Autumn Shoe Wish List

So with the weather in England at the moment not knowing whether it's coming or going I thought it was about time that I started shopping for some more appropriate shoes. I love my summer shoes and my Kurt Geiger sandals have literally not been off of my feet this year, but there are just days when rain between your toes when you're out and about is just not that ideal. So, of course, I've been having a peek online and had to create a wish list of the shoes that I am loving most at the moment and cannot wait to get my hands on! Up first is this pair of Oriole Ankle Boots from Jones' Bookmakers, a gorgeous pair of boots that I think are perfect for the transition between summer and autumn. I really love how light they are and how well they'd go with both oversized jumpers and jeans and also with a summer dress or a cheeky bardot top. The second pair that I am loving at the moment and really want to add to my collection are these Black Converse All Star ox; I've not really worn Converse's for the past couple of years but since very kindly being sent a pair of white ones, I've fallen back in love with how comfy they are and am already wanting to add to my collection. Another pair of classic shoes that I want to get my hands on are these Adidas Superstar Foundation Trainers. I've seen so many people wearing these (or similar)  recently and I have tried to stay off of the bandwagon for so long but I'm afraid it's come to that time that I'm just going to have to jump on board because I love them! I'm really hoping to get a pair of these all white ones as I think they'd look so good with my black jeans and new camouflage jacket! These Office Nude Espadrilles are another must have on my wish list, they are so Chanel-esque and way more affordable for me at the moment! Now, I know these are more of a Summer shoe but I can't help myself but still want some this late in the game! Last but not least I am loving these Jone's Bookmakers Onida Ankle boots, I'm really into this style boot and think they would be perfect through the winter months with some jeans and a white shirt!  I can't wait to get my hands on some of these shoes soon and (as much as you'll probably hate me for saying this) I'm really excited for the cooler months to come along. I really love the autumn and autumn / winter clothing in particular and can't wait to get my boots on, my wooly hats on and my big comfy jumpers! 

What are you looking forward to most about the autumn? Are you loving any of the shoe styles above too? I'd love to know what shoes you're lusting after! 

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN'

BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in the South West.

(*This blog post is in collaboration with Jones Bookmakers)

Alternative Ways To Keep Fit Without Going To The Gym

If, unlike me, you find it difficult to meet your weekly exercise quota you may be interested to hear that there are many fun ways to get fit without ever actually stepping foot in a gym. Throughout the summer there are so many activities that you can do to keep on the move and keep active that usually mean your burning the calories without even realising. I know a lot of  people my age that really struggle to get into the swing of things when it comes to exercise because it's too boring or they just don't enjoy it and so today I thought I would write up a little post on how to exercise without exercising. There are so many ways that you can keep fit and active without going to the gym and running aimlessly on a treadmill for ages and that can actually make staying in shape fun and entertaining and I thought I would share these with you today.

Activities along the lines of dancing and roller-blading, skate boarding and going for long walks are all ways that you can get your fitness in without actually thinking too much about the fact that you're doing the dreaded 'exercise'.  Believe it or not, for most of my life (before the last couple of years where I've been fitness crazy) I hated every aspect of exercising. In PE, I made sure that I was always excused or doing the bare minimum (unless it was a Summer game of Rounders of course) and for sports day, I always made sure I was on the media committee taking the photos instead of actually taking part. I know with the kind of posts that I write on here now, it might be a little difficult to imagine me not into fitness at all, but I literally tried to avoid doing sport or going to the gym at every cost! It was a really big shock to me when I figured out I actually did love working out, but for all of those years before hand, it really was a struggle to get me to do much at all.

Getting out and about in the summer with a friend was always a way to get me exercising without realising  it when I was younger and with things like skate boards, scooters and bikes we managed to have a good time and still get in some much needed cardio without even realising it! Nowadays I'm all about getting in the gym and doing some serious HIIT or Bootcamp workouts, but getting out for a half an hour on a skateboard or scooter can be a serious workout too - even if you're really bad at it like I am! Just trying to keep yourself balanced on a skateboard is amazing for your core and pushing yourself around on a scooter or even on rollerblades can get your heart rate pumping and you doing a cardio workout without the boring feeling of being trapped in a gym. I feel like taking the photos today for this post has been a workout in itself trying to stay still on that skateboard! Other really nice summer activities like heading off on a bike ride with friends or taking your dog for a long walk can also be a great workout; a little more conventional in terms of getting exercise, bike riding and walking is something that gets your muscles working and your heart racing without being boring or stationary on a machine. Myself and my friend Rhiannon often go for long walks whilst we have our catch ups as it's a great way to get some extra exercise in, have a good old gossip away from anyone else and also just spend some time in the countryside. I've actually got another post about walking as a form of exercise coming soon so keep following via Bloglovin for that one! 

There are so many things you can do that without really thinking about it can be a form of exercise and you don't have to even step foot in the gym to do them. If you're really not into the idea of exercising at all then or even getting out doing the kinds of activities I've mentioned above then just going out for a night out and dancing your cares away (especially in a pair of killer heels) can be such a good form of exercise - as long as you're not drinking your weight in calories too! I really hope that this post has inspired a couple of you to get out and just enjoy keeping fit a bit more. It's not something a lot of people really think about when thinking about how you can keep fit as there is a massive stigma on 'going to the gym' being the only thing you can really do to stay in shape, but there are so many things that you can do to make it fun. Let me know in the comments if you're going to try out any of the suggestions above to try and keep a little fitter this summer, I'd love to know what kind of things you do to stay in shape if you're not a fan of the conventional ways!

Thanks so much to SkateHut who have kindly sponsored this blog post today. Make sure you take a peep over at their site as they have lots of equipment such as scooters, skate boards and roller blades that could be perfect for getting you out and 'exercising' this summer! 

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN'

BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in the South West.

(*this post was in collaboration with SkateHut*)

RWL Week 7 | Early Morning Workouts, Motivation and My Eating Habits

When you've been in a funk for a couple of weeks, getting yourself back into the fitness routine can be bloody hard, let me tell you that now! This past week of trying to get myself back into my exercise has been so difficult and definitely not one that has gone well. I started off the week with doing one of the week 7 Results with Lucy Workouts but after that it became quite apparent that the motivational bug clearly hadn't hit me again as much as I thought it had. I did a 30 min cardio gym session and 1000m swim with my Dad on Wednesday evening (swimming with my dad is one of the best things about moving home), a RWL HIIT Harder session on Thursday before heading off to London and then I managed to pop to the pool again late last night with Dad for another swim. That was last week in exercise for me. Not at all what I had wanted from my first week back at it after the break but I am still happy that I completed four sessions. The disappointment I've felt today realising how little I've done in the past week (and how badly I've eaten) has kick started that motivation just a little bit more to push me to do more again this week. Not that this post is about week 8, but i'm currently writing this at 10am on Monday morning and I've already completed my 1st RWL HIIT workout of the week! 

For week 7 I only completed two days of HIIT workouts but as always they were tougher than ever! I am still absolutely loving the structure of the sessions and love how easy they are to incorporate into your daily routines. With my mum and me both working from home now it can be quite difficult to find the time where the living room / garden space is free for me to workout in but when the workouts are only around 30-40 minutes long including the warm up and cool down, it's been easier than I thought to slip in before her clients arrive. I've also been finding it really easy to do in my gym, something that in the past I've really struggled with when I've been using different programs. The Results with Lucy mobile web page is super easy to use and the videos load really well on my iPhone too so it's easy to grab a corner of the free weights area and do my workout there if there really isn't any time to squeeze one in at home. Everything about the RWL HIIT Harder plan is completely up my street and the accessibility of being able to complete the workouts wherever makes my life so much easier. The way that the workouts are structured in different videos and sections also makes me love these even more as I am now getting to grips with how the workouts are going to look and how the sessions go. I always want to give my best when I'm completing a HIIT Harder session because I know it's working my body to the maximum and I think I'm at that stage now with my exercise where I know I'm only cheating myself if I don't give every workout 100% effort. I often come away from the workouts dripping of sweat (gross) and needing the mother of all showers, but I know then that I've worked out to my all!

Motivation for me is something that I struggle with quite a lot in all aspects of my life. Not having a set routine with being my own boss at the moment is definitely something I am having issues with and is something that I am really now focusing on getting into shape. With me, if I have a thought and then sit on it for a while, the motivation tends to disappear. I hate to admit it but I am a pretty lazy person and it can sometimes take a lot for me to get up and do something. I've spoken about this on my blog before in some of my previous fitness posts, but with me it's normally all or nothing. At the moment I feel like I'm very much in a 'nothing' state of mind and although I want more than anything to be giving everything my all, the motivation is just not there. By getting up this morning and making myself exercise at 8.30am I feel like I'm in the best place to kick my bum into gear with all other aspects of my life. Last week for me, most of my workouts were motivated by my dad; having someone else around me as into fitness as I am really does help when I'm in one of my ruts. Dad always makes me get my ass into gear and get to the gym with him and if I'm not in the mood he guilts me into it so much so that I feel like I have to go (honestly not as bad as it sounds!). Going in the gym with my dad or going for a swim with my dad is one of the most relaxing things ever to me. We don't really spend much time with each other elsewhere and so I always take those moments as our quality time together - even if we're not talking whilst we swim or sweat it out in the sauna.  

My eating this past week, as mentioned briefly above has been nothing short of atrocious. I've had countless McDonalds, skipped meals and basically lived off of pasta and bags of chocolate peanuts and I am literally appalled at myself. I'm not going to sit here and type out lies to you saying I've done my best and eaten well because quite honestly, thinking back I don't think I can even think of one healthy-ish meal I had last week. In fact, yesterday all I had was McDonalds and chocolate peanuts and I know 100% that that's another part where I am majorly going wrong with my lack of motivation. I know that 80% of your weight loss and toning is down to what you eat and for me, I'm always feeling a million times better when I'm eating at my best. This next week (week 8) is going to be all about focusing on me and making sure that I'm eating as well as I can be. It is a little harder now I'm back living at home, but with all of the recipes on RWL I don't really have any excuses! Make sure you follow me on snapchat (username : beky_morris) because I'm going to be making sure I snapchat my meals and workouts this week - another way to keep me motivated and on track! 

Once again, I'd like to apologise for the lack of structure within this post. My RWL Journey this time around is proving more difficult to stick to than I had imagined with all of the personal things that have been going on in my life, but I am determined to get the results I want and I can only see that happening by sticking to this plan and with Lucy! Have you been struggling with your healthy lifestyles recently or had any bumps in the road on your fitness journeys? Let me know in the comments so we can motivate each other to keep going! 

What I'm wearing:

Pink Soda Cropped Tank Top

Pink Soda Long Sleeved Contrast T-Shirt

Pink Soda Heart Capri Tights

Adidas Originals Neo (similar)

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN'

BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in the South West.

(*this post may contain items gifted to me for PR purposes*)

Let's have a little catch up... Moving home, Break Up and Blogging Full Time

So, it's been a while. To be honest, I've been sat here for about half an hour now just scrolling through these photos trying to decide on what to say. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those rambley posts, so I'm just going to apologise for that now. If you follow my blog then you may have realised that I've been a bit AWOL recently and so for that I feel like I owe you a bit of an explanation; I have moved back to Wiltshire. It's been a bit of a crappy couple of weeks to be honest. Jordan and I decided to break up (and we're still friendly and all) but it meant that I got to move back to my parents house in Wiltshire and honestly I have been so much happier here already. For the last year, no matter how well I managed to hide it,  I have really not liked living in Manchester  and between myself and Jordan and many, many trips home, I finally came to the decision that no matter how much I loved Jordan, I needed to be happy. To me, being happy means being at home. So, here I am three weeks later sat in my newly decorated bedroom in my family home watching Gilmore Girls, writing this blog post and actually feeling a lot happier than I have been in quite a while. 

I've taken a little break from my blog over the last couple of weeks because I've just needed space to get myself back into a place where I consider to be 'me'. I feel like during my time in Manchester I lost who I was and there is definitely nothing like coming home and reconnecting with your family and your old friends to make you feel a little like who you used to be. There are so many people in my life that I haven't spoken to in a few years and since coming home I've reconnected with two people in particular and I'm really happy that they're back in my life. And obviously I've got my Melody back, (be a pal and help her get to 1K on her Youtube) and because of her you get pretty photos like the ones above, so that's always a bonus! I'm around so many people that I love here and it's so nice to feel loved by so many people. 

Another little fact of moving home is that I'm now without a job. Something that after a year of jobs that I've really not been happy in at all I'm actually really happy about. I kind of have enough money to get by for now and with moving home it's so nice to only have my car as my only bill for now instead of around £1000 worth of bills each month! As I'm in such a fortunate position I thought I would take this opportunity to take my blog full time for a while and just do what makes me happy for a while. I'm so excited to get stuck back in to my blog and give it my all as these past couple of weeks of not working on it has been so strange! It's definitely made me realise how much I love BekyLou.com and how much I don't want it to slip! I've actually got a couple of meetings and events in London coming up over the next couple of weeks and I'm excited to fully get stuck in to them and make something more of my little space on the internet!

If there's anything specific that you'd like to see on the blog in the coming months, then let me know because I'd love to write more content that you'd like to see!

What I'm wearing:

New Look Denim Jacket (similar)

New Look Scalloped top  (similar)

Topshop White Joni Jeans

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN'

BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in the South West.

bareMinerals Blemish Remedy skincare review

A couple of years ago one of my fave makeup counter girlies at Benefit in Bristol made the move over to a Bare Minerals counter and of course, I followed her. I'd never been introduced to Bare Minerals before and it was so interesting to learn all about a new brand and especially a brand that pride themselves on being so natural. I instantly fell in love and soon had a little stock pile of new goodies to try out including my all time favourite mineral foundation and Complexion Rescue Gel (which I totally need to repurchase). 2 years on and I'm now reviewing a couple of new products of theirs and once again I am in love! 

First up is the bareMinerals Blemish Remedy Anti-Imperfection Treatment Gellée Cleanser - something that as I write this post I have actually come to the end of because I've been trialling it so long with moving house! I have no joke, I have used this every morning and night for the last month or so and it has completely taken over from my beloved Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. Now, I'm not going to compare the two because they are completely different products in my view, but it is definitely a big thing for me to completely separate from Liz! This Gellée formula cleanser is a foaming facial wash that completely melts my makeup away (when I'm too lazy to use micellar water first) and leaves my skin feeling so fresh. I've hugely noticed a difference in my spots/blemishes recently too whilst using this and I 100% put that down to this cleanser. With skin-purifying, mineral-rich sea salts, peppermint and ginger extract this cleanser helps you 'discover your skins natural clarity' as it effectively dissolves the pore-clogging impurities at the source. My skin feels so refreshed after I've washed with this cleanser and minus a couple of pesky hormonal blemishes that I can never be completely rid of around that time of the month, my skin has been the clearest it's been in quite some time. I will 100% be picking up another bottle of this as I think it's become one of my new go-to skin saviours!

For a follow up on my cleansing routine, I've also been trialling the bareMinerals Bare Haven Essential Moisturising Soft Cream. This cream has been the perfect step to keeping my skin feeling baby smooth before bed and revitalising it just before I apply my makeup in the mornings. Made up of St Johns Wort extract and Intuitive mineral moisture technology this moisturiser is one that replenishes the essential moistures in your skin and revives the overall resilience and suppleness for a youthful look. Designed for normal to dry skin types, this one has been perfect for me and has been keeping my skin so smooth. 

As always I've been super impressed with bareMinerals and cannot wait to get my hands on a second tube of the blemish remedy cleanser and to try out even more products from bareMinerals in the near future. I'd love to know if you guys have any recommendations for other products from the brand, it would be great to try some things that you guys love! Let me know in the comments your thoughts. Have you ever tried these skincare bits?

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN'

BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in the South West.

(*This blog post contains products gifted to me for PR purposes*)

Summer Knit Wish List

When it comes to Summer style the last thing I would thing of would be knitwear. When you think sun and hot weather and the humidity that we get here around this time of year, the last thing you think of is hot, sweaty knitwear. Or at least, it's the last thing I've been thinking of... That was until, I started actually looking at the new pieces that have been coming out into shops over the past couple of months. I don't know why I've been such a hermit recently and not noticed these items but all of a sudden I have a massive wish list full of summer knit items! Crochet is apparently big on my new favourites at the moment and first up on my wish list for this season is a crochet bikini! High up on the list of priorities for the remainder of this year is most definitely a holiday and so a crochet bikini seemed like the perfect start for a post like this. This bandeau and tie-bottom zig-zag set from Topshop is actually in the sale at the moment and is my favourite from a great bunch that they're stocking at the moment. I love the colours and the style and I think it would look perfect with a tan! Not that I'm able to ever get a proper tan with my bloody skin! Next up is this gorgeous grey halter neck crop, also from Topshop. It's a style that I have always loved (I guess that's what I get for being a 90s kid) and it's 100% up my street. Again I think it would be perfect on holiday (I really am wishing here) but would also look really cute with a black high waisted maxi skirt or a pair of black Joni Jeans. I actually think this item won't be on my wish list for long, I am extremely close to picking this up next time I'm in town!

A pair of black crochet shorts have been something that I've had my eye on for a few weeks now, I'm not at all a shorts kinda gal, but there's something about a pair like this that really appeals to me. I think it's the feminine edge on them and the fact that they're not bum shorts (I am not about that). These beauties are from New Look and are really well priced at £17.99 and are another item that I might actually find myself purchasing rather soon. For some reason I'm really not into wearing shorts in the UK though, I have no idea why but it just doesn't seem like I'm allowed here, which writing it down like that sounds absolutely ridiculous! Anyway, I like the shorts! Another crochet crop top that I've been liking the look of is this white cami top from Glamorous at Topshop. This one is 100% my style and something that I could see myself wearing quite a lot throughout the summer and even with a couple of layers in the Autumn and Winter. It's really simple and can easily be matched with lots of other items that I already own which is always a must when I'm looking to buy new clothes. Last but not least on my summer knit wish list is this gorgeous pink crochet maxi dress - which by the way is currently on sale for a steal of £13!! I am a massive fan of maxi dresses (even though they normally have to be taken up for my small frame) and this one caught my eye straight away when I was having a browse online. Again, perfect for a holiday the pink zigzag pattern would be lovely against a tan and look so pretty with my Kurt Geiger Sandals! 

Even from writing this post I've fallen more in love with the idea of knit wear in summer and cannot wait to get my hands on some pieces ready for my holiday (I really want this to happen, just go with me on this). Have you been rocking the crochet in summer style this season? I'd love to know your thoughts, let me know in the comments! This post has been in collaboration with Deramores, an online knitting site, so make sure you take a peep over to them also!

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN'

BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in the South West.

(*This blog post is in collaboration with Deramores*)

RWL Week 6/7 - The Honest Truth About How I'm Getting on...

So once again you may have realised that I have been missing out majorly on the whole blogging regularly thing. If you haven't yet read my update post (which I'm not quite sure whether or not will be out before this on or not) then keep your eyes peeled for that one as it lets you in on all of my secrets as to where I've been these past couple of weeks! In a nutshell though, these past couple weeks have been quite difficult for me. I broke up with my boyfriend of almost two years and moved back home to Wiltshire to live with my parents again (which is a struggle in itself!). Because of all of that I've really not been in a very positive mood at all and I'm not going to lie to you and say that I've kept up with my Results with Lucy Program, because I haven't. I took a solid three weeks off from eating healthy and doing much exercise because I really just was not in the mood. You know the feeling, a decision for the best or not, a breakup is still a break up and I just wanted to be around my friends and family and just heal for a while. For that reason I'm ashamed to say that I have pretty much lost all of the little definition in my body that I'd built up over the first couple of weeks and now I am going to have to work my ass off throughout the last half of this program to hopefully still see the results that I wanted way back at the beginning. I didn't want to write this post though and tell you fibs of how everything is going really smashingly because its not. I wanted to give you the honest truth because, it's not a very good review if I'm not honest with you all. 

As of this week I have re-joined my favourite home town gym, been for a couple of swims and sessions with my dad and have started on the beginning of week 7 of my RWL HIIT Harder plan. I've missed a couple of weeks so the workouts have gotten a little harder from the off, but if I keep dragging myself back too far, I'll never get the results I want. After all, you've got to work for what you want! No more late night McDonalds trips, no more bags of Dairy Milk Buttons just because and certainly not so much alcohol! I'm really hoping to get away on a last minute holiday soon so I am extra determined to get my body back to how it was before my break up and keep pushing myself to get the end results that I've always wanted. I have the time off now too whilst I'm focusing on my blog, so there's really no more excuses to not work out, eat better and look after myself again! 

I'm really sorry if this has been a bit of a rambling post, but I think I've needed it to just get everything out in the open. No more absences and secrets, just me being honest with you all again! I'd love to know how you are all getting on with your Results with Lucy plans if you're following them! Let me know in the comments below and share some motivational bits to keep me moving! 

What I'm wearing:

Pink Soda Reversible Snake Sports Bra

Pink Soda Snake Panel Tights

Adidas Pink Trainers (similar)

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN'

BekyLou, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness and Lifestyle Blog based in the South West.

(*This blog post contains products gifted to me for PR purposes*)