FOTD || Summer Glam Glow

Hey Everyone!

I've recently been loving wearing lots of highlighter and creating glowy-glam looks. Today I'll share my most recent one with you and I hope you all enjoy it!

So here's the look, quite simple yet classy, still glowy and glam.

These are the products I had used for this look:

-Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Palette

-Benefit Porefessional License To Blot Stick

-Benefit Porefessional Primer

-Collection Liquid Eyeliner

-Loreal Infallible Matte Foundation

-MAC Painterly Paint Pot

-MAC Brow Fluidline

-MAC Whirl Lipliner

-MAC Whirl Lipstick

-Makeup Revolution I Heart Chocolate Palette

-Makeup Revolution Contour Palette

-Maybelline Sensational Mascara

-Primark Contour Sticks

-Primark Eyebrow Gel

-Primark Black Kohl Liner

-Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

I hope you all enjoyed this look. Let me know if you have recreated it or have done some fun FOTD posts too!

Lots of love,

Maya xo

Review || Nivea Men Post Shave Balm

Morning My Lovelies!

Who hasn't heard of the wonders that Nivea's Men Post Shave Balm does to your skin? I've certainly heard all sorts of positive comments so I decided to try it out myself. I must say that I was really excited to try it, not only for the way it works but also the smell because it reminds me of Kieran haha!

The packaging is quite nice, to be honest, it looks like an aftershave bottle and it's glass, and all this time I thought it'll be in a plastic bottle! So, as you can imagine it's quite heavy so not the best item for travelling, sorry but I had to leave it behind in England this time.

The smell is amazing if you like musky men-like scents. If that makes sense? If I pour out too much then I always end up rubbing it all over my arms and end up smelling them throughout the day.

The consistency, on the other hand, is not what I expected at all. It is very runny and feels quite slimy but once you've put it on it feels like you've splashed yourself with water. I find it very refreshing for my skin and usually use it as a moisturiser rather than a primer.

As a primer, I think this product is good if you don't wear luminous makeup and want a satin/matte finish to your foundation as I've noticed it makes makeup stay on longer if you use such foundations. Personally, I love this product, I think it's definitely worth trying as it's really inexpensive and it feels great on the skin! And if you don't get along with it then you can always pass it on to another member of the family!

Have you tried this product at all? What did you think of it?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

How To Stay On Top Of Revision - Top Last Minute Revision Hacks

Hi Everyone!

Today's post is aimed at those who hate revising and usually leave it til last minute only to regret it - aka me.

I'm usually very organised when it comes to revision and create a timetable for it so I can achieve the highest grades possible. Due to lack of revision I actually forced myself to stay a year behind at sixth form as I changed my a levels at the end of the first year as I really did not get on with the teachers and subjects themselves. My original choice of subjects was:

-History

-English Language

-Sociology

-ICT

Which I then substituted History and Sociology for Media Studies and Psychology and I can honestly tell you all that staying on an extra year was one of the best decision I had made for myself. Unfortunately I did have to pick up another subject in my third year, which was Business Studies however it wasn't too bad and the workload was tiny compared to ICT.

My first year at uni was a rollercoaster of ups and downs and at the end it turned out okay and I can't wait to start year 2 in September as I know I'll be more determined to achieve nothing but a 1.0.

But, this post isn't about my experience at school but about tips I can share with you that should help you while revising last minute before the exam.

Clear work space - a very important tip which as you can see above I did not yet master myself. However to my defence I was actually printing some texts out to read and highlight so I didn't need that much space! But if you have a clear desk and lay out your revision materials you'll be more focuses on getting your work done rather than procrastinate by looking or touching the things around you.

Don't panic - you probably have a few days left before your exam so take it easy and try and revise as much as you can. Cramming info doesn't usually work but only if you do it wrong. If I'm running out of time before an exam I tend to read my notes out loud as I find it helps me remember them better. You could also try and teach a family member or a friend the topics you need to learn as this way you'll be talking about it more and it'll be on your mind as well as the family member gaining some wisdom!

Using coloured pens to make notes - I have noticed that this is my favourite thing to do! If you use one colour e.g. Blue to write up an event that occurred such as WW2 then use red to write the cons and green to write the pros of this event. You can do the same with approaches and treatments used in Psychology etc.

Block out noise - I usually listen to classical music while revising as its relaxing and there's no lyrics to distract me or make me sing along! It's best if you also put headphones on rather than listen to the music on full blast on the radio as it will cause chaos in your head and demotivate you to get on with your work.

Flash cards - I think that flash cards are a great way of remembering things. They're really simple to write up too and you can test yourself by asking a family member to ask you questions from them. E.g. Write down on one side saying 'WW2' and then on the other the main events and timeline of the war which you'd have to remember.

Drink lots of water - it's very important that you stay hydrated while revisin as studies have shown that drinking plenty of water keeps your brain going and you actually tend to take in more than you would if you weren't drinking it.

Taking breaks - it's very important that you take breaks in between revision sessions so your brain doesn't go blank. I usually do around 45 minutes of revision in one go and then give myself a 15 minute break to go on my phone and get something to eat etc.

I hope these have helped as that's what I like to do when I don't have much time left before an exam. Good luck for the exams and results day guys!

Lots of love,

Maya xo

My Workout Routine

Hi Everyone!

Who's ready for the summer? Certainly not me! Im actually in Rhodes as you are reading this and I have still not managed to reach my goal figure :( I am giving myself up until September this year to get a lean and toned body. Come on guys, we can do it!

My workout routine is quite simple. I usually stretch for 5 minutes and then do some burpees to warm up. Then I drink some water. Make sure you have plenty by your side to keep yourself hydrated.

Then I grab my weights, I'm currently using 2.5lbs in each hand. I do all sorts of arm exercises which I don't exactly know how to explain?? Just your average lift up above my head and then put them back down.

Then I do squats. Around 3-4 sets of 50. I know it seems like a lot but I'm trying to tone up my legs and butt ASAP.  

I then add 2 sets of 10 lunges. I hate doing lunges the most, they really hurt my calves and make my legs tremble, but that's how I can tell that what I'm doing is actually working.

I add a few more arm exercises with the weights until they feel numb. Usually 2 sets of 15 as my arms are quite weak and I am gradually trying to improve my strength.

I then hop onto the cross trainer for 10 minutes on level 8. this KILLS ME. It makes me want to cry but I know that once I have a hot shower or bath and my muscles will relax that I'd feel 10000 times better.

Last but not least, I do crunches and sit ups. Worst part of the whole workout. I get tired from this really easily as my body holds the majority of fat on my stomach! I don't like my figure because of my stomach as I don't have a defined waist and just go straight down from the waist to my legs. There is NOTHING wrong with this figure, but I dislike it on myself as it makes it really hard to find jeans and shorts that fit me well as my waist and stomach are bigger than my hips and legs.

After my workout is done I do a few stretches and drink loads of water before hopping in the shower.

How do you stay fit? Are there any tips you could give me?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

Review || MyProtein.com

Hey Everybody!

I've been battling with my weight for the past year now, actually it's been since I started university back in September last year that I had noticed a significant change in my weight. Due to the stress that has welcomed my life back then, I had actually lost just under a stone, but once I turned to food for comfort and oops here comes a brand new stone and a half. I haven't been this weight since I was 15 and I've always had problems accepting my figure. I was a size 10-12 back then, causing me to lose a lot of weight and being a size 6-8 until now which has brought me back to being a full size 10.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think I'm big/fat and I certainly do not think that a size 10 is big, however I feel tired and not like myself now that I eat more etc. I have recently been working out a LOT which is making me feel amazing every day for doing so. I feel tired and the pain I feel the following day is horrendous but it's sooo worth it because I feel much more energised and overall better about myself.

My goal is to lose 2 stone before I get back to uni this September. I know it's an unrealistic goal and it will take a lot of hard work to reach my goal but I'm feeling determined!

I have recently purchased some products from MyProtein.com and I am beyond impressed with their protein shakes. I bought the Strawberry Shortcake weight loss shake which I try to drink at least once a day as a meal replacement. I usually drink it in the morning instead of having breakfast as I always skip it! I know it's really bad and that I should always have something to eat first thing in the morning, but I always feel sick in the morning and find it hard to keep food down too :(

I usually put one scoop of the mix in a blender and add some fruit - usually a banana and a handful of berries for taste, and also half a teaspoon of the green tea extract which is equivalent to 8 cups of green tea! I then add half a cup of whole milk and half a cup of water making the shake thicker and tastier. You can also add some chia seeds which I've heard many good things about them but am yet to try them out myself.

This is definitely the best protein shake I've had! I've tried several ones before, all different flavours but this one, especially with fresh fruit, tastes amazing. I would highly recommend it to those who like fruity flavours and want something sweet as well as healthy in their shake.

Moving onto the green tea extract, I think this is a fantastic invention and wish I got my hands on it sooner. We all know how good green tea is for us, it makes us feel more energised, increases our metabolism and many, many more benefits! I think you can also add this to your regular drinks like orange juice or even to food like yogurt. I, however will be sticking to adding it to shakes as then you can't taste the powder.

When I was buying those products I used a voucher which gave me a 50% discount on all weight loss/gain products. So I also added some pills to my basket to see whether they'd help at all. I went for the White Kidney Bean Extract and CLA which are both meant to help with losing weight.

I can't say that I've noticed a difference since taking them, however they do make me burp a lot throughout the day with a slightly weird after taste. Gross, I know but I had to warn you! I might start taking them without exercise and protein shakes to see if they actually do anything to my body.

Have you tried any products from MyProtein.com?

Lots of love,

Maya xo