Yes To - Period SOS

So much has changed for so many of us over the past year or so, but there is one thing is still here, even if we wish it wasn’t; periods. With them they like to bring cramps, the muchies and or course we can’t forget about the bad skin. Mine doesn’t like to conform to the typical cycle at the moment either, probably thanks to recently replacing my contraceptive implant with a new one. So whilst I have previously had less of them, my periods at the moment are very sporadic and are coming on and off every few day. The on again off again nature of my cycle at the moment means that I've been suffering with 'period skin' which is an absolute pain to try and reverse and sooth. Especially with the added problem that wearing a mask brings.

As I’ve currently got a lot more time on my hands along with a visit from aunt flow I decided to try out a skincare bundle I’ve had popping up on my feed for a little while; the Yes To Tomato’s Period SOS. The Yes To range is one I’ve come across before, and I've previously been rather fond of their masks, so figured it would be worth trying out other products within the range. The bundle will set you back £10.25 excluding postage from Beauty Bay and comes as three items; Face wipes, targeting blemish remover and a single use mask.

 

I have used masks from this range before, and find the paper ones to be saturated with more than enough product. I tend to leave mine on longer than the directed time and find they don’t cause any discomfort to my skin, as some masks do. I tend to look at paper masks as the serum stage in my routine, and will use them early on in the evening. Before I then go to bed I’ll give my skin a final cleanse to remove any residual product, simply because my skin can be pretty volatile if I don’t. As this has been the case for pretty much every sheet mask I’ve ever tried, I just accept it as a step I need to take in the routine when I decide to use them.

 

The next product in the bundle was the face wipes. Being in the tomatoes range they are geared towards combination skin, but there are plenty of other options within the range dependant on your skin type or needs. The wipes are well sealed, with a proper clip lid on the top to enable them to be closed properly and stop them drying out. The scent is mild, and whilst not something I enjoy, it isn’t overly unpleasant either.

 

Having tried these wipes a few times now, I have to say that they don’t do well with removal of my makeup. I wear long-lasting, stubborn makeup that typically requires an oil based product as my first (and sometimes second) step for removal. Swapping out for these wipes just simply wouldn’t be possible for me, and it’s likely that I would get through far more wipes than I’d like if I used these to clear my face each evening.

 

Although if I’m being 100% honest and fair, I’ve never come across any makeup wipes I’ve liked, so this isn’t anything personal against the band, or these wipes in particular, I just find them to be an ineffective step when it comes to make up removal in general. I did trial these wipes alone one evening on a day I hadn’t worn any makeup, in place of my regular routine. I woke up the following day with lots of little spots and pretty oily, gritty feeling skin, so I personally wouldn’t recommend these for your routine. Be it for make up removal or anything else. If you do use them would suggest you clean the residual product off your skin afterwards, although that does somewhat defeat the point of using them.

 

I had intended to have these as an item in my camping bag, for when we are off in the woods and my normal skin routine isn’t all that practical to bring with me, but given how my skin then behaves I’m not sure I’m actually going to find a use for them. I have a friend who does use makeup wipes as part of her routine, so I think I'll probably gift her these.   

 

The final item in the bundle was for targeting specific problem areas, and was the item I was most interested in trying; the  detoxifying charcoal maximum strength blemish kit. This kit comes with 20 charcoal cotton swabs, although with them being double ended I would say its really 10, which are used to apply the product to your skin. Designed specifically for congested and ache-prone skin, this triple action spot treatment combined detoxifying charcoal, sulphur to unclog pores and witch hazel to sooth the skin, and aid in shrinking breakouts.

 

This product is for precise application directly onto spots and pimples, rather than for use on your face as a whole. An important thing to remember is to not shake this product before using, even though it is tempting as its separated within the bottle. To use, simply dip a cotton swab into the bottle, making sure to reach the bottom so that you get each component of the product. From there simply dab onto your pimples and problem areas and leave to dry. Given the potency of this solution I would be mindful about placement and not go anywhere near your eyes for example.

 

Whilst the instructions on the pack indicate you can wear this overnight, I personally prefer to have it on for a few hours in the day time. The product dries down fairly quickly, but as I move around a lot in my sleep I’m pretty sure I’d end up rubbing a lot of it off if I slept in it. I have however found that it does indeed calm large spots down, and does a good job at drawing up those under the skin spots that aren’t quite ready to be popped yet. Products of this type have a tendency to dry the skin out, so I would recommend following up with a decent moisturiser after cleaning the solution off your skin – especially if you’ve had it on for a long time or applied multiple applications.

 

All in all, would I recommend the Period SOS kit? No. The face wipes just weren’t a worthwhile purchase for me, and the sheet mask isn’t anything special either compared to any other mask out there. Plus, the mask is for one use only, and you do only get one in the kit. I would purchase the blemish kit as a standalone product, but I wouldn’t spend the extra for two additional products I don’t want or need.

 

Have you tried anything from Yes To? What did you think?

June Goals - 2021

Hello and welcome to (another late) set of goals! On the bright side, this one was somewhat intentionally late as I had some sponsored posts earlier in the month that had deadlines, so my other usual posts got bumped along a bit to make sure I didn’t end up posting all of my content in the same week.

 

If you read my last post on my May Goals, you’ll know that I was relatively successful with what I wanted to achieve for the previous month. This month I wasn’t quite so successful, but if you’ve seen my May look back  then you’ll know I had a little bit of an ‘off’ month, so you probably won’t be all that surprised. Anyway, that’s enough from me, let’s have a look at how I did with my goals for last month;

 

Do another 10k run

As much as I started off the month with good intentions, I just didn’t manage to do this. I think the furthest I managed to cover was just over a 5k run, and I just didn’t have it in me to do any more.

 

Start my shakes

I did manage to start these! I have no intention of having a shake only diet, but swapping out my regular lunch for a shake is working out pretty well. The shakes I’m using are from The Protein Works and as far as shakes go, these are pretty good.

 

Sort the cars

Everything is pretty much sorted. All the important things like tax, insurance and such are done, the last thing is to swap the plates on my car over. I’ve got the physical number plates, it’s just a case of processing online with the DVLA and paying the fee.

 

Hit my daily step goal

Again, I didn’t really get this done. I think it might be a better idea to go for a weekly goal, so that I can make up the steps on days I am more active.

 

Think of something for my birthday

I’ve thought of something that I’d like, and I’ve even thought of something to actually do for my birthday as well!

 

Back in the office

I’ve been out to a couple of places, either with members of the team or meeting people who also work in the city. The weather has been lovely, so it’s been nice to have a sunny lunch catching up with people!

 

 

That concludes my goals for last month, so now let’s have a look at what I want to achieve this month;

 

 

Hit the gym three times a week

I want to get back to being at least semi-active this month, so my goal is to hit the gym OR go for a run at least three times a week. As it’s quite warm I’d like to try and work some swimming in there as well if I can.

 

Try out some new meals

Something I enjoy doing is cooking, and I’ve got a fairly wide range of meals that I make on the regular. I would however like to try some new ones. I haven’t quite decided if I want to just pull some random recipes from the internet, or maybe trial something like Hello Fresh. I’ll have a think and we’ll see!

 

Get my hair done

I haven’t had a hair cut in over a year, so I am in desperate need for a trim! I’d also like to get it a little blonder for the summer, so once it’s been cut I think I’ll get the bleach out and do some touch ups up towards the root. The ends won’t really need any, given that they are pretty light at the moment – although I guess it depends how much needs to be chopped!

 

Sort the beauty room

Despite moving to a larger room, I seem to have run out of space again! Plus, I seem to have developed a floordrobe. I need to have a clear, put stuff away, get rid of what I don’t need and go from there. Part of my thinks I just need a bigger wardrobe, as the one I have at the moment is actually pretty small.

 

Catch up with Maria

We’ve seen a fair bit of each other over the past couple of months, and I would like that to continue! Maria is one of my oldest friends, and it’s lovely that we’ve been able to catch up and see each other on the regular.

Sponsored posts

I’ve ‘technically’ already achieved this, as I wanted to try for two this month. Having already done two last week, I’ll be upping the goal to three, so I need to try and get myself one more. I quite enjoy writing sponsored content, and the extra cash is a massive help at the moment as well while we save for our trip to Mexico in October.

 

 

There are my goals for the month ahead! Do you have any goals for June?

Maintaining Boundaries While Dating Online*

With so much choice out there when it comes to dating sites, apps or any other form of dating for that matter, it can be easy to get swept up in the excitement of meeting someone new. Now that Covid-19 restrictions are slowly lifting in the UK it can be all the more important to make sure not to forget the fundamentals of keeping yourself safe and avoid uncomfortable or unpleasant situations.

 

As much as it’s a nice thought that everyone out there is 100% genuine, with no ill intentions and is no danger to anyone, that sadly isn’t the case, which means there are certain things we need to bear in mind when scrolling through sites such as an Aberdeen Dating Site. Whether the location be Bristol, Manchester  or Aberdeen Dating, the points to remember are fundamentally the same.

 

An important factor, if not the most important factor is boundaries. Boundaries are important to implement and maintain when it comes to any form of relationship, but they are especially important when it comes to relationships that are newly formed or with people we don’t know very well.

 

Boundaries allow us to decide and communicate what is and isn’t ok. If someone asks you for a naughty pic and you aren’t comfortable with it, or don’t want to for any reason, you are more than within your rights to say so. If you say no, and the other person doesn’t take it well, what do you have to lose? The attention of someone who doesn’t respect your boundaries? Hardly something to be considered a loss.

 

That same goes for what you are comfortable with receiving. No, I’m not just talking about the ridiculous idea of men sending random women dick pics, although I suppose that also falls into this bracket. What I am referring to here is gifts and displays of affection. Sure, both can be nice, given the right circumstance, but overly elaborate gifts or a huge amount of affection can be uncomfortable, especially early on. Even more so when a polite decline is ignored.

 

Aside from the fact that ‘love bombing’ can be a rather substantial red flag when it comes to partners, this again boils down to respect – or a lack of. You don’t owe anyone anything, certainly not someone you barely know, and if their advances, gifts, behaviour, whatever makes you uncomfortable, you are well within your right to say so.

 

The last point I want to touch on is boundaries that you may not have necessarily specified, but those that make themselves clear in any given situation. If something feels off, then it more than likely is. This doesn’t have to be as dramatic as full on abuse online, sometimes it is far more subtle, and you can’t even put your finger on what it is specifically has made you feel uncomfortable.

 

In this scenario my best advice is to trust your instincts. They pick up on far more than we give them credit for and if someone feels ‘off’ there’s a good chance that your unconscious mind has seen someone that your conscious mind hasn’t picked up on yet.

 

I could go on and on about boundaries, as I said earlier, they apply to a multitude of settings, but that just about covers everything I wanted to today.

 

What do you do to establish boundaries?

* This is a sponsored post, please see my disclaimer for more information

May Look Back - 2021

It’s once again the start of the month, which means it’s time for a little look back over what I got up to in May. If you caught my April lookback, you’ll have seen that I got up to a fair bit, but to be honest, May was pretty quiet for me by comparison. I ended up spending quite a lot of May feeling pretty tired and run down, and that’s reflected quite heavily on what I managed to do over the last month.

 

An activity I managed to stick to last month was axe and knife throwing every other Saturday morning. Even if I did oversleep and arrive and hour and a half late to the last session… oops. It’s been a pretty fun hobby to pick up, and I’m glad that our friends (who have been doing it for a little while) invited us along with them to try it out. It’s hard to tell if I’m improving of not, as it seems to very much be one of those things you have good days and bad days with. I’m also not particularly consistent with how I throw, so I can do really great one go and then diabolical the next. Not that it particularly matters, as the main focus for me is finding something fun to do outside.

 

Once the last session of the month for axe throwing was done, my friend Katie and I went on a little trip to our favourite garden centre in Taverham. They had a pretty good selection of plants, and we even managed to both pick up a wish list plant. I managed to pick up a Calethea White fusion, which has gone straight into the plant cabinet as they are known to be humidity lovers, and very fussy. Katie managed to get a variegated Peace Lily with a lovely amount of variegation. We even spotted another one of Katie’s wish list plants in the propagation greenhouse, but sadly they weren’t quite ready to be sold yet. We’ll be keeping an eye on their Instagram for when they are!

 

Speaking of outside, I didn’t really get out on many walks or runs due to feeling run down (although let’s face it, it’s far too warm at the moment) but we have had a few BBQs in the sunshine. My month hasn’t been totally devoid of physical activity, and I’ve had a fair few sessions in the gym, and been swimming with M a few times, which is perfect for this weather.

 

Towards the very end of the month on the bank holiday weekend we got the most activity in, and managed a trip to the coast on bank holiday Monday. As we’d been forewarned by our other friends of heavy amounts of traffic already, we had a BBQ during the day, with homemade milkshakes, and then made out way to the coast in the early evening.

 

As we were going to Yarmouth there isn’t really much of a beach, but there are loads of arcades instead. So we spent a few hours playing the various games and having fun before we went back to the sea front in search of food. Having gone so much later in the day it was much cooler and quieter, so I’m glad we held off until the evening.

 

All in all it was a lovely month, and I’ve even managed to get a good head start in on my tan. Now that my energy levels are feeling a little more normal I’m excited to see what adventures await in the rest of June.