June Beauty Favourites

Its a cliche statement I know but I can't understand where the month of June went, it seemed like yesterday I was writing my May favourites! June was such a busy month and honestly my favourite of 2014 so far, (maybe turning 20 wasn't as bad as I thought it would be) it was filled with lovely weather which is completely rare and wonderful memories. I even attempted daily blogging which although I didn't make 30 posts exactly, I didn't post that little either, 20 something I think? which is still a massive achievement and this will be my last of the month so I thought it was only fitting to do my June beauty faves post.   

If you read my whats in my makeup bag post (link here) you'll probably recognise most of these products, if not all, but they're items that probably haven't shown their face on my blog enough. Since its been so sunny I haven't been wearing that much makeup and therefore I've had less favourites in June, who in their right mind would put makeup on to lounge around the garden (ahem, my neighbour) 

When I have ventured outside with friends and family however I've been sticking with a light emphasis on the light base which is quite unlike me but touch wood, I've been having clear skin lately and I hope its here to stay. Therefore the Maybelline BB cream (which has SPF 15) is the answer. I think this was the first BB cream I bought and its still a firm favourite, when it was released everyone complained that the ordinary bb cream was too dark so I picked up the oily skin version which is at least 2 shades lighter and when paired with my Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer they create the perfect light and glowy base. 

As for cheeks I've been reaching for my Sleek face form palette as its the perfect trio - contour, blush and highlighter and is a lot easier to carry around with me for touch ups throughout the day. I've been using it on and off for a year nearly and there's barely a dent - definitely worth it! As for eyes I've been getting into using eyeliner again (I will perfect it at some point) to give my eyes a bit of definition and throughout June my favourite lip product style has been nudes, this is an unusual one for me since I usually like a statement lip but I've really been loving the nude lip and bronzed complexion look especially shade 3 from the Rimmel Kate Moss collection. 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo  

P.s what beauty products have you been loving through June? 

Whats In My Makeup Bag?

A couple of weeks ago if you read my whats in my bag post (link here) I promised that I would include a separate post for my summer makeup bag so ta da! This makeup up bag is an absolute nightmare to photograph can I just point out, the mirrored panel in the middle reflects everything :( I do still love it though as its the perfect size for holding my everyday necessities, I picked it up in Primark not too long ago as I thought the white/pink print was lovely and fresh for the upcoming months - better than the previous black one I had. 

For my base products I've only included three or four, the Maybelline BB Cream in the shade light (the oily skin version, which is lighter in colour than the ordinary, thats the only reason I have it) for better skin and lighter coverage days and my Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in the shade Ivory for a heavier coverage (surprisingly since I've seen the sun for a few days, this colour is a really close match to my skin whereas in the winter its a tad too dark). Both have a SPF of 15, perfect for warm weather and I've also included my Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer and my Rimmel Stay Matte powder for extra sunny days - no one likes shine.

On my eyes I usually just stick to my Maybelline Falsies mascara but on the odd occassion I'll use my Collection Fast Stroke eyeliner (which is probably one of the earliest makeup items I ever owned) and my MUA heaven and earth palette if I fancy some colour aka neutrals. I also use the darkest shade in the palette (its soo annoying that they aren't named) and my MUA pencil for my brows. As for cheeks my Sleek Face Form palette is my best friend for travelling as it includes a beautiful rose gold blush, contour and highlighter and it has a massive mirror so I can see what I'm doing. I usually switch using this with my MUA mosaic blush, which is like a combined blush and highlighter in one. 

Finally my favourite products, those for lips. I shocked myself with the amount I actually had sitting at the bottom of my makeup bag but hey 5 probably isn't a lot to others. The Maybelline Baby lips are a must for every handbag as they're so fun yet moisturizing! As for colour I've been swapping between two Revlon colourburst matte balms in Unapologetic and Showy depending on how I've been feeling that day - one a coral and the other a bright pink and again they're not drying in the slightest, have a wonderful pigmentation in one swipe and last all day (even through numerous cocktails). Lastly the Revlon lip butter in Tutti Frutti my more orange toned shade and something I've been trying to push myself out of my comfort zone to wear! 

Overall a lot more colourful and bright - I tried to keep this more of a drugstore based post as well to appeal to everyone :)  

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo    

P.s what products are a must in your summer makeup bag? 

Real Techniques Brushes

We all use makeup brushes on a daily basis but no one really pays any attention to them (well I don't), I mean they're just there and they're used and then put back until they're cleaned. At least thats what I used to think but since I'm on a mission to find the perfect base makeup I keep trying to find different ways to apply my makeup rather than just using my fingers (not the most glamorous I know) and in doing so I've fallen in love with the Real Techniques brushes.   

Real Techniques are makeup brushes by Sam Chapman (one half of Pixiwoo, makeup artist and famous Youtuber) and are such amazing quality! The brushes are extremely soft with synthetic bristles and affordable for all, the cost varies for each brush depending on size etc which is understandable and sometimes its better value to buy the sets. The Core Collection set is priced around £20 and includes 4 brushes making it what, £5 for a brush that'll last ages? Definitely worth it! 

Although the brushes are individually named as you might be able to see in the above photo I barely take any notice of what they're meant for and swap them about a bit for example the blush brush is way too big for my face so I alternate using it as an all over face powder brush, that and my contour brush are my absolute favourites out of the selection I have - its more of an egg shape and honestly the perfect size for me. The detailer brush (the tiny one) can also be used as a lip brush or concealer brush, total multi-tasker. 

Its also handy that brushes are colour cordinated, gold means the brushes are used for base products, pink for 'your finish' and purple for eye products and I also love that they can stand upright. I hate leaving brushes down in case they make surfaces messy when I'm rushing around like a headless chicken trying to get ready (having white furniture does not help) I also want to excuse myself for the state of my contour brush, its safe to say its looking a little bit used. Anyways I hope you enjoyed this, I really can't recommend these brushes enough :) 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s do you own any Real Techniques brushes? If so, what are your favourites?  

Review: L'oreal Elvive Fibrology Range

This is a bit of an unusual post for me, mainly because as bad as this is I never really change up my hair routine although I know I should, theres just so many brands it gets a little overwhelming. However in the summer months my hair needs a little extra tlc and so I decided to change things up a bit and try the L'oreal Elvive Fibrology range which is specifically aimed at thicker hair (and unfortunately thats what mine is).    

 

As I mentioned this shampoo and conditioner is specifcally aimed at thicker hair and also claims to thicken thinner hair as well, scientifically thickening the diameter of each strand of hair as is contains Filloxane. Now I haven't been using it long enough to notice those effects but I'm sure after a while of using it it would make a substantial difference. I have to admit I'm not that adventurous when it comes to haircare and my hair usually dries straight but I thought that this would give me a bit of a boost volume wise at my roots (which it has).

What I can say though is that even upon my first use my hair feels a lot healthier, its much shinier than usual (in a good way) giving it a healthy glow and both the shampoo and conditioner smell lovely which is an added bonus. I also decided to give reverse washing a go whilst using this and I'm pretty convinced its a deadly combination. Both the shampoo and conditioner are easy to work with and don't require a lot of product for results - surprisingly they left my hair with much more bounce and volume than usual.

Its also such good value for money as this smaller duo which is 200ml is only £2.99, now I opted for the smaller bottles as I wanted to be sure I liked the product but the larger 400ml are only £3.99 each, wow! My hair is also much softer and just all round fluffy as if I've just had my hair done at the hairdressers, you know the feeling. Overall I'm extremely pleased with the effect these two are having on my hair and I'd definitely recommend them to all, they're also on offer in Boots at the minute so now would be a good time to pick them up :) 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s have any of you tried anything from the fibrology range yet? 

The Blush Edit:

Since we're well and truly in to the summer season now (well this week anyway, it'll probably be back to rain and clouds by next) I thought I'd show you what blushes are perfect to achieve that fresh, dewy faced glow. 

Surprisingly in the summer months I reach for blush rather than bronzer, I think this might have something to do with being so pale and finding a bronzer that isn't orange is actually hard and therefore thought I'd put a collection of my favourites together. These stretch from the most budget friendly and affordable to the more expensive brands (I actually tried to keep it purse friendly) - giving a whole range of options. 

The first blush and probably the most inexpensive of the four is the Natural Collection powder blush in sweet cheeks (FYI they're all powder bar one - I've never really branched out into cream blush... yet) costing as little as £1.99. I originally picked this up just for fun but it actually looks well when blended in, at first it feels a little chalky but quite a few powder blushes do. The only bad thing I'd have to say about it is, not the product but the packaging, the lid is absolutely terrible for travelling with and I've now resorted to using it from the pan but if you can stick doing that, its a steal. 

The MUA mosaic blush in shade 3, English rose is one of my favourites, not only does it look amazing in the pan but the lightest swirl of a powder brush and it creates a lovely fresh and healthy glow to your cheeks. Its almost like a highlighter and blush all in one, it's not overly shimmery though which makes it even better! After contouring a little I apply this to my cheeks and it just finishes off my makeup nicely. It doesn't look too barbie doll-esque but rather glowy and lasts all day, talk about pigmented. This blush I'm sure won't be off my cheeks during Summer I'm sure and again for a bargain of £2/3 its definitely a must in your makeup kit. 

The third blush offering is the Topshop cream blush in the shade flush, what a mouthful. Its the only cream blush that I own but so far I've been getting along swimmingly - I'll be honest it does take a while to get used to but after that you're fine. It looks awfully bright in the pan but once transferred on to the skin, its not that colour I promise (although its still super pigmented) and creates the illusion of perfect dewy cheeks which last all day. I've definitely been converted with cream blushes and I'm pretty sure I'll be getting some more in the near future :) 

The last blush is the Illamasqua powder blush in the shade 'Hussy', Illamasqua blushes are coveted in the beauty world and its almost a given that you own at least one, this being mine. I love the packaging and although a little on the big side I like the fact that the shape easily stands out amongst the rest. Also the lid is see through which comes in handy when you're trying to see the colour you're looking for! The blush itself is amazing with super pigmentation and lasts for hours giving the perfect peachy pink finish to any makeup look. Although this is my first Illamasqua blush, it wont be the last, I love them! 

Thank you for reading, Jenny xo 

p.s what blushes do you reach for in the summer months? cream or powder?           

All about midis

One trend that I've really been loving lately is mid rings, in the summer we all reach for brights or pastels on our nails and a lot more attention whether we like it or not is drawn to our hands and this is where midi rings come in. They come in a variety of sizes, colours and styles, can basically be picked up anywhere and of course make your hands look cute as! I just can't get enough of them :) These particular rings I picked up from Primark last week (believe it or not) and they haven't been off my hands all week.

More often than not I'm a silver jewellery type of gal, gold just doesn't seem to suit me no matter how much I want it to and so these are just perfect. I also like the fact that these aren't just a single band and have unique shapes such as the triangles, it makes them stand out more. I've actually had quite a few compliments on them already and for the price I can not complain, I think they were something like £1.50 which is close to nothing for indulging. Now I know Primark is no stranger to overcrowding a lot of the time but if you have some patience I definitely recommend hoking around the jewellery section for these little ones, if it helps they come in a set of four with a single banded ring as well.

If I'm honest I always get scared of rings getting stuck on my fingers so I got a medium size but they're still slightly big on me so I can always have the option of wearing them a little further down my fingers as well, depending on how I'm feeling. Bonus! For this post I had a bit of a layout change about, I had to post via the app rather than my computer so I'm not too sure how its going to look but let me know if you prefer it or not to the usual setup? Also I know fashion related posts aren't really my forte but I tried to branch out a little. I hope you enjoy this different type of post :) 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s what trends have you been loving lately? 

Weekly Ramble #5

I refuse to religiously post weekly rambles, my sort of catch up on the week lifestyle posts if I don't do all that much in my eyes - if I'm honest my life ain't that interesting. However this was my birthday week and I made sooo many plans probably too many and the weather was amazing so I was barely indoors and therefore this seemed like the perfect opportunity to fill you all in :) 

Officially a month since I moved out of my university house // went for a lovely pre-birthday meal // the sun made an appearance for once and I relaxed with ice cold drinks // it wouldn't be a birthday without a massive chocolate cake // cutely wrapped birthday pressies // took a trip to the zoo // had my first slush puppy of the year // took a selfie with a giraffe, totes normal // jealous of the seals sunbathing and doing nothing // played about with settings on camera // went bowling for the first time in years // chilled with friends and took a few selfies as you do  

It being the end of June, well close enough, I've officially moved out of my university house almost a month - this is such a big thing, moving away from home was such an experience but I couldn't be happier to be home. As I said on Tuesday I turned 20 agh, no more teenage years :( and so on Monday I spent a lot of time in the garden and might have had an ice cold cider or two in the back garden, when the sun comes out you really do have to make the most of it, as I'm writing this post, five days later and its cloudy and dull outside. On Monday evening my friends treated me to a lovely pre-birthday meal and cocktails at Frankie & Bennys which was nice, Italian food is my absolute favourite and I had a lovely pasta dish and of course to finish it all of desert.  

On Tuesday I went for dinner with my family and was treated to a massive birthday cake which tasted amazing and its safe to say at least half of that has been demolished since then - what can I say I'm we're all chocoholics. I was also treated to birthday presents which I've ever so grateful for from friends and family. Is is just me or are wrapped presents not ten times better than those left unwrapped in a gift bag? Its like Christmas all over again! Wednesday we made the most of the good weather and took a trip to the zoo, I was incredibly jealous of both the elephants who had their own personal sprinklers and the sea lions who spent their time sunbathing whilst I was roasting however I did have my first slush puppy of the summer at the restaurant at the top (the zoo is on a mountain). Also I took a selfie with the giraffes, totes normal but they were adorable. 

Throughout the week I also played about with a few settings on my camera and these beaut flower photos were the outcome, as well as that I went bowling for the first time in absolute years. The bowling alley wasn't too busy but I loved the whole colourful aspect, it also had a bit of a vintage theme to it, there were no illuminating lights along the lanes or nothing, thank goodness and as if it was a miracle I managed to come second out of five people, it was a fluke I'm sure, enjoyable nonetheless. Finally I attended a party/bbq of my friends - many I hadn't seen in a while and it was nice to have a catch up, taking a few selfies along the way. 

What have you all been up to, anything exciting?
Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

Soap & Glory Skincare?

Soap & Glory bath and body products are well known (ahem hand food) and their makeup range also gets a lot of attention but until recently I wasn't aware that they had a skincare range, this may be a fault on my part or the terrible aisles of my local Boots, either way when I found it I had to try something out. A few weeks back I was having a 'pore' problem shall we say, the pores around my nose were more visible than normal and so when I found the S&G range and this product, it was like my prayers were answered. 

This mask is a 2 in 1 mask, meaning it doubles up as an exfoliator and as well as acting as a pore purifying mask, now I haven't tried it as of yet all over my face as I have my other trusted quick fix face mask to use instead so I'm not sure how it acts as an all over exfoliator but if the T zone is anything to go by, it works wonders. I love the packaging with the embellished Soap and Glory logo, its a nice finishing touch and the tub although slightly smaller than other masks I've used I find that a little goes a long way as I've been using it quite a while and I haven't even made a dent.     

As I only had a problem with the pores on my T zone area, I just used the mask on this area twice a week and within a week or two my pores had been minimised (is it just me, or does that spelling look wrong? google best not be lying) and I felt a lot better about my T zone. The fact that the mask is a blue/green/white colour and dries that colour on the skin is also great, I'm not fond of masks that sink into your skin as I always forget about them, I'm sure I'm not the only one. An added bonus on top of all of that is that the mask smells amazing, if you're not keen on mint, this maybe isn't for you but I love minty smelling products, they always smell so fresh. The mask also leaves my skin feeling soft, fresh and completely cleansed - what more could you want from a weekly pick me up. 

     After this I've definitely been converted and I can't wait to try other products from the 'newly found' Soap & Glory skincare line. Do you have any recommendations? 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

Review: Garnier Eye Makeup Remover

I know theres a lot of love for the Garnier Micellar water, I feel the same but love for this little one not so much? In fact when I picked up the micellar water (which was probably months ago) I picked this up as well, I just hadn't gotten round to giving it a go but now I have I thought I'd do a review for you all. Also can I just point out the cute map background (which was actually a birthday gift bag, blame my inner geography nerd ey), I love it and you should probably expect a few more cheeky snaps with this in view. Alas on to the product.....

 

We're all guilty of wanting to curl up collapse into bed with a face full of makeup when it reaches one in the morning but this remover is so easy and quick that my skin has been saved and I somehow have the effort to take my makeup off, no one likes panda eyes the next morning. On a night out my eye makeup is much heavier than my base and so I always dread taking it all off but this remover has made it ten times easier and in one sweep of a cotton pad, its disappeared (even the waterproof).

Garnier also claims that the eye makeup remover 'protects eyelashes' as it contains Arginine, leaving them cleaner and thus less eyelashes falling out on the cotton pad, now this I'm not sure about. I haven't used it long enough to actually notice a difference in my eyelashes, I didn't really pay much use to them before if I'm honest so I don't notice a change but on others it might work. I just know that its a little makeup wonder and its helped me cleanse my skin at night, leaving my skin feeling fresh and makeup free - the best thing it only takes less than a minute. 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s how do you remove your makeup, makeup wipes, micellar water, cleansers? 

Acrylic Lipstick Storage

Lately I've been trying to figure out a way to store my ever growing lipstick collection, on many a beauty blogs Muji acrylic drawers are almost always the answer. I'm not too keen on displaying my entire makeup collection so I opt to have my dressing table drawers organised instead, much more appealing but the lipstick stand did however catch my eye whilst scrolling through Amazon and as I had spare money on a gift certificate (it was only £2 or something) I thought why not and purchased it. 

Since they were coming from China (I think) or maybe Hong Kong, the postage and packaging was estimated around a month later however I was pleasantly surprised that my parcel arrived just over a week later, talk about quick! They were a little dusty when I first unwrapped them but nothing a bowl of fairy washing up liquid couldn't fix and its now sitting on my shelf looking brand new. 

At the moment I've just filled my stand with drugstore lipsticks (bar the one Mac and two Illamasqua) that were floating around my drawer so that I'll be able to get more use out of them. I can see that this will defintitely be changing around at a later date, one that I'll probably be much happier with and more aesthetically pleasing ;) I think its just going to encourage buying more colourful and brighter packaged lipsticks if I'm honest! Since this is my first item of acrylic storage I'm sure I'll be set on picking up a few more pieces in the future too. 

What do you think of acrylic storage? How do you store your makeup bit and bobs?

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo   

Tag: This or That

Since realising the other week that I hadn't posted a tag post before I jumped straight to it and not only posted one tag post but two and its safe to say I'm hooked. One tag that has been floating about Bloglovin' is the 'This or That' tag beauty edition but theres actually a this or that tag with categories fashion, hair and random - way more of an all rounder and I decided to do that one instead, therefore its the best of both worlds (yes, Hannah Montana automatically popped into my head whilst writing this) beauty and not. I hope you enjoy :) 

Makeup:

Blush or Bronzer
I'd have to say blush, bronzer never works on me too well being pale and all that 

Lipgloss or Lipstick
Lipstick! I hate the whole lipgloss getting stuck in the hair sort of look

Eyeliner or Mascara
Although I've been loving them both recently, mascara wins hands down

Foundation or Concealer
I could always go without foundation if it came down to it so concealer

Neutral or Colour Eyeshadow
I'm definitely a neutral gal even though colours nice every once in a while. 

Pressed or loose eyeshadow
I don't think I've tried loose eyeshadow so pressed it is

Brushes or Sponges
Again sponges don't really appeal to me so brushes, more specifically the RT brushes 

Nails:

O.P.I or China Glaze
O.P.I

Long or Short
Long but not too long if that even makes sense, I hate the idea of them being too long and breaking but being short and looking boy-ish

Acrylic or Natural
I've worn acrylic a few times and loved them but the damage the glue does is just not worth it so natural 

Brights or Darks
I love both, it depends on the season or what mood I'm feeling when I'm painting 

Flower or no flower
Um what flower? 

Body:

Perfume or Body Spray
I'd have to say perfume it always lasts way longer and usually has a cuter bottle 

Lotion or Body Butter
Body lotion!

Body wash or Soap
I'm not too fussed about either really, they both do the exact same in my eyes. 

LUSH or another bath company

I don't actually own too many products from LUSH but I love their products so yeah

Fashion:

Jeans or Sweats
Sweats around the house and jeggings (that sort of counts, they're half jeans) if I'm heading out

Long sleeve or short
Considering its summer I'd have to say short

Dresses or skirts
I quite like both, either work for me

Stripes or Plaid
I have a thing for stripes, I must have at least 4 stripy tops that're almost identical in my wardrobe oops

Flip flops or sandals
For holidays and such flip flops

Scarves or hats
Scarves! I would happily wear them all year round

Studs or dangly earrings
I don't actually have my ears pierced at the moment

Necklaces or bracelets
Necklaces, they make more of a difference to an outfit although I do love new bracelets 

Heels or flats
Heels if I'm going out for the night (I need all the height I can get), I'm now reaching for shoes with a little bit of height for during the day even so no to flats

Cowboy boots or riding boots
Cowboy

Jacket or hoodie
I love just chucking on hoodies and running to the shop

Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe
Forever 21 always has some gorgeous stuff, the other place I haven't even heard of

Abercrombie or Hollister
I think both are equally as nice, they basically sell the exact same thing, except Hollister is a bit more colourful

Hair:

Curly or straight
Straight I guess, although my hairs a mixture of straight and crinkly? 

Bun or ponytail
Messy bun in the house, ponytail outdoors

Bobby pins or butterfly clips
Bobby pins (which I'm constantly buying and forever loosing) 

Hair spray or gel
Hair gels more of a boy thing so hairspray

Long or short
I'm not a fan of short hair on myself, in fact I can't remember a time it was shorter than shoulder length

Light or dark
I've been both and now I'm a mixture of natural and brown/blonde but I do miss being blonde :(

Side sweep bangs or full bangs
Side sweep bangs

Up or down
When I'm going out down, in the house I can't wait to get it up and out of my face

Randoms:

Rain or shine
Shine, its rare that we actually get any sunshine but then I do love the odd rain shower (when I'm warm and toasty inside, usually with a cup of tea and a lot of blankets) 

Summer or winter
With a June birthday I'm always going to be a summer baby, although I love the winter months and the build up to Christmas etc 

Autumn or spring
I love them both equally! 

Chocolate or vanilla
Chocolate 100%

As I said this post is a little different from my usual ones but I actually really enjoyed writing this as it allows you to get to know the blogger (me) a bit more and I always love doing that with others. I tag anyone reading this to give this tag a go, it's really enjoyable

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

Whats In My Bag?

The Whats In My Bag tag is usually one of my favourites, I love having a nosey and seeing what other people carry around as I know I bring everything but the kitchen sink even if I'm just popping down to Tesco - bad habit I know. I also couldn't believe that I hadn't gotten round to actually doing this tag myself so I thought it might be nice to do a summer edition since the rain seems to be holding off and dare I say it we're having a few summery and warm days where you don't need three jackets and a pair of boots to leave the house.... you'd almost think it was summer.

Bag from H&M, I know its summer but black goes with everything ;)

An absolute essential leaving the house is a purse, without money its a wasted shopping trip, this aztec purse I picked up in Urban Outfitters a while back but I really need to update as its quite wintry, recommendations are welcome :) This is in complete contrast to my compact mirror which I carry just in case I need to check my face and its pink, white and floral - something that just screams Summer.

Other things that I just couldn't leave the house without (mainly electrical) are my phone, earphones, iPad and my iPod classic which is the absolute love of my life, what other ipod can hold like a billion albums at a time eh? Keys are also a good idea if you're leaving your house, otherwise you're not going far! I also carry around a notebook and pen for jotting down things that pop into my head or more often than not, lists of stuff to buy oops and since this post I've replaced this with a smaller and brighter notepad more ideal for chucking in my bag. Strangely enough I always have a few rings, hair grips and bobbles floating about the bottom of my bag but in this case I chose not to photograph them, we all know what hair bobbles look like.

I have a few beauty bits and bobs to carry as well such as tissues, hand sanitizer which is an absolute must for any handbag, its cheap as chips and you never know when you might need it: read, public bathrooms ew! I also have hand cream loose in my bag, this just happens to be the Taylor Swift Wonderstruck one and my Babylips in 'cherry me' which always comes in handy, saying that it should probably be in my makeup bag instead. Its a pink and white floral print from Primark and I love it, I was thinking of doing a whats in my makeup bag post in a couple of days instead of listing all the products one after the other and everyone drifting off to sleep so keep an eye out for that. Lastly I've been carrying around an umbrella and sunglasses, this may seem a bit odd but honestly its necessary, the weather here in Belfast is bipolar, one day the sun could be splitting the trees, the next torrential rain so its best to carry both and be safe.

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s its been one heck of a week and this post has been a long time coming, who knew specific batteries would be so hard to track down.

Birthday Wishlist

Its crazy to believe that this time next week I'll no longer be a teenager and although I can't exactly change my birthday I keep wishing it was later on in the year, or next year or the year after! I'm definitely going to miss being a teenager and although everyone I know (who're turning 21) say that it feels no different, its still another year older and another year where I definitely don't look my age (16 if at best). Therefore I thought it'd be really fun to make a birthday wishlist, this was my first time using Polyvore and it was a bundle of fun to create.

As it was my first wishlist I kind of just added everything to it, I would by no means even expect a quarter of this stuff (if I won the lottery maybe) and I'd be grateful to even receive two or three things as most of them are pretty pricey.  

For I don't know how long I've been lusting over many of these, especially the Zara bag, the YSL rouge volupte lipsticks, the Nars sheer glow foundation and of course the coveted Nars blushes. Unluckily for me there are no Nars counters where I live and therefore I don't anything from the brand :( In keeping with makeup counters unavailable to me, I've wanted to try Nyx cosmetics for goodness knows how long but since its not readily available I'll have to wait for the day I eventually if ever get the opportunity to go to America. 

Being the beauty lover that I am, most of my list is beauty based but what can I say.... I like makeup. Mac MSF in 'soft and gentle' is probably thee most talked about highlighter to date and I can't believe I haven't bought it already but that and some Mac lipsticks are definitely on my wishlist, in fact any lipsticks are my weakness. I wouldn't mind any Topshop lipsticks or the Revlon Matte balms which I've fallen in love with. All three lip products are absolutely amazing! I probably do need some brighter nail varnishes for the summer and I thought, why have I not tried anything from both Essie and Topshop before.... might as well. Lastly I've been lusting over the Naked Basics palette, I have a thing for mattes and nudes so what could be better, plus it looks the perfect size for putting in your handbag. 

Then theres a few miscellaneous things like a cover for my iPad mini or some midi rings to complete the odd outfit or two and last but not least a chocolate birthday cake, being the chocoholic that I am with the perfect excuse.... now that I'm old it'll soon enough be impossible to fit all the candles on the cake! 

  

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s why not leave a comment below on what you've been lusting over recently? I actually really enjoyed this post! Let me know if you'd want to see more of these or not? 

Perfect Nudes

The other day I surprisingly made the discovery that I have no nude shades in my lipstick stash, now I know bolds and brights win over nude lips but I never thought I'd disowned them completely. With this in mind I practically ran towards my nearest Boots and low and behold the Rimmel Kate Moss lipsticks were having a bit of an offer so I selected my two favourite shades and suddenly felt a lot better about myself. I'm not too keen on barely noticeable nudes but just something thats a little more of a 'my lips but better' colour and luckily thats exactly what this is!  

Another shock to my system was that although I absolutely love the Kate Moss matte lipstick range I'd never owned any from the original Kate Moss line, shock horror! This particular shade '03' I've fallen in love with however, its as I said a my lips but better colour and a slightly peachy/brown nude which is quite different for me all together. The formula is creamy and moisturising and not drying in the slightest and I also like the fact that the packaging is the same as the matte lipsticks with the signature Kate logo.

The only downside is that the packaging is black like every other lipstick in my drawer nearly and so its hard to recognise in my collection - the bright red matte packaging is a lot more noticeable, maybe if they even brought out lighter packaging for the spring or summer months that would be nice. The lipstick however I can see no wrong with and I'm sure I'll pick a couple more up from the range soon enough. Also what do you think about the background, yay or nay? I quite like the white backgrounds on things but I get quite bored, how does anyone else feel about it? 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

Lilac Loving

So the internet decided it would be a great time to play up, right smack back in the middle of my challenge but that just means double updates for today and tomorrow. All of my posts were ready to go and it was so frustrating because I just couldn't press publish #bloggingnightmare. Therefore this is the first post of a few, lilac must be my colour for spring it seems, I just can't enough of it and it seemed fitting that it was on my nails as well.  

This Miss Sporty nail polish was found unloved in the back of my drawer and so I thought it was only right that I used it right away. I don't own a lot of things from Miss Sporty and I'm too sure as to why, they're ever so cheap and the products that I have used are always of good quality so this may need to be fixed. This lilac is a lovely colour, bright but not too bright and although I painted my nails at the start of the week I've seen no chipping and its lasted a lot better than the majority of my other nail polishes. I can't believe its only £1.99, definitely a little bargain and I think there might be a buy one, get the second half price offer going on on the range in Superdrug at the minute, sooo worth checking out. 

Also I'd like to apologise for the quality of these photos, not my finest work but its been so dreary over the past few days taking photographs in natural light has been an absolute nightmare. Anyways, what colours have you been loving on your nails as of late? 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo

Mac Bits & Pieces

I'm quite proud of myself, the post I'd planned to go up today wasn't quite ready and instead of worrying about it, I simply tidied up this post which had been sitting in my drafts for a while. This is simply a few bits and pieces I've recently picked up from M.A.C, now I know the lipsticks and eyeshadows are MAC's most coveted products but their blushes get a fair share of love from everyone too, so much so that I decided to pick one up. 

As crazy as it seems this is my first blush from M.A.C and it definitely won't be the last, I love the sleek packaging and the product itself it gorgeous. Their shade selection is ridiculous and it took me ages to narrow my choices down, they all look amazing. In the end I settled for this lovely pinky shade called 'Fleur Power', one of their more popular blushes and due to beauty blogger protocol I told myself I needed to take a few pictures before I used them (we all know untouched products looks ten times nicer) and therefore I'm absolutely dying to try them. 

The second thing I picked up was the Mac Paint Pot in 'Painterly', I'm a big fan of the Maybelline Colour Tattoos and these are the higher end equivalent so I can't wait to use it as well. Again it looks way too nice to touch, even more so than the blush. This shade is the perfect eye base and over the next few weeks I can't wait to play around with it. The packaging again is sleek, professional and sturdy - I love the little pot and it'll look lovely on my dresser. 

Overall I'm excited to try out my new things and I'm pretty sure there will be some reviews in the near future. Have any of you picked up anything recently from MAC? I love getting recommendations :)

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo   

Review: Brow Drama

Now I know this product was released ages ago, sometime near the end of last year I'm pretty sure but I try not to give into the hype around most things and thats why the Maybelline Brow Drama only ended up in my shopping basket a couple of months ago. Its only lately that I've found myself reaching for it but I just don't know what to make of it.

This brow product being budget friendly and all that makes it a popular choice but when I first used it I didn't like it at all contrary to all the positive reviews I'd already read about it. If something doesn't work, you should be honest about it, this might be because I have the dark blonde shade instead of trying the light brown but still. The product actually gives quite a natural effect to your brows but on mine it was almost unnoticeable, a colour match made in heaven you could say? I'm fairly used to using a brow pencil and then a little shadow to further define the front so I thought using this would stop the hassle of using two products instead of one but it didn't, I just ended up using all three.... even better eh. 

Once its on your brows, it does not budge even in the warmer weather we're now having which is great as you don't want to panic about your makeup melting off your face, and that it doesn't make your brows stiff as some brow products do. Another thing I do enjoy about the product is the wand, similar to that of mascara wands except this has a large spoolie with a ball on the end, something I've never seen before and making it far easier to fill in your brows in whatever shape you want.  

Overall, I probably won't be repurchasing this product I'm determined to use it up and in the summer months when I'm wanting a more natural looking brow it may do just the trick but at the minute I'd much rather use a clear mascara which is much cheaper to set my brows instead. 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo

Face Masks: Top 3!

Face masks are quickly becoming my skincare favourites! The thought of settling down and having a cosy night in watching movies, eating far too much chocolate and just generally relaxing with a face mask on is perfect. Lately I've been reaching for these three as a quick pick me up and pamper session as I know they work for me and I really want to pick up a couple more, so feel free to let me know what your top 3 face masks are :)  

The Boots Essentials mask is just one I picked up on a whim one day, it was on offer and right beside my trusty Teatree and Witch hazel moisturiser so I thought why not. I'm going to be honest the smell sold me, it just smells of cucumber which I love. Its supposedly a 3 minute clay mask which gently soften, soothes and draws out impurities, now I'm sure I'm not the only one but 3 minutes turns more into half an hour whilst watching the soaps and so you'd think it'd work twice as well being on the skin for so much longer. Its quite thick and dries quickly so you need to be careful getting this on your face as soon as possible, however afterwards it leaves your skin feeling lovely and fresh and has since been placed on my dresser to make sure I use it more often. 

The second mask is a single use mask which is from Superdrugs own line, ideal for all skin types. This was the first mask I picked up out of the three and goodness knows how long ago that was now but yet I still find myself going back to it. I haven't tried any others from the range as I love this one way too much and know it works, its the Superfruits exfoliating mask and oh my, it smells amazing. I almost don't want to use the mask once its open... it smells that good, just a waft of raspberry, cranberry and blueberry fruit extracts, what more could you want. This one is an exfoiliating mask so its gritty and is a solid mask, it changes colour once its dried on your face, something I much prefer to it sinking it and disappearing. Everytime I've used this my skin has dramatically improved - almost glowing and although its only a single use, theres so much of the mask leftover that it could easily be covered and used a couple more times - definitely worth its price tag of £1 something. 

The third and last mask that I'm featuring is from a brand I'd never even heard of before strolling into Boots, its called Quick Fix Facials and is a calming clay mask aimed at red and sensitive skin. Now I may not have overly sensitive skin and only rosy cheeks but I thought it wouldn't be too harsh and that it might do me a world of good, boy was I right. It claims to provide 10 facials but I've used it way more than that and I haven't made a dent in it so its well worth your money. It does smell a little but I can't for the life of me tell you what of, it's not bad though. The mask itself its an absolute skincare gem, the other night I was starting to have a breakout, well I could feel it under my skin so I popped this on for a few hours, washed it off before bed and the next morning it had made most of the spots disappear completely and it'll definitely be repurchased as soon as it runs out.  

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s if you've tried any good skincare items lately be sure to let me know? 

Gigs and Things

If its possible I think I'm still on a post concert high from last night.... I went and seen McBusted in concert for their penultimate show and my oh my it was bloody fantastic. I felt like I was 10 all over again, reliving the Busted tunes and well I've just always loved Mcfly so it was a win win for me and the perfect way to kick off a new month! 

before the night began, sort of a fotd/hotd and my messy bedroom lol!

We arrived a little late to the concert through no fault of our own, Sunday service buses I'm looking at you and the crowds were ridiculous but we eventually got in and found a nice little spot, settling down just in time for the first support act. It was clear from the offset that the whole theme was just having fun and jumping around like idiots as all of the guys I kid you not started running laps around the stage and jumping about all over the place with their guitars encouraging the audience to do just that as well, which they did. 

There were so many entertaining videos to watch throughout the concert, at the beginning they showed clips of Busted breaking up back in 2005 (its scary how long ago it actually was) and then them going back to the future and arriving on stage in a flying car with Mcfly. There was clips of Tom's wedding speech too (which is the most adorable thing) and the Busted boys rudely crashing it ;) The best part however was definitely the stage shaped as a spaceship, no other artist has had a spaceship or anything like it, usually just a boring stage lol! 

If you're following me on twitter you probably realised from my tweets that I was fangirling like crazy last night, it was amazing! And definitely one of the most energetic and fun concerts I've been to in I don't know how long, after the first song everyone in the whole arena (mainly the seating area) was up on their feet, something that usually doesn't happen until the last couple of songs and everyone left the concert in such high spirits. Also Dougie was hilarious all night and I seriously worry about him and Matt's bromance. Overall the gig was class and I'm just jealous that they aren't playing another night, I'm hoping this is the first tour of many for them all. If you're going to see them, enjoy it seriously :) 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo

Daily Blogging, Day 1

I'm so glad that May is finally over, exams and stressing definitely got the best of me and blogging for the past month has been a bit of a let down (for me anyways)... just when I was getting in to the swing of things too! Therefore to make it up to my lovely followers and as a sort of challenge to myself to see if I can do it, I've decided to blog daily for the month of June which is a masssssive challenge for me.

I've already planned out all my posts and I'm so excited to get stuck into writing and preparing them for you guys, June I'm sure is going to be the best month of the year, not biased at all as I have a couple of concerts and its my birthday, the big 20! Is it weird to be dreading it yet somehow excited at the same time? I think so. I also have a heck of a lot more time now that unis finished for summer, if anyone can recommend any good tv shows that would be amazing? I've already caught up on everything in the space of two weeks showing just how much free time I really do have..... therefore this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do something productive with my free time, so be sure to check out my daily posts ;) I hope you all enjoy having a good old read too!  

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo

P.s feel free to leave comments or chat to me on twitter/instagram etc, things like that make my day!