Monthly Favourites: August Edition

I'm going to be sitting here writing December favourites before I know it! I swear each month is going by faster than the previous. I'm not going to lie, I cannot wait for summer & the festive seasons but anyway let's jump into this months favourites.

MAKEUP: Maybelline Fit Me, Matte & Poreless Foundation. I wasn't sure how I would feel about this product however my sister let me have a sample of hers & I adore it. I'm yet to buy the full product but I will be for sure.

SKINCARE: Nivea Soft Moisturising Creme. It was my bestfriend that first introduced me to this product & it's been favourite ever since. It's an incredibly beautiful moisturise that you can use for your face, hands & body which makes it fantastic for travelling. I'm sure I've talked it about it before on here which I guess shows just how much I love it.

HAIRCARE: TRESemmé Botanique Damage Recovery Shampoo & Conditioner. I've been using the shampoo & conditioner combination since in first came out, which was very recently. It has a beautiful scent & leaves my hair looking & feeling the best it has in a long time.

LIP PRODUCT: Lime Crime Liquid Lipstick in Cupid. This particular product was actually gifted to me by my friend when I was down in Christchurch & I love it. It's such a beautiful petal pink hue.

LIP CARE PRODUCT: Nivea Coconut Lip Butter. I've mentioned these this product before in my Winter Morning & Evening Skincare Routine. Here in New Zealand, they brought out a new scent & I had to pick it up & try it out. And I love it just as much as I love the others. Nivea lip care products are definitely some of my favourites.

FRAGRANCE: This month I have been reaching for my Lady Gaga Fame. As some of you know, I was in Christchurch for about 10 days & that specific fragrance & being around all my friends from down there just brings back good memories.

YOUTUBE: Jasmine Rossol is one of my favourite YouTubers this month & I mentioned her in my '5 To Follow On YouTube' & I'll link that if you're interested but definitely check her content out!

INSTAGRAM: I've always loved Lauren Elizabeth's content on Instagram & I thought it was about time I mentioned her on my blog. I adore her as a person & her Instagram is just as amazing as she is!

FILM: The Help is one of my all time favourite films & I've seen it a bunch of times. It tells a fantastic story of what it was like back in the 1960's for the black community. I highly recommend that everybody watches it at least once.

ALBUM: My favourite album this month one by Conor Maynard. Conor's newest album is a bunch of covers obviously sung by him. Conor has an amazing voice & he definitely brings a twist & makes each of the songs his own is a special way! Definitely go & have a listen & let me know which song is your favourite.

PEOPLE: While I was in Christchurch I was able to catch up & spend time with a bunch of my friends & it was amazing. I had so much fun & it was great to catch up, have a few drinks & talk about the old times.

QUOTE: " Be humble. Be teachable. The world is bigger than your view of the world. There's always room for a new idea, a new step, a new perspective, a new beginning."

B x

Awkward Moments We've All Experienced

📷 : www.tumblr.com

We all have those instances that are super cringe worthy, they make you want to crawl up under a rock. We’ve all experienced them & there inevitable but instead of going through life trying to avoid these moments or stressing out about them, let’s take them in out stride & learn not to take ourselves to seriously but most of all we should learn to laugh at ourselves. 

I'm someone that is always doing & saying awkward & embarrassing things & these are only a few of the awkward moments I thought some of us would have in common. Let me know any of your embarrassing stories in the comments below. 

NO. 1: Tripping over your own feet. Or even worse, falling. For no reason at all. 

NO.2: Sending a text to the wrong person. Nothing is more terrifying than realising that you have sent a catty, whiny, totally inappropriate text to someone it definitely wasn’t meant for. 

NO.3: Sending a Snapchat to the wrong person. The exactly the same thing applies with Snapchat expect there is now the risk of sending a totally unattractive photo of yourself to someone it totally wasn’t meant for. 

NO.4: Accidentally ‘liking’ a someones photo while stalking their profile. We’re all guilty of the casual or maybe not so casual cyberstalking. Whether it’s an ex or their new love interest maybe even an old friend you’ve lost touch with over the years. But let’s be honest, the game is over when you just realise that you have double tapped.

NO.5: Laughing to yourself while riding on public transport. Whether it’s from a hilarious text or just something funny that has just pooped up on your social media. While sitting by yourself on the bus or the train, laughing to yourself never fails to get a few strange looks. 

NO.6: Saying hi to someone & they didn’t hear you. I don’t know about you, but I find it so awkward when you try & say hi to someone you see in public but they’re totally oblivious to it? Don’t get me wrong, it’s pretty satisfying once you do get their attention, even if you are yelling at the top of your lungs.

NO.7: Having someone point out that your top is on inside out. As if you thought having your top on inside out was bad enough now your size was on display & you look like you can’t dress yourself properly. 

B x

5 To Follow On YouTube

I'm constantly finding new favourites on YouTube & I go through phases of those who I love most. I thought I would put together a post of five of my favourite YouTubers as of recent. Let me know in the comments who your favourites have been recently.

PRETTY SHINY SPARKLY

KRISTINA

"Hi, I'm Kristina, the girl behind the beauty & luxury channel, Pretty Shiny Sparkly. I also have a blog by the same name. It's my outlet that celebrates living an enriched life & all things beauty, plus a sparkly thing or two."

JASMINE ROSSOL

"Designer & internet dweller."

HANNAH WITTON

"Hi I'm Hannah :) Welcome to my channel! I make videos about sex, relationships & other stuff. Subscribe for regular videos!"

AMY YOUNG

"New videos every Monday & Friday. I'm like a warm gooey hug & a kick in the arse at the same time. Here to assist you in your love life & your life life." 

CHLOE MORELLO

"I love to upload videos weekly about makeup, lifestyle & fashion. I love my viewers!" 

B x

Why Being A Workaholic Is A Good Thing

I'll admit it, I'm a workaholic & you know what, I'm not sorry about it. In saying that, I'm not the type of person who doesn't have friends, never talks to their family & has no social life at all outside of work. However I am a constant email checker, the late night & weekend worker & the person who can't turn off, even though I should & I'm a 100 percent ok with that. The word 'workaholic' has a negative connotation & in many cases, fair enough & rightfully so. Working to much is associated with high levels of stress, an actually decrease in productivity at work, strained relationships & an unhealthy work life balance.

If I deemed my day done at 5PM, drew the line & shut up shop, then some of my best work would have never got completed & most of my favourite highlights would have happened. I get it, we all probably wouldn't get half as much done if we weren't pushing ourselves as hard as we do. You tell me, maybe that's being a workaholic or maybe it's just being a hard arse worker.

This is why being a workaholic can be a good thing but keep in mind one VERY  important thing.

1: Workaholics take on responsibility. They're are the people who are constantly picking up the slack, they are the ones who are willing to do the things that no one else wants to do. It generally comes done to a lot of us suffering from the 'if you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself' mentality.

2: They won't stop until their mission is accomplished. No, nothing is actually perfect but there is nothing wrong with wanting something to be the best it can be & striving towards that goal. Us workaholics tend to tweak, edit, redo, start over & explore all scenarios until whatever they come up with is something that they can be 100 percent proud of.

3: 'Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.' I adore this quote & I think it rings especially true to use workaholics. Intelligence & talent will get you far in life but at the end of the day, the thing that trumps everything else is how much you put into something you really want.

4: They're willing to work anything, anywhere & do it to the best of their ability. You can count on workaholics most of time, no matter what. They will jump into the job willingly & with enthusiasm  for the task at hand.

5: They're passionate. Like really, really passionate. Passion & hard work go hand in hand & make all the difference in any career. The effort behind the end result shows.

6: They advance in their careers & make sure they get there. Workaholics get where they want to go & they get there faster than most. It's because they are willing to put the time in & then some, they learn & work more efficiently. This means personal & professional success.

So how do we really draw the line between being a healthy workaholic & being the one in danger of burning out?

I mean, I think it's easy. You love what you do. You look forward to the long nights & random spurts of inspiration. You put in everything you've got. If you hate doing what you're doing, it's not sustainable. I've always said that I'd never do something that makes me genuinely happy. I feel that if you're not doing something that makes you genuinely happy then that begins to effect other parts of your life as well. Develop & do something you're passionate about growing, not just because you are wanting to advance your career. Know your limits, find & appreciate stress free & happy moments, schedule holidays you can look forward to then then get back to doing what you do best, being a workaholic. There's definitely nothing wrong with that!

B x

Kaiteriteri, New Zealand

Again, one of my favourite places that happens to be right on my door step.

I would love to live in an gorgeous house like this on the beach one day. Imagine waking up to the beach & view everyday. 

There are so many cute little bays around Kaiteriteri & so many amazing places to go swimming. Kaiteriteri is definitely one of my favourite places to go in the summer!

B x

If I Could Only Use Five Beauty Products

In reality, I know that I’d never be really be able to only use 5 beauty products. It’s a fun, hypothetical game to play as it shows what your true favourite products are. So here are 5 of mine, which probably don’t come as a surprise as anyone however I did take a few minutes to pull together 5 products that make for the perfect everyday makeup look. These products change over time as I'm trying out new products & finding new favourites so I might just make a mini series out this, we'll see how things go!

E.L.F MAXIMUM COVERAGE CONCEALER: I decided to start of with a base product because let’s all be honest, we don’t always have blemish free skin & that goes for me too. A full coverage concealer is perfect because it’s going to cover any unwanted blemishes, discolouration & dark circles. It conceals anything that I might not want to show but it doesn’t completely mask out your complexion. 

MAYBELLINE FIX ME POWDER IN 235 PURE BEIGE: I never go a day without powdering any cream product that I put on my face. The love how finely milled this specific powder is & it’s beautiful for setting under your eyes. I find that if I don’t powder, everything ends up going south. I feel like you can never go wrong with a powder whether it adds coverage or not. 

NATIO EYEBROW KIT: This one isn’t a surprise but when I find a product I really enjoy, there is no putting it down for something else. I think brows really help complete any look, whether it’s everyday or full glam evening look. I don’t know about you guys, but I really think lovely shaped brows help frame the face. Brows are an essential for me. Also let me know your favourite brow products in the comments below because I’d love to try something new for a change! 

MAYBELLINE MASTER HI-LIGHT: You’ve got to love a product that you can use for multiple purposes. It acts as a beautiful highlight & blush in one. Its effortless way of highlighting the cheek while also adding a subtle sweep of colour. Not only does it look incredible but  the formula feels incredible on the skin too. 

MAYBELLINE LASH SENSATIONAL MASCARA: Since picking this up at the every beginning of this year, I’ve become completely smitten with it. It delivers an almost perfect lash look, with a lot of lift, separation, curl & volume. It stays pull all day without the need for a stubborn waterproof formula however the waterproof formula of this specific mascara is probably my favourite. The mascara wand it perfect to work with & gets right to the root of the lash. 

What would your top 5 beauty products be if you had to pick?

B x

5 Posts To Read This Weekend

Rounding up my most loved posts from the past month or so is something I think that will become common feature on my blog. So here are 5 of my most loved pieces of the blogging world. To start this mini series off, I thought I would share some of my all time favourites blogging content.

THE BLOGGING GUIDE 

By Lily Pebbles at lilypebbles.com

📷 : www.lilypebbles.co.uk

"It's coming up my 4th blogiversary, so I thought it was time to write my most requested blog post. I love receiving emails from people who read my site & I'd say 9 out of 10 are asking me for tips on blogging. So here are my tips, take them with a pinch of salt, we all have very different opinions & that's the whole beauty of blogging! Here are just some basic tips that will help you get started if you're thinking of starting a beauty blog." 

THE TRUE COST OF FASHION

By Victoria at inthefrow.com

📷 : www.inthefrow.com

"Working inside a building where the walls & flooring is crumbling & the heat is pouring through the closed windows onto your sweating forehead whilst you carefully overlock the edge of a £3 t-shirt sleeve, is not acceptable. Having your partner die of diseases called by agricultural pesticides & chemicals, due to the pressure from manufacturers & retailers to grow cotton quicker, is not acceptable. Leaving your only child with your family, miles away from home, returning one year to see them, because you can not afford the time or costs to keep them alive whilst you work in a clothing factory for $68 a month, is absolutely not acceptable. And I am referring to the true & hidden costs of the clothing you are wearing as displayed in the eye opening documentary, True Cost."

FIVE LIFE ORGANISATION TIPS: FROM DIARY PLANNING TO LABEL MAKING

By Anna at viviannadoesmakeup.com

📷 : www.viviannadoesmakeup.com

"Last week was a complete & utter fail of a week work-wise. Procrastination-wise it was banning. My cupboards are cleared, viral cast video knowledge up to date & my wardrobe has been looked so organised. My to-do list however, remained un-ticked & so this week I've tried real hard to get back into the swing of things, despite a cold & intermittent internet - Snapchat fam where you at?"

REVENGE FOR NICE PEOPLE 

By Hannah Witton at hannahwitton.com 

📷 : www.hannahwitton.com

"Recently I was telling a friend about my school bully & I wished her a horrible life. 'You don't really mean that do you?' my friend asked & year he was right. I didn't want her to be miserable her whole life just because she was a bit of a dick when she was 13. But that doesn't take away from how much she hurt me all those years ago. So even though I'm a nice person & I don't want her to die in a freak accident or anything dramatic like that, I do want her to suffer. Just a little bit. And so my friend & I came up with a list of revenges that nice people can wish for with corrupting their morality. Did I mention that we were drunk when we came up with this list?"

ALL THINGS ORGANISATION | PART ONE 

By Emma at emmaetc.com

📷 : www.emmaetc.com

"I have just been sorting out my 2016 Diary & have felt so inspired to share how I'm organising myself this year in terms of Uni, my blog & more. Because I'm writing about this in quite a lot of detail I will split these posts into different sections: blogging & everyday life then all things Uni. Read on if you would like to know how I organise my everyday life, budget & blog because I'm sure there are other organisation nerds out there like me." 

These are just a few of my favourite bloggers & a few of my favourite posts of theres. Let me know what you think & what your favourite posts have been as of recent. 

B x 

10 Things To Do This Weekend

📷 : www.tumblr.com

I'm generally pretty busy on the weekends & so when I eventually get to have a day to myself I end up not knowing what to do with myself. It got to the point where I decided to make a list of thing that would help me relax & things that I really enjoy doing. I'm going to share that list with you all today in hopes that it might be able to help some of you when it comes to having a day to yourself & just taking that opportunity to look after yourself.

NO.1
Pick up & read. Even if it's a book that you've read three times before. Pick up something you really love to read, even if it's a magazine or a newspaper.

NO.2
Start watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix, ready for the new series in November. It's sweet & lighthearted & perfect for the weekend!

NO.3 
Bake a batch of cookies. Have fun in the kitchen & bake yourself a treat.

NO.4
Treat yourself to a fresh coat of nail polish. Give yourself a manicure & pedicure in your favourite colour.

NO.5
Pick up a favourite bunch of fresh flowers.

NO.6
Plan for the week ahead. I love planning for the week ahead & I purely think that is because I like to know where my week is heading.

NO.7
Catch up on any YouTube videos or any blog posts you may have missed throughout the week.

NO.8
Get outside & go for a walk. Get some fresh air & take time to be appreciative.

NO.9 
Treat yourself to a mask & some luxury skincare.

NO.10 
Take some time for you. Have a hot bath, add some bubbles. Do whatever is going to make you feel relaxed & happy.

B x

5 To Follow On Snapchat

Snapchat has become a lot more popular over the last year & I must admit that I'm probably using Snapchat the most now than I ever have. It's a great way to communicate with others & it's a lot more personal than other social media. I'm going to share five of my favourite people to follow & I'll also link their Twitter accounts so if you're not following them there then you can do that too. 

NO.1: 

SNAP: @desiperkins 

TWITTER: @desiperkins 

NO.2: 

SNAP: @lusterlux 

TWITTER: @lustrelux 

NO.3: 

SNAP: @lilypebbles 

TWITTER: @lilypebbles 

NO.4: 

SNAP: @viviannamakeup 

TWITTER: @vivannamakeup

NO.5: 

SNAP: @xoshaaan

TWITTER: @xoshaaan 

B x

Favourite High End Blush

Whooo, Winter is nearly over BUT I do have a favourite Winter blush that I want to talk about. I’ve always been more of a bronzer kind of gal rather than blush but over the last 6 months I’ve been experimenting with a few different blushes & I’ve definitely found a favourite & it’s safe to say that I’ve been using the 75% of the time this Winter. 

Cliques Powder Blush in Bashful Plum has been a cult favourite of mine this Winter. It’s such a beautiful shade, it’s beautifully pigmented & effortlessly ads colour to the cheeks. You need such a little amount which means the products goes such a long way. I love deep purple & plum blush shades, especially for the Winter. 

Let me know what your favourite blush has been recently, I’d love you try out some new products & brands! 

B x

Girl Boss Quotes We Should All Be Reading

Getting inspired is the easy part, it's the hanging in there that takes the work. We have all had difficulties reaching success but I thought I would put together some of my favourite quotes from girl bosses around the world.

An all time favourite girl boss of mine is Sophia Amoruso, the founder of Nasty Girl & the author of Girl Boss which is full of advice about life, business & getting to know what you want from life. I mention one of her quotes in this post but if I'm being honest, I love all of her quotes & advice.

“Even with no manager watching to give me a gold star, it was important to do my best. Who cares if a tree falls in a forest & no one hears it? The tree still falls. If you believe that what you are doing will have positive results, it will - even if it’s not immediately obvious. When you hold yourself to the same standard in your work that you do as a friend, girlfriend, student, or otherwise, it pays off.” - Sophia Amoruso, Founder of Nasty Gal, Author of #GIRLBOSS

“Don’t waste your energy trying to educate or change opinions; go over, under, through & opinions will change organically when you’re the boss. Or they won’t. Who cares? Do your thing & don’t care if they like it.” - Tina Fey, Actress, Comedian, Writer & Producer

"Create your own job. Become the master of what you do. Full immerse yourself in your culture. Be humble; you are never above having to pack boxes. Never forget where you came from. And always be polite. Good old fashioned manner can get you very far." - Jenné Lomardo, Owner of The Terminal Presents 

“You don’t have to change your goal. Change your path, be willing to & don’t see that as a failure. That’s just life.” - Diane Hendricks, Co-Founder & Chairperson, ABC Supply

“I had to learn how to ask for help. Everyone always thinks it’s brave to go out alone but I think it’s even braver to put yourself out there in front of others & to figure out how to work together.” - Julia Hartz, Co-Founder of EventBright

“Success begins at that magical moment when you declare to yourself, your friends & the universe that you believe you can do something different.” - Natalie Massenet, Founder of Net-A-Porter

Share in the comments what some of your favourite inspiring quotes are. 

B x

Lake Rotoiti, New Zealand

A few weeks back I went to one of the most beautiful places I've been to in New Zealand. I mean, let's be honest, New Zealand is such a beautiful country anyway but out of all the places I've been, this is definitely one of my favourites. Unfortunately I didn't get to experience or touch any snow however I did see it on top of a few of the mountain tops surrounding this beautiful lake. I left feeling so incredibly lucky to live in the country I do. I feel like we don't appreciate our surroundings as much as we should.

B x