WHY EVERYONE SHOULD BE USING RETINOL

In the past few years I've seen everyone go absolutely crazy over BHA and AHA toners. They seem to work wonders for a lot of people, but no matter how much I tried, they weren't cutting it for my acne prone skin. That's where retinol, or retinoids, came in. They added that extra boost that helped to drop kick my skin problems in the pantaloons. They're kind of a wonder product that does it all, which is why I wanted to run you guys through the basics of what they can be used for, how they work and how they should be used. Come along with me!

OMBRE LIP AND COPPER CAT EYE

I'm really digging this blurred lip trend that Maybelline is spreading around the internet. I've seen it on the catwalk for years and I've always thought it added a really beautiful, effortless effect to the lips. I particularly love the effect when it's done in pink. It's such a fresh look. So I figured, why not pair it with a copper cat eye and make a day of it?

8 BEAUTIFUL FREE FONTS

I've become a font hoarder over the past year. To be fair, it's not as bad as my makeup hoarding or my clothes hoarding... or my skincare hoarding... or my homeware hoarding... I've just seen a bit of a trend cropping up. Moving swiftly along, I've searched Dafont and Fontsquirrel to their darkest corners and I've resurfaced with some beauties. A couple of things to note before we delve in. One, I'm a big fan of using fonts in their uppercase form. May as well put that out there. Two, remember that font spacing can be just as important as the font itself. Now knock yourselves out!

SOMETHING SPECIAL

When I first starting blogging I was a drugstore girl to the core. I loved finding dupes for high-end products and feeling like I was seeking out the diamonds in the rough. I still love that. You can't keep me away from the drugstore. But I've also come to realize how nice it is to have a few things that are truly special, things that you can really indulge in. It makes the whole process of makeup application that much sweeter. So what are my indulgences? Well, I shall tell you, because when have I ever not?

THE MOST MAGICAL BOOK I EVER DID SEE

I wanted to tell you guys about a gift I was given. It's a colouring book, which I know sounds odd, but my goodness it's majestic. It's called Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt And Colouring Book. It's essentially a grown up version of the colouring books we had as kids. This one has thick, luxurious paper and a front cover that will make you want to “casually leave it lying on your coffee table” for appearances sake. Full of extremely intricate and beautiful designs, it makes you feel wonderfully childish and like a sophisticated adult all at once.

10 COMMON MAKEUP MISTAKES & THEIR FIXES

I've been meaning to do a post like this for so long! I wanted to create a little guide to commonly made makeup mistakes and, at the same time, offer alternative methods to those mistakes. A lot of you guys will probably already know this stuff, but some of us have a bit less experience with makeup. I know, for example, that it's a newer venture for a lot of my bum chums back home. So this is for you lovely people. Hopefully you find something in here that's helpful.

PASTEL TRAIL PRINT GIVEAWAY

I'm really happy to be coming to you guys with a lovely giveaway today! Pastel Trail contacted me and asked me if I'd be interested in giving away one of their beautiful art prints. A little background on Pastel Trail: they're an Etsy store that creates designs based on positivity towards life. That's something that I could use a healthy dose of these days so I told them I would be absolutely tickled to team up with them. I was a bit cheeky and asked if they would do a custom print for you guys – combining my favourite background and favourite quote. They kindly obliged and BOOM, that's what we've got here. So please, enter away if you desire.

7 MURDER MYSTERY SHOWS TO WATCH

I have gotten so into murder mystery shows in the past year. Who's with me?! There's something wonderfully captivating about them. I think it's because I love to guess what's going to happen and when I get it right I feel like I might secretly be a genius. You take what you can get when you're a college dropout. I'm particularly keen on English murder mysteries (again, because they make me feel clever and sophisticated), but I've seen some top notch American ones too. So for you lot out there that are as sick in the head as I am, here are some leads (yyyyeaaaahhhh).

LIT FROM WITHIN FOR PROBLEM SKIN

You know, sometimes the hardest part of a post to write is the very first sentence. So that's it. That's my first sentence. Quite. My skin has been going crazy the past few months. It'll be completely clear and then, as if to punish me for the good fortune, it'll break out like crazy. This means I'm left with a bumpy texture and, as much as I love cream products, they aren't ideal for that kind of problem skin. They tend to wiggle their way into crevasses and emphasize pores.

SHU UEMURA ULTIMATE REMEDY HAIR MASQUE

I've mentioned the Shu Uemura Ultimate Remedy Hair Masque a few times before, but I've never given it the proper ego tickling that it deserves. Today is the day that it gets the royal treatment because this is without a doubt the most glorious product ever to have touched my hair.