Review: Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover

I feel like I haven't done a review in so long!
Let me introduce you to my new favourite eye make-up remover, Miss Botanics.

I wear eye make-up every day without fail, so I've tested a fair few eye make-up removers in my time. Up until now, my favourite was No7 Cleanse and Care remover. However, last week I was on the look out for another, and came across this in boots. Having never tried anything from the Botanics range before, and with it being on offer as well for a measley £2.66 (from £3.99), I thought I'd give it a whirl. (This offer is still on for those interested, along with other products from this range). 



It contains hibiscus, which helps to soothe and condition lashes. This wonderful ingredient also contains a brightening booster which helps to make the skin appear smoother and brighter. Now, I don't know if this is a placebo but after using this, my eyes do generally look more awake than before I started. I suffer from fatigue quite a lot so a lot of the time my eyes do feel tired and sleepy.

The formula of this is strange, and it needs a vigourous shake before application. You know how oil and water don't mix very well? - this remover is similar.. the coloured liquid that settles at the bottom is that wonderful ingredient, hibiscus.
However, the consistency once shaken, I personally love. It's a gentle oil (similar to No7), which I prefer more than water based removers. Oil based ones always seem to be more effective on removing my mascara.

Where you can see the 'water' level is not how much I have left (my bottle is still almost full).. this is where the hibiscus settles (just trying to give you an idea of the formula!).

With the bottle containing 150ml, this is definitely going to last me a fair few weeks and would easy make my July favourites!

Happy Sunday everyone!

Week 2 - Weightwatchers Weigh in!

I got off to a bad start the moment I stepped out of my weigh-in class - I didn't pick up a tracker. For those that don't know, trackers are a little slip/booklet that helps you track your daily points and enables you to write down what you have eaten. Why not use a notebook I hear you say... well, I did but I had to make my own tracking system up and it all got a bit messy and complicated after a few days of tracking and scribbling things out!

Secondly, last Saturday we did a car treasure hunt as part of a staff 'fun day'. At the end of this treasure hunt we were all meeting at a mysterious destination for food and drinks. Both myself and a work colleague (who is also my best friend and on WW too) had prepared for a healthy option on whatever restaurant menu that was presented. This destination ended up being at our directors house, complete with BBQ food, Pimms & Lemonade, homemade (to-die-for) cheesecake... need I go on? I did myself proud and stocked up on salad, one burger in a bun, one scrummy cheese filled flat mushroom and some other tiny bits. I managed to bypass the cheesecake (which I was pretty proud of because my friend never, which made me feel even better!). I will admit, I could have eaten loads more, and I wasn't really full... but this diet is learning me not to need to be full.

Fast forward a few days and I have a training morning at work. There were small sweet prizes going round. 1 bag of the mini haribo cola-bottles. Yeah, fair enough, you probably get a measley 8 in a pack, but thats not the point, I ate them. Then followed a pretty large boiled lolly which was delish (and made my tongue turn blue!). I could taste it was full of sugar but I still ate it, mainly because it was almost dinner and I was hungry (not that a lolly would fill me up!)

On top of all that, I have been eating WW recipes, but adapting some of the ingredients to more naughtier foods simply because I couldn't find them in the supermarket (i.e. I was hunting for WW soft cheese and chive everywhere, but had to settle for a more fattening soft cheese). My exercise intake has been limited, either because I've been too tired/busy, or a headache kicks in right before I need to exercise (for some reason I suffer with them around tea-time). Overall I managed to fit in only 1.5hrs of wii exercise in (although on a side note, I am kinda enjoying getting back into my dancing games).

I gets to my weigh in last night, actually panicking due to possible embarassment of the fact that this is only my 2nd weigh-in and I either 1) Haven't budged on the scales or 2) Have put weight on. The 2 people that were in front of me both lost 4lb each (which I found bizarre). It was a different leader last night due to mine being on holiday. I heard this new leader joke 'Are my scales the same as [insert leader name]? Everyone's losing weight tonight!' I then trotted up and she says something similar to me, followed by 'Don't let me down!' Pressure or what?! I jumped on and....... had lost 2lb.

Hmm. I'm not sure what to think now. According to my scales at home, I don't think I've budged since last week, been almost positive I hadn't lost, everyone else is losing weight in the queue, a new set of scales that are positioned in a slightly different place... and I lose. It might be true, but I kinda feel cheated. I suppose I'll know next week when the scales go back to the 'old' ones and I put on or stay the same. Especially if I work hard at it this week (which I intend to do).

Week 1 - 2.5lb loss
Week 2 - 2lb loss

Total weight loss - 4.5lb

July's GlossyBox - Festival Season!

I'm not gonna babble with this post because I think you would have seen swarms of these posts now, I seemed to be a day late getting mine, but hey ho, its here now, and I'm impressed!

Contents :-
HD Brows Eye and Brow Palette ('Foxy'). I'm half and half with receiving this product. It was only the other day that I  said to my friend if there was one definite product I would repurchase from GB, that would be the HD brow kit
that I received approx 6 months ago. The downside to receiving this again is, purely that, getting the same
product twice (GB seem to have a habit of doing this now..). Secondly, although its a fab product and is worth
almost £20 alone, which almost pays twice over for the box, this one isn't in my colour so I probably will pass it on. I know you can use it as an eyeshadow too, but I have one too many eyeshadows now!
Clynol Salon Exclusive Enrich Colour Shampoo. I'm excited to try this product out as I know they use it in salons. My friend is a hairdresser and she swears by this stuff.
Monu Golden Glow face and body tan. I am pretty excited to try this out, although the colour of this kinda scares me!
Jelly Pong Pong Lip Frosting (Irish Cream Pavlova). I like a good lip product, and although I'm more of a lipstick girl now than a lipgloss, this is still a cute little tube of lip 'frosting'. It smells delish (like sweeties!) and gives the most gorgeous tint to the lips.
Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Lotion. I'm not a cream kinda girl, simply because I'm not very good at judging if they actually do what they claim. My skin always looks the same after using high-end creams, either that or I get a break-out! However now I'm getting older, I've told myself I need to invest and decide on a good skincare product for my skin.
Elizabeth Arden Exfoliating Cleanser, serum and lotion ('freebie'). I'll probably try this out tonight, because if I don't, I probably never will, sachets of things seem to get stuck in my drawer then thrown away..

All in all, although a repeat product, I love this box and will get some good use out of the stuff. Vegas is getting closer and closer so I'm looking for some good travel sized products to take away!

Jelly Pong Pong Lip Frosting in 'Irish Cream Pavlova'

What did you think of this months Glossy Box?

Week 1: WeightWatchers Weigh in!

So I've survived my first week of WW, go me!

I'll be honest, I haven't found it easy, nor hard. Just in-between. The first few days I noticed that I had reduced my portions by over half and was getting full really quickly.

My 1st official day of WW I was at a conference in Harrogate for the day and was dreading it due to it being a 'buffet lunch'. I had visions in my head of really tasty sandwiches, sausage rolls, crisps, basically all the finger food you can imagine. Luckily it was nothing like that. Because of the amount of people that were there, they came up with an 'allowance' that each person could have (i.e. 2 sandwiches, 1 bag of crisps, 1 cake, 1 piece of fruit and a drink). I was SO good - I had 1 sandwich (that was in fact half a bread bun), 1 banana and a bottle of water. I found it really hard to bypass the cake but I did it! I would have normally taken a few of my own healthy snacks but due to only joining WW the night previous, I didn't have time to go food shopping!

Meal planning has been the tedious part. If I'm honest, it kinda bores me. Possibly because I'm doing it after work and I'm tired, but the way the timing falls, I meal plan for the following week as soon as I get in from my weigh-in (which is also after work). Not only do I have to search for meals, but I have to coincide this with a shopping list which I do at the same time. Thinking about trying to accomodate for my boyfriend as well, it can get a little difficult, but I'm getting there!
I have been using WW e-source which is really helpful at meal planning and coming up with recipes that I never thought of (I'm really not adventurous in the kitchen!).

I'm allowed 26 points a day (which is the minimum anyone can have). On top of this you also get 49 weekly points, which are usually kept aside for social events or just a weekly pig out or whatever you wanna call it! You aren't forced to use these but they do come in handy if you are going for meals/drinks out, or have a social event! I think I used about 30 of my weekly points this week.

I have complied a little chart that I have named my 'Celebration Targets' - here I have chosen important social events that are coming up within the next few months (i.e. birthdays, hen parties, weddings). I've then given myself a realistic target that I want to achieve by that date. This is working as my motivation tool at the minute, which I feel like everyone needs when dieting. As many of you know, my biggest target is Vegas/Bridesmaid in September.

Towards the end of the week, I got a bit obsessive with my weight, jumping on the scales every morning for the past 3 mornings, not good! I began to get miffed when the scales werent budging, even though I was sticking to my points.

Exercise wise I have certainly done more this week than I have in a good month or so. I've done 2 dancing work-outs on the Wii for 30mins, a session of boxercise (I have a punch-bag in my garage), along with some intense skipping! Most times I find it really hard to motivate myself to do exercise because I work Mon-Fri, and I'm beginning to think I've got a fatigue problem which tends to kick in mid afternoon and remain with me till I go to sleep, so that doesn't help! However I have been pushing myself to do more, even though sometimes its late at night.

Ok, so now the bit you're all waiting for....

My total loss for my 1st week is 2.5lb. Feelings? If I'm honest, I am kinda disappointed with this, the fact that I stuck to everything and exercised. Although I think I'm secretly comparing it to my friends first weigh-in of a 4lb loss. But I keep telling myself that everybodies metabolism and body works differently, and mine soon will hopefully catch up!

Till next time!

Slap it on - Body Butters

I've never really been one for body butters up until the past year. Don't ask me why, because I really don't know! Body lotions, butters, anything that was used for moisturising the whole body, I kinda didn't do. Naughty I know. I used to moisturise my legs once in a blue moon, but that was about it. In my eyes, my skin was soft enough and didn't need any more moisture (ah, there you go, the reason!). Even when I used to get perfume gift sets, the ones that used to come with a little lotion friend, I always ignored and just stuffed in my drawer.

As time went on, I began reading more and more about bloody body butters, and over the months, theres been a few people who I've worked with who have smelt absolutely delicious. When asking them what it is, they reply with 'body butter!'. Ggrr. About 6 months ago, for whatever reason, I noticed I was developing dry patches of skin, mainly on my neck (what a bizzare place!). Not noticeable to the naked eye mind, but when feeling it, I knew it was there. I then felt little patches on my upper arms, again, nothing that was visible, but it kinda felt a little more rough than the surrounding skin. So this is when I decided to indulge in my first body butter (I say first, I have bought body creams in the past, but on a whim, and something I used once and never touched again). I rummaged through my drawers and got out Boots cocoa butter and slapped some on after a shower. Yummy! I actually got this in a Christmas gift set in the sale, along with some sugar scrub and body wash. The whole set was £5, but each individually bought item would have amounted to £21, so a really good saving! (Good savings I've never forget ;-)

That quickly run out because I loved it that much, the smell, the absorbtion time, the aftermath on my skin. Everything. I went back into my drawer of many wonders and pulled out another one, this time Superdrugs Coconut Oil body cream. I remember buying this on my whim and it was really inexpensive. I'm still only half way through it, and can't say I'll be repurchasing that any time soon, the smell just doesn't do it for me guys!

I then took advantage of The Body Shop's sale about a month ago, body butters were on offer for £6 down from £12. I thought this would be a good time to trial out one, so I purchased the wild cherry one. I'm a proper sweet person when it comes to smells, I love anything sweet or fruity smelling, so I couldn't wait to try this out. Hmm. Disappointed. The smell is just.. strange? It doesn't really smell of cherries to me, or any fruit for that matter. It does have a kind of sweet smell to it but I'm not impressed. I always usually trial smells in the shops before I walk away with my purchase, so I can't understand why I never with this. Typical. The one time I don't do something and I hate it. It absorbs pretty fast and does leave the skin feeling extremely soft and supple (if I keep the application regular, my dry patches do disappear). It's just a shame with the smell, I will definitely be smelling before I buy next time!

Definitely going to try out some more from the Boots collection though, my ultimate favourite so far, and at £7.95 a pop, although a tiny bit on the steep side, I would repurchase, simply because I had a good experience.

What is your favourite body butter?

Welcome to the world of WW!

So in 2 days time WeightWatchers will be my friend for at least the next 3 months.

I have previously mentioned it in passing in other blogs, how my weight is one of my biggest battles in life. I'm not obsese or anything, but a little on the chubby side is how I like to call it.

A quick weight story - I started uni at 18, this is the last time I can remember fitting into size 8 clothes. As the years progressed and my stint at uni turned into 5 years, I gradually put the weight on. This wasn't due to a typical student lifestyle consisting of purely alcohol, or even heaps and heaps of junk food. I lived with a male friend for the 5 years and I began getting into a routine of having the same size portions as him. I can't remember well and truly bingeing out on junk food on a constant basis. I have always had a sweet tooth (I'm partial to a bit of cake or a chocolate bar) but I can never remember it being a huge problem. I used to do a fair amount of walking to and from uni so I think I could have put a lot more weight on sooner if it wasn't for the exercise. Fast forward to graduation where I was 10st. I remember getting on the scales and thinking how that sounded so heavy. Looking back, I'd love to be 10st again!
Moving back home and getting a new boyfriend is where my weight began to creep up. I got comfortable and settled into a 9-5 job. I used to go to my boyfriends house, visit the supermarket and spent approx £5 on pure crap. £5 probably doesnt seem a lot, but you go to a supermarket and see what you could possibly get with your money, then imagine eating all that in one night, you'll see what I mean! This became a weekly ritual - stock up on yummy food and pig out infront of a movie.
My boyfriend began to put weight on too, but our habits continued. It's not till I'd put on another stone that it began to really bother me. I'm pretty small so I don't carry it all that well.
Fast forward 4 years and we move in together (summer 2011). I tell myself that my eating habits will change as I have control over what I eat. Wrong. I have control therefore I eat what I want. I can't just have 1 bag of crisps, I have to have 2 or 3 in a row. I can't just have 2 biscuits to dip in my tea, I have to have 6 or 7, or till I feel sick. I have been on numerous diets - Slimming World, Weightwatchers (I was even paying for WW but not turning up to the classes.. insane!), Atkins Diet, Special K diet, I've spent £30+ on 'special green tea teabags' and diet pills from a chinese herbal shop, I have tried bikini diets, you name it, I've probably done it. I'll stick it for a few days, weeks even, lose weight, and then my willpower will fade and I'll give into that chocolate bar or slice of cake thats eyeing me up. Exercise is another big problem. I'm lazy. By the time I get in from work, have my tea, I'm ready to hit the sack! However, in my time, I've had gym memberships, attended classes, gone on bike rides, recently spent £50 on a punchbag for my garage to do some boxing (as I've heard thats fantastic at shredding the pounds). However, give it a few weeks and I 'get bored' and stop.

Story of my life.

I'm now at 11st 8lb. I used to be private about my weight, but I may as well tell you as I've decided to take you on my WW (weightwatchers) journey with me, so lets be honest from the beginning.

My brother is getting married in Las Vegas in just over 2 months time. Since the new year I have been telling myself I need to lose weight for it as I am bridesmaid. I don't want to look the 'fat' one in the photos. These photos will be circled around friends and family for years to come. Not only that but I want to feel confident in the sun, wear pretty sun dresses and not feel conscious. Be able to go swimming, not worrying what anyone else thinks.

Fast forward 7 months and here we are now. My weight hasn't changed since my 'resolution' that I set for the NY. I am going to be that 'dumpy' bridesmaid that will stand out. I am going to be conscious about my arms. If I hate getting them out here in the UK, what am I going to do in Vegas, I can't avoid the heat there!

I have a handful of weeks to play with, and knew that it was now or never. If I try really hard, I can lose a stone by the time I go. Its not my ideal weight, but its something.
I took myself to the nurse last week and got a referral for WW. If my willpower doesnt work this time, then I dont think it ever will.

The key to this diet is planning. Actually, planning is the key to most diets. I've found that if I have a diet plan set out infront of me, I am more liable to follow and stick to it. I've read reviews on the Jenny Craig diet which provides you with meals, all you have to do is stick them in the oven, simples! I'd love a diet like that, but don't love the price! Lack of planning leads to falling off the wagon so I think I will be spending my weekend planning out the next few weeks meals!

If anyone has recently started WW or is on a weightloss journey then give me a shout, I'm all for motivation and encouragement!

To a slimmer and fitter me!