Sugar Me Bare

Sugaring, sugar waxing or Persian waxing is a method of hair removal that has been around since 1900 BC. Whilst it is a method of hair removal here that is as of yet not as popular, it is the most popular in Turkey, Eygpt, Iran & the Middle East.

When my friend Deborah invited me to have some sugaring done, my very first question was - "Is it painful?". I'll be completely honest & say that for me personally - strip waxing is a complete & utter no-no - in any area of the body as I find it incredibly painful & I always need a period of downtime with the redness. I'm a Lycon wax convert and when making any waxing appointments, I always ensure that Lycon is the wax within the salon. Let's be very honest at the outset - salons that tell you removing hair from the follicle with Lycon or any other wax is Painfree - are exaggerating the truth unless they plan on putting you under a general anaesthetic, however there most certainly is a huge difference with regards to pain, discomfort & downtime between the different treatments.

Deborah assured me that the treatment was a comfortable treatment so I decided to book in with her. She met me in the Salon Shop in the Kinsale Road and explained the process in a professional & knowledgeable way. The Alexandria Professional Sugaring is actually a full system - like a treatment really where the area that is being waxed is fully prepared prior to treatment & then treated after the hair has been removed. By that I mean that the skin is exfoliated initially using salts and at the end, a mud mask applied. 

I opted to have a Hollywood bikini & my underarms done with her on the day. I would have loved to have had the legs done but I have always shaved my legs for 2 reasons -

1) I'd be completely terrified that it's such a large area that it would be too painful 

2) I can't stand or tolerate hair except on my head so I haven't the patience or mental strength to watch it grow or feel it grow

It was my first time having my underarms done and I had been warned by friends that is wasn't a pleasant area - it was highly tolerable! The Hollywood was fast, efficient & also very comfortable. It was less uncomfortable that Lycon for me which is a big statement to make.

The downtime was minimal and there were no ingrown hairs. I also got a longer period from this method of hair removal.

I would definitely recommend Sugaring as a method of hair removal & I hope to have the patience the have the legs done soon! 

Deborah Long owns Jades Beauty Bar and you can contact her here https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jade-Beauty-Bar/716293078425620

Deborah is also the educator for Alexandria Professional in Cork & she works with Ciara in the Salon Shop where she carries out training & does treatments there.

https://www.facebook.com/salonshophairandbeauty

Date like the boys!

Put some testosterone into your tactics

Do you ever feel that you are stuck in a rut in dating? Or even stuck in a rut with your life? We can all from time to time, fall into a Groundhog Day lifestyle where we are aimlessly and mummy like going from day to day and week to week. When this happens, it effects all areas of our life - whether single or dating, being stuck in a rut is detrimental. In particular, it can have serious consequences if single because, we just lose interest and become negative. And that's why girls, we need to change our dating tactics and date like one of the boys.

Men fantasise about having women hanging off each arm, so they fulfil this fantasy by multi-dating (seeing several girls at once). Men don't go into a relationship thinking "this is the one", instead they think "this is a fun way to spend the evening". For a change of pace, I think we need to follow their examples. Keep expectations low and see different types of men before falling in love.  

Variety is the spice of life and hanging out with a host of hotties will help you in a wealth of ways. Firstly, it'll charge your confidence which means you'll attract a host of even more potential partners and prevent yourself from focusing on just one. For example, if you're sitting waiting on a text from the guy you saw on Friday night, you'll be less likely to come across as desperate, needy and clingy because your mind will be now distracted by the guy from the gym that you're about to go on a date with.

Do try and keep your dating diary simple. Never arrange two dates on the one evening. It'll just lead to complications and confusion, especially after a few glasses of Pinot Grigio if you start telling the accountant how sexy you find his Garda uniform. Also, never take a date to the same bars - again it'll just lead to confusion. If you become a success at the multiple dating, keep a simple little diary of where you went on the date, what you wore (just so you don't show up the following week in the same outfit) and just some brief notes about the date.

Unless you've lied to your dates, there is no need for you to feel bad. Dating was designed to be commitment free. If it wasn't, you'd be boyfriend and girlfriend after the first date. When you're seeing several men, you are simply road testing them to see which one could last long term. When and if they dreaded conversation of "where are we going comes up" you'll have to be honest and admit that you are not exclusive but enjoying the way things are going with that particular guy. If your men don't ask, there is no need to say anything the likelihood is that they're doing the same thing.

Once you've mastered the art of multi dating, it won't take you long to find the one that fits the bill and make you want to ditch the others. But, once you are exclusively dating - DO NOT RETREAT TO YOUR OLD WAYS. Think back to when you were dating - your time was limited - you had a life - and you weren't needy. So concentrate on having fun - relax, enjoy and see what happens.

Why do people commit adultery?

I read an interesting article in a newspaper about Noel Biderman who knows a thing or two about adultery. The 43-year-old is happily married, but is the creator of the world's largest marketplace for cheaters. In 2002, his extramarital dating website, Ashley Madison, went live. The $125 million global business attracts 26 million members from 39 countries, garnering 40 million page views a month. Biderman, once the most hated man on the internet, has said that he is fine with being labelled controversial.


Why do people in apparently happy relationships have affairs?
The protest affair: If there has been a lot of unhappiness and rowing in a relationship, your partner might have an affair not only to hurt you but also to say: 'Look how much you've hurt me!' These attention-seeking affairs, though they start off as secret, are often revealed 'accidentally'. We all know about the open email left lying around, or a mysterious phone number calling.
Though you don't want to be endlessly picking over your relationship, it's always worth keeping an eye open for the state of its health. Weeds grow in untended gardens, and if you're both going through a bad patch, this is the time that each is particularly vulnerable to an affair. When things are bad don't get further away from each other; get closer, even if it means saying things you'd rather keep to yourself.

The you-don't-love-me affair: Sometimes a man might have an affair because he feels left out and insecure when his partner's pregnant or preoccupied with small children, for instance. In the same way that it's easy for a wife to feel left out if her husband's too preoccupied with his work or hobbies, so a husband can feel unwanted if his wife is constantly giving all her love and attention to the children.
Men who are insecure in this way need constant reassuring that love isn't a finite commodity, and that just because the children get loads, doesn't mean there's still not loads left for him. Reassurance that the love his wife feels for him is a different love to the love for the children, can also make him feel more special. Some women can be guilty of hogging the parenting role, and men can be shy of intruding on what seems to them like women-only territory. The more involved men are in bringing up their children, the less chances of them straying.


The romantic affair: When the initial buzz has worn off and relationships become humdrum, some people have affairs because they so desperately miss the romance. Believing that romance equals love and finding they can't rekindle it with their partner, they look for it with someone else.
Some might say that couples should try to keep the romance alive in their relationship by going away for special weekends, but you can't keep this up all the time. Better, then, to acknowledge your own disappointment in the fading of romance and share the disappointment with your partner. Out of this disappointment can grow a different kind of love, one that doesn't need endless candlelit dinners and bunches of roses to keep it intact.



The escape-route affair: When it looks as if there's no way out of a relationship except to get a divorce, some partners use an affair as an excuse. It's much easier, and probably more fun, to race off with someone else than discuss separation. It may be that if you marry too young or too quickly, you both develop at very different rates, so it's not surprising that eventually one will start looking around for someone more their type. Rather than let things get to this state, it would be far better to acknowledge your differences and either to agree to continue, for the sake of the children perhaps, or to think about divorce. It is much less painful to divorce when both are in agreement than wait for one to run off with someone else, causing blame and hurt all round.

Afternoon Tea Delights & Spa Afternoon

As it was my wonderful sister in law's birthday yesterday, I decided to take her for a late afternoon of spoiling which she so desperately deserves. She's a mother of 3 young boys and works full time so she, like most mothers, rarely has time to indulge in luxurious activities.

Once our working days were completed, we met in the K Lounge of The Kingsley to enjoy a delicious afternoon tea.

I have had afternoon tea on a few occasions at the hotel & it never disappoints. It's served past the reception area in a lounge that has splendid views of the River Lee - A view I normally see from the 1st floor gym - so it was particularly nice to be enjoying the culinary delights for a change.

After spending a very lazy hour in the K Lounge, we then headed of to the spa for our treatments. When booking treatments, the staff will always advise you to arrive early to allow time to enjoy the Thermal Suite in advance of your treatment. I'm very fortunate with my gym membership that I have access to the thermal suite, which I love to enjoy on days that I have extra time.

The thermal suite has plenty for all spa guests to enjoy, including a Chromotherapy room, jacuzzi, hammam, sauna, steam room, tropical rain shower, ice shower etc.

After enjoying all facilities that the spa had to offer, we were collected by our therapists to have our individual treatments. I had a back, neck & shoulder massage and my sister in law had a mini facial.

We both thoroughly enjoyed our treatments & found the therapists to be polite, professional & highly skilled.

Post treatments, we vowed to try & make a spa day a more regular occurrence. We all have such busy lives now that it's so important to make time to relax & spend it with people you love.

*The package we booked includes afternoon tea & a 30 minute treatment for €60p.p.*

Lent - things to give up & to take up

If I'm to be completely honest, as a child, my parents never forced us to "give things up during Lent" - probably because we didn't have much to give up. We never had treats in the home and really it was Easter & Christmas time that the luxuries appeared. I distinctly remember in 3rd class, our teacher going around the classroom asking what we had given up & with nothing to say - I said - tomatoes - only because I despised them & knew I wouldn't be at risk of being caught eating them!

So this Lent, I've decided to let go of negativity and all that holds me back. I want to pave a path for a happier existence & future.

I've also decided to set myself a Lenten Challenge to complete 40 training sessions during Lent. I know it's going to be tough but I'm determined to succeed. Most days I'm going to do 1 training session but somedays I'll do a morning & evening session to allow myself a day off. I'll be mixing it up between the gym, classes, long walks/hikes & swimming. For me life is too short & too hard to give up the odd guilty pleasure like wine or chocolate so instead I'm doing Lent, my way.

I can & I will - watch me

One of my former personal trainers once said "Sandra, you are the most consistent client I have at inconsistency".... Well at least I was consistent, right?

I have always had a love/hate relationship with training. When I'm training in a regular pattern - I love it. My mood is better, my energy levels are raised, my reflexes are faster, my thinking is sharper, my diet is better, I sleep better and overall, my well being & health is vastly improved. 

On the other hand, when I slowly slip out of the routine, all of my bad habits return. My sleep is disturbed which leads to unhealthy food choices which affect my mood & ultimately make me unwell with various ailments including chest infections, muscular aches, headaches & general lethargy.

So, this time, I will not fall out of the pattern. I have just begun training with Rob in the Kingsley - and this time I will not fail.