Review: Violet Mousse (the lipstick, not a floral dessert) 

Karen Murrell 05 Violet Mousse


Taking photos of my face is something I am not used to. So please appreciate my efforts. 

 

I’m going to preface this review with two disclaimers (possibly three, I’m quite tired – wait that was one of them). Firstly, I don’t do many makeup related reviews, but lipstick is the one thing that I spend more money on than I should. I care more about lipstick than other less interesting things, like what product I will use to cover up the evidence of how tired I am or how I can disguise the unwanted blemishes moving in on my facial real estate.

If I could choose one makeup product only to use for the rest of my life, it would be lipstick. I therefore thought it would be fun to share some thoughts on the first ever lipstick by Karen Murrell that I was happily surprised to find on my doorstep.

Second disclaimer is that I have an awkward face. It smiles awkwardly (somehow in the exact same way every time) but I wanted to show the lipstick on … because that’s how its intended to be used and photos are what I like to see in a review myself. Okay, so it wasn’t really a disclaimer, more a slightly pointless ramble. Sorry. Read on for the important stuff.

Karen Murrell 05 Violet Mousse

What is it? I may be the last person in NZ to try a Karen Murrell lipstick, but in case I am not, Violet Mousse (05) is the newest lipstick released in this popular line of vegetarian lipsticks, made with natural products to seal in moisture whilst adding a pop of colour. This addition to the range is a warm mid-tone pink, formulated with things like avocado oil, evening primrose and other good stuff for your lips.

What I liked: Okay so I’m just going to lay down everything and declare my love for this lipstick. Firstly, the formula is ridiculous; Its balm like in texture and feels moisturising on the lips, is glossy enough to look natural and fresh and yet somehow manages to last through me eating a three course meal without looking less amazing. Usually if I want staying power, I go with a balm stain or a matte lipstick, and with a lighter shade like this, even then I don’t have much luck. Secondly, the colour is so flattering and natural, it completes the perfect minimal makeup look, bringing just enough colour to my face to help me look like a functioning human who didn’t get only 4 hours sleep because she got lost on the internet. Its a lipstick I can wear every day, for pretty much any occasion, and its low maintenance so I don’t have to check for lipstick on unwanted parts of my face every hour. In summation, I was impressed (and in love).

What I didn’t like: I didn’t like the fact that I only currently have one. Not to worry, I tend to remedy this rather quickly. I honestly can’t really think of anything I would change about this lipstick. The packaging is nothing incredible but its good quality and looks smart…that’s almost a criticism right? (Okay, not really, I’m just trying to be somewhat balanced in this review and its not working). The scent is definitely strong, so if cinnamon isn’t your thing, be wary. If, however, you are a fan of delicious scents that don’t think twice and hand over your credit card.

The details: You can pick this up for yourself for a pretty reasonable NZ$29.95 from selected pharmacies and health stores, you can find a full range of stockists here.

Karen Murrell 05 Violet Mousse

My face again…this time outside (this photo probably didn’t need this caption)

I was sent this product to try out, but I was not asked to review this, or paid for any opinions. As per always, the thoughts above are 100% my own and when I say I love this lipstick, its because its amazing. 

My Foxy Tea Time – make time for tea

My Foxy Tea Time

Sometimes all I want to do is post about tea, and in my head I try and consider how much an average tea drinker would want to read about tea (possibly not at all) and then hold off on continually bombarding you with tea favourites. It’s not my fault that its my life source. I am slowly trying to back away from my relationship with coffee and so tea is becoming even more important in my life, although to be honest I didn’t realise that was possible.

I’m so glad this week has come to an end. It’s not that I don’t try to enjoy everyday, but a few busy busy weekends, a flat inspection and then full on stuff at work has made me a slightly more exhausted version of myself than I would like to be. So to relax, I turn to tea. And here are 4 more teas that have been occupying my teapot lately.My Foxy Tea Harney and Sons Paris

This first gorgeous tin is full of a tea I had been meaning to buy for the longest time, and eventually picked up from the awesome little tea shop in Mt Eden (tea and romance novels, what more could you need?!). Paris is a black tea by Harney & Sons, and for someone who tends to stick to herbal teas, this is a firm favourite of mine. I would drink a pot of it every time we visited Okra, and now I get to enjoy it at home too! This black tea is pretty fruity and flavourful, with bergamot and orange, but also warm notes of caramel and vanilla. Its a delicious brew, strong yet comforting, self-assured yet mysterious, like the French I guess. Delicious.

My Foxy Tea Time Red Seal

I know we are moving into the colder weather, and these cold brew bags are now more often hot brewed, but I have been loving this Apple and Elderflower herbal tea by Red Seal a lot lately. It’s a refreshing cup, with clean flavours, and does a great job of satisfying my 3pm sweet tooth cravings. The individual packaging is not the most ecologically friendly I would guess, but is perfect for me throwing a few into my handbag for work,

T Leaf ChamomileJust take a moment to gaze on the beauty of this t leaf cinnamon apple chamomile herbal tisane (long name, but I promise its worth it). It not only looks weirdly wonderful, but this amazing combination of flavours is my perfect evening drink to de-stress, unwind and settle down before bed. The apple and cinnamon are subtle but do a perfect job of bringing a warmth and depth of flavour to the chamomile blossoms. A perfect option for someone who isn’t a super big fan of chamomile tea itself, but wants to have its relaxing benefits!

My Foxy Tea Time KeriKeriLast up is this wee bag of Kerikeri Organic Green Honeybush which has been my main choice at work lately. This caffeine-free tea doesn’t have super interesting flavours, but it tastes similar to a subtle green tea and has a slight sweetness. From what I have gathered, honeybush is a South African tea, similar to Rooibos, and normally the same golden red colour. This makes a great alternative for Green Tea as it still has high levels of antioxidants but doesn’t contain the caffeine of green tea.

Let me know what tea has been featuring for you lately as this colder weather moves in, or what you think if you have tried any of the above!

The Little Paris Bookshop – Book Review

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

I’ve been lucky enough to be sent a few books to read from Hachette NZ and thought I would throw up quick reviews, at least for the ones worth talking about! Aside from my usual reading roundups, I haven’t really reviewed books before so please feel free to give me feedback on how I can make these more interesting and/or helpful. Or just comment below and let me know you love me, ’cause we all need some love every now and again.

The Little Paris Bookshop

Where most of my reading takes place. In bed.

Summary: The Little Paris Bookshop was published at the beginning of April, and as soon as it turned up at my doorstep I dropped my other book (sorry Outlander, I promise to return!) so I could dive right in. The beautiful cover was enough to perk my France-loving interest.

This story starts off in Paris and centres around Jean Perdu, the owner of a barge-based literary apothecary (I was sold as soon as I saw those two words) on the Seine where he prescribes books to his customers based on their ailments and needs. All of a sudden, he sets off with his young neighbour, searching for writing inspiration (aren’t we all!) down the country in search for closure.

My thoughts: The Little Paris Bookshop was the perfect way for me to escape into a Parisian story of love and friendship, and moving on from events we shut off in our past. Set in one of the most beautiful settings in the world, and with incredibly likeable characters (almost too likeable), it would be hard not to enjoy this book.

It was the kind of read where people interrupting me pissed me off, and I was only slightly ashamed of being rather unfriendly with colleagues. But when you are absorbed in a beautiful story set amongst Paris and Provence, with such vivid descriptions and characters, it can be a rather rude awakening to be brought back to reality. Sorry.

‘Most often he asked, “How should the book taste? Of ice cream? Spicy, meaty? Or like a chilled rose?” Food and books were closely related. He discovered this in Sanary, and it earned him the nickname “the book epicure.”’ – The Little Paris Bookshop

What I liked: The dreamy setting (obviously, France will always be my escape from life), the funny little emotional descriptions our main character came up with, the ending that ties everything up in one satisfying bow and then gives you a few Provençal recipes to leave with (lavender ice-cream is a thing guys!).  The Little Paris Bookshop is an easy, relaxing, feel good read, and you can’t finish it without a little bubble of happiness slowly descending over you. All the talk of delicious food can also make you quite hungry, fair warning to all.

What I didn’t like: Sometimes the characters were all a little too perfect. I loved them all, but sometimes I don’t want to love everyone and its nice to have a bit of variety. And we all know the French, they can’t possibly be all that lovely.

Worth a read: Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment immersed in this and felt better off having read it. Any book lover/francophile would enjoy The Little Paris Bookshop. In fact almost anyone would enjoy it, it’s heartwarming in the best sense of the word and would also make an excellent gift.

Rating : 4 stars

*The Little Paris Bookshop was kindly provided to me with no obligations and this has not influenced any of my opinions. I can barely keep track of my own thoughts, let alone someone else’s. 

Paris

The best part of this book was how vividly it brought to mind my memories of Paris and that beautiful Seine River

Friday’s Letters: Wanderer

Dear Crochet: Nice to meet you. Welcome to my list of hobbies that I start with the hope that I don’t fail and give up within a couple of months.

Dear Balance: You elusive, difficult thing you. I’m trying to find a way to manage all of the different aspects of my life, whilst also trying to focus on myself more. There’s a lot of trying going on, and its almost working.

Dear Twitter: Thanks for showing me that I’m not the only person who lets social anxiety convince my brain that everyone hates me. Its nice to get reassurance from others, and then set aside my worries in the “not important”pile in my brain.

Dear Bagels: You make life a better place to be. Thanks for having such a great relationship with tomatoes and cream cheese. Together, we can face mornings with a smile!

Dear Merlin: I love how you support my hobbies my trying to eat my crochet work. I love how you support my attempt to be more organised by eating my to-do lists. I also love your possum tail.

Dear Gym: Its nice to be getting back into a routine with you.

Dear Europe: One year ago exactly, my feet has just started wandering through your cities. This year has flown by faster than I could imagine, and yet my memories of the beautiful places and amazing sights Edd and I saw are ingrained into my mind as clear as they day I experienced them. Thank you for enriching my life and teaching me a few lessons along the way. One day, we’ll be back.

Music to my Ears #4

I went through a bit of a music slump and then all of a sudden found myself listening to albums all over the place. So choosing 3 was actually a bit of a challenge. I stuck with 2 rather recent albums as well as a compilation album for an incredible movie (seeing as I don’t listen to compilations that often…)

 music to my ears 
1. Kintsugi by Death Cab for Cutie

I will always get excited when a new Death Cab album is released, but I never really got into their previous album and so when I listened to this the first time through and realised it was a winner I was beyond happy. To me this album sounds like the perfect development from older albums and also incorporates certain elements of The Postal Service. Its a good mix of upbeat singles and slower ballads, catchy tunes and restrained vocals, electronic and acoustic elements, and yet the album flows really nicely. Ever since the first time the OC played Lack of Colour, I fell in love with Death Cab and so falling in love with a new album was pretty darn satisfying.

Listen to: Black Sun, Little Wanderer, El Dorado and Binary Sea.

2. Darling Arithmetic by Villagers

I have Dad to thank for introducing me to the Villagers through my favourite track by them; Becoming a Jackal (which annoyingly doesn’t appear on this album), and have been immersing myself in their albums ever since. This newest album was released earlier this year, and shows a rather restrained and elegant style of theirs that I really enjoy. This album is beautifully melancholic and simple, put together in a really neat way. If you’re a fan of Kings of Convenience (which I am) then this folky acoustic album will definitely be up your alley. If not, listen to Becoming a Jackal, their debut album to hear another side of their music.

Listen to: Courage, Everything I am is Yours, Dawning on Me and The Soul Serene.

3. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Soundtrack

Weirdly appropriate, as this time last year I was on a plane to London watching this movie for the first time. First things first, if you haven’t seen this movie, you should. Its Ben Stiller at his best, and its also a reminder of how incredible and beautiful life can be. Its fantastic, and had a pretty perfect accompanying soundtrack. This soundtrack is perfect for a Sunday morning spent pottering (which is my favourite thing to do on a Sunday). There’s a cool mix of songs from a few different artists, but most of it is Jose Gonzalez or his band Junip (I’m not complaining at all).

Listen to: Stay Alive by Jose Gonzelez, Don’t Let It Pass by Junip, and Don’t You Want Me by Bahamas and the Weather Station (such a cool cover).

Give some of these a listen and let me know what you think.

What have you been playing recently?

5 Skin Care Saviours

Skin care is a problem for me all year round, but the change of season can especially mess with my body and send my skin into self-destruct mode, much to my despair. I have a few products that are on my bedside currently because they are wondrous and do a better job taking care of my skin then I normally ever do. All 5 have a slightly different use or function, and together they make sure my skin is moisturised and supple, even during these transition seasons.

1. be good with your hands in bed – night time hand cream by anatomicals

anatomicals continue to sneak their way into my trolley each shop, and I  continue to not mind because they consistently smell amazing and do the job well. This night time hand cream is technically my all the time hand cream because it absorbs quickly but gives me a long lasting sense of hydration for my hands. It also smells delicious and subtle of creamy, fragrant avocados. Its just another perfect hand cream (see my two other favourites on this post on anatomicals).

2. Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter cuticle cream

I have used this for years now, and it is still one of my favourite cuticle creams to carry around with me and use before bed. I slather this all over my nails and fingers to keep them soft and soothed (and keep dry cuticles at bay). Unlike my other favourite cuticle products, this balmy product doesn’t seem as oily/greasy and soaks into my skin fairly quick. This little classic is full of natural ingredients like almond oil, lemon oil, rosemary, vitamin E and other things that all look like they belong (if I can understand what it is and why its there, I’m happy). The subtle scent of lemon is an added bonus.

3. goodness certified organic chia seed oil

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend the launch of this new brand goodness which hosts a range of 5 amazing skin care products featuring organic chia seed oil. I apply this at night and wake up with such radiant, moisturised skin that I already know this will be a new staple in my skin care routine (out goes my beloved rosehip oil). Lightly scented (earthy and nutty scent) and pleasant to use as it doesn’t just sit on my face, I find this does an amazing job of adding in some extra hydration for my face as well as reducing redness and overall just being a bit of a show off. The balance of alpha omega oils are perfect for dry or sensitive skin but can be used by pretty much anyone wanting to add some moisture and goodness to their skin. See the full range over at the goodness website (I have my eye on their beautiful pumice chia seed oil face scrub).

4. Aveeno intensive night cream

Another product that takes care of my face overnight (and often during the day because I am too lazy for two face creams most of the time) is this night cream from the positively radiant range by Aveeno. Another favourite skincare brand, I have never had my sensitive skin react to any Aveeno products, and this night cream is perfect for my difficult, dry skin. This night cream is surprisingly light (which is why it sometimes appears during the day too) but still lasts all night and leaves me waking up with soft, calm skin.

5. Lush Charity Pot – hand and body lotion

This is my perfect body moisturiser for slathering on after a shower before jumping into bed. Its not thick or heavy, and so this lotion soaks into my skin leaving it feeling amazing and smelling like chocolate. Its amazing. I use this generously every day and I don’t think my skin has ever been so uniformly moisturized and healthy. What’s even better about this lotion is that 100% of the profits from this product goes to various good causes like saving the Maui dolphins, aid for developping countries and other amazing work done all over the world. Lush uses the funds from this wee wonder (minus the GST) to help support organisations doing amazing things, so you can feel even more wonderful knowing that your hydrated skin is part of something much bigger and better. Read more over here.

These are my 5 current skin care saviours, what do you use during these season changes to take care of your skin?

Nobody is Alone

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Stephanie and Dee put their wonderful heads together to create this mental health blog project for people to take part in. The goal is to show that no one is alone in suffering from mental illness or learning to live with their struggles. I wanted to take part because mental health is something that is so important to me, and something I work on everyday to make my head a better place to be. The thing I have found most useful in this journey is realising that I’m not alone, and that there are so many amazing people out there for support and friendship.#nobodyisalone

1. Age: 24

2. Location: Auckland

3. Occupation: Public Servant

4. Is or has your mental health ever been of concern to you or others? As a child/teenager my mental health became a worry to my parents and teachers. As I was growing up I was still learning how to cope with life and all of its challenges (okay, so I’m still learning) and at times I suffered from depression and resorted to self-harm. Nowadays I am definitely better at recognising when life is getting too much and putting in place strategies to help me move through each hurdle but anxiety and depression can still arrive at my door when I least expect it.

5. Have you ever sought help for issues relating to your mental health? As a child I saw a variety of counsellors and psychologists, some of which were amazing and taught me some important life skills, others who did nothing but make me feel like a lunatic.

6. Have you ever felt anxious or had a panic attack? Anxiety is something that I experience pretty regularly, especially before a big social event or a day I know is going to be stressful and intense. Its scary to feel your mind and body freak out, your heart race and your hands shake, and that lack of control is the hardest thing to deal with.

7. What triggers you to feel anxious or low, in terms of your mood?  My triggers include lack of sleep, social situations that I don’t feel I have any control over (aka most of them) and stress (whether it be real or just perceived).

8. At what moments is your self-confidence at its lowest? Self-Confidence is one of those elusive concepts that I am definitely still working on. Its at its lowest when I’m sick, when I’m involved in negative relationships or just when my brain decides to bring up old “truths” I learnt as a child that put me in a vulnerable, negative state of mind.

9. What strategies do you use to cope when feeling anxious or low? My strategy for dealing with anxiety is using mindfulness and relaxation. This can be as simple as making myself to take a few deep breaths before walking into a social situation or reminding myself that the negative assumptions I make about certain things are just that, assumptions, and that it is my responsibility to reconsider certain things that change my perception of the world around me. Ultimately I have found that techniques which give me more control and responsibility over my mind help me to override the corrupt thoughts that cause my anxiety and try to produce more productive thought habits.

10. Does anxiety or a low mood have a physical effect on you? I definitely feel my mental state manifest in my physical health. When I am in a negative state of mind my body responds by getting sick and/or tired. This makes perfect sense because the human body is not designed to be a in a constant state of stress or anxiety and the chemical effects of this can be massive on your physical health. All the more reason to make my mental health the number one priority.

11. Do you or anybody you know suffer from a mental illness?  I have a close family member who is currently suffering in a pretty extreme way from a mental illness (and mental health has always been a part of my family history) and its harder for me to see it in someone I love then to deal with it myself.

12. Do you feel there is a stigma around mental illness? There is definitely stigma, even just in the way work environments give people sick days for when you have the flu but people are made to feel guilty or weak for taking days off when you simply can’t face getting out of bed. For people who have never experienced the paralysing ability of a broken mind, this can be hard to understand and this lack of understanding is a common cause of stigma.

13. What do you think could be done to change attitudes to mental health? Awareness. People shouldn’t feel ashamed of their mental health issues, the same as you wouldn’t be ashamed of a broken leg. People need to realise how important their mental health is, to the same degree that our physical health is seen as important if not more so. Awareness is so key, both for those who suffer from mental illness to make sure they know there is help available but also for those who haven’t experienced mental health issues and therefore may not understand its impact on others.

14. What advice do you have for anyone suffering from mental illness? My advice is that everyone is different and there is no one solution to mental illness so be experimental, talk to others and get tips on what has helped them in their journey. Then devote time and energy to trying these solutions until you find things that work for you. Make sure you do use the support of those around you and ask for help when you need it. Realise that there might always be bad days but you can get better at moving through these bad days and facing tomorrow. Focus on the positive’s in life because there are so many once we start looking. If you are suffering from mental illness speak to a professional to make sure you have the best tools available to help.

If you need someone to talk to call Lifeline on 0800 543 354 and seek help, because no one has to go through life and all of its challenges alone.

mental health challenge

My 5 picks for the NZ Comedy Festival 2015

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I am a big fan of this time of year, when comics flock to New Zealand to create the NZ International Comedy Festival. Just take my money. Last year Edd and I left for Europe right at this time (sob) and so missed out on seeing much action, I plan to remedy this in 2015 by going to as much as I can. For those who may not know where to start or what to see, the comedy festival website has kindly broken it all up into some handy sections (accompanied by cat pictures) so you know which shows will not be appropriate for your young sister and her very conservative, religious friends too (one time, 1 bad decision). I wanted to share 5 shows that I would pick, either because I have seen the comedian before or just ’cause it sounds great.

WilsonDixon_470x270

Wilson Dixon – For the first time again

I have seen this talented cowboy a few times at various comedy shows and Wilson Dixon never fails to disappoint with his drawling stories from the mid-west. Throw in a few catchy and hilarious songs and you have an hour that flies by, full of laughs.

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Best of the Billys – Hosted by Ben Hurley

This kind of comedy show is a great way to get the most for your money and see a few different comedians in one night. Best of the Billys features a few favourites like Rose Matafeo, Cori Gozalez-Macuer and Guy Montgomery, and will no doubt be a hilarious night for a very reasonable price. A perfect introduction to some of New Zealand’s best.

OneManBB3

One Man Breaking Bad – The Unauthorised Parody

As soon as I heard that there was a 1 hour show where 1 man acts out all 5 seasons of Breaking Bad and its amazing characters, I knew I had to be there. Enough said.

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Rose Matafeo – Finally Dead

I love Rose’s unique style of comedy, she always puts on a good show and I just relate to her awkward stories more-so than any other standup comedian. She is one of New Zealand’s best acts in my opinion and definitely worth fitting into your comedy calendar. In this show she stages her own funeral, which sounds weirdly appealing.

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The Green Effect – Hosted by Brendon Green

The Green Effect is a show featuring different funny people on the two different nights who all put their hilarious minds together to come up with a way to save the world. I don’t know much more about it but will be going along to see what they come up with! Visit the website to find out more.

Will you be going along to any shows this year? If so let me know what your picks are (not that I can afford to go to all the shows I would like to see!).

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Taking Stock | April 2015

It’s been a fair few months since my last Taking Stock post, and I felt like doing one again :) If you want to join in go and grab the blank list over on Pip’s blog. This year is going so quickly and I almost feel like if I sit down and focus on the following list it’s like I am holding on to this moment in time, like sand slipping through my fingers. So lets sit and ponder, shall we?

Taking Stock April

Making : Lists, everyday, to try and help me keep priorities in order and make my mind less chaotic (I’m one of those people who in the middle of the night won’t be able to sleep because I will be listing things on my fingers that need to be done, this is much less stressful if I can just write it down and leave it til morning)
Cooking : Chickpea, tomato and coconut curry. Real yum
Drinking : Lemon, ginger and honey with hot water. Have started doing this almost daily and loving it (plus hoping it will ward off my cold that I feel approaching)
Reading: A book called the Biology of Belief, challenges my mind which is good
Wanting: Another cat so that Merlin can have a little friend to play with
Looking: For ways to make my home more beautiful
Playing: Minecraft, Mr 7 is teaching me how (I’m a slow learner it turns out)
Deciding: Which gym classes to go to during the week
Wishing: That there were more hours in a day, more days in the year, more years in my life. If I could just have a couple of lifetimes to live out all the different dreams I have, that would be swell
Enjoying: The moment
Waiting: To see what happens with my job and the future
Liking: The possibilities each day holds
Wondering: What other people would say are their main values in life, and wondering what mine are or should be
Loving: My family and my Merlin, even when he brings in the biggest insects he can find and lets them loose in the house (minus several legs)
Pondering: The ways to make my life the way I want it
Considering: Taking up sign language classes
Buying: All the necessary things to start learning to crochet, wish me luck!
Watching: Community and remembering how funny and clever the first couple of seasons are (Troy and Abed 4eva <3)
Hoping: That I can make some time to bake again soon, its been to long!
Marvelling: At how the different people I know are all so different and have such amazing qualities, I have so much I can learn from others
Cringing: At some of the things I say. This is why I tend to just keep my mouth shut around people I am not close with
Needing: To learn how to just be me and appreciate that I am not everyone’s cup of tea (and that’s okay)
Questioning: How I can make myself more of a priority
Smelling: French pear, oh Ecoya, your candles will break my wallet some day
Wearing: My new Fitbit! Its the best thing. The best.
Following: along with the New Zealand Bachelor, and only feeling slightly embarrassed at how much I enjoy it. We all have our escapes, right?
Noticing: How much better I feel after a good night’s sleep
Knowing: That I need to make some changes to my exercise routine
Thinking: How lucky I am to have my husband going through life by my side
Admiring: People who seem to have it all figured out. And also Edd who is learning to drive and doing such an amazing job, despite having a crazy “supervisor” who would drive even the most patient learner insane. I’m really sorry x
Sorting: All my clothes, donated a whole bag of things I had been hanging on to for no real reason, and it felt amazing
Getting: A little more organised, day by day
Bookmarking: These finger tattoos that are totally hipster but I still really love them
Coveting: perfect skin. Is that a thing you can covet? If so I definitely covet it :-/
Disliking: Spinach leaves in smoothies. I am still figuring out the best way to disguise the taste
Opening: My diary more often. Turns out that having a diary is only really useful when you occasionally look at it…
Giggling: often, I’m blessed to live with some incredibly funny and weird flatmates
Feeling: Optimistic for the future and content with the present. The past can just stay where it belongs for now 😛
Snacking: Less, and generally succeeding (there is chocolate by my bed from Easter that I haven’t even devoured yet and I feel like this is a big thing)
Wishing: That I felt confident in my health and could trust that I am not going to get sick again soon
Helping: A good friend move in to her new flat after a two month trip to South America (and only feeling slightly envious of her amazing trip, okay a lot envious)
Hearing: new albums from Spotify, like the latest release by DeathCab which I fell in love with after the first listen.

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Leave a comment if you do a post like this or something similar, I think its such a nice way to just consider the different things all going on.

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5 ways to own that job interview

  

I was and possibly still am one of the worst job interviewees. I like to think that over the last few months I have improved, at least marginally. And because I am now 1% closer to being a job interview master, I figured it was only time to share my very limited but possibly useful knowledge with the world. Or a very small portion of the world. Things that I wish I had been able to tell myself before throwing myself onto the chopping block rather unprepared.

1. Be authentic to yourself and your skills

I don’t know if this needs to be expanded on but basically be honest to yourself, your skills and your strengths. Don’t lie about a skill that you didn’t even know existed because there are two outcomes, and neither are great. Either they see through your lie and don’t trust anything else you say and you don’t get the job, or alternatively and quite possibly worse, they do believe you, you get the job and are thrown in the deep end without the necessary support. The other side to being authentic is to not become a robot, parroting off stuff you memorised that kind of almost fits their question. Be natural, be funny (if, unlike me, you are actually funny), if you’re nervous take a moment to gather yourself. Let them see your personality for what it is, not for how you think they want it to be (unless you’re crazy, in which case reign that in and save it for later). Don’t forget to Smile :)

2. Don’t forget how incredibly awesome you are

Whilst remembering our limitations, make sure to focus on your strengths and all the amazing skills that you would bring to the role. Now is not the time to be humble so tell them about all the times you saved other people’s butt because of how great you are (’cause you are great, and you know it, so make them know it too). Tell them about how great you would be as part of the team and what unique sills and visions you have to offer.

3. An interview is a two-way street

This little gem comes from my Dad who always reminds me that an interview is also my chance to see if the role is for me. My ultimate satisfaction now comes from making the interviewers sell themselves and the job to me. If I can do that then it changes the whole perspective on the interview (at least for me) and makes me 120% more comfortable. You can do this by asking questions like “What is the team environment like?”, “What would you say is the best thing about working for your company?” etc. Remember, this might not be the job for you (and that’s totally fine because you deserve the job that suits you) so now is the time to figure that out.

4. Be Prepared

Take some of Scar’s advice (but not all of it ’cause that feline was crazy mad) and be prepared for the interview, know what to expect. This might involve *actually* reading the job description (which I really hope I’m not the only person to forget to do), going online and looking up example questions, asking the interviewer in advance what types of questions they generally base their interview off (e.g. behavioural in which case practise makes perfect). I like to brainstorm things like the skills I have that are most relevant to the role and how I can make sure they come up enough. Do your homework so that you leave knowing you gave it your best shot.

5. Don’t take it too seriously

I am without a doubt one of the worst people in terms of freaking out over job interviews. Meet me half an hour before my interview and I will be shaky, sweaty, unsettled, hyperventilating, sculling coffees, stress eating chocolate and may have most likely lost the ability to speak English properly. Only extremely recently have I somewhat improved on this front and this is due largely to just looking at the interview not as a life/death situation but simply an opportunity to grow and develop, even if its just in becoming slightly less nervous next time. We all know job hunting can be one of the worst experiences, but try to approach each interview as a chance to become even more amazing at showing people how great you are, and as a bonus you might even get a job. If you don’t (and boy have I experienced that feeling..a lot) its not because you are a terrible person, its not because you went to shake their hand and then suddenly forgot how that worked, its not because you were too nervous to speak in full sentences. It’s because it wasn’t the job for you, and that’s okay.

  
I still have so much more to learn in terms of becoming less of a nervous wreck during interviews, so please let me know what you find most useful and what tips you have picked up!

 

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