8.15.2012

BEWARE... Burn Baby Burn!

Having raved about my new Amika hair curlers... I actually have something bad to say about them now.  I was trying to make my hair look half decent the other week and whilst using my curlers... I burnt myself BIG TIME.

Whilst curling my hair, I managed to touch the back of my forearm for a split second... literally...all of 1 SECOND.  And this is the damage it caused as they get super hot and also because usually the end of curlers have a plastic part but these don't... (sorry for the graphic images!!)








In the end I had to go to the doctors to get it treated because it started to get infected despite my efforts to keep in clean etc. So girls... becareful if you have these Amika curlers as it could cause some serious damage!


Txx



8.13.2012

The Most Spectacular Show On Earth...

It's been an incredible and super exciting 2 weeks here in London... can't believe The Olympics is all over.  London 2012, you have done us proud!

Wonderful: The Olympics enthralled many for 16 days, but all good things must come to an end

Finale: The closing ceremony in the Olympic Stadium provided one of the most spectacular fireworks displays Britain has ever seen

Impressive: Fireworks shoot across the arena as athletes gather in formation underneath to make the shape of the Union flag

It's over: Fireworks light up the Olympic Village in Stratford, east London as London 2012 draws to an emotional close

I'm definitely going to Rio in 2016 for the next Olympics!

Looking forward to what the Paralympics will bring...


Tx


7.25.2012

I ♥ London






Got this set of PJs in the one and only Primarni the other day! LOVE the shorts.


Txx



7.24.2012

My First... Indian Wedding

A very very good friend of mine Reena got married last weekend and I got to share her big day with her which was amazing. It's my first experience of an Indian wedding so I was very much looking forward to it and in particular, wearing a sari for the first time!


Here's a few photos of the day...

The beautiful bride ready to roll!

The civil ceremony...
The Indian ceremony...
Me and Neema...

A happy but seriously emotional end...


A tradition where girls try and stop the groom taking the bride away...  love the colours of the saris!

Txx


7.20.2012

Rio Sonicleanse - Clarisonic Mia Dupe!

My skin has been terrible lately (well ever since I got back from travelling probably from being deprived of the sun!) and have been umming and ahhing about getting the Clarisonic to help get my face back to normality.  After seeing some reviews on YT... I decided to go for the dupe Rio Sonicleanse!  I chose this over the Clarisonic purely because of the price as I wasn't ready to spend £120 and it's received some rave reviews.

I bought mine from Amazon for £49.99 however you can get it from Peak Nutrition for £40 plus P&P (They didn't have stock when I got mine so went with Amazon and dammit they reduced the price here as well now!).






The Rio comes with a stand and a spare brush.  You have to charge it for 24hrs first before you use it and on charge, there's a red light.

Directions
Step 1: take that slap off your face first so that you don't dirty this thing up and have to replace the brush sooner than needed.

Step 2: Dampen your face with some warm water and lather on some cleanser (I'm using a Dermalogica one).

Step 3: Then, simply press the button to turn it on.  It has 2 speed settings - fast, and faster! It will bleep once when you turn it on which is the highest setting, then if you want it slower, press it again.  You put it on a section of your face and let it work it's magic.  After 20 secs, it will beep to let you know to move your brush onto the next part of your face.  Once you're done. Press the button off again and voila.

ALERT! This baby is water resistant, NOT waterproof so don't drop in the bath or sink full of water or anything otherwise it will probably die.

Verdict?
I've only used this twice and so far so good! My skin is quite delicate so wasn't used to the mad exfoliation going on, however that said, it does a really good job of cleaning deep into my skin.  After the 2nd time I used it, my face felt super smooth so I'm sure given time, it'll become much better.

I've decided I'm going to use it everyday for 30 days and I'm going to call it...

Project Rio!


(Very adventurous with the name I know. I'll probably slack off a few days here & there though but I'll try my best to stick to it).


Have you got the Rio Sonicleanse and what do you think?


Ciao Bellas!


Txx



7.19.2012

A Big Initial Hurdle... Parents Edition.

Now you've told your other half... now for your 'rents.

If your parents are anything like mine, their thoughts are SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY.... oh and did I mention safety?  Though I was going to be travelling with a friend of mine and won't be alone, that was still their number 1 concern.  This is what they said in a nutshell... "We've raised you for 26 years and we don't want anything to happen to you. What happens if something terrible happens to you and we can't find your body?!!".



How NOT to do it -
"Hi Mum, Dad. I'm going go give up my job and go travelling." BIG MISTAKE.  This scenario will cause them to go ape shit which they did on me with them shouting words like safety! job! career! money! etc.

How to do it -
I left it for a while then came back to them with the following...

1) Who - who you are planning on doing this epic journey with (and what they're like if they don't know what they're like already).
2) Where - show them a list of where you are planning to go (ideally produce a map in front of them if they're not particularly great friends with geography).
2) When - timeframes! Give them an idea of how long you are going for, when you are planning to go etc.
3) How - it's a good idea to show them how much money you think you'll need for this trip and show them how you are planning to go about financing it.
4) What & Why - tell them the benefits of going on this trip... how much you really want to do this, how much of a dream it is, character & experience building etc etc.

Basically, you want to show them in a high level plan of what you are going to do and how you are going to go about doing this then keep them up date if they want on the details.  This would put things into perspective for them and put them more at ease.


Tx




7.17.2012

Team Contiki Does the Bs!

A couple of weekends ago, I went on a team building trip with work to Bristol & Bath!  It was an experience on several levels:

1) I've never been to Bristol or Bath (yea and I've been in the UK for 20 years?!)
2) I've not been out with my work mates properly yet
3) I've not been on a 'Contiki'! (It's not the real mccoy, but we went on one of our new coaches, had a tour manager and driver).

It was an epic weekend not to mention tiring but here's a snapshot of what went down...


Day 1 - Bristol town for a scavenger hunt where we had to find answers to questions around the town and take photos. Dinner at riverside restaurant then followed by a booze cruise down the Avon stopping at a few pubs before hitting Reflex and a kebab before bed.

Day 2 - A visit to the Roman Baths and a wander around the beautiful town of Bath then back to Brom-Vegas.

I really enjoyed myself! Thanks Contiki.

Txx

6.13.2012

Travelling - A Big Initial Hurdle... Boy/Girlfriend Edition



So you've decided to go on the trip of a lifetime and your mind is set and have started saving up for it, there are 2 sets of important people that you need to involve...


Firstly the other half.

Getting them on board with the whole travelling situ should, in theory, be easier to deal with than parents as they are on your level... but nonetheless hard to tackle.  I didn't have to explain to Shawn why I want to do it because he knows it's something I've dreamt of for-like-ever. When I finally decided I was definitely doing it, he told me to go and do it because it's something that I've always wanted to do.  GREAT! So I go and book the flights then afterwards he's like WHAT?! You're going for THREEEE months.  I'm pretty sure I told him this before...


Anyways, the point I'm trying to make is make sure that you discuss all the details with your loverboy/girl because at the end of the day, it does put a strain on relationship being so far away from each other.  What I found difficult is communicating when there's the time difference to consider on top of just being busy doing things whilst you're away (especially in Australia where it was 11hrs ahead at times and you're totally on an opposite schedule).  Really hone in on the ways you can communicate with each other: 1 seriously good tip is BRING THAT SMART PHONE!


1) Skype will be your new best friend! Whether it's in an internet cafe or on your phone.  Every hostel/hotel in Asia practically has wifi so being able to use Skype on your phone is aweeesome.
2) Whatsapp
3) Emails/ Facebook etc.


Despite how difficult it was, I'm so glad I did it because we're still together and going strong at the end of it (he was SUPER nice when I got back as well - plus plus plus points!).  Though, sometimes I really do wish that he was there to go on the amazeballs journey with me to experience all the wonderful things too.



Tx

6.12.2012

New Curlers: Amika Review





I recently bought some new curlers using some birthday money.  I've been meaning to get one for a while now but couldn't decide. Whilst at House of Fraser the other day, I walked past the Amika counter and was pulled in to get my hair curled.  I was really impressed and as every sales persons dream, I was talked into buying them.  I bought the 25mm ones as it was perfect for my hair length. It also comes in 19mm for much tigher curls and a bigger barrell for longer hair.

I decided to get it on a whim based on the following reasons:

1) The hair curlers worked a dream and curled hair really quickly -  I don't have the time or patience to spend that long doing my hair.
2) They are ceramic so is much healthier for the hair. The technology allows even heat distribution.
3) They were bought at £79.99 however, this has lifetime guarantee so if they breakdown, you can go to any Amika counter with your receipt and get a replacement pair on the spot.
4) You can get your hair done at any Amika counters the next 3 years whilst you're out and about.

I think paying this amount of money for curlers is extortionate but the lifetime guarantee and instant replacement really did it for me as it's so easy for cheap curlers to breakdown or not work as well. Also, I want my hair to damage my hair so it's important to get the right ones.

It comes with nice box - what you would expect in this price range.


It's also nice that it has an on/off button as some just turn on as soon as you plug it in.



It comes with a glove just in case you dont want to burn youself.  It's also a 360 degree swivel cord so it's easy to manoeuver it whilst you're curling. (And an extra large label to warn children!).


I've not used it much but here's the end result!
Loose curls can be done by wrapping sections of it for about 5 seconds...


... and for tighter curls, curl smaller sections of hair round the wand for about 10 seconds. (I didn't spend too long on it, but it can be a lot tighter and 'ringletty').



I'm quite impressed with this curler and really like the loose curls that it makes.  It also feels smooth and soft after it's been curled. I'm so happy I can have a different hair style now instead of a dead straight bob!!


Have you used Amika before and what do you think?

Tx



6.11.2012

Week in Photos...


1. Peking Duck Bloomer sandwich from M&S Cafe... divine!
2. Hot chocolate with all the bells and whistles
3. Shawn with our fav Oreo shake from GBK
4. New basketball net above our desk at work!
5. Rain rain go away...
6. My flatmates homemade cupcakes
7. My first magazine in ageeeees
8. Victoria spongecake with extra cream
9. My current beverage obsession

6.09.2012

Inspire #2 - Don't Worry...

Something we should all live by... easier said than done at times?



6.08.2012

My New Pad!

I recently moved to the outskirts of London (from Zone 3 to Zone 5 shock horror!).  It's to make my commute to work more bearable as I was doing almost 1.5hrs each way and wasting 3hrs of my life everyday.  I wasn't too sure about moving alllllll the way to Zone 5 being so far away from Central and all that but I'm loving it so far :)

Without further ado...here is the pad.

Living room



Living room part deux (lighting = fail)

 
My bathroom...

My bedroom...


I ♥ my new wardrobe...




So that's pretty much it!  Isn't it cute??


Tx

6.07.2012

Wanderlusting...









































I've decided to add a travel section to my blog!

I want to share my experiences and tips to those who are:
A) thinking of going travelling
B) who are going and planning their travels
C) simply interested and live in wanderlust

Before I left, I was searching high and low through online sites, forums etc to find info and tips. So I thought I'd do my own version on here and hope to share everything from packing, budgeting, to tips on the road - though my experiences at the moment are limited to Australia and the South East Asia!

Tx

6.05.2012

Another Year Older...

Can't believe another year has come round again... and I've gained another year.

This year I didn't want to celebrate really as I really don't like turning old!  Had a beautiful dinner with Shawn on the day and then had a family get together bank holiday weekend. Love it when the fam get together

From work :)
Birthday meal with Shawn


Champers!
Family BBQ - yummmmm...
Bubblessssssss

Bubbles in the sky
Yeeeeeh yehhhhhh

My bro and sisters
Happy birthday to us!
Family lunch minus my bros family

Txx