December...

December... Wow! This year has gone by so quickly. It's hard to believe that Christmas is just a month away. Last year I attempted Blogmas by posting everyday in the lead up to Christmas and I recieved an amazing reaction, so I decided to do it again this year.

For Blogmas 2014 I did Christmas/Winter essentials:
1. Warm Tights
2. Healthy Eating (Part 1)
3. Healthy Eating (Part 2)
4. Jumpers (Christmas)
5. Lip Care
6. Tissues
7. Cosy Socks
8. Keeping Your Skin Looking Fresh
9. Candles
10. Comfy Clothes
11. Get Your Summer Glow Back
12. Christmas Jumper Day and Finally in the Festive Spirit
13. Comfy Boots
14. Face Masks
15. Reading a Good Book
16. Layer Up
17. Protect your Hands
18. Keep it Cool
19. Christmas Pyjamas
20. Cotton Wool Pads
21. Christmas Films
22. Wrapped Up
23. Make Up
24. Nights at Home (Christmas Eve)
25. Christmas Day

This year I am going to be doing general Christmas posts such as recipes, outfits and favourite things to do and watch around Christmas time. I will be posting everyday in December until Christmas but until then... Have you seen the new John Lewis advert? If not, here it is.

(Click HERE for #ManOnTheMoon)

Let me know what you think in the comments
Fiona xx

Revision Tips

Exams are always stressful and sometimes it's hard to revise effectively to get the marks that you deserve. I also find that it's difficult to set aside time so that you can properly focus with no distractions. After sitting my exams last year I found some tips that really helped me and with more exams just around the corner, I thought that I'd share them with you to help reduce stress and improve your performance in your exams.

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Here are 10 revision tips to help you achieve the best possible result:

1.Make a revision Timetable

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. That's what I've heard anyway. By creating a revision timetable it will help you keep on track of everything you need to revise and for when. When I make one, I put in revision blocks of 30 minutes and then around 15-20 minutes in between each one. This helps me to focus and not get stressed out by a tonne of revision books, notes and papers (also scientists are now saying that to concentrate better you should do short revision sessions with frequent breaks).

2.Find a quiet space

You need to create a space at home where you can just get down to work and not have distractions everywhere. If you can't you could also go to the local library or find a place at your school, college or university to work. This will allow you to have a peaceful space where you can revise and work with no one to distract you.

3.Start early

Stick to your revision timetable but the sooner you start revision, the less you will have to revise closer to the time of the exam. This will reduce stress and put you at ease knowing that you're ahead of everyone else. Also if you start early in the morning you will have more time in the afternoon for socialising and this way you won't have to sacrifice your life for your exams.

4.Make it fun

Add some colour and pictures to your notes and timetable. Using coloured paper, pens or pencils can help you to memorise the facts and this way it is personal to you. Diagrams, mind maps, tables or just notes on a topic are all great places to use colour.

5.Past papers are your friend

Doing past papers before your exam will help to familiarise yourself with the types of questions that will be asked and which topics are popular. You can get past papers from your teacher or directly from the exam board's website as well as the mark scheme to check as you go along.

6.Summary notes

Summary notes are an amazing way to remember lots of information without being bombarded with textbooks filled with information. It also helps you use your time effectively rather than staring blankly at a page full of words or numbers. Colour, pictures, diagrams and statistics can all be put on summary notes to help you remember the important information.

7.You friends and family can help

Take a break from writing notes and reading textbooks and spend some time with your family/friends. Give them your summary notes and ask them to test you on facts, figures or translations on words (scientists say that by teaching someone about what you are learning, you will have a better understanding of it).

8.Exercise

You may not be an active person but trust me, it relieves so much stress you might not even know you have. Although it may seem like spending less time revising is a bad thing, spending your time moving or exercising is beneficial to your exam success. Any physical activity - walking round your neighbourhood to having a full workout at the gym - will help you because it will increase your heart rate causing your blood to circulate faster. This allows more oxygen to get to your brain, resulting in increased productivity as well as a reduction in stress and tiredness caused by doing the same thing every day.

9.Reward yourself

After revising you need to take breaks so that you can carry on taking in information, otherwise it will just go straight over your head. Spend your breaks doing something you enjoy. This could be being with friends/family, a sport, playing a video game or you could treat yourself to the next episode in your favourite tv series or your favourite food/sweet. Whichever way you decide to treat yourself, just make sure you are in the right mindset in time for your next revision session.

10.Believe in yourself

If you put in the work, you will do well in your exams, so all you have to do now is relax and try not to get too stressed about it. Believe in yourself and know that you will do as well as you can. Don't forget to socialise and take breaks (as well as actually revising or course) and you will be ready for your exam in no time.

I hope that these help you. Good Luck in your exams!
Fiona xx

A Week in Keswick

During August I spent a week in the Lake District with my family. We stayed in a lovely second floor apartment which was in the centre of town, so nothing was too far away. As we were on holiday we tried to do something new/different everyday to make the most of our stay.

Saturday
We travelled on the morning and stopped at The Horse & Farrier Inn to get some lunch before going to collect the keys for our apartment. After settling into our apartment we found a fish and chip shop for some tea and took a short walk around the town.

Sunday
On Sunday my whole family was exhausted from travelling for most of Saturday so we walked around town again and bought some Lake District necessities (waterproof trousers). In the afternoon we decided to go to Whinlatter forest park and do a four hour walk around there. We climbed Lord's seat and Barf (lovely name isn't it :/) and then we ate in the little cafe at the forest park to gain some of the energy we had lost by doing the walk.

(View half way up Lord's Seat)

Monday
Again we looked around the shops and bought some present for people at home. Then we played Crazy Golf before heading to the Bank Tavern for some lunch.

Tuesday
We climbed Binsy in the morning to look at the amazing view from it, you can see for miles and on a clear day you can see Scotland in the distance. Afterwards we spend the whole day at North Lakes Safari Park looking at all of the animals they have there. One thing I love about North Lakes Safari Park is the talks and feeding opportunities that the keepers give throughout the day.

Wednesday
We spent the full day at Nichol End after taking the ferry across Derwent Water. The view was spectacular from the balcony where we ate our lunch and the food was delicious. As some of you may have known the Perseid meteor shower was happening while we were away and because of the rural area we were staying in we managed to see them first hand. It was spectacular, you don't actually realise how many stars there is until you go to the countryside. I would strongly recommend that next year, if you are in an area with little to no light at night, you try to see them  because you will be blown away by how many of them there is and how fast they travel.

Thursday
In the Wainwright books High Rigg is pictured as a lovely little hill that anyone could climb with lovely views all the way up. However this was NOT how I experienced it. Bracken has taken over and covered most of the path which would have previously been used, also this bracken is well over 5 foot tall and so anyone only just above 5 foot (me) can only see bracken the entire way up. It was a bit of a let down and it took a lot longer than we had originally planned because paths cut off and we had to retrace our steps quite a bit in order to get the the main path again.

Friday
It rained a lot so we visited a local museum, ate come ice cream and then headed home in the evening.

Have you been on holiday during the summer holidays? Comment where you went below.
Fiona xx

August Favourties

I can't believe its already the end of August! This summer has been jam packed with things for me to do so I'm afraid I sort of abandoned my favourites in order to keep up with everything else. As a result of this I have found lots of things to write about so this is more of a Summer Favourites even though most are from August.



Pad of paper with cool design on it-doing exams and having tonnes of revision to do has been chaos. This pad of square paper has been a life saver. Its perfect for writing little notes or memos and the cool design on the side is really eye catching so ill never lose it.

Soap & Glory Thick & Fast mascara-One of the best mascaras I have ever used. Also a must have in my makeup bag (POST)





Superdrug Tea Tree Lemon Facial Wash- has really helped to clear my skin and it leaves a lovely lemony fresh scent.



Avon Bb cream in Ivory- It matches my skin tone perfectly and leaves a lovely smooth finish to my skin.

Pretty Little Liars- I'm still hooked on this after 6 series and after every episode I can't wait to see what happens next. If you haven't watch PLL yet I strongly recommend it. I can't wait until the next half of the series comes out!

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Alfie & Bruno-My Auntie lives in London and came up to visit us and she brought her dogs too. They are absolutely adorable and I wish they could have stayed for longer.

Headphones-When writing posts I like to listen to music so I never have a blank mind and this way I don't get stuck with what to write. I don't know if it would work for anyone else but it seems to work for me.

tinc. splitter- has a great sound and colour (I got the light blue one) and it is perfect for sharing music and videos with friends.

This New Look bag- I absolutely love the colour and it is the perfect size for going shopping or visiting friends.

Playsuits-I bought a lot recently from new look and I think I'm in love with them!

What have you been loving this month?

Fiona xx

What's in My Makeup Bag?

This seems to be one of the most popular posts to be done by bloggers and recently I read it on Cant Makeup My Mind. Many of my favourite bloggers have done this post at least once so I decided to jump on the band waggon and join them.

My makeup bag was a gift from my sister for Christmas. Its from Primark (Atmosphere) and is white and gold. The white is cutout into a pretty pattern so the gold can be seen through it and it has snap fastenings on each side to give it its shape.

Brushes
At the moment I'm using the Body Shop brushes to apply my makeup and I love how soft they feel on my skin! I was gifted these recently and I've used no other brushes since, they are great for blending and everything I need them to do. :D
I have: face & body brush, blusher brush, lip/concealer brush (I use it for concealer), foundation brush, eyeshadow brush, slanted brush and eyebrow & lash comb in my set.


Base Products
As it is Summer now (how is it already July???) for my base I like to go for light bb creams or tinted moisturisers and tend to steer clear of heavy foundations. I don't know why or if it has any benefits at all but its just what I've always done.
I've been using Avon's Clearasil Tinted Moisturiser (review- HERE) a lot lately and it's probably my favourite face product this year. Inside my makeup bag I also have 3 bb creams: Maybelline Dream Fresh 8-in-1 Bb Cream (colour-light) which is almost empty and will definitely need replacing this month, and 2 Avon Ideal Flawless Bb skin loving beauty balm (one in nude and the other in ivory) because I'm between these shade so I have to mix them in order to get the shade which suits my skin tone (does anyone else have this problem?).
As well as these I also have translucent No.7 perfect light pressed powder which helps when I have shiny days or when I need to set my makeup in place. No.7 natural blush tint powder in Soft Damson is also an essential in my makeup bag for those days when I lack colour in my cheeks.

Lips
Being someone whose lips crack very easily in both winter and summer I take a lot of care of my lips and I feel like most of the makeup or skin products I have are for my lips.
Boots original lip balm is great!!! It is clear but it gives a slight shine and after a couple of hours my lips are incredibly smooth (amazing value for only £1!). I also use the Body Shop 'born lippy' raspberry lip balm (review of strawberry flavour - HERE).
Moving on to lip colour before I bore you with lip balms.
No.7 high shine gloss in tangerine twist looks orange-ish in the tube but on, it is more of a coral colour and it suits me very well. For a more glittery option I use Avon's glaze wear dazzle lip gloss in pink radiance. It is slightly pinker than my lips and the 'dazzle' in it is great for parties but not so good for everyday use like the no.7 high shine gloss. A lip gloss which I haven't used much and its quite a new addition to my makeup bag is colour ultimate lip gloss in a pinky colour (sorry there was no shade name on the packaging).

Left to right: No.7 High shine gloss, Avon's glazewear dazzle lip gloss x2 and ultimate lip gloss

Eyes & Eyebrows
A good but cheap palette for eyeshadow is the Revlon redemption palette iconic 2 which has only had a few uses but none the less it hasn't failed to impress me every time.This is the only eyeshadow product that I have because I don't really do a lot with my eye makeup, I just depend on a good mascara and eye liner.
The best mascara that I have used this year is definitely Soap & Glory Thick & Fast super volume mascara. My eye lashes look visibly longer and thicker and it really helps to widen my eyes.
The pencil eyeliner that I occasionally use is the Body Shop eye definer in black and the liquid eyeliner that I use is the Rimmel London Professional liquid eyeliner. I prefer to use the pencil eyeliner even though the liquid has a bolder colour because the liquid eyeliner is difficult to apply and it only sometimes goes 100% correct. I usually keep my Miss Sporty mini me eyeliners in my bag but lately I haven't had time to top up through the day so at the moment they are living in my makeup bag. I have them in white and black. I use the white on my water line to open up my eyes and I use the black as regular eyeliner.

 

If you haven't already done a 'What's in my makeup bag?' post, try it! It was so fun to write and super easy too.
If you have any suggestions of new products I could invest in please let me know in the comments below.
Fiona xx

Clearskin® Blemish Clearing Oil-Free Tinted Moisturiser - REVIEW

Lately I've found that my skin had been quite clear, so I wanted to find a super lightweight product which I could wear in the summer instead of a foundation or bb/cc cream. I wanted minimum coverage but something that would even out my, occasionally, uneven skin tone.

That's when I discovered Avon's Clearskin® Blemish Clearing Oil-Free Tinted Moisturiser (buy/order from your local Avon representative or online here).

On the back of the packaging it says: "This lightweight tinted moisturiser helps to minimize the look of redness, blemishes and large pores. TO USE: Cleanse skin thoroughly. Apply a thin layer to face, in an outward and upward motion. Can be applied up to twice a day."

I originally read this and thought it was too good to be true, but I tried it out anyway and I was so pleased with the results. It looks as if you aren't wearing any makeup if you use a thin layer and it is easily blendable. This tinted moisturiser is great if you have good-ish skin or only a few small blemishes but it lacks the ability to cover larger blemishes and marks.

I use the 'fair' shade but a 'medium' shade is also available for darker skin. Having fairly pale skin I always worry when buying makeup for my face in case it is too dark but this moisturiser is light enough for my skin and it can also be built up by adding more layers to suit lots of different skin shades. Overall this moisturiser not only adds moisture to your skin but it also gives clear skin a slight airbrush affect and reduces small impurities.

My recommendation is to use Avon's Clearskin® Blemish Clearing Oil-Free Tinted Moisturiser if you don't wear a lot of makeup usually/want to wear less makeup. The price is usually £5.50 but Avon sometimes has deals so it can go down to around £3 which makes this product even more amazing!!!!

Let me know of anything else to include in future reviews in the comments :)
Fiona xx

RECIPE: Raspberry and Blueberry Muffins

I love to bake but I always tend to stick to the chocolate, cake and cookies.

Having never really been a fan of fruit in cakes, I was hesitant to make and try these but I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. They were quick and easy to make and tasted really nice too. I will definitely be making these a lot through the summer as, unlike chocolate, they won't melt in the heat.

These Raspberry and Blueberry muffins are a healthier option to most other cakes and because they have fruit in, I find I don't feel as guilty for eating them while trying to get fitter.

This recipe makes 12 Muffins or 24 cupcakes.
Ingredients:
Plain Flour-300g
Baking Powder-3 teaspoons
Caster Sugar-125g
Butter-50g
Eggs-3
Sunflower Oil-4 tablespoons
Vanilla Essence-1 ½ teaspoons
Natural Yogurt-150g
Fresh Raspberries-100g
Fresh Blueberries-100g

You can change which berries you use as long as it is about 100g.

Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
1. Separate muffin cases and put one into each hole of a 12-hole deep muffin tin.
2. Put the flour, sugar and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Stir together using a fork.
3. Melt the butter-in a saucepan on the hob or in a microwave-proof bowl in the microwave on full power for around 30 seconds.
4. Pour the melted butter into the large bowl (which already has the flour mixture in).
5. Add the eggs, vanilla essence, yogurt and oil to the mixture and mix with a fork until it is all mixed.
6. Stir in the berries carefully.
7. Divide the mixture between the 12 cases (using 2 spoons can help with this).
8. Bake in the oven for 12-18 mins until the muffins are well risen, golden brown and the tops have cracked.

9. Remove the muffins from the tin (if they have stuck, use a round bladed knife to loosen the edges.
10. Leave to cool on a wire rack for about 15 mins before eating.

These muffins can be eaten both warm and cold but they are slightly better if eaten warm. Best on the day of making them.

If you make these comment below or tweet me (Fiona240400) if you like them or not.

Fiona xx