Feeling great

Hello beauties. Today is another chatty post, it appears you liked the last one. I'm really excited to share my health journey with you and I honestly feel the best I've ever felt. 

Honestly, I'm not sure what kick started it all. I made a New Years resolution to tone up my stomach and joined the gym, unfortunately that didn't work out and I started doing insanity and home workouts. I was so motivated by the results and 3 months later I'm still doing insanity 4 times a week,  I even have baby abs!

Of course all that hard work would be nothing without eating right. My diet changed gradually with subtle switches - as I spoke about on this post. 

Now I have become some what of a raw food and clean eating fanatic. Abs are made in the kitchen after all! 

I get a lot of meal inspo from bloggers like Deliciously Ella, Madeline Shaw and Niomi Smart. Instagram is a great motivator, clean eating Alice has plenty of delicious meal snaps on her page that will change your life forever! 

Cutting out sugar and dairy made the biggest difference with me, adding fish to my diet was also vital. The cravings for chocolate and sugary snacks soon disappear and you can still enjoy plenty of sweet treats naturally. 

I recently re-created Madeline Shaw's raw brownie recipe, you need to try this! Made with dates, raw cacao, plenty of nuts and honey for sweetening they are all natural and truly satisfying.

There is no single image of beautiful and we are all gorgeous in our individual ways. If you want to be healthy do what feels right for you and only you.

Remember, you're perfect and I'm no nutritionist. 

Little Lottie

XO

April Favourites

In true blogger style I've decided to do a favoruites post. I can't believe how quickly May has rolled round and that means summer is coming! My bank account isn't looking too healthy after watching many favourite videos on YouTube and giving in to temptation so my April favourites are budget friendly, enjoy!

Beauty.

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in 08 ~ Rossetto 

This has been a must for me this month and I've been sporting it almost everyday. It's close to a Kylie Jenner colour and leaves a gorgeous stain on the lips. It also smells gorgeous and has a lovely formula with a matte finish. It can be quite drying after a few hours so be sure to carry it with you for re-application.  

Lush Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser

This has been a total game changer for me. After hearing the gorgeous Freddy My Love rave about it I couldn't not try it, if it's good enough for a model it's good enough for me! The product is totally rave worthy, it smells of calming lavender and is made with amazing ingredients like crushed almonds. It's a manual exfoliator which I usually hate but it's super gentle and deeply cleanses my skin after a morning workout. 

Olive Oil cleanser ~ Homemade

I've had a very on and off relationship with the oil cleansing method but using a 50/50 mix of olive oil and castor oil is my new obsession. I've been using this in the evenings to take off my makeup and removing it with a hot flannel. Bliss. 

Naked hair care 

The Naked hair care range is super natural, made with 97% natural ingredients and it really works. I don't need to wash my hair as much and I'm not half as frizzy! The scents are also incredible and the product range is great to mix and match with like I have with the rescue/care collection. 

Book.

My latest venture is clean eating and I've got to say I will never turn back. Deliciously Ella's book has really helped with dinner and lunch ideas which are all really easy to make! Believe me I'm no chef and really don't enjoy cooking - just the eating part. Ella teaches to count nutrients not calories with plant based ingredients but you can switch things and add things if you want. 

I recently tried out one recipe but used wholemeal pasta and added salmon. It was a hit with the family and was super delicious!  

YouTuber.

Louisa Wendorff is an incredibly talented and beautiful singer who deserves a lot more subscribers. She has incredible tracks of her own and mashes up well known songs, my favourite being the Taylor Swift tracks. Go and check her out, guaranteed you will be as hooked as I am.  

Blogger.

Madeline Shaw is fairly new to the world of YouTube but is a well known yoga instructor to beauties like Millie Makintosh and Tanya Burr. Her book Get the Glow has just hit the shelves and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. I have been scouring her blog for clean eating recipes and inspiration all month, they all contain ingredients your body will love! 

I hope you had a wonderful April, bring on May!

What's your April favourite?

Little Lottie

XO

Face of the Month

Hello beauties. I've been really switching up my makeup base lately between mineral foundations and mixing my own tinted moisturisers but I think I've finally settled on my everyday face for this time of year.

I wanted to keep things as sheer as possible because the sun has been out and the 'melted cake face look' isn't a good one! No matter what base I've worn, my trusty Lily Lolo Mineral Concealer is the perfect partner in crime. (read my review of the concealer here) 

Step 1 // Moisturise
To create a dewy base I've been moisturising with Jojaba Oil, this was too heavy for my skin at first and made me oily but using a couple of drops, rubbing it in my hands then gently patting it on seems to do the trick.

Step 2 // Prime
Priming with Aloe Vera Gel is so easy, it minimises pores and absorbs into the skin so quickly which makes a perfect smooth base.

Step 3 // Base
I've fallen back in love with my Body Shop Tea Tree BB Cream. The coverage is better than most and it benefits the skin whilst it's on.

Step 4 // Conceal
A mineral concealer gives great coverage and lasts all day, it saves having to use powder to set makeup and is great for a 'soft focus' look, especially under the eyes. I find Lily Lolo has slightly more coverage and better shade choices than Bare Minerals, it's also much cheaper! I apply it with the Eco Tools Concealer Brush.

Step 5 // Minimal eye makeup
For my spring/summer eyes I have been saving a lot of time by just using my FAVOURITE ever mascara, Maybeline The Great Lash in Very Black on the top lashes only, with a clear mascara on the bottom to separate. Sometimes I leave it at that but might add a small line of eyeliner on the outer corner to create the illusion of thicker lashes. The Collection Extreme 24 Hour Felt Liner is my current favourite.

Step 6 // Bold lips 
Because there is no colour on the eyes or cheeks this is the perfect time to whip out those bold lippies. Although Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in 08 is quite safe I am totally in love with it. I wanted a Kylie Jenner colour without going to Mac (as they test on animals.) The lipstick really does last and seems to leave a slight stain on my lips without wearing off completely until I take my makeup off.

The look is so quick and simple, just what I need in the mornings before a full day in the office. All the products are fairly natural and allow my skin to breath during the day.

A selfie of the finished look

Leave a comment with your favourite look.

Little Lottie

XO

My Secret Skincare Weapon

Natural skincare is the best. I can't even fathom to think of the crap I put on my skin. I've definitely learnt my lesson and switched things up over the years including vital ingredients like Aloe Vera!

Aloe Vera gel comes from a plant, when you peel an aloe leaf apart you will find the pure gel inside. It is an incredible at healing and soothing. I discovered it after a bad case of sunburn and the redness turned to tan overnight, I couldn't believe it, no peeling or soreness. The cold gel felt lush, so I thought hey, I'm going to slap this on my face and I have been doing it ever since.

If you don't have an aloe plant hanging about then you can pick up the gels pretty cheap, just make sure there aren't many added ingredients to the gel. I use the Aloe Pura range which is 99.9% pure aloe! You can pick it up for around £5 in Superdrug and Holland and Barrett.

The gel dries very quickly on the skin and I usually pop some moisturiser over the top but stick to a routine of using the plain aloe during the day and the gel with added tea tree at night. You can also use it in your hair for a mask or on any burn to cool and heal it.

I love budget beauty treasures. Share yours in the comments.

Happy Friday beauties.

Little Lottie

XO

Beauty Ingredients I avoid and why

From sensitive skin to allergies and acne, there are so many ingredients in our everyday beauty items and cosmetics that are toxic for our skin and can cause all kinds of reactions.

I was never aware of this when I was younger and would scrub my face far too much with harsh face washes that claimed to work miracles, I am now left with scarring and sensitivity that means harsh ingredients break me out a lot. A quick trip to the dermatologists office opened my eyes to what I was actually putting on my skin and I'm now a self confessed, serial ingredient counter, think calories but worse...

I've put together my list of ingredients that I personally try to avoid in my beauty collection for reasons that I have discovered through using them and experiencing a reaction, you may have no trouble with them at all. Most natural skincare and makeup items will also avoid these ingredients, hopefully I can help you to understand that label on your foundation a bit better with my guide.

1// Mineral Oil

Mineral Oils/paraffinum liquidum have broken me out countless times. They are a synthetic oil unlike essential oils and actually derive from petroleum! Have I put you off yet? Mineral oils are extracted from crude oil which contributes to making petrol so they are bad for our planet and our skin!

2// Perfume

Perfume is one of the hardest ingredients to avoid and is the first thing my dermatologist told me to steer clear of as it can sting and irritate sensitive/acne skin types. I now think if a product has to be perfumed to put it on my face, what is in it that they need to cover up with a scent? The 'ingredient' perfume/perfum can actually be made using over 3,000 chemicals but it's only ever listed as one ingredient on the label.

3// Talc

Talc is mostly used in powder products to create a mattifying affect, talcum powder was a popular product years ago for things like drying off after a shower but it does the job so well it's on my avoid list for drying out my sensitive skin.

4// SLS/SLES

SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) is added to many beauty items like cleansers, face washes and shampoos to make them foam. It is a type of detergent also used in INDUSTRIAL CLEANERS! I personally find this ingredient dries out my skin and scalp so avoid as much as possible but cosmetic companies struggle to find anything that works as well to replace it with.

5// Soap

Soap is another ingredient that cosmetic companies now try to avoid, you may notice cleansers labeled 'soap free'. Soap strips our skin of it's natural oils and so our skin over-produces sebum/oil causing blemishes and oiliness. Take the natural route and find a cleanser that wont through your PH off balance. I love using a mix of Olive Oil and Castor Oil.

6// Parabens

Parabens are a much debated over ingredient but have you noticed that recently when you pick up a moisturiser or foundation the label on the front says if it's paraben free? Parabens come with many names and are there to stop bacteria and mould growing in our 'wet' products like moisturisers. They are rumored to sink into our skin and enter our blood stream, increasing the risk of cancer. A natural alternative to Parabens would be Lavender oil but many cosmetics don't use this for various reasons (god knows why, it's bloomin lovely) You can find my favourite moisturiser here.

Finding brands that leave out any nasty ingredients is a task but Lush and Ren are among my favorites, read my Ren cleanser review here.

If you're looking for a more natural skincare routine I highly recommend cutting out these ingredients and see if you notice a difference.

Little Lottie 

XO  

Lush Product Reviews

After getting sick with the flu for a week and not wearing make up or hardly even getting out of bed to wash my face my skin improved somewhat, it was clearer and my pores were smaller but with going back to work comes looking presentable and wearing makeup and with wearing makeup comes removing it and therefore I was quickly back to my skincare routine.

It would be nice to not bother with makeup and face washing but unfortunately I enjoy those things so I decided to search for even more natural products that would mean using minimal ingredients on my face. I turned to lush for this, they have increased their makeup range and have some really lovely new products.

Light Yellow Colour Supplement

I'm already a fan of Jackie Oates and use it under my eyes and on my brow bone for a natural highlight so I picked up a sample of the colour supplement in Light Yellow to see if it was the right shade for me. When I first used it I was in love, the coverage is phenomenal considering it is a natural product. The colour was my concern as I'm pale and every foundation seems to look orange on me so I wore it out and about and it looked great in different lights, artificial and natural. After a few days of wearing it daily I noticed small bumps forming all over my cheeks and t-zone, the only thing I had changed was adding the Lush makeup and I knew that must be it so I stopped using it and the bumps went within a couple of days. I do recommend the Lush colour supplements but unfortunately this didn't agree.

Charisma Skin Tint

I was torn between getting the cream highlighter called Feeling Younger and the bronzer called Charisma but went for the bronzer as again it didn't look orange on my skin. I'm desperate to define my non-existent cheek bones and think liquid products make a quick and easy contour to dab on quickly. It was very easy to blend out to the point you couldn't see it much and it definitely needs to go over the foundation you wear in order to show up. It's great for pale skin tones because it's so blendable and I think it would also be a good product to put all over the face under foundation to warm things up, a bit like the Chanel bronze base but the budget version.

Angels on Bare Skin Cleanser

My favourite item of my Lush collection is definitely my new cleanser which is a Lush classic. Angels on Bare Skin is an exfoliating cleanser with lavender and crushed almonds. I wanted an exfoliating product to wake up my skin in the mornings and create a smooth base for makeup. First of all it's not your average sort of face wash, you grab a small clump of the clay like product and rub it in your hands with some water until it all melts into a nice scrub. It smells amazing and the lavender scent is so refreshing. It really helped clear the small bumps that Light Yellow left behind and never fails to remove my makeup and leave my skin feeling super smooth.

Celestial Moisturiser

Another product to help with silky smooth skin is Celestial. This moisturiser is also made with almonds and has quite a thick consistency that feels amazing. I didn't find it made me oily however my skin is dry at the moment and I think this would be too heavy for every day use on oily skin types. As it doesn't contain nasty ingredients I feel comfortable wearing this overnight and under makeup. Celestial makes a really smooth base for foundations and I have been using it after a rose water toner with mineral makeup on top.

I've been loving Lush recently and hope the reviews helped you decide on your next purchase.

What's your favourite Lush product? 

Little Lottie

XO

DIY Foundation

As most of you know I don't wear foundation, it's just the feeling of having an unnatural layer over my skin that I don't like and I haven't yet found a foundation that I'm in love with, so, I made my own. 

It's hard to find a foundation free of nasty chemicals that's also in a pale shade for an "English Rose" like me. Parabens are one chemical that is now banned in several countries but works as a preservative for liquids cosmetics to stop them growing bacteria. A natural alternative would be lavender oil but the beauty industry hasn't caught on yet. 

Using mineral makeup means that the products don't need to contain preservatives as they are mostly dry. A lot of people therefore use mineral makeup and it is great however doesn't always provide very full coverage and often clings to dry patches so the alternative is to mix it! 

Combining a natural/organic moisturiser that doesn't contain a load of unnecessary rubbish with a mineral powder/concealer makes a lovely foundation! 

All you need is a little pot to mix it and store it in, like these. You can pick these up online and in most drugstores. 

To make the mix I used my favourite moisturiser by Faith in Nature with a bit of Lily Lolo concealer in Blondie. This was a little too pale for me so I added some Bare Minerals Multi Tasking Concealer in Bisque to warm it up. The beauty of making your own foundation is that you can keep going until you reach your perfect shade! None of the tester rubbish needed. 

Then simply apply with a makeup brush. Voila! A lovely, dewy foundation is right at your fingertips. 

Comment with your favourite DIY recipe and don't forget to follow for more from me. 

Little Lottie

XO

Hair Care Routine

After switching to using more natural skin care and makeup products I turned my attention to my hair. My main problems were dry ends from my old blonde days and a sensitive scalp.

SLS is a foaming agent used A LOT in the beauty world, especially in cleansers and shampoos. I knew it dried my face skin out so I decided to cut it out of my shampoo too. Silicone is another ingredient to avoid as it can leave a coating on the hair and scalp.

I must admit it took me a while to research and come up with a product that actually had good reviews that didn't have all the "nasties" in it but Faith in Nature was a brand that came up repeatedly. I already trust the brand and their moisturiser is a must in my skincare routine so my lovely fiance bought me the Aloe Vera set.

I can hands down say I may not stray from these products ever again, my hair is so manageable now! My scalp isn't irritable or itchy anymore, my hair doesn't get greasy for at least 3 days and it is super soft and frizz free.

My hair is layered and was ombred using Jerome Russel 

I love the smell and so does my other half, I've even got my mum using it. The shampoo and conditioner also comes in some many more scents I'm keen to try like the lavender one for night showers, the pineapple set for morning showers and the chocolate for a pamper night.

Buy yours here!


I'm using a few drops of Jojaba oil on damp hair after a shower for extra shine and frizz taming. I also pop this on my ends between washes which works wonders!

Buy yours here!

Top tips:
Use a wooden hair brush to drag oils from your scalp down to your ends and promote hair growth
Never brush hair when it's wet
Tie your hair up over night so it isn't dried out by your cotton pillow cases
Don't wash your hair every day, it strips the natural oils from your hair and scalp

I hope this can help some of you solve your hair dilemmas. 

Follow for more beauty and lifestyle tricks.

Happy Friday

Little Lottie  

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