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!

& Other Stories: Bath & Body

Frozen Verbena Body Scrub, £7; Lemon Daydream Hand Soap, £4

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 

Lemon Daydream Hand Soap.

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?

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?