Tips To Cure a Cold

I'm sitting here feeling a little a though I have been hit by a bus...I have in fact got a Summer cold. I am shivering and sweating, sneezing almost once a minute and blown my nose so much that I have given myself a headache. And as you can probably guess I am feeling a little sorry for myself.

As someone with an seemingly incompetent immune system and the ability to catch a cold from anyone within a mile radius, I am unfortunately fairly used to feeling a little under the weather. However, this has meant that I have developed a strategy so that I can feel better as soon as possible and not let a little cold get in my way! As the weather (finally) starts to drop and "Back to School" is among us, colds are pretty common. So I thought that this would be the perfect time to share my tips on how to cope with a cold and get over it a little quicker.

Disclaimer: It should go without saying that I have a degree in Fashion and AM NOT a doctor.

POP A PILL
As soon as I feel as thought I am coming down with something I take a paracetamol. Sometimes if you get there early enough you can even catch it before it develops into a full blown cold!

DRINK A LOAD OF WATER
Not only will cold water feel really nice if your throat is a bit sore but it is so important to stay hydrated right now. I like to drink warm water with honey and lemon whenever I am feeling a little under the weather, it tastes amazing and it really lovely for soothing a sore throat.

FACIAL STEAMING
I like to do this anyway as part of my skincare routine to open up pores before a face mask, however, steaming your face is also amazing for clearing sinuses. Make sure that the water isn't boiling, use something to protect your eyes and have a tissue at hand for when your nose inevitably starts streaming!

GO FOR A WALK
While resting when you are ill is important I also think it is good to get outside for a bit of fresh air. I wouldn't recommend doing any hardcore exercise when you are ill, but something like a walk or yoga is just what the doctor ordered!

GIVE DAIRY A MISS
This might be a personal one but whenever I have a cold and I eat any dairy (but particularly chocolate) my throat just feels so sore. It's natural when you are feeling ill to want to snuggle up in bed with a load of unhealthy food, but now is actually the time to eat really healthily and help your body to recover.

TAKE A HOT BATH
Similar to a facial steam, the stream from a hot bath will really help to clear sinuses. This is particularly beneficial before bed.

 

I hope this helps any of you who may also be experiencing a Summer cold! And if you have any other tips, please share them in the comments.
Speak soon, xx

Ways To Reduce Under Eye Circles

Ways To Reduce Under Eye Circles

So like most people I am a suffer of dark circles, in fact surveys show that over 70% of us are and thy are much more common in women than me. So over the last few years I have done a lot of research into different ways to reduce my under eye circles. And while none of them have totally got rid of them, that's what concealer is for, there are many little lifestyle changes and home remedies that you can do to reduce them. So here are a few of my favourite. 

Lifestyle choices

• Drink a lot of water every day, 7/8 glasses is what is recommended
• Take breaks from staring at TV/computer screens
• Make sure you get a least 7/8 hours sleep per night
• Eat a balanced diet full of proteins and vegetables
• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun
• Only use creams specifically for under your eyes as the skin here is thinner and more sensitive and cannot take harsh chemicals or thick products 
• Invest in a good eye cream that is moisturising but not heavy under your eyes
• Massage your eye cream in every night using an inward circular motion
• Exercise regularly 
• Do yoga helps to calm and de-stress and stress is a common cause for dark eye circles
• Don't smoke or drink excessively as this can worsen dark circles
• Dark eyes circles can also e a sign of a medical problem so if they are really bad and just not shifting maybe visit a doctor

Home remedies and quick fixes

• Hold a piece of cold cucumber on your eyes for a few minutes to de-puff them, well known, seems to work well for me
• Do the same but with thin slices of potatoes as the starch is really good for bags and dark circles
• Put two teaspoons in the fridge for a few minutes and then take them out and hold them on you eyes for a while. This one feels really nice and is so quick and simple
• Wait for used tea bags to turn cold and then place them under the eyes, works like the cucumber and potato
• Use ice cubes wrapped in a sot cloth or kitchen roll under your eyes

So each of these methods will work differently for different people and some may not work for you at all. Dark under eye circles can be caused by allergies, a cold or hereditary so they can just suddenly be gotten rid off. But I hope that these methods and tips help and give you a few ideas. Let me know in the comments below if you have any other wys of reducing dark circles as I'd love to know. 

Ways To Reduce Under Eye Circles

Ways To Reduce Under Eye Circles

So like most people I am a suffer of dark circles, in fact surveys show that over 70% of us are and thy are much more common in women than me. So over the last few years I have done a lot of research into different ways to reduce my under eye circles. And while none of them have totally got rid of them, that's what concealer is for, there are many little lifestyle changes and home remedies that you can do to reduce them. So here are a few of my favourite. 

Lifestyle choices

• Drink a lot of water every day, 7/8 glasses is what is recommended
• Take breaks from staring at TV/computer screens
• Make sure you get a least 7/8 hours sleep per night
• Eat a balanced diet full of proteins and vegetables
• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun
• Only use creams specifically for under your eyes as the skin here is thinner and more sensitive and cannot take harsh chemicals or thick products 
• Invest in a good eye cream that is moisturising but not heavy under your eyes
• Massage your eye cream in every night using an inward circular motion
• Exercise regularly 
• Do yoga helps to calm and de-stress and stress is a common cause for dark eye circles
• Don't smoke or drink excessively as this can worsen dark circles
• Dark eyes circles can also e a sign of a medical problem so if they are really bad and just not shifting maybe visit a doctor

Home remedies and quick fixes

• Hold a piece of cold cucumber on your eyes for a few minutes to de-puff them, well known, seems to work well for me
• Do the same but with thin slices of potatoes as the starch is really good for bags and dark circles
• Put two teaspoons in the fridge for a few minutes and then take them out and hold them on you eyes for a while. This one feels really nice and is so quick and simple
• Wait for used tea bags to turn cold and then place them under the eyes, works like the cucumber and potato
• Use ice cubes wrapped in a sot cloth or kitchen roll under your eyes

So each of these methods will work differently for different people and some may not work for you at all. Dark under eye circles can be caused by allergies, a cold or hereditary so they can just suddenly be gotten rid off. But I hope that these methods and tips help and give you a few ideas. Let me know in the comments below if you have any other wys of reducing dark circles as I'd love to know. 

Ultimate Pamper Evening

Ultimate Pamper Evening

My idea of the perfect evening is soaking in a candle lit bubble bath with a face mask on reading a magazine. After a busy and stressful week, whether it be from school or work, or just life in general there is nothing better than having a bit of me time. This weekend I went totally all out with mine, so much so that I made myself a long checklist of everything I would possibly need to pamper myself. So here is my guide to the ultimate pamper evening. 

1. Candles - I have so many of these around my room and in the bathroom. Nothing helps me to relax more than some beautiful smelling candles. 
2. Take your makeup off - you can't even think about pampering until your makeup is removed. 
3. Wash your face - wash away all the grime that's clogged up your pores during the day this is a total must if you are going to be using a face mask or anything else on your face. 
4. Steam your face - fill a large bowl with boiling water from the kettle and then hold your face over the bowl with a towel over you head. The steam will really open up your pores so that any mask you use afterwards is much more effective. Make sure that you eyes are protected when doing this and the skin around you eye area is very delicate and this may weaken it. 
5. Face mask time - the type of face mask you use depends on your skin type and what you want the mask to do. I love using the Boots 3-minute clay mask to remove all the impurities from my skin. Be careful to read exactly how long you should leave your mask on for or this could irritate the skin. 
6. Bubble bath - I recommend lots of bubbles, dimmed lights and lots of candles but it's really whatever you fancy, if your more a shower person then go for that
7. Exfoliate - use a brush, rougher sponge, exfoliating gloves or a shower gel with exfoliating beads in. Scrub all of your dead skin cells away for beautiful smooth skin afterward. Don't be too harsh though as this may also irritate your skin. 
8. Moisturise -  once your out your bath/shower moisturiser is your best friend. This is such an easy step to skip during the week when your short of time but for a pamper evening this is a must. My favourite at the moment is the Body Shop Shea Butter body butter, in fact that whole Body Shop collection just smells amazing. 
9. Nose strip - these don't work for everyone but I find they are amazing for getting rid of blackheads around my nose. I like the Tea Tree Which Hazel pack of 6 from Boots. 
10. Pluck your eyebrows - this is something that I often forget about, but when I get round to really spend time shaping my brows I realise just how much it changes the way I look. I like to follow the pencil rule here.
11. Facial massager - I don't really know what this does but it is so relaxing and feels amazing. Mine is this one from the Body Shop. 
12. Tone up - don't worry, I not suggesting you start doing any exercise right now! After using a face mask, particularity clay, skin can feel tight or dry. Use a gently toner and then some moisturiser for smooth soft skin. My favourite is Boots Rose Water. 
13. Exfoliate your lips - coat your lips in Vasaline or lip balm and then gently scrub them with a tooth brush to make them super soft. Then rinse with warm water, dry them gently and more more lip balm on. 
14. Spot treatment - dab a little Tea Tree oil on spots that you can feel coming through and they will have shrunk by morning. 
15. Manicure - shape and file those talons, moisturise those cuticles, paint those nails. A pamper evening must, I have nothing else to say. 
16. Pedicure - I HATE feet! But just because they are gross, particularly since they have been hidden in winter boots does not mean you can forget about them. In fact with Spring on the way (not really, but I like to think so!) they need even more attention. I like to coat my feet in foot moisturiser and put some socks on so they are lovely and soft when I get to pedicure time. 
17. Chill - now make yourself a hot drink sit back, put your feet up and relax, know them you now look beautiful. This is when girlie magazines are read and chick flicks are watched. 

Hope you enjoyed my guide to an ultimate pamper evening and it inspires you to put aside an evening once a week to have a bit of me time. It's worth it, I promise. 

Ultimate Pamper Evening

Ultimate Pamper Evening

My idea of the perfect evening is soaking in a candle lit bubble bath with a face mask on reading a magazine. After a busy and stressful week, whether it be from school or work, or just life in general there is nothing better than having a bit of me time. This weekend I went totally all out with mine, so much so that I made myself a long checklist of everything I would possibly need to pamper myself. So here is my guide to the ultimate pamper evening. 

1. Candles - I have so many of these around my room and in the bathroom. Nothing helps me to relax more than some beautiful smelling candles. 
2. Take your makeup off - you can't even think about pampering until your makeup is removed. 
3. Wash your face - wash away all the grime that's clogged up your pores during the day this is a total must if you are going to be using a face mask or anything else on your face. 
4. Steam your face - fill a large bowl with boiling water from the kettle and then hold your face over the bowl with a towel over you head. The steam will really open up your pores so that any mask you use afterwards is much more effective. Make sure that you eyes are protected when doing this and the skin around you eye area is very delicate and this may weaken it. 
5. Face mask time - the type of face mask you use depends on your skin type and what you want the mask to do. I love using the Boots 3-minute clay mask to remove all the impurities from my skin. Be careful to read exactly how long you should leave your mask on for or this could irritate the skin. 
6. Bubble bath - I recommend lots of bubbles, dimmed lights and lots of candles but it's really whatever you fancy, if your more a shower person then go for that
7. Exfoliate - use a brush, rougher sponge, exfoliating gloves or a shower gel with exfoliating beads in. Scrub all of your dead skin cells away for beautiful smooth skin afterward. Don't be too harsh though as this may also irritate your skin. 
8. Moisturise -  once your out your bath/shower moisturiser is your best friend. This is such an easy step to skip during the week when your short of time but for a pamper evening this is a must. My favourite at the moment is the Body Shop Shea Butter body butter, in fact that whole Body Shop collection just smells amazing. 
9. Nose strip - these don't work for everyone but I find they are amazing for getting rid of blackheads around my nose. I like the Tea Tree Which Hazel pack of 6 from Boots. 
10. Pluck your eyebrows - this is something that I often forget about, but when I get round to really spend time shaping my brows I realise just how much it changes the way I look. I like to follow the pencil rule here.
11. Facial massager - I don't really know what this does but it is so relaxing and feels amazing. Mine is this one from the Body Shop. 
12. Tone up - don't worry, I not suggesting you start doing any exercise right now! After using a face mask, particularity clay, skin can feel tight or dry. Use a gently toner and then some moisturiser for smooth soft skin. My favourite is Boots Rose Water. 
13. Exfoliate your lips - coat your lips in Vasaline or lip balm and then gently scrub them with a tooth brush to make them super soft. Then rinse with warm water, dry them gently and more more lip balm on. 
14. Spot treatment - dab a little Tea Tree oil on spots that you can feel coming through and they will have shrunk by morning. 
15. Manicure - shape and file those talons, moisturise those cuticles, paint those nails. A pamper evening must, I have nothing else to say. 
16. Pedicure - I HATE feet! But just because they are gross, particularly since they have been hidden in winter boots does not mean you can forget about them. In fact with Spring on the way (not really, but I like to think so!) they need even more attention. I like to coat my feet in foot moisturiser and put some socks on so they are lovely and soft when I get to pedicure time. 
17. Chill - now make yourself a hot drink sit back, put your feet up and relax, know them you now look beautiful. This is when girlie magazines are read and chick flicks are watched. 

Hope you enjoyed my guide to an ultimate pamper evening and it inspires you to put aside an evening once a week to have a bit of me time. It's worth it, I promise. 

How To Make Nails Dry Faster

How To Make Nails Dry Faster

There are few things more tedious that the wait after doing your nails, it's like watching paint dry, literally. And when your in a rush to get to a party on a Saturday night and you still have to do you hair and find your clutch bag there's no time for your hands to be out of action. So when shaking your hands around and blowing on your nails aren't quite doing the job, here are my tips to get those nails dry as fast as possible:

1. Use as thin coats of nail polish as possible - nobody wants thin streaky nail polish but too thick and you will be waiting around for hours for your nails to dry.
2. Wait as long as possible between coats of polish - chances are are that you are in a rush and can't really afford to do this, but it is totally worth it. When I paint my nails I usually do four coats, base, two colour and then a top coat. Pile all of these on top of each other while they are still wet not only are they likely to streak but they will also take so much longer to dry. 
3. Use a fast drying top coat - kinda self explanatory!
4. Once nails are painted hold them in very cold (icy) water - this is my favorite tip, so easy, totally works, and only takes about a minute. 
5. Use the cold setting of a hair dryer - similar to the tip above, nail polish dries fastest when cold. But be careful not to use the warm setting as this could melt nail polish and make it very sticky and make sure to hold the dryer a fair distance away.
6. Use a fast drying nail spray - These take about a minute and work so well. Hold about 10cm away from nails when using. I recommend Elegant Touch Rapid Dry For Nails. 

And finally to test if you nail polish is dry DON'T touch it with your fingers. There is nothing more annoying and when you basically smudge your nail polish on purpose! Instead gently tap the nails of your two litter fingers together, you will be able to tell straight away whether the polish is dry with the least amount of damage to your manicure. 

Hope these help you and comment down below if you have any other tips that you want to share :) 

How To Make Nails Dry Faster

How To Make Nails Dry Faster

There are few things more tedious that the wait after doing your nails, it's like watching paint dry, literally. And when your in a rush to get to a party on a Saturday night and you still have to do you hair and find your clutch bag there's no time for your hands to be out of action. So when shaking your hands around and blowing on your nails aren't quite doing the job, here are my tips to get those nails dry as fast as possible:

1. Use as thin coats of nail polish as possible - nobody wants thin streaky nail polish but too thick and you will be waiting around for hours for your nails to dry.
2. Wait as long as possible between coats of polish - chances are are that you are in a rush and can't really afford to do this, but it is totally worth it. When I paint my nails I usually do four coats, base, two colour and then a top coat. Pile all of these on top of each other while they are still wet not only are they likely to streak but they will also take so much longer to dry. 
3. Use a fast drying top coat - kinda self explanatory!
4. Once nails are painted hold them in very cold (icy) water - this is my favorite tip, so easy, totally works, and only takes about a minute. 
5. Use the cold setting of a hair dryer - similar to the tip above, nail polish dries fastest when cold. But be careful not to use the warm setting as this could melt nail polish and make it very sticky and make sure to hold the dryer a fair distance away.
6. Use a fast drying nail spray - These take about a minute and work so well. Hold about 10cm away from nails when using. I recommend Elegant Touch Rapid Dry For Nails. 

And finally to test if you nail polish is dry DON'T touch it with your fingers. There is nothing more annoying and when you basically smudge your nail polish on purpose! Instead gently tap the nails of your two litter fingers together, you will be able to tell straight away whether the polish is dry with the least amount of damage to your manicure. 

Hope these help you and comment down below if you have any other tips that you want to share :)