...and Relax

...and Relax

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Finally, I have endured the majority of my exams and I cannot be more relieved. For those still in secondary school/sixth form, it is exam season and the past few weeks have been incredibly stressful. Currently, I'm taking my AS levels (the first year of sixth form) and I've had to work my butt off to try and maintain consistent grades throughout the year. You've probably heard many people say it before but the gap is H U G E between GCSE and A Levels - the courses get harder, the work load is more intense and the amount of content increases by 300% in some of my subjects. It has been a tough, stressful and tiring year which has gone very quickly and I'm praying that the work I've put in has paid off. Fortunately, we've all earnt this week off school and I can't wait to relieve some stress before returning on the 7th of June to complete my final biology exam. 

Now that I've got some time to myself, away from revision, I will definitely spend some nights pampering myself. What's more to love that coming home from an exam, work or simply a bad day and treating yourself to a 'me' night? If you aren't quite sure what 'me-time' is - make sure to carry on reading because you're seriously missing out. Here is my relaxion and ultimate night routine to keep you and your body feeling happier than ever...

Refresh Yourself

When you've had a busy day, or a study-filled evening, nothing is better than refreshing yourself with a nice warm bath or show. Whichever your preference, giving yourself a wash always helps to cleanse your mindset, as well as your body. Every once in a while, I treat myself to a nice warm bath. I love using bath bombs from BOMB cosmetics (the ones photographed above) and LUSH cosmetics (The Enchanter and Sex Bomb are my faves)! Also, I love to look at the ingredients in them to ensure there are products that contain oils to moisturize my dry legs. When shopping for bath ingredients, always look at what the product will do for your skin - unless you simply just want to relax and look for one with your favourite scent.

Washing my hair is also a must whenever I have a pamper evening. Currently, I'm using the Richard Ward Keratin Restore collection, which you can read more about here, that has thankfully recooperated my damaged locks. I used to neglect my hair so much but seeing the difference from using hair masks, oils and better shampoo/conditioner I'm constantly looking after it! After washing my hair, I wrap it onto the top of my head with a hair towel - these things are sooo useful and help to dry my hair quicker, allowing you to avoid exposing it to heat.

Cleanse Yourself

An essential part of my ultimate night routine is skincare. I cannot get into bed without removing my makeup, cleansing my face, moistuzing and apply a lip balm. My favourite, and highly affordable, makeup removers are the face and eye ones from Garnier. I apply a small amount of product onto a cotton pad and wipe my face in gentle, small circles - this avoids spreading the makeup around your whole face. Also, these products do not sting your eyes, which I've found a lot of remover products do. Next, I cleanse with the Skinology lotion to remove any excess makeup, get into my pores and be rid of dirt that may be trapped in my skin. Finally, I moisturize with the Garnier Moisture Match for dry skin and the Body Shop Hemp lip conditioner. Sometimes, I like to grab my Body Shop Japanese Camellia Cream, which I hasten to add smells and feels incredible, and give my legs a little bit of TLC. My favourite body lotion of all time - next time you are in Body Shop, please give that a whiff. You will not regret it.

Treat Yourself

Possibly my favourite part of this routine is the treatment session. When I'm feel sad after a bad day, I like to pamper myself with some face masks and give myself a manicure. Usually, painting my nails is one utter, monotonous chore; however, I absolutely love to paint my nails when I'm in a bad mood?! At the minute, I've been loving Nude Frosting (such a cute name!) from Model's Own. Although the finish is supposed to be matte, a slight glossy finish is present but I don't mind, the colour is so pretty. Nude nail polishes look incredibly feminine and go with every outfit! Face masks are also a must-have (especially if you've tagged a friend along to join you). Seaweed masks are my favourite; they are great for those with dry skin/dry patches, help to minimize pores and leave your skin feeling silky smooth. 

Comfort Yourself

The final part of the routine is complete and utter relaxion. Do your favourite thing and try to not worry about anything. Wear something comfortable so you don't feel restricted - I love wearing baggy tees and shorts to bed, or a dressing gown and fluffy socks in the Winter. Personally, I love to just sit on my laptop, watch Youtube videos and write some blog posts. If I'm really into a book, then I tend to read that or if their is no new Youtube videos in my subscriptions, then I watch my favourite Disney film, Family Guy or something romantic on Netflix. Oh, and don't forget your comfort food to accompany your activities (mine would totally be jaffa cakes and a strawberry split ice lolly) and a hot drink! Whatever you choose you do, this is entirely up to you! Just relax...

Allowing yourself time between revision, school and sleeping is super important - you need to give your brain time to relax and shut down for a few hours, especially prior to sleeping. I've had countless sleepless nights by making the mistake of cram revising until 11/12 o'clock and it is NOT good for you. I wish you the best of luck for those who are still in exam mode and have more left. Well done to those who may have finished already - I hope you all get the grades you deserve :)

Are you currently studying at school? What subjects do you take?

Lots of love

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This post is not in collaboration with any of the brands/products mentioned.

Flowers Bring Happiness ¦ Bloom & Wild

Flowers Bring Happiness ¦ Bloom & Wild

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I am a strong believer of 'small things matter' and 'it's the little things that count'. Without a doubt, things that we endure on a day to day basis can make me smile, things that do not cost like a simple gesture, a comment or spending time with someone. Flowers genuinely bring happiness to my life; they fill my room with positivity, nature's glow definitely has an emotional impact on my life. I know some people may think that's ridiculous but it is scientifically proven that nature, including flowers, can reduce anxiety, increase happiness, well-being and once received, creates an intimate connection with family and friends.

When I got in touch with Bloom and Wild, I was so excited to try out their unique flower delivering service. I had heard so much about them through social media and was extremely eager to receive my flowers - through my letterbox!

The Arrival 

Two days after packaging up my beautiful flowers, my Bloom and Wild delivery appeared swiftly through my letterbox. I honestly found their service so unique, as delivering flowers usually requires a huge box which can only be delivered when people are present. This unique 'letterbox' delivery worked incredible in my home; my parents are out working all day and my brother and I attend school so we don't have to mess around collecting extra parcels from the post office.

On opening the sleek, cardboard box, the flowers lay neatly wrapped in netting, a protective plastic cover and a decorative ribbon. I love when companies take the time to package their products in special ways; I believe it makes the customer feel special and happier. Also, along with some lovely voucher codes which I will share with you at the end, my stunning flowers were accompanied by some flower food and instructions. 

The Product 

Kindly, I was gifted with the beautiful 'Charlie' bouquet. This set can be sent for £20 to an address of a loved one, which I feel is a reasonable price for a stunning arrangement. 

My bouquet consisted of an brightly coloured array of alstroemerias with bright yellow craspedia; the craspedia are a form of daisy which progress to achieve a similar yellow tone to the other flowers. The Bloom and Wild team advise the craspedia to be a lovely keepsake - I will definitely dry and imprint these so I have a memory of this lovely opportunity. 

Within 24 hours of putting the budded flowers in water, along with the flower food, they are supposed to blossom. Honestly, I would say these bloomed within 12 hours - the flower food acted quickly and had a lasting effect. My mum told me she loves alstroemerias but tends not to buy them as they wither in a couple of days; however, the food clearly increased their life span as they only began wilting 3 and a half weeks after placing them in my vase.

Overall, I would totally recommend the Bloom and Wild service - from swift delivery to an everlasting natural beauty perched on my windowsill. In the future, I will most certainly turn to this flower service whether it be to thank someone, send a good luck, an additional birthday gift or treat my mum on mother's day.

Here's a £10 off voucher for those wanting to purchase a flower gift for someone in the near future - SCARLETT10 :)

What are your favourite types of flowers? Do flowers make you happy?

Lots of love

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This post is in collaboration with Bloom and Wild. However, all opinions are honest and my own.

Sunday Adventures in the Sun (featuring Firmoo)

Sunday Adventures in the Sun (featuring Firmoo)

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Now that exams are looming, for those who are students, like myself, the sun has spitefully come out in England whilst we are all crammed inside studying out butts off! Sunny days are one of nature's finest - something that can simply make my mood for the rest of the day. Therefore, my revision was taken to a much prettier landscape, in hope to motivate my procrastinating tendencies at this time of year. 

My boyfriend and I absolutely love to go for walks and discover new places. Today we decided to keep this Sunday adventure to a minimum and keep it within easy walking distance from my home, as we didn't manage to leave the house until four this afternoon. We equipped ourselves with a picnic blanket, revision material, sweets and plenty of cold water. Hydration is one of worst possible things, for physical and psychological process in the body, so make sure if you do revise in the sun, you are regularly consuming water. On sunny days like this (27 degrees celcius! FINALLY!!) I cannot resist the temptation of wearing a nice outfit and photographing it; the sun makes everything seem much more picturesque.

The weather was extremely humid, signalling loose clothing and strappy sleeves. Accompanying my outfit, I wore a plain brown rucksack to help carry all the necessities to our revision site. I tied my lightly-curled hair into a high pony - wearing my hair down is a huge no-go when the weather is hot, I cannot stand the my hair clinging to my skin.

My Outfit: 

Playsuit - Primark

Shoes - New look

Rucksack - Forever 21

Sunglasses - Firmoo

Fortunately, we found a quiet spot on a large field surrounded by trees and other greenery - only a couple of dog walkers passed by in the 3 hours we spent there! I love when the sun is hidden behind the trees; when the rays reflect through the branches I find it impossible to not take a photo. We chilled, revised and admired the nature surrounding us - the heat and atmosphere got us so excited for our two week holiday next year. If you guys have any recommendations of hot countries then let me know in the comments below.

My top essential for a sunny day would honestly be sunglasses - sun damage to the eyes is one of the most dangerous things you can expose your body to. My eyes also seem very sensitive to brightness so tinted sunglasses are a life-saver in the sun to prevent my eyes from watering like crazy! These beautifully crafted sunglasses were gifted to me by a brand called Firmoo; they offer an incredible range of prescription, and non prescription, glasses to their buyers. I was very impressed with the swift delivery and to see my shades encased in a stunning, rustic map glasses case. The pink frame and gold detailing is very flattering alongside the insane defined reflective feature. Reflective glasses are THE one, as you will all know if you've stuck by my little blog for some time.

~ My Firmoo Sunglasses ~

After packing all of our bits and bobs, we left off for home. However, we got distracted by the pretty fields that were on the opposite side of the road to our revision zone. Being both very excited as the sun was starting to beautifully set on the landscape, we decided to take some final images of our little day journey.

Don't forget to check out Firmoo to see their stunning range of (sun)glasses! Let me know which ones are you favourites from their website down below!?

Lots of love

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This post was in collaboration with Firmoo; however all opinions are honest and my own.

Crobar Review ¦ Fitness

Crobar Review ¦ Fitness

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Today's post incorporates two of my New Year's resolutions - becoming healthier/fitter and trying new foods. I am honestly one of the fussiest people when it comes to food - if it looks gross, then I won't be eating it. However, I've been trying lots of new foods and have 90% liked those that I've eaten. 

Protein bars are something I've never really delved into before, despite wanting to know what they taste like and if they work effectively. I am in no way a fitness expert but believe protein bars to be either a healthy snack or a fitness stimulant prior to exercise, helping to gain muscle. Recently, I've discovered Crobar - a brand that has created an obscure protein bar (containing cricket flour!) in which is more economically friendly to the environment, as well as helping you to achieve your goals.

INGREDIENTS

PEANUT & CRICKET FLOUR - Peanuts, Sultanas, Dates, Sunflower Seeds and Cricket Flour (182 calories per 40g bar)

CACAO & CRICKET FLOUR - Cashews, Sunflowers Seeds, Sultanas, Dates, Chia Seeds, Cricket Flour, Cacao Powder, Goji Berries, Cacao Nibs and Natural Flavouring (183 calories per 40g bar)

As the bars are sourced from animal protein, they ensure all 9 essential amino acids enter the body. Also, iron levels are extremely high - surprisingly, crickets hold twice as much iron as spinach do! Moreover, Gathr Food's Crobars aid efficient use of animal feed, less water and air pollution, reduce food waste and enhance better animal welfare. 

TASTE

For myself, I would describe this to have an acquired taste - something in which I am not familiar with. Unfortunately, I cannot compare this to an alternative protein bar as I haven't ventured out to try out yet. The taste, personally, was quite bitter and I personally didn't enjoy them; however, if you love the taste of dates and sultanas you will probably be very pleased. 

Have you ever tried protein bars before? What do you think of them?

Lots of love

My Top 10 : Revision Tips & Tricks

My Top 10 : Revision Tips & Tricks

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A Levels are probably one of the most hardest and most challenging things I've ever done in my life. Throughout my years of education, I have absolutely loved, and hated school; I still find it extremely difficult to balance my social life, and other hobbies of mine, with revision. However, I've been able to explore ways which work and which don't to help me achieve the best grades possible. Thus I will be sharing my tips and tricks on studying with you in today's post to hopefully stop biology revision from driving me to insanity!

1. First and foremost, I always begin the exam season by creating a realistic timetable. I say realistic because my GCSE timetable included about 5 different subjects a night, which as you could imagine, didn't go down well. Before planning your revision hours/sessions, make sure you have pinpointed time for your weekly hobbies (e.g. sport, dance, music lesson etc), time for relaxation (I recommend you stop studying at least 1 hour before bed) and also time to socialize with family and friends.

You can colour code your timetable, like mine, for each of your subjects. As I am only taking four subjects, I've decided to split mine into sections so that I can focus on specific areas of my course. You can also use apps, like SQA My Study Plan or Skedule, to formulate a digital version of a study timetable.

2. A huge influencer of my procrastination would definitely be my phone. Therefore, as much as it may hurt, I advise that you ask a family member to hide it somewhere until your revision session is over. I believe that mobile devices can be a large distraction when trying to study so it is best to steer clear of too much mobile use over the exam season. However, I'm not saying to avoid technology as it can be a key helping point for finding unanswered questions and exam papers.

3. A personal favourite technique of mine is making flash cards, These are my predominant go-to when revising; the colours make it more fun to work with and concise, relevant notes ensure you are not overloading yourself with unnecessary information! If you're making revision cards, find your course's mark scheme, print it off and only write information it asks you to know. This way you are being efficient and not wasting valuable study time learning regarding something in a text book that you don't even need to know! Moreover, to utilise my finished flash cards, I put them in a pile on a my bedside table - this way I am reminded to read and remember them. I do this as I wake up and an hour before I go to bed. 

4. This may seem like a more obvious tip but using the correct stationery is crucial. When you see everyone around you using fancy paper, colours and flash cards, you can feel obliged to copy them. Nevertheless, you must do what is right for you. You can find this out by doing timed practice exams at home - revise in different ways to see what style of revision suits you. Not everyone will remember information through colours/visuals; for instance, my boyfriend likes everything to be in black and white when studying.

5. The classic - revision posters. Whether these be the standard mindmap or intricate diagram, posters seem to be a popular and effective method of revision. Make sure to be inventive so they catch your attention - stick them around your house in places you regularly visit (the fridge, your wardrobe or even the toilet). If you are consistently seeing the information, you are more likely to retain it. 

6. Printing off a TONNE of past papers has really aided my progression. As soon as I began working with previous exam questions, my knowledge expanded. This is technically the best way to retrieve the knowledge needed, in my opinion, as you are able to compare your answers to the mark scheme and see exactly what your exam board want from you. 

7. This next technique usually works if you have an eidetic memory, like myself. Eidetic memory is where visuals can help relate or denote an image vividly, enabling you to mentally see the photos/writing on a page. Therefore, I tend to purchase text books or create diagrams so that I can relate the images to writing on the page. Using colours also helps me a lot.

8. Remember to break down your subject into ordered section. This will stop your stress levels exceeding to maximum as you will have a focal point to work on that day. Once you've broken a subject into a section, make sure to create, or do, something that will help your remember the information and then answer some past questions on the topic. 

9. This is a good one of those who travel a lot or have a busy lifestyle - download apps that relate to your subjects/courses! By downloading releveant apps, you are able to revise on-the-go. This is convenient as you are studying and not wasting any time. My favourite revision app has to be Gojimo; this has an extensive array of subjects which can be specific for different exam boards.

10. Finally, you MUST have regular breaks. I am seriously guilty of not following this one and it results in insanity, for sure. It is proven that working consistently for over 3+ hours will completely demotivate a studient. Make sure to relax every hour or two, even if it is for 15 minutes to watch a couple of youtube videos, reading a book or having a meal.

Share in the comments below any methods you use to revise...

Lots of love