Mani Monday : Pink Diamonds and Gold

Welcome to the start of a new installment on this blog, we have Mani Monday! I love doing nail art and trying out new and quirky designs and so I’ve decided that I’m going to share each new one I do with you on a Monday (mostly because the repetition is cool, not because I do a new mani every Monday 🙊).

For the first one, I have a little something I did with my new paint can, which I’m obsessed with and you can find a full review on it here, and the nail polish I received free for becoming a NailsInc VIP.

I decided to do each finger a little bit different. After painting on my base coat, I went ahead and sprayed my ring fingers with the Good As Gold paint can just so I could get the messy bit out of the way. I then painted the rest of my fingers with NailsInc Westbourne Park Road.

On my little fingers, I painted a chevron tip in white polish and stuck a tiny pink diamond in the centre of the bottom of the nail. Using a dotting tool, I created tiny flowers on my middle finger and used the same pink diamonds as the centres. If you don’t have a dotting tool you could always make one from a hairpin or toothpick! On my index finger, I first drew a straight line (or as straight as I could make it) down the centre of the nail and then used the large dotting tool to make three dots along the line. In the centre of each of those went a pink diamond. And finally, on the thumbs, just to keep it simple, I placed a single diamond in the centre of the bottom of the nail. To finish I applied a top coat and voila!

I really love the way it came out. I think the colours look classy and I like having a different design on each nail. It keeps things interesting!

Here’s a list of the nail products I used:

Sparkle On! – Ellie .xx

Review : Lottie Tomlinson Nail Paint Can

If you’re familiar with Nails Inc you’ll be familiar with the concept of their nail paint can which is essentially spray paint for your nails for a super fast manicure. If you’re familiar with Lottie Tomlinson, you’ll know she’s an up and coming makeup artist and has collaborated with Nails Inc to make a new shade for the paint cans.

I present to you, Good As Gold.

Good As Gold is exactly what it says on the tin – quite literally. It’s a gorgeous glimmering gold shade which is perfect for summer.

The application process is simple – as long as you remember a base coat! Just shake the can and hold 10-15cm away from the nail and spray in short, sharp bursts. I’d say don’t hold it down for more than a split second otherwise you won’t just be spraying your nail gold, you’ll be redecorating the room you’re doing it in. Let the first coat dry and then go in for a second coat. The amazing thing about this is that whatever magical formula Nails Inc have come up with in order to make it sprayable (and washable which I’ll talk more about in a minute) also means that it dries super duper quick so there’s no waiting around or risk of chipping before you’ve even finished. Then to make it last a bit longer, apply a top coat and you’re done. It’s that easy. Take a look at the result!

Obviously with a spray, it does get on your fingers a little bit so there’s two options. You can either just wash it off like the back of the can recommends and it absolutely does come off easily with a bit of warm water, or you can purchase a little bottle of Simply Peel, which is a liquid latex that you paint on the skin around the nail and peels off all the collateral damage once you’ve finished.

I, for one, think this product is great. It’s super fast and easy. The colour is gorgeous and the wear time is also really good. It doesn’t last as long as other polishes, but I’ve been wearing it for three days now and its only just starting to chip at the tips of my nails. I also think it’s going to be great for nail art. Because the formula is lighter I think its going to be easier to peel off the nail art stencils allowing for a neater design – this is a theory I shall be testing.

For those of you who follow my instragram, you may have already seen my picture of this, which Lottie Tomlinson and Nails Inc both liked and commented on (I died a little), but I wanted to do a full review in case any of you were on the fence about trying it.

I’ve left links below to buy the paint can, but also to the base and top coast I used which is the one Nails Inc recommend. If you’re a nail varnish lover, I’d definitely recommend becoming a Nails Inc VIP for £5 a year to get 10% discount every time you shop online (I did!).

All in all, this might be my new favourite.

Sparkle On! – Ellie .xx

Good As Gold Nail Paint Can
The Paint Can’s Best Friend Top and Base Coat
Simply Peel

Detox Diary : I’ve Finished!

I’ve done it! Yesterday was the final day of my 30 Day Shred so I am completely done and I can’t believe it. It feels like its taken forever but now that I’ve seen the results, I know it has absolutely been worth it. It has been difficult at times and there have been a few moments when I’ve considered just giving in, but I’m so glad I didn’t now. I now have even more motivation to keep up this healthy lifestyle and continue to get the results I’ve been aiming for for so long.

As you all know, my aim for this was primarily to tone up. Though I’m not totally at my goal yet, I’ve got a great starting point to build on. My arms are leaner, my legs are stronger and my core is definitely toning. The workout I was doing did get a bit tedious even though I was doing it cyclicly, but now I know what sort of exercises to be doing at the gym and I can also build on those with new exercises. I plan to try and do a bit of ab work everyday just so I can keep my core strong and hopefully I’ll be able to get some strength and cardio work in around my new work schedule.

As for the teatox, the results have been more than I could possibly have hoped for. My bloating went down with the first week, my energy increased and my body on a whole just felt so much cleaner. I’ve slimmed down too which I wasn’t expecting. As mentioned in a previous post, my skin is also clearer. I wouldn’t have thought that so much goodness could come from a tiny teabag and I can quite easily say I’m already missing drinking them since I finished on Friday.

Whilst on the teatox, clean eating is also recommended. This was the part I was most worried about but if anything, its the part that’s been the easiest. I haven’t really ad to sacrifice any of the foods I like to eat. I simply switched white for brown in terms of bread and pasta, normal potatoes became sweet potatoes and I cut out foods that had artificial sugars and sweeteners. I’ve now found I enjoy eating all of this clean food so much more because my body feels so good afterwards. I never feel bloated or lethargic. Controlling my portion size means my digestive system isn’t working overtime and I’m never too full, just full enough to keep me going until my next meal. Now that the teatox is over, I decided to treat myself to an oreo, and now my tolerance for sugar has gone completely. I know find sweets and chocolate too sweet and can’t stomach more than one mouthful. I haven’t craved those foods either. I just don’t want to eat them anymore which is great. I’m more than happy to continue on with the new, healthier diet I have now.

So after all of that, here are my results. On the top row are my before pictures and on the bottom, pictures taken just this morning. The difference is insane.

To anyone considering this, I say do it! You’ll feel better for it and its a great starting platform. I’ll leave links below to buy the teatox and if anyone else has done this let me know how you found it too.

Thank you for joining me on this journey.

Sparkle On! – Ellie .xx

Buy SkinnyMint Teatox

#BeachDayMusts!

So July is well underway and so is holiday season which only means one thing; BEACH TIME!

I, for one, loooooove the beach. I love getting a tan and relaxing in the sun with an ice cold cocktail and forgetting about the world for a bit. For most, it’s also time to show off your amazing beachwear and coverups that you’ve been saving for such an occasion (please tell me I’m not the only one who has a garden bikini and beach bikinis?). So this post is going to be all about what you’ll find in my beach bag, that I absolutely will not consider going out with, if I’m off to the beach for a day of sun and fun.

First and foremost; suncream. I will admit, I’m not one to wear suncream on my body, but I do wear it on certain areas that are more prone to burning or damage. I have a lot of tattoos on my body, and since they’re black, they retain heat which can end up being quite painful, plus, the sun actually bleaches tattoos and makes them fade faster. My face is also a problem area. I have quite sensitive skin so if I don’t wear protection, I burn rather badly which results in unsightly peeling. My favourite suncream this summer season is Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration in Factor 50 – I don’t mess about!

Next, we have sunglasses. I end up taking two pairs out with me. I have a prescription pair as I am a glasses wearer, but I also have a more glam pair that I much prefer to wear. When I’m lying down and sunbathing, I wear sunglasses – I know what you’re thinking, panda eyes!, but I don’t worry about those, primarily because of the high factor on my face, and secondly because they’re easily fixable with makeup should they appear. So, when I’m on the beach in my best bikini, I also wear my best sunglasses. I managed to snatch up a gorgeous pink and gold pair in a 60’s style from a local market and they’ll definitely be in my beach bag.

For a bit of entertainment, I always take out my kindle and a set of headphones. I love reading, but I have trouble getting into a comfortable position on a sun lounger to read, I find the only way I’m truly comfortable is to lie on my front which means no tanning time for the tummy. My easy fix for that is to buy audiobooks. They’re a fantastic alternative and taking a kindle or any other tablet is much lighter than hauling around a book or three. Often, I find hours passing without my notice when I’m listening to my audiobooks. They’re soothing and you can still listen to all your favourite titles.

Finally, though it may seem obvious, flip flops. Personally, as much as I love a day at the beach, I don’t like taking the beach home with me in my shoes. Wearing flip flops is so much easier because you can kick them off and slip them on quickly, they protect your feet from the hot sand when walking around and you can shake the sand off them completely at the end of the day before you leave.

So here’s a quick recap for you:

So next time the weather is positively beachy, get your best swimwear out and pack your essentials and get down there. You can find a great selection of swimwear over at Adore Me who also have a range of plus size options if you haven’t already got your beach gear yet!

Sparkle On! – Ellie .xx

Follow Adore Me on Instagram

Review : Primark PS Pro Oval Brushes

I’m sure any of you makeup aficionados have seen these brushes circulating. These makeup brushes seem to be all the rage now because of the Photoshop-esque effect they manage to create when you apply your makeup, but you may also end up paying a pretty penny for a set of them.

However, you don’t have to! Primark are now selling these toothbrush shaped brushes for a price that anyone would be silly to argue with. Now I know what you’re thinking, surely they’ve compromised on the quality? They can’t be as good as the more expensive ones? But I am here to tell you that I think they’re exactly the same.

I picked up two of these brushes which only set me back £6.50 and I’ve tried them out so I can give you my honest opinion.

They’re brilliant.

I used the large one to apply my foundation and I’ve never seen my foundation look so smooth. The bristles are super soft and gentle on the skin and they buff out the product really well and really evenly without any of the brush hairs falling out of the brush like so often happens with cheaper brushes. When you take away the brush from the skin, you cannot see any product left visible on the brush and the control the shape of the brush gives you is great. I use the smaller one to blend out my contour colour. It works exactly like a beauty blender. One drop of water and it blends out cream colours beautifully. It’s a lot more precise and quicker than a beauty blender. I can quite easily say, I’m converted.

So if you’re like me and can’t afford to splash out on the expensive sets all the pros have, you really don’t need to. Get down to Primark and nab yourself a few of these.

Sparkle On! – Ellie .xx

Try It Out Tuesday : Glitter Lips!

This week is a little different. I’m not copying someone else or trying out a tutorial. Today I’m just trying out a trend that I’ve been itching to try for absolutely ages. GLITTER LIPS!

Now, of course the main reason I’ve been wanting to do these is because of the insane amount of sparkle, but I also think they’re a great way to glam up a look you might have been wearing all day and are going to continue wearing into the night.

For my look, I used a purple lipstick from Makeup Revolution on my bottom lip and a candy pink lipstick from Maybelline on my top lip. I topped these with NYX’s Glitter Primer before using a tiny brush to dab on the corresponding glitter colour. You can either stop there like I did, or you can add a clear gloss on top for a bit of added shine and moisture.

Now I’m not going to lie, whilst I love the look and sparkle, I probably couldn’t wear this for long. The glitter makes your lips dry and itchy and it will be incredibly difficult to eat or drink without getting a sprinkling of glitter too. Licking your lips is also a big no-no! But they’re definitely fun and most definitely glam and you can experiment with hundreds of colours as long as you have the glitter to match. You can even do ombre looks. There’s loads of possibilities so get creative and try it out!

Sparkle On! – Ellie .xx

Detox Day 24 : Staying Motivated

So it’s been a long journey, but I’m now on the home stretch. I have just four more days left of my teatox and six days of my 30 day shred. I’m not going to lie and say it’s been easy, because it most certainly hasn’t, but I’ve managed to get through the wall and now I’m pushing to finish. I never thought I’d be able to get this far. I’d imagined I’d get bored with the repetitive workouts and that my clean diet would go out of the window after the first week, but I’ve made it and now I want to share some tips with you to help you stay motivated.

The first thing to remember, is not to expect change to happen overnight. It won’t. It takes time for your body to readjust to a new diet and exercise routine and I’ve heard that it can take up to two weeks for you to begin to notice any change, so it’s important to keep pushing through that tough first week so that you can start seeing results. Seeing results will make you want to push more. It’s also important to take note of the little changes. Think about how much energy you have, or how your skin looks and feels and also your stamina when working out. They are usually the easiest things to notice, but people overlook them because they want to see their body change. My advice is to look at these changes as the first stepping stone. Once you see these, you know your body will be next on the list.

Next, I would say tracking your diet and progress is another great way to stay motivated. As well as blogging about my experience, I’ve also being keeping a diary of what I’m eating and the exercise I’m doing. It helps when you’re trying to have a varied and balanced diet and also gives you a prediction of what you would weigh in five weeks if you continued to eat and exercise as you have on a certain day. I would advise not to get too caught up on calorie counting as then it can become obsessive and you will ignore foods that you want to eat based solely on their calorific value and that is not how a diet should work. You should still enjoy the food you’re eating!

My final tip would be to keep in mind why you’re doing this. The end goal. Keep it at the forefront of your mind, especially when you feel like you might as well give up. Whether it’s to tone up, lose weight or simply you just want to be healthier, keep that goal in mind! If you have a certain piece of clothing you want to fit in to, hang it on the front of your wardrobe so you can look at it when you hit the wall. Keep your before picture on your phone so you can keep looking back and remembering what you don’t want to be like, that should be enough of a push!

Hopefully you find this helpful. The finish line is in sight for me and it can be for you too.

Sparkle On! – Ellie .xx