Good bye 2015, welcome 2016!

I know I promised to try to write a Christmas related post over the holidays but I think I got a bit carried away with all the Christmas food, sleeping till 11 am every morning (and then staring at the ceiling still at 3 am since I didn't feel tired at all). All in all, it was a wonderful, relaxing Christmas, with plenty of rest, food, family time and not having to rush anywhere! My apologies for the lack of that post though.

I am one of the lucky ones who didn't have to return to work for these few days between Christmas and New Years (I feel your pain, who ever had to do that - I did it last year and it was not fun!) So I've had plenty of time to reflect on the past year, think about all the ups and downs it has brought to me and my loved ones, and mentally prepare myself for a new year and all the excitement it will bring. 

2015 was a tough year but I learnt a lot about myself during it, and also about my relationship, some friendships and life in general. The older you get, the more you'll appreciate the people around you, who actually stick by you through thick and thin, good and bad, ups and downs. 

Everyone will have their own hopes, wishes, goals and resolutions for the New Year, and I truly hope that 2016 will bring you all the happiness, love, success and health you deserve. For me, I'm looking for a big change, new environment,  lots of happy moments, hard work, new challenges and the usual promises to losing a bit of weight and growing my hair a bit longer.Oh and a £50 mil lottery win wouldn't be too bad either!

Happy New Year to all of you and see you in the new year 2016!

My latest must haves.

For the last couple of weeks I've started paying much more attention to some of the beauty products that I use and been trying out a few more products that I normally don't use. For example I've always been using an anti-wrinkle moisturiser, usually one from Olay or Garnier, but lately I've been also been using a firming serum and an anti wrinkle eye cream, which hopefully will give some good results for my approaching-my-30's wrinkles(which aren't too bad yet FIY) If they're any good I will review the products here later on.

I've also discovered couple of great make up tools, which I never used before. For me, the tool to put on my foundation was always one of those normal, triangle shaped foam sponges, which I happily chucked in the trash after a couple of weeks and took a new one out of the packet. They did the job well but I was never fully happy. A while ago I bought the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge and I'm loving it! The texture of the sponge is very nice, the result on the skin is smooth and even and it blends the foundation easily, and the different angles of the sponge are good for different areas of your face. It's about £5.99 so not even expensive. I wash mine regularly to keep it hygienic and as long as you do it gently, the sponge should keep quite well. 

Real Techniques seems to have a good range of brushes too, which I'm still yet to discover but will definitely have a go later on. I've also been using a foundation brush to apply my make up, it gives a slightly thicker coverage on my skin, so I tend not to use that every day as I don't need a lot of foundation every single day, but for an evening make up, I love using a foundation brush. The one I use for the moment is just a cheap one, as I just wanted to trial it out but I will definitely purchase a decent one, maybe from Real Techniques. 

I've been a devoted lover of TREsemme hair products and often use their shampoo, conditioner and hair spray. Recently, in addition to those old favourites, I've started using a couple of their other products too and I'm loving them.

They have a great, variable range of products for different hair types, I tend to use the ones for coloured hair or the Keratin Smooth range. I blow dry my hair a lot and curl and straighten it regularly and I've noticed it really damages my hair(to the point that last time I went to get my ends trimmed, even the hairdresser said that "yeah..the ends are quite bad..." and gave a little sigh)

So I've been using a heat protection spray from the Keratin Smooth range, which seems to be doing a good job and it's easy to spray in every time I've washed my hair.  But my absolute favourite from TREsemme are the hair masks that come in tubs! They're amazing! They've got a whole different range of them, I've used the one dry hair and the Keratin one, and have loved them both. You can use it as once or couple of times a week treatment, or like me, use it every time you wash your hair instead of normal conditioner. It's not very pricey and it leaves your hair light and fresh, unlike some heavy masks that leave the hair quite heavy. I used a normal conditioner the other day and noticed a difference in my hair straight away - the mask makes it much, much smoother and leaves it in better condition. This is definitely a product to try if you're like me and your hair gets damaged easily.

And since there's not really a sign on sunshine in the sky in the middle of December, and like me you're not lucky enough to have family living in a hot and sunny country who to visit for the holiday season, you need a little helping hand from a bottle to give you a little bit of colour since the tan from last summer is only a memory by now.

 I'm not a fan of self tan products as they tend to make a mess and you end up smelling like sickly sweet cookie dough, but I've got a couple of trusted products that I use regularly. For the body I use Dove's Summer Glow moisturiser, which says it gives you a 'gradual tan'. I use the darker shade and even one application now in the winter is enough to change the colour of my pasty white legs to a healthy glow. Just be careful not to buy the one that says "Soft Shimmer" on it as you'll start glittering like a Christmas baubble. Not sure whose idea it was so add shimmer into the lotion, but it does not give a nice result.. Trust me on this one, I've made the mistake more than just once. 

I'm very cautious of self tanning creams when it comes to your face, as if you make a mistake it will be much harder to hide the unwanted result. I remember once when I was younger I used one quite regularly until one day my mom said she "thinks I've used enough of that cream now". I found one from Olay, called Every day sunshine, which is a gradual tanner as well and works as a moisturiser too. The result is not too dark or too drastic, so you can use it without the fear of waking up with a deep glowing tan on your face in the middle of the winter, and the smell of it isn't too bad either. It's quite hard to get a decent tan on the face anyway if you use make up regularly, so this one is a great way to have a bit of colour on your face if you don't like looking pale. 

That's all for now! Have you got any similar products you've discovered recently or maybe you've been a long time lover of them?

Next time will hopefully be posting something with a bit of Christmas spirit in it, as the holidays are almost here now!

Count your blessings.

You know those poster on the Tube above the seats, usually they're ads for some vitamin company, a weighloss/hairloss clinic or for some quirky new website for shopping. The other day I saw this poster and to be honest I don't even know what they were advertising but the line caught my attention and got me thinking. 

It simply said ' Think of three things you're grateful for in the last 24 hours.'

I got off the train and I actually had to stop and think about what three things I have been grateful for in the last day, and it was much harder than you'd expect. In your normal day to day life, when things just become a normality, you don't really think of all the things that you have, you're more likely to think of the things you don't have or that you feel like you are missing out. 

You complain about paying your expensive rent and the amount of money that British Gas will charge you this month again for gas usage, but did you actually remember that you're lucky enough to earn enough money to keep a roof over your head and keep your flat warm?

You complain about having to wake up at 6.30 every single morning to drag yourself to work when it is still dark outside, but did you think about the amount of unemployed people who desperately want to land a full time, stable job to earn their own money, let alone to earn more than just the minimum wage. 

You've got a blocked nose again, and the way you cough makes you feel like someone's kicked you in the chest, and you've emptied the medicine shelves of local Boots, but then you remember it is just the winter cold or flu, not some chronic illness that will take your life. 

Your boyfriend or husband has made you angry again by some stupid little thing, and you're beginning to think he has got some serious mental issues but at least you've got someone who truly cares for you and loves you. Same with your social group and your family, there is a reason your mom calls you at the most inconvenient of times to ask if you think the cream coloured curtains would look better than the pure white ones in her living room.

Now especially in the busy Christmas season, when you're trying to get all your shopping done, balancing your time between work and home and trying to get a few extra hours done at the gym because you know the amount of Christmas food and chocolates you consume will make your jeans feel a bit tight, it's been so hard to keep up with your friendships and relationships. Well, at least for me it has felt like that. I haven't had the time to chat to my friends and family as much as I wanted to, let alone to see them as regularly as I normally do. Every weekend has been scheduled to the max and I've been feeling almost anxious when I hear my phone beeping and someone asking for something again. The good news is that if your loved ones know how you truly are, they won't get upset over things like that and that the holiday season will actually pass pretty soon, and you can get back to your normal self! 

But still...
If you miss someone, call them.
If you love someone, tell them.
If you want to see someone, invite them over.

No matter how busy you are, stop and appreciate the things you have, make sure the people around you know you love and care for them, and greet that lovely old grandma who lives next door. It doesn't take a lot of your time or effort but makes a big difference. Treat your loved ones well and make sure they know they're there for a reason - no one wants to feel like they're taken for granted. Appreciate what you've got in your life, and what you have achieved and worked hard for - not everyone is as lucky as you are.

Enjoy the little things in life, because one day you may look back and realise they were the big things.

What three things would you choose?

Why a glass of water should be your best friend?

Water. So simple but oh-so-important to us. I've never been very good at drinking enough water during the day but recently I've been trying to pay more attention to it and keep a bottle near me and take a good sip every now and then. I've listed a few good reasons that should all make us want to fill up the glass a bit more often...

• Fluid balance. Our bodies are made of approximately 60% of water(that's a LOT!) and to keep that level high enough, you need to consume water regularly and in sufficient quantities. The level of fluids needs to be high enough  to help our body transport nutrients to the right places, to digest food properly and to maintain a normal body temperature, just to mention a few.
• Clearer skin. I'm pretty sure we all notice this every now and then.. There are days when your skin just feels grey, dull and your pores seem more clogged. Water helps to flush the toxins out of your body and the results can be seen in your skin!
• Calorie control. Simple as it is, water helps you to feel fuller and therefore stops you from having that extra biscuit with your afternoon tea or makes you skip the round of seconds at dinner time. Always a good tip to have a big glass of water 10-15 mins before having a meal. 
• Kidney function. Our kidneys work hard to flush out all the dirty stuff out of our bodies and in order for them to work properly they need water.  On a rough morning after a good night out downing Jaegerbombs with your girls, you'll surely want to lend a helping hand to your poor kidneys... Also a great way to avoid that feared hangover,which nowadays is SO much worse than it was in the early 20s, is to drink a good amount of water before going to bed, and to make sure you drink some water during the evening too, in between your wine glasses. 
• Muscle energy. Muscles need water to avoid from getting tired, especially if you exercise a lot. So keep that water bottle filled up at you spinning classes!
• Helps you stay focused. Our bodies need fluids to stay alert and focused and to stay hydrated in order to avoid fatigue. Tiredness is one of the first and most common symptoms of dehydration, so next time you're craving for a coffee or Red Bull(this is written myself kept in mind!) you might want to try a couple of glasses of water first.
• Keep away cramps and aches. Water helps you keep your muscles and joints hydrated, flexible and healthy and therefore helps to keep the little aches away.
• Healthy digestive system. Enough fluids in your diet keeps your stomach working properly and helps to avoid digestive problems and constipation.

How much is enough water then? If your body needs water to keep all this little, and not so little, functions running smoothly, the recommendation for women is 1.6 litres(that is about 8 glasses of 200ml) and for men it is 2.0 litres(10 glasses). It sounds quite a lot and for a person who gets bored of flavours, or the lack of flavours, easily a good trick is to spice up your water a bit! Instead of buying ready flavoured waters from your local store, which I sometimes do (Tesco has a nice range of flavoured sparkling waters with really nice combos like elderflower and apple, and one with passionfruit!) you can fill up a big bottle in your fridge and add any fruit in it that you'd fancy - like limes, lemons, apple, grapefruit, cucumber, strawberry..whatever is your preference!

A watery cheers to that!