Bubble tea, books, and (more) block-heeled shoes – Oh MaY!
Can we just take a second to really absorb the fact that it’s May. How are we already in the fifth month of the year? Christmas is only seven months away now. *Queue existential crisis number 724,568*.
However, with a new month comes a new SEE Recommends blogpost.
1. Books.
I am on my seventh book of the year so far. A truly life-changing habit for me in 2021 has been committing to reading at least ten pages of a book a day. I really recommend that if you implement any new habit into your life, it’s this one. If I hadn’t started reading ten pages a day, I can guarantee you that I wouldn’t even be close to having read seven books already.
I’m a non-fiction book lover. Recently, I’ve taken a liking to diary-style books, thanks to a novel I read by Jasmine Christ called ‘London to Fenland’. Her book is non-fiction in that it consists of real diary entries from her life over a period of a few years. I read this book in a weekend and can’t wait for her to come out with her next masterpiece. Christi is a breath of fresh air in a very modern, digital world. She’s authentic and unique in every way. I’d recommend following her on TikTok too to get a feel for her personality and interests.
In her book, Christi frequently references ‘Mrs Dalloway’ – the main character in a Virginia Woolf novel. Naturally, I had to get my hands on a copy, despite it being fiction. Extraordinarily coincidentally, last weekend I was at a vintage flea market and right there on the table at a book sale was Mrs Dalloway staring me right in the face. My copy is from 1976. The pages are orange and it smells like an old library. I’m only a few pages into it, but it’s a similar type of diary-style book that speaks of those who made an impression on Mrs Dalloway, and gradually reveals her personality.
Another book I have going at the minute is ‘Good Vibes, Good Life’ by Vex King. This is a very empowering book about how to become a positive person who can live a good life through daily personal evaluation and development – whether it’s meditation, manifestation, or visualisation. The author has first-hand experience overcoming hardship and his story is incredibly inspiring. Reading my daily ten pages of this book definitely puts me in the right mood to tackle whatever the day may throw at me.
2. The Ordinary.
I have been seeing people rave about The Ordinary skincare range on every social media platform. I’ve searched long and hard for it in each pharmacy that I’ve walked past over the last few weeks, but I believe it’s only available online at Boots pharmacy (though the company has a dedicated store in Covent Garden). This Thursday I will finally be getting to try it out. It may be cheating, recommending something I haven’t yet tried, but I’ve been googley-eyed over these products for a good month now, so I have extremely high hopes. Perhaps I will do a dedicated blogpost on my experience with the products later down the line.
I completed their online personalised quiz to see what regime was recommend for my skin type. I didn’t buy everything suggested for me as I already have a cleanser and moisturiser that I am content with. I was more interested in their serums. I was recommended the 100% Plant-Derived Squalane serum and the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. I bought these two, plus the peeling solution (AHA 30% + BHA 2%), as this is the specific product I’ve heard mega-reviews about. I couldn’t resist.
The Ordinary is a very affordable skincare range, which is sort of their whole ethos. As they claim: ‘A game changer from day one, The Ordinary is the stripped back premium skin care brand without the eye-watering price tag.’
3. Shoes.
It wouldn’t be a SEE Recommends without me obsessing over a new pair of block-heeled sandals. On the menu this month are two stunning pairs that I bought online from Zara. They are comfortable, chic, professional yet still fun, and are a bold statement piece to add to any outfit.
I’ll leave it there and let the shoes do the rest of the talking for themselves.
4. Bubble Tea.
I hated the stuff back when I was a teenager. The last time I had it was when I was around fifteen-years-old and had gone with a group of friends to Portobello Road. We went into the Bubbleology there and I got some orange coloured fruity drink. I couldn’t even finish it. Never again, I thought.
Well, fast-forward nine years (*cries a little that this memory is nearly a decade old*), and I cannot get enough of it. Not the fruity tea though, that probably won’t ever appeal to me – it’s far too artificial and sweet. But the milk teas I could drink for breakfast, lunch and dinner any day of the week. My favourite places to buy it in London are Golden Tea UK (try out their limited edition rose milk tea), and Xing Fu Tang (their brown sugar milk tea is the bomb.com).
5. Journaling.
A few weeks ago, I went on an adventure up to Hampstead. On the bustling high-street outside the tube station, I wandered into Waterstones book shop and bought myself a pretty pale pink journal and a black ink pen. I was happy to have bought them in such a beautiful part of London so that I’d always remember where they’d come from (rather than ordering them from Amazon). I tucked my notebook and pen away into the pouch of my leather crossbody satchel and headed for the heath.
After looking around for a good place to sit-down, I chose a spot right in from of a pond surrounded by tall houses. It was quite the view. It was perfect. I pulled out my journal, opened the first page and began jotting down my thoughts.
I used to journal a lot back in 2019. I carried on with it for about nine or so months and then life got too busy. But I miss it, and I think my new-found love for diary-style books is what has also inspired me to take it up again. It’s very therapeutic and I find it a fun thing to do while I’m out and about in London. The best part about journaling is that you can do it anywhere: airplanes, trains, sitting at bars and outdoor café tables – wherever!
SEE: Sip Eat Enjoy 