Budget Photography Tips

One of the trickiest things about writing a blog is having good photography. I don't know about you guys but it's what I struggle with most, plus being a student blogger means I can't go all out with my photography - BUT here are some tricks I use to improve the photos I do take! 

1. Phone Apps:

VSCO Cam (Free on App Stores)

Afterlight (59p on App Stores)

Both of these apps have very pretty filters, you can dim any of the filters making them more subtle and less in-your-face. A good filter can really add a nice finish to a photo!

A filter from Afterlight.

Any torch app (Free on App Stores)

I use my phone torch as lighting as sometimes daylight just isn't good enough and I can't afford a whole professional lighting set up (sob) so my phone thriftily does the job.

Without and with my phones lighting.

2. Computer Apps:

Aviary Photo Editor (Free from the Windows Store)

I use this to crop down my photos after I've done any other editing, it actually has an "original" option so the picture stays the same size as the original photo not making it obvious that it's been cropped.

Can you tell which one has been cropped?

Pic Monkey (Free Website)

I use this for when I want to do a collage of photos, the site is very quick and easy to use even with slow internet connection like my own! I've been using it for a while now, it's a handy little website.

Gimp (Free Application)

This is a free Photoshop alternative - it does basically everything the same! I recommend downloading an older version though as new gimp doesn't let you save in many file types..

http://www.oldapps.com/gimp.php?old_gimp=51

3. Backgrounds:

Wallpaper

Just take a trip to B&Q and get some free rippings of some pretty wallpaper, even if you only use them in one post! I recently redecorated my room so I actually used some of the wallpaper rippings we took when deciding on my wallpaper.

Furniture

Something flat and white is very basic but can be highly effective in making photos look more professional.

Some of the products I take photos of need to be stood upright or it just wouldn't work, when I feel I need to stand products up I choose the draws in my room as it has my wall paper in the background which gives it a nice feel. 

4. Cameras:

Bridge Cameras

Now buying a camera is never going to be super cheap but bridge cameras are a good cheaper version of SLRs, they have less functions but you get some decent looking photos all the same. I'm currently using a Fujifilm Finepix Bridge camera and it's done me well for the past 2 years! 

5. Extras:
Bluetack

This is a bit of an odd one, but sometimes products just don't stay where you want them to and it's a pain, right? Bluetack is soooooooo helpful at making sure they stay where you want them - just make sure you can't see the bluetack in shot, I've made that mistake a few times and have had to reshoot them.

What are your thrifty blog photo tips? I'd love to hear them!

Emma xo

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L'Oreal Collection Exclusive: Doutzen's Nude

So I've never been a lipstick person, I own a few lipsticks that I've tried and not liked but in L'Oreals new collection featuring the likes of Blake Lively, Eva Longoria and many other famous faces I found this gorgeous nude colour by Doutzen Kroes (Victorias Secret Angel) and it's restored my faith in lipstick!

A lot of people go for the bold lip when it comes to lipstick, but I have really small lips so it just looks a bit naff on myself compared to other people where the same shade would look absolutely stunning. I'm more of a bold eye, plain lip person but stumbling across the perfect nude shade is just as difficult as finding the perfect bold shade.

This barely-there nude is absolutely perfect for every day use, it's a very light metallic pink which may not seem a lot but it makes all the difference. It's not as noticeable and in-your-face as a bold lipstick would be (it was even hard to pick up on camera!) but it really gives your lips a nice little shine and it goes on so, so easily with just one coat. It really is such a pretty shade and I can't get enough of it!

What's your favourite lipstick?

Emma xo

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Glossybox November 2014

I have seen countless people blogging about their Glossybox's and and I've really grown an interest towards them, so I have bought this one off box to determine if I would actually like to purchase one of the subscriptions, here's what I got!

Lollipops Eyeliner

This is one of the full sized products that came with my box, I've honestly never heard of the brand before so I didn't know what to think. Honestly just a standard pencil eyeliner, the pigmentation was quite good but all in all I'll probably stick to my Bourjois Kohl liner.

Burt's Bee's Lip Gloss

This is the other full sized product that came in my box! I've heard of Burt's Bee's before, not sure where from but this little lipgloss impressed me! Didn't taste too horrible (I didn't eat it, don't worry haha!) and the subtle hint of red was really nice on my lips, plus it had good staying power! But like with any lip gloss a top up is always good. Definitely going to keep using this!

Argan Oil Conditioner

I actually eyed this conditioner up back in summer, or another one by OGX/argan oil, never actually got round to trying it out though. I'm not really too sure why argan oil has so much hype to it - this just felt like ordinary conditioner to me? But it did the job and that's what counts.

Monu Hawaii Facial Treatment

I haven't used this and I'm not sure I'm going to, reason being is I don't understand what it's meant to do or I'm meant to do with it... I just wouldn't buy myself this so it's just going to end up in the cupboard unused so if any of you guys can suggest what to do with it that would be great! 

H20 Hydrating Treatment

Same as before with this product, I haven't used it and I'm probably not going to as it's another thing I wouldn't have bought for myself...

I've never really written a negative review before but I didn't want to just lie to you when I wasn't actually impressed with the box. I weren't excited about the products I received so I won't be purchasing a subscription. Have any of you guys tried Glossybox or think differently to me? I'd love to know!

Plus tell me of any other box subscriptions, would love to try a different box!

Emma xo

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5 Time Management Tips

Over the past few months I went from having absolutely nothing to do, to having so much to do I barely get a break. I like it better this way, but it can get overwhelming. You just have to really kick in them time management skills everyone has been telling you that you need your whole life. Here's just some handy things I do to stop myself from falling behind!

1. Google Calender.

I use this for everything like university, personal life, blog, work, you name it! It has been incredibly handy as it syncs up with my phone, so I can input something on to my phone and it'll show up on my laptop and vice versa!

2. Diary

But I like having a physical diary too so I can write in deadline dates then make lists underneath them as to what I still need to do to meet those deadlines. This is why I have bought myself a Cath Kidston Diary for 2015 as it has a week by week view with a notes page long the side of each week! As well as looking really, really cute!

Cheeky date hint there ;) ;)

3. Labels

I get confused when I look at the "All" tab on my blogger posts sometimes, so I use labels to help me out when looking for posts. For example for the posts I wanted to post this month are "nov14" so next month will be "dec14" then "jan15" and so on. This helps me not forget about a post I planned and actually motivates me to have it posted by the end of the month.

4. Lists... Lots of them!

I write lists absolutely everywhere. My phone, notebooks, laptop even a draft post on blogger .... I am list crazy! But they can be really helpful.

5. Prioritising

Last but not least, prioritising! This is the most important tip of them all, make sure you know what needs to be done soon and make sure you do that first before moving on to something else that doesn't need to be done for another few weeks. I have a bad habit of moving on to more fun assignments that I have more time for than one that may be due in the next day but isn't as interesting..

I hope that some of these tips may be useful for some of you as they have been really useful for me!

Emma xo

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The Christmas Tag

I never normally do tags but when I got tagged in this one by Olivia I couldn't resist! I'm feeling really christmassy this year already and I want to share that with all of you!

1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie(s)?

I actually get more excited for adverts than movies, I love both the Sainsbury's and John Lewis adverts soo much this year! But picking a movie I would say Gremlins. This movie reminds me sooo much of being a child. It's one of those movies that if it's on over Christmas it has got to be watched. I also love Gizmo, I still want one of my own.. Although my ferret is called Gizmo, haha!

2. Do you open your present on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

Christmas morning for definite! I feel that opening presents beforehand would ruin the whole point of getting the presents, I like being sat with everyone and watching them open their presents as well, Christmas morning is the best morning of the entire year. 

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

One year as a child my Mum had worked a night shift on Christmas Eve and had got her boyfriend at the time (now her husband and my sisters dad) to baby sit me, I woke up in the middle of the night, gone down stairs and opened all my presents she had bought me without her there to watch me! She got home to finding me playing countless games of Guess Who with her boyfriend, haha! 

4. Favourite festive food?

This might sound weird but on Christmas mornings my family have always had a fry up after opening all our presents, that was the best! Definitely going to miss that this year! 

5. Favourite Christmas gift?

I can't think of a favourite present but I remember one that I was probably most excited about, it was one of those Sony Walkman phones that slid up? It was grey and had a pink flowery pattern on the back... #swag

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

CINNAMON. I love cinnamon so much.

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

Buying loads of last minute stuff in a rush as everyone's just been paid! I have so many memories of being a child of rushing round town with my family buying countless last minute things... Maybe that has taught me well, as I begun buying presents in October this year!!

8. What tops your tree?

This changes over the years, we're not one of those families who have had the same star or fairy over the years and has been carried down through generations - which sounds really cute! We have had a star over the past few years though.

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never recieved?

I don't think I've ever asked for anything TOO crazy, I used to point to every childrens advert like "I WANT THAT" (in the least selfish way I can make that sound!) but one present I've always asked for and never got for the past few years is a Pug. If you know me even a little bit you know I have wanted a pug for years, I have lots of pug teddies, socks, notebooks, etc to fill the pug shaped hole in my life...

10. Whats the best part about Christmas for you?

I think the answer to this question changes with age, as a kid I was excited for all my new super cool presents! Now I'm excited about what I'm giving to other people, especially having a 6 year old sister - I have to hold back buying so many things for her! But I can't wait to see her face for when she sees what I have gotten for her!

I tag:

Meet me in Mayfair

Tiny Paint Pot

Amy Elizabeth Fashion

The Beauty Sanctuary 

Jasmine McRae

Rachel Marie

And any one else who reads this! Don't forget to link me as I would love to read them!

Emma xo

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Review of: Urban Decay Naked 2

I finally got my Naked 2 palette after months of pining over the palette, receiving a damaged fake off Ebay and even buying numerous dupes to fill the Naked shaped hole in my life.

When I first discovered the Urban Decay Naked palettes like many others I was instantly stunned by how gorgeous the shades were, however at that point I wasn't really an eyeshadow person so I was very wary of purchasing a palette due to the price. However my interest in them never died down, I ended up buying cheap dupe versions that I had discovered and honestly they really helped me make my mind up about purchasing the real thing.

After buying my first dupe palette I wore various different shades from the palette almost everyday, the colours are so wearable and gorgeous, you can get away with wearing them for a simple everyday look and I found I actually really liked the eyeshadow on myself (which I never thought I would!) which is then why I purchased the real thing.

Now I have the real palette I won't be looking back, you honestly get your moneys worth out of this product. The shades are so amazingly pigmented, the packaging is sturdy and you get the most amazing brush for applying the eye shadow with! Plus it's super easy to blend.

If you're like me and was unsure about getting a Naked Palette I very highly recommend buying a dupe first to see if you like the shades on yourself because if you don't you will have only lost £4 not £37!

Emma xo

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Review of: Benefit They're Real! Push-Up Liner

So this months issue of Elle included a tester of a product I have been very skeptical about which is the Beneft, They're Real Push-Up Liner, so I thought I would do a review of my first thoughts!

My very first thought was about how weird the applicator is, not going to lie but I was totally stumped for a few seconds... but I eventually figured it out, you have to squeeze out the eyeliner when you want to use it, almost like a mechanical pencil.

I wasn't sure about how easy it would be to apply to my eyes, but I was pleasantly surprised! It was really, really easy to get a straight line and I got my winged liner perfect at first attempt which must be the first time I have ever done that without having to make the liner thicker or starting over to make sure they match!

The liner was worn for a meal out and it had lasted the whole night where other parts of my make-up had failed! It's gone from being a product I was very skeptical about to a product that I really want to buy for myself.

I've been dying to have a little Benefit shop lately, so once I have bought all my Christmas presents I may have to indulge myself a little and go on a little spree!

 What Benefit product(s) are you guys wanting to try/buy?

Emma xo

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October Favourites

Last month I bought myself quite a few things (lots of early Christmas present, obvs) here are the new things I've been using most!  

Calvin Klien Sun Bathe Summer Affair Bronzer

I saw this in TK Maxx for rather cheap so I thought why not? It's by Calvin Klein plus it's shimmery, so I was sold at that. I've been using this on my cheeks more regularly than I thought I would, it's very subtle but it makes a massive difference and makes my face all shimmery - I've only ever used one other bronzer before which is the Bourjois "Delice de Poudre" one but I think I actually prefer the Calvin Klien one, which I actually paid less for!

Revlon Photoready Foundation - 004 Nude

I'd been feeling a change in foundation for a while now in both shade and brand. I've been mainly using Rimmel's Wake Me Up foundation in Ivory which has been my favourite for quite some time now, however I feel I've been mis-matching foundation shades as now I have bought this slightly darker shade it looks so perfect on my skin compared to Wake Me Up!

Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation

So here's another foundation I found that I'm also loving. I bought it because the Bourjois stand in Tesco actually had loads of "reduced to clear" stickers all over the make up so like a magpie, I was of course levitating towards the Bourjois stand, however I did restrain myself and picked the one thing out of all those I had picked up that I felt I would use most. I have seen mixed reviews on this, maybe it's a skin type thing but I felt this is probably the best drugstore foundation I have used for coverage and quality! (And again, I got a few shades darker than my normal Ivory Rimmel foundation)

Bourjois So Laque Nail Varnish - Indispen-sable 

So nude coloured nails have been very popular for the past few months or "greige" which is where there's a greyish hue to the nude colour. In drugstores it seemed impossible to find a perfect balance of greige, it'd either be too nude or too grey, so when I stumbled across this I didn't think twice before buying it. It is my most favourite greige nail varnish I have purchased to date!

Essie Nail Varnish - Bond With Whomever

I've never owned an Essie nail varnish before but I have seen so many people on the internet talk about how much they love the brand. On top of that I'd been looking for a nice girly lilac nail varnish for a little while now, I'd been using Barry M's Blueberry which I do really like but I wanted a more pink based lilac than a blue. So this was exactly what I was looking for! I am so in love with the colour, I wish I could wear it forever.

VO5 Nourish My Shine - Bedazzling Oil Heat Protection Spray

I got this for free in my goody bag from Comsopolitian's Fashfest! (see post here) Out of all the things I got this is by far my most used. It smells AMAZING. Like completely amazing, I don't know how else to describe the smell other than GORGEOUS. Now not only does it smell absolutely fantastic, but it really works! My hair feels so incredibly smooth after using it, even after using both my hair dryer and straighteners I just want to sit there stroking and smelling my hair! 

Clearly Naked Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner

I bought these after trying a tester I had gotten out of a Cosmopolitan magazine (which I reviewed here) I still really like this shampoo and conditioner as much as I did when I first tried them, I particularly like using them a lot when I've used a lot of hair product in my hair throughout the day.

Garnier Ultimate Elements Coconut Oil

If you go back to my first ever post on this blog you will see me raving about coconut products - particularly Garnier's Ultimate Blends. In the same post you will see that I was talking about a coconut oil by a different brand too, so I decided I may as well try the Ultimate Blends one out and I actually ended up preferring it to the one I previously bought, this one is more like a serum and it smells and feels a lot nicer in my hair so I'm really glad I decided to buy it.

Nivea Face Creams

Last of all, I thought I would up my face skin care game and buy myself both a morning and night moisturiser instead of just using any old one considering even my boyfriend has a specfic facial moisturiser for himself! (Sorry Jake) I have definitely felt the difference now I'm moisturising my face twice a day, my face is feeling really soft! Might even get myself the moisturising primer by Nivea to add to my moisturisers. (how many times can I say moisturiser in the same paragraph?)

Emma xo

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Bedroom Makeover

Hey guys! I just want to start off this post with saying that I'm sorry that I haven't been posting much the past week or so, I've actually been redecorating my room! Meaning I've been finding it difficult to gain the opportunity to take photos for my posts (boo!) but I'm back now so I thought I would show off what my room now looks like!

I live with my Nan and she's lived in this house for about 40 years and the room I'm in had this horrible bumpy paper, but apparently the wallpaper was there when my Nan had moved in the house, so me and my boyfriend spent our Friday night stripping the paper off the walls (I know how to live it up on Fridays!) and it took us forever, but after a lot of scraping and a few injuries later we had done!

Then I left my Nan to do the rest over the next few days as me and my boyfriend had done the hardest part and I came back to my room looking like this! Really happy with how it has turned out!

A video posted by Emma Osman (@emmaoh_) on Nov 11, 2014 at 3:14am PST

(I added the last photo as it made me laugh)
Emma xo

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