Tea Time

As you can see from this photo of our tea cupboard (bear in mind, only two shelves included..) I drink a LOT of tea. Since I stopped drinking coffee I have branched out and become a lot more experimental with herbal teas. Herbal teas are not only hydrating (great for the skin) but each have their own special benefits too.

Here are some of my favourites...

Builders - a cup of your regular black tea (including Earl Grey) contains lots of flavonoids. Flavonoids are naturally occurring compounds that have strong antioxidant powers to fight off those free radicals that bombard us every day. Black tea could possibly lower your risk of cardiovascular disease as well, winner.

Green tea - classic green tea is packed with all kinds of goodness in the form of a variety of different enzymes, amino acids, lipids, sterols, phytochemicals, and dietary minerals. To you and I, this means that green tea may reduce your risk of cancer because of its antioxidant effects. There is a theory that although there is a much higher proportion of smokers in China, the cancer rate is disproportionately low due to the high consumption of green tea. This is also a great appetite suppressant and there are loads of different flavours of green tea, my personal favourites being lemon, mango and lychee, and cranberry, yum!
Chamomile - unlike green and black tea, chamomile contains no caffeine and even has mild sedative effects, the ideal night time cuppa. When I can't sleep I make myself a nice cup of chamomile while reading a book, I'm asleep in no time.
Twining's Detox - contains lemon peel, lemon myrtle, and milk thistle. Milk thistle promotes liver activity, so is a staple in detox regimes while lemon is cleansing and helps clean out your body on the inside. Having a cup before and after a night out drinking will help your liver by both protecting it as well as supporting its physiological functions the next day. I.e. an absolute hangover saviour. Now that Christmas season is approaching, these seem to be running out a lot quicker in my house...
Peppermint/Nettle - famous for being digestive aids. I recommend stocking up in preparation for those Christmas dinners.
Rooibos - great for the skin, not only through hydration but by containing an enzyme called superoxide dismutase. This enzyme breaks down the free radical known as superoxide, which damages the body in a number of ways including skin cells. Rooibos could therefore be great in keeping your skin wrinkle free, as well as having a natural sweetness to it which help to remove mid-afternoon sugar cravings.
Lemon and ginger - the last but by no means least on the list. As I said before, lemon is a great cleanser to flush out toxins from your body (ideal first thing in the morning). Ginger has several benefits such as being anti-bacterial and containing potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. As an eczema sufferer, I try to include lots of natural anti-inflammatory foods which can help in many other ailments, such as acne, psoriasis, and possibly even arthritis.

I love hearing discovering new types of tea so if you have any favourites, let me know!

Ully x

Lxury - Pick You Up

Home-made happy hair mask

Rather than spending lots of money on packaged hair masks, why not make your own?

My mixture:
5 large dollops of full fat mayo
1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
½ tablespoon peppermint essence

The mayonnaise is great for your hair as it contains lots of fat and protein which strengthens and conditions your hair simultaneously. The oil will add shine and the peppermint essence has been shown to stimulate the hair follicles to encourage growth (you'll feel a nice tingle on your scalp). Make sure your whole head is covered and all your hair from root to tip. Leave it in for ten minutes then wash out with your normal shampoo and conditioner. Simple!

Ully x

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Sam Smith - Like I Can (Jonas Rathsman Remix)

MAC Concealers

Hi all,

Currently my skin is looking less than flawless on account of a weekend of boozing and a change of pill which has caused my skin to explode in protest. So to follow my earlier post on foundations and BB creams, I thought I would share the best concealers out there to achieve the flawless skin look we all want.

As I have mentioned before, MAC foundations are really quite thick so are not a personal choice of mine, but this does make for highly effective concealers!

I have two types...

The first one is the 'Pro Longwear Concealer.' This is a liquid texture so applies nicely like a foundation but with that extra bit of thickness perfect for smoothing over dark circles and other discolourations.

The second one is the 'Studio Finish Concealer.' This stuff is like war paint and will conceal any volcano that may have erupted on your poor face.

Both of these come in lots of different colours (another great thing about MAC) so you will have no trouble finding something for you.

These have been my saving grace this weekend, sometimes it's great to be a girl...

Ully x

Sam Sure - Hunger (Shadow Child Remix)

Super supplements

No matter how cliched the saying "beauty begins on the inside" it is still very true. There's no point slapping on a load of creams and masks if you look like a crusty potato underneath. The crustiness will show. There are lots of supplements that will do wonders not only for your looks but also for your general well being. Here I am going to give you a list of the supplements I take, why and what benefits they have:

1. Cod liver oil - I take one dose of the strongest kind every morning. I have had eczema for most of my life so I'm pretty much prescribed cod liver oil but this is hugely beneficial for so many other things. It is well known to keep your skin and hair glossy, being one of the best sources of omega 3 fatty acids as well as a high vitamin A and D content. Not only this, it keeps your joints supple, heart beating, and brain ticking. 

2. Vitamin B complex - B vitamins are important for keeping skin, hair, and nails strong by nourishing hair follicles (preventing them from falling out) and protecting from free radicals. You may have heard of biotin, thiamin and riboflavin. These are all different types of B vitamins and deficiencies of these can lead to acne, greying skin, and ailments such as eczema and psoriasis. B vitamins are also important for energy production, so pop some of these and you will definitely notice the difference!

3. Evening primrose oil - one of the best natural sources of vitamin E. Vitamin E protects the skin by neutralising free radicals which come from the air and our environment which would otherwise damage skin cells. Like cod liver oil, this is also great for your joints and heart too. 

4. General multivitamin - for everything else and good measure.

One thing to remember with supplements, there is no point in taking these if you aren't going to eat well otherwise. Vitamins are best absorbed with other vitamins so eating with a nourishing meal is the best way to take them. Having said this, don't take too much either as this will just come straight out or worse, may be detrimental to your health.

I am going to cover the topic of free radicals in greater detail in a separate posts as I know to a lot of people the term sounds like a thrash metal band. In the meantime, if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask!

Ully x

Jessie Ware - Say You Love Me (Alex Adair remix)

Bobbi Brown BB Cream

Since last writing (yes quite a while ago now, no good excuse I'm afraid!) I have dabbled with a number of different products. Having tried and tested a number of foundations, annoying several sales people for testers, I have settled on the Bobbi Brown BB Cream.

I have converted to BB creams as these not only act as coverage like normal foundation, they are infused with all sorts of ingredients that are supposedly magnificent for your skin, moisturising, brightening, protecting (SPF 35), and radiating your skin all at once. After trying out a couple of different ones, Bobbi Brown wins. Not only does it come in 9 different shades but it has an amazing skin tone matching effect. I was sceptical at first but honestly, squeeze a little onto your hand and watch the colour magically dilute to match your skin tone. At £39 it's not the cheapest on the block but it is definitely worth the compliments. I recommend.

Ully x

Jonas Rathsman - Hope I'm Wrong

https://soundcloud.com/frenchexpress/jonas-rathsman-hope-im-wrong

Choosing Foundation

A great way to test if you're wearing a good foundation is to ask any male if you're wearing too much makeup when wearing only foundation (a little mascara if you must) and standing in daylight. If he looks back painfully confused, trying to assess whether this is a trick question and whether something bigger is at stake here, because to him it looks like you're not wearing anything then result! Test passed.

Three main rules for choosing the tone of your foundation:
1. Never stray too far from your natural colour. No more than one shade as a general rule, two shades at a push
2. Never buy a foundation before you've asked for a tester and tried it on your face in daylight. The lights in department stores are totally misleading
3. ALWAYS use a yellow base. Always. No discussion. Anything else goes orange/pink in daylight and you get floating head syndrome, no matter what colour your skin tone, no matter how light or dark.

Now I have actually reverted to using a BB cream in the day. I'll cover BB creams in a separate article but for now let's consider them as the same and the same rules apply.

Brands for day time/lighter foundation:
Lancôme - very nice and light, particularly the Teinte Miracle range has a good selection of tones
Bobbi Brown - good coverage but not too heavy. All Bobbi Brown foundations are yellow based
Clarins and Laura Mercier

Brands for evening/thicker foundation:
Estee Lauder - Double-Wear Stay in Place. Good coverage and no need to reapply throughout the night. Although I must mention that the bottle is quite annoying, you just pour it out...
Lancôme - Do thicker ranges, but with fewer colours
MAC - Don't use this one myself personally, have heard mixed reviews but it definitely is thick. Great concealers.
Dior - Expensive but good coverage and lots of colours to choose from

As a final word, I would recommend always forking out a little bit more for foundations. So stick to the fancy part of Boots with the concession counters.

Ully x

London Grammar - Sights (Tourist Version)
https://soundcloud.com/londongrammar/sights-tourist-version

Lengthening mascara ~ L'Oreal Telescopic

I find mascaras are such a tricky product to get right, with so many being too clumpy, flaky, or with bizarre shaped brushes. Mascaras are one of the few products where I find price does not correlate with quality, where some designer labels seem to think that adding something smelly to the mix will justify charging twice the amount as a normal brand (ahem, YSL..). I have been using L'Oreal Telescopic for years and have found very few are quite for creating noticeable lashes.

My two main criteria for good lashes are length and separation. This is first and foremost achieved with the right mascara but I also have a few application techniques which help.

Start at the root of the lashes and comb slowly upwards and through all the lashes. Repeat lots of times and be very particular about combing out and lashes that you think have clumped together.



For extra length, comb from the top-side of the lashes down and up, then comb from down upwards again. Do this a couple of times. 

When people say I have good eyelashes I have to admit that they are really nothing special, I've just got a good mascara!

For added volume, I sometimes go over with more layers or another mascara (MaxFactor have lots of good volume mascaras).

I have to be honest that I have recently noticed that the Telescopic does not apply as easily which I suspect is due to a formula change. I find the older it gets the better (weird). I tried the Benefit 'They're Real' mascara. It's amazing. But it does cost £20 and doesn't last very long... So I think I'll stick to this for now.

Ully x 

Waze & Odyssey vs. R Kelly - Bump n Grind

https://soundcloud.com/wazeandodyssey/bumpandgrind2014