You've probably noticed that I've been absent on here over the past few weeks, and that's because I've been drowning in work. Despite my university saying that they make a conscious effort to spread deadlines apart, I ended up with three essays due within 10 days of each other, and let's just say that stressed is an understatement! Trying to juggle the different essays was difficult enough, but I also had other lectures and seminars to attend with reading for each of these, my part-time job and other commitments, so I genuinely felt as though I didn't have a minute spare. Now that they're finally over and I don't have any more work due until January, I thought I'd share my tips for surviving essay season and coping with deadlines, so make sure you keep reading to hear how I did it!


Make a huge to-do list to organise your mind
When you're juggling different tasks you can easily start to get confused, and the last thing you want is to get the deadline dates mixed up so you hand in the wrong essay, or write an essay with the wrong word count. I like to make a note of all of these important details on a sticky note to make sure that I'm not going to forget them and keep it somewhere where I'll always see it. Then, I usually make a huge to-do list of everything I need to do for each essay (rather than simply saying 'write essay', I will break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks). This makes it clear exactly what I need to do and helps to ensure that nothing is forgotten, plus it's super satisfying ticking something off after a long day of work. 

Plan your time and make a schedule
If you're like me and have a lot of other commitments outside of school or university, then it's important to plan ahead and account for this. For example, I have work every Friday and Saturday, so I knew that any essays due on a Monday had to be done before this, as otherwise I would only have Sunday to do it all and that would be a very last-minute panic. It's also important to have a chill and spend some time with your family and friends, and by planning your time it is a lot easier to see when you can do so.


Don't just focus on one task
Although it can be tempting to focus solely on one task until it's perfect, you then run the risk of not leaving enough time for your other tasks and therefore they will be more rushed and haphazard. As difficult as it may be, juggling the various essays and working on them simultaneously will help to ensure that they are all done and are good quality, plus it'll hopefully prevent any all-night study sessions in a desperate attempt to finish.

Speak to teachers and utilise office hours
This is something that I was quite reluctant to do last year, since it can seem quite daunting speaking to an academic and sharing an essay idea on a subject that they are an expert in. However, this year I have realised just how much it helps, as talking through your thesis and debating aspects of your essay plan will really help to refine your ideas and perhaps open up new possibilities that you hadn't previously considered. Their job is to help, so I'd definitely utilise their knowledge and get advice wherever you can.



Remember to take care of yourself
Just because you're in an intense period doesn't mean that you should neglect self-care. Whilst I had my essay season, I made a conscious effort to eat a healthy and balanced diet, as constantly reaching for junk food over and over again will make you feel worse both inside and out. I also tried my hardest to sleep well and tried to be asleep before midnight when possible, as although it can be tempting to stay up all night trying to fit in extra work, you simply won't be as productive when you're tired, or it'll hinder how much you get done the next day.

Treat yourself at the end of it
Once all of the work is finally done, you deserve to reward yourself! Whether that's by going out for celebratory cocktails or buying that handbag you've had your eyes on, you deserve to de-stress and treat yourself.


What are your secrets to surviving essay seasons? Let me know down in the comments!


It's no secret that I absolutely adore Flower Beauty: I use their products every day, feature them quite often on my Instagram and also wrote reviewed their Light Illusion Foundation and Concealer a couple of months back. So you can imagine my joy when a parcel of their products landed on my doorstep last week - it was like Christmas came early! I thought it was only right to share the products with you and give you my first impressions, so make sure you keep reading to hear what I think of them. Before I begin, I just wanted to say a huge thank you to the team at Flower Beauty for sending these out to me and I'll definitely be using them often! Now, on with the post!


First up is the Flower Beauty Supernova Celestial Skin Elixir, which just from a first glance looks absolutely stunning. I remember Barry M coming out with some highlighter drops similar to these a few years ago and everyone went absolutely crazy for them, but I never got the chance to try them out, so now I'm excited to have something similar! This product claims to hydrate, prime and smooth the skin whilst adding a stunning glow, and I can definitely say that it does just that. If you're in the mood for an all-over radiance then apply this product under your makeup and the pearlescent glow will subtly show through - enough to give you an illuminated look without being too over the top. It also looks nice applied lightly to the tops of your cheekbones over any makeup for a warm and radiant glow that is much more natural than applying loads of highlighter. So far it's a 10/10 from me, as it's perfect for injecting the glow that my skin is longing for in the dull and dreary winter months, and I can't wait to also give it a try on my body as apparently it looks dreamy on the collarbones!


When I saw that the Miracle Matte Liquid Lipsticks were included in the parcel I was honestly made up, as it was only a few days earlier that I was in Superdrug swatching them all and was very tempted to buy one. They sent me four gorgeous colours that pretty much have me covered for any occasion: an everyday, wearable nude; a girly blush pink; a bright, pillarbox red that is definitely perfect for Christmas; and a vampier mauve-purple shade. They apply with a very intense pigmentation, which is especially surprising for the darker shades as they aren't patchy in the slightest, although they do take a little bit of time to dry down. If you're a matte lip lover then these will be perfect for you, and they also act as a lovely base for a lipgloss if that's more up your street.

From left to right - 'Bare Honey', 'Nude Blush', 'Dark & Stormy' and 'Scarlett Letter'


The next thing that I received was the In Your Prime Pore Minimising Primer, which was a pleasant addition to my collection as I've needed a new primer for quite some time now. Perhaps one of my biggest makeup struggles is that my foundation quickly wears off my nose, and so having a primer to maintain my makeup always makes a huge difference. I definitely think that it helped to minimise my pores too, creating a blurred and perfected base for my makeup, and I can't wait to keep trying it.


The final product that I was sent was their brand new Seal The Deal Luminizing Setting Spray, which I was thrilled to receive as I've seen it all over their Instagram recently. I've tried a few setting sprays in the past, and I often find that they act as though they are doing something when really they make no difference - however, this one actually works! It creates a gorgeous glow (not a wet look like some setting sprays) and honestly locks my makeup in place all day, and I think this will now be an important step in my daily makeup routine. It also leaves the skin feeling incredibly nourished and hydrated, there's genuinely nothing that I can fault!

Thank you again to the team at Flower Beauty for sending me these products (and all the way from New York as well!) as I am honestly made up with them, and I'll probably be including them in a makeup tutorial sometime soon if that is something that you guys would like to see. Let me know down in the comments what your favourite product from Flower Beauty is, as I'd love to hear which one is your fave!