Getting down to Ciara and an easy healthy snack

Happy Sunday guys! Sunday doesn't have to be as dull as you think if you go about it the right way *She says still sitting in bed in her pyjamas* - Sunday is a day for 'you' I like to think. Kick back, listen to your favourite songs on repeat, eat healthy foods, do some squats (I'm sounding like a cringe tumblr quote right now) and getting ready for the week ahead! 

Right now my favourite song on repeat is Ciara- I Bet. Now, Ciara is basically my Beyonce. She's so sassy and beautiful.. like Beyonce I guess but Ciara knows how to get down! I've been finding myself flicking this on repeat when I wake up, before I go to bed and at the gym. It kinda has an old school vibe which I love, like a tune that will forever be played on Kisstory as you're driving along, blasting the tunes and singing every word like you're a badass rap artist (you're not because you stayed up all night learning the words so you can impress your friends ;-)). It's a great singing in the mirror tune and I'm not ashamed to say it, a 'pretending to be in a music video' tune - we've all done it. 

It's so tempting to eat loads of rubbish on a Sunday. You're probably recovering from a night out and your eyeballs are bigger than your belly and hell no it's Monday tomorrow so we might as well eat away all our sorrows. Rewind girl. I find it so helpful to treat today like a preparation day, gearing me up for the week ahead so I can conquer it with energy, a smile and with positivity. Positivity - for me - comes with healthy eating and truthfully, it is tough! I have a major sweet tooth so I usually like to find something that replicates that sweet desserty taste but does my body some good. 

Recently for breakfast or a healthy snack in the afternoon, I've been teaming a couple of dollops of Fage Total 0% Natural yoghurt with some chopped up fruit to satisfy my sweet cravings. This yoghurt is really thick which I find makes it feel more like a dessert than your usual yoghurt consistency - it's a yummy treat that I've been loving at the moment! It brings me the joy an empty Mac pallet would bring to a beauty fanatic (i.e. me). There's so much you can do with it and you can mix and match to your hearts content to create a beautiful result. Putting the Mac analogy to the side, I've been teaming mine with some chopped banana and mixed frozen fruits for a yummy summer snack! 

P.s.. After being inspired by one of Tanya Burr's vlogs I've been using frozen berries and putting them in the microwave until they become soft and juicy like a sweet compote - it's basically a healthy dessert! : - ) 

And finally, WATER. You've all heard it a zillion times but i've been drinking LOTS recently. I always carry my old faithful bottle around with me, filling it up whenever I can, and drinking it wherever I go to stay hydrated and happy : - ) I've noticed a big difference in my stomach recently since cutting out bread and drinking more water. It's a great way to tackle that dreaded bloating that makes you feel really sluggish and unconfident. After all, it makes you feel fresh, happier, clears your skin, and looks after your digestive system - so drink up girls!

What do you like to do on a Sunday? : - ) 

Nutrition: We are machines - A new chapter

I'm really feeling June this year. It's the month of sun, crisp summer evenings that take your breath away, and well would you believe it? It's the month I celebrate my birthday - my 20th birthday to be exact. Twenty is an odd age. It's not a biggen like an eighteenth or 21st, it's just a middleman, but it holds special significance for me and that is saying goodbye to my teenage years... scary! 

I’ve spent most (well, all) my teenage years trying to be perfect: finding the definition of perfect, and seeking ways to reach ‘perfection’. But at a ripe old age of nineteen I’ve come to realise that it doesn’t exist. The only way to truly be happy with yourself is to be the best possible you, without expectations, pressure, or comparison to the Photoshopped women on glossy magazines. I’ve never truly been happy with myself in all honesty and I have been waiting to ‘grow to love myself’ or to suddenly feel comfortable in my own skin. But I’m only starting to appreciate that this takes time, work, and a journey that won’t necessarily have a destination, but a journey that I will learn to love because it’s mine.

Instead of striving for ‘perfection’ in my twenties, I want to know how it feels to be at peace with my body and myself, inside and out and to feel comfortable. This doesn’t come from starving myself, losing weight and counting calories but appreciating what god gave me, looking after it and that powerful, intricate machine within all of us. The machine that supports you when you decide to strut around town in your highest heels, fills you with bursts of energy when you run to catch the last bus from even opening the cupboard to sneak a midnight snack. Our bodies are machines designed to move, dance, live, laugh and love and the best way to start looking after it is nutrition. Food is fuel and the fuel you choose to enrich your body with I strongly believe effects the start of our day, our mindset and how we conquer it.

This is something I’ve always known but never really acknowledged. I’m the type of person to lose faith quite quickly when it comes to dieting and health, but recently I’ve found some books that have kick-started that fire in my belly, inspiring me to want more, work more and most of all, understanding that I deserve more. You do to. These books are:

The Body Book by Cameron Diaz – Cameron is a kick ass woman. She looks like the most confident woman on the planet, but after reading The Body Book, she herself has been through highs and lows with her confidence and her body. She looks into the science behind nutrition and how the foods we choose to eat can affect our bodies and minds. This really made me sit back and think… dayum I really need to stop ordering those extra fries and swapping full fat cola for diet (it’s just as bad!), like now! Because sugar is everywhere, but Cameron has enriched my mind with the foundations of nutrition more than I could ever imagine and has really inspired me to think twice about the things I eat. And would you believe it, I’ve even conquered my fizzy drink addiction!

Get the Glow by Madeline Shaw – Madeline is a nutritionist for the stars, a food blogger and has made regular appearances in Tanya Burr’s vlogs as her yoga pal. She’s so lovely and really has that natural ‘glow’ that so many of us are trying to achieve through throwing our cash at makeup counters. But her book ‘Get the Glow’ is full of nutritious, delicious, amazing recipes designed to ignite that inner glow that will show in your skin and leave your body feeling top notch. Her six-week programme is really what inspired me as she shares lots of healthy tips and positive affirmations to keep me motivated!

Come and join me on my journey! Follow me on Bloglovin HERE so we can stay connected! : -) xxx

My top tanning and bronzing must haves!

Having bronzed skin throughout the summer is a trend that will never grow old, but as we become more aware of how harmful the sun can be to our health and to the condition of our skin, it has never been more important to take care on those beautiful sunny days, leaving beauty gurus like myself to search for affective alternatives for women looking for that healthy glow!

Of course, sitting in the sunshine has it's health benefits but too much can be damaging for our skin - it may only be a burn now, but this is causing permanent damage to our skin that will become more noticeable in the future! So although many take to the sun for a non-patchy, all-over tan, I thought I'd show you a few of my healthy alternatives in a can/bottle to get that glow all year round without the risks!

Garnier Ambre Solaire dry body mist - 

This is a fairly recent purchase for me and I have to admit, my laziness when it comes to applying fake tan was the driving force for this buy. The idea of being able to quickly spray gradual tan on your body without having to wait ages for it to dry or that awkward stickiness that cream formula tans bring, is great, but of course it has its downfalls. As I was spraying myself with this new purchase, whilst dancing around my room and getting prepped for going out that evening, I suddenly thought - wait, this was way too easy.. surely there's a catch? It wasn't until 3/4 hours later that the catch became evident. STREAK ALERT. It's very hard to apply dry mist tans liberally and without missing a spot or two - or hundreds in my case - so it's probably best to apply this a day before actually going out to an occasion or event, because after a second coat it seemed to all blend in and look socially acceptable.
The colour was great though, natural and not too orange and even though I did have a little disaster on the first application, I think I will get to grips with it after a few attempts. The easy application makes it still very attractive for someone like myself who hates that stickiness of tanning lotions, but be warned! Expect to visit streak city until you get the hang of it - unless you're a tanning mist expert in which case, please comment some tips!!! : - )

Cocoa Brown by Marissa Carter - 1 hour tan mousse: 

I actually love this tan, and I have to say, it's really wiped out my ol'faithful Garnier Summer Body tanning lotion off the top of my holy grail list. I usually leave my favourite till last but thought I'd mix it up for you guys and keep you on your toes!! hehe. Of course it's a tanning mousse so application is quite fussy, but its so worth it for the beautiful result! It's such an affordable alternative to more expensive tanning products on the market but its finish is just as good!
Simply apply all over your body and on your face for an all over bronzed look - don't be alarmed by how dark the product looks, it needs to be washed off after a couple of hours (I usually leave it for 3/4 hours) but after you've hit the shower, the colour and evenness of the product is lovely and really natural. And in case you're wondering, Cocoa Brown is made from a vegetable derived tanning agent, it's suitable for sensitive skin and it's moisturising and kind enough to be used on the face - WIN! This saves the trouble of having separate tanning products for the body and face which I know many brands haven't sorted out yet for people on a budget like myself!
I've really fallen in love with this tan and I know other big names in beauty like Tanya Burr have raved about this product too so it's definitely worth checking it out - and in case you're interested, this tan saved me from my little palaver with the previous tan I mentioned so I managed to leave the house with an all over, streak free tan! : - D

Garner Summer Body moisturising lotion:

I mentioned this product on my blog last summer and it's still up there with my favourite tanning products (it's been knocked off though by Cocoa Brown.. sorry Garnier!) but it's still a very reliable go-to tan for me because most of the time if I've prepped - exfoliated and moisturised the day before that is - it develops evenly leaving me with a nice deep but natural looking tan. However, the smell is very love it or hate it. I know some people who don't mind the smell of fake tan, but I happen to fall in the 'hate it' category and it becomes unbearable sometimes. However the even finish makes this product worth it and I think it's a definite must-try for anyone on a tight budget and wants a fuss free tan.

Click HERE if you want to see my other review and some other thoughts on this product from last summer!

Now onto bronzers! I know sometimes it can be a little daunting applying fake tan onto the face because it's harder to cover if something goes wrong and a lot of tanning products (apart from Cocoa Brown) are not suitable for face application and can sometimes cause break outs. So, to be safe, I like to apply a nice bronzer to match my fake tan to the colour of my foundation, and there are plenty of options out there to try and explore! Here are my two favourites right now : - )

 Hoola by Benefit:

Hoola is every girls best friend, and no she's not a human or a tub of ice cream, she's an old faithful bronzer that has graced every beauty gurus vanity table at some point. I can only describe this as your basic matte, fuss-free, brown bronzer. No shimmer or glitter or all hues of orange - just a brown powder. It's like a LBD for example, every girl needs one! I think the simplicity of Hoola is what makes it so popular; it's easily blended into the skin and perfect for an all over bronzed look when swept across cheekbones, nose and forehead. The fact I've hit the pan as you can see in the photograph is a BIG thaaaang, normally products don't even make it to being half empty before I'm bored and interested in searching for better or more exciting alternatives!

The Body Shop Honey Bronzer - 02:

And last but not least, The Body Shop's Honey Bronzer has been in my makeup bag for a little while now and it's compact mirror has become a must-have for my handbag and it's always on hand when I'm out and about. In my opinion this is a a great alternative to Hoola for girls with fairer skin and want a lighter bronzed look, because sometimes when I haven't applied tan, Hoola can be a little too dark for my skin tone. Yet again it's a matte brown powder which isn't too pigmented so perfect for anyone who wants a light bronze or a buildable bronzer for any makeup look. You can probably tell that I'm not into all of the shimmery bronzers out there with crazy patterns and blocks and wheels of pinks, yellows shades etc. A basic brown powder allows me to control and personalise my makeup so much easier with my choice of highlighter if I fancy injecting a little brightness into my makeup look! 

I hope this has given you an idea of a few tanning products to try this Summer ladies and please let me know in the comments your holy grail bronzing and tanning products so we can look like effortless bronzed goddesses! : - )

P.S: I also reviewed L'Oreal's Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Elixir last summer and it claims to be 'indestructible', lasting for two weeks with no streaks or smell!!! See what my thoughts are after I put it to the test! Click HERE to read my review.