Blonde Ambition: featured

08:34

Spectrum Collections Brush Review

As you might have seen earlier on my blog I posted a gift guide full of great gift ideas for that girl in your life. Featured on this list was the Spectrum Collection Glam Clam which I've been drooling over for ages.. Well as it turns out, I have the best boyfriend ever. On the day I was packing all my life belongings into boxes to move house, I got this black envelope addressed to me.. Baring in mind I'm so poor right now I haven't internet shopped in months! Cry me a river..

Inside this black package was 10 pink and blue Spectrum Collection brushes with a makeup bag to go with it! Is it sad to say I cried a little bit.. I definitely have the best boyfriend in the world!

So I thought I'd do a little review of the makeup brushes, to see if they were worth all the hype on insta...

Well for starters the packaging is beautiful, I LOVE pink! My half Unicorn half Mermaid makeup bag is gorgeous, well made, silky pink interior and the zip doesn't stick at all.

Now for the Makeup Brushes. The brushes are obviously high quality, the finish of them is 100% and the brushes don't shed at all. Considering they aren't real hair they are insanely soft! The stipple brush is my favourite, it's great for applying foundation, as well as contouring if you want a stronger look.

I originally wanted to get the Glam Clam, however the 10 brush set is the best value for money for you girls out there on a budget like I am! You can buy the 10 piece set online here for £39.99, which I think is a pretty reasonable price considering the amazing quality of the product. The makeup bag can be bought here for £16.99

I think if you were going to gift someone this and didn't want to get them the makeup bag, the makeup brush cleaner is a great add on and is just over half the price of the bag. You can buy it here for £8.99

It is safe to say I was a very happy girl when my boyfriend gifted me these brushes, they brighten my mornings up when applying makeup in a rush to get out of the door, and lets be honest they look fabulous, so who wouldn't want them on their vanity table?!

To see more of Spectrum Collections products view their website here

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Let me know if you have any questions :)

Thanks for reading

Pip x

00:00

Homeware Hacks for a girl on a budget

So as you might have seen already via my Instagram.. I am now a proud home owner!! Finally after 8 months of waiting for my new house to be built I'm finally all moved in!

However being on 22 years old, I'm not a millionaire.. yet.. and home furnishing are EXPENSIVE! I mean, even a trip to Ikea to grab some 'bits' can add up!

So I'm going to share some tips and tricks to get that fabulous interior designer look you want.. on a budget.

Alphabet Pillows £1 Homebase

Click the pictures to go to the product

Mirror Mirror on the wall...

Mirrors can make any room look chic, as long as you get the right one. It reflects light so can really brighten a room up and can act as a great focus feature.

Top Tips for mirrors on a budget..

1. Check out antique auctions for quirky vintage mirrors at low costs

2. Mirror tiles.. there's a great variety of little mirror tiles/squares that you can get to add a real fun affect to a wall. Theres vintage worn styles or plain ones you can buy from ikea for just £6! I manage to create a whole mirror wall for just £36!

3. Sample sales can be a great way to grab a bargain, I used to work for Argos and managed to get a £60 mirror for £5 from their sample sale, so get friendly with anyone you know who works for a big furniture/homewares retailer, as they will probably get access to the staff sample sales at the end of the season!

My Mirror wall... All from Ikea 6 packs for £36

Let there be light!

Well this is kinda an obvious one, everyone needs lights in their house.. but this is a great way to glam your house up without having to spend much money..

Top Tips for glam lights on a budget..

Light bulb fairy lights - £8 Tiger - unavailable

1. Find the lights you want from the brand you want and search on ebay.. theres always someone selling a version of it..

2. Paper lampshades! These are so cute and really effective, and obv really cheap

3. MADE.com is a great place to get reasonably priced quirky lights

4. Do an ikea DIY with some copper spray paint.. copper is so in right now and you can glam up a really cheap light with a bit of spray paint

5. Fairy lights can make any room look cosy, and you can get them from pretty much anywhere!

Copper Light Cage - £15 Dunelm (Excuse the power save bulb)

Light Shade - £20 Habitat

Feature walls! The key to not spending a fortune on wallpaper

Who knew wallpaper could cost so much?! I mean £30 for a roll of paper! However, if you're an avid 60 min makeover girl like I am, you know it's all about the 'feature wall'. This is a great way to make a room look amazing, with just two rolls of wallpaper and a lick of paint.. you might not even need paint.

Top Tips for feature walls

Vinyl - £20 Etsy

1. You don't necessarily need to wallpaper the wall, you could get a funky wallhanging or a large painting.. this is great for you girls that are renting, as painting a rented house is kinda a big no no..

2. Etsy is a great place to find some unique wallpapers or wall vinyls, to really give your home a unique look

3. Wall vinyls.. and no I don't mean the Live, Love, Laugh ones... This is another decorating hack you can use, vinyls peel of the wall too so can be used in rented properties! I love the golden polkadot look, such a simplistic way to add some style to a room

Finally, a little tip that I have learnt can save you loads in the long run.. Choose you themes early and stick to them. You can buy things in advance of moving in so you don't have to folk out a load of dosh when you first move in. Also make sure your friends and family know what these themes are, so when they get you a gift it's something that will actually go with your home!

I would love to hear any tips you gals have for glamming up your homes.. so feel free to share them in the comments below!

Thanks for reading

Pip x

05:44

AW16 Shoes - Dune Press Event

09:00

Gift Guide for that Girl in Your Life

00:12

5 Places to visit in London - to express your inner Hipster

10:11

Top Tips for Taking Amazing Photos on your iPhone

There's a whole new world evolving out there and it's all with the help of social media... Who needs an office job when you've got thousands of followers on Instagram and get paid to promote brands?!

But to up your Instagram game you need to take good quality, interesting and pretty images, that's where I'm here to help! Trying to snap some pretty pics is harder than it looks.. It takes multiple shots, experimentation with lighting and a interesting subject.

So here are my 'Top Tips' for Instagram Photo success!

1. Lighting! - Well obviously this is key, but knowing what type of lighting is important! Natural Lighting is key for a good shot, so get your subject close to the window and turn off all the interior lights. Early morning is best for soft lighting, you don't want anything too harsh.

2. Make use of the focus tools available.. iPhones are great for selecting particular areas to focus the image - this can give you a nice artistic look by blurring the background out.

3. Topic - Make sure what you're photographing is well thought about and interesting - this is why I try not to take too many photos of my face! There's only so many reasons why I would take a photo of my face.. apart from my makeup being 'on fleek'.. But lets be honest.. that isn't every day!

4. Back Drops hep a lot! If you're a avid blogger and flat lays are life.. you need to get some backdrops in your lives! These can really help freshen up your pics, because, lets be honest, not everyone has marble worktops in their house!

5. And last but not least... Apps.. Apps are your friend to edit you pics. Not Face Tune and not Insta! But Visco Cam works a dream! And is the only app I go to for all my iPhone editing needs.

Take a look at more of my Instagram picks here

Or check out my photography website at www.pipwass.co.uk

I would love to hear if you've got any more iPhone photo tips, so feel free to comment below!

Thanks for reading

Pip x