Let's Get Positive in 2014..

We all know that in this day and age it's really hard to have a positive outlook on everything BUT staying positive can help our mind, body and overall health.

Here are some of the top reasons for staying positive!

1. POSITIVITY HELPS COMBAT STRESS 
   Even if you are faking your constant smile and the fact that nothing ever gets you down, focusing on the positive side of life means that you are more likely to cope better with stress.
   
2. BEING POSITIVE CAN IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH
   Harvard University conducted a study which proved that people who were positive had better general health at the ages of 45 and 60, than those who were negative.
   
3. POSITIVE PEOPLE LIVE LONGER 
   People who are optimistic live longer and cope with illnesses better than those with a negative outlook.
   
4. POSITIVE PEOPLE ARE MORE RESILIENT
   If you stay positive you are more likely to face difficulties with more strength and will be more determined to sort things out. Focusing on what you can do to improve a situation rather than complaining about it helps you to overcome life's challenges rather than giving up on them. 

So, now let's talk about how to become a POSITIVE THINKER and how to ditch the negativity. 

One of my favourite things to remember is, 'What you can become depends on what you can overcome.' Let's overcome our negativity together. 

• Firstly, you must make a conscious decision to change, and stick to it. There is ALWAYS going to be negativity around you but you have to decide to stop letting it rule you. Don't let anyone or anything stand in your way.
  
• Positivity is all about OUTLOOK. It's all well and good telling yourself that from now on you're going to be positive but what about if your car breaks down? Are you going to be positive then? Let's look at the different ways you can look at that situation..
  
  1. Realism/Neutral - My car is broken.
  2. Negative - My car is f****d. I can't afford to fix it! My life is over!
  3. Positive - My car is broken. What can I do to fix it? How can I raise the money to fix it? What other ways can I use to get to work in the meantime?
  
  Nobody is expecting you to be like, 'Yippee, my car is broken, how delightful!!' But, being positive about the situation means that you can face the problem with a level head and are more likely to solve it with the least amount of stress.
  
• 'The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.' - Walt Disney
  The quote says it all really. You can talk about being positive until the cows come home but until you actually change something, you won't notice any difference.
• Remember that you can't expect to do things perfectly on the first try, but failing is good, it is part of learning, and it's not permanent unless you decide to quit and give up.
• Choose to be amazing. It may not be easy and being happy does require effort on your part, but once you get started it feeds itself and it does get easier.
• How you start the day is how you end the day, so start yours with a smile. 

Eventually you will be able to recognise when negative thoughts enter your mind and it's so important that when they do you acknowledge them and argue them. Stop negative thoughts in their tracks and make them work to your advantage. 

I hope this helped some of you and that you decide that a positive life is the one for you! I promise that you will notice a difference if you stick to it.

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

OOTD! #1

The detailing on my coat is just beautiful!

So today I went for lunch with a friend that I hadn't seen in about 8 years! I had such a lovely time and we talked for ages. Anyways, I really liked my outfit today so I decided to share it with you!

So the jeans are from H&M I believe and are boot cut. I couldn't believe how long it took me to find a pair of decent boot cut jeans that either weren't too long for me or too big around the waist. These are so comfy and I love the colour of them!

Jumper - New Look

Bag - Cath Kidston

Necklace - Claire's

Boots - Dorothy Perkins

Coat - Joe Browns From Russia With Love


Thanks for reading and I'll see you real soon :)
Charlotte x

Harry Potter, Warner Bros Studio Tour!!

I'm feeling very inspired to write today so I decided that I would do the one post that I know I could talk about forever and that is.. Harry Potter and my trip to the Warner Bros Studio Tour in Watford. My dad bought me tickets for my birthday and I strongly stand by the fact that this was probably one of the, if not THE, best day of my life so far and I am so excited to tell you all about it.

If you don't know what the Studio Tour is, (where have you been?!), it is a behind the scenes look at where the Harry Potter movies were filmed and it gives you a chance to see sets, costumes and props from the films. If you're interested here is the link where you can buy tickets etc.. Click Me!!

Now here comes the bit I've been waiting for.. I'm not going to go in to too much detail as I don't want to give all the secrets away to those of you who haven't been before but be warned, there are some pictures from here on so if you don't want to see them, close the page NOW.

So this is the view from outside of the studios and as you can see it is the chess pieces that were used in the first film. I remember getting out of the car and barely being able to breathe I was so excited.

 I think it's pretty obvious what this is a picture of and my gosh it looked beautiful. The Great Hall was all decked out for Christmas and it honestly was the most magical place ever. I am not ashamed to admit that when we first entered here, I cried.

 This is not the best picture but here we have what was the Griffindor boy's dorm. Again, it was decorated with tinsel and looked very Christmassy. It was really nice that despite how busy they all are at this studio they still made the effort to decorate the entire tour which was just lovely.

Here we have the entrance and stairway up to Professor Dumbledore's office. It was so amazing to see all of the fine details that went into making these sets and props for the films. Although most of them are only seen in the films for a few seconds, it really was so beautiful to see the effort that had gone into making them.

 I'm sure all you Potterheads out there recognise this from the Chamber of Secrets. Again the detail on this was incredible. I must admit, after what we know about this diary, I was definitely a bit skeptical about getting too close haha.

 Outside you can see some of the larger sets including the very beautiful, and very purple, Knight Bus. In the background of this picture you may notice a few other places that you can identify but I won't give them away!

 Obviously one of the most breath-taking parts of this tour is the set of Diagon Alley. Those of you who know the books and films well will recognise every shop that you pass. The details that have gone into the window displays, shop signs and right down to the cobbled street is impeccable and definitely worth going for.

And finally, the last part of the tour is probably the one that will amaze you the most, and that is the model of Hogwarts itself. If, like me, you grew up with Harry Potter and it was a huge part of your life then no one can prepare you for the feelings that you get when you see Hogwarts in the flesh.

So thank you very much for reading this post and I hope I have now convinced you to go and take a look at the magical world of Harry Potter and the Studio Tour.

See you soon,
Charlotte x

Some Questions..

1. What is your favourite eye shadow colour to wear?
   
   I love Satin Taupe by MAC.
   
   
2. What's the one product that you wouldn't leave your house without?
   
   Vaseline. I love the Cocoa Butter one and never go anywhere without it.
   
   
3. What's your favourite make up look?
   
   Either a Smokey Eye or very natural (polar opposites, I know!)
   
   
4. Which feature do you play up the most?
   
   Probably my eyes, then I hide them behind glasses haha..
   
   
5. Which feature do you try to downplay/cover up?
   
   I have eczema so generally anywhere where it is really bad at the time.
   
   
6. Your favourite make up brand, if you could only pick ONE to exist?
   
   MAC
   
   
7. Which product have you repurchased OVER and OVER again?
   
   It's actually one of the cheapest products that I own but one that I just keep going back to and that is.. Natural Collection's Blushed Cheeks in Peach Melba. It's the only blushed I've found that doesn't irritate my eczema and the fact that it's so cheap is a BONUS!
   
   
8. Which product would you never repurchase again and why?
   
   When I was younger I bought a Miss Sporty waterproof mascara, it made my eyes water and itch all day. Never again.
   
   
9. One beauty treatment that you would always pay to have done?
   
   Probably a facial.
   
   
10. One beauty treatment that you would NEVER pay to have done?
    
    My hair. Since I was about 13 my stepmum has always cut my hair and I don't think that I would trust anybody else with it anymore haha.
    
    
11. One beauty trick that you can share with everyone?
    
    Always highlight the inner corners of your eyes, it makes you look more awake and youthful.
    
    
12. Best advice you've ever been given about beauty and make up?
    
    Always moisturise before applying make up. No excuses. 

Body Shop Vitamin E Range

Now, as an eczema sufferer, I'm not really one to buy products from The Body Shop as I have to be really careful and selective about the things that I put on my skin, especially on my face. I had, however, read somewhere that Vitamin E was supposed to be really beneficial for those with eczema and so I decided to give it a go. 

The Body Shop isn't always cheap and so my Mum said that she would buy me some Vit E stuff to try out for Christmas. (Side Note: I have since been into Body Shop and seen that this set was on offer for around £18 so not too expensive!) 

In the set you get 3 products: a Cream Cleanser, a Hydrating Toner and a Moisture Cream. 

First thing that I noticed, and loved, was this little step-by-step guide on how to use the kit. Now I know that not every needs to learn how to cleanse, tone and moisturise but I thought that this was a great little addition for beginners and it was super simple to follow. 

The cleanser does exactly what it's supposed to. Unclogs pores, removes make up and cleans all the dirt from your skin. It's very gentle and contains shea butter and oils. Despite this it does not leave the skin feeling greasy, even on somebody with a very oily complextion. 

The toner finishes off the whole cleaning process but getting rid of any left over make up, cleanser and nasties that may be on your skin. Again this one was very gentle, it smelt pleasant and it was alcohol-free; BONUS! 

Last but not least is the moisturiser. This had a lovely, soft texture to it and felt really refreshing on the skin. It did not leave the skin looking greasy like some moisturisers and my skin drank it up very quickly. 

Overall I really like this set, it's gentle and smells lovely. However, as I said earlier, I tried these products as part of my search to find an eczema friendly routine and I'm afraid to say that this is not it. I started off by using the products twice a day and at first it worked out just fine. After about a week however my skin started to get very dry and red patches started to show on my cheeks. I immediately stopped using these products and went on a very basic water and aqueous cream routine until my skin healed up. 

I have since restarted using the products as a once a week treat and it seems to be working out really well. My skin is looking better than ever and I have a lovely, healthy glow. I would not say that these are bad products, however I would advise that if you have eczema (or any other skin condition) then use them sparingly. 

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

P.s. The little owl featured in my pictures was also from The Body Shop, isn't he cute?! 

Today's Antics.

So I went to Starbucks to meet a friend the other day and it was so nice seeing her. She had been travelling with her boyfriend for about 2 months and so had loads of really lovely stories to tell me.

Being my usual self though, I was the one to create the entertainment..

Needless to say I wasted my drink, about 3000 napkins and I came home looking like I'd wet myself. Typical! 

Yoga Time

So one of my new years resolutions was to get fit. I dont want to lose any weight but I would love to be more toned.

I decided to try yoga as I had seen some really amazing success stories. It was something that I could do in the comfort of my own home and also something that I could do whenever I get the chance.

I downloaded this really amazing app onto my tablet called Daily Yoga. Within the host download you can choose from loads of different types of sessions including standing, seating and lying poses, and workouts for abs, legs and bums. It also has an option for mediation and each session comes in various lengths of time. Each has spoken instructions as well as a video guide and you have the option of backing music. It truly is an amazing app and I dont think I would be doing yoga without it. Best bit is that its completely free!!!

Another bargain I got with regards to my yoga journey is that whilst shopping in Poundland I noticed some sports good and within it was some yoga/exercise mats. I thought that they would be rubbish, afterall yoga mats are usually very expensive from sports stores, but they turned out to be really good. I bought 2 as they were quite small and I use them together so that they are long enough for my entire body.

So far I havent really seen a difference but I must admit that I havent been religious about doing it every day. I really would love to have a greater drive for getting fitter.

Have any of you got any tips for me? Or any of you facing the same dilemma where you want to get fit but are just lazy about the whole idea?

Thanks for reading! X