Friday 29 May 2015

10 Things I Wish Everyone Understood About Anxiety


1) I know anxiety is irrational.

Believe me when I say I know, anxiety is irrational but repeatedly telling me I'm being irrational or ridiculous only makes things worse. We need your support not someone who's making you feel more pathetic than you already do inside.

2) It may look like we're being dramatic but that's because it is a big ordeal to us.

No we're not being drama queens, in fact most of the time people with anxiety HATE attention and would much rather someone else had the spotlight. Do you think I want to be struggling for breath and feel like I'm having a heart attack? Do you think I want to be constantly worrying over the smallest of things? no of course not, we wouldn't wish this on our worst enemy! So it may look like a fuss over nothing to you but to the person feeling that way it's massive.

3) Anxiety is a mental illness.

It's a mental illness, would you kick someones leg if it was broken? Would you force someone with a tummy bug to do something they weren't up to? No course you wouldn't, well its the same with anxiety. Sometimes we genuinely can't do something because it will make us unwell. I've actually been diagnosed by a doctor with Generalised Anxiety Disorder and have been prescribed both medication and counselling for it. If a doctors prescription won't make you recognise it as a mental illness then I don't know what will. 

4) Anxiety is more frustrating for the person with it than the person dealing with it second hand.

I appreciate my anxiety may be inconvenient and frustrating for you to deal with but believe me it's ten times worse for me who has to live with it every single day. So please don't feel the need to tell me how much of a pain it is because you're preaching to the converted.

5) Emotional bullying isn't the answer.

Telling me that I just have to get over it or deal with it won't help. I deal with it every single day by getting out of bed. If it was as easy as just getting over it then I'd have done it by now.

6) Anxiety is everywhere, all the time. There is no escape.

It's all controlling. Theres no way to quieten your mind, your thoughts are all tangled and everything becomes a worry. Most people would for example miss their bus and they'd be like oh no I'll be late or oh no thats a little inconvenient. However a person with anxiety feels like oh no I've missed this bus, what if the next one doesn't arrive, what if I'm late and my boss doesn't understand and they sack me and then I'll have no money and no job and on it goes... Every day simple tasks for someone with anxiety can become extraordinarily difficult very quickly.

7) Everybody experiences feeling anxious but not everybody has anxiety.

Anxiety and feeling anxious are not the same. It's normal for everyone to feel nervous before an interview or to feel nervous before a driving test but with anxiety your brain panics about things normal people wouldn't bother about. The most accurate and well known description I've heard for it is the car alarm theory that Zoe described, with anxiety you're that car who's alarm goes off at unnecessary things instead of the car alarm that only goes off when its actually getting broken into. For instance one of my big panic triggers is if I don't have water near me at all times, this wouldn't bother most people but for me I start to worry that I'll feel unwell, I'll pass out and if I don't have water with me then if any of those things happen, I won't be okay. 

8) Anxiety is not being awkward.

I'm not trying to be awkward because I don't want to do that thing. Chances are if I really don't want to do it or go somewhere its because it's something that will make me scared of having a panic attack. Thats the worst bit about anxiety is that you become anxious over feeling anxious and anxious that you might have a panic attack which in turn makes you more anxious, its a viscous circle. Chances are if I'm not doing something as a result of anxiety I probably feel worse about that than you do. Anxiety also makes you really indecisive so little decisions for me are a big deal because I like to think through every possibility so sorry I can't give you an answer right away but it's just the way my brain functions. Pressuring me to make a decision only makes it harder for me to make one. Instead we'd probably just prefer if you made the decision for us.

9) Anxiety comes with both mental and physical pain.

It's not just mental its physical. Headaches, upset stomach, insomnia and picking at the skin around my nails till its red and sore is just a few of the symptoms I have. Many others get more severe physical symptoms though such as heart palpitations, hot/cold sweats, painful muscles and a choking sensation. Meaning that if we say we can't do something because we're feeling anxious it could be more than just that fear feeling thats preventing us from going. Plus anxiety often leads to panic attacks which includes the heart pounding like its about to burst out your chest, hot/cold sweats, breathlessness, dizziness, feeling nauseous and this can leave you feeling exhausted. Your heart during a panic attack goes through a lot of strain similar to that of running a marathon so of course it leaves you tired. 

10) Sometimes a cuddle really helps.

Reassurance and comfort helps. Persuasion and ignorance does not. Ignorance is probably the hardest to deal with because some people won't understand anxiety and aren't willing to listen or learn. It's a very tricky illness to define to someone who's never experienced it themselves. The only way I can describe it is it feels like you have a little devil on your shoulder and no matter how hard you try to shrug him off, he still comes back, chasing you, telling you everything bad that could go wrong and how much you have to do but you'll never be able to do it in so little time. It feels like that devil is chasing you into darkness, into a tunnel and that theres no ending to this tunnel and the walls are closing in on you like times running out. There's not much another person can do to make this better other than letting you know that they're there, whatever you need they can get it for you. For me a cuddle helps I know some people find that suffocating but I personally like someone to be there holding my hand, rubbing my back or having an arm around me because that comfort helps. If you know someone who has panic attacks, ask them what will help them, they'll appreciate that you care enough to want to help. They might want a cuddle, they might want you to get them a glass of water or they might just want you to sit with them until it passes.

I hope this is relatable for those of you who do suffer from anxiety and if you don't then maybe it helped you understand what those who do feel like. That way if any of your friends or family feel this way then you'll know how to be understanding.

Remember 1 in every 25 people in the UK suffer from generalised anxiety disorder so it's well worth knowing about. The only solution to ignorance is education.

Lots of Love,

Wednesday 27 May 2015

Blushing Hearts Too Faced Dupe || Review & Swatches


I have wanted one (all) the Two Faced heart blushers for a good while now but at £24 each, they're definitely not budget friendly and I already have way too many blushers. So I had to get my hands on at least one of the Make-Up Revolution blushing hearts because MUR are so good at creating amazing dupes and I've never been disappointed by them yet. I decided to just get one just now since I'm meant to be trying to save money and use up some of my ever growing make-up collection. The one I chose was 'Peachy Pink Kisses' because I love peachy coloured blushes especially for Summer.


The blush has three segments like the Too Faced blushers which I like because it means you have four different colour options to use. You can swirl all the shades together and get a shimmery peach shade like I have swatched above or you can use any of the three individually to get different colours. They're all pretty shimmery so could actually double up as a highlighter depending on what shade you like your highlighter to be. I personally think the top two segments of the blusher are like highlight shades and the third segment or a mixture of all three are like blusher shades. 


The packaging of the product is really cute although it's quite bulky and hard to store but I guess it's worth it for the prettiness of it. I definitely would want more of these, they're only £4.99 and for four different blush shades I think thats well priced! I think 'Bursting with Love' is next on my list to try.

Have you tried any of these or the Too Faced version? What do you think of them?

Lots of Love,

Monday 25 May 2015

Dusty Girls Sunshine Bronzer || Review



 A few weeks back I posted a review of a fake tan by Moogoo which if you read you'll know I absolutely adored. MooGoo also have a 'sister company' Dusty Girls where they sell natural make-up and knowing how much I love a tan they sent me their bronzer to try out. I have had so many compliments since using their tan and this bronzer in combination that I had to share it with you. The company uses the name Dusty Girls because of the 'dusty' look your skin has after a day in the country and they try to recreate this using natural minerals and clays from the earth.


When it comes to make-up and skincare I'm all for products being as natural as possible because you only get one skin so it's important to look after it. One of my favourite make-up products is bronzer, I use it as contour, to add colour to my face, on my chest and anywhere else that I feel needs a touch of colour. So it would be fair to say that I've used quite a lot of different bronzers and know what works and what doesn't!


The first thing I love about this bronzer is how big it is. It's the perfect size to swirl a brush round  but not so big that it isn't make-up bag friendly. The colour of the bronzer is really nice, it isn't at all orange, it's the perfect brown shade which makes it great for both contouring and bronzing up the face. It does have a tiny bit of glitter in it but as you can see from the swatch it's very subtle. I think the shade would suit all skin tones, it looks gorgeous when I have fake tan on and when I don't.


The natural ingredients used are joboba and macadamia oil, both products renowned for having benefits to the skin. I love the name of the bronzer 'Sunshine' because it really does leave you looking like you've been out in the sunshine and have that outdoorsy glow. It costs £15 so it's far from the cheapest bronzer on the market but I think the quality is incredible and it's cheaper than a MAC bronzer would be and of course much better for your skin!

Have you tried any of the Dusty Girls range? What do you think of natural make-up?

Lots of Love,


* Post contains PR samples.

Friday 22 May 2015

So...?|| Review


So have released four new scents into their collection and I was kindly sent them over to try out and share what they're like for you guys! All four scents are named after four prominent cities, Rio- the summer scent, Paris- the saturday night scent, London- the everyday scent and NYC - the super sweet scent.

The first thing I noticed about the perfumes is their amazing coloured glass bottles, I love this effect and think it definitely adds something to the brand. I like that just the bottom of the glass is coloured but I definitely would change the lids to silver because I find the different coloured lids a little tacky. The bottles are very simple with just a landmark of the city they're named after rather than a name which I thinks a really nice touch. 


Rio has been named the scent for summer and I definitely can smell why....see what I did there?! *wink wink*. It smells super fruity and would be an amazing holiday scent. It contains notes of 'mango, citrus, pineapple and melon' and for me I would say the melon scent is the one that stands out the most. It is surprisingly strong considering these fragrances only cost £9.99! and you can get the body spray version for £1.99. It's not as long lasting as my usual fragrances but because it's so cheap you can afford to be spray happy.


The London scent is gorgeous, I would say it's quite sweet and actually smells much more expensive than it is. It's definitely one of the more grown up scents in the range and I wouldn't mind wearing this as an everyday scent at all. I actually love to keep this in my hand bag for when I'm out and about to top up with because it's so cheap I don't mind using it lots. I like to keep this one in my gym bag too, I'm probably the only insane person who wears perfume to and after the gym but I obviously don't like wearing my expensive ones. These are just ideal for spritzing on and if I sweat it off then it doesn't matter! This one contains notes of 'Grapefruit, Mandarin, Apricot and Vanilla'. I'm usually not a big fan of vanilla in fragrances but it's really subtle and nice in this one.


Paris is another one that I think smells quite grown up and I guess that is why it's renowned for being the Saturday night fragrance. It smells a lot darker and muskier than the others and definitely is the most evening-esque out of the four. It contains 'Mandarin, Patchouli and Plum' which is an unique mixture but I think it works really well. I think this one is my favourite bottle design too!


Last but not least, New York City. This one contains 'Lychee, Peach, Jasmine and Praline' and it is a very sweet smelling one. I'm pretty sure it's the praline scent that's strongest in this and I really like that. I never thought 'praline' would be a scent I'd be drawn too but mixed with the sweet fruits it packs a nice punch. This one actually reminds me of something from my childhood but I can't remember what it was but for that reason I really like this one!



I think these scents are amazingly affordable for what you get and I think So have managed to grow away from their younger market by making more grown up scents. I think that the brand needs to change their bright packaging as for me that's what makes me associate it with being for younger people but if you get past that and give them a sniff you'll definitely be pleasantly surprised! I think my favourite out of them all is Paris but it was a tough call between London, NYC and Paris because they three are all winners for me. I do like Rio but just think it's slightly too young for me with it being so fruity! 


What do you think of So..?

Lots of Love,






 * This post contains press samples


Wednesday 20 May 2015

Nail Box || Review


A while back I reviewed a nail polish subscription box from Coloristiq and I absolutely loved their box and thought it was such a good idea however I stated that I thought it could be improved by being allowed to keep the nail polishes. Then I discovered this brand Nail Box which you guessed it, does exactly that! Sends you four brand new nail polishes to keep every month and to top it off they also send you a nail tool as well. I love that a nail tool is added because that is something I really lack in my collection and never think to pick up. 


The April box was the perfect Spring coloured shades:- a gorgeous baby pink by Essie called 'muchi, muchi', a bright coral from China Glaze called 'Peachy Keen', a pastel yellow from Revlon called 'Buttercup' and a bright pink from OPI called 'Kiss Me On My Tulips'. It also contained an Essie nail file which is already in my hand bag for those nail emergencies.

All four of these colours are colours that I love and I've already used all four. They're of amazing quality which doesn't surprise me considering they're all from good brands which is one of Nailboxes policies. I love the yellow shade Buttercup because I've been on the hunt for a good thick pastel yellow polish for so long and this is 100x better than Topshop's the 'Bees Knees'. Muchi Muchi is great at making your tan look even better and the colour reminds me of strawberry milkshake.

There are several different payment options for the box, you can pay £15 to buy a one off box or as little as £13.50 if you subscribe for an entire year. The box is carefully put together to try and include the very best nail trends. The value of the box is definitely worth it because even two of these nail polishes would be more expensive than the entire box.

The colours are all stunning so there's a high chance you'll like them all but if you don't you could always give them to someone as gift or use it as part of someones birthday present etc. Nailbox also promise to never send you the same colour twice and I think it would make a pretty cool gift to buy someone a years subscription for their birthday or Christmas etc. 


The boxes are limited edition so you do have to be quick in signing up for one because once they're gone they're gone for good. It is now too late to get your hands on this box but May's box is now available to buy and by the sounds of things it's gonna be a good one!

What do you think of nail polish subscription boxes?

Lots of Love,



* This post contains PR samples

Monday 18 May 2015

My Little Box || May


I have been a lover of My Little Box for a good while now but the past few months have left me feeling a bit disappointed and if you've read my previous reviews you'll know that the past few have left me undecided about whether to unsubscribe or not. Well this month is the month I've finally decided to unsubscribe from My Little Box for good and I think you will see why....


The first thing I noticed when I opened my box this month was again that the magazine was in that strange poster format that they started last month. Not only does this not feel as nice as a magazine to read but it's awkward and inconvienent therefore I end up chucking it out straight away. This month the theme of the box is My Little Provence Box and it was a pretty box once again and there was a poster card and I do like that but I'm not paying £15 a month for cute packaging and a poster card.. 



The lifestyle product this month was magnets, I wish I was joking but they genuinely sent out magnets. To be fair to them the magnets were a doll with nice outfits and it does look pretty on my fridge but I feel it's aimed more towards a much younger market than the majority who will receive this box. The idea is you can dress the doll up and put outfits on her etc but I'm 20 years old and have better things to do with my time. So I felt this was much of a disappoint like the stickers were in My Little Super Box which are still sat unused!



The fashion product this month was equally bad. It was a gold bracelet with lots of holes in it so you can stitch a pattern on to it. I can't see many people over the age of 13 wanting to do that and then wear it as a fashion piece. The bracelet is a big gold cuff and is definitely not something I would want to wear with or without crocheting on it.


The beauty products usually have a way of pulling the box back but not this month. It contained a bunch of L'occitane samples... to be fair to them they gave four different ones but all were tiny samples that you could have got for free. The only product that I liked in this months box was the My Little Box eye crayon in a gorgeous bronze shade. This is beautiful and I hope it's just as nice when I use it so I at least get something for the money I paid.


I'm so disappointed to have to unsubscribe from My Little Box because I absolutely love receiving it and getting surprised each month. However the past three months have been more disappointment than excitement so I think I'd rather spend the money on things I really want!!

Did you get this months My Little Box? What did you think of it?

Lots of Love,   



Tuesday 12 May 2015

Empties #3


 I love doing an empties post because it means I can finally get rid of all the empty bottles I've been hoarding in my room for this purpose so the time has come where I finally have enough finished products to share with you!


It's been a long time since I last done an empties post so I have two deodorants that I've used up which are both by Soft & Gentle because they're my favourite brand for deodorants. I don't really look for much in deodorant other than it smells nice and these ones have lots of different scents and they always smell gorgeous so thats why I always pick them.


Shampoo and conditioner wise I have used up another Mane n Tail shampoo which is amazing for hair growth. I have stopped using it for the meantime though because I have long hair already and I have other shampoos to use up first. I have also used up the Tresemme Split Remedy shampoo and conditioner because my hair is very split endy and long overdue a cut. That being said I don't think they did anything to help split ends, once they're there they're there to stay! (wasn't that a mouthful..)


My deep conditioner that I've been using is Aussie's 3 minute miracle deep conditioner because this smells absolutely amazing and leaves my hair really soft and easy to brush. I would definitely repurchase this again when I need a new deep conditioner.


Obviously over Christmas I was using the amazing Snow Fairy shower gel because it isn't Christmas without snow fairy! Can you tell it's been lying on its side in my 'empties bag' for a long while? I always repurchase this at Christmas time because it has the most gorgeous scent.


I've used up two foundations since I last done an empties, my favourite ever L'Oreal True Match and Rimmel Wake Me Up. As much as I love Wake Me Up, I've since found a new favourite so for the time being I won't be repurchasing but it still is a fab foundation that I might go back to in the future. Of course I have already repurchased True Match because it is my holy grail foundation.


I got this body butter when I was on holiday in Italy and it is amazing on skin thats either sunburnt or just hot from being in the sun all day. Another thing this ones good for is rubbing on your feet after a long day because the aloe vera in it seems to just cool and relax the skin. Next time I'm abroad I may well purchase this because it was lovely but I have plenty of other amazing body butters so wouldn't ship it over from Sephora specially.


This will be the first ever empty fragrance that has made it to one of these posts, in fact one of the very few perfume bottles that I've actually ever got to the bottom of. River Island Paris is such a gorgeous scent and it's obviously really affordable too because it's from the high street. I love this perfume so much that I already have a refill on the go. It is my favourite scent in Summer time and I wore this non stop during first year of uni and when I had just turned 18 so it reminds me of going out and nights out.


I've used up my bottle of St Tropez tan which I loved. This gives such a gorgeous glow, smells and feels amazing on the skin. As much as I love this though I probably wouldn't buy it again unless it was for a special occasion/on offer because St Moritz is a pretty good dupe for it.



My big bottle of Bioderma has now ran out, I use this every night to take off my make-up and it works like a dream. I do love this but again have found a cheaper alternative to take my make up off with so probably won't go back to this. 


My beloved La Roche Posay finally died after a long successful life. I love this product, it's a gem and I would 100% recommend this to anybody struggling with their skin whether its redness or spots this will definitely make an improvement. I wouldn't think twice about repurchasing this if my skin gets troublesome again but its done such a good job that I don't even need it anymore.

I hope you enjoyed getting an insight into my empty products and the reasons on why I will or will not be repurchasing them, What products have you used up recently? Have you tried any of these ones?

Lots of Love,

Sunday 10 May 2015

April || Instagram


April has gone by in a whirlwind of exams and studying but I did manage to fit in the time to take some pretty snaps. Here's some of my favourites from mine and Luca's instagram posts last month!


♥ Revision essentials 


♥ ShoeLicks, stickers to put on the soles of your shoes to make them pretty (or to make them look like Louboutin's!)


♥ Nutella milkshake and nutella ice cream (more revision essentials!!)


 ♥ Better than an Easter egg right? ;)



 ♥ Sunset in Musselburgh

  
♥ A vanilla hot chocolate is defo another essential for revision...


♥ Didn't have time to brush my hair before work but had time to take a selfie, priorities!  


♥ Dominos now do a large garlic and herb dip, finallllllly!! I also have learned they do garlic butter and extra cheese as a free topping!


♥ Pretty dresses 


♥ Fried egg in a cheese toastie with a cheese toastie heart


♥ Working off that Dominos


 Leave your instagrams below! Mines are @whatabbyloves and @lucathespringer.

Lots of Love,