Review: Metallic Tattoos

Tatoos have never really been my thing, I love them on other people, but the permanence was always an issue as I like to change my mind, my style and just about everything else! However, after spotting the new boho metallic/ flash versions all over my Instagram I decided to give them a tentative try when In Your Dreams contacted me to offer a sample.

As soon as they arrived I was so excited I immediately got the scissors out to try them on and I have to say I love them. In a way they take me back to my childhood of buying bubblegum just so I could wear the temporary tattoos that came in the wrapper. I have a vivid memory of having one around my belly button that I thought was just the coolest thing ever and wishing I could be 18 and make it permanent.

The foiled tattoos from In Your Dreams are a much more grown up and classy version. I was sent the Mayan collection (£5) and I have tried out quite a few of them - the skinny ones like a bracelet over the wrist, on the inside of my wrist, on my ankle, hip and back (thank you to my hubby for patiently holding the soaked cotton wool to make sure they transferred neatly). They were so easy to apply and lasted a decent amount of time, depending in the placement.

As I wear a watch on one wrist and a fitbit on the other the 'bracelet' ones only lasted two days, but the one on my hip has been going strong for over a week (and was fun to explain to a sixty year old doctor when he was doing my routine Bupa health assessment lol)! They add just that little bit of fun and catch the light in such a beautiful way! They are perfect for festivals and on the beach, but even having one in a subtle place always makes me smile when I see it.

Have you tried metallic tattoos?  The Summer isn't over yet so I would definitely recommend giving them a go!

Our Honeymoon - Sri Lanka - Part 1

The first stop on our honeymoon was beautiful Sri Lanka! I had spent months planning our whirlwind trip to make sure we could see as many sights and sample as much culture as could comfortably fit in one week.

However, flying on the Sunday following our wedding we were both utterly exhausted so spent the first two nights in Negombo. We stayed at the Jetwing Beach which was absolutely perfect for relaxation. Great service, a chilled atmosphere, an olympic sized pool, spa, gym, beach and very affordable room service. In fact we were so lazy that other than buffet breakfast we only ate out once! If you are prone to jet lag or are going straight from work I would really recommend staying in Negombo for at least a night as it is a little paradise just 30 minutes up the coast from Colombo airport. A perfect way to start your trip!

After attempting to book all our hotels and logistics myself I soon realised that it was very difficult given the long distances we had to travel. There is very little public transport and many places are not set up on the internet. I therefore put my pride aside and after speaking to about 15 different tour operators managed to negotiate the itinerary I had already planned with Kuoni. I honestly hate using tour operators as I often feel that I could do better (lol) and don't want to pay commission, but Kuoni were absolutely fantastic! Our tour included a private driver who acted as our tour guide for 4 days. In retrospect I would say a local presence is definitely a huge advantage as many places do not let you in without a local guide anyway!

Our first transfer was a 5 hour drive to Dambulla in the centre of the country. We had a quick stop midway and met some local wildlife... if you are scared of snakes look away now!

In Dambulla we visited the beautiful Cave/ Golden temple filled with ancient sculptures and paintings dedicated to Buddha, dating back to the 1st century BC.

The caves were spectacular, but after the long climb the views over the surrounding landscape were also stunning!

 

We also met the oldest, wisest soul reincarnated as a monkey who lived in the temple. You can see a whole other life in his eyes. I love animals so to spend a little time with him in such close proximity was amazing!

We then took a little detour and visited an elephant sanctuary where we got to ride an elephant around a small lake and even have a little elephant shower. When I was first researching places to see elephants I came across Pinnawala, which I believe is the largest, but after speaking to a few agents I was told that the elephants didn't have the best treatment there, so we decided to go with a much smaller, family run sanctuary. Our elephant Raannie was an absolute sweetie, though so hungry for bananas we ran out of them in minutes, despite purchasing two huge bunches for the short trip! 

The last stop was an amazing Jeep safari through Minneriya National Park. This was a once in a lifetime experience as we came across 2 families of elephants and were able to spend as much time with them as we wished!

The views in the wildlife park were just stunning! 

After a long day we made our way to the most special and unique boutique hotel I have ever seen! I was beyond excited to stay in one of their amazing paddy field dwellings, even if it was only for one night. Vil Uyana has been named as the best eco luxury hotel in Sri Lanka and it is not difficult to see why. Jetwing Hotels created a private nature reserve consisting of a wetland system with lakes and reed beds. Jetwing Vil Uyana was built within these environs with rooms which have been placed within the paddy fields itself. Our hut was incredible! We had our own little plunge pool, two terraces and some very romantic decoration, as well as a bowl of fruit and chocolate cake! They made such an effort to make us feel special on our honeymoon!

Vil Uyana is one of the most magical and tranquil places I have ever visited. I really wish we had been able to spend more time there!

As well as our amazing 'dwelling' the main areas of this hotel were also stunning. As we arrived quite late when it was already dark we went straight to dinner. The food was delicious and we had the most romantic evening.

The next morning we got up extra early to explore the hotel as we had to leave at 8am to climb Sigiriya. We found a little open air library/ chill space next to the restaurant which was perfectly serene and took a few minutes to take in our beautiful surroundings.

I hope you enjoyed coming along on our honeymoon in Sri Lanka! Please stay tuned for the next instalment! xxx

Getting Summer Ready!

Ramping up the workout

Recently I took a deep breath and decided that I needed to get fit, tone up and lose some serious inches. I have always found it easier to lose weight through diet rather than exercise as I normally eat pretty healthily, but tend to indulge in the colder months (who doesn't?). However, over the years as my activity levels have severely dropped from my school/ uni days I have noticed that diet alone could no longer control all those jiggly bits. The time had come to take this health malarkey seriously.

After trying out various fitness classes I decided it was time to really invest in myself and join a gym. Working long hours and often travelling at weekends, I couldn't always fit the classes I wanted to into my schedule. After looking at various gyms both near home and work I decided to join David Lloyd. Let me first say that this is not the cheapest option, but as a health club it comes with a whole host of benefits and I think the price is well worth it if you are looking to make a commitment to your health. My gym has free classes every day at a good range of times, full wet facilities (pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi), two gyms, several studios, a whole floor for spinning and a cafe. It's clean, open till late 7 days a week and in a great central location. Lucky that I only have good things to say as to guilt myself into going I paid the whole annual fee up front (gulp!).

If you are looking at joining DL then do have a look around. I think that if the gym is a place where you can feel comfortable and have fun then you are much more likely to go regularly, so the cost per visit (realistically) is what I based my decision on. I have been lucky enough to work with a couple of different trainers at DL to see how the PT sessions can help my fitness and have to say that their programmes are the best I have tried so far. After a full assessment you are given a personalised programme to help you reach your fitness goals and exercises to target the areas that you particularly want to improve. As I have grown up with a myriad of back problems it was great to be given a specific set of exercises that would not only improve my posture and strength but also work to relieve back pain. At the time I joined the membership fee included a couple of free PT sessions, which is a great way to get you motivated and make sure you are doing the most effective exercises for your needs. As I'm still in the early stages of getting fit I shall keep you guys updates on my progress!

 
Being food smart

Let me start this off by stating I love food. I am the least enthusiastic cook, but I love to eat and eat I do. I am never one to starve or deny myself the odd treat, but over time I did begin to slightly delude myself when it came to how much I was eating and its basic calorie content. Who knew that a chocolate muffin is 400kcal?!? I am not a fan of strict diets that limit you and I truly believe that eating healthy is the key, rather than cutting out food groups or sustaining yourself on liquids. Therefore, in order to get a much needed reality check I started using the myfitnesspal app and haven't looked back since. It's so easy to use and contains the majority of foods in its vast database already so you don't have to fiddle with wrappers or google everything you eat. It also lets you track your daily exercise, and there's nothing more satisfying than seeing you calorie allowance shoot up after a painstaking workout. I am still eating a fair amount (aiming for 1,200 net kcal per day), but keeping track of my food has really helped me monitor what I actually eat and curb the little snacks that used to happen as if 'by accident'. It's also encouraged me to up my exercise (especially calorie burning cardio) and plan my meals as I can look up foods prior to dining out with friends instead of agonising over menus.


Hair Removal

If the thought of shedding your opaque tights, which have become a second skin to me this winter, fills you with fear then you may want to consider a permanent solution. For the fastest and most long lasting results I would definitely recommend looking into laser hair removal. If you are not the kind of person who wants to spend hours on hair removal at home then booking a set of treatments in a specialised clinic is a great option. You are guaranteed professional results and with the increasing availability of the treatment the prices are now much more competitive. Sk:n clinics have a great offer on at the moment with discounts of 20% for 6 treatments and 25% for 8 treatments here.


Hitting the beach

I have always struggled when it comes to bikini shopping. I love all the cute high street styles, but so many of them are simply unflattering on the curvier girl (regardless of your size). Personally I prefer to feel supported and sculpted, especially when being active in the water, rather than hoping for the best that 3 shreds of fabric strung together with string can cover. Therefore, when I was contacted by Swimsuits for All I was excited to check out their site. Though pitched as a plus size retailer, their swimming costumes start from a (US) size 8, which they see as being equivalent to a UK10. They have a great selection of styles from the more modern bikinis, to modest tankinis and one pieces. As I have started to use the pool at the gym, I decided to go for something with a little more coverage (for a change lol) that would make a comfortable swim, yet still look fun and fashionable.

The shipping time was impressively fast and I'm really happy with the quality of this swimsuit. It is super comfortable, has a bra like support at the bust that is both comfortable and flattering, with a halter strap perfect for swimming. If you are looking for affordable swimsuits that flatter your curves I would highly recommend checking them out. They have kindly provided a discount that will save you $10 off your first order. Just input the coupon code 10FORYOU during the checkout process at swimsuitsforall.com 

How are you getting ready for Summer? I would love to know what you think of these lifestyle posts! xxx

Showing some skin...

Even though sunshine still seems a distant memory we are heading towards the cusp of Summer which means that the best part of the year is almost upon us. Having recently booked flights for my Summer holiday I know that one can never be too prepared so the planning has already started, with bikinis being top of my list. I was recently contacted by Simply Beach to try out some of their swimwear and underwear and jumped at the chance of updating my bikini wardrobe! Simply Beach have a fantabulous range of brands to choose from so it took me quite a while to decide on a design, but finally I settled on a bright, vintage style from Red or Dead (£60 here).

I love my bikinis, but sometimes after a night of indulgence on holiday I don't feel tummy exposure is a necessity, so it's always great to have a one-piece stashed away in your suitcase. I love the cutesy ice cream pattern on this Red or Dead swimsuit and the fact that it's strapless, so you can really work on those tan lines.

The swimsuit comes in handy packaging, which is perfect for packing, or throwing in a sandy beach bag.

My favourite feature of this swimsuit is the pink bow belt, which adds a little bit of interest and defines the waist. The colour is also deeper and brighter than in the promo images, which is great as it can remain vibrant and not get bleached by the sun.

The other item I chose from Simply Beach is a beautiful lingerie set from Lepel (currently on sale here).

I absolutely love mint, especially as it looks great against tanned skin so I was immediately drawn to the delicate mint lace and bright floral pattern.

The bra has lots of cute little details such as rose buds on the straps and a satin trim and looks very flattering on, while still being supportive and comfortable.

 

This set is currently on sale here for under £30!

You can check out more designer lingerie and swimwear on the Simply Beach website. Let me know what your favourite styles are!

Have you planned your Summer holiday wardrobe yet? What pieces are you looking for to wear this Summer? xxx