How To Get Fuller Lips

Lately there has been a major craze for plump fuller lips, aka the Kylie Jenner lips and not all of us are blessed to have plump lips naturally. So her are some lips to get fuller looking lips without any surgeries or shot glasses. 

• Lip Plumping Lip Gloss

Most makeup brands now have lip plumping lip glosses, that containing  cinnamon oil, ginger oil, peppermint oil, spearmint extract, menthol, capsicum extract (cayenne pepper). These ingredients irritate the skin and increases blood flow to the lips to make them plumper looking. This plumping sensation can last a few hours but after frequent use some people can get immune to the plumping ingredients. 

• Sugar Lip With Cinnamon

You can also make a homemade cinnamon sugar scrub to exfoliate the lips and bring blood flow to the lips. This is great for those who don't like wearing lip gloss and lasts for a few hours as well as leaving the lips feeling smooth and soft.

• Tooth Brush Exfoliating

Using a tooth brush to exfoliate your lips is probably the easiest process to go through to get fuller looking lips as you can do this straight after brushing your teeth.  The brushing bring blood to the lips and also leaves the skin on your lips soft and smooth.

• Over Lining Your Lips

Over lining your lips can do wonders to making your lips "look" fuller. By over lining your lips you can make an optical illusion to make your lips look fuller. Use a brown/ nude lip liner 2-3 shades darker than your natural lip colour and draw slightly over your lips. Then use a nude lipstick all over your lips slightly blending in with the lip liner. Then for that extra fullness dab a tiny bit of your concealer in the centre of your lips and blend with the lipstick. This will give your lips a 3D fuller looking lips. 

• Lip Plumping Tools

There are now plenty of tools on the market you can purchase to make your lips look fuller. They mostly involve putting your lips in an air tight vacuum  and pulling your lips to make them plumper looking. This can come at some risk and I would suggest to try this option last.

If you have any tips or tricks to fuller looking lips I would love to hear them as I am one of the people who wasn't blessed to have plump looking lips.

Rebecca

Matcha Green Tea: The Amazing Benefits

I have the one product that is the answer to all your problems; everyone’s heard the health benefits of green tea, but we’ve taken it one step further and researched the amazing benefits of Matcha green tea. One cup of Matcha green tea has the same nutritional content of 10 cups of regularly brewed green tea.

7 Amazing Facts About Matcha Green Tea

1.    Matcha tea contains a distinctive, potent class of antioxidant known as catechins, which aren’t found in other foods. In particular, the catechin EGCg (epigallocatechin gallate) provides powerful cancer-fighting properties.

2.    Consuming Matcha green tea can increase thermogenesis (the body’s own rate of burning calories) from a normal 8%-10% of daily energy outflow, to between 35% and 43% of daily energy outflow.

3.    Matcha green tea provides vitamin C, selenium, chromium, zinc and magnesium, chlorophyll and is rich in fibre.

4.    Matcha green tea detoxifies naturally and effectively, as it contains chlorophyll that absorbs heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium and aluminium.

5.    Lowers cholesterol and blood sugar. Studies show people who drink Match green tea on a regular basis have lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol while at the same time displaying higher levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. Men who drink Matcha green tea are about 11% less likely to develop heart disease than those who don’t drink Matcha.

6.    While all green tea naturally contains caffeine, the energy boost received from Matcha is largely due to its unique combination of other nutrients. A cup of Matcha green tea can give you an increased endurance that lasts up to 6 hours and because of the effects of L-Theanine, Matcha drinkers experience none of the usual side effects of pick-me-ups such as nervousness and hypertension.

7.    Japanese Zen Buddhist monks drink Matcha green tea to assist relaxation and meditation while remaining alert. Now we know that this higher state of consciousness is due to the amino acid L-Theanine contained in the leaves used to make Matcha. Another side effect of L-Theanine is the production of dopamine and serotonin. These two chemicals enhance your mood, improve memory, and promote better concentration.

I love starting the day of with a healthy breakfast smoothie, which keeps me going until lunch time or at least until after I finish my morning workout. Smoothies are a great way to start off your day especially if your not a fan of having breakfast or don't have time to make breakfast.

Ingredients:

• 2 heap tablespoons of greek yoghurt (is heavy strained to remove liquid whey and lactose, and is high in protein, low in carbohydrates and sodium and fills you up for a longer time)
• 2 cups of coconut milk (high in vitamins C and E as well as iron calcium potassium, magnesium and zinc. Helps control your blood sugar level, antibacterial, lowers blood pressure and reduces joint inflammation.)
• half a cup of frozen blueberries (high in antioxidants, improves memory, low in natural sugar)
• half a cup of frozen cherries (or any of favourite frozen fruit)
• 1 teaspoon of honey (contains flavonoids and antioxidants that help reduce the risk of some cancers and heart disease, soothes coughs and throat irritation as well as being a natural sweetener and reduces ulcers.)
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds (high in fibre and protein, chia seeds absorb large amounts of water which makes your stomach feel full and therefore assisting in weight loss)

Just throw in a blender and blender for about a 1 1/2 and serve in a large glass and sprinkle on the chia seeds.

I love this recipe, if you know any other great healthy smoothie recipes please let me know, I would love to try them out. 

With love 

Rebecca

Hair Mask: Healthy Shiny Hair

Many of us use face masks for hydrate our skin so why not use a hair mask to hydrate your hair, using heat and too many chemicals on your hair can make it super dry and brittle. You can easily make a homemade hair mask from a few things in your pantry.

What you will need:

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil (contains antioxidants to promote a healthy scalp, helps prevent dandruff and head lice, reduces the production of DTH hormones which cause hair loss)

• Half an avocado (contains amino acids and omega 3 to hydrate your hair and scalp)

Put the ingredients into a small bowl and mash it up with a fork, then apply through your hair with your  fingers from your scalp to the ends of your hair (this helps blood circulation to the scalp and stimulates the hair follicle to produce thicker hair strands). Leave the mask hair in your hair for 1-2 hours then wash out and shampoo and condition as normal. 

I hope this helps anyone who has dry damaged hair and is looking for an easy natural remedy. 

With love Rebecca 

Review: Herbal Essences Naked Range

Herbal Essence have jumped on the band wagon with their new "Naked" line, these products do no contain any parabens, silicone or dyes. The shampoos, conditioners and hair care products come in three different formulas: moisture, volume and shine.

I got sucked into the hype and purchased the Naked Shine Shampoo and the Naked Moisture Conditioner as they were half price and just smelt amazing like all Herbal Essence products. I have to say these products are amazing for their price point and left my hair feeling sleek, super soft and clean.

The shampoo works really well for taking out the grease and any oil based products in the hair without drying it out. And the star of the show, the Naked Moisture condition leaves my hair super soft and hydrated. I personally recommend leaving your conditioner in your hair for 5-10 minutes and then rinse with luke warm water/cold water.

I would definitely buy these products again even if they are not on offer as they are still a good price for a more "natural" hair shampoo and conditioner. I can't wait to try out other products in the Naked range and hope they are as amazing as these two.

I'd give the Herbal Essence Naked range a 4/5 rating.

With Love
Rebecca

Happy New Year.. 2015!!!

Happy New Year everyone, hope you all had a great start to 2015!!!

This is going to be a short and sweet post, 2014 was a crazy year for me plenty of ups and downs but as they say whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. So this year I feel stronger than ever and I hope you all do too. This year is consisting of positivity, and I want all you to join me in this positive way of thinking.

This year I really want to achieve the goals that I've always dreamt about so I want to make a pack with everyone reading this, to promise to work towards achieving at least one goal you've always dreamt about it can be anything from getting into shape, to just living a happier life.

Lets make 2015 a year we will never forget and the beginning of a dream come true!!!

Love you all
Rebecca

10 Tips to Long Shiny Hair

There are many products to make your hair long and shiny but here are some of my rules to get long shiny hair that have actually worked for me.

1. Use a oil as a hair mask at least once a week, this helps moisture the hair and promotes hair growth.
2. Use a shampoo and condition that is sulphate and paraben free, these chemicals only cover the hair to make it smooth and shiny but doesn't penetrate through the hair follicle. 
3. Embrace your natural hair, don't use heat on your hair e.g. hair straighteners, curlers or blow dryer. 
4. Tie your hair up loosely and don't mess with it, this stops hairs being pulled out. 
5. Trim dead ends off, the end of your hair is the oldest and tends to be the most damaged.
6. Do not comb hair when wet, your hair is at its weakest and most likely to break. 
7.  Use a wide tooth comb starting from the bottom and work your way upwards, this stops tugging on the hair root.
8. Don't dye your hair, this damages the hair strand and takes out moisture from the hair leaving it dry and damaged.
9. Don't use too many products, you will have to wash your hair less which means less stripping natural oils from your hair.
10. Eat healthy and drink plenty of water and to take vitamins, this has a massive effect on the health of your hair and overall body.

Hope these 10 simple rules help you get started on your hair journey, if you know any more tips to long  shiny hair I would love to know as I'm not a professional and I love learning from others.

Rebecca X

Great Cleanse For Sensitive/Dry Skin

Hey guys

I don't know if any one you guys are like me, but my skin does not like the weather change and tends to become really sensitive and dry. Normally I would use a exfoliating cleanser for oily skin and baby wipes to remove my makeup, but recently I have discovered an amazing cheap cleanser that really hydrates my skin leaving it super soft. Emulsifying Ointment BP is a mixture of paraffin oils and is great when breaking down makeup and is great for dry skin and those who suffer from eczema or dermatitis. Hot water and soap can remove the skins natural layer of oil causing it to become dry and sensitive. The paraffin in the emulsifying ointment give the skin back this layer of oil and penetrating into the skin.

This is great for the colder weather and works amazing for all skin types as a night time cleanser. Emulsifying Ointment BP can be easily purchased at your local pharmacy or drugstore, it's super affordable and can be used all over the body.

If you get a chance to try this amazing product let me know how it goes for you.

Rebecca X

Amazing Affordable Drugstore Highlighter!!!

Hey guys,

Today I was out shopping for some new makeup and thought I would check this "dupe" for MAC's Whisper of Guilt. The Kiko Cosmetics Water Eyeshadow in 208 is an amazing foiled gold eyeshadow which reflects light just perfectly. Normally I would never think about using an eyeshadow anywhere else apart from my eyelids, but this has really opened my eyes to using makeup products not in their conventional way.

If you know of any makeup products that have multiple uses I would love to know what they are and how they can be used.

Rebecca x

3 Tips To Stop Under Eye Creasing

Hey guys,

I always notice my under eye concealer is the first thing that needs touching up about 30 minutes after I apply my makeup on and I'm not always near a mirror to correct the creasing through the day. Here are a couple tips on choosing the right under eye concealer: firstly you don't want a concealer that is too dry  as this causes a lot of creasing. So the best formula for a under eye concealer is creamy and not to thick. Secondly you want to pat the concealer in this helps its staying power and the produce is less likely to move around.

So here comes the tips to prevent creasing, I hope your ready....

• Before applying your concealer, apply your eyelid primer where you would normally get creasing. The same way the eyelid primer prevents creasing on the eyelids it will do the same on your under eyes. 
• After applying your concealer, set the concealer with a finely milled translucent powder, this fills in the gaps where the concealer will sink into and cause creases. 
• After applying concealer get a piece of toilet paper and peel the layers so you have one thin sheet, then use this sheet to blot under the eyes. This process works well as the thin sheet of toilet paper absorbs the excess oils from the concealer, so it does not slide into your fine lines. 

Hopefully you can find some of these tips useful, if you have any other tips to prevent under eye creasing I would love to know as I love trying new things.

Rebecca x

DIY: Make your own tinted brow gel

Hey guys,
I just wanted to make a quick post on this new brow product I have been totally addicted to. I have quite bushy thick eyebrows and am always looking for the perfect brow products that won't make my brows look like I've drawn them on with a sharpie.
Lately I been using a tinted brow gel just to set my eyebrows and give them a bit of colour. Personally I think finding the best tinted brow gel in the drugstore impossible, so I have come up with a DIY tinted brow gel.

All you need is two products:

• A clear mascara, a good drugstore option is the Maybelline Great Lash in Clear

• A eyeshadow 2-3 shades lighter than the colour of your brow hairs

All you need to do is crumble up a pea size amount of the eyeshadow and carefully pour it into the clear mascara tube. Once the eyeshadow is in the tube, use the mascara brush to churn the clear mascara and eyeshadow until they are both mixed together. This product can be used on its own as a natural look or on top of a brow pencil to set the hairs and add more colour. 

Hope you found this post useful, if you know any great brow products please let me know I'm still looking for the perfect product.

Rebecca x

Product Rave: Fall/ Autumn Nude Lips

Hey guys
I just had to tell you about this product I've been going crazy about. I love wearing nude lips, I think I actually wear it on a daily basis. Normally I would just throw on a nude lipstick like WetNWild "Bare it  all" or L'Oreal "Fairest Nude" and am out the door. But more recently I've been trying to make my lips look more fuller and go for that deep nude colour that has been really popular. I found these amazing lipliners in my local beauty supply store. These LA Girl Endless Semi-Permanent Auto Lipliners are only £1.99. They are a affordable lipliners that glide on easily, opaque, last all day and are perfect for any skin tone.

Your Guide To Achieving The Best Highlight/ Contour

Hey Guys,

Here a few quick tips on highlighting and contouring the face that some of you may already know but most will find very informative.

Contouring

• Places on the face to contour: cheeks, nose, jaw, hairline, eyelids and below the lip.
• Choose a produce with a grey undertone, your contour should look like a shadow so stay away from the orange/red bronzers.
• Using a darker foundation or eyeshadow works just as good as buying a separate contour kit. 
• Go at least 2-3 shades darker than your skin tone (the darker the shade the deeper the contour)
• Try using a cream product as the blend-ability will be much better, then you can set this with a powder.
• Use an angled or a fan brush to apply your contour, this gives you a precise application.
• And most importantly always REMEMBER TO BLEND!!!

Highlighting

• Places on your face to highlight: center of the forehead, along the bridge and tip of the nose, under your brow bone, the inner tear duct, under the eyes, cupids bow, chin, cheekbones and center of the bottom lip.
• Use a concealer or lighter foundation for matte highlight and a eyeshadow for shimmer (but stay away from the glitters)
• Use a cream highlight and set this with a powder (this applies to both matte and shimmer products)
• Go at least 2-3 shades lighter (remember not to go too light you don't want to look like a drag queen)
• Use a matte highlight for all over the face and shimmer highlight for brow bone, cheek bones, cupids bow, bridge and tip of nose, inner tear duct and center of bottom lip.
• Use a yellow undertone for under the eyes, this brightens the under eye area and hides dark circles.
• Pearl shimmers work best for pale skin and for olive/darker skin go for a golden shimmer.
• And always REMEMBER TO BLEND!!!!

I hope these quick tips helped, and if you have any extra tips let me know :-D

Rebecca 

Homemade Lip Scrub

Hey guys,

I love the wearing matte lipstick, but I hate the way they can make your lips look flakey and chapped. So I have come up with a easy homemade lip scrub that can get rid of all that dry, dead skin off your lips and leave them looking smooth and plump. You get find the products in your pantry or are easily obtained from your local supermarket.

What you're going to need:

• A small container with a lid

• 2 table spoons of sugar (make sure it's slightly coarse)

• Half a tea spoon of lemon juice

• Half a tea spoon of olive oil

• 1 tea spoon of cinnamon 

And thats it!

All you need to do is mix the ingredients into the small container and use your middle finger to scrape out the scrub and rub onto your lips. Don't forget to store in a dry, cool place (the scrub can melt in direct sunlight).

• Sugar is used as a 100% natural exfoliator.   
• Lemon juice has natural lightening properties and is perfect for pigmented lips.
• Olive oil hydrates the lips and reduces the chance of chapped lips.
• The cinnamon is a great lip plumper by inflaming the skin on the lips and increasing the flow of blood to the them, making them appear larger and plumper.

Thanks for reading

Rebecca

How to grow out your eyebrows? (THICK & BUSHY)

Hey guys,

As you can see I have some crazy thick and bushy eyebrows (which is very on trend and really frames your face). I am constantly getting compliments and questions on how I grew out my eyebrows so thick. Below I have a little brow journey with before and after picture of my eyebrows (without being filled in).

June 2010

July 2014

My brows have come a long way since 2010, and my thicker eyebrows frame my face a lot better (oh and by the way I do fill in my eyebrows now as I do have some sparse areas). A few changes I have made that have made a dramatic difference, firstly is I no longer pluck my eyebrows I now wax them (I have a major case of over plucking).

Another thing that has really helped my eyebrows is filling them in, I slightly over fill my eyebrows so when it comes to waxing my brows I don't wax too much off. (DON'T over fill them too much this is a long process you don't want to look like you have sharpie eyebrows)

Two products I have used on my eyebrows that has really helped them grow are Castor Oil and the Diorshow Maximizer (I use these products over night). The castor oil provides moisture which hair all over our body needs to promote hair growth. The Diorshow Maximizer comes in a mascara tube and can be used as a lash primer and on your eyebrows over night to help them grow as the product contains protein which promotes hair growth.

Rebecca x

Hey Guys.. guess whose back?

Hey guys

I just wanted to make this quick post to let you know I'm going to put more effort and time into my blog , and maybe in the near future make some Youtube videos. Only if you guys would be interested in watching them? Let me know what you think?

Rebecca