BE MY VALENTINE

Tomorrow is Valentines Day.. I did have a date tonight for it, but that has now been postponed. I'm not a happy bunny.

Valentines Day can be such a drag for some people, especially me! I don't think there has been a single year where I have actually been in a relationship... Last year my boyfriend broke up with me roughly 3 days before the day. Yes, he treated me sooo well (note the sarcasm).

But do you know what? I'm going to enjoy tomorrow anyway! I'm going to throw on my glad rags and do my hair and make up and just help me feel good about my self. I'm then seeing my friends where we are all going to chill together and just be able to enjoy each others company.

Tomorrow I'll show you how I do my make up and hair, and I might possibly start my first vlog. Although this thought at the moment really scares me, so would love all the support and encouragement I can get.

Embrace being single on Valentines Day, soon you'll be married and will have to be with the same man on this same day every year. So spice it up! See your friends and enjoy the freedom you have for now :)

ISSUES WITH SKIN

So it comes to a bit of a shock to some people.. But I used to have moderate to severe acne.
It. Was. Horrible.

It made my confidence go down so much, I had boys making fun of the way I stood, as I crossed my arms but held one arm infront of my face pretending to bite the jumper to hide those nasty spots on my chin :(

I literally tried E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G! I searched the web for solutions to help my skin, and I found the craziest things. I tried:

• Spraying perfume on them to dry out the spots
• Left toothpaste on them over night
• Tried tea tree oil in my skin regime
• Used a hair dryer on my face
• Just used water to lessen the impact of chemicals
• On the other hand, then used as many products on my face I could find
• Didn't touch the spots
• Didn't wear make up
• Got early nights sleep
• Ate healthily with a good amount of veg and fruit

But nothing worked!! Some things hurt sooo much too on the raw spots and I went through it because it was actually ruining my life. I was scared to go to school (mixed school at the time), where girls and boys were going to be judging me. I had a few comments where someone said "Katie go and do dot-to-dot on your face". I wanted to cry there and then, but I couldn't. Other people told me "You have crisps on your chin.. oh wait never mind," before laughing and looking at their friends. People would also ask me if I didn't ever clean my face... wow, how shallow some people can be.

I couldn't cope. I had to see the Doctor. Telling him about this straight away sent me out into tears, and even writing this bit is making me quite emotional, but I want to get this out.

He showed me some pictures in a book of different severities of acne, and I was then diagnosed with moderate-severe. My spots weren't massive, I just had a lot of them surrounding my mouth, on my chin and all over my forehead. Lucky for me I could use a fringe to cover up the forehead spots.

He could see how upset this was making me, and prescribed me with a drug which I think is called Lymecyline, which were antibiotics that I took twice a day, for a good 2 years or so. 

He also gave me a solution to put onto the spots which helped dry them out.

So starting this, I had to put on a brave face and head to school again, facing the harsh comments head on. I stopped wearing the paste of foundation I wore before to cover the spots. People thought I looked so strange, but I had got to the point where I was used to all the stares and remarks.

Eventually the spots began to fade, but there was a lot of scarring left behind for a long time.

So I thought "Hurray, I finally have clear skin!"

But I thought wrong... about half a year later after stopping the medication, these spots gradually began to worsen and worsen again, almost getting to the extent they were before, but I knew I had to see the Doctor before it got any worse again. He put me back onto the antibiotics, but this time the magic wasn't working. If it did help a bit too, coming off the antibiotics just took me right back to square one. I was helpless. I had to be referred to a Dermatologist.

After a close examination of my face and skin, it was clear to her there was only one other option; Roaccutane. I had heard of this before, and of all the great successes it has had, it has also had some very scary side effects. But I took the risk and went on it. 

Some side effects have before led people to suicidal thoughts and the risk of death, as well as other problems like liver disease.

My treatment was to last for 4 months, getting a monthly blood test to check everything was in order. That was probably the worst of the treatment! Everything else seemed to fly by. I had 3 different pills to take each day as well as 2 other ones, but to be honest with you I literally can't remember much of this as I have just tried blocking out any acne times from my memories.

I had some minor side effects like:

• VERY dry lips (vaseline was my best friend and has stuck by me through the process)
• Achey muscles, especially in my back
• Feeling faint after exercise
• Getting tired quicker
• Sad emotions
• Dry skin and scalp

...although nothing else that was potentially serious occurred. 

By the second month I was already so amazed, seeing the spots simply vanish off my skin. The third month the scarring was even fading, and spots just didn't want to choose my face as a home anymore. When the fourth month was over, words can't describe how happy I was. Finally, I could walk out the house with a brave face on. I didn't have to worry about if people were looking at my spots and judging me as a disgusting person. People treated me with more respect- which is so very sad, but my spots just seemed to scare people I guess.

Finally I felt like a normal human being.

I can honestly say if it wasn't for Roaccutane, I would probably still be hiding my face away from the world.

I can even wear my hair without bangs, and for me that is a huge deal! I don't have to cover my face, and now embrace my skin.

I seriously recommend going to a Dermatologist if you have issues with your skin. Even if you're worried about stories you have heard, they will give you the insight and let you know what can help. 

I am sooo happy now, and can even risk walking out the house without any make up on now.

I hope my story has let you truly see how I felt, and let you think twice before you judge someones skin. People can't help the skin they have, whether it is always red and blotchy, or spotty with scars. These are normal people like you and me, and would give anything to get rid of this. You shouldn't draw attention to this and make stupid remarks; just treat them like you would treat any other person.

The one great side of having acne lets you know who your true friends are and who will stick by you through thick and thin. There is nothing worse than people treating you a particular way by how you look.

CUTE LOOK FOR VALENTINES DAY

Whether you're single and ready to mingle, or have your perfect man to wine and dine with on February the 14th, this pretty look will help you feel special on the day and help you to enjoy being single or taken!


I am currently single, although I might possibly have a cute date lined up.... :) I'll let you know how my Valentines day plans go!

Here are two looks which you can easily achieve; one for a more formal evening, and the other for more a casual but fun day out.


On the left is the more casual look. I got the:

♥ Leggings from Primark

♥ Top from Topshop

♥  Blazer from New Look

On the right is the more formal date look. I got the: 

♥ Playsuit from Lipsy

What's great about this playsuit is it can be worn in Summer or Winter.

Pair these two outfits with shoes of your choice. Maybe you want to wear black wedges? Or maybe wear some cute black ballet pumps.

Here's a quick tutorial and how you can get you hair and make up to look how I have done it.

Starting with make up...

♥  I started by applying my moisturiser before using a foundation brush to apply foundation.
♥  Concealer... apply to your under eyes where you might have dark circles and then anywhere else you feel needs brightening or covering, such as blemishes. To make your nose appear thinner you can also apply down the bridge of your nose.
♥  Contouring... use a bronzer of your choice to apply to your cheek bones and sides of the forehead, and then use a small amount of pink blush on your cheeks.
♥  Eyebrows... get a colour of a eyebrow pencil or eyeshadow to match you hair and then lightly apply this and brush in to look natural!
♥  EYES!!... My favourite part! What I did here was apply a shimmer white eyeshadow first to the inner section of the eyes. Then to let my blue eyes pop, I used a gold eye shadow covering the lid. Then taking a light pink shadow I brushed this along the lash line and blending into the crease. To add more depth to the shape, I then lightly applied a coat of a darker brown and blended this out and into the crease
♥ Eye liner... I personally love using a liquid liner, and I got a present in a collection with a dark liquid black liner. Using a thin straight brush, I neatly drew this along. I think using a brush to apply liner makes life so much easier!
♥ Mascara... I love the Rimmel London 'SCANDALEYES' mascara, the brush is huuuge and it lasts a long time! It also doesn't add clumps on application and makes your eyelashes look thicker and fuller. To get your eyelashes to stand out more, use a eyelash curler beforehand and heat it with your hand a few seconds to make this have a more lasting effect.
♥  Lips... firstly use a pink lip line and trace around your lips. Simple right? Next I used a light pink lipstick on my lips, and then sealed this with a coat of pink lipgloss. Use a tissue and press your lips against it in the middle to stop the colour from staining your teeth. (It can be sooo embarrassing when you go to the toilet during the day, look in the mirror and find you have bright pink lipstick on your tooth!!)

Now Hair...

This doesn't take as long as it looks.
♥ Wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner to get a clean silky feeling, as well as it smelling great!
♥ You can dry it with a hair dryer (and heat protection) or, as I like to do, let it dry naturally. I find this can make your hair feel smoother and it is less damaging.
♥ Before curling... You want to protect your hair! Split ends are far from pretty. Today I used this GHD heat defence. Just spray it on your hair and let it soak in for a couple of minutes. 
♥ Using these Philips curlers, I took the end strand of a section of hair, clip it in and then rolled this up. Hold this for 7-10 seconds depending on how big you want the curl and how thick/thin your hair is. Change the different sides that you curl the hair to add a more natural look.
♥ Finish by spraying hair spray to the curls.

I like to then shake my hair like crazy to let the curls blend together, and lightly run you fingers through the hair to help too.I hope this has been helpful to all of you out there! 
Then you're done! If you want to put the sides back like I have done in the day look, pull a section from both sides of your head back, and backcomb first if you want more volume. Use bobby pins your hair colour to not make these as visible.

Got any exciting Valentines Day plans? I would love to hear about what you are doing so let me know in the comments :) Have a great day and remember, even if you're single it doesn't mean you can't still go out with your friends and enjoy yourselves!

GET A GRIP

Are you looking for a fun exercise which doesn't take you a lot of time but tests your fitness and puts your body and mind to a great amount of work? If so then you'll love rock climbing!


This is a perfect sport to do if you are looking for a exciting adrenaline rush while doing it. It tests your bodies strengths as well as your mind, where you will need to be good at problem solving to get around tricky tasks which you might fall into.
You would think that you need very strong arms to be better at rock climbing, however the key tip to climbing is by actually using your legs and not so much your arms.
Your leg should be your first move on the wall, and these should push you up the wall instead of your arms pulling you up.

To make things even easier, try staying on the tips of your toes, as well as always keeping one leg stretched while the other is perched higher up the wall.

I would love to be able to have the proper equipment to help me progress to get even better, however these can be quite expensive, and I currently have to be saving lots of money right now (sneaky hint for later posts to follow!)

Therefore a great substitute for climbing shoes are converse. As funny as it might look, this slim shoe actually gives you the support which trainers might not give you, however I have found converse have less grip so at times you might find yourself slipping about the wall!




Although climbing is fun, there are also some safety measures which need to follow it. Having a well trained person to belay you should be used at all times on the wall. Having the right knots as well lets you be safe at all times.

I have loved climbing ever since I was a kid, and if you have never done it, you should seriously think about getting some experience of it!

Who knows what it might lead to, you could be climbing Mount Everest next... who knows...

TREAT YOUR BRUSHES LIKE YOUR HAIR

One thing you need to ensure that you do is clean your make up brushes! So many times you will forget or think you haven't used them very often, however the build up or dirt and bacteria really escalates and this poses as a huge threat for your skin. 

If you already have acne-prone skin, covering up your blemishes while using dirty brushes is not going to do you any good. And the worst thing is.. you can't see the dirt from a glimpse of the brushes!

Step 1.

Run the hot tap on each individual brush before you begin cleaning properly. Rub the hairs brushes between your fingers but make sure this is done lightly so no damage is made to the brush!

Then, using luke warm water, put your brushes in the sink to rinse, and leave them for a few minutes.


Step 2.

Once these are nice and warm, apply a small amount of shampoo into your hand and take a couple of brushes at a time and lightly squeeze and rub the shampoo into the brushes. Make sure the brush is coated to fully clean these.

Then put them back in the water for a further few minutes.
Ew look at all that dirt!

Step 3.

Now you want to rinse off all that excess dirt under the warm tap again, following the first step of rubbing the dirt out of the brush.
These should now be clean, and you can check by running it under the tap and the water is clear.


Now leave them on a place that allows the brushes to dry naturally. I used a towel on top of a radiator. These shouldn't take too long to dry. Leave them for 10 minutes and then lightly brush the bristles back and forth over the back of your hand to help the drying process and keeping the formation of the brush.

These shouldn't take any longer than 30 minutes to dry, and there you have it! 

A nice set of clean brushes.

I make sure to clean my brushes ideally once a month, depending on how often I have used these brushes. If you are lucky enough to have perfect skin then you might not see the point in doing this, but I have been one of the unlucky people to be effected by moderate-severe acne.
Looking at my face now you wouldn't think it, and I've had comments from people saying I have lied about having acne in the past (which I don't know what anyone would get out of this)... but having this acne made me a lot more aware of how I was treating my skin and ensuring I kept a good cleaning regime.

Although I still get the odd spot or two now, it was nothing compared to what my skin was like before. I tried everything... but I had to result to the only other option of taking Roaccutane.

I will be making a post discussing my experience of acne and Roaccutane, with the plus and down sides of being on it, so keep an eye out if this would interest you.
I would definitely recommend showing this to others who suffer from spotty skin, as it has really changed my life and I would love to share my experience about the process.

TODAY'S SOCIETY

In today's society, you are constantly kept well aware of this changing, new categoric community.
In my college life at the moment for example, you can identify the 3 main groups, or 'cliques' as some people like to say..

These groups in society will never change, as everyone is different and there are always going to be people in life who we just naturally don't get along with. But what can change is the views on society as a whole.
We are all human. We should all be equal. We might have different views on life, but this should not effect how we treat one another.
Life is beautiful, and this shouldn't be wasted on harsh injustice acts of life. We are all one, born and bred on the same Earth and we should all learn to love one another.

BE WITH THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE YOU SMILE. 

LOVE AS LONG AS YOU LIVE. 

LAUGH OUT LOUD EVERYDAY.