Give up, Give In, or Give it all you've got.

So after having a mini break down yesterday I decided to write a little blog post for motivation and because I haven't wrote one in soooo long (soz). 

I was suppose to write a blog after I finished my last 8 week challenge but I wasn't one bit impressed with my before and after picture so thought mehh better not. Even doh i still did ok the picture just didn't cut it for me.

Anyhow . . My head has been in the game since then (3 weeks ago) and I'm down 8.5 pounds woooo.

But I still managed to have a winge yesterday and I was just feeling sorry for myself mainly because the finish line just seems soooo far away it's like it's a never ending battle. 

With every weight loss journey we have to stop and ask ourselves 'is there a finish line?' I mean when I'm at my goal weight and I'm happy with my body I can't go back to my old eating habits and just ditch the gym because I'd be back at square one in no time. So I need to drill it into my head THERE IS NO FINISH LINE!   

Instead of crying into a 3n1 last night I took a few deep breathes posted a quote on Instagram the usual girlo thing to do and then went on a 5K jog (Proud momo considering the humour I was in) and I felt 100 times better. 

Nobody likes been stuck in a rut it's the worse feeling in the world you could go to the gym 100 times and not loose 1 pound it's like the world and its mother is against you but the main thing is your trying and it will show one day you just have to grin and bare. (Deep breaths)

Barriers are constantly popping up and set backs do occur weather they be big or small. It's all about how you handle the situation weather to throw in the towel or give it all you've got. 

And of course my advice to you is give it all you've got. 

Here's to staying motivated and positive. Summer is coming!

Love

Danielle X 

Follow me on Instagram for more frequent posts @daniellemcdade

Beauty on a budget

You know them sets you get off your aunty Mary for Christmas from boots or whatever and it's not a brand name just say for example everything is pink poka dots and in it you find the best little eyeshadow you ever used and when it's gone you are absolutely devastated. 

Where am I going with this you ask? You don't need to spend €100's in Brown Thomas to get the best make up products into your make up bag. 

As a make up artist myself I use lots of different brands and products. The majority of my kit is from Inglot and MAC which I do use on myself and some clients, but I do love a bargain and I'm not afraid to experiment with different products. 

And as make up tutor I always advise my students to buy brands like Rimmel and Loreal etc when starting off for a few different reasons 1) They are going to be using a lot of product whilst practising and 2) There good quality for a decent price. 

Here are my top 5 make up products under €15. 

1) Ok, I know I'm responsible for the beauty range in H&M but still, The H&M lipstick is absolutely brilliant and it smells amazing. We have over 30 different shades in store and the lipsticks are so pigmented. The packaging is so cute and looks so expensive so for €9.99 you can't go wrong.

2) This is like my go to foundation when I run out of MAC or just feel like I need to give my skin a breather. Rimmel lasting finish foundation, I use shade 200 and I think it gives you a fab flawless finish and come on who doesn't want to look flawless for €10.99. 

3) Sticking to the Rimmel brand my absolute fav concealer is 'Wake Me Up' I use this all the time. I hate concealers that gives you that real cakey look and this does the complete opposite. It gives a real fresh and radiant glow to your face. I use the shade 'ivory' and it's only €7.99. 

4) Ok so this brand takes me back to my youth and I think this brand is so under rated. I got this Essence eye shadow palette when I was teaching an indtroduction to make up course last year, and the women as well as myself fell in love with it. This palette is great for creating a few different looks weather it's for everyday or you want to create a full on smokey eye you can do it with this. The light colours are fabulous highlighters too - WINNING! It's €4.99. 

5) Last but not least is my little baby, everyday I say to myself I need to stop wearing nude on my lips and change it up but everyday I still end up wearing nude on my lips oopps. This lip liner from Inglot is great for giving your lips a bit of definition without going full blown Kylie Jenner. I think the Inglot lip liners are very good and a very reasonable price at just €10.00. I use number 63, and I have 72 which is nice too.

So there you have it, 5 make up products that won't put a hole in your pocket. 

Happy shopping.

Love 

Danielle x 

Follow me on Instagram for more frequent posts @daniellemcdade 

 

Miss Fit Skinny Tea review

Whatever happened to a normal cup of tea that the Irish are famous for? 

With more and more people wanting to get fit and healthy, teatoxs and detoxs are becoming more and more popular. 

I wouldn't be one for going on a detox or taking shakes or tablets etc because I'd feel like such a cheater because I think there just quick fixes and let's be honest here all you have to do to loose weight is eat less and move more right?! 

Before Christmas I had been hearing a lot about miss fit skinny tea and after doing a bit a research I thought I'd give it ago because I heard so much good things about it. 

It's 100% all natural Ingredients, so it'd just be like drinking a cup of green tea but with a lot more benefits. It doesn't make you loose weight but can contribute if you're already eating healthy and excersizing. It comes with a 14 day meal plan but I stuck to slimming world because I'm so fussy! But the plan is great and gives you lots of different ideas. 

You are suppose to drink 2-3 cups a day so I did and more, it tastes nice a bit hard to drink at the start but then I started to like the taste of it. I lost 6 pounds in my first week (doing SW too) I was chuffed! 

It definitely gets rid of the bloated and sluggish feeling which was a great little boost for me because it was so close to Christmas I was drained and this gave me the little kick I needed. 

The thing I love most about this tea is it stops you from craving something sweet with your tea because this is sweet itself. 

I'll definitely be getting another pack of this, I'd definitely recommend it for anyone who is trying to loose weight it gives you that extra little kick we all need sometimes. 

You can buy Miss Fit Skinny Tea in most chemists (mostly Loylds) and online at missfitskinnytea.ie a 14 day teatox is €24.99 you will need to buy the infuser separate too but Loylds have a deal on at the moment where you can get it free. 

Hope everyone's smashing January.

Love 

Danielle X 

Follow me on Instagram for more frequent posts @Daniellemcdade 

Slow and steady wins the race

New year, new me. 

My New Years resolution from as far back as I can remember was always to 'get skinny' but I always failed. 'Get skinny' isn't a good goal to have anyway I think everyone should aim to be fit and healthy whilst working towards their ideal body image. 

Even though I'm very proud of what I achieved in 2015, I completed over 5 different gym challenges, done personal training and done the 'Run a muck' challenge. My whole body shape has changed completey since I've joined Dtop Fitness and the way I think has changed too, I actually look forward to going the gym now. Even though over the Christmas I found myself falling back into old habits I still managed to get back on track this week but I found it hard, at the start of the week all I wanted to do was sleep. It's crazy after two weeks of bad eating and not going to the gym how horrible I felt, I constantly felt drained and sluggish. It's true what they say you create your own energy. 

I'm the smallest I've ever been, but I'm still not happy and not at my goal weight, will us girls ever be happy? 

I feel like if I don't do it this year I'm going to be struggling for the rest of my life. Today I start my very first challenge of 2016 and I'm so excited. I'm bridesmaid in August and I refuse to walk up the aisle looking like miss piggy in a puffy dress, not forgetting Ibiza in July the only thing that makes me walk to the gym in this horrific weather so if these aren't good enough motivators I don't know what is. 

I'm back in slimming world and I find it great I set myself a target to loose 3 stone by August and I Defo think its achievable if I put my mind to it, it's all about staying positive and planning and preparation are key. 

Here are my before pictures, I'm a bit on the pudgy side but sure look it was Christmas. 

If you set yourself a goal for 2016 stay postive and motivated. Forget about them 5 tins of roses you ate and them 5 bottles of wine you drank over the Christmas your human you're aloud to enjoy yourself. Look forward and get ready to smash your goals for 2016. Don't compare your journey to anybody else's, you see these crazy pages on Instagram girls loosing 8 and 9 even 10 stone in a year and my god I take my hat off to them but that's their journey and this is ours. Remember slow and steady wins the race. 

'Never give up on your dreams, the time is going to pass anyway' 

Love 

Danielle X 

2 0 1 6

It's D Day! The first Monday of January and my god I've never been so happier to see a Monday in my life. 

First of all I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas, I hope you ate that box of celebrations without feeling guilty and got so drunk you had to re read my blog on 'The Fear' to reassure yourself. 

I know my blog was very quiet in December, but I was so so busy you's all know retail in December, everytime I went to write a blog I would fall asleep. But not too worry my main goal for 2016 is to put everything into my blog and I honestly can't wait to keep writing more and more and seeing where it takes me. 

On NYE a girl came up to me and said 'you don't know me but I just wanna say I read your blogs and your doing great for yourself I'm delighted for you' wellllll I wanted to cry. I only started my blog in August and the support I get is amazing I'm so grateful. 

I love January, I know a lot of people are feeling meh today, but I love the fact that it's a fresh start. 

I had a amazing year in 2015 I done so many things that I'm proud of I never in a million years thought I'd leave home and I did I went to Moldova for a month and had an amazing time, I thought my very own 4 week make up course and then got a job in one of Ireland's best make up colleges. I'm so excited to see what 2016 has in store for me, my main goal for 2016 is to finally reach my goal weight il be starting my first gym challenge next week so il write a new blog post then, Another goal is to travel again this year and to be a full time teacher, but most of all to be happy. 

I hope everyone kicked started the new year today on a positive note weather it be weight loss, career goals or just something personal. I have a new diary and I'm ready to write down all my goals, I done this last year and it really helps! 

Have a fabulous first month of 2016,

Love 

Danielle X 

The Fear

At what age does 'going for a few drinks' actually mean you go for a few drinks? One minute you're in the pub sipping on a few 'casual ones' chatting away to you're friends acting like normal people next thing you know you're in a night club swinging out of a bottle of vodka having a dance off. 

'The Fear' them dreaded two words after every night out. For some people it doesn't happen often, but when it does it hits you like a tonne of bricks! 

So many stages of a hangover and it all happens in the space of few hours, a bit much for the best of us to handle. Will we put ourselfs in the same situation again next week? Absolutely. 

The 'why did I go out' phase: 

You wake up sweating and it feels like someone has a hammer to you're head 'what day is it? What time is it? Am I in work today? Is my keys, purse and phone in my bag? The list goes on. After this quick 10 minute panic attack, we usually just roll back over and go back asleep for another few hours. 

The 'why do I have a phone' stage: 

The WORST stage. Looking through your messages and wanting to throw you're good iPhone onto the main road with the hopes that a car drives over it, also hoping that the car hits you too so you never have to face that person you drunk texted ever again. '...... Has tagged you in a picture' why after one too many vodkas do we think we look like Beyoncé, holding the glass as if it's a winning lottery ticket smiling from ear to ear, I can't cope! Your snapchat story is 200 seconds and by the time you go on to delete it everybody has already seen it. 

The giddy/ 'a ball was had' stage:

The group chat is going 90, laughing faces here there and everywhere! Your feeling very humble and grateful that you were blessed with a great group of friends that are top buzzers and you wouldn't change them for the world. Them good flashbacks that leave you laughing by yourself like a dope, and not forgetting that little smile when you WB saying 'a ball was had'.

The 'Is the curry shop open yet' stage:  

Wanting to eat everything in sight but you can't because you're on a diet? Saying F it anyway a 3n1 won't kill Ye and then cry about it for a hour later. It's Monday morning new week new goals quote already up on Instagram and you're buzzing for 7 bells for the gym. It's a crazy cycle.

The 'I just want someone to love me' stage: 

After a day of ups and downs, horrible headaches, giddy half an hours and making a pig of yourself in the kitchen it's bed time. Lying in bed feeling fragile, the head ache is after getting a bit much now, scrolling up and down your news feeds and seeing a quote picture and sobbing! You just want someone to hold you and tell you everything is going to be alright. Well guess what everything will be alright tomorrow and everything will still be alright this time next week when your feeling the exact same way. 

My advice for the fear? Get over yourself! Everyone deserves a good night out especially if you worked hard all week. Nobody cares which way you were dancing or posing for pictures because guess what nobody probly remembers. The girlos from the tiolet don't remember you telling them about how your ex dumped you through a FB message either so take a deep breath, have a little winge and eat the 3n1 at the end of the day were all human. Life is for living.

Love

(A very hungover) 

Danielle xx 

Q&A with FacesByGrace

Hey everyone,

Hope everyone is well, and your all slowly but surely getting into the Christmas spirit. It feels like I haven't wrote a blog post in agesss! I've been so busy with work and the gym. For those of you who didn't see on my Facebook or Instagram I got a job as a tutor in LA College of Creative Arts. (pinch me moment) I don't think it has hit home yet to say I'm delighted would be an understatement, teaching is my passion and the college is a dream. I,l write a blog all about it very soon. Anyways. . . 

I'm sure everybody has heard of the Irish blogger Faces By Grace. Grace is a beauty and lifestyle blogger. 

If you have been reading my blogs since I started you'd probably know I am like Graces number 1 fan! (bit much but still lol), watching her snap chats and reading her blogs really encouraged me to start my own blog. I think Grace is so popular because she is so honest she openly talks about her anxiety and weight loss journey and a lot of people can relate to her. Here's 10 questions I came up with that I wanted to talk to Grace about and I thought yous would like to hear too. Enjoy! 

1) What did you do before you started blogging? 

I was in university studying German and Spanish as part of an arts degree and I also worked in retail as a fashion merchandiser.

2) What was the reason you started up your own blog?

 I wanted to share my makeup skills with everyone and share my stories and experiences.

3) Who inspired you to start blogging? did you follow many bloggers before you started your own?

 I was more into you tube when I started. I watched all the US & UK you tubers like Dulce Candy, JloveMAC etc they inspired me to start my own channel.

4) Do you ever feel under pressure because there's so many people watching you all the time?

No, my followers totally understand that I have good and bad days and they are always so supportive. I love sharing my world with everyone 

5) What advice would you give to new and upcoming bloggers?

Keep going, never give up. Its not easy but if its meant for you it won't pass you by. and do it for passion and not for money and fame haha.

6) You look amazing, how do you stay on track with slimming world whilst socialising at events etc? any tips?

I try watch everything I eat and I exercise a lot too. I have to maintain an balanced diet if not my weight starts to creep up again.

7) How did you come up with the name Faces by Grace?

 I wanted something catchy that rhymed and I was a MUA doing faces so it just stuck :).

8) Where do you see yourself in 5 years? what is your ultimate blogging goal?

Id love to be married with kids and still blogging, you never know what is going to come from blogging. I would love my own makeup academy and my own line of products someday.

9) Have you any funny fan girl story's? 

Some people get star stuck which I find so strange because I am no star I am just a normal girl doing what I love.

10) you always talk about you time in OZ do you ever regret coming home? would you like to go back?

 No I never regret coming home, I met Chris when I came home and everything career wise started to happen when I came home. I will defo go back for holidays as it is the most amazing country.

Grace is a great role model and such an inspiration to all young women I was delighted I got to do a Q&A with her.

Grace is on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat and all her usernames are @Facesbygrace23.

Hope yous liked this post.

Love
Danielle x

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