♡Animal Cruelty♡

Hi guys, today I want to talk about one of the many things that makes me passionate and that is animals.

Although I don't agree with everything that PETA does I am a part of both their emailing list and their mailing list but I had never received a letter from them until the other day.

This letter contained a survey and also two double sided pages of information regarding the fur industries treatment towards cats and dogs as well as other animals.

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I've always been aware of the fur industry so have never bought real fur but I didn't know that animals killed for their fur are sometimes domestic cats and dogs that are stolen from their families.

Nor did I realise that fur which originates from cats and dogs is sold under different labelling in countries around the world including Australia.

Reading this letter my cat was curled up on my lap and I was horrified by facts that I both knew and didn't know.

What makes people think it is okay to bludgeon, drown, and skin alive animals in order to save money and to avoid damage to the fur?? It disgusts and angers me.

Did you know that cats and dogs continue to breathe five minutes after they are skinned alive?

Other animals also go through this torture and I have to tell  you that kittens and puppies are not exempt.

I know all this may be shocking but please read on. I want you to know exactly what is going on because you can make a difference.

We need to speak for those who can not speak or protect themselves.

A PETA Asia affiliate actually saw this firsthand in China and recorded it on video tape, more proof that this is actually happening.

Although there is a lot of bad news in relaiton to the treatment of animals there are also a lot of positives.

Polo Ralph Lauren, one of the largest retailers in the world, went fur-free after meeting with PETA and seeing the investigative footage of Chinese fur farms. Top designers like Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein have also permanently removed fur from their collections after meeting with PETA.

Please, never buy or wear fur and tell everyone you know the terrible price animals have paid for it.

I also have to say that although some of PETA's campaigns are wonderful sometimes their methods are questionable so I do not support them as an organisation entirely.

If you are aware of any designers, companies or stores selling products that contain animal fur then I urge you to please contact them either in person, email or letter explaining to them what industry they are contributing to.

xx

♡Love Yourself♡

So, as I'm sure many of you have already seen through tumblr or through news headlines Dove have released a new video where an FBI-trained forensic artist, Gil Zamora, created sketches of seven women who were hidden behind a curtain. He used their self-descriptions as the basis of his drawings. Prior to the session with Zamora, each of the women were also asked to spend some time with a stranger – without being told why. Zamora then also drafted sketches from the stranger’s depictions of the women.

As I watched this I tried to imagine myself explaining how I would look to someone and I knew instantly that it would probably be not very flattering. I am sure that many women, heck, many people in the world can agree.

The reality is that most of us can’t see our own beauty like the people around us can and we’re constantly underestimating not only our looks but our abilities. In fact, only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful.

To me that is absolutely shocking.

Personally I have struggled with my own appearance in the past which didn't result in the best outcomes but that has led to my appreciation and love for the human body. Although not every day I am in love with what I see I try to concentrate on my dreams, hopes, things I have achieved and things that I want to accomplish.

No matter what you think, you are beautiful.

Just think of the amazing things that you can do!

This video will change the way that you think and feel about your own beauty so please take a look if you haven't already:

I found this video so upsetting, to me every woman in the world is gorgeous, no matter their appearance and the women in this video were beautiful.

Yes, it is ok to care about how you look but life is too short to worry about it when there is so much in the world to experience.

I know that self love is a lot more complicated than that, I know that me telling you this won't necessarily change what you think but it's something important that I feel needs to be said and is something that people need to hear more often.

I also have a couple of tips that will hopefully help you in loving yourself just that bit more, as  cheesy as they may seem:

1. Fall in love with yourself. Think about what makes you, you. Just like a flower that needs watering to grow, learn to nurture yourself in every way. Love yourself for all the good that you see and accept your flaws and the fact that you are imperfect. 

2. Eliminate Self Criticism. If you find that you often judge yourself, make an effort to stop the self criticism.

3. Be Kind And Positive. When you start to think kindly and positively about yourself, the love you have for yourself just grows.

4. Acknowledge Your Effort. It is not always about winning or coming up tops in everything that you do. Many times, it is the effort that counts! Acknowledge that you have done your best.

5. Let Go Of Worry. Loving yourself requires you to let go of your worry. It is a horrible way to live a life filled with constant worrying. I can attest to that! Worry does not help in any way. Instead of worrying, spend time thinking about what you can do to help in the situation. 

I've also had a couple of people ask me about high school in relation to their self esteem and I have this to say; since leaving high school my self respect and my appreciation of myself has doubled. I fully became myself as I stopped worrying about what judgmental people thought around me. If I could say anything to my high school self it would be do what makes you happy and don't care what others think about you.

I know that to some of you this post may not seem like much but I hope that it has helped, even in the slightest.

xx

♡Skinny Me Tea♡

Hello again guys! This time I thought I would post a review on Skinny Me Tea, which I am halfway through the 14 day detox of. I have always been curious to how this works/if this works. The purpose of the tea is to cleanse and detoxify your body. I was hoping that it would help clean out my inside after a couple heavy nights out and would also make me a bit more 'trim'. My friends and I started it together and our opinions of it have all been different.

On the left is the loose leaf morning tea which I have had every morning, the site suggests drinking this half an hour before breakfast so I'd often drink it as soon as I woke up because sometimes i can get hungry straight away. This tea "Contains caffeine & other natural stimulants like ‘yerba mate’ tea-leaves to provide extra energy, burn fat and calories, suppress appetite etc." as the site says and the leaves are not needed to be drunk.

It's ingredients are Sencha Green Tea, Yerba Mate, Dandelion Leaf, Ginseng Leaf, Lemon Grass, Celery Leaf, Nettle Leaf, Goji Berries (Fresh & Powdered), Açai Powder.

Personally, as I am a big tea drinker, I liked the taste of it, it reminded me slightly of green tea although it did take a little getting used to as the flavours are stronger.

On the right are the colon cleanse tea bags which you have every second night, starting on the first night of the teatox. The ingredients are Senna Leaf & Root, Hawthorn Berry Extract, Barley, Lotus Leaf, Lime Leaf & Extract, Psyllium Husk Seed, Phaseolus Calcaratus Seed, Rhubarb Root,Poria Cocos Stem Bark and the taste resembles more of a white tea and took a bit more getting used to than the loose leaf tea as the smell is more intense and the taste is stronger but once I got used to it I had no problem drinking it.

The night time tea is supposed to provide a laxative affect and the website says that the laxative affect usually takes 10-12 hours to set in. The morning after having the colon cleanse tea for the first time it went... well to put it delicately, my bowels reacted the way the site said it would. The second and third time I used it though it wasn't as smooth sailing. The site suggests leaving the tea bag in for 3-5 minutes but the longer you leave it in the stronger the laxative reaction will be. The second night I woke up in the early hours of the morning with bad cramping that was extremely painful and I then needed to use the bathroom before the 12 hour mark. The third time I used it I followed the sites suggestion of leaving the teabag in for a shorter amount of time so that my body could adjust but I still had an issue with cramps and needing to go to the bathroom before the time was up (sorry, a bit tmi).

I then decided to give my body a little break from drinking the night time tea as my stomach was feeling a bit sore. I am pleased to say that the fourth time I drank the tea after leaving it in for around 30 seconds it was a lot better. I didn't expereince any cramping at all.

With all this being said the tea has definitely made me feel cleaner and I have lost a couple of kilos, not that that was really my goal, but I think that is just water weight. One of my friends has actually gained a few kilos since drinking this tea while another one of my friends has lost a few kilos and also has a boundless amount of energy - neither of them experienced the cramping that I did.

My advice to anyone wanting to try the tea is to let your body adjust to the colon cleanse and also to keep in mind that everyone's bodies react differently, the tea doesn't necessarily work on everyone. I do also have to say that my stomach looks like it has a bit more definition. I would definitely try this tea again, maybe in a couple of months time, mainly because it feels like I am doing something good for my insides but at the same time I don't want my body to become dependent on the laxative affect of the night time tea. Just remember to look after yourself if you try it and to listen to your body. 
I will post a final review of the tea a little bit later once I have finished the teatox.

~EDIT: My final review can be read here http://billieastrid.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/final-skinny-me-tea-review.html

xx

♡Vanessa's Coachella Fashion♡

I thought I would write my first post about someone's fashion that I absolutely admire and some people find this choice surprising. It is in fact, Vanessa Hudgens, I just love her boho chic style. Coachella just recently finished; for those of you who may not be aware it is a music festival in America and this was the amazing line up:

I thought I would break down her outfits, every single one is an absolute charm.

☯First oufit:

Vanessa started off Coachella with a bang! This stunning figure hugging floral maxi dress complimented her body perfectly. The actress, wearing Blu Moon‘s Rambling Rose Dress, wrote on her way to the festival on twitter, “Finally the day has come to go to Coachella. Free once again. So excited for the live music, the sun, the energy, and did I mention the live music ;)? There are so many amazing acts, but here’s a playlist of some of the artists I’m MOST excited to see this weekend!!”
She uploaded this photo on her instagram and captioned:

 "Fashion shot!!! First day of Coachella down!!! Such an amazing day. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Blur made my day. So much fun. Very grateful to have amazing friends to share this experience with."

She is also not the one to forget details, also uploading this picture to instagram:

I'm not always a fan of 'bling' but I absolutely love these nails!

☯Second outfit:

This has got to be one of my favourite outfits, it is so simple yet so detailed. She was perfectly accesorised with a black studded bag and she stacked on the jewellery. The shorts and white bandeau top contrasted against her dark complexion and features. She looked amazing with her henna tattoos, bindis, John Lennon sunnies and flowers in her gorgeous curly locks.

Not only was I jealous of the fact that she was able to go but I was jealous of her outfits too! She was definitely in her boho element as she embraced the flower power spirit.

If you want to replicate the oufit I have come across a couple of options:

Sunnies

Shorts

Top

☯Third outfit:

Her toned body is perfectly showcased in a Chan Luu crystal top, a thigh-revealing tie-dye maxi skirt and bejeweled sandals. She covered her hair with a matching tie-dye hood and this ensemble was finished off with an obvious accessory - she was seen twirling the giant flower like a parasol throughout the day.Iabsolutely love the top which contrasts well against the soft tie-dye.

All in all I think Vanessa was absolutely stunning at the three day festival, her outfit choices are absolutely impeccable. If only I had that wardrobe!

Thanks for reading guys, tune in in the next couple of days as I am going to write up a review of the Skinny Me Tea detox which I am in the middle of.

xx