3 Tips for Flawless Base Makeup

There is a away to achieve perfect flawless base makeup application no matter which base makeup you are using. I use these same 3 tips when applying both BB cream (which I wear nearly everyday) and foundation (for more special occasions)

1 | Pick the perfect brush

This is the first and most important step towards a flawless base makeup application. Using a good quality brush will ensure the application of your base makeup is even and not patchy. I use these brushes from Bubz Beauty (a Hong Kong based UK YouTuber/Blogger) and absolutely love them. You also want to ensure you are using the right brush for the right product. I tend to stick to my flat brush as I feel I have more control over the  application, however you may achieve similar results with your fluffy brushes!

2 | Don't use too much product at once

The key to flawless makeup application is to not use too much product at once. You will get a more even coverage by layering your product as needed. This also ensures you don't get that "cake face" look.

3 | Take your time blending

I spend more time now on the blending of my base makeup than ever before and the difference is amazing. The more time you spend blending in your base makeup, the better the application and the more flawless the outcome. By using this method, I can even blend in my BB cream to maximize the coverage. This method also ensures my base makeup stays in all day and all night. Always ensure you blend down your neck as well to avoid the dreaded "line!" 

I hope these 3 tips have been helpful! I would love to know your tips for perfect flawless base makeup application.

xx

 

Feeling Thankful | Lifestyle

image from Pinterest

I went for a walk along the beach after work today and saw the most beautiful sunset (unfortunately iPhone photos could not do it justice!) I sat on the beach for a while and thought about how thankful I am to live in such a beautiful county. With all of the bad that is currently happening in the world, sometimes we need to stop and take a step back and see just how good we have it.

I encourage you to take some time this weekend to stop and think about what you are thankful for.

- J x

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Yoga Girl Challenge | Lifestyle

There are always a few yoga challenges floating around Instagram. They usually consist of a different pose each day for a month. These are great for improving your practice and getting you out of your comfort zone, however once the challenge is over - that's that!

I was really excited to see the yoga challenge set by Rachel Brathen (aka Yoga Girl.) This challenge is very different to any other yoga challenge I have seen. The idea of this challenge is for these things to happen after the 21 days are up. They are a starting point for changing your life for the better.

If you read my Yoga Goal post, you will already know I have been trying to include yoga more into my everyday routine. These challenges will continue to help me change my lifestyle.

I encourage you to give Rachel's challenge a try and if you are not into yoga, try and relate the above to your everyday life. I believe the things listed above are things we should all be trying to do everyday.

Namaste.
- J x

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1 Simple Way to Avoid Procrastination | Advice

image created by me using Canva

Confession - I am a massive procrastinator especially at home after work or on the weekends when all I want to do is nothing!

I have found it is so easy to get into the habit of procrastinating and justifying it by saying things like "I will do it tomorrow when I have more time", "it won't matter if I leave it one more night" etc (sound familiar?) In reality all this does is build up all of the things that need to be done until it all becomes too much and you wish you had just done it in the first place.

Over the years I have found there is 1 simple trick that helps me keep on track when I want to be productive...

Making a list!

I know. Such a simple concept. But lists are truly amazing when it comes to beating procrastination and being productive. Having everything written down and out of your head stops you from feeling overwhelmed by the thought of things you want to achieve. Lists allow you to look at everything you want to get done in a clear and concise manner, and help you to prioritise what you need to get done which in turn makes you a lot more productive.

I write lists for everything including:

- food Shopping
- cleaning
- what I want to do when I get home
- what I want to get done over the weekend
- birthday presents

(see what I did there...)

I personally find that lists give me a great feeling of satisfaction as I tick off each item one by one. I feel so good knowing I am actually achieving something, and am not getting bogged down by the million things I want to do in my head.

A few tips for good list making:

Make small, easy to achieve lists
The key with list making is to have small, manageable lists which actually encourage you to get things done. This may mean you have quite a few lists, but it allows you to break everything down into smaller chunks making you much more productive. It can be overwhelming to look at a long list of things to do.

Check off each item as you go
As I mentioned above, I love ticking off each item as I go as it makes me feel like I have actually achieved something.

Choose a system that works for you
Everyone has their own way of creating lists, so choose the one that works best for you. Personally, my lists usually consist of headers and indented dot points (see example below). This allows me to break everything down into even smaller steps.

Are you an avid list maker like me? How else do you avoid procrastination?

- J x


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Cleaning out your pins | Advice

image from pinterest (where else!)

Hands up if you are addicted to Pinterest *raises both hands.* How can you not be? There are so many pretty, amazing, interesting and yummy things to look at. As I am writing this post, I have 22 boards and 2,286 pins! (Feel free to stalk them here if you do not already)

This year I have been making it a habit to clean out my boards on a regular basis. There are 2 main reasons for this...

1. I forget about what I have Pinned!
How often do you actually go back and look at your pins? I find that by making myself clean up my boards, I am looking back at my own pins more often and rediscovering pins that I have totally forgotten about.

2. My taste changes.
There are quite a lot of things I have pinned previously that when I look back on them now, are no longer what I want / like / need. I believe your Pinterest boards should be kept up to date like everything else in your life. What is the point of keeping things that no longer apply to you anymore?

Just like when I clean out things in my home or life, I personally gain a real sense of satisfaction from cleaning out my Pinterest boards.

How often do you go back through your Pinterest boards? Do you need to have a clean out?

- J x


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Moving out of Home | How to Stay Tidy!

Moving out of home is a very exciting, liberating time for many young people. No longer under their parents watch, they can do what they want, when they want and how they want! Don't want to make the bed? Don't worry about it. Can't be bothered doing the dishes? Who cares! Why did our parents want our rooms so tidy when, lets be honest, nobody sees them during the day anyway?!

When I was at home, I could never understand why my parents kept our house so clean and insisted we make the bed each morning. I was so excited to move out for a number of reasons, but one of them was so that I could leave my house however I wanted without the nagging from my parents.

Having lived out of home for over 2 years now, I have come to realise that Mum and Dad might have been on to something and I find myself getting annoyed when the house is untidy - who would have thought!

Over the years, I have learnt that getting into good routines will mean the house stays tidier and there is less work to do on the weekends! Obviously things don't always go to plan, and there are still some weeks where I just cannot be bothered! But believe me, you will be thankful in the long run.

I wanted to share with you some of the strategies / routines I use at home. You can employ these in your house whether you are living with your partner or especially if you are living with friends!

 

image from pinterest

Do the dishes straight away
Yes - a boring job I know! But wouldn't you rather wash a few dishes at a time rather than having to wash your whole dinner set?

you can find these at Woolworths here

This brush is definitely a must buy. It means you do not need to fill up the sink when you only have a few dishes to do as you put the detergent in to the handle.

image from pinterest

Do the washing every week
Again, you don't want a massive pile of dirty clothes to wash (and iron if you do!) I tend to wash my clothes throughout the week and whilst I am cleaning the house on the weekends, I will wash the towels, sheets etc. I still have no desire to iron, so my pile usually sits there for a week or so while I pick clothes out of there! I never said I was perfect :)

image from pinterest

Tidy the house throughout the week
Keeping the house tidy throughout the week will mean there is less to clean on the weekend! I tend to leave my major cleaning (vacuuming, washing the floors, cleaning the bathrooms etc) to the weekend as I have no time during the week, but if the house is tidy it takes no time on the weekend to complete these jobs.

image from pinterest

Clean every week
I know this is a job that can be put off because it is soooo boring, but if you clean every week it will be easier to keep the house tidy, and it will not take you as long when you do your big clean. I know that if I skip a week of cleaning, the next time I do it, it takes me twice as long and makes me regret not doing it the week before!

I hope this post inspires you to make your own cleaning routines - and has maybe helped you realise your parents might have been on to something!

- J x

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