«Don't stop when you are tired. Stop when you are done.» - Unknown

I'm sitting at my kitchen table with breakfast on the side and I still don't know what this post is actually about. I don't think I've ever written a post not knowing what I wanted to say or not having a plan for it.

There's nothing prettier than a well-maintained manicure and to be honest I love seasonal nail polish even though I barely have to time to do my nails. I am a big fan of reds and darker colours for this time of the years and obviously, Christmas screams red and Christmas will soon be around the corner.

Nowadays, there are many brands that have great quality nail polishes for little money, which is great for those of us who like a more extended nail polish collection (you didn't see me saying that). Essence and Rimmel have really inexpensive nail polishes for very nice quality, as well as, MUA and Tanya Burr Cosmetics.

Essence The Gel Nail Polish in Love Me Like You Do
This is one of my most recent purchases and I have been obsessed with this colour. It's a very muted colour - almost brown but with a hint of pink - making it a perfect shade for Autumn. It's still a colour suited for this time of the year but suitable for those who don't like red nails as much. The nail polishes from Essence are amazing quality and very inexpensive. They apply easily and dry quickly and more important than that - they last for a few days without chipping.

Rimmel 60 Seconds Super Shine Nail Polish in Berries and Cream
This nail polish has a much thinner consistency and it's a lot more aqueous, which means it dries even quicker than the Essence ones but it also means it doesn't last for as many days. Apart from that, I really love this colour and I love how easy it is to apply and go.

Essence The Gel Nail Polish in Red Carpet
This is the typical shade for Autumn and Winter and also one of the go-to shades for Christmas evening! It's a beautiful pure red that makes everything look more amazing and classic. The formula is the exact same as the shade I've mentioned above and I've noticed that the quality of these nail polishes doesn't vary according to shades, which happens with some others brands.

Follow

“It does not matter where you go and what you study, what matters most is what you share with yourself and the world.” ― Santosh Kalwar

Blogging is very time consuming as everyone already knows and since I’ve started uni in 2015, I’ve been really inconsistent with my blog – I’ve had months without posting once and I’ve had some when I’ve posted 3 times a week.

Follow

We all have those cringy moments when we look back on things. About four years ago I started blogging and for some reason, I thought I could be a great beauty blogger and write incredible reviews about all my makeup bits - there weren't that many. Who knows if in four years time and laughing at myself because I thought I could a be a blogger at all? Right.

“Every morning you have two choices; radiate positive energy or radiate opposite to that. Choice is yours.” ― Amit Ray, Beautify your Breath - Beautify your Life

Mornings can be a nightmare for many people. Mornings were my own nightmare a few years ago but that has been gradually changing as I create new patterns in my life. My body and mind are so used to get up early now that I don’t mind it at all – as long as I’ve slept for at least 6 hours – and mornings end up being one of the most important and enjoyable parts of my day as I’ve settled a routine for myself.

September is always a month of new beginnings for many of us. Some start a new year in school, some go to uni or work but I think people feel better in general and more motivated. This month was actually a pretty decent month for me and I truly enjoyed the many things I got to do. It’s important that we look back and feel grateful for everything that we experience.

“Sometimes life requires more of you than you have to give & demands you plunge into the reinvention of yourself if you truly wanna live.” ― Curtis Tyrone Jones

There are times in life when things get out of control. We all have had those moments. Everything is going fine and then you shut your eyes for a second and when you open them again the world is upside down. A couple of months ago I wasn’t in a good place, I felt that I had no control over my life and everything of bad seemed to be happening at the same time. I became very insecure and fragile to the point where I could literally be laughing at one second and crying at the next.

“Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” ― Margaret Mead

About two weeks ago I posted on the blog how blogging has changed the way I see myself and others around me and I’ve also said how I was never an easy influenced child or teenager. I always knew what I wanted for myself and what I didn’t want and that reminded on this idea for a blog post I had pushed to the back because I didn’t know what interesting that would be but I just felt like writing about it. This is my space after all, right?

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love—then make that day count!” ― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

Morning is an important part of my day for many reasons but the most important is that the way I spend mornings reflect the way the entire day will go on. Because of that, I prefer to have productive mornings instead of lying in bed until it is lunch time. I realise my morning routine isn’t the worst as I’ve been improving through the years and making small changes as I realise what’s best for me but there a few big mistakes that I’ll like to change.

“Use social media for good and lift others up, not tear them down. Stay on the high road. Keep your peace.” ― Germany Kent

Algorithm is still a hot topic even after months of being announced and fully established. It has made it incredibly difficult for smaller bloggers to grow their following and engagement on Instagram as everything you see is the bigger bloggers with thousands and thousands of followers. This has gotten a lot of people upset, which I totally get.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” ― Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad/Roughing It

I still haven’t met one person that doesn’t like to travel and discover new places, see new people, and meet new cultures. This summer I had the opportunity of flying for the first time and now that I’ve made sure I can do it without almost having a heart attack there’s nothing more I wish than travelling. These are 9 places in Europe I would love to travel to one day.

“Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed.” ― Paulo Coelho, The Devil and Miss Prym

I believe that setting goals make us wish for improvement. We do it because we want to do better and push ourselves leaving our comfort zone and hopefully see a little success. Truth be told, goals make us be the best version ourselves – it makes us work even harder and get bigger and bigger every day. However, this month I’m not setting any goals. Let me tell you why.

“Growing up is losing some illusions, in order to acquire others.” ― Virginia Woolf

Being a teenager can be difficult at times, that’s a fact everyone will agree if they’ve ever been there. Even though it doesn’t define who you are as an adult, it certainly shapes you and the way you see the world. Since being very young, I was always taught to not be afraid of being myself and defending my beliefs. Truth be told, I was never an easy influenced child or teenager and I knew how to distance myself from situations when I didn’t feel comfortable. 

All that becomes a challenge when you’re 16 and all you really want in life is to fit in. I was 16 when I started my blog and I kept it a secret until I left high-school because I was so scared of what people would say about me and the weirdness of me be having a blog. What was even that a while ago?

“You don't make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.” ― Ansel Adams

Photographs can make it or break it when it comes to growing your blog or small business and that’s probably why everyone wants to know the deepest secrets of this art. But – and this is a big but – is there any secret to be told? Obviously there are things you must learn if you want to improve your photography – the basics of photography, shooting manual on a DSLR, aperture, shutter speed and all those complicated terms I couldn’t understand a few months ago; most of all it's practice, learning what works for you and finding your photography style.