The weigh-in & motivation!

Hello. Hope you are all having a productive week so far! :)

As I mentioned in previous posts, over the past few weeks I've somewhat fallen off the wagon so to speak (no I'm not an alcoholic, but rather the healthy lifestyle wagon!) So when I took to the scales for the first time since reaching my Weight Watcher's goal weight, way back on the 28th October, I was bracing myself for the results!

However, the nail-biting experience was only further prolonged when it showed my weight in KG. No clue haha. Call me old fashioned but I much prefer the trusty stones and lbs!

So, after eagerly fiddling around with my iPhone and doing a good old Google search, I found my results...

Shocked face, for effect ;)

Amazingly, I'd not only managed not to gain any weight but had also lost a further 3lbs! RESULT. I couldn't believe it as I was convinced I'd put on...literally gobsmacked haha.

Knowing how much crap I've eaten of late as well as the decline in exercise I've come to one possible explanation. Which is, if during the 6 weeks of teaching practice the pure 'hectic-ness' and stresses took a bigger toll on me than I had realised and I in fact lost more weight in that time. Meaning that over the past few weeks I have gained weight but obviously my starting point was considerably lower than I thought?! Who knows? Your guess is as good as mine...

But anyhow, the main thing is happy times as I haven't ruined any of my hard work. Hooray! :P Also maybe a good message can come from this. Maybe it is OK to let your hair down and go all out every once in a while...have a couple of 'big nights' or stay in with takeaways, if you're dead on your feet cut your gym session and go the next night or swap to a less strenuous activity...Don't deprive yourself of treats ALL of the time because that isn't healthy either. 

The key is to find something that works for you and stick to it the best you can. We all have slip-ups and days where we want to give in but think about how far you've come. Remember the time when you couldn't walk up the stairs without the breathless feeling or when you'd stuff yourself to the point of feeling physically sick and wondering was it even worth it?! 

If you're just starting out then well done, you're taking the first step to becoming the person you imagine yourself to be. You'll never feel any better about yourself if you don't do something about it. Only you can make it happen. So, congratulations in mustering up the determination to start something...and when you've finished it and reached many of your goals you'll have all the more reason to celebrate! :)

Stay strong!

Multi-tasking!

Hello :)

Right so today's the day where I find out the damage...as in potential weight gain from my overindulgence's over the last couple of weeks! If you read my last post you'll know what I mean. Apprehensive is an understatement!

But, what's done is done...and I am starting back my much loved fitness classes today. Yay!

Now, you may be wondering what the reason is behind the title...Well, as well as continuing with Youtube (ellie1989), and writing fitness related posts, I've started up a beauty blog!

If you ever saw this blog before I re-vamped it into a fitness one, you'll know that it was once meant for beauty. However, I never really got into it and my passion for exercise overtook it. But since then I've had a constant itch to start up a beauty blog again...so I bit the bullet the other day and started afresh.

So, if you fancy a gander... www.waterprooflashes.blogspot.com   ;)

Anyway, I shall be back to report my findings later. Hoping the scales will be kind! EEK! Wish me luck & stay strong.

Remember a healthy lifestyle is a work in progress. Everyone can have weak moments and eat too much or skip that workout, but so long as you don't do this everyday then you're halfway there! 

A 'beauty-full' christmas gift guide :)

So it's not long to go until Santa comes down our chimneys, eats our mince pies and drinks up our milk! :) But if you're anything like me then you'll have left all of your Christmas shopping to the last minute! Well...don't worry cause I'm here to help you out!

As you can guess from the title, this gift guide is going to have beauty written all over it! I've picked out 9 things that I believe would put a smile on any beauty lover's face, if they came across any of them under their tree on Christmas day. 

I've tried to ensure that there's a range of different things along with covering different price tags so everyone can either afford something on the list or keep to their agreed present budgets.

I'll list the items in ascending price order :)

1. Golden Wonder Bath Ballistic - Lush- £3.25

I think one of these would make a lovely little gift. Not only is it gift-shaped, but it smells delicious and makes bath times much more exciting. As the picture suggests it has a fruity clementine scent and the outside is covered in finely milled glitter. However, the inside of the bath bomb is where the magic happens...I won't spoil the surprise but let's just say lots of colours, crackling and stars! :)

2. Bubblebeard Bubble Bar- Lush- £4.95

Can I just say how cute are these?! Yes, another Lush product but this time to make BUBBLES! These have a nice neutral scent with cedarwood, sandalwood and tonka and the fact they are in mustache form is novel indeed! Who wouldn't enjoy swishing them around their bath tub?! 

3. Balmi SPF 15 Coconut Lip Balm- Boots- £4.99

This cute little ball of balm is a lovely little stocking filler! Not a fan of coconut? Don't worry, they also come  in raspberry, strawberry and mint flavours too...yum!

4. Soap & Glory's Hand Food 125ml- Boots- £5  

Love this stuff! Not only does it ooze the classic Soap & Glory scent but it literally gives your hands the royal treatment. Never will you need have sore, dry hands again with this as a moisturizer. And the name is brilliant imo! There is also a mini version of this (50ml) for £2.50

5. L'Oreal Rouge Caresse Lipstick- Boots- £8.19

My current favourite lipstick! Love these, especially the shade Dating Coral! The formulation of this lipstick is amazing...it literally glides on your lips and leaves them feeling ultra soft and nourished. I'm hoping Santa leaves me one of these under my tree!

6. OPI The Bondettes Skyfall Mini Nail Lacquer Collection- John Lewis- £12.95

I like the Skyfall theme along with the fact that they are minis. Not many girls get through full bottles of nail polish before they get icky, so these are the perfect size! OPI always make quality varnishes and I think the 4 shades are perfect for the winter months. 

7. Paper Plane Wash Bag by Disaster Designs- Amazon- £19.95

I received this wash bag last Christmas and thought it was adorable. The cute parcel design is a great idea! Not only does it look good but it is very durable and the material is very good quality. Mine still looks new even though I use it all the time.

8. Lady Gaga: Fame- The Perfume Shop- £24.50-£54.50 (varying ml)

Being a huge Gaga fan I was excited when I heard she had released a perfume. I'm quite fussy with scents and have only recently been able to start wearing fragrances (migraine issues) so I wasn't really expecting to like it. Surprisingly though, I love it! I'd say it is a fairly sweet smelling scent with a light hint of floral and possibly even a fruity essence in there? It's quite hard to describe so I'd say check it out in store. Strangely the fluid is black in colour but becomes clear when sprayed...

9. Urban Decay: Naked Eyeshadow Palette- Debenhams- £36 (£30.60)

I certainly couldn't do a beauty gift guide without including this little gem. I know a lot rave about it but it's because it really is a great eyeshadow collection! I use mine almost every time I do eyeshadow (the naked palette 2 also gets used) and I think it would make a great gift if you're willing to overlook the price tag! However, currently Debenhams are having a 15% off beauty sale (9/12/12) so it's a little more affordable...go grab it quick!

So, there we have it...all 9 equally desirable gifts!...Hope this has helped.

Happy shopping! :)

Thick & Fast Vs. a BADgal?

Hello!

So for my first proper beauty related post I figured I'd start with my number one favourite make-up item...MASCARA. As I said previously, I love how this clever little stick allows all of us to appear luscious lashed!

Today I shall be putting Benefit's BADgal lash mascara into the ring with Soap & Glory's Thick & Fast mascara. Fight!...

I received these two mascaras in a £1 bag for students at a recent fresher's fair, (this event is basically a chance for new students and old students alike to bag a few bargains) and although the BADgal lash mascara is only a miniature I reckon it was a pretty good deal!

The Soap & Glory Thick & Fast retails for £10 (from the likes of Boots), whilst a full size Benefit BADgal lash totals £17.

The first thing I noticed about the two mascaras is how similar their brush heads are, in fact they're almost identical. The brushes are very large and to be honest I found them quite intimidating at first. They are also hair/bristle based and generally I usually lean more towards the plastic brush heads on mascaras. Nevertheless I thought I'd give each of them a good go, afterall...I did get them for £1 so I couldn't really complain!

I've alternated using both of them over the last few weeks but for me one definitely came out on top...

Left: BADgal lash            &           Right: Thick & Fast

So I curled my eyelashes and applied two coats of each mascara. In my opinion the results are quite obvious with Soap & Glory's Thick & Fast mascara not only doing a finer job of separating my lashes but also in giving them more length. The Benefit BADgal mascara's formula was also slightly harder to work with and I had to fight quite hard against clumping.

Soap & Glory's Thick & Fast

I really liked how this mascara applied and I could feel the brush combing through my lashes. As you can see, it did a great job of separating whilst also adding length and volume. I felt like this mascara helped open up my eye, making it appear bigger and giving my lashes better definition.

Benefit's BADgal lash

As for this mascara, given its fairly hefty price tag (£17) and its hard to work with formulation I wouldn't consider purchasing the full sized wand. Whilst I found it a generally OK mascara, I think there are plenty of better alternatives out there, like the Soap & Glory one for instance. I imagine I would have been pretty disappointed if I had bought the mascara.

All in all I would give the Benefit BADgal lash mascara a disappointing 2/5 stars, with the Soap & Glory Thick & Fast mascara appointed 4/5 stars.

However, something that you would have to consider with the Soap & Glory mascara (and the reason for only 4 stars) is that I did notice some lower lash fallout after wearing it all morning, resulting in a low level panda eye situation. But, if you are someone who only likes to apply mascara to your top lashes then this would be a great mascara for you! Alternatively Clinique's Bottom Lash mascara could be a great solution to prevent this!

Clinique's Bottom Lash Mascara- Boots: £11

I have my eye on this product! :)

New beauty blog!

Hello!

So, after converting my last beauty blog into a fitness related one I decided to bring it back and give it another go!

Why call it Waterproof Lashes?!...

My number one favourite make-up item has to be mascara!...I love the way it opens up your eyes and gives those of us that aren't necessarily blessed with full, dark, luscious lashes a chance to shine.

As for the waterproof...adding a bit of depth ;)

I shall be adding some posts over the next few days, reviewing, showing and sharing products etc ect. Watch this space! (Always wanted to say that haha :P)

Slacking...

Hi there!

Slacking...well yes, on two counts! Firstly apologies for not posting in a while, I guess life just got in the way! Secondly, I've also been slipping a little on the fitness front...

Da da daaa! O oh! :/

Yes, I'm afraid since stopping the scrutiny on my food and counting Weight Watcher points and the likes, I feel that I've been a bit naughty and junk food has crept back in!! Sometimes things just get too tempting to resist!

I have to say that my main trigger/downfall is clubbing! Whenever I go on a 'big' night out I know that, for one, my calorific intake will be through the roof with alcohol beverages and two, I would rather die than not get food at the end of the night! Literally I feel like I turn into some kind of wild animal, desperate for the taste of greasy food...drunk munchies are awful! And then the next day is also often a complete write-off as I am constantly attempting to fill the horrible empty feeling of hunger (due to the booze)! Soak it up!

Big thumbs down to alcohol...afterwards at least!

Luckily though I'm not a mega crazy student and don't actually have THAT many big nights out...Quite boring like that :)

Over the last two weeks I've been particularly off form. I finished teaching practice. Yes, I survived! Just. And I have to say that it was a stressful time indeed, especially as I picked up a bug that was circling around my school. Silver lining was a decrease in eating I guess. But that didn't last long and the tiredness really started to take its toll towards the end of my practice, resulting in more sugar and less gym action.

Anyway I passed my teaching practice...woooo! But then of course this called for celebrations, and quite a lot of them. Takeaways, big nights and lots of laziness and skipping gym sessions. I deserved it right?!

Yesterday I moved back home for the start of my Christmas holidays and after a lovely but guilty chinese with my family last night, this morning I made a point of signing straight back up to my local gym. Time for my much missed exercise classes! I paid £22.50 for a two weeks membership which I didn't think was too bad considering I'll get my money's worth in 2-3 days! Boy have I missed them! :)

Weight wise? Well I actually haven't set foot on any scales since I reached goal weight at the end of October, so Monday will the first chance I get to see if I've caused any damage with my overindulgences over the past few weeks! I'll let you know the results! Wish me luck.

If you haven't been 'good' today, it doesn't mean the whole thing is ruined. Start afresh tomorrow :)

Goodbye Weight Watchers...

(...or sort of!)

Hi everyone. Hope you are all having a great week!

So an amazing thing happened on Sunday the 28th of October...I REACHED GOAL WEIGHT!!!

WOOOO! In total I lost 1st 8lbs. Something that I quite honestly didn't think would happen when I started Weight Watchers and exercising. I was always quite optimistic that I could lose about 7lbs, as I'd done that previously, before falling back into the junk food trap and gaining that plus more! Not good! However...doing just that, losing 7lbs, more than THREE TIMES OVER is simply amazing (knowing how I usually massively struggle to lose weight).

So...what changed? ...Well, first of all I think it is very important to find something that easily fits into your life.
1. I am not the greatest cook, nor do I particularly enjoy cooking
2. I cannot count calories
3. (When I started, at least) I had heaps of time on my hands
4. I have some OCD tendancies
5. I had previously enjoyed the odd exercise class, not a huge fan of the gym

Therefore...
1. I needed some sort of of plan whereby any lavish cooking wasn't required. Ready meals, even. Weight Watchers therefore seemed like a good choice for me, with many tasty quick meals in only a few presses of the microwave. Even I could manage that!
2. Many a time have I tried to count the pesky calories...many a time have I failed miserably. I cannot survive on the measly 1300cals I'm supposed to follow!!! (according to the likes of Fitness Pal etc) Especially when  the likes of a banana can be a whopping 80-90cals...I mean, it's a banana for christ sake! :) Trying the WW points system seemed like a good idea...maybe I would get on better with these?! The lowest points you'll receive is 26. Mine was 26 and I found it so much more generous than counting calories...fruit and veg are free! 0 points...bargain!
3. Lots of time...so what's an hour a day? Nothing. Fit in exercise to see results *mental note to self* However starting off small could be recommended...maybe 30 minutes every day or an hour every other day? Push to your own personal limits.
4. Recording or tracking what you've eaten is half of the battle. You may not think you've eaten much but actually it adds up rather quickly. The OCD in me liked recording my food consumption and it helped keep me on track. Big gold star to the Weight Watcher's App which was very easy to use on the go, so I never forgot to track anything!
5. Book in for a load of exercise classes. They are more motivational with group pressures and instructors yelling at you! Ditch any you dislike and stick with the ones you enjoy. Alternatively you may prefer the gym, running or simply walking the dog. Pick one and be consistent with it. For me one of my goals was to fit in at least one gym session per week (when classes aren't available)...sometimes you have to do things you don't enjoy to get to where you want to be. Doing exercise also meant Activity points for Weight Watchers...I liked watching these rack up, though I chose not to munch through mine.

So Weight Watchers and exercise classes were the things I chose to help me reach my goal weight...but as I say everyone is different so you need to work out what is going to get results for you.

I have to say that I believe Weight Watchers has not only changed my weight but also the way I look at food. Before I started I was obsessed with junk food, addicted even. I often needed a McDonald's fix, or a Chinese takeaway, whereby I'd eat to the point of feeling sick.

Weight Watcher's allowed me to reduce my portion sizes so that I wasn't eating to bursting, but actually acknowledging when I was full. And that's not to say that I didn't find it hard at first. I did. Sometimes I felt hungry but I learned to fill up on the healthier options like fruit or vegetables. There were times when I felt like giving in and occasional moments of eating something I probably shouldn't have. But the good thing is, as long as I recorded what I ate and it was deducted from my daily or weekly points, then it was ok to treat myself every once in a while.

In fact every week I would save up my weekly points so I could have a 'treat day' where I might have a meal out, a takeaway or maybe popcorn/ sweets at the cinema. This was one of the things that made Weight Watchers so easy to follow. Personally that weekly treat spurred me on to be good on those other days, then when I got my treat I knew I'd earned it and I enjoyed it even more.

Exercise started off as something I needed to do but I didn't really want to do it. However, as I started reaping the benefits (getting fitter, toning up, having more energy) I began adding more into my routine and actually started enjoying it! By this point it had become my hobby and I was had actually made friends through doing it, which of course made it even more enjoyable, chatting to people along the way.

As for the gym, well I'm still not its biggest fan...but you'd NEVER guess as I now go at least 4 times a week. (During term time I can't do my exercise classes so it has to be gym-only and I have less time on my hands too!) People say that if you do something you enjoy then it's easy because you enjoy it, but if you do something you don't necessarily enjoy but you do it anyway, then you're committed to it. This pretty much sums up my relationship with the gym. I can't always be bothered to go and often feel like 'sacking it off', but I make myself go because I'm committed to it as I know it'll be one step closer to results. Personally, I would much sooner spend an hour doing something I don't always like, than to go back to finding clothes shopping a depressing chore or back to hating the reflection staring back at me.

Now, I said goodbye 'sort-of' because although I have reached my goal weight I still intend on following the Weight Watchers plan...however perhaps not with so much scrutiny. I was recalculated 36 ProPoints in order to maintain my weight and so far loosely following this allowance has proven a success. I stayed exactly the same last week but obviously time will tell as to whether I need to adjust my eating or exercise.

However, for now, I am happy and confident that I will be able to maintain. I never saw this as a quick fix, it was always going to be a lifestyle change. This is it...this is life. And to be honest I am happy with the setup for the foreseeable future :)

It took me nearly 5 months to get to where I am now and I am over the moon with my progress! Hard work, blood (definitely blisters!!!), sweat and maybe a few tears have all gone into my results. However, realistically I still have my goals, getting ABS being one of them!...Wish me luck on this haha!

I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, comments... Tweet me: @ellie1989 or comment here. What's your story? What's your journey so far?

Ellie :)