SoLita's Private Dining Room, Preston | Vegan

Hello again! It's been a long week of working hard on my Honours project and giving up a social life. Ahhhh, to be a student! I'm in my final year at UCLan and as you may already know, no student can say no to free food especially when it's cooked in a kitchen you can see through, at a private room launch. That's what SoLita prepared for us when we were so kindly invited to the launch of their new private dining room in Preston!

I got to met up with Lily Kate and Claire again, for the first time since our night at the amazing Boohoo spa event, back at the beginning of a chilly February! This time we donned something a little less casual than bath robes.

The staff who were so helpful and friendly, opened a canopé buffet for us and we all took super kindly to the free booze (for one night only, thank god. I had far too much). SoLita's house rosé was so sweet, almost like American dessert wine. A delightful contrast to my tasty lil' vegan burger.

Who'd have thought that tiny vegan burgers coud be SO good? They were a delicious crispy patty made up of 4 types of beans, followed by dressing, nacho crumbs, a variety of salad and wait for it... VEGAN CHEESE on top. 

I was so freakin' happy to see that a non-vegan restaurant had finally got their hands on vegan cheese! One thing that I didn't like about their vegan menu was that there was only one thing on it. *sad face*

Serving any vegan meals at all at a primarily meat restaurant is basically unheard of in Preston so it's fab that they could cater to us, but all I heard everyone saying all night was that the Mac n' Cheese balls were amazing and it made me want to try them! 

It's so easy to make vegan mac n' cheese (vegan versions of everything really) for less money with less ingredients, so I hope that they can expand their cruelty-free options a little more now they've taken the dive. 

The least flattering lighting ever

The decorations and overall vibe of SoLita was so up my street. Slightly rebellious, yet cosy and atmospheric with dimmed lights and beautiful neon typography. If any restaurant could be described as 'Instagrammable', it's this one. I loved the 'Don't grow up, it's a trap' sign and the angel wings were too cool not to take a photo of. Can we put these in my house, now, please?

However, this was the public part of the restaurant and just a little more of this kick-ass cool eating atmosphere in the private room would be the cherry on top of a wonderful dining experience. A really nice touch was the customer photos above the bar in the main restaurant, taken on a mini polaroid camera! I'll have to get in on the action next time as some of them were pretty funny. 

I'll totally be visiting SoLita's again someday, until then I'll be keeping an eye on the menu for more vegan options (and their social media a certain mouth-watering vegan burger recipe). *wink wink*

Have you ever been to SoLita? Where's your favourite place to eat out?

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7 Hair Hacks Every Girl Should Know

So a lovely lady called Joana reached out to me and asked if she could write a piece for The Scarlet State on hair hacks. I've always experimented with hair colours, from bright red, orange and yellow to cooled down blue and purple ombres. At the moment I'm a dark brunette which feels boring compared to my previously colourful locks, so I've been searching for ways to spice things up a little through new hair styles! This is what Joana came up with. So many awesome tips! 

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You’re running late, don’t have time to spend doing your hair and still need it to look great. We’ve all been there, right? I know I have. Whether you’re rushing out the door for work or on a last minute night out with the girls, you want to do things quickly but still look stylish. No problem! Try these easy hair hacks to save time and energy, whatever your reasons are.

Add body

A simple combination of the diffuser setting on your hairdryer and some gel can do the job. No need for curlers or irons when you’re in a rush. Give this a try when you want extra body.

Casual waves

This is another great time saver, and beach-inspired wavy hairstyles always look cool. Simply get some mousse in your hand, scrunch it in and get on with the rest of your morning beauty regime. (Or try plaiting it the night before!)

Fight the frizz

There are lots of great tips to beat frizz, like applying conditioner, letting your hair nearly dry before blow-drying and using hair masks. But what about a quick frizz fix? Some swear by using a little gel, but another really neat way is to spray the bristles of an old toothbrush with hairspray. Work down the hair with the brush and it’ll soon smooth things out.

The messy bun

A great one for when you’re really pushed for time, or lacking enthusiasm for a long styling session. Just pin your hair up into a messy bun. It’s so easy and never goes out of style. 

Bobby pins 

They’re always great for holding hair in place, but you’ll get the best results by following these two top tips. Firstly, clip the pins in with the straight side facing up and the wavy side down. Secondly, spritz some hairspray before pushing them in for an even better hold.

Dry shampoo

When you haven’t got time to wash your hair, dry shampoo is a must. You can save even more time, though, if you use it the night before. That way the shampoo has got plenty of time to work its way into your hair, leaving you with fresh-looking locks first thing.

Ponytail with a twist

The ponytail is the most basic style, but it can still work when you’re looking for something a little more chic. Simply give it a twist and you’ll end up with a soft, sleek look. It will look like you’ve spent a lot of time and effort on it, when it only takes seconds, really.

When you want quick and easy hair without sacrificing style, it’s all about using the right hair hacks. From prepping your locks the night before to getting cool wavy hairstyles quickly, you now know some handy time-saving tips. Give them a go to see which ones work best for you!

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Thank you Joana for some great hair tips, I'm going to be trying more of these each week and will be posting the nicest results over on Instagram! 

If you have any hair tips or tricks, easy to do styles or things you think we should know, drop me a comment! I'd love to hear them, and hope you find these useful.

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Celebrating 21 Years (In My Body) | Sunday Post #18

Yesterday was my birthday! I was going to do a post on 20 things I learned while being 20 but the most important thing I've learned is this, which a couple of years ago it would have taken great confidence to post. I know that posting it now isn't even necessary, but yesterday marked twenty-one years in my body- 21 years of climbing, walking, dancing, bruising, breathing, bathing, tripping up, grazing, resting, running, stretching, travelling place to place with this old skin machine (that sounds gross haha) that is entirely my own. 

I sometimes wonder if I could see every bruise that's ever been on my skin, what would I look like? Would I be covered in them? What about every kiss? Which places on my skin have never been bumped or bruised or kissed? I've been through an awful lot with this body, it's been the vessel which has walked me across different countries and been well enough to let me wake up, carry on living every day. 

It's not always been a smooth ride, growing up countless times I shamed and hated my body, hid it and didn't treat it how it should have been treated but there's also been times where I've cared for it, eaten great food for the sake of it, tended to cuts, spots and tattoos, bathed it, making sure that it was well.

We don't cut our bodies enough slack. Think about where your body has been. Has it taken you up mountains? Have you used your arms to fix something important or make a snowman? How many instruments have your hands touched, pencils has it let you create with? I'm so lucky to be fully able (minus the times when my asthma is really bad) and it's about time I showed gratitude for that. 

Loving your body isn't always about liking what you see, it's about loving it enough to eat food that nourishes you (and eat enough of it)! Going vegan was an awesome thing to do for my body, not counting calories or fats, just knowing that what I was eating is good for me. It's also about giving your body time to heal and not pushing it too far. 

Something that I learned in the worst parts of my mind-body relationship was to treat yourself how you'd treat your best friend. 

In 2012 I went into anaphylactic shock because of something I think I had eaten and remember just not being able to breathe properly, convulsing on a bed in the emergency room. Even now sometimes I get the paranoia that it's going to happen again, even when I've not so much as touched anything I'm allergic to! Thankfully, my body was well enough to pull me through that and deal with what had happened pretty quickly (thanks babe).

A few weeks ago I lay in a swimming pool of salt water on my back. I felt so lucky and relaxed there, so glad and amazed that physics allowed me to be so still, effortlessly floating for as long as my body wanted. 

I water plants with my hands, hold my nephew and pet my dog with these hands, I cook with my hands, my feet take me everywhere. These arms let me hug and express myself in ways I couldn't without them. One day, maybe, my body will have another human inside. How crazy is that?! My body will be able to cope with a whole other life source inside of it! 

Before that, I hope to travel a LOT and stuff my brain full of incredible experiences.

Too many years of our lives are spent in disagreement with our bodies when really, it shouldn't matter what we look like as long as we are given the opportunity of a new day every time we wake up. 21 years inside this body that isn't a prison but a home that I'm blessed to own. :)

If you're still in a turbulent relationship with your body, try thinking of the little things that make it yours, appreciate your freckles and scars as if they belonged to someone else. Something that I learned in the worst parts of my mind-body relationship was to treat yourself how you'd treat your best friend. 

Would you tell them they were ugly or fat, would you put them in front of a mirror only to scrutinise every curve, bone or spot or would you accept them for who they are and love them like they deserve? Time is the best aid to becoming comfortable, just practice the thought that your body is to be cherished as you would someone else's. Stray from poisonous things- notice if a certain social media account makes you feel guilty or bad about your body and cut ties with negativity, focus your attention on parts of yourself that you love. 

I have bad days too! My skin gets bad, I get bloated on my period, I notice new stretch marks or freckles every day. Changing your mind takes time! 

Hopefully I'll continue to get stronger and happier, 21 is a good age to be! Documenting feelings like this might be valuable to me in the future, who knows. ♥ Happy b-day to meeeeee

How do you feel about your body? Do you think your relationship with your body has gotten better as you get older?

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5 Things We Need to STOP Buying | f.e.t.e

If you haven't yet checked out this post and guessed what my latest project is about, then you may want to take a peek! There's some useful info there about why one-use, not-so-disposable plastics are BAD NEWS for us, our 'food', animals and the environment. I also talked about it a little over on Instagram last week. Don't worry, it's not all doom and gloom. There's so much room for change that we're swimming in it, as much as we are literally, swimming. in. it.  Here are 5 things that we need to stop buying and why!

Plastic toothbrushes

Every year, 8 million tons of plastic end up in the sea, one of the main unnecessary polluters being plastic toothbrushes. I will get to why plastic in the ocean is worse than you think in a mo, but hear me out! I've been using a bio-degradable, natural bamboo toothbrush from From Earth To Earth* for about a month now and it's 100%, just as good as a synthetic one (if not better). 

It's anti-fungal, anti-microbal so no nasties in your mouth and you can choose what colour and type of bristles suit you! One more bamboo toothbrush replacing a plastic one means one less hunk of plastic in the sea. Plastic photodegrades into tiny pieces which are then mistaken by fish and turtles for food, which they then eat, who we then eat. The amount of plastic in the ocean has entered the 'human food chain' and it a public health hazard. If you eat fish regularly, chances are you've ingested tiny parts of someone else's toothbrush before. Go bamboo!

Plastic Waterbottles

Another everyday item that's so easy to grab on the go, but unfortunately wreaking havoc on our precious ocean eco-systems. Bottle caps especially, wash up on shores of beaches and are eaten by animals even 50 years after they've been discarded into your kitchen bin.

The only way to really stop this from happening is to spend the money that you would weekly on water, on ONE stainless steel waterbottle and refill that as you go. Tap water is actually no better or worse for you in the majority of the UK than processed water, and if you're really concerned it's easy to distill your water at home. You're also going to save so much money by doing this!

(also, if you bring your own travel mug to a coffee shop instead of a take-away one, they may give you a discount. Plastic tops of take-away cups are a big polluter too)

Everyday things that don't need to be plastic

I'm looking at you paintbrushes! Not to mention other things like those curly plastic hair ties, hair clips, lighters (a major polluter), food packaging, DVD's, CD's, straws, accessories, the list goes on. Food packaging is hugely wasteful. How often do you see an item like grapefruit, or apples that are popped into a polystyrene tray then plastic wrapped? All the freakin' time! Shop loose, shop local whenever possible are rules I try to live by. 

Even reusing one Tuppaware a week is better than buying a new plastic box of salad every day at lunch! I dream of a world where every apple is as loose as my Sunday pants. (p.s, for extra eco-points, buy your music and movies online. Discs are made from plastic and it's 2017, we don't need them).  

Bags, bags, bags

If you're still getting plastic bags every time you go to the supermarket, where have you been for the last year? How many 5p's have you spent on those things? Poor turtles are out there in the sea mistaking bags for jellyfish, their favourite food and dying because you couldn't be bothered to bring a backpack (which is easier to carry, lets at least admit that).

Try to grab a couple of tote bags or a backpack before you head to the shop to save time, money, turtles, and yourself from picking your groceries up from the carpark floor. 

Straws

I did mention these briefly in the 'everyday things' section but they deserve a slot of their own, as over the last 25 years, 6 MILLION straws have been pulled from the ocean (and turtles noses, don't watch if you're squeamish). These are just the straws that some amazing people could salvage. You can buy metal straws cheaply online that are reusable and completely recyclable! You can now keep your lipstick and the Earth in tact at the same time!

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Those are the main things I could think of for now, and the easiest ones to replace in your daily life. Please, please, now that you know about this, don't ignore it and go about daily life without a second thought. It's not hard to do a little everyday or change something that you use and if everyone did this, we'd be coming in leaps and bounds towards a more sustainable, clean future. 

For some cool (yet gross) info about a place called the Great Pacific Garbage patch, check out this documentary. 

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*I was sent this toothbrush to try out, and i bloody love it. the company are doing an amazing thing that i'm totally on board with, so check them out

Joan Collins Class Act Lash Growth Treatment | Review

In search of fluttery lashes for Spring, I decided to try out Joan Collin's Class Act Lash Growth Treatment* for 30 days. This burlesque-like, art deco, glamorously packaged product has been said to help grow your lash length by 169% (please, tell me how you worked this out!) and increase volume of your lashes in 30 days of using it once a day. 

Firstly, I'm obsessed with this packaging! It reminds me a little of Charlotte Tilbury's but killlllls it as a complete set with the JC Compact Duo, you can tell it's a part of Joan's Timeless Beauty Range. I've not noticed any long term growth, but after putting it on nightly I noticed that my lashes were a little longer in the mornings when applying my regular mascara. 

I guess this is because the clear lash treatment coats your lashes and stays there, giving you some extra length that you can see when putting regular mascara on top. Essentially, this clear mascara is a perfect base for putting your regular mascara over if you want fuller lashes. 

I found that curling my lashes before putting it on, then applying on the top and bottom gave the best effect and definitely supplies you with that instant boost, really good if you're about to go on a night out and can't be bothered with falsies (this is me, every time). 

Out of curiosity I started putting this on my brows, haha, and it really works! My brows grew thicker, though I do already have to trim them straight with little scissors on the regs. The treatment gives you the perfect 'soap brows' look, doesn't flake off your skin and is an ideal sculptor, though I can't help but wonder if you can achieve this with any old clear mascara.

That said, I'll keep using this until it runs out for sure! Joan Collin's Timeless Beauty range has really, really impressed me so far. My everyday face powder continues to be her compact duo which hasn't even hit pan yet, go Joan! Perhaps if I continue using this product, my lashes will grow. For now, I remain a little skeptical.

This product is totally worth it for a quick fix or extra morning boost but if you're looking for semipermanent lifted lashes I suggest LVL treatment as it looks incredible on everyone who's had it so far! At £20, the price for this product is a little steep (for any mascara, right?!) but the quality of the formula is undeniably divine. 

Have you tried out any lash treatments or are you sceptical too? I really want LVL lashes!

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*This product was sent to me to try out. All words and opinions are entirely my own!

A Very Colourful Sketchbook Tour +Q&A | Sunday Post #17

It's nice to peek into the minds of other people sometimes, that's why you and I read blogs, right? To me, a sketchbook is the same: a bundle of ideas and creativity that's all stemmed from the mind of one person. Other than that I'm just a nosy lil sh*t. 

After explaining how busy March has been so far I thought it best to just show you what my hands and mind have been off making instead of just explaining! There's been a couple of projects on the go, so here are a few stray pages and details of the ones which turned out best.

Turadh Magazine Cover

I don't want to show the full thing on here just because the issue isn't out yet, but Turadh magazine is a wellbeing mag edited by April from The Fourth Month. Turadh means a 'break in the clouds' which is so lovely! The idea that reading the magazine might give you the feeling of having a break in your daily life is so simply put and sweet to me!

I can't wait to read it and am honoured to have been asked to illustrate something that fits my vibe so much! Here's a couple more close ups of the original painting. 

This was done in watercolour, brush pens that I got for Christmas (you can read about what I got last Christmas here) and my trusty old fineliners. I'm loving playing with colour palettes at the mo, which it's been my goal to improve on for a couple of months. For someone who only used to work in black and white, this feels preeeeetty good!

To Kill a Mockingbird Cover

This was a watercolour job too, with fine liners but no swishy brush pens.  The picture above is the whole cover, all hand painted at A3 size (which took FOREVEEEER) and the one below is the front cover of the book, finished. I hand painted the typography too! The full front/back/spine has been sent off to Penguin for the Student Design Award so I'm really excited to see if I get any response back. (I have to wait until April! Someone give me something to do until then haha)

It's been a dream of mine since I was a kid to illustrate book covers. There are a few 'books' dotted about my bedroom at home that a crafty seven year old me stapled together after hours of careful gel-pen and felt-tip art. Of course, these were mostly about fairies or my beloved stuffed bear, Pickles. I remember my teacher reading one out to the class in Year 3 and I was so embarrassed but lowkey proud, haha. If only lil baba me could see what I'm aiming for now!

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole

I'd been so busy working on the To Kill a Mockingbird cover that this one didn't have as much time spent on it, so I didn't submit it. Buuuuut I have until May to do lots more work, so hopefully by then it's going to look great! This was watercolour, and my favourite pens too. Can you tell I'm obsessed by that media?

Here's a couple of pages from my upcoming project sketchbook! 

I won't divulge too much about what this is going to be but you're probably able to guess. It's in the most early stages so who knows if the project is going to be anything like what hope! There's still time for it to take a different turn. 

Sorry for the hideous watermark across all of these, a gal has to do what a gal's gotta do to not let people steal (even though most of this is unusable for other people)! This is a fraction of what I've been creating this month but definitely sums it all up. 

I've also been asked "Where do you get your inspiration from?" by Hannah. It differs for each project! Lately I've become really passionate about finding ways to make important (yet often boring) topics interesting, and wanting to make people think about changing little habits in their everyday life, so doing lots of research and then creating artwork based on how I feel is how I've done most of my paintings lately. Also nature is one of my favourite sources of inspiration- so much colour, patterns that occur in places you never thought they would and tiny details that get missed unless you're looking for them! Naturally occurring beautiful colour palettes like crazy wild sunsets and flowers with a weird hue are my jaaaam.

I hope you liked this lil' peek behind the scenes in my sketchbook! Here's my previous sketchbook tour. 

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