Hello you beauties!

I now officially live in Brighton! I've been here since Saturday (23rd) and if I'm honest, I've not found it easy to settle in here and I still feel quite homesick, but I'm just trying to get stuck in with university work (which will be easier next week when my course actually starts).

Today's post is different to usual. As I am studying an English Literature and Creative Writing course at the University of Brighton, I thought it would be a good idea to share with you some of the creative writing I produce occassionally on this blog.

This piece of creative writing I want to share with you was written collaboratively - I wrote this alongside two other people on my course called Lauren McDonald and Stanley Westbrook (needed to give them credit too). We were given two pages of script about the London Riots of 2011. We had to write a poem using only the words on the extract that told an accurate story of the events.

Here it is:

Huge Blaze they were coughing
This huge blaze
Building a trophy fire
Fuel this smiling lad
The wind’s taking up an immense flame
“it was supposed to be us”
Euphoria up in flames
Rioting a-alight restrain him
(breathe)

(Breathe) ‘It weren’t supposed to be like this’
Ash raining down, an immense, flame, children there.
‘It weren’t supposed to be like this?’
Coughing, they couldn’t get out, throwing tires into
The fires to make it fuel even more.
‘It was supposed to be us and the police and the government’
But this is not Aldis, this is not McDonalds, this is not JD Sports.
(Exhales)

Huge Blaze! Immense Flame
Ash being blown; raining down
Cover our mouths; They’re ash clouds
Throwing tyres in the fire
The shop was ablaze

On Tottenham Road.

I can't wait to share some more of my creative writing with you in the future!

I'll be back next week with another post for you all.

Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

I have been blogging now for almost a year and a half and one question I don't usually ask myself is this; why do I actually blog? Now that I've actually asked myself that question, I've realised how important it is to actually consider the reasons why I do blog and I wanted to share these with you.

I do not (and have never) expect global fame from this blog. That would be selfish for me to want that. Okay yes, it would be nice to be recognised for my work as every writer wants but I actually want to work for it and know that people genuinely enjoy reading my articles. Of course I want my work to be appreciated by the public because it does take time to write these posts for you all but at the end of the day I genuinely just enjoy writing and will continue with this blog even if it turns out no one is actually reading it.

I have enjoyed writing for as long as I can remember, but most of this time I have written short stories, or poems, or attempted to write novels. Once I discovered my love for makeup and decided that journalism is a career I would want to pursue, I decided to create this blog to share my passion whilst gaining some experience that I hope will help me in the future.

Journalism definitely is a fascinating career in my eyes and I know it is something that I would enjoy. It's not just writing news reports for the BBC, although that could be an interesting role to take on. With the influence of the internet growing stronger and stronger, I wanted to experiment with blogging first and hopefully learn more about journalism in the future with my university course.

Just writing about something I am passionate about makes blogging fun for me, and it gives me something to focus on. Something to be proud of. Shouldn't we all be proud of the things we manage to produce? If I had no goals in my life, then what's the point? This blog allows me to develop as a writer, to consolidate my writing style.

Do you run a blog? Why do you blog?

I'll be back next week (from Brighton!) with a new post for you all.
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

I honestly never thought I would be writing a post like this as I really never thought I would end up getting a tattoo. Don't get me wrong, I have always wanted one but I have a major fear of needles so I knew I would never be able to deal with one. Oh how wrong I was!

It was my 20th birthday on Saturday and my parents didn't know what to get for me. I mentioned to my mum a few weeks before that I was interested in getting a tattoo and so my parents gave me money to put towards a tattoo and so I booked my appointment for the 9th September - the day of my actual birthday.

I was terrified, if I'm completely honest. As I've said before, I have a major fear of needles and I was worried that this would all end badly. But the design I chose to have tattooed on me meant too much for me to give up on it.

That's because I chose to have purple tulips tattooed on my left forearm, in memory of my grandfather who died back in May 2009. Tulips were his favourite flower and became my favourite flower once he died because they reminded me of him and every great memory of him that I had. So I wanted something permanent to show my love for him, and so that he could be with me wherever I went. So despite the fact that I was terrified of needles, I knew I had to do it.

The pain was unbearable at points and I even had to ask for a break half way through because I felt like I was going to pass out from the pain. But once the tattooist had opened a window, put a fan on and given me a drink of sugared water, I felt much better and ready to carry on. It helped that after the break I chose to look away from the needle as my design was being etched into my skin, as before I was watching it.

Parts of it were more painful than others, especially the white highlights and as the design reached further to my wrist. But after around an hour, it was all over and I now had such a beautiful design with an amazing background on my arm.

I don't regret my tattoo at all but will probably never get another one, as I doubt I could handle that pain again. I would also only recommend a tattoo if you can handle pain well which I know plenty of people can - but I definitely can't.

I might change my mind about this in the future, as my boyfriend's mum has many tattoos and told me that once you get one, you get 'the itch' where you just want more and more and more. But for now, I am pretty content with just the one.

Do you have any tattoos or planning/hoping to get one? What design would you like?

I'll be back next week with a new post for you all.
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

Even though this is supposed to primarily be a beauty blog but I do realise that recently I have been writing about everything but makeup. That's mainly because recently I have not really been wearing much makeup so I've not really felt like I can talk about makeup. So today I have decided to answer 20 questions I have seen around the internet to really get me thinking about makeup, why I like it and what's important to me. And I wanted to share it with you.

1. Do you remember your first makeup item?
I can't remember the exact first item but I can remember a couple of things. I remember when I was around 12 my mum took me out shopping for makeup for the first time, for my birthday. Obviously I was young and my mum always encouraged me to be confident and comfortable with who I am so she didn't really encourage the use of makeup. So the first items of makeup I can remember buying/owning is a brown mascara from Asda, a nude lipstick from Miss Sporty and a nude lipstick from NYC.

2. Describe your perfect mascara. Have you found 'The One'?
I don't think I've found 'The One' yet but I've definitely found some mascaras I am very impressed with. I want a mascara that will curl my lashes and add volume (not too much but enough for them to give life to my eyes). The mascara that I have found that does the best job for this is definitely the Maybelline 'The Colossal' mascara.

3. What coverage do you like in a foundation?
Although ideally everyone would love a full coverage, I personally feel like I would prefer a medium coverage. Something to cover up my imperfections but not something that will literally create a mask. The best one I have found so far for this is the L'Oreal Infallible 24 Hour Matte Foundation.

4. What's your favourite high end brand?
There are many high end brands that I like, but I'd probably say BareMinerals. I usually only buy my high end products from T K Maxx as it's the only way I can really afford it, and the BareMinerals items I have bought from there (which is quite a few) have never disappointed me.

5. What cosmetics brand are you desperate to try but haven't yet?
Definitely Morphe. I've always wanted to own one of their amazing eyeshadow palettes. I'm currently trying to use up some of my other eyeshadows first before I can justify buying one of the Morphe palettes.

6. Favourite drugstore brand?
I am obsessed with Makeup Revolution. Most of the items in my collection are actually from Makeup Revolution and some of the first makeup items I actually owned in my current selection were Makeup Revolution. Why not!? It's such an affordable brand!

7. Do you wear fake eyelashes?
No I don't actually. But I've always wanted to try them and see if they'd make any difference to my look. I just don't feel like I would have the patience for them!

8. What is your most cherished beauty product?
Probably my Stila eyeshadow palette. I worked in a pub for about a week and saved up all my tips specifically so I could buy this palette so I honestly believe it is the product I should treasure the most.

9. How often do you buy a makeup product?
Not a lot anymore but I think it got to the point where I was buying a new thing every time I was going anywhere near a shop, which could be every week, sometimes twice a week. It was obsessive, and I now own so much makeup that I don't know what to do with it all. I actually had to get my boyfriend to ban me from buying makeup because I was buying so much of it.

10. Do you have a monthly beauty budget or spend freely?
I don't have a budget but I won't let myself spend too much. If I feel like I'm starting to spend too much, I'll just stop myself from buying anything new.

11. Do you utalise coupons, reward cards and sales for your beauty products?
Of course! Reward cards are my favourites. In fact, my purse is just filled with them. But I don't see why you wouldn't want to use them. It's free to sign up to them and you can get so many free things with them.

12. Which beauty product do you buy the most of?
Definitely lipsticks! I'm obsessed with them and love exploring different shades that I could possibly use. I am particularly fascinated by the range of lip products from the NYX brand.

13. Is there a brand that you really don't like?
Not really, as there are items from most brands that I like but also items from those same brands that I don't like.

14. Do you avoid certain ingredients in cosmetics like parabens or sulphates?
No I don't but I usually avoid makeup from places such as pound shops because I find that they usually cause a break out on my skin.

15. Do you have a favourite place to shop for makeup?
For drugstore makeup I prefer to shop at Superdrug and for high end makeup I tend to go to T K Maxx.

16. Do you like trying new skincare products or sticking to a routine?
If I'm completely honest, I'm quite naughty when it comes to skincare and tend to neglect it. But when it comes to face wash and moisturiser I tend to stick to the same thing every time as I know what works for me and what doesn't.

17. What's your favourite Bath&Body brand?
Definitely Treaclemoon. I religiously buy my body washes from their brand.

18. If you could only buy from one brand, who would you pick?
Makeup Revolution 100%. It's a great price and I know it works for me. Plus most of my makeup collection is Makeup Revolution at the moment anyway.

19. What do you love about makeup?
The fact that it allows me to experiment and be crazy while learning to love myself for who I am. And for me to be able to share my love of makeup with many people around the world.

20. Is there any makeup you can't leave the house without wearing?
Surprisingly not as I have been going out of the house without wearing makeup for a while recently.

Why don't you think about these questions with regards to yourself and let me know what your responses would be?

I'll be back next week with a new post for you all.
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

It has been a while since I uploaded a beauty post and because it is my last post of August 2017, I thought it was only right to bring a beauty post to you about possibly the most important makeup item of summer - bronzers!

Everyone wants that golden, tan-like glow during the summer to make them look healthy and not seem too washed out in the sun. Other than using fake tan, I believe that bronzer is the best way to do this!

Now, if you've been reading my blog for a while now (and if you have then thank you) you will know that I've always struggled to find a bronzer that I love, but I have managed to find 3 that work just fine for me.

The one I use the most is definitely the Hoola bronzer by Benefit. I own the mini version but I feel like this is great value for money, at just £10.50. It's extremely pigmented which means you only have to use a little bit so even the mini one lasts ages. It's really easy to blend out too so if you do feel like you've applied a little bit too much, it's easily fixed. Even though they do have the Lite version for people with paler skin (like me), I feel like the original version is fine for paler people as long as you use a light hand and know how to blend well.

Another bronzer that I like to use is the Bourjois chocolate bronzer. This one is a lot lighter than the Hoola bronzer so is perfect for people who don't want much bronzer (just a natural glow) or for people with paler skin. This is slightly cheaper than the Hoola bronzer too, at just £7.99 so it's a great drugstore purchase. And it smells like chocolate too, which is a bonus.

The final bronzer that I like to use is the Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Bronzer in the shade 'Golden Days'. It's not the best out of the 3, but for just £4 it definitely worth the money. It's very pigmented for the price and is easy to use. The only problem I've ever had with it is that sometimes it can go orange. But other than that I really do like this bronzer.

What bronzers do you like to use? What would you recommend I try next?

I'll be back next week with another post for you all.
Byeee!

Hello you beauties!

I can't believe we're over half way through August already! Not long now until everyone is off back to school. On that subject, I have some great news. I am off to university!

Last Thursday in England was A Level results day and I was so nervous for so long beforehand. I have had difficulty with my A Levels in the past and was really hoping that on the 17th August I could wake up finally knowing I didn't have to carry on with them after 3 years and that I could finally move on with my life.

I had dreams of attending university for as long as I can remember. I like to aim high in life and I knew from the beginning that university would be the right choice for me. However the hard part was deciding which degree to do.

For a very long time, I've always wanted to be a nurse or physiotherapist, intent on helping people in pain, helping them feel better. So I decided to study Biology in my first year of my A Levels. Big mistake. It made me realise just how much I struggled with science. And how much I loved English.

So in my second and third year of A Levels, I decided to focus on English. And I loved every minute of it. I had finally found what I loved. And I knew this is what I wanted to study at university.

I applied to study English Literature or English Literature and Creative Writing at 5 different universities; York, Nottingham, East Anglia, Chester and Brighton. I received offers from all 5 of them, although 2 universities gave me offers to study a different subject from what I originally applied for (although still English related).

By Christmas 2016 I had received all of my offers and so in January I made my choice - Brighton as my firm choice (asking for CCC or 96 UCAS points) and Chester as my insurance choice (asking for BCC). I was so excited but also so nervous, worried that I would not get the results I needed.

I spent months and months studying hard so that I could follow my dreams and finally, last Thursday, I was going to find out my fate. I was so relieved and happy to find out that I had been accepted to study English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Brighton. I got to do exactly what I wanted to do; finally!

Yes, I'm terrified but I'm also really excited. I've never been away from my parents properly so it'll be strange having to get used to not seeing them every day but I'm sure I'll be fine with it soon enough. And not getting to see my boyfriend much... yes I'm worried about the long distance but he is studying in London so we can both easily travel to the others flat and visit each other regularly.

I can't wait to start my new adventure.

I'll be back next week with another post for you all.
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

This summer I haven't really done much travelling - not because I haven't had the opportunity (I could've gone to Paris with my boyfriend a couple of months ago if I had a passport), but because I've had a lot of other things to focus on this summer, such as preparing for university (I will find out my fate tomorrow). However, within the next year I am hoping to save up a lot of money and hope to travel next summer with my boyfriend, so I wanted to share with you some of the places I hope to have travelled to not necessarily next year but at least within the next 10 years or so.

1. Amsterdam, the Netherlands
I'm sure I'm not the only person who dreams of visiting Amsterdam. Amsterdam is definitely the one place I want to visit the most. I would love to visit the Anne Frank House, explore the art galleries and go for a bike ride around the city.

2. Paris, France
This one was probably very obvious, but I would love to visit the City of Love! There seem to be many amazing places to visit here and I would love to spend all day walking around, seeing every sight I can. Being able to explore this city with my boyfriend would make everything so perfect too.

3. New York, USA
I have always loved the big cities and where better to explore than New York? I would love to visit the big main sites such as the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, as well as experiencing the food culture found in the Big Apple.

4. South Africa
Anyone who knows me well will know just how much I love South Africa. I am fascinated by the history and culture of this amazing country and would love to explore and experience this for myself. I would also love to see the amazing wildlife/nature of this beautiful place.

5. Rome, Italy
Yes, again it is a major city in a really well-known country but I just know I would fall in love with Rome as soon as I set foot there. The architecture of Rome is what fascinates me before, with its influence from the Romans (who played such a major part in British history too). I would love to go fashion shopping in Rome too - the amount of stores I can explore seems overwhelming and I know this could easily take up a whole day of my visit if I wanted it to. And the food... oh who doesn't love Italian food!?

Obviously there are many other places I hope to visit in the future, such as Greece and Belgium, but this is just a small list of the places I want to visit the most.

Where are the places you would like to visit?

I'll be back next week with another post for you all.
Byeeee!

P.S. Good luck to anyone getting their A Level results tomorrow!