Natural Hair Care - A super deep conditioner mix for curly hair

Hey guys,

It's getting pretty cold here in London Town and I'm starting to feel my hair getting drier and drier - which is no bueno!

I have put together an easy peasy recipe for a deep conditioner, to help your curls gain and retain the well needed moisture to survive this cold, windy weather.

Here goes:
It's simple, I have taken 3 really good, well known deep conditioners that are widely available and mixed them together to create a super strength, deep conditioner.

You will need:

• Motions CPR Treatment conditioner
• SheaMoisture's Black Castor Oil Treatment Masque
• Aussie's 3 Minute Miracle Hair Reconstructor
• Optional - Organic Raw Coconut Oil

I use 3 heaped tablespoons of each conditioner and mix it all together in an old SheaMoisture tub - simple!

I then co-wash my hair with lukewarm water and use my trusty Denman brush to detangle, I detangle my hair when it is dripping wet in the shower starting at the tip and working my way up to the roots. Honestly this does not take long at all thanks to the Denman brush - it takes me 3 minutes max!

I then take the conditioner mix and generously coat each and every strand of hair, my hair is pretty long and thick so to make it easier I part my hair in 2, depending on the texture and length of your hair you can part it into more sections or no sections at all - whatever is easiest for you! Just make sure each strand of hair is coated.

I then twist my hair into a loose top knot and pin it there to stop it from falling down, cover with a disposable plastic cap (to generate steam) and leave it in for at least 6 hours but if you only have 30 minutes then that is better than nothing, or alternatively leave it on over night for a really good treatment.

After your time is up wash it out thoroughly with just below lukewarm water and add your leave in products. I like to use the Cantu Shea Butter leave in conditioner, detangle  gently and then use my organic raw coconut oil to seal in all the moisture.

Using this treatment, will have your hair looking and feeling strong, long and able to sustain the upcoming icy, cold and frosty weather.

Let me know when you have tried this mix and how your hair felt afterwards...until next time you can catch me on Twitter or Instagram.

x

Skin Care Review - GLAMGLOW SUPERCLEANSE Daily Clearing Cleanser

Autumn is here...or I should say Fall as the majority of my readers are from the U.S :-). Time for those dark lip and nail colours to come out...my fave dark lip colour combo is defo the lipstick 'Sin' and the 'Bespoken For' long wear lip liner with it, both from MAC Cosmetics.

Anyway, I recently picked up the GLAMGLOW Supercleanse in a Dubai Sephora when I was out there around 6 weeks ago, I had seen all of the Beauty Guru's raving about this product, which is the cleanser form of the amazing supermud clearing treatment mask.

I have pretty temperamental skin that is spot and eczema prone, plus it can get very dry in the colder weather, so I thought now is the perfect time to try this cleanser.

 

I have to be really careful and selective about the products I put on my face due to their ingredients, but with this cleanser I have had nothing but positive results. 

 

I have used this cleanser pretty much everyday for the last few weeks and LOVE IT! It has so many skin beneficial ingredients that help eliminate a number of skin concerns or issues. 

Main ingredients:

• K17 & Mediterranean clays - detoxifying, refines skin texture, balances problem skin
• Bamboo Charcoal - balances, replenishes problem skin
• Licorice Root Extract - improves skin tone, calms irritated skin
• Black Cumin Seed Extract - antimicrobial and antioxidant active properties
• Glycolic Acid and Lactic Acid - removes dead skin cells and build up
• Eucalyptus Leaf Powder - which makes it smell amazing!!!

As you can see from the above picture, the product is an almost black, thick consistency (that smells divine), I use 2 full pumps and using my fingertips I massage it all over my face and neck in upward circular motions. I like to take my time and really work the product into my face concentrating on any imperfections or areas of concern that I have. I then wet a muslin cloth and use it to remove the product - simple!

Since using the GLAMGLOW SUPERCLEANSE clearing treatment I have noticed a massive difference in my skin, the texture is smoother, the tone is brighter and I have had zero breakouts!

If you have similar troublesome skin that needs that extra boost, I would defo recommend you give this cleanser a go and see what wonders it can work for your skin. 

Until next time you can catch me on Instagram and Twitter. 

x

Healthy Eating - Easy Healthy Breakfast Smoothie for Weightloss

Hey!

I'm back with something a little different today....but I know you guys will still enjoy!

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you will probs already know I'm TRYING (key word lol) to be on this weightloss journey. I am not massively overweight but I'm just not happy with the extra pounds that seemed to have crept on in the last few months!

The stress of moving house and starting a new demanding job more or less at the same time, amongst many other things, has really stressed me out and I've been turning to sweet treats and fast foods for it's comfort and convenience...but I'm happy to say I shall be turning to them no more! (well maybe on occasions lol)

The hardest part about eating really healthy and following a diet for me is the breakfast part...I have to leave my house quite early in the morning and just don't have the time to have breakfast before I leave (it's usually a croissant from Morrison's next door to my work) and to be honest, the last thing I'm thinking about at half 7 in the morning is breakfast!

I'm more thinking about getting up and ready in time to leave my house so I don't miss my train! To top it off there isn't much out there in the supermarkets near my work that is healthy for breakfast.

Anyway, I have searched online for filling breakfast smoothies, that are delicious, healthy and actually fill me up #TeamAlwaysHungry!

I've finally found it and of course I'm going to share it with you!

You will need:

• A blender - I have the Breville Blend Active, it was super cost effective at only £20 from Amazon and works really well!
• Frozen Berries - I used strawberries and raspberries that I got from Sainsbury's, I buy the fresh strawberries, cut them up and put them in a freezer bag for convenience.
• Soy Milk - I use the Alpro Soy Milk Light - it's really delicious, tastes super creamy and is so good for you!
• Oats - I like to use the Mornflake Oats but they all pretty much taste the same to me.

 

First, I like to add the frozen strawberries and raspberries to the Blend Active bottle, I fill it half way, then add 2 tablespoons of the oats.

 

Now for the soy milk - I add in as much as I want to to be honest, if I want the smoothie a little more thick I add less....but usually I add around 1 cup full.

The Breville Blend Active is super quick and convenient, it will blend it all up smooth in under a minute. Once it's all blended, you will end up with the best looking and tasting healthy breakfast smoothie!

Let me know your fave healthy breakfast smoothies that are good for weightloss and if your looking for a healthy breakfast smoothie, try this one out and comment on how you found it!

Until next time, follow me on Twitter and Instagram!

x

Natural Hair Care - 1 Easy Tip To Grow Hair Quickly

Are you sick of your curls not growing? Are you trying to grow your hair and it gets to a certain point and wont go any further?

I have 1 simple easy tip to help your hair grow longer and thicker!

Organic Rosemary Essential Oil

When I was transitioning from relaxed to natural during 2013, I would mix at least 20 drops of the essential oil with warm water, let that cool and then spritz all over my hair - this really helped to stimulate hair growth and grew out my relaxed hair much quicker.

2 years since cutting off all my relaxed hair and my hair is 100% natural and almost at bra strap length and very thick!

Organic Rosemary Essential Oil is seriously a wonder oil and here's why:

1. The antimicrobial and antiseptic properties of this oil will help to fight bacterial infections and other harmful organisms on the hair and scalp.
2. This oil encourages hair follicles to produce new hair growth.
3. The nutrients in the oil help to nourish and condition the scalp and hair, which promotes healthy hair growth.
4. This oil stimulates hair follicles into producing new hair.

You can add the rosemary essential oil to many of your day to day haircare products, like your shampoo, conditioner, hair spritz, carrier oils to incorporate it in your haircare regime.

FYI: Never use Rosemary essential oil without diluting it.

So, if your trying to grow longer, thicker tresses, try this essential oil out and let me know if it works as good for you as it did me!

Until next time, as usual I'm on Twitter and Instagram

x

Natural Hair Care - Best Deep Conditioners For Naturally Curly Hair!

Happy Sunday! I love Sunday's!

Sunday for me is a day to recharge and prepare for the week ahead (full time worker life), this includes making sure all the laundry is done, my flat is clean & tidy and my curls are washed, deep conditioned and ready for the week ahead!

Today I will be showing you beauties my top deep conditioners for my natural curly hair. Enjoy...

First, it's my fave SheaMoisture Deep Treatment Masque -

This was the first SheaMoisture product I ever tried, I bought it in Target when I was in New York a few years ago and I loved it so much, I noticed a massive difference in my hair from the very first time I used it!

It's super creamy and with ingredients like Shea Butter, Argan Oil, Sea Kelp, Avocado Oil and Carrot Seed Oil, you know this deep conditioner is packing a punch and ready to tackle whatever the issue may be with your curly hair.

I save this one for when my tresses are feeling brittle and damaged due to whatever reason, I drench my hair in this product, put on a plastic shower cap and leave it on for a good hour, or I will put on my thermal hood from Sally's Beauty Supply and let it sit there for 20 mins.

Second is the Mixed Chicks Deep Conditioner -

I use this conditioner when my curls are frizzy, need some defining and extra moisture. I also love to use this conditioner as my co-wash too, it's so good at making my hair feel clean, soft and moisturised - if you are looking for an all rounder conditioner that can also be used as a co-wash, this one may be what you have been searching for...

 

Third is of course another SheaMoisture product, it's the SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Grow & Restore Treatment Masque -

 

This conditioner is so luxurious and powerful, it has JBCO which has numerous benefits when trying to grow your curls longer and healthier, as well as Organic Shea Butter for extra moisture. I like to use this conditioner at least every other week to maintain healthy hair growth.

 

Finally to the newbie of the group, the SheaMoisture Superfruit Complex 10-in-1 Renewal System Hair Masque -  

 

This product gives me life and it smells so good! It has ingredients like Biotin for thicker hair, Marula Oil for elasticity, Coconut oil, Shea Butter and SheaMoisture's Superfruit Complex which includes Red Raspberry Ketones, Goji Berries, Acai and Guava which provides your hair will an all round pick me up.

 

When I first used this deep conditioner on my natural curls, my hair literally felt like it had just had a spa treatment lol it was calm, smooth, looked much more vibrant and smelt amazing! I will defo be trying out more of the SheaMoisture Superfruit Complex range!

 

So, to all my curly girls I hope you will be trying out a few of my suggested conditioners to help keep your curls long, strong and luxurious!

 

Until next time you can find me on Twitter and Instagram

 

x 



Natural Skincare - My top 3 Michael Todd true organics Products

Hey guys, 

A while ago, I ordered a few products from the Michael Todd true organics UK website.

I had seen YouTube beauty gurus going on and on about the Michael Todd skincare line for so long, so I did some research, saw they delivered to the UK and ordered. 

I purchased the skincare discovery kit for dry skin, it was £25 for 5 smaller size products...check it out here.

 

The discovery kits comes with all of the essentials:

• Facial Cleanser
• Facial Toner
• Facial Scrub
• Facial Moisturiser
• Facial Mask

What I also like about the Michael Todd brand is all of their products are made with organic ingredients and have nothing scary in the ingredients list!

 

After using the products for a while, here are my top three:

 

1. Tropical Fruit Enzyme Exfoliant Scrub - I love, love, love this scrub, its not harsh and abrasive like most scrubs, it smells divine and has ingredients like Coconut Oil, Papaya extract and the Jojoba wax beads provide gentle but effective exfoliation. After using this, your skin will feel soft, smooth and looking polished!

 

2. Blue Green Algae Antibacterial Toner - This toner is just amazing, most toners are so full of alcohol that they burn or have nothing valuable in them to make a difference to your skin. With this toner, you can actually see and feel a difference in your skin, its natural and organic ingredients like Aloe Leaf Juice, Organic Blue Green Algae and Tea Tree essential oil really do help with any breakouts while leaving your skin feeling soft and toned.

 

 

3. Citrus Cream Moisturiser with DMAE and Hyaluronic Acid - I have saved the best for last! I have been searching long and hard for a facial moisturiser that hydrates my dry, sensitive skin without leaving it oily or feeling like its covered in Vaseline. With this moisturiser I have found it! With ingredients like Coconut Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Aloe Vera and Vitamin C, you know your skin is being taken care of!

 

If you are interested in trialing the Michael Todd true organics skin care products I would defo say try the the smaller size's first, the full size's are not cheap so you want to be sure the products will work for you.

 

Until next time you can find me on Twitter for regular tweets or on Instagram ;-)

 

x

Restaurant Review - Byron in Central London

Hey guys,

This week my friend and I went to Byron in Central London - Check out what I thought below!

We visited the Byron restaurant in Cheapside, Central London - it is on the 2nd floor of the New One Change shopping mall.

Cheapside is literally a 2 minute walk from St Paul's underground station!

Byron is an American style restaurant, specializing in 'proper hamburgers' made from good Scottish beef, ground fresh and cooked medium.

First off, when you walk into Byron it has a really relaxing feel, it was nice and warm (probs due to the kitchen being central and open - which I loved!), the lights were dimmed and the tables were nicely spaced apart.

We were greeted at the door and got to choose where we wanted to sit, we chose the opposite end of the restaurant to the door (no cold draft please) and I got to sit on the comfy booth cushion chairs.

I was told before I went by a friend that they have the best milkshakes so I chose the Vanilla milkshake with a shot of Bailey's and OMG! It was to die for! It was so smooth and the baileys really stood out against the Vanilla - defo will be trying to make this at home! ;-)

We didn't order any starters, we went straight in for the main course...

I ordered the Skinny Byron Burger ... (it was 'skinny' because it had no bun), it was a medium cooked beef burger with cheese, red onion, bacon, gherkins, lettuce and as a side it came with salad - and my friend and I shared chips.

The Burger was soooo good! It was cooked amazingly. A perfect medium - crisp on the outside but juicy on the inside and it wasn't pink, chewy or dry at all!

It had the perfect amount of cheese for me too as i'm not really a big cheese fan, so the thin slither did my burger enough justice without being overpowering - you could always add more if you wanted to for a small extra charge.

After indulging in the milkshake before my meal - which was so thick and creamy, there was no way I would of been able to eat the bun of the burger and still have room for dessert! And dessert is always the best bit in my view!

For dessert I chose the Caramel and Honeycomb Blondie with caramel sauce, which came with vanilla ice cream. They had a really good selection of desserts but this one really stood out to me, probs due to my addiction to caramel.

This dessert was delicious! It was a large slice as well (not something i'm used to with Central London restaurants), I was pleasantly surprised at how much they serve...

The dessert was super tasty, it had bits of chewy honeycomb and my fave bit was the caramel sauce, it was so thick and creamy...just perfect!

Overall I really enjoyed Byron, the food was amazing, the milkshakes were tasty and the staff were friendly and helpful.

You can check out their website which will show you their delicious menu, and you will also be able to search their restaurant locations to find the nearest one to you.

If you have been before, then let me know what you ordered for the next time I  go ;-)

Until next time you can find me on Twitter and Instagram

x

Money Saving Tips - 5 Simple Tips to Save Money!

Hey Guys,

A bit of a different post today but I think it will be really beneficial to some of you! Especially if one of your New Year resolutions is to save money!

Whether you are saving for a rainy day, those new Ray Ban's, a new car, or even to buy a house. I have put together 5 simple money saving tips, they seem obvious but a lot of us (including me) need constant reminders that tips only work if we actually implement them!

Defo enjoy life how best you want, we all work hard and deserve to spoil ourselves, but lets do it within our individual budgets okay?

Here goes...

Tip number 1.
Just say NO! - I know of so many people who live outside of their means just to impress...this is a NO FLEX ZONE! Please move along with that behaviour! If you are invited out clubbing, for drinks, on holiday or a shopping spree and you know you cant really afford it, just say no, its not the end of the world!

Tip Number 2.
Make a budget - I cant stress enough how important and beneficial making a budget and sticking to it is, if you know exactly what is coming in and exactly what is going out, you can then make a plan with the funds that may be left over after paying bills (and after adding some to your savings of course!).

Tip Number 3.
eBay! - I love eBay! Try and keep everything you have in good condition, that way when you no longer want it or its no longer any use to you, you can package it up and sell it to someone who will make use of it, and pay you money for it! I constantly go through my clothes and anything I haven't worn in the last 6 months goes on eBay. It can really add up to quite a lot of money and then you can add that money to your savings, on new clothes or even a holiday!

Tip Number 4.
Bring packed lunch to work - This is the one that I am so guilty of not doing enough of! Buying lunch for work out everyday really does add up, it is super expensive (especially in Central London where I work!). One of my New Years resolutions is to bring lunch from home at least 3 days a week, who's joining me with this one? I'm going to put the amount I would normally spend on lunch in a tin and at the end of the month I will add half that money into my savings and the other half on something pretty from ASOS.com haha! ;-)

Tip Number 5.
Check your bank balance! - Before you make that online purchase, before you pay that deposit for that holiday, before you go out to that club...Check your bank balance, if you are not happy with what you see then JUST SAY NO!

I really hope these simple tips will be helpful, let me know on Twitter which ones you will be using! 

x

Natural Skin Care - Homemade Body Butter!

Hey Guys,

Today I am showing you a homemade skin care recipe that I made a few days ago...hope you enjoy! :-)

All you will need:
Raw all natural unrefined Cocoa Butter
Raw all natural unrefined Shea Butter
Essential Oil of your choice - I chose Grapefruit.
A blender

Step1...
The raw Cocoa Butter and raw Shea Butter should be a firm solid, I like to put the containers into a bowl of warm water to slowly soften them up a little.



Look at all those benefits of the Shea Butter!



Raw Cocoa Butter is a natural emollient moisturiser, which is rich in vitamins and minerals. It is especially beneficial for dry, chapped, sensitive skin types.

Once the containers have been in the warm water for a few minutes, you will notice the solid butter will melt into an oil...I pour around 3/4 of a cup of each melted oil into the blender and blend on full power.

Once the two oils have been blending in the blender for a good few minutes you will notice the consistency change to a rich, buttery texture.

I now like to add the chosen essential oil, I chose Grapefruit essential oil due to its uplifting scent, it is also nourishing to the skin and has brightening properties.

I add 15-20 drops of the essential oil and blend on full power again for a few minutes - then its done!

I pour the mixture into a glass (not plastic) jar with a tight lid and leave it over night to set back into a solid.

I have been using this body butter on a daily basis! It is so cold here in London at the moment and using this when my skin is still damp from a shower or bath really helps to lock in the moisture!

Let me know if you made this or any other homemade natural body butters...

Until next time you can catch me on Instagram or Twitter.

x