Yo-ga girl!

(Image from tasterlab.com) 

It seems that everyone and their cat has been doing yoga lately. It seems to go along with the trend of drinking green juice and eating kale. If you're doing that, good for you! But I'm more of a chocolate for breakfast type of woman.

Anyway, yoga. It was recommended to me by my massage therapist and chiropractor. They basically told me, if I wanted less tight/tense/sore neck/shoulders/legs/body that I should give yoga a go, because not only is it stretching and strengthening everything (and I mean everything!), it also incorporates a meditation/relaxation component, which helps to de-stress.

I started by browsing on youtube for some beginner videos, to see if my uncoordinated self could actually do yoga, and I stumbled across the channel 'Yoga with Adriene.' Adriene has a yoga routine for every level of expertise, and every focus area, so if you don't have the time or the money to hit the mat at a proper yoga class, yoga in your bedroom can be just as good.

However, for me, going to an actual class has helped me a lot, because there's someone there to help you hit the poses correctly and safely, someone there to encourage and challenge you to push yourself that little bit further when things are getting slightly uncomfortable, and you have a whole hour to dedicate to your yoga practice, instead of a sequence or two at home.  I end up walking out of the class feeling very stretchy and very relaxed, which I have to admit, is a pretty good feeling. At the moment, yoga is the main type of exercise that I do, and I've never felt better.


When I get stressed, it tends to show up in my muscles. And since starting to properly attend yoga classes, I (and my health professionals) have noticed a big change in how my muscles are responding, which is brilliant for me!

And not only is yoga good for you in a relaxation/stretch way, it also helps to strengthen and tone your muscles! Another of the many reasons to jump on the bandwagon.

Are you on the yoga bandwagon?

Beth. x

The lazy girl's bioderma.. Worth the fuss?

When I saw my favourite make-up remover/cleanser in Priceline, with a convenient pump on the top, I jumped on it! I love Bioderma, but I tend to waste a lot when I'm trying to pour it out onto my cotton pads. I thought this innovation may save me from wasting my precious Bioderma, which doesn't come cheap.

The design is something a lot of brands are using at the moment, with a press down dispenser that you place your cotton pad on to absorb the product.

However, even though it looks efficient, it takes a good six or seven pumps to get the desired amount on your cotton pad, and if you press down on the dispenser too enthusiastically you end up with Bioderma going in every direction (and being wasted). And at $20 more than the normal bottle of this size, you may want to think twice before you buy this.  Although, a plus is the fact that this bottle is refillable (unlike the other Bioderma bottles), so you only have to buy the dispenser bottle once.

The verdict's still out, what do you guys think?

Beth. x

The repurchase list.

I've noticed lately, that many of the products I reach for on a daily basis are ones I couldn't live without, they're products that I have a back-up of a back-up because I love them that much.
So here is my 'Repurchase List,' the products that are always on my shopping list to buy again, because they're that good.

First up is Bioderma. As a person who has incredibly sensitive skin, this stuff is perfect for removing all makeup (and cleansing if you're lazy), without any irritation, and without any oily residue. It is slightly on the pricier side, but it is worth every penny.

Next on the list are a few fragrances.  I'm pretty picky about which perfumes I like, so when I find one that I do like, it's instantly on my shopping list again. My favourite perfume of the moment is 'Fancy' by Jessica Simpson. It has warm tones of vanilla and caramel, but also fruity tones of pear and apricot. I'm also guilty of buying 'Princess' by Vera Wang more than once too. This one is slightly more floral and musky. And finally on the fragrance front, is a body spray. Impulse 'Tease' is my favourite body spray of all time, and I freaked out when I thought it was discontinued. This one smells fruity like pineapple, with a woody side to it as well.

I love a good lip product, and I have far too many for one person, but these three are the best of the best in my opinion.
The Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella is my staple dark red, it's so easy to apply and it lasts and lasts. The Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in 107 is my favourite darker burgundy, and this line of lipsticks are an awesome budget buy... I may or may not have five shades in the range...
I also have a favourite lip balm. This is the Carmex Moisture Plus, it's not exactly the most exciting lip product, but it does what is says on the tin.

This year I also discovered some face products I wouldn't be without. The first two come from Arbonne, which is a vegan brand. I use the Perfecting Liquid Foundation and the Arbonne Intelligence CC Cream. And while these products are slightly pricey, they last really well on the skin, and last a long time in general, because you don't have to use too much product. 

A slightly more budget friendly option that I use every time I put makeup on, is the Rimmel Stay Matte Translucent  Powder. This powder makes whatever you put on your skin last all day, and helps to keep the oiliness at bay.

And last but not least are my favourite tools of the trade. I love most of the Real Techniques brushes if I'm honest (as you can see in this post), but the powder brush and the setting brush are the ones I wouldn't be able to cope without. They wash really well too, which is an added bonus. The setting brush especially is useful for setting foundation/concealer (surprise surprise!), blending in concealer under the eyes, and blending out eyeshadow too.

What are the products on your repurchase list?
I'd love to know!

Beth. x

The Greatest View.

Recently I was lucky enough to take a trip to the Gold Coast with two of my lovely friends. And despite it raining for most of the time (it's currently the wet season), we did and saw some amazing things.
So here are some of the happy snaps I took when I was there. Hope you enjoy!

Dessert at San Churro.

A thank you message written by our teppanyaki chef.

Strawberry and Mint Lemonade at the Hard Rock Cafe.

Mexican!

When we went on a Club Crawl.