Fosse Fashionista Event | My Summer 2018 Look
30 July 2018
Last weekend, I was fortunate enough to be invited by the lovely team at Fosse Park to attend their retail park and choose my desired summer look from my favourite clothing store. If you've been watching my Youtube videos recently, you will all know my love for New Look this year and how impressed I am with their summer range. I cannot get enough of them and will always walk out with something, even if it's only a small accessory! My bank account always has a punch to gut everytime I leave a New Look store with a bag in hand - I feel sorry for it but I just can't help myself at the minute haha! Anyway, after being gifted the lovely New Look voucher, it was time to head to the New Look store at Fosse Park and pick out my outfit and accessories for my ultimate summer look of 2018.
I was extremely happy to see that Fosse Park was an outside retail park - I find outside shopping parks very soothing for my anxiety, as there isn't a closed environment, and all the shops, and food court, was easier to locate from an outside perspective. Within 20 minutes, I had collected my voucher, grabbed a quick bite to eat in Gregg's with my boyfriend and started to wander around the New Look store. I happened to video my experience shopping there (if you didn't know, I have a Youtube channel and film my daily life) so if you want to see what I got up to on the day you can watch the vlog HERE! I loved wandering around the store with plenty of time to pick out and style the outfit of my dreams. There is a huge sale going on at the moment so I'd definitely recommend going to your local New Look if you have some time to sift through the racks. I've managed to pick a few bargains up over the past couple of months so it's worth it!
The final outfit I decided to style consisted of neutral tones - blue and white gave the outfit a fresh and airy look. It screamed smart-but-casual summer to me and I was even more obsessed once I'd tried everything together. The buttoned shirt I opted for was something I'd had my eyes on for months - the boxy fit made the shirt extremely comfortable to wear and I also sized up so that the material was loose, not clingy. The next piece I picked up was the trousers - pale blue, pleated and paperbag waist goodness! I love the shirt tucked into the culottes vibe! After getting the main components of my outfit together, I was super excited to choose the accessories and shoes to match. White has been my go-to summer colour so I was completely drawn to this white headband with a small ring detail. It tied in perfectly with the bag that I fell in love with too - the ring handles were something unique and it is the perfect size to fit all of your daily essentials in. The last two things I purchased for the look were some gold hooped earrings to bring a class and elegance to the outfit, as well as some white open toed sandals with a block heel for some height. I'm just obsessed with how everything came together and my vision of the outfit looked even better when it was brought to life!
Shop the Shirt
Shop the Trousers
Shop the Bag
Shop the Shoes
Shop the Headband
Shop the Earrings
The final task was to head over to the incredible GIF booth located outside the OUTFIT store. A lovely man guided me on how to use the booth, kindly held the flapping board behind me and watched me pose my heart away to create the perfect GIF. Fingers crossed that my entry allows me to win the £300 summer wardrobe but I'm super happy for the winner, whoever that may be.
If you want to see my Instagram posts on this look, click here. Thank you so so much to the people at Fosse Park for such a lovely Sunday - I had the best time and I'm super grateful for this opportunity.
If you want to see my Instagram posts on this look, click here. Thank you so so much to the people at Fosse Park for such a lovely Sunday - I had the best time and I'm super grateful for this opportunity.
What is your favourite summer fashion piece in 2018? Do you love the headband trend as much as I do?
Lots of love
The 100% Natural Skincare Brand You Need To Know About
29 July 2018
My love for skincare is ever growing and discovering new brands that will help to sort my dry, red complexion is always a bonus! After adoring the Rio Rosa Mosqueta Rosehip Seed Oil (read the post here) and embedding it nicely into my everyday skincare routine, I knew that I wanted to try more products from this brand. The kind team at Rio Rosa Mosqueta let me pick out a few products that tickled my fancy and over the past month, I've included these in my night time skincare routine and put them to the test! Here is my honest thoughts and experience on Rio Rosa's cleanser, night treatment and brightening exfoliator...
Skin Brightening Exfoliator
Something that I lack in my skincare collection are exfoliators. I used to be scared of the negative effects exfoliators can have on the skin because too much use can cause more damage than good. If you are unaware, exfoliators break down the top layer of your skin to help replenish, get rid of dead skin cells and bacteria. However, due to the abrasive nature of the formula, if you use them too often then they can rupture deeper layers of your skin. After avoiding any type of exfoliator for the past sixth months, I decided to test out this 'Brightening Exfoliator' twice every week and see if I felt a difference in my skin. The formula was less gritty than I anticipated, which definitely eased me into using it more. I gently applied this all over my face post-cleansing, making sure to rub in gently circular movements across my skin. This product is completely natural and organic, like all the other products from their range, and contains rosehip, avocado, shea butter and golden bamboo. The bamboo powder aids gentle cleansing and polishing of the skin; lifting all the impurities and leaving a soft glowing sheen on the face. My complexion has honestly been glowing ever since I've included this product into my routine and I'm LIVING FOR IT!!
Something that I lack in my skincare collection are exfoliators. I used to be scared of the negative effects exfoliators can have on the skin because too much use can cause more damage than good. If you are unaware, exfoliators break down the top layer of your skin to help replenish, get rid of dead skin cells and bacteria. However, due to the abrasive nature of the formula, if you use them too often then they can rupture deeper layers of your skin. After avoiding any type of exfoliator for the past sixth months, I decided to test out this 'Brightening Exfoliator' twice every week and see if I felt a difference in my skin. The formula was less gritty than I anticipated, which definitely eased me into using it more. I gently applied this all over my face post-cleansing, making sure to rub in gently circular movements across my skin. This product is completely natural and organic, like all the other products from their range, and contains rosehip, avocado, shea butter and golden bamboo. The bamboo powder aids gentle cleansing and polishing of the skin; lifting all the impurities and leaving a soft glowing sheen on the face. My complexion has honestly been glowing ever since I've included this product into my routine and I'm LIVING FOR IT!!
Intensive Night Treatment
This product was the one that particularly stood out to me. I'd never indulged in an intensive night treatment before so I thought I'd give this a go - thus, not only is this a first impression on the product, it is a general impression of night treatments in general. Don't get me wrong, I have tried night cream before but nothing as intense as this product claimed to be. As the company state, 'this luxurious night treatment in enriched with natural plant oils and hyaluronic acid to repair, hydrate and firm your skin whilst you sleep'. This instantly drew me to the product because I'm super scared about ageing (which sounds so silly because I'm 19 but after speaking to skincare experts, I've found that you start ageing in your early twenties) and want to keep those wrinkles away for as long as I possibly can haha! The hydration feature was something that I've definitely noticed since using this treatment each evening. My face feels nourished and enriched with oils, which has made my dry skin thanked me gracefully for! Feeling soft and fresh before I go to bed has been helping me sleep better too so I cannot thank this product enough for the massive improvement both in my evening routine and skin in general.
SHOP HERE
This product was the one that particularly stood out to me. I'd never indulged in an intensive night treatment before so I thought I'd give this a go - thus, not only is this a first impression on the product, it is a general impression of night treatments in general. Don't get me wrong, I have tried night cream before but nothing as intense as this product claimed to be. As the company state, 'this luxurious night treatment in enriched with natural plant oils and hyaluronic acid to repair, hydrate and firm your skin whilst you sleep'. This instantly drew me to the product because I'm super scared about ageing (which sounds so silly because I'm 19 but after speaking to skincare experts, I've found that you start ageing in your early twenties) and want to keep those wrinkles away for as long as I possibly can haha! The hydration feature was something that I've definitely noticed since using this treatment each evening. My face feels nourished and enriched with oils, which has made my dry skin thanked me gracefully for! Feeling soft and fresh before I go to bed has been helping me sleep better too so I cannot thank this product enough for the massive improvement both in my evening routine and skin in general.
SHOP HERE
Cream Cleanser
I'm forever on the hunt for new cleansers and one's that benefit my extremely dry skin. I've found that natural and 100% organic products always leave my skin in a better state than those that contain chemicals. The majority of my skincare products have been converted to vegan and cruelty free now because not only is it better for the environment and well being of our lovely animals, you can see the positive impact it has on your skin. This plant based cream cleanser has a smooth, thick formula that moistens my skin and swiftly removes all of my makeup. The star product - the rosehip seed oil - helps to balance the oils of my skin (keeping me hydrated!!) as well as nourishing and refreshing my complexion. I love what this has done to my skin over the past month and I will continue to use it until it's all gone. If you have dry skin like me, you need this in your life because the benefits and difference it has made to my skin is UNREAL.
SHOP HERE
I'm forever on the hunt for new cleansers and one's that benefit my extremely dry skin. I've found that natural and 100% organic products always leave my skin in a better state than those that contain chemicals. The majority of my skincare products have been converted to vegan and cruelty free now because not only is it better for the environment and well being of our lovely animals, you can see the positive impact it has on your skin. This plant based cream cleanser has a smooth, thick formula that moistens my skin and swiftly removes all of my makeup. The star product - the rosehip seed oil - helps to balance the oils of my skin (keeping me hydrated!!) as well as nourishing and refreshing my complexion. I love what this has done to my skin over the past month and I will continue to use it until it's all gone. If you have dry skin like me, you need this in your life because the benefits and difference it has made to my skin is UNREAL.
SHOP HERE
What is your favourite skincare brand? Have you tried out anything from Rio Rosa Mosqueta before?
Lots of love
SLAY GRADUATION DAY | Boohoo
23 July 2018
Graduation is a huge celebration for students that have completed their degrees at university. It is something I am super excited for (yet a lil nervous as I have no idea what the future holds) and already gaging fashion/styling ideas for what I want to wear on the day. Fortunately, my graduation is being held at the gorgeous Lincoln Cathedral. I am more than thrilled that the beautiful architecture of the cathedral will look so incredible for the graduation photos - it is definitely one of my favourite areas of Lincoln and it is such an important moment in my academic journey.
If you didn't know, I am a first year student (well, second year now I guess?!) so graduation is still a little while away for me. However, I've been obsessed with graduation fashion and the beautiful collection Boohoo have to offer. I've been eyeing up everyone's graduation outfits over the past month and looking forward to the next few months to admire everyone's incredible dress choices. Being an avid graduation outfit lover, I thought it would be suitable to choose my own graduation outfit, as if I had to collect my scroll now, and show you what the Boohoo Graduation section has to offer!
THE DRESS
One thing I knew when I was filtering my searches on the 'Graduation Dresses' was that the dress HAD to be white! I'm living for white at the minute and think the tone is so fresh for the warmer months. Even if your graduation is around September time (which mine will be!), I think that I'm going to opt for white because it is a colour I don't wear often and think the contrast is stunning against my brunette locks. Moreover, I knew that simplicity was key when looking for the dress and that I'd vamp my outfit up with sparkly accessories. The dress I finally picked out is this gorgeous white number with thin straps, a plunge front, a crossover back and a small slit down the front. I think the simplicity of the dress is elegant, classy and a lil bit sexy! It's something I wouldn't wear to any other day-time event so I think that's why it stood out to me so much. I really love how it hugs my figure in all the right places too, enhancing my curves and accentuating my favourite bodily features! For £18, this is an absolute steal and you won't have to worry about forking out for a crazily expensive outfit!
ACCESSORIES
It's accessories time. I love how just a simple accessory can change the whole vibe of an outfit! To enhance the classy look I was going for, I chose some thin gold tassel earrings to compliment the dress, and to pair with the sparkly bag I picked out. I couldn't choose all white as that definitely isn't me - I wanted to bring some sparkle and a statement to the outfit. Thus, I chose a rose gold sparkly clutch to add to the overall look. I really love how it brings out the metallic earrings and the contrast with the bright white dress. The sparkles would also look incredible in the sun, reflecting light of the walls and floors of the Cathedral. I also love how the clutch is an envelope style - it's super practical because you can fit in your keys, phone and cash (all the essentials) without the bag being too small or thin. I'm obsessed with how everything complements one another and truly impressed with how my vision came to life after receiving the clothes.
What would be your ideal graduation dress? Do you have a style or colour in mind?
Lots of love
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This outfit in this photo was kindly gifted by Boohoo; however, all opinions are honest and my own.
MENTAL HEALTH > EVERYTHING
19 July 2018
I think it's time to sit down, write a little blog post about my thoughts and chat about sh*t that I'm going through. I've always found that voicing my opinions and talking about how I'm feeling is the best thing for me personally in regards to recovering as quickly as possible. Also, I'd love to talk more openly about mental health both on here and my Youtube channels, to break the awful stigma mental health STILL has, even in 2018!? After battling depression last year and different levels of anxiety/panic attacks over the past five years, I've learnt a lot of things about myself and how to deal with specific uncomfortable situations that require a calmer mindset - I'm still, however, learning and continuing to grow into the mature, grounded woman that I aspire to be. I was unable to handle a recent situation that occurred whilst my boyfriend and I was on holiday - an unforeseen event happened during the evening and unfortunately, I was unable to cope with the aftermath so we had to book a return flight early. This was super heartbreaking for me, as I worked so so hard to save for the holiday, as well as constantly on-the-go and having no time to sit and relax. I was, and still am, gutted about flying home early but it was the best decision for our wellbeing and mental health...something that should ALWAYS come before anything. Even the holiday you'd be longing for!
Although I was sad to leave Greece behind and the amazing little discoveries we'd managed to find in the days we spent in Kefalonia, it was inevitable that a flight home needed to be booked. After the devastation of booking a return flight early and sadly packing all the new outfits I'd bought and wistfully gazing at the sea from our balcony, it was time to work on my mental health to get my head back to a better place. Reaching out to those around is the number one thing I turn to; however, I found it extremely difficult in this case because noone understood the situation or had ever endured what I went through that night. Having the sensitive little brain I do and being at an emotional time in my life, I found it difficult to cope with the events and found it even more frustrating that noone could empathise (which others may feel to a lot of mental health issues). However, after searching online and hearing similar stories, my mind was slightly put to ease. I've found that researching can hit you with the good, the bad and the ugly - you can educate yourself on the problem, find ways to resolve it, but also terrify yourself that it won't get better just by focusing on the bad stories. The doctors were the best place to go for me in this case; prescribing the best medication (that has seriously helped me) and recommending therapy (something I actually knew I needed and wanted after being left traumatised).
One thing I've pushed myself to do in the past week since I've been back in England is to focus on the positives. Although flying back sucked, we still had an amazing few days exploring our little section of the island. We found a beautiful little cove, that we had all to ourselves for two hours on our last day. The sea was extremely clear, we fed the fish with bread we'd 'borrowed' from the hotel and basked in the sun. It was amazing that we had the opportunity to fly to somewhere new, experience a different culture and relax for those few days we could. It would have been nice to stay longer but I've realised that I'd rather be home, well and in the comfort of my home/friends/family than to suffer (as it would have just made the holiday uncomfortable and pointless). There is always time to visit Kefalonia again in the future and I'll continue to work so I can afford trips with my boyfriend, and we'll carry on travelling the world at our own pace. It's difficult to get caught up with social media and the panic of time passing but we all hit stages of our lives at different times and we need to remember that just because someone else is travelling around the world, plastering it over Instagram, it doesn't mean they are having the best of times. It was killing me when people were commenting on my photos saying 'you look like you're having the best time' when my mental health was so low. It's important to know that social media is a controlled version of someone's reality, we should never compare how we feel, look or what we do to someone's photograph.
Sorry that this post was a little bit ramble-y but I feel like I had a lot of things to get off my chest and to sort of explain how I was feeling. I hope you can all stick around for what's to come as I have lots of exciting collaborations and posts coming your way. Also, feel free to subscribe to my vlog channel to hear about what actually happened whilst I was away because the video is going up at the same time as this blog post. Hope you are all doing well and living your best lives. Feel free to email or DM me on any social media if you want to reach out to someone when you're feeling low. I'm always happy to chat to you and help you out as much as I can, you are never alone!
Greece Vlog 1
Greece Vlog 2
Why I Came Home Early
Greece Vlog 1
Greece Vlog 2
Why I Came Home Early
Have you ever been in a difficult situation where you've had to put your mental health first?
Lots of love
How Can Living Abroad Benefit You?
13 July 2018
For a lot of people, there are few things more wonderful than travel. Being able to see the world and experience
new things is something that most of us crave more than just about anything. However, one of the toughest things
about visiting a new place and falling in love with it is that, eventually, you're going to need to come home again.
Or will you? The truth is that one of the very best things you can do in your life is to spend some time living on the
other side of the world. Here are just a few amazing reasons why you should live in another country at some
point in your life.
new things is something that most of us crave more than just about anything. However, one of the toughest things
about visiting a new place and falling in love with it is that, eventually, you're going to need to come home again.
Or will you? The truth is that one of the very best things you can do in your life is to spend some time living on the
other side of the world. Here are just a few amazing reasons why you should live in another country at some
point in your life.
HELPS YOU APPRECIATE WHERE YOU CAME FROM
When you spend your entire life in one place, it can be incredibly easy to start to resent it. You start to feel as
though your home is too small, the town you live in is boring and cramped, and that the people that you're around
have nothing interesting to offer. However, getting to spend time away from all of that is one of the very best ways
to learn to appreciate where you came from. Now, there's no guarantee that you're going to suddenly find yourself
desperate to move back to your hometown, but you may find that you don't dislike it quite as much as you thought
you did. In fact, you might even start to develop a certain degree of nostalgia for it!
though your home is too small, the town you live in is boring and cramped, and that the people that you're around
have nothing interesting to offer. However, getting to spend time away from all of that is one of the very best ways
to learn to appreciate where you came from. Now, there's no guarantee that you're going to suddenly find yourself
desperate to move back to your hometown, but you may find that you don't dislike it quite as much as you thought
you did. In fact, you might even start to develop a certain degree of nostalgia for it!
IT CAN SAVE YOU MONEY
There was a time when being able to move out and live on your own was pretty much the expectation for most
adults. However, thanks to the rising costs of living paired with stagnant wages, it's now more like an impossible fantasy for a lot of people. Even rent prices are too high for some people, let alone the idea of buying a house.
However, if you wanted to live somewhere outside of the UK or the US, then you're going to be in a much better
position to make your money go further. You can get Luxury Apartments in Marbella for far cheaper than you would
get in a lot of other places. Not only is it cheaper to rent or buy a home but a lot of the smaller costs of living are
cheaper in other countries as well. You'll be amazed at how much food you can buy in other countries with what
you might consider to be a pretty meager amount of money.
adults. However, thanks to the rising costs of living paired with stagnant wages, it's now more like an impossible fantasy for a lot of people. Even rent prices are too high for some people, let alone the idea of buying a house.
However, if you wanted to live somewhere outside of the UK or the US, then you're going to be in a much better
position to make your money go further. You can get Luxury Apartments in Marbella for far cheaper than you would
get in a lot of other places. Not only is it cheaper to rent or buy a home but a lot of the smaller costs of living are
cheaper in other countries as well. You'll be amazed at how much food you can buy in other countries with what
you might consider to be a pretty meager amount of money.
BRINGS YOU IN CONTACT WITH NEW PEOPLE
There's one thing that can help open your mind and broaden your horizons better than just about anything else,
and that's talking to people from a different background to you. The reality is that most people tend to gravitate
towards those who are similar to them in some way. Most of the time, there's nothing wrong with this. After all,
there's nothing wrong with wanting to spend time with people that you have something in common with. But it
does carry with it the risk that people can become insular and start to think of people that they don't connect with
as different or inferior in some way. It's amazing how fast those kinds of preconceptions disappear as soon as you
start actually interacting with people from different backgrounds. Being open-minded and listening to the things
that they have to say can not only help you understand them and their culture better but can help you to better
understand your own sense of identity and culture as well.
and that's talking to people from a different background to you. The reality is that most people tend to gravitate
towards those who are similar to them in some way. Most of the time, there's nothing wrong with this. After all,
there's nothing wrong with wanting to spend time with people that you have something in common with. But it
does carry with it the risk that people can become insular and start to think of people that they don't connect with
as different or inferior in some way. It's amazing how fast those kinds of preconceptions disappear as soon as you
start actually interacting with people from different backgrounds. Being open-minded and listening to the things
that they have to say can not only help you understand them and their culture better but can help you to better
understand your own sense of identity and culture as well.
Sure, living somewhere totally new can be incredibly scary for a lot of people. But as the saying goes,
"fortune favours the bold!" If you really want to get the most out of your life, then the best thing that you can do
is to really get out there and experience everything that it has to offer. Sure, that means that there are going to
be times when things might feel scary or risky, and sometimes things aren't going to work out the way that you
might have wanted. But the truth is that the only real way that you won't have had a good life is if you hadn't tried
your best to live it to the fullest!
PHOTOS BY THE INCREDIBLE SOPHIE ANN PHOTOGRAPHY
Would you ever consider moving abroad? I'm think of moving away for one year in the future...at least!
Lots of love
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This post contains paid content; however, all opinions are honest my own.
"fortune favours the bold!" If you really want to get the most out of your life, then the best thing that you can do
is to really get out there and experience everything that it has to offer. Sure, that means that there are going to
be times when things might feel scary or risky, and sometimes things aren't going to work out the way that you
might have wanted. But the truth is that the only real way that you won't have had a good life is if you hadn't tried
your best to live it to the fullest!
PHOTOS BY THE INCREDIBLE SOPHIE ANN PHOTOGRAPHY
Would you ever consider moving abroad? I'm think of moving away for one year in the future...at least!
Lots of love
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This post contains paid content; however, all opinions are honest my own.
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