Review | Spin For Perfect Skin | BLOGTOBER DAY 3

I'm finally getting round to reviewing this product! I've been saying for MONTHS that I'd write this and still have yet do to it. So finally, here goes...


Spin for Perfect Skin is a skin cleansing brush system, similar to that of the Clarisonic. It comes with four different interchangeable heads making it easily have great value for money. To be perfectly honest I don't use all of the heads on a regular basis but I love it nevertheless. The different heads are a Daily Cleansing Facial Brush, an Exfoliating Facial Brush, a Body Brush and a Pumice Stone.

The Daily Cleansing Facial Brush

This is the one I use most often, its so easy to use too. I just squeeze on my Clean & Clear Daily Wash and two minutes later a have perfectly clear, soft skin free of any dirt and debris. 

The Exfoliating Facial Brush

I love this brush head so much. I have the most sensitive skin and really struggle to find any exfoliators that don't make me look like a tomato...but finally I found one! I use this alongside the Clean & Clear Blackhead Scrub and it works like a dream! 

The Body Brush

I really haven't used this brush head much if I'm perfectly honest with you. I mean, it's nice and all but a loofah could do the same thing. So if this brush id the reason you want to buy this, save your money and go and get a £1 loofah instead!

The Pumice Stone 

This is unreal, it's honestly amazing. If you've got cracked, dry heels it's the product for you. It leaves your skin feeling super smooth and soft and it's just incredible. I love, love, love it!

I bought this back in March from Vanity Planet (I wasn't kidding when I said I'd been meaning to write this for AGES.) I paid in total £31.72 including delivery fees and all of those extra costs that companies like to add on but currently it retails for £81, so if you plan on buying it I'd suggest waiting for offers to pop up so you can save yourself a bit of money. But overall I'd say that this is 100% worth the price and even 8 months later its still working like a dream. I'll link it below for you to go and have a look at, I'd suggest reading some of the other reviews on the site to make sure it's definitely the product for you. 

Spin for Perfect Skin from Vanity Planet: www.vanityplanet.com/products/spin-for-perfect-skin

Thank you so much for staying with me through my ramble of a review. I'll see you again tomorrow for Blogtober Day 4!

Love, Lily

xoxo

Social Media:

Twitter: @lilyblogssInstagram: @lilyblogssSnapchat: lilyblogss

GOALS & CHALLENGES | BLOGTOBER DAY 1

Helloooo! I'm so excited to be doing Blogtober, I've read countless different people's blogs all who have challenged themselves to this so I thought I would do the same.

Challenges. They're something I don't put myself up to enough, something I always step back from and shy away from. But, why? Why don't I go out of my comfort zone and do something different? Is it because it's not in my nature or because I'm afraid? That I can't answer, but I can change. In the mext few months I want to challenge myself more, starting with Blogtober. Blogging for 31 days is not going to be easy, I know that. Thinking of new ideas for posts every day and uploading them consistently will not be easy but hey, isn't that what a challenge is? Something that will not be easy but results will come from it, I guess so. 

My goal? Challenge myself. Get out of my comfort zone. Broaden my experiences. That's what I want to do.

So what's your goal? What do you want to do? Let me know down in the comments or by contacting me via the links below, I'd love to know! 

See you tomorrow for Blogtober Day 2!
Love, Lily
xoxo

Social Media Links:

Twitter: @lilyblogss

Instagram: @lilyblogss

Snapchat

An Exciting Announcement!

There is not even a reason for why I've not been posting much recently if I'm perfectly honest but I'm back! I need to get back into the swing of blogging so I've decided to got a little bit crazy and push the boat out a bit... I'M DOING BLOGTOBER!

So I'm pretty sure literally every single one of you will be aware what this is but incase you're not familiar with it, it's blogging everyday throughout the month of October.

I've been thinking about doing it for months but I wasn't sure I had enough inspiration for posts but I've talked myself into it and I'm going to be blogging about an array of different topics so stick around and check back at my blog for the first Blogtober post this coming Saturday!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I will, 

Love, Lily

xoxo


Social Media Links:

Twitter: @lilyblogss

Instagram: @lilyblogss

Snapchat

My Bucket List...

Hello everybody, I'm back! If you don't follow me on my social media (I'll put the links at the bottom of the post) then you might not have been aware that my posts were going to be very few and far between over the past few months because I've been sitting my A-Level exams and generally been a very busy bee. However all of that is now over and I can get my head down writing some fab blog posts. So, no more dilly dallying, let's do this...

I'm assuming you're all aware of what a bucket list is. In case you're not familiar with the idea, it is a list of things you compile that you wish to achieve before you die. I thought I'd share with you mine and hopefully inspire you to create your own and live life to the fullest. I created my Bucket List about 2 years ago and I've already checked off a few of the things that I've completed, some are rather simple basic things whilst there are others that take a bit of planning and some are a little far fetched dreams but not impossible. Never say never.

So here goes, this is my Bucket List:

1. Solve a Rubik's Cube

2. Make a candle

3. Learn how to make origami

4. Make homemade soap

5. Cook a 3 course meal

6. Make a tiered cake

7. Tie die a shirt

8. Make a gingerbread house

9. Read a book in a day

10. Skydive

11. Swim with dolphins

12. Go Scuba diving

13. Go Ice skating

14. Go on a Jetski

15. Go in a hot air balloon

16. Complete a marathon

17. Do a colour run

18. Bungee Jump

19. Go on a zip line

20. Go paragliding

21. Watch the sunrise and sun set in the same day

22. Go to the cinema on my own

23. See the northern lights

24. Go whale watching

25. See a shooting star

26. Name a star

27. Be front row at a concert

28. Be on the top 10 leaderboard in a game

29. Find a 4 leaf clover

30. Donate my hair to the Little Princess Trust

31. Volunteer

32. Sign up to be an organ doner

33. Donate blood

34. Learn sign language

35. Meet somebody famous

36. Set a Guinness World Record

37. Go a week without wearing make-up

38. Learn how to play guitar

39. Breathe in helium

40. Go to Easter Island

41. Go to Stonehenge

42. Go inside Buckingham Palace

43. Go to Antelope Canyon

44. Go to the Grand Canyon

45. Go to Times Square

46. Go to every continent

47. Stand on the Golden Gate Bridge

48. Float on the Dead Sea

49. Climb the O2

50. Own a dog

51. Own a cat

52. Ride a horse

53. Own a car

54. Go camping

55. Fly first class

56. Keep a plant alive for a year

57. Eat gluten free for a week

58. Eat vegetarian for a week

59. Get married

60. Have a child

61. Buy my own house

62. Visit New York at Christmas

63. Donate to charity

64. Create a life I love

That, for now, is my Bucket List. I'm sure throughout life and experiences that I have and any opportunities that come my way this will be added to. So, I'll be sure to update it every now and then.

I'll see you soon.

Love, Lily

xoxo 

Social Media Links:

Twitter: @lilyblogss

Instagram: @lilyblogss

Snapchat: lilyblogss

My Night Time Routine!

Routines are some of my favourites to read so I thought that I'd share with you all my night time routine

I usually begin winding down for the evening at about 10pm, I go to the kitchen and make myself a cup of Lady Grey Tea, which if you've read my March Favourites, you'll know that I absolutely love! 

I then head back on upstairs to my room and turn off my main light for my bedroom and turn on the sets of fairy lights that I have around my room, It's a much warmer light and just looks so much prettier. I also light some candles because I love a good scented candle, put on some music and I'm ready to begin relaxing.

I begin by removing my make-up with the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water on a few cotton pads. I then jump in the shower and if it's a weekday evening I'll wash my hair. Recently I've been using the Herbal Essences Clearly 0% Naked Shampoo and Conditioner and they have done absolute wonders for my hair, it's got so much more volume and it feels so smooth, I highly recommend you give these a try if you haven't already. 

Following this, I put on my pyjamas..I don't even think I can call them that, it's usually just a concert tee and a pair of shorts. I head back into my bathroom and tie my hair back to get it out of my face whilst I cleanse my skin. I take my Spin For Perfect Skin (I'll do a review on it very soon, I'm still testing it out) with the exfoliating brush and my Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser and just move it around my face in circular motions, specifically concentrating in my T-zone. I then switch to the cleansing brush and take the Simple Kind to Skin Vital Vitamin Foaming Cleanser and as with the previous one move it around the skin in circular motions. I then dry off my skin and apply the Pond's Moisturiser. 

Next, I take my hair down and give it a brush through with my tangle teaser and separate it into two at the parting. As I've got pretty curly hair it won't last through the night with me shoving it up into a ponytail so I twist each section of my hair into a bun and secure it with a hair tie, it's a bit of a Miley Cyrus look but I've been doing it for 4 years and it works very well, so anyone that sees me in the evening will just have to put up with it. 

I then move onto moisturising my skin. I've been using the Palmers Coconut Oil Body Cream (paraben free) recently and I love it so much, it's so soothing hydrating. I then sit on my bed and catch up on all of the blog posts YouTube videos that have gone up throughout the day whilst sipping on my tea. By the time eventually settle down into bed it's usually about 12/1am ish. I'm a night owl if you hadn't guessed that already.

And there you have it, My Night Time Routine. I hope you're enjoying my blog. If there is a specific post that you'd like me to do then either leave me a comment below or contact me on any of my social media, linked below.

I'll see you next Thursday for another post.

Love, Lily

xoxo

Social Media Links:
Twitter: @lilyblogss
Instagram: @lilyblogss
Snapchat: lilyblogss

Revision Tips and Tricks

I know for many people exams are coming up in the next month or so, whether you're doing GCSE's, A-Levels or University Exams, I've compiled a list of things that I do that will help you be organised and stay on track for getting a good grade. Here we go...

ONE
Have a timetable to follow. So, I know most people would've done this months ago but if you haven't, I'd strongly suggest that you do. I find it really helps me stay on track with what I need to know and by when. I created mine using Get Revising way back in September. It not only allows you to  create a colour coded timetable but you are able to insert when you have other commitments so won't be able to study. Other features it offers include emailing you when you have a revision session coming up so you're not able to forget as well as having in built flash cards that you can either make yourself or if relevant, the ones that other users have created.

TWO
Set a structure. Everyone is different when it comes to how long they can stay concentrated. For me its 45 minutes. After that my mind starts to wander and I'm not fully focused at all. So, I work in 45 minute slots giving myself a 5/10 minute break in between. Something like this:
Study : 45 minutes
Break: 5 minutes
Study: 45 minutes
Break 10 minutes
Study: 45 minutes
Break: 5 minutes
Study: 45 minutes
Break: 25 minutes
I generally combine two 45 minute slots for one subject and then after my 10 minute break change to another subject, because if you're anything like me you'll get bored easily!

THREE
Reward yourself. When I have a break, whether it be  5, 10 or 25 minutes. I will allow myself a 'treat' or something I really want to do. That could be as simple as watching TV for a while or browsing through twitter. But I find once you've done something that you want to do, it really motivates you to get through the next 45 minutes of revision.

FOUR
Remove yourself. I think a big mistake that people make when doing revision is locking themselves away in their room for 3 hours. This is a massive no no from me. I can't sit still for 10 minutes let alone 3 hours so in my breaks I will go downstairs and see my family or make myself a cup of tea, something like that. But even if I've chosen to just look through Twitter, I won't stay in my room.

FIVE
Don't study on your bed. I know, it's oh so tempting but never a good idea. I used to do this but more often than not found myself slumping into a ball of over emotional teenager and taking a nap resulting in me getting absolutely nothing done. Instead I study at my desk in my room. I do also have one in the study but that room is freezing and rarely used so I much prefer the one in my room. If you don't have a desk then you could always just go and sit at the kitchen/dining room table.

SIX
Be comfy. There is no point in sitting down to revise being totally uncomfortable because that'll just distract you more. Instead put on some comfy clothes and sit on the comfiest desk chair you own. Sounds basic but a lot of people still use the most uncomfiest basic stools that will make your bum go numb within 5 seconds of being at on it and nobody wants that.

SEVEN
No Technology. I get distracted easily, I'm not going to lie. So, I remove all technology from where I'm doing revision so any phones, tablets or iPods. I did this recently expecting it to make absolutely no difference but oh my, I concentrated so much better I didn't have the dings of notifications going off so there was nothing for me to worry about. (Except I forgot that I hadn't told any of my friends I was doing this so one of them kept messaging me thinking that I was ignoring her...I wasn't)

EIGHT
Keep hydrated. I always keep a glass of water next to me when I'm revising because I just can't concentrate full when I'm dehydrated. Pretty simple really

NINE
Have foods that you like to nibble on. Whether that be sweets, chocolate, or carrot sticks. I like to keep something that if I'm feeling peckish I don't have to stop my revision to go to the kitchen and grab something to eat. It also helps if you say to yourself  "I can't have another sweet until I've finished this section" It makes you more motivated to get it done a little quicker.

TEN
Get enough sleep. The same applies to a night before you have a big exam too. If you don't give yourself the amount of sleep required before a day of revision then your retention isn't as good so the revision is less effective. Getting enough sleep helps this to improve so you're more focused.

ELEVEN
Use Colour! When making revision notes make them bold and colourful that way if you're in an exam and you need a piece of information you can think back and say "Okay, I wrote that in purple". It doesn't help everyone but it helps me!

TWELVE
Go for regular walks. On days when you're stuck inside revising this is key. Get yourself out of the house even if it is only for 10 minutes it can really help you feel energised.

THIRTEEN
Don't limit yourself. If you're on a roll with something you're doing and that 45 minutes of revising time is up continue, it's only a guideline it doesn't have to be stuck to by the minute.

There we go, some of my revision tips and tricks that I thought may help some of you who have exams coming up.

I'll see you next Thursday.

Lily

xoxo 

Social Media Links:
Twitter: @lilyblogss
Instagram: @lilyblogss
Snapchat: lilyblogss

Easy Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream

I thought I'd do some easy baking last weekend and so these cupcakes were perfect. They have 5 ingredients and are super simple to make. This recipe makes 12 small cupcakes or 6 larger cupcakes. Personally, decided to do larger cupcakes which take slightly longer to bake. Here's the recipe you'll need to give them a try!

Vanilla Cupcakes

For the cupcakes, you will need:

90g Self-Raising Flour

90g Softened Butter

90g Caster Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 170 C
2. Put both the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until there are no lumps of butter visible.
3. Add in the eggs one at a time mixing in between.
4. Pour in the vanilla extract and stir.
5. Sieve in the flour and incorporate well until smooth and pale in colour.
6. Spoon the mixture evenly into the cupcake cases and bake for 15 minutes or until bouncy and golden brown. (larger cupcakes will need 20 minutes)
7. Once baked, remove from the oven and place them onto a wire rack and allow them to cool.

When baking, it is easier to get the
ingredients all prepared before you
begin.

The cake batter should look smooth
and of a uniform colour, this ensures
that everything is well incorporated

I use an ice cream scoop when putting
the batter into the cases as it makes the
  quantity going into each case even

Place into the centre of a pre-heated oven
and avoid opening until it is ready to
remove them, this will stop them from
sinking

Vanilla Buttercream

For the buttercream, you will need:

100g Softened Butter

200g Icing Sugar

1 tbsp Milk

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Food Colouring (if desired)

1. In a mixing bowl add the butter and half of the icing sugar. Combine with an electric mixer. If you don't have a freestanding mixer with a lid, I recommend that you cover the bowl with a cloth at first to avoid your entire kitchen being covered in Icing Sugar.

2. Gradually add in the other half of icing sugar and whisk until completely smooth.

3. If the buttercream is too thick at this point add the milk to make it slightly thinner.

4. Add in the vanilla extract and stir well.

5. Once the cupcakes are chilled add a spoonful of icing to the top of the cupcake and smooth it round with a palette knife or the back of a butter knife. Repeat on all cupcakes.

Once again, I have all of my ingredients
prepared beforehand

By adding the icing sugar in two halves
you ensure that it is incorporated fully 

I prefer not to use a piping bag as
I like the home made feel, however you
 can of course should you choose to

The icing should be smooth and light
in colour when whisked.

I hope you enjoy giving these cupcakes a try, if you do tag me in a photo on either Instagram (@lilyblogss) or Twitter (@lilyblogss).

See you next week,

Lily

xoxo

Social Media Links:

Twitter: @lilyblogss

Instagram: @lilyblogss

Snapchat: lilyblogss

Superdrug Haul

Hello everybody,

 In Case you're new to my blog, I'm Lily, I post every Thursday  at 5pm. I've just got back from town and spent way too much but it was all just too lovely not purchase. I thought I'd share with you the delights that I've bought. This is a Haul/First Impressions I guess.

The first thing I picked up was a triple pack of round cotton wool pads, an essential for me. A single pack on its own is £1.89 so I got a complete bargain. No doubt that I'll go through them pretty quickly though!

Next I got the Nivea Men Sensitive Cooling Post Shave Balm. You may be thinking...what, why? But if you hadn't heard already it's recently become popular for using as a primer. I heard this through Sophie Foster, she mentioned it in one of her videos and seemed to love it. Pretty random, I know. But, I thought I'd jump onto the bandwagon and give it a go because why not!

I also got some Antibacterial Wipes because putting me in a drugstore is never a good idea, I'll come out covered in lipstick swatches and I hadn't got any wipes with me so I decided to pick some up. They'll also be really handy when I go back to college just to shove in my bag and when I next need them they'll be right there.

The majority of the single packet face masks were on 3 for 2 so I picked some up. I got the Dead Sea Purifying Clay Mask, the Cucumber Cooling Clay Mask and also the De-Stressing Mud Mask. I thought I'd give myself a little pamper because I can really. I also really like buying the single packet face masks because it means that I don't give my skin an opportunity to get used to the product so I feel as if it will always work, I don't know if this is an actual thing but it is now.

I picked up a Bubblet bath infusion t-bags with summer fruit tea. These are bath salts contained with in a little mesh bag, they're really cute and have to be one of the most divine things I've smelt! It's honestly insane how good they smell I can not even explain!

Lastly, I got the Revolution Highlighting Powder Palette. Now I've never used a highlighter before but it was relatively cheap and so I thought I'd give it a go, and if it goes terribly wrong then I've just got myself some new shimmer eyeshadows!



Prices:
Triple Pack of Cotton Wool Pads - £3
Nivea Men Sensitive Cooling Post Shave Balm - £3.52
Antibacterial Wipes - £0.69
Single Packet Face Masks £0.99 each
Bubblet bath infusion tea bags - £3.99
Revolution Highlighting Powder Palette - £8

I hope you're enjoying my blog. If you want to find a specific type of post, I've recently added the menu feature at the top of the page so hopefully now it'll make it much easier for you. If there is a specific post that you'd like me to do then either leave me a comment below or contact me on any of my social media, linked below. 

I'll see you on Thursday for another post.

Love, Lily

xoxo

Social Media Links:
Twitter: @lilyblogss
Instagram: @lilyblogss
Snapchat: lilyblogss

March Favourites

Here we are, yet again. Another month has passed, many adventures have been had and many new favourites have been found. Just a quick note incase you don't follow me on Twitter (which you definitely should it's @lilyblogss) my upload day had changed to Thursday's at 5pm BST just so you're aware. Anyway enough of that, let's jump straight into it...

Palmers Coconut Oil Body Cream - As you might already know I have really dry skin so I've been trying out a lot of new body moisturisers recently but this one stands out from the rest. It is so hydrating leaving my skin feeling silky smooth all day, it's honestly the product of my dreams! It contains 3 different types of oil, these are Coconut oil which moistens and softens the skin, Monoï oil hydrates and pampers whilst Sweet Almond oil smooths the skin, working all in conjunction with one another it is honestly wonderful! Better yet it contains no parabens!

Astral Face and Body Moisturiser - Continuing on with the moisturisers, I was beginning to feel that my face was so dry throughout the day despite me applying moisturiser in the morning and I'd tried so many of them but I was still suffering. I happened to mention it to my Mum and she recommended Astral, I'd never heard of or seen it personally but she said that she'd used it before and loved it so I thought I'd give it a try and oh my goodness am I glad I did! It's quite a thick, creamy moisturiser so I prefer not to apply it in the morning but instead after I've taken my make up off in the evening. This helps to hydrate my skin before I go to bed and I wake up with smooth skin, who can complain about that!

Garnier Moisture Bomb - Sticking with the theme of moisturisers, this is the moisturiser that I use in the morning. It's really light and nourishes my skin ready for the day, it's honestly amazing. It's also really affordable so I recommend that if you have dry skin like I do you give it a try.

Simple Kind to Skin Vital Vitamin Foaming Cleanser - I know I've mentioned in previous blog posts that I have blackheads that just won't budge (a bit TMI, sorry!). So I've recently been trying out this cleanser using it both morning and evening and I've seen such an improvement in my skin, it's so much smoother and visibly the blackheads are decreasing. Such a great product.

Lush Butterball Bath Bomb - I can not put into words how much I love this bath bomb it is honestly incredible. It has chunks of coco butter with in it which really moisturises the skin beautifully. It's so affordable aswell so when I pop in to Luch I always pick up a few.

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Butterscotch Sundae - This was the first Gelly Nail Paint that I've tried from Barry M and I really wasn't expecting much if I'm honest but I've had it on for 6 days now (albeit with a top coat) but still no chips, it's really hardwearing. I'm a massive fan.

Twinings Lady Grey Tea - This is my tea of choice, I much prefer it to English Breakfast, it's so fruity and refreshing. Everyone in my family now knows if they ever make me a cup of tea to make me one of these. I really reccomend you pick up a box and give it a try.

Mcvities Ginger Nut Biscuits - I've always loved Ginger Nuts but recently when I've been having a cup of Lady Grey I take a few and dip them in. It really is an amazing combination.

Lush Life, Zara Larsson - I'm aware that this song has been out a while but I've only recently heard it. I guess you could say I've not really been keeping an eye on the chart. But go and give it a listen, I promise you, you won't regret it.

Jurassic World - I saw this film last Summer in cinema and enjoyed it yes, but then I forgot about it. However, I study A2 Media Stidies and for the exam we analyse films, and this happens to be one of them. I couldn't find a link to I anywhere online so had to buy it but I've since watched it 4 times as I need to know it inside out and still, it's really enjoyable. Go give it a watch if you haven't already.

Thirteen, BBC 3 Series - OH MY GOODNESS. If you haven seen this, what have you been doing?! It's on BBC iplayer as the first Drama shown since BBC 3 has moved online and it's honestly great. It's a 5 part series which has an abundance of twists and turns throughout, it really keeps you hanging until the last 5 minutes of the final episode. The amount of people I've recommended it to is ridiculous. So if you're in the UK I strongly reccomend that you free up a few hours of your evening and watch it. You will thank me 😂

Prices:
Palmers Coconut Body Cream:
£5.00 at Boots.

Astral Face and Body Moisturiser:
500ml - £7.99 at Boots and Superdrug.
200ml - £3.50 at Sainsburys.
50ml - £0.90 at Sainsburys.

Garnier Moisture Bomb:
£7.99 at Superdrug, reduced to £5.29.
£7.99 at Boots, reduced to £5.33.
£5.00 at Sainsburys.

Simple Kind to Skin Vital Vitamin Foaming Cleanser:
£4.00 at Sainsburys.
£4.49 at Boots.
£4.49 at Superdrug, reduced to £2.99.

Lush Butterball Bath Bomb:
£2.65 in Lush Stores.

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Butterscotch Sundae:
£3.99 in Boots and Superdrug.

Twinings Lady Grey Tea:
50 pack for £3.00.
100 pack for £3.00.
(Can somebody explain the logic of this please 😂)

Mcvities Ginger Nut Biscuits:
£1.15 at Sainsburys.

Lush Life - Zara Larsson:
£0.99 on iTunes.

Jurassic World (DVD):
£6.99 at HMV
£10 at Sainsburys.

There you go, that's it. They are my March favourites quite a selection!

Let me know if products or things that you think I should try by contacting me on the links below or leave a comment!

I'll see you next Thursday at 7pm BST,
Love, Lily xoxo

My links:
Twitter: @LilyBlogss

Instagram: @Lilyblogss

Snapchat: lilyblogss

50 facts about me

1. I'm a night person.

2. I absolutely hate having to wake up.

3. I am such a deep sleeper that even after setting alarms every 5 minutes for an hour I miss my train for college almost every day.

4. I love travelling.

5. I spend 90% of my time at home in bed.

6. I'm quite lazy.

7. Yet surprisingly organised.

8. I've read one book in the last 2 years...oops.

9. I hate sand..

10. ..and summer.

11. I'm obsessed with One Direction.

12. I'm quite confident when meeting new people.

13. I can't run, I'm not even kidding, my legs just don't move that fast.

14. My hair is naturally curly although when it is brushed it becomes a massive frizz ball.

15. I love Autumn.

16. I've worn glasses since I was 2.

17. It takes me approximately 7 minutes to shower.

18. And 10 minutes to do my make up.

19. I rarely use my phone.

20. I have 3 Twitter accounts (it was 4 until about 6 days ago).

21. The only fruit I like is green apples (but I like almost every single vegetable).

22. My favourite film is Titanic.

23. I love Lady Grey tea, it is my tea of choice.

24. I have no idea what colour my eyes are, they seem to change all the time.

25. I went through a period of 3 years not having my hair cut because I was scared of the hairdressers. (not the actual people, but the fact that they might cut it too short)

26. I'm obsessed with lipstick.

27. I am a waitress.

28. I HATE tomatoes.

29. I love scented candles.

30. I hate small spaces. It's only just recently become apparent (in the last year or so) but if I feel trapped or I can't get out because there are too many people around I try to get myself out of the situation. Sometimes when I'm sitting with my friends in my frees in college in a little cafe that we have and it is break or lunch next and people start filling up the room I try to leave as quickly as possible because I don't want them to know that it gives me panic attacks but none of them know this blog exists so they'll never know.

31. I listen to songs on repeat until I make myself hate them that I never want to hear them again. (This is the reason that I don't like Diana by One Direction anymore)

32.  I love rain.

33. I don't like white bread.

34. I'm subscribed to over 50 YouTube channels.

35. It's very rare that you'll see me without my nails painted.

36. I've never kissed anyone..

37. ..something to do with the fact that I've never had a boyfriend.

38. I love being around children so much, they always seem to be so happy, it cheers me up so much.

39. I'm not going to University this year as I feel like I need to get out of education for a while and stop putting so much stress on myself.

40. I want to be a paediatric nurse.

41. I've only taken a public bus once.

42. Near enough all make up products I use are Rimmel.

43. I didn't start wearing make up until I was 14/15.

44. I always wear red lipstick, Rimmel Kate Moss 107 to be precise, as it makes me feel so much more confident.

45. I don't really watch TV but if I do, it's on catch up.

46. I'm only actually good at and understand one of my A Level subjects.

47. I don't join up my letters when I'm writing.

48. I love Lush products, the Butterball is my absolute favourite.

49. I'm slightly obsessed with stationary.

50. I have no idea how I did this because I'm the least interesting person.

Anyway, I hope that helped you to get to know me a little bit better, if you want leave a fact or two about yourself in he comments below so I m able to get to know you a little more too. Hope you've had a fab Easter weekend.

Love, Lily.
xoxo

My links:
Twitter: @lilyblogss

A little update...

Just to let you know there won't be a new blog post on Sunday. I was rushed to A&E on Monday night with suspected meningitis although it turned out to be a false alarm I am on antibiotics and still recovering so haven't had time to write a post. All should be back to normal next week. Hope this is okay.

Lily,
xoxo

DIY Facial Scrubs.

Ive been testing out some homemade face scrubs recently as my bank balance wasn't in the happiest of states after I'd been buying practically every face scrub in stores to no avail. I've found two different scrubs that are doing a really good job at exfoliating my skin whilst leaving it silky smooth! They're also really helping me get rid of those nasty blackheads. Here goes...

Scrub 1: Sea Salt and Lemon.
You will need:
1.5tbsp Sea Salt
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp filtered water

How to make:
1. Combine the water and lemon juice together.
2. Gradually add to a bowl of the sea salt.
3. Stir to incorporate all of the ingredients together.
4. Apply liberally to the face concentrating around the nose and chin where blackheads more commonly appear.
5. Gently massage in a circular motion avoiding scrubbing too hard as this will irritate the skin.
6. After 3 minutes wash off with a flannel and warm water and pat dry.

This face mask can be kept in an air tight container in the fridge for up to a week although I prefer making a small batch just before using for optimum freshness.

This is an antibacterial facial scrub. It cleanses the skin by removing all of the residue of dirt from the surface of the skin. As the lemon is acidic it is able to kill any of the germs and bacteria that clog up the pores, it also regulates oil production in the skin which minimises blackheads. Salt is a good exfoliant, removing any excess oil and grit, it leaves the skin feeling silky smooth.

Scrub 2: Honey and Sugar
You will need:
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp brown sugar

How to make:
1. Pour the honey into bowl with the sugar in.
2. Stir to incorporate the ingredients together.
3. Apply sparsely to the face whilst avoiding the eyes.
4. Gently massage in a circular motion avoiding scrubbing too hard as this will irritate the skin.
5. After 3 minutes wash off with a flannel and warm water and pat dry.

Just like the first facial scrub this can be kept in an air tight container in the fridge for up to a week.

This facial scrub is perfect for all skin types especially dry and sensitive as it isn't over irritant. The brown sugar works to exfoliate the skin removing any toxins from the pores whilst also removing any dead skin cells. The honey is an antiseptic ingredient so kills any bacteria whilst moisturising the face.


I really hope that this has been helpful to those of you that struggle with your blackheads as I do. Let me know if you give any of them a try too.

I'll see you next week at 5pm GMT for another blog post.

Love, Lily
xoxo

Liebster Award Nomination

The Liebster Award is for new bloggers with under 1000 followers and if you’re nominated you have to answer the questions given by the person who nominated you. You then make up 11 questions of your own and tag 11 bloggers to answer those. It's a blogger chain, so you're able to discover new bloggers along the way. I was nominated by PetiteOlive (www.petiteolive.com). Please go and check out her blog, I'm sure you'll love it!

Here are the questions I answered:

1. Why did you start blogging?
I'd wanted to start a blog for a long time before actually doing so but it was getting to the stage of having enough courage to do so. I was becoming quite stressed with college so I wanted to take my mind off it for a little while,  so my blog was born. 


2. What is your favourite film?
Titanic. Always, always Titanic. I have a huge fascination with it and since watching it for the first time about 6 years ago have read a lot and watched so many videos about the Science of how it happened, it's really interesting you know!


3. If you could live someone else's life for one day, who would you be?
The fangirl inside of me is telling me to say Harry Styles or Niall Horan purely because they discuss what it is like being 'famous' and the reality of it and I'd just really like to see that for myself.


4. What three things can't you live without?
Instinct says Food, Shelter and Water but personally it would be Music, Security and Happiness.


5. What is your favourite animal?
Panda, they're just too cute!

6. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
The Grand Canyon, Arizona. If you've read some of my previous blog posts you'll know that I've went there last year on a Geography trip but oh my, what I'd do to go back. It was incredible, I know you'd hear people say 'you don't realise how big it is until you see it for yourself' but even when I saw it I was unable to fathom just how big it was. It's truly breathtaking.

7. What do you enjoy most about blogging?
The community that comes along with it. I started blogging mid January so I have an extremely small following but I love that I'm on Twitter and able to support other bloggers and vice versa. It's also a great diary in a way and just somewhere to focus on when you're feeling a bit shitty if I'm honest. 


8. If you were only allowed to eat one same meal, everyday for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Sausages, Mashed Potato and Green Beans with English Mustard. It's my favourite!


9. Whats your favourite makeup brand?
Rimmel. It's a high street brand so is affordable plus it's really good quality too. 


10. Who is your inspiration?

My sisters. I have 2 older sisters who have been through what I'm going through now with college and gone off to University and so they are able to relate to the experiences that I'm having and they're really understanding too.

11. Tea or Coffee?
Tea, although I prefer Lady Grey tea to regular tea. I'm not a huge fan of coffee unless it's in a frappucino or its with a hell of a lot of milk.

I nominate:
Samantha Rose www.justsamantharose.wordpress.com
Chloe www.fashionwonderland.co.uk
(these are the blogs that I read that haven't already been nominated, I open this will help me see new blogs that I didn't already know of.)


Here are your questions:
1.What inspired you to begin blogging?
2.What is your favourite meal?
3.What TV Shows are you currently watching?
4.What is your holy grail beauty product?
5.What is your most used social media platform?
6. What is your go to lazy day outfit?
7.Do you prefer sunsets or sunrises?
8. What’s your favourite month?
9.Pasta or Pizza?
10.Are you an early riser or a night owl?
11.What are you goals for your blog?

Good Luck!
Lily xo

February Favourites

I've had some things that I have been LOVING thoroughout the most of February so I thought that I'd share them with you, here goes!

Herbal Essences 0% Naked Volumising Shampoo and Conditioner - I've spoken about these two in a previous post but I really do love them, they give me so much volume whilst not compromising on shine. A total winner. I only picked these up because Sainsbury's had run out of my usual shampoo and conditioner but I do not regret it one bit, if you are in need of new hair care soon I strongly suggest you pick these up and give them a try.

Candles - I went up to the Oxford Street Primark a few weeks ago and spent about 20 minutes going round and sniffing all of the different scents of candles. I came across 'Wild Orchird' which smelt divine! I'm terrible at describing smells but if I had to sum it up it's basically a very musky yet sweet scent. And at only £1 I couldn't not pick it up. They're so long lasting too and the packaging is adorably cute.

Fairy lights - Yet again I picked these up in the Oxford Street Primark. They were £4 and are battery operated so massive plus. I've wrapped them round the headboard of my bed and they look super cute making my room have a really nice warm glow with a homey feel. I've had cheap fairy lights before but so far these are holding up stronger than the others.

Real techniques stippling brush - I recently purchased the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation and felt that when I applied it for the first time it was a bit too full coverage for me, I then picked up the Stippling Brush which I had bought in the US last year because it was so ridiculously cheap but haven't really used it. I applied the foundation using it and it was so silky smooth and airy with a lighter coverage. So I recommend this if that is the sort of effect you want to go for with your foundation.

Lush elbow grease - I have ridiculously dry skin (I'll do a blog post on that sometime soon) and it needs constant moisturising otherwise it just cracks and hurts like hell...not fun. I got given some of the Lush 'Elbow Grease' for Christmas, it's something that I'd never seen in Lush before and I'm a huge Lush fan. After using it just before I went to bed I woke up with perfectly smooth hydrated skin, it's a saviour! It's quite oily on application and I know that won't be popular with some people so just be warned. It also melts quite quickly and if an almost creamy consistently. Either way I love it and if you're like me and have terribly dry skin you may want to give this a try.

Barry M Nail Paint in 66, Matt White - This is a perfect white, I was getting quite bored of the same old deep red on my nails so picked this one up as most of my others I already owned had gone gloopy. It's got a really great fanned brush so three strokes and you're done, it also doesn't require a second coat which is just as well as I can only really stop fidgeting long enough to let one layer dry let alone two! I really do love Barry M polishes though but this is a new favourite.

Stylfile emergency nail file - Oh my goodness, this has saved me so much trouble recently. I didn't know how much I needed it until I got one. I've just hooked it onto my keys and it's there when I need it. It's shape makes it so quick to use and its size is perfect for my bag.

Cadburys Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut - I've never been a massive fan of flavoured chocolates, I usually just stick to plain old cadburys dairy milk but this month I branched out and tried their fruit and nut, mainly because it was on offer. But my oh my it was good, it was the same smooth, creamy consistency I was used to but had a really nice crunch. I'll certainly be having this more often!

Best Fiends - I know everyone and their mother has been talking about this game and I was pretty late jumping on the bandwagon, but now I'm hooked. It's a similar concept to that of Candy Crush Saga so if your familiar with that then it will be pretty easy to pick up. I downloaded it last week and I'm already on level 45 maybe not too good for my revision so I might have to go ahead and delete it until  Summer but it's such a good game.

There you go, that's it. They are my February favourites.

Let me know if products or things that you think I should try.

I'll see you next Sunday at 5pm GMT,
Love, Lily xoxo

My links:
Twitter: @LilyBlogss

Upcoming posts in March...

6/3/16
February Favourites

13/3/16
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water: to buy or not to buy?

20/3/16
How I save money.

27/3/16
50 facts about me

These posts are what I currently plan to post, it may change closer to the date however.


All to be posted at 5pm GMT :)

xoxo

University?

I knew that the decision to go to university was always going to be a tricky decision to make as colleges over the country are sending off their students UCAS applications and the students are preparing for their exams. I'm one of those hundreds of thousands of students, I'm in my second year at Sixth Form and doing my A2 subjects. Over the past couple of months I've been thinking about heading off to university in September, however after spending hours writing my Personal Statement perfecting it making sure that it read okay and that it gave me the highest chance of getting in I made a pretty big decision, one which I may live to regret but right now it seems like the best thing for me...

I made the decision to withdraw my UCAS application. Why? I wasn't ready. Yes, I thought I was but only after finally sending off my application it dawned on me that I wasn't prepared for the stresses of university especially as the course I had chosen was Child Nursing. It was a full time course 5 days a week as well as placements, assignments, exams and living away from home. I wasn't ready and that was okay. University isn't like Sixth Form, you can go whenever you like whether that be in 5, 10, 20 years time it didn't matter. The thing was, not everyone thought the same. My college is very forward in wanting their students to go to University, all they talk about at this time of year is UCAS, Personal Statemets, accepting offers as well as how to go about sorting accommodation. They don't really do anything for those people that don't want to go to university or want an apprenticeship instead so I'm really left on my own with what to do.

What I'm really saying is it's okay to change your mind right up to the point of collecting your results in early August. Don't let anyone force you to do something that you're not entirely happy or comfortable with. And if you decide in 3 years time that you want to go to university that isn't a problem, that door doesn't close.

I hope this helped some of you who might be concidering to go off to University.

See you next Sunday,
Love Lily
Xoxo

Top 8 products under £8

I thought I'd do a post on my personal top 8 favourite products for under £8 although it may be nice to have a splurge on a higher end product there are some amazing affordable products that work brilliantly too. Here are my top 8...

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - I know this is a much loved favourite among the beauty bloggers and it's understandable to see why, it takes just seconds to lift off even waterproof make up. It's also really hydrating leaving the skin feeling refreshed.

Mitchum Roll on Deodorant - I LOVE this deodorant. I discovered it just before I went on a holiday last year and I was looking at all of the spray deodorants and I felt as if they just weren't working particularly well on me anymore so I picked up a bottle of this and have repurchased it ever since. I know most people prefer spray deodorant but for me I feel that this works brilliantly and it smells delightful!

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation - This is a relatively new purchase for me but I have fallen in love with this foundation, I previously used Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation but it began to feel as if it just sat on my skin and didn't do much so I did some research and watched some YouTube videos and saw that Nic from Pixiwoo recommended this one for a dryer skin, and it's amazing! It gives a relatively full coverage and leaves the skin feeling hydrated, it also completely erases any imperfections or black circles I may have under my eyes making this one a complete winner on the foundation front for me! I use the shade Light Porcelain.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - Oh my goodness, this product is amazing. It has to be my favourite must have beauty product, it gives such a full coverage look and is brilliant for hiding those pesky spots. As far as I can remember it was the first 'proper' make up product that I bought..that is excluding a Hello Kitty eyeshadow pallete from H&M that I got when I was about 10.

Bioré Deep Cleansing Nose Strips - These are fab, although there may be cheaper alternatives these are by far the best. I've been using them for about 6 months and I love them, highly recommend you give them a try. I've also spoken about these in my January Favourites so head on over there and give it a read if you want to know a little more.

Herbal Essences Clearly Naked 0% Volumising Shampoo/Conditioner - I've been loving these, they give your hair so much volume as opposed to other shampoos, their scent is also incredible! I've tried many combinations of Shampoo and Conditioners over the years but these two when used in conjunction with one another are by far the best. They won't break the bank either which is always good news

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle - This product honestly saved my hair. I was insistent on not cutting my hair and allowing it to grow about 2 years ago so when I finally got it cut it was a massive mess. Not only was it dry but I had a head full of split ends. I used it for about a month and my hair was amazing afterwards. If you have dry, frizzy hair full of split ends give this a try.

Batiste Dry Shampoo - I love sleep, there's no denying that. So I wake up too late to have a shower more often than I'd like to admit. This dry shampoo is by far the best of the ones I've tried, although it may take some time to encorporate into the hair it saves me bring late for college so is a winner for me!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Prices*: 

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water (400ml) - £4.99
Mitchum Roll on Deodorant (100ml) - £2.89
Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation (30ml) - £7.99
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - £4.19
Bioré Deep Cleansing Nose Strips, 6 pack - £7.99
Herbal Essences 0% Naked Volumising Shampoo/Conditioner (400ml) - £3.99 each
Aussie 3 Minute Miracle (250ml) - £4.99
Batiste Dry Shampoo (200ml) - £2.99

I hope you've found this somewhat helpful and enjoyed reading.

I'll see you next Sunday at 5pm GMT.

Love, Lily xoxo

*Boots.com. Prices correct as of 21/2/16. Special offers excluded. 

All About Me Tag.

I thought as its half term and I'm off college for  a week I'd upload an extra post for you. I have done the 'All About Me' Tag just so you are able to get to know me a little better. Enjoy...

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Not that I'm aware of at least.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
When I shut my finger I'm my wardrobe door about 2 weeks ago

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
I guess, I mean I don't dislike it. I just write too slowly that's all.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Chorizo Sausage is my absolute favourite but if you were to ask me this when I was 10 I'd probably say Billy Bear ham.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Nope

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yes, I'd hope that I'd like myself enough to be friends with me!

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Too much

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes...that's a weird question

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Most definitely, it's on my bucket list of things to do

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Probably Kellogg's Rice Crispies

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Depends if I can slide them off without having to do so, if I can then no but if I can't then yes.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
I'd like to think so

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Mint Choc Chip but I also really like Strawberry but funnily enough I don't actually like strawberries.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
If I'm talking to them then it's their voice and how they communicate and also their accent but if I'm just looking at them then their eyes...that sounds creepy.

15. RED OR PINK?
Pink

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My skin

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My cousins, they moved to Canada about 7 years ago maybe and I've not spoken to or seen them since.

18. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
I'm not, I'm laying in bed writing this.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
A bowl of porridge

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Made in the AM on repeat, I'm a lover of One Direction so it's the obvious choice.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
I'd like to say that I would be a lightish blue. I have a fascination with the sky and the clouds and it seems to be all that I take photos of so defiantly a light blue.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Sausages and Bacon being cooked, the smell is unreal it's so satisfyingly good.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My best friend

25. MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY OR BEACH HOUSE?
Mountain Hideaway, I'm not a lover of sand nor am I a lover of the sun I'd much prefer to stay inside and listen to the rain fall upon the roof top.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Rugby...I guess? I'm not a massive sports fan.

27. HAIR COLOR?
Brown. I did dye it temporarily a reddish brown about 2 years ago but if you catch it in the right light you can still see glimmers of the red coming through.

28. EYE COLOR?
I want to say a green/brown/hint of blue. But I really don't know.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Yes, well used to. I got to the stage where it was too much effort to put them in every morning when I was in a rush to get to college so I just stick to wearing my glasses now..much easier!

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
A really creamy Macaroni Cheese is always a winner but then I also love the food served on Boxing Day (cold meats, cauliflower cheese, cheesy mash)

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy Endings, I can not for the life of me watch scary films they absolutely terrify me!

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Love,Rosie. I had a friend over yesterday and she gave me her Netflix password so now I'm just binge watching films I forgot existed on there.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
A One Direction On The Road Again concert shirt. I've not yet changed out of my pyjamas and I wear all of my concert shirts as pyjamas,

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Winter, I hate summer.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Neither. I don't really like being touched unless it's by people I know really well.

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Stick Toffee Pudding anyday!

37. STRENGTH TRAINING OR CARDIO?
Pfffft. Neither.

38. COMPUTER OR TELEVISION?
Computer, you can get TV on a computer anyway!

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
I'm on the last chapter of Late Fragments by Kate Gross.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
I don't have one I'm on an iPad.

41. ANY TATTOOS?
Noooo.

42. FAVORITE SOUND?
Birds in the morning.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME IN 2015?
Arizona on a Geography Trip.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I'm the least talented person ever.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
London

47. WHERE ARE YOU LIVING NOW?
Essex

48. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR HOUSE?
Cream

49. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR CAR?
I don't have one

50. ANY PETS?
No, my fish dies about 6 months ago.


And there you go. I'll still be uploading a new post of Sunday at 5pm GMT.
See you then,
Lily xoxo

Daisy by Marc Jacobs

I've never been someone who spends a lot  of money on themselves, I'm more of a saver, however I walked into Debenhams and saw that the Daisy range by Marc Jacobs were reduced, obviously left over Christmas stock, but I just couldn't resist anymore. I went ahead and purchased the original Daisy Eau de Toilette Spray in a gift set along with a luminous body lotion and a bubbly shower gel. In total I paid £37.33 down from what was £56...a massive saving if you ask me!

The perfume is a subtle yet sweet scent. I was advised by the woman in the shop that it had base notes of musk and vanilla, along with strawberry and violet. As is suggested by the name, it is a very floral scent but it is simply beautiful. I highly suggest that you go along to your local drugstore or Debenhams beauty department and give it a smell. As anybody would tell you, when you're not an expert scents are extremely hard to describe.

See you next Sunday at 5pm GMT!

Fourth blog post complete...I'm on a roll!

xoxo

January Favourites

Here's what I've been loving throughout the month of January...

Starting with the much loved topic of beauty/skin care. I have fallen in love with charcoal masks, scrubs and face washes this month but one that stands out as being better than the rest that I've tried is the Quick Fix Facials Purifying Charcoal Mask, you simply just apply a thick layer onto the skin and allow it to do its magic, 10 minutes later wash it off with a hot flannel...sorted! It honestly works wonders in removing all of the grime that would otherwise remain on your face. It's super cheap too so added bonus there! I've also been loving the well known Biore Deep Cleansing Nose Strips. All it takes is 10 minutes max to remove billions (not quite that many but you know what I mean) on blackheads from your nose...SO SATISFYING. Now I know some people find these totally disgusting but I'm not one of those people.

I've become a little addicted to the internet this month as procrastinating from revision kicks in, but I have discovered two YouTubers that deserve so much more credit than they're being given. One of those is Fabulous Hannah, she is honestly hilarious just go and watch her baking videos if you want to go see for yourself. I mean, she's persistent at her attempts to bake (and construct sleighs) I'll give her that! She is so relatable, which I just love she doesn't pretend to love every single makeup product that she gets her hands on and gives her honest opinion on what products she's used. Watch her most recent video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxLAt8g0NJA
Another Youtube I've been loving is Mei-Ying Chow, yet again she's hilariously brilliant (as is her mum) and will have you laughing within seconds of clicking on one of her videos. Watch her most recent video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeExEGbKcw8

So, I'm not a reader, I never have been. I'm one of those that would much rather sit and watch YouTube videos than pick up a book. However I got a book voucher for my birthday and not wanting it to go to waste I took a trip to Waterstones in town and picked up a book in the recent releases section. It was Late Fragments by Kate Gross, and oh my a book has never changed the way I think o much. Kate died from cancer on Christmas Day 2014 but wrote this heartwrenching book for her two young sons, it honestly has to be one of my favourites 10/10 recommend you give it a read.

And that's it...everything new I've discovered throughout the month of January, I'll leave the links to everything that I've mentioned below. 

Links:
Quick Fix Facials Purifying Charcoal Mask: http://www.boots.com/en/Quick-Fix-Facial-Purifying-Charcoal-Mask-100ml_1458749/

Bioré Deep Cleansing Nose Strips: http://www.boots.com/en/Biore-Ultra-Deep-Cleansing-Pore-Strips-6-Nose-Strips_1250117/

Fabulous Hannah: http://www.youtube.com/thefabuloushannahh

Mei-Ying Chow: https://www.youtube.com/user/meiyingchow

Late Fragments: https://www.waterstones.com/book/late-fragments/kate-gross/9780008103477

See you next Sunday at 5pm GMT, have a good week! 

Lily xoxo

Upcoming posts in February...

7/2/16
January Favourites

14/2/16
A review of Daisy by Marc Jacobs

21/2/16
Top 10 beauty products under £10

28//2/16
University?

All to be posted at 5pm GMT :)

xoxo

My Everyday Makeup Routine

Although in my first post I said I didn't change up my makeup routine too often and it had been the same for the past two years. I've had a few people say to me whether in person or over social media that they'd be quite interested to see the makeup I swear by and use on a daily basis, so here goes...

I always start off by washing my face with a hot towel before beginning my makeup as I find that it freshens up the face and makes you look instantly more awake and refreshed. Which if, like me, you're not a fan of early mornings this will do wonders!

I then moisturise the skin with the Simple Kind To Skin hydrating light moisturiser with SPF 15 which keeps my skin feeling hydrated throughout the day and is perfect for my dry skin. Following this I use the Rimmel lasting finish primer which was a recent addition to this routine but I now wouldn't skip it as it is one of my favourite products. It is very lightweight and dramatically minimises the appearance of any pores drying matte so it doesn't make the skin appear greasy and oily which many primers that I've used in the past have done, big thumbs up from me!

The foundation that I have been loving for a few years now and gone through countless bottles of is the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in the shade ivory. As the name points out, it makes the skin look rejuvenated and glowing which I personally love! It has such a smooth application and is so easy to blend, however, I wouldn't recommend it for anyone that has particularly oily skin though as it is very dewy. But unlike most foundations by other brands it comes with a pump which makes it so much easier to get out of the bottle instead of others that you have to tip onto your hand and end up wasting huge amounts. After foundation I use the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer also in the shade ivory under my eyes and in the creases of my nose, I find that it immediately illuminates and beautifully highlights the eyes with its anti-fatigue effect. Now for the concealer that everybody swears by, the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, I use this in the shade cool medium. I use this to cover any spots, blemishes or unwanted redness, it has amazing longevity and is water resistant..what more could a girl ask for? The only high-end product that I use is a satin powder blush from MAC in Lovecloud, it is a bright mid-tone pink that is just so gorgeous and subtle, I've owned this one in particular for just over a year now and I've only just hit pan so very long lasting! To finish off my face makeup I use the Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder in transparent, it glides so easily on to the face and holds everything in place...yet another product I swear by!

Moving on to eye make up, it is very limited because who has time in the morning to go all fancy with winged liner and heaps of eyeshadow having rolled out of bed 15 minutes before needing to leave the house? Not me! I use just one coat of the Rimmel Lash Accelerator mascara and I'm done with eyes, I find it lengthens my lashes dramatically and so nothing else is needed..sorted.

Following this I use the Sleek eyeshadow palette in Au Naturel and the shade bark to fill in my eyebrows with an angled brush...I lost my eyebrow palette so long ago and I utilised what I have and it works so it stuck with me.

Lastly lips. You might have been thinking that it was a little strange that I didn't go all out on my eye makeup but that's because I'm a lover of bold lip colours. These are the one thing that changes on a pretty regular basis but over the last few months a favourite has been Rimmel Kate Moss in 107. I just apply a lip balm usually an EOS that I have lying about and then one coating of lipstick, a perfect matte that lasts all day so no need to reapply which is honestly a life saver! If I'm wanting a more subtle colour I apply a much lighter coat and just dab it with a finger to blend in. If I'm needing to fix any edges I've gone over when applying I just grab a cotton wool bud and then I'm ready to tackle a strenuous day at college.

And that is my everyday makeup routine complete; it takes about 15 minutes and is super simple with mostly drugstore products so they're all very affordable.

Have a good week, see you next Sunday at 5pm.

xoxo

Stationery Haul!

I was sat pondering for a while over what I was going to write about in this post and realised I might as well start where I left off last time with my love of stationery. So here goes that mini stationery spree, and it really is mini, i'll warn you of that now.

I started by going into Wilkinsons or Wilko depending on where you're from, a store that I really don't know too much about but a friend had dragged me in eager to show me the stationery, she's rather fond of it too. From walking in it just looked like a place of bargains all around. Their stationery section although small is ridiculously cheap.

Something that caught my eye was a skinny hole punch, it sits in the front of a folder and is perfect for punching holes through the many class handouts that would otherwise get lost never to be seen again. I also got myself a packet of papermate inkjoy pens which are an absolute dream to write with, I'd go as saying my new favourite. From this point on everything else I bought was an impulse buy as it was just so cheap! A packet of mini highlighters, although not as long lasting as some of the well known brands were 75p so I just couldn't resist. For some strange reason I picked up a mini whiteboard. Why? I don't know but I thought I'd find a use for it, and that's exactly what I did, It sits next to me when I'm doing revision or coursework and has become my daily checklist or reminder board of work that needs to be done or submitted and what not. I continued along the aisle and saw some apple lookalike charging cables and you must know what the apple ones are like, they're extortionately priced and last for about a month or so. These were £3 and looked pretty good quality, I've had it for about 2 weeks now..so far, so good so I thoroughly recommend picking up a few of those if you have a chance, I bought two because I am honestly terrible when it comes to cables, they're a bit like hair grips and just end up disappearing on me! Something that I saw, although didn't buy as my friend said it was unnecessary and useless, I disagree but nevertheless, was a corkboard. Quite useful for pinning up notes, reminders and the ever so dreaded revision timetables, so I think I may return and get myself one of those!

A few essential things that I bought before returning to college included a simple but gorgeous page a day diary from Paperchase. It is perfect for me with its plastic covering and elasticated strap to hold it closed. It's very well used so far this year, I don't want to imagine my life last year without one, it seems to have made me much more organised and cleared my head just a tiny bit. Also from Paperchase I bought some of the lined paper pads..pretty boring but a college must have!

And that concludes my mini stationary spree!

I made it to the second post..now that even surpassses my expectations of myself! From now on I aim to post every Sunday at 5pm, this may change sometime soon to mid-week but for now it's a Sunday.

Have a good week, I'll talk to you next week.

Upcoming posts...

24/1/16
Stationery Haul!

31/1/16
My Everyday Makeup Routine!

7/1/16
January Favourites

14/1/16
A review of Daisy by Marc Jacob

All to be posted at 5pm GMT :)

My first blog...

Why am I blogging? The simple answer is I don't know what I’m doing with my life and so I figured until I had put it back on track I needed something to take my mind off of everything.

So, I'm 17 and in the midst of my A-Levels, which for anyone that took the easy option in doing a BTEC, I envy you. I'm doing Sociology, Media Studies, Applied Science and an AS in Health and Social Care. I'm currently surrounded in a fort of unfiled college work that I'm procrastinating about putting into its correct place, which truth be told will take 10 minutes max but it's just a chore that I don't feel like tackling right now, I'll just leave it as a job for later. And by later I mean sometime next week.

When I was thinking a few days ago about what I would write in my first blog most one of the very few notes I had written was what sort of things I'd be posting about. There still isn't exactly a straight answer to that because I'm pretty terrible at making decisions but what I do know is it will be things that I enjoy and like writing about. So it won't be all makeup, makeup, makeup because although makeup is cool I'm not the gal to be telling you about that, I mean I've had the same makeup routine for the past 2 years now, so nah...not my thing. But it’ll probably to bits about baking, college and other things that I’ve yet to think of. One thing that I do love ever so much though, as I’m sure most people do too, is stationary. I went on a mini spree and splurged a little at the beginning of the year as I’m one of these that likes to go back into college with new pens, pencils and highlighters and not the half dead barely coping ones from last term, but I guess that is for another post.

That's me all done with my first post, strange to write yet very satisfying when complete.

...how are you meant to finish these. help.