2 Non-Heat Hairstyles♥*

I am often guilty of wearing the same hairstyles all the time. I've recently been trying out different hairstyles, two which require no heat, great news for my hair! Both give a nice result, and are sure to receive lots of compliments!

Hairstyle 1 : The Curls

Majority of people I know who curl their hair use a hair tool. My hair is quite long, and thick, therefore takes AGES to curl but the curls drop super quickly. Everyone's hair is different in how it holds, but this is the method that works for me.

This hairstyle can be done on either damp hair or dry. For me, it works best when my hair is dry. It's easy - all you need are some bendy rollers.

You can find them absolutely everywhere, and are inexpensive too! They're bendy, so roll easily around your hair and are comfortable enough to sleep in. It's hard to explain how to do it without showing, but you can find millions of tutorials on Youtube, just search up bendy rollers tutorial. Once they're in, I spray hairspray over them to keep them in hold.

I find it's best to wear these overnight as that way then, they've been in for numerous hours. Once I'm up in the morning and I'm doing my hair, I simply remove them, by rolling them, and once I'm roller-free, I shake my head upside down to loosen the curls. You could alternatively brush your hair out slightly but I like to keep the curls.

Once I'm happy with how my curls are, I apply some of the Lee Stafford Here Come the Curls Creme*. This can be used on naturally curly hair or hair which has been curled. It gives an extra bounce to the curls and makes them feel smooth. I use a small amount and generously apply throughout the hair. I also spray some hairspray to help the curls stay in.

Hairstyle 2 : Mermaid Waves

The dreaded task of drying hair, sound familiar? I know for a fact I hate this, I don't mind washing my hair but it's the drying part. I've found a simple hairstyle to do instead of drying my hair. 

After I've towel-dried my hair and combed through it, I love using the Lee Stafford Argan Oil Nourishing Miracle Oil*. I apply one to two pumps on my hand for the ends of my hair and it just helps smooth the ends and keep them hydration. It can be used on either wet or dry hair, but it works better with my hair whilst damp.

Next, I part my hair and split it into two sections and do two ordinary pleats (plaits). If you are good enough at hair, you could do a French braid, but I haven't "aced" that yet!

I normally wait until the morning to remove my pleats. Once I do, I run my fingers through my hair before applying the Lee Stafford Beach Babe Sea Salt Spray*. I never understood the point of sea salt sprays but oh my goodness, this adds heaps of volume to my hair! I apply some to my hair, scrunch my hair up, flip my head upside down, spray some and flip my head back up and it makes my hair bigger. It makes my hair look like mermaid locks!

Those are my two non-heat hairstyles. What are your go-to non-heat hairstyles?

* PR samples

Marc Jacobs Dot♥ || Collab

I've had my eye on the Marc Jacobs perfumes for ages. I don't know why, maybe the adorable packaging and the gorgeous scents. I'm forever looking them up on Boots or Feelunique, and knowing how cute the bottles would look in my collection. When I happened to have gone onto feelunique the other week, I noticed there was a sale on some of the perfumes. I was intrigued and just had to get one.

"Marc Jacobs Dot is a lush juicy floral - happy and vivacious.

The top captivates with a delectable blend of red berries, succulent dragonfruit, and sweet honeysuckle. The lush floral heart of the fragrance blooms with addictive jasmine mingled with energizing notes of coconut water and orange blossom. The scent rounds out with a feminine drydown of creamy vanilla, driftwood, and sensual musks.

Top notes: Red Berries, Dragonfruit, Honeysuckle.

Heart notes: Jasmine, Coconut Water, Orange Blossom.

Base notes: Vanilla, Driftwood, Musk." - feelunique

Fragrance

As you can read from the feelunique statement, it's a fruity perfume. To me, it's also a little bit on the floral side too. It's got a variety of notes, and it's definitely different to any other perfumes I own. 

Packaging

I must admit, the bottle is stunning! I like how the colours have been chosen and how the design works well with the colours. I keep mine in the box, as I do with all my perfumes, but this would stand out from the crowd if you were to display it!

Opinion

I am so glad I bought this perfume! It was difficult to choose just one (I would easily buy all of them if I had enough money!) but Dot stood out to me the most. Whenever I wear this, I receive lots of compliments and questions to what perfume I'm wearing. It has a good staying power - sometimes I can spray it around 9am and still smell it around 4pm, but you would expect that from an expensive perfume. I would class this as highend, so it was definitely a splurge for me!

Do I recommend?

Yes, yes and yes! If you're into fruity perfumes, which are strong but not too overpowering, I totally recommend you smell this. If you prefer more floral, feminine and pretty perfumes, I suggest checking out Daisy.

I 100% recommend this perfume. If you haven't smelt it before, I suggest you get down to a local Boots and have a sniff of it! I bought the 100ml bottle which originally is £68. I couldn't justify paying that much for a perfume, as much as I love it, however, like I said, I got it in sale for £42. The perfume takes pride in sitting on my perfume shelf within my collection.

100ml - £67.50 at Boots

50ml - £49.50 at Boots

30ml - £38.50 at Boots

This post is a collab with the lovely Hannah! She's also reviewing a Marc Jacobs perfume, so you should check out her review! Her blog is mainly fashion based with the odd few beauty posts, baking, DIY, lifestyle and lots more. Oh, and her blog is a joint one with her friend, even cooler! Make sure to also follow her instagram - @Fabblog_

Do you own any Marc Jacobs perfume(s)? If so which one(s)? If not, which one(s) you got your eye on?

My Everyday Makeup Look♥*

I usually wear the same makeup look everyday, however, I've recently found some new products I love and switched up my look. I'm a big fan of each of the products, so thought I'd share my quick and easy everyday makeup look!

Of course I moisturise beforehand but I didn't think it was necessary to include that! You may be familiar with this product as I featured it here. It's the No7 Instant Illusions Airbrush Away Primer. I'm not going into too much detail as I already have but it's a good primer as it gives you a smooth base to work on, and fills in any visible pores.

I sometimes skip this step as I feel like I don't need to use it, but it's the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer. You probably know by now this is my favourite concealer, as it's been featured plenty of times on my blog! I just use it on any blemishes or under my eyes.

This is a step I've been loving doing lately. I use the blush out of my Urban Decay Naked Flushed Compact in Native. It's a gorgeous pink colour and it's perfect for the Spring time! I just apply it to the apples of my cheeks and blend outwards for a natural look. I've been using the W7 Blusher Brush* for this step and it's such a soft brush! Plus, it distributes blush evenly onto my cheeks.

I've liked using bronzer lately to warm up my face. I've been using the W7 Smooch Bronzer in Smooched*. At first, I was afraid incase this was too orange and shimmery. But trust me, once applied to the face, it's not at all. I use the little brush it comes with to put product on my face then blend out with my angled top brush.

Going back to my Naked Flushed palette, I take the highlighter. Sometimes I use this old foundation brush and other times I use my finger. I apply some to the tops of my cheekbones, inner corner of my eyes, my brow bones and cupid's bone.

Now for eyes. I use my W7 In The Buff palette, which if you didn't know, I adore. I use the first shade on the left (Buff) all over my eyelid as a base colour. Then into my crease, I blend the fifth colour (Chocolate) for depth and definition. Finally, I use the third colour (Sand) all over the lid for a little extra sparkle and make my eyes appear more awake.

Now for my favourite but trickiest part! Liquid eyeliner. I adore using the Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner. The tip is so thin making it easy for a thin line. Lately, I've been drawing a thick line across my top lash line and leaving it, whilst other days where I have more time and feel like it, I will wing it out. It doesn't budge all day! Once you get how to use it, it's super easy to do.

Mascara is definitely one of my favourite makeup items. The W7 Absolute Lashes mascara* has been used a lot lately. Firstly, can we look at the packaging? It looks almost identical to the Benefit's They're Real mascara. This gives loads of length, I've been loving it!

I usually just finish off with a lipbalm or gloss, or a lipstick depending on where I'm going. 

It's a quick look which looks fresh, and nice for Spring.

What products are in your everyday makeup look?

*PR Samples

My One Year Blogging Anniversary♥

On Friday 10th April 2015, my blog will be one year old! I posted my first ever post a year ago that day, and that post is still up actually! Over the past year, I've learnt things about blogging, which I thought I'd share with you, whether you're a blogger, an aspiring blogger or just a regular reader of my blog. In no means am I an expert blogger, this is just what I find is best for my blog. I've also got a little Q&A at the bottom! This post is a little different, but enjoy!

1. Be Unique.

This is definitely the most important part of blogging. I'm a beauty blogger, and there's millions upon millions of other beauty blogs out there, so for mine to be noticed, I have to have unique content. Whether that's unique with photos, blog layout etc, it's best to be different for people to find your blog interesting. Are you telling me someone's wanting to read 10 blog posts reviewing the exact same products and basically saying the same thing?

2. Blog about what you want.

Every single time that a make-up brand brings out a new product, there's a guarantee that a huge majority of beauty bloggers will review that. Don't feel pressured to review it as well! Of course you can review it whenever you want, but don't blog about it just because everyone else is. Blog about it in your own time. If you're wanting to blog about a make-up item which everyone raved about years ago, go for it! Chances are there's new people out there looking for reviews on it! It's your blog - blog what you want!

3. Don't be afraid to show off your content.

Now talking from personal experience, I was nervous to what everyone would think. I didn't really tell anyone about my blog, which is silly, because my blog wouldn't have grown this much if nobody knew! I promote and share my blog on all my social media (which is always linked at the bottom of my posts.) People are usually glad to find new blogs to read, well I know I am. By sharing your blog, you're a) increasing views and b) helping people find your blog. It's a win win situation for everyone!

4. It's not all about the number.

By saying number, I mean amount of views each post gets and total number of pageviews. I think this is a point which people get worried over. Blogging is NOT all about the numbers you receive. Of course it's nice to see your blog grow, which it does over time. trust me. For me, blogging is something I do because I enjoy it, and I love sharing the products I love with people to help them find new products. I've had my blog for almost a year, and I have over 13,000 page views. It takes time to grow your blog!

5. Enjoy what you do!

This is probably the most important part of blogging. Whether you blog about beauty, fashion, food etc, enjoy what you do. It's like the quote, "Do what you love and love what you do". If you don't enjoy blogging, then why do it?

Instagram Question & Answer

@bearbeauty00 

 What made you want to start blogging?

I started blogging simply because I wanted to share products I love with other beauty lovers!

@_bekka_b00

Who is your favourite blogger?

Oh that's so hard! I've lately found some amazing new blogs which I love. A few of my favourite blogs are : Raspberrykiss, Shy Nature, Magpie Jasmine, FashStyleLiv and The Perks Of Mollie Quirk.

@wallfl0wers

What blogs inspire you?

Basically all the blogs I mentioned above! All the blogs I read inspire me, but three of them are definitely : The Sunday Girl, Fleur De Force and GabriellaLovesxo.

@uni._.rns

How did you design your blog?

All I did was choose a layout design from blogger and then changed the settings around to what I liked and chose a pink background! Simple really!

@heyzono

What's your favourite thing about blogging? (For example, helping people make good make-up choices or taking photos or having an excuse to buy new things).

Definitely knowing that people like my content, especially when they leave me comments - I love comments! I think that having the excuse to buy new make-up as well, although I've been quite good and haven't bought any in ages! I also like giving recommendations to people who are looking for new products. Another thing is collaborating. I've done a few collabs with some fabulous bloggers and it's so fun!

@xits_mollyx

What has been the hardest thing about blogging for you personally?

I think sharing my blog to people. I was worried of what people would think, as are many bloggers at first. But now, I look back and think, why was I so scared? There's nothing wrong with having a blog. It's something I love doing, so there isn't any point about being nervous! I have the most amazing people who support me for having a blog and I'm so grateful. I often have people ask me about my blog in confidence, and even tell me they're thinking of buying a product which I reviewed, it's a good feeling knowing I've gave them a good impression on the product!

Emma❤

What's the most satisfying thing about blogging for you personally?

Like I said above, probably helping people find new products to try!

Would you ever consider YouTube if enough people requested you to do so?

Oh, I don't know! I like the whole aspect of sitting down and typing, otherwise if I was to film, I'd most likely get tongue-tied!

Where do you see your blog in 5 years time?

I'd like to still be blogging! If I am, I hope my blog has grown lots!

@floralblogger

What do you use to take photos?

The camera I use is the Olympus VG-170!

How did you gain followers and views?

I share my blog on all my social media, read other people's blogs and comment, and I follow people and they sometimes follow back.

@bumblebeezoe

Any tips for new bloggers?

I'd pretty much just say all the steps I said above; be unique, blog about what you want, don't be afraid to share your content, it's not all about the number and enjoy doing it! For me, I would also say have a schedule. You can dedicate one day for a post to go up, like me, or post one a week, but let your readers know you blog once/twice a week. By informing your readers on your ideas, people will check back each week/that day to see if there's a new post.

A question a lot of people often ask - working with brands. It's definitely something which takes time to gradually happen. I first got the opportunity to work with the lovely Lee Stafford back in January. Since then, I've worked with a few brands. I think you should have your blog for almost a year before considering doing it. Brands are interested in how many pageviews you have, so it's a good idea to have quite a high number. I was the one to contact the brand myself, since there's so many blogs, they might not look through them all. People often think it's not a good idea, but I've worked with brands by contacting them myself. However, please, do not just email the brand in the hope of "free items". They're doing it for you to share their products on the blog. The brand have to earn trust in you!

This is just from my own personal experience. Each and every blogger is different and has experienced something different. I've only blogged for a year, but my blog has grown so much - over 13,000 pageviews, 100 bloglovin followers, 1900+ Instagram followers and 200+ twitter followers. Thank you all so much! 

I hope this post has given you an insight into blogging. If you're interested, then I think you should go for it!

Do you have a blog? Or are you thinking about starting one? Leave me a comment, as well as your link so I can check out your blog!

Bed Head Products - First Impressions♥*

Bed Head, a hair company I hear about and see all the time. With their bright packaged products, they're sure to catch your eye. I hadn't tried their products until recently, when Bed Head were generous enough to send me out some products. Got to say, I was super excited when I received them and couldn't wait to try them out. I decided to put all the products into one post and do a first impression on each product.

The product with the most unique packaging goes to this, the Bed Head Blow Out Golden Illuminating Shine Cream*. When I opened up the package, this product stood out to me, mainly because it was so bright and is unusually shaped. I apply two pumps to my hair when it's towel dried, and it makes it feel smooth. It has hints of glitter throughout it, which makes your hair look shiny when you blow dry it. Also, it smells delicious - all Bed Head products smell fruity, without being overpowering! So far, so good!

This one wins the award for the best name - Bed Head Superstar Queen for a Day Thickening Spray*. I already have thick hair, so I was unsure how this would work with my hair. I was impressed with this - it adds some volume to your hair. I spray it when wearing my hair in a ponytail so it looks big and voluminous. Of course, that's just my preference, but you can also apply it to damp hair and blow dry for volume. I really like this product, although, if you have fine hair, I think this would be ideal for you!

Hairspray, cannot go wrong with it! This is the Bed Head Hard Head Hairspray* (great alliteration there Bed Head!) I'm not usually too fussy with hairspray, as long as it's not sticky and keeps your hair in place, then I'm happy. This keeps your hair in place, smells fabulous, is not sticky AND brushes out easily. Does it tick all your boxes? It certainly is worth investing into if you're in need of a decent hairspray!

I'm up for trying out lots of different shampoos. When I got the Bed Head Urban Antidotes Re-Energize Shampoo*, I was looking forward to trying it out to see what it was like. It's described to be "perfect for normal hair that needs a daily pick-me-up". I have oily/combination hair, so was interested to see how it worked with my hair. It left it feeling quite nourished and soft, not to mention shiny! It lathers up great, which is a plus for me because I look for that in shampoos! Sometimes with shampoos, I feel they don't cleanse your hair properly with the first wash, but this did.

To achieve nice hair, you're obviously going to use conditioner. To go with the shampoo, I got the Bed Head Urban Antidotes Re-Energize Conditioner*. I absolutely hate conditioners which are nothing but runny and like water. This is thick and moisturising. It leaves my hair conditioned and healthy looking. Once I've washed my hair, it's really easy for me to comb through my hair, which does often get tangled.

A product which I see a lot of in shops - Bed Head Small Talk*. I had high hopes for this as I have read some reviews on this, plus, my cousin told me it was great, so I was expecting a lot from this little bottle. It's a thickifier, energizer and stylizer. As I said above, I already have thick hair. I put two pumps of it into my hair when dry, and it gives it an extra "oomph" of volume. If you have short hair and/or want volume, this is guaranteed to give you it.

Lastly is the Bed Head Dumb Blonde Smoothing Stuff*. I firstly want to mention the smell. Oh, my goodness! It smells so good you could eat it, no joke! Now onto what this product actually does. It adds moisture into hair, the ends of my hair are a little bit dry so I pop some onto the ends just to make them smooth again. By just looking at the name, it basically just smooths hair where needed. It's dumb blonde as it is originally created for dyed hair.

Have you tried Bed Head? Is there any product here you want to try?

*PR Samples

Flawless Face Make-up Routine♥

Sometimes, I don't bother much with my face make-up and just use powder and/or concealer and move on. But the days where I feel like spending more time on my make-up or my skin is needing the extra coverage, this is the make-up routine I go by, which usually gives a good result.

Whether I'm wearing face make-up or not, I always apply moisturiser to keep my skin soft. The one I use is the Boots Essentials Fragrance Free Moisturising Cream. This leaves my skin soft and prepared for any make-up I will apply. 

To help insure your make-up will stay put all day, it's best to use a primer. Recently, I've been using the No.7 Instant Illusions Airbrush Away Primer, and I must admit, I have been loving using this! I only use the tiniest amount on my fingertips then distribute across my face. It actually has helped my foundation stay on, it's like a hero in a tube!

Now for the exciting part! I never used to wear foundation, therefore I haven't experimented too much with different ones. I've been using the Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude Foundation in the shade 10 "Ivory". I thought because it was liquid that it wouldn't be good coverage but oh I was wrong! One layer and it looks perfect! It covers up any redness my skin may have and gives me an even skin tone too. I use the Jessup flat top brush to buff it in and it gives a nice finish. 

For those dark circles I may have or any spots that need covering, I use the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in the shade 15. This stuff is seriously good, if you don't own any, I definitely recommend you try it out - it's creamy yet such high coverage! This concealer is ever so slightly lighter than my skin tone, so it's great for correcting dark circles because it lightens them. Once applied, I pat it out then blend it with the Jessup tapered face brush.

To set everything in place, I use a powder, as not only does it keep your make-up from moving, but it helps minimise any shine on your face. I have two favourites which I switch between. The first one I use is the Maybelline Fit Me Powder in 220 "Natural Beige". As you can see, I've used a lot of this, I absolutely love it! It keeps my make-up in place and gives a nice finish. The second one I use is the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in 003 "Peach Glow". This powder definitely lives up to it's name and keeps your face looking matte. As good as it is, if you do use too much, it can make your face look cakey, so a little is all that is required. I use a Jessup powder brush to powder my whole face.

What's your must-have face make-up product you recommend I try?

Smooth, Silky, Shiny Hair♥*

One thing I know for sure is that I like my hair to be smooth, silky and shiny looking. I'm always on the lookout for products, especially shampoo, which claim to make your hair shiny. I've recently been trying out the Lee Stafford "Oily Roots Dry Ends" collection*, and using some tricks, I found my hair has been looking a lot more shiny.

Firstly, you got to wash your hair if you want clean hair, never mind shiny! I've found the Lee Stafford "Oily Roots Dry Ends" shampoo* cleanses my hair really well as it lathers up great, even with only a small amount! It leaves my hair feeling extremely fresh and clean. Oh, and not to mention that it smells wonderful!

To make my hair smooth, I use the Lee Stafford "Oily Roots Dry Ends" conditioner*. I only use this on the ends of my hair, so about half way from the roots of my hair, as I feel the ends need conditioned more than the roots. I apply it and leave it on my hair for about two to three minutes, then rinse it all out.

Before I leave the shower, the trick is to turn the water cold, but not freezing cold that you will scream! Personally, I like it quite cold, and I run the water on my head for about thirty seconds. This "closes the pores". It's got the same job as a moisturiser has for skincare.

I then blow dry it with my hairdryer. I dry about 90% of my hair. I use the warm heat to dry my hair, and before turning the hairdryer off, I give it a blast with the cold heat, as I like to cool my hair and I find this gives a little volume (especially if you blast the cold heat on your hair when your head is upside down!)

It's a good idea not to over-wash your hair, so best not to wash it everyday! On my second-day hair, it's sometimes not looking it's total best. I like to use Lee Stafford "Original Dry Shampoo"*, as it gets rid of any visible oils and gives some volume too. By using this on the roots, it keeps my hair looking as good as ever!

What's your tricks for smooth, silky, shiny hair?

*PR Samples

Favourite Spring Nail Polishes♥ || Collab

I love painting my nails in Spring, all the pastel colours are season appropriate and look so cute! I've chosen my favourite Spring nail polishes and decided to share them with you. This post is a collab with Ivy so make sure you go check out her post and her blog (it's brilliant by the way!)

The Barry M Nail Paint in 308 "Berry Ice Cream is such a perfect Spring colour! Lilac is the ideal nail colour for this time of year, therefore I love this one. With just one coat, it is pretty light, but I usually apply two, sometimes even three coats for the true colour. Barry M nail polishes are really good for the price. I believe there's a "gelly" version of this colour available, so if you prefer the Barry M "Gelly Nails" polish and love this colour, you can purchase that instead!

Pink nails are definitely a must for me! Personally, I love Revlon's Nail Polish in 185 "Sweet Tart". It's such a girly colour, and it's my perfect pink. It's looks so good on square shaped nails, almond shaped nails and most shaped nails. It does look pretty once two coats are applied, and even nicer when a top coat seals it in!

Another Barry M one, and this is the Barry M Nail Paint in 295 "Prure Turquoise". Mine is called "Torquoise" but I think they've renamed it. Usually I wouldn't associate blue to be a Spring colour, I'd say it's more of a Winter colour. However, because this is a light blue, I find it way more appropriate than darker blue! As with the other Barry M nail polish, I apply two or three coats for the true colour.

Surprisingly, George nail polishes are brilliant! Considering they're extremely inexpensive, they've got to be some of the best nail polishes out there, I must admit! I do own quite a few colours, but the one I find most Spring like is the George Quick Dry Nail Varnish in 20 "Lavender Fantasy". Even the name makes it sound Spring like! This does apply a little lighter than the colour in the bottle, but it's gorgeous! For £1.75, I cannot complain!

This last one is completely different to all the other ones I've shown. I can't find it online anywhere, but it's the Astor Fashion Studio Fruity Scent Mikado. Firstly, it's lemon coloured and secondly, it smells like lemons! I think this is definitely a Spring colour!

Make sure you go and check out Ivy's blog!

What's your Spring nail polishes?