Bye Bye Baby Weight

Well I am certainly not going to win any blogger of the year posts at this rate! In all honesty, I've been so busy since Christmas, I've also kept my hand in the whole beauty world by doing a lot of freelance make up jobs which I am really enjoying. This post isn't strictly beauty related but I had an epihany around February/ March time when I realised that no matter how much make up I buy, I would never be happy with my appearance until I addressed my weight. I literally was the elephant in the room! Almost three years ago I had a beautiful baby girl, I threw myself in the motherhood deep end and became totally obsessed with the baby, I was working full time and when I came home, I was over compensating for the time I wasn't spending with her. I was so busy that the worst food habits crept in, deli food which I had detested all my life became a morning special. Evening relaxation involved a glass of wine and for energy during the day I drank copious amounts of Lucozade. At my first anti-natal visit I weighed just over 9 st, by the last visit I was almost 11 st, however within weeks I had lost a lot of that, by the time we went on holidays just after Pippa's first birthday I was wearing size 10 clothes. However the next year and a half saw me creep up to over 11 st which was way to much for my height (5ft 4 3/4 in). I was uncomfortable at this weight even if I didn't acknowledge it, my clothes were all too tight, my stomach was like jelly and even my arms had cellulite. I mostly ignored it as I liked my cosy little life, also sometimes I thought it was unfair that I was overweight as I never ate huge piles of food and I was quite active. However towards the end of February I decided enough was enough, I had no confidence left. Previously it had seemed like a daunting task as I had quite a lot of weight to lose.

The Eureka moment came when I picked up a cheap work skirt in Pennys, it was a size 12 and I was realistically a size 14 but in denial. The next day I couldn't budge the zip, I looked at pics of myself taken on a family picnic and recoiled in disgust at my stomach. The decision was finally made, I had to get rid of this weight. This morning I weighed myself and I am 8st 7lbs so I have lost over 2 1/2 stone in the past few months. The first question most ppl ask is how did you do it? Well...... a little disclaimer first, I am a qualified personal trainer, I did the course part time whilst I was at University so I do have more knowledge than the average person setting out on a weight loss journey. Having lost weight before I knew that the first step is to keep the weight loss sustainable and overhaul my lifestyle. One thing I would say to anyone going on a weight loss plan is to simplify it as much as possible, crazy diets such as Atkins, Paleo, HCG, Lipotrim etc... usually only work in the short term and they lead to feelings of deprivation and denial. This in turn can lead to binge eating and subsequent weight gain with an impaired metabolism. The answer really is simple - eat less and move around more. For example I could never give up carbs but in general I try to eat the good ones, the brown bread, rice, pasta etc... I started to eat mostly clean albeit with a few treats thrown in.

My daily food plan would look something like this:

Breakfast: -Coffee with skimmed milk
                - Porridge with Banana and Cinnamon or Ginger and Apple
                   OR
                - Brown Bread Toast with Peanut Butter and Banana

Lunch:     - Wholemeal Pitta Bread with Tuna and Salad
                  OR
               - Salad with Feta Cheese, Olives, Tomatoes, Romaine, Red Onion and Low Fat Dressing
                  OR
               - Brown Rice with a Chickpea Curry

Dinner:    - Chicken or Beef Stir- Fry
                 OR
               - Fish with Roasted Mediterranean Veg
                  OR
               - Spanish Omelette and Salad
                  OR
               - Spagetti Bolognese (Brown Pasta)

Snacks:   - Pineapple and Coconut Activia Yoghurt
               - Apple and Pear
               - Few Squares of Chocolate

I have one cheat day a week where I eat what I like within reason :-) I also have Pomegranate juice from Holland and Barrett everyday- one shot of the concentrated stuff for the anti- oxidant benefits. The cheat day really helps as if your craving something you can reassure yourself that you can have it soon and also it stops your metabolism slowing down as you're giving it a jolt every now and then.

In terms of exercise, again I didn't kill myself, I did 20 minutes of weight training a few times a week followed by a ten minute ab workout and i tried to fit in 3-4 cardio based activities which can be as simple as going for a good walk. A few tips in terms of exercise- the no pain no gain motto is redundant, the way your body looks will always be 70% diet and 30% exercise. Don't  beat yourself up if you miss a session or push yourself beyond the point of endurance. Find an activity that you enjoy whether it's walking or swimming or a Zumba class, that way you will be less likely to abandon it! If you need tone up then focus on the big muscle groups with exercises such as lunges, squats and push ups.

If you only take one thing away from this post then please let it be this- don't be too strict- it will set you up for failure. Be kind to yourself, get plenty of rest, if you fancy a biscuit have one just don't eat a packet and if you do eat a packet leave it there, don't reach for the ice cream too it will only make things worse. One slip up xmake you fat, just like one good day won't make you thin- the key is consistency :-) xxxxxxxxxx

The obligatory before and after lol. Sorry for the badly taken selfie, no assistants at home today lol x

Love for Clinque

I was going to do a Christmas Haul post first but I figured at best they are long-winded and at worst boastful so instead I thought I'd write about my love for a brand which is often overlooked in favour of more fashionable and exciting brands. When I was in University I worked in Boots in Galway and Clinque and Estee Lauder were complete older Mammy and Granny magnets. However the Clinque Consultant was without a shadow of a doubt the most immaculate creature I have ever met. This spiked my interest and in  quiet moments I'd go over and cover my arms in swatches.

Throughout the years I have really put the brand through it's paces and whilst some products will never get my seal of approval ( e.g toners which could double as paint strippers in my opinion). However others have earned a place as my all time Holy Grail products and will always have a place on my Vanity.

The Skincare Stars
So to the products, first up Take the Day Off Make Up Remover and Cleansing Milk. The dual formula shake to mix formula of the make up remover for eyes and lips is a trojan of a product. A little goes a long way and it makes short work of even the most stubborn water-proof mascaras and gel eye-liners. It is fabulous in it's effectiveness and is Ophtalmologist tested and suitable for contact lense wearers. I wear contacts and this is one of very few products that does not irritate my eyes. Secondly the cleansing milk, I massage this all over my face and remove with cotton pads soaked in Rosewater before double cleansing with my Ren Cleansing Balm. This leaves my skin refreshed and clean and ready for Moisturiser.

The Make- up Basics
I am starting with a product I have amazingly never seen mentioned anywhere in the beauty blogging community- that is Clinque Repairwear foundation. This is the best "going out" foundation ever, I use the shade Vanilla mixed with a little Mac Strobe cream for a dewy glow that lasts all night. It is full coverage, easy to blend and unlike some full coverage foundations it doesn't feel heavy, it covers all imperfections easily. It gives you an air-brushed, flawless look that lasts and lasts. It has an SPF of 15 and whilst I feel it is too heavy for day wear if you have young skin my Mum is hooked on it and she uses it as her daily foundation.

To set my Repairwear I use Clinque Blended face powder which comes with a little silver brush. I dust this over my t-zone with a large powder brush. It mattifies oily areas without making the skin look dull and cakey, it minimises pores and lasts about four to five hours before needing a top up on my combination skin. The brush is fairly useless, I think I only ever tried it once but it is far too small to do the job at hand however it might make a nice travel sized blusher brush.

My last make up basic is the Clinque High Impact Eyeshadow Quad in Spicy. These shadows are always the ones I reach for in the morning when I'm in a rush. they are soft, buttery, well pigmented and need no primer to last all day. These look so beautifully expensive on the eyes and I will do a FOTD post soon featuring them if anyone is interested

Sweet Scents
When I was working in Boots we also had this theory that the reason the Estee Lauder and Clinque Scents were so popular with the Blue Rinse Brigade was due to the fact that their sense of smell was diminished and therefore they only perfumes they could smell were the ones who could cure sinus trouble in a dead fox! The exception to this rule is Clinque Happy, first brought to my attention during the advertising extravaganza that was the opening credits of Legally Blonde. I wanted every product Elle owned (don't judge me I was young). I love Clinque Happy, it really makes me feel well happy and I've recently received a bottle of Clinque Happy in Bloom which I will be wearing a lot come Spring/ Summer.

So that's my best of brand list for Clinque, Would anyone like to see similar posts on other brands? Let me know in the comments.

Much Love,
Nic

Welcome :-)

Welcome, welcome, welcome to all my visitors. I really hope this blog is a success as it will give me the chance to talk about all the stuff my friends and family are bored to tears with! One of my two long suffering sisters actually went out and bought me copies of each eye-shadow she owns as I had complemented her on them so many times in an effort to induce a make-up related conversation. My two and a half year old daughter can indentify make up brand by packaging and when she reaches for an item of make-up she instantly reassures me that "It's not MAC Mummy" lol. My Fiance is incredibly even tempered about the whole thing, length of time spent doing make-up, being dragged around chemists and listening to Pixiwoo sounds coming from the laptop of an evening. It's probably because I put up with his fishing obsession and whilst products can be expensive they are no where in the same price region as rods, alarms, over-priced tents etc...

Anyway I digress here's a pic of me with my daughter Pippa, who is obsessed with nail polish and make up and is completely adept at opening containers of all shapes and sizes.

I will be posting about my Christmas Haul tomorrow. Love and cuddles

Nic xxx