Pretty Please

Solo Marrakech City Break

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 03 May 2016 08:00:00 +0000

So I think that it’s about high time that I start putting these travel pictures that I’m accumulating to good use. After my year abroad last year, the travel bug has hit me hard. Ever since then I have been making it my personal mission to keep on exploring.

So after counting my carefully saved pennies from my student loan, and reading numerous reviews of how safe it would be to travel to Morocco alone as a woman, I took the plunge and made my way to the airport for a ~~cheap~~ inexpensive city break to Marrakech at the end of this January.

My decision to go to Morocco alone kicked up some adverse reactions, but if you know me you’ll know that I’m a big advocate of self-love and I think solo travel is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. I think that my tips on safe female solo travel to Marrakech deserve a blog post of their own, which I’ll be writing soon. Spoiler alert: dress conservatively and don’t wander around like a lost puppy. In all seriousness, at no point did I feel unsafe, but I did feel like I had to stay alert - but that's good practice for anyone who's in an unfamiliar place. Expect to be heckled at and get some stares, but from the solo female travelers that I spoke to while I was there, nothing went further than a somewhat awkward situation.

WHERE TO STAY

The first thing on my to do list when planning my trip was deciding where to stay. When you’re traveling alone, staying in a hostel is a great option. And luckily, there are some great quality, cheap hostels in Marrakech. Keeping this in mind, I decided to go for somewhere a little special and picked Equity Point Marrakech. I can safely say that I made the right decision and would stay there again quicker than you can say £8 a night (you heard me!). I made so many friends there from all around the world, and the decor is beautiful; I particularly loved the complimentary rooftop breakfasts. I could have found a cheaper place to stay, but I think that the trick to a cheap city break in Marrakech, or anywhere for that matter, is deciding where you don’t mind spending a little more money. Like my friends Damon and Jo say, “learn to sacrifice for what you want”. A quiet break from the bustle of the Medina could be exactly what you need to recuperate and refresh your energy levels before you head out again. Plus, if you go in an off-peak period (e.g. late January) and share a room, like me you could be paying the equivalent of £8 per night.

THINGS TO DO

As a female solo traveler in Marrakech, who was also on a student budget, I wanted to find inexpensive activities around the city. Luckily there is no shortage of cheap things to do in Marrakech! Everything I did was very affordable, and I’d argue that you can soak up a lot of the culture from simply being there. Just walking around the souks is an experience in itself. The souks are the independent shops that sell anything from clothing and jewellery to artwork. There really is something for everyone, and with no set price, it’s a budget traveler’s dream. These mazes of colours and life overwhelmed me a bit on the first day, but by the end of the trip I was practically strutting through the medina. Just make sure you look out for the motorcycles that zoom through! Remember the key to mastering the souks is learning how to haggle. I’m still working on that, but I did manage to get some souvenirs for myself and my family, such as postcards, tea and spices.

Jemaa El Fna, otherwise known as the main square, is another must-see. During the day it offers a marketplace of refreshing beverages and snacks, as well an assortment of entertainment. You can find music, henna and even animals like monkeys and snakes: be careful, though: if you stop to watch for too long you may be asked to pay, or worse have a monkey shoved onto your shoulder. As someone who cares about animal welfare, I can’t say that I would recommend paying to encourage a business that makes its money from keeping wild animals in captivity. The square stays just as busy by night when it transforms into a number of open air restaurants with street performers on the edges. The square is a good point of reference when navigating the medina. Trust me, everyone will know where it is.

If you’re looking for some beautiful sights and architecture within the city, one of my favourite places that I visited was the Medersa Ben Youssef. It offers a tranquil spot to escape from the relentless energy of the city, but without sacrificing on those beautiful Moroccan colours. The place used to be a Koranic school, so you can peer into the old classrooms while admiring the architecture for only 20Dh (less than £2).

Near to the medersa is la Maison de la Photographie. If you’re a fan of photography, or just want to find out a bit more about the history of Marrakech, it's worth a visit. This photography museum has a permanent collection showing photography of Marrakech through the ages, starting from the 1800s. I really enjoyed being shown through photos how the culture had developed, and learning more about the history of the country. A short film about Berber culture was one of my favourite bits, closely followed by the beautiful rooftop cafe where I enjoyed a fresh orange juice and a fun view.

Le Palais el Bahia was another great find at 10Dh (less than a pound) for entry, especially since it was built with the intention of being an exemplar of the best of Moroccan design and architecture. My friends and I found it interesting to notice some of the similarities with Spanish and even Arabic design which has influenced Moroccan style over the years. I certainly felt a long way away from Bristol, but the 22 degree January sun probably had something to do with that.

Also worth a visit are the Saadian Tombs which only cost 10Dh to visit (less than £1). The tombs were built by Morocco’s ruler in the 16th century for himself and his favourite people. Interestingly, once he died a wall was built around the tombs by the next ruler in an effort to make the people forget about him. Unfortunately that plan backfired since they were rediscovered about a hundred years ago. The tombs are in a slightly quieter area of the city in comparison to the medina, and right next to a stunning Minaret which provides a great photo opportunity.

I wanted to make it over to the Jardin Majorelle, as I’m a big fan of botanical gardens, but in my opinion its design was more impressive than the collection of plants. I think I expected it to be a little bigger, especially considering that it was one of the more expensive activities - although at 70Dh for entry you’re stilling paying only a little over £5. There’s no doubt that it’s a beautiful place, and I think that perhaps if I’d paid to go into the Berber museum that they had there, too, I would have enjoyed it more.

All of these activities were very accessible as a female solo traveler, and the only attraction that wasn't withint walking distance from Jemaa El Fna was the Jardin. For sights like this you can get a taxi from just past Jemaa El Fna. Top tip: remember to always agree on a price with your taxi driver before you get in; some of the taxi drivers have a convenient habit of ‘misunderstanding’ the agreed price after you’ve arrived at your destination.

FOOD

Food has always been an important part of traveling for me. Since turning vegan it's been a lot more hit and miss. Luckily breakfast wasn’t a problem for me, as Equity Point Hostel includes a complimentary buffet breakfast which had enough juice, bread and jam to prepare me for the day. The hostel restaurant also serves small meals until 11pm which, as much as I hate to admit it, fed me for two of my three evenings that I was in Marrakech when I was too tired to go out after a full day of exploring.

When I did go out, however, I managed to find some fun places. There are two in particular that I would recommend. The first is Restaurant des Ferblentiers. Some of my friends I made at my hostel took me here, and we enjoyed some of the best freshest juiciest olives and tomato salsa that I have ever eaten before tucking into our main dishes. I enjoyed a vegetable couscous that made my taste buds sing. Honestly, it's totally put me off of the bland couscous I used to eat here in the UK. If you are a vegan like me, then vegetable tagines and couscous dishes are a great option. For snacks there’s no shortage of dried fruit and nuts in Jemaa El Fna.

The final restaurant I wanted to mention had a great environment for the solo traveler in Marrakech. Located a few hundred paces from Jemaa El Fna, the atmosphere at Cafe Babouch will make you feel like you’re sitting and eating with old friends. It's very inexpensive and somewhat small, but even though I was sat on my own table, by the end of the meal I was laughing and chatting with two French families on neighbouring tables. I also got to talk a lot with both of my waiters who, between serving us, were playing their guitars and singing.

While there was a learning curve for me in this new culture, I would never want to think that the fear of being a female solo traveler in Marrakech would put anyone off of visiting this vibrant city. One blog post certainly can't do it justice, so you’ll have to wait for my video to see what I got up to in more detail. At the same time I know that there are more things that I would have loved to explore in the city if I had the time. Who knows, maybe I’ll be back there soon?!

If you are considering a cheap city break in Marrakech, or even a longer, more luxurious trip, please don’t let being a female solo traveler hold you back.

Have you been to Marrakech? What was your favourite thing that you did there?

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Lessons learnt at Lulworth Cove

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 17:25:00 +0000

So, if you hadn't been able to tell from my Valentine's Day post, I've been thinking a lot about self love. Being your own best friend is the biggest favour you will ever do for yourself. It's a topic that I touched upon in my most recent YouTube video. So, if there's one thing I hope everyone takes away from this it's that there is nothing you need in this life that you can't provide for yourself. Love yourself enough to be the person that you need.

Check out my YouTube channel

What is the last act of self love you did for yourself?

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Vegan Pub Meal in the Wiltshire Countryside

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 20:44:00 +0000

One thing that I promised myself I would do before I graduate in July is to make the most of being in the UK. I wanted to savour little moments and places that I know I take for granted far too often. It would be a crime not to with the Wiltshire countryside so close to my parents' home. This post is my way of setting one of these little moments in my memory. Even if it did happen over a month ago now.

When I went to lunch with my dad and some of his work friends, I didn’t expect to find so many opportunities that I wanted to snap. Luckily, I remembered to take my big girl camera with me. We went to a pub called the Pembroke Arms. It’s a beautiful, typically English place in a little village not far from Salisbury, Wiltshire.

As you can see, the decor is eclectic and unmistakably British which makes an elegant, yet cosy atmosphere. We were lucky to have gorgeous weather the day that we went. Sunbeams were pouring in through the windows of every room we visited, but weather can’t make up for what is quite clearly a very well looked after house. The overall effect is extraordinarily quaint without coming across as pretentious.

The food follows this theme. I never go into 'normal' restaurants with high hopes for my meal, due to the fact that I am vegan. Although after sampling some bites from their vegan menu (which is available alongside their regular menu!), I knew that I had to write about them.

Psst... If you're a vegan like me, HappyCow.net has a great list of vegetarian or vegan restaurants around the world to make the search easier.

I started off with hummus and olives, which not only looked beautiful, but tasted delicious. I later read on their website that some of their dishes have a Middle-Eastern twist, which is right up my street. My main course was a chickpea and spinach pie with a tasty tomato and onion sauce on the side. I should really have asked for the recipe because it was delicious. I even loved the vegan pastry, which was lovely and crumbly. They were even thoughtful enough to bring me my own assortment of colourful veggies that hadn’t been served with butter, unlike the ones the other guests were eating. I find it very difficult to trust restaurants to understand my dietary preferences, so I’m incredibly grateful that the restaurant staff went out of their way to provide this for me.

All in all it was a special day which got the year off to a good start, and I’m sure will be a lovely memory to look back on in years to come.

Where do you like to eat out on special occasions?
What are your tips for eating out with dietary requirements?

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The Only Valentine You'll Ever Need

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 14 Feb 2016 17:17:00 +0000

Once again Valentine’s Day has arrived. I could barely turn a corner this week without seeing a bouquet of red roses or a heart-shaped balloon, and like many of my fellow twenty-somethings I’m feeling sad. But my Valentine-induced low mood probably isn’t for the reason that you’re thinking. My frustration was first triggered by something that we’re all familiar with: the meme. It made me genuinely frustrated to see people jokily sharing memes on Twitter or Facebook of their “lonely Valentine’s” that would be spent alone. There always seemed to be a sense of irony, or that this was something to pity, or at the least that it wasn’t something to aspire to.

Before I get to my point, let me explain something. Most of you reading this will probably be familiar with the idea that Valentine’s Day feeds us a romantic narrative: women wait for a chivalrous prince charming to arrive, sweep them off their feet, and then dote on them. At last the woman can feel special. It’s what a lot of the marketing surrounding this holiday encourages.

“Attention men!”

as I read yesterday in a shop window in an advert relating to Valentine’s Day. I’d like to think that most of the people who read my blog have thought beyond how limited this concept is.

What I mean is, I’d like to think that my readers recognise the importance of reciprocity: a romantic relationship is a two-way street. Secondly I’d like to think that you realise that you don’t need a partner to complete you. Galentine’s is one trend that I have seen rising in popularity this year. That’s the idea that a group of girl friends can get together to celebrate their friendship. Girl power!

But more importantly than that, I really hope that if it hasn’t already crossed your mind, then this year you remind yourself that the only type of love you will ever need to get by in this world is love for yourself. Yes, we just took the cheese factor up to 100, but this is the most important lesson that I learnt this year.

I’m lucky to have many types of love in my life. I’m blessed with some wonderful, healthy relationships. But I also recognise that those relationships have all become much more meaningful as I have learned to value myself. And if any of those relationships were ever to fail, as much as it would break my heart, I would be there to pick up the pieces again because I love me, I want the best for me and I will always take of me. And that isn’t much for anyone to ask of themself.

So I challenge all of you to take that pledge this Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re a fan of the holiday, or think that it’s nothing more than a capitalist ploy. Whether you identify as male, female, straight, gay or anything else. Whether you’re celebrating with a significant other, your friends, or by yourself. Enjoy whatever type of Valentine’s you are spending this year, but also remember to be your own valentine. And if you are spending Valentine’s alone, enjoy it. Do it with pride and bloody own it, without an ounce of self-pity or irony.

How are you treating yourself Valentine's Day?

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Brain Biscuit: Optimism

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 08:00:00 +0000

I wanted to write a few words on a subject that I’ve been thinking a lot about recently. I do my best to be an optimistic person. This isn’t always easy when you have ongoing issues with your mental health - hell, I don't think it's easy for anyone. One thing that has been helping me a lot, though, is to separate myself from the voice inside my head. This has helped me to catch those negative thoughts before they take hold and have the time to create an even more negative internal dialogue, and then developing into a stronger emotion which is a lot harder to shake off. The practice of Mindfulness is something that has been extremely useful with that, but that’s a topic for another day.

What I have realised more recently is that positive or optimistic thinking is a very different thing from denying that there is something wrong. That would be called wishful thinking. This will sound so obvious to some of you, but it's something that I've only grasped myself. I can think of tough times when I was younger, but I would tell myself that it was nothing to worry about, simply because some of my school friends had 'worse' problems than mine.

The first issue that I have with this is that I was comparing myself to others. I thought that this was being done in a positive way, but when it involves invalidating your feelings, then it is most certainly not positive. In fact, I think that comparison rarely has a valid place in our personal lives. Evaluating your own progress is fine. But let’s always choose being kind to ourselves over beating ourselves up because... Nancy got a better mark than us for her essay.

The other problem that I have with my old way of thinking is that I was basing the validity of my problems on the labels that other people give them. Divorce, or the death of a relative are both things that we recognise as being stressful life events. And rightly so. But there are many other types of events that can affect us deeply, but on the surface would appear unimportant to someone else, perhaps even to ourselves. As complex individuals, and more importantly human beings, our emotions aren’t as simple as we often think they are. I was essentially feeding myself a lie. I told myself that if I couldn’t tick the boxes society-approved reasons to feel sad or stressed, then I had no right to feel down or reach out for help.

So while I've made progress by realising this, now it's time for me to truly welcome optimism into my life. I don't think it's a skill many people can say that they have mastered, but here's my plan. Honesty with myself seems to be the first step. I’m learning that any emotion that I feel is valid. Then I try to recognise its source. Is it a thought that I’ve fed to myself? Is that thought really true? Even if I decide it’s not, I try not to shoot it down and tell myself I'm being silly. Recognising which negative thought patterns continuously creep back is helping to separate the voice in my head from the real me, and ultimately, to welcome more genuine optimism into my life.

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Little things I love about Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 08:00:00 +0000

I'm always feel sad when I have to leave Italy. It is by far my favourite country that I have ever visited for so many reasons. I'm in love with the language, I'm in love with the landscape, I'm in love with so many aspects of the culture. It can be hard to remember, as I board my plane and leave it all behind me for another few months, how incredibly fortunate I am to have been there in the first place.

As I begin to write more about travel, I'm sure that my love affair with the Bel Paese will become more apparent. To get things started I thought that I would write about some of the country's little quirks that may not be so obvious to people who have never visited. As you read, try to remember that Italy is a very diverse country, and each region is fiercely proud of their own unique culture and traditions. These points hold true to my experience of Italy, which I'm sure is more limited than some of you reading. I spent six months last year living, working and traveling around Northern Italy (mostly in a town called Padua), and have since then been back to visit three times... so far. These are some of the little things that I wanted to express my gratitude for, following my most recent trip.

Spremuta - Not a fan of coffee? Can't quite handle your caffeine? Replace your macchiato in the morning or afternoon - let's face it, any time is coffee time in Italy - with a freshly squeezed orange juice. So refreshing and zingy, and will quench your thirst better than that espresso ever could.

Street music - It's a foggy, brisk evening and you're walking to meet your friends in the piazza. You're sauntering down a narrow, cobbled street. You turn the corner only to be faced with a man playing Silent Night on the harmonica. Yes this really happened, and yes it did feel like I was walking through a film set.

Fruit and veg - Great quality fruit and vegetables are so easy to come by in Italy: the local market and even supermarket are bursting with fresh, juicy produce. The culture surrounding food in Italy is so very wholesome and good. It's something special to see. I've seen small children sitting at the table, as happy cracking open a peanut as they were with the chocolate bar they were munching on five minutes ago. Would I have even known how to crack open a peanut at two years old? Probably not.

Porta Cittadina - Italy has a wonderful way of mixing the contemporary with the historic. I often wonder whether the Italians realise how incredible that is: popping to the supermarket and passing stunning architecture with a lifespan and experience that surpasses any human's. This is something that is epitomised for me by the porte cittadine (city gates). Not every town has them, but in those that do they rarely seem to be separated off for the tourists. You find them next to your favourite bar, by the side of the road... Modern Italy has grown with and around them and they are integrated into its everyday life.

Sunday evening - Where I come from this means a cosy evening in. Some of the brave ones may venture out to the pub, but for me Sunday evenings have never been associated with being particularly sociable. This is not so for the Italians. While I can't speak for everyone, and Sunday evenings certainly aren't as bustling as Friday or Saturday evening, you'll still be hard pressed to find a parking spot near the centre. Many of the restaurants that are still open are full, bars are serving, and the little street food counter on the corner is open and in business until late.

Dinner parties - There's a time and a place for house parties, going out to dance and sipping a spritz in the piazza. Other than the latter, these are things we're probably all fairly familiar with. However when it comes to social events, there is one that Italians know how to do much better than us: the dinner party. For me there's nothing nicer than a small group of friends getting together to have some good food, and maybe some good wine too. Whether it's planned several weeks or just a couple of hours in advance, there is nothing pretentious about it. Although the fact that Italian cuisine seems to always be top notch without them even trying must take some of the pressure off.

It seems to me that Italian culture has understood the art of making the most out of what you've got, and enjoying every ounce of it. Bella vita, indeed.

Do you agree with these? Have you been to Italy? What did you love most?

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Words from a recovering perfectionist

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 26 Dec 2015 00:56:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I was told that I had clinical depression. I told myself that it wasn't a big deal. We'd merely put a label on something that was already existing inside of me. Plus I had an excuse for my lack of productivity, and I could finally stop feeling guilty. Because it's just that simple.*

Questions started whirling around in my head, like “how long have I had depression?” “what is the source of my depression?” and even “what exactly is depression?”. For somebody who thought that they were relatively clued up on mental health, I soon realised that when it came to my own circumstances, I knew very little. No big deal my ass.

So I started some research. I knew that everyone’s experience of depression is different, but I wanted to begin to understand my own experience. I wanted to find the fragments that my depression was made up from. I wanted to find them, because I knew that that was what I had to do before I could start to fit those fragments together in order to fix it. Because an illness as complex as depression can be repaired as if it were a broken bicycle.*

I've begun to realise that much of my identity isn't what I thought it was. There are traits I live with that are not part of me, but are symptoms of my illness. That may sound dramatic, but it’s important to separate myself from my depression, because they are not the same thing. Understanding where my personality ends and my depression starts can be difficult when the very nature of the illness turns your mind against itself.

So you can imagine my distress when I came across one resource which listed possible factors of depression as including:

-Hereditary
-Stress
-Personality... wait, what?!

"Some personality types are more susceptible to developing depression. There is proof that people suffering from high levels of anxiety, or who are more sensitive to criticism, or that have a “perfectionist” personality-type have a major risk of developing depression."

(The original was in Italian, I hope my top translation skills did it justice (y) ).

My initial reaction after reading this piece of information was denial: 'what a damaging thing to say!' (I now realise the utter irony of this reaction). Then I asked myself why it upset me, and I realised it was because it was absolutely true. These short sentences had described me so accurately. I had never thought of myself as a perfectionist, but I am one and it could be part of the reason that I was in this position.

I sat with that thought. So much of my identity has always been very closely linked with the quality of work that I produced, whether it was school, university or elsewhere. Yet it's a side of my personality that I truly value: my belief that I can do anything when I commit myself to it. When I decide that something is worth my time, you can bet that I’m going to take pride in it and do everything within my power to make something great.

This offered somewhat of an epiphany as to why university has always been such a difficult place for me. When I decided to come back to university for my final year, I told myself that I had to make the most of it. I told myself that the grades didn’t count, but that like any decision, it was an opportunity that I must not waste. I'd unknowingly put myself under so much pressure. But what about the other aspects of my life?

Earlier I was looking at my Instagram profile: a social media outlet that I maintained for "fun". As I scrolled through my more recent posts, I could remember deleting and re-uploading many of my photos until I felt that the colour-balance was just right on each carefully cropped square. I even added a white border of 35 pixels (no more, no less) to make each photo look more uniform. In hindsight I can barely believe that I didn’t identify as a perfectionist before. Even as I sit here typing, I find it hard not to alter my wording before I even complete a sentence. I could write something shorter, something clearer... something better.

I know that I trained myself to think this way because I aspired to work in social media. I treated platforms like my blog, YouTube and Instagram as portfolios as well as hobbies. Perhaps I do still want to work in social media in some capacity, or in writing or photography, but somewhere along the way I think that I have placed my priorities in the wrong order. I've learnt the harmful effects of placing pressure on yourself in too many aspects of your life. More importantly, I've learnt that I’m so focused on the image that I’m portraying and the impression that I leave that I've forgotten about the only part that should matter: the expression.

The wonderful news is that having unwittingly been living as a perfectionist for many years, I know I have the tools and determination to succeed in whatever I do decide to pursue. For now, though, I need to apply those skills to practising good mental health and being kind to myself. That means no comparing myself to people who have had more time and energy to practise their craft than me. In fact, let's stop the comparisons all together. What’s far more important to ~~perfect~~ spend time on is expressing the ideas that I have; however imperfect the result may be.

* Heavy use of sarcasm. To be taken with a pinch of salt.

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Making a Comeback

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 02:44:00 +0000

It's been about ten months since I last made a post on this blog, so two o'clock in the morning on my last day of the university term seems like the optimum time to write my comeback post, right?

A lot has happened in the last few months, and truthfully I was sad that my blog, my space that I grew over two years from nothing to something really special to me, was being neglected. Having said that, I think that the time I spent separating myself from social media was something that I had to do to learn a lot of the lessons that I did over this year. I like to think that I am returning to you a more balanced person, thirsty to learn and share more through this space.

Having said that, I think that those of you who are still here may have noticed in my last few posts that I had already started to outgrow the style of content that I began with on this blog. I don't mean 'outgrown' like "makeup is for teenagers, and I'm such an adult and simply don't have time for that..." *read my sarcasm* Makeup and beauty are great for some people for a lot of reasons, but my personal journey, at least for now, has moved me away from that somewhat. I find my mind wandering to very different places these days, and I think that it's only fair that as I revive this space I stay true to that: I stay true to myself.

So, I suppose that essentially this is one of those generic posts to say that you are going to be seeing a change in my content. Eventually, this will follow in a change of blog layout, and most likely a change in blog name as well, however, as of right now I don't have the time or money to carry that out. I don't want that to stop me from publishing content when I feel ready, though, so that is why I am writing this post at two o'clock on a Friday morning.

I don't have a mission statement as such for my blog right now, but one of the things that I have done over the last few months is work with a lovely lady called Sarah who has helped me to ask myself a lot of the important questions about my identity and which direction I currently see my life going in. I know that I want to inspire people to live their life in an authentic way, and to not be afraid to follow things that they are passionate about. So I suppose that I should lead by example.

I started this blog on boxing day of 2012. Here I am three years later in a very different place in life, but still with so many of the same emotions and fears, and still with the same desire to remedy that with my creativity. So with my blog's three year birthday approaching, as well as a new year, I'm coming back to this space that three years ago offered me that remedy that I craved.

Thanks for reading this. I'm looking forward to the good things that I know this is going to bring.

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First Impressions: Padua

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 14:00:00 +0000

As I write this, I have been in Padova for just over twenty four hours, and these photos were taken even before that mark. One of the first things that you do when you’re in a new place is to have a walk around, and that is exactly what I did this morning, of course deciding to take my camera.

The pictures aren’t perfect; it was bright, which made it difficult for me to see if some of them were in focus, and sometimes mother nature gets the better of me with the lighting. But that’s the thing about being in a new place; you can't make out what's around you clearly. You feel somewhat overwhelmed by your surroundings which are all completely unfamiliar, and you gradually piece together what is what and where is where. The places and landmarks you will later see as significant aren’t yet, and instead you find yourself enchanted by something as simple as the tiling of a roof. For that brief moment, we see place for what it really is before our opinions and experiences replace our original perception with how we will continue to see a place.

My first experience of Padova may have been hazy and fast and a lot to take in, but it was wonderful and I am fast falling in love with this little city. I can’t wait to call it my home for the next five months and share it with you!

What's the first thing you like to do when you visit a new place? Remember, you can follow my adventures on YouTube and Instagram

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Winter Walk in Whitby

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 07:00:00 +0000

Whitby is one of those towns where you can turn around any corner and find yet another picturesque view. It felt a little bit like stepping back in time with its quaint cobbled streets and classic British seaside sights. Since my boyfriend and his family live just a short journey away, I had been meaning to visit for years. So when we finally got around to making the trip this January, I had high hopes.

We started the day off with a walk around the shops. It felt great to get out before midday after a lazy Christmas. I'm not really a morning person, but there's nothing I love more than starting my day early so I can get lots done and make the most of the sunshine - particularly in the winter when the daylight is scarce. It was great to see so many stand alone shops instead of the same old high street chains.

Things can get particularly chilly when you climb 200ft above sea level.

The next main attraction was the ruins of the abbey on the top of the hill. You have to climb 199 steps to get there, which leads to some spectacular views of the beach and the rest of the town. But perhaps most importantly, the abbey was in fact the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. There are some ruins behind the church photographed above which really captures the gothic feel... I certainly wouldn't want to visit it after sunset.

I was so impressed with this little gem of a town. It managed to keep the charm of the British seaside in the middle of the year's quietest month which really says something. There's something wonderful about something that can give you that little flavour of awe when you're not expecting it. Those days can seem rare at this time of the year, but they are the moments that keep you going and are most often found right on your doorstep.

Where's your favourite place to go for a day trip?

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Chocolat Chaud chez Angelina

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 07:00:00 +0000

When I asked around in Paris to find out where the best place for a chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) would be, there only seemed to be one word on everyone's lips: Angelina's. As somebody who isn't a big coffee drinker, it's almost criminal that I left it so long to visit. To be honest, if my friends hadn't pestered me into coming, I may not have made it there at all.

Luckily two of my friends, Phil and I braved the winding queue on rue de rivoli and dined in style in one of Paris' most famous cafés. If the prestigous location isn't enough of a clue, then the beautiful window displays certain tell you that you're in for a treat. The hot chocolate is served gold-rimmed jugs with chantilly cream. Throw your Nesquick aside, because this is a different breed. Think more rich, thick chocolate fondue that slowly trickles into your mug making your mouth water. It really is in a league of its own.

Despite the hefty price tag, we couldn't pass up the chance to dine in such a beautiful setting. Phil and I shared a chicken club sandwich which actually came with chips. Call us boring, but this was one of the best club sandwiches I've ever had. It's not quite in the same category as a Joey from Friends meaty, saucy dealio, but it's lovely and light while still filling you up nicely. Exactly what you need after a pint of creamy chocolatey richness.

I think that what made the experience all the more special was the Christmas setting outside. Not everywhere makes an effort with Christmas decorations in Paris, but this was an exception. Just down the road were the Christmas markets at the Champs Elysées, and the afternoon had to be one of my highlights of Christmas in Paris. Save your pennies, but don't miss the chance to pass an afternoon in such a special Parisian setting.

What's the best hot chocolate that you've ever tasted? What was your favourite Christmas memory from this Christmas?

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Succeeding in a Strange City // Behind the Scenes of my Life in Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 10 Jan 2015 07:00:00 +0000

I loved Paris best of all when I was exploring with friends at the weekends. I always seemed to stumble across things that were more fun with them, like this street artist. We actually purchased one of his amazing works that he produced right in front of us and it is now sat in my room.

My six months in Paris was unlike anything that I have done before. It feels so strange to be writing about it in the past tense, and yet it seems like it all happened a strangely long time ago. The reality is that I've only been back for three weeks, but it's given me a bit of space from the experience to really reflect and understand exactly what I have achieved over the last six months. Since I didn't write much about my life in Paris while I was there, I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you the truth about my experience.

So, let's start at the beginning. I first went to Paris for my university year abroad to do a PR internship. I spent the first two months floating between a little bit unsatisfied to utterly miserable. At first I thought that it would get better, but eight weeks into the job I was being completely taken for granted. I received little to no training, and six weeks in I was told I had been doing one of my main tasks wrong since the beginning. Despite working hours of overtime under immense stress with short and important deadlines, I was told quite bluntly that I wasn't working fast enough. My mistakes on my urgent work that I hadn't been taught how to do was pointed out to me in between sighs of frustration on a daily basis. Now that I look back on it, I believe that I was bullied and my confidence began to suffer as a result.

I went to Montmartre with Phil. The Basilique du sacre cœur was stunning, this guy was doing some pretty impressive stunts outside with this football. Let's just say that at one point he was hanging horizontally from the ground on a lamp post... with the football spinning on his foot.

I would come home and cry because I thought that I couldn't do anything right, and there was no way out, because by leaving I would be failing myself. Although I had plenty of people who advised against it, my parents supported me to make the decision to negotiate with my university and the company a way to get out of there. At first the company tried to convince me to stay and promised that things would change. They didn't. Four days later I made the decision to never go back.

Now I understand that work can be stressful. I understand that interns are put under pressure and are often trained on the job. I also know that you need to have the self-respect and confidence to know when you are being pushed for the better, and when you are being pushed onto the ground and trampled all over. If you are being told that you aren't good enough on a daily basis, you just aren't happy or most importantly, if your health is suffering, then something needs to change. Leaving that job was a risk for me, but it was the best decision that I ever made.

It's clichéd, but you can find some great street music around Paris. I thought that these guys looked so cool. The second picture is from the Arts et Metiers metro stop which is decorated in the style of a submarine. The Parisians can have a sense of humour too!

Please don't think that I am trying to scare you, but unfortunately my experience was not unusual. Since then I have heard numerous stories of friends who are interning at companies and they are completely mistreated. I am lucky in that my parents would have been able to help me financially should I have been out of work for too long, but I want you to know that you always have a choice to change your situation and you are never helpless. You are not to blame and there are many others going through the same thing as you.

But let's move onto more positive things, shall we?
I still stand by the fact that Paris was one of the best times of my life. The day after I left my job, I applied for an internship at a startup near where my old office was. I just so happened to find the ad online, and I can't imagine what it would have been like if I hadn't.

From the experiences that I've had, a smaller company leads to more responsibility. Fewer resources and processes that aren't as well established as in corporate companies means that there is more room for creativity and input from everyone. In my short time there, I had the opportunity to lead projects and learnt and improved so many skills.

Startups are also very fast-paced. This teaches you a lot about decision making, being accountable for those decisions and so much more. You can see your ideas and your work come to fruition throughout the whole process. In larger corporations, you may hand your work into your boss so they can put their name on it and hand it to their boss, then never hear about the outcome.

At first I wasn't sure how much I liked the look of the Eiffel Tower in the daylight, but it's really grown on me. There's no doubt that it is stunning when lit up. The other picture is of Canal St Martin at night. I used to get frustrated when the daylight went and I was forced to take pictures in the dark, but I love them now. The lights look so beautiful the way that they reflect off the water.

I couldn't write a post about my time in Paris without mentioning the people. Work was just one aspect of my life in Paris. It was a main part, but one of the things that made it so special was the people that I worked with. My internship allowed me to meet some of the best and most interesting people I know, who I'm sure I will call my friends for a very long time.

I hope that no part of this sounded like moaning. Being thrown into a new environment, by yourself, and having to speak a different language is very intense. For me, these factors made it feel almost impossible to escape a bad situation. Trust me, it felt incredibly dramatic at the time. I am pleased to say that I am only stronger because of the decisions I made in this situation, and I am so proud of the person that I am as I leave Paris. I am anxious and excited to see what challenges the next part of my year abroad will throw at me in Italy (which I will be documenting each week on my brand new YouTube channel).

I'm still going to be making a few little blog posts about some of the fun things I got up to in Paris. I'm also making a video next week about some other aspects of what it was like to move abroad and work there for six months. If there are any areas you would like me to cover in that, then please leave a comment or feel free to tweet me or email me.

A special thanks to the people that supported me during my time in Paris, I couldn't have done it without you.

Have you ever made an important decision that you feel has really shaped you? Is there anything you would like to me to cover or explain further in my Paris video?

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On Turning 21

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 07:00:00 +0000

Truth be told, my 21st was a couple of months ago now. But when my parents threw me a surprise 21st party last week, it made me think about turning 21 all over again. I had an amazing time celebrating, and I was so grateful to everyone to joined me in Paris but I have never felt as special as I did just a few nights ago.

When I found out that my 21st birthday was going to fall during my year abroad, I was a little concerned. Still, I was keen to try and make this one a success. After all, you only turn 21 once, right?! Having said this, I was lucky enough to have three celebrations in my honour.

Some Pierre Hermé macarons sent over to Paris by my parents started off the celebrations the day before my birthday. It's just as well they found their way to the office where I work on time, because my birthday itself was spent at Disneyland Paris with my boyfriend. I could hardly pass up the chance while I was living just an hour away now, could I?!

Photo credit: Tarik Wave Photography

Unfortunately I didn't take my big girl camera along for that one, but I did get a few fun snaps of my birthday meal on Saturday. We enjoyed South American tapas including a dessert platter that was to die for at a restaurant called Barrio Latino. It certainly had a Parisian price tag, but I would really recommend a trip there if you're ever in the city.

After my gifts and treating myself to some 21st birthday goodies, I thought that the birthday celebrations were over. That was until, when on my way to what I thought was a meal out, I found dozens of my friends from throughout my childhood waiting to surprise me! This included two friends from the time that I spent living in America ten years ago who had flown over from where they now live in Scotland to celebrate with me. Let's just say that tears ensued.

My birthday this year really was a dream come true and I want to thank every single person who had a part to play in my celebrations. I may not have many photos of the things that I did to celebrate (which is unusual for me), but I've never felt so special. I feel so loved and can't thank everyone enough.

It had absolutely nothing to do with the presents that I received. Knowing that my parents and boyfriend went into so much trouble to create something that made me feel so loved was an incredible feeling, and everyone taking the effort to be there was truly awesome. Feeling this loved has to be the best feeling in the world. I hope that I can carry that knowledge with me as I slowly keep on turning into a grown up. Maybe being a twenty-something won't be so bad after all?

I want to say another HUGE thank you to my parents and boyfriend for everything that they have done for me, and continue to do for me.
I am the luckiest 21-year-old in the world <3

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The Purple Lip

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 02 Jan 2015 07:00:00 +0000

PRODUCTS USED: Ted Baker lip crayon // Naked 2 palette // Benefit Hoola Bronzer // Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation // Eshiko Translucent Powder // Maybelline Rocket Mascara

A few months ago, I would have said that this look was totally un-me but somehow I think that the combination really works. As you may already know,I had my hair and coloured into a bob with a subtle, cool blonde ombré effect not long ago.

I love to sweep the top of my hair back for this half-up, half-down look and I think that it goes with this makeup look perfectly. I wanted my skin to look pale (not difficult for me), and I contoured my cheeks lightly with no blush whatsoever. The lips are really the focus of this look, and the product that I used is pretty dreamy. My Ted Baker lip crayons are becoming a fast favourite for their intensely pigmented colours, lasting power and super easy application. The only other thing that I did to my lips was to pat some translucent powder over the top (as well as on my skin), as I wanted everything to be matte. I like to think that this is an edgy, slightly gothic look. Maybe you’ll disagree, but I’m in love with the effect and the vampy lips are exactly what it needed.

I used some orangey tones from my Naked 2 palette to clash with the purple lips and create some subtle smoke around my ever-so-slightly flicked liner. I didn’t want anything too thick to pull attention away from the lips, especially since my eyes are a little small and slightly hooded.

Sometimes it really pays to step out of your comfort zone. I’m still not entirely sure when I’ll be wearing this. For me it’s definitely a look for being in the city... even if I only got to sport mine on trip to the supermarket!

Do you ever just play around with your makeup look?
Is there a look you'd love to try but are afraid you wouldn't be able to pull it off?

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The Family Bake Off

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 08:00:00 +0000

Of course when you have parents who are as obsessed with the Great British Bake Off as mine are, at some point you are inevitably going to end up having a family bake off. This one was actually my idea; I thought that for my first full day at home from Paris it would be fun to spend some time together in the kitchen. We would bake at least one item each, and then they would be judged at our annual Christmas brunch with family friends.

Well, that's not exactly how things turned out. By the time that my mum and I were back from running some errands, my dad's choc chip Panettone was already in the oven, and my mum didn't end up baking her main item (orange zest scones) until the next morning. So the "family togetherness" aspect may have been somewhat abandoned, but I still managed to get some nifty shots of our work.

I had a slight issue at first in that I had absolutely no clue how to make my chosen recipe: cinnamon rolls. Luckily Pinterest is always there for me in times of need, and despite taking a pretty long time to make - and my hands being on a whole new level of dough-y - the final product looked pretty delectable.

Besides, any doubts that I had in my culinary skills were outshone by my dad using yeast that had not been kept in the fridge, which meant that his Panettone never rose properly and was pretty dense (sorry dad, but you know it's true).

On the morning of the brunch, nobody seemed to mind, as there was plenty of food to go around. My mum's scones were also a hit, despite her forgetting to add the orange juice to her batter and having to compensate with orange icing at the last minute. This seemed to just bring her up to the same level as my cinnamon rolls, which I would like to think brings us to a draw. It looks like we'll have to have a rematch in the New Year, then...

You can find the recipes for our creations (or similar) at the following links:

Do you like to bake over Christmas? What do you make? What's your favourite thing to eat with your family?

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French Beauty Haul

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 09:01:00 +0000

Well, there’s no denying that I’ve treated myself since my arrival in Paris. But for three and a half months’ worth of damage, I don’t think that I’ve done all too badly... Especially considering that Mac, Sephora and numerous French pharmacies are all within a short walk from my flat.

So, let’s inspect the damage, shall we? First up we’ve got some fairly recent additions to my collection, and perhaps the least necessary. I went to the shops for shampoo and conditioner and I came back with a lot of other stuff, completely forgetting about the things that I needed for my hair. I did discover a really cute brand though, called Treacle Moon. You can just tell it’s going to be good from the name, right? Well they had a lot of fruity and sweet-smelling body washes but I just couldn’t leave without these two. I picked the marshmallow scent and melon as they were both pretty unique from anything that I’d seen in the UK. I’ve only used the melon one so far, and I have to say I really enjoy stepping out of the shower in the morning smelling like a cantaloupe. It’s a great, fresh scent to start your day off to, even if it is autumn now. Did I also mention that they are both paraben-free?

Photographed above: Treacle Moon Shower Gels // Aloe Vera face cream // Caudalie moisturising toner // La Roche Posay’s Effeclar Duo

I’m quite proud to say that the rest of the skincare products in the picture were pretty necessary. I picked up the Aloe Vera face cream from a lovely shop out here called Nature et Découverte. I loved the feel of it in the shop, however, I have now come to the conclusion that it is a little too greasy for my liking. It would still be great for stubborn dry patches, though.

My Caudalie moisturising toner was pretty necessary, and it served me pretty well, but went very quickly considering how much I paid for it. That’ll teach me to shop for skincare on the Champs Elysées! The winner of the three is definitely La Roche Posay’s Effeclar Duo. I wouldn’t rave about it as much as everyone else does, but it did help to clear up some of the spots on my chin a few weeks ago and it’s made a moisturiser on the sweaty summer mornings in Paris.

Let’s talk a little about my Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover . I was using the original version of this for a while, but when it started turning my fingers a funny colour when I was trying to take my nail polish off, i knew that it was time for a new one. This time I decided to go for the newer version which also has a sponge on the lid to remove polish on your toe nails, and I can’t say that I am disappointed so far. I love these things!

Photographed above: Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover for Hands and Feet // Blue Kiko Nail Polish // Kiko Hair Shadow // Clinique High Impact Mascara // Volume Rocket by Maybelline

As you may be able to tell, I also treated myself to a rather cheeky trip to Kiko over the summer. Although it’s an Italian brand, they have quite a few more stores here than in London, and I couldn’t resist. Their prices are so affordable, so I picked myself up a gorgeous, deep blue nail polish, a goldy peach blush and some hair chalk. The polish is pretty darn good, although it does require a couple of coats and a more careful hand than my beloved Essie. I quite like the blush, but I can’t say that the pigmentation or texture quite match up to my other favourites (check out my Tarte blush review). And the hair chalk... well, let’s just say that it was a spur of the moment thing after seeing it on the woman in the shop, and it didn’t even leave a tint on my hair. Perhaps the other shades work better, but I would NOT recommend the shade rose unless you want to waste your money and make a mess.

Moving onto more positive things, I also had a fun time with mascara when I first got here after repurchasing an old favourite, otherwise known as Clinique High Impact Mascara. I can’t say that it was impressive as I remembered it being when I tried it a few months ago, but I still love it even it didn’t quite create the volume that I was expecting. If you want amazing volume, then I would definitely go for the Volume Rocket by Maybelline. By golly does it lengthen and thicken, and I’ve had quite a few compliments on it! The only issue is that it’s a huge pain to get off, and even Bioderma (it goes without saying that in Paris I’ve been using a lot of this stuff!) has a tough time with it.

Finally, we are onto the beloved skin makeup. Another little Kiko purchase was their full coverage concealer, which is a bit yellow-toned so great for covering up spots. I can’t say that it’s as good as mac in coverage, but it’s a more affordable alternative. Just don’t expect the same quality!

Photographed above: Kiko Full Coverage Concealer // Mac Paint Pot // Clinique Airbrush Concealer // Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation

Quality, however, is certainly not something that is missing from the final three products. My Mac Paint Pot in the shade 'Painterly' is a daily staple in my opinion. It may be ever so slightly darker than my skintone, but it works as a base for my eye shadow, or even works perfectly alone to even out the skintone on my eyelids. I don’t need to say my about my Clinique Airbrush Concealer, I think that the pictures in my full review speak for themselves. I love this stuff and am on my second tube since I got here (yes, I used the first up within two months).

Last, but most certainly not least, we have the Bourjois Healthy Serum Gel Foundation. I used a similar foundation when I was at eighteen which I donned the ‘hangover foundation’ because I would always use it when I had work after one too many drinks and my skin was looking a little worse for wear. This stuff may be even better! It is so light that I genuinely forget that I’m wearing anything, yet it manages to balance out my skintone perfectly and I don’t even look orange! Quite an achievement for any product on this alabaster-skinned girl. This may need a whole review to itself - bravo, Bourjois.

That brings us to the end of the haul for now... although I did take these pictures before a rather expensive other purchase, and with my birthday coming up, I know that it’s not over. So, if you have any other suggestions of goodies to buy myself while I’m still in France, then please shoot them my way!

Do you have any French makeup/skincare products? What are your favourites?

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Day to Night Makeup with the Naked 2 Palette

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 06:00:00 +0000

DAYTIME // NIGHTTIME

It’s been a long time since everyone was raving about the Naked 3 palette, let alone the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette. I’d never even tried an Urban Decay eyeshadow until recently, and I wasn’t too fussed about the Naked 3 hype, but I did decide that at some point I’d love to try the Naked 2. So, when I finally made the historic purchase last Friday (sorry, bank account), I was a little hesitant about writing about it.

I knew that it was an overly covered topic, and I very much doubted that I had anything new that I could bring to the table by reviewing it. So, I’ve decided to take a slightly different approach because, let’s face it, it’s too gorgeous to not write about it. What I decided to do was to create a simple daytime eye look, and then vamp it up a bit by adding some of the more dramatic tones in the palette to turn it into a nighttime look. This would be perfect for anyone with a busy lifestyle who may have a full day at work before rushing off to meet friends at dinner, or any other occasion where you want to turn up the volume a bit. So without further ado, here's how to put the makeup on!

Daytime Look

1. Booty Call // 2. Suspect // 3. Snakebite

Other products used for daytime look: Benefit Posietint // Sleek Pout Polish in 'Pink Cadillac' // Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum // Clinique High Impact Mascara

As you can see, the palette is made up of a lot of metallic-y, yet fairly neutral tones. There are also a couple of matte shades in there, but as I’m a fan of minimalistic makeup for the daytime, I found that the bigger challenge was creating something simple for the day look. I eventually settled for the shade ‘Booty Call’ over the lid; an icy, shimmery goldish/nude which could make a great highlight if you’re not totally alabaster-skinned, like me. Since it was pretty shimmery I decided to keep the rest of the look fairly simple with the colour ‘Suspect’ in the outer corner; a bronze-y/taupe-y brown which shares the same shimmer-y, metallic texture as Booty Call. I also added a little of this shade to my lower lash line. My upper lid was further defined with the shade ‘Snakebite’ which I added in a V shape to add a darker tone to the upper lashes and the crease. Snakebite is a darker, and slightly warmer version of ‘Suspect’. I used a light layer of black mascara and tight-lined my upper lashes to keep the simple look that I feel most comfortable wearing during the daytime.

I’ll be totally honest, after using the eyeshadows for the first time to work the other day, they didn’t last quite how I expected them to. I found placing the colours very easy, and they blended beautifully, but by the end of the day they had moved slightly which I was a little disappointed by. Although I did use my Mac paint pot as a base, and I have heard that they work best with the Urban Decay Primer Potion, so I’ll have to try that next time.

Nighttime Transformation

1. Half Baked // 2. Snakebite // 3. Blackout

Other products used for nighttime transformation: Mac 'Blitz and Glitz' Fluidline // YSL 'Tasty Raspberry' Rouge Volupté Lipstick // Maybelline the Rocket Volum Mascara

To modify this look into a nighttime makeup, I decided to darken the look up a bit to make it more dramatic. Darker colours are definitely a further outside of my comfort zone, but I love how the tones in the palette interact with one another. To truly build on the look, I went for darkest colour that I used for the daytime makeup, ‘Snakebite’, to start building on top of the eyeshadow. I patted this all over my lid, and next took the gorgeous gold ‘Half Baked’ and patted this on the centre, and inner corner of my lid where I really wanted to build a three-dimensional effect to the look. The deeper bronze and this rich gold worked beautifully together. I also dragged a little bit of ‘Snakebite’ to my lower lashes. Finally, I used the matte, black tone (appropriately named ‘Blackout’) in a V to the outer part of my crease/upper lash line to add some more drama, and add more of a gradient effect to the colours. The eye look was finished up with a bit of thicker gel liner on the upper lashline, and some seriously volumising mascara.

The first thing that I noticed about doing the darker part of the look was how much fallout the eyeshadows create. It’s not terrible, but it’s certainly noticeable. Although I’m not sure how much this had to do with me using the brush that came with the palette for most of the colour placement.

Overall, my first impressions of the palette are varied. There’s no doubt that I’m in love with it; the colours are gorgeous, they feel like silk and I’m having so much fun experimenting with them. On the other hand, I’m still to see how great the lasting power can be and I’m having some trouble thinking how many combinations I can come up with that I would feel comfortable wearing during the daytime. As I said, though, it’s early days and I still have lots more shades to try. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’m pleased to have bought it, I just don’t know whether I’d recommend using your payday earnings or saving it as something to ask for as a Christmas gift.

Do you have the Naked 2 palette? Which combinations should I try next?

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How I Style my Short Hair

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 23 Sep 2014 06:00:00 +0000

So, I cut my hair again. It’s even shorter now and although at first I had my doubts, I’ve got to say that I’m loving it. My hair has always been fine and not held volume very well, so this was definitely the step that I needed to get it looking a little healthier and hold some volume a little better. Having said that, it wasn’t an instant change. After striving for long hair for as long as I can remember, it took some getting used to and I definitely had to come up with some new ideas of styling it.

So, while I may still be getting used to this change, I have found one way in particular that I’m really enjoying styling my hair, so I thought that I would share it with you. Keep reading if you’re interested!

A before shot. Creating a bit of shape by angling my hair inwards a little to frame my face.

Like I mentioned before, one of the main reasons that I got so much length cut off was to create volume. Being so much shorter, my hair now sometimes likes to create this volume by standing at a 90 degree angle to my head. This may be a slight exaggeration, but I find that whipping out the straighteners can really help to create a nicer shape and tames the locks a little better. I use the Remington Pearl Professional Straighteners for mine. If I have time I’ll section my hair into layers, but if not then a quick run through from the roots down, curving inward slightly does the job for me. The slight curve of the wrist helps to frame the face quite nicely. I tend to do all of my straightening in a middle parting,to create more of an ‘undone’ look when I do switch up the parting, but if I want my hair to stay in place all night, then I would probably sort out my side parting before doing this.

There are only really two steps to this look, but this is the really important bit. When I first got my hair cut, my hairdresser (who did an AMAZING job) showed me how to style it with some texturising powder. These little bottles of miracles have been becoming more popular over the past couple of years, and I can see why. I wrote about my VO5 Give Me Texture ‘Instant Oomph’ Powder a couple of years back when I still had long hair, and it really does just that. The difference being that my hairdresser has now showed me how to use it properly.

Strategically sprinkling the powder Jooge the hair, people.

First, section the top layer of your hair out. I tend to do this in thirds, so for instance I’ll work on the left side of my hair first, section off the top couple of inches, and tap the powder evenly through the little line under where I’ve pulled my hair back. Next I’ll do the same to the back of my head, and then the right of my head. A little goes a long way with this, but feel free to repeat at different heights within your hair. Finally, you’re going to want to really massage the product into your hair, by working your fingers into your scalp and ‘jooging’ until your hair has reached the desired volume. Don’t ask me how, but if it works wonders for this baby-haired girl, then it’s sure to do something for you too.

That’s really all that there is to it! I can’t describe how happy I am to have a hairstyle that looks so great with a technique that I can actually do at home. When I look back at my long hair now I feel as though I really didn’t know how to handle it. The only downside? Say hello to the world’s tiniest ponytail! Next I need to find some other cool new styles with my fun, new length.

Any tips for short hair?

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A little Parisian update

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 06:00:00 +0000

You got me. I've already gone and broken one of my golden rules for my year abroad. I promised to post something at least once every two weeks, preferably more, and that just hasn't been happening recently. I do have an excuse...

As you may know if you're a regular reader of my blog, I am currently spending six months in Paris doing an internship for my university year abroad. I started my internship in June, and to cut a very long story short, it just wasn't good for me. It was a pretty stressful period, and a couple of weeks ago I eventually decided to quit. I am pleased to report that since doing so I have been feeling much, much better and am now really enjoying my time here.

To top things off, I even found a new internship really quickly, which I started last Monday. I am doing customer relations in a start up, and it has been going much better so far. It's far more my type of place, and while it is still very much work I'm enjoying the atmosphere which is far more relaxed and young. I hope that this will be a really great learning experience for me, as since they are still developing themselves in the market there is a lot of room for me to watch how they grow and even offer some input into this.

Apart from work, I feel like my French has started to improve and although it can be difficult at times being away from home, more specifically a certain boyfriend of mine (don't worry, I only have the one) I've been making lots of new friends here. There have also been lots and lots of macarons. I wish that I had something more insightful to say for this post, but I think that it's best if I leave it there for today.

So to summarise, I can't promise frequent, quality content on here for now. I think for the moment it's more important that I concentrate on the quality of my time here which is quickly running out, but I do intend to continue to share snippets of my life. Hopefully in my next post. I'll think of something a little more meaningful to say. In the meantime please follow me on Instagram, as that is the place that I've been sharing most of my year abroad updates at the moment.

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How To // Jungle Nail Art

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 06:00:00 +0000

Perhaps I've been watching too much Lost, but when I came across this jungle nail art, I just knew that I had to try to recreate it. I came across it on Pshhit's Instagram. If you don't know of Pshiit, she has an incredible Instagram page full of her incredible nail art talents, and lots of tutorials on her site. It may be in French, but it's a definite must see for any nail art enthusiasts. Anyway, I may not have as many tools or the skill that she does, but I think that the results are pretty cool (even if I couldn't make the cute flower. Sniff sniff.). And let me tell you, if I can do this, then with some simple tools I am certain that you can too!

All you're going to need to create this look are a few things:

A base coat (yes, we all skip on it sometimes, but we're working with a black base so it's going to be better for your nails this way)
A top coat (we wouldn't want those pretty nails wearing off after a day now, would we?)
Dotting tool
Little brush (you can get both of these tools in this Sephora set)
Black polish (here's a great one from Barry M)
White polish ( I like Essie's Blanc)
Bright green polish (I mean super bright. I used this one)

Let's start out with a base coat to stop the black polish from staining your nails, and then work up a good, black base on all of your nails. You could also go for a matte texture to create more of an interesting look, but I kept with a good ol' glossy finish.

Once that's dried you're going to want to start building your leaves. I went for a seriously bright shade, so much so that i was worried that it would be too much, but it was actually perfect. Use a thin brush to start out near the centre of the nail and drag it outwards to create a thin line that ends on the outer edge of your nail. You can do as many or as few as you would like, but leave some space for those leaves!

I created the leaves by applying a bit more pressure on the same brush to create thicker lines coming diagonally out of the 'stem' that I had already created. To make it look more realistic, try to make the leaves nearer the base of your plant a little longer than those at the top. Now, if you're a little more daring and have some extra tools then this would be the time to add any shadowing detail onto your leaves, or even add a little flower like in the original.

If you're inexperienced like me, however, then continue to add the dots. There's no need to wait for your leaves to dry. Simply take your dotting tool and add dots of random size and spacing in any gaps left on the nail. Why not add some different coloured dots for a bit of variety?!

Once you have given your nail art a good few minutes to dry, finish off with a top coat. This will protect your art detailing from chipping off, and mine helped my manicure to last a whole week!

And that's really all there is to it. While I still consider myself a bit of a nail art noob I got quite a few compliments on this design. I'm convinced that this makes it ideal for any first-timers, whilst having the potential to be made into something truly impressive by anyone with a bit more experience.

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Review // Clinique Airbrush Concealer

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 07:00:00 +0000

No, despite what you may be thinking, the image above is not a mug shot. But more on that later... It would seem that full-time work is not kind on the under-eyes. Despite being paid only a third of minimum wage (the lowest amount that interns can legally be paid in France), I decided to take full advantage of my first pay day and venture into Sephora. Something to cover up those dreaded under-eye bags was first on my list.

I was on the lookout for a lighter product to keep my dark circles under wraps for daytimes at work. Fortunately, I remembered about this Clinique product that I'd enjoyed using when I was at sixth form. I think that it's pretty clear what happened next, and the above image shows the 'before and after' of using it.

I remembered enjoying using the Clinique Airbrush Concealer, but it has really surpassed my expectations. It's a light, fluid consistency which makes it perfect for daytime use, particularly in summer, yet it doesn't melt off at the first sign of heat. Now I'm not saying it's completely heat-proof, and a bit of setting powder will certainly help, but what I love about this is that all it takes is a bit of blending with your fingers and it immediately brightens and corrects those purplish tones under your eyes without settling into any creases. It really doesn't look like you're wearing anything, which is all that you want sometimes.

It comes in three shades (I of course use the lightest) and works by twisting the end, which releases the product out of the little brush applicator. While this doesn't make it the most hygenic product to share, it is ideal for slapping on on those days you really don't have time to get ready (i.e. every morning, if you're me).

I know that I've raved about the cult favourite the Bobbi Brown Corrector before (see my tutorial here), but I honestly think that for personal use, I prefer this. It's quicker, lighter, easier to blend and the colour seems to be perfect for me. It's light enough for everyday use, but the incredible colour-correcting ability makes it perfect for any 'going out' look as well. A firm favourite

The Clinique Airbrush Concealer retails at £19 and is available at most Clinique stands.

Do you have a favourite under-eye concealer?

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Summer Recipe // Pasta Salad with Broccoli and Red Pesto

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 06:00:00 +0000

So, this was my Sunday afternoon. After waking up at about 11.30am (damn you over-effective blackout curtains!) by some miracle I managed to have breakfast, go for a run, get ready and pop out to shop for some groceries/run errands all before 2pm. Not too shabby, eh? Of course by this point I was pretty peckish and decided to create a yummy, fresh meal. A few days ago I was scouring Pinterest, or perhaps it was Instagram/somebody’s blog, when I came across some sort of pasta salad with broccoli. I only saw it in passing but I’ve been unable to get it out of my head since, so I decided to pull inspiration from it and try to create something that looked just as irresistible myself.

The final verdict? Pretty darn delicious if I do say so myself. Perfect to be enjoyed hot or cold, by itself or as a side, perhaps with some barbecue food. I’ve even shoved some of the leftovers into some tupperware to take to work. Unfortunately there wasn’t that much left over, as even the fussy boyfriend took a liking to it! A roaring success in my books. I enjoyed mine with some lemon water, and a strawberry yoghurt with some raspberries for dessert. This is the way to enjoy a summer afternoon!

You will need (to serve two generous helpings):

200g pasta
75g broccoli
6 cherry tomatoes
3tbsp (generous) cream cheese (with garlic & herbs - optional)
1 1/2tbsp red pesto
1/4 lemon

The first step is picking your pasta. I’m sure that this would look really fun with some different coloured pasta, and could of course be simply made with penne, but I think that throwing some shapes in there makes all the difference when it comes to presentation. Put your pasta in some boiling water with a little olive oil and salt for the recommended amount of time while you chop up your broccoli. I wanted the broccoli to blend in with the sauce, so I cut most of the stalks off until I was left with itty bitty pieces. If you want very soft broccoli like I had mine, chuck your broccoli bits in your pasta water about five minutes before the pasta is ready. Adjust accordingly if you prefer yours with a bit more of a crunch.

This is the perfect time to start preparing your sauce. I cheated a bit and used a ready-seasoned cream cheese, but feel free to add your own garlic and herbs to flavour. I used around 3tbsp of cream cheese, and about half as much of red pesto. This was just enough to coat the pasta with a nice flavour without being overbearing. The bit that really made the difference for me, though, was the lemon juice that I squeezed into the sauce for an added bit of freshness. Although I didn’t actually measure this bit, I’d say that I added the juice of a little less than a quarter of a lemon. I likes my lemons. Mix your sauce ingredients together in a big bowl (feel free to add a couple of pinches of pepper!), then add your pasta and broccoli after it has been drained. Make sure you mix this really well so that the sauce coats all of your pasta.

I chose to add my tomatoes the very last so that they retained as much freshness and juiciness as possible. Cut them as big or small as you wish (I went for sixths) and then carefully mix in. Now that your pasta is ready, feel free to eat it straight away while it’s still warm or leave in the fridge until you fancy it!

What's your favourite meal for a summer lunch?

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A Parisian Bank Holiday

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 06:00:00 +0000

So, as you may have guessed by the recent lack of posts here, I have been busy settling into my new life in Paris. but fear not, I have a few lifestyle posts coming up for your beady little eyes! It's been pretty hectic trying to settle into a new job role, settle into a new language and spending lots of my free time visiting the bank and other boring places where things never seem to work first time round. But enough of my excuses: I've been having lots of fun here too! The weather is absolutely gorgeous at the moment, to the point where I've had to invest in a fan - so things could be worse!

Unfortunately despite the gorgeous surroundings I have still been pretty rubbish with my photography, so today I thought I'd bring you a little montage of phone pictures I took of the bank holiday weekend here last week. For those of you who don't know, 14th July is a national holiday for France known as 'Bastille Day'. There's a whole lot of history behind it, which I will leave you to google for yourself, but every year it is a celebration of national pride in France.

My boyfriend Phil is here visiting at the moment, so we got to spend the whole day together. We decided to take it easy in the morning, which meant we didn't get to see the parade, but we wanted to join in the the celebrations later in the evening instead. This was the perfect excuse to enjoy some of the quieter areas of Paris during the daytime. After a lazy morning, we started our afternoon with a trip to a little restaurant in the fifteenth arrondissement. Although they were out of the strawberry tart we originally went to the restaurant for, we shared what has to be one of the best burgers to have ever graced our taste-buds. It was a juicy, cheesy delight. The sun wasn't bad either - I felt like a proper Parisian sat out in my sunglasses!

Walks in the Paris sunshine really are wonderful, and although there is plenty of beautiful architecture around the city, sometimes it's nicer to enjoy some of the green areas when you do find them. This little walk was pretty idyllic. We could enjoy the shops that were open on one side, as well as the sight of all the families that were picnicing on the grass on our other side, all while we stayed cool in the shades of the trees. In fact, I think that this would make a pretty nice running route!

Speaking of shops, we happened upon a little Japanese pâtisserie that was open. While they didn't have my tarte aux fraises that I've been craving for a few weeks now, these macarons hit the spot quite nicely. Can you believe that in a month of living here I hadn't had one yet? Even McDonalds sells them here, for goodness sake!

***

After a couple of hours to recharge back at the flat, we were good to go again. There was a free concert near the Eiffel Tower which we were headed for. To be honest, we didn't have any idea what to expect, but we went along all the same and were greeted by a stage filled with a full orchestra, and thousands and thousands of people. Thankfully there were screens showing what was going on dotted around, and we managed to find a quieter area to stand and watch. I don't think that I could have enjoyed the concert much more. There were orchestral pieces and lots of choral solos and duets; the singers were fantastic. However, Phil and I were a little confused at some of the music choices - Land of Hope and Glory was played at one point, as well as Star Wars... Maybe we were missing something?

The evening finished off with a beautiful display of fireworks. I absolutely love fireworks, and the image of the Eiffel Tower illuminated in a colourful sky is something I hope to remember forever. The fireworks continued on our walk home, which was another experience in itself. The still, muggy Paris streets in the light of the fireworks seemed like a far cry from home in England. It truly was one of those moments I wanted to freeze in time. Thank goodness for Instagram, eh?!

What's your favourite thing to do on a bank holiday?
If you want to catch more pictures like this make sure you check out my Instagram

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Colour-Changing Blush // Bourjois Blush Exclusif Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 06:00:00 +0000

Every once in a while, a product comes along that sounds unlike any other that you have tried before. This was what happened when I was having one of my oggling sessions at the Bourjois counter. If you ever have the time to have a proper look at their full range, I would really urge you to. I’ve tried a few of their bits now, and they have some really unique finds there. This was one of them, and so I decided to give it its very own post.

The Bourjois Blush Exclusif markets itself as a ‘self adjusting blush’. Thanks to pH reactive pigments, upon application it will transform into a pretty pink shade customised to your skin tone. It sounded like a bit of a gimmick to me at first (is anyone else thinking of those mood rings from the '90s?), but as I said, I have faith in Bourjois. So, in the name of ‘research’ I quite happily parted with my £8 and took it to its new home in my makeup stash.

The first thing that I noticed was that this product really does change colour right upon skin contact. My shade, as you can see, is a bright pink, which seems to be exactly the same every time that I apply it. This just so happens to be one of my favourite shades, so I was pretty pleased about that. Having swatched the product on my boyfriend’s arm, I did notice that the two colours were virtually identical, which did make me question the unique colour-changing aspect. Having said that, my boyfriend’s and my skintone aren’t worlds apart, and looking at some other swatches online there does seem to be some variety.

The important part is that I love the colour. It has quickly turned into one of my most-used blushes, which owes to more than just the pretty hue. The blush applies as a cream, and while it is described as a cream-to-powder formula, I would say that it maintains a more natural and less ashy look than a powder blush. It certainly applies and blends as a cream, but isn’t as fluid as other cream blushes that I have tried in the past. The product can also be built up to a more noticeable intensity, depending on your mood. The best part for me, is that it is easy to maintain a naturally rosy-cheeked look, as there are no remnants of glitter or shimmer.

It may look mini-sized, but I’ve been using this blush for a good few months now and I’ve still barely made a dent. For £8 I think that this is a truly handy addition to anyone’s makeup bag. The novelty of the colour-changing may have worn off, but this remains a valuable asset to my collection.

Have you tried any of Bourjois' less-raved-about products?

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LITTLE OBSERVATIONS // Life in Paris

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 06:00:00 +0000

I’ve been en France for over two weeks now, and while I don’t feel ready to start sharing any words of wisdom quite yet, I still wanted to share a bit of insight into what it’s like being here for somebody who’s very, very new in the country. It hasn’t exactly been a culture shock; let’s be honest, I’m not jetting off to a third world country. Things here are both different, and the same. In this post I wanted to go over some of the things that struck me first when I moved here. I’m not claiming to be an expert on the matter, and some of these changes may have more to do with moving to a capital city than anything else, but if you know the reason behind any of these little observations, then please feel free to leave a comment below! I would love to hear what you think.

Skincare

Being a beauty blogger, of course this was the first thing that I noticed when I arrived here. There is a little corner pharmacy just down the road from where I live, and four columns of shelves are taken up by a skincare selection that really puts Boots to shame. I genuinely think that they have a wider selection of Bioderma alone that they do medicine - not that I’m complaining! Skincare is clearly very important to people here.

Zebra crossings

It’s confusing enough working out which way the cars are coming from on junctions when you don’t know the area well, but let’s add that to the fact that France drives on the other side of the road and their lack of concern for zebra crossings. Even the crossings that have traffic lights to help you know when to cross really don’t mean much to Parisian drivers. I watched one particular situation unfurl, where a car attempted to drive through when the zebra crossing was on green as a woman was pushing a pram across. Needless to say that the woman went mad!

Scooters

Scooters may be reserved for primary school children and self -confessed quirky kids in England, but in Paris it is a genuine means of transport. And I’m not talking about moto scooters. It is not uncommon to see someone hop off the metro on a weekday morning, in business attire, and whip out a fold away scooter, before promptly scooting off on the road, weaving in and out of the traffic.

Sundays

In England, Sunday is treated like just another day of the weekend. The whole ‘day of rest’ thing seems to have been somewhat abandoned, and I for one don’t really tend to give it much thought. In France, it’s different though. Even being in their biggest city, most things are closed on Sunday and I find myself having to think carefully about anything that may have to be done at the weekend so that I can get it out of the way on a Saturday. I’m sure that some of that is more to do with get accustomed to the world of full-time work.

Metro

The metro really deserves a post to itself, but I’ll try to keep it brief. The first thing that I noticed about he metro were the vending machines at most of the stations. I thought that this was a sign of good things to come, but the ‘luxury’ (yes, in my eyes vending machines are luxurious) ended there. There aren’t as many handles to hold in the metro carriages as there are on the tube for those who are standing, which has resulted in Parisians being significantly more skilled at balancing while the metro is on the move. Like the tube, everyone is also packed into carriages like a can of sardines which results in it being very hot. I’ve noticed quite a few women fanning themselves with actual fold-away fans which they keep in their handbags. If only I could pull that off...

I’m certainly still getting used to things here, but I do feel as though I’ve started to settle in now. I’m think that as I become more at ease with life here, there will be plenty more of these little observations. Who knows - maybe I'll even think of something a little more insightful, too?!

What are the big differences that you have noticed between France and the UK?
Is there anything in particular that you would like to hear about my move to France?

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