HOW I FACE MY FASHION FEARS - TRY-DAY FRIDAY - IT'S OKAY TO STEP OUT YOUR COMFORT ZONE

It feels like forever since I last spoke about fashion - I'm very sorry about that as I know how much you love these kinds of posts. I promise I'll do more of those from now on! It's just hard to find the time for photo shoots and the right kind of person to take them! Once I'm done with my 2nd year at uni I will focus 100% on blogging so I hope you're all as excited as I am!

*Jumper, Mom Jeans, and Choker are from Primark

The idea behind this post is to share with you my fashion fears, and believe it or not there are quite a few... For example, I find it very difficult to have my arms and shoulders out because of my post-acne scars, but since being challenged by Dia&Co to step out my comfort zone and try something different this Friday, I wanted to show everyone that we all have our own insecurities even though we might seem confident.

Many people (including myself), feel like they can't wear a certain outfit because of their insecurities. I personally don't feel like I can pull a maxi dress off because of my height - I'm only 5ft3". But why does it actually bother me? I've been put down by people I used to call my 'friends' and I guess it stuck around with me that I'm 'small and tubby', but being a size 8-10 I know it isn't true.

*Leotard - H&M, Bra - Pink at Victoria's Secret

The company Dia&Co specialise in 14+ size clothing where they send you a Dia Box that's styled up by one of the team members and if you don't like something you can exchange it for something else - the great thing about this company is that you don't have to pay until you decide which items you'd like to keep! Erm, sign me up now, please!! I'd love for something like this to be available for petite girls like me!

*Loafers - H&M

How many times have you felt like you can't wear something because of your own insecurities or having other people's thoughts on your mind? Well, hear me out now, stuff them! Who cares what they think? If they think negatively then it shows that they're insecure about themselves, but I can guarantee you will receive a lot of compliments if you wear that floral skirt or those pointy kitten heels - trust me! Us women should empower one another instead of bringing each other down, so I say rock that outfit girl and make sure you pay others compliments too because it will make you feel good knowing that your little gesture could have made someone's day!

I now challenge all of you, my lovely readers, to rock the outfit you've been wanting to for ages but never got 'the chance' to wear ;)

*This post isn't sponsored and all opinions are my own. I was asked to share my fashion fears by the brand and decided to mention them independently. 

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || S+ BY RESMED - HOW TO GET A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP (AD)

So, I bet you're all wondering 'How can I get a good nights' sleep?' well, listen up folks because I think I found a solution!

I was recently sent a monitoring advice called S+ by ResMed which has been designed to detect your breathing and monitor your sleep cycle.

I couldn't wait to try my S+ out and when it finally came I opened it up straight away. I went through the instructions with Kieran as we both suffer from sleep deprivation (his is much worse than mine so I thought it'd be best for him to try it out and see if it made any changes).

We set the monitor up next to our bed pointing towards Kieran's chest so it can monitor his breathing and movement. It has two charger ports so you can charge your tracking device (you have to download the app to see results) as well as turning on the S+ by ResMed.

It didn't come packaged quite like this, but I do try to keep it in the box as it is a valuable product to both myself and Kieran. The cable is long but I feel like it would benefit from being slightly longer as I do have to use an extension lead to place it comfortably near our bed (sucks not having closer plug sockets).

This is what the app looks like when you open it up. I have already registered and got Kieran to answer a short(ish) quiz about his sleeping habits, such as if he sleeps with the light on or if he watches the telly before bed.

As you can see, the S+ is a small monitoring device which (to me) is quite stylish. I would easily keep it out the box and store it on my bedside table but with my OCD I prefer to keep it in the box ha ha.

Here you can see one of the nights when we used the product and Kieran's sleep score was quite high, bearing in mind he only slept for 6.5 hours. The recommended amount of sleep a person our age should get is 8-9 hours so you can only imagine how tired he felt when he got up that morning!

Here you can see the tracking of Kieran's sleep. It's hard to get a good nights' sleep being a student and living in a noisy accommodation!

The quality of your sleep also depends on your mental health, so if you suffer from anxiety then it's likely your sleep won't be as good as it should be. If you do suffer from anxiety and find it hard to sleep then I suggest listening to calming music/sounds or meditating before bed.

Here you can see that my details are included on the app which I had done to protect Kieran's privacy however, he filled out the survey and information (such as weight etc).

Overall, I think this device is great for monitoring sleep cycles and try to overcome insomnia as well as learn to get better sleep. It's very handy and doesn't take up too much room. Kieran has mentioned that he feels slightly better about his sleep knowing what it is that wakes him up throughout the night and how to improve, therefore we both think that S+ by ResMed is a great investment to those who suffer with sleep deprivation.
The only issues I have with this is that you need to use wifi overnight which drains battery (it is suggested you charge the device your app is installed on using the same port the S+ is connected to), and also it would have been useful if it monitored both of our sleep cycles rather than just one person's at a time.

You can buy the S+ by ResMed here.

*This post includes PR samples.

Do you struggle with sleep? Have you got any helpful tips on how to get better quality sleep?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

CHEAP AND EFFECTIVE LASER HAIR REMOVAL - PULSE LIGHT CLINIC LONDON

Who wouldn't want to have hair-free armpits, legs, face?! Please peach fuzz, just sod off already! I've been battling with hair since I was 11, come on now I've had enough...

I recently came across the Pulse Light Clinic that's based in London which was founded in the year 2000 as the first clinic specialising in rosacea treatment by Mary Maclean. She then went on to discover that Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) had better outcomes when nutritional therapy was used simultaneously with the IPL treatment. Mary also developed a precise technique for the treatment of rosacea which evolved as IPL technology become more effective. Rosacea is something that's quite close to me personally as myself and my mum suffer from it and it can only be hidden by layers of makeup. Mine has definitely calmed down and I only get bad redness if I touch my face (so practically half the time lol).

Anyway, I'm here to talk about annoying hairs, not my skin condition haha. Like I said earlier, I have hair everywhere - I'm so hairy I bet I can take over and become the new King Kong. Honestly, though I feel like hair is a taboo subject as many people get funny about growing it or even shaving it - everybody has a preference and I am not saying that everyone should be hair-free, but if you're unhappy with some hair (for example, like myself with my peach fuzz on my face or having to shave my armpits every other day), then this is something that you might be interested in.

Pulse Light Clinic offers many treatments varying in price from as little as £32 per session. I know for a fact that if I was based in London I would definitely try it out as it's really cheap compared to some of the clinic's I looked into before, and I know that I would be happy with the results after reading customer reviews.

Another great thing about Pulse Light Clinic is that they offer treatments to both men and women. This means that if you have some annoying nose hair or ear hair that you want to get rid of, you can do so very easily and shamelessly as many people have done so before you. Let's end the stigma around men taking care of themselves!!!

Like I mentioned above, the treatments are for as little as £32 but the best thing about it is that if you decide to go ahead with the treatments, you can pay for them monthly over the course of 12 months with 0% interest. Yup, that's right ladies and gentlemen - 0% interest!! So we can all enjoy getting rid of hair with a little bit of help from the clinic! Go on then, the consultation is free of charge so if there is some hair that bothers you I say let's get rid of it and be happy!

Watch the Pulse Light Clinic's video here to help you understand more about the brand.

Would you ever consider taking laser hair removal treatments? What about enhancements?

*This is a sponsored post, however, it is always 100% my own opinion.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || WIKANIKO'S MORINGA OIL "THE BEST NATURAL AGE DEFYING OIL IN THE WORLD" - OVERNIGHT MIRACLE

My skin has been really dry the past few weeks and I don't know what products to use to get rid of the dryness :( It seems like my trusty Benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion just wasn't working and it usually does, so when I came across Wikaniko and got kindly sent a bottle of their Moringa Oil to try out, I was very happy!

With the oil, I also received a detailed note of how the oil works and what it's good for - now there's a company that's passionate about their customers and company! The note also includes different types of how Moringa can be consumed (such as powder to add to meals). I learnt that it is important on where you buy Moringa from, as some countries that grow it can also pollute the plants with lots of nasties - some people have actually stated that they bought products containing dead insects and cigarette ends!!! Wikaniko produces their own Moringa on their farm in Spain, so they practise what they preach and take special care of the plants.

The different types of Moringa products include powder (perfect as a superfood added to smoothies), this cannot be heated over 47C as it will lose its beneficial vitamins and minerals, it also comes in a form of capsules for those who do not like the taste, and last but not least it comes as an oil which is labelled the "best natural age-defying oil in the world". It is now being used in cosmetics due to its anti-ageing properties - if you don't want to use the oil directly to your skin you can mix a few drops with your moisturiser. It's supposed to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, acne, fine lines etc - erm hello?!?! Take all my money haha!!!

Since I started using this product I've noticed a massive change in my skin; it feels much smoother and plump than usually. I still have dry patches under my eyes but this could be due to exfoliation, but it is very soothing so I like to wear it before going to bed as I let it soak in overnight and wake up with beautiful and glowing skin.

I would definitely recommend this product to all who suffer from any skin imperfections, especially those with ageing skin - I know for a fact that my mum would be very interested in this product! Mother's Day gift perhaps? Either way, I've only been using this product for a week and I have noticed a huge difference to my skin in how it looks and feels. A definite 10/10 ladies and gents!

Good news everyone!! - I have a 10% off code for you: MOR10 - use it to save some pennies! :)

Have you got a holy grail skincare product? Would you try this Moringa oil?

*This post contains PR samples, however, it is 100% my own opinion.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || PRESTIGE FLOWERS - PERFECT MOTHER'S DAY GIFT

Recently I came across the brand Prestige Flowers and I instantly fell in love. I'm a huge fan of gorgeous bouquets and with Kieran being a big believer of buying practical gifts and avoiding buying me flowers that will die quickly, I knew I wanted to treat myself ha ha. I was kindly sent this beautiful bouquet by Micheal from the Prestige Flowers team and I couldn't be happier with it.

The flowers arrived two days after me sending out my details which is amazing bearing in mind these are hand decorated by highly qualified florists in Britain. The delivery service also offers deliveries to EVERYWHERE in the UK, how amazing is that?! So if there's someone who is very important to you and you feel like treating them to something sentimental, then you found the place to turn to!

Along with my order, I had received a cute note from Micheal. Little things like this can really make someone feel amazing! I had a really shitty week then, and receiving these had really cheered me up tons. That's why I believe that this is an amazing gift for upcoming Mother's Day. Prestige Flowers has specially created new bouquets which are absolutely beautiful, there's plenty to choose from and majority are on offer! I believe that you can also receive 10% off on your first purchase which is just a right bargain! I know which direction to point my dad to for some ;)

Along with your purchase, you also receive a Flower Care Guide which will direct you on how to make the most out of your flowers - ha eat your heart out Kieran! These do last ha ha ;) I've currently had these for a week and have followed the care guide carefully, exchanging the water every (other) day and trimming the stems so they absorb lots of water and remain beautiful.

Overall, I would rate these 10/10 for quality, price and life span because they really are beautiful and last a while. I know for a fact that I will keep these for at least 4 more days because they still look as good as new and the Stargazer Lilies have started to open up which has made my room smell a-m-a-z-i-n-g!!!!

What will you be buying your Mum this Mother's Day? What do you think about Prestige Flowers?

*This post contains PR samples, and no affiliate links. 100% my opinion.

Lots of love,

Maya xo