autumn
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.
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!
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?
Bolder, Brighter...and Bluer
27 September 2016
Eldwick, UK
Everyone has a colour they always fall back on. The one
colour that is certain to suit your skin tone or gives you that extra boost of
confidence. Everyone has a colour.
My colour usually black, but when I’m trying to encourage myself to let a
little colour into my life, my colour is 100% blue. I try to stay away from
navy blue (because it’s a little too close to black), so bright blue is totally
my comfort colour.
I picked up this dress from TK Maxx in their end-of-summer
sale for only £4 and it’s a piece I’ve had to pluck up the courage to wear. Mainly
because it’s a unique addition to my wardrobe, my style is usually pretty straightforward
and never over-the-top. Although I wouldn’t go as far as saying this dress is
over-the-top, it’s definitely a little different for me.
The first thing I love are the flared sleeves, I haven’t
worn flared sleeves since I was about 8! They’re just so much fun to wear, I
spun around about 30 times before we actually got these photos taken. Patterns
aren’t usually my thing either, I’m a pretty basic person (no word of a lie) so
I dress quite simple when it comes to an everyday look. It was actually the
patter (ft. colour) that drew me to this dress which was sat in a jungle of
sale items and out-of-season styles. Cold shoulder tops are a new love of mine,
after wearing this
yellow top during the summer, I grew more confident in wearing them!
Despite summer being over, I’m still totally loving this discount dress. The colour is certainly my new safe colour, and although it’s bright I feel comfortable rocking it! Black accessories are idea for a dress like this because I didn’t want anything to take away from the pattern or colours. A white bag and shoes would run the risk of clashing with the sleeves and I’d never want that!
Dress // TK Maxx
Shoes // Converse
Bag // Topshop (similar)
What's your go-to/comfort colour?
How I Deal With Negative People
24 September 2016
London, UK
Avoid complainers
From time to time, I find myself complaining when I really
shouldn’t be. Yet, there are people in the world that could be at Disneyland,
on a hot summer’s day, with an endless supply of ice cream, and a fast-track
ticket to every ride in the park and still
find something to complain about. People like that, are people we must avoid. I
don’t mean cut them off like they never existed, but actively choose not to
over-associate with the negative and unthankful vibes.
Empathise
Negative people are often also negative to themselves. I
know this myself, as I used to be a pretty big ‘glass-half-empty’ girl, and
always had a pretty sad mindset. When dealing with negative people, I have
really learned to just try and understand why they’re so down on everything,
rather than become instantly insulted of affected myself. There could be a way
bigger story we just don’t know about, so getting wound up over a comment is
simply pointless.
Choose your battles
As mentioned before, getting wound up over the slightest
thing is nothing but a waste of energy. Of course, it’s important to stick up
for yourself and I am the queen of being petty at the most unimportant times
(just check my Twitter), but I
still try to pick my battles. I certainly don’t argue with keyboard warriors
over the internet – mainly because they’re the worst people online and never
worth my time.
Don’t dwell
There’s no dancing around it, sometimes a comment can stick
with you for life. Sadly, there’s not always a lot to be done. I still have the
negative thought that one person decided to tell me back in 2009 still popping
into my brain every so often and the key thing to do is never dwell on it. At
night, if something negative is on my mind, I distract myself until I forget.
Whether it’s YouTube videos, funny Vines or just Chris Evans in general, I do
what I can to get the idea out of my mind.
Change the subject
It’s not always easy to deal with negative people when they’re
right in front of you. One thing I like to do is just change the subject. For
example, someone could be bringing their downer thoughts all up in my business
and I just completely change the subject… to literally anything. It could be
the weather, GBBO, or even the bus timetable; just something to get away from those destructive feels.
Embody positivity
I believe in people being able to vibe off of each other. When
I come across someone that’s really bubbly and sweet, they brighten my mood;
and that’s why I think it’s important that humans interact with each other in
this way. Not everyone can be a Positive Polly 24/7 but trying hard to keep
that smile up is an easy way to deal with negative people. It could even be
possible the find something not to complain about.
Just ignore it
Easier said than done. But it’s got to be one of the
simplest ways I deal with negative people. Basically just ignore every
down-putting comment they ever say. Water off a duck’s back. Not that it’s an
easy task but remembering to ignore makes it easier to ignore… if that makes
sense.
Promote praise
Believe it or not there are people out there that chose to
be negative because they’re just mean. One thing I noticed at my old
job, is that my boss sometimes struggled to make my life a living hell when I
was so nice to her. She could ask me to do the most mediocre of jobs, but I’d
still compliment her on her dress sense (which consisted of patterns vs
patterns and leather ft. tweed). She still hated me, that’s for sure, but she
never got to me.
W7 Colour Me Buff Eye Colour Palette | Review
21 September 2016
Harewood, UK
I’m crazy about eyeshadows. They’re becoming quite an
important factor in my life and I’m embracing the obsession. The number one
reason I love to collect shadows is because you can always mix it up,
especially with palettes. Eye shadows can be altered to suit any outfit, and
create any style. From the sexy smokey eye to a simple nude lip, I love ‘em
all!
I have a lot of bright colours with eye shadows, but a nude
palette is something I was lacking. I have reviewed both the Maybelline
and Collection
nude eye shadow palette, and finally decided it’s time to try another W7
review. I already have the W7 In
The Nude palette, which I loved, but I have to say I love the Colour Me
Buff palette that little bit more. The texture in Colour Me Buff is different
to In The Nude, as the shadows are a lot more silkier and apply very smoothly,
almost like a cream; whereas In The Nude is dustier.
The first thing I adore about the palette is that the shades
are much more like nudes. Although the shades in the In The Nude palette are a
little more pinky and are much lighter. I do like the shades, but as my skin
tone is quite dark, I’ve found that over time some of them blend together and
just look like the same colour. On the contrary, the Colour Me Buff palette has
the light shades but they have defined colours that show up well on my eyelids.
Sadly, I did initially swatch the shades on my wrist, but they didn’t show up
as well as I’d hoped (mainly because this skin on my forearms is a lot lighter
than my lids and a very different texture).
I managed to pick up the palette for £4.20 and a huge factor
for me is pigment, and luckily the palette delivers. The colours in the palette
are true to their shade and Onyx, which is basically black, actually shows up
black. I’ve used some palettes before that include black and it just shows up
as a dodgy grey. The shadows also stay put for a long time – very important. W7 is an inexpensive brand
so I wasn’t expecting a holy grail level of eye shadows but they definitely
work for everyday use. I’ve found that I don’t need to ‘top-up’ when wearing
them and they stay well for a night out.
I would totally recommend this palette to anyone who’s looking
for a simple set of colours that will work on all skin tones. They stay well,
and this could be because of a creamier texture in contrast to other W7
palettes I’ve tried. The twelve shadows are a lot of fun to play around with
them, and versatile for different looks - perfect for autumn!
Have you tried any W7 Eye Colour Palettes before? What did
you think?
Let Your Dreams Fly
17 September 2016
Eldwick, UK
One of my favourite ways to get inspired is to find quotes online. Obviously, I have a Pinterest board dedication to my favourite wise words (because I have a Pinterest board dedicated to everything) and a small collection growing on We Heart It; a website I've recently been introduced to and am slowly getting used to. There a quite a few quotes I absolutely love, so I wanted to share them on Anika May to inspire all and let your dreams fly!
"Get mocked at for as much as you can, fail as much as you can, but don't quit. Let every mockery, every failure, be a source of inspiration for you to reach for greatness, and that greatness will silence your critics." - Ajaero Tony Martins
"Never be ashamed! There's some who will hold it against you, but they are not worth bothering with." - J.K. Rowling
"Like success, failure is many things to many people. With positive mental attitude, failure is a learning experience, a rung on the ladder, and a plateau at which to get your thoughts in order to prepare to try again." - W. Clement Stone
"When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity. You have the choice. You can overcome and be a winner, or you can allow it to overcome you and be a loser. The choice is yours and yours alone. Refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile that failures refuse to travel. It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure." - Mary Kay Ash
"Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." - Ray Kroc.
"Love what you do and do what you love. Don't listen to anyone else who tells you not to do it. You do what you want, what you love. Imagination should be the center of your life." - Ray Bradbury.
"Don't try to be original, just try to be good." - Paul Rand
"Fearlessness is like a muscle. I know from my own life that the more I exercise it the more natural it becomes to not let my fears run me." - Arianna Huffington
"It is better to risk starving to death than surrender. If you give up on your dreams, what's left?" - Jim Carrey
"Embrace what you don't know, especially in the beginning, because what you don't know can become your greatest asset. It ensures that you will absolutely be doing things different from everybody else." - Sara Blakely
“Love what you do and do what you love. Don't listen to anyone else who tells you not to do it. You do what you want, what you love. Imagination should be the center of your life.” - Ray Bradbury
“We may place blame, give reasons, and even have excuses; but in the end, it is an act of cowardice to not follow your dreams.” - Steve Maraboli
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