Motivation Monday // Dieting

Getting back on a diet after a cheat meal really is difficult and I for one really struggle the day after. Sometimes it either goes really well and I can get back on it straight away and other times I end up having another few little nibbles off plan and then I jump straight back on it.  As I said before, I had a cheat meal like I do every Friday. I find having a cheat meal really beneficial as it helps to reduce my cravings for bad foods and fills the empty gap I have of wanting chocolate and pizza. 

I know some people cant have a cheat meal because they fall straight back down and struggle to get back on their diet and it’s normal for many and even I sometimes cant resist my urges to binge each. To help this I have a few little tricks that I do to help resist my urges and jump straight back on my diet. 

Firstly I like to drink a lot of water. I find that my mouth gets dry very easily and at this stage before I started dieting I would either head for a fizzy drink like coke-cola and hope that my thirst is cured. If it’s not then I’ll end up munching at a whole packet of maoam which is definitely not healthy nor suitable to my diet. Now I make sure that I always have a big bottle of water on me or if i’m chilling at home a green tea. It helps to fill the gap between meals and allows you to know whether you’re actually hungry or not. Drinking water also helps to encourage motivation and refresh your mind to prepare you for your daily activities. Water is actually really beneficial physically and mentally, what’s better than that?

Secondly I like to refresh myself and plan ahead for the week. I’ll start by looking over previous meal plans and recipes before deciding what I want that week. Once I’ve looked over these I’ll head to my notebook and write myself a meal log for the week to help me stick to it. I find this is probably the most motivating thing to do when I’m struggling to get back on my diet. I’m following the slimfast diet and I’m really enjoying it, so I’ll head over to the slimfast website and look through their weekly menu’s to choose which I want to do that week. Once printed I tape it to the inside of my food cupboard or above my computer to keep looking at to remind myself what I’ll be eating and this helps to make good food choices.

Finally, I distract myself. Read a book or play a game, even do some household chores. I find distractions the best way to stop me thinking about food. Right now I’m writing this blog post in hopes to waste a fair few hours before my next meal and it’s actually working. I find that if my mind is distracted it’s unlikely that I’ll be thinking about my next snack of meal and eventually it’ll be time to eat and I’m really thankful for the distractions I need to help me get by. 

Let me know what you do to distract yourself from your food urges! Take a look at my social media: 

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With love, B x 

The OA // Worth Watching?

I tend to mix between books and TV series quite often and after reading several books I decided it was time to start watching something new. So as I do, I headed to Netflix and seen that they had added some new shows and movies and among all the options I came across The OA remembering that so many people had been talking about it on Twitter I made the choice to give it a go. It’s newly released with only 1 series and 8 1 hour episodes.

Prairie Johnson had been missing for 7 years until she was spotted jumping off a bridge. Despite having been blind due to an accident as a child she could see. Prairie now goes by ‘The OA’ instead of her adoptive name and refuses to share any information from her disappearance. In hopes to save others like her she assembles a team of 5 to help her find others who have been experiencing the same situation as her. 

So is it worth watching? definitely! I was 12 minutes into the first episode and totally hooked. You think, how is it possible to be to into a show only 12 minutes in? Well, it’s different. Totally different to any other show I’ve ever seen. The OA’s story is like no other and is totally unique which made me even more interested in the rest of her story. Throughout series one you met new characters who bring the story to life and allow you to understand more about the situation. One specific character (a scientist, I won’t spoil it!) really interested me the most as he was someone who could definitely exist in this world. An utter nut job, crazy weird guy.

I think this show is brilliant and I can’t wait for season 2! You guys should definitely watch it and let me know what you think. You’ll definitely like this show if you’ve watched Stranger Things.

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With love, Beth x

Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask // Review

I tried the Yes To Coconut Sheet Mask recently and I was curious to what sheet masks were sold in the high street stores. So as I usually do, I headed to Boots and Superdrug to investigate and I come across these Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Masks and for only £1.50. I was instantly hooked and couldn’t believe the price and I had high hopes for them. 

In each mask there is 1 weeks worth of hydrating serum and they aren’t wrong. When I first took it out of the packet I thought that they had over done it with the product a bit. It’s drenched in the serum and it’s super cold when first applied. However, once you get over that bit, that’s when the magic happens. 

The packet says that it’s a super hydrating revitalising mask that reduces the look of fine lines and revives radiance in the skin. When I first started trying these I was struggling with dry skin and an overload of acne. Nothing was helping at all and anything I used made things worse. The mask has a blue protective film that you peal off on application and if i’m honest I still don’t quite understand it but I can imagine if it didn’t have it, the mask would be difficult to apply and as it’s so wet it may rip if you aren’t gentle. Perhaps I’ve just solved my own mystery.

I used a mask a week for 4 weeks and my skin feels so good for it. Within the first few days I noticed my acne and blemishes reducing and my skin just looked better and more lively. I looked less dead than I had been previously. It was a miracle! A Christmas miracle that I had found the most affordable and ideal sheet mask. 

I think since my first purchase I’ve gone back and gotten like 20. They’re incredible and so relaxing to use in the bath. Ooh yes, the feels. I recommend them to all! Go and try them, for £1.50 you aren’t really losing much.

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With love, B x 

 

 

 

Oval Makeup Brush Review

I was scrolling through bloglovin’ a few weeks ago and seen someone talking about these Ebay budget style dupes for the Artis oval brushes. I couldn’t just ignore it, I was so intrigued so I went over to EBay and go myself some and thought I would give you guys a little review to let you know whether or not they’re worth the purchase or if I plan on binning them. 

I got mine from EBay for £13.95 for a full set. From what I’ve seen the style and design of the brush is identical to the Artis brushes. However, I don’t own any of the Artis brushes and I’m also not willing to sell a limb or organ in order to purchase one, so these will just have to do. 

I’ve given these brushes a trial and test for the past month and I’ve grown to like some and really dislike others. Personally I think for the price of mine the smaller brushes are brilliant, especially the small dence brushes that I use to apply crease colours. 

I really didn’t like the two larger face brushes mainly because every time I used them to apply foundation they didn’t distribute it easily at all. The brushes soaked up the product and left so much redness and uneven colours. They didn’t show any streaking at all but I just felt that my beauty sponge applied the product better and more even. It’s unlikely that I’ll keep these larger face brushes. 

Now, I used one of the smaller face brushes for my concealer and it didn’t do a bad job at all. I used it and went over the concealer with my sponge but the brush never lifted the product and it was actually a faster process. I’ll definitely continue to use this brush and test it on other areas too. 

In total there were 10 brushes and I think I’m keeping around half. Which isn’t bad at all. I personally don’t think that they’re the best brushes I’ve ever used but since they’re supposed to be dupes of the artis brushes I don’t think I’ll ever purchase the originals. I much prefer the normal style brushes and beauty sponges. Call me old fashioned, eh? 

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With love, B x 

Book Review: The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo

Today’s book review is on the book by Amy Schumer called The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo! Matt bought me this book just before Christmas and I was so excited to read it. I’ve followed Amy Schumer’s work for quite some time now and I really inspire her because she is so down to earth. Having read her book I now feel like we’re more alike than I thought. Matt and Megan have both told me that I remind them of Amy Schumer and I never understood why until I read this book.

My favourite thing about this book is that no chapter is the same. She discusses different aspects of her life throughout each chapter and how it affected her and made her the person she is now. Having learnt more about her I now understand how hard she worked to be successful in the entertainment industry and how difficult it was for her to be accepted as a female comedian and appreciated for her talents. It’s been made aware that females sometimes have it harder to break out into the entertainment industry and Amy made me more aware of how difficult it was for her. Having always known she wanted to make people laugh she aspired to be a stand-up comedian and was knocked so many times by so many people who didn’t believe in her (more fool them). She worked so hard to show people how serious she was about her work and continues to do so even though she’s so known now.

She also discusses the fact that she is an introvert even though she comes across as an extrovert (100% me!) and how she hates to be around people too long as she likes her own space. I admire her for this because of how alike we are. For me I personally like my own company more than being with too many people, not that I don’t like being around people, I just appreciate my space which gives me time to breath and relax. It’s hard work having a bubbly and enthusiastic personality all the time and I really enjoy the space to read a book or watch a film alone. Amy discusses how difficult this can be when you’re working on the road and being with the same people all the time. It’s hard and emotionally draining. Reading this part actually made me feel for her so much because I know how difficult it really is.

Throughout the book she discusses her relationship with previous boyfriends, her sexual partners and her family. I love the fact that she is so close with her siblings, it’s so heartwarming to read about her love for them. She talks about her feelings and experiences through emotional, physical and sexual abuse as well as gun control in America. She really is so human and so different to most celebrities and I just think it’s refreshing to read about someone who knows it’s ok to have flaws.

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With love, B x

Instagram Favourites

I love Instagram, it’s a brilliant way to store your favourite photos and look back in your special memories. There are so many people that I love following on Instagram because their content is so great to look at. I thought I would share with you guys who I follow on Instagram and why I think they’ll be an excellent edition to your follow list.

#1: FullerFigureFullerBust a.k.a Georgia Horne is a British pull size model, wife, fashion blogger and all round brilliant lady. Georgia posts her fashion statements as inspiration for all the fantastic plus size ladies. She’s so down to earth and I think that’s what I like most about her. Check out her Instagram here.

#2: Friends.Videos is great too! I love F.R.I.E.N.D.S so much and having short clips to watch on my phone all the time is my favourite thing. I think I’ll follow this Instagram forever and ever. Check it out here.

#3: WillMasonPhotography is a fellow Aberystwyth Student and a super talented photographer. His photos are beautiful, so gorgeous and authentic. I just love to admire how much talent he has. The wedding photos are amazing, I can’t even imagine how wonderful it feels to capture every moment of a couples special day. Look at Will’s Instagram here.

#4: Tom Fletcher 1/4 McFly band member and author is bloody great. His Instagram has so much love to it, I love looking at his pictures of the kids and his home life. It’s not something g many celebrities do and I understand that but Tom is just generally lovely to watch. He posts such cute and funny videos too! I’ll admit I’m a big McFly fan too. Check Tom’s Instagram out here.

#5: Ashley Graham is a plus size model and is famously known for her cover on Sports IllustratedSwimsuit Edition. She’s so glamorous and beautiful, my favourite bit of her instagram is that she uses her insta-story whilst working and I love to watch and have a little look into her life. She’s an inspiration to so many and I love her for that. Look at Ashley’s iInstagram here.

Let me know who you love to follow on social media, check mine out on the meantime.

Twitter: _bbbethan

Instagram: _bbbbethan

With love, B x

Makeup Obsession Palette

Back in November I visited a Boots store in Worcester and come across a stand called Makeup Obsession. The brand had a selection of eyeshadows, blushes, contour and highlight shades and I was curious. 

The idea of the brand is to make your own palette with the shades, at the time there was a deal that if you spent £12 on products you would have a medium palette (6 shades) free. So I took advantage and picked up 6 of the eyeshadow shades. This brand was really super affordable. Each eyeshadow was £2 each, contour for £3 each, highlight for £3 each and blush for £3 each. I picked up 6 of the eyeshadow shades and after sampling them on my hand. 

From the first swipe I knew these had made me curious. They were so creamy and the pigmentation was incredible, literally couldn’t get over how amazingly bright the copper shades were and especially how light the highlight shades were. They blend wonderfully and effortlessly, however I do find that I have fall down with them so I’ve gotten myself into the habit of doing my eyeshadow before my base now. 

I picked up the shades Lucky Charm, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cosmo, Mink and Pearl. The idea of this is identical to the Makeup Geek palettes. You insert the products of your choice into a palette and it gives you the option to create your own ideal palette. For me it was easy, I wanted shades that I could create a bold look with as well as a neutral look and at the time I had a huge obsession with red, coppery eyes and I found the most perfect shades in Ginger, Cinnamon and Cosmo. 

The only issues I’ve had with this palette is that they’re quite difficult to get the shadows out of the palette if you want to replace them or change the selection. The shade Lucky Charm in my palette was accidentally thrown across the room and it broke everywhere. Another issue is that they break so bloomin’ easily, the smallest tap and they’ll be destroyed and so will your heart. Otherwise I think they’re brilliant for the money and they’re definitely worth the purchase. 

Let me know your favourite affordable brands, I love testing new products!

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With love, B x 

BirchBox Unboxing // January

The first BirchBox of 2017 has arrived and I’ve been super excited for this (I am every month though aren’t i?). I love that I receive a little gift to myself every month and I totally forget about it, so when it’s arrive it’s like Christmas! This month’s box is in collaboration with HelloFresh and we were given a discounted coupon to try out their weekly subscription for £9, meaning that we save £30 in our boxes this month. HelloFresh is a food service that deliver a week’s worth of meals, fully prepared and ready to be cooked right to your front door. I’ve researched more about this company and personally I won’t be purchasing a box because I can’t ever see myself eating these types of meals but I know some people would love this type of service especially if they’re busy and always on the go. So, let’s jump straight into this months BirchBox! 

I first noticed this small sample sized product of the Nuxe Multi-Purpose Dry Oil for the face, body and hair. Now I’ve seen this as a full size product in person and it’s huge, the bottle is massive. It’s retail price is £21 for a full size bottle and I definitely think if you enjoy this product, you should definitely repurchase because it will last you for so long. I’m actually most excited about this product because who doesn’t love a bit of shimmer on their body, hair and everywhere in between right?. It’s description says that it is full of six essential oils plus vitamin E which is so good for your body. It provides nourishment with a hint of golden radiance. I can’t wait to give this a try!

Next is the Merci Hand Cream and it’s a full sized sample, it’s price of £4.90 and it’s actually quite a large product. It’s big enough to keep you going for a little while but small enough to put in your handbag and head out. It’s packed with pearls and nourishing extracts to pamper and smooth. I think there is a connection with each of these products this month, they all seem to be nourishing.. not that I’m complaining of course. I do like a good hand cream and I always find my hands get really dry, regardless of the season so I’m very pleased. 

In a previous BirchBox I was given a Lord & Berry lip crayon which I absolutely love, so when I saw that I received a Lord & Berry Conceal-It Crayon I was over the moon. It retails for £12 and this month we were lucky enough to receive another full sized sample, win! I tested it on my hand and it’s so buttery and smooth, it blends lovely too which makes me more excited to try it out for my under eye area. My shade is in ivory and I’m interested in how good it’ll be at highlighting my face too. 

I also got the Kebelo Clarifying Shampoo which retails at £13.95 for a full sized sample. I’ve never ever tried a clarifying shampoo but I know so many people who swear by them. It’s said to deep clean and detox strands and scalp to create healthier and less dull looking hair. What more could you want seriously? 

Finally, I also received the Prismologie Yellow Day Shower Gel. If I am totally honest, this is the product I’m least excited for. It’s retail price of £30 full sized and that’s a ridiculous price for a shower gel and not something I’ll ever purchase. I feel like shower gel’s all do the same thing and I’ve got some really affordable shower gel’s by Leather Imperial which I swear by and are less than £2 a bottle. However, I’ll definitely be giving this a go and seeing whether it’s actually worth the fuss. 

So, there you have it! January BirchBox. Let me know whether you liked yours this month. In the mean time, check out my social media: 

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With love, Beth x

Book Review: White Lies and Wishes

This weeks book review is on the Cathy Bramley novel White Lies and Wishes. This book is due to be released January 26th 2017 so only a few days a way! I was sent this book by Transworld Books and I’m extremely grateful to have had the privilege to read such a lovely book. 

Sarah, Jo and Carrie had recently met at a friends funeral and although the situation was a sad time. Having met each other they instantly felt better for it. Through a random idea from Carrie the girls had decided to make their own bucket list in hopes to make improvements in their lives. Having spent months making their wishes comes true the girls each had been telling white lies and each decided that it was about time to be truthful about what they really wanted. After everything though they really did make the best of friends.

I really enjoyed this book but to be totally honest, in parts of the book it is slightly predictable and I found myself guessing the story before reaching the end of chapters. However, the relationship that had formed between the three woman reminded me of my friendships with my best friends. The book really does see the reality of life and what women take throughout relationships and even facing their own insecurities. It was a lovely story but it didn’t wow me at all. 
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With love, B x