Top 5 lipsticks at the moment

I've been neglecting my lip products for a while. Not intentionally, I've just been slicking on some lip balm as I'm running through the door. These last couple of weeks I've been making more of an effort, and I've found myself reaching for the same few lipsticks. In no particular order, my favourite lipsticks at the moment:

NYX Lipstick - Summer Love
A nude with brown/beige undertones, so it stops me looking washed out. It's also great when I've used bronzer as 'regular' nude colours are so pale and pink that they look like concealer. It's a semi-matte finish, so it's not the glossiest or most moisturising lipstick I own. I pair it with a lipgloss to counteract that though.

 

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick - Lingerie Pink
I <3 YSL Rouge Voluptes, and this colour is just gorgeous. It's a bright, vivid pink akin to MAC's Viva Glam Gaga, but is a much better formula. Fabulous way of having statement lips without being OTT. It's opaque with just one swipe, so although it isn't sheer, it is buildable to get a bolder look.

MAC Lipstick - Gotta Dash
My newest addition to my collection and it is an uber glossy coral colour. I love wearing this when I want my lips to be the focus but want something a little bit different to red or pink. I also like this because I love wearing peachy coloured blush, so they compliment each other perfectly.

MAC Lipstick - Angel
Old faithful and popular colour, Angel. It's a muted pink colour, so will go with a whole array of looks. It is a frost, which I used to hate, but the more I wear it the more I fall in love with this lipstick. I used to prefer Creme Cup (also from MAC) as the colour was identical but the creamsheen finish was better. Well, I've changed my mind and prefer this one. The frost finish adds a lovely sheen and because it isn't super glossy or shiny, I find it to be longer lasting.

MAC Lipstick - Victorian
This was a limited edition colour and I just adore it. This is reserved for Summer only as it is so bright and gorgeous. It is a pink-coral with a golden shimmer. Another frost formula so lasts a while, even in the heat (not that we've had much heat), and the colour is just glorious next to bronzed, glowy skin.

And here are some swatches for you. From top to bottom we have:
NYX Summer Love, YSL Lingerie Pink, MAC Gotta Dash!, MAC Angel and MAC Victorian.

These colours have been my staples recently - what colours have been yours?

xoxo

Top 5 tips for getting healthy

It's F-F-F-FRIDAY! And it feels sooo good to not have to work today. I'm off on Thursday every week but I swapped my shifts this week. I love having Friday's off - not only are they horrendous shifts in work, it means I get a long weekend. Win/win.

My best friend in work came back off her holidays on Wednesday, and one of the first things she said to me was that I've lost weight. I haven't seen her for 3 weeks so I'm so pleased she said that, as apart from my bad weekend, I've worked really hard. One of my big bosses came into work on Friday too. He is also the husband of one of my friends, and I haven't seen him since a BBQ at his house last year. He also commented that I've lost loads of weight and that I, to quote, "look fantastic". Life. Is. Good. That's enough to motivate me :)

Speaking of motivation, Total Yoghurt have set up a Fit 4 Summer webpage to help encourage people to get fit for Summer (clearly...) and they want people to share their health and nutrition tips. I was tagged to share my tips by Rachel. This is something I am still trying to master myself so I don't have 10 tips, but I thought it would be a good idea to post as many tips as I can anyway, even if it is to remotivate myself in a few months time. As an aside, I LOVE Total Yoghurts. I love having a great big bowl of fruit salad, topped with some 0% Total Greek Yoghurt, a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of flaked almonds. Mmm yum!

Tip 1 - Prepare, prepare, prepare.

Where I work we eat like pigs. There's toast or croissants with real butter and jam at 10:30am, one colleague shares her calorific cooking with everyone, such as potato salads laden with mayonnaise, pasta smothered in creamy sauces and cheese, or something as simple as crisps and dips. By 3pm we're reaching for the bars upon bars of chocolate or a cream cake. See? Pigs. I take my own healthy snacks with me now. Often, I'm not hungry when these things are put in front of me, it's just lack of willpower. Now if I simply can't resist eating something, I eat my snack, which satisfies me perfectly. The same applies to any meal. If I know I have something prepared for when I'm hungry, I'm less likely to eat the first convenient (and often artery-clogging fattening) thing within arms reach.

Tip 2 - Stay hydrated.

I aim to drink at least 2 litres of water a day. Sometimes hunger pangs are actually your body's way of telling you that you're dehydrated, so if you do feel peckish, have a drink of water first to see if it subsides. Drinking water is also beneficial to your skin too, so if you want to look younger, guzzle a glass! Don't forget, you shouldn't even be reaching the 'thirsty' stage - by then you are dehydrated.

Tip 3 - Try and vary the foods you eat.

My Mam can't eat tomatoes anymore as she literally ate them every single day (and practically almost every meal) when she was on a diet! I try and keep myself motivated by including a variety of foods, and experimenting with vegetables I've never tried before. I also like to vary the colours of the fruits and vegetables that I am eating, and try to incorporate something from each colour. Chances are, if you aren't limiting yourself to just a few things, you won't get bored easily.

Tip 4 - Think about your cooking methods.

Love chips? Instead of deep fat frying them, try cutting up your potatoes, parboiling them for a few minutes, spreading them in a single layer on a baking sheet, and roasting in the oven. Should hit the spot! As it happens, I'm not a chip lover, but the idea applies to everything. I grill or boil everything now, and only bake or roast if no oil or fats are involved. Different cooking methods make certain foods taste different too, which also contributes to the variety aspect of tip number 3.

Tip 5 - Find an exercise you enjoy.

Last year I really got into running. I blogged about it here and here, and I wish I had kept it up. It's a long story as to why I fell off the wagon, but I am waiting for the horrendous weather to go away before I start it back up again. If you are a runner but hate the thought of being in the gym on the treadmill for a long, mundane hour, hit your local parks or beach instead! Find a partner who enjoys it as much as you do. Join a class or group of like-minded people. My friend adores kettlebells, so she has joined a class as it isn't an intense a workout when she does it at home.

So tell me, what has been the highlight of your week, and what are your top tips?

xoxo

Lipstick - collection, swatches and Top 5

I've been wearing make up for a good 12 or 13 years, and it's only during the last 12 months or so that I've appreciated lipstick. Until then I used to prefer lipgloss and would always carry it with me in my pocket or bag. Now I've done a complete 180 and hardly ever wear gloss, but will always wear a lipstick. I have 26 lipsticks in total, which is not a lot compared to some, but is a bit excessive if you consider I've only been wearing them for a year!

Left to Right (all MAC) : Pure Rose, Creme d'Nude, Hue, Creme Cup, Angel, Snob, Cute-Ster, Lollipop Loving, Big Bow, Lavender Whip, Purple Rite, Pomposity, Gladiola and Kiss Manish. I used to have Viva Glam VI Special Edition, but my Mam borrowed it and never gave it back!

Left to Right : YSL Rouge Volupte 2 'Sensual Silk', Illamasqua 'Obey', GOSH 'Darling', Revlon 'Pink Pout', Barry M 53 'Coral', Barry M 113 'Sheer Pink', and Barry M 129 'Palest Lavender'.

Left to Right (all Maybelline Colour Sensational) - 112 'Ambre Rose', 240 'Galactic Mauve', 245 'Magic Mauve', 535 'Ruby Star', 605 'Precious Beige'.

Some swatches for you, though the nudey-pink MAC ones are awful, sorry!

And my Top 5 lipsticks, in no particular order:

MAC Pure Rose, Maybelline Ambre Rose, YSL Sensual Silk, MAC Creme Cup, MAC Creme d'Nude

As you can see I have a lot of love for nudes or pale pinks. I just feel more comfortable wearing those because I play up my eyes. Even in the daytime I wear loads of mascara, so I think a bold lip with dark eyes would draw too much attention to me. For daytime at least haha.

Do you think I'm missing some crucial lipsticks in my collection? Let me know in the comments x

Top 5 Christmas films

It's become somewhat of a tradition for Mr Lollipop and I to spend the Sunday before Christmas recuperating from hectic shopping expeditions, stressful working days and alcohol-fuelled late nights, by relaxing on the sofa with a big tin of Quality Street, watching some Christmas films! On today's agenda we have, in no particular order:

1. Elf

Will Ferrell is a comedy genius. Elf is so silly and childish and we quote Buddy to each other alllllll the time. SANTAAAAAAA!! Santa's coming!! I KNOW HIM!! haha. It makes me feel all festive, even if the Santa in this film seems a bit too grumpy!

2. Love Actually

Aah a bit of Christmas romance. I can't pick a favourite character or storyline because I love them all, and the music is fabulous. Otis Redding's White Christmas gives me goosebumps everytime I hear it, it's so gorgeous.

3. Miracle On 34th Street

I absolutely adore this film. I end up believing in Santa for a little while after watching it because Richard Attenborough is such a brilliant and realistic Santa Claus! It's just a really cute Christmassy movie and it takes me back to being a 10 year old, watching it in the cinema with my friends on a school trip.

4. Home Alone

No Christmas film line up would be complete without this classic! Harry and Marv are a brilliant double-act, and I just love watching Kevin's revenge on them. I normally watch this one with my Mam, and she laughs until she hurts, which makes me laugh all the more!

5. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

In a word? HILARIOUS!! Clark reminds me of my OCD Dad when it comes to Christmas decorations. It's silly humour, but definitely one I love watching at Christmas time. We are nicknamed 'The Griswold's' at Christmas time haha.

What are your top Christmas films? x

Top 5 (and a half) Lush soaps

The first time I stepped into Lush, it was quite overwhelming - I was particularly scared by their huge selection of soaps. I was so overwhelmed that I avoided them for over a year, and when I finally bit the bullet, I ended up spending a fortune as I couldn't choose between them all! So, I decided to list 5 (and a half) of the best soaps to help a few Lush Soap Virgins out there!

1. Honey I Washed The Kids

I absolutely adore honey scented things and this soap is no exception. It's a honey/caramel/toffee sort of smell - good enough to eat! Whenever I've bought it, I seem to end up with a piece without the honeycomb on top, so I can't say whether that adds anything to the soap. It's a super creamy soap that suprisingly lathers up really well, and my skin feels gorgeously smooth and soft afterwards. The yummy scent lingers all day too, so a huge thumbs up from me!

2. Rockstar

It's pink and smells like sweeties, with the added bonus of stars inside! Not glittery stars or anything, just like a white soap star outline, but it's very pretty. If you're at all familiar with the Creamy Candy Bubble Bar, then you'll know this scent. It's gorgeous, sweet and a little bit fruity, and like HIWTK, it lingers on your skin all day. It's another creamy soap so my skin feels so smooth and moisturised after I use this. It's a very girly soap so when you want to bring out a little more femininity, use this!

3. Porridge

I love this soap. It's a creamy bar with a layer of oats on top. It sounds odd but the oaty bits really exfoliate your skin, and because the bar is so creamy, it moisturises as you scrub. It smells a little strange at first, but once you're lathering it up in the shower or bath, it turns into a beautiful, yummy, sweet porridge scent. I have to be honest, without the oats I'd probably not buy it again. It does smell yummy, but it's the fabulous exfoliation that makes it appealing to me.

4. Sultana of Soap

This one is really hard to describe. It's got bits of apricot and cranberry in it so it smells fruity, yet it definitely has a spicy kick. It sounds so weird but it really works! This is probably the least creamy of my favourites, but my skin still feels soft afterwards, and the fruity bits add a little exfoliation. Nowhere near the exfoliation of Porridge, but a nice little addition all the same.

5. God Mother

This is the bigger, sexier sister of Rockstar. It's sweeter, fruitier, and has purply-blue sparkles! Oh yes, a glittery soap! I love this. It's not creamy, but it lathers up easily. Lush says it's a hand soap, but I've used it on my body with no problems. This one seems to 'melt' quicker than the others do, but if you notice, this isn't creamy - it's more of a see-through one if that makes sense? The scent lingers, but the glitter washes off - boo hiss! Haha. It smells exactly like the Christmas Limited Edition Snow Fairy Shower Gel - absolutely gorgeous!

And the half?

5.5 Chox Away

This one was LE at Easter, so that's why it's a half, but it's so yummy I couldn't leave it out! It smells delicious, like chocolate, honey and mint. It's not really moisturising, but it smells so good I don't care! It looks a little weird - brown soap? Yuck, but again, the smell more than makes up for it. Some people find it sickly, but I'm a fully-fledged chocoholic and I adore it!

Hope this helps someone! Do any of these make your top 5, or do you love/hate them all equally? Let me know! x