Hello everybody,
With Spring fast approaching, I couldn't think of a more appropriate blogpost than what's on my Spring fashion wishlist!
Not all products on here are what you can wear exclusively in Spring, some of them are summer pieces and others are transitional. I might add though, there's no real theme here, there's a huge variety in items, colours, textures, you name it.
Zara Ladylike Backpack £39.99
River Island Jacquard Flippy Skirt (Found on asos) £28
Asos Eagle Stone Rings £15
Topshop Longline Kimono £38
Vans Grey Slip on Trainers (found on asos) £55
Topshop Pale Pink Court Shoes £55
Urban Outfitters Dress £42
Urban Outfitters Gold Layering Necklace £18
AX Paris Crochet Crop Top £22
AX Paris Check Monochrome Playsuit £25
New Look Grey Tote Bag £29.99
Office Cut Out Shoes £60
I know it's a lot and a huge variety but it's a new season so it's alright ok?! No, but seriously, I know I can't justify everything, yet that doesn't mean I won't give it a go!
Let me know if you want to see more fashion related posts on the blog, I already have this wishlist down on my phone and it constantly has at least 20 things on it, I just want all the things. Sigh. It's nearly Spring though! Happy Sunday
CJ x
This week's theme: 5 a day
Hello there! I am pleased to announce that last week's targets were achieved! I consumed at least 2 litres of water a day (even more if you count my twice daily green tea and once daily mango juice). Now, I've not been one for drinking loads of water, I don't know why, but I just can't do it. I've tried carrying a bottle round all day with me, but that only seems to get me through one, maybe two 500ml bottles a day. Want to know my secret? Increase the bottle size. Yep, it's that simple. I bought a 75cl bottle. I fill it up with filtered water before bed, and I'll have that one gone before I go to uni. I'll consume another 75cl during my day at uni, and another in the evening. If you struggle with drinking enough water, you definitely need to try this!
Furthermore, I went to the gym ... wait for it ... 3 times this week! And I knocked 30 seconds off the time it took me to run the first mile in my 5k last week and 45 seconds off overall! I also took 25 seconds off my 5k on the bikes too!
I have also been trying to get at least 5 pieces of fruit and veg in a day. I've done this by having peanut butter and banana on wholemeal toast for breakfast, taking an apple and grapes to university with me, and having at least 2 vegetables with my tea, I'm trying to mix it up a bit more though! Healthy eating this week has been OK, but I need to do a food shop so there was an incident with a fish finger sandwich (I know it sounds horrible and I wouldn't normally eat it if we actually had food in).
However, there have been incidents with starbucks this week (sorry, not sorry), but they do have to stop. I need to give up coffee for good because I've realised it's just not worth it. But I haven't had a single glass of Dr Pepper in 3 weeks now! So happy that I've managed to stay away from fizzy drinks all together because those were my downfalls. OK, OK, so there was a slight situation on Saturday with a cherry Dr Pepper, but it's because I was in Manchester! That's one fizzy drink in 3 weeks, don't judge me!
As for next week's targets, I'm going to continue walking between campuses and I'm going to go to the gym 3 times next week hopefully. I have a kettlebells class on Monday so I'll report back on how that goes! Hopefully I'll be doing at least 1 class a week from now on too. Also, I'm going to try and cut carbs .. this will be a massive challenge for me as I am a carb fiend. But hopefully with my app called My Fitness Pal, I'll be able to keep track of the amount of carbs and sugars I'm eating.
Wish me luck!
CJ x
Missed Week 1 and 2 no problem? Links here. Week 1 and Week 2.
Happy International Women's Day everybody! This is something really close to my heart as I am a firm believer in equality. International Women's Day has been around since the early 20th Century and it has been radically gaining popularity ever since. Now the day is an official holiday in over 25 countries! That's crazy! All to celebrate the change in the way in which the world perceives women.
I have decided to jump on the bandwagon and do the Dear Me hashtag by writing a letter to my teenage self and hopefully this will help some of the younger readers learn from my own mistakes!
Dear Me,
Don't change yourself just to fit in.
You don't have to hide the fact that you're capable of getting good grades in school for the fear of people making fun of you and calling you a geek. If these people really were your friends, then they should be supportive of you rather than tearing you down. I had a terrible time with this in school. I remember being placed in all the top sets but none of my old friends were and they would make fun of me constantly for it, so I just felt so down all the time. Actually, I remember trying to change this and trying to make friends with some people in my classes, but they wouldn't be friends with me because I was friends with the other people and I was too scared to speak out for myself. If I'd have known then what I know now, I would have never intentionally tried to get bad grades in school so I could move down sets (don't do it - it doesn't work, and you end up regretting it). I would have never skipped classes and hung around with the 'cool kids' if I knew they didn't care about me.
Dear Me,
Do not always put the needs of others before your own.
Yes, it is important to help people and charity work, tutoring, having your part time job - that's all great. But don't get to the point where you're sacrificing your own well-being to please others. Mainly because these other people that you are trying so hard to please, they won't care anyway. I massively messed up my a-levels when I was 18 because I was working full-time at a bar. You know why?! My assistant manager stole all the money we'd saved up for our staff weekend away, the money out of the till and most of the stock. To make matters worse, my manager had a newborn baby and didn't get his paternity leave. So I did what I thought everyone else would do in my situation and sacrificed EVERYTHING. I thought I could handle it, but I couldn't. I thought everything was going to turn out ok, and it did, but it's taken years to fix.
Dear Me,
Don't be ashamed of what you look like.
Right now, you are 5'0 while everyone around you is growing, you have wavy/frizzy strawberry blonde hair which all of your "friends" swear is ginger, you wear round glasses with thick lenses, you have braces, you're chubby, you haven't developed yet but somehow you're still getting spots. Do not worry about it. You aren't going to look like this forever. Put the bottle of bleach down, put the awful £3 fake tan down. The people that peak in high school don't usually stay that way. Some people transform, loads of girls at my school did and they're better people for the fact that they didn't think they were the 'fit' ones in high school. Nothing is worse than arrogance. You don't have to diet or dye your hair. You are perfect just the way you are.
Dear Me,
It's OK to be different!
Just a reiteration of my previous points. So what if all of your friends are starting to smoke and you have asthma? At least you don't have a gritty voice and yellow teeth now. So what if you want to play the classical guitar? So what if you never grow? Nobody else sees you as any less of a person for these things, so why should you? If I could tell myself where I was going to be if I'd have tried harder in school, if I hadn't dropped out of the drama school or cheerleading. Who knows where I could be right now?
This was a slightly emotional post to write as there are so many things I wish I was able to tell my younger self. But she probably wouldn't listen anyway. So I'm telling my nieces, my next door neighbour's daughter, I'm telling you. My hope is that we can create a world where nobody is ashamed of being who they are. You define yourself, nobody else does. Do not go around pretending you're something that you aren't. You are unique and different and that's great! This is for the next generation; you are perfect,
Love, CJ x
For inspiration, this is a picture of my 15 year old self. This is when I was starting to change, but still feeling self conscious about everything. I loved hats so I bought this one, but as you can see I'm still rocking the Henley's jumper that I never really liked. I was always afraid of people finding out my real taste in music so I used to fake it and pretend I liked things when I really didn't. Thus the peace sign. Sigh. At least I tried.
For more on #DearMe, created by youtube, check out this video complied of some of the most inspiring youtubers from around the world.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! What would you all say to your younger selves if you had the chance? Do you think life would have turned out differently? Let me know in the comments or tweet me @milliegordonx
P.S. I really would have loved to have made a youtube video on this topic but I just didn't have the time or the equipment to get it ready in time for International Women's Day. Maybe next year!
CJ x
International Women's Day website.
This week's theme: Healthy Swaps.
YESSSSSSSS. Week 1 is officially over. And I stuck to it! OK, so I didn't go to the gym that much, but I DID find my pedometer and walked between 9 and 12000 steps a day, which is right where I want to be.
My target was to go to the gym twice last week and then just do a healthy amount of walking a day. So I commuted into Liverpool by train and walked, I got the farthest parking spots at university, and even walked between campuses instead of driving (impressed? You should be.) If I wasn't happy with the amount of steps I'd done that day, I'd either go for a quick walk in the evening, or walk up and down the stairs if it was raining and I was close to my target, that isn't cheating by the way.
As for the gym, I haven't been overdoing it, in fact personally I think I've been underdoing it. Before I decided to start the Fitness Diaries, I went back to the gym for the first time in about a month and a half. I wanted to start slow and not burn out, but once I got on the treadmill, I felt like I wasn't pushing myself enough so I cranked up the gradient and the speed aaaaaand I threw up. Yep, like actually threw up in the gym, classy right? What did I do next? Went right back to working out! Pushing myself like that really wasn't my finest moment. So this week I just took it slow. Jogged for 15 mins and walked for 5 mins on the treadmill. Then did 5k on the bikes and had a quick 5-10 mins on the rowing machine and the stairmaster. Second workout I took it a little further, jogged for 15 minutes, walked for 5 and jogged for 10. Then did 5k on the bikes, 10 minutes on the rowing machine and 10 minutes on the stairmaster.
Now let's talk food and drink. I STARTED my healthy swaps, meaning I haven't cut everything that's bad for me out. My super sweet coffee has gone (let's just take a moment) and has been replaced by green tea with 1/2 tsp of honey. My beloved dr pepper has gone and been replaced with water, although I do treat myself by having 1 glass of mango juice after dinner. Furthermore, I try to drink 2 litres of water a day, but it's hard to keep tabs on that. As for food, I don't think I was necessarily eating unhealthy things, I just wasn't eating enough. Now I actually get up really early and eat breakfast every day (usually wholemeal toast with banana or yogurt and granola) and I have 5 pieces of fruit or veg along with that too.
This week my goal is to increase the amount of water I'm drinking to at least 2 litres a day, and beat my times for 5k on the treadmill and bikes. I'm going to try to go to the gym 3 times this week, but I won't be upset if I only go twice as I have a massive essay due in on Thursday. To motivate myself, I pack my gym bag every morning so and keep a pair of trainers by the door so I can just get up and go whenever I feel like it.
Talk to you in next week's post!
CJ x
If you missed Week 1's post, find it here.
Hello!
I've been on a little bit of a beauty product splurge recently, there's just so many undiscovered products out there that I just couldn't resist! Furthermore, once I find a brand I like, I really love it and have to have multiple products/colours so there are a few of these on here.
Lush
Firstly, Lush brought out their Valentine's day collection and it was so cute! I didn't get everything, but I picked up these 3 things as they were calling to me. Lonely hearts bubble bar, lonely hearts bubbleroon and unicorn horn bubble bar. Just look at how sparkly they are.
L'Oreal
I've been mooching at the L'Oreal counter for a while now, and every time I find myself drawn to their Color Riche Exclusive Reds Collection. So I took the plunge and went for Blake's red, it's such a lovely red with slight blue undertones, perfect for fair to medium skin with yellow, pink or peach undertones. And it's a really good dupe for MAC red too! It definitely has the staying power.
Buy this lipstick here.
NARS
Just one new purchase from NARS this month, and that is the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Sex Machine and oh my god I am obsessed. The colour is what's described on the website as an 'Innocent Pink Mauve'. These lipstick pencils are incredible. The pigmentation is great, they are super easy to apply (and make it ridiculously easy to get those desired Kylie Jenner lips) and there is a huge range of colours! I went for the perfect dusty pink in my opinion, just right for Spring! I can't wait to try more of these.
Check this lipstick out here.
Essie
To those of you who have been reading for a while, it's no surprise to you that I have bought yet more colours. I really fancied some brighter, spring/summer colours. I went for lilacism, which is the perfect pale lilac. Lovie Dovie, which honestly, was on my nails throughout the whole of February. It's the most gorgeous bright but muted pink, it just brightens my day. I also went for a lovely coral colour called Tart Deco.
Essie's Full Colour Range (from shops) here.
Kardashian Beauty
I popped in to Liverpool recently and as I was battling my way against the wind, a light at the end of the tunnel appeared. And that light was a Kardashian Beauty pop-up store. Not only that, but as it was closing and moving a few days later, everything was 50% off! Unfortunately, they didn't have the bronzer I was after, so I played it safe and bought 3 lip products. I got their joystick lip lacquer (kind of a mix between a lipstick and a lipgloss) in a name that is so tiny I can't read .... Love something (sorry!). I also bought two lipglosses; the lip plumping shimmer gloss in Revved Up Rose Gold is such a gorgeous colour, and because of the shimmer it definitely makes lips appear fuller, but it's honey flavoured. I do like honey, but the smell and the taste is just a bit too strong for every day wear, it makes me reluctant to reapply it. I also bought their Honey Stick (this one, ironically, is not honey flavoured) in Natural Honey, which is the exact colour that Kim K herself wore to her wedding in Italy, this is a beautiful, slightly dark nude lipgloss. Also, I need to add that the white and rose gold packaging of the Kardashian Beauty collection is to die for!
Joystick Lip Pen.
Lip Plumping Gloss.
Honey Stick Lip Gloss.
Burberry
Aaaaaahhh Burberry, why must you be so beautiful?! On the same trip to Liverpool, I came across the only Burberry beauty concession stand outside of London (or maybe it was the only one in Debenhams outside of London?) Regardless, it was the only one that I had ever seen so I knew I had to visit. I'd heard a lot about Burberry's new wet and dry eyeshadows and how gorgeous and pigmented they were so if I was only going to buy one product, it was this one! These weren't even out on display yet because they were that new and not even advertised in the slightest, if a customer wanted one, they had to request one! I settled for the colour Rosewood, which, as the name suggests, is a slightly Rose taupe colour and once again, I'm in love with an item of makeup.
Rosewood eyeshadow.
There isn't a product here that I regret buying, and I am over the moon with my luck on the purchases, please let me know of any recommendations of products that I haven't mentioned here as I am always looking to try more. And guys, you need to try that burberry eyeshadow! How many people can say their eyeshadow comes with a duster bag? Exactly, point proven
CJ x
Hi everyone,
I don't know about you lot, but I have been seriously lacking in the fitness front lately. I don't know what it is, I just haven't had the energy or the determination to keep fit. It isn't just the gym, but my diet too. I either eat nothing or I eat crap. And I've decided it's time for a change, for good. I can't go on gaining weight and dropping it, eating and not eating.
Therefore, I've decided to start a new series called The Fitness Diaries. I'm unsure whether it'll be weekly or fortnightly but I thought if I have the blog to consider, then I'm more likely to stick to my goals. Every blogpost will have a theme and this week it's Getting Back into the Swing of Things. Original, I know, but sometimes you just need to take a deep breath and start again from square 1. No gimmicks, no 30 day challenges, no fad diets, just gradually building up the change.
So, my goal for this week is to find my pedometer first of all, and then walk 10000 steps a day and go to the gym twice this week. This won't seem like a lot to most of you, and it doesn't even seem like a lot to me, but I'm starting small and building it up. I know if I go back to the gym 5 times a week guns ablazing I'm going to burn out pretty fast.
I also know that it's not a realistic goal to have a set amount of times to go to the gym. I'm going to be pretty busy with university deadlines over the next month so they come first over the gym, but getting the parking space furthest away and walking won't hurt, neither will going for a 30 minute walk when I get home. After all, life is a marathon, not a sprint.
I'll keep you posted,
CJ x
Happy Saturday people!
OK, as some of you may know, a certain lady has sparked an interest in many of the beauty bloggers out there, that lady is the wonder that is Charlotte Tilbury. She is a make up artist to the stars and as of the past couple of years, has her own brand of makeup and even skincare now! I know, it's ever so exciting!
As soon as I heard all about her Matte Revolution lipsticks, I knew I had to have one! So this was my first purchase, and after that I was hooked. This brand isn't cheap but it's definitely worth the money. The quality of her products are amazing and the pigmentation is impeccable. So here's a mini-review of the C Tils products I've tried so far.
Matte Revolution Lipsticks: Glastonberry
First ever purchase and I don't regret it in the slightest. I have been on the hunt for the perfect dark purple/red/burgundy combination in a lipstick for so many years and this is it. Not to criticize MAC or anything, but most matte lipsticks (especially the more pigmented ones such as Diva) are sooooo drying on the lips. This one isn't. It's a matte but glides on so easily and isn't drying in the slightest. it's also super long wearing and just an all around winner!
Colour Chameleon Colour-Morphing Eyeshadow Pencils: Bronzed Garnet and Amethyst Aphrodisiac
Eyeshadow sticks are officially the new thing. From clinique to borjouis are jumping on them. But these ones are above all others. They are actually specially designed for each individual eye colour. Blue, Brown, Hazel and Green eyes all have the options for a slightly softer day colour and a more dramatic night colour. I have the ones designed for green eyes and they are incredible. Bronzed garnet gives the perfect 'bedroom eyes' smokey effect for everyday that can give you an instant Olsen twin look. As for Amethyst Aphrodisiac, it really brings out the green in your eyes (even if they're slightly grey like mine) and transforms your makeup look into that of a rock star's. They glide on so easily and are ridiculously blendable. I would highly recommend these to any eye colour.
Colour Coded Eyeshadow Palette: The Dolce Vita
More colour codedness from the gods, these eyeshadow palettes are also incredible. They each come with 4 colours: Prime, Enhance, Smoke and Pop. The Dolce Vita palette is just stunning, anybody looking for those on trend burgundy and gold eyes this year can come straight to Miss Tilbury. Once again, easily blendable, lovely application, super pigmented. You can't go wrong with this palette as all the colours are perfectly designed to give you that film star look.
So, even though I've only tried a few Charlotte Tilbury products, I'm already hooked. I predict her to have the best makeup brand of 2015. I can't wait for her new releases and I'm dying to try more of her products (mainly her Film Star Bronze and Glow and her Lip Cheat pencils!) If you have any recommendations, please let me know as I really want to test more!
I hope you've been converted
CJ x
