Lush Favourites

I kind of feel like this is a stereotypical blogger thing to post as most bloggers do a Lush favourites. But who cares, here's mine!

It's only been this year that I've got into Lush, from about August or so. That means this my first year experiencing all the Christmas wonders that Lush offers. Three of my favourites are Christmas products yet I still have one or two Christmas bombs to try so there may be more Christmas favourites!! I also have a Dragons Egg and Sakura bath bomb which I really want to use but haven't got round to yet. You may see those in the future! I apologise for the poor photo in advance as I've been so busy lately that I keep missing the right lighting to take pictures *slaps wrist*. But hopefully they'll be better next week!

The first product is the Brightside Bubble Bar (which isn't in the phot because I've used half of it and is no longer its proper shape!) This is the first thing I bought from Lush and it is my 'go to' product for a lovely bath. It is red, orange and yellow and all the colours are marvellously swirled to create a lovely pattern. It is the same shape and size as The Comforter. It has a gorgeous citrusy scent and turns the bath orange.

The second product is Grease Lightning. I love this stuff. If you didn't already lnow,  Grease Lightning is spot treatment and it contains tea tree oil and rosemary to zap those spots. It is expensive at £6.10 per bottle but it isn't something that you on every night. You would only use when an actual spot appears on your skin and then it does its magic.

The third product is the Dream Cream. It is a hand and body lotion and this is the number one best seller (according to the bottle!) and I can truly see why. When I first went into Lush to look at the moisturisers, I had already researched and read reviews and knew I wanted the Dream Cream. The main reason I went for it is because I have eczema on the top of my arms near my shoulders and this is amazing for soothing the dry skin. The lady in Lush gave me two small sample pots of it and it lasted for ages which is a bonus. Finally for Christmas, I got a full sized pot!

The fourth product is the Golden Wonder bath bomb. As I said before, this is my first 'Lush Christmas' and everything was new to me. I was mainly attracted to this due to the smell and the size. It is a lovely gold present so you would think that the water would turn gold. But no, it doesn't. It turns a luxurious royal blue with other colours spewing out of as it fizzes away.

The fifth product is the Northern Lights bath bomb. I don't know whether this was for Christmas because it is supposed to be like fireworks in the bath so it could've been for Bonfire Night. This bath bomb is long and purple. Just like the Golden Wonder, the colour is misleading. It turns the bath mainly purple yet there is blue and yellow mainly in it and mine had a slight hint of pink. Luckily, I bought one before Christmas because my mum got me one on Christmas and when I looked at it, it was very, very crumbled.

The final product of my Lush favourites has got to be the Butter Bear. I believe that this is a Christmassy remake of the Butterball, but I think that it being in the shape of a bear is far better. It has a lovely cocoa butter and vanilla scent and turns the bath water a milky colour. I found that this not only made me smell nice but also moisturised my skin which is fantastic!

Those were my Lush favourites but I still love so many other of their bath bombs. At the moment I have soooo many things from Lush that I have either bought myself or received as presents but in no way am I complaining!!

What are your Lush favourites??

Emily xx

Winter Outfits

Hii guys x

So this post is a bit different to the previous ones I have done but I really enjoyed making it.

It may seem like winter is over but we still have till the end of February and it is extremely cold in the UK at the moment! For that reason, I put together four outfits. Two casual, one smarter look and one gym/exercise outfit. All links will be listed and I hope you enjoy :)

❤️Outfit One - Cosy Winter Wear, Red and Navy Themed.

Blanket Cape: £19.99 found here.

Navy Jumper: £65 found here.

Disco Pants: £10 (was £40) found here.

Chelsea Boots: £80 found here.

❤️Outfit Two -  Casual Winter Wear, Black and White Themed

Jacket with Borg Lining: £58 found here.

'Nothing to Wear' T-shirt: £7.99 found here.

Treggings: £25 found here.

Beanie: £9.99 found here. 

Sunglasses: £17.99 found here.

Dr Martens: £60 found here.

❤️Outfit Three - Work Wear

Cropped Blazer: (not the same one as in the picture but similar) £49 found here.
Cream Blouse: £48 found here.
Tartan Skirt: £36 found here.
Black Pumps: £50 found here.
Bag: (not the exact one) £315 found here.
(I didn't link the tights as they're just normal tights but I really like the 40 dernier Marks and Spencers Bodysensor tights)

❤️Outfit Four - Warm Gym Wear for Cold Night Runs

Sports Bra: £22 found here.
Sports Tank: £25 found here.
Hoodie: £30 found here.
Leggings: £31 found here.
Shoes: £70-£110 as you can customise your own. All Roshe Runs found here.

Okay, well that's it!! I hope you liked this post as it's a new idea but I'd really like to do more!
Bye x
Emily xx

Little Ways to Change Your Lifestyle

It feels like it's been ages since I blogged so before I carry on, I want to say thank you for all the lovely emails Imreceived regarding my Take Back What's Yours post which you can read here.
I decided on writing this post as my New Years Resolution is to get fit and I know this is the case for many people. So I've come up with a little list of small ways to change your lifestyle - for the better!

Food
Okay...so I love food!! But who doesn't??? I've recently been trying to come up with healthier snacks to eat as I know I eat too much junk! I don't want to make a drastic change so here's what I've been eating (and drinking) ....
❤️Lemon in Water
This is extremely refreshing and best when in lukewarm water. The amount of health benefits this has is unbelievable and it has really made my skin glow!
❤️Grapes
I've recently taken a liking to grapes and I've been having them A LOT! The main times I've been having them is when I come home from Dance and I'm hungry. Instead of having a biscuit, I have a bowl of grapes and I feel so much better!
❤️Yoghurt
I have never before really liked yoghurt but recently I tried the Yeo Valley Mango and Vanilla Yoghurt. It is delicious!! I mainly have it with strawberries and I chop up a banana as well.
❤️Jelly
Okay so this isn't really fruit or anything but after dinner I've been having one of these instead of a chocolate mousse/Cadburys dessert. This may not make a difference but I feel as if I've done something good!!

Exercise
Just admit it. No one likes going to the gym. At all. This is why I came up with a new list of ways to exercise without going to the gym...
❤️Blogilates
If you read my 'New Year, New Me' post then you'll know what Blogilates is. I won't go on just go check it out!!
❤️Walks
Whether it's around your neighbourhood or in the woods, a brisk walk is great exercise! I love going for long walks in the woods with my family and just walking round the block with my mum after school! I may even tell my dad I'll walk to school so he doesn't have to drive...maybe when it's warmer!
❤️Just Dance
This may seem weird but in the summer, I completed a Just Sweat Seven Day Challenge on Just Dance 3 and it was very tiring yet it made me feel great! I got Just Dance 2015 for Christmas and with the great selection of songs, I will be dancing in no time!!
❤️Hula Hooping
This is best done with a weighted hula hoop and it really hurts your sides at first - my mum got terrible bruises!! However it is all worth it as it whittles your waist and strengthens your core! I do it in front of the TV or with my headphones in playing a game and you forget you're hula hooping! If you want something quick and easy to try then I would definitely recommend this!

That's my list of small ways to change your lifestyle! Hopefully it was useful and will help you become fitter in the year to come!!

As you know, I recently set up my Pinterest which you can find here. I am currently making a board of fitness inspiration, ideas and outfits so check it out!!

Emily xx

Take Back What's Yours and My Experience

This post is a bit different to what I normally write. This post is about a the Take Back What's Yours Campaign. There's no better way to understand this than to read the post written by its creator, Chloe. You can read the post here. 

Hopefully you've read it now and understand what it's all about. If not yo can ask questions in the comments below. The main reason that I'm going along with this is because I was once bullied. It happened in primary school, Year 2-Year 5 and then I was cyberbullied during the summer between Year 5 and Year 6. I'm writing this post to not only promote the campaign but to tell you of my experience as many people are bullied out there and I want them to know that they aren't the only one. I also have some handy advice for you. Even if you haven't been bullied, still read on as TBWY is about more than bullying.

My Story:

It was in Year 2 when all of it started. At first, it was just like a bit of teasing, playground fun. But it suddenly escalated. I don't remember much about it during that year as I was only 7/8 but I do remember my mum phoning up my teacher as I used to come crying and not want to go in the next day. I remember Year 3 more clearly. This was the year that it got worse. The year before was just one person (who I will call Girl 1) being rude but then suddenly, Girl 1 started trying to turn all my friends against me as they were weak and easily scared of her. Year 3 was better however as my teacher had previously taught both of my brothers and she liked them and she knew my mum. This teacher is probably the only one who tried to properly stop what was going on. But just like the year before, my mum said I would come home from school crying my eyes out and then cry myself to sleep. In Year 4, things settled down a bit. Girl 1 was still rude. I remember that GoGos were all the craze in Year 4 and we would all get into groups to try and see who could trade their GoGos to get the best selection. I was in a group (they weren't set groups, just "friendship" groups) with Girl 1 and two other girls who were my best friends but also turned against me when Girl 1 was being rude. I wanted to trade one of my GoGos with another girl but because my group already had that one, I'd have to be kicked out and not allowed with my friends according to Girl 1. I still traded my GoGo with this other girl and I got kicked out of my group. You can probably understand that I was extremely upset at the time and it seemed like the end of the world. Another moment when Girl 1 was mean to me was when she made me and two other friends line up against a wall. Girl 1 had already told the other girls what she was doing. I wasn't told. So I went along with it and then Girl 1 stood at the end of the line and then 'examined' all of us. She then whispered to the other girls "Emily is the fattest *giggle giggle* ". This made me unbelievably sad. In Year 5, everything was a bit better. Girl 1 wasn't as mean to me as much but she was still very consistent with her rudeness and sarcastic comments. My mum told my teacher, she rang her, had meetings with her, I talked to her, but the teacher didn't listen. All she said was "Girl 1 is leaving in a few weeks, it's probably just because she is scared and worried". She left at the end of the Easter Term and boy was I thrilled!! All of her 'friends' cried and I was just standing there grinning on her last day. Well let me tell you one thing Mrs Year 5 teacher, it wasn't just a phase because she cyberbullied me along with her minions that she got on board with her. I went camping for a friends birthday and Girl 1 was there. She convinced everyone to hold the tent zip from the inside when I went outside to the toilet and she came with a name to call me on MSN so they could say things about me. There is no worse feeling than walking into a room (well it was a tent but anyway...) where everyone stop talking suddenly to laugh at you because of what they were just talking about. The girl whose birthday it was was one of my proper best friends and her mum knew what had been going on with Girl 1 so she dropped me home early the next morning as I just wasn't having any fun with all these rude individuals. Luckily, at the end of the summer, all of it stopped and so far, in the last 4 years, I haven't been bullied.

Glad that I was bullied?

The above question may sound a weird thing to be asked. But the truth is that yes, I am glad. Although at the time, coming home from school in tears wasn't the greatest feeling ever but now, I think that the bullying made better. In Year 6, I had kind of lost my confidence and happiness but then I thought: 'the bully was only rude to just me because I didn't let her get to me. I didn't let her change me and I stood up for myself without stooping to her level. That must obviously mean that I am in some ways brave and strong'. This made me feel so good that my confidence shot up straight away and right now, I am one of the most confident and loud person my friends have ever met (according to them!!) So I guess I made a positive out of a negative!

Advice

1) Don't in anyway stoop to their level. I'm not saying don't stand up for yourself but I'm saying don't be rude back to them as it makes you no better than them.

2) Get all the support available. Eventhough my teachers weren't that helpful, yours might be. I told my mum, my dad and my two older brothers. They both (jokily) said that they'd happily go round to Girl 1's house with a baseball bat. Not that they ever would, but just knowing that they support me really makes me happy. When I was being cyberbullied, my dad even said he would tell his friend who is a police officer as it was no longer just teasing.

3) Know that once it ends, something good will dome out of it. People at school say that they are sometimes slightly scared of me. That's because if someone is rude to me, I will give them a piece of my mind as I don't want them thinking that they can walk all over me. This confidence (and big gob) came from being bullied.

4) Remember that so many people have been bullied as well. You are not alone. It isn't embarrassing to tell someone neither is it dangerous to tell someone.

5) Lastly, if you're bullied, when the bully is being rude, stay calm. Do not show them that you are sad or scared even if you are about to burst into tears. This will make them think that you don't care what they say to you and then they may, hopefully, give in.

Well I'm sorry for the long post it is something that I believe could really go far if you all get behind TBWY.  I've now done what Chloe asked Bloggers to do. I've written a blog post about her amazing campaign. I don't have anything to take back as a New Year Resolution as I've already taken back my confidence which I lost during the years. I don't tag just 10 bloggers. I tag ALL of you. Whether you have been bullied or not, you should get on board with this campaign. The last thing she asked us to do was to add a picture of our poster. This took me quite a while so I hope you like. Chloe, this one's for you:

I did it in pencil as I don't think that something as harsh as bullying deserves to be portrayed through a poster with beautiful colours. I really enjoyed drawing it though because I love drawing and using it to help fight against bullying is great for me.

Take Back What's Yours campaigns Twitter is @TBWYCampaign and Chloe's is @chloesconcept.

Anything that you do for the the campaign, add #TakeBackWhatsYours.

Thanks for reading as this is such a personal topic.

Let's make a change.

Emily xx

ps. I set up Pinterest this morning. Search me up as farfromvogue or click the button at the side!!xx

Top 5 Books of 2014

Okay, so I love reading but I don't find that I read enough because I never could find a list of really good books that I'd enjoy. That's why I've compiled a list of my Top 5 Books of 2014 (although it's more like 7 books) so you can give them a go. These books are all based around a relationship or romance but they tell the story of love in very different ways.

1. The first book I loved last year was 'Don't Even Think About It' by Sarah Mlynowski. In this book, Class 10B are all getting their flu jabs. Side effects were expected but 10B don't get normal side effects. They become telepathic. This is such a sudden shock for all of 10B yet although it scares them all, it also brings them closer together. When faced with a question that could break the newly formed friendship, the group must decide what to do. This book may seem rather weird however, I found it very quickly engrossing and the events that unfold towards the end are unexpected.

2. This is one of my favourite books. I read it within a weekend and it is 'Fangirl' by Rainbow Rowell. The blurb says: Cath and Wren are identical twins, and until recently they did absolutely everything together. Now they're off to university and Wren's decided she doesn't want to be one half of a pair any more - she wants to dance, meet boys, go to parties and let loose. It's not so easy for Cath. She's horribly shy and has always buried herself in the fan fiction she writes, where she always knows exactly what to say and can write a romance far more intense than anything she's experienced in real life. Without Wren, Cath is completely on her own and totally outside her comfort zone. She's got a rude room-mate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words and she can't stop worrying about her dad, who's loving and fragile and has never really been alone. Now Cath has to decide whether she's ready to open her heart to new people and new experiences, and she's realising that there's more to learn about love than she ever thought possible. I think this is the best way to sum up the book and it quickly became a firm favourite. 

3. 'From What I Remember' by Stacey Kramer and Valerie Thomas is also one of my most favourite books.  Kylie Flores – class brain and movie addict – has been planning her big graduation day speech for three months. As a scholarship student, she would never dream of mixing with the likes of Max Langston – rich, undeniably handsome and athletic. When they're paired for an assignment, they're forced to do it at the coffee shop where Kylie's laptop is stolen. Before they know it, they're in a van heading for Mexico. After being in Mexico for a day, they fall asleep and wake up to find wedding bands round their fingers. This book is absolutely amazing and a definite unlikely teen romance!! It is also from five different POVs (point of views) which may be confusing but it is easy to grasp after a few chapters.

4. There are two books here because one is the sequel and I enjoyed both so much so I had to put them both in. These books follow the life of Faith through her diary as she attempts to make her way through Year 10. These were quite quick reads for me however I found them very enjoyable. In the first book, the main storyline is about the boys school pairing up with Faith's school to form a choir. Then dreamy Finn walks in and Faith has her eyes set on him not realising the people she has right under her nose. In the second book, the boys' school is back and that means Finn and Ethan are back as well. Will she realise which one she truly loves or will it just all end in a mess??

5. 'If I Stay' is based on Mia who, in the first book is in a major car crash and then a coma for a long time. Throughout the book, she is having an out of body experience and can witness all that is happening whilst she is in the coma. Before the accident, she had so many choices but now, she only has one and will her boyfriend Adam change her answers? In the second book, 'Where She Went', the story is based around Adam. Three years after Mia's accident and Adam is stuck in New York soon to be going on tour with his rock band and seeing his famous girlfriend. That night is also the night that Mia is performing with her cello. One last chance to rekindle the flame they once had...what will happen??

So I hope you enjoyed this post! It isn't like what I've been doing however I have seen so many people reading books like Fangirl and If I Stay so hopefully you will give them a chance. Have you read any of these books?? Let me know in the comments below or tweet me @farfromvogue_

Emily xx

My New Year

I called this post 'My New Year' because this year, so much will happen to me and I'm old enough to be able to do much more and I want there to be some changes this year.

I have come up with a few New Years Resolutions yet I never seem to keep them. So as well as those, I've come up with some goals that I would like to accomplish this year. Some will definetely happen and some hopefully will - I just need to keep focused.

I said that so much will happen to me this year. But all I mean is in the next few months I will start doing GCSE work in English and Science and soon I'll be choosing my options (although I already know what I want to do). I also said that I'm old enough to do more. That may sound weird as I'm only 14 but I've finally settled down and found really, really good friends who at the begining of Year 7, I never would have thought I'd be friends with. As I've got these few really close friends, I will do more things out of school and have more fun. This leads on to one of my resolutions...

My Resolutions

1) Do more of what makes me happy (quoting Alfie Deyes there!)

2) Follow the Blogilates calendar and get fitter

3) Eat healthily and eat less junk

4) Watch less TV

5) Read and draw more

6) Live my life and have fun

1) I can't really explain my first resolution. It's just something that I think is needed so I have more fun which then relates to my last resolution.

2) I really want to be fitter. I could out as my resolution: 'Go to the gym' or 'Run everyday', but since when was that fun? I found Blogilates one day on YouTube so I looked it up on Google and found out that it is such an amazing thing! Cassey (the creator) makes up a workout calendar each month that is full of the videos you should be doing each day to get fit. I'll link her website here and her YouTube channel here.

3) This just leads back to number 2. I don't eat the best foods so I really want to make an effort to live a healthier lifestyle.

4) Okay. This is a major one for me. I watch a lot of TV as I never feel as if I have anything else to do. However, since starting my blog and choosing to do more exercise, I think I'll manage!!

5) The year of my GCSEs is the year that they bring in the newer and harder tests. My English has already had a briefing about the new exams and she tells us that if we want to do well, we need to read everyday. Know I don't know whether she's just telling us that to get  us to read or whether it's true or not but I actually don't mind reading so I'm still going to attempt to read everyday. I also love drawing and as I want to do Art for my GCSEs I thought I'd draw more and practice using different materials and all that.

6) My choice for this resolution is just the same as number 1. I just want to be happier in general.

2015 Goals

1) Lose a bit of weight by July

2) New Blog Design

3) Keep up with my dance

4) Start horse riding

1) I set this as a goal because I have a school trip in July where we stay away for a few nights so I want to lose a bit of weight by being fitter and healthy which links back to my resolutions.

2) I don't want my blog design just being a template off Blogger because that is boring. I want my own design and I am already starting to think up some ideas. However, our computer is completely broken and out of use so I can't do it at the moment. I want my design to be something I've drawn so I got advice from a lovely person called 'Jojo' whose blog you can find here. We might get a computer at the end of the month so that means a new (and original!!) blog design and it will make blogging easier as I currently do it off of my iPad.

3) I have been doing Ballet since I was 4 and in a few months I will be doing (hopefully) my Grade 6 Exam and I really want to do well. Last year I started Tap and I'd really want to advance on that but also advance on my pointe work in ballet.

4) Well this is a bit different to my other goals but I've always wanted to do horse riding but I want so  much out of this year that I may as well attempt horse riding as I think that 2015 could be my year!

Well that's my New Years Resolutions and Goals! Hopefully I'll keep focused and follow them through further than January!! What are your resolutions and goals for this year?? Leave a comment saying.

In my Girl Online post, I did say I would do a Top 5 books of 2014 but two of my books still haven't arrived so that post may be a bit delayed! Whoops!

Hope you all had a great New Year and have fun in 2015!

Emily xx