Sunday 25 March 2012

Weight update, new health & recipe blog and mini haul

Hi everyone

Hope you're all well?

I've finally lost a stone ^_^ woo!

I have now pushed it up a notch and joined a gym with my friend which I think i'll be going to three times a week, as well as my workout dvds and continuing with my diet :]

I have started a new blog for all my weight loss mumbo as I didn't want to ramble on about it here. If you want healthy recipes, fitness tips or to follow me on my weight loss journey, please follow me at Pass the scales.

I also bought a few bits this week in time for spring, yay!

TRESemme heat spray & Clearasil face wash

Tea tree spot stick


Garnier body summerbody - ready for summer! I will review in a few weeks.
Max Factor polish - Graffiti & Sunny Pink

Colour 24hr Tattoo in Eternal Gold
Swatch of Eternal Gold
Barry M Dazzle Dust in shade 136. It was too light/sheer to swatch
 And that was all!

Please check out my other blog (above) and keep reading here for more reviews and updates!

xxxx

Saturday 17 March 2012

Weight loss, haul and other bits :]

Hi everyone :]

Hope you're all enjoying the weekend?

If you don't want to read a rambly blog... run now!

I had some exciting news on Monday and to celebrate my boyfriend is taking me away for the night tomorrow for some cheeky chips on the beach in Brighton, so I spent today with my mum as our 'mothers day' day out!

We headed over to Crawley, had a coffee which was a little on the large side and then did a bit o'shopping.

I didn't really have anything in mind, which I don't know about you but is nice 'cause you can just browse without getting worked up.

The camera I usually use isn't working, but i've popped a few pictures of what I bought below using my phone :]

Primark: Sheer polka dot shirt - £10, Vanity case - £5, Lint roller - £1
Superdrug: Overnight goodies for Sunday. Dove set - £5, Simple & toothpaste - £1(ish)

Harvey's: Scented candles on sale! L-R: French vanilla (£2), Jasmine and blossom (£1.50 each), Blueberry muffin (£2.80) and tray (£1).
We stopped off at Prezzo and had a lovely lunch. I tried the new 'Light' side of the menu, which was surprisingly nice. I had the 'Spaghetti with King Prawns' and it was so tasty, especially for 450ish calories. Note, don't eat the massive red piece of veg thinking it's a tomato... it's a chilli!

I'm still continuing with the diet and still doing well, not as well as last week though. This week i've lost a total of 4lbs and hopefully another 1lb will disappear before going to Brighton if I workout before I go. I'm noticing a difference now, and I'm comfortably wearing size 18 clothes now instead of going up a size for some items or in some shops - woo!
I also just want to congratulate Struck (my boyfriend) on his weight loss as he has managed to lose 12lbs!!!!! You can really tell he's lost weight and i'm so pleased and proud he's decided to stick with it :]

To help distract and relax me in the evening, I thought i'd give cross stitch a go (yes, a little mumsy of me but.. who cares!?) so mum and I popped into Hobbycraft today....


So really, that's it! On a side note, if you're near a TK Maxx, pop in there now! Ciaté have a load of items in there at the moment - crackle nail polish (which I picked up last week) which have three crackle polishes for £4.99 as well as the repairing hand cream for £4.99. They're so cheap, so go and take a look!

Sorry this wasn't very exciting but I hope you enjoyed anyway.

During the week I will be reviewing the Q10 firming oil, my new favourite product <3

Happy mothers day & have a lovely weekend!

xxxx

Friday 9 March 2012

Review: Collection 2000, Avon, 17, Barry M, Bourjois! x

Hiya,

This is going to be a tad on the lengthy side as I recently stocked up on a fair few affordable products and thought I'd let you know my honest opinions on each. I'll try to be as concise as possible.. and if you do get to the end, a gold star for you! ;)


17 Ultimate Volume Lip Gloss in 'In the Nude'


A pretty affordable lipgloss at just £3.99 and available from Boots here. As you can see, while this is a nude colour (in the tradition sense - a colour similar to the natural pink of lips rather than the concealer shade it's come to be known as!), it does have a glitter running through it. I've taken two pictures, the one of the left is heavily applied but as you can see from the picture on the right, if you aren't too heavy with the product that glitter does disperse and leave a lovely colour. This is marketed as a plumping, volume product but I don't think it's overly different from other lipglosses on the market. Not too sticky, nice application and will definitely be a make-up bag staple for me - plus the applicator is easy to use and mess free!

Sugar plump marks out of 10 - 7.

Barry M Liquid Eyeliner in 'Purple'


This eyeliner is £4.79 and available from Boots here. I've been looking for a decent purple liquid eyeliner for a while now and thought I'd give this a try - if I'm honest, I wish I'd saved my money. The applicator is far too thick, regardless of shade, for easy use and application of a precise line. The colour admittedly is quite pretty but as you can see from the swatch, if you go over the line it moves the product resulting in a patchy gloop of purple mess. Plus the staying power is not great at all - the day I wore this it had completely disappeared by bedtime. Pile of poop in my opinion. Let me know of any decent alternatives!

Sugar plump marks out of 10 - 2. :(

17 Photo Flawless Primer


This product is £4.99 and available from Boots here. I've bought this primer before so technically this is a repurchase - I loved it the first time and just as much the second time around. It's designed to help prep your skin before foundation application - NOT necessarily to prolong wear throughout the day, which I know many primers on the market are designed for. Thankfully it's not marketed that way so you know what you're getting from day one but it really is a great help in getting a perfect base for your skin. It is such a silky, smooth clear gel and leaves your skin feeling like velvet, plus helps to minimise pores which is fab. I think this would be a great product for oily skin too, as it does minimise the shine on me.

Sugar plump marks out of 10 - 8!

Collecton 2000 Lasting Performance Concealer in 'Light'


I'm sure you all know about this product already as the Youtube and blogging industry is crazy for it! Amazing coverage, staying power and a great all-rounder, you can get your mitts on this for £4.19 from Boots. It comes in four shades. The markings on the packaging do rub off very quickly though!

Sugar plump marks out of 10 - 8.

Bourjois Volume Clubbing Eyeliner in 'Extra Black'


Ahh this is without a doubt my make-up bag essential and I've used it pretty much every day for going on a year (obviously with a few repurchases)! This is a true black, lasts pretty much all day but still isn't a pain to remove at all. I reckon a few might be put off by the applicator pen as it does seem very thin, but as you can see from the swatch (that's just one swipe) it does apply thick or thin - depending on your preference! Perfect for a cat eye flick, I'd recommend this to every single one of you :) If you fancy a go, it's £6.99 from Boots.

Sugar plump marks out of 10 - 9.


17 Candy Collection Blush and Go in 'Peach Melba'

Swatches L-R: Blush side - highlighter side - both together

This blush is just £3.99 and available from Boots. What a great idea, to have a blush and highlighter within one product - it's your choice as to how you use this one. For a strong pigment, just go for the peachy side, for a shimmery highlighter pop on the light side or combine both for a pretty shimmer across the cheeks. The main colour of this one is a pinky peach, with a shot of gold shimmer through it. I really am pleased with this buy, especially on price, and think it'll work great in the summer months. It is rather shimmer-heavy though, so if you're a matte kinda girl then this might not be for you.


Sugar plump marks out of 10 - 6 :)

Avon True Colour Blush in 'Earthern Rose'

Swatches L-R: On application - blended

On the note of matte blushers, this is a fab choice if you're after a peachy natural shade. The compact this comes in is sturdy and would be a handy edition to anyone's make-up bag as it includes a little mirror and a brush. Personally I rarely use these, but it is so soft and handy so worth keeping! My only criticism on this is the pigment is fairly strong so you need to either be light-handed or a pro at blushing to avoid clown cheeks! The price on this is always changing with different promotions, but at this precise minute it's £6.00 on the Avon online shop or ask your local Avon rep for a brochure.

Sugar plump marks out of 10 - 6.

Phew! That's the lot. Would absolutely love to hear your opinions on these products or any affordable bits and bobs you've come across recently.
Lots of love, Colly xxx

Wednesday 7 March 2012

Who needs Weight Watchers?

Hi everyone =]

Hope you're all well?

This post is going to be slightly different and part of a weekly update that I will continue to write every Wednesday as that is my 'weigh in' day.

This clearly isn't me :]
Last week my boyfriend and I decided enough is enough, we need to lose some serious weight as we'd been indulging in way too many tasty treats since our diet came to a stand still in December.

Slowly, a plan formed and we knew how we were going to shift the podge!

We did our monthly food shop online, which was full of various fruit and veg as well as buying a fitness/workout game (not sure if you could call it a game... it's mean) for our PS3.

So after a week of exercise and dieting, I thought i'd just let you all know my progress, what i've been doing and how i'm finding it so far!

Since Wednesday I have been trying to maintain a low calorie diet (approx. 1000-1200 calories a day) which is usually some fruit for breakfast, a salad for lunch and a much smaller dinner of either chicken or fish. I've been snacking on fruit as well and trying to minimise the amount of caffeine I have. To stop my coffee cravings, I've been drinking a lot of Dragonfly (caffeine free) Rooibos Vanilla Tea which i'd really recommend! You can buy this from most supermarkets for around £2 for 40 bags.
After having a tough couple of weeks, it's been so tempting to pop out at lunch and just get a bar of chocolate or a massive latte but i'm so determind to actually do this, i'm proud that I haven't had any! Yay :]

So that's my diet, now exercise! I'm not a lover of exercise (besides walking) but as i'm not confient enough to visit a gym, I figured i'd get a game (again.. game? Really?) for my PS3 to do in the comfort of my lounge! I bought My Fitness Coach from HMV for £6 and although it's not ideal, it does the job. Besides the dancing work outs, i've tried most of them and I think I have developed a love for kickboxing. It's so fun and a great way to work out. I made the mistake of trying the boot camp workouts today and I swear i've never exercised so hard!! I would recommend this to anyone who is in a similar situation to me and doesn't fancy the gym as it's easy to use and a good way to get some exercise into your daily routine.

My progress.... So far, I have lost 6lbs, which isn't bad in a week! I am a little disappointed as I thought i'd perhaps lose a little more but still, at least i'm heading in the right direction!

Sorry for rambling, I won't go on about this anymore as I think it's taken me long enough to write this.. my brain seems to have just switched off, but if you're interested, I will update next Wednesday on how i'm doing!

I will also be doing a review in a few weeks on the Nivea Q10 firming oil, so keep an eye out for that :]

Anyone else on a diet or trying to get healthy?

xxxxx