Wobble-Less Wednesday -Ab Attack

I have three weeks until my holiday & I can tell you, my abs are still very much hiding away at the moment - they seem to be a tad shy!

So with 3 weeks, I'm really focusing on Abs as part of my daily routine - its something I can do at home as well as at the gym, and lord knows I need!

I actuallally, strangley, enjoy working abs, its one area that I find respons fairly quickly, especially as its where I put on weight first!

Firstly, abs are 80% diet & 20% so if you want to slim your waist, then you'll need to look at your diet. Eating clean, reducing or cutting out processed food is the only way to go!

Now for the exercise - cardio to burn off the chub hiding those abs & body weight exercises to help tone those muscles.

http://theskinniestyou.com

Plank - The most effective exercise for developing a strong core. I love & hate planking. You can plank on elbows, full plank on hands, side plank, plank & twist, with weights, hot hands, the planking options are endless! 

http://www.orbitnutrition.com

Crunch/Sit Up - Again, 101 ways to crunch/sit up. Lower abs and upper abs are two different areas & so need to be worked in different ways. You can crunch til the cows come home, but challenge yourself, get on a ball, add a weighted plate or a kettle bell, do something just not 100s of sit ups!

www.womensfitness.co.uk

Obliques - want that tight, tiny waist? Then you need to work your obliques/transverse abs - they help pull in your waist, giving you a strong core.  Twists, side planks, twist & tap with a kettle bell, there are loads of exercises you can do. I'm still working on this part, but slowly I can see a difference when I measure myself.

Most of us dream of Victoria Secret Abs, but they take work! These are just a few of my favourite exercises and areas to work, how do you work your abs? xx

Review - Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24Hr Pink Gold

 
Heatproof make up is a must at the moment, and my go to for eye shadow colours or bases are the Colour Tattoos from Maybelline. I adore the gold one, so when Zoe from Zoella mentioned about Pink Gold, I rushed out to pick it up - so easily convinced!!

For those that don't know, the Colour Tattoos are cream shadows with awesome staying power. They can be used as a colour on its own or as a base for other colours. There are a range of colours, from the neutral bronze to the out there purple. Pink Gold is exactly what it says on the tin, a pink shimmery colour that is very neutral. You can see the gold in the pot, but its not as obvious when blended out. The colour can be built up easily with layers, or used as a base for powders - similar to the Paint Pots from MAC

I kept this on for a full 12hrs, including a very sweaty 1.5hr workout out and it didn't budge! This is awesome, for something that only cost £4.99 its a total bargain! I can see me using it for a while, especially as a base for the good old Barry M's Dazzle Dusts - does anyone still use them?

What do you think? Loving a bit of pink gold? xx

NOTD - Barry M Hi-Shine Gelly in Mango

It's a sad day as I write this - I have broken not one, but two nails below the nail line, so I'm having to dig into old NOTD pics as I can't bear the shame of my nails so short! 

Looking through the pics, I realised I had another Barry M to share. I picked up Mango along with a few others a while ago, whacked it on & found it all a bit 'meh'. This shocked me as its been love for the others.

You see, there's nowt wrong with the colour, a truly bright creamy orange, very true to a real orange, not so much mango but I shall overlook that. It applied just as well as the other colours, with the same good brush but there's where the positives end.

It seemed to be opaque after two coats, but the next morning I stepped into sunlight and could see the streaky finish, not dragging, just an uneven finish. Also it chipped under 24hrs, not a happy bunny, especially when it wasn't like I did anything out of the ordinary, plus it isn't as shiny as the others! Instead of the hi-shine finish, this is more of a dulled cream finish compared to the others which isn't a terrible thing but I hate having to apply extra topcoats just to make it shiny!

I think I need to have a play, but for £3.99 I'm not worried really, think I'll whack this on my toes for my holibobs.

What do you think? Loving Mango? Xx

London Hauling

So yesterday I met up with my sister for a 'sister date' and to spend the day together for her day of birthing. I had a sneak surprise up my sleeve & had secretly bought her tickets to see Matilda - she's a Mahoosive Tim Minchin fan so had wanted to see this for ages! Bless her, she cried when I gave her the tickets 20mins before the show started - sneaky big sister!

We met in Covent Garden, so had a wander around before getting some lunch at the Diner. First stop was Urban Outfitters, where I picked up some sunglasses in the sale - a bargain for £8! I love the shape of these round ones. We then walked past the Benefit store, and were lulled in by the flash sale of the new blush box - I had planned to buy it when it's out in Sept, but the offer of discount & a goody bag meant it was a bargain! In the goody bag there were mini samples of Its Potent eye cream, Total Moisture Facial Cream, Triple Performing Facial Emulsion, a cute mini They're Real mascara, a sample of Porefessional, a sample of Stay Flawless Primer and a cute notebook! I love a goody bag!

We wandered around Trafalgar Square, headed up the Mall to Buckingham palace, saw a man taking a snake for a walk, walked through Green Park and jumped on the tube as the rumbles of thunder came.

Just before the rain hit we headed to Topshop to recoup a bit, grabbed a drink, rescued a lady who had fallen asleep in the toilet and then wandered! I was gutted as all the clothes I wanted weren't there or not in the tall section so I went hunting a rucksack - I picked up this black denim one as I love the detailing on it! I've wanted a rucksack for ages, love the 90s grunge feel of this, it will carry me through winter as well i think. I also grabbed so socks as I wanted ankle socks to wear with boots & dresses this summer. 

After that we headed home, bellies full of fish & chips, after a rather strange & exciting day!

What do you think, a rucksack fan? What strange things have you seen in London? Xx

Review - Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cream for Oily Skin

The last time I dabbled with BB creams I was left disappointed, however with the weather making it rubbish to wear any make up I thought I would try out a different BB cream.

I was put off another BB cream as it messed up my oily skin and I was just a big ole shiny mess. Maybelline have brought out a BB cream specifically for Oily Skin, so off I skipped with it in my paws.

I picked up medium to wear as I do have a bit of a tan at the moment, mostly fake but never mind. Maybelline claim that this is an 8 in 1 product, aimed to help improve the health and appearance of the skin. It says that it has 8 skin benefits, 8 skin benefits:

- SPF 15
- Helps conceal redness
- Oil free
- Hydrates
- Mattifies
- Targets blackheads
- Smoothes
- Evens skin tone

and it contains 2% Salicylic Acid to help with skin health.

Now, I've been using this every day for 2 weeks and in all honesty, I can't see a great deal of difference. It doesnt conceal much of my redness, I still have blackheads and the same amount of spots as before, really I'm not overly wowed!

On the plus side, my skin is a lot more matt during the day, and its so soft & smooth. It blends quite well into my skin using my hands and my skin feels hydrated.

It has its pros and cons, its a nice enough product but I think I would rather use a tinted moisturiser rather then this. Saying that, I might chuck it on for lazy days around the flat & town.

What do you think? Do BB creams need to bugger off or be around for longer? xx

NOTD - Barry M Hi-Shine Gelly in Passion Fruit

So the sun appears to be having a day off, this is not fair for my summer holidays - I need to get out in the sun & tan as I'm practically transparent I'm so pale! 

Anywhoo - now I've got a bit more time (6 weeks!!) I've been playing with some of the polish that I've had stashed away, I couldn't wait to try out the Hi Shine polishes that have been stashed in my draw for the last month. If these live up to the others in the collection then I will be over the moon!

First up, I've been wearing Passion Fruit on my nails. I don't normally reach for red polishes as I end up with lobster hands, however this has enough pink in it to be more of a strong coral red.

Application was great as ever, opaque in two coats, super shiny and lasting well for 4 - 5 days, for £3.99 you can't really complain can you! 

I think this will be on my toes for my summer holi-bobs, but it has stiff competition from some of the other colours.

What do you think of Passion Fruit? What colour should I try next? xx

Wobble-Less Wednesday - The Protein Works Haul

That beach holiday is fast approaching, so I've stepped up the exercise, but we all know that Abs are made in the kitchen and not in the gym, so I needed to sort out my food - especially my protein intakes!

I've had protein from the Protein Works before, I used their Diet Whey in Strawberry, but I fancied a change, plus they've released loads of new products recently as well!

I picked three items to boost my protein. First up is the Whey Protein 80 in Butterscotch Ripple. The 1kg pack cost me £17.99 for 40 servings. I used this after the gym this morning & OMG it tastes awesome! Like Butterscotch Angel Delight, already it's love.

Next I grabbed a tub of the Peanut Butter. It's a mahoosive 1kg tub for £5.99, this will last me ages, I've already caught the boy stealing some for his toast! This is the Super Crunchy tub, it contains nut pieces, but is very creamy & gloopy, great on toast or a spoon!

Finally I couldn't resist a packet if Beef Jerky. As a high protein, low fat & carb snack, it's great just for a little boost during the day. There are three flavours, I picked the Original but next time I fancy the Teriyaki flavour. For £2.99 you get 50g, you only need a little bit. The only thing I would change is a small re-sealable bag, but then a sandwich bag does a good enough job.

All of these cost me under £30 with postage, I paid £1.99, placed the order Monday & received it today! Fantastic service!!!

Now I need to head out again, back to the gym for round two, can't wait to have another shake afterwards!

If you fancy trying any of these, or any of the other great products then head over to Protein Works & use SNACK20 to get 20% off protein powder when you pick up the snack bars! This is next on my list!

What do you do to get more protein? How's your beach body coming along? Xx

Review - L'Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution

Why wont it just rain already! With the weather reaking havoc with my skin I can't stand make up on my face for very long so the moment I walk in, its all whipped off my skin!

I joined the hype for Bioderma when it first came out & loved it, I just can't justify the cost, so picked up the L'Oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Solution. 

Claiming to remove make up, soothe & tone as well as unclog pores, it has very big claims to live up to, and in all honesty, its nice but its not something to write home about!

Its a nice liquid that does remove make up, it does struggle with the tougher mascaras such as Maybelline the Rocket & don't even try to remove water proof mascara!

My skin always feel much better after removing with this, but its not something I love - would I buy it again? Maybe for when I'm feeling lazy but I might save my pennies for Bioderma.

Oh well, you can't love everything - what do you think? Have you tried this? Compared to Bioderma, what do you think? xx

Review - Nivea Sun Protect & Refresh Cooling Mist SPF30

There's one thing that guaranteed to happens every summer without fail and thats my impression of a lobster - so much so my brother simply refers to me in the summer as le homad (google it!)

So this year I'm determined to tan slowly & safely without burning, so I'm cranking up the SPF.

I picked ip the Nivea Sun Protect & Refresh Cooling Mist as I love a gimmick, I am an advertisers dream and love the fact it stays cool in the sun - more on that later.

I picked up SPF 30 to use all over my body, especially on my face. The cooling mist is a very fine mist that is absorbed very quickly into the skin. It sprays on invisible & drys almost like a dry body oil so you're not left greasy. 

As its really important to protect your skin, this contains both UVA & UVB filters to help prevent burning as well as long term damage.

For me the best bit is that it stays cool in the sun, theres nowt worse then applying warm sun cream when your already hot. It's light & refreshing to apply when your warm, even leaving it in the sun doesn't heat it up! 

I think this is awesome, I'm stocking up ready for my holiday as it lasted for 6 full body uses to prevent me from burning, plus the odd top up. Its currently on 1/2 at £8.49 at Boots so stock up whilst its cheaper!

What do you think, what SPF do you use? xx

NOTD - Essie Mint Candy Apple

My god its hot at the moment - I'm struggling to write posts as all I want to do is be outside enjoying the sun!

Anywhoo - I delved into my collection and realised that I had not ever used this polish, even though I've had it in the collection for over a year.

Mint Candy Apple was the first Essie polish that I lusted after - I blame Elle and Blair for this! I never bought it due to the price, however when the diffusion line came out I made it mine.

Mint Candy Apple is a very white toned green/blue - its a very fresh & bright colour that pops on the nails.

Of all the Essie's I've tried, this one has an awful formula. It took 2 coats to be opaque which isn't the problem, its the fact that a day later there was far too much tip wear for not doing anything. 

I've repainted this a couple of times and each time it still does not last more than two days before looking tired. For £7.99 I would have expected much better than this - I don't know if its the diffusion lines formula but oh well - it lasts well on my toes!

What do you think? Have you tried Mint Candy Apple? xx

Wobble-Less Wednesday - Flourless Pizza

So in my bid to reduce my belly & find the abs that are sleeping in their winter layers still, I've been looking at lots of wheat free recipes. Sometimes the hardest thing about eat clean is missing out on the food my boy can eat like Pizza, so when Cassey from Blogilates posted this recipe a few weeks back I thought I would try it! 

Flourless Pizza, You will need -

1/2 cauliflower depending on size

100g low fat mozzarella

1 Egg

Pizza topping sauce

50g low fat mozzarella

Topping of your choice

Step 1 - Cut up the cauliflower into small pieces.

Step 2 - If you have a shoddy blender like me then microwave for 4mins on high then blend, if not blend until tiny pieces then microwave for 8mins.

Step 3 - Carefully mix in the 100g low fat mozzarella & 1 egg, use a spoon as its hot!

Step 4 - Spray a baking tray with low fat oil and then spread out the mix in a circle, bake for 10-15min at 180oC.

Step 5 - Take out the oven, add toppings, sauce, cheese and toppings. Return to oven for 10mins.

Step 6 - Enjoy!

I had this for tea last night and lunch today - lower fat, low carb & yummy!

What do you think? Have you tried it? Xx

WIWT - I Got Stripes

This post has been a long time coming for me - I've written it 6 times, and deleted it every time purely because I'm very nervous about OOTD - there so much pressure to just look nice and pretty - two word I wouldn't use to describe myself at all!

Anywhoo, this is what I chucked on for work on Monday - I enjoy being slightly smart but comfortable as I'm on my feet a lot.

The dress is really comfy, I love the short sleeves and the midi length is perfect for working with children. I wore this last summer & loved it, for Primark its lasted really well! I think I need to take it in a tad more on the waist, its a bit big now - :D. I wore my trusty black flatforms from River Island as their comfy.

Sorry for the rather random background - I need to get taking pictures outside in the morning but we're always running late!

What do you think? Midi dresses yay/nay?? xx

NOTD - Essie Summer Collection 2013

Oh Essie, another season and another collection that became a must!

I picked these up last time I was at home - I had seen some posts about and fell in love. The summer collection has a holiday theme,with colours that scream 'Bring me Sunshine!'

The mini collection consists of 3 of the 5 colours, a perfect mix.
Full Steam Ahead is the lilac purple. It has a faint shimmer to it which is noticeable in the sun. Its quite grey with only one coat, but a second coat beefs it up to the gorgeous purpleness.

Sunday Funday is a very orange toned coral. It's really bright and sun, perfect for fingers and toes. I know that Anna frome Vivianna loves this colour and I can see why.

Finally there's Naughty Nautical. A dark, pool green, this is my favourite of the three. This looks exactly as it does in the bottle which is great and one that I will reach for a lot over summer.

You can pick these three up for £12.99 from Boots, and their currently on buy 1 get a 2nd half price! I love this set, perfect to try and the mini bottles are cute!

What do you think? Which one is your favourite? xx

Wobble-Less Wednesday - Butt Blaster

So its only a matter of weeks until the summer holi-bobs so I'm cranking up the workouts and adding in moves that I can do anywhere - I'm doing them in the bathroom, in the Staff room, even in my Classroom!

My bum still needs a lot of work, so I've been focusing on that area at the gym!

3 Moves that I love:

I love a good Squat. It hurts like a bugger after 50 but boy does it work. I like to mix up my squats and include a range to really kill my muscles. If I'm feeling really sadistic then I add a Squat Jump into the mix, 10 of those will garentee a lot of sweat!

I hate to lunge, I wobble like a baby elephant on rollerskates but I know they make a difference. Its really important to take your time when lunging, especially if you have dodgy knees. I like the tip this picture gives to sit into your hands, static lunges are a good starting point. Add in a bicep curl to work two muscle groups at once!

Strangely, I enjoy this one. A raised bridge on a ball. Dig the heels in and push your hips to the sky. Squeeze your bum at the top, engage the core muscles to stop wobbling about and you will feel this. The more you push upwards, the more you'll feel it, its the downward movement that builds muscle fibres so take it slow!

So just three moves that I'm doing to blast my butt into bikini shape!

What are your favourite bum moves? xx