Weight Loss Wednesdays: Progress (Warning! I'm in my underwear haha)

   December 2013                                                              February 2014

Hi lovelies, sorry for my absence! I rarely even go a day without posting so for me to go a week makes me feel really guilty. But if I am completely honest, it has been purely because I have actually been having a social life which is never a bad thing. 

OOTN: Ready For Your Love

Topshop PU Leather Shorts - Size 8 - £30

eBay Celine Tee - Size S - £5.99

Primark Wedges - £12

H&M Gold Chain - £7.99

On Saturday night it was my friend Katie's 21st birthday. I have never been out in Chelmsford before so I was really excited to go.

Haulin' #14: Boots Points ft Juicy Couture and Soap & Glory

Soap & Glory Smooch Operator Lip Balm £3.33

Viva La Juicy Juicy Couture EDP 30ml £34.50

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker XL Extreme-Plump Lipgloss in  Pink Out Loud £10.00

(what a mouthful!)

Sounds crazy, but even if I have the option of buying a product elsewhere for cheaper, I will always chose boots purely for the Boots advantage card points. They are always doing bonus points vouchers and if you shop in there quite regularly, it's quite easy to rack up a fair amount of points to spend back in store. In just over a month, I managed to bag around 4700 points, which is the equivalent of £47.00 - I dread to think how much I must have spent to get that amount!

Soap & Glory Smooch Operator Lip Balm £3.33
All of the Soap & Glory skin care is on offer in Boots at the moment, and a girl can never have enough lip balms. I don't know if it's just me, but I never finish them because I lose them before I get the chance. This smells of coconut and has a much thicker texture than other lip balms I've used which is super moisturising. I'll try not to lose this one too!

Viva La Juicy Juicy Couture EDP 30ml £34.50
I always spend my advantage card points on a perfume. Before Christmas, I had about £70.00 worth of points and bought myself Miss Dior EDP 50ml. This time I decided to go for Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture. I didn't expect this to smell so good. The packaging is also beautiful! I went for the 30ml purely because I have only ever finished one of my perfumes, I have so many that I never wear the same one that many times. Maybe I should do a perfume collection?

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker XL Extreme-Plump Lipgloss in  Pink Out Loud £10.00
I saw Sabrina from LoveLaughAndMakeup use this in a recent tutorial, and when I'm going out I want something to wear on my lips that gives me colour, but is low maintenance. It's called Pink Out Loud, but it's definitely more of a peach which I love anyway. It definitely lives up to it's name as it is very plumping, and the tingling sensation lingers for a good 10 minutes.

OOTN: Braveheart

Asos Crop Top - £12

Topshop Petite Bodycon Skirt - £20

Topshop Court Heels - £50

H&M Gold Chain - £7.99

Hi lovelies, I thought I'd post a quick outfit of the night as I am going out with one of my best friends Ruth. She's coming in 15 minutes so I ought to not be blogging and finish getting ready! I haven't been out for nearly 2 months and I am dying for a vodka lemon and lime (alcoholic). I styled my hair with my Babylis Curl Secret which I absolutely love, it gives me a ton of volume which my hair lacks.

Hope you all have a lovely Friday night!

New in Town: Revlon Highlighting Palettes

Revlon Highlighting Palette in Bronze Glow £8.99

Revlon Highlighting Palette in Rose Glow £8.99

I like to pop into my local Boots every so often to see if there are any new makeup products that I can try out. I came across these new Highlighting Palettes from Revlon hiding at the bottom of the stand and snapped them up straight away. They definitely have a Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick look about them, which is no doubt where Revlon got their ideas for this product from. I picked up the shades Bronze Glow and Rose Glow, the only two available in the UK as far as I am aware (I think in the US you can find the shade Peach Glow as well). Both products give good colour pay off, but are not too shimmery for my liking. I'd say the Rose Glow palette works more as a blush than a highlighter; plus I tend to steer away from pink toned highlighters as I have yellow undertones in my skin. I can tell I will get a ton of use out of the Bronze Glow palette as I love to look as bronzed and glowy as possible - it's also an exact dupe for the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Bronze which I will be writing a post on soon. The packaging is sleek and compact, however all of the palettes to choose from in my Boots were scratched which isn't great, but has no consequence on the product inside. I would say that they are pretty well priced considering Revlon seems to be at the higher price end of the drugstore brands. I own two similar highlighting products from Soap and Glory each costing £11.00, and I would probably say that I would reach for the Revlon over the S&G.

The release date of the Revlon Highlighting Powder isn't officially until March. However I have seen these Palettes on at least two other blogs now, so if you are interested in getting your hands on one, it's worth having a look to see if your local Boots have started stocking them early.

Are the Revlon Highlighting Palettes up your street?

Love it or Leave it?: Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturiser

Vaseline Spray n Go Body Moisturiser £3.99 here

I rarely go for gimmicky products like this, as I just think if it ain't broke, don't fix it. But you can never have enough moisturisers, so I gave it a go. The Vaseline Spray n Go claims to 'moisturise deeply and absorb in seconds to leave skin instantly soft, not greasy or sticky'.

It has a more watery texture than other moisturisers, which does mean it absorbs quickly and doesn't leave an oily residue. However, this does make me question whether it just leaves you with that temporary soft-skin feeling, rather than moisturising deeply. The scent is also nice, I chose the Cocoa, but it doesn't linger for long unlike other moisturisers. The one thing that is a huge bonus with this is that you can easily  moisturise those hard to reach areas like your back, which I very often neglect out of not being double-jointed. 

If I am honest, I wouldn't have paid full price for this at £4.99. Yes it is convenient, but it's only 190ml. My staple moisturisers are the Soap & Glory at £10.00 and 500ml which yes is double the price, but more than double the product. I had read a fair amount of rave reviews about this product, and after using it, I wouldn't rave about it. Most of the reviews were 'lazy' when it came to moisturising, which just isn't me. Maybe it's because I shower and moisturise at night, and because I'm a sedentary student that I usually have an abundance of time to get ready, so don't have the problem of needing to 'Spray n Go'. Maybe when I finish university and enter real world, this might be my new best friend, who knows?

Have you tried the Vaseline Spray n Go?

OOTD: Baby Love Me Lights Out

Topshop Petite Drop Waist Tunic - Size 6 - £20

Primark Super Cosy Tights - £3

H&M Multi Chain Necklace - £5.99

I thought I would post this casual outfit of the day that I wore while running a few errands. I saw Lily Melrose feature this tunic in a recent haul, but in a stripe print. I picked it up in the petite range as I find Topshop skirts and dresses in the normal range tend to cut off at an unflattering length on me. I love how relaxed this outfit is and easy to style. I wore this with my black H&M heeled ankle boots and my Topshop biker jacket. 

The Collection: Fashion Books

Since deciding that Fashion was the career path that I wanted to take. I thought I would start collecting some fashion, journalism and blogging related books to expand my knowledge since my university course has nothing to do with the latter. I am pretty set on going into fashion journalism, but also have a strong interest in styling.
I bought the classic blogging book Blog Inc, which in a way was a bit of a waste of money. It has a few helpful tips, but for the most part it's aimed at people blogging on a larger scale, than for bloggers like me with a few hundred readers. Before, the one thing I would dread going into an interview was to be asked my favourite designer, because frankly apart from the obvious Chanel, Burberry and Marc Jacobs etc, I would have no idea. To expand my knowledge on designers I bought 100 New Fashion Designers by Laurence King and British Fashion Designers by Hywel Davies. I love Alexander McQueen and to get a better insight into his work so I bought Vogue on Alexander McQueen which is beautifully illustrated. Next was a bit of a gimmicky book, I used to be obsessed with The Hills and Lauren Conrad so bought her book Lauren Conrad Style. Nothing she writes is ever groundbreaking, but it's an enjoyable read. I bought Fashion Writing by Judith Watt on the recommendation of my LCF tutor. It's a collection of eclectic fashion writing pieces to help inspire and evolve your writing style. Then is the books to give you an insight into initially getting into, and then careers in the fashion industry:   The Teen Vogue Handbook and In Fashion by AnnaMarie Iverson. Lastly, I chose this book as an extra Christmas present from my Aunt in TK Maxx. Fashion is basically a huge encyclopedia of fashion and provides an extensive history of different garments and trends. It's just one of those books that I know I will find useful over the years.

During my week at LCF, I saw many of these books in expensive book shops around London hesitant to pick them up, but you can find them for a fraction of the price on Amazon.

Haulin' #13: Topshop, Mac, Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown, Origins & Kiehls

I might seem crazy, but at Christmas I had hid £300 that I got from various family members under my bed so I didn't waste it on petrol or a night out. I wanted to save it for some things I have been wanting for a while, and finally got the chance to cross the Thames and visit Bluewater. I could have saved myself £4 in toll charges and gone to Lakeside instead, but they don't have brands like Laura Mercier, Keihls, Bobbi Brown, Mac, Origins or any of the other higher end beauty brands. Bluewater is on a whole other level to Lakeside. Lakeside is a place where 16 year chavs congregate with no intentions to buy anything (accept maybe McDonalds with bus vouchers), but to be a general annoyance to me instead. On the other hand is Bluewater, chav free, with the loveliest shops. After only recently dipping my toes into the world of high-end/damn expensive beauty products, I am now hooked and my collection is fast growing and my bank balance fast declining.

Mac Lipstick in Ruby Woo £15

Mac Sheen Supreme Lipstick in Blossom Culture £15
I think it is an absolute travesty that there is only ONE, Mac counter in the whole of Essex. What are they thinking? And even though it is in Essex, it's further away from me than going into another county. When I finally got my Mac fix, the woman on the counter was so rude. However, I finally got my hands on the Ruby Woo lipstick (maybe I did get it because of my name, maybe I didn't), and also picked up this Sheen Supreme lipstick in Blossom Culture. It's a 'my lips but better, glossy and lovely' colour, so basically nothing like my lips.

Laura Mercier Second Skin Blush in Lotus Pink £20.50

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation in Cashew Beige £33
I have been eyeing up the Laura Mercier blush in Lotus Pink for a while now, and finally took the plunge. I didn't feel guilty spending over £20 on it because blushes are the item I lack in my makeup collection.
I know there is a 'Blogger Made Me Do It Tag' floating around somewhere and this is what happened with the Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation. The BBloggers Chat on twitter is so fun, but so dangerous. It ended with me having a long list of stuff other people raved about and I now wanted. Tanya Burr for one uses this foundation, and she looks amazing always. It's pricey, but makes my skin look both natural, flawless and glow at the same time - who doesn't want that?!  

Bobbi Brown Blush in Nectar - £19.50
If you saw my last high-end beauty haul, you might be thinking wondering why it's in this haul too. Basically what happened was I was in the process of returning this blush, I was at the Bobbi Brown counter looking at which blush I wanted to exchange it for. My eyes were instantly attracted to one colour, I asked the assistant what the name was and it was only the bloody one I was about to return. She then started persuading me to keep it, that it would 'go with both red and pink lipsticks', that it 'suited my skin tone so well'. So I did.

Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate £36
Kiehls Ultra Facial Moisturiser Free Samples
I am not the type to be talked into something that I have never even thought of buying or heard of for that matter, but that's what happened when I went to browse the Kiehls counter. This is along the lines of the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair, but not only £12 cheaper, but apparently more superior. Whether this is true or not I have no idea, but I kid you not, my skin has never looked better since I have tried this product. I am definitely going to do a review on this, as it deserves a whole post of it's own.

Origins Drink Up Intensive 10 minute mask £22

My skin has dried up like a prune due to my Hyperthyroidism, and I needed something to inject some moisture back in without slathering a thick cream over my face. I have heard so much about Origins and particularly the Drink Up masks. I went for the 10 minute instead of the overnight because the less effort something involves, the more likely I am to use it.

Topshop Fluffy Crop Jumper in Peach £34

I am so in love with this jumper! I love peach, I love cropped clothing, and I love fluffy jumper so this purchase was a no brainer. I have already worn it to death, and you can see me sporting it in a recent OOTD here.

Topshop Curve Hem Crop Jumper in Ice Blue £36

Before the whole scandal about the production of angora in Asia coming out in press, when a product was Angora, it was openly advertised as it was seen as higher quality if it did include it. Now people know that the angora trade involves rabbits being tortured and skinned alive for their fur, people don't want to buy it. Topshop did announce that they were not buying angora anymore, but obviously they have stock that has been produced before this all came to light. When I picked this jumper up, I had no idea that it was made with angora and bought it none the wiser. After looking at the inside labels to see how to wash it before I wore it, I saw it was made with 14% angora. I would never knowingly wear something where an animal was tortured for the sake of a jumper as I would have a guilty conscience, so I took it straight back to Topshop for a refund. People may say, well you wear leather, you eat meat. But the difference is, cows, pigs and chickens are bred and killed for every part of them to be used. With angora, these rabbits are being bred and their fur removed while they are alive for no other purpose than to use it in clothing. If there is no demand for angora rabbit fur, then this doesn't need to happen. To cut a long story short, when buying knitwear from places like Topshop, please check that it does not include angora rabbit fur in it. There is a petition on the PETA website that you can sign to help put the angora rabbit fur trade to a stop. This jumper is lovely, but not as lovely as a little while rabbit! Rant over.

The Sunday Round Up #2

I've had another unusually non-boring week this week. Sorry I didn't post this on Sunday, but I actually went out and wanted to include what I did in this post...

On Monday I spent the entire day taking blog photos and writing posts which is surprisingly productive for me. I find it easier to keep up with my blogging if I produce a weeks worth of posts rather than write them as I go. Plus the weather in England is awful at the moment, and when I get good lighting for my photographs, I take full advantage.

On Tuesday I went to Bluewater and spent all my Christmas money that I had been saving up. I really enjoy going shopping on my own. I bought some amazing beauty products from Mac, Origins, Laura Mercier, Kiehls and Bobbi Brown. I also bought a few jumpers in Topshop, one of which I have since taken back. It really irritates me how Topshop announced that they were not buying any more Angora after the horrific truths about the rabbit fur trade came to light, and yet they are still selling Angora products in their stores. 

On Wednesday me and my friends Aimee, Katie and Sophie went to Pizza Express and to the cinema to see That Awkward Moment. It was really nice because I never get to see these girls unless it's during a grueling Body Attack session at the gym. I've also decided that Pizza Express is my new favourite restaurant, I got the Pomodoro Pesto which was so so tasty. 

On Saturday it was my little cousin Milly's 8th birthday. She went bowling for her party with some friends and it was just lovely to see her having a good time. It made me laugh as well seeing some of the things she did with her friends, that I also did with my friends at that age. I miss being little and having birthday parties with cake and chicken nuggets and chips. Not really acceptable for my 21st though.

On Sunday it was my first day back at work since I've been ill. The day started on an embarrassing note when I had to go to work in trousers that were miles too big for me because of my weight loss. They barely stayed up so they let me go and chose a pair from the clothing department. After work, my day cheered up and I went to Nandos and to see the film Last Vegas. I've wanted to see it for so long, and it really did live up to my expectations. It was so funny and I just love Morgan Freeman in everything I see. I would definitely recommend it and now I'm dying to go on holiday to Vegas. 

Haulin' #12: Benefit Beauty Bits

It's that time again; I've bought more makeup. I've actually only ever bought one product from Benefit which was the Bad Gal Lash mascara which I hated and dried up extremely quickly. The only other products I've used have been freebies in Magazines. These products were bought over two visits, one to Boots, and another to House of Fraser as I had a gift card. I love the branding of Benefit, the bright colours and quirky quotes. It's pricey, but I think the products I've purchased have been well worth it.

Benefit The Porefessional Shine-Vanishing PRO Powder £24.50

I had heard so much about this and after trying it several times now, it definitely is worth the hype. The brush and powder dispenser can be a bit fiddly, but it means you can get the right amount of product and concentrate it where you want it rather than looking full on matte all over.

Benefit They're Real Mascara £19.50

I am a total They're Real mascara convert, fortunately for my eyelashes, unfortunately for my bank balance. I have been using a mini that came in my Latest in Beauty box and completely fell in love. No other Mascara makes my eyelashes as long and thick as this and I can't imagine not using this now.

Benefit Pretty Porefect Primer Set - £24.50

I picked up the Porefessional primer on its own up and went to the till in House of Fraser. Luckily the lovely lady on the Benefit counter told me this little set was the same price, so I snapped this up. I already have the 'That Gal' Primer and wasn't wowed by it like the Porefessional, but I'm sure I'll get some use out of it. I don't use an eye cream in my skincare routine, so I'm happy to try out this tiny It's Potent eye cream. I've been meaning to purchase he full size of the Porefessional for a while now after using several samples from magazines. I first bought the Maybelline Baby Skin primer to avoid Benefit's £24.50 price tag, but it just didn't even compare.

Benefit Go Tropical Set £24.50
I bought this set for no other reason than I had some money on a House of Fraser gift card. I love being able to try out lots of different little products rather than one full size. It includes a mini Coralista brush, mini Cha Cha Tint and High Beam, a full size Coralista lip gloss and blush brush. I have always been intrigued by the liquid tints and highlights by Benefit, but would never ever pay £19.50 each for them. The only qualm I have with this set is that the blush isn't in its own individual package.

Have you tried anything from Benefit? What are you're favourite products?