Halloween Nail Art!!

Last week I mentioned that I was going to fix my Pink Stripes and Polka Dot nails once I received my striping tap.  Well, I didn't end up doing that yet but just wanted to show you how I fixed that look for the week. 

I took this pic today before removing the polish so it's already pretty chipped.  Sorry about that!!!

In the spirit of Halloween and since I'm just a beginner at nail art, I've decided to go with an easy white ghost nail art using my dotting tool!!

Week 4 Fitness Program Update!

I've just reached the week 4 milestone of this 12 week "program" I've created for myself which if you weren't following from the beginning is basically a 12 week goal I've set for myself to work out 5 days a week, follow a healthy low-carb diet, get stronger and feel better overall.  So here is the update on what has happened over the last 4 weeks.

Diet Update:

So, to recap the last 4 weeks, I've pretty much followed my meal plan about 80% to 90% of the time.  As you may recall, at the end of week 1 I went to a wedding and had loads of yummy food.  I had done well up until that day and what was supposed to be a cheat meal ended up being a cheat day.  Mondays to Fridays of the last 4 weeks have been good.  I allow myself my much needed Sushi or Japanese bento lunch once a week and the rest of the days I have my usual chicken salad.  As for snacks, I've been sticking to nuts strictly but allowed myself some Aero Mint chocolate this week.

Now, I have to tell you about last weekend's dinner.  We had some friends over on Saturday night and one of our friends is vegetarian.  Because I don't really know how to cook vegetarian meals my husband and I decided to order from a nice little local Indian restaurant down the street from us.  It was Northern Indian food which for us non vegetarians included some creamy butter chicken, lamb cooked in creamy yogurt sauce, briyani, naan bread and a few other dishes.  Dessert was a chocolate tart from Waitrose which after everyone left I ate another 2 pieces making my dessert count for the night 3 quarters of a personal pizza sized tart!!!  I just couldn't help myself.

During this week, I also treated myself to a few little Parisian "twinkies" which my colleague brought for me from Paris. I know this all sounds like a lot but if you look at all the good meals and snacks I ate, the bad ones really only accounted for about 10% of my meals and snacks.  The reason I'm pointing this out is because for those of you out there who feel guilty when you do allow yourself some treats like this, you shouldn't feel guilty.  It's an awful and unhealthy mental cycle and as long as you're doing good most of the time, you should focus on that and not let yourself feel bad.

Workout Update:

The first 2 weeks I managed to get to the gym 4 days but the last 2 weeks were 6 day gym days.  As usual it was 3 days of Bartendaz, one day of leg training alone or with my trainer and for the last two weeks I started taking Hula Hoop class.  It's offered at my gym and is just a super fun and surprisingly challenging workout.  I did about 30 minutes of cardio before the Hula Hoop classes but that's about all the cardio I do.  I'm pretty happy how well I've kept up!!

Strength Update:

At the beginning of all this I mentioned I wanted to be able to do 20 chin ups and didn't think it would happen in 12 weeks but that I would keep trying.  Well, some of you may have seen the video and surprisingly I reached the 20 goal already.  I didn't think it would happen that quickly but it did and my new goal is to be able to accomplish a muscle up!!!  This is incredibly hard and realistically speaking it could take months and months but I am working towards that right now.  I've started training Bartendaz with 3kg ankle weights and hope to increase that slowly in order to get stronger.

Weight & Body Update:

Everyone always says that the diet and workouts go hand in hand and if you stick to both you will see results.  I don't measure myself but in terms of weight, I have gone down 1kg in the last 4 weeks.  Considering I don't do cardio I strongly believe none of that weight was muscle but more likely a combination of fat and water!!! 

Here's some updated photos!!  I think 4 weeks have made some sort of difference and I believe it's just a matter of commitment to see results!!

Pink Stripes and Polka Dot Nail Art!

I did freehand stripes for this look but it's really hard to keep the lines straight.  Next week I will redo this look using my newly ordered striping tape to show you how much more professional and perfect stripes can be with this look.  But for now...here it is!!!

What You May Not Know About SUGAR!!!!

I love dessert and even when I'm on my 12 week low-carb diet I find it hard not to have a cheat meal every week or two that consists of dessert.  I've always found information and documentaries on nutrition really interesting and over the last few years have started to get the idea that sugar is the devil!!  It's worse than fat and it's probably the cause of all the obesity related diseases out there in the world.  Having said all that, I do find it hard not to have dessert every now and then! 

Many of you may not realize it but sugar in the form of fructose is found in all processed foods and it reacts in your body just like alcohol does.  So, if you're a pregnant or breastfeeding mom, a parent who lectures their kids against drinking alcohol, someone who grabs the low fat food (which often has a crazy amount of sugar), someone who thinks that natural sugar alternatives like agave is okay for you or someone who has just never really given the negative effects of sugar much thought, this is a good video to watch!! 

Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Oily/Combination Skin!!!

I'm jumping up and down for joy right now!!!  I CAN'T BELIEVE I NEVER KNEW ABOUT REVLON COLORSTAY FOUNDATION FOR OILY/COMBINATION SKIN!!!

This foundation has been around forever and ever and ever.  When I say forever, I mean it's been around since I was a teenager and all this while I have been searching for the perfect foundation for my incredibly oily skin!!! 

Nowadays, it's all about illuminating foundations so a super matte foundation is hard to find.  I started to google and read reviews about foundations that work well with oily skin and this came with top reviews.  It's a pharmacy brand and in the UK only costs around £12.  It's probably even cheaper in the US but it works like no other expensive foundation has ever worked for me.  I've been using MAC Studio Fix Fluid for years together with the Studio Fix Powder and that worked well. I only had to blot a handful of times a day.  I thought for years that was as good as it was going to get, but as you can see from my excitement, I was wrong!!

So let's go through the pros and cons of this product!!

What the reviewers said:

Pros:

• It finishes matte
• Most oily skin reviewers said they only had to blot about once in the day
• Good coverage, buildable to a full coverage

Cons:

• Smells bad
• Too thick
• No pump and in a glass bottle so the contents don't come out easily

My review:

Smell:

I find the smell to be quite decent.  I don't know if they reformulated the product or if i just have a high tolerance for funny smelling products.  It's more like a funny smelling perfume to me rather than the smell of plastic or chemicals like many people have said.

Texture:

It is a bit thick but in order to make sure it is worked in really well into my skin, I use a kabuki brush to spread it.  If you use your fingers, it may come out looking thicker and more cakey.

Coverage:

It has a fuller coverage but I wouldn't say it's quite a full coverage foundation.  Imperfections are hidden for the most part and my skin looks more flawless than with MAC Studio Fix Fluid.  The finish is truly matte which is something my oily skin rarely experiences.

I highlighted my nose and cheekbones as a truly matte finish flattens the face out!!

Lasting Strength:

It does last all day.  I have very oily skin so I still have to powder/blot once a day but the oiliness on my face is no where near what it was with my other foundations.  I look more glowy but definitely not oily. 

Colour:

I use Natural Tan which has a neutral undertone.  It is probably the best skin match I've ever had.  When I use MAC I will mix and NC 42 with an NC45 and use an NC43 powder over that.  I found NC42 made me look too white and NC45 too dark.  I'm not sure if NC43 is available in the liquid foundation as I've never seen it.  I also usually use Missha Perfect BB Cream in 31.  I realize now that undertone was not as good a match for my yellow undertone!! 

Revlon Colourstay Natural Tan on the left and Missha Perfect M BB Cream #31

The list below is a guide to your perfect Revlon Colorstay Foundation colour.  

Ivory: NW15/ NC15 lightest
Buff: NC20 best match for fair NCs
Sand Beige: NC20-25 somewhat neutral undertones
Nude: NC25 peachy undertones, definitely not for pinks or true golden
Natural Beige: NW20 tends to run pink
Medium Beige: NC27 between Sand Beige and Golden Beige
Fresh Beige: NW25 pinky undertones
Golden Beige: NC30 truest yellow/olive undertones
Warm Golden: NW30/NC30 somewhat neutral undertones
True Beige: NW30 pinky undertones (for Fresh Beige in summer)
Natural Tan: NC40/NC42 more neutral than golden caramel
Early Tan: NW35 somewhat peach undertones
Rich Tan: NW35 pinkish undertones
Golden Caramel: NC40/NC42 more golden than natural tan
Toast: NW43/NC45 neutral undertones
Rich Ginger: NW45 very peachy-pink
Caramel: NC45 seems to run true to color
Cappucino: NC50 slightly more peach than Caramel
Mahogany: NW50/NC55 the darkest of NWs but not extremely peachy
Mocha: NW55 very cool toned, almost grey undertone

*The colour chart was taken from the following blog:
Beauty with the beautifool

I definitely recommend this product for anyone who suffers from oily, shiny skin!!  If you feel you look too matte, do what I always recommend and use a highlighter on your cheekbones, forehead, nose and chin. 

I've heard that Estee Lauder Double Wear is really good too and is the more expensive, department store version of this product.  One day, I will be trying that out too and I'll let you know.  But for now, you can't beat the price or effectiveness of Revlon's Colorstay Foundation for oily/combination skin!! 

   

20 Chin Ups Thanks to Bartendaz Training!!!

 Didn't think I'd reach 20 so fast!!  Well, maybe half a chin up short!!  Gotta reach 20 with pull ups now!!!

Purple and Blue Ombre Effect Floral Nail Art!!

I haven't been using any expensive nail polish from OPI or Nails Inc.  Most of my nail polish are from Rimmel!!