Faded Spring

    The Benefits Of A Digital Detox

    Rewind to the 14th June and the news I had been dreading most had hit the airwaves; two deaths that I was left to mourn in the space of a few hours. I crumbled and fell but held my head high, riding above the waves of despair as the tributes came pouring in. I saw the last memories of my friend and grandma replay in my mind, social media plastered with statuses and photos to commemorate their lives. But I found it too hard to cope and went offline, hoping that not being confronted with their deaths 24/7 would help me move on and accept their loss. Since I began blogging last August I have only had one other digital detox- two months ago- and although I felt refreshed it made getting into ... read more

    My Floral Fantasy With ILWF

    Where would my floral fantasy take place? On a desert island surrounded by intricate floral wreaths woven with seashells, watching the waves lap the shore or in an urban city, watching the world go past as I strut in my towering platforms, bringing colour and joy into peoples ordanairy mundane lives; wherever my fantasy takes place, there is no denying that florals are the ultimate symbol of vitality. They bring us hope when we are low and bring us joy in our happiest moments, flowers commemorate special moments in our lives and can signal the loss of loved ones. Whatever the occasion flowers or floral prints will be there to signify the start of something new. For as long as I can remember ... read more

    A Letter To My Angels

    The 15th of June will be a date that I will never forget, the moment that I was left gasping for air as the news of your death reached me. I crumbled and fell, one young the other old, both deaths out of the blue and left me feeling broken. There is an emptiness inside me and I feel broken beyond repair, I wonder through life sleepless and afraid of what life will bring me next. I will never forget you, Grandma and friend for bringing colour and joy into my life. Shante, you were full of colour and life, never afraid to challenge social convention and be the life and soul of the party; Grandma you were quiet and serene, always watchful, forever present in my heart. You both died fighting for ... read more

    Learning To Express Gratitude

    Learning to express gratitude when you are surrounded by your own s**t is easier said than done and sometimes I want to pull the covers over my head and pretend that the world doesn't exist. The voices in my head spread poisonous thoughts into my subconscious and convince me that my misfortune is all my fault. Sometimes I believe them, convinced that I am a failure and that everything I try to do right always goes tits up. It’s hard to break out of the negative thought cycle and most days I am wading through a pile of my own issues, struggling to come up for air. But then I think to myself, no matter how bad things are (which believe me it is at an all-time low) remember to always express ... read more

    Apricot S/S 16 Lookbook

    Established in 2007, Apricot was created with familial ties in mind; curating a collection that appealed to both a teenage and adult/mother market was no easy feat but allowed Apricot to step outside rival discount retailer Primark's shadow. Featuring staple fabrics with this seasons stand out print 'paisley' in neutral tones for the busy mother and fresh, innovative florals in classic silhouettes for the teen with a dream, Apricot's family friendly initiative has attracted female consumers in their droves. With a large emphasis on the 18-24 and 35+ dual markets, although Apricot has not managed to break into the Top 10 UK Retailers List ( Officiated by Real Business Net), the gradual ... read more

    Toxic Waste

    As people close one door I burst into tears, convulsions running through my chest as I weep out my agony. They seem indifferent to my pain, preferring to ignore my red rimmed eyes and my swollen cheeks. Every breath feels like a knife to my lungs and I am gasping for air. I am caught in a dense tide, a chain shackled to my ankles, slowly drowning in a well of my own despair. Everytime I think that I am happy, a new wave forms forcing melancholic thoughts into my overcrowded head. I don't know which way to turn when the vipers are following my other move and I know god damn well that they don't offer consolidation. I am going through a big change at the moment and at every turn things seem to ... read more

    You Are What You Wear

    ' The troops assemble, line by line, crossing the fold into anonymity,Dressed in drab colours they remain nameless, a number destined to be forgotten,Emotionless they raise the flags in patriotic regard, chained to a cause they do not support, Like puppets every move is controlled, mannequins of an Totalitarian regime, The capitalists march forward banning all colour, raising their grimy finger towards the offender,Swathed in orange, purple and green the human is awash with forbidden colours,The troops charge forward guns a'blazing to erase one mans bravery,Resolve weakens and the troops tremble, the offenders aura begins to intoxicate,Suddenly they are men with names again, no longer a ... read more

    Boohoo Suede Campaign Part 2

    Suede, the material of the gods has blessed us with trend after trend, spanning from the dawn of time. The caveman used suede to protect them from the bitter winds that winter brought in and the French elite wore it as a mark of power, but it wasn't until the 1950's that suede was popularized for the masses. Suddenly suede jackets marched into the 70's adorned with tassels and fringing that marked the 'free-spirited' boho aesthetic that was so popular among 'hippies' while the 60's suede pinafores revolutionized the way we saw suede. But one trend took the world by storm and that was Mary Quant's mini-skirt, which liberated women from patriarchal control and gave them freedom within artistic ... read more

    Stay Unique With Dirty Velvet

    'Lolling heads in unison, driven insane by the stench of homogeneity, Everyone was dressed the same, aesthetic zombies lured into the trap of set guidelines,They told us what to wear and they took away our identities, we were walking puppets for democratic relief, I was a woman trapped in a mans body, they told me to wear skirts and dresses because trousers were for boys, At home us rebels would go rogue by night, the velveteers they called us with our gender bending ways, we were free to roam the streets at night and no one was the wiser, like chameleons we would escape the limitations of our gender and rolled into the 50's without a care for gender boundaries, Audrey [Hepburn] taught us to ... read more

    Acai Berry Focus Supplements

    Having lost nearly two stone during my illness last year I was keen to build up my muscle mass and begin rebuilding the strength I had lost when I was sick. Living With An Invisible Illness is difficult because although I appeared 'frail' and 'gaunt' many people assumed that I was anorexic or not 'ill' at all and I sunk into an inevitable hole of depression, disgusted at the fact that I could count my ribs which visibly poked through my clothing. Although I was naturally petite before my illness, I became unable to keep food down because of my stomach and digestive tract issues and was left taking a series of medications that doctors claimed would help me get better. Of course it didn't and ... read more