Rook Piercing Diary: Days 1-5

Hello!

So last Friday, my colleague and I decided to head down to the local tattoo studio near our workplace and get our ears pierced during our lunch break. I've had my eye on the rook piercing for a good couple of years now - I think it was after I got my conch pierced that I was itching for my next piercing and thought one day I'm going to get the rook done.

I didn't actually feel nervous until it was my turn (my colleague went first - she got her helix and second lobes done), I've done extensive research about the rook piercing as many people have said it's the most painful one you can get on your ears so obviously I was preparing myself for some intensive pain to be inflicted upon me. I thought to myself, how much worse can it be compared to when I got my conch done? Don't get me wrong, my conch was painful and a super bitch to heal but that was a good 4-5 years ago since it happened so I couldn't accurately remember how painful it was.

The lady that did my piercing was lovely, she explained to me how she was going to do it, showed me what barbell she was going to put it in and marked the position, showing me where the piercing was going to fit. It was over very quickly, it was the way she counted down that made me soooo nervous but it was absolutely fine, it was a very sharp pinch, a burning sensation and then the jewellery was in. I've heard so many people bleed during the piercing process but I was blood-free!

1 hour after piercing - a little red, but barely any pain, not very swollen either.

Days 2 - 4 were fine, it was good to have a weekend to care for the piercing. It's been so difficult to take care of my piercing during a normal work day. I still haven't managed to find a routine where I can fit in 2 x SSS which is slightly annoying. I've been doing a SSS as soon as I get home from work - I walk quite a lot during the day as I live quite far from the train station so imagining how much dirt, grease and dead skin get in and around my piercing makes me cringe a little inside. Anyhoo, as long as I'm keeping it clean I guess I'll be OK?

Today was day 5 - my ear was fine until towards the end of the day, note that I so far haven't knocked it even once or caught it or slept on it so I'm actually doing really well! When I got home from work, my ear was a little sore, it was that dull bruised kind of pain that I hadn't felt ever since I got it pierced. As soon as I got home, I cleaned my ear with some antibacterial soap to try and get all the accumulated dirt out of it. Then had a shower a couple of hours later and oh my gosh, my rook was SWOLLEN (it still is). Did another SSS and clean with some soap and left it. Here is what it looks like now in all its swollen glory:

Day 5 after piercing - quite swollen, painful to touch

Not to disgust you with the gross bits but so far my piercing hasn't secreted any lymph or formed any crusties yet so I think it's still in the very early stages of healing. Hopefully this swelling will go down soon, I usually heal pretty well so I'm optimistic about this one...

SHOPAHOLIC.

I am so excited. I just bought so much today. 

Soooo today, instead of having a chilled park day with le boyfriend, I decided to drag him shopping. What started as an innocent “I need to go and pick up my click-and-collect order” turned into a massive shopping haul. Here’s what I bought:

• A pair of black high waisted shorts from H&M (YUSSSS finally, I have bought another pair of these babies that I’m happy with) 
• A perfume atomiser from a really cute shop down Carnaby Street called Pylones - yes, I have no idea why on earth I need this, I just wanted one because I lost my old one ages ago on a night out ;__;
• Make up stuff that I don't really need but want from E.L.F.
• Concealer brush (my current one is a bit old and streaky...)
• Foundation brush (I have one but I will probably like this one more... because it's shaped differently)
• Highlighter brush (I've never had one okay?)
• Lip exfoliator (!?!?!)
• Face palette 

Ok so maybe in retrospect it's not that much stuff I bought but just know that I just went through my wardrobe and found so many pieces of unworn clothing still with their tags on. 

Knitted Jumpers/Cardigans

It's getting colddddd!

Recently invested in a few jumpers/cardigans/sweatshirts since I have very few long sleeved shirts - I just have a thing against long sleeved shirts I guess, I feel like they're really restricting so I prefer to layer up instead. 

I've been especially into knitted wear, I bought this really soft fluffy knitted cardigan in grey/black mix and I absolutely love it. Cannot wait to wear it to work when it starts snowing over here. I've always been a huge fan of oversized jumpers just because they're practical, can be stylish and comfortable. 

My outfit these days tend to be a vest, oversized jumper and some jeans/leggings with some boots when going out. Sounds lazy and effortless, I know, but I'm expecting days when I can't be bothered to plan my outfits since my new workplace (like my last workplace) doesn't require professional business attire. So what better way to dress up than different coloured sweaters/jumpers/cardigans, combined with jeans on some days, leggings on other days? 

I've got so many different boots that I'm really looking forward to wear when it's more weather appropriate. My brother bought me a pair of Hunter wellies that I'm really excited to wear and review, I always thought they were just overpriced wellingtons but shamelessly, I've fallen in love with them AND the super soft fleecy Hunter socks! 

Mid Season Must-Haves

Trench Coat

I love my trench coat, it's perfect for the windy, often-rainy and cold autumn. It's definitely worth investing in a good trench coat (£70+) that can keep you warm as well as dry. A real trench coat should be thick and reasonably heavy to serve its purpose!

Thick Wooly Scarf

You can never go wrong with buying a thick wooly scarf for the autumn/winter. I bought one in grey from H&M for £9.99 recently to compliment my light coloured clothes and it's amazingly soft and warm. Doesn't have to be expensive, just make sure it keeps you warm from cold winds! I steer away from snoods/tube scarves now because I realised although they may look stylish, they tend to leave your neck exposed after they stretch out. 

Super Stretch Trousers

I just realised they look a bit like leggings in the picture... Anyway, I'm usually a leggings girl but these super stretch trousers from H&M have quickly become a favourite. They're thicker than leggings so they keep my legs warmer, plus they provide the same comfort as leggings! You can style them the same as leggings because they look very similar which is a bonus. I like to wear military boots with these for a dressed down look. 

Sweater

Continuing on that dressing down point, I discovered a new found love for sweaters. Perfect for a dressed down look outside and at home. I prefer oversized sweaters because they provide more comfort and you can team them with leggings/jeggings. I love plain ones as well as ones with slogans/designs! 

UGG Boots

A definite must have for autumn - despite the scary price tag, they are definitely worth the investment. Autumn seems to be the only time I can wear these out anyway since you cannot wear these in the rain/snow. Authentic UGGs are super comfortable, I was skeptical about how wonderful sheep wool really is until I bought my first pair and just wanted to wear them everywhere even around the house. UGGs are also very easy to style and practically go with anything, I like to style them with leggings/jeggings and sometimes shorts with tights. Look after these well and they will last you years before you need a new pair.  

New Bag!

Picked up this beautiful small Michael Kors saffiano leather bag yesterday. Was a tiiiiiny bit of an impulsive buy but so worth it. I really love small-ish bags compared to larger ones now mainly because they're more practical to bring around. Plus, I've come to realise that most of the time, I really have no need to bring a large tote bag around - I really don't carry much around in my bag most of the time! I have the classic Michael Kors tote bag which I barely use because I'm worried about scuffing it up but also because I really don't have much to put it in so the bag looks a little... empty from the outside. I guess I'll be saving it for when I have documents and stuff to bring to work in the future.

I'm a big fan of saffiano leather because it feels a lot more durable and scratch resistant compared to the soft calf leather. However, it doesn't have much of that leathery smell that some people like when buying leather goods. This bag is perfect because it just about fits everything I need in it including an umbrella! I'm guilty of buying small satchels that barely fit my purse, phone and keys in it. This one is not quite as small but not too large either. The only downside is that the strap runs a little long for me being 5ft 4, it hangs a little too low when worn on the shoulder, so I have to wear it across the body. No big deal since it looks nice either way.