Having The Nerve To Make Change

I've been having a bit of bloggers-block lately (is that a thing?). The last few weeks have been a quite busy for me, but not busy with things I could really blog about. However, one thing came to my attention recently that I thought might make an interesting topic.

I recently managed to secure myself a new job, which I'm super excited about! When I left my old retail job, I had a couple of people tell me they wanted to leave as well, but they were scared of the change. As you may have guessed from the title of this post, I'm going to talk to you about having the nerve to make change in your life.

When these people approached me about this topic I can definitely say I understood. Going from a job where you know everyone and can do the role well to a job where you know no one and maybe aren't yet fully trained can be daunting. I'm sure many people experience this fear all the time, change is a massive thing for some people, for others, not so much.

One of the first thing's you need to do when attempting to make a change is to focus on the positives. For example, if you want to leave a low contract job with little overtime and bad working hours for a job that has the opportunity for lots of overtime and better working hours then why not go for it? Yes, you might not know everyone there and it might take a bit of time to get into the swing of things but it's going to give you better quality of life. And in reality, you don't have anything to lose but lots to gain.

You need to understand that everyone feels this fear of change. No one likes being the new person in a job or feeling insecure about a new haircut, but if you think it's the right decision for you, then do it. Everyone has their own opinions, that's just life, some may be negative towards you, but I'm sure 9 times out of 10 they'll be positive. I know this is difficult to always understand and believe, but just make sure you know that everyone else has felt this way at some point in their life.

I recently started reading a book by Susan Jeffers called 'Feel the Fear and do it Anyway'. It's a really great book if you often find yourself feeling anxious or fearful of situations, I'm only on chapter 3 and it's helped me already. In this book she states that you won't necessarily combat the fear, but you'll learn how to control it and turn it into a positive. If you're interested in reading it, you can buy it from Amazon here.

To conclude, I think having the nerve to change is something only you can do. You can't get other people to convince you to take the leap, you have to believe it and do it for yourself. It's about your state of mind. If everyone else can change their job, hairstyle, home, relationship etc, then so can you!

I hope this was helpful to some people.

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Becky
XO

April's Birchbox Is Blooming Marvellous

This months Birchbox is a collab between them and American stationary brand Rifle Paper Co. (I've had a little look on their website and their stuff is gorgeous!). A lot of their products have a floral theme, hence the look of this months box. This box has to be one of my favourites, looks wise, I love florals and the colours of it are so eye-catching as they're not the colours you usual think of when you think 'floral'.

Inside the box this month you get 5 little treats, including a new product from Benefit. As well as this, you also receive a voucher for 25% off at Rifle Paper Co.

What's Inside....

PARLOR by Jeff Chastain Leave in Conditioner

I've had a couple of products before from this brand and they seem to work pretty well. This product is designed to detangle hair and keep it looking super shiny. It also gets bonus points for being Cruelty Free.

Balance Me Tinted Wonder Eye Cream

If any products promise to reduce dark circles then I immediately want to try it. This product is not only designed to help cover dark circles, but also hydrate, firm and plump the eye area. Sounds pretty promising to me! 

Kueshi Foot Care Cream

I think it's pretty much a fact that most of us probably don't take care of our feet as much as we should do. This product by Kueshi is enriched with Almond Oil, Royal Jelly and Tea Tree Oil to help soothe, soften and calm those poor feet of yours.

Cynthia Rowley Beauty Eyeliner in Black

First of all, I'm so please this eyeliner is Black. I've had beauty boxes before that seem to just give random colours that no one would ever use so thank you Birchbox! As for the product, it has a really creamy consistency, at first I was worried this would mean it smudges easily but I was wrong. I'd swatched it on the back of my hand, went to rub it off a bit later on and it would. not. budge. I think that pretty much speaks for itself...

Benefit Cosmetics Dew The Hoola

Now, for the one you've all be waiting for (most likely)... This new product by Benefit is a liquid version of their best selling bronzer of the same name. I haven't actually tried the powder Hoola, so I can't compare, but this liquid version seems pretty promising. As you can see in the image above, I applied a little of the product onto the back of my hand and rubbed it in slightly. Depending on how much you work it will depend on how deep the colour is. This is great for two reasons, you can never really apply too much and, it will be great for most, if not all, skin types. 

Overall, I think this months Birchbox is a definite favourite of mine. It has a great mix of products, including brands I've heard of and some newbies too! That's one of the things I love about Birchbox, being able to try new brands without having to spend money on the full priced product.

What do you love most about Birchbox?

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Becky
XO

Just Relax, Okay?

We all lead such busy lives now-a-days, trying to fit every little thing we can into one day. Me and my boyfriend, Andy, usual only have one proper day off together, and that's Sunday. We often spend it walking round town or lounging around watching tv, but last week, we wanted to get away from all that. It was Easter Sunday so we weren't even sure if anything was open anyway, we decided to step back from the busy streets and distractions of technology and take a walk around Damflask Reservoir. 

Damflask is such a beautiful place, it's definitely one of my favourite things about Sheffield, and it's only 5 minutes from my house (lucky me!). When we set off, it was lovely and sunny, but, because it's England, that sun soon turned to rain. However, it was only light so it didn't dampen our spirits too much (no pun intended...).

I just had to include this picture of a den Andy found. In this day and age, I feel like kids spend way too much time indoors and it made me happy to think that, possibly, some children had been here and built this instead of sitting around playing video games. 

After walking about halfway round, we found a bench with a shelter, so had a sit down for a bit and watched the world go by. Soon after that, the sun started to come out and bask everything with light.

Right at the end of our walk there was this beautiful double rainbow! This reminded me that good things come to those who wait. If it hadn't have rained, these rainbows would never have formed, I think that's a pretty good metaphor for life. 

I'd been feeling quite stressed last week, but this walk and time away from 'real life' really helped me to see life from another perspective, and understand that sometimes life gets worse before it can get better. 

What do you do to calm yourself down when you're having a bad week?

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Becky

XO

Word Up! - March Birchbox 2016

This months Birchbox is a game and beauty-box in one! The top of the box is a wordsearch with 15 beauty related words for you to find. Once you find them all, head over to Instagram, Twitter or Facebook and post a picture of your box to be in with the chance of winning a prize. No cheating now ;)

In total, there are six items in this week's box. The first three I pulled out were...

1. 'Amika' Nourishing Mask

I'm not a massive lover of hair masks in all honesty, I can just never really be bothered with them as I feel they don't do much for my hair. However, if you are a fan of them, this one sounds quite good. It aims to repair and 'intensely condition' the hair using Sea Buckthorn Berry and Jojoba oil.

2. 'Polaar' Polar Night Cream

Apparently, this cream is 'enriched with ingredients that react to the light of the moon'. Now, I don't know whether to believe this or not but it sounds pretty cool! It's said to help with cell regeneration leaving you with radiant skin. I'm looking forward to trying this one out.

3. 'Indeed Labs' Hydraluron Moisturising Boosting Mask

I love these kind of masks, no mess and no fuss. Simply cleanse skin, place the mask on your face, wait around 10-15 mins, remove and rub in any remaining serum. Easy peasy!

Now onto the last 3 products...

4. 'Regenerate' Enamel Science Toothpaste

I've never received a toothpaste in a beauty box before but anything that claims to make my teeth whiter is worth a try! As well as whitening, it also protects against cavities and works to 'reverse the early signs of enamel erosion'.

5. 'ARROW' Boost Colour Enhancing Lip Balm 

This lip balm is paraben-free, cruelty-free and vegan, in fact, the whole ARROW brand is. ARROW is a new brand by Birchbox and, if this lip balm is anything to go by, it's looking promising. The lip balm reacts to your pH and creates a slightly different shade for each person. It's also really moisturising.

6. 'ModelCo' More Brows

Last but not least is this eyebrow gel from ModelCo. It's a brown gel with tiny fibres in it to create the illusion of fuller brows. I'm looking forward to using this as my brows are pretty sparse so anything that promises to make them look thicker is great!

I think this Birchbox is up there with my favourites. There's a good variety of products, which should hopefully mean there's something for everyone. 

If you want to keep up to date with my posts, you can follow me on Bloglovin' by clicking the 'B'' icon to the right or, alternatively, click here. Also, follow me on social media by clicking the icons to the right.

Becky

XO

February Favourites 2016

I can't believe today is the 1st March, I'm sure I keep blinking and then another months gone. February was a good month for me, I went on a trip (more about that below) and started a new business venture! I'm looking forward to what the month of March has to offer. Anyway, lets get on with what you're here for, my favourites for February.

1. Burt's Bees Lip Balm

I've used this lip balm for so long, it's definitely a 'holy grail' product for me. It's a lot better than other brands (*Ahem* Vaseline), and I can 100% say it moisturises the lips like no other. Some may find it a bit pricey, at £3.69 a pop, but it's worth every penny.

2. Vera (watch here)

I'm not talking about someone called Vera, well I am but not someone I know, I'm talking about the TV programme. Vera is a detective series that came back for it's 6th season at the end of Jan/beginning of Feb. There are only 4 episodes per season, which in my mind isn't enough. I'd recommend checking it out, you can still watch it online on ITV Hub.

3. TU Clothing at Sainsbury's Scarf 

(Not Available Online)

I went into Sainsbury's at the beginning of Feb to get some bits and bobs. I alway look round the clothing section in there as you can find some great things. Anyway, I came across this scarf, it was half price and I basically haven't taken it off since!

4. Ireland 

(Image is of Ballinesker Beach)

Last month me and my boyfriend, Andy, went on a trip to Ireland for Valentines Day. I'm 1/4 Irish so I've always wanted to go. We stayed in a converted barn on a farm in a little town called Gorey. We had a lovely weekend and I definitely want to go back at some point.

5. Nails

As a little treat to myself I've been getting my nails done around once or twice a month. Before, I used to just leave my nails to chip and break, but one day I just got fed up of having awful nails. I now have acrylic laid over my natural nail (to strengthen them) and then shellac on top. As I work in retail, my nails used to always be bad, and there was nothing I could do about it myself. Having a treatment done to them makes them never break or look ugly.

6. Braids

I've been loving plaiting my hair lately. Either just one in the front, or one at either side, or my whole head, they're so effortless (once you've practiced) but can look like you've spent ages! The picture is actually of how I had my hair yesterday and it's the first time I've tried it like that. All I did was two dutch braids at either side then tucked them in at the back and pinned it, ta-da!


That's it for my February favourites, what were you loving last month?

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I hope you all have a great March!

Becky
XO

The Saviour of Oily Roots and Dry Ends! (AKA, Extraordinary Clay by Elvive)

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Clay Shampoo and Conditioner

(3 for £10 at Boots!)

For me, this shampoo and conditioner are long awaited! I've suffered from oily roots for years and although I've had shampoo's that worked for my hair, they never worked as well as this does. 

This new range by L'Oreal Paris Elvive, is the stuff dreams are made of (OTT?). As soon as I heard about it I know I had to try it, and then when I first tried it I knew I never wanted to change shampoo again. Some of you may think I'm crazy for being this excited about a hair range but, if you have oily hair, you'll probably share my joy.

The range is called 'Extraordinary Clay' and features 5 products (to view the full range click here). The two picked up are the 'L'Oreal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Clay Anti-Dandruff Shampoo' and 'L'Oreal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Clay Re-Balancing Conditioner'.

There are 2 different shampoos in the range. The shampoo I decided is the one for 'Oily Roots with Dry Ends Prone to Dandruff'. Now, I don't really have dry ends but I think everyone's ends can use a bit of extra loving. However, I do suffer from dandruff at the front of my scalp. I always thought it was just me that has strange hair that's somehow oily but prone to dandruff but no, it must happen to other people too! So the fact this shampoo sorts out my oiliness, dandruff and dry ends is great. 

Elvive claim this shampoo uses '3 refined clays and Piroctone-O' to create a range that re-balances the hair and keeps it purified for up to 72 hours.

As you can see from the images, I've only tried 2 of the products from the range, but I'm extremely impressed. There's a dry shampoo in the range and that's something I'm definitely going to purchase next time I'm out shopping.

Will you be purchasing anything from this range? If so, let me know if you've had the same great experience as me!

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Becky

XO

Blend Away Your Eyeshadow Woes With KIKO Milano 'Eye Brushes'

Brushes From KIKO Milano

The other week I popped to Meadowhall, and whist there I decided to have a little nosey around KIKO Milano's new store. I actually went in to look at make up but soon got distracted by the make up brushes. I'd been wanting some new eyeshadow brushes for a while and once I'd seen these I just had to give them a try.

Blending Brush 200 - £10.90

The main type of brush I was after was a fluffy blending brush. I spotted this one and it was just what I needed, the only problem was there wasn't any out, but a lovely Sales Assistant went and got me one out of the back. This brush it incredibly soft and could blend even the harshest of colours. When I bought this it was £5.45, but it's now gone back up to full price.

Perfect Eyes Set - £22.90

When I picked up the blending brush the Sales Assistant also suggested another brush to me so I picked one of those up as well. However, when I was mooching round the shop, I came across the 'Perfect Eyes Brush Set'. In this set there are four brushes which come in a turquoise and yellow case (shown in the first image of this post). I put the other brush back and got this set instead as it was more cost effective.

The brushes in the set are:

01 - Blending Brush - Perfect for packing eyeshadow onto the lid or blending out

02 - Precision Brush - Great for blending or adding more precise colour

03 - Precision Liner Brush - Can be used to create a cut crease or add liner 

04 - Angled Brush - Good for blending shadow on the outer area of the eyelid

Overall, all the brushes I purchased are great quality and look elegant and professional. I've had some eyeshadow brushes before that hurt to use as the bristles prick your eyelid but these ones are gorgeously soft and comfortable to use. These brushes are amazing value for brushes as the quality is really good, I can't recommend them enough!

What is your favourite make up brush brand? Let me know in the comments :)

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Thanks for reading!

Becky

XO

Best. Year. Ever. With Birchbox And Pinterest

So, this is a little bit late but I thought I'd upload it anyway! I received this Birchbox about the second week in January but I've only just got round to blogging about it. It was planned for last week but EE have annoyingly cut my internet off and I ran out of mobile data so I was a little stranded for a while. My data on my phone refreshed today so here I am.

This month's Birchbox is pretty cute. You get 5 postcard's, with quirky illustrations by Viktorija Semjonova on the front, and the box has lovely pictures on it taken from Pinterest. On the back of the cards it gives you ideas of what to search for on Pinterest.

Inside The Box

This month's box includes 5 products and 1 bonus, I'll get onto that in a minute.

Whish Almond Body Butter

Now, I have to be honest, I'm really not a fan of the smell of this. If you like the smell of almonds then this would be great for you but, unfortunately I don't, and this is almond over load. I might have to pass this on to someone else.

Absolution L'Eau Soir et Marin

This is a 'purifying water for eye and face', it's ingredients include hazelnut oil (a nut again?!) and aloe vera. I get the feeling this will be great for the face simply because of the aloe vera. I can't wait to try it out. I also love that it can be used for both face and eyes, this must mean it's gentle on the skin.

Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle

I always get excited by 'Beauty Protector' products because they always smell amazing. This one is a leave in conditioner that also protects against thermal heat and UV rays, sounds like a winner to me.

Benefit They're Real Tinted Primer

I'm not a massive fan of 'Benefit They're Real', I don't feel like it does what it says it should. It doesn't really give my lashes lift or do anything special. However, when I saw they had released this primer I definitely wanted to try it. I'm hoping it will make a great base for creating really full lashes.

Jelly Pong Pong Highlighter

This is a pencil highlighter that's main use is for along the water line but would also be great for in the corner of the eye or on cheek bones. It seems like it would do a really great job of brightening the eyes. A little bonus is that it's cruelty free!

Birchbox Compact Mirror

This is the extra (or bonus) I was talking about at the beginning of this post. A little mirror perfect for carrying in your handbag with '#NOfilter' and Birchbox's logo printed on the back.

That's it for the first box of 2016! What's your favourite item in this months box? I think mine has to be the 'Beauty Protector' Protect and Detangle spray, simply because of the smell.

You can keep up to date with my posts by following me on Bloglovin', just click the 'B'' icon to the right or click here.

Becky
XO

Pom Pom Perfume - ARI by Ariana Grande

ARI by Ariana Grande

I'm not usually one to have perfumes by celebrities. I find they often look and smell cheap. Although, I've had 'Beyonce Heat' before and that's actually pretty nice! Anyway, I was walking in town one day and a lady stood outside a perfume shop handed me a brochure that had a little sample paper on it. I smelt the paper and it was gorgeous. Thankfully it had the name of the perfume on it. As soon as I got home I told my Mum about it and put it on my Birthday/Christmas list (yes, I'm 23 and I still do a list). Long story short, my Auntie ended up getting it me for my Birthday.

This perfume has quite a sweet smell to it so if you're not into that kind of thing then this isn't for you. Although, it seems to have hints of everything in it to be honest, it's floral and fruity but also has a slight woody hit. I think the thing that makes it smell sweet is the touch of marshmallow in there, yes you read correct, marshmallow. It wears really well and I think it gets better throughout the day.

One thing I love about this perfume, other than the scent, is the design of the bottle. As soon as I saw the bottle it reminded me of a mixture between Flower Bomb and Jimmy Choo, but actually I think I probably prefer this bottle over those two. I think it's so cute and looks stunning with the light shining through it. The pom pom on the side is a lovely addition, but if it gets in your way, you can easily remove it and use it for something else. 

Overall, this perfume is lovely to look at and to wear. If you're near a perfume counter I'd highly recommend checking it out.

Have you discovered any new perfume's recently? Leave me a comment below letting me know.

If you want to stay up to date with my posts, you can follow my blog on Bloglovin' by clicking the 'B'' Icon to the right or by clicking here :)

Becky

XO

Top 5 Beauty Tips And Tricks For 2016

(Image Made By Me)

I thought about doing one of those 'New Year New Me' posts where I'd reminisce about 2015 and tell you what I want to do this year. However, that just seems so predictable and samey. So instead, I've decided to do a post all about beauty tips and tricks as I thought this would be a little more useful for all of you.

1. If you find your favourite mascara drying out, never fear! Just add a few drops of eye drops into the tube, twist the wand around inside to mix it up and there you go, good as new. Don't worry about this messing with the formula, I've not had any problems so far and I've been doing this 6 months or more. 

2. Spray your perfume onto your hair to make the scent last longer. I'm not sure why this works but I do it all the time. It works especially well on freshly washed hair, I think it locks in the scent better. I spray the perfume into the air and walk into it, letting it fall onto my hair.

3. Apply lip balm before you brush your teeth. Leave the balm on for a few minutes to let it soak in and moisturise the lips and any dry skin. Then, brush your teeth and your lips. The lip balm will have softened the dry skin making it come off a lot easier and leaving you with smooth lips.

4. This might be an obvious one for some people but it's a favourite of mine. If you feel you have dark and/or hollow eyes, you can add a slight bit of shimmery eyeshadow or highlighter into the inner corner. This will open the eye up, making it appear brighter. 

5. If you shave (I mean instead of waxing, epilating, etc.), try using hair conditioner instead of using your usual body wash/shaving foam/whatever else you may use. Conditioner helps the razor to glide across the skin leaving you with a smooth finish, it also moisturises the skin and helps against razor burn.

There we have it, my top 5 beauty tips and tricks for 2016!
I hope you all have a wonderful year and achieve everything you set out to.


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Thanks for reading :)

Becky
XO