Aching Arms: Our Charity Fundraising with LouiseFitness

Aching Arms is a charity dedicated to supporting parents who have experienced the heartache of leaving the hospital without their babies. 



They work to raise awareness of the impact that pregnancy and baby loss can cause to families and hope to bring some comfort to newly bereaved parents by offering them an Aching Arms bear before they leave the hospital.

The charity is run by group of bereaved mothers, who work tirelessly to offer a line of friendship and support to parents who are coping with the emptiness and pain of losing their much-wanted baby.


The charity provides bears to hospitals for midwives to give to the parents as well as reaching out to those who contact them directly.  You can contact Aching Arms to donate a bear to a family in memory of a baby lost too soon.


Louise chose this well-deserved charity to be the beneficiaries of our recent fundraising.

With the very generous contributions of all our lovely ladies at LouiseFitness, together we managed to raise £450 for Aching Arms which is a truly phenomenal amount. Especially knowing the impact it will have on the families that will find comfort in receiving a bear as a result.


On behalf of Louise & the rest of the team, we'd like to thank you to all of you for donating.
xx

Anuskha: An Elomi Lingerie Review

I was an Elomi virgin until Anushka arrived on my doorstep. 
Isn't she sassy?  I adore the new colour scheme for this Spring/Summer.  When I opened the package I initially thought this was a bikini as the colours were so bold and vibrant and the material felt more sturdy than your average bra.  She'd make a fantastic swimwear option, not gonna lie!

 
The "Kingfisher" colours are a combination of lime green under layering with a turquoise blue lacy over lay.  

The set consists of a plunge bra and briefs. I wore the 38G in the bra and size 20 on the briefs.

You can check out the Elomi website to see your closest stockists whether it be a store or online.


Sizing & Fitting;   The central gore does sit flush against my breast bone, however I think I should have ordered a 38GG rather than a 38G as there is a slight overspill, this is my own fault - I am usually a GG so I'm not quite sure why I opted for the a G cup especially as their range goes up to a 42HH, 44G & a 46DD. The straps are thick and comfortable and the back band is supportive and wide.
The briefs are not high waisted they sit under my navel but they are well sized.  I would say they run true to size as they are a little loose on me and I sit between a size 18 & 20.  The back panel is entirely see through mesh.  They are a full shape and low rise cut on the leg.




Detailing: The lace detailing and lime green accents on the bows are adorable. The quality of the fabric is impressive. The items feel thick and durable, not flimsy, like they are built to last.  I like that!


I love the set so much that I even used one of these photos as one of my submission photos for Curvy Kate's "Star in a Bra" competition.


Overall Summary:  The colours really make this set for me.  It's such an eye-catching set that exudes a fun and flirtatious vibe.
Rating:  9/10
Potential improvements: Perhaps a wider band at the back.
Would I recommend this? Yes of course. The quality alone is enough to make me want to try more from Elomi.

Hair & MUA: Kat Henry
Photographer: QR Photography
Disclaimer
This product was sent to me for review purposes. The review above is based on my own opinion of the product and I own all creative content of this post.

xXx










Navabi: What to wear to a Wedding

Wedding season is well and truly under way and finding that perfect outfit to make you look and feel gorgeous can be a little daunting.  Let me give you a few tips based on how I chose what to wear as a wedding guest with a little help from my friends at Navabi.

The key points to remember when picking an outfit for a wedding are;
 - Never upstage the Bride. It's her day...not yours, so whilst you should always dress to impress, try not to pick something that is likely to attract attention away from her beautiful gown.
- Bear in mind any colour schemes. I have been asked to sit out of group photos in the past down to the fact that I didn't follow the couples colour scheme. 
- Avoid white.  Some white on an outfit is different to rocking up in a plain white dress.
- Think about comfort too; You will be in this outfit all day, you will be eating and or drinking and hopefully dancing so think about being comfortable as well as looking fabulous!
- Being barefoot at wedding is never a good look.  Bring flats, if you're planning to dance the night away!

Navabi have a plethora of stunning wedding guest outfits starting at around £80 and ranging from a size 14 up to a 28. 

Here are a few of my favourite items available now; 
Left to Right:
Floral Print Satin Dress//Lace Jersey Dress//V Neck Lace Dress

Left to Right:
Floral Layered Chiffon Dress//Embellished Chiffon Dress//Floral Print Dress
My favourite pick of this season's offerings has to be this dress;

Elvi Draped Jersey Dress


I just had to try it on.  I was not disappointed.  The beautiful blush colour really complimented my skin tone and newly dyed red hair (Did you notice??)  I teamed it with silver accessories and a pair of nude block heeled sandals.  I would usually team this with a sparkly clutch and perhaps even add a pretty fascinator
Embellished Clutch//Fascinator

The ruching on the side reveals a slight side split.  The neck is embellished with small square studs to accentuate the slash neck style. 


The dress is simple but with the right accessories it really comes to life. I am wearing a size 20 and I feel that this is true to it's size. I am between an 18 and a 20 and this is a little loose on me.  This dress isn't meant to be skin tight, it's meant to drape, so get the desired look opt for the higher of two sizes if you (like me) are between two.


Overall Summary:  A gorgeous dress, perfect for spring/summer occasions.  Chose your accessories carefully to complete the look.

Rating:  10/10

Potential improvements: I can see no fault with this dress.

Would I recommend this? Yes I would, I adore it!

Hair & MUA: Kat Henry
Photographer: QR Photography
Disclaimer
This product was sent to me for review purposes. The review above is based on my own opinion of the product and I own all creative content of this post.

xXx

"Witness The Fitness" with Anna Scholz Plus Size Fitness Wear range

The launch of Anna Scholz' plus size fitness wear range was celebrated with a good old wiggle as a few of us were asked to take part in a "Boogieful" class run by Charlotte Clarke.
 


Chloe of Chloe Pierre LDN, Rivkie; Editor-in-Chief of Slink Magazine & myself joined Anna and two of her team including Michaela of Cardiffornia Girl to create a little video to showcase the new range.

You can check it out below...
* Film credit - Indie Jug Films*


Boogieful is a dance class which is open to all people of different shapes and sizes, combining great music and simple yet effective routines to get your heart rate up.


We had such a blast doing the class with Charlotte, she's a lovely and warm lady who knows how to werk it!  She had us all breaking a sweat!  The routines were easy to follow and she broke them down for us!  The routines were set to a combination of RnB, Dancehall and Afro-beats.  I had a tonne of fun and as a dancer I always love learning new moves & routines.


Anna has designed a fantastic fitness range, I wore the City Lights print vest top with the matching print leggings.  There is also a t-shirt and matching zip-up jacket.  The other print available is a black/grey snakeskin print.  Both items were a size 20 and the garments are generously sized in my opinion.  The top fitted well, it was nice and long and didn't shift around or need adjusting throughout the workout.  The leggings are a little long in the leg for me but that's cos I'm only 5ft 4!  They looked perfect on Anna & Mic who are much taller.  I also tried on the Tee which is generously sized at a size 20 it was loose which is perfect for working out and the jacket was just perfect in every way - I would even rock that on a night out as a Bomber!  The quality of the range is apparent just from feeling the fabric. The prints are eye-catching, the fabric is breathable making it a dream to work out in, there's plenty of material, so for those who are longer in the body or are concious of their bums and tums, these tops are ideal.  There is no doubt that the range is priced highly but you get what you pay for.  To find good quality fitness wear that doesn't slack with wear or lose shape or colour with washing is virtually impossible unless you are prepared to pay a little extra for it.  

I have no quarms in paying for decent gear if it lasts and trust me it's durable.  I have worn & washed these leggings so many times and they look as good as they did on the day I got them.



All in all I had a fantastic day with these ladies and I thoroughly recommend the range - big thumbs up all round from me xx

Disclaimer
These products were gifted to me for review purposes. The review above is based on my own opinion of the product and I own all creative content of this post.