Mojo Reformer Pilates class review

Now this Pilates reformer class at Mojo is a class that I really rate and have gone back to again and again!

The first time I walked in the 'machine' looks a bit sinister but after a while it totally makes sense! There is a sliding platform, springs that control the weight and two ropes connected to the springs with loops that either go around your feet or your hands.  There is a bar at the front that can be moved into different positions depending on the movement as well as slide to the back of the machine. 

There are also loose items including a box that you can put on the platform, a stick to help balance, dumbells and a flex circle that you can squeeze. 

A pretty basic move would be squats- you lay on your back on the platform with your head between the arm rests, the bar at 90 degrees and your feet on the bar. Then you push up and then back down and the platform moves and you are essentially doing a squat but laying down! 

My instructors are usually Trent or Jelena and a typical session includes a warm up and then a series of full body movements that really target each specific area. Then a quick warm down. Each session is to energising music and has a great atmosphere- you feel awesome after!

An example of a move to target the glutes (and everyone wants a nice butt right!) is to lay on your side on the platform with the bottom leg bent. You put the big loop over the foot of the top leg and then put it straight down. Then you go through a series of moves including lifting it straight up or straight out in front of you, or bending it and pushing down or doing large circles with your leg. Then you switch sides. Honestly after a few of these moves you really really feel it in your glutes! 

The instructor will tell you what springs to put on for a mild, medium or hard workout so it really is up to you how hard you push yourself. I generally go for medium to hard and then go down a spring if I'm struggling! 

Based in Concorde Tower in Media City, Dubai, Mojo Reformer Pilates studio has one studio with about 15 Pilates reformer machines and a private room for one to one training. It also has a juice bar and showers. You can park right outside for 8 dirhams- just remember to get your ticket stamped by Mojo- or there's parking on the road and nearby. The new tram also stops right outside now.

It's a friendly place and is super easy to book online.  A one off class is 110aed but there are a few packages you can pick from which save you a bit of money- and are valid for a year from purchase- which is brilliant and I wish more places did that!

Definitely recommend! See more here: www.ilovemymojo.com

Here's a couple of pics of the machine (not mine)

And here's a pic of the Mojo studio from Sport360 (here's their review too: http://sport360.com/article/health-and-fitness/19084/get-your-mojo-back-reformer-pilates )

Gold, grey and black - perfect for blue eyes

This was a subtle yet sultry look for the rugby 7s this weekend. A great look to make blue eyes pop is a combination of neutral peach, creamy white, grey, matte gold and black. 

I primed my lids with Urban Decay eyeshadow primer potion before sweeping a neutral peach shade close to my skin tone all across the lids and right up to my brows using the Bare Escentuals tapered eyeshadow brush. Then from about half way I patted a matte gold shade under the crease and to the outer edges. That was followed by a dark grey in a v-shape in the creases and along the outer lash line. 

Then I used the fluffy 217 brush from MAC to blend a creamy matte white along the brow bone under my brows and in to the corners of my eyes. 

Then I switched to a flat angle brush from models own to apply black eyeshadow across the upper lash lines starting where my lashes start (so not right into the inner corners) and pulling out into a winged shape.

Then using the make up for ever straight angled 172 brush and some black gel eyeliner I painted a thin line from the inner corners to the out corners, staying close to the lash line. I then placed a tiny bit of black on the lower inner corner.

This was followed by lashings of blackest black blow out mascara from Boots 17 on the upper lashes and a lighter application along the lower lashes. 

And ta da! An easy look that really makes the most of my blue eyes :-) 

New fave everyday haircare range

I have quite unruly, dry, wavy and thick hair which is bleached at the ends and coloured at the roots. It takes forever to brush, wash, brush and dry and I tend to leave it to air dry whenever possible to try to keep it healthy (which can sometimes take a full day to dry- wash in morning then get home from work and it's still damp!).

I tend to use Redken shampoo and treatment mask as a conditioner on special occasions like a night out or big event etc (most weekends!) but for everyday weekday washes I like to use a more affordable alternative. And that's where the L'oreal Paris Elvive Extraordinary Oil nourishing shampoo and conditioner for 'normal hair with a tendency to dry' comes into play! 

I have been religiously using the L'oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil for coloured hair for a while now and so was excited to try this new shampoo and conditioner. 

Both are enriched with six flower oils to nourish, add shine and make hair feel soft and supple. It is a clear shampoo and the conditioner is an opaque golden colour which looks as if it has iridescent sparkles in it to add shine.  Both smell divine, just the right amount of fragrance- nothing heavy or overbearing. 

The flower oils included are:

Rosa Canina - Rose

Chamomilla Recuita - Chamomile

Linum Usitatissimum - Flax

Nelumbium Speciosum - Lotus

Gardenia Tahitensis - Tiara

Hellanthus Annuus - Sunflower

The shampoo lathers nicely and gives hair a good clean and the conditioner has a thick and luxurious feel. 

I apply the hair oil on wet hair before brushing it and it detangles and immediately my hair is easier to manage. I use waaaaaay more than the few drops it recommends due to the thick and voluminous nature of my hair but it is not greasy or sticky and it applies easily- my hair seems to lap it up! A friend stayed with me recently and used it and she has completely the opposite hair to me: poker straight, thin and fine, and she loved it too! 

I'll be buying this range again and again and I definitely recommend it as an affordable, easy to find, easy to use haircare range. 

Wakeboarding near The Palm, Dubai

A long time ago on a cold, windy, rainy day in Wales, dressed in an immensely unflattering wetsuit, I tried waterskiing- and really loved it! My friends who took me out told me I was a 'natural' and afterwards I gave it another few tries at a cold, rainy, windy lake full of algae in Manchester. Needless to say I eventually gave it up for warmer hobbies... 

However since that time I have always wanted to give wakeboarding a try... Fast forward a few years to when I'm living in Dubai with incredible weather and a whole big inviting Persian Gulf sea on the doorstep and I decided to give it a go!

I found a willing (and wakeboarding experienced) friend and we booked at hour session with Sea Riders UAE, a company who a friend recommended. (550aed for one hour, two people with two instructors on the boat).

We met them near Marina Mall, Dubai Marina and jumped in the boat. As the water is so warm there was no need for wetsuits, just lifejacket and I wore my bikini with a rash vest and swim shorts over the top. 

The speed boat took us out to near The Palm and in front of One and Only and I went first. I was strapped onto a board- very much like snowboards with bindings. After being told that I needed to let the boat pull me up onto the board, keep legs bent until the board is flat on the surface and stand straight keeping knees soft and lean back, bend your elbows and keep the rope handle near your hip. You will naturally turn to your lead leg as you get up. 

At first I wasn't too great- the force of the boat just seemed to pull me over face first into the water much to the amusement of the party yacht near us :-( but after a while I got used to the force and managed to stand up and be pulled along for a good few minutes- hurrah!  The knees are soft to take the impact of the bouncy waves etc- especially when we had to turn in the wake (generally I fell off at this point!).  

I'll be honest - this is quite a strenuous sport, perhaps when you get used to it you don't notice so much but you really feel the burn when you are up in your lowers arms, shoulders and abs whilst you are doing it and then after you get a serious ache in the legs! 

Also you should probably be quite a strong swimmer and quite comfortable being thrown into the water etc as there is a lot of this! Not once you get more experienced of course, but to start with expect to swallow a lot of sea water! 

Once you get good you can jump, hold with one hand, cut in and out of the boat's wake and switch leading foot. My friend was pretty good at jumping but stayed up for ten minutes as he knew how much he'd ache from past sessions!

I was out for 40mins which is apparently longer than most beginners and had blisters on my hands from the rope handle but all in all it was an awesome experience and one I'm definitely planning to repeat again! 

MMA Tecom Kettlebell class review

So very close to where I work in Tecom is a gym called MMA Fitness.  I thought I'd give the Kettlebell class a go on a Thursday night after work.

I arrived early to sign up to the class as apparently it's a busy one and members get first refusal. It's 100aed pay as you go, however if you speak to a membership consultant and if it's your first time in the gym then you get one class free to try it out- woohoo! 

The class started late which meant I was waiting for nearly an hour, however I massively enjoyed it once it got going. It's a proper blokes gym (although v welcoming to women) offering boxing, martial arts and kickboxing etc so the class was two thirds men and a few girls. The instructor was awesome and didn't take any prisoners- he pushed us and shouted to keep trying etc.  

There were no niceties like many classes eg asking if anyone was new or if anyone had injuries etc, he just got stuck right in and the class followed. 

Having never done kettlebells before I was a bit unsure how to hold or grip the weights but soon got the hang of it. Although the guy next to me dropped his right next to my foot!!! (Would've been a broken toe if it had landed on my foot argh!). 

We warmed up doing everyone's favourite: burpees, as well as running on the spot, squats, lunges etc and then picked up the Kettlebell to progress through a number of swinging movements that really worked your core, arms and legs.

After that was floor work, doing sit-ups keeping the weight raised up in one arm- super tough!  Then we did a series of standing movements that included swinging the weight, leaning to one side with it in the air (a killer on your abs!) and then lunging. 

Then, just when I thought it couldn't get any tougher we did a rolling movement on our backs with the weight where we flung our legs over our heads and with the momentum then stood up holding the weight in the air... Youch!!! 

There wasn't much of a warm down, the class kinda just ended but there was a great atmosphere in the room when it finished as everyone had worked hard and enjoyed the workout! 

Would I go again? Absolutely! I felt incredible after as I was happy I'd survived a tough class and I really felt like my core had got a great workout - especially down the sides which is not often an area that ever aches after exercise!

My only niggle is that I have a weak wrist and it ached big time after as you are holding the Kettlebell weights in the hand for most of the class so puts a lot of pressure of your wrists. Next time I'll know to wear my wrist support! 

Kettlebells are meant to burn more calories than a usual aerobics class due to the weight and movements you use, am sure there are more gentle classes than the MMA one I went to, however if you want to sweat in a no-nonsense environment then head to this Tecom gym! 

Blue/green eyes with orange lips

This was a colourful look for a colourful ladies night dinner at Ruth's Chris at The Address in the Marina!

A wash of blue green block colour across the lids with a slick of blackest black mascara. A flush of peach blush then complimented the pop of bright orange on the lips. 

Products used... 

Face:

Daniel Sandler retexturising face primer

Revlon photoready foundation, 005

Chanel natural finish loose powder

Sleek makeup blusher, life's a peach 

Make up forever aqua brow, 20

Benefit hoola bronzer 

Eyes

Urban decay eyeshadow primer potion, original 

Sleek makeup i-divine palette, ultra matts v1 730 (royal blue shade)

Benefit they're real mascara

Lips 

Make up forever lipstick rouge artist intense, 40

Maybelline Colossal Kajal 12h Extra Black eyeliner review

Finding a great eyeliner is tricky... Getting the right thickness, longevity and ease of application sees a whole sea of options from pencils, to liquid, to gel to powder. 

This one from Maybelline is called colossal kajal 12h extra black and I was intrigued by the extra black and 12h claim. 

It is a roll up pencil which starts with a fine point but after one use it is a thick blunt, soft blob! It's easy to apply and glides on quite smoothly, but definitely not an option if you want a fine line. A great option however if you want to smudge the line out rather than have anything precise. 

It was definitely an opaque, strong black which I was very happy about, however it did not quite last perfectly for the 12hour claim... After a seven hour night out it had started to smudge and the colour had started to break up- but it definitely lasted much better than some other eyeliners I've tried (Sephora's was useless!). 

A great choice if you're looking for a blacker than black eyeliner which blends well and has better than most staying power. 

The fine point before: 

And after one use:

Just applied with no mascara: 

Finished 60s inspired look:

And at the end of the night (about seven hours later):

L'oreal Paris collection exclusive by Doutzen lipstick review

When I think L'oreal I rarely think make up - more haircare and when I think lipstick this is never a brand that comes to mind. 

However, this L'oreal Paris collection exclusive Doutzen Color Riche Lipstick in Doutzen's Nude is a lovely neutral pale pink shade that is moisturising, easy to apply and although it's quite sheer it also has an even colour payoff. 

It is a long lasting lipstick but it does have quite a distinctive smell. Thankfully that gradually fades! 

It's so moisturising that it almost looked like frosted pink on me as I'm quite pale (not a good look!) but after blotting it took some of the sheen down. 

It comes in a stylish matte black and gold packaging that is sturdy and will hold up in quite a few handbag journeys. 

This lipstick is from a collection of six shades chosen by L'oreal ambassadors including Eva Longoria and Julianne Moore and Doutzen is a supermodel. It has a matching polish if you like the barely there pink look on your nails too. 

It is very easy to wear, almost like a tinted lip balm, easy to apply and it wore off evenly (hurrah!) and didn't crease or run into the fine lines around my mouth. A good day lipstick to add a bit of subtle colour at work. 

Swatched below on the inside of my wrist.
It is very easy to wear, almost like a tinted lip balm, it didn't crease or run around my lips and wore off evenly (hurrah!).

Sunsilk refreshing dry shampoo review

For as long as I can remember I've used Batisse Dry shampoo to refresh my hair between washes. I've tried out lots of variations: original, blush, tropical, brunette etc but never switched brands. I always thought it was the first on the market and likely the best. A classic like L'oreal Elnett hairspray that I'd never deviate from.

Well, then I arrived in Dubai and put on the infamous Dubai stone in the first year and have spent my second year exercising like crazy to try and take off the stone! I exercise five or six times a week at the moment and just don't have the time - or the energy - to wash and dry my thick wavy/curly hair everyday. So I have been relying heavily on my trusty Batisse. Except recently I've noticed it hasn't been all that effective in masking the root greasiness. 

Enter Sunsilk refreshing dry shampoo for normal hair. This came in my Glambox recently and Sunsilk isn't generally a brand I'd ever go for. Well, I've been using it this past week and I'm happy with the results!

It comes in a pink aerosol can, is easy to apply and has a barely noticeable smell - hurrah! I can't handle overbearingly smelly hair products.... 

It sprays on as quite a grey powder and initially I thought: "urgh this isn't going to rub in", but you need to leave on your hair for a few moments to soak up the oil and settle (maybe brush your teeth in the meantime!) and then thoroughly massage in to your scalp. The colour disappears and you are left with a powdery look on close inspection but nothing noticeable. 

It totally stripped the greasy look and also added some good volume which I was really happy about! 

The hair is left with a dry textured feel and doesn't feel soft but this dry shampoo does the job it's meant to do and lasts all day in my hair. Impressed!  

Before... Greaseball (sorry!): 

During... Bit grey eek!

After- all rubbed in, volumnised and grease free- winner!

Victoria's Secret Glam and Go portable makeup palettes review

This makeup was a birthday gift and I would never have thought to look in Victoria's Secret for makeup- however it's such a brilliant idea! 

Four makeup palettes in one big case that can be popped out and slotted into a smaller portable case with a mirror. The perfect handbag size! Great for touch ups on the go as comes with two little brushes- for eyeshadow, liner and for blusher. 

The eyeshadow and eyeliner was really long lasting and had a great colour pay off, the blusher gave great colour although perhaps a little too sparkly for my liking, and the gloss was long lasting and not sticky. All in all really awesome gift!

Below a look from each palette :-)

Foreo Luna Mini Review

For a while I've been pondering getting the Clarisonic but then I have erratic skin and have read mixed reviews. It also looked a little clunky and perhaps not great to travel with. 

The idea of giving my skin a really deep cleanse every time I wash it really appealed to me and that's when the Foreo Luna Mini entered my life! It's small, light and has a sensitive skin setting. It's also purple - winner! 

This is a small device that fits in your hand, you charge it by plugging the USB into your laptop and the battery lasts for yonks (I charged it once and a month later it's still fine!).

It has a small button at the front with two settings: normal and sensitive. It is a waterproof silicone and you can get the whole thing wet with no problem. It has a semi circle of small brushes that are finer on the side of the button and chunkier on the back. It also lights up on the bottom when you turn it on which is a nice touch.

You wet your face, and smother on your favourite cleanser / face wash (not exfoliator or anything with any beads etc) then you take the luna mini in your palm, wet it under the tap, turn it on and the device vibrates. 

Using circular motions I move it around my jawline, then chin, cheeks, nose, forehead and then I turn over to the back and quickly go up my neck. Then I switch it to the sensitive setting and very gently sweep under my eyes and just go over any areas where I have any blemishes. Then wash it off, wash your face and ta da! All thoroughly cleansed. You shouldn't be using it for longer than one minute. 

I've been using this Foreo Luna mini nearly every evening for the last month whenever I've had make up to remove. I have sensitive skin that tends to be dry and I never use cleanser in the morning, just splash my face with water, so I only used at night to remove make up. I used with creamy cleansers including Dermalogica ultra calming cleanser, Yllume ultimate illuminating complex cleanser and Decleor aroma cleanse 3 in 1 hydra radiance cleansing mousse. 

Although it doesn't clear up my usual couple of spots, it didn't prompt any more and my skin feels thoroughly cleansed and happy every time I use it. I always use toner after I cleanse and often there are still small traces of make up left to remove, however there wasn't a trace of make up remaining after using the Foreo Luna mini. 

All in all I'm really happy with this product- easy to use, looks sleek as compact and stands up and is easy to transport around. It doesn't over stimulate my sensitive and spot prone skin, just gives it a thorough clean. Perfect if you wear light or heavy make up, easy to keep clean and no fuss with changing any parts etc. I'm in Luna love :-)