Western A-line Shirt Dress in Mid Wash
ASOS
ASOS
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
INTERVIEW | WITH BRITISH OLYMPIAN SAVANAH LEAF - FEMALE ROLE MODELS
Had the opportunity to interview British Olympian Savanah Leaf on a subject I'm passionate about and I found her answers really interesting, so enjoy :).
Through my research I've found that female athletes feel pressure to conform to a certain look and body type. Have you ever felt this pressure? Whether is was before you began playing internationally or after. Also where do you think this pressure is coming from?
I I honestly think that each sport is very different. When you get to a top level, you start to understand your body in certain ways, you realize what your body can and cannot do. A lot of the reason why we become top athletes is because we have the right body type before we even do our sport. Our trainings aids the body type that we were given, for example, I am naturally quite tall and lean. My training has made me stronger and able to control my athleticism. I think I have received more pressure since I've been trying to do fitness modeling. They want really skinny models with lean muscles, which is not necessarily what athletes have.
Although this is quite sad to admit, I never really expect to get the coverage or support that a male athlete would receive. I have kind of accepted the fact that female athletes have less media coverage. Although i would love this to change, I think it's going to take a while because this has been going on forever. I mean if you think about it, men were the hunters. There are so many aspects that go into this equity problem, and a large portion of that is due to sociological components, but then there are also evolutionary and biological components as well. Let's not forget biology here. But I will say, I have felt undervalued for being a female athlete. In the Olympics, the majority of the messages I received on social media were men talking about my ass, not people talking about how I played. That was really disappointing to me because I didn't work extremely hard for 8 years to entertain people on international television for my looks..
By the age of 14, girls drop out of sports at twice the rate boys do, with reasons such as: ''None of my friends play it anymore'', ''Sport is too competitive'' and ''People think its weird''. What/Who motivated and influenced you when you was a teenager playing sport?
Well I didn't start playing sports till I moved to the U.S. When I was about 9 years old. When I lived in London I was all about music, theatre, and dance. I think if I lived their throughout my childhood I would probably be a singer or something by now. That was mainly because of where I lived, what was accessible to me, and what I loved at the time. When I moved to America, my love for the arts was all of a sudden 'not cool'. All the popular kids were playing sports, and so after some years when I was about 12 I had given up music, theatre, and dance for volleyball and basketball. For me, this whole thing was sort of opposite. I think the people that influenced me most to continue playing were my mum and coaches. I started realizing that sports came naturally to me, and I was a lot better than most people. This made me think about how I could pay for my university in the US by playing sports. So that's what I did, with a huge sacrifice, which was my love for the arts.
How important do you believe female role models in sport are for young girls?
I think they are extremely important. I mean that's half of my job. I wouldn't do this if I didn't receive some of the feedback that I have had from young girls telling me they want to be just like me, or that they are inspired by my stories, or that they chose their jersey number to copy mine. Positive female role models give younger girls strength to pursue their dreams, and that goes for anything. My mum has been a strong single mother my whole life, and she is that sort of strong independent woman that I look up to. Even though she isn't a professional athlete, I have taken a lot of what she does and used it in my pursuit to become an Olympian and professional athlete.
Do you have anything else you would like to add?
Nope, great questions !
Saturday, 30 May 2015
BEAUTY | MY SKINCARE ROUTINE
For the past couple of weeks I've been trying out some new skin care products and I've got to say I'm loving them and definitely seeing results.
Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion - Body Shop
Tea Tree Skin Clearing Foaming Cleanser - Body Shop
Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes - Superdrug
Dark Angels Cleanser - Lush
Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser - Superdrug
Tea Tree Facial Toner - Body Shop
I've heard nothing but positive reviews about The Body Shop's tea tree range so I thought it was about time that I went and tried it out for myself. I picked up the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion, Tea Tree Skin Clearing Foaming Cleanser and Tea Tree Facial Toner. I've used the toner before so I knew what I was letting myself in for, I put a few drops on a cotton pad and it always leaves me feeling refreshed. I can definitely feel the cleanser 100% cleansing my skin when I use it but I must say I'm not a fan of how dry it leaves my skin feeling afterwards.
We all know about Lush's really pretty bath bombs and natural products but I'd never actually been in a Lush store or tried any of their products!! The sales assistants in Lush are so friendly and helpful, she asked me about my problem areas and showed me a few products that she felt would work for my skin. I ended up going for Dark Angels which is great for exfoliating the skin, I use it once it week and I absolutely love it!!
The Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes and Hydrating Light Moisturiser have always been in my skin care routine. I think the fact that the products themselves are, well... simple and work so well make them a staple in my room.
So overall my skin is very very happy at the moment.
Bx
I've heard nothing but positive reviews about The Body Shop's tea tree range so I thought it was about time that I went and tried it out for myself. I picked up the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion, Tea Tree Skin Clearing Foaming Cleanser and Tea Tree Facial Toner. I've used the toner before so I knew what I was letting myself in for, I put a few drops on a cotton pad and it always leaves me feeling refreshed. I can definitely feel the cleanser 100% cleansing my skin when I use it but I must say I'm not a fan of how dry it leaves my skin feeling afterwards.
We all know about Lush's really pretty bath bombs and natural products but I'd never actually been in a Lush store or tried any of their products!! The sales assistants in Lush are so friendly and helpful, she asked me about my problem areas and showed me a few products that she felt would work for my skin. I ended up going for Dark Angels which is great for exfoliating the skin, I use it once it week and I absolutely love it!!
The Simple Kind To Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes and Hydrating Light Moisturiser have always been in my skin care routine. I think the fact that the products themselves are, well... simple and work so well make them a staple in my room.
So overall my skin is very very happy at the moment.
Bx
Thursday, 14 May 2015
FASHION | 70s BABY - WHAT I WORE TO SPORTS BALL
Last week I had the opportunity to spend a 'classy' evening with my NTU Dance family. Its the one time we get to really dress up and have endless bottles of wine. If you saw my previous wishlist, you would have seen the gorgeous jumpsuit from Charlotte Crosby's line that I was lusting for.
I'd seen the jumpsuit on several celebs and on one of my favorite bloggers Sarah Ashcroft. I just had to have it! As I'm 5ft 9 I was a little worried that the jumpsuit wouldn't be long enough and would awkwardly hang above my ankles. It was the perfect length!
The chain I wore is actually a broken head piece that I decided to wear as a body chain. I paired the jumpsuit with a pair of nude/brown wedges that I got from the New Look sale last summer. They are SO comfortable - I believe I was the only person that wasn't complaining about their feet hurting!!
B xxx
Saturday, 28 February 2015
HAIR CARE ROUTINE
If you know anything about Afro hair you'll know that it needs a lot of moisture, so you may be shocked to find out that I use very few products. My hair is really hard to manage and I'm always really busy with dance, lectures and deadlines. Managing my hair is like the stress of five 2000 word essays in one! I've recently got into wearing wigs, that way I can still look after my natural hair but not have to deal with the everyday maintenance. I'm really loving my current routine so I thought I'd let you in on some of the products I use.
ORS Hair Mayonnaise Deep Conditioner | ECO Styler Gel | Unrefined Shea Butter (Mixed with Jamaican Castor Oil) | Tresemme Heat Protectant | Tresemme Hairspray |Creme of Nature Shampoo | Tresemme Conditioner
The deep conditioner is a protein conditioner and I use it when I feel my hair needs repairing, so about once every 2 months. I know that too much protein is not good for your hair. I've tried several shampoos and I must say the Creme of Nature one is the best I've tried. Sulfate free shampoos can be quite pricey but this was only £3! It smells amazing and leaves my hair squeaky clean. I shampoo my hair once a week and them go in with my Tresemme Naturals Conditioner (which was on sale for £1.99 - WHAT!!!). When it comes to my skin I'm really into using natural products or products that have very few chemicals. I've started to look into using natural products on my hair. Prior to using shea butter I had heard so much about it but I didn't think it'd be this good. I mix it with Jamaican Castor Oil and it gives my hair so much moisture.
The deep conditioner is a protein conditioner and I use it when I feel my hair needs repairing, so about once every 2 months. I know that too much protein is not good for your hair. I've tried several shampoos and I must say the Creme of Nature one is the best I've tried. Sulfate free shampoos can be quite pricey but this was only £3! It smells amazing and leaves my hair squeaky clean. I shampoo my hair once a week and them go in with my Tresemme Naturals Conditioner (which was on sale for £1.99 - WHAT!!!). When it comes to my skin I'm really into using natural products or products that have very few chemicals. I've started to look into using natural products on my hair. Prior to using shea butter I had heard so much about it but I didn't think it'd be this good. I mix it with Jamaican Castor Oil and it gives my hair so much moisture.
Sunday, 15 February 2015
MAC Studio Fix Fluid
After years of searching for my perfect foundation I've finally found it!!
I'm a big fan of drugstore products, the idea of spending lots of money on one make up product really hearts my soul. I've used just about every drug store foundation, the most recent one I've used is the Revlon Colourstay but I think they changed the formula and I really wasn't happy with the way it looked. I decided to just go for it and try a MAC foundation and I'm so happy I did. I got the Studio Fix Fluid in NC50 and its the perfect colour for me, it hasn't broken me out and gives an amazing finish. When I first started using it I was applying it with my Real Techniques Buffing brush and it made the foundation look really patchy. I now use the real techniques foundation brush and I can see a really big difference. If you're 'anti high end' make up I'd definitely recommend trying MAC products, I plan on taking a few more trips to my local MAC store.
Friday, 13 February 2015
Smoking in cars could be illegal by the end of the year.
( This is an online article I wrote for an assignment early January)
Enforcement officers will be able to issue a £50 fine for smoking in a vehicle and failing to prevent smoking in a vehicle carrying under 18s.
Last year an idea to ban smoking in cars carrying children received a majority vote by MPs.
Once again MPs and peers will vote on the proposal and if passed the ban will come into effect from October 1st.
The new law will apply to anyone carrying children in a car, not just parents. Although it will not apply if the driver is under 18 and alone in a vehicle.
There is also great support from the public for this ban, a YouGov poll taken last year found that 77% of adults in Great Britain agreed that smoking should be banned in vehicles carrying under 18s.
Scotland and Wales have also put forward plans to ban smoking in vehicles containing children.
Second hand smoke in children can increase the risk of asthma attacks, common colds, meningitis and cot deaths.
Dr Ilze Bogdanovica from The UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies says the level of second hand smoke is higher in a vehicle because it's a very confined space.
According to Cancer Research UK second-hand smoke has caused strokes, lung disease and heart disease which have led to 12,000 deaths in the UK.
This will be the first smoking ban after smoking in pubs, restaurants and all workplaces was made illegal in July 2007.
''It's totally unnecessary,''.
But Simon Clark director of the smokers group FOREST said ''this is all about forcing people to give up smoking,''.
''As long as tobacco remains a legal product smokers do have rights and that includes being allowed to smoke where ever they want,''.
Wednesday, 4 February 2015
I'M BACK!!
First of all HAPPY NEW YEAR!! .. even though it's already February. I've been very naughty and I've not blogged for a very long time but I'm back for good now, no more excuses.
So one of my new years resolutions was to revamp my blog, I don't know if you've noticed but I've got a new blog layout!! Very happy girl over here. In the meantime I'll leave you with a couple of pictures which will give you a little glimpse into what I've been up to over the past couple of months
