Just playing around with bright lip colours from The Body Shop. What do you think? Too pink, or okay?
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My Red Lip Journey Starts Here!
Eeewwwww
I’m not new to wearing lipstick as I used to wear it as a child, playing at home with my dolls and tea sets. I was a pretty glamorous child, with patent shoes, an obsession with denim and loved my weekends shopping for various items from Harrods etc, as long as they looked good with the new books I would read. I would pose when reading at home; as far as I knew the world was a stage and I was free to prance around like a typical spoilt child. Nowadays, not so much. The world is still very much a large and scary stage, but I do not feel confident, especially with my lips. During the course of ‘my downfall’ kids would taunt me every day about the size and colour of my lips, and I even got a horrible nickname ‘rubber lips’ from a weird kid who grew up and turned out to be one of the loneliest dude’s about town. For years I was tormented with having these lips, and most days I used to hate them. I would walk around sucking them in so no one could see. How I longed to have normal lips. To this day, I still don’t understand them and wish I could wear lip stick like other people. I have however found lip tints, and I find them to much more rewarding, even though I have two different coloured lips. Darn it!
I did wear a red lip stick once and received mixed views, but due to how much the taunting of my lips impacted on my self esteem I took heed of the bad comments more than the good ones. I just believe when someone says I have nice lips these days, I just assume they are being nice for the sake of it, and not being true. I still have this strong love/hate relationship with them. This year I intend on finding my colour and I hope to document it on my channel as time goes on, so bare with me. For now, lip tints are my thing, but I still need to find the right colour. The other day I wore Maxfactor’s tint in number 4 in Berry Burst and was told, in front of a crowd mind you, by a colleague (this girl hates me and loves to put me down in front of people just to get some sort of reaction) that I was ugly with lipstick on as my lips were too bold. Weird thing was, it was a lip tint and very lightly added. I looked at the other girl’s reaction and her face told me what was on her mind. So now I have retreated to the lipstick closet until I find a shade I like and feel confident in.
So far, Phoenix is sending me wonderful inspirations and helping me out by suggesting darker shades like Dita Von Teese and Gabrielle Union and so far I like them! The journey starts here!
Enjoy the video below, I found it whilst surfing for tattoo advice videos…
Hair Evolution
When I was really young, I had lovely medium length hair that my mother would always plait up and decorate with bobbles. I was such a cutie! My hair grew naturally as my mother and my aunt refused to have any chemicals added to my hair until I was old enough to ask for it myself. I experimented with hair extensions during middle and upper school which was fine, as it was purely for ease.
Me aged 3 at Skegness
Then I came across an article about how the darker you are, the darker your skin and the more curl you have in your hair, you were deemed ugly by the world. That hit home and I decided at age 13 never to have extensions again. I didn’t want to mould myself into a self hating woman by embracing ideals that many women battle to conform to. I wanted to be different. I wanted to have an afro (sadly I couldn’t attain one as I have strong Caucasian and Indian hair) but I wanted to be as natural as I could for as long as I could. My aunt introduced me to a hairdresser who started to curly perm my hair to give it added strength and curl. It grew even longer within 3 months. Sadly I can’t find any photos right now, but I shall show some in my hair care video =]
Me aged 18
When i was 14/15 I ended up suffering from the first sign of depression after an event that almost ruined me. i gave up looking after myself properly and my hair slowly went back to being natural. Over time my hair fell out, I tried relaxing my hair too as my hair was just kinky rather than curly, but something went wrong. In the end, aged 18 my hair just fell off. I cut my hair really short in order to promote new growth, but back then I like how unique I looked so I kept the style for a while.
Me aged 21
I moved to Manchester for a while, and then came back after a bout of depression, and decided I needed to focus on me. I got myself a job within 3 days of being back home and started saving to get my hair curled again. I was and still am a fan of curly perm and I recommend it to anyone with afro hair. My hair was so full of ‘other things’ that I needed for my body that the first few attempts to curl it didn’t work and my hair went back to being flat and lifeless again. It’s only been the last year or so that my hair has grown back full, longer and with more bounce. I’m half way to where my hair used to be all those years ago, as it brushes on my nape. I also died my hair for the first time late last year to a really dark plum from Live Color XXL, and hopefully for the summer I shall follow society’s conventions just once and dye my hair to suit the coming hot weather. Who knows?
Me aged 23
Wish my hair luck =P – okay the below picture was from Christmas day, my hair has grown a bit more since…
Me now, aged 23
The Nails Have It :: New Wave Colour
My job is a demanding job, and due to health and safety I’m unable to treat my nails to any kind of tlc – well that was until I discovered Collection 2000 2 in 1 Strengthener and Hardener with Calcium. I’m very picky about what nail polishes I go for, as I’ve spent a fair amount of money on polishes that peel off like plastic sheeting. I love the colours from the Hot Looks range from Collection 2000, and their nail care range. At the moment I’ve been slightly fanatic about Ciate because of their hand care ranges and their lucious collection of quick drying pots of colour for nails.
This picture is a perfect example! Yokelia's Blog (click the pic)
I love to be different, and back in my younger days I used to wear colours that didn’t always match. I wore colours that I would signify my emotions in some way, like yellow for good days, florescent orange for crazy creative days and black for ‘leave me alone to listen to my rock musique’ days. Other times, I would wear multiple colours on one hand, just to look cute.
Collection 2000 Hot Looks :: 35 Dynasty & 27 Wham
Collection 200 Hot Looks :: colour as above
[hehe, aww my little brother is fast asleep!]
My new colours are from Ciate, and if you live in the UK you can get 1 of 2 colours from this months Marie Claire.
Cute little bows from Ciate
What are your favourite brands and colours?
My New Bag & Lippy :: The Body Shop (mini haul)
Well, I went shopping and went a little crazy. I bought new comics, in order to keep up to date, and ended up spending a ton of money of a new bag and some beauty products that were well needed. Enjoy the pics:
Colourglide™ Lip Colour in 71 Dawn Fizz
This tone is simple, and great for everyday use. It has a tiny amount of glimmer and sparkle, so even if your doing a menial task you’ll have that little it of glamour. The ingredients are natural too, so it’s great for your skin.
Colourglide™ Lip Colour in 14 Pink Ginger
Hi-Shine Lip Treatment in 04 Red Gleam
This has kept my lips moist and it smells lovely too! Like berries!
My new bag!
Satchel from Accessorize
The keychain is from Accessorize too.
=]
My Body Rules 2011
Une – Hands
I use the Vitamin E hand and nail cream and the Hemp Hand Protector from The Body Shop and I swear by them! I work in health care and I’m always washing and drying my hands, and we aren’t allowed to wear nail varnish. Our make-up kits consist of latex gloves and alcohol gel – can you see the sexyness in that? I love my hands! They do everything for me! Shopping…. talking with me…. selecting bags…. packing bags…. hehe!
Deux – Be Leggy!
Peppermint! I swear by this magical herb! I do a super easy foot soak with peppermint and lavender, by adding ½ cup to a bowl of hot water. I leave it to steep for a while, until it’s warm enough to put my feet in. After a good soak, I moisturise with Lush Cosmetic’s Fair Trade Foot Lotion, which also has peppermint in it. I swear by shaving. I’ve done shave cream and it’s great, but I love Gillette Venus Spa Breeze as it’s quick to use, and you don’t need the shave gel. After a shave, I use the Veet Hair Minimising Cream, to keep hair at bay. I’ve only been using the Veet cream for a little while, and to be honest I was sceptic at first, but it really does what it says on the bottle. I usually de-hair my legs every 2-3 days as I can’t stand hair that’s more than ½ a millimetre long, but after using the Veet cream, I can shave 1 day less. Fab! I’ve made a promise to myself to wear dresses and skirts more as I’m just beginning to see my beauty for the first time.
Trois – Face
I’ve just adopted the day and night cream plan. The creams I use are from The Body Shop, in the Vitamin E range. If you go into your local store and ask for skin advice from one of the assistants, you’ll know what products to get. Another tip with looking at The Body Shop products, get on their website, and follow the quiz on the ‘lounge’ page to get an idea of the products you should get.
As for splashing money on my face, I live by Estee Lauder, Mac, Revlon and L’Oreal make-up. I like to keep things neutral looking with mascara, colour around the eyes and some lip tint every so often. I have my eyebrows threaded at least once every 1-3 months, and I may be getting them tinted as I’m dying my hair soon.
Quatre – Fruity Booty
Probably the best part of my regime. I love making my own body scrubs, like the ones found in the Neal’s Yard Remedy Book and the recipes found in James Wong’s Grow Your Own Drugs books. All I need is a stock of Epsom salts, sea salts, essential oils and herbs to make my skin shiny and even toned. I have quite a stock of body scrubs, soaps, shower gels and bath bombs from Lush Cosmetics and The Body Shop, but they are all and stored in a box near my windowsill; my Fruity Booty!
Cinq – Colour Loves
I love to paint my nails! I look after my nails, but at work I can only wear nail varnish on my toes. But I have a little secret… Collection 2000 Nail Hardener with Calcium and Ridge filler works magick for my hands. I like neat nails too, so in conjunction with the nail varnish I have a nail kit to cut, trim and shape my nails in my bag at all times. I can’t live without it! The tiniest nick and I feel doomed!
As for clothing, I love colour. I have a ton of colourful accessories, like my bags and necklaces, but I like to wear clothing of colours that suit my skin tone. I wear blues, like baby blue, cobalt and cerulean, and red’s like ruby, blood red and burgundy. I can’t wear yellow, though I do look okay in it, but I like canary yellow and no other. The last time I wore a bright yellow in the summer, I ended up with tiny black dots all over it… bloody flies! Green is a tough colour for me, unless it’s that summer leafy green, otherwise I end up looking 50…. I’ll go into colour and the right colours for you some other time.
Six – Yoga Rules!
Yoga, as most folks don’t know, it part of an ancient system. The stretched you do at your local gym or in front of the TV are merely the warm up stretched Guru’s did before conducting meditation’s that took hours and even all day. Apart from that, it was used to keep your body healthy on its many etheric levels. If your foot was hurting, or if a chakra was blocked, that indicated something is wrong physically or emotionally.
I love yoga, and have been doing it on an intermediate level for the past 3 or 4 years and I highly recommend it. It’s great for toning, weight loss, strength and core work, as well as for the spiritual aspect which I adore. I love Face Yoga too!
Sept – Sexy Vegetarian
I love vegetarian food! It’s the same as everyone else’s, except without meat and far sexier if you know how to cook it properly, or know the finest cafes to dine in. My favourite Veggie cafes’ are Red Veg in Brighton and InSpiralled in Camden, you can’t get anymore Green and Sexy than those places! On top of that, I love herbs. Herbal medicine, James Wong, herbal magick, you name it, it’s its herbs but not drugs, I’m A-O-K! I’m all about being grounded. I may not look like your average eco warrior or eco princess, but I do my bit.
Huit –Hair
I have natural hair, though I curly perm it every 3-4 months. I use Sof n’ Free hair moisturiser, and use hair oil for my scalp. I love to soak my hair in olive oil, vitamin E oil and hair conditioners. I mix up all three in a medium sized tub and just paste it into my hair. Cover it up with a plastic hair cover for 45-60 minutes, or 30 min under a hairdryer, then rinse off. My hair comes out looking and feeling sexy. I apply hair moisturiser as soon as it dries, to stop it from going wrong! I hope to dye my hair within the next few weeks, to a super dark burgundy or cherry mahogany, wish me luck!
Neuf – Bread is My Limit
I have a thing about bread. I love bread and bananas. The thing I have comes down to my thighs and the annoying ‘bad-time-to-be-here’ bulge that appears after I’ve eaten too many bananas and way too much bread. With my exercise regime, I have noticed that I love to keep my legs toned, and eating bread just attacks them. I am quite strict with my intake, not so much in quantity but rather in what wheat foods I’ll eat in a day and stick to them. For example, Monday I’ll have bread, but I won’t have pastries etc. I love bread… I can’t help it.
Dix – Clear Mind
Auuuum.
I’m a big fan of Buddhist philosophy so keeping a clear mind helps me keep positive but honest to myself. I am a typical person who looks in the mirror sometimes and hates parts of my body, but I get over these complaints by admitting that I’m complaining about silly things. I have learnt, through compassion and meditation that my body is not only beautiful, but it’s unique and I’m the only one with legs like mine, skin like mine and best of all, eyes like mine. So I do what I can to live outside the box of conformity and live within my own world of The Comfy.
My Facial Care Regime!
I would show you a picture of my face with no make up or skin creams but this blog is not here to blind you. Here’s some of the products I use, mostly from The Body Shop:
Morning:
Wash face with warm water and the Vitamin E Gentle Facial Wash.
Apply Cucumber Water facial toner to brighten skin.
Apply Aloe Eye Defence around my eyes to make them less puffy and tired.
Lastly apply Vitamin E Moisture Cream which locks in my natural moisture that I loose as soon as I go outside. This helps with reducing blemishes too, giving me that fresh glowing look.
Sometimes, but not all the time I apply make-up on top, but my essential kit and it’s contents will be available in tomorrow’s post.
Night:
Wash face with Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wash.
Apply Vitamin E Eye Cream around my eyes, to make my skin calm after a long day. I get super itchy eyes if I wear particular mascara so this helps soothe it too.
Sometime’s I’ll tone my face with the Vitamin E Hydrating Toner, but if I’m too tired, I’ll leave it until the morning.
Lastly I apply the Vitamin E Nourishing Night Cream.
Ahh bliss x
Foot Soak the Natural Way
I love to have a good soak when I can. I work on my feet all day looking after patients’ and running up and down like I have energy (which I don’t…), but to keep myself pampered in a super fun and timeless way comes down to what nature has to offer me. My feet are the biggest problem, and keeping them cool is the hardest. I’m a serial high-heel-sister and I have been since I was 4! I love heels, my wardrobe, and the boxes under my bed and the cupboard under my aunt’s stairs is where I keep my guilty pleasures looking new.
My very first pair of ‘high-heels’ came when I was a little child, at a doctor’s request. I was, and still am, one stubborn Leo, and ever since I could walk I never let my heels touch the ground. I used to strut around sockless with my hands on my waist pretending to be Grace Jones or Naomi Campbell. I was determined to be a model because of them… never turned out. The doctor we went to was a family friend, so it wasn’t a consultation or anything, but he knew me and my attitude and told my aunt to stuff tissue in the heels of my shoes. That didn’t work, I want real shoes. I don’t remember the brand but all I remember is black patent shoes that were 1 inch high. I was fascinated with being tall.
To this day, I wear heels when I can at home. Hanging out the washing, mopping the floor, going out or just popping to the Post Office, as I’m ‘free’ only for a short time. I spend all of my youthful days at work in flat pumps that kill my feet after walking around for 14 hours. Once a week I soak my feet for a little while and either read a book, meditate or update my blogs or website. One foot soak I love is an all natural concoction of herbs and my own special touch of magick. (Just in case you folks didn’t know… as fashionable as I am, I’m a witch too.)
Here’s a recipe I found a few months back, which is stuck permanently in my travel journal of magick, aka Book of Shadows).
Body-Balancing Foot Soak
You will need:
2 bowls for your feet
2 tablespoons of dried lemon zest
2 teaspoons of dried peppermint leaves
3 teaspoons of dried lavender
2 teaspoons of dried rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons of dried sage leaves
Handful of Epsom or Dead Sea salts
Optional* Handful of oatmeal
Aromatherapy Foot Oil
Method
Fill one bowl with hot water, add the lemon zest and the dried herbs, and leave to infuse for 20 minutes. Next, add the handful of Epsom salts or the Dead Sea salts, or the oatmeal if you want to soften your skin. Add more hot water if need be, but make sure you don’t scald yourself. When the temperature is just right, pop your feet in and soak for 10 minutes or more. With the next bowl, have cold water in it, so when you finish you can soak your feet for a few seconds then towel dry your feet by patting them. Massage the aromatherapy oil on your feet to keep them moist and supple. Et Voila!
Sometimes I use the Dead Sea salts or the Epsom, but so far I haven’t tried the oatmeal… I have a fear of oatmeal on my skin… ugh =[
Enjoy!
