How To | Blog with a Full Time Job

Running a blog with a full time job, and college on the side is hard, I'm not going to lie! There are times when I do think why do I do this to myself, but the answer is (and has always been) that I love it too much not to. I try and put a post up every day, mainly because I get excited when I know a post is being published and I can't wait to see what you guys, but also because I know when I go to look at my favourite blogs and they haven't posted that day I'm always a little disappointed.

So how do I do it? I promise I am not wonder woman - it's purely a matter of time management! So here are my top five tips!
1. Set aside time for taking pictures and writing
I usually have Wednesday's off work, so these are usually my days for taking pictures of products or outfits, or anything else I plan to post about. I do it all in one huge lump so that it's all done. I then upload them and edit them then and there.
Again with writing, I will usually use one evening a week (usually a Tuesday) where I sit down and write all my posts for the next week. This takes off a bit of the pressure and I spend an evening doing something I love!

2. Schedule Your Posts
I work in a shop, so access to a computer is pretty limited and definitely prohibited when it comes to personal use. So, I schedule all of my posts when I write them. This way I don't have to worry about getting a post up or what time it will go up - I schedule for the same time every day so I know when it goes up and can then tweet the link accordingly.

3. Don't stress if you don't get a post up!This is one I struggle with, mainly because I love putting posts up everyday, so if I've had a busy week and not had a chance to write posts I get a bit stressed. BUT! I keep telling myself to stop stressing - it's my blog and if I don't post for a couple of days the world will not end, people will not hate me for not posting.

4. Keep a notebook
To begin with I didn't do this and I was a very unorganised blogger. My posts were all over the place and features weren't really something I did - definitely not well. But recently I've started carrying a notebook around so when I get any ideas I can pop them in there, link any posts together and see when I can space them, what I can do for them and prepare.
With a feature like "Any Size" this is ridiculously important - I need to remember what theme is when and who I have signed up for it and when the pictures will be in by. This notebook is a definitely blog saver.

5. Take a break!
On my tea/lunch breaks I sit in the canteen and wonder what to do with myself. So I pop onto my smartphone and catch up with my favourite bloggers on twitter and their blogs as well. I read posts, and just have general chitter chatter.

I'm not going to pretend I am an expert - I definitely don't get it right all the time! But most of the time I manage and this is how I do it. I know a lot of bloggers struggle, so I was hoping this could help a little! There is no definite how to - just what works for you! Another great post on this is one written by the gorgeous Beth other at Bird Words, you can find it here so check that out as well if you need some more tips!

What are your tips for running a blog with a full time job?

Make Up | Bourjois Rouge Edition Shade 4

BOURJOIS ROUGE EDITION LIPSTICK IN SHADE 4

When I bought shade 17, I also splashed out on shade 4 as well. I wasn't planning on it - however my friend Andra picked this shade up to wear to an event and I loved it's dusky pinkness... So I bought this one as well.

It's basically a fab everyday colour with a bit more pink in it than my actual lip colour. It's a gorgeous dusky pink shade that makes my looks like great - even the boy likes it and he hates lipsticks!
As with Shade 17 is has a bullet type shade to negate the need for lip liner (yes!) and applies perfect.

I can't get over how creamy and moisturising the consistency of these lipsticks are, they're just a pleasure to wear and this colour has been on my lips nearly everyday since I bought it. If you are looking for an everyday shade with a bit of pink in it this is definitely your shade.

Which shades should I try next? What's your favourite everyday lip colour?

Review | Bad Girl Bronze

RIMMEL SCANDALEYES EYESHADOW CRAYON IN BAD GIRL BRONZE £4.49

Yes, I know, I have already reviewed this in another colour but - I love this one more. I honestly didn't think it was possible to love this colour more than Bulletproof Beige but I do. I wanted to review this seperately because I used this in a completely different way than the other one.

WIth Bulletproof Beige I tended to use it just as an eyeshadow base, or purely in the inner corners to brighten my eyes. With this I'm using it more as an eyeliner on my waterline than anything else, teamed with a brown eyeliner on my top lid. It works really well like this and I love the affect on the bottom lid.

It has a metallic finish which is really subtle and just adds a little extra something, and not only that but it really does last all day and doesn't smudge. Yay! Such a fab bargain and a great guy - on my every day list!!

Which colour should I get next...

Hair | Elnett Heat Protect Styling Sprays

L'OREAL ELNETT HEAT PROTECT STYLING SPRAYS IN VOLUME & WAVES £5.99 EACH

So, after seeing these on offer at 2 for £9 my curiosity got the better of me and I purchased the Volume and Waves version. I have thick hair, and there is a lot of it so after the first day of washing it lacks in volume thanks to the weight so I'd been looking for something to keep it big and voluminous. In terms of waves, I love curling my hair, but again thanks to the weight it drops quickly and I look the momentum. So how did I get on?

Volume
This is probably my favourite of the two and the one I've used the most so far. After towel drying my hair I spray this into the lengths and roots and massage in before combing through. Then blow dry. Once done it's instantly noticable for me that my hair has great volume and frizz seems to be lessened as well which was a nice surprise. So the next day my hair still looks full of life and volume without the help of my Batiste, and still the next day. It lives up to its three day promise.

Waves
I use this the same way I use the volume one so I won't bore you with that again, but when I'm finished blow drying there are waves and curls in my hair that aren't usually when I blow dry normally and again, less frizz. When I curl my hair as well they look more defined and keep their bounce for longer. It doesn't seem to keep its three day promise in terms of keeping them in tact, but it does keep them a lot longer than usual.

Overall these are a great addition to my bathroom closet! I will definitely be repurchasing the volume spray, maybe not the waves one however as I think I achieve the same look with a normal hairspray, but this does have the added protection against heat which my hair definitely needs. It doesn't make my hair feel dry or brittle like other heat protectors, my hair stays feeling soft and healthy.

Ok, so rounding off one of my longest ever reviews - I do really like these, volume is definitely my favourite and most used out of the two and I think they are just really great hair products at really good value for money!

Have you tried these? Which is your favourite?

Review | Nearly Naked

REVLON NEARLY NAKED FOUNDATION IN NUDE £8.99

So, number three on my drugstore foundation hunt is new launch from Revlon, and something that's been getting a lot of love on the blogosphere, Nearly Naked Foundation. I caved to the hype and thought why not! Plus, it was only £6.99 on offer in Superdrug so it fell into my shopping basket...

So, it's a very lightweight foundation that provides a medium coverage that is very buildable and natural looking. Nude is one of their more pink toned foundations (finally!) and is the closest match I have found for my Clinique Stay Matte foundation. It's so easy to apply and absorbs really well.

It doesn't break me out even though it's not specifically an oil free foundation and it doesn't dry my skin - so it's already beating Rimmel Match Perfection and Bourjois 123 Perfect - still one more foundation to try but so far this is definitely my favourite and I would definitely repurchase. It's very natural looking, not naked of make up but definitely a lot more natural then others I've used.

Any cons? One - the fact that it's a poury bottle. Although this doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. I did think it would be incredibly messy and I'd use too much or not enough, but so far I think I've been lucky and there hasn't been much waste at all! So overall - LOVE this foundation. I would go so far as to say this is my favourite drug store foundation. Yup, I said it! But like I said, still one to go!

Any other drugstore foundations you think I should try or you'd like to see me review?

Review | Bourjois Rouge Edition Shade 17

BOURJOIS ROUGE EDITION LIPSTICK IN SHADE 17 £7.99

When these were first reviewed on a load of blogs before their launch I was immediately intrigued. And full of lust for many of their different colours. When I finally went to Boots to buy a couple of shades I went to purchase shades 11 and 18, and instead came back with 4 and 17 - bit of a difference!

So this is shade 17, it's a gorgeous pink that's not too bright, and not too nude. It's just right! It's a lot more pink than in the picture, it's got a lovely rose colour to it that I just love. Now, this colour has quickly become my all time favourite lip colour very quickly.

The formula of the lipstick is really nice. It's very creamy as it goes on and it stays for a good hour. So not the longest lasting, but easy to top up and the colour pay off is really nice. The tip is pointed to negate the need for lip liner with this product.

I do really like this and I can't wait to show you shade 4, or to get more of these as I think they are a really nice lip product and I would definitely recommend heading out and picking some up while they are on offer in Boots for only £5.99!

Which shades are you loving?

Review | Sleek Aqua

SLEEK AQUA COLLECTION EYE SHADOW PALETTE £7.99

I won this palette in a Twitter giveaway a couple of weeks ago and I was really excited to give it a try. I hadn't actually seen any of the colours so it was like a Christmas present!

I know it's part of their new Aqua Collection and I think there are some other really great pieces in the collection such as a blush and nail varnishes as well.

Now, I'm not a bright eyeshadow kind of girl - so if I'm honest most of these colours don't appeal to me. However, there are definitely some I will use. For example, I've already used Sea Shell, a bronze/gold quite a lot and Oyster, the white, for my inner corners. Black Pearl is great for a black smokey eye, but with different eyeshadows to this.

The eyeshadows themselves are really great, really long lasting and so easy to apply. I would definitely want to try another one of their palettes as I really do rate the quality of this product - but I am more of a neutral girl!

What palettes from Sleek would you recommend?

Any Size | Leather

This week is another trend that's meant to be huge for spring, and the first in a while that i've not featured in! I asked you guys on Twitter what themes you thought I should do and this seemed to be a popular choice so voila! Any Size - Leather!

Again, no size 14 - please let me know if your this size and want to feature as I could do with more bloggers of this size!

size 8: Katrina from Carousel Diary
Spring shorts and leather in one go! Not only that but she's thrown in a gorgeous monochrome shirt to boot (slightly in love with this). Love this look on her and it's a subtle leather!

size 10: Laura Kate from Lolacolakate
Leather trim is definitely a way to do leather if you're not fully confident in a full leather item. It's a gorgeous skirt and the leather adds that extra chic feel to the entire outfit.

size 12: Hollie from H0lliedays
A classic leather jacket is definitely a safe way to try the leather trend and it never fails to look chic and stylish. I love this outfit and definitely on a hunt for a leather jacket now!

There isn't an Any Size next week, but it will be back the week after! Let me know if you have any suggestions for themes as well!

How would you style leather?

Nails | Barry M Gelly Watermelon

BARRY M GELLY HI SHINE NAIL PAINT IN WATERMELON £3.99 

My favourite budget nail varnish brand is definitely Barry M, I would go as far to say it is my favourite make up brand of all time if it wasn't for Essie - they are on a par I think. So when they bought out a Gelly version of their nail paints I was desperate to try them. But I put it off again and again, because I am a stupid girl! Stupid stupid Lisa!

Anyway, I finally saw sense and popped off to Superdrug where they had 2 for £6 and I picked up this gorgeous shade Watermelon and Satsuma, a bright orangey red polish (review to come!) This is a dark green that is literally the same shade as the outside of a watermelon (hence the name).

As usual it is the thin brush, but it's really easy to apply and dries really quickly. One coat was enough but I always do two anyway. It's also incredibly shiny, hence the hi shine name. Plus, it literally lasts for days. This photo was taken on a Wednesday when it had already been on for four days and look - no chips and still super shiny! Can't wait to use more of their gelly paints!

Which colours do you love?

How to | Removing Glitter Top Coats

One of my big bug bearers is removing glitter nail varnish. I love glitter top coats at the moment, they are just so pretty and adds a bit of texture to your nail. However, I dread taking it off! So I made it a little mission to find an easy way to do this that didn't damage my nails too much...

So, I start off with a nail file, any old one will do, this particular one is just a cheapy one I got in my stocking. I use this to try and file off some of the glitter on the top coat. This loosens it and removes some of it as well.

Then, I stick my finger into Bourjois Magic Nail Varnish Remover - there are loads of different types of theses nail varnish removers so any one will do - swizzle my finger around in it then pull it out. Usually there are still a couple of bits of glitter on there so just another couple of swipes with the nail file and it's clean off.

I do find that this can be quite damaging for my nails though as you are filing away the surface so I try to combat this with this beauty, which is The Body Shop Almond Nail and Cuitcle Oil. Just a couple of clicks to release the oil, then brush onto the nails, massage in and it just helps to keep your nails conditioned and happy.

Now you're ready for a new coat of colour!! Just don't forget the base coat!!

How do you remove glitter top coats?

Review | Rimmel Coral Queen

RIMMEL MOISTURE RENEW IN CORAL QUEEN £6.29

These are probably my favourite lipsticks. The formula is so soft and moisturising and the pigmentation is always fantastic. Not only that but they seem to last for a really good few hours. Around 3 or 4.

This shade is Coral Queen, a very orangey pink, and the perfect coral I was looking for all of last summer. It's vibrant, yet great for days when you're going out for lunch with the girls or shopping with the boy. Adam doesn't even mind it that much!

It's definitely a spring/summer shade so I've not been wearing it much over winter. I've had it for a good few months and have just recently rediscovered it so it has been coming out more and more lately.

If you're stuck for a really nice lipstick I would definitely recommend checking out Rimmel's Moisture Renew range, like I said the pigmentation is fab and I love my other shade Lily Extase. Definitely one of my fave lippies.

What's your favourite lipstick range? What is your colour for spring?

Review | Peppermint Intensive Foot Rescue

THE BODY SHOP PEPPERMINT INTENSIVE FOOT RESCUE £9.00

When I signed up to be a Body Shop Rep (no more...) I got to buy my own kit to take to parties and demonstrate. Now I've left I'm lucky enough to keep my entire kit and the product I am the most excited about keeping is this.

It's an overnight foot "mask" to help revive tired feet and keep them looking and feeling healthy. First things first - this smells a-mazing. I've never really been one for minty smells, but I can't get enough of this. It's incredibly strong, but I just love it.

Now the product itself. I use this around twice a week for a refresh. I work in a shop so I am constantly on my feet, and where my right foot has been encased in a bandage for the past two weeks it's really needed that refresh. So, before I pop to bed, I just cover the bottom of my feet with this mask, massaging into my feet as I go, pop them under my bed and head off to sleep. When I wake up my feet feel lovely, soft and basically happy... I have happy feet!

It's not too greasy so you don't have to worry about getting your sheets all greasy over night, but if you're concerned it works just as well with socks to protect your sheets as well.

So, I really do love this product and I don't know what me, or my feet, would do without this - definitely a must have if you have a job that requires you to be on your feet all time!

What do you use to create happy feet?

blog sale

After clearing out my cabinets I found loads of bits and pieces to sell to new loving homes! Pretty much everyone has only been used once or twice and is being sold for a variety of reasons and I hope you like them!

T&C's
Postage and packaging is £2.50. All payment through paypal. If you'd like to reserve an item comment below with your email address and I will email you my details. If payment is not received within 24 hours then the item will go back up for sale.
I will send them when I get to a post office and will notify you when this has been sent.
No returns or exchanges.

The Body Shop Almond Conditioning Hand Wash RRP £5.00 Sale Price: £2.50 (used once)
The Body Shop Almond Hand & Nail Butter RRP £11.00 Sale Price: £6.00 (used as demo kit)
The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter RRP £3.00 Sale Price: £2.00 (never used)
The Body Shop Love Etc Body Lotion (no longer available) Sale Price: £1.50 (used as demo kit)
The Body Shop Vanilla Body Lotion (no longer available) £2.00 (never used)

 The Body Shop White Musk Shower Gel RRP £6.50, Sale Price £4.50 (never used)
The Body Shop Coconut Shower Cream RRP £3.50, Sale Price £2.50 (never used)
The Body Shop Gingerbread Shower Gel (no longer available) Sale Price £2.00 (never used)
The Body Shop Vanilla Bliss Shower Gel (no longer available) Sale Price £2.50
The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye Make Up Remover RRP £7.00, Sale Price £5.00 (used twice)

All Body Butters - 2 for £10.00 or £6.00 each (RRP £13.00) Available in:
Moringa
Sweet Lemon
Coconut
Shea Butter

The Body Shop Body Scrub in Coconut RRP £12.50, Sale Price £5.00 (used in demo kit)
The Body Shop Body Scrub in Moringa RRP £12.50, Sale Price £5.00 (used in demo kit)
The Body Shop Body Scrub in Cocoa Butter RRP £12.50, Sale Price £5.00 (used in demo kit)

 All 50ml Body Butters 2 for £6.00 or £4 each. Used once or twice. Available in
Jasmine Cherry Blossom
Coconut
Shea
Mango


 The Body Shop Hand Cream, 2 for £4 or £2.50 each, available in
Vanilla Bliss
Cranberry Joy

The Body Shop Dreams Unlimited Body Wash (60ml) 2 for £3 or £1.75 each

 The Body Shop Amazonian Lily Body Fragrance RRP £7.50, Sale price £5.00 (used in demo kit)
The Body Shop Shea Body Mist RRP £7.50, Sale price £5.00 (used in demo kit)
The Body Shop Coconut Beautifying Oil RRP £9.00, Sale Price £7.00 (never used)
The Body Shop Lip Scuff RRP £8.00, Sale Price £5.00 (used once or twice)

 VO5 Nourish Me Truly Shampoo & Conditioner £6 for the set, or £3.50 each (used once)
Soap & Glory Daily Smooth Body Butter RRP £8.50, Sale price £6.00 (used once)
Charles Worthington Front Row Curl Creator Cream (no longer available) Sale price £3.00

 Nina Ricci L'Air du Temps Body Lotion RRP £25.00, Sale Price £20 (never used)
Champneys Grapefruit Body Cream, Sale Price £5.00 (never used)
Rimmel Sun Shimmer Instant Tan in Light Matte, Sale Price £3.00 (used twice)
Rimmel Fix & Perfect Pro Primer in Shade 002, RRP £6.99, Sale Price £2.50 (used twice)
No7 Protect and Perfect Hand Cream, Sale Price £1.50 (never used)

MUA Lipstick in Shade 5, RRP £1.00, Sale Price £75p (used once)
Kate Moss Lipstick in Shade 01, RRP £5.49, Sale Price £3 (used twice)
Topshop Lipstick in Whimsical RRP £8, Sale Price £4 (used twice)
Inika Lip Whip in Apricot RRP £15.50, Sale Price £7 (used twice)
Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Succubus RRP £14.00, Sale Price £10.00 (used once)

Again, let me know what you are after in the comments below and I will email you with my details!!