Collaborative / Partnered Post - Ways To Make Your Eyes Pop And Boost Your Self Confidence*

Whenever people say that they don't like a body part it usually something like your stomach or your thighs, and whilst I definitely have a love / hate relationship with those parts of my body, for me thanks to my facial paralysis it's my face, and in my particular my mouth and eyes.

They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul and whether that's true or not, your eyes are definitely a prominent feature and learning to love them  for me at least has been a real work in progress - they're not exactly something you can hide people look into them when they want to hold your attention, and avoid them when they don't. As well as performing an essential job, you're eyes play an important role in defining you, and showcasing the person who you are. 

From everyday beauty to glamorous "going out" looks, emphasising your eyes really draws people in and can really increase your self confidence. A lot of people really do feel that their eyes are their best feature, and even if like me you don't then maybe you can learn to love them, or at look at them a different way with the right techniques.

Give Your Lashes More Oomph

Nowadays when you look at someone a lot of the times the first thing you notice about their eyes are their lashes! Bigger and bolder than ever before lashes are the focus point for anyone who want to highlight their eyes. Whether your a fan of the current super long and thick tarantula look or not, everyone wants longer, darker, thicker and more curled lashes. As well as protecting your eyes from dirt and debris, when your lashes are on point then will both emphasise and frame your eyes. If you're not lucky enough to have naturally fabulous lashes, there are some great mascaras on the market, but if you really want that wow factor and that extra oomph, then try some premium lash extensions. They'll lengthen your lashes even further to get that ultimate long-lashed look that even the best mascara on it's own just can't do. Temporary lash extensions are easy to put on and just as easy to remove too, so you can use them whenever you like.

Find the Right Makeup

If you want to draw attention to your eyes then a little bit of Makeup can really make them pop. You don't need a make up collection like mine but if you really want to make a highlight your eyes then a little bit of make up can make all the difference. Now as you know I'm not really a liner fan but if you're confident in using it, team it up with some mascara, or some lashes, and a bit of eyeshadow to make your eyes really stand out. Add a bit of light reflection concealer here and then to hide those dark circles and add a bit of light around your eyes, and a bit of highlight or shimmery shadow to make them instantly look brighter and more alive. Stick to neutrals for an easy everyday look, but add a bit of sparkle or create a smokey, glam look for evenings, or be brave and play with some colour. As I always say make up is supposed to fun, there are no rules, play and experiment till your heart is content, and if you don't like it you can always wipe it off and start again!

Play with Glasses/No Glasses

Now I've been a glasses wearer for over 20 years now, and whilst at first I hated them with a passion, and they can still be pretty annoying at times, I've really embraced them, they've become a part of what I look like and I feel naked without them.If you wear glasses, don't think you have to ditch them to make the most of your eyes, and don't hide behind them, let your glasses highlight your eyes, and use them to your advantage. The key to making glasses work for you is finding a style that suits your face. Although oversized frames are popular, they're not right for everyone and could draw attention away from your eyes, I must admit I've experimented with frames a lot of the years (have a look way back to the very early days of the blog to see some examples of my glasses wearing journey!), from wire frames, to thinner letterbox styles, to the slightly over sized ones I have now, and I've loved them all for different reasons, and for the different looks and impressions that I've created with each frame. Choosing frames can be a minefield, there is just so much choice, the key thing is to not only choose the right frames for your prescription, but it's also important to choose frames that work for your face shape and colouring. Whether you're picking glasses for the first time or whether you fancy a change, try a few pairs on to find something that you love and that fits your personality and lifestyle.

I personally love my glasses, and whilst I'm personally not a fan of them, contact lenses are great for a change, and going glasses free gives your look a new dimension and can really help make your eyes the centre of attention.

Pay Attention to Your Eyebrows

Probably one of the most important part of framing your face and making your eyes stand out, if of your eyebrows, your eyes are the picture and your brows are the frame. Since I'm a glasses wearer for years I ignored my eyebrows, and let them go their own way, they weren't really on show so I just forgot about them, and then when I did start paying attention to them, I jumped on board the skinny brow trend, and over plucked them and destroyed the shape. 

Thankfully I have learnt from the error of my ways, and my brows and fuller, and occasionally a touch wayward, but by and large I keep them groomed and under control. Fill in your brows and define their shape to make them more attention-grabbing, and if you aren't sure what you're doing head to a professional for some advice, and once you've groomed them add a little bit of highlight on your brow bone, and a touch of concealer to make them really stand out. Whether you want dark magazine brows or something a bit more natural when your brows look good, they'll complement your eyes and make sure people know where to look.

Whether you love them or like me you're a bit more indifferent, making the most of your eyes can be a real confidence booster. If you look in the mirror and you see nice full lashes, a nice smokey eye, or a perfectly groomed brow, you're bound to feel better yourself, so whether you're going to job interview, on a date, or even to take something back to the shop, always try to make the best of yourself and even if you don't feel brave or confident, use the tools that you have to hold your head up high, make eye contact, and use those eyes to their full advantage!

*Collaborative / Partnered Post

Collaborative / Partnered Post - How To Feel More Beautiful And Improve Your Self Confidence In 2024*

Hey Guys, Welcome to my first post of 2024, so I guess I should start off by wishing you all a very Happy New Year. I really hope that it's a good one for all of us, and that this is the year when all of our dreams start to come true.

Whilst I'm not a huge believer in new years resolutions and putting unnecessary pressure on myself to achieve the impossible, I do always try to set myself a few achievable goals, and tasks that I would like to achieve not just over the next 12 months, but over the course of my life in general, and some of the biggies for this year, are to try and love myself a bit more, to care for myself a bit more, and to get a bit of self confidence and self belief back.

For as long as I can remember I've suffered from low levels of confidence. You name it I've felt it, from shyness, and anxiety to extreme self loathing - self confidence has always been an issue for me. The sad thing is that I'm not alone in that a lot of people struggle with low levels of confidence, but whilst I don't think the feeling ever completely goes away, there are a few things that you can try to boost your self esteem and feel better about yourself in 2024.

Dress Well

This sounds like such a simple one but it really can make all the difference. When your feeling rubbish about yourself it's all too tempting just to just dress down and to not really try, but the way you dress can have a huge impact on how you feel about yourself and how others feel about you as well. I know it can be hard when your lacking confidence in your appearance to wear even your 'safest' outfit, but as I've said before spending time working out your own personal style, and finding clothes that fit you, and flatter you, can really make a difference, so grab the bull by the horns, own your look, and if you really want to give yourself a little self confidence boost take a little peek into your underwear drawer.

Whilst people generally won't see your underwear ;) it doesn't mean that you shouldn't use it  as a tool, to make yourself more confident, more put together and even a little bit bit sexier. Try out different types of womens briefs to see which ones you would feel confident and comfortable wearing, and get a properly fitted bra, buy yourself some cute matching sets, for that put together feel, and buy yourself fun pieces, that make you smile - even if no one ever sees it, and your just wearing something cute or matching under a comfy t-shirt and some leggings around the house, as long as you feel comfortable, and cute that's all that matters.

Therapy 

Okay, from something effective but frivolous, to something a bit more serious, therapy or counselling. It might not be the first thing you would consider when you're looking at issues with self confidence but issues with self esteem and self belief can often have quite deep rooted causes. In my case it's probably down to childhood bullying, and insecurities about my facial paralysis, but for you it could be down to past relationships, or different issues from childhood, What ever the reason talking to somebody can really help you deal with an issues that you may have, and help you move forward. A lot of people feel uncomfortable and ashamed for reaching out to a professional but this shouldn't be the case, and we really need to start breaking down that stigma, and getting the help that we need.

Posture 

This next one sounds a little strange, but it's something that I definitely need to work and that is posture.

To be honest this could be a goal in itself, but when you think about it your posture has a huge impact on your self confidence and on how you appear to others around you. If you have poor posture, and you're hunched over, trying to make yourself look small, then you’re going to look unsure of yourself and uneasy, and you're going to disappear into the crowd. People around you, especially those in the workplace or in a professional setting, will immediately assume that you don’t have confidence in what you are saying or what you are doing. This could not only have a negative impact on your professional life, but also in personal relationships. Posture is actually one of the easiest things to improve, there are loads of videos, exercises, and instructions online for you to try. Just throw in a few yoga or pilates sessions for the new year, and you could see some results in a couple of weeks.

Skin Treatment 

One of the key reasons people lack self confidence (holds my hands up!), is that they don't like what they see in the mirror, and to be honest that's a difficult one to remedy but even if you're not a fan of what you see, there are things that you can do and that you can control to help give your self confidence a boost. A big part of enhancing your natural beauty is looking after your skin. If your skin doesn’t look great and looks rough, or dull, or shiny, then it’s always going to impact how you feel about yourself. Fortunately in this day and age, a good skincare routine can make all the difference. For example, like so many of us if your skin in a bit drier at this time of year, then you might want to switch up your moisturising routine. As we get older, our skin finds it harder to retain moisture so our collagen depletes leaving our skin drier and slacker, adding in a serum or two, a facial oil or even a slightly heavier moisturiser could make all the difference, improving your skin tone and texture, and your self esteem at the same time.

So if you look in the mirror and your skin doesn't quite look how you want it too, visit a salon or a beauty counter, have a read of some blogs, or a look on social media, or in extreme cases see a dermatologist, and either switch up your current routine, or create a new skincare routine from scratch. I can't guarantee that you'll love your reflection but even as a worst case scenario, it will give you one less thing to dislike.

Improving your self confidence and self esteem won't happen overnight, but making the best of yourself, and tackling some of those underlying issues, can definitely play a part. I know it's hard but please remember you are a fabulous person, and you are as good as anyone else out there, you have as much right as anyone else to do what you like, wear what you, and to be heard and don't let anyone ever tell otherwise x Do you have any hints and tips for improving self confidence? If you do please let me know in the comments x

*Collaborative / Partnered Post

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

Collaborative / Partnered Post - A Few Ways To Help Boost Your Self Confidence And Self Belief*

When people meet me for the first time, a lot of them think that I'm bristling with self confidence I talk 20 to the dozen and generally seem quite comfortable in my own skin, but scratch a little bit below the surface, and they'd soon see that a lot of the times it's just an act. I've never had a lot of self belief or self confidence, I was a notoriously shy child, and even one of my best friends used to call my mouse girl when we first met at university. It's only the last 10 - 15 years that I've actually started to feel comfortable in my own skin, and as a result I've developed a more confident and positive outlook.

Self confidence and self belief, though isn't a fixed think. Even people who consider themselves as bubbly, positive and happy human beings, can sometimes have a crisis of confidence. This could be because of a certain trigger like your overbearing boss at work telling you that you are underachieving. It could be that you feel inferior to all of the super toned individuals in the gym, or those gorgeous people on Instagram, or it might be because you are generally feeling down and you can’t pinpoint any real cause

Although it seems like such a minor thing, our confidence levels are crucial to help us to maintain a positive outlook on life. When you're feeling confident and positive, you can feel more empowered to take on life’s challenges. When you're lacking in self confidence you can be unwilling to try new things, and to try and achieve your goals for fear of failure, if you're not feeling great confidence wise at the moment, there are a few general ways in which you give you self confidence a boost.

Get Active

While those bronzed bodies and gym bunnies may be preventing you from feeling comfortable on the treadmill or having fun in your favourite Zumba class, there is generally no excuse to remain sedentary. Instead, consider heading outdoors and having some fun jogging around your local park or partaking in a bike ride. If you don’t fancy going it alone, consider roping in a pal to keep you company. This can make exercising a more social activity that you can enjoy with friends.

Being outside will also help you to soak up some much needed Vitamin D (something which I and a lot of people in the UK lack!) which can help regulate your body clock, and help you to sleep better. Natural sunlight is a natural mood lifter so try to get outdoors for at least thirty minutes every day. This is especially important if you work from home or if you have a desk job.

Alas being active and getting fit isn't something that I can do that much of, jogging is a distant memory for me, but even I can manage a little walk around the block or a couple of minutes walk everyday enjoying my surroundings, and experiencing nature, so what if it's raining, grab and umbrella and a waterproof jacket, believe me you'll feel so much better if potentially a little bit soggy when you come back. Changes don't have to massive but even making tiny changes to your daily routine can make a small difference to your mental health.

Image

I firmly believe that my own self confidence issues boil down to my facial palsy, although I've learned to accept myself now, bullying, and name calling can really effect how you see yourself. In this day and age, of social media perfection, more and more of us are self conscious about their looks and appearance. The first thing I would say to that is that you're perfect the way you are please believe that - but if aspects of your appearance are causing to lack confidence in social situations then don't be frightened to look for solutions If you suffer from a condition like acne, all is not lost. While the scarring on your face may make you feel embarrassed or anxious, you could head to your doctor and ask about new drugs like erythromycin. After taking this drug for six weeks, you could see a huge reduction in your acne. There is a wealth of information about Zineryt that is the brand of choice for many medical professionals. Whilst my acne wasn't horrendous as a teenager I did end up seeing my GP about it - I promise they won't dismiss your concerns, and they will help you find a solution.

As someone whose been a size 10 and a size 22, I know all about how weight can effect how you feel about yourself. To be honest probably had as many days being self conscious about my body at both ends of the weight spectrum but if you're really unhappy with your body shape, then again seek professional help. If you want to lose a few pounds though, then it's easy enough to make some small changes to your diet. I'm not big on the whole diet and denial thing, eat those "naughty things" in moderation. and try and swap the sugary chocolate snacks and saturated fat laden meals for more fruit, green leafy vegetables and lean meat and fish. Forget about having to rely on meat and go vegan or if that's to much for you, go meat free for a couple of days each week to maximise your antioxidant intake and to help boost your mood. With a new eating plan, you might be able to lose a few pounds which might help boost your self confidence, and improve your body image

As I said before body image has probably taken a battering since the emergence of social media. Instagram is the most visual of these platforms with plenty of perfectly filtered selfies and lifestyles appearing in your feed every day. Even though you know that these photographs are often faked by a spot of Amaro or Holga filtering, you can’t help but feel envious or inferior. While Instagram aims to be aspirational, it has morphed into a damaging tool that has a negative impact on people’s health. Instead of scrolling through your social media feeds for hours on end, take a detox. While difficult to begin with, you can swap your screen time for something more beneficial in the real world. Head for coffee with pals, go and see a movie or enjoy relaxing with a long hot soak in the tub, or do what I've done and unfollow people who make you miserable. Remember a lot of people only post what they want you to see, you don't see them sitting in front of the TV, eating cereal with no make up on, and wearing a past it's best jumper covered in cat hair. People curate their images to create an image of perfection, they will have a their bad skin, untidy house, rubbish days the same as you do. Keep this thought in your head take a step back and I can guarantee you'll start feeling happier better about yourself, and a bit more confident to boot.

Do Something New

As the old saying goes a change really is as good as a rest. Switch your routine up and if you fancy trying something new, be brave and go for it. By taking the plunge and doing something that is naturally a little scary, you can boost your self confidence. If you fancy trying out for the local ladies football team, go for it. If you want to learn the piano, book yourself in for a taster session. And if you want to have a go at a cake decorating course, enrol yourself in an evening class. There are so many evening classes at local colleges, and a lot of local community centres offer everything from yoga classes, to writers groups and art classes. 

There are plenty of things that you can do to help increase your confidence levels, don't let fear rule your life, if you want to do something do it. Yes it can be scary going into a room of people you don't know for the first time, but meeting new people and making new friends helps to extend your social circle and it also might help you to learn a new skill. Try something new, meet new people, and improve your self esteem.

Travel

To say that heading overseas and partaking in a spot of solo travel can be daunting, is an understatement, and it's would be a huge thing to do for the majority of people to do. However, it needn’t be, and lots of people, are now holidaying alone, enjoying their own company, and finding out a little bit more about themselves along the way. Travelling to another part of the world could see you immersing yourself in new cultures and trying new cuisine. Being somewhere totally new and speaking a different language forces you to rely on your own wits and you will find yourself in unfamiliar situations. Working out your own itinerary and solving problems on route will help boost your self confidence.

Take some holiday that you are owed from work or ask for an unpaid sabbatical so you can embark on your own wanderlust adventure. Think about the sort of destinations you would like to visit. Do you want to head to Iceland to look for the Northern Lights, or perhaps you’d like a physical adventure and trekking the Inca Trail is more up your street, or maybe you’d rather enjoy the beach life of Goa or the Maldives and a relaxing break is just what the doctor ordered. Whatever it is that you want to do and whatever vistas you want to see, ensure that you bite the bullet and get yourself booked on a flight. Book your accommodation and plan your travel to ensure that you can enjoy the trip of a lifetime. You will return oozing with self confidence, but if that's a tiny bit much for your there lots of travel companies that specifically focus on lone travellers, so you could explore somewhere new and meet new friends at the same time.

Self confidence is a funny thing, even a tiny comment from an acquaintance, or a message from someone online, or even a picture that we see online, can change how we feel about ourselves - a positive comment and our confidence soars, something negative, and a cycle of self loathing begins or is intensified. Whilst some of the things that I've mentioned can help you improve out self belief and self confidence. It's important to start with you - read these words, and remember them - you are as good as anyone else, you look amazing, you have an amazing personality, and you are a great person, don't ever let anyone make you feel anything less than what you are x

*Collaborative / Partnered Post

Collaborative / Partnered Post - Small Steps To Help Improve Your Smile*

Confidence comes in many different forms. Whether it’s losing weight so you’re more comfortable with your body image, grooming yourself more elegantly or even trying to improve your posture, there are many things that we can do that will help to improve our confidence. and one of the most important things is smiling.

In my case though that's pretty ironic, as some one with facial nerve paralysis my smile more often than not was the one thing that destroyed my confidence. I spent years hating the fact that I was "different" and hating my "crooked", non symmetrical smile. I still have days now where I look in the mirror and wish that I was "normal', but now I try to embrace my smile, and it's uniqueness.

Smiling is a beneficial thing that helps us in many different ways, but like me, there are a lot of people who are just unhappy with the way that they smile. More often than not the reasons aren't as dramatic as mine, it's usually because they don't feel that their teeth are perfect. They could be unsightly, misaligned or even not as white as they could be. Some people may have lost teeth, and others might be really conscious about the smell of their breath - there really are so many reasons why people don't like flashing those pearly whites - So in this post, I'm going to show you a couple of steps that you can take to help you improve both your smile and your self confidence.

Source

1. Don’t try to do everything alone, speak to a specialist

There are far too many home remedies and tricks on the internet that simply don’t work, or that are in fact can be quite dangerous - so step away from that bottle of bleach and talk to someone who actually knows what they're doing!. Before trying those at-home methods of cleaning, and whitening your teeth, it's best to speak to a specialist such as Stella Maris Dental to get a proper clinical assessment before you decide to make any major changes to the way you approach your dental health or try something that you saw on the internet.

2. Upgrade your daily dental hygiene routine

There are many different ways to keep your teeth clean at home, but you might want to take a look at your regular dental hygiene routine to ensure that you’re taking good care of your teeth. You should be brushing at least twice a day; once when you wake up and once when you go to bed. If you’re serious about improving your smile, then you’ll also want to brush after meals to ensure that no food debris is laying around. Regular flossing will also make a huge difference because it cleans even those hard to reach areas where you just can't get a toothbrush.

3. Avoid coffee, tea and wine

Sorry to be a killjoy but it's a fact that these drinks can easily stain your teeth and should be avoided where ever possible. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you have to remove them completely from your diet, but if you’re able to cut down on them then you’ll see a drastic improvement in the sparkle of your teeth. Seriously though, if you're like me and you need that odd glass or red or that daily caffeine hit in your life then rinsing your mouth or having a light brush after consuming one of these drinks will help keep those stains at bay.

4. Have something to smile about

Let’s face it; forcing a smile is difficult and often kind of weird. If you genuinely have something to laugh and smile about then it makes it a lot easier for you to genuinely pull off a smile that you can be confident about. As a result, you want to surround yourself with positivity and give yourself something to smile about. Believe me though I know that isn't the easiest thing to do, and on some days it might be pretty much impossible but how ever much I struggle I try to find something good in every day, there should always be something that will make you smile, be it a memory, a good cup of coffee, or even a funny meme, sometimes the good things just take a bit of finding.

Smiling comes with many benefits and improving your confidence is just one of them. I hope that this post has helped you understand how you can take some small steps to help you to restore your smile and improve your teeth so that you can use it as a way to not only improve your dental health but also as a way to boost your confidence, and your self esteem.

*Collaborative / Partnered Post 

Happy 11th Birthday LouLouLand !

Well there were times over the last 12 months that I didn't think that I would make it this far but I have and today my blog is celebrating it's 11th birthday.

About this time every year I normally write a post sharing some of my wisdom about blogging and what I've learnt over the last however many years. I don't really want to repeat myself too much so all I can say is that most of what I've learnt in the past 10 or so years still applies.

Over the last 12 months or so I've struggled on so many levels, and it's probably pretty obvious to most of you that I've struggled when it comes to blogging as well.

A lot of that has been to do with personal things and health issues but at times I've really felt as though that my blog has ran it's course.

There is no doubt that blogging has become harder and harder as time has gone on, there are so many bloggers out there now that you sometimes feel as though your getting lost in a sea of people with way more talent, charisma and presence than you will ever have.

I've talked on several occasions about finding your own niche, about going your own way, and doing your own thing, and not comparing yourself to others but I'm not going to lie it's easier said than done at times.

If you're lacking in the old self belief and self confidence thing it really doesn't take a lot to make you question on whether it's all worth while and whether any one would really care if you just hit the delete button and moved on! Then though, I look back at everything that's happened to me because of blogging and then I think yeah, I may not have kazillions of followers and get sent on press trips to the Maldives ;) but I'm doing pretty well thank you very much! I've worked with some amazing brands, I've met some lovely people and I've had so many lovely messages and emails over the years from readers that just makes it all worth while.

I guess what I'm trying to say is never give up on anything, look at how far you've come, how hard you've worked and what you've achieved so far. Obviously we all want to be right up there and be the best that we can be, but beating ourselves up and thinking that we're a failure because of a few numbers on a screen or because you don't get a cute package through the post or invited to the event of your dreams, isn't the way to go and that's the one piece of advice that I would give anyone who wants to be a blogger - don't use things like that to value your own self worth!

Although I'm finding myself using it more and more, I'm not a huge fan of the term small blogger, or small You Tuber, believe me when I say that there are way more of those then they are of the big boys! There are so many amazing bloggers and content producers out there that don't have a ton of subscribers and followers, and whilst I hope upon hope that they do get the recognition they deserve at the same time I really hope that even if they don't, they don't give up and they keep doing what they love, after all that's what it's all about at the end of the day.

I originally set my blog up to explore things that I love including fashion, beauty, food and home style, and whilst at time I've fallen out with the whole blogging thing, and the politics and stresses behind it at times, I haven't fell out of love with why I started blogging and maybe that is what's kept me going for 11 years.

So you haven't got rid of me that easily! I'm still here and when I'm up to it I'm still going to be sharing my life and my loves with you, so thank you again and again for all of your support, and for all of  your lovely comments and messages over the years I really do appreciate it more than you will ever know x

Breaking Fashion Rules And Accepting Yourself The Way You Are - OOTD

Like most people I have pretty much a love / hate relationship with Facebook, at times it irritates the hell out of me so I probably don't spend as much time on it as I used but it's still a valuable tool for helping me keep in touch with my friends and family, and every now and then, in between the memes and the cat videos, I do see the odd article that really makes me think.

I recently say something on Facebook, about a plus size, curvy lady who was posting pictures of her outfits online. Nothing unusual about that I hear you say, well no but in this case this women was told that she shouldn't wear a bikini because of her size, so to get back at the haters and prove that women can wear whatever the hell they want, she posted pictures of herself on social media breaking every plus size, fashion taboo out there and wearing everything from bikinis, to leggings and cropped tops,

My immediate reaction was that she was brave, but when I sat and thought about it, I came to the realisation that she's not brave at all, she's not doing anything scary she's just living her best life and accepting every inch of her beautiful and functional body for what it is. If she's happy in herself and with what she's wearing then good for her, what business is it of anybody else's what she wears and what she looks like!

The only opinion that matters when you look in the mirror should be your own, but thanks to the images of the perfect face and body that we faced with everyday, more and more people are suffering from a distorted view of themselves. Instead of looking at the positives when they look in the mirror, some people can only see their faults.

Whilst I would safely say that I'm more comfortable in my own skin now then I have been in a long time, some days I look in the mirror and I hate the girl that's staring back at me. I'm not even sure most of the time why I feel that way - I know my facial palsy can play a part but I also know that I've felt the same at times when I've been a size 8 and a size 20 so although my weight is playing a part at the moment it's not the only thing that causes me to feel so down on myself.

Quote Found On Facebook No Source Given

What can I do about it? well at the moment I'm focusing on self care, like I said in my last post I'm trying to find the positives in life, and I'm looking in the mirror everyday and trying to find something about myself that I like, today is a bad day so it's just my ears, hopefully tomorrow I'll be feeling more positive and it will be something larger and a bit more noticeable.

In what seems like a contradiction I'm also spending a bit of time on social media, I'm spending my time looking at a lot of plus sized fashion bloggers, and I've also been watching this fabulous BBC Three piece from one of my favourite, fellow North East bloggers Katie Meehan. All of these lovely ladies just ooze confidence and self belief and I'm hoping that a little bit of that might rub off on me.

As the saying goes if you can't beat them join and that's exactly what i intend to do. Despite my current curvier, silhouette I still love clothes and fashion as much as I ever did, and although you seem to see a lot of clothes that I buy you never seem to see me wearing them. From now on though that is going to change I can't guarantee it's going to be a weekly thing but I'm going to bring the outfit of the day posts back to LouLouLand. Even if I don't always like what I see in the mirror, I'm going to be getting myself out there and trying to accept myself for what I am.

I thought I'd start off with one of those breaking plus size, fashion rules posts. Apparently if your curvy horizontal stripes are a big no no. Guess what though? I love them and I always have, from when I was a child, to when I was a size 8 I've always loved wearing horizontal stripes, and even though it's supposedly a fashion no, no for curvy girls, I'm going to carry on wearing them regardless of what anyone else thinks.

I wore this outfit to the recent Intu Metrocentre Spring / Summer Fashion VIP Event and I loved it. The dress is made of a super soft, comfortable, stretchy jersey, and I love the way the up and down, shark bite hem swished around my legs. The weather on the night wasn't very spring like so I teamed it with tights and chunky ankle boots, but I also think that this dress would look great with bare legs and sandals or short white or black converse. I finished the look with a long line statement necklace, and a faux leather black biker style, bomber jacket also from Simply Be that isn't pictured.

What I Wore

Black / Ivory Stripe Asymmetric Hanky Hem Dress - Simply Be 

Black Opaque Tights - Primark

Black Chunky Heel Chelsea Boots - Studio

Heart Charm Necklace - Ebay Seller - mandymax1971

Mummy Lou's photography skills are definitely improving, I just need to work out on my posing skills. I like the idea of shooting outside but you can tell I'm dealing with the elements it was windy, and thanks to the glare on my lenses I'm squinting slightly! So you've got a squinting grimace, and a resting bitch face. I'm never happy but the fact that I'm actually putting the pictures out there speaks volumes. I've got things to work but this is all about positivity and accepting myself the way I am, it's a work in progress and hopefully it will be one that I will share with you, with more outfit posts in the future x 

Hair Loss And Me - The RESEED Complete Hair Loss System*

When I was a little girl my hair really was my crowning glory, it was long, thick, glossy and almost poker straight, and do you know what? I really miss it. Whilst ill advised hair cuts, styling and bad dye jobs have played their part, long term illness and heavy medication means that my poor hair is now a shadow of its former self all be it, a thin, lank, frizzy, wavy version

I can cope with the change in texture by embracing the curl or pulling out the straighteners but I've found the thinning harder to cope with. On average a human being loses around 150 hairs a day, through normal activity such as washing, and brushing but for whatever reason, be it hormones, medication, illness or stress, some people lose an awful lot more and unfortunately I'm one of those people. Whilst hair loss has historically been seen as more of a male problem, women account for 40% of all hair loss sufferers.

You could say I've been lucky, I've never suffered from any bald patches and I still have a lot of hair but when your hair starts to thin it affects your confidence and self esteem, just think about how you feel when you have a bad hair day, it's like that, only every day. Every time I washed my hair, brushed it or even just ran my hands through it, strands and strands, and occasionally chunks of hair came out and either fell down the plug hole, or fell onto the floor and clogged up the hoover. The picture below shows all of the hair that I removed from the shower trap after just one gentle shampoo.

It's frustrating but all you can do is just take care of your hair, and scalp the best way that you can. I think that's probably one of the reasons that I'm so obsessed with trying out new hair products, I'm always on the look out for that miracle product be it a supplement, a serum or conditioner that will restore my poorly tresses back to their former glory,

Way back in November I received in an email that made me think that miracles can happen. It was on behalf of a new brand called RESEED, that specialise in hair thickening products for both men and women. Using the latest innovations and technologies, this range which has taken over 15 years to develop, is environmentally conscious and they only use the purest of ingredients and natural extracts. All of their products are also dermatologically tested, and they aren't tested on animals and they don't use suppliers who partake in animal testing.

The RESEED line is divided into two ranges, one for men and one for women, each range contains a shampoo, a conditioner, a serum, a botanical solution, and some oral supplements. I was given the opportunity to try out the RESEED system for myself, and I was sent all of the women's products bar the supplements to try out and review for you.

All of the products in the range come boxed and come with full instructions which you should really read before your start. The products basically provide you with a 12 weeks system, which advises you which products to use and when. This sounded a bit scary at first but it's really easy to follow, and the products are simple and pleasurable to use.

RESEED Ginkgo and Sabal Fortifying Shampoo For Women 250ml*

The cornerstone for any hair care routine is a shampoo but it's something that's so easy to get wrong. A bad shampoo can strip and damage the hair but a good one can make all of the difference.
The RESEED Ginkgo and Sabal Fortifying Shampoo, aims to improve scalp health and to leave the hair looking and feeling fuller and healthier. It is specially designed to restore and strengthen the hair, and to help prolong the life cycle of each strand of hair.

It contains Ginkgo Biloba to stimulate, and revitalise the scalp and the hair follicles, and Sabal extract which comes from a type of palm plant and has been found to inhibit the scary sounding Dihydrotestosterone or DHT which is a molecule that has been linked to male pattern baldness. It also contains antioxidants and vitamins B5, B6, E, F, and Zinc for general hair health.

Packaged in a matte white bottle with black print, the bottle has a easy to use flip top cap. The shampoo itself has a clear, gel texture, and a pleasant herbal, almost fruity scent

Mix just a small amount with water, and you get a lovely fine, creamy lather. If your in a rush you can rinse it straight out, but RESEED recommend that you leave the lather on the hair for a couple of minutes before giving your hair a good rinse. The lather rinses out easily leaves the hair feeling clean and almost plumped. It isn't the most nourishing shampoo I've ever use but I do really like it, I love the smell, it's easy to use, and rinse out and it leaves, your hair and scalp feeling fresh and healthy. The RESEED Ginkgo and Sabal Fortifying Shampoo For Women comes in a 250ml bottle and retails at around £25.


RESEED Wheat Bran Ultra Volume Conditioner for Women 250 ml*

For years and years I used to just wash my hair and go - Conditioner was more often than not a step that I just didn't have the time for. How wrong was I though if you want healthy hair, and a healthy scalp you need to need to use a conditioner to give your hair that moisture boost and to protect the hair against daily stresses and strains.

The Wheatbran Ultra Volume Conditioner that comes in the RESEED range is designed for all hair types and it's designed to protect the hair from thermal and UV damage, it's also designed to help preserve hair colour and protect the hair from environmental damage, and lifestyle stresses.

The advanced formulation has been specifically created using a variety of herbal ingredients to improve the density of the hair and strengthen the roots. It also contains pomegranate extract and UV filters to help maintain hair colour, and lightweight hydrating and nourishing ingredients to add shine, improve hair manageability and to prevent hair breakage

Like the shampoo it comes in a matte white, plastic bottle, with black lettering and a black flip top cap to help you distinguish it from the shampoo. It's has a creamy lotion texture and it's off white in colour. I'm useless at describing scents but this one just has a gentle, herbal scent, that strangely enough reminds me of hair conditioners from my childhood.

You use it just like you would a regular hair conditioner - just wash your hair with the accompanying shampoo, then gently massage a generous amount of the product into your hair and scalp -since it isn't the thickest of formula's it massages in really easily without any pulling or tugging. Then you can either leave it for a few minutes or for a more intensive treatment you can leave it for around 5-10 minuted before rinsing.

It rinses out really easily which is an essential when your hair is at its weakest and in my experience my hair was again left feeling a little bit fuller, and it was left looking and feeling separated and detangled - exactly what you need when your hair gets as knotty as mine does.

If you like a thick and heavy conditioner, or if you have really dry hair then this conditioner probably wouldn't be enough for you but for me it was perfect. It definitely gave me hair a moisture boost, but most of all the light weight texture meant that it didn't weigh my hair down, instead it left my hair feeling smooth, and detangled.

The RESEED Wheatbran Ulta Volume Conditioner For Women comes in 250ml bottle and retails at around £28.

RESEED R12 Tri Peptide Active  Hair Serum For Women - 30ml*

Shampoo's and conditioners are a staple in most peoples hair care routine but being a treatment regime, RESEED takes take your whole hair care routine to another level.

This serum is probably the most hyped and power packed product in the range. Containing a wide variety of specially chosen plant extracts including ginseng, mulberry and japonica, this serum attacks hair problems head on.

It's designed to help thicken and strengthen the hair, working on the roots, and the follicles to encourage and stimulate hair growth and  volume. With regular use, the high concentrations of ingredients can lead to stronger, healthier hair which is less prone to dryness, damage and breakage. This really is the hero product in the range and with good reason, during clinical trials after just 8 weeks participants found that there was a significant changes in the rate of hair growth.

Packaged in a hard, glass or plastic bottle, this product comes with an ingenious dropper type, twist lid. The serum itself looks a little underwhelming, it actually looks exactly like water, it's a clear, liquid with a water like consistency, and no discernible scent

For the first two weeks of the 3 month RESEED system, you need to apply a few drops to the hair 4 times at week, and from weeks 3-12, you then only apply it once a week, and then if you want to continue the treatment you go back it applying it 4 times a week.
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It easy enough to use, after washing and drying your hair you just apply a few drops of serum to your problem areas, gently massaging it into the hair and scalp with your finger tips until it's fully absorbed. Most of the time I massage into into all of my hair and scalp, but on occasions I specifically concentrated on my problems areas focusing on my hair line and my crown.

When you're using a whole system or regime it's hard to say whether or not an individual product has made a difference so at the end of the post I'm going to talk about about the whole regime rather than trying to talk about whether this product alone made a difference

RESEED R8 Botanical Solution for Women 50 ml*

The final product I tried for the RESEED range is another serum, and it's another product designed to help, and make the best of weak and damaged here.

This serum, or liquid is designed again to work on the roots and the follicles of the hair, to produce strong, thick and healthy hair. Crammed full of plant and herbal ingredients including nettle, horsetail, green tea, arnica, rosemary, fennel, thyme and chamomile, this solution is designed to reduce that production of nasty DHT, and stimulate, refresh and protect the hair and scalp.

In the RESEED 12 week system, you starting using this product from weeks 3-12, you use it twice a week on days when you aren't using the RESEED R12 Tri Peptide Active  Hair Serum For Women.

Again packaged in a solid dropper style bottle, again this product has a very liquidy, water like solution, this time though it's brown in colour that reminds me a bit of strong. It has a strong herbal scent which reminds me a little bit of really cheap cola ;)

Unlike the hair serum, you need to apply the Botanical Solution, to washed and towel dried, damp hair. You can either apply a few drops into the hands or you can apply it directly onto the scalp. Then starting at the centre of the scalp gently massage the solution into the hair and scalp for around 5 minutes. Massage is key with this product, as it not only helps the product to absorb but the gentle massage also helps to stimulate the scalp

Again it's hard to review one product in a whole regime but what I will say about this one is that if you have a sensitive, itchy or flaky scalp, then this is definitely something to try. I'm just prone to itches everywhere and sometimes I want to rip the skin both off my body and my scalp, but this product has definitely made a difference since I introduced it into my routine, my scalp is way less itchy, and it doesn't seem anywhere near as dry

The RESEED R8 Botanical Solution for Women comes in a 50ml bottle and retails for around £45

My Results

So what do I think and what results have I seen? Well after the first shampoo and condition I saw an immediate difference, my hair was left not only cleaner but it also seemed smoother and plumper.
When I started to introduce the serums though that's when I started to see a real difference - it wasn't instantaneous and my hair didn't improve overnight but over the past few months I have seen a definite improvement.

I'm still losing hairs here and there but now at least I can run my finger through it, wash it, straighten it or tie it back without losing hamster size chunks, I still lose a few strands but I'm probably closer to the average of 150 hairs a day than I used to be. I'm also noticing less breakage around my hairline and instead of having a few inch long hairs, there now nearly all at least 3 inches long

I've also noticed a significant change in the overall length, thickness and health of my hair. I seem to have more hair than I used to and it's now taking longer to dry. It also seems to have a bit more of a shine, and as I said previously my scalp is less itchy and less dry.

My hair is still no where near as good as it was when I was child, but over the last few months I've seen a noticeable change thanks to using these products. This is only my experience and I can't guarantee that yours would be the same but if your a constantly bad hair day then this range could be something to try.

Personally I'm nearly finished a few of the products now and whilst I would love to keep going with the whole RESEED regime, for some people including me at times I think it has quite a prohibitive price point. The whole women's regime retails at around £154 but personally when I consider the results I've seen and all of quality ingredients and research that's gone into the line, I think it's a price worth paying, for the self confidence that a good hair day brings.

The RESEED range is currently available to buy from Natural Care Inc and John Bell & Croydon. and it should be available in most larger Boots stores later this year. You can also find out more about the RESEED range from their official website x Thanks for reading and if you have any questions please leave me a comment and I'll do my best to answer x

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