Dressed for the Job

'Dress for the job you want, not the job you have'

I am a proud believer of dressing however you like and that you should be comfortable in what you're wearing. Unfortunately, many women are under pressure in today's society to dress in a certain way, both socially and in the workplace, this just isn't right. I'm not saying women solely judged by men, because in cases like this the main culprits are often in fact women themselves. Why are we so judgey? Why should we care how somebody else chooses to style their outfit? I take inspiration from the shows season-to-season, but I also believe that everyone has a unique style which in-turn compliments their personality. Use whichever stimulus you'd like, the high-street, the catwalk, other people... If you're confident then you're rocking it! Don't judge others, or you'll be judged back, and we all know we are highly capable of judging back. I've interned for a few publications, and I know there is nothing worse than walking into a room and feeling like everyone in it is staring you down, looking at your clothes and ultimately labelling you just because of an outfit choice, we all have bad days! But if you are looking for some SS16 fashion inso, here are my top picks...

BDG Slouchy Herringbone Button-Down Shirt

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/uk/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=5110582187602&category=NEW-IN-WOMENS-EU

Just Female Crop Denim Flares

http://www.asos.com/prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=5983592&CTARef=articlepage|Product3&featureref1=discover&featureref2=women&featureref3=article&featureref4=product3

Topshop Pleat Midi Skirt

http://www.topshop.com/en/tsuk/product/clothing-427/skirts-449/petite-pleat-midi-skirt-5412629?bi=20&ps=20

ASOS Shirt Dress with Frill Detail in Stripe

http://www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-Shirt-Dress-with-Frill-Detail-in-Stripe/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=6222382&CTARef=asomShopLook&featureref1=discover&featureref2=feature&featureref3=asom&featureref4=product+via+gallery&featureref5=242945

H&M Ankle boots with wooden heels

http://www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0367139001.html

Zara Leather Mule Shoes 

http://www.zara.com/uk/en/woman/shoes/view-all/leather-mule-shoes-c719531p3393556.html


K.

Why Girls are Different

So, I know the title of this post is a bit ambiguous, and you are probably wondering what on earth i'm going to say. Is this going to be a feminist rant? Am I going to be discussing deep political issues? Well i'm afraid not, in fact this post is all about exercise and fitness, and until recently, everyone was pretty sure that both men and women should train the same. Some may still believe this, but after some discussion, research and observation I believe girls  should train differently to guys. We are different, no matter how you look at it we are biologically different, our physicality's, how we store more fat for reproduction, differences in hormones, our menstrual cycle, these are just a few. So why do we try and exercise  the same way? Here are the reasons that I think us girls should have a different gym routine to the lads...

1. Women are more capable of training with higher reps

 In Training, specifically weight training, female muscle fibres are more likely to be converted to type 1 fibres (slow yet long lasting) or aren't converted at all, whereas in men they generally change to type 2 (faster but don't last as long). Female type 1 fibres are also proportionally bigger than men's, and show a high resistance to fatigue. Therefore, women can often achieve more reps than men. 

2.Women have been shown to recover faster

Research has shown that women not only need less rest-time between sets, but also recover faster between workout sessions, and therefore are capable of training more often than men. This is because of oestrogen. This female hormone helps muscle repair, and protects muscles by reducing the damage being caused to them during exercise. We are also capable of having less rest in-between sets due to more type 1 fibres, as they have a higher resistance and are less prone to fatigue.  


3. Explosive training doesn't work as well e.g HIIT

As Previously explained, females are better at endurance work, and can work better at a consistent and achievable level over longer periods of time. Men on the other hand deal better with explosive training, due to having more type 2 fibres that are stronger, but don't last as long. It has also been proven that men create significantly more muscle when completing high intensity training than women.

4. The menstrual cycle 

Last but not least, the menstrual cycle. Unfortunately, we can't escape it and we all know we have that time of the month that affects our mood and body pretty damn significantly. It affects some more than others but for around 4-6 days we have our periods, and some may say that whilst exercising in this time, you should do less intense workouts and not push yourself too much. Other research suggests that women may be stronger and more durable during menstruation, this might be something you might like to experiment with if you're looking to hit some pbs!

So here's a short summary of what us gals should do differently... Train high reps 
Do more sets
Rest less time
Train more often
and work with your period!

I hope this helps out anyone looking to change their gym routine.


K.

Sugar Scrubs and Bath Salts

Hey Guys! So I've been pretty broke recently and have been looking at ways to treat myself, and also cheap alternatives  to buying friends birthday presents. So I decided to have a night in with a friend, instead of going out and hitting the town- as i'd previously said... we're kinda broke- and made bath salts and sugar body scrubs! Its simple,f un and easy, so here are the favourite essences that we made...

 Before starting I made a trip to Asda and purchased these cute little jars, 4 for £2!

 We decided to gather everything and anything that we thought might smell good in a bath and beauty product around the kitchen.

Bath Salts

 We used approximately 1 cup full of fresh sea salt shavings, then mixed these with a teaspoon of coconut and baby oil. The first was a fusion of lime zest, 1 green tea bag and a hand full of jasmine. The second (Fruit Cocktail) was a mixture of lime zest, almost zest, strawberry, vanilla pods and extract. It's so simple! You can do this with whatever ingredients you chose. 

Sugar Body Scrub

This step-by-step is fairly similar to the bath salts. I started by using just 1 cup demerara sugar, but then decided to mix it together with 1/2 a cup of sea salt flakes, to reduce the sweetness and soften the colour. I then mixed in double the amount of coconut and baby oil, as previously stated in the sea salts, and started to add ingredients. I decided to keep the sugar body scrub sweet smelling and added vanilla pod, extract, cinnamon and a small amount of honey. 

Enjoy!

K.

Bonkers about Baking

Hey guys! I haven't done a post like this before, but i'm always wanting to try new things. I want to share some of my favourite baking recipes with you, along with a playlist to keep you motivated whilst you're tinkering away in the kitchen. Hope you enjoy!

1. Blueberry Muffins

135g white sugar
1 large egg
112ml vegetable oil
75ml milk
1 tsp vanilla
62.50g all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
120ml of natural yoghurt
 Half a pack of blueberries

Bake at 190c for around 25 minutes. Sprinkle white sugar over the top with 10 minutes to spare

2. Chocolate chip and almond cookies 

125g all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Baking soda

1 cup Brown sugar

230g Chocolate chips

100g Granulated sugar

1 tsp Salt

2 tsp Vanilla extract

112 Butter butter

Cook at 180c for 8-10 minutes

3. Raspberry and Banana Bread  

• 1 Egg

2 Bananas

• 88g of raspberries 

• 210g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Baking soda
• a pinch of Salt
• 150g Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 75g Butter
• 75ml natural yogurt
• 
  
• Mix all ingredients with a hand blender, then add the raspberries at the end if you want them whole, or mix if you want the loaf to be a pink colour 
• 
  
• Bake at 180c for around an hour 

4. Lemon drizzle loaf 

3 large eggs 170g
self raising flour 170g
caster sugar 170g
poppy seeds
unsalted butter 170g
Zest of 2 lemons
1 tsp of baking powder
The Drizzle:
Juice of 2 lemons 
110g powdered sugar

Bake at 180c for 30-35 minutes at 

5. Raspberry and white chocolate muffins 

135g white sugar
1 large egg
112ml vegetable oil
75ml milk
1 tsp vanilla
62.50g all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt
120ml of natural yoghurt

60g white chocolate
60g raspberry 

Bake at 190c for around 25 minutessprinkle white sugar over the top with 10 minutes to spare

Music for your making... 

1. Send me on my way - Rusted Root 

2. How D'yah Like your eggs in the Morning - Dean Martin & Helen O'Connell

3. Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson

4. Brown Sugar - The Rolling Stones 

5. Pour some sugar on me - Def Leppard 

Enjoy! 

K. 

Summer Bronzers 101

So this post may be slightly pre-emeted, but I just can't wait for Summer 2016! So let's get those summer vibes going with my top 6 Bronzers to give yourself that sun kissed glow...

Benefit

£23.50

Just turned 15! Hoola is benefit's world-wide loved matte bronzer. I can't get enough of it, I use it all-year-round! It's great for stroking over your cheeks to wake up your skin, I also use it when contouring for nights out.

Too Faced

£25.00

This is another beaut! Slightly dimmer than benefit's hole but suits all complexions, giving a chocolatey layer that can be used all over your face to help give you a more chic than bright-and-cheap look.

Rimmel

£5.99

This just has to be one of the best bronzers, as well as one of the cheapest, this is a definite steal! whether your 12 and buying your first bronzer or a 22 year old off to work, this is great for day-to-day wear. 

the Balm

£15.00

Now unfortunately I have not had the pleasure of trying the Balm's Bahama Mama, so this feature should alternatively be on the I WANT list. I have only heard great reviews, suggesting its on par with the likes of Benefit. So when I get my hands on this one you guys will be the first to know!

Bourjois

£6.39

This was probably my second love, after Rimmel, a timeless classic that will be there for me through and through. Whenever times are hard and i'm low on cash this is the best bronzer to give me my daily need.

Bobbi Brown

£33.00

This one is slightly cheeky of me, as Its not actually a frequent member of my own makeup bag, it's always in my mums! I can't help sneaking it into my clutch for a night out when i'm in a shimmer bronzer mood, rather than my usual matte (sorry mum!).

K.

Splurge Vs Steal

I've been wanting to do a Splurge Vs Steal post for a while, but because of being so busy with uni work have fallen behind with blog posts! So here it is, my very own Splurge Vs Steal, although my splurge may not be as upmarket as some peoples as I am a university student on a budget...

Round 1: Liquid Blusher

Benefit (£24.50)

 

This Lolli tint liquid blusher is one of my favourites, its a candy coloured cheek stain that leaves my cheeks looking great! It lasts a few hours and is perfect for adding a hint of colour.

Rimmel (£4.49)

This is the closest rival to the benefit Lolli tint! Rommel's Stay Blushes leaves your cheeks looking a sun-kissed pink, but unfortunately last for little over than an hour 

Winner: Benefit! 

Round 2: Make-up Remover 

Orico (£16)

Orico's Orange Micellar make-up remover not only smells amazing as it's infused with a citrus smell, but takes a few wipes to get your makeup off. What I really loves about this product was that it doesn't sting my face as I have really sensitive skin. It also has anti-inflammatory calendula flower extract, which soothed my eyes before heading to bed. The only downside to this product is the price! 

Soap and Glory (£6)

Drama Clean make-up remover is my current micellar water, its lush! The cucumber juice and peach fruit leaves your skin smelling sweet, feeling soft, and left soothed. It wipes your makeup off instantly, a no fuss remover for before bed! 

Garnier (£3.33)

There's no doubt that this is my ultimate make-up remover winner. It's the best value for money and removes dirt and purifies your skin within seconds. The only downside is that is doesn't have a fruity smell, but some people prefer it that way!

Winner: Garnier!

Round 3: Concealer

Rimmel (£3.49)

This concealer is great for simple every-day makeup to throw under your eyes and on your pimples as soon as you wake up in the mornings. Its a smooth quick-fix but doesn't last all day, so you'll need to touch up. 

Benefit (£17.50)

This is the best concealer for blemishes and spots, lasts for hours and a must-have for a night out as there's no chance of it melting off. Not one to pop under the eyes as it's not a smooth as some concealers and does tend to crumble when applied in large amounts.

Winner: Undecided

Round 4: Hand Cream 

Bodyshop (£4)

Honestly, the only positive I can say about this product is the smell as i love Bodyshop's coconut smelling products. I suffer from dry skin in-between my fingers during the winter and this product did not help at all, unfortunately it soothed my skin for minutes, before getting dry and continuing to itch hours later. 

Palmers (£1.99)

Not much I can say about this product, never disappoints, keeping my hands smooth all the way through the bitter weather.

Winner: Palmers!

Hope you enjoyed reading my first ever Splurge vs Steal!

K.