Hi everyone,

Today's post is a lot different to usual, so I'm sorry if this is not your sort of thing but I really need to open up to people about this, even though you are all just behind a computer screen. Things recently have been very very difficult but I have recently started talking to people about my problems and have found that this really helped. I hope my story can somehow help you to find hope and open up if you find yourself in a similar situation to me.

It all started around 3 years ago. I always felt out of place at school and so when it came to me choosing a place to study my A Levels, I chose somewhere where I knew no one. A fresh start. Well... it certainly was something new. And it really did have a massive effect on my life.

I was really really unhappy at this college, Yes, I made great friends who I am lucky enough to still have in my life but there were so many bad experiences that have now made me who I am. I have always been an extremely anxious person and therefore, while I tend to push people away and try and stay alone most of the time, I know that I rely on people to keep me going more than I probably should. That applies to my studies too. I've always been alright with my studies - getting all A's in my GCSE's made me feel pretty confident in myself academic wise. That was until my A Levels started.

I began to struggle, but could I go to any of my teachers for support? Of course not. They made me feel worthless. Like I sucked at everything. Like it was my own fault, that I was stupid and purely not putting any effort in. Which of course is so wrong. I put so much work into my studies because I had goals for the future that I couldn't achieve without success in my A Levels. But the teachers didn't care about that. They only cared about the people who got high grades, because it made the college look good. If you got bad grades, they didn't care. They just tried to push you away, threatening to kick you off of all your courses.

It got to the point where I stupidly gave up on everything. I stopped caring about my grades. What was the point when I wasn't going to do well anyway? Why should I try? May as well prove the teachers right. Which in the end I did. I really did not get good grades. 2 D's and 2 U's. In the end, I moved to a different college and started my A Levels again.

During this whole time, I was introduced to the world of relationships. In school I wasn't interested in boyfriends. I didn't really have much of a social life where I could meet potential boyfriends. But then I finally met someone. But I had become a changed person, someone I was not happy being at the end of the day, and he really did deserve someone better than me. So I ended things with him and of course that created tension.

I then met someone new and began a very strange on and off relationship with him for over a year. While I did have very strong feelings for him, I should've known that it would never work. We wanted different things, disagreed over a lot of things, argued all the time... We weren't any good for each other yet we still tried to make things work. That's what made everything even worse. Now that everything has ended I actually loath him. I can't stand him. I hate when people mention his name. I hate it when I am reminded about how rubbish he made me feel. It changed me.

All this time I was still struggling with my A Levels. I was so used to finding GCSE's easy and academics has always been a strong point for me, so when A Levels happened for me, I hit rock bottom. I am a naturally shy person so asking for help with my studies is not something I felt comfortable doing. So I struggled alone - the wrong thing to do! This past year has definitely been me at my lowest point.

Luckily for me, many great things have also happened this year which has stopped me from getting to the lowest point possible. I have amazing friends - yes, I finally have a social life!- who I love spending time with. I got into my first choice university (Brighton here I come!) and I have the world's best boyfriend who makes me feel so special and loved. I wouldn't change any of this for the world and while there were times where I felt like ending everything would be the easiest for me, my friends, boyfriend and the prospect of university leaves me with hope. It leaves me hanging on and is slowly pulling me out of this black hole I have somehow been sucked into. Yes, I have lost many people and felt so extremely down so much over the past few years but now my life is looking great and I have so much to look forward to.

I just want to talk a little bit about my new boyfriend. After everything with my ex, I never thought I would be capable of being in a new relationship as I began to have major trust issues. Then I met my new boyfriend and everything happened so suddenly but I would never wish for any of this to be different. I have spoken to him a lot about everything that troubles me (although there are things that I am yet to tell him) and he listens, he comforts me but most of all, he makes me feel like I matter. Which is not something I am used to. There are many times I get emotional and think he deserves so much better than me, he deserves the world and I definitely do not feel like I am good enough for him. I am so lucky to have him in my life and I never plan to let him go - I know soon he will get fed up of having to put up with me but until then I plan to treasure every moment I spend with him as he always knows how to make me feel like I'm actually a good person. I appreciate him so much and having him in my life has definitely had a massive influence on me.

While I can say that I'm in a good place with everything at the moment, there are still days I feel down and it is always hard to know how to relax, calm down and stop myself from slipping into that black hole again but I know that at the end of the day, everything will be okay. Despite how hard everything is, there is always someone who cares, even if you've never met that person. I know there are many many creeps around on the internet and there are many articles warning you of the dangers of talking to people online, but the internet can also be a great place to meet people. One of my best friends is someone I have met over the internet and I am yet to meet her in person. Yet I always have her back, and I know I can talk to her about everything.

I know its easier said than done but, if you feel like life is getting too hard for you sometimes, find someone you trust. Get yourself away from everything that is causing your pain and stress. Talk about your problems. Cry a little. It's okay. Do what you need to do to feel better. At the end of the day, YOU are ultimately the person who controls your life. Do what you love with the people who mean the world to you and don't let the monster of 'Depression' get into your head. Fight back and prove to yourself that you are strong. It's not going to be easy straight away. But if you try, then it can't really get any worse.

Hello you beauties!

I did a similar post to this last week but the focus on that one was drugstore makeup, whereas today's post is going to be a full face of high end makeup. I was actually very surprised that I managed to find every item needed for a full face but I did (although a lot of things on this list happens to be BareMinerals products) and so here it is.

*Pictures to follow at a later date*

1. My choice of primer is the BareMinerals Prep Step primer. While it isn't the best primer I have ever used, it really is moisturising which is why I tend to use it a lot.
2. The high end foundation I always go for is the BareMinerals Original Foundation in the shade 'Light' - one reason because it is the only high end foundation I own but also because it offers great coverage while being very lightweight.

3. My high end foundation of choice is the BareMinerals (I told you!) concealer in the shade 'Bisque', which doesn't offer the best coverage but works really well with the foundation as they are both powder products.
4. To finish my base, I always use the BareMinerals (I know, this is getting ridiculous!) Hydrating Mineral Veil, which I love as it is easy to just dust over while giving my skin a little more 'life' to it.
5. When I'm using high end products, I am usually doing so to impress. So I contour rather than just giving a warm glow. For this, I always swear by using the Benefit Hoola bronzer (yes, finally, something other than BareMinerals!) which you all know it is one of my favourite bronzers of all time despite it being a little more pricey than my Bourjois bronzer.

6. Back to BareMinerals, for blush I always reach for my BareMinerals blushers and my favourite one has to be the shade 'The Whisper'.
7. For highlight, I love using the Stila liquid luminizer in the shade 'Kitten Shimmer' which surprisingly works well over powder products and I use for a lovely warm glow.
8. For eyeshadows, I am a massive fan of BareMinerals eyeshadow quads. I usually reach for their one called 'A List'.
9. I recently discovered the Princess Marcella Borghese mascara which has now become one of my favourite mascaras to use.

10. I usually stick to my Freedom or Soap and Glory eyebrow products, but when I want to use a high end brow pencil, I always use the Benefit Goof Proof brow pencil.
11. Finally, no look is complete without something on the lips, I really really love the Giorgi Armani lipgloss in the shade 'Pink' which isn't a sticky gloss and adds a hint of glitter/shimmer while not being too over the top.

I don't usually use high end products - do you? If so, what would you recommend?

I hope you all liked this post. If you did, be sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends.
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

I've seen a lot of people do videos like this on YouTube and I've been meaning to do a post about this for a while but never really got round to it. I guess I wanted to build up my makeup collection and see what worked for me first before deciding on a full face of makeup that I would lean to a lot. But here it is. A full face of drugstore makeup.

1. First I would apply the Nivea Men Post Shave Balm as a primer base, which since I first purchased it has always been my go-to primer.
2. Then I would apply my Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation in the shade 'Light Vanilla' which is definitely one of my most favourite foundations ever.

3. Next is the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in the shade 'Cool medium' which is a favourite of most people. I love it as it adds a great amount of coverage for such a low price.
4. To set my base I will use the Rimmel Stay Matte powder in the shade 'Translucent' which I have been using since I first discovered the joys of makeup.
5. I will then use the Bourjois chocolate bronzer lightly dusted over my skin to give it a more healthy look.
6. To give my cheeks a bit of colour, I always use a MUA blusher and I usually reach for the one in the shade 'Lolly'.

7. Of course we can't forget highlighter! I usually use the I Heart Makeup Unicorns Heart highlighter.
8. For an every day look, I always use my NYX nudes eyeshadow quad that I created myself, as a nude eye is the best.
9. For mascara, nothing can beat a trusty No7 mascara. At the moment, I am using their Intense Volume mascara in 'Black'.

10. For my brows, I will usually just use the Soap and Glory brow archery pencil in the shade 'Love is Blonde' as it is so easy to use.
11. No look is complete without a lipstick. To complete this everyday look, I usually use the Essence long-lasting lipstick in the shade 'Barely There' - the perfect nude lipstick!

What drugstore makeup do you usually use? Could you create a full face look out of all the drugstore makeup you own?

I hope you all liked this post. If you did, be sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends.
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

I must admit that finding the perfect foundation has been one of the hardest parts of growing my makeup collection, and I bet a lot of you feel exactly the same way too. Recently, I looked through every foundation I owned and thought about the positives and negatives of each one, and decided which was my favourite. And then decided to turn it into a review for you all. So enjoy!

1. L'Oreal Infallible 24H in the shade 'Vanilla'
This is the foundation that was actually the last one to make it into my collection, despite hearing so many great things about it. While it's no where near the worst foundation I have ever used, it definitely isn't the best either and, if I'm completely honest, I probably won't purchase it again. I bought it for £7 in a sale but it is usually sold for £9.99, which makes it a decent priced drugstore foundation, and won't that won't usually be out of people's budgets. It does last for quite a while (although probably not 24 hours) and does blend quite easily, it does cling to your dry patches of skin, go slightly orange and only give a light/medium coverage.

2. L'Oreal Infallible Matte in the shade 'Porcelain'

Yet another L'Oreal foundation, and it is again probably one that I wouldn't repurchase. I've always heard amazing things about L'Oreal foundations but so far, none of them have been as good as I expected. This one is a brilliant colour and the shade really does suit me well, it blends out easily, offers better coverage than I expect, and it is quite cheap at just £7.99 (cheaper than most drugstore foundations!)! However, as it is a matte foundation, it really does cling to my dry skin and, to be honest, really does ruin the whole look itself. It's a great foundation is you don't have dry skin but, if you do, I really wouldn't recommend it.

3. Bourjois Healthy Mix in the shade 'Light Vanilla'
This one, again, is within the same price range as the first foundation I spoke about, being only £9.99 which I think is very affordable for anyone on a budget. The shade, being the lightest one there is, is still great - usually the lighter shades are still too dark for me but this one isn't, it is perfect. It offers great medium coverage, lasts a while, blends quite well and rarely ever creases. I would definitely recommend this foundation to you all.

4. Rimmel Match Perfection in 'Light Porcelain'
I have always been a fan of Rimmel's foundations and this one definitely does not disappoint. It is reasonably cheap at just £7.99 and the colour matches to my skin tone great - not too dark but not too light either. It does offer quite good coverage but at times (depending on how well it has been applied) can feel heavy and greasy on the skin, and it is also not the easiest to blend out. If you're looking for one to just start out with then this one will be perfect for you.

5. BareMinerals Original Foundation in the shade 'Light'
Now onto the only high end foundation in my collection. I would have to admit that this is one of the best foundations I have ever used. It is very, very lightweight which makes it great as it still offers decent coverage and also does not feel heavy on your skin, making it perfect to wear for work and college (well, that's usually where I wear it anyway). The colour is good as well (it is slightly too dark for me, but that's my fault for picking the wrong shade) and it is very easy to apply. The one negative thing I would point out about this foundation is that it is extremely pricey at over £20 but a little goes a long way so you definitely get what you pay for with this foundation.

Overall, I would probably recommend the Bourjois foundation to you all. While I do love the BareMinerals foundation, I know not all of you will be able to afford it so the Bourjois one is definitely my favourite drugstore foundation that I have tried so far.

Let me know what your favourite foundations are - I would love to try something new!

I hope you all liked this post. If you did, be sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends!
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

Last week , my post told you about my favourite high end products, but I know that not everyone has that sort of budget, so I decided to tell you my favourite drugstore products too. I hope this again will be helpful for you all.

1. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder
This is the first powder I ever used and, to be honest, is the powder that I reach for 99% of the time. It's not great on the areas where I get dry skin as it dries my skin out even more, but helps to make the rest of my face look even more flawless. It is really cheap too and really easy to get hold of as it is available in basically every supermarket and drugstore there is.

2. MUA Blushers
I wasn't sure about the idea of the MUA brand when I first heard of it as it is so cheap I was worried it would break out my skin. However, when I saw these blushers for only £1, I just had to try them out. And now I own them all. They are incredibly pigmented and blend very easily. The shade range is not massive but its good enough for beginners.

3. I Heart Makeup Unicorns Heart Highlighter
I have wanted a rainbow highlighter ever since I learnt that they actually existed - especially as I am obsessed with highlighters. So when I saw this one for only £5, I knew I had to buy it. And I do not regret it. It is a very large box, considering that it is very cheap, and the pigmentation is better than expected - it is very intense and I tend to reach for this one more now than the Sleek Solstice palette, which I used to use all the time.

4. Soap and Glory Archery Brow Pencil
I suppose I could say that the part of my makeup routine that is my weakest has to be my brows, but I suppose hardly anyone actually enjoys this part. I always struggle to get them even, and often en up making them look too dark,. Then I started using this product by Soap and Glory. It is so easy to use - the product from the pencil just glides on but suits the shade I wanted perfectly. This is probably the best eyebrow pencil I have ever used, and it is only £10!

5. Essence Lipsticks
For those of you who don't know, Essence is a brand linked to the store Wilko, which is one that I visit regularly. I have loved this brand for quite a while, and have got myself a pretty big collection of their nail polishes already. I also love their really cheap lipsticks - they're not the best lipsticks I have ever used but are better than expected for the price. I have the shades 'Barely There' (which as you can guess is a nude shade) and 'Natural Beauty' (which is a 'your lips but better' pink shade). I would definitely recommend these lipsticks to anyone looking to add to their collection on a budget.

What are your favourite drugstore products?

I'll be back on Saturday with another post for you all.

I hope you liked this post. If you did, be sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends.
Byeee!

Hello you beauties!

I mentioned a few posts ago that I've now had this blog for a year. A year ago I barely owned any makeup, and now I have a massive collection containing both drugstore and high end makeup. So today I thought I would tell you what my favourite high end products are - maybe this can give you some suggestions on what to try out if you're new to using makeup but want to build your collection.

1. BareMinerals Original Foundation
I always believe that you get what you pay for most of the time, so high end products usually are better quality than drugstore products, especially when it comes to foundations. I also never thought I would get on well with powder foundations but this foundation from BareMinerals has proved me wrong. It is definitely the best foundation I have ever used - it is really easy to apply and feels very lightweight whilst still giving a decent amount of coverage. The only problem I have is that the shade I own is slightly too dark for me, but that's my fault for picking the wrong shade. If I had a lighter shade, then I'm sure this would be the perfect foundation.

2. Stila Eyes Are The Window Eyeshadow Palette
This is the first ever high end product that I saved up for myself and it definitely is worth every penny. The eyeshadows are such amazing quality, they're so pigmented and blend very easily. The shade range is great too as they are the lovely nude shades that everyone wants in a palette while having those darker shades for the perfect smokey eye. My only negative comment to make about this palette is their balance between shimmer and matte shades - I wish it was 50/50 whereas there are actually more shimmer shades in this palette.

3. Rosie for Autograph Insta Lash Mascara
I have owned quite a few high end mascaras now but none of them have ever been as good as this one by the brand specific to M&S. The wand/brush for this mascara is amazing - the bristles really grab onto your lashes which help to intensify the volume of your lashes and really curls them. The only problem is that the formula of this mascara is that it can get quite runny so you have tobe really careful with it.

4. MAC PatentPolish Lip Pencil
I have to admit that MAC is a brand that I've not really tried so much despite the fact that I want so desperately for that brand to be a massive part of my makeup collection. However, this is one of the first high end items I ever owned after receiving it in my first ever Look Incredible box. I love the formula of these lip pencils. They're so creamy and moisturising, the colour is so intense and, despite the shape of the pencil, it is actually really easy to apply.

5. BareMinerals Mineral Veil
Yes, another BareMinerals product in today's post (I don't know if you know this by now but BareMinerals is definitely one of my favourite brands ever) and this powder is just beautiful. It really does brighten up your face - it is like a setting powder and a subtle highlight in one. I've found it to be the only setting powder that hardly dries out my skin too and so doesn't make my foundation look flake-y.

What are your favourite high end products?

I'll be back on Saturday with another post for you all.

I hope you liked this post. If you did, be sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends.
Byeee!