Behind The Scenes Of Blogging TAG!

I was very kindly tagged by Megan from The Beauty Pier, to do this tag so lets get going!

COPY AND PASTE THE RULES

1. You MUST state that this TAG was created by www.thebeaubow.blogspot.com (Lauren)

2. You must use the image I have provided in this post on your post.

3. You must title this post 'Behind the Scenes of Blogging TAG' so everyone knows what it is about!

4. You must tag at least one other person, but there is not a maximum limit! -You will need to comment on their blog to let them know that they are tagged.

5. Thank the person who tagged you and link their blog.

6. You must answer all the questions

7. HAVE FUN!

1.Do you plan for each/some of your blog posts, if so, how do you do this?

Yes, I do plan most of my blog posts but some days I just like to sit down and write about something different, for example: The Weekend Post. I like to take a job lot of pictures, upload them to my laptop and then write about them when I get time. If I get stuck for ideas then I, have a flick through some magazines or have a look at other people's blogs.

2.Do you have a blogging notebook/diary where you write and plan about things to do with your blog? 

I do and I use it to jot down notes and blog ideas in. It makes it easier for me because I can plan what date I'm going to upload blog posts on.

3.Do you feel pressured to buy things so that you have something to review on your blog?

No, I only buy things that I really want and if I'm in need inspiration/ideas, then I'll have a look through magazines. I don't just blog about beauty though, I enjoy writing about fashion and accessories too!

4.Has your style of your blog posts/blog been influenced by someone else. If so, who?

I love Anna from ViviannaDoesMakeup, thats where I got the idea 'The Weekend Post'. I have a blogroll at the top of my blog if you want to check out other blogs I enjoy reading, and I get ideas from all of them really. I like a nice simple layout for my blog too.

5.What are your favourite posts to plan and write about?

I really enjoy writing reviews because they are always so helpful for other people. I love to plan fashion posts as well.

6.Do you think that your knowledge of makeup (and applying it) has improved because of blogging?

My knowledge has definitely improved but I've learnt most of what I know about makeup on YouTube. I've watched makeup videos for years now and have picked up a lot of tips along the way. 

7.Do you test all of products for a certain amount of time before you review them?

I review a product when I feel like I've used it enough, for example a nail polish wouldn't take too long to test out but if it's a products that claims to for example: give you an even complexion in 4 weeks, then I'll test it for 4 weeks and give you the verdict. 

8.Do you have any other websites for your blog? (e.g, twitter, YouTube, Bloglovin' or a Facebook page etc. )

I have a Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Hellocotton and Bloglovin' account. They are all on the right-hand side of my blog, to follow me just click on them. I like to have lots of different accounts so people can follow me on various different things.

9.Do you feel the need to buy something you have wanted EVEN more when you see your favourite blogger talking about it?

YESS! Definitely. I love watching hauls, and whenever I see one of my favourite blogger talking about a product I love already, I decide I NEED to have it!

10.Do you find taking pictures to be a chore, or not?

I get annoyed when I can't get a good photo but most of the time I enjoy taking a few snaps of my makeup for the blog. I don't have a professional camera or anything like that so I don't find it as easy as other bloggers.

Now for the people I tag:

Tasma from TasmaViolet

Ashlee from widewildsky

Natalia from Natalia's Makeup Counter

Annie from You Me Friday

Amy from Amy Perrett Make-Up

You don't need to do it but it's just a bit of fun!

The Edit: 5 Product Face

We all have those days where we 'simply cannot be bothered' to do anything but we still want to hide those dark circles and those pesky spots here and there. Or maybe you're just in a rush because you've spent too much time lounging about in your onesie, when you should of been getting ready? Well here's a round-up of quick makeup products that you can throw into your makeup bag and do on the go.

Dr Jart Water Fuse BB Cream (full review here) £18
This bb cream will save a lot of steps, it has advanced water bead technology to help hydrate your skin and give you a natural, healthy glow. It contains sunscreen, aloe leaf juice (which slows the water loss from your skin), and will soothe and calm your skin covering any blemishes, uneven skintone and red-ness. No need for powder because the bb cream will take care of the oil.

Max Factor Eye Brightening Mascara £7.99
These come in three different shades, one to suit everybody whether you have green, blue or brown eyes. The formula contains light reflecting particles to instantly brighten up your eyes and the gem-toned colour beads will help enrich eye colour. As well as diminishing dullness this mascara will also give you long lashes and lots of volume.

Stila Convertible Colour £16
This is versatile, so you can use it on your lips and cheeks, so you don't have to faff about with lipstick. This creamy lightweight product will effortlessly brush onto your skin leaving you with a healthy pop of colour on booth your lips and cheeks. One to suit every skin tone and trust me ladies, you won't regret picking this up. I also talked about this in my March Favourites post.

Mac Omega Eyeshadow £12
Just run this through your brows to make them look a but tidier (obviously you may need a different shade but this is my particular choice) as I can't be going out without sorting my brows out! A soft muted beige-taupe shade, it's easy to use and you'll never look back once you've got within your grasp.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 'Pink Gold' £4.99
I use this shade on a daily basis, it's excellent to use as a base for other eyeshadows to make sure they stay in place all day long. Or to use on it's own, the creamy gel-like formula makes these babies easy to apply and blend onto your eyelid. They come in a range of different shades so there's one out there everyone. A lovely long-lasting pop of colour that won't fade throughout the day either.

The Weekend Post #7: A Jolly Good Combo!

Dr.Jart Water Fuse BB Cream | Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

Recently, I've been finding myself mixing products together to create a perfect solution for my skin. The culprits are: Dr. Jart Water Fuse BB cream (full review here) and Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation. With the weather being a bit better recently- finally -I prefer a lighter base that will keep my skin looking glowy and radiant but still have a bit of coverage to it. There's nothing more I hate than a mask-like foundation (yuck).
 Bourjois have changed the formula of their Healthy Mix, I have the older version but I will be getting the newer version soon. This foundation does wonders for my skin containing apricot (for radiance), melon (for hydration), apple (an antioxidant) and ginger (energy). It glides on my skin leaving me with a fresh even base. My skin feels like it can breathe when I'm wearing this.
 Dr. Jart Water Fuse BB cream is one of my more recent purchases, and it ticks all the right boxes for me. It has a little thicker consistency than the foundation and it keeps the skin moisturised all day. It makes my face look lovely and dewy (without looking greasy). If you'd like to hear more of my thoughts on this then click here.So that's what I've been using as my base for a while and If my skin needs a bit more 'glow' then I add a bit of Benefit High Beam into the mix.

Do you enjoy mixing products together? If so, what are your favourite combos?

The Fashion post #3: Cute Makeup Bags

I love to store my everyday makeup and beauty essentials in a makeup bag, but I find it quite hard to come across one with a cute design so I thought I'd show you some of my favourite picks to save you some time.

Forever 21 French Bulldog Cosmetic Purse £8.40
This cosmetic purse would be perfect for storing your things in for a few days away, or even keeping on your dressing table. The cute bulldog print is hard to resist and the mint green shade is very suitable for Spring. Very similar to the Ted Baker Ditsy Dog print makeup bags only with a much purse-friendly price tag!

Cath Kidston Daisy Rose Cosmetic Bag £12
I love all Cath Kidston designs but this one really stood out to me. It's pretty, dainty floral design on a wipe-able surface is ideal to house all your on the go makeup and beauty products. It's a lovely handbag friendly-size so you won't need to take nearly everything out just to fit it in.

Initial Wash Bag by Alphabet Bags £20
Simple but great for those who want an adorable beauty bag that will stand out from the crowd and it doesn't have a crazy print or bold colour in sight. Excellent for throwing a few hair and makeup bits in if you're in a rush to work or you've finished a session at the gym.

Topshop Fluro Plastic Makeup Bag £8
Spring isn't all about pastels and floral print. So why not mix it up a bit and go for a neon bag? Small and easy to carry a few bits and bobs around with you when you're having a 'cba' kinda day. This quirky little bag will attract attention, but in a good way.

River Island White Perspex Colour Block Makeup Bag £13
If you're someone who carries a lot of things around with you, then listen up. See-through so there's no way you'll lose anything in there and light-weight too. Great for busy days when you're on the go but you want to keep organised too.

So here are my favourite choices. What are yours?

The Weekend Post #6: Rose, Rose And More Rose!

                                                                                                                                                                                                 

This week I've been finding myself using quite a few rose related products and I thought I'd share my thoughts with you on them this weekend. Rose isn't usually a scent I'd lean towards (as I'm not a huge fan) but I wouldn't outline using any rose scented products at all.
First on the list is the Aromatherapy Hydrating Rose Cleanser. I received this is Red's latest magazine. If you didn't already know, Red are currently giving out some Aromatherapy products. They are three to choose from: the Hydrating Rose cleanser, Rose Face Mask and a Rose Moisturiser  I was on the hunt for the Rose Face Mask, but after searching in numerous WHSmith's, Tesco's etc... I got bored and plumped for the cleanser instead. I was pleasantly surprised with how moisturising this cleanser was and how soft and smooth it left my face feeling. The minute I applied this to my face I immediately felt the effects and my skin feels set for the day after using this. Even with my oily T-Zone.  
Next up is the Balance Me Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve, to me this smells very herbal-like and isn't really my cup of tea, but I managed to look past that. It's 100% natural and claims to 'plump, smooth and hydrate' your lips. When I've applied this my lips do feel plumper, and the lip balm feels to sink into my lips instead of just sitting on top of them. (I can't stand it when a lip balm just sits on top of your lips!)  Due to the scent, this is one I prefer to use before I hit the hay.
Last on my list is Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Perfume, now this doesn't smell entirely like rose but it does have notes of rose in it. This is my favourite perfume ever. I've been wearing this for about a year now and it's basically my signature scent. Perfect for Spring/Summer, as it's light sweet and floral. This will have you sniffing your wrists every few minutes, and at £48 for 75ml, you can't resist. I own the mini travel size version but I can guarantee you I'll be picking up the full size bottle ready for Summer. And to top it off, it's housed in a beautifully designed bottle. What more can I say?



Do have any rose-scented products? What do you think of these?

The Makeup: Dr Jart+ Water Fuse BB Cream | Review

Even though BB Creams have been out a good while now, I'm really late jumping on the bandwagon with this baby, but as I was browsing through Boots the other day, I simply could not resist having a sneaky look at the skincare. I noticed this was actually on offer for a bargain-licious £11.99. My eyes opened wider than wide and I quickly shoved this in my (already full) basket. Yes, you could say I was excited.

I'm more of a foundation gal, but I wanted to give it a go, and core-blimey I'm glad I did.
With its light coverage this is perfect for Spring/Summer, as there's nothing I hate more than wearing a really heavy, mask-like, foundation in the (hopefully) warmer months. I apply this like I would any base, by applying a small amount to my face and blending it out using my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. The thing I love about this is that it's oil-free, which is great news for me as I suffer from oily skin and I sometimes feel like foundation is gradually slipping off my face (yay). However when I use this my skin doesn't feel like an oil-slick at all and it stays put even without the use of a primer.

It's not to thick but not watery either and leaves my skin looking glowy, healthy and natural. There are other BB Creams from Dr Jart+ but this one particularly caught my eye, oil-free with SPF, Aloe leaf juice to prevent moisture loss and anti-redness ingredients, what more could you want eh?
The fact this only comes in one shade, I'll admit did kinda scare me at first, what with my pale skin but I was pleasantly surprised and I didn't leave the house looking like I'd had a fake tan disaster after all. This with a bit of bronzer, blusher, mascara and a neutral lip is purrfect.

The coverage as I mentioned before is light, so I did still have to use a little bit of concealer under my eyes but you can definitely go without a powder with this BB Cream. As far a moisture goes, I still prefer to use a tiny blob of my usual moisturiser beforehand but you probably would be able to get away without using any.
I do love to use this on its own but it's great to use under any foundation, as it helps stop oily skin, so you could just use it like a moisturiser and then go ahead and do your thing on top of it.
This would usually be a rather pricey £18 from boots but I wouldn't hesitate buying another one, as I think this is going to be my Spring/Summer staple. But as it's on offer, get yourself down to boots and pick one up, you won't regret it.

The Weekend Post #5: Saving

My bank balance has been suffering quite a lot recently due to the 3 for 2 makeup offers in Boots, but I've decided I need to start saving up some money (finally) and I wanted to make something simple but cute to collect it in.

So after finishing my Spaghetti Bolognese, I cleaned out the jar and added a few 'decorations' to it.
I used a couple of coats of a glitter nail polish on the lid to add a bit of 'sparkle' to it. I was going to paint it but I would've had to buy some, which would of been silly seen as I'm supposed to be saving my money. I tied a bow around the top using some string and then stuck a little piece of paper on with 'savings' written on it. I really am hoping this cute little jar will encourage me to put a few pounds away every week. I'm also coming to the conclusion that I might own a tad too much makeup and I'm on a mission to use up at least 5 products before I buy any more. Now I'm not promising but I will try, haha!

What do you do to help you save?

The Fashion Post #2: Spring Clean Your Wardrobe

Lets face it, our wardrobes have seen better days and Spring is the perfect time of year to chuck those old jeans and worn-out shoes and replace them with some brighter picks.
Sometimes our wardrobes can get a bit dark and dull looking in the colder months, but the perfect way to add a bit pop in your wardrobe is to invest in some pretty pastels.

H&M Ballet Pumps £7.99
These simple ballet pumps are the perfect Spring shoe. This nude shade will go with lots of different outfits too, now all you need is a pair of pastel coloured jeans, a baggy top, a cute blazer and you're ready to go!

Newlook Cream Lace Burnout Over-Sized Top £8.99
This top is very easy to style and over-sized tops are all the rage at the moment. Their laid-back look is perfect for this time of year and looks lovely tucked into some high-waisted jeans. The lace effect adds something a bit different to the top and it stands out from your regular over-sized tee.

Zara Shopper With Braided Handles £39.99
This bag is at the top of my lust list at the moment, big enough to hold everything you need (including laptops and iPads). Easy to style, you can either carry it by its handles or use the shoulder strap for a more casual look. Brilliant for work-aholics or busy bloggers on the go. This is a must have.

Topshop Ponte Notch Neck Jacket £40
We've ditched out coats but sadly it's not yet warm enough for short-sleeved t-shirts at the moment, so this lightweight jacket is ideal. If bright pink is too bold for you, there are some other shades but personally I think this is a gorgeous colour and would brighten up any dull outfits.

Next A Postcard From Brighton Jumper £45
Baggy jumpers look stunning with a tight-fitting plain vest underneath. This captivating pastel yellow shade is fantastic for Spring and will make a plain vest look stylish and elegant. Pair it with some skinny jeans or some leggings and there you have a lavish but relaxed Spring outfit.

The Versatile Blogger Award

I was kindly nominated by Jo from A Little Pop Of Coral for the Versatile Blogger Award. I'm really excited as I haven't been writing this blog for long and it feels good to know that people are enjoying my blog posts and I appreciate every comment I receive.

The Rules

1. Thank the person who nominated.

2. Include a link to their blog.

3. Select 15 new blog/bloggers you've recently discovered.

4. Nominate these 15 people for the Versatile Blogger Award, leave a link to their page and and a comment on their latest blog post to let them know they've been nominated.

5. Tell the person 7 things about yourself.

Seven Things About Me

1. I can speak quite a lot of Spanish.

2. I am hopeless at saving my money. (sorry bank account..)

3. I have a sister who is 2 years younger than me.

4. My star sign is Libra.

5. I love reading books. I currently have a tower of books that I need to read on my dressing table.

6. I love playing Hay Day. (it's available on the app store)

7. I would love to travel the world.

The Nominees

1. Olivia from Olivia's Teen Beauty Blog

2. Curly Purplepig

3. Kirsty from Behind These Closed Eyes

4. Amia from Teapots and Belles

5. Kristina from Eccentric Owl

6. Islay from Islaay

7. Hannah from a red lip never dates

8. Cara from Instantly Ruby

9. A Blog About Fashion And Beauty

10. Kayla from Kayla's Joy

11. Beauty & Brains

12. Miss Pouty

13. Brooklyn Blonde

14. Styleseeking Zurich

15. Sunnie Brook

If you do reply, then please could you leave a link in the comments so I can see them easily  :)

Models Own Blueberry Muffin Nail Polish | Review

A little while a go I wrote a post to inform you of the Models Own Fruit Pastel collection and since then, I've been eager to get my hands on this particular shade. Blueberry Muffin is a cute pastel, baby blue shade and I don't think I've ever seen another shade quite like it. After two coats, it's beautifully opaque and has a lovely creamy finish. Some people may see the scented claims to be a bit of a gimmick but once dry these do have a slight blueberry scent, but even if it didn't I wouldn't be bothered because it's such a gorgeous colour on its own anyway! There's another 4 shades in the collection and no doubt I'll be picking some more up sometime soon. These are available at Boots for a reasonable £5 and with their 3 for 2 offer on at the moment, now is the time to stock up.

The Weekend Post #4: Getting Organised

source

I do love blogging, but when you have a blog being organised is crucial. A good way to keep organised is to buy a journal/diary or a notepad to write down whenever you post on your blog, trust me this helps, a LOT. 

Preparing Blog Posts: I am constantly preparing new blog posts, so I don't ever run out of things to share. I usually have one day where I will take tons of photos for my posts and then I will spend a few days a week writing them. I find it much easier to plan out what I'm going to blog about rather than leave it to the last minute (although I do have the occasional spur of the moment blog post). There are loads of different ways to keep track of your blog posts but as I mentioned before, using a journal or notepad is usually the best option, as you can carry them around with you and jot down any ideas you might get whilst you're out shopping or even having a meal out with some friends. You never know when an idea might hit you.

Blogging can become stressful if you are constantly worrying about new posts, so relax, take it easy and plan beforehand.

Sorting Out Your Workstation: Or cave, as some may call it. Yes, most of us are guilty of having too much clutter around our work areas, so grab a pen pot and some new storage drawers and get it tidied up!

Having a chaos-free and clean working environment does help. I love buying little storage boxes to keep bits and bobs in, and I have a basket which I keep all products "to review" for my blog, this way they aren't getting lost in my makeup abundance.

Clean Up Your Laptop: The lovely Fiona from MakeupSavvy shared some desktop backgrounds to help bloggers become more organised. Using those helps but also arranging your folders is a must. I have certain folders for my blog and certain ones for personal pictures such as holiday snaps. I must admit, I have ended up calling some pics 'akshkb' or something random like that in the past (please note: I will of been very tired at the time), but gone are those days and I'm glad to say that hasn't happened for a good while. Dropbox is a really smart little app that I love to use on a daily basis. I have it on my phone and my laptop so if I take a picture on my phone, it will upload onto my laptop too! Clever eh?

Set Out A Timetable: You could arrange to blog everyday of the week or just a couple of times a month. Whatever's best for you, trying to do too much will become stressful and blogging is supposed to be enjoyable not a hassle! Once you've got a timetable stick to it, if you feel like doing a bit extra then go ahead but don't panic if you forget to upload on a set day.

I hope this has helped you get into shape with the way you organise your blogging, I really enjoyed writing this and it's definitely got me back into gear!

The Fashion Post #1: Topshop Statement Pieces

Topshop always have a huge variety of jewellery to choose from, and when your outfit needs a little va-va-voom, their statement pieces are perfect to brighten up any plain dresses or you can even pair them with a baggy jumper and some jeans.

Stone and Spike Ring £8.50
This bold ring is bound to stand out from the crowd, with its bright neon pink. Perhaps you've forgotten to paint your nails or your outfit is a bit dull, pop this baby on and you're bound to feel ten times better.

Lux Triangle Collar £16.50
If you don't feel comfortable wearing bright neon shades, then listen up, this one's for you. Simple but effective and it will transform any old top, bringing it bang up to date.

Mixed Stone Collar £25
Now for the loudest out of the bunch. It just simply screams "look at me, look at me!". This, being the daring of the picks, is best for sprucing up your wardrobe and is without a doubt a Spring/Summer staple.

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Coeur De Perle | Review

L'Oreal is one of my favourite high-street brands and when I noticed these new shades of the Rouge Caresse   lipsticks I just had to have one. I picked up the shade nude & cute, which is a gorgeous nude pink/hue shade. These are different though to the original Rouge Caresse lipsticks, these have metallic pink packaging rather than the original silver packaging and a white (with a hefty amount of shimmer), balmy-texture circle in the middle going all the way through the centre of the bullet. If it wasn't for that alluring aspect, then I would of most likely never noticed they were new.

L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Couer De Perle £7.99

These don't last an awfully long time on the lips, but with them being so balm-like and easy to apply (without a mirror too) you can easily top up throughout the day. It's glossy and isn't going to dry your lips out. However I would recommend using a small blob of lip balm beforehand just to make sure the lipstick applies nice and evenly.

There are four shades; nude & cute, cute & floral, pink & angelic and creamy & lacy. The next one I want to get my mitts on is cute & floral, a dainty coral shade.

It's very sheer, but it's marvellous for those days were you don't want to go without lipstick, but you don't want a colour that's too in your face. I think these are great for Spring/Summer and I'm glad to have it in my stash, and I will no doubt be using this on a daily basis from now on. At £7.99 each these are a steal and there's no need to worry about breaking the bank either. Boots are currently having a huge (and I mean huge) 3 for 2 offer across all makeup and beauty related products, so now is your time to invest in one (or four) of these babies. 

What do you think of these?

The Wishlist | April

So here are some products I'm currently lusting over, I can't believe it's April already! It certainly doesn't seem like April though, what with snow a couple of weeks a go and the amount of gusty bitter-cold winds we've been having here in the UK.
  

Diamond Pyramid Necklace £7 | This Works Perfect Look Skin Miracle £28 | Hydraluron Moisture Booster £24.99 | Joyrich Bear Face Jumper £98 | Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm £34 | Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning for Face and Decollete £18 | Topshop Petite Purple Speckle Skater Skirt £16 | & Other Stories Blusher £10

So this months wishlist contains an abundance of skincare/makeup products, but I'm really trying to take better cake of my skin and I want to shake up my usual makeup routine and add a bit of extra colour here and there, and try something new. Which brings me onto the Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanner, I want to look more tanned because I think it just makes your skin look so much healthier and glowy, so a gradual face tanner would be a great choice for lazy me, as it's so easy to build up. And I'm sure most of you will of heard about & Other Stories beauty products by now, I like the look of their blushers, and I love the little message imprinted on the blush "Go girl, seek happy nights to happy days".

Fashion-wise, I'm on the hunt for a new skater skirt and this delightful Topshop speckled purple one really has me attracted to it. My Topshop black skater skirt is getting a bit worn out now, so I think it's about time I bought another one. And whilst I was systematically searching the ASOS website I discovered this Joyrich Bear Face Jumper. I absolutely love the vivid mint green colour of this jumper and if it wasn't for the steep price tag of £98 (eeep) I would most certainly buy this, or already own it.

What products are you coveting for? Have you tried anything that's on my Wishlist?