Hairloss Update - Fast Shampoo & Jamaican Black Castor Oil

It's been a while since I updated you guys last with regards to the whole hair situation. Since my last post my hair took a bit of a turn for the worse, well when I say a turn for the worse what I really mean is there were no changes. Still falling out, still very dry and breaking and some growth but not enough. 

I was using Shea Moisture Shampoo, conditioner and thickening mist along with Sweet Almond oil to begin with. I found that over time the condition of my hair hadn't really improved, which is a little bit of a contradiction since in my last post I was over the moon with the products I was using. I personally think the products were good but just not good enough. I'm impatient and after over 8 weeks of routine weekly washes and oil treatments with not much change I felt as though I needed to up my game in order to restore my hair back to the thick, full, long head of hair I once had. 

The Shea Moisture treatments are good because they contain only natural ingredients I just feel as though they may work better on already natural hair. I on the other hand still have a while to go before the relaxer in my hair has completely grown out. The last time I relaxed was December/January time and I although I do have new and completely natural growth the Shea Moisture in my opinion was great for the natural hair but the relaxed hair needed something a little more to keep it healthy and growing so until my hair is 100% natural I don't think this brand of shampoo is really what I need. With regards to the Almond oil, I found it far too oily to use everyday and the natural hair I do have literally soaked up every last drop of oil and was dry within less than a day. This meant I had to keep topping up more than once a day which really wasn't good for my scalp, as I believe the oil along with the weekly washes really irritated my scalp clogging up the follicles causing more pain. Again if my hair was either fully relaxed or fully natural the system I had going may have worked a little better. I also tried Coconut Oil which a lot of people swear by but for me the only benefit I got from using that was my hair smelling like cake, which really wasn't that great because it somehow induced my craving for cake and whilst I sat stuffing half a Victoria sponge in my face I kind of realised I needed to move on a find an alternative. 

Around two weeks ago I made the decision to go fully natural. Yep! No relaxer, no perm, no nothing. Just my fuzzy, little microphone head. My hair was still coming out and when brushing I could literally hear the hair snapping, even with a wide-tooth comb which is never good. My natural hair (once it grows back) will be stronger, thicker and can withstand pretty much anything which is why this decision for me is best. I had also noticed that although I do have some growth I have a slight patch to the back left hand side of my head. My hair at the front is still pretty long and feels strong enough and minus some loss to the very front of my head this area seems to be doing okay. Towards the middle and back of my head that's where the problem is. This is the area I am experiencing HELLISH pain and this is the area the hair is falling out most.

Two weeks ago I cut my hair in order to get some kind of even length so when my hair grows back it'll grow at a similar length at the time I was still using the Shea Moisture trio this time with the Coconut oil over Almond oil. 

Last week I switched to NISIM Fast Shampoo and conditioner which was sent to me by the company after being contacted by a rep via Twitter. I have had this shampoo for a few months but I hadn't used it as I was worried it wouldn't agree with my hair. I had initially seen this product in Boots when I began the mission to restore and regrow my hair but didn't buy it as I thought it'd be better for me to go with something aimed for the sole use of people with Afro hair. Before receiving the product I had a little chat with the lovely lady from the company who found me on Twitter, who reassured me she had used it herself with relaxed hair and that the product would be fine on my hair type. As reassuring as she was I was still massively worried about using it so both myself and Ben set about finding some reviews from people with the same hair-type as me who had used the product. Our findings were, according to the word of YouTube Vlogs and blogs that this product would be safe for me to use with a lot of women having great success. Fast Shampoo contains no Sulphates, Parabens or DEA it does however have a long list of ingredients which weren't found in the Shea Moisture products but maybe these ingredients are exactly what my hair needed in order to break out of this tiring and emotionally draining issue. 

I kind of felt like I had nothing to lose at this point so went ahead and gave my hair it's first wash using both the shampoo and conditioner. I was pleasantly surprised as after my first lather and rinse my hair and scalp felt like they could breathe, both felt super-clean and when I ran my fingers through I could hear that squeak you get when something is so clean it gives out a little squeak to let you know. If my hair could talk, at that moment it would have been like, 'Ooooh Gurrrrrrrrl!' Not only does the Shampoo smell beautiful it lathers up so well, something I found Shea Moisture struggled with especially with the amount of oil I used. I lathered and rinsed three times before adding the Fast conditioner which absolutely does the trick. There was no need to use more than two squirts of this applied to my wet hair. The conditioner feels great, it doesn't just sit on the surface of the hair like most it really soaks in which is what I need. I applied all over my hair, with extra care and attention being paid to the areas needing the most help. I massaged in for a few minutes before covering with my very attractive shower cap. No honestly, words can't even describe how absolutely ridiculous I look waltzing around the house in a foil cap. If lightning ever strikes during my hair care routine, wearing that foil shower cap I've got no chance. I'm getting struck with no chance of survival. I look like I should be in a lab handling bio-hazards wearing that thing! I left the conditioner in for 30 minutes before rinsing out with lukewarm water.

I'm now drying my hair on the coolest setting whereas before I was using a medium heat, which was probably contributing to the dryness. Since lowering the temperature even more I find my hair is less dry and retains a lot of the moisture left from conditioning. 

In terms of oils I am now using Jamaican Black Castor oil which I am absolutely in love with. The oil itself is great for nourishing the hair and for helping with hair growth. It's lovely and thick so it really absorbs into my hair keeping it shiny and moist. My hair hasn't been dry since using this product. I received an applicator with the oil which has allowed me to add essential oils in order help treat my hair, ingredients below:

Jamaican Black Castor Oil, 60ml: Promotes hair growth, reduces loss, nourishes and adds shine

Essential Lavender Oil, 6 drops: Conditions, stops itchy/dry scalp, controls loss/improves growth

Essential Tea Tree Oil, 10 drops: Antibacterial, good for hair follicles

Essential Rosemary Oil, 4 drops: Slows down premature hair loss, stimulates follicles 

  

I add just the Castor oil to my hair while it's wet before blow drying and then I section my hair into parts, using the nozzle of the applicator bottle to add the Castor/Essential oil mixture to my scalp. I then massage through to the ends of my hair making sure everything is covered. I am now washing every other day with a weekly deep/hot oil treatment using the Castor/Essential oil mixture. So far, fingers crossed everything seems to be going well which I'm really happy with. 

I've also (finally) had my bloods done after over two months of waiting. Everything appeared to be fine, minus my hormone levels. As I guessed my testosterone levels are pretty high, I knew but needed this to be confirmed. My doctor wants to keep a check on this and wants me to go back for more tests in a month. She checked my hair and said there is definitely new growth at the back which is also good. With regards to the extreme pain in my scalp, this is due to the increased testosterone level. She said there is a possibility my hair follicles are blocked which is caused by the hormone imbalance, in turn causing the hair to fall out, minimising regrowth. She was also really concerned with my stress levels and blood pressure (that's another blog post) and wanted for me to take some time out of work to relax because the stress isn't good for my condition and definitely isn't good when I'm already experiencing hair-loss. Although the loss isn't stress-related she didn't want to take any chances. I've refused to take time off because if I'm being honest I'm happiest when I'm at work and although things outside of work are a little tough at the minute I feel as though 'Onwards and Upwards' is the best option for me right now (I'll talk more about this in my next post.) 

My Doctor did prescribe Nizoral 2% shampoo to help treat the scalp and the scalp pain. I'm going to continue doing what I'm doing for now as this shampoo contains Sulphates and herbal remedies are always my first option. She also asked whether I'd consider a pill to help with the hair-growth, which I knew she would. I'd already done my research on this pill earlier in the year. It's a contraceptive pill with a tonne of other side effects I honestly have no time to deal with, it's also no good for people with a history of high blood pressure/anxiety/depression/stress. Suffering with PCOS means there's a chance I won't be able to conceive naturally so for me right now I don't think taking this pill will help me in any way. That's a no go for me. 

I've decided to continue doing what I'm doing along with regular exercise and making sure I stick to a LOW GI diet there shouldn't be any reason for my hair not to grow back. 

This has already been one heck of a journey and I still have a long way to go but I'm positive I can fight this and hopefully the next time I post about my hair I'll be letting you guys know how well I'm doing. 

I really want to say thank you to the women who suffer from PCOS or hair-loss who have been in contact with me I LOVE talking to you all and again if I can help anyone then I feel as though my my purpose is served. It's a lovely feeling knowing you are able to approach me and I urge you to continue. A problem shared is a problem halved. 

Lots of Love

Beanie xoxo

PCOS - How I'm Dealing with Hair Loss

It's been a while since I began the journey to restore my hair to what it was before, about 8 weeks now. I have really put off writing this post because I feel a really low about losing my hair and I guess writing this is kind of confirmation that it's happening. Since blogging I've had a lot of response from people especially over on Facebook which is lovely! In cases like this it's bitter-sweet because I'm sad for anyone dealing with similar issues and those able to relate to posts like this, but it's nice that I'm able to talk with you and share advice which is the side to blogging I really enjoy. I figured I'd find the courage to write this post in the hope that if it helps at least one person then it's a job well done.

I've not gone into much detail about my personal battle with PCOS (short for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) you can find more information here, I'll dedicate another post which will go into a bit more detail.

I first noticed my hair was thinning about two years ago. This was after a course of Metformin given to me by my Doctor to regulate my insulin levels which in turn would assist in weightloss. I had put the hair-loss back then down to the Metformin and chose to stop taking them. I had a little cry, got over it and assumed my hair would just grow back. For a few months after I continued to weave my hair which was normal for me, I had been weaving for a fair few years and never had any problems. I haven't weaved my hair in over a year as I had made the decision when I started my new job to have my hair as natural as possible. Natural for me is relaxing (opposite to a perm) every 6 or so weeks with a very mild relaxer. Although I've been walking around looking like an Easter egg it has felt really good being able to see and treat my natural hair plus it meant I had extra money to spend on shoes each month! 

I've always had the thickest hair and it always grew just past my shoulders. My hairdresser used to say my hair hurt her hands when she braided it, it was that strong. So around 8 weeks back to look in the mirror and notice my hair had completely fallen out was a shock to me. How had I missed the signs? I hadn't even noticed that at least half of my hair has fallen out! I'd gone from looking like the spawn of Afroman to Gollum's ugly sister! I can laugh about it now because I honestly don't see the point in crying plus stressing will only make it worse.


























My hair has is probably a quarter of what I had before. I used to plait my hair into four when conditioning and each plait was probably as thick as one plait would be for some people. Now my entire head is  probably half of that quarter.

My hair was dry, brittle and breaking and I couldn't understand why. At least the first time I knew the loss occurred due to the medication I was taking but this time there was no medication to blame. I decided to make some notes on any changes I could have missed over the past year because if I was going to approach my doctor with this issue I had to make sure I had all the facts. As any woman with PCOS will tell you, the amount of times we are fobbed off by Doctors is unbelievable.

While I sat on my lunch break making notes I had ruled out the possibility of the loss being down to any extensions, because I hadn't had a weave in so long, I thought it could possibly be the relaxing, as unhealthy as this can be for your hair, this is something I've had done for years, so the chances of that were slim, however this went on to my maybe pile. Soon enough it came to me, I'm always in a lot of pain right in the centre of my scalp, handfuls of hair would come out daily and the patches just weren't not normal. I knew it was down to my condition. I googled and looked for other people dealing with the same and it was there in black and white...PCOS! 

Apparently many women living with PCOS suffer with thinning and lost hair due an increase in the Testosterone/DHT hormone, which is completely ironic because here I am taking all the measures possible so I don't end up looking like the bearded lady, (another symptom of PCOS, excessive hair growth) yet the hair on my head is falling out! Sods Law really isn't it? Beautiful beard, bald head! The next step was to get my notes together and set off on my whirlwind (the wind that I no longer feel blowing through my hair) adventure to restore my hair back to full health.

I did visit my GP who tried to pass it off as stress, after she tried to usher me out of the room because apparently she can only deal with one issue per visit. I was so angry with her, and after years of being tossed to one side I stood my ground. I asked her if she'd like to pay for my time away from work for another appointment, and I made it clear that I don't ever visit the surgery more than twice a year, sometimes never. I explained to her that I didn't really want to be there and that I'd sooner utilise every single method of holistic therapy before being pumped full of whatever she was going to prescribe which I had already researched and found out it can cause cancer and long term kidney damage amongst other gruesome side-effects. I wanted to be clear in my expectations and what I wanted her to do as my GP. I told her I'd like a blood test to check my hormone levels which she agreed to. To be honest I think she saw the notes on my medical file regarding my extreme anger issues and that I've been known to turn green, burst out of my shirt and run down streets smashing buildings and cars, otherwise she may have never agreed.

Waiting for results I decided to take measures into my own hands and my boyfriend, bless him is a god-send. Whenever I'm in distress he does everything he can to find a resolution. Do you know he probably knows more about Afro hair than me! To be honest I think he knows more about black women than I do! I should start calling him Tyrone and he can be my fabulous, male hairdresser/lifestyle coach, like the fabulous diva's the ladies from The Real Housewives of Atlanta have hanging around. 

For the past 8 or so weeks I've been using a shampoo, conditioner and thickening mist by a company called Shea Moisture, this is an all natural shampoo containing amazing ingredients such as Biotin, coconut oil and silk protein. I use this combination of treatments around once or twice a week to restore the moisture in my hair and to promote growth. I also use Sweet Almond Oil which I bought from Holland and Barret this I also use daily, once a week I'll heat the oil and leave it in my hair for 30-45 minutes just as a deep treatment and three times a week before bed I'll spend about 15 minutes massaging it into my hair focusing on the roots where my hair is driest. I'm taking Skin, Hair and Nail Vitamins daily which I buy from Boots and I use a lovely, little home-made hair oil from Etsy on occasion. Here's a list of other measures I'm taking to help:

• I've switched to a low-sugar diet
• I've reduced my stress levels by exercising regularly, including meditation
• When it rains I'm not so quick to grab my brolly. My Mum always told me stories of how she used to wash her hair with rain water back when she was in Jamaica, so I kind of just leave my umbrella in my bag unless its absolutely pelting down
• I wear a Durag to bed or sleep on a silk pillow to minimise the harsh friction of my hair rubbing against the material as this can cause hair to fall out, and even though I look like a criminal wearing it it has worked wonders and there's hardly ever a hair on my pillow in the morning
• I use a wide-tooth comb to brush so it's not dragging my hair out from the roots or irritating the scalp
• To bathe and shower I have the temperature cooler as the heat from the water causes hair to dry out which in turn causes the brittle hair to break and fallout

Since switching up my hair regime in combination with the products and treatments I've been using, over the past 8 weeks I have seen a real difference in the condition of my hair. My hair now grows a lot faster and I've found it's becoming thicker, especially at my crown. My hair still gets quite dry but overall the products I use have restored some moisture and my hair is never as dry as it once was. When I brush less hair falls out, sometimes none at all and I've found that my scalp is less tender. 

I still have such a long way to go with this but I am so happy to be on track. I know what works for me and I know it's not just about what I put in my hair but what goes into my body is a huge factor too, so a balanced diet is a must. I still sometimes cry when I see what my hair has become but when I compare it to a few weeks ago it's not really that bad, it's just another experience to add to my book of 'Story's to tell the Grandchildren'.

Have you experienced anything similar? How did you deal with it? Have you got any tips?

Thanks for reading

Love Beanie xoxo

Bootea Teatox - Review

It's been two weeks since I finished my two week Bootea Teatox. I wanted to start some kind of detox in order to get me back on track with my healthy eating. I had also become quite groggy over the last few weeks, my mood hadn't been great and my skin was terrible. I don't have a problem with healthy eating and it's something I really enjoy. I just found I wasn't trying as hard as I once had and the effects of my early mornings, late nights and crazy diet were showing. I needed something to give me that little kick-start back to where I was.
 

I have to be extra careful with what I put into my body as even the most natural of ingredients can become quite harmful when living with PCOS. I checked out two other brands to find out what ingredients they contained, how they would help me and quite obviously to read up on any real-life reviews. I couldn't find much information on either of the first two which then led me to Bootea's official website. I read up the ingredients, researching the pro's and cons of each. So far I was happy with what I seeing so I decided to give it a go. I took a visit to the website and didn't struggle to find exactly what I was looking for. The information on how it works and the results! The Bootea Twitter page contains lots of before and after images which was perfect for me and a great selling point. I do however think it's easy to go one way or the other with the amount of photo's on the Twitter page and  I did actually read a blog post with someone questioning whether people had been paid to endorse the brand, the blogger also wondered why there were so many positive reviews and hardly any negative. Now I have tried and tested the Teatox myself the answer is simple it's because it works! Maybe not for everyone but definitely for me.

The Teatox cost me just £20.00 excluding P&P, I had also managed to get 20% off. For this price I would be getting 14 daytime teabags and 7 night-time. The idea is to drink the morning tea daily for 14 days and a for the nighttime tea, one every other night. For the duration of the Teatox you are required to stay away from meat, dairy, caffeine and alcohol. You can purchase a meal plan from Bootea for £2.99, which I chose not to just because there are certain foods I wanted to introduce myself to whilst doing the Teatox, foods that are good for women dealing with PCOS, so because I already tailored healthy eating plan to suit me I felt I wouldn't get the most from the Bootea plan and opted out. However if eating well is something you struggle with and you want to make sure the Teatox really works for you I would definitely order the eating plan.

My package arrived very quickly, I ordered on the Sunday night and it arrived on the Tuesday morning, I started the following morning. The tea itself is really quite tasty (bare in mind I am a tea enthusiast), the bag smells quite earthy but don't let that put you off, it is a nice, refreshing start to the day. The nighttime bag is the one people seemed to worry about the most as it contains natural Senna which can have a laxative effect, there is however a  warning on the packaging which states this can take up to 8 hours after drinking to take effect. I personally only experienced a few 'issues' nothing too dramatic, no pain just a bit of a tummy rumble and an urge to make like a Queen and glitter (that's the only way I can phrase it without sounding awful lol).

After the first few days I automatically felt so much better. My skin began to clear up and although I was still getting up early I just felt so refreshed and energised. I didn't get that horrible lethargic feeling I used to get, especially at work which would usually hit me around 11am and then again at 2/3pm. My cravings were curbed and more to the point no more coffee! For breakfast I would have porridge or soya and linseed toast with peanut butter and honey, for lunch I would make yummy Moroccan salads (I'll add the recipe for this over the next day or two) or soup and for dinner I'd have stuffed peppers or tuna and spinach with avocado. Snacking was easier than I thought, I'd always have a piece of fruit with me mostly blueberries, Pink Lady apples or a Banana. I'd keep cashews and raisins on my desk and if I fancied something sweet I'd bring a square of my super tasty homemade oat bars, again I will add the recipe for this too. I did break the plan once having roast chicken with the skin off with one of my meals. But with regular exercise (poledance and yoga) over the two weeks I managed to shift 6lbs.

Now, my reason for leaving it nearly two weeks after my Teatox to post was to report back on how I'm doing now. Since completing my two weeks I am now around 8lbs down and heading into a whole new stone on the scales. I still exercise regularly and in addition to pole dancing and yoga I have re-joined the gym. I have been on two nights out, two very tame nights out so my alcohol intake is at an all-time low and I have been able (with ease) to limit myself to no more than two cocktails. I have re-introduced meat although it isn't with every meal and as a part-time vegetarian I'm having red meat no more than once a fortnight, if that, sticking with chicken, fish, turkey and meat alternatives. I'm still as caffeine-free as possible, (YAY!)  meaning no more coffee, no Starbucks and no two-scoop, black coffee, mid-morning fixes, drinking only herbal teas and adding fresh lemon or orange to cold or hot water throughout the day. With regards to dairy, I pretty much ruled it out before the Teatox only drinking Almond and Soy Milk and as for everything else I am still on track.

I have really enjoyed this Teatox detox and would definitely recommend it to others. I think a lot of people use it for a quick fix before a special event which is great. But if you are looking to improve your diet and make it a lifestyle change this is an excellent way to ease yourself into it. For my ladies suffering with PCOS get onto this if not for your physical health then most definitely for your emotional health. I honestly believe that after weeks and weeks of feeling super-low this detox really did help me get myself in check and really lifted my mood, so much so even my workmates were commenting on how happy I was. I definitely got my groove back.

For anymore information please do not hesitate to get in contact or comment below and keep your eyes peeled for more of my experiments, recipes and all things health & beauty related.

Much love
Beanie x x

You can find out more about the Bootea teatox on their website www.bootea.com.

Poletastic - I have my very own X-Pole!

As usual, it’s been a while since my last post. I’ve been extremely busy with work and have been struggling to find the time to keep you all up to date with my adventures but I promise I'll do better :)

Since my last post I’ve been a very busy Polebean. Yep Polebean. I’ve literally just made that up. But it’s cute right? Anyway I now have my very own X Pole … yippee! And boy have I been putting that baby to use. Before I go on let me tell you about the traumas I have had buying a pole. I toyed with the idea for a while because I was unsure of whether or not I would get my use out of it. Eventually after a few weeks of deliberation I figured that I most definitely wanted my own pole and looked at it as a really fun piece of work out equipment after vowing to use it at least twice a week (in combination with classes).  My very generous other-half had been secretly watching poles on Ebay but being as fussy as I am he ended up having to tell me in case he bought the wrong one, I was still super-happy because I couldn’t think of a more thoughtful gift. When it came to buying I was so confused because even I didn’t know what I was looking for. After speaking with my instructor she gave me all the information I needed on how to choose the perfect pole and what I should be looking for. I hadn’t even realised there were different diameters ranging from a 25mm to 50mm, they also come in spinning and static and in a few different finishes. Crazy, I know, welcome to the world of poledance. I figured that since I had been using a 50mm, static in class then that’s what I was going to go for. Being the ever impatient Sabrina within a day or so I was on my way, boyfriend in tow, to pick up my static, 50mm, Xpole, purchased from eBay and in great condition. Needless to say my pole was up within minutes of being home, but I wasn’t feeling it. It felt awful, it just didn’t feel right at all. I tried and tried with this pole but I felt as though my grip was off and after two mini-sessions my left arm had started to really hurt. I ended up selling it on to another beginner who it suited perfectly  and in it’s place I was gifted a very beautiful 45mm, Spinning  Xpole. Brand Spanking new and very, very sexy. I feel much more comfortable on this pole and still don’t know why even after using a 50mm in class I couldn’t use it at home.

 

I attempted to use my new pole in spin-mode almost immediately. I tried a simple fireman spin and literally had no control. I was so dizzy when my feet hit the ground I literally had to wait a few seconds before moving on to the next. So for a long time I used the pole in static only switching to spin for a few minutes and only for spins such as Chair, Attitude and Mermaid. I’m definitely getting much better and although some believe using the a pole in spin mode is cheating, I can tell you from my experience it requires a whole new skill and technique to static. In my opinion both methods can be as equally difficult. For example a front hook in static, I find I can be a lot more loose in my core but stronger in my arms and legs, sort of more flowy. Whereas in spin mode my entire core is what keeps my form together, so I feel I need to keep everything tight. It actually wasn’t until using my pole in spin that I was able to really do a front hook, it’s so simple but has been one of the moves I struggled with the most. Using my pole in spin has also allowed me to move on to a few combo’s. A little advice from one beginner to another, if you do get a spinning pole make sure you practice all of your spins in both static and spinny. I alternate between the two always. Plus I’m getting of a better work out that way. Lost a few more pounds and I now fit into a pair of pants I couldn’t even zip a few months back. 

So, where am I up to now? I’m working on my strength in between classes as I feel this will help with pull ups and inverts, I’m also working on my flexibility (determined to get into the splits) so focussing on my leg and back flexibility (Yoga stretches come in really handy for this). I’m still mastering my spins, because learning how to execute the move is half the battle (for me anyway). So I'm working on how to make them prettier. I’m completely in to a handstand *CHEERS*. I also found I was getting overly frustrated with myself when trying certain things and felt like I was going backwards so I decided to use the moves and combo’s I can do and put them into a routine, this helps when I’m feeling tired, frustrated and groggy. Because I LOVE to dance this is an instant pick me up and a break from some of the harder stuff and takes away the frustration. Give yourself a challenge, if you’re feeling frustrated stick your heels on, let your hair down and bust a move. I love turning my music on and dancing for myself, sometimes if you just go with the flow you’ll even find yourself doing things you didn’t think possible. This is how I learned to do a plow-over, handstand and pirouettes. I’ll get some video’s up soon.

In my next post I'll talk to you about my poledance tantrum (uh-oh) and a little bit about what I'm doing at home.

As always, my advice to you is give Poledancing  a go. It’s the sexiest sport on the planet, you’ll laugh, you’ll learn and you will definitely love it! 

 

You got the job buddy! - Random Mini Spree

Hey guys thought I'd start my blog with an update on my current situation. Whenever I start to write about myself I tend to go backwards and then I feel like there's this huge backlog of information I need to compile and structure, therefore I'm only going back one week.

I was so excited! I know a lot of you might think it's a boring job but I have such a passion for it I can't even explain in words. Anyway before travelling down to Swindon for two days training I took it upon myself to go shopping for office attire. I quite obviously came back with items that would only be deemed office attire if I was in some kind of reality TV programme being filmed from all possible angles whilst pretending to work, bitching about friends to a work colleague, taking long pauses every 6 words. I don't know what came over me. Thinking back now there was a million outfits I could have chosen and from that million I came back with beach-ware, underwear, sunglasses and expensive diary (one of which I already have in another colour) the list goes on. Well at least it feels like it goes on, because quite frankly I lost my mind! I went into panic mode and shoveled not one item of office clothing into my basket. 

My shoes, I absolutely love and I'll be wearing them after work this week for drinks with friends. I really wanted a white and gold pair of barely's forever AND I've had two pairs before now. One pair from River Island and the other Carvela. I've ended up taking both back because of the fit. Nearly everything looks good or is a good idea when you're in the store and then once you get them home it's like you were out of your mind, all of a sudden they hurt, they don't go with anything or you just fall out of love. I think that's why I enjoy shopping online. It's like a surprise every time the post man comes a knockin'. 

The accessories are from H&M. These sunnies! They're perfect. I struggle to find the perfect sunglasses and most of the time go for giant ones that hide my face. For the price of these I couldn't grumble and they really do look cute on. The fact they are pink is a biggie for me too as I tend to go for black/brown frames. My ear cuffs I have worn to work, they look lovely with my black shift dress and blazer. I usually have my hair in a medium pony or to one side so they are visible. A bit of a pain when answering the phone so wearing one might be an option and looks just as cool. I also find that the cuffs pinch a little where they clip on to the bonier part of my ear at the top. Easily fixed by pulling out the clasp a little, but I'd be careful doing it so much as they look like they have the potential to snap if fiddled with too much.

Do you know what? Looking back it's not too bad. I can wear them all to work, I think I was more miffed I didn't pick up any cute suits or tailored pants and just came home with a bunch of accessories. For the most part I've been able to spruce up some of the stuff I already own with these accessories.

Shoes, Primark £18
Accessories H&M £3.99-£7.99
Diary, Ryman
Nautical Make up Bag, Primark £4