2014 Wish List

Right, so as you may have already noticed, I am having lots and lots of great ideas for my blog just lately, but not enough time to actually sit down and put them together! However, this evening I have decided I would dedicate an hour or so of my time to focus on sharing with you my latest creation, my 2014 wish list, (this one has been a long time coming). Now let me just say that this wish list is not 100% realistic, some of the things on this list will be way out of my budget, but this is why it is called a wish list. Maybe one day I will be lucky enough to own all these things on this list, or maybe not…

So firstly and most realistically, this year, actually no, sometime very very soon I will be purchasing my very own Mac lipstick. Mac is a brand every girl out there seems to love, including myself. The products are not only stunning; they are very high quality too. A Mac obsessed friend of mine introduced me to this lovely shade of lipstick and I instantly fell in love! If I'm truly honest, I used to be afraid of wearing lipstick due to the fear of smudging it all over my face, but now I have perfected the look so to speak, I am truly starting to see the benefits of a good lippy (or two). I have noticed a lot of girls going ‘all out’ lately with the darker shades of lipstick including dark reds, dark purples and even black. Heroine is the name of this shade of lipstick and what a lovely shade it is, perfect for adding a splash of colour to those dark winter nights. At £15 this is a beauty steal and one I cannot wait to get my hands on!

Secondly on my wish list is a designer watch, preferably Michael Kors, a brand I have always been fond of. Today it seems like everyone has a Michael Kors watch but I still can’t help but love them! I found this particular one on the official website and I really like it. The pink face adds a splash of colour to what could have been a rather plain looking watch. This comes in at just £180 which isn't too bad considering the designer tag. Big watches are very much in at the moment as mentioned in one of my previous blog posts, and Michael Kors certainly does a good job of making gold bling look classy as opposed to trashy! Their statement watches really add that final touch to any outfit, day or night.

Thirdly I would love a designer clutch. After a recent trip to Harrods in London and a few hours spent drooling over some of the very best looking handbags and clutches, I found this little beauty. At £1,345.00 obviously this is one thing on my list that may have to take a back seat, for the time being anyway. A skull obsessed bag lover, this clutch is to die for! I am a big fan of Alexandera Mcqueen and what a stunning work of art this is. Contemporary and stylish, this clutch will add that final sparkle to any evening. The pure leather material and Swarovski crystals certainly make this one of the more glamorous clutch bags on the market, and may even make up for that ridiculous price tag. I don’t usually do clutch bags due to the fact that I'm very clumsy and always end up leaving them lying around, however the knuckle duster on this one will allow you to keep a close grip on this little beauty all night long. 

I have seen a lot of pastel coloured coats hit the high street lately and I can’t help but love them. Not for the faint hearted, this baby blue pastel coat is available from ASOS, and what a little beauty it is! Great for adding a splash of colour to any dark winter outfit, this coat also allows you to make that transition into spring that little bit easier. A delicate looking coat, I really love the fluffy texture and cocoon shape, and think it would look great teamed with a pair of dark jeans and some black Chelsea boots, or even a cute little play-suit and a pair of black tights. At £85 I think this coat may be a little overpriced as it isn't something you could wear every day. However, I really do love the colour and think it would make a classic look year in year out. Patel colours are always in fashion, not necessarily around this time of year, but certainly in the spring and summer and therefore that £85 will probably end up being money well spent.

I have been longing for a pair of new trainers for a while now but in particular some new Nike ones. I have seen so many cool trainers pop up on my Instagram feed just lately, probably due to all the fitness groups I am following but I'm loving it! Who says you can’t look good at the gym? Okay a face full of make-up and a pair of see through leggings is certainly not the look you want to be going for, but a good pair of trainers, a well fitted sports bra and a cute pair of yoga pants is definitely on the cards. I love the range of women’s Nike trainers on the market today and even if you're not a gym fanatic like me, you can certainly wear these trainers on a day to day basis, they’re both trendy and fun. Now £130 may seem a lot to pay for a pair of trainers but you really are paying for the great set of features when it comes down to these sorts of trainers. Finely designed to give you not just the support you need, but the perfect amount of cushioning, these trainers are built with reflective visibility, perfect if you like jogging on these dark winter nights. Not only this, these particular trainers also allow you to play around with the actual design on the website. If you fancy a pair of pink trainers with white soles and a green tick nick, then a pair of pink trainers with white soles and a green nick tick you will get. Cool, lightweight and bang on trend, these Nike LunarGlide 5 trainers are a must have!

L.A

xox

My Beauty Essentials Continued

I love the Simple range and have numerous different skin products by this brand. This moisturiser (below) in particular is one of my ultimate faves: Simple kind to skin hydrating light moisturiser. It does exactly what it says on the tin; it keeps my skin hydrated all day long. After using numerous different moisturisers over the years I think Simple offers an unbeatable price on its products for the impeccable value you receive. This beauty comes in at just £3.99 and is well worth every penny! All their products use natural ingredients and are designed to suit a range of skin types (oily, dry, aged etc). Remember ladies getting the basics right is very important if you want long lasting make-up throughout the day. It couldn't be simpler…

Silver shampoo and conditioner. Now those of you who know me will realise that I have had my fair share of hair colours over the years. However my hair in its current stage is probably at its driest due to all the peroxide I have used over the past year or more. If you are a brunette (or have any other hair colour) then feel free to skip this section, but if you're blonde like me, please listen up! I absolutely cannot live without these products. Not only do they bring out my colour every time I wash my hair; they keep my hair looking radiant something I feel blondes often struggle with. Nobody likes a dull blonde, so let your colour shine through with this beauty! This product is very cheap (£2.00) and you can purchase it from any local chemist including Boots and Superdrug. Don’t fork out on expensive blonde shampoo and conditioners when you can achieve the exact same result with these products.

Dove moisturiser with a hint of self tan. I have been using this product for many years now as an all over moisturiser product and I absolutely adore it! People are always commenting on the colour of my skin and this is exactly what helps me achieve my natural looking olive complexion. My skin is naturally quite dark anyway (father's genes) so I always use the medium to dark shade, however you can also purchase this product in a lighter shade too. It is very easy to apply and NEVER causes you to get any streaks like most tanning products often do. You will need to keep applying this product to build up the colour but after a few applications you should start to see a change in your skin tone. I recommend this to anyone who is afraid of using fake tan or the sunbeds or maybe you just want to keep a healthy looking glow all year round. At just £3.33 this is absolute bargain!

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New Year's Resolution | The Fad Diet

A lot of people often ask me how I do it, how I maintain my weight and how I have done for many years. Hopefully in this blog post I am going to explain to you exactly that…

I have never been a ‘big girl’ as such, but as I have grown older, like every other woman out there, my hips widened, my breasts and bum multiplied and my thighs, well let’s not even go there! I don't think there is a single woman out there who is completely 100% happy with their body and if she is, I would sincerely like to meet her. My tips and tricks to keeping slim (not skinny) include the following:

 1.  Portion control.

This is essential when counting your daily calories. I eat a lot, little but often. I try not to have big heavy meals before bed either as these can disrupt your sleep and eating late (this generally being any time after 8pm at the latest) can also make you put on weight. It may not come as a shock to you that it is much harder to burn off those calories when your body is lying still! If I feel peckish after this time, I will often snack on some sort of fruit (including dried) or nuts (unsalted).

2. Using low fat alternatives.

Okay so I a big fan of this one. I am forever telling my family and friends just to make some small simple changes to their diets and they WILL see results. I have never EVER been on 'a diet'. Forget The Cambridge, The Atkins or the new 5.2 diets; I don’t see the point in wasting your money on endless shakes or meal alternatives only to put the weight back on once you have completed the 2 week plan (or however long it may last). With the right amount of exercise, nutrients and occasional treats (as we're only human after all) you will be able to maintain your weight and not only look great on the outside, but the inside too. So for example you could change your skimmed milk to semi skimmed, your full fat cheese to low fat or your butter to low fat margarine. Making small changes where necessary will certainly save a lot of calories and you will be eating less of the bad stuff (saturated fat) which can only mean one thing; onwards and upwards.

3. Exercise

The most important one on the list and luckily for me something I actually enjoy taking part in. Going to the gym for the first time can be quite daunting when you are trying to lose weight, but there are many other alternatives when getting your weekly recommended exercise. A brisk walk with the dog, a Zumba class, a celebrity DVD workout in the comfort of your own home; whatever you fancy just to get you moving. Once you get into a routine you should start to see the pounds drop off. A little exercise daily along with the right diet can make all the difference so even if you feel like you're not doing enough to start with, after a couple of weeks you are sure to see the results.

4. A Balanced Diet

Eating a balanced diet and not skipping meals is VERY important. I swear by the old phrase, ‘eat like a King at breakfast... and a pauper at dinner'. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and will set you up with the right amount of energy to keep you going until lunchtime (or at least 11am in my case). I often snack throughout the day but on the right stuff as mentioned earlier; natural yoghurt, fruit, seeds and nuts or rice cakes with a small heaping of organic peanut butter. I will never go hungry and that is the main thing I think people are put off by when someone mentions the word ‘diet’. A diet does not mean you have to starve yourself. Getting enough protein, fibre and fruit and veg in your diet should enable you to feel full throughout the day. Eat when you are hungry is my moto as this is your body's way of telling you it needs to refuel!

5. Meal Preparation 

Meal preparation has to be another big one for me! After moving out for university I had to learn not only how to cook for myself, but how to make my food go further. Even though I was a student, I was a healthy student, always making meals from scratch using fresh meat and vegetables. I often cooked in bulk and froze a lot of my leftovers so that I could use them whenever I wanted at my own convenience. Being prepared is key as if you do get hungry when you are out, it is always so much more tempting to just grab a takeaway for the sheer convenience. However if you know you have your dinner prepared  and waiting for you when you get home, you are much less likely to splurge on fatty foods which is what you often crave when you need a sugar fix!

I hope this has helped to motivate you in some shape or form. Keep a look at for some more blog posts to follow on my daily eating and exercise regime in 2014.

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