The busy, hectic and chaotic lifestyles we lead today are without a doubt having a negative effect of our health and well being. Whatever happened to taking the time to stop and smell the roses?

Taking care of your mind, body and spirit is the easiest way to reduce stress and lead a healthier lifestyle. Small changes each day, ensuring you devote time to yourself and your well being, will help you to more easily take on lives daily challenges and keep them under control.

Psychologist and author of High Octane Women, Dr Sherrie Bourg Carter Psy.D, suggests that taking time to unwind is not important, but critical for us psychologically and physically; “A person, even one with seemingly superhuman stamina and passion for what they do, has to unwind to give their minds and bodies a chance to reboot. If they don’t do it, their bodies and minds will ultimately do it for them. They will have a burn out.”

Depending on the situation, destressing can be as simple as taking a few moments to yourself and counting to 10, however there are many ways in which you can ensure you day runs smoothly and you maintain a stress free state of mind. Here’s a few of our simple top tips to a stress free day.

Make time for breakfast

Eating a sensible, healthy breakfast will without a doubt give you the energy to get ready for the day ahead. By not concentrating on your rumbling stomach till lunch time, you will be more focused and productive allowing you to get more done and prevent being overwhelmed later in the afternoon.

Plan your day ahead

Creating a simple to-do list for the day, assembles the tasks for the day and organises them, eliminating the chance that you later get the feeling of forgetting something important. By prioritising the days duties and noting them down you get a sense of achievement as you tick them off. Then when you do need time to relax you can be safe in the knowledge that your trusty to-do list will keep you on track.

Boost your antioxidants

Anti-oxidants help in keeping your body cells youthful and healthy. They help to keep your body strong and in turn will help to relieve stress. You can so easily boost your daily anti-oxidants by simply drinking more green tea. Its powerful antioxidant content looks after your insides and keeps them stress free meaning being stress free on the outside will come easier.

Soak up the Sun

Take advantage of the coming summer weather and get outdoors. Stress can be one of the major causes of vitamin deficiency and just a short daily stroll in the sun can help increase your vitamin d levels, which will in turn enhance your immune systems efficiency. A breath of fresh air can be great when you need to moment to unwind.

Exercise

Love it or hate it, physical exercise can really help to destress. Depending on your mood, change up your work out. In those high stress moments, why not vent out your frustration through a high-energy work out such as boxing or running and when you want to relax take yourself to a zen-like state with a little yoga or stretching.

A rested mind is a happy mind

For those who get deeply engrossed in their work, a 20 minute power nap can refresh, revitalise and refuel without the need for an artificial boost. Leonardo Da Vinci, Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison are all said to have been power nappers. You snooze, you gain it appears.

Laughter

“I don’t know of anyone who gets stressed out by laughter. It is one of the best overall stress-relievers I know of, and the best thing is that it’s free and available to everyone at any time. Hanging around with positive people as opposed to negative people also doesn’t hurt.” Dr Sherrie Bourg Carter Psy.D.

Snack attack – With busier lifestyles, it is now even more important to make sure that we are maintaining a healthy diet. With meal times often being unpredictable and unset, snacking is a great way to take some time out and refuel. Choosing sensible, health conscious snacks such as fruit can give you the boost you need to get you through the day and avoid that afternoon slump.

Skip the afternoon caffeine

The addictive caffeine hit may help you get through the day but the unnatural stimulant is doing nothing for your stress levels. The daily caffeine fix may give you a kick to get through your afternoon, but inevitably you will end up in a worse state of mind once it has worn off. You have been warned.

Meet friends

Having a stressful day? Don’t let things build up. Meet with friends or get on the phone for a chit chat. Talking it out will unload what you have been carrying around all day and often hearing another persons opinion can be reassuring and helpful. That’s what friends are for.

Have some healthy comfort food

Getting home after a long, stressful day and filling yourself up with stodgy food only leads to a bloated, couch potato night. Traditional comfort foods such as pizza, macaroni cheese and ice cream are what we all want to brighten our night, though unfortunately they will only lead to you feeling more lethargic and less likely to handle stress efficiently.

Listen to your favourite music

Soft music can set the mood for a relaxing, stress free night or alternatively turning up the volume of some of your favourite songs is a sure fire way to improve your mood and make you smile. Music can instantly have a calming effect.

Bubble Bath

Light some candles and incorporate you favourite bath oils or bubble bath. Then just sit back and relax. Need we say more?

Do something Lo-Tech

Emails, Facebook, Twitter and constant internet access has become part of most of our daily lifestyles. Before you settle down for the night why not go try a Lo-Tech activity and read before bed? Opening a book can allow you to enter another world and escape from a stressful day. It is also a great way to let your body relax and ease any muscle tension before a good nights sleep.

Have an early night

Now that your day has been organised and you’ve ticked off your to do list, make an effort to ensure you get your average 8 hours sleep for the night. For everyone a good sleep is absolutely essential to your health and well being and while stress can be a huge factor in lack of sleep, once you have destressed your day you will be well on your way to a sound nights sleep.

Just relax!

Dr Sherrie Bourg Carter Psy.D, strongly believes that the best de-stressing solutions are very much self defined and dependent on each of our individual personalities.

“While I believe it is vital for everyone to find ways to unwind and refuel their engines, I also think it vital that they find a fuel that works for them.”

“Many women feel that they simply cannot find solutions to relieve stress when infact the key is to think outside the box and find unique solutions that work for their unique personalities.”

Because I feel I need quite a lot of coverage I tend to go for a heavy foundation which I’m not too fond of.  I would love to be one of those girls who can put on a tinted moisturiser and a tiny bit of concealer and be good to go but I’m not that blessed.

I’d heard a lot about B.B creams – seen the advertisements on TV and read articles about what miracle workers they were but I must admit I was slightly skeptical.  BB creams or Blemish Balms were originally developed in the 1950s by a German dermatologist and became popular first in South Korea and later around Asia.  BB creams are a multi-purpose product combining skin care with makeup and Garnier (the one I’d been considering trying)  claims theirs  instantly perfects skin by giving sheer coverage, blurring imperfections, soften lines and provides 24 hour hydration and SPF 15.

I wandered into my local Boots, read the back of the box, tried the tester on the back of my hand (it covered a burn scar on my hand quite nicely) and then I backed away slowly.  This routine of me flirting with the idea of buying it carried on for quite some time.  Until a month ago when I finally gave in and purchased the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfecter.   I am very fair skinned so opted for the 02 – Light formulation.

The formulation is rather thick – thicker than my usual foundation – and I apply it as I would normally apply a foundation: with a brush but that’s just my personal preference as I find I don’t get an even coverage if I apply it with my fingers.

Pros:

- I did notice an improvement in my skin condition.

- Is great when I don’t want to wear too much makeup

Cons:

- The formulation isn’t as light-weight as I would like.

- The colour is slightly too dark for my skin colour.

Over all I would definitely recommend this product to a friennd.

Sarah Connolly, Lifestyle Writer

Like most, I adore my weekends. I love sleeping in until all hours and waking up naturally. I love rush hour free tubes and exploring the city. But most of all, I love Sunday Secrets.

Sunday Secrets come courtesy of PostSecret, a community mail art project where people from all over the world share their secrets anonymously on a homemade postcard. They’re then mailed to Frank, the founder, who in turn updates the website with a selection from the latest batch of secrets each Sunday. Frank tours the US speaking at universities discussing the impact, on each of us and society, secrets can have and invites people to share a secret of their own with the audience. Some brave souls find the courage to do so. Since its 2005 beginnings, PostSecret has become a place of comfort for many and a community of acceptance for others. And for those like me, it’s a place to get a glimpse into the lives of others on a Sunday morning.

People are brutally honest when they’re anonymous. Some secrets are heartbreakingly real and some are filled with hatred and revenge. A number refer to crimes committed, drugs taken, inappropriate thoughts and a whole lot are about sex. Although I have never sent Frank a secret and probably never will, doing so has got to be hugely liberating and, depending on the severity of it, like the weight of the world off your shoulders. Possibly a bit like going to Confession but without the Hail Marys and Glory Be as you leave.

By the time Monday comes around I have most of the secrets forgotten. One secret however has stayed with me since I first saw it over a year ago and this is it.

I’m not a big Harry Potter fan, I’ve read a few of the books but I can’t get this secret out of my head. What a way to fill these seven men with dread, regret and fear. Who is the Baby Daddy and is the sender telling the truth? Have the seven actors seen it and thought “Uh oh…”?

So maybe letting go of the secret, that deeply hidden information that’s holding you back and eating away at your insides, will set you free and enable you to be yourself again. Maybe you’ll discover he feels the same about you as you do him. Maybe your life will be changed by a stranger, maybe you’ll discover there’s a lot of good in the world and maybe you’ll get the answers you’ve been searching for.

There are a lot of maybes but only one definitely. Definitely make PostSecret Sunday part of your weekend routine. The secrets you will read will beg you to ponder a million questions and the same amount of possible answers. You’ll discover things about yourself that never dawned on you and you’ll wish that you had the guts to be so honest and brave.

From delicate marshmallow pinks, to the softest mint greens and palest lemons, pastel shades are huge this S/S. In our minds, we imagine ourselves working them a la Madmen. A chiffon pleated skirt here and lacy scalloped top there. To create a stylish look which would make Christina Hendrick’s  ’Joan’  (mint) green with envy.

The reality is a -not quite as sophisticated- ‘candy floss on legs’.

So, in order to keep you from looking like a kids fairground treat, we have compiled some tips on how to wear  this ‘oh-so-pretty but oh-so-tricky’ trend:

1) Toughen up your look.

At home, it seemed like a great idea to channel a sixties housewife, in your pastel shades, boxy coat and kitten heels. But once you stepped out your front door, into a very 2012 street, you realised it was not such a good idea.  It all just looks a bit too ‘good girl’ in this day and age. Not to fear.Replacing your soft as sugar accessories for those with a hard edge : A black leather jacket, spiked heels or a thick belt, will add a much needed touch of ‘bad’ to your ‘butter wouldn’t melt’ .

2) Avoid wearing head to toe frills.

The models at Louis Vuitton may have looked super stylish in top to toe broderie anglaise. But, it’s worth remembering they are six foot tall and whippet thin. To avoid looking like a icing topped French Fancy, mix fabrics and styles. A scalloped top with a pair of silk trousers. Or a pastel lace dress with simple leather courts work wonderfully.

3) Colour combine with non pastels.

A pastel pink t-shirt with a black skirt or a mint green blazer with indigo skinny jeans compliment each other fabulously . Combining neon shades, such as a turquoise shoe with a pale lemon skirt or a hot pink clutch with a mint green dress, work equally well.

It’s not often we find Cheryl looking anything other than gorgeous. Whether its a new do, a new shoe or sometimes even just getting off a plane after a long flight. A natural beauty she certainly is.

Caught filming her new video Call My Name in downtown LA yesterday, Cheryl is styled in some very cool mis-matched outfits. Brights are the way forward and she has definitely embraced this trend. I mean, those SHOES! #PleaseMayWeBorrowThem?!

She stepped out with those famous tumbling locks cut in with a floppy full fringe, golden tanned skin, and a pair of tinsy tiny hotpants – in leopard print, of course!

But fear not, it’s not long before Cheryl steps into a pair of wedged trainers and MC Hammer style bottoms, well, if anyone was going to get away with it…

Cole announced earlier this year that her lead single will be called Call My Name, and it is due to premier on BBC Radio 1 on 20 April.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2123466/Cheryl-Cole-shows-tanned-toned-body-films-new-music-video.html#ixzz1qn0qmiGS

Tania Collins, Fashion and Lifestyle writer

Strong, winged eyeliner, defined brows and red lips is a classic look which never goes out of style. Marilyn Monroe fascinated her own generation and continues to fascinate, she was after all a beautiful, husky-voiced enigma. Fifty years after her death Marilyn continues to be the inspiration for books, fashion and movies. Marilyn never really goes out of fashion and her makeup look is as classic as any of her movies. Marilyn worked with her trusted makeup artist Allan ‘Whitey’ Snyder for the majority of her career, they meet when he did her makeup for one of her very first screen tests. Marilyn and Whitey worked together to perfect what would become her signature look. Their friendship lasted until her death with Whitey doing her funeral makeup.

Recently MAC cosmetics announced their plans to launch a Marilyn inspired limited edition collection. The collection aims to help achieve the look of Marilyn and MAC is teaming up with Authentic Brands Group LLC who have acquired Marilyn Monroe’s estate to create the collection.

The collection will comprise of 30 items – I’m anticipating dark, smokey eyeshadows and red, red creamy lipsticks. The collection will be in stores worldwide in October.

Until then, here are some of the products Marilyn favoured and some of her makeup secrets:

 * Marilyn liked to use either Vaseline or Nivea moisturiser in a thick layer to create a dewy base.

* Marilyn was once quoted as wearing Chanel No5 and only Chanel No5 to bed.

* For Marilyn’s pout Whitey would use a pencil to outline the lips, a dark shade on the outer corners, lighter shades in the middle, he would also dab a white eyeshadow on the centre of her lower lip to create the illusion of a fuller lip.  Max Factor and GUERLAIN were two of her favourite brands.

* For the eyes white shadow was used to open up the eye, the rims would be lined with white eyeliner. Rather than a black pencil, a dark brown shadow was used to draw a line close to the upper lashes and wing it out. A line was also drawn on the lower lashes winging that out and then the space between the two wings were filled with white liner, this was to create the illusion of shadows from her lashes. A dot of red liner was applied to the inner corner to make the whites of the eye appear whiter.

Amanda Russell:

Amanda Russell is an olympic trained athlete who has been featured in Self magazine and whose aspirations are to become the Oprah of fitness.  Her youtube channel consists Fitness tips, workouts and motivational tips.

Amanda’s workouts and tips are on youtube and amanda-russell.com

Blogilates:

Blogilates is run by Cassey Ho who is a pilates and fitness instructor, Cassey’s videos are workouts based around yoga and pilates and strength training.  Cassey’s videos also provide the opportunity to use your own music.   Blogilates videos can be found either at youtube or on the blogilates.com website.

Toneitup:

The Toneitup girls are Karena and Katrina – two LA based best friends.  Karena and Katrina have been dubbed by Jane Fonda as the new generation of fitness.  Many of their workouts are HIT (high intensity training) and their website focuses on weightloss and healthy eating.   Karena and Katrina also offer printable workouts on their website. While their workouts are free they also have a diet plan which can be purchased from toneitup.com

Well, to be honest, Hugo’s new love seems to be hitting the headlines already after flaunting her perfect curves in Dubai yesterday while on a well deserved break with BFF Spencer and what seems to be a rekindled love affair, Louise Thompson and the gang.

The four of them splashed around, soaking up the sun, while Natalie (not surprisingly a model) floated around wearing a skimpy lilac bikini and a pair of blue wedges. I’m not sure that was the best colour match, but she is of course forgiven since she could wear a binbag and make it look like a Gucci number while her tumbling mass of locks blows in the breeze (I think you get the picture!).

We can’t wait to get our eyes peeled onto the new series since there’s BOUND to be cat fights on the horizon. No one likes a “new girl”… Roll on Monday!

WATCH THE TRAILER:

Sabina Ventriglia, Editor of ESVIE
Long gone are the days that we’d catch the beautiful Victoria Beckham slobbing out in a pair of trackies and a cap taking her kids to Saturday morning kickabout in the park. And this photoshoot is just the perfect example of how far she’s come from the Zig Ah Zig Ahhh days.

This woman is now a respected fashion designer, business woman, mother, wife (not necessarily in that order) and is loved by so many celebrities; Katie Holmes, Gwyneth Paltrow and Eva Longoria to name just a few! You’ll often spot her dresses floating down the red carpet on the likes of Beyonce and more recently, Jennifer Lawrence (from The Hunger Games).

With sheer hard work and determination to pull away from the pop world and to make herself a serious contender in the fashion world, Victoria gained the ultimate success this year when she won the Designer Brand of the Year at the British Fashion Awards. Bravo we say! We love a success story, especially when we see one of “our own crop” make it from one accomplished world domination, to the next, in two completely different industries!

Here she was posing for her latest interview for Harper’s Bizarre, explaining her process is for creating her designs and how she connects herself with the general public. Not to mention her (oh so gorgeous) hubby, designing his own pair of mens underwear, available in H&M.

The full editorial features in Harpurs Bizarre, May Issue on sale Monday 2nd April 2012.

Originating back to the Pyrenees around the 14th century, and officially “trending” nationwide last year, espadrilles have been firmly cemented in fashion history as a staple of summer attire. No longer do you need to own a boat or live on a beach in Miami to rock these babies, and absolutely EVERYONE has caught on to this.

I was at first, along with chinos and deck shoes (both of which I now unashamedly wear), sceptical of these cotton canvas flats. The most I knew of espadrilles a year or so ago was the brand, Toms, which I would still highly recommend picking up a pair from, purely because of their donations to charity.

But lo and behold, a few months later, and we had none other than Karl Lagerfeld adopting the trend for Chanel’s product offering, with new versions in this season’s collection. And it’s not just designers who caught on. Look around the high street, and espadrilles are everywhere.

H&M and Primark have cutesy, cheap varieties, and you can find some platform or animal print versions in Topshop or on Asos. Lacoste have also introduced a new range for Spring/Summer, each pair priced at a reasonable £50. From on-trend pastels to nautical navy and white, these adorable canvas-soled treats have been given a European chic-twist with one of my favourite details; bows.

Fashion-forward Brit Alexa Chung was flying the flag high last year for these shoes, will you do the same this Summer? Of course you will. The real dilemma remains; flat, open-toe wedge or platform?