How To Get That Summer Glow: 5 Ways To Help You Achieve Natural Sun-Kissed Skin

Who doesn’t want to look like an absolute bronzed goddess?! Heads will turn in the Sainsbury’s queue, people will think you’ve actually been abroad and you can achieve this all without even needing your passport.

Now that holidaying abroad is *probably* off the cards for 2020 (gutted, I know) and your just-got-back-from-holiday tan is now from a bottle, it’s time to turn to alternative measures to get that radiant summer glow.

We’re talking about those sun-kissed cheeks and natural bronze bodies; evidence of our hot holidays abroad, except this summer your back garden will be your new all-inclusive.

Here are five ways to help you achieve that healthy, golden glow…

Vitamin C Skincare

From brightening dark spots to helping protect against UV damage, vitamin C skincare is the key to boost your facial glow. The front runner for all things skin brightening, vitamin C will give you an instant radiant sheen and it’s super easy to integrate into your skincare routine.

The most beneficial way to add this ascorbic acid into your daily routine is in the form of a serum. These highly concentrated gels penetrate deeper into your skin and bring back the brightness you may have lost through sun damage or aging.

My recommendations:

Glow Recipe Pineapple-C Bright Serum - great for acne scars and gives an overall glow - cute bottle too!
Revolution 12.5% Vitamin C Serum - great for all skin types and it’s vegan!
Super Facialist Vitamin C Glow Boost Serum- great for giving skin a more youthful glow - affordable price too!

Sun Sun Sun

Believe it or not, the next week ahead is sunshine all round - go on check the weather app.
The temperature will be a reasonable 19-22 degrees and (so far) there’s no chance of rain. Who needed that all-inclusive to Spain anyway.

Depending on the sensitivity of your skin, optimal tanning time is 1-2 hours across 11am-3pm - yep you’re speaking to a professional, these are true facts. The key here is to slap on the SPF so that your afternoon of sunbathing doesn't give you the glow of a shiny tomato.

So go get out there and enjoy the sun (but read the rest of this post first).

A Drop of Glow

Not a fan of laying outdoors for hours? Or have ultra pale skin that repels the sun? Girl, I’ve got your back.

Fake it till you make it with glow drops that you can add to any primer, moisturiser or makeup base. These concentrated drops can come in any shade of bronze depending on your desired look. Just simply squeeze a few drops for a radiant glow.

Here’s how:

On its own - apply to areas where the sun would naturally hit; forehead, under the browbone, bridge of your nose, cheekbones, cupid’s bow and chin. I recommend: L'Oreal Glow Highlighting Drops
With a moisturiser - add 2 drops to your daily moisturiser every morning for an all over natural glow. I recommend:  Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops- this product helps develop a gradual tan and can be used on the face and body.

With foundation - add 2-4 drops to a dewy foundation and blend into skin with a beauty sponge. Use again as a highlighter and dab on areas where the sun would naturally hit (as above). I recommend:  Revolution Foundation Mixer   - this product is illuminating and lightweight, perfect for a medium to full coverage makeup.

Perfect Your Skincare Routine

Slapping on your skincare every morning and evening is all well and good, but are you doing it in the right order?

There’s no such thing as the “right” skincare routine but there is most definitely a more beneficial order in which to apply your products. That £45 bottle of Toner might just be the best thing you’ve spent your hard earned pennies on but dabbing it on in the wrong order might not be doing any difference to your skin - and for that optimal dewy-looking skin we need to get it right.

Here’s the best order to apply your skincare products according to Glamour:



The key here is to open your pores, cleanse your skin, add specific products for your skin’s needs and then seal your skin with moisture. Ta-dah!

Drink More Water

It really is a given that this natural gift from Mother Nature can aid glowing skin.

Lack of adequate water intake can make the skin appear duller. It can cause wrinkles to appear more prominent and skin to be more dry and dehydrated.

On the flip side, adequate water intake makes the skin look more plump and healthy. It’s more hydrated meaning it’s less likely to crack and let in particles that cause blemishes.

The recommended daily intake is 2 litres depending on your daily activities.

It’s a good job we’ve got this on tap!

Thanks for reading.

Hands up, who’s guilty of not looking after themselves as much as they could?

We’re all guilty of it!

Life just gets in the way sometimes, doesn't it?!

But now don’t you feel like it’s almost as if life has hit the pause button.

We have a chance to just stop and slow down for a minute.

We have a chance to recoup, rethink and remember who we are and what makes us happy.

Maybe the irony is that social-distancing is giving us some much needed space from others and from the outside world for a while. And we know life will hit the play button soon, but for the meantime, what’s the harm in taking extra care of yourself for a while?

Now more so than ever, is the perfect time to start to create some much needed good habits - especially ones for ourselves.

Having said that, this week is also Mental Health Awareness Week and at a difficult period of life such as now, shining light on ways to help ourselves can be the most crucial thing we can do.

Sometimes it’s difficult to know where to start. But don’t worry, here are 5 self-care ideas that can help you stay healthy and happy in lockdown…

1. Get Creative

Immerse yourself in something that takes you into your own little bubble for a while. Pick up that paintbrush, bring out that adult colouring book, make something or bake something - just let your creative juices flow!

There’s no real fixed definition for the art of being “creative” so don’t worry we’re not expecting the next Picasso to walk out of lockdown.

But being creative releases endorphins; those feel-good hormones, you know the feeling after uncontrollable belly laughter? Or that feeling whilst eating a yummy bar of Cadbury’s? That’s them! And studies have shown that creativity can help lower stress and anxiety. So go get creative!

2. Keep Your Living Space Tidy

Ever heard that age old saying of “a tidy home, is a tidy mind” - well there’s a psychological reason behind it. Psychologists suggest that a messy room is a representation of a disorganised mental state and when your nearby surroundings are cluttered, you associate those places as being unpleasant and stressful - makes sense!

Considering how often we’re now spending in the confines of our own homes and rooms, it’s vital to keep those spaces as healthy and inviting as we can for ourselves.

Maybe it’s time to give your room, your workspace or your whole house a Hinch!

3. Exercise 

Now we have the go ahead to do an “unlimited” amount, we have no excuse!

Not only having physical benefits, exercise has mental benefits too. It can make you feel happier and improve brain health and memory. Remember our friend endorphins? She’s released when you exercise too.

As all gyms are now closed, the staff at most gyms are taking to social media to bring you live and pre-recorded workouts that you can do from the comfort of your living room. And as always, YouTube has a plethora of workouts for all abilities that you can access with a few clicks.

Here are some of my favourites that I’ve been doing:

@dwfitnessfirst - The team at DW have been hosting Instagram Live workouts 8am-11am every weekday. From HIIT to cardio to core, there is something for everyone - and they’re free!

@puregymofficial - Like DW, the Pure Gym team hosts Instagram Live workouts at 10am every weekday and 11am on weekends. These sessions are recreations of their former gym classes; we’re talking Yoga, Aerobics and Absolute Abs!

Train with YouTube Fitness Star Pamela Reif and her 10-30 minute workouts. She has a whole range of videos targeting different body parts and promises to be “neighbour friendly”. My favourite is her 15 Minute Dance Cardio Workout, there’s no equipment needed and best of all the music is great.

4. Social Media Detox

It can be all too easy to get lost in the realms of Instagram and Facebook; do you ever catch yourself scrolling through your timelines and newsfeed without having a clue how long you’ve been doing it for?

With boredom at an all time high, flicking from app to app on your phone can unfortunately  seem to fill the day quite nicely, but sometimes knowing when to unplug yourself from the online world can be the best thing you can do for yourself.

Reconnecting with the real world for a few hours more than you usually would can do you the world of good. Swap an afternoon of clutching your phone for an afternoon in the garden; leave your phone at home when you take a relaxing walk, or try to check up on social apps far less than you feel the need to because -- news flash -- no ones doing anything more exciting than you are right now!

ALSO:

If you’ve got an iPhone, you’ll have the luxury of being able to see your daily and weekly screen time (Settings > Screen Time > See All Activity). You can see just how long you spend a day on each app you open - and trust me you’ll be shocked!

5. Prolong Your Skin-Care Routine

Take your time every morning and evening to really pamper you and your skin.

Our new working from home and staying at home lifestyle means makeup has *most probably* taken a backseat - and rightly so! If there’s any excuse to not have to slap on foundation and a brow, I don’t know about you but I jump at the chance.

Use this time to really invest in your skin, give it the break it deserves and treat yo’ self!

Spend your evenings unwinding in a long hot bath, throw on a hydrating face mask (optional), chuck in a bath bomb (again optional), light some candles (optional but highly recommend) and pour yourself a glass of your fave wine (essential, not optional).

Here are some of my favourite face masks:



Thanks for reading!

Comment below your favourite self-care tips that you’ve found helpful during lockdown.

It’s official. We’re at the 50 day mark of lockdown.

It’s at that point now where a walk around the block is basically the new going out-out and a cheeky midday trip to Sainsbury’s for bread and milk (and loo roll) feels like a holiday.

Who would’ve thought joggers would have become a wardrobe staple (and who would’ve thought I needed 8 different pairs).

My feet haven’t seen anything other than the rotation of slipper to trainer to slipper for what feels like an eternity and my postman, well the poor guy has seen me more times in the last 2 months than the whole of 2019 - lucky him.

I’ve found myself, and I’m sure I’m not the only one (I hope), passing the time with things I never thought I would’ve been doing during what was set to be “my year” this 2020.

So here’s 21 things I’ve done during lockdown and you’ve *probably* (if not definitely) have done these too...



1. Baked Banana Bread

Yeah you 100% made a banging loaf week 1 of lockdown. Totally original, totally unique, totally never been done before and you’ll totally never make it again.

2. Downloaded Tik Tok

There’s 2 types of people. Those who have Tik Tok and those who laughed at those who had Tik Tok but then cave and download it 2 days after said comment was made. You’ve defo learnt at least 2 Tik Tok dances and have 25+ drafts you daren’t post.


3. Contemplated Becoming Tik Tok Famous

Like how hard can it be? If I just nail Savage and hashtag “#fyp” it will happen overnight, right?


4. Something Has Happened To Your Hair

(If you listen closely you can literally hear every hairdresser in the UK quaking whilst reading this.)

You’ve either had a mid-lockdown crisis and gone at it with your Mother’s kitchen scissors, box dyed it some colour or just the front two pieces of your hair a different colour (Tik Tok made you do it, right?) or got your Dad and his plyers hacking your overdue weave out.

Done none of the above? Don’t worry there’s still plenty time.

5. Put Half Of Your Life Up For Sale on Depop

This defo follows on from a major bedroom clear out. Your wardrobe has been sliced in half and you’re convinced there’s someone out there who wants to buy your stuff. 2015 Primark logo tee? Someone will have it for a fiver (plus p+p obvs) I’m sure.


6. You Click On Clothing Apps Like It’s The Weather App

Am I the only person who checks the New In section like it’s going out of fashion (pardon the pun). What else is there to do other than scroll through pages of crop tops, tie dye joggers and loungewear sets on the daily.


7. Your Average Phone Screen Time Has Defo Dramatically Increased 

What do you mean I look at my phone 8 hours a day? And 72 hours a week on Tik Tok? There must be something wrong here.

8. You’ve Taken Up A New Hobby Which Your 2019 Self Would Never Have Believed

If you told me last year that I would be an avid bike-rider I would’ve laughed. Me on a saddle? You’ve got to be kidding me.

9. You’ve Done, You’re Doing Or You Thought About Doing An Ab Workout Challenge

Might as well make use of this time and get your dream summer bod just in time for whatever fraction of summer we’ll have left, right? Good on ya for doing 10 minutes of sit ups, crunches and leg raises (and skipping the side planks) for a week straight.

10. You Shout “CAROLE BASKIN, KILLED HER HUSBAND WHACKED HIM” At Random Times Throughout The Day

Ya Mums sick of you. Ya Dads sick of you. Yet you just can’t help but scream this line. When? Every 5 mins apparently.

11. You’ve Either Spent Your Entire 80% Furlough Pay Or None Of It

Literally there’s no inbetween. Your outgoings have either gone from 100 to 0 or 0 to 100. Got PLT, Beauty Bay and Amazon parcels arriving daily? Same hun.

12. You’ve Amazon Primed Too Much

But I 100% needed that Quartz Face Roller AND LED bedroom lights Mum.

13. You Haven’t Worn Makeup Since Lockdown Began

C’mon, I can’t be the only one who hasn’t done a full face or any kind of face that isn’t a bare face since this all started. My makeup bag has practically been untouched for 50 days and is collecting dust right now as we speak.

14. Your Dining Room Has Been Turned Into An Office

Whether you’re working from home or ya Dad’s working from home. Some part of your house has now become home to a 9-5er. No more eating dinner at the dining room table, that’s the office now. Thanks Dad.

15. You’ve Never Been As Natural As You Are Right Now

Acrylics? Long gone! Eyelash extensions? RIP. Head of highlights? What’s that? You’re literally in your purest form albeit a slap of fake tan every now and then and if you’re lucky your weave is still hanging in there. God help our hairdressers and nail techs once this is all over.


16. And You Are On The Verge Of Not Recognising Yourself

Who is this absolute natural beauty staring back at me in the mirror. I wonder if anyone will recognise me after this.

17. You’ve Forgotten What Social Interaction Feels Like

You mean other humans exist other than those in my household?

18. You Joined A Zoom Call With Your Top Half Dressed Up And You Bottom Half In Pj Bottoms

Guilty! C’mon, we’ve all done it. Meeting with work up top but meeting with the couch down below.

19. You’re Planning On Never Using Zoom Again After This

The chimes when someone joins the call - over it. You’ve out-Zoomed yourself. Once a week with the fam was enough, let alone weekly work calls.

20. You Haven’t Worn “Normal” Clothes For 2 Months

Different day, different pair of joggers. Can you imagine the feeling of putting jeans on again! My body has seen nothing but total couch appropriate clothing and that is how I shall carry on.

21. You’ve Contemplated How Much You Took Everything For Granted

Some good is going to come out of this and the overwhelming feeling of gratitude is surely up here. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotion; from meltdowns to coming to terms with it all and to the feeling of contentment when you recognise what’s really actually important in life.


So in the famous words from High School Musical (Zac Efron <3)......... “We're all in this together”!

Keep smiling.

Thanks for reading!

Bethany

You never would’ve thought your SS20 wardrobe would be dominated by variations of grey joggers, oversized sweats and anything else that simply screams total comfort.

Umm where are all the floral dresses and strappy sandals that we usually gravitate towards when the UK sees anything higher than 18 degrees?!

September Fashion Shows back in 2019 (which seem like such a distant memory now) couldn’t have seen this coming. Our new and unexpected Summer wardrobe tailored towards our new and *very* unexpected at-home lifestyle, is a vast contrast to what we thought we would be donning this time of year.

Outfits are now envisioned with comfort and couch appropriateness in mind and our only runway to showcase our new OOTD’s is the aisles of your local Supermarket - how high fashion.

But fashion never sleeps. The show must go on. And why not revel in the feeling of wearing *real* clothes again.

The days where we can dress for anything more than a walk around the block or a jaunt to Sainsbury’s are *almost* within our reach so let’s get excited to wear something other than glorified pyjamas.

I know you’re still online shopping. I mean what else is there to spend your 80% furlough pay on. And yes, at a difficult time like this, retail therapy of the online kind is by far a crucial form of self care - I greatly support this.

And with that said, here’s 3 emerging SS20 trends to get excited about…

90’s Minimalism

Think clean lines. Think stripped back and simple pieces. Think 90’s minus the Clueless check skirt suit and pedal pushers.

A decade which gave us timeless pieces, the 90’s perfectly demonstrates an effortless and sophisticated style of dressing.

Slip dresses are the core of this trend, giving a femine touch to what can be an androgenous capsule. Paired with boxy blazers to play around with shape and structure, the slip dress embodies effortless style. It’s silk and satin fabrics give elegant movement on the body, aiding to the femine feel it exudes.
This 90’s Minimalist moment gives us “I-only-wear-black” clothing lovers the chance to shine with it’s monochromatic focus and lack of any colour other than black, white and neutrals.

Accessories are key in this trend and lack thereof more importantly.

The shoulder bag is back and smaller than ever with a key focus on neutrals and moc croc prints.

Accessories play a big part in the trend but on a much smaller scale. Size down in your hoops, your heel height and your sunglass size. Less is so much more for this minimalist trend.

Ways To Wear:

Simple Day to Night 

/ Slip Dress (think ivory and off-white shades) 
/ Boxy Blazer (black, navy or pinstripe - wear your Dad’s size, think charity shop find)
/ Thong Sandals (mega toe cleavage, kitten heel height) 
/ Shoulder Bag (the smaller the better, just enough to fit in a lippy, forget your purse you can use Apple pay)

Athleisure

/ Oversized Sweat (stick to black or navy and again pick you Dad’s size)
/ Cycling Shorts (play around with mono colour blocking with white or grey)
/ Ankle Socks (white and ribbed - your secondary school pe socks will do)
/ Chunky Trainers (white, chunky and lace up)


My Top Picks

Tailoring

A trend with nods towards the above 90’s minimalism, SS20’s Tailoring is the perfect trans-seasonal wardrobe staple. The Bermuda short is back with it’s coordinating suit jacket counterpart and the ability to wear these as pairs or separates leaves little room for error.

Oversized and boxy fits will get you raiding your Dad’s wardrobe for that perfect shapeless fit.

Think back to the Summer before you started Year 7; where you Mum would put you in your new school blazer, 5 sizes too big in the hope that it would (and it did) last you from your first to your last day of school. That first day at school picture; sleeves dangling down, shoulder pads out to *here* - that’s what we’re talking about - minus the school badge obviously.

Size up 3 times more than you would usually in a suit jacket and pair with shorts of the same fabric; tailored city shorts, belted or linen work particularly well. Less floaty, more structured.

Inject colour the right way and opt for pastel hues. Think sage, lemon yellow, peach and blush.

Ways To Wear

Simple Day To Night

/ Oversized Boxy Blazer (choose sage, in a polyester & linen combo)
/ Matching Bermuda Shorts (again, choose sage, a longer line short with a concealed fly)
/ Tight Crop Top (choose white and figure hugging to contrast from the masuline lines of the boxy suit. Go as cropped as a bra or something meeting the waist of the shorts, showing an inch of midriff. Play with necklines; opt for high neck or a low v)
/ Trainers for the day and strappy sandals for the night (meet in the middle with a platform trainer or low kitten heel flip flop style. Stick to white or neutral)


Brunch Date

/ Boxy Fit Blazer (choose a neutral/off white/ivory shade)
/ Short City Shorts (modest length, shorter than a Bermuda short; something comfortable and either matching to the blazer or in keeping with a neutral tone)
/ Logo tee (band style tee; choose a dark grey or acid wash with vibrant and wordy and design. Again size up; crop and leave a raw hem if you dare)
/ Shoulder bag (choose pink or pick colour from the logo tee design, keep it small but playful)
/ Black chunky boots (think cleated soles; Prada AW19 dupes or Docs. Think heavy and biker)


My Top Picks

Décolletage

Sex appeal, but subtle. Necklines but not as we know it. A real contrast from encouraging you to rifle through your Dad’s suit jackets and cover up your top half in the most masuline way possible.
Strip back in style with tops that will show off your best feature. We’re talking Victorian-style sex appeal with a modern day twist.

Scoop, squared and slashed necklines in a variety of forms.

Opt for a scoop neck body, a wardrobe staple; a key layering piece in cooler months and something to wear dressed up or down in warmer weather.

Square neck tops (especially with a puff sleeve) are an ideal “jeans and a nice top” must have.

Slash neck and your off the shoulder top give a peek into this key body part in a subtle and wearable way.

Ways To Wear

Casual “Errand Running” Day

/ Scoop Neck Body (go vest strap style, white/grey/black)
/ Casual Joggers (keep the outfit monochromatic and contrast your white body with black joggers and vice versa)
/ Black Leather Jacket (throw this over the shoulders so chest is more exposed, choose silver hardware over gold and keep the length cropped and the fit more oversized than snug)
/ Chunky Trainers (simple and clean lace ups, choose white to match the body)

Day To Night 

/ Square Neck Top (choose a puff sleeve detail and ¾ length sleeves, you can be bold with colour and print here if you so wish)
/ Light Blue Wash Mom Jeans (roll up the hem, think light to mid wash, rips optional)
/ Strappy Sandal (choose block heel for comfort and keep the colour neutral)


My Top Picks







So let’s get excited and play dress up again - staying at home has never looked so stylish!

*BRB adding all of the above to my basket*

Comment below your favourite pieces!

Thanks for reading!

Bethany

Ya girls back.

So last year I told myself that I'd get back into blogging. Y'know the thing I do where I hit the keyboard a few times, string some sentences together, attach a cute pic, share it on Facebook and get people to read it kind of blogging - yeah that. But I think setting myself the goal of religiously writing a blog post twice a week with fresh content was a bit of a long shot. 

Apparently it was a total long shot.

Nothing new got uploaded onto here, I mean unless you count a few photoshoots but y'know like real written content. There was none. Nada. Ziltch. Nout.

And I'm soz.

More soz for myself. 

Another thing I've failed to keep up with. Like tidying my room (don't tell my Mum)...

I'm a busy girl AANNDD I know that's no excuse but I've been here, there and everywhere so www.bethanyemerton.com has taken a bit of a backseat.

But that's besides the point isn't it, I'M BACK and that's the fun part.

The one and only B.E. is back in the game.

I've got sh*t to share with you all!!!!!!!!

So watch this space for ACTAUL REAL LIFE FRESH CONTENT.

And I'm talking real stuff now.

Sit back, enjoy and grab yourselves a cuppa cos I'm back in the game and better than ever b*tchezzz.

Here's to the resurrection of www.bethanyemerton.com....

Peace and love

XXX

What's wrong with being basic?

Like HELLO being a basic b*tch is the best thing ever, am I right?

So what if I'm obsessed with Pumpkin Spice Latte's, TK Maxx stationery section and Instagramming #freshset everytime I get my infills. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do, right?!

Join the basic b*tch club, hop onboard the basic b*tch bandwagon and revel in the basic world that is basic b*tchville.

So let's boomerang our prosecco glasses together, sit back and read the 31 Signs You're A Total Basic B*tch...


1. You've already Snapchatted, Instagram and Instagram-storied your first Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (or PSL for you extra basic b*tches) of the season. So festive.

2. You act like you don't even know what "basic b*tch" means - like yeah wtf I don't even fit the criteria *eye roll emoji*

3. To go with your basic b*tch lifestyle you also suffer from chronic resting b*tch face syndrome. Fact. 

4. You complain about other basic b*tches filling your newsfeeds with soppy engagement photos and Pinterest-worthy pics of them loving life on a swing in Bali. Like I'm not even jealous, I am quite content sat here swiping left on Tinder, declining all potential male interest and devouring my family sized bowl of pasta thank you very much.

5. Your daily vocabulary features "Hun" and "Babe" more times than you'd like to count.

6. You actually use said words so much when texting other basic b*tches that you've actually started to say it out loud. Ugh, as if!

7. A Thursday isn't a Thursday if you're not scrolling through your camera roll trying to find a sassy yet candid pic to post for #TBT whilst marinating in Bondi Sands Ultra Dark tan lying naked on your bed.

8. Taking photos is so last year, let's boomerang instead. Pop ya hip and raise ya glass sister, this ones going on the 'gram.

9. You pretty much abbreviate all adjectives #totes #amaze #defs

10. You're obsessed (whether you admit it or not) with the Kardashians. OHH KRUUUR

11. If you're ever feeling like your outfit is a steady 8/10 you whack on a pair of XL silver hoops and feel fabulous, unstoppable and a solid 10/10.

12. Your go-to outfit is all black errythang. Black on top, black on bottom and black heart to match.

13. You're a little bit obsessed with going out for Brunch. Like c'mon, it's breakfast AND lunch at a reasonable time of the day. Sold.

14. And you love Instagramming your Brunch. #AvoOnToast

15. Your underwear drawer is all Primark lace £1 thongs in every. single. colour. 

16. You commit, what I like to call, "carbicide" on the reg and consume enough carbs to feed a small village yet always tell yourself you're gonna cut them out of your diet. Lol who am I kidding pass me all the bread.

17. Your friends and other basic b*tches would describe you as "so sassy" and you love it. *Flicks weave*

18. You are STILL quoting Mean Girls lyrics and will always till the day you die. I WANT MY PINK SHIRT BACK.

19. You live for Snapchat filters. 

20. You have a not-so-secret love for Pinterest and defo have an inspirational quotes board. 

21. You have, or at some point during your basic b*tch existence, contemplated getting an infinity sign or dream catcher tattooed on you. 

22. You defo own more than one Victoria's Secret body spray and always buy it when it's on offer in Superdrug. Mmm that sweet, sweet smell of basicness.

23. You secretly love Taylor Swift and identify with her song "22" even if you're not 22.

24. You like to think you're a wine or G&T kinda girl when really you'll settle for a Vodka and Coke anyday.

25. You've felt personally victimised by Regina George.

26. You have defo had a photo of you at a club with a sparkler in your mouth. Classic.

27. You've had a meltdown on more than one occasion and told yourself that if Britney can get through 2007, you can get through today.

28. You tag your gal pals in memes and videos more than you speak to them. It's basically the new way of communication.

29. You use the "sassy girl" emoji on the reg because it just fits in with your current life sitchu.

30. You've defo uploaded a pic of your girl gang and hashtagged #squadgoals

31. You're reading this and thought OH EM GEE I am a total basic b*tch. Well HOLLA for a DOLLA and join the club sister!

Peace out basic b*tches xxxxxxx

So it's approx a month till my 20th birthday (yeah I know WTF so old) so I thought a post like this was in order.

BUT being the worlds most impatient person there is I couldn't wait until September the 17th to write this, so you're getting it now - what a treat babes.

The following 19 points are things I've learnt over my fantastic 19 years of life so far, they're life lessons I've learnt (potentially the hard way) and they're things that may help you, so make me happy and give it a read...

1. Don't ever worry about what people think

Never ever waste your time or energy on the opinions of others. Like ever.

2.  You can't always control what happens

Life works in the weirdest of ways sometimes but you've just got to roll with it.

3. Appreciate everything, always.

Even is it's waking up every morning or someone holding the door open for you. Always appreciate everything, no matter how big or small.

4. Sometimes you need to give yourself a big kick up the bum and that's fine

Sit yourself down and tell yourself to get your sh*t together and you'll thank yourself forever.

5. Never stop learning

Your school years may have been enough but strive to learn something everyday; a new skill or a new fact just never stop learning.

6. Your Mum will always be right 

That friend, that situation or that outfit choice; yep, always listen to yo Mama.

7. Everything happens for a reason

Call it Karma, but everything does happen for a reason and everything will work out just fine.

8. Be uncomfortable

As some wise person once said "Nothing comes out of being comfortable." and AMEN to that.

9. Be nice 

It sounds so trivial, but honestly being nice is so much better than being rude or bitter.

10. Nobody really knows what they're doing

Yeah even those really adult-y Adults!

11. You've got to believe in yourself

Honestly, please believe in yourself because you can do whatever you want, go wherever you want and be whoever you want.

12. Everything will be okay

Trust me on this one.

13. Change is a good thing

Funnily enough, this is something I've only just recently learnt. At the end of the day, change is inevitable because life can't stay the same forever so embrace it babes.

14. Buy the shoes

Or the bag, or the dress. Buy it.

15. Family is everything

No matter what happens, your Family will always be there.

16. Surround yourself with good people

The ones that lift you up, the ones that make you laugh and the ones that make you a better person. Those ones.

17. You'll get over it

Whatever is bugging you, you'll get over "it". Promise.

18. Never be afraid to be weird

Being weird is fun, and I am your prime example.

19. Fake It Till You Make It

This one is the motto I live by. It speaks for itself so I shall say no more...





Peace out babes xxx