Empties | October

Another month, another empties post! It's quite scary how fast these months are flying by, but I'm so so excited for Christmas that I don't mind! :D 

Let's have a look what I've worked through this month...

• Supersoft volumising hairspray by Schwarzkopf. My lovely mother bought me this hairspray, after I said I really liked the one that she used, which was obviously this one :) I never buy a regular hairspray, but I think this might just be the one. It holds really well but doesn't leave my hair sticky or crispy. It also has quite a nice scent - kinda fruit. Would I repurchase? Definitely.
• Hair growth treatment by Lee Stafford. This is my 3rd tub now, I've been using this religiously & love it. It's really helped improve the health & length of my hair. Check out my review here :) Would I repurchase? 1000 times over!
• Healing oil spray by Macadamia. I bought this little 60ml size so I could give it a try. I'm in love with hair oils & treatments at the moment, this is just another fab one I've found. I love that it comes with a spritzer, instead of just pouring oil into your hands, & it smells gorgggeous! Would I repurchase? Yep :)
• Satin care pure & delicate shave gel by Gillette. I went through a bit of a lazy phase & stopped using shaving gel, but fear not girls, I'm back on it haha. My legs feel so much better using gel, I don't know why I stopped :\ Would I repurchase? I already have, but I bought a nicer fragranced one :)
• Nourishing nail polish remover by Cutex. I don't really know what can be said about polish remover...? It takes off my varnish & that's about it. Would I repurchase? Already have done. 
• Dermo sensitive deodorant by Sanex. This is a bit of a boring product, but I thought I'd include it. I've used this deodorant for so long, as I have sensitive armpits (aww) & I thought this was the only deodorant that I could use. Butt, I've found another! If any of you have sensitive armpits try out Nivea's pearl deodorant. Would I repurchase? Yeah, but sorry Sanex, I prefer my new shiny Nivea pearl. 
• Romantic spark by Impulse. I always have a body spray in my bag & go through them quite fast. Currently I've been buying all different scents, to see which I like best. This is definitely one of my favourites, it's a real girly scent & reminds me of Palma Violets :) Would I repurchase? Definitely. 
• Moisturising wipes by Simple Baby. Face wipes aren't suppose to be all that good for you skin, but I use these before I cleanse, so it can't be that bad! I choose the baby ones, over the normal ones; because they're cheaper, they contain loads more wipes & the wipes themselves are bigger. Would I repurchase? Always, always do :)
• The falsies black drama mascara by Maybelline. I always repurchase this mascara. It's the best high street mascara I think I've came across yet. It elongates my lashes & really thickens them too. I use this religously for my day-to-day mascara (& They're Real! by Benefit for nights out). Would I repurchase? Already have!
• Skin illusion foundation by Clarins. I got this sample from inside a magazine, InStyle maybe. I don't really know what to say. I don't think anybody could really have much of an opinion on something after only using it once. It was a nice foundation, smelt nice too! But, nothing amazing. Would I repurchase? Probably not. 
• 5 minute facial by Radial. I had quite high hopes for this product, I'm not sure why.. maybe because of the expensive price tag for the full sized product, or the sleek packaging, hmm? But yeah, it didn't really do anything :S My skin didn't feel amazing afterwards, like it usually does with other face masks. Would I repurchase? Nope!
• It's potent eye cream by Benefit. This little sample actually lasted me quite while! I loved using this. I'm not sure that it really did much to my eyes, I feel like it brightened the skin around them, so we'll say it did! But who knows?! Regardless, I really enjoyed using this. Would I repurchase? Yeah, I think I might add this to my Christmas list actually :) 

I wish you all the best November girlies! :D Ahh, December next month!! How exciting.

Acrylic drawers from Wilkinson!

If I had a pound every time I read a post or watched a YouTube video of a beauty blogger with acrylic drawers I would be rich, I tell you, RICH! Annnd, well, being the easily led girl I am I eventually wanted my own. Most you will probably know the drawers I'm on about already.

I really wanted my own so I could organise my make-up in a way it can be seen & easily accessed. But all the posts & videos I'd seen contained drawers brought from Muji. Now, although Birmingham centre is only 20 minutes on the train, it just seems so much more effort than my close town... uhm, lazy! So I was going to wait patiently, like a good little girl, until I found myself in Brum. Buttt, behold! I was in Wilkinson the other day & look what I found :D Acrylic drawers. I thought I'd share this little find with you, cause I know Muji isn't a store located close to everybody.

This little beaute was £10 & is perfect for what I wanted it to hold! It has 3 drawers which are wide enough & deep enough to store all sorts of make-up. I'm using mine to store make-up I'd go for on a regular day, instead of rummaging through my big vanity case. 

& here's my little set up :) My jar of cotton pads is an old Yankee Candle. Check out this post if you wanna know how to recycle your candle jars :D

On a completely different note... have you girls had a good weekend?! Any Halloween celebrations? I mentioned in a previous post that I worked on Saturday night (at a bar) & we had our Halloween party. It was amaaazing! We had cage dancers, stilt walkers, fire breathers, shot girls etc etc. I was outside (freezing!) working on the garden bar. It was a fab night, but very busy & a little stressful. Loved it nontheless. I did say I'd show you a picture of my zombie nurse self. Unfortunately I was in such a rush getting ready that I didn't get chance to take a full length photo. I was far too busy setting my sister up as a zombie geek & my boyfriend as a woman/the joker, haha. But anyways, I managed to get a photo of my make up :)

Lemme know what you guys got up to!

Jen xo

I heart fall! | Tag

I saw this tag on one of my fave YouTubers channel - FleurdeForce. & as I couldn't agree with it's title any more I thought I'd give it a go :)

So, here goes...

Favourite fall lip product? Most of you will probably be familar with this lippy by now... it's the shade 107 from Kate Moss' matte collection. I'ts the perfect autumn/winter berry colour :) I love Kate's lippys too! Great formula & they smell like VK Cherry! Check out my gormy face sporting 107 ;)

Favourite fall nail polish? I haven't had these for long, but I know I'm going to be wearing them so much throughout autumn/winter. It's 'The Living Daylights' & 'Skyfall' from the Skyfall OPI collection. OPI is my fave ever polish & I just love Bond, so this was an easy decision :)

Favourite Starbucks fall drink? I haven't been to a coffee shop yet this Autumn, so I'm not sure. Can't wait to try them all out though! For now I'll say chai tea latte. 

Favourite fall candle? You'll all know this by now, but I looovee Yankee Candles! My fave at the moment is orange spice.

Favourite fall scarf? Well, I prefer snoods to scarf. I find scarfs to be so annoying & they never stay were you put them, but snoods just sit snug round your neck. I started a bit of a collection this wear, but haven't worn them all yet. So this one is my fave :) It's so thick & soft! It's from Dorothy Perkins, in case you were wondering ;) 

Haunted house, haunted hay ride or haunted corn maze? Ahh, none! They all sound horrible, haha. Thankfully we don't really have these attractions in the UK. I'll just stick to my Halloween parties ;) 

Favourite Halloween movie? I'm such a wuss, I hate scary movies! I know it's mostly a Christmas movie, but I'm gonna say The Nightmare Before Christmas. 

Favourite candy to eat on Halloween? They aren't entirely candy, but I'm quite a fan of toffee apples. In fact there's one in the kitchen waiting for me :) Apart from that I'm a sour sweet kinda gal!

What are you dressing up as for Halloween? I'm working tonight (at a bar) & it's our Halloween party. I'm so excited!! I'm dressing up as a zombie nurse, can't wait! 

What's your favourite thing about fall? This is so easy, but I could pick thousands of things! I love the snug clothes, & accessories like snoods. I love nights in the warm with a film & hot chocolate. I love getting excited for Christmas & buying presents. I love all the associated scents, like spices & cinnamon. I love the colours.Okay, I'll stop ;) 

I tag all you girls that love Autumn to do this tag :D Have a great weekend my lovelies! Jen xo

What happens when I get left alone..

Happy Friday girlies :D I hope you all have something fab planned for your weekend. I'm so excited for tomorrow night. I work in a really busy club on the weekends & tomorrow we have our Halloween party! I lurrve Halloween & dressing up! This year I'm gonna be a zombie nurse, I'll post photos if I look any good ;)

Last weekend was a little different. I was left to my own devices. & like a little puppy, I don't like being on my own, haha. My parents had gone on holiday, my boyfriend was away with the Marines, my sister was out enjoying her new relationship (aww!) & all my friends seemed to be busy. Boo, lets get out the violins! It's dangerous when I'm left alone, I always seem to do the same thing... spend money! I always, always do this haha. Whether it's internet shopping or a trip to Merry Hill. I decided on Merry Hill over the internet & off I went...

I mainly bought presents for other people (crimbo - ahhh excited!). Some of which I can't show you, just in case he see's this post, but I'll show you the others & what I bought myself :)

• Falsies mascara by Maybelline. Love this mascara! It's my go-to for day time wear. It really opens up your eyes & makes your lashes look full & long. 
• Lip liner in Almond by Natural Collection. I grabbed this lip liner in the hope it will pair with my Kate Moss lippy in 113. It was the nudest-type liner I could find. I haven't tried it out yet, but hopefully it works! If anyone has any suggestions pretty please lemme know :) 
• Eye liner in Nude by Rimmel. I saw Tanya Burr (Pixi2woo) use this in her latest make-up look for Taylor Swift. She used it on the water line & it really opened up her eyes & made them look brighter. Thought I'd give it a whirl!
• Cleanser in Seaweed by The Body Shop. This cleanser is now a staple in my skincare regime. I love the seaweed range, it's great for combination/oily skin. 
• Stay Matte pressed powder by Rimmel. The camera has washed it out a little, but I promise it's there :) I've heard quite a lot of good things about this powder by many bbloggers/YouTubers. Plus fact, my No7 powder is really big & bulky, so I thought I'd try out this one & it's more compact.
• Love At First Blush by Soap & Glory. I bought this for my MommaBear for Crimbo. I caught her looking at it in the airport during the summer. Mental note was made & completed!
• Rose & pistachio coconut delight by Pariya. I bought these for my sister from Harvey Nichols. They look absolutely gorgeous! Not a very gorgeous price tag to match tho.. I look forward to stealing one on Xmas day! ;) 

• T-shirt from Topshop. It's a really long, baggy black tee & has slits up both sides. I'm thinking maybe over a pair of leggings/tights & ruffled up with a waist belt. Hmm, I'll have to have a play. 
• Yankee Candles. Oh my, I just looooove these bad boys! I've became obsessed lately & couldn't resist picking up a couple a couple of the Xmas scents. I went for Christmas rose, Christmas eve, sugared apple & red apple wreath. 
• Black studded cardy from Ark. I love Ark! If you guys haven't been to an Ark store yet, find one & go! They have such nice, on-trend clothes at really decent prices. I got this one as I don't have a black cardy & it's so nice & cosy :)
• Black & white jumper from Topshop. A nice, simple jumper for the cold days!
• Snood from River Island. This snood is a much nicer green shade then it looks in the picy. I love my snoods & I just had to add one more to more collection ;)

So there are my little buys! Hopefully I don't get left by myself again any time soon. My purse just can't take it! ;)

Have a nice weekend my lovelies! Jen xo

The Comforter | LUSH

I know that the comforter is nothing new & has circled the beauty blogosphere plenty of times. BUTTT, I used it for the first time the other day & it was soo lush (literally!) I couldn't not feature it. 

So, what is the comforter? It's a bubble bar from Lush that retails at £4.25. It's used as a replacement to bubble bath. No ordinary bubble bath is this! When you crumble the bar under a warm running tap it completely transforms your bath into a pink fluffy dream! It creates a mass of bubbles, turns your bath water a gorgeous pink shade &, on top of that, smells deliciously like blackberries. 

Other bonuses are that the pink-ness of the water doesn't stain your tub & is easily cleaned. As a not-so-domestic girl this was one of my worries! The comforter, unlike some of LUSH's other bath products (for example Ceridwens Cauldron) can be used multiple times. So it doesn't feel like your paying a million pounds for just one bath... slight exaggeration. I broke mine into quarters, so I can have 4 amazing pink fluffy baths :)

How amazing does that look?! Anybody who thinks that that doesn't look incredibly inviting needs their head looking at ;)

Ahh, I just love it. Definitely recommend this product. I know I'll be repurchasing :D

Half way through the week girls, think Friday! Jen xo

Recycle your Yankee Candle jars

I have a confession here girls: I have a major addiction to Yankee Candles!! I bloody love 'em! I always always have one of them burning in my room (& at my boyfriends!) & I simply can't walk past a Clintons without going in to have my sniff fix. 

My lovely little sister bought me one of the massive jars for my birthday back in July. It has lasted me soo long & it will be dearly missed, haha. Though I do already have a new one burning ;) But anyways, onto subject... I absolutely hate throwing things away. Especially when I know they could be used for storage. You'll already know this about me if you saw my posts on re-using beauty boxes & GU pots. So when I got the end of my Yankee Candle I couldn't bare to throw it away. So here's how I cleaned mine up & re-used it :)

It looks like there's still plenty of candle left but the wax is only at the sides of the jar & the wick had completely burned out. I just felt I had to justify that to you guys ;) 

So, I left the wax to completely harden & went at it with a butter knife! If the wax is completely solid it will easily crack when the knife is gently pushed into it. I emptied the hard wax & was left with tiny bits of residue  on the sides. With a bit of warm soapy water the residue washed away. Whilst I had the jar in warm water I peeled of the stickers & scrubbed at the sticky bits!

& Voila! You are left with a pretty jar that can be used for many many things. One idea that I had was to fill it with little gifts & give it somebody for Christmas. I also thought it would look fab (& yummy!) full of sweets. 

I opted for a more simple (yet efficient!) approach & have used it to store my cotton pads. To girlify it a little I tied a pink bow (from a GlossyBox) around the neck of the jar. It now sits beautifully on my dressing table :)

Hope you all had a lovely weekend girlies, Jen xo

The Think Pink Tag

Many of you are probably already know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. The lovely Rachel from Blush & Brunch tagged me in her post 'The think pink tag', & what a lovely post it is! The aim is to raise awareness of the disease & spread the word over our little blogging community. So that is exactly what I'm going to do :)

Here are the rules for the tag...

1. Pick out your fave pink food, make-up, fashion, & random item.
2. Spread the message about breast cancer to a female friend/family in your life - the awareness, the symptoms, the checks, the healthy foods that help prevent the disease... anything or everything! 
3. Write a blog post about 1 & 2, linking back to Blush and Brunch. 
4. Tag 3 of your blogger girlfriends to do the same.

Here are my faves :) 

Food - This may be cheating a little as I guess they're red, but shh ;) .. pomegranates!! I love 'em. They've just came into season too :)  

Make-up - My Rimmel lippy by Kate Moss in shade 20. It's quite a vibrant pink, but I wore it to my graduation ball & love it!

Fashion - Cause I have blonde hair I tend to stay away from pink clothing. Blonde hair + pink clothes = Barbie lookalike! But I do have a pink Topshop hoody that I love to wear when I'm lazing around the house.

Random - How pretty is that blossom?! I love this time of year when all the trees change colour & begin to fall. Just so pretty :D

Now for the serious stuff.. I figured instead of writing an essay on breast cancer & all it's factors, I would write just a few lines on one of things I think are most important... early diagnosis. As a biomedical scientist I'm very familiar with cancers & their progression. & breast cancer, like many other cancers, have a better outcome when they are detected early. So I found these little steps for us to all stay in tune with our boobs!

1. Know what is normal to you!
2. Look & feel your breasts (inc. upper chest & armpits too).
3. Know what changes to look for (lumps, pain, dimpling of skin, change is shape/position of nippes, swelling under armpit).
4. Report any changes without delay to your GP.
5. Make sure you attend breast screening if you're over 50. 

I hope you guys liked this post & it's been informative :) Such a great cause! 

I tag... Jen from It's a Blondes Life!, Rach from RivaSoave & Helen from Helen Rambles On.

Have a good weekend girlies!! Jen xo 

GlossyBox | October '12

This months GB box was sent to help us brave these colder months with a few products for cosy nights in, or so that what the card states... I don't really think these are the best products they could have chosen, but hey ho! 

• Don't Just Clean It Woman, Scrub It by Anatomicals. This scrub couldn't have came at a better time! I recently finished my Soap & Glory sugar crush & had no other scrub lined up. For starters I love the name of this scrub, & secondly it has a lovely pink grapefruit scent. It's not very abrasive, but is a really nice gentle exfoliator. Full size - £3.49.
• 3 Step Day & Night Kit by Dermalogica. I think this is a great little kit to receive in a beauty box. But, I recently started a new skincare routine so I don't really wanna interrupt it. My motherhen mentioned last week that she'd like to try a new cleanser so I think I'll pop this in her Crimbo stocking. I've heard good things about Dermalogica too! Full size - £12.
• Anti-Blemish by Skinetica. This product claims to clear blemishes quick sticks! I think it's on the same wave length of the Origins Super Spot Remover & the Clinique Anti-Blemish gel. Hopefully it will be just as good as those two! Full size - £ 6.99.
• Moisturising Cream Lipstick in Framboise by Yves Rocher. I really like this brand, I've tried out their mascara before & loved it! This lovely lippy seems to be of the same great quality. It feels so creamy & moisturising on the lips. The colour is a little red for more, but I'm sure I'll put it to good use. Full size - £14.50.

I think this month's GB is pretty good & a lot better then they have been recently. Although I'll be giving the skincare kit to my Mom, I'll be putting everything else to use. Fingers crossed the anti-blemish product works! 

Hope you girlies are all well :) 

Jen xo

We got bored...

As the title suggests I got pretty bored the other day... along with my little sis. We umm'd & ahh'd over what to do, but with no car or money the options were limited. Being a complete nail art whore I just went to town on her nails! They aren't great, but I've not done many of these designs before :)

I love the little tuxedo, I think it's soo cute! :D Have you guys got any nail art ideas for me to try out? Or do you want a tutorial on how to do any of these? Just lemme know :) 

Hope you had a great weekend girlies! Jen xo

Grow hair, grow! | Update

I've been putting off writing this post for a while now. I'm not really sure why, I think it might be because I don't wanna show you guys the awful state that my hair was in :P But, hey! We're all friends here!

So, you guys who saw my grow hair, grow post will know that I've been on a mission to, well.. grow my hair! My hair had got to that stubborn stage of 'I don't want to grow any longer', I'm sure many of you will be familiar with this.

In my grow hair, grow post I told you that I was setting my self a few rules & guidelines. Lets back track & see whether I stuck to them or not...

• No heat. I'm mega proud of myself for this! Before I started this mission I would blow dry my hair every morning & straighten it every day I wore it down. Butt, in the past month or so I could count on my fingers the amount of time I've blow dried my hair :) As for straighteners, I've only used them once (& this was only because I was having photos taken for a new job ;) ). I wouldn't even let the hairdresser straighten my hair when I went to the salon. Whoop, go me!
• Give my hair days off. I did plan on only washing my hair every other day. Although I haven't stuck entirely to this, I have been washing it a lot less often then I was.

As well as these 2 rules I bought a few new products to help stimulate my hair to grow. Throughout the month I've also added & taken away products. Here's a general idea of what I've been using.

• Lee Stafford growth products. I started using the Lee Stafford growth treatment when I started this mission, & have used it in every shower since. I swear by this product! I really believe it has helped my hair to get past that stubborn stage, as well as making my hair feel extremely soft & healthy. I then went & bought the Lee Stafford hair growth shampoo & conditioner, though I'm not as positive about these two. I'll write a review on the shampoo & conditioner soon, & let you know more of my thoughts. 
• Hair oils. Why did I not know about hair oils & treatments sooner!? I bloody love these! I first came across them when I received a Redken treatment spray in a She Said Beauty box. Since then I have not had a single shower without using a treatment or hair oil afterwards. Although I don't think they are helping with the growth of my hair, they are definitely assisting in making my hair shiny & healthy. I can't recommend using a hair oil or treatment enough. The ones I have used so far include Redken treatment 10 spray, Macadamia healing oil spray & at present L'oreal extraordinary oil. 
• Tangle Teezer. This is the king of all hair brushes/combs! I use to have such a mare brushing through my hair after a shower. It would get so knotty; I'd end up really frustrated & half my hair would come out in the process. But, with the tangle teezer it literally just glides through my hair effortlessly. I love it! Although I still have a few strands of hair fall out in the process (this is natural), but nowhere near as many as I use to. No pain, no snags & no pullsm :)

So, after about 6 weeks of these rules & products here come the results. Both of these pictures were taken after my hair had naturally dried. I figured this was a fair way to do it. So the messy wavy look is due to the lack of a hair dryer & striaghteners, don't judge me too harshly!

The picture on the left was taken when I started my little mission, on 26th August. The picture on the right was 3 weeks later, on 17th September. Let me know your opinion, but I definitely think my hair has grown! & quite a significant amount for just a 3 week time frame. Not only has my hair grown I think it looks significantly healthy & shinier.

It's been a few weeks since the latest picture was taken. I'm still continuing my little mission, but I wanted to show you my progress. I'll be sure to let you know if my hair manages to grow any longer :) I hope so!!

Lemme know what you guys think, & if you have any more suggestions on how to get my mop longer!

Jen xo

OPI Minnie Mouse mani

I wasn't going to post this mani, but then I realised that I've never shown you guys the beautiful Minnie Mouse OPIs! This look doesn't include them all, but a couple :) Here's what I used... 

L-R: OPI I'm all ears, OPI If you moust you moust, Andrea Fullerton black striper & Models Own 3-in-1. 

This mani's real easy, so for those of you who don't have the patience, or what not, for fussy nail art, give this one a try :) You don't have to worry about the neatness of painting your nails half & half, the black striper will cover up any wobbles & bumps! 

I absolutely love these 2 pink shades, they're my fave... but I swear I write that about all my OPIs :P Howeverrr, these are so pretty. If You Moust You Moust is a really girly, Barbie pink; I love wearing this on it's own. I'm All Ears is truly gorgeous in real life; it a really sheer hot pink with shimmers of pinks, reds & purples.. My boyfriend says my nails look like jelly beans when I wear I'm All Ears :) 

I love the OPI special collections. I can't wait to get my hands on the James Bond collection!! Have you guys had any of their collections? Which are your faves? 

Jen xo

Models Own sale haul!

Recently I asked you guys to help me abuse my bank balance by liking the Models Own Facebook page! Basically, Models Own said if they reach 100,000 likes on their Facebook page during September they would give us all a code to get 50% off their products online. As you can guess, they did it!

The nail polish addict inside me placed an order as soon as the promotion code went live. However, I didn't go as nuts as I usually would. I was a good girl :) Also, as my collection of polishes is getting quite big I thought I'd be strict & only let my self buy shades that I didn't own. This sounds obvious but some girls have sooo many polishes & most look the same, just different brands. So yeah, I tried to be good & manly cater for my nail art obsession!

With that in mind, here's what I ordered -

Left - right: 3-in-1, Luis Lemon, Lime Green, Pink Fizz, Emerald City, Pinky Brown, Emerald Black, Thunder & Lightening.

Here are some swatches of the polishes. But, these photos really don't do them justice! The yellow polish has a lovely matte finish, the green & glittery pink are about right, the glittery green is a lot more green (less of a blue tone) in real life, the pinky brown is a gorgeous two-tone polish that looks fab in sunlight, the emerald black has more of a dark green tone in real life & the glittery black is about right :)

I had a little issue with the Luis Lemon polish. When my delivery came the neck of the polish bottle had broken. I really didn't want to complain but I knew that the polish would just dry out & be no use. So I emailed Models Own & they replied apologising & saying they'd send me a new one. Within a few days me & Luis Lemon were reunited :) A* for customer service from Models Own!

On another note, have you guys seen their new Wonderland collection?! They look beatiiiful :)

Hope you all had a fab weekend, Jen xo

Free Benefit with InStyle

I have to share this with you girls, it's an absolute steal!

I'm gonna be honest, before today I hadn't read an InStyle magazine! But, when I saw the free Benefit make-up I had to make my first purchase. In Tesco the magazine is only £2.50, bargain! InStyle is a monthly fashion magazine. I haven't read it front to back yet, but so far so good for my first buy :) This months mag also contains an interview with the new Bond girl, which gets top marks from me!

So, the Benefit make-up up for grabs includes bene tint, sun beam & cha cha tint. Bene tint is a rosie cheek & lip stain; apparently a favourite of many celebs & make-up artists. Sun beam is a golden toned highlighter, perfect for a bronzed glow on all skin tones. & last but not least, cha cha tint is a mango-tinted stain that blushes lips & cheeks. I've wanted to try bene tint & sun beam for a while so I grabbed both of them! Naughty me.

They may look small, but they sure are mighty! Because you only need a little dot each time you use these they last for soo long! Last year I nabbed a high beam sample in another magazine (Glamour, I think) of the same size, & I still use it today. I'm not even scraping the barrel - love it.

Get yourselves to your nearest newsagents girls & pick your fave!

Have a nice weekend :) Jen xo

Seaweed skincare range | Bodyshop

I have to admit, over the years I haven't been very kind to my skin & have relied manly on face wipes to remove my make up. I did always feel a little guilty that I didn't have a proper routine, but every time I tried a different skincare product I would break out. I always thought that maybe my skin preferred to be left alone. 

How wrong was I?! The reason my skin was acting up so much was because I wasn't buying products specific to my skin type. This probably sounds really obvious to most of you; but my Mum has never been into things beauty (until recently), & I only have a younger sister. So, I guess until I started reading beauty blogs it was all trial & error for me.  

Anyhoo, recently a friend introduced me to the seaweed range at Bodyshop, which is specific for combination/oily skin - perfect :) So I went & bought a seaweed kit that the shop had put together, I'm pretty sure it was £25. The kit included a deep cleansing facial wash, a clarifying toner, mattifying day cream & a night treatment. You can buy all of these things separately too. The range also includes products such as a clay mask, pore perfecter & SPF. 

I'm absolutely in love with this kit! It has to be one of my favourite skin care ranges (I can't decide between this & the Clinique skin care range!). I haven't had a single break out since using it, which is about 3 weeks now. Everything about it is spot on! The price tag isn't too hefty, the scent of the products are really fresh & don't leave a lingering scent & my skin feels amazing after I've used the whole shebang! I really don't have anything negative to say about it, so here are some more of my thoughts on the products -

• Cleanser- I know a lot of people have trouble removing eye make-up with cleansers, so I tested this out. & no problem at all. It removed all of my mascara & eyeliner, without leaving my eyes red & sore. I will add though, that when removing eye make-up I do tend to do 2 washes, just to make sure it's all gone. 
• Toner - I've heard recently that quite a few people don't think there's much need for a toner, so I did a little research to find out what it's actually used for. I'll share my treasures.. apparently toners remove the last impurities on your skin that have been missed by your cleanser, toners also remove any traces of the cleanser from your skin & prepare you skin for the moisturising step. I also found out that toners are essential for people with combination/oily skin as they help balance the amount of oil being produced. So I'll definitely be sticking to using a toner! I love this toner, it's one of those where you can feel it working on your skin, like it kind of tingles - you girls know what I mean :)  
• Moisturiser - I've always hated using moisturiser on my face, I feel my face has enough moisture as it is. But, I'm gonna put it out there & say this is the best moisturiser I have ever used on my skin! It's really hydrating but at the same time it leaves my skin looking mattified. It's fast drying too, so there's no waiting around to apply make-up. Talking of make-up... this moisturiser makes a fab base for foundation. I find that my foundation applies more evenly after this :)
• Night cream - This is the first night cream I've actually used, so it's a bit new to me. I really like it though! It's pretty much just like the moisturiser, only it's a lot thicker & takes longer to soak in. 

I don't really know too much about skin care so I hope this wasn't too basic for you guys. I'm still learning myself :) However, I do know that if, like me, you have combination/oily skin then I cannot recommend this enough. Get yourself down to The Bodyshop!!

Jen xo

She Said Beauty | October

Jeez Louise! As if it is October already! Not that this bothers me in the slightest... I love love love all the deep Autumn colours, layering warm clothes & accessories, Halloween celebrations & last, but by far not least, Christmas!! I am so excited for Christmas :D Some of you may hate me for saying that though, haha. Anyways, back onto what I came here for... It's that SSB time of the month again :)

• Advanced bio renewal masque by Cellnique.  This is the tinniest little face scrub sample I ever did see! It's a scrub mask containing fruit enzymes and acids. I'm guessing it's the fruit enzymes, but it smells pretty delish for a scrub mask. I'll definitely be using this, but I think there's only enough for one application.. so I don't see how I can really get a feel for the product. But hey! 
• Off with those heads by B.liv. This product claims to easily remove stubborn blackheads & whiteheads, as well as keeping excessive oil under control & preventing breakouts. I quite intrigued as to how well this will work. I suffer from blackheads on my nose, so fingers crossed it works.
• Fragrance by Amy Childs. Yay to another perfume sample.... naat. It's not a perfume I'd go out & buy, but it's nice & girly. I'll be chucking this in my clutch bag. 
• Beauty rejuvenating night cream by Biao. I'm a little weary of using skin care samples that aren't targeted for combination/oily skin, as they usually break me out. I'll be giving these to my Momma or sister. 
• Cocoa butter formula travel size by Palmer's. This is definitely the highlight of this months box. It. smells. AMAZING! I love it. I've always loved the smell of cocoa butter, but have never actually used any, so I'm looking forward to smelling like this! It's a really thick moisturiser too - my favourite type :)  Shame it's just a travel size. 
• Total green tea extract by Myvitamins. It's a little random to find vitamins in a beauty box, but hey ho! With the cold weather here, it's prime time for people to start getting the flu etc. I guess these are a nice way to prepare my self. Fullsize: £2.49.

I'm really not sure what to think about this months box. I think it's the first SSB I've been slightly disappointed with. I love the cocoa butter & I'll enjoy using the face mask, but apart from that it's all a bit mehh. I definitely don't think this box is worth the £10 I paid, & it's sad that the only full sized product is the vitamin packet.

I have a sub to SSB that runs out in December, I'm thinking of cancelling SSB & signing up to Jolie Box. If any of you girls are subbed to either of these, lemme know what you think :)

Jen xo

My new Topshop lip duo!

As a beauty blogger I am ashamed to say that these are my first make-up pieces from Topshop (well, bar nail polish)! So, the other day I thought it was about time I tried some out, as they all look so preeeettty. With my recent interest in lippies I thought I'd expand my lipstick collection. & well, I have no excuse for the lip gloss...

After many swatches I decided on a lipstick in 'Pillow Talk' (£8) & a lip glaze in 'Dash' (£6). To be honest, I was quite surprised at how nice the products were! The lipstick, even though it has a matte finish, isn't drying at all & has fairly good staying power. The glaze smells gorgeous, isn't too sticky & I just adore the finish it gives to my lippy. I love both of their packaging too, so cute :) 

Below are some pictures of the combination. The top right is taken with a flash. The other two are without. I thought I'd show you all of my make-up & not just the lips, as I think these pinky lips work really well with a golden-smokey eye.

So, my first impressions of Topshop make-up are definitely good! Do you girlies have any recommendations of their other lipsticks? Or even the rest of their make-up collection? I'd really like to try their blushes next :)

I hope you all had a great weekend!! Jen xo