How to Rock Swimwear this Summer

Whatever your shape or size there's guaranteed to a swimsuit or bikini to suit you. It's funny how, the minute the sun comes out, we all dread getting into our swimwear that summer - we hit the gym, jump on the wii fit, go out for more runs and try to eat healthier, just to look that little bit better on the beach and by the pool. There are certain tricks you can use however that will help transform your body, highlight your best bits and hide the ones you aren't so keen on, without upping the fitness routine. So how do you do that with swimwear? Read on and take a look:

Boyish and Slim Figures

If you want to create curves, go for a padded bikini top. You can also add the illusion of being slightly wider than you are by wearing horizontal stripes. You'll also find that you can wear pretty much any type of swimwear thanks to your fantastic figure, be it a string bikini or a cut out swimming costume. You may find it hard to believe but a cut out swimming costume can actually create curves thanks to the way in which it's cut, so don't shy away from them.

Big Bust

If you have a large bust, you need a costume that offers plenty of support. Whether that's in an underwired bikini, or a costume or tankini with built in support, is up to you, but you need to have your assets under control so to speak. Halternecks are great for this, but you can get away with wearing any style of neck if the support is right. If you want to create the illusion of smaller breasts, wear a lighter colour on your bottom half and a darker colour on top.

Large Stomachs

Many women are conscious of their tummies, particularly after having children, but the key is to disguise it. Buy a swimsuit with added support in the stomach area to help cinch you in where you need it, and consider one with ruching around the tummy or prints, both of which will help to disguise what's going on under your swimming cossie. George at ASDA's swimwear offers some great choices to help ladies who'd prefer to keep their tummy underwraps, including the Bodysculpt Mixed Animal Print Swimsuit and the Spot Ruche Swimsuit. Both of which are just what ladies with insecurities about their tummies need to feel confident on the beach this summer.

Pear Shaped

If you're bigger on the hips than you are on your bust, try a costume that is darker on the bottom than on the top. This will give the perception that you are in fact smaller on your bottom half than you are. You might also find that a chevron style print will work equally as well when worn all over the costume.

If all else fails of course there are some amazing cover ups that are just perfect for the beach and around the pool available to buy from George at ASDA and on the high street, so, no matter what, you'll end up feeling confident in your swimwear this year.


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Father's Day Delivery

Every once in a while I forget something, I am of course only human.  Fathers Day is quite a big deal to me, I only have one Dad (two Father-in-laws) and this is the one day I get to send him something that he really likes and enjoys and I get to let him know how much he means to me.  We share a private joke every year, he always knows what I am buying him, I don't even have to mention it, he knows this gift is coming and every year I joke and say I am going to do something different one year.  

This year I almost forgot, I had bought his present, which is a bottle of his favourite Whisky, in time, wrapped it securely and packaged it up ready to send off. I then got distracted by other things and this package sat there, and sat there until I suddenly realised two days before that I hadn't sent this parcel to my Dad and I needed it to arrive on the 14th June before 6pm because Dad was going fishing overnight and wouldn't be back until late Sunday and as Father's Day was 15th and there is no Sunday delivery, I need a solution.

Thankfully for me TNT saved the day.  This was my second time using TNT and I am really impressed with their service.  You can go on the website and get a price finder for how much it is going to cost, my package cost just £9.95 just VAT which was significantly cheaper than other avenues.  If you are not sure how to book your package, there is a really helpful online chat assistant who talks you through all of the options.  What I liked was not having to go through the effort of making an account to send one parcel, I could fill in all the relevant details, pay by my card, print off everything I needed and the job is done.

Following the four easy steps:

• Enter Parcel Details to get a quote
• Select the service you require
• Enter the collection details and the destination details
• Confirm and Pay

Now for me, as someone who works from 8am until sometimes 6-7pm in an evening with half an hour for lunch, someone coming to collect my package from me is a lifesaver because there is no way I can make it to go and take my package to be posted, it is quite a distance to walk, the Post Office is closed in a morning when I leave and the same in an evening.  Also I often work weekends as well and have the same problem.

Then once you have booked your parcel in for collection, a TNT representative comes to you office/home to collect it from you and off it goes on its way. Once it has left, you can track whether or not it has been delivered using the consignment number that you will have been given when booking your packaged for delivery. 

Throughout the whole booking process, there is the use of the livechat should you get a little confused and the FAQ section is really helpful.

TNT don't just deliver in the UK, they deliver worldwide and again the countries to which they deliver too can be found on the main website.  You can also post larger items and as with many items you might want to post, there are rules and regulations which need to be adhered too and once again, everything you need with regards to that is clearly visible.

Having now used TNT a few times, I have found them to be brilliant.  The package to my Dad arrived in plenty of time and in one piece.  I have also received quite a lot of packages via TNT and again, they have always arrived on time and in one piece.

Have you ever used TNT? How do you send your packages and parcels?

This post has been written in collaboration with TNT Express

HER Haircare Rituals

Whenever I am asked if I would like to try some new haircare products, I always jump at the chance. As well as trying my best to ensure my skin is kept in tiptop condition, my hair is just as important.

HER Haircare Rituals is a brand I had never heard of until a wonderfully packaged lot of products arrived at my door. The brand, if you haven't heard of them comes from a place called Veneto in Italy and is co-owned by entertainer John Barrowman who is also the co-creator. From his own eyes, he has seen first hand what women’s hair has to endure on a daily basis. whether it is colouring and blowdrying to curling and straightening, a performer’s hair has no time to recover from these treatments. And neither does yours. It is said that the average woman’s hair endures a great deal more stress than most men’s. This is why John and HER haircare have designed these products which help combat the effects of daily styling, air conditioning and many environmental factors to reverse the damage caused by everyday life.

So in my package was the Nourishing range which comprised of a shampoo, conditoner, hair treatment and a nourishing oil. My hair is combination, it has greasy roots and dry ends, is quite fine but I have a lot of hair on my head. I tend to wash my hair every other day in the summer and every two days in the winter unless I feel it is necessary to wash it more frequently. Once a week or at least once every two weeks, I use a treatment on my hair as I have always been told to do by any hairdresser.

The first things to note about this range is the rather stylish packaging. Pure white bottles with black lids and the HER logo right in the centre of the bottle, they are sleek in design whjch wouldn't look out of place in an exclusive salon.

Nourishing Shampoo, £15.00. This is described as follows:

"This luxurious cleanser offers complete nutrition for dry, damaged hair. A blend of revitalising natural sugars with hydrolysed sweet almond, wheat and rice proteins, intensely nourishes the hair leaving it soft, supple and brilliantly shiny"

As soon as you open the lid, as I always do with any new product to smell it, this is most definitely a scent I really like. It has one of those fresh scents combined with a citrusy blend which makes for an uplifting scent and something you would probably like as a candle to create an atmosphere to give you that get up and go. Once on the hair it lathers with ease and you only need a small amount to cover your entire head, something I particualy like in a product as there is nothing worse than using half the bottle and only get minimal lather, it never feels as though you have washed your hair. It is as easy to wash out as it is to apply and once you have done so and my hair always feels lovely and soft, not lank or overly heavy.

Nourishing Conditioner, £17.00 described as follows:

"This velvety conditioner contains natural oils including Olive, Avocado and Brazil Nut which effortlessly nourish, to replace lost moisture and protect dry, distressed hair restoring weightless body and natural shine".

I don't use a conditioner everytime I wash my hair, I have found they weigh to heavy on my hair, but this conditioner I really really like. Again ti has a fresh scent too it, though totally different from the shampoo and you can get a definite scent of Avocado. Once this has been applied to the mid-lengths and ends of you hair, you leave it on for 30 seconds before rinising out, again an easy task which doesn't require a lot of rinsing to ensure every last trace is removed.

The final two products withing my package was the 300 Trecento Treatment and the Nourishing Oil.

The 300 Trecento Treatment comes packaged in a box which mimics the design of the shampoo and conditioner bottles, only inside the pot if black and looks even more exclusive. It won't surprised you to hear that this treatment smells good enough to eat, it is almost heavenly. Unlike most treatments, you actually use this before washing and conditioning and to use you ensure your hair is slightly damp, towel off any excess water and then apply from root to tip and leave for 300 seconds (clever name) or 5 minutes. You can of course opt for a deeper conditioning treatment which you leave on for 15 minutes.

This Treatment is described as follows:

"This weekly pre shampoo treatment is at the core of the Her haircare ritual. A one-step deep conditioning treatment clinically proven to rebuild and repair dry/damaged hair. A must have for anybody using hot styling tools.

In just 300 seconds (5 minutes) natural plant extracts including Shea butter, Olive and wheat protein penetrate the hair to rebuild, strengthen & moisturise from within. The Trecento Treatment creates a protective layer to restore resilience, strength and elasticity to minimise frizz, enhancing health & shine". 

Once you have had the treatment on which the allotted time, you simply wash out using warm water (not hot). When I used this for the first time, I had expected it to leave my hair feeling lank and greasy, a problem I have encountered with similar products, however it did neither of those and once I had completed the washing and conditioning process, my hair felt soft and smooth and really well conditioned. Given it is packed with oils, vitamins and natural ingredients like Shea Butter, Olive and Ginseng, it is no wonder my hair always feels so lovely after use and what's more, an absolute pleasure to style.

Finally the Nourishing Oil which is a clear see-through bottle this time, is described as follows:

"This luxurious, weightless elixir powered with four precious oils; Argan, Radish, Sweet Cherry and Moringa nourish, tame, detangle, and protect the hair leaving it feeling silky, supple, and with a lustrous shine".

To use you simply rub 2 or 3 drops between your fingers and run all the way through the mid lengths to the ends of the hair, it is easy to use because the bottle has a pump action dispenser to make life much easier. Once you have combed through and styled your hair as you would normally do, like me you should notice how super soft and shiny your hair is, not to mention how amazing it smells.

I have really enjoyed using these products, they smell amazing, they leave my hair feeling soft, smooth and super shiny and I just love the packaging.

Have you tried this range?  

Murad Balance and Protect Travel Kit

As you read this, I will be in France for a few days and the stress of deciding what I need to take with me has arrived.  I am only doing hand luggage as it is which means I can't take numerous pairs of shoes (always a good thing) and the crazy liquid limit always annoys me!

The lovely people over at Murad sent me one of their 'Travel Light, Stay Clear and Bright' travel-sized skincare sets which are exclusive to Marks & Spencer and cost just £10! There is a choice of three different sets:

• Smooth and Soften Travel Kit - Tackles fine line and wrinkles
• Youthful You Travel Kit - Firms and Brightens the skin
• Balance and Protect Travel Kit - Balances oily, blemish-prone skin.

I was sent the Balance and Protect Travel Kit which arrives in this cute little bag, which you can see below.  What I instantly liked about this kit is that it is travel handy and you can see everything in it and you don't need to faff about getting all your liquids out because it is all within the limit.

Within this kit you will find:

Clarifying Wipes x 5

Clinically proven to keep skin clear by removing dirt, bacterial and excess oil.  To use, you simply wipe over your face and neck

Oil-Control Mattifier SPF15 P++ 10ml

Immediately mattifies the skin and controls oil for up to 8 hours.  To use, you massage evenly over your face and neck

Skin perfecting primer - dewy finish 5ml

An oil-free, pore-minimising formula which can be used under or in place of foundation. To use you apply after moisturising by smoothing a pearl sized amount over your face.

Working together these products claim they will:

• Reduce excess oil and leaves a matte finish
• Restore skin's smoothness
• Give a radiant glow
• Minimise the appearance of pores

For just £10, I think this is a bargain and I am looking forward to seeing how my skin reacts to it whilst away.  Finally this kit is:

• Hypoallergenic
• Dermatologically Tested
• Suitable for Vegetarians
• Skin Type it is for -  Oily

What do you think to this travel kit? Have you tried it or any other Murad products?