5 Lessons I've Learned From Blogging

I've been blogging for just under 3 years now, and I have learned so much from the blogging community, through reading other blogs and just figuring some things out for myself. I thought I would compile all the things I have learned from my blogging journey.

1) Do you really need that?

So I am probably the best enabler for my friends to get them to buy certain products. However, when I recommend something, it's usually because they are having trouble with a certain product or they aren't happy with their current routine, so my advice is usually tailor-made towards them. The world of blogging however, is full of things that is advertised as things you can't live without, and honestly I think it's best if you take blog posts with a pinch of salt. I believe that blogs are honest, however I normally refer to them if I am having an issue or I want to see what's new on the market. I've bought so much stuff due to reading blogs, and the majority of them weren't really game changers.

2) Time management and organisation

If any of you guys have job interviews and you have a blog then it's good to mention it even if it's small blog like mine. I usually forget to do this, because I don't see blogging as a job, I see it as a hobby. What it has done for me is made me more time-efficient. If I know I have to get a blog post up in the next few days, I will then try to work out when I will take my photographs, and when I can get the time to sit down and write so that my posts are up on time, and have a certain quality to them. Employers love this, because it shows that I have genuine and original interests, because lets be honest, as much as I love to say that I enjoy reading in my spare time, it's one that a lot of people say.

3) Photography

This is still one of my weakest things, however it's a working progress, and I feel like photography is something that most people struggle with because there are a lot of factors to consider, such as background, lighting, props and camera. I've found that I really like flat-lays, and I like to keep my photo's as simple as possible, with as less props as possible because my photo's have a tendency to look messy very fast. I also feel like I've mastered Instagram photos more than I have mastered photo's on my blog which is strange but true!

4) Being happy with your blog

So I think being jealous of other peoples blogs or followers is common in the blogging community, and I totally understand why people do it. I was one of them, I was desperate to do as well as others have done, especially because I felt like I had been blogging for a longer period than others. However, I have learnt to just focus on my own content, and look towards other blogs for inspiration, and funnily enough, once I had start doing that, I started to get more followers. It's also important to keep remembering why you are blogging too, it is competitive, but if like me, you are just blogging to talk about things you love and give advice, then I feel like the content comes from a more honest place.

5) Advertising
For about a year of my blogging journey, I didn't advertise any of my posts. I think I was embarrassed to show people how much I loved make-up, because lets be honest, it's not the deepest topic. However, once I did eventually start, I found that my friends found my posts helpful and started to ask me for advice. Twitter was a life-saver in terms of advertisement as you can constantly put your content out there and with the help of hashtags and RT pages without overly annoying people.

I would love to know what any of you guys have learned from blogging, if you do blog, and perhaps what you like to look for when reading blogs? Be sure to follow me on Bloglovin to stay up to date with my posts!

Review: The Luxe Life by Fleur de Force

 If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter you may have noticed that I recently met Fleur de Force at the signing of her new book The Luxe Life in Birmingham. If you haven't heard of Fleur, she is one of the leading 'beauty guru's' on YouTube, and is the person who got me into beauty four years ago! Meeting her, her husband Mike and her little dog Piglet was such a pleasure, and really got me in the mood for reading this second book...

First of all, what I really like about The Luxe Life is that it's a hardback and so is more durable and worth the extra bucks. Secondly, the design is beautiful, it has a rose gold spine and a nice light modern style to it, which sets up the attitude of the whole book - sophistication with a modern, young twist. The inside is just as beautiful, with Fleur modelling the contents of the book in various pages.
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The Luxe Life is what Fleur defines as the 'older sister' to her first book The Glam Guide (review here), which I think is an apt description. This book is less of a basic guide and more of how to really amp up your life through the smallest details. As much as I enjoyed her first book, it was a beginners guide, and I felt that I knew quite a lot of the tips and tricks through being an avid beauty lover myself. The Luxe Life however, has taught me a lot more about different topics such as decor, hosting and also the art of gifting. I believe that I am getting this book at the right time, as I am currently at that age where I care about my surroundings aesthetically and just want to start carving a nice life for myself.

Another thing I enjoy about both of her books is that you can pick them up and read a random chapter. If I want new hairstyle designs then I can go skip straight to that part to gain more inspiration. Because of this feature, these books make excellent coffee table/guest bedroom books as they are well-suited to the casual reader. 

As much as I wanted to show snippets of the inside of the book, I believe that you should really purchase the book if you want to see more. Check out Fleur's Instagram for some of the photography inside the book! The Luxe Life  retails at £18.99 however it is currently £9.00 on Amazon.

I would love to know if this book is something that you are also interested in, so let me know in the comments below. Also be sure to follow my blog on Bloglovin! I would love to see you subscribe!

The AM-PM Routine Tag

Recently Becki from Beauty and the Brunette tagged me when she did the AM-PM tag. It was really fun to  read because who doesn't like to snoop around in other peoples lives? So if you want to see my AM-PM routine then keep reading!

                                                                           AM

1) What is your morning beauty routine?

So I have successfully managed to drag myself away from my bed. After brushing my teeth, I head to the shower where I scrub my face with the No7 Beautiful Skin Purifying Exfoilator and then cleanse my face with the La Roche- Posay Effaclar Purifying Cleansing Gel. I love these two products as they are gentle on the skin yet clean it thoroughly! After the shower, I will spritz my face with the Avene Thermal Spring Water and pat that into my skin a minute later. Lately I have been getting seriously dry so then I apply my Hydraluron Moisture Boosting Facial Serum and then my La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo + over the top which completes my skincare! 

2) What's for breakfast?

I'm not crazily religious when it comes to breakfast because I find that I'm craving lunch much more earlier than if I went without. Is that weird? If I do have breakfast then porridge is my go-to food but if I have more time then anything which includes sausages is top on my list! 

3) Coffee or Tea?

Tea! I love tea! However lately in the morning I have been trying that whole 'hot water with lemon' thing and it's going well! It's been more than a month since I started and it's very refreshing and not as...bitter as it originally was! I'm not a crazy coffee drinker, but if I need the energy then I will go with a drink with more caffeine! 

4) How long does it take you to get out the door?

I would say an hour. That's me doing the whole shebang - shower, blow-drying hair, make-up and clothes -

at my own pace. I can actually do this all in 40 minutes but that just stresses me out and I usually enjoy this hour I have to myself!

5) What is your go-to makeup look on a fuss-free morning?

I go for a natural awake look I would say! I focus on the base and eyes, so I use my L'Oreal Infallible Primer and then go in with my NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation and I will buff that in with my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. I then focus on my brows using the L'Oreal Genius Brow Kit and also the Brow Artist Plumper. I then like to curl my lashes and add mascara so that I have some ounce of femininity! I then set my face with the L'Oreal Infallible Fixing Mist which I love! I swear I'm not sponsored by L'Oreal, they just have some good stuff and I am a sucker for deals!

PM

6) What is your evening beauty routine?

Recently, I have been using the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel to remove my makeup, it's a gel which transforms into an oil balm and I have been enjoying using it! Once my make-up is removed then I will wipe one of the Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads and then the rest of my skin-care is the same as my AM routine!
The only thing I add is my Lancôme Hydra Zen Yeux eyecream and I top everything off with my Sunday Riley Luna Oil! 

7) Snack time! What's in the bowl?

I am a sucker for sweet things at night! I will have some form of those 5 pack Sainsbury's own cookies, because I live like 10 steps away from Sainsbury's. I try (very hard) not to eat one everyday! 

8) How do you wind down and prep for bed?

I shower again at night to de-stress and relax my body. After the shower and doing my skincare routine, I like to head to bed and paint my nails while watching some form of tv show! I've just finished House M.D! I loved it and now I have to figure out what else to watch so I am open to some suggestions!

9) Cozy up! What are you wearing to sleep? 

I change things up, some days I like to wear a full set of PJ's, and other days I mix and match some shorts with a tank top. My university room is boiling in the summer so the latter is usually the case! 

10) What are some things you must do before hitting the hay? 

I like to plan out the next day by creating a list of things I need to do! This helps me be really productive in the morning! I check my alarm a few times too because I get panicky if I think I am late!

I hope you enjoyed reading this tag! It was really fun to write! If you enjoyed this post, then be sure to subscribe on Bloglovin'! 

5 Tips on How to Start a Blog

I have just recently release my 100th post, (I know, where has the time gone?!) and I think it's about time I released some tips on how to start a blog. These are my personal tips and what really helped me to actually get to this stage after one and a half years.

1) Background research

So just like any old research project that you want to do well in, you gotta know what's out there first. So if you want to start a blog, surf the net and check out a few blogs. Think about your favourite blogger/author and why are they so good at what they do. I put up a blog recommendations a while back, and to me, these people are pretty awesome in the way that they write; they are clear, concise and have a point. So get your notepad ready to jot down on what style/approach you would like to achieve on your new blog. Even now, when I have a bit of free time, I evaluate how I want my blog to sound and look. I think constant evaluation is the key to progression.

2) Consistency

This is a big one to me, I love bloggers who update regularly because then I have something new to read! I update my blog once a week and have done for the past year and a half (with two exceptions). I think commitment, when you are writing a blog, is important because I think it says a lot about the type of person you are, obviously if life has just creeped up on you it's okay to miss a deadline or two, but it's the getting yourself back on the wagon that is the important thing. As long as you have the drive to get back to blogging then I think you'll do well!

3) Advertisement 

So if you want readers, you need to put yourself out there. It really took me a while to jump on board and truly advertise myself and honestly, it's made a whole lot of difference to the amount of views I get. Firstly, joining Bloglovin' is a must, because it's a nice way to read blogs in one go. Social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram are also really handy tools because hash tags make it really easy to search for a category. Another way to advertise is to read other peoples blogs and comment and they will most likely do the same for you - it's tit for tat. 

4) Gets some posts idea down

With maintaining a blog, it can be difficult at times because you just hit a brick wall and don't know what to blog about next. It you update regularly, you'll find that this happens a lot! So preplanning is your best bet, I have a list of idea's that I want to do in the future, from reviews to lifestyle posts and even some book related content. Writing a list honestly saves so much hassle because then you won't do a post halfheartedly, you know you wanted to talk about a topic anyway and so you finally get a chance to do so. In my opinion, reviews are the easiest thing to write when I'm in a hurry, because I already know how I feel about a product. So if you are a beauty blogger and you are short of time, think of some products to review! Also if you are starting a blog, then preplan your first few posts so it's not like you are jumping straight into the deep end! 

5) Be yourself

It's easy to go ahead and copy from someone else, or write the same review as another person but what people really want is a different perspective. I read a wide range of reviews and blogs because I am interested in their thoughts and if they were all writing the same thing, well then I would be sure to cut down on how many blogs I read. Doing what you want to do is vital, especially since there are so many blogs out there it's hard to stand out, so be original and don't be afraid to put what you really think out there because there is bound to be someone who agrees with you. I write like this because this is how I speak in real life and I want my readers to feel as though they are speaking to me in person. Being yourself makes blogging much easier and more like having a chat than writing an essay. At least that's what works for me!

I hope this has been useful to anyone who is looking to start a blog, when I first started, it was really spontaneous and that's really unlike me. I wish I knew how to advertise myself sooner, because it has really made a difference to the kinds of readers I get!

Follow me on Bloglovin' to see more of my posts if you enjoyed this one! I would also love to see if you with have any more tips to add in the comments below! 

YouTube Channels I Love To Watch

YouTube had my heart around four years ago and it has never left me since. I love YouTube because it's like a video version of Google nowadays: you can find good tips, learn how to fix things or even how to build them. I really wanted to share some YouTube Channels, that I really think are worth that subscribe button!

Beauty

1) Fleur De Force

This girl is seriously at the top of all my beauty related lists, she is just the best when she reviews items because she's quite thorough and is always honest. She is actually the first beauty 'guru' that I subscribed to and I feel like it is because of her that I started to love beauty so much. My favourite series is the 'Top Ten under Ten' which tells you about ten top items that are under £10, so if you are struggling with finding something, she has probably got you covered!

2) Jaclyn Hill

Jaclyn is a pro at applying makeup, but is also really entertaining to watch - It's the perfect mix that I am looking for as watching makeup application videos can be a bit tedious. Just seeing the result that Jaclyn achieves just makes me want to learn all the techniques that she uses. If you want to watch a professional who is great but also fun, then she is the gal for you!

3) Vivianna Does Makeup and Lily Pebbles

As these two are really good friends, I thought it would be best to add them in together, they are quite similar but also great individually. I like them because they are really genuine and friendly and just give beauty advice on things they have had experience of, instead of acting like they know it all. They are really easy and fun to watch if you love watching anything beauty related. 

Comedy/Social Satire

1) A Dose of Buckley 

If you like listening to angry rants about a variety of different subjects such as music, news or even celebrities then this guy has you covered. I've been watching to his videos for a few years now and I'm still hooked, he just really puts into perspective how easy it is to get sucked into headlines and media and really makes you think twice about believing what you hear. His tag line is angry humour from an angry man and honesty, that really does sum up his videos. 

2) Bart Baker

Again, I love watching mocking videos and Bart Baker is the best guy for making music parodies, he just taps into gold with some of his videos and makes really catchy songs, some I prefer to the real version. Really light hearted and hilarious, it's worth checking if he's done a parody of your favourite songs!

I think you guys have gained an insight into my life and honestly comedy and beauty do play a huge role in it. I would love to know what channels you would recommend, so leave it in the comments below!

If you liked reading posts like this then be sure to follow me on Bloglovin'!

Blog Recommendations #1

I read a lot of blogs and I have a lot of favourites, both well known and not as well known which are all inspiring, fluent and fun to read. So here are three of my favourite bloggers at the moment!

1) Beauty and The Brunette by Becki

So I have been reading Becki's blog for the past year and I've watched it grow exponentially. I love the way that Becki describes the products that she uses and her experiences, it makes me feel like I am talking to a friend which is something that I want out of a blog. I think it's very easy to tell when Becki likes something because she becomes quite passionate about it, she dabbles into everything too - from beauty to fashion and even reviews about local companies. If you want to read a blog that makes you feel like you are having a pamper night with your besties then be sure to check out her blog (link here)! We also did a collab a few weeks back which you can check out here!

2) Fox On The Hunt by Georgina

Georgina's blog is a new one that I have been enjoying, I can honestly say that what drew me in was the name of her blog - how apt of a description is it! I love it. I love how her blog itself is visually, you can tell that she puts a lot of work into it and that makes me want to read her blog. In terms of her writing style she is concise and to the point, which I like when reading reviews of products because then you know exactly if you should purchase it or not without reading an entire diary entry. I like how she switches up her posts, from fashion to jewelry to reviews, to me that's what keeps me interested in her blog. If you like diversity - give Fox On The Hunt a go (link here). 

3) Cocochic by Stephanie 

If you are a blogger and you need advice or are having some problems then you should go to this lady, she's probably written a post all about it. I love how helpful her posts are about how to maintain your blog but also about life. Stephanie writes paragraphs upon paragraphs sometimes and yet you actually read it all because what she is saying is so interesting and helpful that you don't want to miss another word that she is saying. Her photography really inspires me, it's got that monochrome vibe which I love. If you aren't crazily interested in beauty and have more of an affinity to fashion and lifestyle then Cocochic will be your next greatest love (link here!)

What I love about all of these bloggers is that they interact a lot with their readers and to me, that's what makes a good bloggers someone who genuinely wants to give advice to people, not only in blogs but also on other social platforms!

Do you have any favourites? Be sure to share them with me! I'm always on the lookout for awesome blogs!