How I Fake Confidence

When it comes to my job there's no hiding, you have to be confident and outgoing to make an impression on those thousands of guests who pay good dollar to be on holiday, after all, they're after the high quality service. However, anyone who really knows me would have gone through this life journey with me and in actual fact most of the time, it's a total facade. I'm self-conscious, anxious and often quiet around new people. That's right people, I'm a total fake but I'm going to let you into the secrets of how exactly I completely blag my way through life.

• Make an effort with yourself. This is such a materialistic way to start but I believe that if you take that little bit of time to do your hair and make-up and even tan yourself up, you're already half way there because looking good makes you feel good. Am I right? Not many girls can say they feel 100% confident with their hair in a top knot, joggers on and Au Natural.

• Put on your favourite outfit. Of course this applies if you don't have work or a uniform but even so just style it to suit you with your favourite accessories. You can tell when someone feels comfortable in and enjoys what they're wearing as apposed to over-dressing or wearing something not your style, you aren't fooling anyone we know you feel awkward and conscious. Of course I'm all for taking risks but ensure you feel happy before stepping foot in public.

• Walk with your head up. Put that phone away for a change, we all are guilty of clinging onto it as a safety guard to avoid awkward eye contact or conversations but when you look and feel good, show that off. People may disagree that they hate being noticed but walking past someone with your head up will make them take a second look, you look more approachable and I don't know about you but knowing someones acknowledged you or your effort will boost your confidence that extra step.  

• Smile. This fits in with my previous tip. As much as you think your resting bitch face is doing you favours, it doesn't. Simply smiling to whoever you walk past, whether they smile back or not will actually also put the other person in a good mood aswell. After all, smiles are infectious. The only downside is I'm so used to smiling in my job that when I'm that friendly out of uniform I get a few odd looks but trust me, it works.

• Don't overthink. I think I can speak on behalf of everyone that 9 times out of 10 we rehearse what we want to say in our heads beforehand even if it's for an appointment, a phone call or what you're ordering for dinner. But sometimes it's beneficial to drop that filter in everyday life. Letting your words run free tends to reflect more of your personality even if you are a bit shy. Say something cheeky, be sarcastic, make a joke because actually you will have more of an impression on that person (good or bad) that if you kept your mouth shut. Obviously this is only to an extent, don't be inappropriate or rude and know when to be quiet (word vomit is a genuine disease for me) but it definitely helps the conversation flow that little bit more.

And that is pretty much it. I hope this will help you fake confidence as much as it does me. Of course, there are days I do none of the above but trust me, all this tips will have an impact on your confidence overall, you just have to take a chance and embrace it.

Love Pook x 

Veleza; The Go-To Beauty App!

Do you often seek advice on what beauty products to buy, have beauty products you just love to rant and rave about or just love all things beauty? Then Veleza is the perfect app for you!

A few months ago I was contacted by the community manager of Veleza telling me about a new app that is completely based on all things beauty and were looking for more bloggers to feature on it. Of course, me being a sucker for hints and tips I just had to sign up! Instantly I was obsessed. Once you sign up you answer a few questions on your skin type which is added to your profile which looks like this.

My blog is linked to my profile which only the owners can do currently if you have one you want to share. Here you have your own posts where you share your tips or a product you're loving for everyone else to see then people can "like" and "comment" very Facebook-esque. Then your Reviews, which when you add a new post {+ button} instead of clicking create a post click add product to shelf where you take a picture and then the system registers it for you to write your opinion on it. Perfect if you're someone like me who loves everyone knowing what you think!

A new feature was introduced the past few days which is earning gems for being active on Veleza so the more you post the more gems you get and the higher you rank! Just a cute added extra to motivate you to post.

What's really cute about the notifications section is you can see when people write a new post and review aswell as who liked yours and followed you. It's so much easier to catch up on as the Discover section doesn't have everyone's posts on there.

Here is where you can see other members posts! I've been inspired by so many of these and bought a ton of products others have tried and tested. The best thing about this is it's real people testing real products, no fake advertising, just pure love!

This section is where you can find products yourself based on what you want and are looking for. Most products on here are drugstore and affordable, even telling you the prices which is super handy!

Finally, my favourite bit of the app, the Discuss section! Here you can seek advice from your fellow app users for whatever you're after. It's like a beauty forum just ask a question then others comment suggesting the best products in their opinion. This is what makes Veleza a community app as a whole.

I hope you liked my little tour of the app and hopefully persuaded you to download this FREE app. Remember, blogger or not this is for everyone and I highly recommend it as everyone is so friendly and supportive on there and it's definitely something that is underrated and needs more exposure. Trust me it can be a lifesaver for your last minute beauty worries!

Here is the website link you can download the app straight from https://veleza.com/

Welcome to the community darlings!

Katie x

Online Friends.

Hello m'loves.

So, this post today is something very close to my heart aswell as i'm sure thousands of you out there; Online Friends.

Who remembers when they were younger before "proper" social media was invented we were taught not to talk to strangers, not to speak to anyone you don't know online etc. (although i must admit the awful days of "chat rooms" there were a few, lets say "interesting" individuals you came across.) but like everything technology has evolved! Facebook was invented to reconnect with your friends and family but the Holy Grail that is Twitter was basically created to interact with people you didn't know.

Think about it, Celebrities and aspiring musicians/artists/actors etc use Twitter as their primary source of gaining new fans to grow their following and success. To be honest, it's quite impossible to even remember life before it. How did we find out the latest gossip so fast? What did we use to vent? How did we know about events etc? It's very scary how pretty much everyone on this planet relies on the internet nowadays. And of course, by following your favourite people you're going to interact with other new strangers who share your interest from all over the world. For something potentially so dangerous, it's actually pretty amazing. 

Over the years I have been lucky enough to find friends across the globe from when i was a fan of The Wanted {y'know the other boyband that wasn't One Direction .. Glad You Came?} well with their growing success came growing fans and I was in this little bubble with so many my age who wouldn't judge me unlike my "real life" friends and we would gossip, laugh, cry together until the early hours of the morning, gushing about our love. 

Honestly, when I first got Twitter I never expected to be able to grow such a deep connection with someone over a computer and I have had many friends that have come and gone but each time was truly special and if you had the opportunity to meet, it would be the most emotional time you could experience. Thanks to everyone I've met online, I've had the chance to travel some of England, Ireland and Wales. I've gained experience and memories so to those who frown upon it, those who constantly undermined me and judged me for liking "a poxy band" it was the best decision of my life.

And here I am today. I may not be crazy over a boyband anymore or in any kind of fandom but at almost 21, I'm still meeting and befriending people everyday. With different lifestyles, different backgrounds it's so fascinating to me and right now I have Dublin to look forward to where I will see Soph who I met in 2011, I'm going on adventures with Charlotte {who lives near me BUT WE MET ON TWITTER} and my two current closest friends Jay and Sam who I met online, and we are all uncomfortably close to the point we share everything. 

And even more exciting news; I GOT TO MEET JAY YESTERDAY.

 

Never underestimate the power of the internet.

My word of advice is; Speak to Strangers! (But obviously be aware of creepy people lurking around.)

Love you all lots!

P.s. My photoshop is back up and running so I'm playing around with header ideas for each post, what do you think?

Katie x

Blog For The Passion, Not For The People.

Recently I've been reading a hell of a lot of posts about how people are panicking about having writers block, not being happy with what they post and how their layout looks. 

My only advice is just STOP.

Stop what you are doing, stop panicking, stop comparing yourself to others and think back to the day you decided to make your blog. What inspired you to communicate your message to this crazy world that is the Internet?

Granted I haven't been blogging properly for very long but I think too many of us are hoping to be the next Zoella overnight that we're forgetting our own identities and we've stopped writing what we're passionate about and more about what we think others want to read. That's when the panic kicks in.

There are thousands of blogs created and it's inevitable you are going to feel drowned in a sea of bloggers all over the world, but this happens in whatever creative field you're in. Music, Dance, Acting. Everything takes time to graft, and make a success and a following comes with it but don't make that the reason you want to blog, blog for YOU not for other people. Think about the likes of Adele; she didn't release an album for 4 years until it was perfect, she didn't release an album every year that she was unhappy with and it was rushed just to make others happy.

Every blogger is wonderful in their own way and I enjoy reading several blogs and the ones I enjoy the most have an identity, it reflects them as a person not just 'lifestyle' 'beauty' 'fashion'.

Basically what I'm trying to say is; it's okay to feel passionate about blogging but stop putting so much pressure on yourself to be perfect overnight, to worry about your stats and your figures. Do it because you love to write, do it because you love to share your voice and opinions. Do it to express yourself. Be yourself.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.

Katie X 

Dear 12 Year Old Me ...

Beaut Year 11 School Photo.

Dear 12 year old me,

You've just started your first year at Secondary School, to put it bluntly it's going to be an emotionally draining, rollercoaster ride and that's on a good day! But eventhough I came out alright, I survived, there are a few things I'd like to give you hints and tips on to make the school experience just that bit more bareable. 

• It is NOTHING like Primary school, not everyone is your friend. Just because they said hello to you doesn't mean you're suddenly in their clique, oh god no. Those "popular" groups you secretly want to impress and be a part of, they don't last long by belittling everyone. By Year 9 the majority of your year group would have integrated a bit like High School Musical so they are virtually unheard of by Year 11. Concentrate on the real friends you have made.

• Do not do that dreadful Bebo chav pose when you make your profile. Honestly, it is not worth the stick or hype. You will definitely regret it. HAHA.

• Brands you wear do not define you as a person. Without sounding like a middle-aged woman, this isn't a fashion show no matter how much everyone makes it one. It's school, we all wear the same uniform just in different ways, BE COMFORTABLE. Do not splash out on an ugly Helly Hanson coat or Nike trainers that will apparently go out of fashion within a week. Trust me, Primark will open soon in Plymouth and 90% of girls in your year will be rocking £3 envelope bags that you can't fit anything into. (WHO REMEMBERS THOSE BEAUTIES?)

• I'm all for being yourself but girl invest in some tweezers and stop shaving your monobrow, you will soon regret it and end up spending the rest of your teens trying to even out your brows, I wish I was told this sooner!!

• Girl, foundation and lippy will change your life but please you are pale as a snowflake, you need to use 000 or 001, don't raid your mothers or use 3 different Miss Sporty liquid foundations, absolute no no! And don't get me started on that pastel-pink-mixed-with-foundation lip shade.

• Hair. Now everyone suffered with the last little bowt of headlice in the first year but to prevent this, use Full Marks Mousse and wash your hair frequently WITH conditioner. Also your natural hair colour is bland and it needs taking care of but here's a little spoiler; by the time you are 16 you will be that dream blonde you've wished for. Maybe even invest in the colour sooner to avoid the ginger stage.

• Be more outgoing. Stop being so insecure, it makes you an easy target. Be comfortable in your own skin and if you know the answer to a question, girl put that hand up high! If some girl starts on you, don't be a push over, you are more intelligent and worth a million of that little wannabe. Rise above it, these girls and boys are not intimidating at all, they are no different from you they just have a gob on them and think it's big and clever to disrupt a class. FYI it's not at all. 

• Work hard. Doing all your homework, listening to the boring bits, even doing the "optional" classes will prove very beneficial in the future. Take every opportunity and choose your subjects wisely.

It's going to be okay. Life will give you obstacles and there will be rough times throughout but stick with your friends and be yourself and you can't go wrong. It's a long 5 years but it truely is the best days of your life so make the most of it.

20 year old Katie.

[Disclaimer: This is based on my experiences and lifestyle choices throughout school. All my own views and opinions.]

How To Stay Safe On Dating Sites/Apps.

Eharmony, Tinder, Grindr, POF, Love Match, even social media sites are being infamous for finding dates!

Gone are the days where you bump into a handsome stranger in the street, he spills coffee over you and you both fall madly inlove.

Okay, so even the most cliche Rom Coms are dated now and I expect even if they did make a film about 18/Female/UK seeking 40 year old millionaire, they'll leave out the part where 90% of the people you find online are NOT NORMAL.

This is why Catfish is also one of my favourite TV shows because they show the reality of meeting someone online and how a fantasy can be crushed by one (or in most cases a few!) lies. Because it's so easy to lie on the Internet right? How many of us got a social media account before we were 13 and changed our DOB, or clicked the "I Have Read The Terms and Conditions" box? At the time we had no idea how much that one lie can escalate.

As a single girl, of course I have experienced going on dates with someone I have met on social media and I've recently signed up to Plenty Of Fish to see whats out there because I've found having Tinder and swiping right if I like what I see is so degrading and how am I going to tell what kind of person they are by their Profile Pictures on Facebook?

This is what our society has come to, modern technology has reinvented the way we communicate with new people so here are a few tips from my own experience to help you:

• I'm all for giving everyone a chance, so treat it as if you're meeting someone for the first time in person, if they were in your opinion "ugly" you wouldn't just ignore them if they said hi would you?

• Flirty banter is the current phase but know your boundaries and retain your dignity. If the conversation becomes uncomfortably inappropriate too soon, get rid! You aren't going to find The One by recieving a d**k pic are you?

• If you do find you are liking him/her, protect yourself. Don't go all Nev and Max on the poor thing but before you get in too deep, know who you're talking to. It's a very small world, 9 times out of 10 someone you know is bound to know them or of them but just to be sure, double check it's not psycho Derek down the road luring on you.

• Meet them before committing to them. Someone's personality written down is far too generic. It's a fact of life, not everyone gets along even if you're consdered a "perfect match" online who enjoys long walks on the beach and napping; so does a dog!?

• IMPORTANT: When meeting for the first time, day dates are perfect or even going for a drink in a public place. That way you're in a secure environment and it's preventing yourself from any danger.

If I've missed anything out, you don't agree with something I've said or you have any further tips, please let me know. I think it's our responsibility to look out for eachother these days.

Katie x