29/04/2020

3 Amazing Home Delivery Treats During Lockdown


Morning guys! So we're about to enter our 5th (?) week in lockdown... Wow, that is simultaneously the fastest and slowest five weeks of my life. Before the sh*t really hit the fan, I decided to come home from uni to isolate with my family. This was definitely a good decision overall but it also means I haven't seen my boyfriend in 6 weeks now - the longest we've ever (obviously) gone without seeing each other. So a couple of weeks ago I decided to send him a little present in the post and after doing some digging I realised there are some great places offering home delivery right now!

1) Patch Plants


If you or anyone you know is a houseplant lover you HAVE to check out patch. They sell and deliver reasonably priced, beautiful houseplants across the whole of the UK. This is actually what I treated my boyfriend to and have to say the service and delivery was impeccable. (Though, do be warned they come in MASSIVE boxes to protect the plants!)

*Edit* Just checked the website and all deliveries outside of London are taking a minimum of 3 weeks so bare that in mind.


2) Pasta Evangelists 


Oh my god. Guys. This is something I haven't tried yet but I'm absolutely dying to... Pasta Evangelists deliver homemade, incredible pasta to your doorstep. How does it work? You choose from their weekly menu which pasta dishes you want and they send all the ingredients (including fresh pasta) to your door, next day! The meals take five minutes to cook and I have it on good authority they are incredible...


3) Letterbox Hampers


Ok if we have any foodies amongst us, there is something for everyone on Letterbox Hampers. Everything from Cheese to Chocolate to Alcohol, trust me, a treat from here is guaranteed to make anyone's week. Tempted to buy one of these for myself actually....

My sister got one of these for her boyfriend and I believe it went down a storm. I mean who wouldn't want to receive some delicious treats in the post!



I think right now with everything going on, a lot of people are feeling a bit down. And that's ok. Even if you're isolated at home and everyone you know is safe and healthy. You shouldn't feel guilty for missing normal life. I'm aware that I'm super lucky to have garden space and to live in a village where I can walk over the hills without seeing anyone... but I still miss my boyfriend and my friends and stupid things like buying an overpriced coffee in Starbucks and sitting in the park. And that's ok. So thanks for reading guys, as always you can follow me on my socials in the sidebar and I will see you on Sunday!

Lily x

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26/04/2020

Top 5 Skincare Tips for Under 25s

Morning guys! Today I wanted to talk about one of my absolute favourite topics... Skincare! I think I started properly getting into taking care of my skin when I was about 19 and it's only grown from there. I really wanted to do this post because I think so many young people do not take care of their skin and in doing so are setting themselves up for the effects of ageing. Now, ageing itself is inevitable however there are things you can do to slow down the process. Remember, preventing is easier than trying to reverse the effects.

So for today's post, I wanted to share my top 5 tips for under 25's because frankly right now you don't need to be bathing in retinol every night but there are some things you should be doing!


1. Wear SPF!


I cannot stress this enough. By favourite fact is that 80-90% of skin ageing comes from the sun! That's just insane. And I'm sure you're thinking: well it's ok, I don't live somewhere sunny, so as long as I wear sun screen on holiday, I'm ok right? Wrong. Unfortunately it's the UVA rays that cause ageing and these are about the same all year round, whether you're in LA or Loughborough.

So my recommendation would be investing in a good facial SPF with at least factor 30. Personally I love the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream. It's super lightweight, doesn't feel greasy and doesn't have that horrible white, washed out look some cheaper suncreams do. Unfortunately, most good facial SPF creams are not cheap, however neither is botox, so choose wisely!


2. Drink More Water


Ok, so this one goes without saying. We all know we should be drinking more water and I am guilty of not drinking enough too. But this is your daily reminder!! Personally I love my Chilly's bottle for taking to work or the gym or even just out and about. It keeps your water nice and cold which is perfect.


3. Moisturise Twice Daily


I really hope it goes without saying but you should be washing your face twice a day and following it up with a good moisturiser. Especially if you wear makeup. Throughout the day, makeup sinks into your pores and if you're not cleaning it off adequately you run the risk of getting blocked pores... you know those little bumps you get on your forehead? Chances are that's because you're not washing your face properly. So I would recommend throwing out the makeup wipes (not only are they terrible for the environment but they DO NOT remove makeup) investing in some Micellar Water (does not have to be pricey) and a good facial cleanser. I promise you your skin will thank you for it. After you've washed your face, it's super important you rehydrate with a good moisturiser.

4. Stop Smoking and Cut Down Drinking


Guys.... I know this isn't something we want to hear but alcohol is awful for your skin. It dehydrates leaving you (and your skin) thirsty and lacklustre. Let's be honest we all know that person who goes out a bit too much and they just look knackered and tired all the time. Now I'm not saying stop drinking completely, but I am going to say be mindful of what it does to your body (not just your skin) and make sure for every drink you have, you have a glass of water alongside it. And whilst we're on the subject: please stop smoking! There really is no excuse.

5. Use a Good Acid


Now this is probably an optional step, but if you're really serious about the longevity of your youthful skin, I would suggest finding a good acid based serum. I'm going to talk a little bit about the two I use, why I use them and what they're good for!

Vichy Mineral 89 - Hyaluronic Acid: Ok this is is an AMAZING product... I seriously cannot recommend it enough. It's a plumping serum that actually works... my skin feels so hydrated and plump and amazing. I use this twice daily but it's probably only recommended to use once a day! You wear this under moisturiser and it is really fantastic.

Alpha H Liquid Gold - Glycolic Acid: Now, this is an overnight treatment I do about twice a week. You apply the product onto a cotton pad and then sweep it all over the face. Just a warning, it may make your face tingle but it shouldn't be painful. If it is remove with water. This is a fantastic treatment that essentially removes that top layer of your skin... sounds dramatic but I promise it isn't. When I've used this, I wake up in the morning with soft, fresh skin and a gorgeous dewy complexion. But be warned, if you use a product like this you MUST use suncream as well because it leaves your skin even more vulnerable than usual.

So that's it guys! Let me know your favourite skincare products in the comments below and I will see you for a new post on Wednesday!

Lily x

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22/04/2020

Mini Egg Easter Cookie Recipe


This weekend I decided to do my best impression of a domestic goddess and get baking in the kitchen. Because we're all in lockdown everyone seems to baking 10x more than usual, including me! I've done chocolate cake, cupcakes meringues and now these delicious mini egg cookies. They're easy to make, really yummy and perfect for a quick treat with a cuppa tea. 

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19/04/2020

Welcome Back | Lily Olivia 2.0




Guess who's back and remembered she had a blog that people actually used to read? Yep it's me. Has my entire audience upped and left? Possibly. (It has been two and a bit years since I posted.) 

However, since getting back into Instagram and trying to post regularly on there, I've found that I've missed having somewhere where I can talk in more detail about the topics I'm interested in.

If you've read my blog before: welcome back! I've missed you all. Genuinely. Blogging was such a big part of my life and having hit 100,000 page views recently, I just feel so grateful to all the people who used to regularly keep up with my posts and support me. But if you're new here (which I suspect most people will be) I hope you stick around because I'm going to be posting twice weekly for the foreseeable future!


I'm planning on creating content on a mix of topics from fashion to food to travel, beauty, dating and university. All of my content is aimed at people who are trying to make the best of themselves - eat good, look good and treat your body and mind right.

So how are we all doing? Let me know in the comments how you're handling lockdown? Me? I'm spending my days baking banana bread, writing my dissertation and contemplating whether getting a grad job is even possible at the minute. If I'm being honest I think I'm going to go on to study a MSc in Digital Marketing next year as getting a job right now is nearly impossible. Thankfully I enjoy university and am still able to live with my boyfriend and commute to my course so it shouldn't impact my plan too much!

I'm so excited to start posting regularly on here again - you can expect them on Sundays and Wednesdays at 7am on a plethora of topics so I hope to see you back again soon!



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