how i got over my depression

Hello all, welcome back to another blogpost and in this one we are gonna get deep and talk about mental health. I think this post is gonna be heavy so if you're not normally into this kinda stuff it's probably best to give this one a miss.

In the summer of 2018 I was diagnosed with clinical depression, I really wasn't surprised as ever since I was a child it was obvious something wasn't right. For instance, on a Sunday I would get so down and just lie in my bed and nearly cry all afternoon at the thought of having to get up and leave the house for school the next day, this was at age 8 so it was not healthy for a young child.
Things really spiralled out of control when me and my recent boyfriend split up, however that was probably the best thing to ever happen to me and here is why.

Before the split I always relied on other people for my own happiness, I believed that without them I couldn't be happy, whether it be a best friend, a boyfriend and so on. When I was with my ex I had recently lost my best friend so he was everything I had, therefore I put my everything into that relationship and this is okay to do, however I had told myself that this was my only source of happiness in my life, therefore when it was over I was broken.

For weeks I didn't go to sixth form, I wouldn't leave my bed, my mental health was at its lowest and I thought it was going to be this way forever, I cut myself off from almost everyone just to avoid the erruption of pain I believed my mental health would cause.

It is okay to wallow and be sad however I think it is also important to not take it to an extreme, I had been through break ups before, serious ones so I knew that this wasn't the cause, I knew the cause was in my own head. I decided to go to the doctors and get medication, I got put on 20mg of citrolopram which lifted me however this was not enough.

I remember the day it got better was the day I decided that I controlled my own happiness. That I had to find it within myself and that I could only ever rely on myself to bring happiness. I found myself to be more outgoing and bubbly, I met loads of new people yet never found myself relying upon them being there, I went out loads and kept telling myself that I am enough. I guess there is no true moral here, I just wanted to put it out there that you can control your own happiness as long as you find it within yourself first. Please never rely on anyone else to bring it to you, they are just emphasising the happiness you already hold, it is amazing what a difference having a new mindset can make. I am so grateful for all my new friends who support me when I am down, but I would definitely say I am a different person from who I was last summer.



Please email me if you have any questions at lucyxsifford@gmail.com


Thank you very much for reading and I'll be back to my usual style next week.

my top 5 cheap as makeup products

hello, yes i am skint, but being skint doesn't mean you have to be ugly right? So to cover my naturally questionable face I like to use some very inexpensive makeup products that comforts and consoles that rather small uni budget. These products I think are really good but if they don't work for you then don't sue me, I have dry skin but it's quite clear so let that be your guide.


Ok numbero uno;

I'm gonna start with my fave which is gonna be anti-climatic at the end but I don't want this to be really long winded and boring so my fave and the ultimate bargain of uni is the revolution conceal and define foundation.

Revolution Conceal and Define Foundation- £9


I use the shade F10 because I fake tan and I think it's a lovely colour. Let's break it down y'all...

Coverage- 4/5
Blendability- 4/5
Finish- 5/5
Lasting Power- 4/5

This foundation is deffo on the more matte side so if you like a sheen to your skin this may not be the one for you, however, I have tried this with Primark's glowing setting spray and it makes it a lot more dewy so if you still want this coverage with a glowy look you can always try that.



2) Revolution Conceal and Define Concealer- £4



I use the shade C2 because I like to highlight under my eyes, the shade range does go beyond this however I don't want to interfere with copyright claims so here's a pic I found ya'll cos my budget doesn't allow me to buy all the shades for this blog post sorry.

Coverage- 4/5
Blendability- 5/5
Finish- 5/5
Lasting Power- 5/5

This is such a bargain and I've seen it compared to the tarte shape tape so there's that. I reccommend trying this even if you start with the small size, it doesn't crease and it has a lovely matte finish. LAVVV IT


3) Sleek blush



So I got this blush when Zoella raved about it and I still have it so there's your value for money. (If you aren't a flake 99 like me then basically i've had it 3 years probs) I have the shade coral and upon looking for a swatch i have discovered to my heart break that they have discontinued this one, however I believe the formula's to be the same so take your pick out of the 4 they have left (dabs in anger)






4) Revolution chocolate orange palette - £9


If you are an orange fiend like myself then this palette is an absolute steal. It blends really well and the pigment pay off is peng. Unfortunately I dropped mine, broke the lid and smashed some colours to smithereens so enjoy this stock image from superdrugs website because we love co-operations rather than home taken piccys x




5)NYX Vinyl eyeliner - £7

I love this liner because it doesn't smudge and it stays matte all night, plus it's name is shared upon the finest room in the atik night club (love u collywood) This eyeliner may not be the best for beginners due to the shape of it and I found it easiest to use a gel liner with a brush when I was starting out, however if you have a steady hand deffo give this beast a try.




Alas we are at the end of this post. I love cheap makeup and cheap thrills feel free to email me any requests or comment any questions u have. Overall the best makeup brand for cheap decent makeup is deffo revolution and most of my makeup is from there. I may do a full face of revolution in a future post so stay tuned for that. Laters

I r8 my experience of UEA (a humble review of the University Of East Anglia)

hello hello h e l l o,

Lucy here and I'm going to rate UEA based on my experience here in a really unbiased, constructive and honest way.

So, UEA, commonly referred to as the 'University Of Easy Access' due to the sheer amount of unconditionals they hand out for absolutely no reason, however, I am not complaining as I am one of these individuals who screamed at the opportunity of minimum effort maximum gain. Nevertheless, even with it's degrading nickname UEA will constantly remind you of its top 20 university status, something which the University Of Exeter students HATE.

The Accomodation: The crack den kitchen has its own desperate charm, I for one LOVE paston house, it is extremely sociable and everyone is lovely. Although you do feel like you are cooking in a primary school kitchen your roll of dinner lady is made worthwhile by the excellent company and people living around you. My cleaner, Gloria, is amazing and is constantly working above and beyond and even cleans our kitchen Wednesdays as an extra treat. The beds look like camp beds but oh boy are they actually comfortable, there is nowhere I'd rather be than that lovely little single bed after a damn good sesh. The bed itself can fit two people, me and my boyfriend sometimes share it and although it is reasonably tight (he is 6 foot) we manage just fine. The bathroom is lovely although my floor always ends up a lake?????????? However the shower has the perfect pressure and once you've found the right temperature with the handle you can just crank that bad boy up and be in pure bliss. On Wednesday's Gloria (or whoever your cleaner is) will attempt to clean your bathroom whilst your a hungover mess from the night before, this does mean your bathroom will hardly get cleaned as I promise you will be writing a 'dont clean bathroom sign' at 4am when you're steaming from the absolute sesh pot that is the LCR.

The Nights Out: You'll constantly hear how Norwich has the best night life. This is not exactly true however the nights out are pretty good. Lets start with UEA's finest. The LCR. The pinnacle of a cheap class night out, Tuesday's NOT Saturdays. Damn Good is the highlight of my week, cheesy music and an even cheesier theme that nobody will ever adhere to. You will stumble out of the LCR drunk and see the Oasis that is the chip van. DO NOT GIVE IN unless you want to take out a mortgage. These chips are amazing and you know, if you're on such a level that you're envisaging your friends as fries with curry sauce then stand in that queue for half an hour but I suggest buying a bag of £1.50 chips from tescos and sticking them in your weird combination oven. A list is a required taste, Drum and bass and loads of boys fighting over who has the most testosterone, a little bit more expensive (£6), I would much prefer to venture to a Thursday loft session where entry is £1 and the drinks are practically free. However, UEA's uni club is sick and I fully rate man.

Lectures: Probably my least important aspect of Uni, Some of my lecturers (James Andow, Fi Roxburgh) are basically Gods among us, they are insane at their job and I fully rate them. You Will encounter the Cathy's and the Mark's who take an extra month to give back your summative results and never give notes out in a lecture but oh boy do those A class lecturers make up for it. Overall you're bound to have some lecturers you don't vibe with, but most of them are pretty class and I can see why they have a gold teaching award. But still haven't got back one summative I handed in 3 months ago now lol Mark where is it at? xxxxxxx



Overall: Circuit Laundry and Combination ovens are what will shape your uni experience. Just like how a triangle wouldn't be a triangle without 3 sides, uni wouldn't be uni without circuit laundry or 4am pot pasta's. These experiences will shape you as a person and I couldn't reccomend UEA enough. This humble campus with down to earth kitchens feel like home now and my flatmates are my second family. So if you're considering accepting that unconditional then definately do it because when you're having a picnic by the lake on a hot summers day you will not regret it.



I love u UEA and I love u Paston House


Peace out x

An update.

Yo, its ME, you have probably forgotten who I am as it's been so long however A LEVELS ARE DONE. I can now focus my attention on my degree and this blog. So, I realised people are still reading my blogposts daily even with my inactivity so I owe it to you guys to give you some good posts. Now, I do not know what can be defined as good so if you want to tell me what products to review or what kind of posts you would like please comment below.

Have a peachy day!

Lucy Siffz

How to get a really glowy face even though you have incredibly dry skin for really cheap because we r broke gals x

I have awfully dry skin however I always manage to get my skin looking super dewy with a simply makeup hack that might be of use to you fellow dry skin sufferers!

This stuff is all under £30 wOO

WHAT I DO

-It's super simple, I just apply a glowy highlighter over my bare face before foundation. Ones I use include- MAC strobe cream, and the seventeen tanned shiny liquid (discontinued now sadly)

So yeah if you put that all over your face it will SHINE, then make sure to use a dewy foundation on top (I LOVE the bourjois healthy mix gel) if you use a matte one you will just undo all the hard work and possibly get a manky texture. I put a bit of colour corrector under my eyes before foundation, the NYX yellow one is sooo brightening I love it!!!! I only powder under my eyes because again I don't want too many textures on my face.
I then use a setting spray (the maybelline satin mist one) and voila dewy skin for under £30

so hopefully this was useful, im doing a new style to my blog now as I haven't posted in a year, im just gonna write it informally cos you guys are like my friends not my managers so 

hope u enjoyed, all the products i mentioned are really cheap imma link them here

-Brightening moisturiser- wow tan by seventeen which is being discontinued hurry

-Foundation - borjouis healthy mix gel

-Concealer- nyx colour corrector

-Highlighter- Top shop pot one

My Complete Eyeshadow Collection!

Howdy! I haven't made a blogpost in what feels like forever so I thought why not make up for it by posting a super-long eye shadow collection post. This post is in no way sponsored, all opinions are my own, everything was purchased with my own money. Also in no way am I trying to brag I just thought some of you would be interested in what eyeshadows I have and what my thoughts are on them. So let's get cracking! P.S All images are my own.

These are in a completely random order of what I pulled out of my dressing table. I will speak individually about each shade, feel free to just skip straight to the palette you're interested in buying or read them all if you wish:]

Numbero Uno; The Vice palette (I think this is number 4 however it doesn't actually say)

Shades-
1-Bones- Sheer and satin beige with grey undertones
2-Grip- Silver with blue undertones and a platinum sparkle
3-Deadbeat- Charcoal black with silver sparkles
4-Beat down- Purple with blue undertones with a satin finish
5-Pandemonium- Purple with grey undertones and a frosty finish
6-Framed- Matte nude shade
7-Fast-Ball - Shimmery light pink with blue undertones
8-1985- Pink with purple undertones and a satin finish
9-Underhand- Deep mahogany purple with a satin finish
10- Harlot- Light shimmery lilac
11- Discreet- Matte beige with a cool undertone
12- Grasshopper- Shimmery bright green with a frost finish
13-C-Note- Light green with a shimmery frost finish
14- Arctic- Frosty green with blue undertones
15- Robbery- Frosty light brown/beige
16-Bitter- Brick red/brown with a matte finish
17-Flame- Orange/Red with an intense glittery shimmer
18-Low- Dark glittery grey
19-Crowbar- Dark glittery olive green with yellow undertones
20- Delete- Matte dark brown with reddish undertones

The outside of the palette is really pretty, it has a large mirror and clicks shut using a magnetic clasp.

This palette costs £43, it was limited edition, I've been trying to find somewhere that still sells it but unfortunately haven't been successful but if you really really want it i'm sure there'll be a seller somewhere.

Number 2- The Naked 2 Palette by Urban Decay

Shades;

1-Foxy- A matte nude with a yellow undertone

2-Half Baked-A glittery gold with a yellow undertone

3-Bootycall- A shimmery nude with a satin finish

4-Chopper- A gold/bronze shade with pink undertones

5-Tease- A matte taupe with a grey undertone

6-Snakebite- A satin mid-tones brown with slight shimmer

7-Suspect- A satin light brown with an almost gold undertone

8-Pistol- A light olive green with a satin finish

9-Verve- A Frosty silver with a blue undertone

10-YDK- A shade that's inbetween brown and copper with a frosty finish.

11-Busted- A dark brown with a satin finish

12- Blackout- A true black with a matte finish

The casing on the palette is metal however doesn't feel too heavy.

This Palette cost £38.50 and is available here it's brilliant if you're starting out with expensive makeup because the shades are very easy to use!:]

Number 3- Naked 3 by Urban Decay

Shades;
1-Strange- A matte nude shade with pink undertones
2-Dust- A frosty baby pink shade
3-Burnout- A satin baby pink shade
4-Limit- A matte beige with pink undertones
5-Buzz- A frosty dark pink with blue undertones
6-Trick- A frosty gold with copper undertones
7-Nooner- A matte taupe with pink undertones
8-Liar- A copper shade with brown undertones and a satin finish
9-Factory- A mid-toned brown with a satin finish
10-Mugshot- A brown shade with gold undertones and a satin finish
11- Darkside- A sheer dark brown with a satin finish
12- Blackheart- A dark black with rose-gold glitter.

The casing is metal and is Rose-Gold coloured like most of the shades in the palette

Like the Naked 2, this palette cost £38.50 and is available to buy here! I recommend this palette for summer as the pretty pinks work really well on tanned skin:]

Number 4- Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette

Shades;
1-Blonde- A satin nude with a yellow undertone
2-Bathwater-  A Frosty nude with a yellow undertone
3-Skimp- A matte nude with no true undertones
4-Steady- A Satin copper with pink undertones
5-Punk- A deep claret with red undertones
6-Baby- A Frosty light pink
7-Anahem- A matte light taupe with grey undertones
8-Stark- A matte nude with pink undertones
9-Zone- A matte brown with warm undertones
10-Serious- A dark matte grey
11-Pop- A pressed pink glitter with a frosty finish
12- Harajuku- A baby pink with a frosty finish and blue undertones
13- Danger- A satin finish electric blue
14- 1987- A bright gold with yellow undertones
15- Blackout- A true matte black

The casing is plastic with a metal rim and metal plaque.

This palette cost £40 and was limited edition, again I tried finding this palette and can't find it for sale anywhere but that's not to say it's 100% not available anymore, If you really want it I suggest searching yourself to try and find it:]

Number 5- Zoeva Cocoa Blend Palette

Shades;

1-Bitterstart- This shade is hardly visible but in the pan it's a matte nude with a yellow undertone

2-Sweeter End- This is a sheer satin pink with grey undertones

3- Warm Notes- A vibrant frosty berry shade

4-Subtle Blend- A vibrant frosty brown shade

5- Beans Are White- A dark brown almost black matte shade

6- Pure Ganache- A vibrant frosty gold

7- Substitute For Love- A warm toned almost golden brown with a matte finish

8- Freshly Toasted- A warm toned almost brick red with a matte finish

9- Infusion- A dark brown with subtle specks of silver glitter

10- Delicate Acidity- A satin purpley-brown.

The packaging is cardboard with a magnetic closing thing

This palette costs £18 and is available here, I use this mainly for transition colours as all the shades that aren't frosted are quite sheer.

Number 6- KIKO Eyeshadows (Wet and Dry Eyeshadows)

Shades;
21- A matte bright pink
36- A matte bright orange pink
79- A glittery silver with blue undertones
14- A black shade with silver glitter
64- A glittery purple with pink undertones

All are £5.90

Number 7- UD Vice XX Ltd Reloaded- by Urban Decay

Shades;
1- Smog- This shade is a glittery gold with blue undertones
2-Misdemeanor- A shimmery almost turquoise blue
3- Freakshow- A satin purple
4- Asphyxia- A shimmery lilac
5-Acid Rain- A light green with yellow undertones and a satin finish
6-Moonflower- a Rose gold with a frosty finish
7-UV-B A bright blue with strong purple undertones
8-Goldmine- A bright gold with yellow undertones and a frosted finish
9-Twice Baked- A satin mid-tone brown with warm undertones
10-Anonymous- A matte nude

(I messed up the numbers so here's the other half 1-10)

Shades;

1-Suspend- A Matte dark taupe brown with grey undertones

2-Oil Slick- A dark black with silver glitter

3-Roadstripes- A white with almost blue glitter

4-Gash- A red with a satin finish

5-Midnight Cowboy- A satin sparkly nude with a pink undertone

6- 501- A royal blue with a satin finish

7-Shallow- a light white with grey undertones and a satin finish

8- Laced- A beige with pink undertones and a matte finish

9-Hot Pants- A satin pink

10- Mildew- A mid-toned satin green colour.

This Palette cost £43 and is currently on sale here, as it is limited edition if you like the look of it I suggest you grab it whilst you can!

I hope you enjoyed this blogpost I have a few more things to add which will be added during the week so check back if you wish, thank you for reading and I hope you have a peachy day! x

ZOEVA COCOA BLEND PALETTE REVIEW AND SWATCHES.

Greeting's little amigo's, I'm gonna start this off by saying that with upcoming GCSE's I'm finding it too difficult to post weekly (as you can probably tell) so instead i'm going to promise to post once a month. I may post more than that but I'll post at least once every month.

Disclaimer// In no way is this blog post sponsered, all opinions are my own.

So first of all; I recieved this palette for Christmas as I'd put it on my list, and I've had it ever since. I use it a lot so I feel like now is that right time to properly review it. First of all I'm going to talk about the packaging. The packaging is small and thin meaning it's handy for travel and conveniant to store. It's shaped like a chocolate bar and opens and shuts magnetically.The packaging is made from cardboard however still feels luxiourious.

When you open the palette you can see an array of different warm tone shades. The shadows are packadged in circlular slots with a diameter of just under 3cm.

L-R ROW 1- Bitter Start, Sweeter End, Warm Notes, Subtle Blend, Beans Are White.
L-R ROW 2- Pure Ganache, Subsititute For Love, Freshly Toasted, Infusion, Delicate Acidity. 

Overall you get a good range of colours, The pigmentation varies shade by shade but I'll swatch every shade and review it one by one.


Shade 1- Bitter Start

It's a shame this shade lacks pigmentation as it would of been a good base colour however it's pretty much transparent and quite chalky. It's deffinately a shade that won't get much use and is a shame that it's in the palette as a more pigmented shade could take it's place. If you like this kind of shade some much better alternatives are 'Framed' from the Urban Decay Vice 4, 'Blonde' from the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Pallette, 'Strange' from the Urban Decay Naked 3 and 'Foxy' from the Urban Decay Naked 2.


Shade 2- Sweeter End

This shade is most deffinately sweeter, with a metalic finish it applies smoothly and blends well however is still a subtle pink colour. It's really cute and not too much to be swept all over the lid. This is very similar to the shade 'Baby' from the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette however less pigmented.

Shade 3- Warm Notes

I feel like this could be one of the nicest eyeshadows ever created, I would buy the whole palette for this shade alone. This is just packed with pigment and glitter to give a high metallic shine. This is the softest yet most pigmented shadow I've ever swatched, the colour pay off is beautiful and the shade is just so pretty. I love this shade so much.

Shade 4- Subtle Blend

This shade is another good pigmented metallic one, I love the colour and it's so good in the crease especially if you want a really shimmery eye all over, It blends well and is quite dark, you don't need to use a lot of it. This is very similar to 'Snakebite' from the Naked 2 however I think this is warmer toned.

Shade 5-  Beans Are White

 I like this colour however there are deffinately much more pigmented black/brown's. This shade is hard to define as it looks black from a distance but is actually a really dark brown. I'd compare this to 'Serious' from the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palette except less pigmented. It's still a good shade especailly for definition.

Shade 6- Pure Ganache

This is another super pigmented shade, it's a mix of copper and gold and applied with your finger gives the most beautiful glitter finish as if you've just applied glitter pigment. It's my second favourite in the palette for sure.

Shade 7-Substitute For Love

This shade is quite chalky and very comparable to 'Zone' from Urban Decay's Gwen Stefani palette, it's a really good transition shade and blends quite well, it's good to warm up the lid if you already have cold shadows on.

Shade 8- Infusion

This is a nice glittery black shade, it's sublte and can be built up to create an intense colour. This isn't the best black shade but it's nice, very similar to 'Deadbeat' in the Urban Decay Vice 4.

Shade 10- Delicate Acidity

This is a really pretty metallic purple, really pigmented and a nice splash of colour. Practically identical to Urban Decay's 'Pandemonium' except more glittery, Blends nicely aswell.


Overall- I think the metallic shades are deffinately the best in this palette, they are packed with pigment and glitter, so soft and just beautiful. The other shades are amazing transition colours especially with the warm tones. This palette only costs £15.50 which is amazing considering one MAC eyeshadow is £12, Warm notes by itself is deffinately worth £15.50 so I would deffinately suggest you buy this palette, it's so beautiful and I use it so often.