Tips for fresh summer feet with Odor Eaters

A couple of months ago (dammit, I'm such a last minute blogger), I was sent a rather exciting invitation almost impossible to refuse.

I was offered a free pair of shoes of my choice from Office and the chance to have lunch with a group of fellow bloggers at The Charlotte Street Hotel, where we would learn about summer foot care.

They had me at shoes...

I was accompanied on this Girly Day O' Fun by fellow blogger, lawyer, glam enterepruener and ex Apprentice candidate, Lauren Riley - who was as excited as I at the prospect of fine food, beauty tips and....um.....free shoes.

The day started at one of my favourite shoe shops - Office, where we were each given a voucher and asked to mince about the store, eyeing up the various styles before deciding on our perfect pair.

Most of my new blogging buddies chose rather sensible footwear - trainers, flats and all that malarky. I on the other hand, chose a ludicrously high pair of black wedges that made my heart sing and my eyes sparkle with unyielding glee. 

Everything was excitingly shrouded in an intriguing veil of mystery, and as we bundled ourselves into taxis for the short trip to the hotel (hey, some of us were in heels), we blurted out numerous questions as to what lay ahead.

Lauren and her badass Converse

Once we got to the beautifully adorned private dining room, we were told that a new product was being launched by Odor Eaters called Slim Soles and that we had our very own pair to sample - already placed in our new shoes.

I have never worn anything remotely odour eating in my shoes but was intrigued. The black, velvety insoles cut to fit my elegant new wedges looked rather stylish.

I had always thought of insoles as smelly rubbery things that make your shoes look ugly. Oh how wrong I was.....

Come to my foots. They await you eagerly 

Before we were told about the benefits of this exciting new product (and before the plentiful noming was allowed to commence), bubbly beauty presenter Gina Akers educated us all in how to keep our feet fresh and pretty all summer long.

Here were her top tips;

Exfoliate

Use a refreshing foot scrub or exfoliant while in the shower or, if you're lucky enough to be poncing about a beach on holiday - walk on the sand barefoot and give those soles a good going over before rinsing off in the sea.

Walking on air

It is important for summer feet to be kept as dry as possible so pong-producing bacteria doesn't form. Give them a vigorous towelling after bathing and dry them with the hairdryer on a cool setting. 

Moisturise 

Hydrate parched, sun-baked feet by slathering on a rich foot moisturiser. For a nighttime treat, you can increase the sole-smoothing properties by slipping on a pair of cotton socks too.  

Tan and Toes

If you're partial to a spot of fake tan, heed this warning. DON'T FORGET THE FEET. There's nothing worse than white feet and a brown body. Patchy feet are also rather dodgy so make sure you mix some moisturiser with your tan before you evenly blend onto your skin.

Polish

Make sure you separate toes before applying polish and avoid garish blues or purples for that unfortunate bruised foot look. If your hand wobbles when paining your toes you can always clip a clothes peg to the nail polish lid for a longer reach. Who would have thought ay?

Perfect

Make sure you push back the cuticles and file the free edge for long lasting nail polish and clip straight across to avoid those pesky ingrown toe nails.

Finally! Keep feet fresh with Odor Eaters

These super slim insoles contain activated charcoal to help eradicate wetness and control the naughty bacteria responsible for unpleasant odours and dismal fungal infections. I have been using mine for two months now and can honestly say that they have kept my favourite wedges looking good and smelling fresh - and I have been on quite a few lengthly shopping rambles let me tell you...

The soles of the Slim Soles - cut to size!

The visible side. See - so stylish! So Wows.

The day ended with fine food and gloriously girlish chatter. We gorged on gorgeous healthy fayre and indulged in naughty puddings as we shared blogging tales and tips.

Lauren and I...and my rascal of a hand that has a life of its own

Thank you Odor Eaters for a such a fun and educational day out. My fresh feet (and belleh) are eternally grateful. 

Acne update 1 year post Skin Accumax & my top summer beauty secrets

Pretty much exactly one year ago today I wrote a lengthly blog post on how I miraculously cleared my hormonal acne by using a natural food supplement called Skin Accumax.

As acne is a perplexing condition that never really goes away, I thought I would update you all on the state of my skin since it cleared after taking four Skin Accumax pills every day for 8 months.

Once my skin was completely clear, I reduced my dose to two a day for a further two months and finally to only one a day. 

Till this day my acne has not come back and I am so impressed and forever grateful to these incredible natural pills, which are a complexion-clearing combination of broccoli-derved DIM and vitamins' A, C and E.

Maybe every few months around my period I may get one tiny spot here or there, but overall I have been smugly pouncing about with clear, glowing skin that doesn't need to be caked to oblivion in thick foundation.

I did want to write a lengthly blog post about this wonder product but to be honest there is not much to say other than if you have hormonal acne and it's getting you down, BUY THIS PRODUCT.

Even kitteh urges you to buy this marvellous product 

I don't care that I sound like a dodgy advert on a late night shopping channel. The truth is this product worked for me and I want others to experience the same joy.

The stigma of adult acne refuses to go away so we must all unite to help each other heal from this awful skin condition.

I am currently holding a competition on my Twitter, offering four months of Skin Accumax (worth £160), so please have a go for the chance to win and possibly turn into one of those smug, fresh faced people who don't need to wear makeup.

You may need to scroll down my congested Twitter feed to find the Tweet you need to RT but it's there all right, awaiting you eagerly. 

I will leave you with my top 12 summer beauty must-haves (other than the fabulous Skin Accumax of course) and photos of me on holiday recently in Ibiza where I merrily minced about in the sun with a spot-free mug.


*Update* Two months after writing this post (and after stopping the Skin Accumax) I developed mild acne under my jawline. It's not that noticeable but its upsetting me so I will start taking two Skin Accumax a day for a month, before taking a maintenance dose of one a day for the foreseeable future. 

Remember - acne can never be 'cured'. You need to suppress it, and I would rather do this with a natural supplement rather than taking harmful birth control or accutane for a long term period.

My top 12 essential summer beauty products

1. Goldfaden MD Fleuressence Facial Oil - A summer skin-illuminating combination of botanical oils 

2. Antonia Burrell Mask Supreme - An incredible deep-cleansing, natural mask to hydrate & detoxify

3. Guam Legs Relief Gel-Cream - a cooling treatment for hot and tired summer legs

4. ReVive Cream Cleanser - massage on and remove with a wet muslin cloth for clean, smooth skin

5. Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum - An oil-free, antioxidant-rich serum for a beautiful even tan

6. -Lavera SOS Aftersun Fluid a natural & organic moisturising aftersun that instantly calms the skin

7. Bio True Rewetting Drops - My eye-hydrating, travel essential. Perfect after a long flight

8. M2 Brows - This wonder product darkened & thickened my brows after just 8 weeks of use

9. Shiseido Full Lash Serum - Amazingly, after 6 weeks of use my lashes look longer and thicker

10. The Organic Pharmacy Tan Accelerator - This really did accelerate my tan. I love it like a brother

11. Coconoil Organic Coconut Oil - I love to slather this on before my aftersun to lock in moisture

12. Bioderma Invisible Mist SPF 50 - Tested by my partner in crime & hair extension guru Shannel, she truly adored it's lightweight, hydrating texture, which applied easily and left no dodgy white marks.

My top 5 London salons for pre-holiday prep

1. Gina Conway Aveda Kings Road - for the most beautiful (and most relaxing) gel manicure of your life

2. Urban Retreat, Harrods - get tan-ready by indulging in the Signature Body Treatment which involves head-to-toe exfoliation, a soothing massage and being gloriously enveloped in hot paraffin wax. 

3. The Chelsea Bridge Clinic - this brand spanking new riverside beauty haven is renowned for their  transformational facial treatments and pre-holiday nutritional advice

4. Muse of London - sip a calming camomile tea whilst the expert nail technician gives you quite possibly the best pedicure of your life

5. Karine Jackson, Covent Garden - Karine will always be my organic hair colouring guru. Go and see her for perfectly coloured, glossy summer hair - with no nasty chemicals.

Gel Manicure at Gina Conway Aveda

Acne? Pah. Look at meh now!

Yes. I not only blog. I DJ like a badman too

Seriously, don't let go, I forgot my armbands

Oooh hello sailor 

Alo!

Guest Post - Get A Better Nights Sleep With Seasonal Summer Eating

By Louise Matthews – Founder and Editor of The What Now Blog

www.thewhatnowblog.com

Tweet: @thewhatnowblog

In the warmer months a good nights slumber in the city can be hard to come by. The longer days and brighter mornings may be great for our sense of happiness and wellbeing but aren't ideal when it comes to getting that all important and coveted eight hours of shut eye.

In addition the heat leads us to open doors and windows, thus inviting in the noise of the outside world during the early hours that we could probably all do without.

There are a few things that you can do to try and enjoy the heat of the summer months and still get the rest that you need. This includes making sure that you make the most of the seasonal goodies in your daily diet that will assist you in a restful snooze.

SEASONAL TIPS FOR SUMMERTIME SNOOZING

1.     Avoid Alcohol. The odd tipple in the sun now and again might make you feel super sleepy and ready to relax but the reality is that alcohol will encourage nocturnal waking and contribute to very low quality sleep. Not only that but it will drastically dehydrate you, not what you need in the hot summer months.

2.     Snack On Seasonal Fresh Cherries. The summer months mean that cherries are at their very best in the UK. One of my favourite fruits and great to snack on, these little beauties will also offer you a dutiful dose of magnesium which is a top ingredient for sleeping soundly. Eating a small handful an hour before bed will help work wonders in the snooze department as well as contribute to your general health and wellbeing.

3.     Eat Your Greens. Spinach especially is a summer seasonal saint, so stock up and snack away. Eating seasonal greens will add much needed calcium and magnesium to nutritionally assist your sleep. I like to add raw spinach to pretty much everything - sandwiches, salads, pasta, you name it, I'll add it! Or whizz it up with a little apple and carrot for a healthy, sleep happy, detoxing juice.

4.     Eat Those A's! Summer seasonal apricots and almonds are another two great foods to snack on to aid restful sleep whilst also helping you avoid daytime sugary highs and slumps that can impact on your evening routine. Again both rich in magnesium they are two to add to your summer shopping list. Just go a little easy those apricots - a small handful will suffice, and not too close to bedtime!

5.     Eat At The Right Time. Long summer days bring about the temptation to lounge in the garden, grazing and eating later into the evening. Of course this is lovely on occasion, the problem is that eating much later can have a negative effect on your sleep patterns. Try to avoid late night eating and allow yourself time to digest and unwind before heading off to bed.

So there we have some simple, but I hope effective, advice for refining your sleep patterns in the summer months. Prepare yourself for the heat, eat well and allow yourself time to unwind and you should find yourself happily and peacefully dropping off in no time at all!