#11 ~ Beauty Tag

It has taken me so long to get around to writing this Beauty Tag! Thank you to wonderful Jenny from Small Girl Big Dreams for tagging me! So without further ado, here are my answers:

1. Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners and lip product or lose all of your palettes and eye shadows?

Palettes and eye shadows!

2. Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?

Never be able to cut it again - I am actually trying to grow my hair really long right now.

3. If you had $500, would you spend it on clothes or make up?

Clothes, of course! I would buy a few expensive cosplay/lolita style dresses! <3

4. Would you rather only use one eye-shadow colour or one lip colour for the rest of your life?

One lip colour; I usually one use one light shade of pink. I always change my eye shadow to match my outfit.



5. Bright nails or nude nails all year round?

Definitely bright. I love bright colours, it is a part of my style.

6. Would you rather never be able to use lipgloss or paint your nails again?

Never be able to use lip gloss. I could live with just balm. I love painting my nails too much.

7. Describe your perfect mascara. Have you found one?

I have not, yet. :( As such, I have no idea what my perfect one would be. One that suits lolita-style make-up. So big, kind of thick and separated, like doll's eye lashes.

8. What’s your ideal coverage foundation?

Hmm I have to admit I am not really sure. I like BB/CC creams, but there is yet a favourite...perhaps Garnier's. They are one of my favourite brands.


9. Favourite high-street/drugstore beauty brand?

Barry M and Garnier!

10. Favourite high-end beauty brand?

I do not really have one, but I LOVE Etude House, which is an Asian make-up brand! They are my overall favourite.

11. Is there any makeup you can’t leave the house without wearing?

Only concealer when I have not slept well. >.<

12. What is your most cherished beauty product?

As above, my concealer is one, but I do not actually like the one I have. I cannot wait for it to run out so I can get a new one! Apart from that, maybe my eye cream (which I am also in the same situation with as my concealer haha) or moisturiser!

13. What skin type do you have?

Normal, which I think myself lucky for!

14. Do you always use the same skin routine or do you like switching it up?

I use different products when they run out. I think it is better to switch it up.

15. Top 5 beauty gurus?

Michelle Phan, if she counts. She is the only one I can think of right now.

16. If you could only buy one make up brand forever, which would you buy?

Probably Barry M, depending on the future availability of Etude House (as in if it becomes easier to buy here in the U.K.).

17. which brand has your favourite packaging?

Etude House! The nail polishes I have by them are miniature ice cream cones. Everything is so cute and brightly coloured!

18. which do you apply first, concealer or foundation?

Foundation then concealer.

19. Name a make up crime you hate.

Well, the tan gone so far it actually looks orange or when the face is clearly a different shade to the neck/rest of the body!

20. Blush or bronzer?
Blush - I never use bronzer.

Lipgloss or lipstick? - Lip gloss.
Foundaion or concealer? - Concealer.
Brushes or sponges? - Sponges.
OPI or Essie? - Neither.
Lotion or body butter? - Body butter.

And now I am going to tag...

Josie - Fashion Mumblr
Sophie - Sophie's Plus Size Wonderland
Ellis - Ellis Tuesday
Carla - Fashion&Pages

Thank you again to Jenny from Small Girl Big Dreams for tagging me! I really enjoyed writing this post. Until next time~

Love, Miss Emma-Lily xx

#10 ~ First Liebster Award

A big thank you to the lovely Hannah from Wink Beauty for nominating me for my very first Liebster Award! I feel like I should write some kind of acceptance speech or something hehe~

For those who don't know: The Liebster Award is given by bloggers to bloggers who are new to the blogging world to welcome them and give their blog awareness! Now, onto the questions Hannah has asked me and my answers:

1. What is your favourite social media site?

It has to be twitter - it is so simple and easy to use. It used to be facebook, but for me that has kind of died now and the only reason I am keeping my account is just to occasionally keep in touch with faraway family and friends who do the same.

2. What is your favourite movie character?

Hermione from Harry Potter and Cinderella. I feel I can relate to both of them. I am a bookworm and never had sisters, but I had a bad childhood which I have finally escaped, plus I have found my Prince Charming. :)

3. Which do you prefer; Family Guy or The Simpsons?

If I had to choose, it would be The Simpsons. I watched it a lot when I was younger and only saw Family Guy for the first time a few years ago...it was all right, but I would still prefer to watch The Simpsons over Family Guy. There are some classic moments that still manage to make me chuckle.

4. Who is your favourite comic book superhero?

Hmm, I have never really read comic books. The books I read are the wrong genre, too!

5. The Big Bang Theory or How I Met Your Mother?

Ooh, definitely The Big Bang Theory! I love it!

6. What is your favourite video game?

As I am not a big video game fan, the games I do play I love and there are not many of! Persona 3 Portable, The Sims 3 and Animal Crossing (the former two I am eagerly awaiting the next games in the series!) are my favourite games.

7. If you could have a dinner party with 5 famous people - dead or alive - who would you pick and why

Katy Perry - love everything about her; her style, music and values.

William Shakespeare - for his writing, obviously! It would be an honour to meet him.

Shoji Meguru - he creates music for the Persona games series and it is so creative!

Tyra Banks - after watching America's Next Top Model, I became a fan of her, for mostly the same reasons as Katy Perry, plus because of how personable and relatable she is.

Michael McIntyre - so he can make me laugh in person. :)

8. Who is your favourite band/singer?

Perfume! They are a Japanese J-Pop band. Check out one of their songs here!

9. What would Amortentia (love potion in Harry Potter) smell like to you (it smells like what you love?

Ooh, the smell of a fresh bakery, new books, or cherry blossoms. <3

10. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Japan! Oh my gosh, I must try not to ramble here because I love everything about Japan. The clothing, anime, technology, shrines, food, make-up, manga, the cat cafés, Japanese bakeries and sweets...

11. What is your favourite pass time?

Probably writing. I love it. I write novels, fan fiction, my blog...I spend most of my time writing. Closely followed by reading though.

Eleven Random Facts About Me

- Because I love the colour green so much I named my puppy green in Japanese - Midori.

- I used to bite my nails.

- Apparently I have a separate stomach for sweets.

- I came second in Nintendo's Mario Kart 7 tournament and won a big Star Cup trophy!

- Make-up is not a daily essential for me. It is rare I leave the house wearing it.

- I am opening a cat café with my partner.

- I am struggling to find four more facts. >_<

- Peanut butter is one of my foodie obsessions.

- Japan is where I belong and would love to live one day.

- I am very much a romantic.

- The longest story I have written is 146 pages and around 98,000 words in Word and is incomplete.

And Now I Nominate Thee...

Kizzy - Nails By Kizzy

Jenny - Small Girl Big Dreams

Coco Ladysmith - The Little Pink Bible

Mali Moss Make Up

Aimée Belle

Jess - Jessiedolly

Sophiia - Beauty By Sophiia

Zara - Page 394

To Answer These Eleven Questions:

1. Do you prefer sweet or savoury?

2. Do your close friends and family know about your blog?

3. Where in the world do you belong?

4. What are your must have beauty brands?

5. Which beauty products could you live without?

6. Are you a cat or dog person?

7. What inspired you to start your blog?

8. Can you describe yourself in eight words?

9. If you had to wear one type of shoe for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

10. Do your feet have to be under the covers at night, even in summer?

11. What is your favourite healthy food?

There we go! I have finally completed the Liebster Award! I realise that some of my nominees have already done this, so if you cannot be bothered to do one again (and I won't blame you), please do not feel obliged. :)

Here are the guidelines:

1. Thank the person who nominated you and link to their blog (and tell them when you post the Award on your blog so they can see your answers).

2. Answer the 11 questions given to you from your nominator.

3. Write 11 random facts about yourself.

4. Nominate 5 to 11 bloggers with under 1,000 followers.

5. Provide 11 questions for them to answer.

6. List the guidelines so that people have an idea of what to do.

6. Display the Award as a gadget/widget on your blog.

7. Finally, inform the people you nominated with a link to your Liebster Award blog post!

Phew! That was a really long post, but I did enjoy writing it. Again a huge thanks to Hannah from Wink Beauty for nominating me (and sorry I took so long to get around to writing it) and to everyone who reads this. Until next time~

Love, Miss Emma-Lily xx

#9 ~ Eye Creams & Lip Balms

Both of these products are essential to your daily routine because due to our polluted world, our skin dries out quickly and these particular areas dry out the quickest! The skin around your eyes is even the thinnest skin on your face, so it needs extra special care to avoid dark circles and dryness. As for lips, they have to face all of the elements too, plus coming into contact with foods, drinks and passionate kissing! All of these can wear down your delicate lips, potentially leading to dryness and/or cracking.


Firstly, I would like to point out that eye creams are essentially glorified moisturisers, unless they have ingredients proven to help with anti-ageing, dark circles, puffiness etc.. If your eye cream does not target any of these, you can simply use your regular facial moisturiser! Before you dab it on, gently cleanse the eye area first (but make sure your cleanser is gentle enough for using around the eyes). You can generally use eye creams twice a day, especially if you are using one for the anti-ageing benefits. Remember, do not exfoliate the eye area - it will increase discolouration and dark circles!



To keep lips looking smooth and plump, use a lip scrub weekly and a lip balm daily as and when needed to keep them from drying out, even if that may be more than twice a day.

Just like all moisturisers, for both the lips and eyes, use one that matches your skin type and anything that is applied to your face should have very little or no fragrance.

Thanks for reading! Until next time~

Love, Miss Emma-Lily xx

#8 ~ Moisturisers

After cleansing your face (or showering), it is best to apply a pea-sized amount of moisturiser within three minutes to give back what the cleanser may have taken from your skin, plus it helps for a better application of make-up and gives your skin a layer of protection from such things like wrinkles and daily air pollution (which, if you live in a city like me, is vital; no one wants a smoggy face) or the wet and windy English weather; many moisturisers even have SPF in them nowadays, too - usually of factor 15, so during the summer, if the sun decides to poke its head out of course, you will still need extra sunscreen (which you should apply after moisturiser). It is also very important to use a separate moisturiser for the delicate eyes and lip areas!

As with all cosmetics, there are different types depending on what skin you have. To help keep normal and combination skin from becoming excessively oily or dry, lightweight oil or water-based moisturisers do the trick. Creamy, oil-based moisturisers are perfect for dry skin and does wonders to keep the flaky tightness at bay; dry skin is also easily prone to early signs of ageing, so moisturisers can help greatly with that, too! As for oily and acne-prone skin, moisturiser can actually be relevant as well. You would not really imagine that applying one could help - but since it is common for people with these skin types to use harsh cleansing products on their face to control the oil and acne, a water-based moisturiser that contains no oil can help balance the skin and produce less oil over time. For those with sensitive skin, a good moisturiser containing aloe or chamomile will soothe it; make sure to avoid ones with fragrances, dyes or irritant acids.

You may have heard of or use day and night creams. They are purely a personal preference and I have never used them myself. It sounds like they might take some getting used to...I mean, would your face not stick to your pillow?

These days you can find moisturisers for daily all-in-one use. However, day creams are usually lighter than night creams, contain SPF and focus on re-hydrating your face whilst protecting your skin from everyday exposure to UV rays and pollution. Night creams, on the other hand, are made to work with your skin overnight as your body heals and repairs damage; night creams aid the process and can contain ingredients for anti-ageing and keeping your skin generally healthy. Although there are moisturisers for every skin type, oily skin does not really need a night cream and is normally fine with just an all-in-one day cream.

Thank you so much for reading! Until next time~

Love, Miss Emma-Lily xx