JUICING

A popular weight-loss rule is: Never drink calories. It's hard not to, when all of the juices on the market are loaded with sugar. Still, you can try making one at home. It is easy and nutritious. It is also said to reduce risk of cancer and boost the immune system.The only downside to it I found was washing the juicer. It really makes a mess! My tip for this is, leave it to your mom to clean up. At least that's what I did!

Calories might still be a concern in case you are making a purely fruit juice. Therefore, mix it up. Here's the recipe for a juice I tried today. It was a great late afternoon treat in the hot weather. 

Ingredients: 

2 apples 

1 cucumber

1 cup of ice cubes

fresh mint leaves 

Preparation:

Depending on what you have, you can make this into a juice or a smoothie. In case you go for the second, just add a cup of cold water to the substance to make it less dense.

Remove the seeds from the apples. Peel the cucumber. Slice both the fruits and the vegetable into pieces. Mix it all with the mint leaves. Now juice! Once you're done, add the crushed ice. 

To add some protein to your drink, try mixing it with almond milk, greek yogurt, organic peanut butter or flaxseed. I am also a big fan of almond butter. You can also combine different fruits and vegetables to make wonderful juices. Depending on what you've got at home - experiment! 

NARS Makeover

My exam preparation consists of two things: sitting in front of my computer and eating chocolate. It’s fair to say I overdose them both. Sadly, walking to the closest store to buy sweets is not considered exercise. That is why (surprise, surprise!) I gain weight.

Once all of this is over, there is only one thing that can get me back into the real world. Shopping. Amen.

I may buy a bag, a pair of shoes … a pony, but I never go to the clothing section. After-exam shopping is supposed to reward me for my hard work – not depress me. This time, I went for cosmetics. After all, a good mascara can has never failed to make a woman happy!

I have a selection of lovely, pigmented eye shadows from Urban Decay and Benefit. They, however, always crease on me because I’ve never owned an eye shadow primer. After an Internet research, I decided to get one from NARS.

First day after my last exam – I went on a hunt for it. The girl at the counter was really nice and helpful. She showed me how NARS pigments work with and without the smudge proof base. I was mind-blown at how vibrant the colours looked when they were applied on the primed skin. Not really caring that the product might be overpriced, I just got it. And oh my, did I feel great!

Best part is, I got a free makeover to try out a few other products from the brand. I decided to go for a simple eye make-up and a bold lip colour. After applying a face primer, the make up artist colour-matched me to one of the shades in the Sheer Glow foundation range. I love how it looked on my skin. It felt light but had buildable coverage. It managed to even up my skin tone perfectly. The creamy concealer did a great job at covering up my dark circles. A light layer of translucent powder was used to set it all.

After my face had become a clean canvas, it was time for the eyes. The girl used the eye shadow duo in Alhambra. Then, with a matte black colour, she drew a cat eye. A light brown was used for my eyebrows.

I was given a palette of 9 blushes I can pick from. A nice rosy shimmery colour immediately drew me in. Turns out, I had fallen in love with the famous Orgasm. No wonder this shade has become so popular! Afterwards, I asked to see how the equally famous Laguna bronzer would look on me. I was quite curios to try it out. Firstly, it is such a signature product for NARS. Secondly, I wondered if a bronzer would suit my pale skin. The make up artist used just a bit of the product and gave handed me the mirror. I liked how both products brought life to my face without looking fake.

The cherry on top was the Luxembourg lip pencil. It transformed my look from everyday and simple to brave and daring. Never before had I worn such a bright lip. Still, the makeover gave me great confidence.

I had my make up on for almost 12 hours and it pretty much stayed in place. I only had some fallout from the black eye shadow. Apart from that, the lasting power of the blush and foundation satisfied me. The lip product, however, impressed me. It managed to stay on even though I had 3 meals during the day. The product dried up my lips, but I think this would have not been the case if I had lip balm applied before head.

All in all, I was extremely impressed with the products and I am definitely excited to try out more from the brand. It sure is quite pricey, but it also offers nice treats for oneself.

While I was having my make up done, the girl talked about Francois Nars and his travels. As exploring the world is definitely my biggest passion, I got curious to find out a bit more about the founder of the brand. After all, I had on me Gobi, Alhambra and Luxembourg. All of which are places I would love to visit.

A nice article in the Times, left me with the impression that the French artist is really down-to-earth. He believes that beauty can be found in many different shapes and forms. A redhead with freckles or a brunette can be as charming as the stereotypical blonde with blue eyes. Nars’s daring move to use a variety of models for his campaigns helped build the way to where we are now. A fashion and beauty industry where Chanel Iman is as celebrated as Cara Delevingne.

I really enjoy and support his philosophy. This makes me even more in love with the brand. Therefore, I’d like to finish this post in the spirit of Nars’s words.

Stay away from the vulgarity of today. Leave something hidden from the eyes - a mystical beauty that is exclusive. Don’t let society define whether you are beautiful or not. You are. 

GO NATURAL

As much as Scottish weather does not seem ready for spring - I am. Along with the spring-cleaning, you can also work on having a clearer and brighter complexion. This is the perfect season to turn towards more natural cosmetics. So instead of worrying about parabens in your facial scrub - just make a fresh one with some delicious products you might already have on hand!

I have chosen 5 ingredients that my skin loves. Each of them has amazing benefits whether you eat or just apply them.

Raw Honey contains healing enzymes, vitamins and powerful antioxidants. About 2 tea spoons of honey, applied on dry skin is as much as you need for your face. Massage it into your skin in circular motions to increase circulation which boost collagen production. Plus, you get a nice exfoliation. The gluconic acid in honey will also brighten up your complexion and even up your skin tone. Leave the honey on for about 15 mins and rinse it off. When mixed with water, honey releases peroxide properties that help with healing acne. Additionally, honey is very moisturising. Any time I get a dry patch on my skin - I just give it a honey treatment!

Another favourite exfoliant of mine consists of even parts brown sugar and extra virgin olive oil. After you mix them together, you can use the scrub on your lips. Apply a lip balm and Voila! You're kiss-ready.

Olive oil is also extremely versatile when it comes to home beauty treatments. It helps soften the skin and improve its elasticity. I love using it as a make-up remover. All you need to do it mix it with water in a 1:5 ratio.
I am also a big fan of so many other oils. They are not only amazing moisturisers for dry skin but also great helpers for people who need to balance skin oil production. Often, I use coconut oil as an eye cream. Other options you might want to look at are jojoba and argan oil.

Lemons are great with brightening up your skin and tightening large pores. I like adding some freshly squeezed lemon juice to my facial scrub and massaging that on my nose. This definitely helps with my blackheads.

Last but certainly not least - avocado. It is a regular edition to both my daily meals and skin care routine. This fruit is packed with vitamins A, C, E and iron. A lovely way to "recycle" avocados is by massaging your skin with the inside of the peel. Then, leave the residue for 15 mins or so. The humectant substance makes this an incredible mask for dry skin.

As I said, these 5 ingredients are all lovely for your skin. The fun part about it - you can mix and match them! Brown sugar and lemon juice is also a great exfoliator. Mashed avocado and raw honey work wonders for people with sensitive, acne-prone skin. Olive oil can also be a moisturising facial cleanser when added to honey.
All in all, there are tons of ways to use the great 5. Even if your kitchen is poorly stocked - each one of them is also fantastic on its own.

This post is part of the Tria Beauty Competition.
www.triabeauty.co.uk