Green Tea - My Skin Saviour

It's not a Tuesday I know, but I want to do a teen talk Tuesday style post all about my best friend Green Tea! A few weeks back I started a challenge to drink a cup of green tea everyday or even every other day if i can, to see what a difference it makes to me health wise and other benefits as well - and boy oh boy it has made such a big impact on my life. You won't see benefits straight away as it does take time!

Why Green Tea? 
Green tea has been used as a medicine for thousands of years, originating in China but widely used throughout Asia this beverage has a multitude of uses from lowering blood pressure to preventing cancer. The reason that green tea has more health benefits attached to it than black tea is (apparently) due to the processing. Black tea is processed in a way that allows for fermentation whereas green tea’s processing avoids the fermentation process. As a result, green tea retains maximum amount of antioxidants and poly-phenols the substances that give green tea its many benefits.

How has it benefited me? 

Well, I have seen a huge difference in my skin! I have a problem with breakouts and have found very few treatments that work for a long period of time, but since starting to drink green tea my over all skin complexion and the breakout frequency has improved so much. My main spots always used to come out on my forehead and they have dramatically decreased, there are still scars there but its good enough for me! I have also been sleeping a lot better (And a lot early in fact!) after a few hours of drinking the tea I feel tired and ready to close my eyes and sleep like a baby! 

There are so many other benefits to green tea such as helping with weight loss, and more that you can read here! 

Have you tried drinking a cup of green tea? What are your benefits?

Starting Off; Concealer ♥

Welcome to the second week of 'TheSoProject' also know as 'The Starting Off Project'. If you missed the first week or have no clue what I am babbling on about, then do check out this post so you are in the loop with the fruit? I tried to rhyme it but, it failed -TERRIBLY!

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These days there are so many concealers out there, that you are spoilt for choice to say the least! There are a few things you should take into consideration when buying and choosing your concealer shade - this is my concealer guide 101. And then I will tell you a few of my personal favourites all from the drug store! 

To cover or correct?

When choosing a concealer I would always start with a shade that is lighter than your foundation - not your skin tone. Just like when picking foundation you should always be aware of the colour words such as "beige" (pink undertones), "cool" (pink), "warm" (yellow/olive undertones), "neutral," etc.

If dark under eye circles are your main problem then you need to go with the warm shades of concealer.If you are using concealer for blemishes or dark spots, find one that is a shade lighter than your foundation and in the same undertone.

I have two hand down 'holy grail' concealers, and without them I wouldn't be able to last very long. Both are liquid concealers as I think that they are much better and easy to blend as well as find your true match. 

This was my first 'guess and go' concealer as I ordered it online, praying that the shade would be perfect for me and not highlight the wrong areas or even not cover the blemishes and circles I wanted it to. This is the Maybelline 'Pure Cover Mineral' concealer in the shade Rose Beige, which is a very light weigh , medium coverage - creamy liquid concealer. I find that this is the best for covering those nasty dark under eye circles and I am someone who has dark pigmentation under my eyes and with this they just appear lighter. 

I bought mine from Fragrance Direct , who now stock a different shade to what I have but there is a choice of two shades on Cheap Smells.

If you are familiar with the youtube/blogger worlds then there is a 99.9% chance you have heard of this concealer. I seem to always get sucked into the things that get raved about constantly and this angel of a concealer has been something I have had my eye on for a while. One day I hopped into Superdrug and swatched the shade 'Medium' and well...fell in love. Even though the shade range isn't great the concealer may match just about everyone and I can safely and truthfully say that after trying and testing it out - it lives up to the hype. This concealer can cover your blemishes up with the tiniest of little amounts, because of its creamy and smooth consistency you can really blend it in well so that every inch of a horrible spot is covered. I don't know how I have managed without this concealer in my life.

Application

As far as applying concealer goes, there are several different ways. You can straight up apply if from the tube,wand or even stick and put it where desired and then use your ring finger to blend it by patting very gently. Or even apply using a brush, taking the product off with a brush and then blending with a concealer brush. It is really up to you and what you feel most comfortable with. 

I hope this helped with any worries on concealer that you have had, and if there are any more questions or even suggestions then do leave a comment below or even contact me! 

Be sure to read the other features in this series..

Dress to suit you ♥

As it is currently party season, and coming up to new years eve with all the party's. I thought it would be a good idea to give you a guide on how to dress appropriately for the body shape that you are. The worst thing to do is to wear something unflattering and have everyone talk about you.

1. THE PEAR SHAPE
A pear shaped women has hips that are wider than the shoulders, your bottom is rounded and your waist is noticeable. Your best feature's are your shoulders, and the flat stomach. My drawing attention to your waist and arms you are balancing out the upper and lower body.

DON'T - wear items of clothing that focus on your hips & thighs
DO- Mix up light and dark colours so they contrast.
DO- Wear strapless dresses to show off those arms and balance the top and bottom.
DO- Go with the pointy toed shoes to elongate your legs.


2. RECTANGLE SHAPED
Rectangular body shapes have hips,shoulders and a waist that are similar in width. Your best feature's are your arms and legs which means you don't have to take attention away from other parts of your body. BY just creating curves in your body you are showing those arms and legs off.

DO - Wear tops that have collars, ruffles or any detail that will flatter your top half.
DO - Layer items of clothing to add more shape.
DO- Feel free to experiment with a range of different colours.
DON'T - Go too daring with prints and patterns

3. APPLE SHAPED BODY
Women with apple shapes figures find that their weight gathers above the narrow hips that they have. There ribs, back and shoulders are broad and can tend to make you feel wider than others. But a advantage to being apple shaped is the LEGS!! If you show off the legs and create the image of having a waist - you'll look amazing!

DO- Buy tops with v-necks for a longer torso image.
DO- Wear belts that fit around the smallest part of your waist.
DO- Go for the empire tops and dresses which will do their best to hide any tummy bulge.
DO- Boot cut and flared jeans are your best bet to create a even line from head to toe.

4. HOURGLASS FIGURE
Being an hourglass figure, means that you are a very lucky woman! Your hips & shoulders are similar in width and lie in between a tiny waist. CURVES are your best assest ... showing these off will get anyone drooling.
DON'T- Please don't cover up those curves with baggy clothing
DO- Wear dresses that are fitted to show off those curves
DO- By wearing a belt you are showing off that hourglass shape
DO- Go and try wearing skinny or straight leg jeans.

Teen Talk Tuesday; Stress

So, I'm going to introduce something called 'teen talk Tuesday' where I'll be talking about teen related topics! Because I'm a teen (15) I find it easier to write about these things than other adult problems! Haha!
Today's topic is ... 'STRESS'

What is stress?
Everyone, get's stressed. Whether it is work related, school or even relationship stress -everyone experiences it! But What exactly is it? Stress which is also know as  the "flight or fight" response, increases our heartbeats, which then speeds our metabolism and heightens our awareness for things around us. Stress in small amounts can be good for us and our bodies. However if these stressful feeling  last for long periods of time,they can keep you in panic for too long.This then starts to affect us physically, mentally and emotionally.

How is it caused?
Stress can be caused by a numerous reasons, it really depends on the person it is happening to and how there body responds. What may be stressful for me, may not be stressful for you.

• Family problems - these can include divorces that may be happening, deaths within the family or even money problems.
• For many teens, moving into a new school can also cause stress
• Difficulty in school - if a maybe have learning difficulties, or even stress over exams.
• Friends - There may have been a fall out over friends, peer pressure or even at this age relationship problems.
• Too Much - You may actually be doing more than you can cope with, too many actives at school or out of school, part time jobs and so on. 
• Body Changes - this basically speaks for its self.
• SLEEP! - Not having enough sleep can really affect you mentally and cause you problems and stress.
• Future- You may be at the stage, where you have to decide/plan what you may be doing in the future.

Solutions?
Don't 'stress' though guys, there are many solutions and ways you can work around this..

• Talk - Talking to your parents/friends/family or even teachers about what may be bothering you is the way to get started. By Talking to someone else and working out your problems will help reduce the built up tension you have inside. 
• Relax - Find something you enjoy doing, even if it is just watching TV or watching YouTube videos. Your mind will become at rest and you don't have to worry about anything.
• Be prepared - Don't wait until last minute to finish off projects, homework ect. this can cause you un-needed stress that you really don't need. Feeling prepared and ready for things can reduce lots of built up stress. 
• Relaxation techniques - Techniques such as Breathing exercises or even meditation are great techniques for getting rid of the built up tension inside.