Makeup Brushes

Hey guys!

I recently bought 10 makeup brushes from Ebay and I am honestly obsessed.

There are five face brushes and five eye brushes and they are all the perfect density. They are all different shapes and useful for different things. I personally like to use the rounded brush for foundation as it is perfect for buffing it in, and I also like to use the pointed brush for blending in concealer, especially under my eyes. It's also really good when I use it for powdering under my eyes.

These brushes are soooo soft and I have already washed them so I know that they keep their shape and texture when washed. They are also very easy to clean.

The brushes themselves also look incredibly nice so they are perfect if you like to keep your brushes on display like I do.

Best of all, it only cost me £7.89 for the whole set of 10 brushes.

If you're looking for some good quality brushes on a budget, I couldn't recommend this enough!

See you soon!

(This post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own.)

My Eyebrow Routine

Heeeeyyyyyy

Eyebrows are a big part of my life and they take a lot of handling so I'm going to show you my routine.

First, I wax my eyebrows myself using veet wax strips that I cut up into strips then use my tweezers to get any small hairs that did not come out with the wax.

I then comb them through and use a mixture of products to fill them in.

The long spoolie brush is by 'skin food' which is a Korean brand and I use this to comb them through.

I use my Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil in black brown to outline my eyebrows then use it very lightly to fill in. Or once I've outlined it, I will use my Sleek brow kit in dark brown. I will use the wax to define and lightly fill in using short lines to create hair like lines and the powder to fill in and set the wax.

I then use a clear mascara to set my eyebrows.

What eyebrow products do you use?

The photo below is the result of my last eyebrow wax which was last week.

My eyebrows usually end up looking like this.

As you can see my eyebrows are very thick but look a lot thicker and fuller here than when they were not filled in (very first picture of my eyebrows).

I realise this is not everyone's style but I like them and I change them up regularly depending on my mood so some days I leave them natural or just use powder.

I hope you enjoyed it!

Pamper Evening - My Routine

Who doesn't love a good old pamper evening, especially now it's getting colder here in England?

I like to have them about once a week, usually on a Sunday evening.

Here's some snippets of a typical girly night in for me.

candles, wax melts, fairy lights and cute quotes

shower (shower tour coming soon)

So yeah... there are some steps missing here like: 

manicures;

doing my eyebrows;

exfoliating and moisturising body;

facial steaming;

 hair oils;

baking (brownie in a mug - click here);

films;

blogging and reading blogs;

watching youtube.

What do you do on a pamper night? Let me know in the comments.

See you soon!

Books To Read

Hey guys!

I have a long list of books that I want to read!

I'm not going to explain the books to you because that will bore you but will list the book name and author. As you'll see, the books vary a lot and they are all different genres and styles. I'll let you know as I read each one (it will take me a while).

Crank - Ellen Hopkins

Paper Towns - John Green

The Best Of Me - Nicholas Sparks

The Last Song - Nicholas Sparks

Safe Haven - Nicholas Sparks

Divergent - Veronica Roth

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee (currently reading)

Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson

Just Listen - Sarah Dessen

Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

Gallagher Girls - Ally Carter

The Princess Diaries - Meg Cabot

Have you read any of them? Did you like it? What other books would you recommend?

See you soon!

Autumn/Winter Wish List

Hey Guys!

I haven't posted in ages! I'm so sorry! This always happens but I promise from now on I will try and post as regularly as possible.

Autumn and winter are my favourite seasons and I love the fashion in these months. Something about dressing up cosy in boots and jumpers makes my heart skip a beat.

I love everything about autumn and winter so here is a short wish list for the colder months.

Black Patterned Knitted Zip Side Jumper - £19.99

Deep Red Crochet Tights - £1.50

Tan Faux Fur Cuff Wedge Boots - £24.99

Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick (107) - £5.49

Light Grey Loose Knit Snood - £15

Black Crochet Tights - £2

Stripy Fine-knit Jumper - £14.99

Lace-up Hiking Boots - £20

Purple Fine Knit Long Sleeved Crop Top - £9

FITNESS WEEK: Junk Food Substitues

Hey Guys!

I'm always craving junk food and I bet lots of you guys are the same so here is a list of junk foods and healthier substitutes. The healthier substitutes are this colour.

Crisps - Vegetable crisps

Cinema popcorn - Homemade rosemary and evoo popcorn

Pepperoni pizza - Pita pizza with roasted vegetables.

Chicken alfredo pasta - Whole wheat pasta with avocado sauce

Chips - Oven-roasted potatoes

Ice cream - Frozen yoghurt with no added sugar

Chocolate milkshake - Berry smoothie with chocolate

Fried chicken - Roasted skinless chicken or tofu

Creamy ranch dressing - fat free Greek yoghurt and ranch seasoning

Chocolate bars - Dark chocolate covered fruit

Cheeseburger - Grilled portobello and feta burger

Chocolate cake with frosting - Angel food cake with fruit 

Coffee with cream and sugar - Coffee with stevia or agave

Fizzy drinks - Sparkling water with favourite fruit

I hope these are useful!

See you later!

FITNESS WEEK: Myths About Fitness

Hey guys!

There are so many myths about fitness that too many people believe!

MYTH: Running on a treadmill is as effective as running outside.

FACT: Because running against wind or on uneven terrain engages more of your muscles, it requires more energy and ends up burning about 10 percent more calories than running the same distance on a treadmill.

MYTH: You shouldn't work out every day.

FACT: Rest should be part of your workout, not an alternative to your workout, says Barbara Bushman, Ph.D., a professor of kinesiology at Missouri State University.

MYTH: You can't work out when you're sick.

FACT: As long as you don't have a fever and your symptoms are above the neck (think: stuffy nose or sore throat, not chest congestion or indigestion), you can totally hit the gym. Just listen to your body—or ask your doc if you're unsure.

MYTH: Crunches are the best moves for your core.

FACT: To really cinch your waistline, you're better off doing multi-muscle exercises that target every region of your core. (Crunches don't count.)

MYTH: You shouldn't work out on an empty stomach.

FACT: Your body burns more fat when you hit the gym before you eat breakfast, according to a new study published online in the British Journal of Nutrition. Just don't skimp on water.

FITNESS WEEK: Building The Perfect Salad

Hey guys!

Here is today's (Wednesdays) post for Fitness Week. This is going to be a short post mainly consisting of photos but it will teach you how to build a nutritional salad.

Here is a basic version.

Here is a much more detailed version.

Sorry for the short post but I hope it is helpful!

See you later!

FITNESS WEEK: How To Stay Motivated

Hey guys!

Here is Tuesdays post of Fitness Week on how to stay motivated to stay healthy.

I'm in a healthy mood right now with a bottle of water and plate of fruit next to me.

1. Set small, achievable goals

If you have goals of what you want to look/feel like then break them down. Make them smaller and make them more short-term otherwise you might end up putting the change off until last minute and it will be difficult to achieve your goal. Your aim should also be realistic otherwise your will be disheartened after a disappointing outcome of not reaching your goal. While your goals should not be outrageous, you should consider setting goals to keep you on track.

2. Reward yourself

With every goal, you need a reward. This reward can be something like a new pair of shoes or even clothes that you can now fit into after your weight loss. This will keep you motivated knowing that you will get more things out of it.

3. Keep healthy food in the house

From experience I know that we tend to eat whatever is in the house so if there is junk food and snacks around me I will eat those but if we have fruit and healthier snacks I will eat those so keep junk food out of the house and stock up with healthy food.

4. Cut out fizzy drinks

Water is a humans best friend so fill your body with it. It improves your skin, nails, hair and even your metabolism. It is a necessity and most people do not get enough. If you do not like the taste of water, add more flavour by putting in a lemon slice or other fruits.

5. Get enough sleep

The importance of getting sufficient sleep in definitely underrated. You should aim for at least 8 hours sleep each night if you are an adult and more than that if you are younger. Getting enough sleep means you will be less likely yo get sick, more likely to stay at a healthy weight, you can lower your risk of high blood pressure and diabetes, you can boost your brainpower and your mood and you can think more clearly and do better in school and at work.

6. Get cute workout clothes and trainers

If you have adorable workout clothes and perfect trainers, you are going to want to get use out of them so this is a great way of getting yourself to exercise more regularly. Personally, I love everything Nike because they are so cute and amazing quality (this isn't sponsored by the way!).

7. Everything in moderation

Being healthy doesn't mean never eating chocolate again but it meas not eating 6 chocolate bars per day. You need to balance exercise and healthy eating too. One without the other is like your phone without a charger; it works for a while but reaches a point where it's pretty pointless. Not being able to eat food you like because they aren't healthy can be off putting but remember that you are allowed them every now and again.

8. Go outside

You're going to get bored of looking at blank walls while working out every day so change it up and enjoy the view outside and exercise while experiencing nature.

9. Make smoothies

Smoothies are delicious and a way of getting lots of nutrition into your body without having to eat lots of fruit and vegetables if that's difficult for you.

10. Make a fitness tumblr

This probably sounds stupid but tumblr is perfect for motivational stories, photos and tips so head on over and make a health based tumblr and follow my fitness account there too (this was a great opportunity to promote my fitness tumblr).

http://living-for-health.tumblr.com/

I hope you enjoyed this!

See you later!

FITNESS WEEK: Quick & Easy Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Hey guys!

I decided for this week to be FITNESS WEEK! This basically means that each day until Sunday you will be getting a new post based on fitness. I have fallen a tiny bit behind schedule so you will recieve Monday, Tuesday and todays post today. I have a lot planned for this month so follow me on bloglovin' here. 

All these recipes take between 5 and 15 minutes but are also really healthy!

I hope you enjoy Mondays post for Fitness Week. 

Easy Overnight Oats

Serves: 4 adults

Preparation: 10 mins

Cooking: 0 mins

Calories per portion: 294 kcal

Ingredients

• 150g high fibre porridge oats
• 25g dried cranberries
• 50g ready-to-eat apricots chopped
• 25g sultanas
• 300ml unsweetened apple juice
• 8 tbsp low-fat natural yoghurt
• 100g frozen blueberries thawed (fresh are also fine)
• 100g frozen raspberries thawed (fresh are also fine)

What to do

1. In a large bowl, mix together the porridge oats, cranberries, apricots and sultanas. Add the apple juice and stir well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2. In the morning, share the soaked mixture between 4 cereal bowls.

3. Spoon 2 tbsp of natural yoghurt onto each portion. Share the blueberries and raspberries between the bowls.

Tip 1: As a change from raspberries and blueberries, top with sliced banana or chopped fresh apple instead.

Tip 2: Try using dried cherries instead of cranberries and raisins instead of sultanas.

Tip 3: Without the yoghurt, this is a dairy-free recipe. Use a low fat soya-based yoghurt if you prefer.

Fruity French Toast

Serves: 4 adults

Preparation: 10 mins

Cooking: 5 mins

Calories per portion: 115 kcal

Ingredients

• 4 slices sliced fruit bread
• 1 egg
• 150ml 1% fat milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp vegetable oil
• 4 bananas sliced
• 200g frozen summer berries or forest fruits thawed

What to do

1. Cut the slices of bread in half diagonally.

2. In a large shallow dish, beat together the egg, milk and vanilla extract. Add the pieces of fruit bread and leave them for about 2-3 minutes, turning them over once so that each side is thoroughly soaked.

3. Heat a large non-stick frying pan and add the vegetable oil. Add the soaked bread and cook it gently for about 1-2 minutes until it has set and turned golden brown. Turn over the pieces and cook them on the other side for another 1-2 minutes.

4. Share the bread between four warm serving plates. Slice the bananas over the top and serve with the thawed berries.

Tip 1: This recipe works well with slightly stale fruit bread, as the drier texture soaks up more of the liquid, so it's ideal for using up a 2-3 day-old loaf.

Tip 2: Instead of bananas or berries, try a sliced fresh mango or canned pineapple chunks or peaches packed in natural fruit juice.

Tip 3: Serve with fresh strawberries, raspberries or blueberries when they come into season.

Forest Fruit Smoothie

Serves: 4 adults

Preparation: 5 mins

Cooking: 0 mins

Calories per portion: 157 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 150g frozen summer berries or forest fruits
• 150g low-fat natural yoghurt
• 750ml 1% fat milk

What to do

1. Slice the banana into a blender and add the frozen fruit (there's no need to thaw it first).

2. Add the low fat yoghurt and milk. Blend together for 15-20 seconds, then pour into 4 glasses. Serve at once.

Tip 1: Try using frozen summer berries or frozen raspberries instead of forest fruits. Adding them to the blender while frozen makes an icy-cold smoothie.

Tip 2: If you don't have a traditional blender, use a hand-held stick blender instead.

Tip 3: If you can't tolerate dairy products, use soya-based milk and yoghurt as an alternative.

Strawberry Yoghurt Shakes

Serves: 4 adults

Preparation: 5 mins

Cooking: 0 mins

Calories per portion: 284 kcal

Ingredients

• 150g low-fat strawberry yoghurt
• 150g strawberries stalks removed
• 0.8L 1% fat milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

What to do

1. Tip the yoghurt into a blender. Slice the strawberries, then add them to the blender with the milk and vanilla extract (if using). Liquidise for 15-20 seconds until smooth. Alternatively, put all the ingredients into a large jug and use a handheld stick blender to puree them until smooth.

2. Share the drink between 4 glasses and serve at once. Use some funky straws to liven up the look of the milkshakes.

Tip 1: Make a variation by using low-fat raspberry yoghurt and 150g thawed frozen raspberries instead of strawberries.

Tip 2: Use frozen forest fruits or frozen raspberries to make the shakes when fresh fruits are out of season or too expensive. There's no need to thaw the fruit first.

Super Simple Summer Snack

Hey Guys!

This healthy snack is the quickest and easiest thing ever! 

It's absolutely delicious and takes 5 minutes to prepare.

Start by gathering lots of different fruits and vegetables.

Wash and cut them all however you like.

Put them on a plate.

Cut up cheddar chunks (to eat with your grapes).

Grab some sauces/spreads like salted caramel sauce or peanut butter to eat with your apples etc.

Have an ice cold glass of water on the side too to keep you hydrated.

You can change or add anything to suit you!

It's really flexible but also really filling and super healthy so instead of grabbing those crisps or chocolate, just grab some fruit and make something a lot nicer and more nutritional!

What are your favourite simple, healthy snacks.

ENJOY!

See you later!

Books To Read This Summer

Hey Guys!

Summer holidays are almost here with just a couple weeks of school to go and I'm determined to get my read on this summer so I've created a list of books I want to read this summer and I'll keep you up to date as I read each one. Most of these will probably be more aimed at teens but check them out anyway. You've got nothing to lose.

1. To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee

2. Just Listen - Sarah Dessen

3. Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson

4. The Princess Diaries Series - Meg Cabot

5. That Summer - Sarah Dessen

6. Divergent - Veronica Roth

7. Gallagher Girls Series - Ally Carter

8. Angus, Thong and Full-Frontal Snogging - Louise Rennison

L'Oreal True Match Foundation | Review

Hey guys!

I recently bought this foundation and I felt like reviewing it so that's what I'm doing now I guess.

For the past few months I have just stuck to very light coverage with a simple BB cream and concealer but I decided to finally get myself a new, much needed foundation. I had seen so many people rave about this and even both my mum and sister used this so that's what I decided on.

I was actually with two of my friends and this foundation was 3 for 2 and they offered colour testing so all three of us got our colours tested and bought these together so we each payed a third less which was a bonus!

My colour turned out to be yellow. It's called 'Golden Natural" and it's very yellow but it matches really well and looks so natural.

The foundation is quite runny but not too runny making it incredibly easy to apply and blend. It also feels extremely light on my face so it's not cakey at all and it looks and feels as if I'm not wearing any make up.

It is a medium coverage foundation which is perfect for the not too bad skin days where you still want to cover up redness and blemishes as well as giving your skin a flawless finish. It's not too strong but if you are more self conscious about your skin and you prefer high coverage than it is buildable.

It stays on really well too but needs a bit of help from a good powder which for me at the moment is the Rimmel Stay Matte powder in 005. The powder really helps keep a matte look and stops the foundation from melting/sweating off in the heat of the summer.

I would definitely recommend this foundation and it's really good value for money so go check it out and tell me what you think.

What's your favourite foundation at the moment? Let me know in the comments.

See you soon!

June Favourites

Hey Guys!

I have no excuse. I think this is the billionth time I've apologised for not posting and I'm sorry for that.

I have got a new blogging notebook which you will see in this post and I have got a whole blogging section where I am planning and scheduling future posts so lets hope that will keep me more organised.

Since June has come to an end (how has it gone so fast?), I have got a June favourites for you because I've been loving a lot this past month.

I've gone to the extra effort of organising these into categories.

First, Clothes and shoes.

 This is a button up crop top I got from Sweden. I love the pattern and it goes so well with high waisted shorts or just ordinary shorts and white converse.

 My friend got me this crop top for my birthday and it's from new look and I love it!

I don't wear jeans very often because I'm more into leggings (they are sooooo comfy) but I really like these skinny jeans from Hollister.

White converse. This is the holy grail of all shoes.

 I'm a bit obsessed with these nike trainers. THE COLOURS UFSGASJAA.

These pyjamas are also some of the cutest things I've ever owned. The top and shorts came in a set from primark (I get all my pyjamas from primark because they are adorable) and they were only £5. It reads "FRIES BEFORE GUYS" which I love a lot.

 Okay, these sandals are from new look and I had to buy these in an emergency shoe situation. My old vans killed my feet because they were too small for me but I still chose to wear them (why?) and basically I couldn't walk at all so I had to buy these and to be honest, I'm so glad I did because they are really comfy and cute.

Makeup

The sleek brow kit. This took a couple of tries for me to get used to but I'm a bit obsessed now. I have thick, dark eyebrows so trying to do something with them is such a chore but this looks really natural and it's so easy to use. I have it in dark brown.

This is the Rimmel Stay Matte powder and it's soooo good! It doesn't look cakey at all and it keeps my make up on for the whole day even on a hot day when my make up likes to melt off my face. I have it in 005.

I'm in love with this foundation. It's the Loreal True Match foundation and it's in the colour Golden Natural which is pretty yellow but matches my skin colour really well so basically I have yellow skin and I don't know why... By the way, it looks really dark and orangey in the photo but I promise it isn't actually like that but my camera made it look weird.

Random Beauty

I also got this for my birthday and it's basically a body spray by soap and glory but it's the small version so it fits in my bag really well.

This is a pocket sized oil blotting sheet pack from Superdrug. It works really well and is really handy for days after PE when I can't be bothered to carry my powder around with me.

This is an extremely thick body cream by Nivea. The thickness makes it a bit difficult to spread and rub into your skin but it keeps your skin really soft and smooth for ages.

My sister bought this nail varnish when she went to america a few years ago and I love it so much. It's bright pink which is already great but it's also matte which makes it a million times better!

When you have as much hair as I do and it's frizzy like mine, argan oil is a must have. There's not much else to say apart from this is a life saver for me.

My face decides to get extremely oily in the summer but drier than the sahara desert in the winter so an oil balancing face wash makes everything so much easier. It's also by simple which means it agrees very well with my sensitive skin.

I've recently done a post on this but it's basically a facial steamer. If you're interested in finding out more, check out my other post on it.

Completely Random

I also got these for my birthday from my friend who went to america. These are mini candles by Bath and Body Works and they smell AMAZING. I'm burning the Caribbean Escape one as I'm typing this and my room smells like heaven and it's incredibly summery so there's nothing to no like about these.

 This is the notebook I was talking about at the beginning. I'm a complete stationary freak and my bedroom is filled with notebook yet every time I see a notebook when I'm out, I have to buy it. They are filled with plans, schedules, ideas and countless amount of lists. I have a list problem. I write at least 10 a day. It's an issue.

This case is adorable and it was only £1 from eBay so this is amazing!

These two drinks are my new obsession. The Arizona Green Tea is an american thing and I recently found it in a massive american section of Tesco which I LOVE. It's really sweet but refreshing.

The almond milk is just my favourite thing ever. I have a mug of it next to me right now and I'm drinking it 24/7.

Last but not least, I have two things that are sort of linked. The first thing is a youtuber that I have been watching for a while  but have recently become even more obsessed. Her name is Cambria and has a channel called breelovesbeauty. She does videos on beauty, fitness and general life stuff. It's mostly the fitness part I have become obsessed with as well as her as a person. I find her really inspirational and I have really taken on board her tips to create a healthier lifestyle for myself.

She also recommended a website and youtube channel called ToneItUp which I have also become obsessed with and is my second thing. It's basically a whole fitness thing and I love it! Check it out to see what I'm talking about.

All opinions are my own and this is not a sponsored post.