Invisalign - Clincheck

My Invisalign journey started two weeks ago, but my ‘perfect smile’ story probably began in my early teens. I think teeth are so important and have always been in awe of that perfect Hollywood smile (think Kate Beckinsale). While all my friends had braces I felt like the odd one out as I didn’t ‘need’ them. This is incredibly silly as really there was nothing wrong with my teeth and I should have counted myself lucky, but as ever, I wanted them to be better! Fast forward ten years and as my wisdom teeth started coming in all of a sudden there was not enough room and I noticed some progressive movement as my front two teeth began to crowd in a little more than before. This was coupled with me grinding my teeth in the night (probably due to stress), making my bite a little uneven and exacerbating the issue. So, when Invisalign contacted me to ask if I would like to try out and review the system I jumped at the chance! I have had so many questions from you guys when I mentioned it on twitter so I will be doing lots of updates throughout my journey.

For my first consultation my teeth were examined by the dentist to check if they were healthy and suitable for treatment and we talked through what I was looking to achieve. I must at this point reiterate that mine may be a minor case, but there was definitely room for improvement to straighten the front teeth, close a small gap on one side, realign the arch and push my teeth forward a little to create more space. After this my teeth were also x-rayed to check that the bone was strong enough and just to once again make sure the roots were healthy.

A few weeks later the ClinCheck process began with moulds of my upper and lower teeth being taken and sent away to create a 3D image. To do this my mouth was injected with a gel that set around my teeth. This was a little bit uncomfortable, much like getting a mouth guard fitted at school, but it only took a few minutes. The specialised ClinCheck software is an integral part of the treatment to review and determine the goals for each stage. ClinCheck builds a 3D mapping of the teeth and allows to demonstrate the series of movements that the teeth will go through as the treatment progresses, reviewing each stage and showing the final expected results of how the teeth will look at the end. You can see my little video below that shows what my teeth look like now and where we are hoping to get to in 6-9 months.

After discussing the images with my dentist I was happy to begin the treatment. I think the final results look great and I can’t wait to see the movement at each stage. It took a few weeks for the trays to come and to set up my appointment for the first ‘fitting’, but I will be updating you all shortly with how it is going as I am currently on tray number 1! So far most people haven’t noticed, though I do feel somewhat self conscious. Lots of photos to come in the next post so please do check back if you are interested and if you want to know more about Invisalign please do check them out here.

Are you looking to achieve the perfect smile? Have you heard of Invisalign? 

*I have been given a discount on my treatment by Align Technology, creators of Invisalign. The views expressed here are my views only and not those of Align :).*

Polaire

With the release of The Great Gatsby I can definitely see that roaring 20s fashion is firmly back on the map. This is not an era I am overly familiar with, but I do love the eccentricity of the flapper girl and the confidence with which women embodied it while becoming more liberal in their attitude to life and their approach to beauty, style and fashion.

Rather than concentrating on the fashion I thought it would be interesting to look at other aspects of beauty at the time, namely fragrance.Chypre fragrances, characterised by the contrast between the fresh citrus accord and the woody-oakmoss fond, first launched in 1917 and were representative of elegance, sophistication and seduction; instantly synonymous with the Roaring Twenties. Polaire is a new chypre fragrance from Yardley that evokes the carefree 20s era, while bringing it into the modern age and making it accessible to all.

Polaire opens with a fresh, fruity green top note of pear and freesia followed by a spicy floral heart of blooming rose, ginger and pink pepper, enhanced with a very sensual, powdery base note of patchouli and amber. The fragrance is enticing, yet uplifting and energising, while still being romantic and feminine.

As ever the Yardley fragrances are created using the finest premium ingredients, but at prices that make it available to all. The Polaire eau de toilette is £19.99, available from Boots, Lloyds, Morrisons, Sainsbury’sand online at www.yardleylondon.co.uk

Have you tried Yardley's Polaire? Are you a fan of 20s fashion?

Getting Summer Ready!

Ramping up the workout

Recently I took a deep breath and decided that I needed to get fit, tone up and lose some serious inches. I have always found it easier to lose weight through diet rather than exercise as I normally eat pretty healthily, but tend to indulge in the colder months (who doesn't?). However, over the years as my activity levels have severely dropped from my school/ uni days I have noticed that diet alone could no longer control all those jiggly bits. The time had come to take this health malarkey seriously.

After trying out various fitness classes I decided it was time to really invest in myself and join a gym. Working long hours and often travelling at weekends, I couldn't always fit the classes I wanted to into my schedule. After looking at various gyms both near home and work I decided to join David Lloyd. Let me first say that this is not the cheapest option, but as a health club it comes with a whole host of benefits and I think the price is well worth it if you are looking to make a commitment to your health. My gym has free classes every day at a good range of times, full wet facilities (pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi), two gyms, several studios, a whole floor for spinning and a cafe. It's clean, open till late 7 days a week and in a great central location. Lucky that I only have good things to say as to guilt myself into going I paid the whole annual fee up front (gulp!).

If you are looking at joining DL then do have a look around. I think that if the gym is a place where you can feel comfortable and have fun then you are much more likely to go regularly, so the cost per visit (realistically) is what I based my decision on. I have been lucky enough to work with a couple of different trainers at DL to see how the PT sessions can help my fitness and have to say that their programmes are the best I have tried so far. After a full assessment you are given a personalised programme to help you reach your fitness goals and exercises to target the areas that you particularly want to improve. As I have grown up with a myriad of back problems it was great to be given a specific set of exercises that would not only improve my posture and strength but also work to relieve back pain. At the time I joined the membership fee included a couple of free PT sessions, which is a great way to get you motivated and make sure you are doing the most effective exercises for your needs. As I'm still in the early stages of getting fit I shall keep you guys updates on my progress!

 
Being food smart

Let me start this off by stating I love food. I am the least enthusiastic cook, but I love to eat and eat I do. I am never one to starve or deny myself the odd treat, but over time I did begin to slightly delude myself when it came to how much I was eating and its basic calorie content. Who knew that a chocolate muffin is 400kcal?!? I am not a fan of strict diets that limit you and I truly believe that eating healthy is the key, rather than cutting out food groups or sustaining yourself on liquids. Therefore, in order to get a much needed reality check I started using the myfitnesspal app and haven't looked back since. It's so easy to use and contains the majority of foods in its vast database already so you don't have to fiddle with wrappers or google everything you eat. It also lets you track your daily exercise, and there's nothing more satisfying than seeing you calorie allowance shoot up after a painstaking workout. I am still eating a fair amount (aiming for 1,200 net kcal per day), but keeping track of my food has really helped me monitor what I actually eat and curb the little snacks that used to happen as if 'by accident'. It's also encouraged me to up my exercise (especially calorie burning cardio) and plan my meals as I can look up foods prior to dining out with friends instead of agonising over menus.


Hair Removal

If the thought of shedding your opaque tights, which have become a second skin to me this winter, fills you with fear then you may want to consider a permanent solution. For the fastest and most long lasting results I would definitely recommend looking into laser hair removal. If you are not the kind of person who wants to spend hours on hair removal at home then booking a set of treatments in a specialised clinic is a great option. You are guaranteed professional results and with the increasing availability of the treatment the prices are now much more competitive. Sk:n clinics have a great offer on at the moment with discounts of 20% for 6 treatments and 25% for 8 treatments here.


Hitting the beach

I have always struggled when it comes to bikini shopping. I love all the cute high street styles, but so many of them are simply unflattering on the curvier girl (regardless of your size). Personally I prefer to feel supported and sculpted, especially when being active in the water, rather than hoping for the best that 3 shreds of fabric strung together with string can cover. Therefore, when I was contacted by Swimsuits for All I was excited to check out their site. Though pitched as a plus size retailer, their swimming costumes start from a (US) size 8, which they see as being equivalent to a UK10. They have a great selection of styles from the more modern bikinis, to modest tankinis and one pieces. As I have started to use the pool at the gym, I decided to go for something with a little more coverage (for a change lol) that would make a comfortable swim, yet still look fun and fashionable.

The shipping time was impressively fast and I'm really happy with the quality of this swimsuit. It is super comfortable, has a bra like support at the bust that is both comfortable and flattering, with a halter strap perfect for swimming. If you are looking for affordable swimsuits that flatter your curves I would highly recommend checking them out. They have kindly provided a discount that will save you $10 off your first order. Just input the coupon code 10FORYOU during the checkout process at swimsuitsforall.com 

How are you getting ready for Summer? I would love to know what you think of these lifestyle posts! xxx

Boots Let's Make it Happen!

According to new research, three quarters (84%) of us are feeling positive about achieving our health and beauty goals throughout 2013! That’s why Boots has launched Let’s Make It Happen – to encourage people to take action on their health and beauty goals. The initiative is looking at what can we change in our lives in 2013 whether that’s to stop smoking, to go to the gym more regularly (check), lose a few pounds or just to have more body confidence. I am definitely looking to get healthier this year and think this is a great initiative to help everyone achieve their personal goals!

Boots are helping people align their priorities with their lifestyle both in terms of products and providing support.They have established a partnership with Mumsnet and various radio stations and they have a radio show which airs on Sunday night which is also hosted in a Feel Good Forum on Mumsnet.

If you are stuck for ideas, why not create your own Pinterest board of beautiful images? I find this a great way of finding inspiration, whether it be for new makeup and hair looks or even aspirational images.The best boards will appear on the Boots #makeithappen Facebook page!

 

You can check my #bootsmakeithappen board here:

 

 

 

*Sponsored Post*

Gillette Venus Naked Skin: Final Thoughts

After 12 weeks my Gillette Venus Naked Skin Challenge has now come to its end so I thought I would share with you my final results and thoughts on the system.

I hope this review has been helpful for those of you considering the Naked Skin system. Let me know if you have tried it for yourself and what your experiences have been? You can also check out my 6 week update video or initial impressions.

For more info or to purchase the Gillette Venus Naked Skin system you can view the Boots website here where there is currently a special offer that lets you buy the Gillette Venus Naked Skin IPL for £299.99 when you enter discount code VENUS150 at checkout.

It's a Nice Day for a...

This weekend I travelled north to attend a wedding of a school friend. Since the fiancé was hard at work on night shifts at hospital I was flying solo, but it was so much fun to spend some time with the girlies!

Since we stayed in a nearby hotel we were able to indulge in a little beautifying in the morning, which obviously some us enjoyed more than others... I used the Babyliss Pro Curling Wand to create voluminous curls on myself and a side sweep finger curl wave on my friend.

With a long day ahead I decided to keep my makeup mostly neutral, with just a hint of purple to reflect my dress. Over the past few weeks I have also started using Lilash (about 3/4 times per week) and was surprised to see that with a good coat of Max Factor's False Lash mascara I didn't even have to apply falsies as my lashes have really grown.

For my outfit I chose a breezy, 50's style one shouldered dress from the vintage line at Oasis. I love the soft raw silk, the ruched detailing and the built in net slip to give the skirt lots of volume and movement. I paired it with nude strappy Mary Janes and a nude leather jacket from All Saint's as it was quite a chilly (and unfortunately rainy) day.

The wedding was absolutely lovely, just the way an English country wedding should be! I am very much looking forward to the beginning of wedding season and also planning my own special day :).

I hope you all had a great weekend my lovelies! xxx

Dry Skin Saviours

Since coming back from skiing last week I have noticed that my skin has become really dry. Even though I made sure to load up on moisturiser and SPF every day while on the slopes the mix of altitude, sun, snow and wind definitely did more than simply bring out my freckles.

With the freezing temperatures in the UK I thought that perhaps some of you may still be suffering so wanted to share my recent skin saviours, especially if your skin is feeling dry and lacklustre.

Cream cleansers are great when your skin is feeling sensitive as they will easily remove dirt and makeup without stripping skin of its natural moisture. Lately I have been using Green People's Gentle Cleanse and I absolutely love it! This product is extremely gentle, while being a really effective cleanser with a beautiful, delicate rose scent. I would highly recommend this for those with sensitive skin, allergies or skin ailments such as eczema as it is organic, paraben and alcohol free.

Green People Gentle Cleanse and Make-Up Remover (£18.95)

Another product I have been using is the Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix. These pads are super handy to use as they are presoaked in the solution, which contains glycolic acid to help resurface the skin, hyaluronic acid to moisturise and refresh and blue daisy to calm and soothe. With 60 pads in one tub these are great value and really work to brighten and refresh the appearance of skin.

Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix (£12.95)

As a moisturiser in the morning I have also recently started using Origins Plantscription. I am already a big fan of Origins so I was excited to see how this cream would work when it arrived for review. This moisturiser feels fairly rich, so only a little is needed for each application. It melts into the skin really well and leaves it feeling hydrated and smooth, without looking oily. Coming from a science background I am not totally sure whether the raspberry stem cell technology is something I am wholly convinced by, but looking at the feedback on the website it seems that customers really have noticed a difference in the anti-aging benefits!

Origins Plantscription SPF25 (£46)

At night I have been using a lovely moisturiser from Vichy. This cream is great for any age as it is designed to smooth and illuminate all skin types. This cream feels very light and soft as it melts into the skin leaving it feeling smooth and healthy.

Vichy Idealia (£22, but on sale for £18.70)

As an intensive overnight treat I have also been using the Origins Drink Up Intensive face mask. This product is absolutely amazing to give your skin a boost of moisture. Japanese Seaweed repairs skin's barrier while you sleep to prevent future dehydration and signs of premature aging. When my skin is not misbehaving it tends to be a little on the oilier side so I was anxious when I first used this product, but it really is fantastic and I would recommend it for any skin type.

Origins Drink Up Intensive (£20)

So there we have my little list of my current skin saviours. Have you tried any of these products before? Do you have any favourite products to treat your skin when it's feeling dry and sensitive? xxx