Filofax; my new obsession!

I've always lusted over Filofax, there's just something about stationary that I absolutely love. The appeal of these is that it's essentially a life planner which I would definitely benefit from as I'm forever forgetting things, losing receipts etc. I could keep it all in one place with this! Perfect. The only thing that put me off is the price, as most of them retail for over £25, it's not something I'd part with my money for easily. Even if it is reusable...

A lovely lady I've not long started talking to recently received one of these as a gift and I simply had to have one after seeing how gorgeous it was. I decided to have a proper look at the filofax website, seeing what variations there are and what sort of prices I would be able to afford. Again, to my expectations these were so expensive I thought I'd find a different place to get one from. I was informed that WH Smith had a sale on at the moment and I had a quick glance at their website. I decided that I didn't want an absolutely huge filofax as I wanted something that can easily fit in my bag, should I need to take it with me every single day. Looking over their website, they had some absolutely gorgeous ones and I thought I'd settled for the Retro Bloom pocket organiser, I love the print of this one and it's really "me". However, rooting through the rest of the search results I stumbled across the Breast Cancer Campaign pocket organiser, which is a lovely dark pink colour and instantly, I fell in love with it. What appeals to me is the fact that money goes to help a good cause, it's pink, it's a decent size but it can also still fit in my handbag. I simply had to have this one. 

After my trip to the Doctors, I went to my local WH Smith and had a good scout around as I've not been in there for years. I found the section where they store the Filofax organisers and was simply in awe. I couldn't see the exact one from the website, nor could I see the Retro Bloom organiser, so I was a little bit disappointed. Despite having a sale on, the majority of them were still around the £20-30 mark which I still thought was a little too expensive for what I wanted. However, I started having a root around and noticed a bright pink box. I instantly grabbed it and noticed it was a different variation of the Breast Cancer Campaign filofax I'd fallen in love with on the website! I pulled the organiser out of the sleeve and saw just how beautiful this really is. It's a gorgeous raspberry pink leather look fabric, but it feels really really sturdy and it smells amazing. (From previous posts you'll know I'm a bit of a weirdo and love smelling things...!). Looking at the front of the sleeve, the price was absolutely outstanding and shocked me a little. It normally retailed at £27.00 but this was on sale for £9.99. How could I pass that up?! I had a proper flick through the planner and loved how dainty it is yet still so sturdy and robust.

What I really love about this is that it's for the Breast Cancer campaign and comes with a few pages and a little leaflet on how to be "Breast Aware", informing you on how to check your beasts for any "tell tale" signs of cancer or any abnormalities. I think this is super handy and I probably will use these and keep them in there in a separate section as it's something that I feel is really useful to know. And believe it or not, there's always someone who wants to talk about beasts...be it about checking them or just in general! 

I had to purchase a mid year diary for 2014 as the inserts for this were for 2013 but that wasn't a huge issue as they were easily available right next to the filofax section for around £4.00. However after doing more research, I've found a HUGE "filofax-verse" on the internet of pages you can print out, personalise and basically make your own. I can't believe just how much you can do with these, I've watched several videos on YouTube (ahh, YouTube the bane of my life!) where people show how they've customised theirs and I was absolutely amazed.

I'm so excited to finally own one of these and I cannot wait to start personalising mine to make it look how I want it to. I'm going to find this really useful for keeping track of things that normally I think about doing but never actually do i.e periods, migraines. I'm probably not going to use it as an address book as I heavily use my phone for this but I think I'll re-decorate the pages and add tabs that I will find more useful. I've already started printing out pages that I'll use and will probably end up printing out so much I'll need to replace my cartridges in my printer! 

 

Would you ever purchase a filofax, if so which one would you buy?

♥

Braun Silk-Epil 3 Epilator.

I've wanted to try an epilator for SO long but never ever had the guts to purchase one. Until today. Before you all think I've gone mad, I actually love the sensation of plucking hairs out so maybe I'll like this?...

I have very sensitive skin when it comes to shaving, I almost always end up with razor burn/bumps regardless of if I use shaving foam or any other preventative measure. I also usually end up cutting myself whenever I shave an awkward area. My leg hair grows at an amazing rate, I could shave in the morning and then by night I can feel a tiny bit of stubble. I've tried waxing before and it made my skin twice as worse and basically, did absolutely nothing for me. My sister (yet again...) has been using an epilator for years and has only ever said good things about using one. I finally decided to take the plunge and bought one today when I noticed it on offer in Argos. 

I had no clue what to look for so I went for a really basic epilator, nothing fancy and nothing expensive. This cost me £29.99 so it's hardly breaking the bank but at the same time a lot of money to spend on something I potentially wouldn't like. (This, and a bag of disposable razors cost around 80p!). I purchased the Braun Silk Epil 3 epilator, I've used Braun products before so have good faith in this one too. 

The reverse of the box gives you brief information about the product you've just purchased. It tells you that there is "20 tweezer technology, SmartLight and massaging rollers". It also shows little pictures of what it's describing. This also claims to remove hairs as short as 0.5mm which is appealing to me as my hairs grow at different lengths!

First impressions, it looks quite small and intimidating seeing these multiple tweezers on a rotating "platform". Honestly, appearance doesn't really matter to me as long as it does what it says it does. Unboxing the product was really easy and everything was packed neatly into the box. The epilator itself feels quite sturdy but light at the same time and fits nicely in your hand which I really like because I've got quite small hands. 

 One thing I have noticed is that on the website it states that this comes with a storage pouch, which it does not. I've read a couple of reviews saying that they don't have them either which to me isn't the end of the world as I'm sure I've got a little bag lying around somewhere. 

The product itself comes with a charging cord (which has a shaving mirror plug on just to pre-warn!) which plugs into the base of the epliator. It doesn't feel like it's going to fall out as soon as you move it as it really clicks in the base. The SmartLight is actually an LED light built in to the power switch on the front of the epilator. I actually really like this idea as I'm forever missing patches of hairs whilst shaving, so this allows me to see where I've been or where I need to go over again. There are two speeds on this model, however I've only tried the slowest speed but I will more than likely go for the faster one once I'm a bit more confident using it.

Okay so let's get on to what you all want to know - does it actually hurt? Honest answer, for me, it doesn't. I absolutely love the feeling of plucking hair out (I'm always sat picking my eyelashes out...) so this doesn't bother me in the slightest. It's a bit of a shock at first as you've got a little roller with tweezers on plucking at your skin but as soon as you start gliding this over your skin, the pain is minimal. It's nothing unbearable however if you're not good with waxing then I wouldn't recommend this product for you. The guard on the top actually helps lift the hairs up as well as massaging the skin, I have tried it without the guard and it's safe to say yes I will be keeping it on!

I've even been "saving" my leg hairs just so I can test one of these out and I'm so glad I have done as I've had REALLY good results. Here's a lovely photo of my hairy legs and a photo of the same area after going over it once. Don't judge me, I've been poorly and shaving my legs is the least of my worries!

I'm so impressed with this, it took little effort to get such a good result. The pain for me was next to nothing but as I said before, it's nothing unbearable. My skin is a little red in the last photo but not sore at all. I have next to no marks on my leg less than an hour later, I moisturised using Soap & Glory Righteous Butter to give my legs a bit of TLC as I always do after shaving/hair removal. 

This is the hair that collected in the base from that section. Yummmyyy. As you can see, it's worked absolutely amazing at removing my hair. 

All in all, I'm really happy I tried this product out. I was so nervous at first because of the noise it made when I switched it on, but honestly it's worth it's money. I'm going to keep a track of how many days it is until my hair starts growing back and repeating to see how long it is until my hair grows back again to see if it will stunt hair growth/increase the amount of time between hair removal. 

If you're looking for a way to remove hair and have wondered what it's like using one of these, try it out. You'll be surprised at how little this actually hurts! P.S I apologise for the hairy leg photos but it's all in the name of beauty. 

EDIT: The next morning I decided to epilate my armpits as I always seem to have stubbly, unattractive pits. Needless to say it was absolutely excruciating at first but the pain soon goes away and the results are fantastic. I'd definitely do it again but maybe I'll numb the area first haha!

♥

What's in my makeup bag - August 2014

I get asked quite frequently what makeup I use, so I thought I might as well do a "What's in my makeup bag" post. 

My makeup bag is a Cath Kidston cosmetic bag (now discontinued) but I'm pretty sure I picked it up for £8. They normally retail at £12 and are available from independent Cath Kidston retailers as well as on the Cath Kidston website. I love this cosmetic bag as it's not too big (basically it fits all my rubbish in there..) and it's also made from a fabric you can wipe clean if you get any makeup on it, which inevitably I have. If you know me in person, you'll know my love for Cath Kidston is a bit unhealthy and this just seemed like the right thing to add to my ever growing collection. 

So, what's actually in my makeup bag?  

1. Collection Cover Up stick in Light. I've used this for quite some time and I absolutely love it. It takes me a while to get through it as I don't really have many blemishes that need heavy coverage. It's a great consistency and lasts all day on me, I prefer using stick concealers compared to liquid for this reason. I bought this from Boots for £1.99 although it's sold in every Collection retailer.

2. Seventeen Stay Time foundation in Soft Ivory. I cannot rate this foundation enough, it's literally my favourite purchase I've made in a while. It's amazing coverage, not cakey nor does it budge once I've set it with a powder. I've used it nearly every day since I bought it and the bottle still feels pretty full of product. It's medium to high coverage which I love, it doesn't feel heavy on my face if I've built it up. I will definitely be repurchasing this, it retails for £6.49 in Boots and there's normally an offer on the Seventeen range so keep a look out. 

3. Nivea Pearl Beauty roll on deodorant. Am I weird for keeping deodorant in my makeup bag? I like the hand size of this deodorant and it lasts me AGES despite using it every single day. It's one of my all time favourite deodorants as I can smell it all day and I feel like it gives me great protection against sweat (yum!). This is probably one of the best roll on deodorants I've tried and for £1.00, you can't really complain. It's widely available at this price, I think I even got mine from Lidl! 

4. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge. I was seriously against the hype of the Beauty Blender but caved in, as usual. I had been using a foundation brush for YEARS and have never thought of applying my makeup any other way, until I watched reviews on this. This egg sized orange sponge makes my foundation flawless, regardless of how quickly I put my makeup on. It's best used damp (I find, anyway), it almost doubles in size and it really does a good job of blending your makeup into your skin allowing you to avoid hideous tide marks! It's also really easy to clean and doesn't mis-shape when drying again. I've been using this for a couple of months now and will never ever look back to applying my foundation any other way. It retails for £5.99 and is available from Boots and Superdrug (or anywhere that sells Real Techniques items!). 

5. Maybelline "The Volum' Express" Falsies Flared mascara. I've tried getting myself away from this mascara but seriously, I can't. I've tried Max Factor, Rimmel, Barry M but this ALWAYS seems to be my go-to mascara. I've used the original version of this mascara for years and it always gives me the most dramatic blackest black lashes I've ever had from a mascara. I didn't actually realise I'd picked this one up but the shape of the brush really accentuates the lashes and makes them look fuller. It doesn't flake off onto my face either which is SO nice not to have! It's easy to take off and doesn't seem to dry out quickly in the tube either. It's not cheap, retailing at £7.99 roughly, but you really do get what you pay for with this (I think anyway!). If you're looking for a decent mascara, please try this as I can't rate it enough, I even converted my Mum! Again, this mascara is widely available from Maybelline retailers. 

6. Micronor contraceptive pill. Yes, this is kept firmly by my side! I tend to take this the same time as I put my makeup on so I never forget to take it. I've loved changing to this pill, it's made me feel a hell of a lot better about myself. Blah blah, yeh...it's a pill haha! 

7. Hair bobble probably from Primark. I always keep one in my makeup bag as I'm forever searching for one to scrape my hair back whether I'm at work or at home. 

8. Sleek Kohl Eyeliner in Black. I can't seem to find a link to this on Boots or Superdrug which shows just how old this eyeliner is..I really should get a new one. It's a basic black eyeliner, it lasts on the waterline quite well however I'm not sure how well it lasts on the eyelid as I use liquid liner. I bought this from Superdrug probably about a year and a half ago, I think it was around £1.99. Yeh I'm gunna buy a new eyeliner when I'm next in town...

9. Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Dark Brown. This is a staple in my makeup bag as I simply love it. I've used this a lot over the past two years or so since I began filling my eyebrows in. It's not waxy, it's basically a kohl eyeliner with a brush on the end of it. It makes my eyebrows look more defined and shaped, but still looking quite natural. The shade range isn't that great in these, but I chose Dark Brown as I wanted more..darker eyebrows than my light brown/ginger brows! It retails widely for £2.99 and lasts for AGES. 

10. Eyeliner sharpener, I'm not even sure where this was from. I'm pretty sure I nicked it off my Mum though...

11. Collection Fast Stroke liquid eyeliner in Black. I've used this eyeliner so many years, probably since I was about 13! It's a basic liquid liner and lasts all day. It doesn't crack, flake or budge if you touch it. I've heard a lot of reviews saying people feel this burns their eyelids (!) but I've never ever had this and I've used it for years. The nib on the "brush" is like a felt tip pen which I love as I can control where the eyeliner goes. Retailing for £2.99, it's cheap and cheerful but definitely does the job and I will repurchase this for years to come. 

12. Pocket mirror from Primark. You can't actually tell from this photo but it's a pastel pink with white polka dots on it. It was £1.00 and it feel really sturdy. It has two mirrors in it which don't feel like they'll fall out any time soon. It matches the theme of my makeup bag quite well and basically comes with me wherever I go! 

13. Micropore surgical tape. Okay so this is a new but logical addition to my makeup bag. I'm forever being asked to take my piercings out at hospitals etc but have been told it's acceptable to tape them up. So instead of me spending hours removing my jewellery, this is staying in my makeup bag so I can whip it out and cover all my piercings! 

14. Lypsyl lip balm in Strawberry. I don't know if the formula of this lip balm has changed but oh good lord it's dry! I've used this before and don't remember it being like this. I chucked this in my makeup bag as a last resort lip balm. I can't say it's really moisturising but yeh..it smells nice. That's about it. I'll probably be replacing this soon. I think it was around £1.00 so not a huge loss. 

15. Chapstick in Cake Batter. I loooove this lip balm. It was a gift from Florida off my Sister, I was so excited to get it. It's super moisturising and lasts well on the lips. It smells absolutely divine. I've written about this on a separate post but yeh, I'm gutted this isn't easily available in the UK. I'm not even sure how much it cost her but I'm gunna go on a mad hunt to find a UK retailer once this runs out!

16. Powder applicator puff (thing..). I think I got this from Superdrug in a pack of 3 but I can't seem to find a link to these anywhere. I could do with replacing this too to be fair. I'm pretty sure they cost me around £2.99. 

17. Collection Pressed Powder in Ivory. This is my go-to powder as it sets my foundation really really well. It lasts me quite a while despite me using it every single day too. I buy this in the shade Ivory but it looks white in the pan, but it settles on the skin almost translucent. It doesn't feel cakey once applied and can be built up if needed. It retails for £1.99 in Boots and Superdrug but also wherever sells Collection. 

18. Boots Precision Grip Straight Tweezers. These are always in my makeup bag as I hate losing tweezers. I can't even think of how many I've lost over the years! These are pretty basic and are easy to hold. They're tweezers, nothing special but do the job. I bought these from Boots for £3.80. 

So there you have it, every single item that's in my makeup bag. I actually enjoyed writing this post and it's made me see just how little I actually use on a day to day basis!  The contents in my makeup bag rarely change, but I love reading these posts on other blogs so thought I'd give it a go!

♥

One hell of a hectic week...

First time I've left my hair natural in years...can't believe how wavy it still goes!

I'd like to apologise for the lack of posting this week. My life has been so busy with work, family and unfortunately, illness. This post is going to be quite graphic, just to pre-warn you all. 

Friday 8th August, I became incredibly ill. I didn't know at this point just how bad it was. I finished my long shift at work (somehow!) at 4:30 pm, and was straight into bed upon my arrival home. I'd been feeling sick and light headed all day, I was quite annoyed at myself because I'd bought tickets to go to the Worcester Beer Festival with my work friends and my Boyfriend.

 Sadly, I had to let them down as I couldn't even keep my eyes open for 5 seconds. I was constantly going hot and cold, sweating and I couldn't hold my own body weight. I slept for a couple of hours, then decided it'd be a brilliant idea to have a bath to try and wake myself up a bit. This was around 8pm. This, however turned into one of the worst ideas I've ever had as I fell asleep in the bath with the hot water running, resulting in me slipping down the bath and almost drowning myself. I'm not even over exaggerating. I woke up by choking on water, I remember the time to be around 9pm when I noticed. I swiftly got out the bath and returned to my bed and slept heavily until 8am the next day apart from some agonising trips to the toilet throughout the night.

Saturday 9th August. I felt a bit better in the morning despite me being up every other hour dashing to the toilet. Less sick, still feverish but still unable to hold my own body weight. My other half said I'd caught a bug, but in my heart of hearts I knew this was more than a regular stomach bug. I suffer from IBS anyway and I knew this was more than a flare up or a tummy bug as I've had my fair share of those! I spent Saturday in and out of bed, but ended up crashing out on the sofa late evening. At around 9pm, I started getting the most intense stomach cramps I've ever had, which instantly resulted in me needing the toilet. Now I'm not even kidding here, it was like water. TMI I know but this is why I knew it wasn't just a stomach bug. I was in so much pain and I didn't know what to do with myself. These lasted all night which meant I had very broken sleep, making me in such a foul mood.

Sunday 10th August, I couldn't even get out of bed. My body felt like someone had literally strapped me down to my bed. I was in such a sweat I was dripping. The stomach cramps were still coming and going, still needing the toilet. This is where it got serious. I stood up, managed a couple of steps but then instantly felt light headed, I collapsed on the bathroom floor calling out for my boyfriend. I blacked out for a second but instantly woke up needing the toilet. I barely made it there. I rang my mum in absolute tears, explaining I couldn't stand up or hold my own weight, I couldn't stop going to the toilet nor could I stop shaking. She only lives round the corner so she was with me in literally 10 minutes. 

She phoned the out of hours GP for me, who sent out a rapid response paramedic. She examined me, and didn't look too happy with my results. She confirmed I had a stomach bug, however due to the other symptoms I was having, she asked for the opinion of a local doctor who issued me into Hospital. A couple of minutes later, the Ambulance arrived and off I was carted to Worcester Hospital. My time at the Hospital was brief..3 hours or so? I was shoved in my own little room, seen by someone once in the whole time I was there and was basically told to go home as I only had a stomach bug but was severely dehydrated. I had no further tests, nothing. I was told to take buscopan, imodium and dioralyte. I basically felt like I was wasting their time and the Doctor certainly made it feel like she didn't want to see me. 

Little did I know, this wasn't going to be my only journey to hospital. 

Monday 11th August, I phoned my GP first thing in the morning as I still felt really really unwell and I knew this was more than a stomach bug. The Doctor I saw was so helpful despite me never hearing his name before. He took loads of blood pressure, temperature and health checks and also a physical examination of my stomach, which was absolutely agonising. He confirmed what I considered to be my worst nightmare...suspected appendicitis. He issued me with a letter for instant admittance to A&E surgical department. I drove home with tears in my eyes, I really really didn't want it to be this. I stopped off at my parent's on the way home and burst out crying. I hate hospitals and my parent's knew it. They instantly told me everything was going to be okay etc, got me to explain what was going on and followed me home. They then took me along with my boyfriend to Hospital and here came the waiting. 

I was briefly seen in the minor injuries unit by a Doctor who also told me I have suspected appendicitis but not to rule out PCOS or Chron's given my family history. The thought of having any of those scared the living daylight out of me. I was instantly hooked up to a rehydration drip again as I was still dehydrated from the previous days. Blood tests taken and obs done, I was moved up to the SCDU (Surgical Decisions unit) where I spent the night hooked up to yet more rehydration drips alongside antibiotics and painkillers as I was still getting stomach cramps and was so uncomfy! I was seen by a Doctor at around 10pm who told me that I'd be going in to surgery first thing in the morning. I was told I'd be having my appendix out but they'd also be having a root around to see if they could see anything else causing me pain. I was told I wasn't allowed anything to eat or or drink from 2am. This was quite possibly the worst night sleep I have ever had in my life, but also one of the longest nights. Throughout the night, I was hooked up to more rehydration packs and antibiotics. 

Tuesday 12th August. Morning came and it was time to go down to surgery. At this point, I'm absolutely pooping a brick! I've been under general anesthetic before but I'd had months and months to prepare myself for that. This was so quick, it's still all a blur to me. I was wheeled through what seemed like the whole hospital, to a tiny little room where I was told I'd be having the anesthetic issued. I instantly burst into tears, I was so scared I just didn't know or understand what was going on. Did they know something I didn't?...The last thing I remember before this was the lovely porter telling me how he loves my hair colour and he wants his the same. The next 3 hours were a blackout for me. 

Waking up was the most horrific thing ever. I was in so much pain, I couldn't stop crying, I couldn't catch my breath nor could I stop grabbing my stomach. It felt like they'd literally ripped my insides out, the pain was so intense. I remember grabbing the sides of the bed and leaving nail indents in it from how intense the pain was. This felt like it was going on for forever, like it'd never end. They gave me the maximum amount of morphine they could but it was seriously doing nothing. I could still feel every ounce of pain. The nurse who was looking after me was quite possibly the nicest person I have ever met, she was holding my hand the whole way through the next couple of hours and reassuring me I'd be alright. So, still sobbing my heart out from the pain, I was issued another pain killer which essentially knocked me out. Over the next couple of hours I was in and out of sleep, aided by the lovely nurse whose name I cannot remember but wish I could! She even missed taking her lunch because she didn't want to leave me. I actually want to send her a bunch of flowers and a card but I genuinely cannot remember her name. 

She rang the other unit multiple times but they hadn't even cleaned a room for me yet, much to her disappointment! She finally got the answer she wanted, said her goodbyes to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek and off I was whisked to another unit. From there, I was in and out of sleep again as I felt the morphine wearing off and by this time it was around 5pm. I was told I needed to have food, have a wee and be seen to drink something before I was discharged. Mission accepted! Although, the corned beef sandwich really didn't agree with me, after a couple of bites I felt it coming back up. Such a huge relief though when it turned out to be a huge burp! I managed to do all of the above quite quickly and I was then seen by the surgeon. Finally, I'd be able to know exactly what was wrong with me. 

I can't even remember my Mum taking this photo of me, but here we go. All doped up!

Just to confirm what I'd heard a million times before, yes I did have a stomach bug and I now have medically confirmed IBS. However, the next bit was a huge shock to me and one I really didn't expect.

I had had, at some point, a huge cyst on my right ovary which had burst, leaving all the pus and fluid around my stomach and in the cavities surrounding it. It eventually reached my appendix which became increasingly larger and inflamed. God's honest truth I cannot pinpoint where this happened nor can medical experts. I was told if I had of left it a couple more days, my appendix would have ruptured from being so infected. The next bit scared me. I was told that if my appendix had ruptured, the fluid from my ovary and the appendix itself would have been so toxic, it would have left me infertile in my right ovary and would have rapidly developed septicemia. Holy mother of God. 

I'm now lay in my bed typing this up thanking whatever is up in heaven that I was able to catch this in time. Maybe it's my Nan and Grandad looking over me, I dont know, but if you are then I cannot thank you enough. I feel so lucky to be here right now. I really do.

The moral of this post is just to remember how lucky you are each and every day that you actually have a life and a family. I certainly have realised that my family are my everything the past couple of days and don't know where I'd be without them. 

Oh and Mum, next time I'm in pain don't tell the doctor I'd like pain relief up my bum!! Not happening! 

♥