COLD WINTER MORNINGS #spon

When it comes to pamper days, I go all out.

It's not often that I get the chance anymore. Although I have university three days a week, the added time invested "outside" of those four walls is spent in meetings with the team, preparing presentation work for various modules and written assignments - and that takes up a hell of a lot of my week. Plus the added pressure of a part time job, anddd meeting up with friends, it means that I don't actually spend much time at home. Yes, it's great for my anxiety being out the house a lot, but it's not so great for my face.

I've been breaking out sooooo much lately, my hair has been feeling dry and looking dull and overall I just don't feel that great - the cold weather does that to you.

So last weekend I tried to slow down and relax. And my new gift was a big help.

A couple weeks ago, Eden's Semilla asked whether they could send me some products of theirs to review, and I said yes, and opted for their Vitamin E Oil, to help nourish my skin and hair, and get them smooth and supple again to combat the harsh effects of the winter..

 I started my pamper off early, around 8am, and started the day off with a warm shower. I put a hair mask in, stirring in some of the oil for added goodness, slapped a face mask on, put on my favourite pj's, had some vegan junk food (Linda McCartney vegan sausages fried and put into a toasted bagel with hummus, grilled red bell pepper, grilled sweet potato and salad leaves) and binge watched The Good Wife, Gilmore Girls, The Get Down and some other faves from Netflix.

I then proceeded to watch a ton of YouTube. I love YouTube.

About the Oil: Topical vitamin E contains excellent healing properties for tired or damaged looking skin. A rich blend of organic Jojoba and Rosehip delivers a natural carrier oil that is easily absorbed, fast acting and full of natural goodness. Hydrates and nourishes all in one.

And the oil does just that. My skin felt nourished after popping it on after that shower, and a week later after continued use, my skin feels a lot healthier. My hair also has a shine like no other! I was shocked! The oil is thin and non-greasy, meaning it was able to give my hair a glow without weighing it down, but at the same time keeping it moisturised.

Eden's Semilla Vitamin E Oil retails for £12.95 for their 120ml bottle. They sell their products through Amazon, which means you'll get a fast and tracked delivery, and your new favourite product will be with you within a couple days. They also have a few other oils on their website that would be good to check out (and a few facial serums which I'm super excited to try!).

Hope this post inspired you to start taking care of yourself, the winter can be a harsh one for the skin.

Lots of Love,

Christina x

https://www.edenssemilla.com/

HUNGOVER SATURDAYS AND BECOMING VEGAN

So I'm thinking of going vegan.

Well, I say vegan, I'm more pescatarian at the moment, which means I am a vegetarian that also eats fish - the end goal is to be vegan. And I can't lie, I have to say I'm enjoying it. I actually went completely vegan for a couple weeks back in May, because one of my best friends at work was vegan, and as you guys know I worked in a kitchen for a year, so being vegan was a bit embarrassing for her - being in the environment that we were in, as well as the language barrier - but she stuck at it because she loves animals and doesn't want to contribute to their demise, period. I thought I'd give it a shot, and it turned out to be great, I really loved it after a while, I had a lot more energy, I felt lighter, I could actually justify eating more because I needed to intake more calories to get all the nutrients I needed for the day in - it was a really good time.

Fast-forward to September, and I had been diagnosed with anemia, was waiting on further blood test results, had a MRI scan in the near future for my chronic migraines (recently got those results, I'm all clear), was moving back to Birms to start Year 3 of university and I was back to feeling terrible. I had started to eat meat again, wasn't eating nearly enough fruit and veg, my life revolved around carbs (croissants u r bae) and I wasn't enjoying my food anymore. Relocating actually helped me to reflect on the past year as I started to go into the months when I usually don't feel so great (I get really bad S.A.D. in winter, and my anxiety teams up with that to make the whole period a fun, fun time.).

As cliche as it sounds, sunny weather and good food improves my mood, so incorporating more good things into my diet was always something I wanted to do as I now had the opportunity to - I was the one filling up my fridge. And a couple documentaries later, and deeper research into where out food actually comes from, and the effect modern day farming has on the planet, I quit eating meat.

I don't know where it'll go from here, but I have to say I feel lighter. I can't say I'm eating the best that I could be at the moment, but I am still taking my supplements, still trying to have fruit as often as possible (I tend to go off fruit in the winter months) and I am generally trying to stay positive. My mental health can be a bitch if I haven't got a good support system - of recent that hasn't been too much of a problem.

In the next few weeks expect a few vegan/vegetarian/pescetarian posts, and the occasional one about me crying about my deteriorating mental health down to the decrease of my banana intake.

With Love,

Christina x