Little Lottie: May 2015

Friday 15 May 2015

Recent Purchases

It's fair to say I went a little mad with spending lately, a recent weekend trip to London was enough to empty the bank account. I've decided to live for the present and say 'I deserve it' so without questioning anything (oh dear) I treated myself.

Ren Skincare Clarimate Toner// £15.50

I've been lusting over acid toners for a while and it was time to finally decide which one to go for. I'm one of those, 'I don't believe in perfumed water' people but trusting in Ren skincare I couldn't resist trying the Clarimate Toner after reading some great reviews. It was cheaper than most at £15.50 but after a couple of weeks trying it I can't say I've seen much of a difference. The gentle acids are designed to slough off any dead skin cells and speed up cell turn over. I'm persevering but can't say I'm a fan.

Vitamin E oil//£4 - eBay

As you know I'm a massive oil fan and wanted to try vitamin E for it's famous healing properties. The oil is very heavy and isn't ideal as a facial moisturiser but dabbing it on any scars or areas of dry skin is quite effective.

Weighted Hula Hoop//£7 

My quest for abs is never ending and I've seen some definition in that area recently which has made me much more confident. To boost results I ordered a weighted hula hoop from eBay to use during the ad breaks of lazy TV evenings, (productive!) You can feel where the hoop has hit your tummy and back after the first use but you quickly get used to it and I believe it is tightening the area, it isn't too strenuous either.

La Roche Posay Corrective Fluid Foundation//£15  

I bought this on impulse after reading about the coverage and great ingredients, as you know I'm not a foundation fan, especially not in liquid forms. It was risky to order online as I wasn't sure of the colour and I can confirm that it is a bit too dark for me but a little really goes a long way so it can be sheered out! The finish is great but moisturising first is vital or it will cling to dry areas.

Lush Angels on Bare Skin//£6.75 - repurchase 

I've fallen in love with this cleanser a little bit. It really wakes up my skin after a sweaty workout (so glamorous.) It's perfect for a morning cleanse but I tend to dabble in and out of using it in the evenings if I need to exfoliate.

Almond Butter (monster tub) // £12.99 - Amazon

I'm addicted. The other day I actually had almond butter with every meal! It's perfect stirred into porridge or smoothie in the morning, makes an excellent partner with apple as a lunch time snack and is lush on toast with some chocolate spread and nuts as a healthy dessert.



So with all that retail therapy out the way and a much lighter purse I have well and truly treated myself. I hope you do the same! We're worth it.

Little Lottie 
XO




Friday 8 May 2015

Feeling great


Hello beauties. Today is another chatty post, it appears you liked the last one. I'm really excited to share my health journey with you and I honestly feel the best I've ever felt. 

Honestly, I'm not sure what kick started it all. I made a New Years resolution to tone up my stomach and joined the gym, unfortunately that didn't work out and I started doing insanity and home workouts. I was so motivated by the results and 3 months later I'm still doing insanity 4 times a week,  I even have baby abs!





Of course all that hard work would be nothing without eating right. My diet changed gradually with subtle switches - as I spoke about on this post. 

Now I have become some what of a raw food and clean eating fanatic. Abs are made in the kitchen after all! 

I get a lot of meal inspo from bloggers like Deliciously Ella, Madeline Shaw and Niomi Smart. Instagram is a great motivator, clean eating Alice has plenty of delicious meal snaps on her page that will change your life forever! 

Cutting out sugar and dairy made the biggest difference with me, adding fish to my diet was also vital. The cravings for chocolate and sugary snacks soon disappear and you can still enjoy plenty of sweet treats naturally. 

I recently re-created Madeline Shaw's raw brownie recipe, you need to try this! Made with dates, raw cacao, plenty of nuts and honey for sweetening they are all natural and truly satisfying.



There is no single image of beautiful and we are all gorgeous in our individual ways. If you want to be healthy do what feels right for you and only you.

Remember, you're perfect and I'm no nutritionist. 

Little Lottie
XO

Friday 1 May 2015

April Favourites


In true blogger style I've decided to do a favoruites post. I can't believe how quickly May has rolled round and that means summer is coming! My bank account isn't looking too healthy after watching many favourite videos on YouTube and giving in to temptation so my April favourites are budget friendly, enjoy!
Beauty.


This has been a must for me this month and I've been sporting it almost everyday. It's close to a Kylie Jenner colour and leaves a gorgeous stain on the lips. It also smells gorgeous and has a lovely formula with a matte finish. It can be quite drying after a few hours so be sure to carry it with you for re-application.  





This has been a total game changer for me. After hearing the gorgeous Freddy My Love rave about it I couldn't not try it, if it's good enough for a model it's good enough for me! The product is totally rave worthy, it smells of calming lavender and is made with amazing ingredients like crushed almonds. It's a manual exfoliator which I usually hate but it's super gentle and deeply cleanses my skin after a morning workout. 




I've had a very on and off relationship with the oil cleansing method but using a 50/50 mix of olive oil and castor oil is my new obsession. I've been using this in the evenings to take off my makeup and removing it with a hot flannel. Bliss. 



The Naked hair care range is super natural, made with 97% natural ingredients and it really works. I don't need to wash my hair as much and I'm not half as frizzy! The scents are also incredible and the product range is great to mix and match with like I have with the rescue/care collection. 




Book.


My latest venture is clean eating and I've got to say I will never turn back. Deliciously Ella's book has really helped with dinner and lunch ideas which are all really easy to make! Believe me I'm no chef and really don't enjoy cooking - just the eating part. Ella teaches to count nutrients not calories with plant based ingredients but you can switch things and add things if you want. 

I recently tried out one recipe but used wholemeal pasta and added salmon. It was a hit with the family and was super delicious!  





YouTuber.

Louisa Wendorff is an incredibly talented and beautiful singer who deserves a lot more subscribers. She has incredible tracks of her own and mashes up well known songs, my favourite being the Taylor Swift tracks. Go and check her out, guaranteed you will be as hooked as I am.  

Blogger.

Madeline Shaw is fairly new to the world of YouTube but is a well known yoga instructor to beauties like Millie Makintosh and Tanya Burr. Her book Get the Glow has just hit the shelves and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. I have been scouring her blog for clean eating recipes and inspiration all month, they all contain ingredients your body will love! 

I hope you had a wonderful April, bring on May!

What's your April favourite?

Little Lottie
XO