My Reverse Bucket List - 20 Years In

This year I turned 20 and it still feels surreal to say that's my age. Today I wanted to share with you my reverse bucket list, things I'm proud of and things I am happy to have experienced, or just things that have given me life experiences. 

1. I've travelled to New York on a school art trip.
2. Flown on a plane, British Airways is my fave.
3. I visited Disney Land Paris with my family. 
4. I've been Wales, to visit my grandparents.
5. And I've been to Cyprus (twice), with a friend and her family. Holy moly was it hot.
6. I've got into University and found out it wasn't for me, for now. 
7. I've paid for and learnt how to drive, as well as buying my first car.
8. Went to ballet and boxing lessons.
9. Kept my first job for 4 years and made some amazing friends along the way.
10. Been to a festival, Gentleman of the Road. Mumford and Sons were headlining.
11. I got my three tattoos, script, a heart mandala and foliage. 
12. Multiple piercings which have all been taking out now, except from my helix.
13. I got through secondary school with pretty good grades, and I went to prom. 
14. I'm no longer afraid of roller coasters.
15. I've been ice skating. 
16. I met Jacqueline Wilson; we all still remember Tracy Beaker right?
17. Taken up the hobby of being a photographer and blogger. 
18. Started being set freebies to review on my blog.
19. Died my hair one too many times.
20. Moved house 12 times
21. I've called an ambulance and made sure someone was safe (it's a lot harder to keep calm than it looks) and thank you Girl Guides for my probably now out of date first aid.
22. I can confidently cook chicken nuggets, pot noodles, baked beans and porridge.
23. Every year I carve pumpkins with my Mum at Halloween.
24. Came 2nd in a Photography competition
25. Graduated from College with a Photography A level and a Level 3 Art & Design Diploma 2015
26. Became an apprentice.
27. Vampire Weekend concert
28. Black Keys concert
29. Katy Perry concert
30. Lianne La Havas concert
31. Avril Lavigne concert.
32. Seen Jimmy Carr live
33. Seen Greg Davies live
34. Watched 'Oliver' and 'Wicked' at the West End

A reverse bucket list is instead of writing what you are yet to do is to write about what you have already accomplished. 

Sometimes it's amazing to look back at what you've done and where you've been, I cannot wait to see what more this world has in store for me. 

Thank you for reading and if you join in please leave a link to your reverse bucket list below!

3 Reasons Why You Need a Tangle Teezer

The Tangle Teezer, yes you've probably heard of it, it's a blogger cliche! Yet here I am to tell you 3 reasons why you need one...

1. Tangle Teezers are Easy to use

I have thick long hair. It's great at times but also hard to manage. The Tangle Teezer is the first brush to go through my hair with ease, no bits missed, no pull and no spiky bristles in your scalp. Plus they way it is moulded means its easy to grip.

2. Plenty of designs to choose from

It doesn't matter what kind of style you rock because there will be a design you like! I have an orange one and a purple, with black edges.

3. Different Varieties 

There are different types of Tangle Teezers that do different jobs. For example my orange Tangle Teezer is The Original, but the purple one is a Compact Styler. Meaning it is smaller and has a lid that pops over the bristles so it doesn't get dirty. I'm also looking to buy the Aqua Splash too! This way you can buy something for a specific purpose which I find really handy.

Thanks for reading,

Holly Hughes FOTD | Guest Blogger

Hiya! 

My name is Holly I'm 17, an aspiring makeup artist and photography enthusiast from Manchester UK. My makeup obsession started around 3 years ago, and my collection has continued to grow. I post makeup looks and general beauty pics onto Instagram and have made a few YouTube videos. (Of course you can go have a look at the videos here).

I always start out with a good base for my makeup, this allows it to sit better on  my skin and also keeps my skin moisturised so my foundation doesn't sink into any dry spots. The moisturiser I use is the Nivea pure&natural soothing day cream, this cream is a fast drying and highly moisturising, as I have extremely sensitive skin this cream works so well and doesn't cause any irritation. I also love to use a primer in this case I have recently been using Benefit Pore-fessional, this just fills in any big pores and smooths down the skin texture for foundation.

  

I'm a foundation before eyes kinda girl so next I will apply my foundation, my favourite is Mac studio fix in NC15, this foundation is really long lasting on the skin and also doesn't cause any irritation like some others do. I then use my Collection concealer in light to conceal under my eyes and cover any blemishes, when you're as fair as me the lightest shade is your skin tone rather than a highlighting concealer. I use my trusty Rimmel stay matte powder to set everything into place to ensure it doesn't slip off during the day.

To fill in my non-existent eyebrows I use my BarryM brow kit with my Zoeva 317 winged liner brush to carve out the shape and a real techniques brow brush to fill in.

For eyes I don't use a primer as I don't think they help so I skip that step, and go straight onto shadows. I apply a skin tone or just some powder to my eyelids to give it a little bit of coverage, and go into the crease of my eye with the warm brown shade from my Mac warm neutrals palette. I also apply the darker brown into the outer v of my eye and blend it through the crease with the lighter shade. I am a big fan of an easy Smoky eye so this is a go to makeup look for me. I then will take the bronze copper shade and apply this onto my lid and blend this upwards to the crease colours. Lastly I will take the darkest colours and line under my eye with this and the top lashline to give the look a dark smudged line. One of the best liquid eyeliners I've tried is the Primark one so I use this most days to give myself perfect wings. To finish the eyes I will apply a couple of coats of my Benefit Rollerlash mascara.

Finally to finish the look I will use my Anastasia powder contour kit and the lightest contour shade to contour the usual areas. To bronze up I will use the other two shades over the top to give a bronzed look to go with the eyes. To highlight because we all know highlighting is the best part, I love using the Bobbi Brown shimmer brick in Rose Quartz on the highest points of my face.

As I have extremely dry lips I usually leave my lips plain and apply some Vaseline because I like to keep the concentration on the eyes.

Thanks to Poppy for letting me post onto her blog, I am extremely appreciative and if anyone wants to check out any of my social media it’s listed below.

Instagram: @holls.makeup @holly.hughes

Youtube: youtube.com/hollhughes

Garnier The Sleek Perfecter Oil Review

Hi there,

I've been using this Garnier ultimate blends The sleek protector oil for about two months now. I've been focusing on keeping my hair in a better condition and this has definitely helped me along the way. 

I use it after I have washed my hair, just applying 3/4 drops all through the ends and whatever is left on my hands onto the roots. I know it sounds like a lot of product but I have seriously thick hair, which is also getting pretty long now! I also use just a couple of drops if I feel my hair has become frizzy and needs a bit of taming. It definitely helps add shine too.

The packaging is just a simple tear shaped brown plastic bottle but I really like it, the pump means you can easily control the amount of product you get, plus it's great for travelling. 

This is just one new step I have added to try and start more of a hair care routine. So far this product has only exceeded my expectations and I am yet to use it for all of it purposes like for protection against heat.

What hair care products do you recommend? 

Thanks for reading, 

Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick Review - Gemini & Redrum

Hiya,

Today I will be talking about the liquid lipsticks released by Jeffree Star. These aren't old news by any means but I've never tried them and don't know anyone who has!

I follow Jeffree Star on instagram and always ogle at his products, wondering if I should pay the price to get one. It isn't so much the cost of the lipsticks which is expensive, but the overall price adds up once you add the postage too.

I have ordered one before in the shade androgyny, I applied it once and it didn't suit me (or look like any other swatches I had seen before). I packaged it straight back up and sold it on.

When I saw they were releasing more colours a couple of months ago I new it I wanted to get my hands on the shade Gemini. 

I know these are quite popular so I was prepared on my laptop at 6pm (maybe it was 8pm I can't really remember), I was able to put Gemini in my basket straight away and I grabbed Redrum on a whim.

They took 2 weeks to get here which wasn't bad, I know that it was at the same time the warehouse was broken into too.

The packaging is absolutely gorgeous and is great for on the go.

It has a curved doupher applicator, which gives a dreamy application. The application is also super smooth greatly due to the creamy formula too. The colours are both super opaque and stay on for hours, as long as you don't eat anything oily. Plus reapplying them is easy, no lumps or bumps like some other liquid lipsticks I've tried. 

Gemini (left), Redrum (right)

It has amazing staying power but it isn't a task to get off, I just use my normal micellar water and it's off in a jiffy.

I'll definitely be on the lookout for a lighter shade in the collection.

What's your favourite liquid lipstick?

Thanks for reading,

The Pros and Cons of Driving

Hello, 

I thought I'd weigh it up, to me I think there are definitely more Pro's to Cons when it comes to driving...

Pros

• The freedom and independence, you can go wherever you want whenever you want
• Learn to be responsible, for yourself and others
• Learn to save money and pay bills (for a lot of people having a car is the first big payment you make and have on going costs for)
• Easy to transport with goods, never do you have to lug around shopping on the bus again
• More reliable, no more public transport delays
• It's quicker (this does depend on where you live, for example I live in a village with 1 bus every 1/2 hours that takes 45 minutes to the nearest town. Whereas my car is accessible at any time and takes 15 minutes.)

Cons

• The cost of learning to drive and buying your first car
• Upkeep on the car (insurance, tax, MOT, damage, petrol)
• Being the designated drive
• The environmental impact

I have loved the freedom that comes with being able to drive. It's only been a year, but I am definitely more efficient, plus it's good for your CV. 

Thanks for reading,

Proactiv+ 8 Week Progress | AD

Here is my last update on my 8 week experience with Proactiv+ Deluxe Core Kit.

I was very excited when I first received this and having a routine was really nice and relaxing. It smells really good too.

However I didn't seem to gain anything from this in terms of my skin. I have had a really oily t-zone since using this and like I said in my last post it meant I stopped using all of the steps so frequently. Now my skin is nearly back to it's dry/combination state.

Spots were not a common thing for me, if I ever did get a noticeable one it was rare but it would be big. Once I started using this I would still get the occasional big one but I also got small under the skin and white heads every day around my chin and forehead.

I get that with some skin products it gets worse before it gets better, especially if it is drawing all of the bad bits out. However this product did not agree with me.

I'm still on the search for the right skin care routine.

What skin care products are your favourites?

Thanks for reading,

What's on my iPhone 6s?

I love finding new apps that  I haven't heard of before or ones that could help me out on a day to day basis, so  I hope you find a new app here that you might like.

My first app page is the essentials, and everything else that is already and permanently downloaded on the phone. 

 

On the sticky footer bar I put my most used apps and the ones I need quick access to.

I have a 'Health' folder which contains Water Log so I can keep track on my water intake, and MyFitnessPal which is a food diary. I also have a Music folder which contains the pre-installed music, podcasts and Spotify, which I have been loving. 

I have only recently discovered Podcasts, I've listened to all of Serial and Lore, they are two very different podcasts but both are so intriguing. 

 On the first row I have a photography folder with Layout, Facetune, Squaready, ColourStory and VSCO. VSCO used to be my favourite editing app but recently I have started using ColourStory to edit anything I upload to Instagram or Facebook.

On the second row I have my financial bits so I can do banking on the go and fun things like that. Then I have a couple of games but I don't think they are worth mentioning as I forgot I even had them.

After that I have a shopping folder. My most used apps in here are definitely Depop (online selling like eBay) and Asos. I bought the yearly shipping on Asos this year and now it my go-to online shop.

The only other apps I have that you cannot see very clearly are in my blogging folder including; Blogger, Pages, Followers+, Twitter and TagsForLikes.

My most used apps?

I love the artistic side to both Instagram and Pinterest as you can gain so much inspiration from them as well as finding websites that are helpful on any situation you can think of, I use it a lot for tips on blogging and how to blog to my best advantage.

My most useful apps?

My Budget,  now that I am an apprentice I have a tighter budget every month. This app lets me keep track of what I am spending and how much I have left. It's very similar but online banking is so helpful to keep me on budget.

What is your favourite app?

Thank you for reading,

Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick Release - April 2016

Hello,

I don't know if you have ever heard of a Velour Liquid Lipstick, but they are meant to be amazing!

I actually managed to get my hands on 'Androgyny' when it was first released and I was so excited, but the colour did not suit me at all unfortunately.

Anyway a day or two ago Jeffree Star uploaded this sneak peek of his new launch, so yesterday at 6pm GMT I was hooked on my laptop and ready to buy Redrum. I was interested to see the secret colour but I didn't want to make the same mistake I did with Androgyny and not be able to see a swatch and decide if I wanted it or not. I don't always find the one photo on the website helpful so I like to go on Google and look at it on a variety of people.

I was on the website straight away and was able to put Redrum into my basket, I waited a few minutes for the secret colour but I couldn't see it so I just went ahead with the one.

I am so excited to get it through the post and let you know what I think of it!

Thanks for reading,

Peanut Butter & Banana Porridge

Hello again,

Making a yummy breakfast that will fill me up to lunch time is something I struggle with. I've been sticking to peanut butter and banana on toast. But then I thought, why not chuck it in a bowl of porridge?

So I did, I used 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and 1 whole banana (sliced).

This is super yummy and I did actually stay pretty full until my lunch!

What is your favourite breakfast?

Thanks for reading,

Proactiv+ 5 Week Progress | AD

Hello,

So I went past the halfway mark by a week, but here is my skin progress using the Proactiv+ Deluxe Core Kit.

My dry skin is all kept at bay (accept for occasionally on or around my nose) which is really good as it is the only on going problem that I have ever found with my skin. I have had a few spots but I would say that the amount has stayed the same for what I was normally having.

I have however started to get an oily patch on my forehead which is something that has never occurred before. As I have never had to deal with this before I am finding it a little tricky to sort out. It is also meaning that I now need to go and buy a new foundation to suit my new skin type.

I enjoy having a skin care routine however I was recently told my a makeup artist that I needed to exfoliate less so I didn't get as many oily patches. So if I'm having a lazy moment I will skip step 1 'Skin Smoothing Exfoliator' and just use water and then step 2 and 3 after that.

What skincare do you recommend?

Thanks for reading,

Top 3 Tips for New Bloggers

Hello,

I just wanted to point out a few little factors that can make all the difference to a blog post, some things I wish I knew when starting up.

Social Media

Share your blog as much as you can (without spamming), to everyone and anyone. You never know who is interested in your content (unless it is a very niche audience).

Have social media links on your blog page, whether its your Facebook, instagram or twitter and have your links on those pages too. Share every blog you upload to all of your various social media pages but try to space this with other content in between.

You can make your images on your blog click through and upload to pinterest (mine came with my theme however I am sure Google can help you out), you can also add your instagram feed to your blog theme (mine is on the left coloumn). Add as many link in as you can manage.

 how many times can one person write 'social media links'?

Photographs

Photographs really allow you to explore and show off your personal artistic style, which is a major factor to why I love photography so much. For me the images within a post can be a deal breaker to whether I read the post or not. 

I also find a lot of blog pages through Google. For example I will look for a make up swatch online and I will follow the images link back to the blog and voilà, I've followed a new blogger.

Be Active

This links back to my first point, always self promote, to start with it is key.

Follow people with similar interests and interact with them. Not only is it nice to have a more interactive space but you could always make friends along the way.

Thanks for reading and I hope these tips help you,

Nail Polish Collection - Spring Clean 2016

Hello,

I have a rather big nail polish collection, not massive but more than one girl needs, or uses for that matter. I've just started a new job which doesn't include washing up, which means I can now enjoy the luxury of wearing nail polish on a daily basis.

I started by laying them all out in front of me. I knew which ones I love and which ones work all the time, so they went straight back into the basket. The the rest of them I left on my desk, I'd try them on see if I liked the colour and application and then wear them for a few days to see if they lasted.

It took maybe two weeks to get through them all, plus I made my mum get involved with the nail polish testing which sped things up.

These are a few that I have decided to get rid of, I'm going to offer them to friends and family (I don't just want to chuck them in the bin). It's mainly down to the colours, I am really pale so anything to dark or too pale makes me look quite ill, not many neutral colours suit my hands either. A few of them had either gone tacky (which did end up in the bin) and some of them didn't last well.

This is just a few that I am left with, I like having bright colours or sparkly colours that draw attention, nothing to bright but enough that is noticeable. 

 I've kept a few muted pinks like the Barry M Matte nail paint in Vanilla, which is one of my absolute favourite colours. But colours like this can look casual and also so classy.

I'm no expert with nail polish and I am looking to try more colours and brands. I find that with models own (for example) there are some colours I love and some I dislike down to the formula. One brand that I would highly recommend is Kiko, they are so cheap, easy to apply and last a lifetime.

Thanks for reading,

What's in my Z Palette

Hello, 

Being the make up hobby-ist that I am I've always kept my eye on the Z Palette, a magnetic palette to depot any pan products you have. I have bought the black Z Palette in a large, it's a really good size and still good for travelling.

I originally bought it with the intention of buying some makeup geek eye shadows that I have had my eyes on for a while. Once I had bought it and thought about what I wanted to do with it I realised that I could really downsize my collection, so if I had a eyeshadow palette where I only used two colours I would just remove those two colours and put them in my Z Palette.

This is what it looks like, a little messy I know...

The top row, starting from the left are 3 Nyx eyeshadows then the 7 round eyeshadows are from Collection palettes.

The bottom right pan is a Stila eyeshadow and the pink pan is a Soap & Glory.

Then on the right I have a Sleek blush and Benefit Hoola Bronzer.

This is great for staying away as it has everything I need without carrying around what would have been 6 different palettes

 I hope you enjoyed this little tour around my Z Palette!

Thanks for reading,

Proactiv+ 3 Step First Impression | AD

Hello,

Today I am going to be talking about the Proactiv+ Deluxe Core Kit (now with 20 million customers worldwide), I'll be using these twice a day every day for the next 8 weeks or so.

There are 3 steps, which you need to do twice a day.

Step 1. Skin Smoothing Exfoliator - This is a really soft exfoliator, with not too many beads in it. It also doesn't foam at all so my skin feel lovely after using it (foaming products normally make my skin feel taut). 

Step 2. Pore Targeting Treatment - This is my favourite step. The product is silky smooth and sinks into my skin so so fast.

Step 3. Complexion Perfecting Hydrator - This is a lot thicker than the port treatment  so it takes a bit longer to sink in, however it is still a really nice product.

There is also a Skin Refining mask to use a few times a week but I am yet to use it.

All of them smell but it is super faint, kind of a clinical smell. I really like the packaging as well, it's very minimalistic and clean looking. They are squeezy tubes so it is easy to control the amount of product you want. Plus they are secure so great for travelling.

The three steps of the Proactiv+ system combine powerful anti-blemish treatments with effective skincare ingredients such as  glycolic acid, prebiotics, kojic acid and other nourishing botanicals. 

Proactiv+ are here to do more than fight breakouts. It is proven to deliver a more radiant glowing complexion, reduce pore size, diminish redness, improve skin tone and smooth the texture of the skin with regular use. It is effective for those who have spot-prone skin as well as those who suffer from occasional breakouts. It is paraben free, non -comedogenic, dermatologist tested and suitable for all skin types. 

Before I started using these products I took a few pictures of my skin.

I have dry areas around my nose, chin and cheeks. I also have flaky parts and black heads on my nose. A few under the skin bumps on my chin and forehead. I also seem to get an oily patch on my forehead throughout the day.

So far I have been really enjoying using this and I will keep you updated along the way.

Thanks for reading,

What I've Been Up To - February 2016

Hello,

I'm going to try and do one of these every month. These get a good response but also it's lovely to look back at what I've been up to.

1st February - The start of February was absolute bliss. A day of shopping, stuffing my face with food and watching movies. I tried the butter chicken burger from Bill's is one of the best things I have ever tasted, plus there sweet potato fries are just to die for!

10th February - This birthday cake screams cat lady, luckily it was for my nan who turned 70! There is nothing like celebrating with your family over food.

13th February - Night out! Brass Monkey our local club has a silent disco every month or so, they're so much fun. You all have earphones with three channels each channel being a different genre of music, silent discos are always my favourite kind of night out.

21st February - This ones a bit weird but some of you might understand. We have 5 cats, so the house is full and cats sleep, cats sleep a lot. So along came my dad with a crate and some nails and made the cats a bed shelf. They love it, no more angry sleepy cats.

22nd February - I took this photo on the 22nd but really I want to tell you that I started an apprenticeship on the 15th. I'm really enjoying myself and it's within the creative media category so it's right up my street.

Over all this month has been pretty good. I feel like I've been opened up into a whole creative media side of the world that I never new about.

This year is starting out pretty well, touch wood.

Thanks for reading,