RELAXATION RECIPE

In my opinion, taking down the Christmas decorations, is probably the most depressing day of the year. 

Santa has put his feet up, new year has passed- although the hangover probably hasn't- the chocolate supply is quickly decreasing, and all you're left with is a spindleless tree; retaining its last respect through a withered piece of red tinsel. It's fair to say the time has come, and unfortunately the usual routine is following closely behind. Unlike the Scrooges out there, I'm a dedicated fan of the festive feeling, so declaring final farewells is comparable to parting with a best friend of which you only see annually. 

I have devised a cunning plan in ridding these post holiday blues. A set of ingredients that, hopefully, will have you feeling that little bit more invincable when facing that daunting Monday morning. This Sunday, after reluctantly clearing the house of all sparkles and spindles, make yourself time to be selfish. It is the only cure. (Apologies, these are all extremely clichéd, feminin acts). 

1. Remove all your makeup. 

This is the first step to feeling refreshed, and cleansed of christmas guilt. I highly recommend the soap and glory face wipes; they are just the right amount of tough, whilst smelling simply divine. 

2. Get your work done.

I know the thought is horrible, and I am infact Cornwall's biggest hypocrit, but you know as well as I do that this will be a significant weight off your shoulders. Only when you have done this can you truly begin to relax. This is the flour to our cake; a masterpiece is impossible without it. 

3. Congratulate yourself for finishing all your work, and finally being up to date. This is an achievement, you are more than allowed to be proud. 

4. RUN YOURSELF A BATH. 

I used to be one of those people that weren't at all phased by products like bath bombs, body scrub, etc. Yet recently, after being fully introduced to Lush, they have made themselves comfortable amongst my favourite things.  Some people may think Lush/baths are overrated, however for me, it's not just about the product- a simple bath bomb- it's the luxury you feel when it first hits the water. A small, insignificant luxury, that places a delicate, unpredicted smile across your face. Make sure the water is so hot that your feet confuse warmth with pain, and you have to inch yourself in slowly, slowly, whilst your whole body prickles in a sprinkling of goosebumps. Do not dismiss it until you've tried it. But as well as this, once you're out of the bath and your head has drifted down from the clouds, there is something so calming about the stepping out of the bathroom. The room itself has become opaque with steam and the air is thick and clumsy; as you open the door, towel piled high upon your head, a sweet air will meet your face and cool your spine. It is cold, but it's just what you needed after being so absorbed by heat. 

'The longer I lay there in the clear hot water the purer I felt, and when I stepped out at last and wrapped myself in one of the big, soft, white, hotel bath towels I felt pure and sweet as a new baby.' - Sylvia Plath 

5. Face Mask.

Being in the bath is the perfect opportunity to use a face mask. The humidity will have caused your pores to open and plead for cleansing. 

6. Moisturise. 

Some people would step out of the bath believing their next step is to clothe themselves. Wrong. Your skin at this point is just about dying of thirst. Hydrate it with face creams and body butters- or if you own Hydraluron then use this now and it will work miracles. Body shop + Soap and Glory body butters will not let you down. 

7. Wear nothing but pyjamas and comfy clothing; throw all fashion guidelines out the window with any negative thoughts. 

8. Have a large glass of water. 

You have just released all the bad toxins from your skin, now do the same for your body. You will still be feeling flushed and  already thirsty from the heat- personally, I always crave orange juice- having a tall glass of water is the best thing you can do for your body right now. Even better, if you have lemon juice then add a splash to rid toxins more suffeciently. Green tea also works wonders. 

9. Never underestimate the power of a chick flick. 

At some point after all this, you will probably have to venture into your living room; which, unfortunately, means that you will soon be looking at the lonely space where the Christmas tree used to sit. This is why you will now need both The Holiday and The Amazing Spider Man, because who lifts the spirits more than Jude Law and Andrew Garfield, (DO NOT however watch the second spider man). 

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HUMAN

'What's happiness without sadness?'

Why is it necessary to always be searching for the 'key to happiness'? Why must we be perpetually happy? Are we not all human, and allowed to feel however we want to feel? It is the overwhelming need and pressure to always be happy that drowns us so dramatically when we are anything other than content. People often suffer extreme lows without knowing why. There is no reason behind the tears, and that- like an unanswered question- itches our soul, the not knowing encouraging further upset. However, sometimes, we dissolve under sadness because the pressure of constant happiness is simply too heavy. 

We too often forget that anger and dissatisfaction are also feelings we can nurture and feel to their full capacities. This is what it is to live, surely? You have only a handful of emotions, whichever one you are feeling, admire it. Respect it. Witness it right now; what are you wanting to do? What's making you want to do that? Recognise the feeling, and then work out what that sensation is wanting you to do with it. If it wants you to cry, then cry until your insides resemble the Sahara. If you need to scream or run, then do it. Just don't conceal it. Your dam will burst without your choosing when. Allowing an emotion is also the quickest way to move through it- if that's what you intend to do. It's okay to become comfortable in an emotion: to feel craddled there, in a certain mind frame, lacking any motivation to change the way you feel. Because that's allowed too. And we cannot force emotion; forced emotion is false emotion. We are human. 

If everyone were suddenly to uncover this great treasure, this gift that is eternal happiness, half the fascination of the world would be stolen from us. Plus, happiness from that moment on would go unnoticed. Forgotten in a world of euphoria and glowing auras. So for now, can we stop looking, and instead, start living. 

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MAGIC POWERS

Even with a not particularly thrilling outfit, you can still seem wise with fashion knowledge if you embrace the clothing. You will still make heads turn, if you simply convince the world that you knew exactly what you were doing when you selected the outfit. This happens through confidence: walking with your head held high- proud of the garments you 'purposely' chose. 

Perhaps you rolled out of bed 6 minutes before the bus, or maybe you haven't actually been home yet; whatever your reasoning for dismal attire, you can still project a sense of 'creative' fashion selecting with the right level of confidence. 

So what if you were half asleep and regrettably paired a highlighter pink bomber with a blue-tone-red lipstick. Simply give the impression that you knew exactly what you were doing, and others will nod their heads in appreciation of your bold choosing. 

Never be ashamed of an outfit. Insecurity will sparkle from your skin as obvious as Edward Cullen in sunlight. 

Don't wait for that lipstick to fade; re apply it, and ooze with sultry self confidence. We are far more likely to believe that a woman is beautiful when she believes so herself. A woman able to walk in public whilst proudly dressed head to toe in primark is a powerful one. Find confidence in yourself and you will find a string of magic powers following behind it. Not to mention the sudden ability to block out any irrelevant opinions. 

'When you choose according to your inner muse, you will project an aura of confidence and self-assuredness that nobody else can touch' 

- Nina Garcia 

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WHY DON'T YOU LOVE B?

This post may as well be titled 'over dramatised rant about why Beyoncé is the love of my life' 
-You have been warned. 

On the 1st of March 2014 I was lucky enough to be a witness to TMCSWT (the Mrs Carter show world tour, for those of you that don't yet speak Queen B), and I can honestly say it was most likely the best night of my life so far. 

The mission started this time last year, with my sister and I bouncing through the house- from laptop to computer, to phone to iPad- sprinting past each other in order to refresh screens, dying to get our hands on those tickets. Believe me, it was tense. You will never want concert tickets more than when you are stuck in an online waiting room. Even blinking becomes an unnatural thing. Not to mention the pressure of remembering your own name with a 7 minute time frame to fill in your personal details. 

However, and although I'm still not fully convinced it happened, somehow we got the tickets. And somehow 3 months later we were in London, cueing in line to enter the O2,

(Thank you God for priority moments).

People say that celebrities are just the same as the rest of us; we're all human, and no one should be treated any differently. Yet, I cannot deny, when Bey appeared on stage, with thousands of voices  screaming her name, she was truly untouchable. Completely faultless- or 'flawless' if you'd rather. 

Without calling her perfect - since if you're perfect there's only one way to go* - she is probably the closest thing I've seen to Aphrodite herself. 

Perhaps I'm just bias due to my fanatical love for the woman. But even so, whether you agree with my views or not, you cannot deny her performance ability. The stage is her Church. A place that we built for her to live; a place for us to adore her, the only difference being a £60 ticket.

I'm always baffled when people declare that they do not like Beyoncé. My immediate reply is always 'but, WHY?':  maybe you aren't a fan of the music, but apart from the odd song I simply cannot find a reason to dislike her. Not only is she a dedicated workaholic, she's also a passionate mother, wife, and feminist; putting her whole self into everything she does. 

Not that I need to go on, her vocal range is captivatingly abnormal. The opening verse of Halo, and the finishing lines of Listen offer an impossible difference in pitch, each being equally unobtainable for the vocally incapable (me). Still, if you admit it or not, we've all tried to conquer the chorus of Love on Top at some point. 

This pun has probably been used many times before, but Queen B never fails to run my world. May she reign until the End of Time. 

*Credit to John Green for teaching us that you should never aim to be perfect. 

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MY CHRISTMAS LIST

Here I am. Half blogging, half christmas shopping- a difficult task at the best of times - with Wham unashamedly echoing throughout the house. Lily, my 10 year old sister, has bluntly come to the decision that this year she needs a mermaid tail. Not 'wants' one, she needs one. And not just a piece of sparkly material that trails along the ground; a fat, rubber tail that sucks to your waist and disables you from all land based life. Believe me when I say there is a thin line between creative and mission impossible. My parents have just left the house, on their way to collect the highly anticipated tree- months overdue in my opinion. Whilst Lily is at a friend's, doing whatever 10 year olds do two weeks before Christmas. So as we've already established, here I am. Home alone, with just Mariah Carey for company... (there is still no shame).

I LOVE Christmas. There is no denying it. And so this year I've decided to share with you my Christmas list. I must point out that by no means will I be receiving everything on this list, it's simply a guide for my parents and relatives to select a few lucky items from.

1. Real Techniques, Lash-Brow Groomer
Until I have the full collection I will never have enough real techniques brushes in my life. And maybe not even then. Sam Chapman and Nic Haste were God's gift to women all over the world. Who knows what I'd look like without their YouTube channel in my life, and I have no idea why I don't already own this specific brush.

2. Hydraluron- moisture boosting facial syrum 
Those that know me will know that I worship this product. It is to be applied between toner and moisturiser (never replacing moisturiser), and is a miracle for skin hydration. If you and your skin are having disagreements then I would recommend this without hesitation. At £25 it is an expensive product- especially since it comes in a tube the size of your little finger- however no other product has cleared my skin better than this one.

3. A subscription to Wonderland/i-D Magazine
As guilty as I feel, yes, I am willing to cheat on Vogue. The only places I ever manage to pick these up are at service stations when travelling, which unfortunately means I only ever get my hands on them twice a year. The pages of these magazines offer a different take on fashion and lifestyle, (plus they're super pretti).

4. Candles
My love, forever and always.
...My current favourite is the Christmas Eve Yankee candle.

5. Books
You cannot go wrong. Although anything from the fashion section in Waterstones, by Osho, or poetry are all fairly good places to start.

6. Room Stuff  (literally what I've written on my list)
After having the same room for the past 8 years I have recently had a complete bedroom makeover. Finally being free of pink and purple love hearts, I decided to opt for a grey and white theme- Black and white being a little to harsh for a bedroom. There are still a couple of things needed to complete it, but really anything coloured grey or white is welcomed with open arms.

7. COCO, Chanel- eu de parfum

Every year there is one item that I'd love to recieve above all. Last year it was Lola by Marc Jacobs, and as soft a scent as that was, it didn't seem to last that long throughout the day. Every girl wants a bit of Chanel in their lives, and whilst the other perfumes are each iconically classy, I will always gravitate towards Coco. For me, No5 is slightly too musky; and Mademoiselle slightly too modern. With Coco, Chanel balances the timeless aura of No5 with the sweet modernity of Mademoiselle. It is a scent that I will be able to wear for the rest of my life- I just hope Santa is reading this.



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BACK TO BLACK (AND WHITE)

"Women think of all colours except the absence of colour. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony." -  Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel

To me there is nothing more elegant than a woman dressed from head to toe in black and white. Monochromatic attire has always been a sign of sophistication- most probably due to the publicity of its number 1 fan, Coco Chanel. Her whole aura sang of accomplishment; just as her collections projected everything that a woman should strive to be.

Take the little black dress: Chanel developed this iconic piece in order to give women an outfit that was ready for anything; successfully achieving glamour, independence and mystery all in that one piece of fabric. Black, white and beige have always been the stamp of Chanel, meaning that anyone to channel these shades would immediately project these sophisticated ways- designer or high street.

Karl Lagerfeld, after truly inhaling the role of creative director, took it upon himself to keep Coco's monochromatic intentions, fully embodying the shades by never stepping into the public eye in anything but black, white or grey. Lagerfeld has become renown, perhaps even more so than Coco, for his iconic monochromatic suits. A deserved tribute to arguably the most well respected fashion designer in history, Chanel.



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AUDREY

Dress- Etsy

Shoes- Ebay

Accessories- Tootsie and Tiger Vintage 

Umbrella- Ebay

Hair- Russell Robin Hair Salon

Prom is a milestone. An evening of glamour and reflection. Whether you see the occasion as a big deal or not, the memory of it will stay with you for the rest of your life. The photos will be around for years afterwards; the opinions valid for a lifetime. To me, as you can probably tell, prom was a big deal. The pinnacle moment of every American teen movie; the event a handful of us had been planning since we were 10. I considered many options- my phone gallery swiftly becoming a spectrum of satin and silk- yet the debate in my mind was solely between a modern, fresh look, or the idea of keeping it completely classic: a timeless look that wouldn't be regretted in later years.

My original idea was a silver dress. High necked, backless, silk; paired with delicate lilac accessories. However, after word got out, I felt there was no surprise factor left in my choice. I wanted to do something different that people weren't expecting. Yet when everyone found out about the silver option people already knew what was coming. In all honestly I probably took it all far too seriously. And, in hindsight, I do wish I hadn't cared quite so much about other people's opinions.

Eventually I concluded that to truly avoid regret the only real option would be to go for a classic look; quickly turning my gaze to the iconically classic Audrey Hepburn for that timeless finesse (who better to base this look on?). Whereas Audrey captured sophistication with the helping hand of Givenchy, I turned to trusty Etsy, purchasing my Breakfast at Tiffany's style for only £12. For my accessories, to go anywhere aside from the local vintage boutiques would've been unthinkable; soon discovering the perfect pair of gloves, pearls, and all important 50's bag.

Mainly I am happy with how things turned out. Yet I can't help feeling like I was trying too hard to embody someone else. If I were to give advise to younger years- and in no way do I mean to come across as patronising- I would simply say to embody yourself. As cliche as it is, prom is a wonderful opportunity to fully project your own personal style. Whether you're into silk or velvet, green or red; choose the shape, material and colour that you first fall in love with. That silver dress was me. It was the first dress I found that I could actually picture myself wearing. If you find that dress, do not change your mind. Stick to it, and no matter if it's on trend or not, I can assure you that you won't regret it.

(Also, take as many photos as humanly possible- I only like about two of mine!)

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