Recently, Adam Shaw reported on Step 2 of Walk Innovation. Now he talks about Step 3: Intent. Watch his video here.
Now that you are committed to DOING this programme and you know to ground yourself regularly, we will now talk about intent.
In everything you do in your life your intent will determine your outcome. If you intend to find fault – you will. If you intend to improve your life – you will. If you intend to love – you will.
As non-positive intent yields non-positive outcomes we will only ever be focusing on POSITIVE intent
Being aware of your intent at any given moment is the fastest way to move towards positive outcomes more often.
Intend for what you want – or you will get what you don’t want.
Have fun walking now that your intent is positive.
1 in 4 British adults experience at least one diagnosable mental health challenge in any one year, according to mentalhealth.org. Furthermore, major depressive disorder affects approximately 14.8 million adults in a given year in America, according to the NIMH.
What are the symptoms?
Depression will often manifest as a lack of motivation. When you don’t want to get out of bed in the morning or you start to hate your life, for whatever reason, then you have been feeling increasing symptoms for a while. You may feel hopelessness, anxiety or helplessness. Your may be less tolerant of others. It is possible that you have considered suicide. You will have less energy and could be experiencing changes in your sleep pattern, appetite or even your menstrual cycle.
Depression affects friends and family members.
All in all, depression affects a vast number of the population and this has ramifications on not just the person who is depressed, but on everyone who cares about them. It is likely that most of the population knows someone who is depressed, whether they have been diagnosed or not.
This page has been created to help those who have depression and those who know someone who is depressed. How can you help them? What do you say? What advice can you give to someone who asks for your help or advice?
What can you do?
Our wellbeing e-course will offer you simple, but very powerful, ways to move in a more positive direction. Getting active is also a great way to start moving to a more positive place. Our Walk Innovation System is a good place to start. By leaving your name and e-mail with us in the box on the right of this screen, you will access the numerous free resources available to you. If you are ready for a big shift then you may be ready for a Wellbeing Breakthrough Session.
What will happen if I don’t do anything about it?
You will suffer, your friends and family, who care about you, will suffer and you may soon feel suicidal. It could cost you your job, your relationships and your life. The true cost of long-term depression cannot truly be measured. The ripple effect caused by negative interactions has the potential to affect thousands of people, maybe more. Ultimately, those who go on to commit suicide do so because they did not get help when they started to feel depressed.
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This week Adam Shaw reports on the final step of Walk Innovation: Step 4 – Breathing. Read more about it here and watch his video.
Now that you know the value of the first 3 steps as you set off on each walk……
1.Commitment 2.Grounding 3.Setting a positive intent
It’s now time to talk about step 4: breathing.
Walk Innovation uses simple principles to get you maximum benefit.
Your breathing controls your mood and most people spend most of their lives not breathing properly, thus not energising their bodies. When you realise that you can regulate your breathing and develop this through walking, your energy will increase quickly.
For a 1min 45sec demonstration, join me as I walk and breathe
This technique alone will change your life forever, giving you extra energy every time you walk.
Breathe deeper, walk longer and have fun with this.
If you are interested in Walk Innovation and want to learn more, click here.
Comments Off on Be Grateful Because Walking is Good For You
Gratitude alone has been proven to improve your health and wellbeing and walking can also help to:
– reduce excess weight sustainably
– lower blood pressure naturally
– regulate your blood sugar
– strengthen your body
– reduce stress
Health and fitness are two completely different things.
It is possible to be fit without being healthy. This is why people sometimes drop dead whilst exercising.
Activities that cause fitness do not always improve your health. During my nursing years I saw many athletes do damage to their body – sometimes crippling themselves.
Walking is a great health tool and can add years to your life.
It is also possible to get help with walking, such as hiking sticks, for your comfort. All in all, you Can Be Grateful Because Walking is Good For You.
Comments Off on Living and Dying. Which Will You Choose?
Do you ever feel that maybe something is missing from your life?
Life is a curious thing. When did it begin? What is really true? Do we live on in spirit once our body dies? Will we be made accountable to all of our actions at some point? What is our purpose for life?
These are just some of the questions that I have had the opportunity to consider at length over the years.
The one question I would rarely ask.
During my nurse training, I was taught a model of nursing that involved 12 sections. The Roper model of nursing was to enable us to get a complete assessment of each patient’s physical and spiritual needs. We needed to know things like their ability to mobilise, communicate, wash and dress themselves, sleep, eat and drink.
There were 12 such sections, the last of which was: living and dying.
In theory, by asking this question I would be able to assess people’s beliefs about death so that they could be nursed from a more spiritual perspective. In practice, I felt that asking a patient who had just been admitted to hospital with an acute illness, their thoughts about dying to be slightly inappropriate. I usually left this section blank or, just to have a bit of fun occasionally, would write “living†in.
Just the mention of death or dying may give some people the wrong idea.
My sense was that for most people it was not necessary or appropriate to assess their beliefs about dying. Especially when they have been admitted with an undiagnosed lump in their body or a symptom where recovery was almost guaranteed.
We tend not to address dying in the western world until it is on our doorstep.
Nursing taught me many things. Perhaps the most important and lasting lesson that I have taken away from over 13 years of working in hospitals is the importance of considering death occasionally. I witnessed hundreds of people through their final moments of life and saw how this impacted the families and friends left behind.
Have you ever taken enough time out of your daily life to consider what your life will have meant just before the moment you die?
I know that this may appear as a strange question. After all, who wants to consider death when you feel that it is nowhere close?
Talking to people about death just before they die has been one of the most profound and incredible experiences that I have ever had. I have witnessed plenty of pain and regret by people who were about to die and the families left behind about what they wished they had done or said.
Issues with family, bitterness and unspoken feelings are just a few of the recurrent themes that I have witnessed as people stare death in the face.
An excellent, if slightly morbid, exercise to do now is to ask yourself what your biggest regret would be if you died today.
Who would you have told that you loved more?
What would you regret not doing the most?
What urge do you regret not acting upon the most?
The above 3 questions are your key to what is missing the most from your life at this moment.
So many people sit at the end of their lives reflecting on what they could have done different to make their final moments of life more meaningful to them. So many people wished that they had told people how they really felt about them, after years of holding back through one fear or another. Others rue the opportunity that appeared hugely exciting at the time but they had held back through the uncertainty of the risk involved.
Not taking that leap of faith on an intuitive pull is often the biggest lament of many of those who were about to die.
Beyond this is always the fear about death being finite. I have asked several hundred people who were about to die whether they believed in something beyond death. It is easy to speculate on your answer whilst life is pumping through your body. It is not quite so easy when you are about to die and doubt creeps into your mind.
Giving someone hope when they are about to die is one of the most liberating things that anyone can do.
I could write a book on the various individual experiences that I’d had whilst navigating people through the dying process. So many profound changes occur when people move to the place that feels the best. Those who were filled with doubt can be filled with hope when they have nothing left to lose.
Ultimately, there are only two choices: living or dying.
Those who choose to live are usually filled with hope at the point of death and tend to be peaceful and relaxed as they die. Those who are filled with doubt tend to suffer more. There are no exceptions to this rule that I have ever found. Some have had varying symptoms but peace is a state of mind.
By asking yourself whether you have really lived a meaningful life up until this point, you will know whether you are currently living or dying. If you feel that something is missing from your life right now then just imagine that you have just found out that you are about to die: What is the first thing that you wish you would have done to make you feel better, that would also feel better to everyone involved.
Assuming that fate intervenes to give you life beyond that moment: Do it!
Comments Off on Free Hugs – a Fast Way to Feeling Good
“We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth.†Virginia Satir
It has taken me many years to simplify the potentially complex subject of wellbeing or wellness. Years of study have taught me some incredible and esoteric things that are infinitely complicated to the curious, western mind.
Study of medicine, energy, meditation, yoga, NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), Time-Line Therapy, Hypnotherapy, to name but a few, have given me some varied techniques and perspectives along the way. However, keeping the sustained feeling of change and positivity is something that had been illusive throughout this journey.
How is it possible to get so many breakthroughs intellectually and not translate them into sustained action afterwards?
For the past few months I have been giving out free hugs in London, with a few dedicated friends. On occasions I have woken up and not really felt in the mood to face the unpredictable moods of the general public. Each free hugs session will provoke just about every sort of emotional response possible. I have seen people get angry, hostile, insulting, rude and dismissive, each time I have gone into London free-hugging. This is part of the reason that it is so magical.
The contrast in perspectives just make the interactions of those who do understand that hugging feels good all the better. Feeling good is the only thing that matters in health and wellbeing. It is not what you do – but how you feel about it that matters.
For many years I have questioned myself as a wellbeing role model.
“Do I have the healthiest diet possible?†No. I am prone to eating and drinking things that would not be considered healthy by purists. Though I enjoy what I eat.
“Do I have the healthiest exercise routine?†No. I sometimes have a lapse in my routine. But I always go back to it.
“Do I have the healthiest lifestyle?†No. I am human and have what many would consider flaws in the way I live. Yet I have stories and memories that make me smile every time I think about them as a result of these quirks in my character.
There will always be people who are better at certain areas of health and wellbeing than I am. There will also be those who sit in judgement of how I live my life.
However, ask different questions like, “Do I know how to feel good, instantly?†Yes – Everytime.
“Do I know how to be kind to myself, even when others are not?†Yes – Everything in life is a test of my congruence to my current path.
“Do I know that hugging random people feels fantastic?†Yes – Because I do it regularly.
As human beings we need to connect, we need to have physical contact and we need to FEEL GOOD. Every time I go out hugging there are always enough people who experience amazing shifts in the way they feel – instantly. These are the memories I take from each free hugs session that I do.
We were even passed by a large group of people who were hugging policemen! It was a most interesting experience – and great fun as they queued up to hug us.
Forget the research, forget the complex systems of wellbeing and alternative therapy and forget the judgements of others. The fast track to health and wellbeing is feeling good and the fastest way to do that is to spend a day giving out free hugs. It will make you smile and change your mood and your life – forever.
Please feel free to join the group and maybe join us the next time to share the feel-good vibe.
According to a 2008, 12 year study of 10,308 London-based civil servants, chronic work stress was found to increase the risk of Coronary Heat Disease by 68% and is higher in employees under 50 years of age. This study also found that work stress was also associated with further poor health behaviours that could compound the risk. Coronary Heart Disease is one of many medical symptoms that is compounded by stress.
During over 13 years of nursing I saw many things. During this time I became increasingly interested in the psychological aspects of illness. For the last 6 years of my nursing life I would always ask my patients the same question, “Have you been experiencing more stress than usual lately?â€
The answer was always, “yes.â€
There were two main areas in the lives of my patients that continually contributed to patients presenting with strokes and heart attacks; relationship problems and work-related stress. Both of these were big indicators of people who are at risk of more serious illnesses developing.
Let us look at why.
Stress causes our body to go into fight or flight mode. Blood to our non-essential organs is diverted to your muscles and brain, which is why stress can cause indigestion and contribute to weight gain. Your body is also flooded with adrenaline, which is why sleeplessness is common in those with higher than average stress levels. You are also filled with energy, causing your blood pressure to rise and your heart to beat faster, which is why hypertension is common in those who have stressful lives.
This response literally prepares you to either run or fight for your life.
Because office-based jobs that are stressful involve you having to deal with these surges of energy, without giving you a chance to offload the symptoms, it can literally leave you wanting to put your foot or fist through a computer screen. This is because you are prepared to fight for your life.
What can cause this?
The danger of stress is that your brain has not learned to distinguish between a real and perceived threat. Consequently, a dismissive or critical comment from your boss or a work colleague can put you into fight or flight. Clearly, your life is not in immediate danger but your body is preparing you as though it is. Just by thinking about the same criticism, slight on your character or threat can literally have you preparing to fight for your life, repeatedly several times a day.
With the current recession causing pay cuts and redundancies, it is likely that many employees are living on a knife-edge as they fear for not being able to work, pay bills or even feed their families. Constant worry about such issues has the same affect on your body as living in the jungle and seeing lions arriving to feast on your family.
What can you do to reduce your stress at work?
When you find yourself experiencing symptoms of fight or flight then it’s time to focus on your breathing. Deeper breathing is one of the fastest and most effective ways to reverse your body’s stress response. Also, tell yourself “I am safe.â€
This may sound ridiculous but your body is preparing you to fend for your life. By repeating the message that you are safe and making a conscious effort to deepen your breathing, you are putting yourself on the fast-track to a more relaxed day at work.
Something to think about.
Ultimately, unmanaged stress will kill you early and then you will not be able to earn money, spend time with your family or enjoy the wonders that life can bring. If you are spending your time focusing on stressful things and the above technique does not appear to be helping then get help. Most people who get ill and die early are those who did not ask for help until it was too late. There are plenty of free tips, resources and easy to use alternatives available to you but you will need to invest a little time in learning them.
Comments Off on Can Your Thoughts Can Heal Your Body?
Since opening my mind to interventions outside of nursing within the NHS, there have been a few barriers for me. I never really believed that the worlds of energy medicine and personal development were so easily accessible. In this week’s video I offer you an entry that I made last year in Zakynthos that encapsulates my thoughts on the subject.
Recently, City Connect introduced Adam Shaw and Walk Innovation. Read now more about Walk Innovation. This week Adam Shaw talks about Step 2 and you can watch his video here:
Welcome to Walk Innovation’s Active Energy System – Step 2: A technique to help you get more motivation, focus and health.
Step 2: Grounding…
“Grounding is to working with energy what water is to a swimming pool.â€
Adam Shaw
Once you have made the first step, the most important one of all, it’s time for the second most important step…..
Grounding is essential when working with energy as it connects you to the energy of the earth. If this doesn’t mean anything to you yet then I ask you to trust this process and be curious.
It only takes a second to do this and can be done anytime at anyplace.
Have fun walking now that you are properly grounded!
For more information on Walk Innovation click here.
Detoxing is something that I do occasionally to give my system a flush and raise my energy levels. The outcomes are increased energy, motivation and drive. Not to mention extra time, where I would have been eating.
The experience also comes with challenges. Not eating is not natural to most human beings. Changing the habits of a lifetime are never going to be an easy task. I have seen my will power stretched and undergone numerous trials and tribulations in the past week.
I have also listened to numerous opinions on fasting. Most people that I spoke to believed that they would not be able to last that long. Others have told me that there are better ways to detox and some just didn’t see the point at all.
Many people were impressed by my will power and wished that they could do the same. It is my belief that there are many beliefs that are incredibly restricting. It is never a case of not being able to do something like this – it is only a case of having sufficient motivation.
If your life was at stake you would most certainly be able to go a week without food.
Being a Health Consultant with a liking for coffee, chocolate, cake and pizza I take the rough with the smooth. Over the months and years I have reduced my intake of these foods and increased my healthy foods intake, yet I still enjoy indulging occasionally.
During the past week I have discovered the wonders of drinking hot water with lemon, lime, maple syrup and cayenne pepper – a veritable taste sensation. My daily drinks gave me more pleasure than I can describe!
I believe that life is about balance. Focusing too strongly on what you have denied yourself is the fast track to failure. For example, how many smokers stop smoking, only to start again? They are so focused on not smoking that they inevitably do. Only by focusing on the benefits will change ever last.
I decided to distract myself from food by focusing on what I did want. I wanted to take action on things that I was passionate about. One was feeling great (and I did during the fast) and another was running an event that could change lives in a positive way – and maintain the results.
Where do I begin?
I decided to ask the person who had made the most change in my life in a short time, Sidra Zaidi, to work with me. She agreed – that was surprisingly easy – all I had to do was ask. Secondly, we need an idea. A few hours with Sidra saw the creation of The Journey To Empowerment.
Thirdly, we need a date – we quickly agreed that we could both do the 6th December and that it was better to do it sooner, rather than later. Next we needed a venue – it seemed like a daunting experience having had no dealings with this before. So, I put a plea on Facebook for help.
Within minutes two people had given me leads. One phone call later we had a room booked at a reasonable price. Finally, we needed to create some advertising material. That night a good friend spent two hours on Skype going through our advert with meticulous detail.
The result – within two days I had taken an idea and made it real. Furthermore, I had even called another friend and arranged to get it filmed for future marketing material. This was what is possible when I channelled my focus into the benefits of the fast and the extra energy that I had. In this time I felt no hunger – hydration is a great replacement.
Fortunately, during my fast there was a time limit on how long I had to do this for. As I have no intention of giving up anything I was happy to indulge in several puff pastry mince pies upon my completion. I did this experiencing taste like I never had before.
I feel better now than I have all year – and that’s after my cake indulgence. Focus, balance, belief and action are an incredible combination.
How could you feel better right now?
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Comments Off on Emotional Intelligence at the Work Place
Poor emotional intelligence at work can lead to increased stress and sickness.
According to Mind, British businesses lose an estimated £26 billion each year in sickness, absence and lost productivity. With greater awareness and mental health support they said that businesses could save one-third on these costs – ‘a mammoth £8 billion a year.’ Increasing Emotional Intelligence at work will help to do this.
What is Emotional Intelligence?
There are many different interpretations of what exactly emotional intelligence is. I will only offer you my interpretation – “The ability to go swiftly to the place that feels the best in any situation.â€
How does this happen in the work place?
With the added pressure of a recession, lay-offs and cut-backs in the current work climate, it is more essential than ever before to gain a higher degree of emotional intelligence. When bosses or colleagues undermine, criticise or threaten you and you do not respond in a way that feels good then this is not emotionally intelligent.
Often at work employees have a problem with someone else and tell everybody except the person that it concerns or those who could do something about it. This divisive practice can cause stress, frustration and can translate into illness, low productivity and a factitious work force. Nobody wins when this status quo remains.
Over time this can cause hypertension as the stress response is triggered in the employees experiencing this. The result is often sickness or absenteeism. Worse still for companies is that employees experiencing these symptoms can be like a cancer for a business, spreading slowly through the system, via the channel of complaints to other employees.
Honesty is the best policy.
If you have an issue with anyone at work it is your duty as an employee to address the source. Do this by stating calmly and assertively how you feel, what caused it and how things could improve in the future. This at least gives the person who is perceived to be at fault a chance to address it and ameliorate the situation. They may even surprise you and were probably not aware how their behaviour has affected you.
If they are not so accommodating then you have every right to take it to their boss, or directly to the CEO of the company. If your issue is with the CEO and they are unreasonable then a new job may well be the answer – before your health suffers the inevitable demise that occurs.
If you are the CEO or department head then it is your duty to encourage an environment of honesty and constant employee feedback. By giving your staff freedom to express them selves honestly, you will be establishing the foundation for more emotionally intelligent employees.
A key factor in communication.
Often when faced with a loud and overbearing employee or boss it is tempting to reply in a softer, more dulcet tone. Just remember that when we are like each other we like each other. Often by matching the tonality of the person that we are communicating with, we increase rapport. Since our tonality represents far more than our language in effective communication, it is a useful tool to match the tone of the person who we are with.
Get it off your chest.
If you have an issue with someone at work then tell them. If you don’t, you may get ill and that would not be emotionally intelligent.
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When you start doing the more mundane tasks that have been building up it is easy to lose focus, energy and motivation as you feel yourself get progressively more stuck in unhelpful and unproductive thoughts. This can be debilitating and lead to stress, guilt and nothing getting done. When this happens it helps to do something that can improve your mood, focus, motivation and energy.
Unfortunately, life can be stressful. Worries over money, especially in these economically challenging times, can often divert focus of the things that are truly important in your life. By questioning your current focus and how happy you are, it is possible to save yourself a lot of pain down the line.
Money is vitally important in order to live a happier life, but at what cost is its accumulation having on you right now? This video offers you my opinion on the subject…
Thank you for taking your time in getting to know me. Your time is precious and can never be replaced. I truly appreciate yours used to connect with me here.
A different start in life.
I grew up within the grounds of a Psychiatric Institution. My parents both worked there, as nurses and we lived in the staff housing within the grounds. During my youth I used to answer the door to old ladies and gentlemen, sometimes in their nightgowns or pyjamas, asking for cigarettes. I saw many crazy, sometimes very funny things and people growing up.
I learned that laughter is a great gift.
Much of my time growing up was spent exploring the natural surroundings of the hospital, playing with my friends in nature and getting very curious about what mental health was.
After brief careers as a waiter, chef, banker, children’s counsellor and supermarket checkout clerk, I trained as a nurse in 1992. Here I discovered drugs for both treatments in the hospital and recreational use in the nurse’s home. I simultaneously worked part-time as a circuit-training instructor.
Did you ever experience a paradox in your life?
I found a health service that, although providing some critical and life-saving interventions, was very dependent on drugs. I also became dependent on drugs.
I was extremely fit physically, yet increasingly unhealthy mentally by being surrounded by sickness, death and various herbal and pharmaceutical interventions.
I have spoken with hundreds of people who were about to die and witness them realise what was truly important to them in their final hours.
Some people suffer because of things that they had done but couldn’t change. The people who suffer the most always get to regret what they didn’t do. Some had huge shifts in their final moments. If only they had been helped earlier, much pain could have been avoided.
Not only did patients suffer but many families were destroyed by the aftermath of a relative’s death and the unresolved issues left behind. Witnessing this several times led me understand that your heart is always guiding you. Unfortunately, many people become experts in ignoring these messages. Then one day a loved one dies and it’s too late to say and do the things that were unsaid and undone for so long.
Death is so final.
One day we will all be dead. In my experience, very few people consider this and what they hope to have done before that day comes. The only question that will matter at that point is what purpose did your life serve?
A very common theme in hospital was people full of regret because they spent so much of their lives investing money in their retirement, whilst compromising their happiness in jobs and relationships that made them feel trapped.
So many people waste the best years of their life being too unhappy to appreciate their health.
Many people hold regret about things that they could have done in the past. However, if you have any health at all then you can change. I became aware that all was not well in my world and that I was not particularly happy. Consequently, I used my nursing years to save up money and travel the world.
As others collected assets, I collected experiences in 6 different continents, spending over 6 years travelling overseas.
During these adventures I was caught up in riots, where hundreds of people died (I was not involved, just happened to be there!), earthquakes, hurricanes, pursued by gunmen on mopeds, rolled down a mountain in a vehicle with no seat belts and entertained by witch doctors at a party! These are just some of the adventures that I ended up on.
I then decided to leave nursing and discover the worlds of personal development, complimentary therapies and energy medicine. Despite spending over £100,000 on courses to find the answers to life’s questions I still felt that something was missing. Yet, I had no idea what it was.
For all of my classroom-based learning I realised that I was more productive and better able to think when I was on the move. It is a simple principle, yet incredibly powerful when used regularly. It fitted in with my time issues, as I walk anyway.
I realised that physical movement, when associated to learning, was the missing link to all that I had learned.
How was it possible that I had learned so many potentially powerful tools but was not using them regularly?
Time was my biggest issue and I stopped using my many tools for positive change and searching for something that I would remember to use regularly.
I then discovered my own method for enacting positive change at my pace.
By using a set of simple steps each time I walked I could work on my issues at my own pace, taking positive steps every day towards a better place.
In the past 3 years this process has led me out of a job and relationship that I did not love and into a life of discovery. I sold everything that I owned and used the money to learn all of the things that I had been putting off. I spent 3 years training in personal development, energy medicine and business-based courses.
Simultaneously, I took many risks, made many mistakes, had many hard lessons and ended up over £20,000 in debt. I had no assets and had to rely on friends and family to even be able to afford to eat. This was a humbling place to be and taught me many lessons. The main thing that I knew from this place was that I would never make a difference in the world if I didn’t look after myself first.
My natural instincts were to help everyone else and not ask for anything in return. Whilst this made me popular , I found that it was not working for me in the world of business. In order to help more people I had to help myself first. Installing this principle in my life and the lives of others is a key principle to having a healthier heart.
In the past, I would have dropped out and retreated back to my comfort zone, taken a job that I didn’t love and lived a life of mediocrity. However, this process has guided me towards many people who have supported me, believed in me and helped me through the toughest periods of my life.
Despite this, it was only discovering a renewed belief in myself that allowed me to pursue my goals and dreams beyond my comfort zone. This has led me to a much happier and healthier place.
Most of my interventions and resources will not offer you a quick fix for instant happiness. My path has been one of daily, positive steps. There have been ups and downs and still are. What is different now is that I have created a wonderful network of friends and my vision for The Healthy Heart Academy has carried me through many dark days along the way.
I believe that true health is accepting all aspects of oneself, balancing the less healthy aspects of my life with ones that restore balance. Through balancing any activities that may not be considered 100% healthy by some experts in the field, with the techniques that I have developed, I have cultivated a more harmonious relationship with myself.
It is my aim to not just improve the heart health of the world but also to create a movement that leaves a legacy of a healthier, happier planet for our future generations. I am not sure exactly how this will happen but I do know that unless I spend the rest of my life moving towards this goal then I will not be living a life that is true to my heart.
I invite you to join me. You can get in touch with me through City Connect or my website.
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Comments Off on Your Heart Attacks When Your Head Doesn’t Get It!
Your heart has a separate intelligence to your head and it will attack you if you don’t get the message. In this step we look at how to tune into the message of your heart.
Tune into the message of your heart or it will attack you eventually!
You can never be truly happy on any sort of consistent basis until you understand how your head and heart work.
Both have different functions.
Your heart communicates to you through your emotions. How you FEEL is your heart’s communication to your head.
Only by getting your head and heart in alignment will you truly optimise your energy. Your ability to tune into your emotions and act accordingly will determine how much happiness you allow into your life.
Tune into your emotions and trust them
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Why it’s OK to splurge on the important stuff if you don’t mind scrimping on the essentials!
It is true to say that I do love me a beauty product. I’ve never quite got the shoe thing though, I know for instance that Posh Spice is quite happy giving herself bunions pouring her feet into stilettos which could frankly kill a man in her quest to be the most stylish woman on the planet, but I have a confession to make… I prefer flats. There I’ve said it! And for me browsing the likes of Boots, Superdrug and the various online purveyors of beauty products is what I can only imagine shoe-addicts feel like in Jimmy Choo. They are my Mecca and I could happily spend half my salary on products with scientific sounding ingredients in them that promise to make me ‘glow’, ‘sparkle’ and ‘baby soft’, and when I was starting out in my career and not earning very much money at all I probably did spend half my wage on them, and that isn’t sensible.
So, how do I manage my love of all things beauty related without going overdrawn every month? Simple, I do the math and it goes like this:
Add - the beauty products you can’t live without
I sometimes find myself using the term ‘false economy’ to justify my purchases to friends who have less disposable income than I do and would balk at the prospect of paying over £20 on a lip and cheek tint. This is because every other (usually cheaper) lip tint I’ve had the pleasure of using has been a letdown in comparison to my trusted Benetint. That’s not to say they were not decent tints, most were quite reasonable in fact, but for me Benetint is a legend amongst tints. It is the Godfather of all tints and I would rather be parted from my childhood teddy bear than I would my Benetint.
Add – your (non budget-busting) essentialsÂ
For me it’s things like shower gel, sure there are brands and scents and even formulas I like more than others but I am happy to go with whatever is on offer to fund my tint addiction and ensure that I can buy the foundation which makes me look like I’ve had ten hours sleep every night.
Minus – lots of savings from being bargain savvy
Most stores regularly have great offers on like buy one get one free (BOGOF), 3 for 2 or ‘save 1/3’ etc. on tons of beauty products. This is a good opportunity to make some big savings on the things you needed to buy anyway. Even better, online stores often have an ‘offers’ page which lists the products that are currently on offer. Need antiperspirant and not fussy about which one you end up with? Go on the ‘offers’ page and see if there are any going cheap!
Plus, these days most online companies offer free delivery if you spend over a certain amount (check the website before you spend hours filling your basket to avoid disappointment though), so make yourself a list and do your toiletries shop monthly or bimonthly. If you are struggling to make the minimum order value needed to ensure you are eligible for free delivery (usually about £40) and you have a spare drawer, then think about stocking up on the items which you know you will use and that aren’t perishable – that way you won’t get stung on delivery charges.
Points are another great way of saving money and all the main loyalty schemes on the high street are free to join so there really isn’t anything to lose. I spend roughly £50 on toiletries and beauty products per month and I can sometimes amass £50 worth of points in a 6 month period (Tip: watch out for points events and make sure you use the coupons they send/give you for extra points and savings).
And so she lived happily ever after with perfectly tinted lips, no less
And so with beauty it really isn’t true that the more you spend the better quality product you get. Some of my favourite products cost less than a fiver (and even less if I buy them on offer), but sometimes you find a product which is a little bit more expensive but just works, and in those cases I’m happy spending more knowing I’m getting more. That’s the beauty of beauty though – it’s like a sweetie shop for grown-ups. So experiment, play with the testers and work out what you like…. Then wait for a points event and stock up!
Comments Off on Parasite Die-off Symptoms: Here’s What You Can do to Fight Them
Parasites – organisms living off their hosts – feed upon and reside in them. These hosts are other living organisms such as human beings. There are several kinds of parasites found within the different organs and systems of humans, such as thorny-headed worms, flatworms, and roundworms. These parasites intercept the nutrients consumed by their hosts, and in effect, leave them with only the leftovers. This, in turn, gives rise to nutritional deficiencies and parasitic infections.
Here, we help you take a quick look
at the die-off symptoms of human parasites and what you can do to keep them
off.
Die-Off
Symptoms of Parasites and Ways of Combatting Them
It’s seen that parasites die when an
effective “eradication agent†is given to the body. The inflammatory toxins
released by such agents are instrumental in giving warning signals to the body
to pay due attention to the presence of parasitic symptoms. They alert the body
to start their eviction mechanism as soon as possible. The article “12 Parasite Die-off
Symptoms and How to Fight Them†from Microbe Formulas explains that
teeth grinding and joint pains are two rarely thought of symptoms that can
indicate that an individual is being affected by intestinal parasites. The
intestinal and other parasites can be really uncomfortable. However, if the
body is well-equipped to handle the reactions, then the host can deal with the
parasites in an easier manner.
It is sometimes necessary for the
hosts to endure the side-effects and symptoms of die-offs of parasites. This is
because the cause behind the draining issues is often the parasites themselves.
If you’ve been suffering from nutritional deficiencies and infections inflicted
by parasites, then its time to start working hard to eliminate them at the
earliest. The more you strive to get rid of them, the more bearable these
reactions would become.
Parasite
Die-off Symptom: Headache
Once you start the process of
detoxification, the very first symptom that’ll come to the fore relates to
headaches. They’ll start taking place as and when your body falls in sync with
the parasite cleanse diet initiated by you. These
headaches may also occur courtesy the parasitic activities taking place within
your head. You may want to try a healing oil or other formulas recommended by
experts across your forehead, on the temples, and at the nape of your neck to
get instant relief.
Parasite
Die-off Symptom: Pains and Aches
Yet another agonizing detox symptom
rests in pains and aches of the muscles, organs, or joints. These discomforting
pains are a result of the toxic waste being ejected from the body systems as parasites face a die-off. You may
try Epsom salt or baths recommended by experts to eradicate skin toxins.
Handle
Parasite Die-off Symptoms Effectively
Regardless of the healthy
eating habits of hosts, parasites prevent the absorption of minerals and
vitamins into the bloodstream of their hosts. It’s very important to get in
touch with experts in microbe and parasite eviction to take care of your
health. You may want to start the process of natural parasite cleanse at the
earliest, how about today?
This week’s article is a little shorter and sweeter than the others, but it is important nevertheless. Last time I spoke about lip glosses but I feel like I needed to mention the all-important product to use on those magnificent pouty facial features… lip balm!
Lip balm comes in varieties of a gloss form, squeezy tube or the most common – the pot! Lip balms are designed to keep the lips smoother and crack-free with products ranging from gloss-balm hybrids to emollient lip balms.
I would always steer everyone to use the natural lip balms (made from natural ingredients or mostly natural ingredients) simply because of its purpose, it’s meant to be a care product to the lips and not a heavy-shine, glittery product. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with those hybrids but if you want to care for your lips then make sure you use a product that’s going to nourish them and keep them hydrated rather than strip them of their goodness.
When applying products to your lips you usually have the option of an applicator or your fingers. Both are going to an area of the face that will be higher in bacteria so make sure you have clean hands and keep an eye on the applicator – if it’s a stick applicator it might contaminate the rest of the product so try to apply as hygienically as possible!
If you suffer with painful cracked lips then avoid lip gloss-balms if you can as these will just make the issue worse. Try to keep to using natural lip care products.
If you have flakey lips then please exfoliate them. You can do this lightly with a toothbrush and make sure to apply balm afterwards to protect the top layer and almost mattifying the skin.
The weather can affect your lips greatly so pay attention to the changes and you may solve any issues you might have or are having. Also lack of nutrients or fluid in your system can cause the white line around the lips so take care of yourselves and keep those smackers nice, smooth and fresh.
They are a product that I really do need to use more of. I tend to use them a lot for a few days/weeks and then forget about it! However I don’t get insanely cracked, painful lips but I do get that annoying white line on the inner part of my lips (usually a sign of dehydration, so perhaps it’s drinking more water for me!)
Images reproduced from askafashionmodel.com, skintasticbeauty.co.uk and fabulousonabudget.com
The eyebrows are what frame the face and to shape them ‘correctly’ gives your face a little more pizazz, I am a huge lover of shaping eyebrows and filling them in and a firm believer of doing your own thing, so if you want Gothic mehndi style eyebrows or ‘scouse brows then go for it, I’m here to talk you through the products that are available to experiment with those brows!
First of all when it comes to shaping them you need to pluck them first, remove make-up and pop witch hazel on and wipe off to remove any oils and the plucking can almost begin, if you want the best from your natural shape then place the tweezers in a straight line aligned with the side of the nose, mark where it is on the brow (side of the tweezer that is closest to the brow) and that’s where they should start, then angle the tweezers in a 45 degree angle with the end positioned still against the nose, that is where the brow should stop, and then for the arch of the brow angle the tweezers or pencil another 45 degrees between the last angle, that is where the arch should start. You can also highlight the shape you want by using a white eyeliner as a guide, so you know where to pluck/thread. If you prefer to wax the lot off and draw them in then use that same method, or if you want avant-garde brows then experiment away.
Some people opt to have eye brows the same colour as their hair and seeing as brow pencils only come in natural colours it leaves the un-natural colours to use a replacement, that can be eye-shadow or eye-liner, when using eye-shadow you make it damp so it applies easier and doesn’t create a fall-out all around the eye brow area, you basically have more control over it when it’s damp, pencil eye-liners have a tendency to not be as long lasting as the eye-shadow technique and rub off a lot easier and have a slightly shiny appearance – try to set the pencil eye liner with powder if you have no eyebrow hairs and have solely used pencil.
Eyebrow pencils come in natural shades, there’s most variety in these kinds to suit natural tones, easiest application out of them all just sharpen and apply, when applying you apply from the bottom of the eyebrow and flick up gently for a less harsh block-brow look, making the pencil brows last longer and harder to smudge, apply a clear mascara over the top.
Eyebrow powder is a lot like the eye shadow, but it’s usually formulated to be water resistant and smudge proof, comes in a wide variety of natural colours and able to mix and match to your desired coloured a lot easier. The Urban Decay powder comes with a brow wax to hold the brows in place.
Eyebrow gel is a longer lasting than the pencil, it ‘stains’ the skin more and doesn’t rub off as much onto clothes or smudge easily, these are possibly the most expensive product for filling in and shaping eyebrows, and the downside is that they come in a smaller variety of colours, often sold in trios available in blonde, brunette and auburn. When applying with gel or shadow you use a firm angled short-haired brush, and apply on the underneath of the eyebrow and flick up for a hair look-a-like application and a natural finish, it is optional to use clear mascara over all types of these products but it does help a lot.
Images reproduced from hairremoval.about.com, amazonaws.com, candlelightmist.blogspot.co.uk and media.zenfs.com
This week I will be looking at lip primers which do the same as face and eye primers. They are designed to keep colour on for longer and making colours a little more vivid. I will also go into how to make your lips appear bigger and enhance their natural shape.
To enhance the natural shape of your lips there are a few easy techniques to follow before you make a knee-jerk reaction to get botox or fillers.
Lip primers either come in liquid form or solid like a lipstick. They really need to be moisturising for the lips which is why those kinds are more successful and popular with lip primers. Application is applying a small amount to the lips and making sure it has been fully blended out, sometimes lip primers are a nude colour and the application on the lips can give a pale effect, it’s just creating a base for the colour, most are colourless on application – but is for your information. A primer would go on just before you put lip liner & lipstick/gloss on. There are a variety of things you can do to enhance your lips just before you apply the primer.
Different Lip Primers on the market
Lip plumpers can be fabulous but I feel if you were to apply everyday you would build a natural tolerance to the sensation on the lips they give, which could make you think that it’s not working as well anymore, so for best results try not to apply it daily and stick to it being between special occasions or just use it now and again. Mint is a common ingredient in plumpers giving them a minty scent. Lip plumpers get the blood ‘rushing’ to the lips which gives off that pouty plump look. The texture of lip plumpers is often a thick liquid consistency.
Lip Plumper
Another tip to help smooth out the lips and prepare them for a lip plumper would be exfoliating. Please consider if you do this daily it may cause dry, cracked lips. Exfoliate when needed as this will get rid of the dead skin cells and the exfoliating beads will improve blood circulation to the lips, creating a slight plumping effect itself.
Lip Scrub by Sara Happ
Highlighting is a great effect that will make a difference. Applying and blending concealer out around the lip-line brings out the lips and gives an illusion of making them bigger. It’s a small and very easy tip, remember to line your lips with a lip-liner if you can as a little extra make-up around the lips might make your choice of lipstick bleed. Another tip – using white eyeliner does not work in this case, I have tried and it is not cute that’s for sure!
Lip liner is a product for delicate hands. What colour you use is up to you, keep it on the lip line especially after highlighting around the lips as this will create a very defined look and enhance the natural shape of your lips. Feathering the colour into the lip from the line will help blend the colour of your lipstick and have a more seamless effect. If you’re using similar lip colours, I wouldn’t advise you to do that for dark brown lip liner and a pale lipstick.
Blistex
Matte lip colours do look beautiful in red but they can sometimes make you look dehyrated or have a chalky appearance. Adding a tiny bit of a natural lip balm can blend the lip colour where it’s needed to stop the chalky look. Glosses made from natural ingredients or SPF like Blistex are the best choice because of their qualities. Sometimes gloss is used as another layer of colour and that can really make the lipstick come off after a short period of time. Lipcote, and other products like it, do a good job of keeping lip colour on for longer but it makes the colour bleed very easily so try to use minimal amounts.
Glitter glosses can enhance the appearance of cracks in the lips and they are a hard one to pull off at the best of times. For best results, use these glosses on smooth, plump lips. If you have dry or mature skinned lips, place a lip plumper on before using glitter glosses. Primers do have a tendency to help moisturising lipsticks last longer.
Images reproduced from fashionstylebeauty.com, strictlyesthetics.ca, jaleesajaikaran.com, bellasugar.com, makeupconnection.com, product.madeinchina.com, lipexfoliator.net and eyecandybeauty.blogspot.co.uk
Blusher is a less is more product, main use to give your face a bit more life and a fresher appearance, if you over-do it you will look like you’ve rolled around in your make-up bag.
You can get a variety of finishes and types of blush, from powder to cream – don’t forget to keep that blusher brush clean as you’re going over the same part of your face (possibly daily) and if you wonder why your skin breaks out it could be a need to clean your blusher brush.
You can apply blush and bronzer, mainly powder with a simple angled brush, preferably sized between a big eyeshadow brush and a powder brush, the angled brush can give you a great contoured effect on the cheek-bone because it is angled slightly and you really blend out the product neater and apply it better, I would say that an angled brush is perfect for highlighting and shading the face – you can apply down the sides of the nose, forehead, chin and cheekbones to give that (forgive me as I know it sounds ridiculous) ‘dimensional’ look.
Bronzer usually goes all over the face for a sun-kissed look, and blush is kept on the cheek-bone or apples of cheek, depending on face-shape – or your preference. Bronzer mainly comes in a shimmer finish, contouring powder comes in matte (so it doesn’t attract the light, making features thinner) and blushers come in shimmer, matte, glitter and finish, I personally think glitter blush should be kept for fun events as the glitter specs look like enlarged pores, matte blush can sometimes look chalky but can look really natural too, darker skins should make sure there’s no chalk in it so it doesn’t give a dull look on application, shimmer suits pretty much all skins – gives a glow too, powder blush comes in a wide variety of colours, from neon to the palest peach.
You can get blush in the form of a cheek-stain, these ‘stains’ are a great product they give long-lasting colour – I guess hence the name, ‘stain’, usually in blood red and shocking pink – the colour should dilute a lot when applied on the skin and definitely use sparingly! Gently apply and blend with the ring finger, try to avoid touching your face repeatedly with the applicator in the bottle, the stain works very fast so please make sure to give it a test-run if you’re new to the product. Stains usually are just applied on the apples of the cheeks. This applies really well on normal, combination and mature skins.
Creme blushers are like the happy medium between a stain and powder, it’s easier to apply than a stain but isn’t as easy to apply than a powder, this is also great for a dewy complexion and really only on the apples of the cheeks, you can slightly extend up the cheek-bone – more-so than with a stain, mainly because you have more control over application. Colours come in a slightly wider variety than the stain, and more to suit darker skin tones too, these apply really well to mature or dry skin because it’s more of an emollient than a powder blush that may go chalky.
Highlighters come in powder, liquid and creme form, and possibly other new forms I am unaware of, however, these are the ones I have used – my favorite to use is a creamy liquid, these types give the best dewy glow and fresh appearance – best applied on the cheek-bone and brow-bone. Powder high-light comes in matte and shimmer – best for the brow-bone, I would say matte highlight is best in theatre/stage conditions for areas like the cheek-bone as it’s not the most natural for day looks. Highlight usually has flesh-tone colours mixed with the ‘white’ because it comes across a lot more natural than bright white applied onto the skin.
I want to keep this as rule-free as possible and let you have a play about with the different types available, I mix and match mainly between powder blush and contouring but I do love to use stains and creme blushers, I just can’t use these kinds daily because the product builds up on my skin and just can’t ‘handle’ a daily application.
Comments Off on Primers: Is Your Face in It’s Prime?
Firstly – welcome to my first beauty post!
I will be posting weekly tips, tutorials and advice on things to do with beauty – topics that fall into that are make-up, hair and miscellaneous beauty products! Reader input is always welcome, be it questions, opinions etc, anyway, I digress and shall get on with this week’s post!
So, here we are, almost summer and the weather is hotting up, and you know what that means… sweat! Rather than having to touch up your make-up countless times in the day that it becomes the OCD of the season, you can try using primers – I know, these are one of the Marmite products in the make-up world, and I’m going to type-talk you through face primers today.
For those unaware what a primer is, it’s a make-up product designed to keep foundation on for longer by being a base for the foundation, smoothing the appearance of the skin and filling in fine lines.
There are many questions about whether these products are actually beneficial to keep foundation on for longer. If you’re one of the people that are worried it will cause break-outs, clog pores or sit heavy on the face – the real answer to this would be to assess the factors that affect your skin – everyone is different, common factors to think about are your skin type (are you oily or dry?) and your location – the skin is different if you live in the country as opposed to a very busy city.
There are a variety of primers out there for different skin types. When introducing a new product to your routine it can throw your skin off balance because for the first 2 weeks the skin trys to get accustomed to the new product – we’re talking about very small changes. However,  if you go bright red, itchy and sore on the first application, I don’t think you need telling twice to put the product down, step away and get yourself a cold compress!
Smashbox Primers
Primers cost between £7 to in excess of £30 and finding the right one for you can be expensive if not done properly, so here are a few tips for the various skin types. Mature skin suits gel primers more than liquid, it’s smoother and applies better to this type of skin. Dry skin (with exfoliating and moisturising depending on how dry you are) would also benefit with gel primers because dimethicone (polydimethylsiloxane) is a silicon based polymer found in gel primers that does wonders for smoothing the skin and makes gel primers a little more gentle on the skin as opposed to liquid ones. For areas that have a rougher skin texture, gel primers could help a smoother application of foundation with less irritation. Smashbox do a wide range of primers aimed at covering most skin types.
GOSH Gel Primer
Dimethicone can also be found in other non-primer products such as anti-chaffing gels. The Monistat anti-chaffing gel was creating waves on the primer scene a couple of years ago and, when compared to gel primers like the ones from Smashbox, was a third of the cost! Whether Monistat was a surprising multi-purpose cosmetic or a placebo due to price I shall leave up to you to decide.
Monistat Anti-Chaffing Gel
Oily and acne prone skin would better suit liquid and oil free based primers. Oil free primers in liquid form settle better on oily skin rather than gel primers which can sometimes add to the shine and make-up feels like it’s sliding off. I would advise those with acne prone and sensitive skins to also go for natural, perfume-free and oil-free primers so you don’t irritate the skin. NYX HD liquid primer is a US brand similar to GOSH and MAC and available to purchase online in the UK.
NYX HD Liquid Primer
As for myself, I fall into the combination dry/oily skin type. I do use a primer when I am going out to special occasions and/or gigs but sometimes I do not use a primer on days when I’m short of time and obviously I wouldn’t use a primer on days when I do not wear make-up. If the weather is really hot or wet, I will always wear a primer as it works wonderfully to make my foundation last longer and it helps make my skin look flawless.
On the whole primers are a great investment if you love to have that flawless look everyday or even just on special occasions. Primers – like all other make-up -Â are not gender specific. Both men and women can use them.
What are your opinions on primers? Do you wear them daily? Do you think they are a go-to beauty product? I’d love to hear about your experiences – good or bad!
Eyeliners are one of those products that can complete or completely ruin a make-up look. They are available in such a wide range of types and styles – it’s a product worth experimenting with, anyone can wear them, I would say the only market not suited for them would be children.
Glitter eyeliners usually come in ‘different colours’ – this is actually what fools a lot of people, the base of most glitter liners is actually clear and the glitter has the pigment. What gives you the best colour pay off would be to apply it over a coloured eyeliner or eyeshadow and layer the product if you can. Urban Decay did make great thick glitter liners, however, they now test on animals so I’m on a new product search. Barry M also do great glitter eyeliners – the glitter is smaller in their tubes.
Urban Decay Glitter Eyeliners
Colour liquid liners are a fun, funky and fab product. They can be used to make the eyes pop or really going OTT. Usually the consistency is a thick liquid and is often quite difficult to remove – which is great in terms of staying power but if you make a mistake it might mess up your look, so keep the eyes closed for a few minutes after application so it doesn’t print on the eye lid.
Liquid eyeliners for ‘everyday’ use (black or brown) are made by possibly every make-up company out there and must be one of the most used make-up products ever! The brushes can range from foam tip to a brush but the best kind to use for most control would be a firm short foam tip or brush simply because with a longer brush you don’t have the same amount of control and it’s more likely for the brush to go all over the place.
Kohl pencil eyeliners (also known as Kajal) have a little longer staying power than the average black eyeliners. Some people in the Western world have concerns about it because of its lead content but Kohl pencils in the UK do not contain lead. If you purchase a kajal pencil from overseas it might contain lead, I have some from Pakistan and they are absolutely fine for me. This type is used a lot by males, and is most popular in the East and usage dates back to 3100 BC when one of its uses were as a protectant – either from the sun or the ‘evil eye’, rather than as a cosmetic item.
Stila Smudge Pot Gel Eyeliner
Gel liners are a great product if you have a steady hand. You apply the gel eye liner with a very dense angled short-haired brush, this gives you the most control. They don’t yet come in every colour under the sun but this is the most ideal product for black eye liner as it lasts a very long time, doesn’t smudge easily and has more control on application, it is also a little easier to remove if you make a mistake as opposed to using a thick liquid black eyeliner. Also like the coloured liquid eyeliners, you should ideally leave your eye closed to wait for it to dry otherwise it will print and smudge, and it is always harder to remove those mistakes, and just saves time to allow it to dry.
Pencil eyeliners were once the popular choice. I remember being at school and the girls solely using pencil. These are great to line the rim of the eyes. Use white or a pale flesh tone to open the eyes and make them look bigger or use black for the smouldering smokey look. These are also available in a wide range of colours but I feel if you want the best colour pay-off and longer wear you should use the liquid ones and stick to using pencil liners for the common colours like black, white and greys as I think it’s better to invest in really good coloured liquid eye-liners. I personally find that pencil colours are not as strong and do not last even half as long as liquid colour eyeliner.
I use all kinds of eyeliners and love to experiment with each type however I mainly use the gel eyeliners at the moment because they really last a lot longer and I can do detailed flicks better with these kinds.
Images reproduced from galanisrock-diaries.blogspot.com, temptalia.com and shopchicks.com
Cosmetic powders are a classic item that has been in many a make-up collection for hundreds of years and through the years and with cosmetic science there’s now lots of different varieties available (and not containing lead anymore!) It is the cosmetic that can give you an over-all matte finish or a dewy glow. Some people can’t live without, some are indifferent and some don’t use it at all. The uses of powder are quite extensive, the main uses are to set foundation and concealer and mattify the skin and take away shine – a definite use in the media TV and film industry, other uses are cover-up, highlight, contour, dewy are just a few to name some of them. I have previously talked about highlighting and contouring so check my other articles out for that information.
Anyone can wear powder, unless you have an allergy to it, for darker skin the setting ‘translucent’ powder can look dull and ghostly on the skin I believe this is because of the clay ingredient in most white based translucent powders. Translucent powder is used to set make-up, it is applied over foundation and concealer to set the make-up, and also over creme blushers (applying over powder can make it hard to blend out and look cakey.) You can purchase mineral compact powders to give the face a healthy glow and a pearlescent look, the compacts are really beautiful as well as the effect it gives on application – if you apply this all over the face you may look very shiny so perhaps apply it where the light would naturally hit for that beautiful radiant glow.
Powders can also be used as a foundation, the options available in this variety are or creme-to-powder, heavy coverage and light coverage. The sheer cover range are probably the most popular for cover-up as a powder foundation, it’s use is to give the skin a flawless look and to hide any blemishes, popular with those that have scars or birthmarks, however, everyone can use this product and the form of this range is mainly loose powder. The other foundations that are compact ones are the creme-to-powder range, it is basically a creme foundation but has a powder finish. Foundations that are solely just powder give a light coverage, and a brush is needed to apply this type of foundation.
Take into consideration, if you steer clear of powders and powder foundations because it breaks you out, see what the factors affecting you other than the product itself, if the powder comes with a sponge applicator – you must clean it daily if you use it daily as the bacteria will absorb into the sponge and because it’s a sponge it’s even more prone to absorb and hold into it, so every time you re-apply with a dirty one it’s putting that bacteria back onto the face and back into the product. You can use a powder-puff, sponge or brush – just remember to keep your applicator of choice clean.
Image reproduced from makeupmole.com, beautifulmakeupsearch.com and cdn-ugc.cafemom.com
Comments Off on False Eyelashes: Fake It To Make It
False eyelashes is like clothing for the eyes it can enhance and widen the eyes so much, but if worn incorrectly or too many pairs will be extremely bold and a little OTT.
Strip eyelashes are the ones that are, well, the strip kind and these are the most commonly used false eyelash product, and surprisingly come in so many different varieties from natural to disco-fever, and when I say that I mean I own a few pairs of gold falsies! Always feel free to experiment and have a gander at what’s around, if you really look around – chances are you will find what you’re looking for. Prices of these can range from £1.99 – £10.00+ and my advice is if you’re looking for a standard natural pair, try looking at drug-store (Superdrug or Boots) brands (collection 2000 etc.) as they usually do their own and it’s a lot cheaper! Also look out for deals, usually you can collect bargains on eccentric styled lashes because they are harder to sell!
Individual lashes are more a product that’s used for weddings and special occasions, probably due to the time and effort to apply, not to mention that super strong adhesive you need! They are used loads by beauticians, and is one thing we trained with whilst doing beauty therapy. These come in the bog-standard naturals and vary in shape – small, medium and large so you can apply all around the eye effectively. These do give a much more of a natural look and are a closer alternative to eye-lash extensions.
Eyelash extensions are a cosmetic procedure made to last for a longer period of time than that of the other types, they can last up to months! They are a time-consuming process that must be applied by a professional, it is your choice where to get these procedures done but please take into consideration that one case went to a non-professional in a shopping centre and they used super-glue which almost blinded the client and they had to have their lashes cut off! Not ideal just before a wedding. The eye-lash extensions are a fabulous go-to for holidays or just if you want a break from all that curling and mascara applying, this is something I would love to try one-day as I think it looks stunning!
With false eyelashes, strip and individual, you can curl and I would advise you to apply mascara to blend the natural lashes with the false for a more natural look, clear, brown or black mascara is your choice for whatever type you have on! The lash adhesive available is also quite mixed, I love ones where you can apply to the lash with a tiny brush (remember to keep products like this clean and what your applying to clean) my reason for this is that’s the main style I’ve used for years and I like the control, the one I currently use a lot is the latex-free lash glue by DUO, it dries clear and also makes my life a lot easier if anyone was to have a latex-allergy! To test if you have one do a patch test on the bend of the arm or behind the ear and wait up to 24hrs, a reaction will usually be instant.
There are also lash glues in tube form and that’s the most common I find, just remember to squeeze the tube very lightly as it comes out quite quick! Some lash glues are black so match the eye-liner and to make application ‘easier’, I have not actually ever used this type but I hear it is effective. Try to avoid the little applicators that come with the eyelashes because they are a bit pants, sometimes they’re okay but it is easier for you to purchase a separate adhesive.
For individual lashes you usually use a stronger glue, this is so the tiny delicate few lashes will stay on better, this glue isn’t good to use for strip lashes, as it’s a strong glue in larger amounts will make the eyes water, and you don’t want to ruin that make-up! Remember if you get any in your eyes – remove immediately!
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Eyebrow gel is a longer lasting than the pencil, it ‘stains’ the skin more and doesn’t rub off as much onto clothes or smudge easily, these are possibly the most expensive product for filling in and shaping eyebrows, and the downside is that they come in a smaller variety of colours, often sold in trios available in blonde, brunette and auburn. When applying with gel or shadow you use a firm angled short-haired brush, and apply on the underneath of the eyebrow and flick up for a hair look-a-like application and a natural finish, it is optional to use clear mascara over all types of these products but it does help a lot.
