Crazy Hair , always.

A foreign peroxide concoction from the pound shop, a tinting brush clearly missing bristles and a hole in my gloves were the warning signs my 15 year old self should have listened too. My first hairdye experience went horribly wrong, lustrous cherry red tresses shimmering in my minds eye was the catalyst for a series of unfortunate bleaching incidents. First time, i never reached the red i longed for, instead i ended up with a multi colour miss matched bright copper mop of bleach broken hair.     
    Shadily trawling the shelves of superdrug for box dyes, hoping to not bring attention to my chemical calamity, i came up short with a solution and pegged it to Afflecks palace as a last resort. I found salvation in a tub of Fire Red Crazy Colour and thus my obsession with crazy hair colours was ignited.

An Interview with Asta Nowarra - Roly Poly Wardrobe

 Asta is a 28 year old, body positive, plus size, fashion and design assistant living in Berlin. A childhood addiction to rifling through her mums wardrobe and dressing in her awesome clothes has given this body posi babe a taste for fashion that only grows stronger. Wearing whatever she wants on the daily and sticking to fingers up at the haters, this lovely lady has developed a confidence to envy! I had the pleasure of interviewing Asta to find out all her body positive secrets!

Asta's blog Rolypoly wardrobe is a place where she posts personal paragraphs and fashion photos, her Instagram is also filled with the self love inspiration and plenty of selfies breaking down beauty standards! I have linked each of the photo's used to Asta's blog to give her the credit she deserves.

An interview with Stefanie Kloeck - Body Babe gifting bullies with self love

  Stefanie Kloeck, teacher in more ways than one. Class teacher and teacher of class, this wonderful woman is teaching the masses to love their curves and accept themselves the way they are. Stefanie has gained a huge following on Instagram and it's no wonder, with curves and confidence to kill for Stefanie has inspired females across the globe. I am lucky enough to have some of her time to ask her some body positivity questions and find out where it all started and how she became so confident!

An Interview with Isabel Hendrix - Plus size model and self love advocate

    Isabel Hendrix, fabulous feminist and successful plus sized model living in LA gave me the opportunity to interview her and my mind was blow. Between searching for the next draw dropping statement fashion piece to model and blog about, walking LA beaches and soaking up sun rays, I'm surprised she has the time to talk to little old me! A wardrobe I would die for and the confidence to pull it off, it's no wonder Isabel has the following she has and a career she crafted herself. A self love advocate , this fox stands for no negativity and is so sweet I need a dentist! 

An Interview with Miss Osiria Rose - Curve Creation on body positivity

     Missi, 24 year old Australian creating curves in our hearts, smiles and confidence with her body positivity on the regular. A confident 50's style pinup, a fiery read head with a liking to fitness this sassy siren promotes all things self love and does so with red lips as fierce as Instagram haters! A wardrobe to die for and a foot well into the pin up world, i have the opportunity to interview the fabulous Miss Osiria Rose, ask her to unravel her victory rolls full of secrets for us and see how her self acceptance and body positivity has helped her get the positive curve on her own face as well as ours.

All pictures of Missi are her own and will be linked to her Instagram to give her the credit she so rightly deserves. If you wish to follow Missi on her blog , then please click here.

Missi, you have a blog and an Instagram account dedicated to your career in pinup and your love for being curvy and self accepting.  How did you decide to start blogging about your journey?

 Basically it came out of a desire to build a support network and be accountable. I didn't really have a social circle that had an interest in health and fitness so that’s basically where it started.

Ah, so taking care of yourself physically was the catalyst, fitness and working out. Is this how you choose to practice body positivity?

 For me, I approach body positivity as a relationship. I wake up every morning and it’s something I work on with my body. I view it as a whole picture, so for me taking care of myself plays big into body positivity, though this is just me personally.  It’s about being realistic of my body, what it’s capable of and when to be kinder to it. It’s also about knowing that things like weight, stretch marks and appearances that I personally struggle with shouldn't dictate how I am towards my body and that my body is more than its flaws, it’s so much more.

Ah realizing that your body is more than its outer appearance seems really easy but in actual fact is the hardest thing of all, what prompted you to begin to promote self love?

  Frankly, I wasn't seeing much of it. The only people I could find when I started promoting self love were girls who were either already fit and healthy or were bigger babes loving their glorious curves. I found there was little I could relate to in the sense of my body shape/look/size and I put myself out there to try and hope I might help others with body love who have a similar size to me. It was also about the idea of surrounding myself with positivity. Posting self love things, even if I didn't feel it at the time helped me feel it later on in the day for example.

You talk about surrounding yourself with positivity,and promoting self love for your own body shape. Had self love for yourself always been one of your goals?

  No it hasn't. I was honestly one of those girls who just wanted to start dieting because I wanted to be skinny and I truly believed that was the only way worth being. So much has changed since then.

A lot of girls believe that being skinny is the be all and end all, are reasons like this why you believe self love is important?

. Its important because we live in a society, that through the media teaches us to hate ourselves. Its all consumer based. We are being brainwashed to hate ourselves so we’ll buy products that will fill the void they created in the first place. Having self love in the world today grows a more grounded person. It lets us find who we are beyond the parts we hate. It lets us grow into amazing people capable of amazing things. We live in a world where its ‘trendy’ to hate yourself and be miserable. That’s not right, its not healthy and its not fair. Self love should be a goal for everyone.

I too believe self love should be a goal for everyone. Do you have any advice from others who are looking to practice self love and being body positive?

.Honestly, fake it til you make it. I told myself I was beautiful every morning for 12 months before I believed it. Know that what the media tells you when it comes to appearances is a lie. There are no bad bodies. We are all unique. They just want your money. Embrace the body you have. Its all yours. And be mindful of how you speak to yourself. If you wouldn't say it to a friend or a loved one, don’t say it to yourself.

When we speak to ourselves we can all be so self deprecating, sometimes it's hard to believe the nice things people say and we say about ourselves. What do you think is the hardest thing to deal with when learning to accept ones self?

   That the road to self-acceptance is an ongoing one. You don’t magically reach the end one day and love yourself and accept yourself 24/7. Its an ongoing struggle, hence my earlier analogy of a relationship. There are good and bad days. Some days its hard, but you get up the next day and try again and it might be amazing.

So just have to take the rolling with the punches, i know on my bad days i always feel too fat or feel that i can't be successful unless i diet. What do you think of the dieting industry?

 Scam scam scam scam scam! Nothing more than a feeder industry of media that tells us how we should look. Save your money and buy yourself something nice that you like, don’t invest in fads that don’t really work.

I have to agree, most diets actually make us gain weight so they then have the opportunity to sell us another dieting product. Has loving yourself opened up any opportunities for you?

 Most certainly! Its lead to pinup modelling, friend making, personal growth, weight loss, taking control of my life, etc. Self-acceptance and body love are huge keys to empowerment now days.

Are there any books, inspirational beings, or articles you can suggest to others regarding self love and acceptance?

Books not really. I suggest getting on Instagram as there are SO many amazing ladies on there who promote self love! I find them through a hash tag search.

 I'm always searching Instagram for inspiring ladies, there are so many and so many fun hash tags and mantras to follow! Do you have a body positive mantra or motto?

 Basically – my body does not define me. I am more than my appearance.

Very good quote! Now, What's your favorite positive song?

  I honestly have no idea…my music tastes are too vast lol

 lastly , if you were a superhero whose power was to spread to gift of self love, what would you name yourself and who would you gift self love too first?

Probably something quirky like Lovable Lola…and I’d gift it to one of my closest friends who I know struggles a lot with her body.

NYX - Matte Contour And Highlight Combo

NYX | contour and highlighter combo £10

I have recently got myself a new job , as a celebration i planned a Saturday night out with friends. Drinking vodka lemonade whilst playing a Chris Brown shot game in a pirate hat, i really thought it would be a good night but things didn't go to plan. Ended up being one of the worst nights out i have been on in a long time, so instead of moping i decided i would treat myself to something else as a well done to me. NYX has been a brand I've been interested in trying for a very long time, being a cheap skate their prices has always put me off but this time i thought what the hell, treat me sen. I purchased this highlight and contour combo, a butter lipstick and an eye shadow palette. Reviews will be coming on those also if you're interested.

The Body Shop - Seaweed Skin Care

If it seems natural then I'm after it, I don't think I'm alone in this either. When it comes to skincare I like there to be some kind of earthy element to it, maybe vitamins from fruits or in this case weeds from the sea. I love mud masks, oatmeal scrubs, basically anything that doesn't seem chemically based ( but probably is ). There's nothing nicer than applying a seaweed scrub, smelling the salty smell of the ocean, letting it carry you to salty waves and sandy soles. I much prefer this type of skincare than sweet sickly candy smelling products, don't get me wrong I love those stuff too but when it comes to skincare I much prefer this type of stuff.
      These two are part of The Body Shop seaweed skincare range, this range was purposefully designed for oily/combination skin and helps to restore our skins balance and keep us oil free. I picked the seaweed scrub up during The Body Shop beauty blogger event, I just loved the clay mask so much that I figured I needed another seaweed product to add to my vast collection. I have that many seaweed products I almost feel like a mermaid, not that that's a bad thing right?

The Body Shop - Camomile cleansing butter review

The Body Shop | Cleansing Camomile butter £12

  I have heard the cries of numerous people as they exclaim their love for this product, apparently it's a beauty blogger favorite and one that many people can't live without. I picked it up at The Body shop beauty blogger event that i was invited to on the 7th, after watching my best friends makeup melt away during a face massage and mithering the staff for information on this, i decided to purchase it. The feedback i was getting was just too good!

The Body Shop - Vitamin C Glow enhancing moisturizer.

The Body Shop | Vitamin C glow boosting moisturizer £16

 As i have mentioned before, my skin is what i like to call flat. When i exercise it doesn't flush, doesn't glow, doesn't sweat. There's never any luminous glow or pink rosy cheeks unless it has came from a product. When i tan i don't look beautiful and sun kissed, i just look dirty and in need of a good bath. Anything that offers me or claims to make my skin glowing, i am all over that like a rash and this was no exception. 

  During The Body Shop blogger event that i attended, there was a little informative speech about the new vitamin C range and a sample pot pass around. I didn't go to the event with the intention of buying a moisturizer as i was still quite happy with my Good Things matte one but after hearing the info, the ingredients and the purpose of the moisturizer, i was sold. 

Black Heart Creatives!

Above image is linked to BHC website if you want to check it out. You should.

 Black Heart Creatives, the brain child of fabulous Plus size blogger and boss lady Charlotte. Jewellery that is hand made, laser cut acrylic and a big fat statement. Black Heart Creatives take requests on custom designs, have a wide variety of colours including UV and glitter making sure they meet every single one of our kitsch needs. Bold, punchy, bright, fun, conversation starting pieces that can be easily worn day or night. I very cheekily sent an email over to Charlotte, requesting a collaboration after I found out she was a fellow plus sized blogger. I loved her stuff before I saw her jewellery, then when I realised she had dedicated a jewellery range to the celebration of plus size women then I knew I just had to work with her!

Body Shop Haul!

Okay, so I already had a lot of products from the body shop but now it's entirely feasible for me to open another branch straight from my bedroom. I had an invite to The Body shop blogger event last Thursday and the discount they were offering meant I could go completely overboard and not feel bad about it.

An Interview with Rowen Graham AKA Binky Lastrange - Thick thighs and twinkly eyes!

   

      22 and living in London the fabulous Rowen Graham, also known as Binky Lastrange on insta , spends her time reading classic novels and making room in her heart for Harry Potter and hairy hobbits. Partial to a bit of singing too, Rowen's posts sing from the rooftops that it's okay to be yourself and confident in who you are without change. Sassy selfies and great captions inspire ladies to love themselves and wear whatever they want, bare whatever they want. An Instagram following in the thousands is proof that Rowen's hard work in spreading body positivity is changing many lives! 

Closed Door event at The Body Shop.

     Thursday evening I dragged my socially anxious ass to a blogger event I really wanted to attend, I had been invited to The Body Shop closed door event through a blogger group and really wanted to take part. I ran home from work, speedily changed into something less pauper like and jumped the pauper wagon to meet my friend. I plus 1 my best friend Rachell and we sat in Rollers pizza place before hand drowning out anxieties in pepperoni grease and mozzarella cheese. Nothing like a bit of anxious eating is there! This was to be my first blogger event and I had no clue how it would pan out or what the other bloggers would think of me but I sucked it up and arrived anyway.

That's so 70's - My favourite pieces

 

      Rhythm Blues and Motown were very much alive and on the rise in the 70's, Michael Jackson in the Jackson 5 shuffling across the stage in silver platforms and brown suede flares, feathered haircuts scatter the crowd. Saturday night fever infected everyone and the lust for bellbottoms grew fast. I kind of like the bell bottoms these days but I'm also kind of pleased that some of these fashions have died down, I don't think I could rock a farra fawcet feathered hairdo and blue eyeshadow to my eyebrows if my life depended on it. This year the icon 70's have been revamped and revived for summer / spring, every fashion brand is cashing in on this and the rails are jam packed with rock music slogan t-shirts, floral patterns, baggy pants and Indian patterned shirts to cater to our diverse 70's desires.

Monthly Favorites #2 - April!

   April has been the month I created enough space in my purse for moths to mate, paper, copper, nickel, flying and rolling out after every glance of lip sparkle, whiff of perfume and hover over hyperlinks. I have well and truly spent a small fortune this month, I did however book a holiday to Amsterdam so all wasn't wasted on pink glittery wands of allure. April has seen me finish many TV series, seen me trip on the street in front of an old school friend, seen me receive an invite to my very first blogger event and has genuinely been very kind to me. I have fallen in love with a bunch of new products I had never tried before this month, I love it but am also pretty wounded that my monthly wish list of mandatories is now elongated.

NEW IN VERY - Can't wait for summer!

 

 In the office drinking a cherry smoothie i purchased to soothe my influenza infected throat, i decided i would shop online at Very seen as i couldn't swallow anything other than flavored ice and had a dinner break spare. Summer definitely is speaking to me, I'm going to Amsterdam in August and mentally imagining the Netherlands sun on my shoulders while I'm sitting outside of a cute little café after vintage shopping ignited my summer shopping fire.  Missed payment looming over my Very credit account as i'm too sick to get to the bank on time ( and also working ), shopping wasn't really a good idea so I decided instead that i would make a literal list of everything I'm loving from their New In section.

Rimmel London - Oh My Gloss

   Cupid shot me with a bow from Rimmel, almost every lip product they have released I have fallen in love with. In my opinion they are the masters of matte lipstick, replicating the smell of fresh cupcakes for our lip smackers and delivering all the shades a lipstick addict can ask for. Lipstick is a must have for me, I've never really been a fan of lip gloss. The only time I've ever been excited over a gloss is when it came free with an issue of Sugar magazine I secretly bought behind my mums back.
    I've been really into gossip girl and have developed a massive girl crush on Serena & Blair, so lip gloss kind of happened. I guess you could lump me with the girl who wears army pants and flip flops because Regina does, I'd be fine with that.

Telling Parents you have an eating disorder

Above picture is linked to Beat website for all eating disorder helplines and forums.

        Telling a parents about your eating disorder will be hard but it's crucial as parents and family members can form the all important support circle that can be incredibly beneficial to you in your recovery. There's nothing like having love and compassion close to home or actually in the home! This post isn't for everybody as not everybody suffering from these illnesses will have to tell their parents themselves. A lot of people with eating disorders have very obvious symptoms which don't really need an explanation, they have had them from a young age and parents already have an incline that there is a serious problem. However some sufferers particularly those with bulimia Nervosa are of average or above average weight and because of this, symptoms are harder to spot. Sufferers who had developed these disorders at an older age are also more likely to have to go through something like this because they are more likely to know how to hide and keep their food issues a secret. It you're choosing to tell your parents, then here are my steps that I would recommend you take or follow as a guideline!

An Interview with Dani Galvin - The Fantastic Choose Life Warrior!

        Dani Galvin is the warrior choosing life every single day, 22 and living in Brisbane she spreads body positivity and self love through her hashtag creation #CHOOSELIFEWARROR , honouring her curves and inspiring others to recover from their demons. Recovering from Eating Disorders and reaching a purge free milestone of 1000 days, she really is setting a mighty example for others and proving that things really can get better. Fabulous outfit selfies and Instagram captions have helped her gain a following of thousands who are also choosing life, honest, real, beautiful , I am honoured to be interviewing her!

A big red kiss - Burberry Kisses review.

   

     A kiss from Burberry, from them to me! I was so excited for my mail to arrive that i counted down the days since ordering, each day hoping that my little gift of cosmetic confidence would fall through my letter box. I've never had a designer lipstick before, never had an expensive lipstick or a fashionable lip product. I've never even tried a lipstick that's above the £10 mark, so you can imagine how excited i was to receive a product like this. I usually pick up colours i like from the drugstore, whatever their brand and price. Having this tiny Burberry lipstick delivered to me was a great opportunity to try one of the leading brands in fashion and beauty, i couldn't contain my excitement when unboxing and imagined the severity of my high end cosmetic obsession if i came to love it.