My Current Skincare Routine

Hi everyone. Today, I wanted to share my current skincare routine, more specifically my routine in the evening. Over the past few weeks, I made quite a few orders to several websites so I've been trying out different products since lockdown started, and I've now found a routine that my skin likes, and it makes my skin so smooth and hydrated. My skin is always quite hard to cater for as I have combination skin, so some areas are oily and others can become quite dry.

The cleanser I'm currently using is the Revolution Cleansing Jelly. This is a really gentle, cleanser with blueberry and goji berry extract which makes it smell amazing! I used this day and night usually, but often rotate between my other Revolution Cleansing Milk Jelly and my Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish (I try to use this as little as possible as its the limited edition one and smells too good to use up).

I apply this cleanser to dry skin and rub it in, and once it's all foamed up, I add a little bit of water and  foam it up even more. I use my Face Halo or just a face cloth to remove with hot water and then pat my face dry with a towel. I also use this Revolution fluffy headband to keep my hair out of face whilst doing my skincare.

I use the Pixi Glow Tonic as my toner and I love this stuff. This toner contains an AHA called Glycolic Acid which exfoliates the outermost layer of dead skin increasing the luminosity of the skin.  Since buying the mini version in Paris last May, I've already been through a couple of these toners. I just pop a little bit on a cotton pad and sweep it across my face.

I then use the Nip + Fab Dragons Blood Fix Plumping Serum. I only purchased this around a month ago but I've been absolutely loving it, and even bought the extreme version of this too! This product contains ingredients for absorbing excess oil, and hyaluronic acid which hydrates and refines skin texture. I've noticed a huge difference since using this product in how smooth and soft my skin has been. I only use this at night usually but I find that's enough for my skin.

As a second serum, I've been absolutely obsessed with the Boots glow essence from their new range - blog post here! This stuff smells so good I've already ordered 2 more so I don't run out anytime soon!! This stuff adds such a lovely glow to the skin and I used it day and night, and use it under my makeup too before I moisturise. I just use a few drops on the cheeks and forehead and rub it in, wiping the excess on my neck.

The moisturiser I've been using in the evening is the L'Oreal Hydra Genius moisturiser for combination skin. This moisturiser is so hydrating and contains aloe water and hyaluronic acid. I've been using this moisturiser in the evening as it doesn't contain SPF, and the Revolution one I use in the day has SPF 30. I've only had this moisturiser for a couple of weeks but I'm already obsessed with it.

The eye cream I've been loving recently is the Soap & Glory Puffy Eye Attack Turbo-Boost Gel. This gel tackles the appearance of tired eyes, firms, tones and rehydrates. There is an added plus-caffeine complex which is known to help reduce the appearance of puffiness around the eyes. I've been using this in morning and evening, and it's been really helping the puffiness around my eyes in the morning after waking up. I've been switching up between this eye gel and my No7 eye cream.

And that's my evening skincare routine!

I hope you enjoying reading this post and I hope this has given some inspiration for trying new products for your skin!

Daisy x

New Boots GLOW Skincare Range

So Boots have recently come out with a new range of skincare, called the Glow range. I wanted to try this out the second it was put on the website so I made an order. Obviously due to the circumstances in the world at the moment, it took a little longer for the order to arrive. But it did arrive this week, and I've been so excited to try the products and to write this blog post all about them! Every product in this post cost only £4 each, which is amazing for people on a budget. Me being the idiot I am, I completely forgot to order the tonic, and I deliberately didn't order the oil as I have oily skin anyway, so these are 6 of the 8 products available in the new range.

Glow Moisturising Cream

This cream is said to be a 'lightweight cream that hydrates, brightens and smooths skin giving a glowing complexion, to prep skin.'

This cream is lovely on the skin. I would definitely recommend using it at night rather than in the morning as it is quite thick and left a little bit of residue on my skin, which I removed when I washed my face in the morning. It was incredibly moisturising, made my skin feel amazing and definitely gave it the glow it said it would.

Glow Eye Cream

This eye cream 'refreshes and rehydrates, whilst also soothing skin around the eyes for a more revitalised, brighter look.'

This is a lovely eye cream, really hydrating and sinks into the skin so quickly and effectively. However, I wouldn't say it was one of the best eye creams I've ever used. I usually use the No7 eye cream or the Soap & Glory Puffy-Eye Attack eye gel, and I would still favour those over this one. It's not a bad cream by any means, but I didn't find it to make much of a difference to under my eyes like the others have. I will continue to use it and see if my opinion changes on it.

Glow Gel Mask

This gel mask 'works intensely to moisturise, giving you brighter and more radiant looking skin.'

Both myself and Lee tried this out the other day and we both absolutely loved it. The gel was cooling and soothing on the skin and left my skin feeling so cleansed and soft afterwards. We left the mask on for 15 minutes and then washed it off and I did the rest of my skincare routine. This mask can be used 2-3 times a week so is good for more frequent cleansing.

Glow Essence

This essence is said to 'energise, hydrate and refresh skin, to leave skin looking brighter and feeling plumped with moisture.'

Firstly, this smells AMAZING. I've been using this every morning and every night and it has made my skin feel so good and so soft. It's amazing to use before makeup as it leaves such a pretty glow on the skin. It also leaves your skin slightly tacky too, which is great for when applying makeup as it makes it grip well. I am definitely going to be ordering more of these for backups for when this one runs out! This is definitely my favourite product out of all the ones I purchased. 

Glow Cleansing Stick

The cleansing stick 'melts away make-up and nourishes and hydrates skin to give a healthy looking glow.'

I used this the other day to remove my makeup after a day at work. I had a significant amount of makeup on, including eyeshadow, waterproof mascara and high coverage concealer. I rubbed this cleansing stick all over my face and it melted away all my makeup instantly, then I added a little water and rubbed it in to my skin, and then removed with my Face Halo. After I was finished with the stick, I just wiped it over with a cotton pad to make sure there was no make-up left on it. The only negative I have about this is it was very, very waxy and I found it hard to remove with just water as I felt this didn't mix well with water, so I had to wash my face with a face wash to remove all the residue properly. Other than that, it does exactly what it says it does.

Glow Brightening Mist

This brightening 'microfine mist refreshes and brightens skin tone, leaving it feeling hydrated and looking radiant.'

I've only just began getting into sprays like setting sprays and I am absolutely loving this. I only use this at night as I have a separate spray I like using in the morning for setting my makeup. I do my whole skincare routine at night and then use this spray lastly to give my skin one last spritz of hydration before going to bed. It leaves my skin feeling intensely hydrated and gives a lovely glow to the skin.

Will you be trying this range out? What's your favourite product(s) from the new range? 

Thank you for reading!

Daisy x

Revolution Beauty Haul

So a couple of weeks ago, I took full advantage of the Revolution 3 for 2 offer on their website. There were many products I had been looking at for a while so there wasn't really a better time to make a purchase. I've had a bit of time to use the products and test them out to let you know what I think and whether they are worth the purchase or not.

I'll start by talking about the skincare products I picked up. Revolution are known for their affordable, but effective skincare products so I wanted to try them for myself.

I picked up the Revolution Skincare Hydrating Watermelon Eye Gel as I love anything gels, and I love the scent of watermelon. I won't lie, I was pretty disappointed with this. It smells very strong of chemicals rather than watermelon, and for something going so close to my eyes, it's not something I particularly liked. I have some other eye creams and gels which I would use in favour of this so I probably won't use this.

I got the Moisture Cream SPF30 for Normal/Oily Skin as this cream has a high SPF so perfect for in the summer to protect your face when the sun is a lot stronger and brighter. This cream is amazing - I put it on every morning, either on its own or under my makeup and it works really well. It smells like suncream which is don't mind the smell of but just a heads up if you don't.

The next thing I purchased was one of their serums, the Targeted Blemish Serum 2% Salicylic Acid. I have always suffered with blemishes on my skin so thought I'd try this out. I haven't noticed a massive difference yet but I'm going to give it some more time.

The final skincare product I picked up was the Never Basic Starter Pack Collection which includes 3 different skincare solutions - 0.2% Retinol, 2% Hyaluronic Acid and 10% Niacinamide + 1% Zinc. Each solution targets specific areas and concerns of the skin, so I bought the little ones to see which ones worked for me before I bought the big bottle. I find these solutions quite oily on my skin, as I have naturally oily skin anyway, so these would be good for people with drier skin.

In terms of makeup, I picked up 5 items in my purchase.

The first product I picked up was the Revolution X Petra XOXO Contour and Highlight Face Palette. I didn't originally set out to buy this, but when I saw the shades I instantly added it to my basket. The shades are perfect for people with lighter skin tones like myself, and I have been using this more than I thought it would. Definitely worth the money in my opinion, and amazing packaging!

I also picked up the new Revolution Soap Styler for your brows. I have seen so many brands advertising their version of this, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money on it. After having my brows laminated back in February, I loved the way they look and wanted to keep this look when the lamination went. This soap styler really does work, and with it being in a compact, it's brilliant for travelling or taking with you to top up in the day.

I picked up the new Universal Pressed Powder from their Infinite collection. This translucent powder in a compact is perfect for taking on the go and mattifying the face throughout the day. The fact the compact also has a mirror is a massive bonus. I find this powder really finely milled and literally melts into the skin.

From I Heart Revolution, I picked up their Dewy Watermelon Setting Spray. Unlike the eye gel previously in this post, this setting spray smells amazing and so strong of watermelon! This spray really hydrates the face after makeup and sets your makeup ready for the day.

The final makeup product I got was the I Heart Revolution Heartbreakers Highlighter in the shade Unique. This highlighter is beautiful, and isn't too shimmery. It leaves a really nice sheen on the skin which isn't too 'in-your-face' (of course, unless you like that look, I just don't suit it).

Thank you for reading my blog post. Please let me know what your favourite product or products are from my haul and what types of posts you'd like to see in the future.

Daisy x

What I Bought in Paris

So at the start of May, myself and Lee went to Paris for 6 days and although it was raining and there were thunderstorms, we made the most of our time there and we both really enjoyed it. We also spent a bit too much money in the shops!

We took several trips to Sephora as this was one of the shops I was most excited about going to when we booked our Paris trip (can you tell I live in the UK?). Here are the things I bought, some skincare and some makeup bits.

I firstly bought the Clinique Moisture Surge Hydrating Cream. I already have the concentrate of this range and I absolutely love it and have nearly finished it, so I thought to try out the pot cream version. So far, this product is amazing and really hydrates the skin. It's also great under make-up and doesn't leave your face feeling uncomfortable. Clinique products are a lot more expensive on average than other brands but you definitely get what you pay for.

I then picked up two of the Sephora own brand masks, the açai smoothie mask and the grapefruit peeling mask. I have used the açai one a few times and it smells amazing, and leaves my skin feeling so smooth. I've only tried the grapefruit one once since buying it, but it was lovely when I used it, and again it smells amazing. These were really cheap and I'm just sad you can't get these in the UK.

The Sephora Instant Moisture Water Gel isn't something I thought I would've picked up, but when looking at the face masks, I saw this and had to buy it. I'm a little bit obsessed with face moisturisers and gel ones are definitely my favourite. I think this gel was around €18 and you get 100ml, so it's really good value for money. You also only need the tiniest amount when you use it so hopefully this lasts until I purchase another one.

Finally for skincare, I picked up the Pixi Glow Tonic which is something I've wanted to try for a while now, but have always been scared to buy the big bottle incase my skin didn't like it. I will say, the smell of this isn't my cup of tea, but I really feel it works wonders for my skin so I will ignore the smell for now. Pixi is a brand I haven't tried much of so I would love to try more of these after buying the Glow Tonic.

When I was at the make-up stands in Sephora (there's a LOT of them!), I just wanted to buy everything. However, I knew I couldn't because I'm sadly not a millionaire. But, I did spend quite a bit of money on the make-up section.

The one thing I knew I wanted to get was the Tarte Shape Tape concealer. I know you can buy this in the UK from places like QVC but I didn't want to pay the prices they had on there. The first shade I picked up was porcelain beige, which to my absolute surprise, was too pale for me. If you know me, I am the palest of pale people so this was a massive shock to me. I got the other one in the shade fair which is my perfect colour so I now have 2 colours that I can mix together so it didn't actually turn out too bad. These concealers are AMAZING and I can most definitely see what all the hype was about them.

I also managed to pick up a mini size of the Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder. This is something I've wanted to try for a while but never wanted to spend all the money on the regular size incase I didn't get along with it. But so far, I love it. It makes my undereyes look so smooth and sets my concealer really well.

I picked up two mini Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors in the shades Moonstone (on the right) and Opal (on the left). Moonstone is my shade for when I'm less tanned (fake tanned obviously), and opal is slightly darker for when I am tanned. Both of these are so nice on the skin and I will definitely be purchasing the big versions of these as I love them.
Benefit Mascaras are hyped up so much, yet I had never tried ANY of them. So, I made it my mission to pick some minis up to try. So far, I've only used Bad Gal Bang but my eyelashes were so long, and so dark, it's an amazing mascara! I've heard so many good things about They're Real too so I'm excited to give that a go too.

From the Longchamp boutique in the city centre, I picked up some more of the Le Pliage bags (I already have 2 and love them!) I picked up the small handbag in the Khaki, and the backpack version in Black which I haven't stopped using since I've been home! More expensive bags than others, but they are so versatile and I love them to death!


That's everything I bought in Paris!

Daisy x

How Changing One Tablet Cured my Migraines

I've been a frequent suffer with headaches and migraines for longer than I can remember. Ever since I began my A-levels, my migraines seemed to have got a lot worse. I just put this down to stress and never really thought much else of it. I also suffer from bruxism (teeth grinding) which can also put pressure on the temples which as a result causes migraines.

As I went through sixth form, my migraines got progressively worse. They were always on the left side of my face, with the pain focused behind my left eye. I was extremely sensitive to light and sound, and the only real way of getting rid of them was to take some aspirin tablets and go to sleep no matter what time of day it was. This was all good until it was happening a couple of times a week and I was taking aspirin quite frequently. So in October 2017, I went to the doctors and they prescribed me sumatriptan (essentially all this does it widen the blood vessels within the brain to relieve migraine pain) and some anti-sickness tablets. I had never been sick with a migraine before but I always had nausea. I took one of these tablets within the first week of having them and I never experienced anything like it. I had jaw ache and cramp to the point where I felt like someone was pulling my jaw wide open. The tablet completely knocked me out and I slept for a good 14-15 hours straight without waking up. From that day, I never took another one of the tablets and went back to taking aspirin.

On the 5th October this year was when I had my worst migraine attack to date. Throughout the day, I had this dull pain in the left side of my forehead but I just ignored it hoping it would go away. But I started to feel more and more lethargic and tired and by 5pm, my body was shaking and was really weak. My left eye was so sensitive to light to the point where I just buried my head under a pillow trying not to cry from the agony. The whole left side of my face ending up going completely numb and I couldn't feel my left cheek at all. This was also the first time I was physically sick with a migraine. I became so scared and worried because I had never suffered from a migraine this bad in the years I had suffered from them. I had to take the Saturday off work and spend the weekend in bed recovering.


On the Monday, I booked a doctors appointment and told her exactly what happened and the first thing she asked is am I on the contraceptive pill, and I said yes I am, since I was 15. I suffer from extremely bad heavy periods so as soon as my periods started, I went straight on the pill to relieve me from the pain and the uncomfortableness of very heavy periods. So 4 years I had been on this pill and I had no problems with it - or so I thought. As soon as I explained my face went numb, she took me straight off it as the pill can increase your changes of a stroke. The combined pill I was on (Microgynon 30) contains both the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, but I have now been changed onto the mini pill (POP pill) called Cerelle. This pill only contains the hormone progesterone and a tablet has to be taken every single day, in comparison to the combined pill which is taken for 21 days and then a 7 day break where you have your period usually.

So far, I've been taking the mini pill since 17th October and touch wood, I haven't had a migraine since then. I've had the odd headache but nothing as extreme as I used to get. The pros to the mini pill are obviously its eliminated my migraines but the downsides are that I never really know when I'll get my period and the main side effect is acne which I've most definitely been suffering with since starting this new pill. I've always hd spots but this is a new level of acne!

Bit of a log-winded post but if you're suffering from something similar, get yourself checked as it may be something to do with the medication you're taking. I went from having a migraine everyday for 2 weeks at the end of September to not having one for nearly 3 weeks now.

Daisy x

Anti-depressants: An Update

Rewind back to July and I was on holiday. I’d known for a while that’s my sertraline tablets weren’t benefitting me in the way they were when I first started using them and I knew I needed to change the tablets. At this point, my mental health was deteriorating and I found myself slipping into old habits which were awful and something I never wish to happen again. I had accepted my tablet’s weren't working so I went back to the doctors and told her how low I felt again and how I felt the tablets were doing a lot more harm than good.

After having been asked many questions, I eventually walked out with a depression helpline leaflet in one hand, and a prescription for 14 days worth of new antidepressants in the other - fluoxetine. I had been started off on 20mg a day of fluoxetine for 2 weeks to see how they went and then I would go back for a review. If you’re not aware, fluoxetine is also known as Prozac. It’s most commonly used to treat depression but also obsessive compulsive disorder and bulimia. I stopped taking my sertraline for 3 days and then started on the fluoxetine. Within days, I noticed the effects of the new tablets kicking in. I was so lucky in the fact that I had absolutely no side effects with fluoxetine, unlike sertraline which I seemed to have, what felt like, every single side effect possible. I could feel the tablets working and I felt 110% better than what I felt whilst taking sertraline. When I started taking sertraline, I read many people had lost their emotions and become very ‘flat’ whilst taking them, something I didn’t feel at first but eventually after around 6 mon5s, I began feeling the same as everyone else had said.

I’ve now been taking fluoxetine for almost 2 months and I’ve never felt better. I’ve had hardly any bad and suicidal thoughts, and haven’t felt half as anxious and nervous as I used to feel on a daily basis. I now get up everyday and don’t spend the whole day in the house, worried and scared to go out. My relationships have become a lot better and my confidence has grown, especially at work, as I now feel a lot better about myself and my health.

If you feel something is not right, always do your best to fix it. Changing my tablets has done wonder so for me, my mental health and my confidence. My happiness has improved greatly too. Don’t settle for an average life, make sure it’s the best for you. Be selfish sometimes.

Daisy x

My Experience at Sixth Form

My time at sixth form was horrendous. It was the biggest regret of my life and such a waste of two years. I already know that I’ve left with only 2 A-levels having been told the marks for my coursework and exam piece; a D and an E grade. This is from the teacher who gave me absolutely no support regarding my mental health and well-being, put me down for the work I had completed and told me to “get on with it” when I was crying my eyes out about my mental state. My other two teachers were amazing, so understanding and helped me so much with school work and my personal problems. These two teachers were about the only reason I kept going throughout year 13. If I’d had known I would’ve left with only 2 A-levels, I would’ve have gone through the two years of absolute hell. The sixth form then put the reason down to my failing my A-level in that particular subject because I didn’t attend Saturday classes due to working weekends in a chain retail store. This was their reasoning. School isn’t on a Saturday answer because of this, I failed. A pathetic and invalid reason. The support I had for my mental health was average. I had a lot of support when I started my anti-depressants (maybe because this seemed much more legitimate to the school), but I had hardly any support when I was having panic attacks or crying over nerves and exams and pressure. When I started my tablets, everyone seemed to have taken me a lot more seriously which makes me angry. Why should tablets legitimise my mental illness?

Throughout the two years, I managed to leave with no friends whatsoever - making me feel like I had no option but to sit on my own constantly, lose all of my confidence and not go to the leavers ball. I’ve left being diagnosed with depression (I’m not surprised from being there) and my anxiety has gone to the worst it’s ever been. I’ve left with 2 A-levels; not even enough to get onto a university course. The way the sixth form have been and how I’ve ended up has left me no confidence or hope for starting university in September (thank god for unconditional offers). There was no preparation for mental stability - just support for getting an A*, something which was impossible for me. If you didn’t get an A*, you were basically shit. I was predicted BBB, but I’m leaving with BCD at most, possibly even CCD. So now I’m in the category of people who left with D, E or U grades because of the lack of support.

I didn’t fail my A-level(s) due to my intelligence as I was achieving A and B grades in year 12. I failed due to the crap staff, the lack of understanding of mental illnesses and the way I wasn’t taken seriously at school. The past two years of my life have been a complete waste of time and have left me with low, suicidal thoughts of worthlessness and not being good enough for university level education. I’ve been left doubting my own abilities even though I started sixth form having gained majority As and Bs in my GCSEs.

Obviously everyone’s experiences are completely different. You will get dome people saying sixth form were the best days of their lives. For me, sixth form resulted in me crying nearly every morning because I didn’t want to go and tried to stay off for as many days as possible. But please don’t take this as everyone’s experience will be like this but this is my reality. It was horrendous and a nightmare and I couldn’t wait to leave.

Daisy x

Why We Need to Stop Glamourising Depression

It seems that recently being diagnosed with a mental illness is something people want. Phrases using the word “depressed” get thrown around left, right and centre without any thought behind them. No real thoughts towards the people who are actually depressed and are struggling to live a proper life.

The truth about depression isn’t glamourous. It sucks. It’s horrible and it tears your life apart. Depression isn’t a girl who dresses in black, listens to sad music and argues with their family every now and again. Depression isn’t a trend that people should desire, it definitely isn’t cool or the ‘in thing’.

Depression is lying in the pitch black at 3am in the morning, struggling to find the good in your life. It’s pushing people away closest to you, feeling that you’ll never been good enough for anyone. It’s wondering how anyone can ever love you when you can’t even love yourself. It’s the feeling that you’ve been awake for 5 years straight and no amount of sleep will ever be able to cure the exhaustion you have. Depression steals your life, your future ambitions, your happiness, friends and your family. It takes over every aspect of your life and eventually steals life all together.

There isn’t anything beautiful or poetic about being depressed. Depression is painful, it tears your
life apart and makes you feel worthless. Depression isn’t just as simple as taking a pill everyday and everything turns out ok - depression stays with you for the whole of your life and although we can have good days, the bad days are still a struggle where you can’t find anything good to look forward to and be happy about.

I’ve been suffering from depression now since autumn last year and right now, I am at my all time worst. I’ve switched tablets from Sertraline to Fluoxetine which I start on Monday. I cry constantly about life being easier if I wasn’t here. I can’t remember the last time I had a good nights sleep. I hardly leave the house unless I really have to. There is absolutely nothing glamourous or desirable about having depression, anxiety or any other mental illness.

Romanticising and glamourising the idea of depression and other mental illnesses makes me feel ill, especially as it’s the twenty-first century; proving there is still a stigma surrounding mental illnesses. Mental illnesses are heartingbreaking. Depression is life shattering. Anxiety is horrid. There is nothing desirable. The next time that you go to say the phrase “I’m so depressed” because you didn’t get the grade you wanted in a test or because the top you wanted for ages is sold out, please think again about what it is to be depressed and choose a different phrase and different wording.

Let’s start seeing mental illnesses for what they are, and not the latest fashion trend. Approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. So let’s try and see mental illness for what it truly is, an illness.

Daisy x


Mental health helplines;
Anxiety UK - 03444775774
Bipolar - www.bipolaruk.org.uk
CALM (men aged 15-35) - www.thecalmzone.net
Mind - 03001233393
No Panic - 08449674848
OCD Action - 08453906232
OCD UK - 08451203778
PAPYRUS (young suicide) - 08000684141
Rethink Mental Illness - 03005000927
Samaritans - 116123
SANE - 03003047000
Young Minds (parents helpline) - 08088025544

My Honest Experience with Sertraline

I've been on Sertraline now for around 6 months and I've definitely had a love/hate relationship with it. When I initially went to the doctors, I was determined to start tablets. I had already had many sessions of CBT which hadn't worked over the previous two years, so I was adament I wasn't leaving the doctors until they offered me medication. The doctor talked me through the options and told me that from looking at my self-assessment sheet from when I had my CBT, that I had filled it in as someone who was very depressed. This was something I couldn't accept at first, as it's something I never thought I'd be.

When talking through the different options for medication, the doctor suggested a few different tablets, but in the end suggeted that sertraline would be the best for me as it treats both depression and anxiety. By definition on the NHS website, sertraline is a type of antidepressant often used to treat depression, and also sometimes panic attacks, OCD and PTSD. I was told the tablets would take between 2 to 6 weeks to take effect so I started them just before Christmas (18th Dec) to let them kick in over the holidays before I went back to school. At first I didn't notice many side effects but in the second week of taking them I suffered quite a lot. I was sent home from school as I was completely spaced out and couldn't concentrate at all. My pupils were enlarged and they stayed like this for about 1 and a half weeks and it was something that many people noticed which made me feel really self conscious in the end. I also had many of the common side effects of being sleepy, feeling sick and being unable to sleep. For about 2 weeks, I was clenching my jaw horrendously which gave me really bad migraines. This has eased off now but I wear a splint overnight because I naturally grind my teeth (not because of the meds). But when I was clenching my jaw due to the medication, my jaw socket kept popping out of place due to the pressure and I was in agony.

After giving the tablets 6 weeks to kick in, on about week 8 I decided I needed to increase the dosage of the tablets. I started off on 50mg which is where most people start but most people don't stay on this dosage as it's quite low and many people need a stronger dosage for the tablets to take effect. So I went back to the doctors and I was given a monthly dosage of 100mg and this was probably the worst mistake of my life (but I'm not saying this is the same for everyone). My tiny 5ft body just couldn't handle the extra 50mg of tablets that my body wasn't used to and I ended up losing all my appetite, feeling sick constantly and not being able to sleep. I think in the first week of taking these tablets I slept for about 3-4 hours a night, and I ended up being completely drained and exhausted which affected my life massively, especially doing school work and doing my weekend job. So eventually I went back to 50mg tablets after about 3 weeks on the 100mg.

I've been on the 50mg now for about 3 months and it's really made a huge difference to me. I still have the odd panic attack every now and again but that's obvious as the tablets aren't going to get rid of my anxiety/depression completely. I eventually want to come off these tablets as I hate the idea of having to depend on them for a long period of time but for now, it's whats working so I'm going to keep on them.

Daisy x

My Mental Health Experience

*trigger warning - suicide talk*

Since around the age of 11, I have always noticed that I was a lot more shy, anxious and emotional than all the other children my ages at school. I would cry hysterically before going to school, whilst being at school at the age of 8 and got incredibly nervous and anxious over situations that to others would seem easy.

My time at school was never easy, and to be truthful they have been the worst days of my life. I have 3 months left of sixth form and I honestly cannot wait to leave. I've always struggled making friends and socialising with them because of how anxious I always was. I was bullied in year 7 which impacted me mentally and emotionally. School has most definitely been one of the biggest impacts on my mental health, but by no means am I saying this will be the same for everyone.

After about 2 years at secondary school in year 9, I began experiencing panic attacks. They started off quite spaced out and I was only having one in a couple of months, but as I got to my GCSEs and the start of sixth form, they became very frequent and the symptoms of them were worsening. In May  2016, before my English language exam, I was up the whole night having several panic attacks and vomitting, and couldn't stop crying and hyperventilating before the exam - I was a mess. Thankfully, these panic attacks have become less frequent but when they do happen, they are very suddden and very debilitating.

Throughout sixth form, I have found myself not socialising with anyone and isolating myself from everyone. I usually sit on my own and get on with my work, which I suppose does have its benefits. About a year ago, I felt myself going into a state of low mood and my attention span was completely gone. I couldn't concentrate at all, my grades at school were dropping, I felt so low that I went through a state of being incredibly suicidal. For about a period of 3 months, I don't think there was a day when I didn't think about killing myself. There were so many bad thoughts going through my head on a daily basis that I never thought I'd make it out of the dark place I was in. Thankfully, I didn't do anything to put myself at risk.

Last December, I decided it was time for me to get help. I needed something to get me out of this dark, suicidal mindset I was in. It was impacting my school work, my mood on a daily basis and the relationships with my family and boyfriend. So, in Dec 2017, I was diagnosed with severe depression as well as generalised anxiety disorder and was put on an anti-depressant called sertraline. Sertraline is a medication to treat primarily depression but also anxiety, OCD and a few others. Since being on sertraline, I have seen an amazing improvement in myself. I'm a lot happier, I'm socialising a lot more and I'm finding going to work and socialising with the public a lot easier. Obviously, I still have my blips as anti-depressants aren't going to remove my mental health issues completely but they are definitely helping.

Depression isn't something I thought I'd come to terms with or ever think of having. When the doctor said I had depression, I didn't believe him. I felt like explaining to people I have depression would make me look weak, but I've learnt to embrace my mental health disorders and accept them as a part of me.

My anxiety is definitely going to a long-term thing, and maybe depression but the more I learn to live with them, the easier they are to talk about and to cope with.

Daisy x

What's in my Make-Up Bag | August 2017

Throughout the past few weeks, I admit that most of my wages have been spent on make-up that I don't necessarily need. I might not needed it, but I most certainly wanted it - so I bought it. The majority of these products I have had longer than others but I now use all of these when I properly do my make-up so I thought a post like this would now be suitable. 

Recently, I picked up the new L'Oréal Paradise Brow Pomade along with the Infallible Mattifying Primer and the True Match Highlighter on a 3 for 2 offer from Boots - AMAZE!! I haven't got around to using the primer and highlighter much yet as I don't really wear a lot of face make-up on a daily basis (school and work - no-one has time for that), but I have had chance to use the brow pomade. I've never been a pomade gal, always a brow pencil gal, but using the pomade has made my life and my mornings so much easier. I just shade the shape of my brow with the pencil and use the pomade to fill it in and add colour. I follow up with the NYX Brow Mascara (which isn't in the post, don't ask me why).

My holy grail foundation of all time is the Rimmel Match Perfection (blog post coming soon about it!). I struggle with foundation, as I'm as pale as Caspar the Ghost, but the lightest shade of this foundation seems to work and the undertones seem to work well with my skin too. Best foundation I've ever tried!

Another favourite of mine is the Miss Baby Roll mascara by L'Oréal. I bought this a few months ago when it first came out, and I haven't looked or used another mascara ever since. It's definitely the best mascara I've used - definitely waterproof too, that's not a lie! It's even overtook my love for the Lash Sensational by Maybelline.

The NYX Brow Pencil has been my holy grail eyebrow product ever since I was recommended it as a dupe for the ABH one which is double the price. It's amazing for filling in light brows like mine and making them look really natural.

I think I must be one of the last people to invest in a Naked palette, but when I came across the Urban Decay counter at Duty Free, I knew I had to buy it. I have wanted the Naked 3 palette for the longest time ever but my lack of skills in the 'eyelid department' was something that was putting me off buying it. However, at the UD counter I thought 'I've wanted it for ages so I may as well, plus, I'm on holiday now' so I splurged out. I haven't been disappointed. The colours are gorgeous and the shades suit my skin and eye colour really well.

Thank you for snooping into my make-up.

What's your holy grail product in your make-up bag you couldn't live without?

Daisy x

My Experience with CBT

 As it's recently been mental health awareness week and I've been increasingly enjoying my psychology lessons, I thought I'd start a new series on my blog all about anxiety, stress and panic attacks all throughout May and June during exam weeks. Today, I'll be starting off with my personal experience with cognitive behavioural therapy which I had between September - December 2016.

For those who don't know, cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT as it's more commonly known is a type of talking treatment that focuses on how your thoughts, beliefs and attitudes affect your feelings and behaviour. Cognitive behaviour therapy teaches you coping skills for dealing with different problems.
I was referred to have CBT due to my anxiety and panic attacks. I used to have a very negative view of many things, and occasionally still do, I'd feel bad about school work that I didn't get a good enough grade on, feel bad if I fell behind on revision and consider myself as a failure. I'd beat myself up about being turned down for jobs I'd applied for. I'd beat myself up about people not liking me for who I am even though I consider myself to be a really nice and caring person. Over time, this wore me down and I ended up being extremely anxious most of the time, at school and out which led to my panic attacks. In CBT, you and your therapist would challenge these thoughts by balancing them out and seeing if they really are worth worrying about. I found this part of the therapy really useful and it really opened my eyes to whether my worries really were worries or not - and ironically most of my worries were just stupid little things.

CBT requires a lot of personal work outside of the therapy session which I think is where I fell behind and which is what probably what caused me not to get the maximum out of my therapy. Due to all the school work and revision I had, I seemed to prioritise that first and sometimes ended up not completing the work I had to do for the next session. If you are to take CBT, definitely try to do your work above all before the next session, as it will definitely help you to get the maximum out of our therapy.

Having CBT has taught me loads of techniques that I use still today, like weighing up worries to see whether they are actually worth worrying about, however it has taught me techniques that I don't particularly use as I don't find them as useful like breathing exercises. But every type of anxiety isn't going to be treated by the same therapy.

I hope this has been helpful and feel free to ask me any other questions about my experience,

Daisy x

My Favourite Foundation of The Moment: Rimmel Match Perfection

Now, I'll admit, I have only just ventured into the world of foundations. For ages, I have been very much a BB cream girl. I have pretty problematic skin, so piling foundation on my face in order to cover up my spots was something I  wasn't going to be doing anytime soon.

However, watching many YouTube videos - monthly favourites and makeup tutorials, I have found that a lot of people really like Rimmel's Match Perfection foundation. Hearing my favourite blogger and YouTuber Josie rave about this foundation is enough to make me want to try it out. So I popped down to Boots, found the right shade (not that hard as I'm usually the palest shade - Irish skin probs) and gave it a try.

A little bit about the foundation. This foundation says to give invisible coverage & visibly perfected skin. It also says to be weightless, and gives a smooth texture with skins real tone rather than masking it. It gives 24hr moisture, and soft focus powders help reduce imperfections, pores and dark circles.

This foundation ticks all those boxes for me. My favourite thing about this foundation is how it really blends in with your natural skin tone rather than just completely masking your own face away. I don't want a foundation that is too heavy and this foundation gives light, but effective coverage. It is also very lightweight, and I love the fact that I have make-up on but I really can't feel it on my face.

This foundation is available in a wide range of shades - 12 shades. These shades cater for people with cool and warm toned skin, with some shades being more pinky toned or more yellow toned.

If you're looking for a light weight everyday foundation that is buildable, and won't break the bank, then the Rimmel Match Perfection foundation  is definitely the one.

January Favourites 2017

Over the month of January, I have been trying new products - ones I've received for Christmas and ones I've bought throughout the month. In this post, I'm going to share a few products I've been loving throughout the month.

The first products I've been loving actually came in a set together that I got for Christmas from the boyf. During the Christmas period, I had told Lee how much I had loved the Spiced Apple range from The Body Shop and I never expected to get the full set for Christmas! I especially love the shower gel and the body butter (I also got a lip balm and bubble bath). They both smell so amazing - I am a huge lover of apple scented things! The body butter is incredibly moisturising just like all their other body butters, and the shower gel makes you smell so amazing after a shower! I am praying they bring this back this Christmas!

The next products I've been loving are from Soap & Glory. I bought these in the Boots sale (3 for 2) in the awkward week between Christmas and New Year. You get so much product in these that I wouldn't mind paying up to £8 for each of these. I picked up the Smoothie Star scrub and thee Sugar Crush body wash. These both smell so amazing - I can't even describe how amazing they are! The scrub is maple and oats scent - hence the 'Breakfast Club' name to it. The body wash smells of lime and it's so refreshing. I will most definitely be repurchasing these once they run out,

The final product I've been loving this month - and basically since last July is a perfume. Last July, Lee came back from his holiday and bought me Giorgio Armani Si. I'd never tried this before - purely because it's so expensive! By Christmas, I had used the whole 30ml bottle. So, I popped this on  my Christmas list and I got it. This smells amazing (I've said this phrase too many times in this post) and I usually go for this perfume over my beloved Marc Jacobs scents! 

What have you been loving this month?

Daisy x

Ted Baker Loving

I have been in love with Ted Baker products now for a while, always being in awe at how lovely and girly their products are, especially their handbags, make-up bags and purses. Recently, in the past few months, I've made it my mission to buy the products I have wanted for ages - plus, it was Christmas so I had an excuse to spend a little more money than usual.

I firstly bought this lovely muted purplely bronze make-up bag when I visited the Ted Baker store in Birmingham. I think what drew me to this was the glitter on the bow and the rose gold hardware on the zip and the bow. I got this dreamy bag for just £16 reduced from £27.

I've also recently purchased a purse from Ted Baker. This was so exciting for me as I have wanted a TB purse for the longest time everrrr! But being a 17 year old student, £80 odd pounds wasn't an amount I was going to spend on a purse. So when I found this gorgeous little gem at House of Fraser reduced to £35.... yes THIRTY FIVE POUNDS down from £79, I had to get it. I have also wanted a black TB purse, but recently I have been all about light and baby pinks so I instantly fell in love with this purse.

The little body wash and body lotion bottles are ones that I've had for a while now and I just love them. I tend to keep them for when I'm travelling as they are a brilliant size and smell amazing! The lip balm and bubble bath are what I got in my Christmas cracker from my boyfriend's parents and I was so excited to see them. The lip balm smells amazing and the bubble bath little bottle is just so lovely.

I also bought the white lid Ted Baker body spray after Christmas from Boots. It smells so good, with a lovely floral smell and it's a perfect size to keep in your handbag.

One of the last things I have to talk about is my Ted Baker phone case. I bought this on Christmas Day on the TB website after much deliberation. Being reduced from £35 to £21, I bought it was I wanted a flip case for my phone to protect my phone from scratching but also because it was too pretty to not buy. The mid purple colour is to die for.

Do you have any Ted Baker products? Which are your favourites?

Daisy x