Project 10 Pan Update #2;-

Anyone who has been following my project pan deserves an apology, I have been crap. For a while there wasn't a lot of progress and then I simply kept these photos on my laptop with no words written to go along with them. But I have kept up my panning I've incorporated the products into my work makeup which I keep the same. Then  when the weekend rolls around I wear whatever I feel like to keep things fresh. This seems to be working for me, it means I've made even more progress since taking these photos and I'm not getting bored of the products.
First up is a finished item, my Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer. I was struggling for a while and seeing any progress with this. I tried shining a torch into the packaging, and there was still product all up the sides. But with a lot of perseverance and patience I did it, I'd been scraping product from the sides for a long time and it seemed never ending. Finally one day, I couldn't get anything from the pot. I really liked this for under of the eyes, but it wanted my favourite concealer and I'm excited to be done with this and move onto another. I was so excited I chucked this in the bin when organising my makeup collection so I have no empty container to show you... Sorry.

My Rimmel White Eyeliner is still going pretty strong. I wear this everyday, its become one of my go-to products again as its one of the few things that makes me look awake in the morning. I feel like this isn't a lot smaller since my last update and I've only sharpened it once every 2-3 weeks. But I'm still enjoying using this every day so I'll keep at it.
I am ever so nearly done with my Benefit High Beam. My technique to push myself to use this is to mix it with my moisturiser and apply under my makeup. This has has been using this product a lot more quickly and I really like the glowy but not to in-your-face look that it gives. I have no doubt that this will be done by the time I get around to another update. Especially as I'm already using a q-tip to get the last from the bottom of the pot!
On the other hand if there was one product I don't think I'll finish its the LUSH Popcorn Lip Scrub. I just can't seem to fit this into my routine, if I don't forget it I just think its a bit of a faff. I can't see any noticeable difference from my last update at all. I've been trying lately to use this when I remove my makeup, as its coming up to that time of the year when I need to use this. I will keep persevering and if I don't finish it I can hopefully get some more use out of it.

I also managed to finish up my Topshop Lip Bullet in Tamed. This was only a sample, but I still feel like giving myself a pat on the back for finishing this. I got into makeup because I love experimenting with it, so wearing the same lipstick that was a 'your lips but better' nude was a real feat for me. What I tended to do was to pop it in my handbag and apply it when my daily shade had worn off. Although I say that it was a nice colour that wore well and went with everything, but I am glad to see the back of it.

The part I'm going to hate updating this time around is my spending ban. Ok, it all went out of the window for a little while. Makeup is the thing I treat myself too, and I deserved a treat lately. I've bought a lot of new makeup over the past couple of months. But I'm hoping to get back on it, and I'm sure I'd have bought a lot more if I'd never started this and every little helps!

Beneath the Makeup;

I've been thinking a lot about my blog recently, which is odd considering I haven't put together a post in over a month now. So I thought I'd take the time out tonight, while I can't sleep to write a little about why I haven't posted in such a long time and what I'm hoping for my blog in the future.

I'd been an avid blog reader for a long while before I started my own, I love hearing other people's opinions in a less formal way than a magazine article or a book and it got me thinking yeah I could try my hand at that too. I mean I definitely have a lot of opinions. So around this time last year I began spending time here, writing, taking photographs and really enjoying myself. It felt amazing to spend my time doing something I felt was creative and productive with my spare time, even if it was only for myself. It felt like I finally had my own little corner of the whopping world wide web.

At this time I was working at a bar in my village for anywhere between 30 - 50 hours a week, and my time off was midweek and before 6 o'clock. Which meant that my friends and family were all at work and I had all of the time in the world to write. I'd become a barmaid to fund my studies in law, in a part time and mostly at home course, and last year I was offered an assistant job in a real life law firm in their property law department. I now get to see my studying paying off, I have help with tuition fees, the opportunity was, and still is amazing. My career is finally moving, my work feels a lot more rewarding and definitely keeps me on my toes! This means I work full time, and when I get home I need to give my brain a rest. I'm now on a higher level on my course, which is more taxing and time consuming with a lot more coursework. I'm also learning to drive as I now live a 20 minute journey away from most of my friends and my parents, which isn't a lot but can feel like a world away when you need a cuddle from your mum. Trying to fit that in with spending quality time with my other half my spare time is also non-existent. Not to mention the fact that during winter it is almost impossible to take a decent blog photo after 6 pm. So its safe to say my blog is sitting in the back seat in the vehicle of my life.

Another thing that has been plaguing my thoughts is the future I want to take with my blog. I fell into the very common category of 'beauty blogging', and it was easy for me because I love makeup. Makeup is another creative outlet for me, experimenting with colour combos and products is something I really enjoy. But lately I don't read a lot of beauty blogs, I feel like beauty blogging is changing a lot its really become an industry rather than an activity. There are a lot of people seeking out to make a career of blogging, and if you can do it that's amazing. However posts that are written with a professional voice with facts and figures are things that belong in magazines. I loved that blogs gave a place for someone to voice their opinion and show a bit of personality. I try to fit that in to my posts, even if I'm only writing a short review of the product. I am no skin or makeup expert and sometimes I struggle with enough to say I just know I want to say something!

When it comes to makeup I've never been someone with an everyday routine, I like to vary it. But I now have time to spend around 20 minutes to get ready in the morning I tend to blindly grab for the same things, which wouldn't make for exciting writing. I have this entirely self inflicted feeling that now I've started to blog about makeup I've put myself in a box. Although I still want to write about makeup and beauty I do want to change up my blog, so when I feel uninspired by makeup I want to start writing about other things.

So I'm sitting here with my to-do list of blog ideas, hoping that they will actually (someday) turn into posts. I just wanted to put the girl beneath the makeup out there. And say hey, I'm Tamara-Jayne, unedited and unspellchecked and I promise to blog again sometime in the future.