The Tracy Anderson Method

I've always had a bit of an obsession with working out, to look at me you wouldn't think so (I love food too much to ever be skinny). It could come from insecurities but every now and again my brain clicks somewhere and I just want to workout, when everything else gets a bit dreary it gives me something to work towards. Don't get me wrong, I'm not striving to be skinny, I genuinely love keeping myself in shape, and after spending a year working in a cupcake shop I've got alot of buttercream to shift!

I've probably tried every fitness DVD, from old school Jane Fonda to Davina McCalls Body Pump, and it was on my journey of discovery through the HMV fitness DVD aisle that I discovered The Tracy Anderson Method. This woman is quite literally a total mentalist! But a genius nontheless. She claims that her workout completely re-engineers the muscular structure, engaging the smaller muscle groups that rarely get used.

There are 3 DVD's available in the UK, these are: The Dance Cardio Workout, Total Cardio Workout and The Mat Workout.

I tried a section of the cardio and my living room won't accommodate my flailing about... So I tried The Mat Workout. It's incredible! Tracy takes you through a warm up followed by a leg section which goes through a series of fluid movements on one leg while balancing on the other, repeated then on the other leg. Then you do the standing abs section, which is basically just Tracy doing a freestyle, but once you get the hang of it (as her guidance is crap) you learn to engage and pull the muscles in so you can feel the abs working. After this is the standing arms section, this is incredibly difficult, you lift your arms out til you resemble a T then move them about whilst not putting them down...AT ALL!! I find this near impossible but I can see the effects already on my arms. If I use the weights in the gym, I instantly put on muscle, with this I can see my arms toning instead of bulking. Then there is a bit more legs, bums and abs to finish.

I love it! She uses some elements of pilates mixed with a workout created from her own insanity, but it's amazing, I can see lines of muscle tone on my tummy, my bum looks round instead of square and my arms look more defined.

Anyone struggling to find a DVD for them, or even just anyone struggling to find motivation (because believe me even if you want to give up,when you see her tiny little body is in front of your eyeballs, you won't give up) I would recommend this completely! Mixed with a good cardio routine you really can tone your body up!

Love Jess xxx

Beauty on a Budget

Bargain...Say it...It's a sweet sound, like honey to the ears. I love a bargain, there is nothing quite like finding something amazing AND cheap, right?

Don't get me wrong, I love expensive products. I think the more you pay the nicer the packaging is, the product lasts longer, you can see the quality you pay for. But sometimes, for whatever reason we all find ourselves a bit brassic. So I've gathered some of my favourite everyday products ranging from £1 - £7.99...

A few bargain bits and bobs from my make-up bag 

Ok so from the left we have ...

- NYC Natural Matte Foundation £2.49, it's a really light liquid foundation, not greasy at all and for the money it's better than expected.
- Garnier BB Cream £7.99, the most expensive product of the lot, I did a little review on it not that long ago, have a look to see what I think about it.
- Collection 2000 Mosaic Glow Bronzer £3.50, I use this everyday, it lasts for ages and gives a healthy glow with a little shimmer.
- Loreal Infallible Concealer £5.49, This is a new find for me. It lasts all day and covers even the worst bags, you only need a small amount for blemishes. Only problem is, the amount you get in the tube is so little, I doubt it will last more than a month.

Barry M Dazzle Dust

- Barry M Dazzle Dusts £4.50 each, ok so that's quite alot for an eyeshadow, but they are so highly pigmented that they last sooo long! And they come in a huge range of colours, these are just some of my favourites!

MUA, Rimmel and Barry M lipsticks, Barry M white liner, and the trusty pot of vaseline.

- MUA products £1 - £2, Honestly I couldn't blow MUA's horn harder if I tried to. I am a fan, a huge fan, not just for myself but for use professionally. Eyeshadows come at a mere £1 each and the quality is incredible. Highly Pigmented, smooth, not clumpy. I use most of their range, these are just a few. Only one very very small fault, the brush in the eyeliner is a bit bendy making it almost impossible to get a good flick, and I love myself a good kitten flick!

- Vaseline Rosy Lips £1.70, Oh the trusty little pots of magic! This is probably pot 1 of 6 for me, I have one in every jacket or handbag, just in case. Call me extreme, but this is amazing. It does what any vaseline does, moisturises and soothes chapped lips, but it has a subtle rosey tint. Making it perfect for everyday use. It's essential to my make-up routine.

- Barry M and Kate Moss for Rimmel Lipsticks £4.49 - £5.49, These are the only red lippies that I wear, the darker colour, which is the Kate Moss for Rimmel, for when I'm tanned and the lighter, the Barry M, when I'm a bit paler. Love them both!

I hope if you ever find yourselves a little strapped for cash, this will give you a bit of inspiration!

Lots of Love xxxx

Chocolate and Other Addictions

Hello, my name is Jessica and I'm addicted to chocolate. And bread (the crusty, buttered kind) and lemon cheesecake, and onion rings....ok I'll stop. But, to me being healthy just doesn't seem that fun, I could never imagine myself craving an apple...
Perhaps an apple dipped in toffee :)

So, after my boyfriend booked tickets to Portugal in July, I thought it was about time I overcame my addictions and treated my body like a 'temple'.

My last chocolate bar for a while... *wipes tear from cheek*

I don't normally partake in Lent or if I did it would be something ridiculous like giving up swearing, which lasted all of an hour, but this year I thought it might be a kick start to a healthier lifestyle.

So this is it, written down for all to see... I'm giving up chocolate and bread. Wish me luck!!

Have you given anything up this year?

Xxxx

Happy Valentine's Day and All That...

Just wishing you all a lovely Tuesday...

Much Love gorgeous people!! <3

By the way, I can't reply to comments on my page, it's super annoying but hopefully it will be sorted soon.

Cupid Got Me With His Bow And Arrow

So it’s that time of year again...The time of year I usually spend hiding in my duvet, binging on a self bought box of chocolates, watching 10 Things I Hate About You, crying into the card my Grandma sends me every year with the big glowing heart on the front signed from ‘a secret admirer’. 


Yep, it’s Valentine’s Day.


This year however, I have a sweetheart to share it with (Yay Me!!) So to break a, frankly quite depressing, Valentine’s routine, I'm getting wined and dined. In typical woman style, I had a panic about what to wear, but as I don’t really have a wardrobe brimming with inspiration, I raided the mother’s eBay rail. So that was fairly quick and painless. Outfit sorted. The make-up however is not so easy... I’m looking for sultry, understated chic. I find alot of the make-up videos I watched centre around red lips, obviously in typical Valentines style. As im going to be eating, I don’t want to have to touch up my lipstick every 10 minutes. So I scoured the internet for some inspiration, I whacked in ‘Scarlett Johansson’ and her campaign for D&G popped up. PERFECT!!

Love this look.... this is gorgeous and ideal if you intend to be a vampy Valentines seductress.

Bloody Gorgeous!!

The campaign itself it stunning, I have a major woman crush on ol’ Scarlett anyways but the make-up looks perfect. I wish I could post a tutorial doing some of these looks but I’m still waiting on some brushes to be delivered. I LOVE the blue eyes look, it’s sexy and playful...

I’ve found my Valentines look, whats yours?

Miracle: An event that appears inexplicable by the laws of nature and so is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God

I did it, I finally gave in to the hype! I woke up one morning and knew I would buy it. I walked into Superdrug, spent a good 15 minutes deciding which colour I should get, while breaking to try a few new MUA products. Then I picked it up, paid (of course) then left feeling actually quite excited...

The first thing I noticed on the tube was the clear emphasis on how this was a ‘Miracle’ cream. Not that I’m going to argue, I think it may be a slight exaggeration but there is no doubt it’s a great product. 

I’ve probably used it every day since I got it and I love it! It’s a little bit heavier than a tinted moisturiser but a little lighter than a foundation. It covers just enough to even out the skin tone but it still reveals freckles, of which I have many. Although I still need to use a concealer to hide the bags and blemishes but I wasn’t expecting a miracle. There is a small negative, it’s a bit too dark. I like myself a bit of fake tan so it’s not really an issue for me but for anyone with pale skin it might be a good idea to shop around for a lighter colour, as I did get buy the lightest shade and I found it had a bit of an orange tone.

This is a swatch on my forearm, I think my fake tan makes it look a lot lighter than it actually is.

As it is, I’m using this as a primer. It evens out my skin tone and provides a good base for my foundation. I find in the winter I prefer more coverage, I feel like my skin gets a bit dull and pale so I feel more confident wearing a bit more foundation. In the summer however, my face gets browner and I’m covered in freckles, which I love, so I prefer a tinted moisturiser.

I understand the hype around this cream but I can’t say I won’t shop around and try a few others, but I can’t imagine the daily routine without it. BB Creams for the win!!

Black Milk Clothing: For Those Whom Too Many Tights is Not Enough

It’s long been a favourite pastime of mine to sit for hours searching the web, not for anything in particular, maybe looking for a little inspiration or purely just wasting time, either way it usually ends leaving me and my bank card exhausted. It was on one of these internet trawls that I discovered Black Milk clothing.

Absolutely squealed in excitement seeing these über cute C-3PO and R2-D2 swimsuits. I love droids <3

The clothing actually makes me want to cry (mainly because I can’t have every piece) it’s so well produced and there is quite literally nothing like it. Tell me if you have ever seen muscle print leggings or a 3D dress, if you have I will truly eat my hat. They are a little pricey with leggings being around £50 a pair, but with everything being handmade it’s easy to see you get your monies worth.

I would be inclined to do as the photo tells me and grab a loose tee and a pair of Jeffrey Campbells (which by the way, I have a link for amazing replicas) and be on my way but if that’s not your cup of tea they have skirts, bodysuits, swimsuits, dresses and shorts for you to choose from. Happy Days.

Myself and the man are off to Portugal for Optimus Alive fest in July (yes, the event of the year) I can see I may have to invest in a little Black Milk dress...

http://www.blackmilkclothing.com/

https://twitter.com/#!/BlackMilkTweets

http://www.facebook.com/blackmilkclothing

And for those Jeffrey Campbell replicas
 http://www.chockersshoes.co.uk/

Hello all and welcome to my new blog! After a few weeks toying around with the idea of creating a blog, here I am. (Thumbs up, Yay me!!)

You'll find I will jabber on about make-up and the like quite a lot, but that'll be laced with product reviews, video tutorials, fashion I'm a bit partial to, and the general ramblings of a blogger about London town!

You can subscribe to my twitter if you fancy https://twitter.com/RamblinRoseMUA

See you in a short while

Much Love <3