A spot of bother.

Teenagers nowadays have a lot on their plate, exclusively when it comes to exams, socialising with friends, keeping up to date with the latest fashion and, of course, their face. The most common skin disease is acne and it develops during the teenage years and early 20s.

Young people are faced with magazines full of celebrities who have airbrushed skin. Even though this could be computerised, many celebrities in the flesh also have spot-free skin. I can't help question, what's the big secret? As far as a I know, I haven't seen Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift with blemishes, have you? For both genders, acne can take a tremendous toll on self-esteem especially when your best friend is one of the lucky ones who have crystal clear skin.

For me, I am one of those who suffer from acne. Luckily it's due to my hormones. Hormonal acne usually occurs when a women is near her period. Hormonal imbalances can be rectified by the use of the pill, a common contraception. I've been meaning to go on this pill for quite a while, although I'm sceptical whether a few spots is worth the dozens of chemicals I'll be shoving into my body. So, over the past few months, I've been trying all sorts of ways to get rid of those nasty monsters that lurk on the skin. Here they are:

Water: I can't quite articulate how important it is to stay hydrated. Having only a few glasses of water isn't enough. When your body is dehydrated it will appear dehydrated - This will usually form very dry skin, which causes your body to produce more sebum oil (this oil is a greasy substance that attracts bad bacteria) to, in some ways, lubricate your skin. You're then left with breakouts. Drinking water replenishes the digestive system and helps keep your body hydrated, as well as your skin! Aim to drink 8 glasses of water every day.

Stay relaxed: If you're an anxious person then take some time out to do things you enjoy. If you're one of these people that bite their nails, or touch their face when they're nervous then stop! The germs on your hands transfer to your face, causing even more breakouts! Stress increases sebum oil. Sebum oil increases acne. Stay calm, stay spot free.

Keep off harsh face-washes: If you use face washes as part of your daily routine, get your bottle and check for the ingredient, Salicylic Acid. If you suffer from dry skin, this is a bad, bad move. The acid actually makes your face irritated. An irritated face will cause you to itch. The acid will block the pores and, in return, make your acne worse. In some cases, it's best to leave all face washes out of the acne equation.

Sunlight: In Britain, sunny days are rare to find, nevertheless once they come back around head out into the sun. Not only will you absorb vitamin D but your spots should appear smaller the next day. Medically, there is no evidence to support this other than my own experience. I had horrible acne on my back when I was 15, a summer in the sun and all my spots vanished. Coincidence? I think not.

Diet: Ever heard the saying 'You are what you eat'? Diet can enormously affect what happens on your face. Usually a high sugar diet leads to acne breakouts by the production of (here is the dreaded word, once again) sebum oil. So instead of that fizzy drink of coke, why not swap it for water?

Exercise: 30 minutes of exercise can be beneficial to you in a lot of ways. It makes you more healthier, delivers you a more mental outlook and can give you a radiant, clear glow to your skin. Exercise increases the blood flow which will then nourish and encourage healthy skin cells which consequently results in a healthier skin.

If you look into a mirror one morning and see that you have suffered from a burst of acne. Personally, the best way to help calm them down within 24 hours is exercise, then run an ice cube over the inflamed patches and finally rub organic cucumber over the infected area. Come the next morning, your spots should be less inflamed and less noticeable.


Overall, my advice is to stay off chemicals such as the pill or harsh ingredients in face washes that claim to give you clear skin. After all, my solutions to acne problems are priceless, so why not try them? You're saving your pennies as well as your face at the same time. Bonus!


Love,
writelovewrite.

p.s: comment in the box below if you have any other remedies to share with the world.

Benefit Makeup- POREfessional Review

Do you want to try Benefit cosmetics but don't know what the benefits are? Unfortunately Benefit do not give out samples, mainly because if you visit one of their stalls they sit you down and give you a complete makeover for free! Their makeup ranges from £14-£26, so the Benefits products are pretty costly to 'try them out', especially if the products aren't for you. So if you're interested in this lovely range then get reading some reviews on the internet and if you're intrigued in their latest product, POREfessional then here is a little review about it ;)

The POREfessional retails at £23.50 for only a 22ml bottle. With a tube that small, if you use it every day, you're lucky if it lasts you two months, if that. Nevertheless I was extremely excited to try out this product. Luckily, I managed to bag a small, travel size bottle off eBay for £3.00, bargain! According to Benefit, POREfessional quickly minimises the appearance of pores and fine lines, this 'could' give a lovely airbrush finish. Pretty persuasive, eh?

I have to admit, Benefit really do know how to make their products sound incredibly unique, they overly persuade their buyers which does scare me off a little. When I received the travel size, which is meant to be half of the actual product, I wasn't entirely enamoured with it.

When I squeezed the substance out it was a dull brown colour; it exactly looks like liquid foundation. I gently put some on my nose and glided it across my face, this is POREfessional's main instruction, I was amazed at how it adapted to my skin colour. I only needed a pea size amount to cover everything. When I looked in the mirror, I was certainly impressed! Not only did my skin appear smoother, but it really did look slightly airbrushed. It also acts as a great primer, with or without makeup, your skin is silky smooth.


Negatives:
-The price. For a 22ml tube it is a pricey product but it is sure worth it.
- Sometimes I found I had to reapply it halfway through the day. It isn't durable for long enough.
- The ingredients contain fragrance, so please be careful if you have sensitive skin.

Benefits:
- Gives a great finish if you're wearing foundation.
- Acts as a great primer.
- It smells lovely.
- Suits most skin types.
- A little goes a long way.
- Gives you a great, airbrushed finish.
- Silky smooth skin, what more could you want?
             After that list, I think we can all understand why it's called Benefit makeup!  
             
Your bank balance won't be too impressive after you've purchased this product, but your face certainly will be!


            Before:                                                                                                               After:














Love,
writelovewrite

A little bit about me...

I've always wanted to be a writer. When I was 5, I wrote on my bedroom wall "WHEN I'M OLDER I WANT TO BE A WRITER", 13 years down the line, I still stand by that. I love how words can convey so much emotion. They can break someone and they can mend someone.

When I was 13, I sent a letter to Bloomsbury publishers, if you're not sure who they are think of the Harry Potter books, I attached a short story along with my letter. Of course, I was an innocent, optimistic child expecting the world but their reply was truly motivating. I also wrote short stories and even wrote a full book with my childhood friend at 14.

During late high school and those quick two years at college, after doing a couple of blogs, I realised I wanted to write for a magazine. One that captivates me the most is More! Magazine. I could read that magazine all my life and not get bored. Having a job as a writer for More! would be a dream come true, a dream that will most likely never come true, but hey, that's my pessimistic side creeping in.

I love popular culture: the music, the clothes, the products, everything. That's why I think writing for a magazine would be perfect. I'd hate to reach 40 knowing I never achieved my dream job. To me, it is my worst nightmare.

Feel free to share your dream job in the comment box below. I'd love to hear from you.

love,
writelovewrite.

Exams are nearly over, time for you to decide your future

Are you at college? Do you only have a few more weeks left to go? Are you counting down the days till your last exam? Do you know what you're planning to do after the summer has quickly passed by? If your answer is no then this is the article for you.

With most young teenagers nowadays, there is a lot of pressure to attend university, even with the £9,000 tuition fees! After college, if university is no option to you, you are thrown into the big, wide, crazy world and you feel as though you're alone. A lot of 17 and 18 year olds seem to have the cliche view that university is a bag of fun, lots of parties, drinking, making new friends and finally getting away from those naggy parents.

A gap year has so many positive points that even I was persuaded to take one. A gap year can buy you time to think about what you want to do, you never know, when the year has passed you may decide to carry on working. Full time work seems daunting, especially for an 18 year old, but it can give you that valuable work experience university can't give you, it also teaches you the value of money. Work guarantees you money, university guarantees you debt.

If money is no object then how about a gap year where you're travelling the world? Real Gap is the largest gap year travel company. They offer those memorable travel adventures and they even sort out volunteer and paid work. How about that option to make a jaw-dropping CV?

Apprenticeships are a great way to gain that experience as well as being paid for doing so, they even make you that extra bit more employable! Apprenticeships cover a wide field such as hairdressing to plumbing, so be sure to google what is available in your area.

So if you ever have a quiet night in then get on the internet and research some options stated above that you're interested in, you could be in for a pleasant surprise! You're never stuck for choice and remember you're not alone!


Tips:

- Make a list of what you enjoyed studying at school/college, rate them out of 10.
- Ask your family or friends what you're strongest at or what they could see you doing! (Sometimes other people can be a great help, they see what you can't)
- Follow your gut instinct. Please don't follow your friends just because they're all giddy over getting away from their parents. Think about yourself.
- Finally, plan ahead. Don't leave it till the last few weeks of summer.
- Have a positive mindset when deciding; being pessimistic gives you an unmotivated attitude, it will only make you delay your decisions.
- Don't be worried about making the wrong decision. It is all about what is right for you.
- Be confident about your decision. Sit back, relax and enjoy the summer with your friends, before you all take off in different directions.  


love,
writelovewrite.

Big ear blues...

Ears, one of the greatest organs our body has. Unfortunately, like most things, they come in all different shapes and sizes! 1 in a 100 people have ears which stick out, I guess we can call the other 99 the 'lucky ones'. Protruding ears can immensely affect self-esteem, embarrassment and even, some deeper, psychological problems.

I guess you could throw me in to the category of  protruding ears. Ok, they're not exactly like Will Smith's or Katie Holmes, I would say they're more pixie-looking! However, over time, I've come to deal with the fact I'm just never going to get the opportunity to scrape my hair back and bare my Dumbo ears.

Saying that, recently I spotted Made in Chelsea star, Millie Mackintosh, who attended the FHM Sexiest Women in the World Awards (by the way, the stunning lady came 15th!) a couple of weeks back. Her ears are not what you call 'small', in fact they're pixie-looking, too. At the awards, she was seen dangling off boyfriend, Professor Green's arm while flaunting a gorgeous, black dress, a flawless tan but, wait a minute, hair scraped back as well!

It occurred to me that you never see magazine headlines screaming "Millie has ear reshaping!" or  "Miley Cyrus goes under the knife to get perfect, small ears". As daring as it is, it appears that Millie is embracing her pointy flaws and showing that you should be proud of whatever you have.

However, the bigger picture is far different. Ear Reshaping is a popular surgery procedure to correct or 'pin back' the ears. It is even available on the NHS. Cosmetic surgery companies boast that the operation is 'pain-free' and an 'easy procedure'. But is it really worth it?

The Harley Medical Group promote the positive things that ear reshaping can offer you, these include points like 'better confidence' and 'a wider choice of hairstyles'. But celebrities that we see on our TVs, such as Julia Roberts, are not quick to hide those ears. Some celebrities are more focused on getting boob jobs or nose jobs, instead!

So if you're that one person out of a hundred, please just embrace it. Stars that we see in magazines and newspapers aren't bothered about hiding theirs and neither should you. My advice is instead of drawing attention to your ears, pick your best feature, for example the eyes and make them the centre of attention, by using eye shadows that complement your eye colour. If enough is enough and you do decide to choose ear correction then going private will set you back a whopping £2,200, is it really worth it? My answer is stop fretting about those ears that stick out and if you still don't want to show those ears, just relax and let your hair down.


Love, writelovewrite.

The starting line

First off, I guess you would like to know what I will be writing about? Well, I'll be writing about anything that pops up in my mind on a daily basis. I won't give you too much information about myself as, personally, I don't think it would interest you at all. I have a wild imagination, a creative soul and I would greatly adore sharing my stories with you. I'm from a busy, seaside town, I'm nearly stepping out of those 'teenage years' and I dream every night. I'll try and update this blog as much as possible, of course I'm dedicated, but I have to learn a decent living with the term called 'work' while trying to balance a healthy social life. I hope you all enjoy my blog posts.