Katie Snooks

I don't think I've ever lusted after something as much as I did this. Some girls go to bed dreaming of designer handbags, but for almost three months I went to bed dreaming of this baby and now I own it it's become one of my most prized possessions!

I've never written a camera review before (being a photography graduate I probably should have done by now) but I wanted to share my experience of using this camera for those of you still trying to decide whether or not to go ahead and purchase. I read quite a lot of reviews on it before caving in so hopefully this will help some of you!

First things first, this camera is beautiful and really aesthetically pleasing. I collect vintage film cameras and this rivals their beauty despite being digital which is quite an achievement. It also comes in cream (a fashion blogger favourite).

One of the main things that made this a contender when looking to purchase a new camera for vlogging was the fact it has an LCD screen which flips down which means I can check my whole face is in shot when vlogging on the go. It's also tilt-able so if you're shooting flat lays (photo example above) you can see exactly what you're doing without having to stand on a chair/blind photograph the surface.

There are multiple shooting features, such as manual, auto, filming etc, but there's also an 'Art' and a 'Scene' function which allows you to add some beautiful filters or effects to your images. My favs are 'Diorama', 'Vintage' and obviously 'Macro' for getting those beautifully clear close up photographs. The camera also comes with a detachable flash which is fab (makes it less bulky if you're not using it).

Finally, my favourite thing. I didn't actually know it had this feature until I started using it but it is by far what makes it absolutely outstanding compared to any camera I've used before (I'm going to try and explain this as best as I can). There is an app which you can download on your phone (OI Share) and the camera has it's own built in wifi which means once you've connected your camera to your phone, you can view all the pictures taken on the camera and save them straight to your mobile (making it perfect for Instagramming high quality images). Not only that, but you can then use your phone as a remote control to take pictures from your camera. When doing this, you can see on your phone what your camera is pointing at (if that makes sense) even if your camera is on the other side of the room. This is hours of fun and a real party trick that I like to pull out and use to impress people (ha).

Price wise, this retails at around £300-500 and is available online and in most electronic department stores (John Lewis are currently selling it for £299 so I recommend getting it from there to save some money). You can read more about it's features here - link!

I really hope this has helped some of you who have been umm-ing and ahh-ing over it. I also only have the standard lens that comes with the camera but I think I'm going to invest in the 45mm 1.8 lens (love a wide aperture when it comes to fashion & blog photograhy). That's another good point actually; the lens is interchangeable making it a dream camera come true! It really is love!

What camera do you use for blog photography? Would you invest in this?

xxx

If you watch my YouTube channel then you would have heard that I've currently been on the hunt for the perfect pale concealer. This 'hunt' has lead me to purchase 5 new products which, after having been trying for a couple of months, I'm now ready to review for you today!

MAKEUP FOREVER FULL CONVER CAMOFLAGE CREAM:

I bought this from Sephora whilst on holiday at the beginning of August as I'd never tried their base products before but heard a lot about them. This concealer is fantastic for covering blemishes and building up, but the lightest shade isn't that light in the scheme of things! I think this'll be my new summer concealer as it's definitely not suitable on my skin in the cooler months. It was also more pricey than I expected, around £20)

NARS RADIANT CREAMY CONCEALER IN CHANTILLY:

The most expensive out of the bunch (£22) but wonderfully enough it's the perfect shade for my skin! This is very, very similar to my all time fav concealer (Collection Lasting Perfection), except a little thinner. This means I usually have to build up a little more to get a fuller coverage - it's okay, probably wouldn't repurchase as the Collection one is a fraction of the price!

BARRY M FLAWLESS LIGHT REFLECTING CONCEALER:

Again, very similar to Nars & Collection's concealers but a lot more thin & watered down. I would really adore this product if it was thicker as I feel like it's too sheer to really cover bad blemishes. Nice for under the eyes though and a great colour range. For around £3/4 this is a bargain.

SOAP & GLORY KICK ASS:

This was a really, really pleasant surprise! I had never used a Soap & Glory makeup item before picking this up in Boots last month and it was love from the first swatch. This crayon is incredibly pigmented and even covers my tattoos (which you can see in my Boots Haul here). I think this was around £8 and worth it completely!

MAYBELLINE ANTI-AGE ERASER EYE:

I have seen so many beauty gurus use this and it looked so fun that I decided I needed to try it myself. I love everything about this apart from the colour - if it was paler it'd be my fav out of the bunch as I love the applicator and how easy it is to use. Please bring out a paler shade Maybelline! If you're darker than me then I'm sure you'll love this. Think I paid around £8/9.

I hope this has helped some of you who are on the same hunt that I am! I'm still on the lookout but in the mean time I now have an awful lot of concealers to use up ;)

What's your favourite concealer?

xxxx

PS: Bought all of these with my own money!

Today's post is all about the new ART.LOVE.COLOUR Christmas Collection just launched by Smashbox - I think you're all really going to like this range!
They collaborated with artist Yago Hortal for this collection (if you haven't seen his work before be sure to type his name into Google, his paintings are simply stunning), to create a limited edition range of products inspired by colour for the festive season now upon us.

I wanted to create a bright, colourful but wearable look for you today using the new products so join me below to see how to get colourful & camera-ready with me!

HOW TO CREATE THE LOOK:
To create the look I started off by perfecting my base using the Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Primer before applying my new favourite camera-ready foundation, the BB-Water (full review here). My skin is pretty bad at the moment (I refrained from putting some before pictures in this post as I didn't want to scare you guys!) but these two products work perfectly to smooth and conceal imperfections.

I then got to work on the bright eye makeup using my favourite product from the collection - the Master Class Palette which pretty much contains everything you need to create a variety of stunning ART. LOVE. COLOUR makeup looks this festive season. The palette contains 8 blushers/highlighters and 32 stunning eyeshadows in a variety of matte & shimmer formulas.

I photographed each step above for you to make copying this look really easy (you can of course switch the colours up, I think this would also look gorgeous using the brown shades in the palette for a more wearable daily look)!

- I applied the shade Orchid all over my eyelid and blended that out with the shade Custard into the crease.
- I then applied two blue shades - Azure & Pacific underneath my lower lash line.
- I lined my waterlines and created a cat flick with the black Limitless Eye Pencil in Onyx before applying lashings of the Full Exposure Mascara. Both of these products are included in the Limited Edition Lashes Set in the collection.
- I finished by adding the shade Framboise into the outer corner of my eyes to really build up that intense purple and then added shade Cosmic under my brow bone and a touch on the inner corners of my eye.

I finished the look with a sweep of Sunset and Glow on the cheeks.

For the hair I used my current favourite hair staple - the Bumble and bumble Pret-a-Powder which acts as a volumising dry shampoo, before tying half of my hair up and leaving the other half down, think half volumised beehive, half princess!

THE COLLECTION:
There are 8 gift sets in the collection, all of which are ready wrapped and ready to be given as gifts this season as the packaging is covered in prints of Yago's paintings.
I love that the Master Class Kit contains such a beautiful variety of intensely pigmented shades, from bold pops of colour to wearable neutrals, meaning there are a really wide variety of looks you can create with just one palette; I know for a fact this will be my best friend over this festive period.

There's also kit for everyone in the range - the Studio Set (£23) is perfect for those that haven't tried Smashbox products before as it contains mini versions of their bestsellers, the Lips Set is perfect for lip gloss addicts and there's also a Limited Edition Yago Hortal printed Brushes Set (£48). All of these products are available online or in store at Boots on Smashbox Counters.

I'm really happy with the bits I have from the range, the products are all great quality and as the brand was born out of a real photo studio (the Smashbox Studios in L.A) they know how to make great formulas that look striking and last well on the face!

If you were to create a colourful look, what colours would you use?

Smashbox say: Introducing ART.LOVE.COLOR featuring artwork by Yago Hortal. We partnered with breakthrough artist Yago Hortal to bring you these mega-vibrant, limited-edition kits featuring all of our bestsellers in a range of shades—from bold pops of colour to always wearable neutrals.

Compensation was provided by Smashbox via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Smashbox.

You might have seen me raving about these beauties in my first 'Blogger Mail' video (which you can watch here) and I received many comments agreeing at how beautiful they were so I decided they deserved a dedicated blog post of their own.

These goodies are from the Rebel Romantic collection which is still available online and in stores. It consists of the most beautiful variety of shades perfect for autumn/winter; think lots of dark berrys, nudes and earthy tones.

Intensely Lavish Lipstick:
These lipsticks are stunning; the collection includes 5 colours including a couple of dark nudes (I have #01 & #04), to a vibrant red and a wine shade. They are really pigmented, soft and creamy (comfortable to wear) and the packaging is just divine.

Intensely Lavish Lip Pencils:
If I had to only use one brand of lip liners going forward, it'd be these. They're perfect, so creamy and easy to apply and incredibly pigmented. Really recommend!

Metallic Shine Eye Shadows:
I wasn't too sure on these little pots at first. The colours didn't particularly stand out to me (I have the Chocolate and Sage ones), but after using them I can concur that they're actually pretty great. They have an odd texture, the product feels quite bouncy but after working in with your brush or finger, they apply really well. I actually used the chocolate shade to contour with around the Halloween period and it worked really well.

Contouring Pencil Set:
For £9.90 you can get a pack of two pencils, one from contouring/bronzing and another to highlight. I was really impressed with the price of these, so affordable for something so 'in' right now. They're easy to use, take a bit of buffing to completely blend in but it's worth it!

One of the main reasons I LOVE Kiko and this range is how incredible the quality of the products are for the price. The Lip Liners retail below £5, the lipsticks below £7 - really great prices for some makeup items that are truly fab.

All this talk of KIKO is making me want more - currently on their online store, help!!

Have you ever tried anything from KIKO? What do you recommend?

xxxx

Life is busy at the moment. Being your own boss means everyday is different; one day I spend the day running around the house filming, photographing, tidying, and then the next I'll be hopping to meetings, events, helping film for other YouTubers and also trying to fit in my own social life.

Now I don't mind days being busy, filled with appointments & things to tick off my list, but it stresses me slightly that I often hardly have time to stop and refresh, so I need to kick start my mornings with a bunch of products that'll last me well throughout the day.

You all know I'm the monochrome queen, and if you are too I'll be happy to tell you about a product that you guys will definitely appreciate. I've just discovered Sure Invisible Black + White; this antiperspirant doesn't transfer ANY white marks on black clothes and whites will stay white, and it also keeps me fresh, dry and confident with it's 48 hour protection. It also comes in a Compressed can (125ml) which will last just as long as a big 250ml can, but has the added bonus of fitting in your handbag, meaning it is also ideal for upcoming festive parties, popping it into my clutch!

I wore this outfit last week for a day full of meetings, followed by my weekly trip to my circus class (currently learning how to do flying trapeze, it's absolutely terrifying and the adrenaline gets going but a lot of fun) and ended with a date night with Andrew (can't beat a Brick Lane curry).

Not sure if it's just me, but when I have busy days I worry more about getting to each appointment on time and about all the rushing around rather than actually the work that needs doing - anyone else? Because of this I also want my outfit to be really comfortable as I don't want that to slow me down, so for this day I opted for a white shirt, monochrome printed trousers and my new black velvet blazer which makes me feel effortlessly smart (all from Topshop - love).

Sure Invisible Black + White is available in: 125ml - RRP £3.19* and 75ml – RRP
£2.39*
*Price is at the sole discretion of the retailer

What's your go to busy day outfit & deodorant?
xxxx

Thanks to Sure for sponsoring this post, as usual all thoughts and opinions are my own!

Today I'm gonna talk about something I've never really mentioned on the blog before.

Every girl has insecurities, right? Things they would want to change about themselves, things they are not confident with? But what if body confidence is something you've always had, and then one day it completely disappears?

I've always been pretty confident in my body. Growing up I didn't pay much attention to it and never tried to change it (my face on the other hand was a different issue - I could always find imperfections on my face but rarely did on my body). On summer holidays with girlfriends I was always the first to walk around the hotel naked and I loved taking self portraits during my photography degree, often with boobs on show.

Recently though, this all changed.

(Disclaimer: I haven't mentioned this and how I was feeling much to anyone other than close friends so please bear with me. Also I want to point out here I'm not after any pity and compliments, I was just given an excuse to talk about this issue, that some others might feel the same about and wanted to share with you - you have been a part of my life for 6 years now!)

In the past year I've put on a lot of weight (pretty much two thirds of the weight I was previously). I don't know what changed, I wasn't eating hideous amounts of food, I tried to be relatively healthy but weight just kept piling on.

During the summer just gone, I felt so, so low and disgusted at how I looked on a daily basis. None of my clothes fitted me, even walking in my body felt different. On one evening I went to the pub with a friend and completely broke down in tears to her explaining how I felt about myself; my self confidence was at an all time low.

(I'm currently trying to pin point what is was that made this happen - it could have been the medication I was on for 6 months at the beginning of the year and I'm also currently waiting results from scans & blood tests for PCOS which could explain it. You could also say it's from having fallen in love and being happy for the first time in a really long time, which I would never swap, but it's important to feel good about yourself at the same time, right?)

Long story short, I've recently had a really shitty time with my body confidence. I didn't realise quite how much something like this could control every aspect of your life, mood and happiness. I was in the depth of this self-hatred when Alex Cameron got in touch and asked me if I'd like to be photographed for her Confidence photo series. I'd seen some of her previous photos on some of my favourite blogs (and they all looked incredible) so I decided to go for it.

So I met up with Alex on a Monday afternoon and let her photograph me in my birthday suit...

I'm not gonna lie, I was nervous on the day. I dug out some of my favourite lingerie to take with me (the black bralet I had never even worn, that's how crap I felt about myself) including a white lace bralet which is actually the bra my mother wore on her wedding day (things like this make me very happy).

Alex was brilliant, it felt like I'd known her for years, so after chatting for a while there was nothing left for me to do but take my clothes off. The only person that's seen me like this in ages had been Andrew and my mum so this felt VERY odd but I followed Alex's direction and before I knew it we were finished.

When she sent the images through, I was in all honesty dreading it. I had butterflies & my heart was beating really fast but as soon as I had a proper look I was filled with emotion. I haven't included any full nudies in this post just because I'd like to keep them between myself, my close ones and Alex, but I am just so chuffed and overwhelmed with how they came out.

I didn't look like a beached whale? Is this how others see me? I don't mind that!

I sent some of these pictures over to my closest girl friends and their response was interesting. They were obviously so supportive and complimentary but they also mentioned how they'd never be confident enough to do something like this, they wished they had my body, their pictures would never come out like this etc. These girls and their bodies in my mind are the ultimate perfection - and they weren't confident enough to do the same?

Us girls really put ourselves through a hard time. Always comparing, always wishing, always talking ourselves down. I wish every girl in the world had a chance to do what I did and see themselves as I saw myself, because I now believe in myself. There's much more to it now than being confident in my body, but I know I am brave enough to do this, I look pretty good and I believe in myself!

I'm really happy I did this. I think I will always look back on these pictures and smile. I did something out of my comfort zone when I felt really crap and came out of it feeling like a new woman.

Yes, my ribs are wonky and I have scars down my back (I have scoliosis, it's a whole other story but mentioned here). Yes, my thighs and arms are bigger than they used to be and yes, my stomach does hang in an awkward place when I'm laying on my side BUT this is me, this is my body, I can't change and it and I wouldn't want to.

If you fancy releasing your inner goddess and getting some pictures like this of your own, Alex is currently offering a 5% discount to my readers (just quote my name on booking)! You can check her other work and more photographs from this series on her blog - www.alexandracameron.co.uk.

Please say you would do something like this?

xxx

This year on the blog I'm on a mission to help you guys find the best pressies for your loved ones. I only did one gift guide last year but this year I'm feeling so festive (and also quite creative) so I've put together quite a few to help those who are at a loss at what to get and need ideas.

First up - makeup bits for the beauty obsessed!

Zoella Beauty
Solid Fragrance & Makeup Bag:
I chose out Zoe's super cute Lace Collar Purse because it's the perfect size for the makeup bits you need to carry around daily and so unique with its collar design. I'm a big fan of solid perfumes and carry one around with me all the time (I always forget to spritz on perfume before I leave the house. This one is in the Blissful Mistful fragrance which leaves a sweet floral scent on the skin and looks really pretty in the heart shaped tin.

Tanya Burr Cosmetics
Palettes & Polishes:
These palettes make the most perfect gift as they include a selection of fantastic shades all chosen out by Tanya to create some stunning looks. My favourite is the Fairy Tale Palette (perfect for a smokey eye) and the Peachy Glow Cheek Palette which contains a contour (great dupe for Nars Laguna), a highlight and a peachy blush!

Models Own
Colour Chrome Polishes:
How beautiful are these bottles? Even without using them they look so pretty on my makeup desk! Models Own just launched their Colour Chrome Nail Polish range which consists of 10 new shades, all with a metallic finish. Perfect for those who're nail obsessed!

Tarte
Shine Bright Statement Lash Essentials:
Possibly my favourite out of the bunch, as soon as I saw these jewel encrusted eyelash curlers I knew I had to have them! This limited edition set has been launched as part of Tarte's 2015 Holidaze Collection and I don't know ANY girl who wouldn't love to whip these out of her handbag in the morning. (Definitely keeping this as a Christmas pressie for myself)!

If I received ANY of these in my stocking this year I would be the happiest girl. I even think all of these products together make the cutest little beauty hamper (you could really go to town decorating the hamper with sequins and bows)!

Which of these would you like under your tree this Christmas?

xxx

Back with another Christmas gift guide - this one's for those who love a pamper and who have a slightly larger budget than the last!

Laura Ashley
Bath Soak & Travel Essentials:
My mum is a BIG Laura Ashley fan so when I found out there were branded gift sets available in Boots I was chuffed. The price range is from £6 to £20 and all the packaging and products are beautiful. The Bath Soak and Travel Essentials kit (which comes with a really pretty travel bag) are my top picks.
(Link)

Latest in Beauty
Crackers:
Latest in Beauty are back this winter with their Beauty Crackers. For £17.95 you get a cute little box containing three crackers each containing sample sizes of beauty products. It's a complete surprise as to whats in them, but one contains skincare products, one makeup and the other beauty. This is a really cute idea for any beauty junkie who is on the look out for new products to try!
(Link)

Estee Lauder
Shape and Fill Expert Serum:
This is one of the newest skincare launches from Estee Lauder which is making a stir in the beauty world. The Shape and Fill range is all about regaining the structure and volume of youth, fast (within just 2 weeks) by leaving you with more defined facial contours; your cheeks and jawline will appear more lifted. It's pricey but if you know someone who is conscious about this I'm sure it'd be very much appreciated!
(Link)

Essential Molecules
Molecule 03:
Know someone who absolutely ADORES the cult perfume Molecule 01? Then chances are they'd love to try another in the range. Like it's predecessor, it pays homage to a single scent ingredient which works differently on everyone. Molecule 03's main notes are Vetiver and it smells woody, peppery and forest-y (if that's a word!) - understated but classy.
(Link)

Pai
Perfect Balance Discovery Set:
Pai is a skincare brand that I've only recently discovered but absolutely adore. They are experts on sensitive skin and only select ingredients which are proven remedial and soothing, without irritating chemicals and alcohol. The Anywhere Essentials Travel Kits make beautiful gifts for those who are looking for a new skincare regime and each kit also contains a muslin cloth (win)!
(Link)

I'll be back soon with a couple more gift guides!

Which of these would you like underneath your tree?

xxx

Last weekend I had the opportunity to film in one of the world's most magical houses - Talliston.
It only felt right to film a lookbook in the space, so I spent lots of time researching (aka online shopping) for a selection of party dresses for this festive season!

The magic of Talliston is that every room is set in a different year in a different part of the world - aka the lounge (where I wear the gold sequin dress) is based on a watchtower in Wales in 1877 and the Starhouse (the red dress) is based on a Japanese tea house from 2282 - the future.
The owner - John, has spent 25 years researching, travelling the world and collecting original items for each room & decorating so that not one part of the ex-council house in Essex remains.

You can read all about Talliston (they hold open days so you can visit for yourself) on their website here - http://tallistonhq.wix.com/talliston#!project/csn3 I can't quite express just how magical this project is but it has hugely inspired me to be more creative and to make life more beautiful. I will talk more about this in the future...

Filming a lookbook there was an insane experience - I specifically choose each dress for each of the rooms in the house and felt seriously sassy in each outfit. I felt like I really got into character in each room and I know I'll never be able to beat this as a backdrop again!

Andrew and I filmed another video in the house where I explore each room in more detail (and get a little lost in it's magic) so subscribe to my channel to see that in a couple of weeks!

Really, really hope you enjoy this lookbook and feel as enchanted with the space as I do!

xxxxxxx

This must be the BIGGEST gift guide I've ever written but I've found so many lovely sets that would make perfect gifts this Christmas and wanted to give you lots of inspiration if you're behind on your xmas shopping this year!

Soap & Glory
It's a well known fact in the blogger world that Soap and Glory do some of the best beauty gift sets around Christmas time. They're affordable and contain a great variety of sample sized products (perfect handbag sizes) for those who are obsessed with the brand! This bag containing 6 products (which all smell delicious) retails at £12 in Boots stores - bargain!

Bed Head and Toni & Guy

Their are plenty of great hair grooming gift sets available this winter, my favs being the Rise and Shine from Bed Head which includes a dry shampoo and shine spray (every girl's must haves) retailing at under £18 (here) and the Toni & Guy Tousled Waves Kit containing everything you need for that beach babe look, for £!5 in Boots stores.

Neal's Yard Beauty Sleep Organic Collection

I know so many people who would absolutely adore this gift that I'm having a hard time deciding who to wrap it for! It's a little more luxury than the previous gifts, retailing at £40 from John Lewis (here) but is so beautiful and includes three products which help to pamper and relax your body and mind for the perfect night's sleep.

Avon Winter Night Fragrance Lamp

For those who want a gift that's a little more unique I highly recommend this!! I fell in love with this oil burner as soon as I saw it - I think it'd look beautiful on any one's vanity table, with it's rolled mosaic bottle which reminds me of Morocco. You simply fill the bottle with the oil provided, soak and light for a gorgeous aroma!

Available for £25 here!

Beauty Baubles

There have been so many beautiful makeup tree decorations available this year so I thought I'd round up a selection of my favourite from Lanolips, Bagsy, Topshop, Balance Me and Tangle Teezer. These make perfect stocking fillers or you could even hang on your tree to open on Christmas Day!

Palette London Nail Polish Kit

Finally finishing with a present I (and any beauty fanatic) would LOVE to receive - a create your own nail polish set from the new brand Palette. This is now available in Boots stores for £25 for two empty nail polish bottles. You get 5 base shades which you can then mix to create your own unique shades. I've created a mint green, a nude and a deep purple which this set and love them all!! Available here!

We've got just over a week to go before Christmas so I really hope this has helped if some of you are struggling for gift ideas!

Do let me know which of these is your favourites!

xxxx

One of my favourite things about Christmas (as well as family time, food, parties and dressing up etc) are Bobbi Brown's Christmas Limited Edition Ranges. Honestly - they are my favourite brand for luxury xmas treats and this year's collection is no exception!

The packaging of these products is so good, oh my. I love the simple black & silver design and each palette has a kind of heaviness to it that I love - sounds bizarre but they just feel so luxurious and have now taken pride of place in a copper tray on my makeup desk and they look as if they were born to be on show.

The Sterling Nights Eye Palette is the star of the show, containing a selection of 9 shimmer and matte eye shadows of the most stunning shades. I'm personally really happy there's a matte black in there as I feel every palette needs this to gently run along the top lash line to accentuate the lashes, and I also adore that there's a subtle pink shimmer that looks stunning as a highlight underneath the brows. It retails at £59 - pricey but totally worth it and would make the most perfect gift for someone special!

Also in the range is a Limited Edition Pink Shimmer Brick containing a selection of shades to warm up your cheeks this winter and I've been too busy admiring my Sequin Eye Shadows in Star Beam to even use it! It's a really pigmented eyeshadow in a marbleized purple effect that reminds me of a galaxy.

I am so in love with this collection and definitely urge you to stop by a Bobbi Brown stand next time you pass to pick up and play with these items!

What's your favourite brand to release Limited Edition Xmas Collections?

xxx

As you've read on my blog recently I haven't been in the happiest place with my body at the moment which has prompted me to start looking into some small healthy lifestyle changes that'll make me feel better in the long run!

The following are all things I've started incorporating into my daily life and which make me happy and feel like I'm doing good for my body and mind!

1) Swapping coffee for tea.

I'm sure ALOT of you will admit to having too much coffee on a daily basis but this one has really made me feel a lot more healthy in myself!

There are so many known health benefits for opting for green tea instead of coffee and so I've gotten rid of my Nespresso Machine coffee capsules and replaced them with PG tips who have just launched their new capsules compatible with Nespresso machines.

They come in 4 different flavours which are all incredible - Black Tea with Caramel & Vanilla and Peppermint being my ultimate go-tos. They're super quick to use, convenient and I really, really look forward to my daily cups! (These have even been prompting Andrew to have more Green Tea as using the machine is so fun)!

1.5) Talking about swapping, I've also been opting for honey instead of sugar where I can (especially in my teas as above) and I've been having balsamic vinegar and olive oil on my salads and veg instead of slathering on salad dressings!

2) Ordering groceries online.

Not only is it fun to snuggle up with a cuppa tea to do the food shop from the comfort of your home, it also helps to resist temptation of picking up naughty treats in the shopping aisles (of which I always fall victim for). I've also found this really helps me stick to a weekly food plan meaning I stray less from ordering a takeout or going out for dinner. I really enjoy this and like to make an evening of it - planning my lunch and dinner meals for the week with Andrew and then ordering it all to be delivered the next day!

3) Tracking my meals.

I've started trying to make an effort to input my meals into the app My Fitness Pal. I've used this app for years but have recently starting really using it so I can see exactly what I'm eating, the calories it all contains and what I'm missing from my diet. It's also really helped tracking my bloating - I've realised by looking back over what I've eaten that bagels really make me bloated (boo!) so I've cut those out of my diet!

4) Decluttering.

It's not just food changes that can make an improvement to your health! I've recently been making a thing of decluttering my home space for a healthier and happier mind. Letting go of bits and pieces laying around the house and clearing my work space has meant I'm much more motivated and happier in general! I've been obsessed with minimalism and capsule wardrobe videos on YouTube at the moment and these have proven great inspiration for those of you who are also in the mood to declutter but don't know what to start!

So they are my 4 small tips for a healthier lifestyle. I've really enjoyed writing this post and am stumbling upon new easy ways every day to improve my wellbeing so let me know if you also enjoyed and I can write up another!

Have you got any other healthy lifestyle tips? I'd love to hear yours!

xxx

Contains sponsored content but all opinions and thoughts are my own!

It's time for my annual end of year round up post! I always really look forward to writing these and it's also so nice to be able to look back at the previous ones (you can read 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015's posts here) to see how much things have changed!

To be honest though, I feel like I've really struggled to try and find the words to say in this particular one. I've stared blankly at the screen for hours, trying to conjure up the right way to express how I feel about the past year. Here's how I feel: I feel like 2015 should have been one of the happiest in my life but for some reason, looking back I feel sad! I feel so ashamed to admit that, but my internal struggles have really got to me this year. I went through periods of feeling very, very low; I felt bad about my body & the way I looked, I lost self confidence when it came to my work, I constantly compared myself to others and I've had a lot of health issues arise (for both myself and my loved ones).

So when I look back on the year all I see is the negative, but in actual fact, 2015 was pretty good. Some pretty big changes in my life happened and I just need to remind myself of those and not get so caught up in the negative!

Before we get to the highlights I'll quickly go over my NYR for 2016.

New Year's Resolutions:

1) Be kinder to myself.
This probably sounds ridiculous, but I need to STOP comparing myself to others and give myself more slack. I need to treat myself better and I need to do things for myself. I need to concentrate more on my positives and therefore become more confident in myself which will in turn make me a happier person. I hope this makes sense.

2) Grow my online presence.
I am now a full time blogger/YouTuber and I can't express how happy I am about this - I couldn't be more grateful for this opportunity and so I really want to do well and succeed in it. A big number of my personal goals for the year involve my work and I really want to expand my readership and general 'numbers' across the board. I have ideas of how to do this - a lot of them involve being more confident so I need to work on number 1 of my resolutions to do this!

3) Nail circus arts.
One of my greatest achievements of 2015 was enrolling and completing my first term at circus school where I specialised in aerial arts. I initially thought I wanted to become skilled in aerial silks but I found that I really, really enjoy static trapeze so I've decided to focus on this in 2016 and I am so eager to nail this skill! I will document this in vlogs on my YouTube channel so if you're interested you can subscribe to see some clips of me in the air!

4) Improve general wellbeing.
I have never in my life had 'loose weight/get fit/work out daily' as a NYR as I think it puts too much pressure on the challenge and also seems like one that everyone gives up on after 4 days. With our wedding now approaching I do want to feel better within myself and so I am vowing to improve my general sense of wellbeing - mind, body and soul. I want to explore yoga more and incorporate into weekly life, I want to become more thoughtful and kind and I want to nourish my body with good food, but not deny myself any treats. This is going to be tough but I'm so eager that I'll work hard! I think this will make me a better human being.

Highlights of 2015

One of the biggest highlights was obviously getting engaged to my best friend. I'd been dreaming about this for so long and I can not wait to be able to call him my husband. The way he proposed was perfect (you can see it here) and whenever I think about this day I'm overcome with happiness.

In July I left my full time job (which I loved and adored) and became a full time content creator. This was something I wanted to do for so long and it honestly feels like I'm living a dream. There are obviously ups and downs but I am so proud of myself for being able to do this. Being signed by Gleam Futures was also a massive highlight - I couldn't do it without them.

Another highlight was getting the all clear for cervical cancer. I had a colposcopy, two biopsies and a LLETZ treatment done in 2015 (all of which were horrible procedures, one of which led me to actually fainting for the first time in my life!) and the results came back in October that I had the all clear. I can't express how much of a relief this is and I really want to stress to all girls to book your smear test - it's so important and easy to treat if abnormalities are caught early!

Other Highlights:

- Spending time with my family. I don't know what I'd do without my parents and sister, they've always been so supportive of me and I can't express my love for them enough.
- Going to the pub & getting wasted with one of my favourite musicians - Josef Salvat!
- Tanya and Jim's wedding was so, so beautiful, I'll never forget it!
- Filming lots of great videos for YouTubers. I've made some really great friends through this little venture and I love being creative with other likeminded people!
- Meeting so many readers of my blog in public - you wouldn't believe how happy this makes me!

Finally, I want to say a big, big thank you to you! My blog is coming into it's 6th year this month (mental). My life has changed dramatically due to this blog, and I'm very lucky to have had the opportunities and experiences that it's bought me and this is in no small part thanks to you guys for reading my blog and supporting me. I really can't thank you enough. I hope I can continue to create content which you enjoy and I really hope you have a fabulous 2016!

What are your New Year's Resolutions?

Katie xxxx

I'm starting this year's beauty favourites round ups with skin care!

Truth be told, 2015 was a really up & down year for my skin - it was all over the place! I ended up trying 3 different antibiotics to try and calm down my acne with mixed results and I really had to strip back my skincare regime in order to try and minimise breakouts. The following selection of products I found didn't irritate my acne and became really great staples I'd recommend to people with similar skin to mine!

Proactive Skin Smoothing Exfoliator

I'd never used Proactive before 2015, but I'd heard lots about it and wanted to give it a try. The Skin Smoothing Exfoliator has become my favourite cleanser to wash my face in the morning and evening. It contains tiny little exfoliating beads which makes my skin feel really clean, as well as glycolic and salicylic acid which are both fab for treating acne. My skin never feels tight when I use this which is a big deal as well!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

I've tried an awful lot of micellar waters in my time and this is definitely one of my favourites. It removes the heaviest of makeup with ease (even better than Bioderma does in my opinion). I love this little bottle which I have next to my bed and I also had a massive bottle of this in the bathroom - can't get enough!

Tebiskin Moisturiser

I was given this moisturiser to use after a bout of acne treatment called Isolax at Harley Street in the summer months. It's a no fuss moisturizer that is anti-inflammatory, making it perfect for blemished skin.

Kiehls Midnight Recovery
This is no surprise as I'm pretty sure I've included this in my past couple of yearly favourites! I just can't fault this facial oil - it leaves my face feeling soft, moisturized and my skin always looks great the day after using it.

Natrasan First Aid Spray

You might be thinking this is an odd thing to include, but I honestly adore this product. It's a multitasking spray which can be used SO many way for different skin issues. I've mainly been using this to help calm down my acne by spraying a few pumps onto a cotton pad and sweeping over my skin after cleansing in the evening. It kills 99.9999% of bacteria and contains pure hypochlorous acid and can also be used as a mouthwash, a general hand sanitiser, to clean burns, cuts and bites. Amazing product!

Hope you've enjoyed this blog post - if you would like full reviews on any of these products let me know in the comments and I'll add it to my list of things to review!

Tomorrow's will be focusing on my Top 5 Foundation & Concealer products of 2015!

What were your favourite skincare products of 2015?

xxx

I discovered some fab new foundation and concealer products in 2015 and this year's round up almost entirely consists of new additions (all except for one, my trusty Collection concealer which will always be my number #1 fav)!

Rimmel Lasting Concealer

Firstly, I'm sorry this product looks so shoddy in the pictures! I wanted to pop out and get a new one to photograph but I ran out of time so these will have to do!

I picked this pot up on a whim in Boots in the Spring and never looked back - it's seriously good! The palest shade is the perfect colour for my skin and the coverage is brilliant. There are some blemishes that my Collection concealer just doesn't cover enough and for those, I know I can rely on this little pot!

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

This has been my favourite concealer for SO many years now, you all know that! It's affordable, comes in a shade pale enough for me, covers blemishes really well and doesn't feel heavy on the skin. I have at least 3 of these in my possession at all times (think handbag, makeup bag and backups) and don't know what I'd do without it. (I think I also mentioned on my YouTube channel that my mum, sister AND dad are all big fans of this)!

Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation

I first discovered this product earlier this year when I went to Zoe's house and she used this as her base, (you can see her wearing it here as it's the video we filmed that day); her skin looked incredible and I instantly went and got one of my own!

I'm going to do a full review on this foundation soon with before and after pictures so you can see just how good it is, but I'll tell you know, it does wonders to make my skin look healthier and clearer than it actually is.

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue

This launched at the beginning of 2015 and instantly became a staple in my makeup bag. I used this every day in the summer months when I wanted good coverage but a lighter consistency. I'd describe this as a tinted moisturizer as it does really does wonders your skin with the added benefit of coverage. It also contains an SPF 30 and I felt like my skin really cleared up whilst I wore this!

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation

I've never been one for mineral/powder foundations - my skin has always been so blemished and so I've been worried about not getting enough coverage. However, I know how good mineral foundations are for your skin and so I made an effort to try a few and this was my favourite. It's surprisingly good coverage for a powder but doesn't make me look chalky or too 'matte'. Again, I'll do a full review of this soon if you want it!

So there are my favourite base products of 2015. I'm hoping to find some new favs in 2016 and want to experiment more with lightly tinted and powder products!

STAY TUNED TOMORROW: for my favourite hair products of 2015!

What were your favourite foundations of the past year?

xxxx

2015 was the year I really played around and experimented with my hair. I dip dyed it purple for the first 7 months of the year before deciding that I wanted to go back to a bleach blonde shade all over. I had white hair for about 6 years (which you can see here) and adored it so I took the plunge and I haven't looked back since.

Because of all the colour and bleach, my main hair concerns revolved around keeping my hair soft and maintaining the colour. So without further ado, here were my favs..!

Batiste Dry Shampoo
I don't express my love for dry shampoo enough; I honestly don't know what I'd do without it. I absolutely dread washing my hair and so anything that puts it off for a couple of days is a miracle in my opinion. Batiste has always been a firm favourite of mine but to be honest I'm not particularly fussy about the brand!

Moroccan Oil Treatment
After trialling a sample size pot of this oil, I decided it was love and splurged on a full size bottle - it was pricey, but again, it's something I use everyday so a good investment. I rub one pump of the oil between my palms and just gently run through the ends of my hair which keeps it soft, tame and smelling great. I also use this throughout my hair after washing to help me detangle and comb through.

ProVoke Touch of Silver Shampoo & Conditioner
2015 was the year I discovered purple shampoo! I tried a lot of different brands but decided the ProVoke range was my favourite. It smells bloody brilliant and somehow leaves my hair feeling so, so soft (the conditioner is incredible). The shampoo really helps to mute overly yellow tones in blonde hair and also helped to maintain my purple tips!

Macadamia Deep Repair Masque
This has been my favourite hair mask for years and I still haven't discovered anything better. I use this once a week instead of conditioner and my hair is left so, so soft. I can't recommend enough! Full review here.

Tangle Teezer
One of the reasons I despise washing my hair so much is because it's so long and thick, it ends up in a real matted tangle after it's been towel dried. Tangle Teezers (especially the Aqua Splash one pictured) are the only thing that detangles my locks quickly and painlessly. If you suffer with tangled hair after washing then you need this in your life!

Hope you have enjoyed this post - tomorrow's will be all about my favourite eye makeup products of 2015!

What were your favourite hair products of the past year?

xxx

There are so many eye makeup products that I absolutely love & wear on a daily basis so I found it really difficult to narrow down my favourites from the past year. I've given it a good shot, so here are my top 5!

Too Faced Natural Eyes Palette

If I were to create my own eyeshadow palette, it would be identical to this. It contains 9 neutral shimmer and matte eyeshadows which I use pretty much every day to create my signature smokey brown look. Too Faced actually has to be one of my favourite brands of 2015 - I haven't yet found a product of theirs that I dislike. You can read my full review of this & see pictures of the shades here.

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara

Tarte is another of my favourite brands from the past year! If you haven't tried their products before, this mascara is a great place to start. It does a great job of lengthening and separating my lashes and the tube is also so cute. Tarte products can be hard to get hold of in the UK but they're currently available from QVC.

Illamasqua Precision Brow Gel in Strike

I love a product which can be used multiple ways and this is one of them. I got my hands on these brow gels as soon as they launched in 2015 and they quickly became a firm favourite. As well as using them to shape and fill in my brows, I also use it underneath my lower lash line to add a subtle smokiness. There's a good colour selection available, my favourite is called Strike. You can see my full review here!

Seventeen Make Your Mark Eyeliner Pen

I feel naked without my liquid liner and so it's not surprising that I get through eye liner pens like crazy. I've chosen the Make Your Mark Liner from Seventeen as my favourite as it's really affordable, the nib is the perfect size and firmness to create the perfect flicks and because it lasts really well throughout the day.

Collection Eye Brow Kit

Another brow product here - I couldn't resist! This was a relatively recent find for me but I've used it daily since so I couldn't not include it in this post. It's a selection of 3 brow shadows and also the kit also includes a little brush applicator and mini brow gel. I really can't fault this product - it's affordable, the shadows are really pigmented (I also often use them as eyeshadows) and the gel keeps my bushy brows in place all day!

Stay tuned for Saturday's post where I'll be discussing my favourite lip products of 2015!

Let me know what your number 1 favourite eye product of 2015 was?

xxxx

It's a fact in the beauty community that Smashbox are world-renowned for their primers and I'm really excited today to be one of the first to review their brand new Photo Finish Primer Oil!

Facial oils are a big part of my skincare regime - I simply can't go a day without using them for their moisturising and perfecting benefits. Similarly, primer's are a must have to achieve perfect makeup application which lasts all day (especially for those with blemished, combination skin like mine).

The Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Oil is heaven in a bottle. It contains some great ingredients to help moisturise (including sweet almond oil, jojoba and sunflower seed oils) and also really helps to reduce the appearance of dry, fine lines which in turn creates the perfect canvas for makeup.

One of my favourite things about this is that you can use it both morning and night and one of it's greatest benefits is increased moisture in just 4 weeks.

You all know I suffer with blemished skin and so this Primer Oil has become a godsend. Because lots of skincare treatments for acne contain drying ingredients, the skin around my blemishes often become quite difficult to work with (makeup clings on to these dry patches and tends to flake off leaving me looking worse than I did without any makeup on). That's where this has become my go to. Dry skin is immediately moisturised, my skin looks radiant and my foundation glides on like a dream.

I should also mention this oil is light and absorbs really quickly so no need to worry about looking greasy. Just massage two drops onto clean skin and let sink in before applying makeup. It also works beautifully when using the Smashbox BB Water as a foundation so I'd recommend using them together!

I really recommend this product for those who are after a fresh faced, radiant look with the full power of a primer, but with the added luxury of a facial oil.

Smashbox say:
New! Photo Finish Primer Oil.
The power of a primer, the luxury of a face oil.

• Creates the perfect canvas for makeup

• Fast-absorbing, moisturising fusion of 15 lush oils

• Reduces dry, fine lines. Creates a dewy, youthful finish.

Score your free deluxe mini of the new Photo Finish Primer Oil exclusively at Boots! Mention "Prime Mode" at counter. Click here to find your nearest participating store: http://www.boots.com/en/Smashbox/Store-Locator/

Have you ever tried a Primer Oil?

Compensation was provided by Smashbox via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Smashbox.

I'm back with my favourite lip products from 2015! Read on to see what they are...

Barry M Lip Paint in #52

If I'm feeling fancy and want to wear something other than a nude, this is my go to. It's a bright orange lippie from the lipstick gods that are Barry M. It's quite drying so make sure you pop on lots of balm before hand, but I just like to pat this on my lips for a light flush of colour.

Sleek Makeup Lipstick in Barely There

If you've been reading my blog for a while then you will know this is my all time favourite lipstick in the world ever. I can't express how perfect it is - creamy, moisturising, pigmented, affordable and the most idyllic nude shade.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil in Naked

Pretty sure this was also in last year's favourites - it's just the perfect nude lip liner. The colour also matches perfectly with my Sleek Lipstick - winning.

Blistex

I've tried a lotta lip balms in my time and this has just got to be the best. Minty and really moisturizing, this is a handbag must have!

Illamasqua Lipstick in Flare

My Illamsqua Lipstick collection has really grown over the past year (you can see my Lipstick Lookbook here) and Flare has to be one of my favourites. It's a beautiful orange red which really compliments my pale skin.

I also want to give praise to a product I forgot to photograph in this post! The Kiko Lip Crayon in #1 (which you can see here) was definitely one of my favourite lippies from 2015. If you can pop into a store and try this then do - it's the most perfect pinky nude!

I'll be back tomorrow with my final 2015 Favourites post, featuring my favourite cheek products!

What was your favourite lippie from 2015?

xxxx

My final post in my 2015 Beauty Favs series! We're ending on a creamy, golden high with my favourite highlighters, contours and blushers from the year!

Kiko Dazzling Highlighter

Before I get on to saying why I love this - I want you to know it's currently on sale in Kiko stores so if there's one near you then definitely pop in and pick it up!

This is a little stick of highlighting goodness. It glides the most perfect golden shimmer on to the skin and the tube makes application really easy. Love this!

Illamasqua Gel Sculpt in Silhouette

When Illamasqua launched their Gel Sculpts at the beginning of the year they made quite a stir in the blogging world (you can read my full post on them here). I personally hadn't seen anything quite like them - a stick blush/contour but with a gel consistency. I fell in love with the perfect contour shade that Silhouette provides and always use Alex Box's method of applying this by rubbing the stick on the fatty bit of palm under your thumb and then press into your cheekbones - a perfect fit!

Becca Highlight/Lowlight Palette

I only recently discovered this palette and don't know how I went so long without it! The contour shade looks quite intimidating but it's honestly the perfect contour for my pale complexion. It's love!

Nars Highlighter in Albatross

I bought this on my birthday in the summer and love it for it's gentle golden shimmer that looks beautiful on all skin tones.

Kiko Velvet Touch Creamy Stick Blush in #08

I've really developed a thing for stick cheek products, haven't I! I mainly love this blusher for the shade - it's a gorgeous dusky tea rose is what I would describe it as. The consistency of this cream blush is lovely - I tend to swirl it around on my blush brush and gently buff into the apples of my cheeks for a natural flush of colour.

There we have it! A week of my entire 2015 Favourite Beauty Products. I really hope you've enjoyed this mini-series and if you would like full reviews of anything mentioned, just leave me a comment or send me a tweet and I'll get on it!

Do you have a favourite blush/contour/highlight of the year?

xxx

REVIEW: Olympus Pen E-PL7

REVIEW & SWATCHES: 5 CONCEALERS FOR PALE SKIN

GET THE LOOK: SMASHBOX ART.LOVE.COLOUR

KIKO Autumn Collection

FASHION: Monochrome with Sure!

BODY CONFIDENCE: Photoshoot

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE #1: For the Beauty Obsessed!

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE #2: For those who like to pamper!

FASHION: Christmas Party Lookbook!

Last Minute Christmas Gift Guide!

REVIEW: Bobbi Brown Christmas 2015

Healthy Lifestyle Changes

2015 Round Up & New Years Resolutions!

2015 FAVOURITES: Skin Care!

2015 FAVOURITES: Foundations & Concealers!

2015 FAVOURITES: Hair Care!

2015 FAVOURITES: Eye Products!

REVIEW: Smashbox Primer Oil for Radiant Skin

2015 FAVOURITES: Lipsticks!

2015 FAVOURITES: Blush & Contours!