Disney + Launch and Recommendations

I'm sure I'm not the only one who was super excited for the launch of Disney + which released in the last phase in the rest of Europe and the UK on March 24th, nearly five months after its first release elsewhere in the USA. For people who don't know what Disney + is it's a streaming service that is exclusively Disney movies and shows (like a Disney version of Netflix if you will) but it also has originals exclusive to the service that you can't get anywhere else. I've been very excited to watch a lot of these originals and it's been so hard to choose what to watch first!

The originals that I am so excited to watch are the Mandalorian at the top - a star wars series based on a bounty hunter which includes Baby Yoda? So excited. I also can't wait for the High School Musical The Musical the Series show, long title, as its very nostalgic and so far seems very funny! They've got some originals based off of the park like the Imagineering story and Disney's fairytale Weddings and I love everything park related so I think these shows are going to be great.

I love that it's split into sections - Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. It's nice to finally have all the movies of a series together, binge watch all the Marvel movies anyone?
The only downside to the service so far is that even though it's been running for a while, it's European release means all of the shows still only come out in episodes weekly and I don't want to wait more!

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 Has anyone else tried Disney + yet? What are you watching?

Animal Crossing New Horizons | Nintendo Switch Review

Like a lot of others worldwide I have been very excited to hear that a new Animal Crossing game was to be released for the Nintendo Switch as I loved the game as a kid and I didn't grow up much so the same excitement still stands. It's called Animal Crossing New Horizons. The game being released this week means I have had a lot of time to explore and figure out the new game so I thought I'd share what I loved about the new game in comparison to the old Nintendo DS version (the only other one I've played), So that being said there will be a lot of game spoilers in this so if you're wanting to play and don't want to know what happens you might want to avoid this post - but if you want to discuss the game with me and you've played this is the perfect place to do so! 

Things I love about the new game:

• I love the choices that you get from the very beginning of the game - chose your island and where you put other people's tents etc.
• The story seems more structured than that of previous games - there's a lot of things to be unlocked over time
• There's a lot more materials to be collected on the islands in a day - and I love the craft-ability of things 
• I love that you can decorate outside and not just inside gives room for more creativity
• The Nook Milage system is a great way to keep the story and gameplay going while you wait for the day to reset a few things and gives extra goals to live up to
• So far there's been a lot more surprises I've found on the island (I won't spoil)
• It's very easy to visit friends villages and share with them
• Better home decoration and storage within the house and pockets (plus you can put things on the wall)
• I love that you're not confined within your own island and you get the chance to travel elsewhere even without connecting with friends
• It's all so cute!

Is anyone else playing this game at the moment? What are your thoughts?

How to Keep Busy and Calm | Self Isolation Tips

It's a crazy time right now, with the coronavirus making a full tour of the world, and many countries going into lockdown and supporting some health and safety measures - it's safe to say that there's not only a lot of uncertainty in the air, but some worry and stress. Over the past week I've been self isolating, as precautioned by our government, and I've learned a few things to keep myself busy and less stressed. 

• Keep Yourself Occupied - this to me has been the most important thing. My job is very people focused so I am unable to work as normal so being at home in self isolation means I've a lot of free time as compared to normal. I've been making sure not to do too much of one thing, but a mixture of reading, tv, chores, games, relaxing and self care. Trying to make every day important even though it doesn't feel it is hard but we're all in this together and we'll come out the other side safe and healthy soon!
• Stay Hydrated and Eating Well - Being indoors and hopefully stocked up on all that you need means that there's a lot of time to make sure your diet is getting all the nutrients it deserves. The shops are always going to keep food stocked so don't forget fruit and vegetables over the pasta and beans and long life foods - you can always freeze them if needs be. It's very important to stay hydrated too - I heard that drinking hot beverages is one of the best ways to beat symptoms so it's good to drink some nice teas maybe!
• Go For Walks - Don't forget in most places you are allowed to leave your house as long as you practice social distancing, fresh air is so helpful and necessary for the mind - even sit outside your house you don't need to go far for some vitamin C!
• Do What You Enjoy - It's nice to do productive things like housework or computer work but do things you really enjoy too as social contact is limited it's important to make sure you're enjoying yourself and keeping yourself happy even if you can't do everything you'd like to.
• Keep in Contact with Friends and Family - Although you may not be able to see your friends and family, everyone is feeling the same emotions at the moment and social media and technology can keep us close to our friends even if they're far away. A simple call, text or Skype will be amazing.
• Be Aware of the Media - The media at the moment seems to be full of bad news so it's important to remember not to get sucked up in it and take everything literally. Limiting the amount of time you spend reading the news will help lessen the panic and stress I've found.

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I hope that everyone is healthy and well, I would love to hear what everyone is up to in self isolation at the moment, and if anyone has any good tips about keeping calm within all the uncertainty.

London Photo Diary | January 2020

In light of the current pandemic, travelling and generally leaving the house is not something that I'll be doing much of anytime soon. So at the beginning of the year I did a little travelling and thought I'd not only reminisce and look back on some of my favourite photos - but share another photo diary until I can travel again. 

Despite being one of the biggest tourist attractions, I've never been on the London eye. 

 Peggy Porschen is an instagrammers dream cafe. 

We visited the Harry Potter Studios Tour which I may make a separate post about.

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At Madame Tussauds and & Juliet the musical.

A dark Regent St.

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Chinatown and EL&N cafe (which is beautiful)

The prettiest acai bowl

Anyone been anywhere recently? What's your favourite place to visit?

Lip Care Routine

Although it is no longer Winter, the harsh and cold weather is still prominent. With this my lips get extremely dry and uncomfortable. I know I should look after my lips everyday regardless of weather but with the cold my lips need extra care. Over the past few months I've been doing a few steps in my lip care routine that I feel really helped keep my lips feeling hydrated and soft.

Firstly - I use a lip scrub (currently using the Kiko one pictured) to remove any dead skin and rough particles from my lips to keep them soft and to remove anything that you don't want on your lips. Never leave this on after you scrub always wipe it off before applying anything else. 

Secondly - I will hydrate my lips using a choice of lip balm. I always use Carmex as it is a life saver when it comes to dry or chapped lips. I usually use the tub which is more of a liquid as it seems to hydrate and refresh better. If you're lips aren't too bad then the regular balm is a better choice. Even though they are the same product I do think they have different qualities in different packaging. This hydrates and restores the dryness of your skin. 

Lastly - I will apply the lipstick or lipcolour that I would like to wear on that day. If I know my lips are feeling very dry and sore I will pick usually a gloss or lipstick. A liquid lipstick is usually the most drying for your lips so I would avoid unless you have one you like. I actually have chosen a liquid lipstick as this one is very light and isn't drying. It the Kiko Unlimited Double Touch - and this comes with the liquid lipstick colour on one side and a gloss finish on the other. The gloss finish is why I often use this one as after the colour is applied the gloss finish add a hydrating coat but a finish that also protects the lips from outside extremities after it has dried so it is a good way to keep the lips protected.

Does anyone use any good lip balms or colours that are good for your lips during harsh weather?

My Sustainable Skincare Routine

If you have seen some of my recent posts you'll know that I am trying to live more sustainably. Therefore I am trying to produce as little waste as I can and using transport, shopping and eating habits that have the least impact on our Earth. So all of the products that I am using on my skin I try to make sure they are zero or minimal waste, and cruelty free. I used to just use make up wipes and cotton pads to remove my makeup but they do not break down easily and cause lots of waste every day. So I've changed my routine. 

Instead of using makeup wipes that I dispose of every day - I've switched to a facial cleanser and a reusable cloth. I use Lush's facial cleanser, usually ultrabland (which I will be swapping out with the new version Lush has brought out which is vegan) which I have discussed before. I chose this as Lush's black pots which this is packaged in are recyclable and you can actually bring them back to the store to insure this and get a new face mask when you bring five pots back. I take makeup off and cleanse by applying the product to my face then removing with a wet cloth. The cute hedgehog one I've chosen is from Cath Kidston. The great thing about using these is that you wash them and use them again so therefore there is very little waste to dispose of. I also think this is more natural and allows the skin to breathe more.  

Sometimes if I am travelling or need to remove makeup very quickly - as life happens sometimes, I'll use a biodegradable makeup wipe. Switching to a biodegradable makeup wipe is easy and they are now everywhere which is great. The benefit is that these wipes are easily broken down and don't harm the environment, unlike regular wipes which don't break down easily and the chemicals and materials aren't as natural.

I would recommend doing every little thing you can to reduce waste and in turn it's definitely a more natural and less harmful route to take for your skin if you're looking to change your skincare routine!

Anyone else have any good more sustainable skincare tips?