Hello you beauties!

Today's post is a little different than usual. I've been thinking a lot about the past year and what has changed. And one significant change in my life has to be my attitude towards body confidence - mine especially. It probably helps to think about it now because it is being talked about a lot in the media these days

For anyone who knows me well, they will know that I am not happy with my body. And I know that I'm no where near skinny or slim, and yes I am medically overweight. But should that stop me from doing anything though? No. But does it? Yes.

I used to hate looking at myself in the mirror and would always avoid places like fitting rooms, and if I ever walked past a mirror in a shop, I'd hurry up. I'd hate when people took pictures of me, so I'd avoid it wherever I could (yes, that does mean me and my boyfriend have very few pictures together). I also haven't been swimming for years - not because I can't swim but because I don't have the confidence to wear a bikini or a one-piece. To some people, lack of body confidence might not seem like that bad a thing but to someone like me, it can massively affect your life.

I've seen a lot in social media with celebrities encouraging you to embrace your natural beauty and encouraging body confidence. But in my experience? That doesn't help. These celebrities are always stunning and I KNOW that I look nothing like them but there always is that pressure there to look like them.

And when you know that you definitely look nothing like them, it can be damaging. You're always thinking you're not good enough. There's been many times where I've thought my boyfriend deserved better just because of the way I looked. Why should he stick with me when there's skinnier girls out there? Isn't skinny what all boys want girls to be like? Of course it's not. Every guy has their own preferences (most just don't care at all what your body looks like) and it's just the media making us think that we all have to be skinny like the supermodels that are shown on TV, in newspapers and magazines.

I used to hate looking at my body. Every inch disgusted me. The fact that I don't have a flat stomach. The fact that my thighs are actually quite large and covered in stretch marks. I hate many things about my body, as do many other women/girls that I know. A year ago, there were many many things I would have changed about myself (basically everything). But that has changed.

In April, I met my boyfriend and I will admit that meeting him really helped me with my body confidence. Before I met my boyfriend, I was actually in a very on-off relationship with a guy who finally decided that he didn't want to get back together with me because I was too fat. Getting comments like that really does hurt and makes you feel worthless. That all changed when I met my current boyfriend.

He's always encouraging me to love myself as I am rather than trying to impress anyone else. And obviously that is the sort of support you need from someone. And because of that, I am definitely a more confident person now.

So how has my body confidence changed? Well, I'm no longer finding it as hard to go into fitting rooms and actually do it more often now so that I'm not risking buying clothes that don't fit or don't suit me just because I'm too scared to look at myself in a mirror.

I've also started wearing clothes that I would not have worn before because I was too self conscious. I've started wearing skirts a lot more recently and even bought myself a new dress at the weekend. Yes, I do still wear really dark tights to cover my legs as I do still feel very self conscious about them but my confidence is improving, hence why I'm wearing skirts more often.

And I'm actually starting to appreciate my body more in general, especially my stomach. It definitely isn't a flat stomach (and probably never will be) but the more and more I look at it, the less disgusted I feel by it. I think it helps that I have actually lost weight and that's helping me be more positive about myself. But the most useful thing is knowing that I shouldn't care what other people think and my boyfriend loves me for who I am.

If you want to share your experiences with body confidence with me, then feel free to by either commenting on this post or emailing me at instaurabeauty@gmail.com.

I'll be back next week with another post for you all.
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

It's not very often that I actually write fashion posts as for some reason I tend to focus more on beauty, so I'm trying now to bring more fashion related posts to you all.

Today I want to discuss colour, and what colours I like to wear and what I usually avoid. Everyone always talks about what colours suit certain people and what colours they should avoid, and I always believe it depends on your eye colour, hair colour, skin tone, etc... I don't know if you all believe that too but that's my opinion on it.

Colours I usually tend to avoid are green and yellow. I just don't believe that they are very flattering colours on me. I have blue eyes so I feel like if I ever wear green then it clashes too much and just doesn't look right.

Also, I'm a very pale person so I feel that whenever I wear yellow, especially a light yellow, then it washes me out. Which of course is never very flattering - who wants to look paler than they are!?

However, there are many colours that I love to wear and feel very comfortable and confident wearing. My favourite colour to wear is definitely purple, but that is probably more due to the fact that it is my overall favourite colour and not the fact that it actually looks good on me.

One colour that I especially love wearing is red, because with my blue eyes I just feel like it is very complimentary and also makes me feel confident and empowered.

I also love wearing blue, especially a dark blue because I believe that blue (just like black) is a colour that anyone can wear and not have to worry about. It works with anything but can still brighten up an outfit if you don't want to wear black, or want to wear a black top but do not want a whole black outfit.

What colours do you like/dislike wearing?

I'll be back next week with a new post for you all.
Byeeee!

Hello you beauties!

I'm aware this may be a controversial subject as I know many people don't like Primark - whether that be because they disagree with the use of the sweatshops or because there is the stigma that Primark clothes are 'chavvy'. But I, like many other people, do still choose to shop at Primark and I do not hide where I get my clothes from. Why should I be ashamed?

It's true, most of my clothes are probably from Primark (or from supermarkets) and when people ask me where I got a t-shirt or a dress from, for example, I do not lie and tell them it is from somewhere considered more appropriate and expensive. I will openly inform people that my clothes are from Primark, and probably did only cost £3.

I am not ashamed. I'm only 19 and don't earn a lot of money. I work usually between 12 and 16 hours a week (sometimes can be less) at just over £6 an hour. I could afford a pair of Topshop jeans, but then it'd probably leave me with very little money left over for the rest of my pay period.

Primark clothes are great for the price. I've found many great items of clothing in there, each usually less than £10 each. And they last me for a very long time. I hardly have to spend any money on clothes which means I can spend that extra money on other things, like spending time with my boyfriend and my family.

Now in no way am saying anything bad about anyone who does like to spend a lot of money on their clothes, or dislikes Primark at all. You all have your own opinions. But I wanted to share mine.

Where do you like to shop for your clothes?

I'll be back next week with a new post for you all.
Byeeee!

Disclaimer!: I own none of these photos produced (I don't feel confident taking any of myself) sorry!

Hello you beauties!

When the weather is warm, we all know how important it is to dress appropriately but still look great. So I'm here to share with you what I love to wear during the summer days!

1. One thing I love wearing in the summer months are simple short sleeved t-shirts. They can be of any sort. At the moment, I have one t-shirt in particular that I am obsessed with - it is a simple striped t-shirt that I bought from Primark for £3. I am also loving wearing Harry Potter themed t-shirts as I am a massive Potterhead. All simple t-shirts like these are great to wear with a pair of leggings, which brings me onto the next point...

2. Cropped leggings! I rarely wear any other trouser/skirt typed items other than leggings, but sometimes it gets a little bit too warm to wear the full length leggings. So I purchased some leggings that come to just below my knee which I don't find too warm for the hot weather. They're great to wear with anything.

3. Summer dresses! I'm not usually a dress sort of person (for confidence and practicality reasons) but sometimes in the summer I do wear the odd dress here and there. I love wearing very pastel and summery colours like bright blue and pastel red/pink and they're great for a chilled out day with friends and family.

4. Playsuits are my ultimate go-to during the summer months. They're really relaxing to wear but also look super cute and you can even get away with wearing them for a more formal event! I love white and blue playsuits but I also have a pink floral one that I absolutely adore.

5. Anything with floral prints are a must for the summer months. Of course, because I know I see a lot of flowers around once we get into Spring and Summer and these sorts of prints make me feel extremely girly too.

So they're my 5 go-to clothing items for summer this year! Tell me what you like to wear during the summer!

I'll be back on Wednesday with another post for you all (hint: it works well with this post!)!

If you like my blog, make sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends! Thank you!

Byeeeeee! 

Hello you beauties!

From the title of this post, you can probably guess that today's post is something a little different from usual. Yes, that's right, I'm finally bringing you all a fashion post!

Just over a week ago, I received a message from Boutique of Molly (www.boutiqueofmolly.com) asking if I would like to blog for them. Of course I said yes! So I ordered my item and it arrived on Wednesday (in its little pink parcel).

This product is priced on the website at £26.95 and then you pay £3.99 for delivery, and I would say this product is definitely worth the money.

Now, I have to say, the product is slightly different that I thought it would be - it does look slightly different on the model than it does in person. However, I still love the product and would see myself wearing it.

The fabric is light meaning that it is great for these warmer days we are experiencing, and the pattern is very grown-up and sophisticated. I would probably wear this for a meal out, though I do plan to wear it to college on day to see if I get any compliments.

My only issue with this product is that it is a tiny bit tighter than I would have liked it to have been. I got the size above my normal size anyway as I usually like a bit of extra room, but I could've done with two sizes bigger. It still fits okay and I'm sure I can make it work one way or another.

The website is so easy to use. Each section is clearly stated, and it is easy to navigate between pages, There are not tons of products on this site but I feel like that made it harder for me to choose what to get - I literally wanted everything!

I will definitely be buying something again from this website. The quality of the clothes is great, the price is reasonable, and the people that work there are just so sweet! I am so happy to be working with them!

Make sure to check their website out: www.boutiqueofmolly.com and let me know if you have bought anything :) Don't forget to tag your #BOMselfie on Twitter and Instagram!

I will be back on Wednesday with another blog post for you all.

If you like my blog, make sure to subscribe/follow, comment and share with friends! Thank you!
Byeeeeee!