Cat Calling

Another way the patriarchy sexualizes the female body.

Picture this a grown woman walking down the street, minding her own business when a car drives past her, beeping their horns and yelling obscenities out of the window such as ‘whore’. A group of males fantasying over the image of a girl in jeans and a t-shirt. Using every ounce of their male privilege to prove that the patriarchy still exists and is still real. Making the girl feel harassed, embarrassed and unimportant.

That girl a few weeks ago was me. I knew cat calling happened, but I never expected it would happen to me. Despite what you think, cat calling happens to everyone. Young, Old, Black, White, Tall, Short, Rich and Poor. Even a minor number of males might experience this small part of inequality in-just.

You see Cat Calling might be flattering for the few. But for the majority it is very much so ‘street harassment’. This very much goes hand in hand with the rape culture society with live in. If a male feels powerful enough to street harass a woman, he might feel more power to physically assault another woman.

Society has normalised this type of behaviour, due to years of living in a patriarchal society. And the end of this behaviour does not seem to be in the near future. And if I am 100% honest I doubt that cat calling will ever completely diminish.

So how can we minimise cat calling? Education. Education is the key to socialising males and females into the right behaviour for adult life. Feminism needs to be taught in schools more. It is also up to local councils to police street harassment. Finally, it is up to feminists to campaign again this harassment.

There is a way to tell a woman that she is attractive without making her feel like an object for your satisfaction.

Comment Question- Have you ever been cat called? How did you feel at the time?

Amelia

Further reading-

http://www.stopstreetharassment.org/2010/11/cat-calling-and-rape-culture-go-hand-in-hand/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/catcalling/

http://time.com/3144715/street-harassment-catcalling/

Check out this post-
http://cupsofteafortwo.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/lushs-fresh-face-mask-cosmetic-warrior.html

Previous Post-
http://cupsofteafortwo.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/time-to-moisturise-what-im-currently.html

Items mentioned-

This was not a sponsored post.

All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Time to moisturise! What I’m currently using to moisturise my face for normal to combination/oily skin (Day + night)

Moisturising your face in particular is a very important beauty and skin health step which you shouldn’t skip. Even if you have oily acne prone skin it’s essential that you moisturise and use slightly different products for day and night time care.

Personally I have normal to oily/combination skin and when I choose a moisturiser I try a pick ones that are non-greasy, fast absorbing and that leave the skin either with a matte finish or a none-dewy, over shiny finish. But I still like to feel my skin is soft and hydrated. I don’t use oil based moisturisers as these tend to make my skin greasy.

My new favourite moisturising cream to put on my face at night (or when I know I won’t leave the house) is Garnier’s ‘PureActive Matte Control’ moisturiser which is an anti-shine moisturiser which is meant to improve the size of pores and blemishes. It contains salicylic acid and airlicium which are both active ingredients. The airlicium is a super mattifying and sebum absorbing ingredient and the salicylic acid helps control blemishes and pores. I really like this product as it really is feather light and comfortable and definitely leaves a non-shiny look to the skin. My skin has improved since using the product and it really is important to cleanse the skin before applying moisturiser, both in the morning and the night. I don’t think the formula is too harsh on the skin either, it moisturises with its active ingredients which doesn’t completely strip away the skin’s natural moisture. If you have combination to oily skin then this moisturiser is worth a try and I bought mine in Asda for £3.99 but it was on offer at the time.

For the day, I’m currently using Olay ‘Total Effects 7 in one Feather Weight Moisturiser’ and this is SPF 15 and does contain UVA protection too and are both really important. My preferred way of applying this for oily to combination skin is with a beauty sponge and dab it into the face and neck. I feel if I apply and blend with my fingers my face gets quite dewy otherwise and it does sometimes sweat off on really hot days. The smell of this moisturiser is really subtle but really nice, a very faint floral fragrance which is what I like from a day moisturiser. Another good point is the texture is really smoothing and light. I do feel my pores look a lot better and imperfections smoothed out but I haven't been completely blown away by this product.

Although I do believe that young people need to be aware of the effects of the sun as well as protecting ourselves from it, by choosing moisturisers with UVA and UVB protection, I would say that this product is not the perfect product for young skin. However, it is a good SPF cream which is not oil based. I think this moisturiser is really suited to normal to slightly dry skin types because it does give a slightly dewy look and can make the face melt for oily skin types. In the future I probably wouldn't repurchase it after I have used it because I prefer a matte finish. The moisturiser cost me about £10 and I bought it in Boots.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and we would love to hear from you.

Jasmine x

Nail Hacks

For some of us painting our nails is a time for ourselves but for others its a stressful process. Some of us even opt for a professional manicure. For me its the case of always messing up one nail. However I do love the look of a finished manicure and have come a long way in doing it myself. 

My first ultimate tip would be to take control of your diet. Diet can have impact on nail growth and strength. So eating a balanced diet including fruit, vegetables and whole foods is a positive. You can also take vitamins which provide essential vitamins and minerals for nail growth.

Here you can see all the products I use this includes 'strengthening' nail varnish remover (do not know if this is actually strengthening or just a gimmick), cotton pads, nail clippers, a tool to remove dirt under the nail / cuticle remover, nail strengthener polish and a colour of my choice (Lilac Wine by Maybelline). The proper tools can make your manicure look better and last longer. I choose to use the strengthener as a base coat and currently I choose not to use a top coat because I find nail varnish harder to remove and ultimately I like to change my nail varnish multiple times a week.

To achieve this look I removed my nail varnish and then I went on to nail care. This included removing the dirt from under my nail, pushing back my cuticle to give the illusion of a bigger nail bed and applying the strengthener. This does take an extra 5 minutes of time but it does give a better finish. 

Ensure to shake the nail varnish before use to ensure the product is mixed. Applying nail varnish in two coats gives the best opacity and will ensure that the nail varnish lasts longer. The only tip i have for application is ensure you are applying on a flat surface and take your time. The more practise the better. You can also clean around the nail with a cotton pad, but I find that any mistakes usually remove themselves naturally.

You can choose pictured below is the finished result. Obviously it is not perfect but like I said before I have come a long way. I honestly loved this colour on me and it would suit all skin tones. I have ensured to link the products below for you.

Comment Question- What nail varnish colour do you have too many of?

Amelia

Check out this post-
http://cupsofteafortwo.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/lushs-fresh-face-mask-cosmetic-warrior.html

Previous Post-
http://cupsofteafortwo.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/ways-to-combat-freshers-flu.html

Items mentioned-
Maybelline Colour Show Nail Polish  in 'Lillac Wine' £2.99 - http://www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-Color-Show-Nail-Polish_1838550/
Strengthener (Not the one shown but similar £9- https://www.boots.com/en/Nails-inc-Tough-Love-Nail-Strengthening-Treatment_1822096/

This was not a sponsored post.

Ways To Combat Freshers Flu

The first year of University will always been known as the freshers flu year. The constant warning from siblings, teachers and peers was not enough for us to believe such a thing existed, however this flu is very much so real. Not only does it occupy your body for a Month, but it also plays a trick on you by leaving your body for a few days and then returning twice as bad.

So what are the symptoms of the dreaded freshers flu? Anything from sweats, headaches, sickness, nausea, runny nose, sore throat, achy muscles and diarrhoea. Your lectures will be full of the sounds of coughing. Luckily for you I can help you prevent getting freshers flu and also try to recover from having this virus.

1) Eating healthy and exercising- 
This goes without saying. Of course students have a lot of takeouts especially in freshers week. I was lucky enough to be a catered student where breakfast and dinner were made by a University chef for students, these tended to be more on the nutritious side. (However I hated being a catered student). However if you are a non-catered student I recommend eating whole foods, fruits and vegetables. Of course carbohydrates are important because you will need a lot of energy to make it through long days. Exercising goes along with this, even if you are not a big exerciser things like walking to the supermarket and to university make a big difference.

2) Stay hydrated- 
Cliche again but a few glasses of water is important. I am not going to blag on about the benefits of drinking water but it will do wonders for your health. Take a bottle of water to University to drink during lectures to ensure you are getting your daily intake.

3) Avoid drugs and excessive alcohol- 
Unfortunately freshers is one big drug trading ground. If someone offers you any type of drug please decline. Not only would you possibly regret this, but it is also bad for your health. This includes smoking. Of course at freshers you want to drink, however the constant week long of drinking is bad for your health, I would recommend on some nights having less alcohol and trying to keep your water intake high due to alcohols dehydrating properties. Caffeine should also be kept minimal.

4) Vitamins-
As mentioned previously your diet tends to be lack lustre as student. Simply swallowing a vitamin tablet can ensure you are getting your intake of each essential vitamin.

5) Juice-
During freshers I drank a lot of juice, especially orange juice. This is because the juice contained vitamin C which can boost the immune system. While this might not cure freshers flu it can help the healing process.

6) Rest- 
Sleep really does have a big difference on your health. This will also help your energy levels and ensure that you can party the night after. 

7) If all else fails visit the doctors-
As soon as your arrive at Uni, register with your nearest GP. They can always give you some health advice if you find yourself with freshers flu.

8) Have fun-
Ultimately freshers is about fun and making friends. You can have the ultimate freshers experience while also looking after your health.

Comment Question- What subject do you / would you do at University?
Amelia

Check out this post-
http://cupsofteafortwo.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/lushs-fresh-face-mask-cosmetic-warrior.html

Previous Post-
http://cupsofteafortwo.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/our-big-day-out-7th-june-2016.html

This was not a sponsored post.

For more information please seek medical advice.
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/flu/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Healthy snack ideas

We are a nation of snackers. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing because as long as we keep crisps and chocolate as treats and eat them in moderation there is nothing wrong with the odd naughty sweet or salty snack as long as we eat a nutritious balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables and wholefoods. It would also be a lie if I didn’t say I ate some crisps or chocolate this week but I did eat some healthier snack options and did add lots of fresh fruit where I could to my snacks.

This blog post should give you alternative and healthy snack ideas which are filling and easy as well as being great for any time of day and night. Because it does help to fill the void and rumbling tummy and I think a great place to start is cereal. Everyone knows that cereal is a great way to break the fast in the morning but it also is a delicious, quick, cheap and convenient way to snack as well. I snacked on cereal a lot last week, and granola is my favorite at the moment, I normally bathe my cereal in soya milk and top it with fresh berries and soya yoghurt. Cereal can easily be jazzed up by adding fruit, nuts or yoghurt and makes it more substantial and interesting so cereal doesn't have to be plain and boring. 

I would recommend topping with cherries or strawberries and Alpro soya Vanilla yogurt is so thick, creamy and luxurious that it becomes a match made in heaven. 

The cereal I had were both from Asda's 'Chosen By You' range and both were very delicious and crunchy, I got the Maple and Pecan crisp and the Strawberry crisp variety too. Ultimately dress your cereal up in anything you like and let me know what you like to put on your cereal in the comments below. 

Another super easy snack idea is normally a lunch time staple. However one of my store cupboard favorites is soup. Soup takes minutes to heat up and is great when you want something hot. One of my favorite flavors is cream of tomato soup and is incredibly cheap and easy to get hold of. Obviously soups with beans, lentils, chunks of vegetables and pasta will be more filling and of more substance and it is important to keep an eye out for salt and added sugar content because a lot of processed soups are full of salt and sugar. If you make a lot of home made soup at home you can easily freeze your soup and keep it in the freezer until you need it. Another great thing about soup is that a lot of them count to your five a day and that is always good to know. 

Yoghurt and fruit is another great snack, much healthier than ice cream but it still can be interesting and is able to be customised with whatever toppings you like. You could crumble biscuits or nuts or spoon some jam and mix it in with the yoghurt and fruit. The yoghurt I have tried was Alpro soya plain and vanilla yoghurt, the plain yoghurt reminded me of plain Greek yoghurt and was really thick and creamy but the vannila flavour was really yummy and delicious.

And my last snack idea is a sandwich, I used Violife dairy free cheese and used salad to add more flavour and texture to my sandwiches such as lettuce, red onion, peppers, cucumber and sweetcorn as well as HP BBQ sauce to add a smoky flavour to the sandwich. Amelia and I have found that Vitalite margarine tastes really natural and is a great Vegan margarine, so we spread the bread with it when we are making sandwiches or toast. We tried a flat thinner bread which is great for making a snack size sandwich, but you can use bread rolls or normal sliced bread, it doesn't make much difference.  

I hope this has helped and given you some simple yet inspiring snack ideas. Listed below are the products I have used and how much I paid for them. I hope you are having a lovely day! If this or any of posts on our blog have inspired you or got you curious about anything please comment below and let us know what you think. 

Products mentioned or pictured:
https://groceries.asda.com/product/crisp/asda-chosen-by-you-maple-pecan-crisp/910001962186 - Maple and Pecan Crisp - £1.98
https://groceries.asda.com/product/crisp/asda-chosen-by-you-strawberry-crisp/910001954794 - Strawberry Crisp - £1.98
https://groceries.asda.com/product/grapes-berries-cherries/asda-growers-selection-strawberries/998058 - Strawberries - £1.50
https://groceries.asda.com/product/grapes-berries-cherries/asda-growers-selection-cherries/910002574727 - Cherries - £2
https://groceries.asda.com/product/dairy-alternatives/alpro-plain-soya-yogurt/910000297653 - Simply Plain Alpro Soya Yoghurt - £1.35
https://groceries.asda.com/product/cheese-slices/violife-original-vegan-slices/910001579904 - Violife sliced cheese - £2.48 


Jasmine

This post is not sponsored. 

Our Big Day Out - 7th June 2016

After a busy year of stressful university work, exams and coursework. It was finally time to treat ourselves and indulge in the little pleasures of life. For us that meant a day out together to have our nails done, go shopping and watch a movie. Grab your tea and have a nose into what we got up to on this very special day.

10:00am- Jasmine and I had both gotten ready and travelled to the bus stop to arrive in Leicester city centre to go and get our nails done. Not only was it a sunny day, but the bus driver let us on for free! This was the best way to start the day.

10:30am- Jasmine and I arrived at 'the Beauty refinery' in Leicester city centre. Located at 101 London Road, Leicester. We both chose to have shellac nails, but instead the beautician recommended 'glamlac' nails. Which we were both a little uncertain on at first on whether this was a knock off or not. However we were both very happy with the nails, and the lady who did our nails was very friendly and we are considering going back for another treatment soon. Considering I have very short nails, the beautician did a excellent job for what she was given to work with. However the cuticle treatment was uncomfortable, this involved the lady pushing back the cuticle and cutting it with a small device. Shellac nails at this location retail for £25, and they take around 45 minutes to apply.

Pictured- Top left Amelia's nails, bottom right Jasmine's nails.

11:30am- It had been a couple of hours since we had eaten our breakfast, so as you can expect we were both very hungry. We chose an independent cafe in Leicester city centre called 'Holly's'. Located at 13-15 St Martins street, City Centre, Leicester, LE1 5DE. As a constant Holly's visitor, I have to say the service here is impeccable, the food is tasty and the prices are student friendly. Jasmine had a avocado, goats cheese and pepper wrap with salad. The bang for your buck was amazing as we were both left full. Jasmine spent around £5 for her wrap and a bottle of water. I chose a Jacket potato with cheese, beans and salad. Again I spent around £5 for the meal and a bottle of water. We were both impressed by Holly's and would highly recommend this cafe.

Pictured- Jasmines salad wrap.

Pictured- Amelia's jacket potato.

12:30am- We travelled into the city centre and decided to do some shopping. I have to say we did not see many items we wished to buy. We both had a Starbucks, Jasmine chose a strawberries and cream frappuccino, and I had a chocolate frappuccino. We spent around £5 for these drinks together. Jasmine bought a face mask from lush- cosmetic warrior £6.75. You can read her review here. I also bought a charm from pandora, which had a daisy detail. This charm retailed for £45.

Pictured- Pandora Charm.

Pictured- Cosmetic Warrior face mask.

3:00pm- We arrived home from our busy day out. We decided to put a film on Netflix but instead we both fell asleep half way through.

5:00pm- We decided to go for a walk to wake ourselves up and have some dinner. We both had toast due to feeling so full from lunch.

It was a fantastic day out and a much needed day to spend on ourselves.

Comment Question- What is your favourite way to spend time for yourself?

Amelia

Check out this post-
http://cupsofteafortwo.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/lushs-fresh-face-mask-cosmetic-warrior.html

Previous Post-
http://cupsofteafortwo.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/lushs-fresh-face-mask-cosmetic-warrior.html

Items mentioned-
the Beauty refinery- http://www.thebeautyrefinery.co.uk/
Pandora daisy charm- http://www.pandora.net/en-gb/explore/products/charms/791259en12
Cosmetic Warrior face mask- https://uk.lush.com/products/cosmetic-warrior

This was not a sponsored post.

Lush's Fresh Face Mask: Cosmetic Warrior - Tried and Tested (Review)

This post is about two of my favourite things: Lush and face masks, so its a no brainer that Lush Fresh face masks are one of my face cleansing routines and I love finding new masks to try. Today I am going to give my thoughts on Cosmetic Warrior which I bought after my previous Lush face mask (Mask of Magnaminty) run out. I bought the product on Tuesday, 7th June with Amelia - to find out more about the day including getting out nails manicured and what scrumptious food we had for lunch see Amelia's post: Our Big Day Out.
So gather round with your preferred tea of choice and you could even apply your face mask.

I bought this product in Lush in Leicester, situated at 11 Gallowtree Gate, and am a regular browser and buyer in this store. The staff are always helpful and happy to give their thoughts and advice. I was recommended this product by a member staff who applied some to my hand and massaged it into the back of my hand and was surprised how smooth and creamy textured this mask, especially when masks for normal to oily skin types are normally thick and clay textured. This mask is available in 75 grams and costs £6.75 and it must be refrigerated when not in use and used within 3 weeks.

My first impressions on the product when I opened the black 100% recycled pot was the aroma of the mask, it has a pungent and strong scent. As soon as the container was opened the smell of tea tree drifts up, soon it is joined with the sweet sickly smell of honey and they mingle into a rather odd scent.  There is also a smell of raw egg which is bizarre and the smell of the product might put some off and it is definitely a draw back for the face mask.

The smooth consistency is a really highlight of this face mask, if you have skin which is more on the oily side then you will know how rare it is to come across a face mask for normal to oily skin types which is smooth and so creamy as this mask. Cosmetic Warrior is definitely very gentle and suitable for for applying to inflamed red spots without further enraging them or feeling uncomfortable and sore on them.  It is very lovely and refreshing to have a mask and skin care product that is soft, creamy and lightweight on the skin when applying and leaving to dry. 

It is important to highlight that this product is not vegan as it contains honey and free range eggs. It is approved by the Vegetarian society but is not a vegan product.

The natural ingredients contains a lot of natural antiseptic and antibacterial properties. The honey is antibacterial and the tea tree oils and the garlic are great natural antiseptics. The kaolin clay is very good at cleansing skin but is lightweight and smooth. Furthermore, there are no artificial ingredients or preservatives so it does need to be kept chilled in the fridge and used in a few weeks. 

I would recommend washing and cleansing your face before applying the mask and ensuring your skin is patted dry before application. Apply a generous layer of the product on the face, but make sure you leave areas of bare skin around the eyes and lips. Then let it set on the skin for 5-10 minutes. Just enough time to make another cup of tea! Then once dried wash off using warm water before patting the skin dry and applying moisturizer. 

Overall rating: A smooth and creamy textured mask that leaves the skin feeling smooth and clean after. However the smell of the ingredients are not complimentary and the smell of egg is detectable. 

What is your favourite face mask? Have you got a Lush face mask you cannot live without? Let me know in the comments!

Jasmine


Items mentioned: 

Cosmetic Warrior: https://uk.lush.com/products/cosmetic-warrior 

This post is not sponsored.