DIYMONDAY: Orange Juice and Baking Soda Anti-Acne Face Mask!

I think it is safe to say that I LOVE DIY MONDAY because it means I get to share with you guys ways to get beautiful skin that makes you feel confident!

Today's recipe is to help with acne prone skin; it helps to reduce black heads and minimise pores. Sounds like we are on to a winner here! All you need is some ORANGE JUICE and BAKING SODA and 20 minutes for you to relax!

   +    = WIN 






So let's go!

Ingredients:

1 tea spoon of fresh ORANGE JUICE

1 table spoon of BAKING SODA

What to do:

1. Mix 1 tspn of orange juice with 1 tblespn of baking soda until you form a nice paste-like consistency. 
2. Spread a thin layer over the face and leave for 20 mins. (The paste will dry so try not to talk/laugh/smile as the mask will flake off!) 
3. After 20 mins, wet hands with warm water and massage the fingers over your face, loosening the mask and buff gently the surface of the skin for deep exfoliation. 
4. Rinse and then go ahead with your normal moisturiser routine!

Simple as that! Now this is not a long term fix for acne-prone skin. If you suffer with acne, it is worth visiting a dermatologist to find a long term solution to help with acne troubles, however if you suffer with break outs now and then, this is a great treatment to help keep those pesky spots at bay! I would recommend only using this mask once a week. 

Let me know how you get on and leave me your links in the description box for any home-made remedies you have on your blog. I would love to read them!

Lots of love as always,

P.S. Don't forget to follow me on TWITTER and INSTAGRAM xo

JULY FAVOURITES!

This Friday I thought I would make a change to the usual fashion post and write up my JULY FAVOURITES instead. This is actually the first time I've written a favourites so I hope you enjoy!

From left to right: Twinings Mint Green Tea
Vita Coco Coconut water
Radiance multi vitamins
Coconut oil

Twinings Mint Green Tea- Even during summer I tend to find myself drinking as much tea as I do during the winter. I guess that's the English in me! But I decided to swap my builders tea for something a little lighter and more refreshing during the hot summer months. I especially love a cup of mint green tea after my dinner. Not to mention all the great skin benefits that is packed into Green tea also!

Vita Coco Natural Coconut Water-  is an all natural coconut drink, containing Vitamin C and it's packed FULL of Potassium- even more so than a banana! Potassium is important for the body as it keeps the body hydrated properly. An added bonus is that it contains no fat and lowers cholesterol! It's also a great way to keep refreshed when it's hot outside.

Holland & Barrett Radiance Multivitamins + Iron- I take this supplement just to make sure I'm getting enough iron into my body. You only take one capsule per day with a main meal. Each capsule contains Vitamins A, D, E, C, B1, B2, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, vitamins B6, B12, Folic Acid and Iron. 

Coconut oil (100% natural raw virgin)-  As I mentioned previously in my DIY MONDAY: NATURES ANSWER TO SOFTER SKIN where I talk about all the reasons why I am so in love with the stuff and use it everyday in my routine.

From left to right: Rimmel's Wake Me Up Instant Radiance Shimmer, Veet In-Shower Hair Removal Cream, Rimmel's Apocalips Lip Lacquer, Bourjois Rouge Edition 03 Pêche Cosy, Maybelline Fit Me! Concealer shade 35, Model Co. Lip Liner Illusion nude.

Rimmel London Wake Me Up Instant Radiance Shimmer Touch- (004 shimmering sand)- It's been seen all over the catwalks that dewy, shimmery skin is a must for the summer but having oily/combination skin, I don't like to use too much shimmer otherwise I look like an oily mess! However, I found that the Radiance Shimmer is the perfect highlight for a touch of summer glow. The formula is mousse like in texture and extremely light weight. It works under and over powder to give you that radiant healthy glow (without looking to shiny!).

Veet In-Shower Hair Removal Cream in Lotus Milk and Jasmine Fragrance- for normal skin types. I absolutely hate shaving my legs. For some reason I am always left with crazy razor bumps on the back of my legs that are really painful and don't look very appealing either. It may get slightly messy to spread onto the legs, but I love that this cream only takes 3 mins to work! After 3 minutes I jump in the shower and leave it on for 1 extra minute and then with a sponge (that comes in the pack) I gently buff away the cream to reveal sensationally smooth legs, it's wonderful! It lasts for around 4 days and I have definitely noticed that my hairs grow back much finer so I have smoother, softer legs for longer and less ingrown hairs. 

Rimmel Apocalips in 303 Apocaliptic- I've already reviewed this product which you can find HERE but I do really love the colour, even if they don't last as long as I would like it to on my lips. I think it's a great colour for the summer, especially tying  in with the pink lip trend for S/S 13.

Bourjois Rouge Edition in 03 Pêche Cosy- I bought this a while ago when I was living in Paris and I've only just started falling in love with it. It's a beautiful orange toned peach colour which is perfect for creating a neutral summer lip!

Maybelline Fit Me! Concealer in the shade 35- I am a concealaholic. If I had to choose one make up item to use for the rest of my life it would be this concealer. It's creamy, blendable, provides good coverage and doesn't dry out the under eye area to keep a nice dewy glow. Also there is a lot of product in the tube, I previously purchased one in November and it still hasn't run out, and that's with me using it everyday! I only bought a new one because I needed a darker shade to go with my darker skin now! 

Model co. Illusion Nude Lip Liner- This came free with a magazine that I bought this month and I have been using this ever day. It is creamy and non drying on the lips so I can wear this without having to apply anything on top for a matte lip, or I love to pair this with  the Bourjois Rouge Edition in 03 Pêche Cosy. 

So there we have it, my July favourites. Post your links in the comments if you've also done a favourites for this month so I can have a read of them too.

Lots of love,

P.S. Don't forget to follow me on TWITTER and INSTAGRAM xo 

REVIEW THURSDAY: Apocalips lip lacquers

RIMMEL LONDON APOCALIPS LIP LACQUERS.

I know that these beauties have been out for a while now but I have quite an extensive collection of lip products anyway, so I wasn't really intending to pick any of these up. However, I had read so much about these that maybe I should try them out for myself, purely as a scientific experiment, of course!

Top: 400 Big Bang, Bottom: 303 Apocaliptic

As they are currently 2 for £10 at Boots I picked up two in the colours Big Bang  and Apocaliptic as I thought some bright colours for summer would be ideal!

Big Bang

Anyway, the packaging is a really sleek design, which look really chic in any make up bag. The applicator is a doe foot applicator but it has a well in the middle, which dispenses enough product on to the wand so only one application is enough to coat both lips with enough product, without dipping the wand back into the tube. The product is extremely pigmented, creamy and leaves a beautiful shine on the lips. 

Big Bang

Big Bang is a beautiful true red (no hint towards blue or orange undertones) and I think it works well with most skin tones. 

Apocaliptic

Apocaliptic

Apocaliptic is a really bright and fun hot pink, prefect for the summer brights trend and adds a hint of fun to any make up look! 


As intensely pigmented and creamy as these lip lacquers are, I must admit I am not as in love with them as most other people seem to be. I'm not sure if it's just me but it definitely does not wear very well at all. The longevity is a disappointment, as within an hour (including eating, drinking and talking) the colour began to fade on my lips and the shine was not as lustrous  as first application. It's such a shame because I love that these are so moisturising with such a high colour pay off, but if only they lasted a little longer on the lips!


Anyhow, I do really like these lip products and they aren't too expensive either, so they are a nice little addition to my lip collection.

Have you tried any of the Rimmel Apocalips yet?

Lots of love, 

P.S. Don't forget to follow me on INSTAGRAM and TWITTER xo 

POWER FOOD: Pumpkin Seeds!

Who'd have thought that something so small could do big things for your skin!

Pumpkin Seeds contain lots of Vitamin E, which is responsible for slowing down the ageing of skin. It also has those all important omega-3 fatty acids that keep your skin soft and your hair beautifully shiny. 

As well as all that goodness, those little seeds are also packed full of zinc, which helps to protect the membrane of your cells, helps maintain collagen levels and promotes skin renewal! Sounds great, no?! 

So the next time you're having a salad, or are just feeling a little peckish, whip out a handful of pumpkin seeds and give your skin that little bit extra attention!

Lots of Love,

  P.S. Remember to follow me on TWITTER and INSTAGRAM xo 

DIY MONDAY: Nature's answer to softer and better looking skin!

I am sure by the photo you've guessed exactly what it is that I am talking about. That's right, COCONUT OIL. I absolutely adore coconut oil; not only is it a perfect skin moisturiser, but it's my go to for dry hair oil repair mask, as well as my under eye and eyelash moisturiser and I love to cook with it too!

I have been using coconut oil as a skin moisturiser for a very long time now as I feel it's the only moisturiser that really sinks into my skin and works on my dry areas (mainly the front of my shins which used to be quite scaly!). I like to apply it as soon as I've finished showering, whilst my skin is still wet, so that my skin can lock in all the moisture, much like how you would apply Johnson's baby oil! I really like doing this as you can massage the oil deep into your skin and then pat dry. You aren't left with an oily residue but soft, glowing and deeply nourished skin! What could be better than that! 

And if I need a little extra moisturisation just rub a little directly on to the skin, as it soaks in and leaves a lovely, healthy sheen to your skin.

And coconut oil is wonderful for treating eczema, dermatitis and other skin conditions.

Make sure it's 100% natural raw virgin coconut oil  so as to retain as much of the health benefits from the oil as you can!

Lots of love,

P.S. Remember to follow me on TWITTER and INSTAGRAM xo

NEW EDITION: health, beauty, jewellery and fashion voucher codes!

Happy Sunday everyone, I hope you're all enjoying a lovely relaxing day.

I just wanted to introduce a new widget I've added to the blog, as you may have noticed. On the left hand side bar are 2 widgets allowing my readers to receive voucher codes for all things health, beauty, jewellery and fashion! These widgets provide links to all my favourite online stores from the website http://www.lovemyvouchers.co.uk/ 

So I hope you all enjoy what they have to offer and make sure to grab your vouchers from the left hand side of my blog to get the best online dicounts!


Lots of Love,

P.S. Remember to follow me on TWITTER and INSTAGRAM

Fashion Friday: The White Trend

This spring and summer has seen white all over the catwalks and what better colour to be keeping yourself cool in during the hot summer we seem to be having here in the UK!

It is a very sleek and simple trend to keep up to date with, and one that you can also have some fun with too. It also shows off your gorgeous tan you've been working on! 

My favourite look at the moment is the simple white shorts and t-shirt look with matching white heels. I think it looks clean, comfy but also super slick looking too! It's sports chic :)

I love these white skorts from ZARA, and I think paired with a simple white tee would make the perfect summer outfit!

What's your favourite summer trend you've been wearing?

Lots of love,

P.S. Don't forget to follow me on TWITTER or INSTAGRAM xo

POWER FOOD: NUTS

I'm back again with another one of my  POWER FOOD TUESDAY and this one is with nuts! 

In particular, walnuts and brazil nuts. 

Nuts are high in protein and also contain high levels of zinc. Zinc helps to keep the hair shiny, soft and healthy. 

Walnuts are full of omega-3 fatty acids and biotin, whereas the brazil nut is high is selenium. Selenium promotes a healthy scalp, which in turn promotes healthy hair growth and it can minimise hair loss. 

You should be careful with how many nuts you eat though as they have a high calorific content but a handful on your morning bowl of Greek yoghurt or regularly snacking on a variety can do wonders for beautiful and healthy looking hair!

So go on, what are you waiting for, grab your bag of mixed nuts and get munching!

Lots of love,

P.S. Remember to follow me on TWITTER and INSTAGRAM to be kept up with all the latest on the blog an for a daily dose of me! xo

 

DIY: Green tea facial scrub

Hello my beauties, 

I hope everyone has been enjoying the glorious weather that we've been having here in the UK recently! The sun has definitely brightened up my mood, but my skin is suffering a little bit with the heat. I am oily/combination skin so the heat tends to make me a little more oily than usual. I find I have to exfoliate too, in order to get my skin feeling fresh. As we all know, I am an absolute sucker for DIYs as I HATE putting chemicals on my skin. Natural products all the way!

So I would like to share with you my green tea scrub which keeps my skin smooth, soft and bright!

What you will need:

1 Green Tea tea bag
1 cup

How to:
Brew a cup of green tea and leave it to steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bag, but don't throw it away! We're going to use the tea leaves to scrub.

Carefully cut open the tea bag and squeeze out the tea leaves into a small pot. Add a teaspoon of honey and mix together.

After cleansing the face, take a small amount and rub in circular motions, gently, over the face, avoiding the eye area.

Rinse off and moisturise as normal et voila! Your skin will be left clean, clear and feeling sensational! 

Don't forget, green tea is really good for your body and skin so drink the green tea afterwards to help keep that skin looking great! 

Lots of love,

P.S. Remember to follow me on TWITTER and INSTAGRAM to keep up with all the latest on my blog! xo

Fashion Friday: Neon is the new black?

To me there is something quite daunting about neon, and wearing it... I don't know, the trend kind of hit me like a slap in the face and I was reluctant to even think of trying it out this summer. But alas, my online shopping habit got the better of me and so I decided to purchase an orange neon skater skirt from the wonderful boohoo.com. I must say, when it arrived in the post, I still wasn't convinced that I could make it work. However I started pulling out some tops and tried pairing them with the skirt in question and I think I found a great and simple combo.

Crop Top, neon orange skirt, chelsea boots, boohoo.com;
round sunglasses, ebay

It will take a little longer before I will be wearing an entire neon coloured dress, but there are other ways I've been working myself up to wearing neon. For instance, I do love painting my nails and I don't really have a favourite colour because I think they're all great (except green, anything green and I will fall in love with it quicker than you can say nails!). I've been wearing Barry M's fluorescent orange nail polish on my toes lately, now that it's sandal season and I like to paint the tips of my nails orange also. 

Small hints and flickers of neon are appearing, but maybe one day I will take the plunge and grab a neon dress... What do you guys think? Are you in or out of love with the neon trend and do you think it may be the new black?

Lots of love,

P.S. Remember to follow me on TWITTER and INSTAGRAM for all the latest updates on the blog and for a daily dose on what I get up to :) xo 

Review Thursday: Sally Hansen Double Duty Base & Top Coat

I have been on the look out for a good base and top coat for a while now. Anyone who knows me, knows that I always love to have painted nails, but the few times I wear them bare I absolutely despise having stained nails from nail polish, so having a good base coat is important for me! I also prefer 2 in 1 solutions as it saves me money and I don't have much more space to be storing more nail polishes right now, so having one bottle that does both jobs is an even bigger bonus!

I can safely say that this product is FABULOUS, and I seriously mean it! It glides on to a clean nail so smoothly, as I find that sometimes base coats can be quite gloopy and thick, this one is perfection. It gives a high gloss shine, so perfect for a bare manicure, whilst protecting and strengthening the nails. It dries at the speed of light, and as I am not one for waiting around, this is a HUGE bonus for moi! 

As a top coat it does an even better job, in my opinion. I am quite a hands on type of girl (in the cleaning/gardening/sporting etc type of way!) so nail polish doesn't always last as long as they could with me. However, I have been wearing the same polish for ... ONE WEEK! That's right ladies and gentlemen, ONE WHOLE WEEK, CHIP FREE and still as shiny and glossy as ever. Sally Hansen/the makers behind you are a genius!

Overall, I adore this product. I think it's great for the price £5.99 rrp. Obviously the price is dependent on the shop, but if you are looking for a great base/top coat combo or even just a base coat to help strengthen your nails, then I would highly recommend this one to you!

Has anyone tried any of the other Sally Hansen products out there?

Lots of love,

P.S. Remember to follow me on TWITTER and INSTAGRAM for all the latest updates on the blog and to keep up with me daily goings on! xo

POWER FOOD: Avocados

So next in line for my power food series are AVOCADOS! 

Avocados are bursting full of essential nutrients that your body needs to help fight off eye disease thanks to it's powerful contents of carotenoids. 
Avocados are also a great way of making you less likely to snack thanks to their ability to keep you fuller for longer. Try adding a few slices of avocado to a salad, it will pack out the salad and add a nice creamy texture! 
If you suffer from dry skin, definitely think about introducing more of these power foods into your diet. They are a great source of something called biotin, which helps reduce the dry skin, brittle hair and nails, too! 
If you're looking for a quick fix to dry skin, mash up one avocado and apply to the face. Leave for 10-15 minutes and rinse off, you'll find your skin will be hydrated and radiant.  

And there we have it, another power food to get your teeth stuck in to!

Lots of love,

P.S. Don't forget to follow me on TWITTER and INSTAGRAM for all the latest updates on this blog and my goings on! xo 

DIY: Healthy hair rinse

Hello everyone!

So I'm back with another DIY and this one is to keep your hair nice and healthy throughout the summer months. I like to use this rinse after I've had a lot of products in my hair to stop it from clogging up my roots and causing excessive oil build up. All you need is Apple Cider Vinegar!

This rinse is most suitable for brunettes ad darker hair types.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar 

1/3 cup of warm water to dilute the vinegar

I rinse my hair with this mixture and leave it in for 5 minutes. I then rinse with warm water and shampoo and condition as normal. You'll feel the smoothness of your hair as soon as you start rinsing out the vinegar, it's incredible!

This rinse is great for restoring shine and volume back into the hair. I use this around once a week or less, depending on how many products I've used in my hair that week.

Anyway, I hope you give this a try and let me know in the comments what you think!

Lots of love,

P.S. Remember to follow me on TWITTER and INSTAGRAM to be kept up with my latest goings on and for new blog posts! xo

Fashion Friday: Block Heel Sandals

Hello Lovelies, 

I thought I would start a Fashion Friday piece and post about trends that are around this season and other fashion related posts!

So my first Fashion Friday post is on the block heeled sandal. I love block heeled sandals, they provide excellent style and a sturdy pair of sandals will keep your feet happy throughout the day. The great thing about sandals are that they come a variety of different colours and shapes to suit you. The main trends I love in the sandal world at the moment are the neon, metallic and  nude sandals. 




                                                                                                                                                                 A neon sandal looks great with only the pop of colour, much like these beautiful tan sandals with a hint of neon blue on the straps: 

These can be found at M and M Direct.

A metallic sandal can bring a bit of life to an otherwise ordinary outfit, try these metallic sandals from Asos to spice up your outfit.

And lastly, the nude/natural sandal should be a staple in your wardrobe as they go with everything! Try these tan sandals from boohoo.com

I have just bought the nude sandals from boohoo.com and I am in LOVE with them as they really do go with everything in my wardrobe and they are very easy to just throw on when you're heading out. 

What's your favourite shoe of this season?

Lots of love,

P.S remember to follow me on INSTAGRAM and TWITTER to be kept up with all the latest news from the blog and what I get up to! xo