2020: That's A Wrap!

by Nikki LLL Blog, December 30, 2020

Christ. Dunno why I've even challenged myself to write this post, cos my lawd this year's been a maddun hasn't it. 

I could come to some pure philosophical, wise and positivity-fuelled conclusion and go full girl-boss-MLM-lifeiswhatyoumakeit on you, but I won't. You can't polish a turd. THIS YEAR HAS BEEN SHITE IN SO MANY WAYS, and I'm not gonna gloss over that and not address the huge BEAST of an elephant in the (metaphorical) 2020 room. I hate the Rona, I hate whoever decided to scran a bat and I hate that these past 12 months have limited so many people; in so many ways (and f*cking killed so many, too.)

AD | The Ultimate Gift This Christmas: Abelini Jewellery*

by Nikki LLL Blog, December 12, 2020

Christmas, the time of year we all get a bit spendy and treat the special people in our lives. It can be hard thinking of new and exciting gifts for someone (especially your bae)... I mean, where do you look to find something they won't have already seen: - something meaningful, memorable and personal. BAH. 

If you're looking to buy ya bird something beaut this Xmas (or perhaps a female relative / friend / colleague - jewellery isn't just for lovers) Abelini Jewellery - a lovely London-based jewellers; offer a range of stunning diamond pieces. 

AD | Vitamin D - Are You Getting Enough?

by Nikki LLL Blog, December 06, 2020

Yes, that title is filled with innuendo and clickbaity-ness. But if you've clicked on to this post because of that, please stick around to learn more about the importance of actual Vitamin D in your diet & lifestyle. 

After the absolute disaster that was 2020, the importance of health and doing what we can to help ourselves remain well has never been more prevalent - so if one of your goals for 2021 is to start a healthkick and treat your body to much needed vitamins, nutrients and other goodness; don't underestimate the importance of the D as part of this. Vitamin D.

AW20 | New Season Glam With GODDIVA*

by Nikki LLL Blog, November 29, 2020
Wow. It's like I blinked and the entirety of 2020 was just gone... and I've not been anywhere or done anything notable to remember it by, except stay indoors and swerve socialising for the best part of 9 months 😂 

I don't know about you, but as we come out of yet another lockdown, I've never wanted to dress up and enjoy new season fashion more than I do right now. Christmas and New Year are undoubtedly going to be different this year - no parties, nights out in Alma and no huge gatherings with friends / family... but any chance of glamming up & socialising in any form, I will be seizing with both hands and going full glam for. 
When compared to shaving and waxing, by subjecting one’s skin to an effective laser hair removal treatment from a renowned clinic, the days of worrying about flaunting one’s body are over as laser body hair removal arrests the activation of the hair follicles for a long time after the treatment has been administered to the recipient.

On that note, these days, men are also moving towards laser body hair removal treatment as it offers a lot of benefits over traditional body hair removal techniques. 

Everything You Need to Know About Opening a Beauty Salon*

by Nikki LLL Blog, November 26, 2020
If you've spent any time in a beauty salon, you'll be well aware that they can be an absolutely magical place. Clients might walk in looking perfectly ordinary, but they are transformed and walk out looking like they're headed for the red carpet. Whatever it is that a client wants - whether it's aqua blue hair or goddess braids, beauty experts are always up for the challenge. But before you open your own enchanting beauty salon, there's a few things you'll need to know. 

Marketing Yourself For A Successful Job Opportunity*

by Nikki LLL Blog, November 23, 2020
When it comes to marketing yourself for a new job, we know it can be a challenge and there are many things to think about. If you are a shy person at heart the idea of bigging yourself up to a prospective employer might be a mean feat, but it is worth it if it gets you a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

Today we want to talk about selling yourself for a new job, and just a few of the things you can do to help yourself find a job you love and one that doesn’t make you feel stressed out each and every day. 

Seen one gift guide, seen them all, right? Well not this one hun - there's none of that same-old, same-old over here. I wanted to share a gift idea today from a company I love & have worked with a few times previously - a website which helps hundreds of thousands of independent artists and brands sell their work in differing formats around the globe. During a time where (thanks to that cow Ms Rona) these people need our support more than ever

Taking REAL Charge Over The Way You Look*

by Nikki LLL Blog, November 16, 2020
How do you change the way you look, with some real substance and flair? Well, you could always do your hair up, or put some new clothes on, but you might not really feel like a different person. Most of all, you probably won’t feel like yourself either, and that really is a problem. 

Which is why it’s time to take charge over your look. Thankfully, this can be done in just a few easy steps. If you feel like you need a real change right now, make sure you follow the suggestions below. They’re not for someone who just wants to update their wardrobe a little!
Dresses are the best! They truly are, and below, we're going to clue you in on why. Oh, and if you are wondering why you need seven dresses in your wardrobe, it's because we think they are so good that you should wear one every single day!

Another week, another lockdown. Bored of it yet? I mean, obviously I am (despite the amount of work I have to keep me going atm!) but I'm not gonna be a gammon'ed and march in town claiming to have 'reclaimed the steps' or keep moaning about it. This is life as we know it right now - and it's all about surviving and navigating it as best as we can. And staying home, not mixing with other households and not crying about microchips & robot pigeon spies on Twitter dot com

How Do You Relax When You Spend All Day At Home?!*

by Nikki LLL Blog, November 04, 2020
Cheers, Boris. Over November, we've got pretty much nothing to look forward to other than exercising. 2020 couldn’t get any worse! The New Year can’t come around fast enough. Imagine the novelty of being able to eat out and meet friends without getting nicked! Jokes aside, the idea of being stuck in the house, apart from the odd opportunity to nip out to the shop or for a walk, isn’t appealing. Even worse, it makes it harder to relax when the thing you do to de-stress - chill on the sofa and binge-watch Netflix - isn’t novel.

Posting Parcels & Saving The Planet, With Lil Packaging*

by Nikki LLL Blog, November 01, 2020

The world's on its arse at the moment, and I can't cope. But as a side effect, business as we know it is constantly changing and adapting - including the way we shop, the way retailers are operating (with many brick & mortar stores taking the leap in going digital) and even the way we're communicating with others. 

Obv, one of the the most used phrases of 2020 is 'Zoom Call'... but we've also been relying on delivery and postal services more than ever during this time too; ordering things to be delivered to loved ones (ie I've ordered a tablet for my Mum, so we can live the aforementioned video call life.) And mailing other items I've bought for the family cat online via couriers, including a four-poster mini doll bed from Ikea for her to sleep in; like the true prinny she is 😂

Honestly huns if there's one thing I love, it's perfume / fragrance. Well, amongst a lot of other things, let's be real (my love of cheddar cheese cannot be denied)... but I do have a real soft spot for scent. And the design of the bottles. 

Gah, you don't even wanna know what my basket looks like on the Boots website rn, whilst they've got a 15% off on fragrances thing going on. I keep nearly checking out about 74 bottles of some of my faves (Mugler Alien, Marc Jacobs Daisy Love, the Ariana Grande perfumes, Hugo Boss For Her, Chloe... even some throwback JLo Glow AND my most purchased perfume ever from the years 2010-2014; Britney Spears Fantasy 😂) but the one thing that stops me - and especially stops me trying a new scent on a whim? The price. There's no way I'm pyar splurging £60 on a new bottle of perfume on a decision formed off the back of a written description alone... only for it to turn up and smell like the basement dancefloor of The Blue Angel. (If you know, you know.) 

I dunno how the Rona is affecting life where you are in the world right now, but where I am (Liverpool, Merseyside, UK) we've just entered another lockdown - where going places with other humans / mingling inside with other households is banned. Cheers 2020

And naturally, when you're spending pretty much every damn day in your home, with nowhere else to go and the only activities on offer being Netflix, eating, cleaning, working, eating a bit more and online shopping, your focus tends to switch up from being where you can spend money outside of the gaff and onto where you can spend money on it.

The People and Gifts You Should Not Forget This Christmas*

by Nikki LLL Blog, September 17, 2020
There is no doubt that 2020 has been a strange and stressful year. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live our lives and has forced us to change our routines almost overnight. Some people have embraced our new temporary way of life, whereas others have struggled. However, time continues to pass by and the world is managing to get through it in its own way, so whether you like it or not, Christmas is coming! 
If you want to add a little pizzazz to your everyday look and glam it up, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we have 6 ways to glam up your everyday look that can be used by anyone, of any age. Take a look and soon, you’ll feel like you’ve made a real effort every day (even if you haven’t).

6 Ways To Glam Up Your Everyday Look
Photo by Marta Branco from Pexels
I never thought my number one must-have product in 2020 would be hand sanitiser (I've carried a bottle round in my bag with me since... I dunno, at least 2014 regardless, like!) but here we are. This is the mad modern world we live in. Gone are the days where my #1 must-have would be a new mascara or a full coverage concealer - I don't even go outside these days. Swerve that. 

My number one must-have product of 2020 - and probably for all of time now, is hand sanitiser. And FulviSafe have very kindly sent me some of their new, 0% alcohol collection to try; in the constant battle against Ms Rona.

Fulvisafe Hand Sanitiser & Barrier Cream Lovelaughslipstick Blog
With all the extra time spent at home during lockdown (literally March onwards... 2020 has been an absolute write-off hasn't it 😂😂) I know that I - and many others - have ended up going OTT on decorating projects, mass clear-outs & pure home renovations (we won't be talking about that garage reno in today's post, though 👀.)

And as much as I'm bitter as hell that Ms Rona has wiped out pretty much the entirety of the year - and my beloved Summer (literally, mention Autumn to me right now and I'll have a breakdown) I'm not mad about the increase of time / money I've spent on optimising my gaff. At all. I actually feel pretty proud of the extra work I've put in during lockdown - and all the furniture I've built from scratch, single-handedly 🛠

After all, if I wasn't able to spend my money on things outside of the house, it's worth investing in / on it, right? May as well make these 4 walls look semi-presentable and shake off those crackden vibes, if I'm spending 24/7 in them. I'm here today to have a chatty catch up about the past few months upgrading my interiors, kicking off at Desenio and the aspirations I have for outdoor features.

Home Styling Lovelaughslipstick Blog Boss Babe Mug
2020 – amiright?! After what has been a… questionable few months (to put it lightly!!), lockdown restrictions are beginning to ease; meaning we can finally attempt to enjoy the last few weeks of summer & explore the Great British outdoors. Travel abroad is pretty much off-limits - what with more & more countries being removed from the ‘safe to travel’ zones (and that cheeky 2 week quarantine period when you return!) … so if you’re looking to get away for a few days, staycation it is!

With the lift in lockdown restrictions, it’s been announced that caravan holidays are now allowed again (yay!) - so if you’ve been considering purchasing a caravan or motorhome, now is literally the perfect time. Where you’re guaranteed to get your money’s worth out of it – and will be one of the lucky ones able to cram a holiday into 2020 before the year’s up! For more information on leisure vehicles and social distancing from UK caravan and motorhome manufacturer, Bailey of Bristol, please click here.

Pick up a new or pre-owned adventure wagon, pack your suitcase, pack up the kids and travel wherever your heart takes you; along the Great British coastline/countryside. 

The idea of a staycation somewhere along the coast of Britain has never sounded so appealing to me before – but it’s something I’m definitely considering. Especially after seeing so many of my friends exploring beautiful countryside & shorelines across the country. 

Let’s talk more about Raymond James Caravans – and why their range of Bailey of Bristol caravans (as well as the other brands stocked in their showroom; such as Buccaneer, Elddis and Coachman) make a fab choice for your 2020 vacay… and beyond!

Staycation Goals | Holidaying In The UK With Raymond James Caravans Lovelaughslipstick Blog
2020. Officially the year that outdid all others (aside from that year me leg like snapped off) in turns of being an absolute sh*tshow. 

Who'd have imagined, as we welcomed in the New Year (naively) on 31st December 2019, that someone would scran a bat, get ill, and kill off half the world's population? And that'd we'd all be locked down for weeks, with the "government" (soz Boris hun but am not sure I can even call you that) giving out so much contradictory advice it'd be hilar... and banning all activities that are remotely fun.

There's certain stuff I can call - the same bad begs on Instagram stories (trololol don't get me started, we'll need several vessels of tea to spill / get through that one) on the scrounge - and when you get a DM request from someone who 'loves your feed' and wants to be mates... that they're inevitably gonna turn out to be a knock-off travel agent or Younique presenter who wants to recruit me to their pyramid scheme. It's not for me hun, I tried Younique mascara once and it was like a thousand baby spiders died on my lashes and then spread over my face throughout the day. 

But the arrival of Ms Rona was defo not one of them. 

Pink Earrings from ASOS Lovelaughslipstick Blog
If you are due to get married and have already begun planning for the big day, one aspect you may not have thought about yet is wedding favours. The first things to come to mind are usually the venue for the ceremony, the venue for the reception, the food, and of course – the dress! However, putting together a little something for all of your guests to show them your appreciation for attending is a great idea, and can be that perfect finishing touch. This is a tradition that has spanned centuries, but where did it all begin? Here is a brief history of wedding favours as well as a few ideas you might want to think about.

A Brief History of Wedding Favours
If we could only see the future, we would never make a single mistake. But that is more than wishful thinking.... and because we can’t (and because we’re human) we probably still couldn’t avoid getting into a mess here and there.

Your financial future might be something that you have thought a lot about. But what about your other futures? Everything ties back into finance, but it affects finance when you don’t have a plan. But life is complex - and plans change or get dropped when you feel like you need to make a rapid alteration in your life. Here’s how you can stand the best chance of merging the two together.

            
2020 has been a wild, hellish ride... but whilst everything around us crumbles and seemingly gets worse & worse as each month passes (honestly, THANKS A LOT FOR THIS MS RONA!) there is one constant that does make me happy. And that is the arrival of my monthly LookFantastic Beauty Box*. And seeing people's pet cats on Twitter, that never fails to make me smile either.

LookFantastic deliver consistently banging curations when it comes to their beauty boxes - which are always really fun to unwrap, beautifully presented and something I actually find myself looking forward to. And this is a big deal tbh, given I'm a miserable old bag with little enthusiasm about anything these days!

If you wanna opt in to this monthly lifestyle of beauty box joy, use code NIKKIABB at the checkout  on the LookFantastic site to save 10% on all 3, 6 or 12 month subscription options. It's one of those rare subscription box services I'd actually recommend due to their consistency, well thought out edits and the variety of products / brands inside; so if you're looking to try a beauty box, this may be a good option for ya hun.

Now onto the treats in this month's edit - the LookFantastic 'Radiance' August 2020 Edit. From the get-go, this month's colour scheme and the array of gorgeous textures & scents inside perfectly encapsulate a radiant, sunkissed Summer vibe - and it's a hit in my eyes!

The LookFantastic 'Radiance' August Edit Review, Lovelaughslipstick Blog
When deciding whether a new job or position is right for you, it is essential to do more than just focus on the paycheck. Even though salary and its accompanying benefits are significant, it doesn't generally spell joy. There are many questions you should be asking yourself in order to make all the necessary considerations ahead of the big decision.

In any case, this might perhaps be the easiest part. Even under the best of conditions, beginning a new job is a nerve-wracking adventure. It's very normal to feel a surge of feelings; energy, apprehension, lament, and even frenzy. Adding a possible move to the combination just elevates these feelings. Here are eight interesting points to consider while gauging the advantages and disadvantages of that new position.

8 Things To Consider Before Relocating For A New Job
It would be so lovely to be able to say that life is always simple and easy. Of course, just about everyone is aware that just because something would be nice, doesn't mean that it's necessarily possible, or even realistic. The truth is, life can be incredibly difficult at times, and there's often nothing that you can do about that. As much as you might like you, you can't really afford to spend your time avoiding or ignoring any of the tough, unpleasant aspects of life Instead, the only option that you really have to is how you're going to deal with them. 

While it might be impossible to avoid the more difficult and unpleasant aspects of life, you actually have a great deal of power over how you deal with them, as long as you're willing to actually make an effort when it comes to these things. Of course, just because hard times are unavoidable doesn't mean that there's nothing that you can do. Here are some ways that you can deal with some of life's more difficult moments.

Photo by energepic.com from Pexels
Photo by energepic.com from Pexels
Let's talk face masks, huns. And in true 2020, everything-is-on-its-head fashion... I'm not talking about skincare face masks for once today. But I'm not cake, so there's that.

Today we're talking about the bad-ass safety masks that gammon 'ead Twitter are fuming about (yeno, the ones which are mandatory to wear in shops from 24th July and should already always be worn in confined spaces, beauty salons, public transport etc) - the face coverings that help us prevent the spread of that bitch Ms Rona. The ones that help keep us alive, kill off COVID-19 and flatten the curve. 

We need to work together to get through the pandemic and take the necessary steps to protect one another & evict Ms Rona from our lives for good. And one of the easiest ways we can do this is by wearing protective face masks and coverings when we're going to highly populated, busy areas and / or confined spaces.

Don't know where to buy yours, worried about the cost or concerned that your mask won't be comfortable / will stop you from being able to breathe (one of the most common outright stupid statements the Karens & B*lds of social media)? Introducing Air Queen* nanofibre filter face masks, whose innovative design & low price tags make them the ideal choice when it comes to kicking Coronavirus' sorry ass & keeping ourselves / others safe. 

Air Queen Face Masks Lovelaughslipstick Blog
Air Queen Face Masks Lovelaughslipstick Blog
Another month, another fab LookFantastic box to unpack for you guys 😍

I'm a big fan of LookFantastic's beauty boxes tbh - they consistently deliver with their bangin' themes & fab array of brands. And their subscriptions are dead affordable as well, ticking another rager of a box for me there. 

Wanna make this already sweet AF deal already sweeter? WELL HUNS. If you use code NIKKIABB at the checkout when you set up a 6 or 12 month subscription, you'll get a cheeky lil 10% off your order. SWEET AS CHOCOLATE THAT. Click here to go & get yourself a slice of the sub box action.

Now, let's unbox July's box, the LookFantastic 'Sunkissed' Edition Beauty Box*. Available to order online now - and just as a note, there's a few variations available this month product-wise (to ensure they don't all sell out... again!) so your box may differ a little from mine (oooh errl.) All variations I've seen are absolute 10/10s though, so don't sweat it sistah.

LookFantastic July 2020 | The ‘Sunkissed’ Edition Beauty Box
While it can be easy to complain about British summers, most years we do get some nice weather, and everyone flocks out to the beaches and parks to enjoy the sun and top up their tan. What’s really important is remembering that summer presents a new set of challenges for your skin and protecting yourself from the sun is vital. This year we also need to remember to keep to social distancing guidelines and protect ourselves and others from COVID-19. 

But back to skincare. To help me put this article together, I worked with Aesthetics Lab and their team of skincare specialists, who've kindly shared their top dos and don’ts to help keep your skin protected and looking its best this summer. 

Summer Skincare & Sun Protection, Dos and Don’ts
Excess body hair can trap dirt and sweat... which can make body hair laden skin surfaces becomes the breeding ground for microbes - and can leads to excessive body odour and whatnot!  This is one of the main reasons some women prefer body hair removal regimes like tweezing, waxing, shaving and more recently, LASER body hair removal treatment.

LASER body hair removal treatment is the most sought-after body hair banishing solution, as it keeps hair from growing back in the treated areas for about three weeks. But there is a catch.

Subjecting your delicate skin to LASER beams does come with some minor side-effects. With that stated, those side-effects can be mitigated easily when one keeps the following post-LASER body hair removal treatment skincare tips in mind.

Skincare Tips Post Laser Hair Removal Treatment
WOW. Lockdown has been a mad one, hasn't it? And (contrary to everyone flocking to Bournemouth beach and attending mad raves round Formby) we are still in it.... the pandemic isn't over yet chums, Ms Rona is still wreaking havoc across the world and we need to band together to stop this bitch. ANYWAY. 

You'd think that during lockdown I'd have loadssss more time on me hands to get up to date with blog stuff, but I'll be honest huns - I've been busier than ever I reckon, working my (ever growing, and in a snack not squat way) arse off to keep things ticking over work-wise and not die of COVID-19. I'm dead behind on all kinds and AM SORRY, I'm a terrible human. But I'm here, I'm attempting to redeem my blogging sins and today, we're talking about some of the bits I've discovered / been loving during lockdown.

Lockdown Faves - Pixi Beauty, Look Fantastic, Daisy London, Dermalogica, YSL - Lovelaughslipstick Blog
All relationships go through tough times. It’s never going to be the case that there is sunshine and rainbows throughout the entirety of a relationship. If this happens, then someone is compromising on everything, and at least one person in the relationship isn’t going to be happy. But there is a difference between a few problems and you being in a place where the end might be in sight. 

If this is the case for you, then we’ve come up with some ideas on how you can try to fix your relationship if it’s on the rocks. Keep reading to find out more.

CBD is the hot thing right now, and while it was still misunderstood by many not too long ago, it has since gained a lot of mainstream attention. The effects of CBD have been studied for years and are well-known in medical circles. Only recently, with the relaxation of regulations, has the general public been able to get access to CBD products and finally been able to enjoy its many attributes. Let’s take a look at some of the proven health benefits of CBD.

Most of us are keen to live a life which is as good as possible. Knowing that and knowing how to make it happen, however, are two very different things. If you are keen to ensure that you are living your best life for real, then there are going to be times when you have to make some big changes in order to make those things a reality. This is something which you can absolutely always think about, and there are always ways to make it happen if you want to. In this article, we are going to take a look at what you can do to ensure that you are making some big changes in your life, and moving it in the direction you want.

Making Big Changes In Your Life
We can all make changes to our lifestyles to ensure that we are healthier. From diet changes to trying out new exercises; there are a lot of different changes you can make to your typical day-to-day routine to make sure that you are improving your health. With that being said, continue reading to discover some of the different things that you can do to start leading a healthier lifestyle from today. 

Living A Healthier Life, Starting Today!
As a new member of #TeamFantastic I have to say - I'm really impressed. This is my second box from them and again, it's spot on. A great curation of products which look well together, work well together, and smash the theme of 'Staycation' outta the (metaophorical) ball park. I can see why these boxes fly out each month, why a subscription is the way forward and exactly why the pre-order option is there - I had so many questions via me Insta when I posted my first look images of this month's edit!

Anyway this isn't the way I normally start a blog post... so let's rewind, get back into the LLL vibe and unbox this fab edit from Look Fantastic together. I will at this point break the news to you however huns, that this month's edit has actually gone and fully sold out due to how fab it is (within like, a matter of what seemed like minutes haha) butttt this post is a great way to see more of the kinda products you'll get if you subscribe. AND don't worry, cos if you  dosubscribe this month you'll get an amazing Mystery Box worth over £50 (filled with 6 fantastic beauty treats) delivered directly to your door.

Plus, by subscribing today, you’ll be one of the first to get your hands on the Look Fantastic July Beauty Box next month – worth over £57!

AND if you use code NIKKIABB you'll get 10% off your 6 or 12 month subscription. Sign up here. A 6 month subscription costs just £13.75 a month and a 12 month subscription is only £13.00 a month - and that's before you use code NIKKIABB and get your 10% off. Now - on with the post, the rambling, the 12 million photos and the professions of love you guys are used to from me by now. On the rare occasion I ever post

The Look Fantastic June 'Staycation' Box Lovelaughslipstick Blog
With Father’s Day just around the corner, you may be struggling with what to purchase for your loved one. Whether he is a fan of music, beer, or takes pride in his car, there are lots of great gift ideas which can add a personal touch. To give you some inspiration and guidance, here are 5 of some of the top Father’s Day gifts to consider.

5 Cool Fathers Day Gift Ideas for Every Dad*
Nobody could have predicted that 2020 would turn out the way it has. The truth is that none of us were expecting to have so much time at home, but there are silver linings. While it might not be ideal to be separated from loved ones and to have plans put on hold, it’s beneficial to focus on the positives. Here are some fun ways to spend your time to make the most of staying at home. 

Making The Most Of Staying At Home: Fun Ways To Spend Your Time
Natural hair protection can spur an entire day conversation in a hair salon. Growing curls need to be taken care of lest you risk breakage, thinning hair, or any other catastrophe that can befall your mane.

But does that mean I have to be heavily invested in hair products?

Not really.

Protective natural hairstyles are the easiest way to go when it comes to taking care of the texture, curl, and shine of your hair. But by mentioning the word protective, a large number of lasses may be inclined to think boring, expensive, and time-consuming styles.

Let’s burst that bubble.

In this piece, you’ll learn how you can put on protective natural hairstyles, look funky, and still have a bank account to pay bills with. So read on.

Simple and Funky Hairstyles for a High-Street Budget*
When it comes to life, we can all be guilty of feeling a little down and out at times. Especially with what is going on in the world right now, and so it might be hard to bring yourself out of a funk or a mood at times. Of course, we all need to think about our mental health, and now more than ever we can’t keep down and need to lift our priority. However, there will be occasions that will affect us in more ways than one, and they can be detrimental to our lifestyles moving forward. But don’t let them keep you down for long. Here are some of the common things that you may need to overcome in your life and some tips on how you can do it successfully. 

Living Your Best Life: Don’t Let These Things Bring You Down
If you follow a good oral hygiene routine, your mouth will look and smell healthy. You won’t have to deal with bad breath, nor will you have any pain or blood when you brush your teeth. And, of course, your smile will look amazing too! After all, most people would agree that there is nothing more attractive than a healthy smile. On the flip side, though, a lack of oral care can result in tooth decay, gum disease, and plaque. Read on to discover more.

When you first sit behind the wheel, you’ll note how much larger the wheel looks and feels. The bonnet looks so long and far away from you. You’re tempted to scoot up your chair as close to the wheel as possible, so you can judge the distance between the front bumper and everything else. You may be short so your feet don’t fully reach the pedals and you’ll want to move them up. This is all normal and millions of people just like you, feel the same way. However, the trick to becoming confident isn’t to mush your face up against the screen. It's not helpful to be so close to the wheel. It's better to sit back, relax, and follow these tips.

Life is weird right now. Life is hard AF right now. And that's putting it lightly. I tell you what, when I made my 2020 New Year's Resolutions, locking myself down in the house for months on end did not make the cut. And Ms Rona certainly didn't.

It's so hard to know what to say, what to advise to those struggling and what to do at the moment. Does anyone know what to do right now?! Not even the fella supposed to be running the country has a clue, so 🙈

One thing I do know, though, is how important it is to not sweat the small stuff and to try to focus on the positives life brings us right now; pandemic or no pandemic. Yeah we're banished to our homes, but open the window. Smell that warm, summer-is-coming, leafy air... watch the pigeons frolicking, smile as you hear everyone clapping for the NHS on a Thursday evening. Call a family member, video chat with your pals, give your pets extra boops. Lie in, binge watch Netflix, start a TikTok account for the lols. Sleep for the foreseeable or start a side hustle. It's your call and there's no right or wrong way to spend lockdown.

As much as this is a horrible time, there are definitely positives to take from our current situation. We're being told we HAVE to stay at home in our duvets eating takeaway watching TV every day (or something like that)... and like... how often is that the only thing we wanna do, instead of getting the 86A to work at 6:58am after standing in the rain for 20 minutes? And now it's acceptable & we're praised for doing it, instead of being labelled as 'lazy'?!

There are so many good things in the world despite all the sh*t...  so much beauty, so many little things (we often take for granted) which make us smile. So many things for us to enjoy - and to share with others during these difficult times; making them smile when they might need it the most. A huge one of these things for me (as well as fluffy pets & red wine) is fresh flowers - I adore having them around the home, they instantly brighten my mood. I've teamed up with my huns at Moonpig for this post today - who are spreading joy with their beautiful home deliveries of flowers during the pandemic, to talk about exactly this.

Let Happiness Bloom 💐 | Spreading Joy During Difficult Times, With Moonpig
Hiya hunsssss. Today we're unboxing a new beauty box in my life... and yous know how much I love monthly deliveries of surprise beauty goodies plopping through me letterbox. Like, I properly LOVE a good beauty box - I've discovered some products I literally swear by and use daily via subscription services. Monthly deliveries of new brands & products I otherwise may not have tried / have heard of actually really help me when it comes to attempting to look my best and better enhancing the chronic sh*t show that is otherwise my face and general being. 

This month, I've been lucky enough to receive LookFantastic's Botanical Edit* to review & weep over with you guys. And she's a fittie. From the curation of products inside down to the branding & presentation, LookFantastic have nailed it with this edit.

Specially curated with a focus on natural, sustainable products that are free from toxins, May's LF Beauty Box is filled with 6 fab beauty treats, suitable for even the most sensitive of skin types. AND this month’s box is worth over an incredible £142

Sign up with them to get today from just £13 - AND (I'm putting this here in case you can't wait till the end of this post to order yours) if you use code NIKKIABB at the checkout you'll get 10% off the price of 6 and 12 month subscriptions.

May 2020's LookFantastic Box - 'The Botanical Edit Lovelaughslipstick Blog
May 2020's LookFantastic Box - 'The Botanical Edit Lovelaughslipstick Blog
You don’t have to be a pure fitness junkie to be missing the gym right now. Under the current lockdown, we’re all starting to get itchy feet and our increasingly sedentary lifestyles stopped being fun weeks ago. While we can still go out for a jog, a bike ride or a long walk to get our daily dose of exercise, many of us are starting to pine for a challenge. An opportunity to push ourselves, learn new skills and achieve our fitness goals so we can emerge from the lockdown transformed, toned and gorgeous. 

When it comes to travelling, there are two types of travellers. There are the “tourist” travellers… and then there are the travellers who LIVE to travel…

If you think about people who travel, it’s pretty fair to put them on a spectrum that identifies their true level of wanderlust. The spectrum would be on a ranging scale of “homebody” all the way up to “digital nomad”... Homebodies are the individuals who could care less about traveling, while digital nomads are the ones who have turned traveling into a complete lifestyle!

There, of course, isn’t a real “spectrum” that categorises travellers based on their level of wanderlust but if you consider yourself as one who would love the opportunity to turn travel into a lifestyle, then you are someone who would fall in love with the digital nomad lifestyle.
What is a Digital Nomad?

Well, there’s no “true” definition of what a digital nomad is but a better way to explain it would be to break down the name itself.

Digital: The digital part of digital nomads means that these individuals have location independent jobs. They earn most, if not all, of their income online, so as long as they have access to the internet, they have the ability to earn income, through any mobile devices.

Nomad: The nomad part of digital nomads means they’re not tied down to any single destination or location… they’re constantly on the move.

Once you put the two terms together, you’ll see that a digital nomad is someone who travels the world earning an income on a mobile device, such as a laptop, with an internet connection.

A lovely smile can open a lot of doors. People appreciate a smile from someone else, whether they walk past them in the street or they're in a business meeting. And flashing someone a smile can certainly help you to get what you want in different contexts, from asking someone for a favour to dating. Not everyone loves their smile as it is now, but you can change your smile and the effect it has on others if you think it's not as beaming and beautiful as it could be. Give your smile more impact and, more importantly, make sure that you love it with these tips.

2020. The curveball none of us were expecting. The Rona is truly horrific and destroying lives, businesses and plans across the globe - and to make matters worse, there's also news swirling about the web that an army of giant hornets are flying in to terrorise our lives further. 2020 pls.

As well as all of this carnage, the Rona is undoubtedly throwing a raging great spanner in the works when it comes to socialising too - spending time with friends, meeting new people and getting out there dating; if you're single. Whilst staying at home, social distancing and isolating is of imperative importance [and if you're one of those knobheads flaunting lockdown rules, know I think considerably less of you as a person RN - just stay at home ffs so we can get this over and done with] it is a really difficult time, and is really impacting on people's mental health due to this lack of contact with other humans. Those in relationships are having to go weeks without seeing each other, those getting married have had to postpone and singletons are even more limited when it comes to meeting a potench bae than ever before

It's overall just a great steaming pile of sh*t and I'm not about it. I'm scared, stressed, anxious and heartbroken about the whole situation tbh - it's terrifying and literally not something I ever expected I'd experience. The only good things to stem from it all being the sense of community people are starting to display toward one-another, the fact people are starting to actually appreciate & applaud our NHS and that our key-workers (be those doctors, bin men, shop workers, delivery drivers, taxi drivers, teachers - all key-workers] are also finally getting some recognition too.

But back to the point of this post. Dating during lockdown. Is it possible? Physically, no. Virtually, yes. And in fact, right now - where we have more time to reflect on what we want, who we are and to actually send meaningful replies, may actually be a great time to meet someone special.

Dating during lockdown
Dating during lockdown

Lol I don't, the end.

Hahaha imagine if that was the blog post. 

I'm not gonna pretend to be some pure motivational, aspirational ray of sunshine when it comes to giving people advice on this kinda stuff. Am not, I'm a miserable old crank most of the time and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. But I thought - what with us all being pure locked down in the house - now was a good time to share some content like this. Cos even if you read this and think 'Christ, that was sh*t' and take nothing from it, at least you'll have killed a few minutes of quaran-time reading it; right?

Here's some (sort of) tips when it comes to how I stay motivated and beast out as much work as I can each day. 

How I Stay Motivated (Working From Home & Pushing Myself To Find Opportunities) Lovelaughslipstick Blog
Well guys. Well. I've been soooo excited to share this post with you, but The Rona has thrown so many spanners in the works when it's come to getting it out there 😩😂 First of all I was self-isolating due to having symptoms, then all the events I was planning on showcasing these lil beauts to were cancelled and then, yeno - our eventual lockdown kicked in just as my self-isolating finished... which meant shooting these outfits in pretty blossom-filled locations = impossible.

But I [have seemingly already managed to] digress... I should probably start this post at the beginning, before spiralling off on some COVID-19 ramble. And as you may have guessed from the title, today's post is a fashion-based one; featuring some gorgeous picks from one of my favourite occasionwear brands ever; Little Mistress.

If I ever have an important event coming up - say an awards ceremony, wedding or christening, Little Mistress are my GO TO. I adore their dresses - a mix of mini, midi and beautiful floor-length gowns - all beautifully embellished and top quality. Legit I wore a peach, full length Little Mistress dress to a friend's wedding a few years ago, a pink & lilac halterneck LM maxi to another friend's wedding last year and a LM green floor length maxi to a NYE party in like 2014; and all of them - to this day - are in pristine condition. 

Before The Rona, I had a christening, awards ceremony / ball and at least one wedding I was planning on glamming up with Little Mistress for... but now, we'll have to see. In the meantime, I have these BEAUTIFUL dresses I was very kindly gifted from the brand - which I'm fully intending on shooting on me and featuring lots on my socials - but which today, will be featured using stock images instead. AGAIN ALL THANKS TO YOU, RONA.

Dressing For The Occasion With Little Mistress Lovelaughslipstick Blog

Wow, what a whirlwind of madness March has been! It's lasted about 84 years, been filled with horrible COVID-19 news and has seen us all now banished to our homes for the foreseeable future - with rumours of police fining people for buying Easter Eggs 😂 Literally, couldn't write this stuff could you - appaz a load of mountain goats have also taken a welsh village as their own too; amidst all this lockdown panic. The caption on the image accompanying this important piece of journalism was entitled 'The goats are in charge now' and I saw another piece on LadBible which quoted a resident saying that 'I, for one, embrace our new goat overlords' and I can't cope 😂😂😂😂

Aside from all this - and the globe's new obsession with toilet rolls - other things that have happened  recently have included me securing this collab with the very lovely Browns Jewellery - which is what I'm here to share more about today.

Did you know March's birthstone is Aquamarine? Cos I didn't until recently! Browns have both educated me about this and provided me with a pair of my all-time earrings this month.... so let's put all The Rona gloom to one side for a minute and take a moment to appreciate this fab family-run jewellery brand & their absolutely stunning pieces. If you're looking for meaningful gift ideas, the top-quality pieces of jewellery which make up the Rosa Mer Collection [the range these earrings are from] make the PERFECT, prettiest choices.

Browns Rosa Mer Collection Aquamarine Stud Earrings Review Lovelaughslipstick Blog
Browns Rosa Mer Collection Aquamarine Stud Earrings Review Lovelaughslipstick Blog
Whether you have a little one on the way, or it's time to upgrade the car seat you currently have, choosing the right seat for your vehicle and your child can be a little daunting. With so much to consider from comfort and style to the travel system, front or rear-facing seats and all the while adhering to strict safety guidelines and laws – click here for laws regarding car seats - finding the car seat that’s right for you and your child is certainly overwhelming!

The safety of your child is paramount and a well-fitted car seat will help keep them safe whilst you're driving and in the event of a crash. As long as your child's seat is fitted correctly, is the right size and they're fully strapped in, the car seat will protect your child from harm as much as possible. Giving them a chance of walking away with little or no injuries.

With this in mind, I’ve gathered some simple tips that will help you find the right car seat for your little one.

Time To Choose A Car Seat? Check Out These Helpful Tips
Are you looking for ways that you can improve or boost your summer style? If so, then you have certainly come to the right place. In this post, we’re going to talk about some of the possibilities that you can consider to ensure that you are ready to spend a fantastic day on the beach or even in the clubs. Let’s take a look at some of the possibilities. 

Perfect Your Summer Style
Sleep is one of the most important factors in the complicated web that makes up your wellbeing. A lack of deep, restful sleep can affect both your mental and physical state, and if you’re dealing with increased pain or heightened anxiety, this can, in turn, make it harder for you to sleep, forming a vicious cycle it’s hard to escape from. With pressure on all of us from employers, family, politics and now world events that are bigger than anyone can control, the high quality sleep you need can be more elusive than ever. 

Today we’re taking a look at the issue to help you get better sleep, and face the increased challenges of each day with more resilience and fortitude.

Are You Having Trouble Sleeping?

Your rental contract is up in a couple of months, and you are looking for your next flat. Don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic, deep breath! We’ve all been there! Only, if you are a Girl Boss, is not just your clothes and shoes that need relocating but also your home office, standing desk, half-finished projects, and tons of materials. Of course, spending more than half of your life indoors makes the flat choice super important. Better flat, higher productivity, more money, right? That’s great if it wasn’t for… the budget. If having a stable income is something you are still working on, make sure your next (affordable) flat ticks all these boxes. At least!

Flat Hunting Cheat Sheet: What A Girl Boss Needs Her Home To Be Like
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
Before I went rogue & embraced self-employed life, I'd always worked in retail and sales. Well, aside from that stint I had with computers & apps and that for a while. Fashion retail was always my thing - I've worked in many different retail stores [including Quiz, Clarks, Hollister, Pilot, Lipsy & Next to name a few] in a variety of positions [employment wise, you derty dawgs xo] and I loved it. 

Yes, the hours were long, the responsibilities were pretty gargantuan and the pay was sh*te... BUT I loved the fashion, the merchandising, the sales, the targets, the customers, meeting new people and the lols this lifestyle brings about with it. And the Christmas parties

Due to this - and sneaky little tasters I've had into retail / customer service through visits and trade shows I've worked in in 2019, I've thought about - many a time - setting up my own sorta store? Like, for a short time I sold bits online [and created a bit of an Etsy store]... and I totally bought a domain, made a logo, planned a site / socials and sourced packaging for an eyelash venture I was gonna totally launch this year... but just imagine having a real life, gorgeous boutique fashion store; with a flower wall, stylish AF mannequins and properly sleek, style shop fittings?! 

The dream is there, the seed of curiosity is firmly placed in my mind and there's been times I've wandered through town [and other cities] looking at office spaces and empty store units just dreaming of what could be. I've become somewhat of a dreamer, multi-tasker, Del Boy and wannabe entrepreneur these days [I repeat: wannabe] and this anything is possible mindset is something I'm enjoying embracing.

IMAGINE Opening Your Own Store

When you are looking to sell your home, you’re going to be looking for as many ways as possible to add some value to it. You want to get the best price for your home and you need to be able to be as attractive for buyers as possible. There are so many ways to add extra value to your home and with ensuring you have the right curb appeal, you will be able to sell quickly.

Before you go all guns blazing to the architects and start putting plans in place with permitted development extension options, you need to know what other things that you can be doing to make your home look great. Let’s take a closer look and hopefully, get your home up to scratch.

Slick Ways To Add Curb Appeal To Your House!
As defective & rancid as my body is, the one thing it doesn't seem to subject me to is cold sores. Silver linings and all that. However, I know a lot of people suffer badly with them - especially during the winter and times of stress.

For this reason I was super keen to educate myself on HERPOTherm®* when I first learnt about it - I love finding out more about the latest devices to hit the market, especially when they're ones that I can recommend to people. One of my gal pals is getting married this year for example & is worried the stress leading up to the event will trigger her cold sores - so I can't wait to show her this. 

What is a HERPOTherm®?

Well huns, to put it simply; HERPOtherm® is a chemical-free medical device that can prevent the development of cold sore blisters, if applied early enough. If applied later [once the blister has formed] the severity of symptoms may be lessened using this device, or they may fade sooner [by up
to 50%.]

Sound good? Keep reading - AND [fyi] if you choose to order a HERPOtherm® electronic cold sore treatment device using this link before the 20th March you'll save an exclusive £5 off the marked price [meaning you'll pick up this lil beauty for £31 rather than the RRP of £36] and enjoy free shipping. Tick the 'Add Voucher' box under the price before the 20th March & enjoy xo

HERPOtherm® electronic cold sore treatment device review
HERPOtherm® electronic cold sore treatment device review
Although I look about 12, I'm actually pretty old... and as such, my interests have began to sway away from splurging on dresses I'll never wear again, heels that just sit at the back of my wardrobe or blowing all me wages on posh vodka down the club of a weekend. 

I've instead focussed my attention much more into home interiors, design & homeware trends... me and my best pal literally go mental in the home department these days; stroking every fluffy cushion, rug or super soft bedding set we can get our mitts on. 

Wish I was exaggerating there but I've had tears in me eyes over some of the cushions and linen sets I've eyed up recently.

And this is by no means a bad thing - or even something that's totally new to me; I used to love planning out dream homes using the good ol' Argos catalogue, on The Sims and on this otherwise really boring PC CD-Rom game we had back in the days of yore. But I'll admit that keeping abreast of home trends & interior inspo is defo a hobby that's become more prevalent since spending more time in than out of the house [getting old probs] - as after all, if you're gonna be cooped up in your gaff instead out with ya pals dancing to the Arctic Monkeys you at least want it to look nice, right?

With this new enjoyment of interiors, you may have noticed slightly more home content popping up on me blog of late. I'm by no means an expert [Laurence Llwellyn Bowen you're safe hun] but I'm gonna go ahead and write more about this new passion anyway as I do like to think have an eye for style, bargains and keeping it real [like Ian Beale.] Today's focus being top bedroom interior trends experts have predicted for 2020.

Home Trends 2020 Living areas & bedding
I absolutely love looking back through my camera roll on my phone [or scrolling down my Instagram grid] from time to time; reminiscing over old photos and reliving the memories captured in that moment. Apple memories pings me up suggestions of 'things you were doing this time last year' sometimes; making me little photo montages to pure dramatic soundtracks [as you were, hun] or albums of my photos it's created for me ['Four-legged friends' being a personal fave; being snaps of all the pets & animals I've wept over in the past 12 months.]

But without making an effort to open a folder on the computer, heading to social media or searching back through your phone's camera roll; photos can be difficult to find at a moment's notice - and easily forgotten. 

There's been so many occasions where I've been looking through older photos and found pics I'd forgotten I'd even taken - from events I'd forgotten I'd been to; or of landscapes of holidays past that're so breathtaking but ultimately memories that seemingly fall out of my sieve-like mind.

Adding Personalised Touches To Your Home | CartridgeSave

Ah, here's a long overdue blog post if there ever was one. Life has hit me like a tonne of bricks these past couple of years - me head's been firmly up my arse and everything that isn't work has kinda fell by the wayside; as I've been pure graftin' away trying to make ends meet. Not that I'm complaining, I love the work I do now & feel blessed every day that I've managed to carve out a little role for myself in this mad modern world. 

Anyway, as per, I'm massively digressing. I've also just been playing this brain training game where it made me do a challenge about incorrect comma use, and now I'm proper paranoid every time I use one in case I'm as bad with them in real life as I was in that terribly stressful challenge.

ANYWAY FOR REAL.

Indulge Beauty kindly gifted me [via the lovely Molly, who's since flown to pastures new and is smashing life with Tatti Lashes] a lil bundle of Erborian K beauty products last year [yeah, literally huns, I've got a backlog of posts that far back] and I actually did / do really love them; hence why I'm playing catch up with this post today.

Discovering Erborian with Indulge Beauty, Lovelaughslipstick Blog
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