Thursday 30 April 2015

Monthly Favourites | April

Okay, so since it's the end of April, I thought I would do an April favourites for you! I'm really excited about this because I haven't actually done a beauty post yet because I'm poor and unemployed, so this stuff I have been using for a little while, but yeah. HERE WE GO!

The first item I want to talk about is Simple's Kind to Skin hydrating light moisturiser. It does exactly what it says on the tin. It's super hydrating, so I feel really clean and fresh after using it, and it's so light. You only need a tiny amount to spread over your whole face and even then, you'll probably have some left over. I use this in the morning after cleansing and toning my face and I feel so great for it. I get really dry skin around the sides of my nose, which made foundation so cakey around that area, and powder just seemed to accumulate in one spot. But I've been using this a lot recently, and it's made my makeup go on so much nicer. I'm pretty now. Plus, it's great for sensitive skin because there's no harsh chemicals. Win.

Simple's Kind to Skin hydrating light moisturiser


The next product I have been absolutely loving is Schwarzkopf's got2b Beach Matt Texturising Salt Spray. Honestly, up until a few months ago, I had no idea what a salt spray was or what it did. But when I was told that it gives your hair volume and gives it that gorgeous beachy look and I just had to get one. I've been using this a lot lately when I get bored of my straight hair and can't be bothered to curl it or wash it, and it's just something really natural looking and fun. It doesn't leave my hair feeling like it's full of product so I really love this right now. I want to try some other salt sprays so if you have any recommendations for me, leave me a comment!

got2b Beach Matt Texturising Salt Spray


Next up - nail polish! I've been really into bright, summer colours at the moment, and these two are definitely not new in my polish collection, but I always find myself coming back to them. The first one is an Essie polish in a gorgeous turquoise colour. I really love the finish of this polish as it leaves my nails really shiny and smooth, and it isn't too hard to remove either. The only bad thing I will say about this polish is that it took me like 6 coats to get a nice solid colour on my nails. Do you guys get that problem with Essie? Anyway, it's great for when I want to pamper myself and don't mind waiting for my nails to dry. The other polish is from Avon. I have no idea what it's called (sorry!) but it's a gorgeous pink and it's so bright, bees would probably want to rub their butts against it. I love it so so much and it makes me super girly. You don't need as many coats as the Essie one, but I always put a couple on, just to be safe. 

Essie in 98 and Avon (shade unknown)


I go through phases with eyeshadow. Sometimes I love it, and sometimes I couldn't care less. My eyelids are naturally a lovely pinky colour so I don't think I really need it, but I've been really enjoying this brown shade from my Colour Unlimited palette. It's really pigmented and has a light shimmer so it looks great in photos. I got this palette years ago so it's probably kinda gross, but what can I say?

Colour Unlimited eyeshadow palette (far right)


The next item I was so scared to try. It's the Collection Bronze Glow bronzer. I was always freaked out over bronzer and blush and highlighter and things like that because I had no idea what to do with them, but there was a 3 for 2 offer on in Superdrug a few weeks back, and I thought I'd give it a try. I love it. It doesn't change my skin tone or make me look tan or anything like that, but it gives my face more depth and makes me look more alive after putting my foundation on. It's a mixture of pinky browns and golden browns, with a very very fine shimmer, and it just looks so gorgeous. My only problem with this is that I always get shimmer on my hands from where I've been touching my face, but it doesn't go on anything else so I'm not all that bothered.

Collection Bronze Glow - Mosaic


I decided to change concealers after realising that my current one was too dark for my skin and got kind of gross under my eyes, so I picked up the Lasting Perfection Concealer by Collection and I adore this so much! I use this under my eyes to reduce my dark circles and it brightens my face completely. It had a doe foot applicator so it's really easy to apply, and I just dab it in with my finger. Easy peasy.

Collection Lasting Perfection concealer - Fair 1


I have been adoring Zoella's Blissful Mistful body mist. I got this for Christmas and I have worn it non stop since. The only thing I didn't like about this is that it's a mist, so it's very light and doesn't last as long as a perfume, so I really want Zoe to bring out a perfume because her choice of scent is just amazing! The packaging is super cute too.

Zoella Beauty Blissful Mistful body mist


Lastly (and this is a strange one), water! This is so weird for a monthly favourites, but since I downloaded the Plant Nanny app, my skin has cleared right up! I had loads of teeny little spots and a lot of discolouration around my temples and chin, but now I don't even need to use concealer anywhere but under my eyes. Shoutout to water. If you suffer with breakout and discolouration, try drinking more water, it may help. 

So this was my first monthly favourites. First beauty post. Exciting! 
This was really fun, and I hope you enjoyed it.

See you soon!
Katie xo

Adorable Cafe and Beach Talks

Good Morning!!

I thought I'd tell you about my little adventures yesterday, considering I still don't have any money to buy interesting products to review...

I went to college in the morning - typical Wednesday - and decided that I wasn't feeling quite up to scratch and wanted to come home. I soon felt better after sitting in my room with some toast (it's the simple things in life) and Esther invited me to go out before we went to see a Year 2 Musical Theatre performance (which was amazingly good). We set off and went to an adorable little cafe called Wendy's in St Agnes. 

Cute Wendy's menu

Literally the most amazing lemonade...ever.

Joined by the most amazing chocolate cake mmmmm

This cafe was insanely cute. The reason my pictures aren't all that great is because the sofa was so comfy and I just didn't want to move. But, oh my god. This chocolate cake was heaven on a plate. The icing was so soft and creamy, and the bottom of the cake was kind of brownie like. I'm going back for more.


Just look how adorable it is!
Then we drove to Perranporth beach (feeling a little sick after the fabulous uber chocolatey cake) and just sat and watched the waves roll by and had a long long long chat about everything. It's so nice to be able to just chat with someone and not worry about them judging you or thinking you're weird. We went from funny stories to serious talks to funny stories again. I just love Esther. 

Just look at those amazing waves!

After that we drove to Costa to meet Esther's friend, and then went to the musical theatre performance. At the end they did a few things from Cats and literally just wow. No words.
Esther dropped me home afterwards and we stargazed for about 5 minutes, trying to figure out what this reeeeally bright star was (it was Venus).

So I hoped you enjoyed this little ramble..

See you soon!
Katie xo

Tuesday 28 April 2015

App Review - Plant Nanny

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Hi again, lovelies!

So, I'm one of those people who don't drink. I don't drink after exercise, I don't drink when it's hot, I don't drink before breakfast. My skin is really suffering and it makes it hard to concentrate.

A friend from college recommended an app to me, which I am going to review for you, which reminds you to drink water and makes it more rewarding.

Welcome to Plant Nanny

To work out how much water you need to drink each day, it asks for your weight and how active you are, and does some random little calculations. I need to drink 3565ml of water everyday, so about eight 500ml glasses. Sounds like a lot for someone who never drinks anything, right?
Well, once you've input your information, you get to choose a plant...





There are loads of different seedlings to choose from, and you even get  to change the pot if you want to. Once you've picked your plant (I went for Devil's Ivy) you get to name it (mine is called Betty) and feed it.

The concept is that every time you have a drink, you feed your plant some water. Eventually the plant will grow. The more you water it, the happier it is, but if you don't water it, it may die :(


Once your plant has grown up, you can buy more with the seeds you get from levelling up!

I really love this app, it sends you reminders when your plant is thirsty and you should take a drink, and has a little number in the corner of the app reminding you how many glasses you need to drink (like notifications).
I've only been using this app for a week or so, but oh my god have I noticed a difference! I've lost weight, my skin is clearer, and my mood in generally better. Eventually you'll get into the routine of drinking water, but the app is always there for when you need help. And, even better, the app is available on iPhone and android, so no excuses to not drink lots of water!


I hope you liked this little review, and let me know if you want to see more in the future.

See you soon!
Katie xo

Simple Summer Things

Afternoon lovelies!

So today, as I thought it was so lovely outside, and my arm is literally burning from the sun coming in through my window, I'd do a summer themed post. 

Source: google images


Now, I am very much a summer person, for the most part (cannot do bugs). I love having time away from school to just take a breather and chill, and I think it's always really amazing to go back to school in September and see how everyone has changed - some people got their hair cut, some people lost weight, some people got piercings and all sorts of other things. But have you ever had loads of fun in the first week of the summer holidays, and then was completely bored for the rest of the time, and when it got to late August/early September you thought "what on earth have I been doing?!"
Well. I didn't even have a fun first week, I skipped straight to bored.

So this post is basically some ideas for you guys to try out over the summer, to keep yourselves active and as human as possible (nobody likes being a potato all summer) and also some little tips to keep you happy.


Source: google images
.
Things to do:

  • Get a summer job
    Now this one probably doesn't sound all that fun, but when you get your pay check and realise that you FINALLY have some money to buy those shoes you really wanted, or go to the cinema with your friend, it will definitely be worth it. Plus, it means there's always something to do when you don't have any plans. Practically everywhere hires people as summer temps from as early as April, so get in there!
  • Learn a random skill
    This one can be as personal as you want it to be. Look up tutorials on how to moonwalk, juggle, yodel, whatever takes your fancy. My skill for this summer will be perfecting winged eyeliner and learning how to use Photoshop properly.
  • Take up a new hobby
    When I was in the middle of my last year of secondary school, I decided that I really wanted to study Photography at college, and I worked really hard to get the grades I needed, as I hadn't done Photography at GCSE. I definitely see photography as more of a hobby than a qualification, purely because I love it so much. I've recently completed my photography AS so I don't have to do it again until September, so college is a little more boring now, but I will be spending my entire summer taking photos. You can take up a hobby in literally anything. I want to start painting, and blogging lots throughout the summer.
  • Go to the beach
    I know not everybody likes the beach (sand in my hair is a massive no) and not everybody is lucky enough to live near the beach like I am, but for those of you who do, grab your favourite book, your best friend, a couple of quid for some ice cream, and just spend the afternoon lazing about on the sand. Make sure you take a really good sun cream though! I step outside for 5 minutes with no sun cream on and end up looking like a wrinkly tomato. Ouchie.
  • Make a summer time capsuleIt's so easy to forget some of the amazing things you do over the summer, so decorate a pretty little box and put mementos in it. Take lots of pictures and put them in, write little notes about what you did, keep receipts and cinema tickets, anything with a good story behind it. Then, shove it in your attic or at the back of your bed, and take a look at it next summer, or in 5 years time. You'll be amazed at how easily everything comes flooding back to you.
  • Rearrange your room
    If, one day, it's not as lovely as you thought it was going to be, or your friends cancel on plans, then take the day to change things up a bit. It is so refreshing to move things around every now and again. You don't have to move your furniture around if that's too much work for a lazy day, but even just tidying up your dressing table or rearranging your wardrobe can make such a difference!

    Source: google images

Simple Tricks
  • Keep a lip balm handy
    Chapped lips are usually really common in winter when there is a lot of cold air hitting your face, but the sun and the heat can dry them out too. Make sure you have a really moisturising lip balm handy all the time. I just have a cheap tea tree one from Tesco, but Carmex and Baby Lips are really good too. Invent in a good one, you only get one set of lips.
  • Don't be a potato
    It's so easy to fall into the trap of doing nothing all day, especially when it's 1000 degrees outside and you don't have any money. But this often leads to not seeing your friends or not talking to anyone for ages, and when you go back to school in September, you'll have missed out of loads.
  • Keep hydrated
    I am one of those people who will go days without drinking anything and not think anything of it. DON'T DO THIS. As well as keeping you healthy and flushing you of toxins, water keeps your skin looking gorgeous and helps prevent things like headaches, which are really common in summer.
  • Don't be embarrassed
    Summer is all about having fun and being as happy as possible. So don't let anything hold you back. I would never wear a swimming costume to the beach because I hated my body, but there was no reason for me to. I am beautiful, and you guys are too. So own your body and love the skin you're in.
  • Wear sun cream
    It is so so so important to protect your skin. Even though the sun gives you essential healthy vitamins, it is also extremely dangerous if you don't protect yourself. I'm all for showing your skin in the summer and getting a tan, but I don't really want to burn or get skin cancer. Invent in a sun cream with a really high SPF, even if you think you don't burn easily, and make sure you apply it multiple times throughout the day if you're outside. Most foundations and face products have a small SPF in them, so try and go for those if your regular foundation doesn't protect.
  • Have fun!
    This is so ridiculously cliché, but it's so true. As you get older, you'll realise how lucky you were to get such long summers away from school. Unless you're extremely lucky, you'll have to work throughout the year when you're older, so you really need to treasure the time off you've been given, and be as productive as possible so you don't have any regrets later on. 'Carpe diem' and all that.

So that's it for this post. I'm going to leave you with one of my favourite songs that really gets me in a summery mood, and I hope I helped!




See you soon!
Katie xo

Sunday 26 April 2015

Getting Lost

Hello again, lovelies!

Today, after reading all my poems and trying to work out blogger (still not successful), my beautiful friend Esther and I decided to go to the beach near my house. 
We ended up not going to the beach and instead, drove down a random road along the cliff whilst playing music rather loudly and singing like we were on the X Factor. We took a lovely little walk along the coastal path and it was FREEZING COLD. I took some photos for you guys..
Coastal path
Coastal path

We then decided to drive to Esther's house so I could see where she lived (which is super lovely) and then drove to the beach near her house (can you tell we live near lots of beaches..). We just parked on a road above the beach and sang duets from Disney films. Personally I think our rendition of I Won't Say I'm in Love from Hercules was the best - I sang Meg's part and Esther did the Muses. We're very good. 

Perranporth Beach
On the drive home, we were eating doughnuts and Esther drove quite stupidly and almost crashed, and then proceeded to laugh herself to tears and throw the remainder of her doughnut at me, because she couldn't possibly drive and hold a doughnut while laughing her head off at the same time... She was manically laughing and I thought she may have gone crazy (crazier..) but she then calmed down after about 5 minutes and ate the rest of her doughnut. Yum yum.
And then Esther dropped me home and left. Sad times. BUT I'M SEEING HER ON TUESDAY TO WATCH SOME COLLEGE PERFORMANCES YAY!

I hope you liked this little update, what have you been doing today?

See you soon!
Katie xo

Old Poems

Hello, lovelies!

So today, while Esther was around my house (for the first time might I add, how exciting!), we looked through some of the poems I had wrote a few years ago while I was still in secondary school, and basically Esther said if I don't post them, she will!
I've been published in Young Writers on a few occasions, and Esther seems to think I have a talent for it. 
My notebook for poems, a book I was published in and Lang Leav :)


So here is one that I wrote early last year called Apple Tree - 

"Why do people compare their lives
to an apple tree?
If they take one apple it will taste
completely different to an apple of the other side
They use it as a metaphor for the choices
they're too scared to make
But why compare your life to one
single tree
Why not compare your life to the busy
stillness of the forests
Why do people think they are so small and
insignificant that the choices they make and the path
they make for themselves are as tiny as
one apple
on an apple tree?
Your life is a forest.
Your life is a forest, 
a maze of beauty and growth and the birds song and
the foxglove.
Your life is a country full of mountains and
rivers and animals, 
an ocean of opportunity and wonder full to 
the brim of the unknown.
So why compare yourself to 
one apple
on an apple tree?

Your life is the planets working in
synchronisation and beauty.
Your life is a supernova of
supernovas.
Your life is more important than
anybody else's
and just as equal.
So why do people compare
their lives to an apple tree?
You are alive.
You are infinite.
A world of forests,
a universe of oceans and
mountains,
brighter than the light of
a thousand suns.
Not
one apple
on an apple tree."

I hope you liked it! Let me know if you want to hear more, I have billions.
Do you guys write poems, or short stories? Comment with them below :)

See you soon!
Katie xo

Saturday 25 April 2015

Intro & Day Out

Hello, lovelies!

My name is Katie, and after thoroughly enjoying the blogs of others, I have decided to start my own. I am in full time education in Cornwall, and I hope to move away next September to go to university. I would love for this to be a beauty and fashion blog, however, as I am currently unemployed and don't have the money to go out and buy new products, it will just have to be a lifestyle blog for the moment (and a very boring one at that!). 

I think it's only appropriate for my first post to include my gorgeous friend, Esther, who has decided to start a blog with me. 

This morning, I got a lovely little text asking if I wanted to meet up, and so Esther and I decided to go out for lunch. We met up in Costa and then had a little wander over to Hubbox (there will definitely be a review about that at some point), and had the most amazing burgers ever. Definitely not healthy, but I made up for it with a diet coke... ahem.
Hub burger, hand cut fries and giant onion rings, yummy!
 Basically we just had a little stroll through town and did some window shopping, and Esther bought me a gorgeous notebook, bless her. I will be using it to write down blog ideas I think! Afterwards we went to Starbucks and just had a little rant about this and that, and basically just had a really wonderful day, and hopefully we're seeing each other again tomorrow!

I think I'm going to have a lot of fun doing this blog, especially considering that I've wanted to do it for a while. Sorry that this first post was so short - I'm still trying to get my head around how to use blogger! I've been trying to figure it out for quite a while, my dinner has gone cold :(

See you soon!
Katie xo