Disillusioned Blogger

It has been so long since I popped a beauty review or diet update on this blog. I’ve wanted to and thought about you many times since my last post but must admit after a few months of writing these posts I feel disillusioned … or maybe disappointed in my blog and the blogging world.

In terms of reviews, the majority of items have been reviewed before and in terms of diet, I just wasn’t willing to put my emotional eating struggles out there for all to read.

So for the time being, until I’ve found the one thing I can write about that inspires me and shows my individuality, there will be no more posts.

P.s. Is there a beauty blogger out there that isn't spending half their wage each month on products they really don’t need??

Pink Parcel, you done me wrong!

Well I think from the title you can guess how I feel about Pink Parcel this month. Maybe I’ve been overly spoilt by previous Pink Parcel boxes but this month’s was somewhat of a let-down.

Got my usual tampons (great, I’m a Kotex Click convert) but the contents of the ‘For You’ box was mostly a repeat of last month … with less items. I’m not moaning (much) as two of the repeat items I loved last month (OPI nail varnish and Paw Paw balm) so I’m happy to have them again BUT I always get a bit excited about getting one of the first boxes of the month and now it looks like I’ll be relegated to April’s box right at the end of April.

Pink Parcel did contact everyone to say they were changing distributors but I was expecting a delay, not a poohy repeat box. Anyway, here is the review of the one item that wasn’t repeated ..

BubbleT – Lemongrass and Green Tea hand cream

A gorgeous fresh scent that reminds me of Refreshers! Lovely thick texture and melts into the hands quickly leaving them feeling soft and freshed.

 

So I'm a bit disappointed, although the contents of this monthly box can't be match for £9.99. I wait with bated breath to see what next months will bring ...I hope I'm not pushed to jump ship and join Period Box ... who's name alone makes me cringe.

 

I'd love to hear from anyone else who subscribes to tampon subscription boxes, what's been your experience? If you liked this review please follow me on Twitter or bloglovin for regular updates.

Lip balm addiction

This is probably an unknown fact within my circle of friends but I’m a total lip balm addict. I love the smells, colours and textures of them and to top it off (but please don’t psychoanalyse me) my dad once said to me that women with thin lips are aggressive and cold.

So to keep myself from becoming an old, lonely, unhappy spinster I ‘invest’ in every lip balm I come across and add them to my pile.

Currently I’m on a four lip balm daily rotation; one for the morning, at work, evenings and before bed. Yes I really am that sad.

 

Morning balm – Pixi Shea Butter in Natural Rose.

This is a totally gorgeous soft, smooth light pink balm. I don’t smell any fragrance with this but the balm just melts into your lips and adds a light pink tint to perk up your face. I would say you can it on your lips for 2 hours before feeling the need to reapply.

At work balm – Simply M (by Michelle Robillard)

This is a US handmade lip balm I was made aware of by my fiancé. All the ingredients are 100% natural and organic using essential oils of a therapeutic grade. This equals amazing fragrances in a very soft textured balm which sinks into your lips leaving them soft and non-sticky. The lavender and Grapefruit smells amazing, a very calming effect – great for office stress.

Evening balm – The Body Shop Lip Butter – Hazelnut

Being a self-proclaimed connoisseur of lip balms I have to say I’m not keen on the stick-your-finger-in-a-pot style balm. Nails get in the way and although I’m not a germ freak, it does seem a bit unhygienic. Having said that this butter smells gorgeous and is great to slather on after a long day.

Before bed balm – Papaya Gold Paw Paw

Although this balm is multipurpose i.e. it can be used for dry skin patches on elbows etc and isn’t in the best packaging to spread, the morning effects of using this in the evening are amazing. After a night covered in this balm my lips are soft, hydrated and no peeling skin or yucky bits. A big thumbs up for the Down Under balm.

I would love to hear what your top lip balms are so leave a comment, contact me or drop me a message on Twitter! If you like this post and would like to follow me click on the Bloglovin button or submit your email to receive notification when I post again.  

Diet Update – Everything alright on the 8th night

I’ve now been on my VLCD for a week which basically consists of bar, snack, meal, shake, milk, water repeat. The main aim of this slightly restrictive diet (aren’t all diets restrictive?) is to lose the weight quickly (2-3lbs a week consistently). This means the food isn’t gourmet but edible and the meal isn’t coated in breadcrumbs.

The first 7 days of this type of diet is probably the worst. You have to remain focus, wait for the protein to kick in (which will reduce your appetite) and avoid temptation! The weight loss will be big in the first week as you’ll lose ‘water weight’ and what I like to call ‘loose weight’ from the feasts you consumed in the days before you started your diet. Nothing better than a pre-diet feast, it’s like eating whatever you like with no consequences because you know you’ll lose the weight in the next week.

The one BIG motivating factor in all this is the weight loss and you aren’t going to see that unless you weigh yourself. I’m currently not weighing myself and won’t start doing that until next Monday. The thought of getting on those scales and seeing how much I’ve gained since I last restarted this diet would just be too depressing. So I’ve given myself two weeks before the big event.

One tip if you have to step on the scales and face your weight reality is to change the scales to total pounds or kg rather than stones and pounds. As I have always weighed myself using stones and pounds, seeing total pounds means very little to me (unless I divide by 14) but still shows my loses and still shows how far I have to go before reaching my ‘ideal weight’.    

Day Four and Five – salad bar, the dieter's best fwend!

Yesterday was not good. I woke up late, running around like a nutter trying to get my bus on time and totally forgot to pack my diet products. This would usually result in me panicking, feeling hungry and justifying a cheese and pickle sandwich for lunch.

However, with my new determination to fight the flab I sat down at work, had a think and realised that my diet gives me around 750 kcals a day based on high protein low calorie nutrition. So how can I achieve that without my pre-packed diet products? In short … meat and veg. What did I do? I hit the salad bar!

 

Had a couple of cups of coffee to keep me going to lunch and then hit the works salad bar with lashings of mackerel, salad goodness and balsamic vinegar. I kept it smallish so I could have a MRP shake and small tea when I got home.

The alternatives to a salad bar – If you aren’t lucky enough to have a salad bar at work (or money is tight), what is the alternative if you go to work without your diet products? For this particular diet the aim is low calorie, high protein. It may be for your working day you focus on one of the priorities. If it’s low calorie you can have low fat crisps, fruit or some kind of salad sandwich. If you’re focusing on high protein you could have Mini Babybels, stringy cheese, ham slices or even nuts to keep you going. This doesn’t stick to the diet guidelines but these are good alternatives to throwing in the towel and sinking your teeth into something Oh So naughty.

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