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

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

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

Homemade natural matte finishing powder

Hello all, I’d like to say thank you to those who have followed and liked my posts. I have yet another secret for all of you…

DIY matte finishing powder

• Cornflour 1tbsp
• Baby powder 1tsp
• Ground cinnamon and ginger

Add the cornflour and baby powder into a pot and mix evenly. Sprinkle in the ground cinnamon and ginger, a little at a time until desired tone. You don’t need to add a lot, you’re simply adding gentle tones.

The cinnamon will add tanned tones and the ginger will add yellow, golden hues (you can also use turmeric which is much darker) You could add highlighter for a shimmer, perfect the upcoming summer months, a bronzed, glowing look.

I made this beautiful DIY today and it really works. Matte finish, evens out complexion and skin tone and it smells divine!

The eco tools brush is a duo, the right end is for blush and the left is for powder. I recommend a good powder brush to distribute it evenly on the face.

Love always x

Shea butter facts

Shea butter is one of my favourite butters. It smells and feels luxurious and has truly amazing benefits for the skin, read below!

15 facts about shea butter

1. Highly moisturising
2. Softens skin, hair, scalp
3. Hair conditioner
4. Natural SPF
5. Restores skin elasticity
6. Brightens skin tone
7. Fades dark marks and scars
8. Prevents cellulite
9. Prevents nappy rash for babies
10. Prevents bumps after shaving
11. Anti-inflammatory
12. Heals burns
13. Heals execma
14. Soothes rashes
15. Relieves joint pain

Best one to buy?

Naissance via Amazon, I’ve purchased this product a few times and I will continue to do so! It’s inexspensive and organic. Love always x

Aloe vera gel uses

Aloe vera is cultivated for it’s medical and agricultural purposes. You can either harvest the gel from the leaves or buy aloe vera gel. I do both, when a leaf snaps off I’ll scrape out the gel and store it in the fridge. I also use 100% aloe vera gel from Holland and Barrett.

Top 10 uses for aloe vera gel

1. Shampoo – Add distilled water, 1tsp of gel and castile soap to a bottle, shake before use.
2.  Leave in conditioner – Add distilled water, 1tsp of gel and coconut oil to a spray bottle. Shake and spray on hair daily.
3. Face toner – Apply gel on a clean face and leave overnight, rinse in the morning.
4. Body moisturiser – Apply to dry areas of the body after a warm bath and exfoliation.
5. Hair gel – Apply directly to hair and style.
6. Face primer – Apply a small amount on the face, wait until dry and proceed with foundation.
7. Setting spray – Add 1tbsp of gel, 1tsp of witch hazel and distilled water to a spray bottle. Shake and spray a small amount all over the face to set make up.
8. Eyelash/eyebrow growth treatment – Clean out an old mascara tube and fill it with aloe vera gel. Apply every morning and evening, once dry you can also apply mascara, thanks to the gel underneath it makes the lashes look fuller and longer whilst also helping them grow.
9. Sunburn – Apply after a shower/bath, directly to the sunburn to soothe, heal and prevent peeling.
10. Execma – Apply generously to dry areas. It helps to soothe itchiness and helps to repair dry, broken and damaged skin.

Love always x

The many uses of coconut oil

Coconut oil is possibly one of the most amazing products on the market. You can cook with it, use it on your face, hair and body, for many uses, It’s truly the best.

Top 20 uses of coconut oil 
There are several brands on the market, this one has to be my favourite, it’s organic and you can find it in b&m and Tesco for £3-£4.

1. Make up remover – Apply a small amount to cotton pads and wipe away.
2. Eyelash growth serum – Apply to eyelashes every evening before bed.
3. Eye serum – Apply under the eyes and wipe away after half an hour. Defeats wrinkles and dark circles.
4. Scars – Apply directly to the scar or add coconut oil to a bath, to fade and prevent stretch marks.
5. Face mask – Apply and leave for half an hour, rinse and pat dry. Hydrates skin, brightens complexion and helps fight wrinkles.
6. Hair mask – Apply all over the hair, root to tip and either cover your hair with a shower cap or cling film to create heat, leave for an hour, shampoo and condition as normal.
7. Split end treatment – Apply to the ends after showering when the ends are slightly dry, instant repair!
8. Lip balm – DIY quick and easy lip balm.
9. Cuticle cream – Massage into cuticles.
10. Massage oil – Add essential oils for ultimate relaxation.
11. Bath oil – Add a small amount to a hot bath with essential oils.
12. Cold sores – Apply small amounts to help heal and prevent cracking.
13. Rash soother – Apply coconut oil to the infected area, place it in the freezer for ten minuets or so if the rash is burning.
14. Sun burn soother – Apply to the infected area and again you can place it in the freezer quickly to cool the sunburn.
15. Dry skin – Apply to the dry area after showering every evening. In severe cases add coconut oil to the bath and apply it generously often.
16. Teeth whitener – DIY toothpaste, coconut oil and baking soda, prevents tooth decay and gum disease.
17. Lip scrub – DIY scrub, coconut oil, sugar, cinnamon/peppermint essential oil (natural lip plumpers)
18. Shaving cream – Whip the coconut oil to form a foamy consistency.
19. Energy booster – Eat 1tbsp every day alongside a healthy diet.
20. Finally the health benefits from eating coconut oil, as said above are amazing! It can help with weight loss, improves digestion, memory and brain function, boosts the immune system and prevents heart disease and high blood pressure. Wow.

Love always x

The ultimate coconut curl

Hello all, today I thought I’d share my beauty routine and the products I use, any questions? Please ask!

1. I wash my hair with a moisturising shampoo and conditioner because curly hair has the tendency to become dry and damaged and it needs as much moisture as possible. Palmer’s coconut oil shampoo and conditioner, they aren’t too expensive, they’re large bottles so they definitely are worth it! (Superdrug have put these beauties on offer several times in the past couple of months) I shampoo and condition as normal, then I comb through the conditioner with a wide tooth comb (perfect for curly hair) I use a green sandalwood comb which becomes more green with sun exposure. Awesome. Palmer’s also do a coconut oil leave in conditioner, to those with curly hair this is also a must! I’ll come back to that later.
2. I love body washes that are creamy and fragrant! I use either Original Source (currently I have mango) or I buy a similar body wash from Superdrug, it’s Superdrug’s brand, cruelty free and inexpensive, don’t forget to collect your points! Once a week I use a little body wash with exfoliating gloves and gently scrub my body to remove of any dead skin, making it silky smooth. I rinse the gloves and gently scrub my face with Urban Veda rose face wash.
3. After showering I wrap my hair in a cotton T-shirt because the fibres on standard towels quickly dry out curly hair causing frizz. (Try to avoid touching your hair at all costs to avoid frizz) I take off the T-shirt towel, shake my hair and let it do it’s thing.
4. Meanwhile I apply face serum to my forehead and cheeks, I use U skin retinol serum, I wait for it to dry and then apply No.7 beautiful skin day cream. Afterwards I moisturise my body with Palmer’s coco butter, this is my all time favourite body butter, it smells chocolatey and heavenly.
5. When my hair is slightly dry and slightly wet, I scrunch leave in conditioner and argan oil into my hair (less is more) I usually let my hair air dry but to create volume and fuller curls I dry my hair with the hair dryer on the lowest setting and dry areas whilst I scrunch them. Don’t over dry otherwise it may go frizzy!

Love always x