How to get over a break up

I suppose this was my first real break up. And I'm unsure as to whether or not it has been easy. In a sense, I'm glad it happened at the time it did. I'd have been more devastated had it happened years into our relationship and I'm glad that the negative energy has now evaporated from my life. I don't need someone who is like that around me. It still hurts, and I still think about him. I walk past a restaurant we once went in and have to remind myself to be strong so I don't break down. But every day is getting easier.

Break ups are something that we all are going to have to go through at some point. Whether you're doing the breaking up, you've been cheating on or it's a mutual decision, it's never easy leaving someone who once a big part of your life behind. Because of this, I thought it'd be nice to use this topic as another lifestyle-style post and to also get you guys involved a little at the end. 

Keep yourself busy 

I was very lucky that I found out my ex had cheated on me the evening before I went to work. I didn't have the chance to wallow too much because I knew that I had to sleep for work the next day. And at work I definitely didn't have time to even think about what had happened. It helped a lot. Whether it's reading, working, writing, going out, dating or working out. You need to do everything possible to keep your mind occupied.

Surround yourself with a good support system 

Although my friends are scattered across the county because they're from university, they were there for me. They were always checking in on me, texting me, calling me, just making sure I was okay. They didn't really give me an opportunity to think about what he did. My family didn't mention him - which I asked for and my friends ripped into him - and her - and built up my confidence and made me feel better. Sometimes, that's just what you need.

Remove them from social media 

This one was harder for me because I'm waiting for my ex to return my things so I've had to keep in touch with him (he hasn't half dragged it out, ugh). But the person from Facebook, unfollow them on Twitter, delete their number. And make sure you don't stalk them. I had to remove my ex from Facebook because him and and the cheatee were splattered all over my timeline, and that's something I didn't need to see. Another thing is to throw away negative things that you remind you of that person.

Music 

Music is such a major part of my life. I need it to function and without it, I doubt I'd have gotten over the break up so quickly. Music speaks to me. But it's important to listen to empowering songs - no Adele! Some of my favourites: Alanis Morissette, You Oughta Know; Britney Spears, Lonely; Britney Spears, Stronger; Cheryl, Screw You; Justin Timberlake, Cry Me A River; Pussycat Dolls, I Don't Need a Man; Taylor Swift, Picture To Burn; Fifth Harmony, Miss Movin' On; Miley Cyrus, FU; Miley Cyrus, On My Own. 

Meet other people 

This one is quite controversial as I know some people will think the last thing you should be doing is dating. When I went on my first date after the break up I felt bad. Should I be dating? Should I be meeting others? But then I thought... he was dating other people WHILST we were together. I think putting yourself back out there is a scary concept, especially when your confidence is at such a low. But it helped me. 

@bamboozlebeauty the best thing about your boyfriend cheating on you, is that you get to go on another first date oh my god!!!1!

— Jamie Spicer (@jamie_spicer) September 7, 2014

@bamboozlebeauty eat lots of chocolate and watch non stop chick flicks. :) xo

— Sharna ♥ (@PerksOfSharna) September 7, 2014

@bamboozlebeauty Friends & time. They help heal the wounds & make you feel like life is worth living. Oh and a few nights out help ;) xx

— Sian ♡ (@SianMarieBeauty) September 7, 2014

@bamboozlebeauty Time and keeping busy :) x #bbloggers

— Sophie (@SophiesMakeup) September 7, 2014

What are your top tips for getting over a break up?

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30 ways to save £1

I've seen many of these floating around the blogosphere and seeing as it's the 30th anniversary of the £1 - it's only 10 years older than me, eeek - I thought I'd do my own. Being a student, I'm desperately in need of saving money whenever possible and I think I have a few good tips to pass on to you guys.

1. Instead of going out all the time, go round to your friends house. Why go out for a meal when you can all cook together? It saves money and it's a lot of fun.
2. If you're a student, make sure you sign up to UNiDAYS. I literally don't purchase anything online unless I've checked this website first. It's wonderful.
3. Are you beauty addict? Make sure you get your own Boots Advantage Card. I wrote a blog post on taking advantage of your Advantage Card a while ago and it tells you how to make the most of it. It can save you money and earn you a little treat every now and then.
4. As someone who drives, I can tell you this. Stick to the speed limits! Not only is it the law but it really does help you save money when it comes to petrol.
5. Bulk buy. If something is on a good offer and it's something that you love, stock up on it! It might seem expensive in the short term but you'll definitely benefit in the long term.
6. Before you go shopping, make a shopping list and stick to it. It's easy to put whatever you want in the trolley but I promise you, if you make a shopping list, you will save money.
7. If you have the time, shop around for the best bargains. Why just go to Asda?! There's Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsburys out there too.
8. Speaking on shopping, never ever go food shopping when you're hungry. You WILL buy random things that you don't actually need.
9. Look through your wardrobe. Something that you thought was ugly a few years ago might be back in fashion now.
10. Hold a blog sale. I'm currently holding one and so far, I've made a fair bit of money to buy even more make up, oops.
11. Use eBay. I love eBay and if you're on it at the right time and you do your research, you can find yourself a bargain. My iPhone 4 only cost me £122!
12. Clothes swap with your friends. It's the latest trend and if you're all the same size, you can wear something that's pretty much new for free.
13. Use mobile and media recycling websites such as Music Magpie and Envirofone. That old Barbie DVD that you no longer watch could make you an extra quid or too.
14. Budget, budget, budget. And stick to it. If you set yourself a budget of say, £10 a week and draw it out of the bank, hide your bank card so you can't draw any money out of it.
15. If you're travelling, use MegaBus. The last time I went to London it only cost me £25 return, bargain.
16. If you're addicted to Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Elle, Look AND Reveal don't buy them all. Come up with some kind of deal with your friends and then swap them so you can read them all by buying just one.
17. Go to Iceland. Seriously, it's a wonderful place.
18. Don't buy bottled water. I've never understand why people do. Yes it's only 19p for a big bottle from Asda but by investing in a water filter you'll save a lot of money.
19. I don't pay bills but if you do, don't leave the tap dripping, turn off things you aren't using at the plug and unless it's really cold, turn the heating off.
20. Speaking of heating, if it's boiling in the car, DON'T USE THE AIR CONDITIONING. It uses petrol like crazy.
21. If you think your product has reached the end of its dear life, cut it open and see what's inside. I've had an extra years worth of Urban Decay's Primer Potion simply by decanting it.
22. Go to car boot sales. I love them when I'm back home. Unfortunately  I don't know of any in Lincoln but you can right find a bargain.
23. Go to the Pound Shop. Brands for £1? Who can turn that down?
24. If you're buying a new product, particularly high end, ask for samples and do your research. Don't waste your money because of the hype.
25. D-I-Y. Don't go to the hairdressers for your hair to be coloured, don't go to the nail salon for your nails, do it yourself! It's fun and you can even invite your friends round for a pamper session.
26. Takeaway food is the devil. It seems cheap at the time but £5 for one meal? No way. It's a lot cheaper to make it yourself.
27. I'm a sucker for this as I love Boots Meal Deals but don't buy your food out. Make it yourself and take a packed lunch to work.
28. Buy a jar to keep loose change in. I ended up having around £20 of 1p's at the end of my first year at university.
29. If you see something that you want, walk away and decide whether or not you need it. You'll probably forget about it in a few days.
30. Write a blog post like this. For every tip that you write (up to 30) you will earn yourself £1! Find out more about it here.

Do you think you're a bargain hunter? Do you know ways to save money? Then make sure you enter Money Supermarkets competition. You can find out more about it here! What are your tips on saving money?

 xxx

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How to take advantage of: Social Media

Image taken from Google

For me, social media is a big part of my life which is something that my friends don't seem to understand. I can remember going to the VIVA Forever! cocktails launch with my fellow bloggers/YouTubers and everything we saw we said, "I need to Tweet that" or "I need to Instagram that." And I just felt at home. I love the way that within an instant, something you're thinking or something you're doing can be shared with hundreds, thousands and even millions of others. No matter where you are in the world. It's also a great tool for blogging which is the main reason why social media is a biggie for me. I thought I'd compile a little post on three social media tips and tricks as it's a wonderful way to increase your readership. 

1. Talk to other bloggers.
The best thing about blogger - for me anyway - is the community. There's nothing like chatting away to hundreds of other people who love exactly what you do. A great way to start is by using the #bbloggers hashtag on Twitter. You can use it all the time - there's no limit but there are dedicated chats every Wednesday and Sunday evening. You can find out more about these here.
2. Tag and mention brands.
When you've blogged about a certain product, make sure that you "@" the brand on Twitter or mention them on Facebook. The chances are, they'll notice your tweet and give it a little retweet which drives more traffic to your blog. It's also a great way to network with brands and if they notice you enjoy their products, who knows what they'll offer for you! Not just brands but make sure you follow PR companies in case any opportunities come up.
3. Don't just use Twitter and Facebook.
This about it, social network is huge. I'm sure I've read somewhere that it's the most used "thing" on the internet - even overtaking porn. So make sure you make the most. Use sites such as Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, YouTube etc. Don't just think about the obvious. Join every social network you possibly can and encourage your followers to follow you on them so that they can keep up with your posts.
What are your top tips on using social media? Do you have any advice? How do you use social media?

xxx

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RANDOM: University

Yesterday, I officially moved out of what I like to call my home. My university flat. Although I've only lived there since September, I've created a lot of memories there that will stay with me for the rest of my life. There's nothing like being a fresher and although I heard the saying 'university will bring you the best time of your life' many times, I never actually believed it.

But it did. Walking out of my flat for the last time brought back so many wonderful memories that me and my now friends for life have shared over this past year and I ended up shedding a tear. It's not the end of my university journey - far from it - but it is the end of freshers. I never quite thought that I'd enjoy university as much as I have done. Yes, the education and the course is very important as after all, that's what you're there for but the change in life and the people that you meet is what makes university the best experience. It's completely different from home life. For the first time in your life, you're living on your own. You're away from your parents and you're free to do pretty much whatever you want to do. If you want to stay up until 7am chatting away in the living room with your friends, you can do. If you fancy going to Sainsbury's at 3am to get more alcohol then you can do it. It brings individuality and it allows you to grow up.

I'm not saying that university hasn't been hard. It has. The course is hard. It's quite a big step up from a-levels and school as you're no longer relying on your teachers but instead, you're relying on yourself. You have to do a lot of self directed learning and teach yourself quite a bit (which I found especially during exam times). You don't get to hand in hundreds of drafts and lots of times to correct your work - you just have to go for it. But the end result, the day you get your result and you see that you have done well, is all worth it.

This is a very random post I know but university has become a big part of my life and I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you have the chance to go. Go. Not just for the education or for the degree but for the life experience that you're getting out of it. The people that you're going to meet. You spend literally every waking moment with those people around you and quickly they become your not only your flat mates/your friends but your best friends and your family.

xxx

My Top 5 Blogging Tips

I get quite a few emails and tweets a week asking me for my top blogging tips so I thought I'd compile a list to help people. If you're a new blogger or considering taking up blogging, I hope that this list helps you out or gives you final push over the edge to start your blog. I can honestly say that this is one of the greatest things I've done so far; it gives me a lot of freedom and cures boredom. It's also allowed me to meet and interact with people who have the same interests as me! If you're already an established blogger then these tips might not help you but please feel free to comment below with your best tips!


1. Blog from the heart and for good reason - I know a lot of people say this but it is true; you can tell when someone is blogging just for the 'free samples.' There seems to be no passion behind the posts and for me personally, their blogs tend to not interest me. Make sure you're blogging for you and for fun
2. Photos are important! - I love looking at pictures whilst I'm reading blogs and if someone's blog features good pictures, then I'm more likely to click that follow button! A nice background with clear images is lovely. You don't even need an expensive camera - mine was £100 and I think it takes pretty good pictures.

I'm not sure why I decided to use this picture or even take it.. But I just like it!

3. Interaction is key - Interacting with your readers and other bloggers just makes the whole experience a lot more fun. For me, I love having my 'real friends' but it's also lovely to be able to come online and talk to people who love the same things as you. For example, in real life I can't exactly show my excitement for the Naked 2 palette because I'd just look plain weird but on Twitter and on my blog, I can get as excited as I want.

4. Don't worry too much and/or take blogging too seriously - It's not a job. It's a hobby. You don't have to write one post a day and if people start getting angry because you're not blogging 'regularly' then that is their problem and not yours.

5. Have fun! - The most important one of them all; have fun! Write about what you want to write about and do it your own way. Personality is so important and even if I'm following a blog purely for beauty, I love it when random posts pop up about their day to day lives or posts about things they love. It makes it fun!

What are your top blogging tips?

xxx