Perspectives| 17.11.15

I love how when I finally decide to write a blog post after what, 6 months? A fucking life time? I don't know, it's not even something that really relates to what I wanted my blog to be about.

Yesterday evening, after a particularly lame, boring day stuck at home doing some writing for university - I decided it would be a good idea to spam by bestest chummy's phone with random texts. Sophie was working an evening shift at work so I knew she MOST LIKELY wouldn't reply straight away. Fine.

What started my texts to her was this; I scrolled through Facebook and saw that youtuber Anna Sacconejoly had posted a new selfie - She looked ABSOLUTELY beautiful. She was glowing, her skin looked incredible and her hair looked like it had been styled by angels. I basically love Anna Sacconejoly.

Instantly I picked up my phone and felt the need to alert Soph to this particular selfie, so she too could marvel in the beauty that is our favourite Irish youtuber. I say 'our' because we are basically a package deal and have used this term many times; 'We need to re-purchase our favourite shampoo', 'What's our favourite mascara called again?' and so on.

Anyway, I digress. So here I was, marvelling in Anna Sacconejoly's Irish beauty when I was overcome with the feeling of inadequacy. I ended up texting Soph at least 7 sporadic texts explaining how I felt by using a garden metaphor; I LITERALLY text my best friend saying this:

"Anna Sacconejoly is beautiful I hate everything" followed by, "I'm such a fucking potato, I'M JUST A NORTHERN POTATO, Not even a nicely presented jacket potato that everyone wants, a fuckin spud from a muddy garden with a wart on that gets thrown over the alley wall and is unwanted, I look like an inedible,unappealing, muddy, warty potato that is alone in a garden of pretty, tall, skinny carrots with amazing hair."

I basically had a mini nervous breakdown over a selfie. It was at this point Soph decided it was okay to laugh at me which was fine, I admit, I was very proud of the hilarity of the garden metaphor (I even chucked at myself a little bit in the midst of my breakdown).

After it was all over and I'd calmed down a little bit, I started thinking kinda seriously about how much women tend to feel inadequate or unattractive after seeing other women's selfies. Granted my rant to Soph was a joke, I was intending to be funny and I really wasn't bothered by it. I don't feel like a potato, much less a warty potato, and I'm pretty happy with who I am but just the thought of some women genuinely feeling like that made me a little bit sad.

Of course, no woman who posts a selfie does it in a gloating manner - no one posts a selfie and thinks, 'I really hope another female sees this and feels like absolute dog shit', at least I hope no one does.

After this realisation, I felt bad. I felt like I'd been a bit rude to Anna, who will never even know I exist!, but I felt like I was saying she didn't deserve to show off her beautiful face because it made me feel bad.

All women are beautiful, all men are beautiful. If you're having a damn good face day and you've perfected your liner flicks and your contour is on absolute fleek, show us! show me! I wanna see it and marvel at your pretty face.

I'm lucky enough that I'm comfortable in my own skin and I can appreciate that no, I don't look like a potato but I feel good that I can appreciate how god damn beautiful this woman looked in a selfie.

Show each other appreciation, ladies. Who the fuck cares if a guy thinks you look 'hot'? I'd rather be told by a woman that my brows/ liner looks incredible than that my ass looks good in my jeans by a guy. (thank you to the sweet girl at work on Friday night who told me she liked my tattoo and my moon necklace)

Celebrate each other girls, we're amazing.

May Favourites | 2015

Hi guys,

I would first off like to make a formal apology for the lack of blog posts in May. Actually I don't think I did one at all... I don't really have an excuse except that I just wasn't inspired. May was a crazy month for me as a university student because of how many hardcore assignments I had to do, all within like, 3 days of each other. Also, my style of writing doesn't aid well with just writing for the hell of it, just to put some content out there. I'd rather write when I'm inspired and excited to write than just because I 'probably should'.

Okay, so today I thought a May Favourites would be apt because, well, it's the end of May! And I liked quite a lot of new things last month. They're a bit random and I don't really plan on giving this post a strict structure but here we go!

Clothing: Okay, I don't usually include any clothing items in my blog posts purely because I pretty much wear the same things; I mean I live in leggings and oversized t-shirts however this month I saw loads of people wearing high neck tops, or turtle neck tops I guess they're called? I dunno but I found two on ASOS and I've pretty much been wearing them all month. I have a plain black one and a black and white stripey one and I LOVE them. They're so easy to style and they look so timeless. I'm planning on wearing the black one with leggings and leopard print peep toe ballet pumps when I go to see Ariana Grande on Thursday with my bestie.

Do shoes go under the clothing category? I'm gonna throw them in anyway. My converse have been a staple this month because it's kinda warm enough to wear them now. I tend to avoid them during the winter because I get cold feet easily and they're kinda slippy in the ice but this month I have been looooooving them! Also, a girl can't go wrong with some ballet pumps. They are usually my go to footwear in the summer so I stocked up during May. I go to ASDA George for my ballet pumps because they're cheap but pretty - I got the leopard print peep toe ones I previously mentioned and some really cute, normal light blue ones with pretty flowers on them. Both at £6 a piece.

Make-Up: I don't really have any major make-up favourites this month because I pretty much use the exact same products, I just mix 'em up a little bit but this month I discovered a Beauty Blender. Overpriced? Yes. Worth it? YES. I got mine from BeautyBay.com and I can't believe I've been using brushes before this. It's so flawless, there's no brush strokes, it's really gentle so you're not pulling your skin like you do when you blend out with a brush, I just can't get enough of it!

I also just recently got the Soul palette from Stila's Eyes Are The Window collection which is now my primary eye palette for sure. It's just so pretty! And the packaging helps. It's kinda pricey but I think it's worth it, if you're a makeup enthusiast anyway!

I'm just gonna throw in this polish from Barry M's 'Glitterati' collection in VIP because I'm wearing it on my toes right now and I feel like a majestic mermaid. It's so beautiful! I have a picture of what it looks like on my fingers on my instagram (katemetcalfee) so have a peek if you wanna see the full effect (ps it's so magical omg)

I'm gonna copy my bestie Soph here and do her weird 'Randoms' at the bottom of this post!

Songs of the Month: So this month I've been OBSESSED over 5 Seconds Of Summer (don't judge) so all of my fave songs have been from their album...

18

English Love Affair

Voodoo Doll

What I Like About You

Movie of the Month: BIG HERO 6! I watched this when I was in Wales at the beginning of the year but I found it again on demand on the tv and I'm actually watching it as I'm writing this blog post... Ehehehe.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron - I saw this twice, once with my dad and then with Jack and I legit died laughing both times. It just doesn't get old!

Skin Care of the Month: I recently got the Liz Earl Hot Cloth Cleanser (the original one in the blue bottle) on their website when it was on a major sale for £9.99 and it's so GOOD! I use it to take my makeup off and as a second cleanse afterwards and it's just so gentle and effective. I want more!

Piercing of the Month: So I got my nose re-pierced for the third time this month and I love it! I got it pierced with a ring this time because the other two times before I've let it close up from where I've tried to get a ring in and it hasn't gone through. I'm so obsessed with it.

I think that's about it!

What are your favourites from May? 

Toodles,

Kate x

Skincare| The Body Shop: The Camomile Range

Happy Easter, loves!

I thought I would show off my first 'proper' skin care range that I have started to use.

I decided to stop using makeup wipes around 2 months ago when my skin started breaking out due to working in a hot food shop, I figured the wipes weren't doing my skin any favours and I needed something to help soothe the redness and breakouts that were happening.

In the past, my go-to store for any kind of break out, redness or just general skin care was Lush, however, recently I popped into the Body Shop to look for a lip balm and came across the Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter.

Basically it is a hardened oil-based cleanser that breaks down make-up on your face, including waterproof mascara and tricky eyeliner wings. I have found the holy grail!

I've almost finished my first pot of it and I'm desperate for some more. Because it is made with camomile oil, it is super smoothing and soothing for red, blotchy and even super sensitive skin, all of which, I have.

To use, you collect some of the product in your fingers and massage it gently all over the face, it works as a break down agent for make-up and really lifts left over product from your face. I use it on a dry, make-up covered face making sure to get the creases of my nostrils (where pesky blackheads can pop up) and around my hair line. Once you look like you've been punched in the face, take a damp muslin cloth (also available from the Body Shop for like, £2 BEST. INVENTION. EVER.) and wipe away!

The Camomile oil in the cleansing butter leaves my skin feeling incredibly soft and squeaky clean and it smells amazing.

The Camomile range from the body shop includes lots of different products and after falling completely in love with the cleaning butter, I went back in pursuit for more deliciously smelling things.

I found the entire range on the shelves, but when I bought them, I got them in some sort of deal/ promotion pack which included: Camomile Gentle Eye Make-up Remover, Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil and some beautiful soothing eye gel that also contains Camomile.

From the pictures I have taken, the most obvious difference between the Cleaning Butter and the Silky Cleansing Oil (while the two products sound pretty similar) is that one is a liquid in a pumpy bottle, the other is a hardened oil. Personally, I love both. I genuinely cannot fault either of them other than the Silky Cleansing Oil is a little bit messier than the hardened oil, so if you're not a fan of oily hands or find those kinds of things little hard to manage, then I'd point you in the direction the hardened oil.

My skin still has a few spots from working in a warm environment however, I am going to bed feeling confident that my skin is clean and well looked after and it feels even better in the morning.

What's your favourite skin care product?

Special thanks to the Body Shop for creating such amazing products and for the amazing customer service in the store in Dalton Park!

Kate x

How To Be Poorly | My 'Poorly Survival Guide'.

Hey guys,

So, over the last week or so, I've had a bitch of a cold with the added bonus of a slight sinus infection. 

After feeling extremely sorry for myself for pretty much the entire duration of said cold, I thought I made up the perfect 'poorly survival guide'

How To Be Poorly -

1) Make-up Is Not Your Friend - As gross as it sounds, whenever I've put make-up on over this past week, I've either completely rubbed it off by blowing my nose and having leaky eyes or I've had such dry, gross skin that it's just not even been worth the time in the morning. If I've had anything on, it's been concealer to sort out my rudolf nose and mascara and eyeliner. If you can get away with having a few no make-up days, giving your skin a rest and relaxing with the heating on, DO! You'll feel much more refreshed.

2)Tissues, Tissues, Tissues! - When your eyes are already a leaky mess, combining that with a snotty nose and getting a headache from constantly sniffing just makes your day even worse. Make sure you carry tissues everywhere with you! It will keep your petite noses happy and make you feel slightly more human.

3) Keep Your Tootsies Warm - It is a scientific fact that you lose the most heat from your body through your feetsies so it's always important to keep them nice and snug. Invest in some slippers! I'm a baby when it comes to being cold so I bought myself some of the slip-on ugg slippers and they're probably the best thing I've ever got. If you can't afford them, because they are a wee bit pricey, ASDA or Primark have some cute little slip-on ones too!

4) Don't Be Embarrassed To Cough - One of the worst things about being poorly I think is when you've got a horrible, dry, hacking cough that makes your ribs and head ache. The worst thing is when you try and not cough, you know, you hold your breath and almost pass out and when you do cough your nose runs, your eyes stream and you feel like you're going to puke. Buy some heavy duty throat spray - Myself and my family can't recommend the Corvonia Throat Spray enough. It numbs your throat instantly for like, 3 hours so you can even have a nap for a little while! (DISCLAIMER- you'll need to get used to the taste. You WILL make a weird, baby-eating-lemon-for-the-first-time face when you first spray it)

5) Just RELAX - Please do give yourself at least one day of doing nothing. University work can wait an evening to be done, have a bath, surround yourself with hot drinks and tissues and just give yourself a break. You can cancel the day if you're not very well. People will forgive you!

Okay, guys, that's my survival guide for being poorly!

If anyone else is suffering at the minute with the bitch of a cough that is going round, I am sending you snuggly hugs and cups of hot tea.

Have a good day, loves.

Kate x

My 2014| An odd one.

Happy New Year!!

Hello, loves.

I know I'm three days late but as long as the New Year sales are still going on, I think I can get away with this.

I've read a lot of blogs and YouTube vids all titled '... 2014' with all different beginnings. Lots of them have been explaining the different events that have gone on in a year, how much difference a year can make, most include a few near years resolutions too.

My 2014 started off a little oddly. As many of you know and are probably tired of hearing about, I came home from hospital on NYE last year and so I never properly celebrated it.  It was an emotional few days once I got home because I was very new to all of the things that come with being Diabetic and feeling generally emotional and having damaged my shoulder from the hospital bed, I was all achy. 

I'm pretty sure I was discharged at like 7pm or something and went straight to bed once I got home (after attempting to eat a spicy veggie deli wrap from McDonalds and dying because my lips were too chapped for spicy things from hospital air con). Even the fireworks didn't wake me up.

2014 was a massive learning curve. I had to learn how to be brave because before last December, I was petrified of needles and now I have 5 needles or more in my stomach a DAY. I had to learn not to flinch whenever I had to use my finger prick ( I still do now). I had to learn how to walk downstairs properly because I was so weak and in pain from the ordeal I went through, I just wanted to stay in bed. I used to love going on days out but the first few days of January, I couldn't handle being out for more than an hour.

For the most part, 2014 was an incredible year! I realised my soul mate was next to me all along, I met one of the best friends I've ever had, University was so much more interesting and I got closer to my friends there.

I also finally realised that my passion is Journalism. Writing is extremely important to me and I'm very good at it and so my blog was born!

I grew up this year.

Happy New Year, friends. Have a safe one.

Kate x

p.s - I read one of the best articles this year in a book I got for Christmas, 'Cupcakes and Kalashnikovs - 100 years of the best journalism by woman' by Eleanor Mills and Kira Cochrane and I had to share my favourite passage from it.

It's called 'Fabulously Fat' by Erin Pizzey -

"Obviously if you have spent all your life looking at pictures of women with anonymously regular bodies, the idea of stripping off in front of the love of your life is not actually easy. There are various approaches like climbing into the wardrobe and coming out in a flannel nightie buttoned from the chin down to the feet. There is the 'night flying' approach which is to say that you are just going to tidy up - and get him to go ahead and get into bed. You then strip off in the loo, charge into the bedroom, switch off the light and make a crash landing on the spot where you hope he is not. If he is, you might be arrested, and under the circumstances - as one might put it - you would probably get off with manslaughter or, if the judge had a sense of humour, 'parking in an occupied zone'.

TMI Tag | Dear, December

Heeeeeeello...

So I was tagged by my beautiful little Christmas chummy Sophie to do the TMI tag so here we go!

1: What are you wearing?  black leggings, pink ankle socks and a black long sleeved peplum top... I'll stop wearing black when they invent a darker colour!

2: Ever been in love? Yes and I still am very much so!

3: Ever had a terrible breakup? Nope, I'm still with my soul mate :)

4: How tall are you? I'm tall, 6ft exactly

5: How much do you weigh? No idea, I get weighed whenever I have a hospital appointment but I haven't had one in ages so I can't remember!

6: Any tattoos? Yup! I have four, one on the top of my foot, a thigh piece, one on my shoulder blade and one on my ribs :) I'm a huge advocate for tattoos.

7: Any piercings? Ears twice, tragus, cartilage, helix and my tongue :)

8: OTP? Chuck and Blaaaaair!

 9: Favorite show? I have a few...  Gossip Girl, The Office US, Being Human, Grimm, Castle and Bones 

10: Favorite bands? Mayday Parade are my number one favourite band but I also love Jason Lancaster, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift and Maddie & Tae 

11: Something you miss? I miss my old dog, Paddy and college. I loved college, best two years of my life!

12: Favorite song? I love Your Side Of Town by Maddie & Tae and any song on the As You Are album by Jason Lancaster

13: How old are you? 20!

14: Zodiac sign? Libra 

15: Quality you look for in a partner? A really dry, sarcastic sense of humor and has to make me laugh!

16: Favorite Quote? I dunno if it's a quote but my favourite thing to say is 'I love you to the moon and back'

17: Favorite actor? Johnny Depp

18: Favorite color? Grey, Black and Pink

19: Loud music or soft? Loud!

20: Where do you go when you’re sad? Bed to watch either netflix or youtube videos.

21: How long does it take you to shower? If I'm washing my hair and shaving, 20 minutes, if I'm just jumping in and out, 5.

22: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? Anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes

23: Ever been in a physical fight? Nope!

24: Turn on? Leather jackets and messy hair omg

25: Turn off? Cockyness, rudeness, spitting

26: The reason I joined Youtube? No youtube but I wanted a blog because I needed to write things other than my uni work otherwise I'd end up hating English and writing!

27: Fears? Spiders, clowns and the dark!

28: Last thing that made you cry? Uh... The series finale of the office because it was adorable :$

29: Last time you said you loved someone? My mama this morning!

30: Meaning behind your YouTube Name? No youtube but my blog is literally as straight forward as it's all I talk about. Mainly just the content of my blog :)

31: Last book you read? Christmas With Billy & Me by Giovanna Fletcher, it's so cute!

32: The book you’re currently reading? Nothing actually! I've been catching up with netflix since I finished for Christmas.

33: Last show you watched? Rizzoli & Isles this morning :)

34: Last person you talked to? Jack by text

35: The relationship between you and the person you last texted? My wonderful other half :)

36: Favorite food? Chinese mushrooms 

37: Place you want to visit? New York

38: Last place you were? Teesside Park with my mama

39: Do you have a crush? my boyfriend!

40: Last time you kissed someone? Tuesday, I think!

41: Last time you were insulted? I can't remember when I was last seriously insulted

42: Favorite flavor of sweet? Apple!

43: What instruments do you play? I used to play Clarinet in school

44: Favorite piece of jewellery? My ring that has two mermaids holding a sapphire from Etsy

45: Last sport you played? Pft, like basketball in school

46: Last song you sang? O Christmas Tree with my mum in the car :')

47: Favorite chat up line? ew

48: Have you ever used it? never.

49: Last time you hung out with anyone? My mum this morning, family yesterday and Jack on Tuesday!

50: Who should answer these questions next? I dunno who hasn't done it but everyone should definitely go check out my chummy's blog and read her TMI post! http://sophieannegriffiths.blogspot.co.uk/

That's all, my loves!

Merry Christmas!

Kate x

Dear December| Christmas Tag!

Dear, December

I thought I'd do a Christmas tag for day 3! 

1. When do you start getting excited about Christmas?

I literally get excited for Christmas after my birthday which is the 27th September so it's pretty early, but I always feel like I can't show that I'm excited until after my mum's birthday which is the back end of November so it seems a little more appropriate. That being said, I downloaded my Christmas playlist on iTunes in like, August so I was ready.

2. Do you still have advent calendars?

I used to have one every year when I was a kid and then I kinda 

forgot about them. 

3. What are your favourite Christmas Films?

Well I don't like things like Miracle On 34th Street or White 

Christmas and I haven't seen Love Actually so my favourite must

be... Elf, The Grinch, With 6 You Get Eggnog, Twas The Night and 

Santa Claus!

4. Do you have any funny Christmas memories?

Christmas is just generally a funny time all round, spending time

with family and remembering past Christmases, last year myself and

my auntie tried to see how many After Eights we could fit in our

mouths which ended in me throwing up but hey!

5. Talk us through your typical Christmas Day?

When I was younger my day would start at like, 6 or even earlier 

and I'd sneak out of my room and find my stocking and play with

stuff in there until my parents woke up. I'm an only child so I never 

really jumped up and woke them up super early. Then we'd go and

open our presents under the tree and then get ready for the day!

Mainly get ready for eating a billion dishes of food... Mmmm!

6. What do you eat for Christmas Dinner?

I, myself, prefer chicken over turkey so I eat chicken and pigs in 

blankets and veg and lots and lots of gravy!

7. Do you have any Christmas traditions?

The only major tradition that I keep to myself is that I buy my mum

a Lush Christmas box every year because we're a tiny family of

three and not huge of gifts, small things like that to last the

year are good to buy :)

8. Which are your favourite Christmas songs?

There used to be a song I sang once in Primary School called This Christmas Time which I think was actually only a thing that our school did because I can't find it ANYWHERE (which upsets me) but that's the only one I love. I like non-traditional ones more like the ones from Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and All Time Low :)

9. What is the best Christmas present you ever received?

There's a photo in my grandads house of me doing a little pirouette 

in this white, sequined ballet set that I got one year which I must

have loved because I look pretty chuffed in the picture! Also I got

a doll called Jimmy when I was really young and I was obsessed, 

he went everywhere with me and I'm pretty sure he's still in an attic

somewhere! 

10.Real or fake Christmas tree?

We have a fake white one and colourful baubles :) As much as we love real ones, they're just very messy and we have a house rabbit who likes to chew and it would end up lopsided by the end of December due to the rabbit eating the bottom. It's just as beautiful though!

Thank you for reading! I hope this was kinda fun, if anyone else does this then do link me to it and I'll be sure to read it.

Kate x