Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts

In bblogger blog bloglovin fblogger followback followforfollow happiness lblogger lifestyle positivepost september summer thegirlgang university

University tips // Saving money!

Hello lovlies,

This is the second post for my three post series all about my university tips. If you haven't seen my first post you can read it here. This one will be talking about probably one of the most important things to do when going off to university. SAVING MONEY.

Student finance is great but they don't always give you a lot to live on and receiving a low amount of money can make leaving home so daunting. But... even though I can't offer real money there are loads of ways that you can save some dollar!

1. Budget!!!
Budget your money and stick to it. Remember you're a student now. By giving yourself a budget it means you can see exactly what you need and how much everything will be. You can also take note of what you are spending your money on either weekly or monthly and if you are over spending you can look back and see what you need to cut out.

2. FRESHERS
 Don't spend your entire bank during freshers, you'll have at least 3 more months until your next loan and living on pot noodles and toast isn't fun. We all know that having a huge lump sum of money dropped into your bank account during freshers is super tempting but give yourself a budget and don't go crazy. 

3. Forget about your car
Driving is great and I loved my car but the fact is you won't need it. If you have a car the best thing to do would be sell it. This way you'll make some extra cash! Normally when you go away to university everything is a walkable distance away. 

4. Student discount
Tonnes of places offer student discount now. You can either buy an NUS card or use the unidays app. Whenever you go somewhere all you need to do is search to see if they offer discount or simply ask. Both of these offer discount on things such as shops, restaurants and even hotels.

5. Get a student bank account
Not everyone wants to use an over draft but loads of banks now offer student accounts that give you an interest free over draft. (Basically you can borrow money and not have to pay any interest on it.) Even if you don't ever have to use your overdraft it's much safer to have it incase anything does happen. Just remember, don't be tempted to start spending it all on things you really don't need. *Clothes... makeup... ect... *

I used all of these tips in my first year and will most probably be using many of them again. You could even use some of these if you aren't going to university but just want to save some money. Keep an eye out for my last post about saving money and you can read my previous post here. I hope they help and a huge good luck to anyone going away this month to university!

Love B x

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In 2017 august bblogger blog bloglovin fblogger followforfollow france holiday lblogger summer thegirlgang travel

Photo diary // South of France

Hello lovelies,

Whilst I am writing this I should be unpacking my mountain of holiday clothes but the thought of all that washing is just too much! Yesterday I got back from my family holiday to Saint-Aulaye in the south of France so I thought I'd do another one of my photo diary posts as my others have been really popular with you all. 

Saint-Aulaye is a beautiful little village in the countryside of France. Luckily the weather was absolutely beautiful and I was able to explore the surrounding villages.  I also made sure I took loads of outfit pictures so they will be coming soon in another blogpost all about my outfit choices throughout the holiday!

Hope you enjoy my snap-shots! 


An adorable snack-shack in the centre of Saint-Aulaye which made the most amazing crepes.

Found a tiny little family run bakery. The owner made these amazing croissants. 


Riberic had a chocolatier that sold these macaroons.

They also sold loads of different sweet treats!

Outside they had an old fashioned ice cream cart that sold loads of different ice cream flavours.

A beautiful snap of Saint-Aulaye's main street.

One of the villages we drove through on our way home.

Saint-Aulaye had a huge river that they decided to make into a beach.

One of the surrounding villages called Riberic.

Me and Ciar by the river.

The street just outside of Saint-Aulaye.

My happy little sausage dog enjoying her first ever swim!


Another beautiful scenic photograph in our village. The photos do not do the place justice.

*Disclaimer* All photos were taken on my iPhone so sorry for the not so great quality.

Love B x


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In 2017 august bblogger beauty beautybay beautyset blog bloglovin fblogger lblogger lifestyle lip lipstick makeup product review twofaced

Purple Lips // Too Faced Melted Metal


Hello lovelies,

I've never had the chance to try any of 'Too Faced' make up ranges but was lucky enough to find these two melted metal lipsticks in my local TK-Maxx in the shades Jelly and Violet. Both shades are purple toned and are 100% statement lips. I definitely recommend popping into TK-Maxx to see if they have any high end products in stock because I picked up these for under £10 and they normally retail at £19 and can be found here.


The lipsticks are a liquid version of a metallic lipstick and come with a sponge applicator on the end of the tube for an easy application. They leave lips looked glazed which is something not everyone loves but I think looks so 90's and love it! Also, because of this they don't dry out the lips at all and feel totally comfortable. 


Top: Metallic Violet
Bottom: Metallic Jelly

Both of these shades are really pigmented however I find with the shade 'Violet' I do have to reapply a few times throughout the day because it is a lot lighter looking on the lips than in this swatch. The bottom shade lasts so much longer because it leaves a more subtle stain if applied just once. 

I am in love with purple lips at the moment! Has anyone else tried any Too Faced cosmetics before? I'd love to check out more of their stuff <3

Love B x 





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In bblogger beauty beautybay bestof blog bloglovin fblogger followback july makeup morphe mua palette

Review // Morphe 35OM Palette



Hello lovelies,

I have spent sooo long waiting for the Morphe 35OM palette to come back in stock at BeautyBay and finally I got my hands on it so I thought I'd do a first impressions post.

This palette is an all matte version of the 35OM which is an even bigger sell out! I much prefer a matte eyeshadow look and found that I didn't have many matte palettes so though I'd give this one a go. The burnt out colours are so in at the moment and I've already got so much use out of it.



The colour pay off is absolutely amazing so I think this palette is going to last a really long time. On top of this all of the colours are easily blendable and create some gorgeous looks. I especially love the right hand section of the palette because the orangey/red colours are my favourite.

For only £22.00 this palette is perfect. Morphe do a variety of palettes and I can't wait to try out some of the others.

Has anyone tried this palette or anything else from Morphe? Would love to read about them in the comment section below.

Love B x 





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In 2017 bblogger beauty blog bloglovin fblogger followback july lblogger lfl lifestyle nivea thegirlgang

Skincare // Nivea face range

Hello lovelies,

Exam season is finally over and done with and now I actually have some spare time to start blogging again. As someone who struggles with acne and finds it difficult to come across products that don't set my skin off I thought I'd kick off with a skincare post! (Basically telling you how much I friggin' love Nivea atm)

I've always used Nivea since I was a teen because it was the only brand that didn't make my face breakout into a billion spots. Ever since I've loved trying out their new products so I thought I'd round up every Nivea product I use daily and talk through how amazing I've found them to be.



Nivea Daily Essentials Double Effect Eye Make-Up Remover - £3.89
If you're like me and you wear waterproof mascara then this ones for you! I absolutely swear by this eye make-up remover. I hardly have to use any product to remove my mascara and it doesn't take a whole lot of rubbing either. Not only does it leave your eyelids squeaky clean but it also doesn't leave that horrible greasy feel some removers do.

Nivea Daily Essentials Sensitive Cleansing Milk - £3.69
Sometimes if I'm only wearing light makeup I prefer using this cleansing milk over micellar water because it isn't as harsh on my skin. I massage this into my skin like a moisturiser using my finger tips and then wipe off with a large cotton pad. It removes my make-up really well and also leaves my skin feeling hydrated.

Nivea Purifying Gel Face Wash - £3.59
For the past 7 or so years I have tried many different face washes and I've never found one I have loved and re-purchased. But that has all changed. This face is really good at targeting blackheads and purifying the skin. I find using this both in the morning and at night leaves my skin feeling healthy and clean.

Nivea Regenerating Night Cream - £4.05
This night cream is intense. It has a very thick consistency which I personally love. I find when I massage this into my skin before bed I wake up with my skin feeling so soft. I would definitely recomment this if your skin is in need of a smoothness boost!

Nivea Lip Care Essential - £1.65
This lip balm is one I have been repurchasing for years! It has a gorgeous scent and doesn't feel too heavy on the lips. It hydrates my lips and leaves them super soft. Especially in the colder months. Its simple uncoloured balm means it is perfect to just chuck in my bag.

Overall I have been loving using the Nivea skincare range and can't wait to get my hands on some of their other products.

I hope you all are loving the new blog theme and layout and any comments below would be greatly appreciated. Feels so good to be blogging again!

Love B x

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In 2017 bblogger beauty blog bloglovin fblogger followback followforfollow lblogger lifestyle personalblog thegirlgang

Blog switch up // The pill

Hello lovelies,

This post is going to be very different to anything I've posted on my blog before but I really want to start talking about real life situations and personal experiences because I absolutely love reading posts like this and find things like this can be super helpful. The other week I asked you guys on twitter if you'd like more personal blog posts and the majority voted yes, so I thought I'd kick this off with my month from hell thanks to the pill.

The contraceptive pill is something that thousands of women use and even though so many of us take it, it isn't something people really talk about. I was first put on the combined pill when I was 15 to help regulate my crazy periods. The doctor said it would make them lighter, shorter and less painful. How amazing?

For years I haven't even thought twice about being on the pill. I went to all of my check ups and did the usual weight, height and blood pressure checks and always walked away happy a larry with six more months of pills. This was until I was randomly put onto a different brand called Rigevidon. I was told by my nurse that my doctors have stopped stocking my original pill so this was the exact same ingredients and that everything would be the same. As much as this was true in the sense that the ingredients were the same, the quality of this pill was not and it made me feel AWFUL. 

Week one was full of mood swings and breakdowns. Week two was pretty much the same. I couldn't pin point what on earth was actually wrong with me but I just didn't feel good at all. And by week 3 I felt exhausted all of the time and the headaches and bloating I suffered from were insane. Me being me I decided to google my symptoms and see if anyone else has had the same problem and oh my god the internet was full of horror stories. Quick tip: Don't google symptoms EVER. It's never going to be good news!

 I finally decided to book an appointment with my new doctors who thankfully did stock my old pill but I was told to finish the packet before changing. I'm now back on my original pill which is Ovranette but I didn't skip my 7 day break like I should have. Woops... I've never really had any problems with this pill before and find I'm much more relaxed taking something I know I'm familiar with. 

My advice would be to go and talk to a nurse or doctor about any questions or concerns you have about contraception because it is perfectly normal to want to discuss your options. Nurses and doctors are there to help you and no matter what you want to ask they will try to help you.

I know this post is completely different to anything I've wrote on here before but topics like these are things I could ramble on about for days and I love reading stuff like this. So, every month I'm now going to be uploading a more wordy and personal blog post because I have so many things I want to speak about that normally just get swept under the carpet.

I hope you enjoyed reading my experience and remember that everyone has different experiences on the pill.

Love B x


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In 2017 bblogger blog bloglovin followforfollow lblogger lifestyle thegirlgang travel winter

Photo diary // Amsterdam


Hello lovelies,

My photo diary posts are my absolute fav to sit down and create so I thought I'd do another one on my quick New Years trip to Amsterdam. Me and boyfriend booked this trip back in November and I'd been desperate to go ever since. 

We only spent three days in this beautiful city but managed to get so many touristy things done! I loved taking photos of the streets and of our food ect. (watch out for a mouth watering pancake pic!) However, as I've said before I am by no means a professional photographer and all my photos were taken on my iPhone 6s. 

I hope you enjoy taking a look at some of the memories I have made and I hope to carry on blogging about my travels later on this year! 

Love B x

The beautiful canal during sunset

Brunch at a cute little cafe

Quick pit stop at an adorable coffee shop


A street snap on the way to the zoo!

Amsterdam's hard rock cafe!

Ice skating in front of the museums and the I Amsterdam sign

Entrance to the Vondel park

A very dark shot of me and my boyfriend inside the Ice Bar

Entrance to the Ice Bar

One of many beautiful shops in the city centre!

The best chips I have ever tasted!!!

The cheesiest, most touristy photo I could get!


One of many hot coffees (We are defo a coffee kinda couple...)

A gorgeous walk into the centre


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In august bblogger blog bloglovin bronzer contouring favourites fblogger followforfollow lblogger makeup maybelline review summer thegirlgang

Maybelline Master Contour V // Review


Contouring can be scary. I'm always worried I'll end up having two browny/orange lines down the sides of my face and a super shiny forehead. I've always stuck to using powder contour kits and ones that are quite light but this one is a complete game changer!


Let's chat about the actual look of the product first. I love how chubby the stick itself is. It's not too big so pops into a makeup with ease. I also love the idea of having the contour colour one side and the highlighter the other side. The colours are both really pigmented! I picked up the shade fair! It's £6.99 which is so cheap considering its a duo stick. You can pick it up here from Boots.


It is so creamy and glides on the skin perfectly. It leaves a matte finish which I love because sometimes I find contouring can leave you looking a bit shiny and over the top. As it's so creamy you can blend it in really well because when you first apply I will warn you it can look a bit scary! You can either draw it on where you want then blend with your fingers or do what I do which is use a beauty blender. Either works fine!

Has anyone else tried this product or any other new contour products recently?

Love B x

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In bblogger beauty blog bloglovin fblogger followback followforfollow haul. corfu lblogger lip lipstick review thegirlgang topshop

Topshop Treats!


If you haven't tried any of Topshops make up range where have you been and what are you thinking?! The range overall is pretty amazing. With beautiful packaging and a huge range of different products it's definitely worth checking out! (After you've read this post...)

Top Mink
Bottom Devotion


I have already tried a few other Topshop lipsticks and love them! They are such good value for money. For only £8 each you can't really go wrong. The colours I picked up are called Mink and Devotion. Mink is more of a brown/red colour and Devotion is a dirty pink/purple colour. They are both gorgeously pigmented and so wearable for everyday occasions. 

The thing I love the most about these colours is how even though they aren't dark shades they have a nude tone to them and anyone who knows me knows I love a good nude. (No pun intended...) I have worn both of these lipsticks to death since buying them! They leave a very moisturising feel on the lips and don't dry out which is something I really love. Can't be dealing with flakey lips!

So for the first time ever on my blog I have actually posted some photos of me wearing the lipsticks!

Wearing 'Mink'

Wearing 'Devotion'

Have any of you lovelies tried any other Topshop lip products? I'd love to hear!

B x

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In 2016 bblogger beautyset blog bloglovin contouring favourites fblogger followback highlighter makeup review sephora thegirlgang urbandecay

Keepin' Those Cheeks Flushed


Urban Decay are renown for their palettes and this one does not disappoint. I picked up this one quite a while back when I went to Paris and have used it so much ever since. I find it so handy to have a tri of three all in one place. It contains a blush, highlighter and bronzer for your face and cheeks. With four different pallets there is a shade for everyone to enjoy. You can pick them up for £23.50 from the Urban Decay website or some selected stores.




I picked up the Naked Flushed in Strip. Compared to the others I would say this one has a much darker mauve pink blush with no glitter or metallic look too it which is what I prefer in a blush like this. The pigment of this blush is insane. You hardly have to sweep your brush to get enough to cover both cheeks which is really good as you can build up the colour more and more. 

The highlighter is a dream. It makes you cheekbones all glowy and beautiful. It has undertones of gold in this highlighter which reflects beautifully in the light. I love nothing more than a highlighted cheek.

The bronzer I would say is a tad too dark for my complexion but by being careful I can defo make it work. *Inserts wide eye emoji* I would say this would be a lot more suited to a more tanned skin tone and as I sometimes fake tan this one does work for me on nights out!

Anyone else tried any of the other Flushed pallets? 

B x


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In 2016 bblogger blog bloglovin collection favourites fblogger followback followforfollow haul IKEA jewellery lblogger thegirlgang university

Mini haul // Ikea trip!


One of the most exciting things about university for me is the fact I will be moving out into a room where I can decorate it how I please. As a student I won't be able to splash the cash out on my room but I do want to do everything I can to make my small space, my own. All warm and homely.

I've created a list (a huge, massive, long list) of everything I need to buy for university including my kitchen utensils, electronics and bedroom decor. This trip was purely meant to be a browse for me to get some ideas on what sort of things I wanted to get and also needed to get. Those are two completely different things. And well... me being me ended up buying things because I 'needed' them.

Yes, fake plants are totally cheating BUT, there is no way that I will be able to keep real plants alive so hey ho. I picked up three different styles and all of them were £3 each. Ikea have a huge range of fake plants and I will definitely be getting some more when I next visit. I love having some greenery in my room and I'm a massive fan of the leafy look. 

I picked up two of these in different sizes. The larger one is very large and I will probably be using it to stick all of my stationary stuff into. As for the smaller one I will use this for my makeup brushes and when I next visit Ikea I will be picking up another one! These pots are super cute and will look nice on my shelves for a bit of decoration. White and black are going to be my key colours for my rooms decor as I love the simplistic style. The large pot was £2 and the smaller one was £1.50.

 I picked up this square, white ceramic dish. I will be using this to place all of my most worn jewellery on. I think this will look great on my desk by all my make up and adds some simple decoration to my room without making it look cluttered. This was only £2.50.

4. The last thing I brought I didn't picture just because a) it's quite boring and b) it was too large! I just picked up a fold away white basket which I will probably use for either storage or for my laundry. As boring as it sounds it is very practical and it only cost me £2! Bargain. 


This was one of many trips before I head of to university in September so keep your eyes peeled for more! Anyone else brought some home decor stuff recently? 

B x

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In 2016 beauty blog bloglovin fblogger followback foundation lblogger lifestyle MAC makeup sephora winter youtube

Would you rather... // Beauty Edition

I thought this year I would mix up my blog posts a little bit. Instead of the normal beauty review posts I thought having a few chatty posts throughout the year would be nice. So grab a seat boo's this is gonna be a rambley one.



Beauty tags are always fun to read and I find it interesting what other bloggers have to say. So, to kickstart this switch up I thought I'd do the Would You Rather Beauty Edition. I know that there are a few different ones online but this is the one I most recently saw being shared on my bloglovin' page!

1. Would you rather go out with messy hair and nice makeup or nice hair and no makeup?
100% messy hair and nice makeup. I do this already... I love a messy bun! I much prefer spending time doing my makeup than my hair because my hair NEVER goes right.

2. Would you rather shave your eyebrows off or have your eyelashes fall out?
This is so hard because I love my eyebrows and eyelashes! But, seen as you can more easily fix your eyebrows by drawing them on, I'd rather shave them off. Imagine having no eyelashes??? The amount of stuff you'd get in your eyes would drive me insane.

3. Would you rather be forced to shop at MAC or Sephora for the rest of your life?
Sephora is basically the mothership of makeup. I love loads of different brands that Sephora sell. Even though it's a lot easier to find a MAC store in the UK, I would rather Sephora for the rest of my life.

4. Would you rather wear the lipgloss/lipliner look or have an 80's perm?
I have naturally crazy curly hair so I would never ever get a perm. I know some people do the lipgloss with lip liner look. I think if you combine a very pigmented gloss and light lip liner it can actually look alright!

5. Would you rather leave the house with an obvious foundation line or over done blush?
This is probably the hardest question yet because both look absolutely ridiculous... I would have to go with the over done blush. Sometimes you can pull off a rosy red cheek! I think an obvious foundation line is one of the first things someone notices and no one likes the orange line!

6. Would you rather wear MC hammer pants or biker shorts?
The hammer pants of course. MC hammer pants can be pulled off way easier than biker shorts. Who even wears biker shorts except bikers?! I think in the summer MC hammer pants can kinda work!

7. Would you rather have a bad orange spray tan or weird tan lines that can't be covered?
I've actually experience both of these. Woops! I'd go for the bad spray tan. Tan lines can last for months and a spray tan can last for a week or so!

8. Would you rather have a bad hair cut or bad hair colour?
Bad hair cuts have happened many times before and so have bad hair colours. I'd go for the hair cut as it can grow out or you could always pop it up with bobby pins or hair ties. Bad hair colour can last longer and be way more damaging for your hair which isn't worth it!

9. Would you rather have Youtube or Twitter taken away forever?
This is a tough one because I spend a massive amount of my time tweeting and communicating with other bloggers but also supporting and watching Youtubers. I'd have to go with Youtube as Twitter is such an important social media site for my blogging and has been a place where I have become part of a community with other bloggers!

10. Would you rather give up using makeup brushes or using mascara? 
Makeup brushes for sure! I used to apply makeup all the time with just my hands or makeup sponges. Not exactly the most professional way I know, but what's a full face of makeup with mascara?! I know you could use fake eye lashes but no one needs to be doing that everyday!

Leave any of your answers to these below! I love reading them!

B x

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In 2016 blog bloglovin fblogger followforfollow january lblogger newyear resolutions

2016 // Lets talk

Being a true blogger means writing down all the things you wish to achieve for the new year, so I thought I'd do the same. My guilty pleasure is hearing or reading all about what other peoples resolutions are. I find it so motivational... (For now) 

1. Go to university!!!
University is both exciting and terrifying at the same time, but I can't wait till the summer when I get my grades and get to start a brand new chapter of my life somewhere new! (Hopefully...) I'm technically already a year behind where I should be in life but I know that this year I feel so much more ready to begin studying something I know I am passionate about. This year I am going to work my socks off to achieve the grades I need.

2. Drink more water.
I say this every single year... But this year I mean it! I know my body will thank me for it.

3. Blogging
Blogging is something I have kept quiet about since 2013. When I first started I wasn't uploading regularly and my content wasn't that great to read. However, since the beginning of the summer I really have tried to create a blog that people would be interested in reading. I recently shared my blog on my other social media platforms and the support I got from friends, family and fellow bloggers was pretty over whelming. I created my own Facebook page here if you'd like to give it a like. I feel like this year I will be uploading a lot more content and will be bringing bigger things to my little blog. 

4. Eat better!
I have tried numerous times to become veggie but this year I am going to try for the whole of January and see how I feel about not eating meat. I know to some people that sounds crazy but either way I am going to completely change my diet. I will limit myself to one cheat meal a week (take away or munchies night) and will be eating at least 3 of my 5 a day every single day. 

5. Relaaaaax
Anyone who knows me personally knows that I am a worrier. I over think and stress about everything and anything. This year I'm going to start doing yoga twice a week to give myself some time to unwind. 

Let me know any new year resolutions you have set for 2016!

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In 12daysofchristmas 2015 bblogger beauty blog bloglovin christmas cosmetics december fblogger followback lblogger lifestyle makeup palette product review youtube

Review // MUA Heaven & Earth




Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a sucker for a bargain and MUA make up is one of my guilty pleasures. The drugstore brand is only sold in Superdrug in the UK but they do also have their own website that you can order from here. (I'm not sure if they do worldwide shipping or if they are sold in other countries!)

I own some other MUA products and recently mentioned one of their brushes in my favourite brushes post which is linked here if you'd like to take a look! I've heard lots of bloggers rave about their palettes so I finally got round to purchasing one. I brought the Heaven & Earth palette and it was only £4.




The palette comes with 12 different shades, all of which are shimmery. I'm very fussy with eyeshadow as I find that some can be very harsh on the eyelid and don't blend in enough and end up looking very blotchy. However, these have a very soft and blend-able texture which is what I love the most about this palette. As the name suggests, the palette contains very natural looking browns, nudes and bronze colours.



Any MUA palette recommendations? Leave your comments below.

B xxx

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