Bad AND Good ?

Hey guys! I apologise for rarely being on here this past week as I was in Åland! For those of you who are not exactly sure where it is I have found a cute lil' map ->

Carrying on, today's post is about quite an odd discovery I found. I was reading loads of articles on ways to avoid 'snacking' (yes, the terrible one). I noticed that drinking a glass of water with some drops of lemon ALWAYS came up and so did drinking green tea... Now this is probably common knowledge to all of us and you're probably screaming "JUST GET TO THE POINT ALREADY!!". Yes yes. So being the smarty pants I was, I thought why not kill two birds with one stone and combine the two?! So that is what I did...

Now I'm telling you this really quenched my thirst and stopped me from snacking-- but not for the reason you may think. My initial though was that it was absolutely horrid and bitter!! Ew. I literally took one sip of this and almost gagged. Yes, it was that bad *shakes head. Then I kept on gradually sipping it, only taking in small amounts at a time... I noticed that it (how do you say it..) filled me up? I eventually finished the whole mug about an hour or two later (almost stone cold). But the whole point of it wasn't to taste good but to curb off your hunger which I think it did perfectly!

If you are interested the recipe I used/created:
INGREDIENTS

- 1 teabag of green tea any brand (I used Alokozay's YUM) 
- Boiling hot water 
- 1/4 a fresh lemon
- A big mug

STEPS
1. Boil the water in your kettle, whilst waiting put the teabag into the mug
2. Once the water is piping hot, pour the water into the mug directly onto the teabag (this way it gets all the tea out)
3. After, squeeze about a tablespoon (a regular one not the cooking measurement) of lemon into your tea
4. Stir and wait to cool for about 15 minutes
5. DO NOT take the teabag out until the tea is quite bitter as you want ALL the nutrients
6. Bon Appetite ;) Not.

Disclaimer: Yes it will taste quite horrible - but that is the point as you want to be only taking small sips not just gulp it in one!!!

Now I dare YOU to try this... Just give it a try to see whether this particular method will work for you... For me, I've noticed that the most efficient way to stop snacking for me, is to fill my stomach up with healthy liquids (water, green or jasmine tea)... So I hope you give this a try and why not share your wonderful or not-as-wonderful experiences below with this method, your thoughts, ideas or ways YOU curb off your hunger :)

lots of hugs,
littlemissarianna x

My Summer Skincare Routine + Tips!

Hi everyone! So as the title suggests, this post is about My Summer Skin Care Routine! So I've seen this trending around YouTube a couple of times, but obviously I do not have a YouTube channel, therefore I'm going to blog it ;) Plus, I've added helpful hints that can really make a difference to your skin :D


So I'm going to be taking you through my routine from Morning - Night:

1. As soon as I wake up I drink a full big glass of water with a few drops of lemon in it! This does wonders for your skin and makes you feel more energized and gasp "awake". Sometimes it does get a bit hard to finish the whole glass but, try to continue taking small sips before you eat breakfast.
TIP: The best way to remember doing this is to prepare the glass the night before :). You can also add sticky note reminders on your bedroom door OR set an IPhone reminder (<- I actually do this -.-" )

2. Next I head to the bathroom and splash my face with water. This instantly wakes me up but other than that, I don't think it really makes a difference to your skin :/
TIP: When drying your face with a towel DO NOT RUB-- just GENTLY PAT DRY!!! You don't want to scrub your face off!! Seriously.

3. After I eat breakfast, I head back to the bathroom and clean my face using a proper face wash with my "SebaMed Clear Face Deep Cleansing Foam". Now this is one product that I lurrve (XD)! It completely cleanses your skin and leaves your skin fresh and matte!!! In addition it has a pump so it gives you the perfect amount of foam to use so you don't waste or have too little >.< !
TIP: You can also make things much easier for you and do this in the shower (which is what I do). But remember also use your face wash AFTER shampoo and conditioner! After using face wash, your pores are open and absorbs nutrients easier... conditioner that ends up on your face will clog your pores and you will be basically saying HELLO ZITS and ACNE! ;) But seriously, don't do it.

4. As I mentioned above, after a face wash your pores are open and absorbs nutrients much quicker! This is the perfect time to use your daily face cream! I use Rose of Bulgaria's Day Cream with natural rose extract. This is another one of my favourites... I actually bought this in Bulgaria whilst on a school football trip. I have no clue if this is being sold in Finland but I should actually find out as mine is running out :( Sometimes I do use tinted moisturiser instead but I've stopped as I think it makes my face looks so dark. Too dark IMO (in my opinion). So it's on my list of things to buy on buying a slightly lighter shade...
TIP: When applying face cream, tinted moisturizer, foundation etc. start from the center of your face and blend out. This will make your face look more even and avoid streaks or blotches which trust me you DO NOT want.

5. That is basically all I do in the morning in relation to skincare stuff. Sometimes during the day when my face is feeling sticky, oily or when I just need a wake me up, I spritz my face with a light water spray. I know Evian sells an aerosol spray but I can't find one in Finland so I have taken things in my own hands... I literally bought a small empty light gardening hand spray and filled it with water! And that is how to DIY everybody!!!
TIP: Do not use a hard spray for your face, as it can streak whatever makeup you have on and make you look like a drowned rat! Plus you should just use a few sprays!! ALSO please remember if you've used waterproof mascara first -.-"












6. For my night routine I start with taking all my makeup off with Garnier's Clean and Sensitive 2in1 Makeup remover or Clearasil's Makeup Remover Wipes (if I AM wearing makeup that day). Both these products are fantastic and I especially recommend getting Makeup Remover Wipes if you're feeling lazy at night OR it's great to carry around in case of a makeup emergency!
TIP: When using makeup remover solutions, use fluffy cotton pads or balls so you don't damage your skin by using toilet paper (eww). Also if you are removing eyeliner, use an 'ear cotton bud stick' (sorry I have no idea what it's called :/ ) as it is more accurate to use and is easier to avoid getting solution in your eye-- coz' it can really burn!

7. Now with my face free of makeup, I repeat steps number 3 and 4 (^^^). The only difference is sometimes I switch it up by using a different face wash.. but that's about it.. AND for step number 4 I use Rose of Bulgaria's Night Cream :)
TIP: No matter how tedious your skincare routine can get or is, you should always JUST DO IT (nike :P) It really does make a difference and plus when applying makeup you really want to start on a good beautiful clear canvas A.K.A. your skin ;)


Okay so that's it! I hope you found this helpful (if you did comment below! ;) ) and if you have any questions also COMMENT BELOW ;) Plus tell ME what YOUR skincare tips and tricks are!



lots of hugs,
littlemissarianna x