Hair dye cravings!

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...

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.....

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!

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 +

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

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!

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?"