Hello beautiful! Welcome back to the final post in my mini series of best workouts and skin routines depending on the time of day.
We’ve talked the best of AM, powering through the lunch time run and now winding down on a evening.
It might be tempting to finish a tough day at work with a big glass of red and a relax on the sofa, but if you can squeeze in a workout before you get home, you’ll sleep better and help to restore your muscles after a sedentary day.
Personally in a evening I opt for Pilates or yoga, as it can be a game changer for many people. If I’ve had a long day and need to unwind something like Pilates or yoga really helps me focus on the moment and not reliving my day at work. If you go home and replay your day over and over in your head you’ll relive it emotionally and trigged your stress hormone to go crazy << which causes spots and lack of sleep! There’s no way you can do a Pilates class or hold your yoga positions and still think about work… I’ve found these two classes to be very in the moment. Plus it isn’t too intense and won’t leave you struggling to get to sleep at night.
Pilates mat work
More importantly when it comes to my evening gym bag here’s what I’m packing:
You know what I’m going to say first right? REMOVE YOUR MAKEUP! I am loving Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm, I literally massage it into my skin (always in a upward motion) and let in sink in while I get changed. Then a quick wipe and everything comes off smoothly. It also leaves your skin feeling hydrated and not dry or tight pre workout and SMELLS AMAZING!
Elemis cleansing balm
No matter what you decide to do, Pilates, spin, weights or boot camp, don’t wait until your home to cleanse your face. Do it ASAP. I always keep a face cleanser in my gym bag and it doesn’t take long.
Gymbag basicsWhat’s in my gym bag
Your evening moisturiser is key, because your skin starts regenerating so you want to help give it a boost.
I always use a Vitamin C serum and most nights I’ll use Summer Fridays Jet Lag mask (you only need a pea size amount) but this is because I have such dry skin this really makes a difference, but everyone is different. Which ever moisturiser works for you go with but no matter your skin type you need something.
Jet lag face mask
Oh and I do the above while drinking a peppermint tea which is also great for your skin.
This is a simple and routine but still important. We all know to maintain our cars, teeth, brows & roots but skin is just as important.
Throw on your favourite pjs and get some well beauty sleep!
Welcome back to my mini workout & beauty schedule series. I started with the best morning workouts and how to prep your skin and next up (drum roll please…) the lunch time power hour!
If you follow me on Instagram or read a few of my posts you know I love a lunch time run, it’s a great way to get some fresh air and gives you a boost of energy for getting through the afternoon.
Running
Research’s suggest that a workout midday means you’ll get back to your desk happier and ready for a more productive afternoon. It’s so important to keep your body moving especially if you spend your days sat at a desk. Full body workouts are recommended, boxing seems to be the activity of choice for a lot of people with 30-45 minute classes. This is because it gets your body moving in a multitude of angles and is a great for working through some stuff if you’ve had a stressful morning! << it’s on my list of things to try.
I know it’s a pain and can be daunting to remove your makeup and it’s quicker just to sweat through but trust me here… take it off and your skin will thank you for it. Sweating through layers of makeup is only going to result in uncomfortable red and sensitive blemishes, which ends up needing more makeup to cover up and before you know it it’s the never ending circle of makeup coverage and break outs.
Always carry some makeup remover with you, I’m not a fan of wipes as I think they pull at your skin far too much, but whatever you choice to remove your makeup quickly is better than leaving it on. I am really loving Glov, this on the go cleansing glove, it’s perfect because I just leave it in my gym bag and I’ve always got it with me.
Glov
Now you’re ready to kick some ass at your chosen workout!
Once your workout is done cleanse your skin again, you don’t need to make this a look no process or anything fancy. Even just hot water and soap is all you need.
Post-workout I use a mist spray first to help rehydrate my face and because it’s soooo refreshing then Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Colour Correcting Treatment I’ve found this really helps to hide signs of fatigue while helping to keep the skin hydrated, don’t be put off by the green colour of the cream it turns beige when it comes into contact with your skin I promise. I wait for this to set in and then use my absolute favourite IT Cosmetics CC cream, honestly I don’t even own a foundation at the moment I just use this all the time. These simple products teamed with Big glass of water will also help skin to stay plump throughout the afternoon.
DR Jart
IT COSMETICS
Don’t forget to head back to your desk and eat something with a carb/protein ratio of about 2-1; it could be a smoothie or a protein bar, but after so much muscle-building you want to make sure you have enough protein to support muscle growth.
BTS: loading my salad up to get me through the afternoon:
They’re the most talked about beauty tool of 2019… but what’s so amazing about them.
It’s an ancient Chinese practice that’s been used for thousands of years to help maintain facial fluid, it rejuvenates the elasticity of skin, repairs your skin cells, fights inflammation, improve circulation, reduce wrinkles, replenish your facial muscles and well it just works!
Jade roller beauty
Still not sold?
Firstly I mentioned jade roller as that’s what I have, but these little tools come in a multitude of stones from jade to rose quartz to amethyst (which I’ve just learnt is known for helping creativity so seriously considering investing in a little something made from this for my desk, anyway…)
I wanted to get into why I think these little things are worth the investment, and also to clarify they’re not big bucks! I’ve seen some for £80+ but don’t know anyone who paid that.. Personally mine was £15 from amazon.
Must do:
• Keep it cool. I keep mine in my fridge, some people keep theirs in little beauty fridges or just somewhere nice and cool. The cool stone on your skin is a great way to A) help depuff your face first thing or reduce any swelling/ water retention and B) stimulates lymphatic drainage. Also around the eyes it feels amazing in a morning.
• ROLL UPWARDS! This helps sculpt your skin and you never want to drag the skin down.
• Always remember the neck, don’t leave your neck out it’s just as important you want to take your routine down to the chest if you can.
How to use a jade roller
I always apply serum to my face first (currently using this amazing vitamin C serum to help boost the brightness of my skin) this also helps lubricate the skin allowing the roller to move smoothly over your skin.
The added bonus is that the stone doesn’t absorb any of the serum just helps to work it into your skin making sure your skin gets all the benefits from your chosen serum.
Why I’m so in love:
• It’s skin care
• Mindcare (I just sit there for a couple of minutes rolling my skin listening to a podcast or just breathing, kinda like meditation)
• It’s selfcare
It’s all of these wrapped into one pretty little tool!
Breakdown of the different rollers:
Rose quartz: this stone is associated with bringing love into your life. I’ve also read that cleopatra bathed with this stone.
Jade: is associated with luck and is considered to bring balance.
Amethyst: as I mentioned this is associated with creativity and is a Kardashian favourite right now.
So this has been a talking point for me lately, mostly because I HATE washing my hair. It’s effort and it ruins my colour. It’s been a few months now but I only wash my hair once a week and I try and tie that in with a swim session it just makes sense.
Last week heading back from our yoga and brunch morning (yes I’m aware this sounds basic but what are Sundays for really…) my cousin turned to me and voiced her concerns around dandruff. It’s not something either of us have ever had previously but I couldn’t lie to her, recently usual a day or two before I wash my hair, I do see a few white flakes forming. I have exactly the same concerns!
Long and blonde
I’m also not ashamed to say I’ve skipped a workout or two (okay countless workouts) to keep my hair looking fresh, if my boyfriend and I decided to go out for dinner on a Friday evening I’m sure as hell not going running at lunch, I’ll pay for it tomorrow but I want to look good you know?
So I got to do some research on what can cause dandruff and our concerns were verified… sweat and product build up on the scalp do cause dandruff.
Gym hair
Here are 3 tips I wanted to share that will keep your hair fresher without the haunting experience of washing it after every workout, because let’s face it we all have places to be and lives to be getting on with.
1) Dry shampoo. I know this must sound like an obvious statement. We all use dry shampoo it’s the ride or die beauty product we all own. But here’s a little secret, you wouldn’t start working out without a warm up and you shouldn’t hit the gym without pre dry shampooing your hair. Yep! That’s right, apply dry shampoo BEFORE your workout section off your hair and spray onto your roots, paying extra attention to the nape of your neck and I focus on my front hair line as these are the sweetest areas for me. Doing this before you sweat means the dry shampoo will absorb moisture as you workout leaving less sweat on your scalp but without stripping it of natural oils.
Dry shampoo
2) Style it right. How you style your hair for the workout is so important. If I’m doing something low impact where I’m not going to work up AS much of a sweat I’ll go for braids, cute look and the heat from the workout in the room will help keep my hair wavy afterwards. If I’m running or getting real sweaty I’ll opt for a messy bun. You know the one right on top of your head. This keeps my hair away from the areas that are most likely to get sweat such as the nap of my neck. Short hair you can probably get away with a pony tail but my hair is now at that length that when I run the ends will literally stick to my back… gross I know but true story.
Sport braids
3) Don’t be afraid to get wet. Post workout if you have the time you can still freshen up your hair with a splash of water on the roots and a quick blowout. Just spray some water on your roots blow dry it out, spray with some dry shampoo, maybe some texture spray and I love to finish with this blonde spray that I added a couple of drops of grapefruit oil to to make it smell even better.
Hair essentials
But hey we’re all different and everyone’s hair does it’s own thing so only you know you.
What are you doing to keep those locks looking great on the go.
What’s your ride or die gym hair products? Comment below and let me know.
Will definitely try out any tips you guys have for keeping my hair looking as fresh as possible.
Happy Sunday everyone, doesn’t everything just feel better when the suns out? I’m loving working out outdoors this week, it’s such a refreshing change.
Every week at 5:30am Sunday morning my alarm is going off. Yep I’m THAT girl. Crazy early morning workout even on a weekend. What can I say I like to workout before giving myself an excuse not to, although I can think of plenty while hitting snooze, but I also like to get it over and done with and have the rest of the day to myself. Also let’s face it we look better after a workout, not immediately but when the beetroot has faded we look & feel better.
As you can imagine at 5:30 am I’m not sitting there giving myself a facial massage for lymphatic drainage and jade rolling. However, there are a few things I make sure I do, no matter how tired I am, before I work out. You don’t workout without a warm up so why push your skin? It’s just asking for breakouts. I like to keep this pre workout stage as simple as possible, think basic bitch but more basic.
Here’s my 3 pre workout skin care tips.
Light.
This sounds weird I know but switching lights on, open the curtains or get outside, tells your brain to get moving. We all need a little motivation first thing.
Mini cleanse.
I like to wash my face first thing and get out anything that may be blocking my pores. I have such dry skin that I use a fairly thick moisturiser at night so I get all of that out of my skin and let it breath again. In a rush? A all in 1 waterproof miscellaneous cleaning water works wonders and will life away any dirt in your pores while removing the need for additional rinse and repeat. I’ve also being using Elemis pro collagen cleansing balm it’s too early to review the product but I can tell you with complete certainty it smells AMAZING!
Pre workout skin cleanse
Hydration.
Green tea for my body (Although I’ve been loving mint water lately so refreshing) & my disciple for my face. I know I constantly go on about this anti inflammatory oil balanced cocktail but it really is a fav right now, I’m taking it everywhere and at £15 why should it not be in your bag, on your dresser in your gym locker? Back to the point, dehydrated skin is unhappy skin. It looks dull because dead skin cells are blocking your pores. Freshen it up and hydrate from the inside out.
Face mist
BONUS ROUND! If I’m heading outside on the occasion that it’s nice & dry ALWAYS WEAR SUNSCREEN. I’m a little crazy when it comes to this honestly 365 days a year no matter where in the world I am. If the sun is out so are the UV rays. All this hard work to look good I’m not going to let a wrinkle or two stop me.
Are you already doing any of these or have your own routines? Share below.
We’re all guilty of a little #wanderlust & why not? What’s not to love about seeing the world, experiencing new cultures & ways of life & genuinely having a great time.
I’m not one of the people that can rock up to a beach & set up camp for two weeks, it’s just not my style. I want to explore, meet new people & eat everything the country has to offer me! Travelling for me is the best kind of exercise, I walk until my legs can’t go any further, I laugh until my abs hurt & I eat guilt free which is great for the soul don’t you agree? Okay I also drink my body weight but hey I’m on holiday.
As you may have seen from my Instagram lately (@reali_tee) or my last blog post I’ve recently spent two weeks exploring Italy. My boyfriend & I rented a fiat 500 & set off around Tuscany hill hoping from town to town. Honestly in Tuscany it’s always leg day. There’s always a tower I want to climb with a minimum of 400 vertical steps, I do love to hit my 10k step count and walking is the best way to see the city, beautiful gardens & art galleries. At the beach? What a beautiful way to see the coast line & all the hidden rock pools/ caves. A few years back on a girls holiday we ended up on a mini hike all day up & down it actually turned out to be a laugh & everyone enjoyed it.
It may not be the same as a heavy weight session in the gym but in 35C+ heat you will definitely be sweating your ass off!
Top of Milan cathedralSeville bridgeBali beachDavid
As I’m all about looking after my skin pre, during & post sweating while looking good on the go I wanted to share with you some of the key products I took away with me. We both agreed to travel light so I strategically considered what products I would need to keep me looking fresh day & night, you never know when you’ll see the next selfie moment on the go.
Florence River
1) SPF! This should not come as a surprise as I’m always going on about the importance of sun protection. The burnt lobster look was never & will never be in fashion. I’m sorry I don’t get the craze of people being impressed with how red they went after one day in the sun, it’s uncomfortable, painful, causes cancer & ruins your holiday. I may not have been by the sea this time but walking around towns & cities it’s still important to protect your skin. Your skin is a organ, the biggest one you have. Take care of it. I love love love Bali body, it’s natural ingredients hydrate my skin smell amazing & ensure I’m protected.
Bali body spf
On the subject of UV rays never forget your shades, on my first trip to Italy in January 2016 my delightful cousin brought her trusty Raybans, myself & our friend laughed at her for this, it’s January who needs shades? Please see below the following photo of Sara looking ever so happy with two squinty companions … not a strong look.
Sunny Milan
Tee’s Tip: unsure if you need sun cream? Take a look at your shadow, short shadows mean low UV long shadows cream up!
2) Disciple Balance mist. I love a face mist anyway, especially after a workout, it just picks you straight back up hydrates the skin & helps takes you from sweaty to glowy. Designed for long flights and late nights you can use this product anywhere, anytime for anything. If a product isn’t multi functional it’s not making the cut into my suitcase or gym bag & this one’s a personal fav. It’s super hydrating & fights inflammatory skin issues, including adult acne, eczema and premature ageing. WINNER I also love that the brand is completely clean & natural. This was the perfect size to carry around either in my daily backpack for a quick pick me up or in my evening bag to help keep my makeup in place.
3) Lanolips 101– what I didn’t say about this in my microblog on Instagram probably isn’t worth mentioning. This product is the master of multitasking.
Lanolips 101 mulitbalm
4) Mr Natty Sea Salt Spray, great British company with some great products. Okay yes Mr Natty is a barber & I may have used my fair share of my boyfriends product here. BUT… sharing is caring after all & this sea salt spray smelt amazing, added texture to my hair & kept my wavy curls looking tame(ish) & natural. Also in my defence the bottle reads for surfers & mermaids…
Mr Natty seal salt sprayNatural wavy hairy
5) My moisturiser of choice… IT Cosmetics CC cream, I’m not a fan of loads of makeup anyway & on holiday I wear even less, it just clogs your pores up and I feel icky. This simple product is not only SPF 50 but basically airbrushes your face leaving you looking natural & flawless in one product. I got this miniature from Boots.
IT Cosmetics CC cream
So there’s my 5 travel / leg day in the city essentials. All are multifunctional & effortless but I still fell like it’s worth mentioning my two ride or die beauty hacks, 1) water & 2) sleep.
Even more than normal I make sure to stay hydrated on holiday, it’s so important when you’re moving around so much, with the added heat & additional alcohol my bag was never missing a bottle of water.
Benefit of being on holiday, additional beauty sleep… after an incredibly early flight & the excitement of wanting to explore Perugia (our first stop) we headed straight out after we had checked in, did a little exploring got some food a few aeprol spritz & by the time we crashed out we slept for about 12 hours. Unsurprisingly I spent the rest of the holiday without dark rings under my eyes. Shall we see how long that lasts?
Are you planning your summer holiday or getting ready to pack your bags? What beauty products make the cut? I want to know, comment below.
Happy National Rosé Day. Surely this should be a bank holiday weekend right? We should be allowed an extra day off work to enjoy a nice chilled glass of rosé, although the British weather right now isn’t exactly screaming summer vibes. Okay I’m going off on a tangent here, lets circle back…
I don’t know about you but I am not one of those girls that can spend 3 hours + getting ready for a night out, if I’m going out I want to be out out! The whole, shower, wash my hair, blow dry, style, prime face etc etc just gets boring to me. I’m a one hour girl at most. I’d much rather be out drinking the rosé than reapplying my eyeliner for the 3rd time because the flick wasn’t right.
National rosé day
I’m an extrovert get me out of here…
My point is whether I’m going from the gym to the office, or from bed to the coffee shop or more importantly heading to a bar I want to be getting to where I need to be, not messing about with three different shades of blusher. But of course I ALWAYS have to look presentable, it’s just nice to take some pride in yourself right. So (no surprises here) but I have a routine, and I have this down to 45 minutes. It doesn’t matter if I’m getting ready at the gym or in my bedroom I know what products I need where they’ll be and I’m good to go.
Here are a 3 hacks I do to make sure my mornings start off right, if anything throws me off course too early it changes the whole tone of my day and I find that it will just throw me off, anyone else?
1) Sort it out the night before. Yes I’m hyper organised and if being a PA paid more I’d probably do that just for the enjoyment of organising peoples lives, but here’s what I do. I prep EVERYTHING the night before, & I mean EVERYTHING. Even the underwear I’m wearing. Because I think sleep is so important I like to get every last second I can in bed so all my meals will be prepped the night before, if I’m going to the gym my gym bag is packed all toiletries in the bag and gym clothes laid out on my chair so I can literally get out of bed, wash my face drink some water, brush my teeth get a peppermint tea to go and head straight out. This can result ion carrying about 10 different bags but it just makes life easier. I’ll also make an iced coffee the night before. I really try to limit how much money I spend on coffee a month and since I started getting coffee pods from Grind delivered (this is totally on point today as all their branding is pink, just like rosé) my home made coffees are just better. Sorry coffee shops but it’s true, I get the best London coffee straight out of my Birmingham home. Anyway, bags are packed food is ready and coffee is good to go. I’m out the door in 15 minutes.
Prepackaged your stuff the night before
2) Keep your stuff together. I feel like everyone is on the tidying hype lately with the likes of Mrs Hinch & Marie Kondo all over social media that organisation is in fashion. With fashion comes loads of cute boxes & storage options. I have two little boxes one for AM & one for PM (these are actually the boxes that my Grind orders arrived in, no plug I promise but they’re the perfect size, pink & really cute). As I’ve mentioned before I love to buy stuff in sample sizes because it’s just more gym bag friendly. This makes life so much easier when getting ready because I know exactly where my stuff is so I can just grab & go. Ironically there are three things I ALWAYS lose… headphones (I forget which pocket of which jeans/ coat/ bag I was wearing) glasses (which is annoying once I’ve taken my lenses out, now I need glasses to find my glasses) & keys…
The AM boxKeeping your stuff together
3) Keep the makeup looking simple. Call me a basic bitch but I’m not a fan of a heavy made up face. I like to look like me, and if it’s a day I plan to go running at lunch or to the gym after work I really don’t want to spend ages removing layers and layers of makeup. Honestly once the skin care is done, I can keep it as simple as 4 products. IT Cosmetics CC cream, clear brow gel to brush my brows into place, bit of mascara (honestly I can live without this some days especially if I’m wearing my glasses, big glasses are great to hide behind) & Lanolips 101 ointment, 100% natural multi-balm for your lips. I love this product so much. You only need a little but it really softens the lips smells great and leaves a classy shine.
Must have’s on the go
There you have it, my 3 little hacks to getting out the house and ordering that rosé so much quicker.
As usual nothing mention in this posted was gifted or sponsored but things I love and the options are my own, but I want to know yours.
What do you do on the go? Any top secrets on how to look completely put together in under an hour?
I LOVE summer, honestly there’s something about the blue skies and warm nights that just make me feel at ease. More importantly we all love that summer glow, you know the golden brown version not the bright red hurts to move version. Yes like pretty much everyone else I love a tan, but when it comes to being out in the sun I take skin protection seriously. So I do rely on a sunless tan to help me look a little more golden brown than pasty white.
Tan lines & fun times
Here’s my issue, you know I love a workout, but sweat and fake tans do NOT work well together. Enter Isle of Paradise. The whole point of this realiTEE blog was to talk about stuff that I’ve actually trialed and tested to give you authentic feedback and to find out what works for you, because none of us are the same. And when I say products I’ve used I don’t mean just one time, I mean tried tested and still obsessing about and this product is one of those!
I discovered Isle of paradise last year and loved the idea of the drops because it meant I could carry on using my usual moisturiser, also my OCD kicks in if I have too many open products so I like to keep it simple. This wasn’t buying yet another tinted moisturiser no… this products turns your favourite moisturiser into a summer glow.
Isle of paradise
Why I’m obsessed: these products are 100% natural, not tested on animals, contains no parabens, and are ORGANIC!! I mean if this isn’t my thing, I don’t know what is. Also with these drops you’re completely in control, this tan is bespoke to you.
Okay so I have a little ritual when sunless tanning just to help make sure it takes, and I do this whether I’m doing a home top up or going to get a full spray tan at Bee-U-Tee. Make sure you check out the product your beautician uses & do your research. Bee-U-Tee uses Sienna which is not only a great product giving you a natural colour but it’s cruelty free and non toxic. WINNER. However there only so much a beautician and/ or a product can do. You’ve got to prep right and the aftercare is essential.
PREP:
• Get your workout done & out the way, especially if you’re getting a spray tan. Workout first, body prep second, glow third.
• Dry brush- have you used one of these? They’re amazing for exfoliating and lymphatic drainage but that’s a whole other blog post. I got mine from amazon and it’s the perfect pre tanning tool. It also helps get off any old tan you’ve still got on to help get a nice even glow, I like a plain canvas for a fresh spray tan I just feel like you get a more consistent cover.
• This goes without saying but no one wants leg hair ruining that glow. Shave it! Yes shaving is such an annoyance and it’s a real bore but stick on your favourite playlist or podcast and do it before the tan, you won’t regret it.
• Always use protection, for your hands. Nothing more unattractive than brown blotches between your fingers and yellow tinted fingernails. Trust me I know.
• If you’re getting it done professionally make sure to wear something lose and comfy for afterwards.
Now tan.
Sunless tan
I always tan on a evening & usually the night before rest day. That gives your tan (whichever option you chose; home or professional) time to develop. Why I go the night before a rest day, so I don’t sweat in the morning and cause it to go streaky. I love going to bed as Casper the ghost and waking up like I’m in Bali. The drops are also suitable to use on you’re face, personally I only use one drop for my face every couple of days to keep it looking natural.
Three simple things to ALWAYS remember post tan:
• Never sleep on white sheets that night (I did once get tan in my boyfriends bed but I don’t think he ever noticed. Opps!)
• Tap it. When you’re drying off don’t rub yourself down you’ll rub of your glow. Tap yourself to stop it going streak and air dry if you can.
• Moisturise! This goes without saying naturally, no one wants a crusty looking tan and it will lock it in for longer.
So you know how I love to talk wellness on Wednesdays & today is no different. I consider wellness to be an element of beauty as without a balanced life how can you really shine? You can’t reach your full potential, if you can it’s a tiring struggle. Today I want to talk about confidence, & what it means to you. Let’s face it, confidence is essential.
Confidence is
Firstly whether you love to strut around like a VS model in a pair of sexy heels or you prefer the more hippy chic look and wear your kicks everywhere. I don’t care if you wear tight mini skirts and low cut tops, or if you love a onesie and never want to come out or if you are one of those girls that live head to toe in their gym wear. YOU ARE RIGHT. What ever makes you feel confident, what ever makes you feel your best and flatters you. YOU ARE RIGHT. Not fitting into a stereotype does not make you less of a woman (or man, or whichever gender you relate to) & if you haven’t figured out what makes you hold your head up high like a badass boss have some fun working it out. Personally I love a dark edgy look with tight jeans and a pair of statement heels as much as I love a denim mini skirt, t-shirt and pumps. You can dress everything up or down so it’s all about finding your balance. Now to own it…
Heels or kicks you decide
Why you should own it? When you’re feeling more confident it shows. Like really shows through, it’s in your walk, it shines through your pores, it’s the slight change in the tone of your voice. AND it’s contagious. Genuine confidence is contagious, people are attracted to that kind of energy, but it has to be genuine if you try too hard people will pick up on that & you’ll come across more annoying than confidence. (But that’s not to say you shouldn’t fake it- see below).
Confidence looks good on everyone!
Okay I get that all of this is much easier said than done… in today’s society we have more anxious surroundings than ever before, and that’s just by unlocking your phone. One thing I hear repeated over and over again is ‘I’m so self conscious in the gym I feel like everyone is looking at me and judging.’
Please please PLEASE… stop looking around the gym and judging people. Because I can grantee the 99% of the people in the gym are there to be themselves and the best version of that they can be. Which brings me to my next point, & one I’ve mentioned a few times lately in different forms but it’s so true and the secret to beauty. We are all unique, you are the only you out there. Just do you & own it.
Here are a few of the things that help boost my confidence when I most need it;
1) Always be grateful – Simple but efficient. If you stop & think about it there is always something to be grateful for. Walking into your first fitness class ever… no everyone can do that and you should be grateful you found the strength to get out of your comfort zone & go for it. There’s something to be said for stopping to smell the roses (or even the rosé). Smile. Laugh. Enjoy life. Today I’m grateful for family, friends, boyfriend, my car, spinach pasta, my favourite trainers & the ability to read & write. Below is a book on confidence that I loved, and was so surprised at how many badass woman out there lack it.
Confidence code
2) Do you- okay this is something I struggled with for soooo many years. I was so focussed on what everyone else was doing, wearing, eating, was I doing it right? OMG The stress it takes to live like this, the anxiety the pressure. I got to a point where I would make myself so ill, it just wasn’t worth it. Do you and forget what everyone else is doing. Evolve at your own speed, what feels right and natural for you. Push yourself to do better against yourself. I love the saying ‘if you judge a fish on it’s ability to climb a tree you’ll never know how intelligent it is.’ This is because we are all different, all unique. Being you is a superpower, embrace it.
3) Get fancy – I love love love dressing up, the hair the makeup the right outfit, splash of lipstick. Who am I making all this effort for? Well me! I deserve to look good for me. & so do you. Now please don’t think I take hours and hours to get ready, time is not a luxury I often possess & even when I do I much prefer to be out out having fun then getting ready. Some basic moisturiser (with an SPF obviously) bit of foundation or a CC cream with some thick luscious lashes, thick brows and a tinted lip balm with a badass outfit and you’ll be amazed at how great you feel 40 minutes later. Find a look that suits your style, keep it flattering & dress for you! I brought the below dress last year and everyone I showed it to before hand had reservations but I knew it would look fabulous… (thank you ASOS).
Strut it
4) Break free- breaking out of your comfort zone is something I wrote about here. It’s a real confidence booster when you realise how far exactly you’ve come. ALWAYS step out of your comfort zone, even if it’s just one small thing. Recently my cousin & I attended a networking event for woman. Neither of us knew what to expect & had both considered dropping out, we didn’t, we went along & actually really enjoyed it. It may be scary as hell, but once you’re out of that comfort zone you’ll see and you’ll want to keep moving forward. Break through one zone at a time.
Dance like no one is watching
5) Keep it positive- No matter what, always try and keep it positive. Even with the words you are using, I do this more and more and it’s slowly becoming a natural habit. Instead of saying ‘I hope nothing goes wrong’ try ‘I’m sure it will all go to plan’ Focus on putting that positive energy out there, and it will also tell your brain to be more positive. As I said earlier you can’t fake confidence but you can do things to help trick yourself into believing it and by the time you realise you were faking it it may no longer be fake. I honestly thought for well over a year that I had no idea how to do my job, that I was just faking it and one day someone would call me into the office and sack me. Turns out that by going to work each day and trying to figure it out and doing my best, I actually learnt how to do my job without ever shadowing anyone.
Now your turn… What do you do to feel more confident?
It’s that time of the month again… payday! Payday = shopping. After carefully reviewing my shelfie and making a mental note of what products I needed I headed to town to pick up and test some new products. Now I know you’re probably thinking WTF, you went to a shop? And yes I usually browse my favourite online stores from my sofa and get it all delivered but this month I not only wanted to get my step count in but also felt like seeing a few actually products and what was new. Plus I’m not going to lie I love smelling pretty much every product on the shelf!
One item I was interested in was IT COSMETICS CC Cream as I’d heard amazing things about it (but that’s a whole other blog post) when I headed over to the new counter within a few short minutes the sales assistant was asking me about my routine, I almost laughed. When it comes to Instagramable skin I have 5 simple rules. These rules apply 24/7. At the gym, at home, on a night out it doesn’t matter these are simple rules on the go for glowy skin. It’s that simple! Just 5 easy things to remember.
1) You are what you eat. I’ve spoken before about glowing from the inside out and how important nutrition is but honestly the more organic and natural you can keep your diet the more you can see and feel the difference. We’ve all been there, Saturday night got a little cray cray and you woke up the next morning with a McDonald’s (no? Just me then?) by the time you get to the office Monday your face has broken out into pimple central. Crap food = crap body 💩 Clear radiant skin needs veggies and berries. More kale less chicken nuggets. I known some of you may hate me for saying that but unfortunately it’s a true fact. Kale, blueberries & sweet potato are all a yes from me ✅✅✅ Avoid white bread, this is devil food (dad I hope you’re reading this!) white bread causes antinutrients which can make it harder for your body to absorb good nutrients. So next time you’re looking for something to help your skin at a supermarket move from the toiletries isle to the fruit & veg section.
You are what you eat
2) Everything in moderation and that goes for your makeup as well. I have a very specific skin routine (even post workout) at the moment that is really working for my skin, but I’m not going to undo all that hard work by blocking my pores with layers of make up. It’s unnecessary. I’m very much about the natural glowy look and to me make up should enhance your features not make you into a different person. Don’t over complicate your routine and don’t wear so many layers of makeup you no longer represent you. And always always ALWAYS remember to remove makeup before going to bed. No one wants to wake up looking like a member of an 80’s rock band with all that smudged mascara and eyeliner. The smudged black eye look is out!
Glowy makeup
3) SPF when it comes to beauty I don’t think any blog post should not mention SPF because it’s that important. There are two types of sun rays, UVB which are rays that burn your skin, and increasing ageing of your skin. Then there’s UVA which are present all year round and penetrate clouds, windows anything and these do causing ageing effects of the skin. You can never have enough SPF in your life and you really should prioritise products that already contain these. I’m not saying avoid the sun and wear a hat everywhere you go, although if you want to feel free. Personally I love the sun it just requires some common sense when out and about. Tee’s tip: if products do say they have an SPF factor great but always check they protect against BOTH UVA & UVA.
Uv protection
4) Mental clarity. You may have seen I wrote about this earlier this week & you may have thought what has this got to do with beauty? Stay with me here, I’m not going off brand. Being stressed out causes a hormone known as cortisol in the body which when released into your system will ruin your skin & sleep patterns (which also has a knock on effect to your skin). With this bitch of a hormone flowing freely around your body it’s going to rob your skin a nutrients. Less stress = clear radiant skin and a more manageable life. WIN. WIN.
Happiness looks good on you
5) My final and most lived by rule… what works for one won’t always work for you. Each and every single one of us are unique. Although we love to share tips and tricks what works for your bff might not work for you, & no one knows you & your skin better than you. I have the fortune of sharing DNA with the beautiful lady below but you know what, if she swears by a product it’s probably not for me. Our skin types are SO different. Don’t get me wrong I’m ecstatic she’s loving herself more and her skin and I’ll gladly give tips on how to apply a product or if I’ve seen a product talked about online which might be suited to her skin type I’ll tag her or send her a message ASAP. However there are very few products I would pull out of my selection and hand over as a MUST TRY RIGHT THIS MOMENT. It just doesn’t work like that. So in the words of my lovely cousin, honey just do you.
Glow getters
So there you have it my five rules, almost commandments I’d say.
How many of these do you break and what are your rules?
Sunless tan
