My Birthday: Making the Change

Absolutely mouth-watering white chocolate profiteroles cake my sister bought me

The Roman Baths - Bath

Me and my Mum.
She was giving me a history lesson on the Roman Baths.

Me and a Roman (Actor)
The helmet was so heavy!

My mum desperately needed to rest her feet after walking around for so long!

Mmm... Fudge

W Hotel in Leicester Square.
Hotel room number.

Elliot playing with the TV in the elevator...

Pink Macaroons... I actually don't like Macaroons, but thought these were cute!

Mmm... Mixed Berry Tart

Mmm... Elliot's chocolate cake

Photo bombed! lol

Chinese restaurant with the family

Cutest thing!

Love You Mum

Left to Right: Elliot (boyfriend), Auntie, Mum, Me, Sister, Niece, Brother-in-Law, Brother

So this post is a little overdue, but it's just that I have re-written it so many times. As you may have guessed from the obvious title, it was my birthday not too long ago. I started this post a few weeks ago, planning on doing my usual show and tell on what I did for my birthday. But then I decided against it, you probably don't really care what I did... but for anyone who does I have included pictures and captions for you above :)

I officially turned 22 a few weeks ago and although I'm still young, I think it's about time I did something spectacular with my life and I think many people my age are feeling the same way. Since going into the full time work and becoming part of "the system" at a very young age, I've seemed to forgotten my childhood dreams and ambitions. I used to love fictional writing and all I ever used to talk about was becoming the next J K Rowlings. Nowadays, I can barely string a sentence together. It seems like I have lost a bit of spark and confident in myself and something needs to be done.

Sometimes we can get to comfortable where we are, we find it hard to get up and challenge ourselves, we like to stay in our "safe place" and not take risks... or maybe it's just me. But if it's not, make a change while you can. Don't follow your dreams, chase them. Get out of that lazy mind frame and work hard to achieve your goals. We have to stay motivated, and trust me I know how difficult staying motivated can be. I'm the queen of giving up easily. But here are some tips that I am using to stay motivated:

1. Remember what you will get out of it in the end. Focus on the goal itself and stay positive. If you are looking to loose weight by eating healthy or exercising, then motivate yourself by thinking about that beach holiday you are slimming down for. If your struggling with your studies, motivate yourself by thinking about all the experience and knowledge you'll have by the end of this, your career goals. If you are finding it difficult to save money, think about how hot you will look in that brand new convertible.
2. Get a photo of whatever your goal is and stick it up somewhere... anywhere! Your fridge, your car, your wallet, make it your screensaver on your computer or phone. Every time you feel to give up and unmotivated, look at the photo and remember why you are doing this. 
3. Create a to-do list. I'm sure you have these in your job, so why not have one for your own life. Make sure you know what steps you have to take to reach your goal and write them down, have check boxes next to each of them so that you can tick them off 1 by 1. For each one you tick off you will feel proud of the progress you have made as each tick brings you that much closer to your goal. 
4. Don't let others brings you down. It's so easy to take what other people to say to heart. We can come across people at work, on the bus, in a shop that can irritate and annoy us, but bring that angry energy to good use in reaching your goals. People who crush your dreams, you should use those negative comment to show them you can and will achieve, prove it to others and more importantly, yourself. Don't forget to have people around you that are supportive and motivate you as well.
5. Exercise. This is optional, but I find that doing a bit of exercise can be great in boosting my energy levels. Whether its just a bit of yoga first thing in the morning, a gentle walk/jog or something a bit more intense. I find that if I have not done any movement at all for a day, I become really tired and sluggish and less bothered to achieve my goal. If you feel good and packed full of energy, you will be more in that mind frame to get up and achieve your goals. 

Remember, only you can make a difference.

Ri x

I feel I haven't done a fashion post in donkey's years, so I will show you the stunning dress I wore for my birthday in my next post.

My Motives Makeover: Beauty Tips & Review

I recently met a lovely make-up artist called Deanne who was kind enough to offer me a makeover using Motives make-up products. I hadn't heard of Motives before, but then again, I am so new to the world of beauty products that I'm not surprised... I'm a complete and utter newbie when it comes to foundations, lipsticks and primers. But thought a makeover would be a great way to start learning!

For those who don't know, the cosmetic line was created by Loren Ridinger, along with La La Anthony. Many of the products are multi-mineral based and contain vitamin C & E. More information about all products, can be found on the Motives website, here.

Deanne was very nice and helpful. When we started, she asked whether I had a particular makeover look in mind. As I was interested in receiving general make-up tips, I told her to just go for it.

I told her that I was starting to breakout in spots, so probably not the best time to have a make-over. She advised me that the body needs to be cared for both inside and out, and recommended green tea to help flush out the toxins in the body and clear my skin. I'm now having 2-3 cups a day, but it's not the best tasting tea, so I add a squirt of 'Sweet Freedom', which is a sweetener made from 100% fruits (it can be found in some Holland and Barrett stores).

Deanne started with a primer to help settle the foundation and make it stay on for longer. She also mentioned that it helps to even out the skin and minimises pores.

I asked Deanne whether she finds using a brush or sponges easier when applying foundation, as I always tend to start with a brush and then even out with a sponge. Deanne advised me that sponges absorb the product, which is why they are more commonly used for correction or removing make-up. So using a brush to apply your make-up is better as it releases the product rather than absorbs it.

Deanne stressed the importance of keeping your make-up equipment clean. I asked her for some tips in cleaning make-up brushes, as I have ruined make-up brushes in the past by incorrectly cleaning them. She advised me that she uses brushes made from natural hair and uses a make-up brush cleanser, which prevents the bristles from going hard once dried. Something that I'm all too familiar with, I'll definitely be purchasing a make-up brush cleanser very soon!!

The thing I struggle with most is doing my eyebrows. I have a tendency to over-pluck them, once I get going it's hard to stop! I find drawing in my eyebrows very difficult, they never match! But Deanne said that she always spends the longest on eyebrows as these are what define the shape of the face and can make or break our look. It is important not to make our eyebrows too thin. She suggests that they should be the same width of an eye shadow brush for example, and no longer than the bridge of nose to the end of our eye lid, otherwise they will look disproportionate.

I absolutely loved my eyes and eyebrows. Deanne used Motives Pressed Eye Shadow on my eyes, which I think really brightens them up and gives them a really stunning shape. I like that my eyebrows aren't too dark either. I was worried when Deanne suggested using a light pink lipstick on me as I'm used to wearing darker colours on my lips, but I feel this colour suits me well as it isn't too loud. My makeover was amazing and I loved the finished look. I loved that it didn't even feel like I was wearing make-up. It was so light compared to other products, which tend to feel heavy on the face. I'm definitely going to purchasing the primer and some eye shadow immediately!

I would like to thank Deanne for the amazing makeover she gave me and for all the beauty tips! I enjoyed my first professional makeover and felt comfortable throughout, Deanne was very friendly and talked me through everything she did. I would highly recommend Deanne and Motives products. A link to Deanne's site can be found below.

LINKS: www.drayebeauty.com

Ri x