Acne: My story

From the age of about 10 I started to get my first spots, as I entered secondary school these became a regular thing. I only tended to have the odd spot here and there, but never did I have clear skin. One or two days since then have I had almost clear skin and boy did it feel good! Well over the past 3 years these spots which I regarded as normal became more frequent in numbers. I could have it on my forehead chin, and cheeks on a bad day. This is when It started to affect me, I wanted it gone as it was not something I wanted to have to live with for the rest of my life. I'm not someone who wears a lot of makeup to school and it begun to really upset me and have me feeling very self conscious all the time. I feel like people judged me on it as I knew it didn't look good, but I never asked for it, so why should it affect who I am?




My acne is mostly on my cheeks and skin. But I also had acne on my back, for about 5 years I found myself self conscious in summer as my shoulders were exposed and my spots could be seen by anyone and everyone. Spots on the back? How odd! You hear about spots on the face but people tend to avoid talking about acne on the back and you never see it in person. It wasn't painful when I lied down but it was always there and started to irritate me. As my acne on my face expanded so did that on my back, from my shoulders to my waist.











I have tried so many products out of boots/superdrug/lush etc, but these just made me frustrated as I felt they have little or no affect on my skin. I'd watch beauty gurus saying how all these products had worked wonders for them,seen great reviews online, but they didn't work for me. Well all this changed last November after I had seen a new beauty guru talk about using the contraceptive pill for her skin. I never go to the doctors so I plucked up the courage to ask my mum if we could go as she's always busy. To my relief she said yes! And then my medication chapter began.

P.s I still use these products!

My doctor first confirmed for me that yes it was acne and not just spots, that I should have come
sooner, that it's very much treatable. First of all she gave me a a cream called Duac, how excited I was! Yay a cream that to cure spots how simple and wondrous  Well the result was that I was left lying in bed with tears streaming down my face as I felt like I'd stuck my face in a furnace. This stuff was good, but too good for my sensitive face. It worked well on my back but I couldn't be bothered with the fuss and pain (I'm a germ freak!).

Then we moved onto the pill. The ever dreaded question of ''Are you sexually active?'' came up in conversation, it's an important question nevertheless! These seemed much more simple, pain free, just take it routinely every day. After 3 months of treatment my acne seemed to finally improve, spots on my back retreated to my shoulders and disappeared, the spots on my face became smaller and less fierce.

Another thing I find is that my diet affects my acne, when I drink water/eat more fruit my skin appears clearer, In comparison to eating chocolate and junk food which break me out. On a handout my Doctor gave me it said some rare causes of acne are makeup,sweating,tight clothing, sugar diets, milk and picking spots. But I'll tell you something even if you manage to lead a life without all of this you can still get acne! It may improve it but might have no difference whatsoever!

My skin today (after 4 months treatment)

Now nothing in life is perfect, my face and back are still likely to get the odd spot day to day, but I'm now learning how to control it. Different things work for different people, and I'd like to say that I'm not bashing products just stating what affect they had on my skin. Same with the drugstore products I still use some of them daily and will talk about that more in the future if your interested. But if you have been suffering for acne for a while I do suggest going to the doctors if drugstore products don't work for you. As you can see my skin is starting to improve (loss of inflamation) but I'll keep you updated on my journey as my skin still has breakouts and scars, so I have a lot way to go yet.

Do you have acne? What products/treatments work for you?

MUA Eyebrow kit

The MUA Pro Brow Kit contains two shades of brown, a matte highlighter, a setting wax, a double ended applicator and tweezers. I'd first like to say that I'm sorry I didn't include a picture of my brows but I don't feel they do this justice as they're not very shapely. My eyebrows are very light since I'm blonde and until recently I'v never used/done anything to them. 

I began to see how a bit of preening could really make a difference to the face. I began by using the natural collection clear mascara, which held them in place and darkened them very slightly. I also use nail scissors to keep them tamed (anyone else do that?!). But after a while I began to feel it just wasn't enough that I was due to get my self a kit of some kind. Now there's not many on the market but there's a few, mostly expensive! But woahhh hold your horses this is MUA which meant it was only £3.50!

Now I believe this is the only palette they have to offer, being blonde i tend to used to lighter brown lightly but I think the dark brown would work well for brunettes and maybe even those of you with black hair, I'm not too sure, but you have blend the colours together to create your own look. The wax works well and also darkens your eyebrows further, I don't always apply it though as it's oily so I'm afraid of getting spots in my brows!

This has now become one of my go-to products that I use every day as I feel it gives that extra something! You can get this at Superdrug, for the price it's worth trying!

Hope you're all well

xxx

DIY: Body+Lip Scrub

What you will need:
Brown sugar (1 cup)
Olive oil (1/2 cup)
Honey (1/4 cup)
1 Lemon
Grater
Storage jar/container (air tight)
Spoon

Mix the sugar and oil together making sure to separate the sugar if clumpy. Stir in the honey thoroughly. Now use the cheese grater to add the zest of a lemon to the mixture, I suggest using the smaller side. Whenever you use this you may find the oil sepeartes from the mixture so you will have to stir it before use, I also suggest adding more sugar if this is the case.

Yesterday I decided to try something new, a body scrub! This smells sweet and if you like the smell of the Soap and Glory Sugar Crush for a penny of the price. At the moment I'm using this as a lip scrub, rub in a gentle circular motion to remove dead skin cells leave on for 10-mins and take off with a wet wipe, water, or lick it off! I will use this as a body scrub more often once I start baring my legs in spring/summer, but as I have previously mentioned my lips have been suffering for a while due to my careless abandon and are on the road to recovery! However this also leaves your legs smooth after you step out of the shower and apply your favourite moisturiser. I would not suggest to use this on your face as scrubs can irritate your skin and make it red/break out.

If a lemon citrus smell isn't for you, you can also add essential oils, vanilla extract, fruit, mint, and even melted chocolate! Just use what you have lying around the house so nothing goes to waste. You can also substitute the sugar for sea salt for a coarser solution and if you like the smell of the sea (I suggest it for a foot scrub)

Have a happy treatment time :)
Leave comments telling me what ingredients you used!

Nivea Lip butter:Raspberry Rosé Review

Let me first of start my saying this smells AMAAZINGGG and if you so happen to pass a Boots or  Superdrug you have to at least smell it! It says Raspberry's, but all I think of when I smell it is smoothies. It even applies like a smoothie (or melted marshmallows). Let me tell you this is an essential to carry around in your bag this Spring/Summer.

On a more serious note I'v recently realised that the reason for my dewy lips is due to them not being well moisturised. Nivea for me have always been the golden arch for moisturisation 101 yet a lot of their products are without girly scents. Well I'd give this a rating of 4/5 for softness as once applied it leaves your lips as soft as a baby's bottom, but after eating/drinking I find my lips return to their original state. Yet it does improve the general state of my lips and doesn't sit on them like vaseline, another thing I noticed is that it's half the size of a vaseline tin. Hmm I'm not going to lie it's no miracle worker (what is?) but to be honest even if it applied to my lips like dry wallpaper I'd still love it as the smell is intoxicating and so worth it for only £1.50!

Pearls over chains

Tee:£4 Jumper:£7 Pearls:Present Bracelet:£1 Boots:£3

Is that a sigh I hear? Yeah I know I got that T-shirt that everyone and their grandma has but ya know what I'm sure I'll get a lot of use out of it. Speaking of grandma's I kind of gave this an old-style twist, a chain would be more commonly worn with this shirt but I'm not a fan(although I'd love a chunky rose gold one!). So as an alternative I went for pearls, I mean a nerd doesn't wear chains right? I love pearls and all things vintage as you can probably tell my style is quite girly. Yet I'v paired it with this cardigan which is oversized for me and is cable knit. I also worn some navy skinny jeans with these To be honest all this may not have been unnecessary as wearing glasses alone gives meaning to the Tee is some aspects.

These boots are my babies as you can see I got them for a bargainous price(I should have stocked up). They're so comfy, like slipping your feet into slippers! I absolutely love cowboy boots yet these were my first pair (they were originally £18). Even though they're not plain black I feel I can wear them with a lot of outfits. The feathers add a slight twist but I'd still love theses without them. I don't love country music but I can't help fall in love with the country style.

But honestly I'm proud to wear a Geek/Nerd Tee (I think geek sounds better?). The reason my posts haven't always been frequent is because I'v either been revising for exams or had my head stuck in a new book. I'm not very confident in my glasses as I haven't always had to wear them so when I can afford it I'll switch to contacts. Also I made pancakes for the first time (Waaat?) Yeah well my family is always working and so no one really had time for pancake day, but as it's half term I'm taking it as an opportunity to try something new.

ASOS ft Marc B outfit

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Hey guys this is an outfit composed of ASOS clothing around a Marc B bag. You all know I'm in love with jumpers at the moment and I thought this one was so cute, Zoella wore a similar style with a Barbie print on it, I think they are so easy to style. The glasses are a statement piece for this summer, a must have, round sunglasses jazz up any outfit. I love these shorts as they continue to make the outfit casual with the rugged style even though I paired them with platforms! I'm in love with these shoes but they're not something I could wear due to my height. These socks are simple yet girly and keep your legs slightly warmer in this new spring weather while matching the jumper. The bag finishes off the outfit by making this outfit more formal and sophisticated, if you can get away with killer heels I'd say this would be a perfect outfit for sixth form.

To be in with a chance of winning Marc B and ASOS vouchers click here.

Topshop wishlist 001

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I love almost everything in Topshop, problem is it's more of a dream as I can only afford/justify things in the sale. At the moment I am loving jumpers mainly as I could so with some since mien don't fit, yet I feel that even spending over £10 is too much at the moment (I'm saving). But I love these high neck jumpers, the first one is absolutely gorgeous and will go with anything being nude. The second one is a bit more raunchy and I'm no a fan of the dip dye jumpers but these colours make up the type of sweater you'd receive as a kid knitted by your nan! 

The top is by a brand called Tea and Cake not only is it a lovely make but the clothes are lovely too, the labels have mini recipes. I love to travel and I'm a geography student so I love this tee along with many of there others. The crop top is not something I'd usually wear as I love lace and yellow but I don't like showing off my midriff. Yet I think this will be perfect to wear on a holiday abroad at the beach with a skater skirt.

I love to wear nail polish but hardly get the chance as its forbidden at school. But I'll soon be stocking up for summer and sixth form as the new styles and colours available are always expanding!

Are you a Topshop or Primark girl?

Instagram #1

1.New jumper; H&M 2.Healthy breakfast;oatmeal,banana,almonds,cinnamon 3.Shopping trip 4.Barry M in berry ice cream

@fluffycandyclouds

DIY; Studded flag shorts

These shorts will be perfect for my annual trip to Florida this summer, I have already planned out an outfit for them. This at tutorial on how you make them with pictures, quite simple. The shorts I'm using are ones I cut up from jeans and previously bleached patterns onto. I'd like to say beforehand that if you're going to stud your shorts you have to keep in mind that it's going to be uncomfortable unless you line the inside or wear hot pants underneath. Also I haven't put them through the wash yet so I don't know how the seams will cope but if your worried use clear nail varnish on the edges! I have a feeling if you use a bandanna or other cloth fabric it will work better.

1.First start by cutting a piece of paper/card to the size of the area you wish to place your flag (keep in mind pocket, zip, and loophole.Next cut your fabric according to the outline of the paper, making sure you've left a bit extra at the bottom so the fabric sneaks below the roll of your shorts (if yours have them).

2.You can use pins to hold down the fabric to stop it from gathering

3.Time to sew! Make sure to keep the fabric stretched so that it doesn't gather. I chose to use red thread throughout.

4.Choose studs and place them evenly on your chosen area to see if you have enough/if you like it. I chose stars to match the flag.

5.I'v had this nifty toy since I was lil' it works to place the studs but you can use a flat head screw driver to bend the prongs

6.There you have it! I also placed a couple of studs on the front loopholes.

Something good in a bad day

Just a random post today things were crappy:

• I stepped on my hand sanitizer and it squirted everywhere
• I had a horrible interview at a school as I was treated to a rude person
• I 'tossed' my pasta up the stairs and wall resulting in me spraining my wrist

But in between these events I had a teacher talk to me whom I have never talked to before. Her words were so sweet and kind. She said she's watched me grow up, that I'm an independent woman and should be proud of myself. I don't follow the crowd and make the right decisions. That good doesn't go unnoticed and that I shall go far. 

The fact that this women even knew my name was a slight shock, but her words made me so happy as it's not often a person has time to tell you that things will be alright, that a rainbow needs both sun and rain. I just think it's nice to be told that you as an individual are perfect, you don't need others to live your life. If you remember to make your own choices instead of following others, you are already one step ahead. Just remember this because being you is what makes your beauty from within shine.

Lots of love

xxx

Febrero purchases

Holla, I spent some money (whoops), I'll try not to buy anything else till summer(who am I kidding?). My sister came down for the weekend as she's going to Venice so we had a quick look around the stores, leading to me getting a few things. I'v been getting rid of most of my clothes since they're old and ugly which means items need to be replaced. I keep on looking for a good jumper, but I find a lot of the ones in stores are either too fluorescent or too expensive. I'm a bargain hunter so if an item is above £10 it has to be good. I'm in love with this bag, the red and brown compliment each other so well. I'm saving it for summer as I think it'll be just perfect, especially if I go to Spain.

Green stripey jumper/un jersey verde con rayas: £7- H&M
White cable knit jumper/un jersey blanco: £15- H&M
Red bag/bolso rojo: £2- Primark
Bird necklace/pájaro collar: £1- Primark

EAL evening

My school is very multicultural so we have lots of people from around the world coming to our school since it's a language school. So last night an EAL (English as second language) evening was held for the students. I'm British but my English teacher was kind enough to invite me. A slight problem was that you have to wear traditional dress and bring a traditional dish, I'm British and Vegetarian. I decided to wear a normal dress, and I made Yorkshire puddings for the first time!

 It was a good evening as everyone had amazing and beautiful outfits. I was envious as I wanted them all! There was music, and poems were read, but the best bit was the amount of food. Everyone had to bring a dish so there was tables and tables full to help yourself from, as soon as the presentation was over it got pretty crowded! I managed to get my hands on a few things, so it was a great success, I just wish it had been longer as the whole thing only lasted over an hour. I hope to continue making friends from around the world as I find different cultures so interesting and want to be a part of them.

What is your culture? What culture inspires you?

Sleepover

A massive pizza bigger than the plate!

We had lots of chocolate, crisps,sweets. We ate popcorn while watching Jennifer's body.

Today we wandered around Ikea

This weekend was very chill, I had a sleepover with my friend. It wasn't very upbeat as it was our way of carming down since our January exams had finished. So we didn't do a lot but we had fun so we'll probably have a more crazy/girly night soon.

xxx