Naked 3 Palette Swatches and Review

Does anyone else think that the Naked 3 palette has the most dreamy packaging or is it just me? Seriously, I think these are some of my favourite photos that I've ever taken for my blog, and it's because the packaging was just so beautiful. If I could fill up my Instagram with endless pictures of it without looking and feeling like a dickhead I would totally be on that 'for the #aesthetic'.
Anyway, I've had this palette for a few months now, and I was unbelievably excited when it arrived. I actually won it in a twitter giveaway on my birthday, and when it came in the post I handled it like it was my own child. You see, this was towards the end of my massive spending ban, and period of unemployment (although I was doing a little bit of freelance work here and there), and I never would have been able to afford anything like this, so I felt like the luckiest girl in the world when it actually turned up on my doorstep.
I took a million and one photos at every stage of opening it, just to make sure I didn't miss out on any of the layers of packaging for the blog. Ever since, I have been taking the utmost care of this, as it's my first piece of high-end makeup, and I've even been known to gently polish the case to make sure it's clean and shiny. Obsessed much? 
On a more serious note, this palette has actually revolutionized the way I think about eye shadow. The only eye shadow palettes that I owned before this were by Makeup Revolution, and whilst they are pretty amazing for their price, in my opinion they don't come anywhere near Urban Decay's Naked 3 palette. Before getting this, my daily makeup routine involved a (not so) slick line of eyeliner across my lids, and a nice dousing of mascara. Now however, I use eye shadow pretty much every single time I put makeup on. The Naked 3 palette is so pigmented and just so damn gorgeous that I've realised how much a cheeky bit of eye shadow can actually transform and improve my look. 
The swatches that I've included will probably let you know how pigmented the shades are, but I'll chat a little bit about them anyway. I used the brush that comes with the set, and did two to three lines on top of each other for each shade. I wouldn't normally need such a thick layer on my eyes, but as some of the shades are quite pale, and my skin is even paler, I wanted to make extra sure that they showed up on camera! 
My favourite pairing from the start has been to use Limit as the main shadow on my lids, and then Nooner in the corners and underneath the eye. These are both matte shades, which makes them a little more subtle for work than the more shimmery ones.
What are your favourite shades from the palette?
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Clinging onto Summer OOTD

Autumn is officially finally upon us, and whilst we all know how excited I am for this season, it's also nice to catch up on the last few rays of warmth before they disappear again until March. It has been getting a lot darker and colder in the evenings in the last week or two, but there have been occasions on which *gasp* I could actually hang the washing outside, and even want to go for a walk in the nature reserve that is literally on our back door step (or would be if we had a back door). 
This white and blue striped blouse from Primark has been an absolute life saver when it comes to this weird transitional weather period. I find the weather changes almost by the hour in September here in the UK, and I love the fact that this top keeps me warm with its long sleeves, but is loose enough to keep me cool when it's humid. A win-win, huh?
I've also apportioned this blouse to the section of the wardrobe that cover my 'fat days'. Now, I'm not talking about days on which I've actually gained a few pounds, but rather the ones on which I feel like I have. When I'm feeling low on confidence, or bloated because my period is about to start, wearing tight tops just kills off my self-esteem, and so it's loose tops all the way!
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Toppik Hair Building Shampoo and Conditioner

No one wants to suffer from hair loss, and I'm sure we all worry about it from time to time, but in the past few years this worry has reached a stage of paranoia for me. There are a whole host of things I do, and have done, to make sure that I don't lose any of my locks, including: doing a weekly hair mask, keeping washing to only twice a week, not using heat products on it, switching to natural shampoos, never brushing it when wet and even not tying my hair up for a while to put less pressure on it. Ridiculous I know. I spend an unhealthy amount of time examining the front of my head to see if my hairline is receding, or to see if the front portion of my hair is thinning. This winds my sister and mum up endless amounts as they both suffer from having fine hair, whilst I inherited thicker locks from my dad. But, even though I have thick hair at the moment, I'm always stressing about this thin front section and the potential for it all starting to thin (lord help me if I ever have a baby because Christ a breakdown will ensue). 
I have absolutely no real idea where this obsession comes from, but I imagine it may have something to do with the fact that my sister lost her hair as a child. So, anyhow, when Toppik approached me and asked if I would like to try any of their products, you can bet that I jumped at the opportunity to give their hair building shampoo and conditioner* a go. Toppik's hair building products contain keratin, amongst other ingredients, to encourage hair follicles to grow, and to become thicker.
I have to admit that I was very skeptical when I started out. Despite trying everything under the sun to get them to grow, and having a really long main body of hair, I have masses of baby hairs that give me a little inch long headband of fluff everytime I put my hair back into a ponytail. And despite the name, my baby hairs are not cute at all. But, having tried out Toppik's set for almost a month (and focusing on making sure the front of my head gets a nice portion of the shampoo and conditioner), I'm actually ecstatic to say that the majority of them are between 2 and 3 inches! I cannot even express how happy it's made me to be able to pin them back, even if it is a really vain thing to announce. I was definitely not expecting results anywhere near this, so if you've got thin hair, I would definitely recommend giving it a go to see what it can do for you. 
*Although these products were gifted to me for the purpose of this review, all opinions and thoughts are my own. 
What do you do to keep your hair thick and healthy?
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A Massive Boots Haul!

It feels like a bit of a week of firsts here on Nourish ME: first I had my first ever book review, and now here's my first ever Boots haul. I know this is something that almost every blogger to ever have existed has written before, but I wanted to give it a go, and after splashing out a little bit a couple of weeks ago I wanted to share my picks with you! Plus, I feel like I got a nice, large range of goodies so there's something for everyone (hopefully) in here.
I'm lucky enough to have an absolutely massive Boots in my new town, with a whole section dedicated to NYX's entire beauty range *swoons*. So, in the past few months I've been taking full advantage of the sheer size of the place and I feel like I've only just finished trawling through every single shelf. And now they're about to bring all of their Christmas goodies out so I'm going to need to start all over again. Whoops. 
Anyhow, I started off in the skin care section, which is definitely my favourite aspect of beauty, and leaves me practically drooling to have an endless skincare routine full of magical products. Realistically I'm pretty darn lazy and I've spent the last three months trying to use up all of my long-forgotten skin care stashes. 
However, after reading about 1000 blog posts raving about it, the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser has been on my must-buy list for a while. The one that I picked up is recommended as the starter kit, and contains 100ml of the cleanser as well as two muslin clothes. I'm pretty excited to get started on this, as so many people have said that it will work wonders on my skin ... *fingers crossed*. 
The next skin care piece I picked up was one of Soap & Glory's Happy Pamper £5 gift sets. My sister was more than a little horrified by the fact that I had bought a gift set for myself, but I wanted to try the minis of the Righteous Butter and Clean on Me shower gel before forking out for the larger ones. Both products smell amazing, and I'm hoping they live up to their rep too! 
Picking up this Ted Baker mini body spray was a bit of a wildcard (aka impulse buy). I can't wear perfume to work as I handle people's food as a waitress, but I can get away with a body mist. For £3 I couldn't resist picking this up, as I've never been let down by a Ted Baker scent before. 
Right, now I've bored you all to death with my skin care rambles, let's talk about what you're actually interested in: the makeup. I knew that I had two Youtube videos planned that I needed some supplies for, and now that I've actually filmed both (though neither is up yet) I can tell you what they are. I decided to follow up my watermelon makeup look video with a peach one and a blueberry one. 
So, I hit the NYX stand with a furious look of intent in my eyes, ready to fill my basket up. And fill it I did. First I picked up the soft matte lip cream in Buenos Aires, which is a slightly pink toned peach. This is something that I would never normally go for, but actually it kind of worked! Then I got a littttle bit distracted from my main goal and went for their lingerie lipstick in Exotic. This was the first time that I'd seen the Lingerie range in person, so I couldn't resist. Exotic is one of the darker shades of the range, and is fairly similar in colour to their liquid suede lipstick in Soft Spoken. My final NYX lipstick purchase was their soft matte lip cream in Moscow. This is a navy shade, and was perfect for my blueberry inspired makeup look! To go with the latter I picked up their vivid brights eyeliner in sapphire. This one is definitely bright, and has pretty much already revolutionized my opinion of eyeliners that aren't plain black; I'm a little bit in love.
So that's it for my Boots haul - if you don't fancy reading all of my rambling (I do try to cut these posts down to make them a reasonable length!), then why not have a peek at the Youtube video I filmed of the haul?!

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The most comforting mashed potato recipe with Lurpak*

Doesn't this picture just get your taste buds a-tingling for Autumn and Winter foods? I don't know about you, but as the weather gets more dreary and the days become shorter, I turn to old classics in terms of dinners. I also become even more of a potato fiend. I don't know if it's the Irish blood in me (meaning I was raised with potatoes at basically every meal), or the fact that carbs are my no. 1 food group, but I find it hard to turn down a good potatoe-y dish.
Now, mash for me is very much a hit and miss potato style. I think it's probably the hardest to get right, and the hardest to make taste interesting. So, over the past year or so I've been developing my own little recipe to make sure that I don't end up with plain old mashed potato (anyone else got the Bodger and Badger theme tune in their head yet? No?), but something that people would compliment me on if I was enough of an adult to have a dinner party. One day ... 
So, this is what you need to create the perfect mashed potatoes - potatoes (duh. Maris Pipers are my favourite for this) - Lurpak Infusions sea salt and pink peppercorn butter - Mustard seeds - Chili flakes
Method:  - Boil the potatoes for 25-30 minutes to ensure that they are totally lump free.  - Stir the butter in. - Add a teaspoon of mustard seeds and a teaspoon of chili flakes. Stir and leave to sink in for five minutes. - Serve.
I know the whole mustard seed/chili flake and mashed potato combo seems a little odd, but trust me, it tastes gooooood.
How do you make your mash stand out?
*Although there were products gifted to me for this post, it contains my honest opinion and ideas.
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Everyday Nude Makeup Look

I really feel like I haven't shown my Naked 3 palette off to you guys enough, even though I've had it for three months now, so tah-dah! There is a post coming soon with a full-on review and swatches, but it's such a fundamental part of my everyday nude makeup routine that I couldn't not show you a cheeky picture. 
This palette is the first (and only) piece of high-end makeup that I've ever owned, if you exclude a MAC lipstick or two, and so I've been chomping at the bit to give you all a low down and an insight into what I use it for!
Here's the video of my everyday nude makeup look using my Naked 3 palette! I hope you enjoy it, and all of the products I have used are linked in the videos' description box.

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Going greyscale for Autumn

This week really seems to have heralded the start of Autumn. I don't know what it's been like where you are, but here in Gloucestershire we've had misty mornings, cold nights, and crisp air to wake up to. Walking to work the other day in my new coat (which I will definitely be showing you soon!) totally made me feel like it was my first day back at school. You know those first few mornings you have, where it suddenly feels much colder because you're forced out first thing in the morning? Yeah, it felt like one of those. 

When it really got chilly a couple of days ago, I figured it was time to whip out this Primark grey jumper top. I would link you guys to it, but alas, it's 2016 and Primark still don't have an online website (cue weeping). This was £14 and is (to my knowledge) still out in stores as I only bought it a couple of weeks ago. I love the dainty white collar, and the piece of sheer shirt material they've included in the bottom. They make what otherwise would be such a plain look that little bit more special! I've got more grey jumpers in my wardrobe reading for A/W than I would care to admit, and the details on this make it stand out a little from the rest.
This outfit is for sure going to be my smart-casual go-to as the weather gets even colder. It's so warm. soft and comfortable, but has a little touch of elegance. In these photos, I'm also wearing Primark's black skinny jeans and ankle boots with gold detailing. 
Do you have a new staple Autumn piece for when the weather gets cooler?
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Review of 'No Plus One'* by Stephanie Young and Jill Dickman

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I *think* this might be the first ever book review I've posted on Nourish ME???? Sometimes I sit back and consider how strange it is that I never cover my love of books over here, even though you all know I did an English Lit degree, so I must at least like them, right? Well *spoiler alert* I do. I actually have an entirely separate blog (which you can check out here) which is dedicated to all of my  book reviews. I think having book reviews on here all the time would clog everything up and mean I post lifestyle/beauty things less often, which is why everything is separate.
Enough of the little intro and shameless secondary blog promo: onto the review, right? The first thing I have to say is that I've never read anything like it. I'm not really a non-fiction kind of gal. Hand me a Hardy or a Shakespeare and I'm good to go, but a non-fiction book will trump me at first and likely send me off to sleep. I don't even read biographies, which are at least partially made up of fact.
However, No Plus One* isn't your ordinary kind of non-fiction book. It's set up as a kind of manual, with each chapter containing a lesson and a piece of homework at the end. The entire book is about dealing with single life as an adult, and honestly? Reminds me a little bit of something you'd find on Vix Meldrew's blog. Which is fab. 
You learn so many things about single life - from why it's important to know who you really are rather than moving from one relationship to the next, to what you should do regarding the 'should I/shouldn't I' sex question. It gently guides you through an entire thought process of considering what you really want out of a relationship. And honestly, if you're umming and ahhing about a relationship you're currently in, I would definitely recommend giving it a whirl.
As someone who's been in a relationship for the past (almost) four years, I found it a truly interesting read, discovering what it was like to be single in adulthood, and how different women respond to it. There's a whole section on how to be a supportive friend when someone is going through a dry spell, and I've taken away so much from that. 
This was a really quick read, coming in at just over 100 pages (I believe), and was genuinely the funniest, most honest thing I've read in a while.
Do you think you would like it?
Although products in this post were gifted to me, all opinions are my own as always. Follow me on Bloglovin | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube

Chili and Lime Salmon Recipe with Lurpak

Salmon gets cooked only on the rare occasion in our household. It's one of those things that I'm totally aware is very good for me, but that I can't bring myself to make and eat very often. Even then, when we do have salmon, it's most likely raw atop a lil' bed of sushi rice, mmmmm. 
But, when Lurpak invited me to try their new range of infused butter, I knew the chili and lime flavour* had to be tried on a nice piece of salmon. I've always been a much bigger lime fan than lemon, which is the more classic addition to any fish seasoning. Usually I spend a bit of time adding olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice (sometimes it just feels right) and parsley, but with this I simply dolloped a teaspoon of the infused butter on top of the salmon and we were ready to get cracking in the oven. 
The chili added a nice kick of heat to something that otherwise may have been overtly fish-y, and it is definitely something I would give a go again. I served mine over brown rice with cabbage, but there are so many other ways this could be served. Next time, I'm thinking a salmon pasta dish will be really tasty with the chili and lime!
If you're a little lazy in the kitchen, or don't have the time to season your salmon with care, I would recommend giving this a go to please guests or the family.
Ingredients (serves 1): - 1 piece of salmon (preferably boneless) - 1 tablespoon Lurpak Chili and Lime infused butter*
Method - Preheat your oven to 180 degrees (Celsius) - Place a fairly large piece of foil on a baking tray. - Pop the salmon on the centre of the foil and place the butter on top of the salmon. - Bring the edges of the foil together over the salmon and lightly scrunch. - Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes. - Unfold the foil and enjoy!
What is your favourite way to cook salmon?
Although this post features gifted products, all opinions are as always my own.
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Rimmel by Kate 15th Anniversary Lipsticks

We all know how much I love a good Rimmel lippy. And if you don't, have a peek at this post to find out. They're creamy, totally affordable, and last a few hours of me chatting and sipping before rubbing off. Despite not being the most long lasting lipsticks in the beauty world, they're something that I put my trust in and come back to time and time again.
So, when I saw this dreamy rose gold packaging for the new 6 shade 15th anniversary collection I knew I had to give it a go. Seriously though, have you ever seen a prettier lipstick packaging? The new range is split into two halves really - three reds and three nudes. I obviously wanted to give one of each a go, and these two proved irresistible.
First up I tried it in the shade Muse Red, which honestly? Now sits in pride of place as my second favourite red I own, overtaking MAC's Russian Red. Madness I know. It seems to me to be such a classic, statement red, and has a slightly blue undertone, rather than orange or pink. This has been something that I keep rattling around in my bag to replenish during meals and evenings out. 
Then we have Boho Nude. Even the name is dreamy. This is a slightly taupe-y beige based nude that has revolutionized my daily makeup routine. I don't know about you, but I feel a little bit nude myself if I go into work without a quick smear of lipstick. This has been such a nice, subtle one to pop on just before I head to work, without all the faff that putting on a matte or liquid lipstick involves.
Have you picked up any from the range?
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Dealing with Weight Gain Part Four: Stretch Marks

So, we're up to the fourth installment in my 'Dealing with Weight Gain' series, which seems a little mad. First I wrote generally about dealing with weight gain, then about blogger confidence, and thirdly about being on a budget. Now we're coming to a more physical aspect of it: stretch marks. 
Stretch marks are one of the weirdest things that we all consider 'unattractive' in my opinion. They occur because our skin stretches too fast for it to handle and we get tiny little tears, which form scar-like tissue. The oddest thing about this whole shame vitriol surrounding stretch marks is that even mothers are shamed for getting them because they grew another human inside of them. Like are people for real?
I am 100% of the opinion that we need to talk more about stretch marks, and encourage positivity around them. Yes, I have some new ones because I put weight on a bit too quickly, but so what? They're a part of me and ignoring it won't change that. So today I'm going to wind us all back down memory lane to discuss 13/14 year old pubescent Steph. 
Puberty was a real bitch, am I right? When you get to that age where your hips and thighs start to widen, the dreaded 'gift from nature' (who actually calls it that?!) arrives and you start to turn into a little bit of a grumpy demon. Puberty for me meant round 1 of stretch marks on my thighs. For years I stressed about them, and obsessively rubbed bio oil religiously into them, hoping every morning that they would disappear. But alas, there is no miracle product that will instantly get rid of your stretch marks. Just like scars, they're here to stay. 
I promised myself that I would never, ever let myself gain so much weight in such a little time so as to get stretch marks again. But here we are. Round 2 has hit me at the ripe old age of 22, and I'm not going to lie, when I first noticed them I was absolutely horrified. You know that sinking feeling you get in your stomach when your anxiety is so bad that your heart rate racks up some speed and you break out into a sweat? That was me looking in the mirror for about two weeks, filled with anger and self hate. 
So many nasty, nasty thoughts were running through my head about never being able to wear a swim suit again, and my boyfriend being disgusted by the sight of me. None of that has obviously happened, but it did result in a few bouts of tears before I realised that. However, a few months down the line, I've come to accept them, and I don't feel anywhere near as despair-filled as I once was. I have been using LUSH's Cup O Coffee to help reduce their appearance, which I've talked all about here. This has been helping to stimulate the skin around my stretch marks, reduce them a little and is also a nice little way to pamper myself!
I guess what I'm trying to say in this long ol' rambly post is that stretch marks are not the end of the world, or the end of your attractive life. If you go to the beach or the pool no one is going to point you out or stare or laugh at you for having them. No one is going to refuse to be near you when you're naked because of them (if this does happen, accept that they're a bellend and kick them out of your life) and you are in no way less pretty or sexy or deserving of love and attention.
Here is my video in which I go into things in a little bit more detail:

Have you ever been brought down by your stretch marks? If you are upset by them, you can always send me a DM on Twitter or quick email to chat!
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10 Ways to make a student house a home

We all know how glad I was to leave my student house, but as uni season is about to start once more I thought I would do a little post on tips to make your uni house feel a little more homely. Moving away from home for the first time can, frankly, be terrifying, and moving in with your friends (or friends of friends) can be more than a little daunting too. 
Most of the time, student homes can be a tad grotty. In our third and fourth years in a student home, the people I lived with and myself opted for the cheapest accommodation we could find. It was pretty rank to begin with, so adding the combination of four boys and one very messy Steph to that mix hardly helped the situation. However, over the four years I spent in student accommodation, I came up with some pretty nifty little tricks to make everything feel more comfortable. The anxiety that I suffer from is worst in places that I don't feel are really 'me' or are cosy and comfy, so this was really important to me! Without any more rambling, here are my top ten tips:
1.) Ensure you have a space that is entirely yours. I know this sounds pretty simple, but as I lived with my partner at uni, this was something we really worked hard at making sure we had. Having a space that you can completely call your own means that when you don't want to be disturbed, you can go back to your space and have a little 'me time'.
2.) Make sure a weekly clean is done of shared areas and your room. One of my favourite parts about visiting home when I was at uni was that I could actually touch anything without being worried that I would end up with sticky hands or a whole horde of germs. Even if you don't like cleaning yourself, discuss hiring a cleaner with your flatmates - splitting the cost would make it minimal. We all feel better in a clean and tidy environment, so making sure your student house is one is bound to make you feel a little better.
3.) Candles. Lots of them. Living with four boys in my third year at uni made me realise that sports bring home a lot of unpleasant odours. Now, I'm not saying this is solely a male thing, but as the only non sportsperson in the house, I do like to think that I wasn't the one making everywhere smell of mud and grass and BO. Who knows. So, I set up candles in the living/dining area and one in my bedroom. It made sure that our house didn't smell too student-y and was also really comforting for me when I was working. I'm used to having a tonne of candles on at home whilst doing work, so it made me feel very relaxed.
4.) A teddy, blanket or pillow from home. I know this one sounds super childish, but do you know what? Out of the six different people that I lived with at uni, every one of them had either a teddy or blanket from home. Even if they wouldn't admit it to the average Joe. Curling up with one of these on a night when you're feeling a bit shitty and missing home is the best, especially if it still smells like home!
5.) A throw and cute cushions to cover an ugly-ass sofa. I don't know why landlords of student housing love the most horrendous sofas, but they seem to. I'm pretty sure half of the ones I've seen were taken off of a skip they're so old. They're also usually looking pretty dirty and untrustworthy. A nice pale throw can really help to brighten up a gloomy living room, and cushions are sometimes totally necessary so you don't fall into the sofa's uncomfortable bones. 
6.) Flowers. I only discovered the wonder of fresh flowers in my final year and I really feel like I missed out before. They just add some extra brightness to the living room, and seem to perk everyone's mood up a little.
7.) Throw open the curtains and windows to let in some air every so often. I have so many memories of me whining at school or at home when teachers or my mum decided to 'let some air in' like ugh I was cosy, can you not. BUT, when you're spending seven or eight hours at your desk working on uni stuff, it's really helpful to open some windows for an hour or so to get some fresh air in. This also helps to stop your room smelling musty. We got into such a bad habit at all of my student houses of just not opening the curtains, and keeping up with that to let in some light every day not only makes things feel a lot less cramped and miserable, but also makes it harder for mould to grow. 
8.) Bring some old movies with you. Snuggling down with a 90s or Disney movie and some snacks is one of my favourite things to do when I'm feeling low. I don't know about you, but watching movies from my childhood definitely makes me feel more at home, and it's even better if you can persuade everyone else to have a uni house movie watching night!
9.) Have special snacks in your room/food cupboard. Okay, this one is a little biased to all you fellow emotional eaters out there. I have some foods that definitely remind me of home, or that I like to eat when I feel rubbish. Cheese smothered nachos and fruit dipped in melted chocolate (not together) are my go-to when I'm feeling really miserable, for example. Boiled eggs with faces drawn on are my go-to when I'm feeling homesick and need a little morning pick-me-up. Whatever your go-to is, have some hidden away in the house for when the stress of uni life gets on top of you.
10.) Put fresh sheets on your bed every week or fortnight. Is there a better feeling than popping on clean PJs and getting into fresh sheets? I really don't think so. I found it SO hard to keep up with this when I first started uni and my mum wasn't there to help me anymore, but sleeping in grotty sheets is pretty miserable. Plus, going out and choosing some new duvet sets for when you start uni really makes the bed feel as if it's your own.
What would you add to the list? I really hope this post was helpful!
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My Summer in Pictures

This post is something that I've been wanting to do for so long. I love reading other peoples' photo diary posts, and basically having a good ol' nose at what they've been up to, so I figured I would finally do one of my own. I've also been feeling a little bit 'meh' and a weeny bit lost in the past week or so, so writing this post is a great reminder for myself of all the cool things I've done and all the things I've achieved in the past few months.

So, we're kicking off this photo diary with my birthday (of course), which was wayyyy back in the beginning of June. I was still living in my student house at this point, and was so excited to get out of there and move to my new town. I packed up and moved a week after my birthday - totes 'feeling 22' by the way - and my birthday weekend was spent in a mad scramble of packing, visiting Birmingham and having one last barbecue in Leamington.

June was also a month of (albeit tiny) personal achievements for me. I overcame my anxiety and dealt with moving to a completely new town in which I knew no one, and still can count the number of people I do know on my fingers. I also finally learnt how to Dutch braid my hair, and even made a little tutorial for you guys on it. This is something that I've always wanted to do, and I feel like it gets neater every time I give it a go!

The end of June saw me heading to my first ever real blogger event in London, and I had so much fun! I got to meet a whole crowd of absolutely lovely bloggers, and I've written up my experiences in a post here. It gave me the chance to push myself out of my comfort zone and get in touch with a few brands too.

July really felt like such a 'nothing' month for me until I started really thinking about it. I did a whole bunch of pretty awesome things, but they were so spread out it definitely felt like not much went on! I finally found a job that I was (and still am) really happy in to go alongside my freelance work, which has taken a heap of stress off of my finances! 

I went back to Leamington to visit my two closest friends, have a little cocktail making session and get a lil' broody over a beautiful newborn boy that one of them had just had. It definitely helped to ease my homesickness and make me feel less lonely, but it was so hard to leave all over again after a couple of days there!

I did my first fashion post in over six months in July, which really helped me feel more confident after gaining a lot of weight in the last year or so. It was nice to feel sassy and pretty again in a little photo shoot in the nature reserve behind our house!

We also started exploring our local area more in July. The Tewkesbury food festival was my absolute favourite outing of the month. We tried lots of local cider, tasty treats and walked away with some homemade fudge to munch on, mmmm. 

Finally, August saw me do my first bit of UK travel in quite a few months. I headed into Camden to spend a day browsing the markets and hitting the Cereal Killer Cafe with my sister for her birthday. It was the best day I had all summer (possibly), and has me totally inspired to travel more of the UK in the coming months! 
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