This Girl Can: My Top 5 Fitness Tips

If you're not living in the UK at the moment, you probably haven't heard of the 'This Girl Can' campaign. The campaign is about motivating women to get active and to overcome that fear of judgement when exercising so I thought I would write a post about my fitness regime and what I do to keep fit (plus I just got back from a run so I'm in a very motivational mood). If you haven't seen the advert watch it here!

1. Grab a friend

The best way to start getting fit is to grab a  friend who has the same goals as you. Personally, I'm a runner and it definitely helps to having someone to run with so you don't just concentrate on your inevitable stitch or how similar you sound to a panting dog. They can also send you little motivational messages to make sure you're keeping to your goals and recommend exercises.

2. Don't make excuses

We are in the day and age where we don't have to leave our house to exercise; there is a wonderful thing called YouTube where fitness videos are in abundance so you actually have no excuse. My favourites are PopSugar Fitness and Blogilates, both channels post very good videos that make your heart race even if you don't have a huge amount of time. Cassey Ho, the most motivational woman (aka Blogilates), even has her own calendar of what videos to do each day for each month which is available on her website!

3. Buy some workout gear

Probably the weirdest fitness tip ever, but workout gear does the trick! You don't have to spend lots of money on big fitness brands such as Nike; the highstreet stores have clocked on to the fitness fandom and have started to produce their own sports clothing. My personal favourite sports clothing lines are H&M and Primark! Both have some seriously high quality stuff and it's good if you don't want to splash out.

4. Log what you've done each day

When you've done some exercise, you can log what you've done in a diary/journal and you instantly feel so much better about what you've done that day and motivated to do more! I write in mine along with any thoughts or feelings and what could be improved about the day's exercise.

5. Start small and aim for bigger things

If you've got a goal, aim for it. My goal this year is to run a half marathon which I have signed up for so I am currently undergoing training which consists of three runs a week along with three Cassey Ho videos each day I don't run. If you start running, try to run a mile and stop, keep running that mile until you've mastered it and then just extend them further and further. Once you can run a mile, it's so much easier to add on the miles and get quicker! Gym-bunny's to be, try a few reps of an exercise and then increase them as you get stronger to push yourself; there's no point doing an exercise if you're finding it easy.

So there's my top 5 tips on how I exercise! How do you exercise? Have you got any tips?

Thanks for reading, I'll see you soon.

xoxo

Review: Benefit Push-Up Liner

Jumping on the beauty wagon yet again, I have picked up a sample (from Boots) of Benefit's Push-Up Liner! Being brave and asking for samples from counters always works well and surprisingly you get quite a lot of product in the tester! Not too shabby...

On with the review, bottom line, this product is awesome. Usually I'm not a supporter for high-end makeup as I'm a total drugstore girl and love the quality of some of the drugstore products but this one is that little bit better. For those of you who have been living under a rock and do not know what makes this liner so special, this liner is gel liner in a pen!!!! Say what? The pen has an awesome nib which allows you to get close to the lash line and get a seriously precise line, very good for drawing flicks for your cat eye.

Benefit claims a number of statistics:

' 91%  of women said it was long wearing, 81% of women said it was waterproof, 88% said it hugged the lashline, 84% said eyes looked visibly larger'

So let's discuss these claims. I agree with the claim that it is long wearing, I've been wearing it from the morning to the evening and it lasts all night.
The waterproof claim, I have no opinion of because I haven't tried it with water but I know that it is an absolute pain to remove. You're going to need some very good eye makeup remover for this one (examples, Garnier Micellar Solution or Lancôme's eye makeup remover) as makeup wipes will not do the trick.
As expressed before, I agree with the fact that it hugs the lashline but I did have to do some tightlining as well to make sure the line was very black.
'Eyes looked visibly larger' well is it just me but do all eyeliners make your eyes look big? Probably just me but I think mascara is the real secret behind bigger looking eyes.

The one complaint I do have about this is that I found that it smudged a little but it could have been this or the pencil I used  to tight line as I have found some rather random black patches.

If I could, I would buy this product but on a student budget, it's really not feasible at £18.50 per tube, but if you really want this (I would recommend it) then here's a link! Even if you're not going to buy it, check out the awesome nib on the liner, it is truly magnificent.

Overall, application: very good, lasting power: very good, removability: extremely difficult and price: slightly overpriced.

 Love you guys lots and speak to you soon

 

xoxo

My Favourite Makeup Brushes!

Today I thought that I would talk about make-up brushes! Obviously these are an essential part to a make-up kit and can make your make-up look that extra special! I have quite a collection of makeup brushes for some strange reason, but today I'm showing you my favourite ones!

The Foundation Brush - Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

I think you guys all know how much I love this brush as I did a whole review on it which you can see here. But basically it is one of the best foundation brushes that you can buy, honestly. It really buffs make-up into the skin to give that all important natural look! However it is also a multi-purpose brush which is something that I look for when buying makeup tools; I use this for foundation (obviously), concealer and any cream products that I have as this brush blends product really quite well!

The Powder Brush - Real Techniques Powder Brush

Although this brush is absolutely huge and completely swallows my face, it is also a fantastic brush to apply bronzer AND powder ( I love these multitasking brushes). Admittedly, it is quite huge as previously mentioned and therefore I don't use it as much as I use my other brushes.

The Blush Brush - Real Techniques Blush Brush

This blush brush, oh my lord. Again, another multitasking brush which I also use to contour as the brush itself it quite tapered therefore making is easy to stick to the cheekbone. For blusher it is also really nice and applies blusher beautifully. I do highly recommend this brush if you're a makeup junkie and love blushes.

The dupe of the MAC 217 - No 7 Eye Contour Brush

This is a brush that I use on a daily basis for eye contouring and blending. As someone that cannot afford a MAC 217, I went for the next best thing and I must say it does a great job. There are a lot of these brushes that try and dupe the famous MAC 217, but this looks exactly like it? I use this with my favourite contouring eyeshadow (sable brown by Estee Lauder) and it works an absolute treat. If you're looking for something similar to the MAC 217, then go straight for this.

The smokey eyeliner helper - No 7 Smokey Eye Brush

I use this brush when I'm bored of my winged eyeliner and decide to go for a brown or if I'm feeling a bit edgy, a black eyeliner. Using this brush makes smokey eyeliner no longer a chore and it gives great, great results. I like to apply my eyeliner across the front of my eyelid (it doesn't matter how messy it gets, trust me) and then I smudge it using this brush; afterwards it looks like I've walked out of a salon or something, it's that good.

 

 

The multitasking eyeshadow blending brush - Autograph Eyeshadow Blender Brush

This brush is one I use everyday, however, I do not use it for eyeshadow blending (hence the subtitle 'multitasking'). The label says 'eyeshadow' but I like to bend the rules when it comes to makeup application. This is a brush that I like to use for concealer as it is super duper fluffy so it blends product like a dream! On the rare occasion do I use it for what it's actually meant to be used for (that was a mouthful) because of my trusty No7 MAC 217 dupe,

The eyeshadow application brush - Autograph Eyeshadow Brush/Sponge.
When I was naming this I wasn't sure what to call it as it is a brush but looks like a sponge? But this brush is good for when you want to apply a heap of product (par exemple, the first layer of eyeshadow on your lid). Admittedly it does look like the freebie you get in most eyeshadow palette and actually it is, but it's so good for applying a lot of product to give more coverage.

So ladies and gents, that is it for this week! I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I liked to write about it. If you have any comments please leave them below, tell me about your favourite brushes and the techniques you use with them. I would love to hear from you!

 



xoxo

Gingham Skater Shoes

I know I've said this far to many times, but I'm sorry that I haven't posted in a while and I have no excuses left to give you. This week I'm writing about a recent purchase that has become my favourite pair of shoes that I own (and I own a few). 

These are the beauties!!!

These are my most recent purchase from the TopShop sale, which has been quite a good'un so far. These were £20, reduced to £10, BARGAIN! I've wanted these shoes for a while so when I saw they were in the sale I was on it.

The shoes themselves are gingham print, a print that is bang on trend for summer going into Autumn and honestly, they are super duper comfy. I'm yet so wear them for a walk round a city so I'll update you as soon as I have. The shoes themselves are very casual but you could smarten them up with a white blouse and black trousers/skinny jeans. If you would like ideas on how to wear skater shoes comment below and I will do a skater shoe lookbook!

Sorry for such a quick post, but I hope you understand how much  I like these shoes and well done TopShop for putting them in the sale, I am eternally grateful.

Have you raided the summer sales? What's been your favourite item that you've found?

xoxoxo

Divergent

Hey guys! I haven't spoken to you in so long and I'm so sorry about that. I love talking to you guys, telling you what's on my mind; but life gets in the way and I'm not always available to tell you what i'm up to, what products I like or in this case, what film/book I have been loving.

 MILD SPOILERS AHEAD

In the UK Divergent came out on Friday the 4th, I'm a massive fan of the book series written by Veronica Roth and the series is one that you can get really emotionally attached to. I love book that are set in the future (dystopia) because I love to read peoples perceptions of what our future as humans will be like. For those of you that don't know what Divergent is, it's about a character called Beatrice (Tris) who lives in a society where the city she lives is divided up into five factions: Erudite, Candor, Amity, Abnegation and Dauntless. All of these factions relate to a certain characteristic that the person acquires, so: intelligence, honesty, kindness, selflessness and bravery respectively. The book and film shows Tris, as a character, develop into something that everyone should aspire to be, I certainly have. She goes through certain problems that every teenage girl has gone through, just in a very different environment.

Being such a big fan of the series, I developed an emotional attachment to the characters and how they change in this beautiful love story (to an extent) as well as a battle for what they truly believe in. The film also has the most amazing soundtrack that truly depicts the feelings that the viewer is feeling at that specific point. The soundtrack features Ellie Goulding, M83 and Zedd as well as lots of other artists.

I would love to applaud the people responsible for casting these characters as they got the characters completely spot on. Shailene Woodley is playing Tris and Theo James is playing 'Four'. Both of these people are perfect for their characters, Shai knows exactly how to portray Tris and her journey of development whereas Theo James shows the true feelings of Four and how brave he is but also very sensitive. Apart from these two, my favourite casting has to be Kate Winslet as Jeanine Matthews. WOW. Again congratulations to the casting team, excellent choice.

After seeing the film, admittedly, I have watched way to many interviews with Shai and Theo, but I can honestly say that they are the most down to earth people I've ever seen. Shai has this wonderful organic lifestyle where she fetches her own water and buys local produce, she's also so open, funny and genuinely someone who I aspire to be. Theo is just a great guy, very funny but he does swear a lot, which is quite hilarious to an extent. Apart from his personality, he is a very good looking man, well done Theo's parents, you have quite the genes.

So if you haven't seen it already or read the books then I highly. highly recommend them.

Have you seen/read Divergent? What did you think of it?

My Mascara Collection

Hey everyone! Happy New Year and welcome to 2014 on Collars and Chocolates. This year I promise to blog much much more than I have previously, although I'm still a student so the posts may not be a regular as I really would like them to be! 

However, today I'm going to be showing you guys my mascara collection! Mascara is something that I love to try out. Some beauty bloggers or makeup enthusiasts may have a rapidly expanding collection of lipsticks or eyeshadows; for me it is mascaras. I love how they can completely change your makeup look and open up your eyes. If I was asked: 'What are your essential makeup items, if you were trapped on a desert island?', my first answer would be 'mascara'.  

I'm a bit of a drugstore girl so I love affordable mascaras and they take up pretty much the whole of my mascara collection. In total, I own about 9 mascaras. That's a bit much I know but I did get 5 of them for Christmas this year. I have 3 waterproof mascaras and 6 non-waterproof ones. 

Waterproof Mascaras: Maybeline Rocket Volume, Maybeline: The Falsies, MaxFactor: False Lash Effect

Waterproof mascara would be my favourite thing if it was easy to take off and didn't damage your lashes so much. My favourite waterproof mascara would probably be the false lash effect as it gives so much volume but still manages to look natural? I haven't a clue how that works. The mascara doesn't clump either which makes them look that much more natural.

The Maybeline mascaras are pretty good, although I prefer the rocket volume one purely because of the brush, which is incredibly similar to the MaxFactor one. The only problem I have with Maybeline ones are that they have a funky plastic smell which I'm not a fan of. But the longevity of them is incredible; I went on holiday and used the falsies and it stayed on whilst I was snorkelling, in the pool, everywhere! The only problem with the falsies, is that it clumps the lashes as it has a weird 'spoon' brush. But apart from that the maybeline ones are pretty good! Just not as good as the MaxFactor ones.

Non-Waterproof Mascaras: Soap and Glory: Thick & Fast, Bourjous: Volumizer, No7: Extreme Length, MaxFactor: Masterpiece MAX, Estee Lauder: Sumptuous Extreme, Smashbox: Full Exposure. 

In all honesty, the first point I will make is that the high end mascaras are not worth the money. There are much better ones at more affordable prices. The Estee Lauder one is my least favourite as it severely dehydrates your lashes and they feel like they could snap if you touch them. The smashbox one is good, it gives great volume but I still prefer my drugstore ones. 

My favourite one of all has got to be the Soap and Glory: Thick and Fast Mascara. This product is absolutely amazing, it has the biggest brush I have ever seen but it gives amazing volume and the longevity is great. My next favourite one is the MaxFactor: Masterpiece MAX. This is a brilliant mascara as well; it has a much smaller brush that the S&G one but it catches every lash when you sweep it through them. I have been using this mascara for many years and will probably continue to do so! The Bourjois mascara is practically plastic in a bottle. It's very clever as it has two parts, one for separating lashes and one for volumising; it really does work a treat, except the smell is really funky and a bit odd. My last mascara, the No7 one is great, but just for bottom lashes. The brush is tiny and quite scratchy if you use it for your upper lashes. For bottom lashes it works an absolute treat!

So there we go guys! I hope you enjoyed having a sneak peak into my mascara collection! If you liked this type of post then please comment below and suggest things that you would like to see.

Thank you guys and I'll speak to you soon!

Have a great day 

xoxoxo

Christmas Wishlist!

Hey Guys! I know I haven't posted in absolutely ages but it's nearly a month till Christmas and I'm super super  excited, so I decided to take to polyvore and pick out things that are on my Christmas Wishlist this year. I hope you guys like this! Put a comment below and tell me what you think of the things on my wishlist.

Christmas List! by collarsandchocolates featuring cotton t shirts

Topshop smocked dress
topshop.com

River Island cotton t shirt
$29 - riverisland.com

Zara flat boots
zara.com

Zara scarve
zara.com

Mac cosmetics lipstick
maccosmetics.com

NAKED 2 eyeshadow palette
$60 - debenhams.com