- Mag of the Month | Benefit in Elle

I will hopefully be starting a new series on my blog called 'Mag of the Month'. I do enjoy reading magazines but to be honest I am like a child and am more interested in the freebie. Every month I'll be showing you what magazine I've picked up and what beauty product I got with it. I'll try to do it as close to the issue's release date as possible in case you want to grab one yourself although as I am in the UK it may be different if you are elsewhere.

Today I picked up a copy of the December issue of Elle magazine. This month Elle comes with a free travel size of Benefit They're Real push-up liner. I have previously tried Benefit's They're Real mascara (which I also got free in Elle) and posted about that on my old blog here. I loved the mascara from this range so I definitely have high hopes for this. The eyeliner shape is very unique and not like any others I have tried before so I am keen to give it a go.

Have you tried this eyeliner?

P.S Happy Halloween!

Julie x

- An Insider's Guide to Blogging

Earlier this week I was contacted by the lovely people at luxury fashion brand Farfetch. They've recently put together a new infographic with advice for bloggers, by bloggers. As someone who is relatively new to blogging, I am always on the lookout for tips and as I know many of my followers also run their own blogs, I thought I would share it with you.

As well as the infographic, I thought I would give you some of my own tips.

Be organised - For many bloggers (like me), blogging is just a hobby and not a full-time job. This can mean juggling blogging with studying, working and everything else life throws at us. If you do post weekly, you've probably been shocked in the past at how quickly the week goes by and before you know it, you're due to post again. I've found planning your posts a few weeks in advance helpful to stop any last minute panic.

Make the most of your drafts - I have tons of random drafts saved on Blogger. Some are just vague ideas that I might do one day and others are posts that are practically finished and ready to go. This means if I have a particularly busy week I can at least post one of them as a 'filler' instead of posting nothing. If you are going to do this though, make sure it's not a post that will quickly go out of date and be irrelevant by the time you post it.

Take photos in bulk - For me, photos are one of the most important and enjoyable parts of blogging but taking photos can be time consuming. I find when I come home from uni/work it is already too dark to take pictures with natural lighting so I prefer to take photos in bulk on my days off. This way I have them ready to edit and add to the post when I need them and helps posts come together a lot faster.

Make the most of tutorials - When you're first getting into blogging, trying to get your blog design the way you want can definitely be a little confusing and overwhelming. You can always pay someone else to do it, but if you're feeling creative you can have a go yourself. If you're trying to find out how to do a particular thing, just google it and you'll usually find an answer within seconds. I've found tutorials by xomisse to be incredibly helpful and easy to follow.

So, what do you think? As a reader, do feel these things make a difference to the blogs you visit?
If you blog, what advice would you give your fellow bloggers?

Julie x

- Liebster Blog Award Nomination

Thank you very much to Claudia from the blog Crafts and Spices for the nomination! The Liebster Blog Award is created for smaller bloggers. Liebster is a German words that means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved. There are several different versions of this floating around the web, but I'm just carrying on the version I was tagged in. It's just a bit of fun and is a great way to discover new blogs!

The Rules:

- Post 11 random facts about yourself.
- Answer 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you
- Nominate 11 bloggers (with less than 200 followers) to do the same.
- Let the bloggers you have nominated know they have been nominated.

11 Facts About Me:

1. My favourite animal are hedgehogs
2. I have no idea what career I want
3. I want a tattoo but I'm too scared to get one
4. My favourite band is McFly
5. I have never had a nose bleed
6. People watching is my favourite thing
7. I have never been to Nando's
8. I am not a morning person. At all.
9. My favourite Ben & Jerry's flavour is Phish Food
10. My first job was in McDonalds and I started there when I was 16
11. My current favourite programme is The Job Lot

Answer's to Claudia's Questions:

1. Coffee or tea?

Neither! The only hot drink I like is hot chocolate.

2. What is your favourite colour?

Purple or blue

3. If you could move to a different country for one year, where would that be?

Probably England! Quite a boring answer considering I could go anywhere in the world and I'm picking my next door neighbour but I wouldn't like to move too far from Scotland I don't think and I actually really like Britain!

4. Favourite season?

Autumn (but Winter is a close second because I love Christmas).

5. What's your dream holiday destination?

Probably somewhere in Italy.

6. What do you love most about blogging?

I really like that you can follow people from all over the world and see a little part of their lives. It's interesting to compare their style and thoughts to your own. I also really enjoy blog design and taking pictures. I'm not great at either of these but hopefully I'm getting better with practice!

7. What's the last book you read?

To be honest,I don't read very often. The last novel I read was probably The Fault in Our Stars (the same as every other girl I know). Last month I started uni so I'm sure I'll be doing a lot more reading very soon!

8. What do you do to relax?

Change into my pyjamas, watch YouTube videos or tv (and eat a load of unhealthy snacks probably). Sometimes I'll have a bath if I'm in the mood for one.

9. Name one thing you can't live without.

My family. Awww so cute! (to be honest it was a tough call between family and internet and family only just won).

10. What's your favourite food?

Pizza pizza pizza. Easiest question ever.

11. What's your favourite blog?

I don't have one favourite I like loads of different ones for different reasons.

Questions for my nominations:

1. What is your dream career?
2. What is your favourite film?
3. Who is your celeb crush?
4. Something you are looking forward to?
5. Do you have any pets and if so what are they?
6. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
7. What is your favourite time of year?

8. What is something you are proud of?

9. What is your favourite social media site?

10. What is/was your favourite school subject?

11. How long have you been blogging?

My nominations are:

1. Nicole Lee from Hey Let's Makeup
2. Hana from Rimmel Smudge
3. Kayla from Sunshine Problems
4. Marina from Marina's Closet Blog
5. Katie from Katie Lily Blog
6. Darleen from Darleen Marie
7. Gillian from Ready Steady File

8. Beth from Sparkle Eyes 101

9. Hayley from Hayley Loui

10. Fay from A Little Bit of That

11. Michelle from Michelle Louise Love

Thanks again to Claudia for nominating me! If you haven't already, check out her blog as well as the people I nominated! If those of you I have nominated do decide to do it then comment below with the link so I can read your answers to my questions. Sorry if I've tagged anyone who's already done it. Obviously if you have been nominated and don't want to do it, you don't have to!

Have fun!

Julie x

- One Lovely Blog Award Tag

I've been nominated to do the One Lovely Blog Award tag by Nicole Lee from the blog Hey Let's Makeup. All you have to do is share 7 facts about yourself and nominate 7 other bloggers (remember to let them know you've tagged tagged them). It's a great way to learn more about your fellow bloggers and to find new blogs!

7 Facts About Me:

1. I have three dogs
2. I was 18 the first time I went abroad/on a plane
3. When I was 15 I was vegetarian for a few months
4. I have never broken a bone (touch wood)
5. I am an extremely fussy eater
6. I love documentaries about prison/crime/murder (weird?)
7. I have lived in 7 different houses

Who I Nominate:

1. Claudia from Crafts and Spices
2. Allie from You Gotta Be Gorgeous x
3. Emily from Style Lobster
4. Jelena from Simple and Sparkly Life
5. Ami from Ami Rose
6. Karis from Beauty by Karis
7. Estelle from Let Me Go xo

Thanks again to Nicole Lee for tagging me! If you haven't already go and check out her blog and the other people I tagged! If I've nominated you and you do decide to take part, leave a link to your post below so I can have a little nosy at it! Sorry if I've tagged anyone who's already done it!

Julie x

- Drugstore Skincare Routine

Today I thought I'd share with you some of the skincare products I've been using recently. All of these products are from 'drugstore' brands and are really affordable but I've found that they seem to be doing the job. Everyone's skin is different and your skin may react differently to a product than mine does. My skin is generally quite clear although can be a bit oily. I do get the odd breakout every now and then but fortunately I have never had any major issues such as acne. If you do, these products may not be effective for you and you may need products created specifically for that.

St Ive's - Blemish Fighting Apricot Scrub

Garnier - Pure Active Daily Energising Gel Wash

Clean & Clear - Oil Free Dual Action Moisturiser 

Dirty Works - Vitamin C Brightening Mask

Simple - Kind to Eyes Eye Make-up Remover

Lush - Grease Lightning Spot Treatment

Have you tried any of these products?
What's your current skincare favourites?

Julie x