Raven Symones "I'm an American" comment

Today i watched an interview with Raven Symone on Oprah's "Where are they now?" Show. During the interview Raven said that she did not wish to be labelled, and stated "I'm an American, I'm not an African-American". And i thought finally! Although I am a white British woman I have always found the term African-American mind boggling and offensive. Why does a black American who has been raised in America like their parents and grandparents before them, have to put African infront of their nationality?! I couldn't imagine calling someone African-British. I completly agree with Raven and am glad she spoke out about how this label makes her feel. What shocked me was the first "African-American" billionaires reaction. Oprah's first thought was twitter being on fire with disgrace and then asked intently to explain what Raven means exactly by saying she does not consider herself African as well as American. For someone I looked at as an inspirational woman who empowers others I quickly became aware of how uncomfortable she was in the presence of a young woman having the courage to say she is not defined by the colour of her skin. I wish that when Raven had said that brave, empowering and inspiring statement she had been given a positive response from her interviewer, instead of being told by the most famous black woman in the world that she's going to get a lot of stick for saying that accompanied with quite a pissed off look.  Surely being defined simply by your skin colour is racist, and I believe Raven was only saying why am i being referred to as an American originally from a different country based on my skin colour? She is a true role model and i applaude her for speaking out.

My MakeUp Routine

Hi guys, I thought today I would share with you my current makeup routine/ back to school makeup look. 

 

Products used:

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

Real Techniques Blush Brush

Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation

Benefit Hoola Bronzer

 NYC blush stick Soho Pink

Rimmel stay matte powder

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in soft and gentle

Mac Select Cover up 

Emite Eyelash Curlers

Charlotte Tilbury Mascara

Sleek Pout Polish in Bare Minimum

Essence Long lasting lipstick in Natural Beauty

TV Show's I'm Loving!

I'll jump straight in with my favorite TV show at the moment which is the brilliant Breaking Bad! Having recently subscribed to netflix ( I know, tad late on the bandwagon) the first series I started watching was Breaking Bad having heard such rave reviews about it, and I'm not disappointed. I'm currently on Series 3, and for those of you don't know what it's about basically a chemistry teacher with cancer, and a drug dealing former student of his form an unlikely partnership cooking Crystal Meth. In case you are planning to watch it I will leave it at that, but as you can imagine it gets a lot more complex. And Aaron Paul is incredibly HOT! Definitely worth a watch.

                                                       
                                                    



Next is Operation Wild and The Zoo, I'm going to put them together because they're very similar and obviously both about animals which I love! So first off is Operation Wild which is on BBC One on Wednesday evenings, and Clare Balding travels around the world visiting both Zoo's with captive wild animals and the African Plains helping loose injured or sick animals. I am such an animal lover so I love any programme that involves animals, but I find this so interesting because Vets are starting to use technology like CAT scans for a seal, and skin grafts on a young Rhino who had been poached. It's often really emotional but usually has very happy endings and is a nice heartwarming show. Secondly The Zoo is filmed at London Zoo, and you follow the day to day lives of the animals and the zoo keepers and again is really heartwarming and great to watch if you're an animal lover, and a great insight into a career as a zookeeper if thats something you want to do.

Finally is a reality show I've been watching for years and love, much to my mum's dismay, is Keeping Up With The Kardashians! The highly controversial family are now on their ninth series of their reality show and I think it get's better and better each season. I know a lot of people dislike the Kardashians because they think "what are they famous for?" "It's awful that young girls aspire to be like them" and "Kim Kardashian got famous because of a sex tape" but I personally love watching a family who are watched and scrutinized by millions, just be themselves. A lot of reality shows are scripted or "scenes are set up for your entertainment" and because they are so famous and you read so many rumours about their lives I think its really nice to see what they're actually like and I think they're incredibly funny, loveable, and family oriented people. Who are quite beautiful and have questionable bottoms. Sort of turned into a pro Kardashian raunt, apologies, but to sum up its just a super easy programme to watch with a few laughs and an inside look at one of the most famous families.

Thank you for reading this if you got to the end, what are you favourite shows at the moment?


                                                                                x

Slim Shaming?

Recently in magazines I can't help but notice a new topic being splashed about of "Celebrities" who are setting a bad example of being too thin. Being a naturally slim girl myself i'm often plagued with the uncomfortable questions,when I start a new job or meet a friend of a friend, of  " WHY are you so skinny?" or ordering me to " put on some weight" and "Get something down me." I feel there is a perception towards slim girls that they must not eat and probably have an eating disorder. I completely understand these magazines, that a lot of young women read, are trying to say you don't have to be stick thin and women come in all different shapes and sizes, which I agree. However slim girls have started to become targeted as being bad role models for exercising and eating healthily, both of which are recommended by doctors, and getting a lot of backlash for looking after themselves.

I recently read an article by The Mirror, about Reality Star Millie Mackintosh, describing her as sad, abusing her platform and blaming her for making other girls feel rubbish about themselves. She also added that Millie would be responsible for girls feeding their dinner to their dog tonight so they could look like her. What upset me about this article is again, because Millie is Slim she is being linked to eating disorders and being an awful role model, when she regularly tells fans she works out to tone up, not lose weight, and shares healthy meals and recipes which her fans can recreate.

So why is she a bad role model when Reality stars such a Gemma Collins and Lauren Goodger who yo-yo in weight and follow ridiculous eating habits such as juicing and go to diet camps where they're forced to do intense workouts when they've only had "half an apple and a boiled egg" are praised. Or as 'Closer' points out Lauren is known for her "Yo-Yo weight and dieting, Just like the rest of us!" So why is starving yourself and doing intense workouts deemed more acceptable than women who want to tone up and eat healthy nutritious food on a regular basis? And why have they never been called bad role models for going to extremes to be slimmer? The blame is solely put on slim healthy girls who are targeted for making other women feel bad about themselves, but what's the alternative? Should they put on weight and eat crap, or hide the fact that they work hard for their bodies so that everyone thinks they must have an eating disorder?

I'd love to know what you guys think and whether you disagree and do think some celebrities are going too far.

Being Different

Beautiful beaches, Sun, Sea and a week away from home. Perfect, right? At the moment the majority of my friends are sunbathing in Malia, Greece in 34oc heat enjoying life and making amazing memories. Going on a clubbing holiday to Magaluf, Malia or Zante is surely at the top of every 19 year olds to do list but its not on mine at all. Dont get me wrong I dream of travelling around the World "someday" but I'm just different from my friends. The thought of being in a overcrowded club in a Foreign Country surrounded by people who probably should've stopped doing jagerbomb shots that afternoon, including all my friends, is not my idea of a good time. I love my friends and have known them for years, one of them I've actually known my whole life, which has only made it more obvious to me how different I am. 

Throughout Secondary School we all had our awkward phases of having spots and braces, then being 15 and going to our local under 16's nightclub with our new clothes and too much Makeup, frantically ordering our parents to pick us up in the next road cause we can't be seen getting into our mums car. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed these mid teen club experiences and none of us could wait til our 18th birthday where we could go clubbing every weekend if we wanted to. Fast forward 4 years and my friends have followed the expected path of going to Uni or working, then going clubbing most weekends and making lots of new friends from drunk nights out with a great story to go along with it. I have been clubbing and love getting ready with everyone whilst listening to music, imagining how the night will go.

 But once im there I get major anxiety about so many people surrounding me, pissed off at the creepy guys who think its alright to touch my arse and worried about the girls passed out in the corner. Im just not a club person, and I've realised thats ok. My friends tell me about that time they puked on their bed and then fell asleep in it while I cringe and perish the thought, and they laugh at my reactions. I've realised I'm a lot happier doing things that make me happy than I would be going along pretending to enjoy things others do, because there's not point in that and if you feel you have to you need better friends. “It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength." Maya Angelou 

Appreciating My Surroundings

Since adopting Ruby, my gorgeous rescue puppy late last december, I've been going on two walks a day and  for the first time in 7 years of living in a small country village I've began to notice how truly beautiful the English Countryside can be. We moved here when I was 12 from South East London, slight culture change, and I admit I didn't enjoy living here for quite a few years and missed the hustle and bustle of London life and up until recently I would still refer to London as home and where I felt most content being. Owning a dog is such a rewarding thing in more ways than one and for me, suffering from anxiety and depression and at one point agoraphobia (I didn't like leaving my house) my confidence has grown and I feel so much calmer all thanks to our daily walks. I love nothing more than walking through the woods at half 7 in the morning hearing birds singing and on the odd occasion We've even seen a herd of deer in the distance, something I feel very grateful for witnessing. Now i don't want to turn this into a rant about social media and constantly staring at screens all day, because I think the internet is great and  I am definitely partial to an internet shop and a scroll through instagram in bed, but everything is good in moderation, and i greatly appreciate walking through an open field in my wellies and being able to forget about my bank balance or work and not reading another article about what designer Kim Kardashian will be wearing on her wedding day.. ( I cant wait to see the pictures though!) Sometimes its great to just take a walk and notice what's around you and have a little breather from modern life! 

My Favourite Youtubers

I've been into YouTube for about 2 years now and definately go on youtube almost everyday to see if any of my favourite YouTubers have a new video up or a new vlog that I can watch and enjoy. Before I started subscribing to Youtubers who do this as their career I had this perception that YouTube was great to watch funny video's of a baby biting his brothers finger or a labrador  chasing a herd of deer in Richmond park with his owner desperately chasing him shouting "Fenton!!"   From watching YouTubers I've learnt how to apply my MakeUp a lot better,been introduced to skincare products that have radically improved my spot prone skin, and generally made me see life in a much more positive way. So onto my top YouTubers who are also quite different from each other in their video's so hopefully there's something for everyone. 

 Fun for Louis: Louis does daily vlogs and has been for the past couple of years now and is a really chilled guy who has amazing dreadlocks who literally has had more adventure in a week than I have in my whole 19 years of life. Obviously if you're doing daily vlogs people want to see you doing something with your day and his motto is "Peace out enjoy life live the adventure." and he certainly lives by that, he constantly travels around the world meeting people from all walks of life and hanging out with friends and other YouTubers. And to post vlogs every single day shows such dedication and hard work and if you're looking to watch someone who travels a lot and has such a positive attitude and appreciation for life Louis is your guy! 


SacconeJolys: The SacconeJolys are an Irish family consisting of Jonathan, his wife Anna and their two children Emelia who is 20 months and Eduardo who is only a few weeks old. They daily vlog and they're such a loving and friendly family and their children are so adorable and they're just a joy to watch as a family. I started watching them when Anna was pregnant with Emelia and Sina they're dog was in labour so its really nice to witness that journey because now viewers know and love Emelia and they have six dogs, Sina's puppys, and to me its a very heartwarming channel to watch especially if you're feeling a bit down because they really embrace their viewers and make them feel a part of their lives. 

ThatcherJoe: Joe Sugg is definitely one of my favourite YouTubers ever, he only started making video's less than a year ago but I think the quality of his video's are so good and original that he's definitely made for this. I discovered Joe thanks to his popular sister (more of her later) but I think he's really become so popular because of his hilarious and original video's, nobody has made me laugh as much as Joe Sugg. He is an amazing impressionist especially of other YouTubers which led to hysterical phone pranks, Innuendo bingo's (a la Scott Mills) and The Sugg Awards. Defiantely subscribe to him if you want a good laugh! 

Charlotte Tilbury: Charlotte is a leading MakeUp artist who works with the like of Kate Moss,Cara Delevingne, Victoria Beckham and has done MakeUp for numerous Vogue covers. She recently launched her own MakeUp range and does Makeup tutorials with lots of tips and tricks that you can apply to your MakeUp. She has so much passion for MakeUp and can talk about it all day and is amazing at the feline flick if you are looking to master that cat eye look. Great channel if you're just getting into MakeUp or you're interested in perfecting your look, she's a MakeUp genius!

Zoella: Zoe does a bit of everything on her channel, she does hauls, MakeUp tutorials, Fashion, and great collaborations with other YouTubers. She also has bravely talked openly about her struggle with anxiety and panic attacks which a lot of people can relate to. She is very natural and funny in front of the camera and I think every subscriber, 4 million of them, can imagine being friends with her as she's so down to earth and chatty. Some of my favorite video's are with her best friend Louise (sprinkle of glitter) where they sing and do silly things and just have a laugh together. Its not hard to see why she has 4 million (and counting) subscribers. 

There are my top YouTubers, I hope you check them out and enjoy them as much as I do! 

                                       Lucy x    

My Top 5 Beauty Products

                         


         These are my top 5 beauty products that i am using on a daily basis and loving at the moment. First off is something I discovered a few months back after hearing of its beauty benefits as well as its nutritional uses. Coconut oil can be used on your skin, hair,  and of course you can eat it. I like to use it as a body moisturiser after my bath and find it sinks into the skin nicely and helps keep my skin soft especially in the naturally dry areas like your elbows and knees. An additional benefit I've found is that it makes my nails a lot stronger and less brittle. The one I use comes in a 125ml pot and costs £2.29 from Superdrug, which lasts me about 3 weeks using it daily. 

My next Beauty must have is something I recieved in a Glossybox last August and is the Emite Eyelash Curler. I had never been very interested in eyelash curlers or purchasing one as I thought they wont make much of a difference to my eyelashes and I would rather spend money on a new mascara than a good eyelash curler. So thats why beauty boxes are so good at showing you products that you might of never considered using. After using these eyelash curlers I can definitely notice my eyes look a lot bigger and they lift my eyelashes at each corner of the eye that would usually fall a bit more downwards and i'm surprised at how much of a difference that makes after you apply mascara when those lashes are lifted and curled. So if you are doubtful as to if eyelash curlers are worth purchasing I would definitely recommend investing in a pair. 

My last blog was a review of this Hand Cream that I've only recently purchased but I noticed such a significant difference so fast that its definitely a firm beauty favourite. The Superdrug Hand Therapy 2 in 1 Hand and Nail cream. I had been suffering from dry hands over the winter that were getting worse and other hand creams weren't working so I bought this after reading really positive reviews and am really happy I did because literally within a few days this persistent dry patch on my hand that had been bothering me for weeks had disappeared completely. Its super affordable at £1.89 for the 150ml tube and since using it nightly my hands are soft and smooth without a dry patch in sight. 

Onto Makeup, I have been using the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to apply my foundation since last year and am loving it. Its a domed shaped, quite dense brush and it gives a natural coverage while making foundation really easy to blend into the skin. The Real Techniques range was created by Samantha Chapman who is a successful Makeup Artist who has a YouTube channel where she gives demonstrations on how to use each brush and shows the finish they give, as well as hundreds of makeup tutorials. 

Finally is a product that has been in my MakeUp bag for a couple of years and is the Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in On and On Bronze. Its a gel eyeshadow that claims it can last up to 24 hours (although I have never stayed up for 24 hours to try and test that.) I love how easy it is to apply I just apply it with my finger on my eyelids just by smudging it on and its really blendable and easy to rub off if you get it somewhere you don't want. And then i take an eyeshadow brush and blend it underneath my eyes. The eyeshadow stays on for a good 12-14 hours which is the longest I've ever had it on for which I think is pretty good for day to day wear without re applying which could probably take you through to the night if you were going out, although it does tend to build up around the crease of the eye by the end of the day so I would need to just blend that but still wouldn't need to reapply the eyeshadow again. Its very pigmented and you don't need much at all on each eye as it blends very well and i think gel eyeshadows give off a more natural effect than matte eyeshadows and are a lot easier to apply if you are in a rush in the mornings you can literally just sweep it over your eyelids and it will be there until you take your MakeUp off that night. Its very affordable at £4.99 and lasts me about 6 weeks using it daily. 

I hope you enjoyed this blog and that its given you some inspiration for things to try out :) 

                                                                    
                                                                        Lucy x

Superdrug Hand Therapy 2in1 Hand and Nail cream Review

I recently purchased Superdrugs Hand Therapy Cream as I'd been suffering from dry hands throughout the winter and had read some positive reviews online, and for only £1.85 for 150ml I thought i'd give it a whirl. After only a couple of days I had seen a significant difference and a persistent large dry patch that numerous other hand creams had failed to clear had almost completely disappeared. The cream also claims to strengthen your nails as well as softening your skin, at the time I was also suffering from brittle nails that were breaking easily and bad cuticles. After using it for over a week my nails are a lot stronger, not as brittle and look a lot nicer. Although it doesn't claim to help cuticles mine are a lot better and in shape so thats been an added bonus to this fantastic cream. I think Superdrug have one of the best own brand ranges for quality at affordable prices and I would definitely recommend this cream to anyone suffering from dry hands or brittle nails.