Products I have been loving...

Recently, I went to Boots to purchase a few bits and bobs, so I wanted to share some of my favourites with you.

First up is a perfume which I discovered back in around December. I had used a fragrance which I loved (Fame, by Lady Gaga) for a few years, but felt like I needed a change. So I purchased 'Ghost Eclipse' which I did wear for a while, but I wasn't fully enjoying the scent. Then I discovered 'Rose by Paul Smith'. Initially, I was drawn to the name of the perfume, seeing as roses are my favourite flower, both scent wise and appearance wise. So this perfume appeared perfect for me, as well as Paul Smith being a Nottingham designer too. I recently used up the entire 100ml bottle, which retails for around £57.00, but I usually try to purchase perfumes when they are on offer, which this was in Boots for £25.00. What I love about this scent is that it is fairly strong, but fresh at the same time meaning that it does last all day. It doesn't run out as quickly as some other fragrances and you don't have to keep topping it up. People often compliment me on this scent too, so I would definitely recommend it.

Next up is the Real Techniques Stippling brush by Sam & Nic. I am a huge fan of their YouTube channel 'Pixiwoo', but they also have their own range of Make-Up brushes which are of extremely high quality. I already have the Powder Brush and the Blush Brush, which I love because they apply powders really well. I also like how easy they are to clean, which is great for me as I try to clean my brushes as regularly as I can due to having acne prone skin. The brush hairs don't fall out either! I ordered a Stippling Brush from Amazon, which was super cheap, around the £3 mark. This was a huge mistake, as obviously I got the quality which I paid for. The brush hairs were falling out everywhere. So I decided to purchase a brush I knew was going to be of high quality which was the Real Techniques Stippling brush, which applies my foundation flawlessly, allowing for a full coverage to fully mask my acne scaring. Well done Real Techniques, once again I am a happy customer.

I have really enjoyed using the Garnier Ultimate Blends The Sleek Restorer Shampoo and Conditioner. Since having my hair cut into a 'Lob' around a month ago, I have found I am using much more heat on my hair than when it was longer. I love my hair this length, but if left natural, it does tend to go a little crazy. Therefore I had noticed my hair looking a little dull and not very hydrated. But after using this shampoo and conditioner, even after the first wash, my hair was much more hydrated and softer. I would definitely recommend this if you have dry/frizzy hair!

Finally is the Soap and Glory Hand Food. This is another re-purchase because I love it so much. I suffer from dry hands all year round, but with this product my hands are always super soft. I apply it religiously every night before bed, to keep my hands soft and moisturised. What I love about this formula is that it absorbs really well into your hands, and unlike other hand creams I have used, it doesn't leave that horrible oily feeling which everyone hates.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this little blog post on some of the products I have been loving and hopefully you can give them a try and love them as much as I do.

Emma ♡ x 

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Coping with the pressure of exams both before and after

Exam season is nearly over for me, but for many it is still an on-going process. My family and friends, especially those at college (sorry guys!!) know I am a huge sufferer of exam stress. During Year 10, when I was 15, was probably the worst I had suffered. I think this was because I had no idea what to expect, because it was of the fear of the unknown. Year 11 wasn't as bad, but then the stress this year towards the end of Year 12 when exams were looming was similar to what I had experienced when I was 15. Thankfully, I had learnt how to deal with it a little more. Never the less, it was still tough.

The thing about stress is that it can do one of two things; drive you to succeed or make you crumble under the pressure. For me, I thrive on stress as it impels me to achieve, but it does have its drawbacks. Being a complete workaholic does take its toll and being a perfectionist has its problems too. The stress of trying to do something to the best of my ability, and then not completing it to how I want it to be, can often cause huge amounts of stress and can result in complete exhaustion. Quite frankly, I just put too much pressure on myself!

During my Year 10 GCSEs, I had worked incredibly hard and thankfully, this was reflected in the grades I achieved. But, about a week after my exams, I fell ill. I originally thought it was just a normal virus and that it would pass within a few days. How wrong was I? This lasted for the entire 6 week holidays, and my Doctor told me I had caught a nasty bug. I had overworked myself and stopped suddenly, so my body just went into shutdown mode. I had swollen glands in my stomach, meaning I had to eat bland food, which resulted in a diet of fish fingers and mashed potato for almost 6 weeks. My Dad does make the best mashed potato so it wasn't too bad! However, my weight plummeted which was concerning.

So how did I avoid this happening the following years? Here are some of my tips to avoid post exam anxiety (if that is a thing!?):

1. Work hard in the first place, but take regular breaks.
2. Don't isolate yourself; go out occasionally with friends or family. Breaks are SO important.
3. Make a timetable to ensure you don't leave revision to the very last minute. This will minimise emotional breakdowns!
4. Eat healthily- fruit and veg- to stop you catching a horrible virus and keep your immune system strong and ready to fight those nasty germs.
5. After your exams have finished, stop slowly. Keep yourself busy doing things you enjoy, why not go out with family and friends?
6. Try not to worry about results day, it's done now and there is nothing you can do to change the outcome, but this is definitely easier said than done.
7. Get a summer job! This way you can pay for going out with your friends and save a little bit of money for the upcoming year, as well as keeping yourself occupied.

No matter what happens, everything happens for a reason. Pathways may open up, or close and take you in a new direction. One of my closest friends constantly reminded me through exam season  that 'Grades are just a letter on a page, don't let them define you' which is so true. There is so much more to a person than grades.

 

If you want to read more about how to deal with exam stress, read my article on pages 28 and 29 in The Grapevine linked here:
https://issuu.com/beechpublications-ng10/docs/grapevine_in_wollaton_1__may_2016_m

If you are sitting upcoming exams, good luck!

 

Emma ♡ x

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I've started a blog!

Hello!

Now, I am completely new to this whole blogging thing, but seeing as my AS level exams are pretty much done, (apart from one) I thought that it would be something I can do to keep myself occupied. Hopefully I can keep it up! It's a little challenge for myself.

If you are reading this but don't know me very well, I'm really interested in a future career in the media; whether it be journalism or broadcasting. TV and Radio is ideally the path I'd like to take, but you never know what else could crop up along the way!  I've nearly finished a radio presenter training course and you can find my articles in the Grapevine, a local magazine distributed around the local area. Quite frankly, I love writing and anything to do with presenting.

I hope to have some regular readers of this blog, and I'd be very grateful if people return to read it. I haven't decided specific topics to write about, but I think it will mainly be lifestyle and a more chatty version of my articles. Having my articles published is a great privilege and I enjoy coming up with ideas to write about. It makes me feel all fuzzy inside when people come up to me saying I made them think differently about a situation or phoning my Nan saying how much they enjoyed my piece. This will be a little space where I can write more frequently. I've been wanting to write a blog for a while, but just haven't really had the time!

 

So I guess we will see where this blog leads! It might be a little random while I find my feet, but I'd really appreciate it if you could give my blog a follow to see what I am getting up to. I have written 3 posts including this one before I made my blog live, so that there is some content available to read!
 

Emma ♡ x

Also, a huge Thank You to Steph who was incredibly helpful when I was setting up my blog. Go and check out her beautiful blog here: http://lovestephx.blogspot.co.uk/

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