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

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

My Secret Skincare Weapon

Natural skincare is the best. I can't even fathom to think of the crap I put on my skin. I've definitely learnt my lesson and switched things up over the years including vital ingredients like Aloe Vera!

Aloe Vera gel comes from a plant, when you peel an aloe leaf apart you will find the pure gel inside. It is an incredible at healing and soothing. I discovered it after a bad case of sunburn and the redness turned to tan overnight, I couldn't believe it, no peeling or soreness. The cold gel felt lush, so I thought hey, I'm going to slap this on my face and I have been doing it ever since.

If you don't have an aloe plant hanging about then you can pick up the gels pretty cheap, just make sure there aren't many added ingredients to the gel. I use the Aloe Pura range which is 99.9% pure aloe! You can pick it up for around £5 in Superdrug and Holland and Barrett.

The gel dries very quickly on the skin and I usually pop some moisturiser over the top but stick to a routine of using the plain aloe during the day and the gel with added tea tree at night. You can also use it in your hair for a mask or on any burn to cool and heal it.

I love budget beauty treasures. Share yours in the comments.

Happy Friday beauties.

Little Lottie

XO

Health switches to make you feel great!

Hello Beautiful. I hope you had a glorious Easter, whatever got up to. If you are regretting how much chocolate you ate over the last week you may be wanting to put some new health regimes into action to make you feel (& look) like it never happened. Here are some easy (& delicious) health switches to make you glow from the inside out.

1//  Reduce your dairy consumption. 
Cows are frequently given hormones and it shows on our skin when we consume their milk. Through reducing my dairy intake I have fallen in love with almond milk! I put it on cereal, in smoothies, make hot chocolate with it and it's great for baking too. There are lots of delicious non dairy milks in your supermarket that contain great anti-oxidants!

Almond milk hot chocolate is DE-lish!

2// Increase your Omega 3 intake. 
I have done this by purchasing supplements like fish oil and adding flaxseed to my breakfasts/smoothies. The best way to get a good dose of omega is through food, experts recommenced at least 3 portions of fish per week, my favourite is Salmon with lemon and kale. Omega 3 fatty acids are an anti-inflammatory and some people have cured skin conditions with this alone.

Salmon with kale, sweet potato and coleslaw

Flaxseed sprinkled on cereal and fruit

3// Stick to Wholemeal. 
Staying away from 'white' products will also benefit your health and show on the outside too! Switch to wholemeal bread, pasta and rice to avoid the chemicals used in bleaching food and reduce bloating. Although the odd pizza wont go amiss...

4// Which leads me to... Cut down on sugar! 
White food products, fizzy drinks, alcohol, junk food, sweets and most cereals are high in the white devil which sends your blood sugar rocketing, this makes your body produce more insulin and breaks you out!


5// Switch potato for sweet potato! 
Sweet potato is orange in colour which means it contains beta cerotene, this turns into vitamin A when digested and is vital for that glow factor. Sweet potato is so tasty, in my eyes even better than regular potato. It's quick to cook and not nearly as bloating as white potato. They make great fries, wedges, jacket potatoes and are super delicious dunked in mayo or BBQ sauce.

Sweet potato fries with sweet chili and mayo

6// Use Olive Oil more.
This oil is great to cook and dress food with, it contains anti-inflammatory agents and some omegas that will help your skin glow. It is however a fatty oil so use in moderation. I like it drizzled over kale and vegetables.


7// Drink 2 liters of water a day and a few cups of green tea. 
This may be hard at first but I now look forward to a cup of lemon green tea with my breakfast and end up thirsty if I don't have a bottle of water handy. These drinks will pump your body with antioxidants and flush out any unwanted baddies. Add lemon slices to your water for more flavour and health benefits or try berries to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Loose leaf green tea

Lemon water

8// Don't deprive yourself. 
I never deprive myself of a sweet treat if I really want one, chocolate is my downfall. Remember everything in moderation, starving yourself will only make the cravings worse.

9// Exercise.
It doesn't sound fun now but I promise you once you start and get into a routine you will feel one hundred times better. They key is to find something that works with your lifestyle, I was against joining the gym for a long time because they pull you in on a contract and cost a fortune. As well as the pressure of the 'regulars' staring at me whilst I look like a beetroot and sweat like a pig.
In the end I gave in and joined the local gym round the corner from work, I would get up at 6.30am, go to the gym for an hour, shower and get ready there, then rush round the corner to work, shoveling breakfast down at my desk.

It worked for about a month when I decided it wasn't benefiting me in any way, now I get up at 6.30am, stroll downstairs to the comfort of my living room and do 40 minutes of high intensity interval training in the form of Insanity, which has changed my life. I feel more confident and am slowly achieving my New Year's resolution to tone my stomach. I do this 4 times a week and have a break at the weekends.

If you aren't motivated to work out at home then joining the gym and knowing that you're paying is a great motivator. I am personally more motivated by the thought of exercising in my own home and Insanity really works for me.

Insanity workout 

Baby abs. Workout gear from Primark

Whether you make health changes gradually or in one hit you will never regret working out or eating a healthy meal. Instagram is great for motivational quotes and tips, follow me here.

Comment with your favourite health tips and follow for more from me.

Little Lottie 

Beauty Ingredients I avoid and why

From sensitive skin to allergies and acne, there are so many ingredients in our everyday beauty items and cosmetics that are toxic for our skin and can cause all kinds of reactions.

I was never aware of this when I was younger and would scrub my face far too much with harsh face washes that claimed to work miracles, I am now left with scarring and sensitivity that means harsh ingredients break me out a lot. A quick trip to the dermatologists office opened my eyes to what I was actually putting on my skin and I'm now a self confessed, serial ingredient counter, think calories but worse...

I've put together my list of ingredients that I personally try to avoid in my beauty collection for reasons that I have discovered through using them and experiencing a reaction, you may have no trouble with them at all. Most natural skincare and makeup items will also avoid these ingredients, hopefully I can help you to understand that label on your foundation a bit better with my guide.

1// Mineral Oil

Mineral Oils/paraffinum liquidum have broken me out countless times. They are a synthetic oil unlike essential oils and actually derive from petroleum! Have I put you off yet? Mineral oils are extracted from crude oil which contributes to making petrol so they are bad for our planet and our skin!

2// Perfume

Perfume is one of the hardest ingredients to avoid and is the first thing my dermatologist told me to steer clear of as it can sting and irritate sensitive/acne skin types. I now think if a product has to be perfumed to put it on my face, what is in it that they need to cover up with a scent? The 'ingredient' perfume/perfum can actually be made using over 3,000 chemicals but it's only ever listed as one ingredient on the label.

3// Talc

Talc is mostly used in powder products to create a mattifying affect, talcum powder was a popular product years ago for things like drying off after a shower but it does the job so well it's on my avoid list for drying out my sensitive skin.

4// SLS/SLES

SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) is added to many beauty items like cleansers, face washes and shampoos to make them foam. It is a type of detergent also used in INDUSTRIAL CLEANERS! I personally find this ingredient dries out my skin and scalp so avoid as much as possible but cosmetic companies struggle to find anything that works as well to replace it with.

5// Soap

Soap is another ingredient that cosmetic companies now try to avoid, you may notice cleansers labeled 'soap free'. Soap strips our skin of it's natural oils and so our skin over-produces sebum/oil causing blemishes and oiliness. Take the natural route and find a cleanser that wont through your PH off balance. I love using a mix of Olive Oil and Castor Oil.

6// Parabens

Parabens are a much debated over ingredient but have you noticed that recently when you pick up a moisturiser or foundation the label on the front says if it's paraben free? Parabens come with many names and are there to stop bacteria and mould growing in our 'wet' products like moisturisers. They are rumored to sink into our skin and enter our blood stream, increasing the risk of cancer. A natural alternative to Parabens would be Lavender oil but many cosmetics don't use this for various reasons (god knows why, it's bloomin lovely) You can find my favourite moisturiser here.

Finding brands that leave out any nasty ingredients is a task but Lush and Ren are among my favorites, read my Ren cleanser review here.

If you're looking for a more natural skincare routine I highly recommend cutting out these ingredients and see if you notice a difference.

Little Lottie 

XO  

Health Haul and How I Keep Fit

I never make a New Years resolution but this year is different, after discovering more natural, organic products and starting my little corner of the internet, Little Lottie, last year made me much more conscious of what I use and consume.

I'm officially on a health kick, I want to be more toned by next year with less wobble and more ab action going on. I'm already starting to see results and I'm feeling so much more confident, I may be a size 8 but I still never felt like getting my tum out or bearing a little in crop tops so I thought I'd finally do something about it. The 'This Girl Can' campaign is such a powerful message to girls who feel unattractive but don't do anything to change it.

Exercising has always appeared like a chore before but once I started doing the Insanity workout and saw a few pounds drop to get me bikini ready for my holiday I was convinced. Now my aim isn't to loose pounds but tone what is already there, I started by just doing sit ups every night until I was able to do 50 at a time then I looked up more toning workouts and realised sit ups only work a small section of your abs, I added planking, crunches and leg raises to make the workout more intense.

These days I go for a run a few times a week (usually at the weekend) and do a 5-10 minute cardio or ab workout every night. I use a free app or a YouTube tutorial. I find the most effective moves are squats and spiderman planks. My abs and legs always ache after so I know it's working.

I got some new gear from Primark to help me workout more comfortably.

This armband is so helpful when I go out for a run and was only £2.50!

The perfect time to pick up some health goods is when Holland and Barrett have their penny sale on. I have recently been researching into Omega fatty acids and how they are a miracle worker for clear skin and long, silky hair. I've looked into various supplements like Omega 3 6 9, Cod liver oil, Flaxseed oil and many more. I went for fish oil in the end as it contains EPA & DHA which are anti-inflammatory. This tub was £12.99 and I am taking 1,000 mg a day.

The best way of pumping some Omega into the body is through food, these Omega Sprinkle bags were 2 for £3 and don't taste amazing but a pinch on top of my cereal is barely noticeable.
£2.99 each or 2 for £3 in the penny sale. My daily breakfast is a bowl of cereal topped with omega sprinkles and a banana with plenty of almond milk, delicious!

Who doesn't use coconut oil these days? I've just finished my tub and had to pick up another asap. I use it as a hair oil, body moisturiser, eye cream, lip balm, frying oil, baking ingredient and for shaving sometimes. It's a wonder product! The jar is £14.99.

Last year I became a Love Your Body member, it's a great initiative for Body Shop fans and means you get 10% off every purchase as well as gifts every now and then. The latest gift was a free Body Butter worth £13 and I went for the cocoa butter because it reminds me of chocolate!

I also drink two liters of water a day and at least one cup of green tea, usually lemon flavour. It was really hard to drink water at first but I've replaced my usual drinking bottle with a liter bottle and I only need to fill up once which encourages me to drink up more. 

I'm no nutritionist or gym addict but I'm feeling more confident and healthy as well as seeing a difference on the outside. If I'm ever stuck for motivation or ideas I look on Pintrest and sometimes save a fitness pic as my screensaver to remind me to workout.

If you have any tips or tricks leave them in the comments and help motivate each other.

Little Lottie XO