Saturday 25 February 2017

Brightening Up My Mornings With Lumie



I have never been one for getting a good night sleep. I can nap for England whilst the sun is up but as soon as the day creeps to a close, sleep seems to fade into the distant future.

I don't understand how people can fall asleep the second their head touches the pillow, or can watch endless episodes of Gilmore Girls on Netflix until 3 in the morning, sleep like a log, then get up fresh as a daisy the next day?! Jealousy is an understatement!

I spend hours tossing and turning, failing to fall asleep and after I finally find the land of nod, it's not long again before I'm awake and starting the battle again. I wake up feeling like a 10 tonne bus has done a race circuit over me, leaving me lethargic, usually with a headache and a battle on my hands to stay semi-conscious.

I've tried lavender sprays (eww), rain forest noises, turning off my electrical items hours before bed, and everything in between to try and find that night time bliss but with no success. Until one day I stumbled across an article about a woman trying to become more of a morning person and she tried lots of things, including something I never had even thought of, a new alarm clock..

Little did I know this article was about to change everything. I started my research and scoured the internet until, at the top of my Christmas list, I put an alarm clock, unusual and revolutionary that was about to change my mornings forever.


The body clock alarm clock and the greatest invention I have ever found.

When it's dark, your body produces the hormone melatonin to put you to sleep, and when it's light, your body produces cortisol to wake you up. This marvellous little thing is both a clock and a light that at half an hour before your alarm is set to go off, it starts to glow, increasing in intensity until it's at it's brightest when your wake up time arrives. The idea is, it allows your body to produce cortisol slowly and to wake you up gently rather than pulling you into the harsh light of day like your usual siren does.

Every morning since Boxing Day, I have woken up without a headache, without feeling sick, without a ridiculous battle against my eyelids that I almost certainly always lost and my mum no longer has to come and pull me out of bed by my ankles..



I wake up, I'm cheerful, I'm well and I'm ready to go. (I even use it for the perfect lie in..)
Hand on heart, I can say this is the best electrical item I have ever bought, and my only regret is not discovering it sooner. It truly has changed my mornings for the better and I feel that I'm even sleeping better now the stress of waking up has gone.

And for an added bonus, it can even help in the treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder!



Do you struggle getting up in the mornings? Have you tried a body clock?




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Wednesday 22 February 2017

Sleeves Are Having Their Moment


Bell sleeves seem to be swinging their way around town at the moment and this is a train I can get on board with.

Putting myself back on the outfit of the day scene after five and a half months is a bit daunting, and I don't think I'm quite ready to go head first into the fearless realms of fashion.
I've seen bolder takes on this style - Liv Puris, I'm looking at you and your fabulous jumper - which I adore, but I thought I would start by dipping my toe in, so I've gone for a subtler, yet just as fabulous version.

The sleeve is having a moment, and I think it's about time. For the longest while they haven't had much to say, they've sat back and occasionally changed in length whilst they've watched their bodice counterpart have every imaginable seam altered, but finally, they're doing it for themselves and bringing volume and flare by the bucket load.


It's a brilliant way to add movement and texture to an outfit without the fuss. The added interest, created by the increase in fabric, means you can step away from the pattern if you choose. But if like me you're not ready for the HD version just yet, then tone it back, go for a smaller sleeve and add a simple print (we all know I love a stripe!).





Leather Jacket - Zara (similar here)
Camel Scarf - Marks and Spencer (similar here)
Bell Sleeve Stripe Jumper - Marks and Spencer
Black Jeans - Topshop
Leopard Print Pumps - Asos (similar here)



Have you tried any new trends recently?


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Saturday 18 February 2017

Estée Lauder Pure Colour Envy Hi-Lustre Lipstick


I'm tentative when it comes to makeup and especially lipstick as I have troublesome lips. Half the time they're dry and the other half of the time, product builds up into an unsightly mess, so I'm always cautious of spending my money on a product that might be tried once and not be worn again, but I'm working on my base problems and as Burt's Bees seems to be doing a super job with that, I thought it was about time I got a bit spendy!

My bank card and I have finally managed to work out our differences and have become friends since starting my new job, so I threw caution to the wind this time and splashed out. I wanted to treat myself, try something new and be a bit fancy, so Estée Lauder and I got acquainted and I have myself a beautiful new toy!



Fierce, punchy and daring are all words I've never used to describe something before but when you find the PERFECT shade of red, things start to change.
Colour tones are something I need to master as I'm a pastey Sue who turns freckly in the summer (don't let the dark hair fool you) so a lot of colours make me look ill, washed out or orange but I have apparently mastered the online shop as this colour in incredible.


For the first time in a long time my lips can take a sigh of relief at being able to wear something more than balm. It has a delightful silky texture that just glides on, leaving my lips moisturised and nourished with so much pigmentation, that I don't need heavy layers to achieve the look I want, meaning, I don't get the horrible build up (yay!!)

Estée Lauder I am forever in your debt and next time, I think I'll skip the online browsing and go to a counter to get the full experience!





Have you had any exciting beauty finds recently?



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Wednesday 15 February 2017

Back To Blogging


How time flies..

The last five months seem to have been a bit of a blur and I'm not too sure whether the days have moved on extremely quickly or I've simply been asleep.

When I put up my post on August 1st I didn't think that it would be the last one for five and a half months but life seems to have got the better of me.

I had to put myself first, to reevaluate and learn a few things; like the importance of turning my phone off and getting into bed early, making myself finish that bottle of water (even though water is boring as hell) and the importance of prioritising. There's been some breakthroughs and there's been some changes and if you're interested where I've been, or just being nosy, then there is a little summary of my recent life happenings below..




Work

I'm a working gal now don't you know. I have finally run from the tea room, fledged my wings and found myself what I class as my first 'proper job'. A step on a career ladder, a 9-5, Monday to Friday, number filled activity that at the end of the month allows me to buy all the shoes I could wish for! Finance is scary, and although I'm still early on in my studies, it's going well and I don't think I'm a complete novice..


Health

For the majority of 2016 I had been feeling very unwell, and trying to find out why seemed to be getting me no where but suddenly, a few months ago, out of the blue we finally had a breakthrough. Although to begin with there were a lot of daunting words being thrown around, followed by lots of needles (and lots of fainting), it was followed by relief that there was something that could be done and now it seems that everything is finally hitting its stride and things are improving. I feel so much better than what I did and although I still have a long road ahead to get me to 100%, we have a plan in place and I have every faith the improvements will continue!!


Life

Finally, over these months, my outlook on life has changed, I feel more positive, more excited and just more happy! Alex and I are still loved up and have started saving for our first home. The majority of shopping I have been doing recently is home ware and our future kitchen is already looking pretty exciting!
I've also started a new hobby; my calligraphy pen is my new best friend and it's been so empowering being creative again. I'm spending ages in art shops fondling paper and my desk is already getting stocked with lots of pens and beautiful inks!

I think I have calligraphy to thank for relighting my creative spark that has led me back to my little part of the internet..



Have you had anything life changing happen so far this year?



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