stefhope.

About a month or so ago I wrote a post saying i was struggling to motivate myself to go to the gym. So i though i would write an update to keep myself motivated to continue to go. Since that post i change my workout up a little and have incorporated more weights into my routine, as i felt that the constant cardio was getting a little boring - since adding these in i do feel a lot better about going knowing that i have more than i can do. I still haven't been going to the classes as although i love going to the gym on my own and prefer it to going with a friend - i don't feel confident enough to go to a class on my own. I do feel that if i find one that i like then i will go more and in return feel more confident about going on my own as i will not feel silly not knowing what i am doing. Also the weather in Scotland has been a lot better in recent weeks so i've been able to get outside and walk the dogs which is a nice change to being in a gym staring

I have been obsessed recently with counting steps and try hard to reach 10,000 per day. I thought since i had a job where i was running around and on my feet for eight hours a day that i would reach that everyday and it would be easy. However, after counting my steps on an app on my phone i found out quickly that i barely even reach that goal, in fact i only do about 5500 steps per day. Over the past few weeks i have been making a real effort to take the stairs more and even when I'm just at home i try to walk around more every 15 minutes i try and get my steps up.  I purchased a Fitbit recently and i am so happy that i done it. The FitBit counts not only the steps you take but also the calories you burn not only when you are awake but when you sleep as well - side note - i never realised how many calories you burn while you sleep, at least a couple of hundred per night.  By wearing this 24/7 it has encouraged me to be more active and every day push myself to t

I've had a small obsession with MAC Lipsticks for a few years now and over the past month these three have the ones i have been reaching for the most! The one of top is Satin Lipstick in Pink Mouveu. This is a really lovely pinky colour - however the main reason i like this is although it is a pink colour it is not too girly and barbie like, which makes me feel more comfortable when wearing it.  This is in the satin finish which means it doesn't have that dry effect but not creamy enough that it comes of the lips quickly. This also lasts a long time even when eating and drinking so no need to continually apply it when out about which is always a bonus! This product is the Amplified Lipstick in ImPassioned. This is a lovely bright pink colour with a hint of coral running through it so it doesn't apply too bright that it looks neon.This product is really creamy which has many advantages. This product goes on really smoothy and the creamy texture me

I've always been a spray deodorant kind of person and it was always just what we bought in our house - for a long time i didn't even know that stick deodorants were a thing. I was browsing through the drugstore about a year back and they were having a huge sale on stick deodorant so i bought a few to try and i find them to be so much better than the spray ones. I never found myself smelling throughout the day when using the spray ones however, after a workout it became noticeable - after changing to the stick deodorant i haven't noticed a smell even after a very hard workout. Another reason i find them a lot better is that i find that they last a lot longer than the spray ones - i can use the stick one for at least three months before it runs out whereas the spray i was having to buy a new one at least every month. A lot of people i speak to about using a stick deodorant always pull a face and think it is disgusting and i can never understand why? At

COLAB Dry Shampoo is my holy grail product and one that i would struggle to live if i didn't have it - excuse the dramatics. I have very long hair and struggle to find the time to wash, dry and them straighten it on a daily basis and it just take way too long! So i rely a lot of dry shampoo to get me through those days where you know you should have probably washed your hair but just could not be bothered - i hope everyone has them a not just me! The Co Lab product range was founded by the lovely Ruth Crilly from A Model Recommends. I first heard of it from many Youtubers who had raved about if for a while. However, at the time i thought i was happy with the Batiste Dry Shampoo that i had been using and really thought that it was a good product. I came across this product in Superdrug and decided to try it out as it was cheaper than my normal one, i took it home used it that day and the rest was history as they say! The reasons that i like this product a lot more t

Today's post is going to be on the Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Primer. I never used to be in to primers and never really seen the point of them, i always thought that moisturising your face was enough. However i found that my skin was getting dry patches more often after i was wearing my makeup. As i was new to primers and did not really know what i was looking for and what ones were good or not. So i decided to go into Boots one day and had a look around the different makeup counters to see if i could see any primers. I walked up to the Smashbox counter and they had at least 10 different primers to choose from and i had no clue what one would work best for me. After speaking to the very helpful women at the counter she recommended the Hydrating Primer as my skin got dry easily. At the counter the women put the primer on half my face and then makeup on my whole face to see how different my makeup sat with the primer and then without. I was amazed at the

This is a quick review on the Charles Worthington: Volume and Bounce Shampoo which is purchased recently. I am not one that sticks to the same shampoo and conditioner and do like to try different ones depending on how i feel my hair is at the point I need to buy a new one. I've been using this product for a few weeks now and i really do not think this is the best product for my hair. After washing my hair i still don't feel like its really clean. I also feel like it leaves a strange feeling in my hair like a film that does not disappear after drying.  I usually perceiver with product and use them until they are finished however i stopped using this product as i just felt like i had to wash my hair more as i felt my hair wasn't getting a proper clean that it was becoming greasy after one day of washing - so i have given up. This product did not work for my hair type however, i understand that everyone has a different experience with products and many ma

The perfume i have been reaching for a lot this month is the Jo Malone fragrance in 'Peony and Blush Suede' I have been loving this fragrance for months now and the floral smell really lasts a while on the skin. I will spray the perfume on a scarf and then wear it a few days later and the smell will still be there - which is a testament to the staying power of this perfume. This fragrance is a sophisticated, soft and feminine without being a girly smell. It is also soft yet sweet with a very fresh scent - many say that the red apple cuts through the sweetness.  It does come in a tad expensive at £42.00 for a 30ml bottle and £85.00 for the 100ml. I have only got the small bottle as i wasn't sure how i would take to it as the smell is a very different one from the scents i usually go for. However, once this bottle is finished i will definitely be going to buy the bigger bottle. I will leave a link to the Jo Malone Website where you can have a look as

Max Factor Creme Puff Blush.  These blushers are just beautiful to look at, the marbled effect are aesthetically pleasing and in my opinion when looking for a blusher around the drugstore my eyes were definitely drawn to these. Many have compared these to the Ambient Light Blushers, however without the £56 price tag!! These blushers retail at Boots for £8.99, for this price you can buy the all colours in the range for cheaper than the Hourglass blush, and i think these are just as good. These blushers are fairly well pigmented and i think the colour pay off is really good. What i look for in a blusher is not a lot of shimmer i like more of a matte colour, so when looking at some of these shades i must admit i was a bit worried that the would be too shimmery and i wouldn't like them. However, after trying them out i was very impressed... They have really good colour pay off, with each that i have tried you can have a very light shimmer on your cheeks or if yo

Today's post is going to be on one of my favourite mascaras at the moment and has been for the last 8 months. The Tarte Light Camera Lashes mascara is a jet black formula which creates great length, and curl which last for days. I picked this mascara up in Texas as Tarte is not as accessible here in the UK as it is in the States. I had been watching many Beauty Youtuber's and Blogger's rave about how amazing this product was so it was on my list of things to pick up while i was out there, i was definitely not dissapointed when i took it back to my hotel room the day i bought it and tried it out. The formula of this mascara is very wet and with the wand applicator it puts a lot of product on the lashes, even though the formula is so wet when you apply it to your lashes i don't feel like it take a while to dry and you aren't left waiting ages to apply another coat. The wand for me is great, its gives a lot of product which some may find annoying a

For years and years i have been buying cheap eye lash curlers from the Drugstore that have lasted me maybe 2 months at the most - and that is using them to the bitter end! And lets be serious they do not even do a good job of curling your eye lashes anyway! However a friend had recommended that i try the Shu Uemura Curlers as i was always moaning about having to buy another pair. But at the price of Twenty Pounds  i really wasn't interested in spending that amount because i just thought it was too much for what they are. After buying my third pair in a few months i was starting to get frustrated that they did not give me the curl and hold i wanted and would just break after 5 uses and i decided that since i use them every single day that i would be a good investment to spend the extra money as i knew i was getting a good pair. I went into Harvey Nichols in Edinburgh and the super lovely women at the counter was so helpful and talked me through everything. She s

Today i tried out Vivianna Makeups chocolate cookies, and for the first time making them i think they turned out well. Ingredients - To make these cookies you will need.. - 200g Butter - 300g Castor Sugar - 1 Large Egg - 275g Self Raising Flour 75g Cocoa Powder - Dash of Milk (if needed) - A large bar of chocolate (I used Cadbury's) - A large bar of white chocolate(I used Milky Bar) -Dark Chocolate if would like First of all i started by measuring out all the ingredients and placing them in bowls. I find this easier to do at the beginning as its easier when making the cookies. Next you have to cream together the castor sugar and butter - i must warn you that if you do not have blender and have to do it by hand it may be more difficult! After this has been creamed you then add the large egg and mix together to form a paste. After adding in the egg, add all the dry ingredients (flour and cocoa powder) then mix all together. This may ta

After finishing my First Aid Beauty Cleanser i was on the market to try a new one and after watching Fleur De Force talk about this product in a lot of her videos i decided to give the Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Melting Cleanser a try - After using the product for a couple of weeks it is safe to say  i am not disappointed! The main ingredients in this product are; Vitamin C - This is great as it is used to brighten the face - since using this product i have found that the darker areas around my eyes are slightly brighter. However nothing drastic just a small amount Rose Hip Oil - Which is used to nourish the skin - Since using this product i haven't suffered from any dry breakouts. I put this down to using this product as nothing else in my skin care routine has changed. Virgin Cherry Oil - Used for reducing redness and again to hydrate - i never suffered from any red areas on my face so have not noticed a difference in this area. How to Use: This product i

Recently I have been more conscious of not being comfortable about my weight. And you would think that since i feel this way and all that that would be motivation enough to get my butt to the gym. However, that is not the case with my situation. I am struggling now more than ever to motivate myself to get to the gym. I either make hundreds of excuses not to go, go for like 10 minutes and then give up or the old excuse "i will just go tomorrow" but tomorrow never comes. I've read many websites on tips to get yourself motivated though they don't seem to be working. I'm starting to think that i'm never going to be happy with my weight. However, i cannot complain about it too much as i won't do anything about it. Moving forward - I am looking into going to more workout classes and they may get me more motivated to go and they can burn loads more calories than the boring routine of the gym. Here's hoping i can motivate myself to go and finally be ha

So next summer i have the amazing opportunity of going to LA, San Francisco and Las Vegas and to say i'm excited is truly an understatement! I will be going with my parents and hopefully a few of my good friends for 14 days to the good ole US of A! So firstly we will be visiting LA! We will be flying from Edinburgh/Glasgow to Newark and then onto LAX! So a very long flight - but totally worth it. We will be staying in LA for 4 days and doing loads of sightseeing. Many of the things i want to do when I'm there is visit the Hollywood sign. After years and years of watching all the American TV shows set in Los Angeles I cannot wait to see this. Next i would love to go to Disney California and see how it compares to the Florida one which is my favourite place i have ever been. these are a few pictures from out trips to Florida Disney and hope the California one is just as good! We will then be going to San Francisco for just two days. When we ar

I recently visited Boots and since it was triple points i decided to stock up on a few things that i needed. First i picked up one of the Bold Metal Collections brushes from Real Techniques. These brushes are amazing and the packaging look is so luxurious. They look like high end brushes but are readily available in many drugstores and they definitely do not break the bank at £22.00! This is the 301 Contour Brush. With the dense head brush it gives an amazing shadow to the side of your face without making it look like you have a dirty mark on your face, which is have found from a lot of other brushes I've used to contour in the past. Defo a fan of this! Next I picked up a new hair brush. Since I've been using the GHD Air Hairdryer i find it is a lot hotter than my old one so I melted all the bristles of my Tangle Teaser. This is just Boots own make hair brush which will hopefully last me longer than my other one :/. I've been using the Smashbox Photo Finish