My Summer Reading List

As my uni year is from October to May, I find that the warmer Summer months are usually the time I catch up on my reading list; and what better time to get lost in new books/worlds than when I'm at my beach hut. I try to tick off some older classics, along with some newer releases; but for the most part, I go with my gut and see what I'm drawn to.

This Summer is a little different. There are a couple of series' I want to complete, in particular, the Frey & McGray Casebooks and the Hunger Games Trilogy. Both of which I have started, but desperately need to complete. I am studying Literature next year, which of course has a lot of *reading included, most of which I have never read so I do want to try and read a couple of those books too. Who knows what I will have read by the end of this summer but so far, this is my list:

• Dear Coquette 
• The Hunger Games 
• Catching Fire 
• The Mockingjay 
• The Mask of Shadows 
• Lolita 
• *Wuthering Heights 
• *Oroonoko 
• *The Sign of Four 
• *Dancing at Lughnasa 
• *Dubliners 
• *The emigrants 
• *The Lonely Londoners
• *Othello 
• *Frankenstein 
• *Candide 
• *The Duchess of Malfi 

I also have a ton of magazine issues to catch up on, but I have more on that in an upcoming blog post so stay tuned! 

What books do you have your eye on for this summer? 

Cheerio for now! 

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Harmful ingredients in your Beauty Products

Disclaimer: I am not a skincare expert, nor have I ever worked in the beauty industry. The information below is a combination of research I have taken part in as well as information I have been passed on by health professionals. Also, if you are happy with your skincare routine, feel it works for you and your body and have no desire to change or be exposed to what is actually in the products -I would say not to read this. Finding out certain information can broaden your mind in so many ways, but once you hear/read certain things you cannot unread them. On that note, if you would rather stay blissfully unaware and enjoy those drugstore buys, click off now! 

Now I'm no expert when it comes to skincare but over the past two years, I have become increasingly aware of the harmful ingredients in skincare products and what they can potentially do to our bodies. When I first started to change my skincare routine (you can read my skin story here) I was in an odd frame of mind. I had all this new found knowledge of these harmful ingredients thrust upon me and was horrified to learn what havoc it could potentially be causing my body. I felt as though the rose-tinted glasses had fallen off my face and I was seeing the beauty industry for what it really was -not pretty. I couldn't believe that I had been blissfully unaware of all the harmful ingredients I was putting onto my body and letting it absorb.

Fragrance: I thought I'd start with fragrance seen as this is a pretty loose, elusive ingredient that no one really knows what it entails. What do I mean by that? Well, companies can label their product with Fragrance as to not give away their secret ingredients but as to what actually makes or contributes to that fragrance we don't know. Because of this 'loophole', you could use a product thinking it is free from all the nasty ingredients below but those ingredients may contribute to the Fragrance. Sneaky, huh?

Parabens: From my understanding, Parabens are used as a preservative for products, and prevent the product developing bacteria or mould. It has also been linked to breast cancer, with samples of the chemical found in tumour biopsies. Parabens can also be found in many body products and even in pharmaceutical products as well as food.

Phthalates: These are basically a group of chemical which softens plastic -I think. From my reading, the chemical has been banned in children toys' in the EU but is still used in products such as deodorant, body lotions, perfumes and nail varnish. Phthalates have their equal effect on the body as many of these other ingredients and are linked to various cancers' such as Breast, Kidney, Liver and Lung cancer.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): This ingredient really helps foam a product so it is usually found in face wash, body wash, shampoos and even cleaning products. When the body absorbs this chemical it can cause issues with kidney, lung and the skin as well as being very irritating to eyes. This really is a nitty-gritty bugger that you want to avoid as, from my reading, it seems that when the chemical mixes with others it can potentially create a whole new harmful ingredient hosting a whole new set of problems to the body.

I specifically chose these ingredients from the long list of ingredients I could have mentioned as I felt these were the ones I had always heard of but never actually knew what they did and how they affected the body. Now I'm not going to tell you not to use them, that would be pretty impossible as many of the products in your bathroom cabinet contain them, the purpose of this post was more so to educate and make people a little more aware. Your skin is your body's biggest organ and absorbs a large portion of everything you put on it, so naturally, it's only right we know what is inside. Think of it like eating artificial preservatives in your food, except your applying them to your skin.

If you want to read more about cleansing your skin, the beauty industry and avoiding these harmful products I'd recommend this book. I also posted a review on it, which you can read here.

How do you feel after our skin lesson? Head hurt? Feel portrayed? I did too. 

Cheerio for now! 

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The Shell Grotto, Margate

I first found out about The Shell Grotto in Margate through this post, from Sophie Davies at The Private Life of a Girl. Reading about it and seeing her images made me instantly want to visit this little hidden gem. I have visited Margate since I was young, and my beach hut is on the bay just round from Margate beach so I couldn't help but wonder -how haven't I heard of it before now? And then a special little Sunday rolled around and I got to finally experience The Shell Grotto. Okay, so it wasn't special but it was one of those 'no plan' days which turned out to be a pretty great day.

The Shell Grotto is a picturesque cave around 100ft long, entirely adorned with shells. It was discovered in 1835 but to this day nobody knows when or why it was built. With no mentioning of it in any historic documents, we don't even know who created it. The grotto consists of the North passage you use to enter the grotto, the Rotunda, the Dome, the Serpentine Passage, and the Altar Chamber. From the moment you enter the Rotunda, you are in the presence of 4.6 million shells (wonder how long it took to collect them all). Of course, since the Grotto was opened to the public in 1838, and the site is too small to prevent visitors from touching the shells, there are signs of wear and tear throughout the site; however, this doesn't prevent you from enjoying the beauty of the site.

Although we do not know anything about its' purpose, and at this point, we will probably never get any real answers, I do think this is what draws people to this attraction. Because of its' unexplained existence, it is shrouded in mystery and I think that is what people find themselves drawn to. There is so much we know these days and very little in our world that is undiscovered. It's nice to go somewhere, experience it, ask your questions and ponder over your theories; all while you wander through its' chilly passages.

Dear Old Friend

So, we haven't spoken lately and I seem to have disappeared for a while. There are few excuses for my absence but I suppose the main reason is that life has simply got in the way. Since Christmas, everything has picked up a pace and life just feels a little more hectic than what I would usually like.

What do I mean by that? Well, let's get into. I have grown up as an only-child, in a single-parent household. Now, as I write this, my mom has a partner and I now have step siblings; which is something I never thought would happen. My house has been sold and we will be moving into a new home, and combining our two families. I'm currently living out of my moms' partners' conservatory and sleeping between my stepsisters' bed, the sofa and the spare bedroom of my grandparents' house. Yup, I'm a nomad right now but it's only temporary and it's worth it. I was the type of kid who always asked Santa for a family so now, 15+ years later, I'm glad that the bearded guy finally came through with the goods.

Talking of bearded guys, there's one of those in my life too. I don't want to mention too much about him here as it's still very new but he's become a very special person in my life; one of which I'm not ready to share with my little corner of the internet just yet, but stay tuned.

In terms of studying with the Open University, I really enjoyed my creative writing module which I completed a couple of weeks ago. It feels bittersweet but I also look back at my first few pieces and feel a huge sense of achievement at how far I've come with my writing. Going into this module I was dreading the sections on poetry and life writing, as well as the idea of someone potentially ripping my writing to shreds. However, it's been an enormous help having like-minded people commenting and giving their own input on my writing; and in terms of poetry and life writing, they have earned me amazing feedback and compliments as well as high scores.

As April has come (and now gone), it is finally beach hut season again which has my sea-loving heart doing somersaults! I have managed to get down there a few times so far, however, I'm hoping that I'll get to spend more time there and fill my lungs with as much sea air as possible within the next few weeks.

Oh, and obviously, I died my hair (well -some of it). Truth be told, I have been wanting a change for a while now and when I was browsing Pinterest a few months back I saw a photo of a young girl with hair like Cruella DeVille. Now, I am not confident to rock that half and half look all over, but I definitely wanted to recreate it with my own little twist. It's not as white as I'd like it yet but it is getting there (Yes, I'm a twenty-one year old who wants white hair).

So as you can see, a lot has been going on. I'm not sure what the next few months will bring this space but I'm hoping to get back into a posting schedule and get some fresh content on here throughout the summer.

Cheerio for now!
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Soothe the senses with Tropic

It's getting to that time of the year when things become a little stressful for us students. Whether it be the finishing off coursework, sitting final exams or merely packing your dorm and trying to decide where to move for the next year. Some of us are way ahead of our workload, eagerly awaiting Summer to jet off traveling, while others' are pulling all-nighters, living off red bull and hibernating under a fort made out of textbooks. I'll admit more often than not I fall into the latter -though I survive off tea rather than a red bull. I don't know about others', but when this happens the only thing that will calm my stresses and ease the knots in my hunch back is a warm shower and a luxurious pamper. what can I say? -it's what we skincare junkies do!

If you hadn't guessed by now, my favourite brand is Tropic (who you can read more about here). I find their products so luxurious so naturally, they make for the perfect pamper. Within the past few months, my pamper routine has had some new additions, two of which I wanted to share with you today.

Soothe the Senses, body wash
I was super excited to finally try this body wash and it didn't disappoint by any means. The body wash is a velvety, creamy texture, with a heavenly vanilla scent. The consistency is more runny and thinner than other shower gels so a little goes a long way. Having said this, it lathers up just as well as any other body wash and within a few scrubs, you feel fresh as a daisy!

Soothe the Senses, luxury body oil
Now, my mom has been pretty obsessed with this oil for over a year now. It is a vital part of her post-shower ritual and as such, she can't live without it. I, on the other hand, had never really been brave enough to try it. I'm one of those people who has always feared oils (that's a story for another post) though the alluring floral scent and the pretty flower enticed me and soon I was hooked.

The body oil has a combination of oils including rosehip and argan oils so it is perfect to give your body a dose of hydration and a silky finish post-shower. It is also multi-functional and can be used in your bath, as a conditioning mask for your hair and to tame split ends. Ideal, huh? 

What is produces are essential for your pamper sessions? 

Cheerio for now! 
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You can check more Tropic products featured in this space here. 

Book Review: Bloom

Bloom: navigating life and style, Estée Lalonde  

As a subscriber to Estée's channel, I all but climbed on my desk and shimmy-danced when she announced her book in this video. As a subscriber to Estée's channel, I all but climbed on my desk and shimmy-danced when she announced her book in this video. I know there is often a lot of mixed opinion about YouTubers writing books but I knew her book would be amazing, and I wasn't wrong.

Bloom is centered around what and how Estée became who she is today. She discusses everything, and I mean everything -there's no holding back, which is so refreshing. The book kinda revolves around the idea of blooming into the person you are meant to be and if our souls were flowers, Estée's would be the most beautiful out of the bunch!

With eight sections, Bloom covers life, people, work, beauty, fashion, home, travel and food and is almost wrote as though she is talking to you over a cup of tea which makes the experience even more personal. I found the sections about her childhood and her past relationships with food incredibly emotional purely because of how much I resonated with her experiences. I'm not one to judge a book by its' cover, or appearance, but I found the layout, quality of pictures and general aesthetic of the book really pleasing. I know that may sound odd to some people, but the font, page colours, page number layouts, etc are all things a bookworm like myself appreciates in a book (imagine trying to read font you can't stand or that is too small).

End thoughts: I loved this book. It's almost like a survival/motivational guide that resonated with so many aspects of my life growing up as well as giving me wise words and strength to continue on and to always listen to my heart. Bloom is the book I wished I had growing up, and the book I am probably going to gift all the young girls and women in my life. It is a must-read.

Have you ever read Bloom? What did you think? 

Cheerio for now! 
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Studies | 16

I have been studying with the Open University since October 2014. This year I am studying module A215 Creative Writing, which will be my third year with the OU and my third module towards an open degree. Due to my health, I am a part-time student which means it will take twice as long as a full-time student but I will get there eventually. 

The A215 Creative Writing module was actually the module which attracted me toward studying with the Open University so in many ways my first two years of study weren't just towards my degree but they were almost stepping stones to get to this module. The module is divided into five sections with it covering the creative process, writing fiction, poetry, life writing, and the final section is centered around going public with your writing. 

So far I have really enjoyed the module, and feel my writing has really improved in the short time I have been studying and practising certain techniques. I think a lot of people have this notion that writing is easy; that you sit, pour out a couple of sentences and then simply string them together. It doesn't work quite like that. There is a lot that goes into it behind the scenes; such as freewriting, clustering, character creation, developing your style and voice, etc. 

While I have really enjoyed the module so far, that's not to say that it has come without its' difficulties. Through the writing process I have noticed that writing is subjective, and while I may think it is perfect at that moment in time I may go back to it a few days later and be appalled at myself for not picking up on certain mistakes or decide that I dislike the entire piece. Writing is something that happens within a moment in time and when you return, you may not necessarily like what you read. Another thing I have noticed is I make a lot of silly/simple mistakes like mistyping/writing words (using the wrong words, leaving out words, etc) and so reading aloud has become my best friend; which is also a great tool for testing punctuation and sentence lengths. 

I have really enjoyed this academic year so far. I can't wait to look back to compare my first few pieces of work with my last few pieces when I complete this module. 

What do/did you study? 

Cheerio for now! 

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