Empties | Products I've Used Up and Loved - Beauty

Recently, I've been trying to use up a lot of products before splashing the cash on new ones. Gasp. I'm terrible, if something doesn't work instantly, I take a long time to pick it up and try it again. So, these are a few of my 'empties' from the last few weeks. 

Lush Grease Lighting Spot Treatement

Fast working, effective and calming on the skin. Perfect for that big zit that you woke up with this morning. It tones down redness and makes things feel less angry. However, it's never really done a lot for my small irritant pimples. Nethertheless, I use this on angry spots because it's great for that. 

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

High coverage, amazing lasting power and nice to blend, this is the ultimate drugstore concealer for me. I've bought so many tubes of this and have different colours to work with my skin tone at all times of year. This particular tube is so used the writing on the packaging has faded completely...

La Roche-Possay Effaclar Duo+

I used to swear by this stuff and still use it regularly enough to make it an 'empty' but it doesn't have the same wow factor it once did. I think my skin actually prefers the original product (not the + version) as it seeemed to clear my skin faster. Pricey but worth it.

Simple Kind To Skin Protecting Light Moisturiser

As it states, it is simple but it really works wonders for me when I need a light moisturiser. Especially when I'm dealing with severe acne breakouts and want to tone down the chemicals and irritation. It's basic but I use this product so often I find myself repurchasing at least 4 times a year. Every weather, holidays, before bed, before makeup, after showers.

Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder

I have yet to find a powder I prefer, anywhere. A staple in both my collection and makeup bag every single day. A definate must have for summer when I start looking shinier and sweaty. (Ew. I cannot express to you how much I dislike summer. It's seriously my least favourite season).

La Roche-Possay Effaclar A.I.

A targeted breakout corrector which is again pricey but a french miracle. Working on the worst areas of the skin to calm breakouts and clusters of spots. I used up this little tube so quickly as I applied it day and night nearly everyday for a good month or so. 

Does this mean I can try new things now?

The Corset: Fashion

The Corset

Inspired by a costume party I am attending and also the immense propaganda, this week’s posts topic is corsets and waist training. We are all familiar with the Victorians who first made the corset most famously recognised; however the first recorded image of a corset was in 2000 BC. So the corset is not new, but a recording fashion trend and body shaping addiction. Other names for the not new fashion craze are figure training and tight lacing. Beyoncy and the Kardashians have made it become a more advertised trend; making people of today go into corset training.

As most of us may know it involves sculpting the waist and torso into a desired shape. This involves reducing the waist, flattening the stomach and reshaping the ribs. However it is not a quick fix, it can take months or over a year to achieve your goal with a mix of corsets, diet and exercise. The body has to slowly conform to the corset shape.

The corset will need to be worn 12-14 hours per day. These hours will need to be gradually increased if you are a beginner from 5 hours, slowly to 12-14. Although the corset does not cause any pain it does cause difficulty breathing, displacement of internal organs, damage to the ribs and in some cases poor posture so that unless the corset is worn the torso slumps due to muscle reduction.

Normally when you take off the corset your body would return to its normal shape, but with waist training, the changes to your body slowly becomes permanent. It does promote weight loss as the crinching to the waist constricts the stomach which would normally be filled with air.

You wear these bodyslimmers your body assumes the desired shape. Normally, once you take off the body shaper your body returns to normal. With waist training, however, the changes eventually become permanent as your body adjusts to its new shape. The tight crincher around your waist also constricts your digestive system, reducing appetite and helping promote weight loss to speed up the waist training process. Some say that the garment makes you perspire off the inches of waist, but this is sadly not true. Its healthy eating and exercise that truly helps shed the pounds.

If you are considering buying a waist trainer, then do your research and do it properly. It is a life style decision so make sure it suits your life style and is taking into account your body shape. All bodies are different.

Your corset should be 3-4 inches smaller than your natural waist line. For waists 36 inches or more it should be 5-6 inches smaller.

Remember it takes dedication and a change in your normal day to day life. If it’s to achieve your goals then do it and do it responsibly!

Here are two images of the results of my ice dying technique from last week:

The Round Up: Disneyland!

I apologise for not posting last week but I was busy with 5/7 of the group having fun in Disneyland! This time a week ago, we were running around Disneyland Paris, enjoying the exciting rides and generally acting like children. Some how we managed to excuse a 3 day trip to Disneyland as an educational excursion by going to a media conference for 3 hours. Oh the flaws in British schooling systems.

The first day consisted of travelling. Neil the coach driver managed to escort 30+ students to the wood loving Hotel Cheyenne. I really liked the log cabin Wild West theme and could hardly fault our accommodation (other than Ishy's hair band stealing bin moving maid), we settled in to our first night by wondering through the Disney Village and eating at the famous Planet Hollywood. Somehow we managed to jump the queue and 11 of us got death glares as we tucked into our delicious meals. By the time we went to bed, we were exhausted.

The second day was when we steped into the magical place of Disneyland! Our first ride of the day was a very swift walk to Thunder Mountain where we shoved small children to be the first ones on the ride. There, 11 assemble was born and the most misfit crew joined in union to jump queues to fit us all on the ride. Our 12 hour Disneyland run about was brilliant, our favourite ride being Indiana Jones and poor Lily and Sam were introduced to Small World. Although Goofys Springtime Teaparty got a little repetitive, we still enjoyed the parade later in the day. Emptying our purses in the Disney store and eating at the poorly decorated Pizza Planet, we slept very well that night.

After our breakfast made lunch, we headed for Disney Studios after a slight problem involving Rosa's tiny memory and a park ticket. A certain favourite of that day was surely Areosmith, followed by Crush's Coaster and, although Ellie and Lily wouldn't agree, Tower of Terror. Sadly our day was dented
by the only educational factor of the trip, the Media Live conference. The conference was quite interesting, especially the speaker from Sony. Yet soon enough, we were back in the park enjoying our last hours in Disneyland. The 11 assembled when we got back to watch Cheetah Girls while singing the French subtitles and breaking the code of conduct.

Our time in Disneyland was brilliant and us at Almost1998 made some new memories and new close friends that we never anticipated. What I'm most proud of is that we managed not get lost and survive 3 days in eachothers company. Hopefully there will be more exciting trips for Almost 1998 I'm the future.

Best Dress Celebs at Paris Fashion Week 2015!

This week Fashion Week has been taking place in the love capital of the world that is the beautiful Paris. There have been an endless amount of celebrities jetting in to get a glance at the upcoming fashion to get inspiration for their 2015 Autumn/Winter wardrobes. So for this weeks post I thought I would tell you who I think the best dressed celebs were and just general goss from the shows! 

The 50 Shades of Grey actress who is best known as her role as Anastasia showed up to the Christian Dior show looking as glamorous as ever. Dakota Johnson rocked up wearing a very elegant off the shoulder black jumpsuit which looked incredible on her and made her figure look amazing. Other celebs who attended the event included Kanye West, Lorde and Hailee Steinfeld. Kanye and Lorde actually turned up together which looked slightly uncomfortable to say the least. It's not the most likely pairing you would expect to visit a fashion show together...

There have also been appearances on the runway from the incredibly beautiful Kendall Jenner and the amazingly talented Cara Delevigne. Cara's trailer for her new movie in which she features 'The Face of an Angel' has just been released and you can check out her acting skills here. It's safe to say we will be hearing a lot from Cara this year and I can't wait to see her in the movie 'Paper Towns' based on John Green's book due to be released in July!

The beautiful upcoming artist Florrie has also been at Paris Fashion week and has attended the H&M show. I feel that in this outfit she looks really cool and I love how she has chosen really bold colours. These are great colours for spring and the brightness of them really reflects her personality. 

As well as this the amazing reality show star Olivia Palermo in my eyes has stolen all the attention with her preppy fashion outfits. I have absolutely adored what she has been wearing. I would defiantly wear these clothes myself and that's what makes me love it more. She made each outfit such a statement and she accessorized them fantastically.

I am going to end on the subject of Kim K's new hair. That woman really does know how to get herself publicity! She's following in the same footsteps as Miley Cyrus (my queen) and has died her hair bleach blonde. It's defiantly quite something and has had some very mixed reviews. Although, it is rumoured that Kanye prefers her lighter locks which is good news for everyone. 

Do you think her hair is hot or not?
Leave a comment below, I would love to see your opinions!

Homemade Crisps: Baking

Homemade Oven-baked Crisps!

Who doesn't love crisps? This is a really quick and simple recipe that allows you to make a delicious snack with barley any effort put in!

 

You will need:

•  2 Potatoes (sweet potatoes would taste nice as well and be even healthier!)  
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• pinch of salt

Method:

• Firstly, peel the potatoes and cut in half
• Then take a peeler and peel thin oval slices of potato

 

 

• Then boil these slices for 2 minutes.

 

• Mix the oil, vinegar and salt together.
• Drain the potato slices to get rid of all the water and then mix them into the oil mixture.
• Lay the individual slices out on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 20 minutes
• Once cooked sprinkle with salt and enjoy!

  

  I found it hard to make crisps look photogenic!
  P.s they look horrible but trust me they're amazing

   

 

Travelling: Life, Advice and Rants

So you may already know but myself, Charlotte, Shannon, Elana and Rosa came back from a 3 day trip to Disneyland yesterday! Here is a picture of us in the Disney village:

                                                      

This was my first time travelling out of the country without the watchful eye of a parental guardian and for the trip we had to navigate, feed and generally sort ourselves out. I have to say it wasn't as stressful as people make travelling to other countries out to be however I understand that others may not cope as well. This is why I have come up with a list of do's and don't's when preparing to travel aboard.

DO: Wake up early

Holidays don't come everyday, one minute your on the sandy beaches of a exotic hotel and the next your stuffed inside a freezing cold classroom. Make the most of the time you've got, you can always sleep when you get home! Having more of the day to do things you will enjoy and make memories you will share forever is worth more than an extra hour in bed.

DONT: Worry about WI-FI

Many hotels draw more crowds in if the provide free internet connection as they know people cannot live without tweeting everything they do on holiday. On our recent trip, there was no internet and to be honest I was quite glad. We had so much fun just laughing and talking together without the constant need to be glued to our phones. Don't prioritise the need for wi-fi as it isn't a necessity.

DO: Take lots of photos

You may only see these places & meet these people once in your lifetime so make sure you will remember them forever with plenty of photos. Don’t worry about looking like a “tourist”, trust me most people will be doing the same. Great photos are the ultimate souvenir. They don’t cost anything, they’re easy to share with others, and they don’t take up space in your luggage.

DONT: Lose track of your spending

Of course you should buying gifts and souvenirs as a way to remember the fantastic time you spent in a country, just don't forget the necessities. Know how much you have to spend and ship wisely. Haggle if you want, stalls and street sellers will usually try to sell at the highest price but will lower prices if you are confident enough. Eating, drinking and having a safe place to stay should always be top of your list when spending.

There are some few tips that I hope will increase your chance of having good experiences when you travel. Remember that we have a limited amount of time the do everything you love, whether it be jungle trekking, exotic sun soaking or just Butlins down the road. Holidays give the chance of new friends, new tans and new memories so never be afraid to pack up a leave because if you can...why not!

Ice dyeing: Textiles

Ice dyeing

This week I thought I'd try a technique I've never done before, and came across on pintrest this weekend. As I am doing this technique whilst posting, I'll post an image of the final result tomorrow or next week on my next blog post, if I don't get there before Elana.

Its a simple technique!

All you need is:

• A selection of powder dyes
• Cotton fabric
• Ice
• Salt
• A bucket or tray

1. Soak your cotton in a warm salt water bath for about 3 minutes. 

2. Take the fabric out, sprinkle salt granules onto it and scrunch it. Then put it in or on your bucket or tray. The salt should prevent colour in some patches.

3. Cover the fabric in ice.

4. Sprinkle your dyes over the ice and leave it over night. Wear gloves as precaution so you do not get dye all over your hands like I have done.

Here is a picture of the final result of ice dyeing from trusty google. I will post mine asap!