Glowy FOTD featuring Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick

Well, well, well...Summer has officially arrived and when it comes to make-up that means a lighter base, an extra dusting of bronzer and anything I can find to give me face that dimensional, glowy effect.

The rise in temperature conveniently coincided with the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Rose landing on my doorstep!  These little shimmer bombs have cult status amongst us beauty geeks and are a cornerstone of the Bobbi Brown brand.

Ain't she a little beauty?  After my initial 'ooohing' and 'ahhhing', I realised that I wasn't actually sure how to use this.  Was it a blush? A highlighter? Or some kind of in-between?  Luckily, a Google image search taught me that it can in fact be a blush or a highlighter.  I did apply it as a blush but unfortunately I think my skin is a bit too dark at the moment and the pink glow doesn't really show enough for me to be satisfied, so if you are NC25 or lighter this might work better for you.  However as a highlighter it gives a smooth, glowing finish.  I used it in all my regular highlighter areas; tops of cheekbones, down centre of nose, cupids bow and centre of my chin and I must say it is really natural and not harsh in the slightest.

Here is a photo of it in action.  I think this really shows how natural and healthy it looks.  Of course, as with any product, if you swirl this on like there's no tomorrow it's going to start to look very obvious, so go easy ladies and build it up.

I also used the Shimmer Brick on my eyes with a little bit of brown in the crease, so this product can be a right little multi-tasker and ideal for holidays.

You can find the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick, along with plenty of other Bobbi Brown products as part of their mahoosive selection of beauty products, on the QVC website.

June Favourites

I don't normally post about monthly favourites, but there have been a few products I have really been diggin' this month, so I fired up the camera and blabbed on about them!

You can check out the video below, or click here to see my YouTube Channel.

Bye Bye Google Friend Connect

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I'm sure you'll all be sick of hearing this, but I thought I'd pop this quick post up anyway for anyone who wasn't aware that as of 1st July, Google Friend Connect will be no more.  GFC is the little box on the right hand side of my blog, the one with all the little smiley faces of my lovely followers.  Somehow Google thought it would be a good idea to get rid of this...yeah, good one Google!

So, after we have all shaken our fists angrily at Google for taking it away, you can follow me on Bloglovin, which is a great alternative.  I haven't personally made much use of Bloglovin up until now, but I'm going to move my blog reading list over there later - eeek..wish me luck!  Hopefully you'll want to take the time to follow me over there!

See you on the flip side!

Heather x

Fake Tan Essentials

I thought I would share with you my current fake-tanning routine.  I have had my own fair share of disasters in this area, you know the ones..oompa-loompa tan, orange palms - need I go on?  So now that I have found something that works and is relatively inexpensive to boot, I had to tell you about it.

Exfoliation really is key to achieving the best faux-tan result.  I have wasted a lot of money tried many different exfoliators but generally I find them not scrubby enough.  A blob of cream with 2 scrubby beads in it just aint gonna cut it.  So around a year ago I picked up these Soap and Glory Exfoliating Gloves and I have never looked back.  Pop these on whilst in the shower, get them wet, use your shower cream of choice and scrub away.  Now, these kinda remind me of a brillo pad for the body as they are very scrubby, but I am a fan of that as it really seems to boost the circulation and, most importantly, get rid of any flaky skin or dry areas.  Plus, you can just throw these in the washing machine and they'll last for ages.  

Next up I have a self tan mitt.  The person who designed this ingenious bit of kit seriously needs to give themselves a pat on the back.  It is basically a piece of thin foam, backed with plastic, so that when you use this to apply your tan, you don't end up with the dreaded orange palms - genius!  You can pick these up for a couple of pounds in Primark.

My tan of choice recently has been the Karora Self Tan Mist in Dark.  I was sent this to try a while back and I am really enjoying using it.  It has a fine mist spray which doesn't dump all the product in the one area.  I usually spray this on and then buff it in with my mitt, just to make sure it's even and well-blended.  It dries quickly too so that's a bonus - no standing flapping your arms about (just me?).  I usually fake tan before bed, and then shower off any residue in the morning, so I'm not sure how long the tan takes to develop.  However it leaves an even, natural colour on my skin.

Somehow, it looks like my hand is a totally different colour in both the before and after pictures, but I think it's just the angle it's at.

Karora have their own website, however as they are an Irish company I'm not sure if they ship to the UK.  They also have a range of products on the Cloud10 Beauty website.  Karora have produced this handy application video, which you can check out here.

Bronzed Make Up

I have this theory.  My theory is that Scotland is edging ever closer to the North Pole.  Take today as an example  beautiful sunny skies peppered with light fluffy clouds.  I stepped out of the house with short sleeves, not entirely inappropriate given this it's almost June, and almost got frostbite by the time I walked to the care.  Well I say walk, but I was in a fully-blown sprint when I realised how cold it was.  Seriously weather, if you could just crank up the temperature by a few degrees, i'd really appreciate it.
So I have decided that if the actual sun isn't going to actually stick around long enough to give me a bit of colour, then I might as well crack out the fake tan, and give myself a Summer-appropriate face of make-up.

I used the last few drops of my Ideal Flawless foundation by Avon, which feels really lightweight yet gives a decent amount of coverage.  I skipped bronzer, and popped on MAC Mineralise Blush in Warm Soul.  This blush and tanned skin go together beautifully to give a healthy natural flush, plus it has a slightly sheeny finish without being garish (*ahem* Sleek Rose Gold *ahem*).  I dusted a little No 7 Vital Enlightening Highlighting Powder over the tops of my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and on my cupid's bow to amp up the glow factor.  This product was limited edition, but it's a pretty standard off-white pearly shade.

I found my MUA Heaven and Earth palette hanging around in the back of my make-up drawer and created a fuss-free bronze-y eye, before lining my eyes with Loreal Perfect Slim Liner and applying lashings (get it??) of Loreal Mega Volume Collagen Mascara.  To finish off I applied Revlon Lip Butter in Crème Brule, which gives a hint of shine and colour, but without being heavy or sticky.
So, if you've got a bit of warm sun where you are; a: get out there and enjoy it and b: I'm totally and unashamedly jealous.
And if I see a polar bear I'll let you know.

Lust list #1

This is a first for me, but I enjoy these kinds of posts.  I've also got those skint-before-payday blues so thought a spot of virtual hauling may cheer me up!

1.  Clinique CC Cream

Normally i'm not sucked up to the BB/CC hype, they always seem like glorified tinted moisturisers.  However, I've seen some decent reviews of this and now I want to try it.  For reference, i'll probably hate it!

2.  Living Proof Prime can't find a UK stockist *cries*

Not a brand I have heard much about, but again this product is popping up on a few blogs and those who used it seem to think it does extend their styles.  I'm not sure my hair has a style at the moment, but if it extends my time between washes then i'm sold.

3.  Stila Countless Colour Pigment 

The beauty of these products makes me want to weep.  I mean, look at them, all tempting like little pots of make-up art.  Need to get my mitts on these before they dissapear.

4.  China Glaze Hunger Games Collection

Somehow this totally bypassed me when it was released, nut i'm a big fan of the film and an even bigger fan of nail polish, so it's meant to be, no?

5.  Barry M Gelly in Prickly Pear

Have slipped another nail polish into the list as, for some reason, i've been looking for a lavendar polish.  I already have a couple from this range and the formula is good, so this is next in my basket.

Hope you enjoyed this post.  Let me know what you're lusting after and link me up!

Kiehl's Facial Fuel No Shine Lip Balm

I am a lip chewer. It's a horrible habit but I do pull dry skin off my lips with my teeth. I know, it's disgusting! In order to keep my habit at bay, I try to keep my lips coated in some kind of gloss, lipstick or balm for the most part.

This Kiehl's Facial Fuel Lip Balm was an impulse purchase before getting on our flight back from Florida. My lips were really dry and I just wanted something to slick on during the flight. I didn't give it much consideration (as our flight had been called) and popped it in my basket!

What I love about this product is the way it makes my lips feel. It hydrates without being gloopy, claggy or sticky and it is ultra lightweight on the lips. At the same time, it quenches the lips and leaves them beautifully soft. I am also a fan of twist-up lip balms, there so much easier for on-the-go application, plus there is no dipping of the fingers into the pot to worry my germ-phobic self about. I honestly didn't have high hopes for this because lets face it, judging by the packaging it could be any old 99p lip balm. Yup, I'm a total packaging snob and I don't care who knows it! Ha!

It's also great for applying before drying lipsticks to keep them hydrated, or even to apply over a matter lipstick to make it more comfortable to wear.

This is a permanent fixture in my bag now and I think I'd go as far as to say that this is my favourite lip balm. For now anyway.

Well, I am a beauty blogger!

Available from the Kiehl's website, currently priced at £8.00

Ice Cream Nails

I've never thought of myself as a pastel girl; be that clothes, accessories or indeed nail polish.  However, whilst rummaging through my polish stash I came across this pretty lot!  These are polishes that I reach for often, whatever the season but as they are particularly relevant now as we head towards the warmer weather, I thought i'd share them with you.

Sally Hansen - Mousseline
From her Complete Salon Manicure range, this is the perfect creamy vanilla colour.  The formula here is slightly on the thinner side so it does take 3-4 coats to build an opaque colour.  Once painted though, it gives your nails a fresh, clean look.

Models Own - Lemon Meringue
Such an apt name for this creamy, milky shade.  There is a definite softness in the hue, it's not neon or garish.  I recently bought Essie's matte top coat and, for some reason, I can't wait to pair it with this.  The formula is quite decent too, and 2 coats are plenty.

Barbara Daly - Peach Satin
Unfortunately, this picture is showing this colour much cooler and pinker than it is in real life.  It has a definite apricot-ness while still being soft and pastelly.  This would also need a good 2-3 coats to be fully opaque.

Color Club - Get a Clue (maybe)
Now, I picked this polish up as part of a set from TK Maxx.  None of the colours had names on them so I did a good amount of image searching on Google and I think this is Get a Clue from the Alter Ego Collection, it certainly seems closest.  This colour lies right, slap bang in-between pink and lavender, depending on the light.  It's sheer though, and needs a good 3-4 coats.

NYC - Mint Macaroon
Oh, the name!  Any kind of macaroon is good in my book!  This is one of my most used nail polishes, it just such a flattering, pretty colour.  Plus, it looks amazing with a chunky glitter top coat.  The formula is excellent for the price, 2 coats is enough.

Barry M Gelly - Blueberry
I didn't get sucked into the blogger hype about these at first, I figured that I always use a top coat anyway so didn't have much need for a super shiny finish.  However, it was this particular shade that drew me in; it's a powdery-periwinkle blue and so unlike any other colour I own.  I have found that 2 coats of this is enough.

These are all such cheery colours, you can't fail to feel a little bit happy wearing them!

Take care,

Heather x

Clinique Even Better Foundation Review

 

I picked up this foundation on a whim a good few months ago, used it for a while, then (being the fickle beauty blogger that I am) ditched it for something new.  I recently found it in my stash and after using it the last few days, decided it was worthy of a review!

Now I think this is the first ever foundation review on my blog!  Shocking really when foundation is such a major player in the beauty world.  It's amazing how a flawless base can totally transform less-than-perfect skin, inducing that 'angels singing' moment when you look in the mirror.  Or...perhaps that's just me?!

This foundation first came onto my radar when I heard Tanya Burr talking about it and using it in some of her tutorials.  She has such envy-inducing imperfection-free skin to start with, but it looked amazing on her!

The sales assistant matched me to shade 05 neutral.  Normally I would choose a foundation with yellow/peach undertones but she persuaded me that this particular shade was a perfect match.  While I don't disagree that it is a near-perfect match for my face, it seems a tad too pink/neutral toned and doesn't match the colour of my neck!  I'm kicking myself for not being more assertive and insisting on the more yellow based shade!  However it's not majorly noticeable, and I can make it work by using some powder and bronzer to balance it out.

Now, how about letting the pictures do the talking?  It kinda irks me when beauty bloggers do foundation reviews and they show it blended on the back of their hands.  Unfortunately that gives no indication whatsoever to the foundations ability to hide imperfections/mattify/give a glow or whatever claims it boasts.  So I've taken 3 pictures; one bare-faced (eeeeek!), one with the foundation applied and one with powder, bronzer and blush applied.

Au naturale - bare face.  Oh, and please 'scuse the hair!!

Foundation applied, using the Real Techniques Stippling Brush

Ta-dah!  The finished face

While it dispenses as quite a fluid-ey consistency, the coverage is remarkably good whilst maintaining a natural, skin-like quality.  Another thing I have noticed it how well it wears throughout the day.  Having oily skin, I am used to becoming shiny throughout the day, however with this foundation I don't need to powder!  It really is remarkable, especially since it isn't marketed as being oil suppressing.

Overall, I really like this foundation.  It is my first foray into Clinique foundations, but I am now really keen to see what else they have to offer.

Clinique Even Better Foundation retails for £23.00 from the Clinique website.

Sk:n Clinics Special Offer

There is no denying that Spring is on it's way. Yes, there may still be snow on the hills, and the daffodils are steadfastly refusing to make an appearance, but it'll be here before we know it, I promise!
The milder wether brings its own array of issues, one of which being the nearly constant shaving and waxing. Not my favourite task it has to be said. So when an email popped into my inbox from Sk:n Clinics, a laser hair removal clinic, offering 30% off laser hair removal, my interest was piqued! They have clinics dotted all over the country, so there is bound to be one near you.

I've been doing a bit of research and it seems that a course of laser hair removal treatments, typically 4-5, can result in the hair no longer growing back for a large proportion of people undertaking the treatment. Obviously individual results vary, but the thought of being hair-free is very tempting as we start to shed layers of clothes! Who really wants to spend time waxing, plucking, threading, shaving and sugaring anyway?!

Are you tempted?

Heather x

*This is a sponsored post

Update!

Hey lovely people!

I've been gone longer than I anticipated. We were on holiday in Florida for 2 weeks, which was utterly amazing! We were at the Daytona 500, went to the beach, screamed our heads off on the roller coasters and ate our own body weight in the most amazing food! I so did not want to come home, but I guess I had to get back to work so we can save for the next adventure, right?

Well, the most exciting thing that happened when we were on holiday...we got ENGAGED!! *happy dance*


Me and my Fiancé! I'm saying those words at every given opportunity!

It wasn't totally out of the blue, it is something we have discussed and we even chose the ring together, but Darren wanted to choose the right moment to propose. And when he got down on one knee while we were in Florida, just me and him, it was completely perfect!


My ring :)

And so the wedding planning begins! Its both exciting and overwhelming all at once, but I've been stocking up on various wedding magazines and have already seen lots of things I love!

There are lots of beauty-related posts to come, but I just wanted to share a wee bit of my happy news with you all :)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

In Flight Essentials

Darren and I are jetting off to Florida this morning. We are specifically going to see the NASCAR Daytona 500, but we have also got passes for Universal and Disney and I'm super excited!!

One downside of long haul flights is that it totally dehydrates my skin so I started a quest to find some regulation-friendly skin care minis to take on-board with me!


I was initially on the hunt for some Olay Precision Cleansing Cloths however neither Superdrug or Tesco had them (boo!) so I picked up the Nivea Daily Essentials Refreshing Facial Cleansing Wipes instead. These aren't a product I've used before, but they promise to cleanse, tone and hydrate whilst removing make-up and are alcohol free! I intend to whip these out and give my skin a good cleanse so I'm not sitting with a full face of make up on for 9 and a half hours.


I also picked up this fabulous little Trilogy Travellers Set from eBay. I already love their Organic Rosehip Oil (as does my skin) so I reckon I can't go far wrong with these products. In the set we have cleanser, exfoliator, facial mist, moisturiser and body cream. These are all dinky sizes so collectively do not exceed the regulations for taking liquids onboard. I'm probably only going to make use of the facial most and moisturiser on the flight itself, however ill use the other products while I'm away. The moisturiser is lovely and rich, and I can top up my hydration levels throughout the flight with the facial mist.


I'm also popping my Bare Minerals foundation in my hand luggage for before we land. I wouldn't usually choose this foundation, however I'm a bit restricted on liquids so I'll make do with this instead.

Things will probably be a quiet on the blog for the next couple of weeks, but I'll be doing plenty of make up shopping whilst I'm in the US, so I'll have loads to blog about when I come back!

Take care (and no wild parties while I'm gone! :))


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Random Facts About Moi!

In keeping with tradition on my blog, I'm the last blogger in the entire blogging world to do this tag! I actually started filming it for my YouTube channel and ran out of things to say by fact 2...fail! I've thought about it a bit more now so here goes...

1. I am 30 in October!!
2. I absolutely hate tomato sauce (Heinz etc), although I've never tried it
3. I once fell down a 20 foot embankment and cut my knee, the following week I feel down 2 steps and broke one ankle and badly sprained the other and ended up in hospital for 4 days!
4. Darren and I met on Facebook ❤


5. I love Stock Car Racing and travel all over the country to follow it! We even went on a road trip to Holland to watch it!
6. I'm going to Florida with Darren next week for the Daytona 500! Excited.com!
7. I have a Labrador called Holly, she doesn't live with me anymore as I can't have pets in the flat, so she stays with my mum and dad. I love her silly amounts :)


8. I'm a reformed nail biter and need to have painted nails otherwise I'd start biting them again
9. Childbirth scares me...lots!
10. My favourite season is Spring, new beginnings and all that
11. I dislike Winter and the long, dark nights
12. I have a terrible memory, I forget EVERYTHING!
13. I have a random taste in music ranging from ABBA to the Eagles, if it sounds good I like it!
14. I am scared of flying, and have to take Diazepam before I fly
15. I love being near the sea, so peaceful
16. When I was born we lived in a static caravan while our house was being built...
17. ...the sound of rain pitter-pattering on a car roof instantly calms and soothes me which probably harks back to my caravan days!
18. I've been on TV!
19. I love the Olympics and I was a steward when the Olympic torch came through our local town!


20. I am tall, almost 6ft!
21. I am quite a shy person and can be socially anxious. However, once I know someone I can chat away quite happily
22. I work in mental health
23. I am a distant relative of Ewan McGregor, true I promise! Surely that means I can knock on his door for a cuppa, right?!
24. I'm obsessed with getting Cashback on Quidco!
25. I hate being a passenger in a car but I love driving
26. I didn't try peanut butter until very recently and I. Am. Obsessed.
27. I love taking pictures of sunsets


28. I cried when I went to Barcelona and saw the Magical Fountain of Montjuïc, it was just so beautiful
29. I am terrible with money - if I have it, I'll spend it!
30. I love roller coasters and theme parks, I am a total big kid!



Hope you enjoyed this and feel free to link me up to your Random Facts posts! :)

Beauty Resolution #3 - Learn to Love My Skin!

Can you believe I am still posting about my New Year resolutions?!  I had a bit of bad news so have taken a step back but I really wanted to post about this before the month of January was up.  I'm sure they say that by this date, most resolutions have been broken, but i'm happy to say i'm still going strong! Hurrah!

In the past few years my skincare regime has been scaled down and down until, at the end of last year, all I was doing was cleansing and not even applying moisturiser!  I can hear you all tutting in disapproval!  In return, my skin repaid me by either being super oily or flaky and dry.  It was clear it was time for a routine!  I've made a few new skincare purchases recently, let's have a look..

First up I am still using the very last drops of the Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil.  I previously reviewed this here and am happy to report that I am still loving this product.

I've been lusting after the entire Origins range since a concession appeared in my local Debenhams.  I am a little bit obsessed with applying oils to my face so decided I needed Origins Clean Energy Cleaning Oil in my life.  I actually bought the pump as it doesn't come with one, and I'm glad I did since you only need 2 pumps max.  It's really easy to use, just massage into dry skin, splash on some water to emulsify then I normally remove with my Emma Hardie Cleansing Cloth.  Not only does it smell divine, but it literally melts away make-up and doesn't strip the skin nor leave it oily.

I've been dipping my toe into face masks recently.  Well, not my actual toe, but my proverbial toe...!  During a recent jaunt round Asda I spied the nspa 5 Minute Magic Mask.  It has a bit of an odd texture, like a thick cream with little micro beads in it.  The idea is that as you apply the mask you rub in circular motions to burst these little beads, which releases more good stuff onto the skin.  This is a bit tricky to master if i'm honest, as I'm usually a fan of the smooth-and-go method when applying masks.  This requires a systematic smoothing and rubbing therefore takes a bit longer, but it's no biggie.  I did notice a fair bit of tingling with this mask, but nothing uncomfortable.  My face feels smooth when I rinse this off, but I need to trial it a bit longer to see if it does anything else.

Normally I wouldn't really pay much attention to Clinique as a skincare brand, their 3 step system just didn't do anything for me and I pretty much wrote them off in terms of suitable skincare.  However, they've really stepped up their game recently and I am now using the Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector and the Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Remover.  I wanted to incorporate an eye cream into my routine since i'm not getting any younger, plus my dark circles aint getting any lighter.  This light texture tinted cream is dispensed through this metal nozzle which is lovely to use.  Are my dark circles gone?  Well, not exactly, but i'll stick with it.  I'm using the Dark Spot Corrector as a primer before foundation and it feels lovely on the skin.  It does seem to fade those horrible spot scars more quickly too which is a bonus!

My most recent purchase was the Keihl's Over Night Biological Peel.  I can be a bit lazy therefore i'm a fan of anything that I can slather on before bed and requires minimal effort from me.  At the moment I am using this 3 times a week and I must say, my skin feels nice and polished in the morning when I rinse this off.

I have my beady eye on a few other products but I think I will hold off til we go to Florida (in 3 weeks!!!) since many of them are US brands which I suspect will be cheaper over the pond!

Do you have any skincare recommendations?  In particular masks/treatments...remember, i'm lazy! :)

Sleek MakeUP Sparkle 2 Palette

I'm sure it's no surprise to anyone who has followed me for a while that this is yet another Sleek post.  I can't apologise for it, as they are such a fantastic brand who always mix it up and push the envelope with new products and colours.

The Sparkle 2 Palette is my latest purchase, and although this was launched in the run-up to the festive season, it is still available in-store so I thought i'd share it with you!

Surprisingly, I don't own the original Sparkle palette, I think it was sold out by the time I got round to buying it, so I can't compare it to this one.  As you may be able to see, or just guess by the name of the palette, the majority of shades have a glittery finish.  Now, normally, I steer well clear of such shadows..me no likey the glittery fall out!  However, in terms of fall out these shades don't have much!  I usually slick on some Too Faced Shadow Insurance Glitter Glue beforehand and that seems to lock down any escapee glitter particles.  I'm also a bit more pat-pat than blend-blend when it comes to applying these shadows which also helps.

You can see from the swatches that, on the whole, the payoff with these shades is lovely.  There only shade which was sheer was Gold Ribbon, and to be fair that it wasn't really that bad..

I love this palette.  It may not get everyday use, but it's just so blimmin' pretty!

You can find this is Superdrug, or on the Sleek MakeUP website, priced at £7.99.  I believe the also ship internationally..so there's no excuse! ;)

My face today!

Hello!

I've decided to make some use of my BlogPress app because it's so convenient to blog from my phone sometimes when I have some spare time. Like now for example, I'm sitting watch Darren play darts...random, I know!

Anyway, I thought I'd share my make-up from today with you. I've been loving using my MAC Studio Sculpt foundation but it's a teeny bit light so I mixed some Dermablend Corrective foundation in shade 35 which gave a really nice natural finish!


Im sorry if the picture quality is a bit rubbish, it's the combination of me taking photos on my iPhone and then uploading via this app which seems to reduce the quality of the images even more!

On my eyes I used my Sleek Oh So Special palette, which has some lovely neutrals. I smudged on some black kohl liner and layered on mascara like there was no tomorrow! On my cheeks I used Canteloupe blush by MAC. This got hidden under my messy make-up stash and I only recently rediscovered it, so so pretty! Kept the lips simple as they are a dry, flaky mess and just slathered on my Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine in an attempt to hydrate them!


Take care x

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Beauty Resolution #2 - Blog More!

Following on from my last post about my first beauty resolution, I thought I'd share another with you...

#2 - Blog More

I know, I know..every blogger and their cat has this resolution, but I figure there is room for that particular bandwagon for me too!

I've never been a regular blogger. I envy those who blog multiple times a day. I wish I was that organised, had posts all scheduled and ready to go...but I'm not. For me, blogging is quite an organic thing; sometimes I could blog for hours and at other times my blogging mojo disappears and my little corner of the internet becomes very quiet.

So, what are my plans then?

First up, I am going to make full use of times where I feel like blogging. Now, I realise this does seem like I am stating the obvious, but what I mean is that I will draft up posts while I'm in the blogging groove and that way I should have a pool of posts ready to put the finishing touches to and make live. Easy!

Next thing is to keep a notebook in my bag. I'm always thinking up ideas for posts and things to review, but I am so forgetful that writing these ideas down as they happen should help me focus. Plus, it'll help me to plan what I need to photograph, which brings me to my next point...

I'm not a fan of Winter for many reasons, one of which is the fact that from Monday - Friday I seem to go to work and come back from work in the dark! The natural daylight is long gone by the time I get in from work. This makes photographing things for my blog really difficult, as I want you to be able to see the true colours of things I'm talking about without it being all dark and shadowy. So, I am going to dedicate a hour or so over the weekend to photographing things for my blog. That way, I'll have all my photos ready for during the week when I have time to blog.

Lastly, I want to set some goals for my blog. I want to blog at least once a week. When you consider that I currently blog, at most, once a month I think that is manageable for me. I also want to increase the traffic to my blog through posting more and promoting myself more through social media. I do this sporadically at the moment, but I want to try and be more vocal during the #bbloggers twitter chats and such like.

Do any of you have any other tips for being more organised to blog more?

I have one more beauty resolution to share with you, so stay tuned for that very soon!

Take care x

Beauty Resolution #1 - Make Up Clear Out and Spend Less

Happy New Year girlies!!

It's that time of year again where we all make our resolutions for the coming year.  I've made a few beauty/blog related ones which I thought I'd share with you, starting with...

#1 - Make Up Clear Out and Spend Less

I have a lot of make-up.  That isn't a boasting statement, rather an addicts admission!  In the beginning of my obsession, I would splurge on high-end make up however, at some point this turned into buying copious lower end (or drug store) make-up.  We have some cracking cheaper brands of make up in the UK and I just can't help myself when I'm in Boots or Superdrug.  Hence I have reached breaking point (quite literally) in my make-up storage and am forever rooting around in piles of make-up to find what I want.  This also means that some much-loved-yet-forgotten items get hidden and therefore not used.  This makes me sad, and very ashamed that it's come to this.  So today I decided a good old New Year's clear out was in order!

To start, I sorted out my make-up into different categories; Keep, Bin, Back to MAC and Sell.

Keep - Anything I love and will use was kept.  I also kept some limited edition items, even although they don't get regular use.

Bin - Anything that smelled or looked funny, was separated, broken or just unloved (frosty pink lipstick anyone?) got chucked.  This included some random, scratchy brushes! Go me!

Back to MAC - MAC Cosmetics have a scheme where if you return empty packaging, with the exception of some items, you can swap them for a lipstick.  In the UK you need 6 separate items, however I believe this varies in other countries.  I save mine in a drawstring bag so they don't get lost or thrown away by mistake.

Sell - I have some bits and pieces of make-up that are in good condition, but that I just don't love any more   I plan to either do a blog sale, pop them on ebay or maybe take them along to a car boot sale.

I then re-organised everything into the drawer.  I had a damp cleaning cloth to hand to get rid of any dust or dirt.  I have the Malm Dressing Table from Ikea, which I use to store the majority of my make up.  I love the idea of the dividers that you can get for these however can't justify the money right now so instead I've used various different boxes and baskets that I had lying around.  It houses my make-up perfectly and I can pretty much see at a glance what I have.

At the end of it, I had a large plastic bag full of stuff to go in the bin, and a smaller basket of stuff to be sold.  And seeing all my make-up looking tidy and organised, well, that made my heart happy!

Spending Less...

I figure that now that my make-up is all visible  neat and tidy, perhaps I will be less inclined to spend.  Where I do buy make-up, I want to be able to justify the purchase to myself.  I'm going to cut out unnecessary spending in Boots/Superdrug because I'm bored/sad/happy/it's a day ending with a 'Y'.  Buying 345 drugstore foundations to find one as good as a £30 high end foundation is just crazy!  And I do that...a lot!

I'm not imposing a spending ban on myself, because I have zero willpower.  I am banning myself from regular browsing in Boots or Superdrug, unless I know what I am going in there for.

I'm hoping that by the end of the year this resolution will have become a habit.

Have you made any resolutions?