Week 16: My Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight!

This is going to be the quickest and shortest weekly update on my fitness journey. Not only did I eat like crap all week, but I only worked out 1 day out of 7 .

If you want to check out last weeks post you can find it linked here.

I did weigh in this morning and nothing has changed. It doesn't seem to change if I workout or don't workout, so what's the point? Being and feeling healthier and stronger even if I don't lose weight!

I know there are going to be weeks like this, so instead of beating myself up over it, I'm just going to do my best to do better next week.

Here are my workouts for the week:

Day 1- 

Day 2- 

Day 3- The Firm Fat Burning, Cardio Toning - 30 minutes

Day 4-

Day 5- 

Day 6-

Day 7- 

Weigh in :

Weight: no change

Fat: no change

I hope to do much better next week. See you then!

DIY / Hack: How To Fix Hardpan With Powder Makeup Products

Today I have a DIY beauty hack that I hope you will find useful.

I wanted to use up my IT Cosmetics Vitality Disk. It was getting very old and the bronzer had developed "hardpan." Even using my most dense and rough makeup brush, I could barely pick up any product. So I was getting prepared to have to throw out this product, but I really didn't want to as it was expensive and I really like this palette.

I was considering taking a knife to scrape off the top layer of product, but I was afraid I would waste a lot of product, so I decided to hit-up my makeup loving Instagram buddies for some suggestions.

My Instagram buddy,  Makeup By Starla, suggested packing tape. I doubted it would work so I decided to put it to the test. 

Thanks to Starla, my palette is totally usable again. After I fixed up my bronzer using her suggestion, I went through some hardened eyeshadows and a face powder and repaired them all! Thank you, Starla!

Let's see what I fixed and how EASY it was!

It Cosmetics Vitality Disk

 Shown above is my IT Vitality Disk. Most of the bronzer is covered in hardpan.

Using Starla's suggestion, I put some packing tape over the product.

I was in total shock when I pulled the tape off of my bronzer and saw what it had picked up in a nano-second. I rubbed my finger along the bronzer and voila, it picked up much more product!

Here is my fresh and revived bronzer. It's not as soft as it was when new but it's useable and I couldn't be happier that I don't have to throw it out as I actually really like this product!

Now let's see what else I was able to repair.

Annabelle CC Pressed Powder

The photo in the upper left corner is with hardpan. The bottom right photo is after using the tape method.

This also worked wonders on this Annabelle face powder. This product isn't very old at all but somehow it developed hardpan. Before using the tape method on the powder, I couldn't pick up ANY product where you see the hardpan, now It's like new again!

Quo Back To Basics Eye Shadow Palette

Upper left picture is with harpan, before the tape method. The bottom right photo is after.

Lastly, I tried the same method on my Quo eyeshadow palette and it worked wonders on that too. Now, my shadows are revived and my brushes pick up so much more product!

This method is like a little miracle. It's cheap and so easy! It only takes a second to lift up the dry, hardened product. It's really an amazing way to save your favourite products and give them new life. 

You can also go over the same product as many times as you like to pick up the more hardened product. I went over each item about 2 times with the tape.

I'm so grateful to have this trick now to save all of my powdered products. 

I hope this helps those of you who are looking for a solution to this issue. It's an easy, quick and cheap solution to the once annoying harpan!

If you have any Beauty Hacks, please leave them in the comments below!

Week 15: My Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight!

As I write this post, I can hardly believe that it's the end of week 15 of my Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight. 

Here is a link to last weeks post if you'd like to check it out.

I tried a new DVD this week called Happy Hormones by Ana Brett. It's Kundalini style yoga which I've been doing on and off for years. I like to mix up my workouts a lot as you can probably tell.

I was a little disappointed with this DVD as it didn't have any preset workouts. You can program your own workout with the matrix, but I really appreciate preset workouts. I enjoy most of my other Kundalini DVD's by Ana Brett but this one was a bit of a disappointment. I'll still use it and see if it does help with hormones etc. and report back on it.

I continued walking when I could and I also continue to use the Pedometer App. which I cannot recommend enough!

This screenshot above was a longer walk as I decided to walk to the store that day- save gas and get in a little exercise.

I found this great rock while walking. It really sparkles in person so I had to grab it. Now if I could just find some gold!

I also did the Firm's Fat-Burning Cardio DVD that uses resistance bands. It's only a 30-minute routine which I like. I didn't feel that it worked my muscles very much but I did work up a good sweat. Maybe I need a stronger resistance band. 

I really prefer free weights to resistance bands. Although, resistance bands do have their place for things like pilates etc. (which I cannot partake in due to some old injuries).

I also continued with my personalized workout chart. I have to update it as I've added in 15 reverse lunges, 15 reverse angled lunges, and 15 walking lunges.

Note: I currently use 8 lb weights for these exercises.

Here are my workouts for the week:

Day 1- 

Day 2- 57 min walk

Day 3- 

Day 4- Happy Hormones yoga DVD- 1 hr 

Day 5- The Firm Fat Burning Cardio Toning DVD- 30 min

Day 6-

Day 7- 30 min walk + weight routine with 8 lb weights

Weigh in :

Weight: no change

Fat: no change

Let me know if you have any workout recommendations, preferably DVD's that aren't too long and have a mix of strength training with some cardio.. but more focus on weights and strength. 

Thanks for coming by this week, and hopefully see you next week!

PS. Come and join in the Blogger fun at The Best of Blogosphere!

Orange Naturals MagPop Magnesium Glycinate Supplement Review #TryNatural

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to try out a magnesium supplement by Orange Naturals called MagPop. This opportunity came through a website called Social Nature. 

From Social Nature's website:

• Magnesium supplement - MagPop!
• Treats the following symptoms: fatigue, low energy, agitation, anxiety, restless legs, headaches, irritability, cramping and high blood pressure
• Helps to regulate mood and sleep patterns
• Vegan
• Promotes regular bowel health
• Great for children ages 4+ 
  • Magnesium maintains bone health, muscle, and nerve function (important for growing bodies)

My Experience:

I truly believe that most of us are deficient in magnesium. I have pretty much all of the symptoms of magnesium deficiency so I know that I can benefit from taking it but I always forget to.

 I received 3 sample packs from Social Nature to trial the product. When I tried my first packet I didn't notice anything. The next time I tried this product I had just gotten my monthly migraine. So, I took two packs at once to see if it would help. The taste was much better with two packs mixed in water vs. one pack. It dissolved nicely and had a slightly sweet orange flavour. 

Now onto the good stuff! Was I ever pleasantly surprised when my migraine (which usually lasts 1.5 days and is usually very intense) was reduced by about 80-90% by taking the two packets of this magnesium supplement. I still had a migraine but it was very subtle and I was able to function normally. 

I try to avoid over the counter painkillers whenever possible and stick to natural remedies. There are often costs associated with taking medications from reactions to taking a toll on our organs, liver etc.

I know that I could probably reap many more benefits by taking this product on the regular. I am going to make a conscious effort to take magnesium more often. I began taking magnesium oil recently (which is a topical magnesium),  but I wouldn't trade one off for the other, the two forms do different things. I really need to continue with the magnesium oil and add the magnesium powder to my regimen. I do wish I had received a larger sample so I could report on the cumulative effects. But, based on how it helped my migraine, I rate this product highly effective. I would recommend this supplement to everyone! 

I am grateful to Orange Naturals & Social Nature for the opportunity to sample this product. 

*I received this product free for trial purposes and all opinions are my own and 100% honest. 

#trynatural #ONatural

Milani Blush In Romantic Rose 01 Review With Swatches

Milani Romantic Rose 01

I've been lusting after this blush for eons. Ever since it came out and I heard it was a dupe for Tarte's Exposed I knew I had to have it. I didn't want to fork out the extra dough if I didn't have to on the Tarte blush- I'm always in for a good dupe. Since I don't own Tarte's Exposed I can't say if they are in fact dupes but the swatches online looked good enough to me.

It's difficult to find Milani products where I live and the one store that sells Milani near me is always sold out. Luckily, I found Milani online at Canadian retailer Well.ca and it was on sale for $8.49 from $9.99. Plus, my blogger friend gave me a code to get $10 off my order! I couldn't wait any longer and ordered this blush along with some other goods as I had to spend $40 to get the $10 off, but luckily we were in need of some other items too. And, shipping was free so I couldn't resist. Well.ca is new to me. After looking around their site, I found a ton of health and beauty brands that I love. They also had sales on several brands (including Milani at the time). It looks like they change the sales weekly.

I was so excited when my blush arrived as I've wanted it for so long. I immediately had to check my rather large blush collection for dupes (I'm a huge blush lover!)... to my surprise, I have nothing even close to this shade! yay!

I would describe Romantic Rose as a nude, warm, rosy-brown that is matte. I was afraid it would make me look ruddy, but luckily it doesn't at all. It's a great neutral colour that goes with any makeup look. I've been reaching for it constantly since it arrived! It performs like a high-end blush, I can't believe it was under $10, and the pan is huge at 17 grams!!

The blush has a creamy feel to it that I wasn't expecting, most of my powder blushes are much drier. It made me think that it may not blend well and go on patchy, yet it blended smoothly and evenly over my setting powder.

It's much more pigmented than I was expecting, so even on my tanned summer skin, a light hand and tapping of the brush is required.

Milani Romantic Rose 01

$9.99 / 17 grams

Get ready for a swatch-fest. I took several pictures of swatches on my inner arm, the back of my hand and at different angles. The back of my hand is tanned so you can see how it looks on medium skin tone. The inner part of my arm is fairer, so you'll see how it swatches on lighter skin tone. I have also shown the colour as I built it up.

In the next photo, I built up the colour more.

I give this blush 5 stars! Not only for the unique and beautiful colour that goes with any look, but also for pigmentation and lasting power. Never mind that it's under $10 and you get 17 grams of product! My only regret is waiting so long to purchase it.

Milani is also a cruelty-free brand.

I'm always on the lookout for a good dupe. Let me know in the comments if you know of any!

If you've never shopped at Well.ca you can also save $10 off a $40 purchase with promo code "healthbeauty10" (valid until September 16, 2016).

Week 14: My Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight!

Welcome to week 14 of my Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight!

If you missed last weeks post here is a link to it.

Read on to see what I accomplished this week.

 I found this on Google and found it interesting. As you can see, it recommends that adults engage in 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. Based on this, If I exercise just 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week, I've met these guidelines. Doesn't sound too bad to me. This isn't to say that this is the "gold standard." But, it's at least a guideline for a minimum to strive for.

This week I continued with my walks, even with the sweltering heat. I'm continuing to use the free pedometer app, which I'm loving. I usually walk about 2600 steps during my 25-30 minute daily walks. I walk an extra 2000 steps on the day shown in the above screenshot of my pedometer app. I decided to walk to the store that day to get a few groceries. Save on gas and get some extra exercise in... why not.

Most days I continued on my usual route.

Coming home one day, I spotted this flock of geese. I guess they got lost and headed into someone's backyard. I'm glad it wasn't my yard as they poop everywhere! Not that I don't feel for my neighbours.

Note: I added 15 reverse lunges & 15 walking lunges to the above chart

I'm including my weight routine chart again as I've continued with this routine regularly. I strive for every other day, and I currently use 8 lb weights for all exercises.

I also got a new DVD to try out. It's another Kundalini Yoga DVD by Ana Brett called Happy Hormones. I just got it so I'll let you know how it goes. Let's hope it gives me happy hormones! Being in my 40's, I can use all the help I can get in that department.

Here are my workouts for the week:

Day 1- 25 min walk + 8 lb weight routine

Day 2- 

Day 3- 40 min walk + 8 lb weight routine

Day 4- 

Day 5- 25 min walk + 8 lbs weight routine

Day 6- 53 min walk 

Day 7- 

Weigh in :

Weight: gained 2 lbs

Fat: no change

I exercised 4 out of 7 days again this week. And, here we go with the scale again, up and down every week resulting in no weight change on the whole.

I'm going to incorporate my new Happy Hormones DVD next week, so we'll see if that makes a difference.

Let me know in the comments what you're doing to stay in shape?

See you next week!

PS. come and join all the blogger fun over at The Best of Blogosphere!

Week 13: My Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight!

I'm a day late with this post as I forgot to weigh in on Friday morning so I decided to wait until today so I could have an accurate weigh in for the week.

As always, here is a link to last weeks post.

This week, I've continued with my walks and my custom weight routine (chart below).

Plus, I discovered an awesome app that I'm going to share with you!

I came across this really awesome app called "Pedometer." It tells me everything I want to know about my walks, including distance, time, steps, and more. And, it doesn't require the internet to work! Here is a link to it if you are interested in checking it out.

Here you can see that the Pedometer app shows the date, how many steps, calories burned, time, miles, and how fast you were going.

I just discovered the app so I'm still learning about how to use it and what else it can do. I've only used it for the last 2 days so far and the first day I forgot to turn it on until a few minutes into my walk.. hence why it shows my time of only 23:56 minutes when I really walked for almost 30 minutes.

I'm still using my custom workout chart that I created, so I'll share it again in this post.

I do this weight routine every other day after I walk using 8lb weights

My intentions are to do yoga on the days that I don't do the weight routine ( I just haven't made the time yet).

*Note: I have added 15 reverse lunges & 15 reverse angled lunges

Here are my workouts for the week:

Day 1- 

Day 2- 25 min walk + 8 lb weight routine

Day 3-  25 min walk

Day 4- 

Day 5- 

Day 6-  25 min walk + 8 lb weight routine

Day 7-  25 min walk 

Weigh in :

Weight: Lost 2 lbs

Fat: Gained 2%

I exercised 4 out of 7 days. I want to keep up with the walks but broke my pelvis in 2 places many years ago and it aches really badly if I speed walk too much or run. It's really been acting up a lot this week which is why I had so many rest days.

I also think I need a new scale. I know that it's fairly accurate but I highly doubt it's exact as my weight just keeps going up and down every week as well as my fat percentage, in ways that don't make sense. I may invest in a new scale.

Let me know what you're doing to stay in shape this summer!

See you next week!

Annabelle Lipsies: Cotton Candy & Lychee Swatches And Review!

I picked up a couple of Annabelle Lipsies recently. I love these twistable crayon style makeup items, there's something fun about them. 

Just by looking at them, you might think of them as something just for teens, but that's definitely not the case.

I picked up Cotton Candy (left), and Lychee (right) 

Each Lipsie is scented after it's namesake. Cotton Candy has a subtle scent and Lychee is quite strongly scented but the scent wears off quickly.

Lychee on the bottom & Cotton Candy on the top for all swatches

You can see in the photo above that Cotton Candy has a different finish from Lychee. Lychee is a cream finish and Cotton Candy has a sheen to it.

In the last two pictures, I built up the colour more.

I took several photos of the same swatches just with different angles and lighting.

Annabelle Lipsies in Lychee & Cotton Candy

The Lipsies come in many colours and range from clear to very bright and bold colours. Since I don't suit bold colours, I chose 2 of the light shades.

The Lipsies have a very emollient/ balm like texture. They are great for an everyday no-makeup-makeup look with these lighter colours. I don't even need a mirror- I can just swipe them on while on the go.

I find the Lipsies are very hydrating for my aging lips. I think anyone who wants hydration with some colour would like these. As I age, I lean towards more sheer and balm like lip products as I find they give a more youthful appearance to my aging/ dehydrated lips.

Annabelle Lipsie in Cotton Candy

I never do lip swatches, so forgive my lack of lip swatching skills.

I really like the cotton candy one. It's still a very sheer and natural looking colour but adds just enough colour to my lips for a healthy look.

Annabelle Lipsie in Lychee

Lychee is very subtle, mostly sheer. I wish it was more pigmented as it would make a great nude shade. This colour can cling to dry patches a little as you can see in the bottom photo.

Both colours are very comfortable on the lips and hydrating, with zero stickiness. 

Cotton Candy is my favourite of the two. Plus, it wore all day long! I couldn't believe it! Lipsticks don't even last as long on me. Lychee did not last quite as long. Maybe because they have different finishes.

The only caveat is that the covers don't snap on. I am worried that the covers may come off in my purse or pocket.

These retail for $3.98 here in Canada. I had some $2 off coupons from Annabelle, making these less than $2 each!

Annabelle is a Canadian brand that is also Cruelty-free. (win-win!)

Have you tried these Lipsies? Which ones do you love?

Amy
xoxo