TONI&GUY Hair products review

First of all let me make everyone aware I'm a BzzAgent. I get to try products and share my opinions about them. Anyone who reads my blog knows how brutally honest I am and that any opinions shared are my personal feelings. Hell this is a blog, not a sales page lol. I was lucky enough to be chosen to try, review and comment on some of the TONI&GUY products now available at Boots. My hair is a big part of my style. If the hair is wrong then everything is wrong. Mine is thick, wavy/curly and can be very unruly. I spend a BOMB on my hair. I've tried so many products. I love trying new things so this was exciting pick for me

I was given 5 products these were:

Sea Salt Texturising Spray
Heat Protection Mist
Sculpting Powder
Curl Defining Hair Oil
Shine Gloss Serum

First off the sea salt spra. This is an awesome product. I like experimenting with my style and spritzing this mist through my hair when damp, and then drying roound my finger gives gorgeous boho wavy curls. I wish I could show you the pics but for some crazy reason the lead from my camera to my pc isn't working and I can't upload any pictures :-(

The heat protection mist is fantastic. I love my straighteners but am very aware of the effects they and blow drying can have on my hair. With this mist my hair still retains it's shine. There is much less breaking at the ends. This is great value as well compared with products I've bought at the hairdressers.

For those days when curls are hot to trot the curl defining oil wins the battle against frizz hands down. I used this on a hot humid day. My curls stayed fresh and defined for over 12 hours without needing any more product. It's a wonder invention.

The sculpting powder is fricking amazing. For those days between washes it gives root lift and a matt effect so no hint of greasiness. This is desk drawer ammo for those days when you head out to party straight from work. A quick trip to the restroom rub a bit into the roots, blast under the hand dryer and voila tousled sexy va va voom hair.

The shime gloss serum is a red carpet product. Glossy superstar shine that is so easy to use. With christmas coming up this is a glam essential.

All of these products smell great. I love the sleek co-ordinating packaging as well, it looks great in the bathroom. These products bring salon styling into your home at amazing prices. Get to Boots NOW people !!!!

Let's Save Spud

Anyone who knows me well can confirm that I am barking mad, about animals that is. I have always had furries in my life from guinea pigs to the two collie crosses and maine coone moggie that furnish my life with fluff at the momment. Anyone who has a pet whom they love can only imagine what anguish the Dyer family are going through at the moment.

Spud was taken in by the Dyer family about 15 months ago. They didn't really know much about him like how old he is as he was adopted from a friend of a friend. Beverley his "Mum" got told he was a Staffordshire bull terrier cross, and as they had a Staffie before they agreed to take him on letting this gorgeous bag of fur into their home and hearts. He lives in a busy household with 2 smaller dogs and a stream of people in and out the house including Beverley's grandchildren. He regularly goes and stays with Beverley's son and his partner. He truly is a family pet. He is a well loved and totally socialsed dog as you can see from his pictures like this one.

Spud's "Mum" Beverley went on holiday in March and so Spud went on holiday and stayed with her Son and his partner not far away. Spud was a very silly boy and decided to break out the house for a spot of holiday romance with the hot girl dog in season down the road. He was picked up by the dog warden. This was on a Friday and they said they couldn't release him over the weekend. On Monday it transpired they were not happy to return spud as they wanted to investigate what "breed" he was.

Since then Beverley has been told by police that Spud has been seen by two experts who state he falls under the Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA)'s "Banned breeds" umberella and they could either have him destroyed or take it to court to prove he's not a banned breed type dog and is therefore exempt from Breed Standard Legislation (BSL)

Beverley says they would abide by any requirements necessary to keep Spud for example getting him neutered, tattoed, microchipped, muzzled in public places and walked on a leash.

Beverley and her son have been interviewed UNDER CAUTION for breaking the law in keeping a banned breed, walking him off the leash etc even though they believed him to be a staffie cross.

My problem with the DDA AND BSL is that it demonises specific breeds and type of dog, which is just crazy. Any dog can snap or bite when provoked. I'd also like to know how can you make ANY judgement on a dogs temperament with a tape measure??

Beverley and her family are looking for our support to get this boy home so sign the petition HERE and join the facebook page HERE also follow on twitter HERE and share the links with everyone you know who may sign.

WOOF xxx

Rest In Peace Fiona Geraghty

Today coroner Micheal Rose laid a damning verdict at the door of the fashion industry and media, he held them responsible for the heartbreaking suicide of fourteen year old Fiona Geraghty.


Photo: Irving of Exeter


Nicknamed Yoyo becase of her bouncy personality, she had been subjected to bullying from fellow schoolmates with them labelling her as fat. She developed bulimia nervosa and had been making herself vomit whilst at school. Both of her parents are doctors and she had been seen by mental health care professionals. Plans were being made for both Fiona and her older sister to move schools when this tragedy occured.

Mr Rose said in his summing up "Professor Bryan Lask said to me that the prevalence of eating disorders around young people did not exist before the 1970s.

"From that period onwards the fashion industry, particularly magazines, promoted the thin figure.

"I do ask for magazines that trade in the fashion industry to stop publishing photographs of wafer thin girls. For their vanity families like this suffer."

He also said it was one of the most tragic cases he had seen in 4 decades.

My thoughts and prayers go to Fiona's friends and family. I can not begin to imagine how much the loss of this beautiful and much loved young woman has affected those she left behind. I hope that somehow things do change and we start to see more realistic body images in the media. I also hope that those who tormented this young woman at school realise the damagee they have caused.

Too Fantastic For Words - S/S12 Review at Emma Plus Brighton

I and Anna can count ourselves extremely lucky to be down in the south and have the fantastic Emma Plus independent plus size boutique within our reach. Located in Church Street, Brighton this shop boasts an awe inspiring stock from many European designers covering a size range from an 18 to a 34. The store owner Emma Hayes studied art and design and has now worked within the plus size sector for over 20 years. A plus size woman herself she has an exceptional understanding of what plus size women want, need and wish for with our clothing. She has a fantastic blog/forum here. The shop boasts extremely loyal customers from their testimonials who come from far and wide to avail themselves of the unique experience that is Emma Plus. We plus sized fashion fiends are gradually finding our shopping trips limited to the internet. Whilst internet shopping is a boon and can allow us to get items from the other side of the world we lose the interaction and service that stores like Emma Plus can offer from alterations to a cup of tea and a smile

Me and Anna got the train up to Brighton. It's less than an hour from London out of Victoria station. I would also suggest that as a destination for a weekend away and a shopping trip combined, Brighton is fantastic. The store is a short walk from the station (10/15 mins) or about 4 pounds by taxi. Me and Anna arrived at the shop very quickly, another handy point to note is that if you are driving the shop is smack bang next to an NCP carpark which in Brighton is amazingly good news. Emma also does a deal where if you purchase items over £100 you get 2 hours free parking - BONUS!

The day me and Anna came we were in the wonderfully capable hands of Kim as Emma and Jaq were buying for AW12 at Anna Scholz's studio. We had a complimentary coffee, a chance to sit down and catch up but we soon got round to the all important thing - THE NEW SEASONS CLOTHES !!!.

This beautiful Marina Rinaldi Sport embellished top (above) is a classic example of Emma's exceedingly clever eye when it comes to buying for the shop . It reminds me of the beauty of impressionist paintings, in a viscose mix it's breathable and it's a highly versatile piece that looks great teamed with black trousers, or would look lovely under a black skirt suit.

This stunning Anna Scholz aztec print print (below) was the next thing that caught my eye. In a delectable mix of silk and lycra this is one of those dresses that will never date. Worn casually with beaded flats and plaited hair for a day on the beach, it's easily jazzed up for the evening with glitzy earings, heels and an updo on the hair.

For my sins of which there are many I could not resist keeping the Anna Scholz dress on for longer, I then picked up an amazing Kristen Krog lace style cut through shirt that looked amazing over the top of it (below)

The next thing I wanted to try was this gorgeous tunic top from KjBrand (below). I loved this, This vivid blue based print in a viscose mix this would look gorgeous over black trousers, indigo blue jeans and would also work as a throw over a bathing suit.

Anna tried on this other gorgeous KjBrand tunic (below) With Anna's italian colouring this looked stunning. It looked amazing over her denim skirt and would look equally gorgeous providing a rainbow riot of colour against a black skirt or trousers.

Next Anna tried on this popping xxxx top.. It looked great over the denim, but would look equally gorgeous over black leggings.

Me and Anna really wish we could show you everything in stock but we can't so please go and visit for yourselves. On the 12th of May a really special event is happening Anna Scholz is visiting the store and is bringing the cream of her S/S 12 collection with her for you to purchase. This is going to be an amazing day with drinks and nibbles, prize draws and the opportunity to meet the amazing lady herself so don't miss out get yourself there !!!!__

Product Review - Oskia Skincare Micro Exfoliating Balm

When I went to the Curves in Couture show in November I received some skincare samples from a company called OSKIA. I tried them out and fell in love with them and made an order for their Micro Exfoliating Balm. I've been using it for about six months now and wanted to share it with you how great I think it is

I have ultra sensitive type one skin which is milk pale, never tans and gets very sore with harsh perfumes or chemicals. In addition to this the hormone treatment I am on for the endometriosis gives me horrid spots. I have spent so much money on exfoliating products and have frequesntly ended up binning them because instead of leaving my skin with a youthful dewy glow it looks scratched, red and irritated.

OSKIA's name is derived from the ancient Greek for ‘delivering beauty’, it's a high performance,nutritionally-designed natural skincare range that takes a nutritional and scientific approachto delaying premature ageing. The unique dual-action approach supplies the skin with essential cell nutrients - vitamins, minerals, proteins or amino acids, glucides and essential fatty acids – from both the inside and the outside to help rebuild cell health and efficiency, and harnessing the latest pioneering bio-actives to further promote a younger looking visage. All OSKIA products contain their unique patented MSM-Regen Complex™, natural collagen boosts, repairs and regenerate, these properties combine with breakthrough botanical, mineral and marine bio-actives including Ribose, Nicainamide, Galactoarabinan, Arnica and Laminaria Complex, Hyaluronic Acid, 03 Stressed yeast lysate, Immortelle Bleue, Omega 3 & 6 and powerful Swiss Apple Stem Cells; all scientifically proven to work.

The history of the brand is interesting also. I would really suggest visiting their website for the delicious skin friendly recipies by Thomasina Miers, Masterchef winner and owner of the divine Mexican restaurant Wahaca even if you don't buy anything. The company is still under a decade old and has a total bevy of awards to their name. The other thing I love in this time of outsourcing and offshoring is that the products are made in Wales. Now when my parcel arrived I fell hook line and sinker for the gorgeous packaging. It really embodies the brand. It's simple and elegant. I opened the tub the first thing that got me was the smell. No whiff of alcohol I really cannot put the scent into words but to me its just gorgeous and natural. You gently rub about a 2 pea sized amount onto your skin and there is when you feel the difference. The MSM and silica granules gently buff away dead skin cells and help unclog pores with no scratchy or rough particles. I usually do this for about 5 minutes then you rinse with warm water and it transforms into a soft milky wash that leaves your skin glowing. I usually do this once a week. It leaves my skin soft and radiant, my moisturiser sinks in brilliantly and when I put make up on it doesn't just sit on flaky areas because I don't have them.

Its £46 for 50ml you can buy it at Liberty the department store in London, or online at their website here. I know it is not cheap but the quality of their products and the results are outstanding. They do have regular money saving options, gift sets at Christmas for example. At the moment they are giving you £10 of your first order if you sign up to their news letter which is pretty cool and there are no postage fees. Let me know if you try their products and what you think of them. Tori xx

Dieting Through The Decades

At the time you read this 50% of women will be on a diet. The reasons for this are many. Some are for religious reasons, others will say for health reasons, some say for better clothing choices but the biggest reason by far is societies attitudes towards people of size.

Diets are nothing new. In ancient Rome there were special rooms where people could make themselves sick in between multi course meals. In the 1800's starving to embody the Victorian fad of frail femininity swept through the middle classes and aristocracy.

In the 1920's women started dieting for the sake of 'Beauty'. The curvy role models like The Gibson Girl were no longer the favour de jour and the ultra thin waistless figure of the flapper was seen as the ideal. These ultra slim figures were seen in advertising and cinema. Following on from this many 1920's fashions showed a lot of leg and had sleeve less tops so young women in their teens and twenties in much the same way as young women do now dieted to emulate their idols.

Diet books, reducing creams and other weight loss quackery flooded the market. Women's magazines ran articles, advice columns and weekly menu plans to give their readers advice on shedding the pounds. It was in the 1920's The Hollywood AKA The Grapefruit diet came to public consumption – this diet which is still used now says that grapefruit has fat burning properties.

We then moved into the thirties. Skirts became longer and feminine curves became popular once more with idols like Mae West causing headlines. Did you ever wonder where models got the idea that smoking keeps you skinny? well lucky strikes did an advert with the strapline - “Reach for a Lucky Instead of a Sweet.” This was also the decade in which The Master Cleanse diet was invented, a Mr. Burroughs came up with this blend of lemon juice, pepper and maple syrup to burn the pounds. This was alledgedly used by Beyonce to fit into her miniscule dresses for the film dreamgirls. This type of mono fast where you restrict your intake to such aan extent is dangerous and unhealthy.

In the 1940's a fuller figure was become popular clothes were seen as functional however but with WWII food rationing beginning in 1940 and not being phased out completely until 1954 British people were essentially on a state controlled diet anyway.

The 1950's gave us Dior's New Look and a tailored feminine style. Curves were on show with actresses like Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe but regardless it gave us the faith diet industry which exploded in the US with the book Pray Your Weight Away by Rev C Shedd.

Then we rolled into the 1960's. This was a decade marked by its extremes. We had the womanly curves of Jackie Kennedy at the beginning and then the super slim model Jean Shrimpton towards the end. This was also the decade that gave us mini skirts and bikini's. This was also when Weight Watchers the global diet money spinner started in the states.

Then we went into the 1970's. This was the decade for form fitting clothes leotards and one piece swimsuits were made popular by actresses like Farrah Fawcett. Slim was the aim with celebrities like Bianca Jagger taking headlines. This decade gave us the ultra low calorie Scarsdale diet and the Atkins plan.

The 80's gave us leotards again this time for the other buzz of the 80's aerobics and exercising to feel the burn. Power dressing was the fashion craze and whilst celebrities were more on the normal size this was the decade to show the real beginnings of the Supermodel. The diet industry grew massively latched and went apace with the F Plan , the hip and thigh diet and many more. This was also the decade of diet convenience foods – processed garbage in many cases.

The 90's began with slim but still healthy models. The body con dresses of Herve Leger were everywhere Then began a dangerous turn of events with the showing of the heroin chic aesthetic. Very young women looking dangerously slim it is said this began the triggering of eating disorder epidemic in young women seeking to look like these models. The Atkins diet resurfaced with a celebrity following and the war on obesity began.

We are now in 2012. The diet industry is worth 2 billion pounds a year here in the UK. And the sad fact through the decades is – DIETS DO NOT WORK. They have a 95% failure rate. Women look in magazines or view the TV and see celebrities looking ultra slim and want to follow them. Diets appear in every magazine and women take the view that if they lose weight all their problems what ever they may be will also stop. The sad part about it is until you deal with whatever demons are causing you to overeat/abuse food no diet plan will work. There are beginnings of change showing, plus size fashion shows, research into weight loss in particular the HAES (Health At Every Size) movement are SLOWLY moving things forward but it all boils down to that we need to love the skins we are in now and not hang ourselves up on unrealistic images.

The Hidden Horror - Endometriosis Part 2

While I am looking at a hysterectomy, at the moment my condition is managed by a whole host of medications, self help and alternative therapies. I have a 3 monthly injection of Prostap aka leuprorelin. This drug is also used to treat prostate cancer in men. This drug gives me a chemical menopause. Whilst the monthly bleeding has stopped I contend with symptoms like hot flushes, skin thinning and moodswings. One of the major side effects of this medication is bone thinning which can lead to oesteoporosis so I have regular checks. I also take Lyrica aka pregabalin to reduce the affects of overactive nerves causing pain. I take co-codamol 500/30, Tramadol and oral morphine when needed. I practice relaxation techniques. I also use accupunture and massage.

The pain I live with I would not wish on my worst enemy. The only way I can describe it is abdominal toothache. I have a personality transplant when it's bad so my family tell me. I act like a hermit I dont want to go out and all I really wish to do is curl up in a ball on my bed. There have been times when I have just wanted to go to sleep and not wake up. They tend to come when my sleep is being affected by the pain.

I am in two minds over the hysterectomy. In my case due to my age they would either have to leave my ovaries in or give me HRT. The problem is that ovaries and hrt would supply hormones that keep the endometriosis active. In addition to that if my pain is due to scar tissue and adhesions these will not be removed by the surgery so I could under go this highly invasive surgery and still have problems.

It appears that after speaking to a lot of women they are told a hysterectomy will "CURE" their endo. Sadly this is not the case.

There are a lot of theories about what causes endometriosis in women but research into this disease is at infancy stages. They believe that 1 in 10 women have endometriosis but the figure may be even higher as some women are just too embaressed to seek medical advice.

If any of the issues I have spoken about here effect you and you want to chat please feel free to email me. And on that note I am going to finish, but I'lll leave you with this cute teddy pic.