Facing The Facts...

Ever wonder if you're doing the right thing? If where you are right now, is where you are supposed to be? I've been fighting with thoughts for about a month now and I'm not gonna lie, I've had enough.

Most of the time I'm the one giving you advice and tips on how I have dealt with things in the past but unfortunately I've not mastered this one yet, so I'm not going to be much help.

I find myself thinking a lot about 'what if's' which we all know is such a stupid thing to do. I often wonder what would have happened if I had passed my A Levels and gone to uni, or if I had learnt to drive years ago, all of which are pretty harmless things. However, recently I've been thinking about other things, some of which are pretty big things, life-changing things.

Without going into too much detail, I just imagine what my life would be like if a few things changed and worryingly I think I'd be happier. Only problem is is that I'm scared to make a change.

I wonder if any of my readers have been through this? Or if you are currently? All that I can say is that I truly believe that things will happen if they are supposed to, so hang in there :')

Anyway, sorry if that was depressing, in other news... I've been missing for quite a good chunk of this month haven't I? I'm sorry for that!
Let me catch you up...

On the 9th of May, I traveled to Nottingham to take part in a Warhammer tournament and was there for the weekend. It was awesome! I always love going to Warhammer World, the atmosphere is amazing and you meet really lovely people there. For those of you who are sat staring at you screens wondering what the fuck I'm going on about, it's okay! I don't expect you to know what Warhammer is, it's a table-top game and only for nerds ;)

Apart from that, I've not really been up to much other than working. The only other exciting thing to tell you about is that I have finally bought my learner driving course and my Theory test is on the 11th of June! So that is underway at last!! :)

I hope you're all doing amazingly and that you're having fun in the sunshine! I promise that in June I will go back to doing weekly posts.
Thanks for reading,
Charlotte xxx

It's Been Too Long!

Hello everyone!

It's been ages hasn't it? And I am so so sorry for that!

I have been ridiculously busy and on top of all of that, my computer has died! It's been a HUGE deal as I use it pretty much all day every day, mostly for business purposes so it's been really hard without it. It is still currently down at the moment and won't be fixed for 2 weeks! So I am borrowing a laptop but unfortunately it means that I am unable to post as often as I would like to.

Anyway, besides that it was my brother's 4th birthday on Thursday so it's officially been party central here for the last week or so :)

My brother had such a lovely party on Thursday at a indoor play area. He invited all of his friends from Nursery and they had a brilliant time. I have to admit that even I had a go on the play area, and it was awesome! Then they had a little picnic tea with pizza's, smiley faces and sandwiches and after that the party host took us into another room where the kids enjoyed a disco and played with wigs and blow-up guitars. It was so lovely to see and my brother definitely enjoyed it! The place were the party was held was called 'Imagination Street' and I would highly recommend it if you are looking for somewhere to hold your child's party!

In amongst all these parties I have been working a lot of hours and sleeping the rest haha.. Work is going well but one of my fellow carers is leaving in a few months and so I have to learn to drive in order to keep my job. I am not bothered about this because if I'm honest, I should have passed my driving test a long time ago but I am also nervous to learn and that I won't get in done in time to keep my job. So, I have booked myself in for one of those crash course thingies.. You know the one's? Test ready in 5 days?! It seems crazy to me because most of my friends were learning for months on end but if I can do it, then I would be absolutely over the moon!

That's pretty much everything that I have been up to in the last 2 weeks and again, I am really sorry that I haven't been able to post but I promise, that when my computer is fixed, I will be back to posting at least once a week, if not more!
Thank you for reading and for sticking with me!

I hope you are all doing amazingly and are having a lovely bank holiday weekend :)

Keep smiling and stay positive,
Charlotte xx

My Current Faves!

I've been trying out a lot of new products recently. It's hard for me to find products, especially one's that are going to go on my skin, that don't irritate my eczema so when I do find the odd few I use them over and over.

1. Boots Simply Sensitive Deep Cleansing Face Mask - I like a pamper just as much as the next girl but I haven't ever found a face mask that doesn't make my skin feel like it's on fire. I decided to try this one out, for £1.49, what have I got to lose? This mask does have a slight burning sensation but only for the first few seconds after you have put it on, and it leaves the skin feeling very clean and super soft. It's cheap and will never be as good as the high end masks out there but for a budget buy, it works great!
2. Collection Fast Stroke Waterproof Eyeliner - Another budget buy at £2.99. This eyeliner stays on as long as you need it without it flaking off as you can often find with cheaper brands. I really like the brush as it makes flicks easy and gives a very precise line. Only grumble about this product is that it is maybe a little too waterproof? I know that sounds silly but it really does take some scrubbing to get off!
3. Nivea Creme Soft Shower Cream - Unfortunately I can't use any gel based washes so that's why I absolutely LOVE this shower cream. It has slight scent to it and feels really nice on the skin in the shower. It doesn't dry the skin out like you find with some shower creams as it contains almond oil. Again, another bargain at just £1.99.
4. Paul Smith Optimistic - I love this perfume, it's definitely my spring scent. It's such a lovely smell and people have been complimenting me on it nearly every day. It's currently on offer on the Superdrug website so grab it while you can! I'm absolutely rubbish at describing smells so I took this description from the Superdrug website: 'Containing an energetic top note of sharp mandarin and spicy black pepper, this fragrance really grabs your attention. The heart is a mix of sensations with the fresh note of mint and the softness of geranium. The base is a classic Paul Smith combination of aromatic and woody ingredients, with vetiver, cedar and the sensual surprise of amber.'
   
5. Primark Nails - Now these really are the buy of the month! Primark have loads of different designs for you to try; some are on trend and some, like mine, are just adorable. Considering these are only £1.00 they're not the best nails you're going to find but they are well worth the money and stay on your fingers pretty well! I suggest you pop down to your local Primark and grad yourself some! 

So there you have it :) I hope you enjoyed this post guys and I'll see you soon. Thank you for reading,
Charlotte xx

Liebster Award

Hey guys :)

I was nominated by The Life Of L for the Liebster Award. If you're not sure what this is it is an award given to bloggers by other bloggers in recognition of the hard work they do on their blog. The word 'liebster' comes from German and means sweetest, nicest, lovely, pleasant etc.

I think it's a pretty cool idea and I am definitely grateful to have been nominated :)

So the first thing I have to do is post 10 random facts about myself... Here goes:

1. I started my blog as a place to moan but now use it to spread positive messages! 
2. I can't yet drive but I do have a motorbike license. 
3. I have a rabbit called Luthor and a hamster called Orion. 
4. I have a younger brother called Oliver who is 4 next month :) 
5. I am a complete nerd and play both computer games and table-top wargaming games. 
6. I would really love to live in Japan and am teaching myself Japanese currently. 
7. I work as a Carer and absolutely love my job. 
8. I have a crazy obsession with owls. 
9. I moved out of home when I was 16. 
10. I absolutely love reading and hope to write my own novel one day. 

Next thing I have to do is answer the questions that The Life Of L has asked: 

1. If you had won the lottery, what would be the first thing you do? 
   Well, I would probably by myself a house. However, I think I would also give my parents both a portion of the money too. 
2. Where do you hope to be in 10 years time?
   In my own home and married, working in the same job I do now (hopefully) and happy and healthy! 
3. Snow or Sun?
   I do like the sun but I can't stand the heat so I would probably have to say snow :) 
4. What food could you eat every day and never get bored of? 
   Definitely pizza! I just can't get enough! 
5. What 3 items can you not life without?
   I don't really know because I'd like to think I'd be alright without all my technical objects but probably my phone, a good book and my rabbit. 
6. One thing that you love about your country?
   I'm from England and I'd probably say the countryside :) 
7. Favourite colour and why?
   I have two, is that allowed?! I like purple and green because they both just make me smile and I like bright colours. 
8. Favourite TV show at the moment and why?
   Game Of Thrones! Do I need to say any more?! 
9. Favourite subject at school and why? 
   I used to absolutely love History at school. I just loved learning about the past and how people lived and thought back then. 
10. What is one of your most embarrassing moments?
    This is a hard one. I don't really embarrass myself too often however, I went to Starbucks a couple of months ago with a friend and before I had even had chance to take a sip of my drink, I spilled it over my lap and had to walk around town with a damp crotch all day! 
11. Favourite thing to blog? 
    Positive messages and self-help ideas. 

My nominations are:

Hippies In The City

Pint Size Pixie

OliviaMulhearn

And if you read this and have your own blog then please feel free to do this too! If you do, then post me a link in the comments so I can check it out :)

Okay so here are my questions for my nominees: 

1. Why did you start blogging? 
2. Where do you see your blog in 2 years time? 
3. What is your favourite beauty product at the moment? 
4. If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? 
5. If you were to start your blog again, would you do anything different?
6. What is your favourite movie and why?
7. What is your favourite thing about Spring?
8. If you could give your younger self some advice, what would it be?
9. What is the one thing that you always wanted as a child, but never got?
10. If you could have any profession in the world, what would it be?
11. If you could learn any language, what would you learn?

Right nominees, here are your rules: 

• Provide a link back to the blogger who nominated you. 
• Post 11 random facts about yourself.
• Answer the 11 questions set by the blogger who nominated you.
• Nominate some bloggers that you would like to give this award to.
• Set your nominees 11 questions and make sure they know the rules.
• Let the nominees know that you have nominated them. 

Thank you for the nomination The Life Of L and I hope that you guys all enjoyed this post! 

Charlotte xx

The Magic Of Mindfulness

So, I recently read a magazine article on the practice on mindfulness and decided to give it a try. Based on the Buddhist concept of mindfulness in meditation, it is the focusing of attention and awareness. Now don't worry if you are religious, although this comes from Buddhist roots, mindfulness is often taught independently of religion so you can still give it a try!
Put into layman's terms, mindfulness essentially gives your brain a rest and it can ease feelings of stress and anxiety.

The aim of mindfulness is to teach you to focus your brain on tuning out distractions and it claims that the easiest way to do this is a five or ten minute breathing exercise in the morning. In quite a similar setting to meditation, the idea is to sit with a straight, relaxing back and feet flat on the floor. Gazing straight ahead or with eyes closed, bring your attention to your breathing and wherever you feel it most. When thoughts crop up, which they undoubtedly will, refocus your mind onto your breath.
The great thing about this is that there isn't a specific way in which you have to do it. Experiment with the time of day that works best for you. Which room do you prefer to do it in? How long can you last before deciding what's for tea really can't wait any longer?

At first I will admit that this was impossible for me to do for longer than about 30 seconds but it does get easier and I can definitely notice the health benefits. The thing to remember is to just take it at your own pace, start at 2 minutes and build it up.

Some other ideas you can try, if you're finding the meditation-type mindfulness difficult, are:

• Have a mindful shower- Focus on the warmth of the water, and appreciate the smells of your soaps and shampoos.
• Take time to enjoy your lunch- Eat slowly, enjoy the tastes and focus on what you're eating rather than checking your computer or phone. 
• Savour a cup of tea and just relax. 
• Before you go to sleep as you lie in bed do a mental tour of your body. Focus on different feelings and areas of tension, imagine your breath soothing them. Doing this can lead to a better nights sleep! 

So there you have it :) I hope you enjoyed this and that it was helpful! Let me know if you try it and if it works for you. 

Thanks for reading,
Charlotte xx

My Hair History!

Hello Lovelies :)

I recently had my haircut and went for something a bit drastic, something that I didn't think I would have the guts to do. I chopped off all my hair! I always wanted princess locks for as long as I could remember, the kind that you could sit on y'know but I surprised myself the other day and when my step-mum asked me what I would like done, I replied with, "Take it all off!"

In celebration of my new hair cut, which I don't like by the way, I thought I would look back over my hairstyles that I have had over the years and share them with you.

So here goes..

1. Here I am aged about 14 (I'm on the left by the way). My hair is completely natural here and I believe that I was trying to grow it. I really liked this colour and wish I could go back to it now but I'm not sure how hard it would be to get there.

2. In this picture I am about 16 I think. This was taken on Christmas Day 2010 and it was my baby brothers 1st Christmas. I really hate my hair here and I'm not entirely sure what I was thinking haha. The majority of my hair is still it's natural colour but I decided to have blonde put through my fringe and front sections of my hair. Personally, I don't think the curls help matters haha. 

3. I'm 18 in this photo and I was going through a bit of a rebellious stage with my grumpy pose and lip ring. This is where my hair was at it's longest and I think if I could redesign my hair starting from scratch now I would have it this length and in my natural colour. However, here I have recently dyed all of my hair in what was supposed to be a purple colour but turned out more of a redish-brown. 

4. I very quickly got bored of my long hair after someone told me it made me look a lot younger than I was and so I cut a good majority of it off. It's still a redish-brown colour but I now have a short bob with full fringe and I do like this hairstyle a lot. I think I am still 18 here. 

5. As my hair grew out of it's bob, I started to train my fringe into a side swept style. I then dyed it a very vivid red and this is pretty much still the colour that it is today. 

6. This photo was taken just before Christmas 2013. As you can see I let my hair grow out of any style and was trying to grow it long again. It's still a vivid red but doesn't appear to have any real shape at all haha.

7. And here I am now that I've had all of my hair snipped. This is actually a bit long than it really is as after I had had it cut I decided that I wanted more off and so both sides are about an inch shorter than what you see here. I tried to take a picture of it again but I couldn't get as good a representation as this one. It is still red and although I would love to go back to my natural colour, I also know how difficult it is to get red out of your hair. I have tried several times to grow my colour out but after about an inch of brown roots, I just have to dye it again haha. 

Anyway, thank you all so much for reading and I hope that you are all having a lovely week!

Thank you and I'll speak to you soon :)

Charlotte xx

Let's Catch Up!

Hello lovely people!

I can't believe that it has been an entire week since I last posted! Even I'm in shock! I'm sorry that I haven't been very present on here recently, I have an awful lot of things going on all at once. So I decided what better way to sort through everything in my head than to stick it on here for all of you to read about.

So, although I work part time at the moment as a Carer, I am looking for something full time as, quite frankly, I need more money to live on. I have had a load of different ideas in my head about what I might like to do and I truly believe that any one of them would make me happy and so I have applied to about a million jobs and am now patiently waiting for replies. I have a couple of interviews lined up and I am quite excited for them but nervous also. Alongside this I have, of course, been carrying on with my current job and that takes up even more of my previous blogging time.

I have also been going crazy trying to find a good intensive driving course for myself. I now have the money in order to complete a driving course, buy a car and insure it, and all that is left to do is find a good company. If any of you know of any then please let me know below! I ideally need to sort this out before I start one of my prospective jobs as after this, I won't necessarily be able to get the time off work in order to complete the course which would be a huge let down!

On top of all this there is the usual. Cleaning, tidying, taking care of the animals and finding the occasional moment to throw in some yoga or reading my book! I am so grateful for everything going on in my life right now and I do love how I always have something to get on with but I do sometimes wish that I could find time to fit in yoga every day :)

Anyways, I hope this didn't bore you haha, I just wanted you all to know that I haven't forgotten about you and I will be back very soon with hopefully at least 3 posts a week for you to look forward to.

Thank you for reading and I'll speak to you all soon. Hope you are all doing great and having a lovely day,
Charlotte xx

#nomakeupselfie for Cancer Awareness

Hellooooo :)

So who has seen this going around facebook? Maybe you've already done it or have been nominated?

This little hashtag has taken over in a big way and it is a lovely idea. Especially when you see cancer sufferers and survivors getting involved too! I encourage you all to go barefaced and exposed on the internet.

However, if we all donated a pound to Cancer Research or another cancer relatee charity instead (or as well as) imagine how much money we could raise!

I nominate all of you reading this to go makeup free and if you do it, then leave me a link in the comments so I can take a look :)

Thanks for reading and Ill speak to you all soon, xxx

Tag: It's All About Me :)

Howdy everyone :)

Today I decided to do a little tag post about me! I haven't really done anything like this yet, and you all know very little about me so I thought I'd give this a go :)

I hope you like it and please feel free to answer the questions yourself! If you do complete this tag then leave the link to your post in my comments so I can check it out :)

Vitals

Me: Charlotte 

Nicknames: Lottie, Lot, BotBot (my surname is Bottomley)

Birthday: 7th September 1993

Place of Birth: Wordsley, West Midlands

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Male or Female: Female

Occupation: Carer 

Residence: Worcestershire

Screen Name: HinataShowers

Appearance

Hair Colour: Red

Hair Length: Short

Eye Colour: Brown

Height: 5' 4"

Braces?: Nope, never had them

Glasses: Yup, you will see me wearing them 99% of the time :)

Piercings?: Ears, lip and nose 

Tattoos?: One on my left arm 

Sorry for the poor photo, this was taken just after it was finished :)

Righty or Lefty?: Righty 

Your 'Firsts'

First best friend: A girl named Loren who moved away when we were 6 and I never heard from again haha

First Award: I believe it was a ballet award when I was 3 for passing my first exam

First Sport You Joined: Ballet lessons that I started when I was 3 

First Real Vacation: Santa Susanna, Spain

First Concert: Spice Girls, of course! 

First Love: Kieren (what a mistake that was!) 

Favourites

Movie: Probably Inception 

TV Show: Uhm, I have no idea haha

Colours: Purple 

Song: There's too many to choose from! 

Candy: Cadbury Mini Eggs :)

Restaurant: I love Frankie and Bennys and Pizza Hut 

Store: Probably New Look

School: My favourite lesson was History

Book: I'm a Harry Potter lover and always will be haha

Shoes: I'm constantly in Converse 

Currently

Feeling: Sleepy but happy 

Eating: Mini Eggs ;)

Typing: This and replying to business emails 

Listening To: Pentatonix (if you haven't heard of these guys, go check them out now!) 

Thinking About: My interview on Thursday 

Wanting: To get my haircut

Watching: What I'm typing haha

Wearing: My pj's ;)

Future

Want Children?: Not at the moment, but who knows how I might feel in a few years

Want To Be Married?: Yes please, is tomorrow good for everyone? 

Where Do You Want To Live?: Japan ideally :')

Have You Ever?

Kissed A Stranger: Yeah and didn't I regret it after?!

Had Alcohol: Yup 

Smoked: Yeah, I'll quit one day

Ran Away From Home: No, I don't think so

Broken A Bone?: No (touch wood!) 

Gotten An X-ray: Yes 

Broken Up With Someone: Yes

Cried When Someone Died: Yes, very recently!

Cried At School: Yeah

Do You Believe In..

God: Yes

Miracles: To a certain extent

Love At First Sight: Not really

Ghosts: Yeah

Aliens: There's gotta be something out there, right?

Soul Mates: Kinda

Heaven: Yes

Hell: Yes

Kissing On The First Date: Sure!

Yourself: Not as much as I should

Thank you for reading :) I tag all of you to do this and I hope to see some of your answers soon! 

See you all soon,
Charlotte xx

British Heart Foundation

Today I supported my dad, Step-Mom and other members of our family as they ran a 5km route for the British Heart Foundation.

In November of last year my Step-Grandad, Steve, suffered what would be his 4th and final heart attack and after being on life support, passed away. It was a huge blow to our family, particularly for my brother and Step-Mom (Sam). It was so hard for my dad and Sam to explain to my 3 year old brother that his Grandad, whom he loved so dearly, had gone to heaven.

And so today, in memory of him and in support of the foundation that helped him so much whilst he was alive, they ran 5km in the Wyre Forest. In total they raised approximately £500 for the charity and I am so unbelievably proud of them and I know that Steve would have been too.

We plan to do it every year and next year I will also be doing the run. Unfortunately I wasn't able to do it this year but I was so happy to look after my brother whilst they ran and to cheer for them when they crossed the finish line. It was very emotional for us all when they finished but it was for such a great cause and we had a lovely pub lunch after to celebrate!

My Step-Mom on the right and her brother and sister, running for their Dad :)

Playing with my brother whilst waiting for them to cross the finish line :)

Natural Spring Eyes

I wanted to try a natural look for spring and found an old palette that was perfect for helping me to create the look that I was aiming for.

Sorry for the horrid picture, it was REALLY hard to get a good one of my own eye haha

So hopefully you can see that I have a light pink on the lid and then a light, shimmery brown running through the crease. A thick black line, without the standard flick, lots of black mascara and white eyeliner on the waterline to help open up the eye and give it a bright, fresh look.

I really enjoyed experimenting with this look, although it's not that difficult to create, it's something that I wouldn't usefully opt for so I had a great time playing with the pink and the white eyeliner.

Here are the products I used to create this look:

I don't know if you can get this palette anymore but it should be really easy to find similar colours in your favourite brand.

Thank you for reading and I'll see you all again soon :)
Charlotte xx

Pastel Blue Eyes

I recently read that Pastel Eyes are going to be a spring trend and so I decided to give it a go. The only pastel colours that I own currently are blues in my Chilli Pepper London palette.

Here's the look I created:

With a more pastel turquoise colour on the lid and a darker blue blended through the crease, a thick black line and lots of lovely mascara, I think this is the perfect way to incorporate pastel colours into your look without it being too girly (which you all know by now, I don't like being too girly). 

The blues that I used were: 

As well as a Fearne shimmery loose eyeshadow and these other products: 

I know that this isn't the 'standard' spring look but I wanted to put my own twist on it. 

I hope you like it and I would love to see your take on the pastel trend :) 

Thanks for reading and I'll talk to you all again soon,
Charlotte xx

OOTD #2

Sorry for the poor picture, the lighting was dreadful.

Today I went on a little shopping adventure and, as the weather in the UK is picking up a little now, I was able to wear the skirt I got for Christmas without freezing!

I wanted to wear something a bit different as I'm trying to be a little more girly with my wardrobe and so I thought this really worked whilst staying quite close to the tomboyish fashion that I so love.

• Black Long Sleeved Top - Gap.
• Black and White Checkered Shirt - New Look 
• Gilet/Bodywarmer - New Look
• Skirt - SUPERDRY
• Tights - New Look
• Grey Converse - CONVERSE

(Any brand that is in CAPITALS has the link to the item. All other items I wasn't be able to find online unfortunately, sorry!) 

I hope that you are all having a lovely day and I'll speak to you all soon,

Charlotte xx

#100happydays

I wonder if you guys have heard about this?!

#100happydays is an awesome trend that is taking over the world and I think that it is such an amazing idea. All it asks you to do is to take a picture of something that is making you smile every day for 100 days and to post it to your favourite social networking site with the hashtag 100happydays.

Easy right? According to the 100happydays website 71% of people who start this challenge fail, with the main reason for this being that they simply didn't have the time. No time to be happy?! That's unbelievably sad.

On the flip side, people who completed all 100 days stated that they felt more positive and they realised truly how lucky they were.

So, are you up to the challenge? If you would like to get involved then all you need to do is visit 100happydays.com and sign up! You can choose to take part using twitter, instagram, Facebook, or if you don't want your pictures to be viewed publicly then you can opt to privately email them to the 100happydays team.

If you would like to keep up with MY 100 days happy adventure then be sure to follow me on instagram.

Good luck to you all and stay happy!
Charlotte xx

Just To Say..

You are all so beautiful and are loved each and every day by so many people! But don't forget how important it is that you love yourself! Be proud of yourself and of everything you do and just appreciate how awesome you are :) Don't worry about what everyone else thinks of you, just concentrate on learning about yourself and seeing the beauty that you have.

Goodnight everyone xxx

Anxiety.. You Can Control It.

There are hundreds of different types of anxiety but lets face it.. They're all crap. And, as a matter of fact they ALL stem from the same place; thinking too much.

Now before I get too far into this subject I want to say that no, I do not have any special qualifications nor am I a councilor so everything I am going to say here is from my own experiences. Ok, now that's out the way, lets get started :)

None of us want to admit it but most of our anxieties are our own creations, we make them up in our minds and let them become bigger than we ever wanted them to. It's a horrible thing to admit, that we do this to ourselves, but the fact that we do is actually a good thing; it means that we can rewrite those thoughts and make them into something less scary and more useful.

As anxiety sufferers we definitely feel as though anxiety runs the show and dictates what we can and can't do. Whether it's leaving the house, making that important phone call or trusting someone close to us; anxiety helps us to manifest the worst scenario and stops us from even contemplating doing the most simple of tasks. The most important thing to remember is that it doesn't have to be like that and that you DO have the power to tell your anxiety where to get off!

A little bit of anxiety is human, it helps us to distinguish between things we are comfortable with and those we aren't, but some of us let our anxieties run into every aspect of our lives and that's when it's time to stand up.

Anxiety is most common in those with creative minds but do not use that creativity to it's fullest potential. By doing this you are giving your mind the opportunity to use all that beautiful brain power in other ways, e.g. over-thinking EVERYTHING. So, the best advice I can give you to conquer your little anxiety demon is too drown it with creativity. You have to keep busy ALL THE TIME. And not just by doing the housework or by going food shopping because that doesn't engage your mind, you have to do something that completely blocks out any thoughts other than those that are focused on the task at hand. Learn an instrument, write/read an engaging book, design your own spaceship, create some handmade jewellery, do some baking, redesign your entire house, start a blog.. The list is endless and all of these things require creativity and complete concentration on your behalf.
The key is to not let your brain have ANY time whatsoever in which it can wander onto damaging thoughts. 

A lot of people who suffer anxiety find it useful to plan out their days. Doing this means that you shouldn't have any time during your day in which you're just standing around, staring into space, and therefore doesn't give you any time to over-think.
If you spend a lot of your day at a dull, uninteresting job this can be the time where anxiety strikes hardest. However, again the secret is to not let your mind wander. Either focus ridiculously hard on your work and make yourself do it to the best of your ability so that your completely absorbed by the task, or think about your new creative outlet that you have going on at home; come up with new designs and plans, research new recipes, try out your ideas on your colleagues. Just don't get into trouble!

One of the most important things is that you absolutely have to admit that the reason you have anxiety is because you put it there. I'm aware that that may be hard to hear, some of you may have had horrible events occur that you believe triggered your anxiety, and that may very well have been the case, however the event itself would not have been the cause, your reaction to the event was. You see, as long as you believe that you're not the cause, the longer your anxiety will control you, once you admit that you are the reason behind your anxious thoughts you can immediately regain control over your anxiety demon.

STICK TO IT. It will be hard and you will have bad days where you think that all your hard work has been for nothing but trust me, choose to change and stick to it. Imagine anxiety as a snowball (bare with me). Anxiety can be triggered by one sentence, sometimes even a word, and this is where it starts, as a pea-sized snowball. The more you dwell on it and think about it the bigger your snowball gets, rolling down a hill and getting bigger by the second until you have no room in your head for anything other than your snowball and you essentially get a metaphorical avalanche. When you become aware of an anxious thought popping into your head, kill it immediately. Actually say to yourself, "NO" and then consciously focus your thoughts onto something else. You have to have conviction and you have to work at it EVERY single second of the day. Stopping the bad thoughts and swapping them for good ones. It's hard work but it will get easier and pretty soon you'll be doing it without even realising it.

The last point I have is to do with medication, particularly if you are on anti-depressants for your anxiety. I want you to know that you don't need them. You are completely capable of conquering this without the need for meds, and you will feel so much better for doing it on your own. Let me ask you this? Have you ever actually looked at the little sheet that comes with your medication? The one that says that the side effects of your anti-depressant meds is depression and suicidal thoughts? I'm not a doctor so I'm not encouraging you to bin your anxiety related meds however, what I am saying is by tackling these issues on your own you will soon find little need for them and be shocked by how much they're hindering your progress as apposed to helping. I suppose what I'm getting at is, if you are yet to be offered anti-depressants I strongly advise that you think long and hard about it as it's very easy to become reliant on the pills and you are less likely to be willing to help yourself.

Simply put, in order to control your anxiety you need to:

1. Admit that you're the cause. 
2. Decide, with conviction, to make a change. Choose to fill your life with creative outlets and fulfilling distractions. 
3. Stick to it, no matter how hard it gets. 

Please don't think that I am trying to have a go at you, because I truly am not. I know that some of you may feel attacked or that I don't understand what you're going through or else I wouldn't be saying the things I have. Let me remind you that I, myself, have anxiety and have had it for about 6 years. All these tips and tricks are what have gotten me to where I am today, where I am finally able to keep my anxiety under control. I'm sorry if I have offended anyone but to those of you who are able to see the sense in what I have said, I sincerely hope that this helps you. Please feel free to ask any questions and approach me with any messages at all.

For those of you who are interested, here is a post I did earlier this month about GETTING POSITIVE IN 2014.


Thank you for reading and I'll see you all soon,
Charlotte xx

L'Oreal Feria Review and Thank You!

So first of all I just want to say a MAHOOSIVE thank you to you all!! In under one month I have reached 30 followers here on Hinata Showers and I am so grateful! I didn't even think that one person would be interested in what I said, let alone 30. I have loved writing for you all and I am so excited about the future of this blog. I have so many ideas and I can't wait to share them all with you, so thank you for all your support!


You asked about my hair and I wanted to let you know that the product I used was L'Oreal Feria in Hot Chilli Red and I actually really liked this product. It was easy to use and I really enjoyed the fact that it came with a high shine oil which you added into the dye and I could definitely see the difference in my hair. There was plenty of dye in this pack to cover my whole head and it didn't run at all when it was on. It actually smelt very nice and the smell of the after conditioner was lovely. Considering I had quite a dark base colour to start with, it came out a very bright red and it was also very soft and shiny. All in all, I really like this product and would definitely recommend it.

Thank you all for reading and I'll speak to you really soon :)
Charlotte xx

ASMR?!

I wonder if any of you have heard of this? Asmr or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response is a feeling, usually a tingling, that starts from the top of your head and works it's way down the rest of the body. It is a pleasant, relaxing feeling and is sometimes described as a 'brain orgasm'.

People who get asmr have certain triggers that start their tingly experience. These vary from whispering, tapping and scratching objects, personal attention, slow hand movements, soft spoken voices or voices with an accent, watching somebody perform a simple task with care and many, many more.

Asmr has a HUGE community on Youtube with mostly women creating these videos to help people relax. A lot of viewers use these videos to help with trouble sleeping, stress and escaping various problems, the community is very tight knit and everyone helps one another.

So I wonder if any of you lot have heard of this or, better yet, if any of you experience asmr yourselves? A lot of people consider this a weird subject and many believe that it has sexual connotations behind it, but it doesn't.

There is currently a lot of investigation and experimenting going on around this subject to see if it can be scientifically proved but as it stands, it can not. Anyone who has asmr though will know about it and if you're not sure if you do then I would highly recommend finding out. Here are some great asmr youtubers to get going with:

• The Waterwhispers
• Gentle Whispering
• Asmrrequests
• Asmrer

So this was a bit of a different post and I hope you enjoyed it! I would love to hear your views on this and also your own personal experiences surrounding it :)

Thank you for reading and I'll see you all soon,
Charlotte xx

My Eczema Skin Care Routine

Hello again :)

I'm going to be going through the products I use to keep my eczema under control and, although I don't necessarily like all products, they do work.

 Aqueous Cream is my holy grail. I use it to wash with as well as to moisturise. It's a very thick cream and has no perfume to it. I use it to moisturise all over my skin as well as my face and it leaves my skin feeling very soft. For a large tub like this I paid £4.09 and I get mine from BOOTS. 

This was a bit of a bonus buy really. I wanted a cream to go in my bag for my hands as they get very dry outside, especially in the winter. All the other creams that I had tried contained perfumes and made my eczema flare up horribly. This was from the 99p store and has worked wonders. I did try it on my face and it dried my cheeks out further so I have stuck to just using it on my hands and I am very happy with it!

I get Betnovate from my doctors and it is a mild steroid cream. I don't use it very often as I personally feel that it does not have any effect on my eczema and it is not something that I would get again. I have used it countless times of inflamed eczema patches and find it does not clear it up, on dry skin however it does have a small effect.

Mometasone is a strong steroid cream that is for eczema that is flared up and very angry. It is not recommended that you use it on your face as this is a very strong cream and is too harsh for the sensitive skin on the face. This is a miracle worker and with the tiniest amount heals even the worst patches of eczema.

So there you have it. It's not perfect and it's certainly not a cure but it works ok for me.

Thanks for reading and I'll see you soon,
Charlotte xxx

Sorry!

Hey guys :D

I'm just doing this quick post to say I'm sorry for that I haven't got a proper blog post for you all today! I have been working extra hours the last 2 days and so I didn't have time to write anything for today :( I will be back with regular post starting tomorrow and I hope you can all forgive me!

For those of you that are interested, I work as a Carer for a severely disabled man called Christopher. Today we visited a place in Worcester called Snoezlen which has sensory rooms and a hydro pool. If you have chance to check it out, I would definitely recommend it! They are a charity run business and could do with all the support they can get. Here's the website.. Click Me! 

The White Room at Worcester Snoezlen

Star Tunnel at Worcester Snoezlen

I hope you can all forgive me for the lack of post today and I'll speak to you all tomorrow!
Have a lovely night and thanks for reading!
Charlotte xx

My Signature Scent

Whenever people see me, they always ask what perfume I'm wearing and it's always the same one! I have been in absolute love with Paco Rabanne's Black XS for as long as I can remember. It's always the one I ask for for birthdays and Christmas and I make sure that I am never without it.

The first thing that I love about this perfume has got to be its bottle. It's almost what I would describe as heart shaped and it is a beautiful dark pink in colour. The smallest size (30ml) fits right in the palm of your hand and I just think it's adorable.

I think this is such an interesting perfume, with lots going on. I've heard it described as a dark scent but I think mysterious is more what I would go for. It's quite fruity and sweet but woody also, and would be great as an evening scent. I, myself, wear it all day everyday but that's not for everyone :) 

It can last a long time before you need to respray but that is dependent on whether you've been outside or not. An average of about 4 hours sniffing is what I would say.

I love this perfume and it's 'rock chick' feel to it but I can see why this is not for everyone. If you haven't smelt it before then I would definitely recommend giving it a go!

You can buy this perfume here.. It comes in 3 sizes and costs are as follows:

• 30ml = £28.00
• 50ml = £38.00
• 80ml = £52.00

So there we have it :) If you ever want to buy me a present, you now know what to get haha

Thanks for reading everyone and I hope you're having a lovely Sunday <3 

Charlotte xx

Beautiful Skin - Inside Out!

We all know how important it is to have a great skin care routine. Cleanser, toner and moisturiser are usually the bare minimum now with so many other products sneaking their ways into our everyday regimes. It's all well and good using these products and hoping that they will make us look 10 years younger and as fresh as a daisy but without eating properly and concentrating on the basics, how well will they really work? 

I'm going back to the very basics, before all the magical creams, and take a look at what we can do ourselves to look beautiful. 

EAT YOUR WAY TO BEAUTIFUL SKIN

1. We all know how important it is to drink plenty but to get glowing skin we should be aiming to get about 6 glasses a day! And that does not include coke or coffee. 
2. Fruit and Vegetables!!!!! I can hear you all now, "5 a day, yes yes we know!" But did you know that carrots, broccoli, apricots, strawberries, watercress and oranges are all skin superfoods, so get them down you as often as you can! 
3. Chocolate hasn't been linked to having problem skin, so you can still indulge in your little choc-attacks. Within reason people! 
4. Skipping meals is a big no-go when it comes to healthy skin so make sure you're sticking to a regular, balanced diet. 

LOOKING AFTER YOUR SKIN IN SUMMER

Winter is on it's way out (thank goodness) and Summer is just around the corner so here's some things to remember for when the sun comes out.

1. Slap on that suntan lotion! Do it before you get dressed as part of your normal moisturising routine. 
2. Don't forget about the skin on your lips. They are so prone to burning and people often miss them out so invest in a lipsalve with SPF.
3. If you can stay out of then sun between 12 and 3. You're all shouting at me again, "We know this!" but how many of you actually do it?! 
4. Buy a fashionable summer hat, one that you really like, and WEAR IT! 

LOOKING AFTER YOUR SKIN IN WINTER

Although we may be seeing a tad more of the sun now, Winter is still lingering and so we need to be protecting our skin from the cold weather. 

1. Cold weather and freezing winds dry out the skin and make us itch so make sure you're covering up and trying to keep as much of your skin away from the elements. 
2. If you're layering up in this weather then make sure the layer closest to your skin is a light cotton as this keeps the skin warm and dry and is less likely to irritate it. 
3. I know you're all dying to hop into a nice hot shower or bath when you get in but the water dries out your skin! I'm afraid that if you want beautiful skin you're gonna have to turn the heat down just a little bit, and keep your time in the water to a bare minimum! 

So there you have it, just a few tips and tricks to save our skin without the expensive products. However, integrating these pointers with your usual regime will most definitely give you the best skin you have ever had! 

Thank you for reading and I'll see you soon,
Charlotte xx

Valentines Nails

Little finger, ring finger, middle finger, index finger and thumb. It's backwards I know, Im sorry!!

So whether you're going out on a hot date, relaxing with some friends or have a pamper night to yourself, you're going to need the perfect Valentines Day nail polish.

I've picked out 5 of my favourite colours that scream Valentines Day.

1. THUMB - Nails inc. South Molton Street
2. INDEX FINGER - Fearne Cotton (Boots no longer stock this but you can find loads of Fearne products on ebay!) 
3. MIDDLE FINGER - Lm Nail Polish Beauty in 22. (You can still find this in some shops, you just have to really search for it!) 
4. RING FINGER - This particular colour by Nails inc is called Chester Place and they no longer make this product however, Nails inc. Shoreditch is very similar! 
5. LITTLE FINGER - Fearne Cotton (Check ebay) 

There you have it! I hope you all have a beautiful Valentines Day whatever you get up to :)

Much love,
Charlotte xx