OOTD: GCSE Celebration Meal!

Bonjour! 

Todays Outfit is a simple, casual one, to go out for a meal with my family as a celebration of my GCSE results. 

I decided to pair a Mickey Mouse crop top with dark blue high waisted shorts and tights. The crop top is a nice one which kind of looks vintage as the cartoon of mickey is an older one. I think that high waisted shorts really compliment my large figure as they hide the 'rolls' -ew

The shorts with a crop top means i can wear tops i like without having to show any of my stomach!

If people are wondering, because i am year 10 (going into 11 after the summer) I only did two exams so far, first was my English Language 'info & ideas' exam which i got a B in :-) i am pleased as that is what i was aiming for.

I also did the Maths Methods 1 and Maths Methods 2 , the grade comes as a combined 'maths methods' score for both papers. I got an A in this, and i know that an A is good and most people would be pleased, and i am pleased, but i was aiming for an A*, i am capable of an A* and when i did the exam i thought i'd get an A*. Nevertheless an A is amazing and i am thoroughly pleased :)

**CAMERA - i dont currently have my laptop (i am using the iPod app to blog) so i cant transfer photos from my bridge camera to my iPod. This explains the poor quality of photos but it will be better soon!**

Thanks for reading! If you got your GCSE results today, let me know in the comments what you got? Xx

Inspiration & Motivation: Katie Piper

Hello beautifuls!

As i want this blog to be a mixture of beauty and lifestyle, i decided to do weekly blog posts about things that can inspire and motivate you. I thought the best way to start this little series was to do a blog post on someone who inspires me the most, and gives me the motivation to get through everything. This person is Katie Piper, and i admire her a lot! 

If you dont already know, Katie Piper was the victim of an awful attack in 2007, in which her 'boyfriend' raped her and then set up a plan with his friend in which they threw a cup full of acid into her face, which also ran down her chest, leaving her with terrible burns. 

Before her attack, Katie had the dream of becoming famous, and worked as a TV presenter. She was beautiful!

After the attack, she no longer felt beautiful, she was constantly scared, she even had visions that the medical professionals working with her would do the same as her boyfriend had done, so screamed at them and told everyone to go away - even her mum and dad. 

She had to wear these plastic masks 23 hours a day for a year, which you can imagine would be a horrible experience, and helps the bad memories live on.

Once recovered, Katie decided that she wanted to help others who had been through similar things to her. She put together the Katie Piper Foundation which 'makes it easier to live with scars and burns' which is sponsored by Simon Cowell, who says 'Katie is one of the most inspirational people I have ever met'.

I have read two of Katies books, 'Beautiful' and 'Things get better' and also watched her TV series, and after learning so much about her, and seeing how she helps others has made me obsessed with her. She is truly amazing. 

In her book, 'Things Get Better' she talks about how to deal with problems, and it is almost like a 'question and answer' book, but she also includes stories she has heard from people and advice. One of the parts in the book which had a huge impact on me were the lines 'Just because someone lets you down once, it doesnt mean that all people will let you down, or that the same things will go wrong again, or that you cant ever trust again. It would've been very easy for me to say I would never trust another man after my rape and attack, but in order to have faith when i was ill i had to accept and trust those around me. Like Mr Jawad, for example. If i had refused his help just because he was a man, i wouldnt be who i am today.'

Mr Jawad was Katies doctor but now he is a good friend. Recently my trust has been completely betrayed by multiple people, in the worst way possible. I decided i would never talk to anyone at school again, and isolate myself, and fell out with all of my friends because i told them i couldnt trust them anymore and didnt want to talk to them anymore. This was a mistake, as i found from Katies book. Just because 3 people betrayed my trust didnt mean that i should fall out with my other friends and stop trusting them, because not everybody is low and nasty like that. 

The entire book is so inspirational, even if your problems are tiny i reccomend all of her work, and books to EVERYONE. Honestly she gives you such a better outlook on life and a positive view towards everything, just like she developed a positive view towards herself after her attack. 

Although her previous beauty was scarred, i think that now she is more beautiful than she ever was, purely because of her personality, motivation and optimistic mind. 

Katie Piper is my biggest inspiration!

Thank you for reading, i hope you take something from this post, or go out and buy the book. Will you be changing your outlook on life and being more positive about things? Are you already an optimistic person? Xx

Savings!

Hi guys! 

On 12th October, I am going on holiday to Orlando, Florida with my parents and sister. I've been there three times before but i was 11 or younger all 3 times, so i didnt really realise the novelty of buying things in another continent (the USA!) and bringing them back to the UK to keep as souvenirs, or to try out something new. 

A key problem I identified when i was planning the holiday with Mum was that previously, me and my sister have been given about $40 on the trip to spend on what we want, and then we've often been disappointed that we cant buy everything we see and want.

To resolve this problem, instead of making our parents bankrupt, i decided to save. Previously, when saving, i have found that using my bank as a way to not spend money doesnt work, because instead of having the money in my hand and wasting it, i waste it online! 

My sister Chantelle had the idea to create a savings pot, so thats what we did. 

I got an old tub, one that used to contain pens, and added a lid made from card, then secured it WELL with sellotape, so i cant access the money. Considering i only made this last week, and have spent £25 getting my hair done, i think that over £4 is a lot to have in the tub already, purely from doing voluntary jobs. Today my dad owes me another £20 for doing spontaneous things such as mowing the lawn, cleaning the kitchen, mopping the floor etc, and for doing jobs he asks for, like getting music onto his iPod from youtube (£4 per album is my rate, he doesnt know im ripping him off a little since it's free and easy to do!) and i get £20 a week for ironing the clothes for all 4 of us (you may think thats a lot, but when nobody brings their laundry down for two weeks, the pile is HUGE.

I'm hoping that by the time we go i will have at least £100 in my tub, and i will do a blog post just before i go letting you know whether it was successful and how much i saved.

Are you going to be using this idea to save your moolas (money)? Xx

My Top 5 Lip Products

Ello girls! (And boys?) 

Today i thought i'd show you my favourite lip products. I love all my lip products and wear all of them but i narrowed my favourites down to five for you. Swatches are included!

     So these are the 5 that made it into

     my favourites!

Firstly I have the body shop lip butters. I have three of these which came in a cute heart shaped tin - which i love. I believe this was meant to be either £10 or £15 for the trio but i got it in the sale for £3. I love applying the Shea Butter before i apply my makeup, and by the time i go to apply colour at the end, my lips are so soft and moisturised, and any cracks are almost completely healed! This works a miracle! At the moment i have only used the Shea Butter as i dont want to have all 3 on the go at once, but when it's gone i'll do the same with the others. They smell awesome too!

Next up is my Sally Hansen Lip Inflation in 'Sheer Blush'. This beautiful shiny nude lip gloss is perfect for plumping up your lips, and you feel the tingle of it getting to work almost immediately. I dont like the brush as it is really easy to put too much on but the product itself is really nice and not sticky. I like to wear this with a dramatic eye look to balance it out.

One of my all time favourite lip balms has to be the maybelline baby lips in Pink Punch, it's the perfect cross between a lipstick and a balm. The soft pink tint adds a small pop of colour but isnt too bold, so it's good if you want a natural kind of look! It's only £2.99, so in my opinion, its an absolute bargain, and it smells wonderful too :)!

I'm a big fan of Orange lipsticks so when i found the colour 'Electric Orange' of the Maybelline Colour Sensational lipsticks online, i was eager to put it in my basket. As expected, when it came i fell in love with it completely, and have worn it nearly everyday. It's not the creamiest of all but with pre-moisturised lips, this one's a winner. 

Finally, i have been really loving the Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquers. I have three of these, in the shades 'Nova' 'Celestial' and 'Stellar'. In the swatch i am wearing 'Stellar' and you can see how pigmented these are. It's amazing, it goes on exactly as it looks in the tube. The only fault with these is that if you smudge it outside your lips it's hard to get the stain away, but that doesnt put down the product as it is just so nice! They arent sticky and they go on really smooth, so at £5.99, you cant go wrong!

Thank you for reading this, i noticed that i included a range of products so there is something for everyone here. A butter, a gloss, a balm, a lipstick, and a lacquer. Which do you prefer? Xx

BOTBP: Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara VS. Maybelline The Mega Plush Volum' Express Mascara

Hey guys!

So for my first BOTBP, i thought it would be fun to compare two mascaras from the same brand which received a fair bit of hype around them. The two mascaras are The Falsies and The Mega Plush by Maybelline. 

The packaging of each mascara.

To start with, the packaging is really nice on both and they both share the same bullet-like shape. My favourite packaging is the Mega Plush because i prefer the bright green/blue colour than the dark purple colour of The Falsies. The wroting has started to rub off on The Mega Plush but i'm not sure if this will happen with the Falsies yet as i havent had it as long.

The formula of both products is fairly similar, however the falsies is slightly more clumpy, but dont take this as a negative, it is only slightly clumpy and it doesnt look clumpy on the lashes or cause your lashes to stick together in groups. 

The wands are very different for the two mascaras. To start with, the Falsies is a spoon wand whereas the Mega Plush isnt, which means that the Falsies supposedly adds more curl to your lashes (this will be addressed later). Also the Mega Plush has the new 'flexor brush' which means that the end of the wand can bend without breaking. This is supposed to help catch every lash, but i think that the design of the 'bristles' makes that work, as they arent all neat and separated, they point in all different directions so that you can make sure all of the lashes are coated. 

 

In the photo above i havent curled my eyelashes, to test the 'curling power' of The Falsies spoon applicator. Obviously curling is used to give the illusion of longer eyelashes, when actually just more of your lashes are visible. I think that The Mega Plush makes my eyelashes look longer, so i dont think the spoon applicator of the falsies actually curls, however it is a good applicator.

As you can see in the images above, the falsies does give a lot more volume, without clumping the lashes up, whereas the mega plush makes the lashes look very separated and spidery, which makes them look less black. 

Another thing i noticed immediately when using the mega plush was the amount of transfer onto the upper lid. This is really disappointing especially as eyeshadow comes first so when a mascara does this all over your eyeshadow, you have to either go out with mascara on your eyelid, or ruin your eye look. The Falsies does have a bit of transfer but it is right above the lash line so this could be disguised using eyeliner, which is what i often do when i use this mascara.

Overall i think the falsies does make your eyes look more open and nicer, and gives your eyelashes more volume, however the mega plush adds length. As i have long eyelashes already , i prefer the falsies as i want extra volume rather than extra length. 

When a photo is taken of the whole face, the eyelashes look fairly similar, but i still prefer the Falsies.

The falsies is £7.99 and i think the mega plus is £7/£8 however i got it at a trial price of £5.99 when it first came out.

Which is your favourite mascara? 

P.S i am very aware i need to go and get my eyebrows sorted out :)!!

Thanks for reading xxx

Drugstore only makeup routine!

Hi guys

Todays post is going to be my makeup routine, step by step in photos, using only drugstore products. I am aware my eyebrows are still horrid, because i have lost my tweezers and i'm waiting for my mum to take me to the salon to get them done :) 

I am not claiming to be a makeup artist or that i do my makeup perfectly this is just my hobby and i thought i'd show how i like to do it. I am not trained. 

1. Foundation

I have really bad skin in terms of spots and blemishes however i dont like to use a full coverage foundation. My favourite foundation so far is the Rimmel Wake me Up in 100-Ivory. I use a Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to work this into my skin evenly.

2. Concealer

I use concealer under my eyes and on my spots/blemishes to make them appear less prominent. I literally just dab the Miss Sporty Liquid Concealer in Light on the areas that i want to cover and blend it with my fingers.

3. Powder

To set my face makeup i use Rimmel Stay Matte Powder with a Kabuki which i dont know the brand of. This is because the foundation i used looks very dewy so i like to set it with this to give myself a matte look.

4. Bronzer

For bronzer i simply just work the Kelly Brook bronzer into the 'hollows' of my cheeks using a Fraulein brush.

5. Blusher

I then use a Rimmel Blush in Live Pink and blend that into the apples of my cheeks and slightly up my cheekbones.

6. Eyebrows

I take an angled brush and draw on my eyebrows using 'Mudhoney' by Soap and Glory.

7. Eyeshadow

I start my eye look by using a SUPER cheap 'multiuse crayon' from Savers. This was only 39p and it really helps my Maybelline Colour Tattoo's apply better!

I next use my finger to put a fair amount of my Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Eternal Gold all over my eyelid.

Next, i am using an eyeshadow 'box' which i got for easter ages ago. Im not sure where its from but the colours are beautiful and so pigmented! I am using a copper colour on the outer half of my lid, and blending it across into the gold.

Finally for eyeshadow i use an MUA shadow which i dont know the shade of as the sticker came off, and i work this into the crease. It is a great balance between the gold and the copper but on camera looks a lot more gold, whereas it is a bronze colour.

Finally i blend this all out using another Fraulein brush.

8. Eyeliner

For my eyeliner i use Maybelline Gel Eyeliner in Intense Black, sometimes i do a wing but i didnt today as it almost always goes wrong. This is just to open up my eyes and make my eyelashes look like they have more volume.

9. Mascara

Mascara is my favourite part of any look. I think it brings the whole look together, and if an eyeshadow look is really bold (almost stupidly bold) mascara really balances it all out so it doesnt look silly, and i just think that my eyelashes are my favourite feature so anything that enhances them so it's even better! 

10. Lipstick

 

For lips today i am using my BodyShop Lipstick in shade 66 which is a lovely orangey peach and it really completes the look.

Thanks for reading this guys i hope you learnt something and i appreciate that this is a long blog post but it was really fun to do!

BATTLE OF THE BEAUTY PRODUCTS: Intro

Hey guys!

Today i'm going to be starting a new 'series' of blog posts called 'Battle Of The Beauty Products' which i will upload regularly (every week or two weeks depending on how busy i am) on a monday, where i compare two beauty products of a similar nature, for example 2 foundations, 2 lipsticks etc, and finishing off the post by stating my favourite of the two and why.

Sometimes the products will be from the same brand, and other times they will be from different brands, for example today i'm doing two Maybelline products but next week i might compare a revlon product with a loréal product.

The first of this series will be up today and instead of typing out 'battle of the beauty products' it will be titled 'BOTBP: Name of Product 1 vs. Name of product 2' .

I hope you enjoy this series! Xx