How I Increased My Twitter Following Fast

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

There's no doubting that an active presence on social media can work wonders for blog traffic. I've been an avid Twitter user since I was about 11 years old, so I think I know how to navigate my way around it pretty well. A question that I see a lot of people getting frustrated about is why their social media (especially Twitter) is not growing. Over the past month I've been trialing some techniques to get some more quality followers, and to my surprise it's not been too difficult.

INSTALLING & UNDERSTANDING ANALYTICS
If you're going to start analysing your tweets, it's handy to have installed Twitter Analytics. It shows you a number of things that you can use to your advantage, such as your follower's interests, interactions & engagement rates. As you can see in the graph below, my Twitter following has increased dramatically. Learning what your analytics mean is simple.

grow twitter followers fast and easy


grow twitter followers fast and easy, twitter analytics
TWEET WHAT YOUR FOLLOWERS WANT TO SEE
As you can see, my followers' interests are mainly beauty-related, so I like to tweet about beauty. This will lead to more people retweeting and less unfollowing as you're tweeting what they'd like to see. Another thing that Twitter Analytics is amazing for is tracking your impressions and engagements. The higher the engagements, the more people are going to see it (which counts as an impression).

IMAGES ARE KEY
People are now cottoning on to the fact that images could make-or-break a tweet, with a tweet being 150% more likely to be clicked if a photo is attatched. The majority of people are visual people, so adding a photo to break up text in a person's timeline grabs their attention.

DON'T JUST PROMOTE
I mentioned in my Blogger's Guide to Twitter that Twitter is amazing for promoting blog posts. Before I started this whole experiment, my feed was 50% promotion and 50% normal tweets. I've scrapped that & now I use the 75/25 technique; sharing links to my blog 25% of the time. Nobody likes to follow a person who clogs up their timeline with promotional tweets, so try to balance it out with some normal tweets. It also lets your followers get to know you a bit more!

INTERACT!
Don't be silent. Get involved and make friends, start conversations and ask/answer questions. This way you build up connections with other people in your area & are exposed to more people, meaning more impressions & being more likely for a follow. After all, how is anyone going to find you if they don't know you're there?

Are you following me on Twitter?

Getting Yourself Out Of A Blogging Rut

Monday, September 21, 2015

I mentioned in last week's Weekend Notes & Links that the past few months have been difficult for me blogging-wise. I was in and out of a rut, feeling motivated for two weeks and then back to being unmotivated, uninspired and just generally lacking any ideas for another two weeks. My boyfriend and I went to the Lake District last week and it was the first time I actually gave myself a break - no blogging, checking stats or even being active on social media. It felt good to have a break and I feel like I got some valuable tips for getting yourself out of the blogging rut.

Take a proper break
By 'proper break' I mean fully take yourself away from the internet and the blogging world. Stop stressing about not having any ideas - they will come in time.

Join in a Twitter chat
If you're not ready/prepared to step away from the internet, use it as a source of information. I've always found that participating in Twitter chats give me more motivation and talking to other bloggers can even source some new ideas.

Browse other blogs
By no means am I saying it's OK to copy other bloggers (it's most definitely not!), but using them as a source of inspiration is perfectly fine. By reading blogs similar to yours, you are likely to find a couple of post ideas that you hadn't have thought of before.

Utilize Pinterest
Ahh, the ultimate site for dreamy photos, how-to guides and of course, blogging tips. Sign up and get pinning posts that inspire you and come back to them when you're struggling for ideas. If needs be, create a secret board solely for blogging ideas - it always works for me!

Read things out of your niche
This is similar to reading other blogs but try and read those that aren't similar to yours. If you write a  beauty blog, for example, try reading design blogs. Use the categories on the Bloglovin' Discover page to find blogs that aren't similar to your own. You can still use them for inspiration and it expands the potential audience of your blog.

How do you get out of a blogging rut?

Bourjois Colorbands

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Before we start this whole review, I just want you to appreciate how hard it was to track these down. After seeing everyone and their dogs rave about these, I was desperate to get my hands on them (you all know how much I love my No7 Shade & Define sticks!) because the shades look stunning & they're a bit cheaper. So, I went to Superdrug to find them and every single one was either open or used. I went to another and they were sold out, then another to find these three sitting there, unopened. To say I was happy would be an understatement.

The formulas of these are absolutely incredible & everyone has good reason to be raving about them. They're pigmented, creamy and blending is an absolute dream; not to mention the gorgeous shade range. The staying power of these is what really surprised me; when I swatched these on my hand I couldn't get them off for days, no matter how hard I scrubbed it. I much prefer that, though, as opposed to only taking one wipe to remove them as it means it's much more longer lasting.

My favourite out of the shades I have is Mauve Baroque; a dusty lavender shade that looks stunning on green eyes. This shade in particular is much more wearable to the others. A quick dust over the lid is all you need for a simple hint of colour. Gris Graffiti is a soft grey that you can use to line your eyes if you want a softer, less-harsh look. The most surprising shade for me was Noir Abstrait; a rich, black shade. If you're a fan of super black smokey eyes, this little crayon will be your best friend. It looks amazing as a base for black shadows and unlike many others, it's a delight to blend.

What are your favourite eyeshadows?

Weekend Notes & Links 03

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Happy Sunday! This week's Sunday post is scheduled again because my boyfriend and I are off for a weekend away in the Lake District! I'm majorly looking forward to the break due to how hectic this week has been, and as we're camping I probably won't be as active on social media as I usually am. I'll be back soon!


In the past few months of writing this blog, I apologize that my posts have been a bit hit-and-miss. I go from months of posting 18 times to months with only 2 things being published. I think blogger's block happens to everyone but it really has been a struggle to keep up to date over here but I think I finally have my mojo back. If you'd like to see how I get my motivation back after a blogging slump, let me know! They're some of my favourite posts to read.

Links I've loved:
○  How to make your own DIY contour brush.
○  The struggles of teaching your parents how to use a computer.
○  Things to be happy about.
○  A power bowl for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
○  How well do you know the teen internet?

What've you done this week?

The Best Palette for Autumn

Saturday, September 12, 2015

When it comes to Autumn, there's only one palette for me; the original Urban Decay Naked palette. It's the only three of the Naked palettes I own and I think I will ever buy just because it's that good, plus I always find myself coming back to it every year in the Autumn.

One of my favourite eyeshadows is in this palette - Half Baked. It's my favourite for many reasons, including the obvious fact that the colour is absolutely stunning and I've never seen an eyeshadow like it. Like all shades in this palette it's incredibly pigmented, to the point where you only need to quickly dip your brush in he product once and it comes out on your eyelid completely opaque. There's little fall-out and they're super easy to blend, which is why Urban Decay make some of the best eyeshadows out there.

Some more noteable shades include Hustle, Gun Metal and Sin - a more pigmented alternative to MAC's Naked Lunch. I personally prefer these eyeshadows to MAC as I find MAC to be a bit hit-and-miss in terms of pigmentation and finish. Every eyeshadow in this palette is on point and it includes everything I need for a golden Autumnal smokey eye.

What's your favourite eyeshadow palette?

3 Tips to Improving Your Instagram

Thursday, September 10, 2015

Social media is one of my favourite parts about blogging and it's so rewarding when your hard work pays off. Blogging isn't about numbers to me - I'd rather have 10 genuine followers who I interact with me and my posts as opposed to hundreds who don't interact. Over the past few weeks I've put some time into developing my social media channels and gaining loyal, genuine readers. Here are my tips specifically for Instagram (see my Twitter tips here!).

Decide on a theme
One of the most important things that I think make-or-break an Instagram account is the theme of the photos. A theme could be anything - beauty photos, fashion, monochrome or like mine, photos with a white background. I just think it makes the whole account in general look more appealing.

Interact with others in your niche
Just like Twitter, I see Instagram as a place to connect with other bloggers/people in your niche. Like other peoples photos, leave meaningful comments and make friends!

Use hashtags
Hashtags are an important thing on Instagram and can really help you out when finding new people and fresh content to follow. Use the hashtags of the Twitter blogging chats and tag brands in your posts. This gives you a chance for your photos to be used by bigger brands with a potentially bigger audience.

What's your best Instagram tip?

Autumn Lips

Tuesday, September 08, 2015

If there's one season that excites me the most, it's Autumn. Everything from the hot chocolates, rainy nights with the fire on and of course, the darker makeup just makes my heart happy. Almost every year since this blog began (read last year's here) I've done a post on my favourite Autumnal lipsticks and this year it's back! I have a brand new line-up after spending most of this year trying out different makeup in order to write this post.

First up is NARS Cruella lipstick. How could I write a berry lipstick post without including this little gem? It's the classic matte purple/red lipstick hybrid with such an amazing formula. The crayon-like stick makes application a dream and it stays putt all day, only needing a few minor top-ups. Definitely a staple if you're not the best at applying lipstick!

Recently added to my collection is the LA Girl Glazed Lip Paint in Pin-Up. If you're more of a glossy red lip kinda gal, I'm sure you'd love this. I wrote about these liquid lipsticks recently (with swatches, read here!) and I'm completely obsessed. They're tricky to apply at first due to the applicator but the finished product is stunning.

Another glossy option in Revlon's Colorstay in Parisian Passion. This was included in last year's post but I couldn't help but add it in again because it's such a classic Autumnal shade. This is more on the purple side as opposed to red, but it's stunning nonetheless. This is easier to apply due to the doe-foot applicator and the opaque-ness of this makes it a staple in my Autumn makeup collection.

What's your favourite Autumnal lipstick?

The Ultimate Drugstore Makeup Starter Kit

Monday, September 07, 2015

One thing I remember from starting my whole 'makeup journey' is how overwhelmed I felt every time I went to Boots. I'd have no idea where to start & the whole idea of choosing one product from hundreds quite simply terrified me. These days, I like to think of Boots as my second home - a place where my heart is, a place which makes me happy and a place of which I already own the majority of the products that they stock.

I can tell by my analytics that some of the people who read my blog are quite young & also receive a number of emails asking what product I would recommend for a beginner in makeup so I thought I'd put together a little Drugstore Makeup Starter Kit for you!

PRIMER :  Maybelline Baby Skin { £8 }
FOUNDATION :  Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum { £11 }
CONCEALER :  Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer { £4 }
POWDER :  Rimmel Stay Matte { £4 }
BLUSH, BRONZER & HIGHLIGHT :  Sleek Face Contour Kit { £10 }
BROWS :  Rimmel Brow This Way Kit { £3.99 }
EYESHADOW :  Maybelline Color Tattoo { £5 }
LINER :  Bourjois Intuitive Felt Tip Liner { £6.99 }
MASCARA :  Maybelline Lash Sensational { £8 }
RED LIPSTICK :  Rimmel Kate Moss 107 { £6 }
NUDE LIPSTICK :  Revlon Lip Butter in Cotton Candy  { £7.99 }

Phew, there we go! I only included the basics for makeup application on an everyday basis but if you have any suggestions of your own, feel free to comment them below. I'm always on the lookout for more makeup! PS. You can check my reviews on these products by looking through my Product Directory. Happy shopping!

What's your ultimate drugstore makeup item?

Revisiting YSL Touche Eclat

Thursday, September 03, 2015


Every time I open up my makeup storage and see this beautifully packaged YSL Touche Eclat, I'm always gutted that I don't get along with it. It just sits there looking all pretty yet I never get any use out of it because I didn't like it when I tried it last year. Instead of it sitting there lonely I thought I'd give it another go, to see whether I could finally get to grips with it... Bad news, I still can't.

Much like last year when I first tried it, it just doesn't offer enough coverage for me. Although this is a highlighting pen, it doesn't do anything but add another layer of caki-ness to my skin which I'm definitely not a fan of. It doesn't conceal anything major, nor cover my dark circles beneath my eyes which is definitely something my Collection concealer can do. That one is £20+ cheaper and does both concealing dark circles/spots and highlighting. This YSL one does neither for me!

For the price of this I really am gutted that I can't get along with it. Looks like it'll have to go back in the drawer and I'll try it again in a few months to see if anything changes, but I'm doubtful!

What product have you bought but not got along with?

Guilty Pleasures

Wednesday, September 02, 2015

I'm sure it's not only me who has their own guilty pleasures - things that we do but we're actually to embarrassed to admit them. In the embarrasing style that I usually do personal posts (example A) I thought I'd list mine... No judging, please.

○  Trashy TV, especially TOWIE. Love it!
○  Listening to the Scouse accent. I have no idea why I love it so much but I could listen to it all day.
○  Spending hours adding items to your Net a Porter basket as if you're Kylie Jenner on a shopping spree, then getting disppointed when you can't buy those £500 shoes you fell in love with. Or the £19,699 dress.
○  The Hannah Montana movie. Say no more.
○  Reading the showbiz section of Daily Mail just to snoop on what's going on with the Kardashians.
○  As a matter of fact, the Kardashians are my guilty pleasure.
○  People-watching. Give me something to eat in a busy place and I'll eavesdrop like nobody's business *insert sassy girl emoji*.
○  Long, long baths (to the point where your skin looks like it's ages 60 years from all of the wrinkles).
○  Singing my little heart to Whitney Houston when I'm home alone. Yes, I am that person.

What's your guilty pleasure?

[ CLOSED ] 2 MAC LIPSTICKS GIVEAWAY!

Tuesday, September 01, 2015


Giveaway is now closed.