An Honest Post | Life Update & Losing My Blogging Mojo

Do you ever get into one of them moods. Where you feel down in the dumps - apathetic and idle, and you aren't entirely sure why. This has been me for the past month and a half. 

You may (or may not) have noticed my lack of posts this past while. At the beginning of May I made a promise to myself to post at least twice a week, and keep a blogging journal along the way in a bid to keep myself motivated. This lasted for approximately two days and was then forgotten about. I am unable to pinpoint exactly what it is that has me feeling so lackluster when it comes to my blog, and this is probably the most frustrating part of it. 

Without going into too much detail, my Nan, whom I live it, has been unwell in hospital the past month or so during my college exams, and while she will be totally fine, this has still been a huge strain in my life and is set to continue. With all of this going on at home blogging naturally became less of a priority. Other than that, everything else in my life has been going well for me. I have recently got myself a part time job in a clothes shop, which means I will have that little bit of an extra income to plan trips and splurge on shopping sprees. I also found out that I did surprisingly well in my college exams for this year, and I will be sailing on into 3rd year come September. So with things somewhat settling down and going in my favour, why can I not find my blogging mojo again?

I have exhausted every possible reason as to why I have lost my motivation. Maybe it's the gloomy weather. Maybe it's because I have been so broke lately that I can't afford to buy new clothes that force me to make outfit posts. I have tried looking at other blogs to reap inspiration from. I have tried to change up my look and even got a fringe. But nothing, nothing seems to be working. 

Don't get me wrong, I have ideas for posts, but it is just getting these ideas into writing, and writing that I am proud of that is the problem. The idea that I am too hard on myself is a possible reason why I have been avoiding writing posts lately, for fear that I won't be completely happy with them and will beat myself up over it. 

Constantly comparing your blog and it's progress with others is also a sure fire way to end up in a downward spiral in the blogging world, and this I have most definitely been doing as of late. While my following has been steadily growing, my daily page views has been rapidly declining and I can't seem to pick them up again. I have lovely blogging friends constantly commenting on my posts and sending me inspiring messages on instagram, yet I still can't help but feel that my blog and it's following is just not where it should be and that in and of itself is disheartening enough to want to stop posting. 

But I won't stop posting. While I am not going to make unrealistic promises to myself that I will have new posts up multiple times a week, I will have one new one up once a week. And in the meantime I will try to build up my motivation again to keep going with this wonderful little hobby of mine, because deep down I know it is all worth it.

Now enough of this pity party. I will be back next Sunday with a new (hopefully more interesting) post. 

Please do let me know in the comments what you do to keep you motivated with blogging or anything else you do in your life.

Adele x

The Beauty Post | The Battle Of The Highlighters - High End vs High Street

As someone who suffers from generally dull and lackluster skin, I rely heavily on highlighters to give my face the glowy boost it needs. Since the term 'highlighter' has made it's way into the average, make up wearing girl's vocabulary some years ago, I have accumulated a small army of different highlighters. This small army ranges from highlighters that cost nothing more than a fiver, up to instagram's most sought after products which cost the equivalent of 3 Domino's meal deals. 

With all this in mind, naturally through trying and testing, I have chosen my favourite highlighters and my not so favourite. In this post I have decided to choose 4 completely different highlight products, with completely different price tags and rank them in order of my least favourite to ride or die, 10/10, could not live without, favourite.

So is a product's price tag equal to the quality of the product? Or are we simply fooled by more expensive brands that their products are superior? When in fact we can find equally as good products on the high street for a quarter of the price.

Sleek - 'Precious Metals Highlighter Palette' - High Street 

My least favourite on the list would have to be my Sleek highlighting palette. For roughly 15 Euro this products just does not tick the boxes for me. If you are looking for an extreme, over the top highlight maybe for a festival or special occasion, this may be the one for you. However on an average, day to day kind of basis this is just too much. The glittery pigment is a little too much on the heavy 'I look like a five year old who got hold of my mother's make up' side, rather than natural and dewy. 

Benefit - 'High Beam Highlighter' - High End 

In third place is Benefits 'High Beam' highlighter. The most expensive on my list, this product comes in at almost 30 Euro. For me, this product does the job yes, it gives me a natural, subtle highlight, but for this price, I be expectin' miracles and unfortunately Benefit does not deliver that. Am I glad I tried it? Yes. Will I buy it again? Probably not. 

TheBalm - 'Mary-Lou Manizer Highlight Powder' - High End 

The only powder highlighter on my list, TheBalm's Mary-Lou highlighter is a sure favourite of mine. Costing roughly 20 Euro, it is on the cheaper side of the high end products. I use this product not only as a face highlighter but also as an eyeshadow, the perfect product as this does not crease. In my opinion I feel that there is probably a drugstore product out there which is just as good, but chances are, it will take a bit of dedication to find that. 

Collection - 'Speedy Highlighter Stick' - High Street

Coming in as number one on my high end vs high street highlighter list, is Collection's 'Speedy Highlighter'. Costing 5 euro, this product is a hidden gem that many are yet to come across. This little stick is perfect for throwing into your handbag when you are on the go, and not to mention lasts forever. This product I reach for on an almost daily basis, and it never fails to liven up my complexion whenever needs be. Easily build able, I would recommend giving this a go if you have not already. Here is a review I wrote on it quite a while back for anyone wanting to know more information about it. 

So there you have it, once again the high street is proving that you don't need to spend the big bucks to find a make up product that really works. 

Let me know in the comments what your favourite highlights are.

Adele x

The Fashion Post | May Wishlist

Nothing will come as a huge surprise in May's wishlist. It is an array of colours and patterns and I would not have it any other way. I have been loving all things ruffled and all things trousers recently and Mango seem to completely fulfill all of my ruffly and palazzo dreams. 

As it is Summer I have been looking at sunglasses recently and stumbling upon this Zaful pair, it's fair to say I am in love. I may or may not have ordered one or two bits from the list (and maybe a few other things) which I am so excited to share in upcoming outfit posts. Do any other bloggers justify buying clothes by saying to yourself 'well I will do an outfit post on it so'. I need to stop doing this. 

Ruffle Sleeve Top | Cat Eye Sunglasses | Striped Trousers | Orange Midi Dress | Orange  | Ruffle Blouse | Orange Sandals | Gingham Ruffle Skirt | Lilac Trousers | Lemon Trouser | Flat Mules |Lemon Cami | Retro Sunglasses

What have you been eyeing up this month? 

Adele x

The Fashion Post | Tried & Tested - The Off The Shoulder Shirt Trend

White Shirt | Jeans (similar) | Boots (similar)

Fashion - an ever changing, ever evolving world. You either keep up with it and it's trends or you fall behind. 

Admittedly I am not one to succumb to trends, if I don't like something, there is no way will I wear it simply on the basis that it is 'in'. I tend to avoid a lot of trends for fear of blending in. However, the off the shoulder shirt trend is something that appears to be taking the fashion world by storm and something that I may just be on board with. Putting my fashion trend snobbery aside, I decided to root out my old shirts and give them a little off the shoulder revamp.

Often in fashion, trends are just trends and clothes are just clothes. Fashion weeks produce them, clothing brands duplicate them, fashion bloggers and magazines share them, and fashion followers wear them. That is the cycle. However, no one seems to review them, or really give things much thought. The practicality of fashion and it's trends is often overlooked, with the importance being placed on how you look, rather than how you feel. 

So, taking the off the shoulder shirt trend, I have decided to try this craze out for myself and report back with just how practical, comfortable and sensible the whole thing is. 

The three main areas I focused on when putting the trend to the test was 

- how comfortable I was throughout the day

- how practical said trend was to wear  

- if the trend was appropriate for every day life and tasks

Done all in the name of fashion, my findings were mixed. While I love the effortless aesthetic this trend gives off along with the fact that it has given the old white shirt a new lease of life, I am unsure as to how realistic this is on a mundane, day to day kind of basis. 

If, like me, you generally steer clear of bras you will have a serious case of paranoid boobies while wearing this trend. The constant checking to make sure a boob has not slipped out of it's assigned place can be a little off putting, not to mention tiring. Then we have eating, drinking, and attempting to do any other kind of standard task. All of the above are made that bit harder by trying to hold your top in place, for fear of looking stupid, or worse, a tit falling out. Not only do you have restricted movement from the shirt, it also requires constant fixing so that you look on top of your game. Something that makes the simple task of eating  or applying make up that little more difficult. 

Overall, I like this trend, I promise I do. But having worn it on a few occasions I have come to the realisation that while it looks cool, it does not come without it's cons. 

My overall verdict on this sassy trend - Perfect for night time wear, when you want to show off some skin and feel comfortable in knowing that you will not be doing many activities. But probably best to be avoided if you are going for a job interview, or out for Sunday dinner with your parents, nip slips are a hazard. 

Let me know in the comments your thoughts on this trend. Have you tried it before, or are you steering clear? I would love to hear your feedback. 

Adele x

The Beauty Post | L'Oreal Colorista Washout Dye Review

Since about the age of 16 I have been wanting to try out something different with my hair, and by different I mean dye it a pastel colour. When the trend began in around 2012 I think every girl went through a phase where they wanted nothing more than long wavy lilac tumbleresque hair. As most girls grew out of this phase, I did not. 

Having done my research on the steps it took to achieve pastel coloured hair I decided to give up on my dream. Bleaching my entire head and having to re dye my hair with colour every couple of weeks just seems like too much of a commitment for me, so I remained happy with my blonde locks. That is until I randomly came across L'Oreal's colorista washout dye in boots. Finally - my dreams having long peachy locks will be fulfilled.

The Product

The product claims to colour hair whatever colour you choose, which lasts up to 2-3 shampoos. I picked up the colours pink and peach, which cost me roughly 9 euro each. However, it must be stated that the product will only work on blonde, ombre or highlighted hair. So if you have all over dark brown or black hair I wouldn't waste my money buying the dye, because it probably won't work for you.  

Does it Work? 

Now on to the good bit. I applied both the pink and peach colour to my hair as instructed. I wanted a nice blend of the two so I applied a generous amount of both. Please note if you are going to give this a try make sure you buy two of whatever colour you are using as there just isn't enough product in just one tube to cover your whole head (massive con for me). I followed the instructions and allow the colour to sit in my hair for a while before washing it out. 

The results I was quite overwhelmed with. For a silly washout dye I really was not expecting the colour to take as well as it did. As you can see from these pictures the pink looks a lot more vibrant than the peach, but that really changed depending on the light. After one or two washes I did go through a phase of panic where I thought the dye had permanently left my hair a peachy/orange colour as it did not seem to be washing out. But with some patience the product did eventually wash out after about 5 washes - and I added a little washing up liquid to my shampoo to try and hurry up the process, which did the trick. Please please pay attention however, I have heard a lot of bad reviews on the blue colour in this range, with that it has turned people's hair permanently green so if you are looking to try that one, do think it through. Otherwise, my hair is now back to exactly how it was before and I am really impressed that the pink and peach colour washed out exactly as promised. 

Final Thoughts

To sum up my thoughts on this product. I am glad I gave it a go to satisfy myself after all these years of wondering how I would look with coloured hair, however I probably would not buy it again. As much as I enjoyed playing around with pink hair I really don't think it is for me and after a day or two I ended up missing being blonde.

 I have nothing against the product, I just personally feel more like myself when I am blonde. I would completely recommend this for anyone who like me, just wants to give pastel hair a go without the commitment of bleach, or if you want to spice up your hair colour for a special event. It is perfect coming into the festival season. 

Have you tried this before? 

Adele x

Girl Talk | Seven Things Women Do That Men Just Don't Understand

As a woman, there are many mildly irritating encounters we face daily, and being realistic, men and their way of thinking are up there with the most annoying of those. There are certain things we as women do that make perfect sense to us yet to men they seem completely irrational. We've all been there, you see a little old man eating alone in public which almost brings you to tears, however your boyfriend has no idea why this makes you sad and starts to make fun of you for being so sensitive, and you're left wondering 'But how can he not see what I see?!'. Never fear ladies, here is where I come to the rescue, to stand up for all womankind. 

In order to give the male species a little insight to the inner workings our female mind I have compiled together a list of the small things we do along with the reasons behind why we do it, and furthermore a little explanation as to why we find it so damn frustrating that men can't understand our logic behind it. So here it is, my open letter to the male species. 

Bringing Your Bag to The Toilet 

I have lost count of the amount of awkward encounters I have faced when simply trying to bring my handbag/school bag to the bathroom with me. This particular incident is something that I am sure has happened to every school girl. You have your period and ask your male teacher if you can go to the bathroom during class so you can ahem 'freshen up', he gives you permission and you proceed towards the door with your schoolbag in hand, easy sailing. But all of a sudden said male teacher asks why you are bringing your bag with you and that you should probably just leave it here, completely unaware of the fact that you are profusely bleeding from your special area and need to change your tampon asap before there is a bloody disaster all over your school uniform. But of course that is far too awkward to say, so instead you smile, leave your schoolbag down and carry on to the toilet where you then must come up with creative ways to stop the blood flow from escaping your underwear. 

So men, the next time you see a female bring a bag to the toilet with you, say nothing. 

The Back Of The Trousers Check 

While we are on the topic of periods, another thing that men just do not understand is the back of the trousers check. Every single woman on this planet knows exactly what this is, it is the holy gospel of girl code. You have your period and ask your girl friend to have a cheeky look at your bum just to make sure there are no code red situations happening, job done in 0.2 seconds. Men, not so subtle at this check. First of all you have to explain the logic to them, when eventually they get the idea into their heads 15 minutes later they then make this check the most obvious movement on the planet. Furthermore even after this they cannot be trusted to have done the job right. 

If there is one thing women know about men, it is that they say things that are untrue because they believe it is what we want to hear. So with that logic, if there was any blood on your trousers they will more than likely tell you that there is not just to keep you happy. I can't. 

Taking The Perfect Instagram Picture

For a lot of women the feeling of getting the perfect instagram snap is equal to the feeling of winning the lottery, it is seriously that important. However, men do not understand this. While it is frustrating enough to find the perfect lighting, the perfect background AND the perfect pose what is eveeen more frustrating is a moaning boyfriend taking the picture. It might take best part of an hour to get the perfect image that is instagram worthy, but it is well worth the effort, believe me. Also - when we say to take A picture we mean take an upward of ten, not literally one, we're not that good. 

We Think Everything Is Cute 

Dogs, bunnies, shoes, tiny salt and pepper shakers, everything is cute to us. To you they may seem like insignificant and inanimate objects, but to us they are just so tiny and precious and we love them. To be honest, I can't even explain our logic behind this, it just is what it is. Accept it. 

The Need For Every Detail

Why, when men tell a story do they completely omit the important details within that story and skip straight to the 'good' part. Women need details. What were you wearing? What was the weather like? What exactly, word. for. word. did the other person say? Men, please understand our need for the tiny details, they may seem insignificant to you but to us they are the most important aspect of a story.

We Are Detectives
Continuing on from the above statement, women live for details because it is these tiny details that lead us on our little detective way to forensic oblivion. Men seem to constantly underestimate our ability to take on the smallest detail and run with that, finding out whatever we need to and more along the way. The sooner the male sex understands this the better.

Not Showering 

This, this irritates me. Boys may be able to shower 7 times a day without giving it a second thought, but we cannot do this. What males don't understand is that showering for women is a whole process that takes strategic planning and organising, this is not a spur of the moment kind of thing. Every female has set hair washing days because THAT SHIT TAKES TIME. You may be able to use a 2 in 1 tesco brand shampoo and conditioner and allow 3 minutes for your hair to dry naturally after a shower. But women need roughly 5 hair care products both during and after a shower and then must allow 50 minutes for styling afterwards. So the next time your girlfriend skips a shower and reaches for the dry shampoo instead, please do not judge.

Although it was difficult to narrow down my list to just seven things that men do not understand about women, I could probably create a whole new list on the things women don't understand about men. Ugh, I give up.

Previous posts in my girl talk series: 
Things I Learned When I Stopped Waring Bras
The Menstrual Cup
11 Thoughts Every Girl Has On Her Period
Here's To The Girls Who Don't Wear Makeup
Lets Talk About Body Hair

Have a lovely Thursday!
Adele x

Instagram Roundup | April

Oh man am I glad to see the back of April, between college and exam stress and other issues it has not been the most enjoyable month. In between all that mayhem I did however manage to dye my hair pink/peach, and a post all about this is soon to come in the next couple weeks, along with lots of other posts I have planned. 

On a side note, I would love if you all left me a little note below on what kind of posts you want to see from me in the upcoming months. I am open to any suggestions! 

Adele x

The Beauty Post | Getting out of a rut with NARS Luminous Weightless Foundation

I never thought I would see the day that I sit on my tiny bed and write up a blog post about foundation. For the past few years I have given up wearing foundation. As a girl who once suffered from acne, I feel like it is wrong to cover up my skin with layers of a nude paste now that my skin has finally become clear again. 

But, lately I have been feeling very unsatisfied with my appearance and how I did my make up. I will spend an hour or two putting on make up and trying different styles only to hate it in the end and prefer how I looked before the winged eyeliner and badly contoured cheeks, which is good but surely the whole point of make up is to make you feel better about yourself, not worse (I made a post on these feelings here). So with that I thought maybe it was time to venture back to a foundation and actually become happy with how I apply my make up, and not a cheap drugstore one that I used when I was 15 no, a big girl high end one. 

The Product 

Having done my research I went out and bought myself the NARS Luminous Weightless Foundation and the shade I picked up was Punjab. The product claims to give a full but natural coverage, creating an instantly polished look. I paid 45 euro for it, which is pretty damn expensive as far as I am concerned but I loved how it makes other peoples skin look so I thought it was worth a try and seeing as I don't wear make up all that often I will probably get pretty good wear out of it. 

Does it work?

Yes. However, I do have some slight issues with it that I will get to later. To apply it I use my blending brush and then go back over that with a beauty blender to make sure that everything is as blended and natural looking as possible. The colour is a perfect match for my skin tone once I add one or two pumps of the body shop's foundation lightener, I got a shade slightly darker than my natural skin tone because I often wear tan and this way my face will always match my body. The foundation is a crazy watery formula and is really easy to blend on my face. It lasts pretty well, it does wear a little throughout the day as expected but generally it stays put. 

                            

So to keep things short, I do like this product. It is blendable, it can be easily built up and it gives me coverage without looking or feeling caked. However, I slightly dislike the fact that it is high coverage. Although it looks natural and definitely does not feel heavy, my skin is pretty clear and could do with a lighter product. Another thing that I slightly dislike it is the fact that it is a little matte, this isn't a huge deal because I can mix a highlighter into it and give myself more of a glow but generally when I wear make up I like to have a dewy look and this product does not really give me that on it's own. 

Final Thoughts

To round things up. I like this product, I am glad I have bought it and with it I have been lifted out of my makeup rut, however I would probably not buy it again once it has ran out. I think this product is perfect for someone with acne or scarring that is looking to cover them up but for me this is not what I am looking for.

Maybe next time I will try their sheer glow foundation or maybe a different high end brand altogether, but I will continue on in my quest to find my perfect foundation. 

If you have any foundation recommendations for me please leave them down below, I would love for you to help me out! 

Have a lovely Sunday

Adele x

The Fashion Post | Pyjama Shirt and Striped Culottes

Shirt: Boohoo (similar) Trousers:Boohoo (similar) Boots: Vintage Handbag: Vintage

If you follow me in instagram you will be aware of my love for this shirt. The pyjama trend is probably one of my favourite trends that is happening in fashion right now. I mean, why would you not want to wear a silk pyjama shirt in public and use 'fashion' as justification?? Styling it is a little difficult however because I don't want to be that knob that thinks they're all fashion-y and cool enough to pull off a whole pyjama look but then again comfort is probably my number one priority in life. So I thought hey I look like a bit of a dick wearing a gold pyjama top anyway, why not go the whole hog and pair it with some trousers that could be mistaken for pyjamas too? 

I have 0 regrets - ladies, the comfort level of this outfit is through the roof. If you like fashion and eating until it feels like your trousers will rip open, I suggest investing in some pyjama style attire asap. 

I hope you are all having a lovely Easter Sunday! 

Adele x

The Life Post | 5 Things A Wifi Free Weekend Taught Me

As I briefly mentioned in my Galway post, roughly a month ago myself and my boyfriend had a weekend away where we turned our wifi off and locked our phones away in a drawer. Although my boyfriend broke his side of the deal and had a sneaky look on facebook once or twice, I kept up my part and had no access to any internet or social media for the duration of the trip. Through my technology detox I experienced a number of different things and I thought I would share a few of them with you.

Improved Conversation

Not having a phone to look at throughout dinner during the evening meant that myself and my boyfriend actually had to speak to each other (I know, can you believe it!?). Okay that might sound a little dramatic but instead of filling any silences by aimlessly scrolling through my instagram feed, I filled it by asking questions, coming up with conversation and being there in the moment. With this I also looked around and noted the amount of couples sitting around me glued to their phones while they wait for their food to be brought out and this made me a little sad to realise that that is how we usually look. Maybe a no phone at meal time rule needs to be put in place. 

What's the Time?!

Another I learned is that without my phone I literally have no idea what time it is. Through this I also realised that there is a serious lack of clocks in places like restaurants and bars. I know there is a simple solution to this and it is called a watch, but I did not think this through and pretty much spent my entire weekend wondering what time it was. 

Notifications Make Me Anxious

Something I didn't realise before this weekend was that having my phone constantly beside me, buzzing every 10 minutes makes me feel like I am in a constant state of unease. It never really feels like I am completely alone and although some people may feel that this is a good thing I do not. Feeling the constant urge to look at a phone screen to see who liked my new instagram picture is damaging anyone's mental being, and I think realising this is the first step in changing it. 

  

How It Feels To Be Relaxed 

Through realising that my phone quite often makes me anxious, I learned what it really feels like to be relaxed. While I was away I felt a overwhelming feeling of relaxation and distance from reality for the few days we were there. As soon as I turned my wifi on again when I was back in Dublin I was receiving messages about college work that was due and my feeling of relaxation was suddenly a distant memory. This made me think that maybe turning my phone off for an hour or so every now and again might just do my mental health a great deal of good. 

I Had To THINK

The epitome of first world problems eh? Basically whenever I needed to know something I actually had to think about it rather than reaching for my smart phone and letting google do the job for me.

Do you often switch off from technology? If so what have you learned from it? 

Adele x

The Fashion Post | Men, I May Not Know. But Shoes, Shoes I Know.

Shoes, shoes, shoes. These little things I have had a love/hate relationship with when it comes to fashion. While I sit there for hours trolling Asos for dainty little barely there's, my sensible inner voice screams just thinking about how uncomfortable they would be. However more recently I have been falling more and more in love with heels and I thought I would dedicate a whole post to these pretty little things, one that Carrie Bradshaw herself would be proud of. 

Also if you got the title of the post, well done you. 

Gold Barely There's | Pink Block Heel | Flared Block Heel | Pink Pumps | Rose Gold Block Heel | Pink Ankle Cut Off Heel | Leather Boot | Orange Court Shoe | Pink Suede Mules | Patent Mary Janes | Red Sling Backs | Charcoal Block Heel | Pink Slingback Heel | Leopard Print T-Bar Heel | Fabric Knot Mules | Mid Heel Court Shoe | Lace Up Heels | Sling Back Court Shoes | V - Cut Midi Heel | Red Suede Heel

In recent months I have discovered a happy medium between wanting to wear pretty heels and wanting to have the ability to walk, and that comes in the form of midi heels. As you can see above I have included a tonne of different variations of midi heels, from mules to sling backs that are all over the fashion world lately and I am in love. Something I like to do to add a bit of interest to an outfit is to pop on a pair of shoes with a bright colour or bold print, pulling together any look I might have. Pastel midi heels and leopard print pumps are always a safe place to start.
 Another thing that makes me happy other than the shoes themselves are websites such as StyleWe and Fsjshoes which I have found recently that stock amazing and affordable heels, it is nice to have other places to look other than the usual Asos and Topshop kind of places, variety is the spice of life n'all that. 

Well I hope this has provided you with enough shoe porn for today. Now all these beauties need to do is magically appear in my wardrobe, plz and tnx. 

Happy Sunday everyone! 

Adele x

Instagram Roundup | March

What a colourful month March has been, according to these pictures anyway. April for me means two things, exams, which is probably the worst thing in the world, and the end of exams which is probably the best thing in the world. So the next month is looking like a cloud of revision and last minute assignments but, that also means that I am all the more close to being free from all college commitment for the Summer, which makes me very excited. 

What are you plans for April?

Adele x

The Life Post | A Basic White Girl's Guide To Unwinding

 Whether you work, run a household or anything else inbetween, most of us encounter stress during everyday life. If you're a student like me your life will be looking a little something like hell right now, as we all know March and April are filled with nothing but deadlines, mental breakdowns and exams. So writing this post probably couldn't have come at a better time. 

Whatever it is that may have you stressed it is important to switch off from whatever that is eventually and these are some of my completely generic ways to relax. Que the common white girl advice.

Cut Off Point

Every evening there must be a cut off point that you establish which separates you from work, whether that be school/college work or your job. There must be a time that that ends and relaxation begins. Not doing so will lead to a sleepless night, resulting in less productivity the following day. 

Chocolate

Okay maybe this should not be on the list, but it is on mine, so don't judge. Nothing calms me down more than one or two (or twenty) squares of chocolate. If you are a chocoholic like me you can relate to the experiencing that feeling of euphoria when eating some chocolate after a stressful day. I recommend always having a stash hidden somewhere for particularly hectic times. With this, you could also try baking. I love melting some chocolate together and making rocky road if I get the chance - it doesn't involve too much messing about and it tastes amazing.

Ambiance

Creating a place of comfort and relaxation is key to being able to feel that way. I tend to light candles and dim the lights in my bedroom to create a stress free area. Meditate or play relaxing sounds while you get ready for bed, do whatever it takes to get you into the zooone.

Pamper

When I am feeling stressed out it is likely that my skin will tell that tale. Sleepless nights and constant anxiety are part and parcel of being under pressure and this will result in my skin looking dull and spotty, which will only make you feel even worse, leading to more stress - you can see the viscous cycle emerging here. So to eradicate that it is important to pamper yourself, painting your nails and applying a face mask can be all your moral needs for a little boost. On a sidenote, I have been loving this sheet mask from Jivesse.. and can confirm that I am now sheet mask convert!

Reading

Reading does not always have to be reading a book. If you are not into literature, read a magazine or blog posts. Whatever it is, reading allows your brain to disconnect from any current worries it is holding and transport to a different stress free land filled with happiness. Maybe that is a bit much, but reading is still fun. 

Hopefully you found these somewhat helpful and didn't fall asleep with how basic this post is. However, stress is a real issue and much like a cut, it must be tended to in order to prevent it from developing into anything bigger. 

Adele x