Excuses

Hello.

Sorry I haven't written in a while...things have been a little hectic! I feel that I've become a bit too complacent of late and have definitely been over-indulging. I mean, I'm a big believer in treating yourself but then there's pure greed isn't there! And, I've well and truly slipped off the wagon...almost derailed the damn thing!

Oops!

I've learnt that when I'm not strict with myself I'm pretty darn good at making up quite plausible excuses to eat crap or skip the gym. 

I chose beer because I'm so classy and only usually drink this along with cider on a night out...so ladylike, but cheap! 

Alcohol certainly plays a part. For me, I'm one of those people (I assume there are others out there that can relate but?) who once intoxicated become so hungry that I could eat a horse...figure of speech of course...but who knows with the latest beef scandal! OOPS!

Anyway, I can only describe the sheer intensity of the hunger like perhaps the desire a vampire would have in regards to blood, after being locked away for an eternity! Bit dramatic, I know, but at this point food is a NEED not a want lol. 

So of course I go in search of Mcdonalds, KFC or simply one of those dirty kebab places for a cheeseburger and chips. I don't care to be honest. My only fussiness is in terms of chicken. I once got the most horrendous food poisoning from a chicken burger after a night out, so I never buy chicken. Unless, of course, its from Maccy Ds or KFC because I trust them :)

After a night of drinking, dancing and munching on crap, it's bedtime. Sadly the food doesn't stop there. I usually wake up a little hungover but mostly tired and thirsty. Dry mouth is a bitch! After I sort that out I then start to crave food. And not just any food...

...oh no, the food has to be greasy! Nice. So generally anything from chips to pizza to chicken nuggets, you name it. Chinese is a popular one for me.

 

And 'because I'm hungover, I've got to eat rubbish...I can't help it'. A valid excuse. Then I eat crap and 'I may aswell eat more crap cause today's a write-off anyway'. You can see the pattern!

Hangover's generally write-off gym sessions too, unless I'm really motivated on that day and decide to work it off. It has to be said that exercise is great for getting rid of hangovers, I've never regretted going. But of course it's the getting up and going that is half the battle. And 'I'm hungover' is sadly another valid excuse. However it's not the only one where the gym's concerned...

9/10 times the main reason for me not going to the gym whilst at uni is the getting there. It's a 15 minutes walk or a slightly longer bus ride and generally that puts me off. It seems like added effort. Sad, but true. At home I get a lift down...it's much more motivational!

My next biggest deterrent is the weather. The problem is...'the house is so warm and comfy, why would you want to leave?!' Then you look outside and it's pee-ing it down with rain (I live in the UK so more often than not it is!) 'Ohhh I don't want to get cold and wet...I could just watch the soaps on TV instead?!' 

Today...the heavens opened and cold white stuff came down and decided to settle on the ground. 'I'll probably fall over ...It's too cold and dangerous, better stay in'. Bloody hate SNOW!!! Arggghh.

And then, among all of the reasons not to go to the gym is the plain CBA syndrome. 'Can I actually be bothered to go? I'm not sure I'm feeling it today...probably won't be productive if I go anyway....'

*SIGH*

So, you see, I'm full of them! I struggle a lot at uni...more drinking, more takeaway opportunities, no mother to cook for me resulting in more junk, nobody to give me a lift to the gym etc etc. Life is hard haha!

But I popped back home Monday and whilst there I decided to make the most of it and went along to two of the classes that I love at my local gym, Core Blimey and Body Pump. If you're not sure what these classes involve then I've linked them to my previous posts where I describe what they are. Really going for it, I up-ed my weights...

I'm hoping that this motto is correct because SORE can certainly define me right now. To think I did the classes 2 nights ago and the pain this morning was worse than ever! My arms and legs seem to be attached to my vocal chords because every time I move, the words 'Ow', 'Ooo' or 'Ouch' slip out! It's that painful that it's actually funny...must have had a mega workout!

Good news is...it's half term next week which means I get a full weeks worth of classes at home. I'll be doing something everyday, like I did in Summer, so here's hoping I actually survive it! :P

Let me know you're favourite excuses?! Comment below, or drop me a Tweet. 

  

Outfit Combos: Peace leggings

Hello.

So I had a request a while back, over on YouTube, to show how I wear my 'peace' leggings from Boohoo.com. The leggings in my photos have since sold out, however the outfits would work with similar metallic styled leggings or trousers. 

I saw a window of time to do this for you today...so here goes! Hope it gives you a few tips on how to wear patterned leggings. Enjoy.

First up, and perhaps my favourite look with these leggings, is what I shall call 'warm but classy'. The knitwear jumper can be found here at Boohoo for a bargain price of £8!

I've teamed the look with my New Look boots that I feel 'dress' the outfit up a little. I can't locate these exact boots but you'll find a similar pair here for approx. £20-£30.

And for a touch of bling I've added one of my old favourite necklaces. Any long-chained necklace would work ...I like this one.

With Valentine's Day around the corner...why not go for 'cute & casual'.

I just love this jumper from New Look...It's super soft, perfect for the horrible cold weather in the UK atm, and it's at a relatively good price at £24.99.

As for the footwear...I've gone casual with my Apple Bottom high topped trainers/sneakers. These may be tracked down on the likes of eBay but otherwise a nice pair of converse shoes or something similar would work equally well!

Next up, 'a touch of denim'?!

So, denim has been very popular of late and when I saw this lovely shirt in Primark for just £13 I had to get it! I sometimes wear it fastened right up to the collar or open like this, depending on what look I want to create. Worn like pictured, the shirt gives a nice casual look yet I added those New Look boots again to dress it up a bit! Depends on the occasion I guess!

To accessorize, I added this gold coloured bird necklace. I possibly purchased it from Primark but I can't remember?! But any short chained, large 'pendant-ed' necklace would work :)

This outfit has the 'military factor' about it haha! I love this look with the black extenuating the splashes of gold found on the peace leggings, military-styled jacket and leafy waist belt.

The tight black tunic-styled top was originally from Peacocks but it's an old item of clothing so you can't buy this exact one. However if you're struggling to find one, here's an example. Again, I have a feeling the belt was from Peacocks but this one would work well.

As for the military-esque or 'biker' boots they were purchased from a local shop called Put Your Foot In It, I know cute name! But these type of boots are quite popular so you can pick up a pair in most fashion retailers, like River Island, New Look etc.

The jacket I got from my sister with its label reading 'Cotton Club'. No idea what shop this implies?! Let me know if you do...but, type in military jacket into the search bar of most fashion stores and they'll appear...I'm sure!

And last up, 'comfy and casual'.

Again, although featuring my Apple Bottom shoes, converse styled footwear would do the trick!

On top I've gone for a fairly baggy top, sticking with the gold theme, with the gold cross design and studded shoulder pads. The world seems to have gone stud-crazy recently, and I have to say I like it! Love a bit of studdage :) The top's from New Look (I do love their clothing) and from looking online they seem to have updated it, here. Only £15 now!

So there we go...these are some of the ways I wear my metallic leggings! Thanks for reading.

Ellie x

A bag of goodies :)

Hi :)

So I went to visit a friend over the weekend and the visit was that overdue that she had birthday presents for me (from December)! It was lovely to catch-up with her and a pleasant surprise when she pulled out a gift bag.

It was like lucky dip reaching into the bag among all of the bright fuchsia tissue paper... 

Anyway I found 4 very nice presents inside and because 3 of which were beauty orientated, I thought I'd share them with you.  

Cute!

I first pulled out this little guy. How adorable! Owl's seem to be thee animal at the moment. I think this purse, it is a purse if you hadn't guessed btw, will be great for times when I don't want to be carrying my bulky Radley around with me..Ideal for when I hit the gym and only take my cards with me...or for when I carry few things on a night out! :) I love the heart detail.

Very excited by this. My first Model's Own nail polish! I forget the shade of this varnish, and I don't have it to hand because I'm writing this post from my home-home, rather than my uni-home where the bottle is...but it's a gorgeous multi-coloured glitter one. I don't have a polish like this so it will be a welcome member to my collection!

Another first for me...I've had the Bobbi Brown brand on my list for some time now so I was really excited when I saw this. The blush is in shade 'Slopes'. A rather odd name but a pretty colour. It suits my fairly pale skin and the pigmentation seems to be really good. All in all my first impressions are good!

And last but not least...The bareMinerals Flawless Definition mascara in black. I'm a big fan of their mineral foundation, however I've never tried any of their other products. I am yet to try this but I liked the look of the brush and I've heard good things about it so...watch this space :)

Very pleased with my gifts! Thanks Lucy x

NOTN: Revlon & Studio London

Nail Of The Night

Hello.
I'm hitting the town tonight and wearing my navy disco pants, so I wanted my nails to compliment my outfit!

I used one of the nail polishes out of my Superdrug Studio London polish set, in the shade Cloudburst. It came out really dark navy, almost black.

To add a bit of sparkle, ready for my disco dancing ;), I applied Revlon's 441 Radiant.

Really happy with how they turned out...Next up, make-up!

John Greed's Blogger Challenge

Hello!

So it seems John Creed have been hit by Cupid's arrow and in aid of Valentine's Day they've been lovely and hosted a blogger challenge giveaway! One lucky winner can win their jewellery wishlist, whilst another 4 bloggers can receive a £25 gift card as runners up. Pretty good!

Now, after giving their site a good going over, I can tell you it was no easy task of selecting just a few items (in keeping with the £250 limit). I love jewellery, like I love my make-up...A LOT!

Anyway I managed it somehow and was even under budget!

I love my Thomas Sabo bracelet and I love layering bracelets up. I think the Talia silvered pearled bracelet would look great next to my TS!

Way back when I was a blondie :)

I just love this bracelet! I've always really loved snakes...and even got to hold a HUGE one whilst on holiday in Greece once! I'm usually drawn to quite different and quirky looking jewellery and I think this ticks those boxes. I was also born in the year of the snake, so it's just meant to be haha! :)

My Pandora bracelet

I've been a massive fan of Pandora for a few years now and I've ensured my bracelet is full of meaningful charms, such as the 'forget me knot' charm (next to the football) to signify my late great Grandma. 

I love this set and think the glass mauranos would fit perfectly next to my 'dangly' charms. The red would really bring the colours in my bracelet together! As for the 'I Love U' charm in the set, I'd give this to my mummy...cause I love her :P I'm not afraid to admit it!

It's all about rose gold.

As for the rose gold studs, I love these. As you can see from the pic above, I love a bit of rose gold coloured jewellery but I don't yet have any earrings. The hearts would compliment well :)

boohoo.com

I've been loving the wine/maroon colour that is all in at the moment and recently purchased the above jumper, along with other wine coloured clothing pieces. Wouldn't the amber necklace look just amazing teamed with this colour?! 

So, all with a total of £237.44...not bad, not bad! 

For your chance to enter click here. Good luck!

January Favourites 2013

Hello! Erm, where did January go?!

So I've been liking quite a lot over the past month, but I've decided to cut down my favourite list and I've chosen just 5 things to blog about. However, if you do want to see my full list of favourites, I did Youtube them so you can have a watch here...

Click me :)

But if you'd prefer a refined version carry on reading!

Chanel Perfection Lumiere (£36- Debenhams)
Sigma Round Top Kabuki F82 ($18 approx. £11.45 @ sigmabeauty.com)

Being a girl who suffers with acne and oily skin, it's all about the face makeup for me. Foundation in particular. I was quite reluctant to pay Chanel's price tag at first, but after my birthday in December I decided to treat myself to the Perfection Lumiere. I was matched up at a Chanel counter as shade 32 Beige Rose and I found the whole service really nice and friendly...not fake like the 'counter ladies' sometimes are.

I first applied the product with my fingers, my then method at the time, however I didn't feel it was giving the best finish for this particular foundation. I decided to give my Sigma F82 brush a go, which I'd previously only used with mineral make-up. I also wet the brush a little, so that it was damp, to help prevent product 'soak-up!' 

I immediately loved the results!...The foundation provides great coverage but has a very light-weight feel to it. It does have a certain fragrance about it, which to be honest I wasn't mad on at first but it didn't bother me too much and now I don't even notice it. It's great for keeping shine at bay, so for all you fellow oily gals out there then I'd say give this one a try! 

I adore my Sigma brush. It's super soft and imo does a fantastic job of applying the Chanel foundation. Definitely the most airbrushed finish I've ever experienced. I want more Sigma brushes! :)

Maxfactor's Clump Defy Mascara (Boots: £10.99)
Soap & Glory's Heel Genius (Boots: £5.50)
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain (Romantic 045- Boots: £7.99)

I've been a fan of Maxfactor mascaras in what seems like forever, so when the Clump Defy came out I just had to try it! I did a full review here, but basically it does as it says on the tube...clumping is a thing of the past! The application is made easy by the curved brush head and I like how it separates my lashes. Good stuff :)

Being a bit of a fitness freak, yes, if you didn't know, I am a rather big fan of that thing called exercise, my feet get a lot of hammer. Consequently it causes rather gross effects such as itchy, dry, cracked heels. Yeah, I did say gross. Anyway...Heel Genius appeared to be just what I was looking for. Indeed it softens the skin, baby soft style, and gives a rather tingling, cooling feeling so indeed helps with the itching! I really like this product in conjunction with my Pedipro device (buffs off dead skin...nice!) Oh and the formula is blue/green and smells nice!

Last but not least, the good old Revlon balms. These have been seriously popular with other vloggers/bloggers and I couldn't restrain from buying one for any longer. It didn't disappoint! I love the texture of these lip balms. They are seriously nourishing on the lips and can be applied neatly thanks to the lip-penciled design. The thing I found most surprising about these were their colour pay-off. The colour is seriously build-able and in the shade Romantic 045 you can get a pretty decent red lip out of it! The scent to these is pleasant with a hint of mint and I definitely want more of them!

New Fave Gym Machine

Hello. Hope you are all well and fighting fit! :)

After a recent bad patch, confessions, I've got back onto the fitness band wagon and have tried to eat a little healthier. As it were, I'm back :) My chest infection seems to be clearing too...wooo!

So, over the past two days I've dragged myself out in the cold, wet weather, despite wanting to stay in PJs, and I've managed two cracking gym sessions- if I do say so myself! :P As I've said before, I'm not a massive gym lover (I'm more of a fitness class fanatic) so I usually only manage to workout for around the hour mark.

However, perhaps it's because I hadn't worked out in over a week? But my last two sessions have been closer to the 2 hour mark! Yes, I was feeling energetic I guess! I also feel the sudden time increase was due to a new machine discovery.

Having only recently joined my current gym (Gym4All) I hadn't got the chance to fully explore all of their equipment. I noticed there were two strange looking machines among the standard cross-trainers and after watching someone using one, in a curious how-do-you-work-it way, I decided to give it a try.

The machine was called the Helix Lateral Trainer...however I'm unsure whether all of these types of machines have this name, or it is just the specific brand name of the one I used?!

Anyway...As you can see from the picture, and if you've never used one before, it works your legs similar to how a cross-trainer would, except it moves in horizontal circular motions, as apposed to the vertical forward and back!

It very much reminds me of some sort of skiing motion...not that I have ever been skiing before! There is definitely a certain amount of hip movement required and it feels quite funny to begin with. However, very quickly you'll feel the burn in your legs, generally the thigh region, and the burnt calories really start to add up fast!

When I first tested this thing I only managed a pitiful 4 minutes at a resistance of around 5-7 before deciding my legs hurt too much. But, after using the machine a couple more times since, I feel I've got the hang of it and last night managed a grueling 20 minutes, which believe me took some doing! Sweat galore! 

So, despite waking up a little stiff this morning, I'm feeling good about my recent activity and I have a feeling that the Helix Lateral will become a staple in my gym session routine.

Have you ever tried this machine? What do you think? :)

Twitter: @ellie1989