7 Ways to Save

We all know that feeling, pay day is one week away and your know checking your bank account will only end in disaster. £0.20p for a week just isn't going to cut the mustard, but hey your wearing your new Topshop pants that cost you a 1/3 of your wage, silver linings? We could all use a little advice on how to get from a to b without over spending too much, here are some tips which I stick to to help save some mula, well, until I see a River Island Sale that is! 

1) Do a big Shop

Go to the supermarket and get all your food that you will think you need that month, or week if you prefer doing it that way. It works out quite expensive initially but ask yourself this, how much are you paying for that lunch time meal at work? On average people spend £5 at lunch time on drinks and sandwiches, 5 days a week, 4 weeks a month, £100! That's £100 on sandwiches a month, not ok, then you have the other 2 meals a-day to factor in plus snacks and anything else you need. 

2) Do you need it ?

Do you really need that Iphone charger that glows in the dark or that personalised glass coke bottle that says your full name, if the answer is probably not, then just put the crap down and walk away 

3) Cost to usage ratio 

How much it cost over how much use you will get out of it, it's simple maths really. The winter coat for £100 divided by the amount of times you will wear it on average, say once a day for 100 days of winter, it works out £1 a day, essentially a bargain. On the other hand them heels that are so gorgeous but extremely painful, retailing at £60 that you will inevitably wear once and shove the back of your wardrobe, not so much. 

4) Withdraw your money 

Seeing the money and not having it on card helps me more than anything. I'm very tight fisted when it comes to cash however my credit card is like fake money that I never have to see so I can spend to my hears content. 

5) Set A Goal

That dream dress, shoes, house, flat...for me holiday! With that holiday in mind I set aside a certain amount each month which I cannot spend! Dreaming of that holiday keeps me motivated, think, bikini body but with money. I give it to my mum so I know full well I can't spend it, but you could open other bank accounts and cut up the card so your not tempted but keep that dream in mind when paying for that over priced pair of pants that you just don't need. 

6)  Take someone shopping with you 

If you take someone shopping with you, whether to the supermarket or shopping centre just tell them to be brutally honest. "No, you don't that" is the infamous catchphrase and you may hate them at the time but when your £100 up at the end of the month you'll thank them 

7) Make a list 

In the previous month write down everything you run out of, dry shampoo, foundation, carrots, whatever is it, jot it down. When pay day comes stick the the list at all costs, you'll get everything you need, your shopping fix and not buy anything that is completely unnecessary. Best of both worlds. 

I hope this helps people in their bid to save money, it certainly gets me on the way but if anyone else has any other tips or tricks to saving money please comment and let me know. Good luck 

Golden Globes Stunners

One week ago the Golden Globes took place and celebrity after celebrity had me green with envy as they marched down the red carpet dressed to the nines. Here are a few of my personal favourites...

First up, Kate Beckinsale rocked the red carpet in this silver Elie Saab number. All I can say is Well Done Kate, you stole the show for me in this stunning gown. 

Chrissy Teigen looked beautiful in this embelished Zuhair Murad gown, the colour matches her skin tone perfectly, i'm secretly swimming with jealously over than tan Chrissy. 

Jessica Chastain rocks this Versace gown. She is showing all them skinny bitches that curvy is better. She looked stunning and the dress and her hair colour compliement each other brilliantly, bravo Jessica Bravo. 

Next up, my favourite person ever, mainly because of the love for her chocolate Labrador but still Reese 

Witherspoon floated down the red carpet in a custom-made Calvin Klein Collection dress and her extra Tiffany & Co.
accessories adds that extra bit of sparkle without over doing it. 

The couple of the night in my eyes were this pair! Benedict Cumberbatch and Sophie Hunter, the couple looked smart and couldn't take their eyes of each other all night! Can I have a benedict please? Sophie rocked the floral out of spring in this Erdem gown, bringing sophistaction and almost outdoing Cumberbatch, I said almost! 

Finally we have the beautiful Alessandra Ambrosio  who wore a sheer yet classy Zuhair Murad dress to the Weinstein Company after-party. Her make-up is what got me here, she looks stunning with the subtle smokey eye and nude lip. 

Who were you're favourite from the Golden Globes 2015, there were a lot of contenders this year but these are just a few of my favourites. 

Truth B Told 

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Kick Start Your Day

Along with half the nation my new years resolution is to get my fat ass into gear and actual lose a few pounds, instead of ordering a dominoes and watching One Tree Hill on repeat for 100th time. I decided I was going to take it very seriously this year so I threw out all my junk food, replaced crisps with rice cakes, caramel of course, and replaced chocolate with home-made, healthy chocolate brownies, 99 calories per square (recipe coming soon).

so...instead of skipping breakfast or tucking into a full-English after a heavy night, my first purchase was a smoothie maker. The "Blend Active" blender has been my lifesaver for the past 2 weeks, I put my 9 pound weight loss solely on this blender and exercise. I thought I would share my favourite Smoothie recipe with you guys

Taken of ao.com 

What You'll Need 

Handful of Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries 

3 strawberries

2 handfuls of Spinach 

Almond Milk or Coconut Milk 

Protein powder 

Method

It is pretty straight forward, pop it all in the blender and mix. I personally mix the spinach and berries first then add the milk and protein powder to get the smoothest result. This makes around 600ml, enough the fill the bottles that come with the Blend Active. Afterwards I usually do 20-40 minutes of exercise. 

This has been my lifesaver for the past few weeks and I highly recommend it to anyone trying to drop a few pounds. I'll be posting more healthy recipes and look forward to reading yours, leave me your blog's for inspiration. 

p.s 

I promise to get my own camera soon, my shitty cracked IPhone 4 just isn't up to par these days.

So 2014

There are certain fashion trends and beauty trends that should remain firmly in 2014, things like the below should be strictly banned and prohibited under any circumstances! I'm not 100% sure where half these trends come from but put it in a magazine and most people, including myself will buy it, ugly or not! Let's just make sure we don't fall victim to the following faux pas in 2015 eh.

Flatforms

I love flats, and I love platforms but the combination of the two is like going outside with your lovely done up locks with the typical English weather, a complete disaster. Nobody, and I mean nobody cares that your not that extra 3 inches taller. This was a poor attempt of bringing back the 90's and unfortunately, they should of been left and buried there.

Mullet dresses

They started off cool and quirky but now every brand on the local market has them in stock! "Business in the front, party in the back" that motto was coined by Billy Ray Cyrus and even he has given up on his trusty mullet, maybe it's time we threw in the gauntlet too! 

Bug Brows

You know the type of eyebrow I'm talking about! The eyebrows that don't match the hair colour, filled in like a colouring book and so large they literally struggle to fit on that poor persons face. Just YouTube Eyebrow tutorial and be done with it, please, for the good of mankind! 

Geek T's

You failed your GCSE's yet your still sporting a very ironic "GEEK" Tshirt, topshop started this phase and it was quickly followed by the "NERDY" and "LOSER" copies which made me want to rip my own eyes out of my head. 

Chockers

It's not the 90's any more i'm afraid, throw them in the back of the wardrobe along with your spice girls albums and flatforms. Can we just all agree not to wear these in 2015, I'm not sure I can handle seeing them anymore...

If there is any more fashion trends you think should be thrown in the sinking ship that is 2014, comment below. I could of continued for hours but I'm just frustrating myself! I'm going for a clear out, send help! 

Beauty Tag

I haven't been tagged in "The beauty Scenario Tag" however, I have never done a tag before and I thought it would be something different in terms of blog posts. Besides, everyone loves to have a good nosey at what everyone else's favourites are, well at least I do...Typical! If anyone isn't familiar with the "tag" concept, it is basically questions that you answer in relation to your life, in this case, beauty products. Here goes...

If you could use one foundation for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I would usually use the Rimmel Match Perfection, It is so cheap and light! My skin has never been a problem for me so I don't like wearing heavy and thick foundation and I find with this one, it gives just enough coverage without being too cakey! It's also not a matte finish, I'm not a fan and will always be into more dewy looks. 

Taken From the Boots Website

If someone you were talking to had lipstick on their teeth, would you tell them?

Always, especially friends or family! No one likes having Lipstick on their teeth so my theory is by telling them, your saving them the embarrassment of someone else seeing it! I personally would praise anyone who told me, give 'em a high 5 and owe 'em! I don't see the point in keeping zipped, it'll only make them wonder why you didn't tell them to begin with! 

Which lipstick do you use when you aren't feeling yourself or you're a bit ill?

Lipstick is my other half, my BAE, my lover so the brighter the better! As a blondie, red is the colour for me so if I'm feeling a bit down, I'd go red! However, any colour is better than no colour for me! To be specific I'd choose my Dior Addict Lipstick in Red Carpet, I save it for best because it wasn't the cheapest so it'll cheer me right up! 

If you could go back and time and give yourself some hair and beauty advice, what would it be?

You don't suit a fucking fringe! 

Full fringe circa 2008 took almost 3 years to fully grow back into my hair so it took 3 years of my life ,pinning back minging half way hair in a quiff, until I started looking like a normal human being! I promised myself after this tragic hair death that I would never ever consider a fringe again and It is a promise I plan on sticking with! 

You are given a really bad haircut, do you a) Call someone to cry about it? b) Cry in front of the hairdresser? c) complain to the manager? or d) Pretend you wanted it to look like that?

I'll choose E, none of the above, It has happened to me before and I wouldn't cry nor complain to the manager but I would tell the hairdresser that it wasn't what I asked for! I once asked for highlights and it came out looking like Marge fucking Simpson so of course, I had a quiet word and she sorted it out and gave me a refund...Can't complain about tha. 

Manchester: Ibis Budget Hotel

My darling southern friend travelled up north on New Years Day surrounded by people making their way home from the night before, still plastered, so I had to show her a good night out. I figured Manchester wasn't too far and it was infamous for the party scene, we then encounter a little problem...Hotels!

She had just returned from a year of travelling and her purse was a little lighter than she had hoped so splashing out wasn't an option, in fact, paddling wasn't really an option either so it was basically dipping our toes in, or staying in and watching the new Take Me Out (which was a genuine option). Que, Ibis Budget hotel in Manchester. They had 3 person rooms which was perfect because sharing a double bed between 3 of us when one is over 6ft, isn't really do-able in an ideal world. 

Taken from the Website 

The room was quite small and the shower was just a door away, if you're not completely comfortable going starkers in front of friends then you should probably book elsewhere but for £20 each you get what you pay for really. I was rather surprised at the pricing of hotels in Manc, it's like London prices! It was a double bed with a bunk over the top, I of course raced for the bunk. After several vodkas, shots and jagers I slept like a wee little baby. Part from the foreign men who kept trying to force their way into the room all night! Props to the security guard though, I grassed and within 15 minutes they where out on the street, suitcases in hand! 

Comfort 5/10 

It wasn't the best bed and I had to make it myself, however, warm your cockles with a couple of voddies and you should pass out in peace

Location 9/10 

Right in the centre, like £2.50 taxi to Printworks and £6 to Deansgate. You could walk but my 6 inchers weren't having none of that...aint nobody got time for that 

Quality 5/10

Again, people kept us up a lot and the room was small for the price but you don't get cheaper than that in Manchester apparently so unless you want to splash out this is the best your going to get on the cheap. 

Text Her Back

I sent a text 3 minutes ago and he has normally replied within 2 minutes and 55 seconds, can you believe the bloody cheek of him?

Yes, this is factual information and yes, some girls actually do panic when your usual rapid replies takes a couple of minutes to come through! It isn't our fault, we are programmed to think this and our mind sometimes takes us to the worst case scenario. Some of the things we think in that 3 minute time frame aren't what you'd call normal but we all think them! 

1) Maybe he fell asleep?
2) or maybe he is texting other girls? 
3) he is replying to other girls I know it
4) I bet it's that slag (Insert name here) 
5) No, No, he is probably making dinner for himself
6) Maybe he ran out of signal
7) Maybe his phone has broken
8) Or maybe, he is trying to think of something witty to say
9) I should text him again and make sure he is alive?
10) What if he's dead?
11) He could of died and I'll never know what his reply would of been 
12) He's defo texting her
13) What if he's fucking her? 
14) I'll give him a piece of my mind! 
15) He's probably messaged 10 other girls the same message as me
16) and he's replying to them first
17) He is such a player 
18) I'm so done! 
19) Maybe he is doing charity work
20) He is so sweet
21) He'll message me when he's done anyway
22) Stop panicking 
23) It's only been 3 minutes, he's busy
24) I FUCKING HATE HIM
25) He's cheating
26) I'm never texting him back ever again
27) Oh he's text me back
28) *Sorry babe, was playing FIFA* 
29) He's so funny, I thought that would be what he was doing
30) I'll take a bit longer to reply so I don't seem too keen 

Yeah, so next time you don't text a girl back just think of the pure hell your putting her through! And girls, truth of the matter is that boys are either playing FIFA, watching football or having a shit so don't panic too much, however if he is taking 2 or 3 days to reply, I'm going to go out on a limb and say he probably isn't the one! 

Avonderful World

If you hadn't guessed from my ever so witty pun in the title, this blog is dedicated to the make-up genius' that is Avon. If you aren't from the UK or you're just hidden beneath a make-up free rock then you won't know what Avon is. It isn't available in shops, it's done through a catalogue and representatives in your area. I have had a slight obsession with the brand from a young age but it's cheap and cheerful make-up have since evolved into a brilliant retailing brand and it's products are up there with my favourites such as Rimmel and Revlon. Below are a few of my favourites, the pricing has varied of the last few years and a lot I got in the half price reductions so I wont include the prices but the eye-liners and lip-liners retail at around £3-£5 and the pallets and bronzer around £8, bloody bargain!  I haven't included all of them to prevent you from sheer boredom but these are my favourites.

Nail Varnishes

Stardust nail enamel - Crystallised Pink and Cherry Dazzler 

Speed Dry+ - Torquoise Pop and ASAP pink 

Eye Liners and Lip Liners

Always On Point Eyeliner - Black 

Glimmerstick Brow Definer - Blonde

Supershock Gel Liner - Black

Glimmerstick Eye Liner - Blackend Night and Powerful Copper  

Ultra Glimmerstick Lip Liner - True Red and Nude

Eye Shadows and Mascaras 

8 in 1 Eye Pallette - Not so Neutral 

Big Colour Eye Pencil - Gold Rush, Flipping out Pink And Cocoa Gleam 

Spectra Lash Mascara - Brown/Black 

I do have Lip products from Avon but the list would be at least 20 long ranging from nude to dark dark dark purple however most of them do not have the labels on any more cause they're well used, let's say. It would be a waste of both our times to be straight with you, so I'm just not going to bother! 

What are my Favourites I hear you say ? The Supershock Gel Liner in Black of course, I've tried many eye-liners from Barry M to Dior and I've yet to meet an eye-liner I have such a ongoing relationship with. My other favourite is the Pallete, Not so Neutral, I've used it everyday for the past few weeks and I'm some what ashamed to say it has surpassed my Naked Pallete, I know the horror! But it is so easy to carry and the colours suit my skin tone so much better.

I recommend a good look at Avon, their products are great value for money, the only thing I will say it that some of the brands are a bit naff, I find Colour Trend doesn't have a great pay off but everything else I've been completely entranced by, well the 10 years I've been a member say that at least.