Life Lately - Summer 2017

Happy August Bank Holiday Monday! How is it already nearly the end of summer?! I do love autumn and Christmas, but it always goes so fast so I'll be sad to say goodbye to summer for another 9 months. I haven't posted on here since March (oops) but I have been super busy. I've been finishing my Masters degree and started my new job. I'm currently writing my dissertation whilst working full-time, and I'm also training for a half-marathon at the end of September, and I have signed up for a full one next May! If all goes well I will be near the end of a 10 mile running as this is being posted..

I thought I'd do a quick post with a few photos of what I've been up to this summer. I'm going to Croatia in September so I haven't been away yet so there's nothing too exciting.

Food festival and walk round Kedleston Hall grounds

Theo is as handsome as ever! We love our sunny evening walks.

I treated myself to a new Fitbit (Alta HR rose gold) to keep me motivated and signed up to two half-marathons. I'm going to write a post soon about my running journey, I've done a half-marathon two years ago but I had neglected my running at the beginning of this year (although I had been going to the gym and classes regularly) but I was struggling to even run a 5k in June so I have had to increase my distance quite quickly!

Yummy brunch at The Cabin in Sheffield.

The family and I went to Norfolk coast for a weekend, it was a nice getaway and Theo got to experience a nice doggy beach at Wells.

Walk by the canal.

I got a haircut and went lighter! I'm not sure about the colour as my hair feels quite dry but it's nice to change it up.

This Friday was spent at Wollaston Film Festival where the girls and I had a nice picnic and watched Pretty Woman. I definitely recommend! 

Outfit is all from Asos, except the shoes (vans).

ASOS SS17 Wishlist

Is anyone else just starting to dream of summer? I feel like it gets to March/April time and you get these brief hints of summer, days that are nearly warm enough to go without a coat, but not quite.. And the evenings are getting teasingly longer..

I love seeing what trends people are enjoying in the current season, so I thought I'd share what I've added to my 'Saved Items' on ASOS recently. I think I'd like to make this a regular thing, and it would be interesting to look back and see what I actually ended up buying (as I am on a budget!).

I am really loving the trends that are coming through this SS17, florals are out in full force, bold prints on blouses, floaty dresses, lots of gingham shirts and pastel shades all around. I've also linked everything below.

1. Boohoo Ruffle Bardot Stripe Top

2. ASOS Mini Skater Skirt with Box Pleats

3. ASOS Off Shoulder Sundress with Shirring

4. Y.A.S Embroidered Summer Top

5. ASOS Occasion Floral Playsuit with Strap Tie Sleeves

6. Boohoo Gingham Bardot Bikini Top

7. New Look Coloured Skinny Jeans

8. Lost Ink Wide Fit Grey Knot Tie Up Heeled Sandals

9. ASOS Printed Plunge Strap Back Mini Dress

I don't even have a summer holiday booked yet, but these clothes are making me want to go and book one!

What SS17 fashion are you lusting after?

Dior Diorskin Forever Foundation and Primer Review

I recently purchased Dior's Diorskin Forever Foundation and their Diorskin Forever Primer Base along with it (what a mouthful!). I'd been wanting to try a new high end foundation for a while as I know what drugstore ones I like but I've never really found a firm favourite in terms of luxury brands. I'd heard multiple bloggers express there love for Dior Forever so I thought I'd give it a go.

Firstly, the counter assistant matched me up perfectly! She used one of those colour match machines a lot of brands use these days, which got my shade (020 Light Beige) spot on, I hate it when you get home and realise the shade isn't quite right.

Forever foundation is medium-full coverage I would say, but it definitely lasts all day. It has a peach undertone which I love as because I'm quite pale in the winter some foundations can look a bit grey almost when applied, but this one really brightens up my skin, and the feel of it is amazing, its very liquid and feels like satin, as in it feels light but gives a good coverage still. It doesn't dry out my skin at all like some heavy foundations tend to do.

I should also mention I have combination skin with a very oily t-zone, so I tend to steer well clear of anything labelled as "dewy" but I feel this foundation does give my skin a healthy, almost dewy look but without making me look like a disco ball! Another plus is its SPF 35 which is the highest I've come across in a foundation, so I'll definitely be reaching for this on sunny days.

I did pick up the Forever Primer Base too though as the assistant recommended it when I explained my skin type. I have definitely noticed a difference when using it, it seems to glide on a lot easier (it puts my Benefit Porefessional Primer to shame!) and I also find my skin staying matte a lot longer throughout the day, so I'm not constantly reaching for my powder. I try not to use the Forever Primer every day though as to replace them both regularly would be pricey!

 The downside to this foundation for me would be the price (£33) so I'm using it sparingly, but on the plus side you don't need to apply much for a good coverage. Also it does have SPF and I have noticed in photos with the flash on it does tend to have a pretty bad flashback and I end up looking very white! I love the packaging too, it's in a sturdy bottle and the pump is good and doesn't dispense too much at a time so there is no wastage.

What's your favourite high end foundation? 

I would love to hear your recommendations.

I went skiing!

Two weeks ago I was in the snowy Les Deux Aples resort in the French Alps giving skiing a go for the first time, eating vast amounts of cheese and drinking copious amounts of wine with great company.. Take me back..

Skiing has always been something I've wanted to try, and has been on my Bucket List for some time now. So when I was given the opportunity to join a group of friends I jumped at the chance. I thought I'd do a post including some of the photos I took and write up a few of my thoughts on the trip. I always find it nice to look back on these sort of posts, personally. Unfortunately some of the pictures aren't great quality, that's because I only took my phone up the mountains with me; didn't want to risk breaking my camera incase I fell over (and I did fall over a lot!).

Flying out super early! It was a long journey there, I had a 3 hour train journey to Manchester, then stayed overnight at Manchester as we had to check in at 5am, the flight itself was pretty short, but we then had a 3 hour transfer from the airport to Les Deux Alpes (the resort) but this was delayed by over 2 hours so all in all a long time travelling just to get to France!

First view of the mountains on the way to the resort.

Our view from the chalet, it was surprisingly warm when we arrived, we were worried the snow would have melted as it hadn't snowed in a while!

Mine and Ian's room, it was really cute and cosy.

Beautiful weather on our first day of skiing, we were sat outside without our coats on it was that warm! 

A view from one of the runs, this took my breath away. (I was also terrified of accidentally skiing off the edge!)

I bought these sunglasses of Amazon for £10.99, more for practical reasons than fashionable, but I absolutely loved them! They are so sturdy as well and came in a great case, I shoved them in my pocket every day and they didn't scratch once. Really impressed for the price.

The day we got caught in a whiteout, I found out how scary skiing is with so little visibility!

But afterwards it looked incredible and is was so cosy being all snug in the cabin.

We had a hot tub too which was lovely, by the end of the week my legs were in tatters so this was blissful!

I knew skiing would be hard but I did find it much more scary than I thought I would! But I can see why people love it too, because its the fear that gives you the thrill! I did experience a thrill when I got to the bottom and realised I was still in one piece.. I loved being somewhere where there was so much snow, and it was so cosy being in our chalet. We had chalet workers who cooked breakfast and a three-course dinner for us most days, and they even did a cake every afternoon! Then there were bars in the resort that we headed to a few nights, but it was a bit of a trek back as taxis didn't seem to exist, walking across a ski slope late at night, drunk, is a bit of an experience! I would 100% go again though, I felt like I was just getting into skiing on our last couple of days, so I'm hoping I'll feel a lot more confident next time.

Also if anyone is wondering, we booked everything through a company called Inghams (there were 12 of us) they were great overall and I'd use them again.

Let me know if you've ever been skiing and what your thoughts were!

Iconic London Cream Contour Palette Review

I'll start this post by confessing I'm a newbie in the cream contour world. I've always thought contouring looks a bit scary and I don't like the thought of looking like I'm wearing a mask so it never really appealed to me. However I have to say I think the Iconic London Cream Contour Palette has converted me.

What I love about the palette is its consistency, it glides on so easily and its super easy to blend in. This is great because you can build the product up and you can go as natural or as bold as you want with your contouring. I used the Real Techniques Pointed Foundation Brush to apply, with the Detailer Brush down the sides of my nose, and the Contour Brush to blend (I found this worked great!)

Excuse my messy palette, I have used it a couple of times and couldn't get it clean! Its great that it tells you how to use each shade, from left to right: 'smooth & brighten, correct & perfect, highlight & lift, tighten & tone, shape & shade and sculpt & define.' You could probably get away with using this product without even applying your foundation before, it's that easy to blend.

I tend to apply the product quite naturally: I use highlight & lift under my eyes, I then apply sculpt & define in a harsh line on my cheekbones and buff it out with the shape & shade lighter tone. I then use tighten & tone on my forehead and also down my nose to attempt to contour that! Smooth & brighten is great for applying down your t-zone and to blend in any parts that you may have overdone contouring on.

This isn't a product I reach for on a daily basis as it does add time onto my routine, however I use it when I'm going out somewhere a bit nicer than work! The only thing I dislike about the palette is it makes my skin very dewy, and as I already have oily skin, this is not a great combination! I definitely have to reach for my powder more often once I've applied this product. However if you have normal or dry skin I don't think you'd have an issue with this and it does give a lovely glow.

I think for £32.99 you get a good quality product for your money. There are a lot more expensive contour palettes on the market and this is a great one to start practicing your contour skills with. I'm definitely looking forward to using this product more and improving my contour game!

What contouring product do you use? I'd love to hear any recommendations!

How to Stay on Track with Your New Year Health and Fitness Goals

Did you know that most people break their New Year's Resolutions within a month? It's January, the weather is freezing and miserable, it always seems to be dark and foggy, everyone's trying to save money, most of us haven't booked our holidays yet so there's just not much to look forward to!

But don't resort to binge watching your favourite show with a load of creme eggs just yet (yes the shops are stocking them now!) hold on, if you stick to your health and fitness goals through the winter months there's a very good chance you'll carry on throughout the summer months! And it's true what they say, summer bodies are made in the winter. I've so far this month done well at sticking to my health goals (there's a first for everything!) and I've thought about what has helped me in particular and here is what I've come up with: 

1. Meal Prep

Now I'm not the best at meal prepping, but the one thing I do is make sure I prep my lunches for work on Sundays. This prevents me from buying food on my break, or rushing round in the morning and just grabbing whatever I can find! Try and get into the habit of meal prepping, even if its just a case of making double what you have for dinner and having it for lunch the next day too. It's also a good idea to get some snacks prepared, putting some nuts into containers etc, so you have something to grab if you're hungry!

2. Snack

If you're hungry, you're doing it wrong. If you're hungry you're also more likely to binge, so keep those sugar levels steady by snacking regularly on healthy foods, I like to have a banana between lunch and dinner to keep me going! Also eating healthy should be a lifestyle change (not a diet), I know its necessary to control how many calories you eat in order to lose weight, but this should be a part of a balanced diet, and you should never be cutting calories so much that you're hungry, as you'll just lose weight in the short term. If you don't eat enough you'll just end up binge eating so just make sure you're eating enough of the right foods and you'll be fine.

3. Schedule Cheat Days

Honestly this has kept me sane! Last week I went for a curry with work, so I scheduled it in as a cheat meal two weeks previously so that I didn't have to struggle choosing the healthy option etc and could really enjoy the night! Whenever I was craving I just kept reminding myself that cheat night was soon! Valentine's Day will also definitely be a cheat day! I try to limit cheat meals to once a week, but if its a full cheat day then probably once every two weeks.

4. Find an exercise routine that you love

If you hate your exercise routine, bin it. Find something else! For most of us it is a chore getting to the gym, but its usually enjoyable once there. If you're struggling to enjoy the gym or running, I really advice finding a good quality exercise class. I go to two HIIT classes a week, which are separate from my gym and ran by someone local, they're great because I genuinely love the classes but they are also so tough! I've been going religiously for over a year now and it really helps that I know a lot of the people there now, so I feel incredibly guilty if I don't go!

5. Download an app that tracks your macros

I like to use MyFitnessPal for this, I log everything I eat and it helps me keep track of my calories and macros. It also works out how many calories you should be eating which is helpful. What I like about it is it really makes you conscious how much sugar is in certain foods etc, and its really helpful in helping you eat the right amount of food too; sometimes you can be overeating and not even realise.

6. Think of healthy foods in terms of their nutritional benefit not how low fat they are.

This is really a pet peeve of mine, when people eat foods because 'they are low fat' but have 0 nutritional benefit to their body. Really try to eat foods that benefit your body, and remind yourself how good they are for you when you eat them, for example spinach is high in vitamin A and iron. Cameron Diaz's Body Book is great for tips on nutrition, she goes into exactly how all these vitamins benefit your body, and what will happen if you are deficient in them.

7. Remind yourself why you're doing it

Are you sick of being tired all the time? Always wanted to be able to run for more than 5 minutes? Whatever the reason is, keep that goal in mind and keep reminding yourself why it's worth it! I'm doing it to feel good inside and out, and hopefully it will help me in living a healthy life longterm.

8. Finally, ditch those excuses, you can do anything if you want it bad enough!

A Trip to Wollaton Hall

For a while now I've been saying I would start posting more about little outings, partly because I like reading other peoples' but more so because I like to look back at these posts and remember the days. So hopefully here's the first of many posts!

Last weekend we decided to head over to Wollaton Hall, which is about a half hour drive from where I live. I always find January quite difficult in terms of finding things to do, its freezing, you're trying to eat healthy and usually on a budget, which doesn't leave much choice!

Wollaton Park is a great place to visit because the grounds are large which you are free to walk around, and they even have deer (which I spent way too long taking photos of!) the hall is also free to walk round inside, which we took advantage of just to get warm!

What I'm wearing (I haven't linked as most of it is from last winter)

Hat: New Look

Coat: Zara

Gloves: Accessorise

Bag: New Look

Jeans: Topshop

 Boots: ASOS

There wasn't much healthy to choose from, so I went for a tuna mayo sandwich with popcorn and a peppermint tea, unfortunately the inside was rammed so we had to sit outside and it was freezing!!

The deer!

How would you recommend spending a January weekend whilst on a budget?!