lipstick. 

My favourite palette...
I'm really loving the Sleek Makeup i-Divine Eyeshadow Palette in Au Naturel 601. I absolutely love this palette, it has such a gorgeous eyeshadows. There are good combination of matte and shimmer shadows and a good range of  colours. All of the colours are so pigmented and are extremely easy to blend. It is such an affordable price, especially for the quality of the palette. 

My favourite film...

One of the best films I've seen for a while has definitely got to be Dunkirk directed by Christopher Nolan. It is such a beautiful film and the cast is absolutely insane. It is so different from your usual war film, it is absolutely stunning. I cannot wait to watch it again, I'd definitely recommend watching it if you haven't already. 

My favourite TV show...

Friends. I loved this show throughout August, I've re-watched so many episodes. I'd never actually watched it before this year, but it is absolutely hilarious. And Jennifer Aniston is just the ultimate girl crush isn't she. 

My favourite place to eat...

Throughout August my favourite place was definitely a little pub near me called the Pen-Y-Bont Farm, it is not a chain restaurant, it's just a one off in the nearest town to me. They do the most incredible food, if you ever pass it, honestly give it a go. 

My favourite thing I bought...

Definitely the No7 Beautiful Skin BB Cream in Fair and I have the one in Normal/Oily skin. I bought this to go on my holibobs instead of a foundation. I've always been a bit skeptical of the thought of a BB cream as I've always thought the coverage wouldn't be what I'd want but this one has such a good coverage (It is classed as light/medium) but it still super light.  It also has SPF 15 and UVA Ultra. The range of shades isn't fantastic but that is the only downfall of this for me. 

My favourite item of clothing...

Throughut August, I have loved my ripped denim jeans. I actually bought these a few years ago and ripped them myself. (I did a post ripping your own jeans which you can read HERE.) I completely fell out of love with these for ages but I picked them back up again in August and I absolutely adore them. 

Well that's it for my monthly favourites! I've had so much fun writing for my blog again, it feels so good to be back! Also let me know what you think about the layout of the monthly favourites. 

Loz x

I'm back...again?!

Hello, hello. Again. It's been such a long time since I've been sat here writing for you, over a year actually. I did try to get back into blogging last year but I found that I had just fallen so out of love with it and it became more of a chore rather than a hobby. I'm hoping this time round it will be different, so fingers crossed, eh? 

I've decided I'm going to take 2 weeks or so before I start posting again, basically in that time I'll plan my content, schedule it and write a few posts in advance, just so I'm not rushing it and I can actually do it properly and stick to it this time, because it is something I really do love. 

Please stick with me through this, it might take me a couple of weeks to get myself sorted but I'm sure it will all be worth it and I look forward to posting very soon! 

Lauren x

Hair Care *Updated*

Over the last year or so, I’ve tried really hard to try and get my hair looking healthy again. And I am finally happy with how it looks. I did a post like this last year and a couple of things have changed since then so I thought I would do an updated hair care post.

Like I said in my first hair care post, I admit I had it highlighted a few times and I even dyed it myself at home quite a lot. Last year I put a blonde colouring on it because I wanted it lighter and I even dyed it pink as well. None of the colours that I used damaged my hair in any way, the way in which I went about it and treated after probably wasn’t as good as it could have been.

So, first things first, shampoo and conditioner. I remember watching a YouTube video last year on hair care (I can’t remember what the video was called or who posted it otherwise I’d leave a link) but I remember them mentioning that hairdressers wash your hair twice with shampoo and once with conditioner. They wash it twice with shampoo because the first wash loosens up the dirt, oil, and any products that you’ve put on your hair. The second wash with shampoo actually removes them. Some people may need to do a third wash depending on the amount of product that you have on your hair.

Shampoo and conditioner should be picked in order to give your hair the best benefit. Use products that suit your kind of hair, don’t pick any random shampoo and conditioner. I personally use Tresemme and they have a good range of different shampoos and conditioners to suit different hair types.

Recently I bought this from my hairdressers and it’s the Revlon Professional Uniq One All-in-one Hair Treatment and I’ve got mine in Coconut, and they also do the Classic and the Lotus one. I’ve used it a few times and I’ve noticed such a difference in my hair already. It covers so many different areas when protecting and enhancing your hair and it’s an all round good product to use in my opinion. I'll leave the website HERE and you can see for yourself all of the amazing pros it has. I can’t actually find where it says you can buy these products on the website but if you are interested, maybe just check with your hairdresser and see if they do it. I bought mine for just under £15 so I presume it will be somewhere in that region for you.

Like I said in my last hair care post, I try not to use too much heat on my hair. I leave it to dry on its own 99% of the time and if I do have to use the hairdryer, I will wait an hour if I can before using hair straighteners or curlers. I tend to curl my hair but if I’m not going anywhere, I won’t do anything with it just so I can let it breathe and hang naturally.

I have noticed a big difference in my hair since I’ve started taking more care of it. I’ve noticed so much more volume and it looks a lot more healthy than it did a year and half ago and it’s a lot easier to manage now.

If you have any hair tips, feel free to leave a comment, and I hope you enjoyed it!

:) xx

Tips for Concerts

Currently sat outside listening to Catfish and the Bottlemen, reminiscing about when I saw them 3 weeks ago when they supported the Stereophonics in Wrexham. I do love a good concert, and it’s safe to say I’ve been to my fair share of them. I’ve learnt many things during them so I thought it would probably be useful to share some useful tips and advice.

Throwback to 1D!

SENSIBLE SHOES.

Heels aren’t the best shoes to wear to a concert. And I’ve learnt that the hard way. Concerts last a good 3-4 hours, so if you’re walking around, standing and obviously dancing for that much time, you just want to be comfortable. Just wear a comfortable pair of Converse, Vans, sandals, etc. Also, wear something that doesn’t give you blisters.

Wear something you’re going to be comfortable in

It’s nice to dress up sometimes but at concerts, do you really want to be worrying about your dress riding up or your shirt untucking itself from your trousers. You’re there to have a good time, you don’t want to be worrying about little things, just enjoy yourself.

Plan everything well in advance

Concert days are exciting and you don’t want to be worrying about travel. Plan your journey, make sure your lift is reliable, if not look online for trains or buses. The earliest I think any concert, for me personally, has finished is 10pm and at that time, I really don’t want to be unsure of how I’m getting home. Make sure you know when trains or buses are leaving or where you’re meant to be meeting your lift. Concerts are busy, make your experience easier by planning.

Don’t go alone

The thought of going to a concert alone scares the life out of me. It’s a busy place and it’s always better to have someone with you, just in case. And plus, you've to got to dance with someone haven't you?! 

Make sure your phone is fully charged before you go

Obviously you’re going to want to take photos and videos, so do I. But make sure you leave enough battery for your journey home. Sometimes trains are delayed or you get a bit lost. You need to be in a position where you can use your phone without worrying about the battery dying.

Eat and drink plenty

Concerts are sweaty. And it gets very very hot. Every venue sells food and drink, make sure you buy something. There’s no use in getting dehydrated or feeling faint.

Also your throat hurts A LOT afterwards, you'll need something to help with that!

Be careful of other people

I went to an outdoor concert not long ago and I was standing. Some people just forgot about personal space. I’m a really shy person and when people are in my space I just get a bit uncomfortable. Obviously everyone’s there to have a good time, I’m not telling you not to enjoy yourself, just be aware of people around you.

Take a banner

People love really funny banners, and if you can get close enough, you’ll get spotted by the artist and it’ll be the best day of your life. Add a couple of lights, make it fancy. 

Know the words

Concerts are so enjoyable and knowing the words makes the experience 10 times better. You can belt out every single lyric and have the most amazing time.

Put your phone down

Yes, you want to take tons of pictures and videos so you can re-live it further down the line, I do it as well. But put your phone down, even if it’s for one song. Experience it fully. Soak up all of the atmosphere and just focus on seeing your favourite artist live.

Don’t be embarrassed

Stand up, dance and sing at the top of your lungs. Honestly no one cares, you’re never to see those people again so just have the time of your life and like they say, dance like nobody’s watching.

HAVE FUN

The most important part. You’ve paid a lot of money for that, have the time of your life. Concerts are amazing, so fully enjoy the experience of seeing your favourite artists live.

I feel like this has been a really negative post, it wasn’t meant to, I just think these are really important things to remember when you go to a concert. Let me know if you have any advice about going to concerts, they're quite tricky to get right I think, but they can be one of the most amazing experiences ever. 

P.S - I’m very much enjoying this weather and I’d be very happy if it decided to stay like this until after my birthday. 30˚C on my 18^th? FAB. *hint hint*

The Perfect Base

Of course it’s raining again. Some people would call it winter but no, this is just your average July in Britain. To cheer myself up from this weather, I’m going to talk about make up because who doesn’t love a good make up chat. More specifically, I’m going to talk about how I achieve a perfect base for my foundation. I don’t do this everyday, I’m more likely to do it when I’m going out somewhere or sometimes if I just fancy it.

  Let’s face it, it’s something we all want to know and I thought I’d share my tips and tricks on how I achieve it and hopefully, it might help you! Anyway, ENJOY!!

First things first, ALWAYS wash your face before hand. Get rid of absolutely everything on your skin so you have a nice, clean base to start with.

After washing my face like usual, I like to use an exfoliator, it gets rid of all of the dry skin cells on the surface of your skin, creating a much smoother appearance and feel. I love my skin after I’ve done this, it looks incredibly glowy and healthy. One reason I don’t do this everyday is because it is very easy to over-exfoliate, leaving a lot of damage to your skin. If you are doing this everyday, just be careful.

Then, I will use my moisturiser. Personally, moisturisers are essential, morning and night, if you want to maintain healthy looking skin. There are tons and tons of moisturisers which do various different things, it’s all about finding the right one for you.

I then like to leave my moisturiser settle for a good 10-15 minutes. This way, the moisturiser has time to settle onto the skin without any heavy products interfering.

After 10-15 minutes, for me, the moisturiser is a slightly tacky on my skin. At this point, the moisturiser has had plenty of time to settle, however it hasn’t been completely absorbed, you can still see the glow from the moisturiser this way which is something that I like personally. Plus, my make up sits a lot better on my skin when the moisturiser hasn’t completely absorbed.

Then, I go straight into foundation and carry on normally with my make up.

The products I use are: 

Simple Kind-To-Skin Refreshing Facial Wash

No7 Total Renewal Micro-Dermabrasion Exfoliator 

Simple Kind-To-Skin Moisturiser

All of which you can find at Boots. 

 I’m not an expert, this isn’t going to work for everyone, it works for me and you might want to try some of these and maybe adapt them to suit you. I hope you found this useful, let me know anything that works for you or any tips and tricks you have! 

:) xx

My Favourite Summery Beauty Products

Hiii, I'm officially back this time and I am beyond excited to post this, I have waited so so SO long. 

I decided, as it is July and supposedly Summer, to share my favourite summery products with you. This is the time of year where the majority of people jet off on holiday, and whether you go abroad or decide to stay in good 'ol blighty, this may help you out with what to take in your make up bag. ENJOY! 

I've only started using this product for the last month or so and I absolutely love it. It is the Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Instant Power Primer which is priced at £10. I ordered this accidentally when I did a huge make up shop online and when I received it, I was on two minds whether to send it back or not but I just fancied giving it a go one morning and I am so glad I did. 

I am highly prone to oily skin and trying to control that throughout the day is a nightmare. Personally, powder alone does not help drastically with my oily skin, even if I touch up throughout the day. This, however, solves everything. It's a really lightweight gel that sits perfectly on top or under make up. Wearing it under gives a flawless base as it helps to smooth out your skin. Wearing over increases the protection against oily skin. It's so easy to just to touch up throughout the day in order to keep your make up in place as well, which personally, I find my make up staying on a lot longer. It's an incredible dual purpose product which comes at a reasonable price. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who hates oily skin. 

My current everyday foundation and one that I am so happy to be able to use throughout summer if I need to is the Revlon ColourStay Foundation which is £6.99. For everyday I am a lighter shade but for summer I use this foundation in 180 Sand Beige for Combination/Oily Skin. This isn't too much darker but it just gives a really nice tanned/bronzey look. It is medium coverage but is definitely buildable. It's super lightweight and I find it's impossible to make it look cakey and thick so it's definitely something I'd recommend if you're looking for a summer foundation or one for all year round. 

I also recommend these two. These are the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer which is £4.19 and also the No7 Match Made Concealer which is £7.50. If i put foundation on, I'll use the Collection one for conceal any blemishes and use the shade 'Fair' to brighten my under eye areas. This concealer is such high coverage and for someone who has quite dark circles, like me, this product is amazing for concealing them and helping to brighten instead. 

The No7 concealer is what I use as a replacement for foundation. Especially when I'm on holiday, I don't want a lot of make up so I find that a bit of this concealer over any blemishes just gives me that little bit of coverage which I don't need to top up during the day. I find it's a lot easier to manage, we know how hot it gets, we all sweat so I just feel more comfortable wearing something lightweight without having to worry about it coming off. 

My eyebrows look absolutely terrible when I don't do them, they have absolutely no shape and they just look hideous. I normally use a powder which is quite dark and personally, I didn't want them to be like that everyday especially if I'm not wearing a full face of make up. I find that the Soap and Glory Archery 2-in-1 Brow Filling Pencil and Brush (£8.00) does a perfect job in the summer. For everyday wear in the summer this is perfect, it's super light and it's easy to use. I don't want a lot of fuss when I'm on holiday and I know this is going to help make my eyebrows so much neater without standing out too much. 

Personally, I like wearing mascara even when I'm not wearing a lot of make up. During summer, it's hot, it's sweaty, you might go swimming etc, wear waterproof mascara. I've only just learnt that I need to do this, I don't know why I haven't realised before but better late than never I guess. This one from Max Factor (It's the False Lash Effect Mascara at £10.99) is just one that I really like. This mascara adds volume and gives subtle yet long, glamorous lashes. 

We all like a bit of contouring, highlighting and bronzing and one product that is perfect for all 3 is the Flawless Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit from Barry M which is £6.49. I love this trio so much, I use it every single day. The highlighting shade is more brightening than highlighting I'd say but for me I prefer that. It gives a really subtle brighten, which works exceptionally under the eyes. 

The bronzing powder, which is just as good, gives a really subtle bronzey glow to your skin and also adds a warm colour. 

The contour colour, is my absolute favourite as far as contoring goes wether it's in the summer or not. It's a cool toned contour powder which when it's applied gives a subtle contour. 

I really hoped you enjoyed this, I absolutely loved writing it. It's so good to be back blogging again! Let me know what you think, I'd really really appreciate it! Also feel free to follow me on Bloglovin'/Twitter/Instagram/Google +, all of my social media handles are in the tab at the top if you don't already follow me!

:) xx

I'M BACK!!

Hello, it's been a while but I'M BACK! Well, kind of. I will be on Friday, this is just a little post to say what I've been doing, when I'm posting and little information like that.

Firstly, I've already said this but it's been a while. Too long. I didn't really realise how long it had been until my friend had said 'I've been waiting 7 months for another post!' And it was only then that I realised how long it had been. 

You'd think after 7 months I'd have something significant to tell you as a reason as to why I haven't posted but no. I've been doing a lot of work for school and I've finally finished sixth form! I'm happy and so glad but I'm actually quite gutted at the same time. It was a lot of hard work and towards the end, it just really seemed to drag and it did get me down quite a lot. There was always something that needed to be handed in every day and I just seemed to be swamped with work. But I got through it, I'm done now. Exams went pretty well, which is such a relief, after all of that hard work, I feel like it paid off. But I guess we'll find out in August! 

Like I said, I am quite gutted about leaving, I had such a good time in sixth form, it's a completely different atmosphere to high school. Everyone seems that little bit older as well and you do lose a few friends, well not necessarily lose but you're just not as close anymore,  because of different reasons but I came out of sixth form with a small, solid group of close friends and personally, I couldn't be happier with that. I am going to miss everyone, but luckily enough, the majority of my friends are staying close to home like I am so they won't be too far away :) 

I didn't really intend for this to be so long but oh well. Like I said, I haven't been doing a lot. Basically I just needed to focus on school as that had to be my main priority but I've got 2 months now before I start college so I'm hoping to do a lot of posts, and hopefully just have an amazing summer before people go off to uni. 

Also, I was a bit inconsistent with my posting last year so I've set myself the target of posting every Friday. I'm not quite down to an exact time but I mean some time during Friday is all I can give you right now. 

I'm extremely excited to get back into posting, I have missed it very much, so I look forward to Friday and having that first post up. I hope you enjoy it too! 

I have changed my blog layout and style etc, let me know what you think, I'm so so happy with it, I hope you like it! 

:) xx

Let's Talk Strobing!

Hiii, it's nearly December which means CHRISTMAS and I'm super excited so I have a post that has nothing to do with Christmas or December at all, woo!

I'm 99.9% sure that you've all heard of the term 'strobing.' To me, it's a kind of light, however, nowadays we live in a world where one word means various things. Like strobing. It's now a make up term. A term that is widely used on a daily basis, apparently for them 'lazy' people. Me, being quite lazy, felt like I had to explore what the world of strobing entailed. 

Strobing, in the make up sense, means highlighting the parts of your face you wish to bring out. Which is the opposite to contouring, where you wish to bring things in. We all know contouring takes a lot of skill, you're either blessed with the ability to be able to contour and look like you have amazing cheekbones and a jawline which could cut through wood. But unfortunately, I fall into the second category where I just look like I have a massive brown like running through the middle of my cheek. So when I stumbled upon something which could essentially help me massively, I'd be pretty stupid not to give it a whirl. 

For this you basically need the most dewy foundation you can find. I already had this in me little stash, so I'm going to use the Rimmel London Wake Me Up Foundation. I'm actually between two shades so I'm going to mix 010 Porcelain and 100 Ivory. Some tutorials that I watched online, used a creamy moisturiser as well so underneath the foundation, I used the No7 Early Defence Day Cream. This foundation is super dewy anyway but it just adds a little bit extra something to your face. I'm not going to set my foundation, I'm going to go straight in with a highlighter and I'm using the KIKO Milano Beam of Light highlighter in 01. IF you saw my KIKO haul about 4 months ago, it's the one featured there. Anyway, I'm going to take this where I want the light to hit me most,m so the tops of my cheekbones, the place on my forehead above my nose (Not sure what it's called), a little bit down the bride of my nose and a little bit in the middle of my chin as well. 

I have a feeling this is going to go really badly. Oh and I'm using my finger to do this, brushes are so last year. 

Alright, here we go, the finished piece. I look so weird and uncomfortable, I'm sorry. My eye looked very uncomfortable so I've just stuck a little heart over it. LOL. 

Personally, I don't think it has the same effect as contouring but it is a lot quicker so maybe i will use it. If i'm ever feelin lazy (most of the time), I'll just pop a bit on and I'm good to go!

Give it a go and see how you fair with it! Let me know how you get on as well if you do decide to give it a go! 

:) xx

Frizzy Hair

Hiii, today I have a post about how I tame my hair! As I got into my teens, my hair took a turn for the worst and I started getting very frizzy hair. And it's not even the good kind. Some people have frizzy hair and it looks amazing. Does that happen to me? No. No, it doesn't. Frizzy hair on me looks like I've been dragged through a hedge backwards. And it's annoying. Over the years I've tried several serums to try and calm it down but there's still frizzyness (is that a word?!) to it BUT I've now found one that works like a charm. 

And it is the Creightons Frizz No More Sleek and Shine Miracle Serum. I've tried a lot of different serums and blends but this one is the best one I've come across. You'd think more expensive brands would be better but no, for me, this one is definitely better. 

There are two ways of using this, as with many hair serums. You can either use it on damp or dry hair. Personally, it doesn't work as well on damp hair for me. I prefer to use it on dry hair after I've styled it in however way I want. This is when I notice the most difference. 

I left my hair frizzy for 2 days so I could apply some serum and show you how well it actually works! The left has no serum and the right has a small amount. Look how good it is!! The difference is amazing! The key with this is getting the right amount, if you use too little, it won't work that well obviously and if you use too much, it can look quite greasy so just be careful. I use about an amount about the size of 5p piece and that works for half of my hair when I split it like in the picture. 

(Yes, I have a Christmas top on.)

I'll just type the description on the back of the bottle for you, it pretty much sums it up..(obviously). 

"Frizz No More Sleek & Shine Serum reduces frizz to leave the hair silky soft and smooth. With moisturising Meadowfoam and natural Argan Oil, the conditioning formula adds glossy shine. The colour-kind formula is suitable for all hair types."

Meadowfoam is extracted from the plant 'Limnanthes alba' and is actually used in thousands of different products like moisturiser, anti-aging cream and body scrub. For hair products, Meadowfoam oil hydrates and massages the hair whilst making it sleek and shiny. It's also in many shampoos and conditioners where it does the same thing but it also reduces dandruff and dryness. 

Argan Oil is a non-greasy oil which is designed to tame frizz and flyaway strands and also, repairing split ends. Argan Oil on it's own can also help hair growth and you can get bottles of Argan Oil from many places like Boots and Superdrug if you want to give that a go. 

I can't remember where I got this from but I know you can get it from Poundland so if you're not sure whether to believe me or not, nip to Poundland and grab this for a quid and see for yourself! 

:) xx

Relaxation.

Hiii, this week I thought I'd post about ways which help me relax or de-stress - whatever you want to call it. And maybe these might help you in some way so enjoy! 

Scented Candles

I absolutely adore candles and especially in winter, they make my room look so cosy and warm. The scents are incredible as well and it just relaxes me so much. I do have a few favourite candles so I thought I'd share them with you! I haven't listed them all but here's a few! 

This one is from Wax Lyrical England and it's in the scent 'Wild Honeysuckle.' I must admit at first, I was a little bit skeptical when I read the scent but as soon as I opened it, the scent just hit me and it was absolutely gorgeous! Definitely one of my favourites! 

This one is from ASDA and they do the whole range of the alphabet and they also do an '&' one which I think is a really good idea! This one has a really faint smell of Vanilla, even though it's not the strongest scent, it still smells lovely when it's lit. 

I also tend to have a lot of loose little candles so I put them all in a plant pot and I just keep it on my window sill in my room and every now and then I'll just take some out, light them and refill. Rather than getting big candles, I'll just get a load of little ones. 

Listening to music

At home, I always seem to be listening to music. I'll just put it on whilst I'm working or just lounging around, I'll just stick my headphones in for hours and listen to music.  At the moment, I'll listen to the charts that are on Spotify and I'm also obsessed with the albums Made in the AM (One Direction), Sounds Good Feels Good (5SOS), Delirium (Ellie Goulding) and The Balcony (Catfish and the Bottlemen). I think music just blocks everything out and it can really help you relax. 

Reading 

I was never a big fan of reading but I think as soon as you start looking for books yourself and you actually find one you like, it's so relaxing. Again, like music, it just blocks everything out for a while. 

Taking my make up off

I find it so satisfying. I love taking my make up off, granted, at like 11 o clock at night when I'm taking it off, not my favourite thing to do. However when I'm in the shower or just sitting around at home, I love taking my make up off. And then putting on moisturiser and face masks (another thing that relaxes me), I just feel so much better!

BATHS

I do love a bath. I just fill it up to the top, full of hot water, put some music on, maybe light some candles and just lie there for a while. 

I haven't said this for a while but if you have a spare 30 seconds, feel free to head over to Twitter/Instagram/Bloglovin' and follow me if you don't already! I'd appreciate it a lot!

:) xx

Hacks Tested

Hiii, today I have a 'hacks' post for you! Basically, during my large amount of free time, I like to sift through YouTube, BlogLovin' and Instagram to find quick, easy, cheaper ways of doing things that I find useful! There are a lot that I've come across over the past couple of months but I've just picked out 4, for now, and I'll do various posts about the rest that I found in future posts! 

The first one I found which I think is extremely useful is all to do with clips. I don't know if you can call this a hack, as such, but it is very useful so why not throw it in!

 I've obviously tried this, otherwise what's the point of this post, and it does work. Usually my clips are falling out left right and centre and I have to re-do my hair again and again. However if you put clips this way up, it stays in your hair a lot longer and it holds a better grip on your hair.

The next one, is very useful as well. I tried this for 5 days during a school week and it works like a charm. If you use moisturiser or a primer in the morning, set it with a loose powder. 

I use this one from No7 and I put it on straight after moisturiser and then carry on with the rest of my make up. This helps my make up last so much longer, especially because I use a matte foundation so it sets a nice base. 

This is one that I was really disappointed with. I had really high hopes for this and it let me down. I read that if you put your fingers in cold water after painting them, then they dry in an instant. After 5 minutes in cold water, all I got was smudgey nails and freezing cold hands. I thought maybe I wasn't doing it right but it's just sticking your hand in cold water so where could I have gone wrong? 

If you've done this and it worked, let me know where I'm going wrong please!! 

The last one I was super impressed with. If you get some selotape (get most of the sticky off first) and line it up with your bottom lash line, it makes it a 100 times easier to do eyeliner. (I know the wing is huge, I just wanted to show it properly.) 

Also, it works really well with getting a nice, clean finish for your eyeshadow. 

 Overall, I'm quite pleased with how they all turned out, except the nail varnish one but we'll forget about that). I hope you find these useful because I do, it's always useful to have an easy, cheat way of doing something! 

Oooh, remember to follow me on BlogLovin, Twitter and/or Instagram if you have a sec! 

:) xx