So I haven't posted in a while. And I feel like I should probably explain.

I don't want to get too much into detail because I don't want to talk about things that might not become true and end up failing everyone but I also feel like I should talk about it because there's nothing wrong with failing, and if I do fail you bet I'm gonna try again.

So what happened was I spent all my time over the past few months studying. Studying for what, you ask. See, when I finished high school I didn't really know what I wanted to do but I was sure I wanted to keep studying one day. I didn't know what I wanted to study but I knew that my ambition wouldn't let me forget about it. For years, I wondered what I could study and get a degree on and throughout the jobs I had I figured that what I really wanted to do with my life was own my own store. The business model exactly I'm not quite sure but the more I dive into veganism I feel like I'd love to do something related to vegan and eco-friendly fashion. And that leads me to try my hardest to accomplish that. And for that, I had to go to university (or college, if you're American, which most of my readers are). So because I'm too old to sign up for university in a regular way, the way that students fresh out of high school do, I had to do it a little differently and I'm gonna have to get through a test and possibly an interview (if the test goes well) in order to get in. And that's why I've been studying. The field that I'm gonna study in university is a little different from what I studied in high school so the test that I'm gonna be taking is gonna be on a subject I didn't have which makes it very difficult for me and therefore why I feel the need to study a lot. I've been studying every single day for the past three months and I feel like I'm just now getting confident in that subject and even still, I'm not that confident I'm gonna ace that test but I'm trying and like I said previously, if I fail, I'll try again next year and every year until I get in because I'm not giving up on my goals.

The posts around here aren't gonna come back, I'm sorry but with this whole Covid-19 thing, I've been busy at my day job as well so I can't promise when I'll be back IF I ever will. I'll still be updating my cruelty-free list, which most of you reading this probably don't care about because it's only relevant if you live in my country haha but I don't believe this is a goodbye for good, this is still my favourite hobby, it's just a matter of having time for it as I have other priorities in my life right now.

Marta Ribeiro xx 

These sunny days we've been having just furthermore prove that I'm a different person when it's sunny. Sunlight makes me happier, puts me in a better mood, I feel healthier, less anxious and it makes me more excited to leave the house and enjoy the sun. I'm not happy with the fact that these are odd temperatures for this time of year but I can't help but think this is exactly what I needed right now.

About this outfit, this was the first time I wore this faux leather jacket, I love how powerful it makes me feel and it's such good quality for the price. Before leaving the house, I wondered what lipstick shade to wear and then it hit me, red! (duh) but then I remembered I had purple eyeshadow on, after having already applied the lipstick... oh well. This sweater was something I wore in a previous post and probably never wore again because the openings with the bows on the sleeves aren't very comfortable, it's a pretty sweater but it's just a bit weird. Also, is this the first time you're seeing my combat boots? Can you believe I have these? Who do I think I am?! They look really good though, don't they?

On another note, how has your week been? Do you celebrate Carnaval where you're from? We celebrate it here but I honestly haven't celebrated it even slightly this year. I'm busy, the motivation isn't really there and I feel like loads of people don't feel motivated either, I barely saw anyone wearing a costume this year, even little kids, I only saw a handful of children in costumes.

I hope you're having a great day, 

Marta Ribeiro xx 

 All of the pictures are protected by Copyright. Any use without given credit is punished by law.

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Mine was great, had a lot of rest, charging energy for the busy upcoming weeks. I thought I'd do a wishlist for today's post. I do these more to remind myself of these pieces and that these need to be a priority over impulse buys as these are products I definitely need. Most of the items down below are lightweight knits, jumpers and tops because I don't have any and they're something I feel the need to wear sometimes, especially now that we're transitioning from colder weather to slightly warmer temperatures. I also need new sneakers, and those New Balance ones have been on my mind for a while now.

What's on your wishlist for the upcoming season?

I hope you're having a great day, 

Marta Ribeiro xx 

Believe it or not, not all bloggers are rich. Shocking, right? As much as people want to believe that bloggers make a lot of money and that as soon as you start, you'll be diving into pools of coins and green bills as if you were Scrooge McDuck, that's just not true, at all. And if you're just starting and don't have a big budget, understandably so, then these tips can help you achieve good quality content even when you don't have the same budget as other bloggers.

Priorities

My budget now, 4 years after starting the blog, isn't that different from when I started. Not because my bank account hasn't grown in numbers but because I don't like to waste money, so I keep my budget to the bare minimum. And that bare minimum won't stay the same forever. As your blog grows, you'll feel the need to invest in things that in the beginning didn't seem as necessary as they do now and that's why it's important to prioritize from the very beginning. Keep your spending habits to a minimum and as you grow, think very deeply about what the kind of investments you want to do and keep yourself from splurging on things you don't need.

Don't Underestimate

Don't underestimate the quality of your work and most importantly, the tools you use to work. It may seem like you need a really good camera with a huge lens, or that you need to go and buy Photoshop to edit your pictures or that you need to spend money on a hosting platform or a domain but the truth is, that's not true. I still think investing in a domain is one of the first investments you should do, but is it important from the very beginning? No. Go on a free platform like Blogger or the free version of WordPress and just start blogging. Use the camera on your phone. Use Photoscape or even other software on your phone like VSCO or Facetune to edit your photos.

Free Time

One thing that can seem tempting is to dedicate all of your time to blogging, in case you don't have a day job. When I started, I was unemployed and did blogging all day, every day, which is great but if that's your situation, don't give up trying to find a day job. It'll give you extra money at the end of the month and you'll still be able to do blogging in your spare time. Don't fall into the trap of making blogging your full-time job right away if it's not giving you money yet.

Presents

Christmas and birthday presents. You want to ask people for something for yourself. Maybe think about the blog first. What do you need? A new camera? A new lens? Stuff to write about? Don't get me wrong, it's totally okay for you to ask for things for yourself but if you don't want to spend that much of your own money yet, ask people to cooperate and gift you the things you need.

Topics
Sometimes it may seem hard to think of new content when maybe we don't have anything new to show. That doesn't mean we can't write. Find a topic you enjoy and talk about it. No images to go with it? Search for a fitting one on websites like Pixabay or Unsplash (like I did with this post). If you're afraid no one will read your post, don't worry. Take it from me, people enjoy reading your opinion on things and sometimes lengthy posts can be the most successful.

I think I can consider them my holy grail although I don't know how I feel about that sort of pressure haha

These are products I find myself repurchasing whenever I'm in need of them. I love to try new products but I love this list so much I can't get myself to buy something new and end up getting the same thing. Hopefully, you'll find something in this list you haven't tried yet.

Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation

You've heard me talk about this foundation so many times, I'm not gonna say too much about it, otherwise, I'd bore you to death. This foundation has a nice coverage, not too cakey and not too matte or dewy, I've heard people with dry skin that love it, I have combination skin and I love it, so I think this product suits lots of people with different skin types.

Catrice Liquid Camouflage High Coverage Concealer

Another product you've heard so much about. It has amazing coverage, it's matte but not too drying and I love it with all my heart.

Catrice All Matt Plus Shine Control Powder

I promise not all products on this list are from Catrice, but it's such an accessible good quality brand. This powder was a recent discovery, and since then I haven't used anything else. It's matte without looking cakey and the way I use it is with a dry Beauty Blender and it works amazing. I apply it to my under eyes and around my face avoiding the T-zone.

Morphe Bake & Set Setting Powder

I have honestly not used a better loose powder. It's lightweight, matte and makes my makeup last all day, I especially love it for baking underneath my eyes, it prevents creases and smudges.

Catrice Sun Glow Matt Bronzing Powder

This is the perfect everyday bronzer, it's not too cool-toned but not too warm either, I use it literally every day and I love it, it's the perfect shade for my skin tone, it's easy to blend because it's so lightweight (it breaks so easily because of that, be careful).

Colourpop Super Shock Cheek Pearlized Highlighter

This is not your typical everyday highlighter but this is a must in your makeup collection. These blinding highlighters are always useful for a special occasion or even for every day if that's what you're going for. They add a super metallic shimmery look to your cheek that's just what we need sometimes.

Essence Shine Shine Shine Lip Glosses

I initially got two, in the meantime I got another to replace one those that had finished and I additionally got the clear shade because it's always useful to have a clear gloss. These are super hydrating and glossy, they make my lips look super juicy and they're actually very comfortable on the lips although they are kind of sticky I personally don't mind.

Why didn't I mention any eye or brow products? Because I either have never finished a product (like an eyeshadow palette) so I can't say I have repurchased it or I have finished products but I haven't repurchased because I didn't love them that much. Also with lip products, that lip gloss was the only one I ever finished. Have you ever finished a lipstick? I sure haven't!

So, I'm gonna be honest with you. This wasn't the post I was meant to publish today. What happened was, the photos I had taken for the post didn't turn out very well so I had to repeat them but if I did that I wouldn't be able to post today. So I made the executive decision of postponing that blog post for later this week or even next week.

These photos are not only unplanned because this whole post wasn't meant to be up today but also because these pictures were totally unplanned. My parents and I just went for a walk around town and I luckily had brought my camera with me. While sitting on a bench by this old prison (it's not a prison anymore, don't worry), my mum said "Give me the camera and go over there" so that's how these photos happened. You can't even see my jumper, but I promise I'll show it better in the future!

Also, I cut my hair. I don't love the way my hairdresser styles it whenever I cut it this short but I'm afraid that if I say something she'll charge me more because she'll be styling my hair differently from the norm, you know what I mean? It has definitely happened to me before so I'll never ask for a different hairstyle again, I'd just rather do it at home.

When I was younger I loved painting my nails, it relaxed me and allowed me to express myself. The concentration needed to paint my nails made me forget about my problems and all the bad things happening in my life. 

Fast forward a few years and painting my nails becomes a chore. Maybe because I've had less and less time to do it or because I was working with my hands so much my nails kept breaking and the polish would chip very easily so what was the point in having a nice manicure?

But all of that changed when I started using this base coat and topcoat.

Essence can be a hit or miss although I still believe it's a very underrated brand. When I was in need of a new base coat and topcoat, these two seemed nice and their promises made me believe in them. And I was right for believing in them!

The Base Coat

This isn't a regular base coat. It doesn't promise to be strengthening or to make your nails healthier although it does obviously protect them from the main nail polish. It's not shiny or soft to the touch even after minutes of drying. This product dries down matte very quickly. It's very liquidy and the wide brush makes it easier to apply. And when I apply nail polish on top, the difference is obvious. It goes on so much smoother and easier and painting my nails becomes quicker than it has ever been. It says it makes your manicure last longer and the fact is my nails do last up to a week but since I'm still working with my hands a lot I can't say it happens every time, sometimes chips still happen very quickly but I do know it's totally my fault.

The Topcoat

This is by far the best top coat I've used. The brush is wide so it's easy to apply and the consistency is fluid so it glides over your nail polish easily. Not only that, but this topcoat is so shiny that it keeps your nails looking fresh and glossy for days, even when they eventually start chipping, they still look extremely shiny. And although this polish doesn't mention it, I don't know if they did it on purpose or not but the fact is, this dries my nails very quickly. Before, when I painted my nails before going to bed, I would wake up with blanket marks on my nails (if you've ever done this you know what I mean) and even when I painted my nails during the day, I felt like I had to be very careful for hours as to not mess up my still fresh nails. With this top coat, I can go to bed after painting my nails and I'll wake up with perfect manicure. And when doing it during the day, I feel comfortable doing anything not too long after I've applied this last coat.

I haven't used these two products separately to ensure if they work as good by themselves but even if they do, I think this combination is definitely the best and I'll keep on using it for as long as Essence allows me to (it's still listed on their website so I'm hopeful these products are gonna stay and aren't limited edition)

I hope you're having a great day,
Marta Ribeiro xx

 All of the pictures are protected by Copyright. Any use without given credit is punished by law.