My Summer Wishlist

With Summer well and truly upon us - apart from if you live in the South West as ours has been and gone with that lush sunshine last week - sorry to disappoint (Not an actual fact btw) it's time to daydream about holidays and sweat our bums off to be 'bikini ready'. The sunshine always brings out an excuse to wear gorge clothes and accessories with this year proving no different. Here is my summer wish-list of my chosen must haves to stay fab all summer long:

1. Luxique Swimwear - This company produces the most amaaaazing swimwear I have ever seen! The hand made unique pieces are pure glam and are a must have this year as you soak up the rays whether that be in the Caribbean or if your like me and haven't yet received the offer to get whisked away somewhere hot and sunny (Massive Hint to the better half), then of course they will look just as nice laid next to your local lido (also trying to convince myself here). The swimwear is definitely a head turner and  would be perfect for a pool party or a day at Ocean Beach Club - I need a holiday *crying face*. I have to admit, I am not sure how practical the swimwear is in terms of swimming etc but who needs practical when you look like a gazillion dollars. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't wear it to the water park day out unless you want to look like a disco ball at the bottom of the water slide but I'm sure it would survive a paddle. At over £100, it would be an investment piece but it would be so so worth it.

  

Black Embellished Poolside Wear - £130.00

Blue embellished poolside wear - £140.00

(My absolute fav!)

Click here to browse

2. B. Popping Candy Highlighting Serum - I've seen this little beauty in a few magazines this week as a summer must have. The B. Sweet Popping Candy Highlight (Please note: it is not actual popping candy) is a highlighting serum that aims to leave a beautiful glow on your skin. The reviews I've seen have been mostly positive as it suits a lighter skin tone - yay for me! - and is apparently very moisturising - always a plus. At £14.99, the serum seems a reasonable price and the perfect size to pop in your handbag, beach bag & clutch bag this summer so there's no excuse to not look flawless.

Click here to look flawless

3. Clogs - Now I have to admit, when I saw these were making a comeback I thought I'd got pissed, travelled to Holland and rewound about 30 years. However, these ones from Topshop appear to be the perfect mix of clog and sandal to create a decent summer shoe that's on trend and practical (It goes without saying, in a normal pair of clogs, I reckon I'd fall over or lose my shoe approximately 34 times a day). They are available in tan or black and are only £28.00 which for Topshop is a pretty decent price. It's also good to remember, it's only likely to be sunny in England for about four days over the summer period so they can stay in your wardrobe for years until they come back in fashion in another 20 years so you can get plenty of use out of them.

HANOI Clog Sandals - £28.00

Click here to buy

4. Fedora Hats - I've always been a bit dubious of hats as I've never been sure if they actually suit me or if I look like a paler version of Mrs Potato Head however its important I protect my little ginger scalp from sunburn so these Fedora Hats are perfect. My fav one so far is this black one from River Island. Although black attracts the sun etc, at £25, the colour will match most outfits so you can get your moneys worth.

Black metal trim Fedora hat - £25.00

Buy here

 Alternatively, they are also available at Primark from £4 in numerous colours so you can buy one for every day of the week! Tip: The straw effect version from Primark is best for the beach & gives a decent festival look!

Black Straw Fedora - £4.00 (What a bargain!)

View here - Buy in store

5. Gold Flash Tattoos - I don't know about you but Coachella looked incredible and the snapchat story made me miserable with envy as they partied to amazing music in guaranteed sunshine putting Boardmasters to shame on so many levels (but a festival in the rain is obviously just as fun right?). The fashion itself at Coachella was a huge talking point in the celeb world and gave us all inspo for our festival crammed summer season. These gold flash tattoos add a bit of glam to the festival look and have been seen on the likes of Vanessa Hudgens and Queen B.

Vanessa Hudgens rocking her flash tats

Image courtesy of boutiquetoyou.com

 I'm in love with the designs from Brazilian Bikini who do this lush set at £21.12. The tattoos give your outfit a boost without the worry of losing precious jewels whilst moshing to 1D (Just Kidding) and look great paired with beads and our fav festival bands we all keep on for 6 months afterwards!

 

Gold and silver temporary tattoos, jewel and feather designs ZAHRA - £21.12

Click here to buy

6. Valentino Shell Crown - Whilst swotting up online on upcoming fashion trends (I know, I'm like a new woman) I spotted on Vogue this amazing Valentino Shell Crown which is set to be a hit this summer. Unfortunately, my bank account will not stretchatino to the £500 price tag so I'll just have to keep wishing on that one. However, I have been able to find this alternative from ASOS which is similar and will look just as cute on. The shell crown goes hand in hand with loose waves whether it be for a night out, beach day or a festival. Of course there is always the option to make your own shell crown if you're feeling creative - I think I'll leave it to Valentino.

Valentino Shell Crown - $795.00

Admire it here

Asos Shell Charm Hair Crown

Shop the decent alternative here!

7. Public Desire -  CONSTANTLY have me lusting over their shoes. I often sit there dribbling over the sight of their new releases. Of course, everybody knows a woman can never have enough shoes which is why I've already caved and bought two pairs - oops. In my defence, due to working so hard at University, I was able to get 20% off so it was already a done deal. The whole collection on the website is bang on trend and so reasonably priced that it just gets harder and harder to resist. WARNING: using the link below is almost guaranteed to cost you money (But its soooo worth it)

Laila Nude Lace Up Heel Sandals - £29.99

Click here to fall in love

So there we have it - my summer wishlist. If you have any of the above I am of course extremely jealous but let me know how you've got on and if you'd recommend? Now where is my lottery ticket?

Love M I C H A E L A x

Results with Lucy Online Fitness Programme with Missguided Active

Going to the gym, working out and posing for selfies in gym clothes (come on – we all do it!) has become a mahoosive deal recently. I remember a time where I wouldn’t been seen dead in gym leggings with fluorescent bits down the side topped off with chunky running trainers that look like your feet are twice the size of what they actually are and now I’m constantly online or in shops hunting for another set of gym wear to show off.

 I first joined ‘The Gym’ a couple of years ago after a girls holiday to mental Maga was booked and whilst I felt I made progress I soon became a bit bored and didn’t have a consistent gym buddy to go with. It wasn’t long before I was snapchatting more than I was squatting and spending more time buying gym clothes than actually training in them. I also struggled with motivation – one week I would healthy eat as religiously as the Pope attends church and other weeks I would eat a whole chocolate trifle to myself and not even feel guilty about the 6000 calories I’d just consumed. I’d always tell myself I’d work it off and would cheat more than our premiership footballers (Ouch!) so this New Year I jumped well and truly onto the bandwagon and decided it was time for a change.

I’m not 100% happy with my body and am always aiming to improve it, as I know a lot of people are and wanted a way to work out which was flexible due to a juggling schedule of uni, work and some sort of social life. After seeing evidence of ‘RealResults’ online, I became massively intrigued with Lucy Mecklenburghs ‘Results with Lucy’ and soon became as big a fan as I am of TOWIE *cringe*. The pictures online of peoples success all over the country were impressive and were achieved in a realistic space of time – not only that, the pictures of what Lucy Meck had achieved was enough to depress me and motivate me into wanting her figure (boohoo). I’d previously bought Charlotte Crosby’s 3 minute belly blitz DVD ( I am such a reality programme reject) which was a brilliant workout but because its only a DVD, it became repetitive and I slowly found myself making up dire excuses as to why I couldn’t do it – ‘ I think I may have a headache tomorrow’ or ‘better save my energy for crying at tonight’s Eastenders, Masterchef (it’s happened), One born every minute – you get the picture.

Results with Lucy has a variety of plans to purchase and choose from depending on what you aim to achieve eg. Wobble to model, Six Pack Abs and New Beginnings. I subscribed to the ‘Solo’ plan and pay less than £10.00 a month (perks of being a student – oh and the massive debt) which is cheaper than my gym membership fee and offers SO much more variety. It’s all online, so you just log in, pick a workout video and do it; I make it sound so easy! As well as the common workouts for abs and ass (on every women’s Christmas list), there is also dancing, ballet, yoga, gymnastics, antenatal workouts and you can even learn to do the splits (Haven’t tried this one yet as I’m not confident I’ll get back up off the floor).  You can pick workouts or select playlists that have been put together – this is my preference as they keep me motivated to do all 11 videos without stopping and are guaranteed to get you sweaty - Tip: Although exercise is said to be good on a hangover, the hangover workout playlist is more likely to make you board the chunder train than get off it.

Take a look at Results with Lucy here!

The online fitness programme also features an ‘EAT WELL’ section with recipes and healthy eating tips to ensure the best possible results. I’d also recommend Lucy’s book ‘Be Body Beautiful’ (she’s not paying me for this I promise) which includes recipes, exercises and interesting information about food and exercise.

Buy the book here!

In order to get the most from ‘Results with Lucy’, it would be a good idea to buy some weights that suit you – I use 3kg - I am Ginger and am meant to be 10% stronger than the average human – a gym ball, a kettlebell, a hula hoop and a fitness mat as laminate flooring is cold and carpet burns hurt (I learnt the hard way). My favourite workouts or exercises include: Plank rotations, Russian twists, squats, squat pulses, kettlebell swings & hula hoop whereas my most dreaded exercises that I’m learning to love are tricep dips, burpees and lunges.

I’ve always been a fan of Missguided and often spend my hard earned monies ordering from them so I was happier than a slinky on an escalator when I heard they were releasing an ‘Active’ range of fitness clothing. I couldn’t resist ordering and even won a competition for my haul (Go me!) and I have to say it’s my favourite work out gear (They aren’t paying me either) as it’s comfy, fits well and looks good!

Click here to browse Missguided Active

So if you’re looking to get fit and have fun then I couldn’t recommend Results with Lucy enough! Lucy and her team are encouraging throughout the workouts and fully explain each exercise and what muscles and area they target so you fully understand what your doing – I suppose it always helps! I’m no expert and am far from having the status ‘Gym Bunny’ but this programme is the best by far for me and results speak for themselves. If you also train with Results with Lucy or have any workout tips – let me know!

Love M I C H A E L A x

Outfit: Missguided Active

Photographer: Paul Neale

 Location: Saltram, Plymouth

P.S Here's a few tips I try and always remember:

• Being skinny doesn't mean healthy
• Eating breakfast helps you to lose weight as it kickstarts your metabolism
• Muscle weighs more than fat so when training try measuring yourself instead of using the dreaded scales
• Exercise gives you energy! It doesn't take it all!
• Exercise releases endorphins which make us happy!

"Suck it up now or suck it in later"

OOTN - Gorgeous top & palazzo set from Miss Pap

With a good friends birthday meal and drinks fast approaching, I found myself faced with the famous female first world problem -  a wardrobe that often looks like a charity shop store room due to lack of space - I would definitely benefit from a walk in wardrobe - (massive hint to the better half, there's no point having a builder for a boyfriend and not taking full advantage!) however despite my haul of clothes I had absolutely NOTHING to wear, zilch, zero, nill, null, not a pip squeak. This then of course meant I would HAVE to buy something brand spanking new that I will more than likely wear once and not see again for years once it disappears into that black hole I earlier referred too.

I have to admit, seeing flares online and on the high street gave me awful flashbacks to my teenage years where I loved massive flared jeans with neon stitching from Blue Banana - is it possible to have a mid life crisis that young? *Shudder in awkwardness* I feel this flashback knocked me back and even though I know it wont be long until I'm spending half my wages on flares, for now, I felt a palazzo trouser would do the job nicely just to break myself in gently.

Click here to read the latest fashion trends 15/16

I'd seen the top and palazzo trouser set on multiple clothing sites inspired by Kim Kardashian. Although I'm fully aware I would not look like her whilst wearing it - a blessing or a curse? (I'm not sure I'm a fan of her badonkadonk) - I fell in love with the outfit idea and set on a mission to find it at a cheaper price but of decent quality and after grafting away (Men do not realise how hard and strenuous online shopping can be) I came across this gorgeous set on Miss Pap.

Size 8 - Khaki

Click here to buy

Also available in black and camel, the gorge set arrived the next day and I was more excited than a randy Jack Russell to try it on. The co-ord is 95% polyester and 5% elastane and felt like the perfect material to hug your buttox and hang perfectly. I was worried the material may be a bit see-through, however reassuringly, you are able to wear underwear with this outfit, something I wish people would contemplate when wearing white leggings... Anyway, the khaki colour is bang on trend and suited my hair colour to a tee (Check out my first blog post). The only slight issue was the top being a size 8 and I had to occasionally pull it down to ensure it was covering my prized possessions so if you could order the top and bottoms separately I would have ordered a bigger size however it wasn't a massive issue and serves me right for being greedy where tatas are involved. It's the perfect head turning outfit - just a shame it doesn't have an anti-weirdo device included but to be honest that may just be my choice of venue or night to venture into Plymouth City Centre.

For £19.99 this outfit is an absolute steal and I will be buying it in black as soon as I can justify to myself why I need it - Just kidding - as if I need a reason, it's already on my to-do list tomorrow.

Love M I C H A E L A x

The Life of a Ginger

"I don't care what it is as long as it's not ginger!" were the famous words my mum announced before I was welcomed into the world 22 years ago. Harsh you may think? I would have once agreed with you. However, since I now feel I have managed to eventually climb out of my 'biscuit tin', I now adore my red (ginger) locks more than ever before.

I have never been one to correct people in stating my hair as being 'Strawberry Blonde' - Does that colour even exist?! - however I have been known to refer to the term 'Auburn Sunset' once in a while. If any fellow redheads are reading this then I'm sure you can relate when I state that school days were the worst days when it came to being called a 'Ginger Minge'? The name calling was always bad but became more tedious as the years went on like yeah I've heard that one - oh that's the third time today I've heard that! Anything else? They say with age comes wisdom which became evident as I ventured into my sixth form years when the odd compliment would make its way through the constant game of spot the obvious. However this soon became boring - I mean - now I was hearing people say they'd love to be ginger; 'I wish I had your hair colour' 'I'm so jealous!' The term 'Prove it!' would pop into my head on numerous occasions.

By now you may have noticed that being ginger involves a lot of repetition and long may it continue. By the time I started my second part time job at 'Asders' (or Asda for those of you not from Plymouth), I can happily say the compliments increased as customers would comment on my beautiful hair, often asking me if it was natural etc. The main comment that always stuck with me was when customers (mainly elderly) would tell me how people would pay a fortune to have my hair colour. I've not heard of developing physic powers as we grow old gracefully, however funnily enough the ginger trend soon came around which saw girls of all ages attempting to dye their hair 'Auburn Sunset' (I agree, it does sound like a cocktail). I saw many successes and failures of the ginger boom which saw the most recent trend of Ombre hair producing even more redheads whether that be deliberate or not! *Hand over face*

Now with redheads set to be taking over the world (according to National Geographic we're meant to be non-existent come 2050 however that's another blog post in itself) I feel now more than ever before is the best time to be a complete natural redhead and be proud of it. Laugh at the remarks because I promise it won't be long until you're blushing at the compliments just as often and if all else fails, punch them right in the face as its guaranteed to hurt (Were also meant to be 10% stronger than the average human) GO TEAM GINGE!

Love M I C H A E L A x