LIFESTYLE

Seasonal Affective Disorder (better known as SAD) - is essentially a form of depression, which often comes paired with anxiety - all induced by the autumn and winter months. The days get shorter, nights get longer and the sun is a rare occasion.

Last year I waved goodbye to university and embarked on the next part of my life. With graduations occurring from throughout the year, it can often come at quite a shock when you leave the university bubble you've been living in for the past 3 years or longer.

While I didn't start taking classes until I was 16 pretty late to the game I was always dancing around when I was little. Flash forward to July 2018 when I walked across the stage of the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank to receive my degree in Dance Studies.

And who am I? That’s one secret I’ll never tell. Okay so you probably know who I am, but I’ve watched Gossip Girl at least 8 times all the way through and multiple different episodes more than that, and one character I always adored…Queen B. While she may seem like your average spoiled socialite, there is so much more to her character, which develops with every season.

Last week reality set in that Mother's Day wasn't far away and I hadn't even given it a second thought. Luckily <a href="https://www.oceanretailpark.co.uk">Ocean Retail Park, Portsmouth</a> allowed me the pleasure of browsing their small, but useful selection of shops. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Valentine's or Easter...I think we can all agree that Mother's Day is a day to celebrate.

Halloween has always been an occasion I enjoyed, whether I was out trick or treating or attending parties...I love using it as a time to get dressed up and play around with my makeup. I've always been someone that goes for more of a 'cute' halloween look opposed to scary.

I sound like a bloody owl when I say twenty two by twenty two, but with my twenty second birthday less than six months away, I thought I'd put together a list of all the things I want to achieve...maybe I should start with realising I'm getting old. It's crazy to think that in January I hit the big 2-1 and now I'm about to be able to sing 22 for an entire year and HOPEFULLY relate to it.

Now it's been a while since I did a favourites post, they're not normally something I enjoy writing or find interesting to read...however this month I've been loving them for whatever reason. I blame this extreme heatwave.

Am I the only one that feels like 2018 is just running away from me? I always seem to have so much to do but absolutely no time to get everything done. Despite the fact we are only in July I already feel like so much has changed in the past 6 and a half months

These past 3 years have been a roller coaster ride, I spent first years partying and in denial of struggling with depression until I finally went on medication before starting my blog that summer. Fast forward two years later I'm off my medication and have been for the whole the third year, I've gotten grades to be proud of and I'm walking out of uni with my dream job...although it's not related to my degree in the slightest!

It's been two years since I first hit publish on my <a href="https://alicia-smith.co.uk/whats-in-my-makeup-bag/">What's In My Makeup Bag</a> post and what a rollercoaster it's been since. I've come on in leaps and bounds. Although I'm still nowhere near where I want to be with my blog, there's still a lot of room to grow and develop.

April has arrived and hopefully is going to bring some warmer weather with its arrival. I can't be the only one that's bored and fed up with the cold. Wearing cosy clothes and chunky knits just doesn't seem right now we're in April...especially since Easter has passed.

Dissertation. Exams. Social events. Presentations. Nobody warns you how busy you're going to be in third year...specifically in your last couple of terms of your entire university career. Honestly, I wasn't prepared at all and while I only have 3 classes a week I still find myself struggling to do everything I want.

May 2018 will mark 2 years since the creation of Aesthetic Obsessed and while it began as a hobby over the past couple of years I've fallen in love with everything to do with blogging <s>well other than scheduling tweets</s> and now I'm going to the end of my degree in dance...I have 2 weeks before my dissertation deadline, I'm questioning as to what to do after university.

Located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge, Elan Cafe has become quite a popular spot for bloggers and influencers alike...as well as those just trying to get the perfect shot for the 'gram. What better location to have lunch with someone I'd never previously met?

If you ever meet me at an event you'll probably be thinking I'm extremely confident and outgoing, when in reality I'm quite a shy person and I keep to myself more often than not. While I have come out of my shell a lot more in the nearly 2 years that I have been blogging, I'm still very much an introvert.

When an invitation for a spa day with yoga and afternoon tea popped into my inbox from <a href="https://www.spaseekers.com/" rel="nofollow">Spa Seekers</a>, I obviously couldn't resist. I'd never been to an actual spa before, unless you count turning my bedroom or bathroom into my own personal spa (like in my <a href="https://alicia-smith.co.uk/perfect-valentines-pamper-evening/">The Perfect Valentines Pamper Evening</a> post).

So as much I love reading and watching people's monthly favourites, I personally hate writing the posts myself. I've attempted them several times in the past since they're typical "beauty blogger" posts. In honesty their not my cup of tea though. Instead, I'm going to talk about new discoveries I've made every month, but not go into too much detail.

Twenty-one years. I've been alive for 21 years...goodness knows how I've made it this far, but I have by some miracle and I'm ready to embark on the next 21 years of my life. It's been one heck of a rollercoaster ride and at times I've just wanted to stop and get off...but I've persevered through awkward teen years, bad hair dye and overdramatic eyeliner.

Relationships can be a tricky minefield to explore, especially when you're not really experienced with adult relationships and instead your more accustom with the pecks behind the lunch hall or lusting after a celebrity that doesn't even know you exist.