one week til the Jubilee

beginning to channel the jubilee look -

red, white, blue ..... and gold!

top - primark
skirt - topshop
sandalds - marks & spencer
bracelet - asos
watch - michael kors

Peachy

The sun is shining and everything is just peachy...a fact that is reflected in today's manicure.

MaxFactor - Pretty in Pink

(not sure why it's called this, because it's clearly peach not pink, but hey!)

ring finger: Mac - Most Adored

Chanel nail transfer

make Green Tea your new favourite tipple

The health and wellbeing benefits of Green Tea speak for themselves....aim to drink three cups a day and be prepared to feel cleansed outside and inside.  Put down that coffee / builders tea / hot chocolate / fruit tea and give Green Tea a go.

Top Tip - for those of you that have tried green tea before and pulled a "yuck" face, try it again, but this time add a slice of lemon into your cup - it really does make it that much tastier.

ETM's green tea of choice: Clipper Green Tea with Lemon (available in most Supermarkets and Health Food Shops)

Beach Body Top Tip #1

Cellulite; dimpled appearance of skin caused by fat deposits that are just below the surface of the skin 
aka the bain of many a slim and fat girl's life.


 STEP ONE

• cellulite creams: to see any difference you must use everyday without fail for at least 30 days
• optimum time to apply cellulite cream is after exercise; this is when your metabolism and blood circulation are stimulated.  By applying at this time it will mean that the cream absorbs into the skin more easily and help to activate the ingredients in the cream.
• the way you apply the cream is really important - firmly and in an upwards motion, starting from your knees working upto your bum.
• ETM's recommendation - L'Oreal Perfect Slim (currently 1/2 price in Superdrug - £5.61)

STEP TWO

You can apply all the lotions and potions you like but nothing will beat good old fashioned exercise.  Reserve just 15 minutes out of your day to do the workout routine below and you will see and feel the difference in your butt and legs after just a couple of weeks.

15 minutes is no time at all, so there's no excuse. 

STEP THREE

AVOID coffee, fruit juice, fizzy pop, smoking and sitting on your ass all day

GO WILD FOR green tea (add a slice of lemon for added taste and zing), squats (make squats your best friend) and thigh massages.

Don't expect results overnight; all good things come to those who wait.

Get into a beauty and exercise routine and make a pact with yourself to stick to it religiously for 30 days. 

In the words of Helena Rubinstein "there are no ugly women in the world - just lazy ones."

Feel Fit - Be Fit

Good Morning Made-Ons!

I have decided to combine my two passions - Fashion and Fitness

I have always been a lover of style and fashion, but my love fitness is relatively new.  These past 10 months I have well and truly caught the fitness bug.  This is coming from a girl that used to detest PE at school, and the thought of slipping on a tracksuit filled me with dread.  But now, I flipping love it - working out gives me more energy, puts me in a good mood and gives me confidence in my body.

I would like to share my motivation, exercise and diet tips and techniques with you on this blog.  So please keep checking in over these next few weeks - summer (believe it or not!) is just round the corner, it's time to peel off the layers and expose some skin.  And I want you to feel like best version of you that you can possibly be....whilst also looking super stylish to boot! xoxo

Train Hard - Love The Results

a glimpse into my dressing room

Everyone has a favourite room in their house; for some the kitchen, others the bedroom, mine is most definitely my dressing room.  It's my little haven away from the real world where I can pamper and play dress up!

Today I thought I'd share a few pictures of my dressing room with you lovely made-ons. 

There is just one vital piece of the room missing...the dressing table.  It is currenlty in the creative hands of Martin & Louise Peacock - it's having a makeover and tomorrow is the big reveal, sooooooo excited to see what wonders they have worked on it and I'll be sure to share pics of the end result on Monday.  In the meantime do check out Sew Lulu on Facebook to see some of the fabulous wood and fabric creations made lovingly by the Peacocks.

jackets - such an important piece in any girl's wardrobe.  Stock up on various colours and patterns - they'll last you years and are so easy to throw over any outfit to smarten/brighten it up.  Also a vital garment for a night out in Yorkshire...bbbrrrr it's cold up north, and there is nothing chic about goose pimples.



the dark side - aka the dull section of my wardrobe.  I'm a huge fan of colour and try to avoid head to toe black (although some "fat days" you just need the comfort blanket of black)  But dark colours don't have to boring, you can jazz them up with a sparkly piece of jewellery or a slick of red lipstick.



the bright side - sunshine on a rainy day.  I LOVE colour, the brighter the better.  I urge you all not to be afraid of colour, not only will it lift your skin tone but it also lifts your moods.  If you wear bright, you feel bright.  The shops are full of colour blocking and patterns at the moment, so it's a great opportunity to get out onto the highstreet and try loads of different colours on and find which ones suit you best.  With colour I say toss the rule book out of the window - pink and red do work together and floral and spots can be tres chic.



the light side - there's something about a cream / white blouse that I think looks so luxurious and smart.  But buyer beware - this is a high maintenance look...whenever I'm wearing one of these items I'm on the constant looks out...avoiding red wine, spaghetti and children! 



a place for everything and everything in it's place. Wicker baskets are a great way to store your accessories, making them easy to get to (if you can't see it, you won't wear it) and helps to keep your wardrobe neat and tidy.





baskets of bling

shoes and makeup - my love of boxes continues!  I like to keep my shoes in their original boxes to avoid scuffs and dust.  I bought a set of cheap clear plastic boxes from eBay for my other shoes.  This is also a good way of fitting more into a smaller space, you can stack them up...and up!

the library!  I have amassed a collection of style and beauty books over the years
my favourite ones that I refer back to on a regular basis are
Style A - Zoe by Rachel Zoe
Style by Lauren Conrad
How to be Lovely - the Audrey Hepburn way of life

the mantra I try to live my life by "BE GLAMOROUS EVERYDAY"
and photos from the most special day of my life so far - 11th June 2011;
the day I married my best friend.

never be afraid to excessorise...pile those bangles high and layer necklace over necklace.  Jewellery is the easiset way to turn a simple outfit from drab to fab...and inexpensive - the high street is full of brillitant pieces for less than £10

designer delights - I am a high street girl, but every now and then I enjoy a designer splurge
just make sure it's an item with longevity - leave the "it bags" to the celebs, instead invest in a timeless piece where you really will get your money's worth

glitterati - the magpie within me just can't say no to sparkly, shiny things :-)

hairbands and bows oh my!

And there we have it, a glimpse into EmmaTaylorMade's dressing room...I hope I've inspired you to coordinate your clothes into colour order, or to detangle that bundle of necklaces at the bottom of your drawer! 

When your wardrobe is organised it's so much easier to see and pick your outfits -

make dressing up fun not a chore

xoxo

False Tan...I think I've Found The One!

I have been a false tan user for over a decade now and this week I think I discovered "The One."  It may not come as a surprise for you to hear that I found it in Essex!  But I'm not talking orange / creasote colour, that is no doubt springing into your mind right now, I'm talking sunkissed and even colour thanks to Lauren Goodger.  Yes, she of TOWIE fame and Mark Wright's ex (they went out for nine years...but she doesn't like to talk about it ;-)

Lauren launched a range of tanning products earlier this year - Lauren's Way (I'm sure it took a mammoth brain storming session to come up with that name!)

I consider myself something of a false tan aficionado; well it has taken me almost 10 years to perfect the technique, and my oh my have there been some disasters.  Anyone that went to Bournemouth University in 2001 will be familiar with the orange neck, white face and streaky hands look that I was often seen sporting in the Old Fire Station night club on a Thursday evening!

I now have the routine down to a fine art....but the quality of the false tan does massively affect the end result no matter how good you are at applying it.

I've tried most false tans on the market and I always go back to those which go on dark so you can see exactly where you are putting the stuff and you can immediately see if you've missed any bits.  Granted this type of tan is something of a passion killer as it requires you going to bed looking like a street urchin in baggy pjs(!) but I find the end result is far superior to the clear lotions.

My life/fashion/beauty guru Caroline Smart gave me the heads up on Lauren's Way and where she leads, I follow! 

I purchased the mousse version of the tan.  The bottle needs a good shake before use and in between application.  The mousse dries very quickly so you need to apply one area at a time, don't dispense a massive blob and put half of it on one arm whilst you rub in the other arm because you'll be left with a dark circular blob!!  The mousse goes on evenly and lightly and you can get dressed after about 5 minutes - it doesn't feel clammy and heavy like other tans.

Don't be alarmed by the darkness of the colour, once you shower in the morning you'll see that the end result is mucher more sunkissed than the shade on first application.

For those of you that are au fait with applying false tan I would go with the mousse version.  However for those less confident at tanning go with the lotion - it doesn't dry instantly and can be worked into the skin slowly.

Lauren's Way tanning products range from £11.95 - £19.95 which in my opinion are competitively priced and a bottle will last you a while, I'd say at least 12 applications.

After showering the next morning my colour was even and a really natural sunkissed shade.  I was suitably impressed with the application, the smell (far less digestive biscuity than most tans!), the price and most importantly the end result.

£15.95 - I'd recommend this product for beginners or nervous tanners

£17.95 - I'd recommend this product for those confident tanners

ETM's top tips for tanning

• exfoliate before application
• don't moisturise right before tanning - I'd recommend moisturising from head to toe in the morning then apply your tan in the evening
• always wear gloves - you can get a box of 100 latex gloves from Boots for a couple of pounds.  Even if you use a mit, you need to wear gloves as well.
• use an oil spray on your wrists, ankles and elbows before application - you can use a special false tan oil like Fake Bake Skin Smoothie or just a cheap Avon/Boots dry oil spray will do the job just as well
• start from your feet upwards, working in smooth strokes
• when tanning your feet and hands I recommend adding a small drop of moisturiser into the tan as this will give a lighter affect on these areas
• when you've applied the tan to ankles and elbows spritz some more dry oil spray and rub into these areas (preferably using a mit) to avoid the tell tale stained/dark elbow look
• tan your hands last of all - take your gloves off and dispense a drop of tan and a drop of moisturiser onto the back of your hands and rub in with your hand, making sure to get inbetween your fingers too.  Then immediately wipe your palm and lightly wipe your knuckles with a baby wipe
• wait a few minutes before dressing - when you do get dressed make sure to wear loose fitting items and for goodness sake don't have your white duvet cover on the bed on your tanning days!
• shower off in the morning and ta-da you are now a bronzed beauty......but oh no wait a minute you discover you've got a brown elbow or the colours gathered and darker in between your fingers....do not panic.  The final item that every false tanner should have in their bathroom cupboard is exfoliation gloves.  You can then pour a drop of shower gel onto the gloves and work the glove over the area and the mark will disappear.

Items every false tanner needs to be armed with

latex gloves - tanning mit - dry oil spray -

baby wipes - exfoliating gloves -

Happy Tanning Made-Ons! xo