Fabric Fanatic

I've moved...

2012-07-22T05:43:00.002-07:00

Visit youniquechic.com to read all of my latest posts, i'll also have an online shop set up soon so you will be able to browse that too!

Home Made Mask For Soft Hands And Feet

2012-06-28T12:32:00.000-07:00

With the summer holidays fast approaching I thought I would share my secret on how to prevent dry, cracked feet and ensure they are sandal ready! This mask will also keep your hands extremely soft and is easy and cheap too!

All you will need is:

Olive Oil
A pair of socks (or two if you're planning on doing both your hands and feet with the mask)
Salt

Here's how to do it:

1) Wash your hands/feet and remove any nail polish if you want to achieve the best results.

2) Pour two tablespoons of olive oil into a small bowl and then add a tablespoon of salt and mix them together.

3) Apply the mixture onto your hands/feet and rub on in circular motions focusing on the driest areas.

4) Rinse off the mixture with warm water.

5) Onto dry hands/feet, apply a thin layer of olive oil and massage it in.

6) Put the socks onto your hands/feet and relax and let the oil sink in. You should leave these on for 15 minutes at least, however I find it works best and is more convenient for me to do it overnight.

7) If you aren't leaving the socks on overnight, remove the socks and rinse off the oil with warm water when you feel it has been on long enough and you'll feel how soft and smooth your skin is straight away. Your nails will also look healthy and glowing.

Doing this once a week or whenever you feel your hands/feet need it will really help you to maintain soft healthy skin. This mask is extremely easy to do and can be done whilst you sleep; so there is no excuse not to try it!

Miracle Olive Oil Hair Mask

2012-06-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

Everyone wants soft, shiny hair, however this can be quite difficult to achieve due to horrible weather and using heated appliances on a regular basis. Like most of us, I've tried various home remedies and spent a fortune on products that don't even work attempting to banish frizz and achieve healthy hair. Little did I know that the one ingredient I would need was sitting in my cupboard all along.

Olive oil is a brilliant treatment for dry, unruly hair of any length. It's also really simple to do which is always a plus!

Here's how you do it:

1) Apply the olive oil to the lengths and ends of dry hair until you feel it is saturated enough.

2) Use the oil left on your hands and massage it into the roots of your hair. This will be enough if you have quite thin hair, however if your hair is thicker you can add slightly more.

3) Put your hair up in a bun or clip it back so it is out of your face and leave for at least 30 minutes, I find it works best after about an hour.

4) Rinse out the olive oil and wash and condition your hair as normal, you will notice how much softer and easier to comb through it is.

5) Style your hair as normal.

Using this mask once a week will help to maintain healthy hair and improve its strength. You could also heat the oil up, apply it as normal and then cover your hair with a shower cap and leave for 30 minutes for extra nourishment if your hair is in really bad shape.

How to wear: Boat Shoes

2012-06-03T16:13:00.003-07:00

Boat shoes are a great way to change your look for spring/summer 2012, and they go with almost anything. I recently bought a pair of blue, patent boat style shoes from Primark and I absolutely love them.

Here's some of my favourite ways to wear them.

Outfit 1:

This outfit is extremely easy to pull off whatever your body shape, and is great if you're on a budget. The jeans are £14.99, the vest was £4.99 and the blazer £29.99, all from H&M. The shoes I bought were £4.00 from Primark on sale.

Outfit 2:

Shorts £32.00 from Topshop, vest £12.99 and cardigan £9.99 both from H&M. This outfit would look great with some accessories and a brown satchel style bag, cute and casual.

Outfit 3:

Jeans £40 Topshop and Jumper £25.60 from Debenhams. This outfit is extremely simple but classic and would look great with a long necklace and some statement bracelets.

I hope I've given you a few ideas how to wear your boat shoes. Just try and incorporate them into your own style, you could even wear them with coloured or striped jeans and a plain t-shirt; comfortable and on trend.

Coloured Jeans

2012-04-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

Coloured jeans are a huge trend for spring/summer 2012; everyone seems to be wearing them. They're a great way to add colour to your outfit, however, like anything, they can look awful if not worn with the right things. My personal favourite colour is coral as it is not as overwhelming as red or green, and looks great with my brown leather jacket.

These skinny jeans from Marks and Spencer wash extremely well, fit perfectly and flatter most shapes. So if you are in the market for some, its worth paying a few pounds more for amazing quality! However, if £35 is out of your budget, I'm sure places such as Primark or George at Asda will do a less expensive version.

When wearing bright coloured bottoms, remember to keep things simple on top with a basic t-shirt. With my coral jeans I like to wear a cream top and, as I mentioned before, my leather jacket. I wear brown because black looks quite harsh against the coral colour, however I feel like I can get away with more as they are quite neutral. Another great look with coloured jeans is a blazer. Kate Middleton was recently spotted wearing a navy blazer with her coral pants, however you could just as easy wear a different coloured blazer which will match your jeans better.

I really recommend that you purchase a pair of coloured jeans to mix up your style a little bit. There is a huge variety of colours so I'm certain you'll find a colour to suit you and your personal style. If their good enough for Kate, then they're good enough for us!

Sudocrem - Acne cure?

2012-04-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

Let me start out by saying I suffer from extremely sensitive skin, so attempting to banish my acne seems to do more harm than good. However, after reading raving review of various people using Sudocrem on their skin I decided to give it a go. The cream is mainly known for being used on nappy rashes, although it has proven to be an extremely effective acne treatment and many people swear by it.

I have been using this cream for a few weeks now, and it really is a miracle! It moisturises my skin whilst soothing redness and making my spots disappear so much faster than they do naturally. I apply a thin coating all over my face before bed each night, avoiding my eye area, and when I wake up my skin is a lot less irritated. After the three weeks I have been using it, around 90% of my spots have vanished, and the ones I do have are somehow a lot less noticeable.

I really recommend this cream to anyone suffering from acne. It's the quick fix everyone wants, and it only costs around £2-3! So why not give it a go? It might be exactly what you've been looking for.

DIY Nail art - Strawberries!

2012-03-03T08:18:00.000-08:00

It is so much easier than it looks to create perfect nail designs. I used the Tantrum Nail Candy pen set to do this strawberry look, it costs around £30.00 and works extremely well.

Here's the steps you need to take to achieve this nail look.

1. First paint your nails with a clear coat to prevent your nails from being stained.

2. When that has dried, coat your nails with a red varnish.

3. After it has dried, apply a second coat if desired.

4. Then use your nail art pen to draw the outline of the green leaves at the tips of your nails.

5. Fill in the tips with varnish in the same colour.

6. When that has dried, use a yellow nail art pen to draw dots all over your nails.

7. Finally, apply a top coat to prevent chipping.

Now enjoy the compliments!

Review: Lush 'New' Solid Shampoo bar

2012-02-26T03:57:00.000-08:00

I've never really been a big fan of Lush, it's quite expensive and I could never justify buying any of their products when I knew I could find cheaper ones elsewhere. However, a few weeks ago I purchased the 'New' solid shampoo bar. I have to admit I was slightly sceptical to use it due to the mix of both good and bad reviews, but after hearing about how it gives your hair shine whilst stimulating hair growth, I decided to give it a go.

It works perfectly, it definitely makes my hair really clean and shiny, though I'm not sure about the growth as I have only been using it for a few weeks. I thought the shampoo was going to really awkward to use and would not spread throughout my hair easily, but it foams brilliantly after using a tiny amount. I would really recommend buying the tin you can get for £2.50 too as it will make it last a lot longer. You should also wait until the soap is completely dry before putting it into the tin. I dry mine by standing it on its side, but it dries pretty quickly so don't let that put you off.

The soap also claims to minimise the amount of hair loss, this is 100% true. After using it for a few times I'm having at least half of the hair loss I had before I began using it, so I would really recommend this to you if your noticing a lot of hair in your brush after styling your hair. Although the bar smells quite strong, I can assure you that the smell does not linger in your hair after you rinse, it just smells clean and fresh.

The only flaw I have noticed is that it can be quite drying if it is over used, however this can be prevented by using a good conditioner and a hair mask once or twice a week. You could use a hair mask such as Herbal Essences beautiful ends split end protection intensive mask.

I would really recommend this product to anyone who is looking for a new shampoo, it is really worth the £5.00 as it lasts much longer than most bottled shampoos.

Review : Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Split End Protection Intensive Mask

2012-02-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

I've been using this treatment for months and can honestly say that it has worked wonders on my hair.
I've always suffered from split ends and contrary to popular belief, nothing can get rid of them but a good haircut.

This product does not seal up split ends; however it makes hair extremely smooth and sleek which seems to disguise the dry, split ends and make your hair look extremely shiny. The mask makes hair a lot healthier, which in the long run will prevent new split ends from forming. It also smells divine, which is always a plus!

I apply this product twice a week in the shower after shampooing my hair, leave it in for five minutes, then rinse it out. It really is that simple to have gorgeous looking hair! The product is also on sale at http://www.boots.com at the minute, costing only £2.03 instead of £4.07 so now would be a perfect opportunity to try it for yourself!

Review: Garnier BB Cream

2012-01-01T14:07:00.000-08:00

Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! I received a sample of this whilst in Boots a few weeks ago and after trying it I just absolutely fell in love! It covers up your imperfections whilst leaving you with a dewy natural looking glow, perfect!

The cream is an all in one blemish balm which provides 24 hour hydration, UV protection and a light coverage. It retails at around £9.99 which is a fantastic price as only a small amount is required to cover the entire face. The product comes in various shades which means that there is no worry of it not matching your skin tone which is usually quite common in these types of creams.

I can't recommend this product enough, try it for yourself!

Review: Remington Pearl Wand

2012-01-01T13:20:00.000-08:00

I purchased Remington's Pearl wand a few months ago after hearing fantastic reviews on it, however I was slightly sceptical whether it was actually going to work. I'd used a large variety of curling products before but my hair never seemed to hold a curl, it would just drop into a flat mess after a few hours no matter how much hairspray I used.

This wand is absolutely brilliant! It turns my naturally pin-straight hair into fantastic voluminous curls and holds them there for days. It's also extremely quick to do, I usually only hold each section of hair around the wand for around 5-10 seconds. The appliance comes with a heat proof pouch and glove which I would advise you to use as the barrel gets extremely hot!

Overall it is an absolutely amazing curling wand and I would recommend it to anyone as the barrel makes it easy to create any type of curl, from tight ringlets to loose waves which stay in without the use of hairspray!

Retails at around: £19-20

Top 3 lip balms/butters

2011-12-28T10:05:00.000-08:00

I've relied on Carmex for many years to keep my lips smooth and crack free. The moisture plus lip balm is absolutely amazing!
It retails for around £4.50 and keeps your lips soft and protected (spf 15) as well as giving it a slight tint and glossy finish, it also smells absolutely amazing. There are a few colours available so there should be one to suit you. Perfect for protecting your lips in these cold winter months.

The Body shop's lip butters are brilliant, they come in a variety of flavours and smell divine! They melt into your lips, instantly hydrating them and leaving them feeling amazing! Coconut is my absolute favourite, but of course its not for everyone.

Chapstick is also amazing. It is easy to apply, has SPF protection and helps to heal dry and cracked lips.

There is also an amazing variety of flavours available.

DIY lip scrub - stop chapped lips!

2011-12-19T07:35:00.000-08:00

Chapped lips are extremely common during the winter months, using a lip scrub once or twice a week can help to remove dead skin cells and prevent this from happening. However, it is not necessary to spend a lot of money on a lip scrub as they are simple to make at home using just a few household items.

To get soft,smooth lips you will need the following items:

1 tsp. natural honey
Small cup
1 tsp. olive oil, sweet almond oil or sunflower oil
2 tsp. granulated white sugar
1 to 2 drops essential oil (optional)
Cotton balls
Moisturiser or lip balm

Step 1:
First get a small, sterile cup and place in 1 tablespoon of natural honey. Warm the honey for around 4 minutes. Honey's hydrating properties will give you soft lips.

Step 2:
Stir in 1 tablespoon of oil such as olive oil or sunflower oil, which will create a protective barrier on the lips.

Step 3:
Add in two table spoons of granulated white sugar, this creates a gentle exfoliant which will remove dead skin cells.

Step 4:
Stir in a drop of lemon juice.

Step 5:
At this point you could flavour your lip scrub with mango or lemon flavoured oil.

Step 6:
With clean hands, use your fingertips to apply the scrub to your lips, use gentle circular motions. When you are finished, wipe the scrub off your lips with a damp cotton pad.

Step 7:
Finally, apply your favourite balm or moisturiser.

Using this recipe on a regular basis will stop dry, peeling lips for good!

What to wear with a leather skirt!

2011-10-16T09:10:00.000-07:00

Leather skirts look great, but they can be hard to pull off if they aren't worn
with the right thing. I'm going to show you how to wear both brown and black
leather skirts.

Black leather skirts look great with a chunky knit jumper and some woolly tights
as they will tone it down and keep you warm for autumn/winter time. Here's one
way to wear a black leather skirt:

Boots, £75 from Topshop, Jumper,£28 River Island and skirt £14.99 from H&M.
You can buy the tights from high street shops such as Primark.

Brown leather skirts are less harsh and can look extremely stylish.
Here is one way you can style a brown skirt:

Skirt, £65 Warehouse, Jumper,28, Tights £10, Next. The boots are £65 from Topshop.
This is just a couple of ways you could style up a leather skirt, there is a lot of ways to
wear them for every season, just by changing your accessories and shoes!

How to Wear a Mac.

2011-09-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

Macs are a great cover up for autumn and go with just about anything! This mac from Warehouse is a personal favourite of mine and cost £85. The piping and mink colour make it look a lot more expensive than it really is and allow it to be paired with numerous different outfits.

A great outfit would be to pair your mac with a skirt, tights, flats and a jumper. Warm and stylish!

The shoes are from Oasis and cost £35,which isn't so bad as they are extremely versatile and will look as good with a skirt as they will with your favourite jeans. The skirt is from River Island and costs £28 however, there is a sale on at the moment making it only £18, so grab it while you can! You could either wear a brown, maroon or even mustard jumper and tights, its up to you just try and see what you think looks best!

A great casual outfit is to wear your mac with a jumper dress or long t-shirt, leggings and boots or flat shoes.

For example this dress from Warehouse for £38 goes great with black tights or leggings. Shoes like these tie up ballet shoes from New look (£15) would go great with this outfit and are more comfortable than wearing heels. However, if you prefer to wear heels, they would look great too!

It is extremely easy to style a mac so just try out a few of these ideas and you'll find something that fits into your own personal style. If you still don't know what to wear, another great look is just to pair it with some dark coloured jeans.

DIY Bows

2011-09-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

Bows come in a variety of different sizes, colours and patterns, which makes them a great way to accessorise any outfit. They are also extremely simple and quick for you to make yourself.

The first thing you will need to do is purchase a ribbon with the width and colour you desire.Now you need to decide how long you want your bow to be, and cut the ribbon twice the size of that as it will be folded in half. Next hold onto both ends of the ribbon and put them together so that they are slightly overlapping each other in a loop, like this :

Now you have a few options; you can either glue the ends together in that loop, use double sided tape or simply pin it together.This means that it will be easier to hand stitch. You then get any coloured thread(as you wont be able to see it) and hand sew the two ends together to make sure it does not come apart.

Depending on the thickness of the ribbon you are using, you will have to cut a strip to go around the middle of your bow and tie the whole thing together. It is a good idea to cut the ribbon three times the thickness you want, this means you can fold the two edges under to prevent fraying. However, this depends on the size of your bow. If you have chosen to fold you the two edges under you will need to stick them together with a glue or double sided tape and then put a few stitches in to keep it together.

Once the strip which goes around the middle of the bow is your desired size you can get the bow so far and push the seam of it down into the middle so that it will be hidden by the other piece of ribbon. It is up to you whether you put a few stitches to keep it all together.

Lastly you get the ends of the small piece of ribbon and sew them together like you did with the larger piece. It is a good idea to wrap it around the larger piece first as it will give you an idea of how tight you need it. Then you simply push it onto the bow you have made so far and move it around until it sits neatly in the centre.

You are now able either slip a clip or small headband through the back of the bow on the smaller piece of ribbon. You could even put a safety pin through and pin it to an item of clothing.

DIY Scalloped Vest Top

2011-08-30T16:18:00.001-07:00

Scallop detail has been huge this summer, it's a great way to make a plain t-shirt,dress or even shorts more interesting and stylish. Whilst shopping a few weeks ago I saw a plain red scalloped vest, however after looking at it closely I noticed how easy it must have been to make, it was only two seams after all! I decided to make one myself. Not only would it be cheaper, it would also mean that I could choose my own pattern.

It is extremely important to use a jersey material as it does not fray, otherwise the scallop detailing will not work, I bought a purple floral pattern from John Lewis for £9. I thought it was going to be extremely awkward cutting the detail into my vest, then it hit me, craft scissors. They're quite cheap and create perfect waves in the material.
Firstly I folded the material over and got one of my favourite vests to copy the shape and lay it down on the jersey material I had chosen. It is important to lay the top of the vest where the material folds over and when you draw around the vest do not cut along the top of the straps as it means you to have to stitch them back together.

Make sure that you leave around a 2cm gap when you are drawing around the vest so that when you sew it together it remains your correct size. You then need to cut with normal scissors up the sides following your lines as you do not want the sides to be scalloped as you wont be able to see it. Cut along the hem, neckline and straps with your craft scissors to create the scalloping effect, making sure you do not disconnect the front and back straps. If the neckline is too high you can adjust it neatly by folding the original vest in half and lining the straps up with the straps on your scalloped top, drawing the half curve and then flipping it and drawing the curve from the other side. You then just follow the curve you have drawn with your craft scissors and the neckline should be the same as the one on the original vest. You then just flip the top inside out, line up the sides and stitch a straight line on each side using a thread with a similar colour to the top you have made. Then turn it the right way round and it should fit perfectly.

Once you've done it once it will be much easier to recreate in various different colours and patterns. With just a few simple tweaks you could even make a scalloped dress.