LAZY SUNDAY

Happy Sunday loves! How was your weekend? I’m having a pretty chilled Sunday so far, I’ve been so tired! Went to a work party on Friday after work and had such a good time! A bunch of people are leaving, and a colleague of mine came up with the idea of calling the party ‘The Oscars’, so they printed out a sheet with various different categories which we had to vote for. I won the ‘Most Gorgeous Lady’, ‘Best Ass’ - I did a lot of campaigning for this one haha and the ‘Best Couple’ with my boyfriend Ricardo. I knew there was a good chance of winning Best Couple because there aren’t many to chose from in our base haha, but I was pleasantly surprised with the other two :-) .. Although I am massively enjoying sitting in bed, I’ll have to start getting ready for work soon. What are your plans for the rest of the day? Lots of love, SFS.

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5 WAYS TO BE HAPPIER & IMPROVE YOUR MOOD

Happiness means different things to everyone, my idea of happiness might be your idea of hell, but I feel like no matter what your idea of happiness is, there are a couple of things that can contribute to making you feel happy more often. I know we all have bad days, where we feel like rubbish, think we look like crap and don’t want to leave the house, and that’s ok. We’re all allowed a few bad days in a month, especially us women when that time of the month comes around *cough cough*. But it’s all about bouncing back from a bad day, and making yourself feel better, and in general, happier. Here are some tips that I believe contribute massively to making you feel your very best.

1. Say No 

I know that saying no can sound like you’re being negative, but be honest with yourself, how many times have you said yes to something and wish you had said no? I’ve done it way too many times to know that it consumes my life! I spend hours wishing I hadn’t agreed to doing that specific thing, I keep trying to come up with excuses to get myself out of it, and pretty much keep beating myself up for saying yes in the first place. We fear the rejection, we fear that others will stop talking to us if we turn them down, but we have to think about ourselves, and what WE want. And sometimes saying ‘no’ to someone, is a huge YES for ourselves.

2. Keep Busy 

There’s nothing better than a good distraction. Whether it’s a run, a catch up with a friend, starting a new hobby, reading a book, anything that can keep you busy will help you lead a happier life. When we spend too much time on our own we start to over analyse our life, we start to overthink and eventually we start to see the bad in everything. Coming from someone who’s suffered with anxiety since the age of 17, I can tell you that keeping occupied is the key to a healthy mind. 

3. Don’t Compare Yourself to Others 

Well, this is easier said than done. But seriously, try your best not to do it, comparison really is the thief of all joys. Instead of comparing yourself to others and wishing you had what they have, think about all the amazing things you DO have. Think about your family, your partner, think about how lucky you are that you have food, the fact that you have a roof over your head, I guarantee you these things will make you realise that your life isn’t as bad as you try to make it out to be. And simply think that there is someone out there who has it a lot worse than you do, and that maybe you’re actually quite lucky.

4. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone 

Stepping out of our comfort zone can seem like such a daunting thing to do, but it’s actually very empowering. Think about the last time you did something that you were scared of, but did it anyway. How did it make you feel? Bet you felt amazing! That’s the thing with stepping out of your comfort zone, it always seems impossible until you do it. But when you do the thing that made you feel uneasy to begin with, it makes you feel so motivated, like you can take on anything. 

5. Treat Yourself 

Now I’m not encouraging you to go out and buy the whole of the Net-a-porter website (but hey, if you really want to...), but I think it’s important that we treat ourselves. Not just by buying something, but maybe going to a spa, or just taking an afternoon off to relax, getting a manicure, going out for a meal, just treat yourself to something that makes you feel good. 

Swimsuit Asos, Sunglasses Céline, Straw Hat Souvenir Shop

What do you do to be happy?

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Lots of love, SFS.

THE LIPSTICKS TO WEAR IF REDS AND PURPLES AREN'T YOUR THING

With the climate change I think it’s safe to say that we’re all excited to change up the clothes in our wardrobes and also our makeup. Personally I’ve been wearing nothing but dark reds and dark purples on my lips, but I know that not everyone feels comfortable, or likes wearing such bold, statement colours. So for today’s post I rounded up some of my favourite lipsticks that are just right for this time of year, they still have an autumnal vibe to them without being too in your face.

MAC Velvet Teddy. This one is such a classic, I feel like I’ve seen it on every blog I’ve read lately, and rightfully so. It’s such a gorgeous shade to use everyday, and will go with whatever makeup look you want to wear. I feel like this colour will suit loads of skin tones, it’s a deep beige with a cinnamon undertone to it. 

The next one is probably the darkest of the lineup, but still very wearable if you don’t want to go all out. It’s the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in the shade Bond Girl. How cool is the name? It’s a muted berry shade, so perfect for those who want to venture into the darker lipsticks, but still don’t have the confidence to go all out. And don’t let the word ‘matte’ put you off, it’s very hydrating and doesn’t feel drying on the lips at all.

Cosmo by MAC was my most used lipstick a couple of years ago. I think it deserve so much more hype, I feel like it’s really underrated! It’s a pink with a hint of brown, the colour is one of those that you can just whack on, goes with everything, is super comfortable and creamy, ugh, it’s the best. You should definitely swatch this next time you’re near a MAC counter, I promise you’ll be impressed.

Then we have Bahama by Nars, of course I had to have one of the Velvet Matte Lip Pencils here, they’re by far my favourite lipsticks ever. I thought I lost this lipstick a couple of weeks ago and I was so gutted, I can’t even tell you, but I found it in my going out bag the other day, phew! It’s a hard shade to describe, it’s a lilac/purply shade with lots of brown in it. I love that it’s such a statement colour without being too bold or over the top. 

And last but not least, Burberry Kisses Lipstick in shade n77 Blush. This is a dusty rose shade, the formula is super moisturising and it’s one of those that you don’t really need a mirror to apply. The colour can be built up to a more intense shade, but if you prefer to have just a wash of colour, one coat will be enough. I feel like this shade is so sophisticated, it makes you look like you have your shizz together.

What are some of your favourite ‘not so bold’ Autumn lipsticks?

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Lots of love, SFS.

SKINCARE ROUTINE

Skincare I believe is something we only start caring about when we reach our twenties. I was extremely lucky growing up and always had pretty good skin, a bit dry, but I didn’t go through bad spotty stages. Other than the dryness I really didn’t think too much about my skin. I never used makeup, so I didn’t even use cleansers, just water to wash my face, and for face cream I used a Dove body moisturiser. Looking back now I’m like ‘girl, body cream on your face? wow’, but it worked wonders on my skin and always made my face feel hydrated. However, ever since I started flying I realised that I couldn’t afford to just use the Dove moisturiser, I had to come up with a good skincare routine that worked for me. I chop and change my routine every now and then, I’m not too loyal when it comes to products, however, there are a few that I go back to every so often. Here’s what I’m using on my face right now.

Cleansers are something I change all the time, but right now I’m using, and loving, the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel. Initially the word gel put me off buying it, but after speaking to a lovely sales assistant in Space NK, she explained that it was more of a balm that melts into an oil, and it’s exactly that. I use it in the evenings to remove my makeup and sometimes in the morning if I’ve slept with an overnight mask on. This cleanser would be good for all skin types I feel, it’s hydrating but doesn’t leave a film behind on the skin, so it’s perfect for anyone with dry skin, but also for people with oiler complexions.

The Pixi Glow Tonic is something I’ve had for quite some time and it seems to be lasting me ages! Good value for money that’s for sure. It’s a toner with glycolic acid that helps to exfoliate the skin without any of the grittiness that usually comes with exfoliators. It’s great if you want a radiant, dewy complexion. Although it is safe for everyday use, I don’t use this everyday as I don’t want to leave my skin feeling too sensitive. and I also feel like I get better results if I leave a day or two between uses.

The next step for me is a hydrating facial mist, I especially like using these in the morning as they’re super refreshing and really wake up my skin. I’m not too loyal at sticking to a specific mist, I like to try different ones every time I ran out, but if I had to choose an all time favourite it would be the Pixi Hydrating Milky Mist. It’s dewy, hydrated skin in a bottle. I always felt like I didn’t need a moisturiser after I used it, which, if you have dry skin, you will know that’s a massive statement. At the moment though I’m using the Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist and I’m enjoying it so far. It has a very pleasant scent and the mist is very fine. 

Ok so I photographed these wrong, oops, I always put on eye cream before face cream. Is that the way it’s supposed to go? I’m very cautious of crows feet, so I like applying eye cream first so my skin can absorb all the goodness without having a face cream in the way. The eye cream I always go back to is the Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. This is such a dream product. Every time I feel like I have dehydration lines around my eye area, this always sorts them out. I’d say it’s a perfect eye cream for teenagers too as it doesn’t promise a million things, it’s very fuss-free and does exactly what it says on the tin.

After eye cream comes the moisturiser. I recently bought the Skin Rescuer from Kiehl’s. I heard about it before but for some reason I always thought it was for people with oily skin, but after testing it out in House of Fraser I realised that although it’s light, it’s quite thick in consistency. It’s meant to help reduce signs of fatigue, stress, redness and dehydration and I have to say, I agree. My skin didn’t react to it and seems quite happy at the moment. To me this is the perfect face cream for this time of year, and I love the simplicity of the packaging. That pump is genius! Hello hygiene.

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Lots of love, SFS.

SEPTEMBER FAVOURITES

Another month, another favourites post. Let’s start with skincare. I recently finished my moisturiser and wanted to try something new that was going to be hydrating and right for my skin. I went into Kiehl’s and was thinking of buying the Ultra Facial Cream again. I tried it in the past and really got on with it, but then I saw the Skin Rescuer and I remembered seeing some videos and posts about it in the past. I tried it on the back of my hand and loved how it felt. For some reason I always thought it was mainly directed at people with oily skin, but actually I think this is a good one for all skin types. It’s very hydrating, quite thick in consistency and I absolutely love the practicality of the bottle. 

The last time I placed an order on Cult Beauty, they had a Beauty Bag on offer if you spent over £100. There were so many samples in that bag, I can’t even tell you! I made some amazing discoveries, the next two items being some of them. Let’s talk about the January Labs Restorative Tonic Mist. Now, mists are a funny one because I can’t always tell if they’re actually doing something, but after I spray this I always feel a slight tingling, almost tightening sensation, I can feel it’s doing something rather than just feeling like my face is wet. It has an anti-bacterial feel to it which makes sense because it does help to battle blemishes along with many other amazing benefits. 

Another, and quite possibly my favourite discovery, is the Jouer Essential Lip Enhancer. I was so scared to try this! Any thing that says ‘lip enhancer’ or ‘lip plumper’, always has me quite nervous because I’ve had a bad allergic reaction on my lips before, but I wanted to give this a go and it’s definitely not what I had in mind. I thought that I would experience that horrible tingling sensation, but it’s none of that. Instead, it’s very hydrating, very thick - quite sticky too, but it’s whipped my lips into shape! They’re so smooth and really look more plump. Massively impressed.

Since I mentioned my Cult Beauty haul, if you read that post you might be surprised to see that this product has made it into my monthly favourites. It’s the Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 perfume. My boyfriend can always tell when I’m wearing it, and always compliments me on how well I smell if I have it on. But of course, boyfriends can be biased, so I was still skeptical, but I’ve had two random people stop me to ask what perfume I was wearing, all in the space of two weeks. How amazing?! Although I can barely smell it on myself, I can tell it has a woody undertone. My boyfriend says it’s subtle, almost like it’s my natural scent but emphasised. I don’t know what kind of science there is behind it, but I’m in love and thinking of buying the full size bottle which is a whopping £65.50! Ouch!

Now let’s talk about some makeup bits. I just had to mention the By Terry Click Sticks, I wrote a post on them a few days ago so you can read more about them here, but long story short, they feel very comfy on the lips, not drying at all, last a very long time, and when they finally start to fade they leave a gorgeous stained effect on the lips. Absolutely love these, I feel like they might rival my love for the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils, and that is one heck of a statement to make.

Last month I started using the L’oreal False Lash Sculpt mascara again. I loved and used it religiously last year, but after trying waterproof mascaras I never went back to it. However, I was getting tired of never being able to completely get rid of mascara due to the waterproof formula being so long wearing, so I started using this again. It’s lengthening, volumising and super cheap. In my opinion it’s the best mascara in the high street at the moment, L’oreal did very well with this one.

And lastly let’s talk nails. With Summer behind us, I wanted to bring out my darker nail polishes and this Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in the shade Chilli is all I ever look for in a nail polish. It lasts a long time before chipping, the colour is a stunning brick red shade, and like the name suggests, it leaves a gorgeous glossy, shiny finish on the nails.

What were your favourites last month?

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Lots of love, SFS.

BE INSPIRED, NOT BITTER

I know that jealousy and envy have always been around, but somehow I feel like lately it has been rearing its ugly head far too often. I mean, who hasn’t felt jealousy or envy before? Heck, I know I have. But when I look back, I know that I felt that way because deep down I was unhappy within myself. The person I was jealous of had something that I didn’t. But what good is it in hating on someone? Why can’t we be happy for them instead and take inspiration from their work so that we can also do better? 

Blowing out someone else’s candle doesn’t make yours shine any brighter.

It’s so much easier to congratulate someone on their hard work and well deserved success, than sit behind a screen being hateful and wishing bad things upon them. Why do we do it? It’s only harming to ourselves. We don’t benefit from all this hatred, it just makes our blood boil, puts us in a bad mood, and in general just makes our life way more miserable. So next time you feel like someone is doing better than you, or looks prettier, or has something you don’t, congratulate them, tell them they look beautiful, tell them you wish them all the success in the world, tell them you’re proud of them. I believe you get what you give in life, and the truth is that the minute you decide that you won’t get put down by other peoples accomplishments, and that instead you’ll take inspiration from them and decide to live a positive life, your life will change for the better. 

When you feel like bashing someone else’s post or picture, think why is it that you’re reacting like that? What did that person do to you to deserve it? Is there something in your life that you’re not happy with? Think about how you would feel if someone said mean things to you, and always remember that that person could be going through a hard time that you know nothing about, and your comment is just going to make their hard time even harder. 

I guess what I’m trying to say is that instead of being bitter or jealous over somebody else’s success, allow yourself to be inspired by it. Let it motivate you to improve your life, wether it’s your career, lifestyle or fitness journey, allow it to motivate you to do better, work harder everyday and make an effort to reach your goals, nobody is going to do it for you. And for goodness sake can we please stop comparing ourselves to other people?! I know we all do it and sometimes we just can’t help it, but when you feel those thoughts creeping into your head, remember that life isn’t a competition. The only person you should be competing with is yourself, to better your life in every aspect. There is so much room for everyone at the top, why are we trying to knock people down on our way up? At the end of the day we all need someone to share our achievements with, and who’s going to be there for you when you can’t be there for anyone else? I’m not saying we’re not allowed a bad day, a day where we want to feel sorry for ourselves, because we all feel crappy at some point, as long as we don’t project our insecurities onto somebody else.

Don't be ashamed of what motivates you.

With all of this said, I want to mention the girls that I feel very inspired by, and that motivate me to work hard to achieve my goals. Em Sheldon for being the sweetest blogger, who always replies to her followers, who is major body goals and always spreads positivity. Victoria, who is just the biggest babe, her success is so inspirational and I'm so proud for all that she's achieving right now. Definitely deserves it! And finally, Lydia, I discovered her YouTube channel a couple of months ago and she's come so far since! These three ladies are people I look up to. They're the kind of girls that use their success to inspire and not to show off, and that is something truly remarkable in the world we live in today. 

Lastly I have to shoutout my best friend Glace and her fashion blog, and Stephanie on Instagram. I don’t know if I’ll ever make it in the blogging world, but if I do, I’d love to get there with these two babes. Give them a follow, you won’t regret it :)

Have you ever felt jealousy? What did you do to overcome it? Would love to know your thoughts on this. 

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Lots of love, SFS.