On Wearing Makeup...

I feel sort of stupid even contemplating writing this post, because wearing makeup has never been a thing I've felt the need to explain before. And in some ways I still don't have to, at the end of the day, it's my face and I can do what I want with it. But at the same time, I feel like makeup has been stigmatised by people and I want to clear the air/my head a bit.

Makeup has been labelled by western society as perfectly normal and superficial at the same time. Every day I and many others like me are bombarded by messages from the media saying "wear makeup if you ever want to be attractive" and simultaneously "don't wear too much slap, no one likes a fake". But regardless of whatever the media tells me, I honestly don't get the hype. I love makeup, as is probably pretty obvious to anyone who knows me. But wearing makeup does not make me fake, or shallow, or any more insecure than anyone else? No, of course not! Maybe if it was a priority, it could become that way, but for me if simply a hobby.

To me, makeup is a creative outlet, like fashion or art, it's a form of self-expression. I don't wear it because I have to, I wear it because I want to. Putting makeup on is a really relaxing process. Some days I wear a lot and somedays I wear a little, it simply depends on my mood. I love to wear makeup that shows how I feel, like bright colours when I'm feeling excitable and fun or red lipstick when I feel powerful and confident.

Yesterday I didn't wear any makeup. It didn't dramatically affect my life, I just didn't wear it. It didn't make me any better, or any worse. Makeup doesn't define who I am, it's just a hobby.

Five Things I Learnt as a Fresher

In just under 2 weeks, hoards of unwitting freshers are about to descend on uni's around the country. Some scared, some excited, some a mixture, but either way, they're about to embark on the awesome experience that is university, and with that comes of course, freshers week. A crazy manic week, where you spend the majority of time frantically trying to learn names, avoid getting lost, and not do anything too stupid. With that comes of course drinking and nights out (because what's better than hundreds of nervous teenagers combined with alcohol and no parents, right?!). Freshers week is a great week, but you sure do learn a lot! Here are a few things that I learnt...

1) 9am lectures after 3 hours of sleep are definitely possible. You'll hate it, but you can make it!

2) All things can be solved with coffee, or a nap. But mostly coffee, I luuurrrve coffee!

3) When it comes to nights out, very few people have a clue what they're doing, even if they pretend they're pretty much professional party animals!

4) It's actually possible to write a good essay by pulling an all-nighter. Not that I'd recommend it... It's not exactly fun.

5) You can definitely have fun on a night out whilst being sober. It's all about the catchy tunes and awesome dance moves!

Uni is amazing and I can't wait to go back! If you're about to go, good luck!

Am I A Real Woman?

Since I don't think anyone ever really reads my little corner of the internet, I thought I'd blog today about something that's on my mind. Body Issues.

To give you a bit of background... I'm 5ft7, generally a size 10 but sometimes an 8 on top, and I'm pear shaped. I'm not tall or skinny enough to be a supermodel in a magazine, nor am I big enough to be called a "real woman" by the media either. But I am healthy.

I go running, I do pilates, I balance my love of cupcakes and carbs with lots of veggies. My BMI is in the healthy zone. But somehow, I've been made to feel awkward about it by society. The pressure to look a certain way is crazy. Sometimes I feel like the media looks down on me for not having perfectly chiseled abs like Cameron Diaz and at the same time says I'm not a real woman because I don't have "curves". I feel awkwardly in between.

I'm all for body confidence. I love it that the media mentality of "skinnier the better" is being broken by plus-size women. But please don't forget me, the girl who's somewhere in the middle. Please don't tell me I'm not real because my curves aren't as big as yours, because I am. We are all real, and we all come in different sizes.

My dream is to be celebrated for being healthy. I want ALL women to be celebrated for that. Regardless of size or shape, I want to be able to say that healthy is beautiful, because it is. What's more, healthy is universally achievable, women aren't all the same and we will never all fit the same mould. But we can all be healthy. I can be healthy, supermodels can be healthy, plus-sized ladies can be healthy.

Until the media stops selling size as important and starts selling health as important, there will always be someone left out. But that's just my thoughts... What do you think?

5 Reasons Why I Love Working in an Office

Yesterday marked 2 weeks of me working at my summer job in an office and so far I've loved working in an office. Maybe it's just that the one I work in is great (it is), but it's made me wonder if I might like to work in an office in the future... Without further ado, here are a few reasons why I love offices.

1) The Stationary - I'm a bit of a stationary addict I'll admit. I love coloured planners, post it notes, to do lists, anything that's highlighted - they're kinda my thing. An office is a place where it makes me feel organised and motivated, instead of silly and a procrastinator.

2) The Dress - I love that I can dress smartly at work, it's such a nice change from the typical uni dress code! It's crazy how amazing doing my hair and makeup properly makes me feel! 

3) The Constant Coffee - Working on the phones constantly gives me a great opportunity to drink lots of coffee to keep passionate and engaging!

4) Getting to Chat to People All Day - I guess this is probably just due to the phones and being in an office full of other bubbly people, but I love that it's rare that I'm not talking to someone!

5) Being part of a Team - I love that everyone in the office, regardless of their job or department is working towards the same goals and that in my department I have people there that I can encourage and also be encouraged by.

So to sum it up, I love offices. Can you tell?

First-year Thankyous - Beware, mush awaits you!

Yesterday I officially became a tenant of a house and I am so darn excited! Maybe it's the new house contract, or maybe it's just that time of year, but either way I'm feeling a bit mushed up and nostalgic. Prepare the sick bucket guys... Here's my thank you to just a few groups of people who have made my first year at uni awesome!

The Future Housemates

I'm honestly not sure if I would have survived this year without this lovely bunch and I cannot wait to live with them next year. Thank you Ryan for giving the best advice and for being awesome fun to hang out with. Thank you Meera for being the kind of person who cheers up everyones day instantly by laughing and smiling all the time! Thank you Reesha for always being honest with me when you know I need to hear it, and for giving me an excuse to sing along to cheesy pop like 1D and Nicki Minaj. Thank you Georgina for being the kind of person I can always talk to about stuff, for being my German buddy and for helping me out with Dutch! And finally Tom, for being the kind of person I can talk to about anything, for encouraging me to go for the things I want to achieve and for your awesome dinosaur impersonation!

The German Lot

Thank you for being so much fun on nights out, for all the laughs, and for being the kind of people you always feel you can talk to and depend on. Thank you girls for the fun girly chats and movie nights, and thank you to the guys for being such a good laugh to have around! Ich habe für sie Liebe.

The Church Crew

I cannot thank my friends at church enough. Thank you to my mid-week core group for making me feel like a part of the church family and for being there for me through thick and thin. It makes me so happy to know I have such an awesome group of people to laugh and cry with. Thank you to the other students for being such a laugh and fun to hang out with. A special shout out goes to Hannah for the constant lifts to things, and to both Hannah and Marilyn for being people I can confide in and trust with anything and everything!

There are so many others that I totally don't have space to write about, but they're also very awesome and I love them. I just thought these 3 groups needed a special mention!

10 things before I'm 20.

In just over 2 months I'm turning 20. Yeah, 20... I know that being 20 doesn't particularly mean anything except a new number, but with the whole summer in front of me before then, I thought I'd write a list of things I'd love to achieve over the summer. I'm totally a list person, I find them so motivating!

1) Get into the habit of regularly spending more quality time with God.

2) Finish reading "Le diable s'habille Prada" aka a french copy of The Devil Wear Prada.

3) Find an awesome 18th Birthday present for my sister's birthday in August.

4) Experiment and find some new cheap, healthy dinner recipes. Pasta and Noodles can only go so far...

5) Bake Brownies for Judy. She's awesome, always been there for me and totally deserves some.

6) Exercise 6 times a week for between 1/2 an hour and an hour. I've been doing this a while, but really don't wanna get lazy with it now I'm home from uni for the summer.

7) Go charity shop shopping to find awesome things for the house next year. I would love to find some tea/coffee/hot chocolate pots!

8) Upload blog posts more regularly. I love doing it, I just want to be more consistent!

9) Get better at saving things. This blog post is the second thing I've accidentally not save and lost in two days, ridiculous!

10) Find little ways to show love to the people I care about. I want to be someone who shows people that I care about them, and why not start now!

Woah, this seems like a lot, I hope I can achieve all of them! Have you got any things you want to achieve this summer?

The One About Growing Up

A week today, I will be preparing for my first day at work. After 19 years of life, I finally have what I like to call a "grown-uppy office job" Mature, I know. Despite this job, in reality, only being a part-time summer temp job, I can't help but feel hella grown-up. The idea of being professional and mature excites me to no end.

Which makes me wonder, when on earth did I become an adult? Sure, I've been living independent from my parents for a year now at uni. But I just don't get it. Even just yesterday, on holiday with my family I reverted back to a younger version of myself... Daddy, pleeeease can we get the big curly sausage? Despite that, it feels like I've suddenly entered the world of adulthood, and even though inwardly I feel the same as I did at age 14, people seem to be treating me as an adult. Trust me, it's weird.

Maybe growing up is just a thing that kind of happens. Silently, without you realising, you change from the little girl you used to be, to the woman you're going to be. And maybe that's okay. Maybe it's better that we have no idea that it's happening, 'cause if we did, we'd cling tighter to all the things we're leaving behind, instead of being excited for what's to come. But growing up doesn't always have to mean moving on, somethings will forever remain. I will always secretly want to be a famous rapper, I will always think my mum's lasagne is the best lasagne in the world, and I will always, always choose the most chocolatey pudding on the menu. It's kinda what makes me, me.

I think growing up is a good thing. I just hope that "past girl me" has helped "present me" to become the kick-ass, strong, independent woman that I one day hope to be.

Product Punch-up: Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation vs. Serum

I thought I'd give a bit of a comparison review today. I've been using Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation regularly for the past couple of years and really love it, but I'm running out of it and they only had the serum version at my local Boots so I thought I'd give it a whirl! 

Anyway, let's get into it...

Feel: Neither foundations feel heavy on the skin, but the serum feels like pretty much nothing on the skin, which if you're anything like me is awesome!

Coverage: Now coverage is a difficult thing to judge as everyone has different preferences. The foundation has higher coverage, but still on the medium spectrum, whereas the serum has a lighter coverage, more similar to what I'd expect from a tinted moisturiser for example.

Finish: Both are fairly naturally dewy (dewy not shiny!), however I prefer the serum as it looks more natural... and I'm definitely a natural girl at heart

Application: Now hear is where the serum really wins for me, it applies like a dream and is really easy to blend. 

Smell: Both have very fruity smells, however the foundation smells slightly more tropical and the serum smells more like forest fruits.

I think if I had to pick which I'd take to a desert island I'd definitely pick the serum, just because it's gorgeously natural!

Have you tried either? Both?

#NOTD Natural Days by MUA, and my life right now!

If I had to post a picture of my life right now... this would be it!

Revision, revision, and exams... It's Dutch that I'm revising above!

To me times like these call for natural, no fuss nails... the kind that you can chip a little bit and it's not super obvious! So enter MUA Natural Days! I love this colour because it's girly and natural and isn't likely to clash with anything I wear (hint: leggings and a hoody, hey I'm revising!)

If you fancy reading about MUA nail polishes in general, and they really are amazing, then I'm leaving a little link here. 

Until next time,

I wish I'd seen this when I was younger...

Hey guys!

I thought I'd write an off-the-cuff slightly deeper post. I was watching youtube videos whilst doing a bunch of boring filing work, and stumbled across this awesome youtuber called justkissmyfrog.

All her videos are brilliant, (click on her name above to check her channel out!) but this one really struck me. I wish I'd seen this at the age of about 13, when I went through a period of really questioning my looks, and asking the typical girl question, "Am I pretty?".

This video I've linked below is possibly the most honest, sensible video on beauty I've ever seen... I'll leave you to watch it!

And if the video below isn't working, click here to be linked to it on youtube!

It's incredible how much sense this makes, right?

Now go subscribe to her!

#NOTD: Rimmel London Precious Stones - 001 Diamond Dust

You know that feeling when you put on sparkly nail polish and instantly feel glamourous? Yeah, this is it! Which is kind of rich coming from a girl sat with her hair up, no makeup on and in Christmas pyjamas... (they're still acceptable, right?!)

Either way, today's nails are Diamond Dust, from Rimmel London's Precious Stones Collection. I love this polish because it's not a bold colour, but the sparkle makes and impact. It's also great that it doesn't need a coloured base coat like so many other polishes, it's a complete look by itself.

Are you a fan of glittery nail polish too? Please say you are!

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette Review

Never, ever did I think I would've bought a Naked palette. Being a student, I've always waited and opted for the cheaper dupes that are always bound to hit the shelves of the high street soon after. However the other day I remembered I had loads of money on gift cards left over, and thought I would treat myself!

I'm really happy I bought it now, because it's full of lovely pink-toned eyeshadows that make me feel very toasty, warm and christmassy. I love the warmth these shadows add to my makeup, perfect when it's cold outside, and I want to feel all snuggled up inside. I'll spare you the swatches (they've been clogging up my bloglovin' feed for weeks now!), but it contains 3 matte shades, one of which makes a nice highlight and two that are great for the crease of the eye, and also 9 shadows of varying amount of shimmer and sparkle. Everywhere I've read about it, it's been described as "perfect for green eyes", however it's definitely not one for my fellow brown-eyed girls to overlook, as I think it's equally flattering on brown-eyes. 

My favourite shadow out of them all has to be Blackheart. Blackheart is a nearly but not quite black shadow, with tons of shimmery pink glitter. It's probably the least everyday appropriate shadow, but I've been wearing it anyway along my upper lash line, instead of eyeliner. I love using shadow instead of eyeliner anyway, but it's definitely a gorgeous bit of warmth that you could use when doing a more cool-toned eye look.

These eyeshadows do create lots of fallout (and I mean a lot!), but I just do my face makeup after when using them, so it's not a huge problem for me.

Alongside the eyeshadows, there is also a double ended brush. One side has your average flat eyeshadow brush, which although nice, I would've preferred another style as everyone and the cat's mother seems to have one. But on the other side there's a really nice, slightly flat but fluffy blending brush which is perfect for applying eyeshadows to my eye sockets. Also with this comes 7 days worth of 4 different Urban Decay Primers, fantastic if you're like me and stick with the original but fancy trying the others out!

All in all, it's a great palette and really nice as a treat! Without those gift cards would I have bought it? Not sure... Am I glad I bought it and getting good use out of it? Definitely.

What do you think? Are you ready to splurge, or are you waiting for dupes?