2017 || SEPTEMBER FAVOURITES

For most, September is a month of denial as you find yourself missing Summer but are stuck in between seasons, but for me, it is the month I look forward to finishing the most so I can get excited for Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas.
With Autumn comes a great deal of pumpkin-spiced everything, even makeup looks. I'm personally obsessed with orange-brown smokey eyes with a shiny nude lip, but I have noticed that a lot of people I follow on my social media are still going for a glowing skin with lots and lots of highlighter (you glow, girl). So you can imagine that the products I've been using and loving the most the past month include a mixture of both, Summer and Autumn products.

Makeup Revolution is definitely one of those brands that everyone would have tried at some point in their lives. For me, it is one of my favourite brands for powder products such as eyeshadows and highlighters. My favourite ones that I've been loving throughout September are the Salted Caramel Palette and the Ultra Strobe Cream which make the perfect autumnal face. Sometimes I like to use the strobe cream on the high points of my face, and other times I put it all over my face and shine like the stars!

Do you remember how big the Mariah Carey x MAC collab was? All I remember is that people were fighting over the highlighter and most lipsticks, but I managed to get a lipstick and a lipglass and boy, oh boy can I just say how stunning the colours and the packaging is?! I have actually not touched them at all until recently as I didn't want to ruin the beautifully detailed engraving on the lipstick.

Last but not least, I have been overusing stick highlighters - especially the Collection Pearl Sheen one is shade 01. I like to apply it faintly over my foundation before I set it with powder for a more blinding effect. The shade is actually really nice, not as opaque as I'd like for it to be but it was expected for the low price.

What were your September Favourites this year?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

10 THINGS I HAVE LEARNT AT UNIVERSITY

Going to university was very exciting for me, especially as I was a year behind all my friends because I change my A-levels in my second year of college. I started uni in 2015 and am studying Criminology with Social Policy which is a rather difficult subject if I do say so myself. I found university very overwhelming during my first week there as I kept constantly getting lost and felt awkward trying to make plans with people who had already made loads of friends with their new flatmates as I had lived at home and commuted daily, unlike the majority of the students who lived on campus.

1. GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR LECTURERS/TUTORS IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING
This is probably a piece of advice that I wish I followed during my first year as I found it pretty difficult to adjust to my new life as a university student - the coursework was different and a lot more difficult than A-levels.

2. DO RESEARCH BEFORE WRITING ESSAYS
I feel like I should have stuck to my own 'words of wisdom' before preaching them, haha! Always do research on a topic you're thinking about before you start your essay as you might find it halfway through that you would have done better answering a different question.

3.  BE NICE TO EVERYONE YOU MEET
This is definitely something that everyone should follow. I like to think of myself as a genuinely nice person and I'd do anything to make a person feel comfortable and confident. However, I have come across some very vile people who turned out to be a very big waste of my time but I'll save that for another post.

4. APPLY FOR AN OVERDRAFT
I was one of the (un)lucky people who has had a weekend job, so I always had that extra £200 each month, however, a lot of my friends struggled financially. I don't actually have an overdraft as I do not need one, but I would suggest looking into it, especially if you struggle with saving some pennies. The best deals that I found were opening a student account with Santander as you get a free railcard for 4 years and the overdraft limit starts from £150!

5. ALWAYS BE YOURSELF
My biggest pet peeve is when people try to impress others by not being themselves. It's fake and unnecessary, so make sure you're always being yourself as people will appreciate genuineness at this stage of life.

6. TAKE PART IN SEMINAR DISCUSSIONS
I was really scared to speak up and share my opinions on certain subjects, but once my tutor had heard what I had to say he showed gratitude and respect for my answer and never failed to get me involved in future talks.

7. NO QUESTION IS STUPID
You might be wanting to ask a question about something which might seem banal to others or look silly, but the truth is - there's no such thing as a stupid question! So, ask away as it's always better to be sure about something rather than staying quiet and confused.

8. RECORD YOUR LECTURES AND SEMINARS
Recording lectures will be your new best friend, especially on those days when you feel like crap and need lots of caffeine or you spent your night partying away! I always record my lectures and write notes as I go along so then if I made a note which I cannot remember, I'd listen to the recording and remind myself of the topic. - This is also a great revision hack.

9. DON'T LEAVE WORK UNTIL LAST MINUTE
Anyone who had been to school would already know this golden rule. I can't stress enough how important it is to do your coursework and revision on time and never leave anything important til last minute! I did this a few times during my A-levels and it did not help me pass one bit if you know what I mean... :|

10. BE CAREFUL WHO YOU MOVE IN WITH
I'm not saying this to sound like a fussy cow, but you need to consider who you're going to live with especially if you'll be sharing a kitchen and/or bathroom. The people I had lived with were sooo messy and it put me off cooking my own food! I found myself constantly cleaning up after others solely for sanitary reasons.

Are you a student? If so, what do you study?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

HOW TO IMPROVE BLOG PHOTOGRAPHY - USING FREE SOFTWARE & PROPS

I think I have googled this question about a million times since starting my blog back in 2013 and have only recently improved my photography skills by far. I usually use a professional camera to take my blog pictures, but you can easily take amazing photographs using your phone if the camera has 8+ megapixels. For example, I currently own an iPhone 5s which has an 8-megapixel back camera which is more than enough to take good quality pictures for my blog or Instagram account. On the other hand, the camera that I use is the Sony DSCH400 20.1 Megapixel Digital Camera which is amazing for taking high-quality photos but unfortunately, it's not as good for filming videos.

As you can see in the collage above, the top picture looks a bit washed out and not quite professional for someone who is trying to introduce different products to their audience. However, the image below it is very bright and colourful which would catch anyone's eye from a distance as well as make an Instagram feed stand out.

To create Instagrammable photos, I use a light background like this one from Wilkos, and a few props to add a bit of your personality and unique style to the pictures. In this picture, I laid out a few different products and tried to make them look organised however if you prefer a more messy flat-lay then go ahead and do so as it might make the pictures look more interesting.
My favourite software to edit my pictures on my computer is Fotor which you can download for free here. The little routine that I like to follow to brightening my pictures is:

Brightness: 28

Exposure: 25

Contrast: -9

Vibrance: 12

Temperature: -23

This is the effect that I like to go for, which is bright yet colourful at the same time. Another software that I like to use is the VSCO app (you can upgrade it for more effects & filters) which is fantastic to use on the go when you've taken a nice picture and want to upload it straight away. If I want to create a collage or add text etc. to my photos then I turn to PhotoScape X, which is a fantastic free program but it can get a little bit difficult to use.

What software do you use to edit your images? Do you use the ones I mentioned above?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || SKINKISSED VITAMIN C SERUM

When I first came across the brand Skinkissed my initial thoughts were 'just another serum that claims to work wonders', but oh boy, did I surprise myself when I started using it...
This is a serum which consists of Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and Collagen as the main ingredients and claims to plump up dry and dull skin, making it more vibrant and fresh as well as reducing the appearance of wrinkles and treat acne.

As I mentioned above, the serum has acne-treating properties inside which is right up my alley as I've been battling with acne since I was 11 - you can read my story here. I didn't know what to think of it at first as I've tried many products and nothing really worked for me, but I think that this is a great addition to anyone's skincare routine as it really does make a difference in how my skin looks and feels. The packaging is quite cute and reminds me a bit of medicine as it comes in a glass bottle with a pipette for easy application where you can control how much product you use. I enjoy using this serum at night so it soaks into my skin and makes it nice and soft for the next day before I apply my makeup. The instructions say to use 3-5 drops on your fingers and gently massage into desired areas (I use it on my face and neck). You need to bear in mind that if you use more drops then it will take slightly longer for it to absorb into your skin, so the less you use the more efficient it'll turn out to be.
The consistency of this serum is quite watery however it feels a little bit sticky when it's applied but that goes away as soon as it's absorbed into the skin, but I find that the sticky feeling helps keep my makeup on for longer so it's a great substitute for primer!

When I get up in the morning I begin my day with a usual skincare routine, and I have noticed a big difference in the glow of my skin which makes my makeup look a lot better as I don't need to use as many brightening products to get a natural-looking glow. You might be asking yourself one question which is 'is it worth the high price tag?', well I think it is. I've had this product for a few weeks now and been using it every day yet I still have about 3/5 of the bottle left which means that it'll last you a while. It also has a lot of nutrients in it which your skin needs, but if you were to buy all the ingredients and use them separately it would cost a lot of money and who would want to take about 7 vitamins a day when you can very easily rub some serum into your skin? I know which one I'd rather... My verdict is that this product is my new holy grail for my dull and acne-prone skin!

*This post includes a PR sample.

What are your favourite serums? Have you ever tried this one?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

TOP 5 || £5 & UNDER

So you're curious about my top 5 beauty products that cost £5 or less? Well, you've clicked on the right post because these products will change your makeup routine forever.

You might have probably already seen some of these items in previous posts as I cannot stress enough about how good they are. Let's start off with the L.A. Girl Pro Concealers - I bet you're bored of hearing about them but they are as good as they all say! I own the shades Porcelain for highlighting and concealing and the shade Toast for contouring, even though it's a little bit too warm toned for my liking. These come in a great variety of shades, including colour correcting concealers for better coverage. I have reviewed both of these shades already, so if you'd like to see what I thought of them in detail then click here to read my post.

Talking about the perfect base, my new favourite setting powder has to be the Collection Primed & Ready Invisible Setting Powder. Not only does it provide really good coverage, but it stays put all day and has witch hazel in it to keep the spots at bay! It costs a bit over £5 on Amazon, however you can get it on Superdrug for £3.99 when it's back in stock here.

There seems to be a pattern forming as the next two products I'm about to mention are also by Collection! Maybe they're the new best affordable brand? Moving on, glitter liners have been a big hit in the noughties, but now majority makeup fanatics and artists love to use loose glitter - not me because it goes everywhere hence why I love the Collection Glam Crystals Gel Liner. These come in a big range of colours and I own about 7 of them! The gold one is my most worn one as it goes with any eyeshadow looks and creates an instant glam effect. Another product which I think goes perfectly with the glitter liners is the Collection Extreme 24 Hours Felt Tip Liner as it glides on very smoothly, even on bumpy surfaces. The tip of this liner is very thin so it makes creating a slim and precise wing a lot easier!

Now, last but not least a set of 4 Eyeshadow Brushes for 97 pence! Yup, you heard it right 97p. I use these on a daily basis, even when I want to do simple eyeshadow look but especially when I go for a dramatic smokey eye as they are very easy to use, and for less than a quid you can't go wrong! Out of all these products, I would highly recommend the brushes and the concealers as they are something I use daily.

*This post includes affiliate links.

What are your favourite affordable products? Have you tried any of the ones I mentioned above?

Lots of love,

Maya xo