How I De-Stress

As April is Stress Awareness Month, so I thought I would share a post on how I relax and kick back. According to the NHS, stress is the feeling of being under too much mental or emotional pressure. Pressure turns into stress when you feel unable to cope. Many of life’s demands can cause stress, whether that is work, money and relationships to name the most common causes. As individuals, we all have different ways of reacting to stress, whether that is going for a walk, meditating, using stress relief products such as stress relief gummies, learning the benefits and uses of essential oils, apps such as Mindfulness or Headspace are incredible resources as is  just talking to a friend, someone who will listen without judgement.

We just have to remember that every situation that feels stressful to one person may be motivating to someone else.

Now I have an exceptionally demanding job, I also blog regularly, I am a Wife, Daughter, Sister, Auntie, Cousin, Niece, Friend, In-law all of which make demands on my time of course. I have a flat and three cats to look after.  All of this comes with stresses and strains, some more manageable than others and often being under pressure brings out the best in me BUT... learning how to switch off, wind down, take time for me and just relax is something I find hard to do and to coin a phrase 'I have ants in my pants', I am often fidgety.  So how do I calm down, take a breath and not let it all get on top of me?

Lists.  I am an avid list writer.  On my desk at work I have a weekly planner from Busy B Stationery and a to-do list and this helps keep me motivated, on top of things and focused.  This list never ever gets completed but I do get some satisfaction from crossing out things I have done, things that have been finished or finalised and by adding extra items, no matter how important (like ordering more envelopes) keeps me grounded.  I find writing my lists by hand quite therapeutic and whilst I am adding that list or crossing out, I am focused on what needs to be done.

Reading.  I am a bookworm and read a lot.  I travel too and from work via bus and get around London via Tube, during that time I read. If you follow me on Goodreads, then you will know that every year I set myself a target of how many books I should read.  Again, this is a list system of sorts because it organises my books in order of date read and there is a comprehensive list of books I want to read and a list of books that people recommend to me.  I am by heart a Crime Thriller girl, though am known to read the odd Chick Lit novel if the story grabs me.

Bath time.  At least once a week, I have an hour to an hour and a half in a hot bubble filled bath.  In that bath I will have on a facemask and perhaps even a hair mask and I will lay back on my bath pillow and just forget about anything existing outside that door, other than Hector my kitten who will sing to me in the hope I will let him in the bathroom to practice his balancing act along the bath. Otherwise I am in that bubble filled bath with my book/Kindle and I am forgetting about you all.

Box Set Marathon.  It is rare I sit down to watch the television.  I don't watch the soaps and I don't have the TV for the sake of it.  I am a huge football fan and I do love a good documentary.  So instead I like to find a series and watch it - Grey's Anatomy, Nashville, Devious Maids, Wentworth, Criminal Minds, CSI, Bluebloods, Quantico, Black List and so on.  Those are some of the programmes I am making my way through and in doing so, once again, I forget about anything else.

Colouring.  I love to colour things in. I have about three or four art therapy books in my collection currently and any excuse to buy pretty coloured pens I am there.  Colouring is actually really therapeutic, my mind is totally focused on not going out of the lines (seriously) and I can lose hours just colouring pieces of paper in, in a book.

I now just need to learn to leave my phone and social media apps alone for a few hours!

How do you relax, sit back and forget about the stresses and strains of everyday life?

Bee Good Lime Blossom and Honey Lip Balm

You might remember last year when I announced there was to be a lip balm competition by the fabulous brand Bee Good and I then featured the winning Lip Balm here.  Well today I am sharing the runner up lip balm, which was inspired by the lovely Aarti from MrsJonasrecommends.

In its beautiful green packaging, Lime Blossom and Honey Lip Balm is described as being a rich, deeply replenishing lip balm to repair, intensively condition and soothe dry, chapped lips. As soon as the lid is removed, the one thing you get a hint of is zesty lime. The main ingredients include protective British beeswax, natural source vitamin E, British borage oil; a rich source of skin strengthening essential fatty acids and British echium oil to replenish dry skin. Add to that bee-friendly lime blossom and it makes for a really lovely lip balm.

The texture of the lip balm is similar the others within the range, not too runny but a slight squeeze of the tube releases enough balm to cover both lips.  The applicator is angled to make the application really easy and it melts and absorbs on contact with the skin, so there is no greasy Vaseline feeling at all.  It does leave your lips feeling hydrated and moisturised and of course the Zesty Lime scent is noteable.

Prices at just £4.75 it is great value you money, a perfect lip balm for the Spring and Summer and it can be bought online or in most Waitrose stores.

What scent would you want to see in a lipbalm?

Colourpop Vixen Lippie Stix Set

Yes, I have finally succumbed to Colourpop and thanks to my mister, I have the amazing Vixen Lippie Stix set which I am obsessed with. ColourPop Vixen Lippie Stix Set is a limited edition set of six shades, all of which are just stunning. They arrived nicely package inside this purple box and in amazing condition considering their journey from America to the UK in just a few days.

If you havent come across Colourpop before (err hello) then you won't be surprised to learn that they are an American Brand right out of LA. They don't test on animals, are purse friendly and if you can find a way of shipping them to the UK, then do it because it is an amazing brand.

Inside the Vixen box are six Lippie Stix which are white in colour with silver writing and they look like felt tips pens, but obviously they are not. With names such as Ruffle, Last Call and Night Owl they are every bit as brilliant as they look.

Ruffle is described as a mid toned warm terracotta which has a Matte finish. The shade to me is a slightly warm brown shade with yellowy orange undertones and whilst it is wearable, it is my least favourite in the box.

Last Call is described as a "soft cool-toned mauve pink and it has a creme finish. Not quite Barbie Pink it does give a nice sheen to the lips and is perfect for everyday wear.

Night Owl is described as a “vivid cool-toned hot pink" and is also a creme finish. Now this is a fantastic shade of pink, it is bright, it is bold and it is one I just cannot pull off, but I love it and just wish it was for me.

Swatches from L-R = 54, Last Call, Night Owl, Plastics, Jingle and Ruffle

Jingle is described as a “true blue red" and it has a Matte finish. For me it is definitely a medium red shade and it definitely has cool undertones and is a shade I can wear, but I need to find the courage to do so because I find the red lip quite a scary thought and I just need to get over it. Jingle has a matte finish but I prefer it with gloss over the top to make it shine.

Plastics is my second favourite shade in the box and it is a matte finish and described as a “deep red violet" though to you and I, it is violet with a touch of red in it. I adore this shade and have worn it a few times, oddly I find no issue wearing a purple lip but cannot bring myself to leave the house with red. 

54 which has the most boring name happens to be my favourite shade of the lot. It is described as a “red wine burgundy with red and hot pink glitter" and it has a pearlised finish to it. Under the lights you can see the glitter within the formula.

As this box was designed for the holiday season, I feel the colours within the set are really well thought out and if like me, you are new to the brand, it is a great little introduction.  I adore the formulas of each Lipstix, they glide onto the lips, are bold in colour and pigment and each one lasts an amazing 5-6 hours.  I didnt find anything drying about any of them and for $20 for the set it is a bit of a bargain.  Colourpop Lipstix retail for $5USD which to be honest is just amazing and I now want to add more to my collection.

Erborian Bamboo Waterlock Mask

When moving from one season to the next, or indeed with the Great British weather, one day to the next, my skin can often decide it is having one of those off days where it can be greasy, dry, flaky and just look generally dull and grey. It is at this point that I know my skin need a good exfoliation and a lot of hydration. When the Bamboo Waterlock Mask from Erborian landed on my doorstep, I couldn't wait to give it a try and given the colour of the packaging, it isn't a product that you are going to miss spotting within your stash!

I am a huge fan of Erborian skincare, anything that is a French/Korean hybrid is always going to wow me and something that promises to instantly and deeply hydrate, give an instant plumping effect and a feeling of freshness upon application is just something I need right now.

The tube within which The Erborian Bamboo Waterlock Mask sits is sturdy enough and designed so you can put it down on any surface, once the lid is off, you can scoop out a little of the gel mask and apply without dropping it, dripping it or knocking it over. The mask is referred to as a hydro-gel mask, put simply, that means it is water based facial product that has a gel crossed with a jelly like texture, something quite a few brands are now using, so it isn't overly runny, but it isn't too thick either, it is sort of bouncy under your fingertips when you prod it. Once applied to the skin, there is an instant cooling feeling which I find quite refreshing, more so if it has been in the fridge and it is so incredibly lightweight, you cannot even feel it as it absorbs. The main ingredient used is the Bamboo both in sap which contain minerals and amino acids to help hydrate the skin, while the Bamboo fibers contain proteins and lipids to help maintain skin's natural moisture retention, something you need when your skin just feels in need of hydration. There is also Disospyros kaki, which you might know better as Sharon Fruit, is also an ingredient which is known for its astringent and illuminating properties, helping to keep skin supple and toned with its pore tightening effect.

This Erborian Bamboo Waterlock Mask can be used two ways. If you are wanted a quick fix then you simply apply a light layer to clean cleansed skin and leave for up to 10 minutes and rinse off or you can apply a layer and leave for as long as it takes for your skin to fully absorb the mask, which depending on how dry and thirsty your skin is, could be anything from ten minutes to half an hour. Whenever I use this mask, my skin literally sucks it up almost immediately and I am currently using it twice a week - once over the weekend and once mid-week.

The Erborian Bamboo Waterlock Mask retails at £44 for a 100ml and as far as I am concerned, it is well worth investing in, particularly right now when the weather is hard to predict and your skin is in need of some extra TLC