Enrapture Extremity Heated Rollers

I have wanted to try the Enrapture Extremity Heated Rollers for such a long time but they were always something I could never justify buying for myself.  However they made a perfect addition to my Christmas list and I was over the moon when I found them under my tree on Christmas morning! I have used them everyday since and I am in love with the style they give my hair!

The rollers come in two sizes - the large rollers I use around the crown of my head to create bounce and volume, and the smaller size I use through the lengths of my hair and give a tighter curl.  There are ten of each size, more than enough to use on my length of hair.  The rollers heat up extremely quickly - within about 30 seconds however I tend to let them heat up for about two minutes and then turn them off.  If you leave the base unit on while putting the rollers in, some will be much hotter than others creating a different curl - plus they begin to burn your hands a little!

The clips hold the rollers in place securely and also have plates that help conduct heat throughout the length of the hair.  How long I leave the rollers in tends to vary on what I'm doing that day.  If I'm getting ready for a night out, I try and leave them in as long as possible to get the most volume and longevity from the curl.  However, if I'm using them during the day I tend to put the rollers in, do my make up and then take them out (around 20 minutes).  I'm not particularly neat with the placement and I still can't seem to get them really tight to my head the way hairdressers can, any tips would be much appreciated!

At times, just as I've removed the rollers my hair can look a little scary as the curls are quite tight - think Shirley Temple.  All I do is tip my head upside down and shake the curls out a little and then backcomb around the crown of my head.  One thing I have found is that my hair seems to get a little fluffy after using them - nothing a little serum can't fix (my favourite is Tigi's S Factor, it smells like Calpol!).

What do you think? Have you ever used heated rollers before?

Love Nic

xx

My Winter Task Force

There are some aspects of winter I love - Christmas, coats, hats, mittens, anything containing cinnamon and ginger.  However, winter also brings with it irritated and dull skin, dried out hair and freezing conditions.  I always feel I need a little more pampering time in winter and have gathered together some of my favourite winter beauty products.

BODY

Lauren's Way Self Tanning Bronzing Mousse. This has become my number one fake tan (even more so than my beloved Vita Liberata) as it's cheaper, develops into a really dark tan after one application, and comes off easily when I exfoliate, avoiding any uneven, streaky tan marks when it starts to fade. While I tan all year round, fake tan in winter tannin gives me an extra little happiness boost and helps lift and brighten my skin.

Origins Ginger Souffle Whipped Body Cream.  It's no secret that this is my favourite body moisturiser.  It's light enough that it absorbs into my skin quickly but is also extremely moisturising.  The scent is amazing - the ginger notes make the cream feel quite festive, but there is also a lovely hint of citrus that makes it really fresh and light.  The scent is very long lasting and I get whiffs of it throughout the day.  

Molton Brown Warming Eucalyptus Shower and Bath Therapy.  I love a bubble bath, particularly in winter.  After being out in the freezing cold weather all day there is nothing better than soaking in a roasting hot bath and my favourite bubble bath of the moment is Molton Brown's warming eucalyptus.  The eucalyptus oil creates an amazing warming but fresh scent that feels really invigorating - I love products that instantly clear your head, this is a perfect winter warmer product!

FACE

Origins Out of Trouble.  I've previously blogged about my love for Out of Trouble.  As the seasons change and the weather becomes colder, my skin always has a bit of a tantrum and Out of Trouble is perfect for calming down any break outs.  You can read my original review here.

Origins Starting Over.  Despite having an oily skin type, with the freezing wind and constant central heating, even my skin can become a little dry.  Origins Starting Over is one of the best moisturisers I have ever used - it's extremely moisturising without being greasy and sinks into the skin quickly.  I love that it is oil free and has a lovely light scent. 

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub.  I love this lip scrub, it smells and tastes amazing and helps remove any dry skin from my lips.

St. Tropez Skin Illuminator.  It's really easy for skin to become really dull in winter time which is why I love to add a little bit of illuminating fluid to my foundation.  I've written a more detailed post about this which you can read about here.

MAKE UP

As I mentioned in a previous post, this winter make up for me is all about lips, and when I think Christmas, I think red.

Chanel Rouge Allure in 09 Lover combined with Illamasqua's Strumpet is my absolute favourite festive red lip combination.  Lover is a beautiful blue based red (got to keep those teeth looking pearly white) that looks a little darker in the bullet than what it translates onto the lips.  The colour is extremely opaque and the formula is everything I look for in a lipstick - quite lightweight and moisturising but very long lasting (especially paired with Strumpet). 

What are you favourite beauty products for winter?

Lots of Love

Nic 

xx

Operation Disco Pants 2: A Guide to Eating Well on the Internet

Hello,

I have to be honest, December probably wasn't the best time to start Operation Disco Pants.  However, any slight change to my diet has to be a good thing and I wanted to share two of my favourite places on the internet to find healthy but tasty food ideas.

I think all of my friends and family are absolutely sick of hearing the words 'Skinny Taste' but Gina's blog has become my go to website for food ideas.  I think about 80% of my evening meals are now comprised of Skinny Taste recipes.

Gina has such a wide variety of recipes, each accompanied by beautiful photography.  Skinny Taste started life as a Weight Watchers blog and while the WW points are still given for each recipe, there is also listed the calories, fat, protein, salt etc for each recipe which is extremely useful when using My Fitness Pal. Some of my favourite Skinny Taste Recipes include Cajun Chicken Pasta on the Lighter Side, Chicken and Mushroom in a White Wine Sauce, Buffalo Turkey Burgers and Chicken Rollatini with Prosciutto and Cheese. 

To me, these recipes do not sound like diet food! I also love that Gina gives you lots of ideas for healthy side dishes, something I always struggle with - sometimes veggies need a little something extra! Some of my favourites include Baked Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries, Baked Courgette Sticks , Leftover Parmesan Mashed Potato Patties , Roasted Parmesan Green Beans.

I have also become addicted to Jason Vale's Juice Master site.  While I don't think I could adopt a diet comprised entirely of juicing, it's something that I have tried to incorporate into one of my meals a day (normally breakfast).  If this is something you're interested in, you should watch some of Jason's videos - his enthusiasm is infectious and I have spent more time than I'd like to admit just watching him juice different combinations of fruit and vegetables.  I've shared two of my favourite recipes below.

 

Don't blame me when you've wasted your whole night watching an apple sandwich getting juiced! I discovered Jason after watching an amazing Food Matters documentary called Hungry for Change.  If you're interested in finding out what is in your food (especially food that is marketed as low fat, low sugar etc) watch this...I will now find it difficult to drink Diet Coke ever again!

I would love to know if you have any favourite healthy eating/lifestyle blogs or websites - and also please let me know if you've become addicted to Jason's videos like I have!

Love Nicola

xx