Wednesday 27 August 2014

Inspiration Wednesday #2





'Sometimes we need to stop analyzing the past, stop planning the future, stop figuring out precisely how we feel, stop deciding exactly what we want, and just see what happens.'
-Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City)

Ever feel like you spend too much time just thinking about everything, worrying about things so much it begins to make you feel a little ill? I think this is something we all do from time to time (or in some of our cases, all the time!) therefore this week I like this quote and thought I would share it with you all. It's important sometimes to just take a step back, take a deep breath and consider our life as it is in that moment. This can be applied to life's smaller problems (I think Carrie was more specifically referring to dating) however it is a good motto to consider when over-thinking is hurting your head and causing you more problems than you had in the first place. Live in the moment!

Hope you all have a great day,

Lil x

Wednesday 13 August 2014

Inspiration Wednesday!

It's the middle of the week and I don't know about you but it's at this point that I can usually do with a little uplifting or a moment of positivity to keep me going! So let me share with you a quote I find inspirational in the hope that it helps you in the same way it does for me.

"There will be people that will say you can't make a living out of something you love to do. But are you really living by not doing it?' - Olan Rogers

Olan is a youtuber/actor amongst other things, and has overcome many things in order to make a living out of what he loves to do. He has an amazing attitude towards life and this quote is very relevant to the point in life at which I currently stand - I have completed my degree but haven't yet graduated and am beginning a new era of my life. When making decisions which may determine my future career this quote is proving incredibly important. I think doing something you love and being able to earn a living from it is the one of best possible things you can accomplish. Although this is not necessarily possible for everyone, what's to stop you trying? I think everyone needs something to dream about and strive towards! If you don't give something a go, how will you ever know if it worked or not? :) 

Have a lovely day,
Lil x

Friday 8 August 2014

Natural Goats Milk Soap!

Natural soap from The New Forest and its key ingredient: Goats milk.



So many of us are a sucker for a soap with a gorgeous scent (myself included), and are often won over by the smell of the product rather than its qualities. Although some products smell great and claim to do wonders for your skin, they can contain harsh chemicals and fragrances which irritate sensitive skin or evoke allergies with their overpowering scent.

These soaps were actually a gift from my mother who is always on the look out for natural products I can use on my overly sensitive, eczema-prone skin! Goats milk and donkey milk are known for being delicate ingredients that are suitable for people with eczema and dry skin so we are always looking for products that make use of them! The soaps are handmade in The New Forest in Hampshire and have only a handful of ingredients in each soap. I was given a simple bar of unfragranced soap, made using only FIVE ingredients (see image below) which I was pretty impressed with. 



Although this soap is unfragranced it definitely has a soft, pleasant aroma (you have to give it a good sniff) which is so refreshing from all the overpowering scents you usually get with soaps these days. 

The second soap I was given was the Honey, Oats & Goats! bar. While this one has seven ingredients, the two extra are in fact just honey and oats. Brill! Like the unfragranced soap, this one has a very faint  but pleasant scent which I really like about it. Both soaps work really well. I have been using them in the shower however I find that I can quite easily use them on my face without irritating my skin which is wonderful.



To find out more and have a look at their full range of products check out the website here!

I hope you enjoyed this post - I always love reading about products that aren't in high-street shops but definitely need trying for their amazing qualities! Are there any products you have tried and found to be surprisingly wonderful? Let me know!

Friday 1 August 2014

July Favourites!


July has been a lovely (mostly) sunny month in England; I've enjoyed walks in the sunshine, spontaneous ice cream van visits and I also got my degree results back! Graduation isn't until winter, so I have a while until I get to don my gown and mortar board, but I'm already excited. Now that August has arrived and the air is feeling a little more chilly and crisp, I thought I'd share some of the products I picked up during the month of July and have ended up loving!



Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder in Transparent
Due to temperatures reaching new highs in the UK this month I was in need of a powder I could apply over my foundation to mattify my face and get rid of that awkward sweaty shine that I get when enjoying the glorious sunshine! My friend recommended this powder and that fact that I didn't have to choose a shade of skin tone to buy it in made my life even easier. 

Real Techniques Powder Brush
I have been after one (or all) of these brushes for god knows how long now (being a student/graduate = being penniless) and purchasing the powder gave me the perfect excuse to pick one of these up. The powder brush is incredibly soft and works better than any other brush I currently own.

Benefit Lemonaid Eye Primer
Do you ever find that you apply your eyeshadow just how you like it, only for it to disappear within hours? Using this eyelid primer creates a base for your shadow which allows not only for your eyeshadow to last much longer without budging but also lets the shadow cling on hence building a thicker layer and greater pigmentation.

Rose Gold Jewellery
I am really bad at looking after rings. I don't own a single ring I haven't lost or dropped down the back of my desk at some point. For this reason I went out to buy myself a new ring or two, and found a set of plain band Topshop rings in different sizes and colours (gold, silver, rose gold and black). I have always been a sucker for rose gold and it is for this reason that this ring has become my fave! Now I just need a bracelet to match...

Topshop Kohl Eyeliner
It took me a while to come round to the idea but I'm now loving the bright eyeliner trend and couldn't resist picking one up in Topshop. The pigmentation is much better than I thought it would be and the colour lasts hours and hours! Swatches below.


What has been your favourite thing about July? Let me know in the comments :)

Lil x