Dressing For Valentines Day: MK Collab

Throw away notions of some clichéd bright pink and red Valentines outfit, this holiday doesn't need to be tacky. The overuse of those colours during Valentines Day is expected and I find it quite lazy to just stick with the traditional colour scheme. Instead go for something classic like a little black dress, it's easy to style and you can't really go wrong! It's also really easy to break up the plain style with accessories and a pop of colour, it gives you that extra bit of freedom to mix up your style.

This post is based on fashion designed by Marisa Kenson for MK Collab so after thinking of a base for this post I found the Kate Dress. This particular piece is both comfortable and classy, I love how simple this piece is for the reason that with a little black dress you don't need to look for some elaborate design to look fantastic. The Kate Dress is actually a cut out shift dress but it wouldn't require any type of special bra so that's another plus, just the right amount of skin is showing without being inappropriate. It's also quite a stretchy fabric so it's a very contouring design that flatters most body shapes though because it's cut out at the back I would say no to a belt. This dress is very reminiscent of something Victoria Beckham would wear, she goes for simple and classy LBD's as her signature style and it has always worked for her. 

The Joan Nude Jacket is something light that could be added to the black dress as a way to ensure that the it gets the maximum effect. The jacket is a waterfall style so for those of you who are self conscious, you can use it as a way of disguising your lumps and bumps. I love the nude pink shade of the piece against the black of the dress because it adds a very feminine touch to the more dark and edgy look of the dress. I would personally find some simple nude stilettos in a similar yet different shade of nude as a way to create a more subtle look rather than sticking to an all black theme. As I previously mentioned, the contrast in the colours breaks up the block colour of the black quite nicely. The jacket is pictured with the matching Connie Dress but whilst I do love the design, I don't like the single colour look. 

The third and final MK Collab item I would add to this look is the Faithful Necklace, it keeps up with the nude pink look and it adds yet another feminine touch to break up the block colour of the dress. The large design of the necklace makes this item a statement piece, I personally love the way it looks with the other two pieces from MK Collab. You could also wear this necklace with a plain jumper and jeans to dress up the look for work or a lunch date with friends, either way it's worth investing in a statement necklace in the long run. 

The whole look tied together is very versatile; it can be worn to work, to meetings, to parties and of course on a Valentines date. I love this look as an alternative to the red, high maintenance and obvious outfit choice that tends to be chosen in a panic by girls everywhere.

The copyright of the images belongs to MK Collab.

January Favourites

My January Favourites post isn't going to be quite as extensive as my previous favourites posts but I've still got quite a bit to say about what I have loved this month. As usual I'm going to mention more than just beauty favourites, I like to keep my posts as varied as possible so I will factor in television shows I've loved and music I've been listening to. 

This month I've been quite experimental with my skincare, I've used quite a range of products. I started with Micellar Water by Garnier, it made my skin feel clean but I found that it didn't really clear up my skin so I moved back onto the Tea Tree Cleanser and Toner from Superdrug. The tea tree in the product reduced redness but did little for my pores. Once both of those products were finished I bought the Olay Cleansing Milk and the Refreshing Toner to go with it, I used them after a Montagne Jeunesse Black Seaweed Peel-Off Masque and I got immediate results. My pores reduced in visibility, my skin felt refreshed, cleansed and much softer. I have since continued to use  the Cleansing Milk and the Refreshing Toner but I noticed that after a few days my skin began to dry out so if you are planning on trying them I would recommend that you apply a liberal amount of moisturiser afterwards. 

The Barely There White Lily and Sweet Rose Blossom Body Spray from Wilkinson's was something that came in a giftset I got at Christmas, it has since been one of my favourite products to use after the bath. It has a very sweet, rather talcy sort of smell to it that makes me feel relaxed and fresh after use. 

I think I might have mentioned the Bleach London Split Fix Serum in my last favourites post, I can't quite remember whether or not I did. Either way it's something that I've re-bought this month and used a lot, I particularly love to use it when I create a messy ponytail look. I section off my overgrown fringe at the front with clips, gather my hair up into a messy ponytail and put it into a bobble. I then let my fringe out of the clips and because my hair is naturally wavy I just backcomb it slightly before applying the serum to both my fringe and the ponytail to give it an undone yet polished look. 

I recently posted a review on the Revolution Redemption Palette Iconic 3, I've used it just about excessively this month because despite the fact that the shades look similar it's really easy to mix and match the shades to create unique looks. Since I posted the review, I have tried out many different looks throughout the month and I'm slowly improving with my application methods. Depending on my mood I can fancy either a really subtle and neutral style or a more grungy look, the only issue is that the texture doesn't really have staying power in the crease. Either way I do love this product so I can forgive Revolution for that tiny negative. 

This month I received a 14 Day Teatox from Slendertoxtea, I haven't completed the full course yet but I already feel much less bloated. I love starting my day with it because as well as cleansing, I find that it energises me and makes me feel more awake. In the 14 Day Teatox you get a pack of daytime tea and a pack of nighttime tea, at first I found that the product didn't sit well with me but once I reduced the brewing time I really started to enjoy it. 

Moving onto my non health/beauty favourites, I recently watched the penultimate episode and the finale of American Horror Story: Freak Show  and it completely blew my mind. I loved how they linked back to the prior seasons, it was subtle when they could have gone really overboard so kudos to the writers! Also, it's the second time that Jessica Lange has totally nailed a death scene in the series. It was emotional, heart-warming and completely appropriate just like in Asylum when her character slipped away. I have heard that she doesn't want to do any more episodes so I'm slightly worried about their possible future line-up if they are planning on creating more, Jessica Lange is amazing.

As for music favourites, I haven't been listening to current music as much this month because I've reverted back to some old favourites. My Chemical Romance and the All American Rejects have been constantly on replay since I heard them again on the music channels. I've had a full playlist of both artists on but my favourites by MCR have been Teenagers, Mama and Na Na Na. As for the All American Rejects, I've particularly loved Beekeepers Daughter, I Wanna and Fast And Slow.

These have been my favourites this month, what has everyone else been loving?

Big Girls You're Beautiful! Just Curvy Fashion

I'm not a plus-size blogger but I know how difficult it can be to find high quality fashion that fits to the curvier shape. It's time to embrace your curves and find fashion that accentuates your beautiful shape. Just Curvy is an affordable plus-size fashion brand with some incredibly flattering pieces that are well worth investing in if you're revamping your wardrobe. 

They do a wide range of styles so whether you are looking for comfy and versatile jeans or an outfit for a nightout, Just Curvy have you covered. Most of their pieces focus on shape wear so you don't have to worry about little things like a larger bust which can be an issue when picking out plus size clothing. Speaking of larger busts, Just Curvy have an amazing lingerie line that doesn't look dated or ugly like many lines that do. There isn't much to choose from at the moment but what they do have is very classic and comfortable.

The Beige Strappy Contrast Pencil Midi Bodycon Dress is perfect for those of you who don't wear dresses or skirts often, a pencil design is always great for when you want to wear a dress but don't like showing too much skin. Also, if you don't like to show your arms you can pair this dress with a bolero or a blazer in black or perhaps a nude tone to keep the look subtle. I personally like the neutral look best but you can't really go wrong with a good blazer, they go with so many outfits and dress up a casual outfit in seconds.

Just Curvy do jumpers and knitwear too so if you're struggling to find a cute jumper for the colder months then look no further! This Grey Angora Mix Jumper With Black Printed Polka Dots is a perfect casual item for the transition between winter and spring, it's not too thick yet it still has the ability to keep the wearer warm. Also, since the item is grey and black it is really easy to style. I would personally pair it with some comfy black jeans, a leather jacket, black wedge boots and a brightly coloured bag. 

As you can tell, Just Curvy produces some fantastic pieces that are so easy to style and when you're paying so little for them it's so hard not to go overboard. The fact that they are so easy to style is a great plus in my book because I know how difficult it is to choose an outfit in a rush. I know I can't be the only person that sleeps in on the odd occasion only to remember that I needed to be up earlier to pick out an outfit and get ready. 

Since I've mentioned comfy jeans a few times I think it's only fitting that I show you a pair that I find utterly adorable. The Blue Denim Wash Wrinkle Effect Jeans are very flattering and because they have the wrinkle effect they have a very casual undone look about they yet you could pair them with a blazer and cute blouse for a date or a lunch meeting. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on Just Curvy and general plus-size fashion if you could take a second to comment below.

Post Break Catch-Up: Blog Reboot

Hello everyone, it's been almost a week since I last posted and it's been a busy one! My nana had a stroke so I looked after her until she was taken back into the hospital so I didn't have access to the internet. Anyway, it's nice to get a chance to blog again because it's my main creative outlet.

Since I've called this post a catch-up, I might as well go through some of the changes that have occurred in the past week. Like I've already waffled on about, I stayed at my nanas to look after her for a little while so the first half of the week revolved around that but since then I've been up to quite a bit of thinking about the development of my blog.

Whilst I was at my nanas house I had quite a bit of spare time so I've managed to design a logo for my blog, it won't be up for a while because it's still in the development stages. I'm looking forward to seeing how it looks once it's up in digital form because it's a design I'm quite proud of. It might take quite some time though because I haven't really done much design work since I left Secondary School. Either way I've decided to revert back to the original colour scheme; orange and white. It's not like I don't like how it is now but I prefer orange to blue and it will work better with the logo when it's finally up. I'll change it all at the same time to fit in with the new blog style so it's less gradual and more effective. 

I've obviously done things other than blog development which leads me onto the next topic, I've started a SLENDERTOXTEA Teatox. I got it gifted through the Bloggers Lv Hub last week and started it on Friday. So far I already feel less bloated but I think on the first day I brewed it for too long because I seem to have a low tolerance for it. There is a note on the back of the packaging that say this but I guess you just have to work out your personal tolerance. I'm onto my fourth day of the detox so I'll keep you up to date as I go through it, I find that reading other peoples experiences with products before buying them can save a lot of money! As of yet there are no major complaints though so I'll just have to see how I go with it. I might try a different brand later in the year for comparison so I get a feel for the teatox market, I personally love the idea of detoxing with tea because tea is one of my favourite products anyway.

Since I missed my weekly playlist on Saturday, I thought I'd just mention that I've majorly gotten back into the All American Rejects. I saw one of their music videos on the music channels last week and I've had their songs on repeat ever since, I don't think there would have been a point in writing my weekly playlist anyway because I've only listened to one band. I tend to go through phases like this so just bare with me whilst I transition back into my usual varied music taste.

Thanks for reading my Blog Reboot post, my general blogging pattern should be back to normal now so expect a lot more posts to come this week! If you have any inspiration posts or ideas I'd love to read them, just let me know.

The All About Me Tag

After reading through some of Jemma's old posts I decided that I'd like to type something up of a similar structure and tell my readers some more facts about me. The All About Me Tag just seemed like the perfect excuse to do some writing so here we go!

Name and age?

My Full name is Aymie Louise Barton and I'm 19 years old.

Where are you from?

A small town near Durham in the UK.

How tall are you?

I think I'm 5"4 but I could be taller.

Do you have any pets?

No, I've had them in the past but it's just not practical right now.

Are you in a relationship?

No.

Tea or Coffee?

I have nothing against coffee but I'd take a good cup of tea over a cup of coffee any day! 

If you couldn't wear bright red lipstick ever again, what would be your new "go-to"?

I don't really wear bright red lipstick but for the purpose of this question I'll say a bright purple.

What is one fashion item that you wish never happened?

Tough one... Fur coats.

Guilty pleasure food?

Probably shortbread, I could go through packet after packet of the stuff.

Favorite season?

When I used to be asked this question I would have said Autumn but I'm starting to think I love Summer more.

One thing you wish someone one told you when you first started using make up?

Eyeliner and mascara aren't that difficult to get right, give it a go!

Have you ever dyed you hair? What colors?

This could be a long answer... I'm growing my light blonde hair out now but I've been brunette, auburn, red, black, platinum, yellow, orange, purple and blonde in streaks, block purple, black with a blue tint... The list goes on.

Last Thing you bought?

Some Olay Cleanser and Toner to try out when I've ran out of what I use at the moment.

Favorite blogger?

The Beauty Crush

If you could live anywhere, where would you live? 

I would live either in Sydney or New York, I've always wanted to visit both places so I'd love to live in either one!

My Week In Review...

I started this week on a rather slow note, I didn't have to go to the Furniture Scheme until Tuesday so I visited my gran and did some shopping for her. We made a noodle stir fry with Singapore styled noodles, chicken noodles, chicken, soy sauce, vegetables and garlic for lunch. It tasted divine!

On Tuesday I had to actually work so I ran the CDFHS Twitter account and typed up some ideas whilst my boss was having a meeting. I'm full of ideas on how to optimise the use of social media to fit in with the scheme, the internet is a large part of most businesses and charitable organisations. Whilst I was in the office I got the chance to organise my diary and get all of the dates I need to have in mind on my planner. I tend to multitask at work and use my time as wisely as I can rather that sitting there and waiting for Twitter to have a burst of activity.

For the rest of the working week I shared my time between work, family and blogging. I got a lot done and I now have posts scheduled for the next two weeks providing that I decide to do some of my more uncertain ideas. I also managed to fit in a trip to the dentists because I've had a toothache for a few weeks now, apparently all is well for the moment. 

On Friday night I stayed over Kate's and we had a catch-up and  I had the last of her Christmas chocolate whilst we both blogged. It was nice to get a chance to just sit and catch-up because we don't see each other as much as we used to. On Saturday morning I slept in whilst she read or whatever because I'm not exactly a morning person and then we went downstairs to do some cooking and baking. I had to wait to go downstairs until the dog was gone because it hates me and wants to eat me but once that issue was resolved we made a start on lunch which was coated chicken and dipping sauce. Whilst that was cooking we baked chocolate and honey upside down teacakes, they were soft spongy and just the right texture. We were surprised they turned out so well! I ended up getting a photo taken for a job application after that so we had to have a drive up to Whitworth Hall to hand it in. It's so adorable there, the young deer were scattered around the grounds and the hotel itself is full of character.

Closing up the week we got the long awaited first decent snowfall of winter. It's absolutely freezing but who doesn't love a bit of snow? Look out for a lot of posts in the coming week, I've been slowed down since Christmas but things are relatively normal again so things should start building up again now.

My Weekly Playlist

This is just a forewarning before you start properly reading this post; the songs do get more cheerful, it's not all doom and gloom!

Anyway, this week I've reverted back to a lot of my past music taste, the main band that I've been playing is the All American Rejects. Gives You Hell was playing on the Kerrang music channel and it just sort of went from there because I used to LOVE that band when I was in Secondary School. 

Another thing I've been listening to this week is (don't judge me!) Teenagers by My Chemical Romance, I used to listen to loads of MCR when I was younger with my best friend. I know it's a bit dark but my music taste is quite conflicted in the way that I love both the happy, preppy pop sort of music but I also love to listen to rock and slightly less chirpy tunes. 

As usual I've mixed it up quite a bit because I'm not the type of person that can just stick to one band and genre, I've had Don't You Forget About Me by Simple Minds stuck in my head and I still can't get it out. I think it was originally from The Breakfast Club but I can't really remember, either way it's a fantastic song and I don't particularly mind having it stuck in my head.

I've only just gotten around to listening to Kingsland Road's debut single Dirty Dancer and I have to say, I'm really quite impressed. They came from The X Factor so I half expected to hear a very mainstream bubbly pop tune but they seem to have stuck to their own image whilst still making it sound catchy and full of personality. This may be because of their prominent accents in the song but I sort of thought they sounded slightly like Rixton which is by no means a negative criticism.

Speaking of The X Factor, Ben Haenow's winners single is still at a decent spot in the charts and I have to admit that it's really grown on me. Something I Need was a perfect song for his voice and I really hope that he does something after the tour because most winners don't really stay in the public eye for long.

Cool Kids by Echo Smith has been out for quite some time but I've only recently paid attention to it and I'm glad I discovered it because it's a really good song for chilling at home and blogging. It's not too bubbly and upbeat but at the same time it's not too slow and boring so it's a perfect song to listen to if you're not in the mood for intense music. 

The other artists I've been into this week are George Ezra, Ed Sheeran, Olly Murs, Paramore, 5 Seconds of Summer and Taylor Swift. I haven't really had much of a chance to use my turntable this week because I've had quite a busy schedule, I am craving so Queen though so I can imagine that's going to be played a few times in these next few days.

Thanks for reading about my playlist, does anyone have any recommendations? I'm always looking for new music to check out.

My Latest Fashion Wishlist (Fashion Friday)

This weeks Fashion Friday post is going to be my latest fashion wishlist because I've noticed quite a few items that I'd absolutely love to have in my wardrobe. 

The first item on my wishlist is the ASOS Cardigan With Kimono Sleeves. I utterly adore both the colour and the shape, it's something that you can get a lot of wear out of and style in many different ways. I only just got into the kimono trend last year and I thought it was more of a summertime piece but this item has a lot of potential in terms of creating many different looks focusing on one feature. You can either get this kimono in burgundy or khaki but I think that this colour is the more flattering of the two. I would personally style this with either black leggings and a light grey cami or with 'mom jeans' and a black crop top but the possibilities are endless.

Next up in my wishlist is the Milk It Vintage High Waisted Mom Jeans With Ripped Knees And Roll Hem. I mentioned mom jeans whilst I was explaining how I would style the kimono and I just thought I'd add a pair to my wishlist because I utterly adore. There was a similar pair by Milk It on the same site but they were black and not ripped, I love them too but these look amazing. Mom jeans are just so relaxed looking and casual so they can be worn for meeting with friends or running errands, either way they are easy to style. Crop tops or baggy t-shirts, as simple as they are, can look fantastic with a pair of these jeans. I also love how the jeans look with Converses, it's just such a brilliant way to play up the relaxed look.

I've been admiring the Sun Moon and Stars dress for a LONG time, I didn't realise that they do a jumpsuit version. The dress version seemed a little bit short for my taste but I suppose I could wear thicker tights. The Motel Unitard Jumpsuit in Sun Moon and Stars is probably my favourite item on the Motel Rocks site and I say that even though I've checked out all of their stock. I have a leather jacket that would compliment this look, it's not something I would wear at work but it would be great for a night out. I would also love to pair this with a cute skinny belt, in either black, silver, green or burgundy. Also, this item has a scoop neck and a plunge back style, I've been wanting to buy something with that sort of style for some time now so I think this piece would be great to add to my wardrobe. There is one issue with this item though, the fact that it's plunge back means that finding a bra that works would be difficult.

Another thing from Motel Rocks that I adore is the Motel Sally Mae Shift Dress in Green Irridescent. It's a glitzy take on the t-shirt dress which I love anyway but the addition of sequins makes this item look party ready with minimal effort. There are three colour options; black, burgundy and green. I prefer the green version but all three look great so I'd probaly love to have all three. You don't really have to style this look up, it just requires black shoes and perhaps a simple necklace. The MOTEL DELUXE Gabby Sequin Plunge Back Dress in Iridescent Green is very similar only it has a plunge back and long sleeves. That choice also has the three colour options so really it just depends on taste but the sequined look is fantastic for parties. I wouldn't recommend wearing anything too light as a jacket though because the sequins would probably click the material.

Any items you have your eye on?

Throwback Thursday: Tenerife Oct 27th - Nov 3rd 2014

Hello! Since it's so unbelievably cold and miserable here in the UK I thought I would use Throwback Thursday to reminisce about how lovely and warm it was in Tenerife last October. I actually went to Tenerife twice last year but the second time I went was nicer because it was on the warmer side of the island.

The image to the left has been included in this post because my hair went really wavy and cute, even if I do say so myself! Anyway, it was a family holiday so it wasn't exactly a wild one, though I doubt it would have been wild if I went with friends, but I really enjoyed myself. I went to the water park in Costa Adeje and saw the dolphin show but that was about the only thing like that I did. I did a lot of walking so I got to see so much that I wouldn't have seen if I had stuck by the beaten path. This included sand sculptures, unsigned artists and buskers, quirky parks, gardens and many homely businesses.

We ended up in the hotel bar most nights and for us that meant checking up on our phones and watching childrens entertainment with Jessica. I think me and my brother ended up playing one of the cocktail games where you have to collect certain items of clothing from the audience. That was... Fun. You can't really see in that picture but this was before my sister got her hair cut for The Little Princess Trust, it was very mermaid like. Then again, it always was when she had long hair. 

Speaking of hair, I avoided getting mine braided when I was there because I had it done last time and I looked like a drug lord. It was difficult to wash, I nearly had to cut some of it out in the end do lets just say it wasn't a great look for me! I did pass a lot of women out there trying to get me to let them braid my hair though, they kind of over did it on the flattery. Sales people over there are very persistent and it's very hard to shake one off once they are latched on to you so if you go to Tenerife try to avoid the sea front if you don't like being harassed at every corner.

What a lot of people don't know about me is that I really don't like boats, I'm less vocal about that than I am about my dislike of planes. I still like to travel but I just get nervous when I'm first starting out. Anyway, I never thought I would go whale watching but when we were on holiday it was on as a day trip so me, my dad, my brother and my sister went whale watching whilst my mum slept at the hotel. It was fantastic, there was a lot of whale activity and we stopped off for a swim in the ocean. I should also mention that I drank a lot of Sangria and snacks were available so that probably calmed my nerves a little bit. 

Those were the key points from my Throwback Thursday, is anyone else craving a bit of sun around about now?

The British Tag

This is yet another one of those tags that have been circulating for a LONG time, I've never really had the chance to do it because I previously ran a news themed blog and then later a fashion blog. Running a themed blog, for me at least, gets boring pretty quickly as the subjects that are available get kind of restricted unless you run a branch off your main site. Anyway, now I've tucked away a few months of experience in writing for myself in a less restricted fashion and I feel an urge to have a go at this tag.

How many cups of tea a day do you have and how many sugars do you have?

I can't really pin-point an exact number because I don't really schedule my tea consumption but I can say that I probably drink more than I should. I take my tea strong, with a trickle of milk and absolutely no sugars or sweeteners. 

Favourite dunking biscuit?

Either a plain digestive or a fruit shortcake biscuit, it just depends on what I fancy really.

Favourite part of your roast?

I would have to say yorkshire puddings, it would be sweetcorn but my family isn't all too keen on it so we don't have it unless we go out.

Favourite quintessentially British pass time?

I love to have afternoon tea with cream and scones, it's overly British and not a very teenage sort of thing to do it's feels great to have a catch-up over some tea and scones (or cake if scones aren't available!).

Favourite word?

Floccinaucinihilipilification. It's stupidly long and literally means the habit of estimating things as worthless. I found it on Google years ago.

Cockney rhyming slang?

Apples and pears (stairs). I don't actually know much cockney rhyming slang, it's a southern thing that most of us northerners don't really use.

Favourite sweet?

Either flying saucers, gummy bears or fizzy milk bottles. They used to be my favourite sweets to find in a mix up but now I just buy bags of each.

What would your pub be called?

The Foxes. I don't know why but for about a year now I've been fixated with foxes, it might have been something to do with the Facebook emoji collection.

Who's your favourite British person?

I think I would have to say Benedict Cumberbatch, he's just so consistent with the British stereotype that it's funny.

Favourite shop/restaurant?

I utterly adore Nandos, I went initially with my best friend because we hadn't tried it before and I've loved it ever since. I actually celebrated my last birthday with a meal at Nandos with some of my closest friends, it was fantastic.

What British song pops into your head?

I'd love to say it was something really cool but all I can think of is Wannabe by The Spice Girls, of course there are better songs but that was the first song that popped into my head. It must have been Geri Halliwell's Union Jack dress.

Marmite?

I've never tried it, I don't have any plans to either. It doesn't look very appetising...

I tag AJ and Carl to do this next! Apparently I'm going to like Marmite soon enough.

What's In My Bag? (January Update)

Since the contents of my bag changes throughout the year I figured I should do a little update, I last did this post in November which you can read here but I don't think anything in my bag except for my purse is the same as then. 

For starters, I bought a new bag from Primark in the January sales. It's not particularly large but I got it for £3 reduced from £6 and it comes in handy for when I want to minimize the amount of stuff I'm carrying around.

I only started my blog at the end of 2014 but I quickly came to realise that if I wanted to keep on top of things I would need to get a diary. I schedule my posts in the diary and whilst there is no pen in the picture I tend to carry one around to write down any random ideas I get. I keep the post it notes for a similar reason, I'm trying to organise everything and keep everything in order.

I've recently started bringing Lemon and Ginger tea with me in my bag because I'm trying to cut down on caffeine and when I'm at the furniture scheme I drink a lot of it to keep warm because the office is freezing. Speaking of the office, in my last post about my bag I mentioned that I kept a charger and headphones in my bag but I've started leaving them in my desk drawer to make room in my bag for other things. 

I keep a hair bobble in my bag because I keep attempting to leave my hair down but it gets in my way later in the day so I like to have one spare in my bag. 

I used to keep my whole makeup bag in my handbag but it took up too much room and I didn't really need it in there. Instead I now like to keep a little assortment of lip products in there because it's the one product that makes me feel better about myself when I'm feeling particularly groggy or not feeling very confident. The lip products I have in there are: the Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick in Nude Delight, the Rimmel London 1000 Kisses Lip Tint in Endless Blossom, the Barry M Matt Lipstick in Lilac and the Benecos Natural Shiny Lip Colour in Rusty Rose. 

The Liebster Award

The Liebster Award is something that I'd heard of in passing but I'd never actually bothered to look up until Megan Hayes nominated me. Thanks for that by the way!

Rules (Copied from Megan Hayes' blog):

• Thank and link the person who nominated you.
• Answer the questions given by the nominator.
• Nominate 11 small blogs (under 200 followers) who you think deserve this award.
• Create 11 new questions for the nominees to answer.
• Notify nominees via social media/blogs. 

What is your favourite book?

As weird as this sounds, I discovered my favourite books (I can't decide on just one) when I was in Secondary School and Sixth Form. My favourite books are To Kill A Mockingbird and The Kite Runner. 

If you could meet anyone, who would you meet?

Ooh, another tough one! I'd love to meet Mark Gatiss as an intellectual choice because I just think he'd be really interesting to talk to but for a less intellectual reason I would love to meet Ashton Irwin, his giggle is adorable!

Favourite perfume?

Probably DKNY Delicious, it's sweet but not overpoweringly so. My mum always gets it for her birthday and since she leaves it lying around everywhere, I always end up using it.

Are you a dog or a cat person (or neither aha)?

I'm not great with animals but if I had to choose between the two I would say I am a dog person. I grew up knowing my dad wasn't particularly keen on cats so I just sort of grew accustomed to not liking cats.

Do you have any hobbies?

I only really have blogging as a hobby but I love attending concerts too, I'm going to three this year; McBusted, S Club 7 and Nicki Minaj (quite a mix, I know!).

Best memory?

I suppose I would have to say going on a caravan holiday with my best friend and her family, it was just fantastic to be able to spend time together not tainted by exams or any other stressing activities.

What is your favourite TV programme?

I have more than just one, it's impossible to pin point one but if I absolutely HAD to choose; Sherlock.

Nicest person you know?

I don't want to answer this one, I feel like I might insult someone if I don't say them... I would either say my best friend Katy or my relatively new blogging friend AJ. 

How would you describe yourself?

I think I'm quite quirky, useless with directions, good at listening and a bit on the lazy side if I'm being totally honest.

Favourite outfit?

I recently bought a tartan dress from Primark for only £3 on the January sales, I love tartan anyway so it my favourite outfit was always going to be to do with tartan. I like to wear that with black tights, my leather jacket and my black wedges.

What would be your ideal holiday?

I'd utterly adore going to Hong Kong, my gran moved there over a decade ago and I've never visited her so it would be fantastic to go over there and have her show me the sights.

I nominate:

Katherine Jazz

Tamara

Carl

Kerry

Emma Louise

Jacky

Sorry I haven't nominated 11, it's difficult to remember everyone's names and blog addresses!

My questions: 

What type of music do you listen to? Include examples.

What is your favourite movie?

What three places would you put at the top of your travel bucket list?

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

What's your dream job?

Who is your hero/inspiration? 

What's your biggest fear?

What's your favourite season?

Sweet or savoury? 

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Why did you start blogging?

Mani Monday

Since I didn't have time to do my nails for last the first Mani Monday post I decided that I should make sure I at least painted them. It took me ages to think of how I wanted to do them but then I had a rake around my nail polish basket and a conversation about mermaids on Instagram so I felt inspired to use a  mermaid colour scheme. 

Like I said, it's a mermaid inspired colour scheme so I chose the two colours that remind me most of the scales of a mermaids tail. I chose the Rimmel London Lasting Finish in 239 Your Majesty and my shimmery green Chip Resistant Nail Polish from Claire's accessories. 

Rather than doing a feature nail like I usually do when I choose a colour scheme, I decided to do a one silver then one green sort of sequence. I also wanted to see what looked best as the main colour so I did each hand different in the colour I started off with on the thumb. It turns out that I prefer the green though the silver dried quickest and didn't smudge as easily. 

Since I did these on Sunday night ready for this post, it was too late to be sure that they were dry so I held off on applying the top coat. Instead I applied it when I woke up because I find that by adding a top coat you can disguise most smudges and fingerprints. 

I find this particular nail look to be quite fun and casual so I wouldn't necessarily wear my nails like this if I was going to work or to an interview but they are cute. I might try a similar nail look later in the week by replacing the green with a purple version of the Chip Resistant Nail Polish by Claire's just to see how it looks. 

What Apps Are On My Phone?

I like to think that I keep my phone quite organised; I try to make sure I have enough memory so I don't have to worry about running out, I only keep apps that I use and I use folders to organise everything. As you can see from looking at the image to the left, I have folders named Media. Social and Misc (Miscellaneous). I think the names of the folders kind of speak from themselves; any music/video related apps go in the Media folder, social media and messaging goes in the Social folder and anything else goes in Misc. I also have folders for Play Store and Google but they are on the other page, I just found that there was too many Play Store and Google related apps to leave floating around. In the Play Store alone there are seven apps and in the Google folder there are 5 so it just looked cluttered before they were organised.

In my Media folder I have three Apps; YouTube, Simple Mp3 and FLVTO. YouTube is just the android app version of the main site so there aren't many differences between the two formats. I use Simple MP3 to download covers of songs onto my phone when I find ones that I particularly like. It's just a handy app to have on my phone for when I'm travelling and I want to add something to a playlist which I tend to create before travelling. FLVTO is an app I use when Simple MP3 doesn't have the song I'm looking for, it's basically a converter that changes YouTube audio into an MP3 format. It's fairly quick and easy to use so sometimes I just go straight to FLVTO rather than checking Simple MP3.

In my Social folder I have a fair amount of apps, I use a lot of social media on my phone because it's an easy way to keep in touch with friends and share my latest blog posts. I have Skype and Kik to keep in touch with my gran who lives in Hong Kong, we don't Skype often but we send each other updates via Kik a lot. Instagram is one of my favourite apps in this folder, I love sharing my images and keeping up with celebs and other bloggers through Instagram. Especially now Instagram has a direct messaging feature, I think it only became available last year. I use Twitter to keep up to date with all of the bloggers chats and to share my own content, I don't tend to use it a 140 character per post diary because I use my blog to vent. Facebook and Messenger are connected so I have both, it allows me to get in touch with friends I don't see often. I only got Snapchat because a friend made me but I do enjoy receiving the odd drunken Snapchat from various people. I use Tumblr a lot, I read amateur writers work and check out posts by photographers that I wouldn't have necessarily found without the app. I only recently got Viber, I haven't used it much but it seems to have all of the functions of Skype and Kik so I'll probably be checking that out more soon. I was pleased to find out that Blogger has an android app because I like to type up posts in advance and then keep them for posting when Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram are the most busy. 

In my Misc folder I have my online banking app, Wattpad, Collage Pro and My Little App. I don't think I need to say much about my online banking app, I like having it on my phone so I can check and make transfers when I need to. Like I said with Tumblr, I read a lot by amateur writers so it's nice to have the app there for when I'm on a bus or a train when I have nothing better to do. Collage Pro is a photo editing app that I mainly use  to stick multiple pics into one image. I feel like Instagram should have a similar feature anyway but since they don't I use this app. The final app I'm going to mention is My Little App, it's a bit of a branch off the My Little Box subscription (a monthly parcel filled with mystery surprises). It offers a different free app, tip or tutorial everyday which is quite handy actually. I got my phone background from the app not that long back and I've saved plenty of their tips and tutorials to my phone.

Are there any apps you think I should be using?

Product Review: Revolution Redemption Palette Iconic 3

Since I run a lifestyle, beauty and fashion blog I like to keep my content quite varied but a lot of the time I feel like I don't post enough beauty content. Anyway, I've been looking for some inspiration by checking out what the beauty bloggers have been posting to Twitter and one of them had mentioned Product Testing UK. I checked it out immediately and sent away my details but by the time my first parcel had arrived I had forgotten and that's not because it took too long. I received the Revolution Palette Iconic 3 in the mail and I couldn't wait to review the product, I've been a fan of Revolution for quite some time so it will go nicely with my collection.

I tried out the shades that had a more dusty rose quality to them because I've been wanting to buy some eyeshadow in that sort of colour. I used the lightest shade as a base and then used the lightest shimmery pink and the darkest shimmery look to get the look in the image to the right. After applying the lighter shade I blended the darker one into the crease to give my eyes a subtle yet shimmery look. The part I used as a base actually doubled as a highlighter so I used it to reduce the appearance of dark marks under my eyes. I thought that the look was a relatively natural style which is the sort of thing I go for when I'm doing eye makeup so that's great. 

I found that because the look was so neutral I could go bolder with what I was wearing on my lips but since I wasn't going anywhere in particular I decided to go with something natural looking. As you can see in the picture to the left, it really was as subtle as I mentioned but I tested the lighter colours so I can imaging that you could make the look more dramatic by introducing darker shades. 

I also realised that my eyes looked wider and more awake once it was actually done which is something I really struggle with because my eyes are relatively small. 

One negative point about the palette is that the texture of the eyeshadow wasn't particularly smooth, I sometimes had to go back over the shade so it would stay in place rather than drop and fall on my cheekbones. 

If anyone else that blogs wants to sign up for product testing and reviews I advise that you use the attached link for Beauty Product Testing.

The Beauty Scenarios Tag

I spotted this on YouTube a while back, I think it was BubzBeauty's channel that I saw it on, so I figured I would give it a go. It's very similar to the THIS or THAT tag that I did for fashion not so long back which you can find here, I enjoyed writing that post so here we go!

If you could only use one foundation for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

I would use the Rimmel London Wake Me Up Foundation because their 010 Light Porcelain shade is a perfect match for my skin tone and it provides an even coverage whilst making me look healthy and awake. Also, they foundation has SPF15 so I know that I'm protected from the sun and that I'm getting at least some protection on my face.

If someone you were talking to had lipstick on their teeth, would you tell them?

It sounds mean but yes. I think that if it was me I'd like to know so I could do something about it but I think you have to approach it in a sensitive way and not be nasty about it. It would only make things worse if I didn't say something and someone more blunt said something that would make them feel paranoid.

Which lipstick do you use when you aren't feeling yourself or you're a bit ill?

I usually like to go for something quite natural but if I'm feeling groggy I'll use something more bold to take attention away from how ill I look. I'd probably use either my Avon Gorgeous Plum lipstick or my Barry M Colour Balm in Red.

If you could go back and time and give yourself some hair and beauty advice, what would it be?

I would tell myself not to dye my hair black and then bleach it, not to cut in a fringe and not to feel like I had to wear makeup because everyone else is. I think I struggled a lot with my image when I was in school so my main piece of advice would be to feel less insecure and more confident in myself.

You are given a really bad haircut, do you a) Call someone to cry about it? b) Cry in front of the hairdresser? c) complain to the manager? or d) Pretend you wanted it to look like that?

I don't like complaining so I would probably pretend that it was meant to turn out like that, I'd just try to disguise how bad it was with clips or something and just walk about like I loved it. 

My Weekly Playlist

This week I've had a lot of time for music, I've played it when I've been out and about (with headphones of course), I've played it when I've been at home alone and I've played it when I've been in the bath. I've chosen my most listened to songs of this week so you can see what I've deemed to be the most enjoyable music of the week.

Uptown Funk is a song that I've liked since the end of last year and it's just this week made its way onto my playlist. It's upbeat and very 70's like the rest of Bruno Mars' music, I think him and Mark Ronson made an excellent team so kudos to them! I've also been listening to Fleur East's version of the song, it's different yet still obviously the same.

Lips Are Moving by Megan Trainor is incredibly catchy and whilst All About That Bass got on my nerves I have to admit that Megan makes really good music. When I watched the video I found that I particularly liked the random guest appearances made by YouTubers and vloggers, it's always nice to recognise the extras in the background. 

Up by Olly Murs featuring Demi Lovato is utterly fantastic, before I heard the song I didn't know how their voices would work together but they sound great together. Hopefully this won't be the last time that they work together because Up is a brilliant song to listen to whatever your mood is.

Blank Space by Taylor Swift has been stuck in my head for days now, then again most of her songs do that. I think that after all this time that she's been in the music industry she's definitely picked up on what her audience wants and she knows what makes a good song.

Riding On My Bike from McBusted's self titled album has grown on me, I hate to admit it because I told my brother it wasn't one of my favourites. I've actually been enjoying their whole album so I can't wait for their 2015 tour.

On my turntable I have been listening to Queen The Greatest Hits and La Bamba. I'm not sure why I've been listening to La Bamba but I don't really need to justify Queen. My collection of vinyls are still slowly building up and I'm able to listen to quite a mix now, I still don't have any modern pop music but I'm sure I'll get around to buying a few vinyls at some point.

These are just a few of the songs that I've been listening to this week, any suggestions or recommendations?

Things I Like About Myself And Things I Don't

I've read a lot of personal posts recently and a lot of them seem to be about either overcoming some great emotional trauma or coming to terms with body issues. All of this has given me the desire to be more open on this blog and go through my own insecurities but also the things I'm happy about. It's not just going to be about body issues, it's about my personality too so this is really just a mini self assessment.

I'm going to start with something positive, I love my waist. I have a sort of hourglass/pear shape and one thing I've come to appreciate is the fact that I have quite a prominent waist. It's always best to pick at least one thing that you actually like about your body and focus on that rather than something you are insecure about.

This leads me to mention my first negative point, since I was about 11 I have hated my legs. I wasn't comfortable with how they looked and someone in secondary school pointed out how large they though they looked "legs like tree trunks" apparently. It's something that I've never forgotten and I doubt I ever will because I wasn't the most popular kid at school but I never expected hear someone prey on my insecurities like that.

I love how most of the time I can be quite laid back and that I don't get stressed as easily as most people, I've never been one to stress about exams (except for maths but that was a close call!), I've always just kind of accepted that if I do well I do well and if I don't I can do something to rectify the mistake.

My hair texture is awful, it's been that way since I started dying my hair properly. I started with home dyes until I damaged it beyond self repair and I had to go to the hairdressers. It's coarse, frizzy and seems to have a mind of its own. At the moment I'm giving my hair a break from the dye so it's really boring, I'd much prefer to have a plum sort of shade but for the moment blonde will have to do.

Being a night owl really works for me, I get some of my best work done at night. It's the only time I get peace and quiet and whilst it does mean I sacrifice a few hours of sleep, it's well worth it because it also means I can work on my fairly new hobby of blogging.

I'm quite self conscious about my mouth. I feel like my lips are too small, my teeth aren't white enough and I get paranoid that I have something stuck in my teeth. People often notice that if I have a conversation whilst I'm eating I tend to cover my mouth with my hand.

These are the main things I thought I'd mention, what are you self conscious about? What do you love about yourself?

My Accessory Wishlist (Fashion Friday)

I'm not going to lie, my sense of style can be quite boring at times. It's not because I really like I try to be boring I just don't want to put in a lot of effort with an outfit when I can look just as good, if not better, by adding a few accessories. I tend to play it safe when it comes to style, I avoid bright colours and bold patterns but that's just the way I like to dress. Anyway, this post is going to be yet another wishlist that I have planned for Fashion Friday.

The three items kicking off my list are from The Great Frog London, I've known about them for ages and I've always wanted some of their handcrafted rings. The first ring is the Frame Ring which I really like because it's a fantastic feature ring in a vintage design so it doesn't look to modern. I love chunky rings, I haven't got many but I think this would look fantastic with any outfit. It's such a simple yet eye-catching piece, I'd love to pair it up with several slightly less chunky pieces to dress up my hand a bit. You could wear this item with both formal and casual outfits though I would use it as an everyday sort of ring.

The second item from The Great Frog London is the Decorative Stone Setting Ring, it kind of reminds me of Merlin... I'm not sure why, it just has that sort of look to it, I think that the design of this piece is very mystic and fairytale like. The stone is the most beautiful shade of light purple, the site doesn't specify what type of stone it is but it's fits perfectly with the rest of the design. Due to the fact that the stone is such a subtle shade, you could probably wear this with most outfits. I would be able to anyway because most of my outfits are either monochrome or pastel anyway. This is yet another ring that would look fantastic complimented by several smaller and more simple rings.

The third and final item from The Great Frog London that I am featuring in this wishlist is the Rose Ring. This one is probably the more simple of the three but nonetheless pretty. I feel like I've seen this one somewhere before but I love it anyway. This one would be great to wear alongside another feature ring to jazz up a look but it could also work on its own. It really just depends on how bold you like to be with your accessories, you might want to keep it subtle or you might want to make a statement. Really, I love most of The Great Frog London's jewellery but I'm most partial to their rings.

The next three items are from Regal Rose, this is another I utterly adore so it took a while to narrow the number down to three for this wishlist. The first item that I'm putting on this wishlist from Regal Rose is the Orsa. Crystal Back Drop Choker, it's really quite different and it would perfectly compliment a backless dress. It's not particularly bold or jazzy but it is a simple piece that works well with rather plain outfits to create a classic yet plain look. I think this piece would also highlight any back tattoos for those of you who have them, I don't personally have any yet but you never know. 

The second item from Regal Rose that I wanted to work into my wishlist is the Jumana Mini. Tibetan Septum Ring-Clip. It means I wouldn't have to get my septum pierced to wear such an item and I could still experiment with it in. I would probably compliment this piece by wearing small jeweled earrings rather than anything too bold because then it would overpower the look. Regal Rose actually have a proper septum ring for those of you who have a piercing but I don't so this one is ideal for me. I'd get my septum pierced but I don't think many interviewers take to kindly to facial piercings so I'll just use pieces like this one for the moment.

The final item I'm mentioning from Regal Rose in my wishlist is the Hadya. Crystal Choker Harness. I've seen celebrities and bloggers wearing these all over the place so I've been wanting to try one for ages, This is something I would wear over a simple tank top to glam it up a bit on a night out or over a plain dress to give it a feature. It means you don't have to layer up on necklaces or go overboard with accessories to dress up a plain/neutral outfit.

I'll not add anything else to the list because I've notice how long this list has become but what is everyone else wanting in terms of accessories? 

Running And Maintaining A Blog: Beginners Tips

This is not my first blog and whilst this is the blog I've been most happy with, I've been growing as a blogger for quite a while so I've picked up a few little tips and sort of blogging hacks along the way so I've decided to type as many of them up as I can as a mini Bloggers Guide For Beginners.

My first tip would be to set up a schedule, for example; I make sure I post about nails on Monday, Fashion on Friday and a weekly playlist on Saturday. Anything else that is posted tends to be lifestyle because I mainly label this blog as a Lifestyle one with the addition of Beauty and Fashion. If you have any returning readers or subscribers they will look out for certain types of posts so my top tip would be to keep a diary to schedule it all. There are Blog Planners available to save and print out if you don't want to go out and buy a diary, you can even just use your phone for memos or notes but I find it more helpful to use a diary.

Social media is a large part of the blogging community and whilst it can seem intimidating at first, most bloggers are more than happy to help out and give feedback. I personally use Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram and most recently Pinterest. Twitter is used to host bloggers chats such as the #lbloggers chat, the #bbloggers chat and the #fblchat which are all useful because a certain topic is picked each week and it gives bloggers a chance to get to know each other and share content. Facebook is fantastic in terms of groups and pages because there are plenty of share feeds and pr requests that occur on that platform, it's actually quite a steady source of traffic.

Speaking of traffic, it's important not to focus on traffic but getting page views and comments is gratifying so all you can really do is focus on content. I tend to check out the#lbloggers, #bbloggers and #fbloggers tags on Twitter to find post inspiration for blog posts rather than Pinterest which I'm told is fantastic for that but I'm not massively familiar with the site. If you're focused on gaining traffic then I suggest finding trends in social media for when to actually post, timing is key for the goal of increasing traffic. I like to post either around lunch time or at about 5pm because that's when more bloggers seem to be looking for links but it's also a good idea to post during a bloggers chat and tag it appropriately. 

Try to add photos to as many of your posts as possible but don't add a photo if it doesn't have any business being where it is, some people prefer block content but others prefer to have it broken up with good quality images. You really have to find out your audience for this purpose, you can always create a survey with Survey Monkey or whatever else to ask your readership what they would like to see.

These have been my top tips for running and maintaining a blog, are there any that you would like to add? I'm always looking for extra tips and feedback.

Product Review: Benecos Natural Beauty Products

I recently got in touch with Benecos after being told about them by Tamara. She gave me an honest opinion of the brand so I went on Facebook to express my desire to test out some of their products and work with them. They sent me a parcel that arrived the next day which I graciously accepted and reviewed the day after.

I received their Natural BB Cream 8 in 1 in the shade Fair, Natural Shiny Lip Colour and two Natural Eyeshadows which I got in the shades Lucky Hour and Happy Sky. 

As you can see the makeup basically did what it said on the packet, it created a modern natural look. I loved how simple they products were and I loved them even more when I realised they could all be worn together.

I've been wanting to try a BB cream for quite some time but I've never remembered to pick one up when I've been out and about. I loved the consistency and the texture of the cream once it was on my face, it went on quite stick but once it had settled it felt really light. The shade was really good for under my eyes but I don't think Fair was a great shade for me, it was darker than my actual skin colour. 

My first thoughts on the eyeshadows weren't particularly great but that's because I was unsure of the dark purple shade of Happy Hour, these thoughts changed however when I blended the two together on my eyelids. I used the light taupe sort of colour that was Lucky Sky as a base and then blended Happy Hour into the crease, it didn't look like a bruise and I felt like it subtly added definition to my eyes.

I got the Natural Shiny Lip Colour in Rusty Rose which I thought would clump together on my lips because I don't have the best of luck when it comes to lip crayons, it turned out that it was a sort of your lips but better colour. It just slightly tinted my lips and added a healthy sheen to them which I was really pleased about.

Thanks for the recommendation, Tamara!

What's In My Jewellery Box?

I've seen this type of post floating around for a while and since I got a jewellery box for Christmas I figured now was about the right time to type this up. Most of my taste is quite simple but I do change it up a bit sometimes, the first section of the box proves that. In the earring part of the top compartment there is:

• My sterling silver jewel encrusted heart earrings, I got these from my gran to got with the jewellery box.

• Tinkerbell earrings, they are quite large but they are also silver and quite subtle so they are sort of the best of both worlds.

• Two pairs of aztec styled earrings that I got from Primark with another pair but I lost the other pair.

I also have some dangly peace sign earrings in there but they wouldn't fit in the earring holder.

The rings that are in the bottom section of the upper compartment are:

• The ring from One Directions perfume You & I, it came as part of the bottle as a sort of extra but it's cute so I have actually worn it a few times.

• An elasticated, beaded colourful ring that my gran bought when she was on holiday. It didn't fit her so she gave it to me, it's an interesting piece and adds colour to an otherwise plain outfit.

In the top section of the upper compartment is:

• A crystal pendant that I got for Christmas off a friend of mine quite a few years ago, it did come with a chain but I switch it about with other pendants.

• Two charms that were given to my mum when she was stopped by a gypsy fortune teller on the streets of Blackpool, I wasn't mentioned but my brother and sister was so that's slightly worrying if you buy into all of that stuff.

• There is a miners pin that was given to me and my brother by our great gran who's dad used to work in the pits.
• The last item in the top compartment is the heart-shaped white gold locket that my gran bought me for my 18th birthday, I still haven't added photos to it but I will when I get round to it.

Onto the second compartment, I use this one to store away all of my bracelets:

• Two very colourful jewelled bracelets that are quite chunky so I don't really layer them up when I wear them.

• A charm bracelet that I got from Blackpool years ago, it was on a stall and I took a liking to it because one of the charms is Mickey mouse's head.

• A Claire's Accessories friendship bracelet that I got with a friend of mine when we were shopping in Durham a while back.

• A chunky pink and purple bracelet that I got from my godfather before we lost contact.

I keep my necklaces in the third and final compartment of my jewellery box. There are only three in there:

• The Tinkerbell necklace that matches the earrings from the top compartment.

• A simple silver necklace with beads on it that I got for Christmas off a friend a few years ago, I have a bracelet that matches but I have that in a different but that I took to London at the end of last year.
• A necklace I got from a magazine last year, it says 'Smile' in black lettering. It's actually quite cute when you layer it up with a longer necklace.

Thanks for reading about what's in my jewellery box, do you know of any links to similar posts?