I've packed up and moved..

Hi Guys, I've moved my blog. To view new posts, please visit http://blogs.women24.com/whosthefairest/

lots of love :-*

Oh no! Stretchmarks!!

What next?

Hello my loyal readers! So I haven't posted anything in a little while, because just like everyone else, I've been a little preoccupied. 

I was thinking of posting something about liquid eyeliners, but a very good friend of mine called me up and asked me to post something about stretchmarks - she's pregnant and stretchmarks have become a real and concerning factor for her. Now I normally only blog about products I have received and used. Although I like to share my opinion about beauty and the like, my blog is actually intended for the purpose of testing and reviewing products for your benefit, so that you know if it works and how it works, before you buy it.

Now I don't have any products specifically designed for stretchmark removal to review for you tonight, but I know that the stretchmark factor is an issue for all women, and maybe I have a few tips up my sleeve that can assist. 

First thing's first

I just want to put this out there before we start, because I really feel that it's important to get the right message across; stretchmarks are normal and natural. They are as normal and natural as freckles and wrinkles. They come with exposure and age. The modern world has shaped our opinions of beauty to such an extent that normal and natural are no longer acceptable standards of beauty. Society has trained us to believe that we need to be so skinny that if you were to look at your naked reflection in the mirror, you would need to see some sort of bone (hip/ribs/collar) protruding or you're too fat. Society has taught us that even when you're 50 years old, you need to be blemish and wrinkle free. Society has brainwashed us to believe that freckles are blemishes, flaws, ugly...

Society has warped our opinions about what beauty is to such extreme, that when our bodies go though normal changes that come with age and exposure, we cringe and no longer feel sexy. Some of us never even get the chance to gain any sex appeal. We've stopped loving ourselves before we could even start. This is by far the saddest thing society has done for us - taught us that we cannot love ourselves as we are. What's worse that a nation of women who can't love and embrace themselves as they are? Worse than a nation of women who will never be good enough? To me, this represents a nation of women who'll settle for anything, because they don't believe they're deserving enough to fight for more. 

What are stretchmarks?

Stretchmarks are a normal process, where when the body changes due to pregnancy or sudden weight gain, and the skin cannot cope. They are injuries to the dermis layer of the skin; elastin and collagen fibers in the skin, snap. If you don't want stretchmarks (that would be everyone now) then it would be in your best interest to avoid getting them first and foremost, and in order to do that successfully, you need to understand how you get stretchmarks. As I've explained, you get them from sudden weight gain. Don't let the word "weight" confuse you now. What I really mean is, sudden growth, which could come from gaining fat, sudden body changes due to pregnancy and puberty and even over doing it at the gym (gaining too much muscle mass too fast). Secondly, understand that this sudden form of "expanding", is a bit of a stressful experience on the skin. As some of these things are a part of life, and therefore pretty much unavoidable, the only other option is to try and relieve some of that stress that the skin is going to go though.

Avoiding stretchmarks... well as much as one can avoid them that is...

Think about it, if the elastin and collagen fibers are snapping due to the extreme pressure put on the skin, an obvious prevention tactic would be to add elasticity to the skin. If you know that you are putting your skin through a tough time, try and moisturise up to 4 times a day. They say that it works best with cocoa or shea butter. I know you hate to hear this, but please try and get some exercise in. Stretching and warming the skin up will help it cope with sudden pressure. Also, dry brush. Dry brushing will stimulate the skin cells, will improve blood circulation and will promote faster cell regeneration. 

How about getting rid of already existing stretchmarks?

So you've read everything I've had to say about loving yourself as you are, and it caused you to puke a little in your mouth. And you've read everything I've had to say about preventing stretchmarks, which is all fine and well, but you already look like a road map, so this far everything I've told you is pretty much useless and you're wondering why you've even read this far. Well that's because you knew I was saving the best for last ;-)

When you notice a new stretchmark pop up - that bright red or purple "rip" that will appear on the skin almost over night - you need to tackle it right away. Firstly, DRY BRUSH. This will stimulate cell regeneration witch will help heal the scar faster. Moisturise. Chances are, that stretchmark started off small, and will be followed by more, so stop it in it's tracks. Exfoliate the area 3 times a week. This will help remove scar tissue, thereafter, apply tissue oil, this will also promote cell regeneration where the scar tissue has been scrubbed off for a better appearance once it's healed. 

I don't believe that the skin will ever look the same again, but you can do your best to lighten the scars to a point that they're barely visible anymore. The scars will lighten as they heal, and exercising to tone up will help them appear smaller as the skin firms up. Your skin colour will be the ultimate reason your scars will be visible or not at the end of the day. The lighter your skin, the better, as the scar tissue doesn't have any pigmentation. Fake tans would probably reduce the appearance of them too if you have darker skin and want to flaunt your booty on the beach - I can't be sure of this though, I haven't tried it, so don't shoot me if it doesn't work for you. 

Tip

Treat the stretchmarks as best you can, but don't let them ruin your life. I can assure you that when you are standing butt naked in front of your man, he doesn't see your stretchmarks, cellulite or muffin-top. He sees that he's gonna get lucky and that's all he needs to know. You're only as sexy as you feel, and the sooner we women realise that beauty isn't about being perfect, the sooner we can start loving ourselves again.

Night night my pretties ;-)

Oily hair weighing you down?

Are you bright?

I'm an advert kinda gal. I'm sure most of you just re-read that sentence 3 times and still can't figure out what I mean. I love advertisements. I watch them like most women watch romantic comedies. I laugh, I cry, and when it's over, I spend the next hour pondering over what I've just lived through. 

I remember an advert that used to air on 94.7 when I was a teen. I must have been 15 or so. Now I've always had a bad skin - I started getting zits when I was just 10 years old - but at the age of 15, you start to notice boys, and that is when you start to notice a few things about yourself. This is very likely the only reason I remember this advert. It was an ad for an ointment designed for teens and their oily skin; "When someone tells you you're bright, do you automatically assume that they're referring to your intelligence?"

Oily skin is more than just a problem for your face. Yes, your pores are bigger and your make-up only lasts a half an hour, but it also causes a lot of people to have oily hair. I'm one of these sufferers. My scalp is dry, but the hair around my face and forehead always becomes oily because it's just so close to this oil-producing-organ of a face. Oily hair sucks. When I look at other people with oily hair, the first thing I think of is dirty. When last did this person wash their hair? Come to think about it, when last did they bath? And then I get a mental image of trying to bath a cat...

Yes, oily hair can say a lot for you, even if it isn't even really about you. 

Matrix Biolage; Oil control treatment

Don't even waist your money. 

What is this product supposed to do?

So the myth goes, if you have an oily scalp, and your hair is starting to look a little greasy, just spray some of the product on the scalp, and comb it through the hair. They say that it can be used on damp or dry hair. It purifies the scalp and minimizes the effect of oily hair. 

What does this product do?

Well, if you're really desperate, and you don't have time to wash your hair but you don't want to go out looking like you just woke up from a nap on Julius Malema's face (seriously, someone had that man some Garnier), then sure, I suppose the wet-look will do just fine. If people ask, just tell them that there is this organic farm, where you pay a sh*t  load of money to have your hair styled by this really artistic cow, and you even need to book your appointment 3 months in advance if you want to get in... You might just start something..

Or you could wash your hair, because you don't want people to worry that you don't bath. I think it must be pretty embarrassing to be minding your own business when suddenly the person next to you screams and hops into the air in a fit of smacks because they think they might of spotted something running on your scalp...

Tip

Use baby powder. Seriously. If your hair is oily, and you're looking for a quick fix, sprinkle some baby powder on your roots - not too much, you don't want to look like you have dandruff - and comb it through the hair. You might get a bit of static, but at least you won't look like you tried to masque with vaseline. 

Night night everyone, get some beauty rest, and remember cleanliness is next to Godliness 

Tips, tricks and quick fixes

Natural beauty

I don't know about my readers, but I have to work flippen hard just to step out the front door in the morning. My hair needs taming, my face needs covering and my tummy needs some sucking in. Yes I know it must look pretty "put on" at times, but it's either that, or it's... me. So for the sake of other's, it's the "put on" version. I don't know what natural beauty is, or if it's a real thing. How much of it is natural and what is my idea of natural vs the next person's idea of natural. 

Today I've decided to do a post for those of us that lack a little "natural beauty". I'm not saying that we're not beautiful the way we are, but we all have that one, two, maybe three things we don't like about ourselves, but love on our favourite celeb. If you know what I mean, read on, this is for you.

The "fat" issue

This is by far one of the biggest issues in the world today. Mostly because if people aren't obese or anorexic (both equally dangerous and unappealing to the eye), they're of a healthy, normal weight and still hate themselves. Face it woman, we will never feel thin enough and we'll never reach that "goal weight". The key is to feel good about yourself as you are. It's time to start loving yourself. Look in the mirror and look past the curves you don't like while acknowledging the curves you do. Also, start dressing for your body shape. You'll be amazed at the difference it makes. 

I have found that when I eat too much junk food and I start to feel bloated and sluggish, I start to feel "fat" and unhappy with myself, so my advise would be; try adding healthier things to your diet, without cutting the things that you love out. The moment I have to eliminate an item from my diet, I crave it. Don't eliminate, add. Also, exercise. I know, I know, it's sh*tty, you don't have the time, you don't have the motivation, you don't know where to start, every time you start, you just end up quitting. I know it. I come home from work and know I have to exercise, but let me tell you, the biggest obstacle of all, is that inner dialog your have right before you do, or don't exercise; "I've had a long hard day. I was stuck in traffic, look how much time I've lost already, I don't have time to exercise. I exercised yesterday, maybe my body won't notice if I skip it today. I know I had one too many cupcakes for lunch, but I did run up and down the stairs a few more times than usual." - if you're laughing, you know exactly what I'm talking about. And guess what, in the 20min it took you to experience this inner turmoil, you could have been halfway through your routine already!

Even if you feel like the exercise isn't doing much for your weight, it will do wonders for your self esteem, and, muscle weights more that fat!!

Dry brushing

Dry brushing does wonders for the skin. It detoxes,  gives the skin a healthy glow by getting rid of all the dead skin cells, helps blood circulation (which in turn assists with skin tone and cellulite) and boots your immune system. This is something everyone should be doing and there is no excuse. Get yourself a body brush, and in a circular motion, brush the skin all over just before you pop into the bath or the shower.

Healthy hair

I'm sure you've heard the one about egg yolks in the hair? To be honest I've never tried it, but please feel free to let me know if you have and it's worked for you. I've heard of rinsing the hair with vinegar for a healthy shine, but who wants to walk around smelling like a fish and chips shop? At my last visit to the hairdresser, after my hair was washed, the hairdresser asked the lady washing my hair to rinse it with vinegar. She poured plain old white vinegar over my hair and let it settle in a bit, before finally washing it off. My hair looked fantastic, and they claim it is an age old trick. Try it. Let me know what you think.

Glowing complexion

I recently tried something I saw on Pinterest; wash your face. Take a teaspoon of olive oil, and rub into the skin. Steam face with olive oil still on, by filling the basin with boiling hot water and resting your head over it with a towel over your head. Once you've had a good steam, wipe excess oil off with cotton. Then make a paste with bicarb and water massage into skin, focus on blemishes (warning; this may burn). Once done, rinse off and then wipe face down with pure lemon juice (warning; this may burn even more). This, done twice weekly, will not only clear skin, but will even get rid of old scar tissue. The olive oil softens the scar tissue and blemishes once warmed up and the steaming helps it get in as deep as possible. The bicarb scrubs off those softened cells and the lemon juice will promote cell regrowth. 

Another things you can do for your face: for acne, scrub face with a homemade paste of cinnamon(1tp), nutmeg(1tp) and honey. They say this is the fastest fix for breakouts.

That's it for now my beauty queens. I normally finish my posts off with a tip, but since tonight's post was full of tips, maybe you can send me a few?

Night night 

My new favourite thing :-D

Girly girl...

I'm a shallow person. I know it. No body needs to tell me, I'm fully aware of it myself, as I am after all, fully aware of myself :-P

I think the point I was trying to make was; I like pretty things. I love them when they're in pink. I can't go through a single day without spotting something I love (and yes, I WILL spot something I loathe too, with equal passion). I love heels, handbags, make-up, healthy chic hair, oh and, all things pink. I will discover something new, absolutely love it, make sure everyone else loves it too, and then move on to something new. Today I have a new favourite thing, and it's not in pink...

Sally Hanson - Magnetic nail color

it's PURPLE!!

Oh my heart. People, this product is exactly what it looks like. It's a combination of beauty and science, beauty created through science. It is quite simply, awesome.

How it works

This product is very much like a normal nail polish, in that it comes in the regular packaging. Apply one coat to all the nails and allow to dry. Once you're ready to apply the second coat, get the magnetic cap from the nail polish bottle ready, apply the second coat to the first nail and then rest the cap on the skin just above the nail about 1mm or so from the nail's surface (you'll see that the cap is designed to rest easily like this, so you won't mess it up). Count to ten, you will immediately notice the colour pull and then you can move on to the next nail. Once all the nails have dried, you can apply a top coat to keep the colour lasting longer.

All good things must come to an end

I have but one negative thing to say about this brand of nail polish - it doesn't take long to start chipping off. Look if there's one thing I hate, it's the look of chipped nail polish on a woman's nails. If you can't keep your nail polish perfect, take it off. If you walk around with chipped nail polish on your finger nails, you look like a crack whore in withdrawal. I'm sorry, but someone had to say it. Most people will probably just stare. People who know you a little better, but not all that well, will start to wonder about your hygiene standards. Strangers will pull their children closer in the hopes that the child doesn't catch hepatitis B just by the mere sight of you. Yes people, chipped nail polish looks that bad. Don't do it to yourself; you wouldn't wear torn clothes to the mall, you wouldn't be caught dead in public if your mascara was running down your cheeks and you wouldn't leave the house if your red lipstick was smeared along your jaw line, so how is this any different? Just.don't.do.it. 

Tip

I see a lot of girls going without any nail polish on because "it's too much effort", or "it takes too long to paint my nails" or "If I try paint my own nails, I end up painting the whole finger". Well, boys and girls, we can't all be Picasso now can we, but that doesn't mean that we can't pretend to be artists and just have fun with it. I'm not Gordon Ramsay, but I'm not going to starve to death because of it, I still need to eat. 

Try using a Q-tip to apply petroleum jelly to the skin around clean, buffed nails. This will make it easier to remove any nail polish that has gotten on the skin during the art of nail painting. You can also dip the Q-tip in nail polish remover and use it to remove the nail polish from the skin after you've painted your nails. I, however, find that the best way to do it, is to just go wild and ensure that the entire nail is painted, and once it's dry, I hop in a bubble bath and allow my skin to soften up. Just before I get out, I use either the sharp tip of a nail file, or a push fork knife to scrap any excess nail polish off my fingers. It works like a charm!

Night night my beauty queens, next time I see you, I want to see clean colourful nails ;-)

Wild thing

Shout out

First and foremost, I'd like to send a shout out to that one awesome person who commented on my last post and said they really enjoy my blog; you rock, you awesome person you, and I'm not just saying that because you are my one and only reader ;-)

To condition, or not to condition, is that even a question?

You know that sound when the dj  stops a track and it scratches to a halt? Or when a car slams on it's breaks and they scream and shrill? Or when a room full of doctors and nurses simultaneously gasp when the woman in the delivery room gives birth to a hairy beast with 1 eye when they were expecting a cute little baby? Well that's the general reaction I have when I hear that someone either doesn't use conditioner, or only uses condition once in a while. Don't get me wrong, it's not because I feel that using conditioner after shampoo is as to hair as moisturiser after face wash is to skin, it's just, I can't even get a comb though my mop if I even attempt to use a cheap conditioner. It's as if my hair is this stuck up little poppie and nothing but GUCCI or Louis Vuitton will do...

What kind of personality are you?

Everyone has a different hair type, even people who think they have the same hair type, don't, going to a hair dresser to get the same hair cut will prove this (I speak from experience). Sometimes I feel all alone in this world. There is one thing I seem to have in common with most people though; damp weather really ruins my hair, only, instead of becoming bouncy and full of volume, my hair loses it's style and falls flat. If a cow licked  me it would look more flattering. I therefore cannot speak for anyone else but myself, when I talk about what hair problems I have, and what works for it. I do however think, that most woman feel the same as I do when I say that most days, I'm convinced my hair has a personality of it's own. Not only does my hair have personality, it has moods. It has fat days and thin days. It has leave me alone days and I'M ON TOP OF THE WORLD days. Sometimes it's happy, sometimes depressed. We fight a lot. We make up though, which is a good thing, as I can't picture us apart. I found a good therapist though - Elvive.

L'oreal Elvive

What I love about the Elvive range is; they seem to have a product for every mood of the week. When my hair is feeling depressed and limp, and doesn't want to see anyone, I use the Nutri-Gloss. When my hair is feeling over worked and stressed, I use the Re-Nutrition. When my hair is having a good day, and I want to keep it that way, I use Volume Collagen. For everyday use, I use Colour-Protect. This is like an entire range developed just for me, and I love it. Thank you L'Oreal, because of your hair therapy, my hair and I are not only still together, but our relationship is healthy and happy!

What about you?

I have no idea what kind of hair my readers may have, but what ever it is, and how ever your hair may feel, I'm sure Elvive has a product just for you. Give it a try, I swear you'll love it. 

Tip

If you colour your hair a lot, or you blow dry it, or use a straight iron a lot, why don't you get yourself Elvive's Re-Nutrition (or Damage Care) hair masque? When you bath or shower at night before you go to bed, towel dry your hair, apply a generous amount of the masque to the hair, massage in, wrap a warm towel around your head, and leave in over night. You'll find that after you've rinsed it out the next morning, your hair will be as soft as a baby's bottom. 

Well that was short and sweet, night night everyone, go get that beauty rest ;-)

Happy Skin

What makes your skin happy?

As much as I like to go on and on about how important it is to maintain some sort of beauty regimen, including but not limited to putting your face on in the morning before you leave the house, at the end of the day, the happiest face, is a clean healthy face. Wearing make-up all the time can clog up the pores and dry out the skin, that's why it's so important to make sure that you remove your make-up and clean your face before you go to bed at night. This will allow the skin to relax, and breathe during the night while you chase your dreams.

What kind of cleanser are you looking for?

You need to make sure that if you are skipping the make-up remover, that you are using a cleanser that can remove all the make-up successfully as well as unclog the pores and exfoliate the skin to get rid of dead skin cells. I personally think exfoliating is one of the best things you can do for your face. After you've exfoliated, your skin is softer, smoother, it glows, and it has a healthy bright colour to it. Skin that is exfoliated regularly is also easier to apply make-up to. The make-up will also look like it has a better finish. 

What kind of cleanser should you avoid?

L'oreal's Happyderm Cleansing Wash

Look I wear more make-up than Dolly Parton. It may work for me throughout most the day, but by the time I get home from work, my face feels like the surface of Venus - volatile. It's oily, tired, dry, dull, and it's in need of some TLC. Now I'm not one of those people who wants to wash their face 3 times before they can leave the bathroom. This product makes you feel like you need to do just that. If you clean your face with a soft fluffy mouse that smells like a basket full of roses, you expect to radiate all of that when you're done, but all this cleanser really seems to do is remove the make-up. Every time I use this, I still feel like my skin isn't clean; when I run my fingers along my face, it feels like I'm trying to rub up a lizard. It doesn't feel pretty. I end up using the mouse again, but I still don't get the feeling I'm looking for. It's only once I've found an exfoliating face wash to scrub my skin, that I finally feel like I can leave the bathroom. 

What cleanser do I recommend?

L'oreal's Dermo Expertise Vitalift Self Heating Wash

This is what you use when you want your skin to feel amazing. It doesn't foam, it doesn't smell like roses, it doesn't look like whipped cream, but it does the job you need it to. With products like this one on the market I cannot understand how the Happyderm Cleansing Wash was even approved. I think the kind of people who'd by the Happyderm Cleansing Wash over any other cleanser, are the same kind of people who'd by a laptop based on the fact that it's pink rather than for it's performance... okay, I might be that person, but you're missing the point, which is, this product LOOKS like it's a cool product, but really, it's performance is non-comparable with it's competitors.  

Tip

If you're not using an exfoliating wash, try and use a scrub at least 3 times a week. If you don't you'll start to notice dry skin, and no matter how much moisturiser you use, the problem will not go away.  The dry skin you're seeing is the dead skin cells hanging onto the live skin cells, trying to moisturise them would be like trying to use a defibrillator on a zombie. Also, the moisturise won't be able to penetrate the the skin properly because of wall of "zombies" blocking your pores. Exfoliating removes the dead skin cells, giving the moisturiser the chance to work it's magic on the new skin cells underneath, so that you can wear the rosy look, rather than just smell it.