Blogging Tips

My Blog just celebrated it's second Birthday so I thought I would share some tips I've learned in the 2 years I've been blogging.

Website

• Get a good website template! A good template makes your blog look much more professional. If you're good with HTML and can make your own template, I'm envious. If you're more like me, then there are lots of good templates you can buy for your blog. I got mine from Etsy at this shop. You don't have to spend a lot of money and you can adapt your template to fit your blog. 
• Driving traffic to your blog is made so much easier with the use of Social Media. I use both Twitter and Instagram to promote my blog posts and since I started doing that my traffic has increased drastically. Use hashtags such as #bbloggers (if you're a beauty blogger) to expand your audience. You can follow me on both Twitter and Instagram @MakeupByMeggy.
• Speaking of Social Media, you can put buttons on your blog that link to your social media. While you can buy buttons on Etsy, I made my own for free. I got the buttons from this site where there are lots of other options and instructions on how to make them. Try out my buttons in the sidebar to follow me!

Photos

• Pictures are one of the most important parts of any blog post. I'm not the best with photos, but I've learned some tips to make my pictures look better. Editing your photos is important. My favourite photo editing websites are Canva and PicMonkey. Canva is perfect for adding graphics or titles to pictures while I use PicMonkey mainly for a tool called teeth whiten which is great at making my pictures brighter and whiter.
• Another Important aspect is the background. Try to come up with your own style of background. I like backgrounds that are light and bright. I'll often have a candle or some sort of prop in the background.

1. Found Here. I used a sparkly silver feather from a craft store. 

2. Found Here. I used a magazine. 

3. Found Here. I used a variety of leaves in different fall colours. 

4. Found Here. I used tissue paper to make a colourful background.

Writing

• As important as good photos are to attract people to your post, good writing is probably the most important part of blogging. Try to find your own voice and your own style. Don't try to be something you're not by trying to sound like everyone else.
• Do it because you love it! If you're blogging for fame or fortune, it's going to be obvious to your readers. Having a love for what your doing will come out in your writing, will help ensure your content is good and that you remain committed to your blog overtime.
• Develop a schedule. It's good for your readers to know when to expect a post. I post every Monday and Wednesday and I rarely stray from that schedule without letting my readers know.

I hope these tips have helped you with your own blogging, encouraged you to start your own blog, or taught you something new.
Do you have any Blogging Tips to share?

Items You Need for an Easier Beauty Routine!

 Most of my posts are focused on makeup or beauty products, but I thought I should show some love to the everyday items that make my beauty routine easier. These are pretty universal products as most are really easy/cheap to get a hold of.

Hair Bun Holder- I'll start with items I use to clean my brushes. It may seem strange, but a hair bun holder is your best friend when it comes to changing shades while using the same brush. With just a few swirls of your brush on the hair bun you can remove any power product from your brush. That way you can change the colour of your shadows while still using the same brush. It works like magic and as long as you're gentle (as you always should be when cleaning your brushes!) there's no damage to you brush. Plus a bun holder is very inexpensive.

Daily Brush Cleaner- When you want a better clean for your brush or if you have a brush you've been using for a cream product, you'll need something a little stronger. This is where a liquid spot cleaner is important. With just a spritz on your brush and some (gentle) rubbing on a cotton pad, your brush can look like new again. However it does take some time to dry which is why it's not ideal to use when applying your makeup. I use the Sephora Brand Daily Makeup Bush Cleaner.

Dove Soap- Finally, every few weeks your brushes need a deep clean. For this I love using Dove Baby Wash and Shampoo because it's super gentle on my brushes and it leaves them really clean. (Let me know if you would be interested in an entire post on how I clean my brushes).

Tweezers- There are so many uses for tweezers from plucking stray hairs to applying false lashes, tweezers are a must in anyone's beauty arsenal. 

Cotton Buds- These are perfect for fixing any smudges and dipped in makeup remover they can remove mistakes and even help sharpen the edge of your fierce eyeliner flick.

Cotton Pads- From removing makeup, nail polish or cleaning brushes, I don't know how I would do my makeup without these cotton pads. My favourites are the Large Square Cotton Pads from Quo. They're soft but they don't fall apart on me.

Hair Clip- If you have long hair or bangs, a clip will help keep your hair out of your face when you're doing your makeup. With foundation especially, you want to blend into your hairline to make sure you avoid that pesky foundation line so I find clipping my hair back really helps with this.

Nothing I mentioned in this post was over $11 and everything should be fairly accessible. I hope this post has helped provide you with some ideas on how to make your makeup routine easier. 

How to make your Lipstick Last

Welcome to the 12 Days of Blogmas - Day 5

I love wearing bright red lipstick during the holidays but I hate how high maintenance it is. I don't want to be worrying about if my lipstick has smudged all over my face or whether it's faded, so I thought I would share my best tips to make your lipstick last all night, including through those delicious holiday dinners. I did this trick last Christmas and my lipstick looked great all night!

So what you'll need is your favourite lipstick, some tissue, a powder brush and some translucent loose powder.

Start by applying your lipstick like normal. Then take your tissue and place it over your lips. This actually works better if you use thinner tissues (2ply or less). Then take a decent amount of powder on your brush and brush that over your lips. This will set the lipstick in place and make it last all day. You can also use this method to make any lipstick matte. A word of warning, this will dry out your lips a little.

Hopefully this tip helps you keep your lipstick looking great this holiday season! Remember to come back tomorrow for more of the 12 Day of Blogmas!

Top 10 Makeup Tips

A lot of my posts are geared towards those who have as big of an obsession with makeup as I do, but I tend to forget that not all that long ago I was just a makeup newbie. I decided to compile a list of the top makeup tips that I have learned since getting into makeup. So whether makeup is your life or you're just getting started, hopefully there will be some tips here that can help you.

1. Apply foundation in downward strokes- If you're using a brush to apply your foundation make sure to always brush downwards. This will allow for a more flawless finish. Everyone has tiny hairs on their face and when you brush upward you are upsetting those hairs. By brushing downward you are keeping the hairs in their place and creating a more flawless application. This is also a great tip for anyone who is dealing with dry skin and foundation that sticks to your dry patches. 
2. Always blend your foundation down your neck- You can end up with an unflattering foundation line if you stop applying foundation at your chin. So when you're applying your foundation, just bring it down you neck a little. To make the line even more seamless, when buying foundation you should be trying to match your foundation shade to your neck and not your face.
3. Brows are the most important part of your routine, they deserve attention- It took me a really long time to buy into the whole brow thing but now that I have I can't believe I ever went without doing them. It's true what they say brows frame your whole face. They really make the biggest difference to how your makeup looks. If you are feeling at all uncomfortable, you can leave the plucking and shaping to the professionals but having a good everyday brow routine is important.
4. Blend, Blend, Blend- The key to every makeup look is blending. Whether it's eyeshadow, foundation or contour, blending is going to make the biggest different to flawless looking makeup. If you are having trouble making your eyeshadow look like the tutorials on YouTube, chances are you just need to spend more time blending. You can also fix lots of powder makeup mistake by just blending it out.
5. Remove all your makeup at night- Your skin rejuvenates and repairs itself while you sleep and it cannot do that properly if it's covered in makeup and bacteria from the day before. Whether it's makeup wipes, a micellaier water or a full face wash, removing your makeup each night will greatly improve your skin.
6. That little open jar tells you when your makeup expires- Most makeup will tell you right on it how long it will last. I know I was shocked when I learned that the little open jar picture on products (also known as a Period After Opening symbol) tells you how many months the product will last . Powders will usually last longer than cream products. With some products (such as some powders) you can get away with using them longer, but anything that goes near your eyes (such as mascara) or lips (such as lipstick) should be tossed after they expire.

   

   Examples of  PAO symbols on products 

7. Clean your brushes regularly- Brushes can be the handiest tools in your makeup arsenal but if they're really dirty they're going to do more harm than good. Dirty brushes are going to give a streaky application and they hold bacteria that can make you breakout. On that note, never blow on your brushes. Tap to get extra product off, as blowing puts bacteria on your brush. Even if they're only your germs, it can still cause breakouts.
8. Use the right contour shade for your skintone- This is possibly the most perpetuated beauty mistake. I used to think bronzers could be used to contour with and I know a lot of people still believe this. Contours and bronzers have very different functions. When contouring you are creating a shadow and therefore matte, grey toned powders will work best. Bronzers warm up the skin and go where the sun would normally hit. They are often more orange toned and can have shimmer.
9. Invest in Skincare - It took me a while to get on board with this one because skincare isn't nearly as fun to buy as makeup. But makeup applies better and looks more flawless when your skin is well taken care of. You don't need to buy the most expensive skincare products, just pay attention to what you're putting on your face. 
10. Use your mascara to get a false lash effect- There are lots of techniques out there that tell you how to apply mascara but this is the technique that works best for me, regardless of the mascara. First coat the underside of you lashes using a wiggly motion starting at the root, then go back and coat the top of your lashes making sure to get the ends. The go back and give it another coat like usual. I get asked if I'm wearing false lashes often and it's all down to this technique. 

I hope these tips were helpful. If you have any good makeup tips be sure to leave them in the comments!

Makeup Tips for Glasses Wearers

I wear glasses every single day. Unfortunately I don't have contacts yet so I'm stuck with glasses if I want to be able to see. I've come up with some tips for others who wear glasses.

1. Eyebrows- Glasses draw attention to your face so you want to make sure your brows are filled and neat. In my opinion this is the most important tip for glasses wearers.

2. Concealer- Glasses can cast a shadow and make your dark under eye circles appear even darker so a good under eye concealer or correcter is a must.

3. Eyeliner- Your prescription can make your eyes appear smaller if you are near-sighted like me. To draw attention to the eyes and make them look bigger I like to use heavy liner on top and a nude liner on the bottom.

4. Go Dramatic- This isn't so much of a tip as it is an upside of wearing glasses. Since your eyeshadow is hidden behind your glasses, you can get away with more dramatic makeup during the day without looking overdone.

5. Curl your Lashes- For me this is an important step. I have long lashes which is often considered a good thing but when your mascara is leaving streaks on your glasses it can become a pain. Curling your lashes doesn't just help your eyes look bigger it can keep the lashes off the lenses.

6. Invest in a Makeup Mirror- Lastly, something people who aren't near-sighted may not think of is the need to invest in a makeup mirror. I know I have trouble doing my makeup if I can't see myself clearly in the mirror and even though I have a vanity table, the mirror is too far away. Using a mirror that comes in a product can become a pain when you now only have one hand to do all your makeup (plus those mirrors are usually pretty tiny). So a makeup mirror is essential.

Here are how some of the tips look with glasses.

What are your tips for wearing makeup and glasses?

Tips for Looking More Awake - ❄ Blogmas

I know exams are coming up for a lot of people including me. That means cramming all night and not getting enough sleep. Here are the tricks I use to make myself look like I got a full night of sleep. It's really quick and easy because when you're that tired and that stressed, the last thing you want to do is spend an eternity on your makeup.

Undereye concealer is key here. I like to use use one with a salmon undertone to cancel out the blue. I also bring it in a triangle shape under my eye and blend out with a brush or my fingers. Applying a setting powder is optional. I find it makes my concealer last longer so I always use it.

Another important step is using a light eyeliner on my lower waterline. It cancels out the pink and makes you look more bright eyed.

Curling your lashes and applying mascara also help to make your eyes look bigger and more awake.

Finally I like to add a little bit of a highlight to my inner corner. I find this makes the biggest difference to making me look more awake. I like the Infallible Eyeshadow in Time Resist White from L'Oreal because it's staying power is amazing and it's super brightening.

I used these tricks on one eye and nothing on the other eye to show the difference it makes.