2015 New Years Bucket List.

Hello Friends!

Well its that time of the year again to make the promises to ourselves and indeed others that will probably, maybe, fall by the way side come second week in January. But look our intentions are good and if anything I feel we should make some resolutions or as what I like to do, create a bucket list, that will make for some good changes in our life's big and small. 

Now, I am not blowing my own trumpet however I did make a bucket list around this time last year. So before I tell you my intention for 2015 let me tell you what I feel I achieved in 2015 in a few short sentences.

New car. Check.
New lap top. Check.
Start my blog. Check.
Take better care of myself. Check.
Go away on more weekend trips. Check.
Eat cleaner. Check.
Improve fitness. Check.
And finally the big one- loose weight. Check.

2014 for me was a year that I truly came into myself. I have let so much of the bull shhhh go. And by bull I mean I have learnt to let go of what people think and what people say and for some of us (me) we can only learn that the hard way. I am blessed, and I say it time and time again with my family and friends full stop. And I am even more grateful for those people who held significance in my life, leaving it, full stop. At one stage I thought my life would never be the same again when certain people left it, and yes it wasn't the same. It just got a whole lot better. 2014 was full of highs and some low lows as I am sure for everyone. But I am ready to take 2015 by the bull horns work, harder at achieving my goals big and small and this time next year I want to look back at this post smile and think I did good.

Ok so here are some goals of mine that I'm sure I'll be blogging about throughout the coming year.

MYSELF:
I have lost a lot of weight this year but still not as much as I would of liked. So loosing weight has taken centre stage in my life, again. I have what I need at my feet to get it right. So watch this space. With that comes diet. In my possession is a 2015 dairy and its sole purpose is to keep track of what I eat every single day and with the help of my trainer I will nail my diet and shed the pounds I want to!!! 

 
FAMILY AND FRIENDS:
I most definitely intend on spending more time with my family and friends over the coming months. Especially my dad, his beautiful wife and my 3 much younger siblings. Loosing a family member very recently just brought home for me how much I miss them. So I want to make a conscious effort of getting down to my dads at least once a month.
 

TIME MANAGEMENT:
When it comes to my job I kill when it comes to time management. But when it comes to my personal life it all falls by the wayside. I work a 50 hour week and have 2 hours travel everyday and I manage to train 3 times a week too. But some weeks that's all I do. So. I want to make better use of my spare time so my intention above can be nailed.

WISH LIST:
We all love stuff. Don't we?.... Here are a few bits and pieces I would love and I'll work very hard to get them.
IPAD
IPOD
MICHAEL KORS WATCH
NEW PHONE
BUILD MY MAKEUP COLLECTION even though I might have too much makeup as it is I just can't resist there are at least 10 mac lipsticks with my name on them LOL
 

And my last new years resolution:
Laser Hair Removal. I'll blog about that at the time ;)

And obviously the good habits I got into this year I will continue with them in 2015. Life is for living so weather you have a bucket list or a f#ck-it list I wish you all the best in 2015 with yours. 

Much Love,

Amy xo

The Christmas Tag 2014

Hello Friends!

And a very Merry Christmas to you all! Another Christmas just about over, where is the time going? Somedays I feel I only have to blink and another year has passed. I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas festivities. I feel like this was a great Christmas for me. I am blessed with a wondeful fun filled family who all came over to ours for Christmas dinner.  The crack we had together was mighty. 

For you tonight I have decided to do The Christmas Tag post filling you in on what Christmas means to me. Below is 8 questions about how I see Christmas. Have a look see....

1:Whats sounds remind you its Christmas?
Bells. Sleigh bells to be exact. And I know this will wreak of a cliche but that sound of sleigh bells gently ringing remind me its Christmas and give's me that Christmassy feeling. One of my favourite songs is Let there be Love by Oasis mainly because sleigh bells ring throughout its entirety. I love it!

2:Whats the best present you have been given and why?
I am not one bit materialistic or nor am I into brands at all. I am extremely lucky in that my parents and friends have always spoilt me rotten at Christmas. My mam and dad divorced when I was a kid, and Santy came to mammys and daddys. My sister and I got the best of everything but I never took it for granted and I will stand over the fact that with as much as I was given, it never went to my head. I just realised I was a very lucky kid to get what I was given. 
Cute story?- I remember the first year my mam and dad weren't together at Christmas and my dad (Santy LOL) had bought me barbies and barbie clothes and bless him, he bought my barbie 2 of the same dress. Its just a little something I hold dear to my heart. Both my parents and their spouses put huge thought and effort into our gifts.

 2:Whats the worse present you have been given and why?
My wonderful family and friends read my blog so I am not about too slate any bad gifts I have been giving over the years haha what I will say is that my friends and family know my taste and everything I receive I always love (but honestly, I have been gifted some crap in my time LOL broken ornaments comes to mind). ;)
 

4:What your favourite Christmas song?
Oh god so many to choose from! I can't settle on one so i'll give you three, in no particular order haha

1: Frankie goes to Hollywood- The Power of Love.
Haunting, captivating and still gives me chills when I listen to it. I have it playing right now. There is also a version a girl does which trumps the original version.

2:John Lennon- Happy Xmas (war is over)
This song for me when comes on the radio it reminds me how lucky I am to he in a warm house, food on the table, loved ones to swap gifts with.

3: Wizzard- I wish it could be Christmas everyday
Well. because I do haha 

5:Whats your favourite Christmas film?
Again so many to choose from! Home Alone 1! Has to be, because it's one of the first Christmas movies I remember watching when I was a kid.

6:How good are you at wrapping presents?
Not very LOL. And I put if off for as long as possible. I am normally wrapping gifts Christmas eve night!

7:If you could rename one of Father Christmas reindeer what would you name it?
I guess I'd go for something like Star?... In keeping with Christmas off course!

8:Whats your favourite thing about Christmas?
I have lots of favourite things about Christmas but here's a little list:
Family. My precious family. Seeing my much younger siblings open their gifts.
Friends. Cos what better time of the year to remind us how blessed we are to have good friends.
Food. Mainly my mams stuffing. This stuff (ha..ha) is amazing I could eat only this.
New Clothes. Presents of course. Music. Movies. I love it all!!

So there you have it guys I am in too minds on weather or not to do a Christmas haul on my gifts I received. Let me know if you would like to see what I got for Christmas.

I'll be back very soon,

Much Love,

Amy xo

November Favourites 2014

Hello ;)
And, Welcome back ;)

Tonight, I have for you my November favourites. Its been a while since I have done one of these so I thought I would share some bits and bobs I have been loving for the past few months :)

So if you know me or have been reading up on my posts you would know that I am a very busy lady and Blogmas will be proof of that ;). So this monthly favourites contain some essentials in my life that help speed up some of the processes in my day to day routines when it comes to my hair and makeup.

Hair

So confession time, my hair takes a great deal of time and effort to wash and style. I train 3 days a week at least. That is 3 days a week where I train solid for a an hour on top of my 10 hour shift so as you can imagine by the time I get home washing my hair is the last thing I want to do however very necessary, so this little beauty has been my saviour. Thank God for dry shampoo and I have been loving the Batiste dry shampoo. Its so handy! And whats even better is, included in the range is one for dark hair. So basically, you give the can a good shake and spray it onto your roots and then rub it in with your finger tips. What makes this different from the other Batiste dry shampoos it has a tint of colour in it and as per instructions when you rub it into your roots you will be left with a black residue on your fingers the other Batiste dry shampoos will leave you rubbing them into your hair for dear life if your hair is as dark as mine because they leave a white residue in your hair, which is perfect for you if you don't have dark hair ;). I also use this in my hair when and I wash and straighten it because it gives great volume! So many uses eh?... These are available everywhere including your super market shelves. Needless to say I'll continue to repurchase this.

So when I do actually have the time to wash my hair in all its glory haha I love this little bottle of Umberto Giannini smoothing balm. I apply this to my hair when its soaking wet and leave it dry natural and it leaves my naturally curly hair- not frizzy (great English I know haha) but its great to throw in and work through my hair during the week. I wear my hair up in work all the time so this leaves it in good order to throw up in a bun.

Next up Hygiene

Now I know I said that I am throwing in a few products that help speed up my day to day hair and routines, I am a bit obsessed when it comes to personal hygiene and a good antiperspirant deodorant is ESSENTIAL! And the one that works the best for me is the Mitchum 48hr. Now why anybody would need a 48hr deodorant I don't know, I for one shower if not once, twice a day! But nonetheless it had me sold and its my favourite deodorant by a long shot. I mean lets me honest deodorants are a must everyday, so I think its essential we have a decent one in our little stash of toiletries. I love this scent in particular 'pure fresh' and the fresh powder in the range is pretty good too. Its a really fresh smell.
It is a little bit more expensive than the other antipersperants aerosols but its well worth it and it does be on offer from time to time too.

 FACE

And to help with my makeup I think I have mentioned this in a favourites before but its the Real Techniques Miracle complexion sponge. I have to mention is again because it truly is a little gem.  One of the main reasons why I love this sponge is because you soak this sponge before you use it. What this does is, it will expand the sponge to twice the size and then is ready to be used. I use the pointed end to blend in my concealer and the other more flat end to blend in my liquid foundation and this leaves your bass perfect as promised ;) So by having to soak this sponge everyday you are left with no other option than to wash it everyday which is necessary, if like me you have very sensitive skin that is prone to break outs. I love my foundation brushes as much as the next gal but they take a good 2 days to dry after washing unless I am doing it wrong please let me know ;) So these are perfect for everyday use.

HANDS

Tis the time of year for party's, wine, shopping, new clothes, cold weather and horrible dry hands. Every year around this time my hands get very dry and chapped. Some years more than others and this year has been no exception! I have been using this Boots Botanics anti-ageing hand cream since the Summer and its keeping the dryness at bay. I left without it one day last week and it was one of my long days. By the time I got hope my hands looked raw. Needless to say I won't be leaving without it again. I bought the anti-ageing one because I believe your hands will age before your face. As you can see this has been battered around my handbag and loved very much :).

STYLE

And last but not least and as featured on my style, size and some more post last week, I fell in love with this playsuit when browsing on boohoo.com. As the cm's are getting less and the pounds are falling away, I'm getting a little bit more confident in wearing these types of clothing. It is a very forgiving fit in that it doesn't stick to your lumps and bumps (my lumps and bumps ha) It sits quite loose and is comfortable.

So there you have it. Not as exciting as previous monthly favourites but keep an eye out for upcoming posts, I won't have a December favourites instead I'll be doing a 2014s favourites and also keep an eye out for my first instalment of Blogmas coming your way tomorrow night ;)

Thanks for popping by,

Much Love,

Amy xo

STYLE, SIZE AND SOME MORE

Hello Friends,

Huge welcome to those new to my blog! Thank you so much for popping by and I hope you enjoy my writing.

I have been wracking my brain over the past few weeks trying to come up with a way to do a weekly post on whats happening and what I have been loving without it coming across like a dear diary page. So welcome to my new series on my blog STYLE, SIZE AND SOME MORE where I will giving updates on my fitness regime (if you didn't know I am working very hard on loosing weight healthily and therefore trying to loose a few SIZEs hence the title duh) and related posts, In STYLE, I'll be sharing pieces I have been loving, be it from my own wardrobe or my favourite celebs. And then as for SOME MORE I'll be filling you in on anything random, from makeup to food that I have been also loving. I hope you enjoy xo

First up 

 SIZE

Right, first off I was not a well girly at all last week, I nearly thought a nasty head cold was going to get the better of me, I am not looking for sympathy whatsoever LOL but its the truth, so even though I am delighted to have completed my first marathon and can't wait to do my next, I feel like I lacked giving it my all, but nonetheless I was delighted to have completed my first 5K in 58 minutes (official) my clock told me different I did it in about 54 minutes but 58 minutes is now my goal to beat the next time and by a long shot.

The marathon was all in aid of The Mark Pallocks Trust. Mark, an athlete with blindness, suffered horrific spinal injuries in 2010 which left him paralysed and he has vowed to raise funds to help find a cure for him and the millions of paralysed people around the world to walk again. The Life Style Sports Run into the Dark marathon plays a vital role in raising these funds.  As the night turned Dark on Wednesday the 12th November, in over 30 cities across the world, many people took part in this marathon. All participants wore a flashing arm band and as the runners ran ahead you could see a sea of red lights ahead from bridge to bridge and from road to road. It was just lovely to be a part of it. I am currently looking out for my next marathon ;)  The marathon was truly a brilliant experience. Watching the runners alone who completed the 10K was inspiring and motivating and a reminder of how fit I've become (and also how far I still have to go). There was a wonderful atmosphere amongst everyone, from the journey on the Luas over, to us heading home having the LOLs. It was a great night all in all plus I got a goody bag at the end of it I was only delighted with!! I did feel it the next day and by felt I mean my legs where seriously 'paining me' ha and putting in a 12 hour shift only left me feeling in even more pain but as I have said before this is good pain because I know its my body getting stronger and fitter and you know the saying 'no pain no gain' well that saying has never meant so much to me in my life!

Next Up

 STYLE

Style wise this week, I had my nieces christening on Sunday gone and for some reason I find these occasions hard to dress for... I am not your average glitzy dress type person but at the same time I wanted to look 'nice' and not like I was heading out on a night out with my chummies (vans and jeans suffice for these nights lol) So I came across this play suit on boohoo.com which is fast becoming a favourite online shop of mine. They have a huge plus size section, up to size 24 with lots of variety, styles and very reasonably priced. It has a floral design and long sleeves so my name was written all over it! I themed it up with thick black tights and wedge boots and statement neck lace I have featured on my blog before, straight hair and a red lip. And I was ready for my little pumpkins christening and night out that followed. This cost me 35 euro with 15% off on top of that so it was just under 30 euro, absolute bargain! I also love the cut around the chest on it and I got many compliments on my weight loss in this outfit.

And as for

SOME MORE  

I thought I would mention a product I have been loving, all year in fact and its this Mac blush in Dolly Mix. Its a gorgeous pink girly blush that I have used quite a bit. And I haven't even touched pan on it yet. That's what I love about Mac cosmetics, you get so much value for your money some of their products seem to last forever and this is definitely one of them! I use my Real Techniques blush brush to apply this, which is one of my 2 favourite brushes from the Real Technique collection. 

So there you have it guys. I hope you enjoyed this post. Please let me know and I'll keep dishing these out! I have exciting things coming up next week I look forward to bringing you them too.

Much Love,

Amy xo

Marathons and Battle Ropes.

Hello Friends,

First of all let me thank you all for taking the time to read this. Your support truly means the world and as much I want to dish out more blog posts it's just not possible for many reasons, the main being besides working a 50 hour week, my training and over all well being has taking priority in my life which I'm sure you will agree is essential. But as soon as the dust settles and I'm in a steady routine with my training commitments and everything else in between, I'll be dedicating a little snippet of time every week to update my blog. :)

SO!!- I have put my name down for a 5K marathon coming up in November. Me?... Yep that is correct. This once far distant dream of walking a marathon has become a reality. But before I get into that, I thought I would give an update on where I am on my training and weight loss journey. Okay, so as I previously mentioned I have started working with a new personal trainer. I see him once a week and attend his body conditioning classes twice a week, while also getting in my own walking/running. The one to one session is quite gruelling (in a good way). My body is being pushed into a whole new space, that some days it doesn't quite know what is happening to it. I am working along side a person who will not for one second listen to me being negative. There is no such thing as 'I can't' its only 'I can and I will, now' and you know what? It's working. And being constantly reminded to smile during a tough session, despite my body wanting to cry, helps a great deal too. :) Its tough as nails but its my mental block that's tougher to break down so learning to separate my head from my body (I know you get what I mean) is the best remedy for getting through my killer sessions. During the sessions, I almost feel like there is not a hope in hell I'll be able to do this again but by the end my good endorphins are racing and I feel incredible. I leave on a work-out high. ;)  The body conditioning classes are just as tough. I never thought I would feel comfortable working out amongst other people without feeling like and looking like the least fittest person there, but to hell with that attitude. I have learnt that while everyone is there for themselves we are all there for the same reason, be it weight loss, toning or to improve our general fitness (all of which are the reason why I am there). So who cares if I am the least fittest? I have also discovered I really enjoy thump boxing, that will  be on my bucket list for 2015, maybe take up a beginners class if I could find one to fit in amongst my already hectic life.  And as for battle ropes, well I never even new, these even existed and I don't think we will ever be friends haha but hey they're doing the job LOL. What are they? Very heavy long ropes you create waves with. Incredibly difficult but affective. I don't get a single day where I don't have some sort of post work out burning or pain and I don't want a day without said pain because I know it's bringing me closer to my goals and getting me results fast.

So I am only too thrilled to have put my name down for a marathon coming up in November. My trainer told me to start putting my name down for marathons coming up and true to form I didn't quite look into it the way I should of because to be quite frank I just felt like I wasn't 'there' yet but something has popped up and I'm fairly confident I'll walk my first 5K marathon with pride so watch this space. I have already started to train for it. Feels so good to be training for something worth while that actual athletes train for and mark my words, be it next year or the year after that or even the year after that I will run a marathon. I'm laying down the gauntlet because its one of my best motivators.

I thought I would throw in something different, a few of my nearest and dearest have asked me a few questions about how personal training has helped and affected me so I thought I would share them with you ;)

What makes you want to give up? (Thanks Jess LOL)
Everything. I get days where I would use the most miserable excuse to not get my training in. And it has happened quite a lot in the past, but not as much now, but for sure I have wanted to give up. These excuses include, I'm too tired (always a good one after a 10 hour shift), I have too much to do when I get home (yeah, watch tv, work out on my lap top), I worked out enough yesterday (when I didn't) or else it would be my head that gets in the way, (I'm just not in the mood) and I get days where I feel I'll NEVER get to where I want to be and sometimes that's enough to make me want to give up! But I always surpass these feelings and get my ass into gear and get training. I have never regretted a work out, but I beat myself up when I don't work out and that is the worse feeling ever!! 

In what ways do you think having a personal trainer has helped you in working towards achieving your goals?
Well this is easy. Its only really my trainer who understands what I need to do to achieve my goals and he is giving me the motivation during sessions to bring me one step closer to my goals, all the time. And it's only my trainer who completely understands the difficulty behind reaching these goals.  He is only ever a text away if I am struggling, be it with food or exercise and he regularly reminds me of this. For me, this is what I need to do achieve my goals and create the life style I want and need. 

Would you recommend a personal trainer to someone who doesn't need to loose weight?
From my experience so far, definitely! Its not just people who want to loose weight who work with PTs. I have spoken with girls over the last few months who are working with PTs to tone and shape themselves better and believe it or not one girl even wanted to gain weight!  So its most definitely for everyone! 

Do I enjoy it?
Absolutely! I look at it now as a hobby more than anything. I look forward to it. I feel like I owe it to myself to enjoy it and take every bit of positivety from it as possible. I never had a hobbie growing up so getting my fitness levels up to par is a good place to start in getting a hobbie further down the line . This is only the beginning. The worlds my oyster!

Is it difficult?
Yep! Through and through and it if it ever gets easy then I am not doing it right.

*************

If you are in the position to hire yourself a personal trainer because like me you want to loose weight, I would highly recommend you do so. It costs good money but if you want whats good for you and want to put your money into something worth while then this is it. I started working with a personal trainer over a year ago and it is the best thing I have ever done for myself and working with Sean over the last 8 weeks and getting the results I did made me so happy, the kinda happy you experience if you pass a really tough exam because you have put your heart and soul into it, the kind of happy you only get from working your ass off to get results. Watch this space. I am addicted to these results now and I only want more, better results. If not, then why not try out some classes? Again I couldn't recommend these more. There does be a great buzz and atmosphere amongst the classes I attend and trust me you will love them too.

I just want to give a small shout out to the girls who messaged me telling me I am motivating them getting back into fitness. Again never thought I would see the day where I would receive such messages. I was more than happy to receive them and they gave me an extra push too. Feel free to leave me any comments or messages here or on Facebook. I'll be more than happy to hear from you too. 

I know I am doing the right thing in keeping with my personal trainer. I'm well and throughly on the road to a healthier, happier and slimmer Amy.

Much Love,
Live happy, live healthy

Amy xo

Beautiful you go with all your might.

Hello Friends,

I got a sharp dose of reality last week. I have had a couple of nasty comments passed to me over the last few weeks by complete strangers and I don't think I dealt with it quite the way I should of. It's not good to keep such things to yourself, even if you do think you are stronger than some strangers moronic ignorance. I can't quite put my finger on what triggered my mini melt down during the week, I feel sometimes I get too much in my own head haha, if that makes any sense, because I completely lost sight of why I even began to change my lifestyle for the better. Maybe it was a combination of everything over the last month or so. I have been thought that I have to feel the bad in order to feel the good. The day before my aunty's wedding a couple weeks ago I had a very derogatory comment passed to me while out shopping the day before and it stuck with me. So much so, that even though I felt really good at my aunty's wedding I have not one photo of me in my dress and shoes, because I wasn't in a picture taking mood, me, normally the queen of a selfie. I am annoyed with myself over that because I put a lot of effort into making sure I looked picture perfect. But you know, I feel this is part of the process and I shouldn't of let a stupid small minded and judgemental individual dampen my spirit, so lesson learnt. Still was the best wedding I have ever been to, minus my head to toe pic ha.

I knew that going through this weight loss and life style change process would be tough, I am now working out for over a year and putting a lot of  focus and energy into it but it was last week my emotions decided to run high and find no where else to go but through my eye balls. I'll give a quick update on where it's all at. I have finished up working with my trainer, whom I was working with over a year. It's very daunting as I'm not one who settles into new spaces with ease, in fact it takes so much effort it's nearly exhausting but I have started a journey and to hell if I am going to stop now. I am now working with someone new, I am feeling more positive and motivated than ever and I am already seeing results. I have made DRASTIC changes to my diet and truth be known these changes are long over due, I'll be doing a blog post soon on that soon, I keep a food diary now so I will be sharing that here and I am already see the benefits of a clean diet in my skin and energy levels. I am keeping it very strict, 6 out of 7 days and then having one day where I just let go and 'treat' myself. I could never explain how much our diets have to answer for! I honestly feel the better my diet the better my life. Now onto the present. I am back on track with my game face on. Its all to live for and work for and I know I'll kick ass this week, one day at a time.

  
I feel stronger than ever and I finished the week off with a smile, having spent last night with my bestie. Dinner and nails, it was amazing hehe. Check out her work, isn't she so very very talented!!! Love this nail colour! Its called cosmopolitan (I love that) My inner girly girl is in love with these nails. hehe

So there you have it my lovelies. It was a roller coaster week in fact month. But I have come out the other side smiling, motivated and ready for more!

Have a great week everyone and thanks for reading my post.

Much Love,

Amy xo


 

PRODUCT REVIEW #1: REVLON 24HR Colour Stay.

Hello Friends,

Hey! So I hope you are keeping well and this fine Sunday is treating you all well :) Today I have for you my first product review as the title suggests. Okay so as a little disclaimer I am not a makeup artist of expert in any way shape or form, I own a lot of makeup, not as much as I would like haha I have a huge bucket list that I just keep adding to. So basically this is my opinion on the product and in my reviews I promise to be 100% honest in them but generally I will be reviewing products that I enjoyed using (keep it nice and positive). That said, I was dying to give the Revlon 24hr Colour Stay a try. I read review after review on this product and all generally very positive. So while in Super Drug a couple of weeks ago on the hunt for a new foundation I thought I'd give this a try. It cost me just under 17 euro! Now as far as drug store foundations go that is on the expensive side. My holy grail foundations are Rimmel: Wake Me Up foundation and Stay Matt foundation both of which are around the 10 euro mark. So its a lot of extra money for a foundation from a drug store when I could get a high end foundation for not much more but still I wanted to see what all the fuss is about and good or bad, this foundation wouldn't go to waste.

The foundation comes in 2 types, there is one for oily skin or dry and sensitive skin which is the one I bought. I'm in the shade 220, natural beige. I went for a warm colour as wearing fake tan is imminent over the next few weeks.The packaging is grand  =)  LOL okay, its not great. The glass bottle is very pretty and simple but it doesn't come with a pump. So you basically have to unscrew the lid and tip the glass bottle over on the back or the palm of your hand to get product out and apply it from there. I personally pour a small amount into the back of my hand and use my new foundation brush from Hair Spray, my mammy bought me ;) to apply it. Most of my other foundations are either in a tube or come with a pump, so I can apply the product directly onto my brush or sponge I figure the less contact to surface areas the better, even if its just the skin on my hand, if you have sensitive skin you will understand completely where I am coming from. But nonetheless this isn't a deal breaker with this foundation because this will be a keeper in my little stash of makeup for sure.

A little of this product goes a long way, first of! It glides on perfectly but I do have too blend it quite well to prevent any streaks or obvious patches, when I first applied it, it was quite obvious around my forehead that I hadn't done enough blending haha probably only visible to me (I hope) haha so lesson learnt there. My Rimmel foundations don't need near as much blending, but this little beauty is thick in consistency so it does require a little bit more time and work but it is well worth it. It gives me a medium to full coverage. My skin is in pretty good shape at the moment so that would help and I still use concealer. As far as 24hrs is concerned it has really good staying power I have mentioned before I am not one to touch up my face makeup through out the day and this certainly didn't disappoint in its staying power, my  primer and powder plays a big part in me not having to touch it up through out the day. And finally there is no heavy scent from this, BIG bonus and I certainly think it pairs well with my dry and sensitive skin.

Now I couldn't finish up this post without mentioning my new foundation brush! I am the proud owner of at least 5 foundation brushes and 2 miracle sponges but this foundation brush had knocked all my foundation brushes out of the park and I am most definitely going to stock up on maybe 2 more haha. This is the Hair Spray foundation brush, you know the shop Hair Spray that specialise in hair extensions and other beauty related goodys such as eyelashes and make up brushes evidently! Its just brilliant, this brush is really soft but sturdy enough to apply my foundation perfectly. This brush will set you back 15 euro but if like me, you are into having good decent makeup tools its definitely worth investing in. I want try more brushes from their range now!! 

  

It's a flat head foundation brush ;)

And there you have it. I would highly recommend both products I mentioned tonight. Stay tuned for my daily and nightly makeup looks using said foundation coming up on my blog very soon.

I hope you enjoyed reading my post tonight and thank you so much for popping by to give this a read.

Much Love, as always,

Amy xo

What I would Tell my 16 Year old Self.

Hello Friends,

I hope you are all keeping well and are in great form this beautiful Sunday evening. So this evening I bring to you a post saying exactly what it says in the title and it's what I would tell my 16 year old self. I came across similar blogs on blog lovin' and videos on You Tube and it got me thinking, what would I tell my 16 year old self?...
  

 
1: Don't be afraid of who you are! You are perfect in your own way and you don't need justification.

2:Don't allow how other people think affect you. They don't matter! Don't let them define you. If they have a problem it belongs to them not you.

3:Keep working hard at your studying in school. I know you struggle with the books and people don't quite realise that, but keep at it.

4: Drown out the negativity that is around you. I know you have been trying this for a couple of years now and it's working.  

5: Go out walking more. You will not believe the benefits that this could have for you when you hit your 20's. And you will love it!!

6:Embrace your self more and don't be bullied into something you're not. People are shallow but you will let go of this sooner than you think.

7:Look after yourself more diet wise. The sooner you sort this out the easier it will be. ;)

 8: Use sun cream more!! When you're abroad and in the blistering heat literally, top up that sun cream ALL THE TIME! You have skin a whiter shade of pale and it will love you for it.

9: Call your Dad more. You will still be telling yourself this in many many years.

10: Save more!! You earn good money girl. Spend wisely LOL :)
  
11: Don't be pressured into anything you don't want to do just because everybody else is doing it!! You will learn the value in this lesson the hard way but you will be happy you did. xo

12:Do more of what you love. Find your passion.


13: Be true to yourself more with the little things, clothes, make up etc... You know who you are! You have known a long time so don't cover her up with clothes and makeup, you know aren't you. Wait until you unleash the real you!  You're world is going to turn upside down, in the best way possible.

14:Don't be so shy! People love you for you. But let yourself go more.

15: Find a hobby that you love! This will be something you will always regret if you don't.

16: Sweet 16 and perfect in you're own way. Time will go by fast so much quicker than ya think so live it up, be gracious and be bold. You will do well.

In the photos above the first one I am on a family holiday and the second one was taken at my dads wedding. Good old disposable cameras! My apolgies the quality in them isn't great ;).

Truth be known. I still have to remind myself of certain things listed above but I'm a firm believer in everything happens for a reason and whats meant to be won't pass us by. I have a great life. Great friends. A wonderful family and I have no regrets, well no serious regrets I would love to take up another hobby, I love blogging! But I have my heart set on learning how to bake and learning a new instrument. The skies the limit right?...

I hope you enjoyed reading this. What would you tell your 16 year old self?

Thank you so much for giving this your time and reading my post. 

Much Love,

Amy xo

'If you're thin, You're not coming in!!!'

Hello friends.

I pondered over what to call this blog post for ages. Please keep reading ;)...

So I came across an article the other day (link is just below), a girl by the name of Sallie Axl blasting 'The only way is Essexs' Gemma Collins for 'Glamourising self harm'. 

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz/383090/Sallie-Axl-blasts-TOWIE-s-plus-size-Gemma-Collins-for-glamourising-over-eating 

Okay lets break it down, who is Sallie Axl? I had no idea neither, but she was a contestant on Big Brother 14 and was the first house mate to be evicted, thought I might throw that in. I stopped watching Big Brother when it moved to channel 5 but I think most are familiar with the concept of the program. Axl is not her real surname and she is also a mother to a little girl. When I googled Sallie 'Axl' nothing but cheap gossipy headlines popped up plus, I would never judge anyone on how they look but if you're going to attack someone on their appearance in any way shape or form then maybe you should take a closer look in the mirror and make sure that you're 'perfect' first. Nothing but cheap provocative images also popped up, I considered not even posting her picture on my blog because to be quite frank I was finding it inappropriate. But that's not what I'm trying to get at here. In fact I think she is raising a very valid point, only in a very mean way!! Here is a relatively respectable image of her.

I would say you have heard of Gemma Collins or recognise her. I have never been an avid watcher of TOWIE but I would be fairly familiar with Gemma Collins, its funny the one episode I do remember watching, Collins was having hypnosis to help with her diet and weight loss and God knows when that episode aired.  Whenever I see Collins photographed in magazines she always looks flawless. She was snapped working out, and in fairness who looks cute when their working out? I know what I must look like, not a pretty sight!! And off course the paparazzi got the most unflattering takes of her but personally I find them very motivating. It's real life and it's what you have to do to get into shape. 

Now back to the subject in hand. Collins has opened up a plus size boutique and is basically holding a sign in the door way saying 'If you're thin, You're not coming in!!!' hence the title of this post.

Its clear to see that Collins embraces her curvier figure and if anything she promotes a 'body love' image. I certainly don't think for one minute that the sign she is holding is an attack against the thinner woman. 
Here's my opinion as a curvier woman. There are so many shops and boutiques out there that cater for the thinner woman, right down to a size 'zero'. However this not the case for the fuller figured woman and even though the average boutique, that carry up to a size 16 max, may not have a sign hanging outside there door saying 'If you're fat, you can't come in' we know we can't shop in them stores, we just don't have a blatant sign telling us we can't. I wouldn't step foot in an average boutique unless I'm shopping with a friend because there wouldn't be a hope in hell I would find something in my size. Yes, there are some shops that cater for the fuller figure woman, some of which I personally love but that's it. I don't believe she is being prejudice or setting a bad example or glamorising self harm in any way shape or form she's doing this for her fellow curvier girl, empowering her fellow curvier girl because there is not many out there who do! And it may be in a very frank way, but c'mon it is a just a bit of fun, and I feel Collins is just hitting back at the many, many boutiques and shops that don't stock plus size clothes. It is also highly likely shes only stocking plus size clothes too.

Axl does make a good point in the article with her very mean tongue, but I think it gets shaded, here's a piece I took from it, 
'She is cashing in on making the morbidly obese look so-called fabulous.
Is she glamorising self-harm by covering up this food addiction… an addiction which at its extreme encourages people to EAT THEMSELVES TO DEATH?
Why is this topic not being addressed with the same severity as anorexia?'
Now very harsh words and I would completely disagree with the first part stating she is cashing in on making the morbidly obese look so called fabulous! I'm sorry but that is the most ridiculous statement to make. Clothes are there to be worn regardless of size. Evidently, clothes designers and manufacturers are cashing in on the sizes 8, 10, 12, 14, & 16 left right and centre so I don't understand Axls issue of Collins setting up a plus size boutique. And the final part of the statement 'Why is the topic not being addressed with the same severity as anorexia' And this, my friends is what I am trying to get at...

Forget about the sign Collins is holding, we all have our opinion on that. I want to get at Axl comparing anorexia to obesity. Are these not 2 severe forms of eating disorders?! (okay I know both can be down to medical reasons too) But moving away from that and facing the fact that a lot of the time it's not. I agree with Axl, I feel that anorexia is dealt with a lot more sympathetically and to be honest, dealt with more seriously. Take any of the many programs that air featuring people who are obese. I can't even bring myself to watch them anymore! I just feel they make a mockery of people who are over weight and trying to over come it. Whereas when I watch a documentary on anorexia, it's dealt with in such a way that you totally empathise with people in their situation. At the end of the day it doesn't take a lay man to know that you become obese by over eating and you become anorexic by under eating (bet ya never heard that term before, under eating but I'm sure you have heard over eating) And I just feel that the obesity epidemic that is well and truly on our hands is one that could be dealt with a lot better, this is my opinion from personal experience. I have been working my ass of the last year with a personal trainer and working very hard on my diet to get fitter and healthier and to loose a few dress sizes. But I have sat in front of doctors over the past few years and felt belittled from the way they spoke to me regarding my weight, despite all the work I have put in, and you know what?, It doesn't make my weight loss journey any easier, it doesn't give me the 'I'll show them' attitude. In fact what I will say is, it does the complete opposite, it just knocks me back a few days, maybe even  weeks. Days of blood, sweat and tears wasted because of one consultation that left me feeling like crap. And it is not acceptable to be made feel that way, even if they do think it's 'for my own good' I'm also gonna tell ya that 'comfort eating' is not that comfortable!! Imagine the one thing in life that is meant to sustain ya is the cause of your health being in jeopardy, albeit its the abuse of it, that is causing your weight issues, food.

In anyways I wanted to bring this to you today. I'll take away my soap box and get back to my job at hand ;). Sallie Axls article struck a cord with me I just wanted to create awareness from a different point of view.

I hope you enjoyed reading this some what more serious piece, this is my opinion and I'm not trying to force it onto you.

Much Love,

Amy xo