My Favourite 'Cheer Me Up' Playlists

28 October 2016

Shipley, UK
If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you'll know I had my wisdom teeth extracted on Wednesday and I'm certainly feeling the aftermath of having bone ripped from my face. So far, my experience has not been very pleasant, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. The extraction itself was fine, although the root of my right tooth was so strong a second dentist had to tug at my face until it budged. The pain came after the bleeding slowed down, the happy gas wore off and my face swelling almost disappeared. The biggest struggle is definitely only being able to have soup and yogurt for 90% of my meals - I need a burger!

10 Big Blogging Struggles

24 October 2016

Harrogate, UK
Being completely honest, there are quite a few aspects of blogging I find difficult. Sometimes the weather isn't on my side, sometimes my face isn't on my side and sometimes I'm just feeling to lazy to function and all I want to do is lay around the house watching Captain America movies. However, there are ten aspects in particular, that can only be describes as a struggle

Back to School

19 October 2016

West Yorkshire, UK
Since leaving school, I haven’t really looked back. Not that I didn’t enjoy learning about different subjects and increasing my skills but just the idea of being back in the education system gives me nightmares. However, sometimes I put outfits together, and just wish I had these items of clothing while I was in school. Looking back at sixth form, my dress sense was not… the best. Let’s just say, I got to a point where I didn’t care much for my appearance (a stage every student goes through) and literally put on the first scraps of fabric I could find. One day, I actually wore a pyjama top to an exam.
Today’s outfit totally reminds me of the type of style I wanted to have in school, super simple and very comfortable. I’m actually not that big on double denim, but with the two contrasting colours, it works. Denim jackets were a staple summer piece for me and I think they’re still great for the first few weeks of autumn. Before it gets too chilly, I definitely think you can get away with the occasional summer item – even if it means being the biggest (Lizzie McGuire) outfit repeater.

I never had a rucksack in school. At one point I literally just carried my ring binders around and hoped for the best – getting on the bus was a nightmare. I recently bought this backpack from New Look through ASOS and absolutely love it. They’re so easy to work with! Similarly, these awesome Vans I picked up from TK Maxx (for only £6) are my new go-to shoe. I love the unique pattern and I think they brighten up the look without taking all the attention in the outfit.

For me, one of the most exciting things about autumn, or fall, is the colours I get to wear. I picked up this thinly knitted jumper from Matalan and the colour is a must for autumn. I’m back in my denim jacket from my most-recent OOTD because… well it’s an awesome jacket. I even wrapped the sleeves from my jumper around the jacket, for that extra touch of auburn; I really think the two fabrics work well together.
                                           
Jacket - F&F at Tesco // Jumper – Matalan (similar) // Jeans – ASOS // Shoes – Vans (similar) // Bag - New Look (similar)

Stuck in Summer

16 October 2016

High Eldwick, UK
The greatest thing about living in Yorkshire is that every time I go for a walk, the scenery looks different. I could pass the same street, and something about it will be different. Usually, it’s the leaves that are changing (my favourite part of the year) or new flowers in bloom. This week, I took a stroll down one of the country lanes that runs behind me house, and the entire pathway was green! It was like being back in summer! I couldn’t believe how bright and alive the trees and bushes looked, even though the street running parallel had trees that were almost bare – it's like this one area is stuck in summer
Warm weather days like today are so easy to dress for. When it comes to fashion in the autumn, I tend to wear a lot of khaki green and black, and plenty of leggings. I can wear leggings for any occasion I absolutely love them. I’ve found that some people absolutely loathe leggings, where others may wear them as pants with a crop top. I’m somewhere in between. I often chose comfort when it comes to leaving the house over style, because if I’m not comfortable I’m not confident. This knitted khaki top from New Look is unbelievably comfortable – I’m so lucky to have found it. It was one of those pieces hanging all alone on a rail, and I decided to bring it home with me. Similarly, I bought this denim jacket from F&F at Tesco last summer and have loved it ever since. It was the last one available at the time and I thought I’d give Tesco a chance. This jacket is way thicker than I expected, and actually quite warm; I barely wore it during the summer because it was too heavy! This makes the coat ideal for autumn days that are not quite hot and not quite cold.

Converse and rucksacks have been my go to regarding my style recently, and if you follow me on Snapchat (where I document anything and everything), you’ll know that I’ve been wearing Converse non-stop for the past fortnight. They’re a shoe I’ve always known but taken for granted recently, until I started wearing them again. I think the classic Chucks go perfectly with jet black leggings and help complete this simple look. 

Jacket // F&F at Tesco
Top // New Look (similar)
Leggings // ASOS
Shoes // Converse
Bag // New Look (similar)

30 Apps I Can't Live Without

13 October 2016

Bingley, UK
I call them the magic trio.
I use these apps on a regular basis, almost every hour. Twitter and Instagram are probably my go-to morning apps, just so I can catch up on the world and lifestyle news. Twitter is where I like to complain about everything and anything, whereas Instagram is where I cyber-stalk other bloggers and lust after makeup. Pinterest is the more creative app, helping me build my boards and store ideas whenever I like. It’s quite dangerous for me because I can spend an entire day on one board if I am really inspired to find more images. I even have boards for each room in my dream house. I'm not a keen Facebook user, although I do have an account, I don't use the app!

OneDrive, Google Maps, My O2, Microsoft Apps & Calendar
The informative important ones.
Apps like this tend to keep my life in check. OneDrive is one of my favourite apps from transferring blog posts and photos between my iPhone/iPad and computers. Both my desktop and laptop are Windows, so I can share my files across everything. I use the Microsoft apps like Word, Powerpoint and Excel for blogging and work, so being able to sync documents between devices and work on the go is so helpful! Google Maps is ideal for a good SatNav on a tricky drive. My O2 is a recent app I bought so I could keep track of how much data I have left (even though I never seem to run out) and my bill each month. The iPhone calendar is basically my life backup - with the reminders, Travel Time feature and inbox, I never forget a thing!

Amazon, ASOS & Next
For my shopaholic side.
I love to shop online, and for me it's a lot easier to do when I don't have to do much. Amazon is a favourite for this because all I need is a fingerprint to buy whatever I can find (and there's so much to find on there). ASOS and Next are the stores I shop at the most, and are the stores I think have the strongest mobile apps. I love that you can save items on ASOS' app and they'll be there until you decide to buy them. The one thing I adore about Next's app is that the browsing is just so easy! It's quick and responsive, and you can even turn your device sideways to flick through a catalogue.
MyFitnessPal & Runkeeper
They keep me in health.
MyFitnessPal is like a personal trainer for me. One of the biggest struggles regarding diet for me is snacking - I love sweet treats and will nibble away without remorse. With MyFitnessPal, I have to log everything I eat, and feel much worse about including chocolate fudge cake to the list, which usually knocks my calories allowance into the red zone. MyFitnessPal can be linked with other Under Amour apps too. Runkeeper has been a favourite of mine for as long as I can remember, because it was basically the first app of its kind. I don't run every day, but you can switch the setting to 'walk' which is just as good. The app sends me emails and notifications every so often to keep me motivated too. Despite having different developers, Runkeeper and MyFitnessPal can be linked and they will share the same data.

We Heart It, Motivation (by Monkey Taps) & Tumblr
My source of inspiration.
I recently downloaded We Heart It after a blogger recommended it to me and love the inspiration it provides! The images on there are great to use for backgrounds and wallpapers - perfect! Motivation is an app I recently tweeted about and installed after falling into a blogging rut. The app provides one motivation quote a day, but also has the setting to notify you with different quotes throughout the day, which I think is genius! Tumblr is an obvious source of inspiration because it's a never ending feed of magic. Not only does it motivate me to step up my Instagram game, but also blog more and more!

Spotify, iPlayer Radio & Soundcloud
The perfect way to find new music.
Discovering new music is one of my favourite things to do. I have a really broad taste in music, and will listen to any track with a good beat, impressive use of instruments and amazing voice. Spotify is used for easy access to albums without having to buy them all. I love to wake up to the radio so iPlayer's alarm setting is the perfect tool for me. With Soundcloud, it's really easy to discover new artists and slowly build your own playlist for each occasion. There are quite a lot of covers on Soundcloud, which are nice to hear because you can see how truly talented some people are.
Pigment, BuzzFeed, YouTube & Netflix (obviously)!
The key to making bus journeys that little bit shorter.
Pigment came into my life after buying a colour book and getting a hand cramp from scribbling for so long. I discovered the app and an advertisement and decided to give it a go - it's so cool and so easy to use! BuzzFeed is one of the best sites to get lost in, it's a little bit like Tumblr but makes me laugh a lot more. From quizzes to showbiz news, BuzzFeed has it all. I'm always tweeting about wasting my time on YouTube and I think life will always be this way - there's so much on there! I have too many subscriptions to count, so each morning I wake up to a whole new list of videos to watch. I talk about Nextflix on this blog more than I talk about fashion - it's like a lifestyle for me. Netflix has recently stepped up their game and started adding a wider variety of shows and films to indulge in, making those miserable bus journeys a little lighter.

Monopoly, Crazy Taxi, Tiny Wings & The Simpsons: Tapped Out
The ultimate boredom-fixers.
It's not often I get time to be bored, but when I am, I have a tiny folder on my phone to store some pretty awesome games. Monopoly and Crazy Taxi are two old school games I was obsessed with as a child and still find entertaining now. Tiny Wings was introduced to me by Jenna Marbles and took over my life Candy Crush style - all I wanted to do was play! Likewise, Tapped Out is a story progression game that never ends. The one thing I really like is that it's always updating and bringing something new, the game changes for each season and has themes throughout - you can never finish it because there's so much to collect! All of these games are time-consuming which is what I look for as I'm a flake and tend to give up easy.

VSCO, Snapchat and Layout
For making photos more fun.
As mentioned, I really want to step up my Instagram game because it's like a first impression to my blog (go ahead and follow me if you like *wink wink*). VSCO is number one in my eyes, the filters are so much fun to play around with - HB2 is certainly a favourite. Snapchat is an app that took some getting used to, but I absolutely adore the filters that make you look 10 times prettier or 30 times uglier. It's definitely a great tool for documenting my day, and creating memories. I don't user Layout that often but it's handy for when I need it. I used to use Diptic for collages but I've found Layout is a little easier and quicker.

What are your favourite apps? What can't you live without?

Girls' Night Out

11 October 2016

Leeds, UK
I love a good night out. Living so close to a city like Leeds means the best bars are only a train ride away and I can spend all night sipping cocktails that taste like bacon at Angelica Leeds, or stuffing my face until 4am at Revolution on Call Lane. It’s safe to say, being on a night out with friends is a lot of fun, but there’s something about girl bonding that’s just the very best. Getting dressed up together, while listening to the cheesiest music (obviously) and falling into hysterics over nothing. A night out just for the girls is perfect, and I always want to look my best.
When it comes to a night out, I like to keep it classically casual. One thing I always think is: “would I wear a leather jacket with this?” If the answer is yes, the dress is a go. This awesome cold shoulder dress from Boutique of Molly is an easy fave because the colour and design is perfectly stylish but not over the top. Everyone wants to stand out a little bit, but I’m not good with too much attention on me so looking cute is about as far as I’ll go (or try). I’ve been loving the cold shoulder style all summer, and it was an enormous trend from the beginning of April. So far, I’ve only worn this look in tops, but I’m certainly on board with a straight dress design. Sadly, this dress went out of stock a few days after I bought it – I know… devastating.

Amazingly, I already owned shoes that faultlessly matched the tone of the dress (Next coming through for me once again)! I actually own these wrap wedges in two colours, because I love them so much. The best feature is definitely the comfort, I almost feel like I’m wearing flats when I have them one because they’re so cushioned and the suede is incredibly soft – the perfect night out shoe. I’m 100% not one of those girls who’s being carried into a taxi with one shoe on her hand and one half way down the street, so a pair that’s long-lasting and comfortable are totally my go-to.
PS: there are plenty of goodies over on Boutique of Molly's site, go ahead and use discount code' ANIKAM20' to receive 20% off your order!
Bag // New Look (similar)
Shoes // Next (similar)
Sunglasses // ASOS
Watch // Blake LDN

New In: Happiness Boutique Jewellery

7 October 2016

Ripon, UK
I recently received the Luminous Feather Ear Crawler Asymmetrical Earrings* and the Angelic Feather Crystal Ear Crawlers* from Happiness Boutique and just had to share my opinion of the earrings on my blog. I have a love for earrings because they’re an effortless piece of jewellery. They’re easy and light to wear, and half the time I forget I’m even wearing them. I only have two piercings in my earlobes, so I don’t always get to be experimental with earrings, but I have found that there are earrings out there, like crawlers and cuffs, that can really spice up a look.
Happiness Boutique believes in being happy and spreading happiness every day. They want their store to be a place where people would not only look good but also feel good, which I really like as I also believe confidence is key. When I got the opportunity to browse their store, I was so excited because some of the pieces are perfect for the upcoming season. A lot of the earrings in particular have a charming vintage touch. The company offers free shipping (always a bonus) and a customer reward programme, and a bi-monthly giveaway to win the occasional statement goodies. Now that you know about the company, let’s talk earrings.
The Luminous Feather Ear Crawler Asymmetrical Earrings drew my attention due to the rose gold colour. I have always been more attached to rose gold jewellery, not only because it looks super chic with any outfit, but also because the tone is something different to the regular silver and gold. I have no idea why, but feather have also become a recent obsession of mine, especially for the autumn-time, so I can’t wait to wait these asymmetrical earrings with my new wardrobe. One thing I love, is that the earrings aren’t identical, which is exactly what makes them unique. The bling bling makes them dramatic, but not too over the top.
Similarly, the Angelic Feather Crystal Ear Crawlers are light and elegant, but still hold that bedazzle value. I have long dark hair so I like to have a little shimmer in my ears; the angel-like feather pair are perfect. I tend to stick with silver, white gold and rose gold for jewellery because I feel like it brightens an outfit a lot more than the simple gold. I love the shape of these earrings because they’re unlike anything I’ve worn before and could enhance my already-dull office outfits, or become the perfect accessory to a night out ensemble. I’ve noticed that both earrings are sturdy but light – an essential.
If I had to pick a favourite, I think it would be the Luminous Feather Crawlers, simply because I’m a huge sucker for anything that’s rose gold or copper, and I love that the pieces aren’t identical. I would totally recommend Happiness Boutique as the quality of the products are worth the price and I loved the customer service/ordering process!

Psssssst! You can receive 10% off your order by using my discount code, "anikamay" at the checkout! 

Irresistible Me Remy Clip-In Hair Extensions | Review

4 October 2016

Sheffield, UK
Since wearing full and part weaves, I have always worn remy hair. When I was around fourteen years old, I had my very first weave and I was excited; I would literally parade around school and tell people “my hair is basically going look like BeyoncĂ©’s” because I was under the impression everyone’s weaves look as A-star as hers. Obviously, I didn’t rock up to school with £3,000 extensions, but I did fall in love with them. For a long while, I’ve tried multiple stores for extensions, and often switch between sewn-in and clip-in. Sometimes I even switch the two, just so I had add extra layers if needed. I recently received some remy extensions from Irresistible Me and couldn’t wait to try them out. 

I can be quite sceptical of extensions as I’ve had some sent to me before, and didn’t even bother to review them because they were so bad. I’ve also ordered extensions myself in bundles online, and they ended up being really thin, lighter than the colour I always order (1B), or wavy when I prefer to have my hair straight. Little things like this really put me off online stores, and one bad experience can ruin it all for me. Last year I ordered a closure from Ali Express that was lighter than the site suggested, I still wore the lace closure with my extensions, and after I took it out and washed it thoroughly, it got so matted up, I couldn’t even get a comb into it. 
Irresistible Me is a New York-based brand that specialises in 100% natural Remy clip-in hair extensions, hair accessories and hair tools. After receiving their clip-in extensions, I decided to try them with my own extensions to see if I could make them a little thicker and give my hair more body for an event. I already have a full weave, with a lace closer and bundles of hair that’s a mix of 16” and 18”. The great thing about the ordering process is being able to select exactly what you want, which I was impressed with. You can chose the thickness, colour, length & weight before completing your purchase. 
I got the Silky Touch Natural Black extensions (1B)* and decided to clip them in during the day, and see how well they would attach to my hair as I partied the night away. Delivery-wise, they took a while to get to me, but I wasn’t in any rush to receive them. The hair is very silky, and the shine isn’t oily, nor is the texture too oily. Sometimes with extensions, you find the occasional wire within the hair, or a strand that’s bright blonde which looks very out of place, however all of the hair is 1B – luckily. I found the clips easy to attach to my own hair in between the tracks of my sew-in extensions and they felt very secure throughout the evening. One thing I loved is how ‘flowy’ the hair was, it felt real and not like the Barbie doll hair you can buy online. Check out the before and after above!
The clip-ins fit well with my extensions and matched the colour I already have, plus they are lightweight and only really feel heavy once they’re wet. One of the things I really loved, is that I could wear them with a weave, and they added to the body, not the weight. I did notice the extensions lost a little bit of shine after a wash, but they didn’t matte up or become coarse which is a huge bonus. The only downside to the extensions, is that after a while, they do start to wear. This is something I've found to be quite common with certain remy brands, and few YouTubers have also revealed that the hair can shed over a long period of time or can even become overly tangled. Despite this, I definitely think they're worth a try and work for me as I only wear clip-ins on a temporary basis.

Have you ever tried a product from Irresistible Me? What did you think?
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