#nomakeupselfie - Unleash the beauty within!

"I am humbled to admit that the only difference I see on Earth between being strong or weak is the honesty with which we face ourselves, accept ourselves, and share ourselves, blemishes and all.

- Mark Nepo

Spring is officially here and although I'm seriously disappointed that I'm still having to wear my winter coat, I just can't help but feel the magic of this beautiful season. For me, what I love most about spring (other than the anticipation of warmth!) is the blossoming of daffodils - as long after their petals have wilted and their stems have shriveled, their roots find the strength to break ground, rise up and reach for the sky and in doing so unleash their inner beauty - fragrant petals of vibrant yellow that dance in the sunshine.

Like daffodils in full bloom, this week has been all about unveiling natural beauty, as since Wednesday Facebook has gone absolutely mad with #nomakeupselfies and my news feed has been flooded with posts of bare faced beauties exposing themselves to the world, flaws and all in an effort to increase cancer awareness and raise funds for Cancer Research UK.

To be completely honest, at first I really didn't get the connection between cancer and the nomakeupselfie but then it clicked! Sadly 1 in 3 of us will be affected by this terrible illness and with the coming of any struggle we have two choices: to shrink with fear by letting our vulnerability and weakness consume us; or like the daffodil, find the strength to fight against nature to keep the roots of our soul alive and blossom to unveil the beauty within.

What really makes us beautiful is being strong enough to "face ourselves, accept ourselves and share ourselves, blemishes and all" and irrespective of the struggle continue to be happy being exactly who we are.

So in the spirit of #nomakeupselfie and cancer awareness, of course I had to get involved and bare myself to the world, like the thousands of others who did the same this week and paid tribute to all the strong women who have had the courage to dance in the face of cancer and declare "you will not defeat me!" and throughout the battle, have found a way to smile.

Your strength and beauty will always be an inspiration!

xx

Right place, Right time - Kelis was here!

If the right place is here and the right time is now, why wait till tomorrow to make the most of what we have in front of us?

As a Londoner, there is nothing I love more than a little bit of randomness to put some zing into my week and keep me on my toes. For this to happen, all I need is to be prepared for the unexpected, and with these three essential items I'm all set:

1. iPhone at the ready (with enough battery life and storage space to get you through the night)
2. (At least one)  friend who is up for anything and on call
3. The right shoes (girls and guys you know exactly what I mean here, UGGs/trainers have the potential of messing up a whole game plan)

So armed with these essentials I headed to the renowned Troy Bar in Shoreditch this Tuesday for their weekly open mic night to get a little taste of the best of London’s unsigned musical talent and yummy Caribbean food. Please note: If you do plan to take a trip to this cosy nook of musical heaven, I must advise that you to come with an empty stomach as the food is not to be missed!

Having been to Troy Bar several times, I thought I knew what to expect, and so when I entered this packed-to-the-brim dimly lit bar and shimmied my way through the sea of people in search of my sister and friend, you can imagine my surprise when I literally bump into the gorgeous KELIS! 

Me with my new BFF, Kelis

Did her milkshake bring all the boys to the yard, you ask? Well luckily you can be the judge as shortly after my arrival she took to the stage and blessed us with this impromptu performance of "Acapella"...

So it's confirmed, Kelis is back! and although she didn't share anything from her new album entitled Food, which marries her two loves of music and food (girl after my own heart!) and is more of a rootsy soul-funk vibe, her husky vocals, eclectic style and authentically carefree spirit tell me that this is likely to be something that our ears will thoroughly enjoy. Her first single, "Jerk Ribs" a raw melodic funk fusion will get you acquainted with a side of Kelis that we haven't seen before and will give you a  taste of her beautifully unexpected new flavour...

I hope you love it as much as I do! 

Tahlia

Xx