tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91512904692842261802024-03-12T16:10:28.542-07:00Shelly Says SoAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-1291880324295832172016-05-03T05:47:00.001-07:002016-05-03T05:47:29.200-07:00Met Gala 2016: My Top 5! Hey all,<br />
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So the Met Gala is on every year in New York, it's basically an art exhibition in the Metropolitian Museum of Art. Every year the theme is different and this year it was 'Fashion in the Age of Technology', so most stars attended wearing some sort of metallic creation. I thought it would be fun to write up a blogpost on my favourite outfits from the night.<br />
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<b>Kylie Jenner</b><br />
The youngest Kardashian sibling, 18, wore this Balmain floor length metallic gown. It could easily have looked over the top, but her simple makeup and hair managed to keep it with a touch of class. Love her or hate her, the girl has an enviable sense of style and from following her on Snapchat I love how she constantly switches up her style with wigs to keep things fun.<br />
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<b>Taylor Swift</b><br />
I barely recognised Taylor, 26, with her bleached blonde bob but I think it really suits her and goes with her bold metallic Louis Vuitton dress and strappy gladiator heels. I really like it as her whole look is daring and her makeup suited her. She has well and truly made the transformation from country gal to pop's punk princess.<br />
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<b>Kendall Jenner</b><br />
Not to be upstaged, Kylie's older sis Kendall, 20, went for an equally daring outfit. The mosaic print Versace dress is daring enough, add cut outs and you have an outfit that may have looked damn ridiculous on anyone else. Her simple hair and makeup and shoes made sure that the dress was the star attraction. If nothing else, it was nice to see something other than the metallic themed outfits pretty much every other young lass there was wearing.<br />
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<b>Emma Watson</b><br />
No, it wasn't metallic or anything particularly daring, but I'm a sucker for old school sophistication and this Calvin Klein monochrome outfit worn by the <i>Harry Potter</i> star at the event certainty had class by the bucket load. It showed off the 26-year-old's figure to perfection while still being beautifully classy - and albeit, a little bit quirky as it was a wide-legged pantsuit, to fit in with Emma's own personal style - and I loved the long train. Her hair done in old Hollywood waves fitted in perfectly with this look. <br />
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<b>Claire Danes</b></div>
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Probably my favourite outfit of the event came courtsey of this actress, who wore this huge silvery blue Zac Posen number. At the event, it looked like something that really wouldn't look out of place in a Disney movie - and what girl doesn't want to feel like a Disney princess? A picture of it in the dark showed that it had another quality to it, that it lights up in the dark... How fricking cool. Serious style envy.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-54738191592634034082016-04-28T12:47:00.000-07:002016-04-28T13:10:35.225-07:00MindfulnessHi all,<br />
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Thanks so much to everyone who read my last blogpost on what it's really like to live with anxiety. I hope it's given you some insight and understanding into the condition. If you haven't yet read it, you can do so <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.ie/2016/04/thoughts-my-secret-struggle.html">HERE</a>.<br />
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I mentioned in the post that I try to deal with stress in a natural way.<br />
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One of the things I've been practicing over the last year has been mindfulness, which has been proven to relieve the symptoms of anxiety. In the most simple of terms, mindfulness means being aware of what you are doing while you are doing it. I spoke in a previous blog post about "living in the now" so to not have any regrets (see <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.ie/2016/04/thoughts-what-truly-is-living-life-to.html">HERE</a>); mindfulness is exactly that. It is not a behavior to help you completely forget whatever strains or stresses you may have in your life at present; it simply means pushing them aside and allowing yourself to be present in this moment. As more people are more aware of the unpleasant side effects of medication, mindfulness has really taken off.<br />
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I expected mindfulness to be really complex; and it can be if you over think it too much. But it's best to keep things as simple as possible when it comes to practicing it. I should mention here that it requires practice; not loads but if the thought of sitting still makes you anxious, it does require practice. There is no 'perfect' way to do mindfulness either. You don't need to do a course, you don't need to fork out lots of money to be trained in how to do it (contrary to what you may think). I'm not an expert in this field by any means, so what works for me might not work for you, but this is just what I do and what helps me.<br />
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I find it easier to engage in mindfulness when I am looking at a pretty view. When I was in Ireland, I was never too far away from a beach when I was in college or at home, but since I've moved to England I'm nowhere near a beach unfortunately but the local Bitts Park does the job just as well. Obviously, the weather isn't great most of the time but a week or so ago the weather was lovely and sunny so I decided to head there to practice my mindfulness.<br />
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I sat on a bench overlooking the river and switched off my phone. I focused on the reflections the trees made on the river, how serene the view was. Even though I have quite an irrational fear of water, I like to look at it. I find it very peaceful. I focused on the clouds drifting by, the different shapes created in the sky, off setted by the very rarely seen sun.<br />
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I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth, feeling the cool air drift in and out of my body. Inhale the good thoughts, exhale the not so good thoughts.<br />
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I immediately felt calm after my mindfulness session. It truly is amazing what some simple breathing techniques can do.<br />
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I decided to take advantage of the weather and go for a walk down by the river. I focused on my breathing, in and out slowly. I walked slowly and carefully, being aware of each step I took and the sound my footsteps made on the earth. I noticed the things around me. I listened to the birds singing in the sky and in the trees. I looked at the buds starting to appear on the trees and the grass nestled in near the river. I heard the children laughing near the river.<br />
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Being a blogger and writer, everything I see can be inspiration for my blog or diary, which I guess isn't a bad thing, but it does cause me to become quite distracted. I reined it in and got back to the present moment. I didn't look at my watch or my phone for a while. Instead, I continued to be in the now.<br />
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I observed at nature as I walked around. The daffodils in bloom near the river, their bright petals fluttering in the wind.<br />
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Some people may say mindfulness is too simplistic, but it should be. It does take time to become accustomed to it, when I first tried it I wasn't sure whether it was for me or not, as I had all these slightly skewed misconceptions about it.<br />
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I find the benefits of mindfulness to be invaluable. From less than an hour of practicing in the park, I felt in a better mood, more calm and definitely less stressed. For that reason I'd definitely recommend you all to give it a go.<br />
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Thanks for reading guys xxx<br />
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<i>All photographs taken in this blogpost are of Bitts Park, Carlisle, Cumbria, UK. They were all taken by myself using my iPhone 5S phone (no filter used).</i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-27165657501405413612016-04-18T19:26:00.000-07:002016-04-20T13:40:38.304-07:00Thoughts: My Secret StruggleHi guys,<br />
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I have debated with myself for a long time about whether to publish this blog post. I rarely ever debate with myself this long over any blog post. Usually within a few hours (or days, for a longer post), it's written , photos added and the publish button is hit before sharing on my social media sites without too much of a second thought. It is a personal blog post, more personal than even the skinny shaming one I have written. But I felt like this needed to be posted.<br />
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I'm a 23-year-old woman, normal in a lot of ways. I'm a university student studying the course of my dreams, I have a weekend job, I'm obsessed with makeup and all things girly and love my family and friends to bits. I love to read all kinds of books, from literary greats to romantic novels, listening to the latest music playlists added to Spotify (as well as the cheesy songs playlists) and I love to write in my blog. But anyone that has ever got close to me knows that I also have another side and that side is my battle with anxiety.<br />
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The reason I decided to write this blogpost was not only to talk openly about my own experiences with anxiety in the hope it may let somebody in the same situation know they are not alone in their struggle, but really, it's to give you some insight on what it's really like to live with anxiety, everyday.<br />
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One of the biggest misconceptions about anxiety is that it is worrying. Yes, it is, but it's a lot more than that. Most people worry about things like exams, and that is perfectly rational. There's the fear that you may not progress to your next year of study and lose funding, all that. With anxiety, I worry, but at a much more heightened degree. It can be anything that can trigger me off. I think of the time I left the hair straightener on when I was at home three years ago and start panicking at university thinking I did the same thing this morning before I dashed off to my lecture. I can be asleep in bed and suddenly wake up, convinced the house is going to go on fire, despite there being numerous fire alarms all over the house. I find a mark on my arm and wonder how that got there, suddenly panicking that it's skin cancer. I think of the time I was 15 that some girl called me "ugly" and suddenly don't want to go on that night out I have been excited for, gradually convincing myself over the course of the evening that people will laugh and make fun of me for being so ugly. As you may have guessed, common sense is not on my side when I go through these "episodes" and along with my naturally stubborn nature, there is not one thing that can convince me otherwise.<br />
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People often assume that panic attacks and anxiety go hand in hand, that is not true either. I've never had a panic attack in my life and if I tremble, it's only for a short time. It is however, very physically draining. I usually have the worst episodes at night time with all these thoughts rushing around in my head, and it can be 6 or 7am before I realized I haven't managed to sleep at all. This insomnia only leads to me feeling anxious the following day, before having another episode that night, and this may go on for weeks. It often makes me feel physically sick in my stomach, not wanting to eat. It makes me so tired and lethargic that I sometimes struggle to get out of bed, let alone take any pride in my appearance.<br />
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My university work has thankfully never suffered as a result of my anxiety, because I genuinely can say hand on heart, that I absolutely love the course that I'm doing at the moment and it sounds cheesy but I believe I was made to do it. Things that may worry the average student, like assignment deadlines, usually never bother me because I'm one of those strange, strange people that actually enjoy writing assignments. But, I could barely sleep the weekend before I went on my first placement in early March, terrified I wouldn't gather the 'right' information from the patient, or do something cringe like say something idiotic in front of all the professionals present. The first week there was not only physically demanding, from running up and down stairs to wards with wheelchairs and what not, but mentally demanding as I was convincing myself I was going to fail it and would have to re-do it in the summer, meaning I wouldn't get to go home to Ireland.<br />
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As you might guess, friendships are difficult to start and maintain. I'm a natural introvert, which usually can be presumed the reason behind why I tend to be quite shy around people, when really though I'm worrying about what to say, what I look like, how I'm coming across. It's all heightened when anxiety starts spending a bit too much time with me, leaving me sleep deprived and generally worn out. It convinces me that I'm simply not worthy enough to be somebody's friend, that they deserve better than me, and that they are probably bitching about me anyway. I think about the time I said something silly a year ago. They're probably still talking about it, about what an idiot I am and I know they probably don't like me that much anyway and are just hanging around me because they're bored and have nobody else. This leads to un-returned phone calls and text messages, as well as the awkward silences when we pass each other on the street. Which only serves to add more fuel to the burning out of control fire that is anxiety in my brain: they really don't like me at all.<br />
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Relationships are even more difficult. Again, they start the same way, and anxiety causes me to be scared of what I look like and how I'm coming across to someone. Anxiety notices I'm becoming happy and comfortable with a guy but it reckons it needs to make its presence even more obviously known, determined to ruin things. Often I've dated guys who have exams and work and are genuinely otherwise occupied. However, anxiety convinces me that they don't like me, that they are just dating me because they are bored. But when you're in a relationship for six months or a year and you're still having to ask someone whether they like you or not, it becomes less cute and more of a strain. They don't consider the fact if I care for and eventually fall in love with someone, I will support them through virtually everything and anything. They usually only view the clingy girlfriend I become.<br />
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Some people try and help me. The most common thing I've heard is to "calm down", but it's safe to say it won't work, so don't even waste your breath telling me this. When I'm going through an episode, sleep deprived and on the brink of collapsing due to a virtually non existent appetite, I get angry. I start crying in front of people (which I don't ever like to do). I say things in the spur of the moment I later regret that genuinely hurt the people who care for me the most; the people that would do anything to make me happy, even if it means sacrificing their own happiness. Apologies come later, but often people don't understand why I've reacted the way I have, and so they rarely ever work. Anxiety is like that selfish person that just wants you to spend all of your time with them, alone with your thoughts. I've been labelled a drama queen, an attention seeker, a self-absorbed bitch among other terms that only heightens my condition even more so, without people realizing that all I need in these times is just cup of tea and maybe a hug or a cuddle.<br />
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I've been prescribed medication, with varying degrees of success. They usually make me feeling like I'm so relaxed and have no concerns, feeling numb and devoid of any feeling, or the opposite end of the scale: so utterly hopeless that I feel my anxiety is taking over my life and feeling so very depressed that I sometimes feel like everything is going wrong. I feel guilty, I think why am I feeling these thoughts: from the outside world and to even myself, I know I have a lot more in my life than most people could ever imagined; a family that love and support me (even throughout the crazy decisions), friends that are always available for a chat and a few laughs (even if that is via Skype) and the chance to study the course I've always wanted to do. I haven't used medication in quite some time though for those reasons, and so I try to deal with anxiety in the most natural ways possible; that is, distracting myself with something that relaxes me, like writing in my diary or blog, reading or simply meeting up with friends. It's super important for me to always remain busy, and not give anxiety time to spend with me.<br />
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I didn't write this blog post to be pitied or have people feel sorry for me, because I don't think that's what anyone with anxiety or any other mental illness or indeed physical illness wants to be treated.<br />
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I wrote this because I genuinely want others to know what it's really like. There are changing opinions on mental illness; people are openly talking about their struggles with depression on social media and I for one am really pleased about this. But like I said, there are way too many misconceptions regarding anxiety and many people simply struggle to realise just how debilitating it really is, brushing it off as "everyone worries". That's a concerning thought because 1 in 6 young people in the UK, from all different backgrounds and walks of life, currently suffer with anxiety. Anxiety is often viewed as the "less severe" of mental illnesses because like myself, people can live a relatively normal life with it. But it's definitely not "cute" to be stuck with it. I may smile and put on a bright pink lipstick but like the way your lipstick hides your natural lip colour, this smile only serves to hide what's really just bubbling beneath the surface.<br />
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I've just had a week of re-occurring episodes of anxiety. I don't even know what triggered it. Maybe it was general bad nutrition over the duration of the placement. Maybe it was just plain old exhaustion from the long shifts and the travelling each day. But I had just finished placement and was elated at the news that I had not only passed it, but got a really high grade in it too. I was happy and was delighted to have two weeks off uni to relax.<br />
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Why then, did anxiety turn up to ruin things? One day I was fine, then the next day I was barely sleeping or eating, constantly thinking very irrational thoughts, worrying about the most trivial things. yet I somehow managed to pull myself together by Friday and eat and sleep properly before dragging myself into work and complete long and tiring shifts over the course of the weekend. I smiled and joked with my colleagues. I did my weekly food shop earlier today and attempted to dye my hair. But inside, I was more damaged than my bleached hair, trying to repair what emotional damage had been done over the course of the week.<br />
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<i>Anxiety is as much a part of me as is this blog, and will continue to be for the rest of my life.</i><br />
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Although I'd rather not have it, it has taught me a few things: despite what anxiety has you inclined to believe, there are people who genuinely care about you regardless, and those are truly the people that will make things so much easier to bear.<br />
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If nothing else, anxiety has given me a heightened sense of empathy. I worked with a patient on my placement who had anxiety. She wasn't taking her medications because she said she had experienced some of the not-so-pleasant side effects I mentioned above, so she was labelled as being "difficult" by some of the staff. I decided to get out of my comfort zone and try to speak to this lady, and put my anxiety aside for a minute to try and help her with hers. Despite her obvious anxieties, I didn't try and reassure her because I knew from my own personal experience that would be pointless and falling on deaf ears. Instead, I thought about what helps me the most when I'm anxious. I asked her how she liked her tea and came back with two mugs for us, while we sat and spoke about our lives. She told me about her mischievous grandson, her travelling adventures around Europe with her husband (she told me they had been to Ireland and loved it), and her two dogs. I went to see her every day for about an hour over the duration of the placement but on my last week, she was about to be discharged. As I left that day, she took my hand and said "Thank you for listening to me." I smiled; I hadn't really done anything except for sitting down with her for a chat with a cuppa. Yet I realised that that was what was most needed.<br />
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Despite it, I'm so very determined to not let anxiety control me. I'm may have not slept or ate very well due to it last week and other days, but I will still get up, do my makeup and hair, and go into uni or work and do whatever I have to do. I'm aware I have a very mild form, but even so sometimes that makes life difficult, but I still do whatever I have to do and I will do it with a smile. To quote Rocky Balboa, Life "ain't about how hard you can hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and still keep moving forward."<br />
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I know people will judge me differently because of this post, but the way I see it, that's irrelevant to me. We all have a mental health and it needs to be looked after just as well as physical health. To be honest, the only people whose opinions I care about are the people who care about me and the people who are close to me and are a part of my life at the moment and they are some pretty amazing people; other people's opinions simply don't matter. And this blog post like I said, isn't really about me. It's about all those who suffer in silence each day, with a more severe form of anxiety that I have, struggling for breath, worried, feeling hopeless, fighting this invisible illness. I honestly think people that suffer with invisible illnesses are the bravest people in the world. I wish I could meet all of you and share a mug of tea with you and give you a hug and tell you that somehow, everything is going to be OK.<br />
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Thanks for reading xxxAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-33309718418193815212016-04-13T15:44:00.000-07:002016-04-14T12:41:40.490-07:00Beauty - Review of L'Oréal Full Restore 5 Repairing Hair MaskI've mentioned a few times on the blog that I have an addiction to my hair straighteners. I know it's so so bad for your hair, but any girl with hair that is more than a bit on the frizzy side will tell you that it's so difficult to resist the urge to use it everyday! As well as that, my hair is obviously bleached blonde at the ends.<br />
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I noticed however that my hair was becoming really brittle and dry, and it was having that annoying flyaway hairs at the top of my head that just wouldn't be tamed, even with numerous grips and a hairband. It was making me feel really self conscious and made me look like a five year old child, so I decided to buy a hair mask to sort out my hair nightmare! I also bought a heat protect spray and dry shampoo at the time (of course, because I have absolutely <i>no</i> restraint when it comes to shopping in Superdrug!), which I'll review on the blog at a later stage. </div>
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I've used L'Oréal hair masks before, and there's dozens of them to choose from. I decided in the end to choose the Full Restore 5 hair mask (you know the one that Cheryl Cole promotes the shampoo of it), as truth be told I really liked the smell of it and it came in quite a huge 300ml pot for £4.99, which is quite good value for a L'Oréal product. It contains cicamide and pro-keratin. Cicamide is basically a technology that mimics the hair's natural cement and restores smoothness to the hair fibre, leaving your hair with a healthy looking shine. When you have damaged hair like I so obviously have, it's a good idea to look out for products with pro-keratin especially because keratin will reinforce the hair fibre and give your hair strength. It also claims to work against five main problems your hair is facing - strength (mine was breaking at the ends), vitality (mine looked lifeless), density (mine looked super thin), shine (mine was lacklustre and lacking any shine) and silkiness (my hair felt slightly hard, especially at the ends).</div>
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The label says to leave on for about 3 minutes but I smothered it all over my hair, popped on a shower cap and kept it on while I chilled in the bath for nearly an hour, while breathing in that beautiful scent. When I washed it, the first thing I noticed was how soft my hair was! I didn't have that experience in a while, that's for sure. My split ends were virtually gone, and there was a lovely subtle scent off it. As I left my hair to dry naturally, it developed into these beautiful curls, and the softness stayed for a few days.<br />
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At the moment, I use this mask once a week while I enjoy my weekly bath. I have tried many hair masks, but this is honestly one of the best masks I have ever tried. I do love Aussie hair masks, but for the amount you get and price paid, this one definitely pips it to the post! I recently bought a new Dove one, but I think I will always have a serious love for this one.<br />
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My rating: 4.5/5.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-11120906797397188942016-04-11T11:46:00.000-07:002016-04-13T11:17:07.023-07:00Thoughts: What truly is living life to the fullest?Hey guys, and welcome back to my blog!<br />
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As some of you are probably aware, I have been taking a break from blogging from the past few weeks as I've been on my first 'proper' clinical placement as part of my course, in the elderly rehabilitation ward in a busy hospital. It's a bit of a deep post, even for me, but one I felt oh-so-compelled to write.<br />
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We're told that death is as fundamental a part of a life as birth. Every living creature that has ever walked this earth will one day, pass on. It's an inevitability that will come for each one of us one day regardless of our nationality, wealth, sexual orientation and gender.<br />
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You can die at any age of course, but obviously your chance of dying increases the older you get, and this is something that the elderly patients and their spouses are so aware of.<br />
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Over the duration of the placement, I frequently worked with patients that were entering or had entered end of life care. Honesty comes to the fore front as there is literally no time left for anything else. Most of the time, the patient will say that they are satisfied with the way their life turned out - they married, they had children, they had a good career, they traveled to exotic parts of the world.<br />
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But there is the unsatisfied patients. The laments. The sadness of a life gone by. They spent more time in the office than travelling the world. They didn't get the chance to fall in love and spend the rest of their lives with someone who loved and cared for them. They didn't spend enough time with their children because they were more concerned with making more pounds.<br />
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Perhaps it's morbid, but I couldn't walk out of that ward without reflecting on my own mortality; not necessarily about death itself but more about not living while you're still alive.<br />
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It's a cliché, but I often see these quotes similar to the one I've posted below on social media about "living life to the fullest" and "not having any regrets". I wonder really how many people actually live by these quotes, or are they just something posted to gain more likes? What really is living life to the fullest and not having any regrets?<br />
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I suppose it's difficult when you're still alive and in relatively good health to not really think too much about the inevitability of death; after all, we have what often feels forever left. Tellingly, on the train journey home each day from placement, I noticed the abundance of people glued to their mobiles or laptops, completely disengaging with their companions or even the beautiful breathtaking view of the mountains passing us by, more focused on what was happening on social media sites than in the present moment. But sometimes, it may be a good idea to remind ourselves an odd time that we are not immortal, we are fragile, and human, and as much as we'd like it to be, our lives are not infinite. It's all worth bearing in mind that our lives could end tomorrow. In my opinion, I believe that most people do not live their lives to the fullest due to fear and consequently, reach the end of their lives with regrets and these laments I've mentioned I saw all too often on hospital wards.<br />
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I'm a person that doesn't believe in regrets. Perhaps that's something that has come with time. Of course I have little regrets, the ones everyone has, like regretting I ate that massive takeaway or drank too much the other night, but they rarely last more than a day. I don't regret big "life changing" stuff. Sure, I've been in some situations I'd not like to be in again, and made some decisions that probably weren't the best but looking back, they taught me something, and at the time, they made perfect sense to me and if given the chance, I'd probably end up making the same decisions all over again. Even the most awful relationships or the most difficult time in your life teaches you things, and for me personally, I believe difficult times teach you more life lessons than 'good' times in your life, if only to learn from them for future reference (though in reality, that's easier said than done).<br />
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For those who may not know me personally, I'd describe myself as being quite a shy person around people I don't know all that well. It's usually down to a fear of embarrassing myself. It usually takes a couple of months before I start becoming very comfortable around people (and let my inner weirdness show). So even though I'm studying to be a health professional, the thought of placement where I'd have to communicate with strangers on a daily basis was enough to send me into a complete tizzy. But I knew it was something I had to do and if I didn't do it, I wouldn't be able to do my dream career and live my life to the fullest. So what if I embarrassed myself in front of the patients? I'd dust myself off, and try again, I was (and still will be everyday) still learning. I certainty didn't want to be that person at the end of my life lamenting I hadn't been able to do the career I wanted to because fear happened to get in the way. Instead, I wanted to be the person that said I took a chance that not only gave me the satisfaction of having achieved my goals of a career but also a career that would help others reach their independence and learn to cope with their fears and their anxieties.<br />
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Another example I'll give you is with relationships. So many people are secretly in love with someone else, but afraid to tell them how they truly feel because of the fear of being rejected and possibly being grounds for humiliation. It's not easy, but I always try to be as completely honest as I can about what I'm feeling about someone. If there's even the slightest inkling that I may have feelings for someone, I will act on it. I have a severe case of hopeless romantic which unfortunately means I'm more awkward and more nervous around someone I actually like, and which also means usually the person has sussed I feel something for them before I get the chance to be all gushy about it (usually over text, ah romance in the 21st century). No, not all of my declarations of love have ended up in happily ever after and contrary to what people may think, I have been rejected a bunch of times, but at the very least I was aware of where I stood (sometimes) and what if I brushed my fear aside for a moment and took a chance and it led to really being happy ever after? In that case I think it would be very worth it. Not saying that life is a Disney movie by any means, but it can be in certain areas.<br />
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I could give you dozen more examples of fear getting in the way of truly living your life, and these range from as something as simple as swimming in the sea to not wearing that beautiful dress. In each of these situations, place a hand on your heart and think to yourself: "I only have one life. It's simply now or never." Think of yourself at the end of your life, you certainty don't want to be having regrets of any sort attributed to fear.<br />
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Thank you for reading xx<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-58341672091356034462016-03-03T10:33:00.001-08:002016-03-03T13:37:32.544-08:00Shelly Says So is 1 Year old!Today, 3rd March 2016, is the day my little fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog Shelly Says So, turns one year old. I literally cannot believe it has been a year since I published my first ever blog post (see <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/kind-of-quirky-look-i-went-for-today-i.html">HERE</a>). At the risk of sounding like an auld wan, where is the time going?!<br />
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<i>My first blog post - 3rd March 2015</i></div>
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Recalling the time I started my blog to now - 67 blog posts later - in hindsight there are a few things I know now that I wish I'd known back then - basically what I have learned about blogging.<br />
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<b>Blogging is hard!</b><br />
There are many misconceptions about blogging. I probably had a few of these before I started myself. One of these was the notion that it was "easy" - it is definitely <i>not </i>easy! Even for me - who just does it as a hobby - it is time consuming. I sometimes find it difficult to find time to write blog posts with uni work and general life stuff getting in the way. Makeup posts are somewhat easier to write about, but for posts relating to lifestyle issues like mental health awareness in May (see <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/may-is-mental-health-awareness-month.html">HERE</a>) or my skinny shaming post a few weeks back (see <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/thoughts-skinny-shaming.html">HERE</a>), a simple descriptive post just won't do and so the research that goes into it is immense.<br />
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<b>Don't go blogging for the free stuff!</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0rfnc9QzdsCyhrxfEtxKifEWwKw9hMYLDBebu5GjnjEm1pGR4fg04BGS8bNjP0VWxCBYOfITk98bQbsZyXpfgQzL2_Mc9RDuBHf6FyS9F3rNPdT-a8lgZLx-gS8DzVtoaDAgGkqrosw/s1600/easter+sunday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig0rfnc9QzdsCyhrxfEtxKifEWwKw9hMYLDBebu5GjnjEm1pGR4fg04BGS8bNjP0VWxCBYOfITk98bQbsZyXpfgQzL2_Mc9RDuBHf6FyS9F3rNPdT-a8lgZLx-gS8DzVtoaDAgGkqrosw/s320/easter+sunday.jpg" width="320" /></a>If you go into blogging purely because of the expectation you'll receive free stuff, then you shouldn't bother at all. In the year that I have been blogging, even though my average views per post are quite reasonable and I have a decent social media following, I have not received one free thing. This is a personal thing mostly: I don't feel like a blogger is really able to give a 100% honest review if they have been paid to do so. I don't necessarily like doing harsh reviews, but sometimes I feel like it's necessary and it's uncomfortable when bloggers rave about a product when it's so obviously shit. I have recently started to promote a company, but I bought an item from them to promote, I didn't actually receive the item for free.<br />
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<i>R: Easter Sunday Outfit and Makeup of the Night - <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/easter-sunday-look-of-night.html">HERE</a></i><br />
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<b>The blogger network is so super supportive!</b><br />
I have been overwhelmed with how supportive fellow bloggers are worldwide. When you first start blogging, it sometimes can be scary putting your writing out there to essentially be judged, but the support is amazing both from male and female bloggers. A lot of the time the support is conveyed via social media but that doesn't make it any less value. Sometimes it's something like a simple comment of encouragement on your actual blog or a reply to your Facebook saying "thanks for the review, I'll have to try it out" that mean so much. Those are the things that encourages you to continue blogging.<br />
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<b>Be prepared for the backlash!</b><br />
The Internet is an amazing creation, there is no doubt about that. But when you're putting your writing out in a public arena, it's going to be judged. Sometimes that means that it won't be judged in the erm, nicest of ways. I can take constructive criticism, but I won't be OK with someone being abusive to me. In my home country Ireland, abortion is illegal even under medical circumstances which is something I thoroughly disagree with. I don't necessarily agree with abortion, but what I do disagree with is Irish women not been given a right to what happens to their own bodies and the fact that they have to travel to the UK, incurring more expenses and risks, in order to receive an abortion. I saw an interesting post by a fellow blogger on the subject and shared it to my Facebook blog page. Within hours, I had got an extremely abusive message to the page from a middle aged 'lady' who obviously took great delight in saying that I was basically promoting murder and I really shouldn't comment on Irish matters because I'm now living in the UK. It was one of those moments I questioned my future in blogging, but thanks to my friends and the wider blogging community, I realised that I wouldn't - and shouldn't - let someone's ignorant opinion stop me from doing something I really enjoy, and I'm still here, so I didn't.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeM-jrFnnI65LR0HFJjoOc4BekBrihq3z2UnBixElSn-fUsTXAi6ZVw8qDT3VeXzEPsB0-2_80smkJxWyFWgxYK94NmVi2p-88h9tXc9w1zNezZ_TOTmDqZME_aAywQ85bq8dkBhcy9Yg/s1600/clashing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeM-jrFnnI65LR0HFJjoOc4BekBrihq3z2UnBixElSn-fUsTXAi6ZVw8qDT3VeXzEPsB0-2_80smkJxWyFWgxYK94NmVi2p-88h9tXc9w1zNezZ_TOTmDqZME_aAywQ85bq8dkBhcy9Yg/s320/clashing.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>Write about what YOU want to write about, always.</b><br />
<b> </b>One of the most important things you'll realise as a blogger is it's really important to write about things you want to write about it. For one, you'll find it easier to write about something if you really are passionate about it. This sounds so cheesy, but it's really important to be true to yourself - if you're writing about topics just to be scouted by some company to get some items for free, that's really not being you. Even though what I blog about may not get me a lot of views or the nicest of comments, it's far better that I publish what I want rather than something that's so obviously not me, but to be fair, that goes with pretty much everything I do in my life. I wear what I want to wear, I say what I want to say (not always possible). You are individual, so while it's nice to take inspiration from 'famous' bloggers and even 'regular' bloggers, you are not their copy. Your style and approach may be completely different, so just do your own thing!<br />
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<i>Above: Clashing Prints Outfit of the Day - <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/clashing-prints-outfit-of-day.html">HERE</a></i><br />
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<b>Some of my more popular blog posts:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>My Skincare Routine - <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/my-skincare-routine.html">HERE</a></b></li>
<li><b>Blue Smoky Eye and Nude Lips Makeup Tutorial - <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/blue-smokey-eye-nude-lips.html">HERE</a></b></li>
<li><b>10 Products Under €10 - <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/ten-products-under-10.html">HERE</a></b></li>
<li><b>Review of 5 Penneys (Primark) makeup items - <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/penneys-beauty-range-review.html">HERE</a></b></li>
<li><b>20 Random Facts about Me - <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/20-facts-about-me.html">HERE</a></b></li>
<li><b>Spring Time Girly outfit - <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/look-navy-dress-nude-heels-and-red.html">HERE</a></b></li>
<li><b>5 Wardrobe Staples every Girl should Have - <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/five-wardrobe-staples-every-girl-should.html">HERE</a></b></li>
<li><b>My Dip Dye and Hair Care Routine - <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/my-dipdye-and-haircare-routine.html">HERE</a></b></li>
<li><b>Spring Time Outfit of the Day - Florals and Leather <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/spring-time-outfit-of-day.html">HERE</a></b></li>
<li><b>Caring For Dry Skin - <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/caring-for-dry-skin.html">HERE</a></b></li>
</ul>
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<br />
I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has ever read my blog - it really does mean so much to me! Hope you all stick around for the years to come.<br />
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I also want to mention that due to undertaking a five-week placement for my course starting Monday, so therefore (because my degree comes first), I will be taking a break from blogging for that time. But don't worry - I have some really great blog posts lined up for you which I hope you'll check out in April when I'll be talking to you next.<br />
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Thank you for reading xxx<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-80844569487993743492016-02-17T15:11:00.000-08:002016-02-17T15:14:00.406-08:00Beauty - Review of Lush Cupcake Face MaskHey everyone!<br />
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Before I start, I'd just like to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone who checked out my last post on Friday 12th February last, about skinny shaming. Despite my initial concerns, I got a very positive response towards it and managed to acclaim over 200 views in just a few hours. Although for me, the best thing was random strangers messaging me saying thank you for posting it and "finally someone gets me". It's nice to know that sometimes. If you haven't checked out you can do so <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/thoughts-skinny-shaming.html">HERE</a><br />
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Anyways, cracking on with this blogpost that has been in my draft folder for what has felt like forever!<br />
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Lush are a cosmetic and haircare company that make all fresh handmade products. I absolutely adore their products, because as well as being ethically friendly and against animal testing, they're kind to sensitive skin. Unfortunately, I haven't used too many of their products, because of one simple reason: they're a tad expensive and I prefer to just use cheaper options that do the job just as well. But I couldn't resist anymore and just before Christmas, popped into the Lush here in Carlisle.<br />
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At the time, my skin was massively stressed out, with random breakouts all over and a forehead that seemed to be producing enough oil to make a fry on. Makeup unfortunately wasn't making the situation any better (and was sometimes even making it worse, see why <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/beauty-superdrug-haul-featuring.html">HERE</a>), and while I was making adjustments to other areas in my life, such as attempting to get enough sleep (which wasn't the easiest task when you are in university all week and working all weekend) and trying to stress less (again, not the easiest when you have assignments coming from you at all angles), and drinking water, I wanted a quicker option.<br />
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If you've ever walked into a Lush store, you know that in most Lush stores that their customer service is second to none. You're barely in the door when you have an eager member of staff up to you to ask you do you need any help, or need any skincare advice, and this was no different. A lovely lady talked me through some of the options I could try out, but it was so hard to decide because they all smelled so good. Literally was just smelling everything for like a half hour - haha! Eventually I decided on the Cupcake facemask I'm going to review in this blog post. As it's made for teenage skin, the lady said it would calm my breakouts and soak up any excess oils on my face, plus my friend at uni tried it out a few weeks before and her breakouts disappeared and her skin was glowing after just a few uses.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9G0NdQfuWrKxzqtQusyilrdowsxdDQGuk5Q-waA8WQhtf6Ri2wL5f5xxVpkZ0FDJZ6MkncLfChfqiJ77aJo1WhObwsiNBWqQmibrP4Z4J3BVviSxSKcQAFIV7_RLi4EJPkdfHIw-a1o/s1600/lush.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9G0NdQfuWrKxzqtQusyilrdowsxdDQGuk5Q-waA8WQhtf6Ri2wL5f5xxVpkZ0FDJZ6MkncLfChfqiJ77aJo1WhObwsiNBWqQmibrP4Z4J3BVviSxSKcQAFIV7_RLi4EJPkdfHIw-a1o/s320/lush.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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So the cupcake facemask contains cocoa butter, linseed and cocoa powder which claim to soften while peppermint and spearmint and sandalwood oils add a hint of freshness to your face. It really does smell like a chocolate cup cake!<i> Sooo</i> good. I usually slathered this all over my face once a week to help me relax. If stored
in the fridge, it will stay good for a few weeks. I really liked the It smells beautiful even when on your face and means it is so cooling and refreshing when applied. It didn't sting at all when first applied, but can be quite messy to work with so make sure you have something to wipe your hands after. It instantly felt refreshed. I usually left it on for ten minutes, after five minutes you can feel it drying in your skin and may find it difficult to move your face, which is an odd sensation! When I took it off, my skin felt instantly refreshed, although I did have to use some moisturiser after as my skin is quite dry also.<br />
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However, despite the obvious positives, I'm not convinced it did a great job of getting rid of any breakouts, though to be honest. Maybe my expectations were quite high after spending nearly seven quid on it (£6.80 to be exact). Or maybe just maybe my skin was too tough of a job to do anything on. I'm well aware that this may appear like a "bargain" compared to many other skincare brands, but for me personally, I'm not sure would I be parting with my money for this product again.<br />
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What do you think? Have you ever used Lush products? Let me know xxx <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-60789819261861294782016-02-12T11:14:00.001-08:002016-02-17T16:16:03.574-08:00Thoughts: Skinny Shaming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ92MA2EC-NpqmaOAVE0cOgx-nWnicAQGf_v-nlqNARAXmuFqtKxgw8DcQ_nt7wm4aIdhyqIiqCpiLo3N224FrTuldfF9YCxdSMWraz8JlqkQeBQu51nno2JBWtI4ffFsuQnGnATE_Dg/s1600/ugly-thin-skinny-shaming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ92MA2EC-NpqmaOAVE0cOgx-nWnicAQGf_v-nlqNARAXmuFqtKxgw8DcQ_nt7wm4aIdhyqIiqCpiLo3N224FrTuldfF9YCxdSMWraz8JlqkQeBQu51nno2JBWtI4ffFsuQnGnATE_Dg/s320/ugly-thin-skinny-shaming.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
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<br />
Cheryl Cole is a successful singer. After finding fame with Girls Aloud on <i>Popstars</i>, she has quite impressively managed to carve out a very successful solo career, with four albums under her belt, as well as a contract with L'Oreal, fashion and makeup credentials.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFKlHcTLR5N9kJ8q3rhBqzItGmDKa5XLRdfX_8HUc97sYknPdr814nwR1Z7DRZ9QwJ7jz1wCyh8Fi6CmVdCWuW5KYstvQws96ZBFeim1CCUJLeMv5Q1e0Os2XJ2avW3kFQh-Pp8mtgMI/s1600/cheryl-cole-grab_3363264b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFKlHcTLR5N9kJ8q3rhBqzItGmDKa5XLRdfX_8HUc97sYknPdr814nwR1Z7DRZ9QwJ7jz1wCyh8Fi6CmVdCWuW5KYstvQws96ZBFeim1CCUJLeMv5Q1e0Os2XJ2avW3kFQh-Pp8mtgMI/s400/cheryl-cole-grab_3363264b.jpg" width="400" /></a>She came back on <i>The X Facto</i>r judging panel after months of speculation and attended an audition in Manchester a few months ago. She popped a photo of herself wearing a black crop top and trousers on Instagram at the time and received a furore of abuse, being called a 'bag of bones' and what not.<br />
Naturally, Cheryl could not help but respond in her usual fiery Geordie demeanor. I've attached a screengrab of her reply on Instagram for you to check out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLdGd0JrqEre9yiqemZFf9M3pZRfcXkk_0JrJP94wjv54rQEBLHh9RqQxN0TVy_iOKwnOMY_BktulLH6AU2tFi0jfGtN2Sy9F3RVm_BCnSflZLHnW57ImHJFLqq9ymZ_Yw3OKJUxzEWc/s1600/cheryl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLdGd0JrqEre9yiqemZFf9M3pZRfcXkk_0JrJP94wjv54rQEBLHh9RqQxN0TVy_iOKwnOMY_BktulLH6AU2tFi0jfGtN2Sy9F3RVm_BCnSflZLHnW57ImHJFLqq9ymZ_Yw3OKJUxzEWc/s320/cheryl.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Cheryl did look slim, but hasn't she always? I'm not her biggest fan, but I personally thought her outfit was very cute and suited her, and I loved her hair and makeup.<br />
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But most importantly, Cheryl's reply - other than being a source of entertainment for tabloids to gossip about - got me thinking about the whole issue around "skinny shaming" - where women are critised for their slim physiques. Contrary to popular belief, it's not just plus sized women who are being body shamed and made feel ashamed of their body figures. I felt it was a personal issue for me as I am slim, too - probably even slimmer than Cheryl.<br />
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So often, people think they are paying me some kind of inverse compliment by saying I look thin.<br />
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"You have it easy" is the one comment I hear a lot, along with "You're so lucky, you don't need to go to the gym." I respond to these comments by asking firstly, "what do you define as having it easy?" Do you define it as not going to the gym? Yes, I do go to the gym, but because from studying health and fitness at college I realise the importance of keeping fit and healthy and the enormous benefits it brings to my heart, bones and muscles.Yes, I'm well aware that many people go to the gym for the intention to lose some excess weight, but plenty of people like myself go to the gym to simply get fit and get the heart rate pumping. I don't see it as a chore like many people do either, or that it's "hard work". I see it as something necessary for my health, like taking a shower, or brushing my teeth, that not only improves my mood and freshens my mind short term but may help to prevent some health issues further down the line too, so while people may say I'm "lucky" for "not having" to go, I think otherwise.<br />
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People struggle to understand that as a slim person, you may have insecurities too. The notion is completely foreign to many of them. It may come as a surprise, but many actually do have a lot of insecurities, many of these about our bodies, like pretty much every other human being on the planet. When I was a teenager, thanks to the influence of the media and the rise of "team curvy", I did feel quite insecure about the way I looked. These days, at the age of 23, after recognising that self-loathing really doesn't help and after a lot of growing up and realisation to do, I think I've started to finally accept my body shape the way it is. Don't get me wrong - there are some days I'd love a better bust or an arse to rival the Kardashians, if only to fit into string and strapless dresses, but I try to focus on the positive aspects of my body, and forget the rest. Having said that though, it isn't always the easiest thing to do, and it's something I'm continually working on.<br />
<br />
The genes that I inherited from my mother's side mean that I have an
incredibly fast metabolism; my mother was the same when she was my age. I went through a massive growth spurt when I was twelve that has
just kept on going and has also contributed to keeping my weight at a
constant slim level. I
don't diet, no, but I do like to eat a balanced diet. With university and work,
that isn't always possible - there are some weeks where I live off
pasta and pizza and I am addicted to Haribos Starmix sweets - but
generally I make an effort to prepare salads or a healthy stirfry as I
can really see the benefits in my skin, hair, nails and overall health
and have tons more energy (to get these pesky essays done!). I disagree with the use of "diets" anyways. I firmly believe eating little and often, with a good selection of food groups, drinking plenty of water and trying to avoid the bits like chocolate, sweets, pizza and alcohol till once a week, does a better job with both maintaining your weight and works wonders for your health too, rather than these stupid diets, many of which have been proven inconclusive and damaging to not only your physical but your mental health.<br />
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I realise that people are people, and by nature, have opinions. I would even go as far as to say that I'm a very opinionated person. But everything I have an opinion on is backed up by cold, hard facts. Even when I wrote about my thoughts on women's rights and abortion debate in my home country Ireland, I wrote about it in a very objective way, keen not to take one side or another side and to not insult anyone that may disagree or agree with the use of abortion, because after all, I don't want anyone to become insulted by what I write. I know it may not appear so, but why I write these "thoughts" blog posts is not to rant, trust me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLtKPqrC1pGnAzzUOnJFzJ0eL4Ab-cSjnCHjXDoDE9W5CgGzVAEYFne3uJ3YVDO1H4CCcAgcmBtsApzy-pHMPKausJO6OWpXIiDww-BqzmndnbfE8Asyjbt3k4sbp9Vo32UW_x2lea4k/s1600/body.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLtKPqrC1pGnAzzUOnJFzJ0eL4Ab-cSjnCHjXDoDE9W5CgGzVAEYFne3uJ3YVDO1H4CCcAgcmBtsApzy-pHMPKausJO6OWpXIiDww-BqzmndnbfE8Asyjbt3k4sbp9Vo32UW_x2lea4k/s320/body.jpg" width="320" /></a>But what I can't handle is the way people can be so very forward with their opinions, especially on social media, and for the most part, it's not always in a nice way and completely lacking some kind of facts or concrete evidence. They often feel it's their duty to tell slim people they don't really know (like the person who didn't know Cheryl), to "fatten up and eat a burger" or that they look "sick and ill". <br />
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I feel like saying to these people who tell slim people to "fatten up" - "thanks for the concern", but who or what made you their personal nutritionist or mother?<br />
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It's even more appaling for me when someone says these things to me, because I wouldn't dare tell someone to "stop eating" or to "go to the gym" or say they are "ill" because frankly - IT IS NONE OF MY BUSINESS! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Vby_fok5WcInvZl9hLTeIez3EePqRDUy5OrixMHQjPlr-_85IiI-yajpA0uyzaFuBr2koKeMv7ZsYKrcGT4HBzT7nE5HGjzHiCOOR820HNXzH3G8YPp-dSjjoFfeFeZaHvYPjRKLAfk/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Vby_fok5WcInvZl9hLTeIez3EePqRDUy5OrixMHQjPlr-_85IiI-yajpA0uyzaFuBr2koKeMv7ZsYKrcGT4HBzT7nE5HGjzHiCOOR820HNXzH3G8YPp-dSjjoFfeFeZaHvYPjRKLAfk/s320/a.png" width="320" /></a>There seems to be an abundance of people who seem to want to attack "skinny bitches", and the sad thing - like Cheryl said - is that it's mostly women on other women. Whatever happened to "girl power" and supporting others in a feminist act? Clearly that disappeared with Christina Aguilera and leather chaps in 2004 if my daily Instagram feed is anything to go by.<br />
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I'm quite active on Instagram as I promote my blog heavily on there, and I constantly read these thin-shaming posts posted by other women: "Real men like curves, only dogs go for bones".<br />
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Eh, <i>what</i>?<br />
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I'm no expert in the world of relationships, but I'd assume that if a guy is making an effort to go out with you and wants to be your boyfriend, the pivotal thing is that he should be attracted to your body shape. A "real" man or woman is someone who accepts people the way they are, and doesn't try to change them, and while I'm not saying you should go for someone you're simply not attracted to, surely apparance is a minor issue when it comes to choosing a mate, maybe even 10%? I feel a caring nature and a solid personality is much more important and are personally the things I would value the most in a potential boyfriend. If someone didn't want to be with me based on my body shape, I would just tell them what to do with themselves (that's a nice way of saying it!), there's more fish in the sea, etc etc. Plus, I find the term "dog" more than bit insulting and cannot believe in 2016 that this is even allowed to be printed as some sort of justification for skinny shaming and - worse still - used as an insult between women.<br />
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Whilst doing some research for this post, I came across this charming statement that basically implied that because women have a thigh gap it means they are promiscuous. Needless to say that that statement is complete and utter bullshit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwxW_ATxwcqEAeYoEQmgCUuBNGnyb5WHBIN2lzTu9wxpk6L1DvDZ92aC-EH9p4ERb7XnkLnuCWR0EjWFFp8sf4__509UsUYUqJN4smLKn36-k-1OQW4-dpNx4uF9NPRih3CreEkvPLIQ/s1600/all-about-that-bass+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwxW_ATxwcqEAeYoEQmgCUuBNGnyb5WHBIN2lzTu9wxpk6L1DvDZ92aC-EH9p4ERb7XnkLnuCWR0EjWFFp8sf4__509UsUYUqJN4smLKn36-k-1OQW4-dpNx4uF9NPRih3CreEkvPLIQ/s320/all-about-that-bass+%25281%2529.jpg" width="247" /></a> There's no denying that Meghan Trainor's 2014 hit <i>All About That Bass</i> was catchy as hell, but a closer listen to the lyrics showed that it involved some skinny shaming. Again, it's similar to what I've mentioned above about relationships and guys not finding girls that are slim appealing: "boys like a little booty to hold at night", but also constantly referring to slim women as "skinny bitches". Yes, it's quite right to disagree with the use of photo-shop to slim down women into an unrealistic body shape like is the norm in many "celebrity" magazines, but "bitches" is a bit too much in my opinion, and in case many of you may have forgotton, is actually an insult. This is a very concerning notion for me as young people are very influenced by music and lyrics and may believe that this is a true reflection of society, hence adding more fuel to the already burning out of control attack on slim women. I can't help but feel slightly uncomfortable on a drunken night out when this is played and everyone sings it loudly (though quite badly!) around me.<br />
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Another image I found online, from the drivel that is "Some E Cards", is the image you will see on the right. Well, where to start with this one?! I'm speechless to say the very least. I felt so angry at this incredibly warped notion that I actually sent a very strongly worded email to this company, whose E Cards I previously did think were humerous - I think it's absolutely beyond the realms of stupidity. The idea that slim women don't make good mothers is absolutely such a ridiculous concept that I'm not going to even expand on how it's all sorts of wrong! Also, to mention the Holocaust in these sort of greeting cards just adds further insult to injury. Girls such as myself being metabolically and genetically slim naturally is completely different to a sadistic event that claimed the lives of innocent million Jews, homeosexuals and disabled people across Europe and I find it horrendous that this company would state that they are similar. And I like to think when I do have a child someday, that I will be slim, not from "starving to death", but rather from working my arse off day and night to make sure they are provided with everything they might require!<br />
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I'd just like to clarify that this blogpost is really not an attack on any plus sized women, or any other woman in general. I'm really glad that plus sized women (and men!) are being treated equally in terms of working, fashion and society in general, like it should be. I'd also like to make it very clear that this is not a pro-anorexia
blogpost; there is a difference between a girl who is naturally slim and
someone who has a psychological disorder and intentionally restricts
calories. But these preconceived idiotic notions and negative attitudes towards body figures really need to stop. We need to appreciate that every body is beautiful. Eat healthily, do some exercise if you want or have a pizza and slob on the couch if you want - whatever makes you happy. Just be happy in your own body, because when you're happy in your own skin, you don't have reason to hate on others, and that to me, is what truly makes you beautiful.<br />
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Hope you enjoyed this blogpost - thanks for reading! xx<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-4268462430488963552016-02-09T16:07:00.000-08:002016-02-09T17:09:28.124-08:00Beauty - Review of Nivea Micellar Water and Extra Gentle Eye Make Up RemoverAs far as make up removers go, I'd quite happily use Garnier Micellar water (review of that product is <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/garnier-micellar-cleansing-water.html">HERE),</a> for the rest of my life. But, as a blogger, so it's really important for me to always be on the lookout for new things to try out. And a change is always good, right?<br />
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When I posted an offer relating to the Garnier micellar water on my Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/shellysaysso_/">HERE</a>, please do follow me), a fellow blogger commented that the Nivea version was a far better product. Intrigued, when I finished my Garnier one, I decided to skip into Superdrug and buy this Nivea one. At the time, Superdrug were having an offer on Nivea products - buy one, get one free - so I bought this Nivea micellar water for £4.09 and their Daily Essentials Gentle Eye makeup remover. But now, the Nivea micellar water will set you back £4.09 in Superdrug (it's slightly cheaper at £3.69 at Boots) and the eye makeup remover will cost you £3.59 in Superdrug (although it is £2.58 at a Lloyd's Pharmacy). <br />
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I'll talk a little about the micellar water first. First off, you get less product here than you do with the Garnier one; The Nivea micellar water is 200ml whereas the Garnier one is 400ml. I bought the one for Sensitive skin, and it can be used on both face and eyes. The label states that it contains dexpanthenol. Don't panic though, this is actually just an active ingredient that has moisturising properties. It also contans Grape Seed Oil, which also plays a role in keeping skin soft and supple.<br />
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I couldn't get any noticeable smell off the Garnier one, but there is a smell off the Nivea micellar water; almost alcohol like. I applied it to a cotton pad and used it to remove my makeup. So far, so good. I think I've mentioned before that my skin is dry, but it felt really super dry after using this. After using the Garnier micellar water, I didn't feel the need to moisturise my skin after, however I had to after using this guy. It stung a little around my eye area, but with a strong smell like that, I can't say I was completely surprised.<br />
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Probably the most irritating thing about this micellar water is the smell is such that it lingers on your hands after application, and it's quite strong too, so do wash your hands with some kind of handwash before touching food or the smell will obviously transfer. Although a sneaky tip I discovered last week: if your hands get stained from applying tan, a bit of this on a cotton pad should erase that mistake pretty easily!<br />
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Right, now onto the Extra Gentle Eye Make Up remover. The smell is quite strong in this guy too, but if you've ever used Nivea products before, you'll know the similar smell they all have. I applied to a cotton pad and used it to remove my eye makeup. However, it stung so so <i>so</i> bad! So much so that my eyes became red and flared. I was wearing contact lenses at the time, so even though its label states it is sutiable for contact lens wearers, I waited till they were out again before trying again on a seperate day. Again, no luck. Nothing but <i>serious</i> stinging. "Extra gentle", my arse! It really annoys me when brands claim a product to be for sensitive skin when they're so obviously not!<br />
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Rating: 1/10.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-64088865556096295032016-02-06T12:20:00.001-08:002016-02-06T14:14:25.777-08:00Beauty - Real Techniques Core Collection Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey everyone, and welcome back to Shelly Says So!<br />
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Just after finishing my semester one exams a few weeks ago, I decided to treat myself in Superdrug (not that I need much of an excuse to treat myself in Superdrug!) to these Real Techniques make up brushes. I follow a lot of bloggers online, and as a result I have heard so many good things about these brushes from other bloggers, so I decided to give them a go. They cost £20.99 in my local Superdrug, but they'll set you back €29.99 if you live in Ireland. <br />
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I bought the Core Collection, which consists of four brushes. From left to right, you have the contour brush, the pointed foundation brush, the detailer brush and the buffing brush. They come in a plastic outer packaging, attatched to a case which can be also used as a stand, which is very handy indeed.<br />
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First impressions: they look beautiful.<br />
The gold colour is very pretty and they are super soft to the touch too. But less about the aesthetics and more about the function!<br />
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The contour brush, as you may have guessed, is said to be ideal for applying contour on your face. I think the slight precision point at the top of the brush allows the process to go more smoothly and it being super soft and lightweight means it's not an ordeal applying contour. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOC91VT66BRg_RrHNPgnNENK9Dm-zUJ3c6dREUtOgXs1a6WZpkQwU-JjeVtCv-Rz8K-bBtSkat28Zr7hkyyNSauLvWYgkENniwVQ2PjPNgArmM3HjI-MFgx2OXzMzxrnpq6h6wTswtOE/s1600/contour+brush+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFOC91VT66BRg_RrHNPgnNENK9Dm-zUJ3c6dREUtOgXs1a6WZpkQwU-JjeVtCv-Rz8K-bBtSkat28Zr7hkyyNSauLvWYgkENniwVQ2PjPNgArmM3HjI-MFgx2OXzMzxrnpq6h6wTswtOE/s320/contour+brush+2.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghiM0q4m5W_7li-viPIItAD6JTGxIwU8nAEJdya4tDxTtOenmG4PwRPoatbFgiP8kKYGZVE-9XjvX-Rjd2RqXmhScLKbZDbQVor31gcaE-1nTLKIAhNmcVjURq1WBUM4x6XFCgaObWLOA/s1600/pointed+lol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghiM0q4m5W_7li-viPIItAD6JTGxIwU8nAEJdya4tDxTtOenmG4PwRPoatbFgiP8kKYGZVE-9XjvX-Rjd2RqXmhScLKbZDbQVor31gcaE-1nTLKIAhNmcVjURq1WBUM4x6XFCgaObWLOA/s1600/pointed+lol.jpg" /></a>The pointed foundation brush is supposed to work best with liquid foundations, which is the usual foundation I wear. I had been using Primark's foundation brush (which I'll review very shortly!), but since I had this, I wanted to try it out. As it's quite a small brush, I found it made the foundation application much more lengthy! Which is fine if you have plenty of time to spare in the mornings but alas, I never do (who even does?). I wondered whether I was simply using it wrong, so I watched a video on www.realtechniques.com about how to use it. I wasn't, but it did take long and it said it is good for light application of foundation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGflht6kkjH7WR03WE3sfc4vWyt4d3w6XTx2ykRENZqDhX4glUUzbFfzi3siGnlF-UCx688fMbtA8KpF6dlIzDFjOXFugh_lHqucfH5BBYGuSd4gLOMVv4nFjSfyfsinU5V5jeAfKZIM/s1600/5768465-1--real-techniques-pointed-foundation-brush.540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiGflht6kkjH7WR03WE3sfc4vWyt4d3w6XTx2ykRENZqDhX4glUUzbFfzi3siGnlF-UCx688fMbtA8KpF6dlIzDFjOXFugh_lHqucfH5BBYGuSd4gLOMVv4nFjSfyfsinU5V5jeAfKZIM/s320/5768465-1--real-techniques-pointed-foundation-brush.540.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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This again is completely fine if you're after a natural look but I just personally<br />
prefer a medium layer of foundation. With all of this swiping around it also left so much more tell-tale brush strokes which immediately turned me off. I will say that it does work well to get into precision areas such as side of your nose. I started using it also to apply concealer, which it does work well with.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtqrKcDDCYBAyA2uvKLhm5JJwBmHCcbVw4RLirKj-XGeL4dNGNJyJ77E6bzZ-NScFqSfmge2BCPa69zL7hfWkyNAeIsJ0sn4lCh0WnD9Pc4etvJTaG84zAMqfoAKODviypkMS7DArO4g/s1600/real-techniques-core-collection-brushes-review-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEtqrKcDDCYBAyA2uvKLhm5JJwBmHCcbVw4RLirKj-XGeL4dNGNJyJ77E6bzZ-NScFqSfmge2BCPa69zL7hfWkyNAeIsJ0sn4lCh0WnD9Pc4etvJTaG84zAMqfoAKODviypkMS7DArO4g/s320/real-techniques-core-collection-brushes-review-4.jpg" width="320" /></a>The detailer brush is the smallest and skinniest of the brushes in this set, and as you can guess, it is used mainly for precision applications in small areas. It can be used for applying concealer or lipstick for "long lasting shape and definition". However, I began using it in eye makeup to define my eye crease, and I couldn't believe how amazing it was! Definitely my favourite of all these brushes. The quality of this small brush even inspired me to purchase the other Real Techniques set made especially for eye makeup.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyybDDpmXxVKWAScy-XNoSwCqU7VkYVSUjgJhM5WQ-wOCJ7DHcXIEIYh7WtGIdV_MT-ktXtrYBejX49s4h00525-Nc6509vs4rqV2VBuoQtzbFMjGrPlICrfKRxlTxOVDVKFoKxTBd8r4/s1600/buff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyybDDpmXxVKWAScy-XNoSwCqU7VkYVSUjgJhM5WQ-wOCJ7DHcXIEIYh7WtGIdV_MT-ktXtrYBejX49s4h00525-Nc6509vs4rqV2VBuoQtzbFMjGrPlICrfKRxlTxOVDVKFoKxTBd8r4/s320/buff.jpg" width="320" /></a>The buffing brush apparently works ideally with powder and mineral foundations.
Since I have neither to test that theory out on, I decided to rebel slightly and use it for I for applying liquid foundation, and found that I really liked it. It's obviously a lot bigger than the pointed foundation brush so less time consuming. However I tend to go over the application with Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (review of that product is <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/beauty-review-of-real-techniques.html">HERE</a>) to ensure the makeup application turned out flawless. I also used it for applying bronzer and blush, and find it works well then too.<br />
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So the question you've all been waiting to be answered: Are these brushes worth the price tag? Although reasonable by other beauty brush standards such as Mac, these are quite expensive. Although my opinion is bound to be controversial, I need to be honest about my review as I don't want my readers to be rushing out buying these, especialy with limited funds. I think that besides from the detailer brush which was <i>ah-mazing</i>, these guys are simply not worth twenty-odd bucks. Fifteen perhaps, but not twenty. <br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-16422603200242854542016-02-02T10:01:00.000-08:002016-02-21T11:16:24.605-08:00Fashion - Thrift Shops & My Tips for Shopping in themHi guys! <br />
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Even before I started my blog, I was always on the hunt for a bargain when it comes to shopping. One of the best places to find a bargain when it comes to clothes, shoes and books is thrift (or charity) shops. I know people may have negative opinions about shopping in thrift shops, but there's really nothing to be negative about when it comes to them. I've actually got some of the nicest dresses, skirts and tops from them over the years for very inexpensive prices, so I'd really encourage you to check out your local ones. Not only are you getting a bargain but you're supporting the charity too - guilt free shopping, yay!<br />
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I understand though that there's people that just don't know where to begin when it comes to shopping in them, and that's where Shelly Says So comes in with my advice on shopping in them. Some of these tips can also be applied to shopping in general. You're welcome! xo.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRTzuj8bOb028n79BzyJ4z5HKmD23Zk43AWMdAcNJTtLsOzB87eGas9rU7E4UeJsmKRhtphMJdrOHGI6C9VXjrOo_yIAPBM_0zu7Ki5D8X_fs8y0fCjMm_8J9naISy0p-dEwqxZ_br9Y/s1600/macklemore-ryan-lewis-approve.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhRTzuj8bOb028n79BzyJ4z5HKmD23Zk43AWMdAcNJTtLsOzB87eGas9rU7E4UeJsmKRhtphMJdrOHGI6C9VXjrOo_yIAPBM_0zu7Ki5D8X_fs8y0fCjMm_8J9naISy0p-dEwqxZ_br9Y/s400/macklemore-ryan-lewis-approve.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Tip No.1: Be patient!</b><br />
As a rule, charity shops are as organised as can be but they're quite a different experience from shopping in Penneys (Primark for all my lovely British friends!) or New Look. In Penneys you walk in and you see a pretty dress. That pretty dress is all in different sizes, all on the same rail. However, it's quite a different story in charity shops (with the exception being the British Heart Foundation here in Carlisle, everything is <i>so </i>organised). You see a pretty dress, but it's not in your size and on the same rail there could be up to thirty different dresses. It leads to expected frustration, so you must be patient. Rummage through rails like your life depends on it because you never know, the dress of your dreams could be stuck behind a load of other boring dresses....<br />
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<b>Tip No.2: Know when something is a bargain or just shite! </b><br />
From personal experience even from shopping in the likes of Penneys, I know how easy it is to get swept up in the moment just because a product is a low price. Charity shop clothes are of good quality, there is no way anything would be allowed through their doors and put on a rail if they had holes in them where there wasn't supposed to be holes or were in need of rescue. But I've lost count of how many times I've fallen in love with what a dress looks like and the low price of it and abandon everything else that's important when it comes to selecting an item of clothing. Yes, it looked nice on the rail and was as cheap as chips, but when I came home and tried it on, wanting to wear it for a night out, I found that it just wasn't the right fit and was drawing attention to the parts of my body I'm insecure about. Therefore it was a mishap on my behalf and felt like money down the drain (a fiver doesn't seem like too much but when you're a student, a fiver is loads to spend and could have been used for other things (like alcomohol haha), and the dress never did get it's night out on the town.<br />
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<b>Tip No.3: Think practical!</b><br />
This kind of ties in with my second tip above, and it's a mishap I'm equally guilty of making when it comes to thrift shopping, as well as regular shopping. Again, I fall in love with a skirt, dying to wear it out, and then realise it doesn't go with anything else in my wardrobe whatsoever. I know fashion is all about experimentation, but fashion is also like a relationship; if it's a strange fabric/material/colour it could be difficult for it to get on and work well with the rest of your clothes. Same thing applies if you have a million of the same type of clothing at home. If you already have a LBD at home that you barely wear as it is don't bring another one home with you - no matter how cheap it is - to hog further valuable space in your wardrobe.<br />
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<b>Tip No.4: Try to not get disheartened. </b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtqX62XcsHp1XdIHDO2gVHU9hmDqAa6aH9M6hq7uqg5LFblevj-ZYvKjeFZwLzzKCAMeZQCG2cWW-9Bw3SxDglwaHExLLkVn5czyst8uk0NPG3pwMGePhsxDfznHrTed8Mkzzifgj79Q/s1600/macklemore.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtqX62XcsHp1XdIHDO2gVHU9hmDqAa6aH9M6hq7uqg5LFblevj-ZYvKjeFZwLzzKCAMeZQCG2cWW-9Bw3SxDglwaHExLLkVn5czyst8uk0NPG3pwMGePhsxDfznHrTed8Mkzzifgj79Q/s320/macklemore.gif" width="320" /></a>It's happened to me many times. I walk in one week to a charity shop and I come out with a bagful of bargains, the next week I go into the same one and I'm lucky if I find a book in it I want to read. It's often a matter of luck and being there at the right day and at the right time. Anyways, shopping should be fun, and shopping in charity shops is even more fun, if you let it be that way. This may be a sign I'm getting old, but I enjoy nothing more than spending an afternoon browsing through the rails, even better if I have a friend with me and we can laugh at some of the items for sale in the shop (High School musical calendar from 2005, anyone?). It's such a good feeling when you finally get a good bargain that you weren't expecting that it's well worth it.<br />
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<b>Tip No.5: Wash the clothes!</b><br />
Like I've mentioned already, charity shop clothing is at a very high standard. You'll never walk in and see clothes with vomit or any other bodily fluid on them, but they do have quite a strange smell that obviously transfers to the clothes, so I always wash the clothes after I purchase them, just to make sure all smells are off them and they smell fresh and fancy for your nights or days out.<br />
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<b>So here are a few of my charity shop bargains!!</b></div>
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<i>Flowery Dress: NCBI (National Council for the Blind Ireland), Ballina, Co. Mayo, Ireland. Cost €5.</i></div>
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<i>Polka dot Dress (by AX Paris)</i><br />
<i>: Oxfam Dublin, €5.</i></div>
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<i>Polka dot dress (by AX Paris):</i><br />
<i> Oxfam in Dublin, €5.</i></div>
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<i>Shorts: 50c (NCBI, Ballina, Co. Mayo, Ireland).</i></div>
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<b><br /></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-59950515922584902772016-01-29T10:09:00.000-08:002016-01-29T13:10:46.256-08:00Beauty - W7 In the Nude Review and LookHi everyone, and welcome back to my blog! :) Happy Friday!<br />
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So I was looking through my blog posts Wednesday night and realised it has been a while since I did a makeup tutorial for you guys. Most of my blog posts centre around what I wore but not really much emphasis on the makeup side of things. I really enjoy doing these tutorials, so I decided to do one for you yesterday early in the morning, as usually when I finish university it's dark. Gotta take advantage of that good lighting, yo!<br />
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Today's tutorial features a makeup palette I actually have with a while. It is by the British brand W7 and is called 'In the Nude'. If you're wondering whether it's something like you've seen before, you'd be right! W7 have a range of eyeshadow palettes all supposed to be affordable dupes (inexpensive versions) of Urban Decay Naked palettes. This guy is supposed to the dupe for the Naked 3, but they have ones for the Naked 1 and 2, as well as Naked Basics. I've never used any W7 products previous to this but I had heard good things about them.<br />
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As you can see below, the packaging is more or less the same and the eyeshadow shades look nearly identical, if not the same. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFbXz9HBOkx0oH3WQnTdwCFgFfKpuCm2K0172zucnLiE5G9GBnzckO37Pl7mpxVVVHPEgjGAacqnfKhNjJ28k2h6a43PJdha-dx71C49m8L2GmsRioGVFT3vQtXN88qeNmlB2_4ESOc8/s1600/in+the+nude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
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There is a huge difference in the price however. While the Urban Decay palettes would set you back at least €50 (around thirty pounds), I picked up this In The Nude palette in the summer back home in Ireland for €8.49 (about six pounds). They are widely avaliable here in the UK, somewhat more difficult to source in Ireland though they are avaliable to buy online on Amazon and Ebay. The quality of the W7 palette, contrary to what you may believe, is actually quite reasonable. No, they won't last all day without a primer, but hey, what eyeshadow will? <br />
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Before I begin with the tutorial, I'd just like to say that I am by no means a professional. I am currently studying to become an occupational therapist, not a makeup artist. I'm just a normal everyday girl who enjoys playing around with makeup and having fun with the whole process.<br />
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<b>Credit: anzellelew.blogspot.com.</b> <br />
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Firstly, this is what I looked like with no makeup on. My skin is relatively good at the moment; I still am prone to redness and horrible dryness but for the most part, I'm happy with it! <br />
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<b>1. </b>First step in this tutorial was to prime my skin. My skin is really dry so I used Simple Kind to Skin Light hydrating moisturiser (£4.19/€5, review of that product is <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/my-skincare-routine.html">HERE</a>). I recently re-bought this product and was a bit disappointed; it has changed the smell ever so slightly and it is slightly odd, really like suncream! Then I used Rimmel Fix and Perfect Primer (£6.99/€8.99, review of that product is <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/review-of-rimmel-match-perfection.html">HERE). </a>Last week I popped on primer without moisturiser and it left a horrible stinging sensation on my face as my skin was so dry, so I'd really recommend using the moisturiser first. I then applied some Maybelliene Baby Lips (£2.99/€3.99), to my lips to moisturise them, but I use coconut oil a lot to moisturise them too.<br />
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2. When that was absorbed into my skin, I applied a thin layer of Rimmel match perfection foundation (£7.99/€9.99, review <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/review-of-rimmel-match-perfection.html">HERE</a>). If your skin is in relatively good shape, there's no need to apply heaps of foundation, trust me! The brush I used to apply this was Primark's own brand foundation brush, I will be doing a review of these soon. I prefer to wait till all eye makeup is done before setting my makeup so I skipped powder for now.<br />
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3. Concealer next. I used two concealers. Rimmel Wake Me Up (£5.49/€6.99, review of that product is <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/review-of-rimmel-match-perfection.html">HERE</a>) on any redness, and Collection Lasting Perfection (£3.99/€4.75), to highlight the areas under my eyes. Both applied with a Primark beauty concealer brush.<br />
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3. Eyebrows was the next step. I filled in my eyebrows using my trusty Primark eyebrow kit (review of that is <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/penneys-beauty-range-review.html">HERE</a>). As you can tell by the packaging, I use it a lot! The brush I used was a double sided eyeshadow brush with a sponge tip, I just don't like these brushes in applying eyeshadow but they work for eyebrows!<br />
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4. Now for the star event: the eyeshadows. I applied <b>latte,</b> a nude, neutral colour just under my eyebrows to highlight them, using latte, the first shade on the left of the palette.<br />
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Next I applied <b>copper pot</b>, a deeper, vintage pink, all over my eyelid using a fluffy eyeshadow brush, these wooden ones were bought off Ebay. Using this same brush, I applied second colour from left, <b>Angel</b>, a sparkly pink, to my inner eyelid.<br />
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Then I applied <b>Alice</b>, a matte pink into my crease using one end of an eyeshadow brush from Primark. How much time and product you use here will really depend on how you defined you wish for your crease to be. I also applied some of Alice on my lower lashline.<br />
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I blended Alice out using <b>Marilyn</b>, a pink, yet slightly nude, using another one of my Ebay brushes. It's quite similar to Alice, only difference is it is slightly darker.<br />
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I applied <b>Fashionista</b> (a black eyeshadow with red sparkles, just shows up black though), about half way up into my crease, using my Real Techniques 'Detailer Brush' from their core collection set, slightly winging this out to form a shadow eyeliner.<br />
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<i>Brushes used in the eye makeup (from left to right):</i><br />
<i>Slanted fluffy eyeshadow brush and fluffy eyeshadow brush, both from a set on Ebay.</i><br />
<i>Real Techniques 'Detailer Brush', as part of the 'Core Collection' set.</i><br />
<i>Double ended eyeshadow brush, Primark. </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXq6fEDwDvGbgHdbk8FINGC-QVqOSm9ynz8j-PTQ4GzOvoV70huug7muQXGZW6VODHS64zyvXmNPRdqHG-xja5r3seT-KVK0N2yk0EtUm7uzYIml1KwGFM6mg8NbQ0ZVqtOBgka_Oy2A/s1600/20160128_211133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXq6fEDwDvGbgHdbk8FINGC-QVqOSm9ynz8j-PTQ4GzOvoV70huug7muQXGZW6VODHS64zyvXmNPRdqHG-xja5r3seT-KVK0N2yk0EtUm7uzYIml1KwGFM6mg8NbQ0ZVqtOBgka_Oy2A/s320/20160128_211133.jpg" width="240" /></a>5. Now to add some extra drama at night time, if you wish you can add some false eyelashes. I decided to use the Revlon Intensifeye volumising eyelashes. I bought these in a multi-pack of four at where I work, Home Bargains, for £1.99. They didn't come with eyelash glue however so I had to use a Primark eyelash glue I found at the bottom of my makeup bag - desperate times cause for desperate measures! I applied these using my Revlon tweezers (bought in Superdrug a few months back, for about a fiver). Don't fear if you've no idea how to apply false eyelashes, I will be writing up a blogpost about application plus which eyelashes I have tried out. I then applied some Essence I <3 Extreme Crazy Volume Mascara (£2.80/€3.49, you can buy Essence in Wilko in the UK btw), to help blend my real eyelashes in with my falsies.<br />
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6. Now to finish off the rest of my face! I set my face using Rimmel Stay Matte powder (£3.99/€5.99) and then applied Primark loose powder (£1.50/€2) over areas where I'm prone to oily skin. Both were applied using my fluffy Primark blusher brush.<br />
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7. Blusher was next. Make Up Gallery Blush in Soft Blush 1 (£1/€1.79, see review of this product <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/beauty-make-up-gallery-review.html">HERE</a>), again using a Primark makeup brush, but this was from a previous range. <br />
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8. Highlighter used was Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Highlighter in
'Peach Lights' (£3), using an Ebay contour brush. I only bought this recently and I adore it! So
pretty and sparkly, though you'd never think it with my crappy phone
camera.... <br />
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9. Last but not least, lips. I applied Catrice Lasting lipgloss (I think it's called that, the label has disappeared...). It's a pinkish nude which wouldn't distract from the strong eye make up look. I bought this back home in Ireland when I was back for Christmas for about five euro. Catrice is unfortunately not available in the UK (but it really needs to be!). It's available to buy on Ebay, but it's way more expensive on there (sob!).<br />
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And there you have it, the finished look! Hope you enjoyed this blogpost tutorial. Any questions, fire away!xxx<br />
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These days people are more aware of what products they are putting on their bodies. A lot of cosmetics have been linked to breast cancer among others, so many people are switching to organic, natural products. As a result, coconut oil has come to the fore front and has become <i>the </i>holy grail in this natural lifestyle, though it is not a new phenomenon at all, having been used in the US well before World War II.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUt4np-TZRSAmgRfvkaB1W4-fJ7DSg1BmhilXNjDiAILfLzZA2vXu5u7iiV1JBVR_Qblsq_Wq-8G1N4ygB7zCEIl-WDHxfz0Ghyphenhyphen-OP4h9IQj2lEsq0xVrQawJYi7-7FuoNRcMzQPcE2Y0/s1600/coconut+oil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUt4np-TZRSAmgRfvkaB1W4-fJ7DSg1BmhilXNjDiAILfLzZA2vXu5u7iiV1JBVR_Qblsq_Wq-8G1N4ygB7zCEIl-WDHxfz0Ghyphenhyphen-OP4h9IQj2lEsq0xVrQawJYi7-7FuoNRcMzQPcE2Y0/s320/coconut+oil.jpg" width="179" /></a>There are literally <i>hundreds</i> apon hundreds of uses for coconut oil, to everything from cooking to adding in yoghurt and smoothies to putting on your dog! I personally prefer not to use it in food as I'm not sure would the taste be that great and also it is high in saturated fat, increasing your risk of heart disease, so this blogpost will just focus on its hair and beauty uses. As you might also expect, there are hundreds of hair and beauty uses too for this little gem! I'm obviously not going to talk about all of them as I don't want to bore you to death, and I didn't want to talk about things I haven't personally tried out myself. I felt it wouldn't have been right to you guys, my readers, if I just paraphrased people's other work off the internet, saying it did this that and the other, you to try it out and it doing the opposite of what I was claiming it to do! My aim in writing this blog has and always will be about being really honest in what I did, so you'll know for sure about the product you're buying, the good and the bad bits. I got this big jar containing 500ml of coconut oil in my place of work, Home Bargains for £3.99 (about five euro), but I've seen it in Tesco and Holland and Barrett too.<br />
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<b>Body Oil</b><br />
My main reason for trying out this product was because of its moisturising properties I have heard so much about. I have mild to moderate eczema (a skin condition meaning my skin becomes itchy, red, dry and cracked, which fluctuates, hence why I have referred to it as mild to moderate, due to a number of factors, such as stress, detergents), plus sensitive skin, and contrary to what you might imagine, I have a difficult time finding moisturising products that suit! Many which tie the both together and soothe my skin are either ridiculously expensive or smell horrible! Simple is a good brand I have been using for years, but sometimes I want something that's slightly scented (being the girl I am). Coconut oil is a natural product, inexpensive (see above) and smells like a beach holiday, meaning I'm always happy to slather it on <i>everywhere</i> after a shower or bath, and it doesn't irritate my eczema one bit! When I posted a photo of this on my Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shellysaysso_/">HERE</a>, I had a comment from one of my followers saying it helped calm down her psoriasis a lot, so if any of my readers have that, coconut oil is worth trying out! <br />
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<b>Makeup Remover</b><br />
Even the most waterproof mascara doesn't stand a chance against this guy! Apply some directly to your face to act as an oil cleanser or let it sit with a cotton pad, and voila! Your makeup will melt away. As it's a natural product, it suits even the most sensitive of skins. Garnier micellar water, you have some stiff competition!<br />
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<b>Lip Balm</b><br />
In this winter weather, chapped lips are a common problem, which ain't great when you wear as many lipsticks as I do. I always used to use Vaseline as a lip balm, but I haven't used it in a while as I have read many articles claiming it to be linked to cancer. Coconut oil is a much more natural alternative, especially as it is semi-solid in room temperature. It makes lips super super soft - perfect coming up to Valentines' Day!<b> </b><br />
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<b>Under Eye cream</b><br />
The skin under your eyes is delicate and thin, making it prone to fine lines, puffiness and wrinkles. Eye creams can be expensive (many retailing at £20 plus!), so save your pennies and invest in some coconut oil instead for a fraction of the cost. It's light enough for even the most delicate of under eye skin. Just rub a tiny amount between your fingers to warm it up before gently patting it underneath your eyes.<b> </b><br />
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<b>Frizz Tamer</b><br />
I have naturally very curly hair so means whenever I try to straighten it in an attempt to look polished it ends up looking frizzy, ugh. The fact that my hair is dyed bleach blonde at the ends doesn't really do anything for the cause, to be fair! I've tried a lot of smoothing serums, from Tony and Guy to L'Oreál in the past, but this works just as well (and again, is a lot cheaper). Rub a pea-sized amount of coconut oil (any more and it will make your hair appear greasy), between your fingers to warm it up, then apply it to the bottom couple of inches of hair for all day frizz protection. If you're blessed with thicker, coarser hair, apply the oil in the same way but from mid-shaft to end for frizz control. The bonus with this is that it also leaves hair extra shiny and soft, plus smelling fabulous!<br />
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<b>Shaving Cream</b><br />
Whoever said shaving cream has to lather? Use this oil as a base to get a closer shave and a positive of this is that it results in smooth legs instead of legs that are dried out. Believe it or not, this actually works! It's less messy than using shaving foam, too. I didn't use it to shave my underarms as I feared it may be a little harsh on that sensitive area, but following shaving I did put a little under my arms to soothe it. I then lathered loads over my legs following shaving to lock in the moisture.<br />
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<b>Dandruff Treatment</b><br />
Dandruff and dry scalp often go hand in hand. Moisture is needed at the roots, which comes in the shape of this baby! Apply each night lightly to the roots, and massage in, which will also stimulate hair growth (bonus).<br />
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<b>Leave in hair conditioner</b><br />
Following shampooing, apply a tiny amount throughout your hair (breathe in that fabulous smell!). Then wrap your hair in a towel and allow it to dry naturally. I can really see the difference in my hair after using this. It smells better, feels better and created beautiful natural curls on myself. Love it!<b> </b><br />
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<b>Hand cream</b><br />
Like many products mentioned, hand cream is another product that can be expensive. This multi-tasker helps here too! Apply some coconut oil to your hands and let it absorb (you can pop on some gloves to speed up the absorption process, but you don't have to). Result: silky soft hands. Yay!<br />
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<b>Cuticles</b><br />
I am in the process of growing my nails (so very determined to stop biting them for good now, but with placement just around the corner, we'll see how long that lasts!). I had many torn cuticles caused by biting my nails and they were rather unsightly. I applied some coconut oil and it has greatly reduced their appearance. My nails look in better shape (well as good as a shape as can be expected!).<br />
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<i>Some need to knows:</i><br />
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<ul>
<li><i>As it's an oil, it does take it's time to dry, and so therefore can be slightly messy to work with. So wait a while before dressing yourself or covering a certain part of your body. When I applied it I wore shorts and a light vest top. </i></li>
<li><i>Coconut oil has a shelf life of 2 years, so don't worry about having to use it up really quickly. Just as well, I would struggle to use that big jar up in a short length of time! </i></li>
<li><i>You can store coconut oil in the fridge or at room temperature, the choice is completely up to you. It may be slightly more soothing on skin to have it slightly chilled; either way it melts in your hand straight away so it doesn't make too much of a difference.</i></li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-43346026675438253032016-01-21T16:02:00.001-08:002016-01-28T14:40:14.292-08:00Book Review: Me and My Mate Jeffrey By Bressie Hey everyone!<br />
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I had some time to kill at the airport before catching my flight back to England after the Christmas break nearly three weeks ago, and I wanted to buy something to read on the plane to distract myself from my fear of flying and also to keep me company on what would be a long journey back to my student house in Cumbria. I don't have any interest in celebrity gossip magazines (I could not care less about what Kimmy K is doing, celebrity culture doesn't interest me in the slightest!) and I decided I didn't want to make my post-Christmas blues even worse by reading the offers on the Ryanair magazine. Needless to say I didn't want to whip out my university books on ethics that were stuffed in my bag either! So I ended up buying a book.<br />
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This book, <i>Me and My Mate Jeffrey</i>, is by Niall Breslin or 'Bressie'. In Ireland, he would be somewhat of a household name. He was in a band and also gained admirable success as a solo musician, and is a coach on the Irish version of <i>The Voice</i>. He is also a mental health advocate. I have often heard him giving interviews speaking about his own personal experiences with mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. Just earlier today, he gave a passionate speech to members of the Irish government about what needs to be done regarding mental illness in Ireland. Please do check out his speech <a href="http://www.joe.ie/life-style/video-watch-bressies-impassioned-speech-on-mental-health-to-the-oireachtas-joint-committee/527777">HERE. </a><br />
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In Ireland especially, mental health is still not adequetely addressed,
and the negative attitudes that surround the issue are quite harsh,
despite the fact that one in four people will suffer from a mental
illness at any stage of their life. Any sign of a mental illness leads
to an individual being labelled as "weak", "crazy", or a typical Irish
phrase of "away with the fairies" (that is: crazy). Another issue is this
whole mental issue thing will "go away". If someone were diagnosed with a
serious physical illness like cancer, would anyone say to them, "it'll
go away" and "you're just imagining it" or you "need to cheer up". I
think not. Then why are people who are diagonosed with a serious mental
illness being told them things? It's something that infuriates me so so
much you would not believe. It's these kind of attitudes that only lead
to bright, intelligent individuals such as Bressie suffering in silence, and for a
population of just over four million, Ireland has the highest female
suicides and the second highest male suicides in Europe. Pretty scary
statistics when you think about it.<br />
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This book provides a more in-depth detailed look at Bressie's own personal experiences with anxiety and depression (Jeffrey is the name he gave to his illness) from his childhood experiences of living in war-torn Lebenon (his father was in the Irish army, whose role is peace-keeping), to his teenage days where he struggled to catch his breath, to his time playing rubgy for his university and his province (Leinster), to his music career in a band, solo and as a judge on the Voice. The book is extremely revealing, making sure you really get to know Bressie as a person throughout the book. It's no Oscar Wilde literary classic, but I think that only adds to its appeal; it is written in a way that makes it easy for all readers to understand, as well as adding some good old Irish humour along the way. He spoke with refreshing honesty of how his mental illness problems had affected his relationships, friendships, career. Honestly, I found myself really not being able to put it down; I read it on the flight to Liverpool and then on the train up to Carlisle, and started reading it again when I arrived in Carlisle, so I finished the 308-page book in just a few hours! Obviously though, given the issue, it's not an easy read and there were a few times while reading it on the train that I welled up.<br />
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I feel like in penning this book, Bressie has done more for mental health in Ireland than all the politicians put together, offering some hope to those who are in a dark place in their lives. He even offers some practical solutions on what worked well for his recovery, such as exercising and eating healthily. I had a lot of respect for him previous to reading this book, as like I said I have seen his interviews discussing his problems before, but I have even more respect for him now (if that's even possible). It's never easy to talk about what intense problems you may be facing, we all know that. As it's been a while since I did a book review, and as I felt that the book might help others, I decided to do a quick blog post about it.<br />
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Thanks for reading guys x <br />
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<ul>
<li><b>For those of you who live in Ireland, this book is widely avaliable in all good bookshops.</b></li>
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<ul>
<li><b>If you live in the UK and are interested in checking this book out, it is avaliable on Amazon.co.uk <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Me-My-Mate-Jeffrey-realities/dp/1473619661">HERE</a>.</b></li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-18823696466320757252016-01-17T12:17:00.000-08:002016-01-17T12:17:04.957-08:00Beauty - Review of L'Oréal True Match FoundationHey everyone, and welcome back to my blog!<br />
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Just before Christmas, I found myself running short of foundation having used up all of my Rimmel Match Perfection one. I've done a review on the Rimmel Match Perfection one <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/review-of-rimmel-match-perfection.html">HERE</a> and while I thought it was a natural enough looking foundation, it didn't quite last all day and all night and I suppose I was looking for something a bit more.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DJ88U8kW-V2vIhobRpx2mNs-J2XVyL636Ue8coGDkswukxJOOT_uWaVrk0DiHE8R0jWGxaZTvS_OzCO7dRqjdn_Jg3Wl5RWajwkIZhPnOCJ-FirMURhy9EtDpjOfsVWmCKyAIk3blUs/s1600/true+match.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2DJ88U8kW-V2vIhobRpx2mNs-J2XVyL636Ue8coGDkswukxJOOT_uWaVrk0DiHE8R0jWGxaZTvS_OzCO7dRqjdn_Jg3Wl5RWajwkIZhPnOCJ-FirMURhy9EtDpjOfsVWmCKyAIk3blUs/s1600/true+match.jpg" /></a></div>
Everyone knows how difficult it is to find a foundation that will match your skin tone. It's definitely an ordeal to find one that matches my porcelain Irish skintone exactly, and in many ranges, the lightest shade (Ivory) won't even suffice! I absolutely <i>hate</i> seeing that tell-tale sign of foundation "tide" mark on the neck of a girl, indicating it doesn't completely match her skin tone, but this beauty blunder has happened way too many times to myself than I'd care to remember! Luckily, L'Oréal have come to our aid and following research into skintones of women from around the world, they have developed a foundation with 23 skin-true shades.<br />
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I had heard so many good things about this foundation I was a little apprehensive about it, but decided to pick it up anyways. Retailing at £9.99, it was a bit more expensive than the Rimmel ones I'd usually go for, but I figured I may as well take a chance on it.<br />
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After priming with Rimmel primer, I applied a thin layer of this foundation with my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge (review of that product is <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/beauty-review-of-real-techniques.html">HERE</a>) and the first thing that struck me about it was how it did indeed match my skintone exactly - hurray! I knew I was onto a winner from that alone.<br />
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Surprisingly, there's more goodness from this little guy! It covers up imperfections so well, meaning less concealer is used. And it doesn't look any bit cakey whatsoever. And it lasts from day to night (9am to midnight).<br />
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What more could you ask for?<br />
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<i>I think I've found "The One". </i><br />
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My verdict: 10/10 (obviously!). Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-14243038868727441472016-01-15T15:25:00.005-08:002016-01-17T11:11:21.659-08:00Beauty - Make Up Gallery ReviewHi everyone, and welcome back to my blog! <br />
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I was in Poundland a few weeks ago and spotted that they had a range of make up there - Make Up Gallery. Everything was just a pound each (obviously!) so I decided to pick a few things out (sure it was hardly going to put me in debt!), and in the end I picked out four things: pressed powder, blusher, liquid foundation and colour moisture lipstick. For my Irish readers, these are avaliable in Dealz for €1.49 each.<br />
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<b>Long Lasting Foundation</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUOIupSjyifmZQhXC74iM7NRZHwMyFOj6nUriJ22EyD8rPfLL2elwRYmX3oswmpCFduxVuootGfcxcsKhox4f8wuxUB_9VzBQIU4hdBpqXLXwD6xnfMPe4SCmDTcBoVu2UOOFO_Noyzw/s1600/makeup+gallery+foundation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguUOIupSjyifmZQhXC74iM7NRZHwMyFOj6nUriJ22EyD8rPfLL2elwRYmX3oswmpCFduxVuootGfcxcsKhox4f8wuxUB_9VzBQIU4hdBpqXLXwD6xnfMPe4SCmDTcBoVu2UOOFO_Noyzw/s320/makeup+gallery+foundation.jpg" width="320" /></a>This is a liquid foundation that claims to be "natural long lasting". It contains UVA filters which is basically a thin film on the skin which protects it from sun damage (although it's unlikely it'll fufil it's role in the UK until another few months!) and also contains the antioxidant Vitamin E, which plays a role in anti-aging.<br />
I picked up this foundation in the lightest shade - Ivory 1. I tried it out the morning before I headed to work after priming, and then added eyeliner, mascara, all the other bits. It seemed OK at first and I was quite happy. Then I went to the bathroom to get some tissue and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. As my bathroom had much better light, the foundation appeared super orange. Like Oompa Loompa orange! I couldn't go anywhere obviously looking like that, so had to scrub it all off (including my liquid eyeliner - girls, if you know the struggle you will know how pissed off I was about that!), and applied a more paler fit-to-skintone foundation. Therefore, I've no idea of how this foundation is for wear!<br />
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<b>Pressed Powder</b><br />
As the powder in this range is Translucent, I had no concerns about trying it out. Again, this product contains Vitamin E. It does have a rather strongly perfumed scent to it. Personally I didn't mind it but I know many others will. I was really impressed with this powder, though. I applied it all over, and it helped my makeup stay matte and oil-free all day long, working as well if not better than other high end brands I've tried in the past. Really good buy!<br />
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<b>Blusher</b><br />
This light pink blusher - 'Soft Blush 1' is in a teeny tiny container and like the other products, also contains Vitamin E. It doesn't have a strong scent like the powder. It's not very pigmented, but it does give a very subtle, in-from-the-cold effect, and lasts well. Another good 'un!<br />
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<b>Colour Moisture Lipstick</b><br />
The lighting in Poundland at the time must have been off - or else I'm going blind<b> </b>- but when I picked up this lipstick<i> </i>I thought it was black and was slightly excited as I have been meaning to try out a black lippy for quite some time. With a name like 'Black Cherry' you wouldn't blame me for thinking that! However, when I tried it out for a night out over Christmas, I found out that it's really more like a dark berry. I wanted to try it out for the night but I quickly found it doesn't have a great pigment at all - the first coat looks purple, the next application looked just slightly more pigmented. And as it was New Year's Eve, I really didn't want to be stuck in the bathroom re-applying it after every drink, so decided to stick with my Rimmel Lasting Finish lippy.<br />
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<b> </b> <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-40081368636340726312016-01-03T08:52:00.001-08:002016-01-03T10:36:32.050-08:00Thoughts: New Year's Resolution with a Difference...Hey everyone!<br />
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So this blogpost was inspired by a quote I found on Instagram a few days ago, which led me to thinking a little about the issue of new year's resolutions.<br />
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<i>Each year, so many people make new year's resolutions.</i><br />
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New year's resolutions are a big business. In supermarkets, Christmas is barely over by the time the cake and biscuits are replaced by fitness DVDs and gym clothing. <br />
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I don't disagree entirely with the idea of new year's resolutions, but what I do find a bit uneasy is the way people approach them. It's admirable for someone to announce that they will "lose weight" or "eat healthily" as a new year's resolution, but what if that doesn't go to plan? I know from my own personal experience how difficult it is to abide by a healthy eating plan. All sorts of factors can affect that plan, from tiredness, to budgeting issues, to lack of motivation. Many people end up just feeling like failures, and depressed even more in what is already a very depressing month. <br />
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Maybe instead of pushing these unrealistic expectations on yourselves, it just might be an idea to give yourself a break this January. Instead of trying to lose weight or eat healthily, why not make this year the year you finally start to love yourself just the way you are?<br />
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It sounds very Oprah I know, and for some of us, it can be the hardest thing in the world to do, far more difficult than losing weight or eating healthily. I don't do it myself. But it's the most important thing in the world for our mental health and general well-being. So many new year's resolutions revolve around altering the exterior of ourselves, that we don't often give thought to the interior. As I've got older, it's something that has perplexed me. We often decorate our houses on the inside better than we do on the outside, why not do the same to ourselves? We focus on the physical aspects, rather than the inner aspects. You may have a few extra pounds, but you may have an amazing personality and a hard work ethic. You may be an amazing mother/father, brother/sister, niece/ nephew, boyfriend/girlfriend, and collegue, with people who love you just the way you are. These are the things that cannot be determined by a figure on the scale.<br />
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By all means, set goals. Set aspirations. <b>But don't let it rule you completely.</b> Do the healthy eating thing, but allow yourself to have cake when you want. Life is way <i>way</i> too short to be denying yourself of things that make you happy. After all, chocolate contains endorphins - scientifically proven to improve mental well-being, any excuse to dig in, eh? And that to me is more important than dropping a dress size.<br />
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Hope you enjoyed this blogpost xxx<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-25283396097159739492016-01-01T11:19:00.001-08:002016-01-01T11:19:04.996-08:00Fashion & Beauty: New Years Celebrations!Hey everyone, and welcome back to my blog!<br />
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Happy new year too. Hope everyone's heads are not too bad after the celebrations last night. Mine is fairly fragile still to be honest, but I'm sure it's nothing a good strong cup of tea can't fix!<br />
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The dress I'm wearing is from Boohoo.com, and was actually a Christmas present from one of my best friends Aine. Though truth be told, I regretted eating all the crap I did over Christmas when trying to squeeze into it! <i>Sooo</i> tight! It's fab though. <br />
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The metallic heels (that you can't see in this photo - grr!) are Penneys, I've mentioned them before in many other previous blog posts, I got them in the summer sale in June reduced to €7 from €16, I wear them so often I feel like they're an extension of myself!<br />
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The tan I'm wearing is Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs. This was my second time trying it out, but I'm not going to say too much about it here as I will be writing up a review of this tan very soon.<br />
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For makeup, I moisturised with Simple Kind To Skin Light hydrating moisturiser. I've written a review of this product plus some skin care tips <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/my-skincare-routine.html">HERE</a>. The foundation I used was L'Oréal True Match foundation (review of that is to come), applied with Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (review of that is <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/beauty-review-of-real-techniques.html">HERE</a>). For eyes I kept things very simple. I used the Make Up Revolution 'Flawless' eyeshadow palette (details of this eyeshadow are on my previous blogpost ), sweeping 'Medal' over the lid, 'Copper Shimmer' in the crease and 'Gold Digger' on the inner eyelid. I applied New York Color liquid eyeliner on my upper eyelid (review <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/ten-products-under-10.html">HERE</a>), before applying Primark eyelashes in 'Sultry'. I set my makeup using Rimmel Stay Matte powder. Blusher used was Make up Gallery blush, bought in Poundland. Highlighter used was an Essence one, but it's part of a limited edition Cinderella range so unfortunately it's no longer avaliable.<br />
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Lipstick used was Rimmel Lasting Finish in 'Starry Eyed'. I absolutely adore this lipstick; it's a dark plum shade and it lasts for ages too!<br />
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Hope you enjoyed this blogpost - any questions, fire away! xx<br />
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<b>Products used:</b></div>
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<b>Simple Kind To Skin Light Hydrating Moisturiser, €5/£3.70.</b></div>
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<b>L'Oréal True Match Foundation in 'Ivory', €13.55/£9.99.</b></div>
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<b>Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, €7.99/£6.99.</b></div>
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<b>Make Up Revolution Eyeshadow Palette in 'Flawless', £8.</b></div>
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<b>New York Color Liquid Eyeliner, €2.40/£1.99.</b></div>
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<b>Primark false eyelashes in 'Sultry', €1.50/£1</b></div>
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<b>Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in '001 Transparent', €5.99/£3.99.</b></div>
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<b>Make Up Gallery Blush in 'Soft Blush 1', €1.49/£1.</b></div>
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<b>Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in 'Starry Eyed', €5.50/£4.99.</b></div>
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<b>Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs in 'Light Glow', €13.99/£9.99.</b></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-75367381552833684302015-12-25T12:53:00.000-08:002015-12-25T13:45:08.636-08:00Fashion and Beauty - Christmas Day!So after the visit to Mass, the unwrapping of presents from Santy, and falling into a food coma after the dinner, I took some time out and decided to write up a blogpost about what I was wearing today for the special occasion. I like to lay round in my trackie and hoodie as much as any other girl, but Christmas only comes round once a year so I like to make some effort for the day. <br />
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The tunic dress I'm wearing is from Penneys (Primark) and cost €14 (£10.33). I bought it Sunday afternoon after arriving in Ireland for Christmas. I really like the berry shade of it; this colour is always associated with the festive season so I felt like it was perfect! It actually has sheer sleeves, but to keep nice and toasty during the winter day I popped a long sleeved black top underneath it.<br />
These long sleeved black tops are basic, and they're an essential part of my winter wardrobe, and only cheap as chips too, so I'd definitely recommend to invest.<br />
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The black tights were basic ones from Penneys, also bought on Sunday. I got three pairs for €6.<br />
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The scarf was also Penneys, it belongs to my sister though so I don't know the price, sorry! I'd imagine it would cost no more than a tenner. Many of my scarves are summery and light, and this is a nice thick one, so perfect for winter.<br />
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The boots are Shoe Zone, they have a slight heel on them. I bought them the first weekend I arrived in England as a birthday present to myself (I'm awful good to myself!). They were £20.<br />
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The coat is Penneys, but I bought it two years ago so I cannot for the life of me remember the price of it! I really like it as it comes out slightly at the hips and is super warm too!<br />
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Before applying makeup, I moisturised my face and neck using my trusty Simple Kind to Skin Light Hydrating Moisturiser and waited a few moments for it to absorb. My skin is super duper dry at the moment, so I applied it in a thin layer three times. FYI, I've done a blogpost on caring for dry skin, which you can check out <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/caring-for-dry-skin.html">HERE</a>.<br />
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Foundation I used was L'Oréal True Match foundation in Ivory (the lightest shade in the range). I decided to try out this foundation about two weeks ago as I have heard it being hailed as the 'holy grail' of foundations. I'm not going to say too much about it here as I am planning on doing a seperate blogpost all about it in the coming weeks. The concealer I used was Rimmel Wake Me Up (review of that product is <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/review-of-rimmel-match-perfection.html">HERE</a><span id="goog_1973175131"></span><span id="goog_1973175132"></span>) under my eyes and on blemishes, before setting it with Rimmel Stay Matte translucent powder. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5x_q2Ypt0Z7uyrusB6kR4KAKzYmeLrVU_PuoIocTBE4bUKZlIsTZ0iqv6yPIGVRuTjZ9iCuNZ__1JFN4mgC-VuuZoHRSJ-r1WCkrcVKeOAjC1Pd4DNMEzY1mPkdAxObHjmqaHkrwyQE/s1600/makeuprevolutionflawless3_zpsfa07c2d7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr5x_q2Ypt0Z7uyrusB6kR4KAKzYmeLrVU_PuoIocTBE4bUKZlIsTZ0iqv6yPIGVRuTjZ9iCuNZ__1JFN4mgC-VuuZoHRSJ-r1WCkrcVKeOAjC1Pd4DNMEzY1mPkdAxObHjmqaHkrwyQE/s320/makeuprevolutionflawless3_zpsfa07c2d7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREC9PYD1no_GZ7kMuO0dPc9IEg6ZjFyOa4512Q2vlIbpYw2IymoUtU59b63El3MUaB-b6P_2TSGtAwvkQgZbqM8NQcNoqSyVcVgdoUvyuHC4Rp-2dowb0haT83EuZ3SHlezY-4V_Ltz4/s1600/make+up+revol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhREC9PYD1no_GZ7kMuO0dPc9IEg6ZjFyOa4512Q2vlIbpYw2IymoUtU59b63El3MUaB-b6P_2TSGtAwvkQgZbqM8NQcNoqSyVcVgdoUvyuHC4Rp-2dowb0haT83EuZ3SHlezY-4V_Ltz4/s400/make+up+revol.jpg" width="400" /></a>For eyes, I decided to use a combination of gold and brown eyeshadows to complement the berry in my dress. I used the eyeshadows in the Make Up Revolution Flawless palette. I bought this palette, containing 32 eyeshadows, in Superdrug last month. Correct me if I'm wrong, but sadly, I don't think Make Up Revolution is avaliable in Ireland. I applied 'Medal' all over my lid and up to my browbone. I then applied 'Copper Shimmer' in the crease. Then I applied a small amount of 'Molton Chocolate' where my eyeliner 'flick' would go from. Then I applied 'Gold Digger' at the inner eye. I then used Essence Liquid Ink Liquid eyeliner on the inner eyelid and flicked out to create winged eyeliner effect. I applied a tiny amount of Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Pencil on my waterline, going about half way across. I find that on my small hooded eyes, black kohl eyeliner makes them appear even smaller, so it's used sparingly with me!<br />
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The blusher I used was Make Up Gallery Blusher in 'Soft Blush 1'. Make Up Gallery is actually a range of makeup from Poundland, would you believe! In Ireland this range is avaliable in Dealz. I've been trying out this guy plus a few other products for the past few weeks so that is another post I am looking forward to showing you all. I filled in my eyebrows using Primark eyebrow kit.<br />
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I was trying to find a lipstick to suit my eye makeup and dress, and I felt red didn't match either of them, so I stole my mum's Essence lipstick in the shade '04 On the Catwalk'. Mum loves this lipstick and after wearing it for the whole day today, I can see why! I've never used any of Essence lipsticks before but I may have to invest after today! This and the liquid eyeliner I mentioned above are widely avaliable in Ireland, from Penneys to several pharmacies, but the only place where Essence is avaliable in the UK is Wilko.<br />
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<b> Product List and Prices:</b><br />
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<b>Simple Kind to Skin Light Hydrating Moisturiser, €5/£3.70.</b><br />
<b>L'Oréal True Match Foundation in 'Ivory', £9.99/€13.55.</b><br />
<b>Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in '040 Soft Beige', £5.49/€6.99.</b><br />
<b>Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in '001 Transparent', £3.99/€5.99.</b><br />
<b>Make Up Gallery Feeling Blush Blusher in 'Soft Blush 1', £1/€1.49.</b><br />
<b>Make Up Revolution Ultra Eyeshadow Palette in 'Flawless', £8.</b><br />
<b>Rimmel Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Liner Pencil in '061 Jet Black', £2.99.</b><br />
<b>Essence Liquid Ink Liquid Eyeliner in 'Black', €2.49.</b><br />
<b>Essence Lipstick in '04 On The Catwalk' (think its around €3/£2).</b><br />
<b>Primark Eyebrow Kit, £1/€2.</b><br />
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Hope you enjoyed this post! Any questions, don't be shy! xxAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-34372765809225860302015-12-11T15:42:00.000-08:002015-12-11T16:09:17.680-08:00Festive Fashion Picks on a Budget!Hi everyone!<br />
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I apologise for my absense from blogging for the last few weeks - I've just been so <i>so </i>busy! I was on placement on my course the end of November (which was very intresting but quite tiring!), and of course the assignments have been building up (which I am slowly but surely getting through, by the way!). But I managed to grab a few minutes here and there each day to write up a blog post about some budget-friendly outfit ideas for you to consider over the festive season (you'll be pleased to know that they're not all dresses and they most certaintly won't cost you an arm or leg - money for Supermacs, yay!). So drumroll please....<br />
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<b>1. Sequin Embellished Dress.</b><br />
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It's not
Christmas without some glittery sequins so this dress from the online
fashion retailer Ivy here in Carlisle would be perfect to flaunt during the
festive party season. I really like the cut of
this dress; it looks really classy. It requires minimal effort too - the sequins are a fashion statement all by themselves so skip the jewellery and just add a pair of heels and you are done! This dress will set you back £24.99 it is more expensive than the other outfits I'll mention, but I think it's very important to support local businesses wherever you live, and the small local businesses here in Cumbria need it more than ever after last weekend's disasterous flooding. If you live in Carlisle delivery is free; to ship elsewhere in UK
standard delivery will set you back a mere £3.99, which isn't really
that bad! <br />
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Please do make sure to check Ivy out at <a href="http://ivy-online.co.uk/">ivy-online.co.uk</a>. .<br />
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This is the back of the dress:<br />
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<b>2. LBD</b><br />
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If in doubt, pull on an LBD and red lippy and pout!<br />
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There isn't a girl out there who doesn't love her black dresses. Black colour is so slimming, meaning no-one will be any the wiser to how many helpings of turkey you had! I love this one from <a href="http://www.everything5pounds.com/">www.everything5pounds.com</a>, a website I recently came across having lived in England for a few months. As the name suggests, everything on the website is just five pounds (€6.97). And for five pounds for an LBD, sure where would ya be going wrong?! Add a pair of heels, some red lippy and a clutch and you're all set! It's also avaliable in a burgundy colour. I don't know about you, but I'm buying five.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhw4ODTvKgJr8RuSrJaZxGMxeRs9f-czXKECfiXgm6eZk_6FupnTopsJ-5SRAz4f0eRzFVnL50cT5uvgGOkJwA6mqfyFzsdN5giQ8TUR4bVZE3NI8EFmRXbitPJ0Ks_jzwrH5tFfuH68/s1600/black.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhw4ODTvKgJr8RuSrJaZxGMxeRs9f-czXKECfiXgm6eZk_6FupnTopsJ-5SRAz4f0eRzFVnL50cT5uvgGOkJwA6mqfyFzsdN5giQ8TUR4bVZE3NI8EFmRXbitPJ0Ks_jzwrH5tFfuH68/s400/black.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<b>3. Berry Jumpsuit</b><br />
I know jumpsuits might not be to everyone's taste, but I think they're a great alternative to a dress if you don't feel confident enough to bare certain parts. I have a feeling that mammies all around the country will approve this one, at least they won't have to worry about ya freezing your self off! The culotte trend has also been huge this year. I think this colour is absolutely fabulous, and I really like the neck detail. It's also avaliable in a yellow, nude, khaki and black colour. At the minute it costs just £12 (€16.56) on <a href="http://boohoo.com/">Boohoo.com</a>, reduced from £20 (€27.60) - howya bargain! Boohoo have a great range of party wear in recently, and over the past few days that I've been browsing (but been too poor to buy anything - student life, wah!) they've had either free next day shipping or shipping for a pound.<br />
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<b>4. Floral Print Dress</b><br />
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Yeah, I know you're not supposed to wear florals during winter, blah blah blah. Well I say this dress was made screwing the rules for! I really like the length, fit and cut of this dress. Again, the dress pattern is a statement in itself so minimal effort is required. Better still, it only costs £9.99 (€13.79) from <a href="http://missrebel.co.uk/">missrebel.co.uk</a>. This website has a whole load of items under ten pounds, so it's well worth a look!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhCWwfoWbodPRbNO_PcOEZf2DSstnpnOEcmpzraWf4o02_crweSt561I_zTnfW84YRg8JYKRR_f9QnZW5SDYN4wlnENiJZULqgmENH0YzRNspW-3nRwjRCAxGZgwU5ISDNyVIk3Q3GsU/s1600/dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhCWwfoWbodPRbNO_PcOEZf2DSstnpnOEcmpzraWf4o02_crweSt561I_zTnfW84YRg8JYKRR_f9QnZW5SDYN4wlnENiJZULqgmENH0YzRNspW-3nRwjRCAxGZgwU5ISDNyVIk3Q3GsU/s400/dress.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>
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<b>5. Two Piece Set</b><br />
<b> </b>Co-ords<b> </b>(two piece sets) have been a huge trend all over the catwalks, and again, they're really good if you're stuck for time (or money!), as buying them as one piece is far less expensive than buying a crop top and a skirt seperately. This one at <a href="http://karmaclothing.co.uk/">karmaclothing.co.uk</a> recently caught my eye; it's a snake print grey one and looks absolutely stunning; some tan and you are good to go! It costs £18 (€24.84).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIiwIqJ4dRYV9kBhPnuVY_OPWlUXM_wCwmtuLVBBg2_Tv8oJqjwoAxPGUbHCBaBmXDlphu-ztOtpw8KyMWkw8804dIRLYnrlqLF9GLlazuxuCaQ9ZFgtxzyjKOEzUCc0BEQaV44G4e9Y/s1600/snake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIiwIqJ4dRYV9kBhPnuVY_OPWlUXM_wCwmtuLVBBg2_Tv8oJqjwoAxPGUbHCBaBmXDlphu-ztOtpw8KyMWkw8804dIRLYnrlqLF9GLlazuxuCaQ9ZFgtxzyjKOEzUCc0BEQaV44G4e9Y/s320/snake.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Hope you enjoyed this blog post guys! x<br />
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<b> </b> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-89022722654437901222015-11-19T12:29:00.000-08:002015-11-19T12:29:20.730-08:00Beauty - Natural Collection Eyeliner, Lipstick and Lipgloss Review Hi everyone, and welcome back to my blog! <br />
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Natural Collection is one of a few make-up collections exclusive to Boots.<br />
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If you're as broke ass and on a budget as myself, you'll be keen to try out this range, as every product is less than £2/€3 and there's often 3 for 2 offers available. But is it any good is the question we all want to know?<br />
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<b>Liquid Eyeliner in 'Black'</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsI2cadx2wMq1YNW4p02P8A-C-kREeUaxj9d68QZwpLNaS6Wop-AkR2vXks7Bc3coAnmiZnibd0bQcJnR5e5WX416VTU2GUPwDwW9VDZPOzzHPRrFfQwASo-l_upqQIpADhJ5r4m1gp1Q/s1600/images+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsI2cadx2wMq1YNW4p02P8A-C-kREeUaxj9d68QZwpLNaS6Wop-AkR2vXks7Bc3coAnmiZnibd0bQcJnR5e5WX416VTU2GUPwDwW9VDZPOzzHPRrFfQwASo-l_upqQIpADhJ5r4m1gp1Q/s1600/images+%25284%2529.jpg" /></a>First thing's first about this brand - it is quite basic. The packaging is nothing too fancy at all, basically white or black with the brand name written on the front and a few sentences detailing what it is and that it is all of natural ingredients (well I'd like to think are as natural as possible). It is dermatologically tested (if it gets in your eye it won't sting the absolute bejaysus out of you!) and has no fragrance either, which means if you have extremely sensitive/dry/troubled skin, you should definitely try out at least one of these products!<br />
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The smell off this liquid eyeliner is quite unusual, it weirdly smells a little bit like fake tan. The brush is super thin as can see from the picture to allow for easy application which to be honest is nothing short of a godsend if you're unfortunate enough to have clumsy and shaky hands like myself. The lasting power surprisingly is amazing for the price paid! My eyes water sometimes due to my frequent wearing of contact lenses and yet this baby stays on and won't run - no panda eyes yay! But I did find the product's consistency to be slightly watery so I really would advise applying the eyeliner line first, then repeating the process and going over it to make sure it looks really defined and more there than just barely there. It costs £1.99/€2.79 for 8ml.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzt7B5_s9cItiwUBgTA8QU8q049L4CBIhlUoXKkzHTOjLUoSSt-BIQMszEAJD8vnWgxqihYUpaFH4_Zqs6iB9vyM-4uny4UEfqSk4tgHwEeWRKXksIOuQ5BtqjqUVuIcPLOMG4xKFRflU/s1600/IMG_0712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzt7B5_s9cItiwUBgTA8QU8q049L4CBIhlUoXKkzHTOjLUoSSt-BIQMszEAJD8vnWgxqihYUpaFH4_Zqs6iB9vyM-4uny4UEfqSk4tgHwEeWRKXksIOuQ5BtqjqUVuIcPLOMG4xKFRflU/s320/IMG_0712.JPG" width="320" /></a><b>Moisture Shine Lipstick in 'Rose Bud':</b><br />
I've been on the hunt for a natural looking, everyday, easy-to-wear lipstick for quite a while so the next thing to try in the range was obviously this lippy! Again, basic packaging. It applies very smoothly to the lips and has no yukky taste, horrible smell and no irritation.<br />
This one looks very pink in the tube, but it's actually quite wearable and is actually the same colour as your lips. It's super soft and moisturises too. Great buy. It costs £1.99/€2.79.<br />
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<b>Juicy Lips Lipgloss</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4RpoCdF5LHwkUixrMKZRHnpyKPYQNG4xFUvesutP055AYceMb4nYsbN3x_eh2HQZ2Xtpky1KoiBra6cjEBiTclnEO9KhMnZEZshkUQzdOJwGTNTLFvM_ksR9siO2CRVNY4dj8kBl3UA/s1600/Natural_Collection_Fondant005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4RpoCdF5LHwkUixrMKZRHnpyKPYQNG4xFUvesutP055AYceMb4nYsbN3x_eh2HQZ2Xtpky1KoiBra6cjEBiTclnEO9KhMnZEZshkUQzdOJwGTNTLFvM_ksR9siO2CRVNY4dj8kBl3UA/s320/Natural_Collection_Fondant005.JPG" width="320" /></a>As the name suggests, this lipgloss smells like juicy fruit (not the chewing gum, like actual juicy fruit, strawberries most likely!). It applies very smoothly to the lips, doesn't drag across the lips at all like many more expensive products do. Most importantly, it tastes unreal, good enough to eat actually (but please don't eat it!). It looks very natural on, so suitable partner for your dramatic eye makeup looks or for everyday wear, and the staying power is pretty amazing too! It costs £1.99/€2.79.<br />
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Instagram and Twitter feeds are to the right of your screen if you're on a laptop, and here is my facebook page link: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/shellsaysso">https://www.facebook.com/shellsaysso</a><br />
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Thanks for reading everyone!<br />
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Shelly xxx<br />
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<b><br /></b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-16399940301459954212015-11-13T14:01:00.000-08:002015-11-15T08:59:20.696-08:00"My Happy Place" in association with Independent.ieHi everyone! <br />
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For their 'Mind Yourself' campaign, I was asked by Independent.ie (online version of an Irish newspaper), to discuss my "happy place".<br />
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Everyone's happy place is different.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbu8M-h-_YzimxIPZ1YiaVycBOjP7f2yHe2avtckK1lCfsY2JOT4-S8uPsuHQpOrPnf6EAjBfPeO6hT45XBTtcApKApLI5rdPGCDucGpnMbGWA7eeWC5CpGfb0hrJ-XY5h-Q_SoLaCJU/s1600/10264087_712767452108995_3185156559247052656_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigbu8M-h-_YzimxIPZ1YiaVycBOjP7f2yHe2avtckK1lCfsY2JOT4-S8uPsuHQpOrPnf6EAjBfPeO6hT45XBTtcApKApLI5rdPGCDucGpnMbGWA7eeWC5CpGfb0hrJ-XY5h-Q_SoLaCJU/s400/10264087_712767452108995_3185156559247052656_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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For me, it's the beach.<br />
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Not any beach, mind. My local beach in situated in the small, quiet town of Enniscrone in County Sligo in the west of Ireland holds a special place of importance in my heart. No other beach seems to compare, quite frankly.<br />
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If the sun was ever kind enough to make a rare apperance in summer-time in Ireland, that's where myself and my family used to always go to, as the beach is approximately less than fifteen minutes drive away from where my home house is. The sun would be cramping and distressful elsewhere, but at the beach the temperature was off-setted by the cool, salty Atlantic Ocean air.<br />
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When I walk out onto the beach, I feel calm. Life goes round us in a frantic blur, so it's always a good idea to just stop and remember to breathe sometimes. It helps massively as a stress reliever and I used to frequent the beach a lot when I was busy revising for my final year school and college exams. Hearing the rhythmic pulse of the ocean waves is so peaceful. Having a quick walk on the beach and also around the pier worked all sorts of wonders for my physical and mental states.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_o18yLD2T6Tzo_sV8_YZt_omeQDOEurPgQnFat0ldGEa8GcfFnWRJUI2ntfwhzIoTyZv4r1y_5JqkU4sVoqY5yqV_T49pjskLRnzn6u1MH9xkEdib222x-cAOpMQtbEB3IZ-_7o3QKx8/s1600/1669622_712767698775637_8320341711039260220_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_o18yLD2T6Tzo_sV8_YZt_omeQDOEurPgQnFat0ldGEa8GcfFnWRJUI2ntfwhzIoTyZv4r1y_5JqkU4sVoqY5yqV_T49pjskLRnzn6u1MH9xkEdib222x-cAOpMQtbEB3IZ-_7o3QKx8/s400/1669622_712767698775637_8320341711039260220_o.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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When I was feeling down about life, it helped me to gain some perspective. Life appears difficult, crazy and often unfair... until you witness a beautiful Enniscrone sunset, and you wonder why you were ever down in the first place! It makes me appreciate that I can see, that I'm alive, that I can witness such beauty. So many are not in the fortunate way that I am, and I am grateful for it. It's a reminder that it's the little things that are important in life.<br />
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When I'm there, I remember with fondness growing up around the beach and the memories connected with the beach.<br />
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I remember the memories I had there during the summers as a child. Bucket and spade in hand, making a sandcastle. Flying a kite and watching the colours of the fabric float gently in line with the clouds. Getting an ice-cream cone with a 99 flake from the ice-cream van that was parked precariously on the edge of the shore (even though it would be near melted by the time you'd get back to your place on the beach!). Running into the water and splashing friends and family with the water was the best laugh and I remember some of my time spent at this beach as the happiest time of my childhood.<br />
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It was for all of these reasons that, before I left for Dublin Airport to get a flight so I could begin university studies in the UK, there was not another place that I most wanted to spend my last evening in Ireland. It did not disappoint, obviously. The sunset was amazing and I left the beach with a smile on my face, well ready for my new adventure. I'm really looking forward to going there when I'm back home in Ireland at Christmas-time.<br />
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For more information on this lovely beach, please do check out the website (though this is not a promotional blogpost by any means): <a href="http://www.discoverenniscrone.com/">http://www.discoverenniscrone.com/</a><br />
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Thanks for reading everyone! The photos featured in this blogpost are my own, please give credit if you wish to re-publish.<br />
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Please do not hesitate to interact with me on my social media sites, which are to the right of the screen if you're on a laptop! xx<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-90804154633633566902015-11-11T09:18:00.003-08:002015-11-11T13:59:19.120-08:00Fashion - Primark Haul! Hi everyone! :) If you follow any of my social media sites, you'll know that on Monday night my little blog reached a major milestone and finally made it to a whopping 10,000 views. Wow, that's crazy! Needless to say, I'm very grateful for the support, and when I started blogging only eight months ago in March I thought no-one would be interested in it, so thank you so much for taking the time out to read and support my blog. Here's to the next 10,000 views! In celebration, I started tweaking some elements of the blog last week to make it a bit easier for you guys to find me on my social media sites, as I only publish a blogpost every few days but I post on Twitter and Instagram quite a bit! You can access these at the right of the post.<br />
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Anyways, my blog today features my Primark haul from a few weeks ago. Apart from the few things I brought over to uni with me from Ireland in September, and a few bits here and there, I haven't really bought many clothes for myself recently. There's no Primark where I'm living in Cumbria and although there's a New Look, it's more than a bit on the expensive side; grand for a few emergency pieces of clothes like interview wear, but you wouldn't exactly get much change back from £50 to shop in there. In short, I've been looking like a hobo around university; I don't think anyone there that's seen me the last few weeks would guess I'm a fashion blogger! So I took a very necessary trip down to Preston a few weeks back and took full advantage of the Primark there.<br />
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Preston is a city in Lancashire and is about an hour and a half away from Carlisle. It's an average sized place really; slightly bigger and busier than Carlisle but less busier than let's say, Manchester or Liverpool by far. The Primark there is big enough, not as big as the Primark (Penneys) that's in my home town in Ireland but a decent size. After over a month of not being in a Primark, I got a little distracted at first and quickly forgot about my shopping list I had scribbled down in my diary prior to the visit (always the way!). But I did manage to get a good few bits of clothes for myself. I'm not going to include the prices, but I did give my debit card a good battering as they say in there. I'm not one to spend a lot of money in one go, but I won't be in a Primark until I come to Ireland at Christmas time and I did spend my earned wages on the clothes, so I like to think of it as treating myself.<br />
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Anyways, I guess you want to see what I bought...<br />
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First thing up is a bright yellow neon hoodie. I had a complete lack of hoodies in my wardrobe, and needed something to just throw on if I'm late for uni (or can't be bothered to make an effort!) and this fits the bill. I really liked the bright yellow colour too, it's so eye-catching and may even be as good as coffee to help to wake me up in the mornings!<br />
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Item two is a pair of dark blue skinny jeans. I brought some of my jeans over with me, but I think I've ranted before about Primark's skinny jeans; they have stretched in the wash and aren't so skinny anymore. I hate it when skinny jeans become slightly baggy; they just lose all appeal in my eyes. So I needed a new pair that I can team with a jumper or a top.<br />
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Item three and four are just plain white T-shirt vests. I must have brought at least five of these over from Ireland and bought another three in New Look when I came over, but I had a bit of a misfortune with the washing machine a few weeks back in which I stupidly put all my clothes into the wash together and mixed these with dark blue jeans. Obviously, they came out light blue and were pretty much ruined (silly me, better not do that with my white placement uniform!). These are really handy wear under a shirt or a jumper on these chilly mornings.<br />
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Item five is a pair of purple tracksuit pants. Again, like the hoodie, these are just basics that are easy to throw on if I'm lazing around the house or if I can't be arsed to get done up for uni in the mornings.<br />
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Item six is a 2-in-1 shirt and grey jumper top. I must confess; I've had my eye on this one for a while! I fell in love with it when I was still back home in Ireland but hadn't the spare monies back then to buy it - devestated! I think it's super super cute and can't wait to wear it with jeans, boots and a leather jacket.<br />
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Item seven is a brown faux-suede skirt. I really have a lack of skirts in my wardrobe and thought this one looked super cute. I'm looking forward to teaming this with a pair of tights, a cute top and black boots in the coming weeks.<br />
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Item eight is a tartan scarf. I brought some scarves over with me from Ireland, but they were really thin ones, which won't keep out the chill these days! I really think this one is so cute and it's so soft too!<br />
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Item nine is a boho-inspired playsuit that was actually reduced to just five pounds so I had to! No, I really had to! Even though it's obviously a summer outfit (hence the reduction), I really think it will work well for the cooler months teamed with a pair of thick tights, boots, a scarf and a warm jacket.<br />
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Item ten is just a basic T-shirt - black and white stripes. Good for wearing under a jumper or a hoodie or just lazing around the house.<br />
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Item eleven is this really cute monochrome top I just fell in absolute love with (who needs a boyfriend when you have clothes this cute?!). Black and white is a colour combination that is so effortlessly classic and I thought the bow tie neck detail was just too adorable to not have.<br />
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Item twelve is a wooly forest green (looks black in my idiotic phone camera's photo!) polo-neck jumper that is just so snuggly and cosy. Perfect for chilly days!<br />
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Item thirteen is this white jumper with navy stripes, which is a nod to the nautical trend. I thought it was super cute and had immediate visions of paring it with red lippy (as if I needed an excuse to wear red lippy!).<br />
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Item fourteen is a black and white striped skirt that goes to my knee. If you couldn't tell already, I love wearing black and white and this striped skirt also gives a nod to the nautical trend (more red lippy!).<br />
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Item fifteen is a checked shirt. I have some shirts in my wardrobe already, but as they were bought during the 'warmer' months (in Ireland that means when the rain gets warmer, we don't get much sun, poor us!), they're not really appropiate for wearing now unless you have five vests and T-shirts on underneath! This one is slightly thicker so warmer for the changing season. I love wearing checked shirts, I think they're easy to just throw on with a leather jacket and look sooo effortless!<br />
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Item sixteen is a pair of patterned trousers. This is another item I've just wanted to buy for so long. I constantly see these trousers online and really wanted to invest! Surprise surprise, it's also black and white! I can't wait to wear these on a night out with a cute top, high heels and my trusty leather jacket!<br />
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Item seventeen is a pair of eyelashes by Primark beauty. I've used many of their eyelashes before, but I haven't seen these 'Intense' style in any store in Ireland I've ever visited so had to invest! I'll have to try them out soon and let you know my thoughts...<br />
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The last few items are some makeup brushes. Just before I left for England, Primark brought out their make up brushes and I didn't feel like buying more at the time, but I've heard these ones are all right so decided to give them a go for myself! I picked up the blusher brush, the liquid foundation brush, the concealer brush and the eyeshadow/concealer brush. I hope to do a seperate blog post on these guys once I use them over the next few weeks and let you know what I think!<br />
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Hope you enjoyed my Primark haul! Happy shopping!! xx<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-25505135482400007202015-11-08T10:12:00.001-08:002015-11-11T13:54:46.424-08:00Thoughts: Social Media - The Great IllusionFollowing on from my blogpost about women's rights being restricted in Ireland (if you want to check that out please do so <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/thoughts-pro-choicewomens-rights.html">HERE</a>), I have decided to do a blogpost every so often about my opinion on an issue in the news. (I'll try not to rant, and be as objective as possible).<br />
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So this blogpost was inspired by a news article I came across during the week, in which an Australian model named Essena O'Neill made the decision to shut down all her social media sites, like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook etc. As it was ironically flooding pretty much every form of social media I use, I decided to check out the article and the reasons behind it. Basically, she explained she shut down her social media sites because she felt it was "fake" and "an illusion". She said that people saw her as this "blond, confident model" but behind the scenes she was a "lonely and depressed teenager".<br />
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Of course, the critics waded in, claiming she just did it for attention and maybe she has done, as it did propel her from a virtual unknown only really known in the land down under to all over the globe, but whatever her reasons for doing what she did, it did get me thinking about social media. Initially, Facebook was created as a means of communication between people, Twitter was created for a similar (albeit, shorter!) reason, and Instagram was created as a visual way of communication. In many ways, it has greatly improved the way we live. Just before I moved over, my Dad spoke about when he was in my situation when he was in his twenties, having moved from Ireland to England. The only form of communication he had with family members was a letter every few months. Telephones were not as common as they are now and mobile phones didn't come into existence until decades later. Needless to say, there was no such thing as Skype or even a computer, so he didn't see them at all until he actually travelled home occasionally to see them in the flesh. Compare it with my experience today; having moved over to England, I have Facebook to keep in contact with family members friends in Ireland as well as well as my new classmates, Skype to see my family and friends back home and Instagram allows me to communicate my visual experiences of my new life here as well as seeing a visual representation of my friends and families life back home, every one of these accessible through my mobile phone.<br />
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As a blogger, I find social media invaluable for reaching my target audience. I'm not so keen on Facebook, as it only allows a few to see your posts at any one time unless if you have plenty of money to fork out (which needless to say as a student, I don't have), but I'm very active on Twitter and Instagram and as well as promoting my blog on these forms of social media, it's great to interact with other bloggers, who are for the most part very supportive and encouraging.<br />
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There is however the flip side of the coin, which is in a nutshell is what led O'Neill to her social media exit. I'm not going to discuss cyber bullying here; I feel like that's an issue so big that a whole blog dedicated to it couldn't even do it justice. And I'm also not going to go into how it's a huge method of distraction and procrastination tool. I, for one, have not been under any illusions since I've started using social media, especially Facebook, that it's just that: an illusion. It's human nature to highlight your best bits and leave out the not-so-good bits, which is why you're more likely to see a university graduation snap rather than someone making the emotional decision to drop out of university (for whatever reason). You're more likely to post a snap of a "lovely" family photo rather than the photo where the young kids have been arguing. You're more likely to take a selfie with full make up and a pretty dress on rather than one with no makeup and your pyjamas on. You use an Instagram or a Snapchat filter because your skin isn't so good. We've all been there, myself included, I'll hold my hands up and admit to that. But we need to take a step back an odd time and realise that this is not necessarily "real" life at all. <br />
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Some people have an addiction to social media, and feel they can't "function" without it. The addiction to likes, the addiction to having a huge number of Facebook "friends". Lonliness and isolation and the struggle with identity of self and where you fit in (especially as a teenager) means that social media is something that people cling to that they feel will provide them with some stability and a means of belonging. Everything from a new relationship to a new job is posted online. Growing up, it was something that tended to frustrate me. Why did people I did not percieve as being nice have more Facebook friends than me? Why did this girl get more likes than me on Instagram? These are insignificant matters now, and the days where I used to get frustrated if my selfie didn't get more likes on Facebook or Instagram are now thankfully gone and buried with the rest of my teenage years. Today I only add people as Facebook friends if I genuinely like them (I have to really like them if they tend to post a lot!) and ignore the other requests, and I won't take it personally if my selfie doesn't reach 200 likes on Facebook.<br />
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I have made no secret of the fact I find the way mental illness is addressed on social media is insufficient to say the very least. I remember some years ago watching a YouTube clip by the comedian Kevin
Breel, in which he spoke in a similar way to O'Neill, in which he said that he thought that mental health was not being addressed on
social media, because it's "not fun, it's not light" and as a result people just don't see the severity of it. People would rather speak about cancer it seems, and before you jump down my throat, I'm not pitting both against one another; they are both horrible diseases to be faced with, and I speak as someone whose family member has gone through cancer - but why are we more likely to talk about one than the other on social media? This in my eyes only creates a world where people who are suffering with a mental illness feel like they cannot admit their problems, which only threatens to make the problem ten times worse. I, for one have been trying to be more vocal with my own issues with mental illness on social media - however emotionally difficult it is - because I feel it might encourage someone else to feel that they are not alone, but I feel sometimes like I'm the only one that does it and I often feel discouraged when I get more views for other blogposts about fashion or makeup than writing about my experiences with an invisible illness of the mind. I believe that social media plays a prominent part in mental illness; not so much causing it but definitely not helping it. I mean, how many times have you innocently scrolled through your Facebook feed in a bad mood, only to see something that makes you feel more down, be it a photo of the guy you like with his new girlfriend, or a picture of someone younger than you graduating when you haven't really decided what you're doing with your life. I'd go as far as to say that it literally changes your mood in an instant. We start to compare our real life situations with other people's highlight reel. The issue of jealousy stemming from one's use with social media is something that has undergone several studies, but you don't need any expert to tell you this. Social media jealousy ends up fragmenting relationships and friendships, which is pretty much the opposite aim of why it was created in the first place!<br />
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Ironically, as people spend more and more time online and we tend to live in a fast paced, commerical world, it's easier to communicate with others through an online group or message than actually making the time to meet up with the person in "real" life, leading to feelings of loneiness and isolation.<br />
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To read more about Essena's story see: <a href="http://fox6now.com/2015/11/04/social-media-is-an-illusion-insta-famous-australian-teen-shuts-down-social-media-accounts/">http://fox6now.com/2015/11/04/social-media-is-an-illusion-insta-famous-australian-teen-shuts-down-social-media-accounts/</a><br />
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To check out the Kevin Breel YouTube clip I mentioned, see: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3yqXeLJ0Kg">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3yqXeLJ0Kg</a><br />
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Hope you enjoyed this post!<br />
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<b>As always do not hesitate to check out my social media links (the irony, I know!!)</b></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146946566331295408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9151290469284226180.post-49369920611270145862015-11-03T10:48:00.001-08:002015-11-11T13:57:09.376-08:00Beauty - Superdrug Haul featuring Collection, Make Up Academy, Make Up Revolution & Beauty UKHi everyone!<br />
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I popped into Superdrug a few weeks ago and got a few make up related things there. As I'm primarily a budget blogger, I decided to try out some of the budget brands that were there. Some of these brands I'll mention Irish readers may not know about, I'm not sure are they available in Ireland as well as in the UK. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOS5bbz4BO-RwGgQetoCTa604e3sq4iBm7Wdk_Zk8h6bWhWDRkEJ6UabecurIsrpDRV1CusJNJ3qc4FvUOcMsBjoGMFsRj2gBboqus2SrzCUSgzSrh9RWZGqFbD7Ux8zIb6UgOUVqeQI/s1600/foundation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOS5bbz4BO-RwGgQetoCTa604e3sq4iBm7Wdk_Zk8h6bWhWDRkEJ6UabecurIsrpDRV1CusJNJ3qc4FvUOcMsBjoGMFsRj2gBboqus2SrzCUSgzSrh9RWZGqFbD7Ux8zIb6UgOUVqeQI/s1600/foundation.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Collection Lasting Perfection 16 Hour Ultimate Wear Foundation</b><br />
I couldn't bring liquids on the plane over here so that unfortunately meant that my Rimmel Match Perfection foundation I'd usually wear for day time (see review of that product <a href="http://shellyysaysso.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/review-of-rimmel-match-perfection.html">HERE</a>), was left behind in my bedroom in Ireland (sob!). So obviously the most essential piece of makeup I needed to buy was a new foundation. (the other make up I bought that I'm going to discuss in this blogpost was purely me being distracted quite easily in Superdrug!). I decided to try out the brand Collection as I had never used it before and I'm always open to trying out new brands. Collection is a British produced brand but is available in Boots in Ireland as well as here in the UK (though for some reason I had never tried any of the brand out while in Ireland). This foundation claims to last for 16 hours, provide 'flawless coverage' and 'minimize imperfections'. The packaging says it contains SPF 20 which is always good to have (even in British rainy weather!) and claims to be oil free also. I tried this out the next day after I bought it. To test the lasting power of it, I tried it out with very little setting powder. My skin is usually not very oily, but after just a few hours of wearing this foundation I saw that it had become particulary oily. I have tried to use it with quite a bit of powder but I just don't like applying too much powder - I think it looks a bit cakey - but with this foundation I felt like I had to.<br />
Another thing I really disliked about this product was the shading. Even though Ivory is the perfect shade for me throughout pretty much
every make-up range, this foundation in Ivory looked more than a little
orange on my face. I try not to buy the lightest shade in any
foundation, because it tends to make me look drained and washed out more
than I look at the minute, but with this one really had to because I was
walking around uni looking like one of the Oompa Loompas from Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory! Even so whilst wearing the Porcelain shade, it still ended up slightly orange on my face, which means I can no longer use the two foundations I shelled out over £13 for altogether - ugh! I don't know is this related to stress or what I'm eating, but I did notice while I was wearing this that I kept breaking out in new blemishes every single day!<br />
I am keen to try out the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer though - it's nearly always out of stock here and it's meant to amazing, so when that comes back into stock I'll have to buy it and chat a bit about it! But as for this foundation - it's a definite no no for me!<br />
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<b>Collection Fast Stroke Liquid Eyeliner </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJaj6aF5VXL29Jqppe8tIoyF2nnOSuDJx7YPXY9K08d1pvPcP-dTKQyEDu9xVoQlb4VG6SXhewT8N6qaDaK0lv5_GP6v-k9e03FcTBTGxHXQ2-sLc4ZZFTqtToufBUQQ2kvCbH7inZ6s/s1600/eyeliner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJaj6aF5VXL29Jqppe8tIoyF2nnOSuDJx7YPXY9K08d1pvPcP-dTKQyEDu9xVoQlb4VG6SXhewT8N6qaDaK0lv5_GP6v-k9e03FcTBTGxHXQ2-sLc4ZZFTqtToufBUQQ2kvCbH7inZ6s/s320/eyeliner.JPG" width="320" /></a>I couldn't find my usual liquid eyeliner - Essence Liquid Eyeliner - when I first moved to the UK due to the amount of bags and clothes I was trying to sort out, so I bought this one, which is also by the Collection brand I've mentioned above. This eyeliner is a bit of a strange one. It does have quite a sharp point to allow for better definition and precision which is great if you're desiring a really defined cat eye liner effect, but I just found that when I was applying it, it was a bit too sharp and slightly sore on my sensitive eyelid. I'd much prefer a brush tip like with the Essence one (which I eventually did find by the way!) that is softer which doesn't irritate the delicate eyelid skin as much. Once on though, the lasting time for this eyeliner is average really - it doesn't last too well with watering eyes and smudges before the day is out. It set me back £2.99.<br />
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<b>Make Up Academy Mega Volume Mascara </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEjilznXqAclKrYWnDwGqFEuoX8UsSDEyGvG7JGvKq4hUFBiHaU7NAKnvA7A53SbeFq1vO4kUL0MlQUArnQmXwCO7WRgFSR_z3M9RcUl_uevgb0UbWXeJAauCgxeAD0ZuJw-VvEerz4U/s1600/Make-Up-Academy-Mega-VolumeMascaraWaterproof-Black.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEjilznXqAclKrYWnDwGqFEuoX8UsSDEyGvG7JGvKq4hUFBiHaU7NAKnvA7A53SbeFq1vO4kUL0MlQUArnQmXwCO7WRgFSR_z3M9RcUl_uevgb0UbWXeJAauCgxeAD0ZuJw-VvEerz4U/s320/Make-Up-Academy-Mega-VolumeMascaraWaterproof-Black.jpg" width="320" /></a>Make Up Academy is a mega affordable brand here but unfortunately for my lovely Irish readers this budget makeup brand is only available in the UK (soz!). The makeup stand in Superdrug caught my eye as much of their products only cost about a pound each, which is enough to make even the most hard-pressed for cash student stop and have an auld look! Because of the cheap price, the packaging is understandably very basic - all plastic and looks like it would break quite easily. However, I picked up this mascara, at just £3 I figured I hadn't much to lose. This mascara has a good brush size, with tiny bristles which ensure that every lash is coated. It wears off within a few hours, which means it won't win any beauty awards anytime soon, but is still a good day time mascara for a very subtle makeup look. I would advise to layer a few coats of mascara if you're after a noticeable effect at all, i.e. apply a coat, wait for it to dry and then add another or another if you want, depending on how dramatic you want to go, but do note that you won't get the false lash effect with this guy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaOoKtJcGi3YrYe_bGFUaRDP_bjkcRTUYcCA5eRNBEVHQtYTK8uChNq7Xy-xObB0hMNkmOXo9O4cNVdpTDH-_RBtSW4V31XVkOMLsSHdVSYuFmwxaOwPnPJdSH7r2PSGu3XjVi6gXt0Q/s1600/mua.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkaOoKtJcGi3YrYe_bGFUaRDP_bjkcRTUYcCA5eRNBEVHQtYTK8uChNq7Xy-xObB0hMNkmOXo9O4cNVdpTDH-_RBtSW4V31XVkOMLsSHdVSYuFmwxaOwPnPJdSH7r2PSGu3XjVi6gXt0Q/s320/mua.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<b>Make Up Academy Translucent Pressed Powder.</b><br />
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This is literally the worst ever powder I have ever tried! I applied a small amount the first day I used it to see what it was like but combined with the Collection foundation above, it made my face look like a good place to fry an egg on! I applied a bit more the next day but it just made my face look super cakey and I hate the look of cakey powder on my face and even though with a lot applied it doesn't seem to fufil it's role of setting foundation all that well! I did only pay £1 for it so really wasn't expecting much but my Primark Loose powder was €2.50 (which isn't too much more expensive when you convert it into pounds - £1.43), and that to me was a far better product.<br />
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<b>Makeup Revolution Focus and Fix Liquid Concealer</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrSTpiFFuIt3qFC1p6N8fIuYyeDKn-1tYTld__f3HZQkoOSSO5PQYzYMAmg7QKceAVd7gVHK8Koc62eQX0NjuNT8hYjylzBx-UNQmmjoCLK_86JRrTq7g0-WkhYhY17CA305i89r8VVg/s1600/concealer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSrSTpiFFuIt3qFC1p6N8fIuYyeDKn-1tYTld__f3HZQkoOSSO5PQYzYMAmg7QKceAVd7gVHK8Koc62eQX0NjuNT8hYjylzBx-UNQmmjoCLK_86JRrTq7g0-WkhYhY17CA305i89r8VVg/s320/concealer.jpg" width="320" /></a>Makeup Revolution is another budget British makeup brand that I was interested in trying out. This concealer was affordable at £2 so I said I may as well give it a go. I thought this concealer was only just all right. It's nothing too amazing, quite average really. I found that I had to add a lot of product to get it to even have any effect in covering up my dark circles (and compared to other times in my life, my dark circles at the moment aren't even that bad). As for trying to conceal spots, I felt a foundation worked much better. Having said that though, Make up Revolution is a brand that I really want to try out more over the coming months. Their eyeshadow palettes are dupes for the Urban Decay Naked palettes, and are only £4, which truth be told was what really attracted me to the brand! <br />
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<b>Beauty UK Lipstick</b><br />
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This is a budget beauty brand but as you may have guessed by the name, is only avaliable in the UK. I got it in the shade 'Passion', which is this beautiful pink shade as you can see and applies very smoothly to the lips and has a peppermint smell. It does last if you don't eat or drink anything, so you would need to constantly reapply. By the end of the day it turns to a pink liptint which I actually found to be a lot more wearable so it doesn't vanish completely. It does normally retail at £3.20, but I got it for a reduced price of a pound.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLq_fMGVs1kDEVSEgifw-5X3StXCjxWeKKu0tIq4wcxlAOihmacQprdI963bnaLUhLmE_M54WagW0VCuD7icw6Q1cUYziwYE4CUC2A0q7yueCYxDlzUpiwv_da68HZUUI2i6KwWVGT4A/s1600/Beauty-UK-Lipstick-In-The-Buff-BE2114-600x600.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLq_fMGVs1kDEVSEgifw-5X3StXCjxWeKKu0tIq4wcxlAOihmacQprdI963bnaLUhLmE_M54WagW0VCuD7icw6Q1cUYziwYE4CUC2A0q7yueCYxDlzUpiwv_da68HZUUI2i6KwWVGT4A/s320/Beauty-UK-Lipstick-In-The-Buff-BE2114-600x600.png" width="320" /></a><br />
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Hope you enjoyed this post! xx<br />
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