Blogmas Day Twenty-Four | Merry Christmas



Can you believe it's Christmas Eve already? December really has flew by, and it doesn't seem that long ago that day one of blogmas went up, so it's mad to think that I'm about to hit publish on the final day! I thought long and hard about what I wanted todays post to be, and in the end I've decided that I just want it to be a simple merry Christmas post.

Blogmas Day Twenty-Three | 2017 Blog Goals



Can you believe that we are nearly at the end of Blogmas? It doesn't feel like that long ago that I was hitting publish on my day one post, and now here we are on day twenty-three. What's even more shocking is that I have actually managed to keep up! Every single post has been out at 7am, and even though some have been a bit more rushed than others, I've done it, and I couldn't be more proud of myself! Blogmas has really motivated me to put a lot more effort into my blog because, as I have said many times before, I really truly love this blog, and I want to make the most of it! So for today's post I thought I would share my 2017 blog goals!

Blogmas Day Twenty-Two | Christmas Day



Hello lovelies! For todays blogmas post I thought I would make a return to Christmas related posts and tell you all how our Christmas holidays go! We follow a pretty similar routine every year which has very much become tradition, so I thought it would be fun to share it with you all.

Blogmas Day Twenty-One | I Won A Giveaway!


I WON A GIVEAWAY!!

I've pretty much won absolutely nothing before so you can imagine my excitement when I was the winner of Tania from Tania Michele 3rd blog birthday giveaway! The prizes arrived a few weeks ago and I LOVE them all so I thought I would share them with you.

Blogmas Day Twenty | Estee Lauder Double Wear



For years I have been hearing people rave about the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation and how well it stays in place all day even on oily skin. So I really can not explain why it has taken me until now to finally try this foundation out! But I'm happy to say I can now finally see what all the fuss is about!

Blogmas Day Nineteen | Four NYE Outfits



Can you believe that we're almost at the end of 2016? I know it's cliche to say, but this year really has flew by! And the end of 2016 means it's almost time to celebrate the start of 2017, so if you haven't already, now's the time to start looking for the perfect new outfit! I've put together four outfits that would be perfect for four different occasions, so hope you will find something you like!

Nightclub
I'm not one for nightclubs on New Years anymore, but I know for a lot of people, getting dressed up and hitting the clubs is still the perfect way to see in the new year! This outfit would be great for that. The dress will make sure you stand out on the dance floor and the red lipstick and nail polish will really help to finish the look off. If I was to wear this outfit I would keep the jewellery simple and stick to just a pair of earrings.

Blogmas Day Eighteen | Sleek Matte Me 'Old Hollywood'



If there is one thing I can never have enough of, it's a red lippie! It's my go-to colour all year long, but during the winter I wear it almost daily. So when I saw Sleek Matte Me 'Old Hollywood' during a recent shopping trip in Superdrug I knew I had to get it! I had heard a lot of great things about the Matte Me range, which are liquid lipsticks, so I was very excited to try this out!

Blogmas Day Seventeen | Mulled Wine Recipe



What's not to love about a glass of warm mulled wine on a cold winters night? I certainly can't think of anything! Mulled wine is another one of my festive favourites, and it's so easy to make! Today I thought I would share my easiest mulled wine recipe with you all. This recipe involves very few ingredients and is pretty cheap to make. However you can easily add other ingredients to further enhance the flavour. At the end I will list a few of the extras you can put in!



What you need:
1 bottles of red wine (I like to use Merlot)
3 tbs caster sugar
1 cinnamon sticks
1 star anise
Cloves
Pinch of nutmeg
1 orange

What you need to do:
1. Pour the wine into a pan on a medium temperature and stir in the sugar
2. Add the spices and a few slices of the orange
3. After about 15 minutes turn the temperature down as low as possible. DO NOT allow the wine to boil as this will make the alcohol evaporate (and lets be honest, we do not want that). If it starts to bubble, turn it down.
4. Leave to brew on a low temperature for about 30 minutes. This will let the flavours infuse into the wine
5. Serve into glasses and garnish with slices of orange.

Some additions you can make:
There are a lot of additions you can make to your mulled wine! Sometimes I like to add some cointreau or brandy, and I've heard that sloe gin really helps to add to the flavour! In my recipe I like to stick to the traditional spices but I've seen a lot of recipes that include the likes of bay leaves, cardamom and vanilla. The best thing about mulled wine is that there is so much room for experimentation, so don't be afraid to make a few changes to see what you like best!

Last week I put up a recipe for another festive favourite of mine... Baileys Latte.

Do you have a favourite Mulled Wine recipe?

Blogmas Day Fifteen | DIY Coffee Scrub



I'm sure most of us will agree, there is nothing better than scrubbing ourselves top to toe and leaving ourselves with silky smooth skin. There is a huge selection of exfoliators and scrubs to choose from but over the past year coffee scrubs seem to have taken over! Since I'm forever on a budget when it comes to beauty items I decided that the average £15 was just too much for me to spend on a scrub, so I instead set out to see how easy it would be to make my own! And guess what... it's super simple!

Blogmas Day Fourteen | The Blogger Tag



Hello everyone! I've just been tagged by the lovely Sabreena over at The Girl In The City to do the blogger tag! I've seen this tag floating around the blogosphere and I thought it looked quite fun so I was excited to get to do it! I hope it helps you to get to know me slightly better.

1. How tall are you?
I'm about 5ft5, so pretty average!

Blogmas Day Thirteen | What I Love About Christmas



Oh I love Christmas, it's definitely my favourite time of year! There's just so much I love about it, from the lights to the atmosphere to the social activities it brings. So today I thought I would share what I love about Christmas.

The Lights
A bit random, but honestly as soon as the lights start going up at Christmas I am instantly in a great mood! The lights on the trees, the candles that everyone burns, the lights in the town... they just all instantly put a smile on my face.

Blogmas Day Twelve | Winter Pamper Routine



Who doesn't love a pamper night in the midst of winter? When it's freezing cold there's nothing I love more than putting the heating on full, lighting every candle I can get my hands on, and playing my favourite Christmas album on full volume! So today's post will be sharing my favourite winter pamper routine!

Bath
The first step in my pamper routine is always to have a lovely long bath! And what bath is complete without a Lush bath bomb? I've recently bought the Northern Lights bath bomb and I can't wait to try it in my next bath! While I'm in the bath I always like to use one of my favourite shower gels and I normally reach for one from Soap and Glory. Next I like to shave my legs (seriously, is there a better feeling in the world than freshly shaved legs) before following up with the Soap and Glory Pulp Friction Body Scrub

Blogmas Day Eleven | Giving Back At Christmas



Today I thought it would be a great idea to do a post on how we can help others at Christmas. I know I'm not the only one guilty of getting caught up in the excitement of Christmas. Presents, nights out, lots and lots of dinners... it's easy to forget about others. So this year, I want to try and make an effort to give back to the community and help others, and I'm asking for all of you to do the same! Obviously I can't make you do anything, but even a £5 donation to charity will help to make a difference.

1. Shoebox Appeal A lot of different charities carry out shoebox appeals at Christmas. They generally consist of filling a shoebox up with gifts and toiletries, which is then sent to countries such as Belarus to be given to people less fortunate than outselves. You normally can choose who you want your box to be targeted towards or if you want to send a more general box.

Blogmas Day Ten | The Christmas Tag



Hello lovelies! Today I thought it would be fun to do a tag post, since it's something I never really do. I was searching for different Winter inspired tag posts and I can across 'The Christmas Tag' on Spines and Covers and I thought it seemed like a fun tag so here we go...

1. WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE HOLIDAY MOVIE?
Ah I have so many favourites! I actually did a post on my favourite Christmas films back at the beginning of Blogmas which you can read here, but if I had to choose on absolute favourite... White Christmas. It's a classic.

Blogmas Day Nine | Gift Guide: Supporting Bloggers



Hello everyone and welcome to day nine of Blogmas, and to the last of my gift guides! Today I thought it would be fun to do a gift guide that focuses on my fellow bloggers and their businesses. I'm sure most of you have realised by now, that a lot of bloggers are extremely creative people, and a lot of them have separate Etsy shops or other platforms through which they sell their products. I've done a lot of research into this over the past few weeks and I've honestly found some amazing stores and I only wish I could mention them all! I can promise that in the New Year I will be doing more posts highlighting these amazing bloggers and their stores.

Blogmas Day Eight | Baileys Latte Recipe



When it gets to the colder months there is nothing I love more than cuddling up with a big blanket, a cinnamon candle and a nice hot drink! There are quite a few drinks I like to go for... mulled wine, hot port, a big mug of tea... but one of my favourites of all has to be a lovely Baileys Latte! This drink is super easy to make and super delicious so most people should be able to make it! This is also my go-to drink on Christmas evening after my dinner, so it also feels like a special drink to me! So lets get into it!

Blogmas Day Six | Tips For Doing Christmas On A Budget



I'm sure everybody will agree with me when I say Christmas can be an expensive time of year. Between gifts, dinners, buying new outfits... it all adds up and can make a huge dent in your bank account. So today I thought I would share a few of my tips for saving yourself a bit of money when Christmas shopping!

Blogmas Day Four | Christmas Playlist



Oh if there's one thing I absolutely love about Christmas, it's the music. Nothing cheers me up more on a dark dreary winters night, than sticking on a Christmas playlist and singing a long to the classics! So today I thought I would share my favourite Christmas tunes with you all! I could list so many songs here but I decided I wouldn't keep you here all day, so I'm going to keep it to my top 15.

Blogmas Day Two | My All-Time Favourite Christmas Films



For day two of Blogmas, I thought it would be fun to share my favourite Christmas films with you all. While I tend to start watching Christmas films the minute Halloween is over, I really get into watching them come December, and since I'm a big fan of the classics, I thought there might be some on this list that you haven't watched before! I really do love nothing more than cuddling up under a huge blanket, with a hot chocolate (perhaps spiked with some Bailey's), a cinnamon candle burning, and one of these films!

Blogmas Day One | Christmas Giveaway



Hello everyone and welcome to day one of Blogmas! For anyone who doesn't know, Blogmas is where you blog/vlog every day until Christmas! I thought long and hard about doing this, and I was very close to not doing it, as I'm not exactly the best at sticking to a schedule for my blog, and when I tried it back in 2014 I failed miserably! However I start planning these posts way back at Halloween so I'm confident that this is the year I succeed! So without further ado, lets get into the post!

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life



After months and months of waiting we are finally here. The final week before the brand new episodes of one of my all-time favourite tv shows are released! That's right... Gilmore Girls! I only started watching Gilmore Girls a few years back when I was in university, and ever since I have been hooked! The characters, the dialogue, the surroundings... they are all so addictive and mesmerizing, that I have re-watched the show many times. I mean they just don't make shows like this anymore. A charming, well-written show that doesn't rely on huge dramatic storylines to keep the viewers. So in preparation for the new episodes, I am going to discuss the things I am looking forward to most from the new episodes!

Why I Love My Blog



Lately I've really been getting back into blogging. After a long period of having no motivation, and not even wanting to go near social media, I'm suddenly full of inspiration and loving twitter. So today I thought I would share my favourite parts of blogging with you all, so that the next time I lose my motivation, I can reread this post and remind myself why I do it in the first place.

My Two Body Product Saviours *



We're now properly into Autumn, and the cold weather has played havoc with my skin, particularly my legs. So as is my tradition every year, I have spent the past month trying out all of my body lotions and products to see which ones are going to be the super products of the year that help to return my skin to it's summer glory.

Current Netlix Favourites



Like any normal person, I am addicted to Netflix. My waking moments seem to consist of work and netflix (yes, I know, what a fun life I lead) and I am constantly on the lookout for new shows and films to watch. So I thought it would be fun to share with you all what I have been loving lately! If you have any favourites let me know in the comments so I can give them a watch!

Review | Nail HQ Gel Top Coat *



Chipped manicures are the bane of my life. I work in a supermarket and my job involves opening a lot of boxes and cases, and as you can probably imagine, my nails take a huge amount of damage. Because of this, I am always on the lookout for nail polishes and top coats that will withstand a lot of work. So when Nadine from Sparkle PR gave me the opportunity to try a product from Nail HQ, I jumped at the opportunity to try their gel top coat.

My Sisters Wedding Makeup



On Monday my little sister got married, and I had the stressful job of doing her makeup. After spending ages trying to figure out what look to go for and what products to use, we finally decided on a natural look with a classic red lip. So today I thought I would share what makeup I used on her, in case any of you will be doing any wedding makeup in the future.

Mini Lush Haul



Last week I went into Lush for the first time in AGES and I couldn't resist the urge to buy some seasonal bath bombs. Unfortunately, when I went in, the place was packed (like literally could not move) so my hatred for crowds and having to push through people led to me only being able to buy the first two products I grabbed. I wasn't sure if I was even going to put up a post about this, because it seems like such a miserable haul, but I just couldn't resist.

Review: L'Oreal Pure Clay Masks



If you're a reader of beauty blogs, then chances are you have heard about the L'Oreal Purity Clay Masks. The range of three masks each contain a different active ingredient, each of which helps the mask target a specific skin issue. Detox contains charcoal, Glow contains red algae, and Purity contains eucalyptus. These masks have been a HUGE hit amongst the blogging community, and it's no wonder... they're great!

My Blog to-do List



I'm sure I'm not the only blogger who has a million things they want to do for their blog. From design, to photographs, there's always something we want to change or work on, and when we complete it, it gives us a great feeling of pride or acomplishment. So last night when I was sat down writing out my to-do list, I decided it would be a great idea to share it with all of you! Not only will let you know what kind of changes might be coming to the blog, it will also hopefully give me a kick in the ass to do it all, as I would hate for you all to know how lazy I really am!

1. Create a media kit This is something I've meaning to do for years, and I've started it on many occasions, but I've never actually completed one. Media kits are great for pitching to brands so it's definitely something every blogger should have.

Prettiest Highlight Palette on the High Street?



Lately I have developed quite the fondness for highlights. My daily makeup is no longer complete unless I have covered my face in copious layers of highlight. Because of this I have been trying out lots of different high street highlights but this palette from Sleek is by far the prettiest, and judging by the hype surrounding this product, I'm not the only one who thinks so.

Review | Ped Egg Power



Summer is here, which means it's time to break out the sandals. Unfortunately, that also means it's time for us to start taking better care of our feet to make sure they are in tip top condition for everyone to see. Through out the year I tend to wear uncomfortable shoes that don't exactly leave me with the smoothest of feet so I am always on the lookout for new products that will help to get my feet sandal ready. I used to use the original Ped Egg years ago, and I really like it, so when I saw the Ped Egg Power on sale in my local supermarket, I knew I had to give it a go.

Bloggers Photography Club

Bloggers Photography Club
'Blog Photo' taken by myself


As some of you may know, I bought my first DSLR this year. For the past few months I have been trying to get to grips with my new camera (Canon 700d if you're interested) and trying to improve my photography. So when I saw that the wonderful Caitlin from Through the Mirror had started a Bloggers Photography Club, I knew I had to join.

Review | Irresistible Me Diamond Flat Iron *



I have naturally curly hair, so I tend to straighten my hair at least once or twice a week. For as long as I can remember I have used GHDs, but the pair I have been using are years old and could probably do with being replaced. So when the lovely Madison from Irresistible Me contacted me and offered my the opportunity to try out their Dual Voltage Diamond Flat Iron * ($149) I jumped at the chance. Irresistible Me is an American company that is best know for their Clip-In Extensions, but they also have a variety of hair tools available.

As I have already mentioned, Irresistible Me is an American company, and my package took a week to arrive, so I was very happy with the quick delivery! The flat iron comes in a black box with the company name on the front and information about the flat iron printed on the inside. The box is very sturdy so I've kept it to store my flat iron in. Also a quick note: as I live in the UK, I needed to buy an adaptor plug, but these are easily bought for a few pound online (I got mine for £5 off Amazon).

A Few Mistakes I've Made as a Blogger

Mistakes I've made as a blogger

I have a secret to tell you all. Us bloggers... we aren't perfect. Far from it in fact. We all make mistakes and mess up from time to time, even the big bloggers. So today I thought I would share some of the blogging mistakes I have made over the years. I'm only going to share a few, if I was to list them all, I would be here all day!

My Favourite Barry M Nail Polishes



Over the years I have tried a lot of nail polish brands. For ages I strictly bought more expensive brands such as OPI or Ciate thinking that because they cost more, they just HAD to be better than all of the cheaper high street brands. That is, until I tried Barry M nail polishes, and since then I've hardly bought another brand. Despite all of the nail polishes being between £2.99 and £4.99, they are the highest quality nail polishes I own. They are the only nail polish that I can wear for days without chipping, and the colour and finish selection is one of the greatest selections you can find. So today I thought I would share with you my six favourite nail polishes from my collection.

InVogue Brush Works Powder Brush, Emery Boards & Cuticle Cutters Review *



When it comes to a beauty routine, the tools you use can be one of the most important aspects to think about and I am always on the lookout for new tools to use. So when I was offered the opportunity to try a few items from the new Brush Works line from Invogue I jumped at the chance. The Brush Works collection is made up of everyday essentials that are all priced between £1.49 - £6.99, which means that they are affordable for everyone.

Using Twitter to Promote Your Blog



In terms of blogging, social media is one of the most important aspects. You can have the best content and photos, but unless you actually tell people about it, chances are nobody is going to see it. This is where social media comes in. There's many forms of social media you can use; Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, but today I am going to be talking about my favourite: Twitter. So read on to discover my top tips for using Twitter to promote your blog.

1. Take part in twitter chats I love twitter chats. I try to take part in as many as my schedule will allow me. There are so many chats that everyone is almost guaranteed to find at least one that they love. For me, my favourites are #bbloggers, #bdib and #thegirlgang. The chats can be on a wide variety of topics, from favourite beauty products, to photography, so you have the opportunity to learn some new things while also having a lot of fun.

2. Talk to other bloggers There's a reason that twitter is my favourite social media platform, and that is the social aspect of it. With other platforms I've found that they are only used for promotion, but with twitter you can actually talk to others and make new friends. Even outside of the twitter chats, I get talking to a lot of different people and if I'm ever feeling down theres always so much support from the other bloggers. Anytime I get talking to somebody on twitter I follow their twitter account and then check out their blogs, youtube channels and other forms of social media.

3. Use an app such as Buffer to schedule tweets Very few of us can be on twitter all day everyday. I work most days 9-6 and this used to mean I struggled to promote my blog as I just didn't have the opportunity to get on to tweet my links. Then I discovered scheduling tweets! There are a few different ways you can do this, and the most popular seem to be Hootesuite and, my personal favourite, Buffer. Both allow you to schedule your tweets for specific times, and Buffer even provides you with analytics which I have found to be very useful.

4. Promote older posts Tweeting links to older posts can be a great way to drive traffic to posts that might otherwise be forgot about. While some people might take the time to search through your older posts a lot of people just read your more recent, which is a shame because you might have some posts you are really proud of that you want people to read, even a year after you first put it up. So don't be afraid to tweet links to your older posts!

5. Link to companies Most companies have twitter, so if you have posted a review or post about a brand, include them in the tweet! That way, if somebody searches the brand on twitter they might come across your tweet. Also there is always a chance that the company might retweet or reply to your tweet which can lead to a lot of traffic to that post!

Do you use twitter to promote your blog? What advice do you have? Also leave your twitter username in the comments so I can follow you all!

Things To Do When You're Feeling Down



We all have those days were we are feeling down. Whether it is over school, relationships are if you're just having one of those days, we all need cheering up from time to time, so for todays post I thought I would share what I do when I need to cheer myself up.

1. Read a book Sometimes when I'm feeling down the only thing that will help me is cuddling up with a good book and escaping into another world. If I'm feeling particularly sorry for myself I love to choose a kids book. Call it childish or immature, but there's just something about reading the stories I loved as a child that really helps to cheer me up.

Blogging Tips for Beginners

Blogging tips for beginners

When I started my blog back in September 2013 (I can't believe I've been blogging for so long) I had no clue what I was doing. It wasn't that I was new to the online community- I have been running different websites and youtube channels since I was about 13- but that the whole community is so much more competitive and professional these days. With so many new blogs being started each day, it can be hard to stand out, and before you know it you can feel lost. I know that I certainly did when I first started my blog. So today I thought I would share some of my tips for when you're starting out a blog.

Skincare Routine: Exfoliators and Face Masks



For the final part of my Skincare Routine mini series, I will be telling you all about the products I use randomly throughout the week. This is the part of my routine that I am not yet fully happy with so make sure to let me know of any recommendations you have! If you want to read about the rest of my skincare routine that you can read about my morning routine and my evening routine.

Skincare Routine: Evening



If you have read my previous post you will know that I am currently doing a short series of posts on my full skincare routine. If you haven't read that post, then you can go here to read all about my morning skincare routine. For todays post, I will be telling you all about my evening skincare routine. While there are some similar products, there are also a few new additions so read on to find out more.

Skincare Routine: Morning



When it comes to beauty, I find skincare to be one of the most important aspects. I am constantly on the lookout for new products and I finally think I have found the perfect skincare routine. Over the next three posts I will be telling you my entire routine: morning, evening and then the miscellaneous items I use in-between. Todays post will be all about my morning skincare routine, so lets get into it.

Easter Break to Budapest



Over the Easter break, myself and my two best friends traveled to Budapest for a long overdue adventure. Rosie and I flew from Belfast to London on Easter Sunday night, and then stayed at Laura's house, before the three of us flew on to Budapest early on Monday morning. After a quick and easy taxi journey we arrived at our Apartment. Incase anyone is interested, we stayed at the Lord Residence Apartments. I would definitely recommend these apartments to anybody who wants to visit Budapest. They were cheap, spacious, we had our own bathroom, and the staff were extremely helpful. (Just a warning: this is a picture heavy post!)

Review | Makeup Revolution Radiance Palette



I have a confession to make... until a month ago I had never tried a Makeup Revolution product. I know, crazy right. Well last month I finally decided it was time to see what all the fuss was about and I picked up my first product. Originally I wanted to try the Contour Palette, however it was out of stock, so instead I bought the Radiance Palette which consists of three gorgeous highlights.

My Favourite Apps for Blogging

top blogging apps

Technology is such a big part of everyday life, and nowadays you can find an app for pretty much anything you could possibly need one for. Lately I've found the apps on my iPhone and iPad to be extremely handy when it comes to blogging; they allow me to keep up-to-date and involved even when I'm on the move. So today I thought I would share my favourite blogging apps with you all.