I had never really tried an eyebrow definer before, so in the name of all things research, I went out and got myself one.

When I went out looking for one I wanted something cheap, drugstore that worked well, and being that I had no idea what I was looking for it was a bit of a challenge.

I took myself along to boots and ummed and ahhed over the different brands and where would be a good place to start… which turned out not to be quite so hard, as I found only two brands (Natural Collection and Collection 2000) actually did Eye Brow Pencils, so it was been those, and in the end I went for the Collection 2000 one because NaturalCollectionhad run out of black.

I was actually pretty shocked to find out that drugstore make up-wise there is hardly any brands currently selling Eye Brow liners.

Anyway, I took myself home with my new Eye Brow Pencil…and then didn’t use it for about 2 weeks. I was going out one evening and decided to give it a go, and from the moment I tried it out, I was hooked!

Its really easy to use, the pencil is really soft and very easy to blend. It gives a great coverage for those of you who use it because of sparse brows, and gives great colour too.

All round a great product that I am going to use time and time again!

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Usually, where concealers are concerned, I find one I love and run it into the ground (then to find that its been discontinued and can never have it again).

Recently, I’ve been trying out a wide range of different things, not only in concealers but other make up products too, not to waste my money but to find the best thing out there for what I need.

My chin is a problematic area for me. I suffer with a form of adult acne and every now and then it flares up to epic proportions, and when it does I need a concealer that will work.

My latest find is Rimmel’s Stay Matte Concealer which you can see pictured. What I love about this concealer is it’s a duo action stick. The creamy/yellow colour covers the blemish while the green treats the blemish, helping it heal that much faster.

I love this because its got great coverage and it really does help the blemish go down and heal!

If you suffer with breakouts and blemishes and want a concealer that not only covers, but heals too, then go for this. It comes highly recommended!

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When it comes to brushes, one of my most important criteria is to buy good quality. A good quality brush means good quality application, and with that comes a gorgeous make up application.

I am a great fan of Sigma make up brushes, they a great quality, and in my opinion are better than MAC brushes, so when the lovely people over at Sigma sent me one to try, how could I refuse?*

The E25 is a super soft blending brush.

Here is the quote from the official Sigma Beauty website:

Oval-shaped brush with gently chiseled sides. Blends and softens the look of powder or cream shadows. Ideal to apply eye shadow primer, base eye shadow colors, and blend harsh lines.

What I personally love about this brush is the shape, size and quality.

The oval shape makes it easy to use, easy to apply product with and easy to blend. The chiseled sides prevent any fall out and the brush itself covers just the right area.

The brush itself is soft, but not so soft that it becomes pointless.

What is also great about this brush is how comparable it is to the MAC 217. It is honestly a really great dupe.

So if you’re looking for a great brush, comparable to the “high end” brushes of MAC then I definitely suggest going with Sigma, and for just $10 I promise you, you won’t be disappointed!

*PR Sample received from Sigma Beauty

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If any of you have travelled by plane then you’ll know how dehydrating it can be travelling for so long, combined with the dry air onboard produced by the air conditioning, as well as travelling at altitude and the air being somewhat different. 

As an air hostess this was something I had to deal with on a daily basis and thought I would put together a little guide on how to keep yourself hydrated while flying.

Water:

One of the best things you can do to hydrate yourself is to drink enough water. That’s before your flight, during the flight and after the flight. Its important on the day of travel to make time to drink water, as its not always easy enough when you’re running about getting yourself ready for travel, but its really important for your body and your skin to make sure you are well hydrated before flying.

Its difficult these days with not being able to take drinks through security and rising prices airside, but if there is one thing you buy before getting on the plane, make it a bottle of water. Most airlines will either sell or provide water onboard too. 

And once you’ve landed, make sure you continue to hydrate yourself, to ward off any of the effects flying has had on your body.

Moisturising Cream:

To keep your skin hydrated when flying pack yourself a moisturiser. Nowdays you can only take on board liquids and creams if they are 100ml or less, but you can get plenty of travel sized products these days. A moisturiser will enable you to keep your skin hydrated on the plane.

Lip Balm: 

To keep your lips hydrated and to stop them cracking and splitting on the plane, choose a nice, hydrating lip balm, in particular one that is good for dry lips.

Eyes:

If you suffer from dry eyes, or you wear contact lenses then you might want to invest in some eye drops. These will moisten your eyes and if you are a contact lens wearer they will really help. Lenses dry out really quickly on planes and it makes them harder and scratchy, and can really irritate your eyes. You might also want to take a spare pair on lenses just in case they become too unbearable.

I hope that helps! Happy Travel!

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Over the years I have often had many questions about becoming a blogger. The internet makes it so easy for you to have your say, document something and share your world with others.

As humans we're naturally interested in what other people are doing and the blogosphere is a great way to read about new topics, share others lives and get ideas to implement into your own life, whether it be a thought, a quote, a recipe or a DIY project.

I've put together a list of questions people have asked me over my years of being a blogger (and in the periods where I have taken time off) and I hope they will help someone, and inspire you to sit at your computer and start your own blog.

1. Why did you decide to become a blogger?

This is the most asked question, from people online and offline. I decided to become a blogger way back in 2006, it was the next logical step for me having spent a few years running and co-running forums, and meeting some wonderful friends, and getting engaged in good discussions. 

I had been online, reading blogs, viewing videos on youtube and decided that I wanted to start my very own beauty blog. It was slow going at first, social media wasn't what it is now, and soon enough my first blog "Beauty & the Make up Bag" was born. Soon enough I started getting regular views and comments, and the buzz kept me pushing for more. 

2. What was it like running a beauty blog?

My blog, Beauty Chic, was one of the hardest yet exciting times in blogging. After serveral years of running Beauty & the Make up bag I was finding it a challenge to blog, work full time and run a home, so I joined forces with my wonderful friend Ellie (from Ellie Squared) and Beauty Chic was born. It was easier with us both posting, 2 brains are always better than one.

3. How did you make a blog a success?

Now that is the million pound question. I firmly believe a good blog is friendly and approachable, makes you feel welcome, intrigued and desperate for more. But also, it doesn't have to be something you visit every day, every week or even every month. Its something thats there, and you can pop in and out when you are free.

I was lucky with Beauty Chic, we had an amazing run with an incredible amount of support; 2.4 Million hits, 56,000 unique views and over 15,000 subscribers. The support for Beauty Chic and the interact was amazing. It was a brilliant time of my life, but as all good things it had to come to an end.

4. Why did you stop blogging about Beauty?

The honest answer? I had nothing left to say. Don't get me wrong, I love beauty products and fashion and everything inbetween, but I started finding it hard to blog about it all the time. I wanted more variety and I wanted to be able to write about things I wanted to write about outside the niche, I wanted to write about things I was passionate about.

I also wanted a break, I had been blogging since 2006 (Its was 2012 by this point) and I needed some time off to relax and recuperate. We both needed time off, had our offline lives to focus on and things to be getting on with.

As you can see, Beauty Chic was incredibly successful, but for us, it was time to let it go.

5. How can I make my blog a success?

The honest answer is really hard work. You start from nowhere and you have to just keep going, even when it feels like you're just writing to yourself, keep going. Its not easy and you'll feel like giving up. Don't! If you work hard, persevere and keep producing top notch content it will all come good.

If you have a blog and are looking for exposure, why don't you join the Love, Amybecca Bloghop, you might even find some great new blogs to follow too.

6. What was it like starting over?

Starting over was exciting. I had nothing, no readership, no followers, nothing, but I was still excited to be back blogging and writing about what I wanted. It wasn't something I was used to having built up beauty chic into a successful blog with a strong readership. 

This blog is my baby, I love the freedom I have to blog about whatever I want, from crafts to food recipes, controversial topics to lipsticks. If I want to blog about it, I can.

Starting from the bottom isn't easy, and all the hard work from Beauty Chic is flooding back. But I love it, if you ever see me out and about, the minute I sit down I will either be writing blog posts in my notebook or tweeting my latest article.

I have never felt more alive with my blogging and never so excited about the future.

7. How has your blogging changed over the years?

I think its been a natural progression as I have grown up. I started blogging fresh out of University, a young women with no idea about the world. Now I like to think in 7 years I am slightly older and a bit more wise, and I think that is reflected in my writing.

My life is also a lot different than it was, I am getting older and my own perceptions of my own life have changed. Things that were important to me when I was 21 no longer are, and in their place others have grown. Its exciting, as I feel like I am right at the very beginning of a new chapter.

8. Is it hard work?

Yes, incredibly hard work in the sense that if you're anything like me 99.9% of your time your mind is on your blog. Its frustrating being at work and having great ideas and not being able to get them down. Like I said earlier, blogging is hard work but equally its rewarding. And its so rewarding you don't even realise you're working hard because you love it so much.

9. What would you say is the hardest part about blogging?

Writers Block. No joke, or maybe we should call it Bloggers block. If you're a blogger you have been there, you're sitting infront of your computer, new post page layed out before you..but its blank. You sort of have a title and you vaguely know where you want the post to go, but nothing comes out. Also, I work my day job, co-run a craft business & blog (so yes, even more blogging!) so sometimes getting the time is tough.

10. Where do you see your blog in the future?

I just want to keep doing what I am doing, build up the blog, network, meet new people and if I can be even half as successful as Beauty Chic was, then I will be a very happy woman.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog post. If you have any questions, tweet me @LoveAmybecca or leave me a comment and maybe your question will be featured next time :)

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I am a huge fan of anything Urban Decay so you can imagine how well an Urban Decay Palette went down!

I managed to pick this up a couple of years ago, so I’ve had a great deal of time to try it out and give you a full review on this!

The palette comes in a purple box, with a lift up top (which has a little pop up woodland scene & a mirror), and a draw in the front. Its from within the draw that the Eye Shadows, Primer potion & two brushes are stored.

You are given two brushes, one quite fluffy and one more smaller and narrow, and of course apart from the Eye Shadows the piece de resistance is the Urban Decay Primer Potion. Not in its usual bottle, a smaller one (yet equally difficult to extract all of the product from!)

The Eye Shadows are something amazing, 16 very highly pigmented Eye Shadows in a vast array of colours, in two finishes: Shimmer & Glitter!

This is a great little palette for trying out bright and vibrant looks, whether using one colour, two or even several. With a choice this wide you really can make any look you desire!

The Eye Shadows are bright, long lasting and stay on your eyes all day without dropping, with the help of the Primer Potion.

I think this is an awesome palette from Urban Decay. Its designed wonderfully and its beautiful to look at. The colours are great, with a wide assortment and the pigment is great. I thoroughly recommend this palette for first timers and old timers alike. There is nothing no not love about this palette, you really can glam it up to the max!

(Originally written by me for Daily Online in 2012)

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We pay close attention to dates on our food, not daring to buy something if its even 5 minutes out of date, so why don’t we apply the same logic when it comes to our make up?

We’re all guilty of it, keeping products way longer than we should have, some of you might not even be aware that make up has a ‘date’ on it. But by not getting rid of products when they are out of date we’re all risking skin complaints from bacteria forming in our products.

Sounds gross doesn’t it? Maybe it might be time for us all to have a bit of a clear out…

Mascara & Liquid Liner: This is probably one of the few make up truths you will have heard about, your mascara and liquid liner. Really you shouldn’t keep these for longer than 3-4 months, and this is because of the nature of the products. The brushes are dragged across your eyes and in and out of the bottle/pot. The simple pumping action you apply to your bottle of mascara really does push bacteria down in the product with every pump…this is then transferred to your eyes.

Liquid Foundation: Liquid foundation usually has a life span of around 2 years, however if your bottle has a pump dispenser be sure to keep this clean to avoid any bacteria forming around this area. Because this product is water based this draws bacteria to it. Another thing, keep an eye out for a change in colour or scent, as this can mean the product has gone off.

Powder Foundation: This has a life span of 2 years.

Eye Shadow: Eye Shadow is probably something we all keep in our collections for the longest of times, but did you know that Eye Shadow should only really be kept for 3 months. There is a high risk of bacteria transfer between the product and your eyes.

Lipstick: Lipstick is one of those products that really you can tell when it is past its prime because it will go hard, but this should be no longer than two years. Its harder for bacteria to grow on lipstick as it has no water content.

I hope that was helpful to you guys, 

Thanks for reading!

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For the longest time I have wanted to try out fake eye lashes, but I never quite got round to it for a number of reasons.

The first being that although I like to play with my eye make up, I do like to keep the rest of my look looking as natural as possible, so fake eye lashes never really appealed that much.

Another reason that I didn’t really want to try false lashes was that I wasn’t so keen on putting glue that close to my eyes.

However, one day I was out shopping and I fancied a bit more of a dramatic look when I was out that evening, so I had a look about. I had seen the Girls Aloud lashes before when I had been out and about before, and I decided to have another look.

I picked up the style by Nicola Roberts, they were the most natural looking ones I could find, as the other four looked pretty obviously fake.

The eye lashes themselves do look pretty natural. I trimmed the outer edge down to fit my eyes, and also to make them look even more natural as they are larger on the out edge.

The glue is very easy to apply to the lashes, with a shaped application which makes it very easy to apply.

You then leave the glue on the lash for 30 seconds, until the glue is tacky and then apply as close to your natural lash line as possible.

I was very impressed with these lashes, the ones I got were pretty natural looking, blended in great with my own lashes (which I gave a coat of mascara in order to help them blend in). They didn’t move all night and the glue held them in place perfectly. Removal was easy (all you need to do is hold you eye taut and then gently pull the lashes and they easily come away.

All in all I really liked these lashes and would definitely purchase them again.
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If you’re looking for a great shampoo and conditioner, then look no further.

I have been a great fan of Schwarzkopf for quite a few years, but its only recently that I have gone back to it.

I never stopped using it because I didn’t like it anymore, or because it stopped doing its job, I just fancied trying out another brand. But I have finally found my way back!

If you want a great smelling shampoo & conditioner (Coconut & Yogurt), a great shampoo & conditioner that really does its job and for a fraction of the price of other brands (Just £1.00 in Savers!!) then give this a try!
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