How to stop nail biting: The Update

I decided that enough was enough with the nail biting some time around May, so I did a little weird technique or two to help curb the disgusting habit and for the first time, after so so so many previous failed attempts, the nail biting ceased.
I think it's important with breaking a habit like nail biting to be in a place where you have a desire to stop. If you enjoy nail biting (and in a weird way it is enjoyable, in that it is relazing- non nail biters I understand how bizarre that sounds...) As I was saying, if you enjoy nail biting then you will not give it up even if you try, you have to be at a point where you just feel really negative about the habit, and maybe sad and frustrated about it before you'll give it up.

As they say, when you reach the bottom, the only way is up!

And finally, finally my time came to come up!

I'll share with you my and after shot for now, my nails are even longer than I ever expected, This is how they look today, I just can't believe it when I look at the photograph, I can't believe that the really long or really short nails ever belonged to me!

Below is the visual journey to getting lovely, long nails, finally!

If you are sick of biting your nails too, try this tip that doesn't involve buying a thing, it's quickly becoming one of my most popular videos, and I think it's because it works!

A different way to contour your face

My poor MAC matte bronze bronzing powder has been used for it's last now, it's now an empty metal pan in a compact but it has served me well and has lasted me since Christmas as my absolute favorite bronzing powder.
However, this time on I'm not wiser and more aware about what I'm looking fro in a bronzer and what is convenient for my lifestyle. With a pressed powder I would always be terrified of them smashing in moving, which may sound like a problem that a normal person would have to think about maybe once a year, but I pack up my makeup probably thirty times a year to stay at my sisters, friends, uni, back home again and on and on that goes and every time I sacrifice the safety of my bronzing powder for the need to have a contoured face, but luckily it survived every pack.
Nonetheless, on reflection for my new bronzer I wanted something travel friendly and compact that does the job and I happened to find just the thing!

 

The Nyx 'as if it's your natural skin' concealer stick in shade Dark!
It's in a convenient twist up pen that I can just swipe on where I like and blend with a clean finger. It's a beautiful warm colour on my skin that is just great as a subtle contour daily.

I may look a little freaky when first applied but I promise it blends out to look like beautiful bronzed perfection!

If you want a little help with where to bronze or if you really hate this idea and just want to contour the classic way then take a little looky at an oldie but a goodie video of mine!

When all else fails - How to wash your makeup brushes

I'm still not in the mood to cake any thick foundations or dusty powders onto my face, inface the thought of it just makes me feel even more blocked up! It would all get wiped off in an instant anyway since I seem to have the sweats and a constant need to blow my nose. Instead I decided to wash my makeup brushes. They needed it plus they undoubtedly would have had some pre-cold germs lurking in them, and it would be their first wash since I took them travelling, so a bath for them was infact a matter of urgence!
I don't know if my brush washing method is the most effective - it certainly isn't the best for saving water, so if you have a better method that uses less water let me know!
All I use is a running warm tap and baby shampoo. I do not even use the Johnsons baby shampoo I just use the supermarkets own brand because after all they are brushes, they're not going to know the difference!

I get a cup that would usually hold some of my brushes, and pour a generous blob of this into the bottom of the cup.
I then  take a brush, wet it under the running tap and dip it into the cup of shampoo coating the hairs.
I pull the brush out of the cup and then proceed to swirl the brush in the palm of my hand to make a nice foam.
I rinse it under the running tap, squeezing the bristles between my thumb and forefinger to wring out the water and continue this over and over until the water squeezed out of the brush runs clear.
Washing my brushes takes a long long time, I think there must be a more water economical and time saving approach but I just don't know about it!
The result is worth it though, lovely clean fresh brushes!

I'm resting them on a towel with a part elevated higher and lean the handle on that part so that the water trapped in the ferrule runs out to the bristles and evaporates rather than sitting in the brush rotting the glue and loosening the hairs.

Who loves my old beach towel with cats on it!?

New Video: Makeup for a night out!

Here I'm vamping it up a little with darker eye makeup than usual, so it's not really been created with a daytime event in mind- unless you like darker daytime makeup- which is totally cool!
I was getting ready myself for a night out here and I was wearing all black and wanted makeup a little more smudgy than my normal to wear, I never like how the camera picks up my makeup- I always think it looks better in real - I know they say a bad makeup artist or person in any skill trade blames their tools, but, well I am blaming my tools. I just don't think the colours are done much justice sometimes, and the shimmery shades are made to look like they are full of chunky glitter- not pretty!

Anywho, I hope you enjoy!


Straight after this I filmed an empties video that will be up next week!

My favourite 'Back to school' tips!

Being back at school might have you bubbling over with excitement, or make you feel a little sick inside, I'm not at school anymore- maybe you're not either but these were my back to school 'go to tips' to make the first day that little more painless!

1. I'd lay out my uniform the day before, including shoes, a packed back, tights and underwear so that when I am extra 'bleary eyed' in the morning I don't have to think about a thing and can just pull on what is in front of me. I still do that sometimes now, as a treat to save me some time in the morning

2. Set a 'feel good' song as your alarm song in the morning!

3. Invest in some pretty stationary that looks all lovely, fresh and crisp for the new year! This for sure includes hello kitty note books

4. Buy the ingrediants before to make sure you have a fabulous lunch for that first day back, I love lunchtime and if I have prepped myself something great then it makes the day a little better and gives me something to look foward to. Even if it's a simpole change like putting what you would normally have in a sandwich in a wrap instead, or if you haven't tried them already the Innocent 'veg pots' are really great as a hot lunchtime treat!

5. Bake cookies, biscuits, cakes or brownies to hand out to your friends back at school, this makes everyones first day a little sweeter!

How to dress for an unexpected work out

The title should maybe say how NOT to dress haha
My sister and I opted for a last minute Zumba class, I should just always be prepared for when I'm at my sisters to stop me going to Zumba looking like this...

It may not look that bad from a distance but the picture is luckily quite blurry, I'm wearing an old white vest from H&M and a black bra that showed through...not a good look.
Black tracksuit bottoms that are a little on the short side haha
And old mens trainers in one size too big!

Hooray for looking super stylish at the gym!

SHOPPING HURTS!

It hurts our purse, feet, and shoulders, carrying all those bags
But prom season is upon us!

So a video is in order on how to get your perfect prom dress and not have the process be so gosh darn painful!

For those of us who are not buying prom dresses, these tips are universal for every kind of shopping trip! Nowadays, I tend to do more little bits here and there online than a big shop in stores because it's so gosh darn tiring.

Here's the video:


Prom perfection tips:

-Avoid the temptation to get your dress online, photographs of clothes are not the same as wearing it on yourself as you want to look at your absolute best!

-If you are buying your dress online, be wary of websites that are based in China, often the dresses are immitations of the ones pictures rather than the actual one photographed and the quality suffers because of this, think shoddy stitching and uneven seams and you'll get what I mean