Making your sleepless nights positive and relaxing ♡

If you suffer with your mental health or you're currently struggling with a physical condition that makes it hard to sleep, you'll understand the never-ending frustration of sleepless nights. For whatever reason, you just can't get to sleep - and you're stuck until the early hours of the morning tossing and turning while your stress level is slowly building up. Hopefully this post will help you to cope with sleeping problems, and offer some solutions that may help until you are able to fix your sleeping problems for good!

♡ Try to figure out what's keeping you awake ♡

It's a bit of a no-brainer, but if you can figure out what's keeping you up you can start to do something about it. If you have no idea what it is, don't feel pressured to try figure it out straight away. Everyone has the odd sleepless night for various reasons, especially if you're stressed. Don't make yourself feel worse thinking about it! Just go with the flow and know that sleep will eventually come. If it becomes a real problem, visit your doctor. Also, pain may be keeping you awake; if this is the case, try to take some painkillers before you go to bed. Or if you're on medication that can affect drowsiness or alertness - as long as what you're doing is perfectly safe for you - figure out a time table in the day of the best time to take your medication that will aid your sleep.

But if the reason you can't get to sleep is an external factor - like room temperate or too much light in your bedroom - do something about it! Many people struggle to sleep because their room is too warm, so consider buying a fan that can lower the temperature. The white noise of the fan may also help if you struggle to sleep in a silent room. If you share a room with someone who sleeps with a light on and you require pitch black surroundings, buy an eye mask! Many people will suffer in silence and attempt to overcome a problem alone instead of trying simple solutions, so even if you don't think these things will help very much, just try them and if they're not for you, you can move onto other solutions. The next time in the day that you are refreshed and awake (preferably not when you're in bed at night as this may make you more frustrated) try and find some ideas you'd want to try that can combat the events that are keeping you awake. 

♡ Place yourself in a relaxing environment ♡

Honestly, from my own experiences, if you know you're not going to sleep the most stressful thing you can do is sit in silence in the dark and constantly will yourself to fall asleep. It's just a frustrating situation and will probably make even more problems when it comes to allowing yourself to relax. Soft lighting and calm activities will help preoccupy your mind without overloading it. Sitting downstairs with just a lamp on whilst reading or drawing would be perfect - as it would help steer away from boredom without making things worse for yourself by waking up your mind too much. If that's not your thing, or you already have a low-stress hobby you take part in, do something else that works for you. If you're actively trying to calm your mind, then I'd recommend avoiding bright screens and anything over stimulating. But, when sleepless nights have become a way of life and the boredom is driving you crazy, it's perfectly okay to watch a film or pop on the TV in the background. It may help to lower the brightness of whatever you're looking at so you're still able to watch it but it won't give you a headache or any eye strain. 

Your bed should stay a place for sleep: try not to create a habit of engaging your brain at night whilst laying down in bed (this is easier said than done). If that's gone out the window and you're sitting awake in bed for hours on end, then try and go to another relaxing but comfortable space in your home that you can do whatever you want in. Maybe light a candle (not if you're going to fall asleep though) or play some calming music, and sit somewhere that's not your room. Do something you enjoy! The perfect activity would be something engaging or distracting, that doesn't take a huge amount of effort, and will keep you from glancing at the time every ten seconds. Then, once you're drifting off, return to your room and try to fall asleep. One of the worst feelings is being wide awake in bed with no chance of falling asleep - it makes you stressed and irritable, and all you can think about is how you're not sleeping. If you take yourself out of this situation, even just to get up and make yourself a hot drink (no caffeine though!) you're breaking what feels like an endless cycle, and allowing yourself a much needed distraction.

♡ Make the night as positive as possible ♡

If sleepless nights have become a part of your life that you can't immediately fix and you have to live with, do as much as you can to change how you think about it. Even just laying there, sleeping or not, you're recharging your body. So if you can lay down in bed for hours on end without going crazy, give your mind and body as much rest as you possibly can. But if your problems are due to mental health, sitting in the dark in silence all night may be your worst nightmare (I'm writing this post at 5:30am so trust me, I know your pain). I really don't want to encourage any bad habits, but if you find that watching TV all night keeps you from over thinking and driving yourself crazy, then don't feel bad for doing it. If for a couple nights you spend your time having a netflix binge or reading an entire book instead of being incredibly stressed and frustrated, then go for it. I would not recommend doing things like this every night, as once you're in that habit it's incredibly hard to break. But if you need to do something to help distract you or relax you that may stimulate your mind a bit, do what you need to do! The worst thing you can do is make your night something you begin to stress about and dread throughout the day. 

The next time you're awake, buy some herbal teas that help promote sleep. Camomile is my personal favourite as it promotes sleep and you can buy many different variations. If you hate the flavour, try adding some manuka honey, which is very sweet but also has some health benefits. Buy yourself a book that you've always wanted to read or has been highly recommended, and save it for the nights when you're wide awake. Try to create something that you can look forward to that's specific for the nights you're struggling to sleep. It's all about trying new things and finding something that works for you. Don't forget that you'll have the best sleep when your body and mind are fully relaxed and you can drift off peacefully. Falling asleep through exhaustion isn't the best way to go, so don't push yourself too far. If you plan to watch a film and start to feel tired ten minutes in, don't wait and watch the film, go to bed and try to sleep! You can always finish whatever activity you're doing the next day. Don't be afraid to try and drift off when you're only a bit tired. It's important to take as much pressure out of the night as possible, even if you have something you need rest for tomorrow. Stressing out and worrying won't help. Sleep will come naturally when you're relaxed, so just enjoy your time of being in a peaceful environment!

  ♡ Thank you for taking the time to read this post! I really hope it helps and if you have any ideas or tips feel free to comment below ♡

How to cope with overwhelming anxiety ♡

These posts are specifically aimed towards those experiencing confusion or overwhelming feelings about anxiety and are of my own opinion based on what has helped me personally. I will be referring to 'anxiety' a lot in this article as a generalised term of other mental health disorders that fall under this name. When specifically talking about social anxiety, G.A.D, OCD etc I will specifically state. I'm not a mental health professional, and I would always recommend seeing your doctor, but I know how much of a big step that can be for people. These are things that have helped me - and other people I know who suffer with similar problems - to overcome very overwhelming anxiety and begin to take steps to a long term recovery. Remember that Samaritans are always available to talk about any overwhelming problems you're facing - you do not have to be suicidal.

Recently, I've been suffering with stress induced anxiety that's impacted greatly on my life. Even though I've had life altering anxiety and depression for 6 years, sometimes it still gets on top of me and makes normal life very difficult. It causes a range of problems, the worst being crippling phobias that seem very real and dangerous and panic attacks that cause barriers in my daily life. This is not a sob story; but instead often the reality of people living with mental health problems. Whether you're new to these feelings, had them for years, or not even sure how you feel, I hope my experiences and advice will help you understand and get through whatever tough times you're facing. 

♡ What you are feeling is normal ♡

There are so many forms of anxiety, and every one experiences it differently. Stress, depression, generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety, OCD - the list goes on. Even though you may feel like you're going crazy and things may not seem normal, you are definitely not the only person that feels this way. When you first get diagnosed, or even before that, it's so easy to feel isolated and scared, because the emotions you suddenly have to deal with are so abstract and weird that it seems like there's no way these things could be 'normal', but they are.

My first serious brush with anxiety was a couple years into high school when I first began to disassociate. For those that aren't familiar, disassociating is related to feeling detached from reality  - commonly described as feeling like you're watching a movie of your life instead of living it and facing a very sudden and harsh disconnect. If you've suffered with this, you know how weird it feels, and if you haven't, I know how strange it sounds. I was very young when I first faced these feelings and I had absolutely no idea what was going on. I was petrified - so much so that I didn't want to visit my doctor because I was so scared that something was seriously wrong with me. After months of confusion and fear I finally saw my doctor. Being told I had anxiety and that I wasn't seriously ill gave me an incredible sense of relief. Granted, this didn't cure my all problems, it still made a positive impact on my life as I knew I was normal and everything was going to be okay. 

Even though it may seem scary and something that brings on feelings of anxiety, going to the doctors is very important for your peace of mind. You may have thoughts or feelings that never seemed serious before, but are suddenly taking over your life and feel like a legitimate fear to you: in most cases these turn out to be a phobia or part of anxiety that can be handled with therapy or medication. Naming and diagnosing what you're feeling will help you start to move forward, even if it's just recognising that it's there. If you had broken your leg, you wouldn't carry on walking on it until it got better: you would go to the doctors, have a cast, and rest and until your bones had healed. Anxiety is the same. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean it's any different from any other problem with your health. With the right help and enough time to recover, your anxiety can become something you learn to cope with and will get a million times better.

♡ Anxiety is irrational, but your feelings are still valid ♡

As you may already know, denying your anxiety does you no good. It's something that is out of your control. You can't really ignore it or hide away because it causes you to worry all the time and possibly manifests in physical ways such as panic attacks. Whatever is holding you back will feel very real to you! Don't let anyone make you feel bad by dulling it down or mocking how you feel because you can't control how it makes you feel. It's also important to know that even though it will seem very real to you, specific fears and phobias related to anxiety are irrational. This isn't to say that what you feel isn't valid or that you're weak in any way, (anxiety will tend to put a lot of negative thoughts into your head) this just means that your mind processes situations differently. Finding a balance between validating your feelings whilst realising that they're irrational is difficult, but for some people being able to recognise their anxiety is an important step to becoming more in control.

A very unpleasant and life altering part of anxiety is experiencing panic attacks. In very simple terms, panic attacks are your body's reaction to life threatening situations. It's both a physical and psychological reaction that can be triggered by absolutely anything. For example, for people with social anxiety disorder, thoughts of having to be in public around a lot of people or travelling too far away from home will seem terrifying. Even though in your head you know that you'd be okay anxiety is irrational and would make it seem like a situation you'd do anything to avoid. When thoughts and worries begin to become overwhelming - no matter what they are - always remember that anxiety is irrational. I can't say it enough. Remember that these feelings are temporary, you don't have to be scared of your anxiety.  

♡ You are not lazy, selfish, or weak ♡

Anxiety is different for everyone, from a minor inconvenience to totally life destroying. This factor does not depend on how well you deal with things, your character, or yourself as a person. You'll get some people in your life that think mental health issues are a sign of weakness, but it's just not true. People that have not experienced anxiety and have no interested in trying to understand it will always have their own opinions, whether they're negative or positive. Even some people who have had anxiety but in a different way will have solidified their own experiences as if it's the same for everyone and seem prejudiced against those who don't cope as well. It's hard enough having to battle the negative thoughts and worries that come along with anxiety from yourself and hearing other people being mean or rude only makes it harder to keep a positive mindset.

But in all honesty - those people don't matter. Not one bit. Whether it's strangers, friends, or even your family. No one has the right to call you lazy, selfish, or weak, when they have no idea what you're going through. And no matter how hard you try to explain yourself, some people will remain ignorant.  I experienced conversations where people would say things like, 'I would never get anxiety because I'm just not that type of person' but the fact is there isn't any specific trait that means you're more sensitive to anxiety, stress, or depression. Anyone can have a mental disorder: it doesn't matter if you're strong or weak, extroverted or introverted. And if you ever wish to become open about talking about it, you'll learn that it affects so many more people than you would expect. 

Also, it's okay to be selfish sometimes. It's necessary to keep yourself balanced. If you don't make some decisions solely for your own mental health, then you'll end up making yourself worse. It's okay to be lazy too - anxiety, depression, and stress make you really tired. You might need a day when you do nothing but stay in bed - you might need a week. Mental health problems may affect your sleeping, eating, and social habits too, which in turn affects your relationships with people you're close to, your energy levels, and your day to day life. If things get extremely difficult to deal with your situation with education or work may change. Taking a break from college, university, or work may become a real possibility; and this break could span any time from a couple of days to even years. It could change your life. Putting aside or even abandoning completely the parts of life that are simply too difficult is not an automatic failure: you're not weak, you haven't given up. You can't just keep going until you run yourself to nothing or have a breakdown. You're strong for just living with anxiety; for putting up with it every day, and for always getting back on your feet when it's knocked you down. And you have to deal with it in whatever way you can. Learn to be a little bit selfish and lazy when you need to, but don't ever forget that even when you feel at your most weak, you're still incredibly strong.

♡ You will recover ♡

One of the most important things to remember is that you won't feel like this forever. There are so many forms of help out there! Your friends and family will be there to support you, even if it's just as someone to talk to. Remember that you're not alone while you're going through this. Keeping social and planning activities you love doing will help you stay positive - it's good to always have something to look forward to within the next couple weeks or months. Whatever it is you're dealing with, it'll get better in time, from sudden changes to very gradual ones. You could be having a panic attack one minute, and be calm the next. Or feel like you're stuck in a part of life that's especially difficult, then before you know it, you're over those hard times and heading towards better things. Anxiety is all about baby steps. Break down your personal goals into more realistic steps. Have a list of some small things you want to do and save it to your phone, or write it down and keep it somewhere you'll see it every day.

Things will get easier over time. The help you receive from friends, family, or any therapy you wish to participate in, will support you while you move forward.  Read through these steps, or figure out what works for you, and always keep it in the back of your mind. Look at other experiences you've had where you've struggled and things have improved. 

You are strong enough to deal with anything life throws at you, and you'll become a stronger person for it. Good luck and stay positive. Thank you so much for reading and I really hope that you find this post helpful! 

New Lush Bath Bombs ♡

This post is unfinished as I still have half the bath bombs to review - but they will definitely be up in the next couple weeks! 

I was so excited to see that Lush have released a new season of products, including some of my favourites - bath bombs ! I am a total Lush junkie so I ordered these as soon as I saw them online. Not only do Lush's bath bombs look gorgeous before and during their use. the essentail oils included in them have many emotional and physical benefits.The four bath bombs I will be reviewing are Frozen, Intergalactic, Yoga Bomb, and The Experimenter.  

♡ Frozen ♡

The Frozen bath bomb has become one of my new favourites. The main ingredients are grapefruit oil, rose oil, and neroli oil. It has a beautiful scent that isn't too overwhelming, but still has a natural sweetness unique to Lush.

While fizzing away, it created stunning patterns in bubbles, and turned the water a deep blue/turquoise, speckled with very fine glitter that looked exactly like a very clear, deep sea. If you love beautiful looking baths which also have the benefit of being relaxing and great for your skin, I would definitely recommend this bath bomb! 

♡ Intergalactic ♡

What can I say about this! It's definitely my new favourite. I have problems with my sinuses, so the peppermint oil in this bath bomb helped immensely. This is perfect for you if you love a menthol scent, and are looking for a bath bomb that is invigorating but still relaxing. It's very good for stress! 

The colours were amazing, one of the most good looking bombs out there in my opinion. The bubbles were a rainbow of blues, greens, and pinks that created unique and interesting patterns. If you love peppermint, need to unwind, or need a visual treat, Intergalactic is a perfect choice! 

I still have two more bath bombs to review, and I'll post them as soon as possible! If you're interested in the specific benefits of more of Lush's bath products and would like help in choosing some that would suit your taste the best, check out my Guide To Lush Bath Bombs.

Thanks for reading! ♡

Your guide to Lush bath products ♡

If you're new to Lush, or are used to using the same products every time you order, you may find there are hidden treasures perfect for you that you've never tried before!  I've sorted bath bombs, luxury bath melts, and bubble bars into 4 possible categories, Relaxing and Calming, Uplifting and Invigorating, Visually Gorgeous, and Great for your Skin. I've used every bath product available from the most recent booklet from Lush, but there may be some new or seasonal products online that aren't in this post.

I should mention that all lush products have a little bit of all categories in them, but I've divided them to show their specific benefits. For example, all Lush products will nourish your skin, but some are more specially designed to leave your skin amazingly smooth and silky.

1) Twilight 2) Think Pink 3) Amandopondo 4) Floating Island 5) Rose Jam Bubbleroon 6) Dreamtime 7) Ickle Baby Bot 8) Big Blue 9) Blackberry Bath Bomb 10) A French Kiss 11) Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds 12) Dorothy 

The relaxing and calming bath products contain oils that calm and soothe your mind. Lavender oil, for example, is a great sleep aid, and is a main ingredient in most of these products. The Ickle Baby Bot (7) and Dreamtime (6) are specifically promoted to help sleep! If you're more into a bath that will help you clear your mind but not send you off to sleep, the Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds (11) and Twilight (1) create a soothing environment from the scent and look of the product.

All of these products have different effects on your bath water, most colour the water the same colour as the product. The bubble bars are designed to create a bath full of beautiful bubbles - remember to run these under your tap and break them apart to create bubbles and not just drop them in like a bath bomb or a melt.

1) Pop In The Bath 2) Tisty Tosty 3) Sakura 4) Fizzbanger 5) Dragon's Egg 6) Green Bubbleroon 7) Avobath 8) Sunnyside 9) You've Been Mangoed 10) Karma 11) Brightside 12) Phoenix Rising 13) Space Girl 

The Uplifting and Invigorating products are designed to give you a fresh burst of energy, and help restore positive and energetic feelings. Most of these products have a floral, citrus, or fruity scent. These are all perfect for when you feel like you need a boost in life. You've Been Mangoed (9) and Karma bubble bar (10) have sweet and fruity scent, and contain energising citrus oils, including orange, lemon, and lime. 

If you'd prefer a strong floral scent, Sakura (3) and Tisty Tosty (2) both contain jasmine absolute alongside other oils from flowers. If you want something uplifting but without any strong floral scents, Space Girl (13) and Phoenix Rising (12) are perfect products. Not only do they have a lovely scent (Space Girl specifically has the scent of Parma Violet sweets!) but they give your bath water exciting colours and patterns. For a full effect, fill your bath first and let it settle until the water is completely still, then place in a bath bomb and let it fizz away to create beautiful and unique patters in the water.

1) Sunnyside 2) Granny Takes A Dip 3) Karma bubble bar 4) Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds 5) Big Blue 6) Think Pink 7) Space Girl 8) The Comforter 9) Dragon's Egg 10) Twilight 

These bath bombs create the most striking and beautiful patterns and bubbles in the water. For full effect, when using a bath bomb use as I stated above - let the water rest still and then place it in and allow it to move around in still water. For the bubble bars crumble and rub them under running water to create amazing bubbles. 

Sunnyside (1) creates beautiful bubbles, and turns your bathwater into a deep shimmering gold colour. The other bubble bars, Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds (4), Karma (3), and The Comforter (8), all create bubbles but also give your bathwater a deep colour, depending on which product you use. The Karma (3) especially turns your water bright orange and looks great against the bright white bubbles.

Granny Takes A Dip (2) consists of almost psychedelic colours, and is the most striking Lush product! If you're interesting in turning your bath crazy colours then this product is perfect for you! If you prefer a more subtle - but still gorgeous - effect on the water, Space Girl (7) consists of a combination of deep reds, pinks, and purples that create a cosmic effect.

1) Yuzu And Cocoa Bubbleroon 2) Avobath 3) Ceridwen's Cauldron 4) Green Bubbleroon 5) Honey Bee 6) Dragon's Egg 7) Butterball 8) Mmmelting Marshmallow Moment 9) Sex Bomb 10) Creamy Candy

Last but not least, the collection of products above are specially designed to leave your skin smooth and silky. If you've used Lush products before, you know how soft some of the products can leave your skin! 

The Butterball (8) and Avobath (2) are simple looking products, but will soften your skin, and allow you to relax in the scent of vanilla and lemongrass. Ceridwen's Cauldron (3) is designed so you can soak the melt in your bath and allow it to infuse the water, and then soothe your skin with the product by using it on your arms and legs. 

All of the Bubbleroon products are great for your skin, but Yuzu and Cocoa Bubbleroon (1) contains coconut oil and shea butter which will do wonders for dry skin that needs moisturising. It also has the scent of chocolate orange which is one of my favourites. 

I hope you enjoyed my guide to lush bath products! 

If you have any ideas of posts you want to see, feel free to comment below.

Tofu Cute - the UK kawaii shop ♡

Tofu Cute is a great online shop that sells a range of cute and unique products - including charms, plush toys, stationary, and a variety of candy and snacks from Japan you can't easily find in the UK. The shop offers world wide delivery, and I've personally ordered products from this site before in the UK with no problems. This site is perfect if you have an interest in kawaii or Japanese products or candy. 

There is a good range of products available without being too overwhelming too look through. I've chosen some of my favourite products from a selection of lifestyle, stationary, and snacks - but I definitely recommend browsing through the site yourself. 

♡ Lifestyle ♡

The lifestyle section of the site includes kawaii charms, sweet petites, purses and cases, bento and kitchen, kawaii gifts, and miniatures.

There are so many interesting products within this section of the site, but these are my three personal favourites. I'll reference them in the order that they're shown above! If you wish to view a product, just click on the name of it in the text below.

• The Alpacasso Alpaca Rainbow Keychains are sold separately, and come in the variety of colours shown. The detachable ball chain allows you to attach it to your keys, phone, or bag, so you can accessorize  anything you like. These items are also around 10cm big so keep this in mind before ordering!
• Pastel Alpaca Furry Multi-Purpose Cases are big enough to fit an iphone or a small camera. They are also sold separately and come in the colours displayed. There are so many things you could use these small cases for! Not only could you use them to protect a phone or camera in your bag, you could also use them to keep any small items that easily get lost, or for hiding anything you wish to keep discreet instead of having them loose in your bag.
• Poteusa Loppy Bunny Plush Charms are another cute item. Their function is similar to the Alpacasso charms shown above, but at 5cm they are half the size and a bit more suitable for phone charms. If you want a cute accessory that's a bit more manageable than a huge alpaca these are a great alternative!

♡ Stationary ♡

The starionary section of the site includes kawaii stickers, paper and deco, pens and erasers, and greeting cards.

As before, I'll reference the products in the order they are shown above, and to view a product on tofu cute, just click on its name.

• I absolutely love the Kawaii Neko Kitty Fineliner Pens! Each comes in a different colour and are sold separately - the colours of ink available are blue, black, and red. You could just buy one colour, or buy all of them and mix and match the lids. They have superfine tip, which makes them perfect for line art or writing.
• The Alpaca Sticky Marker Peep Outs are super cute, and will also help with organisation of any files or papers you may have. There are 120 in a pack, and are the perfect size for small notes or to use as dividers. If you get bored easily studying, using items such as these will help brighten up your work and help you keep organised.
• The Kawaii Animal Die-Cut Lined Notepads are so adorable! They're quite small so perfect to take on the go to jot down any notes. The pages are lined and have a small place in the corner to put the date. They are sold individually, so you can choose the design you like the best.

♡ Snacks ♡

The snack section includes pocky sticks, cute biscuits, sweet candy, diy candy kits, chocolate, and ramune soda.

As before, I'll reference the products in the order they are shown above, and to view a product on tofu cute, just click on its name.

• The Glico Panda Pocky Cookies and Cream look so nice, and have really cute and unique packaging. They would be such a nice gift to give as a small present, or as a treat for yourself! The flavour is unique and not something you would usually find in normal shops. They're also suitable for vegetarians! 
• Meiji Hello Panda Biscuits Strawberry remind me of my favourite candy that I only seem to find when I go abroad on holiday. They also come in different flavours: creamy milk, chocolate, and double choc. The packaging is so adorable and would make a really lovely gift! These are also suitable for vegetarians.
• Popin' Cookin' DIY Candy Kit - Ice Cream.  These DIY kits allow you to make your own candy! They include instructions, and everything you need in the box to make the sweets. I bought a kit from the same brand, but made candy sushi! I would definitely recommend buying one of these kits; they're so fun to do and they taste pretty good as well. 

I hope you've found this review useful or interesting! In the future I may buy some of the candy kits or snacks and do a more detailed review. If there are any products you'd like to see specifically, comment below. 

Your skin type, and the perfect primers for it ♡

A lot of times I find people I talk to are never sure of their skin type, and use foundations that don't work well. Using make up for your face that doesn't match well with your skin type can mean your foundation wears off too quickly from using the wrong type, or is drying out your skin. 

This post will help you find out what type your skin is, and the primers to use to give your skin a perfect base for other make up. (I will write a post similar to this for foundation as well - this post is to help you figure out how to create a perfect base for your make up). Also, instead of suggesting specific primers, each skin type will have a generalised idea of what is best for them, so you can then find a primer in your price range to suit you with the knowledge of what's best for your skin.

♡ Figuring Out Your Skin Type ♡

There are 4 basic skin types, not including having acne prone, or sensitive skin. If you have either of these you will have to keep this in mind when purchasing make up. Your skin type mostly refers to how dry or oily your skin is, and on which parts of your face. You could have normal, oily, dry, or combination skin. The best way to determine your skin type is to observe the quality of your skin when you have no products or make up on your face. 

Firstly, make sure not to over wash your face with too many products such as scrubs and soaps. Only use water and a gentle cleanser to remove any products or oils from your skin. After this, wait around one hour so your skin has time to return to it's natural state. Be super careful not to touch or lean on your face with with your hands. After this time, take a tissue and, paying close attention to your forehead and nose, dab your whole face with the tissue. Observing the amount of oil or flaky skin on the tissue will help you figure out what type your skin is.

• If your skin is normal, the tissue should show no flaking skin or oil. Keep in mind that 'normal' skin isn't actually the most common, this just means that you have no excess oil or dry skin.

• Oily skin will show grease on the tissue. You may also have larger pores and 'shiny' looking skin.

• Dry skin may feel tight, or show dead skin flakes on the tissue. Dry skin is often accompanied by small pores.

• Combination skin - the most common - shows different traits of the other skin types. Usually your T-zone (your forehead and nose) will be oily, and the rest of your skin will be normal or dry.

♡ Which Primer Should You Use? ♡

In all primers, it's good to look for a high SPF. This will protect your skin from sun damage which will keep it healthy and prevent it from ageing prematurely. Also, keywords such as 'sweat/water resistant' or 'long lasting' will make sure that your primer won't just come off half way through your day.

♡ Normal Skin

• If you have normal skin, you don't have to be super careful about which primers you use, as there are no real problems you have to cater for. 

• 'Normal' skin means you have no excess oil or dry skin. You may not need a primer to fix any problems, but would like to give yourself a longer lasting and more flawless finish to your foundation. 

• Look for light and creamy primers to make sure it's not too heavy on your skin. You're just looking for a primer that will give your skin a smooth base for foundation. 

• If you prefer a glowing or dewy finish, look for illuminating primers.

• If you prefer a matte finish, look for a mattefying primer.

♡ Oily Skin 

• Look for primers that are oil free and have a shine free finish.

• Oily skin may have large pores, so a pore minimising primer will benefit your skin type if you want an flawless look.

• Mattefying primers will help prevent a 'shine' on your skin that many people will oily skin experience. 

• Avoid illuminating or dewy primers, as they may not work well with your skin type.

♡ Dry Skin 

• Hydrating and moisturising primers will not only improve the general look and condition of dry and flaky skin over time, but will help your foundation glide on smoothly and not cling to dry skin. Using hydrating primers will prevent your foundation from looking patchy.

• Those with dry skin may also suffer from redness. There are many primers to buy with a mint or green tone, this helps to eliminate pink or red tones in your skin. But make sure - as with all other primers - to let them dry completely before you apply foundation.

• Illuminating primers will create a glowing and radiant look, combating matte or patchy skin.

♡ Combination Skin 

• Combination skin is both the most common and the most difficult to deal with, as you may have very dry skin in one area, and very oily in another. 

• If you have enough time in your make up routine and money to spend, you may wish to use multiple primers on different areas of your face.

• Using a primer that targets oily skin on your T-zone, and a normal or dry skin primer on the rest of your face will allow you to create a base more suitable for your skin.

• This may help you, for example, if you have a shine on your forehead and nose, red and flaky skin on your cheeks, and normal skin all over (my personal experience).

• Multi use primers will indicate that they are good for combination skin. If you only have time in your routine to use one primer, these are your best bet.

♡ How To Tell If It Works ♡

If your primer is working, the quality of your skin should be the same over all on your face, with no excess oil or dry skin. Primers are meant to create a long lasting base for your skin, although you may just wish to use them on their own for a quick flawless look. If you want to try out various foundations because you're not sure on what to ask for, ask for samples from your beauty store instead of buying multiple primers and risk not using them.

I hope these tips have helped you figure out your skin type, and how to find the perfect primer for your skin! All information I have collected either through personal experience of my own and others, or various information online from other blogs and websites.

Pick me ups - big and little things to improve your mood ♡

A lot of times I find myself in a low mood, with no idea what to do on how to pick myself up. I've made a list of some things to get you out of the dumps, from tiny pick me ups that take very little effort, to big ideas that might take a bit more money or preparation. 

♡ Little Things ♡

♡ Pop to your closet store or bakery, and pick the tastiest looking treat they have, either something you know you love, or something new you want to try. Buy it for yourself and eat it out in the sunshine, or save it until you get home. 

♡ Order a couple of cute bath bombs from Lush online - or whatever shop you like. Then you can look forward to your delivery and the relaxing baths to follow.

♡ If you're having a bad day and haven't showered or got ready, have a quick shower and get changed, and sit and do your make up, hair, or nails. This will make you feel more refreshed and lively, and will give you a chance to experiment with your hair and make up and try new styles.

♡ Download an app like Pinterest and follow some pages that post things you enjoy. You can either use it to scroll through when you're bored to take your mind of things or set up your own pins and boards as a small hobby.

♡ Find some youtube videos online of a game you've always wanted to play but never did, or games you've played before and enjoyed. If you find a complete series, you can watch an entire game with or without commentary. Instead of sitting and watching a film in bulk you could instead watch one episode a day so you have something tiny to look forward to at the end of the day.

♡ Big Things ♡

♡ Look online for some recipes and instructions on how to make your own bath bombs, websites like Pinterest might give you some great ideas. Use them yourself, or give them away as gifts.

♡ Find a delicious looking recipe online or in a cookery/baking book, and make it from scratch. Either just for yourself, or invite other people round and share a meal. Even just baking a cake and sharing it with your loved ones will give you something to do rather than be in a bad mood, and will help cheer you up as you're doing something nice for other people!

♡ Book an appointment at a salon to have your hair, make up, or nails done professionally. You could either just have your usual hair style, or try something different. Having a new hair colour could be a big boost in your confidence, and having a full set of nails will make you feel more polished!

♡ Start up a blog and write about the things you love or are interested in, and make a promise to yourself to post something new every week or month. Spend some of your spare time thinking about new things to write about, and planning what your post will be each month. 

♡ Go through old storage or boxes and find any old games or consoles you have. Figure out how to set them up, and enjoy playing all the games you used to play when you were younger! You could find old games for your console on buy and sell websites such as eBay, and bask in the nostalgia.