Dry brushing

With spring and summer being just around the corner, I have decided to add dry brushing to my beauty routine to prepare my skin for the warmer season (better to start early). I like to introduce new habits to my daily routine one at a time, because in my experience if I start too many things at once, I never follow through. Brushing your body is as quick and easy as brushing your teeth, it only takes 5 mintes in the morning, so it shouldn’t be too hard to stick with.

Dry brushing is said to have many benefits, not only for your skin, but for your whole body. It improves blood circulation, gets rid of dead skin cells and helps your body lotion penetrate deeper and, if it’s your thing, your fake tan to look more even. It also stimulates lymphatic drainage, gets rid of toxins and rejuvenates the nervous system of the skin. It’s even said to help improve muscle tone and reduce cellulite. It may sound too good to be true, but it’s practically free ( I got my brush on E-bay for a steal) so it doesn’t hurt to give it a try.

I like to do my skin brushing in the morning before I hit the shower (the water helps wash away the excess dead skin cells). If I can’t make time in the morning I still try to avoid doing it at night as body brushing feels very stimulating. I can definitely feel an energy boost afterwards.

The way I do it is that I start at my ankles and brush in light, upward strokes, towards my heart (because that’s the way the lymph flows naturally). I do the same with my arms, stomach and back. After trying it I can definitely confirm that I feel very energized afterwards. I could feel a tingling sensation in my skin (increased blood circulation) and it also feels very smooth to touch. All in all, I’m happy with the results so far and I will definitely try my best to keep at it, as you have to stick with it for a while to see the long term results.

 

 

 

Ripped

How to look better in photos

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First of all let me just start by saying that I find it strangely ironic to be giving tips on how to look good in photos. Those who know me they would say that’s kind of like Mr. Bean giving advice on how to apply winged eyeliner. More than anything I can relate to the feeling when you log on to Facebook on a Sunday only to find that there are pictures of you looking like Donald Trumps less fortunate twin next to your gorgeous friends all over your timeline. It’s not fun. However, this is actually possible to fix with a little practice. I’ve always been more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it, but the fact that after some practice, I’m now able to take pictures of myself where I don’t look like a crazy, drunken monkey, should give hope to everyone out there struggling with the same issue (white girl problems I know).
First of all, the single most important thing when you are being photographed is feeling comfortable. We often tend to look more natural when we don’t know we’re being photographed, than when we try to pose. The problem is of course whether you’re taking pictures for a personal blog or having your portrait taken by a professional, you do know you’re being photographed. For people who hate having their photo taken it’s not easy to “just be comfortable”. The only way to beat this is to practice. It may sound stupid and not to mention, vain to practice this. I still recommend to give it a go as these tips I will give you will not only help you be more photogenic, but also give you more presence, not to mention more charisma. So here we go.

New jeans

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I’m trying not to buy new clothes at the moment as I’m practicing a minimalistic lifestyle, but when I came across these ripped jeans from H&M on sale, I just couldn’t resist. They were practically free. These days I try to buy less quantity and more quality. However, I’m not perfect and I too sin sometimes. But they were really cool though, and they go perfectly with my favorite super-cozy knit. Have a lovely Monday everyone.

My top 10 wardrobe essentials

1.The blazer.
In my opinion a wardrobe is not complete if it doesn’t include a blazer. These days it can be worn with anything from a simple white tee, to a dressier silk blouse or a crisp white shirt for work. I prefer to have at least two different blazers. One simple black that can be worn with anything and one tuxedo version for a sexy night time look.

2.The white shirt.
My number two essential is a white shirt. Again I like to have at least two. One slightly over-sized mens shirt and one more feminine and fitted version, which looks super chic paired with high-waist skinnies or a pencil skirt.

Like a carrot

Carrot pants are so cool. On others. Oh, how I envy those super humans who can make anything from mom jeans to carrot pants look good (I tell you, if you can look good in mom-jeans you really are super human). Whenever I wear these kinds of pants I always feel like a giant ice-cream cone. It doesn’t help that my boyfriend hates them and thinks they are the ugliest pants in the world. White girl problems, I know.

Braids

Dreamscape

“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream”
-Edgar Allan Poe

Stripes

How to be to be really attractive

What is is that makes certain people so attractive? The majority would probably say appearance. We are very externally focused in today’s society, and many of us go to extremes in search of the “perfect” look. We want bigger lips, smaller waists, rounder butt-cheeks, longer lashes, higher cheek-bones, and the list goes on. We never seem to be satisfied, and are always in search of the next miracle product. I used to think like this when I was younger. When people talked about “inner beauty” I genuinely thought that what a lie told to people who were less fortunate in the looks departement. However as I’ve grown older I’ve noticed that there is definitely more to really attractive people than just appearances. I promise there is, I see it all the time. We don’t always realize it because we are so outwardly focused, but it really is all in the mind. How we feel about ourselves reflects on the outside. As a girl/woman in today’s society I know what it feels like to be under the constant pressure to be and look a certain way, believe me I have felt it (and still feel it) too. The thing is that no matter how much you fix the outside, as long as the inside remains the same you will never be happy. It’s the truth and sadly there are too many examples of this out there.