Always falling asleep during Netflix and chill? These socks will help

Dec 20, 2015

We all know Netflix has totally changed the way we watch TV, but even with that, it wants to go one step further.

Yep, our beloved Netflix has teamed up with streaming website, Deeplocal, to invent a new DIY project… and it's what we've all been waiting for.

Socks that pause your show when you fall asleep. Genius, right? It's a bit techy so we'll let Netflix explain their new project:

"An accelerometer detects when you've stopped moving for a prolonged period of time and triggers a signal to your TV that pauses Netflix.

"When it detects that you've dozed off, an LED light in the cuff of the sock flashes red, warning that the pause signal is about to be sent to your TV. Any motion will stop it from firing.

"The accelerometer is very sensitive to little movements, so it's good at detecting when you're just sitting still, raptly watching Netflix, and when you've actually fallen asleep."

Now, it's a DIY project, which you can see here, so you will have to put together the socks yourself, but don't worry as all it is is a little bit of knitting and electronics.

We're sure you'll be grand.

Check out this handy trick that you can do with all your old bras!

Lifestyle

Sep 26, 2015

by Amber Saunders

We all know the feeling; you buy a beautiful backless dress for a party, yet when you try it on your pesky bra keeps showing through and it won’t stay down or hide.

As trivial as this problem is, it’s still super annoying.

But you'll never have to worry about this situation again with this handy backless bra trick!

And as a bonus, you can find a use for a worn-out bra. Two birds and all that…!

All you need is:

A bra
Scissors
Pins
Thread and needle

1.Take the bra and make the first cut between the shoulder straps and the back strap. Not on the cups, but on the other end.

2. Then cut the rest of the back strap away from the cup.

3. Do the exact same on the other side. But first cut off the shoulder straps.

4. And then the rest of the back. All that is left are the cups with bother shoulder straps!

5. Now, fix the loose bottoms of the shoulder straps to the cups with the pins. On both sides, of course.

6. And now all that's left: try it on! If the straps are too tight, you can sew them on a bit farther out. For that take the needle and thread. Just a few stitches are enough!

7. And this is the wonderful result with a dress! Not a sign of the bra!

The one, everyday item you need to make your own sports bra

Jul 17, 2015

by Amber Saunders

Before you go out and spend all of the money you don’t have on fancy sportswear you may not wear after next week, stop.

We just found the most budget friendly wardrobe hack there is. You just need one pair of underwear. Sounds simple?

More like bizarre, because there’s one catch, men’s underwear is what you actually need.

We had heard of up-cycling before but this is next level DIY. There’s no denying that new ways of saving money and staying stylish are always welcome but this is a bit out there.

We’re trying to imagine sporting dodgy pre-loved briefs in a Zumba class. We're not exactly getting a Victoria's Secret Sport type of vibe…

You can actually turn them into a piece of clothing that’s functional and, dare we say it, kind of, sort-of, not that bad looking? One definitive positive to this unique style trend, you don’t have to sew one single stitch.

All you need is a pair of scissors and you have all the makings of a sports bra that’s perfect for low-impact activity. So more of a yoga type outfit than say, triathlon training.

One more thing, you will need to pick a pair that have a good sturdy waistband. That kind of goes without saying though, doesn’t it?

Also, wearing them over your t-shirt is completely optional, but if that’s what you want we’re not judging.

Move over man caves… because she sheds are taking over

Lifestyle

Jul 8, 2015

by Amber Saunders

Man caves had totally taken over without much of a female equivalent, but we are happy to announce that girls are now being given a few more options.

Now us gals will also have our own place to get away from it all, without being disturbed and being extremely comfy all the while.

The 'she shed' is the newest trend in garden innovation and has us seriously planning a weekend DIY project.

These she sheds range from purpose built small buildings, to aluminium sheds that have basically just been pimped.

One you have a comfy place to sit and electricity installed, you're pretty much good to go.

This would be your hideaway for reading or Netflix bingeing, or you could even create your own built-in bar (yes, yes, and YES!).

To create your own perfect she shed you need a space first of all. even cleaning out the old abandoned shed or an unused corner of the house would do, as long as you're comfy.

You would need a source of electricity next,and hopefully an extension lead from the house will do the trick.

Then the rest is up to you! If you just want to use it to chill out, somewhere comfy to sit and a nice blanket would be required. But if you want to use it to work or pursue a hobby, then a desk would be a great addition too.

Then it's up to you to get as creative as you want with it, fairly lights galore!

5 easy hair masks you can make at home

Jun 17, 2015

by Amber Saunders

We all love summer and any bit of sun we get, but on the downside, it can leave your hair feeling a little bit worse for wear.

We went on the hunt for some easy DIY hair masks, and found some that contain ingredients that you definitely have lying around the house.

1. Coconut oil

This mask is literally what it says on the tin. Covering your hair in coconut oil is a great way to get it’s moisture back. You can get coconut oil in any health food shop or opt for a cheaper option from Tesco.

Wear an old t-shirt or pjs and warm up the coconut oil between your hands Apply to damp hair and leave for about half an hour – or an hour if your hair is seriously dry!

2. Olive oil & honey

Olive oil is rich in antioxidants which will give your hair a gorgeous shine and it can be found in almost every household. Honey is great for sealing in moisture and will give your hair mask a much nicer scent.

Mix 60ml of olive oil and 40ml of honey together and apply to your hair. Pop on a shower cap and let the mixture soak in for about 20 minutes.

3. Avocado, olive oil & honey

This one is especially good for extremely dry hair. Mash up one avocado, one tablespoon of honey and two of olive oil. Massage into your hair and cover with a plastic bad or cling film, leave for an hour to get the full effects.

4. Strawberry

This is one that will smell great and give your hair lots of shine. This strawberry mask is great for oily hair as strawberries are good at regulating oil production on the scalp. A handful of strawberries mashed up will do the trick, but it you suffer from dry ends be sure to pop some conditioner on them to your hair doesn’t dry out too much.

5. Beer Mask

This one is for adding some body to limp lifeless hair. All you need is half a cup of flat beer, 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil and 1 raw egg mixed together. This one just needs to be left in for about 20 minutes before washing out with cold water.

DIY beauty: How to make your own cosmetics

May 14, 2015

by Amber Saunders

We all know the struggle of running out of our favourite moisturiser, or lacking the funds to invest in a new exfoliator.

However, don't need to stress anymore, there are plenty of ways to keep your skin in top shape from the comfort of your home.

Exfoliator

1 tablespoon of ground oats
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of olive oil or water

Combine the oats with the salt.
Add the olive oil/water to make a paste.
Rub onto the skin in circular motions.
Leave on for 5 to 10 minutes.
Rinse.

Hand and body cream

1/4 cup of coconut oil
1/8 cup cocoa butter
1/8 cup shea butter
1 tablespoon of aloe vera juice
1 tablespoon of liquid oil
5-10 drops of essential oils

Heat the shea butter, cocoa butter and cocunut oil over a low heat until melted.
Remove from the heat.
Add the aloe vera juice, liquid oil and essential oils.
Stir well.
Store in a container eg. jam jar.

Facial toner

1/4 cup of apple juice
4 tablespoons of witch hazel
An empty bottle

Combine 1/4 cup of (homemade or bought) apple juice with the witch hazel.
Pour into the clean bottle.
Using a cotton pad, apply to your face after washing it, avoiding the delicate eye area.

Here’s your DIY route to thick, luscious locks!

Dec 18, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Some girls were fortunate enough to be born with a head of thick hair which they can curl, straighten and play with to their heart’s content.

Many of the rest of us, however, were not blessed in this department and have spent more time than we ever thought possible fantasising about having a mane of hair that makes heads turn on the daily.

If you’ve resigned yourself to the notion that you will never have a head of enviable hair, then now is the time to wise-up and realise that thick luscious locks are definitely within your reach!

All you need to do is school yourself on these DIY tips and tricks!

DIY Trick #1

Don’t wash your hair too frequently!

Each time we wash our hair, we damage our hair’s natural nutrients which makes our barnet weak and brittle. So this is something we definitely need to avoid on our quest for thick, luscious locks!

DIY Trick #2

Beat one or two eggs, apply it to wet hair, allow it to settle for approximately 30 minutes and then wash it out with shampoo and warm water.

This protein treatment can be applied once a week and will promote strong, thick hair growth!

DIY Trick #3

Apply Aloe Vera gel to your scalp and allow it to sit for 30 minutes before washing out with warm water.

This treatment can be carried out once or twice a week and the moisturising quality of the aloe vera will have a fantastic effect on your scalp which will, in turn, lead to stronger, thicker hair.

DIY Trick #4

Apply an avocado hair mask once a week by mixing one mashed avocado with a tablespoon of olive oil and allowing it to sit on your hair for approximately 30 minutes, before rinsing it out and shampooing.

The vitamin E in the avocado has a positive overall effect on the hair shaft which is exactly what we want, right?

DIY Trick #5

Step away from the straightener, ladies!

We know how damaging these appliances can be, so if you’re serious about strengthening your hair then it’s vital you minimise your use of these tools. Sorry girls, but that’s the bottom line!

Hoping to wake up with long, thick locks isn’t enough. We really need to be proactive about our hair care if we truly want a bangin' barnet!

These five tips will do wonders for the overall health of your hair, so why not try one today!

Nail art hacks for the perfect manicure

Sep 8, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Creating the perfect manicure can often be more costly than you anticipate. CND are here to provide the top DIY tips for your perfect cost effective manicure.

Make polka dots with the tip of a bobby pin

Choose two nail colours of your choice. For A/W we recommend using CND’s new A/W Modern Folklore Collection in Crimson Sash and Locket Love.
First, paint your nails in the base colour Crimson Sash.
Wait for your nails to dry for two minutes.
Get a bobby pin and dip it into the Locket Love as this is what you will be using for your dots.
Apply the VINYLUX Weekly Top Coat to give your polish that week long effect.

Add corn starch to clear nail polish to create a matte top coat

Take a bottle of clear nail polish that is at least 25% empty.
Using a makeshift funnel made from rolled paper, add a teaspoon of cornstarch to the bottle of nail varnish.
Shake the bottle to mix the cornstarch with the clear polish. Take note that this will involve a lot of shaking.
Allow the polish to sit for 24 hours

Write on your nails with a sharpie pen

To begin, choose a base colour of your choice. Try out the CND VINYLUX Modern Folklore Collection in Rose Brocade. Taking a Sharpie pen in a colour of your choice draw any design you wish.

Create a glitter French manicure

Taking a nail glitter pen of your choice draw a stripe along your French manicure tip to dress it up and cover up those uneven lines.

Paint over lace to create an easy design

Once you have your French manicure complete place a sheet of lace over each nail.
Using a white nail polish of your choice, we suggest CND VINYLUX in Cream Puff, paint a thin layer on the outer side of the lace and voilá you have French manicured nails with a beautiful lace design.

DIY gift wrapping that will make any present look great!

Lifestyle

Sep 2, 2014

by Amber Saunders

You may not have a lot of money to spend on your friend’s actual present, but that doesn’t mean you can’t jazz it up with some fancy gift wrapping! Even that fancy pen you got her will create a few ‘wows’ when you produce it in a pretty box – so what are you waiting for?

Cone wrapping
How could anyone not love a gift that comes wrapped like this? It’d almost be a shame to open it!

Crepe paper and empty toilet rolls
Wondering what to do with all those empty toilet rolls piling up in the bathroom? Well now you can give your friends gifts like little bottles of nail polish and wrap them up like this – perfect!

Interactive wrapping paper
Well everything is gone interactive these days, hasn’t it? Why should gift wrapping be any different? While some people may just call you lazy, others will be amazed at your ability to think outside the box. You gotta know your audience with this one!

Love hearts
This one is perfect if your gifting you're significant other (not that boys appreciate pretty wrapping, but anyway!). Just wrap it in red paper, and again in brown paper, having cut out a few half hearts beforehand. Then all you do is fold them out, and voilà! Beautiful!

Mouse box
We don’t have any presents to give any time soon, but we might just make this anyway. It’d be perfect for any little brothers or sisters especially!

Newspaper
Perhaps your friend is a journalist, or just reads the paper a lot. Either way, it’s a much more dignified end to an old edition than using it to mop up the kitchen after your dog was left in for too long.

A Pringles box
If you’re REALLY broke, then why not bake a few cookies, put them in an old pringles box and wrap it up nicely? It looks nice, and while you may not have spent a fortune, they’ll appreciate your efforts!

images via Pinterest

How to spruce up your bathroom

Lifestyle

Jul 3, 2014

by Amber Saunders

Bathrooms in rented apartments or houses often leave little to be desired: leftover, mismatched or eighties style tiles adorn the walls, not to mention the plastic bath and patchy paint. Fear not, while you may not be able to actually do any major redecorating, there are a few things you can do to make it a little more homely:

New shower curtain
Add a little colour to your bathroom by investing in a new bright coloured shower curtain. You can go as cheap or as expensive as you like, you can even pick one up in Dealz for €1.49.

Fabric skirt
While it might remind you of your granny’s bathroom, they will hide ugly pipes and drains coming from the sink. Simply secure some fabric underneath the basin and let it hang down from the sink like a dress.

Wall stickers
Wall stickers are great for updating any look or simply bringing a little inspiration into the home. You can get them online and they are great for rented places as they easily come off the walls without leaving a mark.

Flowers
Flowers are a great way to spruce up any area. Head to IKEA or Dealz and pick up a cheap colourful vase, fill it with some flowers and pop them in the bathroom. If you have hayfever, fake flowers can look just as nice.

How to make your own paper flowers

Lifestyle

Jun 23, 2014

by Amber Saunders

If you suffer from hay fever or just can’t be bothered looking after actual flowers, making your own paper flowers is a great alternative (and they’re very pretty).

All you need is some crepe paper, wire, a stapler and a scissors. Once you get your supplies, it’s time to get crafty!

Method

1. Cut your crepe into equal size squares, about the size of your average napkin