10 day detox, do these things really work?

Hi all, my mum and I had been feeling a little sluggish from too many glasses of red on an evening and generally being a little lazy on the healthy eating front. My mum being a lot more strict with herself suggested we do a detox and I happily agreed, not really thinking about what this would involve. A week later she came home with a ridiculous quantity of shopping bags full of what seemed to be a rainbow of colour. This was going to be what we would live on for the next 10 days.....


My first thoughts were 'no alcohol?' there was no way on this earth I thought I was going to manage 10 entire days without a glass of wine. The fact that Day 1 consisted of only hot water and lemon didn't seem to be a problem just no wine at the end of the day was a scary thought. Just to get this straight, by no means do I have an alcohol addiction but I do enjoy a nice glass of wine after work to relax! Haha.

So, after Day 1 drinking copious amounts of hot water, ginger and lemon and a glass of orange juice and a homemade smoothie for dinner I was feeling surprisingly good! No hunger pangs at all! The same pattern pretty much continued through to day 6. During these first 6 days we lived on fruit, homemade smoothies, blended raw vegetables and at one point were allowed some dried fruit and nuts, at this stage they seemed like a major treat. There was also a lot of hot water and lemon throughout. Day 7 we introduced steamed vegetables with no salt or seasoning. By now I was starting to feel a bit sick and tired of eating vegetables and fruit. No added salt, sugar or seasoning can be very bland! Day 8 we had a rice day, this consisted of brown rice for all 3 meals, 2 of which included fruit and one with steamed veg. This for me was the most difficult day, introducing carbs back into the diet but with a carb that I'm not too fussed on at the best of times, never mind for all 3 meals of the day. I got to dinner time and finally cracked! My one and only cheat, a crisp bread (ryvita) and a cup of coffee that my poor mother brought me as I looked like I was about to cry! Day 9 was vegetable soup, homemade of course and we were allowed to use a stock cube! The flavour was amazing after 8 days without any salt! Day 10 we introduced meat back into the diet and it was chicken breast with homage tzatziki which was delicious!

Before starting the detox we measured our waist, thighs and hips and also weighed ourselves. I did not do this detox for weight loss purposes as I am only of a very small build but did it for my skin and to feel better in myself.
I lost 3lbs in weight but also lost an inch and a half from each thigh and 2 inches from my hips. The biggest thing for me was the ease of getting up on a morning and the condition of my akin, it was literally glowing. Every blackhead from my chin and my nose area where I suffer from them had disappeared without any exfoliating or special treatment to those areas.

I would definitely recommend a detox to anyone who wants to give their body a clean out or shed a few lbs if necessary but don't think it is something that should really be done for longer than a week. I will definitely do something similar each month to give myself a boost but for a maximum of 3 days.

The biggest breakthrough for me is that I stuck to no alcohol for 10 days and was so concerned about my meals that I didn't even miss it!

Does anyone have a detox or diet story to share?

DIY Custom Shorts....

Hi all,

after being off work poorly yesterday *sob sob* I was a little stuck with what to do with myself. I remembered I had bought some little metal studs to customise some clothes but hadnt had a chance to give it a go.

example of studs used from google images

I figured it would be the perfect opportunity as because I was housebound and had little energy to move from the sofa with my Lemsip I might actually give it a good go!

I dug out some denim shorts from Primark that I bought for my holidays, at £5 I thought if I made a terrible job at least I wouldnt have wasted too much money.

After placing a few studs along the front small pocket I decided it was quite easy so challenged myself to something a little bigger. I went for a cross on the back pocket as I am loving all of the studded items like this in TopShop, Urban Outfitters etc.

All in all I found this quite therapeutic and fairly easy, although I need to think up some other patterns! I think they will be nice for my holiday and then for autumn with tights and boots! So if you see a crazy lady walking round Newcastle with studded items of clothing head to foot its probably me. My next project is a pair of black boots when I am feeling brave enough!

Do any of you like customising clothes, shoes etc? What do you find works well?

Medusas Moon

Hi all,

I just wanted to tell you about a couple of quirky ladies I met at a Charity Tattoo Convention, going by the name of Medusas Moon. Teeside Aerodrome was hosting the convention with all proceeds going to the Jo & Mya Memorial Fund. A charity set up to help children who have either lost a parent or sibling, or have a parent or sibling undergoing treatment for a terminal illness.

The convention saw some of the UK's top tattoo artists displaying their work and also some lovely little businesses including Medusas Moon selling lots of goodies.

Whilst perusing the many stalls downstairs in the Teeside Aerodrome I came across a little table 'Medusas Moon' crammed full of alternative goodies inc jewellery, hairslides and other random bits and pieces.

Medusas Moon consists of two lovely ladies called Cat Cliff and Samantha Heath, they sell ''Unique jewellery and handmade items. Pagan and fae inspired, steam punk, burlesque, dreadlocks, head dresses, rave wear and general sparkly fun!'' according to their Facebook page and this definately came across in the couple of fantastic items I purchased from them.

I first decided on a beautiful handmade necklace made with leather, a zip, antique bronze charms and pearls. Looks so unique and a total bargain at £3.50!!!!!!

Sorry, picture doesnt do it justice!

The table was so full of goodies I actually made a second visit and decided on another purchase, this time a hair slide...made with teeth!!!! dont be too disturbed, these molars are of the plastic variety but were apparently causing quite a stir so I decided I had to have it!

Check out these ladies at www.facebook.com/medusasmoon2012 for a kooky bargain or a frightful surprise! Also, if you know someone selling quirky pieces of jewellery, bags, purses etc let me know!!

www.joandmya.co.uk also please check out the Jo and Mya site as it is a fantastic charity.

Not so hidden treasure...

Hi all, I just wanted to share with you the most amazing bargain I have picked up in a lonnggg time! Its no secret that I am bit of a shoe fanatic and generally dont deprive myself of  newbies if I spot something I want.

There is however a particular brand that has had me fascinated with their quirky range and unusal styles, and the brand is Jeffrey Campbell. It first started when I spotted my first set of Lita's and fell deeply in love.

Image taken from google images



My mum and boyfriend often joke about me looking like a clown as I have a tendency to go for large, clunky shoes which are a little out of proportion with my matchstick legs poking out! After perusing the Jeffrey Campbell website for some months I just couldnt decide on the design I wanted and figured that buying an imitation wouldnt satisfy my need for this brand, but when the shoes are £100+ these things do need careful consideration.

On Saturday my boyfriend and I went to do a spot of shopping in Newcastle and went to one of my favourite haunts, Urban Outfitters. I love that the place is crammed full of quirky one off pieces and has a mixture of accessories, shoes, clothes and even homeware. As soon as my feet hit the top of the staircase I was drawn to the shoes, for a change. I could see some leopard print, pony hair platform shoes. Instantly I knew whether these were in my size or not I had to have them as they were the last pair. Things only got better from this point as I picked them up and looked at the bottom fearing what numbers the little white sticker would hold. Much to my surprise it was a pleasant find.......£30. Bargain, they were in the sale and in my size. As I grinned away to myself I figured it may be a sensible idea to try them on, flipping them back over to undo the buckle was when the excitement really hit. Two little words glared up at me.....I had only just gone and found myself a pair of Jeffrey Campbell shoes for £30. I didnt even know Urban Outfitters stocked the brand!



My new Jeffrey Campbells



Keeping tight a hold I rushed off to find my boyfriend, who admittedly didnt seem as elated as myself but was probably relieved he wasnt going to have to dish out over £100 on another pair of shoes for me. Although I still dont have a pair of Lita's...........................................................................................

Has anyone else found a bargain they literally cannot believe, please share?

www.jeffreycampbellshoes.com
www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk

he-shi, him and her....

Hi Guys, I want to tell you about the best tan I have come across so far in my 10 years + fake tanning experiences!!! The brand itself is called he-shi and originated in Ireland (not the place I would go searching for my dream tan...but hey!) The particular product that I literally couldnt live without anymore is EXPRESS LIQUID TAN, apart from the fact it does exactly what it says it does on the box it does it very well!

The particular EXPRESS LIQUID TAN I got was a promotion with a free tanning mitt, already theres a bonus! I wanted  tan that for starters I didnt have to plan to wear a week in advance like some other brands I have used. I was sick of planning a Saturday evening on a Wednesday as the tans needed time to develop and you could'nt shower for so long and they smelled really bad etc etc, I could go on.

He-Shi Liquid Express Tan

I wanted something 'Quick and Easy' that went on flawless and immediately without leaving me smelling like a bag of beefy hula-hoops as my lovely boyfriend kindly said! he-shi tan has completely delivered this, I can literally apply the tan minutes before I go out. I also like the fact its aimed at both women and men alike and the name he-shi hopefully stops men feeling as though it is a ladies only product. The EXPRESS TAN is instant but also develops a deeper colour, there is no odour and no orangey, green undertones I have experienced previously. I find it easy to apply as you can see it going on and the liquid formula allows a flawless finish. Last but not least the wear and tear of this tan is again really fantastic, no nasty patches around the armpits or elbow area as the fade is very even!

Any recommendations for brilliant tan is always appreciated and please check out www.he-shi.eu for your local stockist locator!!!

Cheap and cheerful....

Hi all, feels like forever ago I posted as I have been majorly busy at work (which is a good thing!) I just wanted to do a post about a cheap and cheerful Collection 2000 product that I would now struggle to live without. The product is call Collection 2000 Extreme 24 HOUR felt tip liner and is a felt tip style eye liner. I am a bit of a lover of heavy eyeliner, some would probably say its a little much at times as I can some look a little Amy Winehouse'esque with over-sized wings! But, regardless of how I wear it, it is the products sheer wearability and ease of application that I love about it. After trying out over the years ridiculous quantities of eyeliners ranging from your bog-standard Kohl pencil to some of the markets most expensive liquids the Collection 2000 felt tip beats them all by far.

www.collection2000.co.uk Available at www.superdrug.com RRP: £2.99

I use the liner in Black but it also comes in Purple, Teal and Blue if your a little more adventurous. The liner is very easily applied and the ink seems to last forever. I think this product is definately a winner for those wanting the liquid liner effect but perhaps dont have a steady hand or those who are not used to using liquid and want to try it out. It doesnt bleed when I get my watery-eye syndrome and lasts all night when I go out, without transferring into the crease of my eye-lid. The only downside to the liner is, if applied to the inner rim of my bottom lashes it makes the ink run into my eye and turns it black and doesnt last, so I would only recommend for top lash-line and bottom lash line.

 

The picture shows how delicate I can make the lines and this is after about 8 hours wear!

For the price of the product and the staying power I would most certainly recommend to any other big eyeliner wearers!

Neal and Wolf, Elevate

Hi all, I wanted to share with you a fantastic product called Elevate from the Neal and Wolf hairstyling range. Neal and Wolf is a fairly new hair product range produced by Neil Captsick who is the ex Mr GHD man. He has created the range which contists of 10 best selling products and everything about the range was consumer chosen, even down to the nam and the scent! The product Elevate is one of my favourites. It is a volumising lotion and is described as- 'wave goodbye to drab limp locks and say hello to luxuriously thick hair, filled with body. Elevate has been designed to leave hair stronger, fuller and give more control.' I personally agree wih this statement and it is very easy to use, literally apply a ten pence size blob on your hand and apply to damp towel dried hair before blowdrying. The consistency of Elevate is abit like wallpaper paste and you can see little white fibres which are heat activated and swell up whilst blowdrying to create a more full effect. The smell of the product is heavenly and runs through the entire range, it is a lovely perfume scent and I can smell it all day when I have used the products. This is great for you ladies which may not have been blessed with the thickest of manes, or those who just want a real glamorous 'essex blow dry' look which is very much so the 'in' thing right now!

www.nealandwolf.com £11.95

I definately  recommend giving this a go, probably for shoulder length to long hair for volume and shine as you probably wouldnt want or need the volume with a pixie crop! The price is reasonable for the size of the product and the packaging is gorgeous and luxurious looking which is always nice.

Check out Neal and Wolf on Facebook www.facebook.com/nealandwolf for different looks you can achieve using the range and see what others do with the products.

1 Grey Street........

Hi all, I went for drinks in Newcastle yesterday afternoon with a friend. After a couple of cocktails we decided to try and go somewhere neither of us had ever been before for a drink. Newcastle, being as big as it is and renowned for its mix of vibrant bars you may be surprised to hear it was a little more difficult than you would imagine. When we started to scout out a new bar we realised there was a reason we had never visited them. After much debate, Alexis suggested The Vineyard to me. The name sounded vaguely familiar and when she mentioned it was on the corner of Grey Street I straight away knew where she meant.

Image taken from google images

As I had never been we decided to pop in for a cocktail. I really wasnt expecting anything special and can remember looking in from outside many a time and for some reason it just didnt draw me in. I couldnt have been more wrong about it. Apart from the fantastic location placed at the very start of one of the most affluent streets in Newcastle's city centre, the street also houses the likes of Bar Luga, Browns, The Living Room and the new Las Iguanas it was something different!
But, unlike all of the aforementioned bars The Vineyard is completely unique. It doesnt have the same pretentious feel as some places in Newcastle but still manages to maintain a feel that you are in an upmarket part of town. The classic, charty pop and latin american tunes playing was a nice mix and just at the right noise level so we could sit and chat but without feeling everyone could hear us. The decor was moroccan like, with burnt oranges, purples, dark wood and lovely lantern like lighting and as Alexis said, if the sun was shining it really would have felt as though we were on holiday. Its an intimate atmosphere without feeling squashed although that may be because we managed to get seats!

We started with beautiful Champagne cocktails which consisted of Champagne, Chambord and Vodka and because we were enjoying it soo much stayed for another couple of drinks.

This definately is my new favourite place, brilliant atmosphere and nice clientele, polite staff and especially with the reasonably priced cocktails (made with real alcohol not the horrible packet stuff I've had to endure before) ranging from only £5-£7 as you would struggle to get that anywhere decent in Newcastle!

Hotel Indigo, Newcastle

Hello, just thought I'd do a quick post as I visited Hotel Indigo, Newcastles new Boutique Hotel last night. Before heading to Boulevard for Blackpools finest Betty Legs Diamond to entertain us, myself and another 3 ladies decided to meet up at Hotel Indigo. The bar within the hotel is called The Grainger Lounge and really does have the wow-factor when you come through the doors. Each table within the bar is surrounded by different colour feature chairs and the big bold prints on the walls and even the floor give it a very modern edge. There were two giant bottles of Laurent Perrier on the bar and every imaginable bottle of wine and spirit. A lovely gentleman showed us to a table and the lounge is situated immediately next to the Marco Pierre White restaurant which incidently looked impeccable. After perusing the cocktail menu we decided on ordering a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc for the table but were told they didnt have any, which suprised me greatly. We then decided a Pinot Grigio would do the trick and it was brought over with a complimentary tray of delicious nibbles including amazing wasabi flavoured crunchy snacks mmm! After a bit of a chat we were just pouring out the last of the bottle when a waitress came over and took the bottle from me, and I was expecting the rest of the wine to be poured into my glass. I was wrong, the lady walked away with the rest of the wine (incidently, there was only a drop left but still...) she then came back and collected our glasses and placemats, even though some of the party were still finishing the drinks. One of our party passed comment to the girl that we felt as though we were being hurried along a little and she apologised. Soon the manager came over and offered us a glass of wine on the house for being made to feel that way. When you are paying close to £30 for a bottle of wine, you do not want to feel as though you are being hurried!

www.hotelindigonewcastle.co.uk

All in all it is a lovely bar and I would definately reccomend for a nice occasion when there is'nt a tight budget. Just be warned to keep tight hold of your glass until you are finshed!

Beauty must have....

Hi Gals,

Through my job I was fortunate enough to come across a brand of make-up called NEW CID (New Cosmetic Identity) not 'New Kid' as some people think! I dont want to go into to much about all of the products as I may blog about some others later, but the one 'must have' product I could not live without at the moment is the I-Groom.

I-Groom www.newcidcosmetics.com RRP £15.50

It is an eyebrow pencil to make application uber simple! I remember a few years ago when people would pluck their eyebrows into oblivion, before you know it the 'Scouse Brow' has arrived and its the biggest feature on every girls face. Firstly, I can say from a personal perspective that the eyebrow is a massively important feature as it frames my face and makes my eyes stand out. The I-Groom has a unique chiselled edge to make applying that perfect edge very simple. There is also a handy little brush at the other side to comb back any unruly brows and to get that perfect shape. At a very reasonable £15.50 I think this is a great purchase and will definately be buying more.

Has any body else used any of the NEW CID cosmetics and what were your thoughts?

Sahara Sun

Hi all, this is my first blog and I wanted to let you know about a product I have recently came by called Orifluido 'Sahara Sun'. Many of you are probably the same as myself and have dyed their hair to within an inch of its life (although I am aware your hair is already dead) it would be nice to make the most of what is left. Orifluido 'Sahara Sun' is described as a 'MUST HAVE' product for the summer, especially for colour treated hair. The product protects from sun, wind and chlorine and was tested in the Sahara! The product comes in spray form and is a light mist to be sprayed onto wet or dry hair. The product is made up of 3 key ingredients Argen, Cyperus and Linseed teamed together with an innovative complex of UVA/B filters to ensure your hair is kept at its best in the named conditions.

www.orifluido.com 160ml RRP: £13.99

So, any of you ladies who are planning a trip away involving sea, sun and sand or even thoses of you stuck in the cold windy English summer we are encountering I would fully recommend this product to keep those locks lucious!