Sunday, 29 November 2015

The perfect phrase for a pressured mind.

These days it’s hard not to feel pressure to succeed. From social media making it easy enough to see anyone we can think of achieving great things, from fitness to celebrity worship and beyond.
Generation Y is known for this pressure, it’s what has birthed spikes in social anxiety among this group, as well as depression, a heightened level of selfishness and technology readily available at our fingertips making it that much harder to avoid.
I stress myself out so much thinking that I should’ve done much more with my life by now that I came up with a phrase to help me. I then wrote about it and submitted this to the popular well-being website The Elephant Journal.
I have read and loved the articles on this website for over a year now so it’s a pleasure to be published amongst the writers I admire to an audience of over 10 million per month. If you have time, I recommend checking out a few more of their pieces, full of inspiration and advice.
My piece is called The Perfect Phrase for a pressured mind, and you can read it here:

Thursday, 26 March 2015

Silver Serum Review



After reading some great reviews about this revolutionary cream I was excited to give it a go and kick my acne's butt once and for all. Word of mouth had already spread about this amazing product meaning it was in high demand and was out of stock for a long time. I had pre ordered it however so had to wait a few impatient weeks before the little package arrived through my letter box. I ordered it from Skin Shop, which is one of the very few places you can purchase this sold out serum. 


The Science of The Silver Serum. 

The cream allegedly uses a special silver ingredient (MicroSilver ™) to banish bad bacteria but all the while helps the good bacteria or "skin flora" ensuring your skins natural goodness is not stripped off which is usually the result of other skin products. It claims to help reduce bacteria related infection and inflammation (redness) of skin conditions. This means it diminishes what is already on the surface of the skin rather than the cause. To tackle the cause you will have to take care of other areas of your lifestyle that might account for your skins condition such as your diet, hormones, lack of hydration/exercise etc. 


You should apply twice a day, morning and night, after cleansing your face and it lasts on the skin for up to 8 hours.

My Skin History.

I have suffered from acne since I was about 15, and have never been without one or two spots on my face, it's rare that it will be completely clear. They can be quite big lumps sometimes, so large that they might not make it to the surface and will protrude under a few layers as a red mass, untreatable and uncoverable. Topical solutions like this one will help the spots on the surface but will not tackle the cause, that's a bigger issue. I always like to try new products however to see what level they can go to to get rid of them.


My Experience of using Silver Serum.

When it arrived, I couldn't wait till bed time so I could start smearing it all over my make up free skin, to wake up the next day spot-free. As you can probably guess, this didn't pan out like I'd planned. 
Being the intolerant soul that I am, I was a bit miffed when I didn't see dramatic results after the first day of wear. The tube does not give much instruction as to how to apply, so I just winged it for a while and applied it probably more than I should of but continued to see no results. After a bit of Googling I discovered it does take a couple of weeks to work, so I persevered. Three to four weeks later I started to see some improvement (pictures below). It initially brought out the blemishes, or rather my skin got substantially worse for a week, but the redness finally started to subside and the bumps got smaller. This only began working as I started to use moisturisers in conjunction with cleansers and make up removers as well as the cream as I felt using the serum alone dried out my skin before applying make up. It is easy and smooth to apply, leaving your skin feeling instantly softer which was nice. I was also intrigued to find that it didn't have much of a scent. Overall, I am pleased with the product and will continue using until the bottle is empty, however being on a beauty budget I don't think I'll be continuing to buy this cream because of its £12.95 price tag.

Progress in Pictures: You can see over the course of 4 weeks the significant improvement to my skin. 


Week 1, Week 2 and Week 4.


So that's my review of the Silver Serum. Everyone has different skin and therefore will have a different experience of this product, so if you can I would recommend trying it out for yourself to see how you get on. I hope this review has helped some of you!

Saturday, 7 March 2015

Underground Style

Underground Style





I spotted a girl wearing this outfit on the tube the other day and had to share it. A casual, effortless look. Some staple pieces with slight embellishments and layering just made it stand out. In essence it's a jumper, trousers and boots, but it's not just what she was wearing but how she was wearing it. She had rolled up the loose sleeves of the grey knit to show the cuffs of the shirt which were unbuttoned and folded to ensure a simple gold watch became visible on her wrist. A few plain gold bands dotted on different fingers and a nice neutral nail colour really finished off the look. Four words to sum it up: baggy, simple, city chic. 

Sunday, 1 March 2015

IUS Merina Coil Review

Boys, look away! This is one for the ladies. Unless you're a man doing research for your girlfriend/spouse in which case, you're very thoughtful, please read on…

I wanted to do a review to share my experience of having the Mirena coil inserted, not only because there aren't that many good reviews about it (it's mainly all horror and gore and "Your womb will be ripped to shreds and you won't be able to have kids!" malarky) but also because even though everyone has a different experience,  someone might still relate to mine and I want to show people that a good experience of the Mirena coil exists!

The Info.

Now, I'm no medical professional so if you want to read all the technical hokey pokey about hormones and what-not you're best off having a read of the below links before continuing. Here are some websites that I used when researching the coil:


The general gist is that the IUS or Mirena coil has a small amount of progesterone hormone which is slowly released throughout time, it thickens the mucus in the neck of your womb and thins the lining of the womb making it near impossible for those pesky ball bag swimmers (sperm) to make their way up to your ovaries to impregnate you. Some women do not just use it for contraception however, the Mirena can make your periods a lot lighter or stop them altogether. It can last up to 5 years, as opposed to Jaydess which has a smaller dose of hormones and therefore lasts for 3 years.

My History.

I feel I should explain a bit about my medical history in regards to contraception and why I wanted to get the coil to put this all into perspective. In the past I have had major problems with hormones and taking the pill. I initially went on the pill when I was 17, however this was not for contraception but for my skin. I had acne and was given Dianette which worked a treat. Now, you are not meant to take Dianette for over a year, which all medical professionals I saw over the next year failed to tell me. However when someone finally noticed, I was immediately taken off it and put on Microgynon. After a few blissful months taking this, things started to get a bit strange. I had headaches everyday which I just put down to dehydration and pour eyesight, my left arm would be continuously numb and tingly and I started getting heart palpitations. This was obviously not normal but stupidly I carried on taking it nonetheless. It then got really bad. One day whilst in Primark with my Mum I nearly blacked out and started retching into a bag. I then pretty much lost my memory for the next 12 hours, in which I either lost or had my bag stolen. I tried a couple more combined contraceptive pills but long story short, I could no longer take oestrogen, it just messes my body up and sends me a bit mad. I then tried a progesterone only pill (Cerazette) but that didn't take either. They too made me go a bit nuts in the form of becoming an angry, stressy psycho, even more so than my usual self as well as the arm tingle, which by the way, was still inexplicable according to those ever so knowledgeable doctors I asked. The coil was pretty much a last resort unless I wanted to whack out a condom every time me and my chosen sex partner got jiggy, and I'm not about that life. The small amount of hormones that are in the IUS are localised (to the womb where it's inserted) which means they shouldn't effect me like the hormones in the pill did, so this seemed ideal. 

The Procedure.

I was referred several times to the Margaret Pyke Centre (see website here) as they have a track record of being one of the best 'lady clinics', as I call them, in London. I rang them up, and they asked a few questions about my general health, if I was registered with a doctor and if I had been giving the STI all clear, etcetera. We then discussed why I wanted the Mirena instead of Jaydess or a copper IUD and how I would go about getting one. The nice receptionist woman made me an appointment to have a consultation at the clinic with a doctor to see if I was suitable. She asked me some questions and gave me more information about the procedure and the implications.

A couple of weeks later I was back for the real deal. Whilst in the waiting room, already riddled with nerves, I heard a woman screaming whilst having her IUS inserted, very off-putting. Before I could run, it was my turn. I was first asked to wee in a cup to make sure I wasn't preggo. Once that got the all clear I triple checked with the Doc that it was definitely the Mirena I was getting, didn't want one the wrong one shoved inside me after all. You ideally have to be in the middle of your period when having the IUS fitted, I was nearly at the end for mine, so the doctor still recommended condoms for the next 7 days.
Behind a curtain I removed my bottoms, all of them, but left my socks on, for comfort I suppose. I had already pre shaved everything which I would recommend as a doctor and nurse were soon getting acquainted with my hoo-haa. I laid on my back (and opened my crack… gross, sorry) scooted down to the bottom of the 'bed' put my legs in the stirrups and hollered that I was ready. The nurse came behind the curtain and stood at my side whilst the doctor sat down by my nether regions which were now covered by a long sheet of tissue. The nurse was very sweet and talked to me the whole time about general things, desperately trying to keep my mind off the pain I was about to endure. The doctor fished around a bit, stuck a couple of fingers up there, then lubed up the cold duck beak clamp (not sure on its actual name) and opened me up. She measured my cervix, whilst I watched 'This Morning' on the TV that was attached to the ceiling (fancy right?!) and answered the nurses small talk questions clenching my abdominals in anticipation. The doctor then made the insertion which pinched and hurt a bit, and then came the coil. I could feel it being pushed up into me, the pain wasn't too unbearable and I let out a little 'Oww!' and then it was done!

I was told to rest for 5 minutes whilst I continued to watch Katie Piper being interviewed by Phil and Holly, then wiped myself up a bit and put my bottoms back on. The doctor then took me through how to check for the strings to make sure it hadn't come out, told me to rest and take it easy over the next few days and asked if I wanted to take part in a survey about my experience, which I agreed to. As I filled out the forms back in the waiting room I was given sugary tea and checked up on regularly. The cramping had already started so I took some pain killers and made my way home. At no point did the ordeal feel clinical and cold, it was welcoming and warm. Everyone at the clinic was friendly and I genuinely felt well looked after.

The Recovery.

I lay in bed for the rest of the day as I had the IUS fitted in the morning. I regularly topped up on pain killers although the pain wasn't excruciating. The bleed I experienced was pretty heavy, although I was too scared to wear a tampon because I was quite tender up there so I stuck to pads, which was fine as long as I changed it every few hours. I made sure to eat lots to stop feeling weak and drank lots of tea. I went back to work the next day and apart from the cramps and the bleeding I was fine. 

The Check-up.

After my IUS was fitted I made a check up appointment at the reception for 6 weeks time. When this came around my IUS had settled in, I could feel the strings and wasn't having any severe side effects. The check up only lasted 10 minutes. A nurse just checked that the IUS was still in place and looked healthy. This involved the same procedure as a normal check up, lying on your back, legs akimbo while they clamp you open and route around a bit, but it doesn't last long. I was glad to hear that everything was A-okay and that I only needed to return if anything was wrong. My next check up would be in a years time, or even later, only if necessary. 

The Side Effects.

As far as it sounds, my IUS fitting has been a dream, but I have experienced some of the side effects that come along with it. 
I have minor cramps every day, the pain lasts maybe half an hour and then subsides. I'm not sure if this is normal because the pain is quite sharp, like it is on the 1st day of your period, so much so that I think I will actually start my period at any moment. In the first few days of having the IUS fitted I had to keep running to the loo because I thought this was the case. I soon got used to it and learnt to deal with my daily dose of pain. I like to think that it happens because it's the time of day when the small amount of hormones are getting released into my system, which my body doesn't like, so my womb goes 'ow' for a while and then it stops. Although this might just be my imagination running away with me.
I have experienced spotting, this is expected in the first few months and mine only lasted a couple of days. 
My mood swings have been more sporadic and much more radical. The day before my period starts I usually feel a lot more stressed and angry. The day before my period started with the IUS I went NUTS! I have never felt anger like it, I wanted to actually kill someone, it was pretty scary. These mood swings happen more regularly than they used to. I will be in a horrific mood and not know why. This is nothing out of the ordinary for most of us though, ay! 
My appetite has become greater. I am lucky enough to have a fast metabolism so I eat much more than the average girl and do not put on weight. I am now eating what feels like twice as much food as normal and only craving things that are bad for me. I have never really been a chocolate fiend but I need to get at least two daily fixes now. It seems all my body wants is fat and sugar, which can't be healthy and hopefully this stomach monster calms down soon.
All this anger and bad food has meant that my skin has suffered. I usually have a few spots anyway but now my skin goes through stages of bad to worse. It sometimes clears up for a few days but then goes straight back to some hefty red lumps appearing on my chin, jaw and neck.
My left arm also goes numb occasionally, but no where near as bad as before. If anyone knows what this might be, please let me know!

The Review.

I have had the coil for nearly 2 months now and so far so good. Apart from the few side effects, I have nothing to complain about. If you're wondering how it feels during intercourse, I'm afraid I cannot enlighten you as I have not tried it out thus far but I'm hoping that aspect will not be too much of an issue. If you were to have the IUS fitted however I would not recommend it for at least a week, you'll see why. I'm glad I went for this choice as it's a nice alternative from pills, you don't have to remember to take it everyday and it lasts for a good amount of time. 

If you're thinking about getting one I would read up thoroughly about it and chat to a few health professionals to make sure you're suited for it and that it's the right choice for you first. Everyones experience is very different, it just so happened that mine luckily was a good one.

If you have any further questions or queries you would like to ask me, please do so in the comments below and I will answer them as best I can. I hope this review has helped at least one person in their contraception decision making process! 


Friday, 9 January 2015

Dream Job

It's a new year, a time when everyone wants change and seems to reevaluate their life, me included. I've been at my current job for about a year now, and although I've learnt loads and it's been a great experience, it's really made me think about what my ideal job would be. 

Now, there is no such thing as a Dream Job, one with absolutely no complaints, it just doesn't exist. We're British, we will always complain about something, be it the fact you're worked like a dog or that you're desk is the wrong shade of grey, there will always be something not perfect about it. 

I'm 23 and I've had at least 12 jobs that I can remember, I can't remember every single one because there's not enough room to write them all on my CV. However I will always remember my first, shovelling dog poop at the local animal shelter when I was 14, the height of glamour! 

So, having obtained these experiences, within many different fields, I feel qualified enough to know what qualities I would like in a position to get as close to that Dream Job as possible.

The first is a job that allows me to divulge my creative flare at least once a day. I love to be creative, use my imagination, get crafty, brainstorm ideas, so to be able to do this everyday and get paid for it would be the dream. 

Following on from that, a job that rewards you for hard work. Not in a 'well done for processing that data, here's a chocolate' kind of way, but working on a project from start to finish, seeing the final product and sharing success within a team. A gratifying job that makes you proud of what you've achieved on an ideally daily basis. 

Also, a job that is engaging. I have had many a working day in many different roles when it's taken every ounce of energy just to stay awake because the boredom is so sheer. As well as this, there have been positions where it has taken every ounce of energy to get myself home because I've been so crazy busy day in and day out. A happy medium of sometimes busy/sometimes quiet would be the best balance. 

Face to Face interaction. My current position requires me to sit at my desk all day, staring at a screen, answering emails. I hardly have any meetings, and when I do, they're short and sweet, with little input. My team are great but one thing I have really enjoyed about my past positions is meeting new people everyday, interacting face to face in meetings and discussing points to crack on and get stuff done. I think this shows more than anything what a technological age we live in, which saddens me. Let's keep client interfacing alive and make the effort to engage more with each other without clicking on a 'Reply' button. 

A team who is quite laid back. None of this "you have been on your lunch for 1 hour and 2 minutes, this is UNACCEPTABLE!" stuff. Laid back enough so that everyone feels comfortable, without taking the mick.

A friendly, supportive team that will help out in stressful situations or when you can't cope on your own. As well as a team that doesn't feel hierarchal, one in which you can ask your superior anything and not cowl away from them under your desk. I'm lucky enough to have this where I currently work, and it's something everyone should experience in their roles.  

Well paid. I am a graduate with over 4 years experience in various office positions, is it too much to ask that I am being paid enough to be able to afford bread?! Living in London is probably the worst place to inhabit when you're skint and with the tax collectors nicking literally thousands off us each year, it's damn near impossible to have a normal, 'young, wild and free' life when receiving tuppence for a wage!

A tea loving office. Everyone must love tea and have at least 3/4 cups a day.

A position that involved travel would be a bonus. 

And finally, any building which has an office dog is one I definitely want to join, screw the other stuff!

I realise this is a lot to ask from a job but if one out there exists that is anything like this, I would jump on the chance right now!

If you are thinking about moving positions or looking at a new job, I urge you to try and do this task for yourself. Really think about what you enjoy from your work or past positions and what you want to get out of a job. It could work wonders for your career! 

Sunday, 4 January 2015

Looking back, and forward


A blog post about 2014 triumphs and 2015 goals you say?! How bloody original of you! I'm so sorry, I know you've already seen a million of these posts and each one is as boring as the last but I thought I would jot mine down anyway, for shits and gigs, not that anyone gives a toss but hey ho!

As many of us do when a New Year comes round I have been looking at the year just past, what I did, the people I've met, the good memories (and some of the bad) as well as the prospect of the year ahead. Simultaneously, I have created a list (bloody love lists!) of all the things I want to achieve in 2015. Will it be the best year yet? Probably not, but I figure if I keep my expectations low, it can only get better!

On a side note: Apologies for the over usage of the word "I" in this post, I hate self obsession because lets face it, no body really likes reading something about someone else, its god awful and boring, and yes I am starting to loose sight of why I'm writing this post now, I I I I!! However, this is a personal blog so it's kind of what you're supposed to write about. Anddd we're back...

2014. My favourite experiences, achievements and memories:


Got my first, real proper job.

I know it seems like a no biggie but this was a big achievement for me. I am so crap at interviews and when coming to the end of my 6 months interning I was starting to panic, I was literally applying for anything I could in marketing, PR, buying, merchandising, admin, the lot! So when I got my job at House of Fraser Head Office for the Multichannel team I cried like a baby! I was on the phone to the HR man when he told me and he had to stop and ask if I was OK, and like a blubbering freak I blurted '"Yes, I'M JUST SO HAPPY!". I've worked there for 8 months now, which is scary but I never dread or hate going to work and the people there are lovely which definitely makes it so much easier!



Moved house twice.

This was probably the most traumatic experience I think I've had thus far, for anyone looking to move to London, be careful and keep your wits about you to avoid this! Me and my flat mate were due to move out of our old flat in August, we started looking well in advance but something was always wrong and we still didn't know London well, so opted for the East. We wanted an independent landlord because having gone through an agency previously we didn't want a repeat of that nightmare. We really wanted a shared house/flat which is so hard to find for 2 people together which narrowed our search significantly. Every time we went to a viewing the tenants either didn't think we were a good fit (most frustrating thing ever) or it wasn't right for us. Most of them were all so so dodgy as well, with landlords that literally couldn't speak any english. We then looked for 2 beds but that was too expensive or the cheap places were absolute shit holes. We went to speed flat mating to meet people to share with but that was unsuccessful. Finally, we found a place that was bearable for the time being. Turned out it wasn't. It had no lounge, the landlord was a complete crook who my dad threatened to kill multiple times, and everyone who lived there was not an ok human. We promptly got back on the search and 3 months later we're all moved in to a great flat on brick lane. I am working on a full length post about this because I think housing in London is quite hot at the moment and people would learn from what we went through so keep a look out for that! 







Visited new places.

This was both national and internationally. I was lucky enough to holiday in Cayman (second home), Ibiza and Majorca. Then the less exciting places I visited in the UK was Maidenhead, Reading, Windsor, Newcastle, The Lakes and York, thrilling! 
















Had some Celeb run-ins.

I saw David Gandy in M&S for his pants launch. I saw Mario from TOWIE at Ocean Beach in Ibiza. I went to a house party in Hackney where I found myself playing beer pong with Kit Harington aka Jon Snow from Game of Thrones, this was definitely up there with one of the best nights of 2k14! I saw some amazing acts in Ibiza but my favourite by far was Haim who's live performance was very entertaining!











Got quite crafty. 

I learnt how to make friendship bracelets again. I had learnt when I was little but I decided to rekindle the art. I also bought a loom from Tiger (best shop ever) and knitted myself and others loads of wooly hats! 












Had some YOLO moments. 

Went to a strip club in Ibiza, which was actually very fun. Did a photoshoot, which scared me to death but ended up really enjoying myself. Tried new foods and broadened my taste spectrum. I do realise these are really mundane but spontaneity is not my strong suit!

So those were my 2014 highlights. On a last note of this section my Best Book of 2014 was 'How to win friends and influence people' because even though I read some incredible Fiction, this book taught me a lot and made me look at life a bit differently. Some other favourites were the book thief, catcher in the rye, the fault in our stars and the curious incident of the dog in the night time. 



It was a great year with a lot of good memories and I will look back on it fondly.




2015. Goals and ambitions.

This is going to be a straight up list of things I hope to achieve in 2015. A lot of these are for personal gain, but that's what you're twenties are all about!
  • Write a book: I am starting a writing course next week. This has been a dream of mine for quite some time so I'm hoping to make it a reality this year and I'm excited to get the ball rolling.
  • Read more: This goes hand in hand with the latter. Books are incredible things, and as I got a 3 month subscription to Audible as a Christmas prezzie there is no better time to get stuck in. 
  • See a bit more of Europe: I am lucky enough to have travelled to America, Asia and bit of Africa but never really experienced much of Europe. The places currently on my hit list are: Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, Sweden,Vienna and Munich.
  • Watch more live music: I've already booked tickets to see Hozier in June and am on the lookout for my next ticket purchase. 
  • Learn Ukulele: I got two for christmas (there was a Christmas list mix up!) I've already kind of learnt Somewhere over the Rainbow so I'm getting there.
  • Learn Spanish: I have a growing number of cousins who all live in spain. I have been to Barcelona and Madrid, where they live countless times, so it's about time I learnt what on earth they're all talking about. #lostintranslation
  • Learn how to do make up/hair properly: I can't see this happening any time soon but after discovering more and more beauty blogs I am going to attempt to be a girl and learn how to do these things correctly instead of looking like a tramp 90% of the time. 
  • Run 10k: Bit ambitious considering I haven't exercised in god knows how long, but it seems like a good thing to do, especially if it's for a good cause.
  • Go to a festival: I didn't make it to one last year so I am ensuring that I get my bum to Bestival for a weekend of drunken fun and music. 
Personality wise:
  • Become more inquisitive and exploratory: I am terrified of all new activities so facing that fear and saying yes to more things that scare me will be getting over a big hump.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask more questions: If you don't know me well, you'd think I was really rude because I usually just sit in silence, but it's because I'm so shy and unsure of what to say so I'm just going to start asking the first thing that pops into my head and see what happens. 
  • Stop having panic attacks about dying and growing older and just enjoy life: Enough said. 

Hope you all had a great New Year and I wish you all the best for the coming year!