A Goodbye... For Now!

Golly, you better believe I am sad about writing this post!

For a while I've been feeling off my blogging game as my uni stress increases, and truthfully I just feel guilty when I spend time working on this space instead of my last lot of uni work. The solution is to put this little blog on a little holiday until life calms down a bit more; I do have at least one video in the wings that I can share at some stage, but for now, there won't be a lot of action on here!

If you are eager to stay in touch, I am unlikely to disappear entirely from Instagram and Pinterest, so feel free to follow me and we can get through the next six weeks of uni madness together!


I will miss you guys, but hopefully I will be able to come back inspired, full of energy and with a lot more time for blogging on my hands!

Lots of love as always,

Anna

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VIDEO: London Vlog

Bonjour, mes amies! On Friday I went to London town with my buds Lizzie and Jono and it was a beauteous day... So of course I vlogged the whole day! It features a lil bit of culture, two cronut first timers and some cool times in Brick Lane. Enjoy!

What did you guys get up to with your weekends? (And have you tried cronuts before?!)

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Momma's 7 Holy Grails

My mum is easily one of the most glamorous ladies I've ever met and I am pretty sure my love of makeup is genetic. She knows her stuff and her collection has long dwarfed mine (I'm getting there though!) I knew I had to get her choices for the Holy Grail series and she didn't disappoint...

CHANEL LE VOLUME MASCARA

I love it! (Laughs) I've tried a few great mascaras before this one, including the Inimitable also from Chanel - but then I tried Le Volume and  that was it... It's just amazing. It does exactly what it says on the tin. I like that it doesn't end up all over my face like other ones I've tried (Guerlain Maxi Lash is bad for that)... Yes I just love it!

SANCTUARY ULTIMATE SALT SCRUB

I've used this for years; I've tried other more pricy ones, but they really don't compare! I love the smell and the way it dissolves into a lovely oil after you massage the scrub into your skin. This is very good VFM! [Me: What is that?! Mum: Value For Money, come on girl] So essentially you get a 2 in 1, an oil and a scrub, with this one.

CLARINS HAND & NAIL CREAM

A real classic, this is beautifully fragranced and does its job brilliantly without feeling greasy. I always have two tubes, one for my handbag and one by my bedside. I think the Queen is even a fan! I can't emphasise how easily absorbed this is. 

CCS FOOT CARE CREAM

No idea how I found this; it has the most boring packaging ever but don't be deceived as it really does a brilliant job. I now have lovely soft heels as a result; plus I appreciate this for its lack of offensive scent... no peppermint for me, thank you! A good price too - again, there are many more expensive, fancy ones that are not nearly as good.

CHANEL VITALUMIERE FOUNDATION

I've used this for years - I've flirted with other similarly priced foundation options but always come back to this. I love the finish (it's very dewy) and it lasts well on my skin. [Me: I wish there were more colours! Light to medium skin tones are the only ones it really caters to.]

LIZ EARLE CLEANSE & POLISH

This is just amazing. It removes every trace of makeup, including mascara... It smells divine and I would never want to try anything else as so far I've always been disappointed. Like Eve Lom, their cleanser is more expensive but I just couldn't stand it. Liz Earle is great company to buy from with excellent customer service too. And yet again, more expensive ones do not compare!

ILLAMASQUA BROW GEL IN AWE

WOW! Had never heard of it but I was in their Leeds store where the delightful staff recommended and put it on for me. I was unsure of colour for me (it's very blone) but they were absolutely right, it is brilliant. As well as colour it seems to groom my brows, and keep down stray hairs. I have even converted my beauty blogging daughter to it, which is no mean feat! [Me: She's not wrong!]

There we go, I hope you enjoyed my mum's picks for the Holy Grail series! Have you tried anything she mentioned? We'd love to hear your thoughts!

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4 Beauty Habits That Just Won't Stick

I'm sure I'm not going to be alone on this one... We all have them; those good habits that just won't become, well, habits. I've a list as long as my arm of things I wish I were doing every day but I'm honing down on all things beauty today; without further ado, let's get to it!

REGULAR BROW MAINTENANCE

Ugh. The bane of my life ladies and gentlemen. Don't get me wrong, I love a groomed brow; they're sleek, polished and complete any look... but I just do not want to be responsible for maintaining them. Things have become fractionally easier since I bought myself a brow razor, but still.

CUTICLE CARE

I know, I know... the secret to healthy nails is meant to be a well moisturised cuticle but my word, if it isn't the dullest duty in a beauty routine. I have never managed to get into a roll of applying hand cream before bed, so part of me of course wonders whether a nicer mitt moisturiser is in order, to make me want to do the job... #bblogger logic right there.

BODY BRUSHING

I love my body brush but when I am in a rush in the mornings, I never quite remember to do this step. I always thank myself internally when I do however, as your legs will never be smoother post-shave; in-grown hairs are also far less likely... But will that habit stick?! Hell no.

APPLYING SPF

You are welcome to smack me very hard for this confession... I am very pale but very forgetful and it is not the best combination for my skin! Add to this the fact that I've yet to find my Holy Grail SPF moisturiser and it's just a situation that is bound to fail. Any recommendations you have would be amazingly welcome!

So, come on crew... confess to your aunty Anna; what are the beauty sins you've been committing?

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A Trip To The Seaside

Merry Sunday to you, lovely folks of the internet... I hope you are well! Yesterday the fam and I went to the seaside (Mablethorpe, to be specific) to mosey along the sand and then swing home via Boston (in Lincolnshire, not Massachusetts...) It was a super lovely day, so naturally I took as many photos as I could...

What have you lovelies been up to this weekend? I hope the weather has been treating you right!

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What's In A (Blog) Name?

How did you choose your blog name? That was the question I asked (in far more words than that, admittedly) to a group of my favourite bloggers this month and I'm so excited to share their answers with you - for anyone that wanted insight onto what a kerfuffle choosing a blog name can be, this one is for you!

SIOBHAN - A GIRL & A BEAUTY BLOG

Back when I started my blog all those five years ago, it used to live under an entirely different name. I honestly thought that your blog name had to be the most girly, flowery, sparkle name you could possibly imagine (as that was the norm back then) so without thinking I followed suit. That is where 'Stars Glitter Magic' (I kid you not) was born and this remained my blog name for a good year before I 'rebranded' and opted for something slightly different.

  Where 'A Girl and a Beauty Blog' came from, I honestly can't remember. I know I wanted something a bit more sophisticated, incorporated that anonymity when it comes to blogging but also was clear and direct in terms of what my site was about. Ever since it's stuck and although it might not be the most catchy of names, I love how it encompasses everything my blog has to offer. 

CHARLOTTE - AWAKE + MAKE

Aside from actually physically creating my blog, the thing which took the most time and consideration was thinking up a suitable name. I mean, the way a blog looks changes and evolves over time, but the name you choose from day one is very often the name you stick with throughout your time blogging. From the beginning I knew I wanted something which was short, snappy, and instantly told people what kind of posts to expect (mostly craft with a bit of lifestyle thrown in). After a few brainstorming sessions I was left with some truly, truly awful pun names which were super cringey, so I decided I needed to take a simpler approach to creating a name. I decided to go with the classic blog name formula of "X + Y" (Cupcakes and Cashmere, Cotton and Curls, Paper & Stitch, to name a few), because I liked that it allowed me to separate the two main topics of my blog. I eventually arrived at Awake + Make, and it just felt right - short, memorable, and I liked the fact it rhymed. In all honesty, I was expecting to tire of it over time, in the same way that you reread diary entries from your early teens and ask yourself "What was I thinking!?". But that has yet to happen, and in fact I think I've actually grown fonder of it over time - I'm just so glad I didn't go with my original choice of 'Knit and Run'!

SIOBHAN - BLESS THE WEATHER

There wasn’t any great thinking behind my blog name - Bless the Weather. It’s one of my favourite songs by John Martyn, and I like the line "bless the weather that brought you to me”. I was designing a knitwear line at the same time and looking for a name. Bless the Weather seemed fitting for both my blog and Etsy shop. If I’m delving a bit deeper, 'Bless the Weather' sounds calming when you say it out loud, and evokes a feeling of gratitude and a love of nature. Things which I definitely try to echo on my blog. Mostly, it’s a great tune.

CARLA - BLUSH PARADE

I love my blog name! It wasn't really something I had in mind when creating the blog, I'll be honest with you: I was just looking for names that sounded good to me, with the condition that they had to be free domain-wise, on Twitter, and Instagram. I began playing around with names I found kind of funny, because I wanted to reflect my goofy personality a bit on the blog. I was almost settled with "Warpaint Addict", but just before I was going to register the domain, I found out there's a small cosmetic company named Warpaint. Phew, that was close. I was a bit devastated at the time, but after some days of thinking (and brainstorming with the boyfriend, lol) I came up with Blush Parade... and nowadays I like it even more than my first option!

A parade is something happy, so my name naturally makes me happy. It's easy to make me happy, really (LOL). I also like that you can play with the name. "Travel Parade", for travel posts. "Baking Parade", if I ever become an evil woman like Anna and want to feature delicious and evil recipes on my blog. [Hahaha thank you Carla!!] You get the drill.

When choosing a name, I would recommend just making a list with words you'd like to have in it, and play around with them. Brainstorm different ideas. Google like a motherfudger to see if the name is tied in any way to any company or other blog. And, before registering your chosen name, just make sure that the domain is free and you can use your prefered username on your social media of choice. I would also say... let it rest for couple of days. You don't want to register a domain and regret your decision two days later, really!

VANESSA - CITRON & GUAVABERRY

Choosing a blog name is like choosing the name of your child, except your blog won't grow up, revolt against you and change its name. (Well, maybe 10 years down the line it might, because HELLO SELF-AWARE TECHNOLOGY) But seriously, picking a memorable blog name to be reflective of blog content, and not sound tacky requires more brainpower than producing a PhD probably (don't quote me, I don't even have a PhD).

'Citron and Guavaberry' was meant as a mish-mash of my two favourite fruits (citrus + guava)(guava= coral-ly), but more than anything, it sounds like a food blog. And the truth is, I hate my blog name. I'm sure everyone to an extent hates their blog name though, but at the same time, it's crazy how a blog name becomes part of someone's identity over time. (For instance, at blogging events, "Vanessa? From??") While I do loathe my blog name at times and have considered changing it, I've grown way too fond of it to do anything about it, and of course, it's become part of my identity now.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to formulate a citrus and guava cocktail recipe for the blog.

EMMA - EMMA AND THE BEAUTY BLOG

I think a big thing with blog names is don’t be afraid to change them. When I first set up my blog I put a shamefully small amount of time into thinking about the name. And because of that I ended up really disliking what I chose. It didn’t mean anything and it wasn’t catchy or special. So, when I decided to buy my domain, I changed it to Emma & The Beauty Blog. I was apprehensive to change it at first as I thought it would affect my search rankings and confuse my readers. Luckily though, it didn’t really have a negative impact. In fact, I think it made me much happier with my blog. The current name still doesn’t mean anything profound and it might be a little too long of a title but it’s much more my style. It fits more with my blog theme and overall I'm really glad I changed it.

HANH - HANHABELLE

Hi By Her Mirror readers :) I'm Hanh from Hanhabelle - a lifestyle, beauty and inspiration blog. When I decided to setup my blog I always knew I would call it Hanhabelle, it's a nickname my colleagues use to call me - either that or Han Solo! I like how it's not specific to any genre, includes my name, sounds feminine and easy to pronounce. I'm pretty fickle, so Hanhabelle is a name that I haven't got bored of and I can easily expand on without confusing my readers.

LILLY - IN A PAVILLION

When I first started my blog, I wasn't quite sure what I would be writing about, so choosing a name that remained abstract and somewhat mysterious, while still reflecting my interests, was key. One of my shortlisted names was "pavilion", deriving from my undying love for botanical gardens. Having always been fascinated by words and their meanings, I investigated the word and found out that it's not only used to describe garden houses, but also any building or structure used for entertainment. Seeing as though I'm looking to entertain with my blog, this word felt up to the task. After a bit of tweaking, I decided on the phrase "In A Pavilion".

JENN - PROCRASTINATING PRETTY

When I first started blogging, it was a way to fill up my time that helped me avoid doing all the things I normally do.  I wasn't enjoying school -- I didn't really want to study or even go to class. I literally procrastinated the days away for almost an entire semester.  Finally, I decided to get off my butt and start studying.  Kidding -- I decided to blog instead.  I figured if I couldn't quite bring myself to focus on studying, I should at least focus on something so I'd get back into the routine of working on something I was proud of.

That said, it's been a few years since uni, and while I love the name and what it meant to me at that time, I don't know that it's the most fitting now.  I'm starting to branch out of beauty into food and travel, and I'm wondering if it still fits.  It sort of does?  Food and travel are definitely ways I procrastinate, but I don't know if that's reflected in Procrastinating Pretty.  Not to mention, my name comes up as "The Procrastinator" and it looks a little awkward when working with brands or publications that hold you to hard deadlines!  I might change that aspect since people know my name now -- in the beginning I was obsessed with remaining anonymous!

GRACE - THAT GRACE GIRL

That Grace Girl has been my social media handle since I first ventured into the world of Twitter/Facebook/Instagram etc, so I can’t for the life of me remember how I came up with it [sorry Anna!]. When it came to penning a name for my blog I realised [after a number of failed attempts!] that something fairly short, snappy, and not too niche was required; and I have to say, it’s worked well for me so far - domain name acquired hassle-free and no unfortunate acronyms! 

I’m currently in the process of revamping my site and creating a more ‘branded’ feel to the aesthetics, so I did [momentarily] consider a name change. However, this in itself actually got me thinking about who ‘That Grace Girl’ really is, so I wrote up a manifesto [which will be onsite once the new design goes live] to demonstrate this. Rather than making it about me as the author, I wanted the name to personify the attributes of the women who read my blog. Over the past two years I’ve gained such a supportive and inspiring readership; women who have both brains and beauty, and who approach makeup and skincare with an intelligent, enlightened approach; she is That Grace Girl.

___________

AND THEN THERE WAS ME.

In case you didn't know, I started out here as Mucky Face Makeup, Just Bonanas Makeup then Just Bananas... before changing completely to By Her Mirror. I wanted something that hinted at beauty, but also gave space for thoughts and personal posts - we nearly ended up as Anna's Reflections. Yeah. By Her Mirror sounds, to me, elegant and calming, things I aspire to (whilst always bringing the humour. I mean come on) and was the product of weeks of family meetings, phone calls and debates with friends, moodboards... you name it. I love it and I've realised that really, that's what matters.

I hope you guys enjoyed this post - my hugest of thanks to the talented ladies who took time out to contribute: it has been a joy to put this together. To any bloggers reading this, how did you choose your blog name - and what advice would you share? Head to the comments and let us know!

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