Getting back in to blogging!

So I haven't published a blog post in.......months!!

But yet again it was Millie who inspired me to sort myself out and try and regularly blog! She has an absolutely amazing blog over at http://all-things-millie.blogspot.co.uk/ go and have a look! She's much more regular with her blogging and generally a fantastically, lovely, beautiful person who deserves even more people to love her and read what she has to say!

But anyway back to me! I have actually written a few posts but not got around to publishing them because they weren't 'quite right' but I have decided to dedicate myself to blogging in the evening and posting at least once a week, that way I have no excuse! There is now a specific blogging timetable!! 

Most recently in my life I have started my teaching practise which is absolutely knackering! However, it has made me really think about my make up and what I wear or even need to wear everyday! Also I was always one of those girls who didn't wear make up everyday instead saving it for special occasions! But getting up everyday at 6am really has had a terrible effect on my complexion! I feel that going in to school looking like I have made no effort at all for the day is just plain unprofessional! My solution? A new make up bag with the bare essentials in for quick and easy application when half asleep in the mornings! 

So consider this a busy morning makeup bag!

Firstly I use make up wipes my favourite are the 'Simple - exfoliating wipes' as they are kind to your skin but still pack a punch, I always wash my face morning and night but I generally only have time for a face wipe in the morning rather than a full cleansing and toning regime! 

Next I use 'No7 day cream moisturiser' to make sure my skin is fully ready for the day!

Now I as many other girls struggle with blemished skin, it's a constant struggle for me that concealer helps me overcome! I use 'Rimmels - Wake me up' concealer in number 010 Ivory. It's great at covering up those little imperfections everyday! 

The trickiest product to get right on a day-to-day basis is foundation, I prefer not to use a heavy one during the day as it can really make my skin flare up. (right now I can't wear it because of my stress spots) At the moment I'm using No7's 'Intelligent Colour Foundation' in light. It's easy to apply as it blends in and matches to every skin tone, meaning when you're in a rush, it's fantastic! It gives me an even coverage, even quickly. I find it gives me just enough coverage to give me confidence in my tired skin (teaching and planning doesn't leave much time for sleeping!) but it feels light enough to wear everyday.

My saving grace when tired is bronzer! I use Rimmels 'Natural Mineral Bronzing Powder' in number 022 'Sun Bronze' it really wakes my complexion up! I use it where the sun would naturally hit my face so as to really wake my complexion up! Just a quick dust and it makes me look as though I haven't stayed awake half the night!  

In addition to bronzer I rely on is Bourjois 'Golden Rose' blusher (number 34) it's a slightly brighter pink than I usually go for. I found that I needed to brighten my make up for the summer months as I needed to make sure I didn't look washed out! 

On top of any make up I use on my face I think it's important to have a 'finishing touch' and for me this is my eye make up, I don't mean anything fancy (especially not when done in a rush at the crack of dawn!) just a little something to add some life and definition to my eyes. I looked at my make-up bag and decided that the important products were my eyeliner and mascara! These little beauties define my eyes just enough to make me feel like I have made an effort as well as perking me up. My everyday eyeliner is Onyx black 'bombshell 's a liquid pen eyeliner.The best mascara I have discovered for my everyday needs is Maybeline 'Falsies: Volum' Express' mascara as it gives just the right amount of volume and thickness for an everyday eye.
Last but not least is lips! I generally don't bother doing much to my lips on a daily basis, normally using a plain lip balm, my favourite is Maybeline 'Baby Lips' in hydrate as it gives me incredible moisture all day long.

Well I hope this has been interesting enough to make up for my long overdue absence! 

xox

Bloglovin

Ladies and Gentlemen......I have finally got Bloglovin!

Here's the link....

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12476515/?claim=j3yqywzzkga">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

xox

Trying Something new!

You know how you can tell that you're in a rut? You find yourself curled up in bed at 2 o'clock on a beautiful sunny Thursday not even thinking about moving as it's your day off and the rest of the world can sod off as far as you're concerned! This my dear readers is not healthy in any sense of the word! It's okay occasionally but when it's your routine for every single day off then it becomes a rut and not healthy at all! 

So I decided to shake up my routine! I looked back at my summer ambitions list and realised that to achieve all this I would have to be proactive with my days off (so far I haven't always achieved active so it could be interesting!) 

I started by giving myself a regular alarm, it may sound silly but having a regular time to wake up....not always get up... but at least greet the day is a fantastic mood booster as well as helping with routines and daily planning! As I'm not a naturally early riser I struggled at first but it's got easier, I just make sure that once I'm up I do something straight away even if it's just making myself a cup of coffee! After this I feel that little bit better, I haven't just snoozed my alarm and rolled over I've got up and done something! Even if I do go back to bed afterwards it's okay because I've started my day! This normally leads to me perched on my bed checking different parts of the internet for nonsense before doing anything else vaguely productive! 

This list may be made up of only a few small things but I've found it helpful now I'm on my summer break and sometimes having too much time so I end up bored and then not enough time for the necessities (cleaning mainly!) I am working 5 days a week is that takes up the majority of my week but those other 2 days and evenings can sometimes feel like dead space that could be filled with brightly coloured adventures and not greyscale duvet days! 

So next on my list is getting healthier, which ties in quite nicely to getting a more structured routine! I've never been particularly sporty but since my realisation that that's pretty much the only way to shift some weight and be that little bit more confident about my appearance, I have started moving more it started with the obligatory walk to work - a healthy replacement for the bus - and has graduated to dedicated walks for no other purpose than enjoyment and getting fit! I've found that although I'm not in anyway, shape or form a 'morning' person I love going for walks along the beach early in the morning when there's not many people about and it's all quiet and very pretty! 

Evidence that Brighton is pretty even at 6AM! 

The idea of trying something new is something I want to push more throughout all aspects of my life so with that in mind I've liberated some older make up that has gone unloved for some time and used it to revamp my make up routine for the summer, finding interesting shades of eyeshadow and exploring that as an extension of my outfits rather than just having one look is something fun to try! This has lead me to convince my friends to allow me to do their make up (they're brave ladies!) but it's allowed me to hone my techniques and explore other colour combos that don't suit me but look fabulous on my friends! Just some fun little things that I've explored for the summer to practise my techniques as well as fill my spare time! 

Thanks to whoevers reading! Until next time!!

Xox

Summer Ambitions...

At the beginning of every 'significant' period of time I try to set myself 'goals' or 'ambitions' for me to focus on so that I don't go completely stir crazy!
These 'significant' periods of time can be anything for example a new year, a term or in this case the summer holidays! I have even started writing in notebooks to make sure that I focus myself on these ambitions.
I have started a journal to document my personal goals and feelings on my ambitions but I now also have a blogging notebook to store all my ideas and notes for this blog in making me more focussed on my first goal, to blog more regularly! 

My first goal has a lot to do with focussing on doing something/ achieving something with my summer. I don't want to get in to the routine of just going to work, coming home, sleeping, eating and repeating. It's unhealthy and I want to achieve more with my time so I have decided to focus my creative energy in to this blog, it's something new, interesting and fun for me to channel my energy in to no matter if anyone is reading it or not! So expect more on here from me from now on! 

My second goal is personal, I want to lose weight, I've been battling with my feelings towards my body for a while, I have put on weight and it's now affecting how I live my life which is not okay. I want to feel confident and happy and have a positive feelings towards my body and not be ashamed about how I look. I know that you don't have to be skinny to be happy but this is entirely personal, I am not losing weight for anybody else, this is entirely for me. The realisation came to me when I realised that this image summed up my feeling towards myself...

although this puts it in a slightly amusing way it is way too on point for my liking! Not liking who you are is not okay for any reason and if you can do something to change that then you should do it, for you. Nobody else. For you. I have found something that is causing me unhappiness and difficulty and it happens to something that I can change so I am going to. That is my summer ambition to change how I feel about myself by getting healthier and therefore (hopefully) happier.

Another ambition of mine is to learn French, this has been one of my new years resolutions for years and I have finally decided to attempt to do something about it! Actually learn a new language, go for it and attempt to expand my horizons with a new language. I love France and think that the French language is one of the most beautiful in the world and my aim is to be able to speak it well enough to go back to Paris and spend a week there only speaking French. (Not this summer of course but sometime in the future)

Now the last few haven't been particularly time sensitive but these next few are. I want to get organised. I mean really organised. This means going through all my clothes, my makeup my paperwork/books and get rid of anything unnecessary stuff! With my clothes this means going through and getting rid of anything that either doesn't fit or I say 'it'd look better if....' NOT ANYMORE! if it doesn't look right or make me feel good then OUT IT GOES! (this will be so liberating!)
With my makeup this means going through and throwing bits and pieces that are out of date or that I don't use/haven't used. My plan is to throw the stuff that's out of date or a bit gross but anything that's still useable I will donate to a loving and deserving home (one of my friends makeup bags) so that it can be loved and used as all make up should.
Finally, my paperwork, as a trainee teacher I have a hell of a lot of paperwork! Everything has notes about notes and lecturers seem to give hundreds of handouts per lecture that just seem to mount up in to this huge pile of paper that needs to be sorted through before the new term starts! I need to look over all of my notes and handouts from the past two years and keep the useful things and throw away the useless stuff! It's a big job but it needs doing! This is definitely time sensitive as it needs to be done before September!

Finally I need to explore Brighton! I want to get to know the city that I live in, it is a fun, fascinating and incredible city that I feel I have only scratched the surface of so this summer I want to really explore the city and document this in photos and writing and blog posts! 

Anyway, I'm sure I'll have more ambitions soon, it's a long summer!
xox