Lips, hips and fingertips: Natural skincare talk 101- Read and shop.

Clear skin via mother nature

photo credit: Kymmiisha 

I'm two years into a foundation ban and all the pictures above were taken with varying amounts of makeup on including top right and left where I have nothing but eyebrows on. The top middle is a fully delivered facebeat with no mercy and again foundation free. I must say my pictures (the bottom three being shameless selfies) thrive on good lighting, I took notes from Tyra Banks about finding you light honey yasss! Even in my professional shoots I make sure I'm flatteringly positioned with the light. This may enhance the appearance of these photos and my skin however the fact remains, good natural skin care gives you something to work with. 

photo credit: Kymmiisha 

Over the last year and half to two years I've been on so many medications, I've had so many drugs intravenously administered from anesthetics to blood dyes and in pill and liquid form. It has his definitely left a mark on my body internally and externally ranging from horrific hair loss to dry skin. I remember my days of having oxygen masks to aid breathing and Entonox mouthpieces for pain relief having the driest most sore lips. It didn't help that I was mostly unwell during the winter months when anyone is fair game for dry and chapped lips. I would always have vitamin e oil and it worked miracles on my sore lips.

photo credit: Kymmiisha 

I whipped this cream up for myself a few months ago during spring time when winter had left an indelible dryness in my skin and I've been since been inching closer  and closer to baby butt smoothness ever since. Since its made from oils it can make your skin/makeup get oily quickly so I've reserved it to only be used at night time when it can permeate through and moisturize my skin as I sleep! This is after I either wash my face with natural black soap or do a natural facial. Its simply made from coconut oil, shea butter, witch hazel water, vitamin e oil and the only non oil component to cut through the oils- tea tree toner! I literally just measured it by eye based on what I needed, most probably a tablespoon of each product and then a bit more toner to make it less stodgy. I whisked everything with the tail end of a comb till it was white and whipped and then transferred the mixture into my old shea butter container. I'm still using it in August since May because I only have to use the smallest amount at a time and it does the trick! 

My 7 Natural Tips For Good Skin: 

photo credit: Kymmiisha 

Water is known to be one of the most important components of a healthy lifestyle, a water filter jug is one of the least expensive ways to make it even safer and beneficial. The recommended amount is widely known and its 2l but my cardiologist advised me to drink up to 3 litres when its very hot and I'm doing anything physically demanding so I don't get dehydrated. I'm also an avid water infuser I even did a blog post about it! Check it out  on my food blog.

photo credit: Kymmiisha 

The idea of dead skin is not the most pleasant nor is the way it feels and how it clogs up your pores causing blackheads and such. I've found most exfoliators for women to be too fine for the kind of deep cleanse I need for my skin. My mother and I started collecting beach sand when ever we go to the beach, bringing it back home and mixing with a facial wash for a good cleanse. The top jar has sand from the isle of white and the lighter coloured sand is from a beach in Cape Town South Africa.

WARNING *Wash your face in a bucket when using sand and then throw the sandy water outside because  IT CAN CLOG UP your sink/bath. 

My skin strives on these two astringents very much. First of all, I'm prone to blemishes and dark spots and I'm also naturally freckly with my two signature freckles on my bottom lip, it just gets too akin to polka dot for me! I rely on dabbing blemishes and with lemon juice over night and it even worked in fading an adult chickenpox mark on my forehead now I'm just left with a dent for my sorrows. 

Anyone who knows me knows my love affair with Dudu Osun black soap! I use it for my skin and hair and its been a faithful friend since I started using it. I guess my obsession with it lies in my quest for only using natural products on my skin. The ingredients for black soap are: Pure honey, Shea butter, Osun (Camwood), Palm kernel Oil, Cocoa pod ash, palm bunch ash, Aloe Vera, Lime Juice, Lemon Juice and Water. These are all natural and mostly organically grown in Africa. 

photo credit: Kymmiisha 

These two topical waters are amazing and effective if used individually but mixed together they make and amazing skin toner. Individually they boast many qualities including reducing inflammation, soothing sunburn and maintaining overall good skin health. 

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photo credit: Kymmiisha

Our skin has naturally occurring oils some good and some bad for our overall skin health and appearance. However in the process of washing and cleansing, using soaps and astringents we lose some of these oils and then there becomes a need to put oils back into our skin. If you select your oils well, you could cut out lotions and products that include parabens, fragrances and other potentially harmful ingredients. Here are some of the products I swear by and the links to them so you can try them out yourself: castor oil, raw shea butter, coconut oil, and vitamin e oil. I've linked all the products to the retailers I get them from through amazon.com. 

photo credit: Kymmiisha 

You can really make some effective changes to your skin care regimen by implementing things that are already in your fridge and in your cupboards. I've used things like yogurt, honey and aloe vera as well as avocado for facials. 

Lemon is great for brightening up dark spots and eggs do much more than completing a fry up! Separated, eggs have unique qualities that are good for your skin. The egg white if whipped up a little bit (pictured above) applied to your skin and left to dry for up to twenty-thirty  minutes can rid your skin of all dirt and clear your pores. After washing the egg white off, apply the yolk which is rich in fats and proteins that moisturize your skin and leave it feeling soft after washing it off.

photo credit: Kymmiisha 

Last but not least, sleep! Sleep often, sleep long and sleep well! During the time I was unwell, in recovery and hospitalized I slept a LOT and I believe it contributed to my quick recovery. When we sleep our bodies produce new tissue, protein and rebuild cells that help our skin look good. I guess that's where the term beauty sleep comes from!! Happy sleeping beautiful people!

I hope you find this post helpful! Follow me on twitter and instagram- @kymmiisha and hashtag  #kymmiishadaily with any of your natural skin care tips and if you try and of the tips and like them!!

Lots of love and forehead kisses
Kymmiisha
XO

P.S.....you can start your natural skin care journey right here. Take your first step and substitute one of your usual product for something natural. Let me know how it goes!

Back to business! Return to my lifestyle journal: summer, birthday andhealth update!

Oh hey blogosphere dwellers!

I hope this post finds you smiling!!! I've been a hermit on this blog and on theravenousreport.blogspot.com.....moreso than here actually!!! *insert gulity, sad but shameless face* because I've had some good times, made memories and learnt more about myself during my hiatus. 

Productivity report 

I succeessfully finished my music course with a grade (DMM) that was better than half the people on my course despite being in hospital, missing half the course. I can only give the credit to the grace of God and an amazing tutor who believed in me, was patient and did everything above and beyond his role to make sure I get my grades. I'll forver be grateful to Dave for that! 

I also wrote a lot of songs and got a few llive performances and put my first rough demos on soundcloud of my original songs.....one step closer to them publishing cheques ;)!!!! For two of the performances I gave it my all and sang my butt off, ending up in hospital with breathing problems and a costochondritis flare up! To this day I still say I have ZERO regrets, you only live once and it may as well be musical and passionate! I also wrote an article for a women's magazine which will be coming out soon and I will share the experience with you guys on here. 

Memories I made 

My first post gives you my medical history and how I nearly lost my life but now I've got to a point of using those experiences to remind me to LIVE! Number one on my list was bring my friends closer and filling my days with memories and facilitating the fun so I can bring everyone together. 

In the first picture it had rained on the day of my friend's birthday, literally torrential downpour with thunder and lightening. This put a dampener on our picnic plans but in lieu of cancelling and letting his day get ruined I rearranged my bedroom, filled it with candles, flowers and set up an indoor picnic with music and cocktails. I made a yummy lunch and we chatted away for hours! An epic example of making limoncello when life throws you lemons! Or lemonade if you're under 18! 

The second picture is a beautiful night I shared with friends at a Vietnamese restaurant which I will do a review of soon on my food blog when eat there again! I reunited with friends I hadn't seen in here and brought new friends into my circle with old friends and it was a beautiful belated birthday blessing! 

Larger than life 

First came the exercise ban (well I couldn't work out even if I tried,) then came the stress/ comfort eating and it just got fluffy from there. I struggled to come to terms with my weight gain and was so disappointed with myself especially after losing weight and being vocal about it and proud of myself.

I was using my old pictures for promo and social media print work until one day something snapped. No it's want the button on my jeans! It was a sudden flashback to when I was at my skinniest and I stood in the mirror and promised to love myself at every size. At that point I didn't want to lose sight of why I was losing weight. It helped me lose weight from place of wholeness and self love with health in mind and not get caught up on dress sizes. It also silenced my insecurities from pushing me to go beyond what's healthy in pursuit of "body perfection." 

Back at my heaviest it helped me to remember that this body is a temporary earthly shell that houses my spirit and my soul. I have to take care of it and listen to what it's telling me be it, eat better, rest more or excercise. However what lives on is my soul and spirit and they also need to be taken care of just as much. This helped me not get too caught up in my fat, cut myself some slack and work on the inside till I'm healthy enough to work on the outside through excercise. Meanwhile I'm dressing my lovely lady humps in flattering fashions and appreciating every lump, bump and trying to control the only thing I actually can control which is my diet!  

Posting pictures from the shoot I took the above picture from with new music was liberating. I was no longer censored by the shame of weight gain and could show my whole body again. As sillyas this sounds, anyone who has had any body image issues would relate and would high give me right about now! 

 Five a day (fermented grapes included)

I waved goodbye to morphine and said hello to wine, cocktails and morning headaches! With side effects of mixing morphine and alcohol including severe motor skill impairment, addiction and increased likelihood of overdosing I steered cleared of all things booze for months. My doctor finally took me off  morphine and revised my prescription.  I now have a smaller stash of meds that include a dose of cocodamol that is classed as a controlled drug! I'm praying that one day I will be so healthy the only pills I have to take are vitamins! Till then I'm celebrating the small victories!

 I am also drinking with caution because my body is not fully recovered YET but will be one day! I don't allow myself to get drunk anyway (biblical and moral reasons) and I stay hydrated to minimise hangovers and feeling worse than what my body has to deal with already. 

Birthday blues 

There was an array of anticlimactic events surrounding my 21st birthday.  From fighting for my life and the weakness of having next to negative levels of haemoglobin in my blood I just couldn't do anything big.  So I built my 22nd up to be a re-do and something big. Leading up to it  though I felt better than I'd done last year considering I'm not set to have a heart surgery 12 days after my birthday, I got hit by the birthday blues. Nothing seemed worth it and things weren't going the way I wanted them to. I have to work hard at this because I struggle with this every year. I remember the night of my 20th birthday, bursting into tears when the clock struck midnight and feeling depressed about my birthday.

 It's a huge battle for me and since I was once treated for depression. Although I kicked depression's butt and sent it running, I have to look at triggers and patterns that may be remnants of a depression plagued mindset in my life and nip them in the bud before they get too far. I will actually do a blog post based on my experiences on how I daily work at keeping a depression free mind even when my body is shutting down and I feel out of my depth. 

I eventually got over myself, made plans and a list of birthday demands for my family to adhere to and it had a strong of fabulous birthday celebration lasting fortnight! 

A moment ceased.... 

This above picture was taken at Shaka Zulu Camden. There was an African band playing beautiful drums with a singer and dancer. The atmosphere was so infectious and I felt daring enough to edge up closer to the band and shake my temple to beat of the African drum! It was so liberating and my friend Nicole who is a photographer managed to capture the moment perfectly! 

Family time

The last few months including spring and summer have been full of changes for our family and we've been tested but it's brought us close together.....eventually. There have been times when I've wanted to just go away and leave everything behind, forget about it all.  I remembered I need my cardiologist on speed dial and I need my mummy so I should probably just take a nap and regain perspective of my problems and CHILL! My brother and my best friend Shanaz have been bombarded by social media tags to funny stuff I spend my down time watching and cheering myself up with and it's just been a way for us to bond more. My daddy is just daddy! A complex human being I appreciate more and more as time passes but still perplexes me with his nuances and tendencies. However I love him more than even he knows. 

As time goes on I'm learning to hold what's most important closest to my heart and letting go of what's fickle and fleeting including relationships, friendships, insecurities and certain ideals pertaining to my career. At the end of the day if I have God, my family, music and my close friends I'm good! Everything else will fall into place.  

Bonus!!! 

Here are some pictures I took upon my return to fitness albeit light walking, it's something!!!! I took pictures to resist the temptation of running and making my heart leap out of my chest!!! Wolff Parkinson White sufferers can relate....the change in heart rate from sudden movement or strain can only be felt to be believed! Add an irregular heart beat and a chance of cardiac arrest....running is something I'm slowly easing into with caution, doctor supervision and prayer!  I managed to catch a sunset or two....here they are! 

I'm sorry about the irregularity in my posts but some of this time off has been needed to regroup, regain my health and build life experience for me to share on this, my lifestyle journal! Thanks for bearing with me!

Wet kisses and bear hugs!!!

Kymmiisha

Xo 

Waste not want not: recycled, reclaimed and re-loved!

Hello cyber family! I'm back!!! If that doesn't excite you I don't know what will!! I succeeded in putting the pro in procrastination and for that I offer you my sincerest apologies, life has been happening to a sista! 

The last time I posted on here I had come out of hospital after a week's stay with breathing problems and complications with costochondritis. Well in life's true fashion I went back in again, rushed with sirens and all for another week a month after that....and then the month after that with similar problems but more intense. With all of that and my music course wrapping up, me being so hard on myself and setting sky high goals and such, it's been a trying times. However I'm working on being grateful for the good days, letting bad days be like water off a duck's back and not let it take me off course with my goals and overall happiness! I will actually be doing a post entitled cook yourself happy: guide to comfort food on my food blog theravenousreport.blogspot.co.uk.

This post will be about how I recycled a lot of things to decorate my old room and my new room decor will be in the next installment. I upgraded and got a bigger, better and more grown up bedroom and I can't wait to share with you the thrifty ways and shortcuts I used to make into the haven that it is! 

This post is brought to you by this healthy snack. Summer is coming and one must get it right and get it tight! 

Jars for days! 

It's safe to say I'm addicted to collecting jars and it's out of the pure stigma related to the bizarre nature of my obsession that I won't show my collection. It's extensive including shop bought Kilner Jars and any pretty jar that I have fallen for. Don't judge me!! This jar once had yummy dill pickles in it....now it holds my flowers and serves many other purposes. See!! My obsession comes in handy at times. I do use most of them as drinking glasses much to my mother's bewilderment. 

More jars (don't judge)

This jar used hold scented wax and burnt for many nights until the wick ran out and I took the candle wax out, cleaned it and put my nail polish colours in it. Why you may ask...I don't know but it looks cool! 

Precious brushes 

I'm a firm believer in keeping clean makeup brushes and I ritualistically clean them often with my best shampoo and leave them to dry over night in the airing cupboard. In keeping with the theme of treating what helps make me look human  well, I enlisted the use of these old tea light holders I got for Christmas many moons ago. This way my brushes don't loose shape, the stay dry and fresh and they're more accessible. 

Books or shoes 

In my old room I had trouble with space and had to optimise every square inch of the small space. With this and my dream of one day owning a stupendous shoe closet with shelves for days, I started storing my shoes on a bookshelf. Above one that actually has books obviously! I had to start from somewhere! It was also amazing to go to sleep and wake up with my babies in my view everyday! 

All things to all accessories 

I seriously think I'm addicted to glass and wax because for the last year or two I've been decorating some wine bottles with candle wax. The bottles themselves not only hold my candles but also my bangles and dried flowers depending on the mood. This just goes to show that you can get many different uses out of anything you can find a purpose for. 

Let it burn

There goes them versatile wine bottles again!! Aren't they pretty? I kept these and they're in my new room looking even more amazing. It was beautiful to capture this scene at night with the scents and ambience! 

A box for life 

 Both these boxes came with amazing beauty hampers and the opportunity to minimize the clutter of having so many beauty and makeup products arose so I obliged. They are so pretty and add colour and texture to any room. I also have them in my new room and they bring character to my white walls. It's also cool to be able to find everything in one place and have it put so neatly. 

One man's trash......

Many moons ago with bought a huge loaf of panettone bread and it came in this stunning container. By now you must know how it goes.....it was so pretty and I thought it could work well as rustic, vintage inspired bin in my room. It's been so for the last few years and I love it!

As the saying goes, waste not want not, there are so many free and cheap alternatives to things that look way better and have much more character and they're just laying around your home. 

If you do have any cool pictures please tag me on any of my social media and hashtag #kymmiishadaily I would love to see your take on recycling and reloving! 

My Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are all @kymmiisha 

Happy rummaging!!! 

Love Kymmiisha

XO

Operation Recover and go back to college: First day out: Pancake Day

Hello cyberspace dwellers! I'm back for a sporadic installment of my lifestyle journal! It's been hard out here for a pimp, this time last week I was three days strong on a hospital stay on account of a Costochondritis flare up. Ever since leaving the hospital I hadn't left the house and it would be near impossible to go from being bed bound to being a part time pedestrian, full time student, public transport commuter and generally awesome human being. 

In an attempt to ween myself into some physical activity I left the house and headed to the town center to cover the Pancake Day Race and get some work done with my partners at St Albans District News. Next week I will be attempting a fully study week plus a hosting and performing gig so this assault course was a good introduction back to normality! 

 It was a beautiful day with blue skies and a true show of community spirit. Everyone from the mayor in all her regalia to local businesses and charities taking part in fancy dress even with the sponsorship of McDougalls who's parent company Premer Foods is based in St Albans showed up. I got a statement from them which will be part of my St Albans District News Article. I will be posting links to it on social media so stay tuned! My twitter is @kymmiisha by the way! 

Back to Pancakes, my mandatory pig out session at Merchants Tea and Coffee Company wasn't the only instance I dutifully adhered to the traditions of Pancake Day. I unashamedly had pancakes for dinner which I made myself at home. 

The picture above is the restaurant stack. Below is my attempt at home which I must say tasted better than and had a better texture than the ones at the restaurant, if I do say so myself. 

Not to be biased but I whisked mine and I will actually post the recipes for you. I know this is not my food blog where it's all about food and recipes but this week the recipe ties in with lifestyle experience this week, so I'm breaking my own rules! I'm also not posting the butterscoth recipe as it's a family secret with no recorded measurements and an innately precise execution! It just works and tastes good and I'm sure there are a lot of measured  and specified recipes for butterscoth sauce. 

For light and fluffy pancakes:

250g flour 

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 eggs

150ml milk (or more if stodgy)

100ml melted butter 

50g sugar

Method:

Add flour, bicarbonate of soda, sugar, eggs and milk to mixing bowl and whisk till fluffy

Let the mixture rest in the fridge for 30 minutes 

Add melted butter and whisk to mix 

On medium heat, heat up pan with no oil

Pour in enough mixture according to desired size for one pancake

Cook on one side for 2 minutes until top is bubbling 

Turn over 

And cook for one or two more minutes

That's how I make my pancakes! With no oil in the pan so they aren't greasy and they're soft and fluffy. I served mine at home with yoghurt and blueberries on the side, slathered in butterscotch sauce. 

Apologies to anyone taking part in lent for the temptation but this is one for the recipe collection! 

Thanks for reading, until next time 

Kymmiisha

Xo

Winter warming coffee talk: health update (hiatus apology)

Hello my luscious loves! I'm back to posting on a more regular basis, building up to posting daily like it says on the tin! I'd like to first of all apologise for my silence, it's not out of a lack of content or passion for this blog and it's readers more so than it was about health challenges. 

After just over a month of staying out of the hospital, trying to act normal and attempting to maintain a long stint of good kilter, on January 23rd my health took a turn for the worst. I was at home on my own when I felt a sharp pain affecting my left side through my chest, collarbone, ribs and upper middle back. In panic I contacted my mother who rushed straight home from a meeting to be by my side at which time the ambulance arrived. I was to go on a scary experience going in and out of consciousness, reacting to Entonox (gas and air) with an elevated ECG whilst being rushed to hospital with sirens blazing. At this point I was being treated as a heart attack case because of what the ECG was showing and my history with Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome. 

To cut a long story short I ended up staying in hospital for four tough days and the elevated ECG and excruciating pain and breathing problems were diagnosed to be Costochondritis. It's a painful condition which involved  swelling of cartilage in my rib cage and chest wall thus the trouble breathing. It took up to three weeks after being discharged from the hospital to feel anything close to human and to survive without oromorphe, naproxen and cocodamol or any help breathing. 

During this time and as always my family were golden. They rushed to be by my side, they took days off to spend all day by my bedside as they often do, my brother brought me a late Christmas gift he'd bought me in San Francisco (pictured above) and my parents kept my fruit basket overflowing with enough food feed the whole ward. My extended family also travelled for hours to come and see me and my church family went into a season of prayer and fasting on my behalf for a month of Mondays ending last week, keeping our phones busy with encouragement and check up calls. One special church sister never fails to visit me bearing treats and always prays for me and she was another rock in this time. My cousin came and took me out for a drive when I was stuck in recluse mode forcing me out of my funk! All of the above and more left me feeling like 1) I'm more than a conqueror 

2) the good in my life outweighs the bad 

3) I'm going to make it out of this and I'm determined to make something of myself so these people's love and prayers count for something. I'm truly blessed to have so much love in my life and I don't take it for granted. 

As it stands I'm doing so much better and I have more faith than fear. I'm in hot pursuit of a music manager and a keyboardist/ guitarist to start rehearsing the songs I wrote in my down time  and prepare to gig over spring and summer. Some other amazing opportunities have presented themselves, the fruits of which you will see very soon!!! I'm so excited! 

I have a few performances coming up and I'm judging a local talent show and got some projects lined up with some so this stint of illness propelled me to be more fierce in the pursuit of my dream. 

In all this I've been forced to think, restrategise and get my life in order. First in line was putting my vision boards together and positioning them where I can see them and read them everyday! 

It's important to expand your dreams into clear set long term and short term goals. The more you see them and work on them everyday, the more of a chance you have to keep your focus and see them turn into a reality. 

Secondly and I'm still working on this, regular chats and coffee breaks with good friends who are the iron to my iron. Of late I've been meeting up with a treasured friend who gets me like no other, for coffee dates and catch ups with herself on a more regular basis and every time afterwards I feel like I've been to a spiritual spa! 

 

With the kids being present most of the time I've found instant joy and gratification being hopelessly maternal.  Such interaction has eased the winter blues and made me recover quicker. 

I would highly recommend anyone going through a tough time to spend some time with the children in your life once in a while and observe them. Here's why:

1) Kids are trusting, innocent and remain untainted or coarsened by dissapointments 

2) If a child wants something, there's nothing that can deter their hope and faith and they usually get what they want

3) Children have big imaginations that we all once had but in our quest for knowledge and education we rewired our brains into a numb state of rigid routine and facts. 

4) Kids always find a way to make everything they are doing fun. It may come as a nuisance to adults but if you observe kids, simple tasks turn into fun and though fun overtakes being thorough, they still have that quality in them that often disappears as you get older. 

Some may argue that children have nothing to worry about pertaining to money woes, work stress and family worries which makes it easier to be happy and carefree. To this I've always said that happiest people act like adults and think like children. 

That's not to invalidate the importance of maturity or the need to use skills of diplomacy and tact which kids naturally lack. It's  to implore adults to keep dreaming and believing, keeping grey clouds at bay, everything will fall in place as it should. 

As always thank you for reading. Warmth and love to all

Kymmiisha

Xo