Body Shop White Musk Gift Set

This blog post is looong overdue, and I've been meaning to finish it for a long time. Unfortunately, life has gotten in the way of a lot of my blogging, with moving house and other things going on in my life over the past few months, but it is finally here.

My first very brief fling with make up occurred when I was about 11 or 12 years old, when I attended a Body Shop Party. Anyone who has ever been to a Body Shop (or similar) party will know that they grab a “guinea pig” and give them a make over – needless to say, I was said guinea pig. As a result, my Mum bought me most of the products that were used (eye shadows, foundation and lipstick) and I attempted to recreate that look – could I do it? Could I heck!!

And so ended – for over ten years – my initial relationship with make up.

It might not have been a happy ending for me and make up, but it was the beginning of another love affair; between myself and Body Shop.

Body Shop has become a brand that everyone has an opinion on, for whatever reason (and we won’t get into any of them), but I’ve always felt quite fondly, and find it a shame that there have been quite a few store closures near me lately.

So, when I was asked if I would like to try some Body Shop products, I was more than happy to, because they are a brand that I am always happy to support, and have done so many times in the past.

I got a White Musk Smoky Rose Body Lotion, and the Body Shop White Musk Gift Set which consists of mini:

• Shower Gel
• Fragrance
• Body Lotion
• What does everyone call those things? I always call them "puffs"...!

This gift set is the perfect size for a present for someone (as you'd expect from the name "gift set"), but I found it to be incredibly handy to take around on my travels, since I tend to use Travelodge, which - as people might know - don't provide toiletries in their bathrooms. So these are really handy for shoving in your bag to take with you.

The Shower Gel is best used with the "puff", and I highly recommend using one no matter what shower gel you use, because I always find that the puff helps the gel to foam up a great deal more, meaning that a tiny drop goes a greater distance. Therefore, it's better for the environment and your pocket!

The Fragrance is my favourite product from the entire set. I remember having White Musk products when I was younger, and I think that it is fair to say that White Musk is the "scent" that I mostly associate with the Body Shop brand. Unfortunately, I did come to trying this product with a little bit of a negative attitude towards White Musk, because I remember always thinking that it had quite an old-fashioned "Granny" small to it, and when I mentioned White Musk to my Mum, she pretty much said the same thing.

Nevertheless, I love the White Musk fragrance. Yeah, it does still have an old-fashioned kind of smell, that I can imagine a lot of people won't like, but - and I don't know if this is just a sign of me getting older - I really liked it.

In a practicality sense, I love the small size of this bottle, because not only do you get plenty of product - that is going to last for quite a while - it is the perfect size for even small handbags, so it's great for nights out when you bag is likely to be smaller. But, even if you have a larger bag for day time, at least you know that with this one, it's not going to be weighing you down.

This is - again - perfect for travel, because of the size and it would be ideal for hand luggage. I don't know about anyone else, but my skin always gets really dry when I travel, but especially when I go on a plane, so having something this size is just perfect.

Although it has strong competition from the fragrance, the White Musk Smoky Rose Body Lotion is probably my number one favourite product from everything that I received.

It is incredibly nourishing, and whilst I do tend to use is mainly on my hands, I like using it on my arms and elbows too. But what I love most is the smell. I like the smell of the White Musk body lotion, but the Smoky Rose one is a bit stronger, and I just really like it. It's a bit weird, because I'm not generally a fan of really well fragranced lotions, because they tend to annoy me, or set my Asthma off.

I'm really tempted to try the Smoky Rose fragrance - in a small, travel-size bottle of course ;)

Did you grow up with Body Shop? 

What are your favourite products and memories?

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Yours Clothing Become a Stylist Competition

What seems like ages ago, I entered Yours Clothing's "Become a Stylist" competition, and I'm so chuffed to have made it through to the second round (as I'm thinking most people who entered probably did!). Now all I need is lots of votes to get me through to the next stage. I generally really hate doing contests that work like this, but I think that this is an awesome prize and I'm a huge lover of Yours Clothing, so I thought "what the heck".

My Outfit:

How to Vote:

To vote, you just need to click this link >> Kat's Outfit.

If the link doesn't work, you can search for "Kat", and I am "Kat from Market Rasen".

If you are using a mobile phone, you'll need to change to the desktop site, because it doesn't appear to work through the mobile version of the website. Some phones have a setting in their internet browser that allows you to always automatically go to the desktop site. If your phone doesn't do this, or you don't know how to change your settings, there is another way - although it's a little drawn out:

1. Click on the link above.
2. When you reach the Yours Clothing mobile site, scroll down to the bottom and click on the link "Desktop Site.
3. This will take you to the main page of the desktop site, so come back to this page and click on the above link for a second time. This time, you should find yourself on the correct page of the desktop version.

Thank You

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to vote for my outfit in this competition, I really do appreciate it. I know that some blogs and websites like to offer competitions to anyone who votes, but I'm not able to do that, so all I can offer is a really huge thank you, and hugs. Virtual hugs for everyone who votes ;)

Thanks again, and I promise to get back into blogging on here really soon. Life has just been incredibly manic recently.

Take care everyone :)

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Product Review: Lush Emotional Brilliance Liquid Eyeliner

So, first of all, yes this post is a week late - that would be because my internet decided that it didn't want to work at the beginning of last week and then I went away for a few days. But without further ado, here is my review for a product that I was incredibly excited to try out.

On a side note, I was given this product, as part of a Goody Bag that I won from BeauXOXO, but it's something that I've been wanting for a really long time :)

Regular readers will know that I love liquid eye-liners, and I've been on two missions:

1. To perfect my liquid eye-lining skills
2. Find the perfect liquid eye-liner

So, how does this product from the busy bees at Lush compare to other liners that I've tried out over the past couple of years?

Branding:

I'm really intrigued by the branding around this range. Emotional Brilliance seems like a strange name for a make up collection, and the name "Motivation" is intriguing in itself.

As someone who is a huge believer in positive beauty, I've found myself liking the energy around this branding, because I really do think that both make up and certain colours can (and do) effect how we feel about the world, and ourselves. 

I decided to have a "play" with their Colour Wheel to determine what my colour choices say about me, and the results were interesting:

1. The first colour represented my Strength or Weakness (for me, I'd say this is my weakness!!):

"Inner Confidence. The world is your oyster when you are FEELING SECURE. You are unshakeable and unstoppable because you will be FEELING SECURE about whatever you set out to do, with an inner confidence that is enviable. Just check your other two emotions and make sure you are justified in FEELING SECURE."

2. The second colour represented my subconscious:

"Believe in yourself. You might need a little bit of self-belief today, and that is why your subconscious is asking you for some confidence. Wear this colour to give you the assurance you may need at this moment, and let it remind you of what you require as you continue your day."

3. And the third shade represented my Aspiration:

"Passionate. It is the PASSIONATE people who feel strongly about something that make things happen. This is your talent or aspiration, so you know what? Make the decision, wear this lipstick and get on with using your talent. Let the PASSIONATE side of you loose."

I'm not sure what can really be read from my colour choices, but it was interesting no less.

Packaging:

I absolutely adore the packaging of the Lush Emotional Brilliance Liners. It's completely different to the type of packaging that I'm used to, and it made a nice change. It reminds me of an eye-drop bottle, but I should point out (in case anyone wondered), the lid doesn't "squish" like a dropper!

Application:

When I first pulled the brush out of the bottle, I have to admit that I wasn't very impressed. The brush seemed chunkier than I like (I generally prefer finer brushes), and the bristles were a bit bent, whilst the product seemed crusted on to it. It almost seemed like the product was a bit old.

Nevertheless, I still gave it a try, and without putting much effort into it, I applied it in thick - quite dramatic - lines across my eyelids, and I was amazed at how easily I was able to apply the colour (more on the colour in a minute!). It applied so smoothly, and the so neatly that even I managed to create a good line, including a wing at the end. Here I should point out that I am awful at doing wing-flicks, but they seemed quite easy with this brush.

Not a brilliant image, but you can see the lines which are quite good for me!
You can also see that I've managed to smudge it - accidentally.

One thing that I will point out about this eye-liner, is that is takes a really long time to dry. There are good and bad things about that.

Good: It allows you to blend, smudge etc your liner if you want to, which is great for subtle looks, or for an all over the eye look.

Also, if you make a mistake, the fact that it is still "wet" so to speak, makes it a bit easier to correct with less hassle.

Bad: If you are just applying it as an eye-liner, you have to be really careful not to move or blink in case it smudges, which can be a little bit annoying.

Colour:

Motivation is described by Lush as being "peacock blue", and that is definitely the colour that the images make it look through the bottle. However, this image (below) I think it a much more accurate example of how the colour really looks, and personally I would describe it as a green-blue.

The colour is stunning, and very pigmented. I could describe as being a combination of Urban Decay's 24/7 pencil liners in terms of colour, but more like Barry M's coloured liquid liners in application and overall feel. This was definitely a more bold colour than I've had from Barry M (I mention Urban Decay and Barry M because they are my favourite liners when it comes to coloured pencil and liquid liners).

Overall:

At £14.50, the price is the only thing that really put me off these liquid liners. They really are beautiful, and I love the way that they apply, however I'm just not convinced that I could justify paying that when I have a collection of colourful pencils, and a cheaper black liquid liner. The price is definitely more than I would choose to pay for one liner alone, which is a shame.

Which product are you most happy to pay more money for? 

What is too much when it comes to liquid liners?

Share your thoughts below :)

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Product Review: Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator

It seems like a long time since I've written a product review, but when I was asked to review the Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator, I couldn't say no, because I'm a growing fan of the couple of Liz Earle products that I've bought in the past, and I am always on the look out for exfoliating products.

Packaging:

The packaging is typical of what I'd expect from the Liz Earle range, as it is basically the same design as the Cleanse and Polish Cleanser that I bought for my mum a while back.

I'm quite fond of skin-care products that have a pump to dispense the product, because I always think that this helps to regulate how much you use. This might sound a little weird, but I always find that I use too much product, and end up wasting it. Yeah, I'm useless like that ;)

Active Ingredients:

The packaging is keen to promote that this exfoliator contains three active ingredients:

• Eucalyptus
• Cocoa Butter
• Fine Jojoba Beads

I'm always dubious about products that are keen to promote themselves on certain ingredients, so I thought that I would do a little research into what is so great about these particular ingredients:

Eucalyptus is said to have antifungal and antibacterial properties, however some research has suggested that Eucalyptus can also be irritating to the skin, which is a little off-putting. However, Liz Earle use it for its cooling properties, which does appear to contradict the irritant claim by some websites, so I'm choosing to stay open-minded.

Cocoa Butter is an emollient that is incredibly moisturising and is proven to improve the skin's elasticity whilst boosting collagen, which is great for preventing the signs of ageing and keeping skin healthy. So it is typically considered as a very good ingredient, especially in face care products. 

The cocoa butter is probably what makes the overall product so creamy in texture.

Jojoba is typically considered to be a good ingredient, however exfoliating beads have received a huge amount of bad press over the past few months - especially across the pond, in the States - over the "fact" that they are bad for the environment, and apparently pollute lakes. I don't know enough facts to comment on this, but - on a personal level - I'm quite fond of exfoliating beads.

The Product:

Liz Earle's Gentle Face Exfoliator is a lot creamier and thicker in consistency than any other exfoliator that I've tried, in the past and I have to say that I'm quite fond of that. It makes it feel more moisturising to the skin instead of drying it out, which is a common pet hate of exfoliators for me.

My favourite bit about this exfoliator is actually the smell. It's got a light scent of what smells like lemons to me and I really like it. I'm not generally a fan of scented skin care products, but this is just subtle enough to not irritate me.

The jojoba beads exfoliate incredibly gently, and don't leave the skin feeling sensitive, which is something that I've experienced with some products that have left me skin feeling like it's been rubbed raw, and I don't even have sensitive skin.

Overall:

I'm really fond of this exfoliator, because it smells nice and is genuinely gentle on my skin without drying it out.

I'd recommend this product for anyone who wants a product that exfoliates lightly. If you're looking for a product where you can really feel that you have exfoliated your face, then this might not be the one for you, because it really is gentle.

Buy it:

The Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator is available in four sizes:

The most affordable option - for those of us on tight budgets - is the 15ml Tube which costs £5.50.

The next option is the 50ml Tube which is £9.75.

The size that I received was the 70ml Pump, costing £14.

You can also buy three 70ml Pumps for £39, saving you £3. I guess if you really love the product, and know that you intend to stick with it, in the future, this could be tempting, but personally I'm not sure that a £3 saving is enough of an incentive to buy three in one go.

Buy from the Liz Earle website.


*Yes I was sent this product for review. Has this controlled what I've had to say about the product? Of course not. Everything in this review is my own personal opinion and will always remain that way, no matter what*

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Dear August: Another Nearly Gone...

Well our time together is nearly over for another year, and you have not let me down. I honestly can't remember the last time an August was so busy, so energetic, so exhausting, so full of actually warm sunshine.

It's been a month of gorgeous weather, sad events, exciting events, BBQ's, running around like a headless chicken, praising the fact that I no longer seem to suffer from hangovers - gotta love this getting older lark!

It's been a month of seeing family - family that I haven't seen in a long time, and family that I've never met before.

It's been a month of planning for the future, and surprising myself with how that doesn't scare me.

It's also been a month of planning for my 30th. I think that I'm on plan H now, but I think I might stick with this one, this time! I always like to make a big deal out of birthdays, because it's a great excuse to bring people together :)

I have to say, that I'm going to miss you August, but that's okay, because we've had our laughs, and this will most definitely be an August that I remember for both the good and the bad.

But, I'm a little bit worried August. September is also a weird month for me. I know that January is considered as the beginning of the year, but September always seems to be the beginning of something when it comes to my life: whether it's the new school year, or when I always seemed to start a new job.

So September comes with a little apprehension, especially since August has been such an unexpected month. I'm nervous, but excited - at the same time - to see what this month will bring.

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Dear August: Life

We are half way through you August. Half way. It feels like I say this on the 15th/16th of every month, but where is time going? How does it slip by so fast?

I spend so much time worrying about things that are so inconsequential and irrelevant, that sometimes I think I've worried so much that whole days, weeks, maybe even months have past me by, and I've barely even noticed. But, by the time I do notice, I wonder what the heck I was worrying about.

But worry isn't the only thing that seems to encourage time to whizz by. As I mentioned a few letters ago, August has been an unpredictably busy month, and doesn't appear to be showing any signs of stopping, and busy months are renowned for flying by.

It's funny though, because my days are so less regimented than they were when I was at school. School days felt crammed with information and people, and I always seemed to be doing something, and yet time seems to go faster now! Is that because the busy of school was "boring"? I don't know, but I wish that time would slow down, because I'm starting to feel like time is flashing by so quickly, that I'm beginning to get left behind.

I've known for a long time that my life wasn't going down the same path as most of my friends, and I'm okay with that. But there comes a time when I've started to feel that maybe it's time for change. Or maybe my life was never going to be that black and white, and maybe I'll just carry on following my feet, to see where they take me. I think it's more fun that way.

Thanks for everything August, and thanks for keeping me busy.

*This series of posts was inspired by the Letters to July series run by Emilieofnewgloom, make sure you check out her YouTube Channel, because she's pretty awesome*

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Dear August: Summer of 2000

Do you remember the summer of 2000? It was the summer that so many of us weren't sure would arrive, because of some Millennium Bug (it was kinda like the paranoia of 2012, but was something to do with computers, and looking back was even more ridiculous!).

By August, we'd just had a lunar eclipse (I was in bed, and reluctantly watched it on This Morning, because I thought that I'd end up regretting it if I didn't make a slight attempt to watch it - I do kinda regret it!) and I had finally escaped the prison known as School.

For me, the summer of 2000 was the end of childhood, purely because it was the last time when I spent the summer without worrying about work and what I was going to do with my life. To me, it was the summer of absolute freedom, because I was old enough to make my own decisions about how I spent my time, and yet I could still get away with feeling completely guiltless of doing absolutely nothing.

In the summer of 2000 I got my first mobile phone (a chunky black Philips phone from Dixons). I went to my first live concert (Party on the Pier in Cleethorpes, headlined by Five, and for which I still have my Five flag!). I celebrated my GCSE results with friends at Fatty Arbuckles and drank cider in a local park (classy!). It was the first time that I had truly felt "free".

We were the Millennium Babies. We were about to be the first to trial EMA (that turned out to be pretty awesome, even if it was only £20 a week, it was the most money we'd ever had!), and the first GCSE results of the new decade, the new century, the new millennium.

It was a big deal. Well, to me it was.

If I could re-live any summer, or more specifically, any August, it would be the one from 2000 without any doubt.

Love you always August, and may we forever remember the awesomeness of 2000!

*This series of posts was inspired by the Letters to July series run by Emilieofnewgloom, make sure you check out her YouTube Channel, because she's pretty awesome*

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Dear August: An Experiment and Zaggora Hot Pants

In 89 days I hit thirty, which means that I have 89 days to slim down so that I can fit into the dress that I have bought for that very occasion. So August, I could really do with your support, because I don't know about anyone else, but I always find that sunshine motivates me to keep active. Therefore, I'm going to stay hopeful that you August will be the best opportunity for me to do the biggest bulk of my weight loss.

I know, I know - it's a lot of pressure on you. But, I have faith in you, even if other people don't.

So, as luck would have it, a couple of weeks ago, I was approached by a company called Zaggora, who -

for those who haven't heard the buzz around them - sell hot pants that are designed to help the wearer lose weight. Well, they're not really hot pants - as such - more leggings, really.

I have to be honest and say that I was incredibly sceptical of them, and have gone in to trying them with what I hope is quite an open mind, because although I have my doubts, I really want them to work. I think I want them to work since I have so many inches to lose, but I'm not going to expect too much.

On first impressions, they are a lot more comfortable than I expected them to be. This was surprising, because having measured myself I was actually on the verge of a XL and XXL, so since I'm attempting to lose weight, I opted for the smaller of the two sizes.

The only issue that I've had with the leggings has been that I don't feel that they are long enough in the body. I know that a lot of girls, these days, like trousers etc to sit on the hips, but for me hipster-type trousers and leggings, have a habit of just falling down. That is, of course, the exact experience that I've had with these. I am hoping that once I lose a bit more in terms of inches around the hips, they will (hopefully) fit me a bit better!

I'll do a fuller review in a couple of weeks, when I've had a better opportunity to try them out, but hopefully they'll help me to lose some inches :)

For me, losing weight - now - isn't about being "thin", because I have been never been "thin", instead it's about getting healthy

So August, I'm counting on you to stay nice and sunny (but not too hot) so that you can keep me motivated!!

*This series of posts was inspired by the Letters to July series run by Emilieofnewgloom, make sure you check out her YouTube Channel, because she's pretty awesome*

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Dear August: A Couple of Ponderings

I think that I spoke too soon last week, because the unexpectedness doesn't appear to have stopped, but I am - at last - back at my own desk, in my own chair and it is nice to be home.

When I was at Uni, a friend told me that he hoped - in the future - to live by himself, and at the time, I'd thought he was really crazy. But having lived - effectively - by myself for over two and a half years, it's made me realise that having alone time is definitely good for me, especially since I'm an introvert.

As scary as the idea sounds, I'm a big believer that introverts should have a period of taking time to live on their own, not because we're all going to turn into recluses, so should just accept it, but because I think that it helps to encourage us to appreciate both alone time as well as having other people around.

Although I've enjoyed spending time being around people for the past week, I really am happy to be back in my own little world!

Anyway, how you doing August? It's been a while since we had a catch-up!

I'm actually appreciating that the temperature appears to have cooled down a little, so thank you for showing the love August - but feel free to kick September up the butt, because I have a lot of outside stuff going on in September, and some nice weather would be good :)

So, this is evidently only a short post today, which is a bit rubbish making up for the week that I've gotten behind on posting, but I'm sure that you understand August!

*This series of posts was inspired by the Letters to July series run by Emilieofnewgloom, make sure you check out her YouTube Channel, because she's pretty awesome*

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Dear August: Organised Chaos

We're only six days in, and already you are proving to be an unexpected month. Every day has so far been busy and I'm finding myself doing things that a month ago I wouldn't have expected to be doing. It's a little unnerving at times, but it's nice to be busy - even if you have brought a little sadness with you...

Everything that has happened in less than a week, makes me ponder what else you are going to throw at me August. But of all the months, I'm glad that it's you that has challenged me because you always were the adventure lover!

The weather you have brought has - so far - been a little unpredictable, but I don't know why I'm surprised, because we live in England, and that is just how things are. But the past six August's have been such let-downs, so it is definitely nice to be seeing lots more sunshine blended in with the rain showers, rather than the one big rain shower that we appear to have become accustomed to.

As Charlie says in Katherine Rundell's novel; Rooftoppers:

"I am an Englishman. I always have an umbrella. I would no more go out without my umbrella that I would leave the house without my small intestine."

Well, for me, I'm more likely to go out with my fold-up waterproof coat, but Charlie certainly said it right :)

Love you always August, and remember that a good mix of sunshine and rain is good for a variety of things - such as keeping the gardens green, and the air cool so that we don't all suffocate in the heat - phew!

*This series of posts was inspired by the Letters to July series run by Emilieofnewgloom, make sure you check out her YouTube Channel, because she's pretty awesome*

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Dear August: Big Town Girl

There was a time when I was embarrassed to tell people where I came from, because it's the kind of town that draws two kinds of responses.

The first is the people that don't have a clue where Grimsby is. When I was at Uni, one guy actually thought that it was near London - it eventually transpired that he was from London, and of course we all know that to some people, the entire world revolves around London, so I don't know why I was so surprised.

The second kind of response is one that irritates me the most: it comes in a wide variety of forms, but is basically very negative towards the place. The funniest thing about the negativity? 99.99% of these people have never visited Grimsby, or even know someone who has.

Around two and a half years ago, I moved to a small market town about twenty minutes away. One of my reasons for moving here, was because I wanted a quiet life, in a small town where everyone was friendly and the atmosphere was nicer. But, in hindsight, life hasn't become quieter - this town has a crazy night life at weekends. I've also found that I really miss the convenience of having a shopping centre, I also miss being near friends who have since moved back into town.

It's weird how much we can moan about where we live, but the moment someone else does, we become so protective of it. It's also interesting how much we miss it, once we've left.

My home town might not be everyone's cup of tea. But, to me, it's home.

Love you always August,

*This series of posts was inspired by the Letters to July series run by Emilieofnewgloom, make sure you check out her YouTube Channel, because she's pretty awesome*

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Dear August: The Morning After The Night Before

Thank you for not giving me a hangover this morning - I always worry . Also, thank you for helping me to survive yesterday. Well, you didn't rain as my Weather App hinted - so that was good!

However, I would like to make a slight complaint about being so hot because this equation just isn't working for me:

Heat from Sun + Curling Tong Heat = A Very Sweaty Kat

It's funny how it never gets easier being the quiet one who is happier to sit in a corner, rather than get up and dance, but it's nice to have got to a stage in my life where I don't feel like I have to get up and dance if I don't want to - which I typically don't. 

It's also nice to have reached a point in my life when I can recognise when I'm ready to go home, rather than staying out until everyone else is ready. 

I actually chose to walk home, and I know that a lot of people would think that I'm crazy - and sober me is definitely one of those people - but I find walking home late on a Summer night to be quite liberating. There's hardly anyone around, and I feel happier that way. I'd never do it either during the day, or when I was sober but it was a nice walk.

So August: Thank you for not raining, and thank you for a warm evening so that I could walk home :)

Love you always August,

*This series of posts was inspired by the Letters to July series run by Emilieofnewgloom, make sure you check out her YouTube Channel, because she's pretty awesome*

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Dear August: Social Anxiety

I am going out tonight. This should be a good thing, and really it is, because I'm genuinely looking forward to it. But, at the same time, I am nervous as hell.

Social anxiety is not a part of me that I love, or cherish. In fact, I wish that it would just piss off.

The language might seem strong - to some - and I did contemplate changing that to "go away", but that didn't seem strong enough to even come close to how social anxiety makes me feel.

It makes me angry and so frustrated, because it's something that controls me, and I don't like that. I hate not being in control. I don't consider myself to be a control freak - if anything, I'm too laid back for that - but I want to control this.

I want to be able to make friends more easily, I want to be able to talk to people, I want to be able to go to the shop - by myself - when I need something. I want to be able to go to the Post Box when a letter needs posting. I want to be able to go outside for long walks or jogs, on my own, so that I can lose some weight.

A part of me wishes that I'd recognised the anxiety a long time ago, because I've come to realise that this is something that I've been struggling with for a long time - from as long as I can remember.

For a long time, people thought I was being lazy and/or awkward, but I now understand that they were wrong. I wonder how many people with anxiety are wrongly branded as being lazy, when really they would like nothing more than to do all of those things.

I hope that everything goes okay, and I hope that worry doesn't consume me. I hope that I remember to enjoy myself.

Love you always August,

*This series of posts was inspired by the Letters to July series run by Emilieofnewgloom, make sure you check out her YouTube Channel, because she's pretty awesome*

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Dear August: Packing Up and Growing Up

Yesterday I told you about how much it sucks to grow up. Well, today I want to tell you how it feels to be packing up everything that remains of my childhood.

When I was younger, I was distraught at the idea of leaving my childhood home for good. Whilst I was at Uni, I hated the idea of not being able to go back to the warmth and safety of it all, because it had been a place where I escaped the bullies, and where all of my dreams begun.

However, aged 29 and packing everything up for the very final time - as we all move on, in very different directions - I've come to realise that I don't feel as sad about it, as I'd expected to.

This house - or bungalow, since that's what it is really - is full of memories. Some awesome, some sad. They're my memories, and I cherish every single one of them, but it really does feel like the right time to move on. Why?

Progress.

When I was growing up, we had neighbours - of course - but none of them overlooked us. We had trees, and fences and the benefit of awkward angles, making our slice something very much an area of privacy and seclusion. It was almost as if our house and garden were in a completely different world.

And then progress happened. The houses overlooking our back fence, and the Village Hall built at the front.

In the space of a few years, my childhood home has lost that special magic known as privacy and I am happy to walk away.

It's strange to think that I had all of this privacy when I was a kid, and now I live in a world where privacy barely even exists any more, because we all share so much of our personal lives on Facebook, Twitter and our blogs.

My child self would be screaming in terror, but I think that we need to embrace and accept that things are changing, and that we need to change with it.

Love you always August, and thanks for listening,

*This series of posts was inspired by the Letters to July series run by Emilieofnewgloom, make sure you check out her YouTube Channel, because she's pretty awesome*

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Dear August: Why I Love and Hate You

So we meet again my old friend. It's been a while. Twelve months to be precise.

Once upon a time you were the month that I cherished most, because of everything that you symbolised. You were the month of freedom, of escapism, of sunshine and doing what I wanted. You were the month when I wasn't expected to do anything, or be anything.

And then, I grew up.

There are a lot of things that I love about being a grown up:

• My independence
• Being able to make my own choices
• Going to bed when I want to
• Knowing that I am old enough to watch every single film, drink alcohol, vote, buy a lottery ticket without worrying about getting ID'd

Then of course, there are the things that I don't like quite so much:

• Having to pay bills
• Taking responsibility for every action that I make
• A severe lack of freedom
• A severe lack of "the August effect"

For me, August is no longer anything special, instead, it is just like any other month, except it's full of kids, and there is no escaping the fact that they are enjoying everything that I loved about August. Instead, I have to work in order to pay the bills, I get to look at the sunshine through a window, instead of from within the grass and I don't get to be "free".

I love August, and yet a part of me kind of resents it, for being the one month when I really want my childhood back. I want to enjoy this beautiful month in a more carefree way, but that's not going to happen, which is always going to be sad.

Growing up is fun, but it sucks at the same time.

Love you always August,

*This series of posts was inspired by the Letters to July series run by Emilieofnewgloom, make sure you check out her YouTube Channel, because she's pretty awesome*

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Positive Beauty: What Size are you Really?

Do you remember on Gok Wan's "How To Look Good Naked", he would always ask the women where they would place themselves in a line up of other women of varying body shapes? I always found that interesting, because every single time, the woman would place herself higher than she really was, and I used to think "Nah, I'd just be the big fat blob on the end".

It's seems almost human nature to have a negative attitude to our body, but Gok always made me questions if these women are getting it wrong, then am I? Are we so negative, because we have ourselves pegged all wrong?

When a PR company sent me an email telling me about an online quiz about body size, I was (as you can imagine) quite sceptical. Again, scepticism about such things seems to be human nature as well - for me, at least!

I'm one of those people who recently realised that I no longer look at myself in shop windows or mirrors in-store, because I hate how I look. when I used to see women at Gok Wan's show saying things like that, I would think that I would never get like that, but I did.

At home, I own a full-length mirror that my Mum loves, purely because it's so slimming. But, then when I look in it, and see a fat person, I come to the conclusion that if the mirror is making me look better, then I must look even worse than the girl I'm looking at - which isn't a nice feeling.

This negativity is basically what encouraged me to take a look at the quiz, which is being conducted by Marisota. It pretty much works the same way as "How To Look Good Naked".

How does it work?

It pretty much works the same way as "How To Look Good Naked":

1. You are given a selection of women - stood in a line - and you have to place the slider where you think you fit, in terms of your body shade/size. 

2. Next you'll be asked to take measurements for your:

• Bust
• Waist
• Hips

3. The quiz will use the measurements that you provided to place you, where you really fit in the line up of women.

How did I do?

As I stated earlier, when I look at myself, I see a big fat blob, with very litter shape, which is why I selected the fattest along the line. So, imagine my shock when I read this at the top of the screen:

Say what now? 12.5% smaller??

The weirdest thing about the results, for me, was that I half expected to maybe be between the last two women, so to know that I'm between three and four body shapes smaller was just mind-blowing!

Unfortunately, whilst this was an initial confidence boost, I now find myself looking at those women that I'm in between, and I just think "No way, I'm definitely bigger than both of those". I can't get it out of my mind that maybe this is just a trick to make us feel more confident. I mean, we don't know what the measurements are for those women.

However, it's still nice to know that I have overestimated how big I really am.

The results also included information about my body shape, but I didn't really learn anything that I didn't already know from it. Although, it is nice to gain more confirmation that I am indeed a pear shape.

Overall

I like the idea behind the quiz, and I think that Marisota are on the right lines. Even if we don't know how accurate the quiz is, or the sizes of the women used, I think that this is an important quiz, that all women should take, because it forces us to question and re-evaluate the way we look at ourselves.

You can check out the quiz here.

Have you taken the Body Confidence quiz? How did you do?

Share your results in the comments below, and let's start a conversation about how we view ourselves. Join in over on Twitter or Facebook.

*Whilst I did receive the details of this quiz in an email, I blogged about it because I wanted to, not because I was asked to. I was not paid to write this post, and all opinions are my own and are completely honest*

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Guest Post: Eight Ways to Deal with Thinning Hair

Hey Guys! A very different post for you today, in the form of a guest post from fellow beauty blogger Tiffany Stahl. We're always being told that it's "normal" to experience hair loss, especially down the plug hole, however when the amount seems excessive, it's easy to panic! But have no fear, because Tiffany is here to share her experiences with the problem, and eight ways that you might find useful if you find yourself in the same boat:

Having thinning hair was something I never thought I would have to experience at 26 years old. I was blessed with a very full head of hair. It was that in between curl, where it wasn't straight on it's own, but wasn't ringlet either. It took heat well, dye well, grew long and I loved it.

Then things started to change.

I ditched birth control pills at 24 and made a stressful move. I immediately noticed a change in my hair. It

became oily just stepping out of the shower and it was thinning by the days. Suddenly, my shower was constantly clogged. It took a few months, but the stress diminished and my body sorted itself out; the hair loss slowed and I felt better.

Then a few months went by and it started again. This time I hit up the doctors for tests, but everything came back normal. Eventually the hair loss started to happen in moments of stress and when I was perfectly fine. By the time I reached 26, I had lost half of my original hair and I absolutely hated it.

This time I saw a dermatologist, they said it could be Telogen Effluvium, essentially PTSD for your hair, where it falls out 3-4 months after a traumatic experience, but I hadn't one of those. Or they said it was stress and my diet, despite the fact that I was Paleo at the time. Never the less, I learned that I had to deal with my thinning hair on my own--I never got a real answer or solution. At times its depressing, sometimes it looks good and sometimes I'm indifferent. Either way, I understand your struggle if you, too, are dealing with it. If you've noticed this change recently, try incorporating some of these changes and steps to figure it out and deal with it.

1. First visit your hair stylist or a trusted salon like Rush.co.uk and have them look at your hair (while you're getting cut/styled of course). They'll be able to see if you truly are losing hair and if your scalp looks healthy. They might have a simple fix for you: maybe you're wearing your hair too tightly in a hair band, perhaps its you're hair dye or shampoo.

2. If your stylist affirms that you're losing hair, your next stop should be to see a dermatologist. I avoided this for along time, but they can quickly rule out major issues. You may have to get your hormones tested or perhaps they'll notice that you have female (or male) pattern baldness. While it's super frustrating, I hope they give you a similar answer to what I got.

3. If so, analyse your stress and figure out how to manage it. Hair is a good insight to what is happening on the inside of our body, so if stress is wreaking havoc on the outside, its certainly do it on the inside. Try taking up yoga or making more time for yourself.

4. You also want to look at what your eating. Are you eating enough foods that are rich in Iron and Zinc? If not, start adding in foods that contain these minerals or start taking a multi-vitamin that contains them. Also just improving your diet overall can be helpful, not only to your hair growth but your waistline!

5. Nix the heated styling tools, hair dye, tight pony tails and hats. All four of these things can damage healthy hair, let alone thinning hair. Try to wear your hair natural as much as you can until you can get the hair loss under control.

6. Try washing your hair with cold water, as it can help close off your hair cuticle and keep your hair intact.

7. Don't be afraid to try medicated shampoos and serums like Rogaine and Nioxin.

8. Finally, just try accepting it. The more you stress over it, the more will fall out! Embrace your thinning hair and get a hairstyle that will work well with thinning hair like these.

I know it's frustrating and can destroy your self-esteem at times, but try your best to calm down and work with it the best you can. And take solace that it's happening to women of every age, every where.

Tiffany Stalh is a beauty blogger, dealing with her thinning hair in London.

If you'd like to write a guest post for Barefoot Girl, then you can check out more details here.

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