Yearly Archives: 2012

Skincare tip for Oily and Spot Prone Skin *Guest Post*

22nd October 2012

Having oily and spot-prone skin can sometimes feel like a constant battle to hide blemishes and keep
spots under control. The good news is that there is a wide range of products on the market which are specifically targeted at this problematic skin type.

To help keep your spot prone skin under control, you may need to give it a little more TLC than those with normal skin. Most of these processes can be easily adopted as part of your daily cleansing routine and using the right products is always essential.

Cleanse twice daily

It is important that people with oily skin cleanse both in the morning and at night to ensure that their pores are kept clear. Clogged pores are one of the biggest culprits in causing spots so addressing this issue will have an immediate effect.

If you have oily skin you should also use a “soapy” or gel based cleanser as these will help strip any excess oil away from your skin and clean pores more deeply than other options.

Always use a toner

For those with oily skin, your skin care regime needs to be more thorough and comprehensive than those with normal skin. In the effort to ensure all traces of dirt and oil are removed, cleansers are not always sufficient. Applying a toner with a cotton ball after cleansing will remove any of these leftover traces of grease and dirt – giving you a clean canvas on which to moisturise.

Pay particular attention to grease prone areas such as the chin, nose and forehead, which can be especially susceptible to spots.

Use a light moisturiser

Moisturisers come in a whole range of consistencies to cater to every type of skin. Take the Johnson’s Skin Care range for example. These include moisturisers which are specifically designed to optimise the look and feel of all types of skin, from oily complexions to those with dry and flaky skin.

Whilst many people with oily skin tend to skip on using moisturiser in the belief it will only make their skin greasier, this is a huge mistake. All skin needs to be moisturised in order to replace the moisture it loses during the day. Oily skin sufferers should opt for a light moisturiser which will help give their skin the moisture it needs without clogging up the pores.

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Sarenza Shoe(s) of the Week

22nd October 2012

This week I’ve managed to narrow down my two favourite pairs of shoes on Sarenza to just two; makes a change right? Believe it or not I’m finding it hard to get enthused about shoes at the moment purely because I can’t really wear any still.

Irregular Choice is a brand that divides opinion, you either seem to love and defend them, or flat out loathe them. I’m in the first camp although it took me a while to get there, and I am LOVING these two new styles:

Baby Beauty £92

Abigails Party £92

Despite how they look, Irregular Choice shoes are incredibly comfortable and these beauties will be perfect for upcoming party season!

Are you an Irregular lover? Char, Alex I’m looking at you! (these girls bought me my very first pair)

xxx

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Making my Kindle Cooler with Caseable

21st October 2012

A must have accessory for this fall/winter season is a case from caseable! Whatever your favorite fashion trend is, we give you the ability to express your unique style while protecting your electronics.

We offer a range of hand-crafted cases for laptops, iPads, Kindles and more — all made from recycled materials in Brookyln, NY. Customize your own case: choose from our endless pre-made style and color combinations or upload your own image for an accessory we’re sure no one else will have (but everyone will envy!).

When the above e-mail dropped in to my inbox with an invite to try out the service I didn’t hesitate in saying yes (grabby blogger much?!)
My Kindle and I are rarely separated and I’ve been looking for a new case to house it in for quite some time. I used one of caseables pre-made designs as I loved the stars and colours but also had a play with the custom options which would make a wonderful gift if you are starting your Christmas shopping. Shipping took a little while as it came from overseas (and of course, had to be made) but I am delighted with my new case and so is Claude; the now rather feminine Kindle.

Caseable isn’t limited to Kindle covers though, you can customise anything from laptop cases to phone covers. As an example, a custom case for your iPhone will cost you £24.90 which I don’t think is bad going for something completely unique. The website is user friendly and great for a play around. It’s not an every day indulgence but for a special gift or treat for your treasured gadget I can’t recommend the service enough…and I know I was sent my case to review, but trust me, my opinions are mine and mine alone; if you know me, I’m not backwards in coming forwards if I don’t like something!

What case would you design? I’ll be designing some as gifts for special Birthdays and (ssh) Christmas for sure!

xxx

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Fashion Culprit

21st October 2012

Dress c/o Fashion Culprit, Tights c/o welovecolors, Boots: Yull.

I do love a good little black dress, and even more so one that is versatile enough to be dressed down for day and up for night.

This one from Fashion Culprit ticks all the right boxes; worn yesterday for a mooch (hobble) around some shops, and I can also see ways to work it with a blazer for work and with some bold accessories for a girly pub night. Winner. All that and it only costs £15! Don’t let the cheap price put you off, this is made with good quality, thick material meaning it hangs nicely and keeps it’s shape. Of course, to sweeten the deal there is the heart cut out back, too. I want one in every colour!

I’ve been feeling sorry for myself with my injured foot all week so treated myself to a few new beauty bits too, making the most of the 3 for 2 offer in href
=”http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=2041&id=118255″ target=”_blank”>Boots.com. I always find new mascaras best after a few uses so when the above was the result after one coat of the first usage I was impressed. I haven’t had a chance to test the nail polishes yet but seeing other bloggers who have is making me excited!

Are you a Fashion Culprit?

What new beauty buys have you snapped up lately?

xxx

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Snacking Saturday: The Simply Bar

20th October 2012
Now, I’m no athlete (or even remotely sporty) but I do find protein filled snack bars have an importance place in my diet; long day travelling or a crazy shift at work? These make a powerful dent in my appetite and provide energy and nutrition to last me until I can get a proper meal. When Simply Bar got in touch to announce that their bars had finally made it to UK shores and offered me a sample I was keen to try them out, swung by the short ingredients list and fabulous sounding flavours.

Here’s what they have to say:

“Our product is like no other snack bar on the market. The Simply Bar­­ is a high protein, low sugar, low fat, low glycemic bar with only a handful of natural ingredients. Founder Cathy Richards created the Simply Bars after experiencing difficulties finding snacks that didn’t upset her stomach. She has Crohn’s Disease.

Each bar contains 16 g protein, paired with 2-4g of fat, under 3 g of sugar, 4 g of fiber, and 160 calories or less. Each bar is based on Non GMO soy crisps along organic brown rice syrup. All the cocoa bars are made with organic cocoa mass (we promise this is easy to digest). Check out how The Simply Bar compares to other bars on the market. http://www.thesimplybar.co.uk/compare.html

Loved by many, The Simple Bar makes a great snack for athletes (pre and post workout), vegans, health conscience individuals and those suffering from Celiac, Crohn’s and  IBS.  In addition to it being a great snack, The Simply Bar is gluten free, low GI, dairy free, Kosher and easy-to-digest”

As you can see from the photo at the top of the post the packaging is neat, clean and simple clearly stating what the bar promises and what it delivers. I was sent three of the four flavours available and my thoughts are as follows:

Lemon Coconut: I expected to hate this bar to be honest. I’m not a fan of lemon flavoured anything but in the spirt of fairness I gave this a go whilst travelling up to London on Tuesday knowing I’d need something to hold me over until we could grab a late dinner. The verdict? I loved it! Sometimes I surprise myself, honestly. The lemon flavour was delicate and didn’t overshadow the sweet distinct flavour of the coconut. The bar didn’t leave my mouth dry like some protein bars have done and I would go as far as to say this was my favourite of the bunch. 5/5

Chocolate Peanut Butter: Anyone who knows me by now would expect me to have loved this bar. I didn’t dislike it but it wasn’t my favourite. The peanut butter flavour wasn’t very strong and there was a slight drying edge to the bar. I may have just had one that had been stored too long (these arrived a couple of weeks ago) so I wouldn’t rule it out in the future. It was perfectly edible and still enjoyable, I think I had allowed the flavours to set my expectations too high. This bar saw me through a horrible afternoon at work keeping my blood sugar steady and my energy flowing. 3/5

Cinnamon Pecan: One word, YUM! This could almost replace the Lemon Coconut as my top bar, I love cinnamon, and combined with the pecans this was wonderfully autumnal and really enjoyable. I don’t really know what else I can add to that except try it! 4/5

Most importantly for me, these bars lived up to their promise of being suitable for those with IBS as often new to me foods can trigger that off. Vegans, Coeliacs and low GI folk can enjoy these too which has to be a good thing. At no more than 160 calories per bar these are great if you are on a weight loss diet, or if like me your on a weight gain plan then they make a good addition to another snack (bananas are a good pairing, as is popcorn and biscuits; I’ve tried all three combos!).

You can buy the bars online and I’ve heard on the grapevine that they are looking to launch in to UK retailers soon.

These aren’t cheap, a sample box of 8 bars will cost almost £15 but that’s comparable to other protein bars on the market and the list of ingredients I can pronounce plus the fact you probably wouldn’t eat these every day makes it worth it to me!

Have you tried the Simply Bar yet? Got any other protein packed snacks to share?

xxx

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