Fit For Summer: Wii Style

This week's topic for the "Summer Blogger Challenge" is "Fit For Summer". Because I've already written two posts about the fitness routine that I do and the apps that I use (here and here) I was wondering throughout the week what I could do for this post (without repeating myself). I decided to focus on some Wii games that can help with fitness and get you active, without even leaving the house.

Wii Sports
I'm sure this game comes with the Wii! This has kept my family entertained for hours and it's great exercise (especially the boxing and the tennis!) My grandparents have even played it at Christmas time - it's fun for any age and there's plenty to choose from.

Wii Fit
This used to be one of my favourites! It's really useful if you want to keep track of your weight loss as it tells you your weight when you step onto the board. You can then choose from different muscle exercises, yoga poses and games to play in order to improve your physique (my favourites are the ski jump, the aerobics and the hula hoop!)

Zumba Fitness
I find this game keeps you very active as it involves jumping about and shaking your hips! A belt was included with this, which you put your Wii remote in so you don't have to hold it! There's different dances involving Latin music and over 30 routines to choose from. Zumba is a big thing amongst women, for a reason - it's fun and keeps you fit!

Michael Jackson The Experience
I'm a big fan of Michael Jackson so I was really excited when I got this game. You can dance to a number of his hits, following the routine and earning stars. It's great fun to play at parties and it's a good laugh watching your friends attempt the dance moves!

Just Dance 2 & 4
I loved the second one so much that I had to buy the newest one! When my friends come round, we always end up on this (and they go home knackered) and we have a good laugh! You can go solo, dance together, or battle each other to hits from the past and present. It leaves you breathless and tired (which only means you're improving your fitness each time you play!)

What's your favourite Wii game to play, that keeps you fit?

Leave your links below to your challenge post for this week - I'd love to read!

Thanks for reading!

My Summer Bucket List

This week's "Summer Blogger Challenge" topic is "Summer Bucket List" and I'd been wondering what type of post to do for it seeing as this is the first time that the post isn't specifically beauty-related. I've decided to put together a handful of things I'd personally like to do this Summer, before September comes around again and it's back to college.

This would be the perfect Summer afternoon; packing up some sandwiches, crisps, cold drinks and blankets and sitting out on the grass in the local park with my friends. Bringing some speakers so we can listen to music while we soak up the Sun and having a good laugh! Can't wait!

Need I say much more?! My friends and I have already said that we'll be getting the train to the beach - it's one of my favourite things to do in the Summer! I love relaxing on the sand, paddling in the sea and getting some fish and chips to eat.

I love spending time with my family and we'll all be off work/college/school so we'll have plenty of time to make the most of the holidays. We're also getting a gorgeous new puppy (which I'll be doing a post about soon!)

I started driving lessons in April after over a year of being terrified! I'm hoping to pass my theory before September but I wish I'd started my lessons as soon as I'd turned 17, as I'd have probably passed by now. But I'm really looking forward to having the freedom of being able to drive wherever I want.

I also want to do more exercise, especially playing tennis and going swimming now that it's getting warmer. I've also downloaded these apps above, where it gives you exercises to do everyday as part of the 30 day challenge. I did a post on getting in shape for Summer with some fab exercises you can do, so check it out here.

Thanks for reading my Summer bucket list!

Leave a link to your bucket list down below if you're taking part in the challenge!

Wish List: Wanted For Summer

There are a few luxuries I've spotted recently that I'd love to get my hands on this Summer, so I've included a few in a somewhat small wish list that I thought I'd post for today.

1. Large Yankee Candle "Clean Cotton" - £14.99
This is one of my favourite scents from Yankee Candle and I'd love to own the large version of it. I love the 'fresh' smell, which would be lovely to have in my room. The smell of the washing drying outside is a scent that I love and it has a special 'Summer' feel about it, ahh!

2. L'Oréal Nude Magique Blur Cream - £9.99
I've seen quite a few bloggers rave about this product recently and if you've been reading my posts, you'll know that I've swapped my foundation for a much lighter coverage; BB cream! I've heard that this could even be as good as Benefit's Big Easy (which is the cheaper alternative I've been looking for!)

3. The Body Shop "White Musk" Eau De Parfum - £13.00
I asked my friend the other day what perfume she was wearing because I loved it! She said it was this one, so we went into The Body Shop and had a look round the different fragrances. The range of fruity, floral perfumes that are lined up on the shelves makes it nearly impossible to choose just one. I think I'll be buying a few of these very soon (or ask for them for my birthday hehe!)

4. Large Yankee Candle "Pink Sands" - £19.49
Another Yankee Candle! This one smells so sweet and has a 'beachy' smell about it, which is why it's in my Summer wish list! I only ever see Yankee Candles now and again (usually in House Of Fraser or little boutique-type shops!) This would make the perfect gift for a friend's birthday if it's in the middle of Summer!

What's on your Summer wish list?

Thanks for reading!

Accepting My Gingerness

This is a slightly different post today; I just fancied a change and I've started to realise the kind of direction I'd like to go in regarding my blog. I'd like to post something a little different every now and again, just to add something else into the mix instead of another beauty review.

I thought I'd do a post on my hair colour - a bit weird I know. But ever since I was young, I'd had a problem with being ginger. I don't think I was born having a problem with it, I think you develop it after being teased about it at school. I mean, it's only a hair colour; why should it cause problems? Plus when I was young, that was the worst problem I had! I know now that it's definitely far from a problem. Kids just like to find something, anything, to tease you about when you're young.

After being picked on and being seen as inferior just because of my hair colour, I began to feel like I didn't fit in. To be honest, I don't look back and think "oh that was a horrible time in my life" because now it doesn't bother me one bit; it wasn't exactly a major problem, I just wanted to write about it a little bit and the way other people and their comments can affect the way you feel about yourself.

When I got to the age of ten, I began to wear makeup for school (yes, in year five!) I applied mascara to cover my blonde eyelashes before I went out the door and it started to make me feel more confident. But I got to the stage where I wouldn't leave the house without it, which is a bit extreme for a ten year old in regards to wearing makeup. I also started talking to this boy on MSN who went to another Primary school. My friend told him I was ginger and he never spoke to me again - HAHA how mean!

When I left Primary school, I also got blonde highlights. I don't regret it, but I wouldn't get them again. I also began to use fake tan, which resulted in me getting nicknames such as 'carrot nose' as it went streaky every time! I think everyone looks back on times when they were younger and thinks "why did I wear that?" "Why did I have that haircut?" "What was I thinking doing that?!"

Over the years, my hair got much lighter in colour anyway - there's a lot of natural blonde running through it. Nicknames have stopped, probably due to people growing up and realising that it's just a hair colour! Plus, if you don't let things bother you people tend to stop picking on you if they don't get a form of reaction out of you. I'm now quite proud to be ginger hehe!

As I've got older, I've learned to accept it as it's not exactly a problem - it's different, but that's a good thing! I may not be able to tan, I may be a bit freckly and I may be seen as a bit inferior, but who cares! Nicola Roberts has learned to accept it and so have I!

Thanks for reading!

My Giveaway Winners

I'd just like to say a big thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway! I emailed the three winners on Saturday. Each winner has won an ad in my sidebar, which will be displayed until September 1st - go check them out, they have lovely blogs!

Shannon

Blog: http://vanityroseofficial.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VanRose_O

Helen

Blog: http://www.teainthetub.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/teainthetub

Jade

Blog: http://www.skinsweet.co.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/skinsweet_

These are my three winners!

Thanks for reading!

Mini Lookbook: Summer Trends

So this week's "Summer Blogger Challenge" topic is 'Summer Trends'. There's still time to get involved if you like! Just contact Amy (her email address is amsiegramham@gmail.com) as she's running the challenge and emails the topic to everyone each week. This week I decided to do a mini lookbook on a few outfits that I really like wearing this Summer. I'm loving floral print, crops tops and maxi dresses so I've put together three outfits to show you all! Bearing in mind that I've tried to avoid taking pictures in my garden, as it's such a mess! So I've had to do a lot of cropping and positioning. Plus, my head's cut out on a lot of them (yeah, sorry about that - I know it looks a bit creepy haha!)

Dress: Boohoo

Shoes: Primark

I love this dress (even though it's hard to walk in as it's so tight at the bottom - I waddle like a penguin!) But I love the way it falls all the way to the floor; I'd probably wear this if I was going for a meal in the evening (especially with these shoes!) But if I was to wear it during the day, I'd team it with a denim jacket and a nice pair of sandals.

Top: H&M

Skirt: H&M

Shoes: Oasis

I'm really loving this skirt at the minute! I love wearing crop tops with it, as it's high-waisted so doesn't show too much of your midriff. I'm loving floral print and I decided to wear this outfit with these flower flip flops as they're really girly and I love the detail (you may have seen them in one of my wish lists - I ended up getting them!) Again, this skirt is tight (like most denim skirts) but you're not completely restricted as you can undo the zip a little at the bottom, so you don't have to stick to baby steps if you're on a walk!

Playsuit: Next

Shoes: New Look

I've had this playsuit a while, but I still wear it as playsuits are still on trend at the minute. Again, I love floral print and I love the fact it's really loose and comfy - the top part is elasticated (so it stays up!) I teamed it with these black plimsoll shoes as they're great to just slip on - plus they're comfy if you're planning on going for a walk!

I hope you enjoyed my first ever lookbook!

I really enjoyed doing this post (just a shame about the horrendous background haha!)

I'd love to see your "Summer Blogger Challenge" this week; leave a link below!

Thanks for reading!

Heated Rollers: Big Bouncy Curls

I absolutely love using these rollers when I'm going out; I love the volume and the slight curls that I get from them. They're also really easy to use and do most of the work themselves, as they're heated (you don't have to sit there with a hairdryer and an achy arm!) 

You get eight large rollers (which I tend to use on my top layers to give volume at the root), six medium rollers (which create a slight wave with volume) and six small rollers (which give a volumised, tighter 'springy' curl). You also get plenty of metal pins for using on every size roller to help keep them in place and ten black clips (which I use on the large rollers!)

After getting out of the shower, I left my hair in a towel so that it wasn't dripping wet and I ran a handful of Andrew Barton I Love Volume Volumptious Mousse through the full length of my hair, roots and all. I then made sure to spray my Andrew Barton Heat Defence through, as I was going to be using the rollers on the highest heat setting. I then roughly blasted my hair with my hairdryer, until it was about 90% dry (but still quite damp in places). I find that it's best to use these rollers when your hair is only slightly damp, as the heat from the rollers dries the rest of your hair, giving a more volumised look (and it also tends to hold for longer).

I put the rollers on the highest heat setting as my hair's quite long and thick, so make your best judgement on what setting to use depending on your hair type. When they're fully heated, (which only takes a few minutes) the dot on the roller at the front will turn white, which means they're ready to use. It usually takes me around 10-15 minutes to place them all in my hair, using the large rollers first and working my way to the bottom layer of my hair, reducing the size of the roller. 

I place the largest rollers on the top of my head, winding my hair backwards towards the crown. I find that it gives me more volume when I wind my hair back instead of working around my parting, as then when you take them out, your hair has a lift. 

I made sure to use all eight of the large rollers, securing them with the large butterfly clips that are included in the set. I then used the medium rollers and then the smallest ones, placing them around my head using the metal clips (which you place around the roller and then push to the side). I then leave them in for a few hours to allow my hair to dry (just because I like to, feel free to take them out when they're cool!) A few weeks back, I posted a photo of the result on my Instagram here.

After a few hours, I take them out from the bottom first (but I don't 'pull' them out; I gently unwind them!)

As you can see, here is the result of the small roller. After I've taken all of the small rollers out, I gently run my fingers through them to slightly loosen them up. I also back-brush them a little bit and spray with a bit of hairspray.

I've now taken the medium rollers out, leaving me with more volume and waves.

Sorry about the bad quality photo (and my dirty mirror hehe!) But here is the result of the large rollers; I love the volume! I run my fingers through and back-brush after taking each layer of rollers out, before spraying with hairspray.

Here is the overall result; a mixture of volume and curls. I really recommend buying these rollers - they're great, especially if you have layers! They're also very versatile; you can create a totally different look every time depending on how you put them in and which rollers you use. After running my fingers through, I sprayed some hairspray to make sure they would last throughout the night and GUESS WHAT?! They did!

I hope you enjoyed this post; picture overload!!
What do you think of heated rollers?

Thanks for reading!

Summer Makeup Bag Essentials

I'm currently taking part in the Summer Blogger Challenge, which takes place every Tuesday. This week's topic is 'Summer Bag Essentials' so I thought it would be the perfect chance to show you a few beauty bits and bobs that I like to use in Summer.

1. ELF Baked Eyeshadow Palette - California
I love the warm, toasty shades in this palette and I love mixing them up to create a gorgeous eye look. You can wear these shades during the day and on the night time, so this little palette's perfect for taking on holiday! Even though they're not that pigmented (you have to wet your brush to get a bit of the colour) they're ever so shimmery and I find that they brighten up my eyes - I especially love the gold tones!

2. Rimmel BB Cream - Very Light
You may have already read my review on this (which you can find here). I love this BB cream; it's really light on your skin and the SPF 25 obviously comes in handy when you're out in the sun. I find it easy to apply and it blends in really well, so if you know you're going to be a bit sweaty, it might be best to use a BB cream instead of a thick foundation.

3. Collection Bronzing Powder
If you can't get a natural sun-kissed tan (like me) then bronzing powder is the way to go! I like adding this under my cheekbones, around my temple and down my nose and neck to give myself a nice glow.

4. ELF Lip Stain - Heartbreaker
I love wearing this coral shade during the day; it sits on your lips just like a lipstick, but you can also make it look more like a lipgloss by using the other end.

5. No7 Stay Perfect Long-lasting Volume Mascara - Black
This has been my go-to mascara for the past year or so; the main reason I like it is because it's waterproof and sweatproof! It stays on all day without the worry of getting panda eyes.

6. The Body Shop Strawberry Lip Balm
My lips can get very dry, so this is perfect for carrying in my bag (it also smells like strawberry laces, mmm!) I love the subtle tint it gives to my lips.

What products do you prefer using in the Summer?

Thanks for reading!

Mr Nutcase Review*

Sorry! I know you've probably seen enough of these recently. When Mr Nutcase contacted me offering me a custom phone case, I turned them down. However, then I got a new phone and changed my mind about doing a review, as I really needed a case for it! So I personalised my own on their website using photos I'd taken myself (which is great as you know you have a one of a kind phone case!)

From £14.95, you can choose whatever you want on your phone case; you can upload your own pictures or choose from a variety of designs on their website. You simply choose the type of device you have (either the model of your phone or even an iPad) and you can even choose the layout of your photos if you decide to have more than one.

You can also choose the type of case you want; I chose the "Ultra Light Weight Slimline" which simply snaps on to the back of your phone (it's also see-through on the side of the case, which is much more attractive!) There's also the choice of an "Executive Flip Leather Style" and a "Full Wrap Around Premium Edition". I've already told my friends about this website and I know that one of them has treated herself to one, as she really liked the look of mine. 

I think it'd also make a good Father's day present (15th June) especially if you include family photos - it adds a lovely personal touch!

If you decide to order one, you can get 10% off by using the code 'Thanku10'

Thanks for reading!