Bikini diets-friend or foe?

As the sun finally begins to shine, a sense of panic washes over those of us who chose to self indulge a little too much during the winter months.

Editor Laura sunbathing

 Chocolate may have comforted us in the cold dark nights of January, but now as the dreaded bikini season begins many of us are wishing that we had practised a little more self control.

Feeling guilty it’s time to rectify our mistakes; this doesn’t mean try and starve ourselves skinny though. It’s time to get healthy both physically and mentally and realise that a strict low fat diet will not guarantee us beach body perfection.

Fats are bad for you, or so the story goes, but is this really true?

Jonathan Buckley, a personal trainer and founder of the health, fitness, and nutrition website “Peak Performance” says “People fear fats like the plague, this is simply put down to the fact that there is little education into the fact that fats are beneficial to our very existence. Fats are an extremely important energy source and can contribute to as much as three quarters of the energy demanded by physical exercise.”

Unfortunately this doesn’t mean that you can stuff your face with sausages rolls before hitting the gym. Processed foods, red meats and dairy products are packed with saturated fats which are bad for you.  These types of fats are associated with high levels of cholesterol and heart disease, so if you are looking to loose weight try cutting back on these; but be warned cutting them out completely could lead to cravings which could lead to you over indulging.

If Saturated fats are out, then what fats are in?

Healthier fats that are essential to you’re well being are Monounsaturated Fats, these are typically found in cooking oils and nuts. Jonathan says that these also help to lower your LDL cholesterol.

Polyunsaturated Fats are also one of the healthier forms of fats if eaten in the right foods. These can be found in fish, seeds and nuts, and are best consumed in whole foods. However, and it’s a big however if these food type is subjected to types of processing, then the Polyunsaturated gems can be turned into nasty, harmful Trans fats.

This type of fat is the most complicated form, but it is not essential to your diet like other forms. Jonathan says “They can increase the risk of Heart Disease significantly, and also raise your LDL levels, whilst lowering HDL levels (the good cholesterol!).”

So there are the basics on fats. Hopefully you are a little more educated on which ones to avoid and which ones to welcome in your must get slim for summer diet.

Still struggling? Here is Poise’s favorite low saturated fat diet. 

It’s called the ‘Glucose Revolution’ and was originally constructed to aid people with Diabetes. The unrefined food types, useful carbohydrates, low saturated fat foods, and plentiful fresh fruit and vegetables in it aid in healthy weight loss for a wide range of people. As a result of this, this program is said to promote a “sensible, well-balanced, healthy weight loss.”
 

‘The Glucose Revolution’

Breakfast:
Bran flakes with skimmed or semi-skimmed milk
Whole grain bread with low-sugar jam

Lunch:
Chicken, turkey or ham sandwich on whole-grain or whole meal bread
Green salad

Dinner:
Roast chicken with baked sweet potato and grilled green and red pepper strips
Low-fat ice cream with sliced fresh pears or canned pears in fruit juice

Snacks:
Fresh fruit and vegetables (Carrot batons, celery etc)

Check out the peak performance website for more diet tips !

https://sites.google.com/site/peakperformanceadvice/home

Fake, a fashion faux pas?

Is natural beauty a thing of the past?  Casual hairstyles and neutral makeup are set to make an appearance this season, but the look on the street is fake, fake, fake.

 

Is natural beauty a thing of the past?  Casual hairstyles and neutral makeup are set to make an appearance this season, but the look on the street is fake, fake, fake.

It seems that we are no longer getting our fashion styling tips from the catwalks of London, Paris, Milan and New York, but from “trashy reality T.V shows”

A new phenomenon has hit the U.K in the form of The Only Way Is Essex. If you haven’t heard of it, where have you been?

Think The Hills but swap Malibu Barbie for stereotypical Essex bimbos, with skin that looks orange, Hair extensions that look too long and too many eyelashes to ever be passed off as natural.  

The programme appears to be light hearted and humorous of the traditional Essex girl stereotype, but instead of laughing along with it more and more girls are mimicking the fake look.

Unable to comprehend the fascination with looking like you have spent hours in the front of the mirror, I decided to try doing it for myself. Hair extensions, fake tan nails and eyelashes at the ready, I’m ready to go, well more like I’m ready to start.

Diane after spending hours getting ready

 

6pm: I decided to start getting ready early as I figured  that I had a lot to do to myself, but first I had a glass of wine, hey I was going out remember!

6:30pm: After showering I blow dried my hair and reached for my new hair extensions, I couldn’t help but spare a thought for the poor European girl that they came from. As I began to clip them in I felt a sense of achievement that they were going right, this was short lived though.

6:55pm. I finally managed to make my own hair cover the clips of my extensions, but managed to pull half of them out when I straightened my own hair over the top of them. Note to self straighten own hair first.

7:00pm: I had a short break for another glass of wine, looking in the mirror so much made me thirsty.

7:10pm: I hit the bathroom armed with a fake tan mitt to coat my naturally pale skin with an ugly dark brown liquid, apparently known as self tan.

7:30pm: After somehow getting my hair extensions stuck to my own skin, I was finally bronzed or rather orange, depending on how you want to look at it.

8:10pm: My face completely piled with makeup of every kind and a nasty battle with false eyelashes later, I was ready.

8:30pm: I forgot about putting false nails on, I tried to stick them on, they fell off I binned them.

10:30pm: I went to the ladies in my favourite bar to discover one of my eyelashes was hanging off in the corner; I didn’t bring the glue with me so I ripped them off. My natural eyelashes were stuck together and there was nothing that I could do about it.

11:15pm: somebody spilt a V.K down my leg and my instant fake tan instantly disappeared, I turn into a diva and stormed off home.

Verdict : I hate fake.

Happiness in a bottle (or a pot, or a compact…)

Happiness in a bottle (or a pot, or a compact…)

 

From Calvin Klein to Mark Jacobs this summer’s catwalk make-up has all been about natural shades and colours, fashion may be bright but your makeup shouldn’t be.

 

Using a light moisturizing foundation like Clarins Skin Illusion Natural radiance (£24) for a day look that will help to even out your skin tone and give a great base to work with, add Benefits Bella Bamba Blush (£23.50) to give your face a naturally healthy glow. Using Clinique’s Limited Edition- Pretty in Prints Compact (£25) will brighten up your eyes; finish them off with a black Fabulous Lash: Miss Sporty Mascara (£2.99) to frame. And finally tie the look together by Benefit Posie Tint Lip Stain (£24)

 

It’s time to tan

With summer just around the corner, things are looking up; you can drink cocktails in the day, buy a new bikini and dig out your sunglasses.  There’s only one problem with this seemingly blissful season, you’re as pale as Casper the friendly ghost, what a disaster.

It’s time to fake it, your tan that is. A sexy sun kissed glow is a must have this season and it is easily achievable with tanning products that can be found on the high street. No matter what your skin tone, your budget or your time frame there’s a product out there for you. So no excuses, happy tanning!

If you only have 10 minutes….

Instant fake tan products are a lifesaver. Need a quick fix for a last minute night out, a sudden outfit change, or are you just prone to tanning mishaps? Then instant tanners are perfect for you.

Not only are they quick and easy to apply, they dry fast, give you an instant bronzed goddess look and if it all goes wrong, they simply washes off with water.

rimmel instant tan

Rimmel Sun shimmer instant tan is a steal at just £6.12 from Superdrug. It comes in three shades fair, light and medium and a choice of a matte or shimmer finish.  It lasts 24hours hours and is transfer resistant.

fake bake beyond bronze instant

New from fake bake, Beyond Bronze Instant is £10.20 from Boots and comes in three shades light, medium and brown. It’s nicely fragranced and absorbs quickly, meaning streaks are a thing of the past!

If you want to build up your tan “naturally”…

Opt for a gradual tan product. These develop over a number of hours and can be topped up daily to gradually darken the colour.

st tropez gradual tan

 

ST Tropez gradual tan £20.43 from Debenhams, is an odourless spray. It is easy to apply and dries quickly. Their is no colour guide, your tan will intensify over a number of hours. It can be used everyday to achieve the colour that you desire.

clinique self sun tan

 

Clinique self sun body and face tanners are £16 each from Boots.They offer and instant glow with a more intense tan developing a few hours later. They come in two shades fair/light and medium/deep.

If you want just a hint of sunshine…

 Then self tan moisturisers are for you.  Replace your usually moisturiser this summer with one of these self tanning ones. They leave your skin luxuriously smooth and add just a hint of colour, so natural looking no one will ever know that your glow is from a bottle.

johnsons holiday skin

 

Johnson’s holiday skin is £7.14 from Boots and comes in two shades, light to medium and medium to dark. It’s enriched with Aloe Vera to give your skin a healthy moisture boost whilst gradually building at natural looking tan which develops over 3-4days.

dove summer glow

 

Dove summer glow £5.19 from Superdrug comes in two shades, light to normal skin and medium to dark skin.  This product combines the traditional Dove moisturiser with a hint of self tanning agent and when used every day it develops into a natural looking streak free tan.

Spring in to style

The sun is finally out and what better to celebrate a new season than with a new hairstyle?

When it comes to summer styles, simplicity is a must this season, Soft loose hair with a relaxed texture is dead on trend and is oh so simple to achieve.

Billie Jones, a Toni and Guy stylist reveals his favourite effortless styles to transform your locks from drab to fab in just a few simple steps.

Pretty plaits:

So simple you can do it with your eyes closed …practically.

plaited hairstyle

1. Scoop all your hair into low pony tail, but instead of securing it with a hair band bring it to one side of your face.

2. Release the hair and begin to loosely plait it.

3. Secure with a hair band.

4. It doesn’t matter if it looks messy, that’s how it is supposed to look.

Beautiful Braids

 

 

braided hairstyle

 

1.Tilt your head to one side, and brush all the hair back from the ear that you will be starting on.   

2.Comb all the hair that you will be using in your braid forward towards your face.                

3.Use your fingers to section the first strands right at the base of the front of your ear and braid tightly.

4.Continue to add hair to your braid as you begin your French braid across the front of your head.

5.When you reach your other ear, finish the braid off with a hair band.

6.Using hair grips clip the braid behind your ear and allow the rest of your hair to fall naturally over it to keep it hidden.

The messy bun

messy bun hairstyle

 

1.Brush your hair back into either a high or low pony tail depending on how you want your bun.

2..Secure with a hair band.

3.Lift pony tail up and wrap around the base of the pony tail.

4.Secure with an additional hair band.

5.If desired pin loose strands to your head using hair grips.

Beach waves

beach wave hairstyle

 

1.Spray a good texturising spray such as Toni and Guy beach curl spray, £6.12 from boots on to dry hair.

2.Scrunch sections of your hair, hold for  ten seconds then release to reveal effortlessly sexy beach waves.