Project Princess

[BlackSwan]

I have a theory that every year you should treat one wedding you're attending as though it were your own.

Not that you're the bride, or as important as the bride...that's not the idea. I mean that for many women your wedding day is the one day when you try to pull it all together to look and feel your best, best figure, best skin, best hair. You get the picture. So if you do this once a year...perhaps with less of the stress that goes along with preparing for your own wedding day...then you'll look and feel amazing.

Last year I gave birth to my first child, so getting my figure etc back on track before a wedding I attended some months later was a huge challenge. I think I succeeded pretty well - I felt great at the wedding, not like the frumpy mummy I thought I might turn up as!

So now we have the Royal Wedding to look forward to I think we have the perfect opportunity to set that as a collective project due date. 29 April.

If any of you are inclined to give this a go - I thought it might be fun to do this with other like minded (crazy?) women.

The way it would work is like this - anyone involved can add a preparation ritual to the list. Let's not make this expensive. Don't we all have a bunch of unused exfoliant, teeth whitening paste, cuticle creams, waxes and potions at our disposal in our medicine cabinet?

Get the idea? Anyone interested?

[Hullygully]

nature lover - you can do all that until the cows come home

But at your back you will ever hear Times winged chariot - not a one of us can escape it.

[Evizza]

I have the list printed and am gearing myself up for a start on Monday as I am quitting smoking again then.

Oh, and my Moroccan oil arrived this morning, so will have a go with that later today after I have touched up my roots

[Undertone]

I'm in! First of my friendship group is getting married on May 29 - after then it's a fucking stampede of weddings, weddings, weddings all summer and into autumn.

I NEED to look good in the photos. These will be the ones kep for posterity.

In the last 11 months I have lost 3.5 stone, am now a comfortable size 14. I am planning to be a size 12 for W-day on May 29. Probably need to lose 10-14lbs and I am COMMITTED. Grrr! But I let myself down badly on personal grooming. I am just a slimmer slob now.

So - to iilustrate the list;

1. 8 glasses of water a day
   

Already on it. I must get through about 3L a day - 2L in general drinks and another 1L at the gym during workouts.

1. Exfoliating
   

Is this on the face or all over? My daily facial cleanser contains little grains, but I don't scrub too hard in case I irritate my ginger pale skin.

1. Using some kind of teeth whitener
   

DEFO need this. I will browse reviews.

1. Using some kind of regenerative face cream
   

I'm 27 and not too many wrinkles (forhead biggest culprit). Can I skip? I already wear Olay factor 15 daily moisturiser every day, if that counts?

1. Intensive nail care (feet and hands)
   

NEED THIS. But what do I do? Plastic gloves/socks filled with moisturiser? Will Palmer's cocoa butter do the trick?

1. Some kind of eyelash growth serum
   

Am ok on this one.

1. The Shred / other intensive exercise
   

I go to the gym or go for a run 6 out of 7 days a week, burning a minimum of 500 calories a pop or running min 5km distance. Might Shred in the last month as well for toning - I used the DVD to great effect in the summer last year.

1. At least 2 extra fruit & veg
   

I eat a salad for both lunch and dinner (leaves/tomatoes) and have 3-4 pieces of fruit a day. I'm OK for fruit/veg I think.

1. Healthy breakfast daily.
   

Does Oatibix, skimmed milk and honey count? Again, have this every day.

10. Hair oil (moroccan hair oil for eg, or kerastase etc)
I am SO excited - mine is en route from Amazon. Controversially, I went for Amargan instead of Moroccan oil. Still based on Argan Oil, but without the silicones which I hear can be bad (i.e. Frizz Ease is a disaster on my hair).

11. No alcohol during the week
Done. Am totally cutting out booze apart from once a fortnight with dinner.

12. Daily vitamins
Done.

13. Body brushing
I have a mitt thing with that rough, raffia-y texture for the shower. Can I use this or do I need an actual brush?

14. At least 2 servings of salmon or other fatty fish per week.
Good idea. I am WAY too reliant on lean chicken, turkey and lean beef. I will add salmon to weekly shop for putting with salads.

15. One early night once a week. Suggest 9PM.
Lovely. Will do.

16. Regular hair removal
I need to do this. Apart from daily swipe of armpits with razor and weekly leg-shave in shower, I do nothing. My bikini line is a disgrace. I will get my eyebrows waxed and see if my blonde 'tache is getting too visible.

17. Give up one naughty favourite item e.g. chocolate/crisps
Will forgo my daily digestive biscuit.

18. No more fizzy drinks
Now. This is tough. If I'm giving up my biscuit I NEED my can of Diet Coke. I need it.

19. DAILY body moisturising.
Yes! Will do.

20. Warm water with lemon first thing in the a.m.
Will do - currently knock back a pint of cold tap water first thing, but will give this a whirl. Does it have to be the VERY first thing? Normally when I wake up I am thirsty, so if I drink some cold water first will that totally mess it up?



OMG - sorry for the essay. I will print out my list and start looking at spending some time in a salon and investing in gear to groom myself at home.

[Lavitabellissima]

I have ordered my shred dvd and am going to start fully on Monday.

naturelover good idea about booking in for a check up/clean & polish at the dentist. I will do that today

It seems a few of us had babies in November, I had twins
I am shaping up for Easter when we are going to see all my family & friends.

Not sure if anyone else is brave enough, but Monday Am I'm getting Dp to take a picture of me in my bikini, hopefully that will give me the push I need to get healthy & in shape

[JaquiChanFeelsBlue]

wow, I have lurked and lurked on this thread, it's brilliant, I need to join, I am a mess .

[Evizza]

Welcome Jaqui I have really let myself go too lately, this 'project' is the kick up the backside I needed

[Evizza]

Can I just ask where everyone gets their body brushes from ? This is one item I don't own ??

[Hullygully]

I got my body brush from North Korea, mail order. They have the best kind, they are stoat, the undercoat which is really firm and stimulates the deep tissue. But they aren't cheap.

[sweetheart]

Can someone elighten me regarding Morocan Oil - what's the deal? I have very fine hair which gets greasy really easily, I absolutly HAVE to wash it every day and the thought of putting oil on it is

[sweetheart]

I'd also be interested to hear what daily vitamins you are taking and why. I have no idea what ones would be best to take.

[5DollarShake]

sweetheart - Moroccan oil doesn't leave a build-up or residue, and you only need a small amount. It's fairly pricey, but lasts ages. I know some people use a cheaper alternative that you can get in most health food shops, called argan oil, I think? Not sure how it measures up, but pretty good, I think.

My shred DVD and hand weights arrived in the post this morning, so I'm going to give them a whirl this afternoon - batten down the hatches and close the curtains!

[Undertone]

sweetheart - am excited as my Amargan Oil arrived in the post literally just now. It's supposed to not feel greasy at all - reviewers on Amazon stated same concerns but are pleased in the end.

I take a multivit and iron tablet every morning with breakfast. Just one of the cheapo supermarket/Boots-brand ones.

[sweetheart]

ok but why use it - what is it supposed to do?

Same with the vits, why do you take those - what benefits are they supposed to give?

[BlackSwan]

The various hair oils make your hair glossy and healthy looking. That's my experience, not marketing hype! I have used the Shu Uemura one for months now and I love it. I put a few pumps in before I wash my hair, and it doesn't leave any residue. You can also rub a tiny tiny amount in before you style. Want to give morrocan oil a go as it gets great reviews.

[5DollarShake]

I use MO on my hair before styling, and then put a tiny amount on afterwards to hold it / stop it being flyaway. Leaves it lovely and shiny and healthy looking. And I have awful, frizzy coarse hair, so this is no mean feat. Of course, the Babyliss Big Hair doesn't hurt either.

[Undertone]

Take multivit + iron because my mum is prone to anaemia. I eat plenty of dark, leafy stuff and red meat, but it can't hurt, as my periods are quite heavy. Also I'm worried that being quite restrictive with my diet (salad/meat/fruit/salad dressings/low-fat dairy/nuts/oatibix and THAT'S IT) might leave me deficient of some obscure trace vitamin (too lazy to look up). Been a habit since childhood, and apart from the flabbiness I'm dead healthy (touch wood). I have a sneaky suspicion that I feel more tired and run-down when I've missed them for a few days. Could be placebo effect though.

I'm trying the hair oil as my hair has suddenly gone frizz-o-rama (and my Babyliss Big Hair might be guilty of drying it out a bit), and I'm bloody fed up of every high-street conditioner being... well... crap. I've even tried salon conditioners, and they're crap after a while too. This hair oil stuff you seem to use instead of conditioner, and people who have been using it long-term have reviewed it well. Worth a whirl.

[LB29]

Has anyone got any tips on getting rid of dark circles under eyes?

[BlackSwan]

LB29 I was going to say Hylexin... but the reviews are mixed. Suggest sleep!

[chocolateteabag]

LaVitaB - I think i will join you in the Monday photoshoot. My DP will do anything to help me get back to pre DS size/shape(bless him - he is honest to a fault like I once asked him to be)

Not an add to the list - but I suggest we also do the following at some point:
Clear out/use up all the half bottles os product we have (or is it just me who has 13 - yes 13 - bottles of shampoo and conditioner in various stages of use, plus different bottle of moisturiser, hair defrizzer etc)
Wardrobe detox/clear out (ebay or charity) with a promise that all new purchases from now on MUST be classic items which we will wear to death.
This means investing in better quality items which will last for ever or making sure the Primarni item is able to be worn at least 10 times before it is dead.
Then the KILLER - throw out the "Primarni" things which have been worn out. Do not wear clothes which are bobbled and stretched to death! They make you feel as bad as they look.
To ilustrate - I have paid £34 for an Isabella Oliver white t-shirt ( in the sale) as I wore my maternity white one to death. I intend to do the same with this one (once I stop bfing and stretching the necks of all my Primarni vests)

[Undertone]

Oo. I need to wardrobe purge. Everything is way too big or just horrible.

right. Night cream bought nd slapped on. Feels great. I NEVER miosturise at night.

[Lavitabellissima]

chocolateteabaggood idea about the cosmetics & wardrobe purge, I have 3 bin bags waiting to go to the charity shop already!

Rules - if you haven't worn it in 18 months, it goes
If out has any holes or buttons missing it goes
If it is too big it 100% goes, we DO NOT keep things to grow into unless you are talking about maternity clothes.
If it is too small, is it still fashionable, and would you wear it of you could lose the weight? & can you actually lose that much weight?

Cosmetics - apparently you aren't supposed to use make up after 6 months
I bought a soap dispenser bottle and filled it with all my bottles of left over moisturiser, and do a different part of my body every time I wash my hands.

Any other ideas?

[BlackSwan]

Had my 9pm bedtime last night - good thing too, up way too early with ds this morning, but I feel ok.

Have moisturised hands and feet more times in the last few days than have done in the past year. Hands are definitely less dry. Teeth already whiter. After my cuppa will go for my lemon & water.

chocolateteabag - have already started the cleanup you suggested and it was very cathartic to just ditch a bunch of stuff I wasn't using. I tossed out old bottles on my bathroom shelf and threw out/consignment sold old clothes and shoes & things I just never wear. I still have a little way to go, but my wardrobe is now much more organised.

[cyrilsneer]

Well done Black Swan.

What aww you using to whiten your teeth? I ordered some more supplies of peroxide gel to go in my trays yesterday... Also bought some Sensodyne "Rapid" to rub in - hate the sensitivity I get.

Another question: cutting out fizzy drinks - foes this include fizzy water too?

[abgirl]

Hello, would like to join please! Will print the list off today - my new year's resolution was a healthier lifestyle and have lost 12 pounds with ww since then but with half term holiday have fallen off the wagon in style this week! No fizz will be a real challenge for me, am addicted to diet coke to keep me going at work... One thing I have done is started going to bed earlier and getting up in the mornings to exercise which definitely works for me...

cyril although fizzy water doesn't have the baddies in it that coke does (aspartame anyone?) it definitely leaves me feeling bloated, and it's bad for the environment to keep buying plastic bottles - iif you get tap water in a metal refillable bottle it's much cheaper overall - but that's up to you...

Off to make some lemon and water and a healthy breakfast

[BlackSwan]

I use trays which I had made up before my wedding years ago. I buy the gel from my dentist. Even though I still have everything I need I rarely have the time or inclination to use them. I don't get sensitivity with this stuff.. [goes to check], it's called 'Optident'.

Are you kidding, fizzy water is AOK! Just no sugary stuff.