YORKSHIRE BLOGGER AWARDS 2023

October 04, 2023 by Mr Luke Christian

Earlier this year in June, I received an email from Yorkshire Blogger Awards notifying me that I had received a nomination in their ‘Disability/Mental Health’ category. The news of this completely took me by surprise as I’m the first to admit I hadn’t been as consistent with my blog or social media up until then.

Just a few days later, I received another email from Yorkshire Blogger Awards this time sharing the news that I was in fact shortlisted and up against 5 other influencers/bloggers in the ‘Disability/Mental Health’ category!

I remember at the time of receiving my email that I was shortlisted, thinking ‘Oh it’s all the way in September, I’ve got ages!’ And before I knew it, it was the night before the Awards. The Yorkshire Blogger Awards were held at Queen’s Hotel in Leeds City Centre on Saturday 30th September in the Queen’s Ballroom and the dress code was ‘Smart’ and I opted for a ‘Wine/Oxblood’ Velvet Blazer, a crisp white shirt, black trousers and black boots from Jeffery West.

I began getting ready for the evening at Park Plaza Hotel which was situated just across from Queen’s Hotel so in terms of location, it was ideal! The event then started around 7pm where we were shown to our tables and I was introduced to my BSL Interpreter who was available for me to translate the English spoken word into British Sign Language. I find that when I go to busy, noisy events that it is often overwhelming and can be too loud for me to follow what is being said, so having the BSL Interpreter there meant I could easily follow what the host and winners were saying which made this event accessible for me and any other deaf attendees. We were seated for a 3 course meal which was delicious from start to finish and after we had eaten, the categories and winners were then announced.

With each passing category, I could feel myself getting slightly nervous before my category was read out and then when it came to my category, it’s safe to say my palms were slightly sweaty! After each name was read out, it was down to the winner to be revealed and guess who won? Me.

It took me a moment to absorb what was happening and as I went up on stage, Chloe, the host, asked me why is it important for me to use my platform to raise deaf awareness and I froze having not had anything prepared because I genuinely did not think I would win let alone be given an award! I then made my way off stage for a quick photoshoot before resuming at my table to watch the other winners take their place. After the official Awards Ceremony, there was a live band and singer playing iconic songs which put everybody into good spirits and after a Monkey Shoulder (or 3), I then headed back to my room on a complete high. What an incredible experience and evening, and I am so grateful to have been nominated, shortlisted and also to have won the ‘Disability/Mental Health’ category.

The biggest thank you to the team at Yorkshire Blogger Awards for this incredible evening and for my award, and I look forward to seeing the event grow with each passing year!

K GOVIND MEDICAL AESTHETICS SKINCARE

September 10, 2023 by Mr Luke Christian

Following on from my previous blog post where I spoke about my experience with jaw filler and how I had a ‘lump’ mysteriously stay within my jaw line for 5 years, I recently booked in with the amazing Katie from K Govind Medical Aesthetics based in Harrogate.

Katie, a nurse with 20 years experience at NHS and 7 years experience in aesthetics, dissolved this lump for me which turned out to be filler after all this time! (Crazy to think I was told filler would naturally dissolve in my body between 9-12 months…)

Anyway, I had very kindly been gifted two items from Katie’s skincare range which are all medically graded and work within the skin on a much deeper level.

K GOVIND SKINCARE - CLEASE

‘Infused with fruit extracts and fragrant sweet orange oil, it harnesses their natural skin cleansing and calming properties.’

I applied the Cleanse onto my face after showering where it was still slightly damp and I then massaged the cleanser on my skin thoroughly. I liked how the texture felt very lightweight and not too thick in comparison with other cleansers I have used previously. Once rinsed off after a couple of minutes, I immediately noticed that my skin appeared brighter and cleaner and felt soft to the touch removing any dead skin cells I had.

To find out more about Cleanse, click here.

K GOVIND SKINCARE - RADIANCE 20

‘This ultra-nourishing and anti-ageing moisturiser is enriched with peptides, known for their tightening and firming properties.’

After having used Cleanse, I then went in and used the Radiance 20 - A daily moisturiser with SPF 20. Straight off the bat, I enjoyed the fact that this already had SPF blended in with the moisturiser as I am now more conscious and aware of using SPF to protect my skin from sun damage.

I used a small amount in the palms of my hands and rubbed this moisturiser all over my face and neck area. Similar to the cleanser, I liked again how lightweight this felt and how easily it absorbed into my skin! I noticed quickly that my skin appeared dewy with a fresh glow and appeared nourished.

To find out more about Radiance 20, click here.

A big thank you once again to Katie for dissolving the filler for me and I can also share with you a discount code which will knock 10% off for you at checkout when using code: LUKE10

K GOVIND MEDICAL AESTHETICS

September 06, 2023 by Mr Luke Christian

For those of you who have followed me for a while now, you may remember that back in 2018, I had jaw filler at a clinic in Leeds. It was at a time where I was after the ‘snatched’ jaw look, wanted more definition and for my jaw to look stronger both from my side profile and face on. Unfortunately, the treatment went wrong, and I was left with a lump in my jaw which I have just recently had dissolved. FIVE years on. (Yeah.)

Now, don’t get me wrong, I know some of you may read this and question why I left it for so long before having done something about it but, I had seeked assistance and advice from other beauticians, doctors, and I even had it X-Rayed just to work out exactly what this lump was as I was told that this particular filler would naturally dissolve in my body between 9-12 months, so for me to be left with a lump in my jaw for over five years, yeah. There was definitely something wrong. Luckily, the X-Ray and tests proved that it was nothing sinister yet left professionals baffled as to what this lump was!

Because the other side of my jaw went back to its original form around the 5-6 month mark, much sooner than I was originally told, many presumed that the lump couldn’t have been filler because why would only one side of my jaw dissolve naturally, but the other side wouldn’t? Anyway, I finally took the plunge and visited Katie, a nurse with 20 years experience at NHS and 7 years experience in aesthetics at her clinic based in Harrogate - K Govid, Medical Aesthetics where I booked a consultation. I explained the whole ordeal about my experience with jaw filler and queried on whether or not this was something that could be fixed because for 5 years, this really did affect my self esteem and it was always something I was extremely conscious and paranoid of.

Katie was very honest with me from the start and stated that because nobody knew what this lump was in my jaw, that she didn’t know if it was filler or if it was just something my body had produced and if the filler/treatment that I had years ago somehow triggered this, but she suggested that we try dissolve the jaw area, where the lump was, just to see if it works and if it did, then it was filler all along and I was just a rare case in which the filler stayed within the body for a very long time but, if went ahead with the dissolver and nothing happened yet, if the lump was still there, then there were ways we could have explored to try disguise it better.

One of my main worries that I explained to Katie was sagging of the skin around my jaw area because this lump had been sat in my jaw for five years (I know I keep mentioning how long ago it was but I’m just trying to stress this!) and I was worried if I’d end up with saggy looking jowls that might flap about in the wind when I’m out and about but Katie reassured me and said that because I’m still young(ish), my skin’s elasticity would just snap back and go to its original state. After the consultation, I felt secure and confident with the advice given and made an appointment to go ahead with Hyalase (a filler dissolver) just for my peace of mind. Prior to the appointment I was slightly nervous but also in the headspace of ‘let’s just get it done’. Katie applied a bit of numbing cream to the jaw area where the lump was, fed the needle in and to my surprise, I felt nothing and after around 4/5 pricks, I took a look in the mirror and guess what?

It worked.

I saw the results almost instantly and I just felt a huge sense of relief that after all this time, the lump was no longer! I was told to allow for up to 14 days for any swelling or bruising that may appear as a side effect from the Hyalase and told to apply ice to the area as and when needed and luckily, the side effects were very minimal and with each passing day, the jaw area started to return to its original state, pre-filler.

I am so, so grateful to Katie for reassuring me and for giving me my confidence back, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted and I no longer feel paranoid or conscious of this lump in my jaw! For more on Katie and her clinic, click here. Katie also very kindly gifted me some products from her Medically-Graded skincare range which I will be reviewing on Sunday so be sure to come back then for my full review! Use discount code: LUKE10 to knock 10% off any skincare products, expires 15th October.

Side note - I just want to make it clear this blog post isn’t me trying to promote the use of filler or any dissolving treatments or procedures. This blog post is purely based on my own personal experience with jaw filler and the whole journey from when the application took place back in 2018 to having it dissolved now in 2023.

AESOP - GLOAM FRAGRANCE REVIEW

June 14, 2023 by Mr Luke Christian

‘Aboard a floral tapestry’

Sink into folds of Mimosa, Saffron and Iris supplied by Aesop’s latest fragrance; Gloam Eau De Parfum. This sumptuous blend of florals and spice was inspired by the introspective turn that is facilitated by the day bed or divan.

AESOP - GLOAM

Fragrance Notes: Mimosa, Saffron and Iris.

The opening of Gloam begins with a soft, powdery touch with an undertone of spice and as a fan of spicy scents, I was excited to see how the dry-down would play out.

For me personally, I tend to steer away from fragrances that feel powdery or too floral, as I tend to find them overpowering at times however, the silage of Gloam felt quite intimate and one that felt more like a ‘skin’ scent, one that could only be smelt when up close to the person wearing it.

Because of this, I would say that Gloam is quite a ‘safe’ fragrance.

One that doesn’t command too much attention or fill up an entire room so if you’re a lover of fragrances that are quite understated, I would definitely try out Aesop - Gloam.

In terms of the performance, I have to say, I was disappointed with its longevity as it faded quite quickly after only having lasted on my skin for just over 1 hour. Having said that, it was a pleasant fragrance to wear and I would say this is classed as ‘unisex’ and is better suited for daytime. To find out more about Aesop - Gloam, click here.

Have you smelt Gloam before? If so, what were your thoughts? Let me know below and you can check out my other fragrance review of Aesop - Eidesis here!

HELLO, AGAIN

June 11, 2023 by Mr Luke Christian

Hello, again.

It’s strange to think that my last blog post was in October 2022 and then the post prior to that was in November 2021. Two blog posts in the space of 2 years when given I used to post twice weekly way back when, it’s not exactly great is it?

For those of you who may not know, I now have my own business - DEAF IDENTITY, which I launched back in September 2019 - fun fact, I actually launched this blog in September 2015 and now I’m wondering why everything seem to happen for me in the month of September?

Anyway, most of my time has been focusing on the business so my blog has been neglected since then and with the pandemic, I just didn’t feel it was appropriate to be reviewing products or to talk about lifestyle issues at that time given everything that was going on.

Fast forward to now, I’ve recently been given ‘signs’ from the universe, don’t worry, I’m not going to go all hippy dippy on you, but I am a strong believer in that nothing happens by accident.

Moving forward, I’m going to resume this blog and get back to posting twice weekly, ideally every Sunday and Wednesday, like in the olden days and I’m going to get back into my skincare reviews and talk a little more about deaf awareness and other lifestyle pieces.

I’m weirdly optimistic about bringing my blog back, especially after such a long time and I feel I’ve learnt a lot in my time off so I can make it feel a little more modern and fresh, (hopefully).

Shall we call this round two?

AESOP - EIDESIS FRAGRANCE REVIEW

October 23, 2022 by Mr Luke Christian

I’ve always preferred a strong, bold, in your face scent when it comes to the cold, Autumn months and this latest offering from Aesop ticks all of those boxes, and more!

Top Notes: Petitgrain, Black Pepper, Frankincense
Middle Notes: Cumin, Cedar, Frankincense
Base Notes: Sandalwood, Cedar, Vetiver

Let me first start this review off by saying how chic and understated the bottle is, it’s sleek and compact with a minimal look allowing the fragrance to do all of the talking.

The opening of Eidesis begins with a spicy kick of the Black Pepper and Cumin notes coming out to play and Eidesis soon dries down into a woody yet floral scent.

My most favourite part about this fragrance is although it comes with a rather hefty price-tag of £140, you certainly get the most out of it due to its longevity! This fragrance lasted between 6-7 hours and can still be smelt on clothing up to 2 days after.

The perfect fragrance for those looking for a woody, spicy and floral scent this Autumn season! What I also love about the Aesop brand in general is that all of their items be it fragrance, hand creams, skincare, haircare etc is all completely gender-neutral with all of their products vegan too!

Purchase here to find out more details.

Have you tried Aesop - Eidesis before? What are your thoughts? One to try out this Autumn? Let me know in the comments below as I would love to hear from you!

OUT MAGAZINE: Out100

November 05, 2021 by Mr Luke Christian

I am beyond grateful and humbled to be featured in this years Out Magazine: Out100 list as one of their LGBTQ+ Policy Makers and Advocates Changing The World.

When I had the email come through it completely stopped me in my tracks because I’m so used to moving at 100mph and always thinking ahead to the next thing, so to reflect and take a step back to see the work I’ve done and why I was selected for this years Out100 list was incredibly humbling and made me realise how far I’ve come from those days of not feeling like I had a place in the world, to now changing that for those in the deaf community who have experienced similar things.

Thank you Out100 for this surreal moment and to be featured on the same list as huge, well known LGBTQIA+ icons is mind blowing!? Read the full article with my piece here - https://www.out.com/print/2021/11/03/out100-2021-18-lgbtq-policy-makers-and-advocates-changing-world#media-gallery-media-4

Also, a huge thank you to Sophia Carey for photographing me for this special shoot, I wanted something that felt quite urban and gritty as a backdrop against me wearing something tailored and ‘cleancut’. I hope you like these images! Let me know below.