The Power of Positivity

Hey angels!

One of my goals this year is to try and remain having a positive outlook, consistently, in order to work on my mental health and self-love.

I thought it would be nice to share with you a few of the things I’ve found super useful when it comes to unwinding, de-stressing and remaining positive – let me know what you think!

Candles & Incense 

To anyone who isn’t a wannabe candle connoisseur, I’d skip this paragraph. But for those of you who are – I cannot recommend enough to fill your room, home, work space with beautifully smelling candles or incense. Not only will your environment now smell like vanilla cupcakes (my personal preference, thank me later) but the warm glow of candles burning has the power to take nearly all my troubles away! It immediately helps me feel calmer, more relaxed and can reduce my anxiety significantly.

‘The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck’ – Sarah Knight 

This book (aka my new bible) has been the talk of the town for the past year or so, and rightly so. I’m not even being dramatic when I say, it really is life changing. I picked this book up not so long ago, and I’ve binge-read it completely. Sarah Knight has an amazing way of using the word Fuck about 7 times in one sentence and yet still speaks directly to my soul! I’m not going to give any spoilers – so please go get yourself this book and give it a try (Tesco have a deal on right now for this book too.. just saying).

Gratitude Lists 

It’s super important to remind yourself of all the good things you have in life. When we’re surrounded by politics, natural disasters and the sight of Donald Trump, it’s easy to get wrapped up in how awful things are. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying turn a blind eye to global warming because it ‘brings you down’, but it’s key to not let it consume your entire life.

So, each day (morning or night), think, write, say aloud at least 10 things you are grateful for. It can be the most ridiculous things, but truth be told, nothing is ridiculous if it makes you happy. You don’t have to apply much context, as long as you know what each thing is and what it means to you! Here’s an example of my gratitude list for today:

1. My job
2. My home
3. My morning cup of coffee
4. The ability to smell my morning coffee (see, sounds ridiculous doesn’t it!)
5. The lack of traffic I experienced during my commute today
6. My cosy new coat
7. My dog being super warm and cuddly in the mornings
8. The scenery I see as soon as I walk out my front door
9. My mum
10. My best friend

Organisation 

This sounds a bit silly but organisation REALLY helps me keep my mental health in check, whilst also keeping my life in order – which we all know, can be easier said than done! I use my laptop calendar, as well as a little diary I like to carry around with me.

Knowing what each day entails, in advance, can be a great way to help you remain strong and positive – if you know you’ve got a manic day fast approaching, you can schedule in some pamper time for the day before or make sure the day after is much quieter.

The ‘No Complaining’ Rule 

This is a new one for me and I’m warning you, it’s not easy. Well, for me it isn’t – complaining runs in my blood. My parents complain, their parents complained and so on. However, I read an article recently that showed situations weigh on you a lot less heavy if you try to refrain from complaining about them.

This is something you definitely need to take with a pinch of salt – it’s ok to complain, it’s ok to notice when things aren’t quite right and let out a little cry. But save yourself for the moments that do deserve a bitch and moan – don’t waste time complaining about the weather, the price of petrol or how irritating your siblings are. Focus on the good stuff!

 

To confirm – I’m not promising any of these things will improve your mental health or wipe away all of your worries but they help me, so I really do hope they help you in some way, shape or form!

Happy thinking!

A x

Mental Health Days

I always aim to be honest in my writing, I don’t want to lie and paint myself out to be someone completely different because, well, what would be the point?

It took me a while to fully understand ‘Mental Health Days’. Although I grew up in a mostly understanding and empathetic household when it came to mental health, I’d still always grown up believing ‘sick days’ were for when you were sick. Physically. Whether that be a migraine, puking your guts up or simply faking it just to get out of P.E. (Sorry Mum!). It wasn’t until I got slightly older than I began to realise the very realistic need for taking a Mental Health Day.

Without wanting to delve too much into the matter, I’ve grown up battling depression since I was about 14 years old. Luckily enough, I had a fantastic childhood full of fantastic memories – divorced parents but it didn’t really bother me (I mean, you get 2 Christmas’, it’s a bonus if you ask me!) but I still had this aching feeling consistently in my chest that I could never really figure out.

They don’t teach you a huge amount regarding mental health at school – if it doesn’t involve Maths, Science or English, most schools tend to swiftly move around the subject in hopes not too many students will ask the daunting question of ‘why am I so emotional all the time?’ or ‘what the fuck is depression?!’. So it took me some time to really come to grips with what was happening in my head – I told my mum and she self-diagnosed me pretty much straight away. I went through the whole ‘denial’ phase, you know the ‘you need to go to the doctors’, ‘no it’s ok, I’m fine, it’s a phase, I’m sure I’ll grow out of it..’ until it finally got bad enough that I could no longer cope.

I had days where I was convinced everyone hated me and I had no friends at all. Days my chest felt so tight, that if it got any tighter it may well in fact close in on itself. Days where I would wake up and just cry, for no real reason other than I simply felt sad.

I didn’t take mental health days though – it wasn’t really a thing to do, or at least, I wasn’t aware of it. But boy, do I wish I had.

Before I continue, I want to highlight that I’m fully aware of the importance of pushing yourself to get up each morning and to not let your depression dictate your entire world. But, in the same breath, I want to remind you all of the importance of not pushing yourself too hard – it’s ok to not be ok, and in turn, it’s ok to take a day off.

My point in telling you all of this is to simply say – give yourself a break. If you wake up in the morning and your mind feels like a lighting storm, take a day off. If you simply cannot stop crying and you’ve no idea why, take a day off. If you’ve worked for the past 10 days in a row and you are mentally exhausted, take the fucking day off.

It’s so ok to give yourself room to breathe and regain focus. I mean, don’t take the piss with it or you’ll probably get fired – but if you need it, take it.

Remember – we work to live, not live to work.

Just give yourself a break, and thank me later – you deserve it.

A x

 

My Go-To Beauty Products

Good morning lovelies!

I feel as though my mind, body and soul are all eagerly awaiting the arrival of Friday’s 5pm! However, as we’re no closer to time travel (I mean, it’s 2019 – it’s about time isn’t it?!) I’m going to have to wait. So in the meantime, I thought I’d give you all a look into my go-to beauty products!

Starting with the basics – my foundation:

The Ordinary Coverage Foundation (Very Fair 1.0NS)

£5.75 (30ml) – Cult Beauty

I only jumped on The Ordinary bandwagon a few months ago, but it’s safe to say I’ve never looked back. I love this foundation – it’s super light weight, applies really evenly and spreads like no other. You really do not need a huge amount, which I love as I hate the feeling of clogging up my pores with a heavy foundation, so this one is perfect! There are also SO many shades to choose from – I’m Very Fair because I’m paler than bread and forever will be!

Next up – my concealer:

Mac Pro Longwear Concealer (NC15)

£18.50 (9ml) – Mac Official Store

This is probably one of the favourite products I use. It’s the most effective concealer I’ve ever used and applies beautifully. It also smells amazing (?!) so there’s an added bonus for ya! Although it’s more of an expensive concealer, I’d say it’s 100% worth it and will last you for as long as you need!

Finishing the face – powder & bronzer:

Powder: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder

£29 (29ml) – Cult Beauty

My best friend introduced this to me last summer, because I think she got sick of me whining about how oily and gross my skin was and how no powders worked, especially in the summer months – then she showed me this. It’s super light weight, which I love. But it’s perfect for those heavy make up days where you need to really bake in that concealer or if you just want a loose powder coating to keep everything in place. Plus, if you have horribly oily skin like moi, then you’ll know the struggle – I highly recommend this one.

Bronzer: Wet n Wild Color Icon Bronzer (Ticket to Brazil)

£4.50 – Beauty Bay

I’m not a huge bronzer person – as in, I like and enjoy wearing it and do apply it to my everyday look, but I’m not hugely fussy on which one I use. I know that may sound like blasphemy to some of you – but I just find most bronzers do the same sort of thing for me so I can go with whatever. However, I do really love this one. It’s got a good pigment and isn’t OTT, which I find some to be. It’s also got a little sparkle to it, which is always nice right?

Moving onto the brows:

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Promade (Medium Brown)

£19 – Beauty Bay

I don’t know how they do it, but this eyebrow dip (is that what you call it? I have no idea) lasts forever. I began using this product about a year ago and it’s honestly done me wonders! My eyebrows are basically non-existent (thanks 12 year old Amy for the constant over plucking – what a fantastic idea that was) so it took me a while to find a product that allowed me to create good brows without making them look unbelievably fake – then I found this! Again, slightly more expensive but beyond worth it.

For the eyes; mascara:

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Reloaded – Extreme Black // Benefit They’re Real! – Black

Rimmel: £6.99 – Superdrug // Benefit: £22 – Cult Beauty

I’m one of those girls that uses two different mascara’s for the annoying reason of one has an amazing brush to apply and the other’s ‘shade of black’ (probs not a thing but I’m rolling with it) is perfect. So I combine the two mascara’s above, and I get a lot of compliments on my lashes so I feel like it’s ok. Rimmel’s colour and consistency is so nice, it doesn’t dry up to quick and isn’t very clumpy – but combine it with Benefit’s mascara wand and you’re in for a real treat. This wand is just perfect, it separates my lashes and adds such a nice length to them, I don’t think I’ll ever choose a different mascara!

My boring lip preferences:

Carmex (Vanilla Click Stick)

£3.25 – Superdrug

I’m really not a huge lipstick fan – I want to be, I own so many lovely lipsticks / liquid lipsticks, but I get so beyond irritated when I have them on. I’m also not very great at applying them, so it just ends up in a bit of mess. Instead, I just opt for my Carmex, which I probably couldn’t live without (super dramatic) as I suffer a lot from chapped lips but also chewing my lips, and Carmex kinda saves me from that! Plus I like the way it looks as well so overall, a win win.

Make up remover:

Garnier Micellar Water

£3.29 (400ml) – Superdrug

I feel like this stuff is flavour of the year for most girls, and I am all about the hype for it. I bloody love this stuff! I have a real bugbear with taking off my make up, as in, I just hate doing it and for a good few years (when I was like 15, don’t hate me) I just didn’t really take it off – I mean, I did but not when I should – but then I discovered that nearly every single face wipe that exists doesn’t dissolve, biodegrade etc. and just overall, are really shit for the environment. So I moved over to Micellar Water and it’s just so nice to use. It feels like it’s really removing everything and makes my skin feel amazing afterwards.

Last, but definitely not least – overnight oil:

The Ordinary Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil

£9.00 (30ml) – Beauty Bay

As you’ll constantly hear me moaning about, I suffer from oily skin. I hate it, it’s the most irritating thing about my skin and I just kinda got on with it for years. I then started hearing everyone go on about rose hip oil and it’s magical powers, so I thought I’d try it. I promise you – this stuff works! Don’t get me wrong, I still have oily-er days but overall, my skin has improved SO much. I just apply this before I go to bed, and voilah!

Enough of my rambling – let me know what products you can’t go without!

A x

My Quarter Life Crisis

You may (or may not, probably not but lets pretend) have noticed that I’ve been absent from my blog for nearly a year now.

The last post I wrote contained a detailed, and probably un-interesting, review of a couple new lipsticks I’d purchased – and then began the slump. My quarter life crisis began to slowly creep up on me, without me even realising it had began to happen. You know when you go on a night out, and the more vodka you drink, the more that warm, tingling feeling in your legs begins to engulf your entire body and before you know it, you’re in the back of a taxi debating whether you need to throw up, pass out or devour a McDonalds? That’s how my slump has felt – except I’ve stopped getting drunk and started going to bed at 9pm instead.

So, what is this slump I’m going on about? Well, it’s shit. Lets start there. It’s the inevitable feeling that we all will be likely to experience where nothing feels good enough, nothing feels quite right and to be quite honest, you don’t really know what an earth you’re doing with yourself. Hence, the quarter life crisis.

I know what you’re thinking – 23 years old and she thinks she’s having a life crisis?! Let me assure you – it’s real, it’s ripe and it’s taken over my life for the past few months. It took me a while to realise what had been happening – in fact, it took till about 2 weeks ago for me to realise I’d been stuck in this slump and had done nothing proactive to rise out of it. I realised it when James and I began making goals and plans for 2019, and I just couldn’t make up my mind (not surprising as I don’t even know what I want for dinner, let alone what I wanted to do for the next 12 months). Poor James.

I wanted to save, save, save. I wanted to build this big old savings account and make myself rich, to then buy a big old house. But wait, do I? No. I want to travel. I want to see the world, experience new cultures, stay in hostels and meet wonderful, new people. Hold on – hostels? Now I’m not so sure. No, instead we’ll just go on holidays. We’ll be luxurious and stay in fancy hotels, tan by the pool or explore the rock pools at the beach. But hold on, my brother just sent me the CUTEST picture of my nephew – and boom. I want a baby. I want to start our family and become a mum, and jack-in work for a few months so I can have a beautiful baby bump, and in turn, a beautiful baby. Hang on – am I too young to do that?

Do you catch my drift?

It’s been torture. Swinging from one tree of ideas to another, like a clueless monkey. Hitting 23 and feeling like I haven’t really achieved anything. I mean, yeah I’ve got a great job, I rent a lovely house with my lovely boyfriend and I’ve had some fun in the past few years. But what have I really done? What will I look back on and say ‘yes – best years of my life’? So here begins the spiral again – travel? No, save! No, have a baby?!

(If you’re getting sick of reading my indecisive-ness.. imagine living it!)

However, after having some (heated) discussions with James and chewing his ear off with all my concerns and worries and decisions, he said something. He said something so simple, yet I so needed to hear it.

‘You’re putting way too much pressure on yourself‘

And wow, was he right. All these sleepless nights debating my future adventures, all the google searches of fancy holidays which somehow end with me looking at current house prices – it was all too much. Too much pressure, too much unnecessary, soul destroying pressure, that was actually achieving nothing – instead, just prolonging whatever it was I was looking for.

It had began to affect my work life, my home life and my relationship. And I STILL hadn’t got any closer to figuring it out. So, I’ve made a choice (shock horror, I actually made a decision).

Stop with the pressure – start with the adventure.

The adventure being to do whatever the fuck I like and enjoy every second of it. That’s what life is, isn’t it? An on-going journey of little adventures, all adding up to be one big one that we shouldn’t take for granted. What will be, will be.

So, watch this space. I’m not sure I’ll continue blogging, I’m not sure if I’ll go on a fancy holiday, become a recluse and save all my money, or just end the year pregnant (that’s a bloody scary thought, maybe not!) but all I know is, I want to enjoy every second of whatever life throws at me this year.

Here’s to the best year of my life, so far. 2019 – come at me!

 

NIP+FAB Liquid Lipstick Review

Happy hump day huns!

I know I haven’t posted anything in quite a while, so please forgive me.. I come baring gifts! And by gifts, I mean reviewing my new favourite items in my make up bag so that you can go purchase them and experience the amazing-ness!

I took a trip to TKMaxx yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to find Nip+Fab make up products, and I couldn’t resist! For only £4.99, I had to buy two of their liquid lipsticks in shades Brownie and Pink Lemonade.

Colouring:

Firstly, the colours are both gorgeous! Pink Lemonade gives the same subtle, nude pink that Kylie Cosmetic’s Candy K offers, if not – nicer!

Brownie is a gorgeous deep brown – twinned with a simple winged eye look, it’s the perfect go-to!

Application:

Both apply beautifully, my only complaint would be they’re almost too ‘wet’ but as long as you don’t put too much on at once, you’re good to go!

Duration:

So pleased to say they last amazing-ly! I actually wore Pink Lemonade all day today, didn’t re-apply and it had barely moved. As if! I find a lot of liquid lipstick leave you in a battle – you need to apply more, but if you do, you end up feeling like you’ve got cement caked onto your lips.. Nip+Fab have somehow conquered this!

Overall, I am so impressed with these lipsticks! They feel love, not too dry and last all day – what more could a girl want?!

Nip+Fab – you’re doing amazing, sweetie!

Go grab one and see for yourself – and get down to TKMaxx if you can, £4.99 is unreal!

Happy Lip-Loving!

A x

TMI Tag

It’s the weekend you lovely lot, and that calls for one thing – for me to give you all too much information about my life, in this TMI Tag!

I stole this post idea from Vintage Tea Rose – check out her blog, it’s beautiful!

Enjoy!

What are you currently wearing?

My dressing gown and pyjamas – lazy Saturday mornings are what I live for!

Have you ever been in love?

Yes – I am at the moment

Did you ever have a terrible breakup?

All breakups are terrible in my opinion, so yes I have.

How old are you?

22

How tall are you?

5”10

How much do you weigh?

Don’t know.. don’t want to know!

Do you have any piercings?

Yes, my ear lobes twice and my tragus

Do you have any tattoos?

Yes – I have ‘nobody’s perfect’ written at the top of my back, my boyfriend and I have matching king / queen of hearts tattoo’s on our wrists, and I have a diamond on my ankle.

What’s your favorite drink?

Squash or juice (yes, very boring!)

What’s your favorite song?

My favourite ever song is Footloose, it cheers me up so much

What’s your zodiac sign?

My birthday falls on an awkward date – sometimes I’m Sagittarius and sometimes I’m Scorpio!

How long does it take you to shower?

Normally like 10-15 minutes!

What’s your favorite show?

90210 or Gossip Girl

What’s your favorite band?

21 Pilots

Something you really miss?

Being young and not having to pay bills, and I really miss my Grandad

Where do you go when you are sad?

Normally wherever my boyfriend is, or the shower I find to be soothing place to be when I feel sad

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

It really depends on where I am going and how tired I am – normally for work it takes me about 40 minutes

Have you ever been in a physical fight?

Not really – I grew up with two brothers though, so I’ve had my fair share of bumps and bruises!

What turns you on?

My mum reads this blog so I’m not going to answer that haha

What turns you off?

Arrogance – I hate people that think they’re better than someone else

Quality you look for in a partner?

Humour, the ability to have fun, caring, considerate, loyal – and good hair

What’s your favorite color?

I don’t really have one, I’m normally wearing black though

Loud music or soft?

Depends where I am, what I’m doing etc.

Favorite quote?

I have loads but I’ve chosen the below one, I feel it’s quite fitting considering this week was the week we lost this incredible man, Stephen Hawking;

“One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection simply doesn’t exist.. without imperfection, neither you nor I would exist.”

Favourite actor?

I have loads; Adam Sandler, Jonah Hill, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine, Meryl Streep, Emma Stone – the list goes on..

Do you have any fears? What they are?

Yes I do, and my biggest fear is people finding out what my fears are! (Call me paranoid, but you shouldn’t reveal all your secrets)

What’s the last thing that made you cry?

A stressful day at work! – I cry SO easily about everything!

Meaning behind your blog name?

I wanted my blog to be a lifestyle blog, plus it’s a bit of a dream of mine to write for a living – so I just blended lifestyle and dream!

Last time you said you loved someone?

This morning 🙂

Last book you read?

Turtles All The Way Down – John Green. If you’ve never read any of his books, I’d really recommend them, he’s my all time favourite author!

The book you’re currently reading?

I’m currently not, although I’ve got a few to choose from!

Last show you watched?

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Last place you were?

Sat on my sofa!

Last sport you played?

I don’t play sports.. at all

Who’s the last person you talked to?

My boyfriend

The last song you sang?

Fine Line – Mabel ft. Not3s

Favorite chat up line?

I don’t really know any chat up lines, the majority of my friendship group are boys so I feel like I should know some good ones but I really don’t!

Do you have a crush?

I crush on my boyfriend everrrryday

The relationship between you and the person you last texted?

Best friend

Favorite food?

Mac and cheese, or Fajitas

Place you want to visit?

It’s been my dream for as long as I can remember to go to California!

When was the last time you kissed someone?

This morning

Last time you were insulted?

Properly? A couple weeks ago, but jokingly? Last night

Favourite flavour of sweet?

Fruity or sour

What instrument do you play?

I don’t play one! I tried learning guitar but I’m far too impatient

Favorite piece of jewellery?

Too many bits of meaningful jewellery to choose!

Last time you hung out with someone?

Today

So.. now you all know way more about me than you probably should, but hey, we’re all friends here, right?!

I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know if we have any weird things in common!

Happy Saturday!

A x

What’s in my handbag?!

Happy Wednesday!

I keep seeing these ‘what’s in my handbag?’ posts and I LOVE them! If you read my Sunday Evening Rituals post, you’ll know an organised bag is quite important to me in order to feel like I can have a productive week!

So, let’s all have a nosey at what I need with me throughout my day-to-day life!

My Diary – I fell in love with the design on this. It’s from Sainsbury’s and was only about £8, and now I won’t be caught without it! I’m your typical makes-plans-forgets-all-about-them kinda girl, so I really rely on my diary.. although I’m now a makes-plans-forgets-to-write-them-in-the-diary girl but hey, baby steps!

My Purse – I’m a big fan of Kurt Geiger, not so much a fan of the price! I picked this little beauty up on Depop (seriously, check it out!) for £12, when it retailed for £40. Ya girl loves a bargain! Everything I need tends to be in my purse so I can’t go anywhere without it!

Dry Shampoo – if you don’t own any of this, I’d strongly recommend it! My hair gets greasy quite easily (oh happy days) but as you’ll all know, washing it every single day isn’t the best option. Dry shampoo is such a saviour for this – plus it adds such a nice amount of volume to your hair so it’s a total win-win.

Aloe Vera Gel – I have this weird obsession with Aloe Vera, I bloody love it. Dry skin? Aloe Vera! Acne? Aloe Vera! Sun burn? Aloe Vera! Weight loss? Aloe Vera! Like seriously – the benefits are endless, so I always carry mine around with me.

Tissues – I feel like an old woman with my tissues, but you never know when you’ll need them! Plus this packaging from Primark is super cute, 50p for a pack of tissues – go on then!

Nail Varnish – I always keep my favourite nail varnish with me, just in case (in case of what? I’m not really sure) but it’s good to have! This shade from BarryM is gorgeous and it dries so quickly!

Headphones – Essential. I use them nearly every day and feel like crying when I forget to take them out with me!

Body Spray – I wish I could show you how amazing this smells, I get so many compliments on it and I kid you not – it’s a £1.50 bottle from Primark! Go get it, promise you won’t regret it!

Carmex Lip Balm – My lips suffer massively in the winter months, I’m living in chap-city! I know there is the whole rumour that lip balm companies put shards of glass in their products (there’s a lil conspiracy theory for ya!) but this stuff saves me! Plus it’s vanilla flavour so it smells incredible.

Mac Prime + Prep – I discovered this product not so long ago and it’s amazing! You apply it before you put lipstick on and it stops the lipstick from drying out or chapping your lips – what a dream!

Mac Lipstick – I always have my favourite shade of Mac Lipstick with me – Viva Glam II. It’s a nude pink and is perfect for any occasion and applies so easily!

Colour Pop Liquid Lipstick – As you can see from the tube, I use this product quite a lot so you can’t actually tell it’s Colour Pop anymore! It’s in shade Baracuda and I’m obsessed.

So that’s whats in my handbag – I try to keep my bag to the bare minimum because 1, otherwise I end up with a load of useless junk but also 2, handbags get super heavy?!

Let me know if we have any of the same things or what you guys keep in your bags (purely because I’m super nosey)!

Happy Nosey-ing!

A x

My Oscar Awards 2018 best dressed women..

Another award ceremony, another day spent in awe at the Celebrity women of this world, absolutely slaying the red carpet!

Similar to my NTA award post, I wanted to put together who I thought were the best dressed women at the Oscar’s last night!

Without further ado, here you go!

5. Sandra Bullock  – I don’t know about you guys, but if I look anything like Sandra Bullock when I’m her age (53, like seriously?!) then it will be a bloody miracle. She looked stunning in this gorgeous gold Louis Vuitton dress, which complemented her figure perfectly.

4. Margot Robbie – My boyfriend has the biggest crush on Margot Robbie and to be honest, I completely understand why. Floating around in this Chanel Haute Couture gown, she looked flawless. I mean, who else do you know that can wear that much white, with blonde hair and not looked completely flushed out?!

3. Gina Rodriguez – I can’t get over this dress, it’s from Zuhair Murad’s spring couture collection and my god, it’s amazing. That, and the fact she’s gorgeous, meant Gina left all of us in total awe for the entire evening.

2. Jennifer Garner – 13 going on 30, 30 going on fucking gorgeous! I can’t get over how much this Atelier Versace dress suited Jennifer Garner – blue is 100% her colour. What a queen!

1. Kelly Marie Tran – A clear winner for me, I’m so in love with this dress from Jenny Peckham’s spring collection. Kelly absolutely slayed last night in this gown – see for yourselves!

There you have it – my top 5 best dressed women from the Oscar awards!

Let me whose dresses you fell in love with!

Happy dress-envy!

A x

Think piece – One for the people pleasers

So I’ve decided to include a segment in my blog of think pieces. I think a lot, like a lot. Writing it down seems to stop me from over-thinking (most of the time!). I do find myself rambling on at my boyfriend about all the things I’m passionate about, which I know he loves, but I wanted to share it all further than his ears.

So – here’s a shoutout to my people pleasers! 

Before I delve into the uncertain world of constantly pleasing people, I must admit this is one of my personal goals; to cut this toxic way of thinking out of my life. People pleasing is more of reflection on myself – if I’m proud of myself, who gives a shit what anyone else thinks?

People Pleaser: A People Pleaser is one of the nicest and most helpful people you know. They never say “no.” You can always count on them for a favour. In fact, they spend a great deal of time doing things for other people.

The definition above is spot on – we’re nice, helpful and we’ll never say ‘no’. Personality traits that anyone would be proud to have – except, I’m no longer proud. I’m no longer happy to be the ‘yes’ girl. Why? Because it’s inevitable that in a world filled with millions of humans, you’ll always come across one that you cannot please. You could be doing naked cartwheels whilst making a cheesecake and they still won’t be impressed. But why should we care?

The simple answer to that: we shouldn’t. There are a lot of things in life that we’re unsure of; what the weather will be like each day, will we get our hearts broken, where we’ll be in 10 years time. One thing we can always be sure of – not every single person within the universe is going to like you, and that’s ok. In fact, that’s more than ok, because I can sit here now and list off several people that I do not like, people I don’t want to associate with. It might be because they’re a Donald Trump supporter, it might be because they think Mayonnaise belongs in every single sandwich (which it most definitely doesn’t), it could be a number of reasons. I don’t have to like everyone I come across in my path, but it’s so important to remember that everyone is entitled to feel this way, which consequently means, not everyone is going to like me.

The easiest way to remind yourself of this way of life is to remember (repeat after me) – ‘your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life‘. Very wise words from Steve Jobs, and he’s rich and famous, so we could probably listen to what he says.

The above phrase is something to base your entire life on, because it’s frightening how true it is. Our time is limited, we get one go around this world and that’s it. So, you can spend it trying to please every fucker you meet (which, by the way, is totally impossible) or you can move on from the negative words some people may speak to you, and live for you.

Personality’s are an interesting thing and should always be judged with caution. If someone is continuously criticising you and saying negative things to you, it’s a reflection of themselves, not you. The only feedback you should be paying attention to is your own – be your harshest critic, take your own thoughts on board and improve things you want to improve on. Unless your boss is telling you to stop coming in late every day – listen to that feedback too!

It’s very easy to fall into the trap of people pleasing – of course you want to make people happy and help them when you can, but that’s where you draw the line. Don’t change your hairstyle because a girl in the club toilets makes a snide comment about it, laugh harder if someone tells you it’s an ugly laugh. Do what pleases you, not everyone else – don’t waste your one and only life living it for someone else.

So go be selfish, go shake what your mumma gave ya and ignore anyone who tells you not to!

Happy self-pleasing!

A x

Simple, effective, affordable skin care?!

Happy Monday everyone!

I’m really guilty of spending hours of my life watching Youtube videos, reading reviews, stalking Instagram accounts that all contain ‘the secret’ to great skincare. Except, after 2 hours of unhealthy research, I find out that these people are spending A LOT of money on their skin care products.. which is all well and good, if you have that type of money (FYI, I definitely do not have that type of money). Over the last few months, I’ve stuck to a skincare routine that really does work for me. The best part? It’s really simple and really affordable – result!

Therefore, I thought why not share it with you guys!

Please note – this works for my skin, we all have different skin types.. so please don’t hate me if you try theses tips and don’t get the results you want!

Biore Charcoal Cleanser – £5.19 (200ml) – Superdrug 

I cannot express to you all how much this cleanser has helped my skin! It’s an absolute treasure. It’s made up of mainly Charcoal, which we all know, works wonders!

I struggled for a long time to find a cleanser that suits me – my skin is so oily yet really dry, it’s super sensitive, doesn’t break out often but is riddled with black heads.. I don’t even understand my skin type, let alone trying to find a cleanser that works for it!

I use this cleanser every single night. It really digs deep in your skin to pull out all the dirt and make up you may have missed, it’s reduced my black heads massively and it makes my skin so smooth (like SO smooth!). It’s also oil-free which helps hugely – I cannot recommend this enough!

Superdrug’s Owen Charcoal Face Mask – £3.29 (75ml) – Superdrug

(Can you guys tell I really like Charcoal based products?!) But seriously, I picked this up as a total ‘it’s cheap, why not?’ buy and haven’t looked back since.

I use this after I’ve cleansed my face, but I don’t use it daily. I find face masks, for me anyway, tend to be more of when I feel I need to give my face a deep cleanse. If I use a face mask daily, my face feels too tight and unhealthy.

Normally I use this mask on a Sunday evening (to make myself feel better that it’s a Sunday evening!) and then again mid-week. It’s such a lovely mask though, it actually feels like it’s drawing out anything that could be clogging my pores and makes my skin feel silky – I cannot believe how cheap it is!

Jojoba Oil – £13 (100ml) – notonthehighstreet.com 

I have, for years, had a problem with oily skin and it’s just the worst. Firstly, it’s embarrassing.. in the Winter, sat freezing cold bundled up in layer upon layer yet your face gives off the impression you’re sweating like it’s mid July! You can only imagine what the Summer months are like! Secondly, trying to find foundations and concealers that aren’t just going to slide off your face is a nightmare (all hail setting powder!)

Jojoba oil isn’t typically known to reduce oily skin, but for me it’s worked wonders! I apply a tiny amount to my face at the end of my skin routine before bed, and let it sink in over night. Then again before I apply my make up, but only a tiny amount!

It can be used on all skin types and it’s actually meant as a natural moisturiser, so perfect for those awful dry skin months when you’re living in skin-flake-city!

(FYI – put a little bit in your hair, it’ll feel amazing!)

But please don’t go spending a fortune on this oil, I’ve looked online and some companies try to sell this oil for like £30 – you don’t need to spend this much, check out the link above!

That’s it! 3 simple steps that seem to work beautifully, and all products combined for just over £20!

Let me know if you try any of these, would love to know if they work for you too!

Happy skin-loving!

A x