What Lara Did #2: Running

Good morning guys!

So I posted my first installment to this pretty inconsistent series a while back now - all about Juicing! (Read here). I thought it was about time I did another. You may or may not know, but a while back my dad and I signed up to a 5km race. Now I'm sure some of you fitness fanatics are thinking that's nothing but to me it's a pretty big deal. I'll input some context to the situation; I'm no stranger to running. I used to do athletics all throughout my childhood and was most interested in middle distance running so it is something I have my fair share of experience in. I used to also participate in the school cross countries, I even got through to the English School finals once but never ended up attending (something I really regret now).

Anyways, I did Athletics until  I was about 15 and then  I stopped due to a persistent injury in my knee. Still now I don't entirely know whats up with my knee and I've given up going to physio. However, running is something I always used to enjoy and it's only since I've stopped being good at it it seemed sort of a chore. My dad also was quite the athlete back in the day and so we thought it would make sense to take up a hobby together and hopefully get fitter along the way. We've been doing a mixture of training on our own and together. The 5KM run is on 19th April in Liverpool. As I mentioned, the run is mainly for fitness and hobby purposes however we are raising money for those who lost their lives at the Hillsborough 96 as well, so if anyone would like to donate it would be very very much appreciated and it is for a great cause. You can donate HERE.

I'll be sure to update you of how my run goes, my training has been going well so hopefully it will be a success. After this we're looking at signing up to The Color Run which looks so fun!

Have you signed yourself up to any races this year?

Motivational Monday - Making The Most Out Of Life

Motivational Monday by whatlaradidnext featuring a typography poster

Morning guys and welcome to Blogmas Day 22! Another spontaneous from yours truly today & by that I mean it's 'one of them' posts where I digress away from my usual works involving beauty etc. I mean, sometimes if you get an idea in your head that you can't seem to shake off, I always think it's best to put your pen to paper/fingertips to keyboard and just let it all out. Today I would like to talk about the L word we're all doing at this very moment, whether we like it or not and that is Living.

As long as we're alive, we're living. Our hearts are beating away and the blood is pumping around our body - keeping us alive. We all have a different definition of living and what it is like to live so here is my definition...

For me, living is all about being the best version of yourself or at least trying to be. We all get a numbered amount of days that we're on this earth and unfortunately we don't have a choice of when it is time to leave and even when that moment will be. I often forget this my self, but as I previously stated - life is for living and making the most of the time we've got. We should live everyday like it's our last, I mean we all hope we'll live to be old and grey but fate doesn't always allow for that. Sometimes, the people you love the most are taken away from you, for no reason other than 'their time is up' so really we should learn to enjoy the time we have to be alive and share it with those we love the most. This may come across as being a little depressive but that isn't intended. I hope from reading this post you will take away the fact or be reminded that you need to make the most of what you have or that if there is something you've always wanted to do - go out and do it, make a plan! Funnily enough, as I type away I am finding my self feeling motivated and reminded of the fact I need to live life more.

In my eyes, I know that what I want out of life is to be happy. Of course, I hope to one day have a family, my dream home and a thriving career, just like everybody does. We all want the same outcome but with a different direction as to how we're going to get there. I want to die old and grey with the nostalgic thoughts of what a wonderful life I've had. I want to be rich, not only financially but rich in knowledge as well. I want to have memories of travelling the world, visiting beautiful cities and sharing amazing moments with loved ones. It's no secret that I want to have a pet dog, of whom I will love and care for. In fact, throughout my lifetime I hope to have several dogs. I want my home to be a safe haven and my little piece of heaven. I will stay loyal to those I love and make kind gestures to those whom I don't necessarily have to. I will work hard because, for the most part, in order to do nice things or have items of luxury, as that is what you need to do. I refuse to leave this world without leaving my stamp on it and encourage those of you reading this to do so also.

That is my definition of living and how I intend to live my life! What is yours?

Christmas Jumpers & A Catch Up

Morning guys and welcome to Blogmas Day 19! Can you believe it's less than a week until Christmas? I don't know about you guys but I am so so excited!

This week has been a fun one. Usually I don't get up to that much during the week, apart from going to work I'm generally a bit of a hermit but this week it's all been 'go'.

On Tuesday we had a bit of a family gathering round at my brother's house as it was his birthday. We got the chance to mingle with his partners family and just have some quality family time. I spent half my evening cuddling the puppy and the other half wolfing down mozzarella sticks and all sorts of other buffet goodness. I think my brother really enjoyed his day ( I hope he did).

Wednesday evenings, as you may or may not know, is the evening that I meet up with my dad for a Coffee so it was nice to see him, as always. After that, not long after I got home one of my bestest friends Fern called me up as she had just finished University for the Winter. Next thing I knew we were on our way to Frankies & Bennies out for dinner. It was so much fun, it's always lovely to see Fern, she is one of my oldest friends and is such a laugh. PS. I would 100% recommend anyone who loves Peanut Butter to make their way to F&B's asap, Fern & I both had one each and we were left speechless, it was amaze!

Last night I totted round to my other friends house, Katie. My Sister & I got invited over for Tea which was really nice. We got the opportunity to explore her new house and had the chance to have a real catch up. Me and Christy also made an excuse to wear our new Christmas Jumpers - duh!  Mine is a quote from Elf in case you were wondering! Katie made me an amazing Hot Chocolate in a Kilner jar with a Matchmaker dipped in it and loads of squirty cream on top, mmm! We had such a laugh, my jaw was actually hurting from laughing!

And of course, tonight is Mad Friday (the last Friday before Christmas) which definitely calls for going out into town with my best friend April for drinks and also hopefully bumping into other familiar faces along the way. I can't wait to get into the festive spirit and shout my head off to The Pogues - Fairytale of New York!

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend and  I will check in with you all tomorrow!

Getting Into The Christmas Spirit

Good morning guys and welcome to Blogmas Day 11!

So 2 weeks today it will be Christmas Day and you know what, I'm feeling pretty organised this year. I mean, 10 days ago I was in a panic and had bought no gifts yet somehow, miraculously I have no managed to get nearly all my presents now. I even did a huge Paperchase order containing all my wrapping paper and gift tags etc - this year I went with a Festive Woodland theme. What do you think? I think it all looks dead cute!

Last night my mum and I decided it was about time to 'deck the halls'. I'm away this weekend and my mum is super busy around this time of year with her shop so we decided to spare some time to put the tree up and decorate the house ready for the festive season, otherwise it would never get done! I absolutely love getting the house ready for Christmas, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Just the whole idea of switching the lights on in the evening is just the best. We made a big deal of the whole thing and armed ourselves with Mince Pies and a cup of tea. Obviously we had to blast out the Christmas songs - personal favourites include The Pogues - Fairytale of New York & Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You.

Everything is starting to come together now and I'm really looking forward to taking 2 weeks off over Christmas and spending it with my loved ones. I've got another Festive weekend planned out for this weekend with my sister and will of course keep you all in the loop of what we get up to.

Are you in the Christmas Spirit yet?

My Top 5 Favourite Instagram Accounts

Morning guys and welcome to Blogmas Day 9! So today lets talk about Instagram.

I love Instagram. I love the whole concept of it - anything visual, aesthetically pleasing and pretty, I'm there. I am a sucker for scrolling through Instagram, more times a day than I like to admit. I have recently found my self discovering the 'explore' button and in turn finding new accounts to follow. I thought it would be cool to share with you guys some of my favourite Instagrammers, so get the app ready to go a mini following spree once this post is over. The rule of thumb I  generally go for when following someone is do they include -  luxury travel, lifestyle, food, fashion or beauty and if the answer is no to any of the above then I will probably not follow, ooops! So here we go...

1. BeautifulDestinations - If you've caught the travel bug or you lead a 'yacht life' then this account will be heaven on a page for you. This account posts tonnes of beautiful pictures of locations around the world. Every time I look at the pictures on this page I just want to hop on a plane and travel.
2. The Kardashians/Jenners - Okay I'm a cliche but I don't care, the Kardashian and Jenner girls are the queens of Instagram. If you're looking for the perfect selfie these are my go-to girls, they never fail to disappoint as they always look amazing! Not fair.
3. GunnarFitness - Leading on from my previous recommendation, Gunnar Peterson (GunnarFitness) is a personal trainer to loads of celebrities, the Kardashians included. Gunnar posts some seriously inspirational stuff. If you're lacking motivation in the fitness department Gunnar is sure to inspire you.
4. PlantStrongVegan - Okay so technically I'm a Vegetarian not a Vegan. Although a lot of my food choices are Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free etc. If you're a Veggie/Vegan I would definitely urge you to follow this account - it is full of food ideas if you're struggling for inspiration and I just love it. As a result of following this Instagram account I have also discovered many other Vegan style pages that really inspire me, however this account remains a firm favourite!
5. ForeverSoakedInLux - I love luxury brands so for me, this is one of my ultimate favourite Instagram accounts to follow. It features luxury fashion/beauty items etc so think Chanel, Louboutins and Range Rovers. This account is everything luxury condensed into one Instagram account and it shares some really cool aspirational posts. If this is your kinda thing I would definitely click the follow button right now!

I have quite a few more Instagram accounts that I love but this is the exclusives who have made it to the top of my list. If you want to check out my little space on Instagram you can follow me here on - xlaraduncanx

Who is your favourite Instagrammer?

The Luxe Weekend Face

Morning guys - so it's not the weekend yet, but well we're half way there so here it goes.

On weekends I like to step it up a notch and by this I mean the luxe products come out to play. On week days I'm not so fussy about my appearance, getting up early is traumatizing enough as it is, let alone applying my make up whilst I'm half asleep at 6:50am. I'm not about that life. On weekends however I like to take a long time prepping my face for the day ahead and so I reach for the products that I know work and make me feel confident. Admittedly I love doing my make up on a weekend, although the products I tend to use are on the pricey side but work hard play hard and all that, right?

My weekend FOTD look is as follows, give or take a few little extras. So first of all I apply my YSL Rose Glow Primer or sometimes I like to mix it in with my foundation, depends what I fancy. I absolutley love this product and a review will be up very shortly, I promise! Next up, I generally reach for the Estee Lauder Double Wear - I wear the shade 1C0 Shell, the palest shade of them all! This foundation is just one of them holy grail foundations, it stays put pretty much all day long and has brilliant full coverage - so if that's the sort of thing you're into, you should definitely purchase one for yourself. After applying my base and allowing a little breathing time for the products to dry and do their thing, I like to apply the YSL Touche Eclat Highlighter (or the Benefit High Beam) onto my cheek bones and brow bones to add a little glow to my face. Occasionally I contour with this look whether it be with a liquid foundation or with a bronzer, again it depends what takes my fancy. I then sculpt and tint my brows using the Benefit Gimme Brow, this product works wonders if you have naturally blonde brows. I actually really like the shape of my natural brows but I find they're just way too pale naturally and the Gimme Brow just adds a bit of volume/definition and temporarily tints your natural brow. I finish off the look by applying my Benefit They're Real Mascara to my lashes, this is a product  I purposely restrict just for weekends, as it was very expensive for the amount of product you get so I prefer just to use this on the weekends or for special occasions. On the lips, in the day time I tend to adopt a glossy/clear finish approach with the first point of call being either the Chanel Glossimer Lipgloss in shade Songe or the YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick in a barely-there glittery shade.

What products do you save for the weekend/special occasions?

A Peek Into The Beauty Bag - The Sister Edition

Hey my lovelies so today for you, I have something rather different to my usual posts in the fact that it's not about me or any of the products I own. Instead, I thought I would give you all a break from my blabbering and introduce you to my sister - Paris and the contents of her make up bag and skin care routine.

So before Paris gives you the low down on her must have Skin Care products products or her military procedure skin care routine I thought I would just tell you a bit about her and why I thought she was a good first candidate for this blog post. So of course, Paris is my older sister (not the eldest she's the middle one, I'm the youngest). She is 22 and currently studying to become a Nurse at Northumbria University. Paris' life involves juggling working at Costa, working out in the gym like a mad woman, eating pizza & kinder Happy Hippos and squeezing in time to make herself look like a princess every day! Paris & I are very similar in the fact that we either wear no make up at all and totally chill out or we go completely over the top and dress ourselves up to look like a Prin, no in between and no exceptions. Although we differ in numerous ways, a topic that always brings us both together is Shopping. We're both self confessed beauty addicts, whilst make up is my fort and of course -Paris's, skin care is definitely something Paris is an expert in. She has her skin care routine down to a T, I mean I've been taking notes cause this girl is always glowing. So without no further a-due here is Paris and her must have products!

*Enter Paris*
So today, my sister has asked me to talk about my skincare routine. I have suffered with acne for a few years now, many girls and boys do suffer from this and it can lower your confidence. My skincare is very important and I truly believe that having a good routine can help to minimize this and also repair the skin. I choose to use products from the Clarins skincare range because they use natural ingredients and they feel great on your skin.

My Morning Routine 
Every morning I cleanse and moisturize my skin with Clarins Combination Skin Facial Cleanser and the Alpine Willow Herb Toner, the cleanser refreshes my skin whilst the toner has a soothing affect. This always leaves my skin feeling fresh and revived. You have to remember that during the night you do sweat and pick up bacteria from your pillows so it is important to just cleanse your face in a morning to help remove any bacteria. To finish off my morning routine I always apply Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, this product is fantastic for brightening up tired skin and leaves your skin with a fresh natural looking glow.

My Evening Routine
Every girls knows there is nothing better than taking your make up off after a long day and letting your skin breathe. To start off my night time routine I use Clarins Manuka Honey Cleansing Melt Gel, I simply apply this directly onto my skin and rub in circular motions for about a minute then I remove using warm water and cotton pads.

Twice a week I exfoliate my skin using Clarins Exfoliating Refiner, this Exfoliator is perfect for your face and feels great on your skin. The soft microbeads gently massage your skin whilst removing dead skin cells and debris, leaving you with perfectly smooth & soft skin.

One product that has been like gold dust for me is the new Re-Balancing Oil made from 100% Lotus Oil. I was first given a sample of this from the beauty counter and was recommended this to help with the acne on my face. I remember thinking is this woman crazy, surely oil would just make it worse?! Anyway I tried this product for a week using the sample bottle I was given. On the fourth day I woke up and I looked in the mirror and could not believe how clear and soothed my skin looked. Before then, I could not remember the last time I looked into the mirror and felt nice with my make up on, it felt amazing and made day. Now I apply a few drops onto my skin every night and massage it into my skin (you can also add a few drops to your moisturizer). I found that whenever a spot flares up this oil seems to reduce the inflammation around that and calms the skin down. So to anyone with bad skin, try this product because it worked wonders for me and I couldn't live without it. It is pricey and costs £36 but it is worth every drop. Next time you're around a Clarins beauty counter don't be afraid to ask staff for a sample because that's why they have them.

So - I hope you enjoyed reading a slice of my sisters insight into skincare and hopefully it has given you all some super top tips - especially if you suffer with bad skin! If you would like to see another post like this please pop a comment below. I really enjoyed working with Paris on this post and hope you all had fun reading it!

Do you use Clarins? What are your must-have Skin Care products?

Lets Talk About Fitness...

Morning guys...so today as you've probably guessed I thought I would talk to y'all about fitness. Not that I'm an expert on the subject or anything but more because it's an area I'm trying to improve in my self and as with many people - getting fit can is a constant battle that you have to work at every day to make progress.

My journey with getting fit is no way near complete, I mean is it ever? When should you ever just settle for something, if you complete one goal you tend to look to complete the next - it's all about self improvement and bettering yourself.

So first of all let's talk about the clothes - duh! Like I'd start anywhere else... So for me, gym gear is definitely a priority. When I started at the gym about 3/4 months ago (again) I just went in an oversized top with some tight bottoms and any old trainers and I'll be honest, it wasn't much fun. For me, investing in some proper attire is so much more motivating, so guess what I went and did, I got myself some sports wear. The clothing items below are a mixture of Lulu Lemon, Nike & Adidas but as you can see, Nike is the one dominating the fort. I'm a big fan of Nike and so is my boyfriend, I mean hey since taking up fitness, Kyle & I could spend hours getting lost in Nike Town on Oxford Street (the other day we did just that!). I mean, my sports wear collection is no way near complete, it gets a bit like make up, once you've got one item you just wanna get another. Although, for the time being I am pretty content with my selection of choices and hopefully it will continue to grow. I think though, from now on if I want another top or some more trainers or something, I'm gonna make myself work for it i.e. set my self a goal and once I have achieved that I will then allow my self to go Nike crazy.

Next up lets discuss the hair and face situation  - as difficult as it us for us beauty addicts to go through with, unfortunately when working out removing your make up is crucial and pretty much a necessity. Since I usually go to the gym straight from work I have to be sure to be armed with the relevant products to remove my make up and so should you! On occasions I forget but most of the time I'm pretty good. Sweating it out under a layer of foundation aint pretty, trust me and it's certainly not good for your skin. If you dare, your face is best off bare. It's not like anyone cares anyway, everyone goes to the gym/ works out for one reason - to get fit not to look like you're off on a glam night out. Also, I would totally recommend keeping your hair out of your face as much as poss. Whether it's a top knot, pony or a head band - just steer clear of getting stray hairs around your face, when you're on a Cross Trainer/Treadmill it can prove to be very irritating.

They all say 'Abs are made in the kitchen' not that my podge has anything to prove but basically what I'm saying is if you're gonna work out you need to provide your body with the nutrients to you know - do it's thing. Cramming in as much fruit and veg is crucial, getting a balance and drinking enough water is also super important.

Now my last tip would be - if you're anything like me, I get super bored really easily. I find it merely impossible to work out without some upbeat tunes to accompany me so make sure you've got a good play list set up on your Phone/Ipod. My quick fix for this is Spotify, you can get all the latest music and just add them to a playlist, it's a doddle.

My last words of wisdom (If I have any) would be to make sure you mix it up or you'll just get bored of your work out. Finding a work out buddy might motivate you as well, so try and grab yourself one of them and last of all is - challenge yourself.

I'd love to hear what you guys to do work out or how you keep yourself motivated so please do pop in comments in the section below!

The Wednesday Post - A Week In Photos #8

Morning my lovelies, so another week in the year has passed and my gosh it's gone so quick. In fact, this whole summer has flown by! I can't believe that on Sunday Kyle & my sister will be packing their bags and going back off to uni leaving me all on my lonesome, boo!

So aside from a somewhat traumatic migraine and a case of the hots on colds on Friday - the whole week/weekend has been pretty good. On Friday I finally got my hair done, something that was well over due. After much delibration I decided to go for the Awkward Peach toner so I am now a human resembling a little Peach, cute.

On Saturday, Kyle and I decided to take a trek to IKEA in Nottingham to have a look at some homeware for his uni house. I was quiet as a mouse all the way there as I was determined to finish my book - Before I Go To Sleep. We decided to stop off at Starbucks on the way for supplies as I had hardly aten anything the previous day due to feeling not so great. I opted for a Hot Chocolate and a Cheese and Marmite Sandwich whilst Kyle went for the Valencia Orange Refresha and a Chicken Wrap! It was all lovely and our tummy's were filled ready for a day of admiring home interior.

We didn't end up purchasing anything in IKEA, Next or BHS as I think we're making a whistle stop visit next Sunday. However on the way home we may have stopped off at Zizzi's for a little date night, ooops! It was all absolutely lovely - soon after arriving home I'm pretty sure I fell into a food coma.

Sunday morning was a work out morning - I got myself up and headed for the gym. After rustling up a Salad and Rice Pudding for lunch, Kyle, Christy, my Nanny and I all went off to my brothers house as him and his girlfriend have just bought the most gorgeous Cocker Spaniel puppy, he sooo cute. After a quick puppy cuddle and far too many belly rubs, Kyle & I hopped in the car and went to the cinema to see the newly released Before I Go To Sleep - hence why my eyes were glued to my book, I wanted to finish reading the book and then watch it at the cinema! The verdict? The film is good but the book is the winner in my opinion, the film was just too fast paced for my liking..

Monday soon whizzed around and this week is a week of intense gym sessions and upping my green smoothie game. So far, so good. Look out for next weeks feature of The Wednesday post, with a trip down to London for a day of shopping on the cards, I reckon it's gonna be a good un.

What have you been up to this week?

Minimal Accessories

Morning guys, the focus of today's post is accessories. So I've never been one for accessorizing really - only a very select few products make the cut for me. At the moment I have a couple of go-to accessories that I find myself reaching for on a regular basis and here they are:

• The Neck Choker - I think this is a standard accessory in a lot of girls' jewelry box at the moment, I know some people aren't really into that whole look but I'll be honest, I absolutely love it. It just makes your outfit that little more edgy and is just soo 'me'. I think I bought this from Depop for about £3. I originally went routing into Topshop on the look out for Choker but was informed they're completely sold out. It's strange how such a flimsy bit of material can completely transform your outfit. 
• The Sea Glass Hippy Necklace* - I am in love with this Necklace. I was kindly sent this by the founder of a handmade jewelry brand called Wolf & Tiger. I just think the necklace is so beautiful and works perfectly with my Monochrome Wardrobe. When I received the item it came with a super cute note that said 'imperfectly perfect' which I thought was a nice touch. This Necklace has fast become a staple of mine that I reach for. I just love the ridged-ness of the gold painted metal and the teal stone pendent that's in the middle, it's really quirky and just so pretty, I love it. The Necklace itself was actually inspired by the wonderful lyrics of Bob Dylan - "In the jingle jangle morning, I'll come following you", in which  he was believed to be talking about a vintage necklace. Other inspirations that essentially created the vision for this necklace was the Sea & the good old highlands. You can get one of these for yourself here for £14. 

What are your go-to accessories at the moment? 

'Like' Wolf & Tiger's Facebook Page here.

Easter Weekend

I must say it was soooo lovely to have 4 whole days off work just to chill and do what I want!

This weekend I went on numerous dog walks to Clumber Park, Sherwood Forest & my local park. We also went out for a date night at Frankies & Bennies. I went for a burger which is very unlike me, I'm not normally a burger kinda gal but hey ho it's Easter. Kyle had a Pizza & we both shared a 4 person Woo Woo jug (my fave).

We had a picnic in the garden, ate far too much chocolate, watched films, went on a 12 mile bike ride and then just chilled. It was a fab weekend :). Oh and we might have bought a dozen Krispy Kreme Donuts as well, ooops!

What did you do on Easter Weekend, anything nice?