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5 Tips for the perfect summer skin

As our body’s largest organ, skin covers us from head to toe and works like a protective coat that keeps us warm when it’s cold, and cool when it’s hot. It also helps keep things like germs out, and is susceptible to pain when cut or damaged. That being said, skin isn’t immune to problems, as the numerous people who suffer from acne, rashes, dry skin and other issues can certainly attest. Which is why it’s important to take great care of your skin, especially during summer when the weather outside pretty much requires wearing skimpier outfits. With that in mind, here are some excellent tips for taking care of your skin during the year’s hottest season:

1. Moisturize with Aloe Vera

Proper skin nourishment is the key to having a great complexion. Recommended by several industry experts, Aloe Vera is a great aid in this situation because of its anti-bacterial qualities and the fact that it can improve skin elasticity as well. For best results, choose a moisturizing cream or lotion that’s based on Aloe Vera and apply it liberally every time after you bathe, shave or exfoliate. People with dry skin would do well to carry a small tube of lotion that they can use whenever they feel like their skin is starting to dry up.

2. Don’t exfoliate more than twice a week

Exfoliation is an essential process for keeping your skin healthy. It works by removing all the dead cells that tend to clog pores and cause problems down the line. But people often tend to go overboard and exfoliate daily, thus actually causing more harm than good to their skin. Avoid this kind of self-inflicted damage by limiting your exfoliating sessions to once or twice per week at the most, and use a gentle, natural exfoliator.

3. Wear sunscreen every day

Sunscreen and summer go together like two peas in a pod, but it’s still remarkable how many people only put it on when they’re going to the beach. But, whether it’s blindingly sunny or overcast outside, there’s no reason not to apply sunscreen throughout summer when the sun’s rays are at their harshest. If you have fair skin, something with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of around 30 should work just fine. Always keep in mind that sunscreen can come off rather easily, so be sure to reapply it every 90 minutes or so and always after spending time in the water.

4. Avoid tanning salons

Speaking of skin protection, there is nothing worse for your skin than prolonged exposure to artificial rays. While the need for having a perfect complexion before you even hit the beach is understandable, tanning beds have been linked to long-term skin problems such as melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer. So refrain from such methods and use self-tanning products instead. These come in a variety of forms nowadays, ranging from creams and lotions to self-tanning towels, but be sure you choose something that doesn’t contain any harmful parabens or synthetic perfumes.

5. Use a toner

An oft-underrated category of skincare products, toners are meant to be used after cleansing and provide a whole host of benefits for your skin. These include restoring its pH to normal levels, helping moisturizers work better and cleaning out your skin by removing excess dirt and make-up. The best ones are water-based and contain their fair share of active ingredients such as anti-oxidants, fatty acids and ceramides, which can have a positive impact on the look and feel of your skin. Remember that toners need to be kept in the fridge at all times in order to keep all their properties intact.

And so we’ve reached the end of our quick countdown of the five best tips for achieving perfect summer skin. Always try to remember, however, that your body and mind are inextricably linked, so maintaining a high level of personal well-being, drinking lots of water, and getting plenty of rest are just as instrumental for having good skin as any of the above-mentioned steps. Do so and you shall reap the rewards of an immaculate complexion that’s bound to be a real joy to the touch as well as the eye.

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Bronnley England Pink Peony and Rhubarb Perfume

I, like many of you, am currently in mourning for the end of peony season. The time for beautiful peonies in my life feels so short but still sweet. If any of you are also pining for peonies right now here is a little peony pick me up in the form of the new Bronnley England Pink Peony and Rhubarb Perfume Eau De Toilette.

The new Bronnley England Pink Peony and Rhubarb Perfume is described as a ‘beautiful floral scent with a contemporary twist.’ I personally am in love with this scent. It is pretty, fresh, with musk tones keeping it deep and elegant. The rhubarb addition doesn’t add any sweetness making it a clean, complex fragrance.

The perfume is to be as beautiful as the layers of petals in the peony – graceful, soulful and captivating. Peonies are grand and this scent is classic and intriguing. Red apple and jasmine scents give both a sweet and gentle undertone.

I have reviewed a few Bronnley England perfumes now, you can read past reviews here and here. The scent isn’t overwhelming and does have longer staying power than the previous two I have tried. This is by far my favourite of their perfumes for both scent and packaging. The bottle is still sleek, stylish minimal but has a few more girly flourishes. The packaging has been illustrated by Helen Campbell, a British botanical artist.

The Bronnley England Pink Peony and Rhubarb scent is also available in the complementing bath products. These are available in the form of soap, hand wash, hand lotion, bath and shower gel, body lotion and hand and nail cream. The range is very well priced with the 50ml perfume as the most expensive item at £14.50.

Are there any other peony products you would recommend for me?

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Love Aroma Summer Candle Haul Video

Love Aroma is the shop for you candle lovers out there. I am actually unsure where I used to go for my candles before this store popped up! I actually visited the store quite a few weeks ago now and was gifted some beautiful candles. It has been such a delay with illness and lack of a voice so I couldn’t film any video as well as work and wedding planning getting in the way!

The first candles are these beautiful pair from Woodwick. My favourite candle brand as they crackle like a fire when burnt. Beware of white walls near these candles however. I love these candles for cold winter nights but for summer their Honeysuckle scent is fresh and light.

The scent is beautiful and authentic, no artificial scent. The second Woodwick candle is one of their Trilogy candles – why have one scent when you could have three? In this candle is Vanilla Bean, Caramel and Biscotti. Heavenly sweet sugar in a jar!

Next is perfect for wedding decorations or maybe a beautiful bathroom candle. It is by a brand called Stoneglow. It is made in the UK and the scent I chose, mostly for the floral decoration was Lavender Garden. The flowers around the side of the candle are beautiful, there are lots of wonderful designs. Its so pretty, I will have to bring myself to use it one day!

The last brand to mention are Yankee. A great way to try out a lot of their gorgeous scents and see which are your favourites are through their wax melts. I have white tea, verbena, summer peach, vanilla and olive and thyme. I have the Yankee wax melt so when I get bored of one scent I pop it in the freezer for 5 minutes, put the used in a zip lock bag and try out a new one.

If you don’t have a wax melter yankee also do some lovely little jars. Oud Oasis is my kind of scent, warm, sickly sweet, woody and floral luxury.

The last Yankee Candle was one for Jon. Yankee have a great range of candles more themed towards men and more masculine scents. Jon chose Barbershop scent ‘Hot towel’ which smells like the lovely hot towels you would get at a spa. The other scents in the collection were great fun and had awesome themed names. They instantly caught Jon’s eye and it looks like a nice glass jar once the candle has been fully burnt.

Have you ever been to Love Aroma? Which is your favourite candle scent?

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Skin Saviours for my Adult Acne

As a teenager I was pretty lucky and on the whole only had a few spots every now and then. Hitting my 20’s this all changed and I now have adult acne with very sore and combination skin. It wasn’t something I ever expected, adults don’t get acne? I am not the only one suffering as I look around my peers but it still greatly affects my confidence. I try my best to keep my skin clear with a good skincare routine. Although break outs flare up when I am stressed with these skin saviours I’ve seen great results.

My Skin Saviours

One product that I received as a sample and have since repurchased is the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. The starter Kit is great as you also receive two muslin cloths and a travel bag. I have seen such a difference to my skin after using this morning and night. Great for my sensitive skin, dry and oils patches and very effective at taking off make up. The muslin cloths are great for a little exfoliation but if your skin is super sensitive swap to a soft flannel.

Facials every few weeks are great for helping treat breakouts and keep skin calm and clear. It can be great to have some expert advice on what will help. Medspa offer a range of different treatments including microdermabrasion which I have loved in the past as well as Caudalie and REN Face treatments.

The REN Clean Skincare Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask is another skin saviour that I love to use myself at home. The mask is very strong, I only use it ever 2 weeks. I feel like it helps prevent any build up of bacteria and de-clog my skin. The mask removes dead skin cells so helps with congestion, blackheads and future breakouts. It instantly makes my complexion brighter but be careful. If you have very sensitive skin this mask describes itself as ‘a potent exfoliating mask’!

My final skin saviour is finding a moisturiser that doesn’t break me out or add any excess oil to my skin. My sister showed my the Clean & Clear dual action moisturiser and I have found their oil free formula to work for me. It is light, refreshing and feels like it is also working as a spot treatment with its slight cooling sensation.

In the past I have used so many products to try and combat my skin and I think reducing this to a few key essentials has really helped. Let me know what your skin saviours are and if you have any products you would recommend.

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Birchbox UK July Never Ending Summer

The beautiful UK July Never Ending Summer Birchbox has come out with an exciting collection of full sized products and samples. In fact this months box boasts 5 items, 2 of which are full sized and 3 good sized samples. I love when my Birchbox looks more like this, well put together with no teeny tiny samples and with a complete focus on beauty products.

The two full sized items are pretty lovely. The first is the LOC x Millie Ultra-Gloss Lip Pencil in shade Bohemian Rose. The LOC range is Birchbox‘s own and I wrote a full post review on some of their products here. The chubby pencil is quite moisturising and I am quite enjoying this summer-y colour. The only downside is you will have to sharpen this soft lip gloss pencil. Their RRP is £9 so a lovely item to find in a subscription box!

The next full sized item is again something I already have and enjoyed. Perfect for restocking when I run out, the John Freida Forever Smooth Anti Frizz Primer is RRP £9.99! A fantastic, expensive surprise full sized item. If you are a fan of both these products like I am then the Birchbox UK July Never Ending Summer has been money well spent!

The other three items are all sample sized. The first is a mini Nails INC gel effect nail polish in shade 401 Little Brick Lane. Most polishes in my subscription boxes are shades I would never wear but this shade is beautiful. It is very understated, I am so glad it wasn’t another garish pink! Whilst is it a tiny 4.5ml sample I doubt I will ever use up all the polish.

The second sample sized item was a 50ml bottle of the Caudalie Micellar Cleansing Water. I always use micellar water and have loved Caudalie in the past so I am excited to try this. It is the perfect size for if I travel and contains organic grape and chamomile!

Lastly is the Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture boosting mask. I love a good sheet mask and am keen to try this as hyaluronic acid face masks have helped clear my skin in the past. Whilst it is just the one face mask a set of 4 costs £19.99 so this sample is still worth £5!

I am so impressed and happy with this months Birchbox, some old favourites as well as some lovely new items I cannot wait to try!

Which was your favourite item from this months Birchbox?

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Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm – Super Summer Lips!

How stunning are these new Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balms? When they arrived I was so excited to try them out. I have loved Burt’s Bees skin care in the past so was very excited to try out their tinted lip balms as my lips can be dry and cracked. Tinted lip balms have become a summer must have for me!

The Six Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balms

The tinted lip balms come in 6 different shades – Sweet Violet, Red Dahlia, Rose, Hibiscus, Zinnia and Pink Blossom.

Tinted lip balms are perfect for summer as they are hydrating on the lips but also add a little colour. They are great for wearing on holiday as they fade evenly and give a natural, no makeup look.

The Burt’s Bees tinted lip balms are 100% natural and leave a glossy, moisturising finish. The lip balms are incredibly sheer and with little pigment. Once on the lips there is very little difference between the shades. Whilst in the bullet there is a big contrast between the shades but on the lips it just leaves a subtle tone. Once applied I would struggle to tell the shades apart!

I love the application of the products, the fact that they are all natural and how hydrated they leave my lips. I enjoy just having a touch on colour whilst being on the go in hot weather and not worrying about smudging etc. I have very dry lips so this is a perfect, everyday handbag essential for me! The tinted lip balm colours all look incredibly similar so I would recommend just picking up one shade you like. I can see no point in collecting all 6 shades, just enjoy one!

Don’t miss out on yesterday’s post, an Upcycle DIY Home Decor post featuring repurposed vintage Fanta Klassik bottles…

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Upcycle DIY Home Decor Fanta Klassik

If you follow me on social media you will know about my recent trip to Cologne for the essence #bloggersbeautysecrets party. Whilst staying in Cologne there was a really fun food and drinks festival over the canal from the hotel. Fanta were handing out free bottles of their Fanta Klassik which have such cute retro designs. When it came to it I just couldn’t throw these vintage bottles away! I knew I would have to come up with a fun upcycle.

Upcycle DIY Home Decor Fanta Klassik

This upcycle is very easy and really doesn’t need any instructions. I thought I would still share and some photographs as it is a quick and effective DIY home decor project.

I wasn’t 100% on what I was actually going to do with the bottles when I got them home. Whilst going around Stephen Smiths garden centre with my Grannie for her birthday I spotted these very bright orange candles. The candles were only £1.09, they looked so cool and striking so I knew that they would make an impact.

I used a knife to shave the bottom of the candles so they would fit in the neck of the bottle. The candles were still a little wobbly so I took my lighter and melted the wax around the base to give a firmer hold.

The candles look really cool with the rest of my dresser space. It works well with my geometric pieces and cacti! I love the romance of candles in bottles and love the look of this so much. The rereleased 70’s design looks awesome and bold when teamed with the bright, elegant candles. I cannot wait for the wax to begin dripping down the bottles as I continue to burn them.

Don’t forget to catch up on my latest post if you missed it, sharing my new MAC Fanfare and See Sheer Lipsticks.

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MAC Fanfare and See Sheer Lipsticks

The latest editions to my MAC lipstick collection are both pretty simple, everyday, wearable pinks. They are both actually very similar shades. The first is the MAC Fanfare Cremesheen Lipstick and the second is the MAC See Sheer Lustre Lipstick.

MAC Fanfare Cremesheen Lipstick

I have loved cremesheen lipsticks in the past. I like the formula, they are hydrating, pigmented and just have a lovely texture. MAC describes fanfare as mid tone yellow pink. There is a little berry to it but it is a very similar to my natural lip colour.

Its a pretty pale pink that looks perfect for everyday or for a glam look it is a subtle shade to team with a smokey eye. With my skin tone it looks almost like a simple, bright pink that I am sure I will get a lot of use out of.

MAC See Sheer Lustre Lipstick

My second shade is the beautiful MAC See Sheer Lustre Lipstick. This shade is very similar to fanfare, a little darker, but a totally different, sheer formula. I have never tried the lustre lipsticks before but was excited to give it a try.

The See Sheer lipstick has quite a glossy finish to it and MAC describes the shade as grapefruit pink. On myself it looks very pink, as did MAC Fanfare.

See Sheer is, as the name suggests, sheer but the colour is beautifully even from the first stroke and is buildable if that is what you choose. The finished look is glossy shimmer and looks beautiful. See Sheer also looks great on its own with no other make up.

It feels great on the lips and is hydrating. It doesn’t show the creases of your lips as much as the MAC Fanfare but the formula isn’t as long-lasting for me as the cremesheen.

MAC Fanfare Cremesheen Lipstick

MAC See Sheer Lustre Lipstick

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Slimming World Pizza, Syn Free (that actually tastes like pizza!)

I have been following the Slimming World diet plan for the last 8 months and absolutely loving it – I would recommend it for anyone. One item that I have really missed however has to be pizza, sure you can have a small amount if you leave some syns or you can have a go at the popular slimming world cauliflower base pizza. But I have really missed having a whole pizza to myself that actually tastes like pizza! This last week I came up with a solution to my problem with this Syn Free Slimming World Pizza Recipe!

Slimming World Pizza, Syn Free Ingredients

Base –

Asda Wholemeal Bread Mix – Made up 60g is syn free if used as your healthy b for the day.

I make up a really nice tomato topping although you can make your own up as the tomato toppings are easy to make syn free.

Pizza Sauce –

Chopped tomatoes

Oregano

Basil

Garlic

Linda Mccartney Red Onion And Rosemary Sausages – Vegetarian, syn free and melt into a sauce.

Topping Options –

Quorn Chicken Tikka fillets

Sweetcorn

Mushroom

Pineapple (not tinned)

Pepper

Cherry tomatoes

Spinach

Egg

Tuna

Jalapenos etc…….

30g Healthy A cheese – Dairy free options available to make the pizza vegan.

The ASDA bread mix is easy to make up and all you need is to add water. This step can easily take an hour but the bases and sauce can be made in bulk, measured out and stored in the freezer.

Syn Free Recipe

Roll the base using a small amount of the bread mix so that it doesn’t stick to the work surface. Cook the base on a pizza tray for 2 minutes at 180° and then turn the base over and cook for a further 2 minutes. As this Slimming World pizza recipe doesn’t use olive oil this is a needed step to stop the base becoming soggy.  Add toppings and then cook again for 8 minutes at 180° or until it looks ready.

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Love Me Beauty Supscription

Out of all of my beauty subscriptions Love Me Beauty has to be one of my favourites. The products are actually beauty products which I love. As much as small samples of skincare items are great, nothing beats a little bit makeup surprise.

This months Love Me Beauty came in this cute little bag. I have had a few arrive in bags now and I love them for storing makeup in as they are very strong, lined inside and a lovely size.

In my bag I had 6 full sized/large items and also a small sachet sample. First was the O.P.I polish (full sized) in shade Strawberry Margarita. It isn’t a shade I would reach for but might be something fun and bright for my toes over the summer. O.P.I is one of my favourite nail polish brands, the quality is always pretty good so I was happy to see this in my subscription bag.

Next are two different items from Caudalie. I have tried Caudalie products in the past and absolutely loved them so I cannot wait to try these out. There is the Caudalie Huile Divine Oil for body face and hair (15ml) and the Caudalie Vinoperfect radiant serum complexion correcting.

The Yes to cucumbers facial wipes are something I have been keen to try for a while. I am not a big fan of facial wipes but they serve a purpose when on the move or after a late night. These are hypoallergenic, are 95% natural and also contain aloe vera. They sound pretty nice and whilst it is a sample of 10 it is great to be able to try it out and see if I want to purchase a pack.

Last are 2 items from Pixi. Again this is a brand I have blogged about before and had some great experiences with so this Love Me Beauty box has left me a happy bunny. The Pixi products are the Correcting Concentrate in Brightening Peach and their Nourishing Lip Polish. Lets see if this duo can combat my dark circles and dry lips!

Check out my past Love Me Beauty subscriptions…

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Panasonic Slow Juicer

One of the main food items that I really miss whilst following the Slimming World diet is juices and smoothies. This has only been made harder by our new Panasonic Slow Juicer! (although jon is very excited by it and currently slow juicing everything in the fruit bowl).

Whilst juice’s will remain an occasional treat I will be able to make a nice low syn icecream, frozen yoghurt or sorbet with the Panasonic Slow Juicer.

Jon was really impressed with the juicer, having never used any machine like this before. In the pictures you can see the amount of juice produced from 5 oranges. Just over 500ml in the end.

The Panasonic juicer can be used on fresh fruit but also has an attachment to make sorbet as I mentioned above. The fruit ingredients for the sorbet, frozen yoghurt or icecream need to be frozen before hand for it to churn out tasty, natural and healthy treats. I cannot wait to give this a go!

Issues that I have had with similar electrical items is that they can be hard to clean. Our soup maker is so hard to clean and has unreachable areas. The Panasonic Slow Juicer is fantastically easy to clean. All elements detatch and other than the base unit can be put in the dishwasher. It also comes with a useful toothbrush cleaner that is remarkably useful.

Whilst it is a Panasonic Slow Juicer the juicing process was remarkably quick, almost instant. You do have to prep the fruit which does take some time. Fruit with narrow skins can go in but the thick peel of our oranges had to be removed.

I cannot wait to try out some new recipes and make some delicious sorbets easily. Jon is looking for some healthy juices he can make too!

What’s your favourite juice or sorbet recipe?

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Yope – Natural Liquid Soap

I was recently asked if I would like to try Yope, a Polish concept hoping to break the British market. As a beauty blogger I obviously have a passion for trying out new products so I was really excited to try out this new natural liquid soap.

I love honey in my beauty products so chose their Honey and Bergamot natural kitchen hand soap. Their other scents sound equally beautiful and a little unusual. Yope use 92% natural and low processed ingredients in this product. Yope insist on a minimum 92% of natural ingredients through out their range. The products contain no parabens, no SLS, no SLES, no silicones. Also look at the beautiful illustration on the front of the bottle!

I really like products that contain honey extract as it smells lovely but also has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. On the skin I know that it also acts as an antioxidant,moisturises and regenerates. The honey used in this natural liquid soap is obtained from acacia flowers.

My Yope soap is for the kitchen so it is important that it contains the necessary distinctive qualitys needed. Their liquid soaps have also been developed to ‘effectively neutralise unpleasant smells from hands, e.g. onion, fish, garlic,’ (and it works!).

The mix of scents, bergamot and honey is a beautiful and unique blend. The packaging is a nice and large size. I suffer from dry hands and have really enjoyed using a natural product that is gentle on the skin. The price is a little high, but for 500ml it is pretty reasonable. Overall a big thumbs up for Yope soap!

Currently Yope is available in Germany, Ireland and the UK. You can check on their website a few stores that stock Yope but I suggest ordering it online from Vitamin Bay.

What are your favourite natural products?

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Long Hair Braid Inspiration

I have extremely long hair now and the hairstyling I keep reaching for this summer is braids. Plaits and braids are so easy, look beautiful and keep your hair out of the way on hot days. I keep experimenting with different braids as there are so many ways you can wear them. Braids are bang on trend at the moment so here is my current board of long hair braid inspiration.

As you can see from my little board of inspiration there are so many ways that you can style your long hair braids. The updos options are endless!

I can be really lazy with my hair, going for the everyday loose and wavy or a simple side braid, ponytail or top not messy bun. It’s great to have a break from routine and put some effort back in to style my hair up in different ways.

I have always been great at doing french braids on other people but never on myself. I have been practicing french and dutch braids a bit and it finally paid off. I had washed my hair and didn’t have time to dry it and managed two Kim Kardashian style, sleek, even dutch braids. I received a lot of compliments and the braids also lasted me two days. I had crazy waved hair when I took them out too!

I recently did a little video sharing my pigtail messy fish tail braids. They take a little more time that a standard pigtail plait but pack way more impact. The fishtail braid looks complicated but once you get into the swing of the braiding process it is really easy.

Long hair braids for me are perfect being practical and stop my hair becoming tangled whilst looking beautifully styled.

Do you have any long hair braid inspiration for this summer?

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BMI – Reaching a healthy BMI with Slimming World

If you followed my wedding weight loss journey you will have seen my documented progress with Slimming World since October. Nine months on I am so much healthier, happier in myself and eating more/better than I ever have. Last week I finally reached my healthy BMI interim goal with a total loss of 3 stones 4 lb.

Reaching my healthy BMI

To loose 46 lb feels amazing and last years summer clothes literally are falling off me! I had always been someone who wanted fad diets and fast results but as you can see this has been a long and trying process that has paid off. Now I have reached my healthy BMI weight I need to start looking at a target weight. (I calculated my BMI on the NHS website.)

The last few months have been a real struggle with the Slimming World diet. I have stayed the same weight for 6 weeks. This has been so frustrating as I have been reducing portion size, cutting out syns all together by the end and running a few 5k’s throughout the week. My exercise might have been a factor in the stationary weigh-ins but it has been hard to keep motivated!

Then last week I dropped 1 more pound and reached my healthy BMI target. I know myself that I still have a bit of a way to go, I still want to loose a bit. The last few weeks have really shown me how hard it is going to be now to drop the last few pounds but it feels amazing to say I am a healthy weight.

I lost weight for me, to make myself feel better. I was a very unhappy person before but also very unhealthy. Loosing weight has massively helped improve my skin in terms or break outs. It has also made me feel more confident and actually like clothes shopping again. I am ashamed to say I was in the Obese BMI category when starting Slimming World and it feels amazing to be able to say I have a healthy BMI!!!

Now to choosing a target weight, anyone have any suggestions or advice?

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Bronnley England Orange And Jasmine

A few weeks ago I shared with you the fresh, light and uplifting Bronnley England Summer Citrus scents post. My blog post featured the very reasonably priced Bronnley England Lemon & Neroli Eau De Toilette perfume as well as the super cute lime shaped Bronnley England Lime and Bergamot three soaps package. Today I am sharing with you three different products from the Bronnley England Orange And Jasmine fragrance family.

In the collection is the Bronnley Orange And Jasmine 100ml Eau De Toilette, the Bronnley Orange And Jasmine 250ml Bath And Shower Gel as well as the Bronnley Orange and Jasmine Hand and Nail Cream Tube 50ml.

The scent is beautiful and sweet, it really reminds me of The Body Shop Papaya collection but with orange undernotes. The fragrance is gentle, pleasant, subtle and warm. The floral Jasmine tones are a great contrast to the citrus orange, giving the products an unusual and unique wearable scent.

I have enjoyed each of the products. The Hand and Nail Cream is lovely for on the go since it is very moisturising with no oil or residue left behind. The Bath And Shower Gel is refreshing and leaves your skin feeling clean and smelling lovely. The perfume smells delicious! Whilst it’s staying power isn’t the best at the low price I don’t mind spritzing again after a few hours wear!

Once again I have been thoroughly impressed by the Bronnley England collection. The scent is beautiful, I love the citrus, warm, floral aroma. The products are all very well priced, the perfume is an amazing price! Whilst the packaging is no frills it is high quality – simple, clean and elegant.

Products mentioned in todays Bronnley England Orange And Jasmine post –

Bronnley Orange And Jasmine 100ml Eau De Toilette Bronnley Orange And Jasmine 250ml Bath And Shower Gel Bronnley Orange and Jasmine Hand and Nail Cream Tube 50ml

*pr

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Tips for Tummy Tuck Surgery

Abdominoplasty is major surgery. “Tummy tuck” sounds like it’s over and done with in a flash and you’re off jogging within a day or two, but this isn’t the case. You’ll be recovering for at least two weeks and you’ll have seriously restricted mobility as your body heals and you gradually get better.

It needn’t be an endurance trial, though, as with a bit of pre-op preparation you can make your recovery period as easy as possible. Josie P, who had a tummy tuck in Manchester recently, passed on this list of tips:

Deep clean your house before you go into hospital, as you won’t be able to do anything for a week at least. Your friends and family can keep up with the basics. Include all your laundry and bed sheets, too, as well as the rubbish and the recycling.

Buy in prepared meals, frozen foods and treats, and maybe batch cook some of your favourites and fill your freezer.

Make a to-do list for your carers and family – pet care, bills and so on. You may need to organise a dog walk rota.

Buy in all the pain relief you’ll need, as well as any bandages or scar treatments you might want to use.

Rack up all your entertainment – books, DVDs, games – and make sure they’re in easy reach of your recovery station.

If you have younger children and you need help with them during the day, ask a friend to move in for a few days. You shouldn’t pick the children up if they weigh more than 15lbs, so you will need help.

Stack up your pillows or think about buying a recliner bed so your upper body is well-elevated. Have extra blankets handy as some people feel very cold after surgery. Place a nightstand by your bed with bottles of water, snacks, your remote and your phone.

You should have a sick bucket for the journey home and also for the first couple of days at home – many people react badly to the anaesthetic. Consider bringing chewing gum and a bottle of water home with you just in case you are sick.

The things you need to use every day should be placed at hip level so you don’t need to bend down or reach up – food, toiletries, phone, books and so on.

Buy a soft, loose robe and non-slip slippers, as well as oversized shirts that button up at the front, as well as loose pyjama bottoms or jogging pants.

You won’t be able to wash your hair for a few days, so have a stock of scrunchies or hairbands to keep it out of the way. You’ll also need lip salve, baby wipes and a decent moisturiser. You might also want some tissues as you may feel emotional!

Set up an answering machine for your landline if you don’t already have one so you’re not disturbed when you’re trying to sleep. Remember, it’s important to rest during this period – just focus on getting better!

Photo credit: mollybeee, montroyaler, m01229 and Sheryl’s Boys via Visualhunt / CC BY-NC

*SP/GP

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Birchbox – June 2016 Paradise Found

Birchbox brings us some sunshine this month with their two Paradise Found Birchbox designs. As you can see mine is covered with palm trees but the other boxes are covered with pineapples.

The products in my UK June 2016 Birchbox have been chosen as beauty must haves that are perfect for sunny days.

This month I received one full sized item, the Jelly Pong Pong, as well as 4 well sized samples.

My full sized item is the Jelly Pong Pong lip and cheek cream paradise pigments in shade ‘Cake Pop.’

This product smells amazing, very fruity. The scent is an artificial rhubarb and the product is cruelty free. It looks like an intense neon colour in the pot and whilst it is highly pigmented it can be blended for a more subtle finish.

Next is the Percy & Reed Reassuringly Firm Session Hold Hairspray. I have used the full sized product and loved it. I’m happy this came in a mini sample, I am collecting mini samples for the toiletries hamper we are leaving in the bathroom at our wedding venue so this will be perfect.

The Laura Mercier Souffle Body Creme in Ambre Vanille smells beautiful and contains grape seed, sweet almond, vanilla extract and honey. The sample size is reasonable and the equivalent of £3.75.

I am terrible at tanning and I am not sure if I can bring myself to use the next product, the James Read Overnight Tan Sleep Mask Tan Face. The product is fast drying, applies colourless and develops to a ‘golden glow overnight’. It says suitable for all skin tones but are you brave enough to give this a go?

My final sample in this months Birchbox is the Absolution Le Nettoyant Purete, a gentle gel face cleanser. It sounds lovely with its ingredients of chamomile and oats. I cannot wait to give it a try!

*PS

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