The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

A miracle has happened ladies and gents, I am writing blog posts in advance... about beauty! Go me! It has absolutely nothing to do with trying to put off coursework, or my inability to go change my windscreen wiper (which has shredded and is lovingly being called noodle) at Halfords as there is a match on at Bramall lane at all...

I digress, today is a day for discussing the The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter (a mouthful). It's a cleanser if you haven't already guessed, which is meant to take off makeup and leave your skin all clean and smooth. It looks like this:

(slightly dirty from my dirty hands, I do apologise)

The ingredients in this are: Ethylhexyl Palmitate (Skin Conditioning Agent), Synthetic Wax (Binder/Emollient), PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate (Skin Conditioning Agent), Olea Europaea Fruit Oil/Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil (Emollient), Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter (Skin Conditioning Agent - Emollient), Caprylyl Glycol (Skin Conditioning Agent), Tocopherol (Antioxidant), Parfum/Fragrance (Fragrance), Aqua/Water (Solvent/Diluent), Linalool (Fragrance Ingredient), Limonene (Fragrance Ingredient), Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil/Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil (Emollient), Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract (Natural Additive), Citric Acid (pH Adjuster). 

(From The Body Shop website)

It's a good cleanser. I can't complain. It's got a lovely texture, melts into the skin when you rub it in, take it off with a clean wet flannel (or just swill it, like little miss lazy over here) and you'll have nice skin. It doesn't quite blast through my levels of night out make up at first go, so I normally have to go in again. The butter aspect (with the Shea butter) hasn't irritated my skin, or made me break out any more than I would normally do anyway to be honest. So if you have spotty/ acneic skin don't be put off straight away. My one massive gripe with it is the packaging is a complete bitch to work with sometimes, as the lid can be a bit temperamental at wanting to go back on top of the pot.

When this pot is done I will happily be buying it again, I just wish they would sort out the lid issues!

You can buy this here from the body shop, where it is £13 for 90ml of product.

Lots of Love,

Hev

xoxox

Me, Food and Weight.

From the title of this blog post you're probably thinking its gonna be a big old moan about me. Well it is- sort of. I've woken up with a mild hangover (the first time in months, it is a blessing from baby Jesus) from celebration drinks for my friend getting a grad job, and I just want to write this.
Last night, when I was stood in West Street Live I realised I don't want to do 'me' any more. By 'me' I mean my outside persona and how it affects me inside.
On this blog I have mentioned multiple, multiple times how I hate my weight. It's true, I despise it. Currently I weigh 11st 12lbs and it is the heaviest I have ever been.
The thing with my weight though is that my thinking hasn't changed from when I was 9st 10lbs. I could and did eat whatever I wanted. Not because of being blessed with a fast metabolism and it is age that has changed it, but it was because my OCD was at its peak and I was having a- and I am not exaggerating here- permanent panic attack. Due to this I was chugging camomile tea and rescue remedy like it was going out of style and they probably turned a bit laxitivey, combined with my brain making my body be in a permanent state of fight or flight for the best part of two years and voila; losing two stone in 2 months (I was 11st something before peak OCD) and gaining the metabolism I always dreamed of.
I'm often upset that the fast metabolism I got when my OCD peaked disappeared when it levelled off. This is by no means me saying I want my OCD to peak again, fuck no, never ever; I just mean that to be in the habit of eating like a pig and it not effecting you to having it suddenly effect you is odd, and a difficult cycle to get out of.
The metabolism slow down started around the time I turned 18, and what happens when you turn 18? You go out, all the time. I really was going out at least twice a week for the majority of being 18, and alcohol makes you fat; especially if you're not really meant to be skinny in the first place, or feed your hangovers like a bear eating its prey.
When I got to uni I think I was about 10st 3lbs. I had a horrendous first year (more on that when I feel it necessary) and by the time second year rolled around I was 10st 7lbs. I stayed at this weight for a long time, even with going out etc. I think it was probably because dairy was sticking its head out the window and revolting against me. I think I got to the end of 2nd year being 11st? I went on two all inclusive holidays which did not help the weight matters at all either.
Then placement came around, I was grabbing food when I could, usually from service stations, and thats when I discovered my downfall- KFC.
I bloody love KFC, I love chicken so much (working in a chicken factory for a year did not put me off in the slightest) and I love anything fried, so together they're the perfect combo for me. I put on a good 10lbs on placement, mostly due to grabbing food when I could and also due to comfort eating. I was comfort eating like no tomorrow because that year was horrible, I was in a bad emotional place because of my dad and the 'situation' and when I get emotional about anything I want food. Happy? Food! Sad? Food! its a horrible cycle.

I can see the changes in myself every time I look in the mirror and I hate it. I have a massive double chin, I have a ledge on my stomach, my arms are now huge. 2 stone doesn't sound much but it has made a huge difference to me.  I can't pull anymore, I don't want to appear big headed here but when I was under 10st 7lbs I could pull pretty much anyone I wanted (dunno how) and the only thing that has changed from then until now is my weight. My confidence is therefore shot to pieces. I'm not trying to say I was only confident because I was seen as attractive to the opposite sex, but it helps. No matter how much you might say it doesn't matter to you, everyone, secretly yearns to be desired. It made me feel good. My sex life took a nose dive (not having sex for 2 years makes you feel like absolute shit) which didn't help my confidence either.

So here I am now, sat in bed, waiting for my momma and siblings to turn up at my house in Sheffield (cannot wait) and you're probably thinking stop having a pity party. It's not that, for once I am actually being truthful to myself.

So what am I going to do about it? Take each day as it comes. I am a massive fantasiser, I will fantasise about being 9st again until the cows come home but I will never get there unless I actually try. I am still in the mindset that one day it will all just fall off me again. It wont. I also need to stop thinking I can eat whatever I want. I can't. I'm not built for that. I also need to get off my lazy arse and do some exercise. Small increments. Nothing all gung ho for a couple of days then get bored.

What I am trying to say is I need to change my lifestyle, in order to feel better inside, and out. It's time to change.

Lots of Love,

Hev

xoxox

The Body Shop Warming Mineral Mask

I have such a love hate relationship with masks. I love putting them on, I love the feeling of feeling pampered; I just don't really think they do all that much. I've got loads of masks in rotation and I like the clean, soft feeling afterwards, but I never see any long term effects?



Anyway today I'm talking about the Body Shop Warming Mineral Mask. I've had this mask for a while. I love the gimmicky warming of the mask (but it never heats up on my skin, it's hot when it goes on then goes cold?) and most of the time I like how my skin feels afterwards, but whether it does much for me? I am yet to really find out.

Ingredients: PEG-8 (Humectant), Zeolite (Warming Agent), Glycerin (Humectant), Kaolin (Absorbent), Methyl Gluceth-20 (Viscosity Modifier), Zinc Oxide (Sunscreen), PEG-220 (Binder/Humectant/Solvent), Algae (Seaweed Extract) (Natural Additive), Methylparaben (Preservative), Propylparaben (Preservative), Tocopheryl Acetate (Antioxidant), Curcuma zedoaria (Zedoary Oil) (Skin Conditioning Agent), Zingiber officinale (Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil) (Natural Additive), Cinnamal (Fragrance Ingredient), Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Cinnamon Oil) (Fragrance), Linalool (Fragrance Ingredient), Eugenol (Fragrance Ingredient), Limonene (Fragrance Ingredient), Benzyl Benzoate (Solvent), Citral (Fragrance Ingredient), Coumarin (Fragrance Ingredient), Cinnamyl Alcohol (Fragrance Ingredient). 

(From Body Shop Website)

To put it on your face: wet your face (unless you are me, then you just slap it on, maybe my inability to follow instructions is my problem...) shake the bottle up, or you will get a large flow of water coming out. Then smear it all over your face, so you will resemble something like this fitty down here:

Then you leave it on for 5 minutes, wash it off, and you'll resemble something like this:

After it comes off, my skin feels clean, softer but also slightly drier. Maybe its the lack of water first. I then normally either go in with another mask or my full skincare afterwards.

To conclude my opinions; it's a nice product to pamper yourself with, or try and clear off any unwanted oil, but it can make your skin feel quite dry and slightly tight. It's £11 for 100ml and a complete cult product from the Body Shop. I will use it to the end, but unless something changes (probably me) I won't be buying it again. If I haven't put you off, you can buy it here.

Lots of Love,

Hev

xoxox

How to De- Pot Sleek Eye Shadows

The other day I spend 2 hours of my life finally de-potting my Sleek eye shadows into a Z- Palette. I tend to forget that I still have these eye shadows, so hopefully doing this will re awaken my love for them. I de-potted my Storm, Au Naturel and Oh So Special palette. Can Ijus say that when I bought these many moons ago they were £5.99 and now they are £7.99? what is that about? They are still dirt cheap but that's quite the price rise!
Anyway before I get carried away I had no candles, no lighter, no surgical spirit to hand but I did have my trusty (8 year old? and still going strong) straighteners. I had watched some tutorials on Sleek eye shadow removals and thought I was well educated enough to give it a bash myself. So I sat down at my desk and started. I'm going to try and explain to you all how I did it and what I learn't along the way!

You will need:
Obviously hair straighteners and some greaseproof/baking paper, so the plastic does not stick to your straighteners and ruin them!

Two ends of sticks that you don't mind getting glue all over, I used the plastic ends of eye shadow brushes. You will also need a hair grip like the one below, which I don't think I could of done the job without!

Method:
Pop your greaseproof paper on the straighteners and then pop the palette on top for about 3 minutes, or until you get bored of waiting.

Take the palette off the straighteners and try, without burning yourself (like I did) to push your pokey stick at the back of the part of the palette with the eye shadow you want to remove. The idea is that the heat will have melted the glue off the plastic backing. If the palette is warm enough, it should just pop out. You might have to do some stick juggling so not to touch the metal (like I did) where it is really hot. I popped all mine on another piece of greaseproof paper to stop them melting to my landlords glass desk...

If the eye shadows are still being tricky madams (like the orangey one in the picture above was), be careful and use the hair grip to slide down the slide of the shadow which should help to release them. You may come face to face with some eye shadows that want to play Buck-a-roo. You may also have to add more heat to warm the glue up more. Pop the palette back on the heat to dislodge more shadows and repeat. 

yaaaaas

When the metal shadow pots are cold, you can peel the glue off the back, or be lazy like me and just stick the magnet straight on the back. I used the ones that came with the Z- Palette. I used my initiative (a novelty for me) and stuck two eyeshadows onto the circle magnets and one on the square magnets that were provided! I was also anal and colour co- ordinated them, but you can do literally whatever takes your fancy. When finished with the palettes and they are cold just pop them in the bin. I didn't put in any eyeshadows that had hit pan or more than one black because space was limited.

It's a messy job! The big shadows if you're wondering are my new Make Up Geek ones.

Hope this terrible description has helped someone, anyone!

Lots of love,

Hev

xoxox

today is a wet fish day

I'm an emotional wet fish today. I'm on, for the second time in 2 weeks and I'm a mess. I am sick to death of rifampicin wreaking havoc with my periods. To go from a girl who, since the age of 11, has been regular as clockwork, to having periods that show up willy nilly is soul destroying. Hopefully when this bout of tablets finish they will finally go back to normal. I also had my first HS boil since I started rifampicin which actually burst this week, which just made me feel even worse. I'm taking these tablets every day to try and fix myself and it crushes me that they are not working to their max (I know there is a % that it doesn't fully work for and I'm just upset about it).

I've just read a book all about unrequited love, and it infurates me that they don't get together until they are fucking 40 years old. My favourite books to read are unrequited love ones, preferably set when they are at university (don't ask why). I think they just resonate with me the most. I've been in so, so, many situations where I have liked someone and they don't like me, or don't like me enough to want to make something happen with me, that I cling on for dear life to the happy endings in these books. I want my happy ending. I would just prefer it to be slightly earlier than 40 please.

I finally found the dress for the graduation ball, will have to lay off the KFC for a few weeks but it makes me feel sexy. I'm gonna guess the photos of me will make me look horrendous but its the inner feelings that count, right?

Well now I'm crying, I am blaming this solely on the period. I'm going to watch a film about unrequited love, make myself some toast and eat my body weight in chocolate.

Night world,

Hev,

xoxox