Guest // Day to Night Make Up: Summer Edition

Hello lovely readers of Katie's blog! My name is Becca and I run and beauty and lifestyle blog called MissBeccaBeauty. As you probably know Katie is on holiday *right now* having a fabulous time and I can say I am very jealous. I am so excited to be writing this for you to read and I hope you enjoy!

Summer evenings are beautiful, not only that but a lot tends to happen during the evening in summer because it is cooler: BBQ's, garden parties, evening walks and much much more. I remember last year I was doing so much in the evening and usually it required me to look presentable. Obviously because it is summer things tend to happen to our makeup during the day, it might slip off because it's hot, if you sweat a bit (as lovely as that sounds...) you makeup will come off and if you are a fellow hay-fever suffer then you will know watery eyes + itchy eyes = all makeup removed around you eyes. So by the time it gets to early evening and you realise you have to be out the door looking presentable, you only have about 5 minuets do this! Here are the 5 products I use, to freshen up my day makeup ( I already have foundation, concealer, mascara and all that jazz on!) in the summer when I am in that situation:

Bronzer is an absolute lifesaver, especially for us very pale girls out there (hands up if your with me on this one!). My bronzer of choice at the moment is the Bourjois Delice de Poudre. Add this to your cheekbones to help define them, your temples, down your nose and basically anywhere you want to look really glowy and sun-kissed. I then go in with some blush, cream blushes work best for me in the summer and are quick to blend with your fingers if you have to work quickly. Topshop is the winner of the high street when it comes to cream blush in my opinion, this one if the cream blush in Afternoon Tea. This is when those odd single eye shadows come in handy, whether you are just at home or have had to take these products with you to get ready there, single eye shadows work well to add a wash of colour to your lid. I have a L'Oreal Chrome Shine in Brown Lame which looks like a really shimmery brown in the pot bot on the lids it has that golden goddess look to it. The pigmentation of these are beautiful and they blend really quickly and easily. To finish the eyes I like to take an eye pencil and apply it along the outer corner of my upper lash line. Usually I go for the Soap and Glory Smoulder and Kohl pencils in either black or brown because I find they are the quickest to apply because they glide on so smoothly. Sometimes if I'm feeling fancy I will even blend it out a bit so I have a mini smokey eye going on. Finally to complete the summers evening look I apply a pink lipstick to brighten up my face. Topshop Brighton Rock Lipstick (I have a review here if you fancy a read!) is the perfect bright summers pink that is great for any occasion. 

If you liked this post let me know in the comments and I will reply to you and try and get to know you. I would love to know what products you use for updating your makeup from day to night. Please head on over to check out my blog and leave a comment or even a sneaky follow if you are really friendly!

MissBeccaBeauty xo

Becca's links: Blog / Bloglovin / Twitter 

I must say a huge thank you to Becca for writing this post. I will definitely be taking notes from this post during the summer months! 

Guest // How To Cope With Bullying

Bullying is something that everyone experiences. Whether it's just silly name calling or physical violence, everyone experiences it at some stage. It's not fun, it's not pleasant but it definitely makes you stronger as a person. Like the old saying says, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," and they couldn't be more right. If you're going through a tough time, here are a few tips that might help you feel more comfortable.

Don't react

Even though you may feel like punching the bully as hard you can right in the middle of their face, try to avoid it. Don't show that you feel hurt or uncomfortable, bullies gain satisfaction when they realise that they've affected you in some way. All they want is attention, don't give it to them. They're irrational people and it is impossible to talk sense in to one of them. Walk away with your dignity and show them that you're the bigger person. However, if it does continue to happen over a long period of time, stand up for yourself or for anyone else who is being bullied.

Do not make jokes at your own expense to try to prove that there is nothing that the bully can do to hurt your feelings.

This will only result in you feeling worse and will make the bully feel as if they continue. It will lower your self esteem even further and possibly make you feel humiliated. The one person you need on your side at the moment is yourself. Don't insult your personality or appearance in the hope that they'll go away.

Outsmart the bully

Laugh really hard at their jokes, only give them sarcastic responses. You could even create a master plan that just shows how pathetic this person really. A plan so genius that it results in crowds of strangers carrying you off in the distance whilst they cheer your name.

Ok, I'll be more serious now.

Defend your self

If you're suffering from physical abuse then take a martial arts class, watch some YouTube videos or read a book and learn how to fight back. This stops you from having to suffer any serious injuries and allows you to escape and call for help without being put in an insane amount of danger. You don't need to be an expert at self dense, you just need a few tips. A quick kick in the groin will cause a person to become dazed and confused long enough for you to make a quick get away. If the groin doesn't work, try hitting them under the ribs or on the elbow. Once the person gets embarrassed you can run, hide and call for help.

Surround your self with loving friends and family

A bully can't get to you if you've got a wall, made up of all your loved ones, around you. They will make you feel safe, secure and provide you with millions of wonderful memories that you will never forget and will replace all the not so good memories created by the not so good people.

There is my advice. If you are going through a tough time right now then make sure that you talk to someone. Talk to a friend, a teacher or your parents just so that someone knows what's going on. If you feel like you can't talk to someone you know then check out a helpline such as The Samaritans or Childline. There are so many ways to get help, you don't have to spend your time alone and in the dark.

Just remember this, a day spent without a smile on your face is a day wasted.

I'm afraid I can't take any credit for this wonderfully written, extremely informative piece. This is the first of the guest posts that will be posted while I'm away. It was written by the lovely Jaimie, you can find her over at Bubblewrap and Popcorn, her lifestyle blog where she posts daily about a range of different topics!  

Jaimie's links: Blog / Bloglovin' / Twitter

Oreo Cupcakes

Before I get into this recipe I must tell you the tale of one of my most disastrous baking endeavours. On Tuesday night, I attempted to make cookie dough brownie cupcakes. They were meant to be a layer of cookie dough and a layer of brownie, they did not turn out that way. The mixture ended up just melting together in the oven and began to boil, in the cupcake cases. It was all very strange and upsetting. The reason I'm saying this is, sometimes people will tell me how they would love to make some of the baked goodies I have made in the past but that they are terrible at baking. I am here today to tell you that at one time, not too long ago I thought the same thing. My opinion has changed in the past year though as I've started baking more, becoming more aware of ingredients as well as picking up tips and tricks along the way. Ì am still constantly making mistakes though and if you're a regular reader you will know that I have no shame in admitting the mistakes that I've made and telling you guys so that you can avoid making the same ones. My point is, don't ever be afraid to give baking a go. If it doesn't turn out right you won't have lost anything, (a part from a few eggs & some butter) if it all goes well then you've got some fabulous baked treats and a massive sense of accomplishment.

Now onto what you all came here for, some delicious oreo cupcakes. My brother's doing exams at the moment and his favourite biscuits are oreos so I thought I would make these for him to help keep his spirits up. However, we all managed to chip in and give him a hand eating them. I used this recipe for reference, best one I found. These cupcakes were amazingly moist and chocolaty due to using dark chocolate to make them. I could have eaten the whole batch myself had someone let me, not all in one sitting though as they were also extremely rich. My icing skills went out the window on this one as I broke my icing gun last week. Sad times and I do apologise. In most recipes, people decided to put an oreo at the end of each cupcake and pour the batter over. Though I really like this idea I didn't have enough oreos to do this with all of the cupcakes. I did try this  technique with a few of the them though.

I couldn't remember which cupcakes had the full oreo in them so it was a surprise if we got one. For the majority of cupcakes, I crushed up a little more than half a packet of oreos and mixed them into the batter. Hence why the cupcakes are slightly bumpy in appearance. Cover with some icing and everyone is none the wiser. This recipe makes 20 cupcakes and I would suggest using two packets of oreos if you want to put the full oreo into the cupcake. In case you were wondering, I topped these with buttercream icing, with three crushed oreos added, you can find the recipe for my favourite buttercream icing in this post. Happy baking!

1. In a large bowl, stir together the dark chocolate, cocoa powder and hot water until the chocolate has completed melted. Make sure to chop the chocolate into small pieces so that it's easier to melt. Leave to cool in the fridge for around 10 minutes. 

2. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4 and line your tin with cupcake cases. Place an oreo in the bottom on the cupcake case, if you wish to do so. 

3. Mix together the flour, baking powder and sugar in another large bowl.

4. Remove your chocolate mixture from the fridge and whisk in the vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract. 

5. If you decided against putting the full oreo in the end of the cupcake, now is the time to add your crushed oreos to the batter. 

6. Pour the mixture into the cases, filling them to about 3/4 of the way full. 

7. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a skewer/knife comes out clean. 

8. Ice as desired. As I said above, I used buttercream icing (recipe here) with three crushed oreos added. 

My Travel Essentials

The first thing I threw into my bag while packing yesterday was the Nivea Lip Care Sun Protect with SPF30. I've used this before and it does exactly what it says on the tube, however it does taste slightly like sun cream. I do use face wipes along with cleanser, I am extremely lazy and these face wipes that I pick up in Aldi never cause my skin any trouble. For this trip I decided I would try out a new facial wash, I went for the Simple Kind To Skin Moisturising Facial Wash. When removing my make up, I usually use a face wipe to remove the majority of it and then go in with the No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser, which I remove with cotton pads. I'm currently using the No7 Protect & Perfect Day Cream and also the Night Cream. All of the No7 bits came in a Christmas gift set, that I am extremely thankful for right now.

If I remember correctly, majority of these things are shown in my What's In My Bag post so I won't go on for too long. My trusty old friend, Rescue Remedy, just in case I get anxious at any point during the trip. A travel size Colgate Total Toothpaste, I'm not sure why this wasn't included in the picture with my toothbrush but I'm sure they'll be together soon. Soap & Glory Hand Maid and L'occitane Mango Passion Hand Cream, I bring these two products everywhere so it makes sense that they would be piled into my travel bag too. My nail colour of choice is going to be Maybeline Forever Strong in Ceramic Blue, which to my disappointment, they no longer make. I hate brushing my hair, it's always painful and my hair is forever knotty (I always have those knots in the back of my hair that appear from nowhere) but it must be done so in goes the hairbrush too! 

I will be bringing my toothbrush and using it with the toothpaste, despite the fact that I decided to split them up for this post. My favourite shampoo and conditioner to take anywhere with me are the Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo and 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner. If I use these for an extended period of time my hair gets used to them and they don't work as well, hence why I only use them when I travel. Everyone needs deodorant, let's be real. My deodorant of choice is the Mitchum Advanced Control Shower Fresh 48H Protection.

Lastly, we have the entertainment and bits that are actually essentials! My notebook is from Paperchase, I like to make lists daily and have a place to write down blog ideas. I have Givoanna Fletcher's book Billy and Me, pictured here. I actually read this last summer and it won't be my reading material for this trip but what I am reading is on the boy's kindle so I couldn't show it to you. I thought Billy and Me would be a good substitute as the book I am going to be reading is You're The One That I Want, also by Giovanna Fletcher. I will be taking my 5 year old Ipod with me to listen to The Danny Duncan Show and possibly some music. Actual things that I will need for my trip include, my purse, phone and passport! My snazzy pink passport case came with my passport, I quite like it.

So, I know there are definitely things missing here but that is the bulk of what I am taking with me minus clothes and my make up bag. Which I will be showing you in a post next week! As you probably will have guessed by now, I am really excited to go to Paris but I'm also very sad to leave my blog for a week. Never fear though because I have some wonderful guest bloggers to keep you guys entertained next week, along with a few scheduled posts of my own. 

What are your exciting plans for the summer? 

Summer Wishlist // Bags

I'm the kind of girl that has one bag, that I will wear to death. The handbag that can be seen in this post, is the one I take pretty much everywhere with me. It's has everything in it, all the time so there is no fear of leaving anything behind and to be honest, I'm just too lazy to be switching around handbags. However, that does not mean that I don't love a good bag. This summer's select is a pretty damn great one too so I thought I would share with you some of my favourites! I also unintentionally split them into two groups, pastels and brights, so fancy of me. 

1. Mint Green Tote Bag // €19.99, New Look

2. Beige Contrast Panel Satchel // €45, River Island 

3.  Large Pink Satchel // €37, River Island

4. Light Green Frame Bag // €55, River Island 

5. Messenger Bag with Metal Clasp // €49.95, Zara

6. Mini City Bag // €49.95, Zara 

7. Faux Leather Coral Satchel // €25.99, Missguided 

8. Clean Zip Top Clutch // £25, Topshop 

There are so many beautiful bags to choose at the moment. This is less than half of the bags I found while online window shopping. My favourites are 3 and 6, let me know what yours are!