24th May 2020 – Bank Holiday

Bank holiday looking a bit different this year… Pamper evening, sooo much skincare complemented with silk pyjamas and a hot chocolate.

🤍 Dry body brush – using a dry brush will exfoliate your skin, stimulate circulation and help with lymphatic drainage (eliminates body toxins).

🤍 Cleanse – @caudalie purifying gel cleanser.

🤍 Face mask – @bodyshop Himalayan charcoal left on for 10 minutes.

🤍 Hot bath – @sanexuk shower gel incredibly good for your skin as it’s so gentle!

🤍 Moisturise moisturise moisturise. @aveeno

🤍 Sheet mask – left on for 15 minutes – always rub in the excess serum on your face! I use a jade roller which helps products penetrate the skin amongst many other things, definitely something to invest in!

🤍Moisturise – using @polaar smoothing cream, our skin repairs the most at night so I’m using something pretty luxurious. In the day I’m currently using @cerave moisturising cream which is possibly one of the best moisturisers ever affordable!

🤍 Finally file nails and paint.

Love yourself,

Always x

Love yourself

Hi all, it’s been a while but this my most recent post. Love yourself.

💓 Have some me time

For me hot baths are a perfect way to have some me time, a chance to sit and relax and fully unwind. Use candles/incense and bubbles for the ultimate experience.

💧Skin routine

Having a good skin routine is a must! Nothing is promised tomorrow but waking up with glowing skin can be. Keep it simple with 4 steps: cleanse, tone, oil/serum, moisturise and weekly face masks. From research into dermatology I’ve learnt you only need to do your routine once every evening. Your skin rejuvenates during your sleep and your skin cells regenerate faster at night. In the morning with clean hands simply splash face with water and apply moisturiser then make up.

🍌 Look after the inside

Most importantly drinking water and eating healthy foods are beneficial to your health and appearance. Be sure to load up on fruit and veg and cook fresh meals.

🏠 Your home

I don’t know about you guys but if my house is untidy and needs a good clean it makes me feel crap. As soon as I’ve tidied and sat down with a hot chocolate I feel so much more positive and pretty much completely at peace. Use products that smell great, I like using orange and lavender products.

📚 Your mind

Reading a book/magazine/articles or even watching a documentary is something I love to do. They say knowledge is power and it’s great to learn new things, keeping your brain active this could also be your me time.

Love always x

Colour treated hair after care

Hi all,

I was in a serious need of lightening my hair, I usually have a blonde balayage and a trim once a year. It’s been about a year and a half, I just got back from Barcelona with a golden tan, there was a wedding approaching so I thought it’s about time.

I’ve spent 6 years taking care of my hair after dying is numerous colours, bleaching it several times and straightening it. So I haven’t applied any heat to my hair with just touches of blonde highlights yearly and let my natural hair do its thing. For around 3 years I’ve invested in safer products for my hair. My shampoo and conditioner is free from:

• Sulfates
• Silicones
• Mineral oils
• Artificial colours

Since this transition my hair is so much healthier, softer, stronger and of course curlier. These above ingredients strip the natural oils from your hair, cause buildup, frizz and damage, making it limp, lifeless and dry.

Colour treated after care

Dying and bleaching your hair causes your hair to feel dry and stringy like which can cause a lot of breakage.

• Be sure to use a hair mask weekly, fortnightly or even monthly (depending on how much moisture your hair can take) but don’t worry if you’re a curly girl and over moisturise you just need to include protein into your wash day, you can use protein masks or keep an eye out for products containing protein.

• To refresh my hair I use a leave in conditioner and a little gel to hold my curls. Make your own leave in and use small amount of your favourite hair mask or conditioner in a spray bottle with water. Spritz over hair every day to refresh your hair and to add extra moisture.
• Shampoo roots only in warm water not hot! To stop the length of your hair drying out.
• Once conditioned and combed rinse with cold water this closes your hair follicles retaining all of the moisture.
• Apply your favourite safe product and voilà.
• Top tip #1 – Decrease the amount you wash your hair. Twice a week is ok, we want to retain as much moisture and as much of our natural oils as possible.
• Top tip #2 – If you live in a warm country or due to go on holiday not only do we need to protect our skin from the sun but our hair too! Use a simple messy bun or hair wraps and bandanas.

Feel free to comment/ask questions

Love always x

Curly girl

Hello all!

For over a year now I’ve been nurturing my hair into amazing curls. I’ve changed my hair routine after tons of research. It’s taken time and money however it’s worth every moment, every penny. Here is what I’ve learnt and what works for me.

My current routine:

• Shampoo only the roots in circular motion.
• Squeeze out a little water, flip hair over, condition the length only and comb.
• Squish to condish (scrunch in conditioner) This activates the curls.
• Rinse with cool water then squeeze and scrunch out a little water.
• Apply products, curl crème then gel with praying hands (which works best for me) You can also scrunch or rake in your product.
• Plop in a cotton T-shirt for 20-30 minuets.
• Air dry (do not touch your hair in this process) flip left to right and down every 10 minuets or so to create volume or diffuse whichever works best.
• Once fully dried scrunch out the crunch with Argan oil then hairspray if desired.

Products used:

• Boots essentials curl crème (£1.99)
• Boots essentials styling gel (£1.98)

Keep an eye out for my next post DIY natural flax seed gel.

Feel free to leave comments/questions.

Love always x

Zero waste Himalayan antiseptic hand scrub

Hello all,

It’s been a while since my last DIY post, so here’s a quick and simple one for you to enjoy (:

You’ll need:

• Himalayan salt
• Coconut oil
• Essential oils

You can use white/brown sugar, salt or bath salts. I used Himalayan salt as it’s detoxifying and used for healthy, glowing skin. I used coconut oil, or you can use olive oil. For essentials oils I used 3 drops of tea tree oil as it’s antibacterial and 3 drops of lemongrass simply for the lovely smell. Mix the ingredients together until desired constintency. 

No need to buy soap! Use in the kitchen or bathroom. Apply a small amount, gently rub hands and rinse. Naturally nourishes and cares for hands.

Love always x

Growing a lemon tree

Hello all,

I planted a lemon seed around month ago and finally it’s sprouted! Read below for instructions.

1. Gather your lemon seeds from an organic lemon, as standard lemon seeds can be duds.
2. Suck on the seed to remove of the pulp and to moisten the seed as it won’t germinate if it’s dry. 
3. Fill a small pot (with drainage holes) with multi purpose compost and press your seed into the compost about 3cm deep. 
4. Water and keep moist.
5. Cover the pot with cling film and pierce tiny holes.
6. Place in a sunny window.
7. If condensation appears on the cling film, remove it as it’s clearly warm enough. If not remove the cling film after 2 weeks. 

Germination can take up to 4 weeks. In one of my previous articles I posted “speed up germination” I currently have a lemon seed sprouting a root by this method. You simply remove the outside layer of the seed, which reveals brown skin, gently scrape off the skin revealing a green seed.

Growing a lemon tree is certainly a slow process, you won’t grow lemons for up to 5-8 years it really depends on the care of your lemon tree.

Love always x

DIY zero waste natural toothpaste

DIY all natural coconut oil/baking soda toothpaste 

Mix the follow supplies together in container and violà. Use an air tight container or jar. 
You’ll need:

• Baking soda 3tbsp
• Coconut oil 2 tbsp
• Peppermint oil 4 drops (optional)

Coconut oil fights bacteria, heals cavities, prevents gum disease and tooth decay, finally coconut oil is well know for whitening your teeth. 

Sodium bicarbonate aka baking soda is a mineral. It’s a safe and effective cleanser, which removes plaque from both the teeth and the gums and it maintains a healthy PH balance in your mouth. It also has antibacterial properties for a clean and fresh feeling. Just like coconut oil it whitens your teeth, the two together are truly amazing.

Use a spatula or spoon, take a pea sized amount and wipe it on your toothbrush instead of dipping it in, it will prevent the toothpaste from going off due to bacteria. 

Love always x

Germination process

Hello all,

Finally after 3 weeks some of the camomile seeds I planted have germinated.

Thanks to my dad (check out my previous post) he showed me how to speed up germination and they’re currently thriving after 2 weeks 🌱

When they’re 1-2 inches tall they’re ready to be planted outside. 
Love always x

Speed up germination

Hello all, 

I recently planted roman camomile seeds, sadly they don’t germinate for up to a month. My dad, a brilliant Gardner shared the awesome secret of speeding up germination. All you need is a paper towel, resealable bag and a tea towel. 

1. Place the paper towel inside the resealable bag.
2. Sprinkle on desired seeds, making sure they’re separated.
3. Gently spray the paper towel with water, it will absorb the water and feed the seeds for the next few days. 
4. Reseal the bag and turn it upside down, place onto a tea towel and fold.
5. Place by a window, where it will be warm.
6. Check on the seeds everyday and within a few days white roots will appear.
7. When tiny green shoots appear, it’s time to plant them into pots. Use tweasers to refrain from damaging the root. 

Love always x

Cruelty free & vegan list U.K

Cruelty free & vegan list 2017Products with the leaping bunny logo are certified cruelty free products under the Humane Cosmetics/Humane Household Products Standards. This means the product hasn’t been tested on animals in the U.K and the product isn’t being sold in China. China by law must have products tested on animals before human use. Some companies here in the U.K don’t have the leaping bunny logo, you can find information on their website. 

Brands

• Anastasia Beverly Hills Ⓥ
• Bare minerals Ⓥ
• Barry M Ⓥ
• Body shop Ⓥ
• Burts bees
• Dr organic 
• Kat Von D Ⓥ
• Lush Ⓥ
• Nars Ⓥ
• Natural collection
• No.7
• NYX Ⓥ
• Original source Ⓥ
• Palmer’s
• Soap & glory 
• Superdrug own brand 
• Too faced Ⓥ
• Urban decay Ⓥ

Shops 

• H&M
• Next
• Primark 

Supermarkets (own brand)
Cosmetics & cleaning:

• Aldi 
• Co op 
• M&S

Cosmetics:

• Morrisons 
• Sainsbury’s 

Begin your cruelty free journey today. 

Love always x