My Pamper Day‏ - Mani, Pedi & Hair done - Bliss:)

 Hey Guys,

Its been such a long January hasn’t it!! Once pay day was in sight I decided that I would book myself in to have my hair done and then I decided that I would also use the voucher that I got for Christmas from my lovely boyfriend on the same day and just have a blissed out, stress free pamper day. Every girl needs a day like that every so often J

So after my weigh in, I headed for New York Nails to let the pampering begin. I was greeted with a warm smile, my coat taken and I was asked to browse the colours and pick my colours, (which is heaven for a nail nut like me, OPI Heaven to be exact) So after a LOT of humming and hawing, I chose OPI - My Chihuahua Bites for my toes – it’s a “bright red crème with orange undertones”.Coral to you and I (Beyoncé was rocking it earlier in the week at singing for Obama, and if its good enough for B!)

I sat up into the vibrating armchair to let the relaxing begin. I love having my feet done, its such a chore for me to do myself, I hate toes, even my own, YUK!!

My feet were soaked, my toes were prepped (cut, filed, cuticles sorted) then soaked again before being exfoliated and massaged (bliss) then two layers of OPI - My Chihuahua Bites applied, followed by a top coat. All the while I read magazines (I can’t remember the last time I read a mag)

OPI - My Chihuahua Bites 

OPI - My Chihuahua Bites 

The colour is lovely on I must say, it would be even better with a tan, so for anyone going away on holidays. This is your colour if your fed up of getting a French paint.

OPI - My Chihuahua Bites 

I was then brought over to the nail station, where my nails were soaked in a bowl of hot soapy water before being prepped (nails filed & shaped and my cuticles sorted) I was then given an exfoliation treatment and massage, this was lovely the oil and salt scrub left my hands and arms super softJ (This is where I got very excited, I had been reading about these polish’s during the week and THERE THEY WERE… eeeeek)

OPI Liquid Sand: The Impossible

My nails were then ready, Nail Tek base coat was applied, I had chosen OPI Liquid Sand: The Impossible (it’s a matte fuchsia with star confetti.) A really lovely pinky red to me, with star shaped glitter bits. It took two coats to make it completely opaque and it doesn’t require a top coat. The star confetti does need to be place on the nail, this is not as easy as it sounds, it was very tricky to get it out of the bottle. This polish dried to a fab matte glitter finish, its gritty to touch and I’m not sure what the removal process will be like. But I love it, its eye catching, the colour is super girly and pretty. The only thing I found was that the stars that were placed on my fingers started to curl at the edges and were catching on things, possibly because there wasn’t a top coat to protect them! So I ended up picking off these tricky bits after a few hours, but it didn’t take away from the finish or the colour.

OPI Liquid Sand: The Impossible

OPI Liquid Sand: The Impossible

OPI Liquid Sand: The Impossible

These Photos were taken on day 3 of wear and you can see some tip wear starting to appear, but its normal for the course with the amount of tap tappety tapping I do all day long. I reckon I’ll get another few days out of this colour stillJ of course the photos don’t do the sparkly factor justice, or the feel factor! Yes, I’ve been encouraging people to touch and feel the sand on my nail, lolJ

OPI Liquid Sand: The Impossible

OPI Liquid Sand: The Impossible

OPI Liquid Sand: The Impossible

OPI Liquid Sand: The Impossible

·         Have you been to visit New York Nails since I recommended it the last time? If not, then why not?

I then spent my afternoon in the hairdressers having my highlights and colour touched up and my hair re-shaped. This was 3 hours of drinking tea/water and reading my book, so enjoyable. Not once was I asked if I was going out tonight or had I booked my holidays J (they’re learning, hee hee)

I really enjoyed my “Me Day” I must say, it was long over due. I won’t be leaving it so long the next time I can assure you.

New York Nails contact details

NEW YORK NAILS
30 Belvedere Lawn
South Douglas Road, Cork
(Across from O’Sullivan pharmacy)

BOOKINGS ON: (021) 429 3570

www.newyorknails.net/

www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-Nails/

Week 3 Weigh-in 2013‏

Hey Guys,

I'm happy to report that I was down 2lbs this week.
I found the week a little bit tough, with the weather being all over the place!! Snow on Monday, ice and rain and cold for the rest of the week! I was lucky that I had 2 spin classes booked or I wouldn’t have gotten any exercise in at all in the week!
Its only when the weather turns like this that I regret not having a gym membership anymore!
But I definitely prefer walking the roads. It’s a great feeling to wrap up, plug the iPod into my ears and just walk, walk walk, blow away the cobwebs and leave my worries behind for just a little bit. But unfortunately with our indecisive Irish weather, this hasn’t been possible in the last 7 days.
We’ve been having the 4 seasons in one day. But never the appropriate weather at my allocated walking time!! BOO.


So I was extra careful with my portion sizes for my dinner this week and I had no slips at all this week, which I’m very proud of. I always find Thursday and Fridays evenings to be tough! I’m not sure if its because I don’t do classes on those days of because my inner demons are trying to escape out and sabotage my good days!! But I didn’t give in and I’m hoping that by not giving in, I’ll become stronger and the good habits will take over.


Everyday for me is a struggle if I’m honest! Not just with saying no to food (that will always be a toughie for me) but with things like deciding what to wear to work, this shouldn’t be as big of an issue as it is for me; and if you saw what I do wear to work half the time, you’d think I got dressed in the dark!! But even just deciding what top to put on with my black/grey trousers leaves me sleepless some nights!
 I hate feeling uncomfortable at work, it’s a long day sitting at my desk if my top is too short or my vest wont stay tucked into my pants! I feel super self conscious and extra rotten!
And I know that this is all in my head and nobody in my office takes any notice of what I’m wearing or how I look! But its an awful feeling and this can too leak into my social life, or lack of one.

If I’m not comfortable in my “work clothes” I’m definitely not comfortable in my “weekend clothes” I’ve started avoiding going out if at all possible. The cinema is probably the only place that I’ve ventured too this month, and that’s fine because I get to sit in the dark for a few hours.
At the moment being in my pjs is my outfit of choice, not very practical or attractive! I’ve been living in a bubble of work, walk/spin, shower, tv, bed. So there’s no room or option for an outing that requires me to put on my “skinny” jeans or make the effort!!! And it sucks. Big time.


This has happened to me once before and I let it take over my life for about 6 months! I didn’t go outside the door! The thoughts of getting dolled up to go to the pub scares the life out of me!
I just feel that nothing looks nice or right on me. And I do know that everyone feels like this at some stage. But I feel like this ALL the time at the moment.

I had hoped that as the weight started to melt away that I’d be happy to try on a few bits and go out and get out of my rut! But so far this hasn’t happened! I’m half blaming the January Blues and also the weather, but I know its one of my body issues surfacing again!
When will I be comfortable in my own skin? Its not a question that I can answer and I don’t like not knowing the answer.


Its my birthday next weekend and my lovely boyfriend is taking me to Edinburgh for the weekend. Which I’m super excited about, neither of us have been there beforeJ BUT it means that I have to pack for 4 days away and 2 nights out. Its been playing on my mind for the last two weeks, trying to decide what the hell can I pack and wear and look and feel good in? The only thing that’s soothes these thoughts is that we’ve been warned that its freezing there, so I have bought a big black duvet coat, so for 80% of the trip I’ll be hidden away.
Isn’t it terrible though that I’m half dreading the trip because I can’t decide what to wear!! A total first world and probably silly problem! But the thought of it fills me with dread!


BUT I refuse to let these feelings and negative thoughts win. NO WAY! I’m working hard and I know that my thoughts and attitude have to stay positive if I’m to over come this bought of “madness”
And I know that it will get better as I loose the weight and my lovely dresses start to look like dresses rather than tents on me.

So I have to look at the positives. I’m down on the scales, I’m being taken away for my birthday and I intend to enjoy every minute of that.
I’m not going to let these horrible feelings take over my head or wreck my birthday weekend away nor will it hinder my progress.

I can do this and so can you. Stay Strong and positive.

6lbs  lost, 54lbs to go.... 



**Apologies for the rant, this was not the blog post I sat down to write! But its what came out!

Do any of ye feel like this? What do ye do to over come it?

BEE NAIL ART

Hey Guys,

I want to show you my bad attempt at bee’s!! These turned out so much better in my head than what has appeared on my fingers!

But Its completely my own fault!!

I used:

Essence nail art peel off base coat

W7 Yellow polish

Nail Art Black Striper

Essence Tip Painter – White

Seche Vite – Top Coat

Dotter

It took 5 coats to make this yellow opaque, I must admit I lost my patience during this application and my cuticles suffered for it and were suffocated!!

I probably should have stopped at this stage and done some rescue/ clean up bits, but I decided that I’d keep going!!

I was sitting watching a film during this process and it shows, as you can see in the photo’s, its messy and careless and I was too lazy and tired at the time!!

I free handed the stripes  and then used my dotter to make big black dots, followed by smaller white dots and then tiny black dots.

As you can see from the photos I never got around to the clean up at all!! I took the photos and then started the lovely picking and peeling process.

I will attempt this again when I’m not glued to the TV and in better light, I’m guessing the results will be 100% better.. But that’s for another day!!

Just thought I’d share these with you anyways. From a distance they looked kinda ok!!