Saturday 7 May 2011

Fit, Fashion. . . . Flab-u-less!

Welcome to the weekend my Savvy Savers and what weird weather we are having. I realise that being British brings with it a rather unhealthy obsession for weather based conversations but i am embracing it and stating 'WTF!' - there is a typhoon out there, my only hope of making it out to do the sopping today is in a canoe and darn it i sold it in my last yard sale!
Anyway that aside, something to put the sunshine back into Saturday a corking combo of fitness and fashion with the icing on the fat free cake being a saving :) Let me break it down (in a completely British and upstanding manner of course!) I have ben doing a bit of research into these trainers that 'burn calories while you walk' and 'tone your butt' - love the Yanks, sell, sell, sell and a gusto for all gimmickery. You too may have seen the advert in which Km Kardashian sashays around in her Sketchers which have this amazing technology for an imbalanced sole that makes your core muscles work harder when you wear them. They sound good, very good in fact, so i though i would give them a try - but then alas i find that £120 is not just expensive, but down right ruddy ridiculous! For that i could join a gym and have some new stilettos for a night on the tiles - so Kim, you can take your Sketchers and shove them . . . well up you Kardashian o be honest! And so i have found some alternatives, and not just alternative in price but in look. These are black, sequined flip flops with the same technology in the sole for toned tushes and cost a mere £20 and are brought to you by the Adonis of the bargain world - Avon (yes not just for pretty faces ey?!) And so i have been wearing mine for 2 weeks for tasks such as doing the food shopping, walking to work, round the house etc and not only have i received comments on how good they look, i have a noticeable reduction in he orange peel of butt clinging doom (cellulite - say it quietly and it doesn't exist la la la can't hear it!)

And what is more - drum roll please . . . . drum roll . . . .oh sorry no drum roll, the drummer has been swept away in the ensuing downpour, his only hope being a fallen tree to stem his flow . . never mind, this needs no fanfare it stands alone in a glory all of it's own making - they are going to be just £15 next month!!!!! Yes i know - A-MAZ-ING. Should anyone like to purchase any and join me in the fit and fashionable flab-u-less adventure please email me at flisshilton@hotmail.com and i shall grant thine wish Fairy Godmother style. Please have a look at them on

http://reviews.avonshop.co.uk/9028-en_gb/35898/avon-black-sequin-workout-flip-flops-reviews/reviews.htm


Have a great weekend and remember, live is not about weathering the storm - it is about learning to dance in the rain x Fliss x

Tuesday 3 May 2011

Boohoo - Cry me a river of savings!

Ladies and Gentleman welcome to Tuesday and what a fine Tuesday it has been so far - as Tuesday's go that is. You see i have a bit of a theory that actually Tuesday is the poor relation of the week. When the weekday family get together they all have something to bring to the table. Monday - is a fresh beginning with anything possible, Wednesday is half way through the working week giving you hope you can make it to the end, Thursday is a day of jubilation as Friday looms, Friday is the - who gives a sh*t kind of day as the weekend is soooo close, Saturday is gloriously free and Sunday is homely and family time - but Tuesday what does it bring to the party - big fat sod all stuck in the middle with you, that's what  . . . . so as Tuesday's go, today was not a bad one ( no Tuesday's were harmed in the making of this blog).

And as if things were not already looking up my afternoon was filled with boohoo, and not the sad face 'my boss hates me and the world is against me' boohoo, but the online fashion central 'my life is a catwalk and the world is my paparazzi' kind of boohoo. Yes chicks and chaps boohoo.com is the legendary online fashion store where you can get your glad rags for less than a dish rag (almost!). So when i discovered this nifty and oh so thrifty little discount code : EXCLUSIVE Free delivery when you spend £30 or more at boohoo.com, plus Clearance Sale now on (Enter Code DISCO30)
I have to say life got somewhat sunnier. Yes here on the Costa Del Bargain we deal in this kind of currency and speaka the lingo of  simple, sound savings.
So have a look, get some trendy threads and have them delivered for Nowt - if you feel really bad about this sensational saving, you could always ask the delivery man in for a coffee . . . . if he is tall dark and handsome that always helps with the decision . . . . i find.

So enjoy the rest of Cheerful Tuesday and i hope the half way house that is Wednesday brings you sun, smiles , savings and a hot delivery . . .  (man) ;)

x Fliss x

Sunday 1 May 2011

A Right Royal Saving

And so, as the sunlight draws in on this most regal of Bank Holiday weekends i find myself swept up in the romance of it all. The wedding was quite simply beautiful and a good advert for us Brits - no-one but no-one does organisation like the Royals. After i had finished crying, more at Tara PT's satellite dish, sorry hat than anything else i found myself feeling most gratified at what a great day it has been for the Royals.

But enough of this fairytale and back to reality and that reality is, that with all this stunning sunshine and more bank holidays than you can shake a Middleton at (how many of them are there??!) the cash stash is starting to run lower than Princess Anne's jaw line (apols HRH - please do not have me sent to the tower)! But a girl has to look good and i do not feel that my winter wears can be in anyway tinkered, tailored or even candle-stick makerred into anything remotely summery. So what to do . . . . .David Emmanuel is on holiday (good job really 25ft of train was really the worst plan since Coleen Rooney said how about doing some community work at the local Residential Home Wayne . . .  ) And so to the hight street with minimum funds - but wait . . . you knew i wold not let you down . . get thee to the newsagents and prosper say i. Seriously shell out £1 for the news of the worls, flick past the 8,000 pages of royal cheshire cats, super injunctions and topless folk (and that was just the after party Harry) and open Fabulous magazine, the lovely little glossy in the middle of the paper et voila page 43 and 20% discount off anything at New Look. 20% is a darn fine saving in anyone's book, unless of course it is the book of being unimpressed by any form of saving, there would be a definite issue there!You have 1 week in which to exchange this little voucher for your little slice of summer and enough left over for a Cosmo or three on a sun drenched evening.
I shall be spending mine tomorrow after i have been for a run - yes i am still at it and can now get down the road in a fashion far from that of the baby foal which graced the pavements just a few short weeks ago.

Have a wonderful evening bargainistas - spend wisely and remember we are all princesses at heart xx

Monday 4 April 2011

Running Soup-erbly!

Yes it is Monday, Yes it has been raining and No i am not deterred! Following on from my last post regarding my new approach to my own health and well being i can report that although only small steps have been taken the results have been positive.

Firstly i looked at my fitness levels and an olympian adonis did not spring to mind . . . .(thankfully actually - those women have far too many muscles!) And so i pondered joining a gym . . .  way too expensive, and i know what you are thinking 'your health is priceless' and indeed i agree but i am not in the business of chucking money away - as you well know my bargainistas! So i need exercise that raises my heart rate, something to lift my mood and something cheap - AB-RA-CA-FLIPPIN-DABRA . . . .Running. Now i say running, what actually occurred once my trainers had been wrestled from the cobwebs was more akin to a stagger, jog, walk, hobble, jog, collapse . . .but you know what i don't care because i had a go and that was worth it's weight in gold. I got up and i completed what i set out to achieve. As i staggered through the streets some looked on in pity, others looked away and a few looked on with hope in their heart and it felt good :) - i know the hard part id yet to come, keeping it up - but rather than promise myself i will run a marathon in a week - i pick up the moderation baton and commit only to run/jog/stagger for 20 mins 3 times per week - watch this space.

So after i spent £0 on my new fitness regime i decided it was time for some soul food. I have heard the likes of Nigella Lawson rave about the comfort and solace that can be found in a bowl of soup and have wondered often if indeed she is perhaps barking, but hey what the hell if you can't beat em join em! I point out at this stage that i am no Nigella or Ainsley or indeed Delia but my have a go attitude spurred me on. And so all i needed apparently was a chicken stock cube and whatever vegetables i liked - carrots, potatoes, leeks, mushrooms etc and a few herbs and spices. So add water shove into a pan, boil, liquidise some add back to pan . . . .the result . . . . Amen to you Mrs. Lawson you do indeed know your onions! I don't know if it was the fact that i had prepared and created this delicious soup or the fact that it only cost me £0.47p for the ingredients but wither way we were onto a winner. What is more i made enough for 3 servings and so put 2 portions into freezer bags for lunch mid-week - BONUS.

And in the evening . . . . . .A DVD, lasagna and a glass of wine - Moderation my friends really is the way forward!!! ;)

x Fliss x

Friday 1 April 2011

Anti-what-sidants??!!!

Hello beautiful Spring chicks. The sun has had his hat on for at least 2 out of the last 7 day - which in good old England means spring is here and people will be wearing all sorts of ridiculous attire before you can say sombrero  - but i love it!!!
As spring marches on it has made me think about my health . . . you know what i  mean, it's that time when yo hark back to your hangover on January 1st and all the things you would definitely do and realise you can't remember them let alone have completed them! And so i look at me and think, ok not too bad - can make it up a flight of stars without collapsing (dependent on vodka consumption if a Saturday night) - eat a variety of food ( and by variety i do not mean all 6 different types of Magnum ice cream bar over the course of a week) and have a positive outlook (mindless optimism does count in this section - it has got me thus far and i am sticking to it!)
But as with all things i could do better. I look though for inspiration and instruction in a quest for a fitter, fabber me and i find i am absolutely blinded with science. From Anti-oxidants, to Pro-Argen formulas and not to mention the calculation of a BMI - i am inclined to think it is all a load of old Boswelox (and yes that was another creation from the science/ beauty world)!!!

BUT - Fear not as i did not give up at this rather intimidating hurdle, i took a step back and like any good General going into battle thought let's think laterally. There are trillions of 'celeb' diets out there, but do any of them really work???? There are claims that eating certain things will make you a size 6 in a week, claims that you will look 10 years younger, be 10 times more attractive  . . . . . . but i came to the conclusion that actually if you strip away all the razzle dazzle it is good old fashion MODERATION that makes for the happy bunny.


No amount of crack-pot inventions or crazy diets will see Kate Moss staring back at me when i look in the mirror (or if she is she has taken a seriously wrong turn at the end of the cat walk!)
Nope the things that will 'improve' my health and well being are as follows:

Moderate exercise a few times each week
Fresh food with the occasional treat
Good hygiene and feel good make up
Time for family and friends
Laughing
More water less vodka
A belief that we are each beautiful

And so i end my could do better though, not i am afraid with any money saving tips but rather the outlook that even if i don't know my hi carb from my low carb even from my sodding rhubarb, i do know some good old fashioned moderation and responsibility for my own wellbeing will see me right.

x Fliss x

Friday 25 March 2011

Pretty in Pink

Spring has sprung and that means many things to many people - but to me it is a sign a vitality and time to get going again after a rather dull winter. And so i am clearing out anything that makes me feel dowdy, sluggish or sleepy. Now i am not saying that i have woken up this morning and decided to take on the world in the style of some annoying, inanely grinning TV presenter - heaven forbid!! What i am saying though is that i realise i am guilty of allowing myself to wallow, for want of a better word, when times are a bit hard or life doesn't go m way - and i am not saying a bit of wallowing is not ok - i am quite happy to reach for the Dairy Milk, the Bridget Jones DVD and indeed the Chardonnay when the world throws me a curve ball . . . . . . but the secret is knowing when enough is enough (easier said than done).

So the theme of the spring for me is . . . .PINK! This colour screams get up and go, it jumps up and says 'oi you, get over yourself!' (which is what i am attempting to do, but of course in a more refined English style - whooping and hollering are never acceptable!)

And i have found myself £30 worth of pink gorgeous beauty products at a cost of only £10 - yes i know can it get any better you ask . . . . knock knock . . . who's there? . . . George Clooney . . . . ok yes it could but in the real world (i know i hate that we have to live there too) this is as good as it gets(for today anyway).
And it s again my little Avon saviours that have provided this gorgeousness and saved my purse once more. My Pink Pazazz Pack ( i named it that - awesome . . . sorry jolly nice, Americanisms creeping in again!) contains the following:

Nourishing Face Cream (200ml)
Planet Spa Illuminating Body Lotion (50ml)
Footworks Heel Softening Cream (75ml)
Pink Bubble Bath (500ml)
Advance Techniques Colour Protect Hair Mask (150ml)
Skin so Soft body oil spray (125ml)
Strawberry and Guava room and linen spray (125ml)
Sense Mystique Shower Gel (250ml)
(If anyone wants one of these for £10 - please just let me know)

Now if i do not look and feel fabulous after that then there is something seriously wrong . . .something i warrant that only Bridget and George could fix!

x Fliss x

Wednesday 9 March 2011

Stressed out Sista to Pampered Princess

Well Hello there - she says grabbing onto the fact that we are now officially halfway through the week! I have just realised that it is also Lent, the thought struck me just as i emerged form a pancake induced coma sometime in the early hours of the morning. I know that i ought to give something up - and i have decided just what that will be - negative energy. Yes i hereby refuse to waste my time and efforts on feeling crap (easier said than done i do realise!)
At the weekend i opened my 'Pamper Pack' - fear not bargainistas my bank balance did not shudder in the wake of this purchase - a mere £5 was removed in my quest for relaxation. So the contents of my pamper pack are as follows:

Sleep Therapy Pillow Mist
Reflections Shower Gel
Lavender and Camomile Hand Cream
Lavender Foot Refreshing Spray
(All Avon - that saviour of the purse strings!)

The shower Gel produced an aromatherapy effect immediately washing away the top level of stress i was carrying. Once out of the shower i used the foot spray which i really appreciated. I find i neglect my feet, yet they work harder than any other part of my body most days. The hand cream was really luxurious and the fragrance was relaxing rather than ovepowering and artificial.
Just before turning out the light i spritzed the pillow with the pillow mist and breathed a deep sigh of relief as i waved reality goodbye and got on the good ship dream land.

While i know that Lent will not see the total dissolve of my stress and anxiety i do know that with a bit of belief, a good dollop of will power and an enormous amount of pampering - i will be easier to live with!!!

Anyone interested in trying the pamper pack let me know - well worth it, the only thing you have to lose is the weight off your shoulders :)

x Fliss x

Friday 4 March 2011

Glamour, Gifts and Gorgeousness

Good evening or should i say great evening as it is Friday and thank Crunchie for that! Alongside chocolate there are few things i would rush outside and beat people out of the way with a wet kipper for - but when i discovered my latest find the beauty bargain-o-meter went of the ricter! (i now want to make a Beauty Bargain-o-meter Blue Peter stylee with anything pink, sparkly and of course sticky back plastic) - but back to the point!

Glamour Magazine is 10 years old and like a good wine it has improved with age bringing us the latest fashion, beauty products, celeb interview and general wonderment at the Glitterati. And they have rewarded us the reader with Free Gifts - HURRAH for free gifts! And not the the type where you have to collect so many issue or text numbers here there and well everywhere - nope good old fashioned, in a plastic bag, with the magazine, use asap - Free Gifts.
And these are top of the range Clinique gifts which make the indulgence almost too much to cope with (pass me that chocolate now - it is on the side next to the wet kipper!)
With each issue over the forthcoming months there will be a free Clinique gift. My first has been the 'dramatically different moisturising lotion' and i have to say the title does not lie. It is a luxurious thick moisturiser best used at night, but it does not feel heavy or sticky on the skin. It leaves skin nourished and feeling more sprightly the next day.

So my advice would be to go and get Glamour magazine, try out your Clinique free gift and when you are feeling suitably gorgeous relax and read the magazine . . . . . with chocolate . . . . and wine . . .and Brad Pitt . . . . and you're back in the room!

Have a Glamourous Friday
x Fliss x

Monday 28 February 2011

Reply to request for the refresh quest!

Now try saying that title after a mojito or 2 - i dare you! So monday is here, predictably enough, but it does not have to be the dreary omen of a doom filled week - fear not beauty bunnies, spring is on the way (i am assured that Mother Nature is meerly taking her time, as is a woman's perogative!)

Anyway i was asked to look into he subject of skin care for the more 'mature lady'. There appears to be a myriad of information out there and so i decided to get advice from the horses mouth - well actually my Mum, who is in fact not a horse but a very beautiful soon to be 60 year old lady. And so she regaled me with tales of overpriced lotions and potions which she had tried over the years and thrown in the bin shortly afterwards! But then she gave me the spark of hope - that all is not lost :)
My Mum has been using 'Anew' products from Avon for sometime now and she reports the results are the best she has found. The clever thing with 'Anew' is that it is targeted at different ages 30's, 40's, 50's and 60+. Each range contains various ingredients which target skin problems that you are most likely to experience in that age bracket. The 40's and 50's focus mainly on skin freshness and vibrancy. I then spoke to some of my Mum's friends and found that they too have happened upon this beauty genius.
Now the even better thing is - THE PRICE - oh yes our favourite pick me up - BARGAIN! I have posted the link below for these products so you can see them for yourself (pages 69- 85). Just copy and paste into your browser if it doesn't take you straight there

If anyone is interested in trying the products i am able to order them for you so please just send me a message on Facebook.
These products will make you feel good as well as look good. No product can make you beautiful, that's already there in who you are and what you do, but these will certainly make you feel a million dollars and allow the gorgeous new you to stop worrying about turning back time and start having a damn good time

https://www.avon.uk.com/PRSuite/static/ebrochure/democampaignC0511/e-brochure.html

Hope you find this 'youthful' (ok that was an awful pun on 'useful', but it's Monday and we have no Mojitos!)
x Fliss x

Friday 25 February 2011

Get Cheeky, Get Lippy, Get Ready!

And finally the long awaited wonderment that is the weekend is here! As if that wasn't reason enough to celebrate here is my money saving and time saving tip of the day.
For ultimate office to out glamour you need products that perform and perform fast. So it got me thinking as to what products i carry when getting ready on the go. Ultimately your key aspects are cheeks, lips and eyes. This tip combines 2 out of 3 (which as the songs states aint half bad!) and keeps you looking fresh and ready to go.

Superdrug have a product from their own range - 2True - called cheek and lip stain. This handy sized make up marvel comprises of a gorgeous blush colour with a petite brush for application (attached to the lid - thin nail varnish stylee). It is applied to your cheeks for a subtle shimmering blush and also to lips for a more glam gloss.
Available in 2 colours 'Rose Tinted' for more porcelain skin tones and 'blush pink' for the more olive skin ones. This handbag hero costs a mere £1.99 - so that's enough change from a fiver for an extra glass of wine - my kind of bargain. An extra feel good factor, if you can cope with anymore, is that the product uses only natural ingredients - so Amen to mother nature - here come the girls!

x Fliss x

Thursday 24 February 2011

Berocca-ca-ca! Putting the bounce in your flounce!

Hey Everyone,

This post comes from the heart of all things positive and energetic - 2 things that go a long way to enhancing any form of beauty. I have always toyed with the idea of vitamin tablets - to pop or not to pop, i am sure the Bard himself pondered this many a time and oft! Well the drudgery of winter, the cold weather and the general drag of  the dark days made me take the leap of faith.
I had a look round and there are many own brands which seem to offer a lot in the world of nutrition, but i have to say after trying a few variations Berocca is superb! The bonus is it is an effervesent tablet that you dissolve in water (the tropical flavour is particularly gorgeous). The down side is the price - 15 tablets can be as much as £9.50 - not the end of the world but at the higher end of the scale.

And so hurrah for Boots! They have their 3 for 2 offer on at the moment and unlike most other retailers named brands are included. So i am now stocked up and bouncing around like Tigger :) it really has made me feel better mentally and physically ( you will also save money on cold and flu meds as you will be super healthy!)

So my lovely sparkly, sprightly , spring ready friends - give it a go for a month and see how you fare.

x Fliss x

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Morning Discount Dolls!

Good morning - well i hope it is for all of you anyway :)
Thought i would share with you what is in fact an incredible deal. Superdrug, king of the highstreet for toiletries, basic make up etc are offering a whopping 25% off your bill. That's a 1/4 of your total saved (i know, i'm just showing of my maths superiority again!!)

So here is how it works. Go to Superdrug and buy a few bits that you need  (£5 worth or so)- not the more pricey items that you need, just a few basics. Go to the till and pay and you will get your receipt - as is normal process . . . . . BUT  . . . . turn your receipt over and you will be directed to a website where you complete a short survey and when complete - voila you get a voucher to print off for 25% off Superdrug own brand products and 10% off branded products - all in all a right Royal bargain i would say.

Let me know how you get on gorgeous guys and gals

Have a cracking day
x Fliss x

Monday 21 February 2011

Evening All

Hi All,

First post - an evening after a hard days work! And i can tell you that when i walked through the door and stared into the hall mirror i felt more beast than beauty! But having spent the last few hours doing what i love best, scouring for beauty bargains i am feeling much better.
Having spoken with a good friend of mine recently i have been looking into Avon - as a beauty brand and also a way of being thrifty. Having spent the time breaking down what is really going on i have to say i am impressed
Core values: Never tested on animals + Always high quality = Beautiful on a Budget
(why was Maths never this fun at school - seriously?!)
There are many ways to make the Avon school of Maths work for you - i.e buy so many items from pages x-y and you save £10

or

Buy particular item x with articular item y and receive a free gift - which always goes down well as a present to someone (there really is no better feel good factor).
I will post actual examples on here later - but in the meantime of anyone has any experience of Avon products shout up - love to hear your thoughts

Fliss x