Please tell me you read that last bit of my title in Eminem's voice

Guess who's back..back again...Shady's HOLLY'S back...Tell a friend..*breaks down in dance*

I uh, *coughs*, dropped the ball on the whole blogging game. It's not that life hasn't just been busy (it has) but I guess I just kinda lost my blogging mojo. It happens, happens to many bloggers at some point. You lose motivation and get distracted by other things. I found that I wanted each post to be super high quality that I just put pressure on myself. I think this in turn just made me not want to post unless I thought it was good enough. Then I realised...why does it matter! I always set out to do my blog as a fun little hobby and I want it to stay that way. Although the bar these days for blogs are set really high I know that i'm just doing this because I enjoy it and it's a fun creative outlet! So here I am back again. I'm just going to kick it old school.

So what have I actually been up to these last few months?

WORKING
I officially finished my "graduate year" in February so now i've rolled into the next year and am technically a second year nurse. The last year went so quick and I learnt so much! I still love my job as an operating theatre nurse and feel so lucky I get to see such cool things every day.

GETTING MY UK NURSING REGISTRATION
I have started the process of getting my UK nursing registration..which is...totally hard guys. I've sat a first exam (which I passed) and now have a few more things I have to do. It's exciting but also rather stressful. I'm hoping to move there at some point next year so we'll just see how it all goes. I'm about to put up a blog post on how I passed my first exam (the CBT) for anyone in my position who needs some tips.

LOTS OF FRIEND THINGS
Birthday weekends (helloooo Byron Bay! helloooo Brisbane!). Hens weekend, a wedding, dinners, picnics, etc. I've got such a solid group of friends so it always keeps me quite busy with the catch ups.

PLANNING TRAVEL
So i'm coming to the UK for 3 weeks in June! Because...why not! I have missed it a lot so i'm going for a little trip. Will also visit one of my close friends in Positano, Italy which will be a dream. So that's all exciting.

CONCERTS
In the last few months I have seen The East Pointers, Ed Sheeran, and Lana Del Rey. I have a few more coming up with is exciting.

So if you're reading this i'm guessing you're also an international nurse trying to get your nursing registration in the UK. As you may have discovered yourself or seen in the forums: it isn't exactly a walk in the park.

I have spoken to nurses at my work about going over to the UK to work as a nurse and they recall their time over there so fondly saying it was such a fun time and a great travel opportunity. For them  it was easy! In recent years they have made it a lot more difficult for international nurses to get their registration. Fun times! Ultimately it will be worth it but for now it's a little stressful.

I sat the Nursing Midwifery Council's (NMC) Computer Based Test (CBT) and passed first attempt after only two weeks of study.

After reading through the many forums it occurred to me that perhaps I shouldn't have booked the test so quickly, I should have given myself more time to study. I was a woman on a mission though and was determined to get it done. After passing I now have some great tips advice to give anyone else who is going to be taking this exam. :) As per the confidentiality agreement I signed before taking the exam I won't give any specifics but more give guidance on how best to study.

What the CBT is on and how to pass it
The NMC provides this handy booklet so have a read through of it.

There are 120 multiple choice questions and the exam goes for 4 hours. There are a portion of questions which are deemed critical questions, and you have to pass 90% of them to pass the test overall. I believe I read somewhere there are about 20 critical questions. On the exam it doesn't tell you which ones are the critical questions but they would be ones on things such as medication calculations, consent, and safeguarding. It made me very nervous that I had to pass basically all of the critical questions to pass overall but these things should be common sense for everyone. So try not to stress on these, just focus on reading up the policies again and you'll be fine.

Firstly...the Blue Prints
This is what they look like if you haven't seen them already. They are pretty much the only resource you are given. At first when I saw them I was quite overwhelmed and had no clue what all the symbols meant (the Y, E* etc). What is also overwhelming is all the links they give you...SO. MANY. LINKS. So how do you best make sense of the blue prints?

Well firstly it's important to note that all competencies with an E* mean they are on the exam and are a crucial area to study. As for the Y's...yeah I still have no clue what those mean. Make sure to take special note of the ones with the E* next to them

After reading through all the competencies I then went clicking through allll the links..
If I can give you advice on the links it would be: have a quick read of them but don't spend too much time on links where the information you know already. I spent hours and hours going through all the links taking notes on every single one and reading back on my notes I realised it was all a lot of common sense/ repeated information. They are very useful to read but I think it's best to really take note of particular areas you aren't so sure about. It's also great to read in depth on the NMC's own policies and codes. I found the medication management one was handy, and also The Code which is mentioned a lot. The NMC I notice is very big on safeguarding so make sure to read up on all those documents.

Just try take a deep breath. Make yourself a coffee or tea. Click through some links, take some notes on important things you want to remember. Take breaks regularly. You'll get there.

Secondly...The Royal Marsden
If you've been on forums then there is a good chance you have seen this mentioned time and time again. At first I just kept brushing it off thinking it's fine I don't need to buy a textbook, i'll be right. Then I just kept reading up on how fantastic this is as a resource and many people who had passed the CBT recommended this.

Well...now i'm recommending it! Is it essential for passing? Not really, it's hard to say. Is it really helpful and will be an awesome resource for when you do the OSCE? ABSOLUTELY!

Basically I think you should get this. I bought it on amazon and just got it kindle edition for about $50. This textbook is great as at the end of each chapter it has exam questions which you can test yourself on. As an operating theatre nurse there are a lot of clinical skills I haven't used in a long time so this was great to read and refresh my memory. You won't only use this for the CBT but it will be great for the OSCE as well so I think it's definitely worth buying. I know it's expensive..and after all the other costs associated with getting the UK registration it's just another thing to buy..but I really do think it will be worth it and may make the difference between having to retake an exam or not.

The Forums..

Now come on, who else in desperation has gone to the forums for any and every hint on what to study? To be honest the forums SCARED me. Absolutely scared me. Hearing all these tales of people failing..people saying different things..it all became a bit too much for me stressing me out further. I think avoid them as much as you can. Although they do provide some guidance once you have written out some of the tips from people just click exit and start studying.

What should you be studying in particular...
I can't really give away too much here but really think of the things you do day in day out in nursing which are deemed very important? Medications for example. Medication safety is such a big thing everywhere in the world for good reason. Brush up on your medication calculations, you can't bring a calculator into the exam so as you can imagine they are quite easy to compensate for you having to work it out just on paper. Consent is also a very big part of what we do day-to-day, so read up on the policies and laws surrounding that. As you may have noticed in the NMC blueprint there are a lot of articles on safeguarding so they are great to have a decent read through.

In the NMC booklet it breaks down the questions as %: Professional values make up 27%, communication and interpersonal skills make up 10%, nursing practice and decision making make up 33%, leadership management and team working make up 13%, and unique specific competencies to your field of nursing make up 17%. This is a good like gauge of how they assess you.

What to do on the day of your test...
Give yourself good time in the morning. Make a decent breakfast, and do something to relax yourself. I just read over my notes a last time just refreshing my memory on things. Realise you have 4 hours to complete the test which is more than enough time, I actually only took 2 1/2 hours and spent the last half hour just going back through all my questions double checking. Realise that you probably already know all of it already. It's a lot of common sense and isn't as tricky as people make it out to be. The pass rates for first time are 75-80% so the odds are already in your favour. If you don't pass the first time least you then have an idea of what the content is like and you are then able to go back study areas that you feel you may need more knowledge about.

If you have a faith (i'm a christian) make sure to pray as this always calms my nerves and makes me feel like the weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

It seems to be I have gotten into a semi-strict routine with my makeup. I owe this all to rushed mornings trying to get off to work or realising i'm late for meeting up with a friend so I quickly just pull out what I know it good and works. So I thought I would share for you the no-fuss products that i'm loving.

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation
This is such an easy base. So, so easy. I apply this either with my beauty blender or my real techniques face brush and it just looks good either way. I don't want to be using a high end foundation everyday so this is the perfect solution as it gives me a slightly dewy, medium coverage which lasts a decent amount of time.

MAC Pro Longwear Concealer
I actually got a sample pot of this bad boy a few months ago and LOVED IT. Then I forgot to purchase it, forgot how good it was, got another sample pot and realised "okay yes need to buy this asap". It's probably the most long-wearing concealer i've ever owned. It apparently sets on it's own but most days I will still add a bit of loose setting powder to really lock it in. It's very full coverage so I just build it up slowly. Definitely go get a sample pot of this to test it out because it's reallyyyy good!
Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder
I had a moment in MAC a few weeks ago where I went in with next-to-no makeup and the lady was treating me like a complete makeup novice. She asked if I knew about setting powders and I ever-so-cooly slipped out "oh yeah I have the Laura Mercier translucent setting powder for that" and it was then she realised I actually knew a bit about makeup and totally changed. I just found that funny. This setting powder is great for locking in your base. It's neverrr made my skin go cakey.

Essence Make Me Brow gel mascara
This is a great dupe for Benefit gimme brow. I've used both and i'd say these are pretty much the same, if not this one being slightly better! This is fabulous for when you're running out the door and you just want your brows to be combed through and a bit more defined.

Truthfully 2017 was a fantastic year for me - I started my job as an operating theatre nurse, I got a little niece who is the cutest thing ever, I went travelling around some parts of Australia, started an actual savings account (uni was rough on ye ole bank account), and had many adventures with my friends.

But 2018 is going to be better.

Cause there are so many more adventures to go on and things to do.

So these are my things i'm going to start doing in 2018 to make myself a better person and get the most out of the year.

1. Stop being late - I've gotten into such a bad habit of being late to everything except work. And it's actually a really selfish thing to do to make people wait for you because you didn't have the ambition to get there on time. So i'm going to try and make it a general rule in my head to leave 10 minutes earlier than I usually would.
2. Start doing more volunteering - 2017 was the year I became a little more relaxed on the volunteering side of things, I began working full time and it got tricky to fit around my schedule. This year I want to start doing more things again like helping out at my local church and other organisations. 
3. Embrace my makeup free face a little more - This is easier said than done but this year I was to relax a little more on makeup. I love the stuff and wear it everyday but I want to get to a stage where I feel okay popping out of the house with no makeup and not feel this need to be like "I NEED CONCEALER, MASCARA, ANYTHING...STAT.
4. Get more adventurous in cooking/baking - This year I want to master making croissants! I've made them a few times and they've always turned out okay..but not great. So this year i'm going to boss them.
5. Schedule in regular catch ups with my friends - As a lot of you know when you grow up everyone gets busier so catch ups can feel a bit of a struggle sometimes. This year i'd love to really put in more effort to do things with my friends more often rather than have a day off and last minutely ask "are you free?!"
6. READ MORE - At the end of 2017 I started getting into reading again which is fab. Then of course Christmas came and then..you get the picture. So i'm going to make an actual reading list and get through them.
7. Attempt to have my room tidy - "attempt" is the key word in all of this. My room is rather messy..ahem...a LOT of the time. So perhaps this year I could become a slightly cleaner version of myself?
8. Chill out on the blog side of things - I absolutely love blogging but it's been getting a lot more difficult lately with finding the time. So I want to stop putting pressure on myself and just go with the flow of blogging when I can.

 This Christmas I scored on the makeup front. My siblings and parents just know me too well. I'm probably the easiest person to buy for because you can just get me makeup and i'll be happy as larry.

Why ramble when I can just show you what I got?

 *struggles to breathe*
guys, just.....look...it's sooo pretty. My sister and brothers went in together to get me this. It was a total surprise but I was speechless when I got it. As you can see it includes an eyeliner, lipstick, mascara, eyeshadow palette, 2 blushers, a highlighter, and 2 bronzers. It's a whole look in a box minus foundation, concealer and bows. I've used this a few times now and the quality of the products are amazing and last sooo well. The other day my sister asked if I had just applied it but I already had my makeup on for over 3 hours. Amazinggg.

I just find these products fun! They are green but when you apply them they change colour. It makes me feel like a 12 year old with a mood ring haha. The blush is a beautiful colour - it's very rosy.
My sister got me this brush as she knows I was a ton of YouTube and this is the brush so many of them use. I've used it a few times and it's fantastic!

This Nars lipstick is a dream McDream. The packaging looks very expensive and the actual lipstick shade is gorgeous...it would be a flattering colour on everyone. I can definitely tell it will become a go-to.

My sister and brothers got me the studio-to-go lips cause they thought it would be fun, it includes a rd lipstick and a product which makes any lipstick matte. I can't wait to try out the matte product on different lipsticks..will be fun.

The SK-II was given by my mum. I just love SK-II, it's a lil pricey but my skin responds so well to their products.

Helloooo my friends!

I'll come right out and say it: I have sucked at blogging in December. I mean, on the bright-side..hopefully due to bloggers ramping up their content during December (blogmas) hopefully my absence went unnoticed? In fact, i'm sure no one actually noticed at all so I think i'm off the hook.

The last few weeks have been crazy busy. This month I put all my energy into my job and tried to devote a lot of time to going the extra mile. I'm first year out of university and this year was lucky enough to score a grad position as an operating theatre nurse. It's been challenging in many ways but I feel like I have learnt so much. Basically it's been awesome! So that's why this last month I have quite M.I.A.

Last weekend I volunteered for my churches Christmas Production to do makeup on the singers. I was quite nervous at first..suuure I absolutely love makeup and applying it on myself - but could I actually do a good job on other people? It was quite funny because anytime I would do someones makeup i'd quickly do the disclaimer saying I wasn't a makeup artist (to prepare them it may not be a 10/10 job). Well I ended up getting a lot of great feedback! So many people said I did an awesome job, some were even surprised that I wasn't a makeup artist. I feel like all of my years being a loser staying up until 2am watching YouTube makeup tutorials have paid off haha. Due to getting such nice feedback and really enjoying doing makeup on people I have decided I would like to find a makeup course. Perhaps it could be something I do on the side? Operating theatre nurse by day, makeup artist by night. Who knows! I'm excited at this possibility though.

And lastly - CHRISTMAS IS SO SOON. I AM SO EXCITED. Due to working lots I feel like I haven't been able to get into the full festive mood but last night I had my two best mates over and we gave presents to each other, made mulled wine, and played a drinking game to Home Alone. It was so fun.

A year ago I would have laughed at myself for thinking i'd ever be in the position to give self tanning tips and tricks BUT HERE I AM. In recent months I have become a big fake tanner. Being completely honest: I do it every week now. I just love the way it looks and because I do it so often it's become quite a fuss-free process. These days I feel so much more confident wearing shorts and shorter skits because my legs actually look okay rather than looking like milk bottles.

WILL ADD: This post is not sponsored at all. Yes, I use pretty much alll Le Tan but that's because i've tried a few things out and I find their products have been most consistent and work best. :)

If I have pre-existing fake tan on: The Bondi Sands self tan eraser is the easiest way to remove tan. I used to try and get rid of my existing tan but madly scrubbing myself but I found there would always be areas that just wouldn't fade. So I purchased this and it's fabulousss. I just put a few pumps onto each area and wait about 10 minutes before hopping into the shower to scrub it off with an exfoliating mitt. I always have to have a bottle of this around now as nothing removes my fake tan as good as this does.

If I don't have pre-existing fake tan on: Of course i'll skip the self tan eraser and just go for a good ole' exfoliating mitt. I moisturise after the shower only if I will be applying fake tan later that day/the next day. I once moisturised right before applying fake tan and it just didn't apply well, so i'd avoid that.

I use the Self Tanning Foam (coconut water) by Le Tan. What I really like about this product is that it's green based so my tan never ever goes orange. I like this product as I find it lasts about a week and fades nicely. You leave it for 1 hour for a light tan, 2 hours for a medium tan, and 3+ hours for a deep tan. Also it doesn't smell like fake tan!

I apply this is the evening before bed using the Le Tan application mitt. It doesn't matter what brand it is but make sure you have a tanning mitt, they're essential. They keep your tan from applying patchy and you don't get fake tan all over your hands. I put about 2 pumps onto each section on my body, sometimes I put a little extra on my legs.

I then let the tan dry for a few minutes before hopping into bed and sleeping in my tan overnight. This used to freak me out as I thought "oh my goodness 8 hours of having a tan on!! It'll go so dark!" but it actually doesn't go that dark. It seems a tan only will get to a certain point where it can't develop any further. I wake up, rinse off my tan, and then get on with the day. And voila - i'm not a ghost anymore.

Tips + Tricks:

• If new to self tanning I recommend starting out slow and working your way up to leaving the tan on for longer. Perhaps starting out with only leaving it on for an hour is a good way to asses how much darker you want to go
• To not stain your sheets this is something genius I came up with: sleep in a duvet cover! I sound absolutely crazy but a duvet cover is great to sleep in as you're not touching any of your actual sheets so you won't stain them brown. It makes life so much easier trust me. 
• Gently go over any bony premises (like elbow, knees, hands, feet) as fake tan loves to make them look a lot darker than anywhere else. Usually with the mitt i'll buff out an area and then what little bit is left over on the mitt i'll go over those areas. 
• Don't do your face with it. It's too risky and it's harder to cover up if anything goes wrong. Instead if you want your face to be darker invest in some self tanning drops specifically for your face. I've used a le tan one and it was great.