If you are looking to get plumper and juicier lips but are not ready do go full force and get a lip filler keep reading and thank me later.
I will share with you a DIY lip plumper that compared to the store bought ones will really give you an instant and visible result. Not only it will make them look bigger but it will give them flushed color, kind of the perfect color that compliments your complexion.
The ingredients are super simple and easy to find. All you need is a regular lip balm or good old Vaseline and the second ingredient is Cinnamon essential oil.
I have been breaking out a lot lately and feeling really bloated so I decided to limit my sugar intake, I saw a lot of people doing a no sugar challenge and wanted to give it a try myself!
I felt like eliminating sugar from my diet could help me with those issues. Plus approaching the holiday season I wanted to give my body a detox so I can indulge in unhealthy meals and sweet treats later on. I decided to exclude all foods with added sugar and artificial sugar but keep fruit and natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup. And my goal was to do it for a week!
Added sugar is found in many unexpected things. Ketchup, ranch, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, most of the sauces and salad dressings all the things that basically give flavor to your meal, pretty much all the snacks and not to forget all the yummy drinks.
It wasn’t an easy experience! And also the fact that I picked Thanksgiving week added an extra torture đŚ I had to say no to cocktails, desserts and traditional meals.
This is a roundup of my experience, but I also have a video on my YouTube channel with initial reactions and honest thoughts.
I start my day with a cup of coffee that I sweeten with brown sugar, but substituted with organic maple syrup over this week and honestly it was perfect. Way healthier alternative to sugar and considering switching to it in the long term . I prefer eating savory breakfast so the rest of the morning was easy, avo toast, eggs, I just switch the toppings on the toast and the style of the eggs and I can have it every. single. day!
Lunch was a bit different and harder to manage. I eat my breakfast around 11 so for lunch I am on the go and either grab a protein bar or a smoothie, but this week threw me out of my routine. I had to plan in advance. I love picking up food from Whole Foods but now with the pandemic situation they donât have the buffet style setting anymore where I could mix and match myself. Now the food is packaged so it added a bit negativity to my experience.
Had to say no to pizzas, pastas, sushi all kinds of glazed fish, bowls with marinated chicken and all the stuff I actually wanted. I mainly had hummus with veggies, salads with lemon juice and olive oil, plain chicken. But I was trying to eat more at home where I can control the ingredients.
Dinner was pretty easy too since I cooked and prepped it myself. I had limitless options. Grilled chicken , fish, steak all with just salt and black pepper, sautĂŠed veggies, rice, mashed potatoes, salads with white vinegar and olive oil, these are just examples of how simple and versatile dinner with no sugar can be.
My biggest issue was sweet cravings. I always thought I donât have a sweet tooth but the cravings I had proved me wrong. I had to fight the desire for chocolate cake or donuts with dates and dried figs making sure they didnât have any added sugars. Some people experience less cravings after cleaning out their bodies from unhealthy sugars but it wasnât the case with me . Plus a week is probably not enough to train your body to a new lifestyle.
I did see a difference in the way I felt and looked though. Didnât have any new breakouts, my skin was clear and more radiant , the bloating was reduced and my abs became more visible YAY! I was energized and felt lighter, probably because the bloating was gone. Didnât lose any weight but my waist got smaller and more defined.
This whole new experience for me was all worth it and maybe in the future I will do it again. I wonât turn this into a lifestyle though because I believe in balance diet and I donât feel good when I deprive myself. Having a sweet treat doesnât really affect my healthy lifestyle in a negative way as long as I do it with moderation. But a sugar detox once in a while wonât hurt me!
Thanks for stopping by,
Iva
Before cutting sugar out for a weekDay 7 of eating zero added and artificial sugar
I have been adding collagen supplement to my daily routine for the past 6-7 years and I really believe in its benefits. I normally take it for a month or so and then give it a few months break and then start over. When I take it I immediately notice healthier and more youthful skin, my breakouts clear and my scars diminish. The added bonus for conditioning and keeping joints healthy is amazing as well but personally I donât really see a noticeable difference but it is a nice bonus for the long run.
The past few years the supplement got its spotlight. And as everything trendy the new marketing strategies are limitless. You can find so many different formulas and brands . The manufacturers are trying to catch the consumerâs eye by adding flavors, different types of collagen, they come in different forms (powders, pills, capsules and now even liquid) they keep adding extra verbiage on the packaging that in stead of making it easier for the consumer, it is getting really frustrating and hard to pick the right kind.
Not to mention that a lot of brands sell really poor quality products since FDA doesnât really regulate them. So with something that goes into my body I felt really concerned and kept researching and educating myself on the topic. And I made a list of the most important things you should look for when you pick your collagen.
Types of collagen that are most common are I ,II , III.
You should pick up one that has Types l and III – those are the most important types that we need for our skin and joint health.
Finding one that has type II is not necessary vital and the ones that have many more types are just to catch your eye. Donât get fooled that the more types it has the more benefits and effectiveness it will have.
You should look for Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides
Naturally collagen doesnât get absorbed from our body, that is where the controversial opinions for its effectiveness come from. We just take it and it goes through our body and gets flushed out! That is why the scientists came out with hydrolyzed collagen peptides which means that the amino acids in them are broken down so the body can digest and absorb them. There is not enough scientific evidence that this really helps , but from my own experience I do believe it makes some difference!
Another thing you should look for is a Diverse Amino Acid profile at least 10. This will add a bunch to its effectiveness and help your body absorb more of its benefits.
Magnesium and Vitamin C also add a lot for its absorption.
Make sure you are getting Bovine Collagen ( comes from beef) and highly recommended Grass Fed/ Pasture-Raised.
What to avoid: What to look for:
Added colors
Artificial flavors
Soy
Non-hydrolyzed collagen
Artificial additives
Sugar
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Peptides
Type I & Type III
Bovine
Grass Fed / Pasture-Raised
Magnesium
Vitamin C
At least 10 amino acids
Another thing to avoid is Marine Collagen. Even though it is getting its popularity there is no strict rule where it should be sourced from meaning you donât know if it comes from fish or other seafood not rich in collagen.
Make sure to save this post to Favorites, pin it on Pinterest or just take a screenshot so you can have it handy next time you shop for Collagen!!
I love enjoying a good and professional spa day but a lot of times I prefer doing it at the comfort of my own home and experimenting and learning things myself. I am a sucker for any beauty tools and gadgets. My favorite spa tools for quite some time now have been the gua sha stone and face rollers. Unlike any other beauty tools that get popular and then die out in the time this has for sure stuck for a while now. And there is a reason for that. Those tools are really simple and easy to use at home, and they provide great results. They are usually made of a stone such as jade or quartz, which feels really cool on the skin and help de puff and detoxify your face. You can do it in the morning or at night while watching TV. 10-15 minutes is enough. I like keeping mine in the freezer just to keep it really cold and do it in the morning to depuff my face . Or I like to go a step further and make a whole spa experience and take a nice bath in the evening, massage my face and apply a face mask while my pores are opened and my face is stimulated and ready to absorb all the nutrients from any treatment or mask.
This is my favorite set from Amazon . Great quality and it has everything you need
Ivelina Angel 