Shadow Switch Dry Brush Cleaner Review

Firstly, sorry for the quality of these photos, the nights are getting darker and gloomy days have been overhead for about a week now, I need to invest in some artificial lighting!

Does anybody else have that make-up riddled patch of carpet in front of their mirror, or smudges and swatches constantly on their hands while blending eyeshadows? I do, but maybe I'm just gross. 

When blending colours I have a particular brush that I love to use, something about the way it applies and holds pigment is *kisses fist* amazing but what happens when I want to use the next shade and the same brush? Those Morphe 35O reds and oranges aren't going away with a swirl on the carpet or the back of my hand, which is why I decided to give Shadow Switch a go.

Shadow Switch* is a dry brush cleaner (I was baffled at first too) that picks up any leftover pigment in your brushes and cleans your favourite brush ready for the next colour. Hence the name about switching shadows.

I don't know what I expected when the product first arrived, so I opened the palm-sized circle tin and was greeted by what looked like a sponge. Not knowing if there was some magic product on the spongy material, I lifted it out all was okay. Shadow Switch is literally as simple as a sponge that's designed to pick up dirt and pigment when brushed over in a circular motion. No special gimmick- just that (and a cute tin to keep it in).

I've been using shadow switch every time I apply shadow except for smoky looks. I love that there's no washing and rinsing brushes, hair drying them or waiting around involved, it's just a pocket tin that you can keep in your bag any time you need to apply. 

It even picks up the excess on my bronzer and blush brush so that I don't apply too much! The product is £5.99 on Amazon, a tiny (so lil') bit steep in my opinion as I'm sure a similar sourced sponge would work well too but I can't deny the convenience of it. 

Like all beauty on TSS since around July, Shadow Switch is cruelty free!

What's your favourite brush cleaner or brush set? I need to up my blending game!

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*this post contains samples sent to me for review. All opinions and words shown are my own! Disclaimer

The Time I Left My Comfort Zone | Sunday Post #12

Being told to 'get out of your comfort zone' is something that we're all probably sick of hearing by now, from school, from tutors and parents, from every man and his dog that just wants us to 'do better'. Lately I've been conducting a little social experiment on myself and for what feels like the first time in a long time, been pushing myself out of my comfort zone to do more things that give me the nervous butterflies, aka that feeling of 'get-me-the-hell-out-of-here... now'.

Firstly this is more of a journal entry than a post, a way of marking my little milestones and celebrating change. I understand everyone feels differently!


It started with the half of 2016 before summer, that left me content on the inside but not wanting to really leave my safe-haven of a room to do anything with anybody else. I was perfectly content just scraping by my deadlines and chilling in my PJ's talking to nobody.

By leaving my comfort zone I don't mean the time we camped wild in Scotland for two nights, or the time I plucked up the courage to chat about my teenage eating disorder (as scary as that was), I mean baby steps. Big things that seem little to others.

I attended two blogging events this last month- if you told me at the start of this year that I was going to do this I'd be like AWWWW HELL NAW (or in reality I'd say yes then probably flake out from nerves or fatigue last minute). I got on the train all alone, navigated my way very badly to an event and made conversation with strangers and GUESS WHAT HAPPENED? Nothing bad.

Nothing bad at all. Lots of good though; new friends, visiting new places, new experiences and a sense of pride on the way home that I could have flaked out or ran away scared but I didn't! Every time I get out of my comfort zone now, although nerve-wracking at first, my self-confidence that I can do it is stronger. I'm stronger!

Another stretch out of my comfort zone has been orchestrating presentations and leading groups at uni. As a teen at school I'd do ANYTHING to avoid being picked as the 'leader', not wanting to be seen as bossy, or for the fact I was just too shy to tell these people what to do I'd step away from any leadership role completely.

Not this time buddy. Come at me third year, with your one presentation a week (thus far, kill me) and hand me all the slides you've got because I've got time. And I've got newfound confidence that I can do this- again even when I want to poop my pants at the thought of presenting to a class, I realise that this little area outside of my comfort zone will soon become something I am comfortable with.

The more I do that terrifies me, the easier it becomes to do these things. I've figured that for me, it's all about summoning the courage to bite the bullet.

If you follow me on Twitter you'll probably know that I had to get a filling last month (weird that people online know about what's inside my teeth but anyway) and was sulking over it, swimming in a fear of the dentist that I've had for years but GUESS WHAT AGAIN? I did it and nothing bad happened. 

As uncomfortable as it was at first to have a needle in my gum, ask strangers for directions in Manchester and worry what people at the Bloggers Blog Awards thought of me, nothing bad occurred. Stepping out of my comfort zone is becoming easier.

Now I know that if I ever want to do these things again that I can, even if the nerves still sit in my tummy. Realistically, I'm never going to screw up so monumentally that I can never come back from it. These experiences out of my comfort zone have done me a world of good leading me to realise that putting yourself outside of your circle isn't as hard as it might seem (and boy, it feels so difficult sometimes), just bite the bullet. 

Have you been out of your comfort zone lately? How did you feel afterwards?

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See my previous Sunday Posts here!

Taboo Talk #6 | Why I Chose to be Hormone Free

Everybody who's ever had a single thought about contraception knows about the pill or implant. There are so many forms of contraception out there that are less publicised but just as accessible for women all over the country, one being the IUD (the coil, inter uterine device etc). 

Non-hormonal contraception has been on the rise lately after studies confirmed that depression is directly linked to the pill and it's becoming more obvious that seizures, blood clots, osteoporosis and strokes are also related to taking forms of hormonal contraception. Methods such as noting your natural cycle and avoiding sex on certain days or the copper IUD and condoms pose less of a risk to your health.

Obviously which contraception you choose is a personal choice and totally up to you! For me, I chose the copper coil which I've had for around 2 years now. I was on the depo injection (hormones that last for 3 months) before that but whenever I used it I'd cry, being irritable, angry and almost depressed a lot of the time. 

I knew this while I was on it, but stayed on it because I wasn't educated on other forms of birth control. Crying was a part of my weekly routine for months at a point and I decided no more- it wasn't until I came away from hormonal birth control that I realised just how much my mental state was affected by it. 

The copper coil is inserted in a (nearly) pain-free process- it was a cold, uncomfortable feeling but the cramps after were worse than the insertion until they stopped after about 3 days. Since then, my periods have become regular, I have less mood swings, no crying episodes or feelings of despair for no reason! Crazy. 

The coil works essentially by killing sperm. Copper is key! My coil will last for ten years, by which time I'll be 28 ( I had it put in when I was 18, almost 19) so I don't have to worry about contraception at all. There's also a hormonal coil available which doesn't last for as long, and personally I'm over having hormones put into my body as they encouraged my mental health for the worst. 

Coming off hormonal contraception can be rough; you'll most likely have mood swings and irregular periods until your body restores it's natural balance. If you're coming off it to try for a baby you might find that it takes a while for your fertility to come back (another reason that my hormonal contraception wasn't right. When the time comes that I want a baby, there's no chance I'll want to wait for my fertility to return- whenever that may be).

If you're thinking of making the switch to non-hormonal contraception you should talk to your GP or nurse at a sexual health clinic (you can probably google where your nearest one is) about which method you want, or they might show you some other options! 

My opinion on choosing is GO WITH YOUR GUT. Nobody, noooooooo-body knows your body better than you do. Not any nurse who's met a million patients like you, not a doctor who doesn't have birth control himself. Of course if your doctor tells you you shouldn't use a certain one because it puts you at a risk, don't do it but:

based purely on recommendations, choose the contraception YOU feel most comfortable with. 

Don't be afraid to ask the doctor/nurse themselves what contraception they're on. The nurse who put my coil in was using the coil herself which made me feel so much better and more confident about choosing it!

Now, I wouldn't go back. I'm only 20 but never in my life will I take the pill unless I have to. Non-hormonal methods are definitely for me, because although there were no physical illness or side effects from the depo injection, it really made me so unhappy (also long term use gives you brittle bones. No thank you).

If you want to ask me questions about the Copper Coil/IUD (I mean any haha, nothing is too taboo or embarassing) feel free to shoot me a tweet/DM @sarahjdocker or an e-mail at sjdocker@hotmail.com, we can have  a chat!

What are your experiences with contraception?
p.s: I still have all of your contraception stories to share, instead of one huge post I've decided to start a post series and group each contraception together. Does that make sense?

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7 Ways To Use Coconut Oil

It didn't take long after I discovered coconut oil for me to realise the extent of it's powers. I'm talking, wizard-level wonderfully magic for our skin, hair, body and overall health. Obviously in large amounts nothing is good for you, but adding a little coconut oil into your life everyday can make a world of difference.

I've tried and tested (almost) all of these ways to use coconut oil, my favourite being for my skin and coffee! If you know any more ways to use it, I'd LOVE to hear about it in the comments or a tweet!

The flowers in these photos are from Blossoming Gifts, I've had them for a week or two now and they've just started to crisp. Dried flowers make a beautiful decoration too don't you think? You can win your own bouquet with me here.

Coconut oil can be used as hair conditioner

Not just any kind of conditioner, but coconut oil is a brilliant deep conditioner for maintaining shiny, strong hair that does anything but bend n' snap. After washing your hair, rub coconut oil through the lengths in a moderate amount for lush locks or leave in overnight (shampoo it out in the morning) for deeply nourished hair.

You can eat coconut oil

It's brilliant enjoyed in moderation- you can cook with it, put it in your coffee, spread it on toast, put it in porridge (one of my life savers for cold mornings) and when you eat it, it reduces hunger so is great way to curb the munchies if you really have to. 10/10 would recommend just eating whatever the hell you feel like though. 

Despite its high fat content, coconut oil actually speeds up your metabolism when consumed. It's classed as a SUPERFOOD! It travels straight to your liver and is one of the only oils not stored as fat. Amazing, right?

Buff up those lips

Mix a little oil with sugar and rub it on your lips to get rid of dry spots in winter! It can also be used as a lip balm. 

Pop a little in a pot and carry it around with you! At around £5 for a large jar, you have lots of different beauty products in one and you only ever need a little so the product lasts for a long time.

Coconut Oil as deodorant

I haven't tried this one out myself, but with the recent move to turning vegan I might have to test this out. Supposedly if you mix the miracle oil with baking soda, you can use the formula as a deodorant! Let me know if you'd like me to do a post on this when I try it out.

Revitalise your make-up

Pop a little bit of coconut oil in eyeliner gels, brushes (for pigment pick up) and pomades to bring back moisture to the products. I use a little on my Anastasia Beverly Hills dipbrow when it's dry or hard to use. Here's how I do my brows!

Fight infection

Because of it's antimicrobal properties (also antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties) it can help fight infections in the body from athletes foot, to thrush and flu. Obviously contact a doctor if your condition is bad- coconut oil is amazing but it's not going to make you 100%. 

It's a brilliant moisturiser

Who needs serums when coconut oil is your skin's best friend? I like to take a little in the palm of my hand in the morning and at night, melt it a little with the natural warmth of my skin and massage it onto my face, and any dry problem areas. You get bonus points for smelling like a tropical goddess all morning. 

The main ingredient in Lush's Elbow Grease is actually coconut oil, and this little bar cleared up my eczema/psoriasis on my eyelids which was SO sore. As long as I keep it in my routine, my eyes don't dry!

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The best coconut oil to reap the benefits of is 'unrefined', but extra virgin is okay too. I always try to purchase organic coconut oil which is super easy to find in supermarkets, as the antioxidants in these types are better and therefore the benefits to using it are better!

Let me know if you know anymore ways to use it! Here's a list of the benefits of adding a little coco to your daily life. 

What do you use coconut oil for? Have you ever tried it?

New posts every week - stay updated 

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Style Swapping with Bad Alice

Sometimes on my walks around the city I come across creatively brilliant things that I wish I'd thought of first and things I can't believe people have made with their own hands/heads. Bad Alice is one of these things that I wish I'd come up with first - a swap shop ran by two lovely girls, Hannah and Alice, where you can take your old clothes and trade them in for newer ones. SO GOOD, RIGHT?!

Recycled fashion is something a lot of people brush over for not looking as great as the current trends. Fashion bloggers like Lua from Le Happy have been blowing my mind with thrift store outfits and old tee's that complete vintage looks, it's hard for me to understand why they're not considered more by people on the hunt for new garms!

All the items are marked on arrival, rated on a scale of 1-5 so that you get back in quality what you put in. Fives are the best quality items, ones are the least (but even the number one items were gorgeous). 

I picked out a silk pink crop from the '1' pile which will go GORGEOUS with my new choker for fall, a long sleeved jumper from the Bad Alice basics and a gorgeous pink lace dress from the '5' rail. Expect to see an OOTD here soon! My last #ootd was a little while ago at a time when it was sweltering hot! My style has definitely shaped itself to fit the cold days of Autumn already.

All of the items have a tag on, a little envelope with something inside but mine came off my parcel while I carried it around town so I never got to open it! I'm such a sucker for novelty things like that too so I was gutted when I got home and it had gone! I guess I'll never know what was inside.

Instead of using plastic bags, the gals wrap up your clothes in a brown paper parcel complete with string and sequins while you browse the rest of the rails or grab a coffee. Sustainable af.

Did I mention that the other side of the store is a coffee shop?

There's menswear on the rails at Bad Alice too, but no where near as much as there was women's clothes. I believe a lot of the original Bad Alice clothes belonged to the gals who set up the shop (and a bag-full on my part), but men are getting on board too and the shop is sourcing awesome vintage items for their buyers for future pop-ups.

Fluffy shoes are popular with brands like Public Desire at the mo, I thought these were so cute and would be gorgeous around Christmas. I've had my eye on a few jumper dresses like the ones below for a while too so was temped to take one home but went with the lace dress instead. 

Nothing beats friendly vibes in a shop and this was the ultimate. Hannah and Alice were so helpful (when Alice had a free hand!) and for two young Girl Bosses to be running their own shop from scratch is amazing. 

I found a vintage mans baseball tee that Alex would have looked so cute in but it was too big. Low key regretting not grabbing it for myself to chill around the house in. 

Being a pop up shop it's easy for the gals of Bad Alice to relocate to pretty much wherever they like which I love about this. Tour, tour tour!

It's something different, a new way of getting a new wardrobe that isn't just buying out of the high street shops or charity shops (although charity shops have some awesome finds, like these Jeffrey Campbell's I got for £8 instead of £105!). 

The dress I got was an absolute steal as I literally just had to get a bag together of my old clothes and trade them in. Hopefully some lovely people will find a good use for them! Wearing them, cutting them up and making new clothes, whatever. I'm just happy I have a few new pieces for my wardrobe. It needed replenishing more than a lukewarm cup of tea on a cold day. 

Bad Alice's next pop up shop is on the 29th October in Preston only a few weeks away! I'll be at the Blogger Halloween Party so won't be able to make it but there's a 100% chance that my old wardrobe will be getting exiled to Bad Alice at the next opening. See ya, old threads. ♥ 

What do you think of this idea? If you want Bad Alice to set up somewhere near you, leave a comment and they can check it out!

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BY SAMII RYAN | Autumn Fashion

Samii Ryan along with Ellis Cooper, Elizabeth Isley, Mary Rosenberg and Alysha Nett to name a few, is one of my favourite bad ass gals to follow on Instagram. Beginning as a model, her experience with modern, alternative fashion and love of the industry has lead Samii to follow her dreams of creating her own jewellery and accessory line, BY SAMII RYAN. 

I love everything this brand puts out, from the design of the website to the products and the way they're marketed. All of Samii's pieces are unique, handcrafted, sophisticated and elegant while still screaming badass.

As I said a couple of weeks ago, lately I've become more confident in myself and along with that has come the confidence to wear whatever the hell I want and be okay with the fact that not everyone will like it.

I paired my burnt orange choker with a simple tie top and because the day was particularly chill, jeans and lace orange suspenders from ASOS to add that side of gal that By Samii Ryan puts across! The lace was a nice contrast to the suede and the colour orange might just be my favourite at the mo.

SHOP THE LOOK: Lace Suspenders // Orange Choker // Black Jeans // Tie Top (not online)

By Samii Ryan does way more styles and colours, some of my favourites being the ones above. These pieces are all such high quality and feel really durable. Just don't wear them in the shower! 

I can't wait to see more from Samii, and her brand is one that's given me some ideas for the branding of my final project this year!

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I decided since the response to this post on my Ubud painting was so lovely, I'll be posting more of my art on here and maybe open up commissions again (if I can balance everything!). Keep your peepers peeled for exciting things in the future!

Speaking of exciting things, have you told Blogosphere Magazine that you like my blog?! I'm on the 'shortlist' for their In the Spotlight feature this season and if you let them know, I could be featured in the magazine! This would be a DREEEEEAM (so if you like my blog go tell them in the comments)! 

For 10% off at BY SAMII RYAN, use the code 'SARAH10' Let me know what you buy!!

What are your favourite independent brands? 

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Drop me a line! I really appreciate all comments and reading them makes me so happy. I try to leave as many back as possible! BY SAMII RYAN did not sponsor this post but kindly provided a discount code for readers of TSS. Use it as many times as you like! :) 

Bloggers Blog Awards (+VLOG) | Sunday Post #11

Exactly a week and a day ago I attended the wonderful Bloggers Blog Awards hosted by Hayley. I'd only been to one blog event before this, a secret event hosted by Mary so I was a little nervous at first but arranged to meet my new best friend (hey I've decided), Jess, at Leeds station beforehand.

After very little convincing, Laura decided to come along with me as she's just started a blog of her own this summer and we don't get to hang out a lot while I'm at uni! She's my 'little' sis but look how tall she is compared to me, even without those heels haha. 

The event was held at Canal Mills in Leeds, an awesome punk looking warehouse with instagrammable lights, art and exposed brick walls. On arriving we signed into a little guest book which was a sweet personal touch and let me know who was there already! Got my stalking mode on.

My complimentary glass of prosecco went down a TREAT lemmie tell ya. As did the rest of the ciders that somehow made their way into my hands. I'm not even a big drinker anymore- I don't go clubbing because it bores the hell out of me, but there's no way anybody can pass up a celebratory drink especially when you're surrounded by so many talented, exciting people.

After an hour or two of mingling, fangirling and hugs, the awards announcements began.

I'm so so stoked and happy for everyone who received an award, it's clear that everyone deserved it and the cheers from the girls and guys in the room showing support for their favourite bloggers made my day.

It's crazy how you can have never even met someone in real life before yet feel so happy for them when something good comes along. Maybe one day I'll be up for an award! Not likely with the talent this year but a girl can dream!

On the vibe of achievements, I've been put on  Blogosphere Magazine's list this season for In The Spotlight and it'd mean the WORLD to me to be featured in their magazine, so if you like my blog please drop a comment on this post telling them so! Let me know if you do :*

Vix told us a wonderful poem which you can see in my vlog, Amy gave her thanks in possibly the best accent I've ever heard and I wooped so loud for Katy, even though she couldn't make it.

The awards were soon over and it was time for the raffle. All of the raffle proceeds went to a cat shelter so I could totally justify spending £10 on tickets. Thanks kitties. 

Usually I don't win anything so I was super surprised when my ticket was called twice and I received some gorgeous skincare products from Urban Veda and Tuscany Candles worth a mint. Laura didn't win anything so I split my prizes with her, while Jess walked away with a bag of AMAZING goodies for her 'Losing face' Leo meme.

It's so nice that I'm now able to put voices to the tweets and blogs I read everyday. There wasn't one person I met who wasn't lovely- I love you ALLLLLLL. 

For real though, Laura had one thing she'd change about the Bloggers Blog Awards and that would be opening up a category for parenting bloggers! I'd love to see some new mums and dads on the scene getting recognition. It must be so difficult to parent a child and run a blog, I can barely look after myself and do what I want to do haha.

For my second blogging event I feel so lucky to have been able to chat and be inspired by amazing bloggers (big and small), I love that everyone was on a level, just there to have fun and support each other... while drinking a lot of wine.

If there ever comes a chance to meet everyone again I'm going to jump right on it! Not that my love for the blogging community has ever faltered but yesterday made me realise just how wonderful it is to be a part of such a huuuuge network of friends (yeah you're all my buddies now) that actually care about what you have to say and support you regardless. If only the event had ran for longer or I'd had the chance to talk to everyone!

Recognising so many faces from online and getting to know people in real life really broke the 'fourth wall' of blogging for me. We are all ACTUAL people who need to meet up hella more often. I can't wait for next year.

What's the best blogging event you've ever been to?

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Don't forget to let Blogosphere Magazine know in the comments here if you think TSS deserves a feature!! This is a big deal for me haha