THE CHRISTMAS PARTY LOOK

I try not too get excited about Christmas too early. Generally I wait until December actually rolls around before going nuts, but seeing as Christmas party season is about to begin, I thought I'd start the excitement a day early by showing you guys a nice festive makeup. Drama, sparkle, a red lip... I've chucked it all in the mix because this is the one time of year you get to go hog-wild with no excuse needed.

EVENING WIND DOWN

I did a post a few weeks ago about morning pick me up products. Seeing as my anxiety levels have been through the roof lately, now seems like an optimal time to go completely the other way and talk about evening wind down products. Sometimes surrounding yourself with a variety of soothing smells and pampering sensations can really help lull you into a sleepy state. Anything I can do to calm myself down in the evenings (and when I say anything I mean anything... Gilmore Girls) is incredibly valuable at the moment.

PHOTO EDITING TIPS: APPS EDITION

The great thing about using apps to edit your photos, rather than a program like Photoshop, is they do all the hard work for you. Adjustments, such as exposure or cropping, are all laid out in the most basic way possible and the filter options can instantly transform the feel of your photo. I have two apps that I alternate use of, depending on the occasion.

DIORSKIN NUDE BB CREAM

I mentioned a short while ago that one of the glorious gifts I received for my birthday was the Diorskin Nude BB Cream. I've been using it almost everyday for the past few weeks (which is record breaking for me because normally I can't stand wearing foundation) and I feel like I've gotten enough of a feel for it now to do an accurate overview.

TOP PHOTO EDITING TIPS

Every once and a while I take a photo and that's it – everything came together nicely and it's ready to go up on the blog. The majority of the time, however, it takes a lot of editing to get my photo looking how I want it to. In the past few months of blogging I've developed a few simple and effective go-tos that I know will help improve the look of my photo however it's lacking. There are loads of photo editing programs available these days (Photoshop, Elements, Gimp, etc.), but my personal favourite is Paint.net. It's basically a free, paired down, user friendly version of Photoshop. So what go-to photo adjustments have we in the lineup?

THE AFFORDABLE WATCH

In the past year I've gotten more and more into basics. Clean, simple lines always look good and pair well together. I find that my most basic items are the ones that I still want to wear years later. And with this new found love of basics has come an appreciation for paired down accessories, particularly when it comes to watches. A few years ago it was all about those Michael Kors chunky metal watches, but now I haven't been able to keep my eyes off the Daniel Wellington and Olivia Burton watches.

DEALING WITH ANXIETY

When I was about 17 I had my first panic attack. For anyone who hasn't had a panic attack it's somewhat hard to explain. Your heart starts to go a mile a minute and you're shaking like crazy. Symptoms can be different for everyone, but what seems to be unifying is this irrational feeling like you're going to die. After I had my first panic attack things started to go south. I began becoming terrified of having another panic attack and I got myself into this seemingly never-ending cycle of panic – so scared of having one that I'd push myself into having another one. It got to the point that I wouldn't go out at certain times of the day because I only felt safe at home. It was scary and I didn't have any idea what was happening to me. Years later, after taking a few university psyche courses, I realized that that was a panic disorder with the beginnings of agoraphobia.

THERE'S BEEN A BIRTHDAY

It was my birthday a week ago. While the day was odd (for completely external reasons that I'll explain to you guys at a later date), I was so happy to get to spend it with people that I love. My sisters and beloved friend (I'm looking at you Rich) all turned up unannounced in the morning, which is the best kind of way to turn up in my books, and we joined up with some other friends and spent the day together. I was lucky enough to receive some vonderfull gifts, which also included an unbelievable set of noise cancelling headphones that I am over the moon about. There won't be a shred of eardrum left when I'm done with them. But I'll stick to telling you guys about the beauty stuff!

THE 100TH POST

Today is my 100th post. I put this blog up just over six months ago now and I can't express how happy I am that I did. I don't love my job and I've never been clear about schooling. I've always felt like I was left questioning my choices while everyone else was ploughing forward with confidence. But this blog has been different. It's the one thing that I don't have any doubts about. It's a space where I get to create and I have an amazing group supporting me all the while. When I say thank you to you guys I really hope you know how much I mean it. So for the 100th post I thought it might be fun to do a roundup of my top five posts I've enjoyed doing so far. Hope you enjoy them too, and don't worry, there will be a little something for you guys come the next milestone...

ZOEVA ROSE GOLD LUXURY SET

A while ago I struck a deal with myself. It was an intense negotiation session, but myself and I came to an agreement: once I got my first Youtube video up I was allowed to buy the Zoeva Rose Gold Luxury Set. Getting a video up was (and still is) something that scares the poop out of me, so a motivator couldn't hurt. About a month ago I finally posted a video and (after no spend October was over) I went ahead and ordered a set of zee German treasure. And hooo Nelly, they arrived yesterday.

EVERYDAY HEALTHY MAKEUP

Hi guys. I'm back with another video and this one's a tutorial for a healthy, natural makeup look. I've got a few handy tips on perfecting the base and a nice peachy lip. Hope you enjoy.

10 MORE MAKEUP TIPS

A little while back I did a 10 Things I've Learned About Makeup post and, to my surprise, as I was writing the ideas were a-flowing. So I decided to store away my overflow of ideas for a second post, which I had completely forgotten about until a few days ago. So I'm bringing it back. Here's the second round of tips. 

CSS: HOW TO ADD LINES TO EITHER SIDE OF A HEADING

We're going to get a little technical today. Don't worry, not too technical... a healthy level of technical. A short while ago Brittany tweeted asking how create a heading on one's blog with lines on either side - something like what you'd see on the sidebar headings on Vivannadoesmakeup or Gh0stparties. I've wondered how to do this myself for ages and never found an answer when eugooglizing. When I saw Brittany's tweet I decided “Imma figure this biatch out once and for all.” So I went back on the hunt.

MORNING PICK ME UPS

I wish I were someone that awoke each morning bright eyed and bushy tailed. I'd love to be one of those people. They always seem so put together. Instead I wake up feeling like I've been left in the desert for days, deprived of water and then kicked in the head for good measure. Perhaps that's a slight exaggeration, but at any rate mornings are not a good time for me. So anything that helps me emerge from groggy state is much appreciated. I'm happy to say that I've found three brilliant products for the shower that help the revival process along.