Food, Glorious Food! (#2014bloggerchallenge)

Hey guys

This #2014bloggerchallenge is all about food! It's been a while since I've written a food related post but today I thought I'd talk about baking. 

I love to cook but I also love to bake. I find it quite relaxing and eating it afterwards (when it has gone well) is definitely enjoyable and when people tell you your food tastes better than the ones they've bought in the shops, it's also flattering to hear.

While I'm at uni I barely bake as I don't really have the time, and I like to use the kitchen without being disturbed which barely happens in a uni house. However, when I'm back home, I like to bake as much as possible.

When I'm in the mood for baking, I tend to look up a recipe online for what I particularly feel like at that moment (or what my brother's request at that moment). However, sometimes, I feel like baking something that I haven't baked before. Luckily for me, my mum kindly surprised me with a recipe book for baking which helps when I'm feeling like that.

I've only made one thing from this book (shortbread) so far but over the summer when I hopefully have a lot more free time I shall tackle a lot more. I'll be sure to post up the results when I do. Next on my list is red velvet cake as when that is made correctly it is delicious!

Just writing this has made me very hungry (probably doesn't help that I haven't eaten yet) so I'm off to eat.

Thank you for reading and do leave your favourite recipe recommendations and your #2014bloggerchallenge links in the comments!

#2014bloggerchallenge- nail art made easy

Hey guys

This #2014bloggerchallenge is all about nails! As a nail blogger you would think this would be an easy topic for me. However, since I regularly post about nails, I've been trying to come up with a post that isn't similar to my usual nail related posts.

So I thought I would talk about ways to make nail art easy. 

I'm a massive lover of nail art and people have said to me they don't have the time, skill or patience for it. To be totally honest I feel that way too. I've seen some intricate drawings and I definitely don't have the time, skill or patience for that. I prefer designs with shapes and stripes so I thought I would share a few ways I create my nail art:

1. Striping tape

If you regularly read my blog you'll know that I love striping tape. Out of the techniques I'll be giving this is the 'hardest' one because it requires patience and a steady hand but apart from that I wouldn't say it's that hard. It can be of putting because of the patience required but once you get over that hurdle it's simple. You can create as many stripes as you want, with as many layers as you want. You can just go crazy with it! You can read more about it here



2. Top coat

Using a top coat is such an easy way to get an artistic effect. You just put them over the base colour of your choice and you're done! I remember the crackle top coats that I used years ago but at the moment, I'm loving Maybelline's color show street artist range. They create such cool effects, and they last! I would totally recommend them.

3. Textured nail polish

These are another simple way to jazz up your nails. They just add that little extra to a simple mani. These type of nail polishes create an effect on your nails For example, I like to use Sally Hansen's sugar coat. There are loads more out there but these are my current favourite.

4. Nail brushes

These are handy to have and I quite enjoy using these when I can't be bothered with striping tape. 

5. Nail Stamps

I am actually yet to try nail stamps but from what I've seen they are an easy to create those intricate looking designs. As soon as I get my hands on some I'll be sure to let you guys see

6. Dotting/marbling tools

These are another set of accessories that I am yet to try but have seen some beautiful designs with. The dotting tool helps to create uniform dots and the marbling tools create a water effect.


Places to buy accessories:

Born Pretty Store sell great accessories such as nail stamps and striping tape for low prices with free worldwide shipping! I also happen to have a code giving 10% so feel free to use that as well: (ATX31)

eBay also sell great accessories but sometimes you have to search for the cheaper ones and some may come from abroad requiring a longer wait. If you're from the UK like me, there are some UK sellers, and some with free shipping! As a matter of fact, all my Sally Hansen polishes have been bought from eBay at a much cheaper price than from Superdrug or Boots.


I hope you have enjoyed this post. Sorry it's a bit longer than usual, I can talk about nail art for days...
Have you got any other suggestions for nail art? Do let me know. 
And if you've got your #2014bloggerchallenge post up, leave your link below as I would love to read them!

Thanks for reading!

#2014bloggerchallenge- high end vs high street

 

Hey guys

Today's #2014bloggerchallenge post is all about the good old high end vs high street debate.

I personally think both have their pros and cons.

But from my bank account point of things being a student and all I'm more swayed towards high street. Superdrug and Boots (even though they now have high-end brands there as well) have some great products.

The only high end products I regularly buy are foundation and concealers. I've bought some lipsticks as well but they were from the cosmetics store so they were cheaper.

My favourite high street brands are MUA and Revlon.

My favourite high end brand is MAC.

What annoys me about high end products is that sometimes you spend all that money and the product sucks! I'll never forget my clinique disaster. Which has resulted in me not having any of their products since and I don't see myself trying them any time soon!

So since I only really have experience with high street products I thought I would give you my top 3 drugstore products at the moment. (It was a difficult choice to make...)

High street:

1. Undress Me Too palette by MUA. I'm always raving on about this product but it's for good reason! It's supposed to me a dupe to the Naked 2 palette. I haven't tried the Naked Palette so I can't really say if it is a good dupe or not but it's a great palette either way. Costing only £4 from Superdrug, (£3.60 if you have an NUS extra card) you just can't go wrong.

2. Revlon Lipsticks/Lip butters. So I'm technically cheating by putting them in the same category but they're very similar and I love them both the same. The colours are well pigmented and last long whilst keeping the lips in a good condition. They cost about £7 which when I'm being cheap can be a bit much for me but to be honest, they're worth the price.

3. Sally Hansen nail polishes. I'm a nail polish addict and I'm always looking for new nail polishes that won't chip after 1-2 days! Sally Hansen polishes last about 4-5 days chip free (which is good in my book) and don't cost the earth. They cost about £6 in Superdrug and Boots but you can get them cheaper on eBay and there are ranges and effects that I haven't seen in my store that I've managed to buy online.

What are you favourite high street brands/products? Any high end products you can convince me to try? Do let me know! And if you've posted your #2014bloggerchallenge leave your links below! I'd love to read them!

Thanks for reading!

#2014bloggerchallenge- Story time

Hey guys!

It's another #2014bloggerchallenge post! This time it's all about books.

I love to read but sadly because of the crazy timetable and insane workload uni gives me, I barely have anytime to read books for fun. I tend to use my summer holidays to catch up on reading or now that I have a tablet, I can read on the go as it's much easier to carry around than a book.

I've decided to talk about my all time favourite book series which is the 'Noughts and Crosses' series by Malorie Blackman.

Admittedly, it's been a while since I read this book but I remember when I was reading each book in the series and thinking what a great book this is. It's one of the few times I remember literally not being able to put a book down. These books are quite huge but it didn't feel like to me and I managed to finish it in a day or too.

The blurb reads:

"Sephy is a Cross – a member of the dark-skinned ruling class. Callum is a nought – a ‘colourless’ member of the underclass who were once slaves to the Crosses. The two have been friends since early childhood. But that’s as far as it can go. Until the first steps are taken towards more social equality and a limited number of Noughts are allowed into Cross schools… Against a background of prejudice and distrust, intensely highlighted by violent terrorist activity by Noughts, a romance builds between Sephy and Callum – a romance that is to lead both of them into terrible danger…"

It's written so well and you can't help but feel involved and you get caught up in their emotions.

I'm not going to give away the story but if you haven't read these books you really need to! 

I've always wanted them to make a movie based on these books. I think it would be an amazing one starring yours truly as the main character... haha

Writing this post has got me all nostalgic as it reminds me of my times at school and now I want to read the series all over again. Unfortunately, I have a lot of uni work to do and can't afford a 'reading week'. Hopefully, over the summer.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? 

What's your favourite book/series? Do let me know. 

Also, if you're taking part in this challenge leave your links below as I'd love to read them!

Thanks for reading!

#2014bloggerchallenge- My battle with oily skin (skincare routine)

Hey guys

Today's #2014bloggerchallenge is all about skincare. If you've read any of my previous posts you might know that I'm also taking part in #theskinproject which involves the many various aspects of having a good skincare regime so if you're interested check my posts out here.

Having a good skincare routine is a great thing to have. 99% of the time I'm good with my routine but like everybody else I have those days when I feel lazy. All I do is use a face wipe and go to bed.

Going to bed with make up on or not having removed it properly is one of the biggest mistakes to make and I make sure I never do. Not only will you regret it in the morning but you're left with make up stains all over your pillow which isn't pretty.

I thought, I'd use this post to talk about my general skincare routine.

If you have read any of my other skincare posts you would know that I have super oily skin. I am always complaining about it.
I don't want to think about how much money I have spent looking for products help me combat shine and over production of oil.

However, I am in a state where I'm quite happy. It may be due to the colder months, but my face remains shine free for a lot longer than it used it.

Every day, I was my face with Body Shop's tea tree oil facial wash and use the tea tree toner. I've found that tea tree products are great for oily and blemish prone skin. I recommend any of the products from Body Shop's tea tree range. I've tried them all and they're great!

I then use an oil balancing moisturiser from Simple. As I've said in a previous post, it's tempting not to moisturise when your face makes excess oil but not moisturising is a big mistake. It's just about finding one that doesn't leave your face greasy but still giving it adequate moisture.

Before putting on any make up I use MAC's Skin Base Visage and Loose Translucent Powder from their Prep + Prime range. These two products have been absolute lifesavers and I'm so happy I finally gave into buying MAC products.

At nightime, I wash my face using Garnier's Pure Active Fruit Energy Daily Energising Gel Wash.

I use Nivea's 2 in 1 cleanser and toner and then moisturise with Garnier's Moisture Match for oily/combination skin. I originally bought that with intentions of using it in the morning but it didn't provide a matte finish so I changed to using it at night.

 Face masks are probably my favourite aspect of skincare. I just recently blogged about them so instead of repeating myself you can find out more here

The main thing I do when looking for skin products is to make sure they're for oily skin and help to keep the face matte but at the same time, won't dry out my skin.

For now, my skin is in a good place but I'm still looking for the ultimate way to remain shine-free. If you know of any recommendations of how to combat oily skin I'd love to know.

Thanks for reading and if you're taking part in this challenge I would love to read your posts so leave your links below!!!

#2014bloggerchallenge- New Years Inspiration

Hey guys

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

It's my first post of the year and the first post of the #2014BloggerChallenge. Gaby from anothergirlyblog has decided the first topic to be a picture or quote that inspires me and will hopefully inspire you as we start this new year.

As it stands I can't quite think of quotes that usually motivate me. As soon as I post this I'm sure they'll all come flooding back to me.

However, I did find some new ones. I couldn't pick 1 so I've chosen 3. I'm sure you won't mind.
 These can be used to not only motivate blog wise but with my personal life as well such as uni and my weight loss plan.

I think this pretty much sums up how I want my attitude to be for this year and basically the rest of my life!

This is just a great quote to let yourself know never to give up. Things may get difficult, and trust me I know all about that, but everyday that you face, brings you closer to achieving that goal, whatever it may be.

This last one really speaks to me as I sometimes have issues with confidence and it really holds me back from achieving things I know I can. I'm hoping that in this year, I'll be able to begin to deal with this and become more confident in myself.

Thanks for reading! I hope you've found these motivational like I have. If you're also taking part in this challenge I'd love to see what quotes/pictures are motivating you.

Leave your links below!

Have a great 2014!!!!! 

Let's start as we mean to go!

x x