Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Blogging

As much as I love blogging, there are definitely some things I wish I knew before I started blogging. I always see people on social media saying stuff like 'bloggers have it easy' 'it can't be that hard' 'it's easy money' But I have to say, it's a lot harder and more time consuming than you think! It's basically a full time job! I spend most days blogging, whether it be actually writing a post or just scheduling tweets or taking part in Twitter chats with other bloggers. It might look like I spend my days doing nothing of substance, but I'm constantly planning new content on my blog, or taking photos for posts. I wish I could call this my job, but as of right now I don't get paid for it so it's only a hobby. These are just a few things that I wish I'd known when I started out.

How much time you actually need

I already touched on this but I wanted to talk about it a little more. When I first started blogging, I had no idea what I was doing and would just write a blog post to be uploaded that same evening. Then I learnt a few things about post promotion and put a bit more effort in, and realised I couldn't keep to my normal writing routine. No one told me that I'd spend most of my time planning posts, writing them and taking photos. I spend nearly every minute of my day thinking about blogging, even if its just finding post ideas. 

Your phone battery is literally the worst

I always thought iPhones had a pretty good battery life before I became a blogger, but that all changed when I started scheduling tweets and spending every waking minute on social media, either posting or catching up with other people's posts. I had to charge it atleast twice a day but now I have a portable charger and I wouldn't be without it!

The British weather is rubbish

We all know by now that the British weather is usually unpredictable. This obviously annoys most people, bloggers more so than others. If like me you rely on natural lighting for blog and Instagram photos, you're gonna have a hard time getting perfect photos if the weather decides to change randomly. I'm dreading when winter comes and the short nights are back because I'll probably never get any photos taken! I've been very tempted to invest in some studio lighting, just to make my life easier but I'm managing well so far with natural lighting.

Bloggers block happens more often than you think

I've only ever seen a handful of bloggers talk about it but I've suffered from bloggers block quite often. I very regularly read other blogs and get inspiration, but when I run out of ideas I feel useless. It was hard enough at school when I had to write an essay but couldn't find the words to write it, but this is something else! Sometimes it's easier to take a little break and get your mojo back instead of forcing content that people will see is not really what you want to write about. 

Bloggers can be bitches too

I'm sure most bloggers will know this but if you don't, there's bitches everywhere. I personally haven't had to deal with any, but I've seen plenty of arguments on Twitter over petty shit. At first glance the blogosphere looks like a wonderful place filled with unicorns and marble backgrounds with rose gold accessories. While it is filled with some amazing people, who create some amazing content and deserve more recognition for their hard work, there are the odd few who will get on your last nerve. 

As much as I've complained about these things, I wouldn't change it for the world! I absolutely love blogging, regardless of the rubbish things it brings because it also has so many great perks! 

Birchbox January 2017

Hey everyone! Today's post is going to be a review and unboxing of January's Birchbox. I must admit with Christmas and New Year, I'd completely forgot about Birchbox until it arrived last week! This month's theme is Sprinkle of Happiness and it includes a variety of products to help kick off 2017 in the right way.

The first item I pulled out of the box is this shampoo from Kebelo. It has a deep cleansing formula that will essentially give your hair a detox from any product buildup or overstyling. I'm not really fussy with what shampoo I use, usually it's whatever is on offer to be honest. This shampoo doesn't have a very strong scent, but it does smell nice and I can't wait to try it.

The next item is a shave cream by Whish. I have a few products from Whish that I've received in previous Birchboxes and I love them! This is scented with acai and grapefruit which smells amazing! I'm quite lucky in that I don't have sensitive skin so I can test all sorts of products. I already own this shave cream in the almond scent and love that so I can't wait to use this one too!

Up next is this hand cream by Merci Handy. I've never heard of this brand before this product has the cutest packaging ever! Like most hand creams, this is designed to keep your hands super soft. As far as I know, there were a few variations of fragrance in this month's Birchbox and I received a cherry scented hand cream which smells lush! It's the perfect handbag size and I will probably use this to death!

 The next item I pulled out of the box is this concealer crayon from Lord & Berry. This is basically just a pencil that you use directly on the skin, blending with the fingertips. I received the shade Beige which, after swatching, might be the wrong shade for me but it is super creamy and I'm sure I'll be able to make it work!

Last but not least is this nail varnish from Nails Inc. The shade didn't really show up very well but it's a gorgeous dark green. Unfortunately, I can't wear nail varnish because of my job so I'm gonna have to give this away which is such a shame because the colour is so nice and I know Nails Inc are a really good brand!

That's everything in January's Birchbox, if you want to sign up click here. I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts and I'll see you very soon!

Beauty Confessions Tag

After seeing this post floating through the blogosphere recently, I just HAD to do it myself! I know it is technically a tag and no-one has tagged me to do it, but I'm just gonna do it anyway haha!

Q1) WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST BEAUTY PRODUCT ADDICTION?
I have a very unhealthy obsession with makeup in general but I think my biggest addiction is probably eyeshadow palettes! I have WAY more than I need and some of them are still unused which is a serious problem!

Q2) HOW MANY PRODUCTS FROM YOUR ADDICTION DO YOU HAVE?
To some this might not be a lot but I have around 20 palettes, some of them with very similar shades in! One of my favourites has to be the I Heart Makeup Naked Chocolate palette from Makeup Revolution, it has some perfect nudes and browns to create a soft smoky eye look but still has a few shimmers to add a bit of glam to the look.

Q3) WHAT TYPE OF BEAUTY PRODUCT DO YOU HATE?
I've never really been a big fan of fake tan to be honest. When I was around 18/19 and just start going out clubbing, I used to used St Moriz instant mousse but I only ever tanned my legs! Eventually, I noticed that it smelt awful and was starting to turn my legs green instead of brown so I stopped using it for good!

Q4) WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN BEAUTY?
I'd probably have to say keeping up with all the new trends, I'm usually behind on every new fad that starts haha! Contouring, highlighting, strobing. There's allsorts to keep up with these days!

Q5) WHAT IS ONE BEAUTY COMFORT ZONE YOU DON'T EVER THINK YOU'LL LEAVE?
I think I'll always be one of those people that does my base before my eyes! I know most people bang on about how you should do your eyeshadow first so it's easy to clean up but to me, it just feels a bit weird!

Q6) WHAT IS ONE BEAUTY THING YOU SUCK AT?
Definitely cut crease eyeshadow looks, I keep practising but I think I've got completely the round eye shape to pull it off properly, plus I think I have slightly hooded eyelids so you can barely see it properly haha! I will keep trying though, practise makes perfect after all!

Q7) WHAT IS ONE THING IN BEAUTY THAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE HYPE?
Not many people will agree with me but I'm going to say Kylie lipkits. I do own one and it is good, but it is definitely way overhyped purely because of Kylie Jenner - who is an absolute babe I must say! I've seen a lot of people compare her lipkits to Colourpop liquid lipsticks in terms of formula and while I've never tried Colourpop before, if I were considering a repurchase from Kylie, I'd probably choose Colourpop first just because of the price difference.

These are all of my answers to The Beauty Confessions Tag. I tag anyone that reads this and wants to do it too! Hope you enjoyed!

October Favourites 2016

Hey everyone! I know that this post is a little bit late but I've just had my new desk delivered and had the joys of trying to build it without having a meltdown. 
*spoiler alert: I'm not insane (yet)* 
Today's post is going to be my monthly favourites from October and it's definitely a mixture of stuff, not just beauty and makeup haha!

The first thing I practically have to put on my favourites list and that is my dog, Dexter! Ross and I adopted him from a local rescue and he's settled in so well! We were originally going to get a puppy but then we realised how nice it would be to give another dog a second chance at a forever home so we couldn't say no! My camera roll on my phone is already full of photos of him too!

Up next, I recently entered a giveaway on Twitter to win the Girls With Attitude Fairytale Brush Collection. I'm sure most bloggers and Youtubers have them, so I was so excited when I found out that I'd won them! They're absolutely stunning and are super soft, I'm not even sure if I'll use them because they're just too pretty to ruin!

Another beauty/makeup item I've been loving this month is the Ultra Contour Kit from Makeup Revolution. I bought the powder version as I'm not too keen on cream contouring just because I have quite oily skin. This contour kit is sooo good, it has 6 matte contour/highlight shades and then 2 shimmer highlighters which are all super pigmented! I think it was only around £8 too which is a steal for such a good product!

After briefly seeing them at Leeds Festival in August, I've been obsessed with Mowbeck's song Talkabout. I'm going to end up getting sick of it soon because I just have it on repeat all day!! If anyone else, like me, is into indie/rock music then I'd definitely recommend checking them out. I can't really compare them to any other band because they have such a different sound to anything I've heard before but they are definitely worth a listen!

The last thing I've been loving this month is the tv show Dexter. I'd never seen it before so when Ross suggested we start watching it, I was very excited. We've just finished Season 1 and I'm pretty sure we watched it all over 2 days. Oops! I know I'm probably really late to the party since it was first released in 2006 but I'm honestly hooked!

That's all for this month's favourites, I hope you enjoyed reading about them. 

What have you been loving this month? 

The Boyfriend Tag

Hey everyone! Today's post is going to be a little different, I've seen The Boyfriend Tag quite a few times on YouTube so I thought I'd adapt it for my blog. I've also answered some of the questions from both of us. Before we get into the questions, I'd like to introduce my boyfriend, Ross.

Where did we meet? We first met at college, then bumped into each other in a nightclub a couple of years later.

Where was our first date? We never had an official first date.

What was your first impression of me? Him: you seemed really nice and easy to talk to. Me: fairly laidback, good sense of humour.

When did you meet the family? Him: The day we got together. Me: About a week after we got together.

Do I have any weird obsessions, if so - what? Him: Buying makeup, and phone cases, that you'll never use. Me: Having tarantulas as pets, 25 and counting!

How long have we been together? 4 years on Halloween!

Do you have a tradition with your gf/bf? No.

What was our first roadtrip? We went to the beach with a couple of our friends.

What was the first thing you noticed about me? Him: You have a nice bum :) Me: Your shoulders and arms haha!

What is my favourite restaurant? Him: Probably McDonald's! Me: You don't have one.

What do we argue about the most? Him: Who's washing the dishes. Me: You not listening to me!

Who wears the pants in the relationship? Him: Me. Me: Definitely me!

If I am watching tv what am I watching? Him: The Jeremy Kyle Show. Me: Football or wrestling.

What is one food I do not like? Him: Anything healthy. Me: Fruit.

What drink do I order when we go out to eat? Him: Malibu and lemonade, or just a Coke. Me: Strongbow Dark Fruit, Kopparberg, or a Coke.

What size shoe do I wear? Him: 5. Me: 10

What is my favorite kind of sandwich? Him: Chicken Tikka from Subway. Me: Meatball Marinara from Subway.

What is one talent I have? Him: You find the biggest problems in the smallest situations. Me: Leaving rubbish everywhere!!

What would I eat everyday if I could? Him: Pizza. Me: a Big Mac.

What is my favourite cereal? Him: Frosted Shreddies. Me: Weetabix.

What is my favourite music? Him: Rock or Disney depending on your mood. Me: Rock or Indie.

What is my favourite sports team? Him: Liverpool FC. Me: Arsenal FC.

What is my eye colour? Him: Brown. Me: Yours changes all the time!

Who is my best friend? Him: Conor or your mum. Me: Ryan.

What is something you do that I wish you didn't? Him: Nag at me. Me: Ignore me.

Where am I from? Him: Scunthorpe. Me: Also Scunthorpe.

What kind of cake would you bake me on my birthday? Him: Lemon drizzle cake. Me: Warm triple chocolate fudge cake.

Do I play any sports? Him: No. Me: Football.

What can I spend hours doing? Him: Literally nothing. Me: Playing Fifa or watching YouTube videos.

If I could live anywhere, where would it be? Him: Florida, Australia or the Maldives. Me: Scotland.

Birchbox October 2016

Hey everyone! Today's post is going to be an unboxing of this month's Birchbox. 

          

At first glance this box has a gorgeous pattern and is designed based on the four elements; earth, wind, air and fire. This also matches up with your starsign so because I'm Aries, I received a fire designed box. I love the drawer design of this box, I think it's super cute and could also be used to store other makeup and beauty bits. Apparently the box is glow in the dark too but I'm yet to test that rumour! I'd also like to apologise for the damage to my box, my dog got hold of it before I got chance to take some nice photos haha!

Whish Renewing Mud Mask

The first item I pulled out of the box is this Whish renewing mud mask. It's an exfoliating mask used to brighten and purify skin. I've always been a big fan of mud masks because I have terrible skin so I will definitely be using this! It's also great for if you're in a rush because you can leave it on for as little as 15 seconds!

Rituals Magic Touch Body Cream

The next product is a rich and nourishing body lotion from Rituals, scented with the japanese flower sakura (cherry blossom). It has a super sweet floral scent which I'm not a big fan of if I'm honest but it's a really smooth lotion. Everyone loves a good body lotion so I will definitely be adding this to my daily routine! 

Doux Me Pure Spring Mist

Up next is this water mist which is designed to refresh dry skin. This product baffled me a little bit because it literally is just a water spray.. I did spritz this over my face to try it and I can't lie, it did make me feel very fresh and awake. This spray is perfect for winter months, when my skin gets really dry and needs all the help it can get! I'll definitely be using this to see if it makes a difference to my skin but it's just water so I probably won't repurchase, unless it can convince me otherwise!

Bodyism Beauty Food Supplement

The next product I pulled out of the box is this food supplement which is made with an all natural blend of vitamins, antioxidants and herbal extracts. It claims to help you to feel your best inside and out, which is perfect if for any reason you can't get the right vitamins in your regular diet. You're supposed to put one full sachet in either a glass of water and a smoothie, once a day. I've only received one full sachet, which is only a day's worth so I probably won't benefit from trying this product.

Lord & Berry Matte Crayon Lipstick

Shade Intimacy

Up next is a product I'm really excited about, it's a lipstick crayon from Lord & Berry, which combines a lipstick and a balm that gives a matte finish. It has a beautiful creamy formula and the shade is gorgeous! Definitely one I'll be wearing during the autumnal months!

Number 4 Restore & Repair Oil

The last product in this month's Birchbox is this hair oil that transforms dull hair to shiny sleek locks. It can be applied to dry or damp hair which is perfect if I'm in a bit of a rush! I've never tried any hair oils before so I'm a little bit sceptical but I'll be trying this out to see if it makes any difference to my hair!

Overall, I'd say I'm very happy with this month's Birchbox. I absolutely love the design of the box and will use all the products, except the food supplement but it's always nice to receieve something different to try out!

A-Z of Me

I absolutely love posts that show the real person behind the blog, so when I stumbled across this A-Z of me I just had to do it myself! I thought it would be the perfect way for any readers to get to know the real me! So let's get straight into it.

Autumn. Out of all the seasons, Autumn is definitely my favourite. With Winter coming a close second! I love everything about it, the darker makeup, hot chocolate and duvet days and who could forget the woolly jumpers?!

Blogging. Although I had almost a year break from blogging, I am constantly reading other blogs. I find it so relaxing and love to read peoples' opinions on things!

Chocolate. I have a habit of buying loads of chocolate and eating it all at once, instead of saving some for later like most people haha!

Disney. I spend most of my time watching Sky Movies Disney, or singing along to the movie soundtracks. One day, I WILL go to Disneyland!

Emojis. I think I definitely use emojis way too much. Since the iOS10 update, I barely write anything properly now! My most used are probably the cry-laughing face or the heart-eye face.

Friends. Both the friends I have in real life, and the tv show. I don't have a lot of friends but the ones I do have, I know I can rely on. Also, Friends the tv show is one of my favourite shows!

Google. Anyone that knows me knows that I Google literally everything! I'm always the one with useless facts I've remembered from Googling something unnecessary.

Harry Potter. If I'm not watching anything Disney, I'm glued to the tv watching Harry Potter or re-reading the books for the millionth time! It is my all time favourite book/movie series!

Internet. I spend nearly every minute of my life on the Internet whether it be on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, I'm always online somewhere!

Jewellery. I absolutely love any kind of jewellery, although my collection is only small, I feel like jewellery can either make or break any outfit.

KUWTK. Love them or hate them, the Kardashian/Jenner family are all over social media. Personally, I love them! Kourtney and Kylie are definitely my fave sisters!

Lazy. Most people would agree that I'm a very lazy person in that I'll take any opportunity I can to have a nap! 22 going on 80!

Makeup. I have a slight obsession with makeup, I've definitely got way more than I need and probably have loads of stuff still in the packaging!

Nails. I regularly get my nails done, and feel naked without acrylics on. The only bad thing is I can't have bright colours for work. :(

Obsessive. I have a bad habit of being completely obsessed with something for months to the point where I get sick of it. Unless I'm really interested in something, I just won't bother with it.

Pizza. Another one of my favourite foods is pizza but I don't really rate Domino's or Pizza Hut. Give me a proper greasy pizza anyday, as long as it doesn't have pineapple though because everyone knows pineapple doesn't belong on pizza!

Quotes. I'm constantly on Pinterest looking at cute life quotes and sharing them on my Instagram!

Ross. My boyfriend who I've been with for nearly 4 years! I love him to pieces and can't imagine my life without him even if he is a pain in the bum sometimes haha!

Shopping. I'm a shopaholic, no question about it. When I get paid, I always buy myself stuff that I know I don't need. What is wrong with me?!

Temper. I have a very short temper and constantly have mini breakdowns haha. I hate conflict though and will avoid arguments as much as I can!

Untidy. If I could employ a maid/cleaner then I definitely would. I constantly leave stuff everywhere then complain about having to tidy it up. It's an endless cycle!

Valentine's Day. The only day besides our anniversary where Ross and I will actually show public displays of affection, usually on Facebook but it still counts haha!

Walking. Taking my dog for a walk relaxs me a ridiculous amount. Sometimes it's nice to just walk and appreciate the nature around me.

X-factor. I used to watch x-factor a few years ago but haven't watched it since Simon Cowell left. Even though he's now back, I still don't bother watching it. It's too obvious of a fix nowadays and doesn't make for great TV in my book.

YouTube. What would we do without YouTube? It's such a diverse platform with everything from makeup tutorials to gamers. It's got something for everyone and I love it!

Zoeva. I've been lusting after the Zoeva rose gold makeup brushes for so long! My brush collection will not be complete without them!

So that's the A-Z of me, I hope you enjoyed reading about me. 

What's on your A-Z?