Before we get into the topic of today's post, I wanted to address some little updates and ask you what you think. First, I want to tell you that next week's post will be a project pan update and I don't know if you're enjoying those or not so please let me know. Second, I ordered the Morphe Live In Color Artistry Palette and I want to know what you want me to write about it. Do you want a review,  a glam look, a wearable look, all of the above? Third, I haven't been taking outfit pictures or nice pictures overall because the weather has been awful and all the outfits I have to show you are very summery but hopefully, soon I'll be able to show you some new pieces I got. I apologize for all the Pixabay photos in previous posts but I had no choice. Hopefully, today's memes will be more fun. Okay, now on to today's topic.

I've worked in retail for a while to know all the tips and tricks for working on our feet all day and I thought I'd share them with you as someone stumbling upon this post might need these. I'm not a doctor so if you ever feel any massive discomfort or pain, please seek professional help. These are just things I've found that help me with discomfort and back/legs/feet pain and some mental tricks to cope with not so good days.

Shoes

This is probably the one thing everybody that works on their feet all day immediately thinks of. The shoes you pick have to be comfortable and lightweight, I prefer sneakers but if where you work at it's mandatory to wear some kind of shoe that isn't sneakers, think about investing in good pair of insoles and if you can, bring comfortable shoes with you to change at the end of the day, it makes a difference even if your commute is 5 minutes long.

Stretch

Every day before starting your shift, stretch your legs, arms, and back. Not only will you be getting better flexibility but you're also getting your body ready to endure the tough task of standing all day. If you have the opportunity, redo those exercises throughout the day to freshen up your muscles and release tension.

Too cold or too hot

If where you work is too hot, stick to light fabrics like cotton or linen and wear only flowy pieces that aren't too tight and don't touch your skin too much as transpiration on your clothes can make you feel even hotter. If you have a uniform though, there's not much you can do. Now when you feel cold, stick to warm pieces and layers. If you can, wear a scarf, warm socks and always keep moving to warm up your body. If you have a uniform, see if you can layer underneath. It's amazing how much a simple t-shirt or spaghetti strap top can warm you up.

Focus on your costumers

If you're having a particularly bad day and don't feel like putting a smile on your face, try to detach from whatever is making you feel that way. Contact with customers has always been a good escape for me, talking to them and focusing on their needs and chatting with them a bit helps me forget about my problems and gets me in a better mood. And don't forget that you as a client wouldn't want to be treated with a frown and rude words so treat your clients with kindness and eventually, your frown will have turned upside down, fake it till you make it, right?

Legs up

This is something I learned from a Yoga teacher, as she did this with her students at the end of every class. I do this every night before going to bed for about 10-20 minutes while I get some extra work done on the blog. I lay my back on my bed, put my butt up to my headboard and put my legs up against the wall. This will benefit circulation on your legs and feet and not only will you feel a sense of relief afterward, but you'll also be helping your legs in the long run as standing all day can make you get varicose veins later on in life.

The basics

Basically all the basic things we should be doing anyway even if we didn't work on our feet all day. Like drinking enough water, eating healthy food and getting a good night's sleep in the right positions (definitely guilty of not doing this). As we start working on a job that requires us to be on our feet all day, we will feel the need more and more to take care of ourselves so that we don't feel as uncomfortable. These basic things are easy to accomplish and make a big difference. And even if we ever stop working on our feet all day, these lifestyle changes will stick and help us live a healthier life.

I hope you're having a great day,

Marta Ribeiro xx 

With the latest Wet n' Wild fiasco (read all about it in Tashina's blog post) I thought it'd be nice to mention great brands that remain true to their values. These brands deserve recognition and a congrats card from all of us at the cruelty-free community.

I've shared the brands that I don't miss after going cruelty-free just like the brands I do miss and now I thought I'd share the cruelty-free brands I love and say a big thank you, just in case anyone from these brands reads this (unlikely but I can try).

Catrice

One of my absolute favourites. They're drugstore so the prices are cheap and the quality is very good for the price. Their products can be a hit or miss but it's easy to find reviews online before buying anything and even if you buy it and don't like it, you wouldn't have lost that much money anyways. Not only are they committed to remaining cruelty-free, but they're also not afraid of sharing what products are vegan, whether that's on their website or in store, their displays are labeled with which products are vegan, making it a lot easier for us.

Essence

An oldie but a goodie. Essence has always seemed like a fun brand to me and it was my favourite when I was younger. Their products are always fun, young and innovative and I'm always checking their website to see what's new and what they came up with recently. Not everything is a win but some products end up being really great.

Urban Decay

A brand I've always wanted to try since I started to get into makeup and started hearing about all these brands. The Naked palettes were everything beauty gurus talked about for a long time and still today they're everyone's favourite.

Too Faced

One of the cutest makeup brands out there. Not only are their products great quality, but the packaging is also always cute and pretty and always makes a good gift. I've had the chance of trying a couple of things and everything I tried, I loved and I'm looking forward to getting the full-sized products soon.

Colourpop

A recent find (well, not exactly a find because I found it a long time ago but I've only recently tried it) and I love it. It's inexpensive and good quality. For a long time, it was also a brand beauty gurus raved about and I fell into the trap recently and I couldn't be happier with the products I bought. It's for sure a brand I recommend to anyone on a budget.

Marc Jacobs Beauty

I've never tried this brand but it's on my list. Although I've never tried it, it deserves a mention because it's the only higher end brand that remains cruelty-free. Brands like Chanel, YSL, Bobbi Brown, Estée Lauder, etc all sell in China making them not cruelty-free while Marc Jacobs stays true to their values. Every time I go to Sephora I think "is this the time I'm gonna get a Marc Jacobs lipstick?" but I never do but on every trip there I'm one step closer to reaching a point where I get the courage to get one.

NYX

A brand I was always eager to try and many times filled my cart on Feelunique, never actually checking out. That was until they opened stores in my country, places I always visit whenever I'm passing by one. Their products are good quality and they're always coming up with new stuff that seems interesting and up with the latest trends.

For the second month in a row, I'm listing my favourite blog posts of the month, in case you need something new to read or find any of these topics interesting.

Already mentioned it in a previous post inspired by this one but I'll talk about it again. If you need ideas on what to do on a low day, here are a few. From Roses also shared a post on things no one likes to talk about when it comes to running your own business, something to read if you have any goals of becoming your own boss.

If you're a fan of podcasts, Caitlin from Southern Curls & Pearls shared her favourites.

If you're in need of inspirational quotes, read this one.

How to be decisive, something I need to read over and over again...

Women supporting women, that's the goal for 2019, Sydne from Sydne Style has an idea for a new acronym to compliment women.

Career Girl Daily, as usual, wrote some great posts this month. As the school year is ending, figuring out what to do with your life can be tricky, read this if you need some help. Do you need a new morning routine? Read this and find out what the perfect routine is for your personality type. Mine is INTJ, what's yours?

Two amazing posts from Shea from Curves & Confidence, an inspirational one about how to deal with setbacks and a mindful one about how frustrating the judgment is when women are childfree by choice.

Are you a blogger? Here's a helpful post by Alicia Tenise on the mistakes people make when pitching to brands and another one by To Be Bright on pitching and how she gets brand partnerships.

Coco's Tea Party shared a very insightful post with career advice for Fashion and Media Students. As I've been a fashion student in the past, this can be very helpful for anyone still studying or thinking about studying fashion.

Do you have a furry friend? Stephanie from Diary of a Debutante shared her recipe for homemade dog treats and I'm definitely gonna be trying them out this weekend.