Bikini Body Bootcamp!

This is my first beauty post for a while due to being almost entirely occupied with wedding planning as well as a few other bumps and hills (mountains...) in my road. Rest assured, however, that the lack of beauty related posts on my blog does not mean a lack of beauty in my life and I have plenty to catch up on. 

Our wedding and honeymoon are looming dangerously near, two weeks today in fact, so I thought I'd share with you some of my tips for getting bikini-body ready for holidays.

Firstly, I'm a big believer of looking after your body all year round so the bikini season can be any time you like. Why neglect your diet and lifestyle just because it's winter and you're less likely (hopefully) to wander around in a teeny tiny two piece? A consistent healthy diet and lifestyle is key to maintaining the figure you want and it's just good for you! Also, if you're not comfortable in a bikini simply don't wear one. Play up your best features with a swimsuit that flatters your figure. If you feel great, you'll look great. Easy. There's no way I'll be wandering around the beaches in Thailand in my bikini, but I do like one for sunbathing and swimming. A classic one piece with a high waisted cinch is one of the most chic and flattering options this summer, and they're everywhere in the shops. Tropical prints are majorly in fashion and are universally flattering.

Ok, so the title of this post is a small white lie... It should read "Wedding Dress Bootcamp!" When I was measured for my beautiful gown in October last year I was described as a 'spelk' and so, not surprisingly, after months and months of waiting, a long cold winter and a penchant for wine and chocolate muffins, when my dress did finally arrive, it didn't fit. It nearly fit. I was one button and a hook 'n' eye away from perfection. So for the first time pretty much ever, I went on an actual diet inspired by Deliciously Ella. After six weeks I hadn't lost even a single pound but I had slimmed down enough for my dress to do all the way up (woohoo!). After various fittings and decisions the dress was eventually taken out a couple of centimetres and now it fits like a dream.

So my point is, in the last few weeks of desperately trying to lose weight and failing, it is the products pictured above that I truly believe are to thank for finally squeezing into the dress. I've always been a user of cellulite busting creams and gels as well as toning products and firming moisturisers. Some are better than others, obviously, but the key to any of these products is persistence. If it says apply twice a day, do it. And really massage it in until your arms ache (this is pretty good for toning your arms too!) I've been religiously applying my Dr.Ceuticals products for weeks and the results have really been amazing. The Beach Perfect Body Firmer is a seriously rich, smoothing moisturiser that makes your skin feel like velvet and I saw a result on my thighs in just a week. It also smells divine and made me practically irresistible to my future husband... I bought the Tummy Tone and Cellulite Sculpting Treatment when they were on offer at Boots (normally retail around £19.99 and £14.99 respectively) and have been very impressed so far. The Tummy Tone is a tight, tingling gel that is easy to massage in and a little goes a long way. It instantly tightens and smooths and boasts waistline reducing properties as well as fat-cell busting. The same goes for the Cellulite Sculpting treatment which has genuinely reduced my hips by 2cm each! Feeling toned and svelte is such a confidence booster, and fitting more easily into my tight jeans is like a dream. 

In a last attempt to get the best body I can before the big day I ventured into detox territory, landing on Bootea UK's 14 Day Teatox. This £20 kit has two weeks worth of teabags - 1 for every morning, and a bedtime bag for every other night. To be honest, it really wasn't the nicest tea in the world. It tastes like very strong green tea (a little insipid...) and the bedtime one was quite sickly. Anyway I was very good for the two weeks, cutting out bad, processed, sugary foods, alcohol (except for the hen party...) and red meat because the point is you're trying to rid excess toxins from your body. Other users have reported significant weight loss but my experience was, again, no weight loss whatsoever. However my cellulite has pretty much completely vanished and my waist is as slim as ever. My skin and hair look great too. All in all I was quite disappointed but it hasn't been a total waste. A flat tummy and smooth thighs was the aim of the game anyway and I've definitely achieved that! My before and after pics can be seen here.

So with two weeks to go my plan is to continue using my wonder products to maintain a smooth silhouette and attempt to eat as healthily as possible. Saving my wine and chocolate fetish for the big day!

xxx