Shirleen

Shirleen

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Sunday, December 5, 2010

Don’t beat around the BUSH


With Summer here in full swing women are wearing less and showing more, so it is important that women keep everything well groomed.


Down under
Shaving your ‘twinkie’ is no longer an unusual phenomenon, having a bush down there is so 80’s! Before the 1980’s women didn’t really shave down under, but by the end of the 80’s, hair removal was becoming more and more popular. These days, being groomed down there is even considered to be hot fashion.  
Removing the hair down under, gives a woman the feeling of freedom making her feel 100% sexy. 

Here are some ways you can get a differed look for your twinkie.

There are basically four types of waxes for getting hair removed from the pubic and derrière regions.

1. Bikini Wax
This is the standard hair removal outside the bikini panty line.

2. Brazilian Bikini Wax or G Wax
A narrow strip of hair down the front of the pubic area and the rest of the pubic hair is removed everywhere else, including your toosh area.

3. Playboy Bikini Wax leaves a very narrow strip of hair down the front of the pubic area and removes hair from the rest of the pubic, labia and toosh.

4. Full Bikini Wax, Hollywood Wax, or The Sphynx removes all hair from the pubic area, labia and toosh area. Waxing is best performed by a trained professional.

So come on ladies get out that “lawn mower” and mow that lawn
There is one thing that most women have in common and that is unwanted body hair. Let face it, teddy bears are adorable; however no woman wants to feel like one. 

FACT-The Brazilian wax was introduced in 1987.

Skin prep tip for any hair removal
Exfoliating is very important for your skin, it gets rid of dry dead skin, it also helps for ingrown hairs, gives you a more even toned skin and a more radiant, youthful appearance. I certainly need to do this more often!

Hair removal options
For most women hair removal is a weekly, if not daily battle of getting rid of unwanted facial and body hair.

There are various techniques and treatment available today to remove hair, such as hair removal creams, shaving, waxing, laser treatments and plucking

Here are a few options in a little bit of detail


Shaving is the least expensive form of hair removal short term.
Wet your skin with warm water before shaving; this will help prevent nicks and cuts.  It’s important to find a good razor with a lubricated strip, pivoting head and spring-mounted multiple blades, this will help you get a close shave, leaving you smooth and feeling great. Be sure to change your razor blade on a regular basis, a dull blade can lead to nicks. Don’t use somebody else’s razor without changing the blade to a new one.


Shaving tip (Ms. Thang; Terri Smith) “Switch shaving cream for PREP cream, this soothes the skin, allowing for a silky shave. Also allow your razor and skin to soak in warm water for a few minutes before shaving. Lastly, if you’ve run out of shaving cream, try using hair conditioner, it makes for a good second best”

Shirleen’s inside scoop 
One day I had forgotten to buy new blades for my razor and decided to use my husband’s razor instead, as he had plenty of new blades still available. When I used it, it felt as though it was designed just for me! So I decided to go out and buy myself the same one… I felt as though I had made this amazing discovery. The Gillette Fusion Power razor for men. It gives me the closest shave, meeting all my expectations… leaving me silky smooth – try it… don’t try it!

Hair removal creams are usually effective for approximately two to five days. Depending on how fast your hair grows. Hair removal creams are a quick and easy way to remove unwanted hair. However, these products can also cause skin irritation and often leave a visible shadow of hair beneath the skin of dark-haired people. The odor of hair removal products are very unpleasant, well certainly all the ones I’ve tried. Those with particularly sensitive skin should be cautious when using hair removal creams and shouldn’t use it on their face. For your facial area, rather opt for bleaching or consult your beautician for a professional way of removing facial hair. I have firsthand experience on using hair removal cream on my face and ended up with burn marks!!

Laser hair removal has become the ‘in thing’, especially amongst celebrities and err the people in my office. This is a permanent form of hair reduction, and the effectiveness varies from person to person. Often, follow-up treatments are necessary in order to achieve the best results. Three to six sessions are generally required. During this type of treatment, lasers target hair follicles, damaging them while leaving the rest of the skin intact. Laser hair removal is considered to be a safe procedure when performed properly by a qualified practitioner. It is particularly useful for large areas such as legs and backs. In addition, this form of hair removal has proved most effective for fair skinned people with dark hair, as the lasers target the pigmented part of the hair follicle. The disadvantages of laser hair removal are that it can be painful, expensive, and improper treatments can cause burns, skin discoloration, and patchy re-growth. When planning to undergo this type of treatment, it is important to make sure that your practitioner is experienced and qualified. Two of my colleagues have raved about the after effects of this, after just one session they noticed hardly any re-growth

Plucking


Plucking is a form of hair removal that involves pulling or plucking hairs out by the roots, one at a time, using tweezers. This method of hair removal is often used for eyebrows and other facial hair, and generally lasts for approximately three weeks. Plucking is a cheap form of hair removal that is particularly useful for removing small numbers of stray hairs. Be sure to sterilize your tweezers before plucking the hair. Plucking can be painful and should not be used on nose hairs in order to avoid dangerous infections.

Waxing a layer of wax is applied to the skin and quickly removed using a strip of cloth or paper. This not only pulls hairs out by their roots, it removes dead skin too. As a result, waxing is a very effective form of temporary hair removal that leaves the skin smooth for three to eight weeks. It can be used on nearly any part of the body, including the eyebrows, face, legs, abdomen, and bikini area. Repeated use of waxing often results in slower hair re-growth. Waxing is a fast and fairly priced hair removal method. Unfortunately, it can result in ingrown hairs and irritation-this is where exfoliation can come in handy.

The end result will leave you feeling silky smooth and sexy... your man will love it.

Products
Veet offers gr8 depilatory products
Gillette shaving cream
Prep cream
Ingrown hairs? Try Fino Soothe. Available from Dischem pharmacies
http://www.finocosmetics.com/faq.html

+2783 266 3091

Beauty stops
To get laser hair removal follow this link http://www.laserexpress.co.za
My favourite place to get a wax is Justine at Sandton City Johannesburg
+2711 884-4251

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Use it and Lose it!


One of the secrets to losing weight is to eat smart.

It is difficult for any woman to juggle work, family and then on top of it all, still have to worry about weight, looks and following a healthy diet. It's very easy to get into bad habits like grabbing quick, non nutritious meals and ditching exercise for the couch.
What you should do is PLAN ahead.
This all begins with your grocery list. So think of nutritious meals and snacks you’d like to eat and buy the ingredients ahead of time. Stock up on lots of fruit and vegetables and opt for low fat snacks. If the chocolates and potato chips aren’t there, you can’t eat it, can you? Therefore out of sight… out of mind!
At the end of everyday plan and pre-pack your meals for the following day, that way you avoid buying unhealthy fattening foods from the canteen or from drive thru’s etc. You’ll not only be healthier but you’ll save money too.
Always keep healthy snacks at the office and in the car, such as almond nuts, green apples, flavoured rice cakes etc.

The key is to make a healthy diet part of your lifestyle
If you really feel like cheating, then have that piece of chocolate cake or whatever else you feel like indulging in. Don’t deprive yourself, everything in moderation, that’s what I say.

Something to think about before indulging
It takes an entire hour of cardio to burn off the 500 calories that is found in a piece of chocolate cake. Which would you prefer to do? Cardio for an hour in exchange for a piece of cake or not eat the chocolate cake. Okay sometimes I have to admit, depending on how good the cake is I would rather do the exercise and it eat the delicious cake.

A thought on carbonated Soda drinks
You would have to run13 minutes or walk for 42 minutes to burn off the calories contained in a can of soda.

Some reasons as to why people are overweight
  • Food portions are too large
  • High calorie diet… fatty foods, excessive sucrose in diet
  • Slow metabolism (metabolism, is the process where the liver converts stored fat to energy)
  • Toxin buildup in the body
  • Imbalanced hormones
  • Underactive thyroid
  • Emotional Eating (reaching out for “comfort” foods, eating because of stress etc)
  • Eating late at night

7 things I try to do to keep slim 
  • I try not to eat dinner after 7pm
  • I try not to drink carbonated soft drinks (approximately 150 empty calories in a can)
  • I make sure I get my daily dose of H20 
  • I try and cut out fried foods
  • I try to get active - I do home workouts (as per my previous blog) at least three times a week
  • I try to get plenty of shut eye (although since I had my baby, sleep has become a luxury, if I get 6 hours a night, I’m lucky)
  • I try and eat 5 small meals a day

I like to indulge, so I definitely have ‘cheat’ days
NOTICE I said “I try”. I’m only human and I simply LOVE food (bad food especially) and I have some bad habits too, but because I suffer with IBS, I really try to be healthy. As the saying goes “You are what you eat”
A few weight loss tips

Set a Goal
Give yourself a realistic date and aim to look better by then. Don’t be too tough on yourself, you took a while to put on the weight and it’s going to take a while longer to lose it. Think of what will motivate you; that pair of jeans you’d like to get into, or an old photograph of yourself (you’ve looked like that before, you can do it again), or that beach holiday you have planned.
Keep your eye on the goal and not the struggle in order to get there.

Get your daily dose of Calcium
Calcium may be the biggest weight-loss secret.
Calcium can fight body fat and help keep your weight under control.
According to Dr Michael Zemel, not getting enough calcium triggers the release of calcitriol, a hormone that causes us to store fat, whereas meeting our daily calcium needs helps us burn fat more efficiently. Foods like turkey, yoghurt and other dairy foods are leading sources of leucine, which also helps fight fat. Get your daily recommended dose

Water – drink up
Water improves muscle tone, muscles need water to contract easily, and therefore water makes weight loss easier and your workouts more effective. You should drink water throughout the day, don’t allow yourself to get thirsty (dehydrated) If you don’t like the taste of water, try adding slices of lemon, lime or even mint. Water is great as it flushes out impurities in the body and makes your metabolism burn calories faster .Remember, dehydration, can be mistaken for hunger, therefore causing you to eat more. So drink up sister!

Eat Breakfast
Celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson (whose clients include Jennifer Lopez and Penelope Cruz) recommends popping something into your mouth within 30 minutes of waking. "You want to send your body a sign that you're not starving so it starts burning fat," Peterson says. His suggestion: a cup of oatmeal and several scrambled egg whites or some sliced fruit. The oatmeal and fruit is full of filling fiber, and the egg whites are rich in protein, which is satiating. Try it.
Research shows breakfast eaters are more successful at long-term weight loss than those who skip this meal. "It jump-starts your metabolism and prevents you from getting so ravenous that you overeat later in the day," says Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D., a New York City-based spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
Tip – Eat your fruit on an empty stomach, start your day off with a fruit, the nutrients of the fruit is best absorbed on an empty stomach

Drink Green Tea
Studies have shown that you can burn fat during the day when drinking 3 to 5 cups of Green Tea


Eat more fiber
Getting more fiber in your diet can help you lose weight. When you cleanse your colon, you are flushing out the undigested trapped food, giving you a flatter stomach. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables as it is packed with beneficial fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, fiber will also help you feel fuller

Make exercise apart of your life
Losing weight is a combination of exercise as well as a healthy diet. Exercising accelerates weight loss

Get plenty of sleep
Researchers say that how much you sleep and possibility the quality of your sleep may silently orchestrate a symphony of hormonal activity tied to your appetite. http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/lose-weight-while-sleeping
A large-scale study at Case Western Reserve University (more than 68,000 women) found that those who sleep less than 5 hours a night gain more weight over time than those who sleep 7 hours a night. The women who slept less were more likely to become obese, and here’s something that may be counterintuitive: the women who slept less consumed fewer calories than the ones who slept a full night, on average. http://www.sleepdex.org/weight.htm

Limit your salt intake
Excessive salt can cause water retention and bloating

Learn to love foods without condiments
Try to eat food without butter, sauces, fattening salad dressings etc.
Tip- opt for balsamic vinegar or lemon juice to add flavor to whatever you are eating
Nice to know - Cayenne pepper and Tabasco sauce can increase metabolism and fat-burning ability

Do not skip meals
Eating small frequent meals help to balance your calorie intake throughout the day and this also keeps your blood sugar levels balanced. Instead of eating 3 big meals, try to eat 5 - 6 smaller meals throughout the day

Have a cheat day
On this day you can have your favourite foods, dessert etc. you don’t have to count calories. Just remember not to derail too much as you’ve worked hard to eat healthy, so you don’t want all your hard work to be in vain. The jest is to enjoy yourself but don't go overboard. A little indulgence is good.

Reward yourself
After you’ve lost weight, even if it’s just a kilo, get some retail therapy, sometimes looking good makes you feel good. This will motivate you to lose even more; taking pride in your appearance is good for your soul.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Get your sexy back

Home work-outs to get you looking slim and toned

I knew about my sister’s wedding for over a year and only decided to get into shape a month before the time.I’d given birth to my little girl the year before and hadn’t gotten rid of all my pregnancy weight, so waking up at the last minute was not the brightest thing to do.
My friend Keshia told me about Hip Hop Abs, which is an exercise dance routine on DVD, with Shaun T’s 6 exhilarating workouts to tone, sculpt and firm your body. I decided to try it out and was thrilled as it didn’t feel like a workout at all; it was fun and I felt amazing.
The DVD includes 3 workouts, each to target different body areas; I particularly liked the Total Body Burn 40 minute workout.
Just like Rome that wasn’t built in a day, I didn’t become skinny and ripped overnight, but I definitely saw a difference in my body after doing the workout for 5 days a week for 4 weeks. I lost centimeters and was more toned and sculpted.




I love this DVD and would recommend it to anyone who doesn’t have time to go to the gym or gets bored easily.
This workout will keep you fit and looking fabulous.
Speaking of getting bored easily… if you wish to switch to an alternative workout, get yourself the Tae Bo® DVD with Billy Blanks.This consists of short intense cardio that blends aerobics, self-defense, martial arts, dance, kickboxing, and yoga.

Billy Blanks, who is well trained in Tae Kwon Do and western aerobics, noticed that very few women were training in any of the martial arts classes he attended in the late 70s and early 80s. He felt that several factors were keeping women from participating freely in certain kinds of fitness, and he wanted to create a workout that would keep their attention and boost their confidence.
Tae Bo, builds muscles, burns fat, increases coordination, and promises to be engaging and fun.
There are a few Tae Bo DVD’s available, my favourite DVD is the Tae Bo –“Get Ripped” as it has an 8 minute workout included, which is great, especially when you are crazy busy and don’t have time to do a long workout. You’ll be amazed at what this 8 minute workout can do!


Workout Tip 

Wake up & workout. As soon as you wake up in the morning workout for at least 30min to an hour. Studies show that working out in the morning helps you burn up to 3 times as more fat as opposed to working out later in the day.


So come on gals – get active! Get your sexy
back!


Great buys

I’m uber excited about 2 great buys this month
Go out and get the November issue of Glamour Magazine SA and get a FREE Revlon Grow Luscious, by Fabulash waterproof mascara.
Also
Buy the November issue of Womens Health SA and get a FREE Bikini Workout DVD; to tone up and slim down for your beach holiday or that special occasion, this DVD has bonus segments such as:
  • Eat smart 
  • Walk gracefully
  • Strip with style

if you wish to leave a comment, please do so by clicking on the comments link below or email me useitdontuseit@gmail.com

See you soon, xoxo 
Shirleen
 


Saturday, October 23, 2010

Weddings... What to wear?

Still in awe about my sister’s wedding I attended a few weeks ago, it was indeed a fairytale wedding, everything was perfect - the way a wedding should be.


Here are some photographs...
Sheré making her entrance on a gondola via the Swan River Western Australia





We all get invited to weddings some time or another and one of the questions we’re faced with are: What to do I wear?
I am certainly guilty of having no colour in my closet, walking into my closet is like stepping into a funeral, so I’m not exactly a fashion guru, but I do have a fairly good sense of style.
What is the etiquette for proper wedding guest attire?
What I’ve learnt over the past years…For a day time wedding, depending on your style, a lady’s dress should be fun, floral, sweet and sexy, you can also wear a light coloured suit. Try and stay away from black, navy or anything that looks too corporate. To accentuate the outfit, accessorize it with a beautiful hat, a gorgeous clutch hand bag etc.  Your accessories should co-ordinate with your outfit. Don’t go overboard; just keep it simple and elegant. You don’t want to land up looking like lady Gaga.
For an evening wedding – unlike Summer, opt for darker colours to look more sophisticated, you could wear a cocktail dress, nothing too sexy – black is fine, or you could go for a dressy suit.
For a Black tie wedding, wear a formal dress – usually to the floor. Here you get to wear your bling and you can dazzle, not too much though, unless you  are a drag queen.
Not to wear: the colour white, be careful not to upstage the bride - you can get away with a white dress with prints or a beige coloured dress (Like I did))



Try not to wear anything too sexy or revealing
Weddings usually involve dancing, so try not to wear anything constricting

Luckily we have the power of choice, so you don't have to stick to this, you can make up your own rules. Use it... don't use it



If you wish to leave a comment, please do so by clicking on the comments link below or email me useitdontuseit@gmail.com




See you soon
Shirleen xoxo