Tuesday 18 December 2012

When your feeling low.. Shop!

Hiya Chickies!

You know when sometimes your feeling a little low, the weathers deteriorating, its getting cold, your skin starts playing up, and the lurgy is floating around like the plague, and you feel like things will not get any better.. Well I (and Bob Marley) say 'every little thing is gonna be alright' because I treated myself to a few goodies that will psychically attempt to make me look slightly better and then as a result feel a tad better.

On Saturday I decided to go and get a manicure and pedicure with my winnings from my Company Friendly Poker Night (yep thats right I WON), I won £50 YAY! After my little pamper session at my favourite salon my mood was lifted so I continued with my day and treating myself and thats where the spending really started.
My mum wanted to do some last minute Christmas shopping and asked if I would like to go with her, I jumped at the chance. Shopping with my mum is honestly my favourite thing to do in my spare time, we always come out with so much stuff and she guides me in the right direction instead of me coming out with a load of trivial rubbish junk that I'll never wear or use.

Our first stop was Debenhams, they had a 10% off all beauty and fragrance (OH NO my poor bank card!!).
My mum told me to go away and meet her in 10 minutes as she needed to 'pick something up from the Chanel counter' (hmmmm might be a bit of a give away mum, since my favourite perfume Chanel Mademoiselle was top of my Christmas Wish List!). So off I trotted to the Clinque counter to pick up some new skin care goodies as my skin doesn't react well to winter, I was on a quest find some skin care to clear the dry patchy mountains that have suddenly appeared all over my face. The lady at the counter was lovely, immediately pointed me towards the Anti Blemish range, she actually cleansed, toned and moisturised my face for me with the the products, it felt lovely and clean (she did put my face back on for me after). I can't say that I love the smell, it has a very strong smell chemical scent, not my favourite scent, not sure if I should be worried? I have been using it for a few days now and I can already see a difference with regards to the condition of my skin, they are also packaged in cute mint green/blue bottles and they match my room! I am not really a skin care fanatic but I'll keep you posted!



Next stop in Boots was the Chanel Counter again my mum told me to go away (obviously she didn't get what needed at the Debenhams Chanel counter). I stayed at the counter but I decided to get colour matching so I had my back turned to my mum so I couldn't she what she was getting, she was adamant to keep it a secret, not obvious at all!! 
I decided that if I was going to change my skin care I was going to change my foundation as well and go for a lighter coverage foundation to let my skin breath, to try and rejuvenate itself, therefore I decided to go back to my old faithful Chanel Aqua Lumiere foundation (£32) to get this skin fix train moving! I absolutely adore this foundation, using it again has made me think why did I ever stop using this foundation! It smells divine, it gives a flawless coverage with out being feeling heavy and sticky. The only downside to the foundation is that it doesn't last that long and has to be powdered to make it last on my usually oily skin, if you don't like the feeling of powder on your face then you will probably have to reconsider! That leads me onto to my final purchase and the one I am most excited about is my brand spanking sparkling new Laura Mercier Undercover Pot in shade 2, this a nifty little pot that has all your concealer needs. It has a peach toned concealer to correct all the dark areas, like the dark circles under my eyes, it's too cold to sleep! A high coverage concealer in the form of their award winning secret camouflage concealer, this for the areas that you really want covered like pesky blemishes that just keep on coming back, last but certainly not least is has a small pot of their translucent powder for any oily areas or to set the concealers. This little gem is three of Laura Merciers Flawless face products all rolled into one! I have yet to form an opinion on the product as I have only been using it for a few days but its looking up. 





All three products have definitely lifted my mood and made my week that little bit better! I'll keep you posted on my progress with them, but so far soo very good! 

Have you brought any Christmas Treats to yourself?? 

Until Next Time,
Jess 
xx





Thursday 13 December 2012

Whats in my Handbag?

Hey Sugars,

I don't know about you but my hand bag is very unorganised and I go through phases of where it is extremely organised and has everything I could possibly need and other days where I am in a rush and it has like two things in. I haven't organised my bag for this post I am just going to pull out what is in there! I love reading these post and watching what is in my bag videos on youtube.com.

Lets get unpacking..

What is in my handbag?

I have a Louis Vuitton Alma bag it is very old and was my Nanas and I love it dearly, its my everyday bag and very battered and scratched but I love it anyways. It is small, I can't get a lot in there so this hopefully wont be a long post.


Lets get the boring stuff out of the way.. 

I always carry hand sanitizer as I work and commute into London and you never know whose hands have been touching the tube rails and where those hands have been, a simple solution a hand sanitizer. 



And the next most boring is.. Paracetamol 

Self Explanatory
(check out the value pack!)


I also carry my London necessities with me. I have my oyster card, and my headphones and my iPhone. Honestly these are essential, when your commuting and you don't have your head phones its like when you have a roast dinner and there is no roast potatoes it just ruins it, not having my head phones just ruins my journey! 


Next up is a Compact Mirror, I think every girl should carry one of these! You never know when your mascaras going to run, or when you have lipstick on your teeth. Its just makes my life that little bit easier from time to time! I have four, I know this may seem a bit excessive but I have received them all as gifts and three are from Accessorise, they are so pretty and feel very sophisticated and just lovely when I am on the train and I do my make up, I pull out this gorgeous mirror, its starts my day off in a pretty way. My favourite one is my Chanel Mirror that was my mums and she gave to me and its nice when you have something with sentimental value, its trivial but I love it. At the moment I have one of my Accessorise mirrors with me.  


Last my not least, in fact its the biggest thing in my bag, my Make up bag. I wont go into detail about what is in my make up bag because there is a previous post below on the contents of my make up bag.  Carrying my make up bag around with me has kept me from going home when there is fun to be had at after work cocktails or going to see the boy. Touching up your make up throughout your day and  sprucing up your make up after work just makes the day that little bit better and makes me feel like I am ready to go and take on London! 


Hope you have found that little insight into my day to day life interesting and some what helpful.

So whats in your bag? 

Until Next Time,
Jess 
xx 







Confessions of a Beauty Blogger!

Hello Sugar! 

I was looking at my blogger news feed and a tag popped up, and I just can't get enough of these tags! This time the Sunday Girl posted a little tag called the confessions of a Beauty Blogger. I was reading the tag for ages giggling to myself thinking I do exactly the same! 

- I don't wash my make up brushes any way near as much as I should. 

The worst thing I do is not clean my make up brushes enough. Gross I know but its true sometimes I just neglect them! I definitely think that not cleaning your make up brushes causes all sorts of problems, number 1 problem with dirty brushes is that all the bacteria festers in the bristles and obviously thats not good for your skin because your transferring the bacteria onto your skin and I don't know about every one else but it causes me MAJOR break outs. I need to invest in some Johnsons baby shampoo for deep clean and some MAC brush cleaner. 

weheartit.com


I like to bite my nail polish off.

I also have a habit of biting my nail polish off. Once I have chipped my nail polish thats it I has to all come off, and I hardly ever have nail polish to hand! Thats my reason for that bad habit. Maybe I should just get fake nails to stop me doing that because I am pretty sure it makes your nails weaker in the long run. I even manage to bite Shellac off when I get it! I don't know how to get over this, all honestly I probably wont. 

- I hoard! 

This one is simple I hoard a whole load of make up products. When I am in Boots or Superdrug or any department store I alway end up picking something up, I am always on the look out for new and exciting products. I am really trying to reduce my make up stash, its taking a while but I am getting there, as I am trying to build up a freelance make up kit as well, I just don't have enough room for it, and its not very good on my ban balance!!!! 





Thats all I can think of for now. Its been relatively short post, but I have enjoyed this post and its reminded me to get my bum in gear and go and buy some brush cleaner!  

Whats your Beauty Confessions? 

Until Next Time,
Jess 
xx 



Wednesday 12 December 2012

My Beauty Firsts Tag!

Hey Buddies!

Whilst scrolling through my subscriptions box on youtube I came across The Beauty Firsts Tag on Vivianna Does Make Ups video with Lily Pebbles, I watched it and I was like wow I must do this on my blog. I love this sort of thing, especially this tag. I loved make up when I was in my younger years and I was the only one out of my friends, so watching this tag on youtube or reading it on blogs, I am literally fascinated. I hope you will be as fascinated as I am with my answers!


1. What's your first Beauty Memory?

My first beauty memory is when I got my first Benefit product one Christmas, I got Some Kinda Gorgeous and Big Beautiful Eyes Palette, my mum put them in the most beautiful pink floral bag filled with pink tissue paper and pink sequins, I just remember thinking this is the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen! Thats when my love for make up began, I used to open the Some Kinda Gorgeous compact and shut it again so I could hear the click noise when it closed, yep I really did that, thats how much I loved it, I even loved the clicking sound! I also started to learn how to do make up with the little lesson leaflets that you get inside Benefit products.

2. What was your first Beauty Purchase? 
Apart from my benefit make up that my parents got me for Christmas, the first purchase I made with my  own pocket money was a body shop born lippy lip balm. I remember wanting all the flavours, my favourite was a passion berry one, and now whenever I smell anything passion berry it brings a smile to my face because that was my favourite. They are still available now and if you can I would recommend you go and smell them because they are so fruity and gorgeous smelling I wanted every single one. When my parents gave me pocket money for doing the washing up or money for when I went out with my friends, I would always get a Body Shop lip balm. They were £3 each and I loved them! 

3. When did you first wear makeup? 
I first started wearing make up when I was about fifteen, I used to wear a small amount of mascara and a body shop born lippy lip balm and I was so excited when picture day school came around and I would spend literally 15 - 20 minutes apply my lip balm and mascara, I love putting make up on thats the best part! Then I started wearing what make up my friends wore and well I wont say much more about that, it explains it all in my Advice to my Teenage Self post, lets just say no one wants to dress up as an ompa lumpa at halloween for a reason!


  4. What was your first beauty disaster?
Wearing the darkest shade of dream matt moose foundation to make myself looked tanned because thats what all my friends did, I honestly think we thought we looked like the pink ladies from grease, we thought we were the coolest people in the world. When I think back now at how bad I looked I think that is exactly why I should listen to my mum, when she says I look silly I really do silly she's not just being mean! 


5.Who was your first Beauty Crush?
My first beauty crush was without a doubt my cousin Jen. I was around 13 and she was 23 and I just though she was it, all the clothes, make up and bags and everything I just had to have it. She always had her hair straight so I did, if she has a certain make up product I had it, I always looked forward to getting a present from her at Christmas or my Birthday because I always got something that she had, like a blusher or lip gloss. I remember seeing her in a really pretty fitted waist coat on one of her pictures on facebook and I immediately asked my mum to find out where she got it and it went straight on my birthday list. I must have looked like an idiot, I was her mini me. I still think she has the best style and beauty ever! I love Cheryl Cole at the moment as well. 




6. What was your first Beauty Brand Crush? 
Thats easy Benefit! Its so pretty and pink and just a girly girls heaven, what more can I say. If I was a beauty brand I would be Benefit! 






7. Whats's your Longest Standing Beauty Item?
Benefit High Beam. You can tell I loved Benefit can't you?! Benefit High Beam is still my highlighter of choice now. I have used it since I was 16 and continue to now. I think it deserves a post of its own, watch out for that one!


So there you have my Benefit filled Beauty Firsts. I loved make up from the word go, I mean its just amazing don't ya think!? 

What was your first beauty purchase? 
Until Next Time,
Jess 
xx 



Sunday 9 December 2012

Christmas Party Kit!



'Tis the season to drink, dance and be merry.. It's Christmas Party Season.
 
 
(weheartit.com)
 
Most of us have Christmas parties or Christmas Nights Out to go to and you always want to look you best to make sure you end the year looking absolutely fabulous, therefore I have devised a guide on what things you need to make yourself look gorgeous on that festive night, because when you look good, you feel good.
 
1. The Sparkley Dress
 
I always love buying a new dresses with a bit of sparkle on, because for me Christmas is the time for sparkle and I always save the sparkle for Christmas time. I know that dancing around in a gorgeous dress thats sparkling under the dsico I am having a reall good time!
2. The Festive Make Up
 
Again I always save a make up look for the Christmas season. I am ashamed to say that I get overly excited about sitting down laying all my make options out on the floor in my room and choosing what to pack in my make up bag for my christmas party, to take to work with me ready for the night out (all the girls in work get ready after work in the studio :) ). I always end up, without fail with a make up bag full of gold eyeshadows and red lipsticks and lots of eye lashes! Gold Sparkley eyes and full red lips is my staple Christmas look, if only I could add a bit of green in there some where my christmas look would be complete.
p.s. Festive nail polish is a must, golds, reds or jade greens to get the Christmas look down to every little detail!
 


3. Christmas Songs
 
Getting ready listening to Christmas songs, start as you mean to go on. Listening to Christmas Songs (mainly Mariah Carey - All I want for Christmas) just gets me all ready for the festivities ahead as well as putting me in the best mood as Christmas is my favorite time of year! This one is simple just get Christmassy, it is only once a year after all!
 
4. Flat Shoes
 
If your like me and your party outfit is never fully complete without a pair of heels or wedges, however by the end of the night I can not wait to get them off just as fast as I put them on because my feet feel like they are going fall off! I always carry a pair of flat ballet pumps in my clutch (its always big enough). These really are the saviours of the evening and round my evening off in comfort.
 
5. Friends
 
Last but certainly not least, actually it is the most important.. The Girls! No Christmas night out is complete wihtout my girls. Dancing the night away to Chritsmas songs, sipping on a cocktails or white wine spritzers with my girls is my perfect night. I know that when I am with my friends I will not stop laughing, dancing and having a good time even if all else fails.
 
Whats in your Christmas Kit??
 
Until Next Time,
Jess
 
xx
 
 
 

Friday 7 December 2012

New Brow Find

Heya you sparkly stars you,

One cold christmas eve.. Just kidding! 

One day after work I met a friend after work for drinks but before that she had to pop into Illamasqua to pick something up and wasn't going to complain, I'll take any excuse to go to the Illamasqua shop in Carnaby Street.
I was looking around at all the colours and getting ever so excited! One of the Make Up Artists Tanya came over and asked if I need help, oh did I need help, I was frantic with about one hundred things in my hands. I asked how she did her brows they looked very groomed, very perfect and ever so strong, I must admit I love a strong brow. She proceeded to do my brows, well what can I say.. I completely fell in love with my new brows yes they looked like completely new brows!

Now on to the product in question...

I have never used any other brow product except for Benefits Brows a go-go £26.50 I honestly thought I had found my holy grail product and never use anything else, but alas I hadn't because the Illamasqua Brow Cake in Thunder £14.50 just come in a trampled all over it with gorgeous high heeled shoes on and compared to the Benefit Brows a go-go its a complete bargain. The shade I use is Thunder and Tanya (the make up artist) said this is most common as it is a dark brown without it being to dark and it has not one hint of red in it which I love as most Brow products to. I consistency of the brow cake is like an powder eyeshadow and cream eyeshadow all into one, it's more creamy so its takes to the brows easier and has superhero staying power! All in all this product definitely gets a ten out of ten from me and its worth checking the Illamasqua slanted brow brush out as well!

The lovely Tanya in the Carnaby Street boutique showed me exactly how to use it and how to shape my brows to suit my face shape, if you can get down to an Illamasqua counter or store you should definitely go its so worth it just to check this product out.


Thursday 6 December 2012

My Christmas Traditions!

Hello Snowflakes! 

It's the last final stretch to my favourite time of year it's CHRISTMAS! 

I am alway so mega excited for Christmas every year, I am like the Who's in the film The Grinch they start planning their Christmas months and months in advanced (I started preparing in September). I love Christmas mainly because every one is happy and smiley and I like saying 'Merry Christmas' to whoever and whenever I can!  

I have always been slightly Christmas obsessed if I am completely honest, once all halloween and bonfire night are out of the way then it is my Que. to go all Mrs Claus! I love the magic almost sparkling feeling you get Christmas when they family get together over a fire, eating holiday chocolates and the smell of the Christmas dinner wafting throughout the house, and present under the tree and after dinner out comes wrapping paper flying everywhere, with smiles all around, with everyone in their Christmas PJs, well that is what its like my my house anyway. 

I have a huge family so we have to split my time into what seems like two Christmas' yep that means double presents, double Christmas dinner and twice as such Christmas food as I could possibly stuff into my mouth before I feel like a over inflated ballon that is seconds away from exploding! This is only one of many traditions in my household. 

(weheartit)
Without further ado here are just a few of my favourite traditions that we have in my house; 

Decorations - Each year me, my brother and my sister will pick out a new Christmas decoration for our tree we have been doing this since we popped out into to the world. Therefore our Christmas tree is filled with memories from past Christmas' and each one reflects our younger selves and the year that we had. I think my mum and dad will keep this tradition going well into our adult lives, Our tree basically looks like a toy shop, even though we have no say in where the decorations will be place as my mum takes full control and a lot of pride on how our tree looks we have full control on what goes on it, I love looking back through the years through our Christmas tree. I fully intend to take this tradition when I have my own little family at Christmas!

The Tree - The getting the tree itself is a tradition in my house, we always get the tree the weekend or nearest weekend to the 12th December. We all know to keep the weekend free so we can jump in the car in our wooly scarves and gloves with our Dad and go and choose the tree as we always have real one what fills our living room with the scent of a Christmas tree to make us feel extra Christmassy! My mum decorates but my dad goes to get the tree with us all and sometimes we even stop for a hot chocolate from Starbucks as well as an extra little treat to get us in the Christmas mood. When we get home the decorations are all over the floor waiting for us to help (pass them to) mum! 

(weheartit)

The Stockings - My favourite part of Christmas is the stockings that we get from Mum and Dad. Each year we get a stocking filled with little bit and bobs that mum has picked up throughout the year! It's always so exciting because the stockings have been hanging from our fireplace empty from the 12th December onwards, then as if my magic* they all full of little gifts and I still get excited putting my hand in and finding all the lovely surprises inside!

 Baking with Nanny - Yes I still call my Nan Nannie and always will, especially when baking biscuits and Christmas cake with her ready for Christmas day with all the family round her house. We always have so much fun with Christmas songs blaring over the tape machine, dancing around the kitchen. I love all the decorations and preparation that goes into the baking and I do come out about a stone heavier after licking the spoons clean of all the left over cake mixture and icing! 


What are your Christmas Traditions? 

Have a merry and magical Christmas, I know I will! :) 

Until Next Time,
Jess 
xx 








To My Teenage Self

Hi Sugars!
I am turning 21 in a matter of months and I have been thinking about my teenage self and what things I would have done differently and what advice I should have listened to. My sister is 13 and just beginning her journey into that long awkward round into adolescenthood, she is constantly asking me advice and I see her every day arguing with friends or getting excited over boys and I wish that I could tell her what I wish I would have known then without her saying "yeah well whatever jess!" Trying to steer her in the right direction at every opportunity. If I could go back now this is what tell my teenage self;

  To my teenage self, 


1. You shouldn't care what these people think 
My mum always said to me "you are not going to know these people in ten years time, you shouldn't stop being yourself for them". Turns out she was exactly right I do not talk to anyone from my secondary school neither do I have any desire to. I used to wear my hair in a way that everybody else had it and wear the same things even if I didn't necessarily like them. I also played the class clown and I wouldn't put ad much effort into my school work and I didn't reach my full potential that was entirely my fault all of this just incase my class mates thought I was uncool, this was the biggest mistake. Now none of their opinions matter to me and I wish I had known that then.

2. Not everyone is going to like you 
I spent years and years thinking everyone must like me. I still to this day care if people like me or not because it's not nice having someone not like you, but now I think well sod them and its human nature not to like everyone, whereas when I was in my teenage years if someone didn't like me it played on my mind and took over my life like the plague, it made me change myself to suit them, I wish that I had been myself throughout because you should always want people to like you for you not who they want you to be. There are some that will like and some that just wont it's just the way it's meant to be, some people will like them and some people and more than likely you wont like them, it's just natures way of telling us who matters.

3.Remember the positives and forget the negatives 
It's definitely easier to listen to the negatives than the positives and again when I was younger the littlest nasty thing would eat away at me, the numerous positive comments would just go straight over my head, when it should have been the other way around. If I had listened to some of the positive comments I probably wouldn't have needed the other advice.

4. Side ponytails and dream matt moose foundation are not the answer! 
Oh god I look back at some of the horrendous fashion and beauty mistakes I have made back then and well there is not much more to say here other than make better choices and when your mum says "darling you look stupid" take note! In my school all the girls went through a Dream Matt Moose Foundation phase, for those of you who do not know what dream matt moose is it is the driest, cakeyest foundation them points alone should have made me realise that it does not look good when you could literally scrape your fingers nails on my face, and it looks like cake (not the nice kind) or I would even go as far as saying mud is falling off your face, but to top it all off we all bought the darkest shade to make us look tanned but it made us look dirty and so so so wrong with our faces looking like they were covered in mud and dirty and our bodies as pale as a polar bear!

5. Enjoy being young 
This one is simple do grow up to fast! When people say "your only young for a little while" they really are not lying. I am quickly becoming an adult and I wish I hadn't spent of much time obsessive over looking older with my horrendous foundation or my heels that I couldn't walk in or acting (but probably seeming so much younger) older or getting fake ID to get in the clubs and bars because I was so desperate to be older. I wish I had spent more time playing with my dollies and riding my scooter and watching the powerpuff girls instead of eastenders.




What was I thinking pouting like a fish!

(Honestly what was I thinking!) 

There you have it.. Cor I wish I had a time machine to go back and shake my teenage self!

 Until next time,
Jess xx