Weekly Highlights. #8

Lunch at Yo Sushi!, Chocolate Frog, Blogging, Craig at Flat Iron, Hogwarts!, Yummy dinner at Flat Iron, Turkey Moussaka for dinner, Applying for Great British Bake Off, The Light Princess, New hair styles, Harry Potter Studios. 

After two weeks away, I'm back with the 8th installment of my Weekly Highlights. The Christmas/New Years period was a busy one for me, so this post got a little left behind! This week however I've had a magical day out, seen a brilliant new musical and had a lottt of yummy food! My three highlights are:

1. Last Sunday me and my family went to the Harry Potter Studio Tour.I'm going to do a full post on this tomorrow, but in short its an amazing place! To see the intricate detail of the sets is fascinating in itself, but its just so fun to be standing in the Great Hall or the Gryffindor Common Room. If you haven't been already I'd definitely have a look at tickets!

2. On Tuesday my boyfriend decided to hit up the TKTS booth in Leicester Square and get us tickets to see The Light Princess at the National Theatre that evening. I'd heard of the musical but had no idea of the plot line at all. I quite like seeing productions where I don't know the plot though, it ensures I don't form an opinion on it too soon I think! Anyway, The Light Princess was AMAZING. I was in awe of the choreography, set and beautiful songs written by Tori Amos of all people! Its immediately become one of the best productions I've ever seen. Sadly its on a limited run, and ends at the beginning of February, so I urge you to go and book tickets! I already have tickets to see it again at the end of this month with my sister!

3. Finally, a perhaps quite soppy highlight. But this week I've had many late night chats with my mum. Not about anything in particular or even very important things, but long conversations with my mum is something I've always enjoyed and loved. I think having a good relationship with your parents, and for me my mum in general is really important.

What've been your highlights of the week? :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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Tag | Confessions of a Blogger

For today's post I've had a good bout of writers block. I literally had no ideas at all, which is strange as I'm usually brimming with them! So I decided today I'd do the Confessions of a Beauty Blogger tag. I've seen this tag on quite a few blogs and I always enjoy reading the answers so I hoped you would too!

When did you start your blog? 

My first post is dated October 26th 2012, which means I've now been blogging for almost a year and 3 months! I can't believe how quickly the time has gone, it feels like I've always been a blogger now!

Have you had any past online presence before (Other blog, YouTube)?

I did write a sort of travel blog before this over the summer of 2011, when I moved to America to work in a theme park for 4 months. I wasn't exactly a consistent blogger, but it was more of a way for me to document my experience and for my friends and family to see what I was getting up to. I'm so glad I did write it though, as its really nice to look back on and relive it. You can have a look at it here, if you're interested. :) 

Why did you start a blog?

To be honest it was a really spontaneous decision, which strangely seems to be most bloggers answer! I wasn't even aware of the blogging world until the summer of 2012 when I worked as a receptionist on my University campus. Some days the job was ridiculously busy and others I'd have a 12 hour shift bored out my mind, so I spent a lot of time on the internet. One very bored day I stumbled upon Zoella's YouTube channel, then found her blog and through that the whole beauty blogging world. That's where my obsession began. At the beginning of October I moved home for good, and decided to set up my blog as a hobby to keep me occupied now that I was living away from all my Uni friends and my boyfriend. And the rest they say is history. 

When did you become serious about starting a blog? 

As I created my blog quite spontaneously, I never really thought that seriously about it. I enjoyed reading other blogs and thought it looked like a lot of fun, but I did just mainly start it as something to occupy my evenings. It was only after quite a few months that I started seriously trying to improve my blog and my ability as a blogger. 

What was your first post?

So I just re-read my first blog post, and god its so cringe worthy. I literally just wrote a bit about me, and what I was going to blog about. I had no idea what I was doing, or if anyone was even going to read it! At least I can tell that my writing skill has definitely improved along the way (I hope!). To preserve my dignity I'm not going to link to it, but feel free to find it if you want a chuckle! 

What has been your biggest challenge about blogging?

This is a tricky one, as I really love updating my blog - more than I thought I would when I begun it! I guess the only real challenge (aside from writers block!) is being organised enough to update regularly. I have no idea how some bloggers can post every day, I'm sure they must have Bernards Watch or something! I've definitely gotten a lot better at posting in recent months though and I'm really happy with my posting schedule now. 

Where do you see your blog in one year? 

I'd obviously love to expand my readership and continue improving my layout, content - everything really. But, cheesily I just hope I'm still having fun with it! My blog is one of my favourite hobbies and its become a big part of my life now! 

What is the most rewarding thing to you about blogging?

This definitely has to be getting to know all the lovely people in the blogging community. The #bbloggers hashtag on twitter is full of lovely people that are always willing to help you out. It's just such a lovely and friendly community to be a part of. Every comment on my blog also always brightens my day. Its such a nice feeling knowing that someone enjoyed your post, and it spurs me on to want to make more and better content. 

What is the most discouraging thing that happens to you?

This is a tricky one, as there isn't really anything that I dislike about blogging! I guess the only thing is the focus that's placed on a bloggers follower count. I'm guilty of it myself, and there has been times where I've obsessed over how many followers I have compared to other blogs. But, at the end of the day we're all blogging for fun and as long as you're enjoying it doesn't really matter how many followers you have! 

What's your lasting inspiration or motivation?

Without a doubt this has to be other bloggers. I'm always inspired when I read fellow blogger's posts, or after a BBloggers chat on twitter. It's lovely to be in a community full of creative people that have all created a hobby out of their interests. It's not always the 'bigger' bloggers that I'm inspired by either, its usually the 'smaller' blogs where you can really sense their enthusiasm and passion. 

I hope you enjoyed reading my answers! Answering these questions has really made me feel so happy that I decided to create my blog! :) Let me know if you do this tag too, I'd love to read your answers!

Aimée

Xxxx

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Love At First Use. #2

I posted the first 'Love At First Use' post a couple of weeks ago, and as it seemed to go down really well I thought I'd do another! :) This time around I have one Christmas present to share and two skincare products! :)

First up is the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, a firm favorite in the blogging community. I've been using and loving the No. 7 Hot Cloth Cleanser for many months now, but as it recently run out and I was in need of buying more muslin cloths after my Dad decided to use mine to clean up his grouting work on our bathroom tiles....don't ask. I decided to finally try the famed Cleanse and Polish as I could buy the Starter Kit which came with two cloths! Obviously, surprise surprise - I bloody love it. The cream feels so luxurious on my skin and smells amazing too! I'm left with soft clear skin and I love how fresh and clean I feel too. Also, I love the size of the muslin cloths, they're a lot larger than most you can buy!

Secondly, is the rightfully named 'Greatest Scrub of All' by Soap and Glory. I'm a big lover of Soap and Glory products and this is definitely the best face wash I've tried in a long time. Although this has beads in that scrub your skin, its not painful like so many facial scrubs, it just gives a pleasant tingle instead. Weirdly, I describe this as if its a toothpaste for the face. It smells really minty, is white in colour and leaves me feeling thoroughly scrubbed! Possibly not the best analogy, but I love it.

Lastly, is the Nars At First Sight Palette. This was a Christmas present from my mum and dad, and I literally love it. I've wanted a Nars Palette for so long, so to actually have one in my possession is super exciting! The blush is Deep Throat, and the bronzer the famed Laguna. Both are so beautiful on the skin, I've worn them practically every day since I got this! The eyeshadows are so pigmented and creamy and they blend so well. You can't buy any of the eyeshadows individually, but they all come from duo's. From Top Left, to Bottom Right they are from: All About Eve, Nouveau Monde, Bellissima and Cordura (II). The palette is so handy for travelling, especially with the giant mirror. Its Love.

What products are you obsessed with at the moment? :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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My 2013 Hair Favourites.

Aside from having my fringe cut in in 2012, I've never done anything drastic to my hair. So the decision to have my hair ombréd last summer was a big one in Aimée-land. That being said, I'm sooo glad I did. I love how my hair looks now, even if the Ombré look is rather common these days! I do wonder whether I'll still love it when I look back on pictures years down the line though!

With that being said however, I've always been interested in haircare. Before I started blogging it was definitely the beauty product that I'd spend the most money on. After all, it is something you 'wear' everyday! Although I probably spend more on make-up now, I still take good care of my hair and love trying new products. The six favourites I've chosen are products I use almost every day. I love my hair routine at the moment, and my hair is definitely reaping the benefits of the good products I've been using.

First up, is the TIGI S-Factor Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner. I don't really know how I survived before using this set because it really has done wonders for my hair. Both the shampoo and conditioner smell really gorgeously of strawberries and the texture feels so luxurious. You only need a few pumps of each product as it distributes really well, and buying them both in 750ml bottles means they last for months on end. My hair always feels so nourished and soft after using them. Read my full review here.

Secondly, another TIGI S-Factor product! I really am in love with the S-Factor range! The Smoothing Lusterizer leaves my hair feeling silky smooth and soft. Like the shampoo and conditioner, this also smells of strawberries which ensures your hair smells yummy all day long! I use a pea sized amount in my hair straight after washing it, concentrating the product on the ends. You can also use this on dry hair, which is great to revive 'second day' hair!

Thirdly, is my last TIGI S-Factor product! This time in the form of an overnight treatment! The Wonderful Tonight treatment is a serumy/cream type consistency that I run through my hair before going to sleep. The next morning, after washing my hair I'm left with smooth, silky hair! It really is as simple as that! I only use the treatment once a week, as the effects last quite a while in my hair. In my eyes it gives me that feeling of 'fresh' hair, as if I've just had a wash and blow-dry in the hairdressers! Just with a fraction of the price. Read my full review here.

Onto more of a styling product now, and an old love of mine. For a couple of years now I've loved using a Sea Salt Spray to create beachy waves in my hair. I've tried quite a few over the years but nothing beats the Toni and Guy Casual Sea Salt Texturising Spray. It doesn't leave my hair sticky or hard to manage, just creates really nice natural looking waves. You can use the spray on both wet and dry hair too, which gives you freedom for styling. Read my full review here.

Lastly, is the Aussie Hi-Hold + Hi-Shine Hairspray. I'm quite picky about hairsprays as I hate the clinical smell that most of them have. So when I tried the Aussie hairspray on a whim, I was pleasantly surprised that for once I actually liked the smell of the hairspray as it smells really fresh! It gives great hold all day, and does give my hair a nice shine. Importantly its also easy to brush out, and doesn't leave you feeling like you're pulling out half your head when trying to brush through it.

So there we have it! My 2013 Hair Favourites. I think I've definitely proved my love for TIGI in this post! Maybe I'll attempt to branch out a little more next year, but for now I'm definitely happy with my haircare routine. What are your favourite hair products of 2013? :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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My 2013 Beauty Favourites.

This past year has been full of new and exciting products that I've tried and tested. Whittling down my favourites was a hard task, and even now I feel like I have wayy too many products in the picture above! But, I'm the sort of person who will always give a top 5 rather than just one favourite. I just can't do it, I have too much love to give! (DISCLAIMER: This is a long post, so grab a cuppa and get comfy!)

All of these products I use on a weekly, if not daily basis - as you can probably tell from my empty No.7 Hot Cloth Cleanser, which I've just figured out I bought way back in April! Definitely good value for money there. As I have so many products to talk about, I'm only going to write a mini-review, otherwise we'll be here till next year. So let's get cracking!

Blusher is one of my favourite beauty products, so choosing one was tricky! But the Sleek Rose Gold blush is just so beautiful, and gives a lovely healthy glow to the cheeks. Its so easy to blend and the slight shimmer makes it great for night time too. (Full review here). Second, is the best foundation I've found all year. A good base is paramount and the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation gives a flawless finish. It glides on so easily, and leaves me with a healthy glow all day. To apply my foundation, my favourite brush of 2013 is the Real Techniques Buffing Brush. I'm genuinely not sure how I applied foundation before this now! It blends out foundation really well, literally buffing it into the skin.

Fourth, is a nail polish! I change up my nail polish ALOT. Especially for the different seasons. However, Essie's Cocktail Bling is a shade I can wear all throughout the year when I'm looking for something slightly more neutral. The consistency is brilliant and I can go chip-free for at least 4-5 days! A winner in my eyes! (Full review here). Number 5 will come as no surprise to fellow beauty bloggers. The cult favourite Lasting Perfection Concealer from Collection has shunted all other concealers from my make-up bag. It has such high coverage, and keeps me concealed all day long. Literally love this. Sixth, the Bourjois Délice de Soleil Bronzing Powder has been a firm favourite with me. It gives a lovely sun-kissed sheer glow, and I love the packaging as I can use the big mirror when travelling.

Seventh, is the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent. This is my second pan of the product as I love it so much. It sets my make-up so well, and leaves my face matte all day. Number 8, is an eyeshadow that I became obsessed with! The Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze is such a fuss-free option for those busy mornings! You don't even need a brush, perfect for travelling! (Full review here). Onto a lip product now, and my Clinique Chubby Stick in Roomiest Rose. I love how easy to apply the product is, and how well it lasts on your lips. Its a subtle colour that is buildable, so its perfect for day to night wear. (Full review here).

There's only one mascara in my life that does it for me at the moment, and that's the Maybelline Mega Plush Volum' Express. It lengthens my eyelashes and makes me feel 10 times more awake than I actually am! Its not flaky at all, and only needs a few coats! The Lush Lip Scrub in Mint Julips is the best thing that's happened to my lips all year. They feel so smooth and supple after using the scrub and it makes wearing lipsticks so much easier. Twelth is another lip product, this time Topshop's Rio Rio. I love the formula of this lipstick, as although its a matte finish it goes on so smoothly and sits really comfortably on the lips. Its a great statement red. Another brush at 13, is my MAC 217. This is my favourite brush to use for blending eyeshadow, as its so fluffy and soft.

Talking about eyeshadow, my favourite palette this year has been the Stila In The Light Palette. All the shades are so blendable and really highly pigmented. My favourite shade in the palette is definitely Kitten, and I've hit pan recently! Ahh! For eyeliner, I love any that makes cat flicks easier for me. So the Revlon ColourStay Liquid Eye Pen has been my saviour this year! It works like a felt tip pen, making it super easy to use! It also stays put all day long. Finally, my all time favourite highlighter is the MAC Mineralise Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle. I have tried other highlighters this year but I always go back to this. It gives such a beautiful subtle glow, and lasts for absolutely ages!

Aside from make-up, I've also been loving my No.7 Hot Cloth Cleanser. At only £10 this is such good value for money, and cleanses your face so well leaving you feeling clean and fresh. At 18, is the best nail polish remover. The Bourjois Dissolvant makes taking off nail polish a doddle, and is much less messy than the traditional methods! REN make the ultimate face mask to me. The Gycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask leaves my skin feeling renewed and super soft. I love using it whilst I'm having a bath; the ultimate pamper evening! Now onto the last product of my favourites (phew!), the L'Oréal Skin Perfection Micellar Solution. This is probably the best product that's happened to my skin this year. Before this I was just using face wipes to remove my make-up - sue me, I know! But now, my face feels thoroughly cleansed and clean and I definitely don't have as many breakouts as I used to!

So that's it, I apologise for the EXTREME length of this post! I mayyy have gotten a tadge carried away, so if you made it to the end I salute you! What's been your favourite product of 2013? :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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2013; A Jar Full of Memories - Opened!

Back on the 20th January this year I posted about a memory jar that I was creating. The idea was to fill the jar with memories from my year, so that on New Years Eve I could open it and relive the happy moments of the year gone by. I'm not gonna lie, this was a hard task to keep up with. I often forgot about it for a few weeks and would then do a 'catch up' and add a few memories all at once. But regardless of my slight cheating, I'm so glad I decided to do it. It was really fun to open all the notes today and remember so many great moments that I probably would have otherwise forgotten.

All in all, I had 102 memories in my jar! I was quite surprised I'd written down quite so many. Here's a few of my favourite memories for the more nosy of you ;):

I did love having this memory jar all year, but I've decided I'm not going to do it for 2014. Instead I'm going to do my own take on the 'a photo a day' craze. I attempted taking a photo a day a few years ago, and failed after a month. This time however, with my newfound enthusiasm for photography, I'm sure I'll succeed. Instead of just uploading the pictures to Instagram/Facebook however, I'm going to print them out and create my own Project Life scrapbook. If you don't know what Project Life is, its an amazing way to scrapbook with ease. Elsie from A Beautiful Mess has an amazing book here. This way it ties into my goal of printing out more photos rather than just keeping them online.

Have you kept any memory jars/books/photos this year? I'd love to see yours. :) I hope you all have a wonderful new year too!

Aimée
Xxxx

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2013 Life.

2013 has gone in a flash. Its crazy to think that this time last year I had only just begun my blog, and now its become my biggest and most favourite hobby. Looking back through the months to find the pictures above, showed me just how much I've changed through 2013. My love for make-up has grown and grown, as has my storage space for it! I've also taken much better care of my hair, especially since having it ombréd this summer! For once in my life, all my money has not solely been spent on clothes but all manner of beauty products too - that's not to say I've spent any less on clothes though! Oops!

2013 has been an up and down year for me, but this blog has remained a constant so I want to thank all you lovely readers for sticking with me. I can't wait to see what 2014 brings for this blog and myself! I'm looking forward to a fresh start and I'm hoping things will start to go my way! My sister has tasked me with coming up with  News Years Resolutions to stick with and currently I'm struggling to think of any that doesn't revolve around the obvious choice of weight loss. What are your resolutions? Any ideas to help me?

I hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas and have exciting plans for New Years Eve. I myself will be spending the evening with my girlfriends and am already stressed about what to wear! I'll be back next week with my 2013 Beauty Favourites and the opening of my 2013 Memory Jar (see here). So for now, I hope you have a lovely weekend and continue stuffing yourselves with Christmas leftovers!

Aimée
Xxxx

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