Pinch Punch First Day of the Month | Hotel Chocolat Advent Calendars

Wow, I can't believe it's December already! This year has flown by with just 24 days left till Christmas. And nope I haven't got any present's yet, which is very unlike me!

Aside from being super unorganised this year, I have however, treated myself and Joe to a Hotel Chocolat advent calendar each this year! I got the white and milk chocolate ones! They retail at £12.50 each which is pretty expensive for an advent calendar, however, it's our first Christmas in our new home and I want it to be extra special!

Hotel Chocolat (and Ferrero Rocher) is my favourite brand for chocolate treats. I'm forever going in to my local store picking up little packets or buying gifts for friends and family. And, I've always wanted one of these, so I'm super excited to open number one today!

Girl Talk | Battling through Endometriosis

Ok, so I rarely come on my blog and feel strongly about writing something sentimental and personal. This isn't going to be about beauty products, lifestyle related things or nattering on about my weekly vlogs. This is just me feeling strongly about a condition, the impact it has had on my life and expressing it in writing. Maybe someone else is battling this condition too right now and can relate. Any who I hope this is somewhat helpful to at least one person.

And just warning you now, this may be a bit TMI.

And, I just thought I'd let you all know that as I type this, I'm wearing my bear dressing gown with a hot water bottle on my lap...

Anyway, where do I begin?
I've been in a constant battle with my cervix, ovaries, bowels and dealt with pelvic pains since I was about twenty. I've recently been diagnosed with Endometriosis which I am due to have surgery for in a few months. (I'm still on the waiting list and it takes about 5 months to get that appointment!) And believe me it's taken five whole years to figure out what is actually wrong with me, but now that I know, I am so relived. So, so relived.

Anyway, this week I've been at an all time low. I've been suffering with back-pains, insomnia and of course the emotional and physical pain of that dreaded time of the month. It's hit a point where I've been suffering for six days straight now.
It started off with back-pain and then a swollen belly that I know oh so well, where I waddle around like a penguin and overdose on ibuprofen to reduce the swelling. The ibuprofen wasn't kicking in this time round... Maybe I've become immune to it.
As well as this, I've woken up three days in a row, in the early hours, to be sick. And, on Saturday (yesterday) Joe made me a lovely home-made burger and I threw it up almost immediately after. Honestly, I don't know what is going on with my body right now.

It's now Sunday and I'm still experiencing heavy painful bleeding (TMI, sorry), I barely got any sleep last night due to the pain I was in, I was feeling irritable, restless and highly emotional.
I even tried to relax and took an hour long bath at 6am with Radox's muscle therapy mixed with their muscle soak bath salts, I feel a little better but the pain is still there sadly. After my bath, I climbed back into bed and burst into tears.

Seriously, does anyone know how agonising this is to deal with every single damn month? There will be days where I cannot physically walk, or sit down or do anything, but just lay on my bed like a sardine. I can't even lay on my side without, the oozes of pain running through my body! UGH, the stresses of this devil condition.

Jeez, I'm getting far too emotional in the post. I'm sorry, I just needed to get that all out into the open.

Right, moving on. I'm going to talk about some of things that help me during that emotional time of the month. And might what be somewhat helpful to another endometriosis sufferer. Or someone who is experiencing painful periods.

Here's my list of things that usually do the trick:

• Pills, pills, pills. Ibuprofen or naproxen. *Starts singing Hallelujah*
• Hot-bottle water. Stick it inside your PJ bottoms and walk around like a kangaroo.
• Baths. Oils, bath salts, bubbles - anything to help you relax and take the pain away.
• Staying in bed and distracting yourself. This could be by watching a film or TV series.
• A good old cuppa. If you bring me an earl grey, I will love you forever.
• Talk to somebody! Talking is good. Talk to a friend, loved one or someone you trust.
• Wear something comfy. Pyjamas all day, every-day. And of course, my beloved bear dressing gown.
• A hug. I'm not really a huggy kind of gal, but one from Joe makes all the difference. 
• A massage. Treat yourself to a massage. You can get specialised pelvic massages to relive pain!

Ok, so there's my list of things that help me feel better when I'm battling through that time of the month with this little thing called Endometriosis. Hope this was some-what helpful and if not, gave you a little insight to my personal life. And got to know me a bit better.

November Monthly Favourites

Yesterday my November Favourites went live on my channel! 

In this video I talk through beauty products I've been obsessed with, a few fashion items that I've been seriously loving and a few cheeky home/lifestyle favourites that I've been enjoying all through-out the month of November.  

Also I just want to say, It's my very first attempt at doing a favourites video and I was a little awkward at first but once I started getting into the swing of things it came out surprisingly ok! And, I am really proud of the editing in this video, it took me bloody ages so I'm giving myself a pat on the back for how well it turned out!

It's all about MAC's Matte Lippy: Lady Danger & Pigment in the shade Tan.

For me MAC was where my beauty obsession begun. It was back when I was beginning university, I decided that I wanted to try high end products, and of course see what all the MAC hype was about. My very first MAC product was their famous Studio Fix Fluid foundation and since then I've been utterly hooked on beauty products. 

I have actually moved away from using MAC foundations, although they do still hold a special place in my heart.

Anyway, this weekend just gone I was in Covent Garden and stumbled in to a MAC store. I wasn't planning on buying anything, just wanted to have a nosey, but of course, I ended up walking away with some items! I could of done a lot more damage on my credit card but I had to restrain myself, shopoholic problems!

 

I picked up the gorgeous shade 'Lady Danger'. This was on my MAC wishlist and I'm glad it's now mine!

It's a vivid orange-toned red, matte formula, really pigmented and long lasting. Of course, like most bold lipsticks, the colour does fade slightly, but a little touch up and it's as good as before.

Mmm... and I just love that vanilla smell MAC put in their lipsticks!

The second MAC product I bought was a Pigment, in the shade 'Tan'. How beautiful is this shade? It's a medium red-based rosy brown with warm undertones and a champagne shimmer. It has a metallic look and looks stunning on the eyes! 

Oh, and by the way, I'm a total MAC pigment convert now. They are AMAZING! 10 out of 10. 

What's so amazing about these... Well, let me tell you. You can either apply it with a brush without a primer or you can mix it with MAC's Fix+ Spray and it creates an intense wet-look eyeshadow. You can also create nail varnish's with these and all sorts of crazy things! 

I don't think I've ever been so excited about a product in such a long time! They are fabulous and I shall be returning to MAC in the near future to buy some more shades!

Soap & Glory Love

For someone who is a self proclaimed beauty junkie, I can't believe I've never actually tried Soap & Glory's makeup range before. So, as you do, I went to have a little browse in Boots... I didn't actually need to buy anything, but I saw '3 for 2' on Soap & Glory products and my eyes lit up. And then, boom, 3 products magically appeared in my basket.

Anyway, I've heard nothing but great things about Soap & Glory's makeup products from reviews I've read online and from the YouTube beauty community. Essie Button always raves about One Heck of a Blot, so I thought it must be good, right? And Alex (ICovetThee) has recently raved about the Archery 2-in-1 brow pencil and her makeup recommendations are always spot on! So two out of three products have been recommendations off bloggers that I trust.

Right, I'm gonna get straight into this. Starting with 'One Heck of a Blot'.

One Heck of a Blot. This little baby is a super translucent mattifying powder for all skin types. It claims to be ultra light and has a smooth velvety finish.

Now, I've gone a long time without powder, I've been more into the dewy-foundation look in recent times and simply haven't felt the need to use one. Although having said that, I have felt a little shiny recently. Anyway, this works wonders for blotting away that unnecessary shine! It does what it says on the tin, leaving a velvety mattifying texture on the skin. Also I have to say, I absolutely love the packaging - it's very similar to Benefit's. I just love that 1950's retro take on things. 

Lid Stuff, What's Nude. Next up we have Lid Stuff, I got the 'What's Nude' palette, but they also have 'Smokey Dokey' and 'Off the Wall Flowers'.
I mentioned a little while back on my blog that I've been wanting to experiment with my eyes a bit more. I absolute love winged liner but it's nice to try new things every now and then. Anyway, what drew me to this palette was the beautiful shades and that I could wear them every-day and not feel like my eyes are caked in heavy over-the-top makeup.
Ok, so, we have three matte shades, 'Vanilla', 'Pink T' and 'MudHoney', and then we have a shimmery shade 'Aubersheen'. The colours are stunning and they claim to last eight-hours which is all you need really.

Archery 2-in-1 Brow Filling Pencil & Brush. And last but not least is the Archery 2-in1 brow filling pencil & brush.

I've never been into the 'drawn eyebrow look', it's somewhat a little daunting and I have a fringe which covers up my brows anyways! However, I thought I'd give this a go and I am pleasantly surprised! Now I was expecting my brows to look like crazy caterpillars but let me reassure you they don't with this bad boy.
I got the shade 'Blonde-Shell' as it was the colour that looked most similar to my eyebrow colour.
The filling pencil looks really natural once applied with light, feathery strokes and the brush smooths it out all out and looks like the real deal. If you're looking for a natural eyebrow pencil, then this is the one to go for!

All you can eat tapas at Pix London & Shagingins in IKEA Vlog

Sorry that I've neglected my blog a bit this week. For some reason I've been feeling more exhausted and shitty than usual and haven't really been in the mood to blog after work. I think this may also have to do with having back and stomach pains too, which has resulted in me being a little grumpy.
Any who I've got the weekend off and I honestly haven't been more excited to just relax and be lazy for a change.

Anyway, here is my weekly vlog! The one where I eat six rounds of tapas, ramble about weirdo happenings in the night and have a whale of a time in IKEA. Psh, there is a sneaky look at our new desk, but we are undecided if we are keeping it. Hope you all enjoy!

Habitat Homeware Love

Habitat is somewhere where I would have never thought to go to shop for home-ware items. We don't have one close by, apart from in London, but we do have a little habitat section in our local Homebase which I had a little browse around the other day.

Everything is so beautiful, but super expensive. If I had more money than I would love to be able to afford some of these. Also you've probably noticed I've got a bit of a copper/rose gold obsession going on, what can I say, I love the colour. Anyway, let's talk about the products I'm loving shall we...

1. Chisel Vase. As described on the website it's a red textured ceramic vase. The dimpled surface that surrounds the vase adds an element of colour and interest to your table or shelf display.

2. Fleur Dressing Table. I absolutely adore this dressing table, it's perfect. I really like the knob detailing on the drawers, it adds an element of fun in a classy way. If only I could afford it...

3. Copperfield Lamp. This is actually a Homebase item not a Habitat one. It caught the corner of my eye in Homebase and from that moment I just had to have it. I am planning to display this on my bedside table or on my dressing table (when I get one).

4. Clerkenwell Sideboard. Not that we need a sideboard or anything but I really enjoy the design of this so I wanted to share. It's made out of a gorgeous warm wood veneer with a contemporary black gloss metal frame.

5. Talia Dining Chair. This is another love and unnecessary needed item. It's a contemporary update on the traditional spindle back chair and works well with a variety of dining tables. 

6. Small Copper Vase.  I absolutely adore this vase. It's a beautiful design that pairs a sleek mirror finish with hatched detailing for textural contrast. And it's copper, which I'm really into at the moment, if you couldn't tell!

7. Adam Red Apple Mug. I have to admit I have a mug addiction. I can't stop buying them! But, how cute is this apple mug!

8. Fleur 8 Drawer Cabinet. To pair with the dressing table I listed above, here is the beautiful Fleur 8 Drawer Cabinet. Perfect for storing away accessories, smaller items of clothing, makeup and jewellery. I enjoy it's combination of pretty ceramic knobs and the natural oak wood finish is gorgeous. Would look lovely in the bedroom or in the hallway.

Personally I think the whole range is stunning! 

9. Sushi Cushion. I've always been a big fan of Habitat's cushions, I've never owned one but I think they would look really nice in a home office. Just to add a bit of character and fun-ness to the room.

10. Neva Large Copper Bowl. I know, I know, another copper item but how lovely is this bowl. I think this would be great for Christmas to fill up with goodies and pass around.