Thursday, July 26, 2012

Win a free divorce?

Now that the Olympics are about to start everyone is getting into the spirit of things and want to win things, in all sorts of competitions and I am no stranger to online competitions and trying to win free stuff, I have entered all sorts of competitions mainly cosmetics, but thats just what I am into, but trust me on Facebook, there are competitions to suit just about everyone, whether your looking for cosmetics, a hotel stay, a restaurant meal, car accessories, cakes, food in general, Speakers, Kitchenware etc, You name it you can find a competition for it. 

In general all the competitions I have seen on Facebook have all been quite tasteful, But today I came across the strangest and possibly the most distasteful competition Win a Free Divorce, on a cheating website http://www.maritialaffairs.com/. Who were trying to gain more members, 

This is wrong on so many levels, I mean firstly why are there even cheating websites? To Facilitate people who want to cheat on their husband or wife? Maybe I am one of those naive idealistic type people but I like to believe that cheating happens randomly and sporadically and definitely unplanned, I hate the thought that people would go out purposely searching to find someone to have an affair with, 
I guess its a really topical issue this week after it was revealed Kirsten Stewart cheated on Robert Pattinson, with The Snow White Movie Director. Everyone is still wondering what was she thinking? Anyway I personally think that the person who has been cheated on deserves all the sympathy, Why should someone who cheats be rewarded with a free divorce? Its madness!

I think a competition to win free marriage counseling would be better, I just think divorces shouldn't be encouraged, 

What do you think? How would you feel if your supposed love one entered such a competition?   

The Magic Wand of Beauty

Lately I have picked up a bit of a cucumber obsession, So many of my recent cosmetic buys have been Cucumber related. Check out some of the recent buys


I love this Cleansing Lotion, Mine is nearly all gone, and I am definitely going to buy it again, I love that i can put it on to a cotton wool pad and it removes Foundation, Blusher, Powder etc. I find it better than the Yes to Carrots Cleanser I bought for almost 3 times the price.   



I have been using this and the Cleansing Lotion for around 2 months and I think it does a great job. It's the first Toner I ever tried so I am interested in comparing it to something else when this runs out. 
This was an impulse buy, when I bought it I thought it was a cleansing lotion like my boots one, but actually its a cleansing gel, I like to use it in the morning to Freshen up. I prefer a Cleansing Lotion at night time though. 
I had been looking for eye cream for ages, but they are all mega expensive so when I saw this one at 2.49 I couldn't resist, I use this generally in the morning. I don't know how effective it actually is, but it feels good and smells nice.
I just like the smell and feeling on my lips, It does seem to keep my lips nice and moist. 


So why Cucumbers? What are the benefits? My love of Cucumbers in general started the time I had Conjunctivitis, Anyone who has suffered from Conjunctivitis will know just how horrible and iritated your eyes feel, The only thing that I could get to calm my eyes were cucumbers, They were so soothing and really helped to counteract the feeling of itchiness.


But the benefits of Cucumbers go far beyond soothing itchy eyes, They also have numerious skin benefits, As cucumber and your skin have the same level of hydrogen, Cucumbers can easily mask all your problem areas. It helps in soothing and softening your skin which can get you relaxed in no time. You can find cucumber in so many different daily beauty products from Face packs, facials, juice and many other things which can affect your skin. Some people refer to the Cucumbers as a magic wand  for all your skin problems because of its cooling effect!

I would like to try a skincare routine based only on cucumber related products, Here is my wishlist

1. Dove Go Fresh Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner Cucumber and Green Tea scent
2 Yes to Cucumber Soothing Eye Gel

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

You have to Fake it, to make it

I know there are a lot of people out there who swear by Fake tan, but I have never bought into the whole thing, mainly because I never really had to, My parents have been taking me away on continental holidays almost since I was born, So every year I always managed to get a natural sun tan, but in May I started my internship and found out that everyone in my office bar maybe one or two are obsessed with fake tan, They live, sleep dream it, So naturally or unnaturally as the case may be, I was sucked into the obsession.


On the 13th of July one of my friends from work invited me to go to the Irish St Tropez Spraycation in Swords and I got my first ever spray tan! We were very determined we ended up getting 2 buses to get there!


I am naturally a shy person, in certain situations, unusually not shy in front of men, but in front of girls i am extremely shy especially if i have to get undressed or change clothes infront of them which is weird because I shared a room with my sister all my life, and I never cared about getting changed if she was in or out of the room.  But with friends i feel so awkward.


Anyway before the spray tan I was stressing out to the max and almost thought I would cancel it, I genuinely didn't know what to expect other than obviously having to take off all my clothes I was worried it was going to be too dark, or I wasn't going to like it and I'd have to keep it for a week.
The last thing I wanted was to look like Katie Price's Victim Boyfriend apparently she got a tanning license recently so beware lol, The Daily mail described it as a radioactive hue. I laughed my ass off lol




But once it began I was grand, they gave me some paper knickers and I was able to get undressed behind a curtain and I went topless, and the whole thing was grand, all the anxieties were pointless.


The Tan lasted about a week and everyone told me it really suited me and so on. My boyfriend didn't like it, but I knew that was going to happen because Chinese people are more into becoming paler than darker, and one of my african friends said he couldn't see a difference thanks lol. I think he would go bananas if he knew how much the whole thing would cost,


I got a few free samples afterwards St Tropez Gradual Tan and St Tropez Wash off lotion which was cool, I don't know if I have been converted to a fake tan lover... but I'd definitely recommend at least trying Fake tan this summer, since your not going to see any sun this summer in Ireland... although today was unusually sunny, Maybe its the turning point of our summer....



Friday, July 20, 2012

Lets keep it clean people!

I had heard a lot of talk about Yes to Carrots, like its got all natural ingredients, they don't test on animals, its not overly expensive and so on. So I was feeling positive and thought Yes to Trying new things and bought the Yes to Carrots Daily Cream Cleanser, What a mouthful lol!


When I got it home I realized that it was not exactly what I was looking for, I am the type who likes to use a cleanser with a cotton wool pad, but this is a cleanser that is supposed to be used on a wet face and rinsed off.... But I took it up as an either or type thing. I wonder if thats a bad thing....  I just think those rinsing off products are such a pain in the neck, not literally, but thats why I don't use Facial scrubs and Face masks that often too much effort lol. 


Anyway for 6.09 euro could it really be all natural and good? I did some research I hope its not boring...  




Full Ingredients 
WATER (AQUA), 


SODIUM COCO SULFATE,
Sodium Coco Sulfate is a naturally derived alternative to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in flake form. Sodium Coco Sulfate is derived from pure coconut oil. It is an additive that allows cleansing products to foam.






GLYCERYL STEARATE
As seen in this post on Cyclax Oil of Evening Primrose Night Cream It is derived from Palm Kernels...

STEARIC ACID, 
Stearic acid is one of many fatty acids that occur naturally in various plants and animal derivatives. It's found in such products as animal tallow, cocoa butter and vegetable fats, Stearic acid primarily fulfills the role of a thickener or hardener in Cosmetic products. Stearic acid also acts as an emulsifying agent, meaning it binds together materials -- such as oil and water -- that would usually separate.

ALOE BARBADENSIS (ALOE VERA) LEAF JUICE*

CETYL ALCOHOL,








Cetyl alcohol is used in almost every skin and hair care product. It's a fatty alcohol used to help control the consistency of products. It's derived from plants and animals and is a non-ionic surfactant. It's often used in skin care products to moisturize dry, rough, scaly skin. Your skin becomes dry when water loss occurs; cetyl alcohol helps pull moisture back into your skin. Cetyl alcohol also helps protect your skin by shielding it from irritation, such as wetness. This is the very reason why diaper rash medications use cetyl alcohol in their formulations, according to the website Health Square.


CELLULOSE GUM,
This cosmetic-grade emulsifier is non-toxic and non-allergenic. Cellulose Gum (also known as methylcellulose) is a natural thickener.


GLYCERIN,
Glycerin is a neutral, sweet-tasting, colorless, thick liquid which freezes to a gummy paste and which has a high boiling point.
 DAUCUS CAROTA SATIVA (CARROT) ROOT EXTRACT*, 

PUNICA GRANATUM (POMEGRANATE) EXTRACT*

TOCOPHEROL (VITAMIN E), 
Vitamin E has been proven to assist the skin in various ways and has a very beneficial effect to help prevent premature aging.

  • It protects the skin from environmental pollution
  • It has a protecting action against UV radiation – although it cannot be classed as a sunscreen
  • It is an excellent moisturizer It contains powerful anti-inflammatory action – and this prevents premature aging, as inflammatory conditions in the skin is a leading cause of skin aging
  • It has excellent wound healing properties
CAMELLIA SINESIS (GREEN TEA) EXTRACT

SPIRULINA MAXIMA EXTRACT* HONEY EXTRACT*,

 BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA BUTTER),
Shea Butter is Derived from the seeds of the African Shea Tree. It helps retain moisture and lessen the loss of water by forming a barrier on the skin's surface. Secondly, it also works to reduce the appearance of rough patches and dry flakes on the skin. 

SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS (JOJOBA) SEED OIL
Jojoba oil is a yellow liquid wax pressed from the bean of the desert Jojoba plant. It contains a waxy substance, similar to skin sebum, which gives a silky smooth feel. Jojoba has excellent moisturising and protective effects


CITRUS AURANTIUM DULCIS (ORANGE) FRUIT EXTRACT*,
The fruit extract and oil comes from the flesh of the sweet orange and is most commonly used in skin care for its remarkable exfoliating properties, smoothing fine lines, stimulating new cell growth, and replenishing moisturization and thickness of the epidermis. Packed with alpha hydroxy acids, orange fruit extract has demonstrated significant effects on keratinization, as well as stimulating collagen and elastin syntheses, and minimizing damage to sun damaged skin.

HELIANTHUS ANNUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, 
Sunflower oil is expressed from sunflower seeds. It has a very high level of linoleic acid, which demonstrates superior skin compatibility and increases the moisture content of the skin (skin hydration is proportional to the level of linoleic acid in the skin).




COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) OIL, 
Coconut oil is extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconut harvested from the coconut palm.  The oil contains antioxidant properties and helps in the healing of skin infections and bruising. Coconut oil’s emollient properties make it a popular choice for cosmetic products, used to moisturize and soften skin and hair. Coconut oil is said to be effective in treating dandruff, dry and itchy scalp, dull hair, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, and is used in many anti-aging skincare products. Coconut oil adds a protective layer, helping skin to retain moisture. It is also suitable for sensitive and irritated skin. Coconut oil is also an effective lathering agent, often used by cosmetic and soap makers.


PHENOXYETHANOL,
Phenoxyethanol is used as an anti-bacterial in cosmetics as well as a stabilizer in perfume.

POTASSIUM SORBATE, 
Potassium sorbate is a white crystalline powder that has antimicrobial properties. It prevents prevent the growth of molds and fungi

XANTHAN GUM, 
Naturally produced by carbohydrate fermentation of sugars. Xanthan Gum is used as a thickener. Xanthan gum is frequently added to semiliquid cosmetics and lotions. Adding xanthan gum to cosmetic agents allows for a smoother, more even application. Xantham gum can also be found in medications and pills, and has been used alone as a synthetic saliva for people who suffer from dry mouth. 

PROPANEDIOL, 
This ingredient is the perfect glycol alternative for formulations where non-petroleum based ingredients are desired. Benefits include its high purity, lack of skin irritation or sensitization, improved humectancy, excellent aesthetics and environmentally sustainable nature. It is currently being used in many major hair and skin care brands around the world.


Conclusion 
The only ingredient used in this product that should be of any concern is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, as it is linked to another ingredient that is known to be harmful to people. But ultimately for the most part I like this product, its lasting a long time, the packaging is nice and it does smell lovely not at all carroty, more floral I think.:) I have also bought the Yes to Carrots Day Cream :) I will talk about that another time.



Sunday, July 15, 2012

Too Cheasey?

               
I have an asian boyfriend, anyone who reads or has read any of my other blogs like Wrapped in a Chinese Leaf will know this. But anyway while we were dating my boyfriend's friend went back to China for a holiday and when he came back he gave me and my boyfriend a gift couple T shirts! Apparently in asia; China, Japan, Korea, they are really popular not so much here.... 



What do you think of Couple Tshirts? Me and my boyfriend use our couple Tshirts as pyjamas, Whether you love or hate the idea, You will be interested to know that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have been spotted wearing matching outfits! 


I am hooked on all things Kardashian at the moment, The next perfume I want to buy is Khloe and Lamar's "Unbreakable" It doesn't seem to be available in Ireland yet. :( But I am keeping my eyes peeled

This is one of my Favourite pics of Kim and Kanye West. Its so natural and cute.