5 most used Summer products!

As the summer draws to an end I thought I’d share with you my top 5 most used products that will cross over in to the autumn season.

 

The first is the Tigi Catwalk Session Series Salt Spray.  I have recently chopped my waist length hair to above my shoulders and the first style I was desperate to try was a beachy, natural waves look (I’d tried many times on my long hair but the weight of it just pulled the waves straight out). I spray this salt spray on to damp hair and then blow dry with a diffuser.  The spray gives your hair extra texture and hold which helps achieve a really natural look and is much quicker than using a curling iron or heated waver. (£9.99 plus delivery from Amazon)

 

Next is the Dove Summer Glow Moisturising Lotion.  If, like me you have really pale skin the summer always poses that problem of ‘to get your legs out or cover up?’  The rest of the year I literally live in leggings but there have been some days this summer where the temperature has been so high that I have had to admit defeat and throw them to one side.  I’ve used this moisturiser pretty much every day and it gradually builds a nice even ‘glow’ to your skin (don’t forget to exfoliate first).  I wouldn’t say I looked tanned after using it but it certainly gave me the confidence to ditch the leggings and go au naturel in the leg department. (£4.99 from Superdrug)

 

Number 3 on my list is the NYX Pore Filler.  I was bought the Benefit Porefessional for my birthday and really loved it but once I started to run out I was looking for a more affordable alternative.  I am a huge fan of NYX products and so when I was at IMATS recently I thought I would give their version a go.  I have been really impressed by it and to be honest I can’t tell much difference between this and the Benefit Porefessional.  A product I will definitely be re-purchasing! (£12.50 from NYX.co.uk)

 

I have always liked the Barry M Nail Polishes but since they have bought out their Gelly Shine range I have struggled to go back to my normal polishes.  The finish is so glossy and much thicker than normal nail polish and they have a great range of colours (I’m trying to collect all of them!).  This one is Satsuma and I have been wearing it most of the summer.  It has such a great depth of colour that I think it will transfer really well in to autumn. (£3.99 from Superdrug)

 

My final product of the summer is the Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in shade No.8.  This range of lipsticks are really moisturising and great value for money.  I particularly like this colour as it gives a natural look but with slight kick of colour to avoid looking washed out.  Perfect for every-day use. (£5.49 from Superdrug)

Review: Dirt Divas ‘Back to Basics’ Course – 18 August 2013

Details – 9.30am – 4.30pm, Crowthorne Woods

Cost - £99 (incl. goody bag)

www.dirtdivas.co.uk

 

So it was with a lot of excitement and a few nerves that I set off for my ‘Back to Basics’ course in my Citroën C1, complete with mountain bike well and truly wedged in (my husband had to show me four times how to remove the front wheel!).  I have been riding my mountain bike on and off for 3 years but only recently discovered a real passion for it.  We are really lucky where we live that we have some good riding spots so I have been able to develop some basic skills but it wasn’t until a short break to Coed y Brenin that I decided this was something I would actually like to take up as a serious hobby.

Like a lot of women, my husband is also really in to his riding but doesn’t have that annoying female trait of valuing his life, therefore although we enjoy riding together I was always feeling like I was scrambling to keep up and was overcome with a sense of relief when I made it down a trail in one piece.

After a recent trip to France where I had spent nearly every ride praying for survival I decided enough was enough and started researching mountain bike courses.  I came across the ‘Dirt Divas’ website after trawling the internet for women only courses.  The important thing for me was that I didn’t want to spend the day feeling like I was holding everyone up and I wanted an approach to the instruction that appreciated the fact that some of us are actually scared of falling off and hurting ourselves. 

As soon as I found the Dirt Divas website I knew it would be the course for me. They offer a range of different courses for all abilities from ‘Back to Basics’ suitable for pretty much any ability who want to refine and improve their skills (and confidence), through to ‘Single Track skills’ and ‘Drops and Jumps’ for the slightly more experienced rider.  The most important thing is that the courses are women only, so no worries about feeling intimidated by the men who are faster and more fearless. 

The courses are taught in groups of no more than six riders so you are guaranteed a really personal approach to the coaching.  From the moment I arrived I felt immediately more relaxed as the other women on the course revealed their own fears about going downhill fast, falling off and injuring themselves.  The 5 of us all had varying experience on our mountain bikes but we were all united by a feeling that we just wanted to understand better what we were actually doing.  Our course leader Jacqueline immediately put us at ease and the day was started (after a very important cup of tea and chat) with some basic ‘get to know your bike’ info.  This was a really useful part of the day for me as usually my bike is something that is plonked in front of me, all polished and ready to go but by starting to understand how things worked and even a few names of things I suddenly felt I had more ownership of my bike.

We then moved to a quiet spot in the woods and spent the rest of the morning practicing skills and techniques that would be key to us developing our trail riding later in the day.  Exercises ranged from simple tight turns to riding over narrow planks of wood and of course perfecting the ‘attack’ position ready for those oh so scary drops offs and steep bits (not so scary when you actually understand what you are doing).

The afternoon session moved in to some short trails and drop offs where we were able to practice all the techniques we had learnt.  The good thing about a small group is that not only were we all incredibly supportive of each other but Jacqueline was able to rotate around and give individual feedback on everyone’s riding, there was no getting away with sitting down in your seat if you weren’t supposed to!!

At the end of the day we gathered together to share any thoughts and feelings on the day and receive our goody bag.  The atmosphere at the end of the day was much less tense than the morning and everyone was clearly excited about the prospect of going out for a ride that week and putting what they had learnt in to practice.

Verdict: I can’t recommend the course highly enough.  It is as much about changing your mind set as it is about developing core skills.  It acknowledges that when it comes to more ‘risky’ sports women learn differently to men and it is hard not to get caught up in Jacqueline’s enthusiasm and passion for riding.  I thought the course was excellent value for money and there are no hidden extras.  Parking was free and there is even someone taking photographs throughout the day that you can download from the website at no extra cost.

If you are thinking about getting in to mountain biking or just feel you want a chance to meet other like-minded women then these courses are definitely for you.

I’ll be updating my blog with how I am getting on and may even try to film some of my riding!!