Week 1: My Health and Weight Loss Journery to Get Fit and Lose Weight!

I started my fitness journey to get fit and lose weight last Friday, so today it's one week since I started, and I promised to post workouts for the week and any results.

If you missed the first post starting this journey, you can find it linked here.

Week 1 workouts:

Day 1- Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 (level- week 1)

Day 2- Same

Day 3- Same

Day 4- Same

Day 5- Monthly visitor- workout ruined!

Day 6- 30 minutes on stepper 

Day 7- Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 (level - week 1)

The Jillian Michael's workout that I did this week is HIIT (high intensity interval training) style. She does 3 minutes of strength (I used 5 lb weights), 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abs. Total workout is 30 minutes. 

I found the Jillian Michael's workout challenging but doable. I had a hard time completing abs and push ups. I haven't worked out in so long so I'm pretty out of shape.

It will be interesting to see how much harder week/level 2 is compared to week/level 1.

I have always been the kind of person to workout at the end of the day. This time I have started working out first thing when I get up. One reason is because I figured if I got it out of the way, I couldn't find excuses later. The second reason I did this is because I thought that I may burn more fat if I workout after fasting. Since my body wont have food to burn as fuel it will use my fat instead. WRONG! After doing some research on this, it's not the way to go. From what I've read, you risk losing muscle and slowing your metabolism if you don't fuel your body before a workout, you also wont have as much energy for your workout. Also, eating before a workout can speed up your muscle recovery after your workout.  From now on I will try to have a small snack before a workout. It's okay to workout after a fast occasionally but not a good idea to do it all the time.

Here is some great info and suggestions on what to eat before and after your workouts from fitnessmagazine.com. 

I weighed myself first thing in the morning on an empty stomach last week and I did the same this week. 

Pounds lost- 1 lb  
fat lost- 1%

I do feel stronger, like I'm building muscle. I've heard that muscle has memory and as I mentioned in my last post, for most of my life I have done some form of exercise.  

I have a long way to go to tone up the way that I want to but I feel like I am slowly starting to and that's pretty motivating. 

It's all up to me whether I want to be fit and firm or out of shape. I choose fit and firm and I will do my best to get there and stay there.

If you want to start a journey to get fit or lose weight or both, it's never too late! Join me if you like. Let me know what you are doing to get into shape. You can also find me on Instagram (link at top of page).

Amy

xoxo

My Favourite Budget Makeup Products!

I have always been a drugstore gal when it comes to makeup. 

For skincare, I buy high end and low. But, for makeup, I feel that there's a lot of fabulous makeup to be found in the drugstore. it's cheap and convenient. 

Ever since I can remember, a trip to the drugstore for something like toothpaste meant picking up some fab new makeup finds. 

In this post, I will share with you some of my favourite budget makeup products. There are a few that I am currently out of but I will give them a mention them in this post. Because there are so many products, I will divide my favs into categories.

Face

On a day-to-day basis, I'm a BB cream or tinted moisturizer kind of girl.

Physicians Formula Organic Wear BB Cream
This is where I'm willing to splurge! It's not the cheapest but since I'm using it all over my face (almost like a moisturizer) I like to have good ingredients in my BB cream as well as SPF. There are often sales to make it more affordable. Cruelty-free. Retail approx. $18

LA Girl Pro Conceal
This is great for under the eyes as it's not too heavy. Go a shade lighter to really brighten under the eyes. Cruelty-free. I purchased mine on BeautyJoint.com for $2.99

Sonia Kashuk All Covered Up Concealer
I love this for blemishes and spots on the face. It's not the cheapest but it's one of my favs and a tiny bit goes a long way! I've had mine for a year and there's barely a dent. Also cruelty-free. Retail $9.99 at Target.

Face Powder
My current favourite budget face powder is NYC Smooth Skin Face Powder in Translucent. I'm currently out of it. I find it at Walmart for around $2.99

Bronzer & Highlights

Elf Illuminating Palette
Love this palette so much. Full review can be found linked here. It contains 4 beautiful powders that are great for aging skin or any skin if you don't want a glittery highlight. It's so smooth! Cruelty-free. Retail $6.00

Essence Sun Club All-in-one Bronzing Highlighter
I use this a lot in the summer or anytime I want to use one product that serves as a bronzer, highlight, and blush all in one. I love this so much I gave one away in my 1-year blog giveaway! Cruelty-free. Retail $4.49 at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada.

Elf Baked Blush in Pinktastic
Okay, this is NOT a blush. It's definitely a highlight and it's beautiful! It's supposed to be a dupe for many high-end highlights. Great for light-medium skin tones. You can find this online or at Target. Cruelty-free. Retail $3.00

Physicians Formula Bronze Booster in Medium to Dark
Again, Physicians Formula isn't the cheapest in the drugstore but they are always on sale at least one of the drugstores (I usually wait for 40% off sale). It's tough to find a matte bronzer in the drugstore and this one is not only matte but performs like a high-end bronzer! I found the light went on too close to my skin colour but this shade is perfect. This bronzer is the perfect tone for a sun-kissed look. Cruelty-free. Retail $21.99

Blush

These are my 4 absolute favourite budget brands for blushes. I own multiple colours from most of these brand and I love them all!

Physicians Formula
I have several blushes by PF. All of them perform like high-end blushes and are long-wearing. As with all Physicians Formula products, I wait for a sale. The blush pictured is the Happy Booster Blush in Pink. Cruelty-free. Retail $15.99

Jordana Blush
Again, I have several colours from this line. They are creamy and smooth and blend beautifully. I love the shades in this line. Cruelty-free. Retail $2.99

Essence Silky Touch Blush
I own almost all the colours in this line. They are silky smooth as the name suggests, they blend and wear beautifully. Hard to believe they are only $2.99. They are also cruelty-free.

Wet n Wild Blush
I only own this in the colour Pearlescent Pink. It's a beautiful coral-pink colour and I love it for the summer months. It's a dupe for The Balm's Frat Boy and some say it's a dupe for Nars Orgasm (which I don't own). But, Wet n Wild is only $4.99 at Walmart and is also cruelty-free.

Eye Shadow

Wet n Wild Coloricon Eye Shadow Trios
I'm sure you've all heard the hype about these shadows and they hype is real. Beautiful, creamy, buttery and pigmented. The only thing is that they are lacking matte shades in these palettes. But they make great lid colours and highlights. Cruelty-free. Retail $2.99

Elf Pressed Mineral Eyeshadow
I own this eyeshadow in 3 colours. They are incredible! I wish they would make more colours. They are soft, easy to blend and just gorgeous! My shades are matte and demi-matte and just perfect for a soft look and so flattering on aging eyes. The shade pictured is called "What's Your Name." Cruelty-free. Retail $3.00

Essence Eyeshadow Singles
I own several of this in gorgeous colours from greens to bronze, and more. They perform like high-end shadows. Super-pigmented and long wearing. The one pictured is my most worn colour- "Party all Night" which is a metallic effect. Cruelty-free. Retail $2.49

Sally Girl Baked Eyeshadow
I think these shadows are underrated. Although I only own 2 of them, I find they are really pigmented and are gorgeous shades. At only .99 cents at Sally's Beauty Supply, you can't beat it!

Elf Smudge Pot
I can't rave about these enough. They are gorgeous, pigmented and last all day long without creasing. They are similar to Maybelline's Color Tattoos but these are much cheaper and they are creamier. Plus, these don't dry out in the pot! Shown is the colour Crusin Chic which is a gorgeous taupey-bronze! cruelty-free and only $3.00

Lip Products

NYC Twistable Intense Lip Colour
These perform like a lipstick and don't stain but they really last! Lip stains don't agree with my lips so I'm really happy that these don't stain. The only issues I have is that the lids don't snap on (so I don't like to carry them in my purse) and they have a limited colour selection. But, I had to include them because they are amazing for the price! Retail $2.99

Elf Matte Lip Color
These came out before the matte lip craze. I only own the one colour but I use it all the time. It's the perfect nude colour and it's the only matte lip product that I've been able to wear on my dehydrated lips. It has average lasting power and doesn't stain. The colour I have is in Natural, a beautiful MLBB nude colour. Cruelty-free. Retail $3.00

Essence Long Lasting Lipstick
This range has beautiful colours in a variety of finishes, from frosts to mattes. They are creamy and come in gorgeous shades, which I own several of. The one pictured is my most used in "Nude Love." They have average lasting power. I see no reason to buy high-end with these beauties around. Cruelty-free. Retail $2.49 at Shoppers Drug Mart. 

Elf Luscious Liquid Lipstick
First of all, this is NOT a liquid lipstick.. it's a lip gloss. I have it in the colour "Nude Pink" and it's my second tube. I'm pretty sure I will always repurchase this lippie. It's a beautiful, natural shade and it's so hydrating and not sticky. It does last quite a while for a lipgloss! Cruelty-free. Retail $1.00!

Essence Stay With Me Long-lasting Lipgloss
If you hate sticky lipglosses you would love these! They feel very natural on the lip and not sticky at all. Although I don't find them long-lasting as the name implies. I also love the applicator that curves to my lips. I've previously owned several of their XXXL lipglosses which would also be one of my top lip products. I personally don't like the ones with glitter but I love the cream formulas. Cruelty-free. Retail $2.99

Essence Lip Liner
I own multiple shades in these lip liners. They are creamy and go on beautifully! I find they are creamier than many higher end brands. I see no reason to buy higher end lip liners as these perform beautifully. Cruelty-free. Retail $2.49

Eyes

Essence I Heart Stage Eye Base
What an underrated product! This works so well as a base for my eyeshadows. It creates the perfect base for crease-free eyeshadow that lasts all day! Cruelty-free. Retail approx. $3.49

Elf Wet Gloss Lash & Brow Clear Mascara
I use both sides of the tube on my brows. I have not used this on my lashes. It holds my brows in place without being crispy and it doesn't flake like some brow gels can. Cruelty-free. Retail $2.00

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Eyeliner
These come in a 3 pack. Again, I recommend to find them on sale. Either way, they are a bargain as they perform like high-end eyeliners, actually better than many high-end ones. They are super creamy  and pigmented and there is no tugging on my aging lids. Once they set, they stay all day! And, they don't dry out in the tube! Cruelty-free. Retail $14.79 for 3

Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil
These are also creamy and long lasting with gorgeous colours. Once they set, they wont budge. My favourite colour is "Hot Scorch" which is a beautiful, super-pigmented bronze colour. I also have some fun summer colours like teal. These also don't dry out in the tube. Cruelty-free. Retail approx $2.49

Jordana Best Lash Extreme Volumizing Mascara in Black
If you like big lashes, this will give them to you! I find this comparable to Benefit's They're Real Mascara (which I love!) but at a fraction of the price. It doesn't flake or smudge. It's a little difficult to get off, even though it's not waterproof. Since it's not available at stores in Canada, I have purchased this online from Beauty Joint. Cruelty-free. Retail $3.99

Wet n Wild Mega Liner Liquid Eyeliner
I was going to throw this out at one point, only because I am not the best with drawing a perfect line with liquid liner. But, I have to admit that this is an awesome product! It's super black and pigmented. Once it dries down, it doesn't budge. It has a super thin paint brush style applicator. If you are good with liquid liner, I highly recommend this! Cruelty-free. Retail $2.99 at Walmart.

Tools

Contour Brush
I paid $1.94 for this item on Ebay with free shipping. I have a full review on it linked here. It's a fantastic brush, just the right size for me, and has not shed one single hair.

Elf Complexion Brush
This brush is so versatile. I have a couple of these as I like to use one for face powder and the other for my all over face bronzer. Cruelty-free. Retail $3.00

Ebay Eyeshadow Brush #224 (Mac Dupe?)
This brush, as well as some others in a post linked here, are supposed to be dupes for Mac brushes. I'm not sure if they are as I don't have the Mac brushes, but I do know that this is an amazing crease and blending brush. It's super soft and doesn't shed. It was only $1 on eBay with free shipping!

Elf Smudge Brush
This brush is the best for smudging some shadow under my lower lash line. I don't like the look of harsh liner on my bottom lashes, but I do like a bit of definition. This brush is perfect for creating a little shadow under the bottom lashes with a soft taupe or brown eyeshadow. Cruelty-free. Retail $1.00

Makeup Sponge
This is just your generic makeup wedge found at the dollar store or the drugstore. I started to use them recently, after years of not using them. And, I have found that I just love them! They work fabulously at blending out foundation/BB creams, cream blushes etc. I don't remember the brand or what I paid but you usually get a bag full for only a few dollars.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my favourite budget makeup items!

I'd love to know what your favourites are! Please share in the comments.

Ps. Come join the linkup parties over at fabulousandfunlife and best-blogosphere!

Amy

xoxo

Arm & Hammer Truly Radiant™ Clean & Fresh Spinbrush Toothbrush #review

I received the Arm & Hammer Truly Radiant™ Clean & Fresh Spinbrush Toothbrush for trial from the Chickadvisor Product Review Club. 

This battery operated toothbrush comes with batteries that are replaceable. The brush head is also replaceable and should be replaced every 3 months.

The Spinbrush claims:

"This power toothbrush has a unique combination of whitening and deep-cleaning bristles designed to give you a cleaner, more radiant smile."

• Removes 100% more plaque than a manual brush
• Dual-Action brush head
• Special floss tip bristles get deep between teeth
• Performance Cup maximizes paste contact for optimized cleaning, whitening, and freshening
• Colour-Wear bristles remind you to change your brush head

I was blown away by this product. I wasn't sure what to expect but the Spinbrush definitely went way beyond any expectations I could have had.

I am WAY overdue for the dentist so my teeth have been rough and yellow. I really didn't expect this toothbrush to remove all the roughness but to my surprise it did! My teeth are smooth like glass as if I went to the dentist. This brush cleans my teeth like no other!

My teeth are noticeably whiter. Every time I brush my teeth and check them in the mirror I end up doing a double or triple take! lol. I just can't help it and I do it every time I brush my teeth. I guess my brain is shocked at seeing whiter teeth as I do the double or triple take every single time I use the brush! haha

I really couldn't have asked for more and really didn't expect any of these fantastic results. I can't express enough how happy I am with the Spinbrush. Adding a timer to the brush would just be icing on the cake.

Priced at $14.99 I think it's a steal, especially considering the results! 

I highly recommend this toothbrush! #TrySpinbrush

 #gotitfree for review purposes as part of #chickadvisorPRC

Have you tried the Spinbrush?

* I received the product free for trial purposes. All opinions are my own. This post is not sponsored. I just really love this product and wanted to share.

Amy

xoxo

Week 8: My Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight!

I wasn't able to keep up with my workouts again this week as I am still dealing with what the Dr's are calling injuries from a previous workout. If you saw my last post (linked here) you already know about this. Also, here is a link to the original post where I started this journey if you'd like to check it out.

This doesn't mean I am stopping this journey by any means, so I keep planning on doing updates every week. 

This week I did some gentle yoga, I used the yoga DVD pictured above as they are very gentle routines and mainly made up of stretching exercises. 

I also started doing something I've done for years- I do 2 minutes of squats once a day while I brush my teeth. This is my way of multi-tasking. I have done it for years but had stopped doing it and forgot about it for a while. But, because of my injuries, I am trying to find little ways to get a bit of any type of exercise in that isn't strenuous. I really want to heal and get back to being fully functional without worry of making my injuries worse.

See you next week! Hopefully with some better news.

Amy

xoxo

Week 7: My Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight! #injury

This is supposed to be my week 7 update on my get fit and lose weight journey where I list all my workouts and weigh in. Here is a link to last weeks post and also a link to the original post.

I have been pretty much incapacitated since last Wednesday. So, unfortunately, I haven't been able to workout at all.

If you read what I wrote in last week's post on day 2, you'll see that is when I must have caused the injury.

It's been really frustrating and scary too as I've been in chronic pain but didn't know why. I've had a bunch of tests run and after getting all the results in, the Doctor has diagnosed that the problems I have been experiencing are injuries from working out. He's a funny guy and said that the lesson here was that working out is bad for our health! haha

Until my body heals fully, I wont be able to do any working out. It's been very frustrating as I want to keep going with my workouts but I have let my body rest and heal first.

It was during a workout in week 6 when I must have caused the injury. I remember not being up to working out that day. I didn't have the energy to do it but I forced myself  to workout anyways and I know my form was bad because I didn't have any energy. I was really sore all over after the workout but it wasn't until 2 days after that workout that the pain became isolated and chronic.

I am still in pain but I'm letting my body rest, hoping that my body will heal itself and I can get back to working out etc.

My lesson is that if I don't feel the energy to workout but I force myself anyways if in the first few minutes I am still not feeling it, I will stop. It's better not to workout at all than have poor form leading to injuries. Please make sure you do the same!

I hope to be back to normal soon and able to continue working out as soon as I'm able.

Amy

xoxo

Beauty on a Budget: Equate Makeup Removing Towelettes/ Wipes #review

Okay, so where have I been? Or, how come no one ever told me about these? Or, are they brand new?

I was in the market for some new makeup removing/ cleansing wipes. I normally buy the big box of Kirkland wipes at Costco or stock up on Balea wipes when Shoppers Drug Mart has them on sale.

I was at a Walmart in a different town just picking up a few necessities and of course, I had to breeze by the beauty section. And, there were racks and racks of Equate brand wipes. They were in giant boxes for $14, so I had to check them out.

Inside you get 4 full-size packs of wipes, each contains 60 wipes. In total, you get 240 wipes for $14! 

This works out to .058 cents per wipe. Talk about savings!

They are made with chamomile, vitamin E, & Triple Tea Complex.

I find them gentle yet effective. Just as good as any other makeup removing wipe that I have tried! They don't irritate my skin or cause breakouts on my very reactive skin. I was leery because of the price but they proved me wrong. 

They aren't too thin or too small and they are saturated sufficiently. All in all, they take my makeup off just as good as the other wipes I've mentioned.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love my skincare. I spend a lot of money on good quality products, but if I find a place where I can save some money and not sacrifice anything, I'm in!

If you want to save a few bucks (I mean, who doesn't!? It means you can buy more clothes! hehe), give these beauties a try.

What great bargains have you found lately? Please share in the comments.

Amy

xoxo

Week 6: My Health and Weight Loss Journey to Get Fit and Lose Weight!

Hopefully, this will be my quickest post ever. Not that I don't love blogging! I just want to get this post up for you.. maybe no one is even reading it.. lol

I may not be online very much for a while. Unfortunately, I'm sick and out of commission for now.

Here is last weeks post on my get fit journey in case you missed it. And, here is the link to the first post on this journey.

Here are my workouts for the week:

Day 1- Intentional day of rest for my body
Day 2- Jackie Warner Personal Training DVD - 40 minute Power Circuit Training (Very sore after this workout, and not in a good way. Hence the yoga the next day)
Day 3- Kundalini Yoga, Solar Power DVD - 50 minute Solar Power workout
Day 4- Sick and out of commission
Day 5- "
Day 6- "
Day 7- "

On day 2, I wanted to switch up my workouts so I didn't get bored. So, I broke out another Jackie Warner DVD, her Personal Training DVD. I was very low in energy that day and didn't feel like working out at all. But, I figured that once I got started, I'd get into it, but that didn't happen this time. I must have had horrible form from my severe lack of energy. As a result, I ended up very sore all over, and not that "sore in a good way" after a good workout. I was so sore that I decided to do some yoga. So, I decided to do some Kundalini yoga. I haven't done this type of yoga in at least a year.

My lesson here is that if I don't feel like working out and don't have the energy that day, I may try to do the workout but if I'm still not feeling it, it's better to stop than have improper form and end up with injuries.

Weight- down .5lbs (unfortunately, it's probably from being sick and not from working out)
Body fat- no change

I can't wait to be feeling better and getting back to work and blogging and such. Not to mention working out!

See you soon!

Amy

xoxo