Hair & Beauty

I've been blogging for a good couple of years now and during that time, my confidence has been improving little by little.I began to start doing lingerie posts to help girls that were struggling to find bra's for larger cups, bra's that offered amazing support and pieces that didn't cost an absolute fortune.These were all done in the comfort of my own home, so being seen by anyone was not an issue.I want to mention that this post was extremely hard for me to write, and it actually took approximately 6days to write because I kept putting it off.This also has chapters of my life which still affect me to this day when it comes to my body and its quite a delicate topic to talk about, especially on a blog.I recommend getting some snacks, drinks and find a cosy place to sit, because this post is quite long and detailed.

The weather over here in the UK recently has surprisingly been very nice, but it got to the point where I was literally melting when I went outside that I needed to do something.I've also recently purchased a small swimming pool that was mainly to help my large dog be able to cool down in the garden and to have a little splash around too.She was unfortunately to scared to get into the pool and I wanted to help her overcome her fear of large water, so I threw on a beach dress that had a bra and undies underneath.I didn't feel too self conscious, because you couldn't really see anything, but that horrible feeling of dread was still in my stomach. 

I ended up having so much fun, but there was still a part of me that wished that I could just go around in a bikini.The next day I had a search through my stuff and couldn't find a bikini anywhere, so I ended up just throwing on two pieces that looked very similar to swimwear and weren't too revealing.

I ended up staying out in the garden longer than expected and although I felt quite self conscious of walking around in it, it felt good at the same time.My weight has been up and down my whole life too, mainly due to being bullied and my anxiety making it difficult to eat sometimes.This ended up causing my body a little stress, so I ended up developing a few stretch marks just to the side of my bum.This was another factor to why I didn't like wearing short shorts or a bikini, because the way the media seem to shame people (mostly women) for having them, make us feel super ugly.I would hate loading up instagram seeing all of these beautiful instagram models post lovely pictures, to find people hating on there stretch marks and gradually those models would edit them out entirely.I've never been one to edit my stretch marks out of pictures and to be honest I have been very close to editing my pictures purely so I wouldn't have to sit there and read the nasty things people leave under your images.I wanted to take the next step which meant I had to embrace my body even more, and that was actually buying either a bikini or a swimming costume.

Before even looking, I worked out it was approximately 4-5years or maybe longer that I've even worn swimwear outside, purely because I was terrified too.I was so used to receiving so many nasty comments during teenage years and mostly during school on my appearance, that I expected it to carry on still.I sat down and spent hours going through different designs, imagining myself in each one and closing the tab because the thought of my fat self wearing it made me feel sick.I eventually went back to one which I've wanted for a long time, but I felt like I didn't have the right body shape or figure to pull it off.Its quite daring too and I felt that this was probably the best choice to go for, to challenge myself.I had one day to prepare myself for it, so I made sure my skin was super smooth, not a single hair on my body (my preference) and tried to not talk myself out of it or cancelling the order.

The day arrived where my bikini came in beautiful packaging via Amazon and when I took it out of the bag, my heart dropped.My head went straight to the negative thoughts first thinking "I'm too fat, its not going to fit" "I'm going to look massive" "How is this a Large?".My thought process then changed to how pretty it was in person and the picture on the website did not do it justice.The lace embroidered roses were beautifully detailed, with them being reasonably sized to cover any nip slips.The top part of the swimsuit which is mesh,  a soft material which didn't cause any irritation when wearing it, which I was worried about.The bottom part of the bikini isn't thick or too thin, it covered everything perfectly and felt extremely comfortable.Pulling up the swimsuit, it began to fit snug to my figure, but the hardest part was yet to come.My mum helped me tie it up at the back as its a halter neck and normally I'm not a fan of halter necks, but the string is super soft on the skin.The real challenge now was going outside, with people and buses going past with me in full view of wearing this.It sounds a little dramatic I know, but please remember at this point, I was extremely terrified.

This is what the swimsuit looks like and at first I honestly couldn't even take a picture properly.I kept moving my hands across my stomach to cover the fat bits and stood extremely awkward.After about 5minutes, I began to calm down a little and kept telling myself that its ok and to focus.I think what made it worse for me too, is that my camera captures photos and videos in 4K, and although some of the quality is lost when uploading on here, it still picks up EVERY detail and flaw.I didn't want to pose too much, as that isn't what I was about.I just wanted to get a few nice images of the swimsuit and help other girls realise that it really isn't all that bad.

Since having the swimsuit which is 6days since writing this blog post, I've been even more confident of going outside and heading to the beach to wear this.I decided to even style it with my scuba skirt to just wear it in the garden if I'm not feeling like having my bum on show that day.I've been more relaxed when getting into the pool, so much that me and my dog roxi ended up napping outside whilst it was still filling up (picture below).

I'm so sorry that this post was incredibly long, but I wanted to get the point across that you shouldn't let society or bullies dictate on what you can and can't do.I think all body types are beautiful and even if you're not happy with yours, their will always be someone who will look at you thinking you have the perfect body.What you may think is a flaw to you, is perfect in someone else's eyes.I still maybe at war with my body on most days, but I'm still taking each step to embrace it.

Pretty Polly has always been one of my top favourite brands when it came to hosiery, because no brand came close to the quality of there tights.I decided to stop wearing them during my teens, mainly because of my confident issues that stopped me from wearing shorts or skirts most of the time.Since then, they've added more beautiful designs and have now added lingerie too, which I super excited about, because we all know how much I love lingerie!

The first item that I opened were these Nylon Lace Hold Ups, which are the first ones I've ever tried by Pretty Polly.I decided to get the size M/L because of my height, as I was really worried that they would be too big.I'm glad to say that they fit perfectly for my height and sized legs (which can be a pain to find hold ups that do both).I always wondered how hold ups would "stay up" but the lace band around the top helps it stay in place.These are 10 denier and have a gloss finish, which you can see better in the full shot below.

When it comes to comfortability, these are extremely comfortable to wear and I ended up keeping them on under a dress when walking around the house.I decided to match it with two different branded bra and undies, mainly because they don't do my size with bra's and the briefs don't have any attachments.I know these aren't suspenders, but I have a little obsession with them so I decided to try and see if I could clip on the attachments.The lace band at the top of the hold ups are fairly thick which I'm happy with and it helped secure into place when attaching them.These are in the shade black, also being available in the shades barely black and sherry.For the price of just £7.50, I think thats really good for the quality, the design, comfortability and the sheer gloss finish.

Next are these gorgeous Rose tights and if you follow me on instagram, you'll know how obsessed I am with roses.I tend to worry about nude tights, mainly because they are always too light for my skin tone.When I took these out of the box, I was so worried as they looked way too light for me, but once I got them on, they were a very close match.These are one size and I had to be super careful with them, as they didn't pull all the way to the top and I was really worried of tearing a hole in them, so thats something to keep in mind.

The roses are beautifully detailed on the tights and would look beautiful with any outfit (especially a skater dress).They kind of look like you have two roses tattooed onto your legs with the black print and the quality of the print is pretty good.You can wear the roses on the back like advertised on the box, but I personally prefer having them on the front and I'll style them with a knitted jumper with shorts.You can purchase them here

Lastly is the Nastasha Nylon Brazillian briefs which have become my absolute favourite.I normally don't purchase black undies, mainly because I find them a bit boring personally, but it was the lace design of these that made me want them.

I was going to get the matching bra to review, but unfortunately Pretty Polly don't do my size at this time, however when I contacted them asking about this, I was told they will be expanding the collection so hopefully fingers crossed thats soon!.The lace design on the back of these kind of remind me of peacock feathers, with the lace embroidered along the edges.They're extremely comfortable to wear, and although I'm normally not a huge fan of my bum as its not perfect, I feel quite confident when I wear these.It has PP initials/logo in silver on the front with a cute little black bow above.I got these in the size M and they cost for just £6!I might end up purchasing all of the colours, with 6 to choose from.

I'm really glad to see that Pretty Polly have expanded to lingerie now, because I now feel confident in purchasing lingerie items from them.I'll also be stocking up on some of there tights for the winter, since I'm now more confident with myself when it comes to having my legs on show and Pretty Polly do the best for quality and price.

I never leave the house without a case on my phones, because its not worth the risk of them breaking and I love styling them with my outfits.I was contacted by Caseable to choose two of there products of my choosing to review last month and to also give you my thoughts on the service that I received as well.I decided to choose a unicorn case for my iPhone, because back in April-May, everyone was going nuts going the Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino.I also got to choose a laptop sleeve, so I ended up choosing the Black Swan design for my MacBook, as it was a design that was literally calling out to me.After Caseable contacting me in the first place, I spent approximately 2hours trying to choose what design I wanted, because they have so many unique designs to offer and the artists create amazing work.

To start off the review, I wanted to mention the delivery first.All of there products are handcrafted in Germany and it took only 10days for it to be delivered to the UK by DPD.I was sent a confirmation email, followed by an email that had my tracking information so I could keep an eye on my order.This might be a personal thing, but I always feel more comfortable when an order is coming via DPD, because their tracking is always accurate and I pretty much 100% trust them when it comes to delivering my parcels.

Its been nearly a month since I've received these cases, which has given me plenty of time to share my thoughts on them.I'm going to start on the Unicorn case first, because I have mixed feelings about this case.When it arrived, I was pretty impressed on how sturdy it is and how easy it was to snap onto my phone.Its made from recycled bottles which I think its pretty cool and its good for the environment.The case itself has provided amazing protection, like even though I've never dropped my iPhone (touch wood not to jinx it), my dog has picked it up a few times and no marks have been left on my phone.

Below I've provided an image of the case that was on the website and the case that I received:

I know that online pictures can look different, especially when it comes to lighting, but their is quite a difference when it comes to quality.My case wasn't as clear as advertised and it also seems blurry, especially the writing.Although its quite a nice case and I'm still somewhat happy with it, the quality isn't as near of what was advertised.I did send an email to the customer service team and explained this, but I haven't had a response from them yet and its been a month.As soon as I get an update, I'll let you know.I might be wrong and this case is meant to be like this, but the image on the website says different in my opinion.

Price: £19.90       Click me to purchase

The Black Swan Laptop Sleeve is the only one that I have and use for my MacBook.As a precaution, I already have a pink case on it, to protect it from getting any scratches on it from my cats (which has been pretty impressive so far!).I decided to choose this sleeve, because it stood out to me and I love Black Swan.I thought the swan thats in a shape of a rose was beautiful with the surrounding feathers around  the body.

The image quality is a lot better, even though the two products are very different,  this case is nicer in person compared to the image online.Its printed on both sides and my MacBook perfectly fits inside.Its fairly thick as well which I love, because I know it offers extra protection.With the random UK weather that we get, I took this case out on a sunny day for it to turn dark and rainy within 30minutes of being outside.This case got fairly soaked before I could get back indoors, however my MacBook was not damp at all, even on the other case that I have on top.Of course I had to leave the sleeve to dry on the radiator, because it would of eventually seeped through, but I was amazed on much on how it protected my device.

The sleeve itself is extremely soft, which makes it super comfortable to carry around.Its that soft, both of my cats (one in particular that is very picky on what surfaces to go on), have decided to either sit or lay on it.Its an absolute pain to get him off and if I do, he gets back onto it 5minutes after.Just look at that face, how can you chuck him off?

Price: £36.90       Click me to purchase

Despite having a little issue with the phone case, I'm pretty impressed with Caseable.I think its truly amazing on how may designs they have to offer, and if their is something that you can't find for yourself, you can create your own!If you're like me when it comes to looking for unique designs and love to accessorise your devices with your outfits, I highly recommend checking them out.If you have any questions regarding there products, please do not hesitate to contact me and I'll try my best to answer your questions. Thanks again to Caseable for sending me these to review :) 

I've had my eye on Oh Polly (and this skirt) for a very long time,  but I never felt good enough to wear there pieces.I struggle to find clothes that fit my body shape, and wasn't sure if this skirt was going to fit me, let alone even look good on me.Oh Polly had 20% off everything, so I thought it would be a good time to get the skirt and purchase a bodysuit from another retailer, as the cheapest on Oh Polly was £20.After having a little search online, I picked up this mauve bodysuit for £7.50 from Pretty Little Thing.They didn't have my usual size, so I had to go down to a 10, hence the reason why my thighs are literally struggling to breath.

Another reason that made me want to order from Oh Polly, was that I wanted to experience them as an online retailer.I had seen so many negative reviews about there customer service and the quality of there items, so it took me a while to order from them in the first place.My order was dispatched very quickly and was in fact put on next day delivery (even though I paid standard) which I thought was very lovely of them.It came in there sassy packaging which I love and the skirt was sealed in another bag inside.I appreciated this because I could see some of the glitter that had come off, but it wasn't noticeable on the skirt itself.It comes with a tag stating that the glitter does come off overtime, which completely makes sense of course, but despite moving around in it quite a lot and it getting stuck to my wool robe, the glitter has stayed in place on the pattern.

The skirt itself is true to size (I'm wearing a size 12) and is a perfect fit for me.If you're someone that needs leg room, I recommend going a size up, because this skirt is pretty much a bodycon design.I was worried that the glitter would make my legs itch, but it doesn't at all and is surprisingly comfortable.The glitter pattern design of this dress is absolutely gorgeous and I would of happily paid full price for it.As the skirt itself is completely see through, its best matched with a bodysuit, but the one I'm wearing doesn't do it justice around the thighs and bum area, as its a bit too high due to it being too small.To complete the outfit, I matched it with my favourite Rose Gold Shoes from Pretty Little Thing, that are currently on sale for £15!If you were questioning on whether to get this skirt or not, I would 100% recommend getting it for all the good reasons above and also the fact that they constantly sell out!

Christmas is only a month away and I'm still finding myself purchasing rose gold items.Just when I thought I had it under control, I came across the instagram and brand Lily England.There feed was full of beauty items and you guessed it...ROSE GOLD HEAVEN!I had two brushes that I was using already, which was the Denman brush and the SugarBearHair brush.I really didn't need any more hair brushes, and instead of getting just the one brush, I went ahead and purchased the set of three.I purchased this set from there Amazon store instead of there own website, as I've got Amazon Prime which includes free next day delivery.It arrived the very next day (two days ago from writing this post)

All of these brushes are marked for all hair types and in this case, I can only speak for it working on my thick curly hair.Normally I've found when hair brushes work great for my hair type, any hair that is looser or not as thick tends to work great for it too.Each brush is individually designed to help achieve a certain look for example, which I've mentioned below that is provided on the back of the Lily England box:

Barrel Brush:

                      

Autumn/Fall is finally here in the UK!I couldn't help but also refer it to "fall", because I just love that term and I've just began binge watching Gossip Girl on Netflix again.I'm normally not a huge fan when it comes to freezing temperatures, mainly because I'm cold already and will find any excuse to stay indoors.This doesn't stop me from trying to dress nicely though, with it being my own style and feeling 100% comfortable in it.If you live in the UK, you know our weather is never able to make its mind up, switching between the lovely warm sun to then getting dark, windy and being absolutely cold.The image above is a outfit that I went out in today, that can be matched with a big warm coat or black leather jacket to go with the bag.All of the items mentioned in the post are things that I've found in-store or online, that I've purchased with my own money.I don't consider myself someone that knows a lot about style, this is just my own style to maybe give you some ideas (if you like them that is).I've also provided the sizes that I ordered for each item to help as a guide too.

Knitted Cropped Jumper: Boohoo - Price: £8 - Size: M/L

Gladiator Shorts: Aliexpress - Price: £6 - Size: L

Bag: New Look - Price: £10 

Metal Detail Point Heels: Asos/New Look - Price: £13.50 (Reduced from £22.99) - Size: 7

I came up with this one this morning, as I ordered this hoodie originally to just wear around the house.It pretty much works with anything, but I feel it would be perfect for those going back to school, who may either wear this hoodie on there lunch break or to/from school.For only £7, its extremely warm and snug.It comes with a hood as well to stop your face getting cold, and with the amount of hair that I have, I was surprised that it all fits.I recommend going a size up from what you usually are, due to the fitting being tight to give that snug affect.The hoodie is also available in black and grey.

Burgundy Chic Hoodie: Asos Marketplace - Price: £7 (Reduced from £10) - Size: M/L

Gladiator Shorts: Aliexpress - Price: £6 - Size: L

Buckle Wide Fit Ankle Boots: New Look - £15 (Reduced from £29.99) - Size: 5

This is probably more suitable around the beginning of Autumn/Fall before the weather gets extremely cold, or you're in a vehicle most of the time.It can be paired with some tights if your not comfortable showing your legs, but to me it kind of looked silly with the knee high boots.For the jacket, I paired it with a stone leather jacket that I got from H&M's Divided range for £12 or a rose gold jacket for £35 that is currently in fashion at the moment.The thigh split dress I got a size up from what I normally am, due to it being a very tight fitted dress that holds onto every curve and bump.As I mentioned on my Instagram where I originally posted this image, I'm usually not a fan of knee boots at all, but I remember seeing these online and I fell in love with them instantly.These are extremely comfortable and have easily become my favourite boots to wear.

Thigh Split Dress: Pretty Little Thing - Price: £8 - Size: 12

Kick It Off Over The Knee Boots: Asos - Price: £33 (Reduced from £55!) Size: 7

This is my favourite outfit, with the first one being a close second and if its not obvious already, I love matching everything with those gladiator shorts.I'm a huge fan of anything floral and I've been wearing this jumper all throughout summer, so couldn't resist adding it to my autumn/fall wardrobe too.The 3D flowers are detailed beautifully, and you have a choice of getting this jumper in 4 colours.I mainly wear this outfit when the weather is more warm, but it can be paired with tights and flats if you're not feeling the whole knee boots style.I'm also excited to show you the little rose keyring that is called "Shanise", that is named after me by Superpeach.This colour is currently out of stock, however it is available in pink and white, along with other beautiful keyrings that you can match with your own handbag.

Pink/Nude 3D Floral Jumper: Aliexpress - Price: £14 - Size: L

Gladiator Shorts: Aliexpress - Price: £6 - Size: L

Stone Bag: Asos - Price: £14 (Reduced from £28)

Shanise Keyring: Superpeach - Price: £8

Kick It Off Over The Knee Boots: Asos - Price: £33 (Reduced from £55!) Size: 7

I'm back with another experience on Chi Chi London, and this time its on two dresses.As always with my blog posts, I'm not paid or sponsored for my work.Chi Chi London were very kind enough to send me two dresses, in exchange for an honest review and a prom look.I want to mention before I go into this review, is that I was originally sent the wrong dress by Chi Chi London at first, however there customer service was outstanding and it got resolved very quickly too.This will also be mainly focused on what items you can style with these dresses, opposed to the prom look that was originally planned, as the prom season has passed now.

I wanted to go for something again out of my comfort zone, like the Leia dress that I ended up completely loving.At first glance at the Marny dress in person, it was undeniably pretty but I wasn't sure if it would look right on me.Its quite a tight fitted dress around the boobs area, having padding already for comfort and to stop any see-through worries, so wearing a bra for my E sized boobs was not needed.After zipping up the dress and looking in the mirror, I was completely in love with this dress.It reminded me a little bit of Cinderella's dress worn by Lily James, but with the extra white details along the front.I'm wearing a size 12, which is always the size I go for with Chi Chi London dresses and is a size up from my normal size 10 frame.This is just to make sure that the dress fits me perfectly and has enough boob room as well.Marny is currently on sale for £22.99 from £64.99, in sizes 6-16.They also have the "Curve" option for this dress, that is still retailed at £64.99, availible in sizes 18-26.I would still 100% pay full price for this dress, as it looks more expensive than what they charge, its beautiful and the details are absolutely stunning.I paired this dress with some white lace shoes to match it.

I'm so excited to talk about this Marley dress, because firstly....ITS MY FAVOURITE COLOUR! and secondly, I love the style of it.I originally fell in love with the Jade dress, but it was constantly out of stock, and I was on a mission to get a dress very similar to it.I ordered this dress in size 12, just to be on the safe side, especially when it came to having room in the chest area.After taking it out of the packaging, I was instantly in love with it and prayed so hard that it would fit me.First time using it, it was slightly tight around the chest area, however it has seemed to stretch a little so doesn't feel like I was no longer gasping for air in it.I decided to wear it for an event on the 23rd, which was two days before my birthday at the time, and I've never felt so comfortable wearing a dress that was like "made" for me, because it is 100% my dream dress.I paired it with some heels that cost me £13.50 from ASOS, that matched it very well and are also very comfortable too.As for jewellery, I wore a silver diamond ring that I got as a early birthday present, and kept it simple like that, as I didn't want to go over the top.

As for my hair, I decided to go with two options with one being a old fashioned bun and the other having my hair down naturally.The old fashioned styled bun was actually by accident, because while taking photos, I didn't realise that my bun had fallen forwards so it kind of ended up looking like a fringe.It could of gone better when it comes to styling it in this style for sure, but its not a bad look for it being done by accident.Out of the two styles, having my hair down naturally was my favourite, because taking my hair out of the bun provided that little bit extra volume and definition to my curls.The two shots provided below also show what the dress looks like in direct sunlight and just natural lighting as well, no retouching.

This has been a wonderful experience with Chi Chi London again and I'm absolutely thrilled with both of these dresses.They have a beautiful selection of dresses to suit everyone and I honestly cannot recommend them enough when it comes to fast service and beautiful designed dresses.Let me know if you want me to review any particular dress from Chi Chi London below in the comments or via my instagram post on Chi Chi London :)