52 Weeks Project | Week 22

22/52

This week has been super busy for me as it's been my first week at home home since I finished my second year of uni last week. I went to the zoo on Monday which was amazing, I've seen my friends and went for a walk around Salcey Forest. I submitted my dissertation proposal which was quite nerve-wracking as I know this time next year I'll no longer be a student.

How has your week been? Do you have any plans for this weekend?

Beauty Blogging On A Budget | Advice

I'm sure all you know that blogging can become quite expensive as you're reading a lot of blogs and lusting over tonnes of products that you've seen other people blog about. The odd purchase here and there won't break the bank but it does all add up, so I have few tips for those of you who are blogging on a budget. As I'm a student my main priorities in relation to my money is paying rent, bills, food and of course nights out but I do still like to treat myself.

Plan Your Monthly Budget | It can be a daunting task at first, but once you get the hang of it it really does make a difference. You'll then be able to see how much disposable income you have left after spending it on all the necessities.

Shop Around For Offers | I rarely buy products now unless they're on offer. Boots and Superdrug almost always have some kind of offer on their beauty products, whether it's 3 for 2 or a 1/3 off products and this is the best time to buy.

Loyalty Cards | I love my Boots card in particular as I'm part of their contact lens scheme so I get points monthly anyway. However, I popped into Boots today for my Mum and she managed to buy everything she needed with her points which is brilliant. Points cards are really worth having and they're so easy to sign up to.

NUS Card | This one is specifically for students and those of you who have an NUS card. In Superdrug if you present your NUS card at the till you'll receive 10% off your purchases which is great.

Shop Your Stash | Before you buy new makeup see what you already have in your stash and whether you already have a backup without realising. At uni I have a whole drawer of make up that I'm yet to open and most of the products are mascara, so for now I'm not buying any mascara until I've used all the ones I've got.

Only Buy What You Need | It's easy to see other bloggers talking about the new products that are coming out and want to buy all of them, trust me I've been there. However, if it's a product that won't suit you or you don't really need it, then put it back on the shelf and spend your money elsewhere.

Do you have any tips for blogging on a budget? If so, I'd love to hear them so comment below!

May Empties

I've never written an empties post before but I thought since I had finished so many products this month I would give it a go.

The Body Shop Raspberry Body Butter | This was a product I was sad I finished as I love TBS body butters but this scent especially was amazing. If I didn't have about 10 other body butters to use I would be repurchasing it straight away!

Kleenex Eye Makeup Remover Wipes | I picked these up a little while ago but forgot about them to be honest. They're okay for removing your eye makeup, they're gentle on your skin and didn't irritate my eyes at all. However I only use them on really lazy days and I think I'll stick to my Garnier Micellar Water in the future.

Dove Sunshine Gradual Moisturising Lotion | I love this gradual moisturiser and have done for years. It works wonders and doesn't stain clothing/bed sheets which is a bonus. I already have another bottle of this in my drawer otherwise I'd repurchase it.

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Primer | I adore this primer and have done for a few years now, it's super affordable and leaves my skin feeling so smooth and prolongs the wear of my foundation. As you can see I cut it in half in order to get all the product out. If you want tips for getting the most of your makeup, you can check out my post here.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer | This is a cult favourite, and I do really love it and this is about my 4th tube of it. However, I still prefer my Seventeen Stay Time Concealer but I'll repurchase this just so I have it in my collection.

ELF Tone Correcting Concealer | I was actually really surprised by how much I liked this product as it was under £3. I'm quite sad that ELF products aren't sold online in the UK anymore as I would really recommend this concealer for under eye dark circles.

There we have it, my first ever empties post! I hope you enjoyed reading.

What products have you used up this month?

Small Superdrug Haul

RT Sculpting Set // Garnier Micellar Water // Rimmel Wake Me Up // Makeup Revolution Blushing Hearts

Last week after reading Jasmine's post I had to purchase the Real Techniques Sculpting Set as it was £13.99 instead of £20.99 which was an offer I couldn't refuse. I also picked up a few other bits such as a new bottle of Garnier Micellar Water which is one of my holy grail products (I prefer the new packaging too). As well as this I picked up one of my favourite drugstore foundations, Rimmel Wake Me Up, however this time I picked up the shade '010 Light Porcelain' which is Rimmel's lightest shade and matches me perfect, yay. Finally, I ordered this beautiful Blushing Heart from Makeup Revolution in the shade 'Peachy Pink Kiss' which I am in love with already.

I am so in love with this blush, and even though it's more of a highlighter shade on my tanned skin at the moment, I know when I'm more pale it'll be a gorgeous blush too. So it's a gorgeous looking multi functioning product, what more could you want?! It was only £4 too, such a bargain!

So there we have it, a little haul of items I bought as 'revision motivation'!

What drugstore products would you recommend I try?

It's The Little Things

I'm struggling with revision right now and even though my exam is in 2 days time I have no motivation. I know summer is so close and then I'll be able to spend time with my friends and family but right now I'm so stressed and I can't focus properly so writing a blog post is helping.

Right, moving on from the moaning. Moving away from home has made me realise that sometimes it's the little things you miss the most. I mean, I obviously miss my friends and family dearly but here are some of the little things I miss too...

- the comfort of knowing my parents are in the next room if I need them
- my local pub and being only a few minutes from home if I want to leave
- the countryside 
- waking up to my cats jumping on my bed and begging for food
- knowing there's food in the fridge, always
- being able to hug my Mum if I want to and not having to Skype instead
- my favourite local coffee shop
- home cooking, oh how I miss proper meals (I can only live off pizza and pasta for so long)

I promise I'll be back to normal with beauty posts again soon!

Inspiring Quotes #2

A few months ago I posted about my top 5 inspiring quotes and the post went down quite well so I decided I'd share some more quotes with you all. 

"The world is filled with nice people. If you can't find one, be one. " - Unknown

"You wake up every morning to fight the same demons that left you so tired the night before, and that my love, is bravery" - Unknown

"Never be afraid to fall apart because it is an opportunity to rebuild yourself the way you wish you had been all along." - Rae Smith

"Life is pure adventure, and the sooner we realise that, the quicker we will be able to treat life as art." - Maya Angelou

"Maybe our favourite quotations say more about us than about the stories and people we're quoting." - John Green

I hope you all have a wonderful week and these quotes have made your Monday morning a little more bearable!

52 Weeks Project | Week 20

20/52

This week has been another one filled with revision, which isn't exactly exciting. However, this time next week I'll have completed my 2nd year at uni and I'll be home for the summer! Me and my friend went for a walk yesterday evening around The Common which was lovely, and then we shared a bottle of wine in Whetherspoons. 

I've also ordered a few little bits from Superdrug this morning as 'revision motivation' (read: I'm just using that as an excuse!) so expect a haul next week. 

What have you been up to this week?

My Fake Tan Prep & Favourite Fake Tan

The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub // St Moriz Tanning Mousse // The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter 

Until a few years ago I used to stay away from all kinds of fake tan, unless it was a gradual moisturiser. This is because I'm so pale and I was so afraid of turning into an umpa lumpa, however I jumped onto the bandwagon and started using St Moriz Tanning Mouse and I'm so glad I did. 

Exfoliate | Exfoliating before applying fake tan is so important as it will provide a smooth surface for your tan to stick to. It will remove any dead skin cells and also remove any old fake tan that may still be lingering on your skin.

Moisturise | When moisturising before fake tanning, focusing on your ankles, knees and elbows is really important as this is where your tan is more likely to go patchy.  Also I've been loving using these products from the coconut range at The Body Shop as one of my lovely best friends gave them to me for my birthday. 

I am so impressed with the St Moriz Tanning Mousse which is supposedly as a dupe for the St Tropez tanning mouse, which I've never tried as it's a little out of my price range. I love that the St Moriz mousse doesn't make me look orange and it's so easy to apply. I'll just use a tanning mitt from Primark that's about £3 and it also dries so quickly which is a bonus as I'm usually rushing before a night out.

I will say, it is not waterproof so it will wash off in the shower the next day or if someone spills a drink down you when you're out which is the only downside I have. However, if you want an instant tan for a night out this is perfect and I'll keep repurchasing it.

The tanning mousse is available in two shades; Medium and Dark. 

What's your favourite fake tan?

Top 5 Spring Highlighters

Revlon Skinlights // MUA Undress Your Skin // Topshop Sunbeam // S&G Glow All Out // Benefit High Beam

I love highlighters, they're one of my favourite makeup products along with blushes. Toady I am sharing with you my current top 5 highlighters for Spring. If you've been reading my blog for a long time now you'll know that I am really pale, however I think these highlighters would look good on all skin tones. 

From L-R

Revlon Skinlights // MUA Undress Your Skin // Topshop Sunbeam // S&G Glow All Out // Benefit High Beam

I have selected a mixture of both powder and liquid highlighters so I'm sure you'll find one that takes your fancy from this selection. I tend to mix Revlon Skinlights in with my foundation if I just want a more subtle glow, rather than an obvious highlight. Where as I use the other highlighters on the tops of my cheekbones and my cupids bow. 

What are your favourite highlighters? Comment below as I'd love to know.

52 Weeks Project | Week 19

19/52

This week has been a really good week for me, I found out I got a FIRST in my group presentation from the start of term!! This is such an achievement for me as a) I hate presentations and b) I was so stressed about that particular presentation. Most of my time has been spent revising and watching Netflix as a form of procrastination and I had the most delicious Nandos on Friday. I've been making a conscious effort to blog more as I'm feeling inspired and it's a good outlet for me as I've been stressed by revision.

How has your week been?

Cheap Eyeliner Storage

Since starting uni almost 2 years ago I've really struggled with finding beauty storage that works for me. It's difficult because I don't want to spend a lot on storage that I'm only really using for half the year and half my makeup. However I have found the perfect eyeliner storage for me, so I'm sharing it with you.

If you saw my post the other week you'll know that this is my favourite eyeliner and as it's a felt tip liner it's best storage upside down. So, when I popped into Poundland and saw this cute jar with ribbon and bells on I knew I had to buy it. I find that this way I can access my eyeliners easily and they don't dry out as quickly as I store them upside down.

I'd love to know how you store your eyeliners so let me know in the comments below!

52 Weeks Project | Week 18

18/52

This week I handed in my final assignment for the year which means I only have one exam and then I've completed my second year at uni! I'm back at home home for the weekend just to see my family (and of course, my cats). I've had a lovely weekend being home and yesterday Kate Middleton gave birth to a beautiful baby girl who is gorgeous. 

Do you have any plans for this bank holiday weekend?

Little Touches | My Uni Bedroom

I've been living in my uni house for about 8 months now and although I can't decorate it huge amounts because it's a rented property, I've added a few little touches to make it feel more like home.

The glass jar is from Poundland, and the other two decorations are from Primark. I find these little touches can change the whole feel of a room. I also have a few sets of fairy lights about my room which are also all from Primark.

Do you have little touches in your own room? Where do you find cute homeware bits?