Tag You're It! Blogger Tag

This is a very long awaited post, I was tagged by a lovely girl who also goes by the name of Emily from floraalemily back in August and I just haven't got around to doing it! So finally here it is, I hope you enjoy getting to know more about me and my blogging journey.

How did you get into Blogging?

I had been watching makeup videos on YouTube for months and I knew the blogging community was something I wanted to get into. I discovered the bloglovin' app and started following all of my favourite people, and started getting into reading blogs. Within a week or so, I had my own blog up and running and the rest is History!

What advice would you give to Beginner Bloggers?

Well I suppose I am still a beginner really, but my biggest piece of advice is to work hard. You have to be dedicated and passionate about your blog which has to be reflected in your blog in order to gain loyal readers and to build it. Spend time finding your niche and working out what you want your blog to be, and make sure you build a blog on a topic or topics that you are truly interested in and inspired by.

What would be your dream campaign?

I would love to work with a brand on a product or maybe a range of products that are just my own. The ultimate dream would be to create my own makeup line, but I would love to work with a smaller, company who are underrated and whose products I know and trust. I love to support all kinds of brands, especially the small ones who are dark horses in the industry.

Do you have a plan for your blog?

Not particularly I'm just kind of going with the flow. Obviously I'd like it to continue growing but I don't really mind which way it goes. I'd like to redesign my blog and possibly rebrand at some point with my own domain, but I wouldn't have the first clue in how to do that so I suppose things will stay relatively similar for a while.

I tag all of you to do this if you are a fellow blogger and leave me your links! I've lost track of who has or hasn't done this!

Emily xx

The Sunday Edit #79

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! I had a really lovely christmas, I enjoyed having a bit of a break with no college work and just enjoying some time to relax. You'll hopefully be glad to know that I got a new camera for christmas, the nikon L340 which means I can actually take blog photos now which means I can finally start posting regularly again! I have had so many people unfollow me since I haven't been posting and I feel as though I have lost many of my readers so I'm taking the new year as an opportunity to start again, and rebuild my blog all over again! I'd like to thank all of you who don't mind me not posting once in a while and have stuck with me through this very busy and difficult time.

I am taking the new year as a fresh start. I have been seriously slacking with any kind of work for the last part of 2015 and I just feel demotivated and miserable all the time and I'm utterly fed up of feeling so down and negative. I wake up every morning feeling tired and miserable and I can't be bothered to do anything so I feel as though it is time for a change. I need to start being more organised and keep on top of work so that I feel more motivated and in control. At the moment I feel as though I am being swamped with work which is constantly weighing on me and bringing me down, and I feel as though I've completely lost control of everything. I am going to get myself a new, fun planner so that I can know exactly what I'm doing and when I'm doing it so I can keep on top of everything and feel motivated. I also feel as though my diet could be better, I seem to find myself just eating junk and making myself feel sluggish which really isn't helping me at all. Overall, I want to become more happy, positive, healthy and motivated in the new year. Any advice would be much appreciated, as well as recommendations for fun and useful planners!

If you have any ideas for posts that you would like to see in the near future, then I'd love to know so I can give you content that you would be interested in. Also, let me know what you did for christmas and what Santa brought you; I'm extremely nosey and I'm dying to know!

Thank you for all of your support, and I wish you all a very happy and healthy new year!

Emily xx

Classic Christmas Day Makeup

Merry Chrismas Eve! You may have seen this photo on my Instagram earlier this morning and lots of people seemed to like it so I thought I would write a post on how I did it and which products I used for anybody who is still struggling with ideas for their makeup for tomorrow. This is quite a dramatic look with the glitter, cut crease, lashes and a bold lip but it can be chopped and changed to tone it down to suit your preferences. It is primarily drugstore with just a few high end bits thrown in which really aren't absolutely necessary for this look, but they're my absolute favourite products!

E Y E S

I did my eyes first just in case there was fall out and I ruined my foundation. I firstly started with Makeup Geek Peach Smoothie on a Sigma E40 in my upper crease to ensure that everything blends seamlessly and it also roughly maps out where I'm going to put the cut crease. I then went in with Makeup Geek Creme Brûlée right in the crease with a Sigma E35 to build up the definition. I built this up a fair amount before going in with Makeup Geek Cocoa Bear on a Sigma E30 pencil brush right into the crease and winging it out slightly on the end and keep building until the line is as sharp as you want it to be. I then went in with a Sigma E25 Blending brush and blended upwards so it faded out gradually. I then darkened up the outer portion more with a mix of 'Triple Fudge' and 'Semi-Sweet' from the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette. Then I took the Elf Long-Lasting Lustrous Eyeshadow in Toast all over the lid, being sure to only focus on the lid and not going into the crease. I then softened the edges a tiny bit to make everything look more polished before going in with the Collection Glam Crystals Dazzling Eyeliner in Funk all over the Elf Shadow. Be sure to keep your eyes shut for a while after applying this until it dries, otherwise it'll transfer up into the crease. I then created a fairly dramatic wing with my holy grail liquid liner which is Rimmel Glameyes Liquid Eyeliner. I also then smoked out some cocoa bear on my lower lash line and applied some black kohl liner. To finish the eyes, I applied the L'oreal Telescopic Mascara and stuck on some Ardell Demi Wispies.

F A C E

Firstly, I primed with Benefit Porefessional and then went in with my current favourite foundation which is Nars Sheer Glow which I've got in the shade 'Siberia' and I buffed that in with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush. I then used my new favourite concealer which is the NYX HD Concealer under my eyes, down the bridge of my nose, on my cupids bow and the centre of my chin. I then baked my concealer with the Collection Sheer Loose Powder and set the rest of my face with the Rommel Stay Matte. For contouring, I used the darkest shade in the Barry M Contour Kit and then added a flush to the cheeks with the Sleek Blush in Rose Gold. To finish off the face, I used quite a generous amount of my all time favourite highlighter, theBalm Mary Lou Manizer on my cheeks, down my nose, on my cupids bow, in the centre of my chin and in the inner corners of my eyes.

L I P S

Last for my lips, I went for a bright red! I lined my lips with the Illamaqua lip pencil in Strumpet and then used the Maybelline Color Drama Velvet lip pencil in Light it Up. Alternatively, you could use a nude if you don't want to look too overdone, or you could wear any lipstick so that you could wear this look all year round! I think this would look amazing with a dark purple lip for New Years Eve too if you wanted to take inspiration from it!

I hope this was useful for those of you who needed inspiration, and if you recreate this look then do send me a photo, all of my social media is linked in the tab at the top of my blog. I will be doing a different look tomorrow which is also suited to New Years Eve so I will post about that next week! Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, I hope you have a lovely day with friends and family and get everything you want! Let me know what your plans are, I'd love to know what you're all getting up to!

Emily xx

Makeup Geek Haul

Peach Smoothie, Creme Brûlée, Cocoa Bear, Cosmopolitan and Prom Night

I have been waiting for soooooo long to get my hands on some Makeup Geek Shadows! Last month, Makeup Geek finally launched on Beauty Bay and they all sold out before I had a chance to get my hands on them! After a few weeks of patiently waiting and constant checking, they finally came back in stock so I ordered them straight away.  The first thing I ordered was a Large Hot Pink Z-Palette to keep them in. This a fairly good sized palette and it feels pretty sturdy so it would be good for travelling. The fact that this is so big is slightly dangerous for my bank account, I have so much space that I am dying to fill!

The first shade I picked up was the shade 'Peach Smoothie' which is probably one of the most hyped up shade and is considered a staple for may makeup artists who've used this. It's such a unique colour, I'd describe it as a matte peachy flesh toned eyeshadow. I use this as a transition shade for almost every eye look and it helps my eyeshadows to look seamlessly blended and adds a slight warmth to the look. I would definitely consider this a must-have shade as I use it with every single eyeshadow look I do, whether it be very minimal or very dramatic.

The next shade I got was 'Creme Brûlée' which is a matte mid-toned brown. It is perfect for adding subtle depth to the crease but can also be built up to create quite a defined look. I also think this would be a good shade for contouring the face also, as it isn't too warm and is the perfect shade to add depth to pale skin without looking too much. I also use this shade with a lot of looks, its perfect for using with any eye look, especially as a transition shade and for mapping out the crease if I'm going dark and dramatic.

The next one I opted for was 'Cocoa Bear' which is also a very popular shade amongst those who have tried Makeup Geek eyeshadows. It is a beautiful warm brown, it is quite red/orange when blended out and works perfectly with warm eye looks that incorporate golds and coppers. I really love doing an all matte warm eye with this, and it looks beautiful smoked out on my lower lash line. Another must-have shade!

Onto shimmers, the first one that I chose was 'Cosmopolitan'. This is a very unique melon shade with hints of copper with golden duo chrome, and it is unlike anything that I own or have ever seen before! This paired with the three matte shades is the perfect eye for all year round. It looks beautiful paired with a coral or nude lip in the Spring and Summer and also looks amazing paired with a dark brown or burgundy in the Autumn and Winter. It is a very beautiful shade that I think would suit almost all skin tones.

Lastly, I chose 'Prom Night' which is completely different to anything I own. Some people have compared it to 'Satin Taupe' by Mac which I don't know, but it gives you some idea of the shade if you're familiar with Mac eyeshadows. It's a cool toned taupe with a hint of purple and silver, it's very unique and I'm struggling to accurately describe it! It can be used just blended on the lid alone for a subtle day time look or can be used with dark greys and blacks to create a beautiful taupe smokey eye. I think I may do a New Years Eve Look with that shade, hopefully I can make a blogpost on it for you!

Overall, the formula of these are just stunning! I'd choose them over all of my high end shadows any day, the matte ones are so buttery and pigmented and just blend like a dream. I don't get any patchiness at all, and very little product is required to achieve the perfect intensity of colour.  The shimmers/duochromes are also very pigmented and almost look glossy and wet on the eyes, they're just stunning! I don't find that I get any fall out either so I am extremely impressed with these.

You can purchase all of these from BeautyBay.com (linked throughout the post) each retailing for £4.95 and the Z-palette is priced at £15.95. If you have any Makeup Geek eyeshadows, then let me know your favourites so I can add them to my list!

Emily xx

The Sunday Edit #78

A sneak peek of exciting things to come!

I know I promised you I'd be back this week, but I have actually been a lot busier than anticipated and I haven't had any spare time to myself to write a blogpost! I've been jam packed with work this week, preparing for the christmas holidays and getting ready for mocks in January which has occupied all of my time. I also had my first driving lesson yesterday which took up a lot of time and was very exciting! I think I did pretty well, I can pull away, change gear, creep out of junctions using something called clutch control and I'm good with pulling into junctions! I thought I did really well for a first attempt and I have booked my second lesson for next Saturday which is really exciting! I'm finally getting on the road and gaining my independence which is really exciting for me and gives me something to look forward to.

I am so excited for christmas, I have written all of my cards and I only have a few presents left to get which is amazing. Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year and I am really enjoying the festive season at the moment. I finish college on Thursday so I will most definitely be able to blog alot after then as I will be at home so much more. I want to get as much work done as I can before christmas eve so I can have a few days off over christmas and then go back to work between boxing day and new year. Having mock exams in the first week back in January isn't really the best timing, as I will be constantly working through the christmas holidays which is a bit annoying but I suppose it can't be helped. I really want to do well in these so I am going to have to work very hard!

I hope you have all had a lovely week and are enjoying the festive season! Let me know your plans for christmas, I'd love to know what you all get up to!

Emily xx

The Sunday Edit #77 - I am definitely back this time!

Well I haven't been on here for a very long time! As you know, I haven't had a camera for a very long time which has prevented me from taking any photos to write any posts. I've also had a very busy and stressful month which has meant I have had no time or motivation to write blogposts on top of everything else I have been trying to deal with!

Since I have been away, so much has happened! We went away for the weekend to the New Forest last weekend with the whole family which was lovely (I may write a separate post with all of the photos in). I also turned 17 on Wednesday which was very exciting! I finally got my provisional licence and I am currently in the process of booking some driving lessons so I can finally buy my fiat 500 and get on the road! I am so excited about driving, it has given me something to look forward to amongst all of my stress and worry. I'm also feeling very festive which is really exciting, and the excitement of christmas has perked me up a bit!

I have managed to borrow my dad's camera, which is a DSLR and I am finding it very confusing! I am managing to get the hang of it as you'll see in this weeks posts which are very exciting ones. Some of the photos are a bit dodgy but I am trying to get used to an entire new way of photographing things, so it will take me a while to get used to the camera and suss out all the tips and tricks on getting the best photos. Plus with winter, by the time I get home from college it is pitch black and its always miserable weather so it is really difficult to find a time where there is decent lighting to take some photos. Hopefully I can get back into posting Wednesday, Friday and Sunday like I used to, I've missed blogging and I am so pleased to be back!

I hope you all had a lovely end to November and a fabulous beginning to December!

Emily xx

The Sunday Edit #76 - Where have I been?!

Long time no see eh?! I thought I would start off by addressing the question in the title as I assume this is what is on all of your minds! If you keep up to date with me on Twitter, then you will know that my phone fell out of my back pocket and straight into the toilet last week which was a bit of a palaver! As you know, I take all of my blog photos on my phone so not only were all of my photos inaccessible but I had nothing to take photos on. My phone is back up and running now and everything is fine, however the camera doesn't work at all so I am unable to take photos for posts. My camera also doesn't work so I am still unsure of what to do. For now, all I can do is continue to use the photos I already have until I can find something else to take photos with! My dad has a DSLR and the main reason I don't use it is that I can't work it properly, so I think he may have to give me some lessons so I can start using that!

There hasn't been anything exciting happen in my life over the last 2 weeks that I have been missing. The only thing exciting that happened was I got my GCSE certificates along with an award for Business and for English at an awards ceremony back at my old school. It was really nice to see everyone and catch up with my teachers again! Apart from that I have nothing to update you on, everything is just ticking on as normal!

I will try my best to get blogposts up with the photos that I have, but if I don't manage it then please bare with me! Hopefully things will be back to normal soon!

I'd also like to take this opportunity to pay my respects to all those innocent lives lost in Paris on Friday night. My heart goes out to all of those affected by the atrocities.

Sending you all lots of love,

Emily xx

The Sunday Edit #75

This week has been a little hectic but chilled for the most part. I have been dancing every night which was tiring but I loved every minute of it as per usual and it's a shame that it flew by so fast! I'm a little bit annoyed that I didn't get as much blog and college work done as I would have liked to but I've been so exhausted and I've been out and about doing a few things so I haven't had a lot of spare time to get stuff done!

I have to go back to college tomorrow which is a little depressing, I don't really want to go back and I don't like the idea of getting up early in the morning to be honest! I have quite enjoyed chilling a little bit because I have been so overwhelmed with work so I'm a little sad that my chill time is over and I have to get back to it.  I'm also sad that we had to close the caravan up for the winter today and we can't go back until March when it reopens. I class it as my happy place and I love to just be able to get away for the weekend so I am a little bit gutted that I have to wait until March to go back there. We had a great time at the end of season party on Saturday night and it all ended far too quickly! I suppose you could say I was a little miserable at the moment, but I'm looking forward to a  family get together for bonfire night and we are also going away to the New Forest in a few weeks time which I am looking forward to. It is also only 31 days until my birthday which is really exciting, I cannot wait to start driving finally!

As blogtober is over, I will be going back to posting Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. I know this is dropping one post a week, but I think this is necessary to make sure that I can keep on top of my college work and still produce high quality posts without putting too much pressure on myself.  Everyone needs a bit of time to chill and relax! I hope you understand this, I love posting as much as I can but I have to prioritise and make sure that I am using my time effectively.

Let me know what your plans are for bonfire night if you celebrate it, I'd love to know what your family's traditions are and what you get up to!

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 31 - Last Day of Blogtober + Happy Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN MY PRETTIES! I am so excited about Halloween, I'm not doing anything but I just love it! This means that we have reached the end of Blogtober, and I have to say that I am pretty proud of myself for managing to blog every day for the entire month, whilst I have been very busy with dancing and college work. I know there hasn't been a post up every day, but any days that I missed were uploaded a day or so after so that there has been a post for every day of the month. If you missed a day, make sure you go back through and catch up! I have to say I have enjoyed doing Blogtober, and the response I've had has been great. It has reminded me why I blog, which I mentioned in a previous post about what it is like to be a beauty blogger.

As you are reading this, I am probably doing my last dance show for this year (the magic of scheduling posts) and then I am off to my caravan for the end of season party tonight, which is why I ma not doing anything for halloween this year. Let me know what you are doing for halloween and show me pictures of your costumes! I'd love a bit of inspiration for next year!

I hope you have all enjoyed Blogtober, and have a fabulous halloween!

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 30 - Last Minute Cat Halloween Makeup

So it is the day before Halloween which seems to have crept up on us without our knowledge. I should imagine there are a lot of people now having a last minute panic trying to find a halloween costume, but fear not, I've got you. As you all know, I have been doing my dance show all week and if you follow me on Social Media, may have known that we did a cat dance this year and I was left in charge of makeup. It is so quick and easy so I thought it would be perfect as a halloween look. We also decided on this hair look so our ears didn't fly off during the dance, which is brilliant if you can't find a pair of ears in time for halloween. You could wear this with an all black outfit and no one would know that you rushed around at the last minute trying to throw this together.

To start off, apply your base as normal and create any eye look that you desire. A winged eyeliner would look amazing to give you a cat eye, and you could even add some halloween contacts for added effect if you have them. Then take a liquid eyeliner, and fill in the tip of your nose as shown above. Once you have done this, take a line from the bottom of your nose down to the middle of your cupids bow, and then line your top lip, extending the line from the corner of your mouth. Then fill in your entire top lip, and allow to dry before you close your mouth. You could add some foundation or a nude lipstick to your bottom lip to make it less visible to create a cat mouth. Then add 3 whiskers to the apples of your cheeks.

To add some extra detail, I took a brown eyeliner pencil and drew some freckles onto the apples of my cheeks, and also drew some leopard print on to the sides of my cheeks. This was so easy to do, I just drew random C shapes and dots, the more random you are with this the more effective it will look. Alternatively, you could do dots with a matte brown eyeshadow and outline them messily using liquid liner. There you have your cat makeup!

For hair, take the top section of your hair and part into the middle. You can add texturising spray and buckbrush if you feel that you need more volume, and then twist into little buns and secure in place with hair bands and gripped. You could also finish with a little bit of hair spray to keep them in place, no ears needed!

If you decide to try out this look, make sure you send me a picture! All of my social media is linked in the social media tab at the top of my blog!

Happy Halloween! Let me know what you are getting up to tomorrow night!

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 29 - MAC Whirl Lipstick First Impressions

I haven't done a first impressions post in a long time and I had a very exciting makeup delivery yesterday so I thought I would share it with you today.

Whirl by MAC is one of their most popular lip liner shades, after Kylie Jenner announced that it was one of her favourites. I could never get my hands on the lipliner and I sometimes find lipliners a little drying so I held off. Then a few months ago, MAC brought out the shade Whirl in lipstick form which I was really excited about. All of the swatches I saw online looked different which worried me, I could never find it in store so the only option was to order online which I was a little nervous about, I wanted to see it in the flesh first. I saw my friend wearing it last week and I ordered it almost straight away as it looked so amazing on her.

The colour looks completely different on everyone.  On me, it leans slightly more cool toned than it looks in the bullet. It is slightly darker than it looks on the photo, but here is the look I decided to pair it with for the dance show last night. The formula is very buttery and creamy, and I don't find it too drying. My lips do need a little bit of moisturising either but it isn't as bad as other matte lipsticks I've tried. I find it really easy to apply, it glides on without tugging or pulling and it lasts a good amount of time. I find it lasts about 3 hours if I am eating and drinking, I haven't yet tested it out for a period of time where I'm not eating or drinking. I'll report back on that one once I have worn it to college!

Overall, I am very impressed with this lipstick and I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of it during the winter months. According to a friend, it's limited edition so I best get stocking up!

Which is your favourite MAC Lipstick?

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 28 - Autumnal Copper Makeup

I put a photo of this look on Instagram the other day and it seemed to be one of my most popular posts so I thought I would write about it and talk you through which products I used.

For my base I used the LOréal True Match Foundation and then followed up with the Essence Stay All Day 16h Concealer and set all of that with the Essence All About Matte Fixing Powder. I then contoured a little bit with the Maybelline Master Sculpt Contour Kit, added a golden flush to my cheeks with the Sleek Blush in Rose Gold and then highlighted with theBalm Mary Lou Manizer.

Onto the eyes, I primed with the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer and then went in with my Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette. I used the shade 'Salted Caramel' as a transition shade, and then further defined  the crease and lower lash line with a mixture of 'Milk Chocolate' and 'Semi Sweet'. I then took the shade 'Amaretto' to deepen up the outer corners of both the lid and lower lash line. Then for the star of the show, I took the Stila Single Eyeshadow in 'Copper' all over the lid and blended everything out with a fluffy brush. To finish the eyes, I did a dramatic winged liner with the Rimmel GlamEyes Liquid Liner and applied the Maybelline Colossal Go Extreme Mascara. To finish off the eyes, I highlighted my inner corners with the same highlighter I used o my face, and then applied the Eylure Number 100 Lashes.

Lastly for the lips, I applied the Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Heather Shimmer.

And that is it! If you've done any similar looks, then I'd love to see them!

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 27 - Born Pretty Store Brush Egg*

This is the third product from Born Pretty store that I'm going to rave about this week! They kindly sent me the Brush Egg* a few weeks ago and it has made a huge difference to how I wash my brushes!

It is a really effective and quick way to deep clean your brushes. The textured rubber gets right into the bristles of the brushes and really gives them a thorough clean. It has even taken the stains out of my brushes which I assumes would never come out! All I do is put a small amount of shampoo or cleanser onto the brush egg, add a bit of water and swirl my brush around a bit and then rinse! It is as simple as that and really cleanses the brush deep down.

This is a great dupe for the big Sigma brush cleaning glove which I believe retails for over £20, so this alternative for $1.83 is amazing value, and is a lot more travel friendly as it is so much smaller.

You can use the code 'EFRH10' to get 10% off your order, and the more people that use this code, the more chance there is of Born Pretty Store sending me products to host a giveaway!

What is our favourite way to clean your brushes?

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 26 - The Best Halloween Tutorials in Town

I absolutely love Halloween, and the thing I look forward to most throughout the year is the halloween tutorials! I have done a round up of some of my favourite Youtubers who never fail to astound me when it comes to halloween makeup!

Shaaanxo - https://www.youtube.com/user/shaaanxo

Dope2111 - https://www.youtube.com/user/dope2111

Nicole Guerriero - https://www.youtube.com/user/nguerriero19

NikkieTutorials - https://www.youtube.com/user/NikkieTutorials

DramaticMac - https://www.youtube.com/user/DramaticMac

I hope you found this post handy for all your halloween makeup needs! Leave links and names down below to any other people that always produce some fabulous halloween tutorials! I'd love to check out some more!

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 25 - The Sunday Edit #74

Well, this week has flown by! You are probably wondering where days 23 & 24 of Blogtober have gotten to, so I'll address that first.  I had them written up and scheduled, and somehow they have been deleted! As you can imagine, I was a little bit miffed but I haven't had time to catch up with myself and get them redone for you. I have a completely free day tomorrow so I plan to get those 2 posts up, as well as tomorrows and try and get the rest of the week done and scheduled in case I don't get time to post. I am going to have a fairly busy week so if I get everything prepared in advance, then I won't be missing out on blogposts throughout the week. I'm also going to attempt to get all of my college work done tomorrow so that I don't have to worry about that for the rest of the week, and I should be able to chill a little bit.

This week is dance show week, which I am both excited and nervous about. It is opening night tomorrow night, and I am first on which is slightly scary but I love this time of year. I do really love doing the dance show, and preparing all my costumes, hair stuff and makeup has made me really excited! I am also really excited for halloween, I'm not doing anything this year because it is the End of Season Party at my caravan, but I love watching halloween makeup videos and I love all the spooky programmes on the TV. There will be more posts on the halloween makeup front later this week so make sure you keep an eye out for those.

I hope you've all had a lovely week, and if you are on half term then make sure you enjoy it!

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 24 - Born Pretty Store Eyelashes*

A few days ago, I posted about the temporary tattoos from Born Pretty Store, and today I am back with another post on their products! Today I will be talking about their Fake Eyelashes* which they kindly sent me a few weeks ago.

To start off with, you pay $1.83 for 10 pairs of eyelashes which is absolutely crazy! Doing the maths, this works out about £1.19 for 10 pairs of lashes which is that same as about 12p per pair. Considering you pay around £5 for 1 pair in boots, this is ridiculously cheap. As well as that, you have my 10% off code on top of that, which makes them even cheaper than a bottle of coke. You can't really go wrong!

These lashes are quite natural looking, they look like your lashes but better if that is even a thing.  They add volume and a touch of length, finishing off any makeup look beautifully whether you are going for something subtle and natural, or something deep and dramatic.  They do have a slightly thicker band which makes them a little harder to work with, and I find that the way they're packaged makes the lash band straight. To combat this, I wrap them round a lipstick and leave them there for a while so that they curve to fit my eye. They also look great if you curl them once you have put them on.

When I wear them, they last all day without popping off when I use my eylure glue, which I think is really good for lashes with a more rigid band.

Overall, these lashes are amazing value for money, and I definitely recommend that you check out the  Born Pretty Store website! Make sure you use my coupon code* to save yourself some money!

Emily xx

*This post contains PR Samples that were sent to me for review, take a look at my disclaimer for more information on this. The coupon codes in this post are not affiliation codes, I am not making any money from this code. It is simply there for your enjoyment, and the more people that use it will allow born pretty store to send me a bunch of products in order for me to hold a giveaway. It is purely for your benefit!

#Blogtober Day 23 - The Autumn Tag

I did this tag last year, and I find tags really fun to write so I thought I would do something similar this year, except this one is slightly different to the one I did before.

What is your favourite thing about Autumn?
There are so many things I love about Autumn, it is without a doubt my favourite season! I love Halloween, I love the colder weather and being able to go out with jumpers and tights and boots on. I also love Autumn makeup and fashion too, the colours are stunning. When I see wine reds and plums, I get excited!

What is your favourite drink?
I am so very British and I do love a cup of tea, however I am increasingly becoming partial to a pumpkin spice latte!

What is your favourite candle?
It's no secret that I love a good Yankee Candle, but I haven't bought one since last christmas! Instead, I have been burning 'Ginger Cookies' which I found in Dunelm for the bargain price of £3.99! It is technically supposed to be a christmas candle, but I think the ginger spice smell is a bit more Autumny so I've been happily burning that one!

Best Autumn Lipstick?
I think that has to be MAC Palmful without a doubt! Not only is it my favourite lipstick ever, but it is the perfect Autumn shade. I can pretty much guarantee that there is a photo of it on my Instagram if you are interested in having a look.

What is your go-to moisturiser?
Recently, I have been loving the Heaven Skincare Divine Cream*! It has so many good ingredients in it that work wonders for your skin, and I find it really smooths everything out whilst keeping it hydrated before I put on makeup. It is very rich so it will certainly come in handy during the colder months.

What are your go to colours for your eyes?
As I have mentioned about a hundred times before, I love golds and bronzes for my eyes throughout the Autumn. I have also been experimenting a little bit more with plums and cranberry shades too, and I am desperate to try some copper tones too!

Favourite band or singer?
I don't really have one to be fair,  I will pretty much listen to anything!

Favourite outfit to wear?
I have been loving to wear a black jumper with my terracotta suede skirt and black tights and boots. I also love to wear jumper dresses with tights too if I want to be extra cosy!

Favourite Autumn Treat?
I love to have a bath with some lush products, every now and again I do this as a special treat!

Favourite Place to be?
I love to be in my bedroom tucked up with a blanket and netflix, but I also love going out for walks where there are fallen leaves! I also love being at my caravan, it is my happy place!

I tag all of my fellow blogger to do this, and leave the link to your posts down below!

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 22 - What Is It Like To Be a Blogger?

So many people ask me 'What is it like to be a blogger?' and I thought that it was a great idea for a post. Being a beauty blogger is so many different things, it isn't really something you can some up in a short phrase, so next time someone asks me, I will just like them to this post!

First off, being a blogger in general is hard. It takes hard work and commitment to make something of your blog, and if you aren't putting effort and passion into it, you will get nowhere. You can't force yourself to write a post, nor can you be lazy about it. You have to put hard work in, and this will show in your content which will gain you readers who will become loyal to you, and follow you as you grow your blog. So much work goes into a post, photographing, editing photos, research, writing and then more editing. I think most people just see the finished product and don't think about what goes on behind the scenes and the process that has been used to produce this.  A lot of people say to me that I am lucky that I get products sent to me, and get a small amount of money from my blog. They see it as an easy way to make money, and think that I really don't do a lot to get what I get. I can tell you now, that this isn't in the slightest it true! I work my socks off to keep fresh content up for my readers, and making sure that each post is the best that I can make it. It is hard work, and although I love doing it, it takes commitment. I have a very busy life, I am in the middle of A-Levels, of which I am doing 4, so juggling college work with blogging makes me a very busy girl! I seem to be constantly working, and I don't usually get that much time to myself, which I don't mind but not a lot of people realise how much time goes into maintaining a blog.

As well as being tough at times, it is a very rewarding hobby. You get to talk about the things that you're passionate about with people that are equally passionate, and the response you get from that is fantastic. I am constantly inundated with lovely and sweet comments, praising my work and I feel like all of my hard work is worth it. The outcome is amazing, I've gained so many new friends and followers who are interested in what I do and want to support me in any way that they can which is very heartwarming. I love to support other bloggers the way they support me, I always follow blogs that are linked in comments because I want to be able to return the support that you all give me. I also feel greatly privileged to be noticed my big companies, who want to work with me and are kind enough to send me products to review, so that I can constantly give you the latest information on new brands and products. I am incredibly lucky to be able to work with so many brands, and being invited to so many events makes me feel special. Not many other people can say that, which makes me thankful that I am a blogger.

I suppose to sum it up, blogging is extremely hard work, but it is so rewarding and I am incredibly glad to be doing what I do. If you are also a fellow blogger, let me know what it's like to be a blogger for you. I would love to hear your opinions, and do be sure to leave your links in the comments!

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 21 - Born Pretty Store Temporary Tattoos*

If you're anything like me, then you will love playing about with temporary tattoos and have done since you were a child.  Again, if you're anything like me you will also love anything rose gold, gold, silver and metallic.  When these metallic tattoos became popular during the festival season, I was desperate to get my hands on some but failed to find some really affordable ones that worked well.

Back at the end of August, I was contacted by Born Pretty Store to ask if I would like to pick out a few bits from their site to try out. As soon as I saw these, I had to have them! They are really great quality, they apply easily with water and they stay on for a good few days which makes them perfect for festivals and weekends away. Unless you really scrub them, they won't come off in the bath/shower, but come off very easily with cleansing oil or soap and water.

You can use the code shown in the photo above 'EFRH10' to get 10% off of your order from the Born Pretty Store website, and if I get enough people use the code, I will be able to host a giveaway for all of you lovely people!

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 20 - The Makeup Exchanger

A very long time ago, I was contacted by a lovely lady from the MakeUpExchanger, asking me if I would like to take a look at the website and write about it, sharing my thoughts with my readers.  I am ashamed to say that I completely forgot about it, and it was only that I was replying to emails today and accidentally scrolled through to last year and found the email! For that I can only apologise!

The MakeUpExchanger is a site in which makeup lovers can sell unused, or sanitised products at a discounted rate, so that other makeup lovers can get their hands on otherwise expensive products for an affordable price. When I read the email, I thought it was an amazing idea and I straight away opened a shop on the website. I am yet to buy or sell anything from here, but I have done some research and the people that have had experience in buying and selling only have good things to say. You can find the website here and you can also follow them on Twitter here if you would like more information.

I think this is an absolutely genius idea, and I would love to know if you have used this website, or if you plan to take a look now that you've read this post!

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 19 - Creightons 'Frizz No More' Hair Care* | Review

In my opinion, there is nothing worse than crazy frizzy hair.  It is just an absolute pain to try and deal with, and any sort of styling becomes a dreaded chore.

Creighton's have just come out with a new range of hair care products to help all of you girls that constantly face a daily battle with frizzy hair. The collection consists of 6 products, 3 of which I have.  They aim to combat frizzy hair for those of you on a budget, these products retail for just £1 in Home Bargains, Savers and B&M.

The 3 products I have are the Frizz No More Totally Tame Shampoo*, the Frizz No More Totally Tame Conditioner* and the Frizz No More Sleek & Shine Miracle Serum* . I have really been enjoying these products and I have really noticed a difference in my hair. My hair is quite dry and frizzy, since it has been bleached and it tends to be quite wild and knotty. I have found that it has been a lot more manageable since I have been using these products. Not only has it felt really clean, it has remained sleek and smooth, and I have found brushing and styling to be a lot easier. I also find that my hair has been a lot silkier and much shinier, I have actually had compliments on how healthy my hair looks and it is all down to these products! If I'm honest, I wasn't expecting a lot from these because of the price, so I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that they work so amazingly!

I really recommend these for you frizzy haired girls who struggle to control your locks. As previously mentioned, you can find these in Home Bargains, Savers and B&M for just £1 each! These are definitely not to be missed!

Emily xx

*This post contains products that were sent to me by PR companies for review. This does not affect my opinion on them at all. For more information, please take a look at my disclaimer page which can be found under a tab at the top of my blog

#Blogtober Day 18 - The Sunday Edit #73

This week has been fairly busy, getting ready for the end of term and all of the tests that come with it! Luckily I only have 2 days left of college, and I finish early on Tuesday as well because my Law lesson is cancelled! I will be glad to have a break, it gives me the chance to catch up on some work and work on my blog a little bit more, as well as having time for myself to do what I want. Plus I can now say that I have survived a whole term at college which I'm pleased about, because in the first few weeks I didn't think it was going to happen!

Next week is the beginning of the dance show which I am really excited about! We have our last dance class of the year on Tuesday night and then that is it! The whole of the half term week I'll be dancing every night which is tiring but I do really enjoy it. I'm sure there will be plenty of photos posted on my Social Media, so make sure you are following me on all of those to keep up to date with what I'm doing.

I won't ramble on too much, I have a law essay to learn off by heart for tomorrow so I best get cracking!

I hope you have all had a lovely week, and let me know your plans for the half term! I love to know what you're getting up to!

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 17 - My Every Day Autumn Makeup

In the Autumn, I love playing about with all of the dark colours but I usually create one look that I like to stick to on a daily basis. Something fairly neutral that goes with everything is usually my look of choice.

For base, I use the new LOréal True Match Foundation in the shade N1 Ivory. I'm not sure how I feel about this yet, it is a little different to the old one which I loved so I think it will take a little bit of getting used to, but it does the job. I then use the Essence Stay All Day 16h Concealer under my eyes to brighten the area up, and the Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Heavy Duty Concealer on any areas that still need some extra coverage after foundation. I then set under my eyes with the Essence All About Matt Fixing Powder and set the rest of my face with the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder.

Next up, I contour with the Maybelline Master Sculpt Contour Kit to stop my face looking flat and make it look a little bit more defined. I also use the Sleek Blush in Rose Gold on my cheeks and then use theBalm Mary Lou Manizer literally everywhere! On the tops of my cheeks, down the bridge of my nose, cupids bow, centre of chin, inner corners of eyes, everywhere!

For eyes, I use my all time favourite palette, the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette. I start off with using Milk Chocolate through the crease and in the inner and outer thirds, then go in with Semi Sweet to further add definition. Depending on what I'm feeling that day, I'll either use Marzipan in the centre and take a tiny bit of Black Cherry to further define the outer portions, or I'll use Creme Brûlée and deepen up with either Triple Fudge or Hazelnut. I also like to take Semi Sweet on my lower lash line and then define the outer third with my dark colour of choice! I'll then go in with the Rimmel Glam Eyes Professional Liquid Liner to do a wing and finish off with the Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara and occasionally I'll add lashes.

My lip colour of choice changes on a daily basis, but in this photo I used the Essence Lip Liner in Satin Mauve!

What are your go to looks for Autumn?

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 16 - A Disappointing Product from Fuse

I've been a bit of a Debby Downer this week, posting about all the things that I don't like! This is the last one for a while, I promise! In future, I'll compile all of the disappointments into one long post, as they aren't worthy of their own posts!

I purchased this product back in August after I took my acrylics off. My nails were weak and bendy after a month of wearing acrylics, and their uneven texture meant that regular nail polish looked horrible. I was going to get gel nails done professionally, but I had heard about the DIY gel kits and people seem to get on well with them so I thought it would be a great way to save some money. My mum gets her gel nails done every 4 weeks, so when I spotted this in boots, we decided to go half so that we could both save some money.

I have been trialling it for a few months now, and after applying it in every way possible, it just doesn't work. I've also read the reviews on the boots website and other people have the same issues, stupid me should have read those before just buying it! It is supposed to have a 30 second curing system which does not work at all! No matter ho little you apply, it doesnt cure very well and when you put the cleanser on, it takes most of it off! I also found that when it did cure, the cleanser dulled the shine completely! The instructions do say that it removes the shine only temporarily, but the shine did not ever come out in the 24 hours in which the polish lasted! Within a day, it had started flaking and peeling, whole nails were coming off in one go, just by me going about my day! I didn't do anything that was likely to ruin my nails, like cleaning or washing up, I literally just wrote a few blogposts that day! It also dried my nails out like crazy, and as the gel peeled off it was taking layers of my nail with it which I kind of expected, but it was a huge disappointment!

Overall, I wasted £20 on this and I will definitely not be purchasing any products from this brand in the future! If you know of any DIY gel kits that do work effectively, then let me know because I would love to try them!!

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 15 - Bold Lip Face

When going for a bold lip, I tend to follow a similar routine every time for the rest of my face.  In the autumn, I don't mind going all out with dark lips and dark eyes, but I appreciate that this isn't for everyone.  Hopefully this post will be useful for those of you who either like to go bold on the lips or the eyes and aren't brave enough to go for both!

For base products, I recommend going for something flawless so that you have a completely blank canvas before you start with the rest of the face. I find that a flawless base is the best way to wear a bold lip, that way there is nothing taking away the attention from it, and its the only thing that stands out! Stick to what you know for this, use products that you feel comfortable using and that you know give you the look that you want.

For the face, I usually do a subtle contour depending on the time of year. In the winter months when my lips are dark, I don't mind going a little heavier but if I was wearing a bright lip in the summer then I usually tone it down a little bit to make it a bit more like some bronzey definition. For blush, I like to stick with something fairly neutral so that it doesn't clash with the lips. I usually go for a nude or a peach as they go with most lip colours. If you aren't a fan of blush, you could skip this step and just use bronzer to add a little bit more colour to your cheeks which would also help to transition your contour so that it blends seamlessly. I also love a bit of highlighter, and I apply this in accordance to my lip colour of choice. What I mean by this is, if I am going for a glossy lip I'll apply more so that my overall look is shiny and dewy, whereas if I am going for a matte lip I tend to tone it down a little to keep the overall look matte if that makes any sense.

For eyes, I stick with something fairly neutral. Sometimes I'll apply a light shimmery shade over the lid and in the inner corner, and apply some definition in the crease. Sometimes I will just apply a matte cream all over the lid to cancel out any discoloration and then use a bronzer or a contour shade through the crease for a bit of definition without looking like I have anything on. I personally love to use a liquid liner when wearing a bold lip, sometimes I'll stick with a classic line, other times I love to wing it out, especially if I'm wearing a red lip. I'd have to say that red lips and winged liner is my favourite makeup look of all time, so classic! If you are wearing it in the day time and don't want to look overdone, you could smudge a bit of kohl pencil into the roots of your lashes and layer on the mascara, or just wear mascara alone! You could also add some wispy lashes for a more subtle look, or go all out with some big dramatic ones!

The possibilities are endless, let me know how you rock a bold lip!

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 14 - My Disappointment in MAC Eyeshadows

I think I am the only person that was really disappointed with MAC eyeshadows! Everyone raves about them so much, so you can imagine my excitement when I got my hands on my little palette and my first eyeshadows, looking forward to filling a whole palette.

When I got them home and started playing with them, I seriously started to regret my purchase! They felt odd, nothing like a regular eyeshadow and they have barely any pigment at all. The shade Cranberry has some pigment, but you have to do one hell of a lot of building for it to look anything like it does in the photos I've seen online.  Naked lunch has no pigment whatsoever, I have heard so many people raving about this shade but literally I pick up loads of product and there is no colour whatsoever. So many people rave about these so I have no idea what is going on, they were purchased from Mac in Debenhams on 2 separate occasions so they are 100% effective and seeing as they are both the same, it can't just be a faulty product.

Let me know about your experiences with Mac eyeshadows, do you have the same problem? Am I doing something wrong? What are your tips? I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions, I feel like I've wasted alot of money here because they are not cheap at all!

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 13 - Autumn Eye Look with Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette

During the Autumn, there is nothing I love more than warm, gold ad bronzey tones. When I created this look on my sister, I immediately fell in love with it and I have been wearing it so much recently. As you can see, this look is only eyeshadow, but you could either add a few coats of mascara for a little bit more of a subtle look, or go all out with winged liner and lashes! Its completely up to you!

I first started off with taking salted caramel with a fluffy brush as a transition shade to make all the other shadows blend seamlessly.  I then took milk chocolate to define the crease and outer and inner corners to create a rounded eye effect. I then went in with semi sweet to deepen this up a little bit more and add a bit more definition. I then used the shade creme brûlée in the centre of the lid, which is arguably my favourite shade in this palette! It is a beautiful mid toned gold that compliments many skin tones. To finish off, I took the shade hazelnut to define the outer and inner corners a bit more and then blended this all out until it was seamless.

If you try this look, be sure to send me a picture of it!

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 12 - My Favourite Autumn Lipsticks

This is a post that I do most seasons, so I couldn't resist doing one for Autumn seeing as it is my favourite month! I love all of the deep burgundys and reds and I just can't resist a dark lip throughout the Autumn/Winter time! These are mostly drugstore, but there is one high end pick that I just couldn't leave out to make it an all budget-friendly post.

Starting off with the only nude in this line up, I love the Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in the shade 'Heather Shimmer'.  It is the perfect dark mink toned nude, which I compared to a Kylie Jenner lip shade last year.  Not only is the colour beautiful for either night or day time, the formula is very glossy and moisturising so it is perfect for the colder weather if that tends to give you dry and chapped lips!

Moving to the slightly darker colours, if you want to wear a deep and bold lip without it being really bold and dark, a safer option is the Essence LongLasting Lipstick in the shade 'On the Catwalk'. It is a little bit sheer and is bold without being too much. It is definitely a good pick if you are just starting to wear makeup, or want something a little bit more subtle for a daily basis. The formula of this is impeccable as I mentioned last year here.

Next up we have a shade that I recently was sent by Kiss Cosmetics. I have a whole post on this lipstick here so if you would like to know more about it, go and have a read! I won't keep repeating myself and bore you to death!

The last drugstore one is the darkest, the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer is a very dark burgundy which looks amazing on all skintones. The pink tones make it very universal so most people will be able to pull this off if you're brave enough! The formula is quite glossy and slippy slidey, which I appreciate isn't for everyone. It is fairly long lasting, and as it fades it leaves a stain. If anyone knows of a matte shade similar to this one then please let me know!

What are your favourite lip colours for Autumn?

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 11 - The Sunday Edit #72

As you may have seen on Instagram, I went for afternoon tea yesterday at a Hotel.  It was really lovely and I felt like a lady! It was all very civilised and I'd love to do it all again!

This week has been fairly normal, I've been up to my eyes in work, and I am starting to study for my end of term progress tests now which is a little bit scary! I only know of 2 so far, maths and economics so I'm working on those, but I think there may be more! We get tested on law weekly so I'm hoping there won't be one there, but my accounting teacher keeps banging on about a test but hasn't yet decided when it is, so hopefully it will be after the half term!

Not alot of interesting things have happened really. I've been frantically getting all my costumes ready for my dress rehearsal on Tuesday for my dance show. It's been mostly find your own costumes this year with a vague theme, which I hate! I never know what to wear so I would prefer to just be told what I have to wear and go from there! We also have the end of season party coming up at the caravan and the theme is famous people this year! Apparently characters count, so I am currently choosing between Snow White and Audrey Hepburn. If you have any other suggestions of dark haired ladies, that would have a pretty costume, it would be much appreciated!

Anyways, enough rambling from me, I'll leave you to enjoy your Sunday! I hope you have all had a lovely week and I'll be back tomorrow!

Emily xx

#Blogtober Day 10 - Belated September Favourites

I swear I am late with my favourites posts every month! Oh well, I suppose its better late than never ay?! This month has been an extremely eventful one, so many changes have happened! Although some of it has been good, I am glad that its over and things have started to quieten down a bit now and I'm back into a proper routine.  Although I seem to have tried a lot of new things this month, not many have stood out to me as favourites so there are only a few to mention this month.

The first product is the Kiss Light Reflecting Primer from Wilkinsons.  I picked this up about a month ago for £2 and I have used it every day since then! It really smooths over your skin to give you the perfect canvas for makeup, as well as brightening the skin which looks really good under foundation. I also find that it is good at controlling oil and helps my makeup to last longer, so I would definitely recommend this for most skin types, and for £2, its certainly worth a try!

I've also been loving the Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara, which was recommended to me by one of my Instagram followers. It really lengthens the lashes as well as giving alot of volume, it is quite thick so if you put on too much it can clump up a bit.  It is absolutely fine if you are careful when applying it, and I haven't found that it smudges or crumbles underneath my eyes either, which is almost unheard of for any mascaras on me.

I've been loving 2 new concealers this month as well, both are budget-friendly and fabulous! For under my eyes, I have been religiously using the Essence Stay All Day 16h Concealer.  It is quite a light consistency, but the coverage is amazing! It really brightens and covers under the eyes and blends beautifully! It doesn't cake up at all, nor crease so its definitely good for those of you who struggle with this when finding the perfect concealer. I have also been loving the Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Heavy Duty Concealer, as I think it is the perfect dupe for Benefit Boi-ing which as I've mentioned before, I love for covering blemishes.  I find using your finger works best with this to warm up the product and help it to melt into the skin, but the coverage is insane so it covers everything! It isn't cakey either, which is surprising for something with such a thick texture.

I will definitely be repurchasing these products, and I think this is one of my only favourites posts that have been completely budget friendly! What have you all been loving this month?

Emily xx