Monday 24 December 2018

DAY 24: 50 BLOGMAS IDEAS



Well hello there!
For my last post for Blogmas this year I thought I would share 50 Blogmas ideas if you was thinking about doing this next year. I can't believe Blogmas is over, this has been really difficult and slightly stressful but it has been so worth it. I hope you have enjoyed all of the content I have put out this month. You can read them all here. I am going to be giving myself a break from blogging for the rest of December and I will come back in January with a brand new post! 

1) Christmas Gifts For Her
2) Christmas Gifts for Him
3) Favourite Christmas Songs
4) Favourite Christmas Films
5) New Years Resolutions
6) Christmas Makeup Look
7) New Years Eve Makeup Look
8) Christmas Wish List
9) Christmas Makeup Gift Sets
10) Christmas Skincare Gift Sets
11) Christmas Perfume Gift Sets
12) Beauty Advent Calendars
13) Stocking Filler Ideas
14) Christmas Giveaway
15) The Christmas Tag
16) Christmas Food Recipe
17) Product Review
18) The Winter Tag
19) November Favourites
20) Christmas Jumper Day Ideas
21) Affordable Red Lips
22) Winter Skincare Routine
23) Christmas Aftershave Gift Sets
24) Christmas Decorations Haul
25) Festive Candles
26) Festive Nail Ideas
27) Secret Santa Ideas
28) Work Christmas Party Outfit Ideas
29) New Years Eve Outfit Ideas
30) DIY Christmas Cards
31) Christmas Day Outfit
32) Collab with Other Blogger
33) Your Christmas Day Plans
34) Festive Snack Ideas
35) Reflecting on Goals for This Year
36) Goals for Next Year
37) Favourite Beauty Products from This Year
38) Christmas Cocktails
39) DIY Christmas Gifts
40) Things I Love About Christmas
41) Favourite Childhood Christmas Memory
42) Christmas Tree Reveal
43) Christmas Eve Traditions
44) Favourite Christmas Jokes
45) What is the Best Christmas Gift You Have Ever Received?
46) Christmas Bucket List
47) A Christmas Playlist 
48) Essentials for Winter
49) What Did I Learn This Year
50) and of course... 50 Blogmas Ideas

So that is 50 Blogmas Ideas! I hope you enjoyed all of my Blogmas posts this year. I hope you have an amazing Christmas and a Happy New Year and I will see you in 2019!
Thank you so much for reading,


Want to see more from me?
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Sunday 23 December 2018

DAY 23: 2018 GOAL REFLECTIONS & GOALS FOR NEXT YEAR



Well hello there!
For one of the last posts of Blogmas, which I can't believe we are just 2 days away from Christmas Day it's gone so quick. I wanted to do an 2018 goals reflection and want to talk about my New Year's resolutions and goals for 2019.

Lets go over my 2018 Goals which I wrote a post on earlier this year:

1) Join the gym - I knew this wasn't going to happen so no I did not start the gym this year. I'm too shy to go into an environment like that, instead I have bought the Charlotte Crosby fitness DVD so I can exercise at home.

2) Drink 2 litres of water a day - this is something that is very hit and miss, some days I will drink that amount and other days I will only drink 1 litre. It depends how I'm feeling on the day because believe it or not it takes me motivation to stick to this and some days I'm just not feeling it or I'm too busy at work.


3) Maintain a healthy diet - not sure if you're aware as I don't really talk about  it on my blog, but I was told I have IBS this year so this was a big goal of mine. When I got back from holiday in June I did start to have a healthy diet and I noticed big changes in myself and my skin. Again this depends on how I'm feeling day to day but I like to be as healthy as I can.

4) 
Reach 30,000 blog views by my blog anniversary (6th November) - for some reason my blog views have not been so great lately so unfortunately I didn't reach this goal. However, I have just over 28,000 at the moment so I am nearly there!

5) Have 100 subscribers by the end of the year - I absolutely smashed this goal because I have just over 500 at the moment and I am so proud of myself. I am also very glad I started YouTube because it has given me that extra confidence I needed.

6) Reach 1,000 followers on my blog Instagram page - I also reached this goal as well as I have just over 1000 now, very happy I achieved this.

My goals for 2019 (mainly self-care):

1) Take my water intake more seriously - as I have IBS, drinking a lot of water is essential to stay as hydrated as possible. 

2) Exercise - this is an absolute must for my body confidence and it makes you feel a lot better with yourself.

3) Go through my wardrobe - I need to get rid of any clothes I don't feel good in. I have so many and it's because I am a hoarder and find it so difficult to get rid of things but I need to start being more strict with myself.

4) Reach 2000 on my blog Instagram - I got to 1000 in 10 months so I'm hoping I can get another 1000 by this time next year.

5) Reach 1000 subscribers on YouTube - not sure if this will happen but I would really like to hit 1000 subscribers, as that's when you can start getting monetized if you also hit 4000 hours watch time.

6) Focus more on my YouTube content - I want to make a real effort with my YouTube content next year, which means I might only post on my blog a couple of times a month instead of 4. I will see about this, depends how much spare time I have.

So those were my 2018 goal reflections and my 2019 goals, what are your goals for next year?
Thank you so much for reading,



Want to see more from me?
Twitter: alixholdenx
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Saturday 22 December 2018

DAY 22: A CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST



Well hello there!
Today I want to share with you a Christmas Playlist. If you are having a party or just want to listen to some Christmas music and need some ideas, then see down below my favourites! The links will take you to YouTube so you can listen to them, enjoy! xo


So there you have 30 Christmas songs, I hope this get's your more in the mood if you aren't already! 3 days to go.
Thank you so much for reading,



Want to see more from me?
Twitter: alixholdenx
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Friday 21 December 2018

DAY 21: XMAS MAKEUP LOOK FOR £25! // COLLAB WITH LIFEOFERIINN



Well hello there!
Today I have a very different post for me, I have another collaboration and it is with The Life Of Erin. We are doing a Christmas makeup look for only £25! This was so hard for me to do because I don't have as much very cheap makeup as I thought I did. However, I did find some products and my look added up to just under the £25 mark.

PRODUCTS USED


Foundation - Revolution Fast Base Stick £5
Concealer - Primark My Perfect Colour £2
Powder - Rimmel Stay Matte £3.99
Bronzer, Highlight, Blush and Eyeshadow - Technic Show Stopper Palette £6
Mascara - Collection Lash Surge £4.99
Lipstick - Revolution Past Midnight £3

Total = £24.98

FINISHED LOOK


It was so difficult to come up with a look with such a little budget but I really enjoyed doing this. Just goes to show that you don't need to buy expensive makeup to create a good makeup look. 

Thank you to The Life Of Erin for collaborating with me, you can check her makeup look out here.
Thank you so much for reading,




Want to see more from me?
Twitter: alixholdenx
Instagram: alixkateblog
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Thursday 20 December 2018

DAY 20: PARTY OUTFIT PICKS




Well hello there!
It can be stressful finding an outfit this close to Christmas, so I have picked out some outfits from websites to give you some inspiration.

Click the images for the link!











Hopefully this gives you a bit of inspiration for an outfit for either Christmas or NYE!
Thank you so much for reading,


Want to see more from me?
Twitter: alixholdenx
Instagram: alixkateblog
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Wednesday 19 December 2018

DAY 19: BEST MAKEUP OF 2018 // COLLAB WITH LUCI BARKER



Well hello there!
Today I have a collaboration post with Luci Barker, who is one of my very good blogger friends. We are doing one of my favourite post's to write and that is the best makeup of 2018. Just want to clarify this is based off of my own opinion, and is not necessarily makeup that come out in 2018 but makeup I have loved using this year.

Primark Primer Water
I have been using this non-stop for everything, wetting eye shadows, priming my face, setting my face etc. I hope this is a permanent product because it is so useful, plus it was only £2.50! It's something you think you don't need but when you have it you are constantly using without realising.

This is the best smoothing primer I have come across, I still have the travel size one that I got last Christmas! I use it quite a lot, especially when I want to use a matte foundation. It has such a soft formula and it feels in my pores very well, so if you have deep pores like me you will really like this.

Tarte Shape Tape Concealer
This concealer has changed the game for me, I can't imagine using any other concealer now. The coverage is unreal and I very much get the hype with this product, best concealer in the world. It is very expensive but I promise you if you want a FULL coverage concealer, it is worth the money.

This is my other favourite concealer that took the makeup world by storm earlier this year. It is a dupe of the shape tape however the shape tape for me has slightly better coverage. It is very creamy and blends out beautifully on the skin. I will use this on days where I don't want an extreme full coverage. You can check out a full review here.

Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer
This bronzer is my absolute go-to, I use this everyday without fail. I take it away with me and I have finally hit pan after using it for such a good time (photo was taken before). If you have pale skin you will absolutely love it, it is expensive but completely worth it. Also it smells like chocolate so whats not to love!

Another Too Faced product that has changed my makeup routine for the better. For so long my drugstore loose powders kept clinging to my dry patches, but even the very first time I used this it didn't. I can literally cake this onto my nose to mattify it and it will not cling to dry patches, it is utter magic! Again it is expensive but very worth it. If you can get hold of the Maybelline loose powder (not available in the UK), then I recommend that one as well! 
The only decent picture I have is of the lid and that's no good, but this is what it looks like!
ABH x Amrezy Highlighter
Oh my goodness this highlighter is BEAUTIFUL, and it has come back in stock after high demand! The formula is very pigmented, soft and creamy and it looks wet on your skin which I love. This is a bit too yellow for my pale skin but I wore it everyday in the summer, and when I'm fake tanned. This is high end and very expensive, but if you have £29 to spend I do recommend this, especially if you are a highlighter collector like myself! You can check out a full review here.

Soph x Revolution Extra Spice
This is another product that come out this year and I have been loving it. You can create so many different looks with it and for a drugstore eye shadow palette the quality of the shadows is so good. This only costs £10 and I have used this so many times, more than some of my high end palettes! I have realised that you don't always need to spend a lot of money on eye shadow palettes to create a beautiful look. You can check out a full review on my YouTube channel here.

Zoeva Basic Moment Blush Palette
This is my favourite travel palette, I will always choose this over all my other ones. I love the cool toned contour powder, the highlighter in this is slightly yellow but I can get away from it. The blush is super light which I really like on my pale complexion. This may not be for everyone as there only 1 shade of each product but for pale skin this is perfect, if you haven't checked this out already I recommend you do! You can check out a full review here.

Jeffree Star Christmas Cookie
This is my favourite nude lipstick off all time, this come out this time year as a limited edition shade. Luckily for me Jeffree brought this back into the permanent range after high demand. I have raved on about how much I love his formula but if you're new, they are very pigmented, long lasting, comfortable and non-drying. I have accumulated a lot of his lipsticks over the past year and I love them!

Collection Lash Surge Mascara
I cannot believe how cheap this mascara is, this is a perfect everyday mascara if you don't like to have thick clumpy lashes on the daily. It separates your lashes beautifully and they look super black, I haven't been able to put this down and I am constantly using it. If you are on a budget this is the one for you!

So there we have it, for me personally this was my best makeup of 2018! Thank you to Luci for collaborating with me, go check out her blog! You can check out her post here.
Thank you so much for reading,




Want to see more from me?
Twitter: alixholdenx
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Tuesday 18 December 2018

DAY 18: HOW TO RECREATE A SPA EXPERIENCE AT HOME



Well hello there!
For Blogmas Day 18 I have a collaboration post full of tips on how to recreate a spa experience, from the comfort of your own home.

Photo by Roberto Nickson (@g) on Unsplash
Everybody loves a trip to the spa for a relaxing day of treatments, jacuzzis and massages. Whilst they're an incredible experience, often they're far too expensive to be something you regularly enjoy.

Although it's not going to be exactly the same as heading out to the spa, there are ways you can affordably recreate your own spa experience at home. Whether you buy spa-inspired products, learn how to do home massages or invest in some aromatherapy equipment - you could have that magical spa feeling at home in no time.

With that in mind, here are 8 tips and tricks to recreate the spa experience at home:

1. Invest In Some Official Spa Beauty Products
There are lots of different spa beauty products that are now available to purchase on the high street. Whilst some may be expensive, when you think about how much use you will get out of them in comparison to the price of a spa treatment, they'll more than pay for yourself. Invest in some massage oil, moisturiser, bath salts and anything else that you think will create a relaxing spa experience.

2. Research Aromatherapy And How It Can Benefit Your Mind
Aromatherapy is a great way to change your mood using different scents and smells. Take the time to work out how you're feeling (stressed, nervous, fatigue) and research the scents that are best designed to treat those feelings and improve your mood. If you're on a budget you can use a wax melt and burner to create a spa effect, however, it may be worth investing in an aromatherapy diffuser for that real spa look and feel.
If you want to learn more about aromatherapy and how it can help you, you can visit this very handy guide here.

3. Buy Yourself A White Robe And Slippers
The ultimate sign of being at the spa is having fluffy white spa robes and slippers to wander round in. Whilst it won't quite feel the same walking around your own home, you'll still feel incredibly relaxed cosying up in your new dressing gown.

4. Play Relaxing Music In Your Bathroom
One thing that adds to the spa experience whilst you're there is the relaxing music they play throughout the facilities. Search on YouTube for spa music and use that to play in your bathroom as you have your bath and do your treatments.
For examples of relaxing music to play in your home spa, you can visit this website here.

5. Learn Home Massage Techniques
If you live with someone who you trust to give you massages, then it may be worth learning some home massage techniques. There's no feeling quite like a full body massage so being able to recreate even a few steps of the process will give you the opportunity to have a massage whenever you like. If you learn together you will be able to return the favour too!

6. Add Flowers To Your Bath
If you've ever been to Bali or Thailand then you'll know that ‘flower baths’ are an incredibly popular spa treatment. Filled to the brim with hot water, incredible spa products and colourful flowers - these baths truly are a special experience. If you're doing this on a budget then you can even purchase freeze-dried flowers that will come to life with all sorts of scents and feelings and soon as you add them to the water. You'll be transported to Asia for a fraction of the price!

7. Treat Yourself Afterwards By Relaxing With A Good Book
One of the best things about visiting a spa is being able to relax by the pool. Taking the time to relax after your treatments is a great way to let the true spa feeling hit you as you get lost in a good book. While you can't sit by the pool at home, sitting upright in bed with your feet up will create a similar effect.
8. Buy Herbal Tea For After Your Treatment
After having your relaxing treatments and incredible bath, relaxing with a hot herbal tea is the best way to top off your experience. The herbal tea will be the final thing that will completely relax you, making you feel as though you've just spent an incredibly relaxing afternoon at a high-end spa. Leave your phone, switch everything off and just enjoy the feeling of being relaxed.

Have you ever tried to recreate a spa experience at home? Let me know if you have any tips and tricks in the comment section below!
Thank you so much for reading,


Want to see more from me?
Twitter: alixholdenx
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