Remembering 2016

I feel like 2016 was a tough year on us all. I know personally, it was probably one of the hardest years of my life. 

The US and Britain both made huge changes that will affect the rest of the world, there were mass shootings and continuing conflicts in Syria, many beloved celebrities passed as well as a gorilla the world still seems to be mourning. It seems hatred and vitriol have become common in our everyday discourse and the media promotes stories that fill us with anxiety and pessimism. While I will be happy to see 2016 end, I want to go out on a good note by remembering all the wonderful and exciting things that happened this year, both personally and publicly.

Thesis!

I finished my Sociology Honours thesis earlier this year. A huge accomplishment and something I'm really proud of.

Gilmore Girls!

One of the best TV show ever returned this year with 4 new episodes. We got to spend 360 more minutes in Stars Hollow and regardless of what you thought of those final four words, we should be thankful for being allowed back into the Gilmore's universe.

Graduations!

My bestie graduated and became a Registered Massage Therapist and finally got to start her career and I couldn't be more proud of her! I was also supposed to be finished my undergrad degree this December, but due to a situation out of my control, I'll now finish in early January instead. Close enough though right.

More Harry Potter! So Much More!

I grew up with Harry Potter. From the time I was 6, those books have been in my life. I was one of those obsessed kids dressing up for the movies and going to midnight releases. Well 2016 brought us both the release of the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. What more could a Potter fan want!

First Real Job!

I got my first job related to my field of study this year and it helped open up doors for my future, my grad program, as well as gave me lots of experience and confidence that this is what I want to do with my life.

New Music!

My favourite artist George Watsky released a new album this summer which I have been listening to non-stop ever since. X infinity is really great and I would suggest everyone go give it a listen. Also Beyoncé released her album Lemonade.

John frickin Scott!

I expect this one will fly past a lot of you but if you watch the NHL (hockey) you'll have heard about John Scott and the All-Star Game controversy that started off our crazy 2016. John Scott has been one of my favourite players since he was a Chicago Blackhawk in 2010. Well for me, seeing John Scott lifted up by his teammates after being named the game's MVP was one of the highlights of my year. His story is one that brings me so much joy, I would encourage everyone to go give it a read. He also has a new memoir out and it's on my wish list.

These have been some of the highlights of my year. It felt really nice to think about the positives that came out of this year. I highly suggest everyone take a few minutes to think of the good 2016 has brought them.

What were your best moments of 2016?

I'll leave you with a picture of a puppy.

Digby: 2004-2016

2017 will be better my friends,

Love, Meggy ♡

How I did my Makeup in High School

Doing a post like this has been on my list for a while and now it's a really popular youtube tag. I have always had an interest in makeup but like a lot of young girls, I didn't have the budget or the skills to ensure my makeup looked good.
In high school I mostly wore eyeshadow. I only wore concealer under my eyes and rarely ever wore foundation. I hated lip gloss and lipstick and I didn't start doing my brows until a few years ago. I didn't understand bronzer, had never heard of highlighter and thought my cheeks were naturally too rosy to wear blush. Below, I recreated my three most worn makeup looks from High School. I tried to copy the technique (or lack of technique) that I used to apply my makeup.

Grade 9

 

Annabelle Eyeshadow Duo in Kir Royal and Black Revlon Eyeliner
It was my first year in high school and I wanted to look super grown up so what did I do? That's right, I went heavy on the black liner. I would actually line my lower lashes (not the waterline), then use makeup remover to remove it leaving only a very thin line right at my lashes.

Grade 10 & 11

Claire's Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette with Lancome Eyeliner in Black Coffee
I got super into the shimmers in the middle of high school but I tamed it down with the brown liner. I didn't know how to blend and I used a very shimmery, white highlight on my brow bone. These eyeshadow came in a rainbow palette with 48 shadows. I'm just thankful I went for the neutral shades and not the bright blues.

Grade 12

Clinique Colour Surge Eyeshadow Trio in Posh Squash, Spicy and Champagne with Lancome Eyeliner in Black Coffee
My makeup was getting to be better quality once I hit my last year of High School. Believe it or not this was actually the look I wore to my grad dance with bright red lipstick.

While I'm not exactly embarrassed with my High School makeup, I'm very thankful my beauty skills have improved.

What style of makeup did you go for in High School?

Why I Love Makeup

We're all here because we love makeup. I mean you're reading a beauty blog so I can only assume you share my love for makeup. I thought it was time to explain why I love it!

Makeup is good for making you feel more beautiful and more confident but, to be honest, I have become completely comfortable going out with no makeup at all. The reason I love makeup is for the creativity. I love playing with new products and experimenting with colours, especially when it comes to eyeshadow. For me, makeup is art. To save myself from becoming really cheesy, I thought I would just leave a few of my more artistic eyeshadow looks. I don't believe I'm the best at doing makeup but it's fun and it allows me to use my imagination.

I was inspired by the colours in this photo I took of the bleeding heart flowers in my backyard. I wanted to do an eyeshadow look that incorporated the pinks and greens.

I used Jade from Lorac in the outer corner, the Green Lid shade from Wet and Wild Comfort Zone and Posh from Smashbox on the inner half.

If you follow me on my Instagram you'll have probably seen this Earth Day inspired eyeshadow look.

The name and brand of the palette I used rubbed off, sorry! It was nothing special though. Any blues and greens would do. 

I love makeup because it allows me to be creative and artistic. 

Why do you love Makeup?

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?

I owe you an Explanation (and upcoming Giveaway info!)

To my Followers,

I'm not sure if any of you have noticed but I have not posted much this month. I want to explain why and how that will affect my blog going forward. This is more of a personal blog post so if you're not interested in what's happening with me and my blog you can skip to the end where I have information about future giveaways.

First off a little about me. I haven't shared much of my personal history on my blog because I like to keep it all about makeup and beauty so for those of you who don't know, I'm currently in my 4th year of University. I'm doing my honours degree (pre-masters) in Sociology and this year I am working on my thesis which is a 40-50 page paper I need to complete to graduate. That being said, I am extremely busy and totally overwhelmed. I have also had a few personal and academic setbacks in that I was not getting along with my thesis advisor. All this is to say, my blog has kind of been put on the back burner which I feel terrible about.

I love my blog, I love posting twice a week, Mondays and Wednesdays, and I love coming up with new blog post ideas. I am just finding myself without the time to be able to commit to making good posts. But no worries, Makeup By Meggy is not going anywhere! Whenever I find the time I will try to post, it just won't be as consistent as it used to be. Once my thesis is done it will be back to posting like normal. I would greatly appreciate your patience with me as I try to balance school and my blog.

Giveaways!

I will be doing a giveaway at the end of April (my thesis is due April 7!) to thank everyone for continuing to follow my blog as it goes through this little rough patch. I haven't bought the item yet (I have a few ideas) but if you have any suggestions I would be glad to hear them.

I am also still doing a giveaway as soon as I reach 300 followers on Bloglovin. (As a side note I'm also following back everyone who follows me on Bloglovin). That's TWO GIVEAWAYS! So make sure you and all your friends are following so we can reach that 300 mark. You can follow me here or by clicking the heart button on my sidebar.

Thanks guys!

XO Meggy

A Christmassy Home Tour

Welcome to the 12 Days of Blogmas - Day 10

I just wanted to do a quick Christmassy Home tour as we have finally put up all of our decorations. I'm the most pleased with our tree. I think it's the prettiest tree we've ever had. So keep reading if you're feeling a little nosy and want to see how my family decorates for Christmas.

Our tree is a real Scotch Pine with the most beautiful twinkly lights. We went for a gold and red theme this year.

Literally the Best Christmas candle in existence. It's from a brand called Crossroads and it's the Buttered Maple Syrup scent.

 I hope you've enjoyed this look into my Christmassy home. 

How excited are you for Christmas? 

Remember to come back tomorrow for more of the 12 Days of Blogmas!

Autumn Tag

I've seen a few Autumn tags floating around lately so I thought I would take some of my favourite questions from each and answer them myself. I live in Canada where we use the terms Autumn and Fall interchangeability so you can expect to see some of that. We also have both Thanksgiving and Halloween in the month of October. I also thought this would be a good chance to display some of my favourite pictures I've taken this autumn.

Favourite Seasonal Drink
My all time favourite cold weather drink is a Green Tea Latte but just this year I had my first Pumpkin Spice Latte (I know, I'm really late to the party) I have to say I wasn't disappointed.

Favourite Autumn Accessories
I really like scarves although to be honest I try and stay away from accessories until the snow flies. Once winter hits you can't go anywhere without the full getup - hat, mitts, scarf, boots.

Favourite Halloween Movie
When I was younger I was obsessed with the Halloweentown movies but I'd have to say my current favourite is The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Favourite Fall Sweater
I have 4 sweaters that I am absolutely obsessed with from Anthropologie. But I have to say my favourite is this fuzzy pajama sweater that's so warm and cozy, it feels like you're always receiving a big hug.

Favourite Fall Food
We just had Thanksgiving this past weekend so I'd probably have to say Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie.

Favourite Autumn Scent to burn
My current favourite candle is pumpkin maple scented and it's quite possibly the nicest thing I've ever smelled.

Favourite Fall Decor
I love lots of nicely lit candles and colorful leafy decorations.

What do you love most about Autumn?
I love when the leaves change colours before they fall. I love when the weather changes and it's not too hot and not too cold. I love the sound of crunching leaves as you walk.

Favourite Autumn Makeup look
I usually starting wearing darker makeup looks in the fall. I love wearing red/berry lips (check out my most recent post here for some of my favourites). I also tend to wear more brown eyeshadow. And usually I'll start wearing a heavier foundation than in the summer.

What would be considered typical fall weather where you live?
Fall is usually nice in the part of Canada where I live. Days average about 11 degrees Celsius but can be warmer or colder. Usually there isn't snow until November but I have had some Halloweens in the past where I was trekking through the snow to trick-or-treat.

I tag everyone of you to answer these questions! Let me know in the comments if you do the tag.

Room Tour

This is a very different style post for my blog. Until now my blog has been almost exclusively makeup and beauty, and I will continue to post mostly makeup or beauty content but I thought I would also branch out a little so a few times a month you might find a non-beauty post.

I love decorating and I am very happy with my room at the moment so I thought I would share a few of my favourite parts.

The colour theme for my room includes purples, lime green and grey as displayed by my curtains (Ikea)

The flower twinkle lights on my very purple bed - they're not plugged in so it's safe

My bedroom light is this beautiful chandelier from Ikea

My bed side table with my beautiful lamp

My makeup vanity

We've now finished the tour of my main room, now onto my sun-room which is adjacent to my bedroom.

I have a map with pins showing where I've been and where I want to go

My inspirational Disney quote

My big bookshelf - sorry it's so unorganized and messy!

My smaller hidden bookshelf (My dad actually made this bookshelf for me) and butterfly ceiling decal 

My couch-  perfect for snuggling up with a book (or textbook ugh!)

I hope you've enjoyed this small tour around my room! 

There are many things missing which may mean a Room Tour pt.2 in the future (feat. my desk, dresser, canopy bed etc.). Let me know if you want any more information on any of the items I've shown.

Do you have any favourite items in your room?

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What's in my Bag

I can't believe I've never done a 'What's in my Bag' post before!

My bag is from the brand Melie Bianco. It has a removable chain strap and a top handle. I love this bag especially because it's small and compact, limiting the stuff I can fill it with. It also makes it easy to find everything. 

My bag just has one big compartment and a tiny zip pocket. I've had the bag for quite a few years so I don't think it's still available but others like it can be found on meliebianco.com.

In my bag I keep:

 My Wallet which is from the brand Relic 

Bath & Body Works Strawberry Hibiscus Hand Sanitizer  

An extra pair of Contact Lenses 

My Rose Gold Ear Buds

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey

E.O.S Hand Cream

Elizabeth and James Nirvana White Rollerball

My iPhone 

A cute pill box to keep Tylenol and Aleve

I hope you've enjoyed a peak into my bag. What are some of your handbag essentials?

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What I got for My 21st Birthday

 I was very lucky this year and I got a lot of really nice gifts. Because we have just come back from the UK, many of my gifts come from England.

I got this beautiful heart necklace from The Red Gecko in Brighton.

I also got the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow Palette which I have wanted forever.

 From my best friend I got these 3 cute "good luck" bracelets. They come from a store in Banff.

 My big present this year was another lens for my camera. I have a Nikon D3100 which I use for all the pictures on my blog as well as other photography. The new lens I've got is for close up photography (which is my preferred style). It's an AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR for those wondering and I'm very happy with it!

As well as my new lens, I also got a beautiful London themed cosmetic bag from Milly Green.

From my brother I got a Rexall Gift card which will be put to good use buying makeup.

My final gift makes the 11 year old girl in me so excited. Growing up I was the biggest Harry Potter fan so on our trip we went to the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour and in the gift shop there were the wands of all the characters. While there, I made mention to my mom that I would have died if I had a Hermione wand when I was younger. She sneakily picked one up for me and I couldn't have been more surprised when I opened my gifts. I'm very happy to have my own Harry Potter wand, even if my Harry Potter obsession has died down a little (but only a little).

I hope you like this Birthday post. I was very lucky this year. As always with posts like these I am not trying to brag, just indulging all the nosy blog readers like me out there who like to see what others got for their Birthday :)