Tuesday 29 September 2015

Orelia London Jewellery





I have been eyeing up the Orelia London collection for a while now. I absolutely love the dainty designs, gorgeous packaging and how delicate each piece is. I first came across Orelia in Topshop a couple of months ago and instantly loved how cute their jewellery was; I'm a huge sucker for gold and silver pieces that are tiny. Give me a statement necklace and sure, I may like it, but under-stated simple jewellery is where my heart is. I've been lucky enough to receive an Orelia London package through Etail PR blogger Network recently and I literally could not be happier with the pieces I was sent. They are all right up my street! My favourite has to be the silver infinity necklace*. The infinity pendant is such a cute little trinket and I love how it hugs against the base of my neck because of the short chain. I'm not a wearer of necklaces normally but I can really see this piece become something I wear all the time, it's the perfect light weight that I don't even realise I'm wearing it. My second favourites have to be the gold triangle earrings*; I'm a massive triangle fan recently (I have no idea why) and these are the perfect size to keep in my ears all the time - In fact they haven't left my ears since I first picked this packet up from the post office! They're so cute and just look so nice on my lobes for an everyday look. Honestly, I'm not huge fan of the top two pairs of earrings on the set of Leaf and Simple Stud pack* above. I get really scared that I'll lose things like earrings and for me these ones are just a bit too small for my liking, but I think that if I had my upper lobe / tragus pierced these could look quite nice, but with my only piercings being my lobes, they're just not right for me at the moment. I do however, love these mini feathers!

I've been really impressed by the quality of this Orelia Jewellery and I think I'll have to have a look on their website or take a peep into one of the Topshop stores where they're stocked to see if I like any of their other pieces. Have you ever heard of / tried out an Orelia London Jewellery before?

Get 10% off your first order with code 'HELLO10


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Sunday 27 September 2015

Daniel Wellington Classic Winchester Watch in Rose Gold




I think the last watch I owned must have been around when I was 8 or 9 years old. I have never been much of a watch girl, however, recently all I have been doing is lusting over watches and I've wanted a classic rose gold watch for some time now. When picking out a Daniel Wellington watch to review the Classic Winchester* caught my eye straight away. I instantly fell in love with the classic thin round face and the eggshell  white and rose gold contrasting literally had my heart melting. This is the kind of watch I've been looking for. The Nato Strap is a gorgeous Navy and Pink stripe which adds the tiniest bit of a feminine edge to a classic timepiece. With an interchangeable strap you can purchase additional straps separately on the Daniel Wellington website to create a completely different look, making this watch literally perfect for every occasion. It's an amazing feature to have on an item like this and it's definitely something that would appeal to most people when investing in a wristwatch like this. I think the whole look of this watch is just gorgeous and I really love that the Daniel Wellington brand pride themselves on such classic and wearable watches. It's so comfortable to wear and I didn't think it possible but I am slightly in love with this watch.

You can find Daniel Wellington's collection of Men's and Woman's watches online and get 15% off using my code 'BEKYLOU' at the checkout. Perfect for a birthday or Christmas present!

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Friday 25 September 2015

Winter Wonderbody Challenge #1

I know you're all probably going to hate me for this but I'm just going to have to say it. Christmas is coming! You know the drill people, X-Factor has officially started, Halloween decorations are starting to make their appearance in the shops and Primark has already got out it's reindeer bedding. Christmas is officially on its way and that means one thing. Lots of parties to go to and lots of party dresses to fit in to!

Photos from the summer!


On the run up to Christmas it's almost always the mission of many of us ladies to get in tip-top shape just in time for the slinky dresses and unflattering sequins that come with the festive period. Let's face it, it's not just about the presents, it's about being with friends and family and looking bloody good whilst doing it. You want to be able to indulge in all things wonderfully chocolate and not have to worry about getting into your New Years Eve dress. Well that's the way it is for me anyway; I don't want to be worrying that one more roast potato during Christmas dinner is going to be the one that means that zip just won't do up any longer. I want to feel good about myself enough on the run up to the big day to not have to worry about just getting into my party outfit at the end of the week. That, my dear readers will be the result of some bloomin' hard work for the next 3 months!

 This year, I've been contacted by DW Fitness and will be taking part in their "Winter Wonder-body"challenge. For a week (11th - 17th September) I've been keeping a food and exercise diary and the good people at DW Fitness have had a look over my results and provided me with a plan to try and stick to for the next 12 weeks. I've never been able to stick to any diets before and with such a busy work / blog schedule I find it hard to stick to certain fitness routines so I really don't know how I'm going to stick to 12 whole weeks, but that is what I shall be doing! I'm so determined to see this through and I can't wait to get started. I've recently joined my local gym (unfortunately not a DW gym, but they have some great ones around) and I've been loving hitting the pool and the weights room with a friend. I'm also going to be booking in for a couple of personal training sessions and increasing my attendance at classes!

I've got a couple of points to try and change with my eating habits which I've pointed out below as they may help some of you too!


  • Eat Breakfast! - I am terrible for this. I'm never in the mood for food in the mornings and I absolutely never have time for it. I'm going to start taking breakfast into work and eating it at my desk!
  • Cut out the cheese! - This one is going to be so so hard for me. Cheese is like my foodie best friend. I'm slowly starting to cut it down, but I can't see it go forever! 
  • Stop snacking on cr*p! - Again, something else that I am terrible for! My colleague at work brings in a box of chocolate goodies every week and I just can't say no - the Snickers start calling my name! 
  • Try and eat Jacket Potatoes instead of fries - something I'm willing to do, as long as they're sweet potato! I am obsessed with sweet potato! 
Just a couple of my tips there, I have a couple more to try and stick to over the next couple of weeks! 
I'll be back with my next post soon with my starting weight, my before photos and snippets into what I've been doing to try and tone up for Christmas! Let me know if you're going to be joining in with the Winter Wonderbody challenge, I'd love to share some motivation! 


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Wednesday 23 September 2015

#StayFitDontQuit


As part of their #StayFitDontQuit campaign, I've had the opportunity to work with JD Fitness and GetTheLable.com on promoting keeping motivated when it comes to exercise. I have been a massive gym bunny for the last year or so now, which I'm sure some of you may know from my previous fitness posts, my constant tweets and photos before and after bootcamp classes! Now living in the city however, I have found it difficult to get my bum out of the house and to the gym as often as I'd like. I can be a bit shy ( I know, massive shock) when it comes to joining new classes / working out alone so even though the motivation is there, it's intimidating when I'm starting out in a new place.

So in light of this, I thought I'd give you a couple of tips I've picked up along the way to keep you motivated and for you to #StayFitDontQuit.

  • Get yourself some snazzy gym gear! I absolutely love picking up new pieces to wear in the gym - when I'm loving my outfits, I'm definitely feeling more confident in the gym! You can check out some great brands at discounted prices at Get The Label  - I picked up this Nike Rally Boyfriend Jumper* for after my workouts!

  • Find a gym Buddy! I've luckily already found mine in Arijana from work, however when moving somewhere new it's always a good idea to find someone with the same desire to stay in shape as you. Going to the gym together is far more fun than going alone. You can fit your workouts together to make things harder / to make sure you get the most out of your exercise..

  • Think about joining classes. Most gyms offer classes within your monthly gym membership. Make sure you take full advantage of these as they can be really fun ways to exercise, can hit every muscle in your body and also be a great place to meet new friends. JD Gyms have a great array of classes, you can download the timetable from their website. Make sure you check out your local gym's class timetable to make the most of your membership!

  • Take a look into Personal Trainers. I know they can be quite expensive, but even one session a month will keep you motivated. They really put you through your paces and I've always felt so much better after a session with a PT. I don't think I've ever sweat as much as I do when at a personal training session; they're definitely hard work, but make me feel so much better about myself afterwards. They keep my motivation levels sky high for the week after and often a session can also include a healthy eating plan and exercise plans for you to do when alone so it keeps me on the straight and narrow too. Even one session can be beneficial to see where you're going right / wrong in the gym alone. I've got a session booked in at JD Gym Liverpool soon courtesy of JD Fitness and I can't wait to see how it goes!

I hope these tips help you keep motivated to get your bums in the gym like they do for me. In the Autumn / Winter it can be hard to not just stay in bed all day long, but just keep thinking of my favourite quote (which I have blatantly stolen from my old PT Jodie) :

'Summer Bodies are Made in the Winter' 











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Monday 21 September 2015

Cocktail Ready | High Neck Cut Out Dress



Having now moved to Manchester it's been my mission to find new dresses / outfits to wear of an evening out.  Myself and Jordan are finding ourselves popping out for cocktails far more than we used to and my lack of appropriate outfits for that kind of situation has definitely been showing.  I've been shopping a couple of times over the last few weeks on the hunt for  such outfits but it wasn't until I was contacted by the lovely people at Luxemme  that  I found something I really loved. Stepping out of my comfort zone is something I'm trying to do more and more and this dress is most definitely one of those outfits. 

This Nyane Luxe Cut Out High Neck Dress* is such a gorgeous item for a night of cocktails with the girls (or in my case on this occasion, with my man). I absolutely love the cut out high neck, it's unlike anything I own and it's such a flattering shape. I also really love the cut out on the right thigh, I'm not one to usually like thigh-slits but on this dress, it's just the right amount of slit to show off just the right amount of thigh. It's a really elegant dress paired with heels and I can't wait to get more wear out of it! This dress is in the Limited Edition range so if you like this dress as much as I do, you better get in there quick! 









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Friday 18 September 2015

The Smokey Palette


When I first heard that Urban Decay were bringing out a new Eyeshadow Palette to go with their Naked range I almost had a heart attack. You know the feeling, butterflies all up in your tummy with mini palpitations as your heart beats a million times a minute. No, just me? Well let me tell you now, I was very excited for this new addition. Having all three of the current Naked Palettes I felt a need deep within me for their new smokey friend and I became a little sad in my attempts to get this. I even stooped as low as to set an alarm on my phone on the 6th of August for its release just incase it flew off the shelves as fast a number 3 did. Talk about pathetic. Nevertheless a couple of days later it arrived in its gorgeous packaging and I fell in love once again.

The blue / grey hues of this palette caught my fancy instantly and I've found myself gravitating to shades such as Dagger, Black Market and Smoulder more often than most. I'm a sucker when it comes to a smokey eye so this palette is definitely the one for me. I think all four of the Naked palettes have something special about them which make me love each one individually, but out of them all this is without a shadow of a doubt my new favourite (see what I did there). Especially when there are four matte shades in this bad boy. Yep that's right, you heard me correctly, there are four matte shades! Shall we do a happy dance? As much as I love my shimmers, there is nothing more beautiful to me than a gorgeous matte! Well done Urban Decay, you've definitely stepped up your game with this one. My personal favourite has to be Thirteen; a gorgeous off white / cream shade which perfectly illuminates the inner corners of my eye to brighten up my dramatic smokey looks. The palette is so well balanced with shades and different colours that blend so magically together for all kinds of different styles that it's a wonder why they haven't brought this one out sooner...

Another point to make here on how absolutely stunning this palette is has to be the packaging. Now I loved the original Naked Palette packaging (the velvety touch is so cool) and I was slightly disappointed when for the Naked 2 (and then 3) they changed it to the hard metal case, but for this Urban Decay  have definitely upped their game and I am even more in love ... If that was even possible. The translucent 'smokey' casing with the gunmetal lettering and magnetic close just captures the character of these shadows perfectly and I honestly don't think it could look any sexier. I don't think I've ever been this excited over a set of eyeshadows, but there you go! You can grab the Naked Smoky Palette at FeelUnique.com for £38!



I've recently filmed a Get Ready With Me video (which I'm hoping will make the cut) for my Youtube Channel featuring this new product so keep an eye out for it by subscribing to BekyLou on Youtube!

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*This post contains an affiliate link from which I earn something silly like a penny per click!

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Tuesday 15 September 2015

Clarins NEW Joli Rouge Lipsticks


Lipsticks are my favourite thing and along with MAC, Clarins are up there with being some of my favourites. I've loved their colours and formulations for quite some time now and with the release of their new, re-vamped Joli Rouge Collection how could I not share some of the new beauties with you? Clarins generously sent me 5 gorgeous shades to try out and let me tell you now, I am obsessed with all of them.

Presented in a beautiful gold elliptical bullet these lipsticks are full of class and the colour contrasts perfectly with each new shade. The tip is shaped in such a way that it hugs the contours of the lips as it glides the colours on, creating a coverage that takes minimal effort to achieve. The new moisture enriched formula is full of mango oil and organic marsh samphire extract that give your lips a smoother and fuller appearance, nourishing and looking after them so they not only look good but feel great too. I have been loving this new formulation and the range of colours are just perfectly up my street - I'm not very adventurous when it comes to lipstick shades so pinky nudes and reds are definitely my kind of colours. My favourite so far has to be 741 Red Orange* a gorgeous red with orange tones (if you couldn't already guess that), it's subtle which I love as a lot of oranges from other brands can be overbearingly bright sometimes.  I also love 747 - Rosy Nude*, I'm a huge fan of nude shades like this however all that I seem to find elsewhere are mattes (Yes I am thinking MAC's Velvet Teddy here). Rosy Nude is the perfect mix of my favourite lip colour and a lovely moisturising sheen which makes me love it just that little bit more.  I've always loved Clarins lipsticks for their longevity too but I've recently found that these last that little bit longer, which I think is down to the fact that they seem to have a bit of a stain to them too.

At £19.50 each they're not the cheapest of all lipsticks but for the quality and amazing pigmentation that you get with these lipsticks, I'd say they're worth every penny. There are definitely a couple more shades in the collection that I really want to pick up for the Autumn and I have my eye on 744-Soft Plum specifically. They're just the perfect moisturising lipstick and I can't rave about them enough!

You can pick up these Clarins Joli Rouge Lipsticks in Boots stores or online at the Clarins website.




742 - Joli Rouge*, 741 - Red Orange*, 705 - Soft Berry*, 707 - Petal Pink*, 747 - Rosy Nude*

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** www.virginmoneygiving.com/skydiveforscottie - I will be dong a sponsored Sky Dive for Wiltshire Air Ambulance in memory of my best friend / baby "brother" Scottie who sadly passed away recently. I'd love it if you would be so generous as to sponsor me for this great cause.

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Sunday 13 September 2015

Cooking Up a Storm | Ozeri Frying Pans!


I've wanted to feature more foody posts on BekyLou.com for some months now, so with a new city, a new flat and brand new frying pans, I thought 'Why the hell not?'. I was very kindly sent this gorgeous set of 3 Ozeri Green Earth Frying pans* just before I moved and I could not wait to get using them. If you've been following BekyLou for a while now you may notice that I reviewed the smallest pan last year and I can tell you now, these pans are just as great as I remember (my Mum took claim of my old one). I absolutely love the hexagonal non-stick pattern and how easy it is to cook with and of course how easy it is to clean too! At £129.99 they're not cheap but for a pack of three great frying pans with varying sizes it's not too bad at all! Perfect for moving into your first home like Jordan and I have! I recently whacked one of these bad boys out to make Enchiladas as one of our first meals in the new flat!

The Ozeri Green Earth Frying Pans are so easy to cook with and are an absolute gem to clean too. The ceramic base heats up so quickly and there's no hassle when it comes to keeping an eye on ingredients sticking to the bottom - it just doesn't happen! This pack comes with an 8", 10" and 12" pan which makes it perfect for every occasion. For my enchiladas I used the largest of the pans but for something smaller like eggs or bacon the 8" is so much easier to quickly grab and use! It's a great quality set but if you didn't want to buy all three at once, they're also available to buy individually on Amazon



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** www.virginmoneygiving.com/skydiveforscottie - I will be dong a sponsored Sky Dive for Wiltshire Air Ambulance in memory of my best friend / baby "brother" Scottie who sadly passed away recently. I'd love it if you would be so generous as to sponsor me for this great cause.
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Thursday 10 September 2015

Styling with Batiste



The amount of posts I've written about Batiste in the past are probably too many to count and that's because I love Batiste's Dry Shampoo more than any others out there and literally use it by the bucket load (or I would if it came in buckets). I'm a complete Batiste junkie and so when I heard that they had a new Stylist range out I got extremely excited! First on the list is their new Hairspray, something that I've honestly been waiting for them to bring out for so longecific nut) each of Batiste's new products have beneficial ingredients for your hair's health and of course, they smell delicious too!

First on the list is their new Hold Me Hairspray*, something that I've honestly been waiting for them to bring out for so long now. I've found that it holds really well and doesn't leave your hair crispy like some other hairsprays can. With hair as long as mine a good hairspray is imperative and I think this one pretty much hits the nail on the head for me; at such an affordable price (£4.49 for 300ml at Boots.com) with acclaimed 24 hour invisible hold, it's been the perfect product for me! The Texture Me Texturizing Spray* has also been a great new addition to my Batiste addiction. It's given my hair a lovely bit of natural looking volume which has been something that I have strived for with so many other products before but never had much success with.  I've actually been thinking of getting my hair layered a bit more to help with adding some 'oomph' next time I go to a salon, but with hair as long as mine I find it hard to go for the chop - I just love it so much! So far though, this spray has added that little extra that I've been wanting and it's not been too sticky either. I've found Batiste's XXL Volume Dry Shampoo to be a bit too sticky in the past and was afraid that this would have the same effect but thankfully it's been so much nicer to use and I would definitely recommend it!



You can try out the new Batsiste Stylist range by heading to Boots.com or into your local store - the whole range (including their other products such as the Shield My Locks Heat & Shine Spray and the Smooth It Frizz Tamer) are  being stocked exclusively with them for the time being and at a bargain price of £4.49 for each product (and more often than not offers on as well) they're well worth the purchase! Are you a Batiste lover like me? Will you be trying out these new products?


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