A New Beginning...

Hello everyone!

As you've noticed already, I'm terrible at keeping to a schedule. I always seem to let life get on top of me, and I guess that prevents me from pursuing what I want to do with my life, blogging being one of the little things that I want to do.

Over the past few months since I last posted, a lot has happened. Dealing with disrespect and rudeness from school peers, as well as a lot of disappointment. By a lot of disappointment, I mean A LOT. Missed opportunities, not being good enough, you know, the works. But those downs in my life have been succeeded by too many highs to count. Moments that I am forever grateful for, and some that I will never forget.

This world we live in is crazy, fast paced and unpredictable. No one is safe nor can escape the chaos and that's something we all learn to live with. However, everyone also finds their outlets of pain or sadness that allow them to cope with this world that is never silenced. Music, books, parties, exercise, sleep... the possibilities are endless! Of course there are negative outlets of this sorrow, such as through alcohol or other drugs, but the positive ones always prove to be more comforting when faced with challenges or hardship.

My outlet is this blog, or the internet in general. Sharing my perspective of life with people from all over the globe, as well as seeing how people live their chaotic lives through their Instagram photos, Snapchats, Facebook status', Youtube videos or even blogs of their own.

I guess what I'm trying to get across is that, although this world is unpredictable, all of us have an opportunity to create some sense of comfort through a certain aspect within the chaos. My comfort is this, what I'm doing now, and it was hard to see that opportunity drift away as the craziness engulfed me. But I'm back, and committed, and feeling ready to start this new year with, of course, a new blog.

This new layout is, well, perfect in my eyes. It's exactly how I want it to look, and I hope you all love it too. This post officially marks the relaunch of my blog!

2016 is closing, and I am writing this on Christmas day. Please don't even ask how another Christmas has arrived already, I can't even begin to comprehend it! But as this year comes to a close, more opportunities, chaos, highs and lows await. I hope, for those who are interested, some of you who are reading this will join me on this ride that will be 2017.

Merry Christmas to you all, and I will see you next Sunday on the first of January 2017, where you can join me in welcoming the new year. Sunday will be my official weekly upload day, so mark that in your calendars! My posts will be up in the evenings, around 7-9pm, so I hope you enjoy some structure in your lives.

See you all next year! (Why does it feel so wrong to be saying that already...)

Bella x
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The Moment

My favourite times in life are the ones that you can't quite capture perfectly through the lens of a camera. Like being in love, or watching the sunrise, or looking for constellations in the stars.

Living in the moment, that's what it's called, and it's one thing that this generation, including myself, struggle with. My ambition and goal for the rest of this year is to just take a breath, look around and enjoy where I am at that moment, at each and every moment, because you can't rewind and you can't fast forward.

Even the bad moments, the bad times you want to scratch from your memory, we all need to find the good in those times and make them worth living for.

Throughout my life, I've been through struggles upon struggles and I'm only 15! I know there's more to come, more hurt, more pain, more tears, but that's part of life. Without those times, I wouldn't be able to stand up for myself, be confident or even be proud of who I am. Some of these struggles seem to be never ending, but there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. No matter how much darkness happens to be engulfing you, there will always be a flicker of light leading you to the greater good. At least that's what I believe.

I decided that, for this post, I might as well just give you a little insight into some of my favourite things and memorable moments I've created recently. So here they are:

1. Hawaii
   Two weeks ago today, I was lounging on the beach in one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, Honolulu. It was an experience of a lifetime and I genuinely would go back in the flicker of a heartbeat.
2. Dancing
   After completing around 8-9 years of non-stop dancing and committing my life to it, and then pulling out last year, I was given the opportunity to dance on stage once again. I never thought I would miss it as much as I do, and I will cherish that moment of performance for a long time, even thought it was small and short-lived.
3. Forgiveness
   I made some major mistakes last term that I would go back and change if I ever could. Losing so many friends was really eye-opening to me, and has definitely made me want to improve the person I am, as I definitely need to work on some aspects! But being alone for a while and having not many others to go to was hard, but I needed it. Then having forgiveness from some of my close friends has made me grateful to know them, even though I still need to prove myself and apologise to others. To those friends who may be reading this, I am sorry. I love you and will do everything in my power to be a better person. You know who you are.
4. Music
   Ariana Grande and Rihanna's new songs are freaking phenomenal and have helped me through these tough past few months. If you're ever looking for some good ballads, listen to 'Love on the Brain' by Rihanna, 'Moonlight' and 'Into You' by Ariana.
5. Family
   My family always makes me happy and calm. They've supported me through thick and thin, helping me through so much to get to where I am. I have so many exciting things planned for the near future that would be impossible without them in my lives.

There you go! A small look into my world. What's coming soon you ask? Improvements, hard work, enjoyment, happiness and hopefully some more forgiveness and second chances.

Bella x
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IsabellaHowarth
SoundCloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/bellahowarth
Instagram: @bellahowarth
Snapchat: BellaHowarth

Where Am I Going With My Life?

Hello everyone!

Wow, I guess it's been a while! School got on top of me, along with sport and performing arts... I ran out of hours in the day. I'm sure you've all been there at some point in your life. But, I'm back now and hopefully won't be taking another break for a long time!

For this blog entry, I decided to dig into the philosophical depths of my brain, and try and answer a question that we all ask ourselves regularly... where am I going with my life? What will I be doing in two years? Ten years? Heck, even thirty years?

This world moves way too fast for us to be able to get a grip on what's happening in our lives before our time is up. The days seem to be getting shorter as we're getting older. Does that mean that the future is closer and coming at us quicker? Or does it mean that your dreams, aspirations and predicted future are getting further and further out of your grip?

Okay, I need to stop myself before I get deeply depressed that my childhood is almost over, so let's come up with some positive ways to make your life worth it!

1. The Two Minute Rule
This may seem extremely crazy, but if you are sitting on your bed, desk chair or couch thinking about something little that you could be doing, get off your butt and do it! If you think you can complete it in two minutes or less, stop procrastinating.
This rule has already begun to change my life. As I'm waiting through television ads, I'll run to the bathroom and brush my teeth or I'll wash my face... I'll do something quick and easy that will help me in the future! Our world needs to learn to do everything in the spur of the moment and not procrastinate, our lives will be so much more enjoyable.

2. Turn Off Your Electronics
I know I wrote this off a computer, but our generation is stuck behind our screens way too often. Turn off your phone, laptop or tv and go outside, go to the mall and meet people face to face. Ask someone how their day is, or how they're feeling. Social media is supposed to connect us, but in reality, it's making us more and more disconnected.
Our futures are going to flash before our eyes if we hide behind our screens. Go out and explore the world!

3. Set More Goals Regularly
This is an obvious one, but one that everyone seems to forget. Setting goals for the next day, week, month or even year is such a helpful way to ensure you achieve what you want to achieve in your life. Without goals, you won't know where you want to be, and therefore won't know how to get there. Make sure your goals aren't like rules though, they need to be positive and things you really would like to do.

I hope this post helped you all with your lives in some way, let's all live life the best we can. See you all very soon!

Bella x
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IsabellaHowarth
SoundCloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/bellahowarth
Instagram: @bellahowarth
Snapchat: BellaHowarth

Reviewing M.A.C Products (And My Experience in the M.A.C Store!)

Hey guys!

Welcome back to my blog! I hope you all have been enjoying 2016 and February. Today I am going to be doing another make up post, but this time I'm going to review three M.A.C cosmetics that I picked up today, as well as give you a little story about my experience in the M.A.C store. These three products are my first from M.A.C and I am so excited to use them this year since they are the first high-end make up products I have purchased.

So first of all, I'll start off with my experience in the M.A.C store. The store I went to was in Smith and Caugheys in Auckland, and it was on the bottom floor within the makeup area. It's quite an open store, and it had roughly four staff on duty at the time I was there. Most of them were preoccupied with already doing makeup on other customers, but one girl was free, and as soon as I walked into the store she greeted me, asked how I was and if I needed any help. This was so lovely and great since I had no previous experience in M.A.C with their products, so I needed all the help I could get.
To summarise it, I told her that I was reasonably young and new to makeup and didn't have much experience, but I was looking for some base makeup products to start off my collection. She immediately told me to sit down at the mirror where the staff do the customer's makeup, and went off to grab some products that she thought would be my colour and things I would like. She came back with three different shades of foundation to test on me, a pressed powder and a bronzer.
She took off the existing makeup I had on and applied the three foundation shades next to each other, and immediately recognised my colour, which was NW20, meaning Natural Warm in the shade 20, for those who don't know. She then continued to apply makeup on me, and walked me through step by step on how to do what she was doing, along with what brushes to use for each product.
Once my look was done, which she applied perfectly as well as talked to me throughout the application (asking me how I was etc.),  she asked if there was any other products I was interested in trying while I was there. I asked to try the Soft & Gentle highlighter which everyone raves about, and she told me I had made a good choice, went over to the product and then applied it on my face, as well as telling me how to do it. Once that was done, my look was finished, and I was in love with it, as well as having a stronger knowledge base on how to apply makeup correctly.
After purchasing the products I wanted, the girl told me to come back soon and ask for her so she could teach me how to do eye makeup. I left the store not only looking great, but also feeling so happy and like that was worth my while.
My experience in M.A.C was amazing, the girl who served me was lovely and she taught me so much, and she also made my experience there very personal and meaningful. I can't wait to go back there to learn more about makeup and purchase some more products.

Next, I'm going to move onto the products I bought, as well as my review on them.

The three products I bought are all set to be the base of my makeup. I purchased the Mineralise Skinfinish highlighter (far right), the Studio Waterweight SPF 30 Foundation (centre) and the Mineralise Skinfinish Natural pressed powder (far left).

I am so happy that I purchased these products, as they all are perfect for every skin type as well as help to make me feel very confident whilst I wear them. 

I bought the Studio Waterweight SPF 30 Foundation in the shade NW20. This product is super light on the skin, and blends really well when applied with a brush or a sponge. It has a beautiful finish, it's quite dewy, but when a pressed powder is applied on top your complexion doesn't look oily whatsoever. The foundation actually helps to control natural oils and it's all-in-all just a really nice and natural-looking foundation for a daily use, since it has medium-to-light coverage. The applicator is like a dropper, and I would recommend just dropping one lot of foundation out (if that makes sense) and using that all up before using any more, because otherwise you will waste the product. This foundation is builds really well, but I do like to take it slow and only apply it drop by drop. I really love this foundation!

Next, I purchased the Mineralise Skinfinish Natural pressed powder in the shade Medium Plus, which is basically a tan beige. I also really like this product, it gives a light coverage as well as being long-lasting and a nice product to apply. It does make the Studio Waterweight foundation have a fuller coverage, so if you want a light coverage but a matte look, I'd stick to a transparent powder. I like to use this powder though, so that the coverage is stronger. I do thoroughly enjoy using this powder on it's own to school and to friend's houses so that I have a light coverage but I do feel confident. This powder is truly my holy grail at this point in time.

And finally, I bought the Mineralise Skinfinish highlighter in Soft & Gentle. I'm sure that the entire internet agrees that this highlighter is AMAZING. Sure, there are probably better options out there, but for my first highlighter, I really love this product. Not only does it completely brighten and amplify my complexion, but it also adds a whole new dimension to my face. And it is probably the most beautiful colour I have ever seen. It applies really easily and is super pigmented, and also really build-able if you really want to smash out your highlighter. I am in love with this one!

Overall, I am so happy with my experience at M.A.C and the quality of the products I purchased. I cannot wait to use them up and go back to the store to buy some more products.

Thank you guys all for reading, sorry I blabbed on a bit!

See you guys next time!

Bella x

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IsabellaHowarth

SoundCloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/bellahowarth

Instagram: @bellahowarth

Snapchat: BellaHowarth

Email: bellahowarth@gmail.com

My Everyday Make Up Look

Hello everyone!

This week, I’ve decided to do something a little different. Well, not exactly different, as the following post is exactly the type of thing I want to incorporate into my blog, as well as lifestyle (like the last two posts) and fashion (fashion posts will be coming!)

So, here’s my go-to, everyday make up look, as well as a step-by-step guide on how I did it! I am obviously very young and no professional at make up, but I do enjoy applying it and styling it. Any constructive criticism would be appreciated though, so don’t be afraid to comment below any stuff like that, or any suggestions for future posts, and I will happily read them and reply!

First of all, after cleansing, toning and moisturising my face, I take my Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser and apply that generally over my cheeks, lower forehead and nose. I just purchased this stuff, and although some of my friends have told me that they didn't really like it, I feel as though it works really well for me and prevents my typically frequent breakouts after applying makeup.

Next, I take my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge and use that to apply the CoverGirl TruBlend Foundation in the shade L6, or buff beige. I do really like this foundation because it blends super well and is very light, but I wouldn't recommend it to people who prefer a thicker foundation with a heavier coverage. You can build this one up, but I prefer to keep it light and fresh looking.

Then, after applying my foundation, I take my E.L.F Complete Coverage Concealer palette in the shade light and use the third colour from the left to conceal my spots, redness and blemishes; and take the second colour from the left to conceal my under-eyes as well as brighten them. I apply the concealer using my middle or ring finger.

Next, I set my base by using Nude by Nature's Mineral Finishing Veil for all skin tones, and apply that generously all over my face to ensure that my foundation and concealer will not move around during the rest of my makeup application as well as throughout the day. I apply this using the middle brush in the following photo.

After my base has been set, I move on to lightly bronze my face under my cheekbones and across the very top of my forehead, right on the hairline. I like doing this specifically in summer because it gives my face a glow as well as making me look more tan! I use Rimmel London's Natural Bronzer in the shade 025/sun glow. I also use the middle brush to apply this product.

Next, I lightly highlighted my face to give myself some glow and brighten my complexion. I took the brush on the far left from the photo above and took the following champagne-type shade to highlight my face. I applied this along my cheekbone, down the centre of my nose, and also on my cupids bow just above my upper lip.

Then, I move onto filling in my eyebrows. I do sometimes brush them using your bog-standard eyebrow brush, but they are usually pretty tame. To fill them in, I use E.L.F's eyebrow kit in the shade Ash. I usually use this kit in the shade medium as it suits my natural colour a bit better, but the pharmacy had run out of that shade so I settled for the next closest colour, Ash. I use the right colour to fill in my brows and then set them with the left colour. The right colour is a liquid-gel type texture and the left colour is a powder. I use the brush on the far right in the photo below to apply this kit.

Once my brows are finally done, they do take a while, I move onto eyeshadow. For this look, I took Maybelline's The Nudes palette and applied the colour in the top left all over my eyelid, then applied the colour in the top right into my crease to contour my lid. Next, I took the colour in the bottom left corner and lined my lower lash line with it, and took the colour in the bottom right corner and applied that to my inner corner to give some highlight to my eyes and brighten them. I used the brush on the far left from the photo above to apply my eyeshadow.

Then it's onto my lashes! I take this really inexpensive eyelash curler from Farmers and curl my lashes, then take my Rimmel London Extra 3D Lash in the shade 003/extreme black, and apply a few coats to my upper lashes, then one coat to my bottom lashes. I live off this mascara! It applies so easily and the applicator brush prevents any clumps. It gives my lashes so much length and the right amount of volume for an everyday look!

After my lashes are done, I move onto lips, and take my EOS lip balm in the scent Pomegranate Raspberry and apply that throughly over my lips. My choice of lip balm differs everyday depending on the dryness of my lips and what one I feel like using on that specific day. I usually differ between this EOS lip balm and my Lucas' PawPaw Ointment. Once I have applied my lip balm, I will either apply a lipstick on top or leave my lips natural, but today I chose to apply my Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in the shade 131/ginger rose. This is quite a pink-toned nude colour which I really love for an everyday look.

And here is the finished look! I really hope you guys enjoyed this blog post and you want more of these to come, I really loved making and writing it. Thank you so much for checking out my blog! Enjoy the rest of your week.

Bella x

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IsabellaHowarth

SoundCloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/bellahowarth

Instagram: @bellahowarth

Snapchat: BellaHowarth

Email: bellahowarth@gmail.com

New Years Resolutions

Hi internet!

Yes, this blog post is about New Years resolutions, even though the new year began almost a month ago, but that doesn’t make it irrelevant, right?

I feel like a lot of people around the world don’t take their resolutions seriously. Most people are too broad or too trendy, and don’t actually make resolutions that they can and want to achieve. These are the reasons why New Years resolutions have such a terrible reputation, and nearly everyone who has a Twitter account jokes about trying to obtain unrealistic goals at the start of each year.

Personally, I take these resolutions very seriously. I guess that may sound very generic coming from a fifteen-year-old girl, but I do genuinely put a lot of time and effort into setting up my resolutions and planning my year around them so I can be successful. 

I feel as though, if more people legitimately sat down and ran through some possible (and achievable) resolutions for each year, we could all be a much happier society, and we could all be the people we want to be.

For 2016, these are my resolutions. I do tend to change them around throughout the year, but I try my best to stick to them and work on them continuously. I am posting them all here, on my blog, so I can constantly be reminded of my goals, as well as show you guys, the lovely internet-users, my progress as I develop during this year.

One: Exercise at least once a day by either working out, running or completing some sort of recreational fitness. (Progress: This resolution has been a great success so far!)

Two: Cut down on my daily intake of sugars (mainly fructose/unnatural sugars) and fats. (Progress: I’m doing well… might have had a few cheat days...)

Three: Spend less time on the internet and more time outside. Have some adventures! (Progress: I am struggling with this one as I knew I would, but I am improving)

Four: Discover who you are, who you want to become and how you are going to get there. (Progress: I have decided that recording a diary of my answer to this question once a week or every so often will allow me to achieve this resolution)

Five: Improve my happiness and lower my anxiety levels. (Progress: This has improved immensely already, I have found many ways to make myself happy and calm, including blogging!)

Six: Make more time for friends and family and cherish every moment and memory with them. (Progress: I have made so many new friends this year already and I’m ready to focus on giving my time to others, instead of being selfish and wasting time on myself. Making others happy makes me happy, so it’s definitely a win-win situation)

All-in-all, I feel as though this year is going to be extremely successful. My mind is set on the positives and possibilities, not the negatives and dangers. I am ready to take on 2016, and show the world what I am capable of, even though I haven’t discovered that myself yet. I am ready for 2016, but is 2016 ready for me? 

I guess only time will tell.

Bella x

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IsabellaHowarth

SoundCloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/bellahowarth

Instagram: @bellahowarth

Snapchat: BellaHowarth

Email: bellahowarth@gmail.com

Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening!

Hello! 

Is that how you start a blog? I guess I am greeting a new life-long friend, so “hello” is probably appropriate. Today’s my 15th birthday, and also the day that I begin something that I have always wanted to do, a blog. So, my newfound friend, welcome to my blog, and I hope you enjoy your stay.

Well, since you are now a new friend of mine, I should introduce myself. My name is Bella, I’m fifteen years old and I live in New Zealand. Yes, that tiny country that everyone believes is attached to Australia, that’s where I live (I can confirm, to the world’s disbelief, we are not part of Australia).

This is my first blog entry of many, as I plan to express myself through this small Mac keyboard of mine, and share it on the vast internet. And, to clear things up, I am not an immature young teen copying the likes of Zoella and SprinkleOfGlitter (although they are my inspirations); I am merely trying to find myself, and reaching through a computer screen using my words is not something I’ve tried before, so why not give it a go?

I know that there are billions upon billions of people and blogs out there in the world, and I don’t expect my beginner blog to get any attention whatsoever, but that’s okay, because it’s not the reason I’m doing what I’m doing.

Not only am I writing this blog to help me, but I am writing it to help those other children, teenagers and young adults out there in the world who are just as lost as I am, so I can show them my thoughts and feelings which will, in turn (hopefully), help them to find themselves, while I try and find myself.

So thank you for reading this and joining this spontaneous journey that I am choosing to embark on, you will definitely not regret it! If you want to contact me, please don’t be afraid to message me on any of the social media platforms I have left below, and I will gladly answer any questions or messages you have for me. I am just a young girl behind a computer screen, and support from strangers around the world shouldn’t mean anything, but it does!

I hope I will be able to teach you to follow your dreams, because I am definitely attempting to follow mine.

Bella x

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IsabellaHowarth

SoundCloud: https://www.soundcloud.com/bellahowarth

Instagram: @bellahowarth

Snapchat: BellaHowarth

Email: bellahowarth@gmail.com