Staying Positive

I've spent a while preparing this post because it's something I really wanted to do and I kept getting new ideas on what I could include. Today I wanted to talk about ways to remain positive because we all may have our down days but I wanted to share some ways to cheer yourself up and maybe feel a bit more positive.

1. Music
This isn't for everybody but for me, music is an easy way to feel better and lift my spirits. When I'm down in the dumps for whatever reason, I find that Spotify has a playlist for whatever I am feeling but it has some great staying positive playlists which are full of songs to lift your spirits.

2. Write It Down
This is a new find for me but whilst I was in a little shop in Sarasota, I spotted these journals and had to give them a read. I am really into quotes and journals like these but basically the brand is "Write It Down" and they offer journals for lots of different things (some I will write below) and it has a date and time for you to fill out and then it asks questions or starts a sentence off for you to finish. It is the same each day unlike some journals like these and the thing I like is that it doesn't have the days already in for you so you can fill this in whenever you choose and not have a timetable to stick to.

• School Days - My School Journal
• Memories - Our Family Journal 
• Me & My Big Ideas - A Goal Journal 
• Celebration of Life Journal 
• Precious Friends - My Pet Journal
• Adventures - My Road Trip Journal
• Wedding Planner - My Wedding Journal
• Moving On - My Breakup Journal
• Maternity - My Pregnancy Journal
• Inspirations - A Gratitude Journal

It also has journals for hobbies like gardening and golf etc. They are available in 3 different sizes but I got the large one. I was torn between getting a Bucketlist Journal, First Times journal, Inspirations Journal and Goal journal but I ended up going for "Me - A Personal Journal" as it has a mixture of things inside. I have photos but I'll just repeat below what is said inside...

The first page of every journal has a quote:

"Life is an adventure

It's not a destination we reach that's most rewarding. 

It's the journey along the way. 

So Write It Down! & treasure the memory forever..."

Then the next pages are all the same. At the top it has space for the Date, Day and Time and below it has the following sentences and lines to fill them out...

• The Weather Today is:
• In the news today:
• News & Events with my family & friends:
• I am excited about:
• I am concerned about:
• Physically & mentally I feel:
• What I learned today:
• People/things that brightened my day:
• What I did to brighten someone else's day:
• Goals/Ideas for a better tomorrow:

I will leave a link to the website at the end of the post.

3. Count your blessings

I have to admit, this is something I am not very good at which is why I nearly got the Gratitude Journal. On a bad day, everything seems like the worst thing but I struggle to remember that there are people out there having days much worse than my own. I think a good way to count your blessings is to get a notebook and write 3 things each night that you are grateful for or there are apps you can get to do the same. 

4. Brighten someones day

I realised when I got my journal that i had not brightened anybody day today. I haven't opened the door for a stranger, I haven't told someone they looked nice, I haven't smiled at somebody in the street, I hadn't made any effort to make somebody else day better and it made me realise that I need to make it my mission each day to brighten somebody day with simple acts of kindness like a smile or a compliment. It can actually help to make yourself feel better too. 

5. Follow Quote Pages

This seems like a really stupid one but following simple quote pages on Instagram and Tumblr and Twitter can honestly help you gain perspective. Reading a quote that is tailored to your situation can often make you feel ten times better and I find quotes really help me.

6. Fill your time with the things and people you love

This seems like a simple one but by being with people you love and doing the things you love it can really help to brighten your mood. 

xoxo

Write It Down - https://journalsunlimited.com/shop/product-category/write-it-down-series/

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MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation Review

A couple of weeks ago I purchased MAC's Studio Fix Fluid Foundation because I wanted another medium to heavy coverage foundation after my Rimmel Match Perfection had oxidised. I bought from MAC because I like their Face and Body foundation and had heard good things about this one too. 

Colour Range

I purchased the shade NC20 because I have the pro-longwear concealer in that colour and it matches my skin great. I fin that this foundation colour is slightly orange tinted so I have to make sure that I blend it properly so I don't have a foundation line but there are plenty of colours with different undertones to choose from and the staff at MAC are helpful when choosing a shade for the first time. I will leave a link to my "A Guide To MAC Foundation" here where I explain colours and other things. On the photos it looks very orange on my hand but my face is darker than my hand so it is a closer colour match than it appears in this post. 

Coverage & Finish

As far as coverage goes, this is medium coverage although it can easily be built to a heavy coverage, I just use one pump so it doesn't build as easily. I would say it has a matte finish when dried completely which I do like because it can give a more flawless finish with the matte and higher coverage. I would say that I don't like my makeup to look all feel thick and cakey and if you use too much of this or don't blend it enough then it can begin to look and feel like you are wearing a lot of makeup. That being said, if you use the right amount and blend properly then the feel isn't noticeable like some more water-based foundations such as the Face and Body. This foundation does also have an SPF15.

Skin Types

I think this would be better for people with combination to oily skin as it does dry matte. I have combination skin with dry patches on my nose and chin but recently my skin has been more normal and not oily or dry which I am loving but I think the foundation would cling to drier skin so it may not be suitable for that. 

Application

As far as application goes, I would apply this with a denser brush, I use Real Techniques Buffing Brush and it works well. The foundation brushes sold at MAC don't seem to me like they would be very easy to blend in the foundation but maybe I'm wrong. Let me know which brushes you use for this foundation. 

Price

The price is high at $27.00 plus the thing I don't like is that ontop of that, if you want to have a pump then you have to pay separate for it, another $10. So overall you could be paying up to $37.00 for this foundation which seems extremely pricey. I do think that it is a good foundation but I'm not sure whether it is worth $37.00 when I equally liked my Rimmel Match Perfection. 

What do you think to this foundation? 

xoxo

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July Favourites

For a change, I don't actually have all that many beauty favourites this month but these are the things that I have been loving.

1. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed
I purchased this from Ulta a few weeks ago and its all that I've been wearing since. I love to wear this higher up over my cheekbone rather than on the apples of my cheeks because it looks lovely that way. Its much more of a muted, subtle pink but enough to give a nice flush of colour.

2. Maybelline Fit Me Concealer
I bought this concealer at the start of the month and its all I've been using, above my MAC Pro-longwear. I just really like the consistency and its great at covering blemishes and under-eye circles without being too heavy.

3. Maybelline Fit Me Powder in Coconut
This has got to be my favourite bronzer. I love Benefit's Hoola and NYC's Sunny Bronzer but this one tops them both. Its a really good colour for my skin and is great for both contouring and warming up my skin.

4. MAC Quarry Eyeshadow
i have been loving wearing this new purpley shadow ontop of my Benefit RSVP Cream Shadow, the purple just looks lovely with the champagne sparkley base.

5. Girl Online by Zoe Sugg
I read this book right at the start of the month and I wizzed through it. I read it so quickly and enjoyed it so much, I can't wait for the second one.

6. All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
I think this has got to be one of my favourite books ever. I read it in two days and loved it so much. Its deeper than books I usually read as it contains a lot about Mental Illness but its such a good read and I would definitely recommend it. I love the way it was written from the perspective of both characters - it gave a really good insight as to what they were thinking.

7. Gone Girl
This film is so good, I watched it for the first time this month and also watched it again a couple days after because I love it. It is an 18 because the woman is a little crazy and that can be scary but I wouldn't say it was a scary movie particularly. It's just such a clever film.

8. The DUFF
I watched this on my flight to Orlando as I had a lot of time to kill and I found it such an easy, enjoyable watch. It reminded me of Mean Girls - the way its a high school chick flick.

9. Arrow

I have become absolutely addicted to this game! It was so difficult at first but now I've managed to get a high score of 59 which I am very proud of. Its quite an annoying game like Flappy Bird but its really fun.

10. Kathleen Lights
I have been subscribed to her on youtube for a while but I never really watched the videos when they popped up in my feed. I have started to watch them this month and love this youtuber, I have started to do my makeup more in the way she does and I've gotten so many more compliments. I just really love the makeup looks she does and find her really easy to watch.

xoxo

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The Blogging Process

For new bloggers it can often be interesting to see what other bloggers do and ultimately what their process for writing a new post would be. Today I decided that I would talk about my blogging process and I guess the "behind the scenes" work to my posts.

1. Inspiration
I think that any blogger will agree that without inspiration, your posts definitely are lacking. I've tried many times to write spontaneously to meet a blogging schedule but I've found those posts to not be the greatest. The easiest way to look for inspiration is magazines and tv. If you are a beauty blog, look in fashion magazines. If you are a photography blog, look in photography magazines. This is the easiest way to pluck ideas. In case you are still struggling for writers block, I'm going to be doing a post soon entitled "Blogging Inspiration" which will contain ideas for possible posts.

2. Photos
My next step after having a post in mind would usually be to take some photos. I think that photos plays a huge part in how popular your blog is because those with the brighter, more professional photos seem to gain my attention more. I haven't been great at photos in the past and have rushed to take them but recently i'm trying to get better like with this posts photo.

What I have learnt to do is:

• Use natural daylight but that doesn't mean it has to necessarily be directly in front of the window
• Make sure there are no funny light rays or shadows on your photo
• I find using a white background to look professional so I am currently laying a white pillow case on my floor which works wonders
• Use props like fairy lights or magazines or plants
• Edit your pictures and up the saturation/brightness and sharpen them

These are how I beginning to achieve more professional looking photos.

3. Structure and Layout

The next step for me is to open a new post page on blogger, import my photos and think about how i will structure my post. Will I ask questions and answer them? Will I use subtitles? Will I make products bold or link products? Decide on the structure you want your blogpost to follow and then finally all that's left to do is...

4. Write the post!

Keep a lookout for my blogging inspiration post coming soon! 

xoxo

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Summer Outfit Ideas

Since I have bought quite a few new tops whilst being here, I decided to do a post dedicated to outfits and what better than some Summer Outfit Ideas? The tops mentioned were mainly purchased in my Bonita Springs Haul, I'll leave that linked at the end of the post and I include links to all of the tops on their websites in that post. 

My first outfit is just a top and shorts. I got these shorts from Roxy last year, they are denim with a little lace edging. Then my top I bought last week from Aeropostale. I included it in my Bonita Springs Haul.

This outfit I like to wear when I'm going somewhere with air conditioning because I find that the plaid shirt tied around my waist acts as a great jacket. I got it from American Eagle as well as my black top, I bought both in Bonita Springs. You can't see much of my shorts but they are ripped, high waisted light denim ones from PacSun. My flip-flops are brown and from Reef although I would usually wear converse with this outfit.

This top is from PacSun which I also bought last week in my haul. I paired it with these denim shorts which are from Aeropostale. 

This is outfit is only a top and skirt but I love it because it's a girly, gypsy-ish outfit. I bought both of these items recently. The skirt in Bonita Springs from Aeropostale and the top I got in Sarasota from PacSun which will be featured in my "A Few Days In Sarasota" post going up on Sunday. 

xoxo

Bonita Springs Haul - http://pinkcupcake7.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/bonita-springs-haul.html

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A Few Days In Sarasota

Day 1

The past few nights we have spent in Sarasota, Florida. We've been there plenty of times before so we know a lot of the best places to eat etc.. I thought I'd take lots of photos whilst there and do this post of the things I did during our stay. 

The first place we went to eat when we arrived was Owen's Fish Camp. From, the outside and the inside really but the food is delicious and I think the decoration gives it atmosphere. It's a lovely place to eat and everybody enjoyed there meals. It does get quite busy though so booking is necessary.

Then we walked to O'Leary's Bar and Grill for a drink and ice cream. This place has live music outside or you can sit inside with the air conditioning. 

Day 2

We started the day around the pool in the morning at The Ritz Carlton. I relaxed but my sister tried paddle boarding which she enjoyed. 

Then in the afternoon, we went to The Mall at University Town Centre which was very posh and modern but I bought some nice clothes. 

I got these four tops as well as three bras and three pairs of pants from Aerie. 

We then went to Caragiulos which is a nice little Italian owned by the same people as Owen's Fish Camp. 

I have to fess up and say that I did make my own pizza with my sister off of the kids menu because I didn't think I could quite eat a full sized pizza off the adults menu. I really enjoyed my pizza. 

Day 3

I spent the morning on Anna Maria Island which is a lovely little seaside place. The beaches are lovely. We started with a walk down the pier, looked in a few seaside shops and then spent the rest of the time relaxing on the beach.

In the afternoon we went to Tommy Bahamas in St. Armands Circle for lunch, looked around the shops and then went for a Ben & Jerry's. 

Day 4

My day 4 isn't all too interesting, I spent the morning by the pool and had lunch by the pool, I just had Cheeseburger and Fries and then went to the room for a little while.

I then went to Owen's Fish Camp again for dinner but I haven't included photos because I had the same as Day 1 and the photos are there. We then called in a few shops like Alvin's Island at St. Armands Circle.

I also then went to Ben & Jerry's afterwards.

I haven't included Day 5 because that's today and I'm just travelling back to Orlando and calling at a mall on the way home.

xoxo

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My MAC Palettes & Guide to MAC Palette

I have two MAC Palettes. One is a pro palette (you fill yourself) and the other is a limited edition one that I got for Christmas in 2012.

As for Pro-Palettes, you can get a duo (x2), a quad (x4) and a 15 space palette. You then have the choice to either buy shadows and depot them yourself to put in your palette or buy pan shadows already depotted and ready for your palette.

It's taken me a while to fill my palette to this stage as I purchased it last Summer but with receiving eyeshadows at Christmas and on Birthdays, I have a few spaces left to fill but I couldn't wait to do this post and I've been getting a few comments about my palette in other posts so I figured I'd just do it anyway. 

This photo doesn't do the shadows justice because some of them look better in person but you can see the rough colours here. I'll leave a link to MAC's website below anyway for you to see more.  

I have mainly neutral shadows but some colours and quite a few purple toned ones because I love wearing purple to make the green in my hazel eyes pop. If you want to see what colours will make your eyes pop then I'll leave a link to that post here. 

Neutrals

As for Neutral shadows, I have Vanilla, this is a matte white shade perfecting for highlighting under the browbone. I also have Naked Lunch which is a shimmery, more pink toned highlight which I often like to put in the centre of my lid. I then have Wedge which is a matte, light brown, great for the crease, I love this shadow. I also have Woodwinked, one of MACs more popular shadows, a shimmery brown. I then have Amber Lights which is a very shimmery orange toned gold, I love wearing this one at Christmas with a red lip. 

Purples and Greys

I have quite a few purples. I have Nocturnelle which is a darker shimmery purple but I don't find this one to be too pigmented so it's not one of my favourites. I also have Satelite Dreams which is a much brighter purple which I think has blue undertones, my sister loves this shade. I also have more wearable purples such as Quarry which is perfect for a matte, subtle purple in the outer edge of the eye with a neutral look. I also have Blackberry which is slightly darker than Quarry and also matte. These two are my favourites and look great together. I then have Satin Taupe which is a shimmery grey/brown which I think has purple undertones. This is a more dramatic, smokey colour for me that I like to wear at night. 

Other Colours

As for other colours, I don't have many but I have Cranberry which is a shimmery, deep red, I love to wear this in the colder months leading up to Christmas. I also have Paradisco which is a shimmery pink colour, my sister used this for my Prom Makeup alongside some of her MAC shadows. This is a very wearable pink that looks great in the spring and summer. 

Now I thought I'd share the most popular MAC shadows with you so you can get a taste for what other shades people love...

• Woodwinked

• Amber Lights

• All That Glitters

• Satin Taupe 

• Copperplate

• Cork

• Nylon

• Knight Divine

• Naked Lunch

• Patina 

• Cranberry 

Then the Limited Edition Palette I have is called 'Stroke of Midnight/Warm'. This contains 5 shadows. 3 of which are limited edition colours and 2 are colours that are available in store at any time. The 3 limited edition colours are... Femme Fi (a light cream highlight shade) Socialite (a yellow/gold shade) and Midnight Hour (a dark brown/black shade). The other two are Amber Lights (an orange/gold) and Mulch (a brown) which you can buy all year round.

Xoxo

MAC - http://www.maccosmetics.com

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What's in my Travel Makeup Bag?

I have to be honest and say that I forgot about a post for today so in a rush I thought I'd share what I take in my travel makeup bag when I go away. This is fitting because today I'm going away to the coast for 4 nights and had to pack up my favourite bits to take with me. I always find it interesting to see what people take when they travel because it's almost an insight to their current favourite products. All products will be linked at the end of the post.

Firstly, I packed two foundations. I went for my Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream in Light Medium and MACs Studio Fix Fluid in NC20. The Studio Fix offers a high matter coverage and the BB cream is a lovely light dewy foundation. I like to chose two different coverages as well as two different shades incase I tan so that it still matches and I can get away with wearing NC20 when I'm tanned and not tanned.

Then I chose two concealers using the same concept as foundation- two different coverages and shades. I went for MACs pro-longwear in NC20 which has a high coverage and Maybellines Fit Me Concealer in Light.

I then chose a bronzer- Maybellines Fit Me Powder in Coconut and a blush, Tarte's Amazonian Clay blush in Exposed. I only take one bronzer and one blush because otherwise it takes space and all blushes and bronzers do the same thing really, just in different shades and these are my favourites. I didn't take a highlighter because I just use an eyeshadow if I want a glow. I also took my Translucent Rimmel Stay Matte Powder.

As for eyes, I took my Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette, my MAC Painterly Paint Pot, my Benefit RSVP cream eyeshadow and MAC pro palette which I will do a post about soon, I just have 3 more spaces to fill first. I also took a brown and purple eyeliner as well as two mascaras- Maybellines The Rocket and Tarte's Lights, Camera, Splashes - both waterproof. I also took Soap & Glory's Brow Archery in Brownie Points.

I then packed MAC's Fix+ and as far as lips go, I just took Revlons Tutti Frutti, Maybellines Baby Lips, the cherry one and MAC's Modesty Lipstick.

As far as brushes go, I packed quite a few because I had space. I won't run through them all. I also won't go through my mini shampoos, cleansers and skincare things because it's probably a little boring but those are the main makeup items I'm taking with me.

Xoxo

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