3 things I've learned this month

31 August 2014




Truth be told I totally forgot it was the end of the month. But I’m glad I get to write this post! I don’t have much to share in terms of a wish list, so I am going with that what I’ve learned this month (surprise surprise). I only have three things, as I totally forgot to keep track during the month! 

1 – Gratitude is important - Walking to the supermarket this morning it struck me how fortunate I am, and by this I just mean having a roof over my head and just general things that are taken for granted. I am in no way suggesting that everything is perfect; I could rattle off 100 things wrong with my life right now, and I’m sure you could too - but you know what? I want to appreciate all that is great in my life and allows me to continue to function at ease, whilst figuring out how to deal with the rest. 

2 – Exercise is vital. This isn’t something I share quite openly but I’m coming off of my medication that I take for depression (my doctors and I think it’s time), I’m aware that certain changes need to be made in my life to live a positive one and one of those things is exercise. I went for a swim last week, after three days of feeling incredibly anxious and it was amazing how much better I felt after. I’m not an active person and I really believe that as a result, I have a lot of adrenaline bumbling around in me from all the emotions I keep in and exercise helps to keep that in check. 

3 – Watching a film will keep me sane. I know this will seem odd but I’m not a huge fan of sitting down and just watching a film. I don’t watch TV. I do however watch TV series episode after episode, but even those I forget to watch consistently. But something I learned from CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) was the power of distraction and watching a film is great for me. I sat down and watched one last week and I’m super amazed at the effect it had on me. Usually when I get home, I’m reading blogs and just generally taking in a lot of things from social media and it’s exhausting. Sitting back and not thinking, is a way to keep all that noise out. And considering what I mentioned in point number 2, I’m glad I rediscovered this because I know I’m going to need my coping skills more than ever! 

So that is it for this month! I hope that this made sense, I wanted to get it out before I completely forgot. I’m aware there were no easy to digest bits of information there – but it’s the truth so I guess that’s what matters.

I hope you’ve all had a great weekend and are ready for September!

Img credit: 1

See similar post here:  10 things I learned in June & 3 things in I learned in July learning posts

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August Birchbox

26 August 2014


So this months Birchbox has made me very happy! I was already able to get a sneak preview from Adrienne’s post – but the contents of mine were actually a bit different.



The Proposal by Tasmina Perry - I received a sample copy of Tasmina Perry’s novel ‘The Proposal’ I’ve actually read a couple of her books before, Private Lives is enjoyable. I thought this product was a bit of a waste of a sample but it did remind me that I do love a good Tasmina Perry book!

Nude Progenius Omega Treatment Oil - This was the item I was super excited to receive was this. If you read my Month wishlist you would know that I have wanted to try this out for a while. Well since it landed I have been using it and I have to say…so far I’m not seeing any results. The claims on the website say that people get hydrated within 6 and 24 hours, obviously I don’t have the tools to measure hydration but I’m not seeing any difference in my skin. So am I feeling a little bit glad that I didn’t shed out £58 for this? Yes. However I might be singing a different song when I have finished using the tester.

Dead Sea Spa Magik Refreshing Bath Shower Gel - I’m not really sure what this item is meant to do. I mean obviously I know what a shower gel is meant to do, but I thought it would have some miraculous claim for it to be included in the box. The only thing special I can see about it is that it’s blue and shimmery. It reminds me of mermaids for some reason. I’ve looked up the brand and they actually do see to do a range of stuff I plan to try, but as for this shower gel? It’s handy for the gym and doesn’t irritate my skin.

Vasanti Brighten up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator - I really like this product. It’s different to other face exfloliaters that I own. The particles are small and gentle so I don’t feel like I’m doing much damage to my skin. They recommend using it 3 to 5 times a week, which it is gentle enough for. I really can’t say that it has brightened up my skin but I do enjoy using it and will see what results it brings!



Wild About Beauty Powder Eyeshadow in Paradise - I’m not a person that buys eyeshadow, I am terrible at applying it. Even when I follow a tutorial I look like I’ve just thrown things at my eye in the dark. This shade is gorgeous and I do look forward to trying it at some point.

Number 4 Lumiere D'Hiver Super Comb Prep & Protect - I don’t really have much to say about this product. It’s not something I feel l can really comment on honestly as I’d only ever use in my weave. I did use it in my hair after I went for a swim and can’t say it did anything spectacular. It was pretty handy having a leave-in conditioner as it just meant I sprayed this in and let my hair air dry!

So that’s all for the August Birchbox! I’m really happy with my second box, I don’t see anything being a keeper right now but who knows what it will be like after I use them all up.

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The Shoe Edition

22 August 2014

So following on with my H&M stalk (The Basics Edition) , I thought I’d share four pairs of shoes from them that I am loving the look of!


H&M shoes



Boots - £24.99 - I am loving these boots. I’ve never been too sure about getting Doc Marten’s I just think they’re too heavy for me but I do like a solid looking boot. As Autumn is approaching I feel like some good boots and they can be paired with a variety of outfits.

Loafers - £9.99 - I wear a lot of black on a day to day basis. Like serious ‘errthang all black’ so something like this is perfect for me to throw into an outfit. I don’t often wear flat shoes, I have very flat feet and my left ankle is incredibly weak and in addition to that, flat shoes do not have any support in general. But I do occasionally wear them and for those moments I think having pretty ones is the best option!

Sneakers - £19.99 - I am in love with these sneakers. I love the chain detail on it as well as the white sole. I love how it’s not a trainer – it’s just something a little different and will add something to any casual look I throw on.

Loafers - £9.99 - I am in need of new black flats. I managed to burn through one in like a month (do not ask me how). As I’ve said above I wear a lot of black so couldn’t overlook this beauty. Plus who doesn’t need a pair of black loafers? It’s a staple piece!

Read The Basics Edition for a similar talk about basic tops

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Top Ten Tag

20 August 2014

I was tagged by the lovely Sam over at Beautifie. I went to uni with Sam (and lived with her) and she now runs her own amazing blog so you should definitely check it out! I've stolen the intro to the tag from her:
 The tag was created by Jessica @ Pretty Chit Chat and it basically consists of the Top Ten Beauty products from 10 categories which you can’t live without.



1. Foundation - I love my Smashbox Liquid Halo HD Foundation. I did a review of it back in March and I am still very much in love with it right now.
2. Powder - I don't wear foundation too often so therefore I am lacking in the powder department (although being oily skinned I really shouldn't be). I use the pressed powder in the Sleek Foundation Base Duo.
3. Concealer - Again concealer isn't something I wear a lot I find trying to hide my blemishes or scarring tiresome as I have a lot. But when I do want to conceal I use Sleek Concealer Luminaire.
 4. Blush - Again blush isn't something I wear (are you noticing a theme) but when I do wear it I love love LOVE the Sleek (are you noticing another theme) blush palette called Pumpkin.  The only shade I use a lot is P Pie. The others are too shimmery for my liking.
5. Bronzer - I love using Elf's baked bronzer in Bora Bora 
6. Highlighter - This isn't something I use too often - but when I do I use the one that comes with the Sleek Face Contour Kit.
7. Mascara - Rimmel London Lash Accelerator Endless Mascara is my favourite. Although I've lost it so I've been enjoying Jordana Best Lash Volumizing Mascara.
8. Eye shadow - I don't really wear a lot of eyeshadow - I am terrible at making it look good. I do have two huge palettes from ELF, so I do play around with them time to time.  
9. Brows - Without a doubt I love the Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil. I hate the brush on the lid though - so I use a different spoolie.
10. Lip Products - The lip product I reach for the most is Avon's Lucky Kiss it's moisturising and is good for everyday wear. I carry it in my make-up bag all the time.

And that's me done - thank you Sam for tagging me.  I tag anyone reading this - feel free to let me know when you've made your post about your top 10!

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Sleek Matte Me in Fandango Purple

18 August 2014

I’ve had this beauty for a while and I absolutely love it. I remember wearing it a lot during September/October last year and then I forgot about it! I first heard about it from Sian, during this video and I was like that looks lovely and most likely ran out to purchase it that very week!




I absolutely love the colour, I find it’s quite summery but also something you can wear all year round when you feel like throwing in that punch of colour! I dunno what the name is about but it’s fun to say! I find that it isn’t too pink or purple, it is just a really wearable colour. I also love that it actually suits my dark skin tone (at least I think it does). It’s also a shade that is wearable day or night. I typically wear this in the day and really enjoy adding the pop of colour to my face.



So lets talk application? It applies pretty well, you do need to build it up otherwise it doesn’t deliver the colour in the bottle (container? I have no idea what to call this). Just about three swipes and you have yourself about 4 hours worth of colour. I wore this to work last week and it was still around even after eating my lunch.


The formula itself quite creamy and pigmented and when you spread it out it loses colour and creaminess. I am a klutz so most of this ends up on my teeth, although I don’t understand how! As the name states this is matte and man I don’t try out a lot of lipglosses/lipsticks but this is maaaaaaatte beyond the meaning. It will seep into the lines on your lips after a while, so I recommend applying a lip balm before and/or after. That’s the only downside of this product, but for me it’s not too bad as long as I reapply when I see this happening. For me I although it’s super drying I like that it stays put and I don’t have to worry about constantly reapplying. You've also got the added benefit of the price being super affordable!


I haven’t been drawn towards purchasing more simply because I’m a lazy gal – but after fishing it out I will have to go have a browse around the Sleek section to see what other colours will catch my eye!

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The Basics Edition

15 August 2014

I love clothes (duh) and I have too many to count. Thing is, with work, I have found that I don’t have too much time to sit there and stress about what to wear. On most days, due to my hand being attached to the snooze button, I have to grab something, put it on and get out of the house. In these moments I’ve found myself wishing I had some basics or not-so-basics to just throw on to be confident in the knowledge that I look okay.



H&M Jerseys




I love H&M for basics, for some reason I feel that they just provide affordable and long lasting basics. ASOS are actually very good for basics too. Anyway, so I had a little hunt around H&M for some bits that I can pick up for those casual days of mine (which are a lot). I wear a lot of black on a day to day basis, it’s just my thing okay, but I do think about how I can add some colour to my outfit and I think these picks do that a bit. A lot of these pieces are extremely similar, but I just think having them (all) puts you in a really good spot on those “I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO WEAR” days.

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July Birchbox

4 August 2014

So last month I finally subscribed to a beauty box! I know there are loads of beauty boxes, I always read blogs where they have been sent the monthly boxes so I knew there were many to choose from, but in the end I settled for Birchbox. I obviously was totally because in June they put Beautyblender in the box! I’ve wanted to try one, but I totally missed out there. Anyway after looking etc I decided that was the one for me. I ordered at the end of July and so managed to get the July box.

If you don’t know much about beauty boxes the low down is they are a box with 4-5 sample size products, though some boxes do give out full size products or only do full size products. I personally love the idea of sample size boxes because it just gives me the perfect chance to try out things that I typically wouldn’t pick out.

You would have probably already seen a lot of posts about the July box already but here is what I got in my box! P.S some of them I have already used so will say what I think about them.




It comes in this cute little box. The boxes have been used by people to create cute little craft projects, so I’ll save mine in hope that one day I shall also do something crafty with them! 

Compagnie de Provence Hand Cream Mediterranean Sea - I’m glad I got a hand cream in this because after running out of my Avon one I was looking to try something and this popped up on my door step just in time. So far so good, it isn’t anything special so for me I don’t think it will be a purchase. 

Soigné Nail Lacquer in Pomegranate - This nail varnish is such a pretty colour! It also has really lovely packaging. I’ve already used it once and really love the colour pay off. I typically tend to apply one layer of nail polish because I’m lazy. I have to say this has a scent that I assume is supposed to smell nice, but I couldn’t stand it! Also I’m not sure if this is because I only applied one layer, but after I had a bath the next day this nail varnish got a funny texture. I’m not sure how to explain it other than the temperature of the water burning the nail varnish? Oops have just read it’s best to apply this with two thin coats! 

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream - I love that I got an eye cream because I was contemplating purchasing one. I have quite sunken eyes, so I tend to always look tired. And after getting comments at work about how tired I look, and I know the eye area is a dead giveaway, I knew it was time to get some eye cream to bring some radiance to it. So I’m trying this out and see how I find it. So far so good, except for the fact that I keep forgetting to use it! My morning skincare routine is so ingrained in me, that anything that tries and worms its way into the fold, quickly gets forgotten. But I will preserve. 

Laqa & Co Sheer Lip Lube In Bees Knees in Coral - I’m not going to lie this colour does nothing for me. I was hoping if I got received this product I would get a darker shade, but alas no. I personally don't feel that colours like this go well with my skin tone, so this is something I will not be using. 

Benefit POREfessional - I’m so excited to try this! This is my first time ever trying something from Benefit. I’m yet to try this because I don’t wear foundation every day, and recently I haven’t been wearing it at all. I’m super lazy in the mornings and if I took to putting foundation on, I’d be there forever trying to get it right. I have been wanting to try out POREfessional for a while so I’ll feedback to you! 

The Chia Co. Chia Shots - My final thing was chia shots! I do like chia seeds in my smoothies and on food and I’ve ran out, so these are handy! I like having a beauty box with a twist. I’m very happy they didn’t send me VitaCoco, awful stuff. 

So these are the contents of my box - hopefully you will see some reviewed on the blog! 

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