2019 Achievements

I had a bit of a breakdown a couple weeks ago about not reaching as many goals as I planned - as I discussed in my 2019 lessons post. To reassure myself, I flipped through my planner and noted down all my achievements from 2019. It showed me that I've actually achieved more than I thought I did. In order to spread some positivity, I'm going to share those achievements with you. Hopefully this encourages you to do the same and really think back to all your annual successes, whether they be big or small. All achievements are valuable and sometimes it is so easy to forget them, in the midst of chaos. Take a step back and look at your wins! Here are mine.

Lessons I've Learnt in 2019

Christmas is only a few days away and we're so close to the end of the decade. That's exciting, scary, crazy, all the words. This year has been an absolute whirlwind and it's safe to say I've learnt a lot. I thought it would be nice to share some of those lessons with you all. Some of them are big life lessons that will really stay with me long term, and others are just little things I've learnt about myself and the world around me.

Disclaimer: They are in no particular order

1. You won't always meet your goals - and that's OK.

I made so many goals for 2019. I had a total of 19 things on my vision board, and after looking at it last week I realised I had only achieved 6. Six is better than nothing but I instantly went into overthinking mode and was super down about it. I thought I would achieve at least half, so when I saw I didn't, I began to really doubt myself. After talking to friends; who really encouraged me and made me realise I was being stupid, I got out my rut and came to the conclusion that it's OK. In life you're not going to reach all your goals when or how you want. Somethings aren't meant for now. It's OK not to have everything figured out.

2.  I put too much pressure on myself

This links quite nicely to the first lesson. I've always known that I'm a perfectionist, but I only understood how severe it is this year. I put such unrealistic expectations on myself. I know the potential I have to succeed and be the person designed in my head, that I put tons of pressure on myself to do well. I've realised that it's pretty unhealthy to constantly expect myself to always win. It makes failing so much harder to deal with. Although I know failure is a huge part of life that I'm inevitably going to come face-face with, it doesn't make it any easier. I get stressed and worried by the tiniest inconveniences and setbacks.

3. You can be super productive with just a laptop and Tesco Meal Deal

This year has been a really productive year in terms of academia. I didn't realise the power of a Tesco Meal Deal until second year of university.  It helped me to pass an exam with flying colours that I definitely didn't think I was going to pass, get assignments in on time and catch up on 2 hour long boring lectures. Every little REALLY does help.

4. When friendships end, it's for a reason.

I have struggled with friendships this year. What has made it so frustrating is that there has been nothing to cause it. No arguments and no change. I spent a lot of time wondering why and what happened. I started to blame myself and think I was an issue, because it was becoming a pattern, but actually I'm not the issue. There is no issue, sometimes friendships just reach it's expiration date. There is always a reason for friendships ending, even if we don't know the reason. I've learnt to just accept it, wish them the best and carry on.

5. Grief is hard.

This year was my first experience dealing with grief. I had never dealt with a loss like this before. Grief is hard and it comes in waves. It has almost been 3 months and although it's getting easier to cope with, it will never be easy. It's becoming harder again now that Christmas is coming up.

6. Eyelash Extensions are addictive.

I had my eyelashes done for the first time in years in the summer and they have been one of my favourite things to come into my life this year. I feel so bald without them and they just make me feel so much more put together. They're pretty addictive. I had a 2 month break after summer, to let my natural lashes breathe, but now they're back and bigger than ever haha.

7. I'm stronger than I think.

I doubt myself a lot. Perhaps it's because of my expectations and perfectionism. This year I've cried lots and felt so emotionally exhausted, but I've learnt that I'm a lot stronger than I think I am. I look back at the struggles of this year and I'm proud of myself for getting through it. There were times when my mental health was basically on the ground, but here I am typing away and sharing my lessons with you all with a smile.

8. You can't tell stupid people why they're stupid

I'm not being literal here. What I mean is that when someone has a stupid opinion or view towards something, you can't always prove to them why their view is wrong. I've learnt that some people really begin to believe their own lies and the lies of the world. You can't change that. Just leave them to believe what they believe and don't waste your energy trying to convince them of the "right" way of thinking. It can be pretty hard to bite your tongue, but stubbornness is hard to fight, so don't.

9. Booking holidays can get stressful

This year I booked my first holiday without my parents and although it was a fun experience, there were times where it got pretty stressful. Mainly when it came to cases and things. I really don't know why some airlines don't include baggage within the price. Where are we going to go with no belongings? I know it's a way of making extra money but it's a bit ridiculous. Anyway, there were some moments of stress and panic but it turned out to be one of my favourite holidays ever and now I have experienced my first holiday booking shenanigans. YAY

10) Boundaries are Important

Boundaries are important. They protect you. Without boundaries we are vulnerable to danger, heartbreak and consequences. It's important to make and STICK to boundaries, no matter how much you may want to break them. A lot of the problems I have encountered this year have been a result of lack of boundaries. This year more than anything has taught me that it's good to have boundaries and you should never feel pressured to remove them. They're for your own good and you have to put yourself first.

So these are some of the lessons I have learnt this year.

Thanks for reading,
Have a good day x

Christmas Wishlist 2019

December is FLYING by and I'm not sure how I feel about that. It means christmas is coming pretty soon but it also means the year is going to end before we know it. I'm trying to enjoy the festive season for as long as it will last.

I have been posting my Christmas Wishlist on my blog for as long as my blog has existed! It's a tradition that I look forward to and so many people ask for. Wish-list posts are not only great for friends and family who have no idea what to get you, but they also provide some ideas for your own Wishlist. In fact I think some of the things on my list this year were inspired by others'. 

Anyway, this is my final Christmas Wishlist of this entire decade! Crazy! 

November Round-Up

We've made it to the final month of 2019! I always love this time of year. Besides the weather being awful, it is such a happy time. Lots of festivities, everyone making new goals for the upcoming year, tonnes of shopping etc. November was a pretty busy month for me (hence why this post is 4 days late), so without further ado, here is my November Round-up.

In My Feelings Playlist

Anyone that knows me, know of my complete adoration for music. I can't go a day without music. Quite frankly impossible. I listen to music according to different moods or to change my mood. During this season where it seems like everyone is boo'd up, I've been getting in my feelings a fair bit. Don't get me wrong, I'm very much content being single right now and have absolutely no plans to change that any time soon, but I do love a good slow jam or R&B tune. Due to this sometimes I end up sitting in the dark with my ear phones in, longing for my other half (ew). Anyway, I got a request from Robyn (my bestie - she better be happy about this shout-out) to share my 'In my feelings' playlist after giving a snippet on my Snapchat private, so here it is. ENJOY

A Week In My Life: Uni

I was originally going to do this for reading week, however I totally forgot to make note of everything I did each day, so when it came to putting the post together, it was quite frankly not possible. So instead I'm going to share a random uni week in my life. ENJOY

November Academic Goals

I've had a couple requests to bring these posts back and of course I am all up for that. I wasn't able to have any goals for September/October because the semester just began but I have lots of goals for the month of November. Lets get straight into it!

S E N D   M Y  A S S I G N M E N T   P R O P O S A L S

I have three assignment proposals to write and send to my lecturers this month. I have a couple ideas but I need to choose some final options and get them approved before I can start. I'm actually looking forward to 2/3 of my assignments as they're all analytical and those are my favourite type of assignments to do. I find the analytical side of English fascinating.

S T A R T  G A T H E R I N G   A S S I G N M E N T   D A T A

After my proposals are hopefully accepted, one of the most important stages of my assignment is analysing data, but for that I need to actually have texts.
My goal is to collect all the data I need for my assignments so I can get started with the analysis.

P R E P A R E   F O R   G R O U P   P R E S E N T A T I O N

We have 2 group presentations this month. I'm not a fan of group presentations but what can you do ay? I have already started working on them with the group but we still have lots to do. Wish us luck.


P S Y C H O L O G Y   E X A M    P R E P

My first exam of the year is in a few weeks and I couldn't feel any less prepared for it. There is SO much content and I have no idea how I am going to remember it all for this exam but we'll make it work. I'm probably going to end up in the library everyday for a week just making flashcards. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

So these are my November goals! Let's pray I achieve them.

What are your goals for the month?
Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

October Round- Up

The 10th month of the year has been completed! Only two months of 2019 left. Unfortunately I missed September's round-up, however I made up for it by posting a life update summarising everything I wanted to fill you guys in on. If you haven't read that post, make sure to check it out.
Today I am sharing some of the things that went on this month. There really hasn't been much but I hope you enjoy anyway.


U N I   L I F E   B A C K   I N   F U L L   F O R C E

I guess the main thing this month has been university life coming at me with full force. It has definitely kept me busy already. It wasn't this much work in first year. I went to the library about two times in first year (I preferred working in my flat), but I've pretty much been to the library everyday since starting year 2. I feel much more productive at the library than at home.

G R A N D M O T H E R ' S  S E N D  - O F F

On October 25th we put my grandmother to rest. She had such a beautiful send off, and although it felt so surreal, I'm so glad it went well. We wore pink instead of black because it was her favourite colour and the wake was at a venue she would have ADORED. There was over 250 people at the service, which is an incredible turnout. She was very loved. I miss her lots but I'm glad we got to have that final bit of closure and say our last goodbyes (until we hopefully meet her again in paradise).

F I R S T  S H I F T  I N  M O N T H S

Before this month I hadn't worked in months; I believe my last shift was the end of July. I got really sick and had to cancel lots of shifts, then I went on 2 holidays. After that I was back at university and wasn't able to work. Before I knew it, it had been months of no work and my bank account started to become a little sad. Student finance definitely isn't enough to live off. I had one free Saturday so I worked at a gala dinner. It was actually a pretty fun shift and I'm buzzing for pay day. One off shifts aren't ideal but it's better than nothing. I look forward to Christmas season when I have lots of time to make money.

F L A S H  M O B  R E H E A R S A L S

On November 1st I will be in my first public flash-mob. By the time this post goes up, it will have been done and dusted. I'll be sure to share about it in my November round-up. We have been rehearsing throughout the month and it looks really good. I'm excited to perform it. I've been in a flash-mob before but not a public one. It's actually on my Bucket List, so I'm looking forward to ticking it off.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

How To: Start Your Own Blog

If there is one question I have been asked the most over the last 3 years, without a doubt it would be "I want to start a blog, but how do I start?". When I started this blog, I didn't know anyone who had their own. It was during the time where YouTube was still at it's peak, so everyone was watching videos rather than reading blog posts. I'm terrible in front of a camera so I knew blogging was the best way to go, for me personally. The only problem was that I didn't have anyone I could ask questions. I kind of had to rely on the advice of already successful bloggers at the time, through vague Q&A responses or just figure it out myself.

I'm fortunate enough to have built a tiny community over these 3 and a half years. I'm so grateful and proud. I'm definitely not the best blogger but I've certainly learnt a thing or two about blogging and I thought it would be beneficial to share some of those lessons with you all.

Like I said, I'm not the best blogger however I hope this post will help get you started.

My Gospel Playlist II

My first Gospel playlist post actually did really well, which makes me incredibly happy. I thought I would do a part 2 since I have so many songs I can share. This isn't going to be a long post but I hope these songs bless and encourage you.

1) We're Blessed - Fred Hammond

2) Can't Give Up Now - MaryMary

3) Caribbean Melody - Donnie McClurkin

4) Fill Me Up - Tasha Cobbs Leonard

5) I Believe - Jonathan Nelson

6) In Your Presence - William McDowell, Israel Houghton

7) So Will I - Hilsong Worship

8) This Is A Move - Tasha Cobbs Leonard

9) Won't He Do It - Koryn Hawthorne, Roshon Fegan

10) Oceans - Hilsong Worship


11) You Know My Name - Tasha Cobbs Leonard


12) It's In The Room - Shana Wilson-Williams


13) My Worship - Phil Thompson


14) Nobody Like You Lord - Maranda Curtis


15) Lion and the Lamb (Live) - Bethel Music, Leeland Mooring

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x

Life Update

I'd be surprised if you even remember who I am at this point. Hey. Hi. I'm Rochelle and I have finally returned.
You're probably wondering where in the world I disappeared to and why I stopped posting. If you follow me on Instagram ( @chelle._babes - little plug ) then you may already know the main reason for my online absence, however I thought I owed it to you all to give a life update and fill you in on what life has been like for me since my last post (End of August....oops).

T H E  M A I N  R E A S O N .....

The primary reason for my blogging silence has simply been due to ever so unreliable technology. Whilst I was in Florida this summer my laptop quite literally gave up on me. I was actually planning to write a blog post when my attempt to turn it on FAILED. I put it on charge to see if that would resolve the issue but the usual red light to show it was charging decided to take a holiday for itself. OF COURSE my laptop reached it's expiry date weeks before I was due to start university again (typical). Anyways, after trying to fix it back in the UK I came to the realisation that it may just be time to replace it. I've been so busy that I haven't been able to buy one yet, so even now I am borrowing my brother's. It's super difficult to write when you don't have a laptop or computer at hand. I've been having to rent one out for uni work at the library and all the laptops in my house are constantly occupied. So count this post as a blessing. I'm hoping to get mine very soon and from there I will hopefully be back to posting regularly again.

Now that you know the reason for being MIA, here are some things that have happened in that time:

I  T U R N E D  T W E N T Y

September 11th was my birthday and I turned 20! I had a nice meal with a few friends the evening before and then some of us went on a night out. It was lovely to celebrate at midnight and dance the night away. I spent my actual birthday being slightly (who am I kidding - VERY) hungover, oops. Definitely not what I planned but life is funny like that. I honestly feel like 20 sits right with me. Although I'm kind of sad to no longer be a teenager, I feel like my 20s are going to be a great era and I'm ready to face it.

A L I C A N T E

The much anticipated Alicante trip with my best friend happened and it was such a fun trip. If you have me on Snapchat you will know how much fun we had. There were a lot of laughs and stories to tell the future grand-kids that's for sure. I don't think I have taken as much pictures on a holiday as much as this one.
I can't wait for the next girls trip!

S T A R T I N G  S E C O N D  Y E A R

I started my second year of university on September 23rd. I was definitely ready to go back. I had 4 months break, so I was kind of ready to dive into some good old English texts and get my brain moving again. Let me tell you....second year did not come to play. The workload has definitely been multiplied this year. I'm just about keeping up! We have a novel per week to read for a literature module I am taking this year, about 30 pages a week of a psychology and communication book, lots of journals and case studies. It's only week 4 and it's already more work than first year. I'm enjoying most of it though which is good. I find this year's content far more fascinating.

T E A C H I N G  D A N C E  C L A S S

Aston Dance Club is back in full swing! I got to take the first class of the year which was a fun time. The fire alarm went off just before the class which wasn't ideal but I was able to finish on time anyway. I really enjoyed teaching and I look forward to future classes. Of course the first routine of the year had to be to Queen B, because WHO ELSE?

L O S I N G  A  L O V E D  O N E

A more unfortunate and difficult life change was losing a really close family relative. It wasn't sudden, which I guess makes it slightly easier but you can never prepare for the passing of such a prominent figure in your family. We've all been holding it together and I'm so grateful to have spent my 20th birthday with my grandmother before she passed. I know she is in heaven at peace and having the absolute time of her life. I miss her lots but all I can do is be thankful for the 20 years I experienced with her.


And that brings us here. Now you're all caught up with the life of Chelle! I'll try not to leave you all for this long again (don't hold me to that though). I have some psychology reading to do so I shall love and leave you.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

August Round-Up

OMG! Can you believe it's September tomorrow? Every month I am so shocked at how quickly time is going. September is my birthday month whoop whoop. This month has been more "summery" than the previous, as I didn't work at all in August. Here is a little breakdown of things that happened this month.


A N S W E R E D   P R A Y E R S

I was going through a really hard time this year. Pretty much since January, which sucked because I named this year "Growth". Every year I have a keyword or focus for the year. This year I wanted to grow in all areas of my life, but instead I felt stuck more than anything. I had been praying endlessly that God would handle my situation and restore my peace of mind. This month, I finally feel like my prayers were answered. One day I just woke up and felt so much peace. I felt so light, as if a burden had been completely lifted off me. I truly feel so blessed and I KNOW it was all because of God. All I did was pray and believe that he could do it and he did. The funny thing is that number 8 in the bible is a symbol of new beginnings. God always has the best timing.

Y O U T H   C O N F E R E N C E

My church had a youth conference in London called ABLAZE. It was so powerful! We took a minibus from Birmingham to Brixton and spent the day in fellowship with hundreds of other youth and believers. Fifteen young people got baptized that night which was so amazing to see. The word really spoke to my situation and confirmed God had answered my prayers. It made me understand how it was all part of God's plan for my life and my vision. I named my year GROWTH and from those trials, I well and truly grew and became a stronger person. I already feel like I have more confidence and my faith has developed. Although it was a route I wouldn't have chose for myself in order to meet my goal, it was the best route. You cannot grow without being out your comfort zone or experiencing rain.


M Y   F I R S T  H O L L Y W O O D   W A X

If you've read my Holiday Prep post you will know I got my first ever Hollywood wax. It was actually something I put on my bucket list about 2 years ago. The idea of not having to shave for like 6 weeks was music to my ears, however I kept putting it off because I was scared of the pain. People had compared it to childbirth and a form of torture! I decided to just be brave and book an appointment this month. I booked it at the beginning of the month and got it done on the 19th. Honestly it wasn't nearly as bad as I had imagined. Of course there were areas that hurt more than others but I didn't cry or scream at any point, which is something I anticipated. Oddly enough I wasn't uncomfortable being completely exposed. I thought I would be anxious as hell getting naked in front of some random woman and literally spreading my legs as wide as possible haha. I'm glad I got out of my comfort zone. I'm definitely converted to waxing now.

O R L A N D O   F L O R I D A

The main part of my month has been my trip to Orlando. As I write this, I am sitting next to the air-con in my hotel room. After this I'm probably going to go to the pool. I'm having such a great time spending quality time with my family in our favourite location. It is SO hot (as usual) here. So far we've gone shopping, had our first day at Universal, ate like KINGS AND QUEENS and rejuvenated for a new semester and to go back to work. We have another week before we go back to the UK and we're making the most of it.

So this is my August Round-Up. What have you gotten up to this month? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

Holiday Prep: Florida

I'm super excited about this post!! Not long left until I fly to Florida. By the time this post is published, I will be on my way to the airport in about 6 hours. Every year, I go to Orlando with my family and I'm super excited to go back. I've had this post planned for months now, so I'm glad I finally get to share it with you all.
Recently I have been obsessed with watching holiday prep vlogs. If you've never watched one before, it's basically just a chilled follow me around style vlog, where girls do a bunch of stuff in prepararion for their holiday. I wanted to do a blog post version, showing some of the things I did to get ready for my vacay. So without further ado, here we goooo.

University Dos and Don'ts: First Year

A huge congratulations to everyone who got their results yesterday. I hope you got what you wanted and worked hard for. If not, it's not the end of the world! I definitely didn't get what I wanted, but God still had a plan for me. Don't beat yourself up if you didn't get what you expected.

Now that you have your results, the majority of people will know what university they will be attending/if they will be going to university at all. I thought this would be a good time to share some DOS and DON'Ts for your first year.

Disclaimer: 
This advice is based on my own experience. Some of the don'ts are things that I did and learnt weren't the best thing to do, and the dos are things that I did and benefited from. I am definitely not a model student, dishing out advice because I think I'm so great at this uni thing. The advice is there to help you out if you're feeling a bit anxious about your first year. Use it as a guideline, not instruction.

Bible Study: James 1 (NIV)

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE. You made it to the end (or beginning depending on how you see it) of the week. Either way, it's a huge achievement. You really do have to thank God everyday for allowing you to see another day.
Speaking of God, today's blog post is a little different. I originally planned to make a part II of my Gospel Playlist post, however I was studying James 1 today (Saturday) and really felt called to share my study. I've not done a post like this before, so I'm not sure what the response will be like, but when God puts in your spirit to share something you just have to trust him and do it.

I've shared a few faith posts in the past and I definitely want to do more of them. I guess this is a good start. This is going to be a more concise version of my actual study. The study was 17 pages long (yup you read that right) and took me 3 hours, so it would be a bit much to share all of that on here. I'm just going to share the points that I think God wants me to share the most, and that particularly stood out to me. If you've never read James 1 before, you could perhaps use this as a guideline or for extra pointers for your own study. Or maybe you're not Christian and just want to know more about this chapter. Either way, I hope you gain something from this post. This is going to be a LONG one.

Beauty Gurus I Trust

The YouTube beauty community has had its fair share of scandals over the last few years. From racist pasts surfacing and bloated egos to unacceptable quality, product releases. Despite that, we can't help but love watching makeup tutorials and beauty videos. For me personally, I find beauty videos super relaxing and therapeutic. There is something about watching someone apply makeup in ways that I'm incapable of doing, that brings me joy. Although the beauty industry is full of scandals, I have a few beauty gurus that I watch regularly and completely support. I thought I would share a few beauty gurus that I trust and believe deserve recognition.

J U I C Y  J A S

Jasmine is an American beauty guru currently at 610K subscribers. I have been watching her consistently for about 3 years. I remember subscribing when she hit about 50K subs and it's been so amazing to watch her channel grow. One of my favourite things about Jasmine is that she always produces amazing content. She is creative with her looks whilst making them wearable. I've even re-created a couple of them. She uses a mixture of drugstore and high-end makeup which is nice. Her reviews are also really great. I trust her opinion when it comes to foundations and base products. Plus she has incredible skin.

C H L O E  M O R E L L O

Chloe is originally from Australia but has recently moved to LA. She is currently at 2.6M subscribers. I have been watching her for a long time. I remember finding her whilst watching a Lauren Curtis video. Her channel was suggested and I watched a few videos of hers before subscribing. I love Chloe's channel because all of her looks are super wearable and realistic. She isn't like your typical beauty influencer in the sense of applying a million layers of makeup. She is all about "your skin but better". All her looks are very much focused on enhancing your natural beauty. If you like tinted moisturisers, cream products and sultry eye looks, you'll love Chloe's makeup looks.

J A Y D E.   P I E R C E

I have been watching Jayde since she was my age which is kind of weird. She was 18 when she started YouTube and I believe she was about to turn 20 when I started watching her channel. She is now 23. She is a UK beauty/fashion influencer with 406K subscribers and 1M Instagram followers. I love her looks because she has INCREDIBLE skin and definitely has good taste when it comes to complexion products and skin care. We have a pretty similar skin tone too so I like to use her as reference. Her usual look is quite glowy skin with a glossy or nude lip, which is definitely my favourite too.

H O L L Y.   B O O N

Holly Boon is a UK beauty guru with 671K subscribers on YouTube. She is definitely more adventurous with her makeup looks. She incorporates lots of colour and detail with her eye makeup. I'm not very creative when it comes to makeup, but I love watching her tutorials. She is really talented and I find her makeup looks very original. She has just started her own cosmetics line 'HBN Cosmetics' and I definitely want to try some of her products one day. She has had great reviews so far and she uses smaller influencers to promote her products and receive PR, which I think is so great. I like that she gives smaller makeup artists a platform to show their own work and be able to work with a brand.

I T S S A B R I N A

Sabrina is a UK beauty guru currently at 315K Subscribers on YouTube. I particularly love her one brand tutorials because she uses a range of products from brands, that may not be as hyped up as others within the community. I enjoy her makeup tutorials and reviews. All of her makeup looks are super wearable, therefore easy to re-create. She loves glowy skin (just like me) and simple eye makeup.

M A K E U P.   C H A R

Charlotte is a London based beauty guru. She is a smaller YouTuber with 2.5K subscribers on YouTube and 19.4K followers on Instagram. I found her through Pinterest maybe a year ago. Her eye looks are beautiful and she has a lot of skill. I'm really surprised she doesn't have more subscribers. She is just as talented as some of the big influencers with over 500K. I trust her opinions when it comes to product recommendations. She receives PR but with her being a smaller channel, she buys a lot of her makeup with her own money. I find that makes her more trustworthy as she doesn't have the fact that half her collection was free, to cloud her judgement. I also love that she uses colour, but makes it seem so easy to use. Whenever I see people like NikkieTutorials use colour, I think "wow that's impossible!". Charlotte makes using colour seem a lot less scary.

T A M M I.   C L A R K E

Tammi is one of my absolute favourite people to watch. Her makeup tutorials and reviews are so informative and her talent is insane. She is another woman who loves her colour! She is another UK based beauty guru, with 147K subscribers on YouTube. She has her own eye-shadow palettes with Revolution makeup (which are on my wishlist) and she has convinced me to put so many other things on my list too. I love that she uses a mixture of luxury and affordable makeup. She even tries brands that you may not know of or much about.

So these are some beauty gurus that I trust and love. Who do you like to watch? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

July Round-up

Thinking back to what I have gotten up to this month was actually quite difficult. It's all such a blur. This month has been pretty darn busy in terms of work, so thinking of things to update you with was a challenge. HOWEVER, I wasn't going to leave you in the dark. After reflecting and looking back at July. I was able to create a surprisingly chunky round-up. Here are some things that happened this month!

G R A N D   P R I X
I worked LONG hours at Silver-stone for the Grand Prix Races. I did a total of 35 hours over the three days, waiting in the VIP section. It was a lot of hard work and definitely the most physically demanding shift I have ever done, but it was so rewarding. I worked with a great group that kept me entertained over the weekend. Each shift started at 5:30 am and we had to travel from Birmingham at 3:25 am. It's safe to say we were all super delirious, so we found the most random things funny. By the end of each day my feet were screaming, but it was worth it. I'm definitely up for doing it again next year.

C H E C K I N G   O U T   O F   A C C O M M O D A T I O N
I obviously moved back home in June, however my lease officially ended this month. I had to go back for the final time to deep clean my bedroom, kitchen cupboards and bathroom. Then I handed in my key. Annoyingly, I left my diamond ring in my bathroom (I took it off to clean) and handed my key back. So, I had to go BACK AGAIN the day after and the receptionist had to let me into my room with her master key. It was a bit of a nightmare, but I got it back and that was that.

F I R S T   C H A R L O T T E   T I L B U R Y   P U R C H A S E
I don't usually buy high end makeup because I have never had enough disposable income to be pricey with makeup choices, alongside spending on other things. However, with working lots this summer I thought I would treat myself. I got my first ever Charlotte Tilbury product during the Cult Beauty 10th Birthday sales. I have been wanting to try Charlotte Tilbury for about a year, so I was super excited to purchase my first product. I look forward to diving into more products in the future. For my first product, I got the Hollywood Flawless Filter in shade 4. It has the most stunning packaging and the product itself is gorgeous on the skin. It really is radiance in a bottle. It is usually £30, however I spent £25.50 with their 15% off discount code. I have tried it under makeup, mixed with my foundation and as a liquid highlighter. I think I prefer it under my makeup or as a liquid highlighter, as it's much more blinding. When mixed, it doesn't have as much glow. I am looking forward to trying it without makeup on holiday, or on the body.

B E I N G   S I C K
Unfortunately I've had a bit of a hard time this month, after catching Mumps. I was at work one day and had an earache. I thought it may be an ear infection but I went to the doctor's the day after and it tuned out to be Mumps. My face has been swollen for a week and I've been on a liquid diet since. I have been struggling to eat, I had sleeping issues for the first few days and I had a super high temperature for days (just under 40). I'm starting to get better now but I'm still drinking a million cans of soup (boy am I sick of soup) and I've been signed off work until I'm fully better, as the virus is airborne. I've had my MMR vaccine (plus the booster) so I don't understand how I managed to catch it. Hopefully my body recovers soon.

G O I N G   T O   T H E   C I N E M A   A L O N E
I challenged myself to go to the cinema alone, as a way of getting out my comfort zone. It was on my summer bucket list for this year. I went to see Toy Story 4, which was a brilliant movie. It was quite awkward buying a ticket for one and getting settled in my seat, however the overall experience wasn't as scary as I had imagined. There was only about 6 other people in the room, so I was happy about that. Not many eyes on me to make me anxious.

2 4  H O U R   U N P L U G   C H A L L E N G E
Yesterday I completed another Summer Bucket List activity, which was to do a 24 hour unplug. No phone, no laptop, no TV. The idea is to use absolutely no screens for 24 hours. I did from 11 am yesterday to 11 am this morning. It was quite an interesting experience. I have had social media cleanses before but never completely screen-free days. It wasn't too difficult to entertain myself at first. I read a book, did a wardrobe clear out, did some Bible Study etc. The day was pretty productive for the most part. It wasn't until about 8 pm that I got bored, so I had an early night. It was definitely needed but I'm happy to be using a screen again haha. If you haven't tried the challenge before, maybe give it a try.

What did you get up to this month? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

My First Year University Experience: Finances

I would like to say a massive thank you for such a great response to my First Year Experience posts. This is part IV, the final installment of the series. If you haven't read the other parts, definitely give them a read. I have posted my Academic, Social Life and Accommodation experience. Today I will be sharing my experience in terms of finances. One of the most important aspects (if not, the MOST important) of university is money. University is an expensive investment and hopefully this post will help Freshers to handle their money wisely.

My First Year University Experience: Accommodation

HAPPY SUNDAY! I hope you've had a great week. Today I am bringing you part III of my first year university experience posts. So far I have posted my Academic and Social Life experience. If you haven't read those yet, you definitely should. As you can tell from the title, today's post is all about my experience living away from home. If you're not a regular reader of my blog posts, you may not know that I live in Birmingham and I chose to stay in my city for university. Despite that, I still wanted at least one year to experience the full student lifestyle. That included living in halls and having that independence. So if you want to know about my experience, carry on reading.

Spilling the Tea.... [GIFTED]

Once in a while, I like to do a good old Tag post or Q&A. Not only because it's fun but because my readers get to know a bit more about me. So today I'm going to spill the tea.

I was recently gifted a PR Package from Adagio Teas. They are a wonderful company that sell a variety of teas from wellness teas to Iced teas. I was lucky enough to be gifted lots of options to try out and I FELL IN LOVE with some of them.

Some of my favourites:

Spearmint  - A beautiful herbal tea that I have been really enjoying in the morning. It is naturally sweet and refreshing. I've always been a Peppermint tea lover but this tea has converted me to Spearmint too!

Blood Orange Iced Tea - Believe it or not, I had never tried Iced Tea before this, but I definitely will be trying more this summer. It was super refreshing and perfect for the heatwave we had here in the UK these last couple weeks.

One thing I really love about Adagio is that their teas are loose leaves, which makes it Eco-Friendly and also really enjoyable. I surprisingly enjoyed assembling a cup of tea, because of the few extra steps.

Disclaimer:

The products mentioned were GIFTED to me, however all opinions are 100% honest and my own. I'm not being paid to make this post. 

So, I have my Spearmint tea next to me, and I'm ready to spill it (more like sip). Make sure to grab yours from https://www.adagiotea.co.uk/ while their summer sale is still going on.

Now let's answer some questions!

How did you find your First Year of uni?

I really loved it! I'm doing a series of posts all about my experience. So far I have posted my Academic and Social experiences. Check them out if you want to know all the details.

What is the best accommodation to stay in at Aston?

I stayed in James Watt accommodation, which is on campus. This post will be coming really soon, so I'll give all the details about my experience living there.

How do you make important life decisions?

I definitely don't take them lightly. It depends on the situation to be honest, but some of the things I always do are pray about it, and listen out for God's voice. God is always going to have your best interest at heart and he knows your future, so he is the best person to consult with big decisions. I also like to seek advice from the people in my life. For example, my parents and closest friends. It's always a good idea to get advice from an outside perspective, so I never make big decisions without talking to someone else. Ultimately it will always be your own decision, but the people in your life can see things you may not, and they most likely will know you more than you understand yourself.

And if you want a more practical way of making decisions, lists never fail me. Make a list of pros and cons or a list of desires that you can see if weigh up to the decision in front of you.

How are you?

I'm not too bad thank you. I can't complain. Enjoying this break from uni, before all the chaos starts again in September.

Opinions on Love Island?

AHHHH, I have way too many. I could make a whole post on that (I won't though). Follow me on Twitter if you wanna see my thoughts on each episode because I'm super active on there when I watch it.

To keep it short, I'll say 10 opinions I have

1) Ovie is the best Love Island contestant that has been on the show and definitely needs more screen time
2) Curtis never really liked Amy and was just using her until someone new came along
3) Anna is way too immature for a 29-year old woman
4) Amber has grown on me over the series
5) Sherif was unfairly kicked off, considering Maura basically harassed Tommy at the start
6) Tommy is in love with Molly Mae
7) This is the best time for the lie detector test (I know it's not coming)
8) Amber and Ovie would be a perfect match
9) Danny was playing a game
10) Joanna and Michael won't last

What does it mean to be a part of Constantinas?

Um EVERYTHING. Only the Elites are a part of the Constantinas and I'm grateful for it. Best squad around.

Pizza or Pasta?

Pizza 100%. I like Pasta but I can eat Pizza all day everyday.

How do you avoid someone you don't want to see?

Unfortunately I don't think that's possible

If you could swap lives with one person, who would it be?

Hmm this is a tough one. I thought about this for A WHILE and I think I'd swap lives with my mum just because she's such a strong woman and I would want to learn how she deals with things and takes on so much. I don't know how she does it!! I'm really happy with my life though, so I wouldn't change anything at all.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

My First Year University Experience: Social Life

So, here is part II of My First Year Experience Series. If you've not read PART I, make sure to give that a read too. I shared my experience with my course and gave lots of information for those thinking about studying English Language at University. This part will be all about the social side of University. The part I'm sure most people care about. I remember watching so many YouTube videos and reading blog posts about uni life. This is going to be a really honest experience post about how I found the social side of being in First Year. So lets get straight into it.

My First Year University Experience: Academic

I wanted to share my first year of university experience, to not only summarize how the year went, but to hopefully help people out who will be starting their First Year in September, or the near future. This first post will be focused on the academic side. This will be helpful for those who are looking to study English Language, as I will be going into detail about this particular course.

I study English Language at Aston University. It is a 3 year course and you can do a placement year as an option. I thought about doing a placement year but with the career I want to follow, I don't think it's worth it. I would LOVE to study abroad, but there are too many barriers. Perhaps this may become a possibility, but for now the plan is just to do three consecutive years at Aston. God works in mysterious ways so I'm not ruling anything out.

This is going to be a long post, so grab a drink and a snack!

C O U R S E   I N F O R M A T I O N

I chose to study English Language, as I took the subject for my A-levels and LOVED it. I have always loved English, and when I was in secondary school I thought I would take the literature route. After doing language at sixth form, I knew that I definitely wanted to carry it on as an undergraduate course. English Language is a social science and is a very broad subject to study. It covers aspects of History, Science, Business, Politics, Sociology etc.

If you are a very analytical person who enjoys paying attention to detail, it is a great course to take on. There is a lot of analysis involved....and I mean a lot.

M O D U L E S

This year I took 5 modules. I'm going to give a brief description of what each module entailed, and my experience with them.

1) English Across Time and Space 
- This module was more humanities based and I found it really interesting. The module was broken up into two but the grades are combined as it is one module. The 'Time' aspect of the module focused on the development of English as a language and the changes that have occurred over the years. We looked into internal and external factors, including Accent and Dialect, the invention of technology, the impact war had on language change etc. On the other hand, the 'Space' aspect of the module focused on different varieties of English around the world, as well as language policy. This included English Only Policies in the workplace, Pidgins and Creoles, as well as Globalisation of English.

2) Discourse Analysis 
- Discourse Analysis was my favourite module from the year. Not only because I had my favourite lecturer, but because it was so fun and fascinating. Discourse Analysis looks into how meaning is created beyond words or the sentence we are given. This means paying attention to details including colour, shape, layout and lexis (word choices). For example in advertisements, memes, conversations and symbols. There are many different forms of discourse analysis and I'm excited to explore them deeper in the future. I really enjoyed the assignment for this module (I'll talk about that a bit later), and it has definitely swayed me to make advertisement a backup career plan.

3) Linguistics 
- This was one of my least favourite modules but it was fairly interesting regardless. Linguistics is a lot more science based, which is probably why it wasn't my favourite. Linguistics focuses more on sounds, how they are created and grammar. We studied anatomy, the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet), transcription and Word Classes. If you want to go down the career path of speech therapy, it is a very useful module. I enjoyed learning about the different parts of the body that contribute to everyday speech and sound, however it's a very technical module, so I definitely had to cover my desk in post it notes and flashcards.

4) Language and Society
- This is the module I thought I would enjoy the most, however the style of teaching wasn't my favourite. I struggled to engage in the lectures, so the module wasn't as fascinating as it could have been. Sociolinguistics is the study of language within society. It focuses on language change as well as language variety depending on age, gender, sexuality and culture. This module includes lots of case studies and data. For example, we looked at whether there was a pattern when it came to using swear words and offensive language. Is it used more by a particular gender? Is there a common age where it increases? Are certain words deemed as less or more offensive compared to 10 years ago?
I did enjoy the actual content of the module, I just wish the lectures and assignment were more interesting.

5) Practical Application of Language Description 
- This module focused around three areas. These were business, education and memory. The business side of the module focused on language within the workplace, the importance of communication within a business, and the importance of non-verbal communication. Doing this part of the module helped me to understand how body language and gestures convey meaning or show hierarchy.
We also studied the effects of memory and language. We looked at instructions, short term and long term memory, as well as concentration and information retention. The final area of the module was an introduction to teaching, including TESOL. We studied the impact of teacher talk and teacher feedback. As an aspiring teacher, I found this part of the module most helpful.

Overall, I really enjoyed the modules this year. I definitely gained a lot of knowledge and it was nice to explore so many different areas of English.

L E C T U R E S

I actually attended MOST of my lectures this year, which I'm proud of. I probably missed 4 or 5 altogether. My student ID was broken the whole year though, so even when I scanned myself in, my attendance would never record. In the first term it claimed that I had 6% attendance, when I only missed two lectures and the second term recorded 21%. Most of us had this problem though, and many of my lecturers also had paper copies, so I won't have to explain to future employers that I wasn't skiving uni all year.
Most of my lectures were 1-2 hours long. I didn't mind many of them as they were quite interactive, but goodness those 9ams were a killer. I used to always wonder why so many students moaned about 9am lectures when pretty much every school started around 8:30am/9:00am.......I now understand. The worst part is, that I had a 9am every Friday. BRUTAL. It's one of those things that you have to go through to relate to. God help me in second year when I have to commute everyday.

I'm so thankful for Aston Replay and Blackboard, because I swear lecturers put themselves on a timer to switch the slide. I started writing my notes before or after a lecturer, because I couldn't keep up. Everyone has had that one lecturer that leaves about 3 seconds for note-taking.

A S S I G N M E N T S

Before starting uni, one of my worries was whether the assignments were going to be significantly harder than my A-level assignments. As a whole, it was about the same in terms of difficulty. The workload was definitely more, but the actual tasks themselves were doable. I actually enjoyed a couple of them.
Here is a breakdown of each module assignment:

English Across Time and Space- Portfolio of essays x 6
Discourse Analysis- 1000 word Literature Review & 3 Analysis' + 3 essays
Linguistics- Exams x 2
Language and Society- Portfolio of essays x3
Practical Application of Language Description- 2000 word Case Study & Exam

I really enjoyed the Analysis assignments for Discourse Analysis. It required creativity and attention to detail, which is one of my favourite aspects of the course. Out of all the modules, this is where I did best, in terms of grades. We had a few presentations too, but they weren't graded. They were mainly to help us with our written assignments and for some practice.

We don't get our overall grade until August, but in terms of individual grades, I am very happy with how things went. There is one exam I wish I could re-do, but it doesn't affect my degree at all, with it being first year. I had 2:1's and Firsts all year, which is great! I thank God for helping me get through the year.

S E C O N D   Y E A R ?

So, what's the plan for second year? We have to pick our modules for 2019/20 by mid August I believe. I went to a meeting where the Dean and other department leaders spoke to us about each module, which was super helpful. I have an idea of a couple I definitely want to go ahead with, but I'm still deciding on the final choices. There are some really interesting looking modules, so I am excited about second year. The pressure is on, with this year counting to my final degree. eeek. Bring on the challenge.

I hope this post was helpful to those who are thinking about studying English at Aston University. I would have really appreciated this post back in year 13. And if you've ever wondered what English Language is like, then I hope you enjoyed reading a bit about it.

Look out for the next part of my First Year Experience series.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

June Round-Up

HAPPY SUNDAY GUYS! How satisfying is it that we're ending the month on a Sunday? I love that. I cannot believe we have completed 6 months of 2019. That is CRAZY. Before we know it, 2020 will be making it's way. As usual, this is my monthly round-up, where I share some of the things I got up to during the month. June has been a pretty exciting month as a whole. Here are some of the things I did this month.

S E A N  P A U L

Sean Paul did a performance at PRYZM night club, that I went to with a couple uni friends. I was actually pretty excited because....um duh it's Sean Paul. It definitely wasn't what I expected, let's put it that way. However I get to tick off 'See Sean Paul live' from my mental Bucket List. Don't get me wrong, he was great, but it was so expensive and things happened that night that just made the whole experience weird LOL.


B O O K E D   A   H O L I D A Y   W I T H   M Y   B E S T   F R I E N D

YAY! This was probably one of my highlights of the month. After way too long, I finally booked my first holiday with my Best Friend Robyn (Shout-out to this melon). We're flying off to Alicante in September and I'm SO excited. I can't wait for all the memories we're going to make. I get to have my 20th Birthday celebrations in the sun, with one of my favourite people. What more can I ask for? Even though it's not until September, we've already been making plans and getting super hype about our first vaccay. #RobelleOnTour


F A T H E R' S  D A Y

It was Father's Day this month and I hope all the great Dad's out there were spoiled rotten. We had a pretty chilled Father's Day but I always love any time I have to treat my paps. He's one of the best people in the world, so I'm glad I got to show him how much I appreciate him (although I tell him I love him every single day).


M O V E D  O U T  O F  S T U D E N T  A C C O M O D A T I O N

A bitter sweet experience I had this month was moving out of my flat. I lived in Student accommodation for my first year of university and had a blast. There were some very high highs but also very low lows. The whole experience was great and I'm glad I got to spend a year living the full student life. If you didn't know already, I stayed in my home city for university, and will be commuting next year. I will be posting uni experience posts next month, and I'll talk more in detail about my experience living away from home.
It was so strange seeing the room look so bare. I definitely own an unnecessary amount of stuff....


E Y E - L A S H   E X T E N S I O N S

I have been wanting to get my lashes done again for ages, but I wanted to find someone who's work I really liked the look of. I had lash extensions for my year 11 prom and haven't had them done since. That was literally 3 years ago, which blows my mind. Last week I had them done by the lovely @coco__lashes on Instagram. If you're from Birmingham, I recommend her. I have 2 holidays coming up, so she'll definitely see me again this summer.

What did you get up to this month? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

My Gospel Playlist

My praise and worship playlist is my biggest playlist and definitely my most listened to. When I want to feel connected to God, I pop my headphones in and play some of my favourite gospel songs. I always listen to praise and worship before I begin any Bible Study, as it gets me in the right frame of mind. As I write this I have 173 songs on there, so I won't be able to share all of them in this particular post, but I thought I would share my top 15. All of them are very different to one another but beautiful, uplifting and powerful all the same. 

This post will feature 15 of my most repeated songs. If this post does well, I will make more of them in the future. I constantly add new songs, so I always have songs to recommend.

(This list is not in order of preference)

1) Alpha And Omega - Israel & New Breed 

2) Better Days - Le'Andria Johnson 

3) Change Me - Tamela Mann


4) Fighting For Us - Anthony Evans 


5) Glory To The Lamb - Geoffrey Golden 


6) Gracefully Broken  - Tasha Cobbs Leonard 


7) I Am - James Fortune, Deborah Carolina 


8) I Got That - Anthony Brown & group therAPy 


9) No Bondage - Jubilee Worship 


10) OK - Kirk Franklin


11) Open Heaven - Maranda Curtis 


12) Psalm 23 (I Am Not Alone) - People & Songs, Joshua Sherman


13) Trust In You - Anthony Brown & group therAPy 


14) You Deserve It - JJ Hairston, Bishop Cortez Vaughan 


15) Your Spirit - Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Kierra Sheard

I hope you are blessed by some of these amazing songs. Some of them have really helped to lift me up during difficult times and encouraged me to have faith in God. 

If you have any favourite songs that I haven't mentioned, let me know in the comments. I'm always looking for new songs to add to my playlist. 

Thanks for reading, 

Have a great day x

Barry M Feature Length Mascara Review

A couple weeks ago I ran out of my favourite mascara- Maybelline Lash Sensational. I took a stroll down to Superdrug to pick a new one up but something in me decided to try something new. I've been using Lash Sensational for YEARS now, so to randomly pick up a new product was quite big for me. I had heard some really great things about the Barry M mascaras and with them being so affordable, I thought why not.

I won't lie to you, alongside the good reviews, I mainly chose Feature Length because of the packaging. It is BEAUTIFUL and it feels so much more expensive. I expected it to be plastic but it's actually metal and has a little weight to it. I've been using this mascara for just over 2 weeks and I thought I would share my thoughts.

Product Information:

Colour: Black
Measurement: 7ml
Price: £4.99 (£4.49 with Student Discount)

Description:

Make your own show with Barry M’s Feature Length Mascara. Feature length does just what it says on the wand… delivering stunning, film star, long lashes. So, if you’re looking for winning performance and luscious, long lashes worthy of any premiere, look no further than Feature Length Mascara! 

Cruelty free.

My Thoughts: 

This mascara isn't as amazing as Lash Sensational but it's pretty darn good. It definitely lengthens and separates the lashes beautifully. The wands is super slim and the brush is plastic, which I like, as it grabs all the individual hairs. I found that although it gave me length, it doesn't add much volume, which is what I love about my Maybelline one. This is more of a lengthening mascara though so it definitely does what it claims. 

I love this on the bottom lashes as it coats them evenly and because of the thin applicator it is quite easy to use. 

The one thing I would say about this mascara is that it's not the easiest to remove. I had to question whether it was waterproof because I doesn't budge. I have to use makeup remover and facial wash TWICE to get rid of all the product. I suppose this makes it a great product in the summer but if you're someone who likes to just use a makeup wipe and be done, you may have to put in some more work. 

Overall I would give this product 3.5 out of 5 stars. I did like it but in comparison to my Lash Sensational, I just wasn't blown away. 

Have you tried any Barry M mascaras? Let me know in the comments below. 

Thanks for reading, 

Have a great day x