Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Posts tagged General
#bodyUNashamed
1Turn on the TV, scroll through social media, or open any magazine or newspaper on any given day, and you’re almost guaranteed to find a negative statement about how someone looks. Bodies and appearances are being shamed left, right and centre, and quite frankly I’m sick of it. Too fat, too thin, too hairy, not enough hair, too much make up, not enough make up, bad fashion sense etc etc. Basically, the media tries to sell us a completely unattainable and contradictory standard of “perfection”, and trying to achieve this impossible look just leads to unhappiness and low self-esteem. So, when Penny of Lillies and Love launched her #bodyUNashamed project, I knew I had to take part.
Penny’s project is simple, and aims to promote positivity and body confidence in all of us, whilst trying to put an end to body shaming and bullying, and it starts with bloggers like myself. Everyone taking part has been paired with another blogger, and must highlight three things about that person that are great, before highlighting three things about themselves that they love. I’ve been paired with Jan Ennis of StayHappyBeaut, and as soon as I saw her Twitter feed I knew it would be easy to find three great things about her.
1. Jan’s bio states that she is “obsessed with the value of a positive mindset”, and encourages us all to “stay happy stay beautiful”. Such infectious positivity is a really wonderful thing to have, and is perfect for this project as it promotes happiness and confidence, which can be difficult to achieve when we’re constantly being bombarded with negativity. Well done Jan for being such a positive person, and for advocating positivity in the rest of us!
2. Jan also has really pretty eyes! They look so striking and kind in her Twitter profile picture, and her eye make up also looks fab.
3. Her hair is gorgeous. The colour, the length, the style, the way it falls – it just suits her so much, and she knows how to dress to make the most of it. I wish I could get mine to look so nice!
A few years ago, I would have struggled to find three things about myself that I love, but over the past few years, particularly since starting this blog, my self-confidence has grown, and I’m now really content with myself. So here are my three things…
1. I really like my eyes. They’re bright blue and a nice shape, and people always tell me they’re very expressive. They’re definitely my favourite thing about my face.
2. I’ve always been the “tall one” – at school I was taller than my friends and I’m one of the tallest people in my family, and it bothered me for years. I always felt like I looked the odd one out and hated all the “wow you’re tall!” comments I’d get, but recently I’ve been embracing my height. So what if I’m 5’10″? If I want to wear heels, I’ll wear heels! Admittedly I still have issues finding trousers and jeans to fit my 36″ inside leg, but at least I have the advantage of being able to see over everyone’s heads at the cinema/concerts/crowds!
3. I’m also quite proud of my current level of fitness. A few years ago I was slightly overweight, which in itself wasn’t a problem, but it was affecting my health. I have mild asthma, but it was made a lot worse by my excess weight, and I got out of breath very quickly. I worked hard to improve my diet and lifestyle, and have since lost weight, which has led to me becoming a lot healthier. My asthma is now pretty much non-existent, and I can do so much more than I used to be able to.
If you want to join in with Penny’s #bodyUNashamed project, then please do! Compliment people whenever you can. Smile at people in the street. Call people out for body shaming others. Make a stand to the media for doing the same. And most importantly, be proud of who you are! Everyone is unique and that’s what makes us beautiful, so recognise your positive attributes and show them to the world!
Naomi x
Jobs and Jaunts
2Hi everyone,
I thought it was about time I wrote a little post about why I haven’t been blogging as regularly lately. As you may or may not know, in January I graduated from university with a Master’s degree, and since then I have spent MONTHS applying for jobs and attending interviews, whilst at the same time also working at my old job. As I’m sure you can imagine, that took up quite a lot of my time, leaving very little room for planning and writing blog posts. However, yesterday, after my eleventh interview of the year, I was finally offered a full-time job that I think I’m going to love. The job will start in September and involves working with and supporting university students, and I’m really looking forward to it. Now that that area of my life is getting some structure again, I hope that means I will be able to add regular blogging back into my routine, so expect to see more from me in the not too distant future! I already have quite a few posts planned, featuring lots of fashion and food, so check back soon for those.
I’ve also just got back from a little trip away with my fiancé. We can’t really afford big foreign holidays at the minute, but we both love nature and walking and suchlike, so we decided to go to Malvern for a while so we could go walking in the hills. We both had a brilliant time and spent hours and hours hiking, which was incredibly tiring but also relaxing! Whilst we were there we stayed in a gorgeous little private house called Uplands, which was cheaper than a B&B or hotel, but a thousand times nicer. We’ll definitely be going back, and I highly recommend it to any couples who like their own space when they’re away!
Here are just a few photos from our trip…
Naomi x
Dissertation = DONE
0You may have noticed that my blog hasn’t been as busy as usual over the last few weeks and months. That’s because I have been locked away in a room since June with a pile of books and my laptop, researching, writing and editing my postgraduate dissertation. I have been studying for a Master’s degree in Modern Literature since October 2011, and tomorrow I will be handing in a 20,000 word dissertation which signals the end of my time at university! Obviously I’m relieved that the dissertation is done and dusted, but I’m also sad that, after nineteen years in education, it has now come to an end. Having said that, I’m really looking forward to graduating and being able to think about the future. I’m hoping to find a graduate job as soon as possible so I can start saving up for a house, and of course I’m going to be dedicating a lot more time and effort to blogging, so you’ll be seeing a lot more of me!
But before all that, I need a little break, so on Tuesday my partner and I will be heading to Dublin for a few days. Seeing as I spent pretty much all summer cooped up inside, I can’t wait to get out and about doing stuff. We have quite a few things we want to do and see whilst we there, and I’ll be taking my camera, so expect to see a LOT of photos upon my return!
Have a great week everyone,
Naomi x
Bewitchery featured on Superdrug’s Look at Me Blog
7I have something very exciting to share with you today… Bewitchery has been featured on Superdrug’s Look at Me beauty blog!
The article, called ‘Beauty Bloggers We Love: Bewitchery‘, features a little Q&A with myself, including beauty tips and Superdrug product recommendations, as well as a few pictures. Of course, my beloved MUA get a big mention! You can read the feature here.
What do you think of Bewitchery’s feature?
Naomi x
Bewitchery’s 1st Birthday!
7Yesterday was Bewitchery’s first birthday – a whole year since I started blogging about beauty, fashion and lifestyle! When I first started this blog I never thought it would become the success that it has, and what started out as a hobby has become a big part of my everyday life. I would be lost without my little blog now, and looking back over the last year I can really see how my blog has evolved.
I would like to thank every single one of my lovely followers for supporting me and helping me get this far. It’s taken a lot of hard work to get to where I am, but I’ve had a lot of fun doing it and I can’t wait to see what this next year will bring. So whether you follow my blog as a WordPress subscriber, via Twitter, Facebook, HelloCotton or Bloglovin’, thank you so much for reading what I have to say, and for commenting on my posts. You all rock! The interest I’ve had from beauty and fashion companies has also been beyond what I ever imagined, so thank you too to those who have asked me to review products and write for them – it’s been a pleasure and will continue to be so!
To celebrate my one year blog birthday, I am hoping to host a giveaway soon for all of my readers, so keep an eye out for that.
Here’s to another exciting year,
Naomi x
Proposed EU Ban on Animal Testing for Cosmetics
7
8 years
by Naomi in General
Yesterday evening I received a very exciting email from BUAV to say that, after over twenty years of campaigning, the EU have announced that they will be banning the sale of cosmetics which have been tested on animals. According to BUAV’s article, “the import and sale of animal tested cosmetic products and ingredients is to be banned in the EU on 11th March 2013″, meaning that any company wishing to sell new cosmetic products within Europe, must not test them on animals anywhere in the world. The ban will not just affect beauty products, but also toiletries and essentials such as soap and toothpaste.
As I’m sure you will all agree, this is a huge step in the right direction to banning animal testing worldwide, and as BUAV have said, hopefully it will send “a strong message worldwide in support of cruelty free beauty and in particular to countries such as China, who still demand animal testing for cosmetics, to also respond and ban testing on animals”. I personally couldn’t be happier with this news, and I look forward to seeing what positive changes this will bring to the cosmetics industry.
To read more about the proposed animal testing ban in the EU, you can visit the BUAV article referenced above here.
Naomi x
Introducing Chocolate Treat Week!
6
8 years
For the past few weeks I have been planning something a little bit different for my blog that I hope you will all enjoy. Starting tomorrow and ending on Friday I will be running a chocolate themed week, called Chocolate Treat Week, and will be sharing my favourite chocolate scented, flavoured, coloured and themed beauty and fashion products. Each post will cover a different area of fashion and beauty, including skin care, bath and body, hair, make up, nails and clothing and accessories. I don’t know about you, but I think chocolate is the best kind of treat, so the aim of my posts will be to show you that there are plenty of ways to carry a love of chocolate through to your beauty regime and relax and pamper yourself with a chocolate treat that isn’t the edible kind.
There seems to be a divide when it comes to chocolate beauty products, so everything I recommend has been thoroughly tried and tested and only the best will be featured! I will talk about a variety of products, some for the hardcore chocoholics among us, and others for those that like to keep it subtle, but I can almost guarantee that there will be something suitable for everyone – even the haters!
I’ll also be including a tutorial or two along the way, and a few chocolatey words from some of my favourite bloggers at the end of each post.
Now that you know what it’s about, I hope you’re all looking forward to Chocolate Treat Week as much as I am!
See you tomorrow,
Naomi x
Beauty Vs Brains Tag
6In honour of the forthcoming weekend I thought I’d give myself a day off from reviewing and post something a little bit different and fun today. I saw this tag post over at Nocturnal Beauty, and being the scholar that I am I thought I would give it a go. So, without further ado, here are my answers.
1. Favourite Book
I learnt to read when I was three years old and am currently studying for a postgraduate degree in Modern Literature. As such, I have read hundreds and hundreds of books and find it next to impossible to choose just one favourite! My favourite books when I was a child were The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear? by Martin Waddell and Mog the Forgetful Cat by Judith Kerr, and I still hold these books very close to my heart. In terms of ‘grown up’ books, I am a big fan of Working Class, Carnivalesque and Transgressive Fiction, as well as a few classics, and have many favourites. Some of these include Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Millennium People by JG Ballard, The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks, The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter and Saturday Night and Sunday Morning by Alan Sillitoe. The list could go on!
2. Favourite Quotation?
Since childhood I have always loved the quote ‘Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing’, by French artist Camille Pissarro. I can completely relate to what he means, and I always think of this quotation when I’m taking photographs, as it encourages me to try to photograph the beauty in ‘humble’ things.
3. English or Maths?
Without a doubt, and you can probably guess what I’m about to say – English. I have been passionate about literature and words for as long as I can remember. As I mentioned before, I learnt to read (and write) when I was three years old. My grandma taught me, and she encouraged me to write stories and visit the library as often as possible, which I did, and I feel it really benefited me. This passion grew over the years, which has been reflected in my studies, in this blog, and in my aspirations for the future. I would love to write professionally one day, and that is what I’m working towards!
4. Science or Art?
This is a tricky one and I can’t answer it, because I like both. On the one hand, I enjoy being creative and am fascinated with the Pre-Raphaelite art movement. Every time I visit London my first stop is usually the Tate gallery so I can sit and stare at my favourite paintings, but I am also intrigued by science. Science amazes me, and I regularly read about and research different scientific topics, particularly space related ones, and I truly believe that some of the most significant people to have ever inhabited this planet have been, and are, scientists.
5. 5 musical artists that changed your life?
This is a tricky one as so many bands and singers have had an effect on my life, so these are just a few:
1. Foo Fighters
– I’ve been a Foos fan since the late 90s, and I have been lucky enough to see them live twice. The last time I saw them was in Milton Keynes last July with my partner, and when they sang my favourite song, Everlong, with fireworks going off in the background, on a warm, breezy Summer night, I felt elated. The moment was just perfect and will stay with me forever.
2. Kate Bush
– For some unknown reason, I have never been much of a fan of female vocals, with the exception of Kate Bush. When I was about four I used to put my mum’s Kate Bush vinyl records on and dance around, and I really think Kate Bush’s songs helped to shape who I am today. I love her quirky personality, and I think it rubbed off on me a little bit through her music.
3. Oasis
– I remember sitting in the back of my dad’s car when I was very small, windows down, sun out, Oasis playing very loud. When I think back to the music I was brought up with, Oasis played a big part in shaping my musical tastes. They were one of my dad’s favourite bands and in time they came to mean a lot to me too. In 2009 I was lucky enough to see them live, with my dad, a few weeks before they split up and I’m so pleased I got to see them!
4. Mike Oldfield
– Mike Oldfield is, in my eyes, a musical genius and Tubular Bells III is my favourite composition. It gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it, and Far Above The Clouds even makes me cry… Not many songs can do that!
5. Depeche Mode, T.Rex and Pink Floyd
– I’m cheating on this one, but all three of these bands have had a massive impact on me at various stages in my life. My favourite songs when I was a baby were by Depeche Mode, and T.Rex and Pink Floyd both opened my eyes when I was younger to a wider variety of music.
6. Favourite and least favourite subject at school?
My favourite subjects at school were English, Science and History, and they were all areas in which I excelled (amongst others). I never really enjoyed PE, Dance or Drama as I was very shy and quiet at school and always got so nervous about having to perform or join in with group activities!
7. Favourite celeb with a brain?
Hmm… This is a difficult one as I don’t have many ‘favourite’ celebrities, but I’d have to say Joseph Gordon-Levitt. A number of years ago he set up his own online collaborative production company called hitRECord (which I’m a member of), where collaborators can put together joint creative pieces such as books, songs, films and illustrations, and any profits are shared between the contributing artists. I really admire the effort and passion he puts into hitRECord, and it’s not often you see a celebrity giving something back to society, joining in, enjoying it and being a ‘Regular Joe’.
8. If you could study anything anywhere, what would it be?
If I wasn’t studying English, I’d like to study some sort of animal care. I used to want to be a Veterinary Surgeon, but now I think I’d prefer to work with animals in the wild. Maybe researching the intelligence of Dolphins and Whales, or something like that.
9. What is your ‘nerdy little secret’?
It’s not so much a secret, but I am obsessed with Batman. I grew up watching the old Batman films, and now that the newer, darker films are out there I like to think Batman has matured and grown up with me! I even collect Batman related things, and have lots of Batman clothes and accessories, and even a Batman mug and glass that only I’m allowed to drink from haha.
10. Favourite beauty gurus who you admire for more than their love for beauty/fashion?
Another difficult one, but because she shares my love for English and literature and all things nerdy, I’ll say Claire from Nocturnal Beauty who I got this tag from 
11. If your channel couldn’t focus on beauty/fashion, what would it be?
I’d either write about vegetarian cooking and baking, or literature and film.
12. Name some things that you’re obsessed with that other people would find strange.
Bats! I remember posting about this a couple of months ago, but I adore bats. I often go on bat walks and listen to bats ‘talking’ using detectors which pick up their sonar. I think they are very interesting animals and I like to learn as much about them as possible. I always get so excited when I see one flying about! We used to have a few nesting in our garden which was fantastic, and for some reason they just make me feel calm and happy. They’re beautiful, gentle creatures, despite what people may think.
I also have a thing for magic, particularly sleight of hand and close up magic. My favourite magician is Pete Firman and every time he comes to Leicester to perform I go and see him!
Oh and when I was younger I was obsessed with dinosaurs, fossils, rocks and crystals, and I still have a soft spot for them.
13. Name 5 people who inspire you (not friends or family)
1. Dave Grohl, because I admire his confidence, humour and outlook on music.
2. Kate Bush, because she’s a strong, successful woman and remains true to herself.
3. Jonnie Peacock, because last night he won gold in the Paralympics Men’s 100m final for Team GB, and I admire him for not letting his ‘disability’ stop him achieving highly.
4. Wynn Bullock, because his outstanding black and white film photography inspires me to be the best photographer I can be.
5. Vladimir Nabokov, because he wrote what I think is the best opening chapter of any book ever.
14. Who is your intellectual soulmate?
To be confirmed…
I hope you enjoyed reading my answers! Please feel free to do this tag yourself if you feel like it. Let me know if you do
Naomi x
Beautiful Blogger Award
6
8 years
by Naomi in Blog Awards, General
Earlier today I was nominated for the Beautiful Blogger Award by the lovely stephjms at Peacock in a Robins Nest. It’s always nice to be nominated for blogger awards as it shows that people enjoy what I write, so thanks stephjms! Her blog is wonderful so I suggest you check it out
There are three rules for this award, which are…
- Post seven interesting things about myself.
- Nominate other bloggers who I feel deserve the award.
- Let them know about nomination.
So firstly, my facts! I’ve done quite a few of these blogger awards now so apologies if I’ve already posted some of these, or if they’re not very interesting.
- As well as an Avon Rep and a student, I am a Mystery Shopper. It doesn’t pay much, but it’s a lot of fun and I find it quite exciting. I get free stuff too so it’s definitely worth it!
- I’ve only ever been abroad once, when I was 17. There are so many places I want to visit though, and I will do once I’m earning enough to afford it.
- I think England is beautiful. Once you get out of the city, the landscapes are amazing and I love living on such a green island.
- I have three small birthmarks. One of them is on my foot, but you can only ever see it when I’ve been in the sea. Strange, huh?
- I have a massive soft spot for the Hairy Bikers – I just think they’re so funny!
- I hoard books and I adore getting lost in a story. I have a very long list of favourite novels that I think everyone should read, so if you want it let me know.
- Bats are one of my favourite animals and I’m a member of the local bat conservation group. I like to go on bat walks and watch for bats and listen to their sonar on special devices. I find it stupidly exciting.
It’s so hard to know how many people to nominate for this award as there are many, many blogs that I love, so I am going to limit myself to ten. These ten blogs are ten that I follow and really enjoy reading. In no particular order…
- Nonfashionista
- Beauty N The Brains
- Sweetjellybean
- Beauty and the Best of the Rest
- Rarareid
- Tales of Nails
- Storybook Apothecary
- Lipstick and Love
- Peach Milky Tea
- sexnmakeupdiaries
If I’ve nominated you and blogger awards aren’t your thing then no worries, but if you do choose to blog the award then enjoy!
Naomi xx
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