No.7 Colour Matching

If there is one thing that's never easy, that's finding the right colour foundation. I haven't worn foundation on a daily basis now for over a year and I'm happy with not having to feel the need to wear it. But there are, on occasion times when I want to wear it, and with my wedding coming up this July I thought I'd best find a foundation that matched my skin tone.

So I headed to Boots to seek our their No.7 Colour match service.
I took a seat and after a brief discussion about what I was looking for (natural looking coverage) and how my skin acts over a day (starts out ok and becomes oiler as the day wears on) we settled on what type of foundation I would be best for me.

The No.7 Beautifully Matte Light Foundation £14.50

Using their special Match Made device the assistant worked out the perfect colour for me (Deeply Ivory). She then applied a primer & the foundation to my skin & using the information from the device, applied a corresponding concealer & powder & found the right tone blusher for me (Peach Velvet).

So simple! And you know what, everything matched perfectly!
I came away with the foundation & blusher & an eyelash primer. The whole experience was really nice & the assistant was so helpful. I was a bit nervous about asking for help but I'm so glad I did. Its something I would definitely recommend if your struggling to find the right colour plus its free with no obligation to buy!

The Mooncup | my experience

I'd never given much thought to menstrual cups, one way or another until a few months ago. I was researching all the un-savories that appear in tampons and pads and wanted to find an alternative.

The Mooncup is a soft medical grade silicone menstrual cup that's safe and eco-friendly.
The mooncup comes in 2 sizes A & B.
Size A is designed for those over the age of 30 or any who has given birth naturally.
Size B is designed for those under the age of 30 & not given birth naturally.

I chose size A, most women will know what size will work best for them. I bought my Mooncup from Boots for £21.99.

the little tab with need to be cut down to the correct size for your body

How to use |

Before you use the cup the first time you will need to boil it in water over the stove. I bought my self a cheap sauce pan use, dedicated for use with my cup.
Menstrual cups can take a good few tries to get the knack of using, but once you have it down its really easy!

Step 1 | wash your hands!
Step 2 | rinse the cup, its easier to insert when its wet
Step 3 | fold -

I use folding technique 2.

Step 4 | insert like you would a tampon with out an applicator. I find using my thumb the easiest way.
Step 5 | your done!

My experience |

I've been using the mooncup now since November 2016, and I've had 3 periods since then (sorry TMI I know!) I found the first few times inserting was a bit awkward but with every time it got easier and easier.
When the cups inside you can't feel it at all, on occasion if the cups not in quite far enough I can feel the little pull tab, so when I'm able I just do a quick sort out.
I only need to worry about emptying the cup twice a day, and that's not even too bad. I think a lot of women are turned off the idea of using menstrual cups as they kind of make you confront your menstrual blood, but I think its no different than when you use a tampon or pad. I actually feel cleaner using the mooncup.
So emptying is none to difficult. I find one of the best tricks is to stand up (over the loo) insert thumb and forefinger and find the tab, and pinch the very base of the tab where the tab meets the cup. Occasionally I have found I need to push with my pelvic muscles to help move the cup down. Once I have hold of it, gently wiggle it out. Deposit the blood down the loo, and rinse out the cup in the sink. Then re-insert.
One thing I have noticed is that the cup stains very quickly. As its made from clear silicone just 3 uses as stained my cup brown (nice!) but that doesn't affect is performance.
Since using the cup I don't loath my period, and that's a big thing! Its so comfortable I forget it in there! I'm not wasting money going out and buying tampons & in the long run its better for the environment & myself. I will definitely not be going back to tampons!

So if I was to rate the mooncup I'd give it a resound 10/10!

Are your tampons toxic?

Did you know, the average woman will use approximately 16,800 tampons/ sanitary pads in her life time? That's a lot of sanitary products!

Ever wondered whats in them? Yeah I hadn't either, not for a long time. Not till I started to think about TSS - Toxic Shock Syndrome. All tampons come with the TSS label warning.

Toxic Shock Syndrome is a rare but serious medical condition that is caused when the bacteria, Staphylococcus Aureus gets into your bloodstream. It has been linked to the use of tampons.

Please take the time to read this heartbreaking story HERE, it really makes you think about TSS.

So in the very short of it, yes tampons have the potential to be very toxic to our bodies. 

So whats in these bad boys?

According to Tampax.com:

The Applicator is usually made of tightly wound cardboard or plastic with pigments of colour
The Absorbent core is usually made of cotton or rayon 
The thin fabric around the absorbent core is usually made of rayon & polyester or polyethylene & polypropylene 
The string is usually made of cotton &/or polyester polypropylene braid
The thread used to attach the string to the core is usually made from cotton wrapped polyester or polyester
The fragrance if applicable - fragrance ingredients like those found in other women's feminine products - I'm sorry but could that be any more obscure?!!

So each ingredient is synthetic except for the cotton, which would have been through a bleaching process so that its nice a white. 
Both polyethylene & polypropylene are forms of plastic. 
Rayon is a manufactured regenerated cellulose fiber.
Polyester is another synthetic fiber.

All these fibers can get caught inside our bodies during the use of tampons, collecting bacteria which can lead to illness and TSS.
The bleaching process that the ingredients go through can also leave traces of dioxin in the product, and studies show that dioxin can collect in your bodies fatty tissues. Dioxin can cause cell abnormalities & suppress your immune system.



In my next post I will share an amazing alternative to tampons and my experience in using it!

flushed away

did you know that water companies across England & Wales are getting hundreds of calls a day about sewage blockages!?!

one of the main culprits..."flushable wet wipes"

wet wipes have been around for decades. we use them to remove make-up, wipe our babies bottoms, wipe our bottoms & clean the house. there are so many forms of wet wipe on the market & many of them have been found to be made up of three quarters polyester, which makes them extremely tough.

in the last few years 'flushable' bum wipes have been pushed by brands such as Andrex to the consumer. yes they do a fab job at cleaning your botty, but are in no way flushable. during the testing stage, yes after minutes & minutes of being sloshed back and forth they do eventually break down, but this is not a true representation of what happens in your toilet at home.

you flush your toilet, there is a little swirl or gush of water to push everything down & that is it!

so thanks to many of us using these little wipes and chucking these & god know's what else down the toilet, daily sewer blockages across the UK are a big & expensive deal! we're talking about £1 million a month just on cleaning out sewer blockages. & that's nothing on the detrimental effects wet wipes have on the environment!

i must point out that its not just wet wipes that end up down our toilets; tampons, sanitary towels, condoms & nappies all add to the problem.

so to taking a look at the environmental damage this stuff is causing, did you know it can take up to 100 years to biodegrade! with the constant use they will accumulate for many years to come.

with our flushing these items they can end up getting washed out to sea & the polyester fibers can clog up an animal's stomach if ingested, effectively making them feel full & thus causing a risk of starvation.

these fibers can also be swallowed by barnacles, scallops, crabs & fish, which runs the risk that they could get into the human food chain.

everything we humans do has a knock on effect on our environment. the safest way to dispose of any of these products, is to bag it & bin it. i have a draw full of nappy sacks in my bathroom so if either of us use a wipe we pop it in a bag & put it in our bathroom bin. its such an easy thing to do & it saves our sewers & helps the environment.

Lush Roots | DIY

A few years ago I picked myself up a tub of Lush Roots to give a try. Then, like now I was trying to grown out my hair as quick as possible and I'd seen via YouTube that Roots by Lush was a good purchase to try!

So I bought it and gave it ago. I loved the scent but hated using it on dry hair, as the directions suggest. So I used it on wet hair and it lasted a couple months as I used it sparingly, but noticed no real difference.

Recently I popped in to Lush and picked up one of their shampoo bars called New geared towards hair growth containing cinnamon. I can definitely say this about Lush products they do smell divine! 

I was thinking about picking up another tub to use in conjunction with the shampoo bar, but decided I'd go home and have a think about it as for me it's a tad pricey at £10.00 a tub.

I hopped online and had a Google of the ingredients and had a thought, why not do a DIY! I'm a total lover of DIY's and if I could make something similar my self why the devil not!

So here is what you'll need:

• A clean glass jar to pop your scalp treatment in

• 7 tbsp of coconut oil 

• 2 tbsp of castor oil

• 2 tbsp of olive oil *

• 10 drops of peppermint oil *

• 10 drops of orange oil *

• 10 drops of grapefruit oil * 

• 15 drops of tea tree oil

• 15 drops of clary sage oil 

• 8 drops of cedar wood oil

• 15 drops of rosemary oil

* used in the Lush version

The method is simple combine all the ingredients in a bowl then using an electric hand whisk mix it all up.

Place your treatment in a jar and voila!

Use it once a week, massage all over the scalp, leave on for at least 30 minutes before shampooing out. The peppermint oil is the strongest scent, so if you think it will be too over powering use less, but I personally love it!

Post Workout Smoothie Recipe

Recently I've been trying to take my workouts more seriously and I'm following more of a routine. I want to get in shape ready for my wedding next year (yes I said wedding eep) and also my honeymoon. I try to work out 5 out of 7 days anything form 30 minutes to an hour, and I really like working out with the Tone IT Up girls. The make working out fun and it also kills you!

Did you know that if you want to help build lean muscle - which you want if you want to tone up, you need to consume some form of protein within 30 minutes of completing a workout!
So today I am sharing with you my post work out smoothie.
This has been my go too, its quick and easy and tastes delicious!

Ingredients |

• 2 spotted/ripe banana's 
• 1/2 pint of a milk of your choice 
• 1 table spoon of smooth peanut butter - I like Whole Earth peanut butter :)
• 1 table spoon of protein powder  
• a dash of cinnamon powder 

Method |

The method is simple, break up the banana's in to a blender, add in the milk, peanut butter and protein powder along with a dash of cinnamon and blend until fully mixed and pour in to your desired glass! You can add an additional dash of cinnamon to the top for extra flavour! Enjoy!

The protein powder I currently have is THIS ONE from Holland and Barrett. I bought 3 sachets for £5.00, you are supposed to use the entire sachet as one drink but I'm cheap and use 1 tablespoon to make it last! I have found some fairly reasonable protein powders in my local Asda so I'll be buying from there next time, and its definitely worth a shop around first before buying a big tub for £40.00!

If you don't have any protein powder or find its too expensive...because it is, just use 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Peanut butter in its self is an amazing source of protein, body builders swear by it! The banana's are a great carbohydrate and perfect source of healthy sugars to give you that added boost after your work out!

Donating my hair..

So if you read my previous post, you'll know I recently cut off 12 inches of my hair. With the hair that was cut off, I have chosen to donate it to the LITTLE PRINCESS TRUST. A charity that provides wigs free of charge to boys and girls across the UK and Ireland who have lost their hair through cancer treatment. 

The charity works with specialist suppliers and hairdressers who offer wigs that can be tailored to the child's needs. 

The Little Princess Trust is a children’s cancer charity and our mission is to supply real hair wigs to children suffering with cancer, for the duration of their treatment.  However, in addition we assist children with other conditions which also result in hair loss, the most common being alopecia.  Our commitment to these children is different.  Despite being set up to help children with cancer, the Trust is able to supply children that do not have a cancer diagnosis with a single wig.  Whilst we are unable to commit to supplying more than one wig, we hope that this gesture will help the child and family whilst they decide on their long-term plans for dealing with this condition.

On their website there are a couple of video's that outline what the charity does and how much a good quality wig can change the life of a child suffering through hair loss. 

Their are of course guidelines to follow when donating hair such as the hair needs to be of good quality, of natural colour (not dyed blue, pink, green...) and at least 7 inches long (ideal 12 inches & longer).

I spent a long time going through my severed pony tail snipping out split ends to bring it up to standard. There of course is no guarantee that my hair will be used, but hopefully it will! Just the chance to change the life of a child is a wonderful reason to donate my hair, and over the last few years the charity has experienced a great increase in hair donation. 

So if you have #hairtospare or are thinking of having a dramatic hair cut from long to short its definitely worth looking in too!

The Inversion Method

The inversion method, is a hair growth method that involves massaging the scalp for 5 minutes with an oil, then tipping your head upside down for 4 minutes to allow blood to flow to the head, and stimulate hair growth. You do this for 7 days in a row and in theory your hair magically grows an inch in a week!...

So for my week I gave my self a scalp massage for 3-5 minutes - with out oil, I only was my hair twice a week and didn't want to have to do wash it daily. I used oil once in my 7 day period.

After my scalp massage I tipped my head upside down for 4 minutes before slowly bringing my head up. Be careful not to whip up as you can get dizzy.

Its not recommended to do this when you have your time of the month, and its always best to listen to your body.

Before I started I made sure to measure my hair to record any hair growth. Not going to lie I have always been skeptical of this method.

So here are my before and after.

So basically my hair didn't grow even half a centimeter.

The general premise of the inversion method makes sense but I don't understand the hype around it.
I think I'll continue to try it out for a few months and see what happens.

The Hair Diaries | No.1

So I've finally got around to measuring and photographing my new short hair. I'm planning on buying a padded envelope to donate my hair this week. I just keep forgetting to buy one!

So here are my starting measurements and photo's:

taken 25th July 2016

From the crown of my head/end of my parting to the tips: 39.5cm/15in

From my center part to the longest length : 44.5cm/17in

From the nape of my neck to the shortest length : 21cm/8in

and I thought I would measure what used to be my fringe (I can proudly say I have finally grown it out only too 1000 attempts) : 33cm/12ins

As I said in my previous post, when we cut my hair it ended up longer at the front and shorter at the back. In a few months I hope to begin to make my hair more even. It actually looks quite nice at the moment with the graduation so I'm not overly worried about it, but would like my hair to be all the same length. So once I've got a few months of growth I'll take off the 2in difference. I don't want to do it at the moment simply because for me, it will feel to short at the front. 

I'm currently liking the little slice of blonde that I have left in my hair, but as I go through it checking for split ends I notice its definitely weak hair, only the blonde ends and my fringe growth have split ends - the fringe growth because I haven't cut or trimmed it for well over a year. So I do feel more reinforced in my decision to cut all the blond out, but boy do I miss my hair!

Fresh start...

I am not going to lie, I think I may have lost my marbles...

Anyone who knows me, knows I love long hair. And for the better part of 4 years I have been growing my hair out. Unfortunately for the first 3 years I didn't take amazing care of it. I used heat a lot, rubbed it hard with a towel and used Sun-In on it, which is a heat activated hair lightener containing bleach, this was the main thing that killed my hair. The main length was full of split ends and try as I might, snipping them out and oiling my hair the split ends still got me down.

I knew the only way to deal with it would be to cut the damage off and start again. I put it off and off, trying regular trims with only a small amount taken off. But this was taking so long and made no difference. My hair continued to snag and tangle and break. So I grew some balls and asked my fiance to just cut it. So Monday after coming home from holiday, we did. With effort. Scissors wouldn't manage so we grabbed his shaver and about 5 minutes later I was 31cm's/12inches shorter.

Que scream face.

But its ok I attempted to neaten it up, and ended up with a long, A-line bob. Where its shorter at the back and longer at the front.

The plus of cutting all the damage off, my hair feels amazing! Its so soft, manageable and THICK!
The negative is having to start all over again. But I am now very much the wiser and know all about hair oiling and using little to no heat styling and washing it less frequently, so you know I can totes do this.

Over the coming months / years I will be documenting the growth and sharing any treatments or tricks that have aided in the growth.

The before was taken right before we chopped/buzzed it off. It looks fairly nice here. (sad face)
The after was taken today (5 days after) It looks really uneven but I can assure you it isn't. (the camera's angle is funny too!)


With the pony tail I have, I will be donating it to a charity that makes wigs for children who are going through treatment for leukemia and cancer. (I'll do another post on that very soon) Before I send it off I plan to sit and go through the hair and snip away as many split ends as I can for them.

So here's to a fresh start and another long journey!

My Simple Skincare Routine

For me, simple is always better. And its not till I got really simple with my skin care did my skin settle down and begin to look good. I mean, I currently have the best skin of my life, and I do next to nothing with it! Interested? Keep on reading!

Night Time Skincare Routine |

Step one | Cleanse

To cleanse my skin of an evening I use a very simple DIY oil cleanser. Its a mix of Castor Oil & Walnut Oil. Both selected for different reasons. Castor Oil draws out dirt and impurities while Walnut Oil nourishes the skin, fights wrinkles and is a good remedy for infection.

I take 1 - 2 pumps (I re-used an old oil cleanser bottle from one of my love lula boxes) of oil, massage it over my face concentrating on removing my mascara then use a hot flannel to wipe it off. All it takes is two wipes and I'm done. I don't rinse or pat my face dry just allow it to air dry.

Recipe |

Be sure to sake before use as the castor oil is much heavier. You can change up your oils and customise your cleanser to you.

Step two | Tone

My toner is also another DIY. I love this stuff. I notice if I stop using it for just a couple of weeks, my skin starts to break out again, so I highly, highly recommend it! After my cleanse I take my toner on a cotton wool ball, and swipe it all over my face. If I have missed any dirt in my cleanse this picks it up.

Recipe |

I posted this recipe back in July, and since then I have added in one of my favourite spot busters, Witch Hazel. Its a natural astringent and skin cleanser, teamed with Tea Tree Oil Essential Oil, another beautiful antiseptic and Apple Cider Vinegar that regulates the skins ph levels, prevents spots and is also a wonderful help for oily skinned lovies this is my holy grail! This as you may have guessed is my spot prevention step. 

Although preventative I do end up with the odd red spot in which case I grab my tea tree EO and apply it directly to the spot, 1 day later, spots pretty much gone.

Dr.Organic Tea Tree Pure Oil £4.59 from Holland & Barrett

Step three |

Moisturise

Finally I moisturise. I take one pump of my Dr Bronners Orange Lavender Organic Lotion, its says for hands and body but you can use it all over, and smooth it in to my face and neck. And I'm done. If I find I need a little deeper nourishment because I've been outside all day or rubbed my face a lot, I'll use coconut oil instead. But I'm careful to use it no more than once a week as it can clog pores.

Dr.Bronners Orange Lavender Organic Lotion £8.49 from lookfantastic.com

I have had this lotion for at least 2 months and I'm about a quarter of the way through, I love it! It has lasted so well, my skin doesn't get nearly as oily has it did and its just the right amount of moisture for me.

Extras |

Once a month if I feel the urge to pamper myself I'll do a bentonite clay mask (I'll do a post on it) as a real deep cleanse.

Morning Skincare Routine |

All I do is remove step one, and replace with a simple wash with warm water and nothing else and repeat steps two and three.

Over the last 2/3 months I've also stopped using foundation and have found that this has in fact greatly improved my skin in collaboration with this skincare routine. I find now I hate wearing it and hate the way it makes my skin look! Never thought I'd hear myself say that! But with out all that makeup clogging up my skin its aloud it to breath and level out and look happy!

If you give any of this a try let me know how you get on!

Jeni xo

DIY | Verruca Treatment That WORKS!!!!

Verrucas. What can I say. They are evil, horrible little things that can be painful as well as unsightly.
So what are these demons? Verrucas are essentially a wart or a 'Plantar Wart' meaning its in the sole of your foot as apposed to on the surface of your skin.

Verrucas are caused by an infection of the skin by a virus called the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which is highly contagious. The viral infection is spread through skin contact with contaminated surfaces.

I got my first verruca about 6 years ago, my second about 2 years ago and my third this year. I had tried every over the counter product from Bazuka gel to the freezing kind. Nothing worked. I was so fed up, so I turned to the interwebz to do a bit of googling and found, one specific ingredient keep popping up. 

Vinegar, or more precisely Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV). I had nothing to loose I already had the vinegar so for me it was free and on the 9th of July I started my treatment. 

Treatment is simple. All you need is your ACV, some cotton wool and some heavy duty masking tape. Oh and a sock.

EVERY night, soak a small piece of cotton wool in ACV, place over the verruca and tape in to place. Pop a sock over your foot to keep it all in place and sleep with it on your foot ALL night. Remove in the morning. You must repeat this every night. However it can get a bit painful in the early days so a night off when its too much is fine.

The key to this treatment is PATIENTS and PERSISTENCE. It took me nearly 2 months but honestly its the best thing I have ever done for my verrucas.

Before I go on I'll warn you...there will be up close and personal pictures of my verrucas so sorry if your squeamish. But every forum I looked on only described the treatment, I really wanted to show how it looks so that if you suffer and want to try this you know what it will look like and basically not poop your pants like I did!

These were my verruca's on the 9th of July. The one that's 2 years old has been the most uncomfortable one as its right on the bend of my big toe on a callous.

This is the morning after. As you can see the ACV has cause the surrounding area to swell up and look uber gross and a little tender. From what I can guess, and please note this is just a guess. The swollen are I think is where the root of the verruca reaches. Over time it gets smaller.

Once the swelling receded, it wasn't painful and I could walk around as normal.

Over the next few weeks this is what I woke up to.

This is 5 days after I started treatment, taken in the evening before bed. As you can see the verruca has turned black and begun to scab and slowly die. (yay!)

On the forums it said that once it reaches this sort of stage you can use an emery board to begin to file down the scabbing. Some people said that they dug the scab out. That sounds really gross I'm sorry. But that is what I chose to do as well. After trying to file the scab down I took a pair of sterilised nail scissors as they are much sharper and pried this scab out of my foot. Each time I did this I could feel a tugging coming from deeper with in my foot, the root I would guess.

 I also took the thought that by doing it this way I would get the ACV in deeper. But it was also a uncomfortable way of doing it. Some nights my feet would really hurt so I would always take the night after off. I stand up all day at work so for me it wasn't ideal but I wouldn't change the way I did things.

As you can see over time the surrounding areas of the verrucas have become pink and tender looking as a result of over night ACV soaks the skin has also started to peel. Of a morning though now the surrounding area doesn't swell up as much and you can see the verrucas look no where near as deep as when I stated.

There was a long period of time where nothing really happened much after this but each time I poked at my verruca it didn't feel as deep as it once had.

This was taken today as you can see the ones on the sole of my foot have basically vanished, but the one on my toe is still visible although massively reduced. I haven't treated them for a few weeks. But I'm going to start treatment again on the one that's left.

I really hope that his helps anyone out there looking for an effective way to kill verrucas, I'm so happy that I found this and even more so that its natural and works!

Jeni xo

Review | Tangle Teezer

As my hair has got longer, its become more of a nightmarish tangle, so I thought I'd try out the Tangle Teezer well known for its kick arse knot fighting abilities.

The Tangle Teezer has fast become an iconic hair tool, with its bright colours and funky design.

I picked my teezer up from Boots for £10.99 and is the original design. It has 2 different lengths of soft, bendy plastic bristles, long and short in an alternating pattern and fits comfortably in the palm of my hand.

I have to say I was skeptical about whether this would work well, and after using it for a few months I can safely say its pretty good!

I wanted to do a comparison test to show how good the teezer really is. I don't normally brush my hair from root to tip when its wet but it was the best way to show how it works.

Before

Using a wide tooth comb I brush from the top of my head and immediately get stuck, so gently start again, then get stuck again and then again. Not so groovy.

After (just the right side)

 The tangle teezer is so smooth and took me 2 seconds to go through the left side of my hair

One of the down sides I must admit is is that fluff gets stuck in the bristles very easily. I took this picture a few hours later after my hair had dried and all the fluff from my jumper ended up in my brush! Its also not as smooth when I brush my hair dry, it can get stuck in some of the stubborn knots and take a few tries to work through. But all in all its a good brush and I would definitely would recommend it :)

Jeni xo

Review | John Freida Beach Blonde

Hi Guys!

I know its been rather a long time since my last post. Truth is I've had a lack of blogging motivation and haven't come across anything that has got me excited in a while.

But fear not! Today I come back with a review of John Freida's returning classic Beach Blonde.

I'm always chopping and changing hair products trying to find THE ULTIMATE products for my hair type but alas its still a searching struggle. I've tried it all from all natural shampoo bars (a dark time in my hair history) to a little more pricey-er chemical laden bottles of promise. I try to pick budget friendly products and if I can pick things on offer I will! This funky fresh little collection caught my eye and it was on offer so I went ahead and picked up the Cool Dip Purifying Shampoo and the Kelp Help Deep Conditioning Masque. In addition to the collection there is a Smooth Seas Detangling Conditioner and a Sea Waves Sea Salt spray to bring out your inner mermaid.

Information |

Brand | John Freida

Product | Cool Dip Purifying Shampoo & Kelp Help Deep Conditioning Masque

Size | 250ml (shampoo) 150ml (masque)

Price | £5.89 each (I bought each for £4.00)

Made in | the E.U

Would I re-purchase | yes! 

Shampoo Ingredients |

Aqua, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside Sodium Chloride, Betaine, Parfum, Cocamide Mea, Benzyl Alcohol Polyquaternium-7, Dipropylene Glycol, Malic Acid, Menthyl Lactate, Menthol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate Benzophenone-4, Glycine, PPG-9 Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Sodium Hydroxide, Methylisothiazolinone Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, CI 15985, CI 42090, Limonene, Linalool.

Masque Ingredients |

Aqua, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Glycerin, Parfum, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Esters, Isopropyl Palmitate, Benzoic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Lactic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Menthol Menthyl Lactate, Polyquaternium-28, Glycine, Malic Acid, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Benzophenone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Cetearyl Glucoside, Methylisothiazolinone, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Gardenia Tahitensis Flower Extract, CI 15985, CI 42090, Limonene, Linalool

At the time I bought these I was messing around with my hair care routine and washing my hair too frequently so my natural shampoo was leaving a residue. I bought the shampoo to deep clean my hair and the masque just damn tempted me! I use these maybe once a week to clear away any product build up. Lets start with the scent. OMG this stuff smells beyond amazing! Its fresh, its minty, it smells clean and by golly the sent stay in your hair for days! 

The shampoo does a great job of stripping away dirt and grime and leaves hair feeling fresh and clean, I always use it in conjunction with the hair masque; which in turn leaves hair feeling wonderfully soft. I leave it in for about 3 minutes, longer if I'm enjoying a bath and wash it out well. I suspect that this (the masque) is what really leaves its sent behind.

Pricing wise I don't think its too bad a price for the shampoo as it lasts ages. Its quite a thick clear shampoo and you can't squeeze too much out of the bottle so you won't over use the product, but the masque is such a tiny amount for the money, you want to use it sparingly, a little does go a long way but its too costly in my eyes, even if it does smell like heaven!

All in all I have enjoyed using these products and will continue to do so till they are all used up and I move on to my next search!

Jeni xo

D I Y | Distressed Cut Offs

It came to my attention the other day that I lacked a pair of black jean shorts, and I really wanted a pair, but as I'm currently 'economising' I decided to ransack my wardrobe for an old pair of black jeans I don't really wear. I've hacked up quite a few pairs of jeans in my time, creating total cock ups along the way. Most of the time they would end up with one leg longer than the other or just looked like totally lame cut offs that I did myself (which...duh? I did!). But as times gone on and about 10 pairs of jeans have met a scissory end at my hand I have finally devised a fool proof cut of plan!

1 | Select your jeans

2 | Turn them inside out and fold them over

3 | Place a pair of shorts on top as a guide line reference

4 | Using a white eye liner draw dashes along your jeans to guide your scissor happy hands

5 | Cut along your dotted line

6 | Re-fold your jeans so you now have a new guideline

7 | Using your white eyeliner again create your second set of lines

8 | Cut along the dotted line again

At this point I usually try on my shorts to see how the fit and how long they are once folded. I had to cut about another inch off to reach the length I was after.

9 | I've found the best way to fray the raw edge of your jeans is to use the inner most part of blunt scissors and scrape backwards and forwards to achieve a frayed edge

10 | Once your happy with your fray, fold up the edges and sew the very inner parts to keep the fold in place and the very outer part

11 | To create your holes pinch together the fabric

12 | ...and cut!

Use the same fraying techniques on your holes

One of the holes I made was over a pocket so a decided to sew in a patch from an old shirt to give the shorts a little character.

And your all done! Each time you wear them and wash them the will become a little more frayed and distressed looking.

D I Y | Apple Cider Vinegar & Tea Tree Toner

I've experimented with a lot of DIY beauty treatments over the years and this toner is one of my faves!
Its very easy to make and if you already have the ingredients it doesn't cost a penny!

Here's what you will need:

+ a bottle to keep your toner in, I like this one by KILNER
+ Apple Cider Vinegar (aka cider vinegar) you can get this from any supermarket
+ Tea Tree Oil I used this ONE
additionally
+ Rosemary Oil
+ Argan Oil

This was originally inspired by an old BUBZBEAUTY video. Each time I've made it I have changed and adapted it for what works best for me. I 100% recommend getting one of these kilner bottles it keeps the toner fresh till the last drop!
What I love about it is that its 100% natural and works so well. Since I've settled on this formulation my skin has been getting better and better. I still get the occasional mini break out that consists if maybe 4 or 5 tiny spots and I've been going out more and more with only a sweep of blusher or bronzer on my cheeks for colour (no foundation!!!).

Now I'll quickly share why I've picked each ingredient.

Apple Cider Vinegar | helps to prevent acne, stimulates circulation and if your unlucky to get a little sun burnt, helps with that too!

Tea Tree Oil | like acv it helps to treat acne and has natural antibacterial properties

Argan Oil | its liquid gold! Adds a kick of hydration to the formula and helps to soften the skin

Rosemary Oil | contains a wide variety of nutrients such as iron, calcium, vitamins and antioxidants and is also a natural astringent (smells amaze too!)


Jeni xo