Things that make me smile! 💙

Hi!
It's currently Monday night and I have school tomorrow why am I in such a good mood?
OMGOMGOMG I just realised how many exciting posts I have for the summer I'm so excited yayyyyyy!!
How are you all doing? I hope everyone is doing great, please leave me a comment about what you were up to today, I'd love to know!
Anyway, today's post is rather random, but that's ok because my blog is not just beauty and makeup, it is general life, recipes (they're coming soon, stay tuned for the summer okayyyy), style, travelling and stuff, or at least it will be over the summer.
Disclamer: this post ends abruptly and I'm sorry for that, I wrote it on my iPad because Im having issues with my computer, so I apologise for that.
Let's just get on with it!
1. Christmas pyjamas
I wear christmas pyjamas all year round, I love them so much and they just really make me smile and they always remind me of Christmas and all the festivity
2. Doing things with my friends
I love being with my friends, talking to friends and having inside jokes and things with my friends, I can't wait to see my best friend Sophie soon (I say soon, it may be the end of August :( when we next see eachother, because exams and travelling are getting in the way of everything), and whenever we're together we have such a fun time, I usually do her makeup and take over her snapchat for the entire time. I also have another friend- one of my best friends even, who has a blog (actually two of my best friends have blogs, I don't know if they'd want me to link them, but hopefully they know who they are?) and I got him into it, we had our own little 'party' at being in the blogging community (we were whatsapping at the time so it was hardly a party but still) and it's just lovely to share special moments with your friends.
3. Tea
Obviously, being an average British person, I am obsessed with tea. Like I always have tea. Within half an hour of waking up in the morning, I'll have a cup of tea. It just makes me so so happy and I just love tea to pieces, I don't know what I'd do without it.
4. Writing essays
Most people hate writing essays, but to be honest, I actually quite like it, I like being able to analyse and talk about the writers use of language, the historical context, the punctuation for effect, tone, structure, impact on the reader and the text from the protagonists point of view. English is my thing and I like essays.
5. Flowers
I love flowers. I also have hay fever, which is not convinient. But they're so aesthetically pleasing and photogenic and I just really like them
6. Pancakes
Pancakes are my favourite thing ever ever ever. I love them to bits, I could live off pancakes (and tea), they're just so yummy and I can't even!
 7. Ice cream
I have an easy ice cream recipe going up over summer, and the photo is on that post too, but ice cream is so yummy and amazing and it is so refreshing, there is nothing nicer than having ice cream on a hot summers day (or any day really) and enjoying life.
8. Lipsticks
If you know me, you know I love love love love love lip products. I've mentioned it before, and it is so true, lip products are my favourite things and the satisfaction I get from buying new lipsticks and then trying them (would you like a lipstick collection? Comment whether you would) is unreal, I just absolutely love lipsticks. And I'm a lip balmist (Chris that was for you (-: )
9. Fairy lights
Fairy lights are the prettiest things ever, they are so calming and beautiful, they are literally so gorgeous and they give me so much pleasure just to look at and they always make me smile. They're also so photogenic.
10. Snow
Snow is just one of those things. I love it so much and surprisingly, I've only seen it once.

 

Aaaaaanyways, toodlepip!

Alice x

Affordable makeup must-haves! 💄

Yes, that is a lipstick emoji in the title. Can we appreciate it for a moment.

Moment over, hello guys! Are you well? I hope you're doing fine. If you have exams now (which basically the entire secondary education level students have starting from now- me included) then GOOD LUCK! Just remember that after exams it's summer, where we can forget everything we learnt in the year and stress about going into year 10! Whoooo. Anyway, I have been cursed with tonsillitis AGAIN, for the second time in four weeks, so I'm off school again and I am feeling pretty ill. I have a cup of tea though so it's fine. Now, today's post is an affordable makeup must-haves, and I am not actually sure how I feel about this post, I want to apologise in advance about the pictures, I decided at like 11pm that I wanted to do this, took the photos on my bed (I hate my sheets too, they
don't even match, like the bottom sheet is purple and the one under the quilt is red, weird, ikr) and thought that they would do. So, sorry about that, its not one of my best photography sessions, you can see the flash on most of them and it doesn't look great, but hopefully the actual post will make up for it!

So I'll start with foundation, and I have chosen the Rimmel lasting finish 25 hour foundation. Previously, I have moaned about this foundation and told you how much I don't like it, but my opinion has changed. Over a primer, this is amazing. It stays on for a really long time, and it is medium coverage, but it is buildable, last week I had a huge rash all over my cheek/chin, and two layers of this covered it so well. If you do build this foundation up, it goes a little cakey throughout the day and then patchy, sometimes my cheeks will still look fine at the end of the day, and my forehead and around my nose where I get oily it will start to go patchy and icky, however I only powder once all day. I've had this foundation since February, and I wore it everyday for about a month, and then probably for an equivalent of everyday for three weeks, and I did try to DIY a moisturising foundation thing, and used about 8 pumps (I know, I'm not sure what I was thinking) and it's only half empty. This foundation is £7.99 and is one of the more affordable foundations out there.

Next I'm going to be talking about one of my favourite concealers (I have two, and the other one is the Rimmel match perfection), and this one is the Maybelline fit me concealer, which is just a-ma-zing. Literally, I have no words, it is just such a good concealer. I am planning on trying the Urban Decay naked skin concealer this summer, which has recently been all the hype, so I'll report back on that, but so far this is the most amazing concealer ever ever ever. I got it at the beginning of April, and I bought a back up the other day, I didn't wear it for a while because I thought it was giving me breakouts, but it wasn't so phew, but I think there's about half, maybe more left- I just got up and checked, there's 3/4s left. I have heard that this concealer is a really good dupe for the Nars creamy concealer, and I can't personally comment on that since I haven't tried the Nars one, but if you like the look of the Nars one but wanted a cheaper alternative, then this one may be the one to go for! The coverage of this concealer is amazing, it's definitely full coverage and is so easy to blend, and the formula is incredible, it's creamy and thick but not too thick in the sense that it doesn't go cakey, it's just the right thickness. The actual packaging is ok, it does look like the Nars one, they are both in lipstick tube packaging with the spongy applicator, the bottle is plastic, and although you can't see it in the photo because I used the back up concealer to take the photo, the packaging does rub off and it does go a bit funny. Though for £5.99, I think it's worth the rubby-offy packaging because the actual product is incredible.

Just to change it up a bit, I think I'll talk to you about a lip product next, because those of you who know me know that I have a slight obsession to lip products, I'm never without lip balm and I love lipsticks and lip glosses, well, mainly lipsticks but y'know, I do own a few lip glosses so I thought I'd throw that one in. So one of my favourite lipsticks of all time is the Revlon Colourburst (yes, I spelt it the British way) lip butter in 001, Pink Truffle, it is just the most gorgeous, natural looking pinky lipstick with a brown undertone, it is very moisturising on the lips and the packaging is beautiful. This lipstick doesn't wash me out, and I'm quite pale in the grand scheme of things, it's just the perfect colour and I think it would suit everyone. I'm definitely going to try out more colours from the range very soon (meaning when I'm not broke, so basically never haha, no, I will try them out very soon) and review those too. For £7.99, these are very good value and they're incredible products, I will definitely be repurchasing this lipstick.

Now I will talk to you about a powder, and everyone raves about this powder and goes on and on and on and on, and I can totally see why. It's the Rimmel stay matte powder, and it's probably one of the best powders out there. I have repurchased this 3 times, I currently have three, one in backup, one I had to smash to get the last bits and I'm using that still, and then one that I was using because I was too lazy to smash up the rest of the other one. It says it lasts for five hours, and it does, it covers nicely and gives a really nice finish. It's £3.99 and is worth it, it has an array of shades.

I'm not sure how this post is already this long, but there's only one thing to go, you'll be pleased to hear.
So now I will talk to you about my mascara of choice, and it is the Maybelline lash sensational. I have mine in the waterproof version, purely because I prefer waterproof mascaras. I don't wear this on an everyday basis, as it does give the impression of very big, separated eyelashes, and that's no what I want everyday. It's nice for evening and weekend wear, and for special occasions. It's a good dupe for the Two Faced better than sex mascara, at least that's what I've heard from many people. Its £5.99 and for a mascara, that's a really good price. I also love the packaging of this, I love the colours and overall, I just think it's great!

So that is all for today, sorry it was really long, I'll be back soon with another post, and as this weekend I'm going on a staycation because it's half term, I'll do a post about it!
Anyways, toodlepip!
Alice x

Q&A; homework, gymnastics, crushes & makeup ☆

Hi! I wanted to do a Q&A today purely because I wanted everyone who reads this to know a bit about me and answer some questions. So let's do just that!

Favourite youtuber? 
That's quite hard because I like loads of YouTubers, but right now it's probably Eve Bennett or Gabby's vlog channel

What drugstore makeup items do you recommend? 
Definitely the Maybelline primers, they are literally amazing and I really love them, I have the instant pore eraser one (the one in blue packaging) and you only need a tiny amount for your whole face, like less than a pea sized dot. In this case, a little goes a long way. I also love the Rimmel Stay Matte powder, my shade is 004, sandstorm, but when I went to get a spare one the other day I could only find 003, peach blossom, which is a shade lighter than I'd usually go for. If you want a super good coverage, under eye highlighting concealer then definitely go for the Rimmel match perfection concealer, or if you want an alternative then the Maybelline fit me concealer is also amazing. For lip products, I mainly use the baby lips by Maybelline because I have a slight lip balm obsession (I have to apply lip balm like every 5 minutes), so I would recommend those lip balms. I don't want to go too in-depth because there will be a drugstore makeup favourites/makeup collection/dressing table beauty post coming soon, I might do all three, who knows? :-)

Favourite song at the moment?
Now this one I don't know, I have been loving lots of songs at the moment, especially anything by Little Mix, The Vamps, Shawn Mendes, The 1975, One Direction, 5 Seconds of Summer, and so on, there's too many to choose from! But my top three are probably Windmills by The Vamps, Hair by Little Mix and Love Me Like You by Little Mix.

What activities do you do out of school?
Erm well I did MUN, and I'm going to do it again in September, but the person who runs it and I don't get along very well, so when they're gone in September I'm going to re-join. it. I also do flute, but my teacher got cancer so he's off until September, then I did gymnastics for a while but had to stop because of school, I did tennis for years and years, and I do ballet three times a weeks. I also like to think of blogging as a thing, so I guess I could add that too.

How do you cope with homework and revision?
Well, I try to be really organised and focused. I do my homework when I get home from school so I'm in the right mindset, I will have a cup of tea with me and just work. Sometimes, I procrastinate so much and barely get anything done, other days I'll just be able to work. I usually find homework ok, I get at least two time consuming pieces a night, if not more. Over the weekend I have lots of homework, history essay, English essay prep (I wasn't in school for the actual analysis and reading of the text so I have two A3 sheets which are double sided to fill out), two maths unit tests, French revision, science past paper, maths revision and art exam prep. I don't know how I'm going to do it, to be completely honest. Just keep going, that's my motivation, to keep going because then you can flop down in bed and go to sleep afterwards.

How old are you?
I'm fourteen, fifteen in March next year.

What subjects did you choose for IGCSE and how should I choose?
Well, you should choose based on what you enjoy most in school, and what you feel you excel in and would be comfortable doing for the next two years. I chose twice, but I'll only tell you about the choices I made in my current school. So after English Literature and English Language, Maths and Additional Maths/Further Maths, Biology, Chemistry & Physics, I had four choices, so I chose French, Geography, Sociology and History. Originally, I chose Sociology, Geography, Computer Science and History, but then I swapped to French (it still needs to be finalised on the school system) because I like French more.

Where are you going this summer and where do you want to travel to?
This summer I am going to England and Spain, and when I'm in Spain my family and I are going to visit Almeria, Mojacar Pueblo, Mojacar, Malaga and Alicante. I would love to visit Venice, Rome, Miami, Orlando, the French Alps, Amsterdam, Cornwall, Hungary, Oman, South Africa and of course, Singapore again. Oh, a little side note, I was thinking of doing a Singapore travel diary, so let me know if you'd like that in the comments!

What exciting blog posts have you got lined up?
Well, there's just too many! I have some photography series coming up, so far I have a two for that little series, I have some recipes coming up soon, book reviews, skincare essentials, and many many more that I don't want to share right now, I've written them but I don't want to give them away, all I can say is wait for the summer!

How much high end makeup do you own?
None :( I'm getting mac's plink! this summer, it's a lipstick, I'm so excited and I can't wait to get it. I don't really think I want much high end makeup, just plink! and then I'm content, there was a blush I saw in Sephora that I really liked, but I don't know whether I'll get it. Please do leave any high end makeup you love and think I should try out in the comments, I'd love to do reviews!

How did you get your skin to clear up?
If you didn't know, I had pretty bad skin for at least two years, if not longer. Then, all of a sudden about three weeks ago it started to clear up, and I think it was because of the antibiotics I was put on. After two bottles of it, my skin was really clear, and it is still clear now (I have two spots and three scars), I use a variety of Simple and Boots own products, there will be a skincare routine coming very soon. I also haven't eaten sweets and chocolate in like forever, or dairy, actually, and my skin is hyper-allergic, so I'm allergic to dairy, so I haven't had any in a while, and I haven't really had any chocolate, apart from the odd mini egg still lying around after Easter, and I haven't had sweets in ages. I've also eaten tons of almonds lately, which are supposedly really good for you skin.

Where do you buy your clothes from?
Well, I practically live in my pyjamas, which are from tescos and BHS, but the rest of my clothes are from a variety of shops. I have two pairs of jeans from gap that I practically live in, I have a skirt and a jumper from Forever 21 that I love, three tops from Old Navy, a pair of black leggings that I basically wear all the time from M&S, grey leggings which I love from Zara, along with three pairs of shorts and three-five tops, two jumpers and a jacket from there, then I have two cardigans and a few tops from H&M, then some t-shirts from Go Sport, and then a jumpsuit, cardigan, skirt, jumper and top from Tescos. Don't worry, I'll probably have a style guide up soon :)

Any tips for when you have a crush?
Erm, be yourself, that's really important, just be yourself around them, talk to them in real life as well as online, and then drop compliments here and there to them, and always smile and acknowledge them when you see them. I'm not good with crush advice sorry ahaha.

TV shows you've been loving recently?
Call the midwife as per usual, Death in paradise, I love love love death in paradise, its so funny and amazing and yep, and then Casualty, of course, I watch it every week on iPlayer, Great British Bake Off because its just life, Pretty Little Liars and Grey's anatomy.

What are you looking forward to in the near future?
For starters, tomorrow I'm going to the cinema with my friend Hollie, and her sister (who's also my friend) Chloe, and possibly our other friend Kimberley, then on Saturday I'm also going to the cinema with some friends, then I'm looking forward to the end of term and summer holidays!!!!

That wraps up today's post, I'm sorry there were no pictures, I didn't know what pictures to put. I hope you enjoyed and I'll be back soon with another post, byeee!
Alice x