My Journey to Quit Smoking – My First Week

I was actually very surprised at how easy my first week off cigarettes was. I’m not saying I didn’t have a few cravings or ate a bit more junk food than I usually do but I managed to not smoke. Every other time I have tried to quit I just end up giving up within a day and smoke again, it was the usual “I’ll do it tomorrow” attitude. I don’t really know what’s different about this time, I think I have been wanting to quit for so long and I no longer get the enjoyment I used to out of smoking, I also have great support behind me which helps me stay strong when having a craving.

On several occasions I have been offered a cigarette and have thought about asking a friend for one. “one won’t hurt,” would sometimes run through my head but I quickly come to my senses and think about the nicotine that would be coming from that one cigarette and starting my addiction all over again. I have spent the last 2 weeks refusing to smoke so I can clear out all the harmful substances that I have willingly put in my body. They say it takes between 14-21 days for your body to be completely clear from nicotine and I am at/very near that mark. 

Today marks the 14^th day since quitting and I have to say I feel so much better.

My sense of smell has improved and I find myself enjoying food much more now. I have always been a bit of a foodie and now I can fully experience how nice the things I am eating are. My boyfriend also tells me that I smell better now as the smell of stale smoke has been completely washed from my body and clothes. It is a really nice feeling knowing this.

I have started reading “Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking,” I am told this book has helped many people and decided it would be good to have on my kindle to just take out whenever I get a craving. It is really good to have a plan on how you will tackle your cravings in advance. 

Another thing I have been using a little bit (mainly when I’m in work) is an E-lite cigarette. This is something you should be careful with when trying to quit smoking. I have met people including my own family who have used electronic cigarettes to try quit but smoke them more than they would a normal cigarette. This is pointless when you’re trying to get the nicotine out of your system as these e-cigarettes contain nicotine and you will continue craving it if you don’t cut it out.

I bought mine in the start to help me cut out the cigarettes and just to puff on when getting a craving. The only place I really used it was in work. I would still take my quick “cigarette break” but just go outside and puff on the E-lite a couple of times and go back in. I did this so I wouldn’t get the habit of smoking it inside and so it still felt like I was going for a normal cigarette that I wanted to cut out. I am happy to say I haven’t touched the E-lite cigarette in 3 days and haven’t missed it at all. 

That’s all I’m going to write for now but I will post another blog on this subject next week. I will be talking about the effects of drinking on cravings and how I handled it. I might also talk a little bit about Allen Carr’s book as so far I have found it to be quite interesting and has given some good quotes which I think are good to keep in the head when getting a craving.

Thanks so much for reading! 

Till next time…

~AlwaysTimeForTea

xx

My Journey to Quit Smoking

As a smoker I have spent the last few years in the routine of having a cigarette at different parts of the day, some days more than others depending on free time, stress and alcohol levels. But whether I was having 1 or 10 a day, I still knew that I was hurting my body and slowly killing myself.

Yet I still smoked….why?

My name is Elisha Tierney and I am addicted to smoking.

This is where my blog is taking a little bit of a turn from just beauty products to all sorts of things to link in with my life and plans and things I am interested in. While I do enjoy writing reviews on beauty products, I just don’t feel the pull to write about the new things I try for the sake of it. Of course I’d write about something if it stands out to me but I don’t really wear much make-up and try to keep a very neutral look which I think suits me best.

So from now on I will be taking my blog in a bit of a new direction.

I have very recently stopped smoking and since I haven’t posted in long time I decided this is something that can benefit me and possibly my readers.

I have been a smoker for about 4 years. I never thought I was truly addicted to it until I tried to stop. And believe me when I say, in the last few months that has been many times.

I would decide that “this box is my last” but as soon as I finish that one, I almost instantly would want another cigarette. This also had a lot to do with work for me. I am currently working in a four star hotel bar and restaurant. This means I’m on my feet all day long and running around a lot. Anyone who has worked in the same industry can agree that the smokers get more breaks purely through addiction.

“I’m just gonna go for a quick smoke break.” This is a line I have used many times myself after a busy lunch or dinner in the restaurant just so I can sit and relax for 5 minutes. Non-smokers would usually wait unlit their scheduled breaks. Which really isn’t a fair thing to be happening in work but it just does. Work is where I would smoke the most….
apart from when alcohol levels are high.

Drinking…. When I go out with friends for a night out, I probably smoke about double what I would smoke in a full day. This is due to just sitting out in smoking areas with smoker friends, drinking alcohol and the whole social aspect of it. As soon as I have a pint or drink I always want a cigarette. I can’t explain why other than the feeling that something is missing unless I have one, also because of the social aspect of it. This is definitely something I am worrying about on my journey to quit.

 I am going to have to face a night out while restricting myself from cigarettes. Luckily I have very good support from friends and also my boyfriend who has threatened to stomp out any cigarettes he sees me holding. Thankfully he isn’t a smoker and this will really help me to not give up on giving them up..

I am not going to write too much more in this post as I wanted to just have a starting point for this little series of blogs. I am now 1 week off the cigarettes today so in the next couple of days I am going to be writing about my first week cravings, how I have coped and what has helped me.

7 days and counting…

My Quit Date:         25-07-14

 

Beauty Benefit

God it has been a long time since I have written a blog. Feels like forever. It has been a very busy time for me with exams and planning my big move which I will talk about in another blog soon. 

But for now I wanted to talk about the Benefit range that has taken the make-up scene by storm. I have been using the Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation for the last couple of months along with a few other Benefit products and thought it was about time I wrote about them. Plus it’ll help me get back into the swing of things J

My Benefit Set: As you can see it is quite used at this stage :P

I first got a Benefit make-up kit for Christmas from my sister and have to say that I immediately loved it. It came with the hugely popular PORE-fessional which helps reduce the appearance of pores and can be applied throughout the day if you notice any blemishes.

The kit also came with Bene-tint lip and cheek stain solution.

I often use this solution for my lips and sometimes for my cheeks but it really does stand out for me on my lips. It gives a great light and natural glow to my lips without it looking like I’m wearing anything on them. I absolutely love this about it as I am a big fan of the natural look as I think it works best for me.

The mascara is They're Real Mascara which gives my lashes some great length and volume. 

The set also comes with a two-shade blush and gorgeous neutral brown shades of eye shadows. This set is absolutely perfect for people looking for a natural look or a glowed finish make-up look

About a month or so ago I also stopped into the Benefit counter in Debenhams in Dublin to try find a nice concealer. I got chatting with one of the lovely staff there and got discussing the types of make-up I use and how it works for my skin. She gave me all sorts of advice on how to pick and wear my make-up and then did a free make-up session for me to try out the products. This was so helpful for me to really decide what I want and I ended up buying both the Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation and Fake Up Concealer.

Since I started using these products I have found my skin has improved and I feel much better about wearing no make-up at all. 

The Fake Up Concealer is filled with nutrients and vitamins that moisturize your skin as you wear it. It blends in really nicely with my skin and hides any dark patches.

Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation is a lovely smooth foundation that goes on my skin so nicely. It doesn’t feel like putting a make on my face and throughout the day I barely feel like I’m wearing make-up. I really like to keep a natural look and I really feel that this foundation helps me keep that look.

I absolutely love Benefit make up and definitely would recommend it to anyone but would suggest going in and talking to a specialist on the Benefit counters or into the Benefit shop in Dublin and getting a consultation and a trial to make sure the product works with your skin. 

This is a picture of me after applying my Benefit products. Everything I am wearing in the photo is Benefit except for a little bit of Mac bronze.

Let me know what you think of the Benefit range and if there are any other products that are worth a try!

Thanks so much for reading my little come back blog and I hope to be posting much more often now.

Stay Beautiful <3

~AlwaysTimeForTea

X

BOBBlogChallenge week 8 - Best of Beauty 'Beauty Bloggers'

 Here it is! The last week of the #BOBBlogChallenge hosted by AllTheBuzz. Can’t believe it’s gone by so quickly! And I’m quite proud of myself for sticking it through as well as all the other bloggers who have as well. J And that is exactly what this last post is about.  I will be naming a few of my favourite bloggers to sit down to with a cup of tea and relax for a night of reading!

.

The first blogger I have chosen is a good friend of mine and also a person who gave me inspiration to get cracking on my own blog. Her name is Erin Grant and her blog is MyPaperMacheMind.

She is an incredibly talented photographer, blogger and all around amazing person! She has a passion for fashion and beauty, has worked with different bands for promo work and has even modelled for several people and man are her images just beautiful. This woman is studying full time in college while writing for Tabitha Magazine and Clothes.ie. Erin was the first person I ever worked with on a photo shoot and was pretty much my introduction to modelling in general. Whenever I need a bit of inspiration for writing or just to get off my lazy butt and do some work, I look to her and her blog. You should check out her blog page HEREand her facebook HERE.

The second blogger I have chosen for my ‘best of’ is Emma Sheehan at MasteringYourMakeup.

I had the pleasure of meeting Emma at a Bloggers meet a few months back in Dublin. We got on great and got discussing our blogs. She described her blog the way I would like to describe my own sometime in the future. Her blog is based around giving helpful tips to people who are getting started off with make-up and about her experiences in her make-up class and what she has learned. I absolutely love reading her blog and always seem to learn something that will come in handy for me. She is definitely an up-in-coming beauty blogger who will achieve great things.  Check out her blog HERE and Facebook HERE.

And finally the last blogger I have picked is none other than Samantha Johnson from AllTheBuzz herself!

I don’t feel it is even necessary for me to write why I picked her because she is an amazing blogger who I have also had the pleasure of meeting at the Bloggers Meet that she organized as well. Her blog covers so much from fashion and beauty to life advice and mental health awareness. She is truly an inspiration to all bloggers. Recently she won Blogger of the Year 2014 in the Samsung Digital Media Awards and all I can say is that it was well deserved! This lady has such a strong passion for blogger and doesn’t let anything get in her way when it comes to writing and expressing her opinions. If you haven’t already then make sure to check out her blog HERE and Facebook HERE.

Here's a couple more of my favorite bloggers that I love read!
Beaut.ie
SnappedUp
BelleFBeauty
TownMouseCountryMouseIreland

Make sure to check them out! :D

And that’s it for my ‘Best of Beauty bloggers’ and for the #BOBBlogChallenge! :O Thank you so much to AllTheBuzz for creating this wonderful challenge and can’t wait to take part in the next one!

Thanks to everyone who reads my blog and all the other wonderful bloggers I have had the pleasure of meeting since I started my journey into blogging!

My blogging has been on a bit of a hiatus as I am currently trying to finish my work for my college course but will be back to blogging full-time once summer comes around!

Stay Beautiful

~AlwaysTimeForTea

BOBBlogChallenge Week 7 - Beauty Treatment

So I might be cheating a little bit on this post because what I am going to write about isn't necessarily a beauty treatment but something I think is very relaxing and think that every woman should visit this place.

I have chosen Preen Hairdressing Salon as my Best of Beauty Treatment.

I absolutely love getting my hair done. I find it so relaxing and am known to nod off while getting it done. But Preen….they really take the cake on this.

The salon is a very stylish and beautiful setting that gives off a really high class atmosphere.  The staff are very friendly and really are the key to making it such a relaxing place. My friend is working there and I went in for the first time to get my hair done by him and was amazed walking in the door.

But it was when I went downstairs to get my hair washed that I realised just how amazing the place is! There is a make-up counter and a nail bar downstairs and a lovely dimly lit room with the basins. I sat down and leaned back to get my hair washed when my friend Aiden turned on the massage chair that I was sitting on. Not only that but when they wash your hair here they also give you a little Indian head massage….I was so utterly relaxed.

I got my hair washed, cut and dyed and enjoyed the whole thing! I couldn’t imagine myself going anywhere else to get my hair done….when I actually have a bit of money to do that!

If you want to get your hair done in a high quality salon and just have a lovely relaxing experience, I would recommend here over anywhere else!

I hope you enjoyed my post for Best Beauty Treatments and I hope to see you next week for the last week of the BOBBlogChallenge! :O Can’t believe it’s gone by so quickly

Stay Beautiful

~AlwaysTimeForTea

BOBBlogChallenge Week 6 - Budget Bargain

 So because I have been so busy this week I am late posting this but got it up all that same J

This week for the BOBBlogChallenge is Budget Bargains and I decided to choose:

Penny’s False Nails.

The first time I purchased these I wasn’t expecting much from them as they were penny’s brand so I expected to get maybe one night out of them and that’s it.

I was pleasantly surprised that they lasted quite well with only a couple of touch ups.

And the cost of them makes it very worth it. Only €1.50 a pack!

This price gets you 24 nails with the glue.

They also come in a range of cute designs and colours!

I have to say I absolutely love them!

I wore these for 3 days with about 4 times when I had to replace or fix a nail.

I would recommend these if you are looking for some nice nails for a night out and don’t want to go forking out a load of money for them.

Sorry for the lateness o this post and for it being so short but it has been a hectic week and its not even over yet. I’m writing this while cooking my dinner before going to work so it’s a bit rushed. :P

Hope you enjoyed all the same!

Stay Beautiful

~AlwaysTimeForTea

BOBBlogChallenge Week 5 - Princess Product

For this week’s #BOBBlogChallenge hosted by Samantha Johnson of AllTheBuzz we were asked to pick one favourite high end product either makeup or skincare so I have chosen the Mac lipstick range.

I have chosen this because as I said before in my week 3 post, every girl should have at least one Mac lipstick in their favourite shade. I only have 2 at the moment but plan on building my collection in the coming months.

I received a voucher for BT2 off my brother and sister-in-law for Christmas which came with a free make-up lesson. It wasn’t until mid-January that I actually went and got this lesson and purchased my products.

I bought my 2 mac lipsticks and a golden bronze powder. The two shades I bought were:

Lustre Viva Glam V

I’ve always loved neutral shades of any make-up and this would be my general go-to shade. So this lipstick was absolutely perfect for me. I only really have to use it once with no top-ups during the day and it always retains its colour. If I was going on a night out or something I obviously would top-up to keep that shininess to it but it’s not really needed for just general day wear.

Wearing Lustre Viva Glam V

Next shade I got is a more vibrant shade which is Matte Dangerous

I absolutely love this shade! Since I dyed my hair red again I really wanted to get a more vibrant shade of lipstick and was dying to get this shade for a while. When it is first applied the colour is so bright and gorgeous! Generally it would need a little top up because as you eat and drink during the day it does fade slightly. I have to top up a bit more often with it because I smoke so just from doing that it seems to fade a bit but not much. I just like to keep the colour nice and full looking on my lips.

Wearing Matte Dangerous

Both lipsticks cost €19 each in BT2 on Henry Street, Dublin. I can’t wait to go back and get more and build my collection of mac lipstick! I also love the bronzing powder I got and will continue to use it. The Mac range is such high quality and while they are a bit expensive, they are very much worth it.

A couple of swatches I did of both shades

Well that’s it for my week 5 of the BOBBlogChallenge! I think that most people are already in tune with the Mac obsession of make-up lovers all over but I felt like this was the one product I really felt I should write about this week.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed.

Excuse the awful bags under my eyes, I haven't been well and college takes it's tole on a girl :P

Stay Beautiful

~AlwaysTimeForTea

<3