Holla,

So alongside A-levels and trying to keep a balanced healthy life style including social activities driving is a major importance when living in the great country side of Norfolk! Stressy times!

Staying healthy and going to the gym 

Nothing would make A-levels easy, but to help with your own anxiety and self confidence attending the gym is a great way to release some endorphins, yet be warned this may cause aching!! (so much aches :( ) I love going to gym (especially as I can't play rugby for a few weeks!). Being a student personally I find keeping healthy and fit is a key aspect to a students life, (especially before uni when we'll be on pot noodles!!). It's a brilliant stress release and helps to clear your mind, preferably I would run but it's awfully chilly this time of year so they gym is a perfect way to get the same remorse. This builds self confidence in your body too.

It's not all down to the gym though, a balanced diet and choosing the right foods to eat is one of the most important things ever! I've eaten so much fruit over the last few weeks, this is a great time to stock up on fruit too, just before christmas (live for christmas dinners!!) when you know indulging is a must do! Eating and drinking plenty of water is so important when working for hours, even if you cut up an apple and some tangerine, put it in the bowl and pick at it, it's so much better for you and will make you feel fresh rather than if you ate a packet of crisps with plenty of fat and calories. HEALTHY BODY = HEALTHY MIND!! so important when exam season greets us.

Learning to drive and buying my first car!

Amongst all other things a 17year old teenager has to contend with (body image/anxiety issues, driving, a levels, social events, working etc.) Driving is a very important one and one which must be pursued with great patience and perseverance. For me I most definitely didn't pick up driving instantly it took me many months however when I finally passed there was no greater feeling and I couldn't quite believe it after all the hard work it was just such a peace of mind and excitement to hear! Driving lessons and my test has most definitely taught me to never give up and if you want something so badly you won't let it come to grasp just to drop it, this lesson can be applied to all life situations and I'm grateful from my self for not quitting!!

As you're obviously aware with a new driving license does come a CAR! It also took us ages to find one that wasn't falling to pieces basically, I'm aware that if I buy a second hand car I won't be getting a immaculate purchase yet you expect it to be reliable for now and get me from A to B. After some little trips around we visited a local garage and found a lovely little black KA, year of 2006 which was decent! You can barely hear the engine and most excitingly it has a CD player! So ready for my musical mondays!! Just stocking up on the CD's now, charity shop visits are for sure, I'm excited and nervous to be on the roads, freedom is calling.

Balancing A-Levels with friends

Obviously keeping in touch with your friends is a very important aspect to a youth's life. A way to balance these it to firstly make a plan of your A-levels which ones you're going to study in the evening and when, this will give you an insight and a slight guidance to the work you'll be getting done or missing when you go to a gathering. Obviously I'm not saying we should be going out every night but at least once a month or once every couple of weeks even if its for a couple of hours to give yourself a break.

Chop

With stress comes along ratty and knotty hair as you can't be bothered to do anything with it, it starts to become dead and just so unhealthy. I finally decided to give it some TLC and get about 4 inches cut and style this differently, it's rather strange for me and feels amazing. Whenever I touch my hair now it's like touching silk sheets, newly prepared. Best decision ever!! Anyway it would always grow back if I didn't like it!! (apparently I now look like Florence and the Machine!)

 

(before!)

Combining all these aspects it's important to take them all into consideration and take regular breaks when revising otherwise nothing will be programmed and you'll just worry yourself more. Eat healthily and exercise regularly (or when you can!), do things you enjoy and take some 'you time' for a while.

Love always,

Eyeshadow for all

Holla!

As a makeup lover eyeshadow is definitely a must product, it's all about finding the right one for your tones and the season we're in. There's so many options, both hughstreet to drugstore ranging from £4 to £40 for a palette! I'll be reviewing my 4 favourite palettes from my 2 opposing budgets.


URBAN DECAY - NAKED 3

You can see that this palette provides us with neutral pinks accompanied with darker greys/brown. Naked palettes always have a combination of shimmers and mattes and this is one of my favourite aspects about them as you can combine the two together. 

These colours are very pigmented and lovely to use together whether you're going for a smoky cat eye or just a fresh natural look.

My favourites from this palette are mugshot (shimmer grey) factory (brown/grey shimmer) and noona (dark dusty pink matte). They're very causal colours that can be worn every day or built upon to wear for a night out when theres an addition of a cat flick and statement lipstick, which creates drama.

URBAN DECAY - SMOKY

This palette consists mostly of darker shades. There's also both mattes and shimmers and I love to combine the both of this palette. Unusually there's some bluish grey shades which I would normally shy away from yet when I was experimenting I found that they weren't scary at all but rather gorgeous, especially when applying to a grey smoky eye. 

My favourites of this palette would have to be Armour (grey/blue shimmer) Password (matte grey) High (silver) and Combust (soft beige matte). They're all so wearable for every occasion and most definitely applicable for festive occasions where the gold eye is most admirable! 

These palettes do come at a costly price of £38 however you cannot live without one, in my opinion these palettes cannot be beaten. They're so pigmented and always come with a lovely and wearable variety of shades which is always good to see. There's also many of the NAKED palettes so there's bound to be one for everyone. I'm excited to try the new Gwen Stefani palette which has some desirable shades there! 

However.... For just a fraction of the price we have discovered :

MUA - UNDRESSED

MUA is an exclusive brand to super drug and is ever so cheap for such good quality, i was beyond shocked of how well these colours were reciprocated in application. Similarly to the NAKED palette these colours can be worn with all and the shimmers are unbelievable especially the bronzed gold and rose gold which can literally be worn all over the lid and you're good to go. These are beautiful colours for christmas, the shimmer gold with the black and gold shade really creates a statement people wouldn't forget!

Again there's a mixture of shimmers and mattes here which is again fantastic. 

MUA - HEAVEN AND EARTH

I absolutely adore this palette for autumnal neutrals, especially the amber/copper shade in combination with the neutral shimmer and the soft brown for the crease. Browns can be worn with any colour and any occasion. I've had this palette for years and it's still remained almost all of its colour pods, they last for absolutely ages and I think that's down to how pigmented the shades are. I was a bit envious of wearing the amber but once I tried it, it became my autumn go to. 

If I'm in a rush with my make up and haven't got much time I'll just sweep a soft neutral beige (As you can tell due to the 4th one in practically invisible!) across my lid add a bit of mascara and highlighter and we're good to go! This palette is definitely something Id recommend and goes well with any complexion. 

These palettes are £4 and worth absolutely every penny! They have some limited edition palettes out too with more matte shades. If you could get your hands on one or some I would definitely recommend doing so, especially if you're a beginner and new to wearing make up these are so cheap and the quality is unbelievable. 

(OOPS - CHRISTMAS ALERT!! sneak peak of the christmas lounger jumper (OH DEER!!!!)  which is extremely comfy and warm and festive and all roundly CHRISTMAS in a product! Also taking a turtle neck to the next level! F&F £15)

Hope you enjoyed yet another post and hope it helped all you make up newbies out there for something within your range! Happy blogging, and keep smiling!  Also as you can tell I'm really enjoying a plum or red lipstick this winter not to mention how well they complement these lovely shades of eyeshadow! Happy days

Love always, 

Winter tales

Holla!

So as you know it's coming up to christmas and most definitely getting ever so chilly!! This evening I stepped outside of my home to be hit with a numerous snowflakes all around. However this is exciting as it means christmas is on it's waaaaaaay!! Lets not get too carried away, December is soon approaching.. that's when the real excitement can begin.

Since it's been getting a lot colder the comfy fleece pjs and the furry top boots not to mention the tartan blanket scarves, massive furry / quilted coats have also made an appearance! This time of year I'm thankful for such long locks, extra warmth! (even though it can be a pain!) Even though it's a freezing time of year, winter/Autumn is by far my favourite time of year. The setting is magical and the comfort of blankets, hot chocolates, festive scents and comfy casuals cannot be beaten by sweaty summer!!

Love always, 

Personal statements and breaking my finger!

Holla!

As you're aware I'm currently studying A Levels and am in my second year. Along with the studies comes the dreaded personal statement and the 5 CHOICES! All us 17/18 year olds dread those 2 words, P E R S O N A L  S T A T E M E N T with a passion.. It doesn't just envelope our interests but is practically a letter of self amazement, for someone with such little confidence it's really difficult!! But its not over, you have to write about your passion in your chosen subject then find the 5 CHOICES of universities which is so difficult taking into consideration distance from home, accessibility, what they have to offer, the requirements, the detail, the location, prices of accommodation, how far from facilities ETC ETC ETC.. drives you craaaazy! Yet it will all be worth the hard work, stress and determination. I'm looking at studying English Literature in the south of the country of Wales.. so many decisions so little time!! There's only one word for A Levels, that would most definitely be Stress without a doubt!!

Also most of you would know that I enjoy exercising to release some endorphins and stress levels, however as I was playing rugby this week, I caught the ball at a funny angle and this jarred my little finger resulting in a broken pinky! ouch!! Unfortunately this is on my right side, my writing side!! Most definitely didn't work in my favour especially as I have a 2 hour English mock this friday! Wish me luck.

Be careful, love always,

Halloween, Fireworks and by the docks

Holla!

Halloween celebrations included my friends and I carving pumpkins and watching horror films.  Of course I made my special cupcakes again, didn't turn out as we'll as the first though, so was a good job I blogged those ones! Again it was nice to spend some time with my close friends.. I really cherish times like this and people in my life, they really make it worth waking up everyday, Thanks guys! Also for Halloween night my friend Sophie and I saw Ella Henderson in concert which was amazing!!! So much better Live which was a shock to us both!! Of course we dressed up, it was halloween after all ;) I love having local concerts to go to, and even more so love that they like to play in these little venues for us! This concert was emotional yet explosive too. Brilliant, especially as she's only 2 years older than myself. Also her supporting act - J P Cooper was so similar to James Bay I thought I was in a trance!! Fantastic. 

As you can see I for one had some firework celebrations with a few friends, this consisted of fireworks(obviously!!), food and board games (trivial pursuit) which got rather competitive. It was lovely to spend time with everyone just after half term. Although not everyone could make it and that was a shame we still enjoyed ourselves and seeing the florescent sparks create such an idyllic image right infront of us was something you don't get everyday. It was a lovely evening, chills of autumn yet companions by your side, what's not to love?! 

Anything which connotes light is a love of mine as it always reminds me of a purpose to our lives. I love fireworks and love the idea of some people who may not be fortunate to be out with their friends and family celebrating but they can always look up and see some and that makes them feel as if they're also a part of it. Dogs aren't a fan of these though as we find the best hiding places for my little springer during November, what a scaredy cat he becomes from the loud bangs of the minor explosives!

Hope you're all enjoying yourselves this autumn and now its getting colder make sure you wrap up warm!! :) 

Towards the ends of the half term my friend and I also spend a couple of days down Portsmouth with her family to visit her sister who's studying at the University there. The more I visit it the more I fall in love with the setting and surroundings. Theres everything, the docks, the beach, plenty of bars, loads of shops, charity shops, little cafes.. just simply splendid!! It was a lovely day spent and even though it was a little chilly, time for your hats and scarves to be making an appearance I say!

As it was halloween it was only right to watch a horror film, off the cinema we trotted to see Paranormal Activity 3D,  I don't enjoy these films too much as they have no story to them at all, however it had to be done as it was the first in 3D! Was a good time spend with friends though. 

Love always,