Achieving that holiday body.

Before i even get on to this topic, I just want to apologise for my lack of posts recently. No excuses, just the fact that I have been enjoying reading blogs more than adding to my own.  I have came across some amazing & beautiful beauty bloggers lately, so thank you to all those who have made my daily blog post reading so very interesting. :)

So..I am going on holiday in almost a months time and i'm absolutely SO EXCITED, i can't contain it.
One of my favourite things to do prior to a holiday is going shopping, for cute pretty bikinis in particular.
I have bought some stunning bikinis to wear this time..but the question is..will my body look nice in them?

..I know its a question that goes through alot of girls minds, not surprisingly due to the perfect body image that is expected of us in society.   I don't want a perfect body as i believe there is no such thing, every individual person suits a different body shape. One thing I was hoping to achieve beforehand, is to get more toned. I'm no way near skinny, nor fat. I have a naturally slim figure, but due to my rather unhealthy diet & lack of exercise (and also from naturally growing up) over recent years, I think it has started to show its effects on my body. My stomach and thighs could do with being alot more trimmed.

So what have i done to kickstart my healthy holiday body?  I have been quite good in that I added more healthy alternatives into my diet such as fruit & nuts and have recently tried out the Hannah Waterman workout dvd.  I do quite like this workout, but I think i'm much more suited to doing something more fun such as dancing, as I just think I'd stick to it more & feel as though it would do more for me.  That is why I have just bought the My fitness coach Dance Workout for the Wii. 

Hopefully, if i stick to regular exercising & eating well within the next month then I should feel alot more confident & good to go.

I would love to hear what you girls do to help stay in shape.  Have you tried any of the workout dvd's/ wii games..& did they help?!

Lots of love,

Kelly x

A rather big haul! Primark,Boots,New Look & Select.

As i have been good recently by saving some of my pennies, I thought i would treat myself to a bit of a shopping spree.  I am absolutely loving alot of the primark clothing that is out this season, it's a shame that the prices are going up too!  I have tried to be strict with myself over the past few months by only buying things that i know i'm gonna get good use out of. Think i've done a pretty good job so far :)

Here is what i picked up...


 



PRIMARK:
Coral coloured clutch - £3 reduced from £6. For me, this will be perfect for taking on nights out as the colour suits alot of things i tend to wear. (I love how the gold clasp gives it a slight vintage look also!)
Nautical striped pencil skirt - £7. I have been wanting one of these for a while now & was amazed at the price of this one. I tried it on with a denim jacket and i love it :)
Black & white lace peter pan collared top - £6.00.



NEW LOOK:
Tribal print chunky knit jumper.   I was AMAZED when i found this!
It is very similar to the one in Mango which retails at ALOT more than this!
This was only £7 in the sale!! A.m.a.z.i.n.g.

BOOTS:
Boots were doing the 3 for 2 mix & match offer, so obviously I had no choice but to take up this oppurtunity :)
The first thing i picked up was some hair dye. My hair is naturally dark brown, usually if i dye it, i normally go even darker because I like the glossiness that it gives my hair.  As it is getting warmer, i thought i'd treat my hair to something different. So i got the loreal casting creme gloss in the shade mahogany.
My hair has not been in the best of condition lately, so I resorted in buying 3 aussie products in the hope that they will reawaken my dull, dry hair.  I got the luscious long shampoo,  the 3 minute miracle colour deep treatment & the miracle hair insurance leave in conditioner.
Next, i got a tanning mitt from the st tropez range.  Was slightly disappointed that it isn't what i thought it was. I was expecting it to be a mitt that I could apply my fake tan with, but its actually something that removes excess tan. Never mind!
Then..i had a £5 off No7 voucher.  I alwaays buy something from this range whenever i have a voucher, I feel that it's a waste if i don't.  I have heard good things about the No7 eyelash curlers, so i decided to pick them up.  With the voucher, they only came up to about £2 something, so complete bargain!

Lastly I popped into select....

From there, I picked up these very cute black shoes with little tassles on them for a bargainous £5! They were originally £16 reduced to £8..couldnt believe that they were even cheaper when i got to the till.   I have been in need of some new shoes for work. As i am on my feet pretty much all day, I needed a pair that would provide lots of comfort and with good durability too.  These seemed to do nicely :)

I hope you like what i got :)  If you would like an indepth review on any of these, or if you have any requests then please leave me a little comment down below :)

Lots of love,

Kelly x

My adorable new shoes :)

Hello all!

As it was such a beautiful day on sunday, me & my other half decided to go on a nice walk around some gorgeous gardens & have a picnic. We had to walk through the town centre to get to the gardens, so on the way I decided to have a cheeky little look in primark. (My boyfriend HATES going shopping with me.)

I rushed straight upstairs to the shoe department as i knew exactly what i was looking for....these cuuuuute shoes. I think they are called boat shoes, but i can't clarify that.  I have seen a few beauty gurus have these shoes..i knew that i just HAD to have a pair.  Come on, could you resist these?

I absolutely love the colour combo on these and the little detailing is so nice :)
I always hear of the amazing bargains people get from primark, but i'm not always lucky enough to find much that I like. However, this time I saw so many things that I wanted to get. Ranging from pretty vintage style blouses to chinos.  I shall be going back to primark in a few weekends time to go on a proper little shop, so I  shall be preparing my wardrobe for all my new goodies by throwing out items that i do not want anymore.
Watch this space..there will no doubt be a big haul soon ;)

P.S..I know it was cheeky of me to have neglected my blog for so long. But my lame excuse is that I have been busy with work/travelling etc. :)

Have you managed to find any great items in Primark lately?

Lots of love,

Kelly x

Product rave: Natural Collection tinted moisturiser.

Hello all :)

I'm gonna get straight to the point.  Natural collection's tinted moisturiser is absolutely amazing.  A few weeks ago i had rediscovered this product. I decided to use it more often because my skin has been suffering quite severely with dry skin & patches of acne, so something more lightweight on my face like this product was defintaly what was needed, rather than my usual rather heavy foundations. 
I love the fact that i don't have to wear a moisturiser underneath when using this (i can be quite lazy like that) and the product glides on my face so smoothly giving a nice medium coverage (pretty much doing the job of a foundation but with the bonus of being more breathable!).  I am also surprised about how long it stays on my face. I can go a whole days work and my skin will still be glowing from it.
I'm not sure as to whether this product is gonna be loved by everyone. Some may not like the consistency (can be a little runny) and the shade ranges are not  brilliant. 
If your looking to achieve a more natural lightweight touch to your skin, I would definatly say give this a whirl! :)

You can buy this product at your nearest boots store or online at http://www.boots.com/ for just £1.99! (Amazing right!)

Just to be clear - all opinions are that of my own & i am not paid by companies to review products.

Has anyone else used this wonder before? Or can recommend other tinted moisturisers i can try? I'm looking to find an everyday slightly darker one that i can wear in the warmer months!

Lots of love,

Kelly x

Gladiator sandals for a FIVER!

I know that some of you may think - why are you buying sandals at this time of year in the UK?! You must think i'm a little bit crazy. Well, on saturday whilst browsing in my local New Look store, i spotted these gorgeous pair of gold gladiator sandals that had been reduced to just FIVE POUNDS. I was amazed to find that they had my size and they had a few pairs left. I absolutely love wearing gladiator sandals, my pair from last year had to be thrown away as they had pretty much had it because i wore them so much. I think that they are an essential staple in the warmer months, I personally like to wear them with long flowy dresses or a nice pair of skinny jeans.  For these reasons..i had to pick this pair up, i know that i will not find a pair anywhere else that is as cheap as these!

Roll on summer when these cute un's can be on my feet in the sunshine :)

Other purchases i picked up this weekend were some purple storage boxes from pound stretchers as i needed something to store all my jewellery neatly.

Lately, I have been breaking out into spots, so decided to buy some new products to add to my skin care regime. I got the clean & clear morning energy daily facial wash to use in the mornings, as it was half price and also Oxy's on the spot gel to use in the evenings after cleansing my skin.

If either products turn out to be anything amazing then i will most probably do a review on them :)

Hope you have all had a good weekend!

Lots of love,

Kelly x

What a bathalicious bargain!

So..the other day whilst browsing in tesco, I came across this cute little gift set, looking lost in amongst all of the easter chocolates. Straight away, it just had to be mine. Simply for the fact that it had been reduced to 2 POUNDS down from 9!  I presume that it was one of the sale items left over from christmas time, the only fault i could see was that the packaging was a little bit damaged. Both the outer packaging and the packaging on each of the mini products looks very similar to that of the soap & glory range. Whether or not the quality lives up to the same standard is something that I am going to have to try out.
One of my favourite things about the set is that it comes with a gorgeous pink silky feeling shower hat..something of which I have been wanting to find for a while now!
It also comes with minature products being:
- bubble bath
- body wash
-body polish
-shimmer lotion & a body washer thingy (whatever they are called!!)
The brand of this little gift set is "Ohh Darling"..never heard of it before so I presume it was just a range designed for tesco at christmas time.

Has anyone ever heard of this brand/used any of its products before?

Btw..i have reduced the prices of some products in my blog sale..please take a look :)


Lots of love,

Kelly x

Soap & Glory Thick and Fast Mascara for £3.90 anyone?

Hello lovelies :)

I have just read some very exciting news on the Martin's money saving tips website.. in this month's ELLE magazine the free gift is the thick and fast mascara from soap & glory. This usually retails at £10 in boots so lots of pennies are being saved with this bargain!
I am not sure if it is the full sized mascara, but for £3.90 you really can't complain, and i have heard soo many good reviews on this beauty.  Hoping to get my hands on it tomorrow!

Has anyone managed to grab this amazing bargain yet?!

Btw.. i am sorry for the lack of posts recently..have been super busy..but i promise there will be a few upcoming posts in the next couple of days :)

Lots of love,

Kelly x

Mini blog sale.

I am having a little clear out of products/items of which are still usable but that i don't use enough of, so before putting everything on ebay, i thought i'd see if any of you lovely people find something that catches your eye :)

The rules....

- UK ONLY. Sorry.
- First come first served.
- If you would like anything, leave a comment below asking me what you want and also your email address, i will then send you an invoice. Please mark payment as a gift :)
-P&P is included in the price of each item.
- All items shipped within 48 hours of payment.
- No returns.
-All items will be packaged with care, i will not be responsible for any items that are lost/damaged.

Happy shopping! :)  ...



MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation NC25.
Used twice. Wrong shade for me.
£10.

Eyeko tinted cream.
Not even half used.
£3.50



Barry M dazzle dust - blue & pink.
Hardly touched.
£1 each.

Chunky pearl necklace.
£3.00.

Leopard print skinny bow belt - small.
£2.50



What's in my travel make up bag?

Hello fellow bloggers :),

On friday i am going to stay with my boyfriend, so i thought i it would be nice to share with you the make up that i am going to be taking with me.  I personally love reading blog posts like these because it gives me lots of inspiration.

The make up bag is from Boots Liberty of London Hello Kitty range. I am not sure if they are still currently being sold in boots as it was part of the christmas range.  I have done a previous blog post of this...can't rave about it enough as it is so gorgeous (and so are all the cute products that came with it)

Btw..please excuse the state that some of my make up is in!

Olay beauty fluid- good everyday moisturiser.

MUA primer - just the right consistency for a make up base.

Revlon colourstay foundation in nude - quite a heavy coverage foundation so i don't really like to use it on a daily basis.

H&M Bronzer - Had this for agees. Great for contouring.

Gosh eyebrow palette - I have hit pan now & want to use this up so i can begin my elf one.

Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer - Everyone raves about this & i can see why..it's great :)

No7 Mineral Blush in Soft damson - i like the colour of this but i don't really like the way it goes on my face as it's hard to blend. Won't be repurchasing. I am forcing myself to use it up though.

Maybelline liquid eyeliner - nothing amazing. Just a standard liquid eyeliner pen. I'm hoping to purchase the soap & glory eyeliner pen in the near future!

Garnier eye roll on concealer - for on a day where i need that extra coverage under my eyes.

Elf eyelid primer from the basics range - nothing special but i like to use it as a base before i apply eyeshadow.

Beauty UK eyeshadow palette in number 4 - i looove this palette! Shades are beautiful and very pigmented.

Maybelline one by one mascara - great for adding length. Not the best one i've tried though.

Benefit high beam & posietint minatures - bought from a blog sale. I like to use high beam as a highlight on my cheekbones & posietint on my lips before applying lipstick.

Collection 2000 lipstick in Vintage Rose - such a gorgeous colour. Very moisturising too.

Rimmel lipstick in Nude Delight - have almost used this up. A very wearable nude.

Lipcote - to help my lipstick have just that little bit more staying power.

Bourjouis smiling enhancing lipgloss - smells verry nice.

Lush lip scrub in bubblegum - perfect for these lip drying winter months!

Clean & clear dual action moisturiser - i like to use this at night after cleansing my face.

If you have any comments or if you would like any indepth reviews on any of these products mentioned then please let me know!

What's in your travel make up bag?

Lots of love,

Kelly x

Current skincare regime.

Hello lovelies! :)

I thought i would share with you all how i look after my skin. This doesn't just include the products I use, also the lifestyle changes i have made in the hope of much clearer skin.
Throughout pretty much all of my teen years, i have been lucky enough to have quite clear skin despite even wearing quite a heavy coverage foundation from quite a young age. (Not the best thing to do, i know.)

Over the past 6 months, my skin has been experiencing some breakouts of acne which i cannot seem to get rid of! It is most probably due to a mixture of hormonal changes & the fact that i've been using quite alot of different products on my face recently that my skin perhaps doesn't take a liking to very much.
Only recently (one of my new years resolutions) i have decided that i need to do more to prevent the breakouts i've been getting and look after my skin alot better, maintaining a regime that i MUST stick to. This is how i have been doing so....

DRINKING MORE WATER. I'm quite bad in that i will hardly ever just drink water on a daily basis. I have always found it to be plain and boring, i'd much rather opt for a can of coke instead. Slowly, but surely, i am beginning to drink alot more of it. (This is also another way in which i am trying to maintain a more healthy lifestyle overall, which i shall be doing a blogpost about very soon.)

INCREASING FRUIT & VEG INTAKE. This is to replace all the bad sweeties & chocolate which i seem to have a lot of! I know that junk food can help to bring on spots. (Eating less sweets will also save on the dental costs too!)

Products i have been using....

ANGELS ON BARE SKIN CLEANSER. This is a cleanser that i got from lush. The almonds in it help to exfoliate my skin gently, giving my face a deeper clean. I have only been using this product for about 2 weeks so i am yet to notice a real difference. One thing i have noticed after every time i use it is that my skin looks more awake & feels alot softer and clean. I use this every night and some mornings if i remember to.

NEUTROGENA 2 IN 1. This is a product that seems to be raved about alot within the beauty blogging community. I use this every other day as a mask, which i leave on for about 10 minutes. To be honest, it doesn't really make a real noticeable difference to my skin. I have dry skin and sometimes feel as though this can make my skin drier. It is also a pain to wash off! I am going to make sure i use this up first before i purchase another brand of mask. Any recommendations would be much appreciated!:)

GARNIER EXFO BRUSHER WASH. I like to use this exfoliator once a week when i want my skin to feel just that little bit more cleaner & softer. It's nothing amazing, but it seems to do the job for now.

OLAY BEAUTY FLUID. I am currently using this as my daily moisturiser. It provides a good base for my make up.

CLEAN & CLEAR DUAL ACTION MOISTURISER. I use this as my night time moisturiser. I like how it feels all tingly on my skin after application and leaves my skin feeling all soft.











One thing that probably isn't really doing my skin any good, is the fact that i use quite a heavy coverage foundation on a daily basis. When my current foundation runs out (maybelline 24 hr) then i'll probably opt for a more gentle foundation, perhaps a mineral powder. I reeallly want to try the laura mercier powder foundation but it is just way more than i am willing to spend! If anyone has any other suggestions of decent mineral powder foundations that still provide a good coverage then pleaase let me know!:)

I hope you have all enjoyed this post. If you would like any indepth reviews on any of these products mentioned or if you have any other requests then please let me know! :)

Lots of love,

Kelly x

Pretty little purchases: Peacocks & Select.

Yesterday, as mentioned in my previous post, I needed to go shopping for some work trousers. Typically, there weren't any that I liked. Being me, rather than just going straight back home, I couldn't resist the urge to buy a few pretty things.

This is what i bought in the end. Both purchases were really bargainous (and very cute!) so it was well worth it even though i'm trying to cut down on buying things i don't need :)



Knitted waterfall cardigan - reduced from £20 to £14 - Select.
Fairisle hot water bottle - reduced from £7 to £2.



I LOVE LOVE LOVE these two beauts, soo glad that I managed to get my hands on them! :)

Have you managed to pick up any cute bargains in the sale recently?  x x



OOTD: The casual shopper.

Hello :)

Today I am having quite a lazy day after working all week. The only thing I intend to do is hit the local shops in search of some new work trousers.  I didn't see the point in dressing up as i'll only be out for an hour, so this is the outfit I decided to throw on...

Cardigan - Select
Floral top - Primark
Denim jeans - Primark
Tan pixie boots - Select

Hope you all have a lovely weekend! :)

Lots of love,

Kelly x

Hello Kitty Toiletry Bag from Boots.

So the other day I decided to head into my nearest city in search of a travel make up & toiletries bag.

I go travelling quite regularly because my boyfriend lives away, and none of the bags i own seem to hold both my make up, hair care & skin care products which always means i have to resort to using either 2 or 3 travel bags which gets very annoying as it makes my hand luggage become very heavy! :/

Whilst browsing through boots at the half price gift sets, I came across this ADORABLE Hello Kitty toiletry bag. The pattern is beautiful - floral with little hello kitty faces on it. Not only does it look pretty, it has a lot of space inside of it and due to its shape it can easily be 'squished' into my bag.

What made this little bag even better, is that it came with 3 200 ml Hello Kitty products (with amazing packaging also) - a body scrub, body butter & bath bubbles. It also comes with a body souffle which i have already used in the bath.

I am yet to try the products inside, but if they are anything like their packaging then they will be a.m.a.z.i.n.g!

What's the price of this little beauty? It only cost me £9.00 reduced from £18.00!

What made it even more of a bargain for me was that I used my boots points to pay for it :)

I absolutely love the christmas gift range that boots do every year, especially when everything becomes half price! :)

I may do a "What's in my travel make up bag" post in the near future, what do you think?

Lots of love,

Kelly x