6 Tips to Help You Survive (unemployed) Graduate Life

This post has been a long time coming. The idea originally came to me when I was about two months into my job, but then I forgot about it. Then my probation period was extended and then I certainly didn’t feel confident enough to write about it. But I bumped into a friend from uni about two weeks ago whilst on my lunch break, we decided to meet for lunch the following week. We ended up having a good old natter about grad life. This spurred me to get back to writing this post, and possibly another one.

So you’ve just finished your three/four years of uni and perhaps you were not like the rest who secured grad jobs whilst in their final year. So now you’ve finished uni, had that break and you’re applying for job after job with no luck. Trust me I know what it’s like because that was me when I finished university.

I graduated in July 2013. My final year was particularly gruelling because I was severely depressed, I'd just broken up with my ex boyfriend, I was having therapy and I basically had no friends. All that coupled with uni was just one form of hell. I was envious of those who had secured jobs already, but I wasn’t worried I believed that there had to be a job out there for me somewhere. I eventually started to run out of money and was on benefits for about 2 months before I landed a job at Sainsbury’s. I worked there part-time whilst looking for full time work. I worked there for 9 months before landing the job I have now. I am currently a marketing assistant, which is what I wanted so hurrah! I finished my exams in May time, so if we’re counting from there it took me a year and two months to land a full time job.

A year is bloody long time to experience unemployment and inadequacy. Like I said above I did manage to get a part time job, and whilst it was great for income and stopped me from becoming incredibly bored. It wasn't want I wanted to do, customers are super rude in retail and to others in my life it was basically like I didn't even have a job because it wasn't a "proper job." In light of all my experiences I thought I’d talk about how to survive grad life, if you find yourself in a similar situation to me. These aren't job tips but just life tips so you don't fall into despair.

1. Take social media with a pinch of salt. I'm getting this one out of the way first - social media is a blessing and curse. But the bottom line is, not everyone lives is as glamorous and amazing as they portray it to be - we see the highlights of peoples lives and that will make you feel shit. So you need to step back and take whatever you see with a pinch of salt. Your life is perfectly okay! 


2. Talk to the nearest and dearest. Surround yourself with people that care about you and talk to them about how you're feeling. People probably don't know just how bad you might be feeling, so when this whole process is really crushing you utilise the people you have around you. I found talking to my sister really helpful, as she was unemployed at the time and could understand where I was coming from. I also spent a lot of time at her house with my nephews because they made me feel good and they were perfectly non-judgemental. 


3. Stay away from toxic people This basically ties the previous two together in a round about way. For me personally, I found this to be so important. Honestly stay away from people who make you feel this is your fault / don't understand / don't want to understand. I’m not saying defriend them forever, but if there are people making this time in your harder than it already is, perhaps they shouldn’t be there just for now. My best friend once said to me “no wonder you work at Sainsbury’s” because I got something mixed up and to hear this whilst you’ve worked your arse off to get your degree and are working your arse to find a job is hard. It got to me, not because it came from her, but because I thought ‘is this what everyone else is thinking?’ I set some distance between us because quite frankly it's not a nice thing to say, let alone to someone in that position and because I didn't want to let that thought consume me. Not everyone is thinking that and even if they were, you need to stop thinking about what it looks like to other people. Everyone who has been through it this, appreciates how damn hard it is and believe me, I know you’re trying. You are well within your rights to make this time stress free as possible, so cut some temporary ties if you have to. 


4. Prepare for rejection. This goes without saying, but it still needs to be said. This job market is tough, even if you have experience is your chosen area it's still incredibly hard. You’ll see a job advert that looks like it was created just for you; you’ll apply and get rejected or just not hear anything at all. Don’t take it personally, move on and keep applying. It's hard to not get demotivated but you just have to keep throwing mud and it will stick at some point.  


5. Assume nothing. Yes the world (if you didn't know it) is incredibly unfair. Yes people who didn’t get as good as grade as you, or even go to uni will earn more than you and be in a higher position than you (Although fear not, graduates do seem to have a higher earning potential than non grads, although my paycheck is yet to show this). So yes you’ll question if it was even worth it. Yes you’ll just hate the whole process sometimes and have repeated crying fits. But don’t assume this is how it will always be, don’t also assume that a degree is your ticket into anywhere. Basically don’t assume the worst or get too cocky, just show your experience outside your degree, show how relevant you are for the job, persevere and then trust that you’ll get that job – because you will. 


6. Enjoy the free time. Yeah you know how you have all this time that seems almost painful sometimes? Enjoy it because once you nab that full time job, you can say good bye to all that beauty sleep! But seriously, sometimes just kick back and relax  – take the time to read, go for a walk. I was always joyous when I went to places like the bank or the post office because there was no queue! Also taking the tube when it is not rush hour was also another mini victory in my life! 

So those are my tips based on my experience! Unemployed grad life is hard and it can make you feel like a failure especially when the graduation high wears off. But you haven’t failed! I am 100% here if anyone feels like they need a chat! Don’t give up because you will land a job (maybe even your dream job) and you can join the rest of us in complaining about Mondays!

 | find me on bloglovin’, twitter, tumblr & instagram |

February Book List

I’m so proud of my reading achievements this month.I set myself 3 books in my January post but I managed to get through four books! I always use to alternate between playing a game on my tablet and reading on the tube (the game always won), but this month I decided to read every single day on the way to and from work. - and obviously I was able to power through more books, yay! I am in the process of reading Overcoming Low Self-Esteem but as I found out whilst reading it, it's better to read through one chapter and then go back and work on the exercises in those chapters. So I won't be able to read through that as quickly as I thought. I will say that so far I am finding this extremely helpful, and I think it describes a lot of what I feel/have been feeling my whole life.

I really enjoyed all the books I read this month particularly, But Inside I’m Screaming, it was a triggering read for me which is kind of rare. I was acutely aware of my thoughts saying “this is how you will end up,” and if you've read the story the majority is not good. Despite that I found it to be a really good read, accurate and very well written.

I struggled for books this month. As mentioned last month I have a lot of books sat in my 'save for later' bag but a lot of them focus on mental illness and considering how I felt after 'But Inside I'm Screaming' I thought it was best that I veered away from that genre.So in the end I did manage to select some books for my February reads. They will have a similar theme of clearing the 'save for later' basket and me not actually remembering why I even wanted to read them.

False Memory by Dean Koontz - I'm not sure how I heard about this book, possible through a quote I saw on Tumblr or something. I don't know much about the book if I'm honest but having read the blurb and summaries about it on the internet, I'm very very intrigued. This book is MASSIVE, so I'm starting with it.

The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell - Another book that I don't remember adding, but after reading about it, I'm also very intrigued to read it. I thought it might be a bit of a light and interesting read. Sometimes I just feel like getting lost in a book that doesn't require too much thinking or doesn't involve me getting too emotionally involved.

Season to Taste or How to Eat Your Husband by Natalie Young - This is one book I saw being promoted over Twitter from Tinder Press / Little, Brown and I just thought it sounded funny. It actually reminded me Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl, a short story that I loved at secondary school. So hopefully it is as funny and witty!

So I've set myself three again, but only because the Dean Koontz book is so massive that it is essentially two books! I'd love to hear your book recommendations if you have any, as I really think I may struggle for books next month!

 | find me on bloglovin’, twitter, tumblr & instagram & goodreads |

YouTuber Love - Cloudy Apples

Instead of my usual ‘What I learned this month’ (which I will still be doing as sporadically as before) I thought I would share a video that I haven’t stopped thinking about since I watched it. 

Kassie is one of my favourite YouTubers. She’s not the typical beauty YouTuber, so I do think she is my favourite YouTuber outside of that. I really like her personality and I feel I can relate to her. I think in the midst of the YouTubers who can be repetitive (there is only so much beauty I can take) Kassie is a breath of fresh air. Her latest video was absolutely amazing, so much so that I just had to share it with you all.

Kassie’s video struck a chord with me because in the past couple of days (and currently) all I have felt is numbness and depression. Kassie’s video made me feel something other than that. She was also right and the feelings she evoked in me have allowed a bit of light into my life. 

Like Kassie’s says in the video, she stopped doing things because she was worried or sure they wouldn’t meet her expectations. I do the same; I keep myself from going to things because I fear that if they don’t meet my expectations then it’s a waste of time and money. That said there are things I do turn down, just because they are not my thing. But as Kassie rightly pointed out, as a kid you just did things and didn’t worry about the outcome. I was like that for a while as a kid, but then even then I still kept myself away from people. I want to stop doing that, and I want to stop worrying so much about having an awful time when I’m out, that I decide to just stay inside instead. Because it hasn’t helped me, it’s just hindered me. This may not seem like much, but as a result I've said yes to a drink with a friend tomorrow night, I previously had said no because I didn't see what I could achieve from it. But here's to trying. 

I loved the way Kassie filmed this and the voice over. I hope you enjoy her video has much as me. Also can I point out how short it is? She just gets straight to the point and just talks about things we all experience, but maybe are not widely addressed by many YouTubers (which in a way I'm glad about because they would waffle on).

Here are some more of my favourites by her:

Stupid Girl 

When Bloggers Think They're Perfect 
Tramampolines! Food, Outfit, Fun 
Selfie-Esteem

 | find me on bloglovin’, twitter, tumblr & instagram |

A Journey With Serums.

This post has actually been a long time coming. I just kept putting it off for some reason, but thought I should blab on about it, incase it helps anyone else! 

The first serum I ever bought was the The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum‑In‑Oil based off of Caroline Hiron’s recommendation. For me it did work to inject that extra bit of moisture and make my skin plump, I felt the benefits from about the second use - my skin looked brighter and felt plump. Having oily skin I didn’t reach for it often in the week, I kept to using it twice a week because I knew my skin was dehydrated. After a while I didn’t notice the same effect that had happened when I first started using it. But carried on with it anyway.

I then purchased Trilogy 100% Natural Certified Organic Rosehip because I heard it was good for hyper pigmentation and was also used a serum by most people. Funnily enough, Hirons is not a fan of just Rosehip as a serum, but different strokes for different folks. I love Hirons for prompting me to take greater care of my skin, but I always like to take everything with a pinch of salt, do some researching and not follow the herd. Anyway, after a week of using the Rosehip, I was like “oh hay plump looking skin” but sadly much like The Body Shop Serum-In-Oil the benefits didn’t stay around for long.

I didn’t know much about serums before I started using them, except that your skin absorbed it much easier than a moisturiser. After trying those two and having them both stop working, I decided to do some digging because I actually wanted to purchase more serums despite my experiences. I first of all found that there are two types of serums, oil based and water based. I also found that my problem was quite common. In fact on several sites that I came across it was recommended that you stopped using your serum for 2-4weeks after you noticed it wasn’t working as well, and then go back to it. This may be common knowledge to most people, but from reading Caroline’s blog and seeing YouTubers talking about their routines, I always thought serums were to be included at all the time. It’s worth stating here, that I only ever used serums at night.

During my research I was actually able to try Ole Henriksen Truth Serum Collagen Booster, which is a water based serum because I purchased the Ole Henriksen The Works. I wanted to try it because the other two had been oil based, so I thought I might have more luck with this one. The main difference was how easily the water one absorbed into the skin; I definitely preferred this over the other two. However, it didn’t leave me plump skin after use, but however I think it's because it is not created for that purpose. I won’t say much more as, I will review the whole set later.

So that has been my journey with serums so far. Since I finished using the Ole Henriksen Truth Serum about 3 weeks ago, I haven’t touched the other two. Thing is, I’m really hankering for the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair, this is mainly going off the blogging/youtube hype. I hate going for things just because everyone is using it (see third paragraph) because actually a lot of these things don’t seem to work for me, but man oh man am I drawn to it. I have however looked into the Estee Lauder serum collection, and they actually have one for hyper pigmentation but I am 'umming' and 'ahhing' because quite frankly the price tag is very high. Especially considering I haven’t got on well with serums. The three I've mentioned here have been fairly priced, the Ole Serum takes it up a notch by being priced around £18.00 or so, but I of course got it in the kit. 

I am seriously considering buying the La Roche Posay, that I mentioned in this post on dealing with hyper pigmentation. The price tag is much lower, but again I’m really confused about investing in a product that seems to have a mind of its own! But watch this space because I'm all about forgiving and trying!

Is there a product you struggle with in your skincare routine?

| find me on bloglovin’, twitter, tumblr & instagram |

Recent Purchases

So I decided it was time to do a collective "haul" as I have acquired a few new bits that I want to share. These span out to about 2 months or so, I most certainly did not get them all in one go! 

Balm Balm Tea Tree Lip Balm - I decided to purchase this as my Nuxe lip balm had run out and this was much cheaper. I’ve used this daily since I got it and I have to say I much prefer my Nuxe one. This one wears off to quickly so I find myself reapplying throughout the day. With my Nuxe one I applied twice a day because it was that long lasting. This product is actually a multi use one, so I can use it for any bits of dry skin that appear during the day, but I carry hand cream with me at all times anyway. I don’t have anything really bad to say about the product as it is nice, but I will not be purchasing it again.

La Roche Posay - Serozinc - When I heard news that Serozinc was finally available to be purchased from a reliable seller and delivered to the UK, I was super happy. I placed my order in December and waited patiently for the New Year to roll around. I’ve used this about 4 times I’d say, so I am yet to form a proper opinion on it, however I did breakout when using this. During the time I was using this, I was also using another product, which is pictured above. It was also my time of the month, so I'm not 100% sure of the cause. What I will say though, is in the 4 times I’ve used this I’ve noticed that my skin has become oilier, which is bizarre because this marketed as controlling oil.

First Aid Beauty - Facial Radiance Pads - So if you read this my review on the FAB Cleanser with Red Clay you’ll know that I’ve been dying to try the radiance pads. I bought the Clearasil ones as something to try first, but when they ran out I decided it was time to upgrade. This arrived in December (after Christmas) so before the Serozinc, but it was the only new thing in my skin routine in addition to Serozinc so I am struggling to find the source of the breakout. The smell of this is a bit bleh, but nothing you can’t handle. I’ll have to reintroduce this into my routine as well in order to give my full opinion as for the time being I have stopped using it. I bought this from Feel Unique in the sale so managed to get a couple of pounds off.

theBalm Nude 'Tude Eyeshadow Palette - I was able to pick up this palette for £8.00 or so. I purchased it via Birchbox with points and an offer. I'm sure I purchased this back in December, maybe the end of November. I actually own about two eyeshadow palettes but greedy me wanted one that was raved about, so when I saw the chance to pick this up for a cheaper price I thought why not! I love the colours in this palette for a start, but I also love how all the names begin with an 's'. I haven't used this palette very much, but I'm hoping that going to change because of a product I bought below. I want to use this properly, so if I like it keep an eye out for a review & swatches! 

Zoeva Fine Liner Brush 315 - Zoeva brushes have been raved and raved about and whilst I’ve admired them from afar, I’ve never really felt a need to get them. However I stumbled across the fine eyeliner brush and it has sat in my ‘shopping’ bookmark for well over 4 months I’d say. I kept hoping I’d see one in store and just be able to pick that one up. I use this brush nearly every day (hence why it was so hard to bloody clean for the photo), with the Maybelline Gel Eyeliner. Sometimes I’m not sure if I’m going to do winged eyeliner and the I’ll do my mascara and I’ll be like crap. With this brush it doesn’t matter if I do it before or after, the angle of the brush means it won’t interfere with my lashes. The brush is also seriously thin (again making it hard to photograph) that it makes doing winged eyeliner a breeze. This seriously has made my life so much easier. I like to mix the Maybelline one and my MAC Liquidlast Eyeliner, because the Maybelline one ain’t as permanent as they’d like you to believe.

Zoeva Soft Definer Brush 227 -  The 217 is just a dream of a brush, it is so bloody soft! I looked into this because it has been named as a dupe for the MAC 217. Being an eyeshadow newbie, I didn't want to splurge out too much on expensive tools, and I already have the RT Eye Brush collection, so I just wanted something to add to that.  I have only used it once with eyeshadow and was there blending away and my gosh did it make a difference. My eyeshadow actually looked good, it’s a shame it was wasted because I wasn’t even going anywhere. Of course I cannot compare it to the MAC one because I don’t own it, but I’m pretty darn happy with it. I’m so impressed with these brushes that I’m going to have to look to Zoeva next when I need to fulfil my brush needs.

Ceramic Dish - I picked up this dish from H&M whilst I was doing my Christmas shopping. I already own a smaller version of it with a different style and I used it for storing the jewellery I use day to day and have it placed on my dressing table away from my other jewellery. However it was becoming seriously over crowed, so when I saw this big one I was like yes I need this. I wasn’t fussed about the design, but my gosh has this been so useful. They now both sit on my dressing table but this one is reserved those ‘day to day, but not day to day’ jewellery bits and the other really is my day to day one. This was only £2.50 but the one in the link is £2.99, because I couldn’t find this online, but to be fair the one in the link is much nicer. 

The Organic Pharmacy Skin Brush - This was my final purchase from Feel Unique.  I’ve wanted to start dry body brushing because I think I need to and because it has a lot of great benefits. It also feels damn therapeutic as well. I just looked up a bunch of brushes on Feel Unique and picked one I liked the sound of. I wasn’t looking for a particular brand, but after looking for the link for the post I realised it’s the same one that does that carrot butter cleanser, so good stuff there. It was out of stock for a while (such as the case with most of the brushes I looked at) and it out of stock at the moment too. I’ve used this about 5 times and I find it has the right firmness to the bristles. It’s good enough to feel like it’s doing something but it does not feel like it’s scratching my skin to death. I love that it has the handle for those hard to reach places, but then it has the strap so you can comfortable hold it in your hand. 

So those have been some of my recent purchases. I felt really good to knock some things off my list, I don’t know about you but I always seem to forget there are a bunch of things that I really want and end up impulse buying things that I could really do without!

| find me on bloglovin’, twitter, tumblr & instagram |