What I have Been Loving During The Month Of June.

June has been and gone. In a flash some people would say. Can you believe we have just been through another month of lockdown? It's crazy to fathom, once upon a time we enjoyed spending time in our homes and now at this point, we are just trying to break out the windows in a desperate attempt to seek some space. I've been really trying to find myself some routine but even saying the word attempting is hard to keep up with at this point. It is almost as if when my work furloughed me and my university cancelled our last exams all hope escaped with it. I'm not complaining, I am a very lucky person, I love where I live and it's given me chance to watch telly and start those hobbies and tasks I've been meaning to do, but I am starting to miss the outside world a little bit. 

However, on the subject of hobbies and telly shows I thought I would actually write a blog post documenting all the things I have loved this month. Although the idea is strikingly weird to think in a few years these words upon a computer screen are going to be read by people who don't remember the lockdown and global pandemic surrounding our lives right now. In fact, it feels so long ago I can not honestly remember a time before the word pandemic was spoken every day on the news. 

Amazon Prime's Marvelous Mrs Maisel. 

As I'm writing this, I've just finished the third series of this show, and let me tell you it is honestly brilliant. I love the female empowerment that the leading lady has throughout the series and how down to earth and realistic the show is on the topic's it tackles. I am also guilty of truly adoring the fashion choices that  Midge Maisel has. Comedy is something I love and paired with binge-worthy television dramas, I feel they can not go wrong. I really hope they bring out a series four soon because, without too many spoilers, the ending of series three left us with quite a cliff hanger in regards to what direction the show could be heading. I do also what to put here that I love the character Lenny Bruce and found the comedian a charming charismatic man from day one. Who couldn't like the guy?

Animal Crossing. 

I feel like everybody in this space of this lockdown has either purchased a switch or been playing Animal Crossing. It's definitely been the hobby that has made the time pass a lot quicker than without it. But, Animal crossing has been a game I've played for most of my childhood so it's been great not only playing it again but the community that's popped up around it. It's also been helping to contribute to socialising while we were in heavy lockdown. (While I am writing this, it is the Monday after the pubs opened during the weekend and people are allowed out properly to socialise and not just to buy groceries). My friend Emma and I have spent hours talking to each other while playing or visiting each other's islands. If you haven't played Animal Crossing before I do highly suggest it, It's a game everybody can play.

Knitting. 

I mentioned the word hobbies at the top of the blog post, and one of my favourite hobbies that I have started during these three months of lockdown has been knitting. Now I am not going to say it has been easy, I tried to learn once when I was a child and much to no one's surprise I ended up getting tangled up more in the wool than actually making anything, I'm surprised my parents honestly could teach me to tie my shoelaces with how clumsy my hands can end up being. So when I purchased a shiny new pair of needles and a bag of wool I was sure I did not want to make the same mistake. Knitting is all about patience and learning the basics. Once that is achieved you can speed up the process and it's actually satisfying when you see the wool coming together to form a pattern. But mostly, I've just been enjoying doing something while watching telly that isn't scrolling on my phone. 

Gardening. 

I've always loved gardening, and when my boyfriend and I were flat searching, a garden was on the top priority of it all. I feel incredibly lucky to have it as it's nice to be able to sit out on the patio and breathe in the fresh air when everything feels overwhelming. But during the lockdown, we've spent a lot of time in garden centres picking and planting flowers and veg in their devoted patches. The garden still has a few pieces of work to do, but it's crazy how much we have managed to get done during this time. it's helped me feel even slightly more productive and though we are achieving something. 

What things have you been loving during the month of June? I would love to know. Thank you so much for reading. 

My Thoughts And Feelings On Lockdown.

Hello. It feels weird to be sat writing here. It's been just over a month since I properly sat down and wrote something. Trust me, I've been trying but with the unpreceded times we are in, I haven't felt it was merely appropriate to do so. My University exams have been cancelled, I've been put on furlough from work and I've had some terribly horrible personal life problems to hand that everything has basically piled on top of one another. I've spent most of this lockdown being wildly unproductive, but I've managed to spend a lot of time playing video games and watching Netflix shows that one could argue that it was future research for a blog post but I won't put up much of a fight in that regards. 

In summary, this little blog post is just explaining my absence and basically saying I feel a little better in my adjusted life of living at home 24/7 and I hope I can find the energy to carry on writing, it's something that I love doing. Pouring words onto a page often helps also. I do also want to add onto the bottom of this that it is completely okay if you aren't being productive all the time during this. Right now, anxiety is at the max for a lot of us and it's hard to be able to find the time to relax and spend time not worrying about the world around us. It's extremely normal. 

I hope you and your families are all safe and well. 

Thank you for reading. 

Dyed Hair Tips And Tricks.

I've dyed my hair pink. I've actually gone out and done it. It's something I've been putting off for a while, I've been dying my hair blonde for a good couple of years now. But I've been reluctant to actually take the plunge to dye my hair fully pink. But now I've done it I didn't realise how high maintenance looking after brightly dyed hair actually is, so I've compelled a list of all the tips and tricks I've learnt along the way to hopefully be useful for anybody thinking of doing the same.

Wash Your Hair With Cold Water Instead Of Hot.

I know this sounds like a crazy one, and don't get me wrong I don't particularly enjoy the cold showering but, not only does it wake you up if you are showering in the morning, it also helps to lock in your colour. Hot water often makes the hair colour fade quicker and therefore turns the pink into a more peachy shade. 

Use Less Heat Styling Tools Where Possible. 

This isn't something a lot of us can just cut out completely, I for one love having my hair curled.  But what I am saying here is try and use them less. Especially on a day to day basis try not to straighten it all the time. Another tip I have learnt is to blowdry your hair on the cold setting, it may take slightly longer to dry although it helps reduce the colour fading. 

Make Your Hair Last Longer Between Washes. 

Learn to braid your hair. Trust me, it's a lifesaver at helping your hair last that couple more days between hair wash time. I mean who exactly likes actually washing your hair. I used to wash my hair every other day but now I've managed to get it down to only washing every four days!

Hair Masks Are Incredibly Important. 

Dying and bleaching your hair can take a lot out of it. It needs to recover and hair masks are the way to go. I have a few firm favourites that I love using with the likes of Garnier Ultimate Blends Hair Food range, I personally all five that Garnier does as they all have worked wonders on my hair.  I also, sometimes even simple coconut oil is super good for your hair and helping it retain moisture. 

Use Coloured Specific Shampoos and Conditioners.

On every other hair wash it's important to use a shampoo that will also help to maintain your colour. For me, I use the Bleach London Rose Shampoo and Conditioner as it helps revitalise the pink tones in my hair and makes them look as fresh as they did when my hair was just dyed. It has a little bit of dye within the products that helps keep the look without damaging the hair. 

If you've dyed your hair before is there any good tips and tricks you have learnt along the way? I hope this blogpost is helpful and provides a good source of information!

My Everyday Makeup Routine.

Makeup isn't something I wear often, and it's not something I particularly find something thinking I am good at, however, I've been trying to push myself out of my comfort zone a little more as I feel a lot more comfortable when wearing it. Not that I'm saying you have to wear makeup to look good or feel confident! Although, I don't know too much when it comes to this topic I thought I would share because I think I've found some good pieces that work for me!

Lacura Snapshot Ready Primer.

You may have heard me rave about the brand Lacura (Owned by Aldi), in my previous blogpost talking all about my favourite skincare pieces, however, they have done it again. This primer is one of the best ones I have tried at helping to keep my base makeup on my face. I have particularly oily skin so makeup tends to slip off my face easily. It's silicone feel on the skin makes your face feel intact without the added need of stickiness. Something I hate with makeup products if it feels sticky on my skin or I can feel it is there I hate wearing it!  

BareMinerals Original Powder Foundation. 

Now, foundations have always been a picky one for me, Whenever I liquid foundations they agitate my skin and spots to a crazily high amount So I had been on the hunt for a while for a good alternative. I was actually watching a Fashionmumblr youtube video where she was raving all about this powder foundation and how buildable the coverage is so you can choose how much you wear on each given day. Having purchased it I can see why her reviews were so high! It makes my skin look nice without completely blurring the imperfections out. For me, I prefer a much more natural look as it feels a more lightweight on my skin! Whenever I wear 'Heavy' makeup my skin tends to breakout! One thing I will add to this is it's not exactly budget-friendly and is classed as more of a high-end makeup product so do bear that in mind, however, it's lasted me a good while so far!

W7 Hollywood Bronze and Glow Palette. 

This has been an old stable within my make up routine for a while now! It's basically a budget dupe version of the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze without the hefty price tag attached to it! It makes my pale skin look a little bit more bronzed without causing a striking difference. I tend to use this bronzer within the winter months and often use my The Balm Betty Lou-manizer when I'm tanned or in the summer. The highlight is subtle and performs a natural glow without being in your face. I love unnatural and striking highlight, but I feel it never suits my face and I always look like a turtle in Moana singing 'Shiny'. 

The TooFaced Gingerbread Extra Spicy Palette And Urban Decay Naked Three Palette.

Eyeshadow. When deciding on what makeup palette to use and what look to go for, it can really change the look overall. For everyday, I love using my Urban Decay Naked Three A old classic from the depths of blogging and youtube itself. I love the classic and natural looks you can create with this, and looking from the photo there's one shade I love the most! Whereas, if I'm not using my naked three palette I tend to be wearing my new favourite, my toofaced Gingerbread Extra Spicy Palette. It has some beautiful browny shades and beautiful glitter that I love creating looks with if I'm feeling a bit more effort is needed to add to my makeup. Especially perfect for a Christmas party look!

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder. 

A stable, a classic, we've all used it, and we've all loved it. You really can NOT go wrong when it comes to this powder. It's lightweight it's undetectable, and it helps to keep your makeup in place and shine-free. There's not much more to add on this as I think I've covered it all. I love it. If there is one thing you HAVE to buy from this blog post it's this. 

Essence Matt Touch Blush. 

I don't tend to be incredibly picky when it comes to what blush I wear. I have quite red cheeks normally without wearing makeup so I tend to try and just sutbley recreate that kind of look in a cute way. But this one tends to be the one I grab the most at the moment and it's such a budget-friendly find! In fact one could call it a secret treasure gem I found! I have a few different shades that come from this makeup brand so do check it out!

Rimmel Brow This Way And Benefit Rollerlash.

For brows I only use a clear brow gel, my chosen choice is the Rimmel Brow This Way. I'm lucky in this department as I go and get my brows tinted at the salon when I get them waxed so I don't have to put a lot of product in them as one of the things I hate are thick heavy brows. I love the look of shaped brows that are all perfectly arched on other people but I often look silly with them. 

For Mascara, I tend to use my Benefit Rollerlash if I'm putting a lot of makeup on, as they make my lashes look incredible. Curled and volumized to the maximum. I'm very lucky to be blessed with quite long lashes, but the Rollerlash is definitely a product you would be able to buildup. Although, if I'm having a very simple makeup day, I tend to wear this mascara I got in a Glossybox from a brand called Mannkadar. I've never heard of it before trying it out from Glossybox but it gives my lashes a natural cute look without being a lot of product. 

Urban Decay Up All Nighter Setting Spray. 

Finishing products are something I have only really started testing out but I love this setting spray from Urban Decay and it's really good at keeping my makeup in place! It's quite expensive for what it really is but it does work.

Mac Lip Liner in Edge To Edge. 

I don't tend to wear lipstick or lip products in general, I often just stick a lip balm on but if I do wear something with a bit of colour I often end up lining my lips with this and popping a lip balm on top. It's basically your lips but better look!

What is one of your favourite staple makeup products in your routine? I hope you enjoyed reading this blogpost! 

My Favourite Face Masks!

 Face masks are something that I think is an essential part of any skincare routine or self-care pamper evening. However, because I use them on the regular I have quite a few firm favourites that I want to show you!

Loréal Pure Clay Glow Mask.

Unless you have been living under an actual rock, which let's be honest maybe likely, then you have not heard everybody and their mother rave about these face masks. Loréal has a selection to choose from Pictured is the Glow Mask Version, that caters to your every skin need! I love these masks as you can really see the effect after using on a regular basis. The acne skin version basically helped clear up my spots. Which I have sadly run out of. But this Glow mask version helps brighten up your complexion, making skin feel a lot more hydrated and at the same time, more awake looking. It is definitely a treat your skin needs during the cold weather still! I also found It really helps in calming down the red patches upon my cheeks that I have had for the longest time! You can purchase these Loréal face masks at either Superdrug or Boots. Both stores tend to have offers running on them so do keep looking out as you can bag yourself a good bargain! 

Lacura Pink Clay & Golden Glow Multi Mask.

Now isn't this a surprising one. Who knew that Aldi had their own beauty care section and who knew their products were actually good? It's crazy how cheap they are too! This one has two sections, the first being pink clay which helps cleanse your skin, exfoliating to help remove the dead skin cells, leaving the skin to feel soft and revitalised. While the second section, the Golden Glow part helps in enhancing your skin, with hydration. Although this product has an affordable price tag attached, I can't remember the exact pricing due to Aldi's rotation of stock but If I remember rightly it was under five pounds. It works wonders on my skin and perfect for all types of skin types, oily, dry combination and acne-prone. Although it doesn't directly get rid of the spots upon my skin it helps to improve the skin underneath and makes me feel confident when not wearing makeup. Perfect for a little pick me up during a pamper session.       

TeaTox Healing Face Mask.

Again, another random find but instead of Aldi, I found this face mask amongst the depths of the TKMaxx beauty aisle, somewhere if you have ever visited a TKMaxx store is quite hard to navigate. Again split with two numerous amounts of ingredients. I am starting to see a trend here. The White Tea part working on softening the skin, while balancing not only your complexion but reducing redness, something I have spoken about above that my skin struggles with. While the other Charcoal section absorbs excess oils, soothing irritated skin. My skin type is definitely acne-prone while borderline combination but heading towards more of the drier skin type during the winter months. And I find this face mask is perfect in helping my skin control the oil production and find my make up always looks better the morning after using this facemask. Again, I'm not sure about pricing but I think this facemask was around 7 to 8 pounds so a bit more expensive than the Aldi one that does similar things but It is certainly worth a try as I love it!

ASDA Tea Tree 3 In 1 Mask. 

Last but certainly not least we have this ASDA Tea Tree mask. However, it's not just a mask as it's a 3 in 1 and can be used as a scrub and a cleanser also, although I'm not the biggest fan of it for these two steps as I find the product's consistency to be on the sticky paint-like scale. Perfect for a mask I hear you say. I love using this product as a face mask for when my skin is really playing up spot wise! The tea tree inside helps clear up all the new and old blemishes on my skin, making it look as clear free as it can bar the scarring already on my face. And with a price tag of only two pounds! You really can not go wrong here I tell you. 

I hope you enjoyed reading this blogpost!

What are some of your favourite face masks that you have tried?

Mothers Day 2020 Gift Guide.

With the likes of Mothers Day fast approaching (it's the 22nd of March in case you had forgotten). I thought I would come together to showcase the perfect gifts, in my opinion, to spoil your mothers with this year! I know we are living in weird and unusual times but I think we still need to try and carry on as normal as we can, or at least that's exactly how I feel!

Afternoon Tea.

I know with the times that we are currently living in at the moment this seems like the most unrealistic gift giving experience, however, when I started writing this blogpost we were living in completely different times and felt it was still a lovely idea to include and something you could/would be able to buy a gift voucher basis for when times are a little better. 

Afternoon tea is a lovely idea to treat your mother or mother in law with. Who doesn't love a lovely little afternoon drinking tea and eating cake I wouldn't complain that's for sure! You can find all different kinds of afternoon teas that range from drinking tea and eating cake to even including a glass or two of prosecco into the mix, so be sure to shop around. Check out local deals in your area or head on down to Groupon where you can find lovely discounted deals all the time! I'm lucky to live quite near London so the possibilities are endless and match each and every budget!

A Bath Pamper Set.

Gift sets are my favourite part of any gift-giving season, and Mother's Day is no exception here! Soap and Glory are my favourites as well. They have the best selection in terms of the smell of products and the sugar crush ones are my favourite! The one I've linked here from boots is slightly different in terms of what I've put up above but the gift set is just as good! I find Soap and Glory products are so incredibly well priced before and after a sale!

Crafting Kits.

Embroidering is something I have been getting into for this year. Every year I create a new goal I want to focus on and it tends to be a skill to learn, last year it was hair braiding, and this year it is embroidering. I find embroidery just so relaxing and it's perfect for mindlessly do while watching telly. This kit from Amazon* (Aff Link). Is one of the most perfect starter kits if it is something you want to buy! Alternatively, Amazon does a collection of others like Knitting books*  or Cross Stitching* (These again are both Aff's Links). There is basically anything for your crafty hearts to fancy and all within different budget types. There really is something for everyone.

Who Doesn't Love A Good Bottle Of Gin?

Alcohol always goes down well and I don't know about you but Gin to me seems to be the most popular alcohol product at the moment. You can just go down the route of just purchasing a plain bottle with the likes of Tanqueray or Tanqueray 10 being popular products. However, because it's a gift for a special Mother or person on Mother's Day I prefer to go into the flavoured route. I work part-time on a bar and Sip Smith's Lemon Drizzle Gin which you can buy here * (Aff Link). Is a firm favourite amongst us all. One person described it to me as drinking a cake which I'm not sure is a positive or a negative compliment but you take it how you wish!

Pyjamas.

Buying new pyjamas either for yourself or for somebody else is something I love doing! Pyjamas are almost like a cosy comfort blanket that I love wearing. Whenever I have new pyjamas to wear everything feels right in the world. Surprisingly one of my favourite places to buy pyjamas is Tescos and these are cute for your Mum! They are dedicated to mums as a good Mother's day present and look really nice compared to the usual mummy pig Peppa pig themed pyjamas you tend to see!

Voucher Gift Card.

I know gift cards and vouchers are often seen as an 'escape goat' type of present for when you are REALLY stuck in what to buy someone, however, in not all cases should they be seen or taken in a bad way. I think gift cards are perfect for the person in your life that loves shopping and buying clothes but you don't want to go out and directly purchase a piece in case it doesn't suit them or follow the style they love. Or in other cases, it can be a payment towards going out for dinner or towards that item they have been saving up towards without giving direct cash.

Flower Delivery.

Last but not least, because Mother's Day is falling at a horrible time for a lot of us we won't be able to see family on this special day. Delivering something like flowers to their doorstep could be what brightens their day and shows you are still thinking about them. Bloom and wild have a great selection when it comes to flowers and you really see them bloom throughout the days of having the, ensuring you get to experience the beautifulness of them for a good while! They even have a selection that fit through the letterbox, ensuring no contact was made between the delivery driver and the person receiving them!

I hope you enjoyed reading this little blogpost and are all keeping safe. I'll be continuing to write during this time and hope you all will too, as I'm going to have plenty of time to be reading blog posts! What have you bought your mother for Mother's Day?

But for now,

Still Me By Jojo Moyes // A Book Review.

It was the book and movie everyone was watching or reading. Me Before You took the world or at least the UK by storm. What most people do not realise is Jojo Moyes has written three books within the Me Before you franchise, so here is a review for not the sequel (I've written a blog post that's mentioned that one before) but the sequel sequel.  In English, that means the third and last book.  

'Still Me' had that nostalgic feeling with it that reminded me a lot of the similarities of when I was reading 'Me Before You'. The writing flowed well and the story of Lou was brought back to life, her vintage love and craziness shining through; something I missed a lot when reading the second book 'After you'. 'Still Me' made sense to her characteristics and the events that happened through the novel, I loved every second of it but that may have been because it's setting was based in the big apple New York City. 

New York made sense for Lou to be there. it filled that empty gaping hole that the telly series of Gossip Girl left behind. It's been a few years but if you know, you know. Using New York as a new story location helped carry the third book in this series. It made the story interesting and I loved how the New York scenery entered the novel. It made it interesting and actually was filled with a lot of twists and turns. A lot of things you wouldn't have expected, and I felt terrible most of the time as I expected and predicted a few things to happen and it was the exact opposite of the outcome. I don't want to say too much in case I spoil too much of the novel, however, there is one part of it that I did expect the wife to be cheating as that tends to be the storyline most authors progress towards.

But with positives, sadly there is sometimes negatives. One negative I did not enjoy in regards to the story was the character of Paramedic Sam. He was introduced and presented within the second novel, and I honestly thought I would maybe he would grow on me. In fact, I sadly found an incredibly more insufferable within the third. I don't again want to spoil too much of the novel in case Jojo Moyes is an author you are interested in reading but the actions he participates in, are not something I would condemn in the slightest.

All in all, I would give this novel a 4/5. If chick flick novels are your way to go then definitely pick this one up.  

Have you read a Jojo Moyes novel before, If so what were you thoughts about them?

Until Next Time.