Friday 6 June 2014

Let's talk body confidence


Self-esteem is something of a touchy subject with me. I am the first to admit that I have
 very little of the stuff and lately I feel like I've been struggling with body confidence
 more than ever. I'm not writing about this to for a confidence boost or to gain attention, 
I am writing about this because I feel it is incredibly important.

When my confidence is at its lowest I regularly turn down invitations to see friends and choose
 instead sit within the comfort of my own home. I've come to realise recently that there is more
 to life than worrying about my appearance and I should be grabbing every opportunity to live
 life and spend time with my friends.

Self esteem is such a massive issue for both men and women and it is really important that people
 realise their true worth instead of undervaluing themselves all the time. After doing a bit of 
research I stumbled across the Dove Self Esteem Project. It is mostly aimed at young, teenage
 girls but I found the information on media and celebrity culture particularly interesting as I feel 
this is a huge problem within society. My job role means I am constantly working within
 the media and I become pretty influenced by this. As a result of spending hours
 trawling through social media pages I find myself constantly comparing my looks, job
 and wardrobe to girls I don't even know.

After avoiding social situations for a couple of weeks I got so upset that I decided enough
 is enough. I'm now focusing on enjoying myself and experiencing life, and I'm finding that
 great things are coming my way as a result. Hell, I just bagged myself a great marketing
 internship and if that isn't enough to give me a confidence boost I don't know what is.


If only one person reads this and is inspired to feel good about themselves then I will be
 glad I wrote it. You are beautiful!

Tuesday 27 May 2014

& Other Stories: Bath & Body




I was in London at the weekend and just couldn't resist nipping in to my favourite
 ever store, & Other Stories. For those of you that haven't heard of the brand before, it is a
 sister label of H&M (and a very chic one at that) along with Cheap Monday and COS. 
& Other Stories is stripped back and more high end than H&M, but still remains relatively
 affordable. The style is simple, clean cut yet still very original.

When in an & Other Stories store I always find myself spending hours in their beauty department. 
They have their own make up, skincare and bath ranges, all of which look as elegant as each other.
I'm particularly taken by their compact powders and blushers as they have a Shakespeare quote from Romeo & Juliet etched into them. Cool huh?
When I was in their Regent Street store on Saturday I couldn't resist picking up a couple of bits
 from their bath & body range. After taking my time and having a good old sniff of pretty much 
everything they have to offer I went for the Frozen Verbena Body Scrub and the 

All of the & Other Stories body scrubs are amazing as they are really abrasive, so I chose 
Frozen Verbena based on scent alone. The scrub is made up of sugar, which I like as I try to 
avoid plastic based scrubs for environmental reasons. The fragrance of this scrub is refreshing,
 light and slightly floral as it has notes of lime, basil, verbena and geranium. So far after using this
 scrub just a couple of times I am really impressed with the way it polishes the skin and leaves it 
feeling silky smooth. 

I picked up the Lemon Daydream Hand Soap as I thought the bottle would look great next to
 my sink, and I was not wrong. However, after giving this gorgeous hand soap a try I was
 completely blown away. The fresh, citrus fragrance lingers on the skin for ages and leaves you
 feeling really cleansed. Lemon, grapefruit and pear notes all make up this deliciously refreshing
 hand soap.All of the & Other Stories bath & body range is paraben free, which for me is
 another great appeal to these products. I guess the only thing I don't like about both of these
 products is that I will have to wait until I'm in London again to stock up.

Have you tried any beauty products from & Other Stories?

Sunday 25 May 2014

Blow Ltd: The Beach Blow





I have spent the last couple of days in our beautiful capital city, London. After hearing so much
 about Blow Ltd and their speedy beauty services I was determined to get myself booked
 in for a slice of the action. 

Blow Ltd describe themselves as being the home of fast beauty, and they really do live up to this.
 They offer hair, nails and make up updates at affordable prices and in no time at all.
Located in the Covent Garden area of London, it is clear to see from the outset that Blow Ltd
 is not just your average beauty salon. The aesthetics are cool yet understated and everything in there
 is on-trend and up to date.

When I entered Blow Ltd I was greeted by Tanya, my stylist, who sat my down and talked me
 through the menu. For me the menu really is the coolest part of the whole Blow Ltd experience
 as it offers the opportunity to show the stylist exactly what you want out of your blow dry. 
I opted for the beach blow as I was going to a gig later that day (to see the Arctic Monkeys
 at Finsbury Park no less) and wanted something nice and casual. Tanya noticed straight away that 
my hair is a little brittle at the moment and so used the Kerastase reconstructing shampoo
 and conditioner. After washing my hair my stylist took me over to the blow bar where she began
 to dry and create those beachy waves. It took me aback a little when Tanya pointed to an iPad
 mini in front of me and said 'there's some magazines on there if you would like to take a look'.
 Before I knew it I was flicking through the pages of the latest Elle magazine on a tablet, which
 gave Blow Ltd even more cool points in my books.

When my blow dry was finished (in 30 mins flat) Tanya asked me what I thought.
 I had honestly never seen my hair looking so big, voluptuous and glossy. I was impressed!
Tanya assured me that the waves should last well into the evening, and boy was she right.
 My beach waves lasted a good 8 hours, and I think they would have gone longer if it wasn't
 for the beer being thrown around at the gig.
The whole experience was quick but at no point ever felt rushed, which to me seems perfect in a
 city that is constantly on the go. I cannot recommend Blow Ltd enough and next time I'm in London
 I will be booking in to try another great option from their menu.

Have you visited Blow Ltd? What did you try?