Bondi Sands Everyday Gradual Tanning Milk

I am really into moisturisers right now! This Sunday alone I bought two new ones...oops... which included this Bondi Sands one! Can I just start off by saying just how amazing the scent it! Golly gee gosh, it's cocoa butter heaven.

It is a light consistency, and super absorbent. It it like I am covering myself in chocolate - I almost want to eat myself. I have only used it twice, so I cannot say much for the gradual tanning effect. But I can say that I am inlove with it already :)

I do use the tanning range by Bondi Sands (as well as other brands - I'll be sure to do a fake tan blog post soon!) and I believe that it will be the perfect compliment to the tan! They also offer this same product but with SPF15 which is a great bonus! I opted to purchase this one however purely because of the amazing colour of the bottle! I'm a sucker for turquoise... :)

I bought mine from Priceline on special for around AUD$14. I am very excited about adding this product to my moisturiser collection! Definitely reccomend :)

x

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30 Day No Makeup Challenge!

G O O D  M O R N I N G !

I have decided to undertake a '30 day No Makeup Challenge' for a few reasons, and I started this on Tuesday just passed! This means that I am currently on day 4 (Friday 21st Feb 2014), and so far, I am actually loving it :)

I am undertaking this challenge partly as advised by my doctor (which I will explain in a second) and partly because of my own decision. I have been struggling with my skin and breakouts for years now, and while it has improved dramatically over the last couple of months (YAY!) I still am unhappy with it's condition, and I really want to get on top of it! So I decided to seek the advice of my GP. I saw her early Tuesday afternoon, and she prescribed me with a topical gel to apply every night to my breakouts before bed. She also recommended the Nutrogena Acne Wash which I purchased when picking up my prescription.

Now, I am a little hesitant to reveal what gel I have been prescribed, as everyone is different, and I have only just started using it myself. So I don't / can't review it yet! However, I can say that the Nutrogena wash is so far amazing :) I will do a post on the products I use for my face separately I think :)

Anyway, my doctor advised me to give this prescription at least month before I start to see results, and to come back and check in with her in a month's time. She also advised to wear little to no makeup, and that if I had to, to always make sure that it is properly and thoroughly removed, leaving my skin clear and clean.

Hense the 30 day no make up challenge! This is a challenge for me more for the fact that I love playing with makeup and creating my face more than anything! I am quite comfortable bare faced, I just feel that and love the way that makeup enhances my face and features :) 

Plus, because I fake tan a lot these days, my face never matches my body! (I do tan my face but it never stays on), so foundation really helps with this issue!  I have allowed myself to wear makeup on any special occasions that may arise during these 30 days, such as parties. I will also allow mascara on any other day such as work or uni. That's fair enough right? 

But I am really focused and determined to get my skin right. 4 days down, 26 to go - I can do this.

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Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water!

I first read about drinking lemon water somewhere on Instagram, which unfortunately I can't remember! However, all that is needed is to search 'benefits of drinking lemon water' into a search engine such as Google, and hundreds of pages will come up! And it is no surprise as to why! There are many benefits, some surprising of drinking lemon water, especially upon rising.

I have been drinking lukewarm to warm lemon water for the past 3 mornings so far, and I already love it and am experiencing the benefits! I use half a lemon juiced to one glass of water, and drink this about 20 minutes before breakfast on non fasted cardio days. (Otherwise I will still have the lemon water upon rising, then go do my cardio, then eat breakfast).

The main things that I am hoping that drinking lemon water will help me personally with is clearing up my skin, kicking sweet cravings, and detoxing my insides!

I have taken the liberty of compiling a list of some of the many benefits of drinking lemon water here for you lovely readers, and you can find the links for the websites that I used below for further reading if you wish :)

1. It can stimulate better digestion, reducing symptoms such as bloating, gas and heartburn.

2. Lemons have a powerful cleansing effect on your liver, kidneys and blood.

3. Lemons are full of Vitamin C, and therefore can give your immunity system a boost.

4. The antioxidants in lemon juice help to not only decrease blemishes, but wrinkles too, and can maintain your skins radiance due to its antioxidant properties. 

5. Can reduce bad breath

6. Can aid in weightloss by decreasing cravings as a result of the pectic fibre that lemons contain.

7. The antibacterial properties in lemon juice can help with throat infections.

8. Excellent source of potassium.

9. Helps your liver produce more bile which helps with the digestion of fat.

10. Repairs skin and combats ageing.

11. Balances pH levels.

12. Cleanses the urinary tract.

13. Promotes healing.

14. Lemons are amazing to keep bad bacteria at bay.

15. Enable the body to remove bad cholesterol.

AND SO MUCH MORE!

Check out these websites (which I give credit to for most of the information in this post!) for more reading and benefits of lemons and drinking lemon juice :)

LIFEHACK

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/11-benefits-lemon-water-you-didnt-know-about.html

HEALTH AMBITION

http://www.healthambition.com/many-benefits-of-lemon-water/

BODY AND SOUL

http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/nutrition/nutrition+tips/kick+start+your+day+with+lemon+and+water,23007

DR OZ

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/lemon-aids-life

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Breakfast Smoothie Love!

Good Morning! (Australian Time!)

Take a look at my delicious breakfast smoothie! I made this using my George Foreman Mix & Go blender :) So easy, quick and super yummy. 

- I N G R E D I E N T S -

1 banana

1/4 cup frozen raspberries

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

1/4 MONSTER berry muesli

1/4 cup fat free sugar free vanilla yoghurt

1/4 cup A2 milk

1 tsp chia seeds 

Blend up all these together until smooth, and you're done :)

It was honestly so delicious.

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Meiskin Breast Balance Formula

Oh. My. Gosh.

I purchased the Meiskin Breast Balance formula just the other night off their website, as I have seen and read a little bit about it, and wanted to try it out for myself! I bought it during their 20% off Valentine's special for a total of $34.00 AUD including postage.

This little beauty smells absolutely divine. The scent, I believe, is a mix of the confectionery lolly things called musk sticks and fairy floss… It's gorgeous! 

It feels amazing when applying as well. It leaves my chest and breast area feeling soft and supple and lovely. I cannot wait to use it again, I am that in love! 

There are a couple other products that this company, Meiskin, offers that I wouldn't mind trying some time in the near future :)

Until then, check out their website:

http://www.meiskin.com.au

And Instagram:

@meiskin

And while you're at it, you can find me on instagram: @jamielapeksis :)

xx

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Healthy Snack Idea: Almonds !

Such a fantastic little healthy snack! Perfect for on the go, uni, school & work. Almonds are great to nibble on, and also have many health benefits too :)

I was doing a little research on Almonds, and came across this website: 

http://amazingalmonds.com.au

This is an Australian page created by the Almond Board of Australia, and it is dedicated purely to almonds. It has a bunch of almond recipes on there too! As well as health and nutrition tips. According to this site, the 5 main benefits of almonds are:

1. Almonds are nutritious and good for you

2. Almonds are good for your heart

3. Almonds improve your cholesterol

4. Almonds can be helpful with managing and preventing type 2 diabetes

5. Almonds can be helpful with weight management

Taken directly from this website is the following snippet of information:

What’s in 30 grams of almonds?

• 758kj (the energy of 2 pieces of fruit)
• 6 grams of protein (the protein of one egg)
• 15 grams of healthy monounsaturated oil (like extra-virgin olive oil)
• 1 gram of saturated fat
• 2.6 grams of fibre (2 slices of mixed grain bread)
• 71 mg of calcium (60 ml of milk)

 So according to this information, 30g is a good sized 'handful' of almonds to be consumed daily :)

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Meal Ideas - Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs

This was my breakfast this morning after my workout at the gym - so quick, easy and simple while still delicious :) I decided to have my eggs with toast this morning, and while we all know that bread is not that good for you, I chose multigrain bread over plain old white, so it was a little more beneficial. I really love multigrain toast anyway.

All I did was whisk two eggs in a bowl with a fork, added a dash of milk then whisked a little more. Popped into the microwave on the 'scrambled eggs' setting, and stirred according to the directions of the microwave. If your microwave does not have this kind of setting, no problem. Just microwave the eggs for about 30-40 seconds, take out and stir, then pop them back in for another 30-40 seconds :)

Once cooked, I divided the eggs onto the two slices of toast, and added a little salt & pepper for flavour.  I did NOT use butter or any other kind of spread on the toast or in the process of cooking the eggs :) 

x

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Meal Ideas - Lunch: Quinoa Salad

I have had a little idea for my blog just now - Healthy Meal Ideas :) I'll create a link in the sidebar for easy access to all my Meal Idea posts. With the help of my health conscious Mum, I am always eating healthy and yummy meals! So I thought I'd share them with you guys :) I'm hoping for this to be a regular occurrence :)

Today's Lunch: Quinoa & Tuna Salad

This is a super easy and delicious lunch idea!

My Mum cooked up enough Quinoa for me for the week last night (Sunday Night), and popped it into a large container in the fridge, so all that I have to do is take spoonfuls when I need it. This is a fantastic idea and saves time. 

For this meal, I used to large spoonfuls of quinoa, a handful of salad greens (purchased from the supermarket in a prepackaged bag of salad greens), 1 small can of tuna in spring water, and 5 cherry tomatoes sliced in half. Put all these into a bowl, and that's it! Simple as :) and definitely healthy :)

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2014 Diary / Planner & University

Today I bought this super cute diary/planner from Kikki K (about $55 at 30% off)! I bought it to basically organise my life this year haha. It is a perfect size, and has great inclusions such as pockets, to do list pages, a notepad, pages for good restaurants and shops, pages for anniversaries and birthdays and gift ideas for them, and all the usuals such as an address book and the months planner and day to day planner.

This is fantastic, as it will be the perfect place to organise everything; uni, babysitting, work, lunches, dinner, meet-ups, parties, to do lists, everything! I am so excited and cannot wait to start using it! 

Uni starts in two weeks (from tomorrow) with orientation day being one week from tomorrow. It's both exciting and scary to me thinking about going back… I have been off uni and that kind of lifestyle for over six months, working and saving up, travelling, buying my car, getting really into the gym, and just having so much free time! Now that's all going to change a lot! I have pretty early starts this semester, most of them being 8am, making it a little harder to fit in the gym in the mornings… I will really have to plan and coordinate myself so that I am getting all I need to done, while getting plenty of sleep and exercise. I am 100% not giving up the gym. I just cannot do it! I love it way too much! I am that dedicated that I am going to MAKE it work :) I will always find or make time when necessary when it comes to my health. My Dad always says, "Your health is your wealth," and I think that that is very powerful, and very true. Go Dad!

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Tea Tree Oil & Sweet Almond Oil

Happy Monday!

Today I'm posting about two products that I have started using very recently (as in started yesterday!); tea tree oil and sweet almond oil. My Mum suggested the tea tree oil to me for use on these blemishes that just popped up pretty much out of no where last week! My skin hasn't been that bad since probably year 10 or so! (nearly 4 years!). I am still unsure as to what caused all the breakouts :(

I have used the tea tree oil on my face twice now, and I can happily say that I have seen an improvement in the condition of my skin :) I will be definitely continue using it. All I do is wash my face as normal, then pat dry. Then using three separate cotton balls, I apply the tea tree oil in three stages: 1. forehead, 2. my cheeks just at the sides of my nose, and 3. my chin. These are the places that I have blemishes currently. Using the three separate cotton balls on the different areas helps to ensure that I am not spreading any of the dirt/bacteria to another place.

I purchased the sweet almond oil over the weekend after reading about the benefits that it can provide while researching something that may seem a little odd! I was researching on how to maintain a youthful chest actually, as funny as that sounds! I think one of the most major things aside from the face that ages a woman is her chest/neck/breast area. I wanted to find more effective ways or more targeted solutions for this specific area, other than just using a normal all over body moisturiser. I came across a bunch of uber expensive creams and lotions, and I just really didn't want to be spending that much for something that may not even work!

This was when I decided to search for 'natural & home made remedies', and thus discovered sweet almond oil. I purchased mine from Priceline (in store) for $16.99 AUD. I have also used this oil twice now, and oh my gosh, I am in love already! It has no scent, but this is good because it means it won't cover up any perfume that I choose to wear. Being oil, it simply glides over my skin, and leaves it feeling soft and deeply moisturised. I used it last night, massaging it into my skin (chest, bust and neck) and did the same this morning after a shower. Even after only two uses, my skin feels amazing! So soft and supple. And without being weird, my breasts feel softer yet firmer and fuller/rounder already. So definitely going to continue using this product. And just quietly, it's no surprise that Tom is super willing to help me out with this! But gentle massaging is actually really good for keeping blood flowing and really making sure the oils get into your skin :) A bit cheeky but your chest will thank you for it now and in years to come!

You can read more about the many benefits of sweet almond oil here: http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/benefits-of-sweet-almond-oil-for-skin-hair-and-health/

:)

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Lipton Green Tea with Jasmine

I have been a big fan of plain green tea for a few years now, and I have recently discovered this gem - Lipton Green Tea with Jasmine. I personally love the taste of plain green tea without the added flavours or lemon or anything like that. I think it tastes fresh and natural and comforting. However, there are so many people who just simply do not like the taste! To these people, I would highly recommend this product! The jasmine makes the tea taste simply amazing. The tea bags smell exactly how the tea itself actually tastes too. The jasmine aroma is divine and creates a calming and relaxing mood. 

I personally find that drinking green tea regularly (at least two times a day, every day) significantly helps with eliminating bloating and even kicking sweet cravings!

Green tea is wonderful for your health for many reasons including:

• High in antioxidants and nutrients
• loaded with bioactive compounds
• improves metabolism and fat burning
• potentially lowering risk of certain types of cancer
• can help lower the risk of neurodegenerative disorders
• can kill bacteria and lead to improved dental health
• lower the risk of type 2 diabetes
• reduce the risk of cardio vascular disease
• potential to help you lose weight
• potential for a longer and healthier life

You can read more about these benefits here: http://authoritynutrition.com/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea/

The 'take home message' from the above website really nails what green tea can do for you, and I totally agree:

"If you want to feel better, lose weight and lower your risk of chronic diseases, then you might want to consider making green tea a regular part of your life."

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