2019: November Favourites

@trentszmolnik

November was filled quickly with events which didn't leave me with a lot of free time & December is looking to be pretty busy too. Regardless on how busy or not I am I still like to make sure I'm getting content up for you guys. I use Trello to make sure that I have content ready to go & where I organised everything website related. 

This month I've been wearing my hair down a lot lately & to keep it looking smooth & frizz free, I've been using the VO5 Frizz Free Smoothing Cream. It's a gorgeous product that doesn't leave hair feeling heavy but is strong enough where you hair doesn't have any choice but to behave. 

Since it's coming into the warm months SPF is an absolute must! Invisible Zinc is my favourite brand for SPF & I highly recommend the brand if you're looking for high quality SPF! 

When it's come to clearing out my pores this month BLAQ Peel Off Mask has been a life saver. It an activated charcoal mask which is designed to target toxins & draw out all impurities from your skin. 

My book of choice this month was Finding Me by Michelle Knight, now known as Lily. I don't have words for this book & it's definitely not because it's an awful book but because of the devastating story told. 

"In 'Finding Me', Michelle reveals the heartbreaking details of her story. Michelle was a young single mother when she was kidnapped by a local school bus driver named Ariel Castro. For more than a decade, she endured unimaginable torture at the hand of her abductor. In 2003 Amanda Berry joined her in captivity, followed by Gina DeJesus in 2004. Their escape on May 6, 2013, made headlines around the world." 

I happened to find this particular content creator while searching Youtube for productivity inspiration & she's incredible. Julia Kristine is a lifestyle content creator, that has an amazing Youtube channel & the most gorgeous Instagram! Definitely recommend checking you content out, it's been some of my favourite this month! 

B x 

6 Quotes To Inspire The Best Version Of You

@socialcut

A quick one from me today but I wanted to share these small, yet powerful quotes with you. There's been a theme throughout some of my posts lately & I've been speaking a lot about looking after yourself in such a busy time of year. I think it's important to remind yourself of the following on a daily basis to help inspire you to be the best version of yourself no matter what is going on around you. 

"Put yourself at the top of your today list every single day & the rest will fall into place." 

"Love yourself unconditionally & always think about ways to make each part of your body strong & healthy." 

"Be kind to yourself." 

"Self love is the greatest medicine." 

"Honor your body & love it! Without that love, nothing else can stand a chance." 

"Take care of yourself so you can be at your best for others." 

B x 

5 Sources Of The Best Beauty Inspiration

@trentszmolnik

Beauty is something that I find incredibly inspiring & it's one of those things that once you get past all the consumerism that surrounds it, there becomes something really special about the world of beauty. 

Blogs & The Internet

The first & most obvious choice, to me, for beauty inspiration is the beauty blogging community. Even though it's not quite like what it use to be, there are still real people behind the words & glossy photos. Some of my all time favourites are Lily Pebbles & Anna Newton.

As well as blogs, Pinterest & Instagram are also great online places to find beauty inspiration. 

Magazines

Now, I rarely ever pick up a magazine to read the beauty reviews because I never really find them helpful or of any benefit but I do get my inspiration from all the gorgeous photography editorials. 

Books

I never thought I'd enjoy books on the topic of beauty. I guess I always just assumed they'd be quite dull & boring. Lauren Conrad's book 'Beauty' is the perfect example of the kind of beauty books I prefer. It's beautifully written, simple to understand & filled with knowledge. 

Everyday Life

I've always thought there's something interesting about the skincare & makeup products that other people use. We're all different, we like different things, different finishes, different looks & have different skin types. I love that not everybody enjoys using every product. It sparks a conversation, it's just one very simple way for us to learn from one another. 

YouTube 

The beauty community on YouTube is huge & continues to grow & there are just so many channels that are just incredible. Some of my favourites are Shaaanxo, RawBeautyKristi, NikkieTutorials & Desi Perkins.

What are some of your favourite beauty inspirations? 

B x

10 Things To Do This Weekend

@stilclassics

It's getting to that time of the year where weekend fill up quickly with end of year & Christmas events. So I'm putting this post together to encourage you to take a weekend for yourself before your life gets completely hectic. 

I will also link here my '3 Things To Do For Yourself At Christmas Time' which might help you come up with some ideas of things to fill your weekend with.

Read Your Favourite Book, Magazine or Blogger 

Give yourself some time where you can pick up for favourite reading material & dive into another world. 

Take A Bubble Bath 

Hot bubble baths are one of my ultimate ways to relax! Light a few candles & enjoy some time for yourself. 

Face & Hair Mask 

Along with a hot bubble bath, you can't go wrong with a hair & face mask! 

Buy Yourself Some Fresh Flowers 

I find fresh flowers always brighten my day & my space. There's nothing like buying yourself a fresh bunch of flowers! 

Tidy Your Space

Tidy space equals tidy mind! I always feel so much better once I've tidied my space. 

Complete A Small Project 

I don't know about you but at this time of the year I always have a list of small projects that I just haven't got round to doing throughout the year so how about doing on of those small projects this weekend? 

Take A Friend For A Coffee 

Catch up with a friend you've been meaning to catch up with for weeks now but you've just been occupied with other life events. 

Watch Your Favourite Film Or TV Series 

Curl up on the couch with your favourite snacks & binge watch you favourite films or TV series. Sometimes this is just what we need, to sit & doing absolutely nothing. 

Give Yourself A Manicure & Pedicure 

Nothing feels better than starting off your week with a fresh mani/pedi! 

Plan For Your Week 

Plan for your week & be prepared for anything the up & coming week might throw at you. 

What are your plans for the weekend? 

B x 

Bloggers Who Remind Me Why I Started

@brookecagle

Just a quick post from me today butI think it's worth it! I first uploaded to @bonnieellenxo nearly six years ago so I thought it would only be fitting to dedicate a post to sharing those bloggers that inspired me to start blogging but are also just some of my all time favourites.

All these women are truly inspiring & hold a special place in my heart! Their content has taught me so much over the years & I'll forever be thankful! You can also find these lovely ladies on other platforms such as Instagram, Twitter & YouTube!

Lily Pebbles, Anna Newton, Zoe Sugg, Lousie Pentland, Victoria, Suzie, Alix Coburn, Tanya Burr & Fleur deForce.

Who are some of your all time favourite bloggers? Is there anyone I should be checking out?

B x

Product Review: Mecca Max Sunlit Bronzer & Skin Halo Diamond Dust Highlight

As it's coming into the summer months & it's starting to warm up, I've noticed I've been reaching for the more glowly products more than usual. With that being said, of course these products can be used at any time of the year & do create the most gorgeous, healthy, natural looking glow when used together. 

Both products come in 3 varying shades so you're able to pick the one the best suits your complexion & retail for $24NZD. Mecca Max is also 100% vegan & cruelty free which is an added bonus! 

Mecca Max Sunlit Bronzer 

"For a goddess like glow. This light reflecting bronzer turns up the temperature for the silky summer love skin." 

Mecca Max Skin Halo Diamond Dust Highlight 

"A next level illuminating powder. This angelic diamond dust is the ultimate skin halo." 

These are two of my absolute favourite products to reach for when I'm looking for a healthy, natural glow! The formula is soft & silky & applies gorgeously to the skin! I cannot rave about this product enough! 

B x 

3 Things For Yourself At Christmas Time

@brookecagle

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! For a lot of us, Christmas is all about giving back & giving to those we love most. So I thought I'd do an edition of '3 Things For Yourself' for this holiday season. 

As lovely as it is to be buying gifts & doing things for others round this time of the year, it's still important to look after yourself & do things for you. 

Buy Yourself A Gift 

Buy yourself something that has been sitting on your wishlist all year. Something you've been thinking about getting but otherwise haven't. You've had an amazing, you've given it your all & you deserve this gift to yourself. 

Decorate Your Space

Go crazy & have fun decorating your space all festive! Put on some Christmas music, light your festive candles & go all out! Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year & I cannot wait to have an afternoon decorating my home! 

Put On Your Favourite Christmas Film & Relax

There are some amazing Christmas films out there so I'm encouraging you to take an afternoon for yourself, put on your favourite Christmas film, grab some snacks & relax! You deserve to have some time for yourself! 

B x

How To Plan Your Day For Success

@ohtilly

There is so much to get done & sometimes you just have to accept that not everything is going to get done. A working day throws so much at you, even someone else's problems can end up taking an hour from you. You could have all the trendy planners, to do lists & apps but I believe execution is the problem we all need to tackle if we want to have a successful & productive day. 

Set A Plan For The Day 

Now you know I love a good plan so start off your day with a blank piece of paper & a pen & decide what you can realistically get done today. By being realistic & setting goals that you can achieve, you won't feel defeated at the end of the day when you see a long list of tasks you couldn't get to. Take your new & improved list & schedule those tasks in around meetings, placing the hardest at the beginning of the day. 

Refocus 

Set an alarm to ring every hour. When it goes off take a deep breath & take another look at you list. Have you spent the previous hour productively? Now that you have evaluated how you've been spending your time, go back to you schedule & recommit to how you're going to make the next hour better. 

Review

Right, shut your laptop & step away. Take this time to look at your day & how successful it was. What worked & what didn't? When were you most productive & what distracted you? Use all this information to see how you can make tomorrow better. 

By treating your work day as a ritual you will notice results of success. You'll train yourself to prioristise & how to do it well. You won't be wasting your days on menial tasks or distractions. You'll be leaving your workspace lighter, happier, more successful & ready for tomorrow. Keep focused & choose deliberately & wisely. 

B x 

If I Could Only Use 5 Beauty Products

@stilclassics

Minimal makeup is some of favourite & it's what I tend to go for on an everyday basis but when it came to picking only 5 products, I actually struggled more than I thought I would.

Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation & Concealer 

Beautiful coverage & light on the face. It's everything you need in a foundation & concealer duo but for more details see my full review here. 

Revlon Highlight & Sculpt Contour Kit 

Gorgeous highlight & contour kit which is also really reasonably priced. Includes four powders, banana, highlight, bronzer & contour which all look really natural on the skin. 

Revolution Ultra Brow Kit 

It's no doubt that Revolution have some amazing products & their brow products are some of my favourites. It's the dream eyebrow kit! 

Maybelline Brow Drama - Discontinued 

I was thinking about not including this product but at the end of the day, my brows really do just have a mind of their own & I hate to think about the state of them if I didn't use a brow gel! This specific product appears to have been discontinued on their website which is a bit of a pain, you may be able to still pick on up in your local department store but otherwise I've linked their new replacement brow gel which I have not tried but does sound promising! 

Clinique High Impact Mascara

Again, another newer favourite by Clinique but it's such a gorgeous mascara that gives your lashes volume & length! I'd pick this mascara a thousand times over. 

If you could only use 5 beauty products, what would you choose? 

B x 

Book Review: History Is All You Left Me - Adam Silvera

"From the New York Times bestselling author of More Happy Than Not comes an explosive examination of grief, mental illness & the devastating consequences of refusing to let go of the past." 

I throughly enjoyed 'History Is All You Left Me' & how it explores grief & mental illness in young teenagers. The author Adam Silvera does an amazing job at capturing the infinite small heartbreaks of love, loss & grief. It shows it's readers what it means to survive devastating loss & that you will be okay. Not only does this novel bring light to LGBTQ+ community, it helps bring mental health awareness into a world that desperately needs it. It's a tremendously fantastic novel that I can't recommend enough. 

"When Griffin's first love & ex-boyfriend, Theo, dies in a drowning accident, his universe implodes. Even though Theo had moved to California for college & started seeing Jackson, Griffin never doubted Theo would come back to him when the time was right. But now, the future he's been imagining for himself has gone far off course. 

To make things worse, the only person who truly understands his heartache is Jackson. But no matter how much they open up to each other, Griffin's downwards spiral continues. He's losing himself in his obsessive compulsions & destructive choices & the secrets he's been keeping are tearing him apart. 

If Griffin is ever to rebuild his future, he must first confront his history, every last heartbreaking piece in the puzzle of his life." 

"This book will make you cry, think & then cry some more." - Nicola Yoon, bestselling author of Everything, Everything. 

B x 

What Happens When You Believe In Yourself

@alliesmith

How much better would life be if we always believed in ourselves? Of course, it's much easier said than done but it's definitely worth the try, right? 

Self-Acceptance

When you believe in yourself, you're accepting who you really are. You're not afraid to give your opinion & you're going to be proud of this person you're becoming. 

You Feel More Energised 

When you believe in yourself you feel like you can handle the world! Positive energy & a little confidence gives a major lift. You don't need those three coffee to start, you just own Monday mornings!

You're Always In A Good Mood

If you're happy with yourself, you feel better about everything, which puts you in a great mood all day long. A very nice side effect of believing in yourself if you ask me. 

Success Will Be Guaranteed

If you believe everything is going to be fine, it will. It's called the law of attraction. You attract the things you wish for. If you truly believe that you'll get a promotion or finally manage to work out three times a week, you will. It's that simple. 

You Can Motivate Others

When you feel good about yourself, you can motivate & inspire those around you. People love to hear great success stories & trust me, your story is definitely worth telling. 

Positivity Is Your New Mantra

There is no space for negativity in your life. You have goals to reach & deadlines to catch. So when you believe in yourself you'll be surrounded by positive people that bring a good, relaxing vibe. 

You Will Glow From The Inside Out

Even though true beauty starts on the inside, once you believe in yourself you will see it on the outside as well. You hair, skin & mood will be better than ever. You go girl! 

Respect 

People will appreciate you for who you are. When you believe in yourself you exude confidence that will make you respected. Exactly what we need right? 

I believe in you & I believe that you can accomplish whatever you put your mind to. 

B x 

Learning To Communicate When You're Nervous

@soicalcut

We've all been there, stuck in a big meetings or at lunch with your manager & last week I was in that position. I had a crucial interview which depending on how well in went meant whether I got into the College Of Education for 2020. You want to show that you're confident & in control, even if you're feeling less than. So I thought, better now than ever to talk about communicating when you're full of nerves. Here are some of the tips that I found super helpful so I thought maybe they'll help some of you too.

Maintain Eye Contact 
Don't look away because you are nervous, holding someones gaze communicates that you see them as an equal & that you're comfortable speaking with them. Make sure that you're not looking down at the floor when you're speaking & find people's eyes around the table.

Sit Up Straight
Don't slouch! Square your shoulders & lift your chin to show your engaged!

Don't Fidget
Picking at your jumper, nail biting, playing with jewellery - stop it! You're putting your nerves on display.

Strike A Pose
Power pose, that is. Take a minute to power pose in the bathroom if you can't in the meeting itself, research says that doing these for a few minutes beforehand will make you feel more confident!

Speak Slowly
Getting nervous & speeding up your speech can sometimes go hand in hand. Try to pace yourself & don't try to say too much too fast. Rambling is a surefire giveaway that you're not comfortable.

Praise
Sometimes the best way to relax is to feel you're among friends. Tell a coworker how much you enjoyed their presentation or their new idea. Remember everyone gets nervous - doing this only makes you look like a team player but also makes it more likely that someone will back you in this way also.

What are some of the ways you like to remain confident when you've go a nerve racking meeting or interview? It's not always easy, that's for sure!

B x