Alma-Bella

Naughty me i haven't blogged in a while but i have been wanting to write a blog post but didn't have the mojo to know what to write about! When i received an email asking if i would like to take part in GIFFGAFFS Were All The Boss Campaign i jumped on the chance.

The idea GIFFGAFF want to portray is that WE are ALL the boss. Why does the word boss have to be associated with one person? We are all capable of being our own boss, making important decisions and making our own ideas and dreams happen. In their words being the boss is all about taking charge and pushing yourself in to new directions.

This is a pretty simple idea but an idea that many of us do not live up to. Everyday life is like a competition we see pictures on tumblr and Instagram and wish that we could have a slice of that life. Well why can't we? At the end of the day were all human if we want something we have to take control and go for it! If someone you know has an amazing job but your working part time in a job you hate surely its in YOUR hands to take control and get that job YOU want not anybody else's. What makes them more capable at achieving what they want than you are.

This campaign has really inspired me. And the stories i have read are amazing. I do not have an amazing life changing story to tell you and in life I'm far from where i want to be. But i do feel in control and from now on i will be the BOSS of my own life.

After reading all these inspiring stories I'm in the mind set that if they can do it then why cant I. I know there are certain situations that hold us back which are all down the individuals life and I'm under no illusion that we are on a level playing field because its so unrealistic to think that. I have a mentally ill brother who i care for and life is tough but i have never used that as an excuse. Ive always pushed myself to be a better person and be happy these are personally my main goals in life. Im the boss of achieving these no one else.

Everyone has different day to day situations and demons that they have to contend with but you can be your own boss and work your dreams around these situations. Its time to start thinking positive and take the steps to be the person i want to be.

Hopefully in 6 months time i can't write a follow up post and have some amazing changes to update you with because right now I'm feeling empowered and in control.

Do you agree that Were All The Boss? And do you have an inspiring story you can share as i would love to read it!

You can read more about GIFFGAFFS amazing campaign HERE.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to comment!

Hello lovelies,

Today I'm bringing you an Acne update. My Acne post seemed to go down well with a few of you unboxing me to say thank you and that it has helped you in some way which i am SO SO pleased about. Acne can seem so trivial but it is definitely a big playing part in self confidence and mental health and not many people know that it IS a medical condition and it CAN be treated. You can catch up on my last post HERE if you missed it :D

Well today I'm brining you an update as i feel a few significant changes have happened since i last posted 3 months ago.

Im still being treated with long term antibiotics at the moment. I went back to my doctor as i had come to the end of the 6 month course of antibiotics and he suggested that i change to a more Acne specific antibiotic 'LYMECYCLINE' as my skin had to the end of the course of 'DOXCYCLINE' started to mildly flare up. However for this change did me no favours and my skin has been reeking havoc on me for a month now and to be honest i found that i was tired and headachy for a good portion of 2 weeks which to me pointed down to these tablets.

This has made me realise that as much as i love having clear skin i also realise that taking tablets affects my whole body. And an artificial substance cant be good for my insides. I trust my doctors judgement however for me Antibiotics will not be a long term 'Thing'.

My next step is to kick this pesky acne without fully relying on tablets (well thats the aim). Im on another 2 month course of Doxycycline and I've told my doctor that with the right diet/excerise and skincare routine can i kick this acne and he has said yes then he can prescribe a cream to keep breakouts at bay. Which for me is more of a long term situation.

Therefore I have decided i am going on a healthy skin diet! Is this a thing? Who knows we will sure find out! Also changing my make up routine and skin care routine and I'm giving myself 2 months to figure out what works! Im open to suggestions so any thing you could recommend will be great! This is a challenge of mine I'm hoping to post once or twice a week when i have changed something in my routine then i will keep you updated to see if this works.. If this something you would be interested in doing with me.. Then comment/message me on twitter and we can help each other!

Thanks for reading and my next post will be soon as I'm off to research some make up and hopefully purchase it in the next few days, I've also just done a lovely healthy shop :D

Thanks for reading this very long winded post!

Do you want a quick fix and to get rid of your acne for good? SEE A DOCTOR.

I see so many blog posts and youtube videos with people with an occasional spot stating that its acne and that they helped the spot with such and such product. To be blunt and honest its complete crap. In this post I'm referring to inflammatory acne, the type that blisters and scars your face, shatters your self esteem and is just all round horrid. I hate seeing a youtuber or blogger with no make up and them saying 'Oh my god i can't believe I'm showing you my acne' Which when you look is a tiny pimple. And then they jump on the band wagon and start doing 'Acne skincare routine' videos. Im not saying they don't have spotty skin I'm just saying it could be worse right? IT GRINDS MY GEARS.

Okay i will tell you a bit about my skin. Ive always suffered from minor acne. Nothing to dramatic, just always spotty skin never clear. Every day i would wake up with a new spot. At this point they were never sore to the touch so i wasn't too bothered about them. I wear make up so obviously you can hide them, not a big deal. It wasn't until in the last year or two they started to get progressively worse. To the point where my chin area mainly was always covered in scabby sore pussy spots. They were red and inflamed and would leave my skin scared. Wearing no make up was just a no my face just looked awful.

Im really in to skin care and always tried new products over the years as much as they may have made the acne better nothing has cured it. I am over weight however call me fat and i will shrug it off. Call me spotty and i will have a break down haha. Acne makes you self conscious and i believed that scrubbing my skin and applying new lotions and potions would work. It didn't. Another thing people will say is change your diet, I may be over weight however i love my salads and fruit and all i mainly drink is water anyway so that was never the cause.

Everybody will judge and say you need to eat better. That you need to stop wearing make up. That you need to change your skin care. That you will grow out of it. They do not have to deal with it. You don't WANT it on your face. If it was that simple nobody would have acne.

It got to the point where i would be in work and the spots on my face would start seeping *Gross i know* it was just unpleasant and the pain my face was in was constant and just not nice. I wouldn't wish acne on anyone and mine i would consider mild compared to other people i see. As much as i hated the look of spots all over my face it was the hard ball like lumps on my face which were pain full and made me realise i needed to go to the doctor. Acne is a condition and i honeslty do not believe that skin care alone will completely banish it.

If you suffer from acne get your self down to your local GP. There are many treatments and medicines available to help with acne depending on the type and the severity. Mine is cystic and it caused by hormones. I was given Antibiotics *Doxycyline 50mg* which is used for bacterial infections. Ive been to the doctors a few times in the last year or so and had a few different creams and these antibiotics however each time i forget to take them or use them and they didn't work. It wasn't until they got so painful an couple of months ago i NEEDED to stick to something which happened to be the tablets and i haven't looked back.

I changed my skin care routine which will be my next post after this one so i can show you what i have been using thought out the process. My skin has changed dramatically in the last 4 months it is almost clear apart from the scaring and odd pimple every now and again. No pain or nastiness. I have written this post to say that however much skin care you use a simple trip to your doctors may be just what you need. Obviously different skin will require different medications it just worth a shot and some advice.

Now get your bum to the doctors i promise it will be the best thing you will do.. EVER :)

Have you taken medication for Acne before? Let me know :)

Thanks for reading this very long winded post. You can visit ACNE.ORG for more 'Factual' information rather than my ramblings.

How to cope with low self esteem

Everyone has their own opinion of the type of person that they are, these opinions are what make up self esteem. Some people may be extremely confident in the way they look and act, giving them high self esteem. Others may be nervous about how they come across to others, which is therefore low self esteem. You will find that your opinion of yourself differs throughout your life; depending on things that happen to you.

What causes low self esteem?

Life changes such as moving to a new area, changing job, breaking up from a relationship, other peoples' expectactions and losing or gaining weight, can all have a negative impact on our self esteem. We feel as though our confidence has been damaged and that can be a difficult thing to get away from. Although not necessarily a mental health disorder, poor opinions of yourself can lead to things such as anxiety, social anxiety, depression and eating disorders.

Sometimes even having a mental health disorder can cause low self esteem in itself. The stigma surrounding mental health can make it difficult for people to open up or be honest with friends and family. This causes us to keep quiet about things we may normally have spoken about before. In turn we become shy and that low self esteem kicks in, causing doubts about who we are as a person.

Coping methods for poor confidence

It's so important to look after ourselves, physically and mentally. Here are some of my personal top tips for remaining confident and dealing with any mental health issues which arise from low self esteem.

Beautify yourself – This is always at the top of my list, because it really does work. A nice long bath, a pamper night, painting your nails, dressing up. All these things can have a really great impact on how confident you feel in yourself.
Remind yourself how amazing you are – This may seem like a really odd thing to do, but I've found it has helped me out a lot! I put a list of positive attributes together, based on what friends and families have said to me. That list was then written up and stuck to my mirror, so that I can remind myself every day.
Look after yourself physically – Physical health plays a big part in your mental health, so it's vital you look after yourself. Eating well, exercising and taking some 'me time' can reduce stress levels, improve confidence and make you feel better in yourself. This is particularly important if low self esteem ties in with eating disorder traits.

Find like-minded people – One of the best ways to improve your confidence is by talking to people just like you! Sharing your story with like-minded people is a great way of boosting that self esteem. You'll find that everyone has their own ways of coping with things and sharing them can help you get through. Also, just getting that reassuring push from someone may be exactly what you need. It's great to realise you're not alone.

Minds Like Ours, a mental health organisation, was set up for that exact reason. We're a community run by people with mental health disorders (such as social anxiety and low self esteem) to provide support and raise awareness. Our forum is full of members who are going through many of the same things you may be going through. Just talking about them, and getting them in the open, is the first step to building your confidence back up.

Image sources:

http://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/buildingselfesteem/files/2012/05/you-are-good-enough.jpg

http://mindslikeours.co.uk/get-support/

Thank you to Rebecca from Minds Like Ours for writing this amazing post.

Ive been lacking my blogging mojo lately so i thought what better way to get it back than a little impromptu shopping spree. I have brought this over the last week so its a week long payday haul :)

So friday the 25th i went to Bicester Village which is an designer outlet shipping village in oxfordshire. You can go to Bicester's website HERE. Its amazing!!

From the Cosmetics Company Outlet i purchased a new Estee Lauder Double wear £28.50 for £20.00. Bargain as i needed to repurchase. And on a whim i purchased the Ojon Volume advance miniature set £19 for £14. Excited to try this when i have had my hair cut and coloured.

Now they have a The white company Store there and Im not one for hand lotions however i popped in there and smelt the Seychelles hand and nail cream. OMG it is the best smelling lotion i have ever smelt i had to have it. It is gorgeous. it retails on their website for £14.50 and it is worth every penny i am in love. The only downside is i want EVERYTHING from the collection. Good job Christmas is coming as theirs noway i would be treating myself to a £55 Candle. You can see the collection HERE, Such pretty packaging i will be checking out more from the store for definite.

They had some amazing discounts on Origins, Bobby brown, Clinique etc so will be hopefully making the 2 hour journey back before Christmas!

On Feel Unique I purchased My holy grail hair product KERASTASE Nectar Thermique £15.95. And because i love the range so much i purchased the LAIT VITAL which is a conditioner which Im excited to try.

I purchased 3 Nail varnishes from boots. 2 of the Collection lasting gel colour polishes. Which i thought i would try out while giving my nails a break from my Sensationail gel polish. I purchased the Top coat Crystal Clear 1 and Vixen Red 3 which is a gorgeous deep red shade both on offer for £2.50 each. Also George Quick dry nail varnish in Boom. They have a huge colour selection and are on offer for £1.00 at the moment!

In the Superdrug 3 for 2 i picked up Miss sporty Brown this way £1.99 nail colour which my cousin was wearing and looked so shiny and classy i had to pick it up and try it for myself. The MUA Undress me too Palette £4.00 as i love the colours and i have used my other 2 MUA Palettes to death. And i had to repurchase my Eye Brow staple The 2 True Eye defining twist and line £1.99. Its not even meant for eye brows but i love the dark brown shade!

In boots the Victoria Beckham Fragrance was on offer £11.99 So i picked that up for my nan for christmas as she loves it . I thought i would include it as when its on offer for that price for 50ML it would made a decent gift.

And last but not least i picked up a Few small Yankee candles from ASDA and Yankee car air freshener in Mackintosh ( So so yummy) from Debenhams. How Exciting :)

Well that concludes my little haul. This is the first time i have tried to link every product if you found it somewhat useful please let me know so i can maybe start doing this on every blog post.

Thanks for reading a follow me on twitter and Instagram @Abzeylouise.

Today i will be reviewing this Parker jacket from Bonmarche. When i typically think of Bonmarche i think of a shop that i would go in with my nan as i find their clothes are targeted to older women. So when i was asked if wanted to choose an item from their new in section on their website i thought i would have a little browse. Even if places may not suit my style i always like to have a look and see if theres anything that might stand out to me as i think if it suits you it doesn't matter what age its targeted at. And on this occasion it was this *Unpadded Parker as described on this website. I opted for a black jacket as i think a good comfortable jacket never goes out of style and is something i would get good wear out of.

Now if you know me, you would know I'm OBSESSED with Pac-a-mac style jackets. In fact i have too many its beyond a joke. Now being plus size i do find that big padded jackets make me look 10 x bigger so i try and stay clear of them until it gets snowy and i have to wear one. I tend to get hot anyway so i stick to lighter jackets and this fits the bill perfectly. Size wise i went a size up and find it fits perfect. It flatters my shape and is long enough to cover my bum. I find with most jackets on the high street these days they are catered to smaller sizes and look like crop tops on me so i was pleased that this is long enough and im 5ft 7! They also have a size range up to a size 22 which i think is reasonable and good for us larger ladies.

The jacket is described as a light weight fully lined parka and is good for those transitional seasons which is 100% correct. It has a detachable hood and decent size pockets and also has a drawstring waist band.

Overall i find this a really versatile jacket. Its light weight however keeps you warm,you can wear it through the colder months with added layers and it will be perfect on its own heading in to spring. I love these types of jackets that i can wear all year round, they are easy to carry around and good for chucking on with most casual outfits. They look clean and tidy and flattering in the parka style and the drawstring adds more shape so it flatters your body.

I'm impressed with the quality and look of this jacket considering Bonmarche isn't somewhere i would typically shop it. Just shows you to not judge a book by its cover and branch out in to different shops when your out! I will definitely be heading in there every season to check out their jacket selection. And if your a larger lady looking for light jackets that are long enough to cover your bum i would highly recommend you go in there for a mooch when your next out shopping :)

You can find this particular parker HERE.

**Disclaimer- Thank you to the lovely lady that Gave me the opportunity to pick this jacket out to review, as it will be sticking with me right through till spring :)

Sorry about the pictures hate having my picture taken AND it was Peeing it down with rain not ideal!

And i think i will actually do a Jacket parker collection and what i wear them with as i have a rather large collection!

Follow me on twitter and Instagram @Abzeylouise

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