Winter Saviours

Bonjour my lovelies!

I'm very sorry about my lack of posts but I have been super busy and thus super tired! I have returned and I have some winter saviours for you all!

It's very chilly, windy and rainy here in South West England (My thoughts go out to those hideously flooded) and so on my travels have come up with a list of things to keep your hair, skin, lips and hands feeling beautiful in these last few grey months before spring has sprung!

Lips: Bubblegum Lip Scrub and Lip Service Lip Balm by Lush
This sugar scrub buffs all the horrid dry flaky skin away, and tastes super sweet! Yummy. You're not meant to you know, eat it from the jar but you can lick it off after scrubbing away so this is how I know it tastes nice! The balm smells and tastes a little like chocolate orange, and something about the balm's consistency and shine leaves a super flattering finish on your lips. Well worth a purchase at the till in Lush whilst purchasing all your bath bombs!

 Body: Clean Girls Body Wash and The Daily Smooth Body Butter by Soap and Glory
THIS SMELLS LIKE HEAVEN. I love the smell so much I have even purchased the 'Scrub 'em and Leave 'em' body scrub and the 'Mist You Madly' body spray which have the same fragrance. A little obsessive, I know but the scent does last if you use it this way. These products are super hydrating and leave you smelling and feeling like a peachy little cherub, and also feeling like you have quite frankly kicked the damp cold weather in the arse.

Face: Moisture Match Moisturiser for Very Dry Skin by Garnier 
I love this whole range of moisturisers, they are meant to be tailor made for your skin's needs and they're pretty good at it. I have also used the one that mattifies your skin but I prefer this one as it easily deals with the dry patches on my face I get - especially during winter -  it doesn't feel too heavy and smells like summer. I thoroughly recommend this range if you're looking for a new face cream.

Hands: Carex Moisturising Hand Gel and Hand Food by Soap and Glory
I use these products all year round. Because of the nature of my work I always carry hand gel, but I found that most aggravate my chronically dry hands so I tried the moisturising one and it's great. It doesn't fully moisturise my hands but it doesn't dry them out either and has a really lovely fragrance, as well as killing bacteria. I always always always carry Hand Food too. It's the best hand cream out there and it lasts. The formula is thick but it absorbs quickly, and it keeps your hands lovely and soft long after you have applied it. BUY IT, IT'S BRILLIANT!

Hair: Aussie's Anti-Frizz Conditioning Milk and Conditioning Oil Spray by Dove
I have already reviewed the Dove spray in an earlier post of Recent Favourites, but I just love it. It leaves your hair super soft and smelling gorgeous. A brilliant product. The Aussie Conditioning Milk also smells great and is a slightly more heavy duty product for when hair can go a little crazy and dry in the horrible weather, just pop it in towel dried hair and TA DAH! Shiny beautifully soft hair. Lovely.

Well my lovelies, I hope you enjoyed this post, don't forget to share with me your winter saviours!! Have you tried any of these? What did you think?

Love GG xx

My Big Decision: Update!

OH SWEET LORD I LOVE BREAD.

You may remember my post just before Christmas, pledging to all you internet lovelies that I would lose weight in order to be happier, healthier and more confident.

It's going okay. It's going fine. It's happening. I have given up bread, become more mindful of what I am eating, and accepted the fact that I am going to have some days where I fail. Some days I get home from work, stressed about various things and eat toast. Sometimes I delve into the cupboard and pull out Waitrose Essential Choc Chip Digestives and happily tuck in. And sometimes I refuse the second helping and the biscuits at work and feel pleased with myself.

However, yesterday I went shopping, and in Topshop I caught my reflection in one of those massive mirrors they have. And I felt unhappy and horrible, which took me by surprise because when I got dressed that morning and chose my black leather (kind of muted leather-look matte) jeans, green topshop tee and statement necklace I felt good. I felt like I looked nice. But I looked hideous. In my head I saw a huge girl who shouldn't even be in Topshop. I didn't buy any clothes yesterday apart from a jumper which I bought a size too big as I felt big (It's a nice jumper though), and I didn't feel confident to pick out items that thrown together would create a nice outfit.

When I started this post, I meant for it to be a fun update, something light. But the truth is making lifestyle choices is difficult and you will get these down days.

On the plus side, my jeans yesterday were falling down A LOT, and I feel fitter. When I train for dance it's easier and a couple of people have commented that I look as though I have lost weight. But I don't feel like I have. I really need to up my exercise, and I have been totally inspired by Sprinkle Of Glitter's hashtag on insta and her blog GlitterGetsFitter. She takes brisk walks everyday, which I think would suit me more than running, as dancing really gets you used to short, frequent bursts of intense activity rather than drawn out steady cardio that requires constant endurance.

Have you tried to change your lifestyle to get healthier? What did you do to make it easier?

I'm sorry about the depressing posts, I think it's the rain and the lack of socialising recently, but I definitely want my blog to be totally honest.

Be Happy!
GG xx

Well Behaved Hair.

A Very Big Decision

Bit of a different blog post this evening.

I love this time of year, I love Christmas. I love the decorations, the gifts for loved ones, every little national and family tradition that you absolutely must do (Watching Dr Who, drinking Buck's Fizz and not even THINKING about opening a 'main' present until after dinner) and of course the SPARKLE. However, there is also vast amounts of beautiful, indulgent, luxurious and hideously calorific food. As always, with Christmas also comes the inevitable; parties, endless Facebook and Insta selfies, and most shops brandishing their latest and greatest (and tightest) party wear.

Now I am curvy. I am a bit of a chub. I have curves that Nigella would look at and go;
'Now there are some hips and boobs'.
I am also seemingly outgoing, confident, loud and I like to think witty.
This is not entirely the case, however.

I constantly feel crap about the way I look. This is not news to around 85-90% of people these days, low self esteem and body hating are the norm, but I am fed up now. Aside from blogging and being a crazy cat lady I also do a lot of performance and dance. This surprises people. They look at me and think, 'Uh huh, course you do. Zumba's not dancing love, and neither is the YMCA at your second cousin's wedding'. Actually, I am a hip hop, ballroom, contemporary, lyrical, musical theatre and street dancer. And I hate walking into that studio three times a week and having to look at my horrible body in wall to wall mirrors next to girls who, despite being my oldest and dearest friends and some of the kindest and funniest people you will ever meet, practically disappear when they stand side on to the mirrors. And I hate having to prove people wrong. Why should they presume that because my dress size is double figures I look like one of those Disney pink elephants when music is played?

Let's get this clear I am not the biggest woman you'll ever see. I am not unfit, I am incredibly strong and I do have a kind of vaguely hourglass 1950's pin up figure, but I am not happy. I look at myself and see a blob. Much like the secretary off of Monsters Inc.

So my dearest internetty Chumlas, I have made a decision. After I have consumed most probably a goose and a turkey, 56 loaves of bread, 5kg of potatoes in various forms, 30 gallons of wine, 78 boxes of Ferraro Roches, 3 boxes of the most delightful truffles called Monty Bojangles Abbie and I found in Waitrose the other day, anything with the word Cadbury written on it and enough pringles to last me until Christmas 2023, I will be losing weight. And by blogging about it, I see it as a commitment to actually do it. I cannae lie to you, can I? I will be hungry and moody and annoyed and tired and hungry and upset and hungry and exhausted and hungry - but I have to do it. My goal is to walk into a room of all of my friends far away at various Uni's across the country and for them to not believe I am the same person that they left in deepest darkest Dorset.

I plan to run, and swim, and go to the gym, and make my lovely but scary-ass South African/Portugese dance trainer motivate me. And by next christmas, I want to be slipping into a little Bodycon number with a statement necklace and strutting into all of those Christmas parties. I don't see it as losing weight anyway, I see it as trying to gain confidence. I genuinely believe that as long as you're happy with yourself and dress fabulously you are gorgeous. I think that I need to do this to be a happier me. I think that what is portrayed as 'normal' in the media is borderline anorexic and wrong. I also think that Sam Bailey was right to win the X Factor. She's amazing.

So there you have it. Wish me well Chums. Have an amazing Christmas, eat what the hell you want and join me in January to blast it away with a kick ass running playlist and eating grilled chicken. Mmmmmmm.

Be happy.
xxx

Determined Stage Make Up Face