Beauty ¦ Dose of colours Liquid lipsticks

 

I absolutely love these lipsticks I have been reaching for them pretty much everyday since I got them as they are both such easy everyday shades to wear. I already have a pinky red shade which is called Kiss of Fire so I knew that I already liked the formula. It is incredibly comfortable on the lips without compromising on the longevity of the product. I find I can get around 7 hours out of these, they do fade a little when eating and drinking however nothing to crazy that they end up looking a mess. These are completely opaque with one layer (even the light one) meaning that they are a super easy no fuss product as you can just throw them on.

 

Left - Truffle Right - Bare with me

 

Truffle is the darker of the two shades, I'd say it was a medium browny nude which leans a little more pink than the other shade. I feel like this shade would work beautifully on any skin tone as it is that perfect in the middle nude. Bare with me is a much paler shade with more peachy tones rather than pink. On me this is just darker than my skin tone so I think anything above a lighter medium tone might find this one a bit concealer lippie.

 

The packaging on these is super practical as I am able to see what shade I am grabbing, the doe foot applicator is also incredible as it is curved meaning it fits onto the lips perfectly. It also means that it holds just enough product for one application. The one problem I have with these is how hard they are to get hold of! I buy mine form Beauty bay however they have a very limited shade selection and whenever they do restock the shades always sell out so fast.

 

I really love these liquid lipsticks and I'd highly recommend that everyone checks them out!

 

Life ¦ Livening up lunchtime with Haywards

 

Recently I've been in a little bit of a lunchtime rut so when this parcel turned up I was pretty excited.  (Can we just take a minute to appreciate the fact that I carried this for about half a mile from the post office and it weighed just under 6kg) For a start I have always had a mild obsession with Piccalilli so I was pretty excited for cheese and piccalilli sandwiches. However I have to say I was excited to receive the veggies as after look on the Haywards website there are so many recipes including their products to add a little twist to very traditional dishes, like the welsh rarebit below. I also definitely need to try adding some piccalilli to my potato salad which is another of the suggestions on the website.

 

 

 

Haywards have recently extended their product range massively and they now have four different types of onions ranging from sweet and mild to hot and spicy meaning that you can choose the products to suit how much tang you like.

 

I'd highly recommend heading over to the Haywards website //here// if you are looking for a little lunchtime inspiration, I'm especially looking forward to making the Goats cheese and caramelised onion tart and the cauliflower burgers! (also eating the gherkins straight out the jar but that's not half as fancy looking)

 

Haywards products*  are available to buy from most supermarkets in the UK.

Guest Post ¦ 4 ways to combat suicidal thoughts with Jennifer from the Public health Library

When Jennifer from the public health library got in touch with me and asked me if I would consider sharing an article about suicide prevention I knew that I had to say yes. I am fully aware that this article may have no use to a lot of you however if it helps even just one person that would be absolutely amazing!

 

Cole x

 

 

 

When you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, it can be extremely difficult to silence them. With the depression that so often accompanies them, distracting yourself with enjoyable activities isn’t always an option. Here are a few ways you can work to rid yourself of suicidal thoughts.

 

1. Meditation Isn’t Just For Buddhists

Meditation is a way for you to clear your mind and relax. Silencing the brain is possibly one of the best methods for quieting negative thoughts as the aim is to eradicate all thought. The catch is meditation takes time. Learning to silence your thoughts take practices and effort. You may want to begin your meditative practice when you are feeling more positive so that shutting thoughts out is not as difficult as when you are depressed.

Image via Pixabay by brenkee

You are also likely to feel more motivated during these times of positivity. Make meditation part of your daily routine so that when you truly need it, you will be practiced and ready.

2. Find an Activity That Busies the Mind

If meditation isn’t for you, seek an activity you can enjoy that keeps the mind busy. If you can’t silence the thoughts, maybe you can have more success drowning them out. Reading an intriguing or complex book is an option, particularly if you challenge yourself to read it upside down.

Crossword puzzles are another good mental exercise along with Sudoku or a traditional puzzle. The object is not necessarily to find enjoyment (which can be challenging for a depressed mind) but rather to busy the mind and prevent any room for suicidal thoughts.

 

 

3. Reach Out to a Friend

If there is a person you feel is capable of reacting calmly and supportively to news of your suicidal thoughts, reach out. Be up front and open about what you are going through. Also be prepared to tell them what you need from them. If you just need a person to talk to, let them know. If you need someone to keep you on track with medications, counselling, or other beneficial activities, tell them.

Be sure you know how they can help you before you reach out. Admitting that you are contemplating suicide without having a way for them to help may only work to cause them anguish. However if they are provided a way to be supportive, they are more likely to have a positive reaction.

4. Seek Professional Help

Feeling as though you are dragging loved ones into your problems can be detrimental to your recovery. It may be better to seek professional help in the form of support groups or counselling. If you are experiencing a crisis situation, you might also contact the Suicide Hotline. They can be reach toll free at 1-800-273-8522 and are entirely anonymous.

If feelings of guilt still persist, try to keep in mind that the people who run this hotline are volunteers who have trained to help people like you. They want to help. Let them.

Struggling with suicidal thoughts can be extremely difficult, particularly if you feel you cannot or should not reach out to those around you. While your loved ones are likely happy to help, there are always alternative resources and activities you can do to keep these thoughts at bay.

Take up meditation, buy a few jigsaw puzzles, or find your nearest crisis centre. No matter which route you decide to take, it is important that you find a way to help yourself. Keep in mind recovery is possible and your seeking help is the first step.

Jennifer McGregor is the co-creator of PublicHealthLibrary.org, which was made for one of her pre-med classes as a project. With the site, she intends to provide various resources pertaining to medical inquiries and general health. When Jennifer is not busy being a student, she enjoys walking her dog through the park.



Beauty ¦ A little Feel unique haul

I feel like this feel unique haul is definitely an incredibly restrained one! I actually wanted to  repurchase both the foundation and they eye primer so the fact that I only bought one more extra thing felt like quite an achievement to me.

 

 

Urban Decay Naked foundation - 0.5 - £27.00

 

I absolutely love this foundation and it's one I use on a very regular basis, I actually love it so much I was worried I'd have to be without it hence the repurchase. This is the perfect foundation for my dry skin. It's very lightweight meaning that it doesn't cling to any dry patches whilst still offering a buildable medium coverage. This leaves the skin looking super hydrated and glowy and on my dry skin  I find I get around 7-8 hours before it begins to look a little odd although I'm not sure how long you'd get out of it with oily skin.

 

Urban Decay Eyeshadow primer potion - Original - £16.00

 

Although my skin is dry my eyelids get pretty oily and a good 95% of shadows crease on my eyes however when I use this I find that most shadows I use don't crease or fade. It's also brilliant for intense eye looks as it really helps to amp the colour in the shadows. This one is definitely a must for anyone who struggles with creasing eyeshadow.

 

Urban Decay Beached Bronzer - Bronzed - £22.00

 

Can we just take a minute to appreciate the packaging, I think it may very well be the prettiest bronzer packaging I've ever seen. I decided in the end to go for the shade bronze which I'm pretty sure is the darker of the two but the one with the least warmth to it. Don't get me wrong it is still a very warm shade and not one that I could ever use for contouring however it is really lovely for warming up the face. The powder is incredibly smooth and blends into the skin to leave a really lovely natural warmth to the skin. One thing I will say however is that it is incredibly pigmented so I do have to be careful with how much product I end up with on my brush.



Bronzed