Why you should drink Green Tea!

I'm sitting here working away sipping on my usual green tea and thought I should do a post about green tea and it's wonderful benefits.

I have not always been a lover of green tea. I remember the first time I tried it I said I'd never go near the stuff again. Now I can safely say I'm addicted to the stuff.

And believe me you will get used to the taste, just give it a chance!

So why drink Green Tea:

• Can aid weight loss - Green tea increases the metabolism...YIPEEEEE!! Green Tea contacins a polyphenol that works to intensify levels of fat oxidation and the rate at which your body turns food into calories..

• Reduces cholesterol - Green tea reduces bad cholesterol in the blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol.

• Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s -  It is said to delay the deterioration caused by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Studies carried out on mice showed that green tea protected brain cells from dying and restored damaged brain cells.

• Prevents tooth decay - Studies suggests that the chemical antioxidant “catechin” in tea can destroy bacteria and viruses that cause throat infections, dental caries and other dental conditions.

• Regulates blood pressure - Regular consumption of green tea is thought to reduce the risk of high blood pressure.

• Has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties -  Tea catechins are strong antibacterial and antiviral agents which make them effective for treating everything from influenza to cancer.

• Is great for your skin - Green tea can apparently also help with wrinkles and the signs of aging, This is because of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

I urge all of you lovely ladies to give green tea a chance as there are so many benefits.

It definately does work and even including one cup a day into your diet will help your body become a happy body.

Off to pour myself another cup!!

Love,

Elle x

Love Her Style: Kerry Washington

I want to start including some fashion posts to my blog as I love anything that comes in the form of a pair of shoes, a handbag or a dress that makes you look out of this world so here it is, my first fashion related post.

Hope you guys enjoy it!

When I found out that Kerry Washington was voted Best Dressed Woman I was delighted. She is so classy and elegant.

I remember when I first seen her in Save The Last Dance with Julia Styles. I loved her character, she had such attitude!





Kerry as Chenille



 

Juila Styles & Kerry Washington

 

 Her style has changed so much and I love the way she always keeps her look classy by not baring too much skin.

 

I heard a great quote from her regarding her fashion choices.

 

'I'm not exposed in my life and I tend not to be overexposed on the red carpet.'

 

 When I heard that I was like wow she has to be admired for not falling into the half naked brigade in Hollywood. I hate seeing celebrity's with there cleavage hanging out & I won't even get into the whole underbutt.

 She is a true fashion role model and I love the way she carries herself. She is a true lady

 Here are some of my favourite outfits that Kerry has worn.

 

Miu Miu

Oscar de la Renta

Zac Posen

Miu Miu

Vivienne Westwood

Rodarte

 

I had to post this Miu Miu one again as it has to be my favourite. The detailing on the top of the dress is so delicate it just oozes glamour.

 

 

 

She is so fabulous!!

 

I hope you enjoyed this post and have a fabulous weekend!!!

 

Love,

Elle x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beauty Buys!

 

 

I hate when I realise that i have run out of foundation and I have nothing to put on my face!! Oh the dread it fills me with!

 

This happens quite a lot and I end up feeling naked all day, thinking people are looking at me because I have no foundation on.

 

I feel like everyone can only see my blemishes and I disappear behind them...silly I know lol!

 

So this week it was time to go foundation shopping and I picked up a few other goodies along the way!

 

Rimmel Stay Blushed in Pop of Pink

Bourjous 123 Perfect Foundation

Rimmel's Nail Rescue

 

I will do reviews on all these products over the weekend!

 

Happy Friday!!

 

Love,

Elle x

Weleda Calendula Weather Protection Cream

Good Morning Pretty Ones!!

 

So the summer is over and the weather is getting colder here so I have had to start protecting my skin from the harsh conditions.

 

I started using this cream last winter when my skin started to break out and was reacting badly to the cold and windy weather.

 

As you can see it is from the Weleda Baby range but if it is good enough for a babys delicate skin then it's good enough for mine.

 

 

The cream is a rich balm which protects your face against harsh weather conditions.

 

It forms a natural protective barrier on your skin.

 

It contains organic almond oil and skin friendly lanolin which will nourish dry skin and the organic calendula extract helps to soothe the skin.

 

 It feels a quite thick and your face will look slighlty shiny after using it so i would let it soak into your skin for a half hour before going out.

 

I also use this product before I get into the shower as I find that the skin on my face reacts to the hot water and drys out with the hard water in my area. The cream locks in moiture and protects my skin from the heat.

 

It's good for your hands and chapped lips too!

 

It is all natural too which means no synthetic preservatives, fragrances, colors, dyes and petroleum derived synthetics.

 

Love,

Elle x

5 easy steps to get better skin overnight

 

They say that our skin repairs itself while we sleep so I wanted to do a quick post on 5 ways to enhance this process. 

 

1. Clean Clean Clean

 

     

It is so important that you take your make-up off before you go to bed. Leaving your make up on will clog your pores, cause bacteria to grow and we all know what this leads to.....BREAKOUTS!

Just think of it this way you wouldnt go to bed with dirt all over your body, would you? After a long day, makeup is essentially dirt on your face. Not to mention all the oil and impurities that build up throughout the day aswell.

So ladies clean those beautiful faces!
 

2. Invest!!

For happy skin you must invest in products that will work for your skin type.

Now that does not mean going and spending a fortune on the latest serum or anti-agin cream. No, it means getting to know your skin a bit more, doing some research about different products (cheap and expensive) and maybe going to a professional to get some advice on what will work best for you.

I like to use the following:

Cleasner & Moisturiser - Coconut or Olive Oil
Eye Cream - Antipode Kiwi seed oil eye cream
Oils - Trilogy Rosehip Oil
Extras - Trilogy everything balm


3. Sleep on your back

 
 

 

Lying on your stomach or on the same side every night is a no no! Which is a nightmare for me because I love sleeping on my stomach :(

There are 2 reasons for this:

1. Sleeping on your stomach or same side everynight can lead to permanent sleep lines in your skin. Now if like me you feel it impossible to change your sleeping routine invest in satin pillow cases; the silky texture prevents crinkles.

2. Bacteria can build up on pillow cases and cause breakouts.


4. Sleep as deep as Sleeping Beauty

 

 

 

 

Try and limit your bedroom for sleep only, doing so trains your mind to associate your bed with getting zzz's and you will be able to fall into a deep sleep in no time at all.

Avoid exercise for 3 to 5 hours before bedtime,  this can keep you from solid slumber.To transition into sleep mode, don't watch TV or go online for an hour before turning in (it's so hard I know!!!!)


5. Stay hydrated

 

 

 

Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the evening so that you can stay hydrated during the night while you sleep.

 

Avoid drinks with caffeine in them for 3 to 5 hours before bedtime, they will only stimulate you and prevent you from having a deep relaxed sleep. Also limit your alcohol intake at night.

Fabulous Pastel Lavender Nails

I am going to miss the summer so much especially all the bright and fun colours.

But hey who says we can't keep a little bit of the summer to brighten our cold winter days!!

I used this colour in a another post...here, but I love this colour so much that I wanted to let it have a post all to itself.

Enter.......NYC Expert Last Nail Polish in Lavender Cupcake! :)

 

 

 

This colour is so soft and feminine, perfect for those days where you want to feel extra girly!!

 

P.s. This polish only costs €1.99 so you don't have to feel guilty when you end up buying more than you planned to lol! ;)

 

Hope you have a wonderful day!! <3

 

Love,

Elle x

 

Be-Jeweled Nails

Hi there pretty ones,

Had to do my nails again as I couldn't resist buying another Sally Hansen Gem Crush polish.

I got the purple one and I think I love it even more than the pink one I reviewed here.

This time after I used my base coat I put a coat of NYC Expert Last Nail Polish in Lavender Cupcake on and then I used the Gem Crush in 'Be-Jeweled'. 

 

I used a coat of NYC Expert Last Polish because when I used just a base coat and top coat for the Pink Gem Crush it started to chip the next day.

 

I thought an undercoat of a purple polish would help my polish last longer and give it more depth. 

Well having the extra coat has worked so far not a chip in sight! 

 

 

Loving purple nails today!!!

Love,
Elle x

Apple Cider Vinegar

I've been hearing a lot about the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar lately for your skin. So I went and bought a bottle as my skin is always giving me trouble.

It is rich in natural minerals, vitamins and enzymes and can be used for a number of things. You can use it as a detox, to help with digestion, to alleviate skin problems and it can even help to get rid of warts.

But today I will just be writing about how I will be using this wonderful liquid to cleanse my skin from the inside out.

So today is my first day of drinking ACV to help cleanse my skin from the inside out.

I opened the bottle and the smell nearly knocked me out...it's quite strong to say the least. 

 

First I put a tablespoon of ACV and put it in a glass.

I like to add water to dilute the ACV so that it doesn't taste as strong.

 

I also added honey to it to sweeten it up. Adding the honey makes drinking it more bearable.

So I am going to start drinking this daily in the hope that it will help my skin.

You can apply it topically to blemishes as well, I will be doing another post on making a facial toner with apple cider vinegar in a few weeks so stay tuned!!

Let me know if you have tried this and how you found it? Would love to hear how it has worked for you :) 

Love,

Elle

NEOM Candles

My boyfriend and I love candles and we came across NEOM Candles one day while looking for new Yankee Candles to purchase.

They looked really fancy and I had heard that Kate Middleton is a big fan so I had to see what all the fuss was about. 

Do you know that really relaxing smell you get as soon as you go through the doors of a spa. Well they are that smell all packaged up in a cute candle. The two of us stood there at the stand opening every candle they had. Shouting at each other 'Babe! Smell this one!!!' lol! We got a bit crazy!

We didn't buy one that day as they are pricey at €50 each. But we eventually bought one and they are now our favourite candles. 

They are made of vegetable wax and essential oils. The oils melt beautifully, smell gorgeous and they instantly make you feel relaxed. 

I love having a candle on my bedside table to help me relax after a long day.

They are made of vegetable wax and essential oils. The oils melt beautifully, smell gorgeous and they instantly make you feel relaxed. 

So if you are a candle lover or are looking for a beautiful gift for someone I highly recommend NEOM candles.

I'm going to light mine now and relax with a good book on this lazy Sunday afternoon. 

Love, 

Elle x 

Razzle Dazzle Nails

I'm loving Sally Hansen Gem Crush nail polish right now. I bought Razzle Dazzler 06 the other day. 

This is the pink & silver glitter one. 

I used a base coat then 2 coats of 'Razzle Dazzler' and a top coat. 

Love the colour and the glitter is fab! 

Lets give this week some of that old Razzle Dazzle!!! ;-) 

Love, 

Elle x

Trilogy 3 for 2 Offer in Nourish!

Hi pretty ones!

This is a quick post that I had to share!

I was browsing on nourish.ie today and notied that they are running a 3 for 2 offer on all Trilogy products this month!

For those of you who don't know Nourish are health stores located around Dublin.

 

This is a great offer as Trilogy products can be pricey, especially if you buy them on a regular basis.

 

 

So follow the link above or clink here to avail of this amazing offer!! The offer ends on the 30th September so stock up while you can.

Have a great day!

Love,
Elle x

My Favourite Health Shop & Haul

I love going into health stores and rooting around for new things to buy. I could easily spend an hour looking around the one store. I go into all the stores but my favourite has to be Down To Earth on Georges Street in Dublin.

 

 

They stock the widest range of natural skincare products that I have ever seen. They have Trilogy, Pai, Antipodes, Weleda, Dr. Haushka and Burts Bees to name a few.

 

The staff are so friendly and helpful. They also know their stuff when it comes to everything healthy and natural.

 

On my last trip to Down To Earth I couldn't resist buying a few things.

 

 

                                

 

 

Naked Banana Bread Bar (see my review of these lovelies here)

Trilogy Rosehip Oil

Antipodes Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream

Trilogy Everything Balm

 

I also got a Trilogy gift set free. At the minute for every 2 Trilogy products purchased you get the Age Proof 3 Step Essentials gift set free. This made me so happy!!

 

I will be doing reviews on all the prodcuts I bought over the next few weeks. I am excited to try them out and let you know how I get on.

 

P.s. sorry about the quality of the pictures, I will get a fancy camera one day lol!

 

Love,

 

Elle x