Good morning friends!

I hope you have had a fabulous start to December...

Yup, ladies and gentlemen we have MADE IT to December! It's official, 2020 is almost over. 

Now usually, the month of December is filled with loads of parties and outings in the lead up to Christmas and New Years', and that would obviously require some strong makeup looks. But although this December is different in a multitude of ways, nobody said we can't treat ourselves to a beautiful glittery eyeshadow palette this month, right?! The question is, which one to go for? I hope that this post will help you decide whether Jolie Beauty's Bomb Dot Com palette is worth it... or not.

Why I didn’t go to University | Guest Post by Em Wells

Happy Saturday, friends!

I hope you've had a great week.

Photo Credit: Madison Inouye

Some of you might remember that a couple months ago I ran a huge 'Student September' series, which featured some amazing guest posts and some really lovely sponsored content. I really just wanted to give something to the students of 2020, who have had so much taken away from them. However, I am more than well aware that university is not for everyone. I know a number of people who dropped out of uni because it had a seriously negative effect on their mental health, and there should be absolutely zero shame in that. So this Saturday, I want to honour those of you who did not (or will not) go to university, with a guest post written by the fabulous Emma Wells...

My All Time FAVOURITE Oversized Plaid Shirts | Ad Gifted

 Happy Saturday, friends!

I hope lockdown isn't getting you down... but if it is, check this post out for some self-care tips.

I love me a good oversized shirt- any day, and any season. They're just such a VIBE. So when Femme Luxe Finery sent me an email asking whether I would like to review their new oversized button-up shackets, I was so down. Mind you, I had no idea what a 'shacket' was- but as soon as I read the words "oversized" and "button up", I was in...

Styling The New Season Trench | Ad Gifted

Happy Wednesday, friends!

I hope hump day isn't hitting you too hard.

If you've been anywhere near Instagram over the last month, you'll have seen an absolute FLURRY of gorgeous dogtooth trench coats. Maria J Blogs practically broke the internet with her insta post wearing this black-and-white coat, but when I went to purchase it, I soon realised that it was just that little bit too pricey for my strict student-teacher budget. Thankfully, after a bit of a hunt on the internet, I found this LUSCIOUS dogtooth coat on the Katch Me website, which is currently priced at £44.

Practicing Self Care During Lockdown 2.0 | Ad Gifted

Happy Friday, friends. 

I hope you are looking after yourself this week.

Damn. 2020's been a rough year... and it's still going. Now, not only is it SAD season, but a second lockdown is just on the horizon where I live in Scotland. I know how tough it's been for a lot of people, so for today's post I've decided to partner with Femme Luxe Finery to bring you some amazing self-care tips for the Autumn & Winter months. 

I hope this helps.

5 Happy Things | October 2020

Happy Saturday, friends!

I hope you all have something to smile about this week.

Photo Credit: Gabrielle Henderson

If you read the post that I wrote back in July about the '3 Good Things That Happened During My Break From Blogging', you might remember that I talked a little bit about a regular feature that I used to have on my blog, called "5 Happy Things". At least once a month, I would sit down with my bullet journal and list all the things that had made me smile or filled me with joy... and then from that I would hand-pick the 5 most significant things which I would write about. Sometimes I would write about things as simple as the weather, or the TV shows I was watching. Other times, I would write about more intimate, personal things.

Well, today I decided to revisit that old tradition.

4 Classy Dresses To Shop This Autumn/Fall | Ad Gifted

 Happy Saturday, friend

NEWSFLASH: Autumn is in full swing!! 

The cool air has started to creep in, and the changing of the seasons has got me feeling inspired. October is my birthday month, so today I've decided to share 4 of the most gorgeous (and affordable!) Autumn/Fall dresses from Femme Luxe Finery. Before we go any further, I just want to make it clear that this post has been created on an Ad Gifted basis, HOWEVER: 1. I selected the dresses featured in today's post and 2. as always, all opinions are my own. 

A Letter To My Younger Self | Guest Post By Nadine Krill

 Happy Saturday, friends!

I hope you're having a really blessed week.

Photo Credit: Izabelle Acheson

Today's post comes from my good friend Nadine, who I incidentally met on TikTok, of all places. I actually featured on an episode of her podcast (the 4:14 podcast) last month to talk about all things blogging, so click here if you want to check it out!! Nadine is a really strong, passionate, and caring young woman who has a real heart for ministry, and so she has written a letter to her younger self... and I truly believe this letter is a beautiful reflection of Nadine's loving soul. Enjoy...

Jolie Beauty Second Skin Collection Review | Ad Gifted

Happy Saturday, friends! 

I hope you are feeling beautiful this week. 

I haven't always been keen on using blusher. But long gone are the days where we would all pack on an ungodly amount of contour & bronzer every day, and finish off with a heavy matte lipstick. Nowadays, I'm a lot more comfortable with myself, and my makeup routine definitely reflects that. Most days, all it takes is a couple dabs of concealer to brighten my face, a bit of bronzer & blusher to sculpt, and I'm good to go. 

It's taken me a while to find an affordable blusher/bronzer combination that sits well on my skin without appearing too harsh, so I was over the moon when Jolie Beauty reached out to me asking if I could review some products from their brand new Second Skin collection.

6 Lessons I Learnt While Reading 'A Love Letter Life' by The Roloffs

Hey friends! Happy Saturday.

I just want to kick off today's post by letting you all know that this is NOT an ad!! I genuinely love this book deeply. Actually, the six 'lessons' I'm going to be talking about were originally noted down in my bullet journal waaaaaaay before I even returned from my blogging hiatus. 

Jeremy and Audrey Roloff are an incredibly inspiring Christian couple who live in Bend, Oregon (in the US). They met 10 years ago, in January 2010, on a blind date set up by mutual friends. But believe it or not, they didn't actually hit it off the first time they met. Not that you'd ever be able to tell that looking at them now, with their seemingly picture-perfect family.

Which Extra-Curricular Activities Will Help You Get a Grad Job? | Student September Guest Post By Maddie

Happy Wednesday, friends!

I hope you've had a good start to your week.

Photo Credit: Andrijana Bozic

As of last Saturday, I have now been able to secure you guys TWO stationary discounts for Student September, and I am so thrilled about it. As students, we need to take advantage of every discount we can get, so if you'd like to get a discount for a gorgeous personalised notebook then click here, and if you'd like a discount for an extremely useful Gratitude & Productivity journal then click this link. 

Now, without further ado, here's Maddie's post which is all about how you can boost your career prospects during uni...

Motivate Yourself This September With Some Beautiful Personalised Stationary | Student September | Ad Gifted

 Happy Saturday guys!

I hope you've been enjoying Student September so far...

If you have read ANY of the other blog posts that I've published on here so far this month, I'm sure you'll know that this month, we are celebrating Student September here on Sara Louisa. I know that student life will feel very alien for many of you (whether you are a new or returning student), so I wanted to create a space for you to read some personal stories, top tips, student hacks AND discounts!!! We've had some fabulous guest writers on the blog this month, but today I wanted to pop back in to talk to you about the cutest notebooks out there on the market right now... and if you read through the entire post, we have a very special 15% off code for you at the very end!

This Is Why I'm Going Back To Uni At 27 | Student September Guest Post by Georgie Rainford

Happy Wednesday, friends! 

I hope you're feeling inspired this week... And if you aren't feeling very inspired at the moment, I'm absolutely certain that will change as you read today's blog post. 

 

If you have read ANY of the other blog posts that I've published on here so far this month, I'm sure you'll know that this month, we are celebrating Student September here on Sara Louisa. Basically, what that means is that for the entire month of September this blog will become a temporary student hub, featuring student-centered guest posts from some of the best bloggers out there! Last week we had the lovely Natasha write a post specifically for our Fresher friends, and we still have many more incredible guest posts lined up for the rest of the month!

Today, I am super excited to introduce you to Georgie Rainford, who's written a brilliant post all about how she took the leap to go back to university at 27 years old. Honestly, you guys are in for a treat with today's post...

Dear Freshers of 2020: Here's What You Need To Know | Student September Guest Post by Natasha Evans

Happy Saturday, friends!

I hope you have all had a bright and fun-filled week.

Photo Credit: Priscilla Du Preez

If you didn't know, this month we are celebrating Student September here on Sara Louisa by featuring a whole month of student-centered content written by some of the best guest bloggers out there! Last week we had the lovely Amber Page write a post detailing her favourite student bloggers, and we have many more great guest posts lined up! 

Today, I’m very pleased to introduce you to Natasha Evans from ‘A Girl With A View’, who will be telling us her top nuggets of advice for this year’s freshers!

What Is A Gratitude Journal? And Why ALL Students Should Have One... | Student September Ad Gifted Post (Mal Paper)

 Happy Wednesday, friends!

I hope you're having a really productive week.

And if you haven't, then don't worry because today I'm here to tell you all about the difference keeping a gratitude journal can make in your day-to-day life. 

Not only that, but I also have a 15% discount to offer you for Mal Paper's Daily Goal-Setter Planner; a gratitude and productivity planner all in one. You'll have to read to the end of the post to get the discount code, but honestly guys this is a bargain, and it really couldn't be more perfect for all you students!

The Top 5 Student Bloggers EVERYONE Needs To Know About In 2020 | Student September Guest Post by Amber Page

Happy Saturday, friends!

I hope you have all had a productive week.

Photo credit: Jess Bailey

As I announced on Saturday, the month of September is going to be completely focused on student-centered content here on Sara Louisa. We have some super exciting guest posts lined up from an incredible selection of guest bloggers, and here to kick it all off with a post about her favourite student bloggers, is Amber Page!

IT'S STUDENT SEPTEMBER! | Students of 2020, Here's What You Need To Know...

Happy Tuesday, friends!

I hope you've all enjoyed your summer because I hate to break it to you, but it's the start of September, and we all know that September = the start of all things autumn. And although I love summer, I'm not mad about it.

As well as marking the start of the Autumn season, September is also the month that all the students start returning to university in the UK. It's a month full of tough goodbyes for some, and long-awaited reunions for others. 

For the freshers, it's a month full of change, suspense, and excitement...

Dear White People: There's More To Be Done

Happy Saturday, friends!

I hope your week has been well spent. 

I hope you did, or said, at least one thing that meant something. 

The photo above was taken by one of my best friends on a trip to Berlin in the summer of 2019.

The two of us only spent three days in Berlin, but those three days changed both of our lives in the most unforgettable ways, and opened our naive eyes to some of the monstrosities of our world. As we learnt about the difficult history of this great city, I couldn't help but draw parallels between the reality of the past and present. At the time I linked it to the divisive xenophobia that seemed to be sweeping across Britain as a result of Brexit... but in light of the Black Lives Matter movement, I now feel that it is more relevant than ever.

3 Good Things That Happened During My Break From Blogging

Good morning, and happy Saturday friends! 

I hope you are all having a good and restful weekend.

Wow, it feels weird to be writing that after a year and a half away from the blogging world. Last month I marked my official return with a blog post, which you can read here. Somewhere along the process of writing that post, I realised how much has happened since I stepped away from my blog all that time ago. I know that the changes that have happened in my life will have some kind of impact on how my blogging journey pans out, and this blog has always been a pretty personal space...

Styling Loungewear in the City | Ad Gifted

Happy Sunday, friends!

I hope you've had fun this weekend.

Nude Ribbed Twist Front Loungewear Set - Calley from Femme Luxe Finery (Available in sizes S/M & M/L)

Today's post is the last of a 3-part collaboration I've been doing with the incredible online fashion brand, Femme Luxe Finery. During this 3-part collab, I've been sharing three of my favourite comfy and casual looks, along with a couple nuggets of wisdom. For the first post, I wore a super cozy Grey Fleece High Neck Loungewear set, and for the second post, I styled a Black & White Print Crew Neck T-Shirt paired with a pair of Stone Slim Fit Cargo Trousers. 

I opened up a bit more than usual on Friday, and I know that it was a bit of a heavy (albeit very important) post, so I decided to make today's post a wee bit more lighthearted. It's not out of any disrespect, or because I don't want to continue the conversation (I do), but honestly I just don't have the energy. Writing Friday's post seriously took it out of me.

In A World Where You Can Be Anything... | Ad Gifted

... BE KIND
(TW: this post contains references to suicide) 

Happy Friday, friends!

I hope you have been kind to yourself and the people around you this week.

Black 'In A World Where You Can Be Anything Be Kind' Print Crew Neck T-Shirt from Femme Luxe Finery - Available in S/M - M/L

Today's post is the second of a 3-part collaboration with the incredible online fashion brand, Femme Luxe Finery. During this 3-part collab, I've been sharing three of my favorite comfy and casual looks, along with a couple nuggets of wisdom. Last week, I styled a lush Grey Fleece High Neck Loungewear Set, and talked about my experience with self-care for 'International Self Care Day' (which was on the 24th of July).

Today's blog post covers a subject that has been extremely difficult for me to talk -and write- about, which is why I have included the Trigger Warning (TW) noted above. It's raw and unedited, and I'm sure there are bits that could have been written better by someone else. But I think it's important to talk about these things, and I don't think I could ever really do her justice. 

Just... please be kind, because this post wasn't easy.

Taking Care of Yourself PAST International Self Care Day | Ad Gifted

Happy Friday, friends!

I hope you have treated yourself well this week. 

Grey Fleece High Neck Loungewear Set from Femme Luxe Finery - Available in Sizes S - XL

Today’s post is the first of a 3-part collaboration with the incredible online fashion brand Femme Luxe Finery. During this 3-part collab, I'm going to be sharing three of my favourite comfy and casual looks from the Femme Luxe Loungewear collection, along with a couple nuggets of advice.

I'm Coming Back

The last post I wrote and published on this blog was called "Why I stopped Writing, and How I Got My Spark Back". Almost a year and a half later, and I can tell you that I had not, in fact, got my spark back, and that the week after I published that post I got bombarded with a gazillion university assignments. 

It's kind of ironic, I guess.