Life Lately - Another Year Older, Outfits, Piercings And A Few New Purchases*

Well hello there, it's been a while I know but since my last post life really has got in the way again, nothing major just the usual trials and tribulations of someone struggling with chronic illness, and life in general. Exhaustion is something I’ve gotten quite used but over the last couple of months I’ve genuinely felt as though I’ve had the life sucked out of me - on most days I’ve managed to do the bare minimum and that’s it - I’ve had weeks when I haven’t left the house and socialising, blogging and anything that’s involved using my body or brain has been put on the back burner. I was at the doctors yesterday for bloods so hopefully that will give me some answers even it’s just a flare of existing conditions at least I’ll know!

So apart from sleeping, and lots of rest what have I been doing with myself? Well I completed another trip around the sun and celebrated my birthday in the middle of May. I didn’t do anything or go anywhere, instead I spent it with my two favourite people in the world, my mam and my godmother eating my mams homemade carrot cake, and playing with my new iPhone 15. My mam contributed towards the cost and since I mainly got money the plan was to pay for it, and to have a nice little solo shopping trip and whilst the intention was to go as close to my birthday as possible surprise, surprise that didn’t happen so I ended up ordering a few things online and I eventually made it to the Metro Centre a fortnight ago

I haven’t really been buying a lot of beauty and make up so I decided to really treat myself to a few high end products including the new Clinique Pop Black Honey Lip & Cheek Oil, the Dior Rosy Glow Powder Blush in Pink, some Sol De Janiero Bum Bum Cream, a mini Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Dewy Liquid Blush in Happy and a Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Memerise Cream Eyeshadow in Champagne. 

I will definitely be talking about some of these products in due course but if there is anything you would particularly like to see then please let me know. I’ve also picked up a few more affordable bits including the Bum Bum Cream Dupe from Home Bargains, and some of the lip oils from Aldi so again if you’d like to hear my thoughts let me know in the comments section below x 

The first place I actually went into when I went into the Metro Centre was Primark. The new extended store opened on my birthday and this was the first opportunity I’d have to have a look round, and to be honest I was a bit underwhelmed - yes it’s bigger, self checkouts, more items, but there just wasn’t much that I actually wanted  or maybe I should say needed. There was barely anything above a size large, and some of the stuff was well, ugly! I only ended up buying a new duvet set, some slippers for my mam, some rubber Birkenstocks dupes, some chub rub shorts, a Hello Kitty t-shirt, and some beauty bits. I have to say the beauty section was decent and it wasn’t as wrecked as it usually is so  I picked up a few summer themed bits, and some skincare.

After I’d been to Primark and spent way less than I’d anticipated I thought I’d treat myself to something a little more permanent and I headed straight across the mall to Doc Black Ink. 

When I got my daith done nearly two years ago now I definitely reawakened the beast, and ever since then I been playing planning out what piercings to get next. Initially the plan was to add another two helix’s to my right side but instead I went for another helix and a flat. Taking me to 7 in each ear, and 14 in total! Head piercer Kelly was an absolute angel as per usual, and whilst they were a bit nippy at first and they’ve been a little bit uncomfortable, the irritation is easing off now and they don’t feel too bad.

I was only in the Metro Centre for a few hours and whilst I was only there for a short time I certainly paid the price and I was literally useless for about 4 days afterwards - it’s definitely one of the most frustrating parts of chronic illness, acting like a ‘normal’ person for a few hours, having fun, and then feeling worse then you ever did.

Although I’ve been quiet on here I have been flirting with my other more instant, easy access social media channels, which has mainly involved arguing with people, expressing my frustration with football, and despairing at the state of the world on twitter,  (it will never be X to me !) and when I'm not living in shorts or leggings, posting the odd outfit pic on Instagram, some of which you can see here. 

I’m not in a good place body confidence wise at the moment, but on the journey back to some form of self acceptance I’m putting my animal print clad self out there, and saying this is who I am. For some one who originally started out posting fashion content on online forums I’m enjoying even this small return to my fashionista roots, and I’m looking forward to hopefully creating lots more fashion content in the future.

So there you have it I’m still tired, my blood pressure is a little bit higher than it should be, and I’m still on the lookout for an NHS dentist, but I’m back feeling a bit more reenergised at least blogging wise, and I’ve got plenty of things to review and to talk about x Thank you as per usual for sticking with me and if you’re in the UK today don’t forget to VOTE! 

*This Post Contains Affiliate Links

A Ray Of Sunshine On A Blustery Autumn Day

What I Wore

High Neck Black T-Shirt - Simply Be

Floral Scarf - Isle At Edinburgh Woollen Mill - EWM

Black Converse Ox Low Tops

Dorothy Perkins - DP Curve - Yellow Elastic Back Ankle Grazer Trousers 

I don't post a lot of outfit posts but when I do I try to always take something away from the experience, and this particular one, although quite boring and insignificant to some ties together a couple of recent blog posts, one which was about taking your summer wardrobe into Autumn, and the other which all about ways in which to boost confidence and self belief (read my posts here and here)

These trousers were really a summer buy from Dorothy Perkins Curve line, when I bought them back in April / May time, and whilst I've worn them a couple of times with both a white top, and a white shirt, and a chunky yellow necklace, I can honestly say that I've never felt completely comfortable in them, I don't mean fit wise, I mean more mentally comfortable, and confident.

I've seen so many people look amazing in similar coloured pants, but on me they were just too much, they were too bright and they drew too much attention to the worst parts of my body. So like a lot of items lately I put them back in the wardrobe and reverted back to my "safer", more conventional, darker pants.

When I was putting together that post on Autumn fashion though, these trousers immediately came to mind. Drawing on the colours of the Autumn leaves, yellows and mustard's are pretty much staple shades at this time of year, and whilst I'd originally just seen the trousers as a summer season wonder, there was no reason why I couldn't try wearing them again in the colder months.

So instead of teaming them with lighter, more summery tops, I switched it up a bit and teamed them up with a real wardrobe staple, a plain black t-shirt, some black and white low top Converse, and just to soften the look, and to get a bit more wear out of it, a very summery floral scarf, that contained similar mustard yellow tones.

Not only that but I ditched the mirror selfie and I persuaded Mummy Lou to take a few outfit pictures for me. As much as I love clothes and I love fashion I've never been comfortable with having my photo taken, I don't know whether it's down to my facial paralysis but I've always needed to be in control of how people see me, but sometimes you need to face your fears and do it anyway - after all she's my mam - she's there to love and support me, and to lift my confidence.

So we went outside, dodged the rain showers and found a great place to shoot that was full of character, and looked positively dreary next the sunshine yellow of my trousers, and we shot a few pics, and do you know what? I don't hate them, and I certainly don't hate the trousers.

Obviously there are things that I would change about myself, and my appearance, but hey this is me at the moment, curves and all, and I think I need to try and love what I see in the mirror a little bit more. Do you know what though? I do think I'm rocking those trousers, so much so in fact that I ended up wearing them for an appointment and a shopping trip.

I don't think that I'm ever going to have the supermodel esq confidence that a lot of bloggers, You Tubers and Instagrammers seem to have when it comes to posing and posting outfits, but we aren't all the same, and hopefully in time I will become more comfortable posting pictures, and sharing my style with you, and at the same I hope that with every picture I'll learn to love and accept myself just that little bit more x  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this - how do you learn to love yourself, and how can you improve your own body image? Let me know in the comments x