Lush Mask of Magnaminty Review

Firstly I find it really difficult to say ‘Magnaminty’.

This mask was actually a gift from my parents and I’m pretty sure they got it for me because they know I love mint. I would 100% wear a mint perfume even at the cost of smelling like toothpaste/foot spray. I’ll be honest I’ve never actually used many Lush products and rarely go to Lush; probably because I’m really not a fan of bath bombs (maybe that put me off a bit). In general I’ve been really impressed with the products and so perhaps I’m a Lush convert. I’ve realised there’s much more to Lush than just bath bombs (thankfully).

Anyways, on to the mask…

It smells minty but sort of a muted minty scent if that makes sense. I applied the product after cleansing to a dry face and left it for about 10 minutes. After 5 mins or so my face felt comfortably tingly. When I washed off the mask with warm water I was worried because of the bits in the mask. I thought the bits would be quite harsh on my skin however they were not a harsh exfoliant at all. When I dried my face I WAS SOOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY! It was honestly such a pleasant surprise looking in the mirror after washing off the mask. I think I was expecting quite a red and dry/tight feeling face (something I usually experience after using a face mask). The invigorating mask left my skin looking lively and bright something which is a rarity during the winter months. I’ve had a break out on my chin and the mask greatly reduced the redness and bumpiness of the spots. In the morning they were much less visible. I’ve only used the mask twice and both times I’ve been thoroughly impressed. I’m scared to use it too often because I don’t want the effects to weaken. Does anybody else get that sort of fear? It’s like it was almost too good to be true or that somehow I’ll become immune to it’s great effects. I would love to try out other Lush face masks, any recommendations?

 

 

 

I know this boy.

I know this boy. He’s 19, a year older than me and I am utterly fascinated by him. This isn’t me revealing my crush by the way in case you thought that was where this post is going.

From the moment I met him he just had something about him. When he speaks he lifts his eyes upwards and every word he spoke inspired me. He doesn’t seem like he’s from this planet. He’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met before. He stands out and I can’t help but be completely enthralled by him. It’s not like I view him as some sort of piece of entertainment, I’m just sort of completely in awe of him, but then I also feel a heavy empathy for him. I want to help him and understand him, but I sort of feel dumb and inferior in his presence. We’ve hung out a couple of times. I treasured the words he spoke. They were enlightening, free and rebellious, he saw the world in this amazing way. I wanted to look through the glasses he had on. I knew that they also carried a heavy burden. People I’d spoken to thought he was strange, he was referred to a weirdo, but a friendly weirdo. I didn’t like the way people saw him as a novelty.

When he would talk about his views he would speak in a way I could understand, a simplified version of his dream. He got ill, very ill and had a breakdown. He got sectioned at a hospital. I regret never visiting him, but I just felt like my presence wasn’t enough? I wish I knew him, like really knew him.

I was saw him when I was on the bus today. He was walking in a direction different to everybody else.

Being a loner.

This image is by Daehyun Kim and is from his website http://www.moonassi.com/ .

I guess you could say I spent the past two years of my life being a loner. It’s not that I chose to be alone, but that’s just sort of how things worked out and I loved it.

Since a very young age I’d always been able to entertain and amuse myself in imaginary worlds with my dolls, but I’d always had quite a lot of friends so I was never what you might call a loner. Secondary school I had friends, I even established a sort of group of friends in the last two years. I was around more people than I could ever imagine back then. Meeting new people, going out and hanging with friends was part of my routine. I love being around people and interacting and learning about others.  But I also learnt that I love being alone.

When I started college at 16 two years ago I was thrown into the deep end. My best friend who was pretty much the only person I had a solid friendship, other friends from the past faded into their own lives and that was perfectly fine. We both went to different colleges meaning I was alone. I thought I would make lots of friends and have this buzzing social life. It didn’t quite work out like that. I didn’t really establish any proper connections. I would chat and laugh with people in class but beyond the classroom door the interaction stopped. I’m not the sort of person to inflict myself upon others, I think too much which can be a bit of a problem. I found myself spending free periods and lunch times alone. I’d seat and eat outside in the sunshine and in the rain I’d be found in the library reading. At first I felt embarrassed and self conscious. In such a busy college you feel vulnerable and exposed when you walk around on your own, eat on your own and walk home on your own. I soon got used to it and it felt natural and normal after a few weeks.

It’s not that I gave up on making friends, it’s just that I felt completely content with myself. I think that it is important to feel comfortable in yourself and to enjoy your own company. I did end up making a few friends at college, who since I’ve finished I haven’t really stayed in contact with, but like I said before people fade into their own lives and that’s totally fine. Being a loner is often viewed as a choice somebody makes because they don’t like others. But sometimes it’s not a choice, in my experience it was a situation that I was faced with that I didn’t feel the need to change.

Current Natural Favourites ✿

Hi everyone! I’m doing another natural favourites post, because I really enjoyed writing that post and it seemed to be quite well received. I’m not totally sure if it will be a monthly thing, I just like to share my favourite things with you and hope that readers will also share some of the things they’ve been loving. Here are the favourites…

1. Incense – This incense is by a brand called AUROSHIKHA and it’s the best scented incense I’ve ever used! I’ve been newly loving the Ylang Ylang scent and the African Violet scent is an all time favourite.

2. Grapefruit – Grapefruit has been my go to breakfast recently due to the surge in hot weather we’ve been experiencing here in England. I keep mine in the fridge over night to keep it nice and cold, it’s super refreshing and packed with vitamin C.

3. Lemon and Sugar Scrub – I’ve been making a really quick bodyscrub recently to keep my skin soft and even.I simpy half a lemon and dip it in brown sugar. I then scrub onto damp skin (mainly my legs and arms) and rinse off. It leaves my skin super soft. The sugar is a great natural exfoliant which is a bit gentler than salt and the lemon has antibacterial properties as well as lightening properties, to create a more even skin tone.

4. Tahini – I’ve found myself putting tahini on pretty much everything. Whether I’m using it to make humus or drizzling it over dishes it adds a delicious creamy taste to everything I eat.

5. Camomile and Spearmint Tea – This tea was In my “Favourite Teas” post and it’s really proved extremely popular with me over the past month. It’s a super refreshing flavour that’s perfect for warmer weather.

What have you been loving? 🙂

Mental Clutter

I’ve been clearing out my stuff recently. I find reorganising and getting rid of stuff extremely therapeutic. I’m convinced that when I reorganise and declutter my bedroom that it is also clearing and reorganising my mind.

Today I sorted through all of my clothes and folded them all into piles which I stacked on my bed. I was pretty overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I had. I’ve got rid of a lot of stuff, which I’m donating or giving to people. Having less stuff makes me feel more comfortable. That sounds sort of strange I guess but having a more minimalistic wardrobe and surroundings makes me feel better. I mean REALLY speaking we don’t need many clothes only some trousers and a t-shirt and a jumper for when it’s cold if we’re talking in terms of true minimalism. The amount of clothes I’m left with is still more than enough of what I’ll ever need, which is funny considering to many my stacks of clothes may seem meagre.

The whole process of  de cluttering is something I try to apply to my mind. If there are issues or problems floating about in my mind or stuck in corners collecting dust I try to address them. Taking some quiet time for yourself in a peaceful environment can help with this process. Address your thoughts, worries, concerns and problems and then try to come up with a solution or discard anything that has no place in your life. It sounds quite simplistic and of course it’s a work in progress. Many of us Spring clean and have clear outs, to create a serene and simplistic environment. How often do we declutter our minds?

Uncertainty on the future…

The future – a super intimidating word for me (at least at the moment).

I have just finished my exams at college this week and it’s really struck me the lack of plans I’ve got for the future. I’m the sort of person that sort of lets life and things run its course and I’ve never really made clearly defined goals before, such as I want to be a teacher or have a car of my own in 5 years. I find heavily planning for the future daunting as I don’t like the concept of being tied down to one strict pathway. During everyday life I make goals and lists for myself but long term planning has never seemed necessary for me. I’m writing this post in a way to put my feelings out there but to also hear about what other think and feel about the future. Should your future be mapped out? All of my friends and peers seem to have it sorted they’re off to university or already have jobs and I’m in this sort of limbo where I’m not really sure where I’m going. I’ve decided to not go to uni this year as I don’t feel ready for it and haven’t really discovered what I would like to study. I’ve had a whole range of comments on this and when I’ve told people I’ve got no clue what I want to do their response is often “Yeah but you can’t just expect things to fall into place”. It’s pretty naïve to think that, but a big part of me still does think that and I’ve always been ok with that. I’m under no illusion that it’s just me that feels like that because deep down I’m sure everybody has these feelings. Increasingly I’ve found that plans act like a sort of mask for this uncertainty.

I think really and truly it’s the pressure from others that has sort of made the future daunting. I MEAN when I really think about it the future is exciting and I like to just leave it as that rather than meticulously plan it out. I want to be much more present in daily life and I’ve found this extremely helpful in coping with my worrying and keeping me grounded, however the constant talk of the future sways the contentment of living for the day not the next 10 years. I mean today my best friend really got me thinking of the future. She was talking about how a woman’s fertility decreases by the time she’s 30 and really you need to have your children before then if you  want to ensure conception. I MEAN I’M 18 and can’t see children in the next 10 years, it almost seems absurd to me. I understand that who knows how I will feel in the next few years and that’s why I never really think about these things, because everything is of course subject to change.

I have interests and things I want to pursue. Like I have a goal to get a job, because I do need the experience and to contribute to my home financially to help out my parents. I am extremely interested in anthropology and am hoping to get some voluntary work within my local museum. I also want to do a part time course in Indian head massage, as well as keep up with my French speaking and start to learn Korean. When I think of stuff like this it makes me feel a lot better, because not having a clearly defined future doesn’t make you boring, or lazy, or disinterested. Pursue your interests and reach a level of contentment in whatever way works for you. I feel like this entire post has sort of reassured me that ACTUALLY the future is daunting in some ways, but also exciting. I think it’s ok to not have massive plans because doing the things you love everyday contribute to creating opportunities and fulfilment. The future is unknown and I prefer to keep it that way.

Worry Overload

Hi everyone! Today I’m going to be talking about worrying and how I’ve really overcome it over the years. I’ve just finished my exams today (I had my English literature a level just this morning), so naturally recently my levels of worrying have really flared up. Today I’m going to share a few things that I do to keep worrying to a minimal and how to cope with the sometimes overwhelming feelings. Please share your experiences with worrying and tips and tricks so we can all help each other out.

1. Making a plan – If my worry is about something happening in the future (eg, exams) I like to make lists and plan the stuff I need to get done. That way I don’t find myself panicking as much because I have a physical thing that provides me with clarity rather than a massive mess in my brain.

2. Exercise – Walking is my main mode of transport and I love it. It gets me places pretty quickly, whilst I can absorb the busy diverse atmosphere of the city I live in. If I find myself stressed or worried I go for a walk and it helps clear my mind and allows me to become immersed in the busy city life and it sort of makes your worries seem less prevalent as in the city your emotion just becomes one big collective force. In addition to walking I love stretching it relaxes me and allows my mind to focus on breathing and pushing myself into different stretches. (I love the full body stretch by Psyche Truth)

3. De Stress – De stressing is different for everyone. For me personally it consists of being in my pyjamas with a book and either peppermint tea or lemon water. At the moment I’ve finally got around to reading Memoirs of a Geisha and I’m loving it. I also love chilling with a face mask on and watching Totally Spies or ANTM.

4. Sharing – If I’m worried about something I tend to tell my parents about it and they really help me solve the worry, or they simply make me laugh to make it seem so futile. If you have somebody to chat with give it a go because a problem shared is a problem halved right?

5. Perspective – I read this quote somewhere and it said something like “worrying is a waste of your imagination”. This always helps put things in perspective for me as being a creative person the idea that I’m wasting it by consuming my brain with worries really helps me snap out of it. Furthermore the fact that worrying doesn’t change the situation is always important to remember and being pro active about a situation is far more productive.

Thanks for reading everyone! Now that my exams are over I’m going to aim to post at least once a week seeing as I have LOTS of free time. Have a lovely week 😀

NOTE! I FOUND THE QUOTE AFTER A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH! INSERT SORTA CLICHE BUT RELEVANT WORRY RELATED PICS FOUND FROM GOOGLE…

  

Natural Favourites 🌺

This is my first post in a while due to revision for my exams AND applying for jobs. I wanted to do a post that compiled all of my current favourite natural things in one place with a little review or discussion about each thing. Here are the deetz on my current favourite things…

1. Aloe Vera Gel – I get this aloe vera gel from Holland and Barrett for about 4/3 pounds and it’s great because it’s 99.9% aloe vera. It’s recommended/strongly suggested that if you buy aloe vera gel it’s at least 98%. I’ve been using this a lot recently as here in the UK it’s been pretty sunny (although as I’m writing this its been pouring down with rain). I love applying it after being out in the sun as it rehydrates my skin and minimises redness. Furthermore, I use it under my eyes in the evening as an eye cream as it’s super hydrating.

2. The Body Shop Hemp Lip Conditioner – For some reason my lips have been a little dryer than usual. At Christmas I got the lip butter and it worked wonders, so I’ve began using it again. It warms up and melts as you rub it onto your lips and really conditions them leaving them super soft. I’m not totally sure whether The Body Shop products are considered as “natural” as they do still contain stuff that I’m not too sure about BUT I really like the brands fair trade ethos and enjoy using their products.

3. Bamboo headband – This headband made from bamboo is a recent purchase (from my sister) and it’s been SUPER useful. As you’re probably aware I love homemade face masks and this keeps my hair out of my face and makes me feel like I’m having a proper spa treatment. I’ve used it constantly since I got it, whether it be when washing my face or just to keep my hair out of the way and it’s great (it’s also soft and in my favourite colour).

4. Whole Earth Peanut Butter – My blog isn’t really a foodie blog but I love cooking(and eating) and would love to incorporate it more into my blog. Peanut butter is one of my favourite things and this one by whole earth is super clean containing only peanuts, sea salt and palm oil. It’s delicious and I love it spread on bananas.

5. Sea salt – I read somewhere online that saline solution is good for the skin. I’ve been putting saline solution (warm water and sea salt) on my face every evening for the past few days and I can really see a difference. I pat it onto my face let it soak in for 10 minutes or so then I rinse my face and moisturise. Saline solution is antibacterial which is probably why I’m seeing a positive difference on my skin.

Hope you liked this post, what things have you been loving recently? Have a lovely weekend 😀

 

The North American Hemp Co. shampoo & conditioner REVIEW

Hi everyone, today I’m bringing the deetz on a shampoo and conditioner from the North American Hemp Co. that I’ve been using for about 3-4 months. I was bought the shampoo and conditioner for my parents at Christmas as they know my love for natural products! Here are the deeeeetz…..

The ‘soak it up’ range boasts to add moisture to dry damaged hair. The key ingredients of both the shampoo and conditioner being omega fatty acids, chamomile extract and thermal algae, which contribute towards repairing and hydrating your hair. Personally I didn’t find the products extremely noticeably moisturising after the first few washes, however after long term usage I noticed my ends weren’t appearing as dry as they normally would. The shampoo didn’t irritate my scalp which is a massive bonus as my scalp is really sensitive. The scent of shampoo is quite intriguing, it’s quite a sweet scent, reminiscent of a pina colada :’D A negative of the conditioner is that it’s in a pump form, as it stopped giving product about 2 thirds of the way through (I removed the lid so got to use up the rest). The shampoo claimed to “add shine” and “tame coarse tresses”. I didn’t significantly notice increased shine, however my hair wasn’t as static/coarse after usage. The conditioner claimed to “instantly repair split ends”, which is a pretty ambitious statement to say the least! It didn’t instantly repair my split ends, but the rich formula really nourished my ends leaving them stronger and more hydrated preventing split ends, rather then magically fixing them. My overall verdict would be the products were good but not amazing enough to urge me to repurchase. If I had to repurchase I would go for the conditioner over the shampoo, because the rich formula made a difference to my dry hair.

What’s your favourite shampoo/conditioner? So you have any tips for split ends? Best wishes 🙂

DIY apple cider vinegar hair rinse

Today I’m bringing the deetz on an extremely simple yet effective recipe for an apple cider vinegar hair rinse. Hair rinses are an amazing way to improve the quality and condition of your hair; I absolutely love this apple cider vinegar rinse as it gets rid of product build up and leave you with soft shiny hair with a lot of life.

You will need

-Apple cider vinegar

-A cup/mug

-Water

Method

All you need to do is put a splash of apple cider vinegar into your cup and fill up the rest with water. I dilute mine quite a lot (I’d say it’s roughly 1 part acv to 10parts water), you can change the intensity depending on the sensitivity of your scalp. I wash my hair as normal and then I pour over the hair rinse. When I’ve poured it over I don’t stand under the shower head, so that the solution isn’t instantly washed away. When the rinse is on my hair I work it into my scalp, as apple cider vinegar is great for maintaining a healthy scalp as well as eliminating product build up. Once worked in I simply rinse out with warm water from the shower. The next day my hair is always super soft and shiny and looks very healthy (don’t worry it doesn’t smell of acv). I love doing this rinse once a week to give my hair a much needed cleanse!

Have you tried any hair rinses? I realise this is my second hair related post in a row and I have more hair related posts coming up (a review and general tips), I’ve found myself paying more attention to my hair now that I feel more confident with my skin routine. Best wishes 🙂