30 Day Shred Level Three Review

After much dilly-dallying, I finally finished the 30 Day Shred. I managed to do Level One and Level Two consecutively, but then took a break for my holiday and temporarily reverted to a couch potato state before bucking up and completing Level Three. I have to say, I am glad I have finally finished!

As expected, Level Three was definitely a lot more challenging than the previous two levels. I found I had to do a mix of the beginner and advanced moves throughout all ten days, whereas in the previous levels I progressed to only doing advanced moves. For the first few days, I had to take a rest in the middle as I thought I was going to throw up. I don't know if it was because I was finding the moves too difficult or because I was working myself too hard, but this passed after day three. In this level, I really hated the 'Mountain Climbers' (Circuit one: Cardio) and 'Walking Press Ups' (Circuit three: Strength). However I really liked the 'Walking Plank' (Circuit one: Strength). Each time I did the workout, I would try and remember how many reps of each I had done and tried to beat that the next time I did the exercise so that I would stay motivated.

I started listening to the radio alongside the 30 Day Shred. I put the volume of the radio station (Capital, in case you're wondering) on a bit lower than the DVD so I could still hear what I was supposed to be doing, otherwise I would end up getting distracted and miss the change in exercise. I wish I had done this earlier, as some of the things Jillian Michaels says in the DVD makes me cringe and I find the music played on Capital more motivating and more interesting.

Overall, I can definitely see a difference in my body, especially on my arms as they feel more toned. I still didn't change my diet drastically, which is something I definitely need to work on as I read somewhere that 'Weight loss is 70% kitchen and 30% exercise'. I think if I had changed my diet, I may have seen more results. That being said, I am happy with my results and am looking forward to continuing down this exercising path.

I would do this programme again, as I saw some good results over a relatively short period of time. I think for my body, I need something with a bit more cardio, however this is great for toning and I think it would be a good programme to do leading up to a holiday, wedding, prom, etc. I liked how the workouts were about 20 minutes and I could easily fit that into my day, whether it was in the morning or evening, and I didn't have to spend time getting to and from the gym. I also liked that I could wear an old t-shirt and leggings and do this in the comfort of my own home.

Now I have to consider what to do next. I am having a toss up between starting the Insanity 60 Day Workout, as people seem to have amazing results with this programme or carrying on down the Jillian Michaels route and doing 'Banish Fat Boost Metabolism' or one of the ab programmes, such as Ripped in 30' or '6 Week 6 Pack'... Does anyone have any recommendations?

Have you ever completed the 30 Day Shred?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Review: Elemis Rehydrating Rosepetal Cleanser

When I got back from China, my skin felt extremely dried out due to a poor holiday skincare routine and being on a 13 hour flight home. Throw in this cold weather we've been having in the UK and hey presto, my skin feels like the Sahara desert right now.

Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but my skin has been so dry recently and this Elemis cleanser has been a bit of a lifesaver. It's a lovely creamy cleanser, which does not foam. I usually use it in the morning and for a second cleanse after the Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm, but it also works well to remove makeup. It doesn't leave any residue on my skin and doesn't leave my skin feeling tight after washing either. My skin always feels soft and moisturised after use. It has a subtle rose scent, which in my opinion smells slightly plasticky. I managed to break the top off the pump on my bottle by dropping it on the floor, but the bottle design is good and the pump dispenses a good amount of product. I usually use 1 pump in the morning and 2-3 pumps in the evening.

This cleanser is recommended for dehydrated, mature and sensitive skin, so if you skin falls into any of those categories, I really recommend this.

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Review: Lee Stafford Salt Spray

My hair after using Lee Stafford Salt Spray on damp hair and leaving to dry overnight

In a bid to use less heat on my hair, I have been using the Lee Stafford Salt Spray to give my hair a little texture and to enhance my natural waves.

This product has the distinctive Lee Stafford smell. If you've used Lee Stafford products before, you'll know what I mean. The bottle says to spray 50 times to towel dried hair and then blow dry or leave to dry naturally or you can use it on dry hair. I personally don't like to spray that many times, as I feel it makes my hair too dry. I usually do about 15 sprays all over damp hair, trying to avoid spraying it too near the roots, and I don't do anything else to it (no scrunching, blow drying, etc). This gives me a nice amount of definition to my wavy hair and doesn't make it too dry. It also gives my hair a little texture, so it's not too silky soft and fly-away after washing. I never apply this to dry hair. I tried it a few times to see if it could revive second day hair, but I was left with my hair feeling greasy and crispy and the product just sat on top of my hair.

This has gone up in price since I bought my bottle. But at £7.49 for 150ml, it's a good product if you are trying to use less heat or like the beachy, boho waves hairstyle. I had a quick look on the Boots website, and there are some other salt sprays which are cheaper and some that are more expensive. I think this is a good middle ground salt spray, which I really like and would definitely recommend. However I wouldn't recommend this to someone that likes their hair to feel silky soft, as this really gives your hair a matte finish.

Have you ever used a salt spray before?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

NOTD: Off The Shoulder

2 coats of Essie Off The Shoulder and 1 coat of L'Oreal Confettis Nail Polish

This is a lovely bright mid-tone pink, which I am loving. I think this will be a firm favourite this Spring/Summer. The formula was fairly opaque and you could get away with just one coat, as there is minimal streakiness. However I did two coats out of habit and to even out any thinner areas. The brush of the new Essie nail polishes is so easy to work with, especially if you're in a rush. I definitely need to invest in a topcoat, as I never use it and managed to chip my nails a few hours after painting my nails. I hate when that happens! So I decided to put a layer of L'Oreal Confettis on top to hide the chips. Do any of you have any recommendations of good topcoats? I'm thinking of perhaps buying Seche Vite?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Review: Boots Time Delay Daily Brightening Toning Water

For a long time, I have been a non toner user. I never really understood the need and had never found one that I really liked. I have been using this Boots toner for the past few months and I thought I'd share my thoughts on it.

This toner has a pleasant floral smell, but isn't overpowering or too artificial. It feels quite refreshing and cooling on the skin, which is especially nice in the morning and I think will be lovely for the summer. It is a gentle exfoliating toner with AHAs and I have never found it to be harsh on my skin or strip it at all. It is important to wear sunscreen after using this due to the AHAs. I have not noticed much difference in the overall tone of my skin and I don't find this gives much of a chemical exfoliation. The bottle design isn't great, as the hole is pretty big and there have been far too many times where I have poured too much onto my cotton pad.

The best way to describe this toner is average. This is a nice and refreshing toner, but don't expect miraculous brightening results. As this is part of Boots' Time Delay range, the price of this toner is affordable, coming in at less than £5 and is often on offer.

What's your favourite toner?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

Handbag Wishlist

After payday, I decided that I want to save for a new handbag and I instantly set off researching which bag, because apart from actually getting the bag, that's the (only) fun part about saving, right?

The first bag I decided to look into was the Mulberry Lily. I have loved the Mulberry Lily for a long time, as all the bags I own are a lot bigger than this and I think it would be nice to have a smaller luxury handbag for days where you don't want to carry a lot. I like how it has similarities to the Chanel Classic Flap, but without the price tag. I think the oak colour would be perfect, as I love a tan accessory.

Then I had a look at the Phillip Lim Pashli. This bag seems like a perfect size bag for work, as I tend to carry a lot on a daily basis. I like how the zips can be pulled down to completely change the shape and feel of the bag. It comes in some beautiful colours, such as jewel toned greens, blues and ruby red like the one that Reese Witherspoon is carrying in the picture below.

The last bag I decided to research, before I started feeling depressed that I suck at saving, was the Prada Saffiano Lux tote. This tote seems to be one of the it-bags of the moment and I can see why. I love the feel of Saffiano leather and it seems to be one of the more versatile, hard wearing types of leather. I really like the structured and classic shape of this bag. It has a formal air to it, which would be perfect for work and can be worn dressed down by using the shoulder strap. There are so many colours to pick from, but I'm loving the lighter shades as I think they would be gorgeous for summer.

What bags do you lusting after?

Thank you for reading. xoxo, Joy

(Image credit: Google, Just Jared, Style Scrapbook)