17 lipstick in 'bon bon'.

SPECIAL DELIVERY. by way of apology, i present a lipstick review AND some nails AND my make-up of the day AND an outfit. let's kiss and make-up.

isn't this adorable? it is on monki's delivery bags. much better than the soul-destroying, fear-inducing grey ones from asos so i like to think...

as i said in my last blog post, i don't really go anywhere anymore. for that reason, any make-up i have been wearing has been low-key, using cheaper products. basically opting for an all-round beautifying look that basically makes me presentable to the world. my latest plaything is 17 cosmetic's sheen supreme lipstick in 'bon bon'. i've raved about how much i like the formulation before, but in a nutshell, the finish is creamy, hydrating and has decent lasting power.

'bon bon' is a natural-looking, slightly toffee-ish, slightly caramel sort of shade. it's a shade that can definitely be used in a nude look or glammed up for the evening - and therefore pretty versatile. when i can't decide what lipstick to wear, i have a set of 'to go' safe options (which suit everything) and i can see this becoming one of them. if you are like me and hate super nude shades, having unfortunately found yourself in the position where you need something sensible but with warmth (e.g. for srs occasions), then this is a great choice.

face: 17 primer, no 7 essentially natural foundation (light beige), collection lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: maybelline gel liner, mac eyebrow pencil (stud), no 7 lash adapt mascara, the body shop brow & lash gel.
cheeks: illamasqua (lover), no 7 vital enlightening highlighter.
lips: 17 (bon bon).

and finally, what i've been slumming around in as of late. I DON'T GO ANYWHERE YOU GUYS, SERIOUSLY. zero glamour. the dress is a very big size small - and if i were sensible, i would exchange it... but i am too lazy.  i am also fully aware that these are crap photos and that a bathroom shot (like my bin?) does not compare to photos where people are jumping mid-air in a field/stepping out of a taxi/looking pensive while standing in the road - but i do try. i don't even own a tripod (my camera is in fact on a tin, balanced on a box). i mean really, this is not my thing.

 dress - monki, shoes - topshop.

nails - gosh (wild lilac), ring - river island.

i hope everyone had a delicious easter!

review: soap & glory 'the fab pore' face mask.

first and foremost: sorry yet again for lagging on the blogging front! i feel terribly guilty about it, but i have a valid reason. those of you who follow this blog regularly (or my twitter) will probably know about the dreaded 21,000 words i had due in for april. now i have a week left, and 5,000 words to go. because of this, i haven't really left the house... and when i don't leave the house, i don't wear make-up... and when i don't wear make-up, i can't blog. SEE!

anyway. even though i've owned this for a while now, i'm really loving this face-mask at the moment.

i know that every face mask under the sun claims to be 'intensive', but this really is it. i use it when my skin is spotty or oily, and recommend it for those skin types only as i find that it dries up my face. it leaves my skin smooth and matte, forming a better base for make-up. in a really odd way, it reminds me of how your hands feel after you put plaster of paris on them. some may like it, some may hate it. nevertheless, that matte feeling is quite long-lasting, as my skin doesn't become oily again for the rest of the day. as i only use it for that reason, i can't really comment on whether or not it really minimises pores in the long-term.

it's nothing revolutionary in terms of application. although it's called a 'peel', it really isn't. you just get some product, rub it into your face (until the green beads dissolve), leave for 5 minutes and voila! wash off. it is also a tad pricey at £8, but believe me when i say that the tub (although small) does last a long time. i think this is definitely going to become a summer staple of mine.

summer skin.

let's face it: people either love or hate this time of year. the sun begins to shine, the sound of ice-cream vans fills my entire neighbourhood and everyone just seems a lot more happier. tourists remain reasonably sensible wearing normal clothes and light jackets, whereas londoners tend to go beserk at the very thought of a singular ray of heat. vests, shorts, sandals, hats, sunglasses - you name it. i admit that i too have got a little excited as of late. i went to the v&a last night and whilst everyone else looked chic and appropriate, i had looked like i had fallen straight of a cuban cabaret. thank god unfortunately i do not have photos of that, which is maybe for the best.

as i insist on getting my legs out in public, these two products are being used on a daily basis at the moment.

the body shop papaya body butter - this product is my everything. my favourite thing in the whole wide world. i mean, lord only knows how many times i've tried to eat it. it smells divine, hydrates the skin and leaves it feeling silky smooth without being greasy or slippery. i often buy different fruits but mango and strawberry remain my firm favourites and so if you fancy trying it out, those two are the ones i recommend. if the thought of shelling out £12.50 for a regular-sized tub seems too steep, i'd recommend stocking up during the sales. often they reduce the prices of regular-sized body butter to £5 a tub, which frankly, makes it a steal.

palmers cocoa butter scar serum - this is actually a rubbish product. i just thought i would just throw that out there. it's like the body butter's horrible sister. it doesn't remove scars, feels really sticky, and has an odd texture that is somewhere between greasy and rubbery. my legs are absolutely covered in scars and so i am using this every day anyway, just to finish it up and bin it. i don't even know what drove me to buy this product anyway as scars often heal and disappear on their own accord (i should know as i am the queen of burnt skin). perhaps i just wanted a quick fix.

here is also a quick list of the make-up i wore today. i wore my all-time favourite lipstick, 'classic rose' by no 7. i think it is perfection both in terms of texture and shade, and often recommend it to others. i've actually been rewatching all of mad men (who hasn't?) and the girls often wear a shade similar to it in the early series.

earrings - topshop, dress - mango (from years ago!).

face: no 7 'beautiful skin' day cream, 17 primer, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), bourjois healthy mix foundation (52), collection lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: maybelline gel liner, mac studio fix lash (black), mac eyebrow pencil (stud).
cheeks: duwop (peach), no 7 vital illuminating highlighter.
lips: no 7 (classic rose).

in other news: i returned home late last night to find a 'further steps notice' from a north london court (note - i do not live in north london) saying i owe a £65 fine. it does not state why though, and so i'm utterly baffled and apparently have two days to pay it off. stop it 2012. STOP IT NOW.

sleek eyeshadow palette in 'sunset'.

i can't be alone in believing that make-up can be great - especially when it's free. i won this 'sunset' eyeshadow palette by sleek simply by retweeting something on twitter (such arduous effort, right?) and figured i'd review it anyway. up until now, i have only owned one product by sleek and that is their 'rose gold' blush, which is one of my all-time favourites. i absolutely love it, and bought it way before i realised that it was ~kind of a big deal~ amongst a lot of bloggers. seeing as i've never tried any of sleek's eyeshadows at all, i was obviously very curious to see if they would be just as good.

first things first: admittedly, i don't think i'd buy this palette if i was in a shop. eyeshadow in general just terrifies me and the bright yellows and blues and reds in this look pretty intimidating at first sight. eyeliner and lipstick is what suits my features the most. however, i was really intrigued by some of the colours too, which resemble terracotta but with hints of red and pink which i haven't really seen anywhere else. i should have really gone all out (i'm looking at you, oh crazy trio of orange, yellow and blue) but i just felt massively boring today and stuck to the more sensible shades. in reality, the hint of yellow in the inner corners of my eyes is about as wild as i could get today. (brb, putting down my heroin.)

i look so tired, ugh.

face: 17 primer, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), collection lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: urban decay primer potion, sleek eyeshadow palette (sunset), rimmel kohl pencil, mac studio fix lash (black), ruby & millie eyeliner pencil (brown/black), mac eyebrow pencil (stud), the body shop brow & lash gel.
cheeks: sleek (rose gold).
lips: no 7 (attract).

what i like about this palette is how pleasantly surprised i am by it! although i was initially shaking/crying over the colours (which are way out of my comfort zone), they are surprisingly nice and wearable on the eyes, with great pigmentation. they're also easy to blend, and by no means chalky. additionally, each shade also has a gorgeous shimmery finish to it without looking glittery and tacky, which can sometimes be a bother with cheaper brands - and that is what impressed me the most.

so yeah, i really didn't feel as if i was wearing anything 'cheap' and preferred how the colours looked on the lid to how they appear in the palette. i'm especially a fan of the black shade, as it is matte and i've been meaning to get a shade like that for a while now.

however, there are a few points i must make. despite wearing primer on my eyes, the eyeshadow creased ever so slightly after a few hours. this usually doesn't happen with eyeshadows from other high-street brands which i love (such as rimmel and revlon), and so i was somewhat saddened by that. don't be put off by this if you're one of the lucky ones whose eyeshadow magically stays put without any primer though, because a) you are extremely lucky and b) this probably will do better on your lids than mine. i also feel that, as gorgeous as these shades truly are, they don't work for my complexion or my features in terms of wearing them all over the lid. BUT don't assume that i will be getting rid of this! instead, i think i could make these work by investing in a sealing gel and using them as liners instead which i think would look gorgeous for summer - especially with the gold and copper shades!

jillian michaels' 'ripped in 30'.

it's baaaaaack! another fitness plan, full of optimism and hope (right before i actually review it and present a mass of broken dreams). after much ooh-ing and aah-ing, i have decided to tackle jillian michael's 'ripped in 30' next. it's all in the name really - surely i don't have to explain what it aims to do! it has 4 levels and basically follows the same format as the 30 day shred.

i severely doubt that i will ever become some kind of bulked-up goddess but i'm happy to get more toned at the very least. it is recommended that you do it 5 or 6 times a week and the great part is that, unlike the shred, you only do each level 7 or 8 times rather than 10. for that reason i think that it will feel quite quick to complete, and so i'm pretty keen on doing it.

do i look like jillian right now? NO. even if i take my glasses off, i resemble a blur. it's still a big, lardy blur. so yeah, i've got a lot of work left to do. my biggest problem is eating the right food and increasing my net calorie intake (NOT by eating an entire bag of butterkist's toffee popcorn) - so maybe i should really try harder with that this time around.

now that the sun is shining, i'm also hoping to get outdoors more. i want to swim in the sunshine! :)

17 lipstick in 'mulled wine'.

following on from my recent 17 cosmetics lipstick review (where i went beserk and bought too many), i am now wearing another new lipstick of theirs but in a different finish. 'mulled wine' is part of their 'lasting fix' range and to put it bluntly: i really like it. the lipstick bullet is weird and looks brown (i picked it up this morning thinking "WHAT. IS. THIS."), but it is much more pink on the lips. it's not an outright pink so it's totally perfect for a low-key look without going down the nude lips route. it's subtle, but with colour. in that sense, it reminds me of mac's 'see sheer', which is one of my all-time favourites.

i was really impressed by the lipstick for several reasons. firstly, you get a generous amount of product despite the low cost. secondly, the pigmentation is great. one swoosh (yes, i swoosh) on the lips was enough. thirdly, it lasted well, leaving a light stain on the lips hours after application. lasting fix finishes aren't as creamy as the supreme shine finishes though, so i'd be a little cautious if your lips are prone to drying out when wearing lipstick.

face: 17 primer, mac studio fix fluid (nw30), collection lasting perfection concealer (#2), clinique airbrush concealer (03 light), mac mineralize skinfinish (medium plus).
eyes: maybelline gel liner, lancome l'extreme mascara, ruby & millie eye pencil (brown/black), mac eyebrow pencil (stud), the body shop brow & lash gel.
cheeks: sleek (rose gold), no 7 vital illuminating highlighter powder.
lips: 17 (mulled wine).

review and results: jillian michaels' 'banish fat and boost metabolism'.

IT'S OVER! it is with great pleasure that i bring you this review.  is this because i enjoyed it? because i had lost a staggering amount of inches? because i am filled with a renewed zest for life having discovered this bundle of joy? NO. it's because it's over. finished. gone. 

measurements before:                         measurements after:

waist: 27''                                                           waist: 26.8" (-0.2) 

hips: 38.5''                                                          hips: 38" (-o.5) 

thighs: 22''                                                          thighs: 21.8" (-0.2) 

calves: 13''                                                          calves: 13" 

upper arms: 9.8''                                              upper arms: 9.5" (-0.3) 

lower arms: 9.1"                                               lower arms: 9.0" (-0.1)

TOTAL INCHES LOST = 1.3"

before workout
i wasn't sure what to expect so i came into this with no assumptions at all. my only concern was the fact that i didn't think cardio alone could help me burn the inches i want. i had seen the dvd a few times before i began to familiarise myself and was quite happy to see 1) no push-ups, 2) no squat thrusts and 3) no moves that seemed absolutely impossible (or so i thought).

during workout

this is a real step up from anything i have ever done before, and it's hard.  i really can't lie! the dvd is 56 minutes long, but in reality i think the workout is somewhere between 40-45mins once you exclude the warm-up and cooldown. it incorporates some moves i had done in the 30 day shred but also introduces some new ones, such as kickboxing - which i actually had fun with. plyometrics feature a lot in this too. the hardest struggle? finding the energy within yourself to carry on moving for so long. there are 7 cardio circuits that are repeated twice (lasting 6 minutes) and it's just so, SO HARD. DID I MENTION IT WAS HARD?! i'm starting to think that hard doesn't even cut it. you'll be begging to die. 

not only that, but i struggled with the general length of the workout. i had initially wanted to do this for 14 days, but it took up so much of my time. imagine, 60 minutes exercise + 20 minutes showering + 30 minutes drying hair + 10 minutes getting dressed every, single, day. no bueno. that is two hours worth of my time. it's definitely great to do once in a while or a couple of times a week, but i just didn't have the time to do it every day for a fortnight for review purposes. so, i ended up doing it for 7 days instead. i tried eating clean but it just didn't happen, whoops.

h8h8h8h8h8.

after workout
i am not as enamoured by this as i was by the 30 day shred. firstly, i hated the music (it gets all weird and siren-y towards the end). second, i didn't really like the girls jillian had in the background. this isn't some petty bitch comment but i just didn't feel motivated by them at all, and the girl on the right often forgets what she is doing! thirdly, there isn't always a modified move for beginners. luckily,  i could remember some modifications for the moves that were familiar from the shred - which gave me a headstart over someone who would be an absolute beginner.  however, i do think BFBM is great if you're perhaps very athletic already and want something to do every now and then that will knock you out. i made quite a few people try this and frankly, they all almost died, often quitting before it had finished - let alone completing it 7 times in a short space of time. i will definitely hold onto this dvd in case i have a terrible case of pigging out and feel overly guilty about it though.

i've lost 6.1 inches since february. boom! now i need a new challenge. punch me in the face if i ever do this again.  once again, i kept a diary of how i found the week...