December Favourites

December has definitely been the month for palettes; well, at least for me it has, and I'm not complaining as I absolutely love an eye shadow palette.

Chronic Illness and Feeling Like a Burden

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, about my life, my contribution, the burden my chronic illness has on my loved ones. I know I'm not the only person suffering from a chronic condition that feels this way but since it's been on my mind, I thought I'd discuss it. 

Daith Piercing for Migraines

As you can tell, I'm a fan of piercings; I now have seven in my left ear. I've wanted new piercings for a while, so when my fabulous blogging pal and twin (spiritually we're totally related) Beth, from Mermaid in Disguise, got her daith pierced, I had to copy. On a less child-like, 'I want the same as Beth,' level, I'd wanted my daith and tragus pierced for ages and Beth getting hers, reminded me. 

20 Things Not to Say/Do to Someone in a Wheelchair

As a wheelchair user I've experienced quite a varied reaction from the able-bodied public, so I thought I'd share a few things that you shouldn't say or do to those of us that use wheels.

Updated Tsum Tsum Collection

The last time I wrote about my Tsum Tsum collection I said I'd probably end up getting some of the Marvel characters, as I'd purchased Spider-Man and Hulk for my nephew. Not only did I get those two characters, I also chucked in Thor, Iron Man and Captain America too. I had to, they're adorable. Just look at Thor's blonde hair and Iron Man's gorgeous little face...And the Cap has his bloody shield on his tiny back.

Magnitone - The Full Monty Review

The Full Monty Facial Cleanse + Tone + Exfoliate + Pedi-Buff

Three Month Follow-Up: Stanmore Pain Management and Rehabilitation Programme

If you pop by here often, you'll know that in August I spent three weeks in Stanmore hospital undertaking their incredible pain management programme. Last week I went back for my three month follow-up; my actual follow-up was supposed to be in November but I couldn't make it as I went home for my nephews birthday, so I guess you could say it was my four month follow-up.

Christmas Beauty Wish List

I thought I'd share some high-end products that have taken my fancy and I wouldn't mind receiving this Christmas.

Body Jewellery Shop

I'm a fan of ear piercings, I'm currently waiting to get my daith and rook pierced as I think it'll look cute, but that's another story. The Body Jewellery Shop kindly sent me some gorgeous ear piercing jewellery products and I'm a little bit in love. 

Send a Personalised Letterbox Cake with bakerdays

Nom, nom, nom, CAKE...And it has my name on it!

Kylie Jenner Uses a Wheelchair as a Prop

The internet blew up on Tuesday night when pictures from Kylie Jenner’s Interview magazine photoshoot were released. Kylie is depicted as an absurd doll-like figure in a gold wheelchair for a Steven Klein editorial, and I'm really not okay with it.

November Favourites

I've tested these products out all month and I can whole-heartedly say that I love each of them. So, here's my five November favourites...November, argh, it's almost Christmas.

BBC News: "Too Pretty To Be In A Wheelchair"

"Too pretty to be in a wheelchair."

Undressing Disability: The Book is OUT NOW!

The secret is out. Disabled people have sex too.

Flare-Up Plan: Chronic Illness Strategies

Are you ever in so much pain that you can't even begin to comprehend what to do to help yourself?  I know I get to the point where the pain is so consuming that my brain simply won't work and I have no answers to pull out of my bag. Where do I start? What do I do? I can't move. I can't speak. I just want to cry.

Toddler Life #2

KP - Bonjour, cheeky monkey
Welcome to the second post in my Toddler Life series. You can read the first instalment HERE. If you follow me on Twitter, you'll be familiar with my #toddlerlife tweets, featuring my three year old nephew, Kaine (KP). Carry on reading for the funny things he says...

Jewellery Box Black Friday Reveal

How cute are they? *heart eyes emoji*

When this adorable little box landed, I was having such a bad day and it instantly cheered me up, so thank you so much to Gemma at Jewellery Box, I really appreciate it.

Skincare Haul: Antipodes, Bioderma, Ole Henriksen, Origins

Obviously, one of the best things about Christmas is all the gift sets brands come out with. I've wanted to try a few of these products before but the price tag on individual items put me off. However, I found some amazing deals on high-end skincare that you need to get your hands on.

Assertiveness: Passive, Aggressive and Assertive Communication

Are you confident enough to express your feelings and opinions whilst respecting those of others? Are you able to say 'no'? Do you think your opinion matters? Can you recognise unhealthy communication styles?
There are three main types of communication, Passive, Aggressive and Assertive. My communication style changes depending on the situation but I know I'm not as assertive as I should be.

Why I love Autumn/Winter

I've read quite a few Autumnal posts and I've loved each one, so I thought I'd share a few reasons why Autumn and Winter are my favourite seasons.

Stila Eternal Love Collection

If you've read any of my beauty-related posts, you'll know how much I obsess over the Stila liquid lipsticks. So, when I knew Stila were releasing new colours in their holiday collection, I had to swipe them up.

Stigma and Chronic Illness

Do you know how difficult it is to live with a chronic condition? I don't just mean the pain (physical and/or emotional), the fatigue, the lack of sleep or concentration; I mean the judgement, the discrimination from other people, the constant questioning. That look you get from someone when you're out in public and you think that they're making an assessment on everything you are. 
But how do you actually know what they're thinking?

Flying Without Fear

Let me introduce my younger brother, Darren. Since the age of nine, he’s been terrified of flying but last weekend he went on a Flying Without Fear course with Virgin Atlantic. 

Mac Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base Review

Mac Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base | £16 | Mac |

Not only does this eye primer by Mac have the longest name ever, it's also wizardry in a tube. I've tried various eyelid primers, Urban Decay Primer Potion (too wet), Too Faced Shadow Insurance (did nothing), Mac Painterly (still a fan), and this is hands down my favourite, I'll tell you why...

Much Needed Family Time

Two weeks ago I headed back up north to spend a couple of weeks with my family and friends. My boyfriend and I moved to the village he grew up in at the beginning of the year, and that means I'm three hours away from the people I love most. I decided to spend two weeks back home as my two (now three) year old nephew was having a Halloween party, and a tea party the week after for his third birthday. 

Titan, Kaine and Shadow in the corner

To Wing or Not To Wing: High End Eyeliners

As a beauty lover, I like to try out a variety of different products as I'm forever searching for the Holy Grail item; this is why there's quite a few eyeliners in the above pic. I'm a fan of lining my eyes, I don't profess to be the greatest at it because as soon as I remove my glasses, I'm met with a ghostly blur in the mirror but I still have a damn good go.

You're Suffering but Family and Friends Can't Read Your Mind

You're in pain, you're dealing with emotional issues, you're falling apart, and you desperately want someone to help you but you haven't asked anyone...how can they know? The luckiest of us have people in our lives that can read our facial expressions and know we're not being honest about pain or distress, but even they sometimes need an explanation.

October Favourites

Let's get right into my October favourites...

Pinterest: Skull Edition

Link

I don't do fancy dress or Halloween make up as it's just not me, so I thought I'd share some of my favourite weird and wonderful things I've been pinning over on Pinterest. I'm a massive fan of skulls, skeletons, anything a bit alternative, I always have been, the creepier the better.

Everyday Autumn Make Up Look

It's cold, my skin is feeling a bit more dry, so lately I've been trying to stick to the same few base products that I know won't cling to any dry areas or make me look cakey. I've been exfoliating my skin religiously twice a week and slapping on a hydrating moisturiser. However, I've recently been put on new meds and it's playing havoc with my skin...I'll complain about that another time.

Getting The Right Wheelchair For You

Surely, it's easy to pick a wheelchair, right? It's just a seat with wheels, how hard could it be? 
There are many different types of wheelchair and to get the right one, that is comfortable, going to last a while, and be suitable for your individual needs, you need to consider a few things.

#UndressingDisability and #EndTheAwkward Exhibition at The Gherkin

 The #UndressingDisability and #EndTheAwkward exhibition took place on Thursday night at The Gherkin, and let me tell you, it was an awesome night. Above is the Enhance the UK team (that's me on the right looking like an idiot), and what a lovely bunch of people they are. I've only ever spoken to Jennie Williams, the CEO via email or telephone so it was lovely to meet her, as well as Kelly and Emily, who have become good Twitter friends.

Toddler Life: Introducing the Star - KP

Let me introduce my nephew, Kaine, (KP). He's two years old (three in two weeks) and the highlight of my life. I have no idea what I was doing with my time before this child was born.

Above is my favourite picture of us, we sat one day taking selfies and he copied every face I pulled, and this is my favourite one.

I always tweet the funny things he says or does so I'm going to make it a series on my blog. Every so often I'll be dedicating a post to my cheeky little monkey of a nephew and I can assure you, it'll be equal parts hilarious and cute.

Taster:

(My mum, his nan, clearing his toys away)

KP - Good boy, Nanny.

Nan - I'm a girl.

KP - Good boy, Nan.

Nan - Thanks, Kaine.

Stay tuned. And follow my #toddlerlife tweets if you can't get enough.

I'm Disabled and I Wear Make Up, So What?

I've wanted to write this post for a while, in fact, I've changed this first sentence numerous times. How else do I introduce this post when the title says it all? I'm disabled and I wear make up, what's the problem?
If you're not disabled or never experienced anything that I have, I urge you to read on; if only for an insight on what it can be like to be judged for expressing your femininity.

Where to Start with Mac Lipsticks?

I'm not a newbie to Mac, I'm an addict, I own a variety of nudes, numerous berries and the odd red. 

I thought I'd share some staple lipsticks that any Mac lipstick lover must have in their collection. 

A make up counter can be quite an intimidating place; especially the Mac lipstick counter, all the different colours and formulas staring up at you hoping you pick them. Where do you start? 

Tsum Tsum Collection

 It's started. My Tsum Tsum collection has begun and I completely blame Jemma and Tarnya for this. Okay, so it's technically not their fault but if they hadn't posted cute pictures and blog posts about their Tsum Tsum collections, I may not have got any...I totally would.

Spoonie Post

After talking about Spoonie Post for months on Twitter, working out logistics, finding out if people would be interested, Data Protection bits and bobs, it's finally ready to go, and I'm extremely excited.
What is Spoonie Post?
Spoonie Post is a project that came to me once I moved three hours away from my family and friends. One of my closest friends and I began writing to each other, we send cute postcards sometimes containing a sentence or two, or little care packages of goodies. We never tell each other when we're mailing so when the postman arrives there's a little surprise that brightens up our day.  

Autumn Lipstick Edit

I love this time of year, everyone is talking about changing up their make up and rocking a bold, berry lip. I don't tend to alter my lipstick for the season - if I want to wear a dark purple in June, I'll do it, there are no rules, and if there was, I'd break them. 

Get a Better Nights Sleep with the N:Rem Sleep System

First off let me apologise for the lack of images, my new camera arrived a day after the N:Rem mattress was picked up.
I love my bed, I spend a lot of time in it, it's usually my happy place. As a Spoonie, I'm in my bedroom more often than anywhere else in the house. So, when the fabulous Elise from N:Rem Sleep System messaged me and asked if I would like to trial the comfort tablets, I was more than willing.* Who doesn't want a better nights sleep? My sleep pattern is up the wall, I suffer from insomnia on top of the pain of my chronic illnesses. We have a bed that is less than a year old with a memory foam mattress that I am really happy with but I still decided to give the comfort tablets a shot. 

#SufferingTheSilence Symposium

Yesterday, Ian and I headed into London to attend the Suffering The Silence symposium. I wrote a post about #SufferingTheSilence last month and was thrilled to find that the founders, Allie Cashel and Erica Lupinacci were coming to the UK to raise awareness of Lyme Disease and other chronic illnesses.

The Wet Brush

Wet Brush | £7.29 | Amazon |
I was intrigued by The Wet Brush; it popped up on a few blogs and I knew I had to try it out for myself. It looks like any other brush, it's not a fancy shape like the Tangle Teezer (which I love by the way, I have two), but it's bright pink, so it had to be mine. 

Chronic Illness is Hard Enough: All I ask for is Empathy, Part Two

First of all can I just define what a chronic illness is as there seems to be so many people that have never experienced anything more than the flu or acute pain who think they're experts on what it is like to live with a chronic condition. If you're one of these healthy little experts please read on and let me enlighten you; do you know what, even if you're not healthy but have some form of condition/are a Spoonie yourself and compare your health to others or don't believe a chronic illness is 'that bad' - carry on reading.
A chronic condition is a long lasting illness 'which causes continuous or episodic periods of incapacity.' The keyword is incapacity - it prevents you from completing everyday tasks, it impacts your life at all times or causes flare-ups. A cold is not a chronic illness. Anyone, can be chronically ill; illness doesn't discriminate.

The Nude Lipstick Edit: High End

I know we're in Autumn and everybody is talking about berry, vampy lip colours (and I'll get to it, that post is coming soon) but as much as I love them, I have a deep, passionate love for nudes. I gravitate to them, I hear them whispering sweet nothings as I pass a beauty counter, I can't resist, so I thought I'd share my Top 10 high-end nude lipsticks. 

30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know

It's nearing the end of Invisible Illness Awareness Week 2015 and when I saw that Rachel over at Happy Little Syllables had posted this meme about living with an invisible illness, I had to share my story too. Invisible Illness Awareness week started on the 28th September and ends October 4th.
Many of you know that I'm disabled and raising awareness is very important to me. I use walking aids and a wheelchair most of the time but on my 'better' days, my chronic condition resorts back to invisibility and people think I've been miraculously cured - no, guys, just having a good day for a change. Anyway, let's get this thing started.

September Favourites

September is coming to an end and it's been a pretty good month. I was reunited with my best friend, my parents came to visit with my nephew, I got to meet and go shopping with the gorgeous Tania (When Tania Talks), my boyfriend turned 30 and I was published in The Guardian (you can read that here, if you're interested).
Let's get on with my favourites, it's Nars heavy, I couldn't help it.

#SelfLoveChallenge13 Tag

Rules
Share 13 things that you love about yourself, forgetting the word 'selfish' Nominate 13 bloggers to do this challenge Share this post using the hashtag #SelfLoveChallenge13
I'm a huge fan of tags, so when the wonderful Kimberley over at The Colour Chronicles nominated me, I jumped at the chance to take part (not literally jumped, y'all know I'm a Spoonie). I was completely unaware this tag existed but the idea of focussing on our positive aspects is such a great idea; we can all be a little too hard on ourselves these days. Check out Kimberley's #SelfLoveChallenge13...and follow her, she's a star.

Happy 30th Birthday, Mr Martin

 Dedicating this post to my boyfriend, Ian, who turns 30 today.

Happy Birthday, I love you <3

Adult Colouring Books

* Disclaimer - This post is picture heavy *
Adult colouring books have become a craze over the last year or so which pleases me. I've always found colouring really therapeutic and relaxing but was sick of colouring in houses and teddy bears. Each time I'd have a hospital stay (and it's been a lot - #ChronicLife), I'd ask my Mum to buy me a colouring book and some pencils to keep me occupied on the long, tedious days.