Sunday 29 May 2016

Fitness Fashion wishlist


So I normally don't like doing wish list posts but since I'm currently loving life in Florida I had to be a little bit of a cheater and write a bit of an easy post to put up whilst I'm away. As a lot of you may know, over the last couple of months my blog has taken quite the fitness turn, just like my life has. I've become so much more obsessed with exercise and fitness clothing and I've found myself obsessed with constantly buying more. It's a new addition to my list of very long shopping addictions. Of course, I couldn't have written a Fitness Wishlist without including some of the Ivy Park range. Queen B has definitely out done herself with this one and I've actually been rather impressed wit the quality of the items. Naturally, as soon as the collection was released I popped out to Topshop and tried on a few bits. I ended up coming away with less than I'd wanted to (to the relief of my bank balance) and so now I'm constantly lusting after more. One thing I did actually find quite surprising was how much stock they had left, normally ranges like this are sold out within days so to see that at the time of writing this post they still have quite a lot of stock left. Good planning on their part I'm guessing because these are priced so well! So anyway, the first thing on my wishlist (which I might have actually already bought by the time this post goes live) is the Ivy Park Logo Vest Top. With this one I really like the drop arm as it makes life so easy to workout in and also shows off my pretty sports bras! Next up are the Ivy Park Logo Runner Shorts. Now, I'm not normally a shorts girl in the gym but I think for at home workout or those odd days where it's super hot out I think these would be great. Same goes for the Ivy Park Print Runner shorts. I actually already have the Leggings in the same print and love the light material of these shorts in comparison to the jogger material of the Logo ones.

Moving away from Ivy Park, I have also been loving Pink Soda Sport recently. You may have seen my Pink Soda x Cross Fit post that I did a couple of weeks back where I was generously gifted some of the new collection to try out. Well, now I want more. These Pink Soda Joggers to be more specific. They look so comfy and the perfect item to wear on arm days to the gym (or around the house - who am I kidding, I'll probably just live in these). The Pink Soda stuff is also such a great quality and definitely worth the very reasonable price tags! Last but not least I am massively lusting after these new Nike Free Run Flyknit trainers that are exclusive to JD Sports.  I recently saw them on Jess from Copper Garden and instantly wanted them. They are gorgeous and perfect for the kind of workouts I do in the gym as they are quite flat. At £105 they're a bit pricey though so I think these might be on my wishlist for quite sometime. 

Let me know what fitness gear you're lusting after at the moment! I'd love to know what you think of the brands I've mentioned above too! 





BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in Manchester

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Friday 27 May 2016

How I Stay Motivated to workout

Keeping motivated with my workout routines is sometimes a little tricky. I get weeks just like everyone else where I just can't be bothered and want to eat the world. Recently I've had one of those weeks. I finished the Results with Lucy plan that I've been on and haven't gotten round to picking another plan to start yet and I think not having the set plan to workout at home to has stopped me from being motivated to jump up and do a work out when I'm not going to a class. So to get myself back in the fitness mood I thought I'd write a little post on what I do to keep me motivated when I'm in this kind of slump! As you may know, I've just got back from Florida (literally this morning) so getting back into my exercise is going to be a little tough I think. I'm hoping reading through this post will help get me motivated again!

Besides everything else, my ultimate fitness motivation has to be a picture of Nikki Blackketter. Now, If you're not familiar with this beauty then take a trip over to her YouTube Channel where you will find an abundance of fitness videos, drool-worthy body goals and just overall be met with a lovely lady! I have a photo of Nikki as my phone background and so every time I click onto my phone I get reminded that that is my goal. To be lean, fit and toned just like Nikki. With me, it's not impossible, I just need to put the work into making sure I'm eating right and exercising as I normally do... My goal is achievable and having her photo there just reminds me to not give up!

So, after staring at a photo of gorgeous Nikki, the first thing I do is make myself a protein smoothie. This may sound a little odd but when I have a smoothie packed with protein it makes me feel a little bit healthier. It makes me want to work out and feel healthier overall. For my smoothies I usually blend up 1 banana, a handful of frozen summer berries, two handfuls of spinach / kale (whichever I have in the house), half a handful of oats and then 1 scoop of my Strawberry Whey protein powder from Mini:V Nutrition with some water. It's the yummiest thing ever and get's me right in the healthy mood! 

The next thing on my motivation hit list is music. Apple have some great pre-made playlists on Apple Music at the moment that I've been loving. Specifically the one called '60-Minute Workout' which you can find under Activity Playlists. It's got so many great, up-beat songs that get me so pumped up. I've been listening to these songs on the way to bootcamp recently and they just get me so ready for a tough session. I also like to play this at home when I'm trying to motivate myself to do an at-home workout and also when I'm doing the cleaning - it gets me working way faster!

I sometimes also like to do a workout as soon as I wake up. On a weekend if I know I want to do a workout I tend to try and get it done first thing. If I wake up, get my self a glass of water and change into my leggings and sports bra straight away then I always feel a little more productive. I also try and watch Gossip Girl on Netflix at the same time. I know it's a little strange, but I've found that one episode is the perfect length for a warm up and the main exercise on Results with Lucy. Then I do my cool-down to a little bit of quiet so that I can properly relax afterwards and chill out before hopping in the shower. I also make myself some porridge after this to just keep myself in the healthy mode. It gets me so worked up and ready for the day and I always feel better after doing it. I sometimes struggle if I get up and do things throughout the day to then stop and get my exercise in. It's the same with after work. If I don't have a set class to go to then I like to try and workout as soon as I get through the door. Again, it means that I don't sit down and start relaxing for the night before making myself work out.



Taking progress photos is another thing that massively motivates me! I recently found some photos from November 2014 (above) which made me feel so good about my body now. To put them next to photo's from just a couple of weeks ago (before I went on holiday) it amazes me how far I've come and it keeps me so motivated to keep going. Knowing that in about a year and a half (with some months out around August-Dec 2015) I can achieve this much, just proves that I can do it when I set my mind to it. It keeps me determined to work harder, eat healthier and not give up and especially to not look like the photos on the left again!

Sorry this was a bit of a long post and a little bit all over the place, but I thought I'd just talk you through what keeps me going. My motivation levels change all the time; some weeks, I could be really into the gym and working out and eating healthy meals and some weeks I'm really not, so keeping my mood lifted and keeping myself going with the above does make all the difference. Just as long as you remember it's okay to have a cheat meal or to skip the gym one day if you're tired, you should be fine with dropping the weight, toning up and staying happy! I hope this post has helped some of you out and if not, let me know what keeps you motivated in the comments below!




BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in Manchester



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Wednesday 25 May 2016

Sephora Wishlist!

If you don't know where in the world I currently am then either you're new, so thank you for coming along and reading my little blog, or you're a little bit blind (sorry for being so blunt). I am currently (as this is posted) in Universal Studios in Orlando Florida probably having a wail of a time in Hogsmead! I've been excited for this holiday for so long now for the magical Disney experience (and heat) but one of the other main things I've been looking forward to has been Sephora. The Mother Land of all beauty bloggers / enthusiasts. So of course, how could I not write up a Sephora wishlist before I go? I think by now, I would've already been to Sephora in Florida as we've planned to go shopping on Tuesdays (which would have been yesterday when you're reading this) so I'm hoping that I remember to pick up all of this stuff!!


Number 1 on my list is the Tarte Tartlette in Bloom Clay Eyeshadow palette which I have had my eyes on for quite some while now. I am all about the nude / brown eyeshadows and this just looks absolutely perfect for me. It's the top of my list and one thing I definitely do not want to leave Florida without! The Sephora Sheet Masks are something that I've only ever heard good things about and after recently trying a sheet mask for the first time, they're definitely something that I want to stock up on whilst I'm out there! Of course, I don't think I could go to Sephora without getting anything from Anastasia Beverly Hills, so I will be picking up the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz and the Contour Kit. I feel like they're cult products at the moment and I can't wait to try them out! Another cult favourite I'll be picking up is the Becca x Jacyln Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop; I've actually swatched this before and since then this has been something I have been lusting over so badly. It's absolutely gorgeous and something that I won't be thinking twice about buying.

One thing that I actually already have but will be re-purchasing is a Beauty Blender. I got my first (and only) one in a beauty box last year and didn't touch it for a good six months, but now this is all I ever use to apply the majority of my makeup and I feel like I need another one to use in-between washing the other ( have a beauty hacks post coming soon so make sure you keen an eye on that for how I wash my BB's easily!). I then have the Clinique Chubby contour stick, which I'm actually not sure on whether I should get out there or not as you can easily pick this up in the UK, but for $22, it works out a little cheaper and I do really love this kind of contour application. I haven't tried this one yet, but my Topshop one works a dream and I really want to just give it a go. Last but by no means least, I want to pick up some of the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks, specifically one in  Noble but I also wouldn't mind one in Lolita or Bow N Arrow. 

It seems like I've only got a couple of things on my list, but believe me it all adds up quickly! Obviously, I'll see things when I'm there too and change my mind on a couple of things a million times, but I'll of course be doing a haul post when I get back, so make sure you're following for that!
What's on the top of your list for a Sephora haul? 




BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in Manchester



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Sunday 22 May 2016

My Foundation & Contouring Routine | May Routine




I know that I have recently posted an 'All about that Base' post featuring my favourite base products for March, but this month I'm coming at you with an updated version of what I slap on my face first, *cough* I mean, strategically place *cough*. With it now two months since that last post, I think I've definitely had a decent amount of time to have purchased and trialed all of these new products. I'm quite fickle when it comes to my base products and like to change it up every day, so for me to find four set products that I'm going back to day after day is quite an accomplishment!

Primer of the week is definitely the Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer, from a brand that I've actually never tried before (bad beauty blogger). I actually stumbled across this when I was messing around with the foundations and my friend Hannah pointed this out and said 'you need this'. I swatched it on my hand and instantly fell in love with how smooth my skin appeared. It felt creamy and dreamy and like a beautiful love child of my fave Porefessional from Benefit and the Maybelline Babyskin Primer which I'm actually not a fan of on it's own. I love that this primer feels like it's got silicon in (like Porefessional) and appears to cover my pores and give me such a flawless finish. I've noticed recently that my pores have been looking absolutely mahoosive and so a primer like this is just perfect for me. I barely us any product, one pump is more than enough for me to plaster over my face and for £12.99 for 30ml it's so much better on the purse strings than my beloved Porefessional is for 22ml. Revlon was also on 3 for 2 at Boots so even better!!

The mentioned foundation that I was messing around with in Boots before Hannah distracted me with the primer was the Revlon Photoready Airbrush Effect Foundation and oh em effin gee where has this foundation been in my life?! I have struggled with drugstore foundations since day one of applying makeup and so I've always just bought more high end foundations, which as you can imagine is a little bit of a punch in the wallet when they don't actually last all that long in comparison to the price. So when I started swatching this foundation on a whim I was super surprised when it sank into my skin and gave me such a flawless finish. It just made my skin glow and with a 3 for 2 offer on, I couldn't say no. So I bought two of them. Yep, you heard me, I bought two foundations. I mean, technically one of them was free because of the Primer and you can never have too much foundation, right?! I've only been wearing this for the last week but it's been the one that I've been reaching for religiously every day and I have been loving my skin for it! My skin has been looking so radiant and I 100% believe that it's down to this foundation / primer combination from Revlon. I purchased shade 001 Ivory which is the perfect shade for me and that alone was a massive selling point as I normally can't find a shade that matches me at all with drugstore foundations. I've first been buffing this into my skin with a brush that I bought off of Amazon, just a basic flat top brush, and then I've been blending it in with my damp Beauty Blender and it really has been giving me a flawless dewy finish that I have been absolutely loving!

For my contour I recently picked up the Topshop Beauty Contour Wand and have been absolutely obsessed with drawing onto my face and blending it in with my beauty blender. I'd never dabbled into the cream contour properly until recently and I really am loving the effect that it's been giving me over a powder contour. The colour of this wand seems perfect for me and by using my beauty blender I feel that it looks so much more natural and that I actually have chiseled cheeks which after all is the end goal of contouring! I've tried bits of Topshop beauty before and been impressed but nowhere near as impressed as I have been with this contour wand. For this I literally just apply it straight from the 'wand' to my skin in a straight line below my cheek bone for that 'sharp' contour look and also then along my jaw line and my temples for a little bit more of a bronzed, chiseled look. I have been absolutely in love with my makeup so much recently since using this combination of products and in my head it makes me look incredible! I also then use my Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer  as a highlight as it's super cheap and I use so much of this product every day along my 'highlight' areas. I blend this in again with my beauty blender after I've done my contour blending to just perfect my base for the day. I mainly use this under my eyes, on my forehead, down my nose and on my cupids bow as I think that they are the areas that look super good when I've highlighted them!

I then set my base under my eyes and on my chin and forehead with a little bit of the Soap & Glory One Heck Of a Blot powder which I haven't actually photographed because in all honesty my one was too dirty to grace the pages of my blog! But I have got a post coming up soon full of my three new S&G purchases so keep following for that one! Let me know in the comments what your base products are and what you'd count as your holy grail products!





BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in Manchester




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Friday 20 May 2016

Kylie Cosmetics Lip Glosses Review



Following on from my Kylie Lip Kit Review, I thought today that I would sit down with you and discuss my thoughts on my other Kylie Cosmetics purchases, my lip glosses! I didn't actually plan on purchasing these at all. I really don't like glosses to be honest but I guess that just shows how much I like to spend money! Oops! So after not having much luck with the shades that I wanted on my first Kylie Cosmetics purchase I actually decided to turn on notifications for their Twitter account so that the next time they went on sale I was fully prepared and in the know. This meant that when the lip glosses went on sale at 9pm UK time on the first of April, I was already at my laptop and not in bed like I had been for the previous midnight release of lip kits. Curious to see how much they would be, I popped online and saw that they were all still in stock and then it just kind of happened. All three were in my basket and I'd checked out before I'd known what hit me. I think I was kind of hoping that they'd sell out before I got to that stage but I think because I was on the site dead at 9pm and it's hadn't been announced by Kylie herself yet I'd just been lucky! 3 Lip glosses were on their way to me. 

The packaging of the lip glosses is just like that of the Lip Kits with the lipstick drip marks down from the cap of the tube and Kylie's signature gracing the side. Equally as pretty as the lip kits and a great size for the $15 price tag. The wand however is far from perfect. If you've been on social media and watching the Kylie Cosmetics hype you may have seen a lot of complaints regarding the wands on social media. I haven't got a picture of mine because I've actually trimmed off the troublesome bristles from mine so that the application is smooth, but basically the bristles on some of the brushes are all over the place and make for quite a tricky application. I've actually emailed Kylie Cosmetics customer service and am still awaiting a response, but I've heard that they have since made improvements and that anyone that purchased them on the first release will be being sent new wands. Which I have had a dispatch email about now so I am super excited to receive them! *update since I wrote this* - They actually sent out all three glosses again to me with the new wands, which are sooo much better, but I did have to pay customs again!

The formulation for the glosses is really quite gloopy, they're quite tacky once applied and are most definitely glossy! For someone that doesn't like lip glosses as a rule though, I have to say that these are prety darn good. As tacky and gloopy as they are, they apply really nicely and within a couple of minutes they dry quite nicely, still leaving a shine but feel matte to the touch. A combination that many gloss lovers might not like, but for me, works really well. The colours are gorgeous too, although I think they're all a little too similar. I wear So Cute the most as it's the most perfect shade for my skintone, however Like and Literally are both not far off, only one or two slight shades between them. 

For the reason above, I've decided that I don't need all three of my glosses so I've actually given 'Like' to a friends at work as she really wanted one and it just was a tad too dark for me, but it looks great on her so I feel so good that it's gone to use! 


Let me know in the comments below what you think of Kylie Cosmetics and the lip kits / Glosses!




BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in Manchester

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Wednesday 18 May 2016

How I style Denim in Summer


If you've not been living under a rock recently you would have noticed that we have been having quite the peculiar weather. First it was a week of snow, then a week of the hottest weather all year and then torrential rain with a few extra sunny days thrown in. We have such wacky weather in the UK and I know that whenever we have a tiny bit of sun, most of us Brits whack out the Summer clothing like there's no tomorrow. No matter how hot (or how cold) the temperature, if the Sun is out, the chance is, we're all wearing shorts, Bardot tops and flip flops! For this post, I thought I would take a little inspiration from that mental mindset that us brits get into and show you how I style Denim for the Summer months! 

One thing that can make an outfit a little more weather acceptable is denim jeans. A good pair of Denim jeans is all you need when the weather is a little chilly, but the sun is out in full force! For this outfit I thought I'd start off with a pair of White Denim Jeans with rips in the knees. I actually don't own any of these at the moment, I haven't found the perfect pair of jeans with the right knee rips in for me, but this pair from Jacqueline De Yong at M&M Direct could be the ones! I picked white jeans because they just seem so much more summery; you're covered with warmth, but still look ready for a Pimm's in the pub garden! To pair with the white ripped jeans, I've chosen this gorgeous peach off-the-shoulder Bardot top from Topshop, I mean, you've got to have one way to catch a tan, right? This one is perfectly matched for my white jeans and goes really well with this gorgeous cut out, floral cross body bag from LYDC in baby pink. You may recognise this one from a previous style board that I did, but that's just because I really love it, in both colours! 

Of course you can't have an outfit like this without some amazing shoes and sunglasses, so I've picked out these beautiful tassel, cut-out sandals from River Island as honestly I just love the whole jeans and sandals look! They're not that practical in rubbish weather, but when the sun's out, they're perfect! Then I had to go and pick my dream sunglasses. I don't know why, because I just tease myself every time I look at these, but look at them! These Dior Sunglasses have the silver frames and rose gold lenses that just make them literally to die for and a perfect match for the rest of this summer outfit!

I love the items I've picked for this style and think it's so easy to match denim for summer. M&M Direct have some great denim pieces at the moment at some really great prices and also have some lovely Jackets in to for when the weather get's that little bitter cooler again (because we all know it will, it's England after all!!).  Let me know in the comments what you would have paired with denim for a Summer style. Do you like these kind of posts? I know I've done quite a few recently, but I'm loving showing off my style a little more with these types of collages!




BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in Manchester
*This post is in collaboration with M&M Direct* 

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Sunday 15 May 2016

How I got on with the Results With Lucy Meal Plan


Working out, whether that be going to the gym solo, joining in with a fitness class or doing a workout at home with a program such as Results with Lucy is all well and good, but what really gets you slimming down and toning up is what you eat. I know you've heard it all before, but dropping the pounds really is all about what you eat. I think I read somewhere that losing weight is 80% about the food and 20% about the exercise. Personally, I think with me there's another 10% thrown in there for good measure on the mentality of working out in the first place, but overall, it is mostly about the food.

When I was reviewing the Results with Lucy 6 week Beach Body Upgraded Plan, I made sure that I wasn't just reviewing the exercises, but the meal plan too. Results with Lucy is a program with an all over package and not just some quick fix moves to get you in shape. If you read my previous progress posts (which you can find here) then you'll know that I was also making a massive effort to change my eating habits along the way. I've never gotten on with meal plans in the past, but there was something about the RWL one that made it so much easier to follow. 

Before starting the Beach Body Upgraded Plan I ate terribly. I always tried my best to eat healthy but as a rather fussy and (slightly) lazy person it always seemed easier to just chuck in some chips and a chicken kiev than it was to stand and cook a proper (more nutritious) meal. I think it was the mindset I'd had since living with my parents. My mum always cooked easy meals as she hated being in the kitchen and so I just ate the basics, those being mostly baked beans and pasta. When I first met Jordan it took him a while to get me out of constantly making pasta, for a guy who hated the stuff and liked cooking new things it was a perfect match as it got me out of my comfort zone. Thanks to him encouraging me to try new things, some of my favourite meals now are ones that I hadn't even tried before just over a year ago (stir fry I'm looking at you here). So when I took a look at the RWL Meal Plan I was a little daunted, I wasn't used to eating so healthy and so decided to start myself slowly and not rush into cutting out everything I liked completely.

Instead of sticking to the exact plan that the Beach Body plan suggested I decided to move it around. With me promising to cook most nights, Jordan didn't mind what we ate (as long as it had meat in - he's such a boy!) which made it so much easier to stick to as I was cooking for the both of us. If there was an evening meal suggestion that I wasn't to keen on, I tended to take a search through the rest of the recipe's on the website and choose something similar to make instead. It meant that I wasn't getting bored with the plan, wasn't hating eating things I didn't really like and meant I was still eating healthy meals. I loved it and found it so much easier to stick to. 

Below I've listed some of my favourite meals from the RWL Meal Plan site - If you're a member then make sure you head over to check out the recipes and make them yourself and if you're not then what are you waiting for?!

Breakfast:
I was never a massive breakfast eater before, but it is the most important meal of the day after all! Since eating breakfast every day I've definitely seen a massive drop in the amount of food I crave throughout the rest of the day. 

My faves are: 
Breakfast Rougie
Banana Porridge with Cinnamon and Berries


Lunch: 
I am in the fortunate position at the moment where I can go home for lunch. This means that I can often quickly cook a meal for myself fresh, which is most definitely what I prefer. However, there are plenty of meals on the RWL Eat Well section which are perfect for cooking in bulk and prepping for the week. 

My Faves are:
Stuffed Yellow Peppers
Baked Pesto Chicken Salad
Fajita Lettuce Gems



Dinner:
The one that I look forward to most each day! I love to eat big meals in the evening and cutting down my portion sizes has been tougher than probably anything else I've had to cut down, but with the meals being better for me (higher in protein, lower in fat etc) I've still been full!

My Faves are:
Thai Chicken Curry
Crunchy Oatmeal Chicken
Balsamic Glazed Steak with Sweet Potato Mash!

Results With Lucy have also currently got a competition running to win a holiday for two to Antigua! So make sure you check out the information below and get hash tagging #myinspo for a chance to win by sharing your inspirational woman on Instagram!


What are your favourite healthy meals to make? Do you have a plan you stick to? Let me know in the  comments below!




BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in Manchester

*This post may contain PR samples*




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Friday 13 May 2016

What's in my holiday makeup bag?


I GO ON HOLIDAY TOMORROW. I REPEAT. I GO ON HOLIDAY TOMORROW. 
If you couldn't guess, I'm more than slightly excited to go on holiday tomorrow and so of course, how could I not leave without posting yet another holiday related post? It's come to that time where I am now frantically last minute packing and making sure that I've got everything ready for tomorrow morning. We're leaving the house at 8am and so all last minute preparations and last double and triple checks are being done as soon as I leave work! Knowing me, I'll probably forget something so these checks are all vital before a two week holiday! In the excitement of all of this, I thought that today I would show you what's in my Holiday makeup bag! 

When I first started packing my makeup bag for Florida I always wanted to go minimal. After all, there's plenty more makeup out there for me to buy (and I do plan on buying it). However it's been a lot harder than I thought to cut down. I don't plan on wearing too much on a day to day basis around the parks, but I think I've been forgetting that I am now of drinking age in America and would love to go out for some drinks and just dress up a little more. Of course, with dressing up a little more comes a little more (a lot more) makeup! Oh and how could I not mention my makeup bag?! I found this Mickey Mouse gem in Primark for £5 and it's absolutely huge! I saw it and instantly fell in love. It's the perfect bag for going to Disney World with and fits absolutely everything I could think of. And it was a steal!

My Holy Grail can't-live-without products:

Revlon Photoready Primer - best thing since sliced bread (almost)
Revlon Photo Ready Airbrush Effect Foundation - light and easy with enough coverage to get me through the days
Benefit Puff Off  - to keep me looking alive each morning even though I'm probably a walking Zombie
Topshop Contour Wand - Because I still have to look chiseled to meet Mickey Mouse!
Soap & Glory One Heck Of  A Blot powder -  To stop my makeup melting away
Seventeen Instant Glow - to keep my face looking like a bronzed goddess!
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - need I say more?!
Benefit Brow Zings - The holy grail of brow powders.
Clarins' Eye Perfector - to keep every eye shadow nicely in place.
Clarins' Fix Make Up - To make sure that everything is fixed on my face!
MAC Pro Palette in Warm Neutrals - obviously I forgot to photograph this, but it has every shade I should ever need in it!

The Extra's I probably don't even need but are taking with me anyway:

Seventeen Long Lash Mascara - Long Lasting Mascara that (hopefully) doesn't budge in the heat
Seventeen Skin WOW Highlighter - for an extray dewy look in the evening
Kylie Lip Kit in Candy K - Super Pretty & lasts all day.
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Lip Butter - Okay, I probably will need this, but I probably won't use it....
MAC's Mineral Skin finish in Lightscapade - I feel like I'll be highlighted enough from the sweat in the heat - Gross!!
Clarins Lip Oil in Red - It looks pretty but will probably result in burnt lips! 
Clarins Ombre Waterproof Eye Shadow - non essential when I'm taking my MAC Pro Palette!

And obviously I will also be taking my brushes too! I've included the EcoTools Mini brushes here though as (they were the only ones that were clean) they're perfect for taking with me & taking to the parks each day for top ups of blotting powder and eye shadow / lipstick disasters! I love Eco Tools brushes a they're so soft and easy to clean too so they're just the perfect set. What kind of makeup would you take with you to America? Let me know in the comments below and also let me know if I'm forgetting anything!




BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in Manchester
*This post contains PR samples*




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Wednesday 11 May 2016

A Day out at Live at Leeds Festival





Last weekend myself and Jordan jumped on the train to Leeds and set off to Live at Leeds Festival courtesy of The Blogger Programme and The Zeitgeist Agency. We were all set and excited to see Jess Glynne perform at the O2 Academy after a spot of food, but unfortunately whilst we were on the train we were informed that she was no longer performing due to illness. Disappointed was a bit of an understatement, but we were determined to enjoy our day and so headed off to the First Direct Arena to collect our wrist bands and plan out our evening. At this point it was around 5.30pm and so we headed off to the Trinity Kitchen to grab something to eat and check out the Live at Leeds guide to see who we wanted to catch performing.

I've been to the Trinity Kitchen once before, but this was the first time for Jordan and so it was great to pop in together and see what food we fancied. I absolutely love the Trinity Kitchen because all of the food is so diverse. It's a much better idea for a shopping centre food court than the typical McDonalds, Subway, Burger King combo and the food is so diverse it's perfect for trying out new food and also staying healthy if you're wanting too. On Saturday I decided to let myself have a little cheat meal and so went for some Sweet Potato fries and a Classic Burger with Cheese and Bacon from Chicago Rib House whereas Jordan opted for some Chilli Cheese Fries and Pulled Pork Spring Rolls and we both had a Very Berry Iced Tea which was gorgeous! I've never really been a fan of street food before but the Trinity Kitchen is something that I wish they'd open in the Manchester Arndale too!

After our food we then walked up to the O2 Academy Leeds and flashed our wristbands for entrance to see Izzy Bizu. We'd never heard of her before but we were excited to see her perform and start off our Live at Leeds Experience. She was really good live and has a great voice and to our surprise she actually sang a song we both new! It was great to randomly choose who to go and see as part of the festival and to realise that we actually did know the artist. I think that's why I enjoyed the festival so much, it introduced us to lots of new music, new artists and gave us a great day! We then went to Holy Trinity Church to see Isaac Gracie, however ended up missing him sadly and were about to leave when Jordan realised that Benjamin Francis Leftwich was playing and got a bit excited. I wasn't sure who he was, but Jordan seemed to so we hung around and watched him play before heading off to try and get into Corrine Bailey Ray, which we failed at miserably!

Overall we had a really great day and I want to thank the Blogger Programme and The Zeitgeist Agency for gifting the tickets to us for our great day out! It was lovely to get to go along and I'm so greatful for the opportunity as I probably wouldn't have looked twice at attending a festival like this on my own! I also wanted to say a huge thank you to Shop Dixi and BLOC Eyewear for gifting me the amazing products above to wear on the day! Unfortunately I didn't get any decent snaps of me wearing them on the day as it was a little too dark for Sunglasses and the ones of my ring were sadly too blurry (bad blogger!) but I've photographed them above for you all to see how pretty they were and they should be featured in another 'festival outfit' post soon! 

Have you ever been to a festival like Live at Leeds before? Let me know what your favourite festival is in the comments below!




BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in Manchester
*This post contains PR samples* 


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