My thoughts on Samantha Brick...

An article that I read yesterday on the Daily Mail website really has kicked up a fuss. And, quite frankly, I'm not surprised. The stir surrounds a woman named Samantha Brick and an article she wrote titled-

''There are downsides to looking this pretty.' Why women hate me for being beautiful''.

I clicked the link and scrolled down to see her picture. I was undoubtedly expecting a stereotypical blonde bombshell with a figure to die for and the face of an angel. I was simply shocked at what I saw. Yes, she was blonde, with a good figure for her age, but just not what I was expecting.

It would be unfair to describe Samantha Brick as 'ugly' as some have said, however, she is distinctly average. She's just a woman. A woman similar to most other women, a woman similar to myself. She is a woman that I walk past on the street every single day, without a second glance. Because, realistically, why would I, or anybody else, give her a second glance? She's just, well, normal?

The article has racked up thousands of comments and Samantha Brick was trending on Twitter worldwide. People have become so obsessed with her and engrossed in her story. But, it seems that the majority of comments she has received are negative. So why is that?

Firstly, I think the reason for this backlash is because, quite frankly, most people are seeing what I'm seeing, an average, 40 odd year old woman.

As she described the free bottles of wine and champagne she has had thrown at her and the bunches of flowers and free taxi journeys she has received due to her "pleasing appearance and pretty smile" it's hard to stop yourself from wondering where the hell she found these men?! She isn't, as far as can see, the kind of woman I would expect men to fall at the feet of. But then again, maybe these men can see something different to myself.

Us girls always have insecurities and so it's, quite frankly, irritating when we have to listen to someone talk about how good looking they are and make a vain attempt to try to make us feel inferior. Samantha Brick seems to be trying to do just that, wanting sympathy for being SO BEAUTIFUL?! When, in reality, I'm pretty sure that, if you were up against Samantha Brick in a job interview, you wouldn't feel intimidated, no matter how insecure you were about yourself.

Confidence in a woman is attractive, not just to men but to us women as well. Look at Beyonce. She's a beautiful, talented, strong and independent woman. And yet women love her!!! We aspire to be like her. Why? Because she's not arrogant.

Samantha Brick describes how she is the "first to compliment other women" and doesn't understand why people aren't complimenting her. The answer is simple. There's a fine line between confidence and arrogance and Samantha Brick leapt and sprinted one million metres past that line.

An arrogant women is something that other women don't take to very kindly. And, I think that this arrogance is the main reason why women find her ugly.

I honestly found the article rather embarrassing and cringed again and again the more that I read. One quote that really stuck out was-

"...there are downsides to being pretty — the main one being that other women hate me for no other reason than my lovely looks."

Even if Kate Moss, Angelina Jolie or Cheryl Cole said those words I would be sickened. It's such an awful and arrogant statement to make. And, if she walks around the office with her nose held so high in the air then I'm not surprised that women don't like her. It's not because they're jealous, or because they think she's going to run off with their man, it's because women cannot stand other women who have their head so far up their own arse.

In the article Samantha Brick wrote today, she responds to the negative comments by saying that they "prove her point". Yes, because thousands of women all over the world are simply jealous of her?

It is very important to compliment your girlfriends and make them feel good about themselves and I am 100% for sticking by the girls. But, in this instance, I feel she's let us females down.

I am positive that Samantha Brick has had problems with women in her life because, if she is the person that she comes across in her writing, she is unapproachable and self centred. She is someone who I would find very hard to be friends with if I was always made to feel as though she was so much better than myself.

It's not about how good looking a person is or how many free bottles of champagne they can get, it's about the person that you are inside. And, attractive or not, a good, kind hearted, hard working and genuine woman will get promotions, good friends and a nice man at the end of it all, despite the occasional cow they may face along the way.

The problem with shopping

"People say that money can't buy happiness. But you can go shopping, and that's pretty much the same thing."

That's a quote from 'The Life of a Barbie' twitter page. It is 100% definitely true. The joy that holding a bag full of new clothes brings, is simply indescribable.

The vast majority of us girls are self confessed shopoholics.

It may be internet shopping that tickles our pickle or tottering along the high street and staring into nicely arranged shop windows might get us going. Either way shopping is shopping, and for a lot of us, retail therapy is the best therapy going.

The women who can hold back from shopping and save their money / not enter into their overdrafts for a new pair of shoes are simply enviable. The willpower that they need to do this must make them almost explode. I imagine that refraining from shopping is almost as hard as an alcoholic finds it to walk past a pub. It's just so difficult to leave a handbag that is literally screaming out to you-

 "I GO WITH EVERYTHING!!!"

However, sometimes shopping isn't as easy as walking past a shop, running in and buying the first thing you see (well, it is, when you're desperate for some sort of impulse buy.)

One of the worst things in the world is having a desperate, uncontrollable urge to go shopping and then being unable to find anything to buy. Or, when you go looking for something that you've seen about a million times before, but when you actually go to buy it, it doesn't seem to be in existence anymore.

Another time when shopping can make you feel more than slightly suicidal is when you have the item of your dreams all planned out in your head. You look absolutely amazing in it, a completely new woman! But, then, when you actually try it on, it turns out to be the most unflattering piece of rubbish you've ever seen. And, immediately, your mood is dampened.

Fitting rooms themselves aren't exactly complimentary though. Seriously, what normal girl wants to see their body from every single angle and under the brightest lights in existence. Instead of looking at your outfit you can't see past your lumps, bumps and cellulite. Plus, you'll end up spotting some mystery rash on your arms that only appears under these kind of lights and you'll notice how badly your roots need doing. 

In the end you wish that you never even bothered to go shopping in the first place.

Sometimes a shopping trip can be the complete opposite though.

You've just had your hair done, you've got a full body tan and your healthy eating regime is going pretty well (for once). You try, and buy, practically everything you see because you look amazing in it all. But...


Then the guilt starts.

We've all suffered that pang of guilt after an absolutely massive shopping spree. We can feel our arms straining as we lug around our bags, without any real recollection of what we've just bought. We pile all our purchases into the car and then, panic as we look into our purse to see a million and one receipts.

We then try and justify why we needed to spend £100 on a pair of shoes (basically, we need shoes, unless we want to walk around bare foot?)

We next justify why we needed the same dress in three different colours and why we bought a new mascara, foundation and bronzer (because they had a free gift offer, it would've been stupid to have missed out).

So, after we've managed to convince ourself that we needed each and every item, the joy is back and we can celebrate the fact that, no matter what debt we may have generated, it's been an unbelievably successful shopping trip.

Plus, we will never have to go shopping again.

Well, not for another few days at least...

Public Displays of Affection.

Public displays of affection, or PDA's for short have become the topic of many a conversation. Some agree that you should be able to express your love for your partner in public whilst others wretch at the thought.

We witness PDA's every single day, whether it be the pair of chavs eating each others faces at the bus stop or the old couple linking as they walk down the street. The question is, how far is too far?

There's definitely nothing wrong with holding hands and having a quick peck on the lips as you say goodbye but there's a fine line between acceptable and awkward.

For example, say a pair of newly weds leave the church and give each other a massive snog on the lips, under the circumstances this is surely perfect, cute in fact. It is a moment when our eyes fill up as we witness how unbelievably in love they are.

However, if this pair of newly weds were simply walking down the street would it be looked on just the same? As you are struggling down the high street with a million and one shopping bags (paid for by your overdraft) do you really want to witness a passionate, film style smooch? The answer is 100%, categorically, NO.

The answer is especially NO when you're single and looking for love or when you've broken up with an ex. Witnessing a PDA in this instance is pretty much like someone waving a pair of a beautiful, shiny Christian Louboutin platforms in front of your face and saying-

"look what you can't have".

In fact, no, it's possibly not quite as heartbreaking as that, but you get the idea.

A night out on the town guarantees plenty of displays of affection. But usually far too much. In fact, PDA's on nights out are the extreme opposite to a small peck on the lips. Gyrating and grinding, in the middle of a packed and sweaty nightclub, may seem appealing to those involved, but to onlookers it is simply quite sickening. They don't even bother to find a secluded dark spot in the corner and instead they push their tongues down each others throats in the view of those around them.

Their 'meeting' often develops rapidly over the course of about five minutes and when he begins to thrust his pelvis into hers that bottle of rose you drank seems to be heading upwards, and outwards.

We've all been in one of those awkward scenarios when PDA's just make you cringe. It usually involves an already pretty awkward situation. For example, a not so close family members birthday party or a works christmas meal out.

You are sat innocently, on the other side of the table, minding your own business and yet the couple opposite can't keep still. They're holding hands, stroking arms, nuzzling necks and whispering sweet nothings into one another's ears. Whilst it's acceptable to say that things aren't quite as bad as they could be, you do get the impression that they'd rather be somewhere else and you can't help but feel a little out of place. And definitely like the third wheel.

On the subject of couples, is it alright to include a tiny little kissing shot in your holiday pictures and then upload it onto Facebook? No? But, how about a scenic one with the Trevi Fountain in the background? Surely, your dearest darling Facebook friends would love to see that and would be so unbelievably happy about your romantic getaway.

The response is mixed.

100% guaranteed your best friends will 'like' the photo whereas his best friends will rip him to shreds and abuse the photo with comments such as "whipped".

However, despite people's negative opinions, more likely than not, (no matter how dramatic, sexual or embarrassing your PDA may be) you're likely to only be abused with one phrase-

"get a room".

But, seriously, you were going to do that anyway.

Relationships- the four types

Relationships are a complicated subject. Every relationship is completely different and yet, when us girls talk and share stories and advice, they can all sound so familiar. Relationships can be split into four general types. The madly in love, the strolling along, the rocky road and the one and only relationship.

Type 1: The madly in love relationship.

This is the relationship that we are always jealous of, yet, at the same time, it is the relationship that makes us feel slightly sick. We never hear stories of arguments or disagreements but instead stories of what their darling did for them that weekend, be it a sail along the river or a romantic meal for two. They go on the best holidays and take a million pictures at arms length of them kissing with the sunset in the background and they draw their initials in the white sand. They have the best sex. They do it literally every night (seriously how can you be bothered?!) but yet it's always so completely perfect and amazing and they fall asleep in each others arms with a post orgasmic smile on their faces. Of course, they are your friends, and you ARE happy for them, but you secretly wish they'd have one bloody argument at least!


Type 2: The strolling along.

This is probably the most popular type of relationship. You love each other and you're happy, but he doesn't half piss you off (at least once or twice a week.) You're content in each others company and you don't really have any major problems, although there's sometimes an argument that spirals out of control and you do wish he'd stop being so laidback and start thinking about your future together. Sex is good- sometimes experimental and exciting, but, unlike the madly in loves, neither of you can be bothered to do it every. single. day. You have your friends and he has his friends and you're more than happy with the balance you have between your love life and your social life. You go for nice meals, he gets you good presents and he send you flowers on special occasions and, despite his flaws, you wouldn't want anybody else.

Type 3: The rocky road.

Every girl in this world knows someone that breaks up with their boyfriend every other week. They seem to have undergone every single problem in the book. He's cheated on her, she's cheated on him, she's pregnant, oh wait, no she's not, he's being a right idiot recently and she can't be bothered with it anymore and she's literally NEVER speaking to him again. But yet, a few days later, it turns out they're texting, they're meeting up and they have unbelievable make up sex. Every single time, 100% guaranteed, they end up back together.

Type 4: The one and only.

The relationships in this category are in my opinion, the worst. People who are in a one and only relationship literally only care about their "one and only". They completely forget about their friends, they don't respond to texts and they don't answer phonecalls. They only come on nights out if their precious can come with them and they spend every minute of every day seeing or speaking to their other half. They seem to have forgotten that when everything messes up, because it does (every time) that they will need their friends there for them. Us girls are very good at forgiving and forgetting when we are faced with a friend in need. But is it really fair to forget about us until you have nobody else in your life? In my opinion, it's not. So if you're reading this and thinking "that's me", just take a little time out to remember who was there for you before you met the 'love of your life'.