It's been a little while since I've done a beauty post and a lot of that is down to the fact I don't often change up my make-up so there isn't usually much to catch you up on. However, in the past few months I've tried out some new products on my quest to find my own holy grail brow product and I have to say, I've found some gems! Since I'm finally getting the hang of this brow malarky and a few of you have been kind enough to compliment my brows on Instagram, allow me introduce you to my favourite products of all time. 

NYX Brow Gel

Barry M It's A Brow Thing

Makeup Revolution Brow Dual Arch & Shape

This is an old favourite of mine, I don't use it so much nowadays but it was an absolute failsafe when I did. I'd use this in a similar way to what I've just mentioned, where I'd fill in my brows with the soft crayon and then outline/extend with the felt tip end. It's beyond easy to control, pigmented but not too much so (meaning you can layer up) and again my brows lasted all day. I also was a big fan of using just the felt tip end to fill in my brows because you could create real looking brow hairs with minimal effort; I'd highly recommend this product if you're just starting out on getting those Instagram-esque brows!

Today I just wanted to do a little bit of a reflective and rambling post for myself looking back at what 2016 has taught me; I feel like for many people this hasn't been the best of years and that is certainly the case for me but within all that negativity are very positive lessons to carry forward. For those I am very thankful and I am under no illusion that 2017 isn't going to be magically better, but I'm going to work my hardest to make it so! So here's what I learnt in 2016...

Myself

This year I feel I've gone through an absolute tonne of self-discovery thanks to college and the people around me, the biggest focus being my health and issues surrounding that. In January I found out I had pernicious anaemia which I had to have regular B12 shots for every three months, since then I still felt no better and in August my shots were spaced only 6-8 weeks apart instead; it's helped a bit more but I'm still experiencing huge amounts of fatigue and pain. Later on in the year around March I found out I have severe asthma and now I have a steroid inhaler to use every day which so far is improving the quality of my lungs. Despite gaining some clarity on why I always felt so consistently rubbish (aside from having Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) I still feel there's a lot more to work on and figure out because flare ups/pain/zombie brain aren't normal as far as I'm concerned. Another way my health became the most consistent feature of my year is due to a college workshop before the Summer, we learnt about the 'wounded healer' and how those in caring professions typically have their own wounds that lead them to care for others. For the next 2 days we were asked to choose and focus on one of our wounds, I chose my health thinking that was something I'd already boxed off and dealt with since suffering from the age of 11, I was wrong. I picked off this metaphorical scab and opened up the most gargantuan wound I could have imagined, it was a shock to me just how much my poor health subconsciously affected every area of my life and how I feel. I got angry, I cried buckets and at the core I couldn't figure out why until I came to the realisation that all of my complexes had resulted from losses, loss of health having the biggest impact which in turn lead to more losses: loss of independence, loss of social life, loss of education, loss of my identity, loss of confidence, loss of my childhood...the list goes on. I've spent the whole of my life since being 11 silently mourning and I spent the whole of Summer in quite a mess because of this until finally coming to the conclusion that I have always felt sub-standard since becoming chronically ill. Before that I could do everything, I was everyone's little star that my family were so proud of and all that went away when I became ill...I became distant, distrustful and lonely; I just felt like a burden to all of those around me, incapable of doing anything right or well and that's something I've carried forward over the years. I'm working on letting go of that and accepting that this illness is just as a part of me and not me as a whole, I won't let it define me and I'm done grieving.

So from this point on I've been trying to accept myself and my wounds, I've learnt to be more in the moment and not worry so much, to be spontaneous and enjoy each day regardless of how I'll feel the day after. I've found the utmost importance in being authentic and congruent and strive to surround myself with people the same, I've tapped into more of what I love and took action on that by going cruelty-free, working on being more eco-friendly and slowly changing my diet. I've found more direction in life and know my focus lies with alternate therapies and spirituality. I've learnt that I have empathic tendencies and I need to protect myself more from others energies and emotions because it's resulted in me becoming very drained. I've also learnt to stand up for myself, to not take crap, hypocrisy or blame from anyone, to not avoid confrontations (they don't always mean a screaming match) and most of all I've learnt to trust my gut instinct as it's never been wrong thus far especially when it comes to other people; if you're naturally wary and distrustful of someone else's energy, chances are that it is for a very good reason. I really feel I'm coming out of 2016 a much tougher person in myself without losing that tender part that strives to see good in others, even if my gut tells me it's not there.

Blogging

Starting up my blog again at the beginning of this year is hands down one of the best things I've done! Not only has this pushed me to be more creative, it's made me realise I can really do things I put my mind to and I'm still capable of learning new skills. Another great thing about blogging is that it threw me into the Twitter blogging communities and meeting so many lovely people has enriched my life and taught me that it's possible to trust again. I'm so thankful for everything blogging has given me.

Relationships

After finding some solutions to my health I started to become more sociable, I responded to messages promptly (the norm is usually a long wait because I forget or don't have the energy to formulate a reply), I sought out conversations, I arranged to do things and meet friends and then when Summer came along after the discovery of my issues with health this all took a backslide. I went back into myself in complete isolation, I was in a real slump but I came out of it the other side with people who still stuck by me, understanding where I was at and I'm so thankful to have the right kind of people close to me. My partner and I are also now closer than ever after naturally going through difficulty because of my low mood, I feel so blessed to have found such a kind, supportive and resilient soul who has stuck by me through thick & thin. I really couldn't be happier with the people in my life right now and although I don't have many, I'm all for quality over quantity!

Another big learning curve throughout this year has been by way of confrontation, there have been a lot of instances that I couldn't shy away from. I really hate confrontation, it makes me dreadfully uncomfortable but I've rose to the challenges this year in all areas of my life and have learnt that not everyone has to get along. Despite this, confrontations still fill me with sadness and guilt though I shouldn't feel guilty for speaking my mind as long as it's in a mature & intelligent way. It's not in my nature not to get along with people but it's also not in my nature to distrust my instincts and bottle up how I feel; I spent a long time in my life being a doormat and I refuse to be one now. Unfortunately confrontations are a part of life but it's not about the confrontation occurring, it's how you conduct yourself within them that shows what kind of person you are. I like to think I'm firm but fair, typically I'll give people 2nd/3rd chances, I try my best to observe and reflect back how someone comes across rather than make assumptions about their behaviour (a lot of the time there's often something else going on under the surface). But what I don't stand for is people projecting/transferring their own problems/insecurities/assumptions onto me; this is a product of my learning at college, that we all have to accept our own problems rather than dish out blame to others, you have to take responsibility for your whole self. I always feel like it's best to look inwards before turning outwards, if something offends you or hurts you it's often beneficial to ask yourself why that is having an effect on you before going out into the world making assumptions or attacking someone for something they might not have even done or been aware of. If a person isn't made aware of how they come across (whether they mean to or not) or at first given the benefit of the doubt then the kindest thing to do is let them know as honesty saves everyones time; how they react subsequently will also tell you a lot about who they are.

Naturally with each passing year some people will fall by the wayside, or won't become as big a part of your life as you would hope, I experience feelings of failure in not being able to secure new friendships but obviously they're just not meant to be, not everyone can click or understand each other enough to continue a relationship. On the other hand I've grown so much closer to one person in my life and would now class her as my best friend, and I haven't had a best friend since Primary School so that's a big deal for me! At the end of the day everyone is made up of chemicals, some react well with each other and some don't, it's all energy based and if two vibes don't match then that's just the way it is. You go your separate ways or if you have to see each other again then you're polite and civil; honesty is better than animosity. That's probably my biggest lesson of all in 2016, to actually use my voice without fear of the outcome. Whatever is meant to be, will be.

What's been your biggest lesson in 2016? I'd love to know!

Stay curious

Follow me on Bloglovin'

Hey cats! 

Brush Cleaner

I hope you enjoyed this post and I've linked all the products below in case you fancy trying any out for yourself!







Follow me on Bloglovin'

Base

Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream

Moisture Foundation SPF15

Lightening Touch Concealer

Eyes

Super Volume Mascara

Brow & Lash Gel

Skinny Thin Felt Eyeliner

Lips

I think it's important to mention here that all of these lipsticks have great pigment, last for hours, aren't either too shiny or too matte and the formula isn't runny/drying at all. I chose to pick out three colours that I would be most likely to wear day-to-day; they're listed in order from left to right and I didn't see the point in swatching as the colours come out as you see them there. Also, how stunning is the packaging?!

Colour Crush Lipstick - 110 Coral Cutie

Colour Crush Lipstick - 340 Berry Me

Colour Crush Lipstick - 105 Coral Blush

Follow me on Bloglovin'

Since I wrote about my current skincare faves (which you can find here) I thought it would make sense to follow up with a make-up version. So here are the things I don't think I could live without currently, as I use all of these each time I do my make-up. Here are my ultimate failsafes!

This is the priciest of products on my list but hear me out because I believe its well worth the £14 *gasp* price tag. I've never been one for primers and didn't honestly see the point, well now I do. I bought this after a lovely lady in the Trafford Centre branch committed her time to helping me find make-up that would cover up my acne & dry skin (which at the time were both horrendously bad and affected me so much I rarely wanted to leave the house). She spent ages with me, testing out different things and putting me a full face of make-up on to walk around with and see how it wore. A little side note but I find that The Body Shop staff are usually always so lovely!

Right, down to the nitty gritty of me listing off why I love this. First of all the smell is delightful, an almost floral scent but not overpowering and also you don't need a lot of this product to cover your face. The consistency of the primer can take a while to get used to and I find it doesn't really work on a brush so I just apply it with my fingers. When I'm wearing this primer I find that my make-up not only goes on smoother but it also 'sticks' better to my face, lasts longer because my foundation doesn't just get absorbed and therefore putting your base on is easily buildable. Lastly I really find that this helps to minimise my pores and give my face a smoother appearance. Now because of the price I only tend to use this on heavy make-up days (c'mon we all have them right?) so otherwise I'll just use a BB cream. Either way, even if you don't want to give this product a try I would say that applying some sort of primer or BB cream before your foundation will do wonders if you have tetchy skin.

(If you're feeling like you don't want to spend that much but have a couple of Body Shop products on your list then do check out an outlet store of theirs, they always have fantastic offers on that will save you lots of pennies!)

I searched high and low for this palette and just when I was about to give up I finally found it. In a sense I do regret this because it's been the most amazing & functional palette ever...and it was a limited edition. So once I hit pan I've no idea what I'm going to do with myself although I assume there will be plenty of similar shades from MUA's huge selection. I think it's best I bullet point why I love this palette so I don't go on with myself too much!

It took me forever to get hold of this, everywhere I went it was out of stock with only the tester stick sitting there teasing me. When I'd finally given up I'd popped into Boots out of curiosity and managed to get the very last one in stock in the shade (frosty pink) I'd wanted. Fate! Now, I cannot stress enough how good I find this - especially as a highlighting novice - you barely have to use any product for a great highlight, it isn't greasy or too creamy and it's just so easy to use. I love a convenient product and this is just brilliant, I dot it on all my high points and from my temple down to about a third of the way into my cheek (just under by eye bags of course) and then smudge it slightly to make sure it's blended in. I also find that it's very buildable so one sweep is great for a natural look or you can really go crazy with it for some severe strobing! When I'm putting effort into my make-up I like to pat a little powder highlight on the top and the cream holds it so well. It lasts all day, doesn't look shiny/sweaty and just makes me feel so glowy; for such a budget price I'd really recommend giving this a try!

To be honest I don't really feel I need to justify my reasons for buying this lippy, I mean it's a green lipstick that goes on pink, ultimate wizardry! Aside from this and the gorgeous, punchy packaging it's actually a really fantastic, unique product. I didn't take a picture of a swatch because the lipstick adjusts to the alkaline in your lips, so it looks a different shade of pink on each person! For me it looks very similar to the packaging, a hot Barbie pink. This lip stain claims to last for 8 hours and I can definitely agree with that; even after food, drink and me vigorously wiping my lips they were still a vibrant pink colour. I know many can worry that lip stains are drying but this one feels just like a lip balm would and it moisturises for hours. All I can say is make sure you swatch the tester before purchasing as there is no guarantee you'll like the shade it turns on you; when my mum swatched it, it was a very pale pink colour. If you needed to know any more about the legitimacy of the colour adjusting to you, my boyfriend kissed me before he left for work and when I saw my reflection, my lips had changed to a plum colour!

I went through the matte phase and battled with constantly greasy skin ruining my vibe, then when I finally tried to embrace this and the dewy look, my skin became exceptionally dry, flaky & snake-like (thanks contraception). Tonnes of products later - including prescription ones - in order to get 'normal' skin back I'm about halfway there with combination oily/dry skin. I still adore the dewy, glowing look and this spray for me just enhances what I manage to achieve with moisturiser & make-up. Popping about 3 spritzes of this over my face when I'm done applying my make-up does wonders, but at first I'll be honest, I was underwhelmed. Why? Well as per usual I expected immediate results, I wanted to look instantly dewy and fabulous. Despite this not-so-great first impression I stuck with it and over time realised that it really does hold your make-up ALL DAY, doesn't make you look sweaty or sticky and you do end up looking fresh faced with a healthy glow! For the holding power of this spray and the fact it does give you that dewy/highlighted look I think it's a bargain and it's definitely the best setting spray I've used out of the numerous things I've tried.

What makeup essentials do you always keep handy? Let me know in the comments!

Stay curious

Follow me on Bloglovin'

Hey cats!

Sounds crazy but hear me out, because I know already what you may be thinking... "Organic cotton, really? How prissy" "What's the point? It just costs more surely?" "Aren't all cotton pads the same?" "What difference would that even make?"

I've been there, I was sceptical but I was so wrong. These cotton pads are luxuriously silky and smooth, they glide across your face! They also don't do that horrendous thing where all the fluffy bits end up stuck to your eyelashes and I've found that they're much less harsh on my skin, helping it become calmer than when I used to use normal bulk buy cotton pads. The softness is just incredible, they absorb product really well (they don't just absorb it & then dry out, they stay moist so less waste of make-up remover), there's two different textured sides depending on what you want to use them for, they're suitable for use on babies & most importantly for me is that they are much more environmentally friendly! The best part to mention is I've noticed they get tough eye make-up off 10x quicker than normal cotton pads, they just sweep it off. Honestly I urge you to give them a try, both your skin and mother nature will thank you!

Superdrug Tea Tree Sensitive Facial Cleansing Wipes

Botanics Rosewater Toning Spritz

Greenland Pomegranate Lip Balm

• A little goes a long way 
• The scent/flavour is delicious but delicate, not sickly at all 
• The balm is so smooth & moisturising, when applied it lasts for ages (seriously, I barely have to reapply) 
• Chapped lips are a thing of the past 
• It's 98% natural, vegetarian & cruelty-free 
• No paraffin, mineral oils or parabens 
• It seals lipsticks really well 
• It's neither too glossy nor too matte 

Tea Tree Nose Pore Strips

I've let a lot of things drag me down and get the better of me lately so now I feel I need to focus on myself a lot more; knowing that self-care is not selfish, it's necessary for surviving. I wanted to jot down what is significant in my life right now and what I hope to achieve in the not-so-distant future. I realise that these things will take time and it's all about practicing patience/being mindful of my situation.

So this blog post is me sharing a few personal things that may seem predictable/obvious to many, but having a place where they are actually written down is a big help to me in gaining clarification and getting them out of my head into somewhere I can look back and reflect on them. Fingers crossed in a couple of months I can review this and see what I've achieved!

Are you happy where you are or have you got goals you'd like to achieve?

Stay curious

Follow me on Bloglovin'

Hey cats!

Tea Tree Toner Water: