Rimmel Rita Ora Nailpolish Review!

Let me start by saying how obsessed I am with this nail polish!
I've used so many different products previously and none of them can compare to these ones.

The best thing about this brand is that my painted nails last for about 7 days with no chipping. You've gotta agree that is a really long time for nail polish to last, especially for a busy student!

I also really like the applicator brush. It goes on very smoothly and is small enough that the nail polish that doesn't cover your whole finger!

There is nothing worse than having to pile on layer after layer of polish only for it to look clumpy and smudged a few hours later. Lucky, with this polish it only took me two coats to get the pretty coverage! More time for the important things in life (pizza and a Reign marathon).

The colors in the collection are so beautiful- some of my favourite colors. There's definitely a color for everyone in the range. I particularly like that I can wear any of the colors for day and night because they are so versatile and fun.

Would I recommend it to others? Yes, I definitely would!
In fact, we both have this nail varnish- it's that good!

Question of the day:

What's your favorite nail polish brand? 

Twitter: @beboldbebright

Instagram: @embracethelight

BlogLovin: Embrace the Light 

Hope you enjoyed this post, let us know your thoughts below!

Confidence.

Light.

Happiness.

Love, 

Ayah & Kimmy xxx

PS. This post is not sponsored in any way, shape or form.

PS. All photos in this post are taken by Ayah & Kimmy 

Freedom Calls

After a horrendous 4 days with 5 exams we are finally finished with winter exams and we could not be happier! Roll on a week of watching films without feeling guilty about it. The new-found freedom hasn't quite sunk in yet and so we're going to be doing a number of things to really make the most of the post-exam life.


1. Sleep all day. 
The revision timetable looks a lot like this: wake up early, go to the library, revise all day, feel part of your soul dying, go home for dinner, revise until late, crash into bed and repeat. So to try to cure some of the complete exam exhaustion I intend on not leaving my bed for anything short of the apocalypse.

2. Get all those niggly jobs done. 
Okay this is the boring one but better to get it out the way no? Your room is a tip, you have no food in the house, the bathroom looks like a science lab and there are 5 half-empty cups of coffee on the desk. It's been annoying you for a week but you couldn't bring yourself to drop the revision to get stuff done. Now you can finally get everything organised and feel like a normal human again.

3. Explore your city. 
As a student your awareness of the city around you tends to be from your house to uni and to the clubs. There is so much more to discover around you. We're lucky in our city that we have an amazing national park merely a bus ride away in addition to a metropolitan city a short walk from uni. I'm making it my mission to explore the city a bit more now I'm not tied to my desk!

4. Take a day trip. 
Leave early (I know, it's hard but worth it) pack a lunch and hop on the first train outta here! During exam time life becomes a circuit of stale facts and memorising quotes. Now you can take a breath and put life back into perspective. And get some exercise. Go somewhere you've always wanted to visit or close your eyes and point at the map.

5. Pamper yourself.
What is better after a month of denying yourself any fun than an evening of face masks, films and finaaally painting your nails! For a lot of giggles and scaring your flatmates why not grab a friend and try out a few homemade face masks? Check out these ideas.

Question of the day:

What are you planning to do now exams are over?

Twitter: @beboldbebright

Instagram: @embracethelight

BlogLovin: Embrace the Light 

Hope you enjoyed this post, let us know your thoughts below!

Confidence.

Light.

Happiness.

Love, 

Ayah & Kimmy xxx

Christmas is Coming!

It's the run up to Christmas and all through the house, EVERYONE WAS PANICKING. This time of year is great, everything just seems that little bit more magical and people seem to be so much happier. And though it's all to easy to get caught up in the mayhem and madness, there's so much fun to be had that it all balances out in the end. 

We LOVE Christmas and so we thought of a couple of top tips and ideas for how to have the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER

(more or less)

1. Visit a Christmas market. Or attend an event where the Christmas lights are switched on. Whether that's just the people in the street or you go to a city to watch it happen, there's something special about all watching the lights sparkle. Markets are great to grab a delicious treat or maybe even find that perfect unique present for a special someone. You can find a list of Christmas markets in the UK here!

2. Make someone smile. The festive season is all about doing good for others, celebrating peace and love and remembering what is really important in life. You could donate to your local homeless shelter or serve in a soup kitchen, or why not send a letter to a poorly child? Post Pals is a charity dedicated to making seriously ill children and their siblings smile with cards and letters! All you have to do is check out their website, write a card, maybe draw a little cartoon or include a little gift and send it off to give a poorly child a special smile in time for Christmas. 

3. DECORATE DECORATE DECORATE. It's not essential to enjoying Christmas, but for me personally it's waaay up there. I just love to sit in the living room with a cup of hot chocolate, fluffy slippers and the lights twinkling on the Christmas tree. Why not split the cost with your flatmates or if you can't afford one why not create your own using whatever you can find (last year we painted a large triangular box green and stuck tinsel to it- tacky? Yes. Fun? YES). Put on some cheesy Christmas music and have fun decorating together. 

4. Spend time with loved ones. Christmas is that one time of year when (after all the panic buying and mayhem) everyone slows down, reflects on the year and just enjoys spending time with one another. If you can't travel to see someone why not watch a Christmas film together over skype with Costa takeaway coffees and mince pies?

QOTD:

What are your top tips for enjoying Christmas?

What are you most looking forward to?

Hope you enjoyed this post lovelies!

Twitter: @beboldbebright

Instagram: @embracethelight

BlogLovin: Embrace the Light 

Confidence.

Light.

Happiness.

Love, 

 Kimmy & Ayah xxx

PS. All photos in this post are taken by Ayah & Kimmy 

Little Lights

As courses get busier and the Christmas season rolls in it's easy to get lost in the stress of it all. Deadlines to meet, people to see, presents to buy, events to attend. It all seems to pile up. And though it's a time of so much fun and joy, it's important to remember not to do too much or you'll find yourself burning out.

So this is our little reminder to you to put your feet up! Make yourself a cup of hot chocolate, wrap up in front of a film and treat yourself!

We'd also like to set you a little challenge! Take a look around you, at your friends and family, colleagues or classmates and think about who could do with a little slice of sunshine. Perhaps they need a coffee, or a meal cooked for them, or just a night in! Be a little light in your community and just think; what can you do to make someone smile this week?

~Embrace the Light~

Twitter: @beboldbebright

Instagram: @embracethelight

BlogLovin: Embrace the Light 

Confidence.

Light.

Happiness.

Love, 

Ayah & Kimmy xxx

PS. All photos in this post are taken by Ayah & Kimmy 

MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation REVIEW!

I've been using this foundation for the past 5 years of life! Pretty long time? I KNOW!

It works so perfectly on my skin, keeps it hydrated and moisturised and it applies really easily, without too much mess! 

For my normal everyday make-up routine, this is my go to foundation. 

I usually put on one or two layers of foundation depending on how my skin feels; and that leaves a dewy finish that is on-trend right now and perfect for a casual day out.

I use NW20 which fits perfectly with my skin colour! In the past, I struggled to find the best colour that works with my skin, and then I found this one that I really love so our tip would be to have a look around before you choose your foundation! 

The foundation also includes SPF 15, which is great since it protects your skin; especially for the rare sunny days in England! 

Except, one problem I face with this foundation, that not everyone might be fond of, is the fact that 

it doesn't last long on your face.

For my skin, it usually lasts for three to five hours at most, which can be a bit annoying at times.

That pretty much sums up how I feel about it. Am I still using it? Yes I am!

Beauty questions of the day:

What type of foundation do you use?
Have you ever used this mac one? What did you think of it? 

Hope you enjoyed this post, let us know your thoughts below!

Twitter: @beboldbebright

Instagram: @embracethelight

BlogLovin: Embrace the Light 

Confidence.

Light.

Happiness.

Love, 

Ayah & Kimmy xxx

PS. All photos in this post are taken by Ayah & Kimmy 

Autumn Playlist '15

Summer has come to an end! It's time to listen to chill music, drink some hot cocoa, study

and of course do a lot of blogging! To celebrate the first day of the new season we've put together a list of our current favourite songs for any mood you might be in! 

Brand New- Ben Rector

Wildfire- Seafret

Reality- Lost Frequencies feat Janieck Devy

Disarm- Ben Rector
Feel Again- One Republic
Bittersweet- ARCHIS
Wildest Dreams- Taylor Swift
Agape- Bear's Den
Call Me In The Afternoon- Half Moon Run
Fight Song- Rachel Platten

Remember! You can find our Autumn playlist here on youtube!

QOTD: 

What is your song of the moment? 

What are you most looking forward to about Autumn??

Confidence.

Light.

Happiness.

Love, 

Ayah & Kimmy xxx

PS. This post is not sponsored in any way, shape or form.

PS. All photos in this post are taken by Ayah & Kimmy 

LONDON Part 2: PLACES TO EAT

To continue on with our London Series, today's post is all about places to eat in London! We've picked out a couple of our favourite places to visit for a quick snack, a gourmet dinner or a fancy treat for pudding! We've tried and tested them and love them all so you can trust us!!


Lunch/Snack:

1) You'll find this restaurant everywhere...and by that we mean literally every 2 blocks!
Pret A Manger is the place to go when you want a quick delicious lunch! They make really delicious sandwhiches of all kinds and have the best carrot and banana cakes! #healthyy

2) For a healthy lunch LEON is perfect for a natural, good fast food! They do little hot boxes like a chicken, lemon and olive tagine or a veggie quinoa salad. They also do a cute little fishfinger wrap which is sooo nice, from sustainable sources and healthy!

Photo taken from Google Pics!

Dinner:

3) Burgers and Lobsters

This is the place to go when you want a more high end dinner. Their customer service is absolutely incredible, I have never laughed so much at a restaurant! And just to add to the fun, the only things they have in their menu are burgers and lobsters! There's pretty much always a que, so make sure you go a teeny bit early! Also, just a heads up, the place isn't cheap but WORTH every pound! 

4) Chipotle 

Chipotle, Chipotle, Chipotle... Best Burritos ever? YES DUHll! They make the best and one of the heaviest burritos! I personally couldn't finish it, it was literallyy huge! But SO GOOD! We'd deffo recommend! ( IF you do, please let us know how brill our recommendation was! Hehe) PS. If you're starving, this is the place to eat at!

Photo taken from Google Pics! 

Dessert: 

 5)For dessert, you have so many options, but we chose to include 

LOLA's cupcakes!  They have a variety of different cupcakes which are all so good! *But Please try the oreo one, it's sooo amazing! The place is always pretty much crowded because it's just that yummy! 

6) For a bit of a fancy treat, try Browns Bar and Brasserie in Covent Garden! It is sooo beautiful, and is a pretty high end place to visit. They do gorgeous afternoon tea for £12 per person, which is quite a good price for such an amazing place and lovely food! 

7) If you're not a cupcake person, then try SNOG! A frozen yogurt place (also a bus!) The thing we love most about it is how funkyy and creative the place looks! It's appearance is so attractivee riiight?!

We hope this gives you a good idea of where to plan to eat on your next trip to London! Or if you're like us, plan your trip around your food!

Question of the day:

What's your favourite foodie place in London? 
What's your favourite type of restaurant?

PS.  We made a part 1 to this London Series which was Places to Visit! Click here to check out that post!

BlogLovin: Embrace the Light 

Twitter: @beboldbebright

Instagram: @embracethelight

Confidence.

Light.

Happiness.

Love, 

Ayah & Kimmy xxx

PS. This post is not sponsored in any way, shape or form.
PS. All photos in this post are taken by Ayah & Kimmy except the ones with the captions

Balance Me, Pure Skin Face Wash REVIEW!

I will be brutally honest and say that I have really awkward skin. I would say it's combination and I get quite a few breakouts. I've tried preeetty much everything and nothing really had much of an effect so I wasn't feeling too optimistic about this product.



*Especially because it came as a freebie tester with a magazine and I tend to be a little suspicious about those!(hehe)*



To add to the list of skin-woes, my skin can be really sensitive and I have to be super careful about what products I put on my skin in case it causes any damage!



The product claims:
"Our hydrating, sulphate-free water-based cleanser blended with anti-oxidants and gently balancing spruce knot extract effectively removes make-up and daily grime and enhances the skin's natural radiance."



Sounds decent right??

First of all, this product is kind to my skin! It doesn't work miracles, I still have the odd breakout and my skin can be problematic but it hasn't caused any irritation which might be some good news for my fellow sensitive-skin girls out there!



Secondly, the formula feels soooooo nice!



It is so soft and is really gentle when you're putting it onto your skin. It doesn't really foam up loads like some face washes which is a bit weird because it's like putting cream on your face but the up-side of this is that it feels much less harsh.



It ALSO leaves your skin feeling really SOFT ~which is FAB~



AND........It leaves a really clean feeling and you feel quite refreshed after using it which is perfect for in the mornings!



Negative point: It doesn't work miracles.


If you have quite bad skin then it might be worth using it in combination with some treatments for spots or blemishes



BUT...as a daily cleanser it does everything you expect it to!



It also has quite a strong smell, I don't really like because it's quite musky and kinda reminds me of the perfume that old people wear.



I think the best thing about this product is that it uses a LOT of natural ingredients and I checked it against a list of things to avoid and it doesn't have any of them! That is absolutely fab news for everyone who wants to steer clear of potentially harmful chemicals rightt?!!



I'm kinda obsessed with itt!

Have you used any Balance Me products before? What did you think??
What are your daily essentials??



Make up CRISIS of the day: I need to buy some dry shampoo for SUMMER, can anybody recommend a good (and affordable!) range for me?!

BlogLovin: Embrace the Light 

Twitter: @beboldbebright

Instagram: @embracethelight

Confidence.

Light.

Happiness.

Love, 

Kimmy xx

How to get a summer body!? Tips & Advice! | Embrace The Light

NOO!


NONONO!
NO!

There is no thing such as a summer body!
If you exist during summer and you have a body, then guess what? You have a summer body!
Being thin and slender is not your aim and it shouldn't be!

The world is full of diverse shapes and sizes and that is something to be celebrated- not hidden away or changed. 

As we get closer to summer we get crowded by adverts and magazine covers all trying to sell us the 'perfect' body. They tell us to slim down, fill out, tone up, but not too much. The world is full of double standards when it comes to how a person 'should' look and frankly, it's frankly just a load of rubbish.

Perhaps you've seen the Protein World adverts for weight loss which imply that in order to look good on a beach you have to lose weight and fit their criteria of a 'beach body'. You may have seen their responses to people's criticisms of the adverts saying things like: "why make your insecurities our problem?" Guess what? It is their problem. In fact, this is a GLOBAL PROBLEM.

According to BeReal: 8 is the average age that girls start dieting and half of men feel bad about their appearance after reading a magazine.

1 in 4 of us feels bad about the way we look.

INSECURITY
It is an issue for everyone. EVERYONE.

We need to come together and give the media a strong message that this is not going to work. The media, advertisers, companies cannot shame us for our natural appearance. You want our money? Then don't make us hate ourselves, and don't make us hate you- like what kind of a marketing strategy is that? HUH?.

Now lets get one thing straight.

By all means, live an active life, exercise, eat healthily, go to the gym and get rock hard abs- if that is what you want to do. If that is not for you, then rock on! Who cares? Nobody can tell you how to look or how to live your life, so get out there, put on whatever clothes make you feel good and don't let anybody shame you.

It is ALL just a twisted body image that is being portrayed in the media.
It is not healthy.
It is not okay.

Eating disorders and a dissatisfaction of one's body

It's UNHEALTHY

PLEASE

Embrace your body and the way you LIVE

Stay HEALTHY!

Eat whatever you want to eat (except if you're allergic, we don't want that hehe!)
Drink whatever you want to drink
BUT Most importantly, take care of yourself and your body.
Be who You want to be, not who someone forces you to be.


Don't let photos deceive you, it is incredible what can be done in editing


Both of us at Embrace the Light have felt the pressure to look a certain way and that's part of our inspiration for running the blog. To encourage confidence and body positivity, to remind you that you are beautiful!

If you find this hard to believe then we want to challenge you to look in the mirror every day and say, I Am Beautiful. It's truly amazing how your life changes when you realise that you look darn awesome and nothing will change that.


We'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions:

Do you agree with what we said? What do you think should be altered in the media?
Do you think having a summer body is even a thing?!

BlogLovin: Embrace the Light 

Twitter: @beboldbebright

Instagram: @embracethelight

Confidence.

Light.

Happiness.

Love, 

Ayah and Kimmy x


PLEASE NOTE: If you feel you need someone to talk to about the issues raised in this post, please go to one of these links for advice and professional advice.
UK: B-eat
US  NEDA
A country by country list of support lines can be found here, credit to Together We Are Strong


Disclaimer: This post is NOT sponsored in any shape or form, this is just a topic that we really care about and wanted to write about. 

The Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award!

Thank you sooo much to the lovely Constance from Conk's Canister for nominating us for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award! Check out her beautiful blog and say hi for us!

These are the questions Constance gave us to answer:

1. What is your favourite song/band at the moment?

Kimmy: My favourite song at the moment is Bright by Echosmith, they're a super talented band and this song is really beautiful. Makes me smile!

Ayah: Fav song atm: I'm good - The Mowgli's & I wana get better- bleachers & Talk- Kodaline
Fav music video: Bad blood- Taylor Swift

2. What is your favourite kind of blog post to write?

Kimmy: I love any blog post with loooads of photos! Anything that is fun to write, maybe a little bit quirky or unique. I love this post: Windswept: Spring Lookbook 2015

Ayah: Windswept and the mac review are defo my favorite ones!

3. What is the story of your first kiss?

Kimmy: London Waterloo train station. It was short and sweet. 'nuff said.

Ayah: I had my first Hershey's kiss when I was 5 and omg it was amazing!

4. Your biggest regret and proudest moment?

Kimmy: I reeeaally regret on giving up so much extra-curricular stuff when I was younger, like dancing or martial arts or music- I used to get scared and so I'd give it up, I just wish I'd pushed through that! My proudest moment was probably getting onto my dream course at my favourite University.

Ayah: Biggest regret-~not learning how to cook! ( I'm dying at uni..) The most delicious thing I could do is literally a nutella sandwhich......
Proudest moment~ Getting into uni, living on my own in another country, having a lot of my friends/fam ask me to do their makeup/hair-does, performing (dancing/singing) in front of a large audience, BUT the proudest moment ever is when I did the BEST NUTELLA sandwhich anyone could've ever tried.. (like FO REAL)

5. What is the one make-up product you can't stop buying?

Kimmy: I love a bright, sparkly, shiney nail varnish.

Ayah: Mac studio fix foundation ( I actually CAN'T live without it) BUT i'm still looking for the perfect lipstick! HELP ME?!

6. What is your clothing staple for summer?

Kimmy: You either love 'em or you hate 'em. But I have to admit I'm quite the fan of flip flops when camping or just wandering around the village, They're so cheap, they're comfy and they're perfect to shove on when you're running after the ice cream van!

Ayah: A short pastel colored summer dress! So obsessed with it..

7. What do you do to find inspiration?

Kimmy: I like to go on a walk or a run through the countryside, listening to some music and just step away from the hectic nature of life! It gives me a chance to breathe and really think things through- and come up with new ideas! #DEEP

Ayah: Dancing ballet, modern, hip hop, and contemporary are definitely one of the main inspiration factors for me. Also singing and acting in films make feel very adventurous and in the zone.

8. What do you do during "that time of the month" to make yourself feel better?

Kimmy: CHOCOLATE. Dark chocolate or a high cocoa bar can actually give you that happy feeling! Science! Aside from that it's paracetamol, a hot water bottle and a good film with loved ones.

Ayah: Eat a lot (and i mean A LOT) of ice cream! and ofcourse, chilling with my 2 year-old nephew and 2 months old niece are two of my fav thingss that make me so happy!

9. Do a short and sweet "What's in my bag"?

Kimmy: Notebook, 5 pens of assorted styles, patterns and colours, a tablet for lectures, earphones, keys, purse, tissues, a random crayon, jewellery I took off once and forgot to take out my bag, more tissues, medicine, more pens, a variety of snacky food, loose change that I can never be bothered to put in my purse, my diary, lipbalm, about 10,000 receipts, a pocket mirror and a charm my sister made for me.

Ayah: Everything you can imagine is in my bag.. EVEN a bag of pringles hehee xxx

10. Why did you start blogging?
We started blogging after a conversation about how much we love fashion, the arts and photography and how we'd love to see something that brings it all together. And then we realised- why not us? Ayah is definitely the expert in all things fashion and make up and I prefer the more technical side and it works perfectly.

The Rules:

1 | Answer the ten questions you have been sent, thanking the blogger who nominated you.

2 | Come up with ten questions of your own.

3 | Nominate up to ten bloggers.

Our Questions:

1. What is something you can't leave the house without?

2. Tell us one of your happiest moments?

3. What's the best play/film you're ever seen?

4. As a kid, what did you want to be when you were older?

5. What is your favourite style tip?

6. Do you have a favourite pair of shoes?

7. What's the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?

8. Your favourite foodie treat?

9. Who is your inspiration?

10. What are your hopes for the next year?

Our nominees:

 @Milleaker 

@daisychainsizzy

@lilglads

@scotstefnails

@tftbblog

@chasingrubies2

@amyfarrellsays

@everydaygirlxo

@pores4thought

@glitterinfatuat

Comment below and link to your post and we will totally check it out!!

Sorry we couldn't tag everyonee! Let us know what your answers to the questions would be!! We'd love to hear it!!

BlogLovin: Embrace the Light 

Twitter: @beboldbebright

Instagram: @embracethelight

Confidence.

Light.

Happiness.

Love, 

Ayah and Kimmy xx

Let's Go To London!!

If you follow our Instagram account you'll know that Kimmy recently went on a trip to London!

We love visiting London. It's so unique as a city- so incredibly full of life, colour and tradition. Every step you take shows you something different, from the loud fairground to the calm parks, from gratified back-streets to the pristine up-market lanes.

We were so inspired and we hope you are too!

We hope you enjoyed the pictures! What was your favourite?

What's your favourite city to visit?

BlogLovin: Embrace the Light 

Twitter: @beboldbebright

Instagram: @embracethelight

Confidence.

Light.

Happiness.

Love, 

Ayah and Kimmy x

Spring Playlist: 2015

Spring is finally here!! We created a playlist of all our Spring favourites, filled with happy, inspirational and motivational songs for the perfect start to your day!

1. Michael Bublé// It's a Beautiful Day

2. Maroon 5// Sugar

3. George Ezra// Blame It On Me

4. James Blunt// Bonfire Heart

5. Taylor Swift// Style

6. Echosmith// Come Together 

7. Calvin Coolidge// Daylight

8. Ingrid Michaelson// Be Ok

9. Ellie Goulding// How Long Will I Love You

10. Corinne Bailey Rae// Put Your Records On

Hope you enjoy!

If you like our playlist you can listen to it on our youtube channel here!

What's your favourite song this season?

Confidence. Light. Happiness

-Love, Ayah and Kimmy xx

Embrace the Light TRAILER!

We made a trailer for our blog to give you all a little sneak peak at what we have in store! 

We love fashion and hope that we can inspire you to love yourself and to just have fun! 

Hope you enjoy the trailer, we'd love to hear your comments! If you have a YouTube channel or any trailers for your blogs we'd love to see! Leave your comments below. 

Check back with us next week for an exciting new post! 

Remember, you can find us on:

BlogLovin: Embrace the Light 

Twitter: @beboldbebright

Instagram: @embracethelight

Facebook: Embrace the Light 

Confidence. Light. Happiness. 

Love, Kimmy xx