My New Found Favourite!

Firstly… I would like to apologise for not being as regular with my posts! It’s assessment term at college and everything’s gone a little bit crazy!

But today I’d like to tell you about a product that I simply love!

Coconut Oil!

There are so many people jumping on the coconut oil bandwagon everyday as it really is a fabulous product with literally hundreds of uses!

The first and most obvious use for coconut oil is obviously cooking. About a month ago I decided to swap my olive oil for coconut oil and I don’t ever want to go back! My coconut oil has lasted so long as you literally need the tiniest little bit in your frying pan! Unlike other cooking oils, coconut oil does not affect your cholesterol in the slightest! It also has a low GI (Glycemic Index) which means it will leave you feeling fuller for longer as it causes a steady rise of glucose in your system rather than an insulin surge making you crave fatty/sweet foods!

Coconut Oil is also gluten and dairy free which is great news for anyone who suffers from an intolerance or an allergy to these products!

A lot of people have asked me if the oil affects the flavour of your food. I would have to say it honestly depends on what you’re cooking and how much oil you are using. For example, when I am frying chicken I can’t taste the oil at all, whereas if i’m cooking spinach there is a very slight sweetness to it! So it really is down to the contributing factors…

Coconut Oil also has a lot of other uses. I personally use it to –

• Moisturise my skin. Take a tiny bit of oil and let it melt in your hand then apply over your face. This is a great way to get a lot of moisture into your skin quickly. However I would definitely recommend this as a night time treatment as it makes you pretty shiny!
• Lip Balm. I suffer terribly from getting chapped lips in the winter and always have done since childhood. Apply a tiny bit of coconut oil to your lips and it will keep them hydrated all day! Another good tip is to find and empty lip balm container and fill it with coconut oil, this way you can always have some on you!
• Hair Treatment. Winter ruins hair. It’s a fact. However if you melt down the oil in your palm and run it through the ends of your hair it creates an intense moisturising hair mask. It is best to try this out over night and then wash your hair in the morning as this way the oil has a number of hours to soak into the damaged hair fibres.

These are just a few of many uses for this amazing oil! It can also be used as an all over body moisturiser or you can mix it with brown sugar to create a natural body scrub! As it has such a great moisturising effect on skin it can also be used to help lessen the appearance of stretch marks and scarring! It is also helps to prevent and get rid of cellulite!

I am currently using Organic Coconut Oil from Grape Tree.

Grape Tree Organic Cold Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil 500ml £6.95 or 2 for £10

Happy coconut cooking!

Martha x

Something Inspiring!

Hello everyone!

I’ve started reading a book called ‘Treasure Yourself’ which is a positive thinking book written by Supermodel, Miranda Kerr. Miranda has always been one of my idols in life due to her healthy and positive lifestyle. She regularly practises yoga and Pilates as well as promoting eating healthily and looking after your body. For these reasons I decided to purchase the book.

As I was reading this morning I came across one particular story written by an anonymous author, which I loved. Its inspiring and reminds us all that the struggles we face in life make us stronger, and without these struggles we wouldn’t be able to fly!

So, here it is!

It was the early blossoming of spring and a girl was wandering through a garden when she discovered a cocoon hanging from the branch of a tree. It was almost time for a butterfly to emerge. Fascinated with her discovery, she returned to the garden daily, enthusiastic to see what would happen and hoping never to miss a thing.

One day a small opening appeared and the girl saw the butterfly struggling to free itself from its cocoon and enter a new world. She watched intently – until the butterfly seemed to have stopped making progress. It appeared as if it had gone as far as possible and could go no further.

The girl made a sudden decision; she began to remove pieces of the cocoon that were obstructing the butterfly. Excited, she watched as the butterfly emerged hoping its wings would unfold. But her excitement turned into dismay as the butterfly remained unable to move.

It was then that the girl realised what was happening: the cocoon was intended to create the struggle necessary for the butterfly to fly. In fact, it was not trying to escape… It was just natures way of making it’s wings stronger!

It then occurred to the girl that the butterfly would actually be grateful to the cocoon for the struggle that they would share.

I hope your week is full of happiness and that all your challenges allow you to find a new found strength!

Martha x

Miranda Kerr – Treasure Yourself £10.99 http://www.waterstones.com

Make Up and Madness

Happy Monday everybody!

I hope you’ve all had/are having a great day!

I figured I would write a post about why I’ve decided to start my own freelance makeup business and tell you a little bit about how it’s all going!

I’ve always been slightly obsessed with makeup ever since I was little, I used to love all the colours and the different glitters that you could get and how you felt like a complete princess when you’d covered your lips in the pinkest, sparkliest, most fragrant lip gloss going.

I find that growing up, makeup can really help you to express who you are, especially in those awkward teenage years when you’re still trying to find yourself an identity and be true to who you are. Finding a look that makes you feel comfortable and special is important and every girl deserves to have a chance to feel absolutely amazing!

I really enjoy doing my own make up and experimenting with new looks, products and new tips and tricks so when my friends began asking me to try things out on them I was really excited. It’s a really rewarding feeling when someone loves the look you’ve created for them. It takes a lot of time and effort to perfect and believe me when I say it’s so different to do someone else’s make up rather than your own!

At college there’s always some sort of call for having glam makeup whether it’s a show, an audition or just a specific class where your been asked to look a certain way! When these occasions do pop up I found that I was being asked by a lot of girls to do their eyes or their contour and I started to think ‘why not make something of this?’.

So, a couple of weeks ago I decided to start my own business – Make up by Martha Taylor. At first I felt really lost and literally didn’t know where to begin or how to get my name out there. I read a lot about starting a business of any sort and the one thing that kept popping up was networking. Nowadays it’s so easy to advertise and find yourself an audience using Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and all sorts of social media.
I now have my own make up page on Facebook and Instagram which are gaining new followers everyday which is really exciting!

I’m really proud to say I’ve already had several bookings for all different types of events! I’ve also really started to build up my equipment, from brushes, to cleansers, to the actual makeup! It’s a long process but I’m definitely getting there!

I want to be able to try a lot of different areas of the make up business, from prom and weddings to dance shows, photo shoots and then make up for birthdays and nights out and any sort of event!

For any information on Make up by Martha Taylor please look on my Contact me page!

Lots of love
Martha x

My Top 10 Travels

It’s nearly the weekend! Today in Essex it’s been freezing cold and I’ve spent my day dreaming of some summer sun and a cocktail…or 10. My day dreams have inspired my post today and I will be sharing with you, my top 10 travels!

In no order course… Here we go!

10. New Orleans

I visited New Orleans in 2013 just after Mardi gras. There was some sort of celebration of music on in he older part of the city and there was literally a band on every corner! I explored the French Quarter, Bourbon Street (by day!) and a lot more of the city! There’s a real sense of mystery, magic and life in New Orleans which is what makes is one of my top ten travels!

 

9. Montenegro, Kotor

I’ve never heard very much about Montenegro before visiting it. It’s in Eastern Europe just off the coast of the Mediterranean and can be reach by boat via large lakes and rivers. Montenegro means ‘black mountain’ as it’s a very mountainous area, but wow is it breath taking! The water is blue as blue and the mountains tower around you, it really is a scenic masterpiece! The architecture in Kotor is lovely, amongst the newer (massive) houses there are old traditional churches and buildings which and really beautiful! For anyone who is travelling to Kotor, I highly suggest visiting the Chapel of the Lady of the Rocks!

8. Halkadiki, Polychrono

Im Such a sucker for a Greek island. Greece is my favourite holiday destination, always has been always will be! So here is the first of many! Halkadiki is actually part of the mainland of Northern Greece but is formed by three peninsulas so I’m counting those as islands. Polychrono is a small town on the Cassandra (most western) peninsula and it is beautiful! The town is very quiet by day with a number of bars and restaurants on the seafront. The beach is a fine shingle and the water is beautifully clear, perfect for snorkelling as I discovered! Yet by night this little town comes alive and the streets are packed! I highly recommend the secret paradise restaurant, go out the back.. It really is a secret.

7. Venice

Its possible that Venice is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It’s everything I expected it to be, full of history, beautiful architecture and gondolas galore! I arrived in Venice via Cruise Liner at about 6am, we passed so many amazing sights before finally docking. I count myself as very fortunate to have experienced this as soon cruise ships will not be able to dock in Venice anymore! During my time there I managed to squeeze in a Gondola ride, eat some amazing pizza, see the bridge of sighs and even take a water bus up the grand canal! It was so much fun but slightly scary to think that the whole city is basically floating!

6. Briksdal Glacier, Norway

Yeah I don’t like to brag but I’ve been to a glacier and that basically makes me elsa from frozen. Seeing a glacier in temperatures of over 20 degrees Celsius isn’t something I ever imagined myself doing but I did it! During the hike up to glacier there were waterfalls and streams and it was gorgeous! And when we finally reached the top the actual glacier was incredible! It was bright blue which was gorgeous! Did you know you can drink glacier water straight from the river? The temperature of the water is about -5 degrees but it runs so quickly it can’t freeze so no nasties can grow in it! However I didn’t know the water was that cold until I stood in it and gave myself an instant migraine!

 

5. Rome

Rome Rome Rome. Wow. Beautiful. Amazing. I really can’t find the words! When visiting Rome we had hired a car and a tour guide so it meant we could see all the most amazing sights like the colosseum, the Roman forum, Bocca Della verita, the pantheon, St. Peter’s basilica, the palantine hill, the Spanish steps and so many more! My favourite view was the Aventine Keyhole which was a complete coincidence that it ended up this way and you’ll see what I mean in the picture below! Rome is definitely on my list to visit again and I would highly recommend it to anyone!

Through the keyhole…

5. Kiotari, Rhodes

Yay Greece! I went to Rhodes with my family in 2009 and it was the first time we’ve ever been all inclusive which is an added bonus but the island is beautiful! On one day we took a boat trip around the south coast of the island in a glass bottom boat. The buildings and scenery was stunning! We swam in tiny little bays with the bluest of blue water and then sat on the boat and travelled round to the next one watching the fish underneath us! We also saw a gorgeous little chapel in the bay of Lindos which is apparently a really popular wedding destination for people all over the world!

4. La Rochelle

An old favourite for me here! When I was younger, as a family we used to travel to La Rochelle a lot to go camping as a family! It’s a beautiful fishing town on the west coast of France! I believe that this is where my all time love of mussels began! I think this might also be where I got a mass of bubble gum stuck in my hair aged 5… Also La Rochelle has the most AMAZING aquarium. And when I say amazing I really mean it! There’s big sharks and Rays you can touch and they even have a submarine where you go under the water in a big tank and see all the fish together!

3. Corfu

I have been to Corfu twice in my life, once last year and once when I was 9! I usually got to the north east of the island which at a certain point is only 2km from the coast of Albania! In the town of Sidari there are a number of bars and restaurants as well as a lovely sandy beach! There was also a wonderful restaurant called ‘the three little pigs’ which was amazing (i hope it’s still there!) the waiters do traditional Greek dancing as well as plate smashing and using a lot of methylated spirits to set fire to things, my kind of place really! My second favourite destination in Corfu is Kassiopi named after Queen Kassiopia! It’s a lovely little fishing village with a number of little shops and restaurants there’s on in particular on the harbour side which does the best Greek salad EVER!

2. Hammamet, Tunisia

Now I have to say, we didn’t do too much exploring in Hammamet and mostly stayed inside the hotel complex… But what a complex it was! Our hotel was called Les Orangers and it was stunning! The hotel was mostly made up of gardens which had every type of flower imaginable! During our time here I also got to try some traditional cuisine! When people say that the smaller the chillie the hotter it is don’t believe them. I was presented with this massive green thing and thinking I was safe took a bite – a big bite – and swallowed. I couldn’t breath my eyes were watering, the waiters were telling me off, it was hilarious and painful. I also got to ride a camel which was cool and scary, those things are tall!

And Finally number one

Florence

I have never seen a place more beautiful! And I have never been anywhere hotter! The temperature was pushing 47 degrees Celsius and it was stiflingly hot! But still wow. My favourite sight was the Cathedral. Unfortunately we didn’t go in because the queues were vast but the outside was amazing enough! It was built in medieval times in all different colours of marble and it’s huge! My next favourite was the Ponte Vecchio which is a bridge that was built in the 12th century that still stands today! And to top it off there was a super cute dog on it! There’s so much more to Florence than Kimye’s wedding!

 

My Adventures with Meal Prep

Well everyone… We’ve made it to Wednesday!

So for my mid week post I’m going to tell you about my latest healthy eating endeavour!

Firstly you should know – I am the queen of trying and failing at every diet there is… You name it I’ve done it! But I finally think I’ve found something that works for me!
As a dancer I have to be at the peak of physical health and fitness! Long days of training require me to have bundles and sustained energy that lasts me through the day until dinner time so this year I decided to start meal prep.

I’ve always associated meal prep with cross fit and body builders which scared me off a bit because my area of work doesn’t call for that kind of physique (mind you those men and women are incredible!) I automatically assumed that a low fat low card high protein diet would cause me to suddenly have biceps like Pop-eye. I could not have been more wrong!

To start off I really didn’t know what to do so I started reading up on the different ways I could prepare my meals. The general rule was you can either cook and reheat or portion it all out and keep cold or frozen. I chose to portion it all out and freeze/chill it.

General ruling is – one vegetable, one carb, one protein source, minimal sauces.
Your protein should be the same size as the palm of your hand, which also goes for carbs, vegetables should be the size of a fist although I’m a veggie lover so I just load up!

So far it’s going really well! I’ve noticed I seem to have a lot more energy and my body seems a lot stronger than when I was participating in fad diets. I have also had an injured hamstring for the past year and it’s finally disappeared! Maybe it’s just coincidence or maybe it’s because I’m giving my body all the nutrients it needs (finally)!

Before meal prep I was an avid snacker and when I wasn’t dieting I would live of snacks and not meals. Bad Martha. Now I rarely feel the need to snack and when I do it’s fresh kale in the oven for 10 minutes with a pinch of salt and pepper some olive oil! (Try it it’s delicious)!

I also try to drink as much water as possible! I have two protein shakes both mixed with water and I drink weak squash and herbal teas all the time! This, combined with a healthy diet is doing wonders for my skin! I also drink Thintea. Thintea is a branded herbal tea that aids with weight loss. It’s combination of herbs and ingredients (100% natural) help burn fat as well as giving you energy! It also helps reduce that horrible bloated feeling you get sometimes which is just amazing! Unlike other fat loss teas Thintea has NO LAXATIVES natural or otherwise!

Eat clean people!

Martha x

Here are some of my prepared meals all cooked up!

First up – Red and white Quinoa with spinach chicken and a boiled egg!

Fillet of cod with roast sweet potato courgette and asparagus!

(This ones my favourite!) Homemade low fat halloumi and Spring onion burger with halloumi and a watermelon and feta salad with a balsamic glaze!

And finally, fried sweet potato, spinach and cod!

 

 

Protein Protein Everywhere

Happy Tuesday all!

Today has been a wonderful day for me as my Protein World order has been delivered! Hooray!

I have been ordering from Protein World for just over a year now after I first saw their Slender Blend protein powder advertised on Instagram and needless to say I haven’t looked back!

Slender Blend aids with weight loss in a healthy and safe way as well as supplying you with all your daily vitamin and mineral needs! I suffer with really low iron levels so for me this was the deciding factor that urged me to go ahead and make the first purchase!

I order Slender Blend every month and a half and I have two shakes a day! I usually order banana or strawberry flavour but they also offer a plain, chocolate and vanilla!

The best thing about protein powder is you can mix it in with a load of other things to make healthy recipes like smoothies, milkshakes, pancakes, cookies and loads more! Also Protein World send you a book which gives you loads of ideas to start creating recipes with your protein!

The results are amazing and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is aiming to loose weight or just follow a healthy lifestyle!

Martha x

http://www.proteinworld.com 

Slender Blend 1.2kg £32.00

Protein Shaker £3.00

Mirror Mirror on the Wall..

Two posts in one day? Crazy.

“Mirror Mirror on the Wall, who is the fairest of them all?”

In my eyes everyone should be the fairest of them all and feel like a million dollars! This is why I want to share my best beauty buys that always make me feel amazing!

Starting with moisturiser! I recently purchased  this moisturiser through the recommendation of a friend. It’s the Beautiful Skin Day Cream for Normal/Oily Skin by No7 at Boots. It’s a really lightweight solution which settles really nicely on your skin leaving it feeling smooth and refreshed! It’s also hypoallergenic so it’s perfect for different skin types and people who suffer with allergies or have sensitive skin!

No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream Normal/Oily Skin £13.50 http://www.boots.com

 

Next moving onto a primer! Now up until the last year or so I really didn’t think that primer did anything. I could not have been more wrong. Not only does primer smooth your skin surface, it reduces the look of pores, creates a really even base for your foundation and really helps your make up stay in place all day! This is my favourite by Smashbox Cosmetics.

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer £25.50 http://www.smashbox.co.uk

Now for foundation.. I’ve always found it really hard to find a foundation that is right for my skin but I’ve finally found it. Perfection Lumiere light perfecting liquid foundation by Chanel. Admittedly it’s on the higher end of the price scale, but it’s completely worth it and it lasts ten times longer than normal foundations as the coverage is so good! This foundation gives a slightly sheer finish to your make up which really gives it a natural, radiant look!

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation £36.00 http://www.chanel.com

I love eyeshadow. It’s something that I’m forever playing around and creating new looks with. My eyes were recently opened to the world of the Full Exposure Palette, another product from Smashbox. The colours vary from browns to greys and blacks, with matte colours as well as shimmer/glitter effect shadows so it really works for day and night! It also comes with a really helpful guide to how to use the palette to suit your individual eye shape and a brush is also included in the set!

Smashbox Full Exposure Eyeshadow Palette £38.00 http://www.smashbox.co.uk

Admittedly I have never really been a fan of Benefit Cosmetics up until I had my make up dome by one of the wonderful girls on the Benefit counter in Boots, Broadmead, Bristol. The final look was gorgeous, and needless to say I was completely turned! My favourite product that day was the They’re Real Mascara. It really lifted my lashes creating a fuller, lengthened and separated look to my lashes! Also it stayed on all night without running or crumbling (my two biggest pet hates with mascara)!

Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real Mascara £19.50 http://www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk

So there’s my favourite beauty buys that always make me feel 110%! But remember, there is no better make up than a smile!

Lots of love, and a happy Monday!

Martha x

Fresh Start Fresh Ideas and Fresh Fruit

Hello all!

Ive decided it’s time for a revamp of my page! It’s officially over 3 years old now and it’s about time for a make over!

Since Christmas I’ve taken it into my own hands to start changing my life for the better… Starting with my eating habits… No more muffins and cake and more food prep, protein and fresh fruit and veg! Needless to say after a full week of changing my diet I’m starting to see the changes in myself already! I have way more energy, I wake up in a better mood, my skin looks a lot healthier and I feel so much healthier!

Ive also taken it upon myself to get a hobby, do something I enjoy for fun and recreation! So I’ve decided to follow my life long (literally from about the age of 3) passion for make up! Ive started buying up bits and pieces and I’m aiming to launch my own freelance Makeup Artist business in February! Exciting stuff!

So really with all those changes in going to have a lot more to tell you about… So be prepared for diet, makeup, and lifestyle posts as well as the random bits and pieces that I’m forever getting up to!

sending all my love as always!

Martha x

I’ve Been Told Off

So Ruby and I get into a blog views war – needless to say I won hands down (thanks to you lovely people) not that I’m bragging at all! However Ruby did notice that I hadn’t posted in a very long time and for that reason I got told off for not being a true, devoted blog everyday blogger…

So here’s a blog just for you!

A lot has changed since my last post – I’m now in my second year at Performers College Essex except in now in a lovely house in a nice big room that myself and my fish (yep that’s right I got a pet fish, called it fish) are enjoying very much! Bit further away than last years house but still the exercise is appreciated! I’ve been put on the Dance track at college which pretty much means I specialise in dance – even though we train in all the same areas as the Musical Theatre course and visa versa.

Another little update I have a very lovely boyfriend who I’ve been with now for nearly 7 months and I’m incredibly happy!

what else is new…

Today I passed my driving test! Hooray! No more lessons and no more stressing about driving tests! I feel like the odds were in my favour as my examiner had two daughters who dance, so we chatted around the test course about festivals, dance schools, auditions and all sorts! Now if that isn’t luck I don’t know what is!

Ive dyed my hair slightly darker – like a dark blonde. It’s strange going from the bleachy blonde ombré look to dark – I feel like Morticia Addams, like I have a big black mop on the top of my head – if anyone asks it’s because I’m preparing for Halloween… Even though they won’t because in reality my hairs not black it’s blonde.

Also I’m a newly pledged Vegetarian – which will be a struggle because I’m currently on my way to ZaZa Bazzar for lunch, no chicken nuggets for this girl! This decision stemmed from seeing the most disturbing video I have ever seen on Facebook last night. Not going into details BUT it was about how baby chicks are treated in the meat industry – they just looked so helpless and fluffy and it was awful – I was nearly brought to tears! So bring on the Quorn.

Anyway for now I’ll leave you with this information to process and hopefully I’ll post before next October! Fingers crossed ey?!

Martha x

Audition Fever

The pressure is on! Auditions have officially begun! My first one isn’t for a while yet but lots of people on my course have had auditions and we’ve already had some great success stories!
Sometimes it seems really unreal when I look back at how far everyone has come since the start of the course! It really is amazing! I can’t wait until I can get into the swing of things and start auditioning, it’s so exciting, plus it’s a chance to wear my new leotards which is always a good thing!

This weekend I decided to go home to Weston. It’s only a short stay as I’ll be travelling back tomorrow but as always it’s been lovely to see my family and catch up with some friends!
I think spring has officially arrived! Today we walked jasper on the beach and usually it’s like being in the middle of a hurricane but today there wasn’t even a breeze and the sun was actually shining AND it was actually warm. I can honestly say I was a bit shocked. However regardless of the dry weather jasper still managed to find the only puddle on the beach and stand in it at least 6 times.

I don’t know If anyone has been watching but I’m obsessed with BBC 3’s new programme – Ja’mie: private school girl. It genuinely makes my week, well worth a watch.

Just a short post for today…

martha x

The frightening effects of audition fever.