My fitness/weightloss journey

Hey guys, I decided to switch it up today and write about my fitness/weightloss journey so far.
Only very recently, about 3 weeks ago, something almost switched on in my brain. I was sick of being out of shape, consuming junk food, alcohol every weekend and wishing for a body like J.Lo or Beyonce.
So I decided to get my runners on and do something about it :)

As you all know this is far from what I usually write about. Firsty I would like to say that this is what I have found that works for myself. I am by no means an expert on any of this stuff, its basically been just through trial and error and of course some major inspiration from apps such as Instagram and Pinterest.

Few facts about myself, I love excersise, so the gym was never a problem, have always had a curvy figure, big bum, big bust. You might think hey thats a great thing but it's not really when you loved creamy cakes, pizza, pasta, chocolate and they decide to go straight to your hips and arms.LOL. Also due to certain situations that every young woman has to go through in life, break ups, relationships, stress of work, deaths etc. I found myself piling on the weight. I decided right enough is enough, Im going to do something about this. Myself and a close friend of mine teamed up together and started out fresh, eating clean, drinking lots of water, going to the gym but most importantly motivating and encouraging eachother. 

Personally, I find there is nothing better than having some motivation, like a friend there to support you, lift your spirit, and set you straight when your getting fed up and just want to indulge in a takeaway.

Food wise:  I have almost cut out dairy products completely, opting for soya milk and chocolate bar. I found dairy products were bloating my tummy and not making me feel so good. I recently heard that the actual human body shouldn't be consuming dairy at all. I have a mjor sweet tooth, so I replace fizzy cola bottles with juicy fruits and sugar free jelly.

I also have a rule of having a high protien, good fats and very low carb breakfast, lunch and dinner. My motto is to eat like a king for breakfast, a queen for lunch and a peasent for dinner :)

I allow myself one cheat meal and a few drinks most Saturdays, I usually go to a restaurant for a delish meal. Recently I was in Coqbull in Cork City. AMAZING! The burger was literally the size of my head. When I'm on a night out in a bar, instead of my usual jager bomb or coctail, I now go for a low calorie, low sugar drink;
Vodka, soda water and a slice of lemon & lime. See... I'm not depriving myself yet I am being very mindfull of what my body is consuming and YES i am seeing results.

 Excersise wise: I try to attend the gym 5 times a week idealy, although this can vary depending on shift work at work etc. Idealy 5 times, if not 4 times. I HATE cardio, I LOVE weights but I try and mix both up. When I get home to my mam and dads, i love taking my babies up the fields for a run around. Nothing beats the country fresh air. I've learned though that it is vital to rest your body and let it recover. I love hot water bottles and have recently booked myself in for my first deep tissue massage in a spa. Excited!

In the space of only 3 weeks I have dropped almost 9 pounds. That has only been through utter dedication, resisting goodies, lots of water and hard work in the gym.

Below are some food ideas if you are interested, here are some of my fave meals to have.

• Gluten free pancakes
• Blueberries and soya greek yoghurt
• Fresh fruit salad
• Soya almond milk coffee 
• Spinach and cajun chicken omelette
• Boiled eggs
• Beans on riveta crackers 
• Paprika chicken salad
• Tuna and sweetcorn salad 
• Quick oats with blueberries (tastes like blueberry muffin!)
• Turkey mince and 1/2 cup of brown rice
• ON and Quest protien bars (they are amazing)
• Sugar free jelly
• 80% dark cocoa chocolate 
• Stuffed pepper with onion, garlic, peas and low fat feta
• Banana & teaspoon of crunchy peanut butter
• Almonds 
• Walnuts
• 3 litres of water 
• Peppermint tea (the best for a bloated tummy) 
• Lean meatballs with lettuce wraps

So there you have it, if you're not happy or comfortable in your own body and want to make a change, go for it. Whats stopping you?.. Only yourself.

Hope this helped guys, 
Thanks for reading, until my next blog post..
Vanity Vixen x 

Mindfulness

In todays blog post, I decided to steer away from my usual topics and write a more personal post.
I usually try to avoid writing personal topics on my blog, cause I feel like not everyone will agree and dread the thought of any nasty feedback or comments, but today I'm feeling like a bad ass.....so ya lets do this :)
 
Recently I have introduced a new activity into my life called 'mindfulness'.
To briefly explain what it is, its sort of a method of thinking, almost a meditation.
Accepting your current thoughts, sensations around you and acknowledging them. Being mindful is not only being aware, it is being aware of awareness. It's approaching the present experience with a reflective awareness. Basically, to put it in simple terms, its more or less a way of positive thinking, reflecting, taking in the present and appreciating the littlest things that life gives us every day.

I practice it twice everyday.  Five minutes before I get up in the morning and five minutes in bed before I go to sleep. It gives me time to reflect on all the positive things that happened throughout the day, the great people I was around and how I feel about it. It also gives me time to just breath deeply, and unwind properly.

This is such a fab way to end a long stressful day, especially if your busy like myself, or a mammy or student with loads of exams coming up. Practice it, give it a go, it doesn't cost anything and trust me your whole mood will benefit from it.

I have always been told growing up that happiness is a choice, and you are 100% respsonsible for own happiness, nobody else.
You make your own happiness.
Be mindful of your happiness.


Vanity Vixen x

'Great Lengths' @ The Hair Bar

As I'm sure most of you know by now, I had the pleasure of having a luxurious set of 'Great Lengths' extensions applied last Thursday. Are they what I expected them to be?! YES! They are everything and more.
Now I finally know how Beyonce feels when she wakes up flawless, cause shes obviously been on this 'Great Lengths' buzz. Waking up feeling like a million dollars every morning, and simply NEVER experiencing a bad hair for the next 6-9 months, tell me...what girl doesn't want that?! 

I have always had long, thick-ish hair but I could never achieve that full volume bouncy look without having to go to the hair dressers every time I went out and to be honest I was getting tired of doing that, I wanted a more permanent solution. That's when my lovely stylist Ciara (The Hair Bar, Douglas) introduced me to Great Length's.

Great Lengths or often reffered to as the 'Royles royce' of all hair extentions, supplie quality  healthy hair extensions. They come in a wide range of rich and vibrant colours.The part I found super  interesting is the hair is sourced from Indian temples, where the hair is blessed and sold fairly, branding it 'fair trade'. I thought this was fantastic as I am a huge supporter of the fair trade fruit and veg, its great for the local workers and traders as they are getting a fair price for the products they are selling. 

There are many extensions out there, but what makes Great Lengths stand out above the rest is the bonds. Great lengths extensions use keratin bonds to apply the hair. Keratin is the same substance, a protein that is found naturally in our hair. It is applied to the hair using hot and cold heat. The hot heat only touches the bond, while the cold heat touches your hair. So as you can imagine there is no heat what so ever being applied to your hair so therefore none of your hair is being damaged. The bonds are quite small, they blend so well into the hair. They don’t feel heavy on the head, like some extensions can. I found with clip in extenions I use to get a migraine every time I wore them as the clips stuck right into my scalp.OUCH!
In the one week I've had the Great Lengths, I have had ZERO migraines and even had people (even men) comment on how amazing my hair is..and when I mention they are extentions they cant get over how natural and well blended they look.

Anyway lets get down to business :)

Ciara who is a colour specialist, put alot of time and effort into colour matching my hair to make sure she had the exact colours I wanted. My inspiration was to create a look inspired by Khloe Kardashian's gorgeous hair, I'm slightly obsessed! Ciara blended five tones all together, to perfectly match up to the honey 'HD' ombre that she had previously coloured for me. 

 Altogether it took 4-5 hours, mind you it flew! I was treated like royalty, a creamy warm cappachino in one hand & the latest Vogue magazine in the other. Ciara looked after me from start to finish, I couldn't praise this talented young woman enough. After they had been applied, she styled them around my face, taking my face shape in to consideration, slightly trimming them, giving the extentions more definition and keeping them very natural looking. To finish and to add that extra touch of holly wood glamour Ciara used the famous 'Instyler'. 
The 'Instyler' popular with celebs such as Cheryl Cole, Georgia Salpa and Rosana Davison is used to create a wavy volumized bounce to the hair without it taking away from the 40cm length that I opted for. The Great Lengths are super easy to style and hold curls so well, usually curls would fall out of my hair quit quick, but with these beautys in, they stay put for upto almost 2 days. 

Great lengths, when applied properly and taken care of should last 6 months. Ciara was kind enough to provide me with the tools to maintain my gorgeous lengths. A specialised Great Lengths shampoo, conditioner and brush to take good care of my lucsious repunzal locks. Yes they are more expensive than most hair extensions, but most hair extension only last 2-3 months and end up costing the same amount when they need to be reapplied so soon. Not to mention the damage most hair extentions do to your hair. Great Lengths do absolute ZERO damage and allow your own natural hair to grow and breath properly while still having an amazing head of hair. (Best of both worlds!)

Ok so the question every ones been asking. HOW MUCH? 
The price of these extensions differ from person to person due to the length and volume of your own hair and the length, volume and look you desire. While I can’t give the price here, I will say, they are not as expensive as you think. They are 200% worth the investment. You cannot price feeling like a godess every day can you?!
The Hair Bar, Douglas are the first Great Lengths gold status salon, meaning they specialise in these luxurious brand extentions. I would highly reccomend any girl who is considering getting extentions to book a free consultation with these lovely, helpful ladies. 
Ciara being the colour specialist will colour match to your indivdual skin, eye and hair colour personalising your Great Lengths 100% . Then explaining how much exactly it would work out for you. At the moment The Hair Bar, Douglas are running an amazing offer untill the 20th of March, 25% off all Great Length hair extentions.

Over all...Life is good I now wake up every morning looking and feeling like Beyonce, well not really but I'm as close as i'll ever be! LOL 
A girl can dream! :)
In the short time the Great Lengths have been apart of my life,  I now can look in the mirror and I finally LOVE the reflection lookg back at me. 
I think every one of us should feel like this....don't you?! 

Until my next blog post, 
Night VV x

INGLOT- First impressions

Hope you are all enjoying a relaxing fun filled Sunday, I know I am. 

So as promised I am going to have a quick natter about my first impressions on Inglot cosmetics, its prices and is it really worth all the hype I have been hearing about. 100% honest.
Lets get cracking! :)

Recently I took a trip down to Mahon Point on a day off, and decided to go for a 'nose' into the relatively new Inglot store. OK so, I'm guilty when I say a 'nose' because that soon quickly turned into a full blown shopping spree, I went a tad bit crazy but I don't regret it.

''Life is short...buy the god damn makeup.''


Firstly I needed to stock up on a few essentials, such as a new full coverage cream based foundation (I'm super fussy when it comes to foundations) a pigment, a matte bronzer
(for my beloved contouring) a light concealer and a blush. All five products came to an amazing
82.50euro, I wont lie I felt like hugging the girl behind the till, I was like ''REAAALLLY?''
 Considering you would go into the likes of MAC or YSL, pick up two products and it easily coming to 60/70. Inglot is definitely up there with the likes of those expensive luxurious brands, more or less the exact same quality, except way more affordable. Making it achievable for young teens, students or moms to actually treat themselves every now and then- which is great! :)

The foundation- 
'YSM' (Shade '45')
A long lasting, foundation with mattifying agents. Provides a smooth, natural looking matte finish while leaving the skin radiant and comfortably plumped up.

My first impression of this foundation; it was far from full coverage, to me it was more light to medium coverage which I was kind of disappointed. So I mixed it with my beloved Vichy 'Dermablend' and adds a gorgeous golden colour,  nice consistency really compliments my other foundations. BUT to full coverage lovers I wouldn't recommend, however for those of you\ looking for a light weight foundation that stays put and has a matte finish 'YSM' foundation
is an ideal option for you guys.

The bronzer-
Freedom system 'AMC' bronzing powder (shade '75')
A matte pressed bronzing powder with intense colour payoff thanks to the treated pigments,
mica, and an excellent talc-free formula. The addition of hydrophobic compounds ensures it is long wearing and unaffected by perspiration or other moisture. Available in Freedom System, which is also Eco-friendly and come with re-usable palettes.

fell in love with this bronzer, the perfect contour product to set your cream concealer while perfecting that 'Kim K' contour. Glides on flawlessly and so smoothly, highly pigmented, so I usually tap some product off the brush before applying, as it is super build able, always remember less is more. Also an amazing transition colour that I tend to use alot when blending out eye shadows to give a soft smokey look. I loved the palette is came with, its actual cover is magnetic so protects the bronzer so you don't have to worry about it falling and cracking up into a million pieces (the worst!) 10/10 ladies, major thumbs up!


The pigment-
Body pigment powder 'Pearl' (shade 179)
Intensely pigmented powders that provide a powerful pop of colour that is durable and won’t fall off. Product can be used alone or mixed with other shades to customise colour. The delicate, oil-free formula ensures perfect application.

Only one word for Inglot's pigments....WOWZA!So richly pigmented, besides MAC I don't really know of any other prestigious makeup line that does such a gorgeous pigment.
I usually add this shade in the middle of my eye lid to create a 'spotlight' effect or in the inner corners of my eye OR I mix some of it into my liquid highlighter for super intense highlighted skin for nights out. Worth every penny.


The cream concealer
'AMC' Cream Concealer;
uses pigments and light diffusers to provide a soft focus effect. Enriched with vitamin E and A, this concealer can be blended and sheered out to be used as foundation.

I use this cream based beauty to highlight during contouring process, apply over foundation to under eye area in 'V' shape right up to temples, down the middle of my nose (to slim) centre of forehead, right under contoured cheekbones to emphasis the contour, cupids bow and middle of chin. I'm not going to lie this concealer has a very strange texture, almost waxy, but in saying that it stays put, blends like a dream, super moisturising and does not crease when set with powder.
It has multiple uses, I like to mix it into a baby pink or brown lipstick to create a more nude shade if I'm feeling like a nude lip. It also doubles up as an eyeshadow primer which is fantastic. Other shades include a green based concealer used to conceal any redness, fab for people who suffer from rosacea or acne. Over all, an unreal product.

 Last but not least, this pretty pink sparkly blush...

The blush-
Face blush (shade 36);
Classic face blush that adds healthy colour to ones face.
Rich formula allows smooth application and build able colour.

When it comes to buying blushes for some reason I always steer towards the sparkly pink shades so I couldn't leave this behind me. Again very pigmented so less is more because you don't want to look like crusty the clown either LOL. Also a gorgeous pink shade for blending out any purple eye shadows. 

So over all, a great first impression with these Inglot goodies I picked up, high quality, richly pigmented products that stay put. Guess all the hype about Inglot was definitely worth 
my while checking out.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday fun day.
Until my next blog post..thanks for reading guys. 

Vanity Vixen x

New year, New hair.

My recent hair transformation


Recently I was lucky enough to be contacted by a very prestigious hair salon in Cork,
The Hair Bar.
They asked me out to have both my colour and cut done, and to try out some of their hair care products etc. Going from a caramel blonde back to dark brown again, I was slightly hesitant but none the less my hair turned out amazing and I couldn't be happier with the service provided. 

Ciara, a talented colour specialist, very passionate about hair, firstly went through a consultation with me. I found this part of the service helped so much in explaining everything in detail, from what dark browns would suit my skin tone, the current condition of my hair to what actual products I should be using on my hair to maintain the colour and shine.

After the consultation was completed Ciara then suggested a rich dark base, with a rose gold ombre effect at the ends. I straight away thought of rose gold jewellery and how stunning it is so my initial reaction was YESSSSS!! Besides life is to short to have the same hair as everyone else.
I was delighted with the way the colour came out and how different it was to the usual caramel and yellowish tones that usually come to mind when you think of ombre hair.

I then asked for a bit of volume and bounce in my hair as I feel my hair can be very flat, I literally have a phobia of having flat hair. Not attractive! One of the lovely staff members; Haley introduced me to the 'InStyler' a very popular new hair tool that the girls in the salon swear by.
I found the 'InStyler' was fantastic. Both a styling and straitening iron, it left my hair so bouncy and full of volume even without back combing it, avoiding all damage being done to the hair.

The costumer service in The Hair Bar is second to none, I know myself that you have to be comfortable with your stylist to fully enjoy the experience. I had about 2 or 3 cappachinos and a mountain of cosmopolitan magazines, what every woman needs every now and again. Bliss!

The Hair Bar were also kind enough to provide me with an after care kit including a shampoo, conditioner and dry ends serum all free from any harmful chemicals.
I will have a blog post up on my verdict of those products in the next week or two.


If any of you ladies are thinking of getting your hair done, weather its a new colour or a new cut but you're unsure of what to do. I would highly recommend this salon, not just because of how satisfied I was with the outcome of my own hair but for the friendly costumer service and the fact that 100% attention is given to you and your hair.

To book a hair consultation/appointment with The Hair Bar  contact; 0214895455

Would like to say a massive thank you to Ciara and the girls in The Hair Bar, Douglas.

Below are a few snaps :-)

10 simple ways to improve your happiness

1. Laugh out loud. . . It is scientifically proven that laughing decreases stress levels.
Sitting next to people at work that make you laugh or getting the bus home with a hilarious person. Or...laugh at your own jokes :) L.O.L

2. Go to sleep. . . Personally I know sleep improves my mood & over all happiness.Taking a daily 20 minute nap or getting into bed an hour earlier makes the world of a difference, take it from me my nickname is sleeping beauty. #sleepingproblem

3. Make a list. . . There is nothing like a list. Write down all your tasks and 'to dos'.
 Helps to organise your thoughts and calm any anxiety. Me & my bestie are a tad bit obsessed with lists, we love to plan lol, she knows who she is :)

4. Music. . . For me, listening to music is a huge part of my life, whenever I'm feeling down in
the dumps I turn on my fave Nicki Minaj to lift my spirit, when I'm worried I turn on
either Jhene Aiko, Lauryn Hill or Bob Marley to calm my nerves. Music works wonders.

5. Exercise. . . I am aware not every one is into the gym or fitness classes, but a simple brisk walk or a swim or any type of exercise has a serious effect on our brain.
Exercise has been proven to be a more effective stress/anxiety reliever than tranquilliser's. 

6. Eliminate toxic people. . . Ain't nobody got time for toxic, mean, nasty people. Get rid of them.

7. Cuddle your pets. . . Besides their cuteness, pets see and hear everything, know exactly
when your feeling down and never judge you, not to mention their loyalty.
They can sense exactly how your feeling. I adore all my babies.
They make me smile every time even without realising. 

8. Indulge. . . I believe its a major factor when it comes to happiness, weather its shopping or food.
 Make sure to indulge a little in  life. Go on, buy the Prada bag or expensive Belgian
chocolates life is too short!

9. Prioritise close relationships. . . Make time for all your day 1s/mains/besties/BFFs whatever
you wanna call them :) Your family, blood is thicker & all that.

10. Count your blessings. . . People who pause each day to reflect on some positive aspect of
lives, experience a heightened sense of happiness and well-being. 


Hope you enjoyed this blog post, I don't claim to be a doctor or therapist but from my own experience all of the above work wonders. Plus I love positive, personal lifestyle blog posts.

Have a toasty, cosy Sunday night.

Vanity Vixen x                                                   

Review on Benefit's 'Luv It Up' palette

'Luv It Up'

I recently recieved this gorgeous Benefit 'Luv It Up' makeup palette as a gift from my generous momma. The palette contains 3 neutral powder eye shadows, a cream eyeshadow and a lip gloss.

The actual makeup comes in a cute little vintage style tin, which is fab cause after your finished with the makeup, you can use it to store your precious expensive jewelery. So handy!

This palette is perfect for everyday use as it contains 3 neutral eye shadows that are suitable for daytime wear but can also be used at night time too, to create that ultra contoured smokey eye.

'Call My Buff'
This is ideal for all over, from lid to brow bone to create a base for the other shadows to sit on.

'Nude Swings' This gold pigmentated shadow can be used all over the eyelid, not passing out crease.  

'Thanks A Latte'  

I personally love to use this in the crease but blend it out a good bit above the crease to give an exaggerated '3D' effect, contouring the eyes.

 

Here are some swatches I took a snap of earlier.

Such natural pretty tones.

The 'Luv It Up' palette also contains a mini tube of Benefit's popular lip gloss 'Dandelion'. 

Personally glosses wouldn't be my fave, I prefer my matte lipsticks, but this gloss paired with my fave matte nude lipstick (Myth by MAC) looks absolutely devine and smells even better. 

Think vanilla/watermelon. Hello like! Yum! Who doesn't want to smell like that?!

Last but not least. 

The 'Creaseless Cream' eyeshadow that can also be used as an eye shadow primer and 

highlighter too.

Really? YES. One product, but you are getting so much more than a cream shadow. 

This cream shadow has a beautiful smooth, creamy consistancy and glides on so well and suprisingly stays put without creasing..hence the name 'creaseless', whitty ehh?! :)

For those of you that have a major makeup and palette collection, like myself..there is nothing that really stands out about this palette. Other than the gorgeous packaging, vintage style tin it comes in. However in saying that the products are luxurious quality, highly pigmentated and of course give that desired 'neutral' daytime look. 

The 'Luv It Up' palette would be a perfect christmas gift for a beginner or somebody that wants to create a glam look with fab products yet remaining natural, 'nude' and fresh looking.

Hope you all enjoyed, 

Until my next blog post.. 

Vanity Vixen x