Saying F You to Beauty Standards

The Power of Putting Down the Straighteners

I've been feeling pretty powerful after this shoot yesterday.  I spent years and years (26 to be precise) damaging and abusing and hating my curly hair. I spent my evenings as a child, on the floor between my mum’s legs as she tried endlessly to create a style I felt happy with. Hot combs, chemical relaxers, we tried them all. I’d go to school where I was bullied for my “frizzy” hair. I’d see all the other girl’s at school and on tv with their beautiful “swishy” Pantene, L'Oreal “you’re worth it” hair. I was so envious. 

The Importance of a Good Night's Sleep

"You are either in your bed or in your shoes, so it pays to invest in both.”

I recently attended a press day hosted by Benson's for Beds and Harvey's. I wondered around the showroom, glancing lovingly at all the beautiful furniture, wishing I had a big house to fill with it all! After admiring all the luxe sofas and chairs in the Living Room set up, I head into the 'Bedroom' to have a talk about my sleeping habits with a sleep specialist.

We had a really interesting conversation about different sleeping patterns and I found out there are four types of sleep habit:

Owl - finds it hard to get to sleep / stays up late at night

Lark - wakes up too early and can’t get back to sleep / enjoys being an early riser

Squirrel - loves sleep and sleeps a lot (normal / good sleep)

Fox - light sleeper, wakes up a lot at night, finds it hard to sleep all night without waking up, sleeping patterns generally chaotic

Which type are you?

I was, of course, a night owl! Having an evening job that gets me home around 11pm, I often find it hard to get to sleep before 1am as it takes me a few hours to unwind. I always knew this wasn't great, but I wondered how it might affect me in the long term.

There are loads of factors to a great night's sleep - from actually getting a decent amount of hours shut-eye, switching off all tech before sleep, to choosing the right pillows and mattress for the ultimate relaxation. I am pretty sure I would score 0/100 in all of those! I probably get around 6-7 hours of sleep in a good night, I watch YouTube video in order to fall asleep and I have a second hand mattress I bought off eBay when starting uni which I never got round to replacing!

I wonder how many people can relate to my own situation - spening little time and little money on their sleep?

All this got me thinking and with the very generous gift voucher from the press event, I have invested in my first ever mattress! Woo! It took me long enough, but I am so excited about making some steps towards a healthier sleep that will benefit me loads in the long run!

I went for the "Quartz" mattress which has features such as an open coil spring system , upholstery with generous layers of mixed fillings and fresh white Belgian damask cover with deep quilted cushioning for added comfort!

I am hoping to see some small changes in the quality of my sleep. As a (nearly) fully-functioning adult, I am starting to invest my money wisely and live by the wise words of John Wildsmith:

"You are either in your bed or in your shoes, so it pays to invest in both.” 

Eb x 

The Perfect Manicure at Polished Dulwich

Hey Guys,

Now, manicures aren't something I tend to do very often, but that might need to change after experiencing the perfect manicure at Polished Dulwich! I wrote about my last experience at Polished, where I had the pleasure of experiencing a mani-pedi combo. This time I was back for the gel manicure...

I love visiting Polished, on its cosy residential street which connects Herne Hill with East Dulwich. The decor is ultra girly-chic, the perfect hang-out for nails and a natter. Pink and pastels are the staple colour palette in this salon, which is probably what inspired my choice of nail colour...

Gel Polish Manicure

"A Classic Pedicure with a Gel Polish guaranteed to last for two weeks without dulling, chipping or smudging."

Gel manicures can be extremely useful during the colder months, for my nails especially! I find they split and crack until I am left with a hand of stubby, broken tips.

Not only can they be a great protection from the cold, but they last up to two weeks (when maintained well) so give the impression of having your shiz together, without having to literally have your shiz together; it's brilliant! Here I am typing away on a Sunday evening, chocolate wrappers to my rights, hair a frizzy mess, candles burning to cover the smell of my shower-less body, BUT my nails - my nails look amazing! 

I went for classic pink-nude shade inspired by the decor. I was able to choose from a range of Gelish paints. "She's My Beauty" was perfect with "My Jewels Keep Me Warm as a feature nail for my ring fingers.

Sindy expertly applied my manicure using a UV lamp to cure the gel in place. I even got a dreamy hand massage at the end which was honestly the best part!

What do you think?

Thank you to Michelle and Sindy for inviting me back and for my amazing manicure!

Eb x

5 Tips for Improving Your Blog Photography

Hey Guys,

Today I have another "blogging tips" post for you. In July 2016 I wrote about how I created my media kit , a post I hope people found useful. Although blogging tips are not something I write about regularly, I have recently been experimenting with my photography set up at home, so thought I would share my top tips. 

This post has kindly been sponsored by Panasonic, who have recently released a brand new 4K Wildlife & Sports Camera! Features include up to 30k optical zoom, 4K photo and video all in a sleek compact design, making it the perfect camera for travel, blogging, and making memories. I think a great camera is important when it comes to my blog photography, but now I am jumping ahead to tip number 2! Let's start right at the beginning...

Let's Reflect ... 2017

Hey Guys,

2017... 

Well this post has been sitting in my drafts folder for a few weeks now. I had every intention of getting it up on January 1st, something in me kept putting it off, not knowing what I wanted my focus to be - should I recap my year as a blogger? Or list things I have learnt in the year 2017? What I hoped for from 2018? The possibilities were frankly overwhelming and the writer's block soon creeped in. 

Which brings us to today. Sunday 7th January, Friend's is playing in the background and I'm nursing a bad cold that has kept me in bed all day. I have made it to the sofa in the attempt to write this post!

Staying Cute and Cosy This Winter

Hey Guys,

Just because Christmas is over, does not mean we need to start thinking about Spring! I believe that the art of being comfortable, cosy, looking cute and on-trend is an art that should not be over-looked! 

It is so easy to use blame winter as the month of getting the flu, not leaving the house, bundling up in hefty sweaters and over all, not making much effort. This year, I discovered that winter can be a great way to add another layer to my style (pun intended). So I put together this cute and cosy outfit that will get you out the house, keep you warm and satisfy your inner fashionista!