12/30/2011

My New Year beauty, life and fashion resolutions

It does feel rather strange sitting here knowing that next Friday it will be a new year. This past year has gone by so fast and in many way was a pretty big one for me, and so much has changed. But one must always be true to ones self and that is why I have decided to write this post. I'm a firm believer in new year resolutions and I don't think they are made to be broken, they are just a small way of making a commitment to yourself. Some of the things I am going to say are things I do already so I will just make a mental note to myself to keep up the good work!

*Lose weight- A total no-brainier I know,  and is top of most people's list (That and stop smoking, but I don't smoke so that will not be featured on my list)  But in the new year I would like to lose about 2 and a half stone and reach a weight I am happy with.
*This will sound odd, but wear lovely matching underwear everyday. I don't do this because I tend to stick to things that make my chest look bigger, my tum &bum look smaller and no VPL. This is not a sexy look I can assure you...it must be fixed as I think it gives you a sexy boost of confidence. 
*Always take my makeup off before bed. I'm totally religious about this already but must be sure to keep it up!
*Always be sure to get a bikini wax every 3\4 weeks. I tend to do my own bikini waxing, but I find if it's left up to me because I'm so busy I tend to just put it off until I can no longer bare the idea of being such a hair monkey! That is not a sexy feeling girls, so that is why I will book one once a month to make sure I stick to it and make me feel no so monkey-like!
*Stay away from the razor.....I'm pretty good with this one and only ever shave my under arm area.
*Be sure I use my beloved (Yea right) epilator once a week to make sure my legs are always super smooth. 
*Make sure I use a good body scrub twice a week.
*Body brush every single day......we want smooth skin right?!
*Use a hair mask twice a week to make sure my hair is in tip top condition.
*Wear high heels more often.....I do wear them most days because I'm short (That is what I tell people anyway, the truth is because I adore heels!) but must try and wear them more.
*Drink more water. I'm pretty good at drinking water, but I have not been very good lately....
*Treat my skin to a good face mask twice a week.
*Work out everyday.
*Go for long, lovely walks outside
*Eat better
*Brush my teeth twice a day....I always do this anyway, but like I said we must keep up the good work!
*Always have a good pedicure.....dry feet are not cute on anyone! 

And I think that is pretty much it....There may be a few more I'm not thinking of but I'm sure it's ok. Let's just hope I can stick to them all!

I hope you all have a fab new year and let me know what your new year resolutions are!

12/07/2011

My everyday face

A few of you have asked me to do a post like this and truth be told I love reading these types of posts, they are like a semi-tutorial but no need to worry about things like angels and lighting.


So here it is, my everyday face routine:


1)I am not the type of girl to be faithful to one foundation, I switch them to go with what I need that day and how my skin is feeling. At the moment i'v been using NARS sheer glow in the shade Barcelona. The reason I tend to reach for this is it a grate NATURAL looking winter foundation. I always feel I need more coverage during the cooler months as my skin tends to look a little dull and NARS sheer glow gives you lovely coverage with a natural, my skin on a perfectly polished day look. I apply this using my QVS stippling brush. 
2)Next step is concealer. this is one product i'm pretty faithful to and I use the laura mercier secret concealer  in shade 3. This very expensive but it is a HG product, a little goes a long way, it's super creamy and easy to blend and covers dark circles like a dream. 
3)I am an oily skin girl. So sadly, this next step is a must for me......yes we are talking powder. I have loved this powder for years and it's the RIMMEL silky loose powder. This truly is like no other powder I have ever used. It is so finely milled, that is leaves no powdery residue (a pet hate of mine) and looks and feels invisable on the skin.
4)Next we have bronzer.  Bronzer is a must for me because my face is always slightly lighter than my body due to my religious spf application on my face. I use to bronzer to just warm up my skin tone, and lightly contour my fat face and fake the appearance of  sexy cheek bones. The bronzer i'm loving at the moment is the  MUA bronzer in shade 3 because it has a slightly cooler tone that works well with my paler winter skin.
5)I am a brow lover. I realize you will be reading this thinking "Avia, you strange girl you....making such a statement" but I really think brows are the unsung hero's of the face. A good shaped brow will add so much definition to your face and  help show off your eyes, make your face look slimmer and  just really help your face look polished. Basically I love them. I love a good strong, thick yet well defined brow and use a matte brown shade by benefit and an angled eye shadow brush to fill them in and then set them with a clear MUA mascara.
6)Now it's all about eyes. I always use a MAC paintpot to prime my lids and atm i'm loving bare study which is a pale shimmery shade. After patting that on with my finger I start with my eye shadow. I NEVER use the same eye look everyday because I get bored with is, but it's pretty much a neutral shade all over the lid with a darker brown in the crease. I don't use liner as I feel it doesn't suit  my eye shape but I do love plenty of mascara. At the moment I'm using MAXFACTOR flase lash effect fusion (Which btw, I don't love i'm just trying to be a good girl and use it up) on top and bottom lashes (After curling them of course!).
7)This is the part where I apply a pretty, fresh shade of blush. I'm a firm believer in blush because it simply makes you look more awake and pretty, and who doesn't want that?! I don't really tend to use the same exact blush everyday (the boredom factor yet again) but most of my blushes are in the same family of shades- pinky/peachey colors.
8)Almost done! I love using benefit eye bright pencil on my cupid's bow (Above you lip) to really make them look fuller and just under my brow bone to make them look more defined. If you are not doing this as part of your routine it's a must day because it really does make a huge difference! 
9)Last but not least lips: I apply a little lip liner just to help shape my lips and use a shade that matches my lips perfectly by NO 7 in nude and then apply my lipstick of choice. This changed on a pretty much daily basis but atm I seem to be reaching for MAC'S way to love lipstick (LE but if you can get hold of it do, it's a beauty!) most of the time.


And that is it! It may seem like lots to you but this is second nature to me and takes me 5 mins to do in the morning and it's the part of my routine I love the most. I love feeling made up yet natural and ready to face the world!


What is your everyday face? are you always loyal to your old faithful's?   

11/29/2011

Body battles

I am currently sat in my living room watching  TV and the rain is hitting the roof pretty hard and it got me thinking that so many of you love my weight/body issues related videos but those are unfortunately  the  kind of videos I have to be really feeling in the mood for, so I felt maybe a little blog post would do......


I don't love my body. there I said it. I read so many books and see so many experts (Gok Wan anyone?) talking about how we should love and appreciate what we have but seriously, how any women do you really know who really, TRULY love their body and treat it with love and respect? you here sayings like " if you don't love you no one will" and yet I always end up thinking you are missing the point! in my opinion, you are not meant to LOVE your body, you are meant to learn to respect it but that need to improve it , that need never truly goes away. I don't love my body and there are around 10000 things I would like to change about it but if I really wanted to change it that badly, surely I would starve myself  and be down the gym 24/7  but i'm not. And why is that you wonder? because I have come to realize that no matter what I do i'm never, ever going to look like Elle Macpherson, but that does not mean I stopped caring....I think I will always want to better myself in some way or another but the difference now is unlike  5 years ago, I have learned to (semi, still a long way to go!) respect my body.


What do you think?    

11/28/2011

The secrets of a perfect pampering bath

I am 100% a bath person. Give me a bath over a hot steaming shower any day and i'm a happy bunny but, during these bitterly cold winter months (it's 1 degree today.....seriously?)  I need a little bit of special pampering time and there is nothing I love more then having a long,bubbly soak in the bath.


I love bath products, I love how they have that magical ability to make you feel wonderfully papmerd and cared for. I start off by running a very hot bath (Which by the way, is not very good for your skin especially if it's dry) while the bath is running I give my body a brush using my Boots botanics detox brush to help tone up my body and detoxify my skin. What I put in my bath depends on my mood but I'm not a fan of your stranded bubble bath because I find them very drying. A few of my favorite things to put in my bath are the dead sea bath salts,these help detoxify your skin and are good if you suffer from any dry skin conditions such as eczema. An all time bath love of mine is the  Neutrogena body oil. A few splashes on this in your bath water will make your skin feel amazing! The next step is lighting a few candles (I love YANKEE candles at the moment, and ocean breeze is a bath time favorite) and get in the bath.


I have always been jealous of those of you who can read in the bath...i'm a big reader but for some reason I can not do it in the bath! So instead, I scrub! The body scrub i'm loving at the moment is the SOAP& GLORY breakfast scrub. Once i'm done in the bath, I get out a apply some body oil to damp skin..........A good body oil should feel light and silky, sink in to the skin and leave a beautiful sheen on the skin. My favorite body oil is the NO7 pampering dry oily body spray  And last but not least, you may thing it's a little much but remember it's all about pampering me time but I love to let the body oil sink in to my damp skin and them apply a rich, moisturizing  body butter. My all time favorite is THE BODY SHOP almond body butter because nothing makes your skin feel as soft and sexy as this! 






So there you go, that is my favorite pampering recipe and I hope you all remember to take some time out, especially around this hectic time of year  and treat your self to a pampering body beautiful bathing session!

I'm addicted!

This is just a little post to show you the Constance of my over crowded bathroom.



It is bad. I know.

11/27/2011

OOTD

Another outfit of the day for you all....is it not nice weather today? I'm loving it! I love this time of year when you get those crisp, clear fresh days and all the leaves are golden.....you can feel Xmas coming!  I went out to get a few things I needed and am now sat watching F1 (not my first choice but I do love Lewis Hamilton) so this is what I wore:


(Yea I am aware both photos are pretty similar, but wanted to make sure you got the idea!)




Jumper- MATALAN I got this the other day because it was so cold and I love it! it has a tweed pattern on it but because it's slouchy (I did get it in a big size so it would be baggy) it looks grate and is very warm.


Top- RIVER ISLAND 


Jeans- ASDA (love them to death!) I did fold them up for a more modern feel, I love that casual look.


Shoes- PRIMARK


Sunglasses- GUCCI


Bag- focco 


What was your weather like? what do you normally do on a sunday?



11/26/2011

OOTD

This is just a very little outfit of the day post, nothing extraordinary as I spend my after none in B&Q shopping for paint. Yep that is my glamorous life!




First things first, my thighs look huge! I blame the judgement on my behalf, leggings need a longer top to hide my massive thighs.


Jacket- MANGO (Love it to bits! I got it 2 years ago and it is perfect)
Top- ZARA
Vest under the top- GAP
Leggins- PRIMARK
Shoes- PRIMARK again and I love them! £4 and so dainty and very comfortable.


Now there is something I must point out....I love reading fashion blogs and seeing how people style their outfits and I know that my outfits are not the most existing thing is the world, or the most fashionable shall we say. My style is pretty simple and sadly does not take amazing photos like some other bloggers I know who have model like physics (Yes buynowbloglater I mean you) but you seem to like these posts so I will keep doing as you ask.....I am indeed, a very obedient blogger.

11/20/2011

Review time-LA ROCHE-POSAY EFFACLAR Clarifying Lotion

I will be the first to admit that my attraction to this product was probably down to that fact I have a bit of a thing for french skin care products (and shoes, and chocolate and Ben& Gerry's, but that's a hole other issue) I love how scientific yet mild they seem, and I love how they tend to address more specific skin issues like large pores, uneven texture and so on, and not just go by your skin type. I have used so many of them over time and have pretty much loved them all. All but one....




Enter the La roch-posay effaclar  clarifying lotion. I am always looking for mild yet effective way to exfoliate my skin on a daily basis to make it look and feel its best. This is essentially a toner that is meant to  cleanse and exfoliate to help unblock and reduce the appearance of your pores. This may sound extremely self-indulgent but I have an unresolved issue with my pores. Big time! It seems they are always slightly more viable than I would like them to be  (of course, this could just be in my head as no one else seems to see what I am talking about, but nonetheless, it bothers me.) La roch-posay claim  the effeclar range is meant for people with less than perfect skin, who suffer from blocked pores, oiliness and imperfections . One of the most interesting things about this toner is it uses very few ingredients but one of the key ingredients is salicylic acid, which is an extract of  the bark of a willow tree as is a very common used ingredient in skincare products for oily skin as it helps to clean deeper down in to the pores and is not as harsh as things like  benzoyl peroxide. I have been using this toner for about 3 months now and and I can sadly but safely report that I have seen no significant  change in my pores. The few good things I can say about this is it's mild for a product of this nature and it's easily accessible at your local boots (unlike other french skin care lines like bioderma  for example). It is also pretty pricey for a toner at £11 per 200 ml but I will say it does last a fair amount of time as you only need a small amount on a cotton pad.


So sadly this was not the ultimate pore solution, i'm not a fan of pore strips and things like that so I feel I may just need to stick to my 5 min detox mask to unblock the little suckers!


Have you used this? did it work for you? and what products by La roch-posay do you really rate?

Update!

Hello my lovelies, long time no blog!


As you know (or some to think of it, may not know depends how interested you are in my boring life) I have moved house, hence been super busy and not had any internet access so that should explain the lack of posts and videos. I will not bore you with the moving details, or go off on a rant about how naughty SKY are for not sorting out my internet situation when they were meant too, because we do have internet now (thanks of the pub next door). Unfortunately, the speed is very slow and i'm still not too sure how ill be able to upload videos but I will find a way!


Just wanted to keep you up to date really, and hope you are all well and keeping warm!
xxx

11/08/2011

My super healthy eating plan

As many of you will know, i'm on a health kick at the moment trying to be healthier and lose a few pounds in time for party season. So I am doing something I have NEVER  done before and i'v gone on a mini detox cutting out dairy,any packaged foods,unrefined carbs (as in potato's, pasta, rice bread and that but also i'm cutting out the wholegrain type, just for the time being to speed up the weight loss) Junk food of any kind and meat because i'm a veggie, so that's always been the way.


I have been over indulging big time lately so I felt my diet could do with a good kick up the arse! I decided the best idea would be to eat lots of fruit and vegetables and beans for protein so I'm going to share with you what I have been eating because it's so easy, healthy filling and yummy.


In the morning I have a glass of  Innocent fruit smoothie (Make sure you read the back to see what a serving size really is) because they are natural, easy and provide 2 of your 5 a day. Then for the rest of the day all I eat are fresh, homemade soup. A few favorites are pea soup, lentil soup, butter bean soup, fresh tomato soup and anything you like really!  Soup is such a grate option because they are healthy and very filling. I eat 3 bowls of soup a day so one for lunch, one mid after none and one for my dinner. I love eating soup now it's cold and i'm eating so much vegetables!  Now I will say this is not the most flexible eating plane and is only good for a short amount of time, so if I go out for a meal I can eat what I want and then go back to eating my healthy fruit and soups and hopefully this  will also make me feel light, energetic and with glowing skin.


I will let you know how I'm getting on soon:) xxx 

11/04/2011

Weight loss update/ Detox!

So many of you have been asking me about my weight loss progress and I know i'v been a naughty girl and not been updating my blog with my daily menu, but the truth is I have been so busy the past few months as we are in the middle of moving to a new house, lots of traveling and long train rides that lead me to not eat anything and then realize at the end of the day that I have not eaten all day (not good) or just end up munching junk on long train rides (HARIBO tangfastics anyone?) and eating out a lot due to lack of time and just being busy. (even more not good)


Also, being this close to my favorite time of the year, yep you guessed right Christmas, I know closer to the time it will be full of unhealthy eating like my mum's amazing dinner, chocolate and yummy snacks and i'm not going to pretend I am going to be good over xmas as I know that for me, it's not doable. So I have decided  to go on a "mini" pre-Christmas healthy eating-detox plane. I will be stick to plenty of fruit, veg and beans. This is not a crash diet, it's more about me cleaning out the junk and sugar from my body (not literally I know!)  and help me feel lighter, fresher and hopefully lose a few pounds so I look hot in the annual Christmas photos!







I will update you how it goes but basically my plan is to have fruit smoothie for breakfast, fresh salad for lunch and homemade soup for tea and try and cut out sugar and dairy and too many carbs like pizza, pasta and normal potato's. This will also be amazing to help get back on track after over indulging over xmas time.


Let me know your thoughts on the matter!

11/02/2011

Why did you let me down the sanctuary?

I have been meaning to do this post for a while and just didn't seem to be getting round to it, but because this is sat on the edge of my bath it's a constant reminder that I need to write about this because it is a strange product.....


We are talking about the sanctuary skin warming micrbrasion polish. I love these types of  at-home treatment because they are easy to use, inexpensive and tend to make your skin feel amazing. The sanctuary claim this is a " A unique, deep exfoliating treatment scrub that helps to refine the skin and minimise an uneven skin texture. The thermal action, combined with the microbrasion effect of the natural Marine Earth and detoxifying Kaolin helps to open pores, exfoliate and draw out toxins. Bamboo, Jojoba and Beeswax help to smooth and soften the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines."


The things I like about this are:


1)Nice packaging, it looks very sleek and elegant

2) Reasonably priced at £12.25
3)Easily available, you can just walk into your local boots and pick it up.




Things I dislike about it:
1)The scent- I'm not one who minds the smell of things, but this is really not my cup of tea....it has a very strange,old-lady skincare scent.
2) The warming effect? not very warming and does not last very long on the skin.
3) The grains in it that are meant to polish your skin are very small and fine, but my skin is pretty hardy so this may be ok for you.


This gets a huge thumbs down from me as it has an unpleasant scent and I hate how the heat does not last.


Have any one you used it? did you like it? 

10/31/2011

Nails de jour

I will be the first to confess I am a nail polish junkie,yes  My name is Avia and i'm addicted to nail polish. I was in boots the other day and felt like buying a few nail polishes (as you do). They all ended up being by BARRY M because I love those polishes....grate colors, amazing formulas, good staying power and easy to remove (You may think that's an odd thing to say, but after my little incident with  the purple sex and the city polishes I now truly appreciate an easy to remove polish). The one I am loving at the moment is shade 273 raspberry.




This is such a grate winter shade.....a rich, glossy deep but not too vampy red. And as you can see I am pretty pale at the moment and I love how this shade works with my skin tone.


What nail polishes are you in love with at the moment?

10/29/2011

OOTD

This is just a fast ootd post for you, as I really liked my outfit today and meant to take a proper photo for you, but ended up being late (how unusual) so you will have to make do with this one sadly............



T shirt- New look
Blazer- H&M
Jeans- Gap
Shoes-New look
Bag- Ebay


This is a silly  photo and I only took it being silly, but I do kind of like it (plus if you watch my channel you will know how i'm loving hats atm!)



Hope you are all having a fab weekend:)


xxx

10/16/2011

OOTD

Look at me being a good blogger and posting so often! am feeling rather proud of myself!


Stupidity aside, we will now  move on to the real purpose of this post, an outfit of the day. I went out with my man for a dinner date as we always make sure we go out and do things together and make sure to still go out on proper dates even though we have been together for almost 3 years.(On a side note, I love him to bits and couldn't be happier:)


What I wore:


Jacket- H&M for £14.99
Dress-Beals for the bargain price of £7!
Shoes-New look for £19.99
Hair-Messy, I couldn't be bothered to go over it with GH'DS look.


I love this outfit because I think the neutral shades work really well together and I think the look is sexy (pretty booby I know!) but still cute at the same time....kind of like what I think kim k would ware to the races or something. On that note I am going to love you leave you and go and watch "Crazy stupid love"...Have a good evening.   

10/15/2011

Wedding OOTD!

So as you know I was going to a friends wedding today and finding an outfit was a nightmare! I knew what I wanted but was just not sure what I should wear......in the end what I had been planing went out the window and I settled on this:


(Yes I know.....poser!  but you do feel rather awkward standing in the middle of the street! )


I love how it turned out as it looks very fun and playful.


A little FOTD:





Hope you all have a fab weekend!

10/06/2011

The most unusual lip products ever -Collection 2000 cream

It is always amazing when an inexpensive high street bard come out with something really different. In terms of make up, I find it to be more admirable  when it's the formula that is the new part and not the shade. The cream puff truly are unlike any other lip product on the market. I like to think of it as a cross between a powder blush for lips and a lip balm. Collection 2000 describe it as "Enriched with a hyper-moisturizing, vitamin-rich formula, the creamy color hugs lips to give your pout the perfect powdery finish." and  I couldn't agree more. This is what it looks like:






Theses are so lovely and moisturizing, and feel super light on the lips like you have just got a thin layer of lip balm on.You need to smudge them in a little for a softer effect, but once they are on they are there to stay! The shading selection is not amazing with only 4 shades, but they are all very pretty and wearable so what more can you ask for?


All in all I think collection 2000 have really nailed it on the head with thses because not only are they an amazing unique product, they are an absolute bargin at £2.99! rush out and pick one up.......you will love them!

10/04/2011

Moroccanoil dupe-Vo5 miracle concentrate

I am always one for products that promise you healthier, glossier hair. But sadly, being the beauty junkie that I am, I always tend to go for the cult products (yes mr YSL touche eclat  i'm talking to you) but I really should know better by now as they often are so easily dupeable and very often, not the best option out there anyway.


That was why I was beyonde existed to try the Moroccanoil hair oil treatment. I love the idea of these types of products as they tend to be super nourishing but very light weight, which works well with my very curly hair because it is so long, a cream tends to weight it down so a light oil should be perfect. Moroccanoil claims  the treatment:



  • Revives hair.
  • Strengths and conditions.
  • Reduces drying time.



Well......it doesn't.I do however,love the packaging, the colors are amazing and I adore how chic  the glass bottle looks  (although not so grate for traveling.)



So the  question remains,  is it worth it's cult product status? 
At a very hefty price tag (at around £30 per 100 ml) I can sadly (well not very sad for your bank account but still...) say no, it's not. The oil name perhaps is deceiving because it is not a very oily consistency, it's more like a thick serum and for that reason I find it's harder for your hair to absorb it. Don't get me wrong ladies, it's a nice product, but for £30 you want something that will really benefit your hair.


So I went about my life after I finished the bottle of moroccanoil, not planing on buying it again but still wanting somthing similar, that nourished my hair, reduced frizz and left my silky and glossy. So you could imagine how existed I was when I found out vo5 was doing a similar product (both products main ingredients are  Argan oil and silicon I may add.) coincidentally, due to the hype over the moroccanoil a few more companies have since launched similar things, but none as inexpensive as the vo5 one.That was why I felt trying the vo5 one would be the most interesting as the are both from totally different ends of the price scale. The vo5 miracle concentrate is £5 per 50 ml (but very often even less as it goes on sale  for around £3!) and  I love it. It claims to:

  • Condition dry,frizzy and damaged hair.
  • Leave hair soft and smooth
  • Add shine
  • Reduce drying time and damage from heat styling.
And it does!
This really is amazing for the price because it is the same as the M'oil (I'm sure you know what that is short for?) in that is is not an oil, its a serum and the best part of all is it leaves my hair feeling noticeably less damaged and although the packaging is not as sleek as the M'oil, it is still pretty cute and I love the little pipit. It is also plastic so much more traval friendly.


Another thing I love about the vo5 product is how widely available it is. The M'oil is only available online or in selected hair salons,where as the Vo5 miracle concentrate is available in Boots, Superdrug and most major supermarkets! So super easy to get your hands on. In this  particular case you can't help but wonder do all cult products really deserve the hype or are we just creating the hype ourselves so it's more existing? so we feel like we are getting a piece of the amazing "it" product and feel like we are really treating ourselves? maybe. But among-st all the hype we forget something extremely  important:
Is it really worth it? Not in this case.
  

My weight: weight gain,weight loss and natural weight.

So like I said in my video, we all have a natural body  weight and this is just a small post showing and explaining to you my body.


Before you carry on do make sure you have watched the video or i'm pretty sure you will be thinking "what the hell is she on about?"


This is a photo of me at my biggest:

Now looking back at it, I see I was not huge, but I felt it and I just didn't feel like me.....it was the day after this photo was taken I desided I needed to lose weight.


Long story short, I lost the weight. it took a year, but I did it and I was pretty thin.....



But the this was, once I started losing weight I had a very clear idea in my head of what I wanted and was very healthy about it. But pretty soon I felt it was not working fast enough, and became obsessed with doing it and losing the weight.
My natural body is the one I feel OK with and I know I can eat without thinking about it going straight to my backside. Doing YouTube and blooging has helped me so much when I think about, it has helped me realize that being healthy is the most important things and that we are all so different, and I have found so much support in just talking about this stuff! talking is key. And about what I said about being healthy? it is true, but I think being happy is my number one. A happy body is what we should all be trying to achieve.

9/30/2011

Touching up your make up- what do you need?

So sorry I have not been posting very much about my food, but I have been really busy with personal stuff and had a cold all week as well (yes, strange I know as it has been so lovely and hot) so that is my explanation for the lack of posts.


As I have been so busy, and it has been so hot my makeup has been having a hard time staying on my face and for the first time in ages I have taken a small makeup bag along with me so I can touch up.
My mini-makeup bag must haves  are:


POWDER,POWDER,POWDER- umm yes, you may need some powder.....As I have such oily skin powder is a must have to sock up the shine. I like the RIMMEL stay matte pressed powder (do go for a pressed powder, no one wants a messy handbag!).

Blotting paper-for more shine control.


An SPF sunscreen- for your hands.....I am funny about this one as I think a woman's hands are one of the first places that show her age. I want young looking hands in my 50's.


A top up cream blush- you may this this is odd, but if you are going to have a long day, a top up blush is a must as it will make you look all fresh and lively,plus, a cream blush is so easy to blend. I love the MAC creamblend blushes, and carry the shade "something special" in my makeup bag.



A lipstick- as the lipstick I use changes everyday, I use whatever I used in the morning to look good during the day.


Do you carry a mini-makeup bag? What do you have in it? do share!

9/28/2011

Help me...........What do I wear?

I am going to a friends wedding in October and me being me, have already started thinking about what I should wear....This is how you come in. I was going to make this a video but I felt like a blog post with photos would show the smaller details of each outfit. I have not included jewelry and bags as I want to decide what dress I am going to be wearing first and then see how I feel.


Here we go:


Outfit 1- An origins 1950's vintage dress I got on ebay and and not worn yet, with my lovable Christian Loubotin  roland zip shoes.



I love everything about this dress because it's so fun and flirty and I adore the net detailing at the bottom.


The shoes:


If I do wear this outfit, it will be with a red lip to match the red sole of my shoes....Sad girl I know!




Outfit 2- This lovely herve leger style dress that I got 2 years ago from Bernshaw. Was going to wear it with the very girly (you may hate them but I love how fun they are) pink peep-toe heels.





Outfit 3-My beautiful Karen Millen dress ....words can not describe my love for this it is so classy and elegant, the shoes are also by the same designer.





So my lovelies, that is is. Now all I need is for you all to tell me what you like and what you think I should wear....I may post photos of me in the outfits so you can see what everything looks like on.

9/27/2011

Silly little blog post

Hello my lovely girls......felt I should do a small blog post as I will not be post my "what I eat today " post as I have hardly eaten a thing because I am not feeling well (Hence why no YouTube video too).


I am going to film a few curly hair videos and also a video about a few products I am really not impressed by  (yes ,MAC foundation I am talking to you!) I may also show the dresses I got from ASOS the other day so keep your eyes open.


I'm not  a happy bunny at the moment, just one of those days I think when people really piss you off but on a shallow side note, I gave myself  a manicure and I am now loving how neat my nails look....usually I just take my polish off and pop a new one on, but I took the time to file them down (I hate long nails!) and sort my lovely jagged skin.....So now my nails are short, lovely and red!


Anyway I'm off now and I will see you all tomorrow in hope that it will be a better day (ok scarlet O'Hara ) 


Take care xxxx

9/26/2011

What I eat today

So I am back after a very busy weekend and back to healthy eating. That being said, I was pretty good over the weekend and didn't eat too much.


Breakfast:
A cup of hot water with lemon and a small bowl of all bran with semi-skimmed milk.




Lunch:
6 revita crackers with extra light soft cheese, a pack of backed crisps.


Snack:
250 ml of pure orange juice.


Dinner:
A stir-fry with veg and soy sauce.


I drank 3 liters of water and 4 cups of green tea with lemon.





9/22/2011

What I eat today

Sorry for not posting yesterday, I was not feeling too well but I am here now!

Breakfast:

A cup of hot water with lemon, a smoothie and a bowl of all bran (30 gr) with skimmed milk.

Lunch:
2 Slices of brown bread with some extra light Philadelphia cheese, a pack of of walkers backed crisps and some  pineapple chunks.

Snack:
weightwatchers cheese flavor
 bites.

Dinner:
Healthy homemade potato wedges, a roast paper and onion with some Brussels
 sprouts  extra light mayo with chives.

After dinner:
Weightwatchers chocolate mousse

9/20/2011

What I eat today

Hello everyone!
Long time no blog I know, just been super busy but I am back now and really craving healthy food! (Even tossed out some cheesecake I had left over from the week end)

so here we go:

Breakfast:
A cup of hot water with lemon and an innocence smoothie (no cereal as ran out of milk!)

Lunch:
A big bowl of my yellow pea soup and a revita with extra light Philadelphia cheese.

Snack:
Some pineapple chunks.

Dinner:
A few  new potatoes with a tablespoon of extra light mayo , some roasted baby tomato's and some broccoli

After dinner:
Some strawberry's and a weightwatchers chocolate mousse.

9/17/2011

A little update...........

Yes I have been a naughty blogger and not updated my daily meal plan for the last few days, and I shall not be updating it tomorrow.......but there is a reason for this and I have not fallen off my healthy eating plane so don't worry.


Am an a big believer that all diets need a cheat day. A cheat day meaning you can eat whatever you like and enjoy it because when you are watching what you eat, eating out, eating at other peoples houses and such things can be really hard and make you feel stressed out and out of control. So you need to make a plane and think " right, this weekend, I am not going to be around home much and it will be hard for me to make healthy food choices while I am staying with someone" and other things like that. You see, if you don't you will end up getting obsessed with what you can and cant eat and not enjoy your weekend!


That is why over the weekend normally (or weekdays when I am off and maybe not staying at home) I just eat what I want, go out and have fun because I know it takes the stress factor out of it and also leaves your body craving healthy food by the end of it.


So what this rambling  blog post is trying to say is......I will see you Monday with my lovely "what I eat today" post!


Hope you all have a fab weekend:)

9/15/2011

Super healthy yummy yellow pea soup

To make this super easy lunch idea you will need:
A pack of dried yeallo peas
Vegetable stock 
A red onion
A  big bunch of coriander


How to make it:
Chop up the onion and the coriander and heat then up in a little olive oil. pop in the pan half a pack of washed dried peas, mix up and then add about 3 cups of water and bring to the boil. once the soup is bubbling, add some vegetable stock and mix well. turn down the heat to very low and let the soup simmer for about an hour mixing every now and then.
By this point it should be ready and you can blitz it (I prefer it chunky , more filling!) and there you have it! Easy  and yummy!

What I eat today

beackfast:
A cup of hot water with lemon, a smoothie and a small bowl of all bran with skimmed milk.

mid morning snack:
weight watchers  cheese bits....lovely and only 78 calories!


lunch:
2 slices of nimble toast with backed beans and an orange.


snack:
Good old walkers backed crisps and a rivita with extra light Philadelphia 


dinner:
Bulgar wheat with cooked mushrooms and onion and herbs. (AMAZING!)

9/14/2011

What I eat today

Breakfast:
A cup of hot water with lemon, a glass of innocent  smoothie and a small bowl of all bran flakes with skimmed milk.



Mid morning snack:
Weightwatchers cheese flavor bits


Lunch:
2 slices of brown nimble bread with extra light Philadelphia cheese and cucumber and some homemade yellow pea soup that is so yummy! let me know if you want to know how to make its so healthy and easy.


Snack:
An orange, a pack of walkers backed crisps and a few carrot stick with mayo.


Dinner:
A small portion of Wholewheat spaghetti with cherry tomatos, garlic onion and basil.  




After dinner:
Some dark chocolate and some strawberry's. yummy!




My top weight loss tips

As you, I am trying to lose a bit of weight and be healthier, and as I have been dealing with this shitty woman-body stuff for years, I do have a few tips that may help you.


  • Tip number 1-I know people say don't eat late at night , but the trick isn't necessarily how late at night you eat, but how soon before bed time you eat. So if you go to bed at around 11 pm, try and have your dinner at around 8 pm, so your body has time to digest the food and start to burn it off before bed. (If you must snack, have something light like strawberry's)
  • PORTION PORTION PORTION!- ummm, yes portion control is super important.  it can be so easy when you are eating things that are not very fattening  and pretty healthy such as cereal or pasta, to give yourself large portions and there you go, you have just added more calories without realizing. So you can use food scales if you want too, but if you don't have one just use your common sense! and hands! so a nice handful of cereal and pasta will do.
  • Use smaller plates and cutlery- You will look like bit of a nutter, but  this is really useful in making yourself think you are eating more then you are. I use smaller bowls and plates and a baby knife and fork.
  • Think high fiber- High fiber foods are so good for your body and make you feel fuller for much longer. So fill up on high fiber foods like brown bread, brown rice,hole-grain cereal and so on.
Do you have any good weight loss tips? do share!

9/13/2011

What I eat today

Breakfast:
A cup of hot water with lemon, a glass of innocent  smoothie and a small bowl of all bran flakes with skimmed milk.

Lunch:
2 slices of brown nimble bread with extra light Philadelphia cheese and cucumber. I also had a packet of walkers baked crisps (salt and vinegar) and an orange.

After-none snack:
Some carrot sticks with extra light mayonnaise and a rivita cracker with some 
extra light Philadelphia cheese .


Dinner:
Roast papers (2 of them) and half an onion all chopped up with rosemary, rocket cucumber 
and lighter grilled haloumi cheese.


After dinner:
A small piece of 85% COCO  dark chocolate, and some strawberry's. 




Dinner  pic: