Blogilates - My new challenge!

So, it's probably been about a year now that I've started taking my fitness a little more seriously. I joined a gym last summer in an attempt to get my body a little more bikini friendly for my Florida holiday. My holiday came and went, and I have (by some miracle!) continued to go to the gym three times a week!

Now I won't lie, I do have my lethargic days where I finish work, and the last thing I want to do is stumble out of the office and into the gym! I have on occasion gone home and took a nap instead! I also love food a little too much to be able to eat healthier for longer than a couple of days! Why am I telling you this? Well basically, I'm happy that I have continued to go to the gym, but I do feel like I am still lacking slightly in becoming a healthier person. For this reason, I've found myself browsing around YouTube at healthy lifestyle channels trying to inspire myself to change my ways. This was when I stumbled across Blogilates.

I had heard other YouTubers talk about Blogilates before, but I had never actually gone on there to see what it was all about. Oh man, I was missing out! The face of Blogilates is a pretty little lady called Cassey Ho, who has to the be the most upbeat YouTuber I have ever seen! She puts out many workout videos as you would expect, but the best thing of all (which was the thing that lured me in) was that she also does monthly calendars which makes following her videos, and putting them into a routine, super easy! Her website also allows you to click the day that you are on, and it will direct you straight to that days workouts. No more scrolling through YouTube to find what you are after!



Taken from www.blogilates.com/

As I am a regular gym goer, I thought some of the exercises would be a little easy going; damn, I was so so wrong! I have come to realise I have the flexibility of a 100 year old woman. Thank God I decided to start on the 'Beginner's Calendar'! All the calendars can be printed off, and once you have completed a workout, you can tick it off! I'm not sure if it's just me, but it feels slightly rewarding to be able to tick things off as I go along and physically see the progress I have made.

So far I have completed week one of the Beginner's Calendar, and I am just about to move on to week two and do todays workouts when I finish this blog. I have to say, even though this is for beginners, I really am starting to feel a difference already! My tummy feels slightly more toned and I ache like hell!

So, have you tried Blogilates yet? If so, how is it working for you and what workouts would you recommend? All links for Blogilates will be listed at the end of this post.

Thank you as ever for your time.
Rachel.


www.blogilates.com
www.youtube.com/blogilates
www.facebook.com/blogilates

Escada - Cherry In The Air

So, for a long long time I have been telling myself I have waaaaaay too many perfumes and that I don't need any more. Unfortunately, that piece of advice to myself went straight out of  the window when I saw this little beauty!

I didn't go out with the intention of buying this; It was one of those impulse buys. There I was, minding my own business whilst browsing around Debenhams. Then out of the corner of my eye, I spy the Escada perfume stand. Now I've smelt a few of their perfumes in the past, but I had never seen this one before. As far as I am aware, it has not long been out. I was immediately sucked in as I absolutely love cherry scents and flavours. As soon as I spritzed it, I had to buy it; it was a no brainer!

The packaging is adorable as well. The little bow with cherry detail is actually detachable, and the box says it is meant to be worn as a ring. I've left it on the bottle though as I feel it just adds to the cuteness of the bottle. The back of the bottle is also covered in little cherries.

This scent is super sweet and is perfect for spring and summer. I've already nearly used a quarter of it, so I think that shows this is a winner in my books!

Have you smelt this perfume yet? If so, what are your thoughts? What summer scents would you recommend?

Thank you for your time.
Rachel.

MAC Tropical Taboo Collection - Mineralized Blushes

Even though MAC are constantly bringing out new collections, I can't help but get a little bit sucked in every time. The newest collection they have out is their Tropical Taboo collection. Although a lot of the products looked really pretty, I was a good girl and only ended up purchasing two of their mineralized blushes.

Left to right: Sweet Samba & Simmer

 

 

There are three blushes in this collection, but the third one (Exotic Ember) seemed like more of a bronzer, and didn't really take my fancy. These blushes can look a little bit scary in terms of colour, but when the two colours in the pan are blended together, they come out a really lovely colour.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left to right: Sweet Samba & Simmer.



I haven't had chance to wear these as part of my day to day make up yet as I only purchased them yesterday. Unfortunately, the photo showing the swatches on the back of my hand doesn't quite pick up the shimmer that is in Simmer (That felt quite pleasing to say!). For this reason, I decided to include a swatch of the product when it was directly picked up by my finger tips. From this you can clearly see the gold shimmer that runs quite strongly throughout. The shades are quite similar in colour, but the colour can alter each time depending how much of each colour in each palette you pick up. For these swatches, I tried to pick up an even amount of each colour in each blusher.

All in all, I am rather happy with these blushes. I do tend to prefer their mineralized blushes over their regular ones as I just feel the colour payoff is better.

Have you purchased anything from this collection yet? If so, what are your thoughts?
Thank you for reading.

Rachel.

 

Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow

I love Urban Decay for the wonderful quality of their eyeshadow! However, coming across the new Moondust eyeshadows was a complete accident! After finishing work on Saturday I decided to pop into town with the other half to go do a spot of shopping. I went into Debenhams with my heart set on picking up a Dior lipstick I had been lusting over on the internet. Whilst I was there, I went over to the Urban Decay stand to have a look at the Naked Flushed palette (the blush, bronze and highlight palette). Unfortunately, I was approached by one of the women who works on the counter. I hate when this happens as I struggle to say no. Anyway, to cut a long story short, she got me to sit down and was going to test this bronzer on me, only to then tell me about these new eye shadows that had been released.

As you can see by this picture, I not only ended up buying four of the eyeshadows, I also bought one of the customizable palettes to house all my new pretties! When they swatched them for me, I really couldn't say no! I cannot confirm exactly how new these are, as the girls in the store said they had been out just over a week, whereas google searches suggests that they may have came out last month (April 2013). Either way, they are still a new product. There are seven colours in total as a cost of £14 each. I picked the four colours that I felt I would get the most use out of.

Moonspoon

Moonspoon is a beautiful gunmetal silver. On the left is one coat and on the right is several layers built up to give the colour more pigmentation. You can certainly wear one layer for a sheer amount of sparkle for daytime looks, or layer it up for a night out.

 

 

 

Zodiac

This was love at first sight. Zodiac is dark green/black colour with gold, silver and teal sparkle running strongly throughout. This looks absolutely stunning. It is more of a night out shade, but would be wonderful for creating a smokey eye look. Definitely better when layered up.

 

 

 

 



Space Cowboy

Space Cowboy is a peachy copper shade with silver shimmer throughout. It is ideal for wearing during the day as it is neutral, but still glitzy enough to be noticed. Layering up doesn't make too much of a difference to how strong the pigmentation is.

 

 

Diamond Dog

 As with Space Cowboy, this one is ideal for wearing in the day. Both shades go really well together. Layering doesn't have much effect on colour payoff, but does help to make it more shimmery.

 

 

 

 

Because I am a weak human being, I also ended up buying this. You pop your eye shadows out of the cases, and clip them into the palette as shown above. The gaps at the side make it really easy to take them back out if you decide you want to switch them around or completely replace them with something else.



 

So overall, I ended up spending far much more money than I estimated, but I justify if by the fact I had £15 on my beauty card that I needed to use up. These shades are beautiful, but I think I may keep them for nights out as I am not too daring for wearing that much shimmer during daytime at the office. The pigmentation is amazing as to be expected for a UD eyeshadow. The glitter in the eyeshadows is so fine that it doesn't drag or feel gritty or chunky on the eyelid. That being said, you will still experience fallout from using these. The only thing I can suggest is applying the product wet. This will stop there being as much fallout, and may also increase the vibrancy of the colour on the lid.

 

So, have any of you tried these new shadows? If so, what do you think? If not, will you be having a look out for them?

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Rachel.

Birchbox UK - April 2013

Oh dear... Just realised how long it has been since I've posted anything! I am awful at keeping things up! Hopefully now the lighter nights are on the way, it will be a big kick up the backside for me to get more photos taken and more blog posts up! Anyway, on with the Birchbox post!

This is now my fourth Birchbox I have received since they took over Joliebox in January. I'm sure most people are now aware of what beauty box subscriptions are by now, but if not, they are boxes which are sent out once a month and contain 4-5 beauty samples (which can sometimes contain full size products). I am only subscribed to Birchbox which is £10 + £2.95 P&P; to me, it is a perfect way to try different brands without splurging out on full sizes.

 

 

As typical with all Birchboxes, it comes in a cardboard style box with a pink drawstring bag. Also enclosed is a card explaining what is in the box and a little description of how best to use it. The little magazine that comes with the box is also bursting with little beauty tips and recommendations from beauty gurus. This months magazine is particularly stunning. I have a huge love for cherry blossom. Nothing puts me in a better mood for spring than pink cherry blossom against a blue sky.

 

 

Mirenesse - Glossy Kiss (shade 14. Perfect Kiss)



I was rather happy when I saw this product in my box. Though I haven't heard of the brand before, I am rather enjoying the whole lipstick in pencil format that a lot of brands are now jumping on board with. I haven't personally tried the Clinique Chubby Sticks, but I have tried a few of the drugstore dupes. Whilst the colour pay off is very nice (see the swatch on my hand), the colour is a slight issue for me. You won't be able to see properly in this picture, but when applied there is a strong amount of gold glitter running through the main colour. Some people may love this but to me, I prefer shiny lips to ones that look like glitter balls. My other issue is that unlike all other lipstick pencils I've tried, this one doesn't twist up. It states on the back of the card in the box that when it starts to get blunt, you can sharpen the product. I am slightly reluctant to try this however as the packaging is all plastic rather than your typical pencil material. Not a perfect product, but one I will use if I can get the hang of using it to build a sheer coverage. 

 

 

Welda - Skin Food

When I read the name of this, I was slightly unsure of what to make of it. I thought maybe like Soap and Glory's Hand Food, it would just be a moisturising cream but for the body. Upon squeazing the product out of the tube, it is a rather thick white cream similar to that of Savlon. It does say on the packaging that is idea for dry skin such as elbows or feet. Personally I love the smell of this. It had a herbal and citrus scent all in one and lingers on the skin for a while after use. This will be ideal for the dry patches of skin I get on my arms and my elbows. Also, the card claims Victoria Beckham has given it the thumbs up, so surely it's gotta be good, right?!

 

 

Natio - Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser

I haven't used this product as of yet but at least it's a band name I recognise! I did have a cheeky sniff and tested it on the back of my hand; Oh lordy, it smells nice. I think it's the sandalwood in it that I like. It's a really pretty silver matalic colour too. I shall definately be giving it a whirl once I've finished with the cleanser I am currently using.

 

 

Gerda Spillmann - Renaissance Age Serum

You may think this is a pretty tiny sample, but when I saw on the card that the full size product is worth £69, I can see why! Wow, that's an expensive little product. So far I have only used it once, so I can't say whether it has any life changing effects which is worth throwing all that money at. It's rather liquidy compared to my No.7 one I was previously using, which had a lightly thicker gel texture to it. Although this is anti-aging and I am only 21, it will be a godsend if it works! Sadly, I think I have an overly expressionate face and have ended up with some laughter lines and fine lines under my eyes, which my concealer enjoys creasing into. I shall continue to use it and fingers crossed it will prolong my face from turning into leather.

 

 

La Société Parisienne De Savons - Soap
I am ever so slightly annoyed that I can't work out how to rotate this picture! Anyway, as you can guess from the title, it's fancy named soap. From the flowery packaging, I thought it would have a more floral scent, but to me it smells powdery (if that makes sence). It really just has a strong soap smell that they have tried to cover up. I will use it but the retro packaging is the only major perk to this product. I much prefer sweeter scents, so I think I will stick to getting bars of soap from Lush.

 

 

 

Birchbox - Paname Paris Mirror

I like little extras in a beauty box. The quirky little message on this also gets me geared up for the fact summer (as slow as it may be) is on it's way! The only thing that gets me about these little 'own branded' extras is the price if you just wanted to buy them off the website. This mirror for example is meant to be £7.50! A little bit steep I think for a mirror with a picture of their brand stuck on the back. Either way, it will be a nice little addition to my new hangbag, which I keep forgetting to put a mirror in.

 

 

So there we have it! Overall I am rather impressed by this months box. Generally, Birchbox (and even Joliebox) rarely leave me dissapointed. I have debated subscribing to Glossybox, but it seems a bit hit and miss as to whether it will be a good box or not.

 

Are you signed up to a beauty box? Or are there any new ones that you know are coming out that you want to try? I'd love to know as it seems Birchbox and Glossybox are the last ones standing.

 

Thank you for reading. I know it is early days, but I would be grateful if you would subscribe :)

 

Rachel

Soap & Glory: Best of All set

Well, it appears that I have finally got around to doing my first beauty related post on this blog! I was planning to do one a lot sooner but these dark nights are a nightmare for taking photos! I get up during the week, go to work whilst it is still dark, work for 8 and half hours and then come home in the dark. It appears the weekend is my only option until it starts to get a bit lighter.

Anyway, before I start rambling, I thought and thought about what I could do as my first beauty post, and I came to the conclusion Soap and Glory would be a good start. Christmas time is the best time for any Soap and Glory fans as this is when they make some amazing gift sets. They make small sets (ideal for people who would like to sample the products before purchasing full size or even someone who likes small products for traveling) and big sets for those who love their products.

Last year, Boots did an amazing deal before Christmas in which they took Soap and Glory's biggest £60 set and reduced it down to just under half price. Now I was all over that like a rash! I ran out of work on my break down to Boots and picked it up before they all sold out. The value for money was amazing. Anyway, this year they also didn't disappoint! I got wind of they fact they were doing it again this year on the biggest set and ran down to Boots. I did feel a bit silly though then they had a tower of them in the store and I didn't need to run down there in heels like a mad woman!

The set retailed for £60 with nine full sized products. I picked the set up for £27. Oh, I was indeed a happy girl. I will point out now that as Christmas is over, the sets aren't available in Boots any longer, however, as all the products are available individually all year round, I thought I would do a break down on the gift set and tell you what products I would happily buy again on their own.

All the products come in this lovely pink bag which is branded with the S&G logo. Ideal for storing products in or even for when you are traveling.

 

 

Hand Food 

This is probably my fourth tube of this. This hand cream smells amazing! I think this was the first product I ever tried by S&G after I heard a lot of hype about it on the internet. It has that sweet yummy S&G scent that as soon as you smell it, you know what it is. After using it for about a week, you can definitely feel the difference. He'd kill me if he knew I'd told you, but my dad has even started using it! He works in a garage and has really rough dry hands. He'd been using my hand pump version of this that I keep in the bathroom, and has now gone on to buy his tube of it for his work bag. See, it has to be good if he can see past the girly pink packaging!

http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory-Hand-Food™-Hand-Cream-125ml_27890/

 

 

 

 Clean On Me

This is another product I've used before. This shower gel isn't my favourite product in all of the world, but it is still rather nice to use. This also has the scent you'd associate with S&G. It lathers up nicely and because it is a pump top, you can get the perfect amount (usually 2-3 pumps) without using more product than necessary. The last time I had a bottle of this it lasted me around 4 months, which I think makes it amazing value for money. The bottle also claims that is has a built in body lotion. Although it does make my skin feel rather soft after using it, I wouldn't substitute it for using a proper body lotion, as my skin tends to dry out during the day.

http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory-Clean-On-Me™-Creamy-Clarifying-Shower-Gel-500ml_27846/

 

 

 Smoothie Star Body Milk

I haven't had too much use out of this yet as I have set myself the challenge of using up all my older bottles of body lotions and oils before I start a new one. What I will say about this one though is how amazing it smells. The bottle says it smells like almonds, oats and brown sugar. All these together make it smell like biscuits, but not in a bad way! Id say is smells more the like the base of a cheesecake, smelling sweet and yummy rather than stale (hopefully that makes sense without me making it sound horrible smelling). It appears quite thick when you pump it out, but begins to melt as it warms to your skin. I shall definitely be making my way through this once my other lotions are empty.

http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory-Smoothie-Star-8482-Body-Lotion-500ml_1273146/

 

 

Peaches and Clean

I couldn't be more pleased that this was in the set. I am already using a bottle of this and I'm just coming to the end of it, so having a back-up is ideal. I bought this a while back and I wasn't too keen at first so I stopped using it quite quickly. However, I ended up trying it again after seeing how much Miss Budget Beauty loved it. I now use this every morning in the shower to give my face a good cleanse before I do my daily make up routine. Although it does smell slightly of peaches, it also has another scent behind it that I can only explain as being slightly mentholy (is that a word??). The only thing I will warn is that you should be cautious if you have sensitive skin. It is rather active and can make your skin slightly tingley and red if left on too long. I wouldn't keep it on any longer than 5 minutes.

http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory™-Peaches-And-Clean™-Deep-Cleansing-Milk-200ml_1214926/

 

 

 Heel Genius Foot Cream

I'm not too sure what to make of this product. I haven't started the tube from this years set as I am still using the one from last year. I am a bit fickle when it comes to foot cream and I never use them long enough consitantly to see if there is any results. The main thing that puts me off with this one is the smell. I can't put my finger on what it smells of but it reminds me slightly of some sort of ointment you'd get from a chemist or a doctor. It is a rather thick pale blue colour and I would advise wearing socks overnight to help lock in the moisture. I'll continue to use it but it is far from my favourite food product.

http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory-Heel-Genius™-125ml_872191/

 

 

 Sugar Crush Body Scrub

Oh wow. This smells so nice (it seems I'm all about the scent of things!). I'm just about to finish my S&G Breakfast Scrub so I really needed a new one. I haven't tested this yet but I keep having a cheeky sniff of it everytime I pick it up. It smells just like sweet lime and will certainly wake you up in the mornings!

http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory™-Sugar-Crush™-Body-Scrub-300ml_1222485/

 

 

The Righteous Butter 

This again is a product I've used before. I really do like this body butter. I used it during winter as this is when my skin is at it's driest and needs that extra 'oomph'. It is a little bit rich as I found there was still a slight resedue left on my skin the next day. For this reason I only really wear it over night with my jarmas, rather than before I go to work. Lovely scent which my mom has said she can smell on my hours after I've put it on.

http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory-The-Righteous-Butter™-Body-Butter-300ml_27858/

 

 

Thick and Fast Mascara 

I'm not that keen on this mascara. I bought it in the past and ended up giving it to one of my friends. As you can see, the brush is rather large making it a lot harder to apply to your lashes without getting it also coating your eyelid. I will use it up, but I think there are much better drugstore mascaras out there.

http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory-8482-Thick-Fast-8482-Mascara-False-Lash-Effect-Mascara-Superjet-black_1238274/

 

 

 

Sexy Mother Pucker Lipgloss (in punchbowl) 

When I saw the colour of this I thought I was going to love it. I was so so let down. Firstly, I will point out this is a lip plumping lip gloss, which I was already aware of after owning a different Sexy Mother Pucker lip gloss before. I did forget how horrible the sensation was. I'm sure some women may not mind the mild burning feeling this lip gloss gives, so long is it gives them bigger, plumper lips. However, I already have rather full lips, so all this did for me what burn my lips and make me look slightly like a glossy trout. Also, the consistency of this was awful. It feels thick and drags across the lips when you are trying to apply it, and then goes on to remain sticky on your lips for the whole time you are wearing it. (Having your hair stuck to your huge fat lips isn't a nice look!)

http://www.boots.com/en/Soap-Glory-8482-Super-Colour-Sexy-Mother-Pucker-8482-Lip-Plumping-Gloss_1243307/

 

 

So there we are! Quite a big post for my first one but it has to be done! Overall I love S&G as a brand and think they are perfect for everyone. Their signature S&G scent is loved by so many people, but now they are also releasing a lot more citrus scented and fresher scents that may be more suitable for people who aren't so keen on the original pink scent. I do feel their make up needs a little more attention as it can be a little hit and miss. Their lipglosses do nothing for me at all, but I've tried their lip Gloss Sticks which go on amazingly! It's all a case of trial and error with their make up and finding what works for you. I'd suggest reading some reviews before splashing out on their make up as it can be a little pricey.

 

I'd love to know what your favourite products are from S&G as I love trying new things!

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this!

 Rachel.

 

 

 

New year, new blog

Good afternoon to you all and may I wish you a Happy New Year!

So, another year has gone by and now I'm left wondering what is in store for this year. To try and make it a better year, I've set myself some new years resolutions, which I actually plan on sticking to this year! My resolutions are as follows:
1) Drink more water - As it stands, in a day I usually have 2-3 cups of tea and a couple of sips of pop from a bottle I keep by the side of my bed. I've known for a long long time that I don't drink enough water, but it's about time I did something about it. I plan on drinking plenty of water during the day at work so I can finally feel a little bit healthier and also so my skin stops looking so horrid.
2) Learn how to cook - This one is a necessary. This one was on my list last year, but unfortunately, I was too lazy to actually take time to see it through. I cannot cook to save my life. I can stretch as far as microwave meals, Supernoodles on the hob and toast. I am useless. As I am soon turning 21, I think it is about time I learnt to look after myself. I may not be master chef this time next year, but hopefully I'll be able use an oven!
3) Spend more time with my parents - I still live with my mom and dad but even so, I feel I don't spend enough time with them. It seems too easy these days to just retreat to my room when I get in from work and only see them briefly during the night. From now on, I'm going to make more of an effort to spend time with them.
4) Start a blog and actually carry it on! - Although this wasn't a resolution last year, I did attempt to start a blog but I never carried on. I think I have started to notice a bit of a pattern of me being a lazy bones! I love reading beauty blogs so I thought maybe I'd have a crack at doing one. Plus, I don't really have a proper hobby other than going to the gym, so hopefully it will be something theraputic I can do at the end of the working day!

So, that is all of my resolutions. I feel quite positive about them at the moment so I'm hoping I can stick to them longer than a week!

I thought I would just do this chatty post to start off as I feel a little worse for wear after all the wine I consumed last night for New Year! Plus, it seemed appropriate as it is the first day of 2013. Keep your eyes peeled; there will be lots of beauty bits to come!

Rachel.