UPDATE: Where Have I Been?

Hello Everyone,

So I haven't blogged in nearly a month! I know I have been such a sporadic blogger - sometimes I run out of blogging mojo and then sometimes life just takes over. But for me April has been a great month and I have done lots of things which I am really happy about and I am a lot more focused on completely my goals. There have been too big things which has really settled me at the moment.

The first big thing: I have lost weight. 12lbs to be exact which was done in 4 weeks and I'm really proud that I have got myself into the swing of things - so I might do a post on what I've been up to. The main bulk of it is eating less and moving more! Who knew it was that simple eh? Haha, for me it is one of those things which are easier said than done. But nevertheless I ideally still want to lose another 18lbs by 24th September 2013 - so I need to keep my motivation flowing. I know I was doing my weekly posts on a Tuesday as I thought it would be a great idea to keep my focused but for some reason it just didn't help or work it the way I had hoped. I will still be doing some health/fitness/diet post but these will be about a topic rather than just my weightloss journey.

The second big thing: I have been working full time for the past 3 months which means that I have got myself into a good routine. But this also means that a few things have been taking a sideline like my blog. To be honest the first week I didn't really miss my blog but I had a little bit of bloggers block - but I really really miss it. I took advantage of this bank holiday weekend and it wasn't a messy one (trying to curb those calories), it wasn't an expensive one (trying to save up for a few things) but it was a productive one - I sorted out lots of bits and I have two huge baskets of bits and bobs which I want to blog about.

So I just wanted to do a sort of welcome back message and look out for tomorrows post.

Bomb Cosmetics

Happy Saturday Everyone,

So last Sunday I went to the Vitality Show at Earls Court, London. It was a day of fitness, health and beauty literally my dream day. Whilst I was there I was introduced to some new brands and managed to grab myself some bargains too. One of my favourite discovered brands was Bomb Cosmetics where I was just in heaven and amazed by the volume of bath bombs, melts, creamers, blasters, soaps and candles... plus they came in every variety. Luckily my friend went and sat down with all our bags as she knew I would be there for a while even though I said I was only going to pick up a couple. Thankfully she knew me better and after about 30minutes of browsing, I came away with 18 bath goodies. 

Why I like Bomb Cosmetics:

• They are handmade in the UK
• Against animal testing
• Eco-friendly packaging
• Natural ingredients with essential oils 
• Affordable prices
• Wide variety
• High quality products

Bath Brûlées £3.49 each 

9/10

What Bomb Cosmetics say: "Our Bath Brulees contain pure lashings of cocoa and shea butter! In fact they contain enough for up to 6 baths! Just take out the little foaming beauty when the water is soft and buttery enough and just store the rest in it's little cupcake paper."

What I say: These just smell amazing, literally think that I have died and gone to heaven when I smell these. I picked a Lavender scented one which I thought would be good for relaxing and to help de-stress after a hard day/week. Then I went for one of my favourite scents which is honey/creamy/vanilla scents.

Pro: I love the fact that they leave your skin feeling so silky soft and that the scent doesn't dilute when put in the bath. Also they are definitely worth the money too! 

Con: Whilst I think it is great that one brûlée can last up to six baths,  I firstly think that it is slight over ambitious of them to say 6 - I would probably say 4 and secondly the first time I took the brûlée out of the bath I found it a bit messy but definitely is okay once you get into the swing of doing that. I am naughty and have always used one per bath when using Lush ones. 

Bath Blasters £2.29 each 

8/10

What Bomb Cosmetics say: "Bath Blasters are one of the easiest, most convenient and fun ways to enjoy aromatherapy and pure essential oils in everyday life. Pressed, rolled, dipped, sprinkled and piped entirely by hand to ensure each one is as lovely as the last!"

What I say: I did pick up more of these than are photoed by I have given them to a couple of people as I think they are so cute. I love the designs and packaging that they come in. I personally used one per bath but I know that a friend of mine has got two baths out of her one. 

Pro: Apart from smelling amazing this products designs really stand out to me, they have such a variety and I would love to slowly work my way through every single one of them. Plus they are nearly half the price of the ones in Lush and yet they are the same size. 

Con: My generally pet peeve about bath bombs/blasters is that you generally only get one use out of them and secondly they don't bubble or create bubbles and I am bubble bath kind of girl - these are just preferences though! 

Bath Mallows £2.24 each 

10/10

What Bomb Cosmetics say: "Our beautiful handmade Bath Mallows contain just enough cocoa and shea butter to fill a bath with rich, nourishing creamy moisturising goodness. Unlike a Bath Blaster, these will gently melt, unlocking Mother Nature's bounty!"  

What I say: These would make the perfect gift, I think the presentation of these are amazing and so delicate - I would recommend for everyone. 

Pro: They just look perfect - they smell perfect, feel perfect and come in so many different varieties that there will be one for everyones preference. The creamy bottom nourishing the skin whilst the crumbly top helps makes bubbles. 

Con: You have to use one per bath because you can spilt them as the top part of the cupcake is a different texture to the bottom. The top has the consistency of a Bath Brûlée and the bottom feels like the bath creamers - which is great as you get the best of both worlds but annoying if you want to get two baths worth. 

Bath Creamers £2.09 each 

10/10

What Bomb Cosmetics say: "Our decadent Bath Creamers are pressed by hand from pure cocoa and shea buffers, and trap some of Mother Nature's finest essential oils inside. They gently melt releasing nourishing and deeply moisturising butters to condition your skin."

What I say:  These look, smell and feel great. They are my favourite option, they do come on par with the Bath Mallows yet I think they make better gifts. They just make my baths feel extra special and I love a good bath especially on a Sunday. 

Pro: The first thing I love is that they a kind of seam down the middle of the ball where you can carefully split them using a normal knife which means they last longer and work out really cheap. 

Con: I am trying to think of a con for these but I am finding it really hard, whilst they don't create bubbles (my preferred bath) they do make the bath milky and soft. 

I can't wait to make my next order I already have quite a few things on my wish list.

Have you tried Bomb Cosmetics? 

My Nail Varnish Collection

Hello,

Firstly I would just like to apologise for my absent these last couple of weeks, if I am totally honest with you, I just haven't had any motivation to post or really wanted to. However, by not blogging this has made me realise how much I miss it and I have quite a few exciting new products coming up so keep posted for that!

So I saw a 'new' way of organising nail varnish on Pinterest (which now I can't find the pin for) however I have seen this week on Instagram (follow me @misslaceyloves) that the new store "& Other Stories" which is based in Regents Street, London also show their polishes in this way.  I always struggle to decide what nail colour to apply unless I am in a particular mood or I have made a new purchase.

I bought a bag of lolly pop sticks from Lakeland for £2.59 for 100 of them and simply just painted the tip and wrote the nail and brand of the polish on the body of the stick. This also helped to see the consistency of the colours and how easy they painted on. I now keep them in a little pot next to my nail polishes. It helps me see which colours that I own so none of them get lost in the back of my cupboard! 

What do you think of this idea? How do you keep your polishes organised?

Mass Empties #2

Will Repurchase 
Dove Nourishing Oil Care Conditioner (See Full Review Here)
For how cheap that this product is, I am in love. I am dreading the day when they rebrand the product because I know they will change the formula. Companies always do this and it is really annoying. This conditioner is probably the first one that I have used in a long time where I can say it makes it silky smooth. 

Lush BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask 
If my skin is going through "time of the month" hell then this is the mask which usually sorts out my skin. I find it really clarifying and calming. I tend to have to use it after my spots have kind of come out because I find if I use it before they have erupted then my skins tends to burst out into a spotty nightmare. However, it makes them fade really quickly and relieves any redness too. It is a spot hero. 

The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub
Coconut is my favourite scent especially for my body, that aside from citrus ones. This scrub from The Body Shop because is not too abrasive to use everyday but it scrubs enough to really work into the skin. That and the smells lasts ages (though I do pair it with the coconut body butter) which probably helps but it is definitely delicious. 

Lancome Tonique Douceur Hydrating Toner
I can't wait to get paid because my skin has been missing this already. I love this toner and it is one of my favourite thing for my skin. It smells of Parma Violets and just sinks into my skin beautifully. I don't really know what to say other than it is amazing!

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation (See Full Review Here)
For a high street brand, this foundation is flawless and just blends into my skin beautifully. It has great coverage but isn't cakey. I can't wait to repurchase this but I am currently trying to use up some older ones first however it is definitely on the cards especially when summer time comes around. 

Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment 
I am still not 100% sure whether this actually makes your hair grow but I do think it helps. If that makes any sense. But aside the fact that it might not make your hair grow it is great at conditioning it and putting back into good condition. I use it for my "Sunday Head" where I cling film wrap my hair for about 2-3 hours. I may not look sexy but my hair does especially after I wash it out!

Might Repurchase
Radox Moisture Soak Bath Therapy
I am a little bit of a bath snob as I love my Lush products, I know that they aren't the most cost effective but they make my bath times that little bit special. I don't dislike Radox it just makes the bath time less special, but I find it handy to always have a bottle in my cupboard just incase my Lush stock has run out. It smells nice and bubbles up -  what more do you need from a bath. 

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Daily Miracle Treatment
Again this is another product which I liked but not loved. It did a good job and what is was supposed to but didn't make my hair feel out of this world. Good but definitely no miracle. 

Ralph by Ralph Lauren
I love this summery scent - I have used it on and off for years. I love how fresh it is and it is light too. The only thing that annoys me slightly is that it the scent doesn't last for as long as I would like but after using it for a while it doesn't become a stronger scent. 

John Frieda Full Repair Shampoo 
This was a thick shampoo which felt like it was making a difference too. I always find that I focus on getting a great conditioner and tend to forget the shampoo, when actually the shampoo is probably the most important. I love how thick this is and the smell of it too. 

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor
Now I know so many people who love this product, I would probably go as far as saying that I like this product but I don't find it amazing. I find that it is quite heavy in my hair and I have to spend ages washing it out. However, once I have taking the time to rinse it, it is okay. I might look into trying this again - any tips would also be helpful :) 

Won't Repurchase
Oral-B Complete Extra White Toothpaste
I don't know why but this toothpaste gives me such bad breath well at first it is really minty but then leaves a horrible taste in my mouth. Would not recommend or buy again.  

John Frieda Full Repair Conditioner
I wasn't impressed by this as much as I was with the Shampoo because I didn't think that it was nourishing enough for my hair. It didn't treat it as well as I would have expected this conditioner to do. 

The Body Shop Peppermint Pumice Foot Scrub (See Full Review Here)
This is going to be too much information and probably be a little grim but I have quite bad skin on my feet and I need a scrub which is really thick and feels like it is shredding the hard skin off. The scrub is quite squidgy and doesn't have thick corse grains. 

Lee Stafford My Big Fat Healthy Hair Shampoo (See Full Review Here)
This was one of these products which I was just rushing to get rid off and I wanted to finish it. I just wasn't impressed with it at all. I can't say what I didn't like because I don't know it just made my hair feel crappy to be honest. 

Lancome Anti-Stress Moisturising Cream
This was a nice little sample and I quite liked it. I found it too thick to use as a day time cream but not thick enough for a nighttime cream even though I used it as that. It made my skin feel hydrated and calmed the redness but when I looked in to buying it but it was way too expensive considering I wasn't wowed by the product. 

L'oreal Super Liner Luminizer in Green
This was easy to apply and gave a really nice consistent line and at first I liked the sparkly green shimmer in it. There is nothing wrong with this product at all but I just generally prefer black eyeliner one which is higher in pigmentation. 

I think that this is my last big empties as I have used up most of my half filled items. Are you a sucker for half using products?

Strawberry Nutella Heart Poptarts

So I decide to make these at the weekend in early prep for Valentine's Day. Now don't get my wrong I'm not the biggest lover of Valentine's Day at all and I think we could do without in society as it puts a lot of pressure of everyone. Coupled up people feels as though they should be doing something really romantic whilst single people are made to feel lonely. Both sides aren't that great. But I do love things which have heard on them and that are pretty cute. Which when I saw the recipe for these I thought great! 

Strawberry Nutella Poptarts

Makes: 6 Poptarts

Ingredients:

1 package shortcrust pastry
6 heaping teaspoons Nutella
6 heaping teaspoons strawberry jam
2 large strawberries
Granulated sugar

1 egg yolk & 1 teaspoon water (for the egg wash: not pictured)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180°C and greaseproof the baking tray (I have no greaseproof paper so I just used some butter - worked fine)

In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and 1 teaspoon water. Set aside.

Roll out pie crust till it's relatively thin. Cut into rectangles, re-rolling the dough as needed. You should end up with 12 rectangles.

On each of the 6 remaining rectangles, spread 1 heaping teaspoon of Nutella, leaving a 3cm border around the edges.

 Then top the Nutella with a layer of strawberry jam, again making sure to leave a 3cm border.

Take 6 of the rectangles and cut out a heart in the center, using the strawberries carved into hearts as a guide.

Place a strawberry carved heart on top of the strawberry jam layer, in the center of the rectangle. Top with the pie dough with the heart carved out of the center.

Seal the edges with the prongs of a fork and brush with egg wash mixture. Sprinkle heavily with coarse sugar.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool for 5 minutes and then serve!

I hope you liked this post, it's something different... but I got the idea from The Novice Chef Blog. 

Hope you enjoy :)

Brighten Up Your Day

So sometimes we all go through bad patches or bad days and it doesn't feel as though things are going to get any better or you are just feeling glum here are a few little pick up things which I find really work for me. 

In the Mornings: 
* Try to have a musical alarm and change it every month
Mine is currently Bruno Mars - Locked Out Of Heaven because it is really upbeat and is my favourite song at the moment. It makes me want to get up and move. 

   
* Use citrus scents in the shower  
Luckily for me, I love citrus scents and I definately agree with them being such a great pick up in the mornings. I follow it with a citrus based moisturiser too, I love how it makes me smell nice whilst I feel refreshed too. My current favourites are the Lush Happy Hippy Shower Gel followed by Korres Basil Lemon Body Lotion. 

 

* Give yourself a minute before rushing out of the door
I am an early person, I hate being late for things and when I am in a rush or just dive out the front door, I do feel a little over flustered. This is why I think it is important to aim to be ready 5 minutes before you need to leave because that way you have time to make sure that you have everything you need and you feel a little more relaxed too. Plus you get to take a couple of cheeky OOTD snaps and then instagram them!

During the Day:
* Have natural/living things around you like plants/shells
When days a glum having natural things around you really help you feel better. When I was poorly my best friend bought me flowers - she picked out my favourite ones all in my favourite colour; yellow. I was struggling with motivation to blog but sitting in a bright area with this flowers just made me feel better. You can see why:

* Turn small events into big events
This is one of those things where you think that you haven't done anything with your day/week. But if you looked closer at it you will see that you have been up to lots. Whether it is just having a quick catch up coffee with a friend or popping over to someones house. When you make these little events become big events, like get yourself dressed up you feel better about yourself. Going for a drive turned into a fun night out:

 
* With a slump - listen to music for 5 minutes
If I am a boring or 'crappy' day listening to music really helps lift my mood. I sometimes listen to songs which remind me of a great time in my life or music I listened to when I was younger or songs which just want to make me dance. I think that you should dance around your room for at least 5 minutes a day listening to music. 

* Have a cuddle 
Cuddling anything just makes you feel better - fact. If you are feeling sad a cuddle from your parents, friend or partner can just make you feel 100% better. I even feel better cuddling up one of my penguins or my boyfriend's dog.  

Sunday Afternoons: 
* Read a good book by the window
A window gives you natural light and it gives you the vitamin D which your body needs to boost your mood. Reading a book helps you shut off from the world and lets you focus on something different for a while. I am pretty girly and I love a good romance book or a feel good book, though I rarely read a book twice. I think that there are so many books out there, that I wouldn't want to read the same one twice. 

* Go for a country walk 
The fresh air always does you good! In all weathers going to a country park or walking in the woodlands (in daylight - don't forget your safety). But having a long walk on your own can really help you settle your mind and think clearly about things. If I could I would have a 20minute walk on my own everyday. I should make more time - but I don't. Just remember if you are going for a long walk on your own then you should let someone know where you are going an preferably do it in the daylight!

* Pamper yourself 
My personal favourite, I could pamper myself all day and all night. I love playing with products and how great it makes me feel afterwards too. I think baths are one of the most relaxing things that you can do too. It is quite "me" time where no one will bother you at all. 

In your Bedroom:
* Keep a bar of dark chocolate in your bedside table
I am not a fan of dark chocolate but am currently enjoying supressing any my sugar cravings with a piece of dark chocolate. It is quite nice always having a little treat in your room. It is like the Galaxy advert where it is that one bit of heaven.   

* Spray your bed linen for relaxation 
This is essential for me - I love fresh smelling sheets. They make you feel so relaxed when you get in the bed. Plus I find that you have a better night sleep too. My favourite is The Body Shop - Cranberry Joy Linen Spray.

 

* Don't pile up dirty clothes  
Just seeing the diry mess in your room can make you feel uptight or like that you still need to do things. It is like people say that if you have a tidy room, you will have a tidy mind. Plus dirty clothes don't tend to smell nice and you want that blocking out your lovely linen spray. I put mine in a laundry basket to keep them out of sight. 

I hope these help any of you suffering with the January blues! If you have any more tips please let me know in the comment box below. :) 

My Big Fat Diary

So as you might have seen, one of my New Years Resolutions is to lose weight - this is a standard for me and it happens every year. If I am honest, I don't think everyone is happy with there body and I don't think I will either. There are just some things that you need to learn to accept. For instance, I am never going to be really skinny because one, that isn't the way I was built and two, I love my food too much! I will be doing a series of fitness/diet/healthy living blog post, so I wanted to give you a full idea of what I am about. I hope to show you all how I am losing weight and the tips and tricks that I do.

My History 
So first off I thought I would give you a brief overview of me and my body, because lets face it everyone is different, so what might work for me - may or may not work for you. I would say on average that I have been a size 12, I have flucuated between an 8 (this was short lived) all the way to an 18 and at points probably fitted into a 20. I am currently sitting at a slight uncomfortable size 16, which for me is a 2 dress sizes above where I feel comfortable. On the whole my family aren't skinny and we all have healthy appetites. I have an hour glass frame and I am 5ft 7", I have always had big boobs too regardless of size but currently I am sitting at a 36GG.
(L-R: Around my slimmest; My Body Happiness; At My Largest (luckily this is the only picture I have and I am wearing all black so probably a bit bigger than this)

Weight vs Size
I wish I had the confidence to disclose my actual weight and I am not sure why but it is something that I am extremley embarrassed about. I am one of these people, who I guess are pretty fortunate enough to weigh A LOT more than I look. There are only 4 people who actually know my real weight and I am pretty sure they still think I weigh less. Obviously the doctors know and I always get the same reaction of "oh I didn't except you to be as heavy as that." I am a size 16 and that is all I am going to say, you never know if I lose the amount of weight that I want to, I may feel better about letting you know my weight. Though if you scroll down to my goal weight loss, I am sure many of you could work it out :)

Looks vs Health
I would be lying if I said that I wasn't going to lose weight for vanity reason, because I do - obviously I want to feel better in my skin which means looking a little trimmer. However, that honestly isn't my main motivator at this current point in time. I need to lose at least 14lb by the 25th February 2013, so that the doctors don't moan at me when I want a repeat perscription of my contraceptive pill - because I had to plead with them last time to give me the pill as I had lost weight from the previous but I hadn't lost as much as they wanted. However, I did have major health problems and was in and out of hospital so they couldn't really have a go :p. I can't go onto a different pill either because the other one which they put me on before sent me a little crazy - not something that I want to put myself through again!
 

Goals
I found this picture on weheartit.com and I think that it is so true. In an ideal world I would love to lose 2 stone in 2 months, but lets face it - that is a little unreasonable. On average I want to lose 2lb a week until I have hit my 36lb target! Obviously I am going to lose weight quicker in the first month then it will slow down but that's just the way it goes, so hopefully as I get fitter I will need to work harder. I also want to run a 5k race in the Summer time, so this weight loss will aid my fitness and hopefully me accomplishing this. But ideally I just want to be able to fit into this dress again: 

(if you don't recognise me, I am the one in the black dress on the right)

Reasons Why I'm Overweight
This one seems pretty obivous to be honest, I am overweight because I eat more than I burn off! But it isn't just that there are habits which I have adopted and consume which cause me to be overweight. 

- I love everything that is calorific and bad for me
- I am really lazy and prefer takeaways/eating out to my own cooking (or someone cooking for me)
- I don't like running or feeling out of breath
- I am a really big emotional eater - Sad/bored/lonely/fed up/cold/content - I eat!
- I hate the way I look in sports clothes/ when I excercise
- My family (household) have bad eating habits and they are hard to break out on your own.

What My Plan Of Action Is

- Stop moaning about my weight and start to do something about it.
- Aim to go to 3 gym classes a week - at least (it has to be gym classes as I am not very self motivating) 
- Religiously use MyFitnessPal (a calorie counting app - also available online myfitnesspal.com)

- Make sure the food that I am putting into my body is nutritional (this will help with my moods as well)
- Limit the amount of takeaways, when I am being lazy! 
- Learn what foods are good for you and what to avoid when eating out
- Keep busy to avoid emotional/boredom eating

Do you know any helpful websites or tips which I could look at? Or if you are dieting/tracking your fitness via your blog - leave you link below!

Have a great day! :) 

My Sunday Pamper

Hello My Loves, 
I am a massive pampering person, I literally couldn't think of anything better than to spend my Sunday evening in the bath getting myself ready for the rest of the week. I thought I would share with you the stages and why it is my favourite time of the week!

First up, I always make sure the bathroom door is shut when I start running the bath, this allows all the hot water steam up the bathroom. I turn on the radio (usually Magic) or I put a playlist of YouTube videos on my iPad. Then I light some candles and I am ready to go. 

For this bath I am using Lush FUN Bath Playdough - in PINK (which smells like Snow Fairy if you are familiar with Lush. I hold it under the running water and watch it lather up, then once it begins to disperse I drop it in the water. 

These are my bath tools: Soap & Glory Breakfast Scrub; Venus Breeze Razor; Lush Honey I Washed The Kids Soap; The Body Shop Bath Gloves; The Body Shop Bath Puff 

I soak myself in the bath for a while before I start any preparation to make sure that I am really relaxed! I put my Bath Gloves on then take a scoop full of Breakfast Scrub and then exfoliate the top half of my body first then the my second. I'm not sure why I do it in this order, but it just seems the right way for me as after I shave my legs (not my favourite job). I always seem to miss at least one section on my leg, thats when I use the puff and the soap to moisturise my legs and also shave off any stray hairs. The Lush Soap that I use is really nourishing and moisturising for my skin and I love using it! It is one of my favourite Lush products. See a full review of The Breakfast Scrub here. Once I let the bath empty, I use the shower tap to wash off any excess products. 

My Body Tools: Sure Deodorant in Cool Pink; Neutrogena Deep Moisture Body Lotion; Garnier Ambre Solarie Self Tanning Mousse; Xen-Tan Face Tanner in Light; Tanning Mitten (not pictured)

Once I get out of the bath this is where I start to do my body work and start my hair. I tend to put a hair mask on before I start this whole process and wrap my hair in cling film to let my hair have a really deep treatment. Out of the bath I towel dry myself and apply the body lotion and spritz on the deodorant. Then whilst the body lotion is sinking in, because it is thick it takes a few minutes, I start to do my hair. I wash off the hair mask, then shampoo twice with this Lush clarifying shampoo (see full review) followed by a nourishing conditioner which has oils in it for extra conditioning. After washing I brush out with my Tangle Teezer with a leave in conditioner to finish my conditioning process. 

My Hair Tools: Organic Root Stimulator Replenishing Pak Hair Mask; Lush Big Sea Salt Shampoo; Dove Nourishing Oil Care Conditioner; Dove Intensive Repair Leave In Conditioner; Tangle Teezer 

My Face Tools: Catastrophe Cosmetic Face Mask; Bioderma Crealine Cleanser; Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm; Green & Spring Deep Face Scrub; La Roche-Posay Effaclar K; Grease Lightning Spot Treatment; Origins GinZing Eye Cream; Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub; Nivea Caramel Cream Lip Butter 

This is my most intense skincare regime that I have when my skin is really down in the dumps, for example if I have had a stressful week or been over indulging with junk food and alcohol then it plays havoc with my skin. I use the Bioderma to rid my skin of most of the make-up then I make sure I get off any stubborn make-up with the Botanics Hot Cloth Cleansing Balm which removes all excess and softly cleanses the skin. The Green & Spring   scrub really clears out the pores and is a great base for the Lush face mask to repair and soothe the skin. After all of this I splash my face with cold water and pat dry. I moisturise with Effaclar K which is light and helps keeps blemishes at bay. Grease Lightning is a soothing applicator on any large spots and it helps reduce redness and size. For the finishing touches I dabbed a small rice grain size of eye cream around the eye area, then exfoliating my lips with the lip scrub and cover with a thick layer of lip butter! 

My Mani Pedi Tools: The Body Shop Peppermint Foot Lotion; The Body Shop Foot Soak; The Body Shop Peppermint Foot Scrub; Sanctuary Heel Balm; Ped Egg; The Body Shop Spiced Vanilla Hand Cream; Cuticle Sticks; Sally Hansen Top Coat; No7 So Smooth Base Coat; Lipsy Red Hot Date Red Nail Varnish; Barry M 150 Red Glitter Polish, The Body Shop Nail Buffer; Nail Scissors; Toe Separators

Here is my pedicure routine - See Here
I chose this gorgeous glittery red colour which is such a party colour!

Ta Dah! I'm ready for the week ahead! 

What are your weekly preparations?