My new diet and fitness for 2013

Well it's that time of year again... Everyone feels like they need to diet! Including me!

Well I'm not exactly going on a 'diet' but I'm going to try and eat the healthiest I possibly can. I'm talking natural, filling foods and eating well balanced meals. My downfalls in the past have been cutting out carbs, which left me feeling tired, moody and hungry! And I don't drink alcohol to a massive extent but I am trying to cut it out completely for a month, which I don't think will be too hard :)

I haven't exercised for a couple of months now and I can start to see my body becoming not as toned as I used to be, but I won't let that get me down! I've went and bought Josie Gibson's 30 second slim. The DVD has high intensity workouts followed by a rest period. Apparently level 1 of the workout burns the same calories as an hour jogging eeek!

As of today, the 7/1/13, I will start my new healthy lifestyle change. Follow my blog to keep updated on my progress :)

Wish me luck x

What I bought today....

So today I decided I would treat myself to a little bit of retail therapy, which is a silly thing to do five days before Christmas as the shops are crammed full of people and I am not very tollerant with crowds. But, needless to say, I powered through and I was determined to find myself a couple of nice things to wear over Christmas.

Heres what I bought...

 

Grey speckle tee with bold LA motif and roll back sleeves

£18

 

I think this will look lovely with some jeans and ankle boots, For a casual look I love my super stretch mid-wash Leigh jeans, also from Topshop.

 

 

 

Burgundy Eyelash Lace Shell Top

£16

 

I fell in love with this top as soon as I seen it! The colour reminds me of this festive season. Topshop also do this in a lovely Christmassy pine green colour, unfortunately they did not have my size so I opted for this colour instead, it still looks great on though. I'm going to wear this for out annual family Christmas Eve meal. I'll be wearing it with a black flippy skirt, black tights and black suede heels. Ill add some gold jewellery and a black leather waterfall jacket to make the look more formal.

 

 

 

Chinese Coin Friendship Bracelet

£4

This beautiful bracelet is supposed to be a friendship bracelet but I decided to buy this as a gift for myself :) I love the Chinese detail on the coin. This bracelet is very simple but will look great on it's own or with other bracelets.

 

 

 

Let me know what you think and how you would wear these

Dani x

Last Minute Christmas Gift Guide For HER!

 Ho, Ho, Ho

 

So I thought I would post a quick last minute gift guide to help you buy for the ladies in your life. If your like me and leave everything until the last minute at Christmas, especially buying gifts, this guide will hopefully come in handy :)

 

   Philosophy The Winter Escape Gift Set

Shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath; body lotion; and high-gloss, high-flavour lip shine. £22

available at boots stores & www.philosophyskincare.co.uk

 

 

 Cath Kidston Blossom 12 Soap Collection Set,

12 x 25g  £15

Available at Cath Kidston stores & www.johnlewis.com

 

 

 

         Marc by Marc Jacobs

         Heart Headphones

        £35

           available at selfridges

               

LUSH with love from Santa Gift Set

contains 4 festive bath bombs

£15.95

available from LUSH stores

Topshop Amigo Western Stud Boots

£70

available from Topshop

 

 



 

Versace Crystal Noir, Eau De Toilette

50ml - £32

90ml - £41.99

prices shown are available on www.Johnlewis.com

                                               

      

 Radley Jubilee Canvas Tote Shopper Bag

 Natural

 Available at www.Johnlewis.com

                                                   

 So I hope my Christmas Gift Guide was a little bit of help to you. I know I would be a happy girl if I woke up to these gifts on Christmas morning!

 

Good luck Christmas shopping ;)

 

Dani x

Elemis Skincare Routine - Review

Thinking about using Elemis as part of your daily skincare routine?             

For the past two months I have noticed my skin developing a few out of the ordinary pimples and spots around my chin and forehead. I have never really suffered from any major bad skin problems, just a few spots that might come and go within a couple of days. I normally try to blame it on exams, lack of sleep or boy stress!

I think the recent breakouts I have been experiencing are probably down to the weather, after all the North East of England is not the most skin friendly place in the winter eeek!

Anyways, I thought it's about time I jumped back on the cleanse, tone and moisturise wagon and invest some of my time (yes I have been quite lazy and reached for a boots make up wipe at night) and money into finding a skincare routine which worked for me!

My first impressions of Elemis are pretty good. They have clean, simple and professional looking bottles and packaging, which is a good sign because it made me feel confident that the products might be worth the money. On the Elemis website and on the back of their bottles it states 'defined by nature, led by science'. I thought this was a little cheesy but again, it gave me confidence that these were good quality products.

Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash

200ml - £29

  

First i'll start with the cleanser. As you can see by the bottle this facial wash is anti-ageing. I just would like to reassure you all that I'm only 20 years old and ageing is not something I am worrying about just yet ;) The lady who served me said this was one of the best face washes that they sell and one of the most popular, which attracted me straight to it! Also, she told me that my skin would be fine using a product which was also designed for more mature skin types. 

When I first used the facial wash, I found the product very runny. It had a texture similar to a moisturiser which I wasn't too impressed about as I wasted half of the application in the sink as it ran through my fingers. It doesn't seem to build up many bubbles which made me question was my skin really clean?

After a grim start with this facial wash, I did start to see improvements with my skin after about 5 days of using the product morning and night. My skin looked brighter, softer and almost brand new! I had been using this with the toner and moisturiser which I have reviewed before but I really do think this facial wash has played a huge part in improving my skin.

Elemis Skincare Balancing Lavender Toner

200ml - £21

When I first squeezed the first application of the toner on to a cotton pad I was instantly hit with a beautiful scent of calming lavender. The scent is not too overpowering and did not make my eyes water or skin tingle when I was applying the toner. The fact that there is no tingle on my skin, especially around the eye area really did appeal to me as my skin is very sensitive when I use products which are quite potent. The toner left my skin feeling balanced (not oily and not dry) and refreshed.

As I mentioned in the previous section reviewing the Elemis Facial Wash, I thought that the wash did not make my skin feel 100% clean after washing. I believe using the toner after washing my face really did give it that extra clean.

Elemis Maximum Moisture Day Cream

50ml - £38

                                       

I am not going to lie, I was a little apprehensive about spending this much money on a moisturiser that I hadn't heard much about. Besides, I was very happy with my Origins 'A Perfect World' Moisturiser that I was not going to purchase this but I thought since I'm trying out the other Elemis products I may as well try out the full wham!

When I first applied this moisturiser to my already cleansed and toned skin, I noticed a little really does go a long way. You literally need a pea sized amount to cover your full face. No lie! This was enough for my face and neck! The product spread nicely over my face and dried quickly, but not quick enough for your skin to feel rough. The scent of the moisturiser is noticeably different to the toner, it is not heavily scented but it does have a clean and natural smell about it.

I can honestly say that I have been very pleased with the results from all of the products. I'm not entirely sure whether one product worked  better than the other, but by using all these products together I achieved clean, fresh and clear skin. I don't tend to get spots anymore, just maybe the odd one but my skin is noticeably different. The products really do make you feel like your using a luxury brand which uses good quality ingredients.

overall I would rate the products, when used together, a 9/10

Thanks for reading and please comment and let me know your thoughts on Elemis products!

P.s. This is my first review so please let me know your feedback too.

x

Feeling festive?

I am!

Christmas has got to be my most favourite time of year! I love everything about it! The cold bitter December weather, mince pies, mulled wine and not to mention the king sized Christmas dinner I will be demolishing on Christmas day. I can't wait!

The build up to Christmas plays a big part in how festive people feel...

As I live in the North East my favourite place to go shopping is in Newcastle City Centre, not just because it is open late or because it has a vast selection of shops, bars and restaurants. The reason is the feeling it gives off at this time of year. The lights, decorations and the smell of crepes with nutella and the hog roast van from christmas market all contribute in making me feel christmassy. The sound of buskers on Northumberland Street, putting their own spin on Christmas songs really does put a smile on my face, even whilst walking home from a long day at work. 

Every year there is major competition between the stores in Newcastle on who can decorate, light up and attract the most people to their front windows. Personally, I think John Lewis and Fenwicks are in a league of their own when it comes to visual merchandising. I love John Lewis's ability to make their window seem like it has a meaning. You can tell a lot of thought has been put into the layout and items which are being displayed. It almost reflects their Christmas advert for 2012 which sends out the message about finding the perfect gift.

I could stand outside both stores for hours admiring the amazing gifts and gadgets that I wish I could buy for people... Or myself! 

1. To blog or not to blog...

So eventually I have been seduced by the idea of 'blogging'. I know what your thinking and yes, this is my first ever blog!! I have always watched videos on Youtube about product reviews and how to videos but only recentely I have started getting into the idea of 'vlogging'. Most of the vlogs I have been watching have been quite frankly about nothing in particular, just a person capturing their everyday life on video and posting it to the world. It might sound quite strange and even quite boring to watch but there is something quite awing and addictive about watching a vlog. Even so, I have decided to bite the bullet and open up my life to the blogging world.

I can honestly say my life is no different to any other 20 year old girl, I live in a small town in the North East of England, so please do not think that I will blogging daily champagne breakfasts or shopping trips to vivienne westwood anytime soon (that would be nice though).

Dani x