Friday 10 November 2017

Body Image & Confidence : My Experience

Hey There!

Now today's post is something rather different for my blog and to be quite honest with you all it has taken me a while to actually sit down and put my thoughts into writing as it is such a personal and sensitive topic for myself. I Really want to bring much more of a realness to my blog and talk about things that have effected myself and I'm sure many others and to hopefully to start a wider conversation regarding different topics and issues.

Today I wanted to talk about 'Body Image', now those words can have very different meanings and connotations for many different people, The National Eating Disorder Collaboration describe Body Image to be

'The perception that a person has of their physical self and the thoughts and feelings that result from that perception.'

The subject of Body Image has really taken over a lot of 2017 for myself as I decided to based my university dissertation around the impact that negative Body Image can have on a individual. I defiantly wouldn't say that I am at all an expert in this field but I can share my personal experiences with you all and discuss what I have discovered during my research. I am hoping to turn this into a bit of a series of blogpost as I honestly think I could sit here all day and write and write (basically what I did for majority of 3rd year!). So for this post I thought for this post I would let you know a little bit more about myself and my experience with Body Image.

So just a little introduction to myself in case you haven't read any of my previous blogpost's, I am currently 21 and have recently graduated from university where I studied Dance Practices. I have been dancing from the early age of 3 and it has always be a massive part of my life and is the thing that I find the most pleasure in doing. Being a dancer can unfortunately sometimes can have some negative connotations especially when it comes to body expectations and stereotypes. For me growing up the perfect dancer was portrayed to be beautiful, tall and thin and I know I'm not the only one who felt that in order to fit into the industry we had fit into those 'cardboard cutouts' that society had created for us. Of course these stereotypes aren't just relatable to dancers, females in general in our generation feel like they have to conform to look a certain way and fill others expectations.

Growing up I can't really member ever really paying much attention to how I looked and I didn't ever really wear much makeup until my late teens, for my I started to become more aware of my body form around the age of 16. This is probably the same for a lot of young girls, as we start to become a lot more aware of how we look, our bodies are changing and we may want to start impressing a certain boy or girl, this is of course mixed in with a wide range of new emotions and feelings which can add to our stress and anxiety levels (whole other topic!). I was always a very active teenagers as I was constantly either dancing or taking part in whatever sport I could, so looking back my body was in pretty good shape even though I may have not thought that at the time. I remember listening to my friends talking in school about different diets that they were trying and personally It was something that I had never really been interested in as I always tried to eat pretty healthily anyways, but listening to other people made me more aware of food and what I was eating. This then lead on to me going through stages of not really eating much at all for the amount of physical exercise that I was doing. I have to say I never believe that I had any sort of 'eating disorder' although throughout my late teens and early 20's I felt as though at point my eating habits did come rather disordered.

Moving onto when I started university, being surrounded by so many wonderful dancers made me realised that the stereotypes really didn't exist, everyone on my course was all different shapes and sizes yet that did not change their passion and ability to move across that floor any less gracefully.

Although I have to say my time at university was probably when my feelings of negative body image really took a toll on my mental and physical self. I would probably put a lot of this down to the stress of university and personal issues (broken hearts and all that good stuff ;) and a injury that I had during my time at university.

Very early in my training at university I injured my back which results in me not being able to take part in classes for a periods of time during the 3 years that I was in university. This had a real impact in my confidence as I had to watch everyone else progressing whilst I was taking steps backwards, when I was able to dance I feel as though I was holding back with fear that I would injure myself again (which often did happen).Whenever I wasn't dancing I really wasn't happy, I felt like I would start gaining weight because I wasn't doing my usual amount of exercise, that mixed in with the heavy workload amounted to me subconsciously skipping meals and I saw a definite change in my confidence and anxiety levels. I would be dancing all day burning calories that I wasn't consuming then working all weekend, this can very quickly turn into a vicious circle. I am one of those people who really doesn't like to talk about how I am feeling as I know there is always someone else that Is facing a tougher battle of their own, so I kept quite about how I was feeling. Luckily I have some wonderful friends who really did help me during those times, especially my lovely friend Darren who used to cook me dinner to make sure I was eating something.

Skipping forward to now, I have to say I believe through researching the topic of Body Image in depth I know have a greater understand of how to control my feelings and how to implement positive change. I mean I still have periods were I can't stand my legs or my big bum but other days I embrace them, I think for me its think strategically and find a healthier way to achieve my goals , 'Ok, I don't like my stomach, what can I do about it? maybe I could create a workout routine with a meal plan to match'. I do have to say that I do sometimes slip back into my old ways of sometimes 'going off' food and not making the smartest choices but its about my realising my mistakes and working with them.

I understand that you may look at me and be thinking 'what is she complaining about? I would love to have her body!', well I'm sure the girl who I think looks 'perfect' has the same insecurities, body image is something perception of themselves and what others think doesn't always play a part. So remember everyone's idea of 'perfection' is different but really perfection doesn't exist and we should all embrace who we are and remind other to love themselves, and yes you may want to lose weight or even gain some weight but don't do it because you want to impress someone or look like that girl with all the likes on Instagram, do it for the only person who is important, YOU!.

It seems crazy to me reading this over, like I'm actually telling people about this! I know that there is a lot of people out there girls and boys that have had much worse experiences with body image than myself but your journey is just that 'YOUR'S'. I really hope me talking about this can help you or someone you know in any little way, please if you know someone who may find these post that I'm making useful please send them the link and Id love to have a chat with everyone in the comments!.

Here are some links that you may want to visit if you feel you need further support <3

Thankyou so much for reading this post

hopefully it will be the first of many similar.

Please share and comment below

Lots Of Love

Holly

“To lose confidence in one’s body is to lose confidence in oneself.”
― Simone de Beauvoir

Images taken by MRH Productions

Thursday 26 October 2017

Vanilla Pumpkin - The Body Shop

Hello There!

I'm not sure about you but when I heard that The Body Shop were releasing a Halloween/autumn range I was rather excited, especially when I heard that the range was going to be 'Vanilla Pumpkin'. I have to be honest I was wondering what would Vanilla Pumpkin smell like? would it smell sweet or a little spicy, Id heard many blogger's and vlogger's say how nice it was and I knew I had to try it out for myself.

Personally I really love the smell of this range, to me it really smells good enough to eat! The ingredients for these products are pumpkin fragrance, Vanilla from Madagascar, hints of tonka bean, hazelnut and maple syrup. Personally I can really get that tint of maple syrup coming through but it isn't a sickly sweet smell, I think with the balance of the pumpkin and vanilla really make it a subtle yet scrumptious scent.

This range includes a body butter (£15), shower gel (£5) and a handbag size friendly hand cream (£5), the range also includes one of the shimmer fragrance sprays which I didn't pick up for myself but I can imagine it would be great for all those autumn/winter parties.

If you are thinking of treating yourself in The Body Shop, why not check online first as there is usually some kind of offer, for example at the minute you can get up 40% a range of products including the pumpkin range.

What is your favourite Body Shop scent?

Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for visiting!

See you real soon!

Lots Of Love

Holly

'Vegetables are a must on a diet.

I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.'

- Jim Davis

Tuesday 24 October 2017

October BirchBox X CoppaFeel

Hello There!

In honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, beauty subscription box 'BirchBox' have collaborated with the charity Coppafeel. In case your not already aware Coppafeel are on a mission to end late detection of breast cancer, which is such a big problem that needs resolving as 55,000 people every year are diagnosed with breast cancer and 10% of those are discovered late. The main theme about this months box is 'Feeling Good', so this box is full of products that aim to make you smile this month.

(Can we all admire how beautiful the design of this box is!)

Whats Included?

Anatomicals Boob Tube Grab Your Melons Shower Gel 50ML-

So this month Anatomicals are collaborating with the charity to great this product and I have to say it smells amazinggg! It reminds me of some kind of melon sweets! This shower gel will make it even easier for you to get hands on while your rather up!.

BalanceMe Pure Skin Face Wash 40ML-

I believe I have used BalancedMe products in the past and I look forward to trying this out, this size will be perfect to take on weekends away. (Full size product £16/125ML)

EcoTools Colour Perfecting Minis-

I haven't actually tried any kind of mini beauty blenders, each coloured sponge is designed to flawlessly correct to your complexion, I am looking forward to giving these a go.

Benefit The Pore Fessional Pearl Primer-

I have acctually been on the lookout for a new primer, so am very happy to receive a little tube of the Benefit primer in this months box.

Model Co Megalash Mascara-

With this months box you actually get an option to add in an addition item of your choice of Model Co products. It was between a contour Stick or the Megalash Mascara and since I was out of all my mascara of course I opted for that option. I have actually tried the mascara and it is actually quite nice at separating the lashes and gives a natural effect.

You still have time to get your October box, click the link here to get yours for £10 (+p&p) plus you will receive a free rose gold Spectrum brush.

If In Doubt Check It Out!!

Its thought that 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in there life time, which is a really scary statistic. That is why it is so important that we take the time to understand our bodies so that if there are any changes then they are more easily noticeable. Iv left a little guide to what you should be looking out for.Now obviously if you do feel something different if could be nothing but don't you think it worth taking that quick trip down to the doctors to get it checked out, don't be ashamed of being wrong, you know your body better than anyone.

I am also going to leave you with this video from one of my favourite Youtubers Fleur, she is a brand ambassador for Coppafeel and trying to raise more awareness surrounding the campaign. So, make sure to give it a watch and share with your friends, you never know you may just saved someones life.

Thankyou for visiting!

Please feel free to leave a comment and subscribe

would mean the world!

See You Real Soon

Lots Of Love

Holly

'When fear knocks,
let faith answer the door'
-Robin Roberts

Friday 29 September 2017

The Best Body Scrub??

Hey There!

Now I know that summer is coming to a close and you maybe getting ready to cover yourself in loads of cosy layers, so exfoliating your skin may not be your number one priority but I want to tell you why I think we all need this body scrub. Grounded is the UKs leading coffee scrub company and for a very good reason, I first discovered them when watching the lovely Mostly Megan's review video (Be sure to check it out), so I popped into boots and picked up a couple to try myself.

These scrubs aim to smooth, tone, exfoliate and moisturise the skin and I believe it does all of those things. This product is made for those with sensitive skin and give a gentle yet effective exfoliation that helps with the dry patches on your body. The scrub is made up of a blender of Sea Salt and Brown sugar which will leave you body feeling refreshed and polished all year round and it gets its mositurising goodness from the Extra Virgin Coconut and Sweet Almond Oil as well as the added Vitamin E.

I picked up a pack of the Chocolate Orange scented as well the Peppermint and have to say they smell incredible! I have to warn you because this is a loose product it can get rather messy! So I recommend using this in the shower then it will just make the whole process a lot easier. You can use this scrub all over your body and gently on the face (Ensure to do the patch test 24 Hours before use!)

You can view the full range of grounded products on their website or can be purchased from your local Boots, if you like me and want to gather together those card points!

Have you tried these scrubs before?

Let me know in the comments!

Thankyou for visiting!

Lots Of Love

Holly

'Nature gives you the face you have at twenty;

it is up to you to merit the face you have at fifty'

– Coco Chanel.

Friday 22 September 2017

Why I Love Autumn!

Hello Lovelies!

Its officially Autumn (or Fall) ! Like many others, Autumn is one of my favourite times of year and there are many reason whys I am very excited about this season despite the rather unpredictable wet and gloomy British weather (We can skip past that part).

Today I thought I would share with you my favourite things that I adore about this time of year.

(Image taken by MRH Productions)

Cosy Jumpers

There is nothing better than putting on a thick cosy knit jumper to keep you warm on those cold crisp mornings. I also love being able to whip out my winter coat collection, boots and layering with scarves, you could be wearing the simplest of outfits underneath but look stylish on the outside (well I try!). The only issue I have is when I go shopping, I usually get farrrr to warm (Especially in Primark) and end up stripping of my layers.

Dark Nights

Autumn also means that the days are shorter and the nights come earlier, the clocks will go back an our on the 29th October in the UK which means we get an extra hour in bed!! Now who can complain about that. There is just something that is really cosy about coming home and getting a candle lit Lush hot bath, putting on my cosy PJS whilst having a hot chocolate . The mornings are of course darker too which can make it a little harder to get out of bed in the morning but something about the brisk morning chill that really wakes me up.

(Amazing Hot Chocolate from Toast Cafe, West Kirby @toast.cofee)

Crispy Leaves

The sound of the the crispy leaves crunching under my feet is literally music to my ears and that's when you know that Autumn has finally arrived. Of course you also have the concors falling from the trees which just reminds me of my childhood. With the weather being that extra bit nippy it also means Coffee dates (or Hot Chocolate for me!) with friends or loves are a must.

Halloween

Of course one of the main reasons that I love autumn is because it means Halloween is comingggg!! I really love Halloween and am really hoping that I get invited to a fancy dress party because I love dressing up. I have already seen some Halloween themed items in the shops and I am getting rather excited and do wish I lived in my own house because I would go to town on the decorations. This also means that I can watch Hocus Pocus on repeat! Plus Halloween is close followed by Bonfire Night, something I dont usually celebrate as I am often in work but hopefully I will make it to a display this year.

Most of all I love Autumn because it means CHRISTMAS isn't too far away!!!!

Whats your favourite things about Autumn?

Thankyou for reading!

Lots Of Love

Holly

'Autumn is a second spring

when every leaf is a flower.'

Albert Camus

Wednesday 20 September 2017

Degustabox- August Review

Hello There!
So this weeks post is something a little different for me, I will be reviewing the food/grocery subscription box 'Degustabox'. Usually when I think of subscription boxes I think of beauty subscriptions, so I was interested when I saw an advert for 'Degustabox'.
Degustabox box is a monthly subscription service, in which you will deceive a variety of new grocery products from big brands, great if you want to discover some brands and products that you wouldn't pop into your basic on your usual weekly shop.

So what did this months box contain (RRP)?

-Refresh Softies (£1)
-Orangina Limited Edition Summer Bottles x2 (£1.25 Each)
-Seabrook Crinklecut Variety Pack (£1)
-Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce (£1.89)
-Fruitypot Jellysqueeze x2 (£0.59 Each)
-Light Bites Popped Chips x2 (£0.99 Each)
-Maggie Fusian Noodles x2 (£1.39 Each)
-Bahlsen Pick Up! Black 'N White (£1)
-Twisted Halo Coconute Water & Vodka (£1.50)
-Hellmanns Real Mayonnaise (£1.49)
-Cadburys Curlywurly Squirlies (£1.99)
-Cadburys Dairy Milk Big Taste Toffee Whole Nut (£0.60)

*STAR PICK* -
I have to say my favourite product from this months box is the Cadburys Curlywurly Squirlies! I love the taste of Curlywurly's but they were a bit awkward and messy to eat so having bite size versions is always good in my book.

My Opinions

I was actually pleasantly surprised by the variety within this box, I feel like it is definitely designed for the whole family in mind as there is something for all ages. Whilst not everything in the box caters to my particular diet or taste someone in my house would appreciate all of these items. I feel like this box would actually be perfect for university students, maybe your a parent and want to surprise you child with a box of well needed food each month (That student loan doesn't always stretch). The box also contains helpful recipes and some coupons to use on some of the products in store.

Price

The prices each month differ depending on which plan you decided to go with but to just pay monthly it cost £12.99 which includes the delivery. When pricing this months box I worked it out to be approximately £17.52 so already you are saving money. Even better is when you use the code HOLLYR-998E you will receive your first box for £5.99! Now that is a bargain! To find out more of the price package you can visit their site here.

What your favourite type of subscription box?
Let me know in the comments
Thankyou for reading

Lots Of Love
Holly
Xx

'Nothing is better than going home to family and
eating good food and relaxing.'
- Irina Shayk

Tuesday 12 September 2017

Bare Minerals - Bare Pro Launch

Hello There!!

So last week I got invited to the exciting launch event of the new Bare Minerals Bare Pro Foundation. I was actually very excited to have a look at this foundation because it a liquid high coverage foundation something that Is new to the Bare Mineral range.

The event was ran by the lovely brand representative Sophie at Harvey Nichols Beauty Bizzare in Liverpool One.

The main selling point for me with this foundation is that it actually improves the appearance of your skin overtime whilst blurring pores and imperfections ! plus it contains an SPF of 20 and claims to last 24 hours. Another amazing benefit of this foundation is that you can actually sleep in it!?!This is due to the natural, non pore clogging ingredients. I'm sure that is music to some peoples ears especially after a night out or a night shift!.

The formulation contains bamboo stem extract which helps create that naturally matte look with a soft finish, and then the papaya enzymes are the key ingredients towards gently improving the look and feel of the skin overtime.

On the night Sophie gave us a lovely demonstration of the new foundation, I was shocked as Iv never seen a high coverage foundation that leaves your skin looking natural and like you are not even wearing any makeup! The Foundation doesn't matte the face out and allows for the natural glow of your skin to come through whilst covering any imperfections.

Along with the new foundation, they are also launching a brand new Luxe Performance Foundation Brush which has been made especially for this foundation. Due to its hypoallergenic synthetic brush hairs which mimic the shape of your fingertips, it makes for perfect application plus no product will be absorbed by the brush.

This foundation Is now on sale and can be found at your local Bare Minerals counter or online. Remember to ask for a colour match as there are 30 shades to choose from so there hopefully will be a shade that is perfect for you. I have added this to my Wishlist and I can't wait to try it at home for myself!

What is your go-to foundation?
Let me know in the comments
Thanks for reading

Lots Of Love
Holly
Xx
'We believe beauty can change the world'
-Bare Minerals

Thursday 7 September 2017

I'v Graduated! What's Next?

Hello Lovlies!

Long time no see I know! I Cant believe where this summer has gone, so much has been happening so I thought id fill you guys in on what new with me and my future plans!

So the big news and a huge relief for me is that iv GRADUATED!! After 3 wonderful and stressful years I now have a BA Honours Degree in Dance Practices! For those of you who don't I studied at Liverpool John Moores University and as much as I loved my time studying there, I was very relieved to be putting on my cap and gown. I am thinking of maybe writing up some university related posts's, so If you have any questions please let me know.

(How every dance student has to take their graduation picture!)

So whats next for me?

(Who knowns!?)

Career

My aim for my first year as a graduate is to honestly try as many different jobs in the arts industry as possible to see what I enjoy the most. I didn't want to rush my decision into going back to university to do my Masters or PGDE, I wanted to find an area that I love and then build upon that. Currently I have a couple opportunities lined up teaching classes in Primary Schools and within Dance Schools so as long as I enjoy what Im doing that will do me for now!. Plus I felt like I personally needed a bit of time away from the text books for my own sake.

Blogging

Since I'm going to have a lot more free time on my hands (hopefully), I really want to get back into blogging full time as it is something that I really enjoy!. I finally got my MacBook fixed so it doesn't take what feel like hours to type on sentence!. Iv met some really inspirations bloggers lately and I hope one day I can inspire others! Watch this space!.

Photography

I have always loved taking photos and capturing the moment within an image. Whilst in University I had the opportunity to take a lot of dance photos for fellow course members to build up their portfolios and I just loved the whole process of taking the image to editing them. Even if this is just a hobby that I really want to learn more about the art of photography and learn a new skill.

Health & Well-being

As many of you may know university can really take its toll on a person, especially their stress levels. Whilst in my final year of University I will admit I tended to spend a lot more time worrying about my work and less about my own health and well-being. You really get into a habit of getting up early, going to university all day, rehearsing at night and then crashing when you get home whilst forgetting to think about food or relaxing time. So now that that stress element has been taken away, I really want to focus on me, getting back into the gym and eating properly! Whilst taking moments out to relax.

I hope this has given you a bit more of an insight into

what iv been up to and what is to come!

Thanks for reading, hopefully will see you again soon!

Lots Of Love

Holly

“The future belongs to those who

believe in the beauty of their dreams.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt

Friday 30 June 2017

British Style Collective- Blogger Event

Hello Lovlies!

So, the other week I was kindly invited to a bloggers event all about the British Style Collective which is being held in Liverpool this year! The event was hosted at Oh Me Oh My which if you haven't been is a lovely building with a stunning roof top bar.

In the past you may of heard of the 'Clothes Show' which used to take place in Birmingham, but this year its moved to Liverpool with a new name and is going to be bigger and better than ever. I will go into more detail later on about the BSC and how you can get your hands on your tickets but for now I'm going to let you know what I got up to at this amazing event.

First of all as always it was so nice to see a room full of local bloggers and having the opportunity to meet and chat to new people. There were some lovely sweet treats dotted around the room (Donuts!) and there was a process and Liverpool Gin bar, I actually don't drink so was just a water for me.

The room itself was decorated amazingly with cute fairy lights, mini plants, balloons and of course giant BSC letters.

One of my favourite parts of the event would have to be getting turned into a Cosmic Princess by the lovely ladies at Once Upon A Sparkle, they had a lovely set up with lots of different pots of sparkly glitter, me being the magpie that I am, I gravitated straight towards them.

These products would be perfect if you are planning on going to a festival this summer or if you just want to add a bit of sparkle to your night out, I did however get some looks walking to the bus after the event but who cares I felt cool. These lovely ladies will also be having a stall at the BSC so make sure to check them out if you get a chance to get down the event.

The evening was kindly hosted by fashion journalist, presenter and the spokesperson for BSC Antonia O'Brien, whom I chatted with at the end of the event and she is a lovely women (Her dress was mermaid goals!) She told us all about the exciting things that were coming to Liverpool and how big this event is going to be.

There was also another very special guest pair that spoke at the event and that was renowned Hair Dresser Andrew Collinge and his beautiful makeup and beauty expert wife Liz Collinge. It was very inspiring listening to how they met and how far they have come in their careers, they also gave us some inside knowledge on the top hairstyle of the summer (Pstt, its the look where you don't look like you have bothered doing your hair but really you have.)

We also got to have a first look at their new product line called CO by Andrew Collinge which is amazing, I was also lucky enough to take home a full size of their definer product and the invisible dry shampoo! (It really is invisible, review to come!). I also got the chance to chat with the power couple after their talk and they are the friendliest people!.

All in all I had a fantastic evening and am looking forward to hopefully going to the BSC when it comes to Liverpool. One of the most unexpected parts of the night was the gifting lounge! I couldn't believe the generosity of some brands, including Pixi, Thumbs up, Prima Makeup, Being and many more.

Thank you BSC for such a wonderful evening and to Liverpool Blogging Queen Steph Bewley for the opportunity.

The British Style Collection- Info Breakdown

Date- 7th-9th July
Get your tickets here and use the code BSC50 for 50% off general tickets!
Sponsored by Alcatel
Venues include The Albert Dock, St Georges Hall, Exhibition Centre, Echo Arena, Liverpool One, basically all of Liverpool City Centre! Its going to be amazing!
For more information visit the main website here as there is so much information I wouldn't want to miss something out.