Ugh. I haven't quite gotten the hang of this regular blogging malarkey yet but, you know what they say, practice makes perfect, so at some point the habit will stick I'm sure.....
Anyway, one of my many recent distractions has been (finally) cottoning on to this hilarious television show.
I love it, I totally get the hype and Alec Baldwin is my new hero. Nice job Tina Fey :)
If you haven't seen it already( there may still be some of you left!!) do check it out, it may be just the thing to brighten up those impending Winter nights.
Scarlett
Wednesday, 5 October 2011
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
..... beauty: Brands that are on QVC USA that should also be on QVC UK - No 1 - Josie Maran
I understand that in terms of global politics this matters not a jot, but this discrepancy of brands (and pricing, actually) has been one of my pet peeves since I found out that QVC customers in the States have been getting incredible value, auto-delivery TSVs for YEARS AND YEARS.
I understand that we are in a different country with a different economy and that sales logistics can be complicated, but surely QVC is QVC?
At this point I would like to throw all my toys out of the pram and have a full on tantrum, but negativity is not the mission of this post, no, this post is dedicated to the wonders of Josie Maran Cosmetics.......
I first came across Josie Maran's brand in August 2008 while studying in San Francisco. My skin was breaking out but, as luck would have it, I remembered a Sephora subscription email I had received not long before singing the praises of JM's Argan oil.
This miracle oil could get rid of wrinkles, heal acne and moisturise skin better than any extortionately priced, overly advertised unguent. Obviously I was intrigued and San Francisco just so happened to have a very well stocked Sephora, so the inevitable occurred and that very same day a little brown bottle of potential sat in my bathroom just waiting to be tested.
I started out tentatively, worried (despite previously seeing results to the contrary) that the application of oil on an already overly oily skin would just make things worse, but you know the answer - of course it didn't. What it did do was live up to the last two of those high expectations - the spots and scars were able to heal and the moisture boost allowed the my skin to balance out the oiliness. I am not saying that it doesn't work on wrinkles but (touch wood) I have none to test it on.
The oil itself is a translucent golden/copper colour and the smell, at first, is weird but I got used to it straight away as it doesn't linger.
My usage routine went as follows:
- 1 drop for my face, 2-3 drops for my neck and decollete, A.M.
- 2-3 drops for my face, 2-3 drops for my neck, etc, P.M.
It completely healed my skin and it is still the best face oil I have ever tried, despite finding others that I did like.
At this point you may be thinking "Well, if it's so great, why aren't you still using it?" and that is a very valid point. The simple answer is this: I cannot buy it in the UK.
That's right, ever since my stockpile ran out I have been Argan-less. I tried another brand that I found on eBay but it was just not the same. It was cheaper but it didn't do anything for my skin.
Then, to add insult to injury, I find out that I have missed out on a whole host of gorgeous sounding products that have been released during my American absence - none of which I am able to try!
So please, Josie, I beg you QVC, make these products available this side of the Atlantic and make a beauty addict's day.
Thanks for reading
xx
I understand that we are in a different country with a different economy and that sales logistics can be complicated, but surely QVC is QVC?
At this point I would like to throw all my toys out of the pram and have a full on tantrum, but negativity is not the mission of this post, no, this post is dedicated to the wonders of Josie Maran Cosmetics.......
I first came across Josie Maran's brand in August 2008 while studying in San Francisco. My skin was breaking out but, as luck would have it, I remembered a Sephora subscription email I had received not long before singing the praises of JM's Argan oil.
This miracle oil could get rid of wrinkles, heal acne and moisturise skin better than any extortionately priced, overly advertised unguent. Obviously I was intrigued and San Francisco just so happened to have a very well stocked Sephora, so the inevitable occurred and that very same day a little brown bottle of potential sat in my bathroom just waiting to be tested.
I started out tentatively, worried (despite previously seeing results to the contrary) that the application of oil on an already overly oily skin would just make things worse, but you know the answer - of course it didn't. What it did do was live up to the last two of those high expectations - the spots and scars were able to heal and the moisture boost allowed the my skin to balance out the oiliness. I am not saying that it doesn't work on wrinkles but (touch wood) I have none to test it on.
The oil itself is a translucent golden/copper colour and the smell, at first, is weird but I got used to it straight away as it doesn't linger.
My usage routine went as follows:
- 1 drop for my face, 2-3 drops for my neck and decollete, A.M.
- 2-3 drops for my face, 2-3 drops for my neck, etc, P.M.
It completely healed my skin and it is still the best face oil I have ever tried, despite finding others that I did like.
At this point you may be thinking "Well, if it's so great, why aren't you still using it?" and that is a very valid point. The simple answer is this: I cannot buy it in the UK.
That's right, ever since my stockpile ran out I have been Argan-less. I tried another brand that I found on eBay but it was just not the same. It was cheaper but it didn't do anything for my skin.
Then, to add insult to injury, I find out that I have missed out on a whole host of gorgeous sounding products that have been released during my American absence - none of which I am able to try!
So please, Josie, I beg you QVC, make these products available this side of the Atlantic and make a beauty addict's day.
Thanks for reading
xx
Sunday, 7 August 2011
...... Kimberly Sayer Ultra light Organic Facial Moisturiser SPF25......
Here comes the blurb, courtesy of www.lovelula.com :
A lightweight, protective day cream. with mineral sunscreen that’s easily absorbed and won’t clog pores or cause breakouts. Kimberly Sayer Ultra Light Organic Facial Moisturiser contains lemon to detoxify the skin and minimize the production of oil, while drying up acne and zits. Ideal for use under make-up.
-Suitable for oily and acne skins.
-Easily absorbed lightweight formula won’t clog pores.
-Sea Algae extract to protect against UV-A oxidative stress.
-Kimberly Sayer uses non-toxic sunblock derived from minerals Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide to offer UV-A and -UV-B protection from the sun without irritating the most sensitive of skin
-Use daily and under make-up
I have been using this moisturiser (on and off due to general product whoriness) for almost three years and I wholeheartedly agree with all the claims.
I first came across the brand in 2008 in a Los Angeles branch of Whole Foods when I was in the middle of a 3 month American Odyssey and found myself without a daily SPF cream. Now, I have probably mentioned before, but I have the greasiest, most reactive skin in the world (dramatic, moi?!) and the sad truth is that most products break me out. The magic of this one is that is doesn't. It gives me a light layer of moisture, protects my skin from the elements, and that is all. I love it.
It comes in a large, airless pump and costs around £25. Oh, and it is THREE TIMES THE SIZE of most day creams.... that's right, you get a GIGANTOR 150ml for your hard earned cash - amazing.
Here's where I usually buy mine, sign up for periodical £5 off vouchers:
http://www.lovelula.com/pd_kimberly_sayer_ultra_light_organic_facial_moisturiser_-_spf25.cfm
I am not affiliated with lovelula.com or Kimberly Sayer and can only wish that I was sent this product free.....
Thanks for reading.
xxxx
A lightweight, protective day cream. with mineral sunscreen that’s easily absorbed and won’t clog pores or cause breakouts. Kimberly Sayer Ultra Light Organic Facial Moisturiser contains lemon to detoxify the skin and minimize the production of oil, while drying up acne and zits. Ideal for use under make-up.
-Suitable for oily and acne skins.
-Easily absorbed lightweight formula won’t clog pores.
-Sea Algae extract to protect against UV-A oxidative stress.
-Kimberly Sayer uses non-toxic sunblock derived from minerals Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide to offer UV-A and -UV-B protection from the sun without irritating the most sensitive of skin
-Use daily and under make-up
I have been using this moisturiser (on and off due to general product whoriness) for almost three years and I wholeheartedly agree with all the claims.
I first came across the brand in 2008 in a Los Angeles branch of Whole Foods when I was in the middle of a 3 month American Odyssey and found myself without a daily SPF cream. Now, I have probably mentioned before, but I have the greasiest, most reactive skin in the world (dramatic, moi?!) and the sad truth is that most products break me out. The magic of this one is that is doesn't. It gives me a light layer of moisture, protects my skin from the elements, and that is all. I love it.
It comes in a large, airless pump and costs around £25. Oh, and it is THREE TIMES THE SIZE of most day creams.... that's right, you get a GIGANTOR 150ml for your hard earned cash - amazing.
Here's where I usually buy mine, sign up for periodical £5 off vouchers:
http://www.lovelula.com/pd_kimberly_sayer_ultra_light_organic_facial_moisturiser_-_spf25.cfm
I am not affiliated with lovelula.com or Kimberly Sayer and can only wish that I was sent this product free.....
Thanks for reading.
xxxx
.....being back in the Blogisphere......
So after a million years of just not really feeling like writing anything at all I have finally had a second wind.
Some thing to look forward to.....
- more reviews: beauty, fitness, books, food and whatever else makes an impression on me.
- random ramblings: life, being healthy, the world in general.
- useful stuff: makeup tutorials (these may be rare), recipes, anything else that occurs to me......
Thanks for reading.
xxxx
Thursday, 24 February 2011
...Nakd Cocoa Orange Bars and Clare Nasir's DVD.....
The title pretty much says it all really. Good grief, they are delicious!
I can't believe that I can eat something that is actually nicer than any chocolate orange that I've tasted but has a fraction of the calories without putting in any crap like sweeteners.
I feel in internet splurge coming on. There's a 21 bar mixed case with my name on it.............
Anyway, on to the review......
I bought this DVD about 3 weeks ago after procrastinating since Boxing Day about whether or not buying another "Celebrity" fitness DVD was a good idea.
Having now done it for EVERY workout session since (prior to AHB) I can tell you that it is, most definitely, a good idea.
For those of you who have no idea who I'm talking about these pics (courtesy of dailymail.co.uk) should tell you everything you need to know.
This is an interval based workout, split into 4, 20 minute sections.
The first section is the warm followed by some skip/run intervals interspersed with boxing moves using weights and a toning section with T-Ups , push ups and ab work.
Section two is made up of jumping knee lift intervals interspersed with leg exercises and more ab work.
Section three is the main toning section but you will still be burning fat with plyometric lunges, push up/burpee variations and a push up/ oblique mountain climber hybrid that they call the "Clare-Climber".
You will also do more ab work, lower abs this time.
Section four is the ab section - as if you needed more ab work at this point. It is followed immediately by the cool down and stretch. If you have the time and inclination I suggest that you do include these extra abs because, lets face it, you can never do enough Planks :)
Since I have been doing this workout I have felt a real tightening all over my body. I have also found that my muscle gains in my shoulders have been substantial - in 3 weeks I have been able to rebuild what having a frozen shoulder a year ago took away.
I also still get muscle ache in my legs the next day which usually NEVER happens after the second time doing a routine.
I am so pleased I bought this DVD and have been recommending it to anyone who'll listen!
For anyone who's interested I saw it reduced to £10 the other night in Tesco and if you do decide to take the plunge I hope you enjoy it as much as I did :)
I can't believe that I can eat something that is actually nicer than any chocolate orange that I've tasted but has a fraction of the calories without putting in any crap like sweeteners.
I feel in internet splurge coming on. There's a 21 bar mixed case with my name on it.............
Anyway, on to the review......
I bought this DVD about 3 weeks ago after procrastinating since Boxing Day about whether or not buying another "Celebrity" fitness DVD was a good idea.
Having now done it for EVERY workout session since (prior to AHB) I can tell you that it is, most definitely, a good idea.
For those of you who have no idea who I'm talking about these pics (courtesy of dailymail.co.uk) should tell you everything you need to know.
This is an interval based workout, split into 4, 20 minute sections.
The first section is the warm followed by some skip/run intervals interspersed with boxing moves using weights and a toning section with T-Ups , push ups and ab work.
Section two is made up of jumping knee lift intervals interspersed with leg exercises and more ab work.
Section three is the main toning section but you will still be burning fat with plyometric lunges, push up/burpee variations and a push up/ oblique mountain climber hybrid that they call the "Clare-Climber".
You will also do more ab work, lower abs this time.
Section four is the ab section - as if you needed more ab work at this point. It is followed immediately by the cool down and stretch. If you have the time and inclination I suggest that you do include these extra abs because, lets face it, you can never do enough Planks :)
Since I have been doing this workout I have felt a real tightening all over my body. I have also found that my muscle gains in my shoulders have been substantial - in 3 weeks I have been able to rebuild what having a frozen shoulder a year ago took away.
I also still get muscle ache in my legs the next day which usually NEVER happens after the second time doing a routine.
I am so pleased I bought this DVD and have been recommending it to anyone who'll listen!
For anyone who's interested I saw it reduced to £10 the other night in Tesco and if you do decide to take the plunge I hope you enjoy it as much as I did :)
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
FiTNESS: Valerie Waters Action Hero Babe Programme - Day 3 - Burn and my first Nakd Bar!......
Today was the sweaty day with lots and lots of fast paced bodyweight and resistance band moves.
My personal nemesis are Alligator Walks which involve starting in "top of a push up" position with your feet on Valslides (slidy, plastic discs) and dragging yourself along with your arms.
Pure evil/genius.
On a food note I finally got to try a Nakd Bar - Cashew Cookie - and it was so nice. It's good to know that I can buy something sweet and nutritious from a supermarket. I also bought a Cocoa Orange bar but I am being very restrained and resisting the urge to try it tonight :)
Didn't see the Mint one though, which I really want to try.
Are any supermarkets better for stock than Tesco?
Maybe I should try the website.
My personal nemesis are Alligator Walks which involve starting in "top of a push up" position with your feet on Valslides (slidy, plastic discs) and dragging yourself along with your arms.
Pure evil/genius.
On a food note I finally got to try a Nakd Bar - Cashew Cookie - and it was so nice. It's good to know that I can buy something sweet and nutritious from a supermarket. I also bought a Cocoa Orange bar but I am being very restrained and resisting the urge to try it tonight :)
Didn't see the Mint one though, which I really want to try.
Are any supermarkets better for stock than Tesco?
Maybe I should try the website.
Monday, 21 February 2011
FITNESS: Valerie Waters Action Hero Babe Programme - Day 1 - We're going to need a bigger boat!! But by boat I mean weights........
For those of you who don't know her, Valerie Waters is a personal trainer based in Hollywood. She is Jennifer Garner and Rachel Nichol's (GI Joe, Star Trek) regular trainer and has also worked with Kate Beckinsale on Underworld (LOVE!) and Jessica Biel among many, many more.
I have been using her workouts as part of my rotations since August 2008 when she opened the Red Carpet Ready Club which is an online community for people who use her workouts.
I was travelling through L.A. at the time so I was able to pick up the Val Kit for travel (review on that coming later) from Val's house where she very kindly let me ask her questions even though she had completely forgotten that I was coming and didn't know who I was!!
I think she was very relieved when I explained but she hid it very well!
The thing I love about Val's workouts is that they do exactly what they promise and AHB is no exception.
In case you're wondering I have done the workouts before, they came out in 2009, but I only did them for about a week and a half because I got sucked in to the UK Christmas celebrity fitness DVD mire.
Anyway, with this training programme the clue is in the title: Action Hero Babe. If you like the way any of the actresses I mentioned earlier look, then this is the programme you want because it's based on the exact routines that Val used to get their bodies in to kick ass shape.
You get 6 DVD workouts:
- Build 1+2 - Heavy lifting to give shape and strength
- Burn 1+2 - This is where you sweat! Lots of fast paced, bodyweight based moves.
- Sculpt 1+2 - These are the polishing moves that refine your shape but you'll still be working hard!
You do level 1 for 4 weeks. I do "Build" on Mondays, "Burn" on Wednesdays and "Sculpt"on Fridays with cardio in between.
In the kit you get some interval routines for use with an Eliptical or Treadmill, etc but I don't have one so I use my (excellent) Clubland aerobics DVD instead, but the interval routines look good so if you have one, or Gym access then they would definitely be worth a go.
So today I started again on Build 1 and I really enjoyed it. As my title suggests, my weights are too light, Val uses a 35 pound kettlebell for some of the moves and I only have 10 pound dumbbells - fail!!
It wasn't too bad though, I was feeling a bit rough so I was actually glad to not go too hard in the beginning, but by the time I got to the Valslide Pikes I was in the zone :)
I don't have any pain yet but I have been doing mainly bodyweight work recently thanks to the lovely Clara Nasir (glowing review to follow!) so i am expecting some major creakiness tomorrow.
I will keep you posted and report back again on Wednesday with the next installment :)
Hope everyone's having a good day :)
I have been using her workouts as part of my rotations since August 2008 when she opened the Red Carpet Ready Club which is an online community for people who use her workouts.
I was travelling through L.A. at the time so I was able to pick up the Val Kit for travel (review on that coming later) from Val's house where she very kindly let me ask her questions even though she had completely forgotten that I was coming and didn't know who I was!!
I think she was very relieved when I explained but she hid it very well!
The thing I love about Val's workouts is that they do exactly what they promise and AHB is no exception.
In case you're wondering I have done the workouts before, they came out in 2009, but I only did them for about a week and a half because I got sucked in to the UK Christmas celebrity fitness DVD mire.
Anyway, with this training programme the clue is in the title: Action Hero Babe. If you like the way any of the actresses I mentioned earlier look, then this is the programme you want because it's based on the exact routines that Val used to get their bodies in to kick ass shape.
You get 6 DVD workouts:
- Build 1+2 - Heavy lifting to give shape and strength
- Burn 1+2 - This is where you sweat! Lots of fast paced, bodyweight based moves.
- Sculpt 1+2 - These are the polishing moves that refine your shape but you'll still be working hard!
You do level 1 for 4 weeks. I do "Build" on Mondays, "Burn" on Wednesdays and "Sculpt"on Fridays with cardio in between.
In the kit you get some interval routines for use with an Eliptical or Treadmill, etc but I don't have one so I use my (excellent) Clubland aerobics DVD instead, but the interval routines look good so if you have one, or Gym access then they would definitely be worth a go.
So today I started again on Build 1 and I really enjoyed it. As my title suggests, my weights are too light, Val uses a 35 pound kettlebell for some of the moves and I only have 10 pound dumbbells - fail!!
It wasn't too bad though, I was feeling a bit rough so I was actually glad to not go too hard in the beginning, but by the time I got to the Valslide Pikes I was in the zone :)
I don't have any pain yet but I have been doing mainly bodyweight work recently thanks to the lovely Clara Nasir (glowing review to follow!) so i am expecting some major creakiness tomorrow.
I will keep you posted and report back again on Wednesday with the next installment :)
Hope everyone's having a good day :)
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