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| *This post is in collaboration with OD's Designer Clothing |
I bloody love Christmas! it's my favourite time and day of the year and I've been extra excited for it this year after having a pretty rubbish year overall thanks to my health problems. It was nice to spend some proper quality time with my family as I've spent most of this year literally just in bed and in pain. Even though I did have a pain flare up after Christmas dinner after I stuffed my face with potatoes obvs, I did manage to ride it out after taking some painkillers and CBD oil and I didn't go and lie down in bed and waste the rest of the day sleeping like I was expecting. I definitely got spoiled this year and I'm not writing this post to brag or anything like that, I'm so grateful for every single present I received and there's literally not a present that I don't love and won't use. I did a little poll on Twitter asking if you would be interested in seeing what I got this year and the majority of the vote said yes so here it is!
I love nothing more than getting all snug in my bed and catching up or binge watching TV shows with some snacks after having a self-care pamper evening. I've watched so many good TV shows over the past year and there's so many I'm really looking forward to watching in the new year. So I thought I'd talk about which shows I'm most looking forward to watching in 2019.
I thought I'd talk about hair care today on my blog and talk about which products I have been using a lot and why I've been loving using them. Some of the products I've used before and kind of rediscovered them and the others are new to me and I've either picked up myself or been sent through PR to try out.
I really like adding a festive touch to my everyday makeup at this time of the year so I thought I'd share which are my go-to products to make my everyday look a little festive without looking too much. But hey, it's Christmas. I guess it's kind of the perfect time to go a little overboard with the glitter and sparkle if you want to. But here's my kind of current everyday makeup with a festive twist.
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| *This post is in collaboration |
I've been debating on trying CBD oil for my chronic back and pelvic pain for a while now but for various reasons I've been scared to try it. I was worried I would splash my money on it and then it wouldn't work or I'd need to take most of the bottle for it to actually kick in and work for me and it does seem quite pricey for the amount you get. It's also quite a touchy subject and I've spoken to other people about trying CBD and if they have tried it themselves and some said yes they have and it's worked wonders, whilst others have said that they had mixed feelings about it. Also a few said that they don't like the idea of using CBD which I totally understand too. But I feel like my options are running out for pain relief, I'm in pain daily with my lower back and also pelvic area (basically my ovaries, pelvic bone, hips and upper legs hurt every day). The only medication which helped the pain (Mefenamic Acid) made me have a severe allergic reaction twice which actually scared the hell out of me. The useless and rude gynaecologist I saw wouldn't listen to my many obvious symptoms of endometriosis and just said that I have "chronic pelvic pain" which was so helpful... not. My daily abilities are limited and some days just getting out of bed and having a shower or bath is a little victory. It's been a huge shock to the system. I mean I've never been the most active type of person but now I'm struggling to do simple day-to-day life things most days and it's upsetting and it does really get me down.
Korres are a brand that I've not really explored properly and I don't really know why. I've never actively gone out to buy anything from Korres but I've tried some products because they've been in beauty boxes I've been subscribed to. All of the things I've tried so far from Korres have been lovely and I've never had any issues with them. I recently received some of their Wild Rose Brightening skincare range and we all know I'm a sucker for skincare, so I thought I would write a post about my thoughts on the three products from the Wild Rose range that I've been using for the month and if I would recommend the range.
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*this post is in collaboration with Physio Comes To You
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| *This is a collaborative post |
I find these type of posts so awkward to start off, I don't know why. Anyway I'm back again with an update of what I've been reading, watching and listening to lately. There's definitely been a lot of good TV shows I've watched lately, as well as a few films, so I think that section is going to be pretty long. Let me know what you've been reading, watching and listening to lately in the comments as I'm always on the lookout for recommendations.
Even though I have a gift guide coming up with some main gifts and stocking filler ideas which includes some beauty products, I thought I would do a beauty focused gift guide as well, just because beauty is kind of my main focus on my blog and I know a lot of people come to my blog to read the beauty content. So here are some beauty gift ideas ranging from affordable to more of a luxury price tag.
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| *this post is in collaboration |
If you are stuck and trying to choose the right destination for you and your loved ones then this guide may give you some inspiration as it features the five best holiday destinations for drivers, with used cars specialists Motorparks. If you’re lucky, you may even get to visit a few of these lovely locations.
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| *this post is sponsored |
However, since we spend a good portion of our time there, it can be easy for the bedroom to become old, tired and outdated. Everyone changes over time and our tastes often change too – a cutting-edge décor scheme might seem horribly old-fashioned in a few years’ time. So, if your bedroom is in need of an update, here are some great ideas to help you give it a much-needed makeover!
I thought I'd kick start my Christmas Gift Guides will a brand focused one. Obviously if you've already read the title then you'll know that this is all about FatFace and what they have to offer this Christmas. They have a huge amount of Christmas gifting to choose from for Men, Women and Children. With FatFace you get quality products at an great price which is what I really like about them. They're also cruelty-free with is a huge plus! Here are a few lovely gift ideas below to show you what they have to offer if you're haven't started your Christmas shopping yet.
I went off beauty boxes this year, I used to be subscribed to quite a few of them but I just felt like I wasn't getting things I will use or suitable for my skin type etc. The one beauty box who offer a subscription service and one-off special boxes who I have enjoyed this year is Latest in Beauty but that's because their subscription service is one when you choose the products you receive. But after I saw Birchbox's November box in collaboration with Disney, I had to pick it up, even for the pretty box alone (which by the way I'm going to be reusing for some of my overflow lipsticks).
As you may know by now if you follow me on instagram or read my blog often, I'm very much on Glossier bandwagon and have been since last year when they came to the UK. I've tried the majority of products they currently have to offer but the one product range I've wanted to try for a while but haven't is the Generation G Lipsticks. Just because so many people had said that they are very drying on the lips and also that the packaging basically just falls apart. So when I saw that they had reformulated the lipsticks and also upgraded the packaging I had to pick a few shades up (thankfully I had some spare Glossier credit because your girl is broke AF right now lol).
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| *This post is in collaboration |
Whether you're a self-employed blogger like myself or if you own your own online shop, staying organised is a must and at times keeping on top of things can get very stressful and the more you put things off, the worse it'll get. Especially if you're new to it all or doing it all by yourself at first, it can all feel very daunting. So I thought I'd talk about some ways which have helped me stay organised since becoming self-employed.
I'm not going to lie, I've tried a few supplement type of products to help with my skin and hair growth before and some have worked but most didn't really do much of anything so I am a little bit on the fence with them. But I'm always up for improving my skin, hair and nails (even though I've found something which really helps me to grow my nails and stop biting them and I featured it here). For 10 days I've been having one bottle of LQ Liquid Health Hair, Skin and Nails Supplements* which contains all the "good stuff" if you like. Each bottle is jam packed with 9 key active ingredients; Marine Collagren (7000mg to be exact), Silicon, Resveratrol, Biotin, Selenium, Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E. So now I've finished taking it for 10 consecutive days, I thought it was about time I'd share my overall thoughts and experience.
I haven't featured a proper skincare haul on here for a while so I thought it was about time I changed that. I've had the majority of these products for a few months now and I've definitely put them to the test during that time. I've also received a few skincare products within the past month too, so I thought I'd slot them into this post and tell you what I think of them all and whether I'd recommend them.
I'm going to start this by saying I'm pretty clumsy (and when I say pretty clumsy I actually mean extremely clumsy) and when I wear basic nail polish, I'll literally chip it or end up with a whole chunk of nail polish already off within a matter of hours. I could literally place bets on it. No matter what brand I use (drug store or high end) or what type of top coat I use, it always ends up with me repainting a nail or two not long after I've freshly painted them. I know what you're probably thinking first world problems but it just seems annoying to paint them and then need to repaint them literally hours later. Although I do still wear basic nail polish, it's just seems like an annoyance most of the time (unless I find a gorgeous colour and then it's okay lol).
For someone who has got stained teeth from their love of tea and coffee over the years, it's safe to say I've tried many different products to get my teeth looking and feeling better and I have found a few products which work and have helped me. But I recently got the opportunity to try out The Breath Co. Deluxe Starter Kit* which is mainly for people who struggle with keeping their breath fresh. I personally don't struggle with bad breath unless I've eaten garlic bread or had a very strong coffee lol but I think most people reading this will understand the anxiety of having smelly breath so I decided to try out the products and put them to the test anyway.
I've been meaning to write a post about this for a while as I seem to get quite a few people each week dropping into my DMs asking "how do you get sent PR or get paid opportunities?". I also get the cheeky ones who outright demand for PR contact details which annoys the hell out me. By the way, if you are reading this and have ever asked me or any other blogger for PR details then we can get into trouble handing out emails freely because of the new Data Protection laws that came in back in May. Just saying. Anyway enough of my little rant, here are a few simple ways to get more blogging opportunities which usually work for me.
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| *this post is in collaboration with Angelic Diamonds |
10,000 respondents revealed that Christmas Eve was the best day of the year to propose. Some of the reasons for this included ‘magical’, ‘memorable’ and that it is because it’s when the family are all together. Other popular dates to pop the question included the weekends in the run up to Christmas Day.
I've recently become part of Dermalogica's Skinfluencer programme, which literally made me squeal with excitement when I got the email asking if I would like to get involved in the programme. They kindly sent out a box full of their cruelty-free products which they thought would suit my oily/dry combination skin (yep, I have the most awkward and annoying skin type ever!). They sent over 5 products in total - two of which I know and love already. So in this post I'm going to talk about which products I've loved trying and which I'm still kind of on the fence about.
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| *this post is sponsored |
I know this is going to be quite a tough post for me to write and it’s going to be a long one but I think it's necessary to raise awareness for people in similar situations and realising when enough is enough in a job. Which is what happened to me after putting up with so much crap for almost 3 years in a job that made my anxiety and depression skyrocket pretty much during and after every shift as well as affecting a number of other things too. I’m also going to be talking about how I’m trying to manage working (from home) with a chronic illness which is all pretty new to me and something I’m still trying to get my head around but I’ll explain more in this post.
I haven’t actually bought anything from LUSH for a while for various different reasons but last week I decided to treat myself to some new products and some old faves in an attempt to cheer me up whilst I try and battle my current daily health problems which my doctors just can’t be arsed to properly diagnose and help me in the right way with. I wanted to pick up more body products rather than bath bombs as I tend to opt for showers more so than baths at the minute.
I’d been debating on putting some prints on my brick feature wall in my bedroom for a while, as I had nothing on the wall apart some fairy lights over my bed and I feel like it was just looking a little bare and well, boring. Because the ‘brick’ is obviously wallpaper, I didn’t want to potentially ruin it and then have to wallpaper it all over again - because what a hassle that would be! (and I loathe wallpapering with a passion). But I recently decided to bite the bullet and attempt trying a gallery wall to try and make more of a feature out of the wall and I’ve got to say, I actually love how it looks and I wish I’d done it sooner!
Even though I know I own more makeup and skincare than I really need, after recently having a sort out and getting rid of things I don't use or like, I’ve been looking at some products I’m interested in buying or maybe even adding to my Christmas list as well as some products which I feel I’m missing in my beauty stash. So here are a selection of products I’ve currently got my eyes on right now.
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| *This post is sponsored |
We’re currently in the middle of redecorating our main bathroom upstairs as well as our small bathroom downstairs. So I thought in this post I’d talk about tips on redecorating your bathroom and making sure you get it right the first time. We're redecorating our bathrooms just because they both just needed a little revamp and in our house we're always changing something or redecorating one area or another. So here are some tips on redecorating your bathroom...
Around this time of the year during the transition between Summer and Autumn I always notice a change in my skin as soon as the weather starts to get cooler and when there’s more of a nip in the air first thing in the morning. I tend to start picking up skin and body care products to makes sure I’m well prepared. This year I have picked up some products to help me battle the Autumn and Winter months from chemist.co.uk so in this post I’m going to be talking about what products I got and my thoughts so far.
Autumn is pretty much here now (in my eyes anyways) and I haven't written a post about what products I've been using and loving lately for quite awhile now so I thought I would write about some products which have helped to get me through the summer months. I'll admit there is the odd one or two products that I haven't had for that long but the majority of them I've had and been using religiously for a couple of months now.
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| *this post is in collaboration with Holiday Gems |
Around this time of the year most people start making their homes all cosy and ready for the colder months and start changing up their home a little by adding in more richer and warmer colours and buying the odd autumnal scented candle here and there (or if you're like me, stockpiling all the autumnal scented candles lol). But as much as I love Autumn and the cooler months, this time of the year does affect my mood and when the dark nights start setting in, I start to feel a little low and I’ve been dealing with this for years now. So I like to keep my bedroom quite bright and colourful but still giving my room the whole "cosy vibe" too by adding in soft warm lighting from fairy lights and so on. This year I'm experimenting and attempting to use one main colour to refresh my bedroom.
It's been a couple months since I wrote my last What I've Been Reading, Watching and Listening To Lately post. It's safe to say I've condensed my Netflix watch list over the past few months and I've also finally been in the mood to read and actually read a book for the first time in months! Anyway enough of the intro, let's move onto the actual post...
I usually have spells of loving wearing jewellery and then I go literally months of wearing none at all or very little, hence why I don’t like to spend a fortune on jewellery. Plus I'm a huge fan of small and dainty jewellery which is easy to lose and I think I would literally have a meltdown if I lost a necklace or bracelet which cost more than £50 to be honest. When Jewellery Box got in touch and asked if I’d be interested in picking out some pieces from their website I was excited, not only are they affordable, they also offer free delivery when you spend over £10 and also sell lots of dainty, cute pieces which as I've already mentioned I love. So in this post I'm talking about what pieces I chose and why.
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| *This post is in collaboration with Last Night of Freedom |
The capital of
the emerald isles, Dublin is the preconception of Ireland embodied. From
Guinness to the clandestine atmosphere that the Irish are famous for, Dublin is
on the bucket list for travellers from all around the world. However, what to
do in Dublin is something many struggle with and coming up with an itinerary is
essential to get the most out of such a beautiful city. For some inspiration
check out Last Night of Freedom’s list of Dublin’s best kept secrets.
Because I’ve spent the majority of this year at home because of my ongoing health problems, it’s safe to say I’ve managed to get through a lot of TV shows on my watchlist on Netflix and NOW TV (that’s when I don’t have brain fog and can’t concentrate anyway). As we’re now technically creeping into Autumn, it means some new TV shows are about to be released. So I thought I’d share with you 4 TV shows that I’m definitely going to be watching this Autumn and why.
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| *This post is in collaboration with Health Labs |
As you may have seen on my social media, my health has not been great this year at all and I still don’t really have any answers why my body has basically turned against me either. But because of my ongoing health issues I’ve had to change up my diet quite a lot and go from being a pescatarian to a full on veggie within a matter of weeks as I realised that eating fish was setting off my diagnosed stomach and pelvic pains even more as well as giving me acid reflux (which is something I’d never experienced in my life until now and wow, it sucks) I've also realised that my body doesn't currently like some other foods including some of my favourite fruit and vegetables from strawberries, broccoli, carrots and most chocolate brands too *sob*. It’s all kinda weird... believe me I know. I’ve been tested for IBS/IBD and basically had a full on MOT on my body and I still have no idea what’s going on and it’s just been getting me down.
Although I haven’t been wearing much makeup lately, I’ve definitely accumulated a lot of new products over the past couple of months. But I thought I’d switch it up a little in this ‘New In’ post and do a cruelty-free edition instead because the majority of my makeup collection is now cruelty-free.
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| *this is a collaborative post |
Over the past few weeks I’ve been trying out and using the new Cactus Crush range by Lee Stafford* which has been made to hydrate your hair without weighing it down. So it's perfect for the Summer months! After using all four products in the range for the past few weeks I thought it was time to share my thoughts.
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I think Summer is probably my favourite time of the year for fashion just because I’m a fan of floral patterns and pops of colour which you see more of in the Summer months. Although I do find it hard at times with my body confidence with what to wear, I know what styles suit me and what colours tend to suit my pasty pale skin lol. Also if I’m shopping online for clothes, which let’s face it, most of us do nowadays I like to look for discounts on sites like Groupon because who doesn’t like getting things at a cheaper price and save some pennies? So I thought I would do a blog post about what trends and patterns I’m loving this Summer and which trends I just don’t personally ‘get’ or like. |
So back in May I decided to try out Crystal Healing and see if it actually works. I've always been a fan of crystals since I was a young girl and I'm always buying the odd one here for decor purposes, not for healing or anything like that. But one night whilst I couldn't sleep, I don't know what made me think about it, but all of a sudden I wanted to try out crystal healing, kinda weird, right? Anyway, the next thing I knew I had bought quite a few tumble crystals and stones, watched a bunch of Youtube videos about it and also picked up a few books too. It's now been about two months since I started crystal healing and I thought I would write a blog post about whether I think it actually works or if I think it's a load of mumbo jumbo.
As you may know by now, I’m a total skincare hoarder. I’m always switching out products and trying out new ones to suit whatever crazy things my skin is doing. My skin literally goes from dry, oily to full on breakout central within the space of a few days so I do have quite a selection of products to tackle whatever my skin is doing. Since switching up my diet and eating more greens and fruit my skin has gotten worse (weird, I know). I’ve recently been trying out three products in particular and I thought I would do a round-up post on my thoughts so far.
