31 December 2015

Happy New Years

It's time to say goodbye to 2015 & hello to 2016. In five & a half hours I'll be welcoming in 2016. Wow is all have to say about 2015 & what a year it has been.



2015 has probably been one of my best years yet & I can't thank everybody who has been apart of it, enough. And to all of you guys here, who come back continuously to read my posts, thankyou so much for all your support! Keep an eye out & get super excited for what I have planned next year, it may even include a YouTube channel! 

I just want to take this opportunity to say that I'm incredibly proud of everything that you all of you have managed to achieved this year. I know that we've all had our ups & downs this year, myself included but look.. we all made it, we held on, we stayed positive & we made it to the end of 2015. And I'm so incredibly proud of us all. I want you all to enjoy this time & take the time to be proud of everything you have achieved.

To all those that mean the world to me & hold a special place in my heart, you know who you are & if you're reading then thankyou thankyou thankyou, you've been amazing this year, you've all achieved so much & I couldn't be prouder of you all. Plus of course thankyou for your continuous support, I couldn't have made it to the end without you. 

I don't want to get all emotional but honestly this year has been one of my best, like I said earlier & I can't wait to see what 2016 holds for not only me but you guys as well. 

You lot mean the world to me & I wish you the every best for 2016. I love you all oodles & oodles, & lets all kick some butt in 2016! 

B x

29 December 2015

TWENTY FIFTEEN FAVOURITES

If you want more information & want to know my thoughts on the products & people they can be found in the monthly favourites from the year, which I'll link at the bottom of this post. 



MAKE UP //
L.A Girl Pro Conceal
Australis AC On Tour, Contouring & Highlighting Palette
Australis 16 Hour Long Wear Foundation - Shade Nude
Natio Eye Brow Kit 
Australis Clear Brow Gel 

SKINCARE // 
Nivea Soft Moisturiser For Face, Hands & Body
The Body Shop Vitamin C Microdermabrasion Scrub
The Body Shop Tee Tree Cleanser 

YOUTUBE // 

BLOGGERS // 

MONTHLY FAVOURITES LINKS // 

DISCLAIMER >> these are some of my absolute favourites from this year & believe me it was hard to narrow it down plus this post would be way to long if i was to mention absolutely everything. feel free to check out my favourites posts from each month if you would like to know more about the things i was loving throughout the year.

B x

27 December 2015

HAPPINESS IN A FEW SECONDS

A few small things that'll make us happy in a few seconds. We all have those things that give us a small quick buzz of happiness in a few seconds.



SALES >> we all love a good ole sale am I right ladies?

THOUGHTFULNESS >> i will alway appreciate when people go out of there way to do something for me, or pay me a compliment. We don't see enough people sharing positivity & being thoughtful in this world today. 

WAKING UP & FEELING REFRESHED >>  i think this is probably one of the best feelings yet one that most of us probably take for granted. 

HEARING OUR FAVOURITE SONGS >> i think hearing our favourite songs can really help set a happy positive mood. 

HAVING A GOOD LAUGH >> a good laugh with friends is honestly the best feeling ever, i don't know what it is about it but it's an amazing feeling.

BESTFRIENDS >> honestly i think whenever i'm around my friends i'm in the best mood, we are always laughing & we never fail to have a great time together.

B x


24 December 2015

A SMALL CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

Whooo, it's Christmas Eve & the special day is super super close. I can't believe that we are nearly at the end of December, the end of 2015, how crazy is that! Seriously where the heck has this year gone?!



I just wanted to wish you all the biggest ever MERRY CHRISTMAS! You all deserve to have an amazing special day. I really hope you all have an incredible day with those that mean the most to you, plus of course eat some delicious foods. 

Just remember that I love you all so so much & you all mean the world to me. I'm sending heaps of love & hugs all the way from here in New Zealand!

B x

22 December 2015

THE FESTIVE SEASON

Forget about the gifts for a minute. To me, Christmas isn't about receiving gifts although gift giving is something my family does like to do.



For me the festive season is about spending time with those who mean the most to me. The festive season is about sharing happiness & cheer with those around you but it's also a time where we can be proud of what we have achieved this year. A lot of us don't take the time during the year to be proud of ourselves. We don't give ourselves enough credit throughout the year, for what we have managed to achieve & accomplish, whether it be big or small. It's all amazing & we should all be incredibly proud of ourselves. And this goes for everyone, whether you celebrate the festive season or not. 

December for me isn't about the gifts, I like to be around those that mean the most to me. I like to reflect on everything that I've accomplished, I want to be positive in this time but at the end of the day, I still think it's important to remember that we are all humans, so we're all going to have our ups & downs, we have to remember that there are people still struggling in this time & thats when our festive cheer is used to help lift other rather than bring them down. 

I want you all to know that I'm incredibly proud of everything you have managed to achieve this year & you should all be proud of yourself to. Let me know what the festive season means to you.

B x

20 December 2015

OLD BEAUTY PRODUCTS

We all hold onto beauty products for way longer than we should, lets be honest. We all have like 8 different shades of foundation just in case we tan differently to last summer or that eyeliner or mascara we brought three years ago. However we must remember that make up does have a best before date & it can harm your beautiful face if we continue to use it. That's why I decided to of some handy dandy research.



EYES //

Pencil Eyeliners: these can last up to two years as long as you sharpen it each time before you use it. This is just going to keep it clean & germ free.

Liquid & Potted Eyeliners: these can last up to one year provided that they are kept clean & don't go all clumpy & dry out.

Powder Eye Shadows: these last up to two years which is amazing, but they don't really last that long anyway right?

Cream Eye Shadows: these last anywhere between six to twelve months.

Mascara: it's recommend that you keep your mascaras for three months. It's super important due to the risk of serious eye infection. However as soon as your mascara drys out or becomes clumpy, it definitely needs to be thrown out.

FACE //

Liquid Foundation & Concealers: your liquid foundations & concealers should be kept for anywhere between six to twelve months.

Face Powder, Powder Blush, Powder Bronzers & Contour: these should be thrown out anywhere between six to twelve months.

LIPS //

LIPSTICKS: your lipstick are going to last up to two years which I think is the perfect amount of time to us up your favourite lipstick.

At the end of the day, I think you're going to know when products have gone off. If they smell a bit weird, they're clumpy & just not working like they should be, I think they're are your clear signs that you should be getting rid of it.

B x


17 December 2015

MY PASSION FOR BLOGGING

It can be so easy to fall in & out of love with your blog. It's so easy to criticise yourself, your content, your photography & so on. Because here on my blog & across all my social media I'm so honest about what's going on in my life, I'm constantly sharing my opinions, beliefs, values all that kind of stuff but sometimes I wonder if I'm sharing to much & it can be hard to decide where to draw the line. I've decided that I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing, sharing what I want to, what I feel comfortable sharing. At the end of the day I'll share what I want I to, I'll share my opinions, beliefs, values & what not because I think that's what make someones blog theirs. I'll have my opinions & you're aloud to think differently of course you are, but we all just need to respect that. Anyway enough rambling, I'm going to get on to mentioning why I love blogging.



THE PEOPLE //
I've met so many amazing people through blogging & putting myself out there through the internet. I've not only made friends in my local area & in my own country but also overseas as well  which is incredible. I love connecting with other fellow bloggers, we just have an instant connection & I feel like we can really just talk for hours. Just being able to connect with people all over the world just because of my own little space on the internet.

INSPIRATION //
I'm constantly inspired everyday. Whether that's from pictures I see on different social media sites or whether it's from those that I follow. #teaminternet is incredible, there's such a big group of us achieving incredibly exciting things everyday & we all inspire each other. My biggest inspiration comes from those that I follow, whether it just be social media, theirs blog or YouTube. We all empower each other, we share positivity & it's honestly an amazing feeling.

COMMENTS //
The comments I get from friends, family, other bloggers, internet friends & so on are just so lovely. Like I think that's what makes it all really worth it. And also the fact that I know I could be helping somebody out there, like I said before it's an incredible feeling.

I LOVE DOING WHAT I DO //
I've always had a passion for writing but I've also always wanted to help others. And essentially that's how my blog was created. I've incorporated the things that I love doing & here you have my blog. You know, I wouldn't sit down, write, schedule, take photos, & all that good stuff if I didn't enjoy it. I would upload a post three times a week if I did;t enjoy what I was doing. I love just being able to sit down & write until my heart is content. I love being able to take & use photos that really inspire me. I really just like being creative & I think that's why I love blogging so much. Next goal >> YouTube.

DRIVE //
Like I said before, I love bening creative but I also have this drive, this motivation to make every post better than the last. I'm always taking on board tips & tricks from others & you guys. I've always been self driven in everything I do, I've always been a perfectionist within myself & I want to be proud of what I do & achieve.

B x

15 December 2015

SUMMER HOLIDAY ESSENTIALS

Whoo, it's summer time baby! I absolutely adore summer & I can't even begin to tell you how excited  I am that it's finally here! Whether I'm heading away or have a beach bag ready for any last minute plans, these are my essentials I like to carry around with me during the summer.



- Sunblock & insect repellent 
- A hat
- Bikini 
- Towel
- Water bottle
- A snack
- Sunglasses
- A change of clothes
- Headphones
- Lip balm 
- Setting Powder & Brush
- Phone
- Wallet
- Keys


B x

13 December 2015

TEABAGS CAN HELP YOUR BEAUTY PROBLEMS?!

We all know how amazing tea is for our bodies but is it more beneficial than we think it is? There are so many different teas on the market, its truly amazing all the different benefits they have.



#1: Dry & Dull Skin
Green tea is packed full of antioxidants & anti-inflammatory goods & I found out recently that they are meant to slow down development & signs of ageing. Strange huh? Besides daily intake green tea can also be beneficial on the outside, whooo face masks! Who doesn't love a good face mask right? If you'd like to know some of my favourite masks then just let me know or you can search up some great ones online. 

#2: Puffy Eyes & Dark Under Eye Circles 
I know that at the best of times I get horrible puffy eyes & dark circles after a long day or when I haven't had enough sleep so I have a couple of tips that I've learnt. Instead of doing the classic cucumber on the eye why not try a freshly used green tea bag, just apply on your eyelids for around 15 to 20 minutes which will do everything you need it to do. More recently I read this super neat tip that I thought was amazing & wanted to share with you guys, super simple but just freeze green tea is ice cube trays & apply them to your eyes when you need a quick pick me up. 

#3: Being Bloated 
Who doesn't hate being bloated lets be honest? I found green tea really helps. I've also heard that mint tea is meant to help with craving, maybe I should try it out sooner rather than later. 

#4: Sunburn
Something I've find out recently & are is still something that I want to try however I thought it would be worth mentioning. Bathing in tea not only sounds a bit odd but is also meant to be the most effective way to soothe sunburn. Fill your bath tub & pop three tea bags in & you have the perfect bath ready & waiting to soothe any nasty sunburn. Maybe you could try this with green tea as well. This method is great especially when you're on holiday & teabags are the only thing left sitting at the mini bar. 

B x

12 December 2015

SUMMER READING LIST

Nothing can beat sitting in the sun with a good book. I love reading & recently I've been really trying to make the time everyday to read. I thought that it may be a good idea to share some of my favourite reads for the summer. Even if it isn't summer where you are living feel free to also check these books out. These are books that I have either read already or are on my to-read list. I don't have many but without saying no more, lets jump right in.



#1 // Girl Online & Girl Online: On Tour, Written By Zoe Sugg
I'm guessing you all know who Zoe is but if not she is a YouTube sensation with over nine million subscribers on YouTube. Zoe currently has two books out, which I have both read. I think that both of her books are great reads but also just perfect if you're looking for something easy & relaxing to read! You can purchase them through iTunes, for your Kindle & on course you can buy the hard copy.

#2 // A Work In Progress By Connor Franta
Connor Franta is another YouTube favourite of mine & I adore is book completely. Connor has created such a fantastic book that I think is great for all age groups & his book is definitely one that you can that you're able to take heaps from. I adore Connor & again I think this is a great, easy read.

#3 // Bingle By Tyler Oakley
I seem to have a YouTuber theme going on here but again Tyler is a YouTube favourite of mine, not only a favourite of mine but also a favourite of the incredible amount of subscribers he has over on her YouTube channel. I'm yet to read Binge but I can only imagine what it would be like. It's something that I'm so excited to read & something that I think I'll definitely be picking up this summer to read.

#4 // All The Bright Places By Jennifer Niven
All The Bight Places is the book that I'm ready at the moment & although I'm only a few chapters in I think that it's going to be a great book. It's been suggested to me on many different occasions & finally I've decided to pick it up & give it a read. I thought that I might include the thoughts the Zoe Sugg had on the book, "I recently read All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven  Ir really enjoyed it. I loved the characters & how she chose to write about mental health." I agree with Zoe, it's great to see authors speaking about something that is so important & something that they are passionate about.

B x

10 December 2015

ESSENA O'NEILL RESPONSE

Essena O'Neill is a 19 year old Australian who had over 770,000 followers on her social media platforms. Essena had posted a video to her YouTube channel, which had over 1 million views before she closed her account. Essena's video highlighted the negative impacts social media has had on her personal life. She pleaded that 'social media is not real life' & came out & admitted to her fans that although she appeared to be living a 'perfect' life' she was deeply unhappy.



First I want to address that idea of having a negative impact upon our lives. We get to upload what we want others to see & that's generally the happy stuff right? While that's perfectly fine, we have to remember no matter who we are, how many followers we have, there is someone out there looking up to us & admiring everything we do. I believe that it's important to show the good & the bad. I mean at the end of the day, does anyone have a perfect life? No. They may have what seems like a perfect life, due to posts on social media or whatever but this isn't always the case. We are only seeing a very small part of that persons life & that's so important to remember. We're humans, we're going to have the good days & the bad, it's just is apart of life & I think that it's super important to accept both. If you follow me on my social media platforms, you'll noticed that I do try & stay as positive as possible however if something annoys me, if something goes wrong with my day, if I want to voice my opinion about something etc, I'm not just going to hide completely from social media at this point. I went through a time where I thought my feelings, no matter what they were; happiness, sadness, anger, frustration etc, we invalid & that they didn't but in a matter of fact they do & my social media just like my blog is, is a way for my to expresses those feelings, opinions, views & beliefs. Like I said earlier, it's important to remember that what you see on social media isn't alway what it's like behind closed doors. 



Essena also made a comment about social media being fake & not real life. In my opinion this isn't absolutely a hundred percent true. I say this because although there is people out there who might be using social media for the wrong reasons, or who might be 'fake', there is also a huge amount of us like myself who most definitely not fake. Yes there are going to be people who will promote products that they don't really like or talk about 'experiences' that never really happened or whatever but it's so important to remember that with every fake person on social media there are, lets say, 100,000 of us who aren't. You know what I'm trying to say? Try not to let precious past experiences effect your own personal thoughts, opinions, feeling towards something or someone. I'm someone that needs & likes to find out things for myself. You could tell me how much you disliked a particular makeup product but at the end of the day if I want to try it & give it ago then I will. I just think that a lot more of us need to be true to yourselves when it comes to social media.




I want to briefly talk about negative & hateful comments because let's be real, we all get them. I honestly think the one & only thing to do to the haters is delete the comment & then block the user. No one ever, ever, ever should have to put up with nasty horrible comments. It's bullying & it's disgusting. Like, if you don't like what they are posting on their social media you don't have to be following them, you don't have to be looking at their posts, you don't have to be subscribed to them on YouTube, you don't have to watch their videos, see the pattern here? They aren't making you follow them or whatever. If you don't like them cool, no body has to like everybody but that still doesn't give you any right to be commenting on the social media & in their comments horrible, nasty shit. Honestly I don't get it, just don't do it. They good ole saying goes, "If you have nothing nice to say, then don't say it at all." 

At the end of the day, yeah social media has it's good & bad moments but what doesn't. It also comes down to the user, the particular person using it. Just remember if you're finding yourself not liking someones content then just unfollow them, don't be posting nasty comments, it's pathetic & it's low.

B x

8 December 2015

FESTIVE STOCKING FILLERS

When my sister & I were a lot younger we'd always be up early & we'd go & check if Santa had been. And when I say early I mean like 530 in the morning. Our parents would always let us open our stocking together but in the way on presents, we'd have until the whole family was awake & up.


I love the idea of Christmas stocking. I feel like it's just a sneak peak into the real deal with the gift opening excitement & my sister & I would always receive cute little bits & pieces in our stockings & to us they always meant the most to us. I thought I would share I few ideas on what you can be putting in Christmas stockings this year no matter who the stocking might be for. 

CANDY // 
I think adding the persons favourite candy or chocolates is a great way to fill up a Christmas stocking, obviously I'm not meaning the whole stocking, although I'm sure they'd love you for, but it's something you'll know they'll love. 

STATIONARY // 
My sister & I would regularly receive a notebook, a few pens, pencils, colouring pens & pencils, a few small crafty bits & bobs. I alway think these are great for all ages groups but also because you can never go wrong with it but it's also something we all tend to use on an everyday basis. 

NAILS // 
I think nail polishes are a gorgeous wee addition to stockings. You can choose whatever colours & it's definitely something that again, you could never go wrong with. Unless of course the person your buying for doesn't wear nail polishes. 

BEAUTY // 
When I say beauty I don't necessarily mean the full sizes either. Although full sizes are great & would fit in stockings fine, mini products are also great. Not only will they not take up to much room but they'll also come in handy when travelling over the holidays. These minis may not just be beauty items but they could also be skin care etc. 

FAVOURITES // 
We all have a favourites & they always vary over the year. Putting in on of your personal favourite products from the year for the person to give ago could also be a fantastic idea. 

B x

6 December 2015

BEST THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR WEEKEND

If you're like myself & do online school, or maybe even work from home then you'll know what it's like to have to do work or school related bits & pieces throughout the weekend. Something that I definitely need to work on and get better at is putting down my laptop & phone & focus on having some down time, some time to myself where I can just relax. For me, my down time isn't just having a pamper evening or what not, it's also a chance for me to do some of the things that I just haven't had time for.



1. Have a clear out. This could be clothes, makeup, skincare, shoes, your wardrobe, the kitchen or bathroom. Whatever it is, trust me, you'll feel a lot better for having cleaned it out.

2. Have a bit of a pamper nigh. I tend to be super busy during the week, taking a hour in the weekends is great time for me to pamper myself. Painting my nails, doing a hair & face mask, taking a hot bath, fake tanning. 

3. Take time to watch a film that you've been wanting to watch for ages. Sometimes evening through the week just aren't the right time so take some time in the weekend for this instead. 

4. Make plans with family & friends you haven't seen in awhile. You could go for coffee, dinner, go for a walk, whatever it may be, catching up with friends & family is always great. 

5. Spend hours on Pinterest, We Heart It & Tumblr gathering great ideas for the upcoming weeks. These could, YouTube video ideas, blog post ideas, meal ideas, Christmas presents, the options are endless. 

6. Have a really good tidy up. I try & keep everything as cleans as possible throughout the week however the weekend is when I like to do any extra washing I have, I'll vacuum, clean the shower etc. 

7. Outdoors, just get outdoors & in the fresh air. I don't know about you but being outdoors really helps me clear my mind & the same with being active. It doesn't have to be anything massive, just taking your dog for a walk or going for a walk around the block.

8. Sleep. If you need to catch up on some sleep then the weekend is the perfect time to do it. Remember, we are only human beings & although some of us like to think we superheroes & can go without sleep or limited sleep, the reality is we can't. Sleep is important.

B x

3 December 2015

THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

Whooo, it's December guys! I'm so excited for the festive season to begin & for summer to really kick in. December can be a crazy time for the most of us but it's still important to create some me time for yourself so why not use that spare time to get into the festive spirit & prepare yourself for Christmas.



1: Christmas movies evening with some of your all time favourite Christmas films.

2: Make some of your own Christmas decorations. Be creative & have fun with it.

3: Write out & plan what you're hoping for & what you would like to buy this festive season.

4: Spend an afternoon doing some Christmas baking.

5: Make a Christmas song list on Spotify.

6: Go Christmas decoration shopping. It doesn't have to be specifically for your tree, it could also be for around your home.

7: Read through some of your favourite Christmas blog posts.

8: If you're in a place where Christmas happens to fall in Winter, try going Ice Skating.

9: Treat yourself to an advent calendar.

10: Give yourself a gorgeous glittery manicure.

11: Learn how to make your own snowflake Christmas decorations.

12: Have a bath with a gorgeous festive bath bomb from Lush.

13: Watch Christmas gift guides & hauls on YouTube.

14: Create some gorgeous gift tags for your gifts.

15: Take sometime on a Sunday afternoon to decorate your Christmas tree.

16: Invest in some gorgeous festive bedding. It could even be sometime as simple a a couple of pillows.

17: Experiment with Christmas baking & then gift to friends & family.

18: Write out some Christmas cards.

19: You could even make your own Christmas cards.

20: Go late night Christmas shopping.

21: Drive around your neighbourhood & admire all the beautifully decorated houses.

22: Treat yourself to some festive PJ's.

23: If Christmas falls in Summer life it does for me, take the opportunity to be outside, get some fresh  air & enjoy the sunshine.

24: Decorate your room with you favourite festive pieces.

25: Download a countdown app on your phone & let the countdown begin.

B x

1 December 2015

OUR WORLD TODAY

I would like to get something off my chest. Over this past month I have heard nothing but negative, disgusting, awful things, I'm not talking about in my personal life, I'm talking about in our world. This month has been a continuous cycle of violence & negativity. The Paris bombings, other disgustingly awful tourist attacks & that's only two of the horrendous amount things that have been going on in our world recently.


It makes me so angry & upset to think that other humans can end someone else' life within seconds. I'm confused & I just don't understand how humans can inflict any kind of pain upon another human being. It blows my mind, how anyone could want another human being to suffer in anyway. Kindness is simple people, a smile, a hug, a wave, even a nod of the head & it takes all of two seconds. Someone please answer me this, why would someone want to end someones life rather than make it? Because this has been floating around my mind for a while now & I'm still yet to find the answer. My mum has alway raised me to not judge others & appreciate them, to appreciate life & absolutely everything we have. I don't understand why others weren't raised the same. 

This specific group of judgemental, hateful, cold hearted people, I often wonder if they're even living in the same world as me. Are they even looking at the same beautiful country & world that I am. I wake up everyday & appreciate what I have. The fact that I'm breathing, the I have a warm bed to sleep in, a house to come home too, the fact that I can step outside & breathe the fresh air in, that I'm able to appreciate the outdoors, nature in it's most pure form. I just don't understand how this world can be full of so much hate, look at what's around us, we live in such beautiful place, just take a moment to take in all in. 

I know this post isn't going to dramatically change anything but I'm honesty so sick of hearing these words come out of the mouths of others, "Oh well we can only hope for the best", "It's so sad, but we can't do anything about it",  "I don't believe in god so why should I have to pray?",  "Oh man that's so sad", "I really feel like I need to do something"

You know what, do something about it. Hell yeah it's sad, innocent people have lost their precious lives. We can do more than just hope that it all gets better, & you know what we can do more than feel bad & we can do more than just sit there & refuse to help. I don't care who you are or what you believe in, we can all spread kindness, we can all be compassionate, we don't need to hate & we don't need to judge. What we do need is love, kindness & compassion. Why don't we all start by sharing a smile, a hug or even just a nod of the head because in this world we can't be ganutreed tomorrow, next week, next month or even next year. Be kind to those around you, your parents, your siblings, your family, your neighbours, your bosses, your teachers, your bus drivers, your tax drivers, your enemies, your authorities, even the millions of people you'll never ever meet & the hundreds of strangers you pass by everyday. Kindness isn't hard & at the end of the day love & positivity is & will always be stronger than hate & negativity. Choose love & kindness.

To end this all, I'd like to quote @msjustjonii,
"Life is a precious gem & humans are the monsters. We live in a world where human beings can choose when another life ends. We live in a world we home is no longer a safe place. We live in a world where tragedies occur more than victories. We live in a world where love is missing."

B x