Etude House Skincare Haul

Hi Sweeties!

I've been thinking a lot about ageing lately, and I figured that it's about time that I started properly taking care of my skin.
I always seemed to try to keep a routine going, but always seem to fail for whatever reason.

I noticed that www.Etudehouse.com  just so happened to have an offer on a skincare bundle, and as a late Birthday present from me-to-me, I snapped one right up!

The bundle on special offer cost $50, which I think at the time was around £35, with free delivery.
It arrived within 2 weeks of ordering, although sadly I got hit by the customs demons, which was another £15 T_T so that means I didn't get as much of a deal as I had thought (this was the first time I've ever had a customs charge from anywhere) 

I am a massive EtudeHouse & genereal Korean cosmetic and skin care fan, as I really think they're the leaders atm for this, so I was super glad to get this delivery.

Here's what I picked up:

It's quite a good haul, right? There's only 1 thing that I feel is missing, and that's a good cleanser like their Baking Powder one (which I love but am running out of my current one)

Lets have a little look at them individually!

Wonder Pore Freshner

Wonder Pore Freshner is a toner product that boasts a 10 in 1 effect to deep cleanse, restore ph balance, even skin tone, aid elasticity, reduce pore size, control sebum, smooth skin texture etc.
( you get the idea, right?)

I've been using this twice a day since I got it, and I really like it! It's a little alcohol-ly in smell, but quite fresh, and has a a thin, watery consistency, which I also really like in a toner.
 You apply some to a cotton pad, and wipe from the middle of your face outwards to work effectively.

I found that it does take off more of the underlying dirt/grime that I had thought that I'd cleansed off! My skin does feel in better condition and is a lot less oily that it was! (I have combination-oily skin due to the contraceptive injection that plays havoc with my hormones at the moment) 

This really works well for me, though if you have a sensitive skin type, then the alcohol content probably isn't for you. 

Be Moistfull Collagen Cream

Ok, so this is something that I've had my eye on for a while!
The Moistfull Collagen Cream is a collagen infused moisturiser that's supposed to keep you looking youthful with a smooth and elastic skin. (Idk if that makes much grammatical sense, but hopefully it does!)

It's actually a pretty big tub, and comes with a little spatula to stop you dipping your fingers into the tub - pretty handy!
Again, this is something that I've been using since the day I got it, and find that my skin is smoother and more even in texture. You really only need a small amount of this, since it spreads a lot! I imagine that it'll take me a while to finish it! 

Face Blur

This is a primer type product, that gives you a photoshopped look - "blurring your skin" to it looks smooth and flawless.

It also has a built in brightener/whitener, that stops you looking so tired.

This is also a great product for me; I like to use a little of it on its own after moisturising to even my tone out then run off to work. The danger of applying too much is that I look liker a bit of a ghost - so unless it's going under makeup, I need to be kinda careful!

 Missing You Hand Cream

 

This is a super adorable Peach scented hand cream in a Panda shaped case!
I haven't tried this yet as I'm still getting through my current one, but it looks so cute!

Face Masks

I got 6 different types of face mask to try out with this bundle, and I'm quite excited to get a night off to treat myself to one of them!

They all have different properties, but the one I'm most interested in is the Snail mask - I've been hearing a lot about snails for skincare, so looking forward to seeing if it works!

Lipstalk Lipstick - Beige

I finally got another Dead My Wish Lipstick! This time I got one that's described as "beige" though I'm not really convinced it is beige - it has a slightly pinky tone to it, which I absolutely love, and as usual it glides on perfectly!

I wore this for my Valentines day look, which I'll be posting about soon, so please stay tuned for that!

Play 101 Pencil - 1 Black

 So to finish, I got another Play 101 pencil in Black - yay! I really love these things - for those of you that don't know, these pencils are super versatile! They can be used as eyeliner, eyeshadow, lip liner, lipstick, blush etc and come in around 50 different colours and shades - super useful, right?
They also blend really well and create some lovely effects.

I'm definitely going to be using these a lot more to create more smokey looks as I feel like I've been really lazy with makeup over the past while.


So this is everything that I got - again I totally wish that there was a cleanser with this, esp as I'm running low on my current one, but this is great value for money, and the Etude global site always has offers on, some of which are not to be missed.

So if you're looking to test out some Korean skincare and makeup, I'd definitely suggest you check them out!
If you have used these products before, what do you think of them? Let me know below!
Love,

           Kasumi x

From Fatty to Fitty - My Weight loss journey Masterpost

Hi Sweethearts,

This is probably going to be a really long post, but I figured that it would be better to have 1 big post as opposed to constant updates that may well be pretty annoying!

As some of you may know (you can find snippets on my instagram), I've been having some horrible thoughts about myself in regards to my appearance, and more often than not: my weight.

After feeling sorry for myself and trying to bury my head in the sand, I decided that I really couldn't keep going through the same cycle and decided to make some lifestyle changes.

Also, because I don't really manage to stick to things terribly well without a good motivator, I had to think of something, and set a challenge that I couldn't back out of.

So I did. 

It must have been a stroke of genius, or that my brain actually functioned for a change, because I came up with the great idea of doing a latex lingerie photoshoot with my girl Louise Cantwell - check out her amazing work here: Louise Cantwell Photography

My deadline was 6 weeks to straighten myself out, with the shoot planned for Valentines Day!
(my other half and I are going to celebrate on the Tuesday instead, since we're both off work that day as he works weekends and I work Monday, then Wed-Sat)So let's see how I did!

My start  appearance: 

Contrary to what people believe, I'm not "thin" as people think, and a lot of people are indeed really shocked by the reality of my weight and shape.

 I'm a naturally pear shaped girl, with short short legs (29") and a long torso, so I'm really disproportionate, which doesn't help matters. Most of my excess weight is concentrated to my legs & ass, which upsets me on so many levels - I spend so much time dressing to make my legs look thinner & longer so that I look proportionate.
So much disgusting cellulite - yuck!!!!!!

I've had a period of what can only be described as sheer laziness and depression (I'm actually a BPD suffer) which led me to take comfort in junk food due to self hatred, which then made matters worse and so the circle continued...

 Something definitely had to give, and I started to make different lifestyle choices.

Changes:

•  Switched Junk Food for healthy, home cooking
•  Reduced portion sizes (I was eating the same amount as 2 people put together) 
•  Stopped late night eating (no later than 9pm) 
•  Consciously made the effort to drink more water
•  Do weights/squats/crunches etc at home most days of the week.
•  Spin Classes a 3 times a week. 

Spin Class: 

I already had Gym membership but my anxiety issues meant that after it was remodelled I could no longer go (I have a fear of being judged and commented on by men in weight areas, and used to avoid it when the weights were in a separate room due to past experiences.) so instead I thought I'd try Spin classes as they were mostly full of women and felt a lot less judgemental. 

After my first time, my ass was sore for 2 days straight due to not having been on a bicycle in years! At the same time, I really loved the atmosphere in the class and being pushed in the right direction, so very quickly found myself hooked!

I'd been going at least twice a week since the summer, but I found that my workload over the festive period stopped me from going for weeks in a row, so I was so glad to get back into it for the new year. (I know, I'm one of those 'new year, new me' people)I've been going 3 nights a week since the year began, and I fell in love with it all over again - I've even gotten the confidence to talk to other classmates!
Go me!

I'm also working out every evening at home for a while, to do some things that I don't get to do eg. weights, crunches, squats etc. On that note, I've been hooked on the Inner Thigh Workout from Cassey @ Blogilates, you should check it out! It's so hard - it took me until my 3rd try to finish it!
 >.<

Inner Thigh Workout from Cassey @ Blogilates

 Shedding the weight/getting in shape:

I'm always so focused on the numbers on the scale - and I've found that that's the wrong approach for me to take. Fuck the numbers, lets have a good, hard look at how my body is shaping up.

Note: Please ignore my carpet - the little black patches are cast off fur from my cat since she likes to roll around/sleep in front of the radiator. I could hoover twice a day and the carpet would be messed up the minute I turn around again -_- My flat gets renovated in April, so cannot wait to buy a carpet that's kinder on showing the car fut!
Week 1:  

Ok, Here's a pic from the start to the end of the first week. The bloating & water retention is starting to go away after giving up all the takeaways/alcohol/pastries/sweets etc. My stomach isn't as high and bloaty. Starting to feel a little bit better.

Week 2: 

The swelling/bloating seems to have went right down in the past 2 weeks. This is from week 1 end to week 2 end, and you can see everything is getting a little flatter. My butt seems to have perked up a little too.

This is where I started to worry - if my body changed that drastically so quickly, it's bound to plateau for a while, right? I wondered how I'd be able to cope with it.
Week 3: 

                                             

         
So, the plateau-ing thing happened...sortof. I was quite disappointed that there wasn't a big change again this week, despite doing really well and not falling off the wagon at all.

This is the week where I've upped the exercise routine to include home workouts like squats, lunges, crunches, weights, planks etc instead of just 3 spins a week. I feel like in doing this, I expected more change...but Rome wasn't built in a day, right?

I don't know if I'm kidding myself, but I can spot a wee definition line at the top centre of my stomach...can you guys see it?

Sadly, I did weigh myself - and I'm somewhere between 58-59kg, which I suppose is better than 60+, but there's really been no change in my weight despite the big shape change. A bit gutted.

Week 4: 

So I finally lost weight, which takes me to 57kg! I had actually given up on the idea of losing weight as I'd gained or stayed the same for the past while, so this was a nice boosting surprise.
I think the main thing is that I'm trying to cut down on rice/heavy carbs to help things along a bit.
 Not too sure how helpful the protein shakes are, but I think I can see some more definition starting to creep in - my stomach tattoo is stretching back to where it's meant to be. (Yes, I use my tattoos as an indicator of my body shape/weightloss or gain) 

What's really starting to get to me,  is that my thighs aren't slimming down! OMG SO frustrating!  They're mostly solid muscle, but my inner thighs are fatty and just bubble out. I hate it. :( I can't wear shorts, tight fitting skirts etc because they rub together and chafe/rash so badly, especially in summer.
 Trying to find some sort of exercise that will help get rid of the chub...I really don't want to have to consider lipo.

Week 5:

Ok, this is where I start to feel a mixed bag of emotions.
On one hand I'm pleased that from the front my stomach looks more toned and that I've finally found a wee thigh gap of sorts.
My arm muscles are starting to come along, so I've dubbed them "baby guns" for a laugh - but I'm really pleased to have some muscle coming along.

On the other hand, from the side my stomach isn't looking so good - it looks bloaty and chubby again.
I wonder if it's because of my rice intake after having  CNY dinner the night before.
Going to cut down my carb intake again to see if that resolves the issue - I know that my body doesn't really like rice all that much, so I'm hoping that it's just a blip and that the next week will see the side view improve.

Week 6:

I finally made it to the end of the first 6 weeks!

I'm super proud of myself for sticking in at it for this long, as I usually fall behind at week 5.
Now the quest is on to keep it up for another 6 weeks which will be extra tough! After I get slimmer I usually end up relaxing a bit, then spiral back into my food and lazy fat lifestyle.

From week 5-6 I think I've tightened up a bit more, but the difference isn't huge. I can definitely start to see more muscles appearing which is spurring me on to keep working on it.

Now for the fun part - the before and after collage....

It's quite a dramatic change! 

Whilst I haven't really lost much weight, my body shape has taken a dramatic turn for the better - which is the most important thing. It's still not my "ideal" body, bur I can't magically grow another 5inches, and cut off half of my leg width. To be honest, I wonder if my thighs will ever shrink down to a more respectable and proportionate width? I've always had fat thighs, but now it's mostly muscle, but hasn't really slimmed down any. I don't want to be doomed to have fat legs forever, so any advice would be very warmly received. 

I think by taking weekly body shots, I've allowed myself to look back on how far I've come with it all - hopefully though, I'll keep it up! 

The Reward/Motivation:

As I mentioned to begin with, my motivation was a pinup and lingerie shoot, and today was shoot day! Here's a behind the scenes picture to see what we got up to! 

What do you think? Do you have any advice for me? Let me know below!

Love, Kasumi xxx