2018 is the year that I am going to say yes to more opportunities and that started with a back massage which is something that I’ve never had before. Kelly Jones, a massage therapist who runs an at home massage clinic called Chakra Care, kindly treated me to one of her treatments so I thought I would blog about my experience.
Kelly offers massages and relaxing treatments to her customers using crystal healing and products that are chemical free and safe. The products that Kelly uses are all natural, suitable for vegans and cruelty free, her favourite being Hemp Seed Oil which I talked a little bit about before.
This was a whole new experience for me and I didn’t really know what to expect but I thoroughly enjoyed it. As you walked into her massage room, it was calming and inviting with fairy lights, candles burning, Himalayan salt lamps and soft, gentle music playing in the background. She made me feel so welcome and relaxed from the moment I entered her home.
I was lucky enough to have the Back to Bliss Massage which is described as an invigorating back massage that focuses on back, neck and shoulders which works deep into stiff, tired and aching muscles to instantly release pain and tension at the same time as easing a stressed mind. She went out the room and asked me to take the top half of my clothing off and go in between two towels. Unusually, I felt extremely comfortable which I didn’t think I would. When Kelly started with the massage, I didn’t know what to expect but she was so gentle with me and asked whether the pressure was enough really early on. As the massage went on, I closed my eyes and tried to relax my mind and just think about my breathing to help me unwind. When it was all over, she placed the towel over my back and told me to get up in my own time as she brought a glass of water through.
Overall the experience is one that I could only describe as relaxing and unwinding. If you have never experienced a massage before then I highly recommend giving it a go yourself. It gives you a couple of minutes to just think about you and nothing else which I believe everyone needs from time to time.
Have you ever had a back massage? What was your experience like?
♥
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I have always found getting dressed for work just a little bit difficult. When I was in school it was easy because we had a school uniform policy and even back in the day when I was working at Menkind I had to stick to black jeans and their classic bright blue tee but now that I work in an office role I can find it difficult to portray my own personal style.
Although some businesses still prefer the classic suit to give off the professional working woman vibe most have relaxed their work wardrobes. Scaling back from power dressing suits and monochrome colours, our lives have become busier and we need a wardrobe that can do it all – taking us from the office to drinks with the girls on a Thursday evening effortlessly.
With greater freedom than ever before, how do you nail the perfect professional yet stylish look whilst still sharing your own personal style? Dresses retailer QUIZ is on hand to offer their expert advice.
Dresses are so versatile and are a key part to my wardrobe. They are so easy to dress up or down depending on your style. A midi dress is a go-to style if you are still working with a formal dress code. I tend to stay away from lace, bold prints or bright colours as they can make you look like you’re dressed for a night out. Plain styles and subtle prints are an option for a versatile look throughout the year.
If your dress code is a little more casual, you could opt for a jumper dress. They work well through Autumn and Winter paired with tights and heeled ankle boots for a cosy vibe. Shirt dresses are another great choice as the collar will naturally make them feel smarter. I usually pair that style with a belt and some flat shoes.
Trousers are go to option for me especially when I want to feel a little bit more comfortable and put together. I believe that trousers these days make you look effortlessly chic. Tapered trousers hug your figure and subtly show off your body shape. They will look great with smart flats or heals. I tend to wear my flats daily and then switch them for heels for an all important meeting or if I am going out after work.
Culottes and frill hem trousers can be worn to the office when the warmer weather makes a return. Again, I usually go for plain colours or classic checks and stripes. For a more casual look, I wear my trousers with a loose-fitting tee and slouchy cardigan or a plain jumper. Loosely tuck the hem of your top into the trousers at the front to play around with the style and fit. For a more formal look, I swap the t-shirt for a smart blouse or an embroidered shirt.
Shoes are tricky to get right but my go-to office footwear are flats, boots and heels. In an ideal world I would love to flaunt around in the latest pair of trainers but it just doesn’t look professional. Flats for me have always been my most popular choice thanks to their comfort and versatility. Loafers are very much in trend at the moment. Smart yet stylish, they’re the perfect work shoe that can be worn with trousers, dresses and skirts. You’ll often find me in a pair of black loafers.
As soon as the colder weather appears, boots are a fantastic option. Over the knee teamed with a jumper dress is the perfect Winter look for A/W1718. If you are brave enough, heeled boots are also a great option to give you a bit of height.
Heels. I’ve never mastered them but maybe you might have better luck. Leave the sky-scraping ones at home but other than that you have many options: kitten heels, mid-heeled, closed-toe, strappy sandals – the list could go on. These are perfect day to night office choices as well.
What’s your favourite look for the office?
♥
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I’m writing this after a bit of a stressful week, not in terms of physical stress but more mentally. Does that even make sense? I am currently sat in my extremely cold flat with my heated blanket on full pondering about life on a Sunday afternoon. There’s a mix of red roses and yellow and white flowers on my table with a candle burning. The flowers definitely don’t go together but I like them. I’m not really sure what to write about but I have a couple of things to talk about which don’t really belong together but they are getting put into this post because I need them off my mind. Grab {insert drink of choice}, sit back, read and relax…
I’ve now lived in my little nook for half a year. A lot of things can change in six months but do you know the biggest lesson that I have learnt? No one really has their sh*t together! Surprising, right. I’ve found living on my own extremely hard. Yes I have my boyfriend closer to me now I’ve moved but things aren’t particularly perfect. We argue like every other couple but we have finally started to talk about feelings in a healthy manner rather than shouting and giving each other the silent treatment for a couple of days. There are days which are spent day dreaming that I get along well with his family and we can all live happily ever after together but as I mentioned that is just a dream – things don’t really work out like that. Partner’s parents don’t need to like you, they may not think their son or daughter is suited to you but guess what? That’s their opinion and what matters is how happy you are with your boyfriend/girlfriend. I am lonely however I have friends; internet friends who help on those evenings when I feel a little bit down and work friends who make my shifts at New Look rather amazing, oh and Dora.
Adulting is a dangerous journey with a rollercoaster of emotions that everyone including me and you go through. But no one really knows what they are doing. There’s no guide book that tells you how to do this, that and everything in between. It’s a bit like cooking a new recipe without the actual recipe. Just hear me out. It’s around 18.30 and you’ve just got home after a long day at work, you have a meal plan that you have been told to write down from a million of these “how to budget” blog posts that you read so you decide to try out one of these recipes. It’s either going to go amazing and taste delicious so you’re going to live off it for the next week or it will end up in the bin either uncooked or burnt and you will be blasting your favourite tune whilst your Pot Noodle is heating up or your favourite Domino’s pizza is being delivered. I obviously prefer the pizza but funds might mean you live off Pot Noodles quite a lot. And truth be told this cooking malarkey is much like adult life. There are going to be things that work really well and then there are also going to be things in life that you are going to learn from whether that be decisions to do with relationships, friendships, career choices or even just actual cooking. It could even be personal situations like your goals of what you want to achieve or how to organise your income and expenditure. Just to let you know I have no clue what I do with my money every single month, #fail but I am learning and that’s the important thing. I have even started writing things down in a notebook which is a start.
If you follow me across social media then you might have seen my rather ruthless clear out of makeup, clothes and god knows what else was included. I think it was a sign of a quarter life crisis but after watching Leena’s video about her wardrobe clear out. I realised that we are all wrapped in a world of consumerism. A place where it is promoted and advertised to always jump on the new makeup palette bandwagon or the latest fashion trends but I’m not going to do that anymore. Well, try not to. I like my makeup collection to be small and full of all my favourites. I like having my wardrobe full of mix and match items that enables me to explore my own personal style. Not only this but as someone who is living on their own, independently I don’t have the money to spend £100s on new makeup, skincare or clothes as much as I love a good Charlotte Tilbury lippy or shopping in Debenhams rather than Primark. If you do then good on you, go treat yourself but I’m presuming 99% of you reading this might be on the same page as me. Well, I hope I am not the only one.
I guess I need to round this post up a little so here it goes. I’m not saying adulting is easy because it really isn’t and I think I’ve made my point in this post. There are a lot of obstacles thrown at you but I reckon together, our little blog family are able to pass as a kind-of functioning, internet-socialising adults who can make everyone else around us whether that’s your big sister, non internet friends, partner, parents or grandparents believe that we know stuff and how to deal everything even if we don’t.
What’s your thoughts on adulting? Do you find certain things too much to handle sometimes? I would love to know.
♥
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If there is one thing that I love about being cruelty free, it’s finding out all about new brands that don’t test on our favourite furry animals. Hempz Beauty* is a rather new one to me however over the past couple of weeks, they have became a staple in my skincare routine. I love how they are packaged, I definitely love the scent that comes from opening the products and well I can’t wait to get my mitts on some more of their products.
Hempz Beauty is a range of skincare and haircare products that is made from 100% organic Hemp Seed Oil. Now if you are anything like me then you probably don’t know what this is. It’s an oil rich in Vitamin E, C, B1, B2, B3 and B6 or in simple terms all the good stuff that is ideal for maintaining healthy skin and hair. Their products are also paraben, gluten, thc-drug free and aren’t tested on animals.
At first I was a little bit apprehensive to try the Sweet Pineapple And Honey Melon Bath & Body Oil. Don’t get me wrong, the scent sounds amazing! But as the skincare newbie I am, I didn’t know how you could use an oil in the bath as well as a moisturiser?! Firstly this stuff smells delicious! I honestly feel as though I have just stepped onto a Caribbean beach when I’ve applied this all over my body. The best thing is that a little goes a long way, probably because it’s an oil. It leaves my skin feeling soft and nourished but isn’t sticky and you aren’t waiting forever for it to dry either. There’s nothing worse than waiting around in your underwear hoping that the moisturiser/oil you’ve applied dries before you start looking like a prune because of the colder weather.
I was also sent the Ultra Moisturising Herbal Lip Balm. Now I have tried many lip balms over the years and I can usually tell after the first couple of usages whether I will re-purchase or not. This one has already been added into my bag as well as buying another tube to keep on my bedside table. I can’t go a day without applying it at least once on my lips. During the winter months, my lips are so dry and cracked due to the cold weather but this has been a saviour. Not only has it saved my lips from looking terribly cracked and dry but it also smells A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! As well as leaving my lips feeling soft and hydrated but it also conditions and revitalises dry lips – perfect for any time of year, I reckon.
Have you tried Hempz Beauty before? What’s your favourite product?
♥
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I have been eyeing up The Pip Box ever since I came across the brand over on Twitter so when they asked if I would like to review one of their boxes I basically jumped for joy! The Pip Box is a monthly subscription box promoting cruelty free beauty brands. It was named after the founder’s dog Pippa which I think is such a cute idea. I spent the whole of January avoiding any spoilers but now that I’ve been given the chance to try all the products, I thought it’s about time that I talk about my thoughts on the box.
Medusa Witch Lash Mascara, Black Noir – It’s extremely rare that I come across a cruelty free friendly mascara and immediately love it until now. I don’t know about anyone else but as soon as I am gifted a mascara, I’m usually opening it and finding out the deal with the wand. It’s one that reminds me off Urban Decay’s Prevision Mascara, however, this one is brilliant for those working on a budget. It’s super black and makes my eyelashes look ten times longer than they actually are. If you are wanting to know what I’ve been using this past month then it’s more than likely been this.
Optiat Coffee Scrub, The Hungover – I’m probably the only ‘beauty’ blogger that hasn’t tried a coffee scrub but I’ve heard good things. I usually reach for Lush’s Rub Rub Rub Body Scrub if I ever need to exfoliate my skin so this has been a refreshing change. I love using it in the mornings once a week as it makes me feel a lot more prepared for the day. After moisturising my skin, that’s when I tend to notice a difference. In all honesty, I think I do need to keep trying the product to decide whether I love it or not though.
Balm Balm Face Mask, Hibiscus – This is one of the two brands that I’ve heard of before so I was really excited to give this a try. I managed to get a friend involved to have a face mask night and seen as it is in powder form it’s extremely different to my usual face mask. To use, you mix it with little water and leave on your face for 10 minutes. It left both of our skins feeling super soft and nourished. It also smells amazing!
Lucky Cloud Skincare Lip Butter, Vanilla – Anyone who knows me will understand that I love a good lip butter but I am usually quite specific when it comes to the brand. I’m usually the one stocked up with The Body Shop’s Shea Lip Butter but if you are looking for another alternative then I highly recommend this. I love how thin and small the packaging is so it’s been super easy to just put in my pockets and have it around while I’m at work. The scent is on another level and I usually get away with wearing this without any lipstick because it’s so intense.
Green Frog Botanic Body Wash, Rose & Neroli – I’ve been wanting to try Green Frog products for such a long time now so you can imagine how excited I was to find this body wash hidden within the box. The scent smells so fresh and quite Autumnal. It’s made from natural organic Himalayan soapberries that helps treat dry skin conditions such as eczema. Lucky enough, my eczema hasn’t been too bad recently, however, I have noticed that my skin feels a lot more nourished after I used this in the shower.
Overall, I am in love with The Pip Box and I’ve actually subscribed to start receiving them every month. You can subscribe to the box here. One of things that I love about this beauty box is that 50p of every sale is donated to the Animal Free Research UK charity. I think it’s definitely worth the price as you are able to try and test out cruelty free brands and receive a couple of discounts if you really enjoy their products.
Have you ever tried The Pip Box? What’s your thoughts on these products? I would love to know!
♥
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