125. Guest Post // Everyday Eye Shadows

Hi everyone, I am Emily Napier, I have a little beauty blog over at What Beauty Taught, and can more often than not be found tweeting over on What Beauty Taught.  I have been allowed by Becci (very brave of her!) to guest post today to chat about my favourite eye shadows.

I have to say I'm a little lazy when it comes to applying eye shadow on a day to day basis, sleeping is just way more appealing! But on those days where a fancy looking a bit more presentable and ladylike, I always opt for neutral tones for an effortless yet polished look. And these are the ones I reach for...

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Gel Eyeshadow - 35 On and On Bronze and 70 Metallic Pomegranate.

These are my ultimate favourite Eye shadows of all time. Seriously, these have incredible staying power, great colour pay off and are a perfect base if you want to pack on more products for a more intense look. Metallic Pomegranate is a gorgeous deep purple colour with a slight gold shimmer running through it and On and On bronze is almost taupe, making it so versatile and wearable. The cream consistency makes these effortless to apply and blend - fool proof. If you don't have these already, what are you waiting for?

MAC Eye Shadow in Woodwinked

An intense copper, bronze which is highly pigmented and blends like a dream. For day time I only put on a very small amount and blend it out with a brush to make it look more sheer. I usually put MAC Pro Long Wear Paint Pot in the shadow Painterly underneath as it is a neutral base that holds product amazingly, but you could even put Maybelline colour tattoo underneath for more impact. 

Oriflame The ONE Colour Impact Cream Eyeshadow in Beige Pearl

I was lucky enough to win this through a Twitter competition about month ago and it has become a staple of mine when I want a really subtle, light look. I would say this is more pale pink than beige and it has a slight silver iridescence when the light hits it. The cream consistency makes it super easy to apply with your fingers and lasts rather well too (not as good as Maybelline but what is??) Perfect for that spring/summer freshness without  the effort.

MUA Professional Eyeshadow Palette - Heaven and Earth

In this palette you get 12 neutral shimmery shades ranging from pale pink which are great for inner corner highlighting, coppers for defining the crease and dark browns for all out smoke! The shades blend well together meaning you never have to create the same look twice (unless you want to of course!). I would suggest putting an eye primer underneath as they don't have great stay power on their own. Nevertheless, at £4 for 12 shades, who can complain?

124. Lifestyle // Teapigs Chai Tea

It's a common notion that 'bloggers love tea.' When browsing bloggers Twitter feeds, Facebook pages and their 'About Me' sections, 'tea' is almost guaranteed to pop up at least once. Tea is relaxing, soothing, tasty and comforting, so it's no wonder we're such big fans of it! 

Last week, I left my job as a Telesales Advisor for a local newspaper, after 11 months and my colleagues teamed together and surprised me with a lovely selection of gifts; from bits and pieces for my holiday, to delicious chocolate, a lovely bottle of cava and - of course - tea, one of which was Teapigs Chai Tea.

I'm a huge fan of Chai tea, I've even blogged my own recipe for how to make it yourself! So I was really excited to get brewing and give it a go as I'd only ever tried their Chilli Chai before and, unfortunately, didn't let it brew long enough. Cue sad-face.

My packet of Chai, which retails for £3.99, contained 15 tea temples. Tea temples? Yeah, I know.. I was a bit unsure too, but Teapigs' packaging reassured me that a tea temple "allows maximum room for perfect infusion," making it even better than a standard tea-bag plus they're biodegradable too, woo-hoo!

So far, I'm yet to try this Chai in the form of a latte but I left my Chai to brew for 5 minutes (they recommend at least 3) and then added a dash of milk and half a teaspoon of sugar, to add a little sweetness, and boy, was I impressed?!

The scent was strong but not overpowering; the cinnammon was warming whilst the cardamon and ginger added an extra kick. The flavour was much the same; it wasn't too strong, it was spicy, smooth and just rich enough, making it the perfect tea with just that little bit of vibrancy thrown in for good measure.

If you're a lover of a good cuppa, or like that little bit of spice in your drinks, then I'd really recommend trying Teapigs Chai tea, it's gorgeous and available to buy here. 

123. Lifestyle // Tributes

Last week, I lost my Grandad to cancer. It had been a long illness but one that seemed to make very little difference to his quality of life, or how healthy he looked, until the end when things deteriorated rapidly. Faster than I'd ever have imagined. 

Just over a month after I saw my Grandad for the last time, he passed away, peacefully in his sleep, in the same house as he was born, with his wife and two children comforting him. 

The point of this post, however, is not that I have lost someone, but the impact that it has had on my philosophy on life.

Instead of a funeral, my Grandma decided we should hold a Thanksgiving service to celebrate his life, rather than mourn his death. This was held on Friday afternoon, several hours after the burial, and it left me feeling incredibly inspired.

So, why? Well, my Grandad was an amazing man. He traveled the world, he had a long and loving marriage, he built a successful career for himself, he had many passions, he had hundreds of friends from across the globe and he one hundred percent made the most of his life. He loved, respected and cherished life. 

The incredible turnout for his Thanksgiving service and the beautiful words his friends, family and colleagues had to say about him, amazed me. I had known that he was well liked and knew many people, but to hear that he had influenced or enriched so many peoples lives really moved me.

I truly believe that sometimes something tragic has to happen in order for you to discover something more positive. Whether that be a thunderstorm which produces a rainbow, or a death that produces a new lust for life. Something that makes you appreciate what you have, and what you could have if you try hard enough.

This loss has truly inspired me to make the most of my time on Earth, to stop wishing my life away and dreaming of what could have been, and instead making damn sure it happens.

Life is short and it is precious.

I want to be sure that I have helped and loved. 
I want to have experienced things I could never even dream of.
I want to have changed things for the better.
I want to have learnt to love myself, so that I can truly love life. 
I want to have been successful, whether that be through work, love or family. 

Above all, I want to create a life that I am proud of. 

Even if I'm just half as proud of my life, achievements and experiences, as I am of my Grandad's then I know it'll be a worthwhile existence.