My Bullet Journal

I have wanted to make a bullet journal for a while, and last week I finally got around to it. I thought I'd share what I did for anyone who wants to start their own (or if you're just curious!). I bought a blank scrapbook for £5 from Paperchase and went from there.

I started by decorating the cover. I wanted something simple, yet personal, so I simply painted my name on to it using acrylic colours. If you want to do this, I'd advise pencilling them on first as it can be really difficult to judge the size of the letters so being able to erase and change them is probably a good idea.

I then did my main header and my month headers. I used water based brush markers to do the writing and then decorated each one differently, with drawings or collages or watercolours or stickers and stamps. This means that every month I can do something a bit different and a bit more creative than just the same thing every time.

After the month header comes the birthday page. I draw a cake and write that month's birthdays in it! I also added some 'happy birthday' stickers from Paperchase. It helps me remember them and adds a bit of colour to the journal.

Next up is my 'deadlines' page. This is where I write important dates that I need to remember so that they don't get mixed up with the less urgent things like what I'll be having for dinner on my daily overviews.

I also have a log of books I have read so that I can motivate myself to do more reading and less Netflix binging each month.

Next comes my daily overview. I have six days to a page, and I write about activities for each day as well as what my meal plans are. Not as creative as my other pages but very useful for organising my time and planning when to fit things in, like my supermarket shopping and laundry. The dates are always the same colour as the month header.

Finally I have a section where I reflect on the month and write about what went well, or what I should work on next month. Then it's the same again for the next month!

How to Find Your Foundation Match

If you watch my YouTube channel you will know that I don't often wear foundation, and I really struggle to find ones that are good for me. However I recently found the second ever product that I will put on my face! So I thought I would share my new found tips with you. *Disclaimer - this is not an ad. No brands mentioned have asked me to talk about them in any way*.

1. Be reasonable about your budget. There is no point in trying out loads of expensive brands if you can't afford their products anyway. However, price and quality are often linked so it may be worth stretching your budget a little if you can!
2. Do your research. Some brands are known for not catering as well to darker/lighter skin tones so they probably aren't the best place to start.
3. Bear in mind that your skin colour changes, so maybe don't shop for foundation when you've got a fresh post holiday tan.
4. Take advantage of 'match making' services if the brands you are looking at offer them. No.7, MAC and Benefit are some that I know of that offer it. Sometimes you just need a little professional help to find what's right for you.
5. Ask your friends for recommendations! They may have tested products that you are interested in so can tell you honestly about what the texture, colour and wear are like.
6. Be patient. It may take time testing out different products but the wrong one can look awful and make you feel uncomfortable so it's definitely worth the extra time.
7. If you can afford it, buy additional shades to mix in to your foundation when your skin tone changes (e.g. when you're on holiday!).
8. Remember, your hand is not the same colour as your face! You wear foundation on your face, not your hands so think about that when you're swatching.
9. If you use celebrity/blogger's opinions to make your decision be careful of the fact that they may have been paid to advertise a product (although that doesn't necessarily mean they don't like it!).
10. If you want my advice, start with Rimmel's Match Perfection range for a large variety of shades at a reasonable price! 

Ardell Magnetic Lashes Reviewed

I massively suck at false eyelashes. They get stuck to me and to each other and to everything else around me other than my eyelids. When I saw these my initial thoughts were 'brilliant - that will solve all of my eyelash problems!'.

I love that these are reusable, I love that they are *reasonably* natural looking but still a bit special, I love that they don't stick to everything and I was so excited about this.

HOWEVER, I could not get these on. They kept falling off, or getting caught, or slipping, or going wonky. I found it even more difficult than regular false lashes. This was my best attempt:

These were more than twice the price of Ardell's other lashes (£8.95 as opposed to £3.49) so you really would want a lot more wear out of them. Sadly, as I can't get them on that won't be the case for me. Very disappointing in my opinion.