Motel Rocks!!!

We all know about my swimwear obsession. It’s no secret and if it was I’d be doing a rubbish job of keeping it that way. Any excuse to wear a bikini or swimsuit and I’m there. Not because I love to be at the beach- which I do, that’s just not the reason- but simply because there’s an edge to swimwear that other clothes just seem to lack.

I’m particular about my swimwear and any old bikini won’t cut it. It has to be edgy, it has to be noticeable, it has to be me. I’ll search for hours for the perfect piece and enjoy the hunt, but it didn’t take me long to come across this season’s Motel swim collection. 

A tankini top with space print? Yes please! Bikinis with multiple strap detail? Be mine now!! High waist leopard… until I’m not even in the swim section anymore and my basket’s getting fuller and fuller. You get the picture- Motel Rocks! So you can only imagine my excitement when they asked me to collaborate with them and style up pieces from their new season collection! Yeoowww (there I go again, getting all excited).

First up I chose the super sweet Queenie Mesh Panel Swim Suit to style and give inspo to all you lovely ladies for the hot summer ahead (we pray)! I love my jewelled headpiece and it works great with the Queenie one piece. The swimsuit's really simple and toughened up with the low scoop back and mesh inserts it's the perfect item to match with statement jewellery. Whether you'll be sipping cocktails by the pool or hitting the local beach party, just add a kimono and you're good to go.

(Try tying the kimono around your waist and adding wellies for a great festival look!)

 And you don't just have to lounge around on the beach or by the pool in this swimsuit-  team with an oversized tee or  high waist shorts for a more sporty look. I threw on this oversized mesh top from ASOS and a pair of Vans plimsolls and was ready to transfer from beach to skate park in no time!

Watch out for how I styled up the Motel Lemonade Ballerina Scoop Back Body coming soon. xxx

All images shot by the talented @thaimatic; willsdiary.tumblr.com; email: thaitestshoots@gmail.com. 

NIKE BASKETBALL ELITE SERIES GOLD COLLECTION

Nike are about to launch some pretty impressive basketball performance trainers and there's one for each of basketball's finest; LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant. With the playoffs quickly approaching (April 19th), these beauties are dropping just in time! 

First up there's the Lebron 11 Elite Gold (642846-002), designed to fit the reigning MVP. The black and gold work nicely with the bright mango and metallic and the attention to detail is phenomenal. Guys, these trainers will definitely be turning some heads.

Up next is the Kobe 9 Elite Gold (630847-100). This is the brand's first basketball shoe featurning the flyknit, which I am loving for both men and women right now! Be careful, you have to know your style to wear these trainers- if not they could go terribly wrong... All black is a winner with a hint of gold to compliment the trainer's detail. 

Finally, we have the KD VI Elite Gold (642838-100). Hello!! I absolutely adore these trainers- my personal fave of all three. A little more tame than the other two, you could get away with wearing these every day. A definite wardrobe winner! 

Launching June 6th on Nike.com I'm a little upset that there aren't any for us ladies, but I'm looking forward to seeing how all of you men will be rocking your pair! xx

I Wear Boys' Pants!

I'm obsessed with menswear, I really am. In fact, I'm that crazy about it that I like to wear men's clothes as part of my everyday outfits. It's not for everyone, I agree. But lets face it, we've all stolen our boyfriend's hoodie, tee or sweatshirt at some point... right?!

Men's clothing can make your outfit look effortlessly cool whilst also being super duper comfortable. It's also really simple to wear and is perfect when teamed with more feminine pieces (see my crop top and boys jeans below)! So grab the oversized tee, baggy pants or baseball shirt and show these boys how their clothes should really be worn! I've given it a damn good go myself below.. xx

Tee from Supreme

Nike slider sandals worn with Nike men's socks

Tankini top from Motel worn with men's Levi jeans

Photographer's basketball jersey top worn with bralet and Mouille swim bottoms

Shoot with Craig Bingham

I must apologise for the lack of posts on TIGERESSLIFESTYLE recently! The past couple of weeks have been crazily busy but I'm back to keep you updated with lifestyle tips, tricks and newness- and of course on my work within the fashion industry! 

I've been a busy buzzy little bee shooting etc. so I thought that I'd start back with a recent collaboration of mine with fellow northerner Craig Bingham. Craig's work is pretty arty and in all honesty, pretty amazing! All shot in black and white in a little country barn studio, I'm wearing absolutely no make-up whatsoever and sporting some super messy kitty-ear hair (meowww)! Let me know what you think! xx

See more of Craig's work at Brightlights Photography x

Wheyhey! The Ice Cream That's Actually Good For You!

Summer is a great time to get healthy. Think fresh fruit, home made smoothies, Greek salad, ice cold water and... uhh, ice cream? 

Wheyhey is a new brand that are making ice cream the healthy way. Made with high quality protein, zero sugar and all natural ingredients, you'd think that things couldn't get much better. They do. The ice cream is also low in fat, whilst being both carbs and gluten free. It's even suitable for vegetarians and diabetics. 

The mini 22g pots are the perfect guilt-free alternative to your usual ice cream or unhealthy snacks. Wheyhey is not only great for a post workout protein top-up but it's also good for anyone who is simply wanting to watch their weight or lead a healthy lifestyle. I'm a bit (a lot) of a snacker myself, so this is the perfect find for me. 

The Science Part

Protein is made up of amino acids, 9 of which are essential. This basically means that the body can't produce them itself- the only way that we can get them is through the food and drink that we consume. They help your body to repair and develop bone and muscle tissue, repair vital cells and also, to support the endocrine system (the one that takes care of all of your hormones)! 

Whey Protein Isolate is what Wheyhey is made out of (hence the name), which is 100% natural, great for your body, easily digested and absorbed super quickly by our systems. What's more, it contains all 9 of the essential amino acids! Find out a little more about the science behind Wheyhey here. 

I've tried the vanilla and strawberry flavours so far and I wasn't disappointed at all! Now I just have chocolate left to tick off of my list... There's also natural, blueberry and coconut push up frozen yoghurt pops coming soon too!

To top things off, dreamy supermodel David Gandy is the face if the brand. Need I say more!

So, what do you think? An ice cream that we don't need to feel guilty about. In fact, an ice cream that we can actually feel good about. I'd say that this one's a winner all round... Wheyhey!!! (sorry, I couldn't help myself) xx

See more from Wheyhey right here.

We Owned The Night, Nike!!

Last night Nike's We Own The Night race took place in London's Victoria Park and it was GREAT! You might remember my earlier WOTN post when, after much deliberation, I'd just signed up to take part-  being a sprinter and never running anything over 5k it all seemed a little too much. I couldn't have been more wrong!

As soon as we arrived the atmosphere was great. Everyone warmed up together and excitedly prepared for the race ahead. There was definitely a festival feel to the evening- keeping fit and festival partying... this had me written all over it. 

 I'd decided to challenge myself and had chosen to run with the faster group of black and purple bands (there's six groups in total depending on how quickly you feel that you can complete the race). My training had consisted of two 10k runs and some leisurely shorter distances. With previous times of 50 minutes 30 seconds and 51 minutes exactly, I would have been more than happy completing in anything around those times.

The actual race itself was great. Challenging yes, but there are plenty of distractions to take your mind off your heavy breathing (and heavy legs)! There were DJs, light tunnels and even a brass brand to keep you occupied on your way around the park. Huge lit signs marked each kilometre to make you aware of your progress. However, I'd chosen to run with my Nike Running app and pre-selected playlist so that was plenty of motivation in itself; the Nike Running app I would strongly recommend, as it tells updates you with your time after each km! 

The final stretch is marked with '600m to go' signs. Then 400, 200, until finally you're crossing the finish line to hundreds of cheering fans- who were probably there for other people, but you can pretend it's all for you. I finished in a time of 46 minutes and 35 seconds- a whole 4 minutes faster then previous runs. A new personal best.

You're handed free water and goody bags as you cross the line and then you're free to join the party that waits ahead. 

How cute is my Alex Monroe X Liberty Neckalce?!

If you haven't experienced the event before I'd strongly recommend that next time you consider taking part. It's not about who comes first or who can run quicker than who; this is a fun race where the only person that you're competing against is yourself. The satisfaction that you feel at the end is unreal and what's better than finishing a race to a free glass of champagne and an exclusive Alex Monroe x Liberty necklace. Ummm, perhaps the huge rave and drink up that took place in the park after?! We ran hard and partied harder- a great way to spend Saturday night with my girls.

Nick Grimshaw as the official WOTN DJ

Find your name on the Nike WOTN glowing box

(Other freebies included numerous flavours of Vita Coco water, Vita Coco sweatbands, Metcalfe's Skinny Popcorn and Wheyhey fitness protein ice cream.)

I am beyond proud of myself and every single lady that took part. A huge congratulations to everyone!

So, when's the next race, Nike? 

Hot Girls Drink (Healthy) Cocktails!!

Summer's just about here and things are hotting up, including you! Glowing summer skin, sun-bleached hair and of course the cutest summer outfits. In fact, things are getting that hot that even the coolest of summer honeys need, well, cooling down... and what better way to do so than with an ice cold cocktail? An ice cold healthy cocktail, perhaps?!

If any of you follow me on Instagram (@kirbyanne) I'm sure that you soon realised that I'm a little obsessed with cocktails. Take me on a cocktail date and I'm yours forever. I particularly enjoy the ones that are topped with sweets, fresh fruit or anything else that's edible- even better if they're frozen too!! Everyone has there own cocktail preference and if you say that you don't like them, well I'm sorry but you're lying. Either that or you need me to take you to the best cocktail spots because quite frankly, there's something out there for everyone. 

Anyway, my cocktail obsession is ruining my usually healthy lifestyle. Some cocktails may taste refreshingly healthy but they're no better for you than gobbling down a packet of sweets. So I decided that enough is enough and went on the hunt for the healthiest cocktails around. Here's my pick of the bunch...

Size Zero @ Foundation Bar, Covent Garden

This low-calorie cocktail is less than 100 calories, so the more the merrier I say (literally)! Mixed with vodka, limes, cucumber, ginger and honey, there's absolutely no need to feel guilty and the venue just adds to the experience. Foundation bar is a winner and if you visit between 5 and 7.30pm on a week night you'll get this cocktail with 50% off!

Watermelon Mojito @ Jewel Piccadilly 

At 115 calories (that's less than a slimline G&T!) and enough watermelon to count as one of your 5 a day, this cocktail is one of the healthiest out there. A fruity twist on the classic mojito!

Skinny Ginny @ Giraffe

Bombay sapphire gin with cucumber, apple and agave. For all you gin lovers out there!

Skinny Minnie Cocktails from Drake & Morgan 

Drake and Morgan are looking after their health-concious customers by offering super skinny cocktails at each of their five London locations. Why not try the 150 calorie Skinny Pornstar Martini Cariel Vodka, passion fruit & a prosecco chaser YUM!!!!!! Or, if you're not feeling quite like a pornstar (sorry, I giggled at myself a little bit then) go for a 150 calorie Skinny Superfood Collins with Gin Mare, which contains fresh basil, raspberries, blackberries, agave & fresh lemon juice served long with soda.

Find them at...

The Refinery - 110 Southwark St, London, SE1 0TF // The Parlour - The Park Pavilion, 40 Canada Square Park, London, E14 5FW // The Anthologist - 58 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7BB // The Folly - 41 Graceschurch St, London, EC3V 0BT // The Drift - Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4AY // The Happenstance, 1A Ludgate Hill, London, EC4M 7AA

And for those of you who want to enjoy these health(ier) drinks from the comfort of your own garden, try giving one of these tasty recipes a go! 

I been drinking, watermelon...

Grilled Watermelon Mint Julep from A Cozy Kitchen

(See recipe via link)

The Grapefruit Crush from Tide and Thyme

1 1/2 grapefruits, juiced

1.5 oz vodka

1 oz orange liqueur

splash of lemon-lime soda

ice

Pour all ingredients into cocktail mixer and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass filled with ice. Garnish with grapefruit peel or slice.

130 cal Spiked Strawberry & Lemon Cocktail from Health.com

(See recipe via link)

Top Tip!!

Not quite feeling the 'skinny' cocktail on the menu? Look for a tequila-based drink! Tequila not only dissolves fats and reduces levels of cholesterol, but it’s the only spirit proven to make you happier. A nice excuse to go for a drink if you ask me!