Prepare for party season

This one is for all you that love to party.. or just like to look fab!

Summer is creeping up on us (and the weather slowly following) and so is the season for weddings and PROM!

I nearly missed my prom mainly for the fact I couldn't find the right dress and all my school mates, parents were buying them £200 dresses.. which like a lot of people, I could not afford.

Since aging I've realised although I like to spend money on clothes, you don't need to spend a fortune to look good!

Having a Quiz clothing store in my shopping centre, I've always looked at the fab dresses in there and thought about getting one but thought they'd be waay too expensive! BUT THEY'RE NOT!

They have a huge range of party dresses for every occasion: Prom, weddings, ladies day, a night out and even a few suitable for festivals!

I am one of those people that ALWAYS gets my outfit last minute, mainly because i'm very indecisive and end up running around several different shops for multiple different styles, at Quiz i feel like its all in one place for you.. like your own wardrobe, with long, elegant floor length gowns to sparkly, glam, shorter dresses or even slightly more casual dresses, you can't really go wrong!

It's an alternative to Lipsy, Topshop or Asos with a smaller price tag. I have been pondering through pages on their website and there is such a variety of styles of dresses and lower and higher priced dress, its practically a win win for everyone!

Check out what they got going on for your next shindig!

*This is a sponsored post.

Thank you for reading,
Meg x

Lessons I learnt when starting a blog

1. Everything is not what it seems

is one thing that circulates social media quite a bit, the fact people put themselves down a lot because their blog, instagram isn't quite as well polished as everyone else's or that their life doesn't seem so great. No ones life is perfect not even for the person themselves, Pictures are deceiving, yes they might be off at a luxe resort in Bali or be splashed across a magazine for an AD campaign but everyone has troubles: Relationships, Family, Money, Self confidence. It is all ok, no matter what your life is like, you are the only one who can make your life the way you want it.

2. A small start

Everyone has to start somewhere and unfortunately that is the bottom! Engagement isn't going to happen over night, it takes time; some longer than others. Keep at it even if you feel like you are getting no where. 

3. Social media is your best friend

Although this is quite a obvious one, it really helps! I, myself have always tried to spread the word about my blog, i can openly admit i have never pushed it hard enough. I realised this recently when i put a lot more effort in to my socials and stepped away from blogging (i am not saying drop the blog for the internet.. keep at it guys!) the time and effort i put in to engaging on instagram and twitter really proved its worth. Liking and commenting on photos, posting on blogging trains, Hashtags and retweeting others work!

4. It's ok to say NO

I agree it may be exciting getting your first collab/sponsor with brands, however don't let that stray you. It is ok to promote a brand just to get exposure in return, if you are comfortable with it, it is the best way to start getting involved with brands. Having said this once you hit the right time, the right following and the right engagement, it is acceptable to turn down things because they have not offered enough, you need to know your worth. You may be sent lots of fab thing, you might be sent nothing but make sure you are in it for the right reasons eg. compatible content, similar beliefs/interests, a brand you enjoy or something that's relevant to you! Everyone loves tea but dont go advertising a tea-tox if you blog about fashion and you're just doing it about the money or product, promoting lip plumper if you are a food blogger, if its not for you just say no! 

5. Ask for help

I dont think i need to explain this one but anything you are struggling with, near enough everyone has been there! if you dont understand ask someone: a fellow blogger, google, twitter. Express your concerns, someone will help you, even if you have run out of ideas, every blogger has been through the small struggles of, blogger or wordpress, URL, schedules. Even to this day there is a lot of things i still have no idea about, the same as some others!

Just a few things i have learnt from my small time of blogging and inevitably there is more to come!

please feel free to ask me anything or share your own lessons learnt.

Thank you for reading!

Megx 

Seasonal transitions

Going through the seasons there are many transitions eg. Weather, temperature, colours etc. I for one love the fashion transitions, especially when it comes to Autumn/Winter, the colours start matching the trees and the clothing starts getting thicker.

Skin gets drier, sky gets darker and the days getting colder but everything gets a little more seasonal!!

So we've established fashion is my fave thing in winter, but so is the beauty aspect of it all.. lets talk about that a bit more.

 Makeup: The lips and nails start getting darker and the eyeshadow tones start to match the leaves. I have been looking a dark red/purple eye with a nude lip and a manicure to match, to create this looking i have been using the Revolution Resurrection palette mixed with the Mac burgundy x9 palette, i pair this all with Nyx soft matte cream in the shade London.

Fashion:
Red is a big part of autumn/winter fashion this year, however i am still addicted to my mustard threads and as usual anything grey!! Most of my outfits have consisted of my mustard suede jacket but i am sure i will be converting to my faux fur coat during the colder days.

Skincare: This season i will be trading in my simple skincare routine for a routine packed full of thick moisurising products and one of my faves.. Clarins HydraQuench mask which is great for feeding the moisture back into my skin in the colder months where my skin tends to be very desert-esque.

Obviously I have to mention the chang in decor.. ALL THE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS.

If you love winter as much as I do, give this a share!
Thankyou for reading!
Meg x

2017 trends

When a new year comes it comes with a whole load of trends and styles however I think everyone has ran out of ideas and history is repeating its self, what we were forced to wear when we were kids are now part of peoples wardrobes, 90's is very in at the moment but im not sure how long it will last.
Its hard to predict trends and I definitely don't think I could do it as a job but recently over social media and especially runways there's been alot of similar trends that I just know are going to make it to the big brands!

Block colours. I first noticed as soon as the transition to spring started Newlooks spring/summer collection came out and its very hard to ignore. Most of their stock this season is very bright and bold and most pieces are block colour instead of various prints. I found Topshop have also caught on to the late 80's as they have a variety of skirts and cropped jumpers in bold colours. Also rocking the catwalk which will always be okay to wear is floral.

Gloss. Well we had a few good years of a matte lip but we're going back to basics with a simple lip gloss but it looks like lips wont be the only thing wearing it, expect lots of new beauty releases for a glossy eye shadow product.

Natural ombre lips. Some of the bigger brands like Benefit and YSL have already brought out a lipstick with a built in ombre effect and im sure the drugstore/high street brands will follow on. This has been a big thing on Instagram, very natural ombre lips, to enhance the beauty of a natural plump lip some times with a gloss, forget the Kylie Jenner over drawn lip, a subtle shaded lip is being recreated everywhere.

Bushy eyebrows. Again going from one extreme to another of having huge overdrawn lips to a natural lip and perfectly sculpted brow to a bushy brow. So the Cara brow is back but this time its not just big its bushy too. Many videos on social media of people trying to create a huge brow by splitting the hairs, kinda owl-esque, but now it has been seen on various Ad campaigns recreated in their own way.

Wire nails. I am not sure what I think of this one and I don't think it will last very long just like the pierced nails I think it will be a trial and error or a one off.

2016 was a very trend fulfilled year with a lot of glitter, colour and pastel 90's nostalgia, however 2017 is bringing out the colour and going back to basics with some of the classics.

Which is your favourite trend?

Meg x

A pamper before the party

Going out, whether that be with the boyfriend, friends or family is great but what i find is the best part of going on a night out is getting ready before hand, if anything it gets me more excited and i love feeling relaxed and refreshed. A few steps i find a must before i go out:

I tend to do my body first before my hair and face so.. First things first (im a realist) i have to jump in the shower, make sure my body is fully exfoliated with Soap and Glory's Flake away and my legs are hairless, after washing my hair i let most of it naturally dry before blow-drying.

I use Garnier ultimate blends body lotion all over my body before tanning or if i want something thicker i use Soap and Glory's righteous butter especially on my elbows, knees, hands and feet where tan tends to stick a bit more. I tend to use Bondi sands Foam Tan but i sometimes substitute it for St Moritz medium foam rubbing in circular motions with a tanning mitt excluding my face.
 After the majority of my body is dry and the tan has set in, i make sure my toenails are painted, even if im not wearing sandals or peep toes it still makes me feel a bit more put together when my tootsies are painted and it saves me doing it another day.

 If needed i'll wax my eyebrows and upper lip before cleansing my face with my Liz Earle cleanse and polish and then finish my cleansing routine which you can see here. I then apply a gradual tan to my face like the dove face and body Dermaspa summer revived mainly because its a tinted lotion so it works alot better on the face.

  My go to hair style when i go out is big curls, i do love big curl and i create this look really simply with my Nicky Clarke heated rollers and i just leave them in until the rest of me is completely ready and they have fully cooled down.
Lastly i'll do my makeup and after I've done everything i'll do my nails, sometimes i'll just paint them or have acrylics depends what i'm feeling.

I love the feeling of getting all made up it really puts me in the mood to go out and just lifts my spirits, a spritz of perfume and im ready to go.

What extra bits do you do before you go out?
Meg x

So, what's going on?

This is just a short post to let you know whats going on.

About one year ago, maybe nearly two, i decided to start this blog.. it has gone through many issues and been known as many different names. Life got busy and i just became unmotivated even though i still really wanted to write.

I am now back and hopefully better than before, i will be consistent this time and i am actually really excited to get blogging again.

What you might see on my page:

Make up based posts

Beauty

lifestyle posts

Out and about posts

Fashion

Let me know of any posts you are interested in seeing, i am going to commit to it this time and it may take some time but hopefully you will all really enjoy it and it will turn out how i want.

Meg x

Fashion Inspo

Fashion is a very personal thing.

I think a lot of people think they can just take ideas from other people, wear it and call it their own style, which to be honest i think i did to.
If you don't like it, don't wear it because you will be able to tell. It is definitely something that comes with time, it will take you a while to figure out what you are most comfortable in, what looks best on you and so on. I am still not 100% sure what my personal style is yet but i am getting there.

These are a few of my fashion inspirations.

I love Kate Moss' model off  duty style she always has, its really simple and classic. She wears really monochromatic basic pieces but layers them an pairs them with a pair of classy heels or a bold lip colour.

I really like how Fearne cotton styles her clothes too, they are
some times quite similar to Kate Moss' looks but maybe with a bit more colour and she definitely likes to pair different patterns together.

Lastly for celebrities, after loving her as Haley Dunphy i also love her when shes just her normal self Sarah Hyland, i quite like both of her styles on TV and off, she has more of a feminine look than the other two but she still likes to wear a relaxed, classic look too.

I also really like getting inspiration and ideas from bloggers, my favourite looks and biggest inspirations are Lily Melrose, Sammi (beautycrush) and Kailee Mckenzie. I love taking ideas and pieces from their outfits and styles they come up with and put together.

whose your style inspiration?

Meg x

A bloggers bestfriend

I guess you could say its easy being a blogger, but you could only say that if you're not one and probably twice the work if you're a full time one.
It might be hard but its worth it, else i guess there would be no point.

These are a few things that have saved my blogging ass.

Blu tack
Who knew it could be so simple. Ever tried taking photos of a cylinder product eg. nail varnish, hairspray, lip gloss or skincare. It is blooming hard to keep it still and stop it from rolling side to side. It took me about 6 months to realise i could use a tiny piece of blue tack to keep them in place, even better you can get 'invisible' Blu tack, i think they're called glu dots? That will keep everything in place ready for your snaps.

Background
I am one of those people that will take 1,000 photos of the same thing in loads of different places until i get the perfect background. I love photos with cute backgrounds even if they're really simple, probably better, i always used to struggle with this factor because my room is definitely not how i want it to be at the moment so i improvise. You can use pieces of patterned card for a cute beauty products photo background, some stylish bed sheets or even pages out of magazines that give it a little edge.
Fashion photos are a little bit easier, i feel, when it comes to choosing a scenery/background, because you could use anything and make it work some how. A empty field can give it a very simplistic look, same with a bedroom wall, but then a old alleyway can give it a slight edgy look or you could have a nice street view in the background of Paris/London or where ever you happen to be.

Lighting
Lighting is key. Whether it is from your bedroom window or a soft box it really doesn't matter. I always tend to take my pictures in the morning as i don't own photography lighting at the moment, just to give it a natural look.

Content
You have to know what you are going to post. Plan it out a bit so you know which posts going up on what day and what posts you might like to do, even though sometimes some ideas come to me randomly and it ends up being a spare of the moment post, but there's nothing wrong with that.
Like what you post, because if you don't enjoy writing it, its probably going to come across to your readers. If you really love something, write amount and everyone will be able to see you enjoyed it, just keep it casual and put your passion in to your writing.

Meg x

Festival Attire

Here we are again, its April which means one thing.. the start of spring, heading towards summer and festival season is upon us, which you can probably tell if you have been on twitter as everyone is going crazy about Coachella (you are probably sick of that word!) which i am so sad to say because i am not there :( but i will be one year!

I think as it is one of the biggest festivals going that everyone just tends to express them selves in the outfits while being there, as alot of people do at festivals.

This year there is definitely a mixture of 'Hippy'/'Boho' vibes going about at the moment, which i have to say some of it is a little OTT but when its done right it is gorgeous.

A few pieces that would be great for festivals, worn casual or dressed up.


Left to right - Topshop bardot top £16,  New look jumpsuit £24.99, New-look welly boots £19.99, Boohoo jacket £40, New look kimono/jacket £19.99

Left to right- Free people top £78, Milk it Play suit £38, Boohoo dress £25, Asos high neck dress £25,  Asos trousers £35