Motivational Monday #3

One of the biggest contributions to my insecurity has always been comparing myself to others but as I've gotten older I've realized that there are so many different types of beautiful and that there is so many beautiful people in the world, but their beauty doesn't make me any less beautiful, even if I am nothing like them, and changing myself to be like someone considered beautiful simply takes away from my unique beauty.
I think a lot of this comparison based insecurity is because society constantly pits women against each other in order to sell us things, from magazines comparing which celebrity wore the best dress rather than acknowledging how beautiful they both looked to telling us that buying from certain brands will make us more like the model in the advert and therefore make us more beautiful.
Disregard the idea that being like someone else will make you more beautiful, the thing that makes you the most beautiful is your individuality.

Urban Decay De-Slick setting spray review

If you've read some of my other posts you will know that I recently purchased the Urban Decay De-slick oil control setting spray, this was a bit of an impulse buy because it was starting to feel like I'd tried every single 'oil control' and 'mattifying' foundation under the sun and still not managed to keep my makeup firmly on my face because of my pesky pores and I was getting sick to the back teeth of constantly having to cake on powder.

I have combination to oily skin and wear quite a lot of makeup on a daily basis so I was really curious to see if this worked for me, and I have to say I'm pretty impressed.
This for sure helps with oil production as I'm no longer facing the dreaded 2pm shine and it really creates a barrier over the face, almost like a hairspray. It doesn't solve my makeup disappearing problems totally but it means that I only need to re-powder once during the day rather than three or four times a day.

But the main thing I love about this product is the versatility, as well as using it to set my makeup I have had amazing results using it before my makeup, mixing it into my primer and using it to wet my beauty blender to apply my foundation, all of these methods have worked really well and I definitely recommend using this as a base product as well as a setting spray.

I think if you have really oily skin this may not be as effective for you, but you could use this as an oil controlling base and set with the all nighter setting spray as well.

I definitely want to repurchase this product as it is so easy to use and effective enough to justify the cost, I also find that all of my makeup looks better and lasts longer (even my eye makeup) and my skin has improved since using this product too!

Let me know if you've used this product and what you thought!

Motivational Monday #1

Something I've been considering is how much  courage it takes to be kind not only to others but to yourself, we are our own worst enemies and conditioned from a young age to hate ourselves, to want to change ourselves in order to try and reach unobtainable standards and then reduced to being disgusted with ourselves when we can't reach those standards. Most industries thrive on the idea that we hate ourselves and need to change and this issue that all but consumes people is simply a marketing strategy. Being in a world full of this negativity means that it can take guts to stand up and say 'Actually, I'm happy with myself, I like who I am'

 We are taught that the needs and desires of other people, our jobs and lifestyle come before our own needs and desires, that we are secondary beings and we are made to believe that self love and self care is a radical idea when actually being kind to ourselves should be instinctive.

You are you, and you are unique and special, you have no flaws but simply a different type of wonderful so I urge you to take the time to be kind to yourself.
Buy the dress, eat the chocolate, remind yourself that you are worthy of respect, tell yourself how great you look.
Be good to yourself and don't deny yourself desires and needs, listen to your body and your heart and the sense of deeper self awareness and happiness is beyond anything else in the world.
Just take the first step today
and have courage and be kind, to yourself as well as others.