Looking after Cacti | Tips

I love plants and nature generally, as most people do. But I find that I am very incapable of looking after them, they never have enough light or water or room temperature. There's a lot of factors in keeping plants. Yet they say that cacti are the easiest plant to look after as they don't need as much attention and they save water so if you forget to water them it doesn't matter as much. They tend to survive a lot of harsh conditions as they would in the desert so it is easy to look after them. Although I admit I've had a few die on me too over the years. So I got some new ones to look after properly this time. 


Here's some tips I've learned: Cacti don't need to be watered too much but they do need to be watered frequently, but not in huge quantities. They absorb and hold water a lot but they will use it if they get water frequently so they will grow more, but if you forget it won't be the end of them. I'd recommend a little bit every week. 
They do need sunlight like all plants so do consider keeping them on a window or at least in a place in the room which gets a lot of light. 
Different cacti grow in different ways. I find that the spikey ones don't grow too much but the softer ones like the very first one in the photo if kept right can grow to be very tall and obviously they follow the light like most plants so dont forget to rotate your plants so they grow equally on each side. 
Like any plant don't forget to change the pot if the pot is getting too small as they have more room to grow also. Most cacti will not grow too crazy as they are mini compared to wild ones. 
I've found that you can plant new cacti plants from alive pieces of the plant that you can plant into another pot and it does tend to grow itself into a new plant, it doesn't happen with all but if some parts of the plant are dead you can try and grow a new one with the pieces that are still healthy.

 

Anyone have any tips for me on how to look after any plants at all?

Clear Out My Make Up With Me

Now is more than time more than ever before that the majority of us have a lot of time to do a huge clear out. Of which I have done several times now. I decided that my makeup needed a huge clear out, mainly because a lot of it must be really out of date by now and I had a lot of stuff that I just never used or reached for over others. I did clear every section of my collection but I only remembered to take a photo of my palettes that I am getting rid of. I thought it'd be nice to share things that I once really enjoyed, and also never used so others get an idea of what is a good product overall.


The first few things I got rid of are a few old Zoeva products, ones I'm not too sure if they do anymore. These palettes are very cheap and I love the quality of Zoeva's products. All of the palettes that I used are very neutral and are great for everyday looks. I decided to get rid of these palettes as they are at least five years old and I don't go for neutrals as much as I used to but I would consider getting them again but maybe in different colours.

The Naked 2 palette was one that really got me into makeup and I also had 1 a long time ago, this palette is the oldest I own and I don't use it for that reason. It is an iconic palette and I'll never forget the hype and the craze all of these palettes created in the beauty world. I do think that they have gotten better as they have gone on too.

The NYX palette is one in which you bought individual colours and assembled your own palette. I loved the idea of this at the time and NYX products are amazing value for what they are. I never used this palette and I think it is because none of the shades I picked went together and I never remembered what was inside the palette.

The Revolution palette was gifted to me buy a friend as far as I remember and I really liked it but the colours never really drew me to the palette and I forgot I owned it. It has some very unusual colours that I like and I do think I would buy it if it were better quality again, it reminds me of the Subculture palette by Anastasia. Which I just found out has been discontinued after a quick google, so I am sad about that.

The last two items in this pile that I cleared were a Benefit blush and Primark highlight palette. Blush is never something that I use, which I probably should, but it was never used so I knew that I would never use it. The highlighter is very good and very pigmented, and smells like chocolate. But I have a lot better highlighter palettes that  I would rather keep instead.



Has anyone else been doing a lot of clearing out? Find any old gems?

Colorpop X Disney | Liquid Lipstick Review

I got these Disney Designer X Colourpop liquid lipsticks before Christmas last year so I don''t think that they're stocked anymore (colourpop's collections don't tend to last that long anyway) but as a huge Disney fan and Colourpop fan I was so excited to see this collection. Although I was very late to the release and there was very little left when I went to order. I did manage to get two lip colours that I knew I would definitely wear. The collection as far as I remember was based on the male character's from the movies the colours are based on - all princess movies. I got the Tangled inspired lip colour in the shade Flynn, and the Beauty and the Beast inspired Beast colour.


Both of these shades are a very neutral pink with slight brown undertones. The beast shade is more wearable for everyday wear. It's a very pale nude tone that give a nice shine and more peachy colour to the lips. Where Flynn is more of a darker pink nude with a red brown undertone which is a lot darker when applied than it looks in the bottle. Plus how pretty is the packaging for these? I kept the boxes and still use them because they're pretty and Rapunzel is my favourite princess.


These are very tiny liquid lipsticks but they are a lot chunkier in size than Colourpop's regular lipsticks so I assume that they are still a full sized shade just in a different shape. I am a huge fan of Colourpop formula and the texture is silky, soft and smooth. I don't really know why they chose certain shades for the specific movie but I really like them regardless. 

Swatches above are of Beast, and Flynn, left to right.

Has anyone tried anything from this collection before?

James Charles X Morphe | Palette Review

 You may have noticed if you've read my blog for a while, the thing I post about the most is for sure make up palettes. I have wayyy too many but I haven't bought any since October so that's a start. Yet if I was to buy another palette any time soon I would repurchase this palette. I bought the mini version of the James Charles X Morphe palette and honestly I think it is my favourite palette I've ever owned. I don't watch a lot of James Charles content but you can't deny that his looks are always stunning. I didn't buy the palette because of who's palette it is but if he does any more I will for sure purchase them. I also have never owned anything by Morphe so if I do get another palette I would buy from them.



This palette is probably the most colourful palette I've ever owned. I'm not afraid of wearing colour and I always match my shadow with my outfit. There's 39 shades in the palette and has every colour you could need and a mixture of matte and shimmer shades. The shades themselves are so pigmented and really look great mixed any way. the fallout is quite high from them but they usually stay in the pan and are easily reused the next time you use it. It's also such a small palette for how much you get in it. It's also very lightweight and easy to travel with even if it's not particularly a travel palette. I am completely obsessed with everything about this palette and I'm going to be very sad when I hit pan on it. My most used shades are the reds; Rusted and You're Kidding. The yellows, Bee and Tune, a gold So Good, a red shimmer brown Halloween and the light shimmer blue Halloween.

 First row: Canvas, Ringlight, So Good, 518, Rusted, Halloween, Wig and Tea. 

Second row: Punch Me, Sister, Mary, Literally, You're Kidding, Shook, Boutique and Benny.

Third Row: Flashback, Face, Tune, Code James, 10% Off, No Beans, and Spooky.

 
Fourth Row Bee, Guac, Hello, Playground, Brother, Artistry, Love That and Pinkity Drinkity.

Fifth Row: Social Blade, Daddy, Cape Cod, Cola, Acapella, Escape, Single and Skip.


I would recommend this palette to anyone who likes to play with colours and also to try some new things!
Has anyone else tried this palette? How did you find it?

Disney + Launch and Recommendations

I'm sure I'm not the only one who was super excited for the launch of Disney + which released in the last phase in the rest of Europe and the UK on March 24th, nearly five months after its first release elsewhere in the USA. For people who don't know what Disney + is it's a streaming service that is exclusively Disney movies and shows (like a Disney version of Netflix if you will) but it also has originals exclusive to the service that you can't get anywhere else. I've been very excited to watch a lot of these originals and it's been so hard to choose what to watch first!

The originals that I am so excited to watch are the Mandalorian at the top - a star wars series based on a bounty hunter which includes Baby Yoda? So excited. I also can't wait for the High School Musical The Musical the Series show, long title, as its very nostalgic and so far seems very funny! They've got some originals based off of the park like the Imagineering story and Disney's fairytale Weddings and I love everything park related so I think these shows are going to be great.

I love that it's split into sections - Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. It's nice to finally have all the movies of a series together, binge watch all the Marvel movies anyone?
The only downside to the service so far is that even though it's been running for a while, it's European release means all of the shows still only come out in episodes weekly and I don't want to wait more!

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 Has anyone else tried Disney + yet? What are you watching?

Animal Crossing New Horizons | Nintendo Switch Review

Like a lot of others worldwide I have been very excited to hear that a new Animal Crossing game was to be released for the Nintendo Switch as I loved the game as a kid and I didn't grow up much so the same excitement still stands. It's called Animal Crossing New Horizons. The game being released this week means I have had a lot of time to explore and figure out the new game so I thought I'd share what I loved about the new game in comparison to the old Nintendo DS version (the only other one I've played), So that being said there will be a lot of game spoilers in this so if you're wanting to play and don't want to know what happens you might want to avoid this post - but if you want to discuss the game with me and you've played this is the perfect place to do so! 


Things I love about the new game:
  • I love the choices that you get from the very beginning of the game - chose your island and where you put other people's tents etc.
  • The story seems more structured than that of previous games - there's a lot of things to be unlocked over time
  • There's a lot more materials to be collected on the islands in a day - and I love the craft-ability of things 
  • I love that you can decorate outside and not just inside gives room for more creativity
  • The Nook Milage system is a great way to keep the story and gameplay going while you wait for the day to reset a few things and gives extra goals to live up to
  • So far there's been a lot more surprises I've found on the island (I won't spoil)
  • It's very easy to visit friends villages and share with them
  • Better home decoration and storage within the house and pockets (plus you can put things on the wall)
  • I love that you're not confined within your own island and you get the chance to travel elsewhere even without connecting with friends
  • It's all so cute!



Is anyone else playing this game at the moment? What are your thoughts?

How to Keep Busy and Calm | Self Isolation Tips

It's a crazy time right now, with the coronavirus making a full tour of the world, and many countries going into lockdown and supporting some health and safety measures - it's safe to say that there's not only a lot of uncertainty in the air, but some worry and stress. Over the past week I've been self isolating, as precautioned by our government, and I've learned a few things to keep myself busy and less stressed. 

  • Keep Yourself Occupied - this to me has been the most important thing. My job is very people focused so I am unable to work as normal so being at home in self isolation means I've a lot of free time as compared to normal. I've been making sure not to do too much of one thing, but a mixture of reading, tv, chores, games, relaxing and self care. Trying to make every day important even though it doesn't feel it is hard but we're all in this together and we'll come out the other side safe and healthy soon!
  • Stay Hydrated and Eating Well - Being indoors and hopefully stocked up on all that you need means that there's a lot of time to make sure your diet is getting all the nutrients it deserves. The shops are always going to keep food stocked so don't forget fruit and vegetables over the pasta and beans and long life foods - you can always freeze them if needs be. It's very important to stay hydrated too - I heard that drinking hot beverages is one of the best ways to beat symptoms so it's good to drink some nice teas maybe!
  • Go For Walks - Don't forget in most places you are allowed to leave your house as long as you practice social distancing, fresh air is so helpful and necessary for the mind - even sit outside your house you don't need to go far for some vitamin C!
  • Do What You Enjoy - It's nice to do productive things like housework or computer work but do things you really enjoy too as social contact is limited it's important to make sure you're enjoying yourself and keeping yourself happy even if you can't do everything you'd like to.
  • Keep in Contact with Friends and Family - Although you may not be able to see your friends and family, everyone is feeling the same emotions at the moment and social media and technology can keep us close to our friends even if they're far away. A simple call, text or Skype will be amazing.
  • Be Aware of the Media - The media at the moment seems to be full of bad news so it's important to remember not to get sucked up in it and take everything literally. Limiting the amount of time you spend reading the news will help lessen the panic and stress I've found.


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I hope that everyone is healthy and well, I would love to hear what everyone is up to in self isolation at the moment, and if anyone has any good tips about keeping calm within all the uncertainty.