thesparkleicious

Dress show!

2012-02-25T01:40:00.001-08:00

After doing my fashion video yesterday I promised I would show you what most of the dresses look like on.

So here we go:

All of these photos were taken during diffident nights out so you can also see I I styled them.

Hope it helps!

My imaginary Net-a-porter wish list...

2012-02-18T14:26:00.000-08:00

This is my secret guilty pleasure, yes, I have an unhealthy tendency to log on only to drool over some of the worlds most exquisite items, only to then feel bad because I know the likely-hod of me ever being able to afford them is......well, below zero.

So here you have it, my "If I win a £million this is what i'll be buying" list. Prepare to drool away...........

Be honest, you have got dribble on your chin right now haven't you? (I so have) I love looking at things like this because they are just so beautifully made, and so luxe looking....but come at a very,very high price tag, that is pretty much pure ridiculousness.....but, they are oh so nice to look at! and hey, a girl can dream right?

Good night my darlings xx

FOTD

2012-02-16T09:08:00.000-08:00

Having not had any hot water or heating for the past week thanks to the oil company, I have not been wearing any makeup. I had to do some shopping to day so my makeup was slightly more glamorous than usual for an everyday look, due to the fact I had missed wearing makeup!

If you know me by now you will know it's nothing ground breaking, just pretty and simple.

My face:
MUFE Mat velvet plus foundation
Laura Mercier secret concealer in shade 3
Collection 200 lasting perfection in shade 2
Rimmel silky loose powder

Cheeks:
Sleek contour kit in medium
Topshop blush in pop

Eyes:

I used MAC bare study paintpot as a base, and I used MAC metholagy all over the lid, and antiqued in the crease. it's a little more smokey than I would tend to go for, but it really made my eyes POP. I then applied one coat of Benefit There real mascara to give my lashes a bit of help as they are looking very sad at the moment.

Lips:
I used a old fav, a Loreal lipstick called sunset blush.

And that is it, that's my face of the day and I love it....I feel like me again.

Nails of the day....

2012-02-15T02:43:00.000-08:00

I painted my nails last night and i'm in love. I'm not usually the type to go for the hole accent nail look, but both this look I feel they shades are pretty close and really complement one another. What I used:

Base coat-Sally Hansen insta-grip fast dry base coat.
2 coats of Barry M 273 raspberry.....(I love this! it's the perfect berry red shade,really deep and classy looking)
On my middle finger I applied 2 coat of a Deborah Lippmann glitter polish called razzle dazzle over the Barry M.
Top coat-Sally hansen double duty base&top coat.

(Not the best photo,but I took about 100 but gave up in the end)

So those are my nails atm....I love the color combo, really wintery but glamorous at the same time.

Take care xxx

Hair dye cravings!

2012-02-10T08:33:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make. I'm starting to get fed up the color of my hair.....my hair now a slightly lighter version of my natural shade which is a dark brown, I was going over a few things on my pc and look what I found.......

I'm not sure what it is, but i'v thinking about going black again (Don't they say once you go black you never go back? very rude) but the only problem is the black hair only looked good on my when I had a tan and i'm over the days of always being super brown so I know its not the best idea considering it's snowing outside my chances of getting a tan are pretty slim.

But hey, no harm in trying.....

Skin as white as snow...

2012-02-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

I'm sat on my sofa just chilling (while my man and his best mate are watching the dreaded football) and looking out of my window at the beautiful snow that has settled all over the garden. I'm not a fan of snow when I have to go out in it, but from the safety of my warm house, I love it.

Looking at it has got me thinking, all my life I have been obsessed with being tanned. When I was younger I was all about sunbathing and going bright red (I told myself it would turn brown one day) and then when I realized I didn't fancy giving my skin a helping hand in premature aging,soI got good with the SPF and protecting my skin (I am still a fan of sunbathing however) But seen as how I do go very dark in the sun , my starting point is not very dark. My natural skin color is a pretty yellow toned medium, has the potential to look slightly sickly, type of skin.

I think most of us look better with a little color on us, but I know I look better with a deep tan, it makes me look more healthy and exotic (so i'v been told) so I do tend to lay on the fake tan to cheat my J LO glow.But, all of a sudden, because it's been so cold i'v not been bothering to fake tan and have found I'm actually kind of enjoying being pale. I know I need makeup when i'm pale or my face looks flat, but it's a nice change for me and being so covered at the moment means no one apart from me and my other half really get to see any flesh so who cares?

That being said, i'm pretty sure it's just a phase that will pass as soon as it's not snowing and cold I will feel the need bronze it up a little, but for now I feel like snow-white.

Blame it on the weather man.....

2012-02-03T14:34:00.000-08:00

Let me start this post by telling you ladies, that it is now -5 outside. Yep, you did read that right,-5.My now very glamorous look includes pj bottoms, a hoodie,  socks and i'm sat on the sofa covered in a blanket writing this post.

I'm not sure if it's the weather, me not drinking as much water as I always do, the heating, eating more comfort foods or just hormones (yes sure, blame it on the hormones!) but my skin is being particularly blah. You know what I mean by blah right?

A blah skin day (or week in this unfortunate case) means you don't really have any serious bad skin things going on, so no breakouts or super dryness, but your skin is just not looking it's best, slightly red, slightly oily and slightly dry (and confused it may seems....) doesn't feel as soft as usual and the list goes on, but in short it just looks lack-luster and blah.I was not an airplane last week, which never means happy skin days, so as soon as I got off my flight I cleansed my face, used the DERMALOGICA recovery mask, and then used my DR NICK LOWE oil control day cream and went to bed.   Ever since then, my skin has been feeling really sad! and my usual things don't seem to be working..........You see, I have my skin heroes. When my skin is feeling congested and oily, out comes my SANCTUARY 5 MIN DETOX MASK and that usually solves the problem. If my skin is feeling dry a thick layer of CLARINS BEAUTY FLASH BALM is applied before bed and hey ho, no problemo. If my skin is looking dull, I cleanse with my LIZ EARLE CLEANSE& POLISH and then used my ORIGINS BRIGHTER BY NATURE pads, and all is right in the world of Avia's skin again. But for some weird reason, nothing seems to be working at the moment. and tell me if it's just me but I hate putting make up on my skin when it is not looking it's best because I feel it just makes it look worse, so what is a girl to do?

I think I may pick up some new toner and see how that works as i'v not been using it that much lately but other than that i'm baffled. Should I just have faith and blame it on the weather man and his seriously bad weather that is causing havoc with my skin?

A body ramble!

2012-01-18T00:09:00.000-08:00

To be completely honest with you, I’m not 100% sure where this blog post is going. You see, everyone knows that most women have body issues, but what we don’t tend to talk about is how big they are and how much they effect our every day life.

So many of us believe In positive thinking, meaning you tell yourself a bunch of sentences that sound like they came from a self-help book like “you must respect your body for what it can do for you” and “if you don’t love you no one else will” and I think here lays my problem. I’m not a fan of clichés, even though in most cases they are true. Another thing I’m not a fan of, and I hate myself for saying this is, the hole idea of women should be kind about other won because I really do believe in it, I really do, but when I’m having a bad day and I see some other woman I know looking naff, it makes me feel a little better (yes boys and girls, I’m a shallow petty woman underneath it all!)

As women you are told and in many ways brought up to not be “up yourself” but then as you get older, you are expected to be “kind” to yourself and “love the skin your in” and truth be told, I’m confused. I see these women who are so self-assured, calm about weight and in some cases just don’t care about their looks and I can’t help but wonder is it real? Is that self-love and appreciation real? Some say it comes with content, others say it comes with age but really I think it comes with willing to believe that like the L’Oreal adds say, your worth it. Many women I know have told me that at first glance, I come across very confident and someone has even told me I came across like I “loved my self” ( so not the case I can assure you) but the truth is like I said, women love to hate other women and the reason I come across like that is because I really make an effort. I don’t go to the super market bare-faced and in jeans and an old jumper, and if I go out I do dress up (more than most, which people find really funny) but it’s not because I love myself, it’s more a case of loving getting dressed up and made up and wanting to feel good about myself. I know how to in most cases, pull myself out of the “I’m feeling fat” mood and move on, but it does effect me. No one understands really, most defiantly not men. I love my boyfriend to bits but when I’m feeling like that he can’t see what my problem is and just looks at me and on a good day says “I think your perfect” and on a bad day says “stop going on there’s nothing wrong with your thighs!” (and I am aware that I’m lucky in that area, a few girlfriends have told me lately that their men will tell them they are getting bigger and I think I’d be really upset if mine told me that!) I know I’m not an overweight huge beast of a woman, I just have a little more flesh that I would like…..but that’s the trick. To trick yourself out of your overweight huge beast moments in any way it takes. A good tip I like to focus on is when you are feeling too fat for sex (don’t look shocked at your screen I know you all feel it sometimes and this is a safe zone!) Try and focus on things like being totally fuzz-free, soft silky smooth skin and a touch of fake tan……….it really works and if worst come to the worst, just put the lights off! Lol.

I’m think I’ve rambled on way to much now and this post may not make much sense but I think just honest talking is so therapeutic, and I love talking to you all about our complex body-issues.

Take care,

xxxxx

foundation review- MUFE mat velvet +

2012-01-11T03:23:00.000-08:00

Time for another foundation review ladies! And this time it’s a little more positive as well……..Make up forever mat velvet+ is a product I have been pretty confused by for a while now. When I fist got it I didn’t really like it as I felt it was a little heavy and the tone of it was not perfect. My skin has been looking pretty bad lately, not in terms of spots or anything like that but around this time of year my skin tends to get very red and just looks a little lifeless. S o I have been reaching for this foundation for about a moth now and I’m really enjoying it

MUFE describe it as a matifying foundation that is oil-free, easily blend able, water resistant and long lasting on the skin. My skin is pretty oily and by the end of the day no matter how much I powder or use blotting sheets, I look a little shiny so I do tend to pick foundation that claim to be matte if I’m looking for something to last all day long and still look good after a day’s work.

The coverage- this is pretty full coverage for me……but I’m enjoying it at the moment!

The finish-this has a really lovely, almost finely milled powdery finish that looks natural and not too matte. I like the face to still have some life in it and this really looks grate on the skin.

The application- this is on of the best parts about this product. For such a full coverage product, it’s a dream to work with. I think it needs a stiff, rounder style of brush to work it in to the skin (like a MAC 189 for example) but as the name suggests, it has a really lovely velvety texture and is super easy to blend.

The shades- you have 16 shades to choose from so you are pretty sure to find a good match the only thing is I think the tones a ever so slightly orange…..

The Price- as there not many places in the UK that stoke MUFE I got mine from a friend in the US and she paid $30 for it, so it’s not cheap but I do think it’s worth the price. Only problem is in the UK you will have to find a shop that stokes it, or buy it online.

the longevity of the foundation- it does last pretty well on the skin, and stays looking good all day….it’s not totally oil absorbing, and you may still need to powder during the day but you will not get super oily. As for it being water resistant (which I find a rather strange concept to be honest….) it is easy to remove with makeup remover, not with water alone.

The packaging- I really like it…….it’s plastic, but good quality plastic and you can always get out just the right amount.

So as you can see, I’m pretty happy with this foundation at the moment. It’s pretty much ticking all the boxes for me and I do really love the finish of it. It’s a grate buy if you are oily and want something that looks polished, velvety and will last all day.

What do you think?

Foundation review- Rimmel stay matte foundation

2012-01-10T00:32:00.000-08:00

I’m a total foundation junkie. For some strange reason, that is the thing I’m always on the look out for, and love the polished look it gives me skin. For that very reason, I’ve ended up over the years trying so many that I think it’s about time I put my knowledge to good use!

Rimmel stay matte foundation is that type of product I would go for everyday, having oily skin the word “matte” is key for me. Rimmel claim that this foundation helps calm the redness in the skin, purifies and stays matte for 12 hours. There is also a few mentions to the chamomile, cotton and cucumber extracts used in the foundation. My problem with brands that use things like that is that the amount of those actual ingredients is actually tiny, yet they can still use it on the packaging to make you think it’s an extra hard working product! Annoying.

I’ve been testing it out for a while now and can safely say that on a scale of 1-10 it’s about a 4. The key things you need to know about this:

The coverage- pretty sheer….you can build it up but you will still need concealer.

The consistency- this is the main thin I dislike about this foundation. It has a very creamy, thick consistency for an oil -free foundation and slips al over the place when you try to blend it in, there for not grate if you like to use a brush to apply your foundation. This is defiantly hand job!

The shade range- there are only 5 shades to pick and they are all too pale or too pink for my skin tone.

The price- this foundation costs around 6 pounds which is a good price for your average 30 ml bottle.

The packaging- this foundation comes in a tube which is god because it’s not heavy like glass and won’t break as easily, but it’s not my cup of tea in terms of design.

The finish- this my friends, is the weird part. The words “stay matte” make you think it will deliver a matte finish but the truth is, it’s a pretty glowy finish for a oil-free foundation and it does not set matte or stay matte, but does look fairly natural.

Over all I think it’s an ok product but not will I will be buying again. So that means the search for the perfect foundation is still going on……..i think the next review will be of one I am really loving at the moment.

My very own thinspiration!

2012-01-09T03:30:00.000-08:00

Before I stat this post I just need to say that when I say thinspiration, I don't mean it in that sick, eating disorder websites way. I mean it as in a photo that will inspire you to lose weight, and to make it even more body friendly, I have decided that taking a super model as your inspiration is unhealthy and will only make you feel worse because you are NEVER going to look like that.

I want to lose a little bit of weight and am finding it really hard at the moment to feel inspired and want to put in the effort........So I have found a few photos of me at the weight I want to get back down to, and have hung then up (I’m not crazy, it works!) on my fridge. I'll share the photos with you:

As you can see I was so much slimmer here than I am now but the strange thing is, around the time these photos where taken I really felt like I was a fat huge cow! And now looking at them I realize I was (for me anyway) pretty slim! So many of you lovely readers have told me you think I look grate the way I am and should not lose any weight, and that is such a sweet thing to say! (Although is you saw me in real life you may feel differently….) but I know I need to do it for me because I want to feel and look like the best version of me. I know I’m never going to gt down to 7 stone and be super skinny and I have finally let go of that and know that it’s ok. I need to just look like the me that makes me feel good….not that I walk around feeling bad everyday, some days I feel pretty good even! But the truth is right now, I’m a little to big for me, to big to feel like the best version of me. By using my self as my “slim-down-roll-model” I’m not telling myself I need to get down to an impossible weight because I know I can do it.

What do you feel about the idea? Have you even used yourself as your own “thinspiration?"

My New Year beauty, life and fashion resolutions

2011-12-30T04:07:00.000-08:00

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!

My everyday face

2011-12-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

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?

Body battles

2011-11-29T08:48:00.000-08:00

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?

The secrets of a perfect pampering bath

2011-11-28T09:26:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-11-28T06:19:00.000-08:00

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

It is bad. I know.

OOTD

2011-11-27T07:56:00.000-08:00

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?

OOTD

2011-11-26T02:43:00.000-08:00

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.

Review time-LA ROCHE-POSAY EFFACLAR Clarifying Lotion

2011-11-20T07:39:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-11-20T07:07:00.000-08:00

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

My super healthy eating plan

2011-11-08T09:50:00.000-08:00

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

Weight loss update/ Detox!

2011-11-04T11:16:00.001-07:00

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!

Why did you let me down the sanctuary?

2011-11-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

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?

Nails de jour

2011-10-31T03:18:00.000-07:00

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?

OOTD

2011-10-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

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

OOTD

2011-10-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

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.

Wedding OOTD!

2011-10-15T18:15:00.000-07:00

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!

The most unusual lip products ever -Collection 2000 cream

2011-10-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

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!

Moroccanoil dupe-Vo5 miracle concentrate

2011-10-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-10-04T07:02:00.000-07:00

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.

Touching up your make up- what do you need?

2011-09-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

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!

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

2011-09-28T03:40:00.000-07:00

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.

Silly little blog post

2011-09-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

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

What I eat today

2011-09-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

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.

What I eat today

2011-09-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

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

What I eat today

2011-09-20T10:34:00.001-07:00

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.

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

2011-09-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

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:)

Super healthy yummy yellow pea soup

2011-09-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

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!)

What I eat today

2011-09-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-14T03:16:00.000-07:00

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!

What I eat today

2011-09-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

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:

What I eat today

2011-09-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

After dinner:
Some dark chocolate

I drank 3 liters of water and 4 cups of green tea:)

Weekend away OOTD

2011-09-04T12:51:00.000-07:00

Hey lovely girls! long time no blog I know but I'm back now.
I went away for the week end down to Brighton to see funny man lee evens, which was grate and I also went to Silverstone to the famous car show (not my choice! was my man and I will not be going again!)

Anyway, this was what I wore in Brighton:

Top-ZARA
Maxi skirt-ZARA
Shoes-H&M
Bag- yes, I got the laura IT bag.

What I eat: (just for fun!)

I love Brighton, its such a different place and full of life. As for Silverstone well........no OOTD for you as it was such bad weather fashion went out the window!

Detatchable cleavage, yes I just said that!

2011-08-22T08:25:00.000-07:00

I'm about to say somthing that is going to make all you lovely girls think i'm a total weirdo. Let me explain.

I have a love/hate relashionship with big boobs. Being a woman who was not naturally blessed with big girls, I grow up whishing they would grow and they did, a littile. So now, I have ended up with medium girls, not big not small, just a humble 34 c cup.

Having a curvy body and big hips, I need boobs to make me look more sexy hourglass then pear shaped. Enter the best bra in the world: LA SENZA triple xxx gel bra.
It's amazing. you really do end up looking like you have invested in some pammy's.
LINK-http://www.lasenza.co.uk/bras/triple_gel/triple_gel_bras.htm

Now that being said, I do like my natural size too and in some outfits they can actually look much better, but if I am ever in need of a boost, you know what I pop on! the bra is really light feeling on skin, pretty and in my opinion, affordable too. (think of it as a detatchable boob job!).

have you got one yet?

take care xxx

OXY 10 Benzoyl peroxide lotion

2011-08-18T04:33:00.000-07:00

As I said, this is my review of the OXY spot treatmeant, that has given me a really bad rash.

OXY describe this prouduct as "a maximum strength spot treatment for stubborn spots & acne". And trust me, they are not kidding. This stuff is super strong, and claims to "kill more than 90% of the spot causing bacteria in 24 hours" what they have forgoten to mention is it also killls 90% of your skin cells along with it.

I dont have acne, but I do get the odd lovey spot. That was the case that led me to try out this prouduct. I applied a small amount of my chin area (spot zone!) and went to bed.....only to wake up the next morning with red, sore dry skin. Now, this may be down to the high content of Benzoyl peroxide, an organic compound in the peroxide family, and is very often used as an acne treatment. After doing some reserch, I found that you must be over 16 to buy this prouduct, and that it comes with some pretty scary Hazards and Cautions:

"Mild burning or tingling may be felt when oxy 10 is applied. Mild to moderate peeling and redness sometimes occur with continuous use. This shows that the OXY 10 is working. If the reaction is excessive, reduce the quantity and frequancy of application. If the reaction persists seek medical advice from your doctor or local Boots pharmacy immediately.
Avoid contact with eyes, lips and mouth."

pretty scary I know, and I for one will not be using this ever again, it was just way to harsh and strong and red dry skin is not a look I want.

Have any of you used this? how did you find it?

xxx

Maxi skirt ramble

2011-08-17T07:54:00.000-07:00

After reading one of laura's blogposts about her new maxi skirt and I couldn't help but wonder.......is it for me?

I was not a fan of this trend at all at first, it was too boho chic for me and couldn't really find a way I liked to style it. But now, I have seen so many nice ones around, it got me thinking once more...........Do I want one?

I love this one from ASOS.COM
http://www.asos.com/River-Island/River-Island-Belted-Printed-Maxi-Skirt/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1617810&cid=2639&Rf936=2276&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Orange

The only problamo is, I dont like to be covered up (yes, it's my inner slut what can I say?) so I feel like the best thing to wear with a maxi skirt is a vest top. But I don't love the way my arms look in a vest.....and the other thing is, I'm short ok? very......5 ft 1 short to to be precise.

That means I fear a long maxi skirt will make me look like mrs peperpot (remmber her!?) and also, my usual trick of heels can not work in this case, as I think a maxi skirt only looks good with a flat sandle.

So, maybe this trend is not for me after all but I do want it.............do you?

Take care! xxx

Make your own sexy body scrub!

2011-08-17T07:11:00.000-07:00

We all need a good scrub every now and then don't we ladies?

Although I have I do love trying out new body scrubs and do use a body scrub religiously twice a week, I very often make my own lovely body scrubs, and very often they are so much nicer than some of the ones I have paid for (yes, boots own brand I am talking to you!).

All you need is:

A glass jar or anything you are going to keep your scrub in (you may want to only make a small amount the first time just to see how you get on and if you like it)

Half a pack of suger

Some kind of oil ( I use the neutrogena dry body oil, but if you are on a budget plain old olive oil is amazing too!)

Your aromatic oil of choice (for somthing relaxing try lavender oil, and for somthing more uplifting try lemongrass oil)

Now all you need to do is:

Mix the suger and oil, using a little oil at a time. you want the suger to be coverd in oil, but not drenched. Once they are mixed, all you need to do add a few drops of your scented oil, and mix it all up once more.

Use this is dry skin in the shower, and then rinse off. Your skin will be feeling super silky and sexy!

Take care my lovely girl
xxx

The best face mask for getting rid of cogested pores

2011-08-09T06:43:00.000-07:00

Forget about those silly sheet masks and nose strips, I have found the answer!

Ok, slightly dramatic I know, but this stuff is amazing. The prodouct i'm talking about is the sanctuary 5 minute thermal detox mask. The reason I have so much love for this is all my life, I have suffered with congested pores on my nose and chin area. (mostly my lovely chin however, that also happens to be my "spotty zone" as I like to call it)

My skin is super oily, but I am lucky to be able to say that apart from that I do have pretty good skin. But being the obsessive woman that I am, I hate the pores on my chin and nose and at time even my cheeks and wanted somthing to make then look better .So what does the brand claim this mask does?

"The warmth of this Sanctuary Thermal Detox self-heating mask helps to open up the pores so the charcoal and kaolin clay can help draw out the impurities from deep within the skin."

Basicly girls, it's a self-heating clay and charcole mask that uses the fact that it heats up upon application to open the pores up and really clean then out.

Pro's:
It's good value for money at £10.20 for 100ml.
It really heats up! I have used so many face masks that claim to "heat up" and it never really works, you just end up with a slight rush of heat, ad then nothing. Well not with this mask! it really does get very warm and you can physically your pores opening up.
Its leaves your pores super clean and your skin feeling soft and matte.
It's easy to use: apply on clean skin and it does not "set".
It's good for busy women, 5 minutes and your skin is dramatically better.

Con's:
The scent.....kind of smells like play-dough, but I can live with that!

This is what it looks like:

(note the pretty nice packaging)

Overall, I think this is amazing and if you suffer from oily skin and blocked pores, this is a godsend.

Really makes me wonder about some more facial skincare by the satctuary......a trip to BOOTS anyone?!

take care my lovely ladies
xxxx

Clothing haul

2011-08-01T00:59:00.000-07:00

As promised, I have taken some photos of my recent purchases.
I must however, admite this did feel rather strange and slightly self indulgent just posing to the camara.

But the way I like to look at it is these are high street items, made for normal women so surely it is far better to see them on a normal woman and not a model!

Case in point:

The lovely RIVER ISLAND playsuit:

I love the color and the amazing ruffle detailing

TOPSHOP shirt......ahhh let it be said I do love a bit of casual see- thru.

Classic, timeless ZARA dress:

With the TOPSHOP rose belt, just to add a little fun:

Last but not least, the black ZARA trench coat:

That is all ladies......what do you think? got anything new lately?

take care:)
xxxxx

FAQ about curly hair-part 2

2011-07-27T01:03:00.000-07:00

answers

1. I PROMISE I WILL DO A VIDEO LIKE THIS! I know so many of you lovely girls will find this super helpful so I will do it, but it is harder to film as I want to show every step, and that takes time and plenty of good editing!

2. Generally, I find thicker creamer products work the best on a frizzier curl as the weigh it down more and help to define the curl. If your curls are prone to frizz avoid brushing them when your hair is dry at all cost or you will end up with a frizzy poodle mane!

3. No, I do not use all the products I mentioned at once. What I tend to do is use 2 different types of products at once. For example, I will use a hair serum or an oil first, and then apply hair mousse or other products aimed to create curls and body.

4. Yes to the video part, and no I do not put my hair in a bun or anything before I go to bed. What I do is actually extremely easy: I wash my hair, wrap it up in a towel for about 10 mins, then scrunch it up and apply whatever products I am going to use. I then like to let it dry NATURALLY and if I don’t have time, I just go to bed with my hair still damp (you may want to put a towel over your pillow though, just a friendly suggestion). Then in the morning, I get up, tip my head upside-down, mess my hair up with my hands, tip my head up and off I go. That simple.

5. As we all know everyone has different hair and what works for me may not always work for you so all I can suggest is trying! Try sleeping with you hair like I do and see if it works for you.

6. Ohhhh this is a good question! If you have curly hair, chances are at some point in your life you have a had a really bad hair cut, or just never cut your hair because you didn’t want to change your curls. The best haircut in my opinion, obviously depending on the type of hair you have, is soft layers. Layer are so grate because they add body and soften your face and are very easy to grow out ,if done properly that is. I always have longer layers cut in my hair because my hair is very long but if you have shorter hair, just go for fewer layers around the bottom and softer layers around the crown on your hair.

7. If I am wearing my hair curly, I wash it everyday.

8. This is a really good question too. I too, am guilty of 99% of the time just wearing my hair down. I find curly hair always looks grate when you put it up to go in the bath or something unglamorous like that, but if you are actually trying to put it up to go out? FORGET IT! It is a real pain in the a***. The only up do I find does work most of the time is a high, messy bun. It is super easy to do so ill film a tutorial about it soon.

9. Washing your hair everyday is not good for your hair. I repeat, NOT good for your hair. But if you have curly hair, brushing it when dry is even worse. I have washed my hair everyday for years and my hair is pretty healthy. But it depends what works for you, just be sure to use a gentle shampoo.

10. Finding a good hairdresser is hard at the best of times, never mind about when you have curly hair. I suggest you go and see a few different hairdressers, sit down with them, talk to them about what it is you want to do with your hair, how much effort you want to put in to maintaining it, and see who feels right for you.

11. No my hair is not premed. My hair just naturally curly!

12. If I am being good? Every 3 months but I have not done it for about 6 now….It tends to go by feel. I can tell when my hair needs a cut by how hard it is to brush once I get to the ends.

13. Ummmm no? I sleep in a very funny position: I lift my hair on to my pillow first so it all on top and out of the way, and then put my head down and go to sleep.

14. Another really good question! A harsh shampoo is normally cheap and if you turn it around to read the ingredients the first or second ingredient will be sodium laurel sulfate, which is a detergent and surfactant found in many shampoos as its cheap and a very effective foaming agent, i.e. grate for creating rich foam in shampoos. The only problem is it can be very harsh and make your hair feel dry and brittle. And as we curly girl like to wash our hair everyday, we would be better off using something gentler. My personal favorite would have to be moroccanoil moisture repair shampoo. LINK:http://www.moroccanoil.com/

15. It really does depend what type of curls you have. I find the thicker you hair, the better cream formulas are, but my all time best products for curly hair is still mousse.

16. I prefer to let my hair dry naturally because diffusing it makes it frizzy and dry looking. But using a diffuser to create lift at the roots is amazing.

17. I’m afraid I can not help you with that one as I have never had it done, but all I can say is everyone I know who has, wishes they hadn’t. Think about it.

18. Getting a perm can go horribly wrong, and no one wants that.dry diffusing your hair or if your hair is poker straight, using a curling iron and a good strong hairspray.

19. Healthy diet and a good hair care.

20. Flip head upside down, mess up and go!

21. Ok hear it goes: when I’m in the shower I brush my hair when it is wet and I brush it into a side parting. Then in the morning when my hair is dry I flip my hair to the other side so it is full of volume. Super easy but yes I will do a video on it.

22. The amazing could not live without, tangle teaser. (and being me, it is the pink one)

23. After you dye your hair it does tend to be slightly dryer and harder to manage for the first week or so, and then it goes back to normal.

24. My hair is dark brown, but goes lighter in the sun very easily and I have also got a natural blonde streak in my hair that I have always had.

25. I do use heat protector, if I am using heat on my hair. In which case I will use the GHD heat protector for dry hair.

FAQ about curly hair- part 1

2011-07-27T00:54:00.000-07:00

questions

1. I love your hair! Can you PLEASE do a video on you actually applying the styling products?? I have hair similar to your and I can’t deal with it!

2. Wondering what products would work great for my thick, super frizzy, curl? Also, what products will make my hair tighter and more defined like your?

3. Do you use all of these products all at once? Or do you mean you just use them in general?

4. You said that you do your hair at night, so you put the products on your hair before you go to bed and when you wake up, all you do is just mess with it a bit and go on with your day? Can you do a video on putting the products in your hair and if you put it in a bun before bed, then show what you do in the morning.

5. How do you sleep with your hair, up in a bun or do you just leave it down? I always wash my hair in the morning because I fear sleeping on it will mess it up...

6. What kind of haircut do you have? Layers?

7. Do you wash your hair everyday?

8. Do you put your hair up? I am stuck in a long curly hair rut.

9. So you wash your hair everyday, right? I'm just wondering because a lot of people say you shouldn't, but you know....

10. Can you tell me how you found a hairdresser who does curly hair well? Do you struggle to find someone to cut it in the right layering?

11. Is your hair premed?

12. How often do your cut your ends?

13. Don’t the curls in the back of your head 'fall out’ when you sleep??

14. Can I ask how can we distinguish whether the shampoo is harsh or not?

15. Do you recommend creams for curly hair?

16. What are your views on hair drying curly hair like yours with a diffuser?

17. Does using a curl relaxer ruin your curls?

18. I want curly hair, would you recommend getting a perm?

19. How is your hair so long?

20. What’s your morning routine?

21. My hair is just as curly as yours, and I've been dying to achieve that thrown to the side look that you have. Please do a tutorial on the way you style your hair, please

22. What hair brush do you use?

23. Did your hair change after you dyed it?

24. What is your hair color?

25. Do you use a heat protector?

Summer OOTD- H&M

2011-07-08T05:09:00.000-07:00

Let it be, i do love H&M.
Super affordable fashion and I know I can always find somthing cute.

Case in point, I was after a black maxi dress for some time now, and good old H&M deliverd.

Dress- H&M

belt- H&M

sandles- H&M ( yea......I kind of like that shop)

Sunglasses- GUCCI

Ahhhhh, i'm in love with them!......speacking of glasses, how do you like these?

A Few holiday FOTD & OOTD!

2011-07-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

Just a few pics from my holiday....just easy summer make up and fashion.

Such fun.....:)

take care xxxx

Update!

2011-06-24T05:10:00.000-07:00

So sorry i have been such a naughty bloger!

I have been really ill lately, and have actually been in hispital all bloody week due to some odd heart problem i have foundout i have (DON'T PANIC! i'm fine, not sure what the prob is just yet, but all is good!)

So i'm home now resting and getting better so just wanted to say hey and i hope you are all doing well:)

See you soon!
xxxxxx

Product love- MAC face and body foundation

2011-06-07T04:18:00.000-07:00

I am a foundation junkie.
I'm such a sucker for things that promise amazing flawless skin.....and I love buying foundation in hope of finding a new amazing base for my make up.

That is the reason I decided to try MAC face and body foundation. Much loved by makeup artists around the world, this is water based foundation that can be used both on your body and on your face.

So what is it like you ask?
Well, I adore this product. It’s a very thin, runny almost water like formula.
When you apply it at first it feels very watery, but after about a minute it "sets".

This it what it loook like once you start to blend it in.

On the skin it just looks like skin, and that is what i love about it.It looks like fresh lovely dewy skin.

Its very sheer, natural coverge and I LOVE IT!

What do you think about think foundation?

Face of the day

2011-05-23T03:47:00.000-07:00

Nothing is as fun as new makeup is it now girls?

I went to MAC yesterday and picked up a few things, and used them all this morning.

Face of the day:

What i used:

On my face:
MAC face and body foundation in c4
laura mercier secret concealer in shade 3
YSL touch eclat under my brow bone as a highlighter
MAC something special cream blend blush

On my eyes:
MAC tecincal liner in graphblack
loreal volume millon lashes mascara
MAC I get no kick liner

Lips:
MAC creme de nude lipstick
MAC electric fuchsia lip gloss

I love this look, i'ts not my usual look and i like it as it makes a nice change:).

My first outfit of the day !

2011-05-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

This is my first OOTD post....super fun! I had a lovely day out and this was what I had on:

My dress was from TOPSHOP
My grey blazer (love this too death!) is from ZARA
My nude pumps (also love them too death) are from TOPSHOP
My bag was from a shop I don't ever go in really, NEXT.

Hope you enjoy this post! xxxx

Curvy and happy-part 2

2011-05-21T02:30:00.000-07:00

I spoke to a friend once who told me the way she learned to love her self was to write down a list of ten things she liked about her self and read them everyday until you start to believe them. The visible problem is though if you feel the need to do this, chances are that you don’t like much anyway. I sat down and tried to think “what do I like about myself?” but only 3 thins came to mind and I can assure you my belly, bum legs and boobs were not any of them. Out of all the women I know I don’t know a single one who has got no body issues at all. Its like its ingrained inside us buy the question is why?

As you may notice I ask why a lot and no it’s not because iv got no idea my self and am waiting for someone to tell me I just don’t understand. I don’t understand why it is we do this to one another and yes it is us not the men. How many men do you know who think Nicole richi is attractive? None. How many do you know who think Kelly brook is attractive? Or Jennifer Lopez? Exactly. But you see there lays another problem because those women although the are not skinny they have perfectly round proportioned bodies not like most of us normal girls. When men look at a woman’s body the tend to see the overall shape and that is what they like, that figure of 8 shape. Us girls on the other hand tend to, like in every other part of life, tend to see the small details.

How many men do you know who care about things like stretch marks and cellulite? Not many is it? But now how many women do u know who don’t sleep at night because of their cellulite situation.

Curvy and happy

2011-05-13T12:35:00.000-07:00

This time last year I weighed in at a massive 70 kilos. Now when I say massive I mean for my ting 5 ft 1 and a half frame. I was a huge mountain of a girl and I had never been that big before.

This may be the beginning of the journey for me, the beginning of self acceptance but seen as how I’m sat hear looking at pictures and article of shrinking celebrities I somehow highly doubt it.

You see, in my mind I have always been the “fat girl”. At the age of 10 I got my first period and therefore got boobs and a bum very soon too. I always loved the curvy hourglass shape women had but at the age of 10 11 12 I didn’t fully understand what it meant. it bothered people around me that I was a bit curvier then average and so it started to bother me. By the age of 13 I started dieting, silly stupid diets that involved a cucumber and horrid dry toast. Did it work? Yes. I lost weight and at the age of 14 I was around 8 and a half stone and everyone said I looked grate. But by then it had become clear to everyone that I have a problem. But the problem with so many of us is we are not anorexic or bulimic and super skinny, we r just insecure and our minds are so filled up and over occupied with how we should look that we can never stop and think that maybe, just maybe we are fine the way we are?

Why is it that we, as women have this constant need to better ourselves? We do we feel the need to compare our self’s to other woman? The answer is very simple: I don’t know.

I don’t know and you don’t know but hopefully at the end of this process maybe some of us should have an idea.

Why is this coming from and beauty bloger you may ask? I have dealt with this all my life and if I can help one girl deal with this, I will be more then happy.

take care xxxx

Product love- Laura mercia secret concealer

2011-05-11T01:24:00.000-07:00

All my life I have suffered from darkness under my eyes, and I am always on the lookoout for a great under eye concealer to make me look fresh, polished and awake!

A perfect under eye concealer should:

Be a smooth lightweight consistency
Have amazing coverage but not look cakey and crease.
instantly brighten up the area
Be easy to blend
Stay looking freash all day long.

Not too much to ask for is it now?!

During my life long serech for the perfect concealer, I came across the Laura mercia secret concealer.

This is such a lovely product. I have it in the shade 3, which has a lovely peachey undertone so it does an amazing job at covering up the sleepless nights!

It's a lovely creamy consistency, super easy to blend (I use a fluffy eyeshadow brush to blend it perfectly) and yes, it is pricey but oh so worth it as you need a tiny amount each use. This is a MUST MUST have for me.

Have any of you tried it? what did you think? x

How to get shiny sleek hair

2011-04-30T06:17:00.000-07:00

This is my beautiful younger sister.

Her hair is slightly problematic. It can get very oily at the roots but very dry at the ends. Her hair is lovely and wavey but as it needed a good cut we decided to give her a nice sleek look.

I started by washing her hair with pantene pro v aqua light shampoo as its vey slight and leaves your hair feeling fresh and clean.

I then used the Loreal Elvive hair cream smooth intense mask for a nice sleek feel, washed it out and used a heat protector on it.

I then blow dried her hair with a round brush to give it some body, and ran my GHD'S over it very lightly to just give the hair that sleek polished look.

Befor:

After:

Her hair is lovely all the time but dont we all love a change every now and then?

Face of the day

2011-04-29T06:06:00.000-07:00

It was pretty warm today so i wanted an easy summery (and fast as i was late!) look.

On my face i used:

NARS sheer glow foundation in barcelona.
loreal glam bronze bronzer in 04 unviversal sun
MUA blusher in shade 1
YSL touche eclat under my eyes to hide how low on sleep i was!

On my eyes i used:

A light coat of loreal volume million lashes
M.A.C eye kohl in I get no kick on my water line
Maxfactor smoky eye effect eyeshadow in bronze haze

On my lips i used:

Revlon gloss in coral reef

I like this look, it's pretty and natural and i love the bronze side of the eyeshadow as it looks AMAZING on green eyes (mine are hazel, but this shadow really make the green in them pop)

What do we think?

Meaningful beauty cindy crawford Deep Cleansing Masque

2011-04-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

A friend in the US told me about this company and as soon as I looked on the website I was very pleasantly surprised. So many celebs nowdays like to attache their name to a product and then take a huge load of cash for it even thoght i'm sure half the time they dont even really know much about it . However, that is not the case with this . International world famous supermodel cindy crawford has set up this skincare line, which is targeted at women in their 40's (and the 100000 of older women who want to look like cindy) and claim to prevet wrinkels and againg of the skin.

So why am I using this you ask? well,I liked the sound of the Deep Cleansing Masque.

this masque is infused with antioxidants and marine extracts.
It claims to:

Purifiey, deep cleans, and revives stressed looking out skin.

help promote collagen for more youthful-looking skin.

Does it work?
This is a nice product but by no means is it ground breaking . The scent is nice and mildly mintey, and the consistency is a thin white cream.

It feels nice and fresh on the skin and does dry slightly but not in that "I can't move my face clay mask " way. My only problem with this is it dosn't really do anything for your skin. Your skin will feel nice and cleant but I have used so many other face Masques that work so much better.

And sadly no, it didn't make me look as beautiful as cindy!

Review time: Soap & glory flake away body scrub

2011-04-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

I do love a good body scrub and soap & glory have really lovely body scrubs in thier range.

The lastest one i have tried is the flake away scrub that contains shea butter, suger and peach seeds.

So my lovey ladies, you ask what is it like?

True to this company, the packging is super cute and retro.

The consistency is lovely, thick, ever so slightly oily and very moisturising and leaves the skin feeling very smooth with a lovely sheen due to the shea butter (not so good as a pre- fake tan scrub for that reason)

The scent is really lovely it's sweet, peachy and yummy!

This is a lovely body scrub that would be great for those of us with dryer skin who still like a good scrub that feels like it is doing somthing and helpin make your skin look and feel amazing.

have any of you tryed this? what did you think?

My favorite make up looks

2011-04-23T08:14:00.000-07:00

What with so much amazing makeup on the market and even more amazing make up images for us to see, it can be a little overwhelming.

Still, there are always looks that will never go out of style. They just change and you must adapt them self's to the current trend but the core of them will never change.

Smokey eyes with a pale lip- I think the reason this look works time after time is it is so versitle. Creating a smokey eye has never been easyer and you can use any shade you wish. As for the lips, they can be a pink nude or a beige nude, matte or glossy you just need to find the shade that works best on your skintone to avoide it washing you out.

Always a fan of the smokey eye and nude lip, the lovely kim k

Flawless glowing skin- The reason this look is so loved is because it's universally flattering. We all want to have amazing skin that looks clear, bright glowing, healthy and full of dimension. This can be a little harder to create, as skin is effected by so many things, but a good basic skincare routine, a good night's sleep and plenty of water along with some help from a good foundation, concealer and proucuts that add structure to the facelike bronzer and hilghter can really work wonders.

Red lipstick- This one has always been such a classic because it is as old as time.Old school movie startes would use red lipstick and that vibe has stuck around. I personally love a cool toned red lip with pale skin but there are so many ways you can wear a red lip:

Super sleek and classy

Young and funkey

Strong brows- I love a good strong brow. I really dislike thin brows with no presence. brows are such an important part of your face, it is a crime to not use them to your advantge! all women should fill in thier brows and give them a little more structure as it can make such an impact to your face.

The bronze godess- Think J LO when you think of this look. Its fun, sun kissed and super sexy and gives that " I just got back from hoilday" feel.

What are your favorite make up looks?

My hair story

2011-04-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

I get so many comments on youtube everyday asking me about my hair. I know I talk about it on youtube all the time but I did mention that my hair use to be blonde, it is naturally brown and i did have it black at one point!

I love the color it is now, because it it full of demition and looks natural but I wanted to give you a few pics of my hair before.

My natural hair

My blonde days :s

I had a full head of highlights

I made a huge mistake and used sun in :(

Then when i was older, i wanted a change so yes i went for black!

And now my hair is a mix of what is left from when i has it black, my natural color and the natural blonde part i have always had, and because my hair was blonde and then black, my ends have a very light redish tint to them that I really like.

I have really changed and played with my hair over the years and have done some very foolish things to it (sun in anyone?!?) but I dont regret it it was just somthing i had to do and get it out of my system.

How have you abused your hair over the years? LOL

Hair envey

2011-04-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

What is it about hair?
As women, it is so common to say you hate your hair or be having a "bad hair day". When it come to hair why is it always a case of the grass is always greener?

Hair is always there, sitting on top of your head waiting. Wating for you to brush it, cut it, dye it, wash it style it and it is easyer then say, changing your body.

As women we always want to change somthing about our self and hair does give you that power. The power to change your mousy brown hair in to glossy blonde locks.
At the same time, i think we all have insecurities(well about almost everything but hey, thats us girls for you!) about our hair.

There will always be a girl on TV , at work or even some poor girl walking past you in the street who will have amazingly beautiful hair and then, enter what we call hair envey.

We all have our issues about our hair

I would love my hair to be this long

Or had this much body.

If you have curly hair, you will always want straight sleek hair, and if your hair is straight you would love a full head of curls, that is just the way the world works. Perfect hair takes alot of work.............and how many of us are willing to put that amount of work in to HAIR? well, most of us ladies.

Do you have hair envey? if so who is it?

My style icons- sarah jessica parker

2011-04-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

I love looking at photos of amazing beautiful women and getting inspired by their amazing different looks.

My first style icon is not very surprising or original, yes it is sarah jessica parker.
What can I say about her really i mean the woman is just the epitomy of fashion and style. And yes i know her SATC looks are down to the amazing stylist patricia fields but hey, if you can wear a ballerina dress and an over the top hats and look really fab rather then totally silly, I take my hat off to you.
Take this photo for example, I love this look. so modern yet ladylike classy, fun and chic.

I love this look too.
I love how over the top she can be the hair, the huge flower but then she mixes it up with the dark gladiator sandals.

How can we talk about SJP without mentioning the shoes?!?
I love shoes just as much as her and i love how fun her shoes always are.

Finally,I love her curly hair! as a curly girl too, I know it can be hard to embrace it and it can also get in the way of getting that classy polished look. Yet SJP always look fun and chic with her beautiful curly hair.

do you LOVE SJP'S style as much as i do?

Review time: neutrogena wave power cleanser

2011-04-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

Truth be told I would really love a clarisonic.
However,they are so pricy that I find myself always looking at skin brushes,exfoliating sponges and just skincare gadgets in genrall really! trying to find a cheaper dupe for the coveted clarisonic so in true carrie bradshaw style, i couldnt help but wonder when i saw this product if it could be the answer to my prayers.

Well, it's not.
The neutrogena wave power cleanser uses gentle vibrations to cleanse your skin in a more efficient way. The starter pack contains the wave, a single AA battery, as well as a two week supply of single-use, disposable cleansing pads. How it works is you attache a pad to the wave, wet it, switch it on and start to run it over your face.
this is the wave

The wave is very fast and easy to use,It can be used at a sink or in the shower ,It only takes up as much space as a bar of soap and your skin will feel amazingly soft after using it. It is a nice idea but i just feel like it may be to gental, even for everyday use. Also, the foam the pads produces if of a very thin constancy and I like a thicker foam.

I do think if your are a very lazy person when it comes to cleansing your face this would be perfect for you as it is so easy to use.

have you tried it? what are your thoughts about this product?

Battle of the gradual tanners!

2011-04-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

Yes girls, it is that time of year again.
The weather is getting warmer, the sun comes out and you look in the mirror and think, "i look like casper the ghost!"
Personally I think everyone looks good with a hint of color, but after being coverd up all winter starting to use fake tan does seem like a huge unwanted task. Enter the gradual self tanner!
Just like body lotion, these products are designed to moisturise your skin, but give a faint hint of a tan at the same time.

pros:
Easy to use
Genrally dont have that dreaded fake tan scent
You can build the tan gradually

cons:
Gradual tanners tend to give more of a sun kissed glow, rather then a bronzed goddess look.

my favourite gradual tanners are:

Dove summer glow

garnier summer body

Both theses products smell lovely and fresh and summery, and best of all they give you a lovely summer glow.
How do you feel about gradual tanners?

Face of the day

2011-04-19T01:36:00.000-07:00

I went out last night and just felt like doing a nice sexy smokey eye with a nude lip to match.
not very adventurous I know, but am I the only one who feels like there is something very safe about this combo? no matter how I feel I know it always looks good and feels sexy.

what i used:

And may i just say, i love NARS sheer glow so much!

The look:

how do we feel about the fail-safe option of a smoky eye and nude lip combo, classic sexy or boring?

New blog!

2011-04-18T07:38:00.000-07:00

hey everyone,
so yes, i gave in and opend a blog...I'm going to be doing face of the day and outfit of the day post and talking about things i dont talk about on my youtube channel.
hope you enjoy:) x