You don't know happy it makes me to know that Spring is on it's way and to say goodbye to the cold and miserable winter months. As much as I love snuggling down in the evenings under a blanket, I much prefer the warmth of the spring/summer, days out in the sunshine with the family and of course being a blogger way more blog photo opportunities due to the better photo lighting. Here's a little to do list of the things I'm hoping to achieve or want to do throughout Spring:

1. Read three books - I'm currently reading Sunshine On A Rainy Day by Byrony Fraser, so hopefully I'll be able to finish that soon and move on to another one. I've recently got back into reading and I've honestly missed it so much.

2. Start exercising again - It literally disgusts me when I think back to the last time I did a solid good workout or went on a run. It's seriously been that long, but due to health problems it's sometimes impossible. But I want to try push myself and start exercising again. I love doing workouts for home and going on early morning runs on the weekend when no one is about. It's pure bliss. 

3. Swap dark hues for light hues in my makeup collection - Whilst I've been obsessed with wearing dark plum colours on my lips and copper shadows on my lids and will be very sad to say goodbye to them for the next few months, I can't wait to start wearing lots more lighter based makeup and spring shades. Mac's snob will be making a swift return to my lip wardrobe.

4. Continue to improve my photography - I have been working super hard on my blog photography lately. I've actually properly learned about my camera settings, invested in some new blog props and backgrounds, as well as taking my time with it and experimenting. I personally feel like I have improved slightly, so hopefully that will come across to you  guys also. But I still have a long way to go, but I'm actually enjoying it for the first time ever!!!

5. Eat more fruit - Is it just me or is fruit way more appealing in the warmer months of the year? I can't wait to eat strawberries, apples, grapes and raspberries a lot more regularly again. How yummy!

6. Buy flowers more regularly - Flowers just make a room feel so much fresher and airy! Tulips are my absolute favourites. They're so pretty. Spring is the perfect excuse to purchase lots.

7. Add some new spring wardrobe additions - Spring and summer fashion is my absolute favourite. Everything's just so much prettier and sweet. I find clothing pieces are way more flattering on me and don't even get me started on all the shoes! I'm all over pink suede mules right now. 

8. Go for a walk everyday - Walking is one of my favourite ways to clear my head during a stressful time or to just simply enjoy getting out in the fresh air. When the weather starts getting better, I definitely want to go on more walks and preferably at least once a day.

What are your plans for Spring?

Lauren x

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Growing up I was always known as the stationary addict to my family. Everytime we would go out to the supermarket, I would be purchasing a new notebook or set of pens to add to my already overgrowing stationery collection that I had ended up housing over time. When I got into blogging and started taking it more seriously, this old love of mine seemed to be reignited and after many years of not being too fussed about stationary, my obsession for it has come back and I cannot resist purchasing all the pretty stationary. Of course this can be quite an expensive habit, so if you like me and want some cute ass stationery in your life, then keep reading because I've got some of the best places to shop for affordable stationery right here!

Building a makeup collection can be something that happens unintentionally overtime to any beauty or makeup lover out there.  Not only does it take time to achieve a collection that you absolutely love, but it also means dedicating your own money to funding your collection and putting the effort in to actually experiment with a range of products, to eventually find the ones that are going to stick with you. Here are some of my top tips for building a makeup collection based on my own experiences.

Buy products you actually want to buy - When it comes to investing money into makeup products and trialing out different ones, it can be easy to fall into the trap of buying only hyped about products or those that someone has recommended to you. Of course this is fine and I personally appreciate it when people do recommend genuine great products to me, but if you're just buying a product to please someone else or to have all the popular products everyone else has got, then you're building a collection of products you're probably not even going to really like. Instead buy what you want, rather than what you feel like you have to own. 

Give yourself a budget and stick to it - As you are probably aware, buying makeup can be expensive and creating a collection you love will be pricey. But instead of having to worry about how you're going to afford things, make yourself an affordable budget that works for you. Do your research before hand. Look out for more affordable dupes of expensive items you have your eye on and find out whether the majority like a product enough to buy it again. Also consider that if you do want to splurge on a higher priced item, then save up as much as you can before doing so. Or go for cheaper yet good quality products that work as well as the more expensive ones.

Be practical with yourself - Know what is and what isn't worth the investment. Consider what items you can save some money on and what items you can spend more on. Products like mascara, brow products, concealer and liners will be used up more quickly, so you'll probably want to aim to spend less on these. The products that are more worth spending on include lipsticks, shadows, brushes and foundations (only if you don't wear foundation every single day.). 

Invest in some good storage - With a growing collection, it's a good idea to invest in some storage to keep all your makeup products organised and well looked after. You want somethings that provides ease of access if you wear makeup a lot, because no doubt you'll always need to be in reach of it in your daily routine. This will also help to make it easier to get ready. If you're someone who wants to have your makeup on display so you can admire it, then perhaps invest in something that shows your collection off to it's full advantage and goes well with the rest of your room decor. I have 7 makeup storage ideas here if you need some further ideas and help. 

Have patience - Building a makeup collection that you 100% love takes time. You need to be patient with yourself. Don't splurge on a load of items at once and instead consider that budget you have in mind. Alternatively, remember to save and spend on those worthwhile items that won't end up going to waste. It isn't going to happen over night or even a weeks time, it will  probably take several months and maybe even years to get to where you aim to be.

Don't compare your size to someone else's - Everyone's makeup collections will be different. Not everyone's will have the same products or the same size. We all have to start somewhere. Some people prefer a minimalistic small collection of products they really love and get a lot of wear out of all of them. Whilst other people like to build a huge collection up and are able to provide themselves with a greater choice of products from their collection. For me personally, I'm somewhere in the middle. I'm practical with my purchases and only purchase items I need, but I do like to have a splurge on a random item or two from time to time. It is always nice to treat yourself!

Experiment with it - I touched briefly on this area and highlighted that it is important to be patient when you're building a makeup collection. You're going to be experimenting with different products for quite some time. Most products take a good couple of weeks for you to trial and test out, so you can see why it can become time consuming. But experimenting is definitely worth it since it will help you to find those products that you love and ones that actually work best for you. It's also a good idea to have a clear out every so often, to ensure you're getting rid of any unused or unloved products, which you can donate to friends or family. This will make way for new products.

Apply the one of each rule - If you solidly want to build a collection and be organised with it, then sticking to the one of each rule is essential. First start with gathering up the basics to create a full face of makeup that you can wear on a day to day basis. Remember these need to be ones you 100% love and will use a lot. Then you can move onto trying out new products and building your collection from your basics. Take into consideration the types of formulas and finishes you have in your collection, for example you might have one foundation that provides a full coverage with a matte finish and then an additional foundation you could add to your collection to build it could be one of a more dewy natural coverage. 

How have you built your own makeup collection?

Lauren x

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