BEAUTY: Teeth Whitening Routine

Aesthetics are becoming so much more important and society is putting more pressure on the public to do everything to ensure they look 'perfect'.

Teeth whitening can be done in various ways. You can oil pull, bleach or whiten the non-abrasive way.
I like to try new things and recently I have been whitening my teeth at home.

I am currently using the Coco White coconut oil pulling sachets. It is weird at first as it isn't something I was used to having in my mouth. You can either warm up and melt the oil in a glass of warm/hot water; or simply empty the sachet into your mouth and warm it up that way.
You are supposed to swish the oil around your mouth for between 5 - 20 minutes. As it can feel weird at the beginning you can start off with 5 minutes and gradually work your way up to 20 minutes.

Once I have finished oil pulling, I place the oil from my mouth into some tissue and flush it down the toilet.
I then brush my teeth to remove any excess oil. I then use the Rapid White express 5 minute teeth whitening strips. There is an accelerator that you need to dab on your teeth first. Don't shut your mouth otherwise you will need to dab again. Once dabbed you need to place one of the strips on your top teeth. Do the same for the bottom teeth and then wait 5 minutes for the strips to dissolve.

The taste isn't great but the results are good!! I try not to open my mouth or swallow any saliva whilst the strips are on. However, once 5 minutes has passed, you can rinse your mouth with water. I do this several times to try and get the taste out my mouth. You shouldn't eat or drink anything for 15 minutes afterwards.

This is the most natural way to whiten your teeth, without the chemicals in the bleach. There are immediate results but you should do this process every day over the course of 1 - 2 weeks.

I hope this has given you some ideas about how you want to whiten your teeth and how to do it!

A girl's best accessory is her smile! 

Until next time, xo.


** This post is not sponsored. All products were bought with my own money.**

FITNESS: Running for Beginners

I have never been a runner and if I was being chased I would probably surrender as I wouldn't get very far at all.
However, most recently I have decided that although I am not interested in running a marathon, I do want to start running to keep fit and healthy.

I did my second EVER run on a Friday evening along the seafront. As I don't feel very confident about running or having people look at me, I wanted to do it at a time when it's getting dark but not so dark that I can't see where I am going. The choice of location was on purpose. Not only is there a nice breeze to keep you cool, but it looks amazingly pretty when the sun has set and the skies are all colourful. It kept me going and motivated me!

I ran 2.5 miles which was an exceptional achievement considering I haven't run since 2008. Even back then it was a one off 'fun run'.
I only ran a distance I knew I could achieve and was realistic about my goal. I didn't want to push myself over the edge and wear myself out and put myself off from running. It made me so happy to complete that distance and actually enjoy running.

The 3 main points that kept me focussed and motivated were:
1) Having a running buddy. This is so important when you first start and don't feel 100% confident. You can motivate each other and you are both doing it so you don't feel alone!
2) Breathing properly. You need to ensure your breathing is controlled otherwise you will feel tired a lot quicker and you won't be able to pace yourself to go the distance that you want.
3) Thinking of your long term fitness goal. Mine is to tone up my body and lose a little weight. Just thinking about what my body may look like keeps me going and willing to put in all the effort.

What you wear on your feet is also equally important. You need a trainer that is going to support your feet and allow you to run comfortably. Running in your converse or dolly shoes isn't going to help; it may cause injuries and you won't be able to run very well.

I hope this helps all of you who want to try running!!

Until next time, xo.

BEAUTY: John Frieda - Visibly Brighter

In today's post,  I will be talking about the John Frieda Visibly Brighter, hair lightening treatment.

I was looking at youtube videos and came across a vlogger who had tried out this product and you could see a slight difference in the hair colour. So, I decided that I too wanted to test this product out; especially as it is coming up to summer.

It is one tube with two products in each half. The lighter side has the lightening chemicals in it, such as amonia (which has a strong odour). You can use it before your normal shampoo & conditioner routine. You lather it up in your hair, focusing particularly on the roots of the hair. You then leave it for 5 minutes; and in this time you can do the usual thing: shave your legs/armpits, wash your body, or just sing. One time is up, you simply rinse it out and continue with your hair routine.

In my opinion, I did not see a difference in hair colour and neither could anyone else. Perhaps I should have left it on a little longer to allow the amonia to properly infuse with my hair. I may try this treatment again just to see whether or not it does make my hair go lighter.

Until next time, xo

FITNESS: Getting back to it!

When I worked in London I was leaving the house at 6:30am and didn't get home until 7pm. This meant that I found it difficult to include a fitness regime into my schedule. All I wanted to do after coming home from work was eat dinner and go straight to bed!
The only real form of exercise I was doing was walking 2 miles to work every morning which took me about 40 minutes.

So, when I left that job, I made sure to re-join my gym and start using my membership more effectively.
I starting going to group exercise classes because I felt more comfortable in a room full of women following an instructor, rather than in the gym, feeling alone, feeling like I didn't know what I was doing.
Attending my weekly classes on a regular basis gave me more confidence about doing exercise and not worrying about what others thought about me. I then started to use the gym more often, focusing solely on what I was doing. Each time I made it to the gym for a workout I felt proud of myself!

Now that I am used to attending my group exercise classes and the gym on a regular basis, I have decided to branch out and exercise away from my local gym. I recently rode my bike 16.5 miles, after 3 years of not riding a bike AT ALL!! This was such an achievement for me as it was tough and the terrain wasn't completely smooth.

Yes, most people want to go to the gym to get their 'summer body'; but, I believe that you should exercise all year round for a body that you want all year round and not just for bikini season!!
I still sometimes find it challenging to exercise but I always remember that no matter what exercise I am doing, I am ALWAYS lapping the person that decided to stay on their couch!

Until next time, xo.

RECIPE: Homemade Chocolate filled Palmiers

Hi everyone!

Everyone loves chocolate, right? So what a better treat than to make your own chocolate filled palmiers?
You can make them for any occasion. A picnic, a birthday, a dinner party or just as a treat in the house!
Not only do they taste delicious but they are so easy to make and people will think you've bought them from a patisserie!

You will need: 

• Greaseproof paper
• A baking tray
• Chocolate Spread
• Ready rolled puff pastry (Or you can make your own)
• Shredded coconut pieces

Method: 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees (fan).
2. Roll out your puff pastry into a rectangle shape. The longer you make it, the more you can make and the wider you have your pastry will determine the size. 
3. Spread the chocolate all over one side of the pastry. Use as much or as little as you want! 
4. Roll one side until the you reach the middle of the pastry. Then do the exact same with the other side. (They will look like little hearts) 
5. Cover up the pastry with cling film/ greaseproof paper and place in the freezer for 30 minutes - 1 hour. 
6. Remove from the freezer and cut each palmier 1/2 cm thick.
7. Place each palmier onto the greaseproof paper on the baking tray, ensuring you leave space around each one as they do expand. 
8. Place into the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. 
9. Sprinkle with shredded coconut.
10. Enjoy!!! :) 

(Before baking - I should have spaced them out more. They expanded a lot!)

I hope you enjoy making these as much as I did; and enjoy eating them too!! 

Until next time, xo

Get to know me

Hello,

I thought I would give you all the chance to get to know me a bit better. It's always nice to know a little bit about the person whose blog post you're reading.

1. I am from Essex but I am also half French!
2. My star sign is Libra which means I'm very indecisive - so true!!
3. I love trying out new make-up and make-up brands.
4. I love travelling! I have only been exploring around Europe so far!
5. I am obsessed with coffee - who isn't?!
6. I have super long, brown hair, down to my bum!
7. I am 5ft 3 in height.
8. I love food! I will try most things. I have a very sweet tooth!
9. I enjoy writing lists. I will write them for just about ANYTHING!
10. I love languages and can speak English, French, Spanish, a little German and I want to learn more!

If you want to know anything else about me, leave me a comment! :)

I hope that these 10 fun facts about me will give you a bit more depth to me when reading my blog posts! As time goes on, of course you will get to know a lot more about me; but for now, you'll have to wait. ;)

Until next time, xo