Author: Tee

How Your Period Should Be Influencing Your Skincare

Period spots.

Or more accurately, the hormonal acne triggered by the menstrual cycle’s fluctuations in hormone levels.

This girl’s face captures the outrage surprisingly well, to be honest.

We’ve all been there. A few days before your period is due, your fluctuating hormone levels finally break through your skin barrier, manifesting as unwelcome guests of the pimplic variety. Gross. And yes, I did just invent the word “pimplic”.

Periods are the WORST.

And menstruation’s bad enough on its own without throwing acne outbreaks into the mix. I’m talking spots, oiliness, uneven skin tone, dryness…literally anything goes. I mean, come on…actively bleeding from our lady parts, dealing with the cramps that come with the bleeding, and then also attempting to manage or even mask all of the emotions that we’re feeling from our hormones being downright chaotic!?

Like I said, periods are the worst.

But did you know that there are ways to reduce the extent of hormonal acne induced by your period? Yes, you read that right. By making a few simple changes to your skincare routine, you can improve your skin’s overall appearance and in doing so, minimise outbreaks and increase your chances of not having any period spots at all.

There are three hormones which come into play where our monthly cycles are concerned; these are: oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Let’s look at a breakdown of what’s happening with these hormones at the different stages of the menstrual cycle:

Days 1-7

On the first day of your period (day 1), all of your hormones are at an all-time low. Sebum production may decrease, and without the help of oestrogen, your skin may have difficulty retaining moisture. As a result, your skin is likely to look and feel dull, dry and lacklustre during days 1-7 of your cycle and you may even have more noticeable wrinkles and lines here.

During this first week, your body produces more prostaglandins. These usually control inflammation but, when off balance, increase pain sensitivity. This can cause your skin to feel more tender and reactive. On these first few days of your period, your skin will continue to be a little more sensitive and those spots may keep popping up. You may find your skin to be oily, dry, dull, blotchy and/or uneven depending on your body chemistry.

Skincare tip for days 1-7: your skin will be more sensitive than usual so stay away from painful bodycare routines such as waxing (not that you’re likely to book a wax during your period!). Your skin is also at its driest during this part of your cycle and would benefit from rehydration with serums and moisturisers rich in hyaluronic acid. Moisturising and hydration of skin is key during your actual period itself.

At the beginning of your period, try to use a salicylic acid cleanser to fight back the menstrual cycle acne. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich masks are also great for giving your skin an extra boost.

Days 8-16

This is known as the follicular phase as the follicles in your ovaries prepare to release eggs. During this time, your body starts producing oestrogen again, making it the dominant hormone in the body during this timeframe. Oestrogen levels slowly rise during these days, peaking between the 10th and 13th day.

This process stimulates collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid creation which affects your skin’s structural integrity and ability to retain moisture. It also encourages the growth of stronger and more elastic skin cells. As oestrogen levels increase, your skin thickens, decreasing the size of your pores, and promoting collagen production. When your skin cells turn over in this way, your complexion feels plumper, more hydrated, and wrinkle-free. You will notice that your skin looks radiant and at its best during this time of your cycle; you can think of this as your after-period glow.

Skincare tip for days 8-16: focus on exfoliation during these days, particularly days 8-11. New skin cells are forming, and it’s a fantastic time to make the most of the natural turnover process. During these days, use gentle physical or chemical exfoliation to remove dead cells from your skin’s outer layer and reveal the healthy new skin underneath. Also try adding dry brushing to your daily routine at this stage to help your lymph nodes balance the sudden oestrogen rise. You could also decide to use a purifying mask at this stage which is a great way to purge pores.

For days 12-16, right before ovulation oestrogen peaks, you may notice particularly glowing and radiant skin. Keep it nice and plump with peptides and natural retinol alternatives to actively keep the skin looking youthful and fresh. Another alternative way of boosting your glow is by adding an exfoliator scrub every other day to help remove dead skin cells. You can also try a brightening or anti-aging mask to enhance your new skin’s radiance.

Days 17-24

During days 17-24 of our cycles, progesterone rises. Progesterone stimulates the production of sebum and as this increases to a peak, it causes skin to swell and this build-up spills over into our pores. This leads to overproduction of oil and hormonal breakouts. In other words, say hello to tight pores and oily skin. Not fun.

Skincare tip for days 17-24: you’ll benefit from adding a clay mask to your skin regime to soak up any excess oil and draw out impurities. And I’m a big believer in facial oils but for this part of your menstrual cycle, it would be best to steer clear from them. This is also a good time to keep your makeup and moisturiser light.

Day 25-28

These days can be thought of as the testosterone takeover. Ever wondered why you’re so ready to fight or cry or fight then cry, or heck even fight while crying on those last few days before your period? Well you can thank Mr. Testosterone for that, and he also brings with him more bouts of hormonal acne. Particularly around your chin and jawline.

Testosterone remains fairly constant throughout your monthly cycle, increasing in the final days before and during menstruation (days 25-28). Like progesterone, testosterone activates the sebaceous glands, triggering them to produce more oil. The result: excess sebum and clogged pores, both of which contribute to acne during your period.

Skincare tip for days 25-28: salicylic acid is your best friend for those last few days before the red dragon shows up (and as mentioned before, it’s also good to use for the first few days of your period). This helps to clear pores, kill bacteria and prevent further breakouts.

Other Ways You Can Help Yourself

You can further help your skin in the face of the hormonal changes outside of your control by limiting sugar, dairy, caffeine and refined carbohydrate intake. After ovulation, avoid processed and salty foods or snacks as this will cause more bloating, make skin drier and worsen any existing breakouts. It’s also important to clean your face twice a day and take supplements for skin. Your menstrual cycle affects your mood, energy levels and your skin and hair so it’s important to combat this from the inside as well with vitamins and minerals that can help. Learning to adjust your diet and skincare can have you skin in great condition all month round despite the intense hormonal changes.

Keep skincare light during the premenstrual period (pun ABSOLUTELY intended) and avoid layering multiple products, especially if they’re oil-based. Before and during a period, you experience increased oiliness, bloating and swelling throughout your body due to water retention. Keep yourself hydrated and enrich your meals with vegetables and fibrous foods. And it’s best to avoid heavy make up in the run-up to your period due date.

If you freaked out earlier in this post when I mentioned retinol and have no idea what it really is or how to actually use it, let me be the first to reassure you that you are definitely not alone and I didn’t know much about it myself until fairly recently. So let’s talk retinol!

“Retinoids work by increasing collagen production as well as increasing the rate of skin cell turnover,” says New York dermatologist Shari Marchbein, M.D.

“They also help treat acne, blackheads, and clogged pores by reducing the stickiness of the cells that clog pores, as well as speeding up the rate at which the skin turns over and regenerates.” Because of this, they are ideal for improving your skin’s overall texture, minimizing fine lines and wrinkles, evening out skin tone, and decreasing pore size.

Retinoids help exfoliate older keratinocytes at an increased rate to unclog pores and keep skin refreshed without the need for harsh friction. Over long term use retinoids increase production of collagen and elastin.

So how do I use this magical and mysterious skincare treasure I hear you ask? Don’t worry we’re getting to that.

Essentially, you slather it on, preferably at night and then as the retinol does its thing overnight, you emerge with glowier and smoother skin thanks to its ability to treat acne, prevent dullness, promote plump firm skin and minimise fine lines and wrinkles. The beautiful thing about most skincare is that you’ll find the directions for use right there on the back of the product so following those are your best bet for using the product properly.

It is widely recommended to use alpha-hydroxy and beta-hydroxy acids sparingly when using retinol so for instance, salicylic acid which is a beta-hydroxy acid should not be used at the same time as retinol. If you’re not sure whether your skincare product falls under either of these categories, check the product description and failing that, give it a google which should hopefully be able to give you some clarity.

You can use a vitamin C serum and retinoid daily as they work synergistically to help skin look its best however vitamin C should ideally be applied in the morning and retinoid at night due to its reparative and collagen-building effects. It’s very important to follow up retinoids with moisturiser, particularly those with hyaluronic acid and ceramides.

Final Thoughts

The key to PMS skincare begins with staying hydrated and increasing water intake, and antioxidants in your diet. Continue your skincare regime from the ovulation phase and as you begin to notice those pesky PMS symptoms, try switching to a cleanser with salicylic acid to fight bad skin before your period. Your skin will be more sensitive in this menstrual phase, so be sure to follow with a nourishing moisturizer and/or hydrating, soothing mask to rehydrate.

Hope this has been helpful for you, and I’ll see you in the next post!

Tee x

Tee
Everything You Need to Know About Home Workouts From Over a Year of Exercising at Home

If you are based in the UK, you will be aware of things easing as lockdown gradually lifts and life in general becomes a lot less restricted.

Well, if you’re anything like me (and a lot of the rest of the population to be fair) and you tried to make lemonade out of a pandemic by using the additional time indoors to get in shape, you may also have learnt a thing or two about home workouts from the countless YouTube workout videos (Chloe Ting anyone??) and live workout sessions hosted on various social media platforms.

Now I was actually pretty committed to my new-found exercise habit last year and worked out regularly for the most part of 2020.  And I’d be lying if I said that the comments I received from family and friends about my slimmer figure didn’t fuel my motivation. 2021, however, has been a VERY different story so far in that I’ve been eating a ton of crap and have hardly done any exercise except for trips up and down the stairs to get snacks but I’m trying to get back into working out regularly. I saw huge benefit in regular exercise, not only on the scales, but particularly in my mental health and overall body confidence.

It was easier to throw myself into exercise back in March 2020 when lockdown was still a fresh, new concept, thinking of it more like a short-lived gift of a little additional time indoors and a unique opportunity to really get in shape and look great for our grand entrance back into society in a couple of months’ time. When it became clear that this lockdown life was here for the long haul, I realised that my motivation dwindled, which I’m sure is related to the anxiety I felt from the uncertainty of how long this pandemic would cripple my social life for.

I thought it quite timely to get this post out now what with things slowly but surely returning to what feels somewhat normal again, and particularly since gyms have reopened. You may even be feeling pressure to go to the gym now if you want to lose weight or become stronger, particularly if you were used to attending a gym pre-pandemic. Well, I’m here to tell you that you definitely can achieve your weight loss goals from home if you want to.

Disclaimer: if you are aiming to gain a lot of muscle, and have a desire to bulk up, then there are some things which you will ideally need a gym for because they will involve heavy weights that may not be readily available to you at home and are extremely costly to buy.

That being said, here are the 11 things you need to know about regularly exercising at home, as a beginner, from almost a year of lockdown-inspired home workouts

It’s easier to continue once you get started

Starting is definitely the hardest part but the great thing about exercise is that even if you’re just starting out and you’ve never partaken in regular exercise before, there is this rush of endorphins that you get from it and your body helps you crave that feeling again by, you guessed it, exercising again, so it creates this cycle that easily lends itself to becoming a regular habit.

If you don’t know where to start and are looking for some inspiration, try heading to YouTube and searching for “beginner workouts”; there are plenty of different types of exercise videos to choose from, ranging from dance workouts to body strength exercises that you don’t need equipment for, and you can find your preference and which type of movement works best for you.

Start straight away

If you postpone it, you are likely to keep finding excuses and put off starting.

I am very guilty of giving myself a couple of days’ “grace” to eat whatever I want (usually at the weekend) and then telling myself I will start eating clean and exercising from Monday, but the truth is; you really don’t need to do that. There is absolutely no difference between starting on a Monday, and starting on Saturday, or whatever other day of the week it might be when you make the decision. You can decide to change your life for the better at any moment, including right now.

You will most likely need to adjust your schedule to fit in time to work out

This is especially true if you have younger kids. I don’t know what it is about them but they just seem to have this universal aversion to sleep. The chances are that if you have young kids, they probably double as your alarm clock most days because of how early they wake up. With that in mind, you’ll have to wake up even earlier than them to squeeze in that time for yourself to work out.

And if you’re anything like me and find it really hard to work out when summer heatwave is on full blast then you really want to knuckle down and make a habit of exercising before the weather gets too hot so that you’re more likely to be disciplined about continuing when it does start to properly heat up. Also, hello summer body! With the way things are looking covid-wise, we might actually get to have a proper summer this year so that should fuel your motivation to look your absolute best.

Your body will protest at first but power through

It’s very likely that your body will ache and be sore in the areas that you’ve worked out, so if you do a leg workout for instance, you can expect to really feel it in your thighs the next day…especially when you walk up or down stairs, and especially if you decide to do one of Emi Wong’s YouTube workouts (which are amazing by the way!) And if you are brave enough to do full-body workouts, you may feel sore all over. Well, you know that phrase “no pain, no gain”? It didn’t just come out of nowhere and there is truth to it. As your muscles start to be used in ways they haven’t been prior to you exercising, it causes microscopic damage, or tears, to the muscle fibres resulting in soreness or stiffness in the muscles involved. Ouch! But the great news is, as your body becomes accustomed to you working those muscles more regularly, your body starts to heal much quicker and gradually, you stop feeling sore after working out.

Stretching is super important and you WILL regret it if you don’t

I completely understand why you would want to focus more on the part that actually burns the calories and helps in shifting the fat rather than the aftercare part but your muscles get shorter when you exercise and as explained above, they are also tearing from exercising, so it’s important to stretch them out as much as possible to decrease muscle tension in your body after you’ve finished exercising.

Stretching also improves your flexibility and reduces risk of injury. And believe it or not, you’re meant to stretch for as long as you work out for so definitely don’t skip this part of your exercise routine.

Trust the process and resist the urge to check the mirror or scales obsessively

You may be tempted to start checking the mirror more often, expecting to see instant results, especially if this is your first time really starting to exercise. You might think that it should be such a shock to your body that the fat will just melt right off after that first workout, especially if it was a good one. Well, you won’t see instant results but consistency definitely pays off in the long run and if you keep it up, you will see results eventually.

Your body may temporarily look worse before it starts looking better

Now, I don’t fully understand the science behind this, but I know for a fact that the times I’ve started exercising regularly, when I do notice changes in my body, they are always negative first before positive, even when coupled with a good diet. I’ll notice that the fat seems to hang off my body more noticeably before I eventually realise I’ve started to trim down.

My theory is that as the muscles in your body underneath the fat stores are being activated, this causes the fat to perk up somewhat, making it more noticeable, however this chubbier appearance is short-lived so don’t let it serve as a deterrent and stop you from taking important steps for your health and fitness.

Get your kit sorted

For regular home workouts, you will need:

  • A proper, good-quality sports bra, ideally a few of them since they’ll be getting sweaty every time you work out and you’ll need to rotate between them when others are dirty and/or in the wash
  • Clothes that you can move in that also keep you as cool as possible. You want to avoid leggings that slide down as you exercise and don’t stay in place. You also should ensure that what you’re wearing is comfortable to move in, breathable, and doesn’t make you feel suffocated or restricted in any way
  • An exercise mat. You can technically get away with just using your floor if you’d rather not buy a mat but if you plan to do anything involving floor work, it’s best to have a mat for hygiene reasons

It may be physical exercise you’re doing but the benefit far transcends the physical

Allow me to unpack that

Exercise improves your mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, negative moods and by improving self-esteem and cognitive function.

Regular exercise has also been seen to increase energy levels, encourage better sleep at night, relieve stress and improve memory. It is also a total mood booster and has a way of really setting you  up for the day  when done first thing in the morning.

Don’t get bogged down by the numbers on the scales

I know I’ve made a few references to scales in this post and honestly, I’ve always been heavy, even when I’ve been at my absolute slimmest but because we’ve essentially been hardwired to associate our literal weight with our body size and image, we can’t accept that even if we are heavier than we’d like to be, we may still look great and feel happy about our body size, so save yourself the stress and don’t fret about what the scales may say.

Most of all, enjoy it and find what works for you!

Do you like switching it up and finding new workouts each time? Or are you the kind of person that likes to know exactly what to expect and prefers to do the same workout every day? Do you prefer traditional exercise moves or would you rather get down to a dance workout video? Or maybe Pilates is more up your street. Either way, the only way you’re going to find what works for you is by trying different things and getting to know your exercise style.

Also, just as a heads up for those of you that start using YouTube home workout videos, don’t be deceived by the person hosting the session; if they say “last one!” or “just one more!” when you’re doing a certain number of reps (repetitions) of a particular move. They’re probably about to step it up and do an intense burst of the same move before actually letting you rest, if they let you rest at all. And yes, you will start talking (more like screaming) to your laptop, phone, TV, or whatever you’re using to play your workout videos if you decide to do cardio. It’s pretty much a rite of passage. Finally, drink your water and take breaks whenever you need to. Don’t mind the people in the video that don’t know how to rest or hydrate, I’m convinced some of them are computer-generated

Have you started working out recently? Or maybe you also started during the lockdown and have kept it up till now. Wherever you are on your fitness journey, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Tee x

Tee
How to Dress for Your Size and Skin Tone, Whatever the Season

There is something powerful about your personal sense of style and dress code. I don’t know what it is exactly but the way you dress has the power to change your mood, your productivity and even the way others perceive you. Think of it as your own personal uniform, comparable to a monarch’s royal regalia or a surgeon’s scrubs (arguably with way smaller stakes and a lot more flexibility!)

Your clothes say a lot about who you are.

Do you sport more of a clean, classic, chic style or are you bold and edgy in your fashion picks, preferring more unpredictable, statement pieces? As shallow as it sounds, your clothes are one of the first things people will notice on you, and what you choose to wear actually reveals a lot about you as a person, so why not make it something noteworthy that showcases the unique and amazing individual that you are. I hope your curiosity is piqued! We’ll start to unpack some of these things now.

Let’s get into it!

So when I referred to seasons in the title, I meant it in something of a multifaceted sense. Whether it’s Springtime, or Autumn, whether you’re in a particular season of your life – maybe you’ve recently gained or lost weight – whatever literal or figurative season you’re in, you can apply certain practices and principles to ensure that you are flattering your figure and looking your absolute best at all times.

First Things First; Figure Out Your Skintone

If you’ve ever tried to find the right shade of makeup before, ESPECIALLY if you attempted to do this during the pandemic with the notable absence of foundation testers and concealer samples, you’ve probably heard the terms “warm-toned” and “cool-toned” before. Well, they are not only for the beauty industry; they have a part to play in your fashion choices as well. Now maybe this isn’t your first rodeo and you’re a seasoned expert when it comes to nailing your skintone but just in case that isn’t your story, here’s how you can figure out whether you have a warm or cool skintone:

Assess your accessories!

Which type of jewellery complements your skin tone best? If you look better in silver jewellery, you are most likely cool-toned and if it has to be gold jewellery that adorns your body, you are probably warm-toned. If you look great in both then you’re just plain greedy (I kid, I kid). On a more serious note, if you genuinely suit either colour, check the veins of your wrist in natural daylight, preferably on a well-lit day. If they are greenish in colour, you have a warm skintone, and if they are blue or closer to blue, you are cool-toned. If you can’t tell, that’s your personal problem.

If you’re warm-toned, you’ll find that you have more of a yellowy, golden quality to your skin and if you’re cool-toned, you’ll have a pink or reddish undertone.

“Erm…okay so what exactly does all this colour coding have to do with my clothing choices please?” I hear you cry…

Oh I’m so happy you asked!

As with many forms of visual artistic expression, colour pairings come into play in the world of fashion too. Both in terms of the colours of the garments and accessories that make up the outfit itself, and also in how the colours of the featured items pair with your overall skin tone as the person wearing said clothes.

Cool-toned woman wearing warm coloured dress

For cooler tones, the colours that generally work very well are blues, greys, greens and purples to name but a few. Warmer skin tones look great in yellows, oranges, reds, colours that would typically be described as warmer themselves.

It’s important to note that this is just a general guide to help you if you need some pointers with regards to colour choices for your clothes, or if you generally struggle to find colours that suit your skintone. If you are warm-toned but you love wearing blues and greys, go for it! The above image is a perfect example of how this rule doesn’t have to inform colour choices. The woman above has what would be described as a cool skintone but is wearing yellow, which is a warm colour, and she looks fabulous! It’s the clothes that you love wearing that you’ll be your most confident self in and therefore will know how to make work best for you. In the same vein (see what I did there 😛), if you are cool-toned but your favourite colour to wear is orange, you do you boo and don’t let anybody try to stop you! These are not hard and fast rules but even if they were, as with every rule, there are always exceptions. And you can always throw in some “skintone-specific” accessories such as scarves, hats and jewellery, to warm or cool down your look accordingly if you want to. The most important thing is to have fun with your wardrobe and to wear what makes you feel your best!

Dress for your body shape

It can be quite challenging navigating the fast-paced ever-changing fashion trends of the 21st century, particularly if certain trends don’t seem conducive to your body shape and/or size but here are some great tips that are sure to help you make any trend you want to try work for you.

While I totally reject the notion that every single body type in the whole entire world can be conveniently classed under one of these clear-cut oftentimes fruity descriptors, I do believe that one of the body shape descriptions below will be more relevant to you, so let’s talk about what yours is and what clothing choices looks best for each body type.

Pear:

You have narrower shoulders, thicker bottom half with fuller hips and booty and your bust is smaller than your waist and hips.

For pear shapes, in order to flatter your body type the best, you want to enhance your waistline and arms. One of the ways in which you can do this is to add volume to shoulders for more balanced proportions, and also by factoring in sleeve details like bell sleeves or ruched sleeves.

Necklines that look great on pear shapes include boat necks, cowl necks, ruffle necks, v-necks and u-necks. Bottoms that work well for pear shapes are wide, tapered or straight leg jeans (the hot current trend of mom jeans would work excellently well here too!). Statement necklaces or patterned scarves also work great for bringing attention to the top half of the body and balance out proportions.

Apple:

Your shoulders are broader than your hips. You have a fuller bust and most of your weight is concentrated in your midsection.

For apple shapes, ideally you want to wear pieces that create the illusion of an elongated torso and draw attention to your legs.

The neckline that works particularly well for apple body shapes is a v-neck. A line skirts and dresses work well in balancing body proportions, as do fishtail or mermaid skirts. Trouser bottoms that look great on apple shapes include bootcut legs and straight leg and skinny jeans. For apple shapes, the key to flattering your body shape is in creating the illusion of a waist, which A-line wrap dresses do perfectly.

If you are self-conscious about your midsection, you can jazz up your outfit with statement neck pieces and drop/dangly earrings which will also draw attention away from your belly area.

Hourglass:

You have a clearly defined waist with your bust and hips being of similar measurements (a bit like a coca cola bottle). You may have slightly fuller hips and thighs in comparison to your top half but generally your shoulders and hips are of similar proportions.

For hourglass shapes, learn to play up the balance between your top and bottom halves by wearing pieces that accentuate your smaller waist such as bodycon dresses, fitted pencil skirts worn at the waist, fishtail skirts, skater dresses and wrap dresses. An outfit that looks great on hourglass shapes is a peplum top over super skinny jeans.

Necklines that complement hourglass shapes include: v-necks, sweetheart necklines, scoop necks, boat necks.

Square/rectangle:

Your shoulder and hip measurements are similar. You are not particularly curvy and so your body essentially goes straight up and down with no clear waist definition. Your weight is fairly evenly distributed throughout your body.

For both these body shapes, styling recommendations are similar: you can go for pieces that skim over your body frame including but not limited to sheath dresses, empire cut dresses and shirt dresses with a waist belt to create the illusion of waist definition.

Necklines that complement these kinds of shapes include scoop necks, v-necks and sweetheart necklines. Some kind of collar detail also works great at drawing attention upwards

Inverted triangle:

Your shoulders and bust area broader than your hips and bottom half. You have little-to-no waist definition. Bodies of this type literally do exactly as it says on this tin and resemble the shape of an upside down triangle. This sometimes makes for somewhat athletic figures.

For inverted triangle body shapes, great staple pieces will feature a cinched waist to create the illusion of a defined waist as well as styles that add volume to the hips and legs (think flared trousers, A-line skirts and dresses. You can also wear darker colours on top and lighter colours on the bottom to really take advantage of colour psychology. Darker colours generally have a slimming effect whereas lighter colours highlight and draw attention to a particular region).

Necklines that work well for this body type include crossover, cowl necks, v-necks, square necks and round necks. It’s also recommended to wear tops that end at the waistline that can then be tucked in to provide further waist definition.

Bottoms that work well for inverted triangle body shapes include mermaid, flared, ruffle and tiered skirts to add more shape definition.

Final thoughts

Again, these are just guidelines to give you some pointers and wardrobe hacks. Your own personal style and your wardrobe choices are a big part of who you are and so it’s important that you like what you wear and how it makes you feel so don’t ever let someone make you feel like you’re “too big” to be wearing something or “that colour doesn’t suit you”. Unless it’s a stylist that you’re paying to give you the hard truth or someone else’s opinion that you actually ASKED for, pay them no mind and keep being your beautiful self and rocking your clothes exactly the way you were supposed to.

Disclaimer: I’m not saying you can’t lovingly tell someone if their outfit isn’t doing them any favours, actually I think it’s important to do so when necessary. Like if your best friend shows you the dress she plans to wear for her birthday and it makes her look like a sack of potatoes, you’ve got to have that uncomfortable conversation and let her know in a delicate and kind way! I just know that far too often people give their unsolicited advice when it comes to people’s body sizes and what they are wearing, sometimes even when they don’t know the person from Adam and it needs to stop. As someone from a Nigerian background, I’m all too familiar with being greeted with a status update regarding my weight such as “Tobi, wow you’ve added o!” (i.e. Tobi, you’ve gained weight). And it’s just. not. cool. Let’s leave that kind of thing back in lockdown when outside is open again, please and thank you!

And on a lighter note, that brings us to the end of this post! I hope that this has been useful for you and would love to hear from you in the comments if you’ve tried any of these tips or if you have any dressing or styling tips you would add to these.

Love always,

Tee xx

Tee
Favourite Looks from Autumn/Winter 20/21

Before we are officially in spring (i.e. 17th March in case you’re wondering) I wanted to do a post dedicated to my favourite looks from Autumn/Winter. Thought it best to get this post out before we’re switching out our wardrobes out for shorter hems and airier fabrics to let our skin embrace the springtime sunshine. Especially in case it can give you some inspiration for the winter sales that are still on at certain online retailers with pieces from the soon-to-be previous season.

Considering we’ve been in and out of lockdowns for the better part of a year, it’s not that these clothes you’ll see on me were being worn to any particularly noteworthy places. I didn’t have many places that I was going to aside from the supermarket and the post office once in a while but honestly, when even the most basic recreational means of escape have been taken from us, I’ve found that wearing clothes that make you look and feel good is a simple thing you can do to improve your mood and mental health.

So without further ado, here are some of my favourite looks from last season, all of which you’ll find featured on my Instagram and Pinterest pages @personally_tee

And, just as a little disclaimer for you here, the fact that I’ve included these outfits on this post which is dedicated to Autumn/Winter fashion, doesn’t mean you won’t necessarily see some of these pieces make an appearance in later seasons; I may just have to make variations to the outfit is all! For instance I will eventually be stripping off some of these layers to account for the higher temperatures.

Would love to know which of these looks is your favourite. Let me know down in the comments below and thank you so much for reading

Burgundy red crochet braids, khaki belted jacket, leather-look skinny jeans, brown military-style Winter boots
Khaki waterproof jacket, black skinny jeans, black Keds trainers, brick wall backdrop
Tee
How to Take Care of Your Skin and Body for this Last Stretch of Winter and Beyond

With winter comes a lot of things: fewer daylight hours, lots of chunky knits, constant speculation over whether it’s going to snow, and the harsh cold air that leads to dry, cracked skin unless certain measures are taken.

When the outside air is cold and dry, the water in our skin evaporates more quickly which leaves skin feeling dry and tight, so it’s even more important to be intentional about locking in that moisture as often as possible. And while the outside air may be the most notable cause of drier skin in winter, the increase in hot dry air we get from cranking up the heaters indoors also contributes to the lack of moisture in our skin (talk about a double whammy!)

With these points in mind, here are SEVEN things that you need to be doing to take care of your skin during this last stretch of winter (and all year round, let’s be real! Why shouldn’t our skin be at its best 365 days in the year?)

Moisturise straight out of the shower

The whole point of moisturising is to lock in moisture a.k.a. water. When skin is still damp, applying lotion helps to seal that residual water in the spaces between skin cells. What with it being winter, you can opt for a deeply moisturising body cream (check for those targeted at dry skin types) to give your skin that extra much-needed hit of hydration.

NOTE: Be sure to pat skin dry when drying your body (and hands) rather than harshly rubbing with towels or tissue paper. And as tempting as it is to crank up the shower temperature, make sure the water you use in the shower isn’t too hot. High temperatures can damage your skin barrier, which we need for keeping moisture in, and bacteria and impurities out.

Look for moisturising shower gels and steer clear of soaps and highly perfumed bathing toiletries as these can be drying on the skin, which I’m sure you’ll agree is the last thing we need for our skin right about now.

Top tip: use your mirror to gauge your water temperature. Winter or not, if your mirror is completely steamed up after your shower, it’s too hot. Yes. I said what I said.

SPF is not just for the summer!

Sun protection is important and is still very much necessary during the winter months, even if the sun is not necessarily shining. UV rays are still able to get through thick winter clouds on overcast days and after a period of snow, a significant amount of these UV rays are reflected which can still cause sunburn and premature aging.

Snow and ice can actually reflect up to 90% of the sun’s rays so it’s particularly important to wear sun protection when outside in snowy or icy conditions. A number of studies have shown that regular application of sunscreen combats photoagaing, i.e. the appearance of wrinkles, age spots and sagging from loss of elasticity caused by exposure to the sun’s UV radiation.

And contrary to popular belief, black people also need to use sun protection (that’s right, I’m talking to my fellow melanated brothers and sisters here). No our magnificent melanin doesn’t exempt us and won’t save us from the dangerous and invisible UV radiation from the sun. Be sure to do your research (check ratings and reviews) to find one that’s undetectable on the skin and won’t leave that all-too-familiar white cast.

You should opt for SPF30 as anything less than that doesn’t do squat.

Use a humidifier

Humidifiers help retain a healthy level of humidity indoors, particularly when indoor heating systems are busy at work blasting out dry, hot air. This will allow you to replenish your skin with the added injection of moisture that humidifiers bring. And, once again, do your research, check ratings and reviews as you can find great ones online that also have a boiled water feature, meaning that as well as increasing moisture levels, they also add to the warmth of your home – a welcome addition during those cooler winter months.

And you skin won’t be the only thing to benefit from the presence of a humidifier! Another advantage of humidifiers is found in their ability to reduce infection transmission. Viruses and bacteria cannot travel as well in moist air so as well as improving your skin, you’ll be improving your immunity too, which I’m sure you’d agree there’s no better time for.

35% – 50% is the recommended humidity level during the winter months. You can also invest in some house plants (real ones!) and add some water basins near your heating systems for even more sources of moisture.

Drink plenty of water

You didn’t think we’d spend all this time talking about moisture without mentioning the Queen of moisture herself and the very reason for the word, did you?

Drinking water is so important for our overall health, but particularly the skin as water flushes out toxins from the body leading to healthier skin. Studies have found that drinking water increases blood flow to the skin which helps to even out skin tone. Keeping hydrated also improves skin’s elasticity which helps in preventing fine lines and wrinkles.

Getting enough water also aids digestion, which, again, is important for flushing out toxins from our bodies via waste products. Having enough water in our bodies also regulates sebum production. This regulation is needed in order to strike the perfect oil-water balance in our skin by preventing excess oil and sebum production which can lead to clogged pores and acne.

Curate a skincare routine that works for you

If you don’t already have a skincare routine, now’s the perfect time to build one!

Skincare doesn’t have to be complicated. The core fundamentals of any skincare routine can be summarised in the following three steps:

Cleanse

Tone

Moisturise

Cleansing does exactly what it says on the tin and cleanses i.e. cleans your skin of any dirt, debris, bacteria and impurities. Our skin is exposed to pollution, dust, dirt, sweat, excess oil and countless other things every day so it’s important to wash skin properly to remove these. You can also invest in a facial spin brush for an even deeper clean.

Toning removes every last trace of dirt, grime and impurities stuck in your pores thus preparing the skin to build the rest of your skincare routine on.

Moisturising – if you don’t know what moisturising is by now then you definitely haven’t been paying attention but for the avoidance of doubt, this is hydrating the skin by adding moisture (water) in the form of lotions and creams. Moisturising reduces our chances of skin problems like acne and blemishes, which will help skin stay young and supple, and will also delay wrinkles and other signs of ageing.

You can jazz up your skincare routine by including serums, eye creams and face oils for their added benefits but it’s these three steps outlined above that form the basics and the most important elements needed for taking care of skin.

Don’t forget to take your vitamins

Vitamins are absolutely essential for skin health.

There’s a vast number of beauty supplements on the market that have been carefully formulated to include a number of vitamins known to be good for the skin such as Vitamins A, C, D, E, biotin, and the supplement collagen (note: a lot of the beauty supplements you’ll find for skin are marketed as skin, hair and nail supplements as they also benefit hair growth and nail strength.

Vitamins C and E particularly are extremely important for protection against sun damage and both of these vitamins can be used topically on the skin or ingested orally. Vitamin E reduces UV damage, guards the skin barrier and improves skin’s hydration and vitamin C is an antioxidant that boosts collagen production, decreases pigment formation and protects against environmental stressors. They also work extremely well when combined so look out for skincare products containing both.

The good news is that a few of the vitamins that work well for boosting overall immunity also help with skin so if you’re anything like me and have been taking your vitamins with all due diligence since the start of the pandemic then you may have already been taking some of these skin-boosting vitamins already without realising you were doing your skin a favour too!

Get enough sleep!

The phrase “beauty sleep” didn’t come from nowhere and as such, cutting back on your sleep means that your skin will suffer for it. According to Judith Hellman, a board-certified dermatologist, “lack of sleep causes the stress hormone cortisol to be released, which in turn encourages inflammation in the skin, causing flare ups in conditions like acne, psoriasis, and even eczema.” Getting enough sleep is key for all-round skin health.

During sleep, blood flow to skin increases and as we rest our skin also rests and repairs itself. Our bodies also use this time to deliver fluids to organs and tissues that require it while removing excess fluid from other areas. This is why you can develop “bags” under the eyes a.k.a pockets of fluid when you habitually fail to get enough sleep. Organs rebuild collagen and repair damage from UV exposure i.e. fine lines, wrinkles and age spots. Overnight our bodies remove toxins, repair cells (including skin cells) and restore damage caused by the environment, and replace aging cells with new ones.

You should be clocking 7-9 hours of beauty sleep per night to see the most benefit in your skin.

I hope you find these tips and tricks useful and carry them with you for the remaining few days of winter, the rest of the year and beyond! I’d love to know if you try any of these and for you to share your results so definitely keep me posted!

Tee
Life Lessons from Almost a Year of Lockdowns

Welcome to my page! I’m so excited to be finally writing my first blog post and I’m really happy to have you here!

It’s been on my heart to start this blog for a while now so to actually be putting fingers to keyboard feels historic.

Before I fall even further into my feelings here, let’s get into today’s topic.

So you know how we’ve all been stuck inside way more than usual? And words like “lockdown”, “quarantine” and the term “social distancing” have all become part of our normal vocabulary (not forgetting about Zoom which, let’s be honest, none of us knew about before 2020!)? Well as horrible as it is to remember that the reason is because we are in the throes of a worldwide pandemic that has been taking so many lives, there are still SOME positives that can come out from what is, in essence, a very sucky situation. So here are FIVE important things we can take from almost a year of on-off lockdowns that should be carried with us for the rest of our lives, even once this ordeal becomes an all-but-forgotten memory:

Our Health Needs to Always Be a Top Priority

If your vitamin game has been strong these past few months, you are definitely not alone. Something about a deadly virus ravaging the world really encourages you to eat your greens and take your vitamins. Particularly the immunity power trio: vitamin C (for preventing infections and shortening their duration), vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin we all know and love that supports general immune function) and zinc (to produce new immune system cells).

I saw a quote on an Instagram post that said something like this: it’s only when you’re really sick that you realise that there was only really one thing that was truly important…your health. And it’s so so true because even when you think about all the things you love and hold dear, your family, your friends, maybe your job or business, your hobbies, none of those things can even be enjoyed if you’re dangerously sick with your life at stake. At such times, the only focus becomes getting better, and how much tighter you’ll hold onto all of those things you do love once you’re okay again. So it’s important for us to take care of our health as an absolute priority; physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, and everything in between.

If you’re stuck for what to do, why not get your body moving with a home workout? Pamper yourself with a face mask and an at-home manicure (Disclaimer: skincare and manicures are not only for us girls so I’m talking to the fellas here as well!) Watch your favourite show and grab some snacks. Self-care is important for maintaining our overall health and wellbeing and shouldn’t be overlooked, especially not now.

We Need to Connect with Those We Love

Whether it’s a regular Zoom call with the grandparents or a socially distanced walk with your best friend, times like these show us that we need to do whatever we can to nurture the relationships we value. No man (or woman) is an island. And even the most antisocial of homebodies I’m sure will agree that this year has challenged the very core of all of us that would have previously identified as introverts pre-pandemic (I say what I’m about to say with my full chest: I personally will never, NEVER again call myself an introvert or homebody after this! I just wanna go to a wedding, or a dinner, heck I’ll even settle for a kid’s birthday party at this point! Just anywhere that has people I don’t live with there and that isn’t. my. house.)

One thing is for sure, whether your ideal evening is at a crowded bar with 15 of your closest friends or you’re on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, vibing by yourself in your room with your playlist going, some scented candles burning and your journal, one thing is for sure; we need to connect with our loved ones every so often in some way, shape or form. There is a part of every single one of us that thrives in community so don’t neglect that part of you. Have a longer chat than usual with your neighbour. Go for a walk with your family. Call that friend you’ve been thinking about recently. You’ll be surprised at how much a chat with an old friend can lift your spirits.

Showing Gratitude is Important

Not gonna lie, it seemed pretty trivial to me to clap for the NHS outside of our windows at 6.00pm on a weekly basis rather than the government doing more meaningful acts of appreciation like increasing public health funding, improving NHS workers’ pay, and implementing services that would cater to their mental health needs. Mental health in particular should have been a major priority for them considering that frontline workers were and still are constantly seeing people suffer, die and be completely alone in their last moments because of Covid-19, which undoubtedly takes its toll. I can, however, appreciate that despite the clap gesture being (arguably) misplaced, it reminded us of the importance of showing people gratitude in general and, more specifically, letting those on the frontline know how much we appreciate them putting themselves on the line for the sake of our health and safety every single day. Even if it’s a simple “thank you, I appreciate you” to the shop worker that served you on the tills during lockdown or a quick chat with the postman as he drops off your 476th delivery since March, let’s find a way to show appreciation to each other during these crazy times.

A Means of Escape is Very Much Necessary

Has your and/or your family’s screentime also gone through the roof? I don’t know about you but I find that I am relying so much more on my favourite shows (particularly comedy shows) and also great reads to get me through these countless days at home. Especially with two little kids that have SOOO much energy and nowhere decent to put it! Balancing motherhood, wifehood, work-from-home life, and the overall emotional rollercoaster that is not being able to see the loved ones we don’t live with, and not being able to visit the places we’d usually go to under normal circumstances, is no easy feat. With these things in mind, a bit of escapism can help in temporarily allowing us to forget our current reality and be transported into a whole other world where the pandemic thankfully doesn’t reside (unless you happen to be reading a book or watching a show about a pandemic, in which case, do you enjoy suffering?)

I’m currently loving watching episodes New Girl (series available on Amazon Prime) for one of my means of escape. I actually watched it years ago and stopped before completing the series but forgot just how funny it is 😀 I’m also reading an amazing book at the moment called ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ by Tomi Adeyemi that I haven’t yet finished but is already my new favourite book. It’s taking all of my restraint to savour it and not cram it all in in one evening! (On that note: stay tuned for a future blog post on my favourite series, movies and books to help you get through what’s probably going to be another very long year).

Find and Fuel Your Passion and Purpose

Excuse me while I get a little bit deep on this last point. This past year has shown that no one on Earth knows tomorrow. A lot of us probably wouldn’t have believed it if two years ago, we were told that at some point, the whole world would be plunged into a social darkness never seen before in modern history, and that the entire world population would be taking refuge at home in light of the eventual slaughter of millions of people at the hands of a diabolical virus.

But yet here we are.

If there was EVER a time to find what you love, it’s NOW. Life is too short to be in a job you hate and living for the weekends alone. Don’t get me wrong, I know that sometimes you have to work a job you don’t necessarily enjoy as a means to an end while working towards what you actually want to do. After all, bills need to be paid and mouths need to be fed, even if it’s just your own, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t sit down and make a proper plan for how you can get into doing what you truly love.

What are you good at? What sets your heart on fire? What does the world need? And what can you make money doing? If you can find something that answers all of these questions then you, my friend, have struck gold. And if you can’t and you don’t have answers to these questions yet, that’s okay too! Ask the people around you what you’re good at! You’d be surprised how many people only realised their purpose and potential after speaking to their closest friends and family. But first and foremost (speaking to my fellow believers in Christ now), ask the Lord and watch Him show you what He has planned for you and direct your path.

So these are the 5 things that we should take from this…experience shall we call it (can you tell I’m trying to avoid using the ‘p’ word again?)

I’d love to know which of these 5 things resonated with you the most and whether there’s anything you would add to this list. Let me know in the comments down below and thank you so much for reading.

If you made it to the end of this post, you’re a real one! I see you and I appreciate you (check me out, demonstrating point 3 in action :P)

Tee

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