Faded Spring

    Honey My Hair Fell Out: Hair Loss

    Honey it's official my hair is falling out. Here I am at the ripe old age of 22 with clumps of hair in each hand, absentmindedly plucking stray grey hairs out of my ‘aging’ scalp. No, no this is not what I signed up for, not at all. How the hell can a 22 year old who looks like a 12 year old be sitting there with chunks of curly frizzy hair malting like some freaking overgrown cat? I mean it is everywhere, in the bath, in the sink, sometimes lurking in more inconspicuous places like the fridge (namely the butter). I honest to God feel like I am a human cat wafting around the place and marking my territory with hair instead of piss. It sounds strange for me to discuss hair loss when I ... read more

    Home Sweet Home

    I thought this day would never come but here I am flying the nest and moving to London. Ever since I started university four years ago I fell in love , dreaming of the day I could call it my own. In the last four years I never had a permanent home to call my own and moved six times, this being my seventh. There was tears and mishaps along the way but today is the start of a new dawn. I can forge a new beginning and start afresh, away from the memories of a past best forgotten. No longer will I cower before the people who betrayed me nor will I be stuck in the past like a broken record on repeat. Instead I will stand tall and bask in the warm glow of London, a multicultural haven full of ... read more

    Creating A Positive Bedroom Environment

    In a world governed by chaos, greed and misfortune having 'sex' is often a recipe for disaster. A bedroom environment should be welcoming and be a space where partners feel comfortable with each other but quite often that is not the case. Having sex in a negative environment can cause both psychological and physical long-term effects, and in some cases permanently or temporarily damage a persons sex drive, a conundrum that over half of the population face when 'trying' to get intimate.  Our stress levels are rising, our pulse rates are dropping and the desire to get intimate can become a struggle to emulate, leaving both partners sexually frustrated. But why has our sex drives decreased in ... read more

    Dive Into Diwah

    Its a sweltering hot summers day, waves lapping around my ankles like a snake on heat, the blaring rays causing sweat to build on my crinkled forehead. The birds chirp forlornly, craving the kind of shade they can bask in, away from the harsh sunlight that sets them alight. The drinks come swiftly, pina colada, mojito, cosmopolitan, a welcome peace offering from the fierce sun-soaked skies. The vivid blue waves behind me wrap me in a 'rose-tinted' film, pretending to shield me from the droves of rain clouds threatening to spill. In my fantasy I lie at peace in the sand, warm sea water tickling at my sand filled toes. The soft sand envelops me in a sensuous hug , battling the gentle sea waves ... read more

    A Letter To My Eighteen Year Old Self

    You made it this far, you are a champion, a warrior whose scars document the events of years past. You have fought bullies and won and kicked abuse in the teeth. You have proved that your past does not define who you are as a person. I want to congratulate you on surviving your teenage years and learning to stand up for yourself because you are not that little mouse any more. Remember those days when you used to surround yourself with people you knew that hated you because you were afraid of being alone. You were pushed around and called names, made fun of because the bullies saw you as a target. They told you that they bullied you because you were a pushover and you thought to yourself what ... read more

    The Wimbledon Open With Jones and Jones

    As the crowds rise to their feet and clap, I am a vision in angelic white lace, cheering on the British hopefuls who are determined to win the coveted trophy and regain glory for a broken Britain. In a Post-Brexit apocalyptic  universe, it seems our passion and pride in sports and culture remains as optimistic as ever and it is refreshing to note that tennis still remains an exciting British sport, even if we crashed out of the Euro and disappointed die-hard football fans. After our abysmal performance in the Euro 2016, which Portugal won (yay) I was pleased that the excellent Andy Murray won the Singles Title for the second time since 2013 and claimed a third Grand Slam Title. On top of ... read more

    Getting My Life Back With Style Sportif

    There was a time when I was considered ‘sporty’ but years of bad eating habits, illness and exercise related laziness left me out of the ‘sporting loop’ for good, or at least so I thought. I had got into a pattern of excuses, believing that I was too ‘busy’ to exercise and blamed my hectic work schedule for not being able to take time out to exercise. Except of course that was a load of crap and as the years drifted by my refusal to be ‘healthy’ became more and more apparent. There is this misconception that just because someone is ‘slim’ they are healthy when the reality is far darker. I ate sporadically and my diet was terrible, failing to keep to a steady eating routine. Junk food was the ... read more

    House Festival With Samsung & Three

    In a rare sunny spell, Marble Hill was bathed in a soft golden glow, where the gentle rays of forgotten sunshine was beginning to pull through. Festival goers clambered into open fields, eager to enter the excitement that would engulf them beyond the tents, while the sun deepened into hazy euphoria. As a guest of Samsung and Three, I was escorted straight to the tents before being ushered into the growing crowds that awaited House Festival. It was magical; like a scene set in a Midsummer's Night Dream rainbow streamers swung merrily overhead, the gentle caress of the wind like a balm to the sunshine's warmth. The zest of the festival goers was infectious, the laughter and cheers ringing in ... read more

    Faded Spring’s Guide To Purley & Co.

    In my heart lies the free-spirit of a traveler, who over the past four years has uprooted from my village to pursue my dream of a prestigious English Literature, English Language and Education and Social Sciences degree and make everyone proud. During those four years I moved a whopping eight times, graduated with a first and followed my dreams of becoming a real-life blogger and now that journey is about to get more exciting. I am finally moving to London at the end of this month and whilst my dream has already been delayed two months, being one step closer to my dream makes my heart a-flutter. But that is not to say that I will leave behind the memory of my home of nine months so easily; ... read more

    Planete Chocolat Luxury Truffles

    'Dripping its weight in gold, the cookie crumbles, Succulent chocolates tower over mankind,Caramelized strands of rope entwine in harmony,Songbirds tweet a sweet chocolate rhyme, o' sweet one hand me your time, Candy castle stuffed with sweet delights,No more sweet than the secret hidden treasure, A chocolate room laden with the good brown, Belgian, Swiss, the French are good too, The king sits at the centre, his chocolate crown melts, Pooling at his royal feet he takes a lick, sweet god he cries,What is this sorcery, the finest chocolate in the land no less?Truffles sire, made from Belgian cocoa, rest assured its handmade,The revelers rejoiced and the trumpeters played,The court ate till ... read more