BlogMas #10 - Fashion

A Tuxedo blazer is great for a different take on party dressing, great for glam looks.

Cosmopolitan Magazine

BlogMas #8 - Diet

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”  - Virginia Woolf

The foods that get you going and your brain going are all about protein, healthy fats Omega-3s and the kind of key nutrients you can only get from healthy grains, vegetables and “foods for thought.”

BlogMas #7 - Self

Remember to put yourself first this Christmas season. The shopping, cooking and everything else can wait. If you do not take care of yourself then you cannot take care of anyone else. Plan a little pampering such as a facial or a massage as a treat to ready you for the season. 

xx

BlogMas #6 - Legs

The sun might be hiding, but that does not mean you should drop the ball of exfoliating your pins. Keep up your exfoliating routine through the Winter, the same as you did during the Spring and Summer. This way your legs  will stay smooth, toned and flake free.

For some added oopmh apply shimmer lotion to legs before a night out. 

xx

BlogMas Day 5 - Decorating

    Decorating your home for the Christmas season can get tricky and sometimes expensive. Grab a clear glass vase from your nearest Ikea or ASDA home, craft glue and glitter. Apply the glue around the rim of the vase, sprinkle your choice of glitter onto the glue and leave to dry. 

    There you go sparkly festive Christmas decor. 
David Tutera

BlogMas Day 3 - "7 (surprising) Beauty Dos" for you this Christmas

Mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into shampoo to help remove build up from hair. - Ted Gibons, Hairstylist

Use a paint roller to apply tan in tricky areas like your back. - James Read, Tan Expert

Use half an eyelash curler to shape unruly brows. - Cher Webb MAC Cosmetics, Senior Makeup Artist

No nail polish remover? Apply a top coat and quickly swipe off. - Benjamin Puckey, Makeup Artist

Mix a pea sized amount of a darker foundation with your usual shade for a sunkissed glow. - Sarah Jossel, Glamour Junior Beauty Editor

To slim your nose sweep non shimmer highlighter down the middle. - Wendy Rowe Make-up Artist

Dab Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream on the top of cheekbones to look super glowy in photos. Phillipa Pearne, glamour Deputy Beauty Editor.  

Glamour Magazine October 2013 

Family Time

These are just some pics my cousin took of me today, after our  mad dash to the supermarket.  Sundays we get together at my aunts house to eat, chill and hang out. 

Sitting on the picnic table in the garden. 

God, Food and Family, perfect day. 

Shades - Giorgio Armani

Jacket - Joules Oakwaood

Shirt - Dorothy Perkins

Jeans - Bershka

Loafers - Dune

Stay blessed and centered my lovelies.

xx 

OOTD

I will admit this is more of a half an outfit of the day post, since my legs are cut off in the pictures. A fact I realised too late.  

Shades - Giorgio Armani

Jacket - Joules Oakwood A/W13 

Jumper - H&M A/W13

Shirt - H&M circa 09

Trousers - GAP Ultra Skinny Trouser

Bag - Lonchamp Le Pliage Medium Navy Tote

xx

Boots Star Gift - Sanctuary Ultimate Glow Pamper Tin

A little bit of self indulgence is on offer this week available from Boots. The Sanctuary Ultimate Glow Pamper Tin (sounds like the perfect prep before a night out) is on offer at the cost of £19 per tin. 

                                                     

The Ultimate Pamper Tin Contains:
-Body Wash (250ml)
-Body Lotion (250ml)
-Radiance Exfoliator (100ml)
-Fresh Faced Purifying Wash (140ml 
-Pumice Foot Scrub (50ml)
-Moisture Rich Foot Butter (50ml)
-Spa Pedicure Foot File
-Spa Skin Body Polisher
-Spa Facial Headband

Not only does the set include everything you need to get yourself ready for a glittery night out. It also comes with instructions. lol 

How to Use

Body Wash: Massage on to damp skin then rinse away. Therapist’s Tip: Finish your shower with a blast of cold water – as cold as you dare - to tone your skin, close pores and awaken your senses.

Body Lotion: Massage generously into clean skin after bathing to help awaken your senses, stimulate circulation and soften skin. Therapist’s Tip: Massage the lotion into slightly damp skin to lock in moisture and leave your skin satin smooth.

Radiance Exfoliator: 1. After cleansing, while face is still damp, apply a pea-sized quantity of the scrub & massage into skin. 2. Use upward circular movements paying particular attention to nose, forehead & chin. 3. Rinse thoroughly with warm water. 4. Pat dry & apply Illuminating Moisture Lotion. Therapists Tip: This exfoliator can also be used on the back of hands to help even skin tone.

Fresh Faced Purifying Wash: 1. Add a splash of water to the product and rub between hands to activate the foam. 2. Work over face and neck in an upwards circular motion using your fingertips. 3. Rinse thoroughly with warm water. 4. Pat dry and sweep Pore Refining Toner over face and neck. 5. Finish with a Sanctuary moisturiser.

Pumice Foot Scrub: Massage into damp skin from the base of the heel towards the toes. Rinse away the scrub and pat dry.

Moisture Rich Foot Butter: Massage the Sanctuary Moisture Rich Foot Butter generously all over both feet. For a more luxurious spa treatment, use with the Sanctuary Moisture Locking Socks.

Another great gift idea for you my lovelies.

xx

Christmas Wishlist 2013

        Keeping it short and sweet this year on the gifting front. Top of the list are two books which I am dying to get my hands on. Next on the list up are makeup brushes and the ever essential headphones for listening to music on my nano.

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants  by Malcolm Gladwell

Gentlewoman by Enitan Bereola

Never Wrestle with a Pig - Mark McCormack

Don't Waste Your Pretty -  Demetria Lucas

Models Own Angle Blush Brush

Eco Tools Retractable Kabuki Brush 

Apple Headphones - White

Eco Tools Powder Brush 

Soap and Glory Good, Butter, Best Gift set

Soap and Glory Once Upon a Lime Gift set.

MAC vouchers

 Boots vouchers

Boots Star Gift - Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Winter Essentials Kit

This weeks star gift comprises an industry classic, the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant loved by many a beauty blogger and skincare enthusiast. I succumbed a few years ago and purchased a tub of this stuff, and I must say it definitely comes in handy. 

"Eight Hour Cream was created more than seventy years ago, in 1930, by Miss Arden herself and was the first ever cosmetic product to bear the Elizabeth Arden name. The product name, 'Eight Hour Cream', takes its inspiration from a loyal customer who claimed that the cream helped to heal her son's scraped knee in just eight hours. Since its debut, Eight Hour Cream has escalated to near cult status. Testimonials from customers attest to the product's miraculous healing capabilities. Its wonderful versatility also makes this product a favourite of models and makeup artists alike.

This skincare classic restores, calms and helps relieve chapped, cracked skin. It works efficiently to sooth roughness, redness and minor skin irritations." 

Set includes

• Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Moisturizing Hand Treatment 30ml
• Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant 30ml
• Elizabeth Arden Eight hour Cream Lip Protectant stick
• Moisturizing Eight Hour gloves and socks, perfect for an overnight intensive treatment
•  the gift also includes voucher for 500 Advantage Card points redeemable instore with the purchase of any Eight Hour Skin Protectant original or fragrance free 50ml

There you have it my lovelies, 

this weeks star gift  from Boots. 

As always happy shopping 

and happy saving. 

xxx

Winter Skincare Series- Hand cream

     Hand cream is not only a Winter must have, but a year round must have, a handbag must have and a desk top must have. Your hands are one part of your body which is always exposed, we see and use them quite often. Our hands are very delicate and often start showing signs of ageing quickly, hence the need to moisturise. 

Handbag Handcreams

     The L'occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream this cream is quite thick but it absorbs quickly without any greasy after feeling. This come in a varying amount of sizes 10ml, 30ml (the size shown above) and  150ml. The 30ml is priced at £8, and the 150ml is £17.50. 

Desktop Creams

      These are the creams which are great not just in size but value, yes the L'occitane cream is great but there are great choices also available from the lower priced brands. I do not like using my handbag cream at work, because at times I tend to forget it. For me it is better to have different creams with their individual uses and assigned purposes.  These are the hand creams which I use at work because of the larger sized tubes. They are convenient for me to use at work, aka I can use as much hand cream as I like without fearing they will finish at any moment. 

 These hand creams are great follow ups to the L'occitane Shea Butter hand cream. they are moisturising but not greasy.  The Garnier hand cream is 100ml and is priced at £2.50 - £3.50 depending on where you purchase. The Jergens hand creams are £3 - £3.50. 

Double Duty 
This is a mini body butter this is a great body cream which can also double as a hand cream. The small 50ml size makes it a great size to be used for a weekend away or for sharing with friend. 

Check out my post on body butters here

Check out my post on shower creams here

Check out my review on the L'occitane hand cream here

My Winter Beauty Essentials

     Hello there I thought with the weather turning you guys would be interested to see what items I think are vital to me at the moment. It is a mixture of products some skincare, others are bodycare and some makeup. 

Nivea Essential Care lip balm  (the one with the dark blue cover) - the first item on the list is a lip product, with the weather so dry at the moment, lips are so easy to get chapped. I have been purchasing this for over 10 years. It is an oldie but a goodie, plus it's recession proof (aka very affordable). It is such a good product for me to quickly put on my lips to keep them moisturized and it is small so I can easily put in it in my handbag or my cosmetics case/makeup bag.

Palmers Shea Body Butter - this is another product which is very winter proof and recession proof, with the central heating and the cold air outside, I have been using this to keep my skin supple and away from  *the ash*.

Purell Hygienic Hand Rub - winter is the feeding ground for colds and flu, I have been using this hand sanitiser to keep myself germ free.what I love about the Purell sanitiser compared to others on the market, is the fact that it does not dry out your hands. 

Lotus Olbas oil Vapour Release Tissues - *whatyouknowaboutthat* yes its winter so runny noses come with the territory. I have been using these tissues to keep my nose dry, but also to keep my sinus passage clear. These tissues have been sprayed with tiny capsules of Olbas oil, so when I am going to use them I just crush the tissues up to release the oil vapour. Then I breathe in the vapours as I blow my nose.

 Boots Anti -Viral Tissues -  they claim to kill 99% of the cold and flu virus, cannot hurt I use them interchangeably with the Olbas oil tissues. Essential for the random runny nose.

Wet ones Be zingy Antibacterial Wipes - these are great, the original wet wipes, I use them on my hands, face or body as needed, and the citrus scent is great for the winter when everything is so blah. 

Shower Creams -  now I know that there is a great debate going on regarding shower gel and if it gets your body as clean as soap does. However I love shower gels/body washes.  For the winter I have been loving shower creams, shower creams are like shower gels/body washes but they have in more moisturizers and less sulphates ( the ingredient that causes the bubbles/lather). Products which contain less or no sulphates are less drying on the skin. The ones that I have been using are Original source Shea Butter and Honey shower cream (I have gone through 2 bottles already), Original source Vanilla and Raspberry shower cream ( this smells good enough to eat, reminds me of cupcake toppings), The Body Shop Shea shower cream, and The Body Shop Coconut shower cream.

Soap and Glory Some like it hot body softening Thermal Scrub - its an exfoliator, with all these layers upon layers, I make sure to keep my skin smooth by exfoliating twice a week. 

 Cowshed Cowslip soothing hand cream - Got to keep away the ash, I use this hand cream to keep my hands moisturized. As you know the hands are the first to show signs of aging , I am keeping them looking as young as possible for as long as possible. lol

xx

Miss Mai

Review: Organic Root Stimulator Olive oil, Oil moisturizing Hair Lotion (hair fave)

Wheew well that was a mouthful and yes that is actually the name of a single product, lol Here is a photograph. 

     I love love love this stuff. I definitely recommend it to all my girlies both relaxed and natural. The first two ingredients are water and coconut oil so this is a product which is def up there in the moisturizer category. It is very thick and rich which is especially good for cold/freezing climates when thicker conditioners and moisturizers are needed. This is also great for persons who live in hot or humid climates, all you have to do is use it in small amounts ---> a little goes a long way. 

     Also you could thin out the formula by squeezing approximately 1/2 the bottle into a container and adding 2  large tablespoons (the big one) of olive oil yes that same olive oil you have in your kitchen cooking with. Store in a cool space out of direct sunlight) This thinned out formula works great in the summer time for my relaxed hair, when I want my hair moisturized but not clumped down with products. This hair lotion is fairly CHEAP so this is what I call a recession proof product. Unless your hair absolutely HATES this there is no way you can go wrong. 

Lipstick Faves for Autumn/Winter

   Hey guys and gals long time no blog. This is just a quick list to tell you my Lipsticks that I will be wearing for the winter months. Now even though not all of my readers are in a cold climate like I am they will be sure to take away something from this post. 

Avon - A kiss of pink , this is a hybrid between a lipstick and a lipglos, it goes on smoothly and gives a great finish.

Sleek True colour  - Majestic, this is a gorgeous deep berry/plum shade it gives a matte finish, so you may want to pair with a gloss. 

Pics of my wearing Sleek Stiletto lipstick to a prohibition party....xx

Sleek True Colour - Stiletto, this is a lovely red matte lipstick with a tiny hint of an orange undertone, but not garish. You may pair with a gloss.

M.A.C. - Ruby woo this is a red liptick with blue undertones, it  also has a matte finish. This is the holy holy holy grail of red lipsticks, it looks great on every skin tone under the sun. I have it on good authority that it tends to be very drying so please make sure lips are well moist to prevent chapping, pairs well with Cherry lipliner also from MAC.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waDA_WaU6TA&feature=channel_video_title M.A.C Artist Caroline D. Creating a look that is as much red carpet glamorous as rock and roll rebel, she demonstrates the secrets to achieving an iconic red mouth. She is using RubyWoo lipstick from M.A.C.

Estee Lauder Pure Colour - Red apple, this is another berry lipstick it is a lighter berry, and has a lustre finish.

Rimmel London Lasting finish by Kate Lipstick - #01 this is a gorgeous true red lipstick which has a lustre finish. It is not too bright nor too dark, it is just perfect and at £5.49. with this baby you are guaranteed to turn heads and stop a few roads of traffic. 

Here they are  Red Apple, Kate Moss #01, Ruby Woo, and Majestic, Stiletto has pulled a disappearing act on me at the moment. 

Special mentions :

Sleek tinted lip conditioner in Scandal which is a delicious blood red lip conditioner.

Revlon superloustrous lipgloss in Firecracker.

I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and... I believe in miracles.

Audrey Hepburn