My Bedside Table

I've recently given my bedside table a little makeover, and I'm absolutely in love with it. Before it was very cramped and looked a bit messy. But now it looks ten times better and looks more grown up!! Today I thought I would share with you the after pictures!! I hope you enjoy, and maybe you'll gain some inspiration for your bedside table!!

Seventeen Magazine

I love reading magazines and back in 2014 I discovered Seventeen and instantly fell in love!! I now have every single issue from September 2014 up to January 2016!! 

Seventeen is an American Magazine for teenage girls, there are plenty of different sections in the magazine including Beauty, Fashion and Fitness. Also the celebrities featured on the front cover also have a their own story that they share in the magazine. 

More recently they have also added a Readers Story section, I love these because, a lot of the stories are closely linked to things happening in teen's lives and sometimes it really puts things into perspective.

Overall I really recommend Seventeen, if you're a teenager who loves anything to do with Beauty or Fashion and for £2.90 a month it's really not that bad!! 

*This post was not sponsored by Seventeen, I wrote it only to share my love for the magazines and hopefully inspire you to also read them!! 

My Brush Collection

  I use my makeup brushes more or less every single day, whether I use all of them or only a few. All of my brushes are Real Techniques, because I feel like their the best possible drugstore brushes. 

Today I thought I would share with you my collection and show you some of my favourites.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

This is a brush that I use almost all the time. I use the Expert Face Brush to blend in my foundation as it is super good for blending my foundation without leaving brush lines.

Real Techniques Powder Brush

Another face brush that I absolutely love is the Powder Brush. I guess the brush kind of speaks for itself really, because I obviously use it for my powder. It's really good for getting the powder onto my face without moving either my foundation or concealer!! 

Real Techniques Blush Brush

The Blush Brush was on of my first ever brushes that I got from Real Techniques. Honestly this brush is amazing!! Because it's slightly tapered it very easily fits on the apples of my cheeks, making blush application so much easier!! 

Real Techniques Concealer Brush

This is the brush I use every single day!! I obviously use it for concealer and it makes the application so much easier!! Because it's an angled brush it makes applying concealer under the eye so much easier!! 

Real Techniques Domed Shadow Brush

So the final brush I'm going to talk about today is the Domed Shadow Brush. I use this brush whenever I'm using my Naked 2 Palette, it's just the right size for my eyelid and allows precise eyeshadow application!! 

So those were a few of my favourite Real Technique brushes!! I hope you enjoyed and if you're looking for some new makeup brushes I would definitley reccomend these ones!! 

3 Things To Do In A Notebook

We all know secretly inside that sometime or another, we've all bought a notebook and not had a clue what to write in it!! The amount of unfinished or even empty notebooks on my bookshelf is ridiculous!!

I thought this post would be quite a fun post to share with you, if you've got a new notebook, or for future references of you ever want new notebook ideas!! 

Blogging Notebook

So my first idea is for all you bloggers out there. When I first started Prettily Painted I would write out all my posts roughly in a notebook, which consequently would make writing a blogpost a whole lot easier!! 

You could also use it as a Blogpost Ideas notebook, where every idea for a blogpost is written down!! 

List Notebook

This one is pretty obvious, but why not make a list notebook? You could include loads of different lists including: Birthday/ Christmas List, Things To Be Happy About. 

These can be really sentimental and would be good to look back on when you're older and remember your amazing memories!! 

Travel Notebook

My final idea for this post is to create a Travel Notebook. Now I know that these are already a thing but they can be quite expensive so why not create your own unique one!!

Like the list notebook this would be amazing for looking back on and would be good to log all of your trips with both pictures and souvenirs!!!

So those were some ideas for those empty notebooks that may be sitting on your shelves!! I hope you enjoyed this post and I know it's something a little different but I actually really enjoyed it!!  

Everyday Lip Look

Recently I've been wearing a lip pair that I have been absolutely loving!! Most of the time when I try out new lip products I try to find something that will match it, whether that be a lip liner or an actual lipstick. Today I thought I would share with you my everyday lip pair to maybe give you some inspiration if you're looking for a new lip look.

So the lip liner that I have been loving is the Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in Eastend Snob, this is such a pretty natural pink colour and the liner is matte which makes me love it even more!! I then like to pair it with MAC's Pink Plaid, as they almost match and I feel like it makes my lip look really full and nice.

 

So that's my favourite Everyday Lip Look, I hope you enjoyed this short post and hopefully I have given you some inspiration for some new lip products!!

2016 Winter Clothing Wishlist / Collab with LaurenJoannee &LittleMissGhxst

I just want to quickly apologise for the fact that this is the second wishlist post in the space of a few days. This is because I completely forgot about a collab I had planned for this week. Anyways this collab is with two lovely girls!! LaurenJoannee and LittleMissGhxst. So make sure you check out their posts too!!

So we all decided to share with you our Clothing Wishlist's, and I decided to base mine around what I would love to get for the remaining Winter months!! I did a Wishlist post back in the Autumn and a lot of you seemed to enjoy it, so I thought it would be a good post to share with you guys today!!

1.  Sheinside Light Purple Round Neck Dip Hem Sweater: £20
Sheinside is a brand that I'm not very familiar with, however I have heard a few Youtubers talk about it, so I thought I would check out their website. I browsed for quite a long time until I came across this gorgeous Light Purple fluffy jumper!! I've always wanted a cute fluffy jumper to wear and I think if I got this I could also wear it through spring as it is such a pretty pastel colour.

2. River Island Patterned Poncho/ Cape: £35
I never really know what to call these, but what I do know is I've been wanting one for the longest time, however, there is a downside, I'm quite small so all the capes tend to swamp so I end up looking ridiculous!! I do have one from Primark but I have been eyeing this one up since they first came out!!

3. Topshop Joni Jeans in Khaki Green: £36
Oh my goodness!! These jeans are gorgeous! I already own quite a few pairs of Joni Jeans as they are really the only ones that fit me!! Anyways I absolutely love this colour so much, even though it's probably classed as an autumnal colour!! I think that by pairing these jeans with a plain white tee, you can really have a statement outfit!!

4. Adidas Superstars: £50
Now I'm probably a bit late to the party here but I just cant get over how nice the Adidas Superstars are!! Everyone and their mothers have these shoes and I can understand why!! Their quite a plain shoe so can be paired with quite a brightly coloured outfit!! I also think they would make quite a dressed up look, be quite casual as they can literally be paired with anything!!

5. Topshop Contrast Tee: £16
The final item on my current Clothing Wishlist is probably something quite boring, but for me these are necessities!! I absolutely love these tops because they can be paired with almost anything and still look good!! These would also be perfect for those days when I'm feeling too lazy to make a huge effort with my outfit but still want to look nice and presentable!! 

So that's what is on my current Clothing Wishlist for Winter 2016. Obviously I wont be getting these all in one go, but I do hope to get a few of these in the next few months!! Also don't forget to check out the two lovely girls I collabed with, and don't forget to leave them a nice comment on their posts!!

Fitness Clothing Wishlist

I must admit I'm probably the worst at keeping fit, if it was up to me I would just sit around all day, eating and binge watching my favourite  TV series'!! However one thing that does get me motivated to work out is new clothing. There's nothing better  than working out in clothing that makes you feel good!! So for today's post I thought I would share with you my Fitness Clothing Wishlist, in the hope that it may motivate me to actually work out!!

1. PINK Sports Bra
Pink is definitely one of my favourite shops for workout gear. I've been eyeing up this Sports Bra for awhile as I think its really pretty and would be perfect for if I start running.

2. PINK Football Tee
I also really like this Football Tee as it sort of matches the Sports Bra, I think this would be good for those days when it's a little cold out so I would still be able to run.

3. NIKE Roshe Runs
Roshe Runs are one of the most comfortable pair of shoes that I've ever tried!! I already have a black and white pair but I really like the patterns of these and I think they match the all of the pieces on this wishlist!!

4. NIKE Leggings
Obviously you don't need an expensive pair of leggings for fitness. But I feel like if I'm going to properly get into working out I might as well go all out and get a pair of leggings that I think would last me a long time and would be perfect for working out in.

So that's my current Fitness Clothing Wishlist, I know it's probably not the best post I've ever done but I've been busy studying so I haven't really had the time to write posts. Although I promise I will start posting better content soon!!

My Blogging Tips and Tricks

Now I wouldn't say that I'm an absolute expert at blogging , however collectively between all the blogs I have had I would say I've been doing it for a good 6 months. So I have a few tips and tricks up my sleeve that I thought I would share with you today.

PLAN
You've probably heard this a million times before but it helps me so much if I plan out all my blogposts up to a certain date. I also get collabs planned sometimes months before they are due to go to live. This is because I know I'm on top of things and I don't need to stress out the week (or even days before) knowing that I haven't planned or write  blogposts for the upcoming week. (We've all been there)

It also helps me a lot to keep a planner, I can write down all the posts I have coming up, therefore keeping me organized. Similar to the planner I also like to keep a little notebook to jot down post ideas and also to do a quick write out of my post, so I know what to include in it

PRE-DRAFT
Another thing that I do all the time with my posts is to pre-draft them. All this means is that I write out my posts that may not be uploaded until the next month. However knowing their written keeps me more organized and also gives me more time to do other things like School Work (ughh) and socialising with my friends and family. (This tip helps me a lot throughout the School Year)

TAKE PICTURES BEFORE
My final tip that I'm going to share with you is that always take your pictures before writing your posts. This way you will be able to make sure you have everything written in your post. I would also recommend you take a whole bunch of pictures at the same time (maybe around 3 posts worth) By doing this you wont have to worry about the lighting in  your posts. I recommend taking them quite early in the morning to get the best natural lighting!!

So those were a few of my favourite blogging tips and tricks, I hope this post may have helped you if you're bit of an unorganized blogger (like me!!) or if you generally just wanted a few tips.

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My Blogging Goals

Since it's now 2016, I wanted to share with you some of my Blogging Goals that I am hoping to achieve this year. I first started my blog on the 16th of August last year, and I like to think that from my first post I have made a little progress in the way I write my posts. I've seen a lot of people doing this post so I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and share with you, My Blogging Goals.

A Blog Makeover
If you're a frequent reader of my bog then you will know that around the 22nd of December, my blog had a slight makeover. I added a Navigation Bar, Social Media buttons and My Instagram Feed. However I do want to thank the wonderful MeetMeInMelford for doing this for me as I wouldn't have been able to do it myself. Eventually obviously I would like to completely make it over but for now I am extremely happy with it!!

Better Content 
I feel like at the end of October my blog content began to go downhill. I really wasn't motivated at all to write posts (hence the reason why there was only one post in November) After thinking about this I began to feel extremely guilty for letting you down as my readers. However as 2016 rolls in, I am going to have a fresh start with my blog. My content will be completely different, I'll still be doing Beauty and Fashion posts but I also want to introduce more Lifestyle posts because after reading multiple Lifestyle Blogs I have acquired a love for them.

New Series'
Now I started off December really excited for Blogmas, but I wasn't prepared at all for how much hard work it was. I eventually gave up and did 12 Days Of Blogmas instead, and I'm pleased to announce I DID IT!!!! What I realised was that it would be better to pre-draft my posts a few weeks or even a month before so I would be organised.


So those are My Blogging Goals for 2016, I am going to aim to try and achieve them all, and I am feeling super motivated to do so!!

 

2015 Makeup Favourites | Collab With MoonandRosessx

Before I start this post I just wanted to say HAPPY NEW YEAR!! It's finally 2016 and it feels so weird saying that!! Anyways since 2015 is now over I thought it would be a good idea to talk you through my makeup favourites from 2015. This is also a collab with the wonderful Hannah, from MoonandRosessx so make sure you check out her blog and find out what her makeup favourites from 2015 are!!

So I don't have a product for each category of makeup e.g. Primer, Eyeliner, Powder. However I do hve a fair few products to get through, so lets get started!

Foundation and Concealer
I grouped these two products together because for me I  more or less use them at the same time. My favourite foundation of 2015, would definitely have to be MAC's Studio Fix Fluid, this foundation has amazing coverage and has a matte effect so is perfect for the autumn and winter time.

For concealer again it would definitely have to be anther MAC product. The Mineralize Concealer from MAC is amazing, personally for me I feel like it highlights and conceals at the same time. Also it has super high coverage, so sometimes I just wear it by itself without any foundation.

Bronzer, Highlighter and Blush
I don't really tend to contour my face (mostly because I don't know how to!) However I do love to bronze up my face and for this I used the Sleek Contour Kit, as the contour shade is the perfect shade for bronzing as it's not too orange on my skin. In the same palette I also love the highlight shade as it has a slight bronzed colouring to it which adds a little bit of depth to my face without me having to contour!!

I also love using blush, I feel like without it I still look pale so by putting it on, my face looks instantly healthy!! One blush that I loved throughout 2015 was the I Heart Makeup Triple Baked Blusher in Candy Queen Of Hearts. This blush is a super pretty light candy pink blush colour and is perfect for those people who have pale skin. I definitely wore this one more in the summer as it's more of a summer blush but none the less I still love it.

Eyeshadow, Mascara and Brows
You would probably be able to tell without reading this post or looking at the pictures that my favourite eyeshadow palette of 2015 was definitely my Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette. I've done multiple looks using this palette on my blog so you can go and check them out :) Naked 2 is the perfect neutral eyeshadow palette because it has every shade you could possibly imagine!!

For mascara I absolutely loved the Clinique High Impact Mascara. Like blush mascara is one of my favourite things to wear as I feel like it brings the whole look together and without mascara I look awful. This one from Clinique is amazing as it really makes my lashes defined (which is what I love!!)

Filling in my brows is definitely one of my most important things to do in my makeup routine. Gimme Brow fills in my brows but also does it super quick so is perfect for on the go use. Gimme Brow by Benefit is definitely my most favourite eyebrow product I've ever tried, it matches my brows perfectly and honestly you can't go wrong when your filling in your brows using this product!!

Lipsticks
I have a bit of a love/hate situation with lipstick as it can either make or break a makeup look. However I found two lipsticks from the same brand that I absolutely loved throughout 2015 and they definitely made my makeup look amazing!! 

The two are MAC Lipsticks, if you read my MAC Lipstick Collection you will know that I do have a few lipsticks from MAC. However I have picked out two of my favourites which I feel like I wore pretty much most of the time!! Those two are Velvet Teddy and Pink Plaid. They are both matte and what I love about them is their not drying on the lips and they are super pigmented!!

So those were my 2015 Makeup Favourites, I really enjoyed writing this post and I do kind of want to do these monthly, but what do you think? Also don't forget to check out Hannah's post and leave her a nice comment!!