AllieUK Gets Fit

I have started a new blog...

I am currently not too happy with my size, and thought that blogging about it would actually force me to do something! Instead of spending all my free time sat on the sofa watching Revenge, Pretty Little Liars, TOWIE... the list goes on. 

I am just going to share my experiences, good or bad! And hopefully I can battle the bulge. 

Anybody else trying to kick start 2013 in a healthy way? Share your hints and tips!

Check it out here! - http://allieukgetsfit.blogspot.co.uk

- Allie x

The Name on Everyone's Lips

Ted Baker The Name on Everyone's Lips - RRP £15

The Ted Baker - The Name on Everyone's Lips set contains 4 lip crayons, in a (roughly) A5 sized metallic tin. This metallic tin can be reused obviously which is always great, and I'm going to use mine to some small stud earrings. 

I have been dying to try lip crayons, which is why when I saw this set in the Boots Christmas section, I had to snap it up immediately. The set is priced at £15, which I think is very reasonable. Especially when you see that each lip crayon then works out at £3.75, which is very economical.

The set is displayed beautifully and is an ideal gift for anybody who is at all interested in makeup and beauty. Lip crayons are not something many people own, so even the most beauty obsessed friend will be surprised to get this set.

The set contains 4 different shades of lip crayons, but like most gift sets, the lip crayons don't have shade names. This is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, because I do love it when companies name all the different shades. 

I was surprised at how much I liked using the lip crayons. I wasn't sure how they would look on, but they look a lot like lipstick, with the benefit of being a lot more hydrating and they pretty much feel just like a lip balm. Best of both worlds! My favourite shade in the set has to be the brightest red one. Although all the shades are very wearable which is impressive when it comes to sets like this. I know that I will get a lot of use out of all 4 shades. 

Have you tried lip crayons yet? What do you prefer, lipstick, lip crayons or lip butters?

- Allie 

New Beauty Essential - v05 Miracle Concentrate

v05 Miracle Concentrate Elixir with Argan Oil - RRP £5.19

I have something to admit... I have never actually used a hair oil before! 

I think that it is hard to live in the blogging community and not hear about Moroccan oil, but unfortunately I've never felt I could justify purchasing it, even though every time I read something about it, I got a little bit more intrigued. So, I picked up the v05 Miracle Concentrate on the spur of the moment, and see how I fared with it.

Basically, all you do to use this bad boy is use the dropper to put some oil on the palms of your hands, then rub the oil into your hair. And, as the bottle says, a little oil goes a loooong way.

First opinions, I was extremely impressed by the price, finding a hair oil for roughly a fiver is very exciting! 

When you dropper some of the oil in your palm, you'll notice the sweet smell it gives off. I personally like the scent, but even if you hate it, I wouldn't worry! Once you dry your hair, you don't notice any scent.

A little bit of product goes a long way, which is good because if you pick up this product in the shops you may notice that it looks a little small. In this case I do think that looks can be deceiving and if you use too much oil you will only end up with greasy looking hair! 

After I had dried my hair, I was amazed by the improvement! Even after the first use, I found that my hair looked sleeker, smoother and actually felt thicker. I felt like I had just walked out of a hair-dressers! This feeling lasted into the second day too which I was extremely impressed by.

The only criticism I have is, I wish that the bottle was glass! Although, a plastic bottle makes it safer and easier to travel with, and I guess I won't be as worried about dropping it.

In the future, I am definitely going to be using this hair oil before drying my hair, however I don't think I am going to be splurging on some Moroccan oil just yet.

What hair oil do you use? Have you tried the v05 Miracle Concentrate yet? Should I break the bank and buy some Moroccan oil?

- Allie 

Vivo Unprotected Palette. Looks pretty Naked to me.

Vivo 12 Shade Colour Palette Unprotected - RRP £3.99

I bought this palette because I am obsessed with neutral colours, and didn't even realise the similarity of this palette to the Urban Decay Naked palette! In hindsight, the palette is called 'Unprotected' and that should have been a big hint.

I have been very impressed by the Vivo products and feel like they are a high competitor for MUA, because they both give great products for great prices. This palette is priced at £3.99, which is a complete steal! If you are unwilling to fork out for the Urban Decay Naked palette I do think this is a good alternative.

MUA has a palette similar to the Naked palette as well, however I would argue that this palette is the better option. They are both priced at £4.00, but the Vivo palette is much sturdier than the MUA palette, and in my opinion looks like it is worth a lot more than £4.00. This palette also doesn't contain a lot of wasted space, it may look a bit bulky but you get a lot of product for your buck.

This palette obviously isn't exactly the same as the Naked palette, but you do get what you pay for. The Naked palette is highly pigmented where, with the Vivo palette you will find that some shades need building up. Regardless of whether you want to buy this as an alternative to the Naked palette or not, this is a fantastic neutral palette, and is ideal if you don't want to break the bank on good products.

Have you tried this palette? Would you consider purchasing it instead of the Naked palette?

- Allie

Christmas Idea - The Midnight Manicure

Fearne Cotton Midnight Manicure - RRP £12.00

This is one of the various gift sets that boots brings just in time for Christmas. If you haven't checked these various gift sets out yet, you really have to! You will no doubt find something ideal for Christmas (especially if you are stilling buying Christmas gifts, like me) and a little something for yourself too. And on top of that, boots have a 3 for 2 deal on all Christmas gifts too, amazing!

This set of nail polishes from Fearne Cotton is an amazing gift. It contains 6 unique nail polish colours, with a mix of 3 solid colours and 3 colours containing glitter/shimmer. Such a good mix! It also works out at only £2 per nail polish, which if you have been buying nail polishes recently, you will know is a pretty great price.

I haven't tried on all the colours yet, but of the ones I have tried I've found that the polish dries quickly and sets hard. Which is all you really need from a nail polish! It also only takes 2 coats until you reach opaqueness, even on the extremely dark colours.

The bottles are also pretty cute, with the gold handle and thick glass bottle. It makes the polishes feel more expensive than they really are. One thing that annoys me however, is the fact that the nail polishes don't have shade names! I always prefer when companies name the various colours, but it is hardly a deal breaker.

I think this gift is ideal if you know somebody who is obsessed with painting their nails, or maybe a younger teen who is exploring all things beauty related. I would be extremely excited to receive this as a gift, and in fact I actually bought this set for myself as a cheeky pre-Christmas present!

Has anybody else tried out this set? Know anybody who would enjoy getting these nail polishes for Christmas?

- Allie