Surviving the 30 Day Plank Challenge

I have decided that for each month of 2015 I am going to complete 1 (or 2) personal challenges or changes. These might not be anything particularly challenging or worth documenting for a lot of people, but from someone with no New Year's Resolutions it's a bit of a fun project I've set myself. 

So here's January's challenge...

(Insert generic fitness image here)

30 DAY PLANK CHALLENGE!! 

You can find these in abundance on the internet, I found mine on Instagram and it builds you up from 20 seconds to a whole 5 minutes in the space of 30 days! Here's my tips for finishing the month...

 Remember to do it everyday! This is actually harder than you think, sometimes life just gets in the way. But I promise you that it is 1000 times harder to find the motivation to put yourself through physical discomfort if you gave yourself a free pass yesterday. GET TO IT! 

 Take your mind off things. The worst thing you can do is watch the clock. I tried listening to music, watching YouTube videos, singing and all sorts to distract myself and it helps so much. Honestly the easiest plank I did in the whole 30 days was one when I was listening to my mum and sister stressing about being late (sort of wrong I know), but because their conversation took my mind off planking, I was completely fine and it was over before I even realised.

 Use music as your timer. This links directly into the last point. If you can find a song that is about the same length as the plank you need to do, e.g. 3.5 minutes, then you won't need to watch the clock. 

 Take it at your own pace and learn to enjoy it. Near to the end of the month I got up to my first 4 minute plank and I just couldn't make myself stay, so I came back to it later in the day when I was feeling less hot and bothered, but ultimately you have to make yourself do it. And I promise you, no amount of singing to Bohemian Rhapsody makes a 5 minute plank easy, it all comes down to you in the end. Aswell, remember that your body will quite happily hold itself for a lot longer than you think it will, your head will give up long before your body does! 

 Lastly, BREATHE FGS!! No seriously, 1) because holding your breathe for over 2 minutes actually gets quite difficult and 2) because holding your breath causes excess tension and the creation of lactic acid in your muscles. Not good! So just take a few deep breaths and BREATHE!

Did I notice a difference? Yes, my core feels so much stronger, even if the visual effect is only slight.

Would I do it again? Yes, it's something that I'm proud that I've finally stuck at and completed. And let's face it, it's not that bad...

Have you completed the 30 day plank challenge? Did you start and not finish it? What monthly challenges would you recomend trying? 

Help! I can't stop buying candles!

I am obsessed! Like, really. I am probably single handedly increasing the greenhouse effect with the amount of candles that I get through. But, how can you resist lighting a candle when it just makes you feel so relaxed and chilled out? And the smells? I have candles in the morning, candles in the evening and candles at bathtime! So naturally when I walk I to a candle shop, I can't help but leave with a bag full! 

I had a little spree over the weekend where I bought a few new ones, as I had gotten through all of the candles I had. So I thought I'd share my little haul with you, we'll start with the big one...

Yes, you've read it right...SALTED CARAMEL!! Now usually I think that salted caramel as a food is very overrated, but this scent makes me weak at the knees! It's sweet but not sickly and the smell stays around for a long time after you've blown the candle out. Yum! 

And then I picked up some little votives to put in my little glass holder that my mummy kindly bought me. Thank you!! So I picked up these little gems: Home Sweet Home, which is a cinnamon spicy sort of smell; Christmas Cookie, which is my ultimate favourite; and Black Cherry, which is obviously a cherry smell. I also bought a Strawberry Buttcream votive but that's already in use. 

Am I the only person out there with this sort of addiction? Have you got a favourite candle scent? 

My Face in Brushes

Whenever I fall in love with a specific new make up or hair look, I'm never overly concerned with exactly what products were used to get there, so long as I can get a general jist of colours and tones. I am always much more concerned, however, with the tricks of how the look was achieved and more specifically, the tools used! 

So I figured that I would put together a little bit of prose on a small addiction of mine. Brushes. I just love make-up brushes. No really, it's becoming a problem. At this moment in time (as you will definitely noticed from this post) I am adoring the Real Techniques brushes. So here is my face in terms of the brushes I use. 

Firstly, I love the RT brushes quite simply because they are inexpensive, fabulous quality (making them fantastic value for money) and 100% cruelty free, made from synthetic bristles. This last point is particularly important for me, I'm totally not okay with using brushes made from animal hairs.

So let's start at the very beginning: the base.

Foundation- Real Techniques Expert Face Brush 

I love the density of this one, it's great for applying and buffing out foundation or BB creams.

Concealer- Primark Concealer Brush 

Spot the deliberate mistake, totally not a real techniques brush?! I know, but I just love this flat brush and it only cost me about £2, so it's a winner really.

Powder- Real Techniques Powder Brush 

This one is just massive, and I love it for applying a really light covering of face powder. 

Bronzer- Real Techniques Nic's Picks Cheek Brush

I may have treated myself to the Nic's Picks box set over Christmas, and I'm so glad I did. I look at this brush and I honestly don't understand what is so special about it, but I am totally hooked! It's slightly fatter than a contour brush, so I find it perfect for adding an all over bronze.

Blush- Real Techniques Blush Brush

This one has a funny shape, the height of the brush isn't central in the bristles, it's almost sort of lob-sided but it's great for applying blush and highlighter.

Brows- Real Techniques Brow Brush

I use this brush every time I fill in my brows. The slanted tip makes creating sharp lines so simple and the longer handle makes it much less fidgety than the small brushes that often come in brow kit compacts.

Base Shadow- Real Techniques Nic's Picks Angled Shadow Brush

It's so fluffy! The head of this brush is honestly so soft and the angled edge just  the perfect shape for effortlessly applying by eye shadow base.

Crease- Real Techniques Crease Brush 

This is another very dense brush and although I wish it was easier to buff  with, it makes applying colour so easy, if not particularly precise. 

So there we are, my face in brushes...

What are your favourites? Would you recomend a different brand of brushes that you've tried?      

To Be Honest...Pretty Honest

You're probably fed up of hearing about this little gem, it's been pretty much everywhere. And if this is the first time you've seen 'Pretty Honest' then where have you been?

Sali Hughes' book came out last Septemeber and has had enormous amounts of attention ever since, and quite rightly so. Described as 'the straight-talking beauty companion', I can confirm that this book cuts out all the waffle, contains zero BS and is the most useful book I think I've ever read on beauty. It is the book equivalent of the friend that you know will tell you whether you look like a hippo or not in the dress you've had your eye on, and will tell you when you look fierce for a night out. It's a pretty good friend.

This was one item on my Christmas list that I'd have been upset to not find under the tree from Santa. But Santa did good! Thanks Mum.

It's such an easy read, super interesting and it is no word of a lie that you learn something new or find a new source of inspiration with each paragraph. I've decided to take everything that Sali Hughes says as gospel from now on.

Things Pretty Honest set straight for me...

1) I now use a hot cloth to remove my cleanser every time I use it. It has completely changed the way I cleanse my face. Altogether my skincare routine was far from a bad one but there was still room for improvement. With the amount of make-up that I wear (I literally wear it all day, everyday) cleaning my face should definitely be a more thorough affair. But now with my hot cloth in tow, I noticed a difference in my skin within days. 

2) I am now on the hunt for a liquid exfoliant containing BHAs to finally conquer my enormous pores. I've been looking for an alternative to scrubbing my face into oblivion for a while and until now I've not been quite sure whether to try a liquid exfoliant and where to find one that works. (And Sali very kindly does point you in the right direction).

3) You don't have to spend money on a toner if you don't want to. Thank you! Finally! I have used toner since I was 13 and I honestly don't see what it does. But Sali puts it quite nicely: 'optional, but wholly unnecessary'. I'll be saving my pennies then. 

4) I now fully understand how and why I need to take extra care of my skin when using Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs). Definitely not a bad thing to know and it all completely makes sense and seems blatantly obvious now but I had never thought about it before.

5) I used to always feel a little overdressed when I wore red lipstick away from special occasions. But Sali actively encourages wearing a statement lip to make you feel like the more motivated, more lively, energy filled you and to give you a boost when you're feeling less than glamorous. 

6) And my favourite part is that Pretty Honest reminds you that there's nothing wrong with having a love of and wearing cosmetics and beauty products for your own sake and not for the benefit of anyone else. 

Have you read Pretty Honest? What stood out for you? 

Cheeky ASOS haul

Don't you just love a good bargain?

I'm an ASOS newbie. Bad, I know! But I was looking for a few things online in the sales and couldn't resist a good purchase.

It took a while for my parcel to come, but I guess that's down to the influx of others after a good deal.

And I got all of this for around £40! (£40.50, to be exact) 4 tops, a pair of pumps and a novelty clutch for 40 English pounds.. Winner!

First off there's the orange flowery peplum top which came in at £5.50. A well needed injection of spring. And I just love the peplum shape.

I LOVE the cat t-shirt, for a measly £7, and I am so excited by this cute top. I went for the petite size 10, even though I usually wear an 8, and I really wish I had purchased the size 8 or even the 6 because this comes up quite big.

I've wanted a Bardot top for a while but just couldn't find exactly what I was after. So when I saw this 2 pack for £8 in black and oxblood, both with a slight sweetheart neckline, it was a no brainer. 

My favourites have to be the ballet pumps and the clutch (who can resist a bag that looks like chocolate?). 

The shoes are so gorgeous. I didn't realise that they would have the gold trim around the scalloped edge but I think it add a real touch of class.

And I saw a friend with this clutch and knew that I needed it in my life! So when I saw it in the sale for £9, I had to snap it up.

All in all, not a bad day at the office.

A Book to Kickstart Your 2015!

If you're anything like me you spent most of 2014 (if not much longer) feeling like you can't see the wood for the trees. You may have noticed that I haven't done a year summary or a 'New Year, New Me' type post, quite simply because I think that it would end up being an uninteresting, unhelpful pile of tripe. So I haven't done that.

However, I do want to let you know about a little book that I read just before Christmas. It's only a little one, I promise and took me about an hour to read- an hour well spent. 

I get very worried about making decisions. I'm not a very decisive person, even for things like choosing what to have for tea, I actually drive my boyfriend insane. I worry incase I make a bad decision, in case I take a risk that doesn't pay off and in case I make a change that just becomes a change too far. Because of this I have spent a long time doing what other people think I should do and not really making decisions for myself. 

If that sounds a bit like you (I feel so sorry for you), then you have to read 'Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite' by Paul Arden. It's a book about having the confidence to go against the grain and do things regardless of other people's opinions and thoughts. Obviously this doesn't stretch to things like...laws, but you the picture. And it's actually a really refreshing view on things!

This book has made me realise that having the courage to do what is right for yourself can only ever bring around good, despite the risks. If it doesn't pay off straight away then it may just pay off later down the line. I feel inspired and 2015 could just be a year to be reckoned with. 

This year is going to see a lot less of me settling for things that don't make me happy or help me to grow. Join me in taking charge of your own life.

Here's to a 2015 of grabbing life by the balls to get what you want from it. A 2015 of 'cans' and 'wills' instead of 'can'ts' and 'maybes'. And a whole year of 'bad decisions' that will make this a year to watch! 

Tried and Tested: Christmas Lollies

Zoella's Christmas Lollies

So, I saw Zoe's 'Quick and Easy DIY Christmas Treats' video and these totally caught my eye. I had to have a go! In fact, I specifically remember getting very excited watching these being made and vowing to my friend that I needed these in my life! So here is my attempt...

The more observant of you may have noticed that I'm using milk chocolate, whereas the original video was with white, but what can I say, I just prefer milk chocolate. And instead of using red and green sprinkles, I've used popping candy. POPPING CANDY! (I win.) 

Not going to lie, I struggled at first to find some lolly sticks. They don't regularly appear on my weekly shopping list so I had no idea. But I eventually found a pack of 50 for £2.50 in Cooks, which I didn't think was too bad.

The most difficult part of the whole thing is getting the right consistency with the melted chocolate. My chocolate was still a bit too runny really which is why it's leaked out under the candy canes so I would definitely leave it to thicken for longer than you think it will need before you start to spoon it into the candy came hearts.

(I have no apologies for the Peppa Pig mug!) 

 

So there they are. I think it would definitely take a few practice runs before these look neat and tidy but all in all an exciting little project. Well done Zoe! 

View Zoella's original video here: http://youtu.be/O5YCcyIRXog