The Drama in Halls

 The prospect of moving out finally at eighteen excited me and I was more than ready for it. Even though I did not know what to expect, I knew I would be living in the heart of Birmingham with four other girls. I was excited to start a new adventure of new experiences, doing something I am passionate about at university and meeting new people. Everyone tells you that uni is the best years of your life and you will never forget them. If I had to sum up the first year, it would be eventful that’s for sure. In the beginning it was amazing, the girls were full of life and up for anything which I loved. If there is a time where I will say yes to anyone, it is when I’m drunk and we went out a lot. It was thrilling yet exciting and no matter how many of us got into the taxi, it was always £2 each. I managed to get into a situation where I walked with strangers in the middle of the night in Birmingham to a club. It was not worth saving the £2, after sobering up and freezing my tits off, not to mention how dangerous it was. 

However living with four other girls isn’t always easy. When you move out, you discover that people live very differently to you and some are used to others clearing up for them. Which means it is not always fun and games when you wake up every morning to a disgusting mess, you quickly become fed up of tidying up after everyone else. Therefore the mess, smell, dirt, smoke, dishes will be there for days. Not only that but when you are tight for money it becomes very frustrating when people constantly steal your food and rely on you to buy the needed supplies. 

It got to the point where our nights out were so wild, the sofa had been ripped up, the fridge was drawn all over, stalls broken, curtains pulled down, the constant stench of smoke and things missing from our kitchen meant our deposit was well and truly gone. Not only that but you’d walk into the kitchen to grab a drink and there would be strange men in our kitchen getting up to no good. 

 The chaos began when girls created drama by speaking behind one another’s backs, twisting words and dividing up the flat up. The stress of university and deadlines, a shit hole of a flat, 8 bin bags piled up in the corner, maggots in our kitchen, did start to get too me. However when you live with these girls and see them every day you hardly want to fall out and create a toxic environment. Although unfortunately that did happen. Very awkward and horrible fights began with unkind words thrown about, quickly became distressing. Not to mention walking into a kitchen filled with people who you are unsure if they are your friends, trying to cook dinner at 7pm hoping someone hasn’t stolen your pasta sauce whilst people are snorting coke off the kitchen side meant I developed a crippling severe type of anxiety. When I turned down a night out, I would be kept up with screaming drunks until 12am (when we left for a night out) to then them storming in down the hallway banging on my door at 4am, turning on the drum and base and the overwhelming stench of weed started to become less and less fun. The all nighters and pressure to keep up with the deadlines along with being constantly tired from my ME/CFS was a struggle.

It is fair to say I felt as if I didn’t want to be there at all. You may think I have exaggerated or inflated my experience, believe me I wish I had, however this is everything I went through. The point of me sharing this story is for you to understand, you probably didn’t have it that bad and hey if you had it worse, you made it through.

Love Tishhlah x

Passing my Theory and £60 later in Superdrug..

Yes I am 22 years old and I still haven’t learnt to drive however I believe that is okay. I have started now and I recently passed my theory test which was pleasantly surprising as I could have studied a lot harder. I felt as if I have been filling my brain with education all of my life just so I can memorise things for a test, so I wasn’t very motivated. I went from school to university and didn’t think I needed to drive (if I am honest it does scare me). However I am on track and drive around in my little car with an adults supervision of course and I am planning to take my test soon. 

Since moving back to the middle of the countryside I have had to rely on taxis, buses and my lovely parents. Some people have reservations from living independently at uni to moving back in with their parents. However my parents are far too nice to me, giving me total freedom, a free place to live along with lots of lovely free food, so I am very grateful for everything they do for me. Not only that but I have always been an animal lover and love my cat eternally, since spending everyday with her to then moving out it was an adjustment. Even though we say nothing to each other, she does keep me company and make me very happy. Equally having so many different breeds of cute dogs in our house makes me very happy and I honestly believe they have helped so much with my mental health. From shaking, sickness, migraines and feeling an overwhelming constant illness at the thought of leaving the house. It can be very hard to talk about my anxiety as I have no idea what brings it on, why it happens and there is no cure. However I am finally feeling better (fingers crossed) completely happy and loving my new job. I couldn’t recommend hugging a snuggly pup that loves you, enough. 

I fully indulged in Superdrug and grabbed some bits after finding out I passed and got slightly carried away. I mean, who doesn’t do that? I picked up some products I normally use; the Revolution foundation stick in the shade F3 I love using it as a base and feel it prepares my skin for my foundation and blends well over my primer. The 0 extra fair Collection concealer is the one, it lightens up my eyes over my foundation and is completely worth the price. The L’oreal perfect match concealer is one I’ve found that blends so well into my skin and covers up any spots or blemishes I may have. However I also chose to pick up the Barry M all night long foundation as I have been looking for a new full coverage foundation at a low end price. Equally the Tresemme hair mask was on offer and I decided to pick it up as its sulphate free which isn’t great for the hair. 

The Lee Stafford hair growth serum is a favourite of mine and my hair type can always need extra nourishment in order for it to be in good condition. I do not believe it speeds up the hair growing process, yet has the right formula for healthy hair. John Frieda Frizz ease mist is a new product I have been trying before I leave the house, I like to spritz my hair to look healthy and less frizzy after it has been brushed and I am loving it so far. I have recently gotten into hair styling and started curling my hair, so I picked up the tresemme care and protect spray before I use heat on my hair. Afterwards I use the vo5 extra hold hair spray which I haven’t found to sticky or greasy for my hair. Equally I thought I would test out the cheap collection lash lengthening mascara as a base or to de clump my everyday mascara. 

Lastly I purchased two new lip colours from the Rouge Velvet collection by Bourjois as I already own some different shades and love the formula. It can last all day without being drying and the shades are beautiful. Therefore I decided to pick up a peachy nude in the shade 01, and a muted plum colour in the shade 19. 

Revolution stick foundation 

Collection extra fair concealer

L’oreal true match vanilla concealer 

Tresemme colour hair mask

Barry M all night long Foundation 

Lee Stafford hair growth serum

Collection lengthening mascara 

Barry M molten metal nail paint 

Tresemme heat defence spray

John Frieda frizz ease glossing mist

Bourjois rouge velvet nude 01 lipstick

Bourjois rouge velvet lipstick

Love Tishhlah x

21 THINGS I HAVE LEARNT, SINCE TURNING 21

Just because I have turned 21, I don’t feel any wiser however it is fair to say I have imparted some wisdom to share amongst you. I have experienced life through school, moving out, university, shopping and learning about the environment. Adulting, responsibilities, money and juggling everything isn’t that fun but it is a learning curve. Learning from our own or even others’ mistakes is beneficial to saving money and time. I am in no way saying I know everything but these are some things I do know that may help you out. 

1 Being happy is the most important thing

2 Buying a reusable water bottle/coffee cup can reduce a crazy amount of plastic

3 Care less what other people think, even though it can be hard

4 Long distance relationships can work

5 Social media is not your life. Your life shouldn’t revolve around social media. Do things for you 

6 Life is short and we should embrace it

7 Your family will always be there for you

8 No matter how many bra fittings I go too, I still do not understand my bra size

9 Things aren’t easy sometimes but they do get better

10 Before buying an item, analyse; if you need/love it, it will go with other items in your wardrobe and if you feel good in it

11 School is tough but you can get through it

12 Kindness goes such a long way

13 Tumble drying clothes that have the do not tumble dry symbol on shouldn’t be tumble dried. 

14 Unidays doesn’t last forever, make the most of it

15 Nude bras are best when you’re wearing white

16 Appreciate the little things

17 You get what you pay for. Invest in items such as clothing, electronics, shoes, etc. that you know will last and you need them

18 Don’t get dragged down by others negativity 

19 Who my real friends are and that they will be there for me when I need them

20 Sleep is pretty important 

21 Exercising can help your mental health and physical body health for the future 

Sunglasses // New Look

Bag // Chloe 

Necklace // Missguided, Kate Spade

Jacket // Miss Pap

Jumper // Primark 

Jeans // Gap 

The Slave to the Scroll

The new generation have been bought up glued to their phones, it is like second nature to them, so much so it has become part of their identity. It is almost as if there is something within our phones that programmes us to become addicted. We all depend on our phones for maps, alarms and googling how to cook eggs, but how do we know when we’ve taken it too far? 

Part of the problem is we only feel accepted if we achieve a certain number of likes, therefore we are becoming more and more obsessed. Depending on what other people think of us, rather than what we think of ourselves. However, it is important we remember to be present in day to day life. Our day shouldn’t revolve around our phones as we only show our online persona. We are all our own person and shouldn’t be afraid to be ourselves in person and online. The people who take time to give us their attention, are the ones we should appreciate. They are there because they want to be and not just craving attention or projecting boredom online. 

It is so easy to spend hours scrolling though absolute nothing, of people we do not really know. It is just what they want us to see. Yet we waste so much of our time staring at their feed or reading their tweets. On the new apple update it lets you know your screen time. There is nothing more terrifying than the reality of how much time you waste on your phone. Picking up our phones just because we are bored is becoming an unhealthy habit that the younger generation depend on. Time that could be spent elsewhere, learning something new or taking time for ourselves. 

It is important we rest our minds and not constantly rely on social media as we will always have the urge to scroll. When I was on a seven-hour flight it felt so weird having my phone in my hand and yet not checking social media. As long as we are constantly scrolling, our minds are struggling to keep up. Social media can fill up our minds so much so, that it becomes hard to cope. Only will we feel good about ourselves is when we can empty our minds by breaking away from social media or following mindfulness. The hours we spend on Instagram and twitter leads us to compare our lives to others. When the people we follow can barely be relatable and may have a completely different lifestyle. Resulting in a negative impact on how we feel about ourselves and others. Instead of enjoying our free time on our phones, it can make us feel like shit and yet we will continue to scroll… for eternity. 

When I met up with the blogger Charlotte Hole and discussed social media and the addictions teenagers could be developing, she gave me the perfect quote ‘the slave to the scroll’. We are all a slave to the scroll and most of us do not even realise. 

Thank you so much for reading, please let me know what you think.

Love Tishhlah 

What it is really like being in a long-distance relationship

Honestly, I have experienced all of the emotions in my relationship and I bet it is different for everyone, however this is my experience.

It can be really hard being apart from someone you love for a significant amount of time. Whether you’ve had a great or tough day, sometimes you'll just want someone to talk too or a hug, it can suck not to have them there. The longer you are apart the more you can miss them and find yourself reacting in different ways. However, when you are young and finding out who you are and growing as a person, it can be good to have some space apart. It is good to be independent and not relying on someone all of the time.

 Trust. This is the biggest aspect you need in a relationship. As in most relationships trust is really important, however when you are hours, miles or even countries away from them, you have to trust them. Otherwise you could just be sat at home worrying or assuming the worse, when in reality they are telling the truth. If you have been betrayed in the past, it can be easy to bring that into the current relationship (they are not the same person). Equally being honest with one another is just as important.

Communication is essential, when you are both living different lives, it is good to share your day with one another. Listening to someone’s day and showing that you are there for them is reassuring and can bring you closer. The distance may put a strain on your relationship and you’ll take it out on the other person. However it will strengthen your relationship and allow you realise what you have. If you ever feel shit or have a problem that will put tension on the relationship, tell them and if they love you they will understand, text, skype or call! My boyfriend has even written letters to me, which may sound like the cheesiest thing. Yet it reassures me how much he cares and it is exciting getting happy things in the post.

 The best thing about being in a long-distance relationship Is finally seeing the other person. It allows you to appreciate one another and the time you have together is special. Anything you do, it doesn’t matter as long as you are spending time with them. When it is weeks, months, etc. apart it can feel like it is going so slowly. The best thing to do is focus on your own life and embrace what you have, whilst looking forward to the next time you’ll see them.

Saying goodbye is hard, once they have left you do feel like something is missing. If you are used to them being around all weekend or sleeping next to them, the bed can feel pretty empty. It’s hard at first but then it’s time to get back to your own life, keep communicating and look forward.

I have been in a long-distance relationship for three and a half years (4 years total) and there will always be sceptical people that may not think it can work. It can work if you both stick it at, even when it gets hard, just try to stay positive. (If you both love each other and want it to work, you’ll both put the effort in).

 Love Tishhlah x

Instagram @tishhlah

THIRD YEAR

I have just started my third year at university. Boy has the stress and work load kicked in! The stress and deadlines has been crazy the past two years and a little hard to cope with, however this is something else. Not only that but the pressure is on, as the future debt and duration at university so far relies on this year.

Anyhow, for the mean time I’m trying to remain calm as I know the rest of the year will consist of ridiculous emotions and sleepless nights.

Anyone finding school, college or university tough I know how you feel, just like all the other people going through the same thing. Working hard will pay off in the end, nevertheless take breaks, try to organise your time and relax in the evening to clear your head. 

The absurd amount of work and deadlines will affect how often I upload blog posts, nevertheless I’ll do the best I can, though I do post regularly on my Instagram so any outfit updates will always be on there.

Duster jacket: Forever 21
Barbie tee: Missguided
Trousers: Pull & Bear
Trainers: Adidas NMD

Thank you so much for reading my little life update, hope you’re doing well! Love from Tishhlah x