How mad is it, that I've had this little blog of mine for over 3 years now! On Monday 27th my blog turned 3 which has just gone so quickly I can't believe we're already at 3 years! So, I thought I'd do a post talking you through my experience with blogging in the past 3 years and give you guys the opportunity to ask me some questions about my journey!

My experience with brands

In my 3 years blogging I've been lucky to work with some amazing brandsand can whole-heartedly say I've enjoyed working with every single one of them. I've heard lots of horror stories about working with smaller brands but all the brands I've worked with have been lovely! A question I get asked quite often is how to approach brands or if it's better for them to apporoach you? On the either or situation, I'd say whatever suits you best, a lot of my products have come from brands approaching me but I have approached brands a few times in the past. I find when approaching brands just be as straightforward as possible but not over-confident, at the end of the day, what's the worst thing that can happen?!

Figures

Something I have had my ups and downs with over the past three years has been follower and viewing figures. In the blogging community you're always told not to worry about figures or care about them but the true is, it's hard not to care. When you've spent a couple of hours on a post and you're really happy with it, you hope it's going to do well, and then if it doesn't it is really disheartening! My viewing have never really been constant, and I have really good days and then really bad days (I still do!) but you get to the point when you just accept that you're not going to be getting hundreds of views everyday! It's also really hard to not compare your figures to other bloggers, some people join Instagram and get 200 followers in their first week, but for others it takes months to get to that point! My Instagram has always been a slow grower as I often get a lot of unfollows but you just have to accept that not everyone's going to like your content.

Trends

Linking on from the idea of not everyone liking your content, trends have started to take up a huge place in the blogosphere and I am not here for it. Some many of us now a days are changing our niche and blog design left right and centre to try and keep up with trends and to be completely honest I'm not quite sure why. I used to be one of those people who felt they had to be on top of every single blogging trend but now I'm passed the point of trying to please everyone by touching on about 10 different trends at the same time. I think it's just so important to know your niche and stand by it, at one point I think I called myself a beauty, lifestyle, baking and fashion blogger! How ridiculous as that?! I'm now just sticking with beauty and lifestyle blogger or even just beauty blogger and I can 100% say that focusing on one or two areas that your really passionate about will improve your views so much as it's that passion is hugely reflecting in your content and that's what people want to see!

The blogging community

The blogosphere has changed very dramatically since I first joined. when I first started my blog back in 2015, everyone was super friendly and helped each other out all the time! But over those 3 years, it's become more and more viscious with a lot of bloggers not liking each others Instagram posts or not reading the others blog post because they want the most likes or the most blog views! I'm by no means saying this is everyone in the blogging community as I've met (and still continue to meet!) some amazing bloggers along the way that have been nothing but supportive. Some influencers now have even resorted to buying followers or likes so they get higher the Instagram feed, it's one of the few things that I really hate about the blogosphere as it does mean that they get more opportunities in the community, which at the end of the day really isn't fair on the rest of us who've worked hard to get to where we are in the blogging community.

Q and A

So, I've picked out a couple of my favourite questions:

What was your favourite collaboration? (with a brand or another blogger)

My favourite collaboration with another has to be the post I did with Marti and El on the Dove beauty campaign! It's a super old post, and it's not my finest work, but the message behind it is one that I think I still really important in our community and one that needs to be shared more and more!
With a brand, I absolutely loved working with Bakerdays on the royal wedding post as it's probably the most unusual post I've done and they were just such a lovely brand to work with! I also loved working with Formula 10.0.6 as they were the first bigger brand that I worked with and it just felt so surreal!

What made you want to blog?

When I was younger I was always a huge fan of story writing and I still have all of my old stories sat in a drawer somewhere as they're just too funny! I think my blog was a way of putting that creativity into something as I stopped writing stories as I got older, and I saw what amazing things other bloggers were doing and I wanted to give it a go!

What's your favourite kind of post to write?

I'm a true beauty blogger at heart and I adore writing all my beauty posts but I don't think I can pick a favourite - I love favourites because I get to show you guys what I'm obsessed with but then I also love reviews, because I love going into the depths of the product, but then I also love get the look posts because I love breaking down someone's look and trying to make it a different way!

Did you learn anything from having a blog?

I have learnt so much over the past 3 years I don't even know where to start! One of the major things I've learnt has already been touched on in this post. I've learnt not to post what people want to see in order to get views or followers, I've learnt to post what I want to because I enjoy blogging and I'm not doing it to try and please everyone! And as blogger, I think that's one of the few very important things you need to learn!

So, thank you so much for reading, and I'll see you again next week with another new post!

Lou Loves x

As I've been back from New York for a couple of weeks now, I thought it was about time to give a run down of the beauty pits that I picked up whilst over there. I've split it into two, with 2 brands in each post (glossier and Sephora, and then Ulta and Bath and Body Works)!


Glossier was one of he places I was desperate to visit and it was as incredible as I thought it would be! The showroom was complete Instagram heaven (see me instagram for the pictures) and I couldn't not pick up some of their cult products!


The first thing I picked up were the lidstars, these are fairly new to Glossier so I was super excited to pick a couple up! They were on 2 for $30 (I think!) so I picked up the shades moon (a gorgeous creamy champagne shimmer with blue reflects!) and cub (a beautiful copper shade that's been majorly hyped about on here). I haven't given these a go yet, so I'll be sure to report back when I have, but I knew I just had to include them as the packaging is just so cute!!


The next thing I picked was one of their two masks - I went for the hydrating moon mask but they also did a detoxifying one as well, so they're really covering a wide range of skin issues in just two masks! I'm super excited to try this one as I've heard such great things about how it sorts out dry skin!



I couldn't g to Glossier and not pick up this could I! The milky jelly cleanser is probably the mots hyped about Glossier product ever! I actually went for the bigger size because why wouldn't you! The smaller 2 oz. size was $9 and the bigger 6 oz. size was $18, so you're getting triple the product at only half the price!


Another of the internet's favourite is their cloudpaint! This is their liquid blusher and I was so tentative when I was picking the shade out as sometime blush shades don't quite sit right with my skintone but then  found the shade beam and I absolutely loved this! I've used it a few times so far just dabbing some on my cheeks and then blending it out with either my fingertips or a really dense brush and it just gives a really nice peachy glow to the skin - it works really nicely on very pale skin!

  The final product I picked up was the coconut balm dotcom! everyone always say how good the balm dotcom are so I had to get one. I ended up going for coconut in the end, over the one that I originally wanted - the birthday edition one - as I found that they had a very similar scent but the shade of this one was just so much nicer, so be sure to keep that in mind if you're ordering online!




So, the first thing I picked up was the purple clay mask which moisturises and smooths! They did 5 different colours I think and they all did pretty different things but this was the one I thought would do the most for my skin! This was only $8 and says it has 4 uses in, so I'm super excited to use this and see what it's like!
 Now, this product has quickly become a favourite product of mine! It's the fenty beauty match stix which is a matte facestick that is kind of a blend between foundation and concealer, but it sits really nice on the skin - it's very much a barely there finish but the coverage is insane! The shade range is also incredible and I actually managed to find a shade too pale, and that never happens, so I ended up with this shade porcelain which I think is the second palest!

Another product I got was the fresh lip treatment in petal. I am absolutely loving this so far! It's the perfect mix between a lip balm and lipstick! It sits really nicely on the lips and feels so nice and moisturising, but the colour is also so buildable! You can juts dab a bit on for a wash of colour or you could use a lip brush to create a more high-impact look!


I also managed to pick up the It Cosmetics your skin but better CC+ cream which everyone seems to be loving at the moment! I've tried this only once or twice so far but I really like the finish, eventhough it sits quite heavy on the skin to begin with, once fully blended it's a lovely airbrushed finish, without making it too obvious! Also, I found that blending on a freshly moisturised face really helped the skin look smoother and make the product cling to drier areas less!


Then I picked up 2 of the Sephora collection solo eyeshadows! I haven't tried these yet but I'll give you a quick run down of what I can remember from the swatches in store! he first shade - blonde ambition - is a gorgeous shimmery champagne that can be built up to a gorgeous pale gold shade, whilst the second shade - antique copper - is so much more pigmented and high impact, and the shade itself is (as the name suggests) a true copper shade that has slight burnt orange undertones which I think will look gorgeous in warm-toned looks throughout autumn!


Then the final thing I picked up was the Sephora colour switch eyeshadow brush quick cleanser. This is essentially a sponge that you swirl your brush around on in between shades and it gets rid of the previous shade! This is such a good idea as I often need the same brush for different shades within the look, so I'm super excited to try this out!

So, that was a slioghtly longer post than normal, but I hoped you all enjoyed it and be sure to look out for the second instalment in a few weeks time!

Lou Loves x

Glossier website - www.glossier.com
Sephora website - www.sephora.com (you can now only order from the Europe store to the UK so not all products will be available!)

As you'll all know if you've been following my Instagram, at the start of August I went to New York so today I thought I'd pick out a few of my favourite photos to share with you!







Let me know which was your favourite photo in the comments! Thank you so much for reading this post and i'll see you next week!

Lou Loves x

I was always a powder highlight only kinda gal, until this year. I never really understood the difference in what they did and powder highlight was just so much easier to use.


I always used this NYX beauty - shade 04, ritualistic - as it's such a gorgeous icy glow, but it's still warm enough to use in winter and it doesn't look too cool toned with slightly warmer toned make-up. Eventhough this is a very creamy formula, I always find that sometimes adding another powder into the mix can make your make-up look a little cakey and heavy. Don't get me wrong, the look that this one gives is gorgeous and it's my favourite powder highlight, but sometimes the finish just isn't quite right.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, the lovely guys over at MUA sent me two shades of their light lustre liquid highlight - sublime (on the right) and marvel (on the left). Both have a gorgeous pearl finish and give that glow without making you look like a completely glitterball. Out of the two, sublime has to be my favourite as I tend to find that if you put too much of 'marvel' on, it can look a little too dark for my skin, but would be such a gorgeous natural glow for you darker skinned gals. Sublime is fairly similar to the shade of Benefit's highbeam, so this would be a fab alternative if you're not quite ready to take the plunge and go high-end first time.


Now, I'm a complete liquid highlight convert, because as much as I love my powder highlight, and as much as they're easy to use, I just find that liquid highlight gives you a much more natural and glowy look, rather than a blinding sparkle highlight. So, I guess that whichever you use depends on the look you're going for!
Also, I'd definitely say if you were going to trey either first, go for a powder, as it is much easier to blend and apply, as with the liquid highlight you have to blend straight away or it starts to sink into the skin and you can struggle to blend it! (not a fault with this exact highlight, but is a problem with most other liquid highlights)

So, thank you so much for reading, and let me know if you prefer liquid or powder highlight in the comments below,

Lou Loves x

*This post contains sponsored/gifted content, but all opinions are my own*

Last week, the lovely Amelia from It's mee nominated me for the sunshine blogger award! So, thank you so much Amelia... and here's how it's gonna go..

The rules:

 

3. What is your typical Starbucks order?

I'm pretty basic when it comes to my Starbucks order because I love fraps and my favourite is 100% the caramel one, but I'm super excited to try the different flavours that they have in New York which we don't have here!

 

4. Do you watch Love Island? If so, who are your favourites?

I've only just started watching it! But Jack and Dani are obviously my favourite! I just feel like they're so genuine unlike some of the others. I also love Caz and Josh though do I don't really mind which couple win!

 

5. What is/was your favourite subject at school and why?

My blog actually inspired me to chose media as one of my GCSE options and I don't regret it at all! I just love learning how things are constructed for the audience and how we react to them - it's genuinely so fascinating!

 

6. If you could become a child again and take up a hobby what would it be?

I'd love to be able to play the piano , it just sounds so beautiful and it's such an incredible thing to be able to do!

 

7. Something that you regret?

Probably not sticking with my hobbies from when  I was younger, because as much as I lov blogging, I kinda wish there was something I'd carried through from when I was younger, if that makes sense?

 

8. What is your favourite blog post you have ever written and why?

I find the majority of my old posts really cringey and awful, but one that I don't hate quite as much was one on the Dove beauty campaign a few years ago. Even though I don't particularly like the style I did it in, I still really like the message that I put behind it! Click here to read it.

 

9. What's the dumbest way you've been injured?

This is so hard! I feel like I've never been injured in a dumb way but i'm just really clumsy so I fall over things a lot and walk into things so I guess that kinda counts but I've never really done something and been like - that was so dumb!

 

10. What movie/book character do you most relate to?

I don't think there's ever been one character that I completely relate to as most films or books are based on such foreign or unrealistic concepts but I definitely have favourite characters - like Bridget from Bridget Jones.

 

11. Where do you want your blog to be this time next year?

I love sharing my wishlists with you guys and I feel like I haven't done one for a loooong time. So, today, I'm sharing with you the items I'm dying to pick up over thesummer.


First, is the Tarte x Aspyn Ovard palette. This peye and cheek palette looks gorgeous on any skin tone and the packaging is to so pretty! I've been putting off getting this until I go to New York this summer so I don't have to pay customs and I'm so exciting about picking this one up while I'm there!

Another product I've been dying to try is the Barry M gloss in sugar. I've been on the hunt for a nude gloss for a while and this one is perfect - it's an orange-brown toned nude with pink undertones! It's really subtle but looks really nice on!


Next up, is this gorgeous linen dress from Topshop. I spotted this on Hannah's HG Ten the other week and fell in love! It so versatile because it can be dressed up or down, so is absolutely perfect for this time of year!


Finally, we have a skincare product that I have been dying to try all year! It's the Glossier milky jelly cleanser. This stuff is consatantly hyped about on the internet, with every who tried it loving it, so I can't wait to pick this up from the Glossier showroom in New York!

So, that's all for today! Let me know your summer wishlist in the comments! See you all next week.

Lou Loves x

*No photos are my own and were all found on www.google.com*

I'm such a sucker for a Pinterest board, so of course I was going to make a summer one! To start with, if added a few pins to get started, I'll be sharing my favourites with you today, and then over summer I'll be adding a few more every week, so make sure you follow my Pinterest to stay updated!

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/louloves01/summer/

First off is the much hyped about high beam highlighter. I held off giving this a go, because I never really got the appeal with liquid highlighters. But, as soon as I tried this, I realised why everyone loves it so much; it's such a dewy and delicate finish but can definitely be built up for a blinding highlight. I really love the shade of this as well, it's got that gorgeous pink undertone which makes it that little bit different than your usual icy glow.

I love to blend this in with my finger. I dot it along my cheekbones and brow bone, and then just pat it in with my ring finger for a more natural look, but you could definitely use a quite dense brush (maybe a concealer brush?) to build up the shade. This works perfectly on pale skin, but because of the shade, I'm not sure how well it would work on darker skintones.


Next up, is my brow holy grail - goof proof brow pencil. I'm completely obsessed with this brow pencil - it's super easy to use but makes your brows look good and more importantly stay put! It has two tips to use; the pointed end is designed for mapping out the brow shape and defining, whilst the wide tip is used for filling in! I have shade 3, which I think is the only shade they do in a mini, but they have 6 shades for the full-size product, and which come with a built in spoolie which is super helpful for travelling!


Finally, is my all time favourite - Rockateur. I'm obsessed with this product just because it's so versatile! Obviously, I love to use this as a blush, but it's also gorgeous as an eyeshadow, and I also use this as a bronzer, because of the gorgeous bronze shimmer running throughout it! This might be my all time favourite Benefit product, because it feels so lovely and light on the skin. It's also a really nice blush shade; it's such a perfect delicate blush shade, but you could definitely build it up for a more dramatic, evening look!

Thanks so much for reading, and let me know your favourite Benefit product in the comments!

Lou Loves x

All products can be found on www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk

I often struggle to understand make up trends - like halo brows, what's even the point?! - but this current fresh, minimal make up trend is definitely one I can get on board with! I've just about got my look down, so I thought it was about time that I shared my look with you!


First off to prime my face, I mix the L'Oreal hydra genius moisturiser with their luminising  primer shot. This really makes sure the primer settles into the skin nicely and isn't sat on top of the skin which is often what makes make up look cakey! I then use about half a pump of the true match foundation and just distribute it lightly all over my face - you could also use a BB or CC cream instead, I've heard the it cosmetics CC cream is fab for a nice light coverage! I just blend this in with the Spectrum B01 brush and then just bounce off the excess with my beautyblender!


   

I then just lightly dust the rimmel stay matte powder to make my makeup last longer! To give my skin a bit of life back, I use Benefit's rockateur as a contour! This blush is perfect for a natural look as it has the coppery tones but still that main blush shade as well! To top it off I add some of the NYX highlighter in the shade 4.


I then lightly run the benefit goof proof brow pencil (shade 3) through my brows to create a light and fluffy brow look and use L'Oreal baby roll on my lashes to add loads of length but still not making them look heavy or un-natural! At this point, I also sometimes add a nude lip shade (ususaly Tanya Burr pink cocoa) but the look still really works without it!

And that's it! Less than ten products and takes me 15 minutes, max! So, I hope you all enjoyed this post and I'll see you next week!

Lou Loves x