Instagram Diary & Rambles ♥

 ♥ Costa Hot Chocolates  ♥ 2500 GFC Followers.. WOW!  ♥ Boots Goodies  ♥ Real Techniques Brushes  ♥ Christmas tree at the Metro Centre  ♥ Napoleon Glitter Eyeshadow  ♥ Amazing meal at The Living Room  ♥ R.I.P Porsha  ♥ My new dress  ♥ Me posing  ♥ Trying to overcome the flu  ♥  New work outfit from Primark  ♥ Revlon 'Crush' Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain  ♥ Downloading Taylor Swift's album  ♥ Sephora goodies  ♥ Reading 'The Beauty Myth' ♥ 

 ♥ Instagram - 'kayleighjcouture'  ♥

Hi Ladies! I haven't done an Instagram diary post in quite a while now so I thought it was about time I made a cute little collage of my latest insta-snaps. I personally love these kind of posts as I feel like I get to know a little bit more about the blogger each time I read them and it also gives me an excuse to ramble away to my hearts content. We all know how much I love a ramble now don't we?

I've not been well lately so the past week has consisted of me going to work, almost overdosing on cold and flu medication and snuggling up on the sofa. I'm finally getting over the flu now but now my ear has now decided to cause me a lot of pain - great! I had to leave work yesterday after the dizziness and pain from my ear became too much. I took myself along to the nearest walk-in centre and had to wait over two hours to see a nurse :(. It turns out my ear canal is inflamed meaning I have an outer ear infection so I'm having to use ear drops three times a day until it improves. I really hope thats sooner rather than later as feeling deaf in one ear isn't the nicest thing I've ever experienced. So other than feeling unwell I've had a lovely couple of weeks chilling out with my nearest and dearest. My boyfriend was away in Las Vegas with his friends last week so my Nanna and Grandad came to visit me and keep me company for the week. We had a lovely time - good food and good giggles at the latest series of I'm a Celebrity get me out of Here. If watching Helen Flanagan eating genitals and Rosemary Shrager farting isn't entertainment then I don't know what is 8). 

Although we had a great week, I was very upset to hear my dads cat Porsha has sadly passed away. I grew quite close to her during my time in Australia (see photo of me holding her above) and she was the most beautiful, timid cat I've ever come across. She was so nervous around people but I'm glad I got to give her some cuddles before she passed away. She certainly entertained me in Oz and I enjoyed giving her sneaky bits of chicken from the fridge haha. I've never actually owned a pet of my own but I can't even being to imagine how upsetting it must be to lose one as they become part of the family. I'll miss you next time I'm in Oz Porsha but I hope you're having a great time in Kitty heaven. ♥

On a more positive note, Matt returned from Vegas on Sunday and it was so lovely to see him. It was weird not seeing him every day like I normally do but it sounds like he had a fab time and he very generously brought me back some NARS goodies from Sephora. I've always wanted to visit Sephora (beauty blogger heaven?) so I was super excited when I was handed the cute black and white bag. It will be going on display somewhere in my bedroom no doubt. Is that sad?

I'm going to a work party tonight, it's my first at my new job so I'm quite nervous but looking forward to it all the same. The company I work for are celebrating their 10 year anniversary so we are having a glam night at a fancy hotel in Newcastle. I imagine we will have a great time and I'm very excited to wear my beautiful new dipped hem dress from Miss Selfridge. I asked for your opinion on Twitter/Instagram and everyone seemed to like it so I hope it will go down well with my new work chums too. I probably won't have chance to get any proper photos wearing it but I will pop any photos I do get up on my Instagram.

So thats all from me for now, I hope you are all doing well and thanks again for helping me reach a massive 2500 GFC followers. I still can't believe it.

I'm super busy for the next two days so I'll be back with a review on Sunday.

For now, Lots of Love,

Goodbye Australia & A New Outlook on Life

Me & My Gorgeous Aussie Family | Beautiful Beach at Hervey Bay

Hey Ladies. This post is a bit of a sad one as today is my last day in Australia before I jet back to dreary old England. I thought I would write a quick post to update you all as this will be my last post until I get back to the UK and back to normality. If you don't read my blog regularly then you will probably be a bit confused as to why I'm feeling so sad about leaving a holiday. Yes, I understand that everyone feels rubbish when they have to return home from their jolly bobs but for me, this has been a much more personal get away.

Basically, I came to Australia back in April after going through a bit of a rough patch with my job and various people who were filling my life with negativity. I got really down in the dumps trapped in a job I hated and surrounded by backstabbers. I'm sure a lot of people have been in similar situations but I got to a point in life where every day was a stressful, upsetting and a down right struggle. My family got worried about me and I felt terrible for not only feeling upset myself but for upsetting my family too. My dad, step mum and two brothers live out here in Oz so when I got a phone call from my dad asking if I'd like to come to work and live in Australia for five months, I jumped at the chance. I wrote more about it in my 'Relocating to Australia' post here if you fancy a read. I still can't believe five months have past by since then, where does time go?

Leaving home was a huge decision to make as I came here alone for three months before my boyfriend joined me in July. Leaving him was a hard decision and I missed him like crazy but ultimately, it has made us stronger as a couple. I still can't believe I managed to fly here by myself too. That alone is a HUGE accomplishment as I am so petrified of flying. If you have followed me on Twitter for a while you will know that I was panicking so much about the flight before I left that I was almost convinced I wouldn't be able to do it. However, it was way easier than I expected it to be and as soon as I touched down in Brisbane I was overcome with a sense of achievement. 

Since being on the other side of the world for a while, I feel like I have learnt so much about myself and have had a lot of time to sit back and think about life and what I want from it. If you read my post about dealing with OCD you may know that I am an insecure and sensitive person but this trip has really helped me with not only my confidence but my independence. Taking the leap to come here alone has taught me that no matter what my fears might be, I can tackle them if I put my mind to it. It has also taught me some valuable life lessons that include learning not to care what anyone other than my loved ones think about me. I was spending far too much of my time worrying about what people might think about me that it was consuming my mind and getting me down. At the end of the day, why should I care? Everyone is going to have their opinions and unless they mean something to me, I really shouldn't be fazed by people who have nothing better to do than spread their negativity.

It has also been amazing to spend some quality time with my family as living on opposite sides of the world, it doesn't happen very often. I have developed such a strong bond with my little brothers and the thought of leaving them really breaks my heart. If any of you live away from family I'm sure you will understand how hard it is and how torn it can sometimes leave you feeling. In an ideal world I would love to spend six months of the year here and six months in England but sadly life isn't that easy. As I write this post now, I dread tomorrow morning when I have to say the word 'goodbye' but I also appreciate how much I have got to know them and how much stronger our relationships have become. Nobody likes goodbyes but I have to remember that goodbye doesn't have to be forever, just for now.

As well as learning things about myself, I have also got to experience visiting some of the most beautiful places in the world. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram I'm sure you will know what I am talking about as over the past few months I have had some of the best experiences of my life. Whether it be whale watching in the middle of the ocean, strolling along south bank in Brisbane or watching the world go by on the beach at Fraser Island, it has all been amazing and eye-opening. Its amazing to know that there are these beautiful places in the world and it gives me even more motivation to succeed in my career and life so I can experience them again in the near future. 

I have also seen my blog go from strength to strength these past five months. I began writing this blog as a little hobby but it has since developed into something I can't imagine being without. I have celebrated a huge milestone of 1000 followers and have even been invited to a beauty event later this year. I never thought anyone would actually read my little space on the web, let alone follow and support me. It has been truly lovely to get to know some of you over twitter and when I return to the UK I would love the opportunity to meet some of you. I promise I will do a HUGE giveaway when I finally get myself a job too. 

So with all this being said, you may understand why today is a tough one for me. However, although I am leaving my family here, I am going home to my other amazing family who I have greatly missed. If I have learnt one thing whilst being in Australia it is to try and be positive in every situation, even if I am feeling like rubbish inside. I know my family will always be here, even if they are on the other side of the world. After all, it's only a few plane rides away. Roll on Australia 2013 8).

I hope this post didn't depress any of you too much, I just wanted to write a bit of a life post so you all know why I won't be posting until I'm settled in back at home.

Until then, thanks for reading my blog, leaving comments, tweeting, emailing and making me a very happy girly! Here's to life and living it to the full.

Lots of Love,