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Although I’ve not actively mentioned it on here, if you follow me on twitter or instagram you’ll know that I have been keeping up with the gym.

I actually love going to the gym, I do sometimes still find it hard to go some nights, especially when I’m feeling tired or sick, so I won’t go that night but I always make sure I go every week and I go 2-4 times depending on how I’m feeling. I also try and do a longer session at the weekend (normally 1.5 hours).

I’m feeling so much fitter as well, the scales aren’t budging too much at the moment but I am not trying to stress too much over it, because I can see my body changing, and feel it. I can walk higher inclines, I can run for at least a kilometer (I ran 2.5km the other day which was my personal best) I can lift heavier.

However I’ve also found a new appreciation for certain exercises. Mainly those such as the plank, squats, lunges- simple exercises, hard exercises, effective exercises. I think the second reason is why the majority of people hate these exercises. How can something so simple be so hard??? At times I’d rather slog it out on the treadmill than do the plank. But the reason they’re so hard is that they’re so effective.

Exercises such are these that transform a flabby body into a lean body, a weak body into a strong body. Not only this but these exercises help in other aspects of your workout. By squatting and strengthening my core, it’s building stronger legs, and a stronger core which can help me run farther.

That’s why in order to achieve anything close to my dream body, I have embraced these exercises, and who knows, one day I might even love doing them.

* pictures not my own

So this post, although along the lines of beauty, is more about a spending ban that I have imposed on myself. I, like many beauty bloggers and fanatics alike love trying and buying new beauty products, but before you know where you are you’ve spent nearly £100! Furthermore you end up with so many different products on the go and you’re snowed under by different shades of lipstick and nail polish

Therefore I have I decided to impose a spending ban on beauty products which started at the beginning of this month. I will admit the main reason is purely financial, as I don’t actually have any spare money to spend on beauty products this month, but also I thought I would use this ban as an opportunity to use existing products and generally have a clear out.

Exceptions to the rule are dental products (I need toothpaste yo!) and beauty products that if they ran out I would actually need (eg. Shampoo). Everything else has to wait until the beginning of June.

So far it’s not too bad, I’ve got plenty of products to be used up, most of them I’m finding are ok but once they’re gone I won’t be repurchasing. The hardest part of this ban is that my gel eyeliner is drying up and I really need some more but can’t get any.

I’ll keep you updated as to how the ban is going, any gems I find in my stash, and products I’ve used up at the end of the month.

Following the success of the Undress Me palette, MUA released a second naked palette called “Undress me too”. I recently purchased this after many months to add to my ever growing collection of nude palettes.

Undress me too palette has a more matte shades than it’s predecessor and is a dupe for the Naked 2 Palette so if- like many of us- you’re feeling the pinch then at £4 this is the palette for you.

Unlike many of the other palettes MUA do, this comes in a white case. They have also named their shades now (hurrah! no more mentioning that beige coloured one, first row third along…)

Left to Right: Naked (barely seen), Devotion, Shy, Fiery, Lavish, Dreamy

Left to Right: Tranquil, Exposed, Reveal, Wink, Obsessed, Corrupt

The Undress Me Too Palette has 12 shadows and a double ended sponge applicator (which I never end up using as I have brushes, but it’s nice they add that in there!)
In terms of the shadows themselves, they’re all of decent quality. The shimmery ones last a fairly long time on the lids and well pigmented. I’m a little disappointed in the matte shades however, it was hard to get a decent swatch of them (Naked and Lavish in particular) as they’re not very well pigmented, which is a shame as they could easily become my favourite ones to use.

Wearing Naked on the lid with Lavish in the crease

Overall, this palette is a good buy, it’s a dupe for the Naked 2 palette at a fraction of the price. Yes the matte shadows are disappointing but there’s other great shadows in there.

MUA Undress Me Too palette can be purchased here for £4.

I actually prefer lifting weights to doing cardio, mainly because I don’t get bored doing it, and although lifting weights is every bit as hard as cardio, I like the short rest you get between reps, it doesn’t feel as repetitive as counting down the minutes till you finish your cardio workout.

I’ve noticed quite a few benefits since starting lifting heavier weights:

I’m getting stronger
Each week I go I can lift heavier weights and my body can be pushed further than it could before, allowing me to achieve things I always thought I was too unfit to achieve.

I can eat what I want.
Unlike cardio which only burns calories whilst you’re engaged in exercise, building muscle means that muscle carries on burning calories…like all the time.

I’m still engaging in a healthy diet and cardio routine, it’s just nice to be able to eat a takeaway and not put on 7lbs.

Everything is getting tighter.
I’ve already lost 1 inch from my bum and 1/2 inch each from my underbust and waist, and everything is looking tighter and perkier which I love. Although the scales don’t show much of a loss, my once too tight clothes are starting to feel slightly looser than they did before

I’ve still got a long way to go, but I’m confident that if I carry on the way I’m going, I’ll be able to have a much firmer smaller body for summer.

I received DHC’s Deep cleansing oil as part of a Glossybox some months back, but I’ve been reluctant to use it. However after it sitting on my shelf for some time I decided I should at least give it a go. What I’ve found, is that this is another excellent lazy girl product!

The Deep Cleansing Oil is water soluble and contains vitamin E and hydrating olive oil. It helps unclog pores by clearing impurities and make-up and rinses away to help leave skin fresh and clean.

I was very wary about trying this product. Having oily skin, I’ve spent the majority of life using things to keep it under control and not add extra oil to my already overloaded skin, however despite this being an oil it doesn’t make me breakout or leave my skin greasy.

It doesn’t really have a particularly great smell, I will say it does smell exactly like the main ingredient of olive oil.

The best thing however about this cleansing oil, is that it’s amazing at removing makeup. It melts off which is great. You can also rub this literally into your eyes and it doesn’t sting, which makes it perfect for removing eyeliner and mascara, without any extra fiddly tools. You literally slap this on your face, give it a little massage and wash it off.

The drawback to this product is the bottle design. It has a special dispenser which stops a load of oil pouring out when you tip the bottle. However because the bottle isn’t squeezy I have to shake the bottle repeatedly to get an adequate amount out, which is quite tedious.

I’m actually tempted to buy this again, I do have my trusty cleansers, however this has definitely found its way into my routine. I regularly use this just before jumping in the shower, so I just slap it on, massage my face and jump in the shower, so I don’t have to spend ages removing my makeup before I shower, it’s like a two in one!!

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil comes in various sizes, however they currently have a sale on 300ml bottles which are £18.00 from DHC UK

Burt’s Bees’ Radiance Exfoliating Body Wash is a creamy body wash infused with Royal Jelly, jojoba beads and a fruit acid complex to gently exfoliate, smooth and help even skin tone. Safflower seed olesomes intensely moisturise and condition. It’s also 99.02% natural so it makes it perfect for those who are conscious about using natural beauty products.

I received this body wash as part of a lucky bag I ordered from Burt’s Bees and have been testing it out for the last few months.
The body wash comes in a 350ml bottle with a flip top lid so you can control how much you use. It’s quite a thin creamy formula with tiny white beads.
The definite downside for me is that I’m not keen on the smell if I’m honest, it’s quite odd and I can’t explain the smell but I definitely don’t care for it over much.

The body wash does leave my skin fairly soft but it doesn’t really exfoliate my skin as I can still feel bumps, so I would definitely say it’s more of a wash than an exfoliant.
It also doesn’t leave a lasting scent on your skin, which can be a bit of an issue if you like your skin smelling nice afterward, but I suppose it can be a good thing if you’re adding a different scented moisturiser to your skin afterwards.

Unfortunately I won’t be repurchasing this, not because it’s a bad product but because I don’t like the smell and I think it’s a little pricey for what it is.

Burt’s Bees radiance exfoliating body wash can be purchased from Boots or Burts Bees for £9.99

*2 coats and no topcoat

Although Barry M Gelly Nail Polishes have been out for a few months now they are still relatively new in the beauty blogging world.

The Gelly Hi-shine nail polishes are based on the idea of Gel manicures, which as you may know are beautifully shiny and last an age. They have recently expanded their range totalling their selection of colours to 13 so there’s quite a wide selection to choose from. I chose Plum as my first foray into the Gelly Nails world with purple being my favourite colour. Plum is a glossy dark purple colour, more reminiscent of an aubergine than plum but gorgeous all the same.

The finish on the nail polish after application is great, it looks beautifully glossy imitating a top coat, although as the days go on it does go a little dull. The polish also looks opaque in one coat, however I would still recommend 2 and a topcoat as I’ve tried it with a single coat and got tipwear and chipping after 1 day!

The only significant downside to this polish is the application. Having been spoilt by the wide brushes of Essie and OPI polishes I find applying this nail polish very difficult, it’s quite streaky and messy. I also find the formula is quite loose so it drips down the brush half way through application and either gloops onto my nails or I have to keep wiping the brush on the bottle which is annoying.

Their drying time can also be a bit of an issue if you apply a thick coat, so it’s important you don’t apply too thick a coat.
All in all, great price and a great polish but I wish the brush was wider.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Polish can be purchased from drugstores for £3.99

Benefit have recently released 3 eyeshadow kits called The World Famous Neutrals. They consist of Easiest Nudes Ever, Sexiest Nudes Ever and Most Glamourous Nudes Ever. After deliberating I decided the first kit I would purchase was the easiest nudes ever. The colours that came in the kit seemed wearable and ones I would wear often.

Easiest Nudes ever comes in quite a small box, smaller than I expected, but as it says on the box it can be used for your trinkets and things. Inside there is a mirror on the lid and 2 fold out sheets with tips for a day and night time look. Then there is 6 eyeshadows- 4 powder and 2 cream eyeshadows.

RSVP is the first cream shadow which is a lovely pink champagne coloured shadow, which is personally my favourite out of the six. It’s buttery soft and glides on your lid easily, is extremely wearable both for day and night and lasts hours without fading or creasing.
No Pressure is the second cream shadow, which is a slightly darker bronze coloured shadow.
Call my Buff is a pale matte cream coloured powder eyeshadow perfect for the browbone or as a base.
Pinky Swear is a matte pale pink coloured shadow.
Thanks A Latte is a glittery bronze powder eyeshadow which does look darker in the pan than actually on so don’t be fooled by this shade!
Quick Look Busy is a matte mid to dark brown shade, which is more suitable for night time looks or lining the eyes.

Currently wearing R.S.V.P on the eyelid, Thanks A Latte in the crease and Call My Buff through the browbone

I’m a little disappointed with the pigmentation of the lighter shadows, but the darker ones are fabulous and the kit is worth buying alone for the cream eyeshadows.

Benefit World Famous Neutrals- Easiest Nudes Ever can be purchased from Benefit for £23.50

Fantasy Fire is a nail polish I’ve been meaning to purchase for a while. It’s a gorgeous bluey purple with flecks of red, green and gold, which make it a really unique polish.

It goes on fairly easily, but the formula is very thin and as a result it is very sheer, so I needed 3 coats in order to achieve a fairly opaque look. As someone who gets quite impatient just doing two coats, this was a little disappointing so this polish may not be for everyone. On the plus side, as it was so thin it did dry fairly quickly.

Durability wise, it’s extremely poor, which I’m disappointed about. I applied 3 coats and a topcoat and it had chipped by the next day and after 3 days only 3 nails still had minimal wear, 5 had chipped fairly badly and 2 had completely come off.

It is a lovely polish and a great addition to your collection. However it is quite sheer and you do need 3 coats to achieve an opaque look. It’s also crap wearability, so I’d suggest layering this on top of another polish to add a new twist rather than wearing it on its own.

Maxfactor Fantasy Fire can be purchased from drugstores for £3.99

I recently got this little kit for Christmas, which I have to say on the whole I absolutely love. It has some little gems in here which I definitely will be repurchasing full size.

Inside the kit you get 5 eye shadows, Highbeam and Sunbeam, Bad Gal Lash mascara, Life on the A List lipgloss. You also get a step by step booklet for eye, cheek and lip looks with this kit. Cool huh!



Eyeshadows
There are 5 eyeshadows:
Passion Pearl
Peachy Sheen
Terracotta Satin
Steamy Copper
Deep Bronze.

The eyeshadows are good, the only one I’m not keen on is terracotta satin, which I think personally is too warm for my skin tone and my blue eyes so makes them look quite red. However I like the rest of them. I doubt I would repurchase them again, the colour payoff is ok but not as good as say- in comparison to urban decay- which would probably be in the same price range as this.

Sunbeam
Sunbeam is a golden bronze liquid highlighter. I already owned this before receiving the kit. I do like it as a highlighter but it’s not as good as highbeam in my opinion. However I think it would come into its own on already tanned, sunkissed skin (of which I don’t have). I won’t be repurchasing for the moment, because I have a glut of this stuff.

Highbeam
Highbeam is a satin pink liquid highlighterI’ve been wanting to try this for so long but I’ve not wanted to purchase it for fear of it not living up to expectations. However I love this little product, in fact it’s one of the ones I’ve nearly used up! I am definitely repurchasing this in the full size, it works so well with my skintone.

Bad Gal Lash Mascara
I’ve tried this mascara before and to be honest I can’t quite make up my mind on it. On the one hand I think it’s great and does make your lashes look great, however I’m not keen on the brush (especially for bottom lashes, it just smudges so much) and it doesn’t feel a very wet formula so I always think it’s dried up when it’s not. Verdict is still out on this guys, I don’t think I’d repurchase for the moment.

CORALista Blush
I’ve often heard good things about Benefit blushes, but always been put off by the price. However I have to say CORALista has definitely become my favourite blush. I wear it almost everyday and it compliments my skintone so well. I will definitely be repurchasing this.

Life on the A List Lipgloss
I do love the colour of this, as I am a fan of pale and nude glosses so it looks great as an everyday gloss. it goes on well and is nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to stickiness. It does have a lovely smell/taste though, quite tropical peachy smell which I love!

Overall I think it’s a great little kit. Yes it’s a little pricey but you do get to try out a fair few of their products without committing to purchasing full size. I’m not sure if it’s available anymore, but if you do see it about again I definitely recommend you purchase this.