Saying Goodbye To 2014.

After an unexpected blogging break over Christmas, having had to jump in and finish painting and decorating my mothers house for Christmas as the builders were weeks late finishing the conservatory she had built, I'm back - on the very last day of the year.

2014 has surprisingly been a great year and honestly, most of that is down to this blog, and you.

11 Months ago today, I started 'My Pale Skin' and when doing so, I had no idea what it would turn into. I never imagined that in less than a year hundreds of thousands of people would be clicking and reading. I had no idea that i'd get the opportunity to work with some incredible brands that I've been wearing and using for over ten years, nor did I have any idea that I'd get to make some amazing friends and become a part of the blogging community.

I feel like I've grown so much as a person in 2014 - more so than in the past few years. I've improved my photography, writing, and make up skills. Made actual friends, learnt to step out of my comfort zone,attended fashion shows, blogger events, bought all the make up in the world (according to my family), discovered brands that I never even knew existed and most importantly - I feel like I'm on the road to truly becoming happier and more content as a person.

I love where this blog has taken me in 2014 and I can't wait to see what is in store during 2015. I'm excited and looking forward to bringing you on this roller coaster adventure with me. Hopefully there will be a few changes going on around here - maybe a new layout and more creative content, but i'm hoping to make this little space on the web the best it can be.

Thanks for reading, clicking, commenting and watching during 2014 and I promise 2015 will be a whole load better.

So Happy New Year to all friends, new and old and I'll see you on the other side. 

Em xxx

Olympia Beauty 2014 Show Review!

On Sunday Monica and I headed over to Kensington Olympia, West London for the Olympia Beauty show. I'd registered to attend the event back when I first started blogging in February and had been looking forward to attending for a while.

We arrived in the afternoon and headed straight to the press area to get to grips with what the show had on offer. We were also lucky enough to be booked in for some complimentary beauty treatmets. 

I'd been booked in for a lashes treatment with Nouveau Lashes and was super excited to have my first set of individual lashes applied. However, I hadn't really thought ahead with my make up choice. I would recommend not wearing make up if you're having this treatment done as it is time consuming to remove it all during your appointment. My lashes certainly looked fuller and longer afterwards and It is something I would think about having done again.

Monica had a 'makeover' appointment with Jane Iredale cosmetics, and as someone who usually steers clear of powder based foundations, it was interesting to see it applied and how the finish looked.

We both got interviewed for the Olympia Beauty 2014 video on our thoughts on blogging and the industry which was an interesting experience, and after having I had a manicure it was on to the show! We made sure we headed to the NYX Cosmetics stand where Monica and I checked out everything they had on offer. I'm a massive fan of NYX, and wish it was more accessible to buy in stores here in the UK. We picked up a few bits and then wandered around. We checked out OPI who had an incredible stand with every colour nail polish you could ever want and then it was onto Skincare.

At the iiaa (International Institute For Anti Aging) stand we had a complimentary skin analysis undertaken. Now, I'm a bit of a massive cynic and I always these 'results' with a pinch of salt. There's something that doesn't quite feel right to me about an 'institute' (which owns 3 brands) analyzing your skin and then telling you that you need a complete set  of all of their products for healthy skin.... I can't be alone in thinking that skin care 'institutes' should be neutral? After a less than impressive skin 'analysis' it was onto Dermalogica for another skin consultation. As we'd received a few samples of Dermalogica in our press goodie bag, I was keen to speak to one of the advisors to see which products they recommended for my skin, and I look forward to sharing some more info about these with you all soon! 

We finished the day off by popping over to the beautiful brows stand and Monica volunteered to be the guinea pig and have the product tested on her. Although the powder and stencils seemed to work well on her, I'm not sure if it justifies the £30 price tag, when my beloved Anastasia DipBrow Pomade comes in at £15.

All in all, we had a fun day out - however, I was left feeling a little let down by the lack of commercial brands exhibiting. We found there were a lot of fake tan and nail brands on show, but not too many recognisable make up brands - but then as bloggers, we weren't exactly the target demographic of the show.

I definetly recommend attending a beauty show as it's a great way to see what's out there and check out new products.

I'd love to hear what your favourite beauty show is! Let me know in the comments! 

Em xxx

Cosmopolitan Blog Awards 2014! - Vote for 'My Pale Skin'!

So the saying is - You have to be in it to win it, and that's what i'm going for.

My Pale Skin has been my pride and joy for the past 3 months, and I would absolutely love it if you could vote for me to win Best New Beauty Blog at the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards.

I never once thought that I would get the reaction I have to my blog, and I would probably cry tears of joy if I won. The blogging community has welcomed me with open arms, and I have been so lucky to have some amazing opportunities arise because of this blog. I want to continue blogging, and growing and to win would be incredible.

To vote for me, all you have to do is head on over to Cosmopolitan website, Link HERE! and Vote for www.mypaleskin.com to win the Best New Beauty Blog award.

Additionally, as my blog is under 12 months old, you can also vote for me in the Best Newcomer Award! Link Here!

I would love to have your support on this, and If you're entering, let me know which category in the comments. xxx