A Country Ride

For the past couple of years it has become a little tradition that my Mum, sister and our boyfriends travel up to Barnsley just to visit Taybarns. If you don't know what a Taybarns is then you are missing out in my opinion. It's an all you can eat buffet with so many different foods you couldn't possibly try them all in one visit. 

I love travelling up to Barnsley because they views are just beautiful. I love the countryside with all of it's greenery, mountains, valleys, rivers and animal life. 

I really wanted to share the stunning scenery I witnessed on our drive to and from Barnsley... and a sneaky little indulgence I had while I was there. My favourite photo is the very bottom one with the little rock waterfall surrounded by mountains of grass (and goats!) but also because there is just a man in there that none of us knew, he was just going about his day and I think it really adds something nice to the picture. My mum was going to ask him to move but I thought he looked really nice tucked away into a little nook of the hill reading a book next to a mini waterfall.

It was a little tricky trying to capture these photo's in a moving car, through a window, on an iPhone so apologies for any reflections. I hope you like looking at them as much as I like driving past them.

Have you ever seen this scenery? Or been to Taybarns?

Love, 

Eloise

Dove Body Oil

I know i'm a bit late jumping onto this band wagon but I was trail and error-ing a whole host of products on my very picky skin. This is the one that's worked wonders.

In a previous post, I talk about my struggle with contact eczema. Although I don't have eczema all over my body I still have extremely dry, sensitive skin and have to be careful with what I use (especially because of my eczema). 

I bought the Dove Purely Pampering Pistachio and Magnolia Nourishing Body Oil as a bit of an impulse buy because it was on sale in Boots. It still is and you can find it here for £5.99. I'd never tried an oil before as i'm a body butter lover so I thought I might as well give it a go. Aren't I so glad that I did?

The Dove Body Oil's come in two types, the one above, which is said to give a 'satin feel' and the Dove Purely Pampering Shea Butter and Warm Vanilla Nourishing Body Oil. I definitely would have gone for the second scent but because it says it has a shimmer in the formula I really would rather not risk looking a bit glittery. I just can't pull that off. 

With regards to the satin feel, it really does what it says on the tin (or bottle in this case). I apply this to just-dried out-of-the-shower skin and instead of feeling tight and like it's going to start cracking, my skin feels so smooth and like I could stretch as far as I wanted and it wouldn't ever break. I really appreciate how hydrating this is and my skin has been thanking me for it. Instead of having to slather on creams and lotions several times a day, I can just do it once and i'm good to go for the rest of the day.

The best thing about this product is that it says it's non-greasy and it means it. I was a little skeptical at first because you always think they won't be but they let you down because they are, but this one really isn't greasy. It leaves a little residue at first but I think it feels almost powdery when it's sat for a couple of minutes.

I really like this product and would definitely recommend it to anybody people like myself who have sensitive skin because it causes no irritation, it leaves the skin feeling so smooth and hydrated as well as looking beautiful!

Have you tried this product?

Love, 

Eloise

My Little Secret

Thanks to this amazing post by The Beauty Department I decided to have a little go at the 'hidden hue' hair trend. 

I absolutely love purple. Pretty much all purples. I also love the letter 'P'. It's my favourite letter. Another reason I love purple so much. So, obviously I decided that if I was going to go for an 'unnatural' hair colour, it was always going to be the best colour on the planet. 

I was actually thinking about this for a while after seeing all the celebrities doing it because i've always wanted to dye my hair another colour than blonde. I've tried light brown and it wasn't a good shade for me at all. It was a bad couple of months. Then, along came this absolute God send of a post and made me just know it was time. I'd just turned twenty and I didn't know if I was going to be one of those cool, sassy, older (I use older extremely loosely) ladies who can pull off ridiculously beautiful unnatural hair colours. I admire their confidence and so I thought i'd go for it. 

As I live with my mum and sister, I told them about it and my sister thought it was a great idea because it's so out of character for me.. Mum was a bit apprehensive but when she saw it she loved it. 

I used the Live Colour XXL Ultra Violet (L76) from Schwarzkopf to do it and although the lasting power isn't brilliant, the first week or so make me so happy. I love seeing that flare of purple coming from underneath my curls and if I wear my hair up in a bun it's on full display and even though I can't see it I know it's there and it gives me this weird boost of confidence.

I know this might sound weird too, but I subtly (as best I can) stare at girls and boys with unnatural hair colours and just wish I had the confidence to tell them that I absolutely adore it instead of them thinking that i'm just some obnoxious person who thinks they look awful or something. But, because I have this amazingness in my hair, I hope that if they ever actually caught me staring, they'd know that i'm admiring them because why would I have purple hair if I didn't think it was beyond cool to have wonderfully coloured hair? It probably doesn't work out like that, but it makes me feel better for admiring from afar. 

I dyed my hair at the very beginning of March and I think i've re-dyed it three or four times now. The time before last, I definitely didn't leave it on long enough because instead of being a beautiful vibrant ultra violet colour that would eventually fade into a muted ashy lilac, it was red. Full on red velvet that faded into a weird, washed out blood colour. I loved the red velvet colour but the washed out version just wasn't good on me whatsoever. 

To keep it in tip top condition, I deep condition every Sunday for an hour then wash out and shampoo just my roots. I only shampoo my roots anyway and don't use conditioner any other day of the week because of my super oily scalp. I've found something that works for me that doesn't mean I have to wash my hair every day and keeps my colour looking vibrant a little while longer. Win win all around i'd say.

Have you dyed your hair an unnatural colour? Have you ever wanted to? 

Love, 

Eloise

It's A Date

Although we've been together for almost five and a half years, my boyfriend and I haven't really been on too many dates so it was lovely when he asked if I fancied going shopping, to play mini adventure golf, to the cinema and for a bite to eat.

We went shopping first for new bras (a necessary evil for me, unfortunately), some make up, and some body bits. It was a lot less painful than I thought because he complained so little because it was a date day instead of me dragging him around Boots for hours. 

Then we went mini golfing. I'd been to this place a couple of weeks prior to the date with a friend for her birthday and it was absolutely heaving with kids, families, couples, friends, pretty much every type of social gathering was there. When we got there for our date it was pretty much empty apart from maybe 3 other couples. The place is huge, indoors, and very winding so the holes are very spaced out. Because, in their words, the golfing establishment are "sound like that," they gave me and my boyfriend (and anyone else who played that day) an extra course for free. There are two courses: Swamp and Volcano. I was most definitely better at Swamp and beat my boyfriend 50-55, however I obviously lost my touch because he got 48 in Volcano and I got a whopping 60. I'm not going to lie either, I was a pretty gutted and might have had a teeny tiny pout about it. 

I quickly got over that because we then went for a bite to eat, bought some treats and headed up to the Odeon to watch Let's Be Cops. It was hilarious. Honestly, i'd go back to the cinema right now and watch it again if I could. The two starring guys (Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr.) are also two of the starring roles in New Girl (if you've been living under a rock and didn't know that) and I love New Girl, it's definitely one of my favourite shows, and like a lot of actors, such as Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Jim Carrey, Leslie Mann, Charlie Day, and so many more, they are very familiar. I mean this in the sense that although they are playing different characters, they bring something to the movie that makes me comfortable watching it because I feel like I know them as people (not in real life, but as TV people) and I think that's lovely. Some actors are never similar in a role, like Johnny Depp, but I love it when I watch a movie with an actor/actress and they're just, well, familiar. 

After an amazing day, I got home to some really distressing news. I found out my dog had gone missing while I was out. I got home at about half past seven and she'd gone missing at four. All I could do was cry. Thankfully, a man walking his dog saw her and carried her around the neighbourhood asking if anyone knew where this little Yorkie belonged and luckily, a little girl and her group of friends knew someone who owned one. Unfortunately, they didn't know she was mine. They took her to the sweetest elderly couple's home and asked if she was theirs. The lady was a bit upset as she had just had hers pass away a couple of weeks ago but she took my dog in nonetheless, fed and watered her, and even walked her around the street twice to see if she belonged to anyone. About twenty minutes after I got home, a woman knocked on the door and asked if I was the girl who'd lost her dog. My mum knew the little girl had given the dog to someone but didn't know who, so we just had to wait until she got home at eight o'clock. At my door was the little girl who took me to the lady's house. I was so shaken when she answered the door with my dog that I was uncontrollably sobbing again and so was the lady to see that i'd been reunited with my little love. The next day, I dropped off some flowers and a thank you card for being so wonderful to my precious chicken (nickname, haha). I am so grateful to her. 

If you ever do lose your pet, please report it to the RSPCA in case someone else reports them, even if they're chipped (like mine) and have a collar. If you find what you think could be a missing pet, please call the RSPCA. Also, try you hardest to find someone to take care of them instead of leaving them to wander the streets unless they are acting viciously, in which case call the RSPCA and tell them you think a dangerous animal is wandering about. 

This post definitely took a turn for the worst, apologies about that, but I thought it was important. So, thanks for making it this far! 

Love, 

Eloise

A Walk Along The Pier

Autumn is coming, the air is crisper, the days are shorter, and it's perfect walking weather. Last Sunday was a perfect day. It was warm enough during the day that no coats were needed but a light jacket and the evening air had a slight nip to it. 

It was such a lovely day that my boyfriend and I decided to take a trip down to the Pier Head in Liverpool to walk our furry friends. 

The car was parked near the marina and the dogs were so excited to take a trip out that they were bounding down the road as if they were being called to duty. It's wonderful to see them so eager. Turning left on to the actual pier walkway is so beautiful because it stretches out so far, the view is beautiful if it's the right time of day and everything looks so silhouette-y. We let the dogs wander about for a little bit near some grass while we watched the water sports taking place, discussing how cold the water must feel if it was slightly chilly where we were standing. 

Carrying on down the pier are all sorts of people on bikes, ones with dogs, couples, friends, and everybody seems to always have a happy face when you're walking past them. I know I certainly do. 

The walk to and from the car usually takes about an hour and a half and I always get so excited when it's about the time we get to our turning around point. This isn't because i'm bored and want to go home, but because it's beautiful. A giant stretch of road, old time-y buildings from the Albert Dock, but across the view is the modern architecture of Liverpool One. Perfectly contrasting. The old city and the new city sitting in perfect harmony, both as loved as each other. The buildings are phenomenal and it gives me great satisfaction to just sit and look across the water, or towards Liverpool One and just watch the city moving as the dogs are having a little rest too. 

On the way back to the car was just as good though because it was hitting dusk and the sky was a perfect twilight. The time when the sun has just set but the sky is still glowing deep blues, soft pinks and oranges. The water is calm and now all you can see are the outlines of buildings across the skyline. 

Getting back to the car and taking five minutes to give the dogs some water and treats before driving back home and getting into the warmth is a wonderful time. I'm tired from walking, the dogs are tired, and we're just all relaxing together.

Do you have a favourite place to walk?

Love, 

Eloise

Contact Eczema

Loratadine Allergy Tablets 

Epaderm Emollient Cream

Epaderm Emollient Ointment

Around April I noticed little red, super itchy, what appeared to be blisters forming on the inside of my middle finger. I assumed it was bug bites and ignored it. Eventually, the itching became so bad and the blisters were spreading to my index finger so I decided to visit a doctor. 

The doctor informed me that I had dermatitis due to emotional stress (I assume my exams) and my problem would clear up on it's own in two to four weeks. Four months later, it had spread down my palm, all over my index finger and my middle finger and was making it's way to the front of my hand. It was also so bad that I now couldn't bend my finger and it was beyond tender to touch. It was constantly itchy, everything hurt it, it really looked like a terrible affliction. 

I went back to the doctor and this time booked an appointment with my GP who couldn't see me until a week later. In this time, I started doing some internet research to see if I could get rid of the layers upon layers of excess dry, flaky, weeping, cracked (i'll stop here, but the list of symptoms is pretty long) skin that caused my fingers to stand straight, unbendable and in constant agony. I was totally devastated by the answers from the internet that I found. The eczema I thought I had, dyshydrotic eczema, which is characterised by small fluid filled vesicles and is beyond itchy (which I definitely suffered with) is apparently one of the hardest types of eczema to treat. This is because it gets worse in hot weather (which it was), there's no direct cause and it could be due to anything from a nickel allergy to stress. Also, because it had little fluid filled vesicles and weeps a lot, products targeted towards the more common 'gets worse in the winter, is dry, flaky and itchy skin' eczema wouldn't be of any use to me. 

However, I persevered and the several sources from the internet suggested that I forgo touching soap or any type of chemically, detergent type product at all with the affected area. I should use gloves when washing my hair, face, cleaning, doing pretty much anything that would involve getting anything that could be considered remotely irritable to my skin with gloves on. You get the idea. I also found out about emollients. These are massively moisturising ointments or creams that get between the barriers of the skin and really help to get some moisture in there and stop water loss from happening, keeping the skin nice and supple and non-flaky as possible. 

I followed the above instructions to a T. I wore gloves a latex glove doing anything that could irritate my skin and it turns out that the emollient I bought could also be used as a skin cleanser so instead of never washing my hands, I just used a little bit of the ointment. The ointment texture looks very similar to hair wax and isn't creamy or loose at all so a simple swipe with a clean finger was enough to wash my hands. For the first couple of days, every two hours I would give myself a 'hand bath'. This is when I filled the sink with lukewarm water and just sat for 15 minutes with my hand soaking. I'd then take the emollient ointment and slather my two fingers in it and eventually, my skin was just coming off my finger. It was magical to say the least. By the time my doctor's appointment rolled around on September 1st, there was nothing left to show him. 

I went to visit him anyway and explained my issue, what the first doctor said, how bad it was, that i'd done research and what i'd done since and he explained to me that because i'd stopped using soap etc on my hand that I was actually suffering from contact eczema. This is usually found in people who work with cement, photography etc and i'm a student who pretty much just uses beauty products, soaps and pens. He put it down to me being (basically) allergic to whatever I was touching and I should just continue what I was doing. I thought it was actually going to be really inconvenient but it's not. Not using the soap and things like that on my hand has really made all the difference. I even switched all my products to more organic products (all from LUSH - it's not all bad!) and my skin and scalp feel much better for it. My doctor also prescribed me some allergy tablets full of wonderful anti-histamines to keep the itching at bay, specifically containing Loratadine and a 1% Hydrocortisone ointment to help with the skin. 

I decided to just keep using my emollient ointment as a hand wash, using my gloves, giving myself an occasional hand bath and popping one allergy tablet a day and my skin feels great. Never take advantage of being able to bend any of your fingers! The brand who makes the emollient ointment also use an emollient cream which sort of smells like TCP and feels like a regular, little bit more greasy, moisturizer. The cream aids moisturization in less severe cases, which I consider mine to be right now. So, until it flares up really badly again, or it looks like it will be heading that way, I won't be using the emollient ointment to slather my fingers in, or using the Hydrocortisone ointment as prolonged use has a bunch of side affects I don't think are worth the risk right now.

I thought i'd write this post to help someone else who are, or think they are, suffering from contact eczema (or dyshydrotic eczema) because I would have loved information so detailed and in one place when I was looking. If you have any questions at all, please leave them in the comments below and i'd love to get back to you. If you also have any tips about any amazing products or routines that worked for you, please, please, please, leave those for anyone else in need.

*Squeamish alert! If you don't want to see my eczema looking eczema-y, don't scroll down to the bottom pictures*

Love, 

Eloise

One week later

3 days after no soap treatment

Edinburgh 21.12.13-23.12.13

In my previous post, I mentioned that last December my boyfriend and I visited Edinburgh. It was our first holiday (even if it did only last for 3 days) and I never ever want to forget it. I want to remember every feeling, weather, experience, everything. I thought this would be a nice time to describe to you all what we did and involve some pictures to go along with them.

21.12.13

My first proper train journey. It took us 6 hours to get to Edinburgh and they were some of the most relaxed and nervous moments of my life (until I went on holiday to Tenerife and had to fly). My boyfriend regularly gets 40 minute train journeys to and from university most days so he was used to trains but my longest train ride ever was 15 minutes. I'm a nervous traveller. However, when we were on the train, I felt so at ease and happy and just excited to go on holiday that my nerves melted away. I even fell asleep for an hour which helped significantly. We arrived in Edinburgh at 6:45pm and the city was in full swing. There were lights pouring from the streets, the shops were lit with a beautiful cosy glow and the Christmas Market looked like a haven of warmth and excitement. It truly lived up to it's expectations. We first had to go and find where we were staying before we could immerse ourselves properly in the culture though. Turns out that the £6.00 cab we paid for was completely pointless because the apartments we stayed at were approximately 5 minutes away. On a side note, I completely recommend the Thistle Residence - QuarterMile Apartments if you ever want to get away for a weekend in Edinburgh. We quickly settled in, looked around the apartment, which was honestly the most beautiful little home we could have asked for, and left almost immediately so we could experience the Christmas Market before our day was already over. That evening was extremely relaxed. We grabbed some food, perused the stalls and just wandered around the centre of the city. After a chilled, albeit wet night, we headed back to the apartment where we made some hot chocolate and settled down to watch some movies. A perfect end to a perfect day.

22.12.13

Waking up bright and early, we were showered and out of the apartment by 10am. We decided to grab a few bits from the Sainsbury's so conveniently located next to the apartments (I promise this isn't a sponsored post, ha ha) and then headed off to look at Edinburgh during the day time. It was a whole new world. We were located just 6 minutes from the Royal Mile (look it up, it's amazing) so we walked up and down there for a good hour or so. 

We then headed up to the Edinburgh Castle which was absolutely phenomenal. It was about £16 each to get a ticket and we spent approximately 5-6 hours there. It was one of the best experiences of my life, and most definitely the coldest. Ever. The wind was whipping us on the top of the hill like a car hitting us at 180mph. My hair was flying so much I though it was going to rip straight off of my head, or I was about to be propelled away like a mini helicopter flying over Scotland. We learned all about the history of Edinburgh and the goings on in the castle. We also went in to a part of the castle were no phones or cameras were allowed. It was the war memorial - a part where the fallen were memorialised. It was beautiful. Anyone who has been there will understand the sadness in the air, and the sombre attitude of everyone walking around there, looking at the names of the people in the books and those whose names were not recorded. We next headed into the dungeons where the prisoner's of war were kept and it was amazing to hear all about the stories of what happened down there, why it was happening and individual cases of people that had such memorable tales about them. This was definitely the coldest part of the castle though. I was happy to get outside after being in there for an hour. I really thought my face had been frost bitten. Next, we went to learn about the royals of Scotland. I didn't need to read any of the plaques they had on the walls as my boyfriend was giving me his own history lesson as he had just finished learning about this for his course. It was so interesting and i'm really glad we got to share such a wonderful learning experience. 

We were so hungry by the time we got out that we decided to go for an early dinner to a place neither of us had every been even though we'd seen it at home all the time - Bella Italia. It was such a cosy restaurant. The staff were wonderful, the food was amazing and our conversations were memorable. We talked about how happy we were being together and i'll cherish those conversations forever. 

Next was the Christmas Market! This was my favourite part about the trip. I absolutely love Christmas Markets. There's just something so magical about them. As soon as we got there, I begged my boyfriend to ice skate with me. This was something he'd never done much of so it took a while for him to find his feet, but he did eventually and it was so much fun. Chasing each other around the skating rink and taking pictures even though we weren't supposed to - those actually were probably my favourite pictures of the trip so i'm really glad we did! He then begged me to go on a ferris wheel and i'd never been on one so I was happy to! As we ascended, I began pulling horrendous faces which prompted my boyfriend to ask how long i'd be afraid of heights to which I replied "I didn't know I was until now". It was one of the scariest moments of my life but i'd definitely do it again because it wasn't as bad as I though it was going to be. It really was high. Uncomfortably so. But, I persevered and i'm really glad I did it! After that, we mooched around the markets, picking out some lovely little pieces and then we headed home. 

On our way, we spotted a little shop. The Nutcracker Christmas Shop. I had been on the look out for this since we arrived. I immediately ran to the store hoping it wasn't closing. We hopped inside and began rooting around the little trinkets. My boyfriend and I picked up a couple of christmas tree decorations for our mum's and I bought myself a snow globe (I love snow globes). 

At home, we snuggled up together with another hot chocolate and some television and went to bed, ready for our journey home tomorrow afternoon. 

23.12.13

Waking up was a little sad that day because I knew we were leaving our little Scottish bubble. I was grateful to be going home though so I could get a proper bath and with Christmas only being two sleeps away, I was so excited to see my family again and celebrate with them. We went for lunch when we left the apartment and had another little nosey around the city. After a couple of hours in the rain, we decided to head to the train station and had (another) hot chocolate there from Café Nero. This was our first experience of Café Nero and it has definitely not been our last. We loved it. We then headed to see if our platform had been listed. Ours was the only platform on the list with a dash. Above and below us were numbers of platforms so we were really confused. We ended up asking staff and they just directed us to 9. There was an east and a west on the other sides of the train station and we had no idea which one to go to. We headed east. Ours was west. You can imagine the panic. We finally got onto our train. After 2 hours, we arrived in Preston a little late due to water on the tracks. As the train pulled into the station, we knew we'd have less than 5 minutes to get to our connecting train. An elderly man, bless him, told the train it was "too late for him" and then went on to get off first. It took him 3 minutes. We rushed off the train immediately and breathless from running, we watched as our connecting train left the station. Fortunately, our connecting train came once an hour so we just had to wait around a bit. After a boring-ish hour of sitting in the cold, our train finally arrived. We spent another 2 hours on that train and finally arrived home where my boyfriend's mum picked us up from the train station. They dropped me off at home where I begrudgingly said goodnight to my boyfriend and was happily greeted by my family. It was bittersweet, but an amazing experience. 

For this Christmas, I've decided to surprise my boyfriend with another trip to Scotland. Back to our apartment. This time, we'll do different things, but hopefully it will be just as magical


.

Have you ever had a Christmas getaway? 



Love, 



Eloise