Tag Archives: Advice

Slim shark or curvy mermaid? Dressing for your shape on the beach By Lizzy Pudner

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Slim shark or curvy mermaid? Dressing for your shape on the beach

 

By Lizzy Pudner, Marketing Director at StarBlu luxury resort wear

 

Whether it’s in Cornwall or California lots of us will be seeking out sunny beach destinations this year. But revealing a body that’s been hidden away from the sun’s rays for months is a pretty daunting prospect even for the most honed and toned women. The good news is that you don’t have to resemble a tanned Swimsuit Illustrated model to look beautiful, or most importantly to feel confident on the beach.

To start with, get familiar with your basic body shape and then think about which bits you want to flaunt and which you’d rather cover up.

We all fit roughly into these categories – sporty or ‘shark’ (think Kate Hudson’s boyish and lean shape), hourglass, the mermaid in beach fashion terms (a curvy Kim Kardashian type), or more pear-shaped, ‘the shrimp’, smaller up top but with a rounded bottom (like Rihanna). The good news is there’s a bikini or swimsuit to suit every shape.

If you’re a slim shark…

Sporty, athletic shapes or ‘lean columns’ as they are sometimes known, can wear most things but need to create curves and accentuate the bust, so a horizontal print bikini with stripes or colourful detailing works best. Bikinis that have padding in the bust are a must to create a softer, more feminine shape (which is flattering in photos too).

 

When you want a bit more cover or dignity, a feminine, floaty maxi dress softens the lean look. Equally, the new big thing in resort wear for 2012, the beach jumpsuit softens those angular lines by pulling in at the waist but giving added volume at the bust.

 

If you’re a shrimp…

A pear-shaped or triangular body shape should accentuate the top half of the body, so chose swimwear that emphasizes the bust and minimizes the bottom and hips. Anything bold or patterned on the top is good, which is handy as this season is all about strong colours and striking patterns. A colourful tankini will also draw the eye to the top half. Team our swimwear with a cover-up like our Tuscany kaftan which with its structured A-line cut is perfect to hide the less than perfect bits!

 

If you’re a mermaid…

Neat hourglass figures are the most balanced of the body shapes.

Mermaids tend to have great waists so show them off in bikinis. If you’re big up top, a halterneck bikini is good for hoisting you up and giving support and definition to the bust.

Mad Men style structured all in one swimming costumes also look very sexy on an hourglass shape.

And when the sun goes down try a becoming, low cut maxi dress that goes in at the waist but shows off a great bust.

Photo by Alaskan Dude.

 

The New Wave of Female Bloggers

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I have done an article for the Huffington Post on the rise of female bloggers. There really is a wealth of female bloggers out there making the web more democratic. The post has advice and tips from the leading female bloggers in the UK, www.thelife-edit.blogspot.com, http://www.digitalbungalow.co.uk/, www.shimelle.com , http://thebottomoftheironingbasket.blogspot.co.uk , asensibleheart.blogspot.com, www.bdpworld.blogspot.com , fashion-mommy.com, http://www.reallyree.com/ , http://www.fash-ling.com and http://lenkasilhanova.blogspot.com. among them.

Phew! Frost is now on the look-out for more blogs, and we are looking for the male kind too. If you want featured in our hot blog column, get in touch.

 

Nioxin: The Cure For Thinning Hair?

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Did you know that thinning hair affects about 50% of people? Not just men, but women too? That is one in two people globally. A number of factors cause this: anemia, having a baby (after two months the hair that had not fallen out does so and results in thinning hair and, sometimes, baldness), lack or iron, stress, medication, trauma, health problems, UV damage (though in moderation the sun helps, hair always looks better at the end of summer, because we used to need our hair to be thicker in winter to keep us warm), being a vegetarian, using straighteners or curling irons and pattern baldness, which is inherited. Hair has no function anymore, as it is a luxury it is the first thing to go or look worse when you are ill or run down. It is the first thing the body will shut off.

 

There are things you can do. Wayne Rooney recently had a hair transplant, but those are costly and with differing results. It is a long operation. 9-5 and if someone explains what happens to you, you will feel ill; trust me.

 

There are three factors in hair thinning

1) Fewer hair strands

2) Finer hair strands

3) Unhealthy scalp environment for hair to grow from.

 

Nioxin is a product that says it can manage the condition to give you thicker and fuller hair through a holistic approach.  Most other products are drug-based or camouflage. It is the No.1 stylist recommended thinning-hair brand in the USA, it has won the Stylist Choice Award every year for 10 years, and has millions of loyal customers in America. Phew, but does it work?

Nioxin is based on scalp health, like a facial for hair. Over 70% of users notice thicker- fuller hair in 30 days. Cosmetics products do not grow hair, they take care of scalp health and your hair. Nioxin is tailored to your specific hair type and it is best to use all of the products together, apparently you will be able to measure the hair thickness.

Hair grows at one-half inch each month or 6 inches in a year.

 

The lovely people at Nioxin have given me one of their hair system kits to review. The kit carries a money back guarantee and has a 100ml cleanser, 100ml scalp revitalizer and a 50ml scalp treatment. It costs £27.99. I have fine hair so we will see if it makes a difference. I love my hair but would love more oomph. So far I am loving the tingling, waking up feeling it has on my scalp. It feels like my scalp is getting massaged thanks to the ingredients that include white tea extract, peppermint oil, antioxidants and botanical extracts.

Update: After the 30 days I definitely had more oomph to my hair. It made it look thicker and it felt that it also increased blood flow to the scalp. I would definitely buy it.

 

 

 

RETIRED NATION IS SITTING ON £96.41 BILLION OF PERSONAL DEBTS

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Everyone thinks it is just the young who are in debt and struggling, but new research has shown that the retired are having a tough time too. Here are some stats, and a checklist to improve your living standards and boost your income.

· Average retired person has £8,180 of personal debt

· 178,000 retired people have personal debts of £100,000 or more

New research from retirement income specialist MGM Advantage reveals that the average retired person has £8,180 of personal debt, collectively equating to a staggering £96.41billion. The average level of personal debt for a retired man is £9,007, compared to £7,350 for a retired woman.

Around 178,000 retired people each owe £100,000 or more, and just over 729,000 owe between £25,000 and £100,000. Only 57% of the retired population has no personal debt.

Amount of personal debt

Number of retired people

Between £1 and £5,000

2.486 million

Between £5,001 and £25,000

1.094 million

Between £25,001 and £100,000

729,000

Over £100,000

178,000

None

6.776 million

Don’t know

523,000

Aston Goodey, Director, MGM Advantage said: “These figures are alarming. As the cost of living continues to put pressure on household finances, many retired people will feel under growing pressure to take on debt to fund everyday living.

“There are things you can do to minimise the chances of funding your retirement through debt. It is vital that people shop around for the best annuity rate to maximise the income they receive. The difference between the best and worst rates can be as much as 50%2. People should also make sure they are claiming all of the State benefits to which they are entitled and also ensure that they have accounted for all old savings accounts and pension plans.”

On a regional basis, the average retired person in Wales has personal debt of £13,857, which is the highest in Britain. This is followed by £11,758 in the South West, and £11,255 in London.

Region

Average amount of personal debt per retired person

Wales

£13,857

South West

£11,758

London

£11,255

West Midlands

£9,417

Scotland

£8,890

North West

£8,094

South East

£7,390

Yorkshire and Humberside

£7,353

North East

£6,511

Eastern

£4,759

East Midlands

£4,164

Northern Ireland

*Sample size too small to report

MGM Advantage has published a checklist of things for people to consider when making important decisions at retirement:

1. Claim all state benefits to which you are entitled, to check, go to www.direct.gov.uk

Data suggests that pensioners are missing out on up to £5 billion a year in unclaimed pension credit, housing and council tax benefits, as well as attendance and disability living allowances.

2. Keep a track on any old personal or occupational pension arrangements, if you think you might have lost track of an old pension arrangement, you can check via the Department for Work and Pensions tracing service here http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/

3. You can check if you have any old savings accounts which you might have lost touch with over the years by going to http://www.unclaimedassets.co.uk/

4. Don’t just accept the annuity rate offered by your pension provider. You should shop around for the best rate and you might qualify for an enhanced rate for pre-existing medical conditions

5. Seek professional financial advice as this will help you get the best product and rate for your individual circumstances, to find an independent adviser go to http://www.unbiased.co.uk/

6. You may have old National Savings accounts or Premium Bonds, to check for unclaimed prizes please go to http://www.nsandi.com/files/asset/pdf/Tracing_brochure_v03.pdf


For further information please go to www.retirementnation.co.uk

Peter Gordon shows ex-England star Will Greenwood how to make a roast leg of lamb

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Peter Gordon shows ex-England star Will Greenwood how to make a roast leg of lamb treat,

Watch our video where they show you how to prepare the perfect Mother’s Day treat for the special women in your life this Mothering Sunday

Mother’s Day is the time where we‘re even more grateful for the women in our lives. Whether it’s our mothers, grandmothers or mother in laws, why not try something different this year than the usual chocolates with a card?

Peter Gordon was joined by ex-England international rugby star Will Greenwood, to show him how to prepare a delicious roast leg of lamb meal with all the trimmings on behalf of Will and his children, to allow his wife to enjoy a relaxing Mother’s Day.

Peter Gordon’s delicious leg of lamb with roasted parsnips, baby carrots, buttered peas, broccoli and creamy mashed potato is the perfect recipe to impress this Mother’s Day. Peter talks Will through the recipe showing him how easy it is to try something different.

Peter Gordon is renowned for his culinary philosophy and is famous for his unique fusion cooking style which focuses on the best quality and tastiest ingredients, no matter where they originate from. Peter happily mixes flavours from Asia through to the Middle East, the Mediterranean and Europe, along with his native New Zealand. He owns restaurants in London and New Zealand.

Watch our video and learn how you can give your mum or wife a break this Mothering Sunday with this great lunch.

Mother’s Day Roast Leg of Lamb

For 4-6

Preparation Time:20mins

Cooking Time: 2h 20

1 x 2 – 2.5kg leg of lamb

1 large red onion, peeled and chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped (optional)

the leaves from 2 x 10cm stalks of rosemary

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

4 medium parsnips peeled, topped and tailed, cut into chunks

1 bunch baby carrots, scrubbed

800g mashing potatoes, peeled and cut in half

100ml double cream

60g butter

1 medium head broccoli, cut into large florets

150g frozen peas

a small handful mint leaves, torn

1 ½ Tablespoons flour

Oven at 180 ?C 2 – 2 ½ hours

Place the lamb in a roasting dish and poke a thin small knife into it in about 20 places.

In a bowl, mix the onion, garlic, rosemary, thyme and olive oil with some salt and pepper and rub this all over the lamb.

Leave for 20 minutes, then rub it in again and place in the centre of the oven and roast for an hour.

Turn the lamb over and add the parsnips to the roasting dish along with half a tea cup of hot water.

Roast for 45 minutes, basting the lamb with the pan juices a couple of times.

Turn the lamb over again and add the baby carrots.

It will be cooked medium (which is lovely for leg of lamb) in another 20-40 minutes.

Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water.

Remove the lamb from the roasting dish and place in a dish loosely covered with foil and rest in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Drain the potatoes into a colander, then using the pot they were cooked in bring the cream and all but 1 Tablespoon of the butter to the boil. Return the potatoes to the pot and mash them with salt and pepper, keep a lid on the pot to keep warm.

Bring another pot of lightly salted water to the boil and add the broccoli. Bring back to the boil and add the peas. Bring back to the boil and cook 2 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid, then toss with the reserved butter and mint and keep warm.

If you can place the vegetable roasting dish on the hob then remove the vegetables. If not, pour the roasting juices into a saucepan. Place over a moderate heat, add the flour and stir to make a paste, then slowly add the juices from the leg of lamb and as much liquid from the vegetables to make a gravy. Taste for seasoning.

To serve: simply carve the lamb and arrange on warmed plates with vegetables, mash and gravy.

Cheaply Does It.

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With the recession kicking in people are looking for ways to save money, or make some more. Of course the best way to save money is not to spend any, but that is not convenient or realistic sometimes. At the moment inflation is kicking our butts and it costs a bomb just to go to work. If you are lucky enough to have a job.

So, what to do? There are a lot of coupon sites now. You can check for a leapfrog coupon so you can save money on little fun things, or just things you need. If you save money then you save time. So combine things that are educational and entertaining at the same time. Buy any kids or nephews/nieces you have an educational fun toy or products for their birthdays.

Entertainment can be done cheaply. DVDs can be bought cheap and cheap tickets can be found last-minute.

Another way to save is to buy in bulk. The more you buy the cheaper it usually is. If you don’t buy a lot of stuff on your own then you can go shopping with friends and then it will be cheaper for you all.

Only shopping in sales is a good way to save. Never waste your money by buying something full price. You just don’t need to nowadays. Shop online and compare prices. Also make do and mend with the things you have.

Another good way of saving is to buy expensive stuff. No, really, that old adage that if you buy cheap you buy dear is true. Buying expensive stuff will last longer and work out cheaper in the long run. Buying an expensive pair of shoes and getting them resoled regularly and polishing them yourself will make any outfit look great. You will never look literally down at heel. Also, when you buy expensive shoes you can wear high street clothes and still look stylish and well dressed.

Libraries are incredibly underused, dust off your library card if you have not used yours recently. There are tons of books, but also DVDs and CDs.

Scour charity shops for clothes, books, CDs, things for your home. Or do a swap shop. If you need to see a chiropractor then maybe think of doing a skills exchange with someone else. Everyone has something to offer someone else. Whether that is something you do as a profession or as a hobby.

How To Measure Yourself Properly

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Having correct measurements makes it easier to do clothes shopping. Your size could change from shop to shop so you should always have your measurements to hand. Here is how to measure yourself.

It is better to measure yourself in your underwear for a more realistic result. Do not pull the tape measure too tight. It should have some give to it.

Shoulder
Should be done from shoulder to shoulder in a straight line

Head
Measure around your forehead.

Bust.
Your bust measurements should be taken at the fullest part. If you are taken your bra size then you will also have to do under your bust too.

Waist
Your waist is usually the narrowest part of your body, and this is where you should measure. For the majority of women, this is an inch above your belly button. Don’t hold your breath in! It is better to know your actual size. Wearing clothes that are too small for you will just make you look bigger.

Hips
You should measure the fullest part of your hips. The part of which you sit down on usually. Not around the hip bones, which is what most people think.

Inseam
From your groin to your ankle bone. It is better to get a friend to help you with this.

Do not measure yourself around the time you have your period. You will be retaining water and your dress size will be bigger.

Once you have measured yourself put your measurements into this dress size site to see what dress size you are. It does both UK and US sizing.

Time to declutter – four out of five people in the UK have too much stuff

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Time to declutter – four out of five people in the UK have too much stuff

Three quarters of people across the UK have too much clutter at home, according to a poll by Storage.co.uk. People love their “stuff” so much, they don’t want to lose it, even though they’ll never use it. The survey found that emotional attachment and the idea they may be useful one day are people’s top reasons for holding on to things they don’t need. Another common cause of clutter (one third of respondents) is the hope that their stuff may be valuable.

An unexpected find was that younger people are more motivated by nostalgia about the past than the older generation. Three in five 18 to 29 year olds cling to clutter because it brings back good memories, compared to only two out of five 50 to 69 year olds who hold on to clutter for the same reason.

As for decluttering habits, the survey found that women sort an area of the home more frequently than men, who mostly tackled the job once or twice in the last twelve months.

The main barriers stopping people from having a good clear out is lack of time and feeling they have better things to do, suggesting they struggle to put the task high on their list of priorities. In some cases, clutter can really get out of control and become a bigger issue in people’s lives. For around one in ten people clutter is damaging their relationships with others, affecting their health and sometimes having a negative effect on the amount of money they have.

Rachel Papworth from Green and Tidy, a professional declutterer and organiser, says: “We live such busy lives, it can be hard to make time for decluttering. If you’re struggling to fit it in, think about how much time you’ll save when you can easily put your hand on whatever you’re looking for. Plus decluttering saves money, protects your mental and physical health, and reduces your environmental impact”.

According to the survey, quirky items of clutter getting in the way at home include a train piston, “hundreds” of old train tickets for travelling to see a fiancé, a camel saddle, carpet samples for a would-be rug , an empty Rotastak hamster cage, seven inch white platform boots, “thousands” of LPs and a lifesize cardboard cut out of Justin Bieber.

Storage.co.uk surveyed men and women in the UK to find out attitudes and habits towards clutter as part of their National Declutter Week campaign to launch on 7 March.

Storage.co.uk is calling on all home occupiers to consider unused stuff sitting at home and to make a big decluttering effort in National Declutter Week from 7 to 18 March. Storage.co.uk has linked up with hospices across the UK to direct donations of saleable items. To view participating hospices, visit http://www.storage.co.uk/national-declutter-week/adopt-a-hospice.