Monday 31 March 2014

Mani Monday: April Picks

Hello!

Being it the 1st of April tomorrow, OMG I just clicked it's April Fools Day *gasp*, I thought it would be fun to see what nails colours stand out for the month of April!





This is the month where it can either rain or the time or be super duper sunny in London, and let's be honest here, the weather does affect the colour of nail polish you're wearing - it's not just me, right?!

Cobalt Blue

I thought this colour would be gorgeous for the season, the picture doesn't do it justice, but Essie Mesmerize, is a bright blue - yet not a pastel blue that's more for the July months, if you see what I mean! I think this would be the colour I paint my nails this week! 

Duo-Tone

Barry M has launch a new collection! It has aquarium inspired shades and has a few two-tone polishes which are to die for - so why not give the duo-tone trend a go for April? 

Nude

I'm always up for nude, and this polish from the Brazil Collection is no different!

Confetti/Sparkle (matte)

The Confetti trend came out a while ago, yet it's very much like sparkle polish - and a girl can never get enough of it! I haven't worn sparkle in a while, so might pick that out for April!

I hope you enjoyed reading this - what is your go-to April shade?  

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Friday 28 March 2014

Mothers Day 2014

Hello!

Mothering Sunday has approached us again! It's only when it's during annual events that we realise how fast the year has gone by and how many memories we have created within that time!
Seeing as my mother is always laughing, this post is inspired by both her and the fact it's almost Mothers Day!


For Mothers Day this year we've bought my mum an iPad Air, she's wanted one for a while now and so it was the perfect time to get it! She knows about it and I'm sure she'll love it! Oh, and for the record, we got her the white one - because it's more girly! :)


Everyone has the normal ups and downs with their mothers, but in the end, no matter what, there will always be love between a mother and her children (especially the daughters, duh!) - my mum will always be my best-est friend!


I've seen this so many times, and I guess it's worth a few laughs!

Finally, this picture speaks the truth - home is where your mum is!

I hope you wish your mums and loved ones a very happy mothers day - and cherish every moment!
What are your plans for Mothering Sunday?


1 // 2 // 3

Wednesday 26 March 2014

Health Benefits of Raisins

Hello!

I know raisins are a very controversial food - some love them and others hate them… I, for one, am definitely do not agree with the latter!
I LOVE raisins and having consuming it a lot recently, I was interested in the health benefits of it - and seeing as you're reading this, I guess you are too - so let's crack on!

Promotes Efficient Absorption of Vitamins, Proteins and Nutrients
This leads to a better immune system which helps fight off disease!

Aids Digestion
Due to the high fibre content of raisins, it helps maintain regular bowl movements (avoid constipation) and therefore toxins and waste materials can be easily passed out of your body. In addition, Raisins are naturally sweet, so the fruit sugars are easy to digest, unlike the processed sugars in many of our foods today! These natural sugars are said to help the spikes or plunges in insulin levels which can be dangerous for diabetes patients (medium Glycemic Index)

Protection against Cavities and Tooth Decay
Due to the 'oleanolic acid' in Raisins, growth of harmful bacteria is prevented. This also reduces risk of gum disease

Source of Calcium
Keep your bones and teeth strong! Due to content of micronutrient 'Boron', calcium absorption is helped, therefore more calcium for your body.

Source of Iron & Copper
Which is necessary for Red Blood Cell Formation

Reduce Body Acidity
Raising are a source of Potassium and Magnesium - this helps reduce body acidity. Potassium is also said to reduce Blood Pressure

Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Bacterial Properties

Source of Antioxidants
Prevents development of Tumours

Vitamins A, C, B6, F, K

Ways to Consume in your Diet...
I love to add raisins to my breakfast. In the picture above, I've topped wholewheat toast with Peanut Butter, Flaxseed (see their benefits here) and Raisins! So yummy, honestly! I love to have this with a bowl of fruit and a chai tea latte! You have to try it! 


Also, to a bowl of Shredded wheat, I like to add raisins - and if I feel like some peanut butter, I add that too, and occasionally some flaxseeds! Do you see a trend, here? haha!

Also, if you like raisins and shredded wheat, try raisin wheats as a snack or as breakfast - as shown in this post!

I hope you found out more about raisins, decide to maybe consume some and gain from their benefits! So, tell me, do you love/hate raisins?! 


source: 1 // 2 // 3  

Monday 24 March 2014

Motivation Monday: Quit Comparing Yourself

Hello!

The weekend has, once again, slipped away far too quickly! You know the saying 'You learn something new everyday'?! Well, this weekend I came to a realisation of something I had already known, something I am sure you already know, but I have just begun to experience the after-effects of this - hence it's the theme of this post…


We are constantly looking at others and comparing ourselves in relation to them.
Looking in that magazine and wishing had the same ____ as that model…
Looking at the person sitting near you on the  bus and wishing you had beautiful long legs like they do… or even:
Looking at the pictures posted on your FaceBook Timeline and wishing you were doing what they are doing in the place they are at…

What we don't tend to realise is what we have in front of us. How far you have come in wherever you are now. Things you have Accomplished. Achieved. Been Awarded. Goals met. Skills learnt. Knowledge. Ability to Laugh. Make Jokes. Smile. Places visited. Things Done. Opportunities taken advantage of. Things tried. Potential. Capabilities. Your Life.

No-one else will live the same life as you. You will not have the same life as someone else, so why compare? Why fit yourself in this tiny little box that other people seem to think "ideal" when you can make wherever you're at in your life ideal to you. Sure we all wish we had somethings about us that we want to change, but we have so much more to be grateful for.

1 // 2 // 3
Take a look at these images - they show a different approach at "Comparison". Comparing ourselves to others doesn't make one happy - if it does, it's very short-lived happiness. Keeping in mind that being happy by bringing someone else down is not fun. That someone else includes yourself. 


I'm going to leave you with this ^ - possibly the cutest and truest picture ever! Love yourself and you'll be happy. With a big smile across your face, nothing else in the world matters - just Enjoy.

Tell me one thing YOU are grateful for?! Hope you have a fantastic week! 


Friday 21 March 2014

BerryWeekly: In the city of London

Hello!

Another Friday, another Week pretty much over! It's a good and bad feeling, that - well, on one hand we have two days to just… chill, but on the other hand, time is flying by too quickly. To be honest, do you find that the months of Jan-April just SLIP out of your hands and you just don't know where that time went? I find that during Sept-Dec, the time goes a lot slower, or I just tend to remember more of it?!
Anyway, that doesn't mean to say you and I can't make the best of every month and every week of the year!


This week, I took a trip down to London and being in the beautiful city, a blogger simply cannot forget to take pictures… and share it with you… duh! :D


Walking down the streets of Westminster, you could see the London Eye peeking out from the building! It looked so lovely! We took a little break from the exhibition we went to to grab something to eat - we hadn't realised it had been 8-9 hours since last eaten and suddenly realised we were hungry! As we were walking down the streets, the sun shining and clear blue skies, the London Eye was a nice sight - hence worth having 4 copies of the same image - haha! 


I have never been this close to Big Ben. Literally being at the foot of the famous building was astonishing - the weather making it look even better! It is such a lovely atmosphere in the area - clean, intricate and the Big Ben is very practical, especially when your watch has ran out of battery and the iPhone battery doesn't last long! 


One truly cannot get over the admiring architecture in London! Not to mention, the love that London seems to have with it's clocks - see, us Londoners really value time, don't we?! :P


Erm.. another pretty building! :) I love the pretty buildings of the city and the atmosphere is just sophistication with party - kind of like 'Work Hard, Play Hard' - I'm definitely a city girl! ;)
On another note, I got a new laptop cover! Yay! I'm using my laptop now and love the fact that the cover is new - it feels like a whole new laptop (with a much lower price tag!) and this time I ordered a keyboard cover too - it is still black and feels a little weird but I am almost used to it! Plus the cover matches my wallpaper!

What do you think of London, and are you more of a city/country person? 

PS. Notice the new title? Do you like 'BerryWeekly' or 'Weekly Roundup'? :D

Wednesday 19 March 2014

Read before Watching the Movie - Spring/Summer 2014

Hello! 

I find that I am reading a lot more now, sometimes for longer than I should, but reading never hurt anybody, right?! Also, I feel like The Fault in Our Stars has been getting a lot of attention and there are other books/movies coming out very soon that deserve credit too! If you're just looking for new books to read or movies to see, read on! 

Vampire Academy

This movie is actually already released - which I haven't seen. It seems like a fun, girly movie which is quite light hearted. It is basically about a girl who gets turned a vampire by her best friend, she is extremely cheeky and feisty!
Because I can't describe very well, heres the description from Wiki: 'It tells the story of Rose Hathaway, a seventeen/eighteen-year-old Dhampir girl, who is training to be a bodyguard for her Moroi best friend, Vasilisa "Lissa" Dragomir. In the process of learning how to defeat Strigoi (the evil undead vampires) in St. Vladimir's Academy, Rose finds herself caught in a forbidden romance with her instructor, Dimitri Belikov, while having an unbreakable bond with Lissa'
Trailer: here 
Amazon Rating: 4.5/5
Movie Release: 7th February 2014


Divergent 

Another very thrilling, interesting and rather popular book - a different take on life, one would say! From Amazon: 'For sixteen-year-old Tris, the world changes in a heartbeat when she is forced to make a terrible choice. Turning her back on her family, Tris ventures out, alone, determined to find out where she truly belongs.
Shocked by the brutality of her new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her. The hardest choices may yet lie ahead….'
Trailer: here
Amazon Rating: 4.6/5
Movie Release: 21st March 2014


The Fault In Our Stars

After featuring it on another post - click here to view - I decided it was too good to miss out on this post too! The storyline from Wiki: 'The story is narrated by a sixteen-year-oldcancer patient named Hazel, who is forced by her parents to attend a support group, where she subsequently meets and falls in love with the seventeen-year-old Augustus Waters, an ex-basketball player and amputee.'
Trailer: here
Amazon Rating: 4.7/5
Movie Release: 6th June 2014


The Hundred Foot Journey

Oprah Winfrey is helping produce the movie. Just to put that out there!
The storyline from amazon 'The Hundred-Foot Journey is about how the hundred-foot distance between a new Indian kitchen and a traditional French one can represent the gulf between different cultures and desires. A testament to the inevitability of destiny, this is a fable for the ages—charming, endearing, and compulsively readable.' 
    I thought the storyline seems wonderful and exotic, as well as Oprah being part of production, I'm excited to see how the movie turns out! 
Trailer: N/A
Amazon Rating: 3.8/5
Movie Release: 8th August 2014

I hope you got some ideas from the post and tell me, what is your most looked forward to movie?


image source: background, books 

Monday 17 March 2014

Motivation Monday! - It takes time

Hello!

Another Monday, another week. There's two ways you can look at it: either "Eh, it's just another week" or "Let's make this week good"… obviously you'd like to choose the latter, however, I've noticed this doesn't always work. You can't go from never trying something to becoming a pro in one day - it takes time… but without spending that time, you'll never be a pro.



I hope this keeps you going, I know what it's like when you try really hard at something and yet it's not as perfect as you want it to be.

Friday 14 March 2014

Can Your Diet Really Cause Acne? -Guest Post


Over the years, a debate has ranged as to whether there is any relationship between diet and acne and if any, to what magnitude. Dermatologists have differed with those supporting the theory but this has slowly come to change as research reveals that some certain foods could definitely contribute to acne and other health cases.  One of the supporting evidences about the link between acne and diet is that an increase in bacteria, hormones, sebum and hyper production of follicular cells can be directly associated with acne. There are certain foods known to contribute to excessive proliferation of the aforementioned substances in the body and the question that we should ask is whether these really have an effect on your skin condition.

First, it is good to note that diet plays a major role in the treatment of acne. People with some skin conditions or those trying to fight wrinkles and aging process can effectively do it by eating the right diet. With this is in mind, it is obvious that if diet can be used for treatment and rejuvenation of the skin, the same can on the other hand be instrumental in the development of acne.  Before going far however, it is good to answer a few questions so as to establish the truth about this matter.

What causes acne?
Acne occurs as a result of blockage of hair follicles which might be caused by a number of factors. One, the follicles can be blocked by dead skin cells, oil secretions and bacteria and this is evident especially in the facial skin, neck, shoulders, chest and on your back. These parts of the body are known to have many oil glands or sebaceous which help to protect and moisturize the skin tissue. However, dead skin cells can easily block these glands while oil can also accumulate leading to bacterial reaction. This reaction results to inflammation which is linked to acne.

What foods can contribute to acne?
For long, junk foods such as French fries, processed drinks and chocolates have been associated with acne. However, this cannot be taken as a wholesale issue since not all people have reacted negatively with these foods leading to acne. It is however important to point out that some people normally develop acne when they eat these foods owing to the increase of fat in the body which is at some point released through the skin pores leading to some level of blockage. Research has also shown that some people develop acne when they drink milk that is highly concentrated with fats.

Some researchers have also pointed at foods that lead to the production of excess insulin levels as a major contributor of skin inflammation. Such foods include processed sugar and sugary foods that cause an increase in insulin thus leading to endocrine response and hormonal surge. This leads to an increase of pore-blocking cells and excessive activity by oil gland. It is not however conclusive as to whether diet and acne should be linked but it is good to assess your skin and its reaction to different foods. When all is said and done however, you should bear in mind that proper diet leads to a healthy skin and body. 


Molly Garner is a beautician by profession. She is contributing article on behalf of CoLaz Beauty Salon they offer laser hair removal, advanced acne treatments and beauty treatments.

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Editors Notes
Hello! 
I hope you enjoyed the really informative post by Molly Garner, I loved reading it and found it really interesting! Do you think diet causes acne? 

Wednesday 12 March 2014

SS14 Wearable Fashion Trends - From the Catwalk to your Wardrobe.

Hello!

The sun is ACTUALLY popping out from behind the clouds, and you know what that means? The SS14 Trends can go into action. Well, if you have been looking at the trends seen on the catwalk, not many are actually wearable for day-to-day, think Kendall Jenner and her nip-through top - not gonna happen.

Well, we still want to be wearing the trends seen on the runways and girls, when there's a will there's a way!

1. The trend that pops by every year! 
Links to Items: 1, 2, 3, 4
I love pastels, from nails to jumpers to handbags! I love the mix and match of pastel colours too, in this case the mint jumper with the pastel pink pants. To not bring the look to overload, I toned down the outfit with nude pumps - but to bring up the bling, the coral (pastel) and gold necklace felt like the perfect touch. This outfit is getting me excited for the summer!!

2. THE colour of the Season
Links to Items: 1, 2, 3, 4
 Yellow. The colour of sunshine, the colour of happiness. This bright colour is such a lovely one to put on during the warmer months. Being spotted as one of the hottest colours from OPI's new Summer Collection, this one is going to be huge. The black/yellow floral dress has a gorgeous neckline. I feel yellow works really well with gold jewellery and as this dress is almost sleeveless, I felt the arms would feel bare without a bracelet. The shoes kept simply but effective the black heels and obviously another HUGE pop of colour with the bag - which I love!

3. Keep it Pure 
Links to Items: 1, 2, 3, 4
White on White worked for winter and is set for the summer months too. I love the slight gold accent in this outfit on the belt. It would work well with the shorts, blazer and pure white top! The white shoes would make the outfit look like an overall dream.

4. TWO trends in One
Links to Items: 1, 2, 3, 4
The Wide-Leg Pants trends is a total new one. One which I am reluctant to try. However, it would work well with the geometric print top. Being it a navy colour with white detailing, I feel it works well with the white pants. To add a little more dimension to the outfit, the boxed black shoulder/hand bag seems like a perfect fit. To not draw attention away from the pants and geometric pattern, I paired the outfit with black flats.


I hope you enjoyed the 'from the catwalk to your wardrobe' edition of the Spring/Summer Fashions Trends and let me know what you think of the layout!

What's your favourite summer trend?


Monday 10 March 2014

Motivation Monday - Smile

Hello! 

Happy Monday! I hope you had a fantastic weekend, enjoying the beautiful weather if you are a Londoner like me - or anywhere that may have received a few kisses from the sun! Having really enjoyed my Sunday, I decided I shouldn't let the Monday Blues bring me down - and you shouldn't either! Whether you had a rough or smooth weekend, let this be another day to make wonderful memories


This quote by Dr Seuss is an eye opener in many ways and really warms my heart. Sometimes I find we seem to regret where we are now and prefer how it was like before. We say things like 'Oh, back in the good old days' - well, if you think about it, these days will be the 'good old days' in a couple of years time, so why not make the most of it NOW. 

Don't cry because we aren't in those 'good old days' but smile because those good days existed. Smile that we have another chance to make it good for ourselves! 

Wishing you all a positive day and tell me, what are POSITIVE sayings or quotes keeping you going? 

Friday 7 March 2014

Animal Cuteness Overload!

Hello!

While writing this post for a lovely Friday, my friends new puppy came to mind! She just bought a cute little husky and was showing me pictures the other day, so in honour of the little cutie, you shall see an array of cute animal photos today! Hopefully it's the start to a brilliant weekend!

Little known fact: I used to have a hamster, she was white with red eyes (sounds scary, but wasn't!) and her name was Nicky! This hamster is so super cute and I just imagine it going 'What's up, Dawgg?'

Now that's legit Puppy Dog Eyes!

Another little known fact: I used to have a Rabbit named Jerry! Though, I didn't feed it Doritos! If I did, it would have been the Tangy Cheese Flavour! ;)

'Herrrrrro!'

I love squirrels! After they see you more often, they don't run away from you - unless you chase after them, of course! My neighbourhood squirrels are used to people now, and this one's just chilling and reminding me of Mr Burns from The Simpsons "Eeeeexcellenttt…"

*Gasp* Monkey!


Finally, the cutest tabby ever! 
Here's hoping you have a fabulous weekend! 

Aren't they just the cutest little things? What's your fav animal? Mines a monkey! 
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