Lipsticks and why I'm willing to pay the price for them

I love lipstick. My make up bag is probably made up of about thirty or so of them (I'm terrible and I just can't throw any of them away). From muted nude colours to bright and beautiful reds, I seem to pick up a new one almost every time I go shopping. 

No disrespect to high street branded lipsticks, but I've always felt a tinge of disappointment when I wear them and they've rubbed off 20 minutes later. When I buy a lipstick I want it to have staying power, especially if I'm out eating or drinking. The last thing I want to be doing is reapplying it every time I go to the bathroom. 

Recently I've discovered a rather intense love for slightly pricier lipsticks, namely MAC and Chanel. This year I purchased Ruby Woo from MAC and it's safe to say that I fell in love with the colour, the texture and the staying power. While wearing it my lipstick didn't transfer on to any glass that I was drinking out of, and it was just as bright when I came home as it was when I left the house.

MAC's Ruby Woo

Whilst on holiday I was a tad cheeky in the duty free shops and ended up buying myself my very first Chanel lipstick. I usually go for the brightest red that I can get my hands on, but instead chose to go for a far more muted colour, the Rouge Allure Velvet in shade number 34. 

Chanel's Rouge Allure Velvet in #34

I don't normally wear lipstick day to day, but this colour is absolutely perfect for every day wear. Pale nudes don't normally suit me, but the slight pinkish tone to the colour makes all the difference. Again, it's a lipstick that doesn't rub off easily, which is perfect for daily wear when you're being a busy bee.

As if I hadn't already treated myself enough, my parents came back from Greece with a treat in the form of another Chanel lipstick - Rouge Allure Velvet in shade number 38. 

Chanel's Rouge Allure Velvet in #38

This colour reminds me quite a lot of MAC's Ruby Woo, however the consistency is a lot creamier and less drying for a matte lipstick. Personally, I much prefer matte lipsticks but there is the danger of them making your lips appear dry, or the danger of them drying them out altogether. Thankfully, this gorgeous Chanel shade has that little bit of moisture that's needed to keep your lips looking healthy and hydrated.

Finally, I celebrated my birthday at the beginning of this week and was given a little bit of birthday money to spend. Naturally, the first thing I decided to spend my money on was make up. Another lovely MAC lipstick. I wasn't sure of the colour I wanted when I went in, just something that was a little deeper and darker than Ruby Woo. The assistant who chatted with me in the Harvey Nichols branch in Leeds was incredibly helpful and suggested Russian Red to me - exactly what I was looking for!

MAC's Russian Red

I haven't had chance to wear this yet, but I'll definitely be putting a dash of Russian Red on before I go out tonight :)

~ C xxx

The Luxury of Menstruating

It's time for me to rant.

Last week I was watching Russell Howard's Good News, in which he raised a topic that I was honestly delighted to see discussed on a topical TV show - the tampon tax. For years now, the British government has continuously made the decision that tampons are something of a luxury, and have recently voted against amending the Financial Bill to abolish said tax. How lucky are we women to be graced with the gut-wrenching, womb-shedding monthly phenomenon that is our period? Very lucky according to the tax man. So lucky in fact that we are forced to pay 5% tax on sanitary products that we would be incredibly unsanitary without.

Putting my own anger aside on this subject, there is a far more serious issue when it comes to taxing sanitary products that are not cosidered to be "essential". I am very lucky to be able to afford to buy tampons and sanitary towels every month when I need them, but there are women in the UK who cannot afford to buy them. Households with a very low income often struggle to pay for things which are, quite rightly, classed as essential items. When you throw sanitary products into the mix, averaging at £3.14 for a box of 20 regular Tampax, it suddenly becomes even more difficult to make ends meet every month. 

Considering that the House of Lords is currently made up of 191 women, equating to just 25%, it strikes me as absurd that the people making this decision are primarily men. Men, who have never had to and will never have to use such sanitary products. They have no idea what it feels like to menstruate and equally no idea how many tampons and sanitary towels one woman goes through each month. For this decision to be primarily in their hands is ridiculous and unfair.

On top of that, let's look at the list of products that are tax-free and therefore considered to be "essential": Helicopters, Jaffa Cakes, Zoo Tickets and Crocodile meat, amongst other things. I honestly can't remember the last time I desperately needed a Jaffa Cake...

The thing is, I wonder what reaction would be coaxed if women were to stop using tampons and sanitary towels? Most probably outrage? Disgust? Horror at the fact that, yes, it's true that we bleed monthy, were you under the impression that it was a myth?

For the time being it looks as though we won't be losing the tax on tampons. Just one of many things that the British government do that I disagree with. I sincerely hope that they see sense sooner rather than later, and end this unfair, sexist charge for having a uterus.

~ C xxx
 

Let's be positive about our bodies!

I've just watched a rather disturbing video called "Dear Fat People" by a youtuber called Nicole Arbour. Now, I'm all for comedy. I love comedy. But what I just watched wasn't remotely funny. What it was, was a platform for this particular youtuber to shame people for a body type that she doesn't seem to be able to relate to. I don't know anything about this woman - I've literally just discovered her channel this evening - but first impressions were terrible if I'm honest.

I don't want to make this post a huge rant about how wrong she is and how toxic her words are, even though those two things are entirely true. What I want to do is talk about how we need to stop being negative about our own bodies and about other people's bodies. There is no perfect body type and there is nothing that we should all be aspiring to look like, despite the fact that the media tells us day in and day out what we should and shouldn't be doing. Tall, short, slim, curvy, pear-shaped - every single body type that can be named is just as perfect as the last.

It can be crippling when someone makes a negative comment about your appearance or your weight, and I think that a large majority of people nowadays seem to forget that behind the tweets or the facebook profile pictures or the instagram posts are actual human beings. It's so easy to stomp on your keyboard and type out some cleverly, or usually, a badly worded insult and press send, but you so easily forget that there is a real live person that you have sent those words to. Some people who choose to vent their feelings about other people's weight claim to be trying to help - a way of kick starting someone into losing or gaining weight. I don't know about you, but whenever I have been faced with hurtful comments about the way I look, it's effectively crushed all motivation that I had left to do something about it. It does a damn sight more harm than good, and can drive people to awful extremes.

Instead of throwing critical comments in someone's direction, why not stop and think of something kind to say instead? You could literally brighten someone's day by saying something nice about them, and personally I much prefer the feeling of being kind to someone than being horrible. 

What I'm trying to say, in a nutshell, is that everyone has their own insecurities. Everyone has something that they would change about themselves if they could. It's a horrible truth, but it's a truth nontheless. We need to stop playing on those insecurities to "make a point" or, even worse, to "make a joke" and instead focus on telling people everything that is wonderful about them. 

Stop body shaming and start being body positive. 

Peace out.

~ C xxx

P.S. Check out this video by Carrie Hope Fletcher about the subject of body shaming. She talks about some of the things I've mentioned in this post.

Dinosaurs in Stilettos

 

Like many excited film lovers I rushed to the cinema to see Jurassic World the weekend it was released. My childhood was filled with the prequels, and I remember being obsessed with dinosaurs when I was a kid. 

As predicted, the new film was all kinds of epic. From the pack of (mostly) loyal Velociraptors, to the T-Rex saving the day, it's safe to say that I felt like a giddy child again the entire time. And I can't really avoid mentioning Chris Pratt. I won't lie, he was definitely one of the reasons I was so excited to see the movie, and I was pretty much swooning over him everytime he was on screen (so, all the time then? Yeah...)

But one thing that really stuck with me after I left the cinema was nothing to do with dinosaurs or hunky men. Not at all. It's about shoes. A pair of nude stiletto heels to be exact.

Recently I've read articles and posts online talking about how ridiculous it is that Bryce Dallas Howard's character successfully runs away from dinosaurs while wearing such an inconvenient pair of shoes. People have claimed that this makes her character seem ridiculous throughout the movie.

I respectfully disagree.

Heels are deemed as appropriate footwear for a woman in the workplace. Claire, Howard's character, is a woman in the workplace. I highly doubt that she based her choice of footwear on a potential dino-style prison break that morning and I can't imagine that a change of shoes was feasible given the circumstances. After all, the woman has priorities. As a character, she is portrayed as uptight and a little work obsessed, and at the same time takes pride in her appearance. To me, her outward appearance makes perfect sense.

The reason that I was so struck by this female character traipsing through the jungle and running frnatically away from a pre-historic nightmare in her best heels is because, well, how often do we see that in the film industry? Plenty of Hollywood films feed the public images of women clad in combat boots, practical trousers and their hair scraped back - a decidedly masculine take on what it means to be a powerful woman. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Lara Crofts and the Ripleys of the world, but it's so refreshing to see a strong woman, who is saving the day by the way, displaying traits which are stereotypically seen as feminine. 

Howard's character takes on the challenge of rescuing her nephews and getting rid of the Indominous Rex. She's not used as a comic plot device like so many films have done in the past. She's a woman I can relate to, because in that situation there's no way I'd be wearing the appropriate clothing either!

Yes, she can be badass in a skirt. Yes, she can wear a white suit and still be the heroine. Yes, she can run from that bloody dinosaur in heels.

~ C xxx

My Skincare Routine!

I'm lucky to have been blessed with healthy, problem free skin throughout my life (with the exception of suffering from a little dryness and the obvious occasional blemish every now and again). I'll be totally honest and say that I've never really invested my time in a proper skincare routine, but after a spa day with my mum last year my motivation was kicked in!

I'd say that my skin type is probably combination - the area under and around my eyebrows is dry and my t-zone & around my nose are both quite oily. Usually, on a day to day basis I would just wash my face with Simple face wash, moisturise, and that's it. But after having a facial treatment from the spa (which was so relaxing byt the way, and I need to go back again), the lovely lady who had carried out my treatment suggested that I maybe switch up my normal routine for something else.

Because I have patches of dryness and redness around my eyebrow area, she suggested opting for a cream or milk based facial cleanser. Water based cleansers tend to dehydrate the skin, leaving it feeling quite tight and slightly uncomfortable, obviously not at all useful if you suffer from any sort of dryness. At the time I think she suggested an Elemis face wash, but that was a little out of my price range! 

Needless to say, I took her advice and went on the hunt for a cream based cleanser, something that I had never considered using ever before. There are so many different brands that are incredibly affordable, and I picked out a product from one of my most trusted brands - L'Oreal. The Micellar Water, Cleansing & Perfecting Milk, and Velvety-Soft Toner are all from their Skin Perfection range. All three work brilliantly together for removing all of my make up and ensuring that my skin is completely cleansed and moisturised. 

I have to say, I've definitely noticed a difference with my skin over the past few months. Of course, like I said, I am incredibly lucky to have very few problems with my skin. My one piece of advice to anyone who is suffering from any kind of skin problem is to get a second opinion, be that from a doctor, or a beautician, or even a spa therapist like I did! Remember, stress can cause a lot of issues with your skin as well, so that's always a factor to consider if you're having a particuarly rough time.

That's enough of my rambling for now though!

~ C xxx

He's just not that int-... oh wait, he was into her after all!

"You are my exception..."

Okay unfathomly handsome Hollywood actor, whatever you say.

As I sit here in bed at 12:30am on a Saturday night, watching a generic romantic comedy, I find myself inspired to write a blog post. Inspiration hits at funny times, I know. 

Over the past few years I have worried endlessly in my head about when and where I will stumble upon that special someone who will bring me flowers out of the blue (seriously, I've never received a bunch of flowers in my life - how tragic is that?) and cuddle up with me on the sofa watching TV. That someone who will still think I'm pretty even when I have no make up on, that my fat pudgy stomach is cute, and all of those other ridiculously cheesy tropes that apparently come with being in a relationship according to the love experts in Hollywood. 

From high school, through university and up until the end of last year I was plagued with curious thoughts about why the majority of my friends were finding people and I was, well... not. Now, though, at the age of 23, I find myself thinking "wait a second... why on earth am I worrying about this?" It's ridiculous. I have the rest of my life ahead of me to experience all the ups and downs of a relationship. Life throws all kinds of things in our way, and if it's just not my time yet then so be it. I'm not even a third of the way through my life yet.

I'll be honest, being single is pretty great most of the time. I'm quite an introverted person, so I enjoy a lot of time to myself. That being said, I also love going out with my friends and putting time aside so that I can spend it with my family too. I don't have to factor another important person in my life at the moment, which gives me the independence that I enjoy so much.

It's not that I'm saying I don't want to be with someone. Sweet, caring and romantic me would love to be in a relationship. The idea is nice, and I'm sure that the pros outweigh the cons for most people. In my mind, being single means that I have no ties or major responsiblities. I can come and go as I please and plan my time to fit around me. A little selfish, I know, but aren't we all entitled to be selfish sometimes? I certainly think so.

I do think that we put pressure on each other to fit a mould we call the norm when it comes to sex and relationships etc. For such a long time I often asked myself if there was something wrong with me. Did I have the lurgi? Was I doing something wrong? And I have heard the odd comment about how someone still being single, like me, into their early twenties is really weird. Not exactly sure why it's weird, but mindsets like these drive this unnecessary pressure to rush into things when you're not ready. 

I suppose my reason for writing this is just to say that, while I once worried endlessly about being #foreveralone, I've reached a point in my life and in my own mind where I honestly don't care anymore. If I meet someone tomorrow? Great. If I don't meet someone for the next five years? Also great.

Life deals a different hand to everyone. Do yourself a favour and stop comparing yours to other people's and just enjoy what you have. So far it's working for me :)

Until next time!

~ C xxx

She's an American Beauty and an American Psycho! - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (Book Review)

I jumped on the Gone Girl bandwagon very late, I have to admit. It's be incredibly difficult to avoid any and all spoilers about the plot, but thankfully I managed to do so! 

I will say this at the start; there will, most definitely, be spoilers about the book/film in this post, so if you're a late arrival, like I was, and don't want to spoil the plot for yourself then I'd suggest you don't read any further than this.

Okay, let's get into it.

Firstly, I want to say that it did take me quite a long time to read this book. Personally, I found it a little slow moving to begin with. Nothing gripped me immediately from the start, and since I had successfully avoided anything to do with the book as a whole I was walking into it pretty much blind. Obviously, the title did give me a massive hint towards what the book could potentially be about though, so I was waiting for that build up. 

All throughout part one, there were a few occasions where I put the book down and didn't return to it for a few weeks. Not to say I wasn't enjoying it, but simply that nothing had happened yet to really grab my attention. I think the thing that kept me coming back in the end was the fact that I liked Nick. I felt like I could relate to him a lot easier than I could to Amy, and the moment that fingers started pointing in his direction after Amy's disappearance had me sure that he couldn't have been the culprit. Trying to figure out just exactly what clever way Gillian Flynn was going to twist the plot into eventually had me hooked, and I'm so glad I didn't put the book down for good.

The moment Amy's narrative switched I remember just thinking "....wait, what?!" (I was on the train home from work at the time and I'm pretty sure my expression matched my thoughts). Going from sugary sweet, butter-wouldn't-melt Amy to this calculated, psychotic woman was honestly the last thing I was expecting! Reading the way her mind truly worked made me shudder. The amount of attention she paid to such tiny details and how she planned the perfect murder - her own perfect murder - I hated her, but then at the same time I loved her as a character. I remember reading some of her entries in the later chapters and just feeling so much anger towards her, which is a huge testament to Flynn's writing. Digging deep and affecting the way a reader reacts to a certain character or personality in such a strong way really is proof of excellent writing. 

It sort of reminded me of when I was younger and I read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (hear me out here). Voldemort is the villain, we all know that, but the character I felt the most intense hatred for in that book was Professor Umbridge. Her doilies and kittens and pink frills paired with her controlling nature made her such a detestable character, and I think this is the way I feel about Amy Elliot Dunne. 

I think the really fantastic thing about Gillian Flynn's novel is the presence of flawed characters, aka human characters. I've read books in the past where the protagonist is heroic and perfect and pure and can do absolutely no wrong, and I'll be honest, that's boring. In Gone Girl, there is no perfect character. Nick isn't perfect. He cheated on his wife and we know he should be chastised for that. Amy is far from perfect. Her parents aren't perfect, and so on. We aren't led to be on any one character's side and I really enjoyed that. It felt real and gritty and vivid in my imagination, and that was definitely something I loved about this book.

Now to the ending. Dear lord the ending frustrated me so much! But I mean this in a completely positive way. When reading a novel, you reach the end and you find the closure you need. Everyone is happy and the goodies win while the baddies suffer as they should do. I'm a little like Sheldon Cooper in the sense that I need closure. I like things to come to a harmonious end. Gone Girl does the exact opposite, but it works so well. Nick is trapped with absolutely no way out because Amy is so bloody clever. Always at least three steps of everyone else, she manages to trap Nick in their marriage after her return and gets away with absolutely everything. She's an absolute psycho, but part of me can't help but admire the way her mind works. I'd go as far as to call her an evil genius, I really would.

Despite my absolute frustration towards Nick's situation at the end of the book, I have to say that Gone Girl is one of the best books I've read in a long time. The fact it provoked such a strong reaction from me proves to me how brilliantly written it is. I've been told that Gillian Flynn is writing a follow up, which I really hope is true. 

Well, that's all for now! 

~ C xxx

P.S. Kudos if you get the Fall Out Boy reference in the title. I've had it stuck in my head all day and I feel like it's a song that really fits Amy Elliot Dunne xD

2015: The Year to Love Yourself!

It has taken me over 23 years to learn about one of the most important things I think any person should know. Loving yourself is vital if you want to be happy. And I mean this in all ways possible. Loving yourself for the way that you look. Loving any little quirks about your personality. Loving your body and the fact that, yes, you are different to everyone else and, no, it's definitely not a bad thing.

Taking care of myself is something I've never really put a great deal of thought into until recently. Little things like making sure you've drank plenty of water throughout the day, treating yourself to a nice relaxing bath and just allowing yourself time to lie there and enjoy it. Or sitting down comfortably on the sofa to read as many pages of a book as you like. I think what I'm trying to describe is setting time aside for yourself so that you can do the things you enjoy. So many of us are caught up in a daily routine, and I am definitely guilty of this, but I think that breaking that routing to do something that you've been putting off could be one of the healthiest things you can do.

I've been putting off trying to learn to play a musical instrument for years. In the past I've tried and given up so easily, but this Christmas I was given a piano (a keyboard really) and already I've managed to start teaching myself how to play. Even just putting half an hour aside when I get home from work is just right. I'm doing something that I enjoy and am picking up a new skill at the same time. The same goes for reading - I'm determined to read many, many more books this year, and really make an effort to put the time aside to do so. I'm currently carrying Gone Girl around with me to read on my train journeys to and from work. (It's great, by the way. Believe the hype!)

Of course, self-love is very subjective. People see it in many different ways, but in my opinion it's all about gauging the right balance in your life so that you feel like you're doing yourself justice. Even if you only have time to put five minutes aside one day, really make the most of that five minutes and enjoy them. So far, for me, this way of thinking is definitely shining a positive light into my life. I feel so much happier within myself. Simply enjoying the little things like allowing myself to escape into the world of a book, or going to a yoga class, or writing things down in my journal - all of these things are making my smile so much wider.

Anyway, enough of my late night ramblings now. I should probably go to sleep so I don't seriously regret it at 7am tomorrow morning!

Goodnight!

~ C xxx

Fresh Start!

So I'm not going to lie, I am deeply ashamed that I haven't updated my blog since July. JULY! I would usually fill a post with excuses and such about why I disappeared into nothingness, but I really have no excuses at all. 

As you can see I have revamped my blog theme and colours and fonts. I had a merry little time doing this the other day, especially the fonts - who doesn't love a good font? Just me? Okay. 

Currently, I'm writing this post while my eyes threaten to close on me, as my mum is doing yoga and making me feel even more tired. That's one of my resolutions - to start yoga. (Almost misspelt that as yoda then, see how tired I am?) I have a lot more resolutions for the year, and I've decided that 2015 is going to be my year. It's going to be the year that say yes to more things, I make the changes I want to make and I do everything possible in my power to be happy. Ultimately, that is the only thing I want in life. 

I'm going to start a diary too, which might make it easier to document things happening in my life. I'm hoping it will help me to keep a good lid on everything that I'm feeling and provide me with the release that I need. Plus it's writing, and there's nothing I love more than that :)

Less of an important post here, but I wanted to post an update to get the blogging wheels moving again. They're a little rusty but I'll get them rolling very soon. 

And now I'm going to flop into bed because I am exhausted! 

Goodnight. Sleep tight.

~ C xxx