The Real Fountain of Youth

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Continuing on with my current quest to find body and beauty tips to turn back time and stop me looking old, I have some new tips that I have come across within my research which I thought that I would share with you today.

While the fountain of youth may not be real, there are plenty of things that we can do and activities that we can incorporate into our lives to keep us looking young and healthy.

Fatty Foods Are Good For You?

Yes, it’s true but before you get carried away and head off to find the largest tub of ice cream, wait. It does depend on what type of fats you eat. Anything that is found in junk food, unfortunately, won’t help at all. Instead, you need to think about eating fats from sources like yoghurt or oils. Do this, and you’ll be giving your body the natural resource it needs to reduce inflammation and avoid some of the worse signs of aging. Specifically, like fish and nuts. Not being much of a meat eater, I have really been getting into fish lately, who can resist a lovely scallop?

A Little Yoga A Day Keeps The Ogre At Bay

Are you, like me, not a morning person? The kind who people stay away from until at least your third cup of coffee? Well, you might want to try an hour of Yoga each day. Yoga is brilliant because it’s a way to reinvigorate the body and the mind. Yoga is all about relieving tension and stress. Stress can have various negative consequences for the body from causing your hair to fall out to your body to bloat. With yoga, you can keep your mind clean and clear and your body healthy and young.

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Anti Aging Creams Work!

You might scoff at the idea of using cream to stop aging before you even see the signs. Laugh if you must my friends, but they can be effective. It’s the equivalent of putting a screen protector on your phone before you smash it. You’re taking a preemptive strike against aging. The best part is that most of these creams use natural ingredients rather than chemicals. That means that these cream are good for you and you can see that by reading the amazing testimonials they have. I have been using an anti aging cream at night for a few years now and I think that it definately does help.

Wine? Now We’re Talking! Hurrah!

Yes, it’s true, according to research, the natural supplements found in red wine have beneficial anti-aging effects. Although, to get that effect you’d apparently have to drink about 180 bottles a day. On the plus side, you can get some benefits by drinking a small portion of red wine each day. Drink three ounces of red wine a day reduces the chance of heart disease and other health problems. It can even ensure the color stays in your skin for longer and we’re not talking about rosy red cheeks.

What do you think? Are you ready to try some of these clever ways to stay looking young?

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* A Collaborative Piece

Alder Hey Hospital Appeal

Today it is time for my charity of the month post and I cannot think of a more deserving one than this.

When you think of hospitals caring for sick children, the first one that comes to mind is always Alder Hey Children's Hospital.

Alder Hey were founded in Liverpool in 1914.  The hospital become an NHS Trust hospital in 1991 and they treat on average 270,000 children every year.   After its centenary year in 2014, a new hospital went into construction, with the new hospital Alder Hey in the park opening its doors in 2015.

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Alder Hey and the University of Liverpool officially opened the first phase of a state-of-the-art dedicated research, education and innovation centre in March 2016. 

The unique Institute in the Park is a world-leading centre for research, with leading clinicians, healthcare professionals and scientists working in partnership with young patients and their families to produce remarkable life-saving and life-changing results.

The Institute in the Park is home to around 100 research, education and clinical staff and has facilities that no other UK or European children’s hospital can offer.  The building features two lecture theatres, a boardroom seating, a state-of-the art Library, dedicated e-learning suite and quiet study room. Video conferencing equipment enables Alder Hey to beam events, meetings and teaching seminars around the world and the facility has technology for live streaming from the hospital theatres.

Alder Hey Children’s Charity Appeal

Alder Hey Children’s Charity is raising vital funds to build the second phase of the Institute in the Park.

This appeal will allow the hospital to extend the current Institute building and develop even better treatments for children and young people. The second phase of the Centre will allow the hospital to double the space available to undertake world class research and innovation.

Within this building, Alder Hey’s researchers and clinicians will continue to work with partners in academia, technology and pharmaceuticals to develop safer, better medicines and therapies for children to use in the NHS and throughout the world.

Here are some of the most remarkable feats accomplished by Alder Hey since it opened its doors.  It has been the first to:

• Test Penicillin, saving a child from Pneumonia in 1944
• Establish a neonatal unit in the UK 
• Cure the UK’s most commonly encountered congenital heart defect
• Pioneer various splints and appliances, including the Thomas Splint
• Introduce ‘liquid glass’ to reduce infection 

Alder Hey Children’s Charity works in conjunction with NHS funding to cover the running costs of the hospital, Alder Hey relies on charitable support and the money is spent directly in order to benefit patients. 

In 2009 as a result of charitable support Alder Hey was able to buy Europe's first 3T intraoperative MRI scanner.

Alder Hey Children's Charity needs our support in order to carry on its amazing life saving work and important research.   You can find out more and discover ways that you can donate by clicking here.

Don't be a Resenter As a Renter

Unlike the baby boomer generation who could buy a house on just one wage, nowadays, the younger generations are finding it increasingly harder to get themselves onto the property ladder. Renting is at an all time high, especially in inner-city locations such as London, where the chances are that unless you’ve won the lottery or have held down a very well-paying job for a long while, you won’t be looking at buying a property outright any time soon. I know that this is certainly true for me and I don't even live in London!

This can make putting our stamp on things tricky, as well as our care for what we are meant to be keeping safe. There are certain limitations to being in let accommodation, including decorating styles, holes in walls to hang pictures and other decorations, and even hanging wallpaper ( I have also talked about large scale wall murals a few weeks ago), but there are some things to exude your personality that you may never even have considered.

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Plants For All Occasions

There is a whole lot that plants can give to a space that you may never have previously considered. Looking at your rental contract, they’re probably just about the only other living thing apart from yourself that you’re allowed to keep. Not a pet of sorts, but they still need attention and looking after. There are the obvious succulents, which have seen a massive rise in popularity over the past few years, and these are generally a good go-to plant for first-time plant owners as they require little watering and attention but still provide great results. If you’re looking for something a tad more dramatic, the Philodendron plant is one that heavily culturally referenced in prints on clothing, books and wallpaper currently, so you can’t go wrong with plonking one of these in a space that needs brightening up.

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Showing Off The Fancy

You may not have the space to specifically dedicate to what you’ve got to display, but that doesn’t mean that they need to hide away. You can get portable display cabinets from http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/products/storage-furniture/cabinets-sideboards/display-cabinets/ which don’t have to be fitted or fixed against walls, and ones that are specific for the item that you intend to have on show, such as bespoke wine racks from wineracks.co.uk. Instead of getting annoyed that you can’t do as much as you are able to do in terms of decorating and attached furniture to walls, simply look for the more free-standing option!

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Stick On, Peel Off

With the boom of the rental generation come businesses who know that what these people are looking for are temporary alternatives to what would otherwise be long-term measures. This sounds complicated, but it’s really not. Want different tiles to go in the bathroom? No worries, stick-on ones to temporarily cover the ones that have already been laid down are available. Want/need a new carpet but aren’t allowed to put in your own? That’s fine - rugs are being made bigger and more affordable to cover this. You just have to have a hunt around for something that you may think is a permanent fixture that you can get charged for. Chances are that somebody has already thought of a rent-friendly alternative!

*A collaborative piece 

Moringa Oil Review

Hey everyone!  I have a review today of a product called Moringa Oil.

Moringa Oil comes from the seeds of the Moringa Oleifera Tree. Moringa Oil is well known in the beauty and skin care industry for the many benefits that it offers.  The oil is a great moisturizer for the skin and also works as a disinfectant.  

The oil can also be used to treat acne and improve the overall condition of your skin, getting rid of blackheads and improving the look of scars.  It also works great as an anti-inflammatory so is great for massaging swollen ankles and knees.

I have been trying out the oil for two weeks now, using primarily on my face (although I have lent it to my mother on a few occasions also to massage her knees which suffer from arthritis).  In my mum's case, the oil helped with the swelling that she sometimes experiences and she said that oil sunk well into her skin without becoming greasy.

I decided to incorporate the oil into my daily skincare routine to see what differences it made.  I used my normal moisturizer in the morning (Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel) and then in the evening when I had taken my make up off, I applied a small amount of the oil to my face before I went to bed.

I have to say, I have been very impressed.  You need a minimal amount and once the product has been applied and massaged in which takes only seconds, your skin has a lovely feel to it and is not greasy as I would have expected. 

I have combination skin which can be dry as a bone in places when I first wake up in the morning to then later in the day the same areas of skin turn greasy.  I cannot win!  In addition, at my ripe old age of 38, the area around my eyes is usually puffy in the morning, creating wrinkles which (as yet haha) disappear after an hour.

I noticed the difference after the second day of application.  The puffiness was reduced, the patchy dryness which previously would mess with my foundation was gone.  It also seems to be helping to heal the burn scar I have on my face from being a little too over excited with my hair straightners.

Overall, I would highly recommended.  Moringa Oil costs £16.95 for a 100ml bottle that I would estimate would last you 2-3 months.  You can buy the product here  

*This product was gifted to me but all opinions are my own.

Beauty Trends 2017

I recently wrote a blog about 5 Tips for Healthy Hair in your 30s.  This year I am on a bit of mission to change up and improve my hair care, my skin care routine and also my makeup and nail routines.

I recently came across the below e-book called Experts in Beauty which provides some tips for the new makeup trends and how skincare is improving and changing up.  There is some really interesting information in there which I will talk about further in the post.

You can enlarge the e-book by clicking on the top right arrow and scroll through the right slider.

When it comes to makeup, the matte look is gone.  Dewy skin and glossy lips are now coming forward, along with smudged eyeliner (which I am happy about being an eyeliner addict with a not too precise hand application!).

Eyebrows are still a fascination for many.  Going for a brow definition treatment is a great way of finding the right brow for you and microblading is becoming a go to for those who want long lasting perfect brows. 

I have always bitten my nails, right up to a couple of years ago.  Having finally gotten my nails to a decent length and getting some strength into them, I really want to play with different colours and techniques.

I have been getting my nail salon supplies from Ellisons to strengthen up my nails and get some good quality accessories to do my manicures and pedicures.  It has really helped in getting my previously ravaged nails back into shape.

Spring trends from the catwalks have had patterned nails, abstract art and using glitter but in an adult, classy way of just a small line along the cuticles which makes it look like jewellery for the nails.  I can't wait to try it all out!

What beauty plans do you have for 2017?