January Favourites and Achievements

The most long, grey and miserable month of the year is finally over! *cheers and confetti emoji!*

Can you tell I am glad that January is over? Onwards and upwards to the month of love and pancakes aka February.

Beauty Favourites

During January I have fallen back in love with the Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub. Last time I ran out of this I ditched it for the Breakfast Scrub because I fancied a change but have since gone back to Sugar Crush and I think I'll be sticking with it for the foreseeable. I love the scent and I prefer sugar scrubs to the grainy ones. I really like how harsh and scrubby the S&G body scrubs are which means a little goes a long way and they last for ages. There's nothing worse than a body 'scrub' that is more like a shower gel with the odd stray grain in.

 

I also really love the Revlon Nearly Naked foundation, the shade Ivory is a near perfect match for my skin. I have normal/dry skin but at the moment it is very dry and this foundation doesn't cling to any dry patches - Yay! I love the light/medium coverage it gives, it is perfect for everyday and it gives a glowy/healthy look. I will definitely be using this foundation going into spring.

 

The next product  have been loving is the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer. I can tell I am going to go through the concealer super quickly because I've only had it a couple of months and can see i have used about a third of it already.. Whenever I heard people talk about it, I was adimant I didn't want it as they said how light the coverage was and I thought, concealer needs to be as thick and full coverage as possible why would you want it to be light coverage! Surely that's a waste of time and it won't do its job! ...But actually I was wrong and I love this soooo much! I have the shade 15 which I use for under my eyes (I prefer to use something like the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer for blemishes or spots). It gives a really lovely brightening effect and because it is so light in coverage, it blends really easily (I use my ring finger to pat it in, then the Real Techniques contour brush) and it doesn't look cakey or too thick and heavy.

YouTube Favourites

I have been enjoying quite a few new YouTube channels during January. The first is the lovely Meg from Meg Says. Not only is she possibly the most gorgeous person on the planet but she is a fellow ME sufferer and beauty lover.

 

The beautiful Emma from Emma Drusilla started her channel this month. She is a fellow ME sufferer too and is such a natural at talking to a camera and engaging with her audience and I am really enjoying her videos. I am so proud of both Emma and Meg #spooniesistersunite

 

I also found Leanne via Instagram at the beginning of January. She has ME and Lupus and has been vlogging and talking about make up on her channel M.E Myslef Leanne. Leanne is so positive and relatable and such a joy to watch. I really look forward to her videos.  

 

Book Favourite

 

My book favourite for January (along with One Million Lovely Letters that I wrote about here) is Pretty Honest by Sali Hughes. I have loved Sali's website and YouTube channel for quite a while, her 'In the bathroom' videos are my absolute favourites so I knew I would love her book. You might find this strange (I think I do) but my favourite chapter was probably the Anti-Aging one. I love reading about skincare so it was really interesting for me but everything is written really simply so it is informative, witty, relatable and easy to understand. Every beauty lover (or woman!) needs this book. It is amazing and I already want to keep it forever and pass it down to my daughter(s).

 

 

Achievements

 

 

During January I have got my anxiety under so much more control and my anxiety medication has started to work really well. 

I don't feel like I've done much at all in January but actually when I write it all down, it does seem like quite a bit. 

Here's the list:

Went to my nans for an hour for a cup of tea

Went to the doctors 

Went to the bank and opened my first bank account 

Went to nannys for Christmas take 2 

Washed hair 3 times

 

Goals for February:

Try and make a homemade green smoothie - find out what I do/don't like and practice a recipe 

Go shopping at least twice (already been once)

Wash hair once a week 

Carry on with walks and stretches  

Eat some pancakes for pancake day! - hopefully I'll fancy one and wont feel too nauseous so be able to eat it - nom!

 

How was your January?

Winter Nail Polish Picks 2015

Winter is probably my least favourite season for nail polish. In the spring I wear a lot of greens, pinks and pastels. In the summer I am all about the brights and neons. Autumn is great for deep berry shades, jewel tones and December is, of course, glitter. By the time January rolls around I am usually feeling a little bit lost as to what colours to use, my nails are usually left in a bit of a state after all that glitter over Christmas too. What is a girl to do?  If you are like me and need a little bit of nail inspiration at this time of year, I hope this helps and you enjoy seeing some of my favourites.

Sidenote: winter lighting is not my friend.

WARNING: this post features a LOT of grey *monkey covering his eyes emoji*

First up is Avon Midnight Green. I am a bit fan of green nails in general and I really like this darker green shade. I like that it is not so dark that it looks black and you can still tell it is green.

Barry M Vintage Violet is a really pretty grey-purple shade. It is muted and classy and I think it is quite an usual shade to find from a cheaper brand.



Essie Blue Rhapsody is an icey blue toned silver metallic polish. Its really easy to apply because you just need  one coat and it dries super quickly so if you are impatient - this is the one to go for!




Barry M Chai is a really pretty grey shade that goes with any outfit. You all know how much i rate the Gelly formula so this is definitely a winner for me.

Barry M Mushroom is such a classic shade that i think i will always love and have in my collection. Its a really nice brown-nude but its not so pale that it gives your hands a 'dead' look. Most of the colours i have chosen for winter are quite neutral and simple after the craziness of holiday glitter. 

Essie Jazz is a lovely neutral shade (another neutral!). I would really recommend this shade not just for winter, but for any smart occasion such as an interview or important meeting because it just makes your hands look very tidy and polished. 

Essie Chinchilly is another classic that i wouldn't want to be without in my collection. Its a warm grey with a very slight mink/purple tone. Super pretty and one of my go-to polishes when i don't know what to wear. This is a polish i will never get bored of!

Last but not least, Essie Bobbing for Baubles is a dark navy blue with a grey tone to it. Its a bit more interesting than your average dark blue but its still classy and subtle.The perfect way to add a bit of colour but navy to me, is still a neutral. Great for all skin tones.

What is your favourite polish to wear for winter? Are there any you think I should try?

Book Recomedation: One Million Lovely Letters

Something a little different from me today, I don't usually do book reviews, this isn't really a review anyway, more of a recommendation. The book in question is One Million Lovely Letters by Jodie Ann Bickley. I first found out about Jodie about a year ago on Twitter. Then last autumn, I heard she was on Surprise Surprise so as a fellow ME sufferer, I tuned in to find out more about her and her project, One Million Lovely Letters. [You can check out the site here]

After hearing her story I immediately fell in love with her and put her book, One Million Lovely Letters on my Christmas list. I was lucky enough to receive it and last week I started reading her book. It only took me two days to read it and is fairly short but I really really enjoyed reading it and found it uplifting and inspiring yet interesting, entertaining and easy to read. 

I found it really relatable too, not just because we both have ME but because she really is just an ordinary girl with a very big heart who wants to make people happy and the world a better place. 

I won't give away any spoilers, you'll have to read the book yourself (!!) but I think everyone could learn something from Jodie's story, whether you have the same illness or not. 

If you've not already read this book, I wholeheartedly recommend that you grab yourself a copy and give it a read.

Have you read One Million Lovely Letters? If so, what did you think?

I'm Back!

Sooo.. It's been a while. As you all know, this illness is unpredictable and it sure has been kicking my butt the past few weeks. The end of 2014 wasn't great for me. For the past 8 years I have suffered from bad anxiety and at the end of 2013 I made the decision to come off of my anxiety medication. All was going well anxiety-wise until October last year and it just got worse and worse from there onwards. This is definitely the worst my anxiety has ever been and I'm not sure why it came back, I think maybe me not being at college had a part to play in it but I guess we'll never know. I was having panic attacks at least once a day, having nightmares, not eating properly and not sleeping well at all. I mostly get anxious during the night and I think because it's winter and it is darker for longer, my anxiety is around for longer too. I'm not sure what it is, the dark just makes me feel more closed in and claustrophobic. 

In December I went back on my anxiety medication and I think it's finally starting to work, I'm definitely feeling a lot more relaxed and sleeping better. My eating isn't back to normal but I think that could just be my M.E. 

Sidenote: I'd just like to point out that before I started taking medication again, I tried a lot of other things, meditation, herbal tea, herbal tablets and remedies, aromatherapy, relaxing baths etc. 

Being chronically ill has suddenly really got to me. Maybe I took it too well to start with and am now having a delayed reaction? I'm not sure but Christmas Day was one of the worst days ever for me, in hindsight I shouldn't of done so much beforehand (I had a friend round on Monday, doctors on Tuesday, Christmas Eve busy-ness on Wednesday so naturally on Thursday I was pooped). I had been feeling pretty bad for the past couple of weeks. 

On Christmas morning I went downstairs to open my presents and have breakfast, all was fine, I mean, I felt ill and was exhausted but I thought I'd be okay. After presents I needed to go back upstairs to rest and this was when it got bad [just writing/thinking about it isn't nice]. My heart started to beat really fast, which for me is a sign of total exhaustion. I lay in bed for about half an hour before I felt like I was going to be sick so made my way to the bathroom. Two hours later and I was still sitting on the bathroom floor feeling sick, weak, exhausted, dizzy and many more things, I'd be here all day if I listed everything! I soon realised that I wasn't going to feel any better any time soon so had to make the decision to stay home whilst the rest of my family (apart from my mum who stayed with me). At the time, I honestly didn't care that it was Christmas Day, I just wanted to feel better so went to bed to rest. 

I can honestly say Christmas Day was one of the worst I've ever felt. I was so nauseous, it was painful and I am now so gutted that I missed out on christmas - anyone who knows me, knows how utterly obsessed I am with christmas! I was extremely light sensitive too (hence the glasses) 

For the past year me and my mum have been planning my dad a surprise birthday party for his 50th birthday which was on New Years Eve. The party was at home and I managed it quite well but struggled a lot with being around a lot of people and it being really loud. I was downstairs for a little while, perhaps not as long as I would of liked but considering how I was on Christmas Day, I'm pleased with what I managed. 

I've never really faced anything before that determination and hard work didn't fix so it's quite hard to still be ill and struggling after 4 years. Especailly when family members make comments about 'how long this has been going on for' - as if I'm not aware of it myself!

I've been feeling down because last year I managed so much at Christmas and even in January, I managed quite a lot too. It's upsetting to of gone backwards and hard not to compare previous years - even though I try not to!

So, that's what's been going on. I feel like I went quite deep there! (Lol) I am now getting back on track (slowly) and feeling a lot better than I was. As far as New Years Resolutions go, I haven't really made any apart from to keep up with the little bit of walking I've been doing with my mum every evening. Don't get too excited, it's not much, just down our road a little way but so far I've been doing it for 3 months and have only missed a few really bad days. 

I've also been trying to introduce some stretching back into my routine as my legs have been feeling extra sore. Back in the summer/autumn, I was doing some more exercises suggested to me by the lady I saw for physio so ideally I'd like to build back up to doing that again (although I'm in no rush). I'd also like to give yoga/Pilates a go and meditate more during 2015. I've been using this video as a guide for stretching. 

Hopefully I'll be blogging a bit more regularly now, and I'll be sure to keep you updated if anything exciting happens. 

Let me know if there are any posts you'd like to see me do, I'd always love some more ideas. 

Lots of love, Chloe x 

The Christmas TAG

I am so excited for Christmas - you'd think it only came every ten years not every year! So in keeping with my festive mood, I thought I'd do this Christmas TAG, put together by the lovely Poppy

1. What is your favourite Christmas movie? 

Believe it or not, I've never actually seen Elf, which I know is a lot of people's favourites. I love The Grinch, Aurthur Christmas, The Polar Express, The Nativity films and I love Christmassy rom-coms like Love Actually and The Holiday too. 

2. Do you open your Christmas presents on Christmas Eve or morning? 

Christmas Morning

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory? 

There isn't a specific Christmas memory that stands out but I do remember always being in the school choir and learning Christmas songs for the productions/carol services. One year we sang at the local lights-switching-on and that night my mum and dad told me, my brother and sister that we were going to Lapland UK the next day. Going to Lapland UK was super magical and amazing. 

I was also chosen/I volunteered to read out part of the nativity story at church one year - that was a proud moment! 

4. Favourite Festive food? 

Does it sound bad to say that there are too many to chose from? Obviously I love Christmas dinner, especially the pigs in blankets, Yorkshire puddings and the stuffing. I love the tins of chocolates too like the Cadburys Roses, Quality Street etc - the strawberry and orange creams are my favourites. I really like Terry's Chocolate Oranges too.  

5. Favourite Christmas gift? 

There's not really anything that stands out but getting my first mobile phone was quite exciting at the time. I think when you're little, every year the presents get 'better' than the year before and are your new favourites. 

Last year I got my first pair of GHDs which was amazing because I've wanted some for 5/6 years! And they are something I'll keep for a long time. 

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

I do like cinnamony smells but sometimes they can be a bit too strong. Is it weird to say that I love that kinda dusty smell when you get the decorations down from the loft and the smell of tinsel? 

And the smell of Christmas dinner cooking. And the smell of clementines always reminds me of Christmas too! 

7. What tops your tree? 

Our theme for our decorations is gold so we have a gold star on the top of our tree. 

8. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions? 

We always watch the Polar Express on Christmas Eve, get the Christmas chocolates chocolates out and have a Chinese takeaway. Then we put out a glass of milk and a mince pie for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph and we lay out stockings by the fire. I usually have a Lush bath with something Christmassy like the melting snowman or cinders bath bomb. 

9. As a kid, what was one crazy present you wished for but never received? 

I don't think there was anything, maybe I'm just super spoilt? I'm sure there was probably something I asked for that was crazy expensive. 

I think I might of asked for a mobile phone when I was about 9 which was a year before I actually had one. 

10. What's the best part of Christmas for you? 

The Christmassy feeling and the excitement because it genuinely is the best time of the year. Everyone is so excited and happy and it's just something great to look forward to. 

It's magical and I love the fact that so many people in the world are celebrating the same thing at the same time. 

You also get to see friends and family that you might only see once a year and it's basically an excuse to catch up and bring everyone together. 

You also get to eat a tonne of food and no-one can judge you because hey, guess what!? It's Christmas! Hehe ;)

Thank you so much to Poppy for tagging me and i tag everyone who is reading this to do it too!