8 Beauty Resolutions to Make (and Keep) in 2015

2015 is speedily approaching, so today I decided to come up with 8 New Year resolutions that I WILL keep! Here they are…

Moisturise twice a day.

Moisturiser acts like a barrier, trapping moisture and preventing bacteria from clogging up your pores. To find out more about the importance of moisturising, click here.

Always take off my make-up at night.

I’d say I’m fairly good at doing this already, however there are some evenings when I really cannot be bothered. I know it’s important to take your make-up off at night or else bacteria will build up on your pillowcase, leading to breakouts. Dun-dun-dah! Simple’s Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes are great and leave your face feeling fresh.

Drink at least 1.5 litres of water each day.

It’s important to drink water because (a) it flushes your body of toxins, (b) it helps us avoid dehydration and (c) it gives your skin a healthy glow. I drink more water than a lot of people, but I don’t drink enough to meet the daily recommendation (1.6 litres for women and 2 litres for men).

Get 8-10 hours of beauty sleep every night.

We’re like mobile phones; sleep is how we charge up when we’re tired. It’s also whilst you’re asleep that your body prepares itself for the coming day.

Reduce sugar intake by keeping junk for the weekend.

I usually eat quite healthily on weekdays, but when junk’s on offer, as we all know, it’s hard to resist. That’s why I set myself this goal!

Exercise daily.

Exercise gets your heart pumping and your muscles moving. That’s why it’s so important! Last month, I discovered Blogilates (a YouTube channel dedicated to fitness) and have been doing one of her quick workouts every morning before school. Additionally, I sometimes take the dog on a walk/jog in the evening, which tends to make me sleep better because it tires me out.

Use heat protection spray.

Heat damages our hair, so I thought that this resolution was a good one: always use heat protection spray before curling/straightening my hair.

Set aside some time to relax each week.

Life’s busy and sometimes things can get too much for us to cope with, so take some time to relax and enjoy a bit of ‘me-time’. How you relax is up to you; taking a hot bath or reading a book are good detoxes.

Hope you've enjoyed reading about my Beauty Resolutions for the New Year and perhaps they've even given you a few ideas!

Happy New Year!

A Walk in the Countryside

Christmas seems to have crept up on us so quickly, don't you think? It certainly doesn't feel like twelve whole months have past since the last time I'd partook in singing carols around the village Christmas tree. Anyway, the weather today was sunny (but cold) and the  clear blue sky seemed like the perfect invitation to enjoy some fresh air, so Mum, Dad and I wrapped up warm and headed off out. 

When we reached Badbury Clump, we joined forces with some close family friends, who'd brought their dogs along too (Oscar the Terrier and Bugsy the Pug). Benji, our doggy, thoroughly enjoyed the company and spent the whole walk bouncing about with his new pals, getting very muddy indeed!

I must admit, the walk itself was a lovely one; it was a pleasure to be surrounded by such natural beauty. It's totally amazing that magical places like this one exist so near to your doorstep and you've probably never even realised they're there.  As one of my New Year resolutions, I've decided to explore at least one new outdoor area a month throughout 2015.

The walk also provided me with the opportunity to try out my new Joules wellie boots, which Mum and Dad had let me open as an early Christmas present. I absolutely love the design: navy and white polka dots with a brass buckle. 

Well, that's it for now. I'm off to sing Christmas carols around the tree, then bag some ZZZ's before the Big Day! 

Love, 

LUSH Christmas Penguin Bubble Bar

I was in Oxford on Saturday doing my Christmas shopping and simply couldn't resist nipping into Lush for a browse. After spending absolutely ages smelling almost every product in the store, I finally opted for The Christmas Penguin Bubble Bar which cost £3.25. 

As soon as I arrived home, I was desperate to try him out, so I ran myself a hot bath and crumbled this adorable bath bomb beneath the tap. The citrus-y smell was truly wonderful, as were the masses of bubbles that this bar instantly created. This tremendously festive little penguin, which was inspired by a breed of penguin found in Australia, turns the bath a beautiful shade of blue and really gets you into the Christmas spirit.

Some of the key ingredients are: Sicilian lemon and mandarin oil, orange flower absolute and bergamot oil.

I'd definitely recommend this product; it's fun and would make a lovely Christmas pressie!

Toodles :)



   

Cupcake Christmas Tree Recipe

This afternoon, Dad and I made a Cupcake Christmas Tree and if you don't mind me saying, it looks and tastes fab! Here's how to make it yourself:

Equipment:

For the cupcakes
200g of butter, softened
200g of caster sugar
1 tsp of vanilla extract
2 eggs
200g of self-raising flour
2 tbsp of milk
20g of cocoa powder

For the icing

300g of butter

525g of icing sugar

3 tsp of vanilla extract

green food colouring

sweets, to decorate with

Equipment:

A 24-hole mini muffin tray

48 green petit four cases

A small plant pot (with a diameter of about 13cm)

A foam cone (with a base of about 12cm across) 

Cocktail sticks

A star, for decoration 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line the tray with muffin cases. 

2. Put 100g of butter, 100g of sugar and 1/2 a tsp of vanilla extract into a bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until pale and fluffy.

3. Add one egg and mix well.

4. Then pour in 1 tbsp of milk and 100g of self-raising flour. Mix with a spatula until everything's fully combined.

5. Using two teaspoons, distribute the mixture evenly among the cases and bake in the oven for 12 minutes.

6. Once the first batch has finished baking, create a second batch following steps 1-5, however,  this time add 20g of cocoa powder.

7. Let the cupcakes cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile, make the icing by beating the butter and icing sugar in a bowl, then adding the vanilla extract and food colouring. Blend again until evenly coloured.

8. Transfer the icing into a piping bag with a small star-shaped nozzle.

9. After the cakes have cooled completely, ice them.

10. Decorate each one with sweets. (I used Jelly Tots!)

11. Now, gently push the cone into the pot.

12. Push a cocktail stick into the base of every cupcake and press each one into the foam cone to secure it in place. Finally, place the star on top of the Christmas tree and TA-DAH!

Hope this recipe is helpful! Enjoy!

LUSH Dashing Santa

Christmas is only 19 sleeps away, so whilst browsing in Lush this morning, I picked up Dashing Santa, a limited-edition bath ballistic, which only cost £2.95. This evening I tried it out and if I'm totally honest, I was a teeny bit disappointed; it didn't really dash around the tub as promised. A more appropriate name for this product would have been Sinking Santa as within a minute, it had already sank to the bottom. However, on a more positive note, it smelt gorgeous and turned the bath water a wonderful shade of red. Last of all, I'd like to point out that this festive bath ballistic creates a thin sheet of white foam across the surface that looks like snow, which I thought was lovely.