The Year of Even More Change

I remember quite vividly sitting down this time last year trying to recap on the past 12 months and simply finding it too overwhelming to fully do so. The same stands this year, perhaps even more than it did then. I started 2018 optimistic and full of hope; keen to see what adventures were on the horizon, but never daring to imagine that things would, or could be quite as different as they have turned out to be.

I thought that 2017 was the year of change and turning points, and in it’s own way it was, but in terms of achievements and conquering goals, 2018 has been the one.

Probably the most notable of these is passing my driving test. I took my first lesson on my 17th Birthday, and finally, 14 (and a bit years) later, after several failed attempts, I passed. It took a lot of courage to get back to driving lessons after several years off, I was more afraid than I dared show and pretty much had to start from scratch in terms of sitting my theory test and all that jazz. I booked a week off work, found myself a bloody brilliant instructor and told myself that no matter what I wouldn’t give up this time…but still, no one was more shocked than me when I passed my test on the first time of this wave, with just two minor faults. A few weeks later I welcomed my little black Toyota Aygo “Alphonsus” in to my life and haven’t looked back.

The other big change is that Bob and I are living together. We took on a tenancy on a house in October and have loved every second of the adventure, from the planning to the moving, from the dreams to the reality. We’ve just hosted Christmas Day and Boxing Day for the first time, welcoming in our families and friends and cooking up a storm. It couldn’t have been more perfect. Pablo has settled in well to having both of us as full time “parents”. He’s developed such a personality and attitude, he’s captured everyone’s hearts and keeps us firmly on our toes.
We’ve been so lucky in the help and support we’ve had with the move, and the circumstances around leaving my parents’ home could not have been more different, or more positive than last time.
There is of course, the usual update on my eating disorder recovery journey and I am delighted to say it’s all positive. I’m nearer to a healthy weight than I have been in some years, just a few kg to go. I’m becoming comfortable in my own skin and learning who I am as a person, and learning to love that person, there is so much freedom in not being defined by a label anymore and whilst it isn’t all plain sailing and I still have my wobbles I feel more stable and cemented in my recovery than I ever have before. I’m no longer in therapy, or under regular monitoring, I’m thriving in a full time job, cooking actual meals from scratch with Bob and embracing new situations like our first holiday abroad without having to plan the entire trip around my meal plan.

It hasn’t all been positive this year, unfortunately. Tragedy struck Bob’s family on my birthday and it made everyone stop and take stock of what was around them and realise life is just too short to spend worrying and that you cannot take anything for granted. It’s shown me inspiring strength and courage from those around me, and bought a lot of people closer together. It’s not fair to go in to the ins and outs of it all, but it would be an understatement to say it’s been a testing year for several people very close to my heart.

As 2018 creeps towards it’s final hours I’m taking a moment to take stock and be thankful for those who have supported me through all of these life changing events; my friends, my colleagues, my family- most importantly my parents who I appreciate more than I ever have before.

It’s been a year of mammoth changes and it does get more than a little bit overwhelming at times (I really don’t like change no matter how positive it is!) but mostly I feel lucky, so lucky to have had a chance to turn my life around, to not have given in a couple of years ago when things were dire, to have met Bob and fully embraced what the world has to offer.

There may be uncertain times ahead but I’m ready for them. I’d like to think things might calm down a little in 2019, but I remember thinking the very same thing about 2018 and oh boy was I proven wrong!

Happy New Year one and all, see you on the other side with some new (and hopefully, quite possibly) and improved content.

What are you most thankful for right now?

4 style ideas to help you sparkle during party season*

Party season is officially in full swing, but with so many occasions to attend it can often be difficult working out what to wear. So, whether it’s a New Year’s bash or a great night out with friends why not give one of these simple ideas ago? These four finishing touches will have you standing out in any crowd, whatever your style.

Fancy footwear

Whether it’s sequins, embellishment, prints or bold colours, the rule with footwear at this time of the year is the fancier the better. One of the easiest ways to feel fantastic as you head off for a night out this winter is to invest in a new pair of statement shoes. Regardless of your preferred heel height, choose a design that really speaks for itself leaving you free to pair them with a simple little black dress at a moment’s notice. Think embellished sandals, velvet mules and printed pumps. The Gucci shoes collection has some perfect designs for hitting the dance floor in.

Colourful clutches 

A simple way to add some wow factor to your favourite outfit is with an eye-catching clutch and, they were spotted all over this season’s catwalks from Valentino to Balenciaga. There are so many options when it comes to accessorising with a clutch bag; think big and relaxed hugged close to the body or small and structured. As far as colour is concerned, any hue will keep you on trend, but metallic tones and sequins work great for party season and allow you to leave the rest of your look relatively simple.

Jaw-dropping jewellery 

Ever get the feeling something is missing from your outfit? It may be time to invest in some statement jewellery. If earrings are your thing then hoops are always a great option and are perfect for dressing up any look. Alternatively, if you’re looking for some a little classier, embellished pendant earrings could be the accessory you’re looking for. Team with an off-the-shoulder dress for Old Hollywood glamour and maximum impact.

Statement make-up

It’s the oldest trick in the book but nothing adds some extra oomph to an outfit quite like a slick of statement lipstick. For this season think deep shades of plum and red depending on your skin tone. Pair it with simple eye make to make sure your look isn’t too overpowering.

Have fun with hair accessories 

It’s one of the more difficult trends to pull off but quirky hair accessories could be the perfect solution to taking your festive party outfits to the next level. This season’s trends included feathered clips, tortoiseshell slides and leather Alice bands. Max Mara even sent models down the runway wearing crystal-embellished monogrammed hair clips. Again, the key to making this look work for you is to tone everything else down. If there’s too much going on your hair accessories may overwhelm your outfit.

The Beauty Sleep Elixir from Beuti

Despite my best intentions, this year my skincare regime has been seriously lacking, and whilst we might be rapidly approaching the last weeks of 2018, when I was sent a product loved by the likes of Rita Ora and Iggy Azalea to try I figured it’s better late that never and set about trying to up my game.

The Beauty Sleep Elixir* by Beuti is the first product to launch from the UK based brand. It’s a brand new complexion booster with anti-inflammatory properties, made up from 14 plant-based oils (I’m not going to list them all here, but highlights include Caribbean coral extract, chia seed oil and neroli flower oil).

This little bottle of golden oil is designed to tackle “inflammaging” – a condition where your skin ages due to inflammation over a prolonged period of time. This can be caused by every day things such as sun exposure, pollution or simply using the wrong products for your skin (definitely guilty on all accounts here).

You can either pop on a few drops of this elixir under your makeup, or use it over-night to allow your skin to renew itself, with the promise of younger, brighter looking skin I couldn’t wait to try it.

I’ve been using the Beauty Sleep Elixir for just over a week now, mainly under my makeup in the morning as it’s all I can do to remove my makeup before bed, let alone pop any products on (I know, I know). I’m not going to share a before and after, mostly because my face is looking a bit…bruised thanks to a brutal wisdom tooth extraction, but I 100% noticed a difference after just the first day.

It’s going to take a lot to get my poor, neglected skin back in tip-top condition, and that’s going to be one of my main goals for 2019, but things are definitely looking better. I’ve shrugged off that dull, grey tone that comes from spending too much time in an office with central heating, and overall things just look smoother and dare I say it…more youthful. This isn’t a cheap product, it costs £42 for a 30ml bottle, but a tiny bit goes a long way- literally one pump works beautifully under my makeup, and probably two pumps would do a nighttime slathering.

You can get your hands on this wonder oil at lookfantastic although you’ll have to wait for it to come back in to stock as it sells out pretty much as soon as it hits the website.
One thing I have learnt from my experiments with skincare is that it does pay to invest, and I’ll genuinely be buying more of this when my bottle runs out.

Has any one else tried this product? And what are your best tips for getting in to a solid skincare regime? This girl needs all of the help she can get!

Product gifted to me for blog consideration, terrible skincare habits, puffy face and opinions are entirely my own.

Indulging my ankle boot obsession with Fashion World*

If I could only wear one style of shoes for the rest of my life it would without a doubt be ankle boots, it doesn’t matter what time of year it is, they are what I gravitate to and I’ve been living in the same two pairs of boots for the last couple of months. This could, of course have something to do with the fact that these are the only shoes I’ve got around to moving house with me- the perks of having my parents’ living near by is that I didn’t have to move everything at once, handy as we’ve had a couple of storage hiccups, and to be honest I haven’t really missed most of my shoe collection (although I will be glad to have them all under one roof in the new year!)

Now I’m done with my Christmas shopping- insert smug gloat here- I’ve gone back to my routine browsing of things I would quite like to own, although now all of my money has gone on Christmas, and unexpected vet bills, it really is a case of browsing only.

Today’s edition of “share my pain in lusting over things I can’t yet afford” features ankle boots (as the post title might have given away), specifically those from the magnificent collection over at fashion world.

I kind of feel I’ve covered all bases with my browsing here, from smart to casual, from day to night, I’ve fallen in love with an ankle boot for all occasions. I think my favourite pair has to be the black ones with the pearl detailing, such a pretty way to liven up an otherwise plain party dress, or for wearing just to feel expensive…and expensive they are not, costing a very reasonable £26.00 in the wide fit style, which is perfect for my flipper feet.

You’ll also find a selection of familiar brands on the fashion world website – from irregular choice to mode in pelle (which is who the delicious burgundy button detail boots are by).

What shoe style would you choose to live in?

The Big Vaping update post

Back at the end of October I wrote my first update on my attempt to quit cigarettes by means of vaping with some help from my friends at e-cigarette direct. If you read that post you may recall it wasn’t going as well as I had hoped, and I was intending to come back a month later (and in fact it is now just over a month) and be able to say I had made better progress…
and have I? Yes, yes I have! I made the decision on the 30th October that I wasn’t going to buy any more cigarettes, if I didn’t have a pack “just in case” then I couldn’t talk myself in to having one and it seems to have worked. I did have on lapse at the end of November when coupled with a few g&ts I did cave in to the lure of a cigarette but I can honestly say it was the most disgusting thing, and I am actually baffled as to how I made it a habit for so long.

I would say I am out of the danger zone now, I find cigarettes repulsive and I have no desire to go back to it. I’m not sure vaping makes me a non-smoker though, I can’t make up my mind on that one- but I do feel it’s a far healthier compromise and certainly making a financial impact if not a health one.

I’ve also been very, very fortunate to have the support of the e-cigarette direct team who got me set up, and have sent out numerous juices for me to try- the latest of which I’m sharing some thoughts on below.

Nasty Juice wicked haze* short fill (£15.99) is a blackcurrant and sparkling lemonade flavoured juice- despite loving the drink that inspired it I did find this a bit sickly sweet for me, however, Bob (who if you remember rightly has also switched cigarettes for vaping) loved this and it was his default juice for a while.
I prefer the 10ml bottles of juice for when I am out and about as they are more convenient so I was excited to try the selection from Double Drip* (£3.99 each). Out of the three flavours I was sent, twisted ice cream was my favourite by a long way- uncannily reminiscent of a favourite summer ice-lolly (I got through boxes this year) it made the darker winter days seem that bit brighter. These juices are an 80:20 vg-pg ratio meaning they produce a lot more cloud than I am used to, I don’t think I’d seek out this ratio too often going forward, but the flavours are delicious and I’d be keen to try more.
Mostly Bob and I have been buying shortfill juices and mixing them up to suit our nicotine needs then decanting them for portability. The idea of shortfills was daunting at first as they seemed quite complicated to put together, but actually they aren’t really, as illustrated in this video from the e-cigarette direct team.

As ever, if anyone else reading this is a vaper and has any product recommendations or experiences to share then please do leave them in the comments. I’ll continue to share my journey and product reviews on the blog as and when, hopefully with continued progress to come- next step is weaning down the nicotine content!