THINGS I LOVE TO USE PINTEREST FOR

Hello everyone! So when it comes down to looking for inspiration for anything, what are the two things we always do? Google or search on Pinterest for help of course! Personally i am a Pinterest kind of girl, where i search for help or inspiration with anything. With that in mind i thought i would switch things up for today's post and by switching things up, i mean to share the things i love to use Pinterest for...

1. quick dinner recipes

I wonder if these three words are some of the most typed words in the Pinterest search bar? I ask this as it is probably one of mine! Pinterest is great for being about to type a brief sentence then it allows you narrow down your search (such as: healthy, vegetarian, cheesy, pasta, rice dishes etc). 

2. new/fun dessert recipes

Homemade desserts are just perfection and when it comes to looking for new or fun dessert ideas, Pinterest is the place to look yet again. If you have a specific ingredient or theme you want to go with, you can simply type those things into the search bar (such as: pumpkin cake) and all of the recipes will be there for you to scroll through.

3. seasonal home decor

If you are looking for a cheap/simple way to switch up your home decor for each season, you can simply search the site for different themed decor inspiration and narrow the search down to what colour scheme you want.

4. storage ideas

When it comes to having good or organised storage, there are so many other ways to have good storage and keep things looking organised than just having a boring plastic storage box. Pinterest has so many different ideas for different uses for different things to store your everyday items in, from empty candle holders, labelled jars, custom baskets and more.

5. nail art inspiration

Time to delve into the world of beauty that Pinterest has to offer and one thing that i constantly search for is, nail art/nail colour inspiration. By doing this it not only allows you to have different nails each manicure, rather than opting for the same thing each time and there are also so many easy step-by-step easy nail art designs.

6. beauty hacks

We all love a good beauty hack, don't we? I know i do and Pinterest is definitely one of the best places to search for help and fast. Beauty hacks range from makeup ideas, easy hairstyles, overnight beauty remedies and homemade/diy face masks.

7. coffee or dressing table styling ideas

One of the most simple ways to switch up something in your home is to change up the decor on your coffee table or dressing table. The site has so many different ideas on how to stage your table area for pretty much every single room, by using different candles, flowers etc and what items go together.

8. what to style with a specific item of clothing

Fashion is something we all want a little help with from time to time, not just because we might want to switch things up but also because you might want to search for a new trend. Something i turn to help from Pinterest for is ideas on what to style with a certain piece of clothing, for example what to wear with light-wash jeans and what to or how to style ankle boots.

9. iPhone/desktop wallpapers

Everyone likes to switch up their phone/desktop wallpaper from time to time, me included and Pinterest is definitely the best place to search for a new one. There are so many different wallpapers, with so many different themes, whether that be seasonal, by colour scheme or even by quotes. 

  

10. travel inspiration

Finally i love scrolling through the site to look for travel inspiration, from reading posts on what is best to do in what country, what restaurants to visit and of course what to avoid. Another reason for searching for travel inspiration is seeing all of the beautiful photography taken in so many different countries, cities and towns.

Catch up on a suggested post: here

xo.

UPGRADING MY DRESSING TABLE MAKEUP STORAGE

Hello everyone! It has been a good year probably almost two, since i had a huge spring clean/de-cluttering of my makeup collection and it was getting way out of hand (when i say out of hand, i mean i could barely shut my drawers as they were full up to the top). So i decided to have a huge sort through and throw away/give away like i normally do, the things i didn't use or didn't want to keep anymore. I also decided to upgrade my dressing table makeup storage, i did have some Muji drawers which housed my lip products but they simply had to make way for the most perfect set of drawers i have ever seen...

So these are the set of five drawers i picked up by the brand Beautify and it is in fact a brand i have spoken about before, as part of a eBay makeup storage ideas under £40 post. That being said i actually picked mine up from Tesco via the click+collect service, you can also get the storage from Domu and eBay also but i went with Tesco as it was the quickest. You can get the set of six drawers in two different styles, one when you have a open top or one like mine which has a closed top that can be opened. What i love about these drawers is how the bottom drawer is slightly bigger than all of the others, making it the perfect size for foundations or larger bottled items and i also put a couple of my favourite highlight/contour sticks on the end. In the drawer one up from the bottom drawer, i have put all of my favourite/everyday bronzer, highlight both liquid and powder as well as my favourite face powders at the back.

In the next drawer i have some more of my favourite/go-to powder products like bronzers, blushes and highlighters. At the moment i just have them spread out like this as i had a huge de-clutter before hand so i still have some space to fill with any new favourites that might come along, that being said at the moment i don't have too many favourites left and then the highlighters/bronzers i still like but i don't reach for as often are all stored in my dressing table drawer. 

Next up i have put all of my go-to/everyday eye and brow products, as you can tell there is room for quite a lot of products including two eyeshadow palettes. Another great thing about these drawers is they are big enough height-wise to stack slightly smaller products as well, allowing you to fit more inside of the drawers overall. The quality of how the drawers are made are so much more sturdy and thicker acrylic, unlike the Muji ones which were a thinner acrylic. Then in the final two drawers i have my go-to lipsticks/liquid lipsticks, which i think i might do a separate post on in the form of an updated nude lip products collection as even after a huge de-clutter there is still quite a lot of products to go through. 

Where to buy the beautify six tier clear acrylic drawers

| tesco (click to buy) | domu (click to buy) | eBay (click to buy) |

xo.

WAYS TO SWITCH UP YOUR EVERYDAY MAKEUP ROUTINE

Hello everyone! We all have those moments when we get stunk in a rut, especially when it comes to our everyday makeup routine and we tend to just keep doing the same thing over and over again. That being said applying makeup should always be fun and never seem as if it is a chore, keeping that in mind for today's post i thought i would share with you some great ways to switch up your everyday makeup routine...

1. look through all the products in your makeup collection

It is super easy to just reach for your most recently purchased makeup items, but then all of your other products get pushed aside and forgotten about. By looking through your collection once in a while will make you see what other products you used to love reaching for, to encourage you to reach for them again.

2. have a makeup de-clutter
That being said sometimes you can get into a makeup rut because you are slightly overwhelmed with the amount of products in your collection, when that occurs it is always good to have a good makeup de-clutter and rid yourself of any products you dislike or don't want to hang onto anymore.

3. dedicate a drawer or makeup make to your everyday essentials

Something i did a lot and still often do, is to dedicate a drawer from my acrylic storage to some everyday essentials of mine and to avoid getting into that rut again switch the products up/around each month. This is also a great way to save time searching through your collection/makeup bag, especially if you are in a hurry!

4. try out some new-in makeup products

It is so easy to just say oh this is my favourite product i am not going to bother trying out anything new, but this is in fact when you get fed up of something. Be adventurous and try something from the new-in section, you never know something could become your new go-to everyday makeup item.

5. switch up the order of application if something isn't working right

Doing your makeup every single day the same way as if you are on auto-pilot can get super boring quick, even if every single product you are using is still working well for you there is still a simple step to help switch things up. Simply switch up the order in which you apply your makeup, even if it is just one or two steps.

6. upgrade your tools/appliances 

Sometimes switching up your makeup products isn't always necessary, something simple like switching up or upgrading your tools and appliances can do just the trick. Treat yourself to a new well lit makeup mirror, some new brushes or new storage. Having great lighting makes such a huge difference to the way your makeup ends up looking and makeup storage is a great way to stay organised (clear view, clear mind).

7. wear what makes you feel happy/confident 

It is easy to follow someone else/or a trend and say you love something just because they do, which in fact that certain product/look doesn't work well for you. Makeup should always be fun and you should always wear your makeup the way you like to wear it, what type of look makes you feel happy and confident in yourself.

8. skip non-essential products if you are pinched for time

In an everyday makeup routine it can either go one of two ways, stick to the bare essentials or go all out and reach for everything and put it on your face. That being said if you are in a rush and pinched for time, skip the non-essential steps such as winged eyeliner or a technical eyeshadow look which isn't necessary all of the time. Also if you are anything like me and still when it comes to winged eyeliner, it probably takes me ten minutes per eye as i still struggle with getting them even looking often!

9. nail your skincare routine

The way your everyday makeup looks can be improved a huge amount, simply by making sure you nail your skincare routine/application. Making sure your skin is super hydrated and prepped for makeup, will make your makeup look and last a lot better as it has the perfect base for everything to be applied on top of it. Even adding an extra face mask into an evening a week, will make all the difference.

10. turn your everyday makeup from simple to glam in seconds
Maybe you are headed straight from work or school to something a little more dressy. A couple of great quick and easy fixes for transforming your makeup look from simple to glam in seconds, are to apply a little more highlighter to the areas you usually would and also to glam a simple face of makeup up, add a bolder lip choice like a red for example.

11. be comfortable when applying your makeup
One of the most important things for me when doing my makeup everyday is to make sure i am sitting down comfortably, i like to sit on my chair at my dressing table and either watch TV or listen to music by doing this it makes it a lot more enjoyable than being sat in silence. We have also all been there before, when you sit on the floor then realise you can't get up because your feet/legs have gone to sleep. 

12. experiment with products in your collection
Finally is a step that will inject some fun back into your makeup routine and that is to experiment with the products in your collection. Something as simple as mixing two or three lipsticks together to create the perfect shade, especially when you dislike a product by itself but mixed with another product it could work well.

Catch up on my recent updated brow-routine post HERE...

xo.

eBAY MAKEUP STORAGE IDEAS UNDER £40

Hello everyone! When it comes down to having so much makeup/beauty products sometimes, is that you run out of storage and places to put things. Another issue is having things looking untidy because nothing is organised well, so extra storage pieces are always the best solution. Some storage pieces can be really heavy in price, but there are also a ton of different storage ideas that won't break the bank so much and the place for great in-expensive pieces is definitely eBay. With that in mind for today's post i thought i would share with you, some great makeup storage ideas from the site for under £40 each.

1. beauty blender drying/holder stand | £1.27 |

When i first saw these floating around online, i thought why does this beauty site have egg cup holders? Well i was wrong it is in fact a genius holder for storing and drying your beauty blenders, which come in various colours/metals to fit in with your decor preference. They are also super in-expensive!

2. makeup/jewellery box acrylic x3 drawers w/ dividers | £19.99 |

This particular set of drawers is by the brand beautify and they have a huge selection of makeup storage products for great prices and quality, they can be found on eBay and also tesco direct stocks the brand too. This 3 drawer set is perfect for smaller products, such as lip products, pencils etc and the pink drawer insert/dividers are also removable, but it does give you the option to use for makeup or jewellery.

3. lipstick holder storage case | £14.81 |

If you are a big lipstick fan, collector or hoarder like myself and more specifically MAC/bullet lipsticks then this is the perfect storage for you. This holder case comes with room for 24 lipsticks, keeping them compact, organised and on display. As this holder has a lid it is so much easier to keep clean/dust-free, unlike some holders where they are in the open. A great tip if you want to find a lipstick in a hurry, display lipsticks upside down with the names at the top!

4. bath + body works spring '18 candle | £24.49 |

I have spoken quite a few times in the past about how great used/empty candle jars make great brush/pencil storage holders, as they not only look great and decorative but they are also the perfect size especially the bath + body works ones. You don't have to be in the U.S to only pick these candles up, eBay has such a huge selection including new product launches like this spring '18 white barn candle.

5. mirrored effect decorative metal tray | £12.99 |

Another type of item i have spoken about a few times before and that is something that is perfect for different display/decorative storage ideas, especially beautiful looking products like your perfume collection. eBay is a great place to find more affordable alternatives to items you would find in-stores for a lot more.

6. six drawer acrylic makeup storage | £36.99 |

This is the storage of all storage and perfect for anyone who has a large amount of makeup, or if you simply want somewhere to store the products you use on a regular basis rather than being stored in a drawer somewhere. Some brands charge over £100 for something super similar, yet this one is under £40 from the brand beautify again for great quality and if not better than some of the more expensive brands!

7. blush pink professional storage case | £19.99 |

Something like this storage case (also by beautify) is great for so many different purposes, starting with being super compact and being designed to look nice on display. This is also great for travel, whether that be if you are a makeup artist or if you are off to a friends house to get ready for a night out.

8. large acrylic vanity makeup storage box | £21.99 |

Finally is another storage box/case, this time the ultimate storage box. The thing that makes this one different from the other is that it is not only larger in size, but it is also acrylic, easy to clean and see what product you are looking for before you open it. This comes with four different compartments and is lockable!

Catch up on my February must-buys post HERE...

xo.

MAKEUP BRUSH COLLECTION | DE-CLUTTER + NEW BRUSHES | PART ONE

Hello everyone! If you read one of my recent posts talking about my january must-buys, then you will probably know that i talked a little bit about being inspired to have a good makeup brush de-clutter after picking up a new brush set in the sales and receiving one for Christmas also. With that in mind i thought why not document and share with you all of the new brushes i have to replace old brushes (which lets face it, who hasn't held onto/hoarded too many brushes?) and also the brushes i still wanted to keep in my collection. As i do still have quite a large amount of brushes, i thought i would split this post into two parts starting with face brushes.

ps...insta girl perfecting powder brush 
For the longest time i have used the Real Techniques blush brush as a powder brush, but i decided as it was well overdue being thrown in the bin, why not just try a different one out. I picked this one up in Primark for £6 recently and i was so amazed, as the bristles are super soft and it is really well made as it feels weighty rather than plastic-y. I definitely want to pick some more up soon.

real techniques fresh faced favourites set
So this is the brush set that i received for Christmas from one of my sisters, which was perfect timing because some of the brushes inside this set i already owned and they were also ready for being replaced. This set contains a bb/cc brush, contour brush (one of my faves), a detailer brush and some of the exclusive set wedge sponges all for £19.99 from Superdrug in selected stores and online.

real techniques filtered face set
This was the particular brush set i was talking about that i picked up in the sales for £40 instead of £80, which is such a bargain for what you get inside of the set and a lot of the brushes are everyday favourites of mine. This set contains the following face brushes, buffing brush, contour brush, setting brush (which i now own three of but it is probably my all time favourite brush from the brand) and a stippling brush.

real techniques bold metals 301 flat contour brush
So the final Real Techniques brush of the bunch (can you tell by now that they are my favourite?) and the most expensive brush i own now, but probably one of my top favourites to apply and blend cream contour out with. As the bristles on this brush are quite dense you can be a lot more precise with the product you are apply and to where, especially when it comes to contouring your jaw or nose. If you were to buy this brush individually it would set you back £22, although Boots currently have a Bold Metals set available containing six brushes and two sponges for £50 (half price).

freedom ff104 powder and bronzer brush 
If i am ever asked on what really affordable but great quality brushes to try out, i always recommend Freedom brushes and more specifically their face brushes. I first tried these particular brushes out last year for the first time and i was/still am honestly shook on how great in quality they are for under £2 each, i love using one for applying bronzer and the other for blush.

freedom ff103 stippling brush
Another freedom face brush that i probably couldn't be without now actually, is the stippling brush. A lot of people tend to use a stippling brush for applying foundations/bb-creams, but i actually love using mine to apply highlighter with as it applies the right amount of product and blends it out flawlessly. To do this i don't pick up the product head on, i use the side of the brush to apply and blend out on an angle. This brush is also under £2.

mua f11 highlighting brush
Fun fact when i first started out with experimenting with makeup MUA is actually the brand of brushes i first owned and i loved them, obviously over time i have replaced them until recently when i picked up a few new ones to try again. The brushes i particularly picked up were highlighting brushes, the f11 (ABH highlighting brush dupe), f7 small fan brush and the f8 fan brush. Just like Freedom brushes, MUA brushes are also perfect if you are on a budget but still want a great quality product. 

shop the brushes sold separately...
| ps...insta girl perfecting powder brush (in-store only) | real techniques setting brush | real techniques stippling brush | real techniques flawless base makeup brush set (contour + buffing brush) | mua f7 brush | mua f8 brush | freedom ff104 brush | freedom ff103 brush |

xo.

TIPS & TRICKS: HOW TO SAVE MONEY & GET ORGANISED FOR CHRISTMAS

Hello everyone! Now that we are almost a week into November, it is the time when the majority of us all start to think about Christmas shopping and what we are going to get, for who we are going to get gifts for (unless you are one of those extra organised people who do their shopping mid-year). That being said if you aren't one of those super organised people, yet you want to be this year then i thought i would share with you some tips and tricks on how to get organised for Christmas, as well as how to save yourself some money along the way.

1. always make a list(s).

Before you start absolutely anything, always make a list whether that be on your phone or in a notebook. By making a list of the people you need to buy for, it allows you a clear vision rather than just keeping it in your head and you are less likely to forget anyone. Also to be extra organised, write down next to the persons name a rough idea of what you want to get them and roughly how much you want to spend on that person.  

2. shop around online first.

So once you have an idea on what you are going to get someone, always type into google the item and shop around for the best deal. This doesn't mean you have to buy it online, you can still head into the store to buy it but just don't buy the first one you see from the first place, as you could be wasting money and you could be saving getting if from somewhere for a little or a lot cheaper.

3. pick up a Christmas catalogue.

A lot of stores from around September onwards, have free catalogues available to pick up and they are filled with both Christmas gifts/gift sets and also inspiration for things such as gift buying, food ideas or even homeware/decorations. If you see one pick one up (especially a Boots one), you can even mark in/fold pages on items you see that you think might interest you or be a great gift for someone.    

4. take advantage of discounts/store offers (such as 3for2).

So we all know when it comes to Christmas a lot of stores like Boots and Superdrug have 3 for 2 deals on Christmas gift sets, which is perfect when picking up either stocking fillers or a larger gift for those beauty lovers in your life. As they are on a 3 for 2 deal you are saving money on one gift, because you only ended up paying for two and you get the cheapest one free. Also if you have a present in mind for someone and the store has a discount offer on such as 10 or 20% off, don't hesitate pick it up whilst the deal is on and you'll save yourself some money.

5. do NOT over buy.
This is when sticking to the list(s) you made comes in handy, as you are less likely to over buy especially when it comes to gifts and the food shop (just remember they are only closed for one day) and there is just no need. Also when you have finished gift buying for someone, make sure you check them off of your list as you don't want to double buy, as this is just a waste of money.

6. do your shopping in November/the first week of December.
Rule number one when it comes to being organised, never leave your shopping until the last week or minute as more often than none shops will have increased their prices, they won't have anything you wanted left and most importantly you'll end up spending more time queuing up to pay than you will do shopping. If you are wanting to get someone a fairly expensive gift (such as something electrical) wait until Black Friday (27th November) as you could bag yourself a bargain or two. 

7. ask family/friends what they would like.
Another way to not waste your money and to give you an idea on what to get someone, it to always ask them a rough idea on what they would like to receive for Christmas (especially those hard to buy for people - every family has one). By doing this like i said you are not only not wasting your money on something they are never going to use or what they don't have an interest in. Sometimes this is also when giving them money or a gift card can come in handy and there are also some places where you can get money off on gift cards.

8. browse to find the cheapest way to get your gifts.
Another thing we don't always take into account is the money we spend actually getting the gifts to us, whether that be shopping in-stores or online. If something is free delivery online, always opt for that option because even going to buy something in-store sometimes costs you more in the long run, as you have had to spend money on transport like petrol or the trains/bus. Another tip is to sign up to 30 day free trials for delivery such as Amazon Prime, as once you have completed your gift shopping there is no need to sign up/pay for another month/yearly subscription (unless you want to that is).

Catch my "the best new-in beauty gift sets" post HERE...

xo.

MAKEUP DE-CLUTTER/HOW I ORGANISE MY MAKEUP #1

Hello everyone! For a while now whenever i look at my makeup collection (more so my main drawers of storage) i have been thinking to myself, i need to do a serious de-clutter/re-organise because things were seriously getting out of control and i was struggling to even close the drawers. Last weekend i decided enough was enough, i just had to tackle the situation and i thought why not share with you in instalments how i de-cluttered/re-organised my makeup, kicking things off with my main two makeup drawers.

So it has been a little over a year since i shared my makeup collection post and i would say since that post my collection had more than doubled in size, which fyi i know is crazy and nobody needs that much makeup but anyone who loves makeup/blogs understands. Moving on-to how i de-cluttered my collection, i started off by emptying everything out onto the floor from both of my drawers, before organising everything into sections (so blush in one pile, bronzers in another etc.). After that i went through each pile, keeping what i wanted to keep, throwing away what wasn't any good/of use anymore and then the rest into a giveaway bag. Once i had in front of me what i was keeping, i placed them in my drawer organisers by category. 

Starting with the two larger back sections where i like to keep more compact style products, on the left houses all of my individual blushes as well as a couple of spare cream highlighters that wouldn't fit anywhere else. On the right is probably my favourite section of the whole drawer, as it houses all of my individual bronzers/highlighters which i like to stack up. Stacking them up like so allows you to fit a lot more in than if they were laying down, as well being easy accessible/being able to see what product is where. Moving onto the two smaller front sections, where i like to keep more tube-like products. On the left i keep all of my current brow/lash products, as well as a couple of mac glitters that wouldn't fit where my others are kept. On the right houses all of my concealers, which is still a ton even after throwing out so many (confessions of a concealer-holic).

Moving onto the left hand side of my main large drawer, this is where i like to keep more eye type products such as cream shadows/individual shadows in the drawer insert, as well as a couple of miscellaneous items that just wouldn't go anywhere else. During my de-clutter individual shadows is what i threw the most of out/gave away because i very rarely reach for them, as i am more of a palette person these days for convenience purposes. As a forth drawer insert wouldn't fit into my main drawer, i just like to keep some smaller palettes/eyeshadow quads down the sides, such as some empty/full mac quads, my z-palettes and my small morphe palettes.  

To the right of my main drawer i have a smaller drawer, where i keep one of the drawer inserts which houses my liquid illuminators/primers in the smaller section and then in the larger section i keep all of my current/favourite foundations. Foundations was another thing that i threw a lot of away because i either didn't like it or i hadn't reached for it in a while. Then finally down the side of the drawer i like to keep my favourite setting powders/pressed powders, then at the back is a few back-up compact products that i have.

♥