The big countdown!

Hello lovelies

So Friday came and went and I took myself off to Superdrug to visit their MUA counter in search of the beloved purple lipstick I'm after, and boy did I get some good things! Not only did I come across the colour I was after in "Shade 2" but I also picked up their shade 16 in "Nectar", which is a lovely orange shade. I was pleasantly surprised by the lipsticks, I thought for the price of £1 they'd be very dry but they aren't, they seem quite soft, buttery and very pigmented. I picked up their primer, pressed powder in shade 3, blusher in "Marshmallow" and their eye brow pencil in "Brunette" too! I toyed with the idea of their felt eyeliner but turned it down at the last minute. The primer is lovely, others I tried on my hand left my skin quite oily and slippery, whereas this melted into my skin and left it feeling quite smooth - think matte mousse foundation, that sort of consistency. The powder comes in four different shades and to be honest I could have done with shade number 1, but for £1 (yes, really!) I'm not too bothered.
You can visit MUA's website here.

As it's officially the 1st September I am now officially on the countdown to the big C! That's right boys and girls, the shopping days until Christmas have started! While browsing the racks in Primark I spotted a rather festive little red lace number for a bargain - £10! It came with a little black belt which I'll be removing because I'm fussy but I thought it'd be perfect for the run up to the festive season with matching red nails and lipstick! 

Tomorrow marks the start of going back to work, and this morning I had a sudden realisation that I needed to pick up a few tops and things for it, so off I went back into town and again, in Primark, I came across a lovely wallpaper-like floral patterned dress for £13! I thought not only would it be ideal for work, but also for those festive drinks and teas I'll be partaking in with Rachel :-) I'm thinking of wearing it with big black shoe boots, black tights and my black leather jacket. The fabric is very light and soft, I showed Rachel and she couldn't believe it was only from Primark! I then wandered into New Look on the hunt for a peplum top and found a lovely floral number for a mere £9.99! I love peplum tops as I feel they suck you in in all the right places and flatter most shapes, I also picked up a lovely grey dress with beaded detail from their Tokyo Doll collection - £22.99 down to £10! I'm certainly a happy shopper today.

What do you think?

 

x

Wednesday (well.. nearly) wish list

Long time no blog! Very sorry for our notable absence, life just got in the way and everything has been so exciting! I can now officially say that mine and my other half’s wedding is booked and we’ve moved into a fantastic new home, it’s all so lovely!

So let’s cut to the chase. This month has dragged and I for one cannot wait until payday tomorrow! There are so many lovely things I’m looking at buying, I can’t wait until the weather starts to get autumnal so I can bring my lovely chunky cardigans, jumpers, scarves and boots and a change in season means it’s acceptable to have a change of beauty products.

There seems to be a huge array of red and purple hues out there of late, meaning my cosmetic wish list just seems to be getting longer and longer. I’ve never been one for statement make up in terms of lipsticks, but I’m swaying lately into wanting a deep purple lipstick. Rachel and I have been on many more of our Boots adventures and as usual, have put together a small list of all things wonderful we would like. Bourjois has always been a favourite brand of mine, so I’ve got my eye on a few little treasures of theirs. For a while now I’ve wanted to try a primer, and their flower perfection one seems ideal. It’s a soft gel as opposed to a cream and once smoothed across the skin turns lightweight and powdery. It states to have “correcting airbrush action”, but at £9.99 it’s a little pricey for my first prime-time, so I think I’m going to opt to try MUA’s primer which, at £4, is a little more purse friendly for the sake of me wanting to try something new. I'm also after some lovely new nail colours. I've grown very fond of anything with gel or lycra, at the moment I'm wearing Barry M's nail gellies, I just find them so much more long wearing that normal nail polishes. I've also dyed my beloved red hair back brunette and I'm loving it, so I've now jumped onto the Argan Oil band wagon and I'm applying that now and again after washing my hair!

So below is a little wish list of all the cosmetics and lovely little things that I’m after this month! Let me know what you think!

 Alley x

Over Excited Outfit Planning

Hello there blog readers!

It’s been waaaayyyy too long. This time we both kind of have genuine excuses. I have experienced many a personal financial drama and find myself employed as a waitress for the next two weeks (I have been for two months now) and Alley finds herself at the opposite end of the spectrum in her very own house.

On a brighter update for me though, in two weeks’ time, I will be a trainee English teacher, not a waitress and I just received a rather large tax-rebate which is spendable in a couple of days. So obviously that means a new outfit. Or two. I also had a wonderful holiday for any of you wondering!

In a couple of weeks, I’m going to Newcastle because most of my friends now live there and we’re having an epic two day reunion.  The first night is just a pub night (or so we say) and the second night we’re getting cray cray and going out. We will probably go shopping and wander Newcastle on the day of the second night, but I’m super excited and already planning my wish list of outfits.

The Dressed Up Casual – Friday Night Pub Times

My time as a waitress  has wrecked my trusty New Look supersoft skinnies. I recently bought a grey pair of jeggings from River Island that are amazing. They’re high enough to suck in your tummy, tight enough to feel and fit like leggings but thick enough to look like spray on jeans. So naturally, when I get paid, I’m going to buy the blue version for £35.

I also spotted this T-Shirt that I will wear with a chunky gold necklace and some chunky boots. If it’s cold with my Topshop leather jacket, but I’m always dubious about taking my leather jacket on anything that could turn into a night out, especially with my crazy Newcastle friends! They’re all bad influences and my jacket likes life without vodka all over it.

Top, £15, Jeans £35, Necklace £8, all River Island. Boots, £25 New Look. 

Plus I will be going to uni before travelling to Newcastle, so ideally need an outfit that with the right make up and jewellery can go from uni to pub. 

Saturday Shopping and Wandering About

The jeans and boots, obviously. I’m not taking the car to Newcastle so have to pack lightly. I’ll maybe take a checked shirt with me because that’s an entire new day time outfit without taking up much space or buying anything new. I don’t have a picture of mine kicking about, but Uniqlo have an awesome selection for £19.90.In fact, they’re so awesome that I might end up with a new one anyway.

The ‘Going Out’ Dress – Saturday Night Indie Disco

£20 ASOS

I love and adore this dress. It’s from Pop Boutique on ASOS and is only £20, made from vintage material. I love it because it’s not your typical Topshop that all the freshers will be wearing. Not that we’re going anywhere that will be rammed with freshers. We’re cooler than that and are going to get our messy indie disco on. That’s why if this dress works and doesn’t fit too tightly round my generous bottom, I will be rocking it with black tights and shoe boots.

 I need it to not be too dressy, its Cosmic Ballroom not Koo’s and as I said, it gets mental so I need shoes I won’t kill myself in or want to take off by 1am.

I am however prepared for this dress not fitting exactly how I want it to, so here’s an ASOS alternative. I’m also going to get myself to the shops and have a mooch about. I do have three weeks to make a decision.

£25 ASOS

So, now I have used this blog to get unreasonably excited about all of the outfit possibilities a weekend three weeks away holds, has anyone else got any nights out/weekends planned? If so, what are your essentials?

It’s good to be back!

Rachel. xoxo

My Orange Obsession

Move over Mr Grey, there is a new, sexier and frankly, much more fun colour that every girl needs this summer.

Orange make up has crept up on us. Once just seen on the runway for Dior and other big, high fashion names, I originally consigned orange as a colour that should just be left to clothes and even then, only some clothes. While models may look amazing with bright orange lips and eyes, I couldn’t help but feel your average, cardigan wearing, not blessed with a perma-tan girl would not.

Oh how wrong I was. Orange has filtered from high fashion to big make up names like MAC, Clinique and Urban Decay and now can be found on any make up stand, even the ones that aren’t Barry M.

Months ago, I bought a Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfait, I’m sure I blogged about it and said how I have an undying love for Emma Stone and her wonderful peach lips. Not quite orange, but still a change for someone who only wore red or dark pink lipstick for a night out and bog standard gloss for the day. It turned out to have just a lovely hint of orange and looks a nice, shiny gentle pink colour.

Needless to say, I felt like I should have another lip butter in a different colour and ended up playing with them in Boots with Alley last week and she encouraged me to go with Tutti Fruity because it was summery and interesting and the tester hadn’t been messed up by sticky children so looked nice on the back of my hand. (Take note Boots.)

As you can see by the quite poor quality picture and the cardigan and dress combo, the orange is so easy to wear that it can be worn to work. (I’m back working in a school.) I’ve also attached the much more fashionable picture of me and Alley on a rare sunny day in the car rocking the sunnies and me pairing them with peach lips.

I’m sure she’s going to blog about the new stand in our local Boots store, Sinful Colours, so I’ll just tell you that I bought an equally violent orange nail varnish that is every bit as good as the one she reviewed.

What other must have colours are people rocking for summer? Are you Orange girls or do you prefer hot pink or sunny yellow?

As always, let me know by comment or tweet!

Rachel xxx.

We're all going on a summer holiday.

Or at least I am!

Alley has all of the fun. In the past three years the holiday count is as follows:

Alley:

Spain, Benidorm (yes I know this is Spain too,) Edinburgh, London, Spain again and Venice.

Me:

Furteventura, London, Edinburgh and the occasional overnight excursion to Newcastle or Durham.

So in three years, Alley has been on four trips that require a plane. I’ve been on one. We did go to Edinburgh together with a neutral friend which was AMAZING, but in comparison, my jet set life is lagging behind. (It possibly peaked when I was 16 and went on a school trip to Italy – to this day I brag about the fact I’ve been to Rome, Florence and Pompei.)

Therefore, it is only fair that I go on a sunny holiday back to Furteventura for 10 days in June and Alley stays at home.

So, now that it is finally booked and all official, I can think bikini and start holiday shopping!

Here’s a mixture of little bargains I have picked up and what I own from last time (three years ago.)

Pink and black vests- 2 for £12, Miss Selfridge, blue and orange  vests - £8 each, Next, shorts - £19.99 New Look, Shoes - £4 Primark, bag - £10, Primark. 

Playsuit, £25 - River Island. Tan sandals, £6 - Primark. Aviators, £15- River Island (men's wear.) Black Sunglasses , £1 (YES £1) Primark. Bikini's from Next and Primary like 3 years ago. 

Bikini, £10 - Matalan. 

Dress, £5 - Primark. Wedges - I got these when I was 15 from River Island for a holiday with my parents. Since then, they've been to Italy, various parties, nights out, weddings and beach holidays. Alley loves these too and likes to liberate them from my wardrobe. 

Left: Primark £2. Right: Primark £1. Bottom: River Island men's wear, £15.  Because no one will buy me Raybans. 

I feel like I need to explain how much of a miracle the shorts are. At the moment, it seems the primary consumer of denim shorts is 14 year old girls and if the cuts are to be believed, super models and Pilates experts. Or at least I think this must be the case because why else would at least 9/10 pairs of denim shorts be ridiculously tight and so short that half of my arse hangs out? 

Even 14 year old arse, as well as being grossly inappropriate (you're a girl, you don't have to prove it with your camel toe) they just look ridiculous, unflattering and like the girls wearing them are going to get piles. (God I sound like my mother.) So to find a pair of shorts that while short, don't reveal my booty or the shape of my lady bits and aren't stupidly tight is a miracle. Girls, if like  me you are not built like an ironing board and do not want cold arse cheeks, get thee to New Look! They have some wonderful pairs of shorts and these ones are a steal at £18. 

Another tip, if like me, you just aren't designed for shorts, go for some Levi cut offs. They're having a major arse out moment right now, however, if you hunt around enough you can get some that are cheap, unique and don't allow your bottom to hang out. Urban Outfitter's Urban Renewal is a good place to start, but I

bought mine for £16 three years ago from a vintage shop who claimed they had originally come from Urban Outfitters. Their renewals are around £32. If you don't fancy trawling through vintage shops and stalls, try ASOS marketplace. In particular, Biytch Vintage and Vintageous Rags - the first is a girl who was the year below at sixth form and I follow on Twitter, I reckon she's destined for big things in the fashion world so get yourself on Biytch Vintage - she sells some awesome dresses! The second is a vintage shop in Middlesbrough so being local, I'm doing my bit on here to encourage you lot, where ever you may be, to check them out!

Left: Vintage Levi cut offs, £16. Top: New Look a few years ago. Bottom: Dorothy Perkins a few years back. 

So, what bargains and trusty beach fail safes are you lot taking on holiday this year? Anyone else have issues with denim shorts? 

Let me know! 

Rachel xxx

It's April already?!

Wednesday 3rd April 2013

So yes we're both finally back, and what a busy few months it's been! Aaron and I went to Venice and had a fantastic time (I'll be doing a post about what I wore - see, still thinking of you lot even though I was on my jolly hollys!) Venice itself is beautiful and the best part about the whole thing? Aaron proposed! So now I have a beautiful ring and can honestly say I'm engaged to literally the most amazing, kind, loving person ever and I cannot wait to be his wife - I feel so lucky and blessed. Which leads me onto everything else that's been happening, we've been looking at houses as we will be hopefully buying one of our own by the end of the year and therefore have been saving like little squirrels, and I've been secretly making wedding lists in my head.. and please agree with me when I say that ten bridesmaids is not too excessive, is it? (the answer you're looking for is no!). Apart from that I finished my last job (yes, the one I had pretty much just started around the time of my last few posts) ready to start a new one a lot closer to home which I cannot wait for, and on Easter Sunday our beautiful little nephew was born, so it's been all systems go really!

 

Venice, Italy, well and truely the city of love for us!

"I'm trying to put a picture of a Victoria's Secret model on the fridge" - best text I've had off Rachel all day!

 

So as you read from Rachel's post, we've started a health kick. Aaron and I can eat food and he puts no weight on, yet I only have to look at it and I put enough on for both of us, and lately, I've felt like a fat, unattractive frump. There's one problem with my plan to look like Cheryl Cole... I HATE exercise. I don't mind doing fitness DVD's in the house, or even sometimes going for a little run (literally a little run, I get out of breath too easy) and I enjoy swimming, I just begrudge paying for it all. My answer? The cayenne pepper diet.

Before I go on, I just want to say that in no way, shape or form am I a professional or possess such skills to make informed decisions for others about the best way to loose weight, nor do I suggest you follow any of the ways I am trying without being able to take full responsibility for your actions and accept full liability if any ways you do copy go wrong in some sort of way and cause harm to yourselves or others. This is my own personal challenge.

AS I said I hate exercise. I also hate dieting. Therefore my next few posts concerning this "crash diet" are likely to involve me being highly emotional, stressed and angry.. very angry.

I'm currently a UK size 12-14, depending where I shop, and I'm 5"4. My weight gathers all over really, at the moment I'm sporting a slight double chin, my thighs are chunky and I don't like the tops of my arms. My stomach has one 'spare tyre' which will never go due to previously losing weight years ago, and this tyre is purely skin which I'm learning to live with. The tyres on top of that however are just purely fat and need to go. However can I just state that I don't want my boobs to reduce in size. I'll be most upset if they do. Also I'm going to measure around my body with a tape measure eventually. I'm not weighing myself because if I do I'll start being silly about it. 

Research shows that using a spice does boost metabolic activity. Beyonce is probably the most famous person to have followed this diet. Before 'Dreamgirls' was made it was reported that she lost 20lbs in 2 weeks before filming. The followers of this diet must consume nothing but the drink, lemon juice is said to loosen waste while the maple syrup provides energy. Following this diet means your daily calorie intake would be about 600 calories, and you're bound to suffer headaches, find it hard to concentrate and you'll become very irritable.

My version of this diet is I've swapped maple syrup for honey, purely because I thought it was honey in the first place. 

The taste? It's actually not that bad. It tastes quite spicy because of the pepper, but quite sweet at the same time. The measurements I used was 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of honey, 1/10 of a spoon of cayenne pepper and 10oz hot water. 

Today I've eaten a salad and pasta box from Morrisons which was delicious, and I've drank half a bottle of lemon water, a cup of coffee and my pepper drink. My mood? I've been eyeing up the biscuits, I really wanted toast and then I was craving hotdogs. But I was read something which I'm trying to remember... don't give in to what you want now, it's what your ultimate goal is that counts. In other words, go to bed, Alley, stop thinking of warm, buttery toast and go to sleep. Tomorrow you can have a chicken salad. 

...great.

Night all!

x

We're back and it's time to get bikini ready!

Yet again, I apologise for the huge absence. We’ve been incredibly busy, me with my temp job (which I’ve now left to soon go to another temp job,) failing my QTS Numeracy and trying to keep on top of everything else I normally do when I’m not buying things I can’t afford.

I won’t lie, I have bought clothes. Some are fantastic, others are just comfy and one is my bright pink Nike sports bra which I am wearing under my onesie after my run. It is so comfortable; it feels like my boobs are getting a hug. I just haven’t got around to blogging about anything for one reason or another.

So, I’ve made tonight comeback night for a few reasons: A.) I went for a wander with Alley today and bought lip butter, BB cream and Barry M top coat and I feel I’ll have to do a blog about them soon. B.) Until 16^th, I’m technically in between jobs again, and then I’m going back to my old school job to cover someone’s sick leave for 6 weeks. Then I go on holiday. I don’t know what comes after. That depends entirely on whether I can pass QTS Numeracy in another two attempts.

The holiday leads me nicely on to C.) My office job has made me fat. Well, not obese, but bigger than I’d like with the abundance of cake and easy accessibility of Starbucks. I’ve definitely gone up a dress size and I would like to rectify it. I have 9 weeks to the day until I go on holiday, so 9 weeks to buckle down and get bikini ready. You, my wonderful readers, will be following my progress.

So, I am currently a UK 12, 5ft 3 and I don’t know my weight, but it won’t be good. I’m fairly bottom heavy, but recently fat has begun to gather around my middle and give me love handles and a bit of a wobbly tummy. I’m not doing this alone. Alley is giving it a go and my boyfriend who has also gained weight (yes, our cosy nights in with pizza and chocolate have taken their toll) are joining in.

I shall be chronicling what I eat and how I exercise and how I feel doing it, starting with yesterday.

2nd April 2013.

Food Intake.

Breakfast – Apple

Lunch – M&S Oriental Tuna Rolls with Miso Sauce and those green beans that I’m not entirely sure of their real name.

Snack – Apple.

Dinner – Mackerel in tomato sauce with brown bread.

Snack – Special K cereal bar.

Exercise.

10am – Gym Session 1.

20 minute cross trainer, 15 minutes and 8km bike, 20 minute run/ walking up an incline.

3.30pm – Gym Session 2.

3.5km run, 5km bike, 10 minutes cross trainer on a high resistance, 3 sets of 30 on both of the leg weight machines that look like you’re presenting yourself. (I honestly don’t know what these are called) and 3 sets of 30 sit ups with 25kg.

So yesterday was pretty hard core, but I wanted to shock my system into weight loss mode and throw myself well and truly into it. Yes I burned more calories than I consumed and no, I didn’t eat enough, but I didn’t die, and that’s what I wanted to prove to myself. That I won’t starve, I won’t be miserable and I can do it.

3^rd April 2013.

Food intake

Breakfast: Cereal

Snack: Coffee and a biscuit.

Snack: Coconut water.

Lunch: Salad made of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, hummus, kidney beans, chick peas and a little bit of salmon pasta and carrot. It was a mucky mixture but VERY tasty. Nothing in this world is worse than a boring salad.

Dinner: Lime and chili coated haddock, salad and new potatoes.

Snack: A tiny cupcake my nephew made because I would have felt mean saying no.

Exercise

30 run with my sister. I didn’t measure the distance, but I feel it may have at least got rid of the cake.

Today has been easier, but I haven’t done as much exercise as I should have and I’m currently trying to ignore the eater eggs I have left. I have proven that I won’t die without bread, so that’s something.

To be honest, I’m seriously worried that this won’t work. I really don’t want to be putting in this kind of effort with thinking about every meal, resisting snacks and sweets and wine and forcing myself to exercise and for it not to work. I just really want this healthy life style to become a habit instead of a necessity, because at the moment, I feel like a naughty child being denied the biscuit tin and angry for letting myself put weight on in the first place.

Just think bikini and dream of thighs that don’t wobble.

  

 Meal ideas or inspiration? I'm in need of both!

Rachel.