What I Thought Of Dumplin’

Dec 22, 20187 Comments

When the novel of Dumplin’ came out a few years ago there was a lot of hype but I never read it. I knew nothing about beauty pageants and they didn’t interest me so I left it at that…fast forward to 2018. After seeing a lot about the Netflix film and seeing the trailer I was intrigued. So, what did I think?

When watching I actually got quite emotional which I didn’t expect. This isn’t a story about weight, of course Willowdean is fat but that’s not all there is to her. Ultimately, this is a story about family and love. I absolutely adored it.

I loved the fact that the pageant girls weren’t portrayed as being bitches in the film. I’m not sure if this is true of the book, but it was so refreshing not to have a whole book about girls hating each other for how they look. There wasn’t the cattiness and nastiness that we’ve seen time and time again.

I would have liked to have known more about the side characters, although I’m told there is a second book called Puddin’ which explores some of the other characters and um, yes please Netflix!

If you’re looking for a feel good film that isn’t about Christmas this is perfect. I recommended it to one of my best friends and she’s also fallen in love with it. I’m hoping we can both read the book too.

What did you think of Dumplin? I’d love to know in the comments below!

May Favourites!

Jun 1, 20184 Comments

May and all of it’s wonderful Bank Holiday goodness has gone but that means it’s time for my monthly favourites! I’m gonna get started because this is going to be a big one.

A Court of Frost and Starlight - Sarah J Maas

Books

This month the books I’ve picked up have been emotional reads and I have no idea why, it just kind of happened? My top non-fiction book this month is Unbroken by Martine Wright who lost both her legs in the 7/7 attack. I listened to the audiobook for this and found it to be incredible, a great read. I also read Dear Martin inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement in the USA, racial profiling and youth. Full review to come! The next in the ACOTAR series came out, a novella set after A Court of Wings and Ruin and I loved it so much, this novel felt like coming home. I also read debut Orphan Monster Spy and oh wow, I didn’t know if it was for me but I loved this and I can’t wait for the sequel. And finally, I’ve been carrying on my journey through the Saga universe too!

Watching

This month I have to give a huge shout out to comedy. On Netflix I watched Ali Wong’s second Netflix special Hard Knock Wife and it was just as, if not funnier than the first. I also went to see Deadpool 2 as I loved the first one so much. I felt like this tugged at the heartstrings a little more but I still loved it and would definitely see it again.

Hair, Beauty and Fashion

Umm, new hair who dis? Ok, sorry, that’s my attempt at being cool. I had a hair transformation with a new fringe and beautiful colour thanks to Grace at LK Hair. There have been some changes in my life so I changed my hair, because could I be more stereotypical? Also, I’m loving one of Next’s own fragrances it’s sweet, it has coconut and reminds me of holiday. I also picked up a Stitch t-shirt for only £6 in Primark and some nail varnish in a summery colour. I also picked up this really cute skirt from New Look it’s denim, high waisted and something a little different for me. I’ve also got a new Kimono but no pictures to share so far, sad times.

Life

Well, I couldn’t forget to mention the sunshine which lead to some Cocktails…maybe too many cocktails. I was also treated by my parents to some lovely treats such as Flip Flops, Sharpies, a new Notebook AND amazing lipsticks and nail varnish that was discounted, hence why there is so much. I also got to see my bestie Joe and have another trip to London this month (sorry bank balance) for a pub trip and comic book fun. I have to mention how happy I am that Ireland voted yes in May to legalising abortion, a great step for women’s rights.

Blog Posts

You’re Doing Better Than You Think

I Have, I Am – Talking About Mental Illness

How Am I Doing Right Now?

Clothes Sizes are BS

I Have a Skin Care Routine?

Feb 12, 2018Jan 28, 20186 Comments

As you all know, I’m not a beauty blogger, in fact, I wrote a whole post about it. That said, as I get older or should I say as my sister gets older I’ve gotten more interested. That and I’ve really had problems with my skin recently. I get most of my recommendations from my family and friends, but I’m getting there. Now, I have a skincare routine!

Why now?

This wasn’t something I set out to do, I was just using wipes for my skin. Then in the latter half of 2017, I started having real trouble. I’d always had spots but they come and go. Then my skin got worse and developed into acne and I got stressed, the most stressed I got, the worse my skin got. I needed to try something. My Mum decided to get me the stuff that she uses to see if it would help! I’m also pleased to say that Elemis is also cruelty-free!

What is my routine?

Put some Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm into my hands to warm up. Once warm, spread evenly across my face. Using warm water, massage the balm into the face in circular motions. Once done, wash away with warm water. Pat face dry.
Take Rehydrating Ginseng Tone and spray on to a cotton pad (I get mine from Superdrug but you can pick them up anywhere) and wipe my face.
Put on a layer of moisturiser and rub into skin.

Has it worked?

I have seen a difference, in my skin. It’s definitely looking healthier and gradually it’s making a difference but, of course, when I have PMS my skin is awful and there’s not much that can help in that scenario, it’s a whole league of its own. That said, once I’ve completed my routine I feel so much better and so much healthier!

Do you have a skincare routine? What do you use? Let me know in the comments below!

This is NOT a sponsored post, these are my own opinions.

I’ve Been Hiding My Face!

Jan 24, 2018Jan 23, 201812 Comments

Me on a good day!

If you follow me on Instagram you might have noticed something. I like a good selfie when I feel good. I’ll show a new lipstick, hairstyle etc. But recently I’ve been shying away from the camera or at least I’ve been trying to hide a certain part in particular.

In the past few months, I have struggled with my skin and, it’s really impacted my confidence. I was piling on foundation to go to interviews and go to work. I was thinking of ways to cover the bottom of my face in pictures. This was completely new territory for me and I wanted to hide, I’d never had acne before!

I often try and promote body positivity, loving yourself and the like, but I also want to be honest. Of course, I have hang-ups about my body, who doesn’t. This was different though. I couldn’t work out why this kept happening and the spots growing and growing across my face. I hadn’t really dealt with it in my teenage years.

I spent so long trying to work out the cause and how it had changed so suddenly and taken my confidence with it. I’ve managed to get it down to a few potential factors, hormone changes due to a change in contraceptive and stress from losing my job being the main two.

After I’d gotten a new job and was feeling a little better I started thinking about all the time I spent putting makeup on. All the time I spent worrying about my skin and what other people thought I decided I’d had enough. I wanted to let my skin breathe. So I stopped wearing makeup to work and you know what? The world didn’t implode. I know can you believe it?

I’d got so caught up in my appearance I forgot that I wasn’t going to work or seeing friends because of my looks. I didn’t get hired for clear skin; I got hired for what I can do. I’m still self-conscious about my skin, but I’m working on it because there is so much more to life.

How do you feel about your skin? Is it something that you worry about? Let me know in the comments below!

October Favourites!

Nov 1, 2017Leave a comment

While I’m not sad to see October disappear it wasn’t all bad! Here are some of my favourites from the month of October!

Books

It was a bloody brilliant month for books. From two of my most anticipated reads, Rupi Kaur’s The Sun and Her Flowers and John Green’s Turtles All The Way Down released I had high hopes. I was also sent an ARC of The Tattooist of Auschwitz which was an incredible read (review to come in January). Sarah Millican’s How to be Champion made me laugh a lot as did graphic novel Lumberjanes. I also really enjoyed Female and Raising Ryland, both looking at gender.

Fashion & Beauty

This month money was tight so I don’t have my usual fashion and beauty highlights but I did get some nice gifts. My grandparents bought me some foundation after mine ran out, knowing I’d be going to a lot of interviews and I can be very self-conscious about my skin. Bare Minerals is the only thing I can use on my skin without pain. My parents bought me some beautiful autumnal shirts (all from Primark) and they are SO flattering. Also, I managed to pick up a bath bomb from Lush as a treat for myself. I’ve also been having house pride with my Gryffindor scarf that I got from Lootcrate.

Relationships

As most of you know, my boyfriend was travelling the country for the majority of this month. I was lucky enough to go and see him and the show in Reading at the beginning of the month and three weeks later I got to have him home after what felt like an age of waiting (if you’re curious to know what it was like when he came home you can find out here).

MCM London!

This month was also MCM London and I got to wear my Wednesday Addams costume after seeing the wonderful Carrie Hope Fletcher play Wednesday on stage. Abbie went as BMO from Adventure Time…we certainly looked odd together.

General

I finally got my hands on my piece that was printed in Love From (you can order issue 8 here), which was really cool. I also got my pre-ordered Harry Potter Pop Vinyls and found the Luna Lovegood absolutely adorable with her lion hat and there was some further Potter magic when my Dad bought me some Christmas decorations for my future tree in the Hogwarts houses. I’ve also been enjoying the Autumn vibes with some walks and a great Halloween party.

What were your favourite parts of October? Let me know in the comments below!

Book Review: The Sun and Her Flowers – Rupi Kaur

Oct 12, 201710 Comments

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‘never feel guilty for starting again’

In an incredible second collection, Rupi Kaur releases the raw emotion of a modern young woman. From the break down of a relationship to the relationship she shares with her mother, to finding love again when she wasn’t looking for it. Once again, my heart was flung into my mouth reading this and with good reason.

Sometimes a book falls into your hands when you’re in desparate need of it, for me, this was The Sun and Her Flowers. I’ve been a Rupi Kaur fan since reading her first collection Milk and Honey, which spoke to me as a young woman. So, of course I picked up her second collection and devoured it in 24 hours.

When reading Kaur you need to know she is brutally honest. She’s honest about her body, her mind, her sense of self and being a woman. She reflects on the good and bad around her without holding back, because you know that she has held back for so long. There is anger, there is pain and reflection on suffering that has been endured but the poems that describe them are crafted so beautifully that you feel every emotion without sinking into darkenss yourself.

While I’ve already touched upon it the most magnificent part, for me, was the poems Kaur wrote about her mother. She talks about the sacrifices and struggles her mother had to overcome so that Kaur and her siblings could achieve. She wonders what her mothers life would have been like should she have been free to make her descisions. It’s a wonderful insight into the relationship she shares with her mother.

Of course it wouldn’t be a Kaur collection without the accompanying illustrations. There isn’t a fear of showing womens bodies as they are in captivating illustrations. These seem to bring the poems to life at certain points and allow you to visualise the poems themselves.

I gave this collection five stars. This is an absolutely breathtaking collection and something I’m sure I’m going to read again and again. I, personally, found it to be an incredibly empowering collection. I’m sure that Kaur will go far, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

August Favourites!

Sep 2, 2017Sep 1, 2017Leave a comment

Let’s jump right in and see what I’ve been loving in August!

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Books

This month it’s been quite a slow reading month I just really couldn’t get into it. The silver lining though is that I’ve loved the books I have read. I finally got my copy of Our Super American Adventure by Sarah Graley which is absolutely awesome, I’ve met Sarah before and love her artwork and stories about her relationship. I also finished what I think is going to be one of my top books this year, My Shitty Twenties by Emily Morris, an honest account of being a single mother in your twenties and still being badass, you can read my review here. I also kept seeing the Andrew Morton book Diana Her True Story and decided to download it on Audible it’s a tough book and I did think it was interesting but incredibly sad on the 20th anniversary of the princess’s death. And finally Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is just amazing, meant for children but should be read by EVERYONE! My gushing review is here.

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Watching

Is there anything else to talk about this month? Of course, there’s not. Game of Thrones is over for another season and this one was everything I hoped it would be. I’m not going to post spoilers, because that just not cool. All I’ll say is the following for people who have watched the finale, they deserved that and oh lordy what a beautiful sight. Now I have to wait for the next season…my Dad has already tagged me in a countdown timer.

Fashion and Beauty

I did a whooooole post about my little haul this month over here. So head over for all the info you need to know!

Brighton Pride

I went to my first ever Pride and I can honestly say it was the best party I’ve ever been to. It was fun and flamboyant and there was glitter everywhere! I got to sit in a giant deck chair, dance in an 80s disco and I ended up sponsoring a dog…yep (wine may have been involved). I wrote a whole post about 7 reasons you should go next year!

General

This month started off on a good note with a trip to Pizza Express with my ‘spec squad’, that’s me, Abbie and Sarah to celebrate our new little group. It’s been a month of spending time with people I love. Ali went to Brighton and Scotland this month for work, and bought me home Charlie the Highland Cow from the latter, he’s adorable (the cow I mean, although Ali’s ok I suppose). It’s also had milestones with my little sister getting into college! I also went to see 80s super popstars Bros at the O2 in London, which was actually a brilliant laugh with my Mum, sister and mum’s best friend. I also may have gotten a new cauldron mug from the new Primark collection…maybe. And last but not least I’ve been spending as much time as possible with Ali, including on our 9 year anniversary, before he heads off on tour tomorrow!!

My favourite posts

Feminist Friday with …. Jess Willby

A new month, a new woman

Nine years, new adventures

What have your favourites been this month? Let me know in the comments below!

Payday Haul!

Aug 27, 2017Aug 28, 20171 Comment

Hello, hello, hello lovely readers!

The end of our last Bank Holiday Weekend of the year is here! That might get you down but just think, the next Bank Holiday is *Boxing Day*, which means Christmas fun! Anyway, back to the matter at hand. This month marked the first month I got my ‘normal’ paycheck since I lost my job back in April. Since then I was temping and then started my new job in the middle of the month. So this payday I was able to treat myself a little bit while also paying the bills.

So, let’s crack on with this haul.

First off, some beauty. I waxed my best friends eyebrows last week and told her she needed to get some good tweezers for strays. While we were shopping we found these cute ones for £2.00 from TK Maxx!! I’ve also finally run out of blusher so picked this up from Superdrug for £2.50 and got myself some wax strips for £6.95. I still have eyebrows so I’ll call that a win.

I also managed to pick up the most 90s kid pyjamas in Primark. I used to watch all of these shows growing up. I constantly watched Nickelodeon and Boomerang as a kid and Rugrats was my favourite! They were £10 for the set, not bad.

Harry Potter 9 3/4 PJs. I really controlled myself with the new Harry Potter range. These are a nice mix for Autumn while there are trousers they’re still quite lightweight. Also, look at all the amazing little illustrations on it too. Beyond cute. BEYOND CUTE. Also, £10 for the set.

Ok, the last pair of Pyjamas I promise! I’ve been eyeing these for about 2 weeks, need to rep my house colours! Go, Go, Gryffindor! The best part is that these were only £6. £6!!!

Finally moving away from PJs and on to stationary! Now, I don’t do a bit back to school/uni shop anymore I don’t buy that much stationary, that was until I found Typo. All three of these notebooks were on an offer which meant 3 for £6. I’ve also got more bits coming this week so I’ll do a Typo haul for that! These are so cool and I’m a total sucker for anything motivational!

A band I absolutely love, PVRIS, were playing Reading and Leeds this weekend, on Friday Ali and I got to see a small acoustic set of theirs live and pick up their new album All We Know of Heaven, All We Need is Hell. It was so good and made me fall a little but more in love with Lynne.

Book time! Of course, I was going to buy books. For some reason, I ordered an edition on Amazon that said this wasn’t out for another year?! That was until Abbie told me it was out as Melanie was on book tour! I’m so excited to read a book by one of my favourite people to watch. Catch Melanie’s channel here.

And last but not least, I really want to increase the amount of poetry I have and read. I completely understand the classics are classics for a reason but I want to read poetry I can relate to! So I chose Stuff I’ve Been Feeling Lately by Alicia Cook.

Now I have the rest of the month and I’m trying not to spend unnecessary money! I’m making healthier lunches for me to take to work, trying to cook more from scratch as well as taking cash out and using that when possible. I’ll let you know how I get on!

Feminist Fridays: Women’s Glossy Mags

Aug 4, 2017Aug 4, 20172 Comments

Pop down to any local supermarket or corner shop and in one section you’ll see a spread of glossy covers with pink lettering and ‘perfect’ women gracing the cover. You can’t hide the fact that women’s glossies are a huge industry and not one that’s slowing down anytime soon.

So, how does that sit with my feminist instincts? In the last few years, there have been subtle changes in the writing, less ‘how to please your man’ and more ‘how to be successful’. But there is still endless articles on relationships, fashion and makeup. It’s a thin line.

A year or so ago I stopped reading women’s mags because they didn’t make me feel great about myself and because after reading The Vagenda, I felt that a break might be good. In the last month or so I’ve found myself picking them up again, browsing and just reading bits I want to but it’s troubled me.

Am I less of a feminist for buying into the culture? Does it matter what I read? Am I influenced by articles and wrinkles and cellulite? I think I’m not but sometimes I fear I am. I write for a magazine (pre-order it here) and hope that it is inspiring. I want my writing to empower women, not make them want to change themselves.

Of course, there are steps in the right direction, talking of women’s plights around the world, politics, women’s marches, LGBTQ rights, and more. There is definitely a shift in the issues, but is it enough? Can we put issues of cosmetic surgery, brands that only the elite can afford and similar sit that close to each other?

So lovely reader, I ask you, can glossy mags still be Feminist? Let me know in the comments below!

Let me know in the comments below!

July Favourites!

Jul 31, 2017Jul 31, 20172 Comments

Books

I haven’t read as much as I’d like to this month, partially because I’ve been focusing on my new job (although more on that later). Also, I read books that I didn’t particularly enjoy which is a shame. I did, love the few I did get too. On my holiday I managed to read George R.R. Martin’s latest novel, set before A Song of Ice and Fire, thankfully this was only around 300 pages and a good start to a new series. I also got to read Dreadnought by April Daniels (review here), which I will recommend to absolutely everyone because you need to read it NEED to! Next up was One of Us Is Lying, think Breakfast Club meets murder mystery. I really enjoyed it and it’s definitely worth a read. I also read Big Little Lies, personally, I don’t think it’s worth the hype but my friend did take some pictures of me reading it…

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Watching

Of course, I’ve been watching Game of Thrones, I can’t believe we’re over a quarter of this season through already. At this point, I honestly have no idea who will end up on the Iron Throne but I have some idea of who we’ll be saying goodbye to this season.

Fashion and Beauty

If you follow me on Instagram you will know that I cut off my hair! Yep, I booked the appointment walked in and got the wonderful Millie to take it off and I’m so much happier for it! I also went and bought my new ‘out there’ coat from Zara in the sale. Spray paint, sequins and bright pink fluffy material, it was more than a coat it was a signal, I’m here world! I also picked up 3 new dresses from H&M for work in cute colours and designs. And finally, not specifically beauty but I have been getting back into the gym with Abbie. Healthy body, healthy mind, right?

Holiday

This is the last time I’ll mention it for a while I swear…or at least I’ll try. Of course one of my favourites this month was my trip to Majorca! You can read about it here.

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General

I’ve had so much going on this month, so to squeeze it into a few pictures! I started my new job and only a few days later went to house sit for my Mum caring for the Fur Babies Lottie and Ed. It wasn’t just a big month for me, my baby sister turned 16, left school and had her prom she looked so beautiful and I can’t quite believe how she’s growing up. It’s also been a collecting month with San Diago Comic Con pop vinyls (super hard to get) released and I was so happy to be able to get my two Harry Potter ones I’d hoped for, I also have pre ordered a few of wave 3… I’ve also had some great events a leaving Tea Party, going to see The Addams Family Musical and Abbie’s 23rd birthday!

Top 5 posts:

Top tips for flying alone

The truth about being in a long term relationship

Book review: Dreadnought by April Daniels

10 things I’ve realised since graduating

Taking chances and making calls