25 Facts About Me:

Since my 'Beauty Blogger Tag' was surprisingly popular and is currently my most viewed post(click here if you would like to read that), I figured you may like some more information on me. So here you go :) btw, please don't think I'm too much of a basket case haha...

1. I'm very shy and awkward until you get to know me. Then I become a loud mouth and don't shut up.

2. I am a single pringle (#TheSingleLife) because I'm fussy and am not a fan of PDA in my own relationships. I just feel that there is a time and a place to be lovey dovey and public isn't that.

My night skincare routine

I believe in the philosophy: beautiful skin begins with exceptional skincare.

We all want flawless, clear skin but often overlook the importance a good routine. There is no miracle factor to skincare; skin requires gentle care and patience. Everyones skin is different, so what may work for some may not work for others. It's all about figuring out the right products to suit your personal needs.

My skin is far from perfect. My skin type is combination to oily and very sensitive. I have experienced everything from terrible breakouts that destroy my confidence, to great skin days where I feel comfortable enough to go bare faced in public. Over time I have certainly learnt what negatively impacts my skin, but also what clears it up.

Exam study tips

One of the most dreaded times of the year as a student: exams. Even the word sends shivers down my spine. Over the years, I have found the ways of studying that work for me. Since exams are just around the corner here is good old Victoria, I have decided to share a few tips with you. Hopefully these come in handy :)

Highlight, but DO NOT go overboard

Have you ever tried to highlight "the important notes", but end up turning the page into a rainbow of colours. It is important not to get carried away and actually stick to the important information.

It may be beneficial to create a colour coding system. Have a particular colour for different things(eg, blue for key terms, green for dates...etc)

Breaks are not the enemy

I don't know about you, but I cannot study for hours on end without breaks and remaining sane. You need to allow some time out to stop yourself from going study crazy. Plus, it has been proven that taking short, regular breaks can help obtain more information.
This doesn't mean taking a 3 hour break for 20 minutes of study though :P I'd suggest a 5-10 minute break for every 30 minutes. 

Current everyday makeup products

On an everyday basis, we all tend to stick to a selection of cosmetics. In the mornings, it's a whole
lot easier and quicker to grab the same products, apply and go do typical life things(typical life things? Do I even english?). These are the products I essentially use everyday for work and school. Enjoy :)

Makeup geek wish list

After reading/watching countless reviews and comparisons to Mac cosmetics last night, I found myself adding a little too many 'Makeup Geek' products to one of my many wish lists. So I've narrowed them down to the eyeshadows and blushes I am now dying to get my hands on:

Clearer skin in simple ways.

Acne, or even just the occasional spot, sucks. And sometimes it can feel like you'll never live to see the day of improvement. Everyone's skin is unique and reacts individually to different products & practices. Most of the time it is all about trial and error to find out what does or doesn't work for your own skin.

With that said and kept in mind, these are a few tips for clearer skin:

Clean your face, But don't over do it:
I talk to so many people who cannot break their acne cycle, even though they have a thorough skincare routine. But a lot of people don't understand that over-cleansing your face does much more harm than good.

I went through a stage where my face was so spotty and red that someone once asked why my chickenpox hadn't gone away. Something in my mind told me "the more I wash my face, the quicker my face will heal". Wrong Brianna, so so wrong. I would cleanse, scrub, tone, moisturise and apply spot treatment both morning and night. After months of no results, I gave up on my efforts and became lazy with my skin. Strangely enough, my face began to clear.

Using skincare products in excess dries out the skin, leaving it dry and dehydrated. Thus, the skin believes it must work harder to create natural oils. Then you know the rest.

I posted a skincare routine: here :)

My new partner in crime

Sometimes using a phone for blogging photography just doesn't cut it. Some people are fortunate enough to know the tricks of using phone camera and don't require anything more. But I personally felt like I needed a proper camera in order to pursue my blog a little further, add a more professional vibe(even though I am in no way an actual professional) and possibly create a youtube channel later down the track. 

After doing a fair few hours of research, I went out and brought myself the bad boy in the picture. This camera is a Canon SX60 HS and I'm already in love with it. 

Now I'm not going to be able to provide a techie report on the functions and specific details such as the processors, pixels and blah blah blah. But I can say one this, it's a great camera and it is exactly what I was after. 

There are a few things that stand out about it for me. The first is that it has a screen that flips out and rotates, so you can view and take an image or video from any angle/direction. Another thing that is great about this it is quite simple to use(once you get the hang of the button placement) so a novice like myself can grasp the concepts fairly quickly.

One of the settings that I love is the 'creative shot', which automatically creates a series of filters on a single image. The image on my previous blog post 'The beauty blogger tag' was an automatic filter done by this camera.

Anyway, I won't bore you by rambling on about how obsessed I am with my new camera. So overall, this camera is fairly simple to use and ticks all the boxes of requirements. I would definitely recommend it :)

Link to purchase: https://www.jbhifi.com.au/cameras/compact-cameras/canon/canon-powershot-sx60-hs-16-1mp-digital-camera/653597/

What camera do you use? Does anyone have any tips on using a phone camera to capture great images? 

∆ Stay beautiful, Bri xx

The Beauty Blogger tag:

Hello everyone! I realised when checking over my blog that I have introduced myself, but haven't actually provided an insight on my personality and the life I live. So I've decided to do the beauty blogger tag to let you in on the type of person I am. Enjoy! 

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

My hair is naturally quite wavy but kinks up at the end. I've concluded that my hair hates me.

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon? 

Considering that the first (and only) time I dyed my hair it had turned orange, the salon. Although I'm currently opting away from dye to promote healthy hair.

Blogpost schedule

Hello world, just thought I should give a quick update...

Although I had said I was going to aim for two posts a week in my introduction post, I've already changed my mind(I do that a lot, sorry). As of now, I will be committing to a blogpost three times a week: Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. Keep in mind that this is based around Australian time zone. I may also do little updates like this to keep you informed, but they will not replace my other content.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there may be times where I miss a post. Between school and work, I run a pretty busy life and sometimes may not have the time to write. If so, I'll make sure I notify you through Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat(the links are in the sidebar).

Also, what do you think of my blog design? Its definitely still a work in progress, but I spent hours last night trying to create a pleasant space for everyone. Comment your thoughts or suggestions for improvement :)


∆ Stay Beautiful, Bri xx

Mother's Day!

My mother isn't the type of person that asks for much. In fact, this mother's day she told me that I wasn't allowed to get her anything and would be more than pleased with breakfast in bed. Me being me, I didn't want to settle for the basics and felt the need to give her a little surprise.

My mother loves simple gestures; I didn't want to go overboard for that reason. I still made her eggs on toast like she wanted, but I didn't give it to her in bed. Instead, I placed a trail of hearts from her bedroom to our dining table(which I unfortunately forgot to take a photo of). On the table was her food, flowers and a little present(a pandora bracelet and mother's day charm).

Now that I have a fairly well paying job for my age, I wanted to buy her something special. Other years I was too young to buy her anything slightly higher in the price range, so I guess this year was a treat to show my appreciation. 

Her reaction was priceless. I had spent a few days prior pretending like I had forgotten about the upcoming day, so she wasn't expecting anything. Nothing makes me happier than making the people I love smile, so I felt accomplished to do just that for the most amazing woman in my life. 

You don't have to spend a lot to make your mum smile though. Some other thoughtful ideas are:

- create a scrapbook or slideshow of old family photos/important memories

- make a homemade, personalised card with meaningful words 

- do the housework and let her relax

- most importantly... If you are like me and basically hibernate in your room most days: just spend the day together. Watch a movie, have a family day in or anything you can do with each other. 

Anyway, I feel like I'm rambling on. So I want to end up by saying I hope everyone has an amazing Mother's Day and spoil your mothers rotten. 

∆ Stay beautiful xx 

An Intro to Me!

Hmm.. So how to start this?

I've written and rewritten this post enough times to lose count now that the words are starting to blur together. If I'm being perfectly honest, everything I plan to say comes off extremely generic and boring and I don't want to come across that way. What a great start :P

I guess I should probably introduce myself... For the time being, I do not plan on providing my full name, so call me Bri. To sum myself up, I'm a teenaged girl with countless ideas and personal views to share. Just a warning though, I'm in no way a professional on anything I'm going to write about. I'm simply here to share my opinions and thoughts.

My blog name might be a little deceiving to some, but I'm not all about beauty. My blog doesn't have a specific niche or topic as I don't want to commit to writing on one subject. I'm a fairly creative person, so I want my space to represent me and not just one aspect of my life or my interests. So for that, I'm going to write about beauty, fashion, lifestyle, food and whatever the hell else I feel like. If you are not interested in a broad blog then this is not for you.

"Why are you creating a blog full of random nonsense?" you may ask. Well, that's a good question because I don't particularly know myself. I guess I've wanted to start a blog for a couple of years now, but have felt I was not ready. I think now I have gained a sense of maturity and slight knowledge of who I am to feel and thought I can give it a go. Oh wow, already getting deep. 

I know there are a lot of blogs out there and I'm almost certain they are better than this one. But I'm going to give it a go and see what happens. What's the harm in trying? Whether I'm the only one who ever reads these or a few people take interest, then I'm happy I'm giving this a go. 

I aim to post a couple times a week, but don't hold this against me if I don't stick by it. I'm still in school so I'm going to have to take each week as it comes. 

If you have any requests or suggestions, feel free to let me know as they will be much appreciated. 

So hello world, I'm The Beauty in Bri and this is my blog. Enjoy :)