The older I get the less my weight matters to me. If I'm happy and healthy should I really care about what I weigh or if my legs jiggle? Some days I do and some days I don't but being on the internet I feel as though I have some sort of responsibility to represent girls who look like me - girls who are a bit wobbly.
I openly refer to myself as fat, I'm not offended by it, it's just a word I use to describe my body type. A lot of other plus size/ body positive bloggers call themselves fat too and I think it's so liberating to be able to take a once offensive word and own it. But this doesn't stop a hell of a lot of people getting upset about it. To many people it holds so many negative connotations, but it is just a word. If you own it and disregard it, you take away its power.
So onto the actual point of this post. Am I a plus size blogger? As much as I want to say no, because I don't feel any different to other girls on the internet, I probably am. I am bigger than the majority of bloggers out there, I do sometimes have to buy clothes from the 'Curve' range on Asos and I'll never squeeze my thighs into a pair of standard wellies. But I kind of don't mind. In my eyes I am plus and I should probably start branding myself as such.
One thing I do worry about though is referring to myself as a plus size blogger. Although I'm clearly bigger than average I'm not as big as some of the popular body positive bloggers and I wouldn't want to be seen as trying to jump on the bandwagon just because I have a bit of a tummy. Where do you draw the line between blogger and plus size blogger? Would a plus size blogger be offended if a slimmer girl claimed she was plus size and would a girl the same size as me be offended if I started calling myself fat, would it give her hang ups about her own body?
Body confidence is such a difficult thing to talk about, especially nowadays when everyone seems to be offended by something. I'd never want to upset someone especially when it comes to how they see themselves and thats partly why I'm struggling to brand myself as anything other than just Grace, the blogger. At the end of the day this all comes back to labels and trying to put ourselves into categories and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about that. I'm not even sure where I was going with this blog post, I guess I just needed to have a little ramble but I would like to hear your thoughts on this.
Body confidence is such a difficult thing to talk about, especially nowadays when everyone seems to be offended by something. I'd never want to upset someone especially when it comes to how they see themselves and thats partly why I'm struggling to brand myself as anything other than just Grace, the blogger. At the end of the day this all comes back to labels and trying to put ourselves into categories and I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about that. I'm not even sure where I was going with this blog post, I guess I just needed to have a little ramble but I would like to hear your thoughts on this.
So I managed to drag Sean out of the house on a very cold Sunday afternoon to take some outfit pics for me. I'm not going to lie, it was literally freezing when we snapped these photos; you can even just about see the ice forming on the canal. Regardless of the cold I'm so glad we got out to enjoy the sun, I know we won't be seeing a lot of it over the next few months!
So this is the outfit I actually wore to The Clothes Show last Saturday. As always I was driving myself mad trying to think about what I was going to wear. I wanted to be comfy but at the same time it's The Clothes Show, you have to dress half decent, especially as this year I was given a press pass. Believe me I almost cried when I got the email!
I settled on my new favourite coat from Dorothy Perkins, £60 down to £27 in the sale. I paired that with a slightly oversized pink turtleneck from H&M and my very well loved black Asos jeggings. I also chose to wear the most beautiful pair of boots you have ever seen in your life. They may be pretty but honestly after a few hours of trotting around the NEC they almost destroyed my feet. Turns out I'd managed to leave some of the packaging inside (don't ask) which rubbed my little toes until they were sore.
To top the whole thing off I chose my fave statement necklace from Primark and my new Vivienne Westwood bracelet. Before buying it I was a little apprehensive about forking out that much for one piece of jewellery, I mean it's not even silver, but truth be told I've already gotten that much wear out of it I'm considering going back for the matching earrings. I'll try and link everything or a similar alternative down below.
Shop The Post
I absolutely loved shooting these so I hope you guys enjoyed looking at them. I say this at the end of pretty much anything I create now but I'm really hoping to do more of this and I'd love to hear some feedback/ constructive criticism!
Did any of you manage to get down to The Clothes Show last week?
Thanks for reading!
xxx
The Vuelio Blog Awards; where do I even start? The whole night felt like a dream and not just because I was drunk (see 10 reasons why I will never get shitfaced at a blogger event again), but because I'm not even sure how I managed to get there. How did my little blog, something I started up just because I had spare time, bring me all the way to London to share a room with hundreds of other like minded people? I'm still a tiny little blogger, but just to be in this place with so many successful people made me so proud of everything I've done over the last few years.
So onto the awards. The night started with me meeting some lovely blogger ladies from all over the UK. We talked so much about things only other bloggers would understand. Obviously I talk to Sean and some of my friends about blogging, but there are just some things that only other bloggers would really get. I had probably already drank too much champagne by this point but let's forget about that.
After a little while of mingling we were moved into the main room where our tables and first course were waiting for us. At this point I got to meet a few new people before tucking into my starter and eventually my main which was a delicious steak by the way.
I watched the actual awards on a table nearer the front as so many people didn't show up and there were lots of available seats. Again I got to meet more lovely bloggers and even blogger boyfriends who had come along for the fun. I kind of wished I had brought Sean at this point because I knew he would have been having a boring time at the hotel, and if there were other bloggers boyfriends here I'm sure we could have left them all together and picked them up at the end of the night. Next time I get invited to a blogging event I will bring him as it was just such a good night and I'm kind of sad that he never got to experience it.
After the awards we were moved back into the other room for drinks, icecream and to the use the photobooth. I happened to miss the ice cream and the photobooth as I was more concentrated on the booze but I've learnt my lesson with that one.
The night on a whole was amazing and honestly in my head I'm still living in this world where I'm an important blogger who gets to go to important events in important places in London. Although that's not my reality I'm going to remember exactly how I felt that night and work my arse off until one day it is.
Did any of you guys go to the awards?
Thanks for reading!
xxx
Last year I wrote a post all about the best Instagram accounts I follow and it went down pretty well. I thought it was about time I did another round up showing you all my current favourites. I've fallen out of love with Instagram lately as the new timeline has really thrown me, however there are still a few accounts I can't help but stalk! Again I've decided to leave out the accounts with large followings and focus on my fave smaller accounts.
@amandajaaayne - I've been following Amanda for ages now and she's turned into a pretty good blogger friend, you might have even seen our recent collaborations (here & here). Amanda's photography is always fab, it's bright and pretty and the composition is always on point. She posts about all things beauty as well as a little bit of fashion and lifestyle, but makeup is her true calling!
@sophiesierra90 - Sophie is another fab friend I've met through blogging and I'm so glad I did. She is such a happy soul who is always there if you need a chat! Her love of summer and all things colourful is evident in her instgram pictures which always leave me desperate to get down the beach! If you need some mermaid vibes in your life check out her account!
@styleandsushi - Laura is one of the first fashion blogs I ever really got into and I still love her monochrome style to this day. Her instagram is full of the most gorgeous flatlays and pretty little outfit of the day pics too. Although her posts only feature a pop of colour here and there, they work perfectly and inspire me to try wearing more minimalistic outfits!
@ellenatlanta - Ellen's style is just on a next level, I click on her insta whenever I need a little bit of pastel inspo in my life. Her outfits are always on point and her gorgeous peachy princess hair always leaves me feeling a tad jealous. I also don't think you will ever find a girl with a more beautiful shoe collection.
@crimeofashion - Sara has been one of my favorite bloggers for ages. I've followed her since she lived in Ireland but nowdays she spends her time in the beautiful city of Paris. Her wardrobe style is elegant and very sophisticated but always fun to spy on. She also recently got a kitten so that just gives me another reason to stalk her feed!
So that was a little round up of some of my favourite smaller Instagrammers. I really like doing posts like this because not only do I get to share some brilliant accounts with you all, but you guys can see when I get a lot of my inspiration from!
So that was a little round up of some of my favourite smaller Instagrammers. I really like doing posts like this because not only do I get to share some brilliant accounts with you all, but you guys can see when I get a lot of my inspiration from!
Thanks for reading!
xxx
I'm writing this on the train home from London after a fab night at the Vuelio Blogger Awards. I'm ridiculously hungover and ready for my bed, but I have a couple of hours to kill so I thought I should make something positive out of the mess I was last night. I'm in the typical 'I'm never drinking again' mindset at the moment so I wanted to write down a few things to remind myself not to get white girl wasted next time I'm at a sophisticated social event.
1. The more you drink the more you wee and you can't have fun when you're running off to the loo every 5 minutes.
2. Everyone loves a free drink but let's be honest, no one wants to be seen as the person taking the piss completely. I'm 100% sure I was that person last night.
3. I love wine however I do not love hiccups.
4. I think my life is really interesting, hence why I share it online; but not everyone gives a shit. When I'm drunk I want to tell everyone all of the things and I don't realise how much rubbish is spilling out of my mouth until I see people running for the door!
5. Being a Brummie is a pretty hard thing to hide at the best of times, but after a few drinks I get on a whole new level. I don't hate my accent but when I'm drunk it just sounds like I'm taking the piss and I can't turn it off.
6. I lost most of the business cards people gave to me. I met so many lovely blogging girls that I'll probably struggle to find now as I've managed to misplace their cards!
7. Blogging events are really fun but they are also great for networking and helping your blog grow. There's lots of important people at these events and really no one wants to come off as a binge drinker/ alcoholic to the SEO of an important company. I definitely managed to get that profile down to a T.
8. Trying to get back to my hotel (it was deffo a hostel but whatever) in a city I'm not familiar with it is a little bit scary, but team that up with a bit of wine and I suddenly turn into a perfect target for a serial killer.
9. I was sick. Whilst walking to my station, which was very definitely closed by that time I spewed my guts all over the pavement. It was literally so red I can't get over it. Unfortunately for me this happened next to a lad who had volunteered to walk me there as I didn't really know my way. He owns a business that works with bloggers and I'm sure I left a lasting impression, just not the one I was going for.
10. Being in London is a nightmare but being in London with a hangover is so much worse.
You may remember a few weeks back me and Amanda each wrote about our favourite budget and high end foundations. Well this time we are talking all about the mascaras we can't get enough of at the moment! I had a few mascaras in mind for this post as it really is one of the main things I fork out on. I debated talking about my beloved Benefit Roller Lash or even my lesser used Hypnose from Lancome but I settled on my current Too Faced fave.
Better Than Sex is a blogger favourite so I had high hopes when I purchased the travel sized version a couple of months ago. On the packaging it claims to increase the volume of your lashes by 1944% - which I think is a little extreme - it also claims to be smudge proof which is much more realistic.
So lets start with the price. This is a more high end mascara so it is quite pricey but it is available in a travel size for anyone who doesn't want to fork out the full amount. I decided to try out the travel sized version first as I wasn't sure if I would like it. The smaller size comes in at around £10 and the full size is around £19.
Packaging is always a major factor for me when purchasing more expensive products and I quite like how this one looks. Although its pretty basic there is a luxurious feel to this product and the full sized version is even nicer with the text being embossed into the packaging instead of printed onto it like this one.
So what do I think of the mascara itself? The brush for starters isn't one I would normally go for, I usually prefer the plastic wands with very fine bristles, so not only do I get volume but I also get defined lashes. This brush is thicker than I prefer and the bristles are almost like a pipe cleaner, however they give my lashes an incredible amount of volume. I also feel that the curl they give my lashes almost rivals that of the roller lash and the solution itself is much easier to remove too. My only issue with this product is that I usually like to build layers of mascara up but after a few coats of this I find my lashes do start to clump a bit. This isn't too much of a problem as I tend to like the over done look, but I could see it being a problem for others who want to go for a more natural lash style.
All in all I'm pretty smitten with this product. It gives my beloved Roller Lash a run for its money and like I said before it is a hell of a lot easier to remove too. I won't hesitate to repurchase this when it runs out as it is honestly one of the best mascaras I've ever used! It is however not even slightly better than sex!
Don't forget to click here to check out Amanda's post on her best budget mascara!
Thanks for reading!
xxx
I received the Benefit Air Patrol Eyelid Primer for my birthday after lusting after it for so long. I've been using it for a couple of months now so I thought it was about time I reviewed it for you guys!
This product is a BB Cream and Eyelid Primer rolled into one, although I've hardly used it on my actual face. The primer which also contains SPF 20 claims to colour correct any skin tone so can be used as a stand alone product. Air Patrol's main selling point is its ability to prolong the life of our eyeshadow and prevents it from creasing but does it actually work?
As always I'm going to start with the price. Air Patrol comes in at a fairly costly £21.50, which is more expensive than the blogger favourite from Urban Decay. This is the most expensive primer I've ever used and I wouldn't mind if it actually worked. Before buying Air Patrol I had been using the Makeup Revolution Eye Primer which I didn't love but at only £2.50 I wouldn't hesitate to repurchase!
The packaging is another big factor for me, especially when buying high end makeup. I quite like the packing, the product itself is appealing and looks nice in a pot on my makeup table. The aspect I don't like is the 'CushionCalm' tip at the top of the tube where the primer comes out, I don't feel that is it gentle enough to be used on my eyelids. I also don't like the fact that you have to twist the bottom of the tube to produce the primer. This usually gets blocked and takes a while for the primer to come out meaning you always end up with more primer than you need and end up wasting a lot of it.
One of the biggest claims of Air Patrol is that it 'Extends the wear of eyeshadow for long-lasting colour that won't crease, fade or smear.' Unfortunately I've found it allows the eyeshadow to do all three. After just a few hours my eyeshadow creases and starts to look very tired. By the end of the day my makeup looks slept in and I don't feel that the primer has done its job very well at all.
Although smudging doesn't occur too much my eyeshadow does fade after only a couple of hours. This however is much worse when I use cheaper eyeshadows, but still I don't think it should happen at all. Considering the budget primers I've used over the years have worked just as well or ever better I really do think you are paying for the Benefit name here instead of the quality of the product.
I've used Air Patrol as a base for numerous eyeshadows, from high end to budget and I am not impressed. For a product that costs over £20 I was expecting a lot more. Although when I use it alone it does give my eyelids an even tone it doesn't work well as a primer at all. So would I repurchase this product? No.
Have you used the Air Patrol Eyeshadow Primer, what did you think?
This product is a BB Cream and Eyelid Primer rolled into one, although I've hardly used it on my actual face. The primer which also contains SPF 20 claims to colour correct any skin tone so can be used as a stand alone product. Air Patrol's main selling point is its ability to prolong the life of our eyeshadow and prevents it from creasing but does it actually work?
As always I'm going to start with the price. Air Patrol comes in at a fairly costly £21.50, which is more expensive than the blogger favourite from Urban Decay. This is the most expensive primer I've ever used and I wouldn't mind if it actually worked. Before buying Air Patrol I had been using the Makeup Revolution Eye Primer which I didn't love but at only £2.50 I wouldn't hesitate to repurchase!
The packaging is another big factor for me, especially when buying high end makeup. I quite like the packing, the product itself is appealing and looks nice in a pot on my makeup table. The aspect I don't like is the 'CushionCalm' tip at the top of the tube where the primer comes out, I don't feel that is it gentle enough to be used on my eyelids. I also don't like the fact that you have to twist the bottom of the tube to produce the primer. This usually gets blocked and takes a while for the primer to come out meaning you always end up with more primer than you need and end up wasting a lot of it.
One of the biggest claims of Air Patrol is that it 'Extends the wear of eyeshadow for long-lasting colour that won't crease, fade or smear.' Unfortunately I've found it allows the eyeshadow to do all three. After just a few hours my eyeshadow creases and starts to look very tired. By the end of the day my makeup looks slept in and I don't feel that the primer has done its job very well at all.
Although smudging doesn't occur too much my eyeshadow does fade after only a couple of hours. This however is much worse when I use cheaper eyeshadows, but still I don't think it should happen at all. Considering the budget primers I've used over the years have worked just as well or ever better I really do think you are paying for the Benefit name here instead of the quality of the product.
I've used Air Patrol as a base for numerous eyeshadows, from high end to budget and I am not impressed. For a product that costs over £20 I was expecting a lot more. Although when I use it alone it does give my eyelids an even tone it doesn't work well as a primer at all. So would I repurchase this product? No.
Have you used the Air Patrol Eyeshadow Primer, what did you think?
Thanks for reading!
xxx
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