At the start of summer I shared with you my "BUDGET FRIENDLY SUMMER MAKE-UP". Since then, some bits have changed as to what I tend to include in my make up routine on days that I decide I need to look a little more presentable. So,  I thought I'd give you an updated make up routine today. 

As a primer I've been opting for the Barry M Flawless Brightening Primer. While I wouldn't say I see much of a difference in terms of its brightening properties it really does create a nice base for my foundation. Paired with a good hydrating moisturiser, this works as a great base for those with drier skin.   

Revolution seem to be doing everything right recently and the Revolution Fast Base Stick Foundation (F1) is no different. While it took me a few tries to get used to the idea of having a stick foundation over the usual pump foundation, I've been really enjoying using it. It does cling a little to drier patches but I find, with a good moisturiser and primer, it can look flawless with a lovely subtle glow. It gives great coverage while still feeling light weight. I wasn't sure whether this would be easy to apply but I've found it's not too bad with my beauty sponge and can be quick to blend. 

There's no point changing a good thing and so I've carried on using my trusty Revolution Conceal & Define concealer (C1). I go through this quicker than any other make up product I own so I'm glad they've brought out the supersize version which I'll be sure to pick up next. 

I've also kept to my Natural Collection Bronzer in Copper. It gives such a nice bronze without being too orange and over powering and, for the price point, you can't argue that it's worth the money. 

I was also on the hunt for a new powder and so after the success of the bronzer I thought I'd try the Natural Collection Matte Pressed Powder in Golden. I was worried about the shade as I'd usually opt for translucent but with that option not available I went for this one and after buying it I've realised it's the darkest shade they offer. I wouldn't say it's the best powder I've used but with a light hand it can keep my make up matte and set for a few hours. It's also not the best at brightening under the eyes for paler people but for an all over powder it works. I think I will definitely be trying their paler shade in the future. 

With Freedom being discontinued and, I think, merging with Revolution, my usual eyebrow duo wasn't available so I instead decided to try the Make Up Obsession Brow Powder in Soft Brown. I found this was the more cool toned than the taupe option they offered however it is a little more on the red side than usual brow products I use. With my hair colour it still works but is something to bear in mind if you're interested in this product. For just £2 this was a steal; it has a fairly buttery texture which is lovely and so I'll definitely be back to try and find a better shade for me.

I'm not usually one for eyeshadow on a day-to-day basis; the most I'll do is run a little bronzer through my crease. However, I've been loving the ELF No Budge Shadow Stick in Rose Gold. This adds a small pink pop of colour to the lid and, being a cream eyeshadow consistency, it looks really natural, is easy to apply and is done and blended within a few seconds. If you wanted, this is also can act as a base for other eyeshadows if something more colourful is up your street.

Mascara is a step that I used to skip quite a lot for the simple reason it always transfers under my eyes but I've come to realise that's just the fact that mascara's I've chosen haven't been very good. One, however, that I've found to do the job is the Barry M That's How I Roll Waterproof Mascara. The key thing that I think works for me here is the fact it's waterproof.  If you like something a bit more voluminous for the day, this might not be your thing but it gives a natural curl while not transferring like I've found with many others.

For lips, I like something that's light and doesn't need much maintenance. I've been recently grabbing for the GOSH Lip Oil in Flower Essence. This is a really nice change from a lip balm or lip gloss. While it can have a slightly sticky texture if too much is applied, it leaves my lips feeling glossy and moisturised for a long time. This is does come in different shades but the colour is very subtle; the shade I have gives a small pink/purple sheen which I really like. It's a great new addition to my routine that works for every day.

Becky's Youtube channel has been one of my favourite discoveries of the year. When first deciding to go cruelty-free I have felt slightly restricted by what I could buy but after finding Becky's youtube channel my outlook changed. Every video I find super helpful for finding new products that I probably wouldn't have found myself. She also seems so lovely in her videos and they are so easy just sit and watch. 

Twitter // Youtube // Blog

Jemma was one of the first blogs I followed years ago as she was, at the time, one of the only bloggers I found that was doing more than just beauty on their blog and I found her posts really inspiring; it really encouraged me to stop following usual beauty trends and write about more than just that. Now I follow her mainly on her Instagram where I love her super bright and fun theme. It's also nice to see her business grow and how much of a real girl boss she is as she is both 6 months pregnant while running her own Etsy shop among other things. 

I saw on her Instagram that she's close to 3000 sales on Etsy so why not go and check out her fab stuff over there. 

Blog // Instagram // Etsy Store

Lucy moon is everything I want to be. Without sounding too 'blogger' her aesthetic is on point. The way she shoots her weekly vlogs entitled "168 Hours" I love and adds something different to the usual vlog. I always enjoy seeing the different styles she's wearing and she's also anther good one to go to for cruelty-free recommendations. She's another creator that really motivates me to create and share online. 

Youtube // Blog // Instagram

Lavendaire aka Ailene has been one of my latest blogging and youtube finds and she's already inspiring me to get creative and motivated in planning and taking control of my life. I find her videos really calming to watch and something refreshing to see in my subscription box recently. She has a pretty big following on youtube which she definitely deserves if not more. 

Youtube // Website // Twitter

Sometime life can just get in the way leaving you with a messy house, an unorganised list of things to do which and can all in all leave you feeling a little fed up. I know we all sometimes wish we had a reset button. I recently discovered a new blogger and Youtuber called Lavendaire and I have absolutely been loving her content. One video I watched was called "Reset Day // Get Your Life Together" and I really enjoyed it so I thought I would take some inspiration and share with you how I reset after a busy week. 

When I get busy I tend to disregard any form of pampering and so it's important to take some time to treat yourself. I love being able to have a face mask to help clear up my face; a favourite of mine is the Antipodes Manuka Honey Mask or if I want something more affordable, I'll grab one from Primark. I also like to paint my nails as there's something about freshly painted nails that makes me feel like I have my life together just a little more. Doing all this after a long shower or a hot bath always makes me feel a lot calmer and refreshed.

One other thing related to self-care I've been trying out recently is journalling. It was last Christmas my friend gave me this "My Mindful Mind" journal from Paperchase. Since starting a new year at university I thought now is a great time to start implementing adding a little to it every few days would be a nice addition to the day. It will help me get any worries I have down as well as helping me be a little more positive. 

When life starts to get busy, the first thing I neglect is having a tidy room. As I start rushing round, my floor usually becomes covered in clothes and my desk is littered with open files and scraps of paper. Most of the time, the mess isn't even that bad; it takes me half an hour tops to put everything back in its home and give any surfaces a quick clean, remake the bed and have everything back to how it should be. This lets me then start a fresh with any work I need to do and I'll have a tidy space to do it. 

This is a little vague so I tend to split it into categories:

Meals: Being able to work out what meals I'll be having for the next week is something that I feel helps give my life the most structure. Knowing what I'll be eating in advance saves me getting distracted thinking about having to prepare something or worrying I have to make time to go and pick up ingredients from the shops. I can make sure in advance that I have everything I need for the week  already in my fridge and cupboards. 

Blog: Whenever I have time, having time to sit down and come up with ideas as well as planning a few weeks of content is always helpful. It allows me to get my ideas down on paper so, when it comes to needing to write something, I have a list of posts waiting to be written. It also helps declutter my mind that little more. 

Life: This is also a good time to plan the coming weeks. If I have any new appointments or events I need to remember but have yet had chance to write them in my planner, nows my chance. I also take this time to give my family and friends a ring as there's a chance I haven't spoken to them in a while if life has become hectic. It's also nice to be able to share with them what I have planned for the week; I always find verbalising plans helps me remember them more and I am more likely to stick to what I need to get done. 

I've been blogging for quite some time now (coming up to 6 years) and throughout that time I've learnt a lot about blogging. When you first start out with just a simple blogger template and no one reading, you don't really think about hows things will change overtime and how your blog will evolve. More recently, I feel I've gone through my latest blogging change as I'm finally getting back into the rhythm of posting weekly and really knowing what content I want to produce. With this, I've realised a few little things about blogging and I thought I'd share them with you today. 

You don't need money to blog.
When I first started,  I thought it was all buying beauty products and reviewing them but now this is less so. There's still sometimes when I'm drafting blog posts that I think "Oh I need to pick up X to complete this post" but, I've come to the realisation that there is so much content to be made that only requires an internet connection and a computer. I've realised the content I want to create doesn't need to have the latest beauty or fashion releases in for people to enjoy and still find helpful. Even if this is the content I want to share, it doesn't mean I have to include the most expensive items; there's nothing wrong with keeping it cheap; money can't stop you from creating amazing content. 

Quality over quantity.
I have been in and out of unintentional blog breaks over the past few years but I've learnt that instead of stressing over having the most content out there, enjoying writing the posts and taking the time to go through and check everything is so much more important. I would rather post once a month but be really proud of it than robotically posting twice a week and not enjoying what I'm writing. It's something I feel people can sense when reading a post and I don't want that. Finding a happy medium is the goal; being able to put the effort into a post but still being able to be consistent with sharing posts. 

If you don't interact you don't get back.
I have rediscovered the joys that are blogging chats. It's a time to virtually network with people but it not being forced and allowing you to have some fun in the process. Talking about your favourite films or books for an hour with new people is actually great and can gain you some mutual followers in the process. I really enjoy commenting on other people's posts but sometimes I don't have time to do it. But when I do, you really do get back from finding some new fabulous blogs as well as drawing some attention to your own blog. 

There's no point measuring your success against others.
Seeing bloggers who started around the same time as me now being incredibly successful full time bloggers can sometimes leave me wondering "why not me?". But, now more than ever, I feel happy with my blog and I'm focussing more on how I can grow and enjoy blogging more than feeling in competition with others. 

I feel this mentality has really allowed me to focus on my own content and think more inward about what I would want to read rather than wanting to follow what everyone else is doing. 

Do what you want!
In a way, I've found this attitude has helped me grow as a blogger more than anything. I'm more relaxed and not forcing myself to do something just to better my blog that I don't feel 100% happy with.

Before, I was sticking to the same format for a lot of my blog posts because, in a way, that's easy and what I'm used to. But, I am no longer enjoying churning out the same types of posts such as my favourites and "recently read" posts. I want to create content that I enjoy writing and would read myself. This is the latest realisation of mine and so it's something I'm continuing to work on. 

As I change, so does my blog and that's a good thing. I'm so excited to continue with my blog and sharing new content with you over the coming months. 

Have you learnt anything while blogging similar to these? I'd love to hear them!

Hope you're doing great,

Sarah x 

One thing I wanted to do before I was 20 was dye my hair and so, one month late, I decided to bite the bullet back in January. My hair has always been a weird mixture of many colours and so I was worried if I did anything too intense I'd struggle to ever get my natural hair colour back. I decided to get a balayage to just add a bit more blonde to my hair while still looking fairly natural. I absolutely loved when I first had it done and could already see myself falling in love with being blonder. 8 months on, I decided that summer would be the best time to add a little more blonde and so booked myself in for a top-up and a hair cut.

Over the course of the year, I've discovered some haircare products from certain brands that have become staples when it comes to looking after my hair. 

If you want the essentials, Superdrug is always the one. I've spoke before about my love for their super inexpensive shampoos and conditioners and, even with the bleached hair, this still stands. While I can't say that it really adds anything to my hair, their Raspberry and Macadamia Conditioner does what it's simply meant to do and condition while smelling amazing. Even though my hair is a little more damaged since dying it, their conditioner has really helped smooth my hair, feel hydrated and in better condition. I am on the hunt for a better cruelty free conditioner so if you have any recommendations, I'd love to hear them!

If you want to see more of my favourite haircare products, check out my CRUELTY FREE HAIRCARE FAVOURITES as well.