life hack

Why you should seriously look into Cupping Therapy

beauTEE, beauty, beauty inside out, Don’t sweat it!, dry brush, essential, fitness, fitnessbeauty, flawless, glow up, holistic medicene, inflamation, intention, life hack, lifestyle, lymphatic drainage, mental health, natrual, self care, skin, skin routine, skincare, spa

Hey there… so i know it’s been a while since my last post, I’ve taken some time at lately but I’m back and getting straight back to it.

When I told my dad last week I was getting cupping you should have seen the weird look on he’s face, I’m pretty sure he thought it was something a daughter shouldn’t disclose to her father if you know what I mean. Cupping is something that has intrigued me for a while, there are so many benefits to this ancient Chinese practice that I couldn’t not give it a go.

Cupping therapy

So first of all … what is cupping;

Well “Is a form of traditional  alternative medicine that can be found in many different cultures in which a local suction is created on the skin.  During cupping, glass or plastic cups are suctioned onto the patient to help increase the flow of qi and blood through the body. The practice consists drawing tissue into a cap placed on the targeted area by creating a partial vacuum – either by the heating and subsequent cooling of the air in the cup.  A technique of sliding the cups along tight muscle bands works very well to release tension and adhesions within the muscle. Cupping also works to pull stagnation or toxins from the patient through the skin. Cupping on the upper back can be very effective for the treatment of the common cold.” (Via)

There are also different types of cupping so a quick google will tell you there’s wet, dry and fire.

Wet cupping involves puncturing the skin with acupuncture needles first to realise blood.

Here’s what it looks like in action (not me)

Cupping in action

I get it looks totally painful and uncomfortable but it has so many benefits;

🍶It can help remove toxins from the body and stimulate the flow of fresh blood (this is actually one of the originally reasons I wanted to try it out as my blood circulation is shockingly poor)

🍶Lymph drainage helps move fluids around the body (and out of your face first thing in a morning but that’s a whole pother blog post…)

🍶Qi – which roughly translated means energy and I have to say following my session I was full of energy and such a productive afternoon at home. I baked cleaned danced and got my ass in the gym (something I’ve been not so great at lately)

🍶Known to help reduce back and muscle pain (people get cupping all over their bodies)

It often works wonders for patients with the flu, colds, coughs, anxiety, red itchy skin conditions (though cups are not applied to inflamed areas), allergies, fevers, aches and myriad other pains.

See benefits are endless and when you consider that it’s no surprise that this is used by Olympic athletes and award winning sport champions such as Andy Murray who uses it in conjunction with other treatments to relieve stiffness and to help address a back injury. More and more athletes are looking at how to stay in the game longer and methods to naturally improve health and performance so it’s no surprise they look to holistic treatments to help them.

What does it feel like at the time… well when the cups were been put on I did flinch a little not because it hurt I just didn’t know where the next one was going (& the cups are quite cold) then once they make contact with your skin you feel it tighten up and then it’s just sort of there. It’s not at all painful and once they were all in place I was so chilled out that the 15 minutes went really quickly.

Self care cupping

Sarah the trained professional I went to covered me up with a towel and check on me a couple of times. She did mention that my skin went dark quickly but honestly I’m not surprised I bruise easy.. Even my boyfriend said that straight after.

In short it’s quite a relaxing experience even the vigorous massage at the end to get my blood moving to other parts of my body again.

After effects…I felt soooo much lighter when I stood up. I felt lose and like I could do so much more which is great. If I pull my neck down there is a slight pain due to the bruise but as you can tell that’s by far my worse one. Yes it leaves marks over your the part of your body you had this and how long they last depends on the person from my understanding, I’ll keep you updated with how long mine take to fade.

I would definitely recommend looking into this and if you’re in the Birmingham area check out Harbin Therapies, Sarah was lovely and so honest. She explained things in depth and answer all my questions. Also the woman is a genius, as soon as I was lying down she took one look at my back and knew the exact locations I suffer with pain. Unfortunately for me this is due to a twisted spin (for now) but cupping has definitely relived a lot of the tension in my body and made things a lot easier.

Have you ever had cupping? I want to know your thoughts so comment below.

Love

Tee

X

AS ALWAYS CONSULT A DOCTOR IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS | IF YOU’RE PREGNANT, AVOID CUPPING.

Why you need a beauty roller

anti againg, beauTEE, beauty, essential, flawless, glow up, inflamation, life hack, lymphatic drainage, natrual, natural beauty care, self care, serenitee, skin, spa

They see me rolling, jade rolling.

We’ve all seen them.

Every beauty blogger has one.

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.

Which is your favourite?

Love,

Tee

x

Are you doing these 3 things before a workout?

beauTEE, beauty, beauty inside out, Don’t sweat it!, essential, fitnessbeauty, glow up, gymskin, inflamation, life hack, lifestyle, makeup cheats, moisturiser, must do, natrual, skin

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.

Love,

Tee

x

Hidden Springs of Italy

beauTEE, beauty, beauty inside out, fitnessbeauty, glow up, hot spring, intention, italy, life hack, lifestyle, must do, natrual, skin, spa, travel

Ciao from Italy.

As you know I’m a girl always on the go, admittedly I’m usually going from my desk to a run then into a meeting, however I’m currently travelling around Tuscany. Usually on holidays I love to walk EVERYWHERE honestly I set step count records, however this year the plan was to road trip and see as much of the country as we could. Excited by the idea of hikes through vineyards and Aeprol Spritz I set out do some research to see what off the beaten track adventures we could go on. I read a few years ago that there were natural springs in Italy but many were being claimed by hotels and turned into spas. Wanting to get that authentic experience I found one unclaimed hot spring in the heart of Tuscany, Bagni San Filippo.

I’ve never visited a natural hot spring before and this one certainly did not disappoint. If you use a map to get here it’s slightly confusing as it can’t locate exactly where or how to get there, so knowing we were roughly in the right place we parked up and walked up the hill following the sound of flowing water. Like I said I’m a fan of walking, it’s so good for the body and mind. And what’s better than a natural spa experience at the end of a long walk…

Natural hot spring

Italian hot spring

Here’s exactly why you should find your nearest natural hot spring and go for a dip:

• It’s filled with minerals such as calcium and sodium bicarbonate which help boost your blood circulation.

• The cocktails of minerals found in natural hot springs also help relieve tense muscles which we all need after a mini hike.

• I don’t promote hot baths before bed however as these springs are outdoors when you leave your body temperature drops allowing for a better nights sleep.

• It’s amazing for the skin, whether you’ve got dry / rough skin or a skin condition the natural mix of minerals can help resolve most of these problems.

This experience summed me up completely, a nice walk (all up hill as we parked right at the bottom) nature and some natural R&R.

Italian job

10k steps

Do you workout on holiday or simply relax? Let me know…

Love

Tee

x

How to start your day faster & still look good.

beauTEE, beauty, beauty inside out, essential, fitnessbeauty, glam up, glow up, gymskin, Health, intention, life hack, lifestyle, moisturiser, must do, skin, style, sun, sunless tan

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 box

Keeping 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 want to know…

Love,

Tee

One confidence shot please.

5, beauty, essential, flawless, glam up, glow up, intention, life hack, lifestyle, mental health, self care, serenitee, style

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?

Love,

Tee

x

5 clear steps to clear skin.

beauTEE, beauty, essential, flawless, glam up, glow up, intention, life hack, lifestyle, love, moisturiser, must do, skin, style

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?

Comment below.

Love

Tee

x