Quote of the Day

This rings so very very true xx

Word of the Day - Glamourous

Happy Weekend

It's been a long time coming but I am back, I've missed posting so much.

Keep that Summer Glow

Hi Guys,
I seem to be beauty blogging more lately, it must be the industry I'm in he he. The things i seem to be blogging about are the things that seem to be concerning me at the mo.
I'm sure you have been tanning  hard to work up a golden tan this summer?So how do you prevent that sun-kissed look from fading away?

Use some of our fabulous skincare tips to maintain your summer tan this Autumn and winter, and enjoy that bronzed look for a while longer!

1. Avoid over exfoliating. Buffing and scrubbing your skin regularly is a great way to keep your skin looking smooth and toned, but this process will wear away your tan. Limit total body exfoliation to just once per week, that is all you need anyway or even once every other week to help your tan last longer. Avoid using any type of body peels or salt scrubs if you want to maintain that sun-kissed look.

2. Stick with cool showers. Very hot showers and baths can strip your skin of moisture, and can make your skin look dull and dehydrated over time. Stick with cooler showers that will cleanse your pores without affecting your tan.

3. Layer on the moisturizer. Use a vitamin-E infused moisturizers day and night to keep your skin looking soft, and to protect its natural moisture barrier. A lack of moisture can make our skin appear dull -- your skin will lose that natural glow when it's dehydrated. Use a high-quality moisturizer after you shower, and stick with moisturizers that contain ample amounts of Shea butter, jojoba oil and other moisturizing ingredients for even more benefits.

4. Use a bronzing lotion a few days per week. You can enhance your tan by applying a bronzing lotion a few times a week. These lotions will bring out your natural glow while delivering a dose of moisture. Use these a few times per week to maintain your tan and keep your skin looking healthy throughout Autumn.

5. Eat your fruits and veggies. Eating foods that contain a lot of water, essential minerals and vitamins can help to make your skin glow and will enhance your tan. Fruits and veggies that contain vitamin E, zinc and vitamin C can help to keep your skin looking smooth and youthful, and will prevent dehydration. After summer's over, make sure your diet still includes a variety of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables.

Maintaining your summer tan through the autumn and winter seasons can be challenging, but there are several things you can do to prevent your tan from fading. Use these tips and ideas to maintain that summer glow for a few more weeks!

Just something to try :-)

Minx Application for Professionals

 As a nail tech, i am always wanting to introduce new products and services to our salon,boy, there is soooo much stuff around. Although Minx has been on the market for quite a while i have finally decided to start offering it to my clients, who are always looking for something more exciting to show off on their nails. So any nail techs out there wondering if it's worth it... here's all the info you need to make a decision and the basic instructions to get you going if you want to give it a go!

Minx come in fingernail and toenail sizes but they are interchangeable. The toenail sizes are more economical sometimes even for fingers because they come smaller (the pinkie size on the fingers just isn't small enough for most of my clients). Minx has a fabulous range of colours and patterns but to get started you cant go wrong with the the cool silver and gold, this seems to be what everyone wants at the moment anyway.  You will need a crystal file to apply minx or something similar, you also need an infra red heat lamp 150 - 250 watts, I have purchased a fabulous one from eBay that tilts up and down, rather than on a big stem, then i can move it around if necessary. the infra red does get hot, which is why i purchased 150 watts to start with, i figure when we can apply in our sleep (that's the aim he-he) i can always purchase a more powerful bulb.

Now here we go with the application. 

Minx definitely takes time, but don't become discouraged, remember what it was like when you started applying tips and acrylic (anxiety attack...... breathe!). The application will come in time and the adhesion will become easier and easier after while as with anything, the more practice you can get the better. It's best to start on someone with a good free edge because these are nearly impossible, even with experience, to apply to someone with very short or bitten nails. 

Application

1. Remove any polish from the nail with acetone.  Shape the free edges of the nail, square is better for good adhesion. 
2. Turn on your infrared heat lamp and put the fingers and the Minx under the light for at least thirty seconds.  This will activate the adhesion on the Minx and warm the nail plate, ready for application.
3. Peel a Minx off the sheet.  Place it on the fingernail (keeping under the heat lamp) pressing it on starting with the middle and working side to side. This can be tricky on people with a high arch to the nail.  Just keep working till you have no wrinkles, the warmth will help with the molding of the minx. 
4. Take a cuticle pusher with a soft end and rub the entire Minx firmly making sure to seal the edges and tip well.  Pull the end of the Minx down and stick it to the fingertip so that it is held tight on the tip.
5. Remove from heat and allow to cool for one minute. 
6. Take your crystal file and in a straight DOWNWARD motion file the Minx at the tip until the end is removed. You can cut it with sharp rounded nail scissors but i think filing is much easier. You need to be very careful not to file the actual nail plate or the minx will be dragged away from the tips and lifting may occur.
7. Look a the nails carefully.  If there are any bubbles or lifting return to heat and rub over again with the cuticle pusher until all edges are sealed.
8. Allow to cool.

Minx typically lasts around a week but may last some up to two.  It is normal for it to wear at the tips a little but it should not lift when it has been properly applied.  To remove it just warm them up under the heat lamp and peel off, for longer wearing you can apply a coal of UV gel over the top as a top coat or just a UV clear top coat for protection. If you do apply gel, remember to charge accordingly (for example the same as for a full set of gel colour).

Minx should take you around 30-45 minutes a set (depending on the condition of the clients nails).  You do need to charge appropriately to make any profit.  I think practice makes perfect so the more practice you can get the better, and the easier minx will become.

             

Happy Monday - Quote of the Day

A good point!

Are babies just another accessory?

Happy Monday ladies,

I have a rant this morning. Yesterday I went to my gorgeous nieces Baby shower, It was gorgeous, but............. are baby's just another accessory these days?

My niece is 21 (I think), there were about five babies there all of her friends (the same age). Am I just getting old or does it seem to you that it is "fashionable" to become a mum when in these circles.

I sat for three hours there, just listening and taking stuff in, and realised these girls have no idea of the reality of having a baby. It seems to be all about getting the "right designer thing" that matches the baby they will have. It seems with endless credit cards nowadays, money is no object, I mean god forbid if someone gave you a hand-me-down.

I waited until I was 32 to have a baby, I mean its different for everyone, that was my choice, but the day I brought her home, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I would never be "just me" again.  I have never in my life found anything to be so hard as adjusting to motherhood and its responsibilities. I have my own business, so lucky for us the income stayed the same, and I had no deadlines to be back at work at any particular time., but as you all know freedom is gone so live your life first..... please!

Back to yesterday. My other nephews wife (21) is also expecting, all they talked about between them was the $5000 they have spent on morning sickness drugs, (which I am sure is also catching amongst them) and her best sentence of the day was, "I wouldn't ever use a bulky pram like that, mine is a designer pram, to go with my designer baby bag". This was when I had to butt in and say "Is this to match your designer baby ha ha., you had better hope he/she doesn't poo in public" All funniness aside, I came home angry. This is the same person who is 13 Weeks pregnant and already has her "70" shower invitations written up!

Children are a life's responsibility and this needs to be realised, alot of thought needs to go into how you will raise them. how you will afford to raise them and give them everything they need, and in today's society is is a fine line between what is too much when it comes to material possessions. What it comes down to is you cant just "wing it" and hope for the best can you!

Something to think about xx A

The Mommy Diaries - Back to School

‎'T'was the night before school started, when all through the town, the parents were cheering - a riotous sound!! By seven, kids were all washed & tucked into bed where memories of homework filled them with dread! New pencils, new folders, new notebooks too! New teachers, new friends - their anxiety grew! The PARENTS just giggled when they learned of this fright and shouted to all "GO TO BED!!!! IT'S A SCHOOL NIGHT!!! Have a great first day of school kids and and a great sanity day to their parents!

I have no idea where this little poem came from but i love it !
xx A

Quote of the Day!

Have an OutDoorsy Weekend! - Happy New Year!

It is 1 week until the end of our long summer school holiday break (I live in Australia in case you were not sure), and we have had a really busy and good break, usually about now we are all dying to get rid of each other and get back to school/work/whatever — but this year it has been different, we have had loads of time to relax and enjoy being together along with plenty of activities. We spent two of these weeks in Indonesia at Bintan having a well deserved break and some quiet time (i even read a book) "with my body" by Nikki Gemmell, WOW but fabulous. We had time to reflect and be on our own as a family. Work can be really demanding and it had been a long time between breaks so because of that break we have made time to work on projects, lists and goals for the year. Living next to the beach is also an added bonus because if you are not in Australia you may not be aware of how hot it has been this summer in Perth, I think we are going for two weeks of over 40 degree. So with Mango, watermelon and plenty of cool drink we have had a fair bit of togetherness fun this summer.

The last week of the school holidays we’ll be spending doing some projects (getting ready for school), watching movies, going to the beach, barbecuing and enjoying the last moments of an unscheduled life. I have numerous things to do and create this year and as of next Wednesday (the first day of school) these can commence.

This year I really want to make my home a place I want to be by adding, introducing and creating new spaces.

I want to adapt a healthier lifestyle, walk a bit more, eat a bit better, experiment with food and cooking, think and see better, be aware.

Reverse the signs of ageing Amen!

And every morning be thankful for everything and anything.

This is a bit belated because my New Year doesn't really start til February (I am still stuck in holiday mode) but Happy New Year all you gorgeous ladies and I hope we can speak more this year and it is a fabulous one for all of you 

xx A

PS  Nikki Gemmell is my latest favourite author!