Sophia Karlberg - Pillowtalk | Zayn Cover

Hello Lovelies! Like the majority of people at the minute, I'm obsessed with Zayn's new song Pillowtalk. And, we all know I'm a big fan of my covers. So, it was only a matter of time before I featured a pillowtalk cover, wasn't it? The amazingly talented Sophia Karlberg's cover turned up in my subscription box recently and I just knew I had to feature it!

Her voice has got a lovely, slightly husky tone that really lends itself to the song. It's such a soothing version, I could probably listen to this all day for the foreseeable future and not be bored. Really! I haven't got one bad word to say about this version, it's so good you forget it's a cover and just enjoy it for what it is. You know that level of amazing? Yeah, this is it! Well worth a listen. It will also be available on iTunes & Spotify soon so, if you like it definitely support her and check it out there too!

Maxine, xo 

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The 4 Week Spending Ban | I Have No Willpower

Hello, Lovelies! Like most of us, I spent a lot and got a lot over Christmas, which was quickly followed by my birthday in January. However, I'm a hoarder. A massive, ridiculous hoarder. So, on top of a huge pile of stuff I've got lying around the house, I've now got Christmas and birthday gifts, plus sales purchases to find homes for. I'm still struggling. It's just not happening. And, being realistic, I'm skint. So very, very bloody skint. 

The solution? A spending ban! As of today, I'm going to be only buying essentials. And, by essentials I mean I literally don't have another bottle of foundation left in the house, not I've got more bottles than I can count but omg doesn't this one look like it'll be the one?! Not that I've ever done that, of course... 

The point of this ban is, of course, to kick-start me into saving, hopefully make me realise that new things are grand and all but I don't need 50 red lipsticks, and also to give me an excuse to test out products I haven't tried in a while, force me to be more creative and hopefully give me lots of new things to write about here. Which can only be a good thing, yeah? Yeah. 

If any has gone on a spending ban recently, if currently gone on one or has any tips, please do leave links to your posts below! 

Much love, Maxine xo

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Everyday Daytime/Morning Skincare | DRY, SENSITIVE SKIN.

Hello, Lovelies! Following some recent purchases and actually spending time on my skincare routine, I've finally (fingers crossed) got my skin somewhere near decent. I still get the odd dry patch, but it's the best it's been in a long time! So, I thought I'd share my basic, everyday daytime skincare routine with you guys. These are the steps I do in the morning to get my skin feeling fresh and make-up ready. You can read my everyday nighttime skincare routine here.

Firstly, I'll cleanse my face using a cotton pad and my trusty Garnier Micellar Water. My skin always feels fresh and clean after using this, and I haven't had any reactions to it so that's always a good thing! I've never noticed that dry, tight feeling we all know either. I do then like to run a warm, damp washcloth over my face, just to make sure my face is extra clean.

Next, I use my Superdrug Hydrating serum (read my review here) which gives me a massive moisture boost and is surprisingly lightweight. I'll leave that to sink in, then I'll  massage a little bit of the L'Oreal Triple Active Day Cream on top. This is quite a thick cream, so I like to give this some time to sink in before I layer more things on top! It definitely gives another hit of hydration, and keeps my skin from drying out under all the makeup and cold air throughout the day. Once I've massaged this in, I'll normally eat breakfast or something, then by the time that's done I'm ready to layer on primers and foundations and everything else. 

Much like my nighttime skincare routine, I like to keep things as simple and minimal as I can do with my everyday routine, otherwise, my skin can get quite overwhelmed and just end up a massive, dry mess. I'll be posting my "extras" routine soon, with my exfoliators, face masks etc. 

Much love, Maxine xo

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New Year Fitness | Tips + Tricks

Hello, lovelies! As you may have already read in my 2016 goals, I'm working towards really improving my fitness this year, which isn't as easy as it sounds! So, I've got some little tips and my "routine", if that's what you want to call it, for slowly adding fitness into your everyday life. 

I cannot stress enough how important it is to see a professional, these are just little things I've found work for me personally. 

First things first, invest in some apps. I've recently posted apps I've been loving, and they're all free (most, if not all, offer in-app purchases). The 2 I'd recommend that go really well together are MyFitnessPal and Sworkit. MyFitnessPal tracks how many calories you've burned in your workouts that day (and how many you've eaten, if you want to plug that info in, plus a lot of other good stuff), and Sworkit offers a range of pre-picked workouts, ranging from yoga, cardio, and strength, plus stretches too. You can choose any time from 5 minutes up to an hour or more, and it tells you how many calories you've burnt at the end (and plugs that info straight into MyFitnessPal if you let it, saving you the trouble). 

Next, is to start slow. If you're starting from nothing, it's very easy to think "oh, I'll do all these things and it'll be great", only to be too tired to make it through either a workout that's too grueling in itself or just simply too tired/sore/disheartened from a previous workout to do the next. I personally work in a lot of smaller workouts that push me without pushing me past my limits, with the intention to build up to a bigger, more intense workout when I'm capable. 

Fit in workouts where you can. Everyone's got time to fit in workouts if you really want to. We've all heard the "get off the bus a stop earlier, take the stairs" schpeel so I'll spare you, but it really does count! Another tip is to make use of the smaller workouts on Sworkit (and similar apps). Do a 5-minute workout during the ad break, fit in a 10-minute workout when you get home from work/uni etc and it'll all add up, and you'll be surprised by the difference it makes! 

Have a rest day or two! I personally have a rest day through the week (mine's Thursdays), but fit it in whenever you feel works best for you. You definitely need time to let your muscles rest and repair, and yourself too. You'll feel so much more rejuvenated and ready to go the next morning when you're less sore and tired. 

Finally, find what works for you! If walking, jogging or running is for you, that's great! If you despise that, but love Zumba, that's great too! Don't push yourself to do a workout you hate, you'll only end up really dreading it. 

Of course, share any links you have in the comments, as well as anything you'd add!

Much love, Maxine xo

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Everyday Nighttime Skincare Routine | DRY, SENSITIVE SKIN

Hello, Lovelies! Following my recent skincare haul, I thought I'd post my current skincare routine, featuring some of the products I bought and some old favourites! Note that this is my basic, everyday routine. I do use facemasks, pore strips etc a couple of times through the week, but this is something I do every day without fail (err.. mostly!). So let's get into it! 





I can't do anything without one of these dogs getting in the way!

First, I take my eye makeup off with these Superdrug eye makeup remover pads, 99p which are designed for sensitive skin, so they don't sting or irritate my eyes which is a massive bonus for me, as my eye area is very sensitive and dries out at the drop of a hat. I then take off the rest of my makeup with these Superdrug face wipes, 99p Which are for dry skin, and are "enriches with sweet almond oil and hyaluronic acid" so they not only do they stop my skin getting irritated and dried out, they also give me a bit of a moisture boost, which is always a good thing for me! These combined leave my face pretty much makeup free, at least to the naked eye! 

Next, I cleanse using the Garnier Micellar water, £1.99 on a cotton pad. After I've done this and the cotton pad is coming away clean, I like to cleanse my face again with a facecloth and some warm water just to make sure my skin is as clean as it can be.

Finally, I use this Nivea Regenerating Night Cream, £4.35, which leaves my skin feeling amazingly soft the next morning. This is developed specifically for dry and sensitive skin, and it claims to "Support the skin’s regenerating process during the night with its indulging formula containing Provitamin B 5", which I definitely agree with so far.

And, that's that! I try not to faff on with too many products/steps because my skin is so sensitive and dry, if I do too much it reacts badly and I end up with really bad dry patches. I'll post my "extra" skincare routine soon, with my favourite masks, exfoliators and all those goodies! 

Much love, Maxine xo

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