So since I don’t currently have a gym membership, on the days I don’t teach Group Power I try to find other ways to get in some exercise. In the summertime it’s easy because I will just go for a run outside, but with the weather being cold (and not to mention snow), I usually end up in front of my TV doing either a video game or a YouTube video.
I was perusing the Popular page on Instagram months back and came across two beautiful-looking toned girls working out, and since I am always looking for inspiration photos I decided to follow. The two girls ended up being Karina and Katrina from Tone It Up, which most recently I have been obsessed with.
Tone It Up is an online community of women of all ages whose common goal is the same thing – to tone it up. The site, toneitup.com, contains free works, recipes, inspiration, and more, all curated by trainers Karena and Katrina, who are real-life best friends who also have their own tone it up stories (complete with before and after shots). In addition to the free stuff online, they also have a nutrition plan, which is made up of what they eat, recipes, how to tone up, and explanations of the different foods you should avoid, amongst other things, as well as their own protein, Perfect Fit Protein, which contains 15 grams of protein and is organic, gluten-free, raw, vegan, non-GMO, Kosher, non-fat, low in sodium, and free of sugar, dairy, lactose, cholesterol, soy, corn, wheat and allergens.
I haven’t tried the nutrition plan because I’m not big on meal plans in general. I like knowing what is healthy for me and then making my own meals. As for the protein, I have ordered a trial of their Perfect Fit Protein, which contains three packs of the product, so once I get it I’ll do a review. If I like it I’ll order a full package of stuff (the shipping to Canada is killer though).
The thing I love the most about Tone It Up is the overall lifestyle of the program and the fact that the trainers Karena and Katrina are so passionate about what they do. I have been doing some of their YouTube routines and let me tell you, for some of them I was working up a real sweat. The routines I have done by them have been circuits, so the videos are like seven minutes or so long and then you do it three times. Usually they are on the beach, so that coupled with their banging bodies, gives you a lot of inspiration while you are doing the workouts. The moves are quite easy to do and you don’t really need any other equipment other than free weights (you could even use a water bottle or two) or an exercise ball; you really do feel the workout for the next few days. They have a bunch of videos on their channel as well as the Livestrong Women channel, so there are tons to choose from (which, if you are anything like me, you get bored quite easily with the same routine).
In addition to videos with routines, they also post other stuff like healthy eating tips, grocery hauls, and more, so viewers get to see the foods they are eating and recommend.
I thought I would dedicate today’s Fitness Friday to Tone It Up because honestly, I really do appreciate all that Katrina and Karena have been doing to help girls just like me. The Tone It Up community seems really driven and supportive, that although I’m not part of it, as someone looking in, I really give a lot of kudos to what the two ladies have managed to accomplished.
I also appreciate the fact that they share free food advice online. At over $100, I don’t think I would buy the nutrition plan, but there are a few recipes you can find by them (like their protein pancakes) for free, as well as tips to eating healthy and getting lean. They aren’t telling you to only eat soup for every meal, or some other weird diet plan, they show you the kinds of foods that you should be eating and then it’s up to you if you want to implement them into your diet. Their workouts are also fab and quick to do. I stream them from YouTube via my AppleTV, but they also offer a DVD as well.
For those interested, Katrina and Karena are the trainers this year forSelf magazine’s annual Drop 10 Challenge. I have tried to do these challenges in the past with Self, where you track everything online, however, I found it hard to keep it up. Instead of following the plan to a T I just like using it as a guide and getting tips from it. For example, I totally want to try out the HIIT workout they listed (I just gotta get to a treadmill first).
Anyways, I just thought I would share my experiences with Tone It Up and pass on the message. I literally stumbled upon the girls and really wish I would have known about them sooner. I just started doing their YouTube routines and implementing some of their healthy eating tips, but I’ll let you know if they help with my journey to tone up.
Have you heard of Tone It Up? What are your thoughts? Are you on the Tone It Up nutrition plan?
Like what you read? Check out these related posts:
Although it’s still cold and white outside where I live, I can pretend it’s warm by sporting some spring shades on my nails. For me, this spring is all about pastels, in particular, blue, greens, and pinks.
I took a look at my collection and picked out the colours that screamed spring to me and they are all delicate shades in the same colour families.
From L to R: SpaRitual Indigo, Sally Hansen Smooth & Perfect in Sea, Essie Mint Candy Apple, Joe Fresh Powder Blue.
From L to R: Essie Cascade Cool, OPI You’re Such a Budapest!, OPI Mod About You.
Here are my top picks!
Joe Fresh nail polish in Powder Blue
Sally Hansen Smooth and Perfect in Sea
SpaRitual varnish in Indigo (OPI Fly is a similar shade)
Cascade Cool by Essie
Mint Candy Apple by Essie (my obsession at the moment)
Mod About You by OPI (one of my all-time favourite colours and it makes your hands look tan)
OPI Suzi’s Hungary Again!
Suzi’s Hungary Again! by OPI
Cascade Cool by Essie
Mint Candy Apple by Essie
OPI Suzi’s Hungary Again!
Sally Hansen Smooth & Perfect in Sea
What are your top nail polish picks for spring?
Like what you read? Check out these related posts:
When it comes to eyeshadows, there are a few different consistencies to achieve a unique look. Although powder eyeshadows are more popular and something everyone has in their collection, cream eyeshadows come in handy as well.
I have tried a few different brands of cream shadows, everything from drugstore to department store. To me, some are better than others but they are all pretty much different. For example, I would pick one brand over the other and not just because of the colour.
So why do you need cream eyeshadows? Well, you don’t (no one really needs makeup to begin with), but they work as great bases for your eyeshadow. Now, I know you are probably thinking, why can’t I just use an eyeshadow primer then? Well, with a cream eyeshadow you apply it first and then layer the colour over top. Here’s an example: say you are doing a smoky eye and you want your lids to be black. When you just use a primer, you have to really pack on the shadow and it may not look as vibrant. Instead, you can just lay down a dark cream shadow and then the black eyeshadow on top and it will use less product plus it will appear bolder.
I use cream eyeshadows for a variety of different reasons. My usual go-to look will just be a winged liner and then some mascara. Since I don’t want my wing to wear off during the day I will usually put a flesh-toned cream shadow down on my lids before and then paint on the liner. This acts as a base for my eyeliner, but it adds a little something extra on my lids.
I have cream shadows from four different brands: Maybelline, Benefit, MAC, and Make Up For Ever. I would say the Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liners (C$24) and MAC Paint Pots (C$22) are very similar in consistency and application/wearability. Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Creams (C$26) are quite amazing as they are waterproof and creamy to the touch (as well as incredibly pigmented) when in the jar but then once applied, the colour is cemented on your lids. Maybelline offers a great product with their 24-Hour Color Tattoos which are affordable at under $10, however, I find these dry out the fastest out of any of the ones I tried. Since the 24-Hour Color Tattoos are a drugstore product, I mean, it’s to be expected that it won’t be the same product as a MAC Paint Pot or anything.
As I mentioned, each brand offers different benefits to their products so I couldn’t tell you which ones is my favourite. I have found that Benefit and MAC are very similar so it really depends on the colours you are looking for. Both are creamy, they apply nicely, and act as a great base. Make Up For Ever is perfect for the summer as their Aqua Creams are waterproof, in fact, Syncro Canada uses them in their performances, so you know this stuff isn’t going to budge. If you are a diva on a dime, then Maybelline offers up a great product with their 24-Hour Tattoo. In fact, if you just wanted to give cream shadows a try I would say to start with Maybelline since it’s inexpensive, see if you like using them, and then maybe for your next one try a more expensive brand like MAC.
From L to R: Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in RSVP, Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in 24 Yellow, Maybeliine 24-Hour Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze, MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study.
As for colours to get, I have a few different shades that I have really been utilizing. For MAC I have Nubile (limited edition, but Painterly is a similar shade), which is a creamy skin-tone coloured shade. I wear this one a lot because it’s the colour of my lids, so it covers up veins and stuff and gives my black eyeliner a nice base to work over. I also have Bare study, which is a frosty nude. From Benefit, I have RSVP, which is a champagne pink. I will lay this down when I’m using pink or purple eyeshadows. From Maybelline I have Tough as Taupe (which is perfect for darker looks or a smoky eye) and Bad to the Bronze (amazing with gold eyeshadows – like Half Baked from the Naked palette). Finally, from Make Up For Ever, I have shade 24, which is bright yellow. I don’t use this one as often, but when I do, I layer a yellow eyeshadow over top or a gold. This is also great for summer pool parties, as a pop of yellow is totally fun to sport during the winter months (perhaps with a margharita in hand).
If you are just starting out your makeup collection or even confused into which brand to get, I hope this post helped. When people think of makeup they most likely envision foundation, mascara, eyeshadow, lipstick, and blush, however, there are so many different formulations in each of those products and each formula helps to achieve a different look. Eyeshadow primers are a must in my collection and if you didn’t want to splurge on just a plain primer like Urban Decay Primer Potion (my fave), you can get a double whammy with a cream eyeshadow.
What brands are your favourite for cream eyeshadows?
Like what you read? Check out these related posts:
Photo credit: http://thelittlespoonblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/image-1-1.jpg%5B/caption%5D
Photo credit: http://toneitup.com/index.php%5B/caption%5D
