Love Of Life

Unhealthy Friendships

2017-07-03T03:55:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to write this post for so long, it's such an important topic that no one seems to mention. We are quick to talk about unhealthy romantic relationships but often people forget the impact of unhealthy friendships. I wanted to share with you some of my experiences and what to look out for.

Unfortunately I have found myself in quite a few bad friendships and I know how hard it is to be able to break away from them. This is a reoccurring problem of mine, constantly finding myself in friendships that are not healthy and often not even realising it.

When I was younger, in high school, I had a friendship that was not at all healthy but I never fully acknowledged how bad it was until I got out of the friendship. Trust, for a start, is such a key factor in any relationship. If you feel you cannot trust your friend you have to think about the quality of the relationship. For me trust was a major issue in this friendship, it was very tough wanting to confide in someone about something but then finding they would go and tell the whole school what said.

A friend should support you, support your goals, your decisions, your other relationships etc. If they are constantly making you feel bad for things you want or do in your life you have to consider the impact this might have on you. This can completely knock your self-esteem, and ruin your happiness, you need to get rid of negativity. A friend expressing their opinion is okay, but if they are not willing to support you even if they don't agree with whatever if is you want or are doing then they are not a true friend. They will just be making you feel bad about yourself.

Following on from not supporting your decisions, friendships, especially when you are younger, especially in school, everyone is trying to be 'cool' and friends often try and pressure you into doing things you don't want to do. If they have no respect for your decision and are pressuring you to do things and making you feel bad if you don't do them, this is not healthy. This can be particularly dangerous physically as well as mentally with things such as drugs and alcohol. It is shocking the things people do to impress/please there friends and although it is sometimes hard to say no in the moment, think about how you will be glad you stuck your ground in the long run.

If you are finding yourself always giving, going out of your way and trying to put them first every time and getting nothing back, this is another sign of an unhealthy friendship. This is something I still struggle with today, I like to help people, no matter what sacrifice I have to take to help them and I've noticed when I want that help back, I don't get it. This is such a hard one for me because I tell myself to be more selfish, put myself first because I know I'm not getting anything back but it's just not in my nature and I always struggle to not go out of my way for people. But if a friendship is so one sided it can be really exhausting and they can learn to take advantage of you if you keep doing it without even hesitating. You need friends who are there for you too instead of you just being there for them.

Communication is also a key factor in friendships, or any other type of relationship. If you are finding yourself being the one who has to start conversation all the time and always being the one trying to arrange meeting up this is not a good friendship. This was an issue I was having in a friendship not that long ago. All of a sudden it seemed so much of a struggle to get them to talk to me, or meet up, I was constantly having to make so much of an effort for us not to loose contact and in the end I had to just let us drift apart as the effort was so one sided on my part.

Let me know if you have experienced any of these things in the comments, or if you have experienced anything I have not mentioned here!

MH

Take time to talk

2016-12-28T10:53:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in 3 months, and whilst I have ideas of topics to write about I thought I'd take the time to just talk about my past months and my thoughts. Talking is important, and even if you're not necessarily getting a response, like this blog post, I don't know who it will reach and who will respond or if anyone even will respond. You need to just get things off your chest from time to time!

So just a quick update on my life, for the past couple of months I have been trying to settle into my new uni house and get used to second year. And before I know it, I'm here in December and semester one is basically over! Honestly it has been a rollercoaster of emotions and I have been so busy and yet to get into a good routine. Time has flown by and I have failed at writing a blog post, as well as keeping on top of a million other things I need to do. However I realised it was important to get to a stage where I felt ready to post again and it wasn't just another chore I had to do along with everything else! I want to enjoy what I'm writing and put my all into it, not just post because I felt I had to.

During this time I have also manged to get myself a part time job, which is good because I have an income and it takes away the stress of money, but it also adds stress to my life as my week is either uni or work! I'm working really hard to get a good balance of time for myself, work and to socialise.

I've also had stress to do with where I'm going to be living in my third year at uni, my ideal situation was to stay in the house we have now, especially so I could possibly work over summer if I needed to but due to certain circumstances that isn't an option. Now the pressure and stress of finding a house for next year is on.

It is now a few days after Christmas, a load of birthdays have also been and gone including my own and I have got to that point where I think I am on top of everything for now and can take some time for myself for once. I hope from now on to be posting more actively as I have a load of ideas I can't wait to work on! Stay tuned!

MH

Top Natural Collection picks

2016-09-15T02:10:00.003-07:00

Affordable Makeup: Natural Collection

Natural Collection is a really affordable brand by Boots, all of their products are £1.99. Some of their products I would totally recommend especially for everyday makeup or if you want a natural finish. So I decided to share my favourites and my thoughts on each one!

Raspberry Ripple Lipgloss:

This is the product I've had the longest from Natural Collection and to be honest I don't usually like wearing lipgloss because I prefer a matte finish on my lips but surprisingly I love this one! It leaves a lovely finish that isn't too glossy, its a perfect natural lipgloss. It's great for an everyday look when you don't want to go over the top for work or school and is also good for when you have bold eye makeup and just want a little bit of something more subtle on your lips. My favourite thing about this lipgloss is the fact it actually smells like raspberry ripple and tastes a bit like it too, it definitely doesn't have that awful taste most lipgloss usually has! This is the only lipgloss I've ever liked wearing, so I suggest giving this a try!

Lash Definition & Lash Curl Mascara:

I am so impressed with these mascaras. I thought they wouldn't do much but honestly they do a great jobs on my lashes and make them look fuller and longer. They don't leave your lashes clumpy which I love and they really do look good. I have the Lash Curl and Lash Definition ones but there isn't much difference between them apart from the shape of the brushes, the Lash Curl is a slightly bigger brush, they seem to give the same finish though.

Top is Lash definition, and bottom is the Lash Curl

I use either one of these on a daily basis. I love this mascara because I think it has a good balance between looking natural and still giving your lashes length and definition. I think some of the more expensive mascaras I've tried can sometimes leave my lashes looking really clumpy and I really hate that. I would recommend giving this a try, I know people have mixed opinions on this but personally it works really well on my lashes

Cover Up Stick Concealer:

This concealer is great at covering up spots and blemishes. As you can see I've used this a lot and I desperately need to replace it. It's so cheap and I decided to add it to my list of my top Natural Collection products because I just think for the price it works as well as any other more expensive stick concealers I've tried. So if you use stick concealers I'd give this a go, especially if the ones you use are more expensive, this could save you money! Also the colour of this is perfect for my skin and I sometimes struggle getting the right shade for my skin but I got this in fair and it works perfectly. So if you're pretty pale like me this could be good for you.
Something I haven't mentioned yet is the packaging, I love the simplicity of Natural Collection's packaging it really reflects the idea of their products being natural, nothing too over the top, and they don't look too cheap either. However the only product I've noticed a problem with the packaging is this one, the packaging isn't as strong as it should be and makes it easily to break or for the product to come lose but it hasn't caused me any major problems yet, I just noticed a small crack in the lid.

Pressed Powder:

One of the main reasons I love this powder is the packaging. For ages now I've been trying different powders out, thinking the higher the price the better it will be, but was I wrong! The problem I've been having is that every powder I buy seems to break, either the product itself, the actual packaging or both. The amount of powders I've bought in the year to replace broken ones is ridiculous, so I ended up trying this Natural Collection one about a month ago and as soon as I picked it up I knew this was so much better than all the others. It has a very strong top, which used to break in my makeup bag or if I dropped it on some of my others but this one is pretty firm. It also screws on which is so good because it stops the lid coming off, so if the powder does end up breaking at any point it wont go everywhere in my bag. The design of this product along with the actual colour of the powder really makes it a winner for me. There's so many times that powders have turned out too orange for my skin but this is perfect, it leaves a lovely matte finish. I definitely won't be buying more expensive powders in future because all I seem to do is break them! So if you're as clumsy as me I'd recommend this.

Let me know if you've tried Natural Collection makeup and what your thoughts and favourites are in the comments.

Personalise your uni room

2016-09-07T03:58:00.000-07:00

A few things I'm using to decorate my room this year

It's almost time to move in to uni and the one thing I grew to hate was how unwelcoming my room felt. Personalising your room is definitely something that can help, making you feel more at home and comfortable in your own space. So I am going to share some of the things I added to my room in first year and some of my new purchases for my room in second year.

1. Photos:

I feel like this is the number one thing you need, on every post about decorating your uni room I have seen photos are always mentioned. As well as holding many memories they are very decorative and definitely give any room a personal touch. This is pretty much the only thing I took with me to decorate my room in the beginning and they were pinned up to a notice board because we weren't allowed to use blue tac on the walls. It looked good but I think photo frames are also something to consider as you may be limited to that one space to stick things to. Photo frames can also add a personal and decorative touch. I have this silver one (in the photo above), I'm not sure where it's from, it was given to me as a present it's quite plain and simple but it adds something more that just sticking it to the wall, and it also means I can put it where I want. I'm planning on putting this by my bed once I have chosen a photo for it because it's small and won't take up too much space.

2. Cushions

I haven't yet purchased any cushions but this year I have chosen quite a neutral colour scheme for my bedding so I am planning on adding cushions to brighten it up a bit so it isn't too bland. Cushions are also great because in most university accommodation the beds don't have a headboard, so if you're like me and like to sit up in bed on your laptop rather than at your desk then cushions are definitely a good idea for something to lean against.

3. Books
This may sound stupid but books are a really good way to decorate your room. A row of books containing different colours and patterns can really add some colour and personality to your room or you could get a book series that are possibly all the same colour which will look really neat displayed together and add a block of colour to your room. I took some books last year and it really brightened and filled up my shelf. I had 2 I hadn't read before and then a few I'd already read just to fill out the shelf a little bit. I ended up never finding the time to read any of them apart from a text book for my course, how fun! It's worth considering if you have a bit of space on a shelf you don't know what to do with and you've got some books lying around. I'm certainly going to take some with me this time and find a space for them.

4. Reed Diffuser / Candles

Most university accommodation will not allow candles therefore I think reed diffusers are the next best thing. If you are allowed candles then candles would be a good thing to use as a little decoration whether you light them or not and you could get a scented one to make your room smell nice. However if not then I would get a reed diffuser, personally I think they look quite nice on a window sill or a shelf in your room. They also make your room smell nice and I think they look better than one of those plastic air fresheners and save time because they constantly give your room a nice scent instead of using a spray and having to remember to spray your room from time to time.

I got this one (in the photo above) from Primark, I got the Madagascan Vanilla scented one I believe it was £1. They have a few different scents if you are not interested in this one and are widely available in other stores.

5. Pots

Pots are great for storage as well as decoration. You could put makeup brushes, paint brushes, pencils, or even just use them to keep things like your spare change. I brought this metal pot with a blue bow on it (see photo above) from a shop called Tiger for £2. I thought it was really cute and would look really nice on my desk with a set of makeup brushes I have in it.

6. Throw

Like cushions, a throw can jazz up your bed a little and its a great way to add some colour to your room. I feel its important your bed looks nice as it's the main feature of your room. Last year I had a bright red throw which was also really soft and fleecy if I was ever cold, which was almost never because my uni halls were always stupidly hot! Unfortunately it is too small for my bed in second year as this time I have a double but I will still be keeping it at the back of my wardrobe just incase I get cold this year or find a place to put it.

7. Fairy lights

Some university accommodation do not like you using fairy lights either but if you get the battery pack ones rather than the one you plug into the wall there isn't usually an issue. Last year my friend lent me some fairy lights when we were trying to make my room look more homely. We put them around my notice board and they really were cute to turn on when I'd be in my watching a film or just chilling with my friends. Even when they aren't on they still add a nice decoration to your room.

8. Boxes
This one is similar to pots, you can get all different sizes of boxes in a range of colours and patterns which are excellent for storage as well as being decorative. I was given this floral one (see photo above) off one of my friends for my birthday, this already had bits of paper in the top and a little drawer which I'm going to keep little important things in so I don't end up losing them. I also have a few empty boxes I plan to use for storage as they save me leaving little things lying around and make everything look neater. As well as this I also have a Ted Baker box that I had some body spray and bath products in, you can reuse boxes like this for other things, at the moment I have put my scissors, blue-tac, tape and little bits and bobs like that in it because it is such a nice box and is excellent for storage.

9. Jewellery stand/ hanger

Jewellery is really pretty and decorative so why not put it on display? Last year I pinned my jewellery hanger to my notice board and it looked really pretty and really added something to my notice board. Unfortunately I do not have a stand, just two hangers and I don't know where I'll be able to hang it in my new uni room this year because I don't have a notice board and can't nail it too the walls like I have at home! Another idea if you don't have a jewellery stand/hanger but you do have a notice board, which I saw my friend do which I copied before I took my hanger to uni was to just hang jewellery off pins instead, I had a row of necklaces on mine and it looked really nice.

10. Money box

As a student saving money is very hard but what better way to do it than put a spare change into a pot from time to time, it will soon add up and it can be a way to add decoration to your room! I have this cupcake one given to me as a present (see photo above) which will look really nice on a table or dresser and will definitely help me save up my spare change!

So that is my list of items to personalise your room, as you can see they are pretty simple things, a lot of which I already had lying around my room or are cheap to pick up if not.

Let me know if you have any other ideas in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!
MH x

MUA Lipstick/Lip Lacquer

2016-08-28T08:52:00.001-07:00

Affordable makeup: MUA Lipstick & Lip Lacquer

From the left- Wild Berry Matte Lipstick, Shade 1 Lipstick, Dash Velvet Lip Lacquer, Moxie Velvet Lip Lacquer

I decided to share with you my thoughts on some MUA lip products I have tried because they are so affordable and amazing if you don't want to spend too much. I have grown to love the brand MUA for how cheap they are and for the price how good the products are! So you'll probably see me recommending this brand a lot. If you are on a budget I would definitely give this brand a go, or if you want to try new makeup products but aren't ready to spend loads on higher end products until you know what colours and type of products are best for you to work with. These lipsticks are only £1 and the lip lacquers are £3! They are available in Superdrug in the UK or online at https://www.muastore.co.uk/.

Swatches

From left- Dash Velvet Lip Lacquer, Moxie Velvet Lip Lacquer, Wild Berry Matte Lipstick, Shade 1 Lipstick.

Matte Lipstick:

Wild Berry

I absolutely love the colour of this one! But the first thing I'll mention is you definitely have to build up the colour because as you can see by the swatches above this is no where near as pigmented as the others when you first apply it. It does build up well though and leaves a lovely matte finish. The colour isn't as dark as it seems in the packaging when you apply it to your lips which I didn't mind because when I bought it I was a bit unsure about how dark it seemed but it is such a nice colour.

This is the first product I brought from MUA a while ago and as you probably tell from the photos is the one I have used the most that even the brand name has worn away! It's definitely the easiest to apply for me, it goes smoothly onto the lips. It also leaves your lips feeling lightly moisturised, it's definitely not dry, and it almost feels like you have just a light lip balm on your lips.
You may be wondering why I only have one shade from this collection and the reason for this is because every time I go into Superdrug I can never find a shade I find as appealing as this one. There are 8 colours in this collection and the only colours they seem to have when I go into the store are Pouty Pink, Peachy Keen, Totally Nude and Lilac Belle. I am not one for pale colours, especially pinks so I know I wouldn't wear those. I really want to get more of these lipsticks though so I definitely am going to keep a look out for Fawn Fancy which is more of a darker, warmer nude colour or one of their red shades; Scarlet Siren or Mystic Marsala. If I have no luck soon I will definitely be purchasing these from their website! I'd definitely give one of these a try if you are looking for a cheap matte lipstick because they do last quite a while for the price as well.

Lipstick:

Shade 1

This is the second lip product I brought from MUA after trying the matte one and loving it. Personally I prefer matte lipsticks but I still thought I'd give this a try because I really liked the deep red colour. It is extremely pigmented as soon as you apply it to the lips and leaves a lovely glossy finish which feels very moisturising.

I would buy more of these if I was searching for a non-matte lipstick. At the moment I don't really tend to reach for this lipstick purely because it isn't matte and is quite a bold vibrant colour I wouldn't tend to use on a daily basis. It is a good shade for going out for a meal or a drink, however it does rub off easily if you are eating and drinking but otherwise does stay for fairly long time for this type of lipstick.
MUA do quite a few different colours in this collection ranging from nudes, to pinks, reds, purples and even a black. So I'm sure there would be a colour for everyone in this collection! I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a lipstick with a glossy finish for a cheap price.

Velvet Lip Lacquers: MUA Luxe range

Moxie

As soon as I saw this product I really wanted to try one out! I wanted to buy Dash first as it was the one that caught my eye the most on the swatches I had seen on YouTube videos, however no matter how many Superdrug stores I looked in they hadn't got it anywhere. Because of how eager I was after hearing they were pretty good I decided to just try any, so I picked up Moxie. When I opened it I was a bit unsure about how bright pink it was as I usually don't go for something of this shade and it does seem slightly brighter than it looked from the packaging however it is a really nice vibrant colour and I have grown to like it a lot. I really like wearing this with a dark outfit as it adds that bit of colour to the look.

They are very easy to apply to the lips and a little bit goes a long way so they are definitely worth the money as they will last you a long time. It feels very smooth and doesn't dry the lips out or feel sticky which I really love about this product, it almost feels like there is nothing on your lips. I think the packaging is also really nice on these and looks quite expensive and of a good quality.

Dash

These lip products leave a lovely matte finish and last a really long time, they can sometimes get patchy when you have eaten or drank something so you sometimes need to just touch them up a little after meals. I would recommend using a lip balm and a lip scrub in between using these because I found after my holiday and being in the sun all the time which lead me to having dry lips they didn't leave a good finish on my lips. So just make sure your lips are kept moisturised for the best finish with lip products like this.

Dash is my favourite out of the two I currently own and I was very pleased to finally get my hands on it not that long ago. It is a very wearable colour for day or night and looks good with most of the outfits I wear. It isn't as bright as Moxie which makes it easier to wear for me and I just love the shade! MUA do this product in a variety of shades, again there is something for everyone and I will definitely be getting more of these!

I will leave the link here again if you want to check any of these out for yourself https://www.muastore.co.uk/.

Thank you for reading, let me know your thoughts on MUA Lip products.
Also what is your favourite MUA product?

MH

Long distance relationships: Having doubts

2016-08-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

First things first, there’s no doubt that long distance relationships are hard. From time to time you might start asking yourself questions like will this even work? Can I actually cope? And you may even feel guilty for that thought even crossing your mind, but trust me it’s to be expected. Long distance relationships are tough and it is easy to start worrying about what the future may hold.

I met my boyfriend at university, however he graduated and I am still studying therefore since the summer we have become a long distance relationship as he has returned home. When we first met the thought of us living far apart didn’t cross my mind much, I guess I was so caught in the moment and so happy I’d found someone like him. However, in the last few months before he left university the doubts started to kick in and I started stressing about how I’d cope not getting to see him as often as I did. It didn’t help that I was completely new to being in a long distance relationship and family and friends would constantly be asking questions like ‘What are you going to do when he goes back home?’. We have now been long distance for 3 nearly 4 months and I can’t believe how fast that has gone already and it does feel more normal to me now even though it will never stop being hard.

I’m not going to lie there are times when I find the distance so unbearable and all I want to do is be in his presence but I found ways of trying to talk positively to myself and change my thoughts. The main thing I tell myself when I start having any kind of doubts about the distance is to think about how happy I am now and how I’d feel if I wasn’t in this relationship. The pain of the distance is definitely more bearable than the pain I’d feel if I lost him. Another thing I find helpful which he always reminds me of is how fast the time has gone already, it feels like only yesterday we went home for summer. We have the end goal in sight and he reminds me to think of how this fraction of time spent apart is nothing compared to what we could spend together in the future. So have end end goal in sight, count down the days till you next see each other and think every day is a day closer to being together!

If you really love the person you are with I have faith that you can do it! Leave a comment or contact me either via the form in the sidebar of my homepage or email me at loveoflifemh@gmail.com if you would like to talk to either myself or try and find other people who are in or have been in an LDR.

Tackling homesickness at University

2016-08-16T02:54:00.002-07:00

Starting university is a scary thing, some people find it harder than others, especially if you're moving away from home for the first time. I started uni a year ago and honestly first year was probably the best year of my life so make the most of every moment! However I did sometimes feel extremely homesick and it is to be expected so don't be ashamed of it because those around you probably feel exactly the same even if they aren't showing it.

One of the things that are really hard to do is have a good balance, you need to phone and visit home often in order to overcome your homesickness however too much of this can lead to you feeling even more homesick. Another thing is try and socialise and don't lock yourself away, sometimes it can be hard not to fall into the habit of locking yourself away in your room when you're feeling down. I went through a time of doing this and I honestly came to hate my room, it felt like a prison cell to me and all I wanted was to be back in my bedroom at home.

It's a good thing to talk about how you feel, have a good hug and even a cry if you need to with a friend! I told my friends and family about how I was feeling and they all helped to make my room feel more homely and welcoming by adding some of the things I had in my room at home such as photo frames.

Make the most of the people around you, I wouldn't have got through it without friends, family and my boyfriend. Make the most of the opportunities, join societies, make friends, go and explore, it will take your mind off home. There were stages where I really didn't want to come home I was enjoying it that much! So try and enjoy every moment, university will probably be a roller-coaster of emotions but the good will outweigh the bad if you allow it to. Make the most of your freedom, your chance to learn new things and ultimately have the best time of your life!

If any of you feel particularly worried and want to ask any questions to someone who's been in the situation already, feel free to leave a comment or contact me at loveoflifemh@gmail.com.

MH

Welcome!

2016-08-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

I've finally set up a blog after a while of wanting to but never pushing myself far enough to actually do it...until now! I have finally managed to persuade myself to do something completely out of my comfort zone. I'm hoping this will be something I grow to be very proud of starting and I know I will be very passionate about.

The main thing about this blog is that I didn't want to limit myself to one thing to write about, so I am keeping my options open in terms of content. However, the one thing I do know is that I hope the content I do post on my blog is useful and/or enjoyable to read.

Thank you,
MH x