Book Review: Strong Looks Better Later

Hi Everyone, 

I have just finished reading Khloe Kardashians book Strong Looks Better Naked. I know its been out a while now, its been sitting on my shelf with all my other books I want to read till now. 

I really liked it has some great advice and things to remember when talking to other people and just life in general. I loved some of the lessons her dad thought her. I really liked the one where he made them see the good I people because that can be hard sometimes, its such a good thing to learn to do. I think its something you need to be aware of. Her dad sounded like he had a really nice way of looking at life and people.

There are also a few things I learnt if the body and food sections. I will definitely be trying some of the recipes.

I thinks it's a great book and would recommend you read it. It wasn't what I thought it was going to be but I was pleasantly surprised by it. 

Sorry for the really sort post next weeks will be better (well Ill try). 

What would you like to read about on my blog?  

50 Plus Uses for Lavender Essential Oil

Hey Everyone,
This week I am going to share with you some of the uses for the wonderful lavender essential oil.

Lavender is such a great oil, you can use it for so many different things, I think you could use it for pretty much anything!
I have put together a list of things I have used lavender for, plus some ideas from the books I refer to when deciding which oils to use:

1. Calming
2. Wrinkles
3. Wound healing
4. Sleep/relaxation
5. Sunburn
6. Teething
7. Anxiety
8. Insect bites or stings
9. Blisters
10. Boils
11. Soothes mastitis
12. Burns
13. Chicken pox
14. Concentration
15. Crying
16. Cuts/scrapes
17. Depression
18. Diaper rash
19. Helps soothe painful menstruation
20. Exhaustion
21. Fever
22. Feelings of grief and sorrow
23. Hay fever/Allergies - 2 drops in a shot glass with 2 drops lemon & 2 drops peppermint fill with           water and gargle then swallow the oils.
24. Hyperactivity
25. Inflammation
26. Insomnia
27. Itching
28. Jet lag
29. Menopause
30. Mental stress
31. Mood swings
32. Mosquito repellent
33. Pain
34. Parkinson's disease
35. Physical stress
36. Poison ivy/oak
37. Post labor/child birth
38. Postpartum depression
39. Rashes
40. Relaxation
41. Rheumatoid arthritis
42. Sedative
43. Sleep
44. Stress
45. Stretch marks
46. Sunburn
47. Teeth grinding
48. Withdrawals
49. The plague - Oregano and lavender helped to end the plague.
50. Earache
51. Nightmares
52. Upset tummy/nausea
53. Colic in babies
54. Deodoriser
55. Longer eye lashes - 1 drop in your mascara will help your eyelashes grow

So there you go that's just 55 of the ways you can use Lavender essential oil. I almost use it daily.

Lavender has a lovely emotional meaning also, Lavender is the oil of communication, Lavender encourages emotional honesty and insist's that one speak their innermost thoughts and desires. Someone in need of lavender may feel it is not safe to express themselves. Through Lavenders courageous spirit, one is free to share their True Self with others.

The easiest way to use your oils is to put them on the bottom of your feet or diluted with fractionated coconut oil over the area. You can diffuse into the air or just breathe it in out of the bottle. But please make sure you are using a natural chemical free essential oil if you are putting them on your skin, especially if using on babies (make sure it is diluted 1 drop of lavender to 1 tablespoon of fractionated coconut oil for babies or small children) or even in your bath water, which is a great way to use lavender for relaxing.

I use doTERRA - Lavender oil. If you would like to try some for yourself, or if you know someone who might need this lovely oil in their life please contact me I would love to help.

Have you used Lavender oil before? If you have, what did you use it for?

Skin Care Routine for Acne Skin

Hey there,

In this post I am going to share with you what I am doing for my skin at the moment. If you read my previous post (Ere Perez Oat Milk Foundation Review) you will know, that I have hormonal acne.

I have had it since I was about 12 years old, the best thing I found to make it go away at that time, was to be on Roaccutane (I haven't taken this for a few years) and the contraception pill. When I was 12, my mum did everything she could think of to help me try and get rid of it, and I mean everything!

We went to doctors, a homoeopath, we tried many different kinds of skincare and lots of natural solutions. None of them worked for me, so in the end the GP referred us to a skin specialist. He told us that the kind of acne I had was the scarring kind, so we were even more concerned about getting rid of it and they suggested the Roaccutane. I was on Roaccutane for about year I think and it worked amazingly and with the help of the contraceptive pill I have kept it away, until now.

I have taken myself off the pill because I didn't like disrupting my hormones like that and also there are some pretty nasty side effects of the pill. I have just started using a femometer to track my basal body temperature as my form of contraception but I will do another post on that another day.

As for skin care I use the range that I stock in my salon (I have my own in home salon) which is Organicspa. They are an all natural organic range made in Australia especially for salons. At the moment I am using:

Morning:
-Organicspa Cream Cleansers - once in the mornings. The Cream Cleanser has Avocado Oil in it which is famous for its healing, antibacterial and hydrating benefits.
-Organicspa Toner - Has Rose flower oil in it for calming and soothing. Toning is a very important step in your routine because it helps to close the pores and balance the PH of the skin.
-Organicspa Day Moisture - for during the day under my makeup. It has Jojoba Oil for vitamin E which helps reduce wrinkles.

Night:
-Organicspa Cream Cleansers - at night I cleanse twice, first to remove my makeup then to clean my skin and sometimes I will use the Lactic Gel Cleanser for a deeper clean as the lactic acid helps to shed the upper skin cells so new cells can come through. Helping to get rid of the skin around the healing breakout.
-Organicspa Toner
-Organicspa Vitamin C Serum -  for when I have had a breakout and my skin needs help healing.
-Organicspa Blemish Control or Doterra Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils Tea Tree and Cedarwood for drying up break outs when needed.
-Organicspa Intense Moisture - with hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture to the skin.
-Organicspa Eye Gel - Has Chamomile Extract for reducing inflammation around puffy eyes.

-Organicspa Clay Mask -  Once a week - which has Kaolin in it which is a clay that absorbs oil and draws out impurities and helps to soothe the skin.
Cleansing brush every second day in the shower for deep cleansing and exfoliating.
-Organicspa AHA rejuvenate peel - About once a month - To get rid of any dead skin cells so that the skin looks smoother and more even.

So that's everything I do topically for my skin. I also take a supplement from my naturopath called FemmePlex, which I think has made a huge difference as I am having a lot less breakouts. I also use my essential oils to keep everything balanced in my body.

I will say that even though this is working for me, and my skin, that doesn't mean it will work for everyone, because everyone is different and your skin is different too! A skincare regime will need to be personalised. If you have any questions, or would like some help with your skin, please don't hesitate to contact me, I am more than happy to help with suggestions and to answer any questions you have.

If you would like to follow my salon page or see what I do there, here is the link to my Facebook page. The Front Room - Beauty & Wellness.

What is your go to when you have a breakout?

 

Ere Perez Oat Milk Foundation Review

Hi Everyone,

This week I thought I would do another review for you this time on a all natural foundation I am trying. As I am trying to eliminate chemicals from my every day products and my current foundation is on its last legs I needed to find a new one to replace it that didn't contain any nasties. I ordered a sample pot from Nourished Life to try.

Photo from Ere Perez website 

I decided to try this foundation because I liked that it was light and not greasy and lets the skin breath which is perfect for problem skin.
I am trying out the Ere Perez Oat Milk Foundation in there light shade. I was pleasantly surprised with it has very good coverage which I need as I have hormonal acne especially today but I'm being brave and putting the pictures on to show the coverage. I'm sure you could layer it if you wanted more coverage. I only used one layer with no concealer.

The color is perfect for pale skin like mine I always struggle to find foundation light enough I so I'm really happy that this one is a good colour match.

Before (excuse the pimples)

Half with and half with

I like the texture of it once its on it doesn't feel thick like some can when you they give good coverage.

After one layer

And it has stayed on awesomely all day and still looks great it is definitely sweat proof like they said it was.


I think its a great foundation for every day and I will be buying to use everyday.

Do you have a favorite foundation?

Essential oils

Hi Everyone,

I haven't written in a while but have decide to start again and keep it up this time

So over the past year I have been doing a lot of work with doTERRA essential oils and trying them out in different ways. there are so many ways to use them in your day to day life to help with all sorts of things, from cooking and cleaning to supporting you and your families mental health.

I have had some amazing results using them for emotional support for both my self and my foster sister she has come such a long way with the help of the oils in such a short amount of time. We have also used them on our dog when he gets nervous in storms as well as on myself for bad back pain.

I think they are pretty amazing and would suggest them for anyone.

We use them daily with lemon in our water in the morning to help alkaline your body which help to prevent cancer cells forming in your body and also helps with digestion.

Balance on our feet to ground your self ready for the day.

and Serenity at night in my diffuser for sleep.

Also we have diffusers going during the day and change the oils we use depending on whats happening that day.

If you would like to know a bit more or try some for yourself head to my doTERRA website.

Have you tried essential oils before and what did you use them for???

The Skin

Hi Everyone, 

This is a bit of a different topic I hope that you like it and find it interesting, I am going to try add in the odd information based post to my blog so if there is anything you would like to know comment below and I will do my best to help you out.

Being a beauty therapist I find there are a lot of people who don’t know much about the skin and how it works but they are interested to know. A lot of the information on the internet is in medical lingo and hard to understand so I thought I would try and make it simple so that you can understand a little bit more about how the skin works.

So here goes:

The skins main functions are protection, sensation, heat regulation absorption and excretion.

There are 3 primary layers the epidermis, dermis and the subcutaneous or fat layer.

The epidermis is made up of 5 layers of cells.

1. Stratum Corneum/ Horny layer: The outermost layer which consists of several layers of dead (keratinized) cells. They are constantly shedding off.

2. Stratum Lucidum/Transparent layer: Is made up of small tightly packed dead cells that are transparent. This layer is more noticeable in the thickest areas of skin (palms of hands and soles of feet).

3. Stratum Grandulosum: This is where the skin cells start to die and flatten out and lose fluid. 

4. Stratum Spinosum: Is the thickest layer in the epidermis these cells are still alive and getting nutrients. 

5. Stratum Germinative/Basal Layer: This is the deepest layer of the epidermis the home to your stem cells, the cells are alive and get lots of nutrient’s. This is where you find melanocytes which give the skin its colour and protect it from harmful ultraviolet radiation (the sun).

 The Dermis has two layers:

The papillary layer: Which is irregular in shape with rounded parts that poke up into the epidermis called papillae. The nerves that sense touch, pain, heat and cold are found in this layer. Fine blood vessels bring oxygen and nourishment to the skin and carrying away any waste products. Also in this layer you will find groups of collagen, reticulin (a structural protein) and elastic fibers which provide the skin with strength, support and elasticity.

Recticular layer: This layer has collagen, reticulin and elastic fibers that are woven together. It is responsible for the elasticity and general tone of the skin (eg aging). The sweat gland, arrector pili muscle (the muscle the makes your hairs stand up), deep pain sensors and an abundance of fine veins and arteries passing thought.

 Did you know that the skin is the body’s biggest organ and makes up about 10% of your body weight.

So that is a brief bit of information about the skin and what it is made up of. I hope you found it interesting and got what you were looking for. If you didn't please leave me a question in the comments below and I will do my best to answer them for you. :)  

Are you interested to know more about the skin?

Meet Tucker

Hi Everyone,
This week I thought I would introduce you to my dog Tucker. We called him Tucker because when he was a puppy and he was having his food (tucker) he would lift his back legs off the ground because he was so excited.

He is about 8 years old now and is a Jack Russell crossed with a Schnauzer. He is very cute and loves cuddles and gets very excited whenever we have visitors or whenever we come home after being out! he loves people.

His favorite thing to do is to go in the car, all you have to do is put your shoes on and he will be out waiting by the car door to get in.

He can be a bit of  a weirdo sometimes I quite often wonder what goes through his head.

One of his favorite toys is a homemade one. When we put some of his edible treats in a small box or egg carton and tape it up. he goes crazy and won't stop digging and trying to get it open until he succeeds. So for Christmas last year we gave him this as his present with wrapping paper and everything and he loved it. Here is a video of him unwrapping it. (I hope it works)

Do you have any pets? What is their favorite toy?

Autumn/Fall Haul

Hi Everyone,
Since it has become Autumn, I have felt that I havn't had many basic pieces of clothing for this time of year, which is sometimes warm and sometimes not so. So, over the past few weeks I have picked up a few bits to help my wardrobe be more Autumn like and also not so black.

I'll go through each piece and tell you where I got it from. I was bargain hunting so a lot of it was on sale. These items are all pretty cheap as I don't have much money at the moment and wanted things to go with my more expensive pieces. Also, most of these are Australian shops so I'm sorry if you cant get them where you are.

So here is what I got:

This top came from Kmart. I really like this shirt as it has a bit of chiffon on the bottom which is different and floaty and soft. I can wear it open or done up, giving me two different looks. Also from Kmart is this cute horse scarf. I love this as I'm a horsey girl and I like the colours, navy and cream, I think they go with alot.

Next, I got a really cute sweatshirt with Micky Mouse on it which was actually from the mens section at Myer, its by a brand called Kenji. I think it will be great with jeans or tights or even a pencil skirt for going out. You could dress it up or down if you liked.

Then, I just got a few plain singlets in army green, white and a burgundy colour I forgot to photograph the burgundy one as I was wearing it haha, but I have it on with the scarf and shirt if you would like to see the colour, I'm really loving this colour at the moment. They were from Ally.

I got this Green Bay Pakers long singlet top from Cotton On, I'm not sure how im going to wear this yet but I really liked it and it was on sale, and I think I will like wearing it. Also, from Cotton On I got a pale blue lace pencil skirt which is lovely and soft and just a really nice skirt on. The bottom part has no lining so it is just lace.

I also got this black dress I wasn't sure about it in the shop but I got it cause it was only $2 from Supre. when I got home its actually really cute on and fits perfectly! There are lots of ways I could wear it too.

While I was at Supre I found this t shirt that I so love, it is such nice colours. Ive already worn it and got lots of compliments. It looks really square in the picture but looks much better on and when I wore it I put a knot in the side of it to give it more shape.

I just got a plain light brown cardi for $3 and a cream three quarter sleeved top for $1 both from Big W. I loved the price of these and they will be so handy.

Then I got the cutest shoes from the second hand shop! They had never been worn and were in perfect condition they are a bit old fashioned but I love that about them and think you can still make them look cool and modern. They were 1 dollar!

Last but not least I got a few pairs of socks. The dog ones are from Kmart for I think $1.50 and the other two were on sale at Factorie for $3 they are so cute.

I hope you enjoyed seeing what I got for Autumn. I was thinking I might do a look book for Autumn or maybe Winter so let me know in the comments if you would like that.

Whats your go to fashion item?

Everyday Makeup

Hi Everyone, I hope you are having a good week. I have been very busy lately. I have just got a new job that I start next week which is very exciting. I have also had a couple of assignments due over the last week that I left till the last minute, oops.

In the last month I have also decided to start my own business through Nutrimetics. For those of you who don't know what, or who, Nutrimetics is they are a New Zealand and Australian based direct selling company which means you can't buy our products in the shops, only from a consultant (like me) or on our website. They sell skin care and makeup, the products are all natural with the only animal product in them being bees wax and honey other than that they are all plant based ingredients.
They do NOT test on animals at all, which I really like and they are lovely products and smell amazing.

Now you know a little about the company I thought I would demonstrate some for you. Today I'm going to show you a makeup I did the other day on myself. I took a before and after photo to show you the difference.

 Before:

 After:

What I used:
Foundation:  Cover Rich Moisturising Foundation in Porcelain with the Velvet Finish Mineral                                   Foundation Powder in Ivory
Blusher:        Marble Rouge in the colour Arial
Eye shadow: Marbleyes in Cosmos
Mascara:       Fibre Lash Enhancer with Lash Impact Mascara Black
EyeLiner:      Liquid Eye Definer
Lips:              Lip Lightning Lip Gloss in Blush

What do you think of the makeup? I love it !!!!
If you were interested in trying some of the Nutrimetics products and you live in Australia or New Zealand you can go to my website and have a look which is https://www.nutrimetics.com.au/hannahvanleeuwen/Home.aspx or if you live anywhere else but would still like to try some you can contact me via email which is redhairedbliss@gmail.com or any of my social media pages and I can help you out.

Thank you so much for reading my blog. I hope you love the look as much as I do. xx

Have you got a favorite makeup brand???

Happy Cake (Quick easy Chocolate Brownie)

Hi Everyone, 
This week I am going to do one of my favorite recipes.

My mum used to make this brownie if we were having visitors at short notice because it is so quick and easy and soooo yummy especially when you have it warm with ice cream.

All you need is: 

30cm round diameter microwave safe dish (greased)

2 Eggs 

100g Butter

¼ cup Cocoa

1 cup Sugar

1 ½ Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

5 drop Vanilla Essence

½ cup Chocolate Chips (optional)

Then just mix it all together until smooth and put in the microwave for 5 minutes.

I sifted all the dry ingredients just get rid of any lumps and also melted the butter to make it quicker than trying to mix in a big lump.

If you want to get creative you can cut out two circles and a crescent shape from baking paper and sprinkle with icing sugar to make a smiley face hence the Happy Cake name. You could also use a piece of lace for a pretty look. 

Whats you favorite recipe from your childhood? 

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Zayn... The missing link

Hi everyone, this week I thought Id share my thoughts on Zayn leaving One Direction. As a fan of The Boys I was so shocked to read this it wasn't a very nice way to start my Thursday.

 (Photo from google)

The thing that upsets me the most is how Niall, Harry Louis and Liam must be feeling. I feel more sad for them because they have to carry on doing what they are doing, whereas Zayn has been able to remove himself from their normal environment. The rest of the boys still have to go out and do shows and give their fans a great show even though its probably the last thing they feel like doing right now.

As for all the rumors (which Im trying my very best to ignore) about why and how Zayn left, I think we should only believe what has been released as a statement from their official PR people and just brush everything else you hear aside until confirmed by them or their team. Even if the rumors are true there will be a reason they aren't saying anything. We have no idea what goes on behind the scenes of their crazy world and we have no right to judge anyone or make things up to make others look bad or in the wrong.

I just hope The Boys keep making music for a long time and that their fans support them no matter what, the music is what we are in this for not an individual in the band (well we should be anyway).

 (Photo from google)

I really hope that Harry, Niall, Louis and Liam are doing OK and just want to say that they can do this and they can be just as successful as a four piece. I will definitely still be buying albums and merchandise and concert tickets if they ever come back to Australia. I will still be here supporting them.

Also I hope that Zayn gets help for his stress and feels better soon. I know what stress can be like its not fun, and sometimes the only way to help it is to remove yourself from the situation. Hopefully, he has his family and friends around him and they are being supportive of him and his decision. I bet it was the hardest thing he has ever had to do.



That's all I wanted to say, I hope you agree, and if you are a fan that you keep supporting One Direction. They are still a band, its not the end of them just yet.

What are your thoughts on Zayn leaving and the other boys carrying on as a four?

Besame Lipstick Review

Hi Everyone,
This week I'm going to do a review on the Besame lipsticks. I have the whole Besame range because I was going to start my own beauty salon from home but decided against it because I didn't feel I had enough experience to do everything myself. At the time I looked into it I hadn't worked in a salon. Anyway, I have now started using them myself and I really like them.

I really only use 3 of the lipsticks as the other colours aren't right for me. I use the colours Dusty Rose, Red Velvet and Carmine. They have a lovely vintage style packaging, which I love because I'm a vintage girl!! (When I got them out to take a photo I chose a few more to take out for the winter to try so we will see.)

They are great quality and last really well. Sticking with the vintage theme they are more of a matte lipstick.

Here is the Besame Cosmetics link if you would like to try them for yourself, they really are a beautiful range.

Whats your favorite lipstick?

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Happy St Patricks Day

Hi everyone, this week I have decided to do a St Patricks Day post. So last night I made some cup cakes and decorated them with St Paddys themed things. Here they are I hope you like them.

I have included the recipe below if you would like to have a go at making them, I made mine green for St Paddys:

Vanilla Cup Cakes 

Ingredients:
150g Unsalted Butter - softened
150g Caster Sugar (powdered sugar)
175g Self-raising Flour
3 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 drops of green food colouring if you want green cupcakes like mine or you can use any other colour or have them plain if you like.

Method:
1. Pre-heat Oven 180 degrees celsius (350F)
2. Line 12 cup cake pans with cup cake papers.
3. Crack eggs into a cup and beat lightly with a fork.
4. Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
5. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes until light and creamy.
6. Divide the mixture evenly between the cake cases.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes until risen and firm to the touch.
8. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
9. Allow to cool fully before icing.
10. Ice with whatever you fancy :) I hope you enjoy being creative!

Have you got any plans for St Patrick's Day?

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