WHAT'S IT REALLY LIKE FOR ME TO STUDY, WORK AND BLOG ALL AT ONCE?

Not many of you will know this but I’ve been blogging since around the age of 9-10 when I was going through a hard time due to personal reasons and found that it made me feel invincible. I had my first blog at that age and it was a creative writing and art website (it’s been deleted years ago, but I really enjoyed writing it and creating original images using Photoshop and other software). To say that I did all that at such a young age is crazy, but that’s when I knew it was definitely something I’d want to pursue further as a teenager as I felt that I wasn’t old enough to put myself on the Internet - my blog at the time was anonymous. 

My current blog, my little baby, has actually turned 5 years old this month and I’m very excited to start sharing some more content with you all. After being absent for over a month, I feel like I need to get back into the game and I’m sorry for that, but I will explain what’s been going on with my life for me to not engage fully with my blog and audience.

Let’s be honest, blogging isn’t an easy job to do. I love it, but having to stay on top of my social media accounts, engage in group chats, schedule posts, and reply to all emails is getting a bit too much for me to handle. I’m a third-year university student so you can only imagine the ton of work I’ve got to do this upcoming semester. The blogging community is also not what it was last year, I mean I’ve made a lot of friends but I have also come across many bitter people who see everything as a competition rather than a hobby. Blogging for me is a hobby and something I’d love to do full time if it paid enough, but it seems like so many people join this creative community to get free stuff and bring others down...

I recently left my job at the Disney store and moved onto something bigger - a job in makeup. My new job suits me very well and I love it, I love making others feel beautiful in their own skin and other perks that come with the job, such as the clientele, colleagues and discounts of course. But since starting my new job I feel like I’ve fallen behind on my blogging, not only because I’ve been away on training or had to learn a lot of things, but also because I see beauty at work so don’t want to talk about it all the time on my blog too... hence why I’ve decided to create more fashion content this year as these posts seem to go down very well with you all. I will by no means neglect the beauty side of my blog, I will continue to do product reviews etc. But I will also share makeup looks on my YouTube channel to which you can subscribe here. 

Being a third-year student, I find it really difficult to manage my time especially as my work rota constantly changes making it even harder for me to plan out my days. I would ideally like to do at least 20 extra hours a week of uni work as well as post 3 times a week on my blog, and daily on Instagram and twitter but I don’t see that happening anytime soon... I also recently decided to change my diet completely and slowly transition to being vegan which I’m very excited about and cannot wait to make lots of delicious recipes from The Little Blog Of Vegan. 

With my poor spending habits, I have bought many notepads including a daily diary which will help me manage my time better. I have one for normal everyday tasks and a separate one for my uni work. I also bought a budget planner which I find very useful because it does help me with my spending a lot, and even though I have treated myself a lot this month as it was my birthday recently, I have saved more money than ever and I couldn’t be prouder of myself. This has actually helped with my mental health and I feel a lot more in control of my mind and what goes through it. No more overthinking, and no more letting little things bring me down.

As I have neglected my blog, I will try to write more now that I’m getting back on track with my life, however I find it difficult to schedule posts on time with all the work I have got to do, so please bear with me and I promise I will reward you with a giveaway soon. But for now, I will work my butt off to produce the best content ever for you as well as try to engage myself in more Twitter chats, Instagram stories and posts.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

REVIEW || ALL IN FLAVOUR SILICONE CACTUS PHONE CASE

When I was contacted by All In Flavour to try out one of their phone cases, I got very excited! I love the whole different themes they offer, especially the plants one as they're super adorable. I picked out a cute little cacti phone case for my iPhone 5s in a silicone finish as I drop my phone at least 10 times a day so I needed the extra safety!

Can we just appreciate how nice this phone case actually is? I've not seen one like it before, and I just knew I had to have it. Being a blogger and social media fanatic I have come across many different brands selling phone cases, some nice and some not as nice as others but All In Flavour has a humble but interesting collection - it was tough for me to pick just one case!!

Of course, me being me I put the case to the test and came to the conclusion that it's very hard-wearing as well as gorgeous! Like I said before, I tend to drop my phone many times a day (I'm shocked it hasn't broken yet) so I usually go for silicone cases and I truly believe that I had hit jackpot with this one. It feels comfortable in my hands and isn't too think thus it does not make my phone resemble a brick which is always a plus!

*This post contains a PR item.

Where do you usually buy your phone cases from? What do you think of this cute little number?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

OOTD || LUNCH DATE WITH THE GIRLS - CASUAL DAYTIME OUTFIT FOR AUTUMN/FALL

New clothes = picture time! I took advantage of the Missguided 50% student discount on A-level results day, and I couldn't be happier with some of the items I had picked out but this post is all about the amazing Regina George style off-the-shoulder jumper.

I am sooo excited for Autumn, I cannot describe my love for candles, sweaters, blankets, scary movies etc. the list could go on and on and on! Even though it's still Summer - it surely does not feel like it! I recently went out for a lunch date with one of my good friends, Rebekah, and decided to take my new jumper out for a stroll around town.

The jumper is slightly cropped so I think it'll be most flattering with high waisted jeans and a chunky belt - I wanted to wear a belt with this pair but unfortunately, these don't have belt loops so I couldn't wear my black embroidery one :(

These Primark shoes are great, are they slippers? Are they designer? Who knows?! All I care about is that they are very comfortable to wear and look fashionable AF and cost me £1 in the sale!

I always pay attention to detail whenever I'm out with the girls just because we like to exchange jewellery from time to time, as well as recommend some brands. I recently got this birthstone ring from Boots in the sale for only £2 and thought it'll make a great addition to my already big collection. It's very comfortable to wear and is adjustable so you don't have to worry about it fitting on any finger!

If you struggle with self-confidence when it comes to trying out different styles etc. then read my post on how I face my fashion fears, or what I used to wear before I gained weight.

If you're wondering how I created this makeup look then stay tuned as there will be a tutorial on it soon!

What's your go-to lunch date outfit?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

OOTD || GLAM BEACH LOOK - DAY TO NIGHT SUMMER HOLIDAYS OUTFIT

If you've already read my What To Do In The UK During Summer Holidays post then you'd know that I recently went down to the British seaside and managed to get some nice shots taken. I didn't know the weather was going to be as nice as it was (I'm sure it came up to around 30 degrees) so I would have maybe worn a playsuit, however, I feel like this dress was perfect as it's floaty and made from thin material so it turned out as the perfect outfit!

Ever since receiving this gorgeous kimono for Christmas a few years ago, I've been obsessed with it and wear it all the time in warmer weather when it's too hot for a proper jacket but not warm enough to go without one. I believe it was in the Topshop sale for around £15-£20, so it was very affordable for a statement piece that I've been loving for years!

My cute little marble bag has made an appearance in a previous post which you can find here. I love a statement micro bag - these are huge this year as mentioned by the lovely ladies at a bloggers event in Nottingham. This gorgeous bag was only £6 from Primark which my lovely mum has bought for me on a shopping trip a while back.

This dress is honestly one of the prettiest items I've ever bought from Primark - yup, you heard it right - PRIMARK! I had seen it on Instagram and was hoping to find it in store and when I did, boy was I happy! At only £13 this is definitely a must-have this Summer. I'm not sure if there will be any left as when I bought mine there were only a few sizes left, but if you're lucky enough to find one I would suggest trying on a size down as it does come up big!

My huge hat is also from Primark, I believe it was only £3!

Have you been to Primark recently? Did you come across any bargains?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

MY GYM/WORKOUT MUST-HAVES

I've lost track of how many times I've attempted to stay motivated and exercise a thousand times now with the same excuse - "I'll try again tomorrow". I've had enough now as I feel so bad about what I eat and how I feel on the inside when I don't work out, so I finally decided to eat cleaner (but not deprive myself of chocolate etc.) and work out more. I think what's motivating me the most right now is the fact that I'm going away in July so I want to feel good in my own body and reduce bloating! Honestly, even a cup of bloody tea makes me bloated now!

My absolute workout must-have is weights. Even if they are very light, such as 1kg, they make a huge difference and make any workout more intense and I always notice the difference whenever I'm able to move up a weight. The most important thing when using weights is to make sure you do it the right way. You can watch a very helpful video on how to tone up your arms with or without weights here. I always ensure that I have my gloves with me as my hands get really dry from doing weights, this helps me reduce the dryness and prevent getting calluses.

Another staple is a good sports bra. I'm currently loving this one from H&M. I feel like I work out better knowing I have nice sportswear and am comfortable. I'm currently obsessing over yoga tights - I have some gorgeous tie-up ones that make a cute bow on the calves from Primark which only cost me £3 in the sale (I bought them in black, and grey!).

My favourite gym top has to be the Ivy Park Oversized T-shirt as it covers my bum up (reduces the number of looks I get from both girls and boys) and covers up my sweaty back hahaha!! I don't think I'll ever be one of those girls who wears a sports bra as a top because I'm way too self-conscious. Also, if you already do or want to do Yoga then I suggest you wear a vest or a tight top as it makes it easier to move around.

My no.1 tip: ALWAYS stretch before and after exercise to reduce achiness the next day!

What are your staples for working out? Any particular outfit that you love to wear?

Lots of love,

Maya xo