SISTERHOOD OF THE WORLD BLOGGERS AWARD 2015

So this was an unexpected and heartwarming surprise when I opened up my Twitter notifications. The lovely Lauren over at Lauren Selwood nominated my blog for the Sisterhood of the World Blogger Award! I think the idea of awards within the blogging community is a really nice way of acknowledging each and every one of us, be it an experienced blogger with 100k views per month or a beginner blogger just starting out (we’ve all been there). The ideas, opinions and writing can get a bit much at times and these little nominations just remind you that there’s a whole community behind you for support. 

This award aims to ‘recognize the unique voices of women bloggers around the world’ ….awwww yay bloggers! 

Now I did find a few variations of the rules regarding number of questions and nominations. So I've stuck with the basics and chosen 4 nominations, cuuuz that’s my lucky number!

Rules

1. Thank and link the blogger who nominated you.

2. Answer the 10 questions your nominator has provided.

3. Nominate other bloggers.

4. Create 10 questions for your nominees and notify them of their nomination.

Thanks Lauren for nominating me, here are my answers to your questions, got me thinking here you did!

1. WHY DID YOU START BLOGGING?

I’ve always loved to write, whether it’s random notes in a notebook or fictional stories. Combing that love and my obsession with beauty and hair, it seemed a no brainer. But the main reason is so that when I’m older older older I can look back at what I got up to, what I liked, what I didn't like and who I was.   The world is changing and fast! 

2. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BEAUTY BRAND?

This is a tough one! I’m going to have to say MAC, probably based on the fact that it makes up 70% of my makeup collection. But a close second would have to be Sleek, their contour kit is a godsend!

3. WHAT'S YOUR DREAM JOB?

A free-lance arts fundraiser. Now you’re probably like...a what? It’s hard to explain without writing you a 4000 word dissertation on it, but I basically want to build up a reputation and clientele list in order to aid Arts companies to continue to run and entertain the population! My fantasy job (as in a job i’m never realistically going to do, not like a fantasy dragon trainer) would be…. an FBI agent! 

4. IF YOU COULD TRAVEL ANYWHERE WHERE WOULD IT BE?

Florence! I have some weird urge to go, the buildings, the culture, i must go one day! If i could travel anywhere right now, somewhere hot and sunny….BALI!

5. WHERE IS YOUR DREAM PLACE TO LIVE?

L.A or Amsterdam. Two very different places but they both have beautiful scenery.  The houses in Amsterdam are all so unique, the canals are never ending yet L.A has enormous properties with loads of land and sun. Both! I choose both!

6. WHO INSPIRES YOU TO BLOG?

Hmmmm, because I've always wrote, I don’t know if a particular person has inspired me so much as my love of reading and writing. 

7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MEAL?

Chicken and Riiiiiice.

8. WHAT IS YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE?

Most definitely The Sims 4. I’m 23 years old and still not ashamed to say i play it, it’s obsessive. Like i get to control people. Virtual. Not real. People.Without feelings. It’s a game okay!

9. MOVIES OR BOOKS?

BOOKS. I have a profile over on Goodreads (amazing website if you love books) and you can set up a reading challenge which records how many and which books you read that year. So far, my goal is 100 books and I've read almost 30 i think? Now that I’m done with uni I expect that will increase very quickly!

10. WHAT DO YOU SPEND MORE TIME DOING, HAIR OR MAKEUP?

Make-up for sure, I get distracted by trying out new looks and then remember that I actually have to get ready to be somewhere. Then again, when I wear my hair straight it can take about 2 hours from wet to finished!

Okay, so that’s all done and dusted. My 10 questions for my nominations are as follows…

1.What’s the most difficult part of blogging?

2.What’s your favourite part of blogging?

3.Who is your favourite celebrity and why?

4.What TV series are you watching at the moment?

5.Winter or Summer?

6.Tell us something weird and wonderful about yourself?

7.Best memory from 2014?

8.Do you plan things or let them happen spontaneously?

9.Which power couple; Beyonce & Jay-Z or Kim and Kanye?

10. Favourite city?

The beautiful bloggers i’m nominating are….*drum roll*

missjosiana at  www.missjosiana.com

xclaireabella at www.xclaireabella.blogspot.com

Tasmin at www.grandoisedays.blogspot.com

Sinead at www.daintydollmix.com

Anyone else agree that this a fun way to get us all connecting?

Thanks for reading!

BEAUTY | BENEFIT MINI TRAVEL SET

Everyone loves miniature beauty things don’t they? They're so cute and small and MINI. Not only are they perfect for travelling with that bloody 100ml rule for liquids on a plane (sorry Miss Liz Arden toner, you’ll have to travel down in da cargo) but they’re also ideal to fit in an already jam packed makeup bag! I’m sure some of you out there can relate.

I've recently just come back from a trip and whilst in duty free I picked up a Benefit travel set for £26, unfortunately I haven’t been able to find the actual set anywhere online, I’m starting to think it might just be an airport stand special?! But you can definitely buy all the full size versions from any Benefit counter. This little set has everything you need to get yourself feeling refreshed after you’ve been on a long flight or train journey or even if you just need to freshen up during the day. You can literally almost have a full makeup look from this set, all you’d need is a slick of your favourite mascara!

Onto the goodies! Also all of the below are the small 7.5 - 10ml sizes, but believe me you do get a good few uses from them.

The Porefessional Primer

This has been a firm staple in my makeup bag until recently I ran out and it’s not the cheapest primer out there, so when I reaquired this little one i was more than happy. The silicone balm gives you the smoothest complexion by hiding your pores and can be applied before makeup or as a quick fix halfway through your day. 

“That Gal” Brightening Face Primer

Before purchasing this kit, I’ll be honest this primer never stood out to me. It has a creamier texture than the Porefessional and is pink in colour, i presume to be the reason behind the ‘Brightening’ part of the name. I’ve used it a few times and it’s okay, but doesn’t give me the matte look I like. 

Watts Up Highlighter

Brilliant. Stick. Of. Gold. Seriously, it’s like a stick of magic shimmer you apply to your cheeks. A small swipe of this is all you need on your cheekbones and give it a little blend, you’ll look ethereal. It comes in a fun little container too that you can twist up’n’down. 

Benetint Lip and Cheek Stain

Unfortunately I’m not a lover of these at all. I feel like i’m rubbing food colouring on my face or lips and then it just bleeds into the outer line of your lip? No, I don’t understand. Then when applying it to my cheeks i end up rubbing off my foundation in the process. It might work for some, but that’s just not me. Cute bottle though!

Total Moisture Facial Cream

This lovely little jar holds quite a heavy but very very very moisturising facial cream. You don’t need a lot to cover your whole face either and it smells divine! If only there were moreeee. Thats the one issue about mini’s, they leave you wanting more and then when payday arrives your £100 down from buying the full size versions! Whoops, that’s a neccessity right? Right!

So are there any other beauty sets out there I can try and which mini’s do you love right now?

Thanks for reading!

LIFE | What's In My Gym Bag

I don't know about you, but I love reading blog posts where you get to have a bit of a nosey in other people's bags and homes. That woman sitting opposite you on the train with the beautiful Marc Jacobs bag resting on her lap...don't you ever wonder what is inside such a beautifully elegant bag? Well, I a few months ago I did a 'What's In My Bag' post which you can check out HERE.

And now I'm going to show you what's inside my not-so elegant gym bag! Why? Because it's a large part of my life. I'm probably in workout or dance gear 80% of the week due to university, rehearsing and generally going to the gym. So read on and be as nosey as you like! 

Sports Bra 

The most important item in here in my opinion. No-one wants to see me receiving a black eye mid run on the treadmill. This particular one has been in my gym wardrobe for a while, it has medium support, so does the job and is white which means it goes with any gym outfit I choose.

Leggings

This is the one part of my gym clothes I love to mix up. Rather than just get black leggings (of which I have in abundance) I instead tend to choose patterned or coloured leggings to add a bit of fun to my outfit. You can get some awesome galaxy and rainbow ones from Nike and Adidas, but for options a bit cheaper, Primark honestly do some brilliant workout wear. 

Low Armhole Vest

I always try to find these kinds of tips for the gym, they cover me up enough but then give me the large holes where I can get a breeze to my stomach, but no risk of side boobage thanks to my trusty sports bra!

Waist Shaper

Now this is a a new staple in my gym bag as of pre Summer gym sessions. I saw these workout waist shapers being raved about all over the net and due to my love of anything fitness related I snapped one up to see what all the fuss was about. It took a while to get used to, being sucked in and kept sucked in for an hour and a half of sweating and struggling to breath as it is, let me tell you, it's hard. After a few times wearing it whilst working out, it almost became enjoyable to know more improvement would come of it.  I picked up mine from WaistShaper UK which you can access HERE! 

Adidas Originals Jacket 

The walk to the car and then into the gym is cold okay? Yes, I drive to the gym, it's like 4 miles and with our temperamental English weather, I ain't being stuck in no thunder/rain/snow storm! This jacket is warm yet thin enough to wear at the start of my gym workout until I warm up properly and can then tie it round my waist until I'm finished. 

Nike Reflective Running Shoes 

Now, before we start, pink is not my best colour. It just so happens these were the last in my size and had all the qualities I wanted in a running shoe. The reflective side means IF, and I repeat, IF I walked or ran to the gym, I'm being safe if it happens to be dark. The grip is amazing on these too, no risk of flying off the treadmill or slipping on the stepper. 

Wooly Scarf and Gloves. 

Obviously these two items vary depending on the weather and my ability to remember to put them in, oops. However since we're still dealing with those super windy and rainy days they definitely come in handy and I can bury my face in my scarf and protect my hands from frostbite pre and post-gym workout. 

Powerade Water Bottle

Hydration is key. Simple as that, and it's large so I don't have to worry about running back and forward to the water fountain every 20 mins. I drink a lot of water which helps with avoiding inevitable headaches I seem to get but also does my skin a world of good.

Headphones

Because no one wants to listen to 20 other workout grunts and breath. Plus when the right song comes on, my motivation level increases tenfold. Who else almost sings out loud whilst pedalling like your in a race on the bike? Just me? 

Michael Kors Perfume 

'Gym' is not a scent I'd like to wear today thankyou! A quick spray of this beauty means I can still run any odd errands before off home for long shower, it smells so good and although yes the bottle is slightly inconvenient for my gym bag, I can't help myself.

So there we have it, the contents of my gym bag revealed for everyone to see. I won't lie and say there isn't a packet of chewing gum, apartment keys, a scrunched up receipt, a hair grip and my phone rattling around in there. But I'm guessing they may be pretty standard in any girls bag.

What's the item you couldn't live without in your gym bag? 

Thanks for reading!

LIFE | EYE OF THE WOLFE #2

Fresh out of university, the main thing on our minds is probably finding a job....or as I may have mentioned last week, deciding what to watch on Netflix! Sidenote: OMFG Orange Is The New Black Season 3 XD.

So you’ve found a job, you're waiting in anticipation to start, probably nervous and excited all at the same time. Am I right? Well that’s definitely how i’m feeling as I’m due to start a new job soon. There’s a few little things I’ve been doing to help me prepare and stem those unwanted feelings that i thought i’d share with you career gals out there!

RESEARCH YOUR COMPANY

Obviously, I presume you know who your working for! If not, that's probably NUMBER ONE on your priority list. Type their name into Google and have a good read of their goals, motto etc or if you know anyone who used to work there or who still does, ask for a bit of information so you can go in knowing your stuff! No doubt you’ll get trained but it makes you look inquisitive and motivated if you have a bit of background knowledge on the role and company.

PLAN THE JOURNEY TO WORK

Getting to work can be the worst part of the day, the hustle and bustle, the early morning, the travel... so find a way to work you can enjoy. If there’s a scenic route from your house, take that...providing it doesn’t turn into a cross country marathon! You’ll feel better getting to work having seen some beautiful sights on the way. If you live in the city like myself, make yourself a great playlist that gets you psyched up for the day, you can annoy/impress your colleagues with your constant humming of that song you’ve had stuck in your head all day, happens alllll the time. Travelling on a bus, train or driving can get very samey...music and/or some nice sights can help you start of your day right.

VAMP UP YOUR WARDROBE

An excuse to buy new clothes! Yaaaay. Honestly, it’s a very brilliant, very valid excuse! Since I used to juggle university and a part-time job, my wardrobe was primarily workout wear and dance gear. In serious need of some new business formal items! Buying a few pencil skirts, nice shirts and some work trousers can help you to feel fresh and sassy when you walk through the door everyday. Mix and matching some of your more casual clothes with business wear is always fun too. Just make sure you check your company's dress code! No bikini’s in an office, no suits on the beach.

IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS

There may be a few things you can brush up on if you have some spare time before you start. Sales jobs, why not explore some new ways to build up rapport with customers or if your working in a more office based setting, what about looking up some Excel or Word tips and tricks. Being on top of your skill set and knowing what you're good at when you start a new job will give you an inner confidence boost that will shine out to your new employers.

FIRST DAY

It’s finally here and guess what...you’re going to be fine. The first day of anything is daunting, school, college, university, jobs. You’ve had loads of first days, and did you make it through them. HELL YEAH! Although your at work to...yep, work! Your also there to enjoy your job, you chose this job for a reason, look at it as yet another chapter in your life. Don’t take yourself too seriously but commit yourself 100% and you will succeed!

Thanks for reading!

BEAUTY | Nude Nails: OPI & Barry M

Without my nails painted I feel undone, incomplete. I’m serious. Even when a nail is chipped or the polish isn’t perfect on each nail I have a mini freakout in my head and discreetly look for the nearest nail bar. Okay, maybe I don’t do the latter but you get the picture.

Lately, I’ve been loving pastel colours and even more so nude! Normally I wouldn’t opt for browns or nudes as I think they blend with my skin tone too much and I end up with never ending fingertips, however that all changed when I came across the Barry M Nail Paint in Lychee and it seems to have won me over! The polish is in their Gelly Hi Shine range which I’ve been an avid fan of since they launched (collected over 15 colours, ooo make that 16 with the new addition) and took £3.99 from my pocket, not bad not bad. This beautiful creation is non-gloopy and gives such a brilliant shine once it’s dry, bringing me to my next high-five to Barry M..it literally dries within a minute or so meaning your next coat can be applied and dried within 5 minutes total! Winning! Especially since I always always try to do something just after painting my nails and it becomes smudge central for my fingernails then out comes the nail varnish remover for a redo, sigh!








Once i’d painted my nails the lurrrrvely nude I decided to give one special member of my finger family a bit of glitz 'n' glam! Thanks to OPI's Make Light Of The Situation from their new 2015 Soft Shades collection, coming in at £9.95, my ring (no...only using the name..no ring in sight) finger got a little shimmery! This polish is down right stunning, when I first saw the bottle, the first word that sprung to mind was ‘princess’...oh how I wish one slick of polish would give me a castle and a tiara, oooo and a moat, everyone who's anyone should have a moat! It looks almost iridescent in the bottle, but applied over any colour definitely adds an element of ‘WOW’ to your nails. As far as i’m concerned OPI and Barry M are the go to brands for nail polish, yes the price tag’s are a little bit of a stretch from each other, but well worth it in my opinion.

What nail colours make you feel like a princess? Or even a little villanous if you prefer the darker shades?

Thanks for reading!

BEAUTY | Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes & Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer Review

Fabulous, fluttery, flirtatious. That’s what we want from our eyelashes right? I have the smallest, like almost microscopic eyelashes! Back in the day, i remember piling on layer after layer of Rimmel’s Voluminous mascara, and then using a needle to separate my eyelashes. I’d strut out thinking my eyelashes were being admired, little did i know it just looked like i had spiders on my eyes and people were probably looking in horror! To compliment our eyelashes, sometimes we have days when we want to cover up our dark circles too, after that long night working or playing. Which is where concealer comes in oh so handy in faking that wide awake, i certainly wasn't out last night look. I picked up the Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes mascara and Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Harvey Nichols, and now that i'm coming to time when i need to re-stock, i thought what a perfect time to do a review!

Nowadays, there are so so many different wands, combs, and formula’s for mascara it’s difficult to know which one will work for you without actually testing it. And unfortunately, that’s one make-up piece you can’t test out, conjunctivitis…. no thanks!

With describing words such as…

CURL 

VOLUME

3D-EFFECT

FLUTTERING

There's even a mascara out there called…..*whispers* Better Than Sex

It’s hard to not be enticed by the expansive choice we have. I do tend to try out a new mascara every time i’m running low. I'd heard so much about Full Fat Lashes and even watched a video of Charlotte herself applying it to a model, and hell I was sold! I purchased it for approximately £32 from the desk at Harvey Nichols, but it's available on Amazon too for a little more including delivery, which I've linked above if you want to take a look. The mascara itself when applied gives your eyelashes separation but not so much length. I found that after applying maybe three coats I got the length and volume I kind of wanted, not what I expected unfortunately. If you already have long lashes, it's probably perfect for you as I think it would have more effect. There's no fallout from this mascara which I love, who wants flecks of black all over their face halfway through the day! Removal is fairly easy too, although go easy on your eyes if you've triple layered like I do!

Concealer time! My usual concealer brand is MAC, but I wanted to explore other brands as a bit of a change up, a friend recommended the Nars Radiant to me and it's a product i'll definitely be picking up again. Priced at £27, again approximate as I've seen it a few different places at different prices. As I tend to use my concealer as the highlight of my contour routine, it's not too heavy to do so, but still gives a good coverage for those dark circles. The applicator is like a lipgloss sponge, acquiring just the right amount of product, one dunk for each eye and easy to draw a straight line down the nose for those no-surgery nose job contours!

Have you tried either of these products? What are your next purchases in the eye department?

Thanks for reading!

LIFE | Eye of the Wolfe #1

Why, hello there again, fancy seeing you around these parts.

You may have noticed this space has been a non-existent, dusty little corner for a good few months, something i'm not too proud of. However, I am proud of the fact that I've now finished University after a looooong four years.

I DID IT! I BLOODY DID IT!

I thought i’d do a little series on my blog every week called …., ‘Eye of the Wolfe’. It’s going to be a weekly post every Friday/Saturday with a little insight into some of the things I get up to, with hopefully a few words of advice too. Let’s see how it goes!


After finishing all the exams, essay’s and assignments, we all inevitably get that stomach curdling feeling….WHAT THE HELL DO I DO NOW?!
Don’t panic, it’s a normal feeling, myself and every friend post-uni has had this feeling, the first thing to do is stop, look back and realise how well you’ve done, you’ve managed to get through three years of hard work and even harder partying, I jest! Go you! Now is the time to have some well deserved rest...and that doesn't have to mean lying in bed day after day watching Netflix, or alternating between the sofa, then bed, back to the sofa, I must admit I did take up these activities for a few days after my final hand in. By rest I mean taking the time to do what you want when you want! Obviously work might take up some of your days if you have a part time job, or even the majority of your week if your lucky enough to have a full time job lined up after finishing. But whatever you choose to do after these stressful few months, just remember don't put more pressure on yourself, live comfortably for a few weeks knowing you've just worked your ass off and can have some time to relax!


After deciding to follow my passion and study Dance as a career, I enrolled at Leeds Beckett University, formerly known as Leeds Metropolitan University! I've learned so much over these three years here ( I also did a year at Teeside Uni - not for me AT ALL) ...and not just in terms of education, but also in terms of my self. Yes yes, we hear all this stuff about 'finding yourself at uni, it's the start of a new beginning, bla bla. Which yeah I guess it kind of is, but I've noticed it's also completely up to you to mold your experience of uni yourself.
There aren't any teachers to keep you in check, so it's up to you to get to class and if you decide to walk halfway to uni and then turn around for the comfort of your bed that's okay too. That's not imagination, I actually had a friend who did that....almost everyday haha. Naming no names! Personally I wouldn’t advise doing so every day...yes, even if your head's splitting in two after chucking back those shots that are 'so-cheap-you-won’t-know-your-own-name-after-5’ and the last thing you can think of doing is sitting in a lecture theatre, or attempting to pirouette across the room. It's difficult, it takes motivation and it takes determination to get that degree at the end of it all. But you can do it!

Nerves, fear and pressure are three emotions I've felt frequently throughout my time, but those are also three emotions that have pushed me forward and made me keep going. So now as I take a step into a new chapter of my life, i'll always remember those difficult mornings where i pushed myself to get into class eyes half open, those never ending days in the library and those hours filled with stress as you attempt to submit an essay online with no internet connection. But what i'll really remember is the people I've met along the way, the support network I've built up in a new city, the nights out filled with dancing, fun and mischievous adventures, the feeling of relief when you get your marks back at the end of a semester and most of all the huge sense of achievement now that I've finally come to the end.

University can be daunting, exciting, pressurizing, interesting and downright challenging. Whether you decide it's for you or not, to me it's another jigsaw piece in the puzzle that is my life which fit perfectly.

Who else has just finished uni and is feeling like i am?! 

Thanks for reading!