Cramps, Coils and Contraception: My Experience With an IUD

This is a very different kind of post from my usual beauty reviews and nail art posts, but the topics I am going to cover do have an aspect of health which I think are relevant to this blog.

If this kind of topic isn't your bag, literally every other post on this blog is firmly beauty or nail related (apart from that one slightly embarrassing post where I went on a rant about Taylor Swift which I am not going to actively link) but you can find plenty of other content beauty content in the popular post bar on the right :)

There are a couple of reasons why I am writing this post which I will get into later on, but mainly I think it is because more and more women are becoming aware of the pill, and how sometimes harmful the effects of the added hormones can have on your body and health. I did a poll on instagram to see if my followers would be interested in this topic, and there was a resounding yes which makes me think that people are much more aware of their contraception and the options they have. As someone who has a IUD or the coil as it is more commonly know, I always find people have a shed load of questions for me when they learn I have one, so I thought it would be helpful to put my experiences with it in a post.

I am fully aware I started a BEAUTY blog, but I feel sometimes we need to talk about these more taboo topics as life isn't all about lipsticks and lashes. I will openly admit I feel a little nervous posting this on my blog, but I think it is important to open up the conversation, especially when it comes to talking about your hormones, and the effects it can have on your mental and physical health.

To start, I am going to give you a little back story on my contraceptive journey to give you an idea of my experience with other forms of contraception and maybe indicate the reasons why I ended up choosing to have an IUD, so if you want to skip over that, scroll down to the Q&A part of the post.

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I vividly remember first being told about the coil by one of my school friends when I was sitting in my common room at the ripe old age of about 15. I am still not a fan of the word 'coil' as I think it sounds a little scary and for me personally, I thought it sounded like a big metal spring like contraption that rattled around inside of you. The girl informing me about this contraceptive device made the idea of it sound horrendous. She told us all sorts of horror stories about how she'd heard it "scraped out your insides" and could "burst through your womb and get lost inside of you and kill you", and how one time she'd heard "a baby had been born with one embedded in it's skull". I distinctly remember thinking, and probably saying out loud, "I would NEVER get the coil", yet here I am ten years later writing this post with one inside me as I type.

So what changed? Well firstly, I grew up! I learned not to be put off by something that doesn't always work for everyone else. Sure, everyone has heard horror stories about the coil, but that is because you rarely hear positive stories about them, making the bad press they get more common. Of course with anything like this there are risks, but they are very rare and also unlikely. If the horror stories happened all the time, doctors wouldn't recommend them and actually you tend to find a lot of doctors really support this kind of contraception.

I went on the Microgynon pill when I was 17. It was a decision my mum supported me in, and she took me to the doctors to discuss it. At this time of my adolescent life, the pill was something everyone just went on, and no other options were really discussed (in my friendship group anyway).

The pill actually worked really well for me, my tiny boobs ballooned, my skin stayed baby soft, my periods were as light as a feather and lasted about 3-4 days and I was loving life. The only slight negative side was that I did tend to experience head aches.

When I was around 19, I went to the doctors where I explained my headaches, and the first thing they suggested was that I should try the pill Cerazette. I took their advice and again, got on with this different pill very well. Cerazette is a pill you take continually meaning you never have a break. This worked so well for me during uni. I was living with four boys, and I never once had to worry about sneaking to the loo with a tampon up my sleeve (not that it is anything to be ashamed of), or have a panic about leaving any laundry around that may have been victim to a little leakage. Financially, it meant I could buy all the Vodka red bulls I wanted as I wasn't splurging on sanitary products (ban the tampon tax!). All in all, Cerazette made my life really really easy.

As I grew older and left uni however, I started to feel slightly uncomfortable about the fact that I hadn't had a period in about four years. As rubbish as they are, periods are a natural function of your body, and I felt as though I needed a sign to reassure me that everything was all working as normal in that department. When I spoke to my doctor about it, they suggested I have an IUD inserted in which I instantly wrote off with the year 10 common room stories at the forefront of my mind.

It was around this time after uni that I had decided that I wanted to go travelling indefinitely, and it suddenly occurred to me that I couldn't exactly order a year + supply of my pill. It was then that a friend suggested the coil to me again. She had had one inserted, and for some reason someone my age discussing it with me without the big scientific words made it a lot less scary. With my feelings of wanting to come off the pill combined with her positive experience, the more an IUD made sense to me, so in November 2013 I had my IUD fitted.

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How do I go about getting the coil and know if it is right for me?

The only way you can know 100% if the coil is right for you is by discussing it with your doctor. There are a few reasons why you may not be able to have an IUD, but my doctor talked me through the details and was very supportive of the coil. Sometimes an IUD can actually help ease other health problems such as endometriosis. The IUD works well for some, and not so well for others, but you can't really know if it will work for you unless you try it. Of course if you don't get on with it, you can have it removed.

As I said above, for me the coil was the best contraceptive option for me as I wanted a hormone free option and was also going travelling, and I still stick by my decision to do so.

What kind of IUD do I get?

I didn't realise that there were different kinds of coil. There is actually an IUS which DOES contain hormones, so if you want a hormone free option like I did, make sure you specify you want a copper IUD. There are also different sized coils. Smaller IUDs last for five years, and larger ones which last for 10. 

I have a small IUD called Nova T 380 which will last me 5 years

How does it work?

If you haven't seen one, a hormone free IUD is a T-shaped device made of plastic and copper. It is actually the copper that prevents pregnancy. The released copper is like kryptonite for sperm, and makes it more difficult for it to reach the egg and survive. The IUD can also stop a fertilised egg from being able to implant itself in the womb.

Does it hurt when it is inserted?

This is probably the most common question I get asked when talking about the coil.

To say I went about getting my IUD inserted slightly blind would be an understatement. After going through the discussion phase, you are then booked in for your separate insertion appointment which should have really been an indication to me that it wasn't going to be like popping in a tampon.

I had the morning off work when I had my appointment, and had every intention of skipping off to do my shift afterwards like any other day. I told this to my nurse and she looked at me a little concerned and asked if I had realised the insertion process is classed as a 'minor surgery'. I shrugged it off and said I had a high pain threshold and laid down on the bed, legs a akimbo.

I won't sugar coat it, the insertion was not comfortable and it did take my surprise. To describe the feeling as 'pain' I think is the wrong word. The feeling is more like an intense ache, and what I can only imagine a contraction feels like.

Essentially, you're having a foreign object put inside of you, so your bodies natural reaction is to cramp around it and expel it, similarly to what happens when having a contraction.

Like I said, I went into this very blind having done no research, and I had to take the afternoon off work as well as the following day as all I wanted to do was lie in bed. I realise this sounds terribly dramatic, however it was nothing painkillers and a hot water bottle couldn't solve. Just make sure you go in prepared, and are topping up with pain killers as soon as they start to wear off.

 I would highly recommend taking pain killers before you go to have your coil fitted, and also having your appointment when you have a couple of days off to relax afterwards.

It didn't happen for me, but you may get slight bleeding or spotting after the insertion and you should use a pad for this. Not that you will want to, but do not use a tampon or even THINK about having any kind of sexual activity for the next 24 hours because... just trust me it will be the last thing you want to do.

What is it like after the first few weeks?

Some people can unfortunately experience a lot of bleeding for a few months, and some people's bodies may also reject the coil which can lead to infection. The weeks after will be a good indication as to how your body will deal with the IUD. For me, I have had it pretty smooth sailing since my coil was inserted. I didn't have any constant bleeding which I hear is quite common for people. I didn't have any dramas or extra pain, it seemed to just settle fairly well into my body and lifestyle which I have been really lucky with.
If you do experience any thing you feel isn't right, go straight back to the doctor to discuss this.

What are the pros?

• Obviously the main pro for me is that I no longer have extra hormones flying around my body and I have a natural cycle again.

• Due to no hormones, this can be used by women who have just given birth and who are breastfeeding.

• The IUD will prevent pregnancy as soon as it is in.

• I was able to go on my travels without a year supply of contraceptive pills getting me stopped and searched at every airport.

• I don't have to remember to take a pill or worry about missing one as the coil has a 99% effeciency rate.

• It sounds silly, but I feel as though I know my body a lot better which brings me to the 'beauty side of things'. I am a strong believer in what you put in your body shows on the outside. I find my moods, skin, weight is really finely tuned now and although I may not like the added spots, bloat and mood swings at that time of the month, I do feel it lets me keep tabs on what my body is doing on the inside.

• I no longer get that many headaches! (unless they're hangover induced of course)

• Once the IUD is removed, it is possible to get pregnant straight away should you wish, as your body does not need to adjust to the hormone levels like it does when you come off the pill or any other hormone.

And the cons?

Firstly, I feel as though this list is going to look longer than the pros list and also maybe outweigh them, but don't be put off by this at all! Things also get a little more graphic here as well so apologies in advance!

• My periods are really really heavy now. To put it in perspective, I could use the yellow packaged light tampons throughout the whole of my 3-4 day period on the pill, but since having the IUD inserted, I have pretty heavy days on the second and third day, and a period can last between 7-9 days. I usually have to wear the orange jumbo tampons (yes you can still wear tampons or a menstrual cup when you have an IUD) and for particularly heavy days I will also have to wear a precautionary sanitary towel as I can easily leak through a jumbo tampon within a couple of hours. Sneezing, exercise and even laughing can be risky and catastrophic on these first few days of my period, and there have been occasions where I have leaked through onto my clothes (once at a wedding which was a nightmare!) so I would always say to keep a well stocked sanitary bag with you wherever you go.

• I unfortunately get fairly bad period pain around the time of my period too which I never used to experience. Whilst it is nowhere near on the scale of the feeling or the IUD insertion, I do usually have to take painkillers in order to get through them.

• Not that this is a con as such, but if you are with a new partner it may be something you want to mention to them before sexual activity but it is common that any sexual partners will be able to feel the IUD strings that are attached to the coil, particularly shortly after having it fitted. The strings do 'moisten' naturally over time meaning they become softer, and partners are just aware of the strings being there, but they don't hurt, scratch or anything like that. (blergh I've been grown up and mature up until now but the 'moistening strings' gets me every time)

• IUD's are a form of contraception however it of course does not prevent STI's so you do still need to use precautions if you're unsure of your partners sexual health history.

• Not that it is a direct cause from the coil, but my skin, moods all that jazz really hit rock bottom at the time of the month since having the coil, which did come as a surprise as I am on a hormone free contraceptive. 

So should I get the coil??

As mentioned above, getting an IUD is completely personal to every situation. I went on my travels as planned and was incredibly grateful that I didn't have to ask for, or mime for any contraceptive pill or anything else in the depths of a local town in the middle of Bolivia (side note they don't seem to use tampons in Bolivia so stock up if you go!).

 Whilst there were some days of my travels I couldn't go swimming because of having a heavy day (and not wanting to be shark bait), I have not regretted my decision to have my IUD at any point (apart from maybe when they first put it in).

If I have felt particularly queasy from a dodgy meal, or been a bit sicky from a rancid hangover, I never once had to worry about sicking up my pill or even if needing antibiotics, it is just something I haven't have to think about for a whole five years.

It is only writing this post that I have realised my IUD will 'expire' (not even sure what happens after the suggested time limit comes round but I'm pretty sure it won't explode) at the end of this year which has given me a lot to think about.

Firstly, it says a lot about 22 year old me's mindset, as I was pretty sure after the five years were up I would be ready for children, but I can categorically say that is not the case!

To say I am not nervous about having my IUD removed would be a lie. After knowing what it felt like to have inserted, I can't imagine it will be any less uncomfortable coming out, but this is something I may update this post on when the time comes.

I guess the biggest question would be will I have another IUD fitted? and whilst this is is something I now need to think about (honestly thought I had another couple of years with this thing!), the way I feel about it at the moment is that I probably wouldn't have another IUD fitted, but that isn't to say that it's a bad thing.

For me, I think it served its purpose for that time in my life, and it was the best possible option which I have had no regrets about. After five years of pretty bad periods however, I do think I will explore other options as it is a massive pain having to deal with it, however I would say the only things I don't like about the IUD occur during a period, the rest of the time it is hunky dory, so if you can cope with one week of your life being a little more stressful than usual, then you can totally cope with the negative side affects of an IUD.

I will let you know what I decide to go for after removal (if you care?!) but I would REALLY love to know what your thoughts on IUDs are now having read my post.

If you were thinking about getting one would you still? Or if it wasn't even a thought you had, would you look into it more now?

I would genuinely really like to know so leave a comment or slide into my DMs as I fully appreciate you may not want to be as open about it as I have been on the public forum that is the internet!

It goes without saying that I am NOT a doctor or gynecologist so some things I have written may not be 100% correct so seek advice from a medical professional if you have any queries or go to the NHS page or read this booklet which is really insightful. Another blog I found really helpful and also for completely different reasons such as the endometriosis factor is Lottie L'Amour's post so I would have a read of that for more info!

I hope this post hasn't been too graphic for some of you, but I hope it has helped you if you have been looking at changing up your contraception!

New Years Resolutions for 2017

I have said it once, and I will say it again. I LOVE New Years. Not just because it is the perfect full stop to a party riddled season of over eating and gifts, but because I always become really reminiscent about my year and I think it is healthy to have a point where you start a new chapter with new goals.

2016 for me was a transition period. I finished the huge one year travelling trip I always wanted to do, and had to adjust back into reality. Just in the last half of 2016, I had already forced myself to try new things, such as moving up to London and trying to find myself a career path . Mostly, I had to get into the mind set of trying to start being a proper adult (about time as I'll be 26 by the end of this month)

I never try and set myself unrealistic goals, but that being said, I always do try and give my self a challenge. I like to set myself lots of small manageable goals rather than one big one, and I try and spread them across different aspects for my life, so without further ado, here are my New Years Resolutions for 2017.

Beauty

Now this may seem like a silly or 'vain' goal, however it is something that has recently taken over my life a bit recently so I want to sort it out ASAP. I have never had problems with my skin as a teenager apart from the odd pimple here and there, but recently, I find every morning when I wake up my first reflex is to check my face for anymore spots. I don't know why I have suddenly developed some kind of adulthood acne, but it is something I really want to sort out soon, as it is affecting my confidence and I find I can't leave the house without makeup on, which is a stark contrast to when I was away travelling and went a year without a speck of foundation.

I don't know whether I need some more of that sweet Vitamin D to restore it, or perhaps some dietary changes, but it is something I want to fix soon so I can start the year feeling good about myself.

Health

This kind of brings me onto my next point of healthy living. Now if healthier living hasn't been the golden New Years Res of all time, then I don't know what is. Everyone becomes a gym bunny in the new year with hopes and expectations of shedding pounds and all that Christmas weight. Unfortunately I have never been one of those people who enjoys healthy eating and exercise. Believe me, I would love to get addicted to going to the gym, but I just get no pleasure out of it whatsoever. That being said, I'm not going to set myself an unrealistic goal that will only disappoint me in the future, so rather than giving myself a set weight I want to lose, I just want to set the goal of being comfortable in my own skin. If I could put on a bikini and feel confident, that would make me really happy. It's not that I really want to lose weight either, I just want to eat better to reflect in other areas (such as my skin!), and I should probably drink more water too.

Career

As I said above, I have already started to get myself on the career path, however I am still slightly unsure of what I definitely want to do and feel I still need to try out a few more things before I dive in head first. I know that I want to work within beauty for certain, however which part of it, I'm still not entirely sure. Over the next few week I will be looking at more internships so start of my New Year, but by the end of 2017, I'd love to be earning a wage, in the job I can see myself staying in for a long time.

Blogging

Although I will be on the hunt for my dream job, I really above all else want to keep blogging. I really do love doing it, and if I could forge a career out of it then that would be a dream come true. However, blogging is such a competitive world now, and you really have to stand out to get noticed. That being said, I am more than happy with where my blog is at, however I would love for it to develop more. I'm not saying by this time next year I want to be the next Zoella, however I will be setting myself small manageable goals to improve. I think I will have a bit of a blog redesign as I feel at the moment it looks a bit shabby, and I would love to grow my social media following especially on Instagram as I struggle so hard to grow that as I don't think I have the sleek blogging theme and it is not a very attractive feed (https://www.instagram.com/whatalooker/ go follow now, shameless plug). So expect a more chic and polished What A Looker in 2017.

Charity

There are a couple of things I would like to do for charity this year. The first thing that I will absolutely be doing is donating my hair to a Cancer or hair loss charity. My hair literally grows thick and fast, and I don't really like my hair long but have persevered as donating it is something I really want to do. With my Mum having chemotherapy and losing her hair, it made me realise how something we take for granted everyday can mean so much to you. My Mum has often felt really ugly without her hair, and although she is rocking a Natalie Portman style buzz cut, I know her confidence won't fully be restored until it is at least shoulder length.

Now her hair is growing back, I am in the clear for being able to cut mine, as she is becoming less precious about my hair.

Another thing I would love to do is to help the elderly more. This requires a bit more time, and with being on the job hunt it is something I can't fully commit to doing at the moment, but once I have a normal schedule, I would love to start visiting care homes or seeing older people, as I have always had a soft spot for the elderly and hate the idea of someone being alone. The charity 'Silver Line' allows an older person to call you in order to have a conversation which I would like to do, however I think I would rather see someone face to face to truly get to know them.

In the future I would also like to open my home to a lonely elderly person at Christmas.

Hair Donation Links

littleprincesses.org.uk

wigsuk.com

hairharvest.co.uk

(these are only for UK residents)

Travel

Finally is travel, and as I said earlier, I had my fair share of travelling last year when I visited nine countries over the space of a year. I absolutely loved the experience, however it took me travelling to the other side of the world to appreciate what I have right on my doorstep. By no means do I want to go on a globe trotting tour like that (for now), but this year I would love to see more of Europe, and even the UK. The great thing about a stay-cation is that you can do them little and often. You don't have to book off a whole week at work as you could go on a long weekend jaunt or even just an overnight stay. They are also much cheaper as the UK is so tiny in comparison to the rest of the world, you can pretty much drive to wherever you want to go without having to dig out your passport.

I have shamefully never been up to Scotland, or ever been to Ireland even though I have blood relatives from those places, so 2017 I want to see a bit more of my homeland, as they do say 'Home is Where The Heart Is'. I have started to curate a Pinterest board for some places I'd like to see so feel free to pop over there if you're looking for some UK weekend retreat ideas or even a little Eurotrip.

UK Board 
Europe Breaks

If you have any suggestions/ hints/ ideas or just want to share your resolutions I'd love to hear!

But I'd like to say thank you for reading and continuing to support my blog, and I wish you a healthy, prosperous and happy 2017.

Life Update: Beauty PR Interning

Hi everyone!

Sorry I haven't been posting much recently.
 I say that, but it has actually been over a month since my last post and I am really missing blogging!

 Summer is always a busy time of year. Weekends are filled with wedding celebrations, BBQ parties are thrown at any chance given, and seeing friends for drinks in the evening can go on for that bit longer as it stays lighter and warmer.

I have been really busy recently so thought I would do a little post about what I've been up to, so if you're here for all things beauty then this will be something a little different.

Saying that, the reason I have been so busy is because I have recently started interning at a Beauty PR company in West London, which is where I want my career to begin. As I went travelling for over a year, I am starting my career a little late in life at the ripe old age of 25, but travelling was something I really wanted to do, so I am really pleased I did it, and that chapter is over. (Not to say exotic holidays are off the cards at all!)

As I have no past experience in beauty PR, all I had to bring to the table was this blog, and my experience working in beauty retail. Although I didn't think I was advancing my career when working in retail, it gave me the passion and drive to continue in beauty, and also gave me knowledge about what brands are out there on the market. So remember, that however small the job, you will always be learning!

So I'm an intern! I feel a bit too old to intern, but not because I'm too proud or anything like that, I just think when you hear 'Intern' you think of a sprightly little 18 year old fresh out of Uni, and eager to learn, although I suppose I still look 18 and I am really, really eager. Maybe too eager?
Anyway!
 I am more than grateful for the experience and happy to learn as much as I can in my new role!

So what is Beauty PR?

I didn't really know myself to be honest, but lots of people had told me I would enjoy it so I thought I'd give it a shot, and thankfully they were right!

Beauty PR is making sure that brands get the coverage and exposure they need to be successful. That can mean sending products to journalists, meeting with bloggers to discuss launches and generally maintaining a good relationship with clients.

As an intern, I obviously don't do all that cool stuff just yet, but my daily routine goes a bit like this:

• In the morning, I check all magazines a papers to check for any coverage. I really enjoy this part of the day as flicking through magazines is something I would do anyway, and it gives me the excuse to linger on the beauty pages a little longer.

• Putting in data for each clients to ensure all coverage is logged. This is more of a labour intensive job, however it is really important as all coverage needs to be logged so we can see how often our products are featuring in magazines/online. It is actually the aspect of the job I found hardest adapting too, as I hadn't worked on a lot of the programmes - namely Excel- since school, so I have had to learn to be a bit quicker on that to meet deadlines.

• During the day, it can depend on what is going on. Sometimes I'll be given a research project which can be fun. If there is a big launch coming up for a particular brand, then that will be dealt with. Alternatively, there could be a big launch happening so a mailer needs to be organised to make sure all the relevant people receive what they need. This can include making labels and writing comp slips which, again, is a bit labour intensive, however it adds a personal touch which is vital for a image.

• Lastly, the post needs to be done in the evening and wrapped up so the presentation is perfect. I find it so exciting sending things for top beauty editors of Vogue and Elle to try out!

And that's pretty much it for now! I'm sure as time goes on I'll be given more responsibility, but I am really happy with where I am at the moment, as the team is small enough to give me importance and not just disappear in a huge team and become a tea girl.

We also look after some cool clients where I get to try a few bits and bobs so you can expect reviews of some of those items in the near future!

Some highlights for me have already been making up boxes of goodies for Zoella, Lily Melrose, and my other favourite bloggers to try. Also having Caroline Hirons walk into our office the other day was a huge moment for myself!

I'm sure there will be lots more exciting things for me to learn and discover, so keep your eyes peeled for product posts and more later on!

Other than this, not a huge amount has been going on. I got the honour of being bridesmaid to my best friend at the beginning of summer, and my boyfriends sister got married last weekend which was just magical! I've been catching up with friends since we got back from travelling, and just generally enjoying normal life away from hostels and suitcases.

Usually I indulge in festivals, trips away and other little jaunts in the summer, but due to my year off, I am really focusing on getting my life on track, so this has been just as fun for me personally.

I am really really lucky to be living in London as my Aunty and Uncle have a place just opposite Battersea Park, so I am loving being immersed in the London life, especially with the spectacular sunsets I have been getting from my balcony!

And that's all really! Like I said, expect more reviews, nail art and the usual stuff soon!

Thanks for reading!

Steph

x

P.S I did this post, as when I wanted to know more about Beauty PR, I remember finding a post about interning, and I found it so helpful, so if you stumble across this and you find it useful then please let me know!

Koala Nails

I told you it wouldn't be long till I offended again, and with the embedded feeling that Mondays are for hashtagging manicures I simply couldn't spend my day off doing nothing, and so, these little Koala nails were born!

I was inspired to do these because of a small day trip I went on recently to a place called Lone Pine, which is a Koala sanctuary just outside of Brisbane. The place is full of kangeroos jumping around you, and there are other animals around too so it is like a small zoo.

However, Lone Pine holds the promise of being able to cuddle up and have your picture taken with a Koala which was an opportunity not to be missed!

For these nails, I used a neon yellow base which is particularly horrible on its own. It is by a brand simply called paint and is really cheap in the drug stores, only about $3 if that!

Next I used my grey L'Oreal polish for the little faces, and used my new nail art pens for detailing and the background palms.

My particular favourite nail is my thumb, I think his face came out the cutest!

Apologies for the crap quality of pictures, I will have to think of a way around this!

See you soon!

Day 31: New Year: The Past, The Future, and a Big Reveal (it's going to be a long one)

Today marks the end of the nail art challenge which I have hugely enjoyed doing as per usual! Before we get onto the nail art though, I think as we are heading into a New Year, a little bit of reflection is in order, plus once you've read it, my nail art will make more sense...

New Year is always a great time to look to the future and make changes, whether it's to get fit (need to do), cut down on something (nail varnish: still need to do) or to just generally make peace with yourself. It is also a great time to look back on the past year, and things you have accomplished.

I started this blog exactly 2 years ago today as a New Year Resolution. In my first ever post, I explained how I wanted to blog as a hobby, and to keep me in the habit of writing. If I'm honest, beauty was something that never interested me, but my job as a sales assistant in a natural skincare department meant I was being given lots of nice things to try, and being trained on brands which was really informative. I put two and two together, and decided to start a beauty blog, so I could share all of these useful things with others!

Very quickly, I could see how people spend lots of money on beauty, as I was finally jumping on the beauty band wagon my friends had got on long ago. Suddenly I knew what a serum was, and what the benefits of regular exfoliation can do, and I was instantly hooked. I even remember a friend of mine and I writing a A4 sheet list of things we needed to make ourselves 'Goddesses'. It goes without saying that there is so much more to life than beauty and looks, which I am a firm believer of, and I certainly don't want to come across as shallow or vain, but it is something everyone can relate too, as it makes us all feel good when we feel we look good, and that is simply, what I love about it.

I still have so much to learn about the beauty industry, and am by no means an expert which I hope I don't come across as trying to be with my blog. If anything, I just wanted to show people all these cool things that were available that I didn't know about before, and to tell you guys if they were worth buying or not!

 My blog has however opened my eyes to the idea of a career in beauty, especially writing about it, as my blog is something I really enjoy doing. I mean, it's something I do after a full day at work with absolutely no profit, yet I still soldier on to try and make sure I make regular posts to please, realistically about 5 people. That is commitment for you! I do find it really rewarding though, and having a little extra curricular hobby is nice for me as I'm not one of these people who can relax and watch TV all evening, I'm a bit too hyper for that.

By no means has my blog become a overnight raving success such as Zoella, who now has her own book and beauty brand, but I am still shocked at how well my blog has done, and how I still manage to get views on the posts I do. Looking back on old posts, I can see how much I've grown, even if its just down to better photography or 'beauty terminology'.

Some highlights for me have been reaching a staggering 4000+ views on my Bleach London post I did. I have no idea why it has been so popular, but I still gets regular views everyday despite being written a while ago now. My blog gave me the confidence to put myself forward for a magazine article which was then published online which was a bit cool. I've also really embraced the social media side to blogging, and have regular chats with absolute strangers about things such as what is the best remedy for an annoying spot.

On a more personal level, for me, 2014 has been one of the fastest years of my life. I have done so much I can't even begin to explain how much fun I've had. Something I'm particularly proud of, is that I've seen so many of my favourite music acts at stand alone gigs or at Glastonbury Festival. I also swam with sharks, and went on a summer and skiing holiday. I have had one of the most exciting years of my life, for one that I thought was going to be boring. I guess it comes to the awkward/ exciting part of my post now. The reason I thought my year would be boring is because I've been saving up all my money, as I reveal that I am going travelling this year.

As most of you who read thing blog are my friends or family, you will know that travelling is something I have planned on doing as soon as I left university. I am finally pleased to say that on March 6th 2015, I will be flying to Rio, Brazil, where I will start my indefinite journey around the world. I can now do a picture of my nail art for the New Year, as in 9 weeks from now, I will be embarking on my terrifying, yet unbelievably exciting trip around the world.

I can't strictly call these nail art, as I have literally cut out some maps from an atlas which I butchered, and then shaped them into little decals for my nail, but if you go from the little finger to the thumb, that is the order of the places I'm going, so there is a little insight into some of the places I shall be visiting on my trip! 'Why am I telling you this over my blog though?' I hear you cry!

 Well a few people have said that they want me to document my travels whilst I'm away, providing I can get to a computer and wifi access. But I wanted to know if you would mind if I did it on here, after all we've all got to know each other on here for the last 2 years. I think it will add a new dimension to my blog, and a more personal level if you will. The people who read this blog though are people who want to read about beauty though, not what I will smell like after a 6 week trek around South America. I'll try and find a way of making it a separate column or something, but I guess the point I'm trying to make is, if you want to follow me still on my journey, even though it goes against the whole meaning of my blog, then welcome, to What A Looker On Tour! Obviously whilst I'm away I'm going to be spying foreign beauty products to try so I will regularly update on those, but it is going to be a new journey for me and my little blog, so I can't always promise regular posts, as I want to enjoy my trip as much as I bloody can!

If you have read this far thank you for sticking with me, I really apologise for the essay, and I guess I don't really know what the point of this post is. I guess I just wanted to share with you what I've been doing for the last year, what I've been proud of, and my plans for the future. Sometimes it's nice to break down the fourth wall and see that I have a life beyond what you see me post on here :)  Please comment and let me know if you would like to follow me on my journey.

Thanks for reading guys, and thank you for sticking with me throughout the December nail art challenge. 

January will be back to lots of product reviews I promise! I wish you all the most amazing, successful and prosperous New Year's, and hope you too can accomplish some of your wishes.

Steph xxx

Jaws Nail Art

Hello there readers! Today is going to be a slightly different post from my normal reviews or nail art posts, because I am going to shed a bit of light on my personal life. ooooeerrrrr. In my last post I explained that I hadn't got round to doing any Easter nail art because I had had a very busy weekend. Well this post will explain why! For my boyfriends birthday, I paid for us to going swimming in the shark tank at London Aquarium. Sharks have been my biggest fear since I can remember so this was quite a big deal for me!

So here are some pictures of our day for you to see!

Sand Tiger Shark

Brown Shark

The shark tank with the net in the back ground

The look of relief afterwards!

I have to admit that as terrifying as it was, it was really interesting and I learned a lot about sharks! I think I have cured my fear slightly as I would do it again in a heartbeat! Sharks are very misunderstood creatures, and it got me thinking as to where my deep rooted fear of sharks came from, after all, its not like you see them everyday! I think it stems down to when I watched Jaws as a child, as I spent most of the film perched on the back of the sofa with a cushion over my eyes.

As Jaws is such an iconic and classic film, I decided to pay homage to it, and do some Jaws inspired nail art.

I saw this design online by a girl called Kayleigh, who goes the extra mile when it comes to nail art, and actually uses extensions for shapes.  Here is a link to her Facebook page so you can see what I mean! KayleighOCNailArt

To make this nail art, this is all the equipment I used. It looks like quite a lot so I'll break it down into manageable chunks.

I started by painting each nail white, as the poster has a white background, and it meant the blue sea colours would be more vivid. I used scotch tape over half of the nail so the horizon would be really clean. I used two shades of blue so the water appeared to be getting deeper, and then when the tape is peeled of, you have a really straight line. I made sure the level was the same on each nail so it really gave the illusion of sea.

For the thumb where the shark will emerge from, I added another darker shade of blue to make the water look even deeper.

For Jaws himself, I was originally going to use  grey, but on the poster he is lighter, so I went for baby blue instead. The mouth and eyes were done with a black nail art pen, and the outline and terrifying teeth were done with a white pen.

For my poor victim, I used a gold nail art pen from Topshop which I have never used before. It is literally a pen so perfect if your haven't used nail art pens before. The swimsuit and hair were done with pink and yellow nail pens.

For the other hand, I just outlined the letters in pink to make sure they were ok, then went over them in the red to give them the bloodied effect.

I got a little lazy at the clean up around these!

So these are my gory Jaws nails, let me know what you think!