10 things I would tell my 10 year old self

In about 6 months I'll be turning 20, scary right!? Recently I've been reflecting on what I would tell my younger self, knowing what I know now. Here's what I came up with!

1. It's OK to get into trouble. I was always to scared to do anything slightly risky when I was younger because I was so scared of getting into trouble. I would like to let my 10 year old self know that getting into trouble is not the end of your life. You'll get over it and it will be hilarious to look back on later in life.

2. Experiment more. Stop playing it so safe! Wear blue eye shadow all over your eyelids and rock those neon leg warmers (they were so cool). Sure you will cringe when you look back a photos in a few years time but everyone needs that awkward experimental phase, plus you wont get away with those questionable choices when you're older so make the most of it!

3. Your boyfriend is not that important. We all know how heartbreaking it was when you split up with your boyfriend. Even though your 'boyfriend' was usually a guy who you asked out, then didn't speak to for 2 months before deciding that he just wasn't the guy for you. Yes at the time it was the end of your life but in 10 years you literally wont even remember all of your 'boyfriends' names.

4. Learn a skill. Since you're a kid and you have loads of time on your hands, learn something, join a club and get really good at something! Then when you're an adult you'll have a really cool talent, maybe you'll even be able to turn it into a career. I'm saying this because I am so bad at literally everything

5. Learn your times tables young lady! Yes its boring but you will thank yourself when you're older and you can actually count in multiples. This is a skill I have never mastered and to be honest I probably never will.

6. Its cool to have your own interests. This is something I'm only really learning now and its hard not to follow the crowd and try to fit in. But you will learn that differences is what makes everyone interesting and the older you get the more accepting everyone else becomes. So just do you! 

7. You'll always be shy and a little bit awkward, embrace it! While I am no where near as shy as I used to be I am still not exactly outgoing. When you're younger being shy is always seen as a negative and you're always pushed to be more outgoing. At the end of the day it's just a part of your personality and while you do gain confidence s you get older, its not something you 'grow out of'.

8. Your chubby cheeks will be with you for a few more years yet, live with it. I had chubby cheeks until I was like 15, even now they're there. I remember a time when I thought my puppy fat would never disappear. 

9. Don't force yourself to be 'into' things that you aren't 'into', give it time. I never really used to be that interested in things girls my age were interested in and it always made me feel a bit left out. I wasn't all that into beauty or High school musical or . But it's important to realise that you don't have to love everything that everyone else loves. And just because you're not interested in something then doesn't mean you wont gain an interest later on, I am now OBSESSED with all things beauty. 

10. Enjoy being 10 and good luck! The next few years are going to be emotional, hard and at times just plain confusing but everything works itself out in the end. 

*Insert embarrassing photo of 10 year old me here*  

Those eyebrows though!

Comment below with what advice you would give your 10 year old self!

xxx

Meet Teddy!

It doesn't feel like it but its been so long since I last posted! I seem to have been so busy and also so tired lately. This week though I've had a much needed week off work and managed to catch up on a few things, like sleep and cleaning! One reason I have been a bit busier than usual is earlier this month we adopted a new member of the family, no not a baby, a kitten. Meet Ted!

We adopted Ted from a lady who had just had a baby and wasn't able to take care of him anymore. He was 12 weeks old when we picked him up (although we think hes actually a bit older, either that or hes just a big cat!) Hes about 16 weeks now and he is growing so quickly! Why cant he stay a cute baby forever! 

He certainly has a lot of energy, which is great when you're playing with him, not so great when hes jumping around the bedroom at 5am. Like all kittens he is very curious and is always getting into trouble. He managed to knock the TV over, we now have a lovely crack across the top of the screen. 

He has tons of toys but seems to be more interested in playing with things like paper and bottle tops.

As we live in a flat he lives indoors. I wasn't sure about keeping a cat inside at first but after reading up a bit, its actually quite common. If you are considering having an indoor cat, you do need to bare in mind that they need more attention and entertainment than a cat that roams around outdoors. We play with Ted and he definitely gets lots of love and attention and he seems pretty content living indoors. If I do move to a house in the future, I will probably let him out to roam around but its not possible while we're living in a first floor flat.

Hopefully I'll be back with more updates on Ted soon! Follow me on Instagram to see more of Ted (@eloue8)

xxx

How I like to relax

We all love and need a bit of downtime in our lives. whether its going for a walk, pampering yourself or getting lost in a book, everyone has their own ways of relaxing and taking time out. I thought today that I would share the ways that I like to relax and the kind of things I like to do in my downtime. Most involve doing as little as I possibly can, I swear I'm not always this lazy!

My absolute favourite thing and my go to when I need to distress is a good pamper evening. I'm talking bath bombs, face masks, bubble bars and preferably chocolate. Not only does pampering myself relax me, it also makes me feel better about myself. Which is perfect when you're not feeling your best and need a pick me up. My skin always get worse when I'm stressing or tired so a bit of TLC is exactly what it needs. My favourite face mask and the one I'm currently using is the Lush Cup O' Coffee mask. My skin always feels fabulous after using this, I wrote a review for the mask here, go check it out! I also like to paint my nails, I don't know why but having my nails done makes me feel like I've got my shit together. Recently I have been using Avons Gel Shine polish in 'Mint to be' (how cute is that name!) It's a lovely spring time shade, not that the weather is very spring like at the moment!

Another way I like to get some downtime is by catching up on my favourite series. Currently I'm re watching Orange is the new black on Netflix in readiness for the new series. I'm trying to get through all 3 series in the next week so I'm all caught up, quite a challenge, even for me! There's something great about being able to switch off and immerse yourself in another world for a couple of hours. Sometimes I get a little to into it and start to talk about the characters like they're real people, its a bit weird seeing the OITNB cast all on social media glamed up, I'm used to seeing them in their prison gear and some look almost unrecognisable in real life. Anyway, I better stop before this post turns into me ranting on about OITNB! 

Listening to music is one of my favourite things to do. I love how it can change your mood and theres a song out there for whatever mood you're in. I always have headphones in, especially when I'm doing things I don't particularly enjoy, like washing up! It's also easy to do and doesn't really require any attention. Pair sitting a listening to music while relaxing in a nice bubble bath with a face mask and you've got my idea of relaxation. Just writing this is making me want to hop in the tub!

Let me know ways that you like to relax!

xxx

Avon SuperExtend Mascara Review

Avon isn't really a brand that I've ever really considered using. Probably because its not available to buy in stores (as far as I know) and it's not really talked about as much as it should be. My sister in law recently became an Avon representative and gave me a catalogue to have a look through. I've not shopped at Avon before and besides occasionally dipping into my mums makeup when I was younger, I don't think I've really ever tried any of their products. It's is the kind of brand that I always associated with mums and with a more mature audience, recently though I feel like they have been marketing towards a younger audience.

So I was surprised to find when flicking through the catalogue that there was actually quite a few products that I was interested in trying. As it happens the mascara I was currently using had pretty much completely dried up, heartbreaking I know. So I decided to steer away from the brands I usually go for and try something completely new. I know how to live guys. 

I went for the SuperExtend winged out mascara because I love the look of long winged out lashes. I love winged eyeliner as well but I just cannot get the hang of it, practice makes perfect I guess! Also one of my favourite mascaras is Maybelines The Falsies, I love the way this wings out my lashes so I was hoping for a similar effect from Avon SuperExtend mascara.

And I was not disappointed! This mascara is available in 2 shades, blackest black and brown/black. I went for blackest black because I like black mascara that is actually black and I don't like mascara that's a bit wishy-washy. Like I always say, go bold or go home! (I have never said that in my life) 

The product goes on well and isn't at all clumpy, its actually quite a thin liquid. The downside to this is it takes a bit of building to get thicker lashes but if you are lucky enough to be born with thick eye lashes then this wont be much of a problem. What this mascara is great at doing though is lengthening and as promised, it is pretty good at winging out my lashes. 

The wand is quite small with small bristles which means it is great for catching even your smaller lashes. I's also found it much easier to do my bottom lashes with this mascara compared to ones I've used in the past. Even if I didn't use this on my top lashes I would probably reach for this when it's time to do the bottom set. I like to keep my bottom lashes quite natural looking but since my lashes are blonde, I like to put something on there and this does the trick!

It lasts well and doesn't go flaky during the day and leave you with those super attractive black speckles under your eye. It's not waterproof but still has good staying power and isn't going to start streaming down your face the second your eye starts to water. 

The packaging, to me, looks a little more high-end and almost a bit more 'grown-up' than the mascaras I usually go for. Not that that's a big decider for me at least but still something to consider.

It can be quite subtle and great for everyday wear but also be built up to be a little more dramatic. This mascara wont be replacing my favourites but I'll definitely be using this in the future. 

xxx

Kitchen essentials for your first home

I've been moved into my first place now for a couple of months and am adjusting to independent life nicely. After all the preparation and worries involved in moving out its so nice to actually be settled in! One of the challenges of moving into your first place is knowing what you actually need to buy. When you live with your parents everything is there and there are things you use daily that you probably wouldn't even think about when purchasing things for your own home. I've decided to put together a series of essentials that you'll probably need for your first place. I'm starting on the most boring, yet one of the most important parts of the house...the kitchen!

The essentials:

Frying pan 

Pan set 

Knife set 

Cutlery (knives, forks, tea spoons, table spoons)

Plates

Bowls 

Glasses

Mugs

Chopping boards 

Baking trays

Oven proof dish

Cooking utensils

Can opener

Measuring jug

Pizza cutter (you could say this is not essential, but to me it is!) 

Kettle

Colander

Mixing bowl

Weighing scales

Obviously this list could go on forever, depending on what kind of stuff you like to cook. I'm not a great cook, but for me, that is more than enough to sort you out for the first few months in your first place!

I got the majority of my kitchen wear from IKEA. I would recommend going there when you have to buy a lot in one go. It's good value and everything is all in one place, which makes it a bit easier. 

Not the most exciting post but I hope you find it useful. Please comment below with anything I might have missed or anything you would suggest!

xxx

An awesome facial wash!

With all the exciting beauty products out there I feel like it can be easy to neglect the bare essentials. Which is why I've decided to share a new facial wash that I've been using lately. Well I say new...it's new to me! I was browsing around super drug and trying to avoid the make-up area...once I start putting make-up into my basket I cant stop! I ended up walking past the super drug skincare section and picking up one of their facial washes. I've used their tea tree wash in the past so this time I decided to try the tea tree and lemon facial wash.

I like to use a facial wash aimed at spot prevention because although my skin isnt to problematic, I do get breakouts around my forehead. I find that just regularly using a good anti-blemish facial wash and a few dabs of tea tree oil every now and then is usually enough to keep it under control.

This face wash is perfect for me. Tea tree oil is great as it has antibacterial properties to prevent and treat spots. The Lemon oil is to cleanse the skin of dirt, oil and other impurities for super clean skin. The lemon also smells lovely and feels so refreshing. I don't know if this is just me, but I always associate the smell of lemon, and just citrus scents in general, with cleanliness. However some lemony scents can smell a bit bleachy, which made me think twice about purchasing this, but as this is mixed with tea tree it doesn't smell to strong.

On to the most important part...how it makes my skin feel. Firstly I wanted to say that this works better for me than the Superdrug tea tree facial wash. Although the tea tree wash is great at clearing spots away, this one makes my skin feel softer and more refreshed. This also thoroughly cleanses my skin while still being gentle. I also find that this manages to remove most of my make-up, even pesky mascara, so I don't get out of the shower looking quite as much like a giant panda. Definitely will be repurchasing! 

xxx

Things to do this Summer

The lovely weather we have been having lately has got me thinking about plans for the summer. Since we don't seem to get that much sun in the UK I want to try and make sure I make the most of this summer, and make the most of my time off work. I have a week off in 5 weeks...not counting or anything. I've also got a week in July and a couple of weeks in August, wooo! Hoping for lush weather for those weeks but knowing my luck it will end up snowing or something. But I wont let that thought stop me making plans! Not all my plans involve sunshine anyway...some involve potentially being in pyjamas all day and lets be honest, they are the best plans.

SO here's what I want to do this summer...

Watch the new series of OITNB

Visit Thorpe Park again 

Do some baking

Shopping!

Go for walks in the evening 

Visit a new place

Start (and actually finish!) a few crafty projects

Visit London again 

Pass my driving test (Booked in June, EEEK!) 

Go and pick some strawberries

Eat the strawberries!

Spend more time with friends

Try and eat a (bit) healthier 

Get up early and go for a walk

Practice making bath bombs

Go to a BBQ 

Go swimming

Blog regularly!

Try and go out of my comfort zone (shouldn't be hard as literally everything is out of my comfort zone!)

Start and stick to a workout routine

It will be good to see how well I get on with this list, lets see how many things I can get ticked off! It will be good to come back and look at this list if I'm stuck for something to do one day. Hopefully it's given you a couple of ideas as well. Let me know your plans for this summer!

xxx