What I Eat In A Day #1

Before I begin...no pretty food photos ahead, so if that's what you like I'm sorry!

 Breakfast: Cute Nutrition Meal Replacement Shake with a Green Tea Not going to lie, I am not a fan of this shake. I used to use the PHD Nutrition Meal Replacement Shake and it was honestly so much nicer taste wise, but they changed their formula so I decided to switch it up and try out Cute Nutrition. Everyone I've spoken to loves it so maybe I just picked a dud flavour? I use almond milk with it too so maybe that makes it taste funky...

Lunch: Alpro Vanilla Yoghurt with Granola I know this isn't the most 'lunchy' option but I needed to use up my yoghurt by today and didn't want to throw it out. This Nice & Nobbly Granola is my actual fave as it's not got too much dried fruit and other bits added to it. This generally really fills me up for the afternoon.

Snack: KIND Maple Glazed Pecan & Sea Salt

These guys are pretty high in calories, nuts always are, but they are so tasty and rather filling too. I had this after I finished my 4 hour shift at work before I headed to the gym and it actually kept me fuelled for my workout!

Dinner: Red Onion & Goats Cheese Tart with Brown Rice These tarts are actually such a god send! Just shove them in the oven for half hour and bish bash bosh they're done. I am a lover of cheese so these are perfect, probably not the healthiest option but I opted for brown rice to accompany to compensate.
Post-Dinner Snack: Mini Twister with a Peppermint Tea I went to the gym before dinner so wanted something sweet to treat myself. These mini twisters are only around 50 calories so perfect after all the hard work at the gym. I always have a peppermint tea before I go to bed as it really helps with your digestive system and I find it reduces my bloating when I wake up.
That's it for my first What I Eat In A Day post, i'll try to improve my photography for the next one, I promise!

My Fitness Wishlist #1

Buying new gym or workout gear always makes me super motivated and I feel like I push myself so much harder during my workouts if I am wearing a new outfit! Is that just me?! Here's a list of things I have been lusting after for the gym.

1) All The Right Places Pant II - £118.00

I'm waiting till I win the lottery to bite the bullet and buy these bad boys. I blame TheAnnaEdit for my new found love for LuluLemon, and my bank account really did not need to find this website!

2) Lightweight by Victoria’s Secret Strappy Sport Bra - £22.73

Possibly the most beautiful Sports Bra I have ever seen! I cannot imagine it gives a hell of a lot of support, but when I finally get the stomach I want, this would be perfect to rock in the gym with some high waisted leggings.

3) Workout Tank Top Squatted From The Bottom - £14.80

How hilarious is this top? Perhaps I need to work on my glutes a lot more before I can buy this though...

4) Fitbit Charge HR Monitor - £99.99

I never really hear anyone talking about Fitbit's, but I am really intrigued to have one and in particular use it whilst I am working out. I find it really hard to track my calories and it would be really handy to be able to view it all through one device without any hard work on my part. 

5) Active mesh panel hoodie black - £20.00

I guess a black hoodie is nothing special, but I love the mesh detail on this hoodie, and I am always looking for new ways to make my workout gear a bit more fashionable.

6) RI Active dark red block gym leggings - £28.00

HOW CUTE ARE THESE?! These leggings are perfect for Autumn/Winter, although I do feel they might be hard to match up with my other bits in my workout wardrobe...

Are you lusting after any new fitness gear? I'd love to know what!

My MAC Lipstick Collection + Lip Swatches

My MAC Lipstick Collection is one of my most prized possessions and it's taken me a while to collect as many as I have. I worked out that since I have 24, I have spent around £372 on MAC Lipsticks...how tragic is that?!

Amplified finishes are bold in colour, with incredible pigmentation and colour payoff, whilst being creamy on the lips.
Morange - Amplified A bright orange, one which I don't get much use out of in the UK.
Toying Around - Amplified* This was a LE lipstick from the Playland collection. It's a coral toned pink.

Frost finishes provide medium yet buildable coverage and colour payoff, with a pearlescent finish.
Odyssey - Frost A beautiful lipstick for the autumn/winter, a berry colour with a pearly finish.
Barcelona Red - Frost Definitely not one of my favourites, a frosted intense pinky-red.

Satin finishes are creamy in texture, and provide a fairly good medium colour payoff, which can be built up.
Rebel - Satin A pink-toned raspberry shade with a gorgeous shine.
Cremesheen's are probably the most well known formula of MAC lipsticks, being balmy and creamy in texture, with a medium buildable colour. They have a slight shine to them.
Speak Louder - Cremesheen  A girly pink shade, not too suited to my skin tone.
Ravishing - Cremesheen A peachy coral tone which I think is best suited to light to medium skin tones.
Brave Red - Cremesheen A classic bold red with a shine.

Lustre finishes are very comfortable on the lips, lightweight with a sheer to medium coverage, which is again buildable.
Patisserie - Lustre A sheer creamy nude pink with sparkles running throughout.
Plumful - Lustre A rosey-toned plum colour, perfect to throw on in Autumn.
Retro Matte's are the hardest formula to work with, but they last ages and are extremely matte.
All Fired Up - Retro Matte Not the most comfortable lipstick, but the brightest blue toned fuchsia pink.

 

MAC's Matte finishes are potentially my favourite out of the lot as they are comfortable yet with a matte finish. They also have a very high colour pay-off. 
Lady Danger -Matte An intense orange toned red, beautiful on all skin tones.
Diva - Matte My favourite A/W lipstick! A dark berry shade.
Taupe - Matte As the name suggests, a muted taupe-brown.
Chili - Matte A muted red, very wearable.
Heroine - Matte A bold, bright purple.
Stone - Matte Not the most wearable colour
Whirl - Matte A rosey nude, typical Kylie Jenner colour.
Viva Glam Ariana Grande - Matte
Another perfect A/W shade, but does go a bit patchy on the lips.
Sin - Matte A very dark red with blue undertones.
Evening Rendezvous - Matte* A bold purple, not for the faint hearted.
Opera - Matte* A dark pink, nothing too special.
Hearts Aflame - Matte* A mid to dark toned red.
Lingering Kiss - Matte* A deep plum red, another A/W fave!
All Limited Edition Lipsticks have an asterix next to them! What's your favourite MAC lipstick? I'd love to know in the comments so I can add some more to my collection.

Let's Talk About: Body Image Positivity

We all spend hours endlessly scrolling through Instagram at all these beautiful toned women with the most fleeky makeup and the most insane bodies, but we don't ever take time out to appreciate the bodies that we have and I think that is super important. Not only that, but we all spend so much time slamming the body that we have, or even others bodies and appearances, and nobody needs that negativity!
I put together a collage of women with all different body shapes, and I just want to say that they are all beautiful, yet all very different from each other. We were not put on this planet to all be identical, in fact it'd be pretty boring if we were.

From L to R: Myself, SheMightBeLoved, Carly Rowena, AYellowBrickBlog, LilyMelrose 

From L to R: lilypebbles, Emtalks, Beth Neale, ShannonMarie, Malin Andersson

From L to R: Ashley Nicole, NerdAboutTown, Hannah Mayhew, Lydia Elise Millen, dellalovesnutella

From L to R: Sirvickalot, Cardiganjezebel, Nadia Maalin, FashionFairytale

I'll be the first to admit that I frequently have days where I am very down about my body and feel too bloated, or like my boobs aren't big enough or my waist isn't small enough, and I wish it was a feeling that we could eradicate from the world. I will also hold my hands up and say that like most of us, although we don't wish to admit it, I've made comments about people that I definitely shouldn't have in the past, whether it be about a celebrity who has gained a few pounds or somebody that "shouldn't be wearing that". We live in a society where no one is really told off for saying these things, and I wish that wasn't the case. It's awful the amount of negativity you see online about people, especially in the blogging/vlogging industry. Frequently I will be scrolling on Instagram and see comments on Youtubers photos saying "You look like you've put on weight", or something equivalent, and I wish we could all just celebrate each other rather than bash each other down. All these views about what is an 'ideal size' etc comes from the media, which yes has its upsides, but also rather a lot of negatives. Why should anyone be labelled 'fat', 'too fat', 'skinny', or 'too skinny'? What is deemed as 'too fat' or 'too skinny'? 
The media only shows us what are seen as 'the hottest' bodies, and 'the most desireable' appearances, when in fact, these are the minority, and generally they've had work done to look like that, a hell of a lot of photoshopping, or have worked incredibly hard, putting hours in which not everyone has. Don't get me wrong, I am not slating surgery, I'm just saying that most people my age cannot afford to go out and get surgery, and it's not always the answer. My view however, is if you can afford it and it'll make you happy, then go for it, it's your decision to make and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Anyway, moving back onto the media, it is drilled into us from such a young age that big boobs, a big bum and a tiny waist make the 'ideal' woman, making those of us without those features feel pretty darn awful. I think it's time that we all start thinking less about what other people look like and start to be grateful for the healthy bodies that we do have. This is not to say I don't think we shouldn't want to improve ourselves, but we should definitely spend less time wishing we looked like others.What is desireable to one person may not be desireable to another, always remember that! 
I am built with big hips and large thighs and I definitely do not have Kardashian curves, but I am healthy, and I want to take my own advice and just be happy that I have a healthy body. Improving ourselves, if it is something that we want, should be a positive change, and you should not let yourselves get down and disheartened by the fact you do not look like someone from the front of a magazine. We should celebrate people of all shapes and sizes, and no one should be made to feel any less desirable than another. If you're unhappy with one feature of your body, try to think of one of two things you love about yourself, and realise that those things you might think are 'flaws' or 'aren't perfect' 1) are probably things no one else would notice, or 2) are somebody's idea of perfect.
Drop me a comment down below of a feature you love about yourself, and spread some positivity!

Affordable Chanel Kristen Stewart Makeup

Well hello guys, I hope you're all well! I decided to do something different today and recreate the look that Chanel did on Kristen Stewart recently, with the vampy-red smokey eyes and the bold lip. I've used much cheaper alternatives and hope that this will be helpful to you!

Nyx Colour Correcting Concealer, Maybelline Dream Satin Fluid in Soft Beige, NYX HD Studio Finishing Powder, NYX Milk Jumbo Eye Pencil, Inglot Shadow in 55, MUA Brown Matte Shadow 19, Benefit Gimme Brow, MUA Lip Liner in Red Drama & Brooding Plum, Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara.

So this look is actually super simple, and only took me about 15 minutes to create. I listed the products that I used just above, however obviously a lot of these are interchangeable. 

Firstly I did a little colour correcting to make my skin as even as possible. I applied a peachy shade under my eyes to counteract any darkness, and used green around my nose just to get rid of any redness. To apply my foundation I used a damp beauty blender, as you really want the coverage to be as flawless as possible, but still looking pretty natural. I just powdered this down with my NYX Finishing Powder, as Kristen's skin is really matte in the photo (I'm even convinced she used a Powder Foundation, but I don't have one). It looked as if she had no contour or anything on her cheeks, although it was hard to tell, so I just left the skin there.

To start off the key part of the look, the eyes, I applied my NYX Milk Eye Pencil all over the lid and up into the crease, to allow the red colour to really pop. I had the perfect dupe for the Chanel Red in the 268 pallette, which was my INGLOT shadow in #55. This went all over my lid and quite far down on my lower lash line. This looks terrifying at first, genuinely looked like a Halloween makeup look, but don't worry it gets better! I then took a matte brown shade, which was from MUA, and blended this at the edge of the red on both the upper lid and the lower lash line. This just darkened up the look and made it look less like I was diseased. Lastly, a couple of coats of mascara, and that's the eyes finished!

The brows were super simple, and I just used my Benefit Gimme Brow to fill in a little of the sparse areas, whilst also brushing my brows upwards, as Kristen's definitely were. The last step is the lips, and I used my MUA Lip Liners, applying the bright red all over, and the darker shade on the outer edges. 

I'm so pleased with how this came out! I don't know if it's the sort of look I would be able to pull off in public but I do have a thing for red eyeshadow, so who knows! Please ignore the fact that my ears are red, I dyed my hair the day before I took these photos and there was no getting rid of it.

I hope you guys enjoyed something a bit different and more creative from me! Let me know what you think of this look in the comments below, and if you tried to recreate it yourself!

August Favourites 2016

I honestly do not remember the last time I wrote a monthly favourites blog post, and it's always because I forget until like the 10th of the next month, and by that point I might as well wait to do that month's favourites, and it's just a vicious cycle really. Anyway, August has apparently been lucky and not forgotten, so here are a few of my favourites from the past month - let's kick it off with the beauty bits!

Beauty
1) L'Oreal Pure Clay Glow Mask My skin has been a bit dehydrated and dull since I got back from my holiday so I decided to pick up the new L'Oreal Glow Mask from Boots, just to see if it could give my skin the pick-me-up that it needed. I have to say, after using it twice a week, it has made my skin so much softer and a bit brighter too. The mask has gentle exfoliating beads in which help to exfoliate the skin, leaving it soft and smooth. I reckon after regular use I will start to see a massive change in my skin!
2) NYX Brow Gel I was travelling between houses at the weekends throughout August, and one weekend I left my beloved Anastasia Dip Brow at my parents house, and had to dig around to find something to fill my brows in with before work. Luckily I had my NYX Brow Gel in my drawers somewhere, and after using it I realised how much I love it. It's so easy to apply and a little goes a really long way, I cannot imagine running out of this stuff anytime soon. It stays in place all day, also keeping the brows firmly locked in place, and doesn't go at all patchy. I definitely recommend this one for those of you who like strong brows, like me!
3) Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita If you read one of my latest blog posts which I will link here, you'll know that this baby is my new absolute favourite. Check out the post if you want to know more, but in brief, it is the most beautiful pinky matte nude which is super comfortable on the lips and goes with absolutely any makeup look. I've been wearing it non-stop for the past two weeks!
Lifestyle
4) Cardio 'Hold up', I hear you all cry. YES, I am talking about the exercise. I am absolutely loving Cardio at the moment, I don't know why ?! (100% because I am staying with my parents for a bit and they feed me up like a Christmas Turkey...). I always feel so happy and motivated after a cardio session, and it's something I never regret doing. A particular favourite of mine is 15-30 minutes on the StairMaster (if you've ever met a StairMaster, you will be crying at the thought right now), which is a killer but you definitely leave the gym looking like a sweaty beast!
5) Power TV Show If you love shows about drugs, gangsters, money, love, sex and just overall action shows, you will LOVE Power. Me and the boyfriend have been watching it for a few months now and we are finally up to date (watching the new episode every week when it's released on Netflix). It's so gripping and you really fall in love with the characters, plus there's so much drama and action you really cannot get bored.
6) Hummus Chips
I recently discovered Hummus Chips down the 'Free From' aisle in my local Tesco, and I have fallen in love, sadly there is no packet left for me to show you. I get the Tomato and Basil flavour and they're just a much healthier (and tastier...) alternative to crisps, not to mention the bag is much larger and generally much more filled than the joke that is Walkers crisps...
Fashion
7) Nike Air Force 1's I've had these since Christmas, but lately with the weather being a bit nicer and the need for my beloved black boot collection diminishing, I've pulled these bad boys out of the bag. I particularly love wearing them with my Topshop Pleated 'Awkward Length' Trousers which I have spammed my Instagram with (but they're just so beautiful so no regrets!), but they also work well with jeans or denim shorts. They are kinda chunky and heavy, but super comfortable!
8) Missguided Pink Suede Biker Jacket Oh my lord, this is the new love of my life! I am contemplating buying it in another shade as it's just such a beautiful jacket to throw on. I've never really been much of a pink girl but honestly this has changed me and I have got so much wear out of this jacket in the past month on those slightly chillier days.
What were you loving during August?