Over the last few days the weather decided to be generous and bless us with sun! When it's hot everyone wants to come home from work to a nice cold drink in the garden. Instead of it being alcoholic i've decided to turn to a much healthier option of a smoothie. If you enjoy drinks that have a sharp taste thank you'll enjoy this concution i've created.
You will need; - Some strawberries - Summer fruit berries (these ones are from Tesco) - Apple Juice - A knife - Cutting Board - Jug - Blender
So I cut up the strawberries I want into tiny pieces. I added 6 to be exact. I always cut them small because it just makes it much easier when it comes to blending. Big chunks don't get stuck inside the blade. These ones were picked by my little sister yesterday so they're very fresh and sweet. They're also so tasty. I then wash the strawberries just in case they had been sprayed with anything (I'm a bit cautious like that). After that I add handful of berries from my Summer Fruits pot I keep in the freezer. I don't let them defrost because I love that it's cold and ready to drink straight away. Once all of them have been washed I add them to a jug that i've filled with 200ml of apple juice. Then you simply blend it until you're happy with the consistency.
Again, very sorry for my absence but i'm back and come bearing plenty of blog posts. This one is dedicated to my new 'healthy living' lifestyle so I thought i'd begin with a new breakfast i've been enjoying.
I start by adding around 5 heaped table spoons of this amazing yoghurt called Yeo Valley into a small bowl. It is delicious and I often eat it as a snack on it's own. You can get so many different flavours but i'm boring and love the simple vanilla. Another reason I choose this flavour over others is because of the 0% fat content (BONUS!)
I then add a handful of these frozen summer fruits that I get from Tesco for a couple quid. Some people would say you should let them sit out of a freezer for a little while before eating so they're not frozen and hard but oddly I much prefer them this way. These are also so tasty and much easier than fresh fruit because it doesn't go off as quickly. If you're a super scrimper like me than these are a god send.
Finally i'll sometimes add a drizzle of honey on top. Other times I won't add any honey at all, it's just what ever I feel like on the day. I think it makes it a little sweeter but I'm known to go overboard and ruin it :(
And here is the final result! a low calorie, delicious breakfast that is super quick, easy and cheap!
First off, I have to make an enormous apology for my lack of existence in the last year. The reason is simple, i joined university! I was almost adamant I wouldn't be going to university, however about a month before i was due to start i decided i wanted to at least try and see how i feel about it after my first semester. I can honestly say i've experienced some amazing highs and harsh lows in the last year and felt i needed to just do what i thought was best for me without blogging about every second of it. In short, i've been spending quite some time being highly inebriated, and dealt with some harsh late nights of studying but always creating the best memories with some amazing friends.
These are just a few of the people who are on the same course as me on a night out. This specific night was one of the best ones. We decided to have a 'Formal February' which meant all of us had to dress smart and it ended up being such a good turn out.
I also decided to join the hockey club. I met some amazing people through this society and it was such a good idea to join because when things were tough you could look forward to hockey and seeing all of my other friends. I found hockey to be a release when university just got a little too much. It's a good way to meet people who are in a variety of different years. In fact in this picture me and two others are freshers, the rest are third years or doing masters.
These are the 3 girls i'm living with next year in a house which i'm SO excited about. Living in halls is fun but very loud and often quite stressful so to be living with some of my closest friends at university just makes my experience much more pleasant and enjoyable. I've been very lucky to have these girls in my life and they make things much easier for me.
All in all university is TOUGH. Don't let anyone tell you different. The work load is enormous and the tutors expectations of you are pretty high. However I don't regret going at all but I am happy first year is over and my summer can begin with my family and friends.
So working as a waitress means you get tips and where i work they let you keep them all. This means sometimes i can come home with quite a bit in my pocket and decided to treat myself to some new clothesies! I know some think people think that tips shouldn't be given out and might not like what ive spent it on but at least its better than something like alcohol right? Pressing on.. here last months purchases.
From left to right Coat - Newlook Black and white checkered skirt- Topshop Black shorts - Miss Selfridge Pink checkered skirt - Topshop Pink skort - River Island White lace top - H&M
Black vest top - H&M Yellow vest top - H&M White floral top - Topshop
This coat was in the sale at New Look and i have fallen in love with it. It's super lightweight and nice to just throw over if theres a slight overcast. I think i only paid £15 for it in the end? which is perfect as i only have a part time job and find coats or jackets to be so expensive which i just can't afford.
Ok so here are the skirts and shorts from Topshop, River Island and Miss Selfridge. The two on the right were in the sale the black and white being £10 and the pink checkered being £15. I havn't worn the black and white one and i am STILL debating if i want to keep it as it is more of a winter item. The other skirt is gorgeous on and is fitted so it pulls my thigs in as mine petrude quite a bit :( It is a bit short however but thats ok because i rarely wear skirts without tights as i'm not that confident. The shorts have this gorgeous lace around the leg which is what made me fall in love with them. These were a little more pricey and cost £32 i think? Finally my pink skort that reminds me of a tulip is from river island and i recently wore this to a Chase and Status concert which i wore with a black oversized jumper and black boots. It is such a gorgeous colour but is slightly seethrough (woops).
Not a very good picture but this is the outfit i wore. Not exactly your ideal 'OOTD' but im sure you get the jist. This skirts was about £30 again i think but i can't really remember sorry :(
Finally my tops and vests! The white lacey top that is definately my fav is gorgeousss and from H&M. It was in the sale for £10. It is see through so a vest top or bandeau has to be worn under it but it's just gorgeous and i have a thing for white tops, vests and jumpers as i think they just look adorable. I bought the black vest on the same day in the sale for just £7! it has a small 'V' cut out near the neck with some lacing on which can be annoying because you can see your bra but i just wear a black bandeau underneath. It is also slightly cropped. The yellow vest is also from H&M but i really can't remeber the price. The back is gorgeous because you have an extra strap that dangles down which makes something that's simple look really pretty. Finally my white top with flowers at the bottom is from Topshop and i think was £15 but it was a present from my boyfriend. I love it as it is slightly cropped and can dress up a simple 'jeans day' outfit.
This post is based on my top 3 Clarins products that i swear by. I also love my Clarins cleansing gel which would most definitely be in my top 3 but i had written about it just yesterday and
didn't want to bore you speaking about it again. Instead these are a few of my other favorites.
Ill start off with this product as it is the one i use the most. This is the Clarins Blush Prodige illuminating cheek colour in Rose Wood. It is £26.00 and one of the only blushers i have fallen in love with aswell as a benefit one (but thats another post!). It is such a lovely pallette of colours that when you swirl your blusher brush over all of them you get a natural peachy pink colour to add to your cheeks. It is gorgeous and i swear by it. This is what the website says about this product 'A silky, lightweight powder blush containing the perfect combination of mineral and plant extracts. Adds colour and luminosity to cheeks for an instant, healthy-looking glow. The stunning mosaic palette contains different shades and finishes, enabling you to illuminate your complexion and enhance its natural radiance and beauty.' I really like this product as i am quite picky with blushers and bronzers. This is not harsh on my face as i am quite pale and compliments my complexion rather than making me look like a drag queen!
This product is very oily and i wouldn't recommend it to people who get spots easily because of its texture. This is the Lotus face treatment oil and costs £32.00
The Clarins website says 'Naturally astringent for Oily or Combination Skin. 100% pure plant extracts. Clarins’ exclusive blend of Rosemary, Geranium and Lotus extracts purifies, tightens pores and refines the skin texture. Hazelnut Oil softens, soothes and seals in moisture to prevent fine lines.' I bought this product a while back to help keep moisture in my face and also says it is to help prevent premature aging (which is not the reason why i bought this product!). I use it alongside my toner in the image below which is what is advised on the Clarins website. Here is the video on the website and these are the exact steps i follow!
I really like this product and don't mind paying quite an expensive price for it as i have had this small bottle for ages and it doesn't seem to have gone down much at all. I know it will last me ages!
I don't use the the Lotus oil everynight because i don't feel i need to. When i don't i simply use the Toning lotion with camomile which is £19.00.
Clarins says 'Alcohol-free toner—with gentle Camomile, Alpine Herbs, and Linden extracts—removes every last trace of cleanser, leaving dry or normal skin clean and perfectly radiant. Softens, soothes and smoothes irritations. Also, preps skin for the Clarins treatments that follows.'
I apply it by dampening 2 cotton pads with the lotion and rub it around my face focusing around my eyes. This is such a soothing product which i adore and will keep on using until i can find a substitute that matches the quality of this product.
Thank you for reading this and i hope it inspires you to buy these amazzzing products! Feel free to comment below letting me know your thoughts and opinions on Clarins. What are your fav products? are they Clarins or something else?
So i'm not going to lie, this review is very late as this is my second bottle as I LOVE this product. The Clarins website says..
'A true cleansing sensation! Clarins triple-texture cleansing gel transforms into an oil that melts-away every last trace of excess oil and impurities—including the heaviest make-up. Water-activates the gel into a silky milk that rinses skin clean. Soothes and nourishes with Marula Oil for optimal radiance and comfort.'
On the website it says to squeeze out a walnut size onto the palm of your hands and rub in with your fingertips. I don't use anywhere near as much as that as i don't wear heavy amounts of makeup. In the image above you can see the amount i add ( i squeeze out an amount that is the same size as my fingertip) and then apply it to all of my face and rub it in in a circular motion. It is so soft and feels lovely on your skin. I then add water to emulsify it so it turns into a milky substance as seen on the right image and then finally rinse it off sometimes with a flannel if i have worn quite a bit of makeup in that day or when im having a shower i just rinse off my face.
Excuse my bare face in this image i just wanted to show the finished product and how radiant my face is! It is so gentle on my skin and i rarely have breakouts which i beleive is because this product makes sure i get all my makeup off! I highly recommend this product, however if you prefer something grittier to scrub your face i wouldn't suggest this product at all.
PLEASE leave me some comments on which are your fav Clarins products and if you have this gel does it work as good for you?
So over the last few months i've been collecting some nicky nacky bits that just make my room have so much character and look adorable. This is one of my favs because it's something my best friend bought me and it is an own that holds a candle and has a chain so you can have it hanging! YES it may be dangerous because it could fall or if placed in your room badly it could cause a fire so i just dont light. Instead i use a battery powered candle tealight to just sit inside so it still looks super cute (kind of cheating i know).
This is quite a typical sign you see but i still think it is adorable.I have a shelf in my room that i use to put pictures and presents from my boyfriend on and this fits in perfectly with it. On the same shelf i have the love dangly sign thing in my bottom image :)
Obviously i am a yankee candle freeak and had to feature it in this haul. This specific one is called 'Summer Scoop' and oh my god i recommend it! Seriously it smells devine and you will thank me later. They can be quite pricey i think this one cost around £20-£24 but they last so long as i have another one slightly smaller than this and i've had it since last christmas. I think the colour is really cute aswell and gives my room a bit more of a girly feel.
So aswell as the products i have spoken about above here are some other i have purchased. These vary from different shops such as The Range, John Lewis and a small vintage shop in hunstanton that i adore. My nan showed me the little jewlerry holder when in hunstanton and i bought it straight away. Hanging off of it is a little sign that says 'Home is where the cat is' and for anyone who knows me, knows this fits me to a T. There is also a little wicker heart that hangs from wardrobe usually and that is from John Lewis as well as the wicker lights in the background that are feautred in each of the images.
Leave some comments telling me where else i can buy some of these adorbale products from please!
