A Healthier Me

First off, I hope you're all having an amazing bank holiday weekend; the weather here in the UK has been gorgeous so I hope you've been making the most of it, as I don't think it will be around for much longer !

 

It is actually the effects of this stunning weather that has inspired this blog post. For someone who doesn't burn easily in the sun, I did pretty darn well for myself yesterday. Having spent the day pottering around the garden and doing jobs outside, I obviously hadn't realised how strong the sun was until I got in in the evening.

 

My nose, shoulders, chest, arms and legs are now bright red. And I mean bright red. I look like Rudolf gone wrong.

Now, I actually felt really bad once I realised how much I had actually burnt, and this got me thinking about how little I actually do to take care of my body.

 

So I set about compiling a list of simple changes that I will be making from now on in an attempt to keep my body healthy.

 

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1. Look after my skin

 

After that little introduction, let's start with the obvious; protection from the sun. I'm pretty annoyed at myself for not applying sun cream as it's such a ridiculously bad habit to get into, so from now on I vow to wear sun cream whenever I spend time outside in warm weather.

 

Although I religiously follow a facial cleansing and moisturising regime, my body gets extremely neglected. I am way too lax when it comes to moisturising my body, and so starting tonight I am also going to be moisturising my body every night before bed.

 

2. Drink more water

 

I've always drank far too little and when I do drink, more often than not it is tea (or vodka... nah just kidding. Kinda). I am going to start carrying a bottle of water around in my bag and have a glass with me as much as is possible when I'm at home.

 

3. Snack healthily

 

I eat very healthy and well balanced meals, but these are seriously let down by my very unhealthy snacking habits. Crisps are my absolute weakness, and up until a couple of weeks ago all I would snack on was crisps, chocolate and sweets; nothing else.

 Two weeks ago, I cut out the bad snacks and started to munch on fruit instead. Already I have noticed a huge difference in my energy levels and in particular on my skin, which is so much clearer and less dull.

I now have an unhealthy obsession with tangerines. Why did I not snack on these before?!

 

4. Start running

 

Now I'm afraid to say I absolutely despise running. I personally find it very tedious and because I get tired out so quickly, I give up with it. However, I have downloaded the NHS Couch to 5k app and intend to try and get into running properly.

I even bought some pretty pink trainers to motivate myself.

 

Trainers | Windsor's | £16

 

So these are my 'get healthy' aims this summer. I'm not aiming to lose weight, but I would like to tone up a little and feel physically fitter.

I'm keeping my aims simple, not too far fetched and easy to achieve, and hopefully I will see some results!

 

Do you have any tips for a healthier body?

Are you on a health kick this summer?

 

Jo xx

 



What I wore | 23.05.13

As promised, here is an OOTD featuring the bargain aztec midi dress I recently bought off eBay.

Last weekend I went to a badminton awards do, and I am delighted to say we came home with a bundle of trophies; we won the league and are moving up to the first division next year, yippee!

 

Anyway, I'm sure when I get brave enough I will be showing you my FOTN's as well as outfits, however for now I am going to wimp out and just show you what I wore. I also must apologise for the terrible lighting and lack of arm candy: typically I was on the last minute.

Unfortunately for me, I can't say that's a rarity but when is any girl ever on time?

 

 

Dress: eBay | Necklace: Primark | Bag: Vintage | Shoes: Miss Selfridge | Hair: styled with Enrapture Encode Totem Styler* (review here)

 

 

This red aztec midi dress is my new favourite, hands down. I bought it from this eBay seller for around £10 including delivery. Unfortunately they no longer stock this exact dress but I have found the same dress here from a different seller for £15 plus p&p. 

I find midi dresses an absolute dream to wear; just pop a statement necklace over the top, grab a clutch and voila. Perfect for those all too familiar last minute 'Oh-My-God-I-have-nothing-to-wear' dramas!

 

In hindsight I wish I'd have chosen black accessories, but to be honest I was totally going for comfort with the shoes. I've had these Miss Selfridge heels for a while now; they were a gift from a friend and are literally the comfiest heels I have ever worn.

 

Plus they happen to be a perfect colour match with this bag, which I usually tuck the strap into and use as a clutch bag. God only knows how old the bag is; it was my late Grandma's and is the softest leather you have ever come across. I've really gotten good use out of this little gem.

 

What do you think of this outfit?
Are you a fan of midi dresses?

 

Jo xx

Laura Geller Color Drenched Lipgloss | Cafe Au Lait

As you may or may not know by now, I am a big lipgloss fan, just because it is so damned easy to wear. One of my most recent additions to my collection, again courtesy of my fabulous auntie, is this Laura Geller Color Drenched Lipgloss in Café Au Lait.

The packaging is really nice, chunky and simple. I tend to prefer chunkier packaging as I just think it makes the product look and feel that little bit more expensive.

As you can see from the swatch, café au lait is literally the most perfect nude shade. I can imagine it being one of those shades that would suit more or less any skin tone, and it is so strongly pigmented; more so than any other lipgloss I have come across. The consistency is nice and thick which I love, and it doesn't feel at all sticky.

It lasts a good couple of hours before fading evenly, whilst actually helping to conceal any dry or cracked patches on your lips rather than clinging to them.

It also smells amazing; like a mixture between chocolate and coffee. Some of you may be thinking 'eurgh, how vile for a lip product' but it's not a sickly or overly sweet smell at all. It's just a pleasant change from any normal lipglosses.

 Overall I have to say I am seriously impressed with this lipgloss. The pigmentation and beautifully thick consistency makes it feel like a really luxurious product.

The only potential downside might be the price. Although if you're a fellow lipgloss lover, in my opinion it's worth it.

Laura Geller Color Drenched Lipgloss can be purchased here from QVC for £16.

Are you a lipgloss fan?
Would you be willing to pay as much as £16 for a lipgloss?

Jo xx

"We Don't Market to Anyone Other Than Good Looking People"

A bit of a different post today, but this is something that's really wound me up the wrong way so I need to just get this down in words.

Browsing through the Daily Express, I came across the following article;
"Fashion store that wants thin and beautiful shoppers only".

I could have guessed said shop was Abercrombie and Fitch.

We all know A&F are very selective with who they employ. However, what I didn't realise was to what extent this was taken.

Apparently, their obsession with appearance has become so extreme that they have recently been sued for forcing an employee with a prosthetic arm work in, and only in, the stockroom.

Similarly, they have been forced to change their policies after asking an employee to remove a poppy as it "was not part of her uniform".

Are these people for real?! I find this absolutely disgusting.

Now I don't want to offend anybody that may or may not work for A&F.

Yes, the shop assistants are all beautiful there's no mistaking that, but yet again here arises the debate surrounding young teenage girls growing up absorbed in this unrealistic idea of perfection, and the need to be beautiful. The media and its obscene standards have so much to answer to; anorexia, bulimia, plastic surgery...the list is endless.

As if all this wasn't enough, A&F big boss Mike Jeffries has said that he

"doesn't want his core customers to see people who aren't as hot as them wearing their clothes".

This has apparently justified the selling of women's trousers up to and not above a size 10.

Yes, you read that right. Size 10.

Yet they're happily selling men's clothes up to an XXL.

Let's take former plus size model Crystal Renn as an example.

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Although she has now lost weight, she was a size 16 at her largest.

Was Crystal ever fat? Not a chance. Is she beautiful?

Whatever size she is, I challenge anyone to tell me this woman is not beautiful.
However, according to A&F's standards, she is considered as ugly.

What the hell chance have us folk got if this woman is "ugly"?

I find it disgusting that such an influential brand as A&F can get away with promoting this kind of behaviour.

I'm well and truly lost for words.

What are your thoughts?

Jo xx

Andrea Fulerton Flip Flop French Nail Varnish Duos

So here we have another post regarding the Andrea Fulerton Nail Salon Kit Box I received as a gift! My previous posts can be found here (contents of the box) and here (Mock Croc nail varnish reviews).

Today I am going to be showing you the Andrea Fulerton Flip Flop French Duos. The box contained the shades Millie (orange plus a lilac/pink shimmer), Ruby (red plus a pink shimmer), Lianna (grey/blue glitter plus an ice blue shimmer), and Sadie (luminous green plus a dull green shimmer).

(L-R): Millie, Ruby, Sadie and Lianna.

Each nail varnish duo also comes with guidance stickers (pictured above the nail varnishes) so you don't end up with wobbly tips. I didn't actually use these (too lazy, oops), but next time I definitely will as my tips were slightly wobbly.

Anyhow, the idea of these nail varnishes is to use the bold colours (bottom row of the duos pictured above) to draw french tips onto your nails, wait for this to dry and then paint the shimmer layer over the top, using them like a french manicure.

Image on left: (l-r) Ruby, Sadie, Millie and Lianna

Image on right: Lianna, Millie, Sadie and Ruby

The image on the left shows the duos worn as is suggested.

However I have to admit I wasn't overly happy with how these looked. I love bold colours on my nails, so anything sheer or subtle (other than a traditional french manicure) I can never seem to really get on with.

I also felt that the tint of the shimmer seemed to highlight any slight imperfections and stains I had on my nails; you really do have to have your nails in tip top condition to  get away with this look.

Not one to give up easily, I decided to try the duos again; this time painting the bold shades across the whole of my nail, and repeating the shimmer top coat as before.

Personally, I thought this looked much nicer and it is something I could see myself wearing again. The only shade I'm not particularly fond of it Sadie, the luminous green colour.

It's quite an awkward one and I don't really think it matches my skin tone too well! I particularly like Lianna, although in hindsight for this blue I'd definitely do at least two darker base coats before applying the shimmer top coat, as it was still quite sheer with just the one base colour.

All in all, the duos are a nice change and different to any of the other polishes I own.

I know there will be split opinions on these shimmers so I'd love to know your thoughts!

The Andrea Fulerton Flip Flop French nail varnish duos can be purchased here from Superdrug, where they are currently reduced from £7.99 to £5.99.

What do you think?

Jo xx

Collective Haul | Primark and eBay

My word, has it really been 3 weeks since my last post?! *slaps wrists*

Boy have I missed you guys!

Life has been pretty darn hectic lately, leaving me with little energy for anything else other than work. I have my last day in placement coming up this Wednesday which I am genuinely going to be so sad about; the radiographers I have been lucky enough to work with over the past 3 years are amazing people and I'll miss them so much!

But the end of placement also brings essay and dissertation deadlines, plus a cheeky VIVA exam so my luck is in this month, I tell thee!

Anyway, during the Easter break (gosh, doesn't that just seem like yesterday?) I managed to fit in a spot of shopping...standard. My friend Laura and I popped down to Newcastle to visit our friend there at uni for a couple of days, and we spent our time having lots of giggles, food, cocktails and doing lots shopping of course! It was a lovely (and seriously needed) break. So here are the few bits I picked up from Primark whilst I was there.

Grey cardigan | £8

Grey and cream contrast dipped hem top | £8

I love the colour of this cardigan and admittedly, I only bought the shirt because I liked the contrast of colours and materials. My original plan was to remove the chain as I couldn't decide whether or not it looks a bit cheap. However now I'm unsure whether or not to take it off!

What are your thoughts, do you think the chains look cheap?

 Bronze spike statement necklace | £4

Stack of 6 rings | £2

I've been lusting after a statement necklace for a while now and this spiked one fits the bill perfectly. At that price I couldn't really leave it behind. I only bought this stack of rings as I instantly fell in love with the gold triangle one...I'm not even a size small in rings, but they didn't have a medium stack left and I loved it so much I bought it planning to wear it on my pinky instead.

Finally, I have also recently bought a couple of bargains off eBay.

Bright blue H&M dress/top (definitely a better top length, trust me on that one!) | £5.51 incl p&p

Red bodycon Aztec midi dress | £9.99 including p&p | this eBay store

I loved the colour of the H&M dress (it was sold as a dress but unless I want to spend my time with my bum fully on show, I think I'd better stick to wearing it as a top), and the lace detail down the side is really lovely. Great bargain if I say so myself!

I found the Aztec midi dress and it reminded me of one I'd seen either in Topshop or Miss Selfridge, I can't remember which one! I will probably be doing an OOTD to give you a better look at it, let me know if this is something you'd like to see?

So there we have it, my recent purchases. Hope you are all well, I'll try my best not to be absent for so long next time!

What do you think of my purchases?

Should I remove the chains from the Primark shirt?

Jo xx

Competition Wins | Winter 2012

As you can probably tell from the title, this post is just a teeny bit delayed!

Having been so busy with uni since the start of 2013, I haven't had chance to enter many competitions at all. The only ones I have entered have been blog competitions, one of which I was fortunate enough to win, so I'll squish that on the end of this post too!

The rest of the prizes I won throughout the last few months of 2012, and looking back I was actually really lucky, I definitely won more than I realised!

Laura Ashley lace shift dress | Twitter | RRP £150

Diesel Loverdose goody bag including nail file and moisturiser | Twitter | RRP £10

Nota Bene cleanser | Twitter | RRP £14.50

Aztec cardigan and skater skirt | Excite Clothing Twitter page | RRP £20

I actually did an OOTN post wearing this skirt which you can find here.

Pringles speaker | Facebook

This looks like a useless pile of junk, however I have to admit I have been using it with my iPod in the car and it's doing the trick!

Real facial cleanser | Twitter

Stylfile Nailcare Collection | Twitter | RRP £11.99

Faux leather shorts | FD Avenue Twitter page

I actually removed the studs from these as I wasn't sure if they made the shorts look a bit cheap, and I much prefer them now!

Chicnova faux leather skater dress | Victoria's Vintage blog

American makeup including Sephora eyelash curlers, Covergirl gloss balm and Tarte blusher | Lil Miss Chickas blog

Have you had any luck with competition wins recently?

Jo xx

Jelly Belly Candle | Crushed Pineapple

I have recently developed a huge love for scented candles. As I've mentioned on my blog before, I absolutely adore my room so burning scented candles and incense in there is something I really enjoy doing. However, I am quite picky when it comes to my scents in that I tend to dislike anything too overpowering.
I know; that probably sounds weird as I've just said I like to burn incense, but when I do I tend to leave the window open to diffuse the smell a bit, 'cause I'm odd like that. So I must admit I do prefer a good ol' scented candle to incense.

Anyhow, this Jelly Belly candle in Crushed Pineapple was actually a gift from my auntie a long while back which I have only just gotten round to using. I actually think the small, slightly retro-looking tin container is really cute and a nice change, although if you do fancy sticking to the popular glass jar candles Jelly Belly sell these too!

The unlit candle itself actually has a really strong, sweet scent, which although is genuinely a lovely smell it is ever so slightly sickly, so I was kind of worried at first how strong the scent would be.
It definitely reminds me of a particular sweet I used to eat when I was a wee nipper but I can't quite put my finger on which one, which is ever so slightly irritating...

Regardless, once lit the candle is the perfect fruity scent. It is such a subtle smell that the sweetness in the tin doesn't actually matter, however I would say it is definitely more of a summery scent, and the smell really doesn't seem to hang around for long unfortunately.

Overall though, it's a lovely little candle if you fancy a bit of a change from your usual floral scents!

Jelly Belly tin candles can be purchased here from Debenhams, where they are currently reduced from £5 to £4 each, available in a variety of scents from Liquorice to Blueberry!

What candle are you currently burning?

Jo xx

Tag | The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger

Hi, my name's Jo and I'm a serial procrastinator.

Cue reams of excuses as to why I deserve a break from writing my dissertation and how I have done so much work my word document will burst if I don't have a breather.

No. My word document will not burst.

My words will not fall off the end of the page.

My work will not do itself.

But I am going to do this tag because I want to, ok?

And because the beautiful Chloe from Chloe's Way tagged me and it would just be plain rude not to participate, right?

Glad that's settled. So moving swiftly on...

Rules:
1. Copy and paste these 'rules' into your post when you write it!
2. You must state that this tag was created by Laura from The Beau Bow.

3. You must thank the person who tagged you at the start of your post, follow them if you're feeling nice and at the end of your post state who you tag, and comment on their blog to let them know you tagged them.
4. Title this post 'The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger TAG' .
5. Have fun!

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1. Name a beauty regime that you rarely do.

Moisturise my body. Don't get me wrong, I'm amazing at moisturising my face but my body? I just cannot be bothered, particularly in the winter when it's so cold and I just want my bed!

2. Is washing your makeup brushes something you do regularly? 

Seriously? Never. It's actually appalling, I think the last time I washed them must have been a minimum of six months ago. I can always find something better to do!

3. How long will you last with chipped nail polish?

Once they start to chip, I could probably last an absolute maximum of three days before they become too vile to look at and I have no choice but to take it off.

4. How long do you put off buying/replacing a beauty or nail polish product even if you need it? (i.e. purchasing a new topcoat, or a new foundation etc.)

I'm actually pretty good at replacing products, only because I only tend to use up the stuff I use religiously. So things like cleansers, moisturisers, foundations and mascaras which I have my ultimate favourites of, I will stock up on before I run out.

Other things like lipsticks, eye shadows etc. I always have a huge selection of, so if I run out of one it's extremely rare that I will repurchase when I have a million and one alternatives.

5. What is your worst beauty habit?

Probably not being able to bring myself to stray away from doing neutral coloured smoky eyes. A couple of years or so ago I used to be a lot more willing to experiment with different colours. I need to get back to that habit and quit running back to my trusty brown eye shadows.

6. Name something non-beauty related that you put off doing all the time?

Healthy eating. I always say to myself "right, as of tomorrow no more snacking", then tomorrow comes and I'll be like, "as of tomorrow no more snacking", and so on and so forth. I need to kick myself into gear before my good metabolism decides it's not playing any more.

7. When going out somewhere, do you leave getting ready until the last minute or not?

If it's a night out I'm usually quite good at starting to get ready early enough, otherwise I'd be there all night. If it's anything like getting up to get ready for work then yes I really will push it time-wise. I'll snooze the alarm for half an hour, just so I can lie there and wish and wish that I didn't have to get out of bed.

8. Can you commit to spending bans?

I've never tried, but I'm usually quite good with my money and won't be ridiculous if I know full well I can't afford it or don't need it (unless of course, it's an absolute bargain). If I really tried I definitely think I could do it.

9. How organized is your makeup and nail polish collection?

I'd say it's all pretty organised to be honest! I know where everything is, as all my makeup is kept in a cute cake stand which separates my face, eye and lip products in different tiers, and my nail varnishes are all kept in the same box so yeah I'd say I'm doing alright on that front.

10. What is the longest amount of time you have gone without writing a blog post?

I think it was actually a couple of weeks ago that I went a whole week without blogging. Naughty Jo.

Thanks again to Chloe for tagging me!

I tag the following lovely bloggers:

Helen - Helen Hearts

 Katie - Katie Lew La 

Kerry - Kerralina

Louise - Confetti Letters

Rachel - Rachel's Journal

Plus anyone else who fancies giving this a go, just leave me a link below so I can check out your version!

Jo xx

How I Spent my Daxon Voucher (plus Easter Nail Art!)

Hello strangers, hope you all had a lovely long Easter weekend and ate double your body weight in chocolate! Before we start with the intended post I'd like to show you the nail art I did over the Easter weekend, which was inspired by Make-Up Savvy's (much neater) version here.

Not going to lie, I'm quite proud of how they turned out! Granted they're not as good as Fee's, but still...

Anyway, I have a relatively overdue post for you lovely lot today. I apologise for my lack of blogging recently, I am midway through tackling my dissertation and other assignments so as you can imagine I am in fact dying a little inside.

You may remember me blogging about the fabulous opportunity to become a part of the Daxon Blogger Network a few months ago (you can find said blog post here).

Well today I am going to show you a couple of things I purchased with my £50 Amazon voucher!

Wooden peep toe platform heels* | Amazon | £17.99 £15.99

I was desperate for some comfortable new black heels, as every pair I own rubs my poor toes to death. Admittedly, these do rub a little but I forgive them just because they are that damned pretty. Love.

Grey Converse All Stars* | Amazon | £34.99 £22.74

I have also been lusting after a pair of converse for so long it's unreal, and I am well and truly in love with these beauties. Although I was originally swooning over a burgundy pair, I am so glad I got these dark grey ones, as the colour is just perfect and goes with more or less everything in my wardrobe. Now I've just been left wondering why it's taken me so damned long to invest in a pair.

I did actually pay around £32.99 for these, but as you can see they have now been reduced by a significant amount so I would snap them up while you can if I were you, bit of a bargain there!

I'd like to say a huge thank you to Daxon for my amazingly generous £50 Amazon voucher. As you can see I did have a little bit of fun spending it, even if it did disappear rather too quickly for my liking.

Did you manage to get your hands on one of the £50 vouchers?

What did you spend it on? I'd love some links so I can have a nosy!

Jo xx