September Favourites

Hello lovelies, 

I hope you are having a fantastic Friday!

I had planned for this post to have lots of lovely photos to correspond with all of this month's favourites, however being a spoonie took over. This week I've started a new medication to lower my blood pressure and it's totally knocked me around! I'm incredibly nauseous and dizzy so my focus is resting and not the blog. Hopefully by next week I am back in the swing of things. 

I cannot believe we are at the end of September! This year has flown by. I'm not mentally ready to admit that we are approaching the holidays at all. I am excited for all things Halloween now that Australia does somewhat celebrate it! Stay tuned for some posts on Halloween decorating and cards! 

I wanted to share some of my favourite things about the month of September. I don't want to just share products, but memories/highlights also. 

Colouring/Reading Light 
It sounds simple but it has been a huge help! Sometimes late at night (not really late but late for me!) I like to colour in but don't have great lighting. This little light has been awesome in helping me see what I'm colouring in. It also can attach to a book for late night reads. 

New hair 
This month I took the leap and went to a hairdresser for the first time this year. Yes, this year. I used to be the girl who religiously got their hair done every 12 weeks. But spoonie life happen and I got sick of the pain of sitting in a hairdresser chair for hours on end, as well as the expected flare afterwards. After dyeing my hair myself I was over the colour and desperately needed a good cut. I am so so happy with how my hair turned out. I suffered a flare afterward but I've learnt that sometimes a flare is warranted if we want to do something for ourselves.

Blogging 
In September I took up blogging again, which has absolutely been a highlight. I've loved sharing parts of my life with the internet and opening myself up a little more his month. I'm hoping in the following months I can open up more and talk about topics that really matter to me. 

The Secret Life of Pets
After seeing the preview for this months and months ago I knew I had to see this movie! I have been going to the movies more often these days as its an activity I can do that requires little effort/energy. This movie was lots of fun and there were lots of laughs. 

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
Empire of Storms was released September 6th and I was SO excited to get my hands on a copy! The Throne of Glass series is one of my all time favourite- a kick ass female lead character with the stunning storytelling of Sarah J. Maas. I've been prolonging finishing the book because I don't want it to end! 

Melt Subscription 
This month I feature the Belle Lumiere Boutique Monthly Melt Subscription pack on my blog. I absolutely love having floral and fruity scents in my room and loved the section I received for September.

Lashes
In my Ride or Die tag this month I mentioned that I don't wear false lashes. Towards the end of the month I started playing around with them and fell in love with them! I've ordered lots of different lashes and I'm looking forward to trying different styles. 

MakeUp Geek Foiled Eyeshadows 
These are a forever favourite, but in September I loved doing easy eye looks with that amazing high sparkle pigment packed on the lid. I especially loved Whimsical and Flamethrower. Makeup Geek recently released a bunch of new Foiled Shadows and I have ordered some. I'm excited to do a haul post soon!


I'd love to know in the comments below what some of your favourite things about September were!

Gentle hugs,
Bridget

A letter to a Loved One when I'm Flaring

Dear Loved One,

Being a loved one of a spoonie is very challenging, I understand this. I see you struggle with watching me me pain, I see you mourning the loss of who I used to be, and I see you struggle with knowing how best to help me in such a helpless situation.

I know for the most part you feel lost in how to deal with my illnesses, that coping emotionally is a battle as you don't know who to talk to about it all. I want you to know this isn't lost on me and that I see your heart, and we see how this is affecting you.

Watching a loved one being sick is hard, and then a flare comes and the battle gets harder. You probably know some of the things that I feel or think during a flare, or you may not. I wanted to share with you why I act a certain way during a flare and how you can best help me during this time.

• Ask me if I am ok. This seems simple and even silly to remind you, but sometimes having someone acknowledge that you aren't yourself makes a difference. I may not want to talk about it but asking if I am ok may open up a conversation with how I am feeling. Flares are emotionally upsetting because 

Check I have the essentials.  Check I have water, pain medication, snacks/food, distraction tools, a comfortable bed etc. 

Cook for me. The last thing on my mind when I am flaring is eating, let alone cooking. It seems like climbing up a mountain with a giant boulder on my back. Not having to worry about preparing a meal is a huge relief that I appreciate more then you could imagine. 

• Let me be. Being in pain is exhausting, and when I am flaring it is harder again. Carrying on a conversation during a flare is challenging- it takes a lot of concentration on listening and engaging. If I am being short with you or angry, it's likely its nothing to do with you and more so that I need some alone time. Flare time equals rest time. 
• Ask if I need anything.  Being a spoonie comes with an awful lot of guilt. I know I don't like to ask for help or for my loved ones to do things for me. Sometimes having someone ask to help is easier then me asking. I don't ever want to feel like a burden so having you ask shows me you want to help.
• If I'm sleeping, let me sleep. You may notice that I sleep, nap or rest a lot more during a flare. It's really important that I get that extra rest. Being woken up can in fact cause me a lot more physical pain then waking up naturally, so I really appreciate being able to rest in quiet during a flare.
• Run errands for me. The thought of getting out of bed, let alone getting ready and leaving the house overwhelms me during a flare. Life still goes on whilst I flare, so having you do errands like getting some groceries or getting a script is super helpful whilst I am stuck in bed. 

If you are a loved one of a spoonie and you've read this I want to say thank you. It means the world to us spoonies when our support system is open to ways in helping us. We appreciate all that you do and really do notice. We might not say thank you enough, or at all, but it means the world to us you care. 

Gentle hugs,

Bridget 

Books I've recently read

Hello lovelies!

I hope you are having a wicked day!

I wanted to share with you some of the books I've recently read, my short spoiler-free review and thoughts on them and my suggestion on if you should read the book or not! 

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

By: John Tiffany and Jack Thorne
http://www.bookdepository.com/Harry-Potter-and-the-Cursed-Child---Parts-I---II/9780751565355/?a_aid=BridgetParker

There was SO much hype over this book being "the next Harry Potter book". I went into it knowing it wasn't in fact that, that it was just a play that J.K Rowling endorsed. I think because of that I wasn't as disappointed as some people were. I personally thought it was ok, I could take it or leave it. I would absolutely love to see the play though. A girl can dream!
Read if: you're a Harry Potter fan. 

Freedom: My Book of Firsts 

By: Jaycee Dugald

http://www.bookdepository.com/Freedom/9781471158513/?a_aid=BridgetParker
I loved Jaycee Dugard's first book, "A Stolen Life", which was a recount of her horrific 18 years kidnapped from the age of eleven. It might sound strange that I loved it, but I loved hearing how strong she was dealing with what was a nightmare situation. I was excited when I discovered Jaycee had written a second book, "Freedom: My Book of Firsts" and I grabbed it right away. I personally struggled to read it. It read more like a diary and I didn't get anything out of it.
Read if: you're interested in Jaycee Dugard's story. 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

by: Ransom Riggs
http://www.bookdepository.com/Miss-Peregrine-s-Home-for-Peculiar-Children/9781594746031/?a_aid=BridgetParker

With the movie close to coming out (it's in fact coming out in Australia in a few days!) I really wanted to get this book off my TBR and read. I always want to read the book first. I knew that there was a lot of positive reviews on this book and series but went into it rather ensure if I'd like it. And, I loved it! I will be reading the other books in the series and I am VERY excited to see the movie as soon as I can!
Read if: you love something a little different and want to read before seeing the movie! 

All the Bright Places

by: Jennifer Niven 
http://www.bookdepository.com/All-the-Bright-Places/9780141357034/?a_aid=BridgetParker

WOW. It's hard to discuss this book without spoiling it. I went into this book with no knowledge of what I was getting into. In hindsight I do wish I'd known that it was a heavy read, just so I could brace myself for it. I will say if you are triggered by mental health issues, I would recommend you look at it in more detail on GoodReads first. Did I love it? A thousand times yes. It was beautiful, hauntingly beautiful.
Read if: you are prepared for an emotional love story with a twist. 

White Witch, Black Curse

by: Kim Harrison
http://www.bookdepository.com/White-Witch--Black-Curse/9780061138027/?a_aid=BridgetParker

This book is the 7th in "The Hollows" series by Kim Harrison. It follows Rachel Morgan who is a witch living in a world that the supernatural are living alongside humans, out in the open. It's a fun concept, the series is easy to read and the characters are very loveable.
Read if: If you love supernatural books and all things witches.  

Empire of Storms
by: Sarah J. Maas
http://www.bookdepository.com/Empire-of-Storms/9781408872895/?a_aid=BridgetParker

I am currently reading Empire of Storms. I can already tell you that I adore this book and the series. Sarah J Maas is my favourite author. I love her writing style and the characters she creates. I love the kick-ass women characters in her books! I highly recommend you dive into this series.
Read if: you love fantasy books with kick ass female characters.



What books have you recently read?
Gentle hugs,
Bridget

Please note the links provided are affiliate links. 

The journey of being Sick.

Hey lovelies,

I hope you are having a wonderful day! 

The Facebook Memories feature isn't my favourite thing in the world. It often reminds me of memories I'd rather forget. Maybe they've worked out I don't like it to much as lately the memories they have showed me have made me smile. 

Today I was shown the image above. It was posted three years ago today. I can't remember what made me post it on Facebook, but today looking at it I'm really reflective of my health journey over the past four years. 

I've been sick since 2012. I'll always remember 2012 as the year that almost broke me. So much happened within that 12 month time frame. I feel like that first 18 months to 2 years of being sick I was barely treading water. I lost myself and spent that time surviving, barely functioning but doing all I could to survive chronic illness. That's what you need to do in the first stage of being sick; it's all consuming and takes over life. It's a learning process about your body, and vital to learning how to cope. 

Four years on seeing this quote I can tell I've entered the next stage of being sick- my "problems" being my illnesses. My relationship with my illnesses have surely changed in the last four years. Whilst in the beginning they defined me but now they don't. Not only have I now learnt to live with them, but I've been able to create learning experiences and new opportunities that I wouldn't have had if I wasn't on this chronic illness journey. 

I have learnt to not live in the emotion of being sick. I've learnt to brush off bad days and not dwell in them. I've learnt to live with being sick just as the above quote says- the relationship has changed. I don't introduce myself as being sick, I don't introduce myself to spoonies labelling my illnesses. I am Bridget, and I just so happen to be sick. 

I feel like I can live again, differently from the non-sick me, but still living. I'm starting to go out and do things I enjoy. I'm learning to push my boundaries- knowing it will cause a flare but not being an emotional mess when the flare happens, excepting and expecting it and moving on. 

I am awakened, I am learning and ready to except opportunities again after 4 years of living in my problems. 

So I guess the Facebook Memories feature isn't all so bad after all. 

Gentle hugs,

Bridget 

Throne of Glass Colouring Book Review

Hello lovelies, 

I hope you are having a good day!

The "Throne of Glass" colouring book is based on the book series of the same name, which I absolutely adore. I am currently reading the recently released 5th book "Empire of Storms" and loving it! Both "Empire of Storms" and this colouring book were released on the same date, August 6th. 

Below is some information on the book and some sample pages! 

Title: Throne of Glass Coloring Book

Pages: 96 pages 

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Illustrator: Yvonne Gilbert, Jon Proctor, John Howe, Craig Phillips

Each left hand page has quotes from the books written by Sarah J. Maas. The quotes cover all 5 books that have been released.

I couldn't find any information on the exact thickness of each page, however they are rather thick. I think you could use a variety of media (pencils, watercolours, markers) to colour with as the pages are thick and the pieces are one sided! 

As you can see the pages are incredibly detailed which provides hours of colouring fun! 

Below is a sample page I coloured. I wasn't 100% happy with this piece but that happens sometimes! I used Mont Marte pencils and a Prismacolor blending pencil. 

I love having illustrations to see faces and places that I've read about in the book series. 

This book is a must have for fans of the book series who also like to colour, as well as for anyone wanting detailed pieces to complete. 

Here's the link for this colouring book*

http://www.bookdepository.com/The-Throne-of-Glass-Colouring-Book-Sarah-J-Maas-Yvonne-Gilbert-Jon-Proctor-John-Howe-Craig-Phillips/9781408881422?ref=BridgetParker

Gentle hugs,

Bridget

*please note this link is an affiliate link 

Monthly Melt Subscription- Belle Lumière Boutique

Hello lovelies,

I hope you are well! 

I wanted to share an awesome monthly subscription box that I've gotten on and off for awhile. 

Belle Lumière Boutique is a business specialisting in handmade candles and melts. They also make their own custom fragrances!  I discovered them in a Facebook group for monthly subscription boxes. Being melt obsessed I definitely had to give it a try! I also love that it is a month by month service, so if I want to take a break for a month or more, I can do so. 

Being housebound I've come to love my creature comforts, and melts are something I must have burning in my room at all times. I just love being able to pick and choose new scents!

The monthly subscription pack is $25 AUD which includes 12 melts (large ones I might add!) AND shipping! If that wasn't great enough, they offer the choice of fragrances (Floral and Divine, Fresh and Fun, Fruity and Fabulous or Sweet Temptations) which you can choose from. I can be sensitive to food fragrances (I know a lot of my spoonie friends also have this aversion), so knowing I wasn't going to get anything that caused nausea or headaches was a big benefit.

The photos above are of the 12 melts I received for the month of September. I chose Floral and Divine and Fruity and Fabulous. After having a whiff my favourite is Island Dreams; a custom fragrance hand made by Belle Limiere Boutique that I have had before and am obsessed with! They describe the scent as a tropical retreat, and I definitely agree! 

I am currently burning Sweetpea and Cherry Blossoms in my owl melt warmer from Scentsy. 

If you're in Australia and interested in trying a fun subscription box, head over to their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/BelleLumiereCandles

Please note I purchased the melt subscription with my own money. I am doing this blog post purely to share something I love with you!

Gentle hugs

Bridget 

Ride or Die- Make Up Tag

Hello all,

If you're someone who likes to watch beauty gurus on Youtube, I am certain you've seen the Ride of Die make up tag that Jaclyn Hill has created. Basically if you were deserted on an island and could only take one of each make up product what would it be and why. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be! I'd love for you to let me know what some of your Ride or Die make up items are in the comments below! 

Primer: Loreal Pro Matte Primer.

I love silicone primers as I feel they help fill in my pores and the acne scarring on my cheeks. After using other primers I feel this primer does help my makeup last longer which is a big plus. I also think the price point is decent ($29.95 in Australia) as I find that the amount of product lasts quite some time! 

Foundation: Kat Von D Lock It Foundation 

I chose this because it has wonderful coverage, it lasts quite some time without breaking up and looks beautiful on the skin. I love applying this with a beauty blender.

Concealer: Hard Candy "Glamoflague"

Hard Candy products aren't sold in Australia so I had a friend from America send me this concealer as I'd heard such amazing things. The coverage is out of this world- a little certainly goes a long way! It's an inexpensive product that I honestly feel is so underrated. Whilst it's a little annoying that I have to have it shipped from the U.S, I only need to replace it every 9-12 months! I have two shades as I use the "light" under my eyes and the "fair" everywhere else. 

Face Powder: Nude by Nature Mineral 

I've been using this powder for years and years! Whilst this is meant to be a power foundation, I use it as a setting powder as it gives just that little extra coverage and REALLY helps at both keeping my foundation set in place and filling in my pores and acne scars. I love this so much that I buy back ups during the Priceline 40% sale! 

Under eye setting powder: Australis 

I personally don't often set my under eyes, but when I do I use it I use the Australis. I do love baking with it and the nice bright effect it leaves under my eyes.

Blush:  Milani Dolce Pink

This one was hard as recently I have been using a lot of the Australis blushes as they are matte which look better on my acne scarred cheeks. But going off what I've used most in the past, my go to is the Milani Dolce Pink. Simply put- I love the colour. It's pink but not in your face bright. 

Bronzer

Honestly, I don't use bronzer. Being very fair I am yet to find a bronzer that doesn't look orange on me. Instead I prefer to contour and my favourite product is one that is suited exactly to my porcelain  cool tone! It's the Make Up Geek contour pan "Break Up". 

Highlighter: Becca Opal 

When Becca announced they were launching their Pearl product in pressed formed I couldn't wait for it to be released in Australia (we usually get products released overseas 6-12 months later!) and had it shipped from America. Being as pale as I am this product is just perfect for me! I prefer the white/silver highlights to gold as I'm a cool toned gal. 

Mascara: Too Faced "Better Than Sex" Waterproof

So I have a few mascaras that I use. Another hard category for me! When I first tried the normal BTS mascara I loved it, but was so disappointed that it wasn't waterproof. I MUST have waterproof! When Too Faced finally launched it in waterproof I was a happy little chappy! At first I was very disappointed in the product as the wand brought a lot of product out of the tube. I actually considered returning it. However after it had dried up a little it worked much better and I've reached for it every single time I've done my lashes! 

Lipstick: Milani "Matte Blissful"

I am an absolute sucker for pink/mauve toned shades! I fell in love the moment I saw swatches of this online and gasped when seeing it in person. Once again Milani isn't available here so I bought this online. Apart from the colour I adore the matte formula. The matte formula isn't drying and in fact feels very nourishing. 

Liquid Lip:  L.A Splash Lip Couture 

I personally own a LOT of different liquid lipsticks because I am a fan of applying and then not worrying about for a few hours. I find choosing a certain product/brand rather hard because I do own so many. I decided to go with the Lip Coutures because I adore the two colours that I do own, they aren't as drying as other brands I use, I don't notice them as much on my lips (I hate feeling like I have something on my lips!) and when they wear off, they wear off nicely. There isn't any clumping or butthole lips to be seen! I definitely want some more shades and would recommend giving them a go! I grab mine off eBay. 

Please note in the above photo these hadn't dried down when I took the photo. 

Gloss: Lanolips Lip Ointment 

I'm not much of a fan of lipgloss, or at least I wasn't until I stumbled across this product. I received this in a Goody Bag from Priceline. Usually I dislike glosses as I find them really thick and sticky. Lanolips is incredibly nourishing, thick but not too thick, not sticky, has a slight tint of colour incase you want to wear it alone and always feels amazing on. I'll go as far as to say that I won't use any other lipgloss from now on. This product is always next to my bed to use!

Lashes: NIL.

I currently don't use false lashes! I have actually wanted to try them out lately so have purchased some to play around with!

Eyeshadow palette: Too Faced "Sweet Peach Palette" 

This again was another hard one as I personally adore my MakeUp Geek individual pans in my Z-Palettes and I don't believe they qualify as a palette (otherwise it would be them hands down).  I also have SO many palettes that I try and mix it up and use different ones every time I do my makeup. I chose the Too Faced Sweet Peach palette as it's my go to when I don't know what to use. I feel that there are a lot of different looks you can do with this palette because of the selection of colours it has. The only downside to this palette and something I want to mention is that there is a Peach scent to the palette. As a spoonie I wanted to mention this as I know we are sensitive to smells. 

Setting Spray: Loreal Infallible Fixing Mist 

I've only used two different setting sprays, this one being the second. For that reason I am choosing it. I find it really does help my make up last longer, especially because my body doesn't react well to temperature increases and I sweat when I'm walking into a new room. 

Perfume: Marc Jacobs "Lola" 

I've used this scent for a long time. I love the scent and the fragrance lasts well on my skin. I do love a few others but they are so strongly infused with certain memories. This one doesn't have any memory in particular attached to it. Just happiness! 

Not included in the tag that I wanted to mention:

Brow Gel: Australis "Tint my Brow"

This is SUCH a great product! I was using the Benefit "Gimme Brow" and loved the small brush, but not the price tag. Australis recently changed the brush and made it smaller so I wanted to give it a go. It is BRILLIANT! The product lasts all day on my brows, sets my brows perfectly and the colour is great. I reach for this 100% of the time now as I prefer it to the Gimme Brow. 

If you've reached the end of this post you are an awesome person! 

I'd love to know what some of your Ride or Die products are below.

Gentle hugs,

Bridget 

Jasmine Becket-Griffth Halloween Colouring Book Review

Hello all,

This is the newest release from the incredible artist Jasmine Becket-Griffith. After getting her first colouring book in August for my birthday, I knew I had to have this! 

As with her first book, this book has a dust jacket with the actual cover being brown. 

The book follows the same format as her first- with each left page having a brief description about the piece and the colouring piece on the right hand page. 

The paper is 150 gsm paper, with notably whiter paper in this book. Having thick paper means you can use such a wide variety of media to colour with. As seen in my photos, I used markers with no bleeding on the back of the page. 

Photos are below and an example piece. Not my finest colouring at all, but I wanted to get this review up and test out some new markers I had just purchased. 

I love this book and have to say that Jasmine's two books are some of the most treasured colouring books of my collection! 

Title: Halloween

Pages: 96  (55 colouring pieces)

Publisher:  Llewellyn Publications

You can find this book on Jasmine's website or at Book Depository! 

 http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=BridgetParker

If you'd like me to review a certain book, or show my collection of colouring media, as always, please comment below!

Gentle hugs
Bridget