Tis the season for lots of parties, and getting glammed up. This year, my first Christmas party landed right on December 1st, giving me an occasion to get dolled up before eating lots of pigs in blankets. As part of Durham's collegiate system, I now have formals to attend - where we eat scrumptious 3 course meals then dance the night away at our college bar. Tickets were sold out within minutes for the hottest event of the year - the Christmas Formal - and luckily my chums and I were able to bag a table to ourselves.



For such a festive occasion, some super glittery make up was needed. So I thought I'd share this make up look on the blog, as some inspiration for the party season. It's not often I get fancy, and I was so excited to wear something other than cosy jumpers!

I was wearing a dress that I recently bought from New Look, which was mesh, with a black slip underneath, and has flowers embroidered on the front and sleeves. I've chosen this as my Christmas Day dress (its also stretchy so perfect for all the food I'll be eating), but decided to wear it last night as it was a special occasion.

I decided to base my make up around the flowers on the dress - taking inspiration from the greens and pinks of the flowers. I used greens and silvers on my eyes - something which I haven't done in years, but I remembered hearing that green is a good colour to make green eyes pop. I also blended some dark purple on the outer corner of my eye. On my lips, I stuck with a favourite of mine - NYX Matte Siren. A few weeks ago I shared my autumn makeup look, and used another berry NYX lipstick, but this one is a darker shade, and one I tend to wear more in December.

Summer swiftly came and went, and within a couple of days of changing the calendar page, the cold weather had set in. Scarves and boots are the new staple of my wardrobe, as each walk into uni requires trudging through piles of leaves while the wind hits. 

I wanted to start off this post by saying - look at that warm weather, it must be the start of summer! - but I can't. Last week we had snow in Aberdeen, and this week the grey skies over Edinburgh haven't wanted to shift. BUT despite this, I'm still mentally preparing myself for summer, and sorting out my make up bag at the same time. My summer plans are still in the making - I'll be jetting off to Italy to take part in this season of excavation with the Apolline Project, popping down to London to spend time with my brother and sister, and hopefully able to fly off abroad for a break in the sun at some point too. While my exact dates and locations are still up in the air, it doesn't mean I can't start organising my summer beauty products.

This month is the first month that I thought I'd share some of my favourites from the month of March. As I'm not a beauty / fashion blogger, these favourites are going to cover different aspects of my life; anything and everything that has helped to make last month that little bit better.




Favourite Skincare
Burt's Bees Lip Balm

With the transition from Winter to Spring, I've found my lips were getting a bit dry and cracked. Burt's Bees lip balms have been my saviour. I just pop one of them in my pocket or my handbag so that throughout the day I can apply and keep my lips hydrated. I have them in the mint flavour and the honey flavour. The mint one has such a strong smell to it, and I can feel my lips tingling when its on, and making it my go to one out of the pair.



Favourite Beauty Product
Stila - purple eye dust

Although this has been in my collection for quite some time, it has only been this month that I've actually started using it. After reading that purple compliments green eyes, I've made it my mission to use purple in lots of my eye make up looks. My staple look right now is doing a brown smokey eye, then patting the purple dust into the inner corner and brushing outwards over the lid. The dust adds a little bit of glitter, making a regular smokey eye a little bit brighter and sparkly.



Favourite Movie
The Other Side of the Door

I made a couple of cinema trips this month, but my favourite has got to have been The Other Side of the Door. If you're into scary films, then it is well worth a trip to see it. It's by far the best scary film I've seen recently, I jumped and was so close to covering my eyes on more than one occasion. Ghosts, possession, and an exorcism are all here, as well as some creepy characters that pop up out of nowhere. It's definitely one to watch if you like being on the edge of your seat.

(and what better goes with a movie than popcorn? Which has been my favourite treat this month and as you can see, it is always on hand)





Favourite Book
Beneath the Surface - Heidi Perks

If you haven't already seen my post about this book then you can check it out here. I absolutely loved this book, and strongly recommend it to anyone who likes a good thriller. You'll find yourself guessing throughout, and reading to find out more and more. It's such a great book for anyone who likes crime & thrillers!


Favourite Dress
Forever 21 - Elephant Dress

I picked this little number up with the intention of wearing it all the time while I'm abroad this summer. How could I resist, it was a steal at £10 and the pattern is too adorable. Elephants are repeated across the whole material, which is light and perfect for hotter climates. However, I couldn't resist wearing it when I see it hanging in my wardrobe, so I've begun putting a black top underneath and wearing it with tights. It's a super cute outfit, and one that will be featured in a OOTD in the coming week. I can't wait to style this in different ways and show off this super cute pattern.



Favourite Other
Canon Bridge Camera

I bought this bridge camera back in September - SX410 - and found it has massively upped my photography (especially since my phone camera is less than ideal). This month, I truly realised my love for this camera, after I look it to the Little Mix concert I attended. The quality of the photos are incredible, and I can't believe how well the photos and videos came out. The camera itself is super easy to use, with a digital screen to see exactly what you're taking photos of, and a great lens that focuses really well. After seeing how well this camera worked at the concert, I know it is now my go to for every situation that needs a photo taken.



And that's my favourites from March! Let me know what your favourites are too, and if you'd like to see more of these in the upcoming months.

If you haven't seen my March in pictures, then you can have a look here, to see everything I got up to last month. And be sure to check out all my posts from the last month!


Lots of love,
Emily
xxx

As you may have seen last month, I took a trip to The Body Shop where I made many a purchase, including the concealer crayon. Included in my wee haul was their Vitamin E skincare.

I had a good chat with one of the skincare ladies at the Edinburgh Princes Street store, where we determined what my skin type was - mostly combination skin. I'm past the age of getting lots of big red spots, but do fine that I get little spots often- something I want to be finished with now I'm in my twenties. I also explained how I try and avoid a lot of moisturisers as my skin becomes very oily when I add more moisture to certain areas.



I was recommended the Vitamin E range, which would thoroughly cleanse my face after a day of wearing make up. We talked a lot about my previous routine, which after summer had returned back to the dark days of nothing. I did feel embarrassed admitting this, but that's why I sought out help. And so I was given the Camomile eye make up remover which has worked wonders. All that's needed is a little drop of the liquid onto a pad and gently press it on your eye then wipe after holding it there for a couple of minutes. It's like magic, and all make up is removed without scrubbing at your eye - and good bye panda eyes in the morning!




After a month of using the products, I feel like I can recommend them. The cleanser that I was recommended is simple to use - I moisturise it into my face with my fingers, then use a pad to wipe it off and ensure that all make up and grime from the day is wiped clear from my pores. I then use the toner to tighten up my pores then moisturise my cheeks.




I've noticed a huge difference with my skin - properly cleansing my face from all the make up has cleared up my skin, and reduced the number of spots that I get. I have also noticed that my skin is so much softer from hydrating it each night.

Although this new skin care routine takes a little longer than previously - I mean 5 minutes feels like a while, but it's so worth it. I can highly recommend these products, especially since its winter and we need to take a little extra care with the harsher weather.

I've decided to add a new & regular style of post to my blog, and that is a little round up of my week, including things that I have been loving in the week as well as what I've been doing.



This week has been a fairly busy one and started with a day of travelling back from Leominster to Aberdeen. Now that I'm home, I've been all about the family time. I'm about to leave next week to go to Italy so want to fit in as much bonding time as possible. Saying that, I've also fit in a couple of nights out with my school friends as well as spending the days following lying on the sofa and trying to control the hangover (please share your secrets - I can't deal with another hangover at the level I was experiencing this week!). Now it's all about the packing and preparation for my trip, I expect next week will be a busy one, with trips to Primark scheduled between child minding and day trips, but want to enjoy as much time with the fam as possible. Including today, which is Father's Day in the UK - so lots of spoiling of my dad will occur as well as a dinner with chips and baked beans included, since it seems he has truly embraced the student lifestyle after completing his first year at uni.

Things I've loved & enjoyed this week

1. Lemon juice - I am making a real effort at drinking more water, but since I'm not a huge lover of plain water I've been adding a slice of lemon to it. As well as the fact my mum bought a huge pack from Costco. and needs some help getting through them all. 
2. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight - I was given a long list of books to read by my sister and finished this one at the start of the week. Its a really interesting story about a mother investigating the death of her daughter, which had been ruled as suicide. Throughout the book you're constantly questioning everyone's actions as you follow Amelia in the month before her death, and I found it a really intriguing read. 
3. Iconic 2 Palette from Make Up Revolution - my mum bought this for me to do Eleanor's make up for her school dance with, but I've found myself using it this week too, as I really love the browns included in it. 
4. How to work off your Wimbledon favourites - I was contacted by Central London Apartments who shared this infographic with me. Its really interesting to see how much tennis you'd have to play for different treats you eat over summer, and particularly over the Wimbledon period. Have a look for yourself here and see how much you'll have to play. I love this concept, especially as getting bikini body ready is on my mind!
5. Primark Black Cut Out shoes - I featured these the other day as an OOTD ( shameless plug for you to have a look here ). I don't think I've worn another pair of shoes this last week. They are super comfortable and can be styled with anything. They were perfect for all the walking I did in Manchester and Leominster and didn't blister once. 
6. Prison Break - I am obsessed, and have been since I finished uni for the summer. Its such a great series that I can not recommend enough. I seriously missed it while I was off on my travels, and now I'm back I can't wait to watch the last of series 4. If you're looking for a series to watch then this is the one. (And Wentworth Miller is utterly gorgeous).

I thought I'd come back to the blogosphere with a little beauty / makeup post. The other day I went to pick up a new foundation, and being a savvy student I thought I'd try out a drug store brand instead of the Clinique that I always use.

We all have things that work and don't work for us. What makes our skin react badly, what way to apply a certain product and what things can help the feel of your skin. !

source

SO this week's post for teen blog series is all about sharing some of those tips we've picked up over the years. And these are my tips on how to make your skin look good WITHOUT spending lots of money on products


Drink plenty of Water! I must admit, I'm not the biggest fan of drinking water, but I have been making a concious effort to try and drink more water. It's so good for your skin; it hydrates your skin which is key for people with dry skin. It also really helps reduce dark circles under your eyes!

Get a good night's sleep! This is so so important, you'll wake up feeling so much better if you go to bed at a decent time. It helps your body and your skin, so instead of staying up watching youtube or 4od (which I am very guilty of) try turning your lights out and getting a full 8-10 hours sleep. You'll find you have so much more energy the next day too!

Be a morning person! Who else hates their alarm when it goes off and all you want to do is curl back down and sleep until you WANT to wake up? YES it's fine to let yourself just sleep in if you're needing it, but only do that every so often! It's so much better if you get up early and make the most of the day. I'm not saying the crack of dawn, but I like to be up about 8 each day and it helps me fully waken up before I start the day's work.

Eat well! Filling up on junk food and fizzy juices will do NOTHING good for your skin. Times of the year, like Christmas, when chocolates and wine are only an arms length away I notice that my skin gets worse. It's so important to try and eat healthily and get your 5-a-day, and you'll notice the difference in your skin!

Banana Skin Face Wash Scrubbing the inside of a banana peel over your face helps to remove all the dirt from the day. AND the peel will usually end up black after getting all the pollution and dirt out that is clogging up your pores. It really helps to clear up your skin and reduce spots.

I hope some of these tips help you! Leave links below with your beauty tips for Teen Blog Series week 8!

Lots of love,
Emily
xxx

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Okay I'll admit it- I use the beauty bloggers big no no... Yes! I am one of those mad girls who use face wipes to take off their make up!

Over the last couple of years, myself and my sister have built up quite the collection of flower crowns, bobbles, hair clips and the like. And what with it being summer, its the perfect time to wear them and show them off!




These little bobby pins were bought this year and from Primark (a shop which will be mentioned a lot in this post!) and came in a pack of 6. I find they are really cute to put in a bun and they're quite subtle.









This is another clip from Primark, bought the other week for the grand total of £1. I thought this would look nice in front of a bun, which it does, and when I do milkmaid plaits over my head, the flowers add a little something different to that. And also help to secure the plaits to the top of my head.







New Look came up with this gem, for £2.99. It's an over sized bow, which I've been wearing at the back of my head- pulling bits of hair from the front back- or again (you guessed it) with a bun.







If you hadn't figured it out, I like to wear my hair up in a bun (I feel if the sun is out, then I want my hair out of my face and off of my neck) and this flower bobble is called a bun topper. Its from Primark, and cost £1.50. I got this a few weeks ago, before  I noticed they've started taking in more colours which I have a feeling I will be getting.






These two flower crowns were purchased while I was in Turkey last year. I think the minty blue one is really pretty because its a different colour, and is cutesy with the dotted material around them. The both look fairly easy to replicate- made of a bit of wire.








My mum actually made this next one, we got the idea when we were in a vintage shop last year and my sister bought some of their hair ties. We had a dress that was far too long and my mum was taking up, so we hemmed the extra material and added wire to the inside. It can bend and be shaped how you like and is so easy to make, that you can have lots of different patterns!







Another Primark purchase, this flower crown is from a couple of years ago, but I wear this one the most. Its quite subtle, and small and because I don't feel like my hair has a lot of volume when down, I think that this style suits me more. And because its white, it goes with a practically all my outfits.







This one, I got a few years ago and is just a hair band but I like to use it when my hair is up. I think it is from New Look, but because it was so long ago I can't actually remember! What I really like about this one is the beading on the inside of the flowers, which makes it look a little bit fancier.







Finally, this flower crown was bought last year, and is from Claires. I love the colours of the flowers, and the it has a bit more detail and texture with the different types of flowers and leaves on it. And again, this one can be worn with hair up or hair down.







There we go! Whether you try your hand at making your own, or you find some cheapo ones from stores like Primark, the floral hair accessories trend is one that everyone can get stuck into and create a collection of to wear with whatever and where ever! I love flowers because they add a little something to an outfit. They can really help to make an outfit.

Love,
Emily
xxx

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