Best of Black Friday UK

Hi! I’m not sure why this sudden Black Friday trend has started in the UK seeing as we don’t even do Thanksgiving, but hey as a bargain LOVER  I ain’t complaining.

I’ve been getting emails all week regarding the sales and so I thought I’d put them all together in one post so you can all access them together. This weekend for me personally will be very busy under the books and fun of SPSS *growls* but I’m sure I’ll be sneaking the odd sale in here and there, especially as it’s payday tomorrow, yeah mullah!

Each site is hyperlinked, and I have tried to include when everything ends, but do double check just incase.
Beauty

ASOS - 20% off EVERYTHING!
Code: ‘CYBERWKND20’

I highly recommend picking up any NARS goodies you’ve been lusting after! I nearly always purchase NARS in 20%off ASOS sales as the value is so good! Personally I’ve got my eye on a certain matte lippie..

Debenhams - 10% off ALL beauty and fragrance

Although 10% is rather small, I would highly recommend using this opportunity to pick up some beauties from Dior, Chanel and Too Faced! These brands hardly ever have deals and you can save a nice amount by chipping off 10%

Makeup Revolution - Spend £25 and get £25 worth of makeup FREE

No code required. I would recommend the ‘I heart chocolate palette’ reviewed here and the brush cleaner ofc! They have amazing products for crazy low prices, and this would be a good opportunity to pick up a bunch of free stocking fillers!

Guru Makeup Emporium - various deals for black Friday only

I think these will probably be better suited to the MUAS amongst us, but do check it out if you’re looking for some Make Up Forever brushes, the smoky eye kit and also others from Beaute Cosmetics, Naked cosmetics and more, you can get 20% off which is a bargain and a half!

REN Skincare - 25% off EVERYTHING for Thursday 27th ONLY
CODE: FRIENDS

I highly recommend their cleansers and the 1 minute facial! I adore REN for their clean, hardworking skincare ^_^ I have a hot cloth cleanser waiting to be used, and will probably pick up a few more masks because with 25% off its a steal.

FragranceDirect - Free Delivery over £20 - ends 30th

CODE: FDTREAT
You might be wondering why I bothered including this, but EVERYTHING on this site is discounted already! And normally you only get free delivery with £40+ so if you’re gonna buy anyone perfume anytime some, you probably won’t find it anywhere cheaper than here. They also have O.P.I polishes for insanely low prices, as well as other gems in the makeup department!

Guerlain Make Up - 20% OFF from 26th-1st

Another luxury beauty brand that I never see on sale, so if you’re looking to treat yourself or a loved one, now is the time to do so!

FeelUnique - details to be revealed!

FeelUnique always have deals going on, but they will be revealing some special ones tomorrow according to le twitter. However it’s worth checking out my post on the best of feelunique because they have some true beauties, read that here.

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FASHION
Then And Now - 30% everything from FRI 28th - MON 1ST
CODE: BLACK30
‘a luxury online retailer offering current designer collections and discounted past seasons, together with the best offerings from the top stores around the globe!’


House of Fraser - Up to 40% off Brand Event from Wed 26th - MON 1st
There will be extra black Friday specials on the day only so keep an eye out!

MyWardrobe.com - 50% off All Current Season - Now - 6th Dec


MissGuided - 20% off ALL orders - 28th - 1st Dec
CODE: CYBER20

Topshop - up to 50% off

I’m loving the fact that they have great winter pieces here, although I wish there were more! A lot of statement necklaces and jems if you’re on the market for those.

Urban Outfitters - up to 50% off

I have seen the most gorgeous ‘vegan’ tote bags which are reversible too! There are also some quirky gifts and sales in the men’s departments too so again a good opportunity to pick up a few bargain gifts for others.

ZARA - 20% OFF Outerwear, Sweaters, t-shirts, cardigans and boots - on Friday 28th ONLY

WHO doesn’t love a good Zara sale?! I’m excited to check out everything in the above department, good quality, on-trend pieces for 20% off, yes please!

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SHOES
Shoeaholics - 70% off Kurt Geiger AND extra 20% off EVERYTHING - Valid till Sun 30th
CODE: SAHF&F20


Office - 20% off EVERYTHING and free delivery
CODE: SNOW

I was particularly excited to see this as I need some comfy boots for the rest of winter and Office do not disappoint (:

HOME and OTHER
Homebase - 15% off Sitewide - 29th - 30th

Lots of cute home bits and bobs, with 1/3 off lighting (don’t get fairy lights from e-bay they are rubbish ._.). Homebase also stock the habitat range which was a store I loved, and then it closed down..so to get the the range on sale of 25% off is awesome although it is mainly furniture!

Amazon  - Huge Black Friday deals this weekend

Amazon have been raving about Black Friday for the past two weeks and there will be new deals every hour - so it’s worth clicking here to shop all deals and see if you spot a bargain! One deal in particular that I’m looking forwards too indulging is the ‘three paperbacks for £10’.

eBay - Lots of Black Friday deals too!

Very similar to Amazon there are lots of deals to be had with THIS device at the top of my list ;D

I hope this list is helpful and HAPPY SHOPPING!! ^_^

Thanks for reading!

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Best of Black Friday UK

Hi! I’m not sure why this sudden Black Friday trend has started in the UK seeing as we don’t even do Thanksgiving, but hey as a bargain LOVER  I ain’t complaining.

I’ve been getting emails all week regarding the sales and so I thought I’d put them all together in one post so you can all access them together. This weekend for me personally will be very busy under the books and fun of SPSS *growls* but I’m sure I’ll be sneaking the odd sale in here and there, especially as it’s payday tomorrow, yeah mullah!

Each site is hyperlinked, and I have tried to include when everything ends, but do double check just incase.

November Birchbox review and first impression

Hi ladies! I would like to start be apologising - this was actually written two whole weeks ago and I have only JUST gotten around to taking photos for it, so I will have to slightly reword it (darn it). Also I’m sorry for my absence from the blog, second year is really starting to kick in already so sometimes (sadly) the blog has to go on the backburner.

Just to run through the basics birchbox costs £10 + P&P £2.95 for the rolling monthly sub, you fill out a beauty profile which explores any skincare problems, your complexion, hair type etc. so your box can be best catered to you AND you can collect reward points which you can use to spend in the e-shop. read about my experience of that awesome feature here. Oh and update! I redeemed my second free gift from birchbox and I picked up the Liz Earle skincare set and 2 BARS OF ORGANIC WHITE CHOCOLATE. ain’t no other subscription box getting my love ever again. ever.

I know some people hate subscription boxes, I certainly am sceptical of most of them, because there is always the worry that it’s not worth the money.BUT I’ve been SO impressed with birchbox for the past 3 months that I’ve been subscribed, they have the best value for money and each month I’ve received a full size product that would cost a lot more, which makes it well worth the tenner plus change. 

Free gifts from them thusfar: the beauty blender+ cleanser, Benefit bigger than BB cream, Liz Earle skincare starter kit and 2 bars of chocolate. Total value:  £72.53 Yeeaaah!!!

  Another thing that I love about birchbox is you can unsubscribe and resubscribe whenever you like, so if you fancy a break from the monthly sub, but then two months later you see a box that spots your fancy, you can pick it up! So because of this I’ve decided to do is a little round-up of my box’s content each month with an overall rating, which should hopefully help you.

So November’s theme is ‘cosy at home’ and I must say I adore this little card, with that famous phrase because (I warn you now you’ll get sick of me talking about this but it’s only been a week I’m still excited ok) I passed my driving test on the 5th of November, and it’s actually a date I will remember despite having the memory capabilities of a peanut. Nice little keepsafe there ^_^  I enjoyed the little bronzing ‘how to’ in the little magazine, as well as some more info on Dr. Jart+ skincare.

In my box....

I loved the full size Dr. Jart+ water-Act Skin Mist (£18), a huge 150ml bottle of GMO-free toner! I never understood the point of using a toner until I went to a Lush bloggers event and learnt about why it’s a great step to add in your skincare routine. I now use toned every-time before I moisturise and I feel like it’s really helped my skin! So to get a huge bottle of this toner, worth £18 was incredible - already more than the cost of the box.

I also love the LipGlam Natural Lanolin Lip Balm (£9.99), cannot believe I forgot to photograph sorry you guys ;( which is full size and retails for £9.99. I am always on the hunt for a good lipbalm, and the fact that this tube is 100% natural and claims to last up to 8 hours gets a huge thumbs up from me! It claims to absorb 300% of its weight in water AND is non-greasy. If this balm works as well as it promises I will be over the moon! Both of these are wonderful additions to my winter skincare routine, and with the value of £28 I’m chuffed to get them for a lot less!

Finally in my LOVE category, this was a like but I tried it ONCE and it has been upgraded you guys! The Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Hair Mask (£16). Another brand that I am new too, and I got two pots. Now I will be reviewing these soon because I am just THAT impressed with it, but basically if you have dry hair which needs a lot of TLC, look this way! I was blown away by how instant the product worked and also how little I had to use. I received two pots and they will last me a good few months which is again super value for money!

I liked the Lord and Berry Bronzer in Sunny(£19) although I was surprised to see how tiny it is! 2g is a decent size for testing a product out, however the packaging in this case isn’t very convenient, because unless you have a e/s palette with slots or a Z palette, you would have to keep opening and closing this to use it. That being said the bronzer itself is a gorgeous matte shade which will warm up most complexions beautifully without leaving a muddy, shimmery or orange complexion. It will also make the most perfect crease shade! ^_^ 

I wasn’t too fussed about the English Laundry (£60) Signature for her sample size. Although the full size retails for £60, I’m just not a huge fan of trying out new scents. A little like hair care I suppose, because when I find one or two that I enjoy I like to stick to them, but I do appreciate the fact that it’s in its own little spray bottle. I will probably be handing this over to the Ma.

The lifestyle element this time was a mini chocolate bar from Montezuma’s. It is stated that is it made with the finest organic cocoa beans, and actually I thought this was really really delicious. I’m not a huge chocolate person (more a candy girl) but this chocolate is so rich and creamy, its the perfect treat after a long day.

 

Overall rating for this box: 8

Highlights: Full sized Dr. Jart toner, 100% natural lip balm, super effective hair masks and the introduction to the Montezuma!

If you would like to subscribe to birchbox, feel free to use my referral link here which will earn us both £5 to spend in the e-shop! You can also get £5 OFF November’s box by using the code: NOV5.

If you are already subscribed, what did you think of this months box?

Thanks for reading!

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November Birchbox review and first impression

Hi ladies! I would like to start be apologising - this was actually written two whole weeks ago and I have only JUST gotten around to taking photos for it, so I will have to slightly reword it (darn it). Also I’m sorry for my absence from the blog, second year is really starting to kick in already so sometimes (sadly) the blog has to go on the backburner.

Just to run through the basics birchbox costs £10 + P&P £2.95 for the rolling monthly sub, you fill out a beauty profile which explores any skincare problems, your complexion, hair type etc. so your box can be best catered to you AND you can collect reward points which you can use to spend in the e-shop. read about my experience of that awesome feature here. Oh and update! I redeemed my second free gift from birchbox and I picked up the Liz Earle skincare set and 2 BARS OF ORGANIC WHITE CHOCOLATE. ain’t no other subscription box getting my love ever again. ever.

Review & Giveaway | Travalo

Hello everyone! Today I am very excited to be reviewing one of my all time favourite products, something I have loved for over 2 years now and it pretty much stays in my bag at all times.

I discovered this through a youtuber two years ago, and it seemed like the perfect solution to the annoying problem of lugging around a perfume bottle all day. Once I had this in my life, I could never understand why ANYONE would carry around their perfume, not only does it weigh down your bag, but usually bottles are all sorts of awkward shapes and sizes , and can be a hazard at times too (especially if you’re clumsy like me.)

Let me introduce you to the Travalo!

It is a perfume atomiser, which is quick and simple to use, with no need for pouring and wastage of your chosen scent.  You simple remove the cap of the pump, put the travalo over the top and pump it up and down till you have your desired amount inside. I love how you can get through duty free with this, having no issues and how it’s small enough to fit into any clutch purse, makeup bag or even pocket! They are the light-weight, strong, easy to use option for carrying fragrance, and the little glass window makes it easy to know when to fill up again. There are a range of colours to choose from, and in my opinion these would make fantastic gifts!

Having owned a travalo for over two years and seeing how it is still as strong and in good use as ever, demonstrates the quality of the product! I was worried the lid would fall off easily,  but it’s stayed in place despite being moved from place to place. Another thing I appreciate about the travalo is how it’s fairly discrete, I love how I can quickly top up my perfume without pulling out a huge bottle and drawing lots of attention to myself, I know that sounds odd but I also know some of you know what I mean, haha.

The only ‘downside’ I’ve read about these is when you want to change scents it’s not always easy to clean  out the inside, however I address this by spraying out as much of the old perfume as possible, pumping once with the new perfume, spraying that out twice and I find the new scent is set in place with no problems. It’s not often that I do change scents, being a creature of habit, so like I said not a huge issue for me, but there are ways to get around it and reuse your travalo for a different scent  ^_^

I purchased the original one first, and then a few months after I started TheBlushingGiraffe I knew I had to speak about this, but I wanted to be able to share it with you all too. So I got in contact with the lovely team, and they kindly sent me one of their new ‘Classic Excels’ which holds 65 sprays, and they also sent an extra one for a little giveaway!

So if you would like to be in with the chance of winning a travalo, there are only 2 mandatory steps:

1. Follow TheBlushingGiraffe on Bloglovin’

2. Comment below telling me your favourite perfume of all time and why!

Rules:

UK only   -     This giveaway will end on Saturday 29th November

The winner will have 48 hours to reply to my e-mail. Failure to do so will result in another winner being picked. All competition/Giveaway accounts will be removed.

The added extras will just increase your chance of winning, so fill in the rafflecopter and good luck ^_^

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And if you cannot wait and would like to purchase the travalo you can from their official site here or from FragranceDirect here for less than £7! A bargain is there ever was one. This is a brilliant useful present for literally anyone in your life, and a HG beauty tool for me!

Thankyou to Travalo for providing the giveway travalo! oh and for creating such an awesome product too of course!

Have you tried the travalo yet?

Thanks for reading!

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Review & Giveaway | Travalo

Hello everyone! Today I am very excited to be reviewing one of my all time favourite products, something I have loved for over 2 years now and it pretty much stays in my bag at all times.

I discovered this through a youtuber two years ago, and it seemed like the perfect solution to the annoying problem of lugging around a perfume bottle all day. Once I had this in my life, I could never understand why ANYONE would carry around their perfume, not only does it weigh down your bag, but usually bottles are all sorts of awkward shapes and sizes , and can be a hazard at times too (especially if you’re clumsy like me.)

Haul | The high-end kind (Oops)

Hey lovely people! So a while back, I think around the end of August I did a rather insanely large SpaceNK haul, and I bought a lot more than I anticipated, all because of this special deal they had on. The way I see high-end makeup is that it’s a real treat, especially as I have more than enough makeup circulating right now anyway ._. so when I do get a new NARS blush or whatever it’s a big deal! The majority of the haul is still in it’s box, and whenever I reach a personal goal I treat myself. I’ve worked out (as a psychology student har har) that I am highly motivated by rewards so its brilliant achieving something and getting that instant gratification! said every human being. ever.

I would definitely say I have shifted my views on the whole highend/drugstore. I used to be very much a drugstore girl and hated the thought of spending more than £10 on a product. Now that I have been working for over 2 years, and buying makeup for pretty much a year and a half, whilst reading blogs etc; I’ve learned that 80% of the time when you ‘invest’ in a high-end product you’ll be getting higher quality, longer lasting on the skin and longer lasting product because a lot of the times you have to use less of the stuff. That’s not to say I don’t still love drugstore, but I certainly adore the odd treat now and again!

So today’s haul is a mishmash of stuff I bought recently and stuff from August which has been ‘earned’ ^_^

One of my most recent purchases thanks to the ASOS 20% off sale has been the NARS velvet matte lip pencil Bahama which is actually my first ever NARS pencil and I was incredibly excited to get it! I’ve been eyeing up the line for months, but not wanting to purchase a red shade which I wouldn’t really use often enough to justify the price tag, I went for this dark nude colour, a mix of pink and brown and the kind of shade that I can slip on everyday and not worry about!

I also bought the NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in the shade Stromboli. This is another product which I have heard sooo much about, and I am super excited to try it. In a way it’s kind of my first proper high-end foundation which has medium/full coverage and which will probably be reserved for the more special of occasions! I don’t think I’ll be opening this just yet as I’m currently testing out the Bourjois Happy Light foundation and the Benefit bigger than BB cream, however I might just try a TINY bit for Sunday’s charity event....just a little ;D

I bought my FIRST ever Chanel beauty product at the beginning of September, and could it be anything other than the  Soleil tan de chanel . I mean I did linger at the little square boxes o foundation but the ridiculous amounts of bases that I have collected over the past 6 months firmly led me away from them! A little bit of of thought did go into this insanely luxurious purchase, I own the Bourjois bronzing primer and I adore the stuff. It’s a beautiful cream bronzer which can give me a healthy warm glow with little effort. The main disadvantage is it doesn’t quite as long as I would like, and a little birdie told me that Chanel and Bourjois are made in the same place, so I’m expecting beautiful things from this. Plus the size of the stuff 100% justifies the price tag, because it will last for ages! (like I said, you tend to get your monies worth with highend!)

The By Terry Baume De Rose was part of the SpaceNK bonus, and I think it’s one of the most adorable little pots I have ever seen in my life! Now the full size of this balm costs a whopping £38 for 10g which is a little bit insane. I don’t think I could ever justify such a huge price tag for a lip balm, but the mini version is a welcome addition - I wanna see my lips turn better than Kylie G’s for this price tbh  ._.

Finally I picked up the most ADORABLE mini palette in the whole wide world, from the wonderful theBalm of course! I coincidently saw this the day I passed my driving test and so of course I HAD to pick it up from the ASOS sale! theBalm Auto Balm - California Face Palette  is ALMOST the most perfect travel palette I have ever seen in my life. It is a little bigger than my bank card, and includes a blush (not a shadow shade for me at all though!), crease/brow shade lid/liner shade and a highlight shade. It would be the ultimate palette if it had more of a neutral base shade for all over the lid, but aside from that I think its fabulous for the price and the fact that is it in the design of a driving license is SO darn adorable!! It was fate that I picked it up on the same day, and lets be honest here - the perfect excuse ^__^

That concludes my haul for the rest of this month and I’m very excited to be using all of these over the coming weeks!

Have you tried any of these? What are your thoughts? (:

Thanks for reading!

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Haul | The high-end kind (Oops)

Hey lovely people! So a while back, I think around the end of August I did a rather insanely large SpaceNK haul, and I bought a lot more than I anticipated, all because of this special deal they had on. The way I see high-end makeup is that it’s a real treat, especially as I have more than enough makeup circulating right now anyway ._. so when I do get a new NARS blush or whatever it’s a big deal! The majority of the haul is still in it’s box, and whenever I reach a personal goal I treat myself. I’ve worked out (as a psychology student har har) that I am highly motivated by rewards so its brilliant achieving something and getting that instant gratification! said every human being. ever.

Review | Rimmel Provocalips 16hr kiss proof lip colour - 730 Make Your Move

I am SO excited to writing this review! In fact I don’t think I’ve been this excited to review a lip product ever, because quite honestly Rimmel have blown me away! First things first the Rimmel Provocalips lip colours are available 8 shades and cost £6.99 each,which is a complete bargain for how well they deliver.

The Provocalips are essentially a matte liquid lipstick on one end with a balm type of sealer product on the other end. I picked up the shade ‘Make Your Move’ and I honestly don’t think there could be a more ME shade out there! The colour is PERFECT, it’s a brown toned rose mixed with mauve. A darker MLBB, and it looks so effortless and classy. It also had the ability to some how pull my whole face together at 7:30am on a Tuesday morning when I’m on the train and I want nothing more than to be back in bed!

I don’t know what it is about these somewhat 90’s lip shades, but they are floating my boat like no tomorrow, and I have not used any other lip product since I bought this!

If you’ve been a reader for a while you will be aware that I have a large collection of lipsticks, glosses, balms etc. which don’t get used because to be quite honest with you I cannot be bother to keep up with them! I hate retouching makeup, it’s a pain and time consuming and so I’d much rather just apply a clear balm then deal with feathering and fading and moving about etc;.

The provocalips are the perfect solution to my problem, I apply it at 7:30am and by 4-5 they are still intact, if a little faded in the middle of the lips. I normally have a hot drink in the morning, fish and chips on a Friday afternoon and I’m continuously drinking water, snacking and talking throughout the day. So the fact that I can apply the provocalips and forget about them, because they’re so darn comfortable, yet glance in a mirror and see they are perfectly set and haven’t budged.... it is mindblowing! Whenever you hear about a long-lasting product you imagine it to be dry and crusty on the lips, but these apply very smoothly and the balm side goes a long way in giving it the moisturising/comfortable touch.

The application is great, standard doe-foot which are the perfect size for applying the liquid lipstick exactly where you need it. I’d recommend wiping a bit off when you open it because sometimes a little too much product can be applied. The pigmentation is also phenomenal, you just need one swipe! Once put on the lips, give it around 40 seconds to set and then go in with the white side, which is a slightly gooey balm. This stops the liquid lipstick for drying up and feeling tight on the lips, it adds moisture and sets it in place. Personally I like it to be less glossy, and I am just in love with how easy these are to get on with! The fact that they stay and stay and stay, with no rubbing off on teeth, no peeling, flaking is just incredible. It exceeded all my expectations, well done Rimmel!

 

If you’re looking for a long-lasting lip product, which isn’t horribly drying and which will not be disrupted by your food and drink, then check these beauties out! There are a range of shades, however I don’t think I’ll personally find anything that I get on better with than Make Your Move for every day! Researching swatches, I think the shade ‘Play with fire’ would make an amazing red lip for special occasions, especially because you don’t have to worry about it budging from where you placed it! ‘I’ll call you’ also looks like a pretty more natural alternative for an everyday lip colour ^_^

 

Final Verdict:

Product rating: 10
Pros: It is long lasting. This shade is gorgeous, a stunning brown toned nude which looks extremely classy. It isn’t drying like most long lasting products, you can wear it and forget about it, it’s just THAT comfortable! There are 8 shades to choose from, it lasts all day and stays defined without any lipliner.
Cons: It doesn’t quite last 16hours, but long enough for me to get through a day of Uni without worrying about it!
Repurchase? 100% These have totally exceeded my expectations and I know I’ll be repurchasing Make Your Move as soon as I start running out!

Have you tried these beauties yet?

Thanks for reading!

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Review | Rimmel Provocalips 16hr kiss proof lip colour - 730 Make Your Move

I am SO excited to writing this review! In fact I don’t think I’ve been this excited to review a lip product ever, because quite honestly Rimmel have blown me away! First things first the Rimmel Provocalips lip colours are available 8 shades and cost £6.99 each,which is a complete bargain for how well they deliver.

Updates | Life lately

Hello everyone! I have been quite terrible at my monthly updates haven’t I? It’s a mixture of not having enough time to take interesting photos, and being too busy to post enough beauty related posts, let alone updates of the month! Today I’m going to run through the past couple of months and end with where I am at now.

This summer was one that was incredibly long, but seemed to travel at a relatively fast pace! I spent most of it working, taking driving lessons and shopping. I know, I know, does the excitement ever end?! There were a fair few weddings, and then of course the month of Ramadan which is always a wonderful time of the year.

I recently started my second year of University which is pretty crazy because I feel like I was just halfway into first year yesterday! I am struggling to keep up with the weeks, and my timetable has two long days and two days which are very wishy-washy with only one 1 hour slot - so frustrating for a commuter! It is already November now and the work pace has sped right up, just like they warned us it would, so it’s time to get my head down and save NOTHING for later!

This week (fireworks night in particular) I passed my driving test the first time *happy dances* It was the biggest relief in the world and if I’m honest everyone around me was unsure of whether I could do it, based on my sighing and lack of self-confidence alone! Although I was feeling very shaky and couldn’t eat much, I managed to stay calm and demonstrate that I can drive safely. If you are in the middle of test prep, then keep remembering that all they want to see if that you are a safe driver and you can deal with different driving conditions calmly. For some reason I kept over-complicating things, but my grandfather gave me the best advice ever: Just think of the invigilator as a passenger who will direct you to destinations and will want you to get there safely. Genius isn’t it?!

Plus once you do pass you have that for LIFE! So woo-hoo! Just waiting for payday so I can attempt to get insurance, which is more than £1000 *sobs as she thinks about the amount of food/clothes/home stuff/PJs/Makeup could be purchased with that sum*. Ahh well it’s all part of having the independence to drive at my age, so I shouldn’t complain too much .___.

Ethical blogging is going really well so far. I thought I would find it very difficult when I started, but I have discovered SO many great products which are not from these huge companies who fund the killing in Palestine. Furthermore L’Oreal have been exposed for more injustice, this time directly impacting their CUSTOMERS because of the amount of harmful chemicals they put in their products. I read this letter/blogpost here from a Harvard business graduate who had declined L’Oreal’s offer, a MUST read! It is also really encouraging to see other bloggers who have decided to buy and blog ethically, so far I know that Pauline and Vanessa are planning to, so if you’re an ethical buyer be sure to follow them both on bloglovin (already linked).

I am also doing a rota system again like I used to with the ‘OMFTW’. I’m not as strict on myself as I was before, but it is the best way to really get to know a product before writing a review, and also to use up more products in your makeup collection. I find when I’m not on some sort of rota I get stuck in a rut with what a use so easily.

In terms of health and fitness, I am trying to get back on track. I have cut down considerably on the sugar department which actually started when I began boycotting Coke. (read more of the BDS movement here). After I stopped buying the stuff and drinking it at people’s houses, I began reading more into what they put into coke and the implications it can have on household objects such as....your toilet. Yeah. Appetizing right?

 A couple of months later I just wanted to start feeling more energetic and less lethargic and lazy. I realised a huge reason why I felt this way was because of diet and exercise, so although I’m not going ALL out, I am planning healthier meals and cutting down on the junk has been a big step and i’ve already seen the positive results!

Finally, last but certainly not least, I will be attending the smoky not smudgy annual charity event which is held by Imperial college London. This year it is on Sunday the 16th of November and I will also be blogging about the day, so you can expect a post mid-November!  You can purchase all tickets here with all money going to charity.

How have YOU been recently? ^___^

Thanks for reading!

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Updates | Life lately

Hello everyone! I have been quite terrible at my monthly updates haven’t I? It’s a mixture of not having enough time to take interesting photos, and being too busy to post enough beauty related posts, let alone updates of the month! Today I’m going to run through the past couple of months and end with where I am at now.

Top Tips For New Bloggers

Hi guys, I hope you’re all doing well. Today I wanted to share some of my top tips for any new bloggers out there. I’ve gotten a number of emails asking for this type of thing and although I’ve added bits and pieces here and there I’ve never dedicated a whole one just for this.

So I’ve been blogging for 15 months now and it has honestly been one of the best decisions I made ^_^ I love being able to share my views, my favourites and not so favourites and to get to know other’s who have a similar interest to me.

More recently becoming an ethical blogger and putting the lives of innocent Palestinians before buying a MAC blush, Estee Lauder foundation or L’Oreal mascara has given me an even greater reason to blog! So whatever your reason for starting your own, here are a few pointers to help you on your way.

1. Join bloglovin and Twitter

There are SO many social media sites out there, but the first two to join are the above. Bloglovin is probably the most popular blog directory, a place where once you sign up your posts are instantly added for all followers to easily read. You can access all sorts of blogs, build lists, like/save posts and usually find a lot of amazing blogs through other people’s blogs! Here is my profile if you’d like to see what it’s like.

Twitter is invaluable for the blogging community. Not only can you hashtag and share your posts to thousands of people, you can also meet lots of other wonderful bloggers on there and get involved in blogger chats (the #bbloggers one is every Wednesday 8pm GMT and the #beautychat is on every Friday 7pm GMT). The blogger chats are wonderful for sharing tips, recommendations, posts and ‘meeting’ new bloggers! Sometimes they have a specific topic and at other’s its totally random.

2. Spend time and effort on the appearance of your blog

Not all of us have hundreds of pounds to spend on professional blog design, and nor do you need to with the wealth of google at your finger tips! It is well worth spending a couple of hours adjusting your blog layout and design because first impressions really do make a difference. Personally I love visual blogs with large colourful photos, a clear ‘about me’ summary and a blog design that has a bit of character and makes me want to visit the page again.

I ALWAYS recommend people to visit the fabulous Elaine’s blog, because she works SO hard to provide people like you and me the need-to-know when it comes to tweaking the blog. She is a professional in terms of website design. Her tutorials are simple and easy to follow and if you want more help you can hire her! 90% of the changes I made on my blog, were through her tutorials so do spend some time behind the technical and create yourself a blog you are proud of!

3. Buy a blogging book and note down milestones

When I say a blogging book, I don’t mean anything fancy. Just a notebook (a patterned/pretty one if you’re a stationary obsessive like me) which you can use for ALL things blogging. Brainstorm, write down products you’re currently testing out, and most importantly write down those milestones! There is nothing more encouraging than seeing how far you’ve come, and it’s probably the best thing about having a productive/useful hobby! Last year at the start of November I had 100 bloglovin followers which is pretty fantastic in itself. In almost a year I am now at 670 followers, and whilst numbers the most important thing, they are a great encouragement!

4. Plan your posts a month in advance

I know this sounds pretty over the top and I would have thought so too when I first started blogging, but it’s the only way I’ve been able to post over 10 posts in one month! I like to think about what the month ahead might bring, think about the products I’m currently using in my rota and then use my imagination to come up with some possible posts. I will generally slot in 3/4 posts on my calendar and this way I am never stuck for what to blog about when I make the time to blog. I can’t tell you how much of a help this has been for me, and it is also really great to get into the habit of bulk photograph taking for the week ahead. If you take all your shots in one go, you won’t be faffing about with products and your camera, lighting, angles etc; throughout the week. I’m not very good at bulk photo taking but when I do, it makes life a lot easier.

5. Leave your bloglink after a thoughtful comment!

Blogging is as much about interacting with others, as it is about sharing your views and opinions. I love the comment feature, and although I haven’t had a single moment to sit down and reply to comments recently, I appreciate each one that is left! It’s nice to appreciate someone’s effort if you particularly enjoyed a post, and also if you have anything to add about the topic. Whatever you write, please make sure it’s thoughtful and not copied and pasted. This is careless and you’ll quickly become known for trying to gain followers in a not so organic way! Personally I am not a fan of ‘follow for follow’. Work hard on your content and try to be consistent, and you’ll see your following grow naturally, trust me it’ll feel brilliant!

Also just thought I would share how to leave your name and a hyperlink to your blog:

Iqra | <a href="http://www.theblushinggiraffe.com/">The Blushing Giraffe </a> x

The bits in red are the html, so copy and paste this into a sticky note, add your blog URL in-between the speech marks, and add your name at the front before the ‘<a' href’ as this will be like your signature. It’s a much more convenient way of sharing a clickable link to your blog, and you’re more likely to get more visitors using this method rather than copying and pasting the whole URL (plus that would look super messy). Plus sticky notes load whenever I turn my laptop on, so its easy as pie to leave your signature and link!

6. Don’t be too hard on yourself, and don’t give up!

A 2-for-1 there, but both equally important! Don’t worry if you don’t end up sticking to your posting schedule because life is getting in the way, it happens! In the past few weeks I would have liked to have posted 3X the amount I was able to, but due to juggling university and work it has just not been possible. Take your time because blogging is a hobby and an enjoyable thing, don’t allow it to become another worry in your life! Also when you first start and you literally have like 3 followers for 5 weeks, don’t let it get to you! Blog for YOU, and keep at it because with time you’ll develop bonds, find awesome people from across the world who are so similar to you and just get really stuck in! Numbers are not and should not be the most important aspect of blogging, the enjoyment and experience should be.

Blogging is my escape for a few hours a week and although I wish I had more time to blog and read blogs more often, I am grateful to be able to enjoy it in the time I get.

I really hope a few of those were helpful to you! Please let me know if you have any questions down below or email me: [email protected]. Also if you have any to add, fellow blogger please do share!!Good luck with upcoming assignments and deadlines, I’d better get cracking with mine!

Thanks for reading!

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Top Tips For New Bloggers

Hi guys, I hope you’re all doing well. Today I wanted to share some of my top tips for any new bloggers out there. I’ve gotten a number of emails asking for this type of thing and although I’ve added bits and pieces here and there I’ve never dedicated a whole one just for this.

So I’ve been blogging for 15 months now and it has honestly been one of the best decisions I made ^_^ I love being able to share my views, my favourites and not so favourites and to get to know other’s who have a similar interest to me.