I remember when I first started blogging, I heard about the Liebster Award. It made me aware of the beautiful side of the blogging community of helping each other out and sharing what we love. If you don't know what the Liebster Award is, it is an award designed for bloggers given by other bloggers. It resembles a "pay it forward" system that is designed to spread awareness of other bloggers. I was nominated by the lovely Emily from A Sprinkle of Emily who I give great thanks to - I didn't think I would ever get this award! Here are the three simple steps when you choose to receive your nomination:

1. Thank who nominated you and answer the questions that were asked by your nominator.
2. Tag 11 other bloggers.
3. Compile your own list of 11 questions for the tagged bloggers to answer.

Now on to Emily's questions and my answers:

1. What are your top 3 Netflix programmes at the moment? 
I don't use Netflix specifically, but in terms of shows that I am watching, I am currently halfway through "24". It's an amazing thrilling show that really keeps you on the edge of your seat. I tend to watch one series at a time, but I am also awaiting the new seasons of The Walking Dead and Stranger Things. Oh, and Narcos! (Yes, that's 4 shows, oops!)

2. Would you rather go a year without wearing lipstick or eyeshadow? 
Eyeshadow. Lipstick is must-have for me and is the one product I would wear if I had to only wear one makeup product.

3. If you could live anywhere on earth, where would it be and why? 
Paris, since its aesthetic is exactly like my own. It's literally perfection to me.

4. What's your Holy Grail foundation which you will continually purchase? 
The Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation. It's not entirely matte, but is a beautiful satin finish. The coverage is also great which is medium to high. 

5. What is one makeup brand you want to try, but have never got round to trying? 
Hourglass. Their products are so luxe and ethereal!

6. How long, on average, do you spend writing a blog post? 
It depends, but on average about 2 hours including adding links. If you include taking and editing photos, it would take about 4 hours.  

7. What has been your favourite moment of 2017 so far? 
Probably my academic achievement at my university.

8. Have you ever met a celebrity? 
Nope! It's quite rare to see and meet celebrities in Canada!

9. Can you remember the first makeup item you ever bought? 
I think the first makeup product I actually purchased myself was the Rimmel Lipstick in the shade 107. It's still one of my all-time favourite lipsticks!

10. Three favourite high end brands? 
Tarte, Too Faced, and MAC.

11. Three favourite drugstore brands? 
Maybelline, Rimmel, and Revlon.

Once again, thank you Emily for the nomination and the fun questions!

My 11 questions are:                                                                                       

1. What is your favourite book?                                                                      

2. If you could master one skill, what would it be?                                        

3. What makeup product is at the top of your wish list?                                  

4. What is your most repurchased makeup item?                                              

5. What fictional character do you relate to the most?                                      

6. Favourite topic to learn about / educate yourself on?                                  

7. Are you picky about anything?                                                                  

8. The first thing on your bucket list?                                                              

9. Besides blogging, what do you love doing in your spare time?                  

10. Describe your own or your favourite aesthetic / style in general.                                              

11. In general, what makes you motivated and inspired?                                

I tag:

1. The Glam Surge
2. Beauty Candy Loves
3. Lotte Beauty Box
4. Blossom in Blush
5. My Laura Life
6. A Blushing Beauty Blog
7. Mrs Q Beauty

8. Francisca May

9. Shakespeare and Sparkle

10. Lauren Victoria

11. Spring Lilies

Be sure to link your post in the comments below - I would love to read your answers!

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Actually a year and + 1 month in blogging. I can't believe that over a year has passed since I formed MademoiselleDena96. Since June 2015, this blog's experienced multiple layouts, designs, even content focuses, all leading up to what I am so proud of and has become one of the largest and most important things in my life. I'm not exactly sure what to include in this type of post, but I thought that I would just share with you my reflections.

First off, I want to thank you - my readers, a.k.a, my motivators. It's really my audience that pushes me to create quality and informative content. It's you that I keep in mind whilst typing up a post or taking a photo. So, thank you for your comments, follows, likes, and all the support. 

Also worth mentioning is what I've learned from blogging. Despite being behind a computer, camera, and phone, blogging has taught me a lot about the art of socialization, both casual and professional. I've entered a world that I had no experience in; talked with people of different professions and departments and fields that I was never familiar with, yet extremely intimidated by. I've gained insight into the things that I was merely fascinated with, but now am experienced and knowledgable about. I've collaborated with brands, done sponsorships, and even created my own perfume, all of which would not have occurred if I hadn't pursued this passion of mine. 

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I found myself and I discovered my potentials and ambitions. A couple years ago, I placed myself as the opposite of a "creative person" - one who scoffed at and was uninterested in the idea of blogging and the arts and being a hands-on and tactile person. I can't believe that I now see myself as exactly that. I live for creation and thinking outside the box, whether that be in the form of text, photography, concepts, ideas, etc. This drive even enabled me to personally explore the hands-on craft of baking, even if just for fun! I proved to myself that I can learn and improve on things that I had no initial knowledge about: photography, editing, html coding, SEO, social media marketing, etc. The way I view things are now different: makeup and fashion are not just things that I passively enjoy anymore, but are things that I now treat seriously: learning techniques, terminology, etc. Not that there's anything wrong with leisurely appreciating something, but for me, these are things that I wanted to be more professional about as a blogger who strives to offer well-researched and thorough information to my readers. I found my drive, my true ambitions - not only in terms of career or occupation, but in terms of living life as a human. I'm not saying that I've abandoned my previous goals; I still value post-secondary and even graduate education and I plan on continuing that path, but overall, I've adjusted my values and realized what's truly important to me.

I'm not sure if this post was interesting to you as it hasn't really offered any information to you. I do hope, however, that this has encouraged you to pursue what you are passionate about, because the fact is that good things will come if you work hard at it. I personally am pushing myself to work harder and post a lot more frequently and offer more creative and innovative content, but sometimes, I feel that you should just pause, reflect on your accomplishments, and give yourself that deserved pat on the back!

And once again, thank you.

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Half the workload for anything is the strength to continue. Keeping dedicated and motivated to prevent quitting something or decreasing the quality of your work, is an effort in itself and can sometimes be harder than the task itself. Everything requires a mentality and it's your thoughts and attitude that can make all the difference in your performance and output. Blogging is no exception. Sure, blogging is definitely fun and personally it definitely is a passion of mine, however, everything has its difficulties. Since blogging is usually something that you chose to start, it can be quite dangerous as you are in control of how you choose to continue with it. Of course, it is universal that there are those times when you think, Should I even bother anymore?  or, Am I even going anywhere with this?  It happens to all of us, but how these thoughts end up in reality is what's really important. I know that many of my readers are bloggers themselves, so hopefully these tips will be of use to you as well as for others who are not bloggers as these tips are pretty much applicable to any other activity. So without further ado, I share with you my personal tips and endeavours that I take to keep on track.

1. Remember why you started... if you remember.

First thing's first. Sometimes you start something, and then realize it's not for you. There is nothing wrong with that! In fact, it would be a waste of time and energy if you were to continue something that you truly realized wasn't for you. If you still do find joy in blogging, however, but find yourself losing that motivation every once in a while, it is important to remember why you started and remind yourself of the value of what you're doing; it is these reasons that drove you to take that big step towards blogging in the first place, so they also have the power to keep you driving on.

2. Be happy with your "blogger-self".

Just like how wearing your favourite outfit or favourite lipstick can make your entire day, having a beautiful blog layout and design that you yourself enjoy, is practically vital for enjoying blogging itself. Your blog should be something that pleases your eye, otherwise you can lose the motivation to create new posts and content. Investing or taking time to tailor a blog design that you enjoy is highly important. Keep in mind that it is okay to not be 100% satisfied (you can never be) and also know that you can - and highly likely will - alter your blog layout many times in the future. Equally important, however, is your content. Are you satisfied with the content you're publishing; with the style you are presenting your material; with the tone and voice of your writing? Again, these things can and probably will change over time as it is a work in progress, but if you currently feel that you are not happy with your style and that it's holding you back, immediately work at it and it will motivate you to continue blogging with joy and a sense of self fulfillment and appreciation. 

3. Take it seriously and responsibly.

Surely, blogging should be fun, but that doesn't mean eliminating any sense of responsibility. Remember that blogging is not a one-way activity; you are interacting with other people and your readers, so you should take it seriously. Personally, I enjoy working under some form of pressure as it pushes me into a more productive mentality. I find that when I take my blog seriously and professionally, it motivates me to create valuable content for the public and community. Remember: taking things seriously is not necessarily the same as stressfully. Have fun, but maintain a responsible and professional outlook on your blog - it can steer you in a more structured and effective mind frame!

4. Get inspired.

It goes without saying that inspiration works wonders in literally everything you do. For blogging, I am constantly looking out for inspiration - either on an active hunt or unintentionally - just be open to it! Whether it be photography inspiration or content inspiration, when an idea hits me, it can make me excited and want to hurry straight to my computer and begin composing my post. Keep in mind that inspiration should inspire you; that is, elicit novel and innovative ideas that are different to the actual source of your inspiration - don't copy! Also, be sure to always immediately jot down your ideas so you won't forget them!

5. Know you're not alone.

Strange enough, sometimes seeing immensely successful bloggers or other bloggers who have that enviable blog design or quality photography, can actually un-motivate you. It should, however, do the opposite, since it's a fact that everyone starts somewhere, and it's important to realize that. Sometimes, I go through some of my favourite bloggers' archives and look up their oldest posts when they first started their blogs. Looking at their growth and how they started actually really motivates me and reminds me that blogging really is a never-ending journey and process and you will get better. 

I hope these tips have helped you in relocating that motivation that can so easily be lost sometimes. How do you stay motivated and dedicated to your blog?

Self-awareness is an important thing, right? Well, I do confess that at least at this point in my life, I would identify myself has a relatively organized person, although maybe sometimes too much thanks to my obsessive nature, but I digress. Honestly, I actually feel that I may know exactly what point in time I "officially" became organized, although all my life I was usually inclined towards neatness anyway. I feel that ever since I took more online courses in university, I became much more organized in my work, whether that be scheduling, schoolwork, or other stuff like blogging and even wardrobe and makeup organization. Maybe it's because I was more liberated to define my own schedule as I prefer to figure stuff out myself, or maybe it's because this meant that I could stay at home more, thus reducing distractions. Regardless, I can say that I am very satisfied with my organization, especially when it comes to work, which as we all know, is the most important. So, here I'd like to share with you my tips for becoming a more organized person:

1. A Calendar is Your Best Friend.
It really is. Personally, I prefer electronic calendars like the one on the iPhone and MacBook, but written planners do the same thing. I can't believe that I used to hardly write anything down for myself and honestly, because of that, I did forget many things and made everything hectic for me. Writing things down on a widespread calendar like on the MacBook is ideal for me since I can see the entire month and properly assign my work on the days ahead. Also, to-do lists are great for personal little things that we always seem to forget; this is great to jot down on your phone.

2. Look Ahead. Wayyy Ahead.
Sure, a calendar is great, but sometimes lack of proper scheduling can make a calendar useless. Whether it be for work or school, it's important to write each and every due date on your calendar so you won't be caught off guard when it's too late. So, when assigning work to do on a day, it's important to consider what you have due in 2-3 weeks time rather than what's only due in a few days.

3. Storage.
Storing things can mean different things. It can mean a highly organized and coordinated system or it can mean absolute chaos. Obviously, the former is what I'm talking about here. Has it ever occurred that you wanted to find something and you simply couldn't? Well, if you start organizing your stuff in designated places, then that wouldn't happen again. Assigning your stuff in their own folders, bins, cabinets, drawers, labels, etc. are perfect ways to organize your stuff and can also mean a tidier space!

4. Keep clean & tidy.
Basically, keep only things you need and discard what is useless. So, if you have that box full of ink-less pens or a drawer filled with scrunched up paper, that may be holding you back and even un-motivating you to work efficiently. Cleanliness and tidiness are keys to organization!

5. Stick, don't slack. 
Obviously, it goes without saying (but I'm saying it anyway) that none of these tips will remain useful if you abandon them all. Of course, staying organized and put together takes effort and sometimes, all it takes is that one time when you're in a hurry and you shove a paper in the wrong folder, and bam! disorganization ensues and before you know it, you just "don't bother" anymore. If you stick to it though, you will see the results and can make life a whole lot easier. And remember, procrastination is the mother of havoc!

I hope that these tips have been or will be useful to you! I personally have acquired these tips throughout the years and have only picked them up quite recently and have seen an extraordinary difference.

Do you have any tips of your own? Share yours in the comments below!

I love blogging. It's where I can transform my need to create into something productive and visual. Of course, any blogger would say that blogging is hard work mainly because it involves a lot of different components and editing, but honestly, it's precisely because of these reasons that I love it so much. Over time, anything anyone does improves as you learn what works best for you and your aesthetic and style. It hasn't even been a year that I've avidly pursued blogging, but I have already established a blogging routine that is part of my essential groundwork with every post that I make. 

1. Photography

Obviously, photos are part of the definition of blogging. Without it, a blog is not complete. My blog is tattooed with flat-lays and other related photos which create a great accompanying visual representation of what my posts are about. For taking these sorts of pictures, I honestly feel that your phone is enough especially for beginners. For now, I use the iPhone 5s which is perfect, but I don't just leave it at that which is probably no surprise thanks to the plethora of apps and website that are at of our fingerprints nowadays which is what I'll be talking about later on in this post.

2. Props

Sometimes, you need a little bit more than the product you're talking about. Yes, just for show. I believe that it's the props that kind of gives off your own style and aesthetic. Personally, I always opt for dainty, pink, or pretty trinkets to sprinkle at the corners of the actual product. I do try to keep in mind, however, that props should not be center stage! The most important prop is the surface since that provides the base and groundwork for all your photos; for me, it almost always has to be white since that is just the look I like. I also use white backgrounds for almost all of my Instagram photos too. Now, I personally do not even own a pure white table top surface, so I actually use a whiteboard which is so easy to get a hold of and it is very efficient since its flat, solid, and easy to store. When it comes to the mini props and trinkets, I usually opt for fake flowers, little pieces of decor, and other dainty items like keychains or jewellery.

3. Photo Editing Apps & Websites
Of course, taking the photo is the easiest part. Editing is vital to photos and can completely bring the photo to life, no matter how good quality your original photo is. When it comes to blogging specifically, I always go straight to my trusty VSCO app and sometimes to the Fotolr app if the background isn't white enough. Then, I send the finish to my laptop where I then upload it onto PicMonkey which is great for sharpness, clarity, and highlighting. I also use PicMonkey sometimes for adding fonts and styles, but it's actually Canva where I almost aways go to for creating thumbnails and cover photos.

4. Good Lighting
On top of taking the right photo with good quality and editing, the lighting needs to also be good in the first place. I definitely don't have a studio, so instead I depend on the good old sun to provide my lighting. And yes, because of the lack of control of the sun's lighting, I do sometimes have to postpone when I have to take photos, but it's tolerable nonetheless.

5. Cheeky Promos
Finally, when it comes to wrapping up blog posts, you need your posts to get noticed and that's obviously going to be through social media. The more the better, so that includes Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Bloglovin', and possibly more that I am not even aware of. These promos do work and can expand awareness and audience.

So, these are my blogging essentials that I incorporate in my "blogging routine" every time. I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any other blogging tips and essentials!

Yes, it's August: the Sunday of months, meaning September is Monday, also known as back to school! You may be upset, sad, nervous, but don't forget to keep gratefulness in that cluster of emotions. Anyway, August is also prep month for school as well as creating "new school year resolutions". (Wow, August is a lot of things...).

 It may surprise you how many people don’t have their “study life” put together. That being said, now you know you’re not the only one; so keep calm and read on. Over the years, I had to make several modifications to my own study system. The key is to plan ahead and keep thinking and preparing for those upcoming tests and exams. Take notes:

1. KEEP BINDERS TIDY

• One of my pet peeves is loose paper. Unfortunately, my laziness usually overcomes that dislike, but not anymore! So, word of advice is to use that really special tool called reinforcements. They really help and make your papers good as new.

• Don’t get too over-excited with those binder pockets. It may be tempting to shove your papers in those pockets especially when you’re running late, but soon enough it makes a habit. Remember: keep thinking about the future tests and exams; you will be confused with all that clutter!

• Paper vs Notebook? I choose paper. The popular choice it seems, is notebook, but I can think of more cons than pros. First off, with a notebook it will be messier as you’ll probably combine your notes with your homework (not a good idea). Second, when there comes a time to insert an additional page between your notes, it’ll be impossible. So, just choose paper; if you use those tips mentioned above, you won’t regret it.

2. COLOUR COAT

• Use highlighters and coloured pens to jot down the little notes and details. They’ll catch your eye when studying and it’ll be harder to forget if they’re in bright colours.

• Use pens for notes! What I usually do is copy down notes in pen and do practice exercises and examples in pencil. It’s less confusing that way, based on my experience.

• Stickies stick! Sticky notes are a great tool and are essentials for school stationary. Use them for bookmarking important pages or stick them on a page that you have a question on so you won’t forget. If you have multiple colours, assign them each to a course so you won’t confuse them together.

3. KEEP RECORD

• Write the date on each page. I used to think that writing the date was completely useless, but it really isn’t. It organizes your papers and it’s good to keep track of what you did and when you did  it.

• Use page numbers. There have been many times (especially in a math course where you need to use tens of pages for one day’s homework) where I have put my notes and homework pages in my binder in the incorrect order. So, number your pages each time you do your homework.

• Best for last: Keep your questions! If you ever come across questions in homework, jot them down and do not throw them out when you have resolved them. Those questions are probably the difficult ones, so when it comes to exams and tests, pay extra attention to those questions and redo them.

I also have a video on this topic on my YouTube channel that you can also watch below:

Hope these helped! If you have any other additional tips, leave a comment below!

Good luck this school year!