November 7th

Ooooouch…….I had my tattoos removed today! I have one on my arm that I had done when I was 14, and one on my back that I had done when I was 15. Big mistake! There’s a reason you shouldn’t get tattoos until you’re 18. Tattoos should be meaningful or be a work of art, something that you’ll want on your body forever. I was told my first tattoo was a five-year one, but I was obviously conned as it’s still there eight years later! I just looked through a book and decided on the spot what one I wanted, stupid girl! Anyway I recently met Louis Malloy, a very well known tattooist who did David Beckham’s tattoos. He said he’d remove them for me and work on a new design for my back. I hate the tattoo on my arm and have it removed in photos. It has lost me jobs in the past, I’d be unlikely to get jobs such as adverts and commercial work because it’s a pain to remove or cover up my tattoo in retouching - they’d much rather take on a girl with no tattoos. So if you’re thinking of getting into modeling, stay away from them. The one on my back isn’t that bad but I want something new there. I wasn’t at all expecting it to be as painful as it was - much more painful than actually having the tattoo in the first place! It felt like being flicked with an elastic band over and over but 100 times worse. The best part was that it didn’t take that long, about 10 minutes for my arm and 20 for my back. I have to go back every month to go through the horrible process again until they’re completely gone. Louis reckons it will take about four sessions for my arm and five for my back. My Mum was in the room next door and could hear me in agony. There was a lot of swearing! It’s very bruised at the moment but I was told it will probably blister, which it hasn’t, so that’s good.

October 30th

I’ve bought a new lip balm recently, Burt's Bees. At first I wasn’t keen and was going to go back to using my favourite Carmex, which I’ve used for years, but then I realised it’s actually really good! Although Carmex feels better when you first put it on, Burt’s Bees actually makes your lips feel really soft even after it has worn off. It contains beeswax and coconut oil. I’m definately going to keep it with me in this cold weather. My lips get so dry in the winter, which can also bring on coldsores. I bought my friend a set of 3 Burt’s Bees lip balms for her birthday. They come with a little key ring that attaches to the lip balm so you can keep one on your keys. I thought it was a great idea as I’m constantly losing my lip balms. It cost £11.

October 25th

I’m going out tonight for my friend’s birthday so I’m gonna get dolled up. I love doing my make-up before I go out. I’ve always enjoyed art and I guess doing your make-up involves a bit of artistic talent. I especially love doing my eyes, that’s definately a piece of art, creating definition and using different colours to shade and enhance. It’s the same with your blusher, you should use a colour that’s slightly darker than your own skin colour to give definition just below your cheekbone, and a lighter colour on the apples of your cheeks. I use a pinky colour or an orangy one depending on my eyeshadow. If you smile it’s easier to find the apples of your cheeks and suck your cheeks in to find where to put the darker colour. A bit of highlighter on the top of your cheeks looks great too. Highlighters are amazing and have so many uses! You can put a bit underneath your eyebrow to enhance your eyes and even put a little just above your top lip in the middle where it dips in to enhance your lips. Don’t go mad though, you don’t want to look like a sparkly Christmas tree!

October 20th

I started my allergy/intolerance diet today. I’ve cut out wheat, diary, chocolate and sugar. I forgot to mention, when I went to the allergy test, I was told I was also intolerant to chocolate as well! They’re killing me here! I’m doing it for two weeks to see how I feel. I absolutely love cheese so I bought a dairy free cheese called 'Shese' from a health food shop. I didn’t know what to expect but Good Lord!! I have NEVER tried anything so disgusting in my life! It tastes like solidified pigeon puke! OK, I’m not sure what that tastes like but I imagine it’s a bit like ‘Sheese’. Warning, stay away!

October 15th

I can’t believe OK! magazine this week!! The front cover is Jordan/Katie Price holding up her ring finger with no rings on and a quote next to her picture saying, ‘Looks like I’ll be a single mum’ Jordan speaks out about her marriage. I bought the magazine and sat back with a brew to read the juicy gossip. Inside was an interview with Katie and Peter discussing renewing their vows!!! No split! And not a single mention of being a single mum. How cheeky is that. What a con! I’m never buying OK! again. It’s not the first time they’ve done something like this. Once they had a cover of David and Victoria Beckham, but when you looked inside you found it was an interview with two look-alikes. Who wants to read their interview? I know magazines can take one little meaningless quote and turn it into a huge story but this is just taking the Michael!

October 10th

I’m obsessed with herbal tea at the moment. I have so many different types in my cupboard, each one with different benefits. I tend to drink a cup of ‘clarity’ ginger, lemongrass and gofu kola tea in the morning, which is an organic herbal blend to focus and uplift. It’s by a company called Pukka who won a Great Taste Gold Award in 2007 and tastes lovely. I then have a tea by Dr Stuarts called Skin Purify, a ‘beautifying herbal infusion’ including red clover, nettle leaves and dandelion leaves. After lunch and dinner I always have a tea to aid digestion such as Peppermint tea or Twining’s ‘Digestif’. If I’m feeling run down I’ll start every morning with half to a full lemon juiced and hot water. If you fancy a bit of sweetness add some honey. Lemon juice aids your liver in flushing out unwanted toxins. Do that for a week or two and drink a load of water through the day and you’ll be feeling much better, It’s the easiest and cheapest way to detox. Another good one is adding some chopped up ginger if you’re feeling sick.

October 5th

I ordered an amazing card today called a Hi-Life Card. I’ve known about them for years but never remembered to order one. They cost £49 and entitle you to get Buy One Get One Free on all starters, mains and deserts at hundreds of restaurants ranging from Franky & Benny’s to Harvey Nicholls restaurant. Looks like my diet will have to go on hold ☺

October 1st

I went for an allergy test today at my local health store. These kinds of tests have had a lot of criticism as they seem to be very inaccurate but I thought I’d give it a go anyway. I was sent up to a room above the shop where a funny looking lady was waiting for me. She had a huge bouffant hairdo, backcombed to death, and bright blue eye shadow. She was a nutritionalist and hypnotherapist although she reminded me more of someone who would read a crystal ball. She sat me down in front of a table with a strange-looking machine on it. She asked me to hold a thick metal rod thing and then pulled out a box full of tiny glass bottles containing different substances, which she was going to test me for. One at a time she put the tiny bottles into a hole in the machine and gently pressed a small rod, also attached to the machine, onto my finger. It made a strange squeaking noise. She repeated this with every different container and the ones I was supposedly intolerant to made a different pitched noise. I heard a big variation of noises so I was pretty worried about what she was going to tell me. I’ve told you all how much I love my food so to be told I can’t have some of it is pretty devastating to me and being the type of person that always wants what I can’t have makes matters even worse. I was expecting her to say something bad but never as bad as it was! I’ve tried cutting out wheat and dairy on separate occasions and both times, although my bloating problem didn’t improve, I did feel better and had less indigestion. So I’d already considered the fact that I could possibly be intolerant to wheat and dairy but was in denial as it’s like a nightmare to me. I love anything creamy, cheesy or buttery and can’t stand the thought of living without bread, pasta, pastry or pizza!! Anyway the dreaded results, you won’t believe what she said! I’m intolerant to cow’s milk and wheat, as expected, but on top of that… SUGAR, a food flavouring that’s in all Chinese food and crisps, all orange colouring and sweeteners!! To top it off she said I was also intolerant to lager and whiskey! It wouldn’t be so bad if my favourite drinks weren’t a pint of lager in the day and a JD and coke in the evening! Typical! I must have done something reeeeally bad in a past life! Like I say they’re not necessarily 100% accurate but I have always thought I could possibly be intolerant to quite a few things as my symptoms are every day and I can never see a pattern with one particular food. I’m just going to cut down as much as possible and see if that makes a difference. I’m not going to start for a week though so I can pile in as much sugar, wheat and dairy as possible.

September 29th

I’ve finally got my Slendertone out of its box and I have to say I love it! I haven’t seen results yet as I’ve only used it for a week but I can really feel it working. I do it when I’m walking the dog or watching EastEnders or Corrie ☺ You use it 5 times a week for 30 minutes. The only disadvantage is you look a bit like a suicide bomber and every 5 seconds it makes your stomach contract, so you look like you’re pushing out a number two ha, sorry. Talking of my fitness regime, I’ve discovered why I used to almost pass out when I’d go on a running machine, I was going too fast! I’ve slowed it down just a smidge and now I breeze through! I always push myself too hard. Even in yoga I always try and do the most advanced moves, nearly falling over and breaking my back, It’s always best to start at the very beginning and work up. I’ve started doing a 10 minute run to warm up at the gym before I work out. I mentioned in previous blog entries how I do no cardio to prevent losing weight, well actually, my boobs, but I’ve been told by my doctor that doing a bit of cardio is really important for circulation and that it would be really unhealthy to cut it out completely. I did start swimming as I mentioned a while ago but as it’s getting colder I’ve given it up. Actually that’s probably just an excuse, I never stick at anything when it comes to diet and fitness. I’m constantly getting new ideas and trying new things! Varying your routine is important to keep it interesting - I get really bored doing the same routine over and over.

September 19th

It’s been a really sad time as one of the Sun Page 3 girls, in fact the latest Page 3 Idol, committed suicide over the weekend. So tragic and such a loss, she was only 19. It was only the week before I was working with her doing a PA in a club, she seemed so happy and normal, it seems no-one actually knows why she did it. I only wish she could have told someone about her pain, so that they could have reassured her and shown her she had such a bright future ahead of her. It’s a reminder to us all to not take anyone for granted because one day you might wake up and, unexpectedly, they could be gone. RIP Jenny. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

September 12th

I’m sorry guys, but I have to take back everything I said about the Biosculpture gel nails! After having them done in red, once my nails had grown to a nice length, I got the Biosculpture overlay in a French manicure. They look great and are good if you’re going on holiday for a week but after a week, one or two of them begin to peel. Not really worth £49!! The beautician told me to stick them down with a bit of nail glue if they begin to peel, but it was quite tricky to do and still looked messy. I’m terrible as well because as soon as one starts to peel, give me an hour and I’ll have ripped them all off! Also the idea behind Biosculpture is that they’re meant to be good for your nails but when you get them removed, they soak them in acetone and then scrape them off leaving your nails looking a bit of a mess. The other method of removing them, the one I used the second time, is peeling them of yourself and as you can imagine a few layers of your own nails comes off with it! My advice is don’t bother with them, and just look after your natural nails. One more thing, as I predicted my Slendertone machine still hasn't seen the outside of its box. As soon as it does, I'll fill you in on the results.

September 7th

I went to one of the Sun Page 3 girls, Melanie Boorman’s, wedding yesterday in Hertfordshire. It was amazing! I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was slightly jealous. It was so special and she looked like a princess. I had the most disastrous time getting there, though. I got up at five in the morning to get the train to London and then on to Hertfordshire in time to get to the hotel and get ready before the church at 2pm. I was, what I thought was, about 30mins away from Euston when I went to the train buffer and asked what exact time the train arrived into London. The lady’s response was, ‘Don’t you mean Birmingham?’ Apparently there were no direct trains to London that day. I then had to get a coach to somewhere else and then two more trains to London!!!! I had to do my hair and make-up, and get changed on the train! Luckily I’d put my rollers in at home, God knows what I would have done if not! I know what you’re probably thinking, don’t I feel stupid walking around in rollers, but to be honest that’s just what I’m like, I don’t give a monkeys! It’s the friends with me who always feel embarrassed. I’m always embarrassing my friends ☺ If I’m in a shop and lose them I’ll just shout their names really loud. Anyway, I managed to get to the church for exactly 2pm looking and feeling slightly worse than I’d planned. I aged about 10 years through the whole journey worrying about whether or not I’d actually make it. Anyway luckily they had endless bottles of my favourite Sauvignon Blanc to help me relax and forget about how awful I looked. It was a great wedding. It was filmed for a programme on ITV, which is basically a competition between four weddings so watch out for it. Oh, and good luck Mel, I hope you win. If any of you see me on the programme, please bear in mind what I said about the journey and the amount of wine I drank to get over it!

Aug 30th

I’m absolutely loving Soap and Glory at the moment. Their products are really good. It’s the sister company to Bliss, which has spas in London and New York and sells a variety of products from the spa in stores such as Harrods. Bliss is v expensive though, and Soap and Glory is a lot more affordable. I once bought lemon and sage body butter from Bliss as I’d read in a magazine that it was Lily Cole’s favourite. If a supermodel likes it, it has to be pretty good. It was a really lovely rich cream but at £23 a tube I didn’t really want to buy it all the time. I then discovered Soap and Glory and their body butters were just as good and a lot cheaper at £10. I luuuurve them and they smell gorge. They come in various different scents from blueberry to lemon flowers and orange, which I’m loving at the moment. You’ve gotta try them! I also use ‘Scales Away’, a scrub for your legs which is great, and ‘Scrub Of Your Life’, an all-over body scrub. They have a few new products that they’ve just released. I tried ‘Some Like It Hot’ thermal scrub. It was the most bizarre product I’ve ever used. I think I had a reaction to it! I rubbed it all over, and as soon as you put it on your skin it gets very hot but quickly cools down. About two minutes later I started to heat up again to the extent that I had to turn the shower onto cold because as hot water touched my skin it made it feel 10 times hotter and felt as though it was burning my skin. I got out of the shower and as usual I’d forgotten my towel so had to run around looking for one. Usually I freeze when I’m on my after shower towel hunt, but this was bizarre, I was roasting! I finally found a towel, wrapped it around me and jumped back in bed. It felt like I had a heated towel wrapped round me. Strange! I used the scrub again the other day just on my legs and it didn’t have the same effect. It heated up at the beginning but quickly cooled down and stayed cool. Maybe because it was the first time I’d used it, the stuff in it that heats up had dropped to the bottom (it’s in one of those tubes where the lid’s at the bottom). I don’t know but it was HOOOOOOOTTTTTTTT!

Aug 22nd

I’ve bought a Slendertone today with the aim of trying to cheat my way to rock solid abs. Yeah right! Worth a try, though. It was quite pricey at £119.99 but if it does what it says, it’s well worth it. They say ‘For a firmer, flatter, more toned stomach, Slendertone System-Abs is a revolutionary and clinically proven way to firm and tone your waistline. The patented toning technology used in the abs belts ensures all of the muscles in the region are toned (including the rectus, transversus abdominis and the obliques) to give the entire area a full workout. Just one 20 minute session with the System-Abs belt is the equivalent of doing 120 crunches.’ Impressive hey! We’ll see. Knowing me it will remain in its box for about a month before I bother to get it out. You’re meant to use it for 30 minutes a day, 5 times a week and it’s supposed to deliver amazing results in just 4 weeks. Like I say, we’ll see. One of the personal trainers at my gym said nothing can compare to doing the real thing. It would be brilliant if it really works though.

Aug 18th

I had such a laugh at work over the weekend. I was working in a club in Wigan on Friday and one in Stoke on Saturday. Normally when I do this kind of stuff it’s purely work and I just want to do what I’ve got to do and leave, but in Stoke I had so much fun! I got pretty drunk and stayed all night. As soon as I walked in I had a huge smile on my face and couldn’t stop dancing. The music was pure cheese but it was great. Normally in clubs you get some bad vibes of people but in this club everyone was just out for a laugh. No-one could dance but no-one cared! Ha. Even the compere and the camera man were dancing away, loving it! Cheese isn’t my kind of thing but once in a blue moon it’s brill. A bit of the old ‘Mysterious Girl’ always goes down a treat and they even played the Vengaboys ‘Going to Ibiza’! Ha ha. I keep laughing to myself picturing us all doing the dance to ‘Cotton Eye Joe’. Yeeeehaaaaaaa.

I had my hair and nails done earlier in the day. My nails looked great. I had a red/orange gel put on. It’s great. I keep looking at them in shock that they haven’t chipped. Normally my nail varnish chips after about an hour but with the gel that never happens. I bought a nail varnish in the same colour so that when my nails begin to grow I can go over the top and fill the gap in. They also do a French manicure in the gel but my nails were a bit short. Now I’ve got a gel overlay, my nails will be protected (mainly from me biting them) and they’ll grow so next time I can get the French. I do like colour but a French manicure goes with everything.

Aug 15th

I’m doing a PA in a club tonight so I’ve decided to get my hair cut and my roots done. I’m going all out and treating myself so I’ve also booked myself into Harvey Nichols Urban Retreat salon to get a deluxe pedicure and the Biosculpture gel overlay on my nails. There’s nothing better than a bit of pampering to cheer you up. My appetite’s finally come back. I’ve written out some wheat-free meal plans, which I’ll start next week in the hope of finally finding out what my allergy is. I’ll let you know after the weekend how my beauty session goes.

Aug 8th

I’m finally over my food poisoning. In fact, I’ve been OK for almost a week now but my appetite is completely messed up. To make matters worse my family and I are going through a stressful situation at the moment. A combination of the food poisoning and now this, means my appetite has completely vanished! The only things I fancy are stuff like Cadbury’s Time Outs and Space Raider crisps! If it carries on much longer I’ll have to resign from writing this blog! I’m really lacking motivation as well, and haven’t managed to get into the gym. It’s unbelievable how much stress affects your mind and body. A lot of illnesses are caused by, or are made worse by, stress. IBS is an example. My digestive system gets much worse when I’m stressed and I end up with coldsores.

I need to start learning to manage and control my stress. It’s not bad situations that cause problems but the way we deal with them. I’m not a religious person but I’ve always been interested in Buddhism. Most psychiatrists and psychologists help people who suffer with problems such as depression or anxiety with something called Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, which basically helps change the way you think. The basis of this treatment comes from the teachings of Buddhism. Meditation is taught in Buddhism and this is another widely used treatment for reducing stress and anxiety. I’m planning to go down to my local Buddhist centre to do a course of meditation. I’m a complete stress head and let everything get to me. I need to learn to relax! I’ve persuaded my Mum to come with me, I’ll let you know how it goes.

On a different note, going back to my entry on the 11th July, I called the number on the Biosculpture website to locate a salon in Manchester and they advised me to call Harvey Nichols. They cost £49 for a gel overlay and every time you want an infill they remove the whole thing and start again costing another £49. A bit pricey in my eyes! I’ve been meaning to call Biosculpture back and ask if there are any small salons that do it, surely they’ll be cheaper.

Aug 1st

I got back from Ibiza the other day and I’ve been bed bound with food poisoning ever since! Ibiza airport is rubbish for food with only a really bad, greasy, American-style café where the food looks like it would kill and a Burger King, which I’ve since discovered can also kill! Well, nearly! Although I hate it, I opted for the Burger King. I don’t eat red meat and I hate processed chicken, but they didn’t have any veggie options so I had a chicken burger and tried very hard to ignore the fact I was eating processed crap. It was HORRIBLE!! I managed to eat half and threw the rest in the bin. Thank God! Imagine if I’d eaten the whole thing!? As soon as the plane landed and the seatbelt sign went off I ran to the toilet and threw up, violently. That was just the beginning, I was then sick in the toilets by the bag collection area, by the bus that takes you to the car park, in the car park and a few times along the hard shoulder! I’d flown to Stansted and had to travel back to Manchester, thank God my friend Amii (Grove, one of the Page 3 girls I work with) was driving. Oh, and have I mentioned I still haven’t stopped throwing up 2 days later!? I’ll write again when I’m feeling better because right now I’m going to have to make a run for the loo. AGAIN. ☹

July 23rd

I’m shooting for The Sun Page 3 this morning and later on I’ll be flying to the party island, Ibiza, for a much-needed break. I’m going for a week of partying and relaxing and as soon as I get back I’m planning to try and detox to make up for all of the alcohol I’m planning to drink ☺ You can’t go to Ibiza with a group of people and expect NOT to drink too much. I’m also going to try a wheat-free diet for a couple of weeks when I get back to see if that’s what’s causing my bloating. I cut out dairy from my diet for 3 weeks around the time I shot my calendar and I have to say I felt much better and stopped getting heart burn and feeling sick. The main problem I was trying to resolve was my bloating, though, and it didn’t improve that. Holland and Barrett do an allergy test in store that costs about £40. I’ve searched the internet for reviews etc about these tests and I think they’re probably not that reliable. Watchdog sent one of their guys to 3 different stores for the allergy test and each one came back with different results. On the other hand some people say they cut out the foods advised after the test and it has changed their lives. It will probably be another dead end but it’s worth a try.

July 20th

I had a great job today! It was at the Lovebox festival in Victoria Park, London. I had to have pictures taken covered - in fact smothered - in berries to promote a new fruit smoothie called Boost. It was pretty messy and sticky but after we’d finished the PR people from Freuds took me straight to a hotel to shower before bringing me back to enjoy the festival! The smoothies were different to any other brand I’ve tried, each flavour had a different benefit. Each one comes supplemented with ‘a natural shot of goodness’ to give you extra energy or protein, help your detox or give your immunity a boost. ‘Tropical twist’ gives your metabolism a boost, ‘berry blitz’ gives your immunity a boost, ‘mango mania’ gives you an energy boost and ‘smashin strawberry’ gives your mind a boost. What a good idea! The strawberry smoothie was my favourite, it was really nice. If you go on the website at www.boostjuicebars.co.uk you can try one out for free. Enter your details and they’ll send you a coupon to get a 750ml free bottle.

July 15th

I’m trying to get back into a gym routine at the moment and I’ve written out a weekly plan: I’m aiming for 2 yoga classes, 2-3 Pilates classes and 2-3 general workout sessions. Today I tried Ashtanga yoga and absolutely loved it. It’s a more intense faster version of yoga. If you’re younger I’d definitely recommend it.

July 11th

I got acrylic nails done for my calendar shoot and now I’m wishing I never bothered! I hate them. I don’t know why I always go back and get them done.

I don’t like really long nails because I think they can look a bit cheap so I had them filed right down so they looked natural. My normal nails are really thin and although I don’t bite my nails, I can’t help myself but to pick at them if they start to peel a bit, and I end up ripping the whole thing off. I like acrylics because they look neat but that only lasts for about a week, then something usually happens and one gets ripped off. Ouch. Every time this happens I swear I’ll never get them done again but I always go back. This time I mean it, though! Never again. The last time I got them about a year ago I was training in the gym with my then boyfriend, I picked up a big weight to put on the leg press and accidentally dropped it. As it dropped it, it ripped off my acrylic nail taking my real nail with it. It wouldn’t have been so bad if I wasn’t in the body building section of the gym with all the sexy men! I was crying my eyes out (sad but true), my boyfriend told me to put my finger under the water fountain. As the freezing water hit my finger I screamed as pain shot up my arm. So embarassing. I am a bit of a baby sometimes but I’m telling you it reeeeeeally hurt! This time my dog went to chase a dog across a road and when I grabbed him I ripped my nail off AGAIN. It didn’t take so much of my nail off this time though, so it wasn’t quite so painful. I spent yesterday ripping all the other nails off. I know you shouldn’t because you damage your own nails but after being filed down so much before the nails were put on I can’t imagine it could have got much worse. The bits I couldn’t pull off I had to soak off. You can use pure acetone that you can get from most chemists. It takes a while though so I did it while watching Jeremy Kyle ☺ Every few minutes you have to wipe them with cotton wool to remove the melted acrylic.

My advice: don’t get them! Luckily what’s ‘in’ has changed and everyone’s having short, neat nails, I think it looks much nicer. Next time I might get bio sculpture gel put on top of my natural nails to stop me messing with them. It’s quite a new gel used for manicures, you effectively have false nails painted onto your nails and because you don’t have to have your nails filed down on top they’re much better for your poor nails. It looks really natural and you can even have it put on in a coloured form like nail varnish but that won’t chip. The gel will last for ages but you will need a refill after a couple of weeks. I’ll let you know how it looks. Another range I like is Sally Hansen. I love the ‘miracle cure’ clear varnish for problem nails. It really strengthens your nails and prevents them peeling and breaking. I suffer from hangnails, those bits of torn skin on the edge of your nails. I can never help myself but to pick at them and make them bleed. Great look, eh? Sally Hansen have a product that’s meant to be brilliant for nail growth, strengthening nails and preventing hangnails. What more can you want from a nail product? It’s called maximum growth cuticle pen and the reviews I checked out on the internet are hugely positive. Everyone loved it and couldn’t believe how well it worked. Isn’t it great when you get a product that actually does what it says on the packaging! I’ll have to try it out. It comes in a handy pen and is meant to be really easy to use.

July 7th

I have to say, the last week has been absolute hell. I’m so glad it’s over! I’ve back and forth between London and Manchester working, and on Saturday I had to do a shoot in Birmingham too. The shoot in Birmingham was to build my portfolio with more commercial pictures. I’m not leaving glamour but I’m broadening my options in the modeling industry. When I got there I was in a bit of a state. On the Wednesday I got the train to London in the evening to stay at a friend’s house so I could go to my job on Thursday morning at 9am. I still hadn’t got over my jet lag or caught up on my sleep so you can imagine how I felt! Anyway, I arrived at work on time to be told I was due on the Friday, not the Thursday and was sent home!! Normally I could have stayed in London for another night but I had the commercial shoot on Saturday and had planned loads of things that HAD to be done on Friday! So I had to rush to get a train back to Manchester to do everything I’d planned to do on the Friday, come back to London the following morning, which meant getting up at 5am, and then getting a train to Birmingham and staying there overnight ready for my shoot in the morning… I’m telling you all this so you can understand just how much I’m enjoying day two of doing nothing but eating, sleeping and watching total rubbish on the TV. This is the life!

July 2nd

I got back from Tobago on Sunday morning. I’m sooooooo tired because I went straight back to work and missed a night of sleep. I really struggle to sleep on planes unless I’m with a boyfriend and can sprawl all over him, or if I’m sat next to a spare seat and can lie down. I just don’t understand how peoples’ body’s can switch off in an upright position! I need my legs up and my head resting on something. Anyway, the flight home, which was a night flight, was delayed, so I decided to get on the good old Tobagan rum in the hope that when we actually got on the plane I might have been able to sleep.

That never happened! My body was so tired but I just couldn’t switch off. So now I’m faced with jet lag, a missed night of sleep and a hangover! Oh, and did I mention the bottle of rum I drank on the last night to celebrate finishing the calendar? It had to be done! As you can imagine, with me going straight back to work with a really busy week, I’m totally worn out. From Sunday I’ll have a few days off, bring on Sunday!

22nd June

I’m sitting in the airport waiting for the plane to take me to Tobago. I love invading the MACcounter at airports. Well not quite, but I love trying on all the new products. I usually look a right mess when I get on the plane with a face full of random colours. This time I bought a really gorgeous eye shadow/glitter thingy in a bronzey gold colour. I’ve just pulled it out of my bag to give you a better description ☺ They’re called Solar Bits and are pearlized pigment clusters. They’re gorge.

I’ve got my fingers crossed at the moment because the weather forecast for Tobago doesn’t look great. In fact it’s terrible! Thunderstorms all week! The good thing about Caribbean weather is that one minute there can be a storm and the next minute bright sunshine. The styling for my calendar is bright colours and I really need blue skies and sunshine. I know people think you can completely change the background of a picture with Photoshop but it’s really not that simple. I’ll let you know how it goes.

16th June

I’ve been preparing everything for a shoot I’m doing next week in Tobago for my 2009 calendar. I’ve been to Boots today and got all my bits and bobs. I always bring and apply my own mascara on a shoot so I bought a new one to take today. I think everyone can put mascara on themselves better than someone else doing it for you (unless your completely useless when it comes to putting make-up on!) Also I don’t like the idea of using a brush that’s been used on loads of other girl’s eyes. I use - and absolutely love - L'Oreal Lash Architect. I’ve always loved L’Oreal mascaras. I’ve tried many others including the pricey ones but always gone back to L’Oreal. The make-up artist I work with a lot also loves Lash Architect, but then I’ve also heard some people say they hate it. Everyone has different eyelashes and need a mascara to create different effects. I have really long eyelashes and need a mascara that will define them and coat them smoothly without clogging them up. Lash Architect really does the trick. Some of my friends have quite short eyelashes and say it gives them a really good effect so it seems it’s a good all rounder. Give it a go.

8th June

I’m really stressed with my bloating problem at the moment. It’s got worse than ever before. Normally I always wake up with a flat stomach and it only starts bloating after I’ve eaten but recently it’s been looking like a pregnant troll 24/7! OK, so that’s a slight exaggeration but it does make me feel horrible about myself. It’s a nightmare for anyone, let alone a model! I had some tests done a couple of months ago called an autonomic function test. It’s very complicated and I don’t exactly understand what it is myself. I was referred to have them done by the tummy specialist I’ve been seeing (I’ve forgotten the technical name for him). The tests have only just been developed and not many doctors know much about the whole thing. I had to do a load of random things such as putting my hands in a bucket of freezing ice water whilst being attached to a machine measuring my heart rate and oxygen levels. Very complicated and strange! Anyway, apparently the guy doing the tests found a big problem with the nerves that send messages to my organs. He is still studying the graphs produced to find out more. It’s quite worrying and I just want to know what’s wrong and what can be done now. Also he said my organs can’t absorb a sufficient amount of oxygen and that all these problems are most likely to be caused by an allergy, which would explain my bloating. The problem is, most allergy testing is very unreliable and therefore the best way to find out your allergies is to cut things out of your diet and see how you react - trial and error basically. I’ve been told to start by cutting out dairy for 3 weeks and then wheat for 3 weeks. What a nightmare!

31st May

I stocked up on my Clinique yesterday. I bought a clarifying lotion and facial soap. If you buy two or more products you can usually get ‘bonus time’. Bonus time is a free gift normally consisting of mini Clinique products and a make-up/toiletry bag. Different stores have different bonus time offers so make sure you look around to get the best free products for you. I usually go to Selfridges, John Lewis or Boots.

Clinique’s sales must be down at the moment because I was amazed with the free gifts they gave away this time! I got it from John Lewis but I think every store has the same offer at the moment. I got a really nice white leather toiletry bag with some of their best products, including a make-up remover, body scrub, moisturiser, body butter and facial scrub. The best thing was that they all came in pretty big bottles rather than the usual mini ones, bargain!

Another bargain I’m loving at the moment is the cheap tickets Virgin are offering between Manchester and London, great if you’re a model from Manchester! A return from Manchester is usually about £61 unless you have a Young Person’s Railcard, which costs £20 for the year and gives you 30% of any train journeys. The return works out at £41.20, which is still quite a lot especially if you’re just going to a casting and aren’t necessarily getting paid. Anyway, if you go on the home page, there’s a section that says something like ‘cheap tickets between London and Manchester’, between Monday and Friday they offer tickets from £1-£9 each way! It’s brilliant. You’ve got to book as early as possible though to make sure they haven’t sold out. Everyone’s catching onto it now so they’re selling out quick. If you book the week before you should be fine. A little tip there for my fellow Mancs.

27th May

I’m not long back from Ibiza. The first day was really hard. We had to be up at 3am to go to the airport. As soon as we arrived in Ibiza we went straight into hair and make-up to get ready for our first shoot. We didn’t finish until 8.30pm that evening. I was past tiredness and slightly delusional at that point! I slept well that night until my alarm woke me up at 4.45am the next morning forcing me to get up and get ready for the next shoot. We did a sunrise shoot, which went really well, considering my lack of sleep, and luckily I finished at 12pm and had the rest of the day off. You can imagine where I went when we arrived back to the hotel - straight back to bed! I’m not one to nap through the day, especially when the sun’s shining outside, but it had to be done, a girl needs her beauty sleep…

I bought an amazing foundation at the airport, Chanel Pro Lumier. It’s quite expensive at £25.90 but I think it’s worth it. If you have really oily skin it’s probably no good for you because it’s quite an oily foundation. When you first put it on it looks really oily and shiny but after a few minutes it goes more matt and looks great. If you do have oily skin it would probably work better with a little powder on top. I put it on with a MAC foundation brush, which works really well, but you can just use your fingertips.

Make sure you moisturise well before applying it. You should always put your foundation on with downward strokes to avoid making the hairs on your face stand up and look visible. (I read that in a magazine years ago and have done it ever since.) The foundation I used to use, before being recommended Chanel by a make-up artist, was L'Oreal True Match. I think this is a lovely foundation and gives a porcelain look. It’s a lot dryer than the Chanel one meaning you don’t need to use powder. I’ve used that foundation for a couple of years now and would definitely recommend it, especially if you’re on a budget because at £13.99 it’s a bit of a bargain. If I want a less shiny look than the Chanel gives but don’t want to use powder, I sometimes mix the Chanel and L’Oreal. I’m always mixing make-up.

Because I get fake tans, my skin’s constantly changing colour so I have foundation in two shades and mix then to match my skin tone. Nothing’s worse than an orange face and white body. I also mix eye shadows to get different colours. There are loads of brands that make good eye shadows but most of mine are MAC. MAC have the best range of colours, I love them! I’ve got MAC as my top friend on Myspace. It’s sad but I don’t know what I’d do without MAC. If you do decide to try out the Chanel foundations make sure you go to the shop with no make-up on so you can try out what foundation suits you best. There are a few different types all available in lots of tones. Also make sure you ask for a load of samples of other Chanel products when you buy one, you may as well get your money’s worth.

21st May

I’m going to Ibiza for a shoot with ZOO magazine tomorrow, which should be fun. Don’t be fooled though, it’s not as glam of a life as people believe. My friends always say, ‘I’m so jealous, you’re always going away.’ People seem to think it’s like a holiday but believe me, it’s not! What makes a holiday? Sunbathing, cocktails in the sun, eating what you like, waking up when you like, and in Ibiza, definitely getting very, very drunk in the clubs! On work trips you don’t get any of this. You can’t sunbathe, in case you burn or your make-up melts off, you can’t eat what you like (well I can’t because I get so bloated), and you can’t get drunk for obvious reasons - hangovers don’t work well in front of the camera, it’s not a sexy look! Plus you often have to be up to have your hair and make-up done at 5am for sunrise and then work until 9pm for sunset.

I’ve just got back from having my spray tan done. The lady who does it told me about a new cream St Tropez have brought out that you apply a couple of days after you’ve had a spray tan to prolong and intensify it. It’s called Tan Intensifier (surprisingly enough!) and is available in two shades. I won’t need it for the ZOO trip because I’m only there for three days so my tan will last, but next month I’m shooting my calendar away for a week so I’ll try it out then. I’ll let you know the results.

12th May

I tried the new Venus razor the other day, Venus Breeze. It has gel pads on each side of the blade meaning there’s no need for shave gel. I was pretty impressed. I like my lady area down south to be hairless. I think, as a model, it’s pretty important to be hair-free but to be honest I’d have it that way regardless of what I do. (Some of the other models go for a Brazilian. Different strokes for different folks, as they say!) Anyway, back to what I was saying. I often get a shaving rash down below (please God let there be no men reading this) but when I used the Breeze I was completely bump free! The only problem is that the pads begin to go a bit mushy after a few uses, making it work less efficiently. It would be alright if the razor heads cost a pound each but they’re pretty pricey. I’m going to stick to using my normal Venus and only use the Breeze for my lady area and for shaving my legs when I’m in a rush. You know the scene, you’re about to go out on the town when you remember you haven’t shaved your legs for a month and have to rush to the bathroom and sit on the edge of the bath trying not to get your dress wet…

5th May

I was pretty devastated about missing two parties over the Bank Holiday weekend, but all the rest, Lemsips and Echinacea paid off and I made it to the photo shoot today feeling just a little bit shaky.

Luckily it didn't show in the pictures and they turned out pretty good. The style was different to any shoots I've done before. It was like fashion meets glamour. The magazine's called EM (Every Model) and the issue is based on glamour modeling, so if you’re an aspiring glamour girl you should check it out for some useful advice.

As I said in my last entry, the photographer doesn't stop for lunch so I took some dates to keep me going through the day. I remembered that Muslims eat dates after fasting as they're full of energy so I decided to give them a go and they really worked. I'm usually awful if I don't eat and get really moody and shaky but they kept me going nicely.

I had wet hair, full of product to keep it wet, and a load of baby oil on my skin for the shoot, so you can imagine how horrible my hair is now! I'll have to shampoo it three times to get it back to normal. I use really good hair care products at the moment. I use the Kerastase range, they're great. I've always had pretty good hair (apart from the fact it’s thinner than I'd like) so I didn't notice a huge change when I started using it but I bought it for my Mum and the change on her is amazing. She has very fine flyaway hair that you can't do much with and now it's so much more manageable and shiny.

Kerastase is definitely the best hair care range on the market but it's pretty costly. The shampoo costs approximately £12 (I use Bain Satin), and the conditioner is £16 (I use Lait Vital). Although they're really expensive you only need a tiny amount as they're very concentrated so they do last a while. They are sold in most good hair salons and if you go in, someone will tell you which range will be best for your hair.

My manager (she's a woman) is very fussy with what products she uses and likes all the expensive posh stuff but she really loves and recommends TRESemme shampoo and conditioners. They're really cheap and you get loads of it. Trust me, if it’s good enough for her it's good enough for the rest of us!

As I mentioned before, I'd like my hair to be a bit thicker so I'm constantly trying out new thickening products. I tried out the Kerastase thickening shampoo and conditioner and although they worked pretty well, they really dried out my hair.

I think it’s better to use styling products to thicken your hair than shampoos and conditioners as you need them to clean and condition your hair. Problem is, I've not found a styling product I've been particularly pleased with. Please fill me in if anybody knows of any.

May 3rd

So, I'm finally settled into my new flat in Manchester. Well almost, everything's still in boxes but at least it's all here. Next step - find a gym. The problem is that I like to do mainly Pilates and Yoga (3 Pilates classes and 2 yoga to be precise is my aim in a week) and in Manchester there are a lot less classes than in the gyms in London. I'll be lucky if I get one of each in a week. Also most the classes here are in the evening and there is no way you'd get me in a gym after 2pm! The fitness bug vanishes from me after lunch. There are some Pilates and yoga classes held in a yoga centre near my flat but they cost £6 a go and after a month the cost would add up. I also want to start doing a bit of swimming, so I’d have to join a gym as well. I'll work it out, hopefully before I lose my job for being out of shape. I've not been in a gym for over a month!!

I've never done much swimming, I had a horrible swimming teacher when I was younger who used to make us lie on the cold floor around the swimming pool for some strange reason. Since then I've hated swimming. I decided to do a couple of lengths when I was shooting in Mauritius and I couldn't believe how tiring it was, or how much my arms and chest ached. It’s obviously really good at getting your muscles working, though. One of the other Page 3 girls gave me a tip the other day, she said that she uses a float to make her lower half do all the work. I'm going to give it a go as soon as I sort this gym situation out.

I've woken up this morning with a bad cold. I would call it flu but I'm not a man! My Mum had one and now she's kindly passed it on to me. I'm meant to be going out for my best mate’s birthday tonight as well. I really could do with staying in and recovering while my mum runs backwards and forwards to my room with cups of lemon and honey (yuuuuum), but I don't want to let the birthday girl down. Also I've got a shoot for a modeling industry magazine on Monday called EM, so I need to be feeling better for that. Glamour models are often looked down on by fashion models so I've gotta do my best. On the email I got with the details of the shoot it said I'd be working 6-8 hours and the photographer doesn't stop for food until the end!!!! Yes, that’s right… no lunch break! I think he's confusing me with a fashion model, I NEED food or I become delirious and start to shake, ha (true though). It will be good to stop me getting bloated but it doesn't half put me in a bad mood when I've not eaten. I'll have to take a bag of nuts or something with me.

April 20th

I've just got back from shooting the Sun Page 3 calendar for 2009 in Lanzarote. It went really well and everyone's pictures look great. I reckon it's gonna be the best calendar on the market, apart from mine of course :) . It has a goddess theme so it will be different from the usual glamour or Page 3 shoots, but I'm not allowed to say anymore. Thankfully I remembered my Fenistil (cold sore cream) because I got one twice while I was away. I jinxed myself when I wrote about cold sores and how the sun can cause them in my last blog entry, because normally it's just stress that causes mine and this time, allthough the Lanzarote vino and sunshine kept my stress levels down, I managed to get two!

I'm going to have to remember to get some sunblock for my lips next time. It wasn't too much of a problem though, my Fenistil sorted them out. I'm going to have to start cleaning my make-up after I've had a cold sore as well, because I never do and that’s probably why I get them so easily. They say you should throw make-up, like lipsticks, away after a cold sore but with my expensive taste in make-up and obsession with Mac cosmetics I'd be pretty skint. In their stores they dip their lipsticks in a liquid to sterilise them before you use them and prevent passing around cold sores. I'll have to find out what they use and let you all know.

I've decided to move back to the land of Mancs (Manchester). My contract at the flat I was renting in London was up, and to be honest I was missing home. I've just bought a MacBook Air to keep me occupied on all the trains I'll be getting. It’s the really thin laptop and I luuuurve it. The only problem is that it hasn't got a CD drive but you can buy one that you attach for £60 so it’s not that bad. Me and my mum are going to be sharing a flat and we’re just getting all the furniture etc at the moment. It’s a bit of a nightmare. In fact, if I won the Lottery it would be great because I've got really expensive tastes. I’m driving my mum mad!

I've completely fallen off the health wagon too! I tend to eat a load of naughty (but tasty) food when I’m abroad. Since I've been back I've been staying at friends’ houses, until the flat’s ready, so I've been eating out all the time. As soon as the flat’s done I'll get back on track, honest. In fact, I'm gonna get ultra healthy and do a bit of detoxing. I’ll let you have all the details the next time I write.

21st March

I’m in a bad mood today, and this time it’s not as a result of PMS. I’ve woken up with a full-on coldsore! To make matters worse I’m going to a concert tomorrow. When I previously said I had good skin I forgot to mention the dreaded coleslaw, I mean coldsores. They decide to pop up whenever I’m run down or stressed. Well that’s not entirely true because with my stress levels I’d have one every day but when I’m SUPER stressed they tend to pop up.
I never used to get them until my first one about two years ago and now I’m stuck with the bas**rds lying dormant in my lip waiting for a chance to explode on my face. They’re embarrassing as well and make you feel like other people look at you and think you’re dirty. I started using Zovirax cream but that was pretty rubbish. Then I tried Compeed patch, which was the most ridiculous invention ever. The advert suggested you put this little clear patch over the infected area and it would magically make it invisible while healing it. Bulls**t!! I tried wearing one on my first Nuts magazine shoot and I looked like I’d been wrapping presents and got a piece of cellotape stuck to my lip! It’s shiny and peels up at the edges, drawing even more attention to your coldsore. I really couldn’t see the point of the patches at all, they’re much more noticeable than the cream. Saying that, I used to wear my cream pretty noticeably! I walked in the doctor’s about a year ago and having a coldsore I decided to put as much cream on it as possible thinking the more the better. The doctor quite blatantly laughed at me and told me I looked like I’ve got chewing gum stuck to my lip. He then informed me that you only need a very thin layer, leaving me feeling pretty stupid as I wiped off my heap of Zovirax. Anyway I’ve found this new cream called Fenistil, it’s brill! As soon as I feel a tingle (the sign that a coldsore’s on its way) I put that on and it stops it straight away. It’s got the same active ingredient as Zovirax only more of it. It’s a bit more expensive than Zovirax but well worth it. I carry one everywhere with me. The problem is that this time I didn’t get the tingle to warn me, instead it just appeared and there’s no chance it will go down in time for the concert tomorrow. I better hope that balaclavas come into fashion overnight! Nicole Scherzinger wears one in her new video with Timbaland, she must be a sufferer too, ha ha.

1st March

I’ve decided I really don’t like living in London! It’s great to come for a weekend or something, but not to live. People are so unfriendly. I was on the train this morning and these two Irish blokes got on, one with a banjo kind of thing and the other with a violin. The guy with the banjo was hilarious. He said, ‘You can smile or dance if you like the music, or look away like you can’t see us if you don’t,’ which was what everyone was doing. He said, ‘Feel free to grab a partner and get up and dance, but make sure you go anti-clockwise to prevent unnecessary congestion.’ Bear in mind we were on the tube.
They were both not only funny and made me laugh but also really talented musicians and sounded great. They were playing that really fast Irish music, which I have to say I really like. Like the music they play when Rose goes downstairs with Jack in ‘Titanic’, what a great film ☺ I even switched of my iPod to listen and was going for it tapping my foot. I’m laughing writing this as I’m remembering this strange situation. Anyway the reason it made me hate London was because me and this little girl, who was with her mum, were the only people acknowledging them. Everyone was so boring and rude. The banjo man was being so funny but when I looked around everyones’ faces were like stone. I felt like standing up and saying, ‘I’d like to see one of you play the violin like that, you boring bunch!’ At the end the funny guy said, ‘You’ve been a brilliant crowd thank you, and I exaggerate only slightly.’ I think you kind of had to be there, but the guy cracked me up. People could have at least appreciated their clever thinking as buskers. They used humour with their music to grab people’s attention and they went on the tube rather than sitting in the station while people rushed past ignoring them. If the people in London were as friendly as they are up north they would have made a fortune (sorry southerners). They got a quid off me, though. To top of my ‘I hate London’ day I then went to a casting that was full of fashion type models and I have never come across such a bunch of rude bitches in my life! It made me greatful to be in glamour even if I wouldn’t mind Kate Moss’s pay cheque…

19th March

I’ve had quite a lot of response to this blog and a few people have asked about my skin and if I have any regimes. First I want to say thanks to those who commented on my skin saying it was good. Makes a change from people talking about my boobs! We all focus too much on our flaws so I’ve recently been trying to think about my good bits and your compliments have helped. It’s easy in this superficial world to get absorbed in our bad bits. Pictures of girls in the media don’t help, giving a false impression of what a woman should look like. Remember, we have Photoshop nowadays so no-one’s as perfect as you’re led to believe. To be honest though, bad skin isn’t one of my flaws. I rarely get spots apart from those hormonal ones on my chin just before my period. What I do get is blocked pores around my nose when I have a series of drunken nights, stumbling in and falling asleep before thinking about removing my make-up.

I now keep some Simple face wipes by my bed for those occasions. The most important thing when it comes to good skin is washing and moisturising morning and night and avoiding wearing make-up as much as possible. I only wear foundation 2-3 times a week. I wash with Clinique face soap. It’s just a bar of soap and cleans so well. It costs £12, so not the cheapest but it lasts for ages and ages. Then, if I can be bothered, I use Clinique clarifying lotion. It comes in 3 strengths so ask the lady (or gay guy) which one’s best for your skin type. It costs £23, I’m a sucker for shiny labels and brands but if you’re more sensible than me or on a budget buy some witch hazel from your local chemist. It costs about £2 and is the main ingredient in Clinique’s clarifying lotion (other ingredients are alcohol, water and colouring so it really does make sense to use witch hazel as it’s the main active ingredient!) It smells funny but so does clarifying lotion so don’t worry, it stops smelling once it’s on your skin. You just put it on cotton wool and wipe over your face. You’ll be amazed at the dirt that comes off.

Finally, I moisturise. I’ve just bought Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair because it was voted In Style magazine’s best buy. You wear it under your moisturiser. It’s meant to be an amazing anti-ageing product and you can wear it in the day as well. It came in a set with Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Eye Recovery Complex for £40. Pretty expensive but a lot cheaper than buying them individually. I haven’t seen any results yet but I have nothing bad to say and I guess I’m not meant to see results as it just protects your skin from ageing. After this I use Estee Lauder Day Wear Plus, which I love. Don’t worry, I’m not working for Estee Lauder! It’s just a coincidence that I’m using mainly their products at the moment. Anyway, Day Wear Plus provides a great base for your foundation and smells great. It also contains an spf 15, which is really important. I always ask for samples to try before I buy. You can get samples over the internet from the brands’ websites. Don’t worry if you’re on a budget, as long as you wash your face properly and apply a moisturiser with spf I think you’ll be fine. It’s only recently I’ve been splashing out on expensive products (other than Clinique soap which, as I said, lasts for ever) and my skins always been fine.

5th March

I’m going to Tenerife on Friday for a Sun Page 3 shoot so I’ve booked myself into my local beauty salon to get a St Tropez spray tan. I always get one before a shoot if I can. I use St Tropez because I like the golden colour it gives. I’ve tried Fake Bake and California tan but I always go back to St Tropez. I only get a thin coat to avoid looking Tangoed and also because it comes off less patchy. I don’t know what Chantelle Houghton has been thinking recently with that overly orange tan! Although I’m slightly addicted, if I’m honest, fake tans actually really do my head in! I’ve had so many disasters. It doesn’t actually matter if a model has a tan or not because due to my best friend Photoshop, you can be made to look browner, but I still like to get one as it boosts my confidence and makes me feel sexier on a shoot. I walk in the salon feeling all pale and ill-looking and walk out feeling pretty damn hot ☺ ! It’s amazing what a difference it can make. Even with no make-up and my hair scraped back I feel so much prettier.

There are a load of bad things I could say about spray tans, though. The most annoying thing is that you have to wait 10 days before you can apply your next tan because you have to wait for it to fully come off to avoid the next tan going on patchy. The problem is that the tan only looks good for 3-4 days and then starts to come off in some places faster than others, for instance where my bra touches my skin, leaving me with patchy boobs. It’s a nightmare arranging when to get a tan done to avoid having a shoot on a patchy day. A make-up artist once told me that Dove body wash strips fake tan off your body but as I’ve always used and loved Dove bath products I dismissed it and carried on using my favourite shower wash. It was only the other day when I ran out of Dove and had to use some Radoxbody wash that my friend had left and found that the make-up artist was actually right all that time ago because my tan lasted so much longer!

Everyday self tans like Johnsons holiday skin etc are good for some people but not if you’re a model. I would strongly recommend not using DIY self tans if you’re a model as they can get a bit patchy, and retouching patchy, streaky tans is a photographer’s nightmare. A lot of girls use sunbeds but I’ve stopped to prevent regretting it when I’m old and wrinkly or worse. Sun beds are so dangerous. I do use them a few times before a holiday, though, to prepare my skin. When you get a spray tan you have to leave it on for 8 hours minimum before washing it off so I always book the tan as late as possible in the day, so I can do nothing once it’s on apart from watch Eastenders and go to sleep. Oh, another tip, wear an old tracksuit as it comes off all over your clothes and although it washes off I wouldn’t risk it. Also, wear something loose to prevent it rubbing of as much as possible.

18th February

So I went for the colonic! Two words… never again!! Although many people swear by colonic hydrotherapy, most doctors disagree with it saying it can damage you internally. I decided to try it anyway in the hope that it will cure my bloating. Colonics supposedly help with many problems from IBS to asthma! Who would have thought that pumping water up your bum would help you breathe!? Very strange.

Anyway, the results: if anything I felt more bloated after the treatment. It didn’t have the desired effect and I definitely won’t be going again! So here are the gory details… You lie on your side while the therapist puts a tube up your bum. You then have to very uncomfortably turn onto your back still with the tube up. After a strange stomach massage the water is pumped in. It’s the most bizarre feeling ever! As the water comes in, gas passes out causing a very strange bubbly feeling in your belly. The water’s changed from hot to cold (can’t remember why, I was so scared I wasn’t really listening to the woman wittering on). The change in temperature only added to the weird thing that I was having done to my body. The water passing through your body causes the muscles to contract, which hurts and kept making me feel like I was going to poo my pants causing me to feel very uncomfortable and embarrassed! But then I’d remember that I was meant to be, erm…. Pooing myself! It was awful! It took a while for me to get used to the whole thing! I could say more but I won’t! It wasn’t a nice experience and I’d never do it again.

13th February

It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow. I missed my Nana's birthday last week because of work and I need to see my dad so I’ve booked a train to Manchester. Knowing I’m single, my mum decided to ask me if I’d like to join her in taking the kids to an ice skating show tomorrow evening! I may be single but come on, that’s just embarrassing. I’m going to sit in and watch a rom com with my fellow single Manc mates and eat a feast of Marks and Spencer's goodies, Its not just any food, it’s Marks and Spencer’s food ☺, that way I can be sad and lonely, and no one will know, well apart from the sad and lonely friends with me. Oh, and now you guys! Ok, so everyone knows but I don’t care, I’m happy single! Most men should carry a health warning! At this crucial time in my career I don’t want anyone distorting my focus. I’ve booked in for a colonic at a holistic therapy centre around the corner from my mum’s on Friday so I’ll fill you in when I’m back in London on Monday.

8th February

As you know I completely fell of the health wagon last weekend so I’ve been trying to make up for it ever since. I went to see my new personal trainer again and he’s actually really good. I told him my goals, to have a flat stomach and a great bum without losing any weight. He did a posture assessment by watching me do squats and told me that he can see I wear very high heels a lot. I have a slight shoe fetish and buy shoes that completely destroy my feet. I bought a pair of Cesare Paciotti shoes before Christmas, which actually trapped a nerve in my little toe! Ouch!! They look hot though ☺ Anyway back to my personal trainer. He said wearing heels has affected some of the muscles in my legs and unless I stretch them before I work out, I won’t get results from exercises like squats. It’s good to have a personal trainer. You don’t need one every time you’re at the gym but they’re good for advising you on what to do to achieve your goals. They’re also really useful for advising you on your technique, which is really important. A lot of gyms offer a free session with a personal trainer when you start. Ask them to write you a programme. It’s best to see a personal trainer again after a month or so to discuss your progress and change your programme accordingly and also so you don’t get bored doing the same routine. I’ve heard that if you do the same exercise for a long time your body gets used to it and stops improving so it’s good to keep trying different things. The other thing he showed me was how to do a plank properly. I’ve been doing planks for years now, they’re meant to pull your core in and strengthen your stomach. I’ve been advised to do them by personal trainers in the past and done them in Legs, Bums and Tums classes and a lot in Pilates. He asked me to do one and tell him what muscles I can feel working. I’d never thought about this before but I couldn’t actually feel my abs working at all even though my whole body got tired quickly. He said he’s trained loads of women who have done Pilates for years and that almost all of them don’t know how to do a plank properly and that even a lot of the teachers don’t know. So here it is… Lie on the floor as you would normally to do a plank, instead of pushing straight up into it, tuck your toes under, tense your leg muscles, then tense your bum and stomach muscles and lift it to shoulder height. Finally tilt your hips under a little to a neutral hips posture. If you push straight into it you’ll mainly feel it in your shoulders and arms. You should feel the difference. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute. Do 3 times.

4th February

My friends left to catch the train to Manchester this morning. We had a wicked weekend but I had severe PMT. Unfortunately, for my friends and family, I suffer really badly from PMT most probably as a result of my endometriosis. Endometriosis is a fairly common condition in which cells that usually line the womb are found elsewhere in the body. It affects approximately 2 million women in the UK. It’s rarely talked about and many people don’t realise they have it. I was a bit reluctant to mention it in my blog at first with it being such a personal subject for me, but then I thought about how common it is and how little it’s spoken about so I thought I’d spread a bit of awareness.
From a young age I’ve had really painful periods, which is a big sign of endometriosis. Although you can have operations to correct it, it never fully goes away and can cause infertility. I had fertility tests done when I found out I had it to calm my mind, and luckily found that I’m fine. Now I’m just left with horrendous mood swings for about a week before I’m due on. I get really snappy and irritable and often find myself crying my eyes out thinking my life’s a mess for no reason. It is really hard because I find it impossible to snap out of it once it happens. When it’s all over I think to myself ‘you idiot’, but at the time it’s like something takes over me that I really can’t control that makes me look at everything in a negative way.
It’s frustrating that PMT’s referred to as a joke a lot of the time when it can really mess up people’s lives. My mum avoids me near the time of my period now. I would too! She calls me Kevin from Harry Enfield And Chums. A couple of years ago someone suggested Evening Primrose Oil, B Vitamins and Magnesium to ease my PMT. It really does works for me, so if you suffer from bad mood swings at that time of the month, I strongly recommend it. If anyone knows of anything else that helps, please let me know. When I went back to Manchester over Xmas I forgot to take any vitamins with me so it’s my own fault I’ve been so Kevin-like.
Anyway, back to my wild weekend. The first night we went to see a comedian in Leicester Square, which was a laugh. Then we went to Chinatown for more alcohol and a load of greasy food full of sugar and salt. It was worth it, though! After that I took my friend to a gay bar in Soho (she’s recently come out of the closet), It was so much fun and when it closed at 3am, we went on to another club that stayed open until 6. I did all this with just a little bit of mascara on, a woolly hat and my Ugg boots! Not my usual club gear! We all had a brilliant night and I think the fact it was so spontaneous made it even better. They’re always the best, don’t you think? The next day we did it all again minus the comedy and with a little more make-up. We went to a club in the West End and had a really good night. The music was amazing, which makes a change because I was beginning to get sick of partying in central London due to the same crowd and commercial music you get every week. I know it’s naughty but once again we ended up in Chinatown after the club. We had a 3am Chinese fix. The next morning (Sunday) I dragged myself out of bed and made a full-on Sunday roast with all the trimmings. The girls were impressed and it was the perfect ending to a brilliant weekend.

January 30th

I’m excited today because my girl friends are coming down from Manchester for a big party weekender! I’ve got loads planned for us including a night at a comedy club in Leicester Square and club hopping round the West End, ending with a big kebab. I’ll fill you in on what we get up to next week. My mum bought me some new tea by Twinings called Digestiv the other day, which apparently aids digestion. You see I’ve got the worst digestive system (another reason I try and eat well), I get really bloated and often get horrible heartburn, and so I gave the tea a go. It tasted rank!!!!! I normally drink honey and lemon in the morning if I’ve got time, so I added half a lemon and a teaspoon of honey to it, and it now tastes pretty damn good! I only started yesterday so I’m not sure of its effect, but I’m going to start aiming to have one after every meal. In fact I think I’ll put some in my bag now to drink at my Zoo shoot tomorrow. I was at a shoot the other day and my make-up artist was this lovely American lady who said she used to suffer badly from bloating but now regularly has colonic hydrotherapy, which has completely eliminated her problem! ‘Gotta be worth a try’ I thought, until she explained what they do! You basically have a tube shoved up your bum and water pumped up and then sucked back out again along with whatever else is inside! Yes that’s right, you have a hose and a hover put up your bum! Very glamorous. I was instantly put off, but then I spoke to one of my good friends who’s a photographer (I won’t tell you who for because she’ll kill me, but her pics always end up on Page 3 of a certain popular paper). She told me she often goes on detox holidays in LA and had regular colonics and also thinks they’re great. That’s two recommendations now so I’m going to have to put my pride aside and give it a go. Wish me luck and I’ll tell you how it goes, don’t worry, I’ll keep details to a minimum, ha.

January 28th

I’m going to meet a new personal trainer this afternoon. My old one was a bit shit! This new guy’s been recommended to me by a friend who works in the gym in the membership department. He reckons he’s really good. Everyone has their problem areas and mine is my stomach. I look after myself so it’s not bad, but it is the area I have to work on and if I put weight on it goes there and on my boobs. You know I’m not gonna worry about a bit of extra weight in my boobs though. ☺ My stomach on the other hand is a big no no! Some men say they like a little bit of a curve on a woman’s stomach but in my eyes it’s definitely not a good look. I’d rather have a fat ass and legs than a big stomach, but then people who do put weight on in those places hate it. I guess we always want what we haven’t got. Doing 800 sit-ups a day won’t budge fat, though. If anything it could increase the size of your stomach as the muscles increase in size. To get rid of it you have to do fat-burning exercise like running, swimming or dancing, anything that gets your heart rate up. Fat’s not the only problem though, you need to tone your stomach and keep it pulled in. This is my main focus in exercise, I know I could get my stomach perfect by losing a bit of weight but I’d be too skinny and lose some of my boobs. I like curvy girls - I hate the skinny look and think someone that’s size zero would look sooooo horrible naked, even if they do look pretty good in gorgeous designer clothes on a catwalk. In real life though, I think it’s a horrible look and obviously very unhealthy. Some girls naturally have an ironing board flat, hard stomach (lucky bitches, ha) but most of us don’t. I’ve been looking on the Internet for a belly dancing DVD because I’ve heard it’s brilliant for core strength and getting a flat stomach. I might learn some sexy moves in the process as well, which can’t be a bad thing. Once I’ve got the DVD I might put a video up on YouTube of some of the new moves I’ve learnt to show you! Yeah right! Ha.

January 24th

My friend Claire’s coming round for a girly catch up tonight. She’s a northern lass like me. We were introduced by a mutual friend when we both moved to London for university. We’ve been bum chums ever since. Anyway I’m cooking us a big meal tonight! It’s not just a surname, you know! I’m pretty good in the kitchen if I do say so myself. We’ll be having tuna steak cooked in my special way. I think it’s always good to eat home cooked food, simply because you know what you’re eating. I hardly ever buy processed foods to have at home. Most of my main meals consist of meat/fish, some natural seasoning, a type of veg and potatoes or brown rice, and I can list all the ingredients I’ve used to make it. Just look at the ingredients on the back of some ready meals! I’ve not even heard of half of them! When food’s processed it loses a lot of its nutritional value, and they’re normally full of salt, sugar and saturated fat. Not good! I know it’s convenient to bang something in the oven or microwave but there are a lot of healthy meals that taste great and are easy peasy to make. Although it looks ultra posh, the meal I’m cooking tonight is a breeze to make.
Try it. (I kind of make things up as I go along so feel free to change the amounts to suit your taste)

To make the sauce/marinade-

Handful of chopped coriander
Half a chopped red chilli
Juice of a lime
Splash of oil
1 clove of garlic crushed
Pinch of sea salt and pepper

2 fresh tuna steaks

Rice (preferably brown)

Avocado sliced

Balsamic vinegar to drizzle over the avocado (yum)

Simply mix all the ingredients together for the sauce and cover the tuna steaks in it and put in the fridge for around 20mins. I use Jamie Oliver's flavour shaker to mix the ingredients. It was only £10 and is brilliant for making marinades.

In the meantime cook the rice as instructed

Heat a griddle. I spray it with some olive oil called fry light, which is just 1 calorie per spray. When hot put the tuna steaks on and cook depending on how well done you like your tuna. I cook for about 4 mins each side, turning the steaks 90 degrees half way through on each side to get that criss cross effect.

When done place the tuna on a plate, pour in the remaining marinade in the pan and heat for a minute.

Put the rice on the plate and the sliced avocado. Then pour the marinate over the tuna and rice and finally drizzle a little balsamic over the avocado.

Voila… posh nosh made easy!

January 19th

I went for my weekly big shop today. I’m following a strict shopping list at the moment that I prepared while lying in bed in Manchester suffering from a hangover. What a productive way of spending a hangover day, much better than the usual Hollyoaks omnibus! I not only wanted to plan my weekly meals to ensure I’m eating enough good food but also to prevent me wasting so much food. Before Christmas I was buying food willy-nilly and spending far too much money. I was buying food when I already had loads in the fridge and then having to throw it away before I’d even opened it because it had gone off. My mum was disgusted when she came to stay with me and looked in my fridge! She said she saw the box of blueberries walk across the shelf towards the pot of green hummus, and no, it wasn’t hummus with basil. Yuk! It is hard though, as I live on my own and most things come in portions for families so they go off before I get a chance to eat them. Especially salad. I wish they made mini bags of single portion salad. I bought loads of fruit today. I try and snack throughout the day on fruits. Its important to eat a colourful variety of fruit and vegetables as each different colour contains different amounts and types of vitamins and minerals. I try to eat at least three a day. I know it’s not the recommended five, but it’s a start. My latest is eating a handful of blueberries on my Bran Flakes in the morning. It may not seem as tempting as a big fry-up but knowing how healthy and nutritious it is, really gives you a boost for the day. One of my guy friends always has porridge with chopped up strawberries for his breakfast (he’s also very health conscious). It looked pretty good! I’d give it a go but I never really like porridge I’ve made myself. Mum’s always tastes better so maybe I’ll try it when I’m back in Manchester.

January 14th

I’m back and settled into the real world now, after my big break in Manchester living the life of a total bum (it was brill). I’m back in the gym and I’m working hard. As I don’t have a car in London I’m always pretty active, walking here and there, so I don’t do much cardio at the gym. I eat well so I’m not overweight, and doing too much fat-burning exercise would take away my money-makers, ha ha. The first place I lose weight is off my boobs and I obviously don’t want that. I still have to work hard though to keep toned. I do a lot of core work. My favourite is Pilates. I love it. It’s not too difficult but very effective. My gym like most, offers free classes so I do three Pilates classes a week and two yoga. The great thing about all-inclusive classes is that you can try everything and see what suits you and what you enjoy. There’s no point doing a form of exercise that you hate, because you won’t stick at it for long enough to see the results. I love my Pilates classes, although getting up for the early ones is a struggle sometimes, but once I’m there I’m happy, and afterwards I feel great. Yoga, although sometimes I enjoy it, sometimes I really, well… don’t. But I expected that. One of the reasons I was interested in doing yoga was because I have a very short attention span and get easily bored and find it hard to relax. Yoga should help me be able to relax and focus more, but to begin with I knew I’d find it boring and slow. I don’t think I’ve seen much of a result yet but I’ll let you know how it goes. I’m definitely more flexible, which is another reason for me doing it. I look at the other really flexible people in the class and that motivates me to stick at it. So I feel like I’ve started the year well and just hope I stick at it. Wish me luck guys!

January 7th

I went out for dinner last night with a couple of my girlfriends to TGI's to say goodbye because I’m heading back to reality to my flat in London. If I didn’t mention, I’ve been in Manchester staying at my mum’s over Christmas and New Year. I love TGI’s! Bring on the Jack Daniels chicken and hot chocolate fudge cake. Believe it or not, I do try to eat a balanced diet. A habit I’ve picked up, which works well, is never buying snack foods such as biscuits, cakes and sweets to have at home. If I’m out and I fancy something naughty I’ll have it, but at home I only have healthy foods. If I do go to a restaurant I’ll order whatever looks the best, whether it’s healthy or not, and have the double chocolate fudge cake covered in cream for my dessert. You’ve gotta indulge sometimes! But the key is to eat in moderation and not go mad. The occasional treat is ok but just not all the time. And If I do over-indulge, I’ll make sure I eat healthily the next day and go to the gym. So today I’m eating extra healthily, to make up for all that Jack Daniels sauce smothered over my chicken and all the Jack Daniels and coke I guzzled it down with. I’ve just eaten my lunch and although it sounds a bit like a rabbit dinner it was pretty damn good! My friend, Georgina, who’s living in Australia told me to try it. I mixed together half a tin of tuna with 1/3 of a tin of cooked chickpeas, a handful of rocket and some sliced avocado. Then I seasoned it with salt, pepper and juice of ¼ of a lemon and then drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. It only took 5 mins to prepare and is a really nutritious and balanced meal. Don’t worry if that sounds horrible to you, if you normally eat really unhealthily just start introducing healthy foods one at a time and you’ll start appreciating them. When I first switched from white bread to brown, I hated it and craved Warburton’s thick cut white all the time, but now I really enjoy brown bread and don’t even think about white. I love Warburton's seeded batch.

January 2nd 2008

I went out last night to a party in Leeds. Actually I’m lying, it was the night before. I felt so rough that I stayed in bed all day yesterday and didn’t move. If I have a big night I try to eat and drink really healthily the next day, and try and get all the vitamins and minerals I need to recover by eating loads of fruit and veg and drinking lots of water. I stayed in on New Year’s Eve to save myself because I knew it was going to be a really big night. I went with Rhian Sugden, a friend and fellow Page 3 model. It was fancy dress with a Wild West theme but I’d bought this gorgeous D&G leopard print dress in the sales and ended up wearing that. I hate shopping for clothes in sales because I can’t deal with rummaging. This year though my mum said she’d buy me a bag. I came up with the genius idea of waiting until after Xmas to get a designer one in the sales. I knew nice bags would sell out quick so I decided to get up extra early and go to the opening of the sales at Selfridges and Harvey Nickson Boxing Day. I know what you’re thinking, ‘Crazy woman!’ My mum had the same thought, but I just about managed to drag her out of bed at 7 to get there for the opening at 8. She wasn’t the happiest and we ended up having quite a few arguments on the way. Hung over, racing down the motorway to the sales! As you can imagine we felt great! We got there five minutes before the doors opened and I have to say it was one hell of an experience. The women were very serious about the whole thing and pushed each other as they ran towards the bags on the first floor. Everyone had about 10 designer bags on their arms! I was thinking, “God, these women are really rich to be able to afford all those bags.” Then I clocked onto what they were actually doing! You grab as many bags as you can and then go to a quiet corner and decide which one you want and dump the rest. So here was me and my mum both with 10 bags on each arm and a few round our necks. We were true professional sales folk now! So I picked my bag and went to see the clothes upstairs. I won’t tell you how much I spent, but I haven’t been able to eat since! Only joking, but I did get a bit carried away. I now know why I’ve always hated sales. Every time I used to go, all I’d find was last season’s crap! The trick is to get there as soon as the sales start because after around 2 hours all the good stuff goes. Me and my Mum got some really good stuff. I got a Juicy Couturetracksuit. I always try and buy one in the sales because they’re so useful. I nearly always wear them to photoshoots. They’re comfortable and always look pretty good, even on days that you don’t. As a model, they’re good for not leaving marks around your waist like jeans do. They’re also great for wearing when you’re clothes shopping because they’re easy to whip on and off in the changing rooms. Oh, and they wash well. I’ve just made them sound like wonder clothes! I know they’re quite expensive but if you get one in the sales it’s not too bad.

December 29th 2007

I can’t believe a year’s gone by since I won The Sun's Page 3 Idol. It’s gone soooo quick. Anyway, I’m glad it’s nearly a new year because a new year means a new start. It’s the time when I try and put everything that’s wrong in my life, right (try being the important word here). Life always tends to get a bit messy by the end of the year. I’ve not been to the gym for over a month, I’ve been having far too many late nights, coming home in the early hours, eating whatever crap I can get my drunken hands on and crashing out without taking off my make-up, brushing my back-combed hair or taking my extensions out. Not a good idea! Yes, I wake up with what feels like a large dreadlock on top of my head, looking like Amy Winehouse after one of her benders. My poor hair and skin!

I’ve just realised I’ve been waffling on and not even mentioned why I’m here and writing this blog. So here it is: since a young age I’ve been interested in health and fitness and since becoming a model it’s something that’s been even more important to me. After seeing and feeling the results of a healthy lifestyle, I know it’s something that will be a part of my life forever. I decided to write a blog on my struggle to stay gorgeous and healthy. I’m constantly trying out new forms of exercise, new healthy foods and endless beauty products, so I wanted to share it all with you. I’ve been really enjoying modelling, but I have to admit, its pretty mind-numbing, especially after studying physics, chemistry, biology and then architecture (honestly, I’m not a geek). Although modelling’s a lot harder than people believe, it doesn’t take much brainpower! So, as one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to use my brain more, I decided to write a blog and share all my health and beauty tips with you guys. Just call me your guinea pig!