Time for a Catch up // April

Instagram round-up …

Hello my darlings!

April has been a little bit crazy as I have been swamped with writing my dissertation and, with exams looming, May doesn’t look that much better. It is due to all of this that I haven’t been posting as regular as I would like and I think, honestly, I will not be posting on this blog on a regular basis again until around the end of May.

I have lots of half written posts half ready to upload, so when I am no-longer shackled by university work I will resume posting on an almost daily basis. I may be able to upload the odd post during May if I have a free minute, so follow me on bloglovin (here) to keep updated.

Here are some links for all my posts from April:

• Lazy Sundays #4
• Happy Easter! The Reasons why you Shouldn’t Feel Guilty about Eating Chocolate
• Friday Favourites #8
• A  Word of Advice // Staying Motivated …
• ELF Mini Haul
• Lazy Sundays #3
• The LIEBSTER Award
• The Budget Guide to Blogging
• Lazy Sundays #2
• Friday Favourites #7
• Trends for Spring 2014
• Favourite Films from the 90s
• Puschka // Liverpool

Hope you all had a wonderful April and have an even better May!

Lots of Love,

Hannah xx

Lazy Sundays #4

Hello my darlings!

I have been really busy this week – again – with university work. I feel that is all I ever say lately!

I fit in some social time though – it is not all work and no play! Yesterday my boyfriend and I went to see Arthur Miller’s A View from a Bridge at the Playhouse Theater in Liverpool. The Playhouse Theater is a lovely, intimate venue where you feel a real part of the action. This version of the play was directed by Christine Gilmore and it was fabulous.

I have kept this week’s post short and sweet as I haven’t had a very eventful week. I have also posted earlier some reasons why you shouldn’t feel guilty about eating all that Easter chocolate – read it here.

Have you been the theater lately?

Lots of Love,

Hannah xx

Happy Easter! The Reasons why you Shouldn’t Feel Guilty about Eating Chocolate

Hello my darlings!

As it is Easter Sunday I am guessing most of us have accumulated a rather obscene amount of chocolate. But, do not fear – I have a few facts for you that will make you feel a lot less guilty about your chocolate binge …

Raspberries and Chocolate 

Raspberries and chocolate are delicious on their own but together they even have health benefits.  Apparently the flavonoids found in chocolate (which have been proven to hold disease-fighting, immune boosting properties) work much better at improving heart health when paired with similar flavenoids contained in raspberries.

Its good for your ‘ol tikker! 

Dark chocolate is packed full of antioxidant compounds that increase the flexibility of veins and arteries and, according to studies, reduce your risk of heart disease and help to lower blood pressure. But, although these antioxidants are good for your little ticker, due to the generous helpings of sugar, milk, butter (lets be honest all the things that make it delicious) it doesn’t mean you can shy away from the gym. So make the most of the sunshine and go for a spring walk – with some Easter chocolate as your mid-walk snack of course!

Chocolate does not give you spots

It is a myth that chocolate will give you spots. It is important to maintain a healthy and balanced diet as this is linked to a good complexion, but in itself it does not lead to spots. So indulge in your Easter goodies without the fear of bad skin.

Reduced Stress

Indulging in some chocolate can help to reduce stress by significantly reducing your stress hormone levels and the metabolic effects of stress .

Higher Intelligence

Chocolate can help boost your brain power when you really need it. Studies have found that drinking cocoa can boost blood flow to key parts of the brain for up to 3 hours, which could improve performance and make you more alert. Also, by helping to preserve blood flow to the brain, chocolate can help prevent memory decline.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter and I hope a helping of chocolate will help you all fight those Monday Blues tomorrow!

Lots of Love,

Hannah xx

Friday Favourites // #8

LOW BACK DRESS // £35.99

DRESS WITH JEWEL BUTTONS // £39.99

CHEESECLOTH BLOUSE // £29.99

MINI SKIRT // £29.99

BAG WITH CUT WORK DETAIL // £19.99

All images are from ZARA UK

Hello my darlings!

Its Friday again, thank goodness! The sun has been peeping out from behind those pesky clouds lately and Spring finally feels like it is here, but my wardrobe doesn’t seem to have gotten the message. At the moment it doesn’t seem to reflect this sunny weather we are enjoying as all my clothes seem just too dark …

So, I have been browsing one of my favourite shops, ZARA to find some Spring additions to my wardrobe. This seasons offerings are as lovely and elegant as ever, not that I would expect anything less from ZARA.

I have chosen five of my favourite items for this week’s installment of Friday Favourites – so I hope you like!

This spring orange is one of the main colours and the orange shift dress from ZARA is perfect! Also get a hint of pink with the cute mini fuchsia skirt. Check out my overview of all the colour trends this Spring here.

Have a great bank-holiday weekend!

Lots of Love,

Hannah xx

A Word of Advice // Staying Motivated …

Hello my darlings!

As you may already now if you read my blog I am in my final year studying History at the University of Leeds, and I am currently writing my dissertation. The majority of my time lately has been occupied by this, but I occasionally get some help from Maurice (my cat) – well I think he is helping! When you have such a large amount of work to do and the sun is shining outside it can be difficult to stay motivated! Here are a few of my tips and tricks to staying motivated, whether you are a student, working from home or just in need of a bit of a nudge …

1) Take a break every once in a while! When studying it is best to take short breaks – so make yourself a cup of tea and grab a biscuit! This will keep you motivated because it will give your brain a chance to re-boot and allow you to relax, preventing you from becoming stressed.

2) Be organised! Plan out what you want to achieve that day. Setting yourself a game plan helps to organise your thoughts, manage your time better, and produce high-quality work.

3) Make sure your goals are attainable! Don’t set yourself goals that there is no realistic chance of you achieving, as this will just result in you feeling bad about your progress and thus unmotivated. Be realistic in what you can achieve that day and you will feel more positive!

4) Have a tick list! Create a tick list and section your day’s workload into sections, then mark off what you have completed. It is important to recognize your progress as you go along because it reminds you that you are moving forward and ever closer to your goals.

5) A clear work-space = a clear mind! Procrastination is a pit we all fear falling in, so remove temptation. Clear your work-space so there isn’t anything for you to fiddle with and distract you. This will help you focus completely on your work. Also avoid social media – you are here to work so don’t get distracted by your friend’s latest tweet or Instagram upload!

6) Make sure you eat and drink! This is so important if you want to stay motivated as work can seem almost impossible if you feel sluggish and dehydrated. So, make sure you drink plenty of water and remember to eat, not just snack.

7) Reward yourself! It is important to remind yourself of your accomplishments as you go along and to reward yourself for them. The rewards can be whatever you like, big or small, maybe a sweet snack or half an hour of television – basically whatever you want.

When trying to stay motivated the most important thing is to make sure that you stay positive and focus on your goals! Brush those negative thoughts away – you don’t need them!

How do you stay motivated?

Lots of Love,

Hannah xx

Elf Mini-Haul

• Super Glossy Lip Shine SPF15 – Watermelon
• Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick – Flirty & Girly
• Mineral Infused Face Primer – Translucent
• Mineral Eyeshadow – Caffeinated
• Clarifying Pressed Powder – Ivory
• Tone Correcting Powder
• Stipple Brush 84015
• Blushing, Bronzing & Blending Brush 1805
• Concealer Brush 1824

Hello my darlings!

I love ELF (Eyes, Lips, Face) as it offers some great high-quality products at incredibly reasonable prices. I paid their website a visit the other day and just could not help ordering a few of their amazing products. I ended up with quite a few items but I still have my eye on the Daily Brush Cleaner, the Brush Shampoo and the Corrective Concealer – I may have to pay them another visit soon! Here are a few of my first impressions of all the products I ordered:

I love the Chubby Lip Sticks from Clinique (here) so when I saw the Jumbo Lip Gloss Sticks on ELF I knew I had to test them out. I went for the colour Flirty & Girly which is a purple-pink shade. I really like this product as it gives a relatively matte finish with a slight glossy look. There is a touch of shimmer which I would prefer not to be there, but it is subtle. The colour is slightly lighter on application than you would expect but it is still beautifully vibrant. I think I still prefer the product from Clinique but for a cheaper alternative I would recommend this product from ELF.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Caffeinated Mineral Eye Shadow. I thought I was going to hate it when I opened the packaging because it looked incredibly shimmery, but on application it is actually quite matte. The product is a powder to begin with but when you apply it to you skin it becomes more of a cream-like consistency. It is a beautiful colour and I will most certainly be repurchasing this product. The only grumble that I have about this eye shadow is the packaging, because you have to shake the powder out onto your hand before you can use it. I would much prefer an open pot, in which I could dip my eye shadow brush.

I’ve wanted to try the ELF Mineral Infused Primer in Translucent for a while now but it always seemed to be sold out when I went online. On application the primer feels silky to the touch and leaves your skin feeling incredibly smooth. The product promises to reduce redness but I didn’t notice much difference in this respect. The primer also comes in other colours, such as green to further correct redness, which may be more successful at correcting skin tone than the translucent primer. My make-up applied evenly and smoothly over the primer, and stayed in place all day. Overall, I would recommend this primer but I would advise considering the other colour variations if you want it to target redness or generally even skin tone.

The Clarifying Pressed Powder is a throw-in-your-bag type of product. I would not use the powder in my morning make-up regime but it is perfect to use as a powder to touch up any shine that may appear throughout your day.

I am really disapponted with the Tone Correcting Powder. It doesn’t seem to noticeably even skin tone and the powder sits quite heavily on the skin so that it looks slightly caked on. ELF also do a concealer (find it here) in the same colour palette but they are more creamy than the Tone Correcting Powder, which I think I will be trying next.

I am in rather desperate need of some new make-up brushes as mine are most certainly on their last legs. Although I think MAC brushes are probably my favourite I really begrudge spending that much, so I have been on the hunt for alternatives at a more reasonable price. My friend recommended Real Techniques and Zoeva, but when I saw the above brushes on ELF I thought I would check them out. All of the brushes were incredibly soft but I still have mixed feelings about them. I was disappointed with the stipple brush as it was not effective in applying my foundation and it did not hold the powder well when I was trying to apply my blusher. However, this brush was good at blending my blusher after I had applied it with a different brush. The Bronzing/Blusher brush is an average brush. It applies blusher perfectly well and the slanted edge allows you greater control, but it is not the best brush I have used nor is it the worst. At such a low price I would recommend this brush as a good budget buy but it is not anything to write home about. I love the concealer brush – it is perfect! It is definitely my star buy from this ELF mini-haul.

During April if you spend £15 or more you will receive two free gifts; my two free items were the lip gloss and the eye-shadow.

Check out ELF here.

Have you tried any Elf products lately? What is your favourite budget beauty brand? What brands would you like to see a review of?

Lots of Love,

Hannah xx

Lazy Sundays #3

Hello my darlings!

This week hasn’t been very much to report (same as last week and the week before) as I am still swamped in with work but I am finally able to see the finish line – thank goodness for that – which has really helped my build my motivation.

I have had some fun this week though don’t you worry. On Wednesday I had a day off from my dissertation because I needed a break to de-stress and relax. I went for brunch with my boyfriend Adam at Moose Coffee in Liverpool and we indulged in a stack of their delicious pancakes, smothered in maple syrup and topped with crispy bacon. Then – like the greedy little piggies we are – we also ordered a bagel each, which arrive with a healthy helping of potato salad. I got a Ruben, which I love but I think sauerkraut and pickles with peppered beef and cheese is a required taste. If you are ever in Liverpool this is definitely a place to visit as the food is phenomenal and the walls are adorned with portraits of famous people from history each with a moose’s’ head – they always make me giggle! Then in the evening I met up with some of my family and trotted down to the Empire Theater in Liverpool to watch Let it Be – a theatrical tribute to the Beatles. It wasn’t really my cup of tea but it was fun to do something different.

Yesterday morning I again ventured into the city center and paid a impromptu visit to BonBon Bakery on Berry Street in Liverpool.The front of the bakery is quite unassuming but trust me, there are so many treats waiting for you inside.  It is a Chinese bakery that sells the most amazing pastries and breads. Me and my boyfriend decided to get a sweet char siu bun, a pork roll on a sweet bread and a sesame peanut ball. Everything was really tasty and it was so much fun to try something new, but the char siu bun – my lordy lord – was something else. I can safely say that it was one of the best things I have ever had the pleasure to have eaten – I highly recommend! We ate these delicacies in St Georges Park as the sun was shining for a change (not that you can tell from some of the above photos), which was lovely except that a very pesky seagull was getting uncomfortably close to where we were sat.

I haven’t posted as much as I would like this week, I even missed my weekly Friday Favourites post! I have been crazy busy this week, trying to fit in all my work for university, spend some time with family and see my boyfriend around his crazy shift pattern (he is a chef and as he is in work most days and evenings we rarely get a chance to spend some time together). I will hopefully posting a little more this week and then when life returns to some sort of normality I will be back to posting on a regular basis. So stay tuned by following me on bloglovin.

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday.

Lots of Love,

Hannah xx

The LIEBSTER Award

Hello my darlings!

The other day I was nominated by Paige from Lady Paige to do the Liebster Award. The Award is for new bloggers to promote their blog and reach new readers.

There are a simple few rules regarding the Liebster Award which include the following…

• 11 questions, asked by whoever nominated you, must be answered
• 11 new nominees must be selected by yourself
• Your chosen nominees must answer a new list of 11 questions, again created by yourself
• You must notify those you have nominated of their nomination

Where did your blog name come from?

I spent a long time deliberating over what to call my blog before I settled on Promise of a New Day. I think I came up with the name because I wanted the blog, amongst other things, to be a lifestyle blog and thought it only fitting for the title to reflect the possibilities that each fresh day brings to live your life. Cheesy but true!

Apart from the Liebster award post, what was the last blogpost you read?

The last blogpost I read was from the wonderful Love and Lemons blog. It was a recipe for Hazelnut Tahini Pasta which looked absolutely amazing! Love and Lemons is definitely worth a visit if you love healthy but delicious food, all showcased in beautiful photos.

Where is your favourite place to eat out?

It is really difficult for me to decide on my favourite place to eat as it all depends on my mood and what city I find myself in. If I had to pick I would choose Kendell’s Bistro in Leeds (where I go to university) and Moose Coffee in Liverpool. Kendell’s Bistro offers the most amazing French food and the atmosphere is second to none. Moose Coffee is completely different but equally as fantastic. My favourite things to order are the delicious pancake stacks with maple syrup and bacon, and one of the myriad of bagels.

Which types of posts do you most enjoy reading?

I enjoy reading beauty posts, in particular ones that describe a skincare regime, as they get together a range of products and explain why they all work well together. Although I enjoy a review post, I think that those that outline a regime give you so many pointers and ideas to improve your skincare collection.

What is your favourite scent?

At the moment I am loving anything that is vanilla scented! I think that is a wonderfully fresh and sweet (yet not overly so), and perfect for Spring. It is also a great to use in addition to your perfume, just a throw-in your bag scent to provide you with a fresh spritz throughout your day. The one that I am using at the moment is the Body Shop Madagascar Vanilla spray – find it here.

What is the most expensive thing you have ever bought?

The most expensive thing (is quite boring) I have ever bought was a racing bike – or maybe it was a mountain bike (I have no idea). I bought it when I was still quite young and it took me a year to save up for it. I have no idea why I bought it as I am not a fan of anything that gets you out of breath – eurgh exercise! I still have it though as it was a women’s bike but it is just gathering dust in my garage.

When was the most you ever laughed?

I can’t think of one specific time where I laughed the most I have ever laughed, but I would say that I laugh the most when I am with my boyfriend, Adam. He just has the ability to have me in fits of laughter when we are together. He is a really fun and relaxed person which I think I need because I can sometimes get quite serious and be too much of a perfectionist, and he just reminds me to relax and not take life so seriously all the time.

What is your biggest regret?

I try not to regret things in my past as I think that when we regret the past and are apprehensive of the future we cannot enjoy the present moment. I wrote a post about this recently – read it here. For this reason I haven’t got a biggest regret because although if I though about it there would be things I would have done differently, all those moments and choices have gotten me to the point where I am today and as I can’t change the past I am making the conscious decision to enjoy the present – life is too short for regrets!

The best book you’ve read?

It is difficult to choose a book which I consider to be the best I have ever read because there are so many. If I had to choose though I would have to say that the best book I have read is 1984 by George Orwell. Even though it was written in 1949 I think this dystopian novel is a timeless classic, with parallels that we can see both in history and in our present world.

If you could do absolutely anything tomorrow, what would you do?

I would pack a rucksack, get on a plane and go back-packing. I have always dreamed of just getting up and going travelling, and if I could go tomorrow that would be the most incredible thing.

If you could have been in any Disney film which character would you have liked to play?

I always wanted to Mulan! I loved how independent she was and how she wasn’t the typical Disney Princess character. I have watched Mulan more times than I can remember and I always really wanted to be friends with Mushu (the little dragon).

I would like to nominate:

• Samira from Lace and Tulle
• Lily from A Little Lily
• Melissa from Poppy Bird
• Pauline from Pauline Blogs about Fashion
• Lina from My own particularly truth
• Kim from Keybykim
• Hannah from Hannah Boxall
• Becky from Bexistential
• Lydia & Nikkie from Sugar and Sass
• Chelsea from contemporaryteal
• Nadine from The Parma Violet

I would like to ask my nominees:

• Why did you start your blog?
• Who is your favourite blogger at the moment?
• What style of blog is your favourite to read?
• What is you favourite beauty product for Spring 2014?
• What is your favourite fashion trend for Spring 2014?
• What is your favourite fashion brand?
• What is the best film you have ever seen?
• What would you consider your most positive and negative traits?
• Who is your idol/inspiration?
• What is your biggest achievement?
• If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

I would like to say a huge thank-you to Paige from Lady Paige for nominating me – check out her blog here.

Lots of Love,

Hannah xx

The Budget Guide to Blogging

Hello my darlings!

As a student at university I am well-aware of the realities of blogging on a budget. I haven’t been blogging long (I only started my blog in February 2014) but I would like to share with you some of my tips to help save the pennies.

1) Rather than purchasing items to review create wish lists, telling people why you want these items.These lists are interesting to read because they gather a number of objects together in a way that is quick and easy to view – it is essentially shopping without having to spend the time trawling through online shops and who doesn’t love the idea of that …

2) Save some money by visiting some alternative websites for your desired items. Visit The Beauty Bay; Want the Look; All Beauty; Gorgeous Shop and Zest Beauty. Such sites stock all the major beauty brands but at discounted prizes.

3) Get some loyalty cards. Both Boots and Superdrug have a loyalty card, which allows you to earn points whenever you make a purchase. You can then use these points (when you have enough) to purchase other items. Also in all major Boots stores there will be counter-points where you can print out vouchers offering various deals for free using your loyalty card.

4) Samples are a great way to save some money and still be able to provide your initial impressions of a product. They also give you a chance to decide whether you like a product before purchasing it, saving you a lot of money on items that weren’t up to scratch. Ask at beauty and fragrance counters, as some will be happy to provide you with samples to decide whether you like the product. Also try sites such as Love Me Beauty; Latest in Beauty and Freebie Site. 

5) It is always a good idea to sign up to newsletters for your favourite sites as these will keep you up-to-date with all their current offers and deals, as well as informing you of new releases.

6) As a lifestyle blogger I like to blog about where I enjoy to eat out but this can get rather pricey. But, do not fear, there is a solution! Look out for offers and deals such as 3 for 2, or see if somewhere offers an early bird menu (this is often a slightly limited menu but it is cheaper). Also there are sites such as Groupon and Wowcha where you can purchase vouchers, at discounted prizes, not only for meals but for events, attractions and activities too. Finally, you could invest in a Taste card which entitles you to a myriad of deals in restaurants all over the UK.

7) Why not blog about your money saving tips? You could write a post, like this one, which suggests ways to blog on a budget or you could write about topics such as DIY beauty tricks or beauty dubes. These types of posts are fun to write and I know that I enjoy reading similar posts on other people’s blogs.

What are your tips for blogging on a budget?

Lots of Love,

Hannah xx

Lazy Sundays # 2

Hello my darlings!

Hope you are all having a relaxing Sunday. I thought I would do this Lazy Sunday post slightly differently and include some photos from my week. I haven’t been up to that much recently as I am still unbelievably busy writing my dissertation, but I have been able to fit in some fun and enjoyment, don’t you worry.

1 & 2. On Monday I had the pleasure of visiting Pushka in Liverpool. The food is amazing, the atmosphere is wonderfully relaxed and the staff are lovely – definitely worth a visit if you are ever in Liverpool. Read about it here.

3. I spent yesterday watching the Grand National in Aintree, Liverpool. A family member of mine has a balcony that overlooks the race track so we always have a fantastic view. The photo I have included here is quite blurring as the horses speed past so quickly that it is near impossible to capture the perfect photograph (especially when you are simultaneously trying to take a photo, protect your camera under your hood from the rain and struggle for space on a very crowded balcony). I had such a lovely day, catching up with family and eating delicious food in abundance!

4 & 5. Sundays always mean one thing for me – spending some quality time with my favourite Kitty. I think I enjoy spending time with Maurice more than the other way round, as I think at times he wishes I would just let him get on with his cat-nap.

6. I have spent the vast majority of my Sunday drinking an unnecessary amount of tea.

7 & 8. Although it is officially Spring the weather outside could convince you otherwise. So I have been filling our house with as many flowers as possible, some bought and some foraged from my garden. My favourites at the moment of my indoor florist selection are these bluebells and tulips.

9. I have been looking at holiday destinations for most of today. The dreary weather outside has got me dreaming of sunny beaches and crystal-clear waters, and the opportunity to whip out these two hats which at the moment are gathering dust in our un-sunny little country.

Enjoy what is left of the weekend and have an amazing week.

How have you spent your lazy Sunday?

Lots of Love,

Hannah xx