How To Get (Back) Into Reading
How To Get (Back) Into Reading
As an English Literature student whose current sole purpose is to read fiction, people often tell me that they want to get into reading, whether they've fallen out of the habit or never made one. Despite the fact that I've always loved reading since I was little and now have to do it as part of my degree, there are still times when I also get out of the habit. I never stop enjoying it I just sometimes forget how much I enjoy it.
This was particularly the case during high school when my priorities were very different to what they had been before this period and what they are now. It took actually reading a book that I liked in school (which didn't really happen until I was around 16 as I think before then I'd read a total of one book as part of my studies and that was Holes by Louis Sachar that I honestly think we spent around a year reading as a class) to get me back into reading. My love of reading was re-ignited by studying English then, but most people who talk to me about wanting to start reading aren't really ever going to study English Literature again, so they're not going to have the same opportunity as I did to really get back into it.
So, I thought I'd make a post on how to get out of a reading slump (whether it's a month, a year or 10 years long). They happen to me all the time even though I know how much I love reading so I always have ways prepared to get out of them
FYI: I'd just like to point out that reading isn't for everyone and, if it isn't for you, that's nothing to be ashamed of. Through spending a great deal of my time with other English students, I've come to realise that liking reading is often held up on a pedestal, signifying not only your academic intelligence but your emotional intelligence. But this just isn't true- liking books really doesn't automatically make you a better person! Some people just don't like books and never will. If that's you, don't feel pressure to read this post or to read a book.
But... on the other hand, if you've never given reading a proper go then you may as well try, maybe you just didn't start with the right genre for you? For me reading is a source of escapism, relaxation and positivity so don't rule it out just cause you've never tried it. Although I feel like a bit of a hypocrite in saying that as I've never properly tried an olive and never will- the smell nauseates me :)
Anyway, here's my tips...
How To Get (Back) Into Reading
1. Always Have A Book With You
This is probably the tip that really got me back into reading or at least led me to start reading a lot more often than I originally was. People often say take a book with you if you're going to be on public transport, which you definitely should do, but don't just stop there, take a book literally everywhere. Whether you're just popping out the house to go to the supermarket or you're going on a weekend away in which you're planning on being extremely busy (and even drunk) all weekend, you never know when you're going to be delayed, in a queue, or forced to be waiting around for something.
After establishing the habit of taking a book everywhere with you, you then have to make a habit of picking your book out of your bag rather than your phone when you have a spare minute or 10. I still struggle with this all the time but I always feel much happier and like I'm using my time better when I choose to pick up my book instead of my phone, so I try and keep that in mind.
So whether you know you're going to have time to read a book, or you're certain you definitely won't, never leave the house without one, because life is unpredictable and you never know when you might thank yourself for doing so!
2. Set Yourself a 'Reading Time'
Half of the struggle of not reading is just forgetting to; letting Netflix roll on to the next episode without the thought of turning it off even popping into your head, letting 5 minutes of Instagram scrolling turn into an hour. There's so many distractions in our life, many of them digital, and books don't have push notifications like so many of these other things do to remind you to use them. You have to consciously decide to start reading, even if the idea of staying on Instagram feels easier.
So, to combat this, work reading into your routine. Set a time every day when you're going to read. For me, this is in the evening time just before I go to bed. Others do it in the morning, some people on their lunch break, whatever works for you! I personally like doing it before I go to bed because it really allows me to escape into another world and leave all the worries and stresses that are in mine behind, so I can have a restful night's sleep. But I know some people can hardly read a paragraph before they go to bed without falling asleep mid-sentence, so just try different times out and see which ones work.
Remember not to feel guilty if you don't feel like reading sometimes though! At times, you just won't and turning it into a chore won't help. Try and remember the positive reasons as to why you want to read and hopefully they'll motivate you to stick to your 'reading time' but if they don't, no problem, try again tomorrow.
How To Get (Back) Into Reading
3. Find a Good Book That You Actually Want To Read
Now this one sounds obvious. And it is. But I feel like to get back into reading you have to become infatuated with a book, in order to really feel like picking up another one. So it's important that you start with a good one. Don't set yourself the task of reading that classic Dickens novel that you've always wanted to read. That one can wait. Start with a page-turner that's going to get you hooked and excited!
Think about the types of films and TV you like to watch and find your favourite genres in books, whether it's crime, romance or dystopia. If you're really passionate about about something, from feminism, to sport, to music, find a book with themes that incorporate your interests! These are the things that you already enjoy so use them to find a book that you'll like.
Like I said, I'd recommend getting back into reading with a page-turner to get you excited, so here are some of my favourite page-turners of all different genres:
4. Read With Others
For me, talking about a book is often just as enjoyable as reading it, which is a big part of the reason why I chose to study English Literature at university. But you don't need to be studying English to talk about a book you've read and, often, it's a lot more enjoyable and less pressurised and pretentious to talk about books more casually.
So why not join a book club? Whether it's an IRL one or an online one, it will be a good way of not only holding you accountable to read but also to make reading a more sociable thing. I used to run a feminist book club for Girls Against and I loved running it as it meant that I always engaged with the book we read so much more than I usually would and, therefore, enjoyed it more. I had to stop doing it because I'm currently reading 3(ish) books a week for UNI so the pressure of having to read another one a month on top of that was a little bit too much. But obviously my reading load is unique so hopefully joining a book club won't involve that type of pressure for you.
If you feel as though it does or just don't think it will be your thing, then it's worth just getting a friend or two involved and see if they want to read the same book as you for the next month or so. You can then text and talk about it as you go and when you've finished it without the formalities of an actual meeting to discuss it. A good thing to do, if you have a friends birthday coming up or, dare I mention the C word, for Christmas, is to buy two copies of a book you want to read and think a friend will enjoy, one for you and one as a gift for them. It's the gift that keeps on giving for both of you!
5. Try Audiobooks
Finally, if you just cannot find the time (although, I think it's always worth making time to read) or if your attention span isn't allowing you to read, try to start out with an audiobook. You can listen to it while you're driving, cleaning or getting ready in the morning but it still requires your attention. Some people prefer this to actually reading books but I also think it could be a good way of training your attention span up to the point of being able to read a written book.
I've personally never properly clicked with audiobooks. I did listen to Dolly Alderton's Everything I Know About Love earlier in the year and enjoyed that more than I think I would have in written form, but I haven't found any other audiobooks that have had the same effect on me. So if anyone knows of any I'd love your recommendations! Despite the fact that I'm not head over heels for them, audiobooks definitely do work for some people so they're worth a go. I think Audible offer a free 30 day trial so that might be worth looking into!
How To Get (Back) Into Reading
I really feel like settling down with my book for the rest of the night after writing this post so I hope you feel the same way! Like I said, reading is such a positive thing for me and, as much as I love social media and our digital age, I think the way in which reading has fallen out of fashion because of it is a shame and a loss for a lot of people. So even if you're only considering it a little bit, definitely give reading a go, whether it's an old friend of yours or one you've never truly got on with, there's a book (or a thousand) out there for most people.
How To Get (Back) Into Reading
How To Get (Back) Into Reading
How To Get (Back) Into Reading
Having Confidence in Doing Your Own Thing
Having Confidence in Doing Your Own Thing
Photography by Ami Ford.
I'm finally back with a new blog post after a brief hiatus due to a busy couple of weeks and some personal struggles, which I will go into more later in the post. But I've been wanting to write on this topic and share these photos for what feels like forever now and I'm finally getting round to it today. These photos were taken by the incredible Ami Ford, whose work I had admired from afar for some time and so was delighted to be able to shoot with her, and I'm so happy with the outcome! You can find her on Instagram here, Twitter here or visit her website here.
Today's post is inspired by these photos and specifically, the location that these photos were taken in. This was perhaps one of the busiest road in Manchester on the Sunday afternoon we were shooting on, meaning I really had to have confidence in what I was doing as posing in the middle of a very busy road in a bright yellow midi dress with every passerby staring at you with confused/baffled looks can/could have been an uncomfortable situation. In fact, posing for photos in any situation, even if there are only one or two confused onlookers, and sharing them on social media is quite a daunting concept generally and something I'm still trying to become totally comfortable in.
Having Confidence in Doing Your Own Thing
Anything that you do that is a little bit different, especially if it involves self-promotion, is probably going to be scary and weird. Since becoming more confident in doing my own thing, my life has only improved however I'm still not 100% there yet at all. So much so that, after a little (read: huge) wobble after moving to UNI last week, I considered not writing this post as I didn't think I was qualified to discuss this topic. But then I realised that if I wait till I feel totally comfortable in myself and my interests and habits, I'm probably never going to get round to writing it as I don't even know if it's possible to feel that way to such an extent. So I thought I would use this post to discuss the areas of my life in which I'm trying to become more comfortable in doing my own thing whilst also providing some tips to help others do the same.
INTERESTS AND IDEAS: STARTING MY BLOG
The first area in which I've really had to push myself out of my comfort zone is, as you might have guessed from the first part of this post and from previous posts, starting and running this blog. Having a blog, especially one that is fashion/style-based, means you’re constantly having to promote yourself and, at times, bare your soul to the internet, not knowing who's going to see it or what reaction it's going to get. These are the reasons why it took me so long to properly commit to having a blog but, as with most things, now I have it these two things, and everything else that comes along with it, are not so scary at all.
Having Confidence in Doing Your Own Thing
I do still feel a little bit uncomfortable with the self-promotion thing and it's definitely not my favourite part about having a blog, especially in person, but it's something that I've got used to and definitely don't feel scared or embarrassed about anymore. The only advice I really have for starting something you want to do whether it's a blog, a YouTube channel, a music career etc. is just start it. Everyone says this but it's so true. You're going to have to get over being embarrassed about it and, if it's something you feel passionately about and enjoy, you'll get over it so much quicker than you think. Plus, if you're surrounded by good people then they'll support you and if you aren't, at least it will help you realise that there are some shitty people in your life who don't need to be there.
SOCIAL AND PERSONAL LIFE: GOING OUT AND DRINKING ALCOHOL
The next part of my life where I've had to try and do my own thing, and probably the most difficult part for me, is learning how I like to spend my time and realising that this is not how most people my age, in my situation like to do so. Yep, this is the part where I reveal that I'm 19 going on 90, far more inclined to spend my Saturday night watching Strictly Come Dancing then getting drunk and staying up till 5am. I've not always been like this, I used to love a good night out and a drink, admittedly before it was legal/acceptable for me to do so, and I think that's part of the reason why it's mostly not for me anymore.
Having Confidence in Doing Your Own Thing
Some people don't ever grow out of getting drunk and partying but a lot of people do and I think because I started out so early I am just a little bit bored by it now and definitely not excited by it. The other reasons why I've retired from being a party type of girl are much more difficult to navigate as they're purely health related. I've struggled with IBS and anxiety, as you'll probably know if you've read my blog before, for over 2 years now and they are both extremely negatively affected by drinking alcohol and a lack of sleep. I'm not going to go into it too much, because you really don't want to know about my digestive issues, trust me, but after drinking 3-4 ciders on Thursday night, I was not only fairly drunk (I've always been a lightweight but my lack of drinking has only accentuated that) but I spent the entirety of Friday with horrendous stomach pains, meaning I struggled to stand up by the end of the day, plus any feelings of anxiety are multiplied by 100.
This has been quite difficult for me because, as a student, the main activity that my friends engage in is drinking alcohol (FYI: I don't judge them for this at all, everyone enjoys different things and they're just as entitled to enjoy drinking as I am to not enjoy it). However, in my experience, the best thing you can do in these types of situations is be open with people. No one is going to get annoyed with you if you tell them how negatively you feel about doing something (even if your reasons for this aren't health-related) but they might if you cancel on plans last minute with an obviously-fake excuse or constantly decline their plans with no explanations. My friends are always so kind to me about not drinking or not going out and try to make effort with me to organise different types of things to do, meaning I rarely have to force myself through awkward and anxious nights and even worse morning-afters, something that was a weekly affair for me during my first year of UNI when I refused to be honest with anyone about it.
Having Confidence in Doing Your Own Thing
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES: DEALING WITH ANXIETY
The final thing I want to discuss is dealing with mental health issues and I know this sounds weird because 'doing your own thing' does not usually equate to having anxiety. But I think the most important thing in dealing with a mental health problem is accepting it and being confident that you know what the best things to do for you are and doing them, no matter what anyone else thinks. If you want to eat a pack of biscuits for tea because that's the only thing you feel hungry for and you don't have the energy to make anything else, do it (this is a case study from my life, specifically during the last week). If you feel like you need an extension on an essay or any sort of mitigating circumstances, talk to someone at your school/college/UNI about it.
You're the only person who knows exactly how you feel and you can't be embarrassed about your needs or the way you're feeling and avoid them because no one else is going to be able to guess what you want to do and help you. Something I found difficult last year and over the past week since moving back to UNI is feeling like I need/want to come home because being at UNI makes me anxious. There is such a stigma around going home from UNI, in my experience, because people feel as though they need to 'stick it out' to prove their independence and that UNI is the best years of their life. I felt the same way last year and forced myself to stay for UNI for weeks even though I knew a weekend at home would do me the world of good and I was very much in a position to go home. Now, mostly because of the incredible support of my friends and family, I feel absolutely no shame in coming home for a weekend or even every weekend, because if that's what I need to do to get through the days without a panic attack then that's what I'll do.
I realise this post has been a little bit of a ramble but it's something that I've wanted to speak about for a while and, clearly, have a lot to say about. I hope it's inspired you to do something this week that you want to do for you, whether that's starting a blog, saying no to something you don't want to do or booking an appointment with a counsellor. Be sure to leave me a comment or message me on social media if you want to discuss this topic further or talk about my experiences or your experiences. My DM's on Twitter and Instagram are always open!
Having Confidence in Doing Your Own Thing
Having Confidence in Doing Your Own Thing
Having Confidence in Doing Your Own Thing
Having Confidence in Doing Your Own Thing
Having Confidence in Doing Your Own Thing
Having Confidence in Doing Your Own Thing
Having Confidence in Doing Your Own Thing
Having Confidence in Doing Your Own Thing
Having Confidence in Doing Your Own Thing
Having Confidence in Doing Your Own Thing
The Pressures of Perfectionism
The Pressures of Perfectionism
Welcome (back?) to my blog! So sorry that I haven't been as regular with posting recently. With a holiday, exams and post-exams celebrating, I've not had much time to sit down and write. But I have 40 minutes till tonight's Love Island so I have plenty of time to write this post and hopefully I will be back to posting on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays weekly now.
One of the reasons I've let myself stop posting so regularly is because it's another way of getting over my perfectionism. I'm definitely not a perfectionist in every area of my life but in the areas where I set myself goals, I most definitely am. I'm most regularly setting myself goals within UNI and blogging, so I thought I'd talk a little bit about the pressures of perfectionism in each of these parts of my life.
I decided to discuss this topic in a post with these photos because I very much had an 'ideal image' in mind before shooting them, as I do with most planned shoots, and the outcome wasn't as good as I had hoped. This is partly because we were in a rush whilst taking them but also because they were taken on a busy street in Corfu where lots of people were giving me strange looks and I'm still not totally comfortable with shooting in front of strangers, especially when the people who I'm with/are taking the photos feel the same way.
I was kind of inspired to use this backdrop for my photos by Lucy Williams' recent campaign with Mango. Obviously my photos haven't come out half as good as hers because I didn't have a professional photographer shooting the photos, nor did I have a full day (or maybe even days) to perfect them, plus the backing and support of a major company. Considering the circumstances in which these photos were taken, I should be happy with them and I am after thinking about it! But this is just an example of one of the ways in which I hold myself up to ridiculous standards (and a segway into the rest of the post).
The Pressures of Perfectionism
So, personally, I am mostly a perfectionist academically. This is something I've talked about previously in my post on work-life balance as well as my post on my experience with anxiety, so I won't really go into it too much. But it is interesting to consider how much of the pressure I used to put on myself (and still do sometimes) academically is really created by myself rather than influenced by social factors. The pressure I put on myself during A-Levels was mostly generated by people telling me how difficult they would be and perhaps maintained by the feeling that I would inevitably be letting people down if I didn't do well. Although it really was me and, mostly, no-one else putting this pressure on myself, I think it was created by my social situation i.e. the fact that doing well in A-Levels is seen as the be-all and end-all during sixth form. My first-year of UNI has allowed me to be a lot more laid back because rather than being told that grades mean everything, we are instead told that grades don't matter this year, which has been endlessly helpful for me.
Moving onto university (I'm on a roll with the segways today), this post was actually inspired by conversations I've had with various people about the social pressure of university, particularly inspired by one with my friend Lucy at Parklife festival this weekend. You might be surprised by the amount of people who have dropped out of university this year based on the appearance of their Instagram feeds. Social media definitely suggests that EVERYONE is having a great time at university because, as my friend Katy said, no one is going to post a picture of themselves during one of the (probably) many times that they are crying in their bedroom.
First year of university is difficult for most people but because we are constantly told that it should be 'the best years of our lives' and that we should be extremely social, there's lots of guilt attached to feelings of sadness, boredom and loneliness at university and I think the pressure to be perfect is extremely prevalent here. I'm glad I've been able to share some of my more difficult experiences with university on my blog because it is so isolating seeing people with lots of new friends going out every night on Instagram, when you're spending your 5th night on a run eating leftover bolognese and writing an essay on a Jane Austen novel (I've written on three Austen texts this year which might just have put me off her forever).
But no one, that I know of, is really having an amazing time all the time so just remember that. I'm definitely going to be making more of an effort in second year to talk about some of my more difficult moments at university on Instagram. Even if I don't post a photo of myself crying in bed- because, quite frankly, I don't want to do that and I am 100% sure that no one wants to see it- I might talk a little bit about my shitty week in the caption or on Instagram stories. Not to moan but to prove to anyone who might think that my life is in any way 'perfect' that I have as many shitty times as they do and so they should never feel bad about them or pressured to have to feel better.
My perfectionism is something I'm trying to let go of in all areas of my life and I think I have been able to do so in lots of ways. I'm never going to be totally laid-back and I really don't ever want to be as my motivation and determination has been really good for me in lots of ways. But when it starts to affect my mental health is when I know I've taken it too far and hopefully in ignoring and abandoning any pressures to be perfect I won't have to let it get that far again. My Instagram and Twitter DMs are always open if you want to talk about any of your experiences and if you've gone through anything similar, do get in touch! I hope you've enjoyed this post and that it's reminded you to focus on yourself and ignore any social pressures around you.
The Pressures of Perfectionism
The Pressures of Perfectionism
The Pressures of Perfectionism
The Pressures of Perfectionism
The Pressures of Perfectionism
The Pressures of Perfectionism
The Pressures of Perfectionism
The Pressures of Perfectionism
The Pressures of Perfectionism
Finding A 'Work-Life Balance'
'Work-Life Balance' is a phrase that I've heard used lots since I've started following the lives of bloggers through their blogs themselves, YouTube, Instagram etc. It's something that they often talk about struggling with as because documenting their life is essentially their career, it's difficult to draw a line. Obviously, I am by no means a full-time blogger and I, for the most part, don't really see my blog as work at all- it's a hobby that I enjoy. However, taking pictures, editing HTML (which mostly consists of me watching endless YouTube tutorials) and actually writing blog posts is time-consuming and so adding my blog to the things that I do has made it difficult for me to relax over the past couple of months. It hasn't made me feel crazily stressed but I could feel the amount of time I was spending working taking it's toll on me so I'm trying to take some steps to change that. With studying for a full-time degree, working as an English tutor part-time (which involves lots of planning), having a significant role within the campaign Girls Against, plus running my blog, I often work from 8am-10pm on weekdays with minimal breaks, which is really unhealthy and bad for my mental health. I discussed how work took over my life during my A-Levels in a recent post about my experience with anxiety and I'm determined not to let that happen again this year, even if I do enjoy all of the things I class as 'work' now. So here are some of the things I'm doing to try and ensure I make time for myself:
1. Scheduling in 'holidays'.
People who work a 9-5 job obviously have a given amount of time for their holidays but, although with UNI we are given lots of time off for Christmas, Easter and summer, all of the other things I do continue throughout the year. So I'm trying to give myself official weeks off where I can just totally relax. I can't say I've managed one of these so far but I am planning on scheduling some in over summer and I definitely took a few days off everything during Christmas and Easter, if not a full break, which felt really nice in itself. However, I am currently on holiday in Corfu (as you might be able to tell by these photos), the week before my only UNI exam this semester, which is an attempt to try and force myself not to go overboard with revision. I am also in Corfu because I am not going to turn down a week of sun. I'm doing 2 hours of revision a day (ish) whilst I'm here, one in the afternoon and one in the evening and trying to relax for the rest of the day. I'm also writing blog posts (currently sat on my balcony writing this one) and taking photos for my blog because, as mentioned, I enjoy this and don't find it stressful whatsoever. Although I'm pretty sure this might be the only blog post for this week because I want to make the most of my time here.
2. Taking Weekends Off
This is something I've been trying to do since the beginning of university. I decided that I'd much rather work really hard throughout the week so I can have my weekends to myself. This is in part due to the fact that I mostly see my boyfriend on the weekends and I wanted to make sure I had time to see him but also because I struggle to take evenings off if I know I haven't got everything done that I wanted to do that day and don't enjoy the scheduled 'relaxing time'. Whereas with weekends, once it gets to Friday evening I know that I'm done for that week and anything else will have to wait till Monday. This is, of course, something I won't do during my second and third years of university as my workload grows, and something I don't do 100% of time now, so I will have to find another method of relaxation then, but it works great for now.
3. Making Plans and Sticking To Them
This is a really important one for me because I struggle to relax on my own because I'm always thinking that there's something more productive that I could be doing. However, when I'm with someone else, I know that there's no way I could be doing work at that moment and want to make the most of the time I have with whoever I'm with, so I'm really able to fully relax.
4. Planning My Time
Something I've started doing recently is realistically planning my days hour by hour. This means that usually I really have got everything I wanted to do done by 8pm and can relax for the rest of the night. I'm still a bit rubbish at switching off in the evenings though and often find something else productive to do without even thinking about it. But telling yourself that you're going to stop working at a certain time can be really helpful.
I'm going to leave this post here for today because I am hungry and I can smell the food from the restaurant of my hotel but I hope it helped you think about whether your work-life balance is truly balanced and gave you some tips to help it get there. I'm wearing this skirt from & Other Stories again because I just can't get enough of it along with this top also from & Other Stories, both of which I featured in my last post about what's new in my wardrobe. You've seen the shoes and the bag before but this bag is now back in stock on Zara (linked below)! I'm off to relax and enjoy the rest of the time I have in beautiful Corfu now but keep an eye on my Instagram to see what I'm up to.
My Morning Skincare and Beauty Routine (Cruelty Free)
Happy Friday! Today I'm going to be sharing with you my morning skincare and make-up routine. As I've mentioned before, I'm really crappy at make-up so I always go for something natural and simple but I thought I'd share it anyway as I feel like I'm using some products that I love at the moment. I love skincare and find it super interesting but my morning skincare routine is also pretty simple, both for time purposes and because that's what my skin seems to like. My evening skincare routine is much more complicated but I'm sure I'll do a blog post on that soon. In case you're wondering, I have oily, blemish-prone skin but it's in the best condition it's been in in a long time at the moment. Anyway here it is...
1. To start, I'll wet my face with a flannel before using the Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser- my holy grail product. I've talked about this in detail in my blog post I wrote on the Glossier products that I own but it really is the perfect morning cleanser- so refreshing. If I'm going to be washing my hair that morning, I'll use this in the shower but if not I just wash it off with a flannel, which works fine.
2. Next, I spray my face with the Mario Badescu rosewater. I'm really not sure if this does anything but I love the smell and the feeling of it on my skin. It's so refreshing in the morning and, because my evening skincare routine is quite de-hydrating, it's a good way to really hydrate my skin at the beginning of the day.
3. The final step of my morning skincare routine (I told you it was basic) is this moisturiser from Lush called 'Enzymion'. I've used it for years and, despite trying various other moisturisers, I always come back to it. It's formulated for oily skin which makes it perfect for me and it smells of lemons which makes it really refreshing. It moisturises the skin without making you feel like you've got a heavy moisturiser on, which I like as I hate feeling like I have anything on my face.
4. Moving on to make-up, I've just started using The Ordinary Serum foundation in the shade 1.2N and I'm loving it. It's similar to the Glossier 'Perfecting Skin Tint' but it's a quarter of the price and has much better coverage. I like my coverage to be really light because, as mentioned, I don't like feeling as though I have anything on my face, so on some days when I'm not really doing anything I do prefer the Glossier one. But overall, this is far better priced and covers up any imperfections, unlike the Glossier product. I usually just blend it in with an ELF blending brush.
5. The next step is bronzer although if I have any breakouts I'll use the ELF concealer before this. I use the Urban Decay 'Beached Bronzer' which is buildable and so easy to apply. It's not too dark or too light which means applying it is effortless and it never leaves any brown splodges on the top of my cheekbones.
6. After this I'll either go in with a highlighter or with this Charlotte Tilbury blush stick- more often than not I use this as it's much easier to apply than highlighter and makes for a more natural look. This one is in the shade 'Moon Beach' and it's a kind of coral-y shade that definitely comes with a glow once applied. Super easy to use (can you see a theme here within my routine...) and something I actually get complimented on fairly often, which is always nice! Plus, it smells really good.
7. For someone who is lazy with their make-up, I wear eyeshadow disproportionately often, pretty much every day. I've never been able to do liquid eyeliner and so eyeshadow is the something interesting and varied that I like to add to my make-up routine. My favourite palette for every day is the 'Sweet Peach' palette by Too Faced. It has a variety of different shades but I usually stick to the lighter ones, although I am partial to some glitter. My favourite and most worn shade is 'Bellini', which I'm wearing in these photos, which is a shimmery dark pink shade that I think brings out the blue in my eyes.
8. Another holy grail product for me is the Anastasia Beverly Hills 'Brow Wizz' in soft brown. For some reason that is completely unknown to me, I have random holes in my eyebrows and this brow pencil allows me to fill them in quickly and seamlessly. I also have bushy eyebrows that grow back quicker than I care to pluck them so an eyebrow brush is necessary for me everyday, even when I'm not wearing make-up. The only annoying thing about the 'Brow Wiz' is that the packaging breaks so easily (as you can see here) which means the spoolie brush that comes with it always disappears within the first week of me owning it.
9. For mascara, I *usually* use the Urban Decay 'Perversion' which is cruelty free however I didn't have it with me when I was taking these photos so I'm just using a random tester- sorry about that! I really don't have much to say about it as a mascara anyway apart from that it works and it's cruelty free and vegan, which is enough for me! I honestly don't know what makes a good mascara and usually can't tell one from another.
10. Finally, I use what is perhaps my favourite beauty product, the Glossier 'Balm Dot Com' in the shade/flavour (?) Birthday. It adds a slight shimmer and tastes incredible and is so soothing for my perennially dry lips. I don't usually wear lipstick day-to-day so I just slap a bit of this on and I'm good to go.
I hope you've enjoyed this post despite the fact that I am very apparently not that knowledgable about make-up! I do enjoy doing it and I especially enjoy doing skincare, so expect an evening skincare routine very soon where I can go a bit more into depth about my skin and what works for it. Let me know if you use any of the products I've mentioned and what your holy grail products are in the comments! Also if you are interested in any of the Glossier products I mentioned, you can click here to get 10% off your order!
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My Glossier Products Ranked
I'm really not that into beauty. Re-stocking my make-up bag is often more of a chore than something I look forward to (mostly due to the price of beauty products) and I really don't know much about how to apply make-up well. Skincare, on the other hand, I find really interesting. Trying out new skincare products is something I enjoy because it's just so satisfying seeing improvements in my skin. If the choice was between a new cleanser or a new pair of jeans though, I'd be happy to stick with a crappy cleanser for a while. Fashion is my favourite thing to spend money on without a doubt. So I never thought I'd be as excited as I am about a beauty brand until I discovered Glossier.
I don't know what it is about Glossier that gets me so excited. I mean, I'm not going to lie, their incredible marketing definitely lures me in and, to be honest, I'm okay with that because I'm definitely more likely to be excited about a beauty product if I like the packaging (or if said product comes with stickers!!) even if that is a little vain. I'm also okay with being consciously allured by their branding because I don't dislike any of the products I've tried and some of them, I absolutely love. I'm really behind the brand's ethos 'Beauty Products Inspired By Real Life' and the effortlessness they ensure their products provide because, as I said, I'm not one to get particularly excited over make-up and I'm pretty crap at applying it so the simpler for me, the better. Plus, they're cruelty free!
Since Glossier started shipping to the UK in October 2017, I've accumulated and tried out a fair amount of their products. So, seeing as I love their brand so much and have tried out rather a lot of their products, I thought I would rank them and talk a little bit about the pros and cons of each of them, in case you're looking to make an order from Glossier and aren't sure what to buy.
Also, before I start I should point out that I have oily, acne-prone skin so I'll be talking about the effectiveness of the products for me with reference to this skin type
My number one Glossier product has to be this cleanser. It hasn't transformed my skin by any means but it is the cleanest, most refreshing cleanser I've ever used. I love using it in the shower in the morning as the texture and the smell really help to wake me up. It's also nice and light which makes it perfect to use in the morning as well, because I don't like to pile on too many heavy products before starting my day. I always look forward to using this cleanser and it is by far my favourite cleanser I've ever used- I'm already on my second bottle. I've never attempted to take my make-up off with it because I've read lots of reviews that say it isn't great for that and I did initially use it in the night, but then swapped it for the Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel, because I felt like it was a bit too light for my evening skincare routine. This is the only thing about the cleanser that I'd described as a 'con' but really the fact that I don't use it in the night is just personal preference and the because I own two cleansers and like to get my use out of both of them.
This lip balm (or universal balm, as Glossier describe it) is so so great! It smells amazing, it hydrates my (extremely dry and often chapped) lips and the packaging is perfect. The only reason it's not at the top of my list is because it's unfortunately not vegan and I only purchase vegan beauty/skincare products (this was gifted to me and I use up all my gifts rather than letting them go to waste). It's such a shame because this really is the perfect lip balm and I'm very very tempted to re-purchase it once it runs out even though it isn't vegan. But I'll cross that bridge when I come to it (which will hopefully be never)!
I was kindly gifted this perfume for Christmas and it has become my staple scent ever since- I mean, it's the only perfume I own so I don't really have much of a choice but I do genuinely love it and I know I would reach for it pretty much every day anyway even if I did own any other scents. This perfume is designed to smell different on everyone who uses it and the scent does feel very natural to me. If I could describe how I want to smell then I would describe this. I'm really not even going to even try to describe the scent because I really know nothing about perfumes so that would be totally pointless. But if you order anything from Glossier you can add a sample of the perfume to your order for free so you can try it out yourself. I would definitely recommend it as I always feel great when I'm wearing it and consistently receive compliments on it when I do.
4. Mega Greens Galaxy Pack Face Mask
First of all, sorry for the very crappy quality of this photo. I somehow lost the photos of this mask (and photos of the lipstick a little bit further down the page) and had to re-take them without natural light so I could get this blog post up in time and my camera's focus is not great without natural light (or even in natural light to be honest). Anyway, I've been using this mask for a few months and I've definitely noticed that my skin has improved. I started using a variety of new skincare products all at the same time though, so I can't be sure that it was this mask that has significantly improved my skin, although I do genuinely feel like it's helped. It stings a little while it's on my face, which I like because then I know it's doing something, and my skin is visibly brighter after removing it. I also really like the packaging because, even if tubs aren't the most hygienic form of packaging, I feel like I can use every last drop of the mask and am able to easily apply the right amount of mask to my face too. I don't know if I'd re-purchase this mask because it's not dramatically transformed my skin and I do like to try different masks because I find it fun/interesting. So I can't say I am totally besotted with this product but it's definitely worth trying.
This, along with the milky jelly cleanser, was the first Glossier product I purchased back in October and I've been using it as my base for make-up ever since. I really loved it at first. It's super natural as in, it provides little to no coverage. But I really like this because I prefer a natural make-up look anyway and I don't like how heavy foundation feels on my skin. I apply it with my fingers (which definitely works best because using an applicator means losing a significant amount of the product) which makes it super easy to apply and it's pretty much impossible to get foundation lines- so it's great in terms of ease. However, as I've got further through the product, I've been becoming more and more frustrated with the packing because it's so difficult to get any of the product out of it. I also think it's really overpriced for what it is and, after recently purchasing The Ordinary Serum Foundation, I think I much prefer the latter that I bought for a fraction of the price. So I don't think I will be re-purchasing this foundation purely because of the price and the packaging but it did work well for me for a period of time.
Again, sorry for the crappy quality of this photo. This lipstick is the most recent of my Glossier purchases and I do really like it. It's a nice shade of red and it's definitely buildable. However, it's just not really what I expected. I was hoping for a more natural red and one that wouldn't budge as easy as other red lipsticks do. I don't really think it's lived up to these expectations and isn't much different other red lipsticks I've tried but it is great for a standard matte red lip and one that was definitely missing from my collection.
In last place is the priming moisturiser. This just wasn't for me. As mentioned, I have oily skin and this moisturiser, in my opinion, isn't great for my skin type at all. I'm sure it would be great for people with less oily skin as it's super convenient in that it's a primer and moisturiser in one. I have tried it a few times underneath the Perfecting Skin Tint and it definitely improved the appearance of my skin for the first hour of wearing it, and helped the foundation to go on much more smoothly. However, after this hour, it would really just highlight my oiliness. So, not great for me, but it might work for you!
So we've reached the end of this fairly *comprehensive* (AKA rambly) post about the Glossier products I own. Please do let me know if you have any questions about any of the products I've mentioned. Or, if you've tried out any of Glossier's products, I'd love for you to recommend me your faves in the comments. Next on my list to buy is the Solution, closely followed by at least one shade of Lidstar.
You can also click here to use my code to get 10% off your Glossier order (and if you use it, Glossier reward me with some store credit- which is nice for the both of us)!
Berlin on 35mm Film
These photos are from quite some time ago now but I still want to share them on my my blog as there some of my favourite film photos I've taken. My boyfriend and I took a trip to Berlin as part of his birthday present in December for a few days. I took my brand new film camera with me after my old one broke during a trip to Rome in September. This post is completely inspired by the amazing Lizzy Hadfield's 'Weeks on 35mm' posts on her blog Shot From The Street. I really wanted to recreate something similar with my film photos from the trip and I'm hoping to share lots more film photos like this.