Hello everyone!

Hope you've all been well. I'm writing to you after the longest time. I'm slowly starting to come out from my self-imposed time-out. 

What better way to get back to writing and blogging than by reflecting on my 24 years of life. 

I will be 24 in another week. Can you believe it?

To commemorate the occasion (well before it happens), I thought I will share with all of you 24 things I've learned in my 24 years of life, in the form of a note to myself.

1. Mom and Dad are alarmingly right about many, many things. Always hear out their perspective on things.

2.  It's okay to stand up for yourself even if it is difficult at times because you're not used to doing it often.

3. Try your best to make at least one person smile through a kind gesture. 

4. Take time for yourself off social media. While SM is amazing, it can also cloud your judgment about your life because you're constantly drawing comparisons with others.

5. Speaking of...try not to compare your life with that of anyone else. Instead focus on what you do and what you want out of life.

6. You don't have to live your life according to anyone else, even if they have good intentions.

7. Do things at your own pace. Even if it means you're 'getting there' slower than the rest.

8. There will be days where you "just can't", but those days will pass. 

9. Accept your emotions.

 10. Anxiety is controllable.

11. Know when to push yourself out of your comfort zone, because the rewards are so worth it!

12. Always be open for new adventures.

13. Accept that you can't make time for everything and everyone. This doesn't mean you have to let go of people or opportunities, but rather it concerns with prioritising. 

14. Don't beat yourself up for saying 'no'. 

15. Learn how to manage your time, so you can make time for most if not everything and everyone. 

16. Recognise the people who are ready to support you and accept that support.

17. Surround yourself with people who are inspiring.

18. Know your worth and know the difference between what you do and don't deserve.

19. Be honest to yourself and know your limits. You don't have to pretend like you're not affected by what happens around you.

20. Forgive yourself for your mistakes, because you cannot be both perfect and human.

21. Re-evaluate how you talk to yourself. Remember how you learned this in psych class?

22. Self-care is a priority, don't let yourself forget that. So take time for yourself, bake, listen to your oldies records, colour in on that book you got from TBBW. Whatever it takes to make yourself content and at peace.

23. Know that it's the little things that count.

24. Believe in the power of a good cup of tea.

Let me know what you think, and if there are any lessons you've learnt from your life that you would like to share with me, please feel free to leave a comment down below.

Thank you so much for reading,

Much Love,

Hello everyone! 

How have you been?

I know it's been a while since I posted here on my blog. To be clear, I've missed two makeup reviews I planned on posting, apart from the usual lifestyle posts I do on week days. As I'm writing this there are 22 drafts sitting on my folder which I haven't touched, and photos on my SD card which remains unedited. 

I know what you're thinking.

 'Where in the world have you been?'

Well I've kind of been in hiding from the blogosphere. Allow me to explain.

The first and foremost reason why I haven't been active on my blog or social media would be because I am feeling uninspired, period. The beauty community has moved on to 'spilling of tea', and being 'shady' as opposed to sharing what each one of us are truly passionate about. Whether it be our favourite brand, the lipstick we wear all the time, or that one body wash we want everyone else to try out because it's just THAT good. Simply stated, I wanted to stay away from the drama, and distance myself from the community. At one point, I was contemplating turning my Instagram into a lifestyle/ mental health-only profile. I figured that then I would be a part of a community that serves to uplift people and make a positive impact. Anyway, I wanted to take a break, a) for a reality check, and b) to get inspired by daily life. Thanks to the degrees I've earned, the need to reflect and review is drilled into my brain.

The second reason is being overloaded with work. The past few days have encompassed early mornings and late nights (not partying, FYI). I am a meticulous list-maker, and organised person (when it comes to my agenda and not my room). So my immediate response to being overwhelmed and life not going according to plan is to run and hide. No, I do not know where I learned that from and yes, I know it sounds very dramatic. The past few weeks have brought on many changes. I will share these with you soon and hopefully you'll be able to understand (and empathise) better. 

So to answer the question, I've been holed up in my room, reading the books I bought from the big bad wolf sale, with a cup of tea. You know, just in my own bubble.

It's not going to be forever, but I'll be taking some time off until I am in a place when I can finally write to all of you with all my heart. I don't want to do anything in a mediocre and below-par manner. I hope you all are healthy and happy, and had a great past few weeks.

I'll write to you soon,

Much Love,

Before you worry, I assure you that I am not leaving the beauty community but I am limiting my beauty purchases. 

I know that's a big statement to make, especially as a beauty blogger.

I have shared my story of how I got into makeup and beauty blogging multiple times. What you might not know or perhaps realize is that while I am a blogger and I review makeup and skin care products, I am also just another consumer. I know that I own a lot more products than an average person, but with that comes a problem of product wastage. So I wanted to write up a rather candid post about why I am limiting my beauty purchases. 

When it comes to buying makeup, I am just like you. I often go through a lot of reviews before clicking the 'add to cart' button. After all, I want to make sure that I'm buying items that are of good quality available at a price that I can afford. I do sometimes give in, and buy products that I've been longing to have for a long time (like my one YSL lipstick), buy products that are intriguing or those which are cult favourites, so I can share with all of you whether they are worth the hype. 

Over the past three years I have amassed quite a bit of makeup, or to be more precise a lot of lipsticks. When I receive a new product in the mail, I get so excited and continue to use the product for as long as that excitement dies down (that is until I find another intriguing product). Recently I have taken a long, hard look at my collection and felt disappointed at how I had forgotten about some products I used to enjoy so much. It is not even the case of not liking the products anymore, it's just that I have forgotten to use them. Buried under products I didn't like, products to test out, and review were items I used to love which have unfortunately already hit their expiry dates before I could use them up.

For one thing, this led me feel like I've wasted my money (no worse feeling than guilt), and for another my heart fell at seeing the amount of wastage. It's disappointing to not have finished up a product entirely. Anyone who loves makeup would share with you how satisfying it is to hit pan. There's nothing like seeing how well-loved that eyeshadow, or lipstick was. 

 After 3+ years of blogging I feel like I know exactly what I would like and what I would not, so that I can avoid going through a tedious trial and error process. This doesn't mean I won't be open to trying new products, it just means that I'll be approaching them with better awareness.

I am not sure if this means that I am going down the path of minimalism. However I will be monitoring what I buy, and making sure I only purchase the bare necessities for a change. I am not even sure how I will cope 😋 but I figure I'll be fine. At least, this will allow me to use up the products I love. 

What do you think about this change?

Let me know in a comment down below what you think, or if you have any words of support.

Thank you for reading my blog,

Much Love,

It's no secret that Instagram is my favourite app. I do spend quite a bit of time scrolling back and forth on my feed whether it be to gather inspiration for my blog posts or articles, or to find new beauty products that I would want to try, or even to escape small-talk in the real world. I would describe myself as a creative person, and I often switch up my Instagram stories to explore that creative side and embrace a change. This year, I was able to discover 3 apps that allowed me to create the perfect Instagram Stories that I love. 

VSCO 

Image via vsco.co

This app is nothing new. In fact I had it installed a couple of years ago, but didn't quite see its utility. This year, I reinstalled it, and absolutely fell in love with the ease with which it allows me to edit a photo. The filters are also a plus point! The best part is that most of its features are free. Once I take a photo from the camera on my Iphone 6s, I adjust the exposure, saturation, white balance, and tone with this app. As for the filters, I mostly use them for my feed. Once I edit one picture, the app makes it really convenient to copy and paste the edits on to the newer ones.

Snow

Image via itunes.apple.com

 I love adding vintage effects on my photos. The first camera I requested from my dad was in fact a Pentax camera. Since I don't even own a Polaroid, I've always been on the hunt for an app that would allow vintage effects. I was using another app that created polaroid photos which developed by shaking the phone three or four times. The first few times were fun, and then it got really annoying.  That's when I found Snow. I absolutely love the polaroid effect with the burn on the side and the rainbow effect, the VHS video effect, and film roll effects. It has many other filters which I personally do not find useful including rather odd face altering/ shaping ones.

 

These apps will surely help you enhance your Instagram stories. I hope you found this post useful. Let me know if it did in a comment down below, or if you have any other recommendations for me.

Mentioned In This Post

VSCO
Unfold
Snow

What's on your Playlist for June? Let me know in a comment down below.

Thank you for checking out my blog!

Much Love,

I was reading through a few posts on gratitude, and came across some comments in which I began to notice a certain ideology behind why gratitude hasn't worked out for some people. Admittedly not all things work exceptionally well for every single person. However one of the underlying ideas seemed to be that merely writing down lists of things someone is grateful for ought to bring happiness, success, money and love, etc. This is perpetrated when there is no explanation as to how gratitude works, so I thought I will share with you how it worked for me. 

No, it was not by mindlessly writing down lists of things I was grateful for. Every morning I took time to think and reflect, upon doing so I was able to list down specifically what I was grateful for. As I mentioned in my previous post, I found that pin-pointing what I was grateful for, such as support from my family, helped me more than writing something in general like, 'I'm grateful for my family'. 

While it almost seems miraculous, the way gratitude works; I assure you it is not a miracle. What it promotes is a shift in the mindset. Being grateful allows you to think about what you have, instead of what you haven't got. 

Imagine someone who experiences a minor blip like in his/ her relationship. It's very easy in this case for that person to look at themselves negatively, engage in self-blaming, and be preoccupied with the classic,  'Where have I gone wrong?', or 'What is wrong with me?' thoughts. 

This person would then nit-pick everything that's wrong with the relationship, everything that's wrong with the other person in the relationship, and with emotions running high, they will engage in distancing or reacting negatively towards the other person. They would soon realise that the world is against them leading to the 'Why me?', 'Why is the world keeping us apart?' thought process. Notice the domino effect that takes place.

Imagine instead, someone appreciating the fact that they have someone to share their life with or someone who is grateful for having a continuous source of support and strength.

In being grateful, we open our eyes and widen our perspective. We look for solutions or work around the problem. Whereas in the earlier situation, a person will continually consume time to think about everything that is going wrong, in this situation a person who is grateful will immediately pick up the phone to call or drop a message to their S/O or schedule a time to talk through what's going right and what's going wrong. The other person too will begin to notice how much more effort you are putting into the relationship, and will value the commitment. 

Do you think this person will now experience more love in their life, more success in their relationship, and feel more happy about the place they are in at the moment?

It's not all that magical or miraculous now is it?

Gratitude is a shift in perspective which logically explains why people who engage in the practice of gratitude experience love, success and happiness in a wholesome manner.

So there you go, the thought that merely listing things you're grateful for will enable you to lead a more fulfilling life is a common misconception.

Gratitude is a thought, a feeling, and an action. So make sure you experience it wholly.

Let me know what your thoughts are on practicing gratitude.

Thank you so much for reading,
Much Love,

I am currently trying out a new morning routine. As I have mentioned before on my blog, I am not the biggest fan of routine. I find that once the tasks get repetitive, life can seem pretty mundane. However there is no doubt about how routine increases efficiency, that is, it lessens decision fatigue, and enables us to make the most of our time. So I've been trying to build up a morning routine with activities I was already engaging in, and ones that were necessary additions to improve overall health. 

I have devised a checklist to keep up with these activities, and if you're anyone like me you can download this and keep your morning activities in check. 

I like to switch up the order in which I engage in these activities, because as I said, routine becomes dull for me after a while. This way, I can still complete all of these tasks but trick my mind into thinking it is not routine. 

First things first. I make my bed in the morning, or on most mornings. It's one of those activities that I used to slack on, but I am getting better at it. I do this for two reasons, a) it serves as the first tick in the list of activities that already makes me feel like I've done something productive, and b) there's nothing like coming home to a bed already made. 

Next, I do my morning stretches or I exercise. I have recently noticed a whole lot of body aches and pains- AAH I'm getting old! Just to ensure that someone doesn't mistake me for a 90-year old, I've decided that it's high time I do some exercise in the morning. I usually follow the warm-up, dance workouts, and cool-down tutorials by Danielle Peazer (I'll link her YouTube channel below). It's already helping me so much, and I find that it boosts my energy for the day.

Next I have a shower because I stink after the workout, obviously. I have previously posted my shower essentials, and these are still some of the products I use in the shower. Let me know in a comment down below if you'd like to see an updated version. 

Next, I have my breakfast and tea. Sometimes I would have tea after I make the bed, because I've been woken up with a cup mug of tea every morning since childhood. It's just one of those Sri Lankan things. 

I read the daily news while I have tea. I also use this time to catch up on my favourite bloggers on bloglovin' and vloggers (usually the vlogs by Zoella, Alfie/pointlessblog or Jess and Gabriel Conte), or listen to a podcast. I will do a post about some new podcasts I've been loving soon. 

After I do this I catch up on Pacifica, in terms of the duration of sleep, and mindfulness exercises like deep breathing or a 5-minute meditation.

Next, I engage in a simple gratitude exercise, and write down three affirmations because I love a confidence-boost early in the morning. I've already written a post about Gratitude Journaling, so you can check it out for more details. While I do not use Pacifica for this gratitude exercise, just note that if you get the premium version of Pacifica ($4.49 billed monthly for an year), you can complete gratitude exercises on the app itself. 

Next I set the intention for the day, which is essentially one of the bigger goals I want to achieve on a given day. I then go through my beloved agenda to check other tasks, and I start my day tackling them based on the level of priority. If I am supposed to head out for the day, I usually use an app to remind me of those tasks. Currently I am using Todoist for this.

That pretty much sums up my mornings these days.

Links:

Instagram

Danielle Peazer YouTube Channel

Do you have a morning routine? Let me know what you think about developing morning routines in a comment down below.

Thank you so much for reading,

Much Love,

Getting a planner has been the best decision I've made in 2018. In the past I've resorted to making to-do lists on scraps of paper, which unsurprisingly go missing; leaving me lost as to what I ought to do. Having a planner has allowed me to allocate slots of time to what I ought to get done within a month, a respective week, and during a particular day. 

While I do my monthly planning before the beginning of the month, I usually go through my weekly plans every Sunday evening. I feel that this process of planning out my week on Sundays with a clear head enables me to focus on my priorities and visualize the week ahead. Furthermore it helps build up momentum for the rest of the week. 

I usually grab myself a cup of green tea with lemon and settle down on my work desk. I begin by writing down everything I ought to do on a piece of paper to draw up a rough sketch for the week. In here, I would usually list down things of top priority, things that could be delegated to others, and other goals I could push away for a later date.

I often write down little ideas for blog posts on post-its, and in the notes on my phone. To add to these creative interests, I use my time on Sundays to brainstorm new ideas, topics for articles, and blog posts, and just generally take a brain dump. Usually in moments of extreme enthusiasm, I tend to aspire for larger than life goals. So during my time on Sundays, I think of whether they are worth pursuing, and if so deliberate on the means of achieving them by breaking them down into smaller goals. For example, one of my goals was to improve my health in whichever ways I can. So one of the steps I've taken is to swap my mid-day tea or coffee to a green tea. It's a baby step, but a step nevertheless, in the right direction.

After having gathered all this information, I start by putting each of the tasks into my planner. I allocate time slots for the tasks I can do daily, weekly, biweekly, and compare with what I ought to have achieved over a month. I also ensure that I have time for myself, which is how an introvert like me, recharges and refuels. That's pretty much a Sunday evening for me.

If you feel flustered with the pace of your life, and feel like you're constantly finding yourself lost amidst the numerous tasks you ought to achieve, I highly recommend getting a planner and scheduling some time on a Sunday to do your weekly planning. Even though for me my plans circulate on work, blogging, writing, and the like, you could also take time to plan out your meals for the rest of the week, plan your cleaning schedules for the week, or if you're a mom, decide on the chores your kids ought to do within that week.

Shop This Post:

Ban.do Agenda

Let me know how you plan your week, and if you have any tips, please leave them in a comment down below.

Thank you so much for reading,

Much Love,

What's on your Playlist for May? Let me know in a comment down below.

Thank you for checking out my blog!

Much Love,

Comparisons...

We draw them everyday. In terms of blogging, there is a constant striving for perfection, whether it be for an Instagram post, or trying to match the numbers of your favourites. This mind trap of drawing comparisons with others, tears at our levels of confidence and self-worth and can lead us to feel uncomfortable in our own skin.

I've always been one to march to the beat of my own drum. Whether it be wearing sweaters in this 30°C heat, working for a degree in Psychology, or starting a blog, although half of my extended family do not quite understand it.  Yet last year I was questioning everything. I was comparing my little space here to everyone else's and doubting if my content was actually good, whether the pictures I took were really on par with those that are taken by better cameras, professionals, etc. I was doubting whether the simple makeup looks I created for the blog were good enough in comparison to the intricate ones I've seen on YouTube. 

With all these doubts in my head, at one point I was even questioning whether I should continue to blog. I contemplated taking down my Instagram, and one such occassion, I ended up deleting some of the pictures of myself from my feed which I didn't think were good enough. Hence I took most of the year off of blogging and posting on Instagram. 

Funnily enough, the thought of deleting my blog made me quiver. All the work that I've put in, and the time I've spent going to waste, and the connections I've made with all of you breaking down, made me feel extremely sad. At this point, I started to reflect on why then I was feeling like I wasn't good enough and most importantly, what I can do about it. 

The main reason that contributed, and even exacerbated this feeling was the comparisons I was drawing. I noticed many bloggers go from strength to strength, and talk about the statistics of their blogs. This many followers, that much reach. On top of it, I was spammed with e-mails from companies about becoming ambassadors, and increasing my Instagram followers. While my immediate thought was 'no way am I buying followers', or 'no way am I working with companies I don't believe in', I couldn't help but wonder, if that's what it all came down to. Did blogging all boil down to getting more and more followers, and if so, should I try other ways of attracting followers? Since others are doing it, should I also work with 'x' number of brands?

Given these questions, I was doubting myself, and if my space here was good enough, and whether you actually enjoy my posts. My answer to these doubts about continuing blogging was embedded within the reason why I started blogging. It was an extension of myself and a creative outlet. I wanted to write about things I enjoyed, and I was sharing my experiences as an average consumer. 

I've always made sure to share with you that I am not a makeup artist. I enjoy makeup, and having used a lot of products I have found ones I've wholeheartedly enjoyed using and would gladly recommend to you. It's true that my makeup looks weren't as intricate, and that most of the time I use the same two colours on my crease and lid. Yet, that was authentically me. 

I enjoyed the process of taking photographs, finding locations in my own house to shoot (because I rarely go out), sitting down and critiquing those pictures and selecting ones that would be posted online. Even though they may not be the most professional, I did it all and I figured I ought to be proud of that.

 To this day, I am writing reviews, and sharing posts that I am passionate about. While thinking about quitting, I went back and read some of my reviews. I found myself saying 'oh that's absolutely right', 'that's so true about the formula of that lipstick', in agreement. If anything, I was writing honestly and being my rambling-and-inserting-bad-puns-into-posts self. 

Above all, I, an introvert, made connections with all of you because I was sharing my life in a candid manner. You've kept me going by being ever so supportive, and sending me messages when I took a break, asking if I was alright. In a world where more and more people feel alone and disconnected from others, you've provided me with lasting friendships that are more important to me than you'll ever know. Despite my doubts, you've assured me that you enjoyed reading my posts. Some of you enjoyed how detailed my reviews were, some of you were enjoyed the 'realness' of the content I shared, and that through reading my posts you've always managed to pick up something new. I mean, could I really ask for more confirmation that I was doing quite alright?

In reflecting, I was able to break free from the mind-trap of comparisons. There's no necessity of changing to fit into an algorithm, or the ideal of a 'blogger'. Only one thing is for sure: blogging is about the consistency of quality, and honesty of content shared. I can sit here and write a million posts, but what would it matter if I don't put my heart and soul into each and every one of them? 

The main take-away from this post to anyone even if you're not a blogger, is to trust in your own journey. It's hard not to draw comparisons with others, and doubt yourself. Just make sure you don't tear yourself apart because of them. Take care of yourself, so that you don't get trapped in self-defeating beliefs and actions. 

Your life is for you to lead, and not for others to dictate.

Thank you for staying with me for all these years. I am so grateful for the connections that we've made.

Much Love,

Shop This Post:

Bershka Multi Stripe T-Shirt

New Look Floral Printed Cheesecloth Playsuit

ASOS Gold Plated Sterling Silver Face Profile Earrings

PrettyLittle Thing Stripe Tie Waist Shorts

Miss Selfridge Bow Espadrille

Thank you for reading!
Much Love,