Kate's beauty

Hey guys, it's been a while since I've posted! Much of that is due to the great deal of uni work I have had to do. I had a spare few hours one evening so I thought that this would be a perfect opportunity to let you guys what's been happening in my life. I have a lot of plans for this year. The biggest part will be finishing uni and I couldn't be more excited! New beginnings and no more uni work stress. It's actually driving me mad!! I plan to make big changes. A bedroom make-over, (well overdue), youtube and blog channel which I will be doing each week. I am going to reinvent myself.

Many people find it hard to reinvent themselves and it is isn't easy. You go through many knock backs but the most important thing is to keep going no matter how hard things appear to be. Reinventing yourself is about making positive changes in your life and it can be a long wounded process so don't be too hard on yourself if things in life make it forever complicated to achieve your goals. It isn't easy, trust me but I know it can be done. I'm grateful for having many great things in my life right now. The issue at the moment with me is that I am just so ready to move on from university and start my life. I'm also very nervous about starting my career as it's pretty daunting especially if your someone like me who has been in education for what seems like forever! I've have a part-time job on the weekend but I haven't really had a proper income where I can take control of everything in my life.

University has been a massive change in my life and to be honest, I haven't really noticed it until my final year. It's been tough but I'm on track and I'm grateful to have experienced it. I have watched myself grow up quickly and in a way that frightens me. I have lost friends in the process but I have gained things and people in my life too that bring out the best in me so again I'm very lucky. It's so important to count your blessings every day and be grateful for what you have. Yes, there is things that you could change but know that it's not an over night thing. However; saying that, by doing something that makes you happy every day can have huge effect on your mood. I like to play around with make-up and outfits sometimes and be creative with it. That makes me happy. I also enjoy spending time with my boyfriend and friends, even just a movie night and a trip out to a nice restaurant can make me feel good.

Something I realised about your life, it's very personal and unique and so it is never the same as someone else's. It's completely constructed by you! If I'm right, many of you properly compare yourself to others, thinking how amazing their life is to yours but that is not true! Everyone chooses different paths to gain your own happiness so focus on yourself and what you want. Never focus on pleasing people but remember everyone is suffering the same worries so don't worry. Just sit back and enjoy life as it comes but focus on today and let tomorrow come as it should.

My advice is for those who find themselves comparing themselves to others is to have time away from social networking sites. Log out of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or whatever this distracting you from daily life. Just have some time out! It will make a massive difference to your life and your find your feel a lot more happier about things in general. I've started doing it and already I am focusing more on myself. It clears your head of all worries.

My top tips for being your own best friend:

1. Write down all the things you love about yourself, stick it where you can see it everyday and say it to yourself every morning and night

2. Write down all the things you enjoy and make it your priority to do at lest one of those things everyday

3. Create a playlist of songs that make you feel happy

4. Try out a new hairstyle and make-up look and take some selfies

5. Take time out from social networks to focus on yourself.

GOOD LUCK! OXOXOXOXOXOXXOXO

Summer for me represents freedom. I have struggled enormously with anxiety and self-doubt that it can get the better of me but nothing is bad as it seems. I found ways of dealing with this. Spending more time seeking out what you enjoy and having a variety of interests can help banish blues and making you feel instantly happy and optimistic about life. We are all different and I believe we all have inner needs. We must listen to them and never ignore what you truly want to do. Blogging for me is an instant stress reliever and it has helped me through many difficult periods.

I put together this collage of pictures to show you my take on summer and what make-up, fashion and hair styles mean to me. I love simplicity. My favourite accessory is my hair, having ginger hair instantly gives me individuality. I like to let my hair do the work. I tend to leave it straight or have it wavy but I do very little to it because I feel it doesn't need it. My make-up has to compliment my hair so I like to mix dusty and golden browns together to create this smokey eye look. My lips either have to be bright and bold or nude. I struggle with anything in between. My cheeks tend to be a mix of contour and a dust of plum for blush. I am yet to experiment with anything else. I thought this was a perfect summer look because my outfit was quite plain and my make-up instead, was quite bold.

I am not one for a ton of bracelets so to have one accessory on my wrist would have to be something like a watch that's both stylish and practical. I can't go anywhere without my watch, otherwise I couldn't be punctual or have any idea what time of day it was. (seems obvious enough but you'll be surprised at how great a watch is, it saves lives).

Bags have always been an obsession of mine. I like to add a touch of vintage glam to my wardrobe with this Burgundy rucksack. It's so cute and it's great for long trips out with your friends. I like to wear mine out and about shopping. The colour also (if you haven't guessed already) blends in with my hair too and that's primarily the reason for buying the bag in the first place.

Gladiator sandals are my favourite type of summer shoes because they are easy to style and just so comfy and easy to walk in. This black pair were my holiday saviours and I practically wore these everyday. They look great with everything!

I love expressing my inner hipster. Whether this is through wearing big aviator sunglasses or simply teaming flared chiffon tops with high waisted jeans. I love the relaxed vibe, the cotton, denim textures. I feel this sums-up my personality to a T; free-flowing and empowering. Being a naturalist, I believe we as beings are products of our environment and the environments are products of us. I take pride in the natural sources that surround me and how it benefits me. Those blissful moments on the beach staring out at the sunset for example or climbing clifftops and listening to the solitude of the sea. Moments like that bring you back to what really matters. As I'm growing up, I am beginning to understand that reality is not reality. Dreams are there and looking straight back at us and we don't always notice. I don't want to get stuck in a rut and I am my most happiest just enjoying the simple things. Staring up at the sky can bring self-gratitude. (prehaps not when it's grey and grim) but looking up at the blue clear sky on a summer's day makes me feel happy.

High Waisted Jeans: Miss Selfridge

White Shirt: New Look

Kimono: New Look

Necklace: Shareastar.com

Sunglasses: Topshop

Shoes: New Look

My closing paragraph may consist of a speech so don't be surprised if I go off on one. Ultimately, summer for me in the fashion department is all about taking plain colours and prints like white, grey, black and denim to the centre. This kimono was from New Look. I originally brought it to wear on a night out but I found that you can wear this dressed down or dressed up. Over this crisp white shirt it creates a sophisticated aura if you were to take a trip downtown. It's the classic shopper look if I had to find a way to describe it. For height, I wore this high heeled boots with gold studs. the studs only small instantly update this look. With a biker jacket you have the fashionista written all over.

Photography: Kate (me)
Products:
Smash- box Contour Kit
Mac Lipstick
Book- A girl is a half-formed thing
Benefit complete bronzed kit
Ring
Sunglasses
Nikon Camera

First and foremost, it's summer! I realise it's like middle July and summer has been around a while but I just can't contain my excitement! I have created this blog post for you guys to give you the low-down on some make-up, plus other things and let you know what I'm loving.

The first thing on my A-list is the Smash-box contouring kit which gets me all starry eyed just looking at it. I have not stopped using this palette. Beautifully presented and the shades are perfect for my fair skin. The bonus part to this make-up palette is that it has instructions on how to contour your face, bronze and highlight. It has helped me master the look and it's so easy and simple to use. You can achieve high definition results in less than 5 minutes. Its amazing. It's a little pricey but it's worth splashing the cash as I couldn't be more happy with it.

This Mac lipstick is becoming my all- time favourite lipstick. It's a light nude pink and it goes with everything!! I wore this on holiday and it lights up the room. It's not fluorescent or anything but it certainty turns a few heads. The picture clearly shows the depth of it's use. Team this beauty with glittering or shimmering eye pink eye shadows for that girly summer kissed glow. It looks great with tank tops, jeans for the day and with pretty dresses in the night. I wore this on holiday with my white and pink floral dress and it looked utterly gorgeous. I kept my eyes and cheeks minimal because it did all the work at transforming the look. Can't rate this enough!

Benefit was the first brand I brought make-up from and it has forever stayed my one and only. Having loved my mini Hoola bronzer, I decided I would buy the bronzer kit which came with minature versions of their best-sellers. I can honestly say, all of what was in there, I used most days on holiday and I'm still wearing now. The Hoola lip-gloss goes beautifully over Mac's Velvet Teddy (which I can't find, and it's upsetting me, considering how fast it goes out of stock!) I have the bigger version of the Watts Up highlighter so I knew I would be using that alot. The pretty shimmery nude eyeshadow is a perfect base for a darker shade to blend in with. I didn't realise how much of a difference one product can make to my make-up, it's wonderful!

Random favourite but this ring is just gorgeous! I brought this at my local church fate. Originally from Debenhams stores, I got this at a cheaper price and there's nothing wrong with the quality. It jazzes up any plain outfit. As you can tell by the picture (below) I am wearing some plain denim shorts and a grey tank top so if this ring can make me feel somewhat glam then that says something.

I recently purchased this book having seen it advertised in my vogue magazine. First impressions were actually that I didn't like it haha. It was written so different to anything else that I have read and I found it difficult to follow but as I read more and more I began to understand it. The best way to describe the book would be 'alive' and 'energetic' Every page is full of thoughts, feelings and images of each and every situation this girl is going through.

I recently looked back at some of my drafts that I never completely finalised only to find this passage below: I think this was written last August or September so over 6 months ago. It's made me realise how far I have come in terms of feeling content with who I am.

Have a read:

To start with; I'd like to let you all know something. A disclaimer: I am writing these thought-provoking blogs to help young people like YOU to grow in confidence, have faith, be strong and to never let go of those things that make you happy. I am in no way trying to weigh you down with my problems or emotions but instead, trying to let you know that you are not alone in what you are feeling.

Feeling content with yourself? How do you finally become who you have always dreamed yourself to be? How do you become YOU?

Many people will read this and think, 'What do you mean, become yourself, we are ourselves.' Yes you are right to an certain extent but many people are not allowing themselves to be themselves.They have created walls and barriers to their inner selves. Some feel inclined to be another person to make their friends happy or they just feel they are not fulfilling their own self prophecies. I personally, am the kind who has not reached the place where I am finally happy with who I am in an emotional sense. I am my worst critic, I overthink and more importantly fail to overlook the negative opinions others have of me. Recently I have experienced something that made me grow up, question life and to perceive myself differently. However; should we beat ourselves up for mistakes or let them shape ourselves into better people. It is hard to forget those things that caused us pain, hurt and shame but is it really a good idea to punish ourselves for it forever. The best revenge is to not let it DEFINE YOU, build a better life for yourself, be a beautiful human being that creates light within others lives. We are human so don't be afraid to cry and fall because we need to fall to build ourselves back up.

This is where it finishes

Did anyone else tear up ? or find that they can relate to this?!

Situations change us quite dramatically but that doesn't mean it has the power to change who you are in the inside. My only real advice to you, is to make sure you do things that make you happy and always follow what you want to do in life such as your dreams and aspirations. Never loose sight of who you are and your purpose:

I have learnt the hard way, believe me.

Loosing focus of your own personal interests, aspirations and passions only change who you are. Worrying about what others think only ruins your own optimistic view towards life. Even if you go through life with one true friend it doesn't mean there's something wrong with who you are. Personally, to me it means you are a warrior, headstrong and your own leader and you don't let the negative people around you get in your way. Going through life solo is an adventure and something we should never fear.

So back to my last question. How do you become YOU? ... well by simply being YOU! No one is boring, silly or worthless, everyone is beautiful. It really depends on how to tackle those demons within, that determine your self and life outlook.

One of my favourite quotes is : 'How can you love another, if you can't love yourself?' It's really important to accept yourself as who you are because your beautiful inside and out. Believe me, I have those days when I find myself criticising everything I'm saying or doing but I'm beginning to realise how it is just a waste of energy. So I shrug it off and think about all the positive things in my life and things I've achieved. If you dig deep, you will find far more than you think. We all have achieved something positive in our day to day life, whether this is making someone happy; a good deed or simply making someone smile or laugh. Whatever it is; we are all capable of being an advocate towards someone. I believe that is OUR PURPOSE- to be a hero or a saviour for someone

We are the best versions of ourself when we help others, make them happy and become someone you can come for advice.

I hope this blog has somewhat inspired you in some way. I love giving advice to people. I am always giving myself advice because I struggle with self-criticism. I have had people say to me how they find it difficult to believe I am not a very confident person. I have to reply back with 'That's because I've learnt to relax.' I was painfully shy and sometimes socially awkward. I also tried too hard at times to be someone I thought people would like. It's easier said than done to say' if I could go back in time, I would tell my younger self this and that.' I'd love to go back and change things as you NEED TO BE YOU, but sometimes it feels difficult and I completely understand that. However, never feel like you are alone. Talk to someone. I found teaching assistants easier to talk to or mentors as they came across more chilled.

Okay, so it might be a month away but it will soon come round and by that, we need to be prepared for that person we call sunshine to come and pay us a (hopefully long) visit. I love spring! Not only is it my birthday in March it is the month of the birth of new things! A whole lot of optimism is coming our way! PHEW...

The Naked 3 Palette is my absolute top recommendation for Spring. Why?! because it's full of subtle pinks, purples, whites, creams; all with a brown and gold undertone. LOVE, LOVE LOVE these colours. I have fair skin so this really makes my eyes pop. I like to play around with the way in which I apply the eyeshadows. The fifth and Sixth one in (sorry if you can't read the names of eyeshadows) looks great all over the lid, in the crease or the outer-corner blended outwards for a smokey eye look. Remember smokey doesn't have to consist of harsh dark colours; pinks and purples look stunning if you experiment a little!

MUST HAVE SCENT!

Alien by Thierry Mugler- MY TOP SIGNATURE SCENT!

I feel this scent captures every aspect of my personality. I first heard about it from my friend Amber who also has a blog I recommend you go read. Its called 'Amber Covets'. She said that it was so unique and she came across nothing like it before. This made me want to try it out. A small boutique was selling it and I asked the lady if I could smell it and WOWZERS! (My exact thoughts guys.) For me, the only way I can describe it; is to call it a very contradictory scent and by that I mean; it consits of such subtleness that seems to only empower you. It isn't bitter, nor is it sweet just empowering. It makes me feel confident and strong in myself. I know it seems silly but a scent can really change the way you feel. I have came across many scents and nothing in my opinion beats this one!

Fashion is my favorite way to express myself. I am all about experimenting with trends but I like to think I have my own unique style. Above is something I put together. All the colours of spring in one look. Grey (believe it or not, is like the new white) haha. There is also a hint of peach! I really like how this simple grey crop top went nicely with this floral sheer pullover. I also added my favourite Miss Selfridge chocker.

Chocker: Miss Selfridge
Grey crop top: River Island
Floral Pullover: New Look

Last but not at all least; my brushes! I feel a good set of brushes is so important if you want that sheer flawless finish. Here are my recommendations (especially if you are on a budget)

Blusher brush, power brush, concealer brush and eyeliner/eyebrow brush- all Ecotools
Foundation brush and beauty blender (Sponge): Real Techniques
Eyeshadow brushes: came with all three Naked Palettes

Finally, here is a snippet of what my holiday consisted of. We managed to hit the beach in Jersey quite a few times even though the temperature wasn't as high as the typical abroad holiday. I managed to get burnt which was painful. I unfortunately underestimated the weather. Remember your sunscreen people. It isn't worth the hassle and all the nasty blisters you get. Anyway, lets talk about the nice things I got up to. Firstly, the hotel me and my family stayed in was lovely. Had everything you could imagine even computers haha and internet access (which I tried my very best to ignore, considering you plan to go on holiday to get away from social networking and all those tempting distractions. So many kids though, seemed to spend there whole life on there. The entertainment was average but it was nice to dress up and stay up late every day! I have pictures of myself with an unimpressed face because I felt like the stuff I was watching was the ultimate cringe-fest.

It was nice to get away from the mainland and relax. The island; so small and beautiful helped me to clear my head from drama back home. After a week, I left feeling strong and optimistic about life. With beauty like that I thought, does everything else truly matter. It is so easy to get blinded by the things around you, forgetting the life you have yet to discover. The holiday made me want to do more travelling and see different cultures and capture the amazing beauty around the world.

Take a look at these pictures and make up your own mind of how they make you feel.