Benefit 'They're Real' mascara review...

I recently bought Elle magazine and the freebie this month was a sample of the new Benefit mascara, 'they're real!' I am a self confessed make up snob and would rather save up and buy myself the product I feel really works than buy several products that are often cheaper and less effective. My current favourite mascaras are Diorshow Black out £23 by Dior and surprisingly Extreme volume mascara £2 by MUA at Superdrug. I tend to use the MUA as my everyday mascara and the Dior if I am going out or dressing up slightly more. 

I always think i look a bit albino without mascara as my eyelashes are so pale and my eyes end up fading in to my face. So i pretty much will always wear mascara even to the gym. For this reason it is important for mascara to be waterproof, long lasting and have strong colour... a tough challenge for the Benefit newbie.

However, I can say I am very very impressed. Even though just a tester, the packaging is luxurious and sturdy, a treat to open. The little tube encloses the brush which is an artistic masterpiece. There are hundreds of long and short bristles meaning that even the shortest of lashes get a good coating of mascara. My favourite feature of the brush is the slightly rounder tip, which enables easy application to lower lashes, something I always struggle to do without a serious touch up job afterwards.

So anyway here are the before and after pics, please excuse my eyebrows, I took these literally on my way out of the door to get them sorted.

Before

After

Even though it is slightly pricey at £19.50, I am definitely going to buy myself the full sized mascara after the tester runs out as it is the perfect mascara to wear even whilst working out. You can buy it at all Benefit counters and online on the Benefit Website

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xx

Before and now motivation...

Loads of people ask me how I stay motivated to get down the gym or go for a run 5 or so times a week. I'm not going to lie and say I just love getting out of bed early so much that its easy, because its not. 

I have fluctuated in size from around a 12 to an 8 many times, at the start of uni I put on around a stone and a half and was really really unhappy with how I looked, I know I wasn't obese but I was unhealthy eating anything and not caring about what was in it. I joined the gym but thought if i was going i could still eat rubbish, didn't lose any weight or muscle tone and ended up not going.

Over the first summer and with a holiday on the way, i decided I really wanted to tone up and feel good about myself, so i got outside in the countryside and ran. When I got home I would do sit ups and squats etc and slowly I began to see a change. It took me two months to put on the weight (Pretty impressive i know) and around 9 months to lose it. That was motivation enough for me to keep the weight off and if anything really change my diet and exercise to look fit not thin.

BEFORE:

 NOW:

Since Transforming my diet and exercise I am so much healthier and happier, my skin is better, I'm not so tired and I have more energy. There are still little bits that I can improve, like my chocoholic tendencies but its all a journey.

Iv tried evening exercise, i'v tried classes, afternoon exercise, going in the evening, before dinner, after dinner. You name it, I have tried it. What works for me is just getting up that little bit earlier and getting it over with.

Reasons to exercise in the morning:

• There are no excuses except you are tired. Then if you skip it, you feel guilty for the rest of the day.
• It leaves your evenings free to do other fun things.
• It gives me energy and wakes me up
• I feel like I should eat healthily for the rest of the day.

Basically exercising in the morning is my motivation to stay healthy. I know if i leave it to the evening, I won't go. The only evening exercise I will do is a class or group exercise like football or pole fitness. I know my lie ins and excuse days are the days I plan for rest. So it may take a while to work out what suits you best but once you have found it and the results become more and more obvious, the motivation will come without any effort.