February Lifestyle Favourites

I really like the idea of sharing favourite products, lifestyle bits & pieces as well as anything else I might have enjoyed over the month, with you guys.  I enjoy writing this kind of content for my blog but I also enjoy learning about the products that others have come to love.

When other content creators post their favourites, I get the opportunity to learn about new products & other bits & pieces that I may not have heard of or that I haven't had the chance to get my hands on yet. 

When it comes to the content of my 'Beauty & Lifestyle Favourites' posts, I want to change things up a wee bit. I want to have things slight more flexible & not so structured. I'm going to talk about anything & everything that I'm enjoying & loving at the moment in time. 

I can understand that these kinds of posts can start to repetitive & with that in mind, I've made the decision to  to necessarily post 'Beauty & Lifestyle Favourites' every month. Some months I have a decent amount of favourites, other times I only have a few new products I've been loving. I'd rather wait to put together content with a bigger amount of favourites than having say, two products in one post just for the sake of posting content.  

I hope you guys can understand where I'm coming from & I hope that these new changes make my 'Beauty & Lifestyle Favourites' content more enjoyable. 

Now that I have said all that I needed to, lets jump into my favourites for the past couple of months. 

How To Be Happy Or At Least Less Say

By Lee Crutchley

I was gifted this book at Christmas by a good friend of mine. She's knows me so well & it's like she knew what the beginning of 2017 had install for me. This book is a creative workbook in the hopes of helping its audience become 'less sad'. It helps you draw, write, discover & remember those things that make you feel happy . . .  or less sad. I definitely recommend this book for those of you that are maybe having a tough time at the moment or maybe you just want to put a few things into perspective. The activities in this creative workbook will help you do that. 

Follow the author on social media at @leecrutchley to see more of his work. 

Calm 

By Michael Acton Smith

Calm, by Michael Acton Smith, is another book that has been a life saver over the past couple of months. I throughly enjoy the 'Calm' app which I purchased through the App Store, but the book is next level. I can confidently say that this book has changed my life. There is so much useful information in this one book & I think everyone could benefit from reading it. It teaches you to discover those moments of calm, using a mixture of creative prompts, activities, instructions & inspiration. I highly recommend this to everyone but especially to those who are feeling a little on edge at the moment. 

The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea Body Butter

I'm a big fan of The Body Shop & I'm always use products from the shop. I already adore their body butters but the Fuji Green Tea is my favourite scent at the moment & has been for the past month. It's such a beautiful, fresh scent that I could wear anytime of the day. Green tea scents hold a huge significance to me as that was my Nan's favourite scent too. She had a wee collection of perfumes & body butters smelling of green tea, so that's where my love for green tea has come from. 

Banana Boat Tear Free Baby Sunscreen Lotion, SPF/UVB 50+

In New Zealand, we are coming to the end of our summer months, however I feel like over the past few weeks it's been the hottest it has been all summer. Regardless of the season, we should be wearing sunscreen all the time, especially on our faces. The reason I reached for this specific product by Banana Boat is because created for babies I thought it would be perfect for my sensitive skin. And I was right, I adore this product. It doesn't break me out, it isn't tacky on the skin & once applied, it's not heavy on the skin. I also like that this product is SPF/UVB 50+, it is also tear free, hypoallergenic, fragrance free & water resistant.

Dove Original Anti Perspirant Stick Deodorant

When it comes to purchasing deodorant, whether it is in spray or roll on form, I always reach for Dove products. I've been using Dove products for years now but what I love most about this specific product is that it's a stick deodorant, it's not a liquid like what regular roll-on deodorants are. It has a pleasant scent, it's soft & moisturising on the skin & it doesn't leave a tacky, wet feeling like liquid roll-on deodorants do. I'm onto my second stick of this Dove Deodorant which is a clear indication I love this product. I've never buy anything again if I don't truly love it. 

Chapstick Natural Pawpaw Lip Balm

When I was down South mid January I got sun burnt lips. If you've ever had sun burnt lips before you'll know how painful & uncomfortable it can be. The only product that I could find that would really help lock in the moisture & make my lips feel a lot more comfortable, is Chapsticks Natural Pawpaw Lip Balm. Pawpaw ointment is a favourite of mine however Chapstick has bought out a lip balm form. I enjoy the lip balm form more purely because it means I don't have to stick my finger in a container or use my finger to apply the product. I throughly recommend this if your lips are dry, painful, uncomfortable or even cracked. Even if you're just looking for decent lip balm, I definitely recommend this one. 

B x

Setting Goals & How Often We Set Them

Setting daily, weekly & monthly goals are just as important as setting yearly goals at the beginning of every year. Goal setting is a big part of my life & I don't believe that it should be limited to the beginning of every year. If you want to see a change in your life you should set goals as often as each month, so you're able to keep an eye on what your accomplishing. 

Goal setting gives me a sense of what I'm accomplishing, day by day, month by month & year by year. To keep myself accountable I like to write my goals down & putting them in a specific place, such as a notebook or journal. Having them in a specific place allows me to evaluate my goals in day to day life, when needed. 

I wanted to bring this topic up for discussion with guys to see what you think. Do you think we should be beaten goal more often? Or is once a year sufficient enough? Goal setting is such a big part of my life & I wondered if it was in yours too? I set goals daily, weekly & monthly. When life is hectic & I have a lot going on, goals help me direct my focus back to the things I want to achieve.

It doesn't matter how big or small the goal is but if there are things you'd like to implement in your life, I encourage you to set goals. Regular goals. Daily, weekly & monthly. Write them down & put an action plan in place to help you along the road of accomplishment. 

Do you set daily or weekly goals? Maybe even monthly? If so, what are the kind of things you aim to accomplish by the end of the week or month? 

B x 

Everyday Makeup

When it comes to my everyday makeup look, this is pretty much what I've been doing recently. I haven't been wearing a lot of face products other than a concealer under my eyes or on any blemishes & even then, sometimes I don't even bother with concealer. It all depends on whether my skin is having a good or bad day, which has been up & down lately due to a lot of stress. 

I've been keeping my makeup routine super simple while using products I love & trust. 

BROWS

My everyday brow look might be a bit bold for some & that, I completely understand. However, I am a glasses wearer & I like to have something slightly more intense so my brows don't get lost behind the frames of my glasses. 

A: Elf Eyebrow Kit > Dark 

B: Natio Brow Kit 

C: Rimmel Born This Way Brow Gel > Dark Brown

EYES

Matte browns & taupes are just a few of my favourites shadows. For similar reasons to why I prefer a bold brow, a matte brown shadow in the crease adds definition & stops my eyes from getting lost behind my glasses. My favourite palette at the moment is Too Faced Natural Matte Eyeshadow Palette. There is a gorgeous variety of matte browns to play around with, you could create a endless amount of looks with. 

A: Too Faced Natural Matte Eye Shadow Palette

LASHES

If you have been following me & reading my content for awhile now, you'll know how much I love my bold, thick lashes. Nothing has changed, I'm still loving the bold, thick lash look. I've also be trying a few different waterproof mascaras so let me know if you have any waterproof mascara favourites. I'm yet to find one I absolutely love. 

A: Maybelline The Falsies Big Eyes 

B: Maybelline Lash Sensational 

C: Jordana Best Lash Extreme

D: Rimmel Scandal Eyes > Waterproof Formula

LIPS

Keeping it pretty basic with the lips. More times than not, I will reach for my favourite nude lip liner & lipstick. 

A: LA Girl Lip Liner > Natural Creme

B: Maybelline Colour Drama Lip Pencil > Nude Perfection

B x

3 Ways To Treat Yourself When You're Too Busy To Relax

I’m a big advocate for self love & self care but I know & understand that we sometimes have far to much going on, where we just don’t have enough time to treat ourselves to that luxury home spa night, that we all deserve & desperately need. I’ve put together a few pamper ideas that are simple & are going to ensure that you’re looking after yourself in a time that you really need to be on top of your game. 

1: Hands & Nails 

Good moisturiser is the key to the feel of fresh hands & great looking nails. After all the typing, writing, screen touching & hand shaking you’ve done, I think your hands deserve some simple, yet good ol’ quality care. You can always give yourself a manicure too, if you have the time to that is & if not I like to use a fast drying top coat just to keep my nails looking fresh. 

2: Feet & Nails

A bowl of hot water & essential oils make the ultimate foot soak. A good foot soak will help eliminate feet aches & help hydrate dry skin & cracked heels. I love to apply a thick body butter to my feet then put on a pair of socks & head to bed. In the morning, your feet a freshly hydrated & ready to carry you for busy day ahead of you. 

3: Scents

Candles, sprays & incense are perfect for this. Oh, the power of aromatherapy is incredible. The aim is to create a pleasant, safe, calming & comforting environment. 

What are your self care secrets? I'd love to hear them!

B x

A Little Life Update

You ready for one big ol’ ramble?

I very rarely do posts like this & that’s purely because there are a few things in my life that I prefer to keep personal. I share a huge amount of my life online but there are certain things that need to & which I prefer to be keep offline. However, the reason I’ve decided to write this post today is because I feel like I owe you guys some kind of explanation but also because my life is one big, creative journey & sharing that with you is what I want to do. 

LIFE

Life has been so hectic since December. We had the build up to Christmas which I love & it was great. I had visitors over New Years & my sister came to stay, I had a fantastic time. However, just as things were settling down & I was getting back into routines, getting ready to get back to school, my life took a flip upside down. In the last two months, I’ve been devastated by the news, that four extremely amazing, genuine, loving people passed away. Out of those four, I was privileged to attend two of the services. I’m not going to go into detail but one service was for a close friends Mum who passed three weeks before my Nan. Both services we’re extremely difficult & emotional yet incredibly beautiful as you could imagine. I’m glad I was there to celebrate the amazing life they we able to share with us. This took a big tole upon my life, especially the most recent passing of my Nan. My Nan was a very special lady to many but more than that, she was my Nan & my love for her is endless. I’m still grieving the loss of my Nan & I will be for a long time yet but life isn’t going to wait. While I’ll have good & bad days, I know Nan would want me to keep moving forward, even if it is only a few small steps at a time. I know she’d want me to keep doing what I love, so that’s what I’m going to do. 

LOVE

Over the past two months, the love & support I have received from everybody has been amazing. It’s been the support from everybody that has gotten me through the last month especially. As a family, we all came together, we cried together, we laughed together but most of all we were there for each in a time of need. I can’t thank everyone, including my family & close friends enough for there unconditional & continuous support through such a tough time. 

SCHOOL 

On a happier note, I am so excited for the school year! I’m going to extending my knowledge in courses that I love. I’m looking forward to working with some truly fantastic people & achieving goals I thought were never possible. 

BLOG

As you would’ve noticed, I stopped posting over the past six weeks & now you have an explanation as to why. With everything going on, I’ve been so emotionally & physically exhausted that I was at the point where I just didn’t know what to do with myself. But being creative is a passion of mine. Expressing myself through writing & being creative in that sense is what I love. Communicating with you guys whether it is via my blog or otherwise, it’s something I love doing & I’m never going to stop doing the things I love. This is just the first of many posts to come. I’ll be uploading new content every Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday at 630PM NZST. Follow me of social media to get regular updates. 

TRAVEL

Believe it or not, I’ve travelled more in the past two months than I did at all last year, it’s been a crazy busy two months. In a total of two months I’ve been to six different towns or cities & it’s been extremely exhausting. I do plan to travel & see more of my own country this year but in the mean time I plan to stay at the very top of the South Island, which is where I’m needed most at the moment. 

HEALTH & FITNESS

Health & fitness is a big part of my life & something that I find throughly enjoyable & beneficial. My life at the moment is still slightly all over the place & I’m looking forward to implementing routines back into everyday life that are beneficial to me & my body. 

Thankyou for being so understanding & continuously supporting me when life throws me curve balls, words could never explain how much I appreciate it. Follow me on social media for regular blog & life updates, maybe I’ll see you there.  

B x