Treat Yourself to a Yummy Snack

Whether you're craving something sweet or something savoury, I've got you covered with this post. Sometimes I want something a little more than a carrot stick or chocolate bar, but it isn't time for a proper meal (though the bagel is a very good lunch) and these are the two simple recipes I go for every time. 

Bagel Pizzas 

There is no recipe for this, it's just a great way to use whatever you like and have. I chose to keep it simple and use a tomato paste base with some ham and cheese on top. First you toast the bagels until they're lightly toasted and then you put on the toppings. Finish it off by putting it under the grill for a couple of minutes until the cheese is all melted and yummy. Simple! 

Brownie in a Mug 

To make this quick sweet treat that is especially good when you don't have any baked goods in the house, you simply mix all of the above ingredients together in a mug. Microwave for a minute if you want it slightly molten or 75 seconds if you want it fully cooked (these times depend on your microwave, of course). Simple! 

These are two great ways to treat yourself to something delicious without having to put in a massive amount of effort or leave the house. Yummy things are even better when they don't cost you any money. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

Treat Yourself to a Lay In

As much as we all love sleeping in until the last possible moment, that often leads to a lot of stress when trying to get ready in a hurry. There are few things I do, and products I use, that cut down my preparation time immensely. 

Drink Water 
I've heard that one of the reasons we wake up feeling groggy and tired after a good nights sleep is dehydration. That really makes perfect sense because we haven't drank anything in up to 12 hours. A good habit to get into is to drink a glass of water when you first wake up in the morning, that way you can try and combat that feeling as quickly as possible. This is also a great way to start your hydration for the day because we all know that we need to stay nice and hydrated. 

In Shower Moisturiser 
If you have dry skin like me, you will probably feel the need to moisturise even if you don't really have time. In shower moisturisers make it quick and easy, plus they leave you feeling a bit more luxurious and put together than if you just jump in and out of the shower in the morning. The one that I have been using recently is the Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion but Lush also apparently makes a great one. 

Dry Shampoo 
No one has time to wash their hair if they're in a hurry and that is the whole point behind dry shampoo. A few sprays of this massaged into the roots of your hair can get rid of any greasyness and give you some volume. If I'm in a real rush I will just spritz my Batiste Dry Shampoo into a few parts of my hair and make sure it is evenly distributed by running my fingers through. Then I will just flip my head over, gather up all of my hair and shove it into a ponytail. Sometimes I don't even brush it and still manage to look put together. 

Use Your Fingers For Makeup 
Ain't nobody got time for thousands of brushes when they need to be out the door. Foundation, concealer and pretty much everything else can be applied with your fingers if need be. Keep the makeup simple and don't bother with anything that will be too time consuming. I find the easiest way to do this is to pick one thing that is most important and spend the time getting that one area right. Be it your eyebrows or your blush, having that one part of your face up to your usual standards will leave you feeling better. I guarantee that most people wont even notice whether or not you have bronzer on. 

Use Only One Eyeshadow 
The Maybelline Color Tatoo in Bad to the Bronze is perfect for this because you can apply it all over the lid with your fingers and be done. The slight bit of shimmer and the bronze colour add a natural shadow so that you don't have to worry about blending any other colours into the crease. This follows on from the last rule and they could be combined together to simply say KEEP IT SIMPLE AND QUICK. 

I hope these tips come in handy next time you decide to treat yourself to a lay in and press the snooze button five or six times. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

Treat Yourself to a Great Pair of Shoes

I thought I would start off my Treat Yourself week with a bit of a fashion post. Sometimes we all need to treat ourselves to a really special piece, something that will make us feel fantastic every time we even glance at it. For this post I chose a stunning pair of Sophia Webster shoes, the Lilico Flower-Embellished Leather Sandals to be exact. Though they're extremely out there, I'm here to prove that the almost $900 you would spend on these would be worth it. Here are four outfits for any time of the year that feature a great pair of shoes: 

WINTER CASUAL 

ASOS Round Sunglasses | SHOES | Topshop Fisherman Crop Jumper | Butter London Union Jack Nail Laquer | ASOS Bag with Chain Loop Detail | MOTO Blue Wash Leigh Jeans | 

WINTER FANCY 

New Look Strappy Cut Out Jumpsuit | SHOES | Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Audacious | Butter London Toff Nail Laquer | Topshop Premium Belted Leather Biker Jacket | 

SUMMER CASUAL 

Topshop Skinny Rib Crop Tee | Forever New Mini Lottie Backpack | Vans Semi Rimless Cateye Sunglasses in Orange | Topshop MOTO Bleach Hallie Hotpants | SHOES | Essie First Timer |  

SUMMER FANCY 

Corrina Crepe Cropped Boxy Blouse and Midi Skirt | Butter London Jaffa Nail Laquer | Katia Diagonal Clutch in White | SHOES | By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Frozen Quartz | 

This is a great way to convince yourself that you WILL wear those shoes you've been eyeing, in fact you can wear them on an everyday basis! You'll just have to buy outfits to match... 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

Wise Words #3

Something simple and beautiful for every person to remember. Always think of yourself this way, because it is true. Every single person who reads this is kind, smart, important and has many other great qualities as well. 

Don't forget to remind other people of this quote as well. As people we tend to forget these things about ourselves. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon

Skincare Revisited

A couple of months back I wrote a post about my Clinique skincare system and I instantly regretted doing so. I was obviously in a bad mood that day (I remember writing it while stressing out about the amount of schoolwork I had to complete that evening) and wrote a terribly unfair post that bashed the products and called them useless. I have been thinking about doing this post for a while now and I have finally got a clear idea of each product so that I can give a fair and far more reasonable review. 

Clinique Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser 
This product is a fantastic makeup remover and the first of my four steps. I use this at night to take up my makeup by splashing my face with water and massaging a 5 cent coin amount of product all over my face. I have quite sensitive eyes and even water makes them sting (the idea of opening my eyes under water terrifies me) but this product does not make it any worse. I am quite comfortable massaging this into my eyelashes to get off mascara and it doesn't cause me any pain. When I rinse this off, all of my makeup is gone and my face is squeaky clean. The only problem I see with this is the packaging as the product often gets caught up and a bit gross around the cap because it is stored upside down. 

Clinique Liquid Facial Soap in Mild 
After I have cleaned my makeup off, I like to go in with a second cleanser to actually clean my skin. This is the beginning of the classic Clinique three step system. This soap I use day and night - I have a bit decanted in a smaller bottle so that I can use it in the shower in the morning. This gives my skin the good clean it needs after a long day and leaves it feeling nice and soft. If you don't use a moisturiser after this it may leave your skin feeling a bit tight but that's easily avoidable. This one is running out a lot faster than the other steps, but that's probably my fault because they say to use barely any product but I need to feel like I'm doing something. 

Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2 
This is the product where I can't tell if it works or not. It is a lightly exfoliating toner that I presume does it's job. I have quite dry skin but no real dry patches, so I assume it works. I only use it in conjunction with the other products so I can't speak for how well it works on it's own, but as a part of the group it's doing fine. My only issue is another packaging one. I'm always so paranoid that I will drop/ knock over the bottle and I will lose all of the expensive liquid. It's just like a bottle of lemonade that can pour out really easily, which is not the safest for a product as liquidy as this. 

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel 
This is my favourite of the products as it is the perfect light moisturiser for day and night. Once you rub it into your face, it leaves it feeling moisturised but in no way sticky or thick. I think this can be attributed to the fact that it is a gel and is absorbed by the skin really quickly. 

When I wrote the first post I talked about how the products were expensive and I didn't think they did anything for the price. I can now tell you that I was wrong. I expected using high end skincare to stop me from ever getting any pimples and to get rid of my constantly red nose, which is unrealistic and basically impossible. Sure I have been having bad skin for the past few weeks, I can't blame that on my skincare because it's not blemish control! If I were using the anti-blemish range from Clinique it may be a different story. All in all, I really do love these products and am likely to use them again. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon 

Brush Love

The other day I ordered the rose gold set of Zoeva brushes online and it caused me to think about the huge amount of love that I have for my current brushes. So far my core collection has been Real Techniques. Before I give you my (hint: glowing) review, I thought I'd give you a couple of photos of my brush washing materials. 

Now onto the brushes... they're highly acclaimed, soft, pretty and affordable. Everything I was looking for. I manage to find a use for each of these brushes, bar the foundation paintbrush which sits there unused, and they all work incredibly well in whatever way I choose to use them. I use the buffing brush for foundation daily, the deluxe crease brush for blending in concealer and the contour brush for powdering around my nose and under my eyes. I invested in these brushes because they're a lot cheaper than MAC or any of the other high end brushes. From what I have seen, these are just as good quality at a fraction of the price. Perfect for any makeup novice like myself. 

Washing these is also pretty easy. I need to put a lot more effort into washing my buffing brush and concealer brush to get all of the product out, which takes a bit more time and a bit more brush washing soap. But all of the others are super easy to wash, just a swizzle in the soap and then wash them out in the water. 

All in all, I would definitely recommend these brushes to anyone who new to makeup or looking for a new brand to try. 

Lots of Love, 

Shannon