Lets talk about mental health #2: Social Stigma

Hi!

In today's society there is still so much stigma surrounding mental health and those who suffer with mental health problems. People don't often realise the stigma surrounded by those who are affected by mental health problems can have a negative impact on their lives.

As part of my "Lets talk about mental health" series, I have been asking fellow bloggers for their thoughts and opinions on social stigma and mental health.

Mental Health and Social Stigma: Allie M

The lovely Allie M got in touch with me and I asked her some questions about mental health and social stigma. Here are Allie's responses to my questions!

Do you think there is alot of stigma surrounding mental health?

Yes, I do, but not all the time. So perhaps not a lot-but a noticeable amount. I find it's more with parents/adults who don't understand mental health and will just assume that the person with the problem is being lazy/ungrateful/over dramatic.

Why do you think there is stigma surrounding mental health? 

I think it's because lots of people aren't completely educated about it, or they don't realize that it is very hard to talk about it, so if someone isn't being completely upfront or clear with you it doesn't mean they're lying-it means they're afraid to be open about that subject. Or that somehow by having a mental illness/disorder you're less of a person which is simply not true.

 

Do you believe mental health problems are stereotyped?  

In certain situations, yes. I don't believe it is as bad as it was, let's say, a decade ago, because now it's being brought up more often and more people are aware of it. 

What do you think are the most common stereotypes of mental health, why?

(Social) Anxiety=weird, nerd, dumb. Depressed=bitchy, unnecessarily moody, sensitive. I think it's because it's easier to make fun of a person than try to understand what they're going through-how life is for them and how you can help.

Thank you to Allie M for taking part! If you would like to take part, please let me know!

A whole lot of questions tag

Hey!

The other day I saw Steph do this tag on her blog, it looked a fun one to do so I've had a go at it myself. You can read Steph's answers HERE: http://tinyurl.com/z97h32j. Plus you should check out Steph's blog anyway because I always love reading her blog and she is one of my favourite bloggers.

Anyway here are my answers to the questions!

Apple juice or Orange juice?

Apple juice! I find orange juice too acidic for me!

Are you a morning or night person?

I’d say a bit of both. It takes me a while to wake up, but once I’m up I’m ready for the day! However the later in the day it gets, the more tired out I become

Which do you prefer: sweet or salty foods?

Sweet! I have a sweet tooth (although salty foods make good snacks!)

Ninjas or Pirates?

Pirate! I’ve always liked the idea of your “classic” pirate ruling the seas

Autobots or Decepticons?

No idea! I’m just going to skip this question…

What was your fave childhood TV program?
So many spring to mind here, it’s hard to choose just one! I’ll have to go with Winx club and Raven

Are you a collector of anything?

Books mainly! (I’m a proper bookworm and reading is one of my favourite hobbies)

If you could be any animal, what would you be?

Unicorn! Who cares if it’s a mythical animal

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

The ability to fly. I love the thought of having a pair of wings (preferably fairy/angel wings) and being able to fly anywhere!

What is usually your first thought when you wake up?

Why do I have such vivid dreams? I always have really vivid dreams that I can often remember in detail. This usually leads me onto my second though, “I can’t be the only one who has vivid dreams?”

What do you usually think about before falling asleep?

Whatever has happened during the day or stuff that has happened in the past. I’m really bad at overthinking things

Do you believe in E.T's or life on other planets?

Absolutely! Although I don’t think it would be life as we know it or how the media portray aliens. Plus we can’t be the only form of life in the universe

Do you believe in Ghosts?

Yes, there’s got to be some explanation for supernatural events

Ever been addicted to a video/computer game? Which one(s)?

Does Wii Sport/ Play count? I managed to get to “pro” level on bowling on Wii Sport (shame I’m not as good at bowling in real life)

You're given 1 million dollars, what do you spend it on?

Going travelling to all the places I want to visit and then I would give the rest to my family

Have any bad habits?

Yes. Playing my music WAY to loud (I’m probably going to end up deaf,oops) and dancing awkwardly to my music


Which bad habits, if any, drive you crazy?

· People being rude for no reason

· People being late

· Littering

· Spitting

List 3 of your best personality traits?

Caring, loyal and funny

List 3 of your worst personality traits?

Lacks confidence, can be too loud at times (sorry) and I have a few insecurities

Have any celeb crushes?

Yes! The most cliché one I’ve had is probably Leonardo Dicaprio

Name one thing you wish you could change about yourself?

I wish I wasn’t so hard on myself. I used to spend ages wishing I could change myself as I really hated who I was. I’ve finally accepted I am who I am but I wish I didn’t have to battle with my insecurities

What is the first thing you notice in the opposite sex?
Eyes, that’s probably another cliché but oh well

What personality traits do you look for in a partner?

Someone who is caring, listens to you, makes you laugh, supports you through all the difficult times but most importantly, someone who loves you unconditionally

What personality traits do you dislike in other people?

· Being rude

· Not caring for others

· Not offering support

Are you mostly a clean or messy person?

Ideally I’d love to be a clean person! However in reality I’m a messy person! My room is usually looks like a tip

Do you see yourself getting married in the next 5 years?

No! I want to be able to live my life and do the things I want to do. However at some point, I would love to be married

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

Scotland! Preferably on the Isle of Mull/ Skye. The scenery there is just so beautiful and I love being able to see all the wildlife. Plus Mull is home to Tobermory (AKA Balermory!) so who wouldn’t want to live there?

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
· Italy- I want to tour the whole of Italy. However the place I want to visit most in Italy is Verona so I can see Juliet’s house and the letters to Juliet

· America- There are several places I would like to visit in America, New York being number 1 on the list

· Japan- Especially Tokyo! I’ve always wanted to visit Tokyo ever since I was 13

· Bali- After watching Eat, Pray, Love I would love to visit Bali and experience the culture there

List 5 goals on your life's to-do list?

· Become a successful primary school teacher

· Go travelling

· Live in a cottage in Scotland

· Go star gazing

(I can currently only think of 4, it’s harder than it sounds!)

Name one regret that you have?

Letting people make me feel insecure about myself for too long. I’ve learnt now that those people aren’t worth being a part of my life. Also, what they say about me, DOESN’T define who I am

Name one thing you miss about being a kid?

Being in my “happy little bubble” and being completely happy

Name one thing you love about being an adult?

I’m not an adult yet so I can’t answer this one

What is your fave song at the moment?

All the wrong places- Example. It’s got such an upbeat tune, I love it!

What is your fave song of all time?

Stay Awake- Example. Yes I’m a fan of Example. Out of all this songs this one is my favourite as the tune is really happy and it always puts me in a good mood

What is your fave thing to do on a Saturday night?

Watch a movie or spend time with my family

What is your fave thing to do on a Sunday afternoon?

Read a book, do some baking or just relax

Have any hidden talents?

I can remember all the little details! I can remember stuff most people can’t

You're about to walk the green mile, what do you have as your last meal?

Homemade steak and chips with a homemade Oreo Milkshake followed by Ben and Jerrys Cookie Dough Ice cream

What would be your dream job?

Be a primary school teacher (AKA the next Miss Honey), I’m 3 years away from achieving this goal

What would you rather have: 100 millions pounds/dollars, or true love?

True love! There isn’t a better feeling than knowing someone who loves you unconditionally for who you are. Whether true love actually exists is another thing but I believe true love to be unconditional love

If you could have 3 wishes granted, what would they be?

· To be completely happy

· To sort out all the problems and issues this world faces

· Achieve everything I have wanted to in life

Ever wish you were born the opposite sex? If yes, why?

Nope! I love being a girl

I TAG:

Sophie: http://sophiesnotebook.com/

Courtney: https://mylifeascourtneyblog.com/

Hannah: http://littlethoughtsblog.com/

Beth: http://teenagelifebeth.blogspot.co.uk/

The ultimate blog post ideas list

Hi lovelies!

For those of you who didn’t already know, being a blogger can be hard work! Us bloggers all have days where we feel like our blog is stuck in the rut and we are struggling to blog. There is a lot of pressure to think of original and inspiring blog posts, often leaving us stuck for ideas on what to blog about.

So to help everyone out here is a list of fool proof blog post idea’s for when you are struggling to come up with an idea, enjoy!

Beauty

7 deadly beauty sins

Lazy day/ weekend essentials

Pamper day essentials

Favourite bathroom products

Favourite scents

Travel beauty essentials

Beauty tips/ lessons

Make up

Recent make up haul

Face of the day (FOTD)

Everyday make up look

What’s in your makeup bag

Brand focus

Make up inspiration 

Day to night makeup 

Party makeup routine

“No makeup” make up look

High street vs high end makeup

Beauty dupes

Favourite drug store makeup

Favourite high end makeup

Your make up collection

Make up wishlist

Nail art ideas

Favourite nail polishes

How much is my face worth

Are products worth the hype

How you store your make up

Favourite make up brushes

How to make your makeup last longer

Different make up techniques (e.g contouring/ highlighting)

Seasonal make up looks

Top 5 lipstick products

5 products for under £5

10 products for under £10

Hair care

Your hair history

Haircare Empties

Your haircare routine

Best haircare products

How you style your hair

Favourite hairstyles

Different hairstyle tips

Hair horrors

Skincare

Skincare products you’ll always repurchase

Best drugstore skincare

Best high end skincare

Your skincare routine

Day and night skincare routine

Skincare empties

Bad skincare habits

Different skintypes and products suited to those skintypes

Favourite skincare brand

Disappointing products

Brand focus

Fashion

Outfit of the day (OOTD)

Current fashion trends

Seasonal fashion trend

Charity shops VS high street shops

Favourite high street shop

Season fashion staples (e.g summer/winter fashion staples)

A week in outfits

Fashion inspiration

Celebrity inspired fashion trend

Fashion wishlist

Recent fashion haul

Lookbook (e.g day to night)

Shoe collection

Jewerly collection

What’s in my wardrobe

What’s in my bag

Lifestyle

Book/ film reviews

Memories from your childhood

Different recipes

Share your experiences (e.g school/college/university)

Bedroom tour

Phone app reviews

My month review

Review of the year

Letter to your past/ future self

Holiday diary

Your bucket list

Spending ban

A day in photos

A day in my life

Restaurant Review

Favourite hobbies

A-Z of me, A-Z of happiness

50 facts about yourself

This or that tag

Whole lot of questions tag

The Harry Potter tag

The TMI tag

90’s kid tag

Would you rather… tag

Music tag

Disney tag

It’s all about me tag

How you stay inspired

5 things you look forward to in a day

Favourite TV/ Netflix series

Exam/ Revision tips

Favourite songs

Your music playlists

Strong opinions on something (e.g mental health/ feminism)

Travel tips

Your dream job

DIY

General life updates

A personal story

Show us your pets

Host a Q and A

Giveaways

Blogging

Meet the blogger

Your favourite bloggers

Blog post idea’s list

Blogging tips

Why you started blogging

Best apps for bloggers

Blog goals

Blog birthday

Why you started blogging

Your blogging journey

How you take/ edit your blog photo’s

Best blog resources for bloggers

Favourite blog posts

Guest post with other bloggers

Your blogging area

Blogging essentials

I hope you find all these blog post ideas useful! Do you have any blog post ideas for when you're stuck for inspiration?

Lets talk about mental health: Dealing with depression

Hi!

As you know I'm really passionate about mental health and helping to raise awareness. Mental health is such an important topic, one close to my heart, yet society doesn't always see it that way. Society has created so much social stigma and misconceptions around mental health and mental health problems, despite 1 in 4 will be affected by mental health at any point in their lives.

However, within the blogging community I see so many bloggers openly talking about mental health, helping to raise awareness and reduce the stigma, that's why I decided I wanted to do something to raise awareness.

To help raise awareness of mental health I'm starting a series on my blog called "Lets talk about mental health". Throughout this series I'm going to be getting other bloggers to share their thoughts and opinions on topics related to mental health, such as: social stigma, personal experience and advice.

Dealing with depression: Nikki O

Nikki, a blogger, got in touch with me and asked could she share her personal experience about depression, which I'm really proud of her for doing. Despite depression being one of the most common mental illnesses ( depression affects 1 in 3 people), there are still a lot of stigma and misconceptions about depression. By reading Nikki's story I hope you gain an understanding of what it's like to live with depression.

Nikki's Story:

Maybe, just maybe, I am praying my story will help that one person who wrote a suicide note last night. I am praying my story will help that one person who had a daily routine of putting a razor to her wrist. I am praying my story will help that person who cries herself/himself to sleep every night.

I am praying my story gives someone hope.

I do not know where to begin, so I guess I will start by saying that depression is real. Everything that is being felt during this time is real. It definitely rips you from life itself.

My depression really distanced me from God for a long time. Although I grew up in a Christian home with parents that always instilled in me the faith I hold firmly to today, I still always felt like God was not that loving God everyone makes him out to be.

All through out middle school I was teased a lot. During that time my grandmother had also passed away, it got to a point where I had very little to no self love... Anything that went wrong in my life I would take it upon myself to deal with it through harming myself.

After middle school my family and I moved to a different city. I was excited, I was ready for a new environment and a change. Unfortunately the change was a long and slow process. I started high school, and although I was never teased like before; my insecurities really showed. My mind was always running with hateful thoughts about myself and I couldn't go anywhere without the sharp blade of a razor. I could barely stay in a class without leaving to the counselors office in tears.

During this time I began to have suicidal thoughts, I was taken out of school for about two weeks for therapy. I hated it. I felt like a failure. I always felt like I was wasting my life away. I constantly felt like I let myself down as well as the people around me. I flew by my therapy sessions as quick as I could in order to get cleared again for school. I went by high school the best I could, making sure I was involved in extracurricular activities to keep myself busy.

QUICK NOTE: If I could give any advice to my younger self, I would tell her that needing help does NOT in anyway make you a failure. It does NOT mean you are stupid or letting people down. On the contrary, to finally be able to ask for help and talk things through makes you BRAVE. Depression is not a solo journey, although it may seem extremely lonely at times, you are not meant to go through it alone.

Fast forward to college and I got hooked into a bible study as well as a new church that helped me find stable friends and a community. Slowly my negative views about myself started to change. Things were going well during my first two years of college. Towards the ending I started to struggle with my grades and lost my admission to a school I was accepted into. It felt like my world was falling apart again. I remember turning back into self harming after that big disappointment.

My biggest break through was on July 9th 2015 I decided to get baptized. In just a year God started to show me his healing power. Does that mean life is easier? Absolutely NOT. I still have my shaky moments. I still get my temptations. But here is something I am sure of.. We serve a BIG GOD.

When life was looking good I would praise him, when things were becoming overwhelming I would cry out to him and slowly realized that I did not need to depend on self harm.

Friends, maybe you are going through something similar. Maybe your self confidence is close to nothing and you feel hopeless & alone... as cliché as this may sound YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Do not let your mind play tricks on you, get the help that you need and embrace yourself with friends and family. 

Nikki also wrote this fantastic piece on her blog (BLOG LINK: http://tinyurl.com/zmlj2eb)! I would recommend giving Nikki's blog a read as it's filled with so many interesting post, which are definitely worth the read.

I hope this post has given you more of an insight and helped you to understand what it's like living with a mental illness. If you would like to be part of this series then please let me know!

 

My exercise routine

Hi everyone!

After my first year of 6th form I barley did an exercise and I was constantly unfit, so last summer I made the decision to start running. A year on and I’m slowly becoming more fitter and I’ve now developed an exercise routine, which I try to stick to as best as I can.

Here’s how I exercise:

Running: Last year I started running for the first time and I managed to complete the couch to 5k programme (Read about it HERE: http://petiteseverina.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/completing-couch-to-5k-programme.html). Ever since then I’ve managed to keep up with running. With it being the summer holidays I aim to go running every morning, however this isn’t always possible so I at least try to run 3 times a week. When I run by myself I tend to do a shorter run but on a weekend I usually run with my dad and we do a longer run.

Arm workout’s: I don’t have much physical strength, in fact it’s shocking how much strength I lack! After stumbling across this workout on instagram I’ve found it perfect for me. I always try to do this work out twice a day (again, not always possible). Currently I’m using 1.5kg dumbbells (don’t laugh) and I aim to move up once it gets easier. 

General Workout: As I don’t go to the gym I wanted a workout I could simply do at home and after having a look on the internet I found this one. As the photo shows you, you can do this workout every day and at home. If you want to make it more challenging, increase the number of reps you do each week or add different reps (although I find doing 20 leg lefts at once really challenging!) 

If you want a really simple exercise routine then try out this one, it works for me! You can always change it to suit your personal preferences.

A day out: Thorpe Perrow

Hi!

I hope you all had a brilliant weekend. Yesterday me and my family went on a day out and we went to Thorpe Perrow Arboretum, so I thought I would tell you all about it!

Thorpe Perrow Arboretum

Thorpe Perrow Arboretum is located in the south of Bedale, not far from Ripon (for those of you who don’t know where that is, it’s in the Yorkshire Moors) and it’s a bird of prey and mammal centre! We last visited Thorpe Perrow a few years ago and I really enjoyed visiting here.

Thorpe Perrow has all kinds of different birds and mammals such as: meerkats, wallabies, ferrets, hawks, falcons and owls. They even have some unusable birds such as a pair of kookaburras and a cara cara bird.

Although we didn’t do it this time round, Thorpe Perrow hold flying demonstrations at 1:30pm and 3:30pm. Last time I was lucky enough to take part and I got to hold a lesser buzzard! They also do a “Meet the Owls” at 11:30am where they tell you all about the different owls they have there.

My favourite part of Thorpe Perrow is the mammal section as they have my all-time favourite animal, MEERKATS! I’ve always loved meerkats ever since I was obsessed with Meerkat Manor back in Year 9 (Yes, I was such a nerd!). This time I spotted 5 meerkats and I spent a good 5 minutes watching them and taking lots of photo’s. 

Another mammal I really like are wallabies and I’ve loved them ever since I was little. Thorpe Perrow has a section called Wallaby Woods, were you can see all the wallabies. It was quite a warm day when we went, so they were all tucked up in the shade. 

As well as the bird and mammal centre, Thorpe Perrow also has the gardens (100 acres!), which is basically a woodland walk. It’s very scenic and picturesque!

If you want a day out I would definitely recommend Thorpe Perrow to you, especially if you love birds of prey and mammals!

Feminism Misconceptions

Hello!

As many of you are aware Feminism is something I strongly support and I’m proud to call myself a feminist.

However whenever I see debates about feminism, it shocks me how many misconceptions people seem to have about feminism.

Whilst I touched upon feminism misconceptions briefly in a previous post about feminism (blog post HERE: http://petiteseverina.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/feminism-what-it-means-to-me.html ) I want to go into more detail this time.

Here are some of the most common misconceptions about feminism:

All feminists hate men, WRONG: This is probably one of the biggest misconceptions about feminism. The feminist movement ISN’T about hating men but being equal to men and overcoming sexism. I’m a feminist and I don’t hate men, in fact quite a few of my friends are guys.

However having said this, there is a tiny minority of feminists who are “anti-men”, these are radical feminists, which I also touched upon in my previous post. Radical feminism is quite an extreme version of feminism (but that goes the same for any group in society), as they believe men and women should live separately and patriarchal lesbianism is the way forward (trust me I know what I’m on about, I spent 2 years studying all the different types of feminism in sociology)

Feminism is about women being better than men, WRONG: Just because the movement is called “feminism”, it doesn’t mean women want to be better than men. In fact, what most women want is to have equal rights as men and to be treat as equals to men. It’s not about overthrowing men but achieving gender inequality. As Emma Watson kindly pointed out, “feminism, by definition is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities”.

Feminists don’t want to get married/ don’t believe in marriage, WRONG: I’m a feminist yet later in life I would like to be married at some part. Yes a part of feminism is about being an independent women and not “relying” on a man, but it’s important to remember this is to do with changes in society. During the 1960’s women were expected to get married, stay at home doing housework and look after the children. However that’s now changed and women are now focusing on getting a career and being financially independent. Additionally feminists DO believe in marriage, they DON’T believe in unequal marriages where one person is dominant.

Feminism is just for women, WRONG: Feminism isn’t exclusively for women! Anyone can be a feminist regardless of their gender, as feminism is about including everybody. If you believe in equal rights for both men and women, then YOU ARE a feminist. Plus, it’s a great thing that men support feminism and don’t see it as a bad thing as this helps to reduce gender inequalities further.

I hope I’ve managed to clear up some of the misconceptions people have about feminism. Are there any feminist misconceptions you’ve heard of that haven’t been mentioned?

Self Care

Hello sweethearts!

In the modern world we are becoming more busy and our lives are becoming more hectic. Too often we forget to look after number 1, ourselves.

Self care is super important, it keeps us energised and stops us from becoming tired and run down. Even when we are super busy we should always aim to look after ourselves. 

We also have days when nothing is going to plan or we are just not feeling our best, during times like this self care is really important.

Self care is very important to me, especially as I tend to get stressed out easily, so making sure I look after myself is a top priority. 

Here are some ideas for self care when you need some “you” time:

· Stay hydrated

· Make your favourite hot drink

· Eat chocolate (or any type of comfort food)

· Build a blanket fort

· Have a pamper session

· Play your favourite music

· Dance

· Go for a walk

· Go on a bike ride

· Watch your favourite movie

· Read a book

· Read a magazine

· Make a scrapbook

· Write in your diary

· Have a hot bath

· Chat to a friend

· Cuddle a pet

· Meditate

· Get plenty of sleep/ Have a nap 

I hope you find these tips helpful. If you would like some more self care tips, check out these blog posts as well!:

Dainty Alice: http://www.daintyalice.com/2016/06/self-care-tips-for-anxious-days.html

Thriftyvintagefashion: http://thriftyvintagefashion.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/50-ways-to-take-break.html

3 books that accurately represent mental health

Hola!

Mental health is so important in today’s society, yet it still remains a taboo subject. It certainly isn’t helped when the media inaccurately portray mental health issues, leading to stigma and stereotypes for those who do suffer from mental health problems.
However, mental health is slowly becoming more recognised and slowly the media is starting to accurately portray mental health. With being a bookworm I have discovered 3 books which accurately show what it’s like for people to suffer from mental health issues.

Finding Audrey- Sophie Kinsella

Plot: Audrey, a teenage girl, suffers from Social Anxiety Disorder and, as a result, she won’t leave her house. She soon meets Linus, her brother’s friend, and as they become friends, Audrey starts to feel like she can do things again.

This was the first book I read that I thought did a really good job of showing what it’s like living with a mental health issue. Through Audrey we see what it’s like for someone to suffer from Social Anxiety Disorder and how it can affect their lives on a daily basis. This book also shows what the journey of recovery is like for someone who is battling a mental health problem. Overall I really enjoyed this book and its definitely worth the read.

It’s kind of a funny story- Ned Vizzini

Plot: Craig gets into his dream high school but the pressure soon becomes too much for him and ends up nearly killing himself. He ends up in a psychiatric hospital where we meet his new neighbours, who are all trying to overcome their mental health problems. Craig eventually learns to control the sources of his anxiety.

For me, there is so much stigma and negativity surrounded by those who have to go to a mental hospital. I like how this book truthfully shows what it’s like to be a patient at a mental hospital. Also this book shows what that the other patients in the hospital are just people, with their own lives, issues and back stories as too often we only think of a patient at a mental health hospital in terms of their illness rather than them as a person. Whilst the book does deal with a sensitive topic, it is enjoyable and I found it funny in places.

All the bright places- Jennifer Niven

Plot: Finch is battling depression and is having suicidal thoughts, Violet is struggling to get over her sister’s death. Finch and Violet meet for the first time on the ledge of the school bell tower and end up working together on a school project. It’s through this that Finch helps Violet to overcome her grief even though his struggle with his own mental health is getting worse.

Firstly I thought the book was beautifully written and I like how it’s split into Finch’s and Violet’s version of the story. This book deals with mental health problems such as grief, depression and suicide. The book does a very good job of showing what it’s like for someone to be dealing with grief. It also has a realistic representation of what it’s like for someone to be having suicidal thoughts and what it’s like to lose someone through suicide.

Not only do all this books accurately represent mental health but they also have really good plots as well, I recommend you give these books a read. Are there any books you think represent mental health accurately?

Blogging tips for beginners

Hiya!

As you know, I’ve been running my blog for 3 years now and I’m really proud of how my blog has grown and developed. However starting a blog isn’t the easiest thing in the world. It can be daunting and you can end up struggling with what to write about.

Here are some handy tips to help you if you are new to the blogging world.

Blog theme

If you want a successful blog think about what you want the theme of your blog to be (this is more than how your blog looks). Some blogs are purely about beauty or fashion, whilst others are a mix of everything. Think about your personality and personal interests and use this as a guide to come up with a theme for your blog. Also use this as a focus for what your blog posts are going to be about.

Inspiration

When you’re new to blogging it can be really hard to think of blog posts to write and to stay inspired. I suggest reading lots of other blogs to get inspiration and see what other bloggers write about. HOWEVER , there is a fine line with taking inspiration from other bloggers and copying their posts. If you are going to copy someone’s post, ask for their permission first and make sure you give them credit in your post. If you’re still struggling for idea’s here are some bloggers who have made blog post idea lists:

Dorkface- 20 Blog post ideas for spring: http://www.dorkface.co.uk/2016/03/20-blog-post-ideas-for-spring.html

Dungarees and Doughnuts: 25 blog post ideas when stuck in a rut: http://www.dungarees-and-donuts.co.uk/2015/04/25-blog-post-ideas-when-stuck-in-rut.html

Thrifty Vintage Fashion: 50 blog post ideas for lifestyle bloggers: http://thriftyvintagefashion.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/50-blog-post-ideas-for-lifestyle.html

The perks of being pastel pink: the blogging brainstorm: http://theperksofbeingpastelpink.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/the-blogging-brain-storm.html

Twitter chats

If your new to blogging, one of the best ways to interact with bloggers and promote your blog is through twitter chats. There are so many to join, so there is bound to be one that suits you!. All the twitter chats I’ve joined in have been really fun and it’s great talking to other bloggers. My favourite chats are #thegirlgang chat (Monday- 6pm) and #Misfitbloggers (Tuesday- 6pm)

Promote your blog

If you want people to read your blog, then the best way is to promote your blog through social media. You may not want to use your personal social media accounts to do this, so set up accounts specifically through your blog. Also, when promoting your blog on social media, if you only promote it once then chances are not everyone is going to see it. I would recommend using an app called Buffer and you can schedule posts on your social media accounts to promote your posts (I use buffer to schedule tweets to promote my blog).

I hope you find these tips useful! Do you have any tips that you would give to beginner bloggers?

Recent lipstick purchases

Hello lovelies!

6 months ago, I barley owned any lipsticks. However over the months my lipstick collection has slowly grown and I’m now happy with my lipstick collection.

Looking for lipsticks can be “trial and error” as there are so many to choose from. However after reading reviews and thinking what would suit my skin tone, here’s what I’ve been purchasing.

MUA Matte lipstick- Fawn Fancy

This only cost me £1! For its price tag it’s definitely worth purchasing. It’s one of my favourite lipsticks that I own. I’ve been looking for a nude lipstick, that would suit me, for a while now and this one is perfect. This lipstick highly pigmented and with being matte, it lasts for a good few hours, however it doesn’t dry out your lips.

MUA- Shade 11

Again this lipstick only cost me £1 and it was another shade I was eager to get hold of. This shade is a lighter nude compared to Fawn Fancy. Whilst it’s not matte and isn’t as pigmented as Fawn Fancy, it’s really easy to apply and it gives your lips a lovely shine. For someone who suffers with dry lips, I found this lipstick really moisturising. The only thing I would say is if you wanted to make your lips pop with colour, you would have to build the colour.

Essence- BFF

After reading a review BFF I was curious to try it out, plus I loved the colour of the lipstick. BFF is part Essence’s “Sheer and Shine” lipstick range. This was another lipstick I found really easy to apply and it made my lips feel really soft. However this was the most disappointing as when applied to my lips the colour barley showed and I don’t think it the colour would last long. Having said that, I’m willing to give it another go and I’ll try building up the colour to see if that makes a difference.

Essence Velvet Matte- Shade 23

When Essence released their velvet matte range I instantly fell in love with this shade and I was eager to purchase this lipstick. I’m really happy I eventually got to pick this lippy up as it certainly didn’t disappoint me. This lipstick is nicely pigmented as whilst it’s a pink nude, it suits me really well. I loved this lipstick so much that I ended up wearing it to my 6th form prom.

Revlon Lip Butter- Sweet Tart

Whilst I’ve previously only owned 1 lip butter (peach parfait), I love the Revlon lip butters. When I was looking through a cheap make up stall I came across this shade (It’s not sold in stores, but I’m sure if you look on stalls and beauty outlets, you’ll come across it). The reason I love these lip butters is that they are highly pigmented, very easy to apply and keep my lips moisturised. Sweet Tart is a brilliant shade as it gives my lips a pop of pink.

Rimmel- Berry Rose

Like Sweet Tart, this is another lipstick I picked up from the cheap makeup stall. This lipstick is part of Revlon’s Moisture Renew range. Berry rose is a lovely plum shade and I adore plum shaded lipsticks as they really suit my skin tone. I found this lipstick to be pigmented and it gave my lips a burst of colour. The formula of the lipstick is lightweight, making it really easy to apply and gives your lips a lovely sheen.

Rimmel Kate Moss- Shade 107

I really wanted a red lipstick and when I heard this one was great for us pal gals, I purchased it. This lipstick is a lovely wine red colour which is very pigmented, when I want to wear a bold lipstick, this is the one I instantly reach for. Whilst it’s a bold lipstick is it perfect for people with a pale complexion as it suits the skin tone. With it being a very bold colour and being highly pigmented, the colour lasts for ages.

Maybe next time you’re out make up shopping you might be tempted to pick up these lipsticks. What are your favourite lipsticks?