Team Scrubs

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I think it’s romantic, throwing off the shackles of the workaday world and following a dream…of sorts. - Lisa Simpson

Do you hear me? I said I quit Monty!

Today’s FF blog post inspiration comes from a classic Season 6 Simpsons episode And Maggie Makes Three. Homer quits his job at the power plant to work at the bowling alley after his last pay cheque has cleared all his debts. When Marge questions whether they can live off a pin monkey’s salary, Homer tells her that he’s come up with a perfectly balanced budget if they make a few sacrifices. One of which involves using regular toilet paper – not that fancy quilted kind. One of the best bits of the episode is when Homer tells Mr. Burns he’s quitting and starts playing his head like a bongo. I’m guessing we’ve all imagined doing this to our bosses (or worse) as we walk off into the sunset to our new dream job in paradise.

The flaw in Homer’s bowling alley scenario is that he didn’t plan. When Marge ended up pregnant with Maggie, he had to go back to work at the power plant because they didn’t have enough to live on. A year before my contract was due to end at the charity I worked for, James and I put the wheels in motion to see if we could live off one salary. Each month we’d put a portion of my salary in the online savings account and live off the rest. As each month went by we put more of my salary away so it was a gradual phase in rather than a complete drop off the fiscal cliff as it were.

There are several reasons why this is a good idea:

1. You have the ability to adjust your spending as you go along and not dip into the overdraft and any savings
2. It helps you understand what you actually need to live on and where your money goes
3. It will also give you an idea if you are ready to give up having a regular salary
4. Gives you peace of mind knowing that if the freelancer makes no money one month you can still eat

If you do this then you’ll never have to say ‘with hindsight you/I shouldn’t have quit our job’. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that living off one wage when you normally have two household earners involves sacrifice. But the whole point of the sacrifice is getting to the goal of working for yourself. I realised I’d be happy to earn less (to start) and work for myself then be employed and unhappy all the time.

So before you do this dry run you might want to implement some tools to help you. I currently use Love Money which has a great interface. If your bank already has these tools than use them!

Some Online Budgeting Tools

www.lovemoney.com

www.budgetsimple.com

www.moneysavingexpert.com

As you adjust your spending to one salary you’ll quickly realise if you can make it work. Thankfully I had some freelance work lined up before my last regular pay cheque hit my bank account. I keep the money earned from my freelance work in a business account as a reserve because there will be times when I won’t earn anything which isn’t being pessimistic but realistic.

Next time I’ll be talking about convincing family & friends that freelance doesn’t mean free for all!

The post Freelance Friday – Making sure you have enough money to live on appeared first on Skin Scrubs Beauty Blog.

I have found that when buying a foundation the pale shades seem to fall in to one of two undertone categories, pink undertones or yellow. Each brings their own problems. Pink undertones can make you look flushed and the yellow brings the dreaded tide mark in to play.

After talking to Annabella I thought it would be a good idea to do a review on all the foundations that I have tried so at least it might save someone some money. Even if you don’t struggle with the shade match it might help to find out the good and bad points.

Nicer bottle this time round

The newest one in my collection, Bourjois Healthy mix in their lightest shade number 51. I have bought this foundation before and was underwhelmed but they have since revamped it so I thought it was worth a go. They have changed the bottle from cheap looking plastic to sturdy glass. The gel texture is so light I didn’t even feel like I was wearing any make up at all. It evened out my skin quite well, although it didn’t hide my pimples. I would put this in the medium coverage bracket but you could sheer it out if you are having a good skin day. I’m not sure if it is buildable though as I never apply more than just one layer.

Shade 51 Vanille Clair

On the bottle they claim that the foundation lasts for 16 hours but I noticed that it started to wear off after just a couple. My skin is super oily and makeup never lasts on me so I wasn’t surprised when I started to look like an oily mess. Has anyone ever had a foundation that lasts for the time they claim? May be Healthy Mix would be better for dryer skins.

When I was done putting my make up on I went to look in our big mirror and that’s when disappointment kicked in. The shade was wrong, even though I spent ages blending it in but I could still see that my neck was a different colour than my face. For some reason my chin and round the sides of my mouth looked really yellow and cakey. I was so disappointed because up until that point the makeup was ticking all the boxes. So Bourjois lightest shade falls short for us porcelain gals will a higher end brand do any better?

If you have any recommendations we would love to hear about them!

Purchased

The post Sammy’s review – Bourjois New Healthy Mix Foundation Shade 51 Vanille Clair appeared first on Skin Scrubs Beauty Blog.

A lovely former colleague of mine named James agreed to be a Skin Scrubs guinea pig for this review, not that I gave him much choice. I noticed a difference in his skin which in turn made him more confident.

£9.99 for 80ml

As a young man, I find it important to feel good in my own skin. Sometimes, that can be a bit of a challenge. Like women, men have images on the TV and in advert about how we’re meant to look like.

Though I’m never going to be a model, I felt I could improve my facial skin. It’s quite dry, and over time can get quite a few scabs – when shaving for instance. My skin also has a bad reaction to any sugary or fatty food that I eat – it often gets worse when I eat a large amount of unhealthy food. Therefore I felt I needed a product that would help manage my facial complexion.

I tried Skinetica. It’s a simple product that does exactly what it says. Within a few weeks I found my skin to be smooth and clear.

Unlike some products (especially strong, prescribed products), there were no side effects that I felt.

There are only four ingredients in Skinetica. Don’t expect there to be any flowery bouquet to come with it – it’s not that type of product.

The application process is simple – apply twice a day using a cotton pad. For effectiveness, there shouldn’t be any aftershave, perfume etc. on your skin before you try it.

Skinetica works to help make better skin, but if it comes with regular exercise and a balanced diet it will also help. However, having experienced it for a few months now, I certainly feel it is worth using regularly for anyone looking for better, less mottled skin.

www.skinetica.co.uk

James can be found on his Tumblr blog Culture Art News

Press Sample

The post Quick review – Skinetica Anti-Blemish Skincare Treatment appeared first on Skin Scrubs Beauty Blog.

A few weeks ago I was on my way to London, just about to leave the house in Nottingham when it struck, that shaky feeling I get when I can’t and don’t want to leave the house. I was showered, dressed and had just spritzed myself with a lovely B&BW body spray. As I was putting my laptop in my bag I had to tell myself that I could do this as the tears started streaming down my face. The clock said I still had plenty of time to get to the station but it was too late to do anything about the wave of anguish that swept over me. I ended up just sat there in a heap annoyed at myself that this monster had to stop me from going to London; not for a job interview or anything a major that would cause stress but a skincare launch at a lovely hotel! In the past when I’ve been invited to blogger events I haven’t been able to attend if they are in London and especially if they are in the afternoon. When I got the invite I was so happy because I knew I was finishing my job a few weeks before so the time of the event didn’t matter because I could attend.

So big deal there will be other event invitations right? Yeah inevitably there will be, but each time I have a panic attack it chips away at my confidence to leave the house and not worry that I’ll have another one. The aftermath of a panic attack is just as bad – I feel tired, disoriented, and frustrated that I can’t just do normal things.

Towards the end of last year I had a course of CBT therapy which helped a lot and gave me tools to tackle my unwanted guests. A few days ago I got that feeling again so I spent the better part of a day talking to myself trying to figure out why my brain was about the explode. I felt like I was on edge but nothing bad had happened so it’s very annoying and frustrating when you can’t find a specific reason for it.

I’m currently not on any anti-depressants which can be a bit scary but liberating at the same time. I don’t know when low period might strike me but I can’t spend all day worrying about it either. For now the tearaway teens have subsided – here’s hoping they move to another neighbourhood entirely!

The post There’s someone in my head but it’s not me…. appeared first on Skin Scrubs Beauty Blog.

Grass – This indeed does smell like freshly mowed lawn and is perfect for Spring. When I wear it people aren’t quite sure what it is but that is smells fresh but not floral. I always use this after using Lush Grass Shower Gel.

Espresso – This is definitely my favourite out of the bunch. I also bought the body oil on a hunch it would smell grand and it does – like you’ve done the back stroke in a Starbucks. If you are a coffee lover or you like to smell like coffee then this is for you.

Waffles – Yes this does smell like hot buttered waffles however when I wear everyone thinks I’m wearing a cakey type of perfume rather than smelling like butter and maple syrup. I think this is the problem with any kind of sweet notes, they can start to smell the same and I don’t think the nose can distinguish little nuances. I have the body oil for this too which helps to layer the fragrance.

Popcorn – Now I know what most people think, why the heck would you want to smell like Popcorn but I do! I’ve had popcorn lip balm before and the buttery scent just makes me feel good. This however is a disappointment, it smells like stale popcorn rather than fresh.

Pina Colada – This is from the Kahala collection and smells just like an icy cool Pina Colada cocktail. A great little number for summer!

Glass bottles not very practical for the bathroom…

Good points

• Cheap at roughly £7 per 1/2 ounce purse spray
• Lots of different aromas to choose from so there is something for everyone
• Matching shower gels, body lotions and oils are also available

Bad points

• Scents don’t last that long
• The body oils come in small glass bottles which aren’t very practical for the bathroom

Demeter do ship International however these perfumes are classified as Dangerous Goods so you’d have to check if UPS or Fedex will ship to your country. So would I buy anything from Demeter again? There are a few more scents I would like to try and I’ve realised their perfume oils are a much better way to get an intense aroma that stays with you all day.

Have you tried anything from Demeter?

Purchased

The post Annabella’s review – Demeter fragrances and body oils appeared first on Skin Scrubs Beauty Blog.

That was 10 years ago and they are still going strong!!! So yes they may be the most expensive beauty tool I have but my God have they worked out good value!

Now I can’t write a review of the new models of GHD but if they are anything like my little God send they are worth every single penny. My frizz and fluff grew out years ago but I still love my GHD’s for smoothing out my hair every morning. They heat up in record time, don’t snag or pull my hair and even when I have used them on a friends dry and thick mane they have made light work of the task. There isn’t much more I can say about them because to be honest the fact that they are 10 years old and still work as if new speaks volumes.

TBH I could have just wrote that sentence and spared sharing my poodle hair fact but that would have made for quite a short review not wouldn’t it and I am sure a few chuckles have escaped trying to imagine my perm and it probably was as bad as you are thinking!

So GHD’S…Buy them, you won’t be sorry!!!

Editor’s note: I think Sammy is lying about the photographic evidence don’t you?

Purchased

The post Sammy asks: Are you still using your GHDs? appeared first on Skin Scrubs Beauty Blog.

Natura operates in Latin America doing direct selling (similar to Avon) and the have an amazing online catalogue of bath & body products, a baby range, and cosmetics. Natura uses plants indigenous to Brasil and have a strong eco and animal care ethics and have been in operation since 1969. I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about them as they expand into a global market.

Sellers:

Aurelie from Natura Brasil Alpes is based in France and I have ordered from her before. She stocks all Natura products and ships internationally.

http://www.produits-natura-brasil.fr/

Ana from Ipanema Cosmetics is based in the UK, this is a relatively new website and products are being added all the time. Ana is from Brazil so she can answer any questions you have about ingredients.

http://www.ipanemacosmetics.co.uk/

Maariliana is based in Argentina but she is able to ship worldwide. You can contact her via email maarilina@yahoo.com

If I become aware of more sellers and their contact details I will add them here. If you are new to Natura Brasil I suggest you try their best-selling Ekos Castanha hand cream or any of their body lotions. If you have dry scaly skin but don’t like heavily perfumed products then Natura is for you!

The post Where you can buy Natura Brasil products in the UK & Europe appeared first on Skin Scrubs Beauty Blog.

• Inevitably the prize won’t be available to all my readers such as UK only giveaways
• Localised giveaways like tickets to the Vitality Show or something similar will only be for people who live in London
• I’m also not familiar with English Law when it comes to competitions, I don’t want to fall foul of any regulations

When I reach a 100 followers…

After blogging for over three years I’ve really noticed that newer bloggers are hell-bent on giving stuff away. I have no problem with what other people do on their blogs but it seems to me that it’s the norm or expectation now to hold a giveaway when you reach so many followers. I find this disturbing for two reasons; the issue of trying to buy followers and that it costs money to do these giveaways. When bloggers are giving away MAC, Nars or other expensive brands I have to wonder what their motives are. The one upmanship hasn’t gone unnoticed and even though I hate to think of bloggers buying followers the amount and value of giveaways has definitely gone up!

It will be interesting when GFC eventually goes to the big Google graveyard in the sky if the competitions change. Will the benchmark be when they hit so many Twitter followers or Likes on Facebook? Who knows maybe I’m just being beauty blogger bitchy!

What do you think of beauty blogger giveaways and how do they benefit your blog if you have them?

Image from Preston Speaks Doggy Blog

The post Beauty Blogger competitions – Are we giving away too much? appeared first on Skin Scrubs Beauty Blog.

When Annabella gave me the Posh Brats bath bomb and didn’t hold out very high hopes for it to be truthful. It looked just like a Lush offering at first glance and smelled like one too. A lovely herbal smell but with a little some thing extra. Once in the bath the similarities ended. I’ve never seen a bath bomb fizz as much as this one did! With other bath bombs I’ve always been left with a little bit that just wouldn’t fizz away but with Posh Brats the whole thing fizzes away within a matter of minutes leaving the bath water a deep, deep blue.

My gorgeous deep blue bath that my hubby enjoyed…..

The whole of the upstairs of my house became beautifully scented and the smell lingered. Now being the kind wife that I am, I let the hubby relax in the Serene blue hot water. Judging by the look on his face when he finally finished steeping showed that the bath bomb had been a complete success and part of me wished that I had locked the door and jumped in myself but we live and learn

In my opinion the Posh Brats are much, much more value for money than bath bombs from say Lush. I know that I will be buying more from them in the near future!

Available at www.poshbrats.com £2.25

Press Sample

The post Quick review – Posh Brats Mineral Bath Fizzy Bath Bomb appeared first on Skin Scrubs Beauty Blog.