Apps I have been loving!

So when I first got my iphone I really didn't think I was going to be an app person. I wanted my phone to be very simple and only be used for the normal uses of a phone. Things changed though because I began to hear all about these cool different apps which I wanted to try out and have become obsessed with so today I am going to share with you guys what they are are what they all do.

Sleep Cycle:

My cousin told me about this app recently and I have had so much fun with it! Its so interesting because you can track your sleeping pattern and find out the reasons you may or may not be sleeping your best. Basically how it works is you put it on your bed (not next to your head because that is bad for you) and once you have pressed start it will begin to track your sleep by sensing the movement in your sleep. I was quite sceptical at first but soon realised how accurate it actually is! Another cool thing about this app is you can set an alarm which you select a certain time period you want to be woken up in. You pick a certain period for it to wake you up because it tries to wake you up in your lightest sleep so you wake up feeling better. I also must add that the alarm sounds are really lovely sounds to wake up to, my favourite is warm breeze. You can also write notes on your day before you go to sleep such as I had a tea before I went to sleep or I did exercise so you can track the reasons you are or aren't sleeping well.

Vhoto:

I recently discovered this app and it is so cool because basically what you do is you film a video in Vhoto and then it cuts the video in the lots of pictures. It is great because it is a quick way of taking a photo and it helps you look a lot more natural since you don't have to pose. Its lots of fun and captures those moments that you can't normally do. 

Track my Spend:

I found out about this app at tafe when a guest speaker was talking to us about saving money. If you ever wonder where your money is going this is the app for you because you can keep track of what you are spending your money on. It also makes you second guess what you are wanting to buy and if you really need it because you are documenting it down. All you have to do is type in your expense name, cost and it will add it up all for you. 

Feature Points:

This app is really cool and if you have spare time on your hands and want to be earning a little extra cash it is great. Basically how it works is the app promotes lots of other apps which you have to download, play for a minute and then you get rewarded with points with you can then exchange for a reward or money. It is 3000 points to claim $5 and it may not seem like much but when you keep playing in your spare time it adds up. Its also a good way to find out about new apps too!

The Hunt:

I'm sure a lot of you guys will have heard about this app because it has become very popular lately. If you haven't heard of it before what it is is a platform which you can upload something you are searching for such as an outfit and the community of people who use this app will help you find that exact outfit/item or something similar. It can be anything from an outfit you saw on tumblr to wanting to find a decoration to put on your wall because it is plain. I personally have just been enjoying looking at what other people have found and the hashtags because it gives me inspiration and ideas of where to buy my clothes from. 

Runkeeper:

Lately I have been going for runs every Saturday with my dad and we run 5km. This app has been very useful because it tracks your distance, time and route. It also reminds you to go for a run if you haven't in a while so is a good motivator. You can also play your music playlist through it which is also great!

Bloglovin:

The last app I really have been loving is Bloglovin which is platform that you can create your own account and link your own blog to. It is a good way of promoting your blog and discovering other blogs. Its also cool because you can search up the type of category of blog you are looking for and it will show you blogs with that theme. I highly recommend this app to all you bloggers :)

Thats it for my favourite apps at the moment but let me know if you have any suggestions on apps I should try or what you have been loving. Hope you enjoyed!

Ella x

How I clean my makeup brushes

Hey guys,
Today I decided to share with you how I clean my makeup brushes and give you some tips that will help you out and will benefit your brushes.
Before you wash your brushes you need to decide what you are going to wash them with. You can either use a product which has been made specifically for brush washing or you could use soap/shampoo which is very gentle and has ingredients which won't irritate your skin. This is very important because you don't want to aggravate your skin which may cause you to breakout. Some examples of products you can use to wash your brushes are extra virgin olive oil (will soften brushes but all remainders of oil must be rinsed out), dove soap, johnsons baby shampoo, palmolive and mac brush cleaner. I used tresemme today which isn't the most natural product but it was what I had and did the job just as well.
Now that you have everything ready you should fill your sink or bowl with warm water then squeeze a pea size of brush cleaner onto your hand and gently swirl your brush around in your palm. You will notice that lots of product is coming out of the brush onto your hand. When your hand gets too dirty rinse it and brush then proceed until your brush is clean.
Once each brush has been cleaned squeeze the water out with your towel and then either lie them down or lean them up against something with the brush hairs facing downwards. It is important to do this otherwise the water will seep down into the brushes which will affect the glue. If you are going to lay your brushes down horizontally it is a good idea to have the head of the brushes hanging over the edge so the air can dry all the way through quicker.

Tips:

• Buy a spot cleaner if you aren't going to be cleaning your brushes weekly. This will prevent bacteria from growing in your brushes which protects your skin from breakouts. 
• Always rinse your brushes with the head pointing down because if you wash them the other way water will get into the glue which will ruin your brushes.
• Don't rinse the whole brush just the head because again it will affect the glue. 
• Brushes made out of Synthetic hair hold its shape better eg. Real techniques brushes.
• Using Olive oil will make your brushes feel softer.
• A good way to keep your brushes shape is to use brush guards. They are like mesh which fit around your brushes.
• Don't blow dry your brushes just let them air dry.

I hope this helped someone out :) Let me know if you guys have any other tips for when washing makeup brushes because I would love to know.

Ella x

Contouring and Highlighting for beginners

Hey guys,

Have you ever wanted to learn how to enhance your features and create your desired face shape but not known how? Well today I thought I would share with you how I contour and highlight my face to give the illusion of a perfect shape and give me a healthy glow. Since I am naturally quite fair contouring is a perfect way to give my face that bit more colour and still have my natural skin tone showing though in some places.

So the first thing you should know before contouring is what your face shape is. There are seven different kinds of shapes which are oval, round, square, rectangular/oblong, heart, diamond and pear. The "ideal" face shape is oval so therefore when we are contouring the face we shade specific areas around the face to create an illusion of an oval shape. Each face shape has to shade and highlight different areas. I will explain in the following where you should shade and highlight on each shaped face.

Oval Face:

They have dominant cheekbones and has a narrow oval chin and forehead. They should apply bronzer on the hollows of their cheekbone and apply highlighter above it directly on the bone. 

Round Face:

They are almost as wide as they are long and their cheeks are the widest part of their face. To slim the face and make the features stand out more apply bronzer in a sideways V in the hollows of the cheekbone. As for highlighter you should apply this to your cheeks, on the chin and on the centre of the forehead.

Square Face:

They have a squared forehead which is about the same width as cheekbones and jawline. The square jaw is the most dominant feature. Apply bronzer below cheekbones from the centre of the eye towards the temple. Then apply a small amount on the forehead and chin the soften the look. With the highlighter just apply directly to cheekbones.

Rectangular/Oblong Face:

They are a rectangular shape and the forehead, cheekbones and jawline all have the same width. Apply bronzer to temple, under the cheekbone and on the chin. Then apply highlighter to the cheekbones and about a centimeter away from the outer corner of the eye.

Heart Face:

They have a wide forehead, high cheekbones and a narrow chin. Apply bronzer in a sideways V on cheekbones. To minimise the pointed chin, apply a small amount of bronzer.

Diamond Face:

They have a narrow forehead, are wider at the cheekbones and the narrow back down at the chin. Bronzer should be applied on the cheekbone in a sideways V. You can also apply some shading above the temples.

Pear Face:

They have a narrow forehead, move slightly in at temples and then goes outwards. Its widest point is at the jawline. Bronzer should be applied under the cheekbones and blended towards the jawline. Highlighter should then the applied to the cheekbones. 

Bronzer and highlighter can be used for other features on your face to make them your ideal preference. Some examples of ways this is used is:

- Broad forehead - Too much width (shade the temples) or too much height (shade hairline or middle of forehead)

- Small forehead - Use one shade lighter of foundation for your forehead

- Broad nose - Shade sides of nose

- Short nose - Highlight centre on nose down the bone

- Long nose - Apply bronzer to tip of the nose and add parallel lines of bronzer on each side 

- Bulbous- ended nose - Apply bronzer around base of nose

- Double chin - Shade underneath chin or use darker foundation

- Long thin neck - Use lighter foundation on neck

*One tip would be is to use a matte bronzer because this will made it look a lot more natural and more like a shadow.
* Products I used for contouring and highlighting in the pictures below. Benefit High Beam and Rimmel Natural Bronzer.

Hope you enjoyed this and it helped out someone :) What face shape are you? Let me know how you go.
Ella x

What skin care products are ideal for you!

Hey everyone,

So something you don't know about me is that I am very interested in skin care. I have done lots of research and in the past I have spent a lot of my time with trying to find answers to my skin problems. This has helped me gain a lot of knowledge and through trial and error and I have now come to know the products that work for me and the ones that don't. Some other facts about me are that I got to tafe (which is like college) and study beauty, skincare and makeup retail which has broadened my understanding of skin care so much more. The other bit of information about me that relates to the topic is that I recently got a job at my local pharmacy and I spent a good amount of time talking to one of the cosmeticians about skincare which was so informative. I could make a whole other post about the history of my skin and what I am currently using but this post is about finding your skin type and what products are best for you. So here it goes :)

First of all something everyone one should know and keep in mind is that there are more than one skin type. Everyones skin is different and that means their skin will each react differently. Just because one person you know has had success with a certain product doesn't mean you necessarily will. The trick to overcoming this is to first find out what skin type you have and then start looking for products which have good reviews from people with your skin type. You might be wondering how do I find out what skin type? The following I have put together to help you discover your skin type and what products are best suited for you. 

Oily Skin: People with oily skin have enlarged pores, have a shine to their skin, are prone to breakouts, blackheads and feel greasy. 

Types of products: 

• Cleanser - Foaming or milk ~ eg. Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser 
• Toner - With astringent (not if sensitive) ~ eg. Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Toner
• Moisturiser - Mattifying and oil free ~ eg. Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturiser

Dry Skin: People with dry skin tend to have tight and flaky skin especially after washing their face and they don't tend to develop much oil at all. 

Types of products:

• Cleanser - cream ~ eg. QV Intensive Moisturising Cleanser 
• Toner - No astringent (rosewater) ~ eg. Sukin Hydrating Mist Toner 
• Moisturiser - cream ~ eg. Natio Evening Primrose Moisturising Face Lotion

Normal Skin: People whose skin isn't dry, oily or have any obvious pores. They have rare breakouts and their skin is easy to handle.

Types of products:

• Cleanser - Anything really (milk, cream or foam) ~ eg. Natio Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser
• Toner - No astringent (rosewater) ~ eg. Nivea Visage Pure & Natural Cleansing Toner
• Moisturiser - Lotion or cream ~ eg. Cetaphil DailyAdvance Ultra Hydrating Lotion

Sensitive Skin: Easily irritated, goes red, gives you a rash, is itchy and skin reacts badly easily.

Types of products:

• Cleanser - Depends on skin type but gentle, natural and with no harsh products ~ eg. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
• Toner - Depends on skin type (preferably without astringent) ~ eg. Natio Rosewater and Chamomile Gentle Skin Toner
• Moisturiser - Depends on skin type but for sensitive skin and is gentle ~ eg. Sukin Sensitive Face Moisturiser 

Combination Skin: People whose skin are more than two skin types. For example oily in your T-zone and normal to dry on your cheeks. 

Types of products: (I didn't recommend any products because it varies on the combination of skin)

• Cleanser - Milk and/or foam on T-zone (depending on what type of combination skin)
• Toner - With or without astringent 
• Moisturiser - Oily free on T-zone and cream or lotion of cheeks (depending on what type of combination skin)

Natural Makeup :)

Hey girls,
Do you ever have those days when you really can't be bothered to wear makeup and there isn't really any need for you to be wearing it? I have those days quite frequently and it doesn't seem necessary for me to do my normal makeup routine. However I still like to feel confident and comfortable in myself so I decided to come up with a makeup look which only consists of a few products which are lightweight and very natural.

Products

• Rimmel Stay Matte Powder
• Nivea Lip Butter
• Maybelline Cover Stick
• Maybelline Mega Plush Volum Express
• Benefit porefessional 
• Eyebrow brush
• Eyelash curler 

So since I was doing a natural look I decided that there was no need to do a full coverage foundation routine so instead I primed my face with the porefessional which gave my skin a smooth, matte complexion and filled in my pores.

I then went in with my concealer and dotted this under my eyes and blended it in with my ring finger.

To finish off my skin I used my stay matte powder and lightly brushed it over my face. If you are wanting more coverage but don't want to use foundation at tip would be to press the powder into your skin evenly using more product. 

For my eyebrows I just combed through them with a brush to make them look more groomed. If your eyebrows tend to go wild during the day a tip would be to put some hairspray on your brush before combing them through. 

I decided to curl my lashes before I applied my mascara because since we aren't using any other eye makeup I wanted them to still stand out and appear wide. Once I curled my lashes I applied a couple of coats of mascara to my top and bottom lashes. 

My last step is to apply some sort of lip balm, I used nivea lip butter because they're so moisturising and I love them but anything will work the same. 

I hope you enjoyed this makeup look and I will be sure to post more soon :)

Ella x  

Beach Day!

The beach is such a beautiful place which is so breath taking and rejuvenating. It so still and calm, yet the waves are constantly breaking and making the loud swishing and crashing sound which somehow relaxes us and distracts us from reality. That is one of the things I love about the beach. All of its natural features like the sounds, views, colours, textures, smells is what makes it so special. It gives you so many different things to focus on and each time you are there it is never the same. You will always get that fresh and alive feeling when you are at the beach because in that moment you are free and it is just you and the natural world. Even if you do get salty hair, sand between your toes, stinging eyes and dry lips you will still feel amazing because you have connected with a natural creation which no man could ever create. It is something that will always be there and should never change. Everyone takes away a different experience from the beach but something I'm sure everyone can agree on is that it is so beautiful and should be embraced.

The pictures below are from the weekend when my friend Bre and I went for a walk along the beach. It was really a great day and inspired me to write this post :)

Hope you enjoyed this

Ella x

Maturity

Hey everyone,

Something that has been bothering me lately and been on my mind quite a lot is "maturity". Being a teenager in high school I am surrounded by so many different types of personalities which are all developing at different rates. Its crazy how one person can be so much more grown up compared to another who is exactly the same age. It doesn't make the person any different its just the way they choose to act in certain situations which defines how mature they are. I know for a fact there are certain people I feel more comfortable around and feel as if they won't judge me because they're mature. I admire those people for being so accepting, judge free and don't feel its necessary make an offencive comment on something just because it is out of their norm. They are psychologically able to make their own mature decisions for themselves without the influence of others because they know what is the kind and right thing to do. Experience and learning is what I believe really makes you mature. Every milestone you go through always leads you to a better understanding and helps you give a more sympathetic response to things. It is a status that is very controversial and can be interpreted in so many different ways. Immiturity can be a very frustrating trait to engage with (especially during high school) and I would be interested to hear what any of you guys do to help stay positive, how you manage to ignore it and what your views are on this topic. 

Ella x