What I Got For My Birthday - 2016 Edition!

Bonfire Night!

One of my favourite times of the year has finally arrived!

Bonfire has to be one of the most amazing times of the year - in my opinion, after Christmas - I just love all of the fireworks in the sky and the sparklers are always lots of fun. I will say though that the only thing I am not a fan of would have to be loud noises that come with the fireworks, but they make up for the amazing colours being created in the sky.

I hope that you had a wonderful night and that you were all safe! Yes Bonfire Night is great and all of the fireworks are amazing to look at, but you still have to be careful and be aware of your surroundings.

There is nothing like lightening a sparkler and then making different shapes with them! To me they are the best part of Bonfire Night and I will always buy a few packs of them and stand there for ages just writing in the air and drawing different shapes with them!

Again, I hope that you all had a wonderful day and that you are ready for the next festive day!! Christmas is almost upon us and I cannot wait for it to be here.

I also hope that for those of you who are in America enjoy Thanksgiving too!

I hope that you enjoyed this post and are having/had a great day.

KatieE.

Review of Elegant Touch nails.

Elegant Touch is an affordable brand that are sold in places like Superdrug and even On my way! boots I think. That make some really cool looking stick on nails: from the classic French manicure, to seasonal designs (I have some really amazing ones that I am going to be whipping out closer to Christmas!

Applications
Elegant Touch nails are really easy to apply. All you have to do is match up your nail size with the nails that they provide.
Once that task is complete you take the glue - that they also provide - and then coat your nail with, a thin amount, of the glue. Pushing the nail onto your nail for a minute, I have found, to be the most effective method. Once you have done all of your nails then, to me, it is best to spend a further minute pushing all of the nails onto your nails; just to make sure that they are stuck onto your actual nails.

Thoughts on product
I think that Elegant Touch nails are a really good product as the choice of design is huge, the ones that I have been loving are:

Taken from their website.

Taken from their website.

I have also been really looking forward to when I can wear the Christmas ones that they have as well, the ones that I have I got from Boots:

Taken from Google Images

Final thoughts

My final thoughts on the Elegant Touch nails are that they are really good at staying on for a long time and when you want to take them off they can come off really easily. I have had the odd time when I really struggles to take them off. The only complaint that I have for these nails are that I am not a fan of the glue that stays on your nails. 

Although it is only a little bit and it comes off after a while - and I am sure that most stick on nails do this as well.

So overall no complaints from this customer.

I hope that you have enjoyed this blogpost and are having/have had a great day!!

KatieE

Preparing for Halloween.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

If I am being completely honest with you all, Halloween is not my favourite time of the year. Only because I am not the biggest fan of scary, jumpy, keeping you awake for months on end movies. However I do like the spoof ones like: Hocus Pocus, Rocky Horror Picture Story, The Adams Family,
etc.

The make up that people come up with is really fun to do and it is interesting to see what people come up with. Some of my favourite people to watch their ideas are Nikki Tutorials, Jeffree Star, Tanya Burr, to name a few.

Treat Ideas:



To be honest there is nothing wrong with buying some treats from the shops that can be given out to children who are trick or treating.

Pumpkin Carving:
Carving pumpkins has to be one of my favourite parts of Halloween. You can get your creative juices flowing and turn an ordinary looking pumpkin into something festive. There are lots of templates that you can print and follow online


I know, talking from experience, that the more complicated the image the harder it is to keep it looking neat and clear.











(IMAGE FROM GOOGLE)

However the most important part of Halloween is to enjoy your night and to have fun, although please be safe and don't get too scared!

Liz Earle Review

This is a product that I have recently been using. I bought the starter kit - which includes: 2 pure muslin cloths, 1 100ml Cleanse and Polish, 1 200ml Instant Boost Skin Tonic, 1 50ml Skin Repair Moisturiser and 1 50ml Deep Cleansing. All of this (at the time) cost me £45 which is expensive, however I believe that you only need a little bit of each product to have it used to its full effect.

What to do with the products:

Now this can vary you'll find different people all over the Internet using these same products completely differently. For me I have quite sensitive skin so using products like this that have quite a strong scent can make it irritated (going back to me stating that I just use a small amount). 

First few things I will do is put some music on, then I will fill the sink with warm-hot water. For the Cleanse and Polish I will pump once onto my left hand and then I will rub my hands together and use this to take off my eye make up off one at a time using one of the muslin clothes to gently wipe it off rinsing the cloth in between each swipe. Then I will take another single pump of the Cleanse and Polish and rub it between my hands and then I will gently massage it into my skin on my face to take the rest of my make up off - while avoiding my eyes. After I have done this I will take the muslin cloth again and gently wipe my face and I will rinse the cloth before going over my face one more time.

Next I will move onto the Deep Cleansing, which is ultimately an exfoliator. I will put a tiny amount onto my hands and then rub it between my hands. I only use this for my nose and cheeks as I feel that is where it needs more exfoliating. However! I must warn you that the beads in this formula are very strong. Therefore you do not need to push hard to get a good end result - I have done this and trust me it will hurt for a good 5-10 minutes afterwards! Then I will rinse my face in the sink with the water that is already there, then I take the plug out.

I move onto the Instant Boost Tonic next which I put onto a cotton pad and gently massage it over my face, excluding my eyes (it will burn). 

Lastly I take a pea size amount of the Skin Repair Moisture and rub that all over my face, this then cools the skin down from the water and the Tonic leaving your skin feeling cool and refreshed.

What it feels like:

Cleanse and Polish - feels luxurious and gentle on your skin.

Deep Cleansing - unless you push too hard it is a bumpy sensation on your skin but you can feel the beads getting into your skin and cleaning it (like the name suggests it gives you a deep cleanse).

Instant Boost Tonic - this gives you the feeling of someone pouring ice cold water on your face, but without the actual need of someone doing that which is always a good thing!

Skin Repair Moisture - as I have already said it makes your skin feel refreshed and leaves your skin feeling touchable.

The whole combination of the four products leaves your skin feeling brand new and clean after a long day of being covered with make up. Or if you decide to use this as a morning skin routine it will make you feel awake and like you can do anything.

What do I think:

To be honest with you I have been wanting to buy this product for many years, however I was not prepared to spend the amount of money in case it did not agree with my skin. Although when I saw my Aunty (who has very similar skin to me) using it then I though I could give it a shot.

I am so glad that I decided to get it and I can really feel the difference of using something like this to take make up off compared to a make up wipe. The only thing that I think Liz Earle can do better is have the promotions - whether that is through someone on YouTube or an advert on TV - explain the difference of the types of skin. I would suggest that if you have slightly oily skin go for the normal combination set (that is what I am and it is doing wonders with my skin).

I hope that you enjoyed this post and that you are having a lovely day.

KatieE.

How to stay organised.

Why??

Staying organised has to be one of the most annoyingly important things that people should do, but we all know that we aren't as organised as we should be.

So I thought that it would be a good idea to share my tips in 5 easy steps So that you can stay organised in an easy way.

Step 1:

Get hold of a planner - this will be your life saver. But having a planner it will allow you to visually see what you have to do and then the satisfaction of ticking off your tasks. I for one understand the struggle that comes with trying to keep a planner up to date. However you just have to keep persevering and after about a week you get into a rhythm and it becomes second nature.

Step 2:

Colourful pens are a blessing. These will come hand-in-hand with your planner. I remember reading a few years ago that colour improves memory by 70% (and that must be true because I read that a good 6/7 years ago).

Step 3:
Sticky notes are a recent addition to my organisation tricks. They are just so helpful and portable! Portable being the major factor as you can stick them anywhere around the house so that you can see it and it will instantly remind you that you need to do something! However just do not do what I did and put it somewhere where it can easily drop and get lost!

Step 4:
Now this step can just be your whole trick if you prefer. Notice boards (or cork boards) are actually very spacious, even the smaller ones, as you can put as much on them or as little. Although if I were you I would make sure that you try not to overlap your notes and documents onto the notice board too much, otherwise then you will more than likely cover something important and then when you take things down you will find it and then it's too late.

Step 5:
LAST STEP!! This is actually a multipurpose step, flash cards are amazing for revision and for keeping organised! Now your probably thinking "No they aren't they are just for studying!" And that is true they are, but you can also use them to keep yourself organised. If you a reading a book for school/University/work then you can use the flash cards as a book mark then when you have finished your page, chapter, etc. then you can pick it up look at it and then you will be reminded. Flash cards are also more durable then sticky notes and they can stand up better - also not leaving a sticky residue when you peel them off.

I really hope that this helps you to stay more organised and I'm sure that you can all do a better job than me!

I hope that you are all well and are enjoying your day.

KatieE

University advice.

Yikes!!

Hang on!!! Do not panic, I repeat do not panic!

University may appear to be a scary time of your life; however it is not really that scary. Yes there are some aspects that make University seem like a frightening time:

1. You move away from home.

2. You are now in charge of your health.

3. You have rent to pay.

4. You have a lot more homework, essays, exams to do.

5. You have to be careful with your money.

6. Will you get on with your flatmates?

Okay! So maybe there is actually a reason to be nervous, but let me tell you as someone who has gone through the whole University thing and come out with a degree it is possible! So let's take a deep breath and I will do my best to break down what you can expect from University and some tips that will/can make it a lot easier to prepare for it.

What to take with you:

You will need to take the obvious essentials

• Plates and bowls - obviously.
• Cutlery - however chose your favourite, then put some nail varnish on them all to identify yours further from one of your flatmates.
• A door stopper - this might appear a stupid thing to take with you, but especially on the first day if you have your door open then your house mates will see that you are friendly and they are then more likely to then converse with you.
• Toiletries - nothing worse than forgetting them!
• Your laptop - unless you want to write 2000 word essays by hand.
• Printer - I know it is expensive but it will save you so much money if you have your own instead of spending 10p a page in the library.
• Lamp - I do believe that some University rooms come with a lamp, but more often then not there will only be one, so it is better to have another that can then go next to your bed.
• Multi-plug - these are so useful! It makes life easier if there is only one set of plugs and you have multiple things to plug in.
• Glass container - this is a weird one, on a University campus there is normally a launderette therefore if you have a glass container (or something similar) then you can save spare change to use to pay for your washing and drying.

 What to expect:

When you move in you will go to a separate building to collect your key, now pay attention because this is really important! make sure you do not leave your key in your room after Fresher's Week, because you will be charged after that for being locked out. Lectures will not be easy - but then again it is the last stage towards your education, what do you expect?

Social life:

Getting along with your flatmates is essential; however also having a social life outside of your flat is a big part of University as well. You can do that by attending the Serendipity, which is a fair that showcases all the different society (or clubs) of that University. It is a good way to join a society that you are used to: e.g. netball, football, dance, etc. 

University is not the easiest ride of your life, but it will allow you to make some new friends and memories that will stay with you throughout your life. If you decide that you want to continue your education by going to University you will really appreciate your degree once you have got it.

I hope you enjoyed this post and that you have had a lovely day.

KatieE.

Back to school advice.

That time already!!!

The three words that everyone dreads to hear!

There really is nothing to worry about when it comes to school. I am not just saying this because I have finished and do not have to go through the whole back to school anymore - FINALLY! - but I am saying this as it really is true.

When people think of school they have two perceptions

1. It is utter hell and they feel as though they are being punished by their parents.

2. It is so scary that you spend the week before schools starts again panicking about everything.

When in actual fact, yes high school is a big place but once you have been there for a week, maybe two, it really is not that big any more. The teachers that are there are just trying to help you prepare for the next stage of your education or to go into the workplace. I will admit that there are some that are make it appear that they are just picking on you - but when you think about it, that can even happen in the workplace and they are subconsciously training you for how to behave if that happens and what you should and should not do.

The week before

The week before school begins again has to be the worse, you have become used to the late nights and late wake ups - some of us not even waking up until the afternoon. However when it comes to the first week of school I suggest that you set an alarm for an earlier time then you would wake up. If you wake up at 2pm set your alarm for 10am then when you have to wake up even earlier than that for the first week of school it won't be as much of a shock to the system. 

Another bit of advice I have is to just practice writing again - I know if sounds stupid but trust me, after having such a long break from writing one on paper it feels so weird to go back to it, so if you practice then when you get back you won't get home look at your work and then find you can't read any of it.

Another plus of the week before school starts is to start actually thinking of what you are going to do for school lunches. Now obviously some of us will go for the option of getting lunch at school. But for those of us who do not feel comfortable with that idea then take the week before to come up with some simple lunch ideas that you would be happy to take and eat at school. (If you would like me to write a post on some school lunch ideas then comment below and I'm sure I can come up with some for you). 

The last piece of advice that I can give to you for when you have to go back to school is to simply take a deep breathe and just think the quicker you start school, the quicker it will be for you to get half-term holidays, bank holidays and the Christmas holidays. 

School really is not that bad, especially when you above a group of friends to help you get through the day. I'm sure that all of you starting school will be fine and will soon start to think "why was I worrying so much?" Trust me I did that every year throughout high school.

I hope that this has helped put your mind at ease and you have a lovely day.

KatieE.

Introductions.

Welcome.

This is my first blog post, I am still trying to find my feet and establish what genre I will fit into.

I have a rough idea of a couple posts I am going to write and hopefully you will all like them and they will help you or even if they make you smile then that is an accomplishment for me.

About me.

Katie E is going to be my name for all my social media as I believe that given out your real name to strangers 'stranger danger' and all. I am 21 years old and I have recently graduated University therefore leaving me to try and find my way out in the big wide world. 

I like to think of myself as a bubbly, outgoing, friendly person; however in actual fact I am a socially awkward, shy person who stands in the corner of the room when surrounded by people I don't know, waiting and praying for someone to come and speak to me.

Therefore I am hoping that by starting this blog I will be able to come out of my shell and hope someone to come out of theirs as well.

I hope that you enjoy my posts and have a great day.

KatieE.