Get Your Game Plan On & Win!

Ok folks, the weather is warming up & we are only 7 weeks away from summer here in our fair land. That means for some, including myself, time to get into better shape inside & out. Having also had a baby three months ago I know there are plenty of fitness & health goals I am wanting to reach.

For some it definitely helps to have a personal guide to turn to for healthy eating tips & tools to help inspire you on your healthy body journey. Since you're here reading this blog I'm sure you can appreciate how useful online resources are & so thompsonsgameplan.com.au may be the site for you.

I have already embarked on my "better eating" & I am going for walks with the bub where a car ride may have normally sufficed. But I needed focus, & a proper plan, so it was great to get a heads up from Prickly Pear about this website. (Note: Hold those skipping ropes, I'd like to point out that I am in no way affiliated with Thompson's Nutrition or getting anything to promote their "game on" site, well except getting healthier & fitter that is!)

For me, my personal game plan is focusing on "energy & stress management" & "fatigue". Having a bouncing 3 month old & going back to work full-time shortly, this sounded like what I need! Although I had to tweak it a bit to optimally suit my current lifestyle.

Image courtesy of Thompson's Nutrition

You can then tailor your "game plan" by the type of targeted eating style you want & I chose "optimal health". The plan also provides meal options & I am finding the nutritional recipe ideas very helpful. It even suggests exercise programs, which is great as one of my aims is to shift some kilos, so it's no surprise that I've picked the exercise regiment "loosing weight".

Try the resources to learn your target heart rate & even track your "health age" as opposed to your actual age. You can do this via the handy interactive tools from the online diary & best of all, it's free. Yes beauties not cent to join so go find your game plan & register for your personal diary!

ENTER NOW TO WIN! Hey some of you are doing sit ups already & pointing out that there is "win!" in the blog heading. That's right beauties, how does a $10,000 wellness package sound? Now that's some inspiration! So quick smart, head over to the healthy living website & register for the competition running until the 23rd October 2011.

The wellness package includes a personal trainer, massages (oh yeah!), naturopathy session, spa treatments & a life coach for a WHOLE YEAR! Plus there are 60 Women's or Men's Health subscriptions to be won weekly until the 23rd October all thanks to Thompson's nutrition.

Simply pick up your favourite Thompson's product & use the barcode to enter, maybe even try the new Green Coffee Complex (pictured above). If you don't win you can still ask a naturopath for advice, & there is an online forum for discussing any health queries you might have.

Also check out Robbie Deans, a coach of Australia's International Union team the Wallabies, who has inspirational Youtube videos offering tips to help motivate & achieve your goals to get healthy. So "don't roll your eyes go, exercise" get those finger tips a clicking!

Robbie Deans:

1. Set realistic goals and identify what changes you need to make

2. Get into habit of having a healthy lifestyle

3. Stay motivated and redouble your efforts to reach your prize

4.Celebrating even those little "wins"

5. Short-term focus and a long-term outlook

6. Keep your eye on the prize

7. Positive thinking to help make positive choices

Haul: IMATS Sydney 2011

Hi Ho here we go an IMATS A-hauling

Now what beauty blog would be complete without a bit of "hauling" & yes I back that up by the fact I'll be reviewing most, if not all of the stuff I bought (well that's what we tell our partners right?). Check out the footage I took of IMATS Sydney 2011.

I have to say I made sure that this year I went with a very restrained, "think every purchase over" mind-set. Ok it helps to go to a major event where there is a smorgasbord of beauty products to purchase with a budget, but some of you still might be surprised by the limited number of things I came out of IMATS with in comparison to my frenzied hauling from the vlogs I did last year...watch IMATS 2010.

Anyway on to the "beauty booty"!

Brushes from Royal & Langnickel

Last year I got so many brushes from Royal & Langnickel I did a giveaway & also shared some out in several swaps . However, I just had to get back ups of my favourite eye brushes - Super Eye Fluff C448 (I actually use for highlight & setting powder under the eye area), the Angled Shader BC501-S, the LG Smudger C445 which reminds me a lot of my Sigma Tapered Blending E40 brush that I love so much & two metal lash combs (that I am addicted to smoothing out layers of mascara on my lashes).

But I also wanted to try some of the super soft Synthetic Kabuki brushes, that were all priced at $10AU each. (Pictured left):I've already used all the kabuki brushes & so far my favourites are the large as well as the small pointed dome #27 (far left) #25 (right).

The large #27 pointed kabuki I use for bronzer/contour & the small #25, I prefer for highlight & blush application. I will do an overview & review post on all the R&L brushes I own on my Youtube channel as I think they are a great buy & I love the quality.

It was also Illamasqua's first year at IMATS Sydney, & as pictured below (far left), I picked up a Cream Foundation in #133 from Illamasqua for only $20AU, (normally $55AU). So far enjoying the creamy silky feeling & I just wish I had gotten to the stand earlier to pick up more goodies.

Below - nope it's not a lipgloss but a blush! It's a Mirage Blush in "abricot" from Serge Louis Alvarez. The ABBW'ers were lucky enough to get a "lucky dip" at the SLA booth & I was fortunate to pick up this doe foot applicator blush, which provides a lovely apricot & golden shimmer to the cheeks & gives a velvety finish.

After seeing so many positive reviews on the Embroylisse range I decided to pick up the Cream Concentrate (right) at Scotty's Makeup & Beauty stand (show price $15AU & normally $20AU for 30ml). It is a wonderful thick cream texture that melts into the skin & I can already notice a difference in my stubborn dry patches.

I look forward to getting near the end of the tube before I give a proper review. However, I already feel it will be an October favourite for me so stay tuned on that one!

(left) From Beauty & Spa Solutions got a light up double travel mirror that I have actually been using as my everyday "face of the day" mirror for $15AU. I no longer have the luxury of taking my time to make up my face in front of a vanity, or even in the bathroom, so I need a compact mirror that I can walk around using, so having one that lights up with a magnified end is great.

At the same stand I got the Lingmei Liner in black (as above) & for $10AU I have been very happy with the long lasting & precise line I can get from the felt tip-like applicator.

Last, but by no means least, I got Smashbox Soft Lights Brighten (above) from PM Studio & have used it almost everyday as either as highlight or glowing blush. This was my most expensive purchase at $20AU (normally $36.95AU).

See I told you I was trying to be restrained in my spending, although in the weeks since, I have watched a ton of haul posts & regret not getting some INGLOT or some more goodies that I haven't tried before. Oh well, I'll start another wish list as there's always next year's IMATS!

If you go to IMATS Sydney, what was your favourite purchase?