The Body Shop

Hello lovely followers, sorry I have been so quiet of late, work has been so draining recently! Which prompted me to decide I was due a nice pamper! I popped to the shops after a hard day, but didn't fancy the usual Lush bath bomb or boots Soap and Glory!So I decided to try the Body Shop which I admit I haven't bothered with really since my teens! and I am so glad I went back, its lovely to buy products that actually work and do what they say on the label!!!

From top: Macadamia Straightening balm £7 - Body Shop say :This lightweight, humidity-resistant balm relaxes wavy and curly hair and reduces frizz.

I love this balm, it smells divine!  I am unfortunate enough to have thin and frizzy hair! this is like I dream to use for straightening hair and feels so silky!! 10 out of 10!!
Polynesia Lotus & Frangipani Flower Bath Milk. Body Shop say:
This indulgent bath milk is inspired by Polynesian spa rituals. It has a deliciously fragrant scent of coconut, frangipani and lotus flower. £10.
I also got the Body lotion to match on special half price offer for £5. I love my baths, and this bath milk is delicious, so soothing and makes skin lovely and soft! The body lotion is also lovely, I would buy again!! 10/10!
Japan Yuzu & Green Tea Bath Salts. Body shop say:These refreshing bath salts are inspired by Japanese bathing rituals. They have a citrus and green tea fragrance. £12. Lovely salts but not as great as the bath milk, still lovely and relaxing but would give these 7/10.
Final pictures contain: Luxuriously rich and intensive deep-conditioning treatment for soft, glossy and tangle-free hair.

Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter £3 (this is the small tub in the picture)Body Shop say:

• Contains pracaxi oil, manketti nut oil and Community Trade honey and olive oil.
• No silicones, no parabens and no colourants.
• Use weekly or as required.
• For dry and damaged hair.

This gets a 20/10 if possible lol! For years I have tried hair butters, this is the only one that not only tames my frizz but adds a lovely shine without being heavy on my thin locks! The volumising shampoo and conditioner (£4 each) are also amazing and I am hooked for life!!

I have been reading 'The Hunger Games' books and I am on the final book - they are brilliant and I would definately recommend them- I haven't seen the film as of yet!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend, I am now going to chill and watch 'The Voice' :)

Woman in Black and some Shopping...

Happy Monday!Okay mondays are never happy occasions but at least the working day is over!!

Did a bit of shopping in Boots today, saw about the Tangle Teezer brushes on another blog a while ago and thought I would get them , the normal sized one was around £10 and the travel one was £12! Only used it when I came home from town with very windswept hair and it did well to tame it and didn't pull or hurt so I am happy!Also thought I would try a new shampoo and conditioner!

My mum bought me a 'book chair' which is like a mini deck chair that holds your book lol its so cute, she got it in a charity shop!Currently reading a Jennifer Egan book which is good so far!

Got some new boots from Very.co.uk - Joe brown boots reduced to £38 very warm and comfy and go well with skinny jeans!

I saw the scariest film ever on friday - The Woman in Black, I shouldn't have gone really as I knew I would be scared as the book scared me enough! This film was so scary my blood ran cold! I screamed and hid quite a lot lol!They changed the ending from the book which would usually annoy me but I thought they did an excellent job of it!Will not be watching it again though lol!

Hope your all having a fab week

ArielGina

South Beach Diet Update

Happy Weekend!! I thought I would update on how my diet is going! As you will be aware from my previous posts since January 1st I have been on the South Beach Diet!Just a brief rundown on the diet itself - its basically low carb - but not at all like the Atkins diet as you can't have high bad fatty food!Its aim is to get you to change your diet to be eating good food, and this includes 'good' carbs (e.g whole wheat pasta/high fibre cereals etc). The first two weeks were the hardest - this is basically 'Phase one' of the diet where it aims to stop your cravings for carbs - so you can't have any carbs - not even fruit! I was fine until about the 7th day and then I was cursing the diet lol until I realised I had lost 5 pounds! After 2 weeks is phase 2 - where you reintroduce carbs, but only good carbs, so example being Bran flakes for breakfast, natural yogurt, fruit etc! You stay on phase 2 until your at your goal weight and then phase 3 is basically the rest of your life where you get to have more carbs but again only the good ones!! I am still on phase 2!

My weight on Jan 1st was 126 pounds, my inches were : 36 inch chest, 28 inch waist and 37 inch hips! My new stats are : 116 pounds!(yay) 35 inch chest, 25 inch waist and 35 hips! As you can see the weight mainly came off my belly and waist!! This is with practically no exercise! I do need to start getting fit though to tone up!  I have also been having the odd piece of chocolate here and there!So thats ten pounds lost in just over a month! After a couple of years of trying slim fast/ hip and thigh diet etc I have finally found the one for me! and being a vegetarian its actually harder for me so I think this would be even easier for meat eaters! Obviously each to their own with what diet suits them, I am just really happy and even wore my skinny jeans this week  that I haven't been able to fit into for well over a year!!My goal weight is 112 pounds (8stone) and then I will be on phase 3! I have also had a meal out where I did eat bad carbs, but I think aslong as this is rare it doesn't effect it too much!

For more info on the diet its all on google, take a look as I may not be the best at explaining it lol!It is an American diet too so sometimes the foods listed are difficult to find here but its quite easy to vary it!

Hope your all keeping nice and warm in this chilly weather!

Carmine January Box

I love when my Carmine box arrives, it really feels like a birthday or something having some nice treats every month!I really love all the products in this box, especially the Himalayan pink salt and the Fat eye stick!The false lashes also look good quality and I will wear them when I next have a night out!So far I have never been disappointed with the contents, I know there are a lot of beauty boxes out there, but I will stick with this one. I don't think I could justify subscribing to any others as one is enough of a treat!

If you would like a look at their website : http://www.carmine.co.uk/0gUZc the boxes are £10 plus postage and packing which is around £2.75.

Happy Friday!

P/s My nail varnish is from the POTC set I won - its called 'Stranger Tides'

Lush weekend

Random picture time!! As is now habit some of my nicest meals this week, my favorite was the grilled houlloumi cheese on top of quorn burger yum yum!! I adore reading so thought I would post a picture of my current Jodi Picoult book, I read a lot of her books over the summer, this one isn't her best so far but still a good read! I have found since getting an iphone and reading blogs I do read books a bit less! Got a few waiting to be read so going to try and read more!

As this week has been blustery and cold we decided to light our wood burning fire, and it was divine!I didn't move from our living room all evening!!

 I have had fun using my lush goodies from my birthday/christmas pressies, some I have tried before- the Mud block is a new one, which leaves your skin lovely and smooth, though I do prefer the 'Sugarbabes' scrub from there! The seanick hair shampoo bar I have tried before and makes me feel like a mermaid!!and works just as well as normal shampoo and lasts aggges!I love 'Rock Star' soap - very sickly sweet smelling but lovely all the same!

I have had a few blips with my diet this week, involving chocolate eeks but have maintained my weight loss, I really need to exerise now it lose more!!

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend, I have enjoyed mine so far - pjama day and reading blogs - bliss!!

Birthday/Lush Treats/Diet

Random mixed post - just some piccies of food I have enjoyed this week, South Beach diet is still going well, I am now in phase 2 which means I can have some fruit again and whole wheat carbs, top picture is cherries with low fat natural yogurt and wow it tasted amazing- plain yogurt always seemed tasteless to me before but now its a dream! The mealy picture was mushrooms, asparagus, quorn piecies with extra light philadelphia which was yummy!Stats wise I have lost 7 pounds in total, 2 inches off my waist and one inch off bust and hips!Very happy!

 My mum got a fruit cake for my birthday which she knows I don't like so I wouldn't want to eat it but still got to have a cake!

I got a Lush gift set from work - the pink set, and the big Green one is from my bf, so excited to try all the new products!I used 'Butterball' bath ballistic last night which was lovely and left my skin so soft!

Happy Saturday night all!

Skull and Glossbones

I was lucky enough to win my frst ever giveaway from the lovely Dee at http://confessionsofamakeupaholic2011.blogspot.com/ - I was over the moon especially as I have lusted after these polishes for aggges - and I love the Pirates films!! Yesterday I wore Skull and Glossbones and couldn't stop looking at my nails - love each colour and cannot wait to try them all!!! Thanks so much Dee!!

It was my bithday yesterday (28 eek) so I will do a post on that shortly!

Wishing everyone an amazing weekend!!