Over to you....!

I blog about everything that effects us girls, but is there something I haven't looked into or covered that you would like me to?

Then why not comment and let me know. I'll then get to it and get a blog post ready on the subject you want me to cover?

There's no time limit on this so comment when you like, or if you saw this linked on Facebook, Tumblr or Twitter then why not message me on there....I don't bite :p 

Looking forward to hearing from you!!!

:)

Beauty: Tips for cleaning your make-up brushes

We all know which type of brush to use for our eye shadow, which brush for our blusher and which brush for our concealer. But did you know that you should be cleaning your brushes on a regular basis?

It is that important that washing them should become part of your beauty regime.

When you use your make-up brush it keeps bits of make-up, dirt and oil in between the bristles. So even though this seems trivial, it can lead to clogged pores and dreaded breakouts - which is what every girl hates. 

On top of all that, great make-up brushes are expensive so you don't want to be buying new ones regularly when cleaning them is such a simple task that won't take up much time at all. Learning how to clean them should be seen as an investment. 

The first step it to give it a daily spritz before you use it, A lot of beauty stockists sell a daily brush cleaner like Sephora but that's expensive so look out for a cheaper one. If not a spritz of water will more than do.

A deep clean is recommended to be done every week but every 2-3 weeks is more than sufficient, especially if you're realising your fresh faced beauty and using minimal make-up.

Here's a fantastic way to deep clean your brushes:

You will need...

1. A shallow bowl.
2. Gentle, lightly fragranced shampoo or even a specialist baby shampoo (its kinder and softer).
3. Your sink to be free.
4. A towel.

What to do:

1. Run your brushes under a lukewarm tap. This will help you to get rid of all of the old make-up on the bristles.

2. Make sure your bowl has lukewarm water in it, squirt a little bit of shampoo into it and then swirl your brush around in the bowl working up a little lather. 

3. Rinse under tap and repeat. You could leave your bristle dipped in the water for ten minutes and then come back and rinse again.

4. Use your towel to wipe your brush clean and get rid of the excess water. Then reshape your brushes bristles.

5. Have an extra towel ready to lay your brushes on to dry.

So, there you go. Keep your brushes clean and avoid spending more money buying more whilst also reducing the chances of getting spots.

It's a win all round!!

Every girl needs...Some handsome footballers ♥

Following my last post, you will have seen how much football has become an accessible sport for women as well as men.

But, if you still like to watch football to see some handsome footballers ... Here are a few to keep an eye out for ;)

Steven Gerrard

Stewart Downing

Fernando Torres

Martin Kelly (even though he now has long hair, I like his old look!)

Sergio Ramos

Marco Reus

Mario Gotze

Daniel Agger

Craig Dawson

Stuart Holden

Any other footballers you'd add on to this? Let me know :)

Every girl needs to watch a little football....

Football has always been predominately a male sport, but with more and more girls getting involved with football, it is becoming one of the most accessible sports out there for everyone to enjoy.

There used to be a time where many people believed women only watched football for the sake of seeing handsome footballers on the pitch. 

That is no longer the case. With more and more women liking football and more young female fans having blogs where they talk about every aspect of a game - not only the footballers involved.

Nowadays, more and more girls are playing football, with a lot of the biggest clubs in the world having female teams and a female league. Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea ladies have all been extremely successful over the past few years - and will no doubt be hoping to take it further in the years to come. 

Liverpool Ladies - currently top of the league - http://www.liverpoolladiesfc.com/index.html

Arsenal Ladies - currently 2nd in the league - http://www.arsenal.com/ladies

Chelsea Ladies - currently 5th in the league - http://www.chelseafc.com/chelsea-ladies

The addition of females into the game, not only in a playing respect, has also helped women to get more into watching or going to a good game of football.

Chelsea's doctor, Eva Carneiro is a Gibraltarian sports medicine specialist. Eva may have caught the eye of men around the globe but it's not just for her looks, they acknowledged that she has the brains too. This is good for young girls because they have a fantastic role model who has shown that with hard work you can get a great career and be noticed not just for your looks.

Another addition to the footballing world that had everyone talking was the addition of female referees - although it did bring a huge sexism story along with it.

Sian Massey is the 27 year old female referee who usually officiates generally in the assistant referee role in the Premier League and Football League. After her second Premier League game, as an assistant in Liverpool's 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in January 2011, a sexism controversy erupted after Sky Sports staff made sexist comments about her. The Sky staff lost their jobs and Massey was withdrawn from her next appointment over fears about added attention. 

When women first got into football, many people believed it was only because they wanted to admire footballer and that they had no interest in the game whatsoever. It is definitely no longer a case that people can say women only go to look at the guys - although that is clearly an added draw for some women - many women nowadays love to watch the beautiful game, go to watch their team at games and could explain to you the offside rule and more.

The game of football has now broadened its audience in a way that will make sure its popularity keeps on growing and growing - which is fantastic for everyone involved. 

Makeover your look for less!

These days beauty is everywhere, you really can't escape it! With society today beauty has a real focus placed upon it, but with that beauty comes expensive upkeep.

With all the trips to the hairdressers, or buying home dye kits to do it yourself, trips to the nail salon and buying all of the skincare products - it is a really expensive business.

There are ways to keep your look updated without spending a fortune:

1. Change your hair parting.

If you always wear your hair in a centre parting, why not try parting it on a side for a different look. It works when you're putting your hair up too, with a changed part it makes a simple updo look that little bit special. Plus you can always go back to the way you had it - simple change, no cost to you.

2. Do your make-up in a different way.

Why not try a bold statement lipstick to add that wow-factor to a minimal make-up look. If you're not fond of using the lipstick, you could go for a change on your eyes. You could add a slick of liquid liner on your top lid and flick it out towards the end or maybe go for a glitter liner that makes your eyes sparkle. It adds a touch of glamour to minimal or full on make-up looks for day and night. 

3. Make your own face mask.

Face masks have become one of THE must have beauty essentials over the past few years but getting the best can cost a lot. So why not just use what you have in your kitchen? It sounds mad, but just see what you have in your cupboards - banana's, avocado's...- whatever you have. Get it all together and then look online for an easy, step by step guide, they're everywhere! Also use your left over cucumber for your eyes, it really works! 

Try - http://dearcrissy.com/homemade-face-mask-recipes/ - for the best face mask recipes.


4.  Try a natural teeth whitener.

When you go to the beauty shops and supermarkets nowadays, the whitening strips for bright white teeth are popping up more and more. If you're looking for an option that will not break the bank, why not try making your own, teeth friendly whitener. Try mixing baking soda with lemon juice, apply to your teeth with a tooth brush and then leave on for about a minute. Then brush it off and according to health.com the soda will remove stains from your tooth enamel whilst the citric acid will have a bleaching effect. All the while costing you nothing.  

5. Stand up straight.

A lot of the best beauty tips and secrets I've heard are just the simple ones that not only help you look your best, but feel your best too. Perfect posture is one of these. Make the effort to stand up straight, keep your back straight when you're sitting down at your desk and driving - doing all of these will not only help the way you look, but you will feel the difference in yourself too.

So, want to keep looking good but are on a budget? Why not try some of these handy tips or look around for some more of your own. 

New Designer Alert!!!

Introducing...

                      Little Shirley Beans Designs 

The UK has always been known for its brilliant fashion scene and for producing some of the most influential, talented designers the world has seen. 

We are also known for our ability to nurture new talent and help them grow into their full potential.

Here I am introducing you to the newest, brightest designer whose reworked vintage/retro accessories will blow you away - making you want to buy them all in the process. Introducing...Little Shirley Beans Designs. 

You can follow Little Shirley Beans :-

@LSBDesigns

Facebook/LittleShirleyBeansDesigns

Blog: littleshirleybeans88 on word press.

Vintage and retro clothing and accessories are at the height of their popularity right now and the SS13 collection from Little Shirley Beans showcases the best out there right now so take a look....

                         1. Neon reworked fringe necklace. 2. Black and Neon fringe necklace.

 

1. Reworked fringe and chain necklace. 2. Reworked feather and fringe necklace. 3. Reworked long and short fringe necklace.

                          1. Reworked scarf kimono top. 2. Reworked scarf kimono top.

                                                   Reworked scarf kimono top.

                                       1. Rosebud crown. 2. Reworked floral headband.

                                                   Feather and beaded headband.

        1. Reworked beaded neck piece. 2. Reworked dip-dye fringe and ruffle necklace.

Reworked spike and chain chiffon necklace.

(Hair and Make-up by friend of the designer Olivia Rogers and Photography by Little Miss Bee Photography.)

Like what you see? Well why not buy yourself one of the pieces? To buy your Little Shirley Beans vintage/retro accessories....

Via the Facebook page or email them at littleshirleybeans88@yahoo.co.uk

So, what are you waiting for? Go grab yourself some fantastic new accessories!!!!

Sleep Remedies...because we all need sleep

Imagine...it's a weeknight and you've just jumped into bed. You physically feel tired but your brain isn't on the same wavelength. As the hours go by, you're stuck listening to the clock tick wondering when will you eventually drift off?! By 2 a.m you are no closer to being in the land of nod than you were at 10 p.m when you jumped in. By the time morning comes you are shattered, moody and simply want to go back to sleep. Surely there is a way to cure this restlesness.....

Sleeping, for me, can be one of the hardest tasks of the day even when I am shattered. My different shift patterns don't help me with my sleeping routine, it gets so bad that I sometimes dread going to bed.....when I used to love it!

Here are just a few ways I found when looking up information of restless nights...

1. Unwind with Lavender.
According to various health websites the smell of lavender has a natural and relaxing effect that aids your sleep. You can buy many lavender scented products to try this method out. There are bath bubbles and body washes so yo can enjoy a lavender bubble bath befpre you go to bed and drift off into a lovely sleep or why not try rubbing a little lavender essential oil on your hands and then brushing it through your hair meaning you will smell it all night long. My personal favourite is the lavender pillow spray and temple rub that you can buy which help scent your pillow and calm your mind so you can enjoy a restful nights sleep.

2. Take a hot shower or a bath.
If you take a hot bath or shower two hours before bedtime, health websites state that it can relax your body and make it believe it is ready for sleep. However, it can have the opposite effect and awaken you and stimulate your blood flow - you need to test this one out to see which way it works for you. If it works in making you sleepy and ready for bed, add it to your bedtime ritual but if it wakes you up add it to your morning routine to set you up for your day.

3. Sip on tea to make you sleepy.
Tea without caffeine will help to calm and relax you whilst helping you to free your mind and unwind before bedtime. Along with chamomile tea, adding a little honey (contrary to popular belief!) can really help to. Health websites state that honey can have a sedative effect and help you to actually fall asleep faster too, sounds good and tastes good. When shopping, teas that help with sleep are usually labelled.

4. Read a book.
The only rule is - it can NOT be a page turner! Think about it, if the book you chose was a really great read and you go into it, you wouldn't want to put it down meaning no sleep. So, choose a bedtime book that is a slow burner with less cliffhangers that will help your eyelids to become heavy and maybe, just maybe you will be asleep before you reach the next chapter.

5. Play a relaxing sound.
A lot of people find noises like the rainforest or the beach naturally relaxing when trying to drift off. The reason behind this is our brains naturally crave sensory input, so when we are trying to fall asleep in a quiet room our minds with actually create "noise" in our heads. This noise can be our minds working overtime, stress, thinking of all we have to do, worries etc. But by actually playing some relaxing music or sounds you can help the brain to turn of the other noise and zone into the sound of the rainforest or the beach, even the sound of whales or dolphins - whatever you find that helps you to drift off. Just make sure, if you're playing it on a laptop or ipod - that you turn the brightness down so the glow doesn't keep you awake defeating the object of playing the music. This brings us on to the next point....

6. Keep your room cold and dark.
Early humans were accustomed to the cool and darkness so why not bring yourself back to your roots and try it out. To keep your room cool have the windows open or have a fan on in your room for about an hour before you go to bed and to keep it dark use a set of blackout blinds and make sure everything that lights up in your room is out of sight.

7. Wake up earlier.
By waking up earlier on a daily basis it will help you to feel more tired earlier on in the night, resetting your body clock and enabling you to get a good nights sleep. According to research, two or three good, full nights sleep a week is best for you.

8. Have a bedtime snack.
A snack just before bedtime may help you actually fall off to sleep better according to research - as long as its the right type of foods. A nice warm, milky drink has always been a popular bedtime remedy but other foods that can help (according to Health.com) are cheese, cashews, chicken and turkey. But make sure that it is just a snack and not a full meal because going to bed on a full stomach can make your body go into overdrive trying to digest it all, keeping you awake longer!

9. Write down whatever is on your mind.
Stress from daily life, issues in work or personal life and the day to day grind can lead to your mind working overtime when you go to bed. So why not put a diary next to your bed and each night before you go to sleep write down everything that is bothering you or your to-do lists so you're not thinking about it all in bed. It helps!

So why not try one of these (or more than one!), and see if you can get so good sleep.