Five ways to use lip balm

As far as we know, lip balm is just that little chapstick in our handbags we use whenever we have dry or cracked lips. However, this little guy could be your best friend when you're in need! 

Here are five ways you can use lip balm to fire up your beauty routine: 

1. Dry nails?

Try rubbing over some lip balm over your cuticles to revive them. Cuticles help to keep bacteria away from your nails such as fungal infections so it's worth protecting them and keeping them in tip top shape! 

2. Cream eyeshadow

If you want your eyeshadow to last all day without re-applying it why not just mix it with your lip balm? This saves you money on expensive primers so you get a real bang for your buck. Just make sure you don't irritate your eyes with flavours like mint or citrus.

3. Blowing your nose too much?

We all get that dry spot under our noses when we have a cold and blow our noses like there's no tomorrow. Rub that miracle juice on and try not to rub the area to avoid it getting worse. Again do not use mint or citrus flavours as it may irritate the skin.  

4. Blusher

Got tinted lip balm? Add a dash to your cheeks or mix some with a red or pink shade of lipstick. The same goes for lipgloss if you have any on hand. 

5. Dry skin 

In cold weather the most common place dry skin occurs is on the knuckles of the hands and sometimes our fingers. Luckily lip balm will do the trick if you don't have any hand cream. 

Body conscious

This topic is quite a sensitive one for me because ever since I was 13 I've always been body conscious. I used to care about what other people think of me e.g. the way I look and behave. 

I thought I was ugly because I didn't look like the girls in the magazines, adverts on TV, or actresses in movies. I knew they were fake but still couldn't help comparing myself to them. Luckily for me I've never had an eating disorder before but I've even been bullied in the past because of the way I look and that is what made me feel more self conscious till this day.  

My teen years were my worst and best years in my opinion. When I hit 16 I learned how to love myself and started losing weight (in a good way) because I used to be chubby but not overweight. I still thought I could have made some minor improvements along the way. 

When I was 17 I remember being 55kg at 4"11. When I turned 18 I became 47kg at 5" and right now at 22 I'm 51kg at 5"1. I lost weight because I followed Paul Mckenna's fool proof system. Anyone can do it and if you want to know more I'll make a video explaining the system. 

The way it worked for me was that I was 13 and sitting in front of the TV when all of a sudden I saw Paul Mckenna hosting a show called "I can make you thin". I didn't believe my eyes when he went through the techniques as they were all shockingly simple! I decided to get a piece of paper and write down the techniques he was describing then slowly applied each rule one at a time. I didn't even feel like I was losing weight but it was a natural, gradual process which worked out well in the end. 

I then decided to buy his book explaining the system as a reference to go back to just in case I feel like I'm going off the rails again. Here is a link for it if you want to see where I bought mine from and I would recommend it to anyone because it's easy to follow, anyone can do it, and it has a high success rate.

My feelings about my weight have constantly been the centre of attention in my life because I sometimes feel like I look too big in photos where I can see a bit of bulge from my tummy or maybe a double chin. I always thought I didn't look right in comparison to my friends who I really thought were thinner than me when in reality, we were just about the same.

I also watched a programme where a stylist called Gok Wan looked at the way children of our generation think about their bodies and it made me feel like I wasn't the only one. I can't quite remember the name but when I do I'll post a link. What I like the most about this was that he used to have weight problems and got bullied when he was younger which made me feel like I can relate to him on a personal level. 

Another interesting programme I watched is called Super Sized vs Super Skinny where an overweight and underweight person are put together in a feeding clinic for a couple of days and swap diets. In my opinion it's quite different from a normal weight loss show where someone is given a diet after looking at their bad habits. They instead try to see the world from the other person's point of view and experience their daily life which allows them to put themselves in each other's shoes. 

Right now I'm happy to say that I'm comfortable in my own skin after years of thinking I'm not good enough for any aspect of life simply because of the way I see myself in comparison to everyone else. 

However I do take interest in things that benefit my life instead of punishing myself and the same can be done for anyone looking to improve their quality of life and weight loss. Things I do are:

• Doing a type of sport which helps to boost my confidence and also become a new hobby to pursue.
• Making the way I see my progress more realistically and less harshly by remembering that you can only ever keep moving forward. Don't worry if you ever do slip up because it depends on your attitude towards it rather than what you actually did.  
• And watching motivational speakers which can be emotionally uplifting for the days I'm feeling down. 

So I hope you guys got more of an insight to one of the things I thought I would never talk about in a million years! Please be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel as I might talk about this topic in a video and I'll be seeing you guys later!  

Love Nina xXx

Temporary tattoos that look real - Jagua

A couple of months ago I went to the Pier for an evening out and I saw this place that does temporary tattoos. My first thought was that henna would be a given but then I came across something called jagua. I asked what it was and the sales assistant told me it's a type of ink that works in the same way as henna but isn't black henna as a lot of people mistake it for because there's no such thing as black henna. Jagua is a different plant altogether and the difference between them is that henna stains the skin dark brown whereas jagua turns almost black although the ink is a dark navy blue.

After a lot of thought, I bought some jagua because I liked the dark stain on my skin and seeing as I'm tanned I didn't personally find henna that appealing as it fades quick on my skin due to the lack of my desired darkness.

The place I bought my ink is from a place called jaguatattoo.co.uk and they also sell henna as well so if you want that too they're a great place to buy from. The delivery was decent as I got it within a week of purchasing. 

I bought the jagua starter kit which came with: 

• A 5ml tube of jagua ink
• A book about jagua

I like how in the begging they explain what jagua is and where it comes from just to make you more familiar with the ink. 

They also talk about the history of the tattoos which helps you get a little bit of background knowledge.

My favourite page in the book is where they talk about the symbols and meanings of the tattoos so you can make the best choice when you're deciding what to draw.   

• A sheet of paper with some designs for inspiration or ideas - There are two sides to this and my favourite is the tribal designs which you can see below. 

• Two application cones 
• A hectograph pencil (used with the transfer paper)
• And a sheet of transfer paper

I haven't tried it out just yet but come back soon for my next post and I'll be sure to tell you how it went! 

Just in case you were thinking about buying any henna or jagua here are a couple of questions you might want to take into consideration before choosing the type of ink you want to buy. 

What type of ink should I use? 

Henna is ideal for people who like a medium to dark stain on their skin and want a temporary tattoo that doesn't last more than a week. The lighter the ink looks on the skin, the faster it will fade. 

Jagua is more for the people who want a dark stain that looks like a real tattoo and lasts for up to two weeks. It's also ideal for people who want to see how a tattoo design looks  on them before committing to a real tattoo. 

How do I prepare my skin before applying any ink? 

When I last had my jagua tattoo drawn on me, I had my skin wiped with witch hazel which they told me removes any excess lint or dirt on the surface of the skin so that the ink can adhere better. 

Another thing that can be done is to exfoliate the area that you want to draw on and don't apply any moisturisers or creams before applying the ink because as it creates a barrier on the skin making it harder for the ink to stain properly . 

How can I make my tattoo last longer? 

Some may say that a plaster would work but I was advised and personally prefer to use a layer of vaseline (or any type of skin friendly petroleum jelly you can find). 

You may also use oils such as olive or coconut before coming into contact with any water such as a shower or jacuzzi. 

My new bengal cat!

So on the 8th of October 2014 I finally bought a Bengal cat. I've always been a fan of cats and I love leopard print so I decided it's the perfect cat for me. I also didn't want a cat that was too wild like the Savannah F1 or a Serval and the Bengal cat seemed more domestic.

I got her at the age of 9 weeks because the seller was nice enough to do it as a favour since we lived so far away. You'd normally buy a cat around 12 weeks when they're considered old enough to leave home. 

This was my baby's first picture as we took her in her comfy travel bed. I decided to call her Amira because I was told it means princess in Arabic. 

                                                       

When we got home after a long drive I took Amira's picture again as she's sleeping with the red blanket that belonged to her mum. 

On her first day, when I came back from work out of the shower and turned my hair dryer on she got scared and hid under my desk in a corner. It was so adorable I took this picture just in time.

I love how as soon as she got settled in she started following me around the house and taking short naps around the house loving the fact I'm caressing her.

I found that playing her relaxing music (such as Chinese) calms her down and allows her to unwind. This was when she first came on her second day settling in. 

On her second week, she got used to my scent so much she started jumping and sitting on my bed. She even slept with me for two nights and felt comfortable.

 She even likes pouncing as it's a natural habit cats like to do. 

 I love staring at her as she curls up into a ball in a deep sleep.  

Blanx White shock formula toothpaste

For the last two weeks I've been trying to make my teeth look whiter so I decided to use this toothpaste called Blanx white shock. This kit came with the toothpaste plus an LED light that makes your teeth whiter. 

The toothpaste is a tube that I would say lasts over two weeks maybe three. I'm almost at the end of the third week and there's still some toothpaste left in the tube so that's quite impressive!

This is how the LED light looks like. I find it fits nicely into the mouth and is comfortable to wear but please note it helps to time how long you've left it in your mouth because the instructions recommend you leave it a minimum of a minute. 

I found the blanXometer a little bit confusing to use because even when I looked in the mirror I couldn't compare my tooth shade properly.

On the side of the box there's a special tear line that you use to open the box and take the blanXometer out. Be careful when opening though in case you rip the inside up. 

I had so much faith in this product that I decided to buy a full sized tube. 

To my dismay, this toothpaste did nothing even though I followed the instructions brushing twice a day using the LED light after each brush. After two weeks of persistent use it did nothing and I lost hope. If anything I'd say it made my teeth more yellow! 

At least I've learned that if in doubt don't buy more otherwise it may cause disappointment. 

Next I'm hoping to try the boots whitening strips at some point to see whether it really works and of course the home made remedy of baking soda. 

If you know any good whitening toothpastes let me know in the comments below and I'll be sure to test those out too. I might do a video review of this toothpaste so keep an eye on my youtube channel here for more.

See you on the flip side

Nina xXx

I'm back

Ok so I know I've had a two month break since my last post but bear with me guys, I haven't abandoned you! 

I had a recent breakdown with the computer and the next thing I knew I couldn't edit any videos let alone post them which was a shame. I did however manage to save up and buy a MacBook which I for one never realised could happen due to my horrid spending habits. 

This inspired me to make a budget series so people can learn what they can and can't go without which is really useful in times of crisis. I can't say I'm the best at saving up but I am trying. In an attempt to put away my pennies I decided to dedicate some of my time to watching a show called super scrimpers which I'm not sure is available outside the UK but for those who do live here this is worth a watch. Some ideas are so simple you wouldn't have even thought of it! 

Before anything else I'll be starting off with budget nail art designs you could do at home without any fancy equipment. This will be great to know especially for people who want to start doing nail art but haven't yet bought any equipment. 

I'll be back soon with another video. Hang on tight. 

Nina xXx

What is Nail Stamping? - A beginner's guide to Nail Stamping

In my most recent posts I've featured a video by one of my favourite nail artists on youtube - janelle, better known as elleandish. 

As I was talking about nail art I also mentioned nail art which some of you may have never heard of. I'll tell you everything you need to know about nail stamping so have no fear, Nina's here! 

Briefly explaining, the way nail stamping works is if you apply some nail polish on a nail plate and swipe the excess polish off with a nail scraper and press a rubber stamp on the plate which picks up the design and press the stamp on your nail to transfer the design. This is the best way I can explain but it makes much more sense to watch a video which I'll be posting one in the next 24 hours on my channel so keep your eyes peeled here and subscribe while you're over there :) 

First thing's first, you need at least four essential tools which are: 

A nail stamper - There are two types that I know of so far which are single ended and double ended. 

I also categorise them by the type of material they're made from such as a matte rubber stamp or a shiny rubber stamp.

A single ended stamper only has one end and is great for beginners as you have more control of the handle and the amount of pressure you're applying to your nails. 



This is how it looks at the top and it actually came with some nail plates I bought but I had trouble using it because it didn't seem to pick up the designs oddly enough. 

This is another example of a single ended stamp which happens to look like a child's toy. I'm not really a fan of the shiny rubber stamps as I seem to have trouble with them. This also came free as a gift from an order I placed from China. 

Oddly enough the free rubber stamps above didn't seem to work for me, so most of the time I've been using my Konad rubber nail stamper which has worked wonders for me over the past few months. I highly recommend this for beginners because for some reason the stamps I received as gifts didn't work as well as the stamps I bought so make that something to keep in mind when you're thinking about the type of nail stamping tools you want to use. 

My trusty Konad double ended nail stamper has been my life saver. It picks up the designs efficiently and is very accurate. This is the small end which is useful for dark colours and small designs, you can also use it to control the accuracy of where you want to position your design on your nail: 

Here you have a big end for bigger designs. This size is commonly used for designs that take up more space on your nails and would need a large stamp to pick up the design. 

 

Finally, this double ended, shiny rubber large stamp is my most recent stamp I've been using. It's called the XL Double Sided Stamp & Scraper from MoYou London and at first I was a little bit doubtful as to whether it would stamp the designs on properly from my past experiences with shiny rubber nail stamps but to my surprise, it actually worked! 

The handle is also easy to hold and you get a good grip thanks to the indents on the side of the stamp. The Konad one also has this but is much smaller than this one. 

A nail scraper - You can get either a metal or plastic scraper and what works best is a matter of opinion although they're both fine. 

I prefer plastic scrapers more because in my opinion you can press harder against the plate to scrape more excess nail polish without the worry of damaging the nail plate. I also like how you can get a cleaner swipe the very first time you scrape the nail polish out of the way with a plastic nail scraper and best of all it won't go rusty so it saves you from buying another scraper which also saves you money in the long run. 

The picture of the one below came with my MoYou London XL Double Sided Stamp & Scraper. I have to say that the handle is quite spacious which gives you the advantage of better control when you're scraping and as a result more accuracy with less effort.  

A nail stamping plate - You can get these from various websites depending on what you want. If you're new to nail stamping I recommend buying small nail plates such as the Cheeky set of 26 nail art plates which is what I started with. Unfortunately they've discontinued selling it on Amazon but I'm just mentioning it anyway to give you an example of what you can buy if you're new to nail stamping and want to experiment with different designs without spending too much money.

Nail polish remover - This is absolutely essential because if you make a mistake you'll have to clean it up and when you're finished you need to make sure your equipment is clean for the next use. I recommend using a cheap nail polish remover to clean your equipment but a nourishing formula for removing nail polish from your nails. This ensures you're reducing if not avoiding any damage to your nails while you're painting and stamping them. 

Useful tip - Make sure the polishes you're using can withstand the pressure of the rubber stamp before attempting to use them for stamping. It saves you time and money knowing that your nail polish won't dent or smudge when you're using your stamp. OPI, Bourjois and Collection are my top personal recommendations.