Have you donned your pink skirt-suit? Are you flaunting a blushing boot?
No? If all that seems a bit much for the workplace, or you feel a little like candyfloss with limbs, here’s how you can support the #wearitpink cause with a tad more subtlety (and originality)…
Who likes the Disney background? ;)
Wear a pop of pink charity on your nails this October with this nail colour from Nail Girls! Nail Girls are the natural, non toxic, chemical free, nail care brand. Free from any harmful chemicals like toluene, formaldehyde, DBP (phthalates) and camphor, they are not tested on animals, are vegan friendly and the packaging is recyclable.
I wasn’t expecting much from this nail polish as I had not heard of the brand before, and it didn’t look particularly high end. Having said that, this is one of the best formulas I have ever tried. The colour is opaque in one coat, yes, one coat (although in the picture I am wearing more than one)! Making the colour and the bottle itself really long-lasting. I’m wearing mine with a coat of white nail polish underneath to brighten the colour but honestly I don’t think it needs it. I love the colour, I love the formula, I even love the bottle shape.
I just had a little peek at their website and I am now lusting over so many of their colours and treatments, I might have to make a wishlist. The packaging in full sized products looks much more professional but they are heavily priced, £13.50 for a 15ml bottle! There are also 5ml bottles for £5 but not every colour comes in baby size. The formula is not superior, in my view, to the Barry M nail paints which come in at half the price; but Nail Girls boast unique and beautiful colours that are far more sophisticated than the drugstore staple. I am thoroughly impressed by this brand and will have my eye permanently on them – I would buy something now but I have banned myself from any further nail polish purchases (predominantly unsuccessfully to be honest).
Block coloured nails not enough for you? Spice it up by adding a top coat of this Barry M nail paint in 316 Kingsland Road for a textured finish. You could also attempt to paint on the breast cancer ribbon, I attempted it myself but I really fail at nail art so I had to rub it off.
P.S. You may have noticed sashahope.com has gone pink! This was originally in recognition of awareness month, but I like it so much I might just keep it. What do you think?
Hi everyone! It’s breast cancer awareness month, and in this, the second post in my awareness month series, I will be talking about self-diagnosis.
This is potentially life-saving information, so listen up. The first step before we even start talking about self-examination is being aware.
Most of the changes in the picture above are noticeable by just standing in front of a mirror topless (and be honest with me, ladies, this is going to happen sometime in the next month anyway), and some don’t even need that. The key thing is to be aware that if you experience any of these things it may be worth looking into, and the philosophy of ‘it’s probably nothing’ will do more damage than good.
(NOW, I am not saying that if you wake up one morning and your boob is a bit achy then you should rush to the doctors. I know how some of you can be. Pay attention when the caption says ‘Constant pain’, but if you really do experience what it says, let your gut feeling reign. It’s so, SO much better to be safe than sorry.)
‘What should I do if I find a change?
Most breast changes are likely to be normal or due to a benign (not cancer) breast condition rather than being a sign of breast cancer. If you notice a change, go and see your GP (local doctor) as soon as you can.
If you don’t feel comfortable going to see a male GP you can ask if there is a female doctor available. When your GP examines your breasts they may feel that there is no need for further investigation, or they may refer you to a breast clinic.
Some people think that if they have breast cancer they will have other symptoms alongside a breast change, such as feeling tired, having less energy or weight loss, but this is not the case. If you do notice a change it’s important to visit your GP.’ Breast Cancer Care
Now on to SELF-EXAMINATION.
Adult women of all ages (and states of pregnancy) are encouraged to perform breast self-exams at least once a month. Johns Hopkins Medical center states,
“Forty percent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump, so establishing a regular breast self-exam is very important.”
Mammograms can help you to detect cancer before you can feel a lump, but breast self-exams help you to be familiar with how your breasts look and feel so you can alert your healthcare professional if there are any changes, for example those in the picture above.
‘Use the finger pads of the 3 middle fingers on your left hand to feel for lumps in the right breast. Use overlapping dime-sized circular motions of the finger pads to feel the breast tissue.
Use 3 different levels of pressure to feel all the breast tissue. Light pressure is needed to feel the tissue closest to the skin; medium pressure to feel a little deeper; and firm pressure to feel the tissue closest to the chest and ribs. It is normal to feel a firm ridge in the lower curve of each breast, but you should tell your doctor if you feel anything else out of the ordinary. If you’re not sure how hard to press, talk with your doctor or nurse. Use each pressure level to feel the breast tissue before moving on to the next spot.
Move around the breast in an up and down pattern starting at an imaginary line drawn straight down your side from the underarm and moving across the breast to the middle of the chest bone (sternum or breastbone). Be sure to check the entire breast area going down until you feel only ribs and up to the neck or collar bone (clavicle).
There is some evidence to suggest that the up-and-down pattern (sometimes called the vertical pattern) is the most effective pattern for covering the entire breast without missing any breast tissue.
Repeat the exam on your left breast, putting your left arm behind your head and using the finger pads of your right hand to do the exam.
While standing in front of a mirror with your hands pressing firmly down on your hips, look at your breasts for any changes of size, shape, contour, or dimpling, or redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin. (The pressing down on the hips position contracts the chest wall muscles and enhances any breast changes.)
Examine each underarm while sitting up or standing and with your arm only slightly raised so you can easily feel in this area. Raising your arm straight up tightens the tissue in this area and makes it harder to examine.
This procedure for doing breast self-exam is different from previous recommendations. These changes represent an extensive review of the medical literature and input from an expert advisory group. There is evidence that this position (lying down), the area felt, pattern of coverage of the breast, and use of different amounts of pressure increase a woman’s ability to find abnormal areas.’ cancer.org
There are many different methods of self-examination. The one I have chosen is the most specific, detailed and evidentially supported method I can find, but if you want to be more informed on the subject you can easily look up different ways and you will be provided with a flurry of options.
You can perform a breast self-examination in many different ways. Lying down was recommended as the most effective way to arrange yourself, by the site and method mentioned above. However different women prefer doing it in different ways and each has it’s own benefits, so if you really aren’t comfortable lying down other options include in front of a mirror (therefore allowing you to visually inspect your breasts) and in the shower, as many women find that the easiest way to feel their breasts is when their skin is wet and slippery.
Essentially, follow this breast-list (that was the most terrible fail of a pun I have ever come up with. You can’t even tell it’s a pun can you)
And remember it’s breast cancer awareness month, so check out my last postfor all the ways you can get involved this October.
P.S. You may have noticed sashahope.com has gone pink! This was originally in recognition of awareness month, but I like it so much I might just keep it. What do you think?
October is breast cancer awareness month and it’s something I believe we should all be very aware of, so I’m doing my bit to spread the word, promote awareness and hopefully encourage people to take a better look. There will be a lot of breast cancer awareness-themed posts coming your way this October, so stick around because some of the things I am going to share are very close to my heart.
Every year nearly 55,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK, that’s the equivalent of one person every10 minutes.
1 in 8 women in the UK will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
Breast cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer in women in the UK.
Nearly 12,000 people die from breast cancer in the UK every year.
Breast cancer also affects men, but it’s rare
– around 400 men are diagnosed each year.
The three main risk factors are:
1. Gender – being a woman is the biggest risk factor for developing breast cancer.
2. Getting older – the older the person the higher the risk, more than 80% of breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50. Most men who get breast cancer are over 60.
3. Significant family history – this isn’t common, around 5% of people diagnosed with breast cancer have inherited a faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.
More than eight out of10 (85%) people survive breast cancer beyond five years.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY – Become a part of breast cancer awareness month and support the cause.
Finally! A charity event that won’t leave you on the run from the fashion police. Your passion for pink will fund research, develop new treatments and save lives.
‘Get ready to bin the beige and wear it pink‘
With 1000 women still dying from breast cancer in the UK every month, the fight isn’t over. It’s now easier than ever before to take part – look good by wearing the latest pink trends with your friends, family, school or colleagues. And do good by raising money to find the cures for breast cancer.
Sign up now for your exclusive guide to wear it pink. A fabulous fusion of fashion inspiration and fantastic fundraising ideas.
Packed full of tips and everything you need for your pink event.
Sign up now, wait for your pack to arrive and get planning! If you need some help or you’d like to tell us about your plans, please get in touch. Or keep up to date by following us on Facebook and Twitter.
OR PLAN YOUR OWN EVENT!
Whatever you decide to do, whichever charity you decide to support, remember it’s all going to the same cause.
Breast cancer is supported all year round, but I think this month is really asking us to look closely at where our money, time or energy really goes. So take five or ten minutes, and have a good Google. There are some truly inspirational stories out there.
P.S. You may have noticed sashahope.com has gone pink! This was originally in recognition of awareness month, but I like it so much I might just keep it. What do you think?
1. I came across this whilst rummaging around the Breast Cancer Care website and I just knew I had to share it with you.
The page shows a list of products which, when bought, trigger a donation from the seller to Breast Cancer Care. For example, buy an NSPA Body Mist (exclusively at ASDA) and Breast Cancer Care will recieve 20p.
You are not paying more than usual, nor are you loosing money when you donate in this fashion. It’s perfect!
2. Spend your weekly shop at ASDA where a much wider range of products will be donating using the same concept, this time to Tickled Pink, a charity set up by ASDA which raises money for Breast Cancer Campaign and Breast Cancer Care. These products are things you would buy every day without thinking, so why not donate whilst you’re doing it? (And almost all the products are under £5 too!) Click here to see the full range of products featuring Lenor, BaBliss and Simple!
Fantastic idea, isn’t it, I now also have a lot more respect for all the brands participating. Please let me know in the comments if you know of or find any other services like this from brands, I would love to share them!
P.S. You may have noticed sashahope.com has gone pink! This was originally in recognition of awareness month, but I like it so much I might just keep it. What do you think?
Block coloured nails not enough for you? Spice it up by adding a top coat of this Barry M nail paint in 316 Kingsland Road for a textured finish. You could also attempt to paint on the breast cancer ribbon, I attempted it myself but I really fail at nail art so I had to rub it off.
– around 400 men are diagnosed each year.