The 5:2 Diet

Hello readers!

Since breaking up from college I've not been as active as I used to be. Sitting home eating junk really had caught up with me so I decided I wanted to get back in shape over the summer.

After hearing about the crazily popular 5:2 Diet, which all the celebrities had been doing I decided to give it a go. 

If your not aware of the 5:2 Diet, basically it's this 'new' way to lose weight reasonably fast, and all that's involved is eating normally for 5 days, and by normally I mean within the daily calorie limit, which is 2000 for women and 2500 for men. Then for the other 2 days in the week you have to eat just 500 calories (600 for men).  That's it!

Now as a woman this means on one of the days you eat 500 calories you are effectively eating 1500 less. So in a week you should have totaled a loss of 3000 calories . 

3500 calories equals a pound of body weight, so theoretically  you should nearly be losing a pound a week if you stick to the plan and keep active.

With all this in mind I thought, great! sounds easy! - I mean getting to eat what you like within the limit for 5 days a week seemed brilliant. 

So let me explain how it all went for me.

My first week was really difficult. I didn't think it would be so hard to stick to 500 calories in a day, but it really was. I didn't worry though, as according to all the articles and stories I read on this diet getting used to eating this little was the hard part, but in time it got easier, apparently!

With a goal in mind, I didn't give in and I stuck to the plan and didn't eat over the 500. I spread the 2 days over the week so I could 'recover' kind of thing and it was great knowing the next day you could eat normally again. BUT, and this is a big one. This is where everything went wrong for me. 

After about 2 weeks of strictly following the diet I started to flag. After the days I was eating 500 I was feeling so hungry, not to mention moody, and I basically made up for what I hadn't eaten the day before, therefore defeating the object! Maybe I have no will power but I just felt like I needed to eat and eat. 

I think that maybe given time I would really have adjusted to the plan but for the first attempt, I didn't succeed. 

Nevertheless this doesn't mean it won't work for others - As I said there are many celebrities praising this diet and I have read many success stories; but it just wasn't for me. I think in future I will just stick to shaving a few hundred calories off my diet each day, instead of starving myself twice a week! 

For those wanting information on the 5:2 diet click here

Please leave a comment If you've tried this diet, or have any thoughts. 

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Beauty Haul - Recent Buys

So then, just a small collection of some recent purchases I've made to show. More essentials (ahem) rather than beauty treats here today! Nevertheless I will talk you through.

- Diesel Fuel for Life Unlimited Perfume 50ml -

I purchased this for my mum not so long ago as a gift and I loved it so much I had to get myself some (cheeky) I love perfumes so much and when I can afford to I always have to buy some. I tend to go for perfumes which aren't overly sweet and are long lasting. DKNY, Lacoste and Hugo Boss are what I have always stuck by but since trying this perfume by Diesel I have loved it ever since.
It's quite a subtle smell, unlike some perfumes which are quite overpowering, however it lasts a long time. It has quite a floral smell to it and is said to be spicy and woody at the same time, which is a good way to describe it.  Bought on sale in Boots at the time at the price of £30. Not bad for the 50ml bottle. Defiantly recommend.

- Bourjois Little Round Pot Rose Pompon Blush -
Love this little pot of blusher. It's really nice and compact with a mirror inside and a brush (not the greatest but it's okay for when you're on the move) I bought this blusher because it's one of the only colours I could find which goes well on my very pale skin. It's such a light colour and gives my cheekbones this soft and subtle warm look. In terms of staying power, it lasts quite long and blends onto the skin really well.
This particular colour gives me a nice natural warmth, but depending on your skin tone or look you want to achieve there's a huge variety of shades available from light pinks, reds, and peaches to deeper shades with tones of brown.
Price paid? - £7.99 at Superdrug. I will certainly buy this brand again, maybe next time I'll try the cream blush.

- No 7 Protect & Perfect Serum - 
Okay, previous to buying this product I had read a lot of good reviews and heard so much hype about how great this serum was. Bearing this in mind and after doing a little research into it I decided to buy it to see if I could improve my skin tone and minimize any pores, which is what it claims to achieve. What with having sensitive skin I have to be careful what products I use on my face however with this serum which is designed for sensitive skin there should be no problem.

 The serum itself is not greasy nor heavy on the skin and it glides on really nicely and soaks in fast.  I've only just began using the product so can't comment on any long term results, however for the few days I have been using it I can defiantly say that my skin is much smoother and a little more luminous, which is great.  After longer use I hope to see more results (i'll keep you posted) but as yet the product is having some nice results and hasn't caused my skin any problems like some serums and creams do if they are too rich or heavy! 

Just to comment on the value for money, I think the price of £22 is a little steep considering the size of the tube, however if I see any amazing results in the near future I will take this comment back haha!

- Tea Tree Intense Spot Cream -

I've been troubled with a few breakouts recently, *sigh* probably due to stress or my bad diet, so I have needed something to sort it out (or try to). Staying clear from all the usual brands such as Clearisil and Neutrogena etc as they do nothing for my skin in the slightest, I purchased this tea tree cream. I've never used any tee tree products for poor skin before so decided to give this cream a whirl after a reccomendation and replace the old scrubs and masks which I have endless amounts of. 

All I can pretty much say is that it does a pretty good job of reducing redness and speeding the healing  process. Put on overnight and within a few days my skin was near enough clear. Where has this product been all my teenage life? No but honestly, this cream not only smells great and you can feel it working it really helped reduce breakouts and any redness with constant use. 

Tea tree is my saviour! 

So there go, a few of the beauty products I've bought recently.

 Have you tried any of these items? What are your thoughts? 

Love

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AW13- One Step Ahead

AW13 is nearly hear, and good news for those wanting to stay ahead of the game, because the shops are gradually bringing out the jumpers, jackets and seasons must haves. Slightly early this year some would say perhaps, but it's never to soon to stock up on the next seasons trends! 

My first autumn purchase is this gorgeous Khaki style jacket, which is of the English Heritage trend this autumn/winter. Spotted among all the high summer fashion in Topshop, priced at just £60, it was a definite buy for me. 

There's plenty of trends around this Autumn/Winter, both new and some old classics. I'm particularly loving the Rebel look which includes high shine and leathers, as well as the English heritage style which is all about the chunky cable knits, khaki, checks and those autumn colours. 

I've compiled a list of the tops trends for 2013/14 below.

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June Wishlist

A nice little collection of some summer accessories that I just love and want. 

1. Loreal Techni Art Pli - LookFantastic | 2. Stud Clutch - New Look | 3. Stunning Metal Cuff Sandals - New Look | 4. This unique and awesome pair of Tortoise Bamboo Sunglasses - Cassette | 5. Glamourous Collar Necklace - Topshop

Hopefully I will have made at least two purchases by the end of the month ;)

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Even Better Skin: Clinique

After suffering from problematic skin in my early teens I found that after it had cleared up I was left with uneven skin tone and slight Hyper-Pigmentation. Although not permanent,  I wanted a product to improve my skin and speed up the healing process. 

Having seen advertisement for Cliniques products and multiple good reviews I just stopped by my local Clinique counter in Boots and asked for advice.

After going through a short assessment of my skin I was suggested Even Better Dark Spot Corrector, Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Lotion and Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer. 

These products all come for different skin types. I was suggested dry to dry combination.

As you can see I bought the Moisturizer. I chose this product because I thought I could replace my current moisturizer with this rather than using extra products on my face, although everyone is different it may suit others to go with the lotion or corrector instead. The moisturizer also happened to be little cheaper than the other items, priced at £35. 

I was told I would see minor results after 2 weeks and around 4-6 weeks skin tone would be improved. Though continuation of the product would result in further reduction of redness and unevenness. 

The moisturizer is 100% fragrance free and allergy tested; so good for sensitive skin. With SPF 20 it also protects against future dark spots. It has a really  nice creamy texture and when applied it soaks up straight away without any greasy feel left behind because it's oil free.  

After the initial 2 weeks of use I noticed my skin was defiantly much softer and less dull which was good. I was due to go back to Clinique so they could assess my skin so far and see how I was getting on with the product but I didn't bother as I was happy at the time.
After 4 weeks of using the product I noticed the slightest difference to redness, but nothing major. When I had finished the product a few weeks later there didn't seem to be any huge improvement. Maybe I was expecting too much, but after reading so many good reviews I was a little disappointed, however saying that, I do believe that maybe I was suggested the wrong skin type and thus effecting the effectiveness of the product. 

The big positive outcome of this product was the improvement of brightness of skin and the softness. 

For Clinique skin care click here

Have you tried this product? What's your opinion? 

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