Meditation

Sometimes life can be quite stressful. This can be for various reasons, which differ from person to person, but I'm sure you can imagine the situations I mean.

Whenever I talk to people who are worried or stressed about things going on in their lives, one of the things I always recommend is meditation. 

Why did I start meditation and how has it affected me?

I used to get quite stressed out about exams, especially the time of the exams I took in year 10, so in year 11 I decided to do something about it. I struggle to switch off, especially at night, which means I can find it very hard to get to sleep sometimes. I consider myself as a positive person any way, so I wasn't doing it for that, I just wanted to be able to relax more easily. Before the start of exam season, I started meditating every night before bed, I felt more relaxed and found it easier to drop off to sleep. During exam season I remained, cool (as a cucumber), calm and collected, and I managed to get plenty of much needed sleep. 

Meditation is something that doesn't have to take up long in your day, but the impact it makes on your life is amazing.

How do you meditate? Simple, there are plenty of apps these days that will guide you through meditation. My personal favourites are Headspace and Calm.

Headspace is an app with a ten minute a day, ten day programme (although you can take the sessions again after you finish the full ten days, and there's more if you're willing to pay for subscription). The sessions are by a man called Andy, who has the kind of voice that is very inviting and calm!

Calm is another guided meditation app, there are choices of relaxing background sounds (my favourite at the moment is Celestial Sunbeams) and you can choose how long you want to meditate for.

Its good to remember that it won't drastically change your life after one ten minute session. Stick it out for a few weeks and see how it goes! Meditation might not be for you but it's definitely worth a try!

I hope you enjoyed this post, and found it helpful! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me and if there are other topics you'd like me to write blogposts about let me know!

Lots of love,

Emma xxx

Summer Pop of Colour!

I know, I know, the summer is nearly over but that's not stopping you from from experimenting with fun makeup looks! I was actually meant to post this ages ago (don't kill me) but I didn't have chance to write it before I went on holiday. Better late than never!

In July, I had some of my friends around to help me with some photos for art (they couldn't resist the offer of pizza and Maltesers) and I did their makeup and took photos. On Izzy, I used a blue underneath her eyes, and i really liked the way it looked so I thought I would use that for a look on myself for a blogpost!

I used a more copper toned than bronze and also made the blue stand out a bit more!

I started by using MAC's Pro Longwear Paint pot in Rubenesque as a base, I have mentioned this a lot before because I absolutely love the shade!

When I was sorting through the photos for this post and editing them I realised that I kept switching between two different lenses, so if they look different to you, that might be why! The lighting wasn't the best either!

Next I used an Accessorise eyeshadow which I believe is in the shade Molten Copper, they might not sell it any more but most brands sell gorgeous copper shades. I love copper because the red tone makes my eyes look very green, most of the time I have no clue what colour my eyes are (it changes I think). Make sure to tap off the excess eyeshadow to avoid fall down because as you will see in the next photos I forgot.

I used a Barry M Super Soft Eye Crayon in a metallic blue colour (that doesn't have a shade name) on my lower lash line, this helped to intensify the next eyeshadow but of course if you're wanting a more subtle look you can skip that (I don't think a blue eyeshadow will ever be that subtle though!)

I then took a Rimmel eyeshadow that I also don't know the name of (I'm such a bad blogger, I apologise, but I doubt they sell it any more!) and put it on top of where I applied the pencil/base. Yes the look is really as easy as that!

I then curled my eyelashes (not very well) and applied my new favourite mascara Maybelline Lash Sensational in the waterproof formula as usual. I promise you it usually looks a whole lot better than in the photo above, my lashes were not cooperating. The packaging also matches the look so it makes everything better!

To finish the look, I decided on a bright lip (on Izzy I used Mac Kinda Sexy for a nude lip), using the Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in 16 (I only know the shade because I checked Kate's Recent Beauty Buys post so thank you Kate;) )

So that is the complete look!  

This is an accidental collab with Lauren (again) but for her youtube this time! We happened to have done similar looks so made it into a collab, what a great coincidence! I absolutely love her videos so be sure to check out her channel and subscribe! 

For Lauren's video, click here!

I hope everyone who has started school this past week has enjoyed it, and if you're starting this week, good luck with the early mornings;)

Lots of love,

Emma xxx

My song for the post is Can't Sleep Love by Pentatonix. This song is so catchy and I could listen to it on repeat all day! Definitely give it a listen, you'll love it! Also, if you haven't listened to Troye Sivan's EP WILD, also give that a listen!

#3 - Serenity

I know, I know - I promised a new playlist every week of the summer.... Well I guess that didn't happen !! *embarrassed emoji* I'm sorry, like, extreamly sorry. One week I was away, the next I was at drama camp, and I didn't have much time to myself and couldn't prepare those two weeks for you all.

But, here I am with the third (and last) instalment to the summer playlists. I am sure I'll post more playlists for you all in the future, but this will conclude the summer playlist section!! 

So, without further ado, here's my end of summer mix, with songs that slow down the pace of life, ready for autumn and school, or what-not.

1.Come Under the Covers - Walk The Moon 

2, Chamber - Amber Run

3. Monster - Mumford and Sons

4. Cherry Wine - Hozier

5. Drive - Halsey

6. Me - The 1975

7. Infinite - The Xx

FULL PLAYLIST HERE

Hello Autumn!

As much as I love sunny days, I'm so glad autumn is here. I mean, we are one season away from Christmas, and that in itself is very exciting. I love the whole Atmosphere autumn has. The dark nights, cold days, rain, woolly jumpers, and boots. I love the feeling you get after coming home from school, drenched from the rain, jump into a onsie and have a hot chocolate while curled up on the sofa.

Autumn also means Halloween, pumpkin carving, candles that smell like apple and cinnamon (I have one lit now), blankets, the change of colour in the leaves, switching out your wardrobe for sweaters, walks with cold air, beautiful sunsets and sunrises that we get to see (why does the sun rise at 4am in summer?!), and of course the fab photos that can be taken!

I can't wait to start posting autumnal inspired bakes, Coffee cake, spiced apple upside down cake, and a whole load more! I'm hosting a Macmillan coffee morning and will of course blog about that!

What are you most looking forward to this fall, as we say goodbye summer, and hello autumn!

 

Leave a comment below, or tweet me @ellaunderhill your favourite things about autumn!

100 Things To Make You Happy!

Hello,
I've been thinking for quite a while how I'd love to write a post that could influence people positively and I thought there would be nothing better than a list of things that make me and hopefully you the reader happy.

1. Long walks along the beach or in the county side seeing the ever changing scenery.
2. People who smile at you as you pass them in the street.
3. Pursuing a dream or achieving a goal of yours.
4. Warm showers on cold days.
5. Being with people who you love and make you happy.
6. Watching someone talk about something they love.
7. Laughing and seeing others smiling.
8. Summer and being able to take walks on the beach and not having to worry about anything.
9. Lazy days and being able to relax.
10. Buying new clothes and being able to put outfits together.
11. Listening to your favourite music on repeat and not getting bored of it.
12. Helping others and seeing that you have helped them in a positive way.
13. Conversations with people that turn into the most random topics.
14. Getting into bed after a long day and being able to relax.
15. Cuddling up with a good book and a blanket on a rainy day.
16. Eating your favourite food.
17. Taking part in a hobby and seeing that you are getting somewhere with it.
18. Starting a journal to record all of your happy memories.
19. Finishing something that has took a lot of time and effort.
20. When your hair/makeup goes just right.
21. Spending time with friends.
22. Cuddling someone that means the world to you.
23. Remembering good childhood memories.
24. Looking back through old photos.
25. Finishing a workout.
26. Lie ins.
27. Being outside.
28. Helping others.
29. Drinking your favourite tea or coffee in the morning.
30. Lazy Sundays.
31. Having a nap during the day and waking up feeling refreshed.
32. Finding something you love on sale.
33. Fresh flowers.
34. Having the fire on a cold day.
35. Inside jokes with your friends.
36. Feeling comfortable with someone.
37. When your favourite song comes on the radio.
38. Falling asleep to the sound of rain.
39. Going camping in the summer.
40. Cooking something yummy.
41. Or even better have someone cook something yummy for you.
42. Reading a book you can't put down.
43. A package you've been waiting for to arrive, arriving.
44. The smell of new books.
45. Fresh bed sheets.
46. New stationary.
47. Finding money in your clothes and bags.
48. An old friend texting you to check how you are.
49. Seeing something you did affect a person positively.
50. Waking up knowing you had a good night sleep.
51. The smell of the sea at the beach.
52. Making friends.
53. Passing a test you've worked hard for.
54. Doing something you wouldn't normally do and doing well at it.
55. Seeing someone help you.
56. Looking around the world and realising all the good stuff that goes on.
57. When a child draws a picture for you.
58. Pictures took at unexpected times.
59. Watching your favourite film.
60. Crying and feeling better after.
61. Freshly cut hair.
62. Getting your eyebrows to match.
63. Long runs in the park.
64. Getting lost in your own world.
65. Cute dresses.
66. Laughing with not a care in the world.
67. No makeup days.
68. Seeing a rainbow.
69. Seeing the natural beauty of the world when in the countryside.
70. Learning something new.
71. Seeing your favourite band/artist in concert.
72. Looking through bookshops.
73. Acting like a little kid again.
74. Building dens.
75. When you're given unexpected compliments.
76. Doodling.
77. Pets.
78. Watching your favourite cartoons.
79. Baths.
80. Having a tidy room.
81. Jumping in puddles when it's raining.
82. When people help you for no reason.
83. Hot showers on cold days and cold showers on hot days.
84. Singing in the shower.
85. Exercising.
86. Painting a picture.
87. Buy a colouring book and colouring.
88. Dancing around your room to your favourite songs.
89. Laugh to yourself (its scientifically proven if you force a laugh you'll eventually laugh for real)
90. Someone saying they like you.
91. Realising how you truly feel.
92. Eating fruit salads.
93. Knowing the answer to a questions.
94. Giving presents.
95. When an event you've been waiting for finally arrives.
96. Good morning texts.
97. When you fall asleep at night.
98. Remembering good dreams.
99. Realising life don't evolve around phones and electronics.
100. Smiling.

Side Note: I wrote this post ages ago but seeming as I haven't posted in such a long time I thought I should. I apologise to both the readers and fellow bloggers for the lack of posts I have actually done. Sorry everyone!

Lots of Love,

Emma W x 

Instagram: @emma.ox

Twitter: @emmmaaox

Tumblr: http://sunandthemoonn.tumblr.com

My Previous Blog: http://haveacupofteax.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/my-piece-of-summer-emma.html

Technology.

We use our phones for everything. infact we rely on them. To make calls, answer texts, send emails, have our alarms, make lists, and 'interact' with other people. Technology plays a major role in our everydays lives, but can you remember the last time you went a week without your phone? A day? Or even the last time you went out with family or friends, and didn't pick up your phone for an hour to check facebook, or snapchat the amount of 'fun' you were having. I can't either.

The things we call 'social' Networks are anything but social. We get excited about how many people 'like' our photos or status', but how upset do we get when you see someone prettier or someone who has more likes than you on instagram. Life doesn't come with filters, so why do we higher the contrast, lower the saturation, and add a valencia filter for a photo? Why do we try to make ourselves appear better, whats wrong with people seeing the real you.

How happy are you when you see that 50+ people have posted happy birthday on your facebook wall? Or that you have 20 comments on your overly edited photo. Do you remember what it feels like to have a compliment from someone who actually means it? When you feel at your worst but someone asks to see your smile because its beautiful, or when someone notices how nice your eyes look up close. Recieveing a compliment from someone who means it, and isn't doing for 'returns' or a 'comment for comment' 'like for like'. Give a compliment and see how happy it makes that person, and I mean face to face, not through a screen, where you can see their reaction, see them properly smile.

How many times have you sat away from someone to be near a plug, because your favourite youtuber just uploaded a video? How many hours a day do you spend looking at a screen, even when your with your grandparents who are so interested in what youve been up to but you reply with 'not much'... and they don't mean on twitter or facebook. When was the last time you didn't moan when your battery died?

Ive been thinking alot lately, and I even have an app tracking how much I use my phone. Its the first thing I use in the morning, and last thing at night. Why? whats wrong with a book? One with pages not on a kindle.Whats wrong with waking up and going downstairs to say good morning to your family, before you tweet it to people you've never even met. Why is it automatic that we grab our phones. Its like being controlled.

I understand how far technology has advanced, and that our phones are needed to be in contact with parents ect, but try a day without your phone. Go and meet your friends, go on a walk, take your earphones out, listen to the sounds around you. Look up and see how nice the sky looks without a filter.

In 10 years time will it matter that you were the first comment on a youtube video? Will it matter that you got 30 likes on your photo of your meal? Are you actually living in the moment rather than taking photos that you will later delete because your phone has ran out of space.

Is this what 5 year old you imagined your life to be like. Would you be happy to be told then how you spend your life now?

Tips for Healthy Hair!

I don't think anyone can ever deny looking through Pinterest every so often and getting serious hair envy from the array of gorgeous hairstyles and hair colours you can spot. But when trying out the hairstyles on yourself you wonder why it doesn't look the same, why this bit of hair doesn't reach all the way over there or even just how their hair is so luscious and beautiful.

So how can you get your hair looking that good? Here are some of my tips!

Get regular trims.

This is so important, even if you're growing your hair. Having split ends makes your hair look way less healthy and if you leave it too long (perhaps because you're trying to grow your hair) you'll end  up having to have more hair cut off to compensate for not getting it trimmed. Get a trim every 4-6 weeks if you aren't growing your hair, and 8-10 weeks if you are growing your hair.

Damaged hair.

Try to limit the amount of heat you use on your hair, if you blow-dry your hair, then style it using heat after that its going to cause more damage to your hair, just like regularly dying your hair lighter than it's natural colour. Of course there are many products that you can use to minimise the damage, but its still going to cause some damage! Try to leave your hair to dry naturally sometimes and embrace your natural hair because you might feel like you don't like your natural hair but it may surprise you! My hair used to be very curly, until i was about four, when it went completely straight, For the next nine years I had straight hair and went from long hair to a bob twice (I was feeling brave/indecisive/ I really liked guest blogger Kate's short hair when we were about six and wanted it like hers). Then one day I washed my hair and left it to dry overnight and I woke up and it had dried in loose curls! Let your hair do it's thing, it might be a nice surprise!

Try to avoid washing your hair too often, this will strip your hair of essential oils, and brushing your hair when it's wet can also damage your hair!

Food.

We all love food but for really healthy hair making sure you have enough protein, iron, vitamin C, omega 3, vitamin A, zinc, selenium, vitamin E and biotin in your diet. Click here to find more information about that and what foods contain them!

Hair Oils.
Hair oils have become really popular in the past few years, using coconut oil, Argan oil, I've even seen articles about olive oil use on hair. The oils can nourish the ends of your hair leaving it looking soft, sleek and shiny. Using an oil, such as coconut oil, massaged into your scalp and lengths of hair, left overnight and washed off the following morning, has many benefits. These benefits include preventing hair breakage, stimulating the hair follicles (these both help towards hair growth) as well as slowing down hair loss and obviously moisturising your hair! It's good to research into hair oils as there are many and they can be quite expensive so you want to find one that sounds right for you!

Patience.
Everyone is different, everyone's hair grows at a different speed, everyone has different kinds of hair. Some of us are lucky and have hair that grows really fast, some may have hair that grows slow, some have thick hair, some have fine hair. Just work with your hair. What works for someone else may not work for you! And no one's hair will grow six inches overnight!

I am lucky that I have hair that grows very fast and is thick and healthy looking. It is now just past my waist, after having it cut in a bob again a few years ago!

I just want to apologise for the quality of these, my camera wasn't having any of it (which is why i don't use auto focus!)  so I resorted to using my phone! My hair also is quite straight for me here, I washed it this morning so it wasn't completely dry and I just brushed it out.

I hope this post helped some of you, I'm no hair expert but I researched everything beforehand!
I'd love to see everyone's Pinterest-worthy hair, so tag me in photos;)

Lots of love,
Emma xxx

I have two song recommendations for this post, Expensive by Tori Kelly and I Was Made For Loving You, also by Tori Kelly. I can't wait for Tori's album to finally be released in the UK! Expensive is so great to dance around your room to, I absolutely love it, it features a rapper called Daye Jack, I don't really know who he is and I don't think he necessarily adds to the song at all, but the song is great any way! I Was Made For Loving you is a really beautiful song, it features Ed Sheeran (an artist that I also love!) and it really is just a lovely song so please give it a listen!

I don't know if anyone reads this bit of the post, but if you do let me know what songs you're loving at the moment, or what you think of the songs I've recommended!