the pressure to be perfect.

Sometimes we try to please everyone, we try so hard to keep everyone else happy but on the way, we forget about our own happiness. For the past few years, since I started high school, I tried to be good enough for everyone, to reach their expectations. I tried to be nice, funny, understanding and everything anyone could want in a friend. I tried to be perfect.

The thing about the concept of perfection is that is based solely on the one persons' view. My idea of perfection will be different compared to someone else's thought of perfection. And that's what struck me hard. I tried to fit everyone's perspective of perfection. When I was with one person, I would be funny and witty. When I was with someone else, I would be caring and understanding. I kept changing myself for everyone else and I began to think to myself, who am I? I had multiple personalities.

Last year, I decided to stop and just be myself. At first, people were kind of confused, thinking I had changed completely over summer. Then pretty much everyone accepted me as I was and I think that was truly amazed. One quote I read a while ago fits this topic quite well, "Those who mind, don't matter. And those who matter, don't mind". 

In today's society, we're surrounded by pictures of models and celebrities. They are constantly called perfect or they have the perfect body or hair or smile. Just remember that we blame society but we are society.

I think that perfection is just a state of mind where it's something we always strive for, whether it's the perfect  figure or smile, yet it's something we can never have ourselves. It's always something that someone else has, we are quick to see our own flaws but we are quick to point out good things about other people.

Perfect by Simple Plan really explains how you may not be perfect but you're worth it.

"Nobody's perfect. We're all just one step up from beasts and one step down from the angels" - Jeanette Walls

Kayla x

7 deadly beauty sins tag - skincare version.

I've seen this tag floating around the bloggersphere and youtube and I thought I should give it a go but with a skincare twist since I don't really wear make up!

source

1. GREED: What is your most inexpensive beauty item? What is your most expensive?

My most inexpensive is probably my mosturiser, Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser which cost me £1 from the pound shop haha! I make it a general rule that I buy most beauty products from the high street so I don't have anything crazily expensive. It's probably my facial scrub/mask from Garnier Pure range. It only cost about £7 but its the only thing that costs more than what I usually spend.

2. WRATH: What beauty products do you have a love-hate relationship with? What product has been the hardest to get?

I have a love-hate relationship with my Neutrogena pink grapefruit facial scrub because sometimes I feel it helps my skin but sometimes I think it's just a bunch of chemicals that's not helping my skin. I haven't really got a product that's been hard to get since I get most products from high street, nothing is really difficult to find.

3. GLUTTONY: What are your most delicious beauty products?

Definitely my Neutrogena pink grapefruit scrub, oh god, it smells of heaven.

4. SLOTH: What beauty product do you neglect, due to laziness? 

Probably my Neutrogena spot stress control cleansing lotion because I can never be bothered to use it.

5. PRIDE: What beauty product gives you the most self confidence?

My Avene mosturiser sample, purely for the fact that it hides most of my spots and blemishes.

6. LUST: What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?

Humour, definitely but not a mean kind of humour.

7. ENVY: What items would you like to receive as a gift?

Either the Clarisonic Mia or Loverdose by Diesel.

Kayla x

quotes for thought.

It's not really the nature of my blog to write about anything philosophical and if you knew me in real life, you would never think of me as a philosophical thinker or anything but sometimes, in my mind, I have this random moments when I all ever think of why this and why that. I'm a sucker for philosophical quotes, whether they're in books or films or just something you hear on the radio.

One of my all time favourite quotes is from The Vow, a really awesome film that is actually based on a true story and stars the beautiful, not to mention perfect, Channing Tatum! 

In the film, Leo (played by Channing Tatum) says, "Life's all about moments, of impact and how they changes our lives forever. But what if one day you could no longer remember any of them? The moment of impact. The moment of impact proves potential for change. Has ripples effects far beyond what we can predict. Sending some particles crashing together. Making them closer than before. While sending others spinning off into great ventures. Landing them where you've never thought you've found them. That's the thing about moments like these. You can't, no matter how hard you try, controlling how it's gonna affect you. You just gotta let the colliding part goes where they may. And wait. For the next collision"

I love that quote but I can never remember it off by heart so I always end up copying and pasting off the internet. However, yesterday, I stumbled across yet another quote, this time it was a comment on a video by TheHappyWallflower. The comment quoted a few sentences from a film called 'The History Boys' (which I now vow to watch): "The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - that you'd thought special, particular to you. And here it is, set down by someone else, a person you've never met, maybe even someone long dead. And it's as if a hand has come out, and taken yours." 

That is probably the most accurate depiction of me right now. Last night, I was reading a book by John Green, my favourite author in the world. The book was called Will Grayson, Will Grayson. There was one sentence that really struck me because it is so true. It said "The things that you hope for the most are the things that destroy you in the end".

The thing I adore about John Green is that he manages to write down everything I have ever felt and write it in the most beautiful way. I think the best thing about that quote is that it just radiates truth. For example, in the legendary film, Mean Girls, all Cady wanted was to not be a loner so basically she wanted to be popular. In the end, it ruined her reputation, she lost her friends and well, she ended up to be not so popular.

For anyone who has actually read everything I just wrote, I salute you for having a long attention span and for hopefully not being bored by this. Maybe nobody will read this but I just needed to get this out of my brain.

Kayla x

what's in my school bag?

If you read my last post on my review of my SwankySwans satchel, you hopefully would know that my camera is broken so I can't take a picture but here is one from Amazon:

(Source: Amazon)

In the main compartment:

- school books (my school has a weird thing where you have to bring all your school books from the previous year back on the first day because we don't have our timetable until registration on the first day, crazy I know)
- pencil case, pretty self-explanatory what's in it
- my phone
- lip balm
- tissues
- earphones
- locker/house keys
- purse

In the front pockets:
- geometry set
- calculator
- hand sanitizer
- chewing gum

My school bag is pretty basic, now that I think about it there's nothing special inside it. I hate it when blog posts end in open questions but I would love to know what kind of stuff you carry around in your bag?

Kayla x

swankyswans satchel review.

Sadly, my camera is broken from when I dropped it on holiday, clumsy me :( So I can't take a picture of my actual schoolbag but since I bought it off Amazon, I found a picture of it there.

(Source: Amazon)

This is my bag, I actually got the exact same one in navy blue but its sold out on Amazon so there isn't a picture anymore.

This bag is amazing, literally. Its so spacious, perfect for A4 books and it could fit a few ring binders but not huge ones. The pockets on the front are big enough for calculators or geometry sets. There are also pockets on each side of the bag but I haven't managed to find anything to put there, maybe a water bottle or tissue haha?

I think the faux buckles on the bag are awesome and they are secured by a magnetic clasp. I am slightly worried that they won't last as they aren't very magnetic.

Overall this is an awesome bag and I'm glad I found it. At first, I was dying for a Cath Kidson bag but I couldn't bring myself to spend £60ish on a bag that may or may not last. However, this satchel from SwankySwans (they're on Amazon and eBay but there is a bigger selection on Amazon) is a great alternative. My bag (not the one pictured here) cost about £29 with £4 delivery (pretty pricey!). I must say that the delivery was great and worth it, as it arrived within 2 days rather than they 3-5 days they predicted.

Kayla x

DISCLAIMER: This is not a sponsored post/review. These are all my own opinions.

summer to autumn transition pieces.

(Source: We Heart It) 

There's always that awkward few weeks between the end of summer and beginning of autumn when you don't know if you should wear more or less layers and the weather, that always seems to be changing, doesn't help either. So swap your shorts for jeans, your sandals for boots and your sleeveless tops for some chunky knit cardigans!

~ a pair of boots:
I'm a sucker for any kind of ankle boots, especially these boots from Zara. You can wear any kind of boots, ankle boots or even boots that go higher than your kneecaps!

~ a warm coat:
Warm coats are an essential here in the UK and can be used pretty much all year round. I especially love this  faux fur lined parka from Pull & Bear. The khaki colour means that you can still look trendy and be warm at the same time.

~ a cable knit jumper:
This cable knit jumper from H&M comes in a variety of colours, including a gorgeous burgundy colour, and is priced at a very reasonable £12.99

~ a pair of jeans
Jeans are the ultimate staple in any girl's wardrobe, especially skinny jeans but any style of jeans are just as good! This pair from Topshop are super comfortable and are very versatile.

Kayla x

ootd - we're still waiting on the world to change.

shirt: ralph lauren (old)

shorts: debenhams (old)

socks: new look

I'm going to a little meet-up with my friends before school starts (dreading it already!) and we're off to the cinemas to watch Ted, which I'm really looking forward too as the trailer itself looks hilarious! After, we're going out to eat so hopefully this outfit will be able to bear the chilly London weather but I may need to change my socks into some tights, hm ;)

Kayla x