Monday 30 April 2012

In Pictures - This Weekend Just Gone



My nails on Friday night - OPI I Lily Love You over OPI Be A Dahlia Won't You
The beautiful flowers that my boyfriend surprised me with on Friday when he met me from work.


The cheesecake I made on Saturday and decorated on Sunday morning.

A nice hot bowl of sausage, vegetable and bean soup to warm us up on a cold rainy day.


Thanks for reading
Jess
xxx


April Empties



I've been so excited to do this post for a while, I know this is a little sad but nevermind :)

- Frizz-Ease Leave-in Conditioning Spray - 75ml - £1.99
I liked this product, It smelt lovely, made my hair feel softer and wasn't at all sticky.
I'd repurchase this but I can't seem to find it anywhere. :(

- Impulse Body Spray in Tease - 75ml - £1.99
This has a gorgeous light, fruity and uplifting scent. It's also very budget friendly!
I'll be repurchasing this.

- Soap & Glory Girligo Spray-On Moisturising Mist - £6.50 for 250ml
This was the 100ml size of this product which I got in a gift set. I love this moisturising mist, It's thin and easy to rub in if you're in a rush. Smells great too!
I already have a couple of back ups of this but I would repurchase it if I ran out!

- Nivea Energy Fresh Deodorant -150ml - £1.49
Nivea deodorants are my favourite deodorants, this is my favourite fragrance made by them though. It's light and refreshing, perfect for waking you up in the morning!
I will be repurchasing this.

- Soap & Glory Flake Away Exfoliator - 300ml - £7
An old favourite of mine, one of these tubs lasts for ages too!
I will be repurchasing this.

- Soap & Glory Pulp Friction Foamy Fruit Body Scrub - 250ml - £8
This is a two in one product really, I recommend using with a shower puff, It then foams up a lot more and is a scrub and body wash all in one.  
I will be repurchasing this.


- Tesco Value Facial Wipes - 25 - 45p
I bought these when I was a bit skint and had run out of face wipes, they're ok but not very moist so you need to use a few, which kind of defeats the point of them being cheap.
I wouldn't repurchase. Unless very skint!


- Charles Worthington Shine All Over Gloss Spray - 75ml - £1.99
I've had this for ages and it's an ok product. It smells nice, it makes my hair look a little brighter but it's no miracle product.
- I wouldn't repurchase this.


- Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara - 7ml - £8.99
I love this mascara! I've used it almost everyday for a couple of months, but now its dried out. I think this could be a holy grail product for me :)
- I've already repurchased this!

- L'oreal Elvive Damage Care Hair Mask - 300ml - £5.20
This masque was nice, it did the job and made my hair feel softer.
- I'll probably repurchase.

- Pantene Pro-v Repair and Protect Shampoo - 500ml - £4.69
One of my favourite shampoos, smells lovely and really works for my hair.
- I'll be repurchasing when I can find it on a good offer!

- Sanex Sensitive Foaming Bath Cream - 650ml - £3.26
This is one of those products I've had hanging round for ages and it really needed using up. I found it was ok, nice enough  but nothing to write home about.
- I probably wouldn't repurchase.

- Dove Intensive Repair Conditioner - 200ml - £1.77(on offer at Boots)
A bit of a disappointment really, I'd heard good things about this but it didn't seem to do much for my hair.
- I wouldn't repurchase.


Thanks for reading!
Jess
xxx

Sunday 29 April 2012

FOTD - Naked 2 Palette


This was my FOTD yesterday, I've decided to give my beloved Naked palette a rest and start using more of the shades from my Naked 2 palette.

What I used:
- 17 Photo Flawless Skin Primer
- Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation - Fawn
- Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil - FBI
- Rimmel Lasting Finish 1000 Kisses Lip Tint - 100 Endless Blossom
- S&G Great Kisser Lip Balm - Sweet Coconut





On my eyes I used:
- Mua Professional Eye Primer
- Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara - Black
- Urban Decay Eyeshadows - Half Baked, Bootycall, YDK, Snakebite.
- Urban Decay Eyeshadow - Tease (for my brows)


Thanks for reading!
Jess
xxx


Sunday 22 April 2012

Amazon Haul!

Hi Everyone :)

I've got a little haul post for you all today! I got a bit excited on Amazon this week and ordered a few goodies. My camera is being a little silly today so please excuse the pictures courtesy of Amazon.

I bought some OPI minis! I bought the Muppets collection which is so pretty and glittery, I love all the colours and can't wait to wear them all. :D

I also bought the Nice Stems collection for under a tenner! Yay :) There's a nice selection of pinks including a really cool glittery topcoat called 'I Lily Love You'.
I'll be featuring these OPI minis in a NOTD soon.

I also bought two cookbooks, which I know may not interest everyone but I'll show you them anyway :)



This book is amazing, it's got so many interesting and unique recipes, such as peanut butter and bacon cookies! It's written by a woman called Joy, she has a great blog (http://joythebaker.com/) and makes so many yummy things.



This is the second book I bought, I love the introductions to each chapter, they're very entertaining and I can relate to Sophie's feelings when she was growing up. The recipes look very comforting and delicious! Can't wait to try some out. :)

Thanks for reading
Jess
xxx

Tuesday 17 April 2012

Recipe - White Chocolate Cheesecake



Ok, so who doesn't love cheesecake? Well I have a yummy and easy recipe coming up for you :)
 
It's so simple, no bake, you only have to set it for a few hours before you can dig in!
 
 
Ingredients
 
- 300g Hobnobs
-  100g Butter
 
- 200g Cream Cheese
- 300g White Chocolate
- 500ml Double Cream
- Teaspoon of Vanilla Bean Paste
 
There's not many ingredients either which is a bonus!
 
Method
 
- Start by crushing the biscuits, either by placing them in a plastic food bag and bashing with a rolling pin or blitzing them in a food processor.
- Melt the butter and mix with the crushed biscuits.
- Press the mixture into the bottom of a 23cm springform tin and put it in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
 
- For the filling, break the chocolate up and melt gently in the microwave or in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water.
- Leave the chocolate to cool a bit, meanwhile mix together the cream cheese and vanilla paste.
- Once the chocolate is cool, mix the chocolate into the cream cheese mixture.
- Then whip the double cream to soft peaks, once whipped, fold the cream into the chocolate mixture.
- Dollop the mixture on top of the biscuit base and smooth the top of the cheesecake.
- Leave to set in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
 
The picture is of my Easter themed cheesecake, hence the white chocolate carrots and little fluffy chicks :)
 
Suggested Toppings
- Raspberries and white chocolate stars
- Sliced Strawberries
- Dark Chocolate Curls
- Popping Candy
- Chocolate Truffles
 
Thanks for reading :)
Jess
xxx

Saturday 14 April 2012

Tag - This or That?

For my second tag I decided to do the 'This or That' tag which I found on this lovely blog http://budgetingbeautiful.blogspot.co.uk/ :)

make-up
blush or bronzer? bronzer
lip gloss or lipstick? lipgloss, much easier to wear :)
eyeliner or mascara? mascara! I look naked without it.
foundation or concealer? definately foundation
neutral or coloured eye shadow? neutral, hence the two naked palettes :)
pressed or loose eyeshadow? pressed, I don't own any loose powders.
brushes or sponges? brushes

nails
opi or china glaze? opi, never tried a china glaze polish
long or short? longish
acrylic or natural? natural
brights or darks? depends
flower or no Flower? no flower

body
perfume or body spray? perfume
lotion or body butter? body butter, a pain to use but so worth it.
body wash or soap? body wash, I hate normal soap!
lush or other bath company? not really tried lush, so I'll stick to soap and glory

fashion
jeans or trackies? jeans
long sleeve or short sleeve? long, well 3/4 length
dresses or skirts? dresses
stripes or plaid? neither
flip flops or sandals? flip flops! I wear them all the time.
scarves or hats? scarves
studs or dangley earings? dangley, they feel more girly
necklaces or bracelets? bracelets :)
heels or flats? heels :D
cowboy boots or riding boots? Never worn either
jacket or hoodie? hoodie for comfyness
forever21 or charlotte russe? not been to either
abercrombie or hollister? not been to either

hair
curly or straight? straight 
bun or ponytail? a bun, they're so useful
bobby pins or butterfly clips? bobby pins
hairspray or gel? hairspray, great for adding volume
long or short? Long, couldn't stand having short hair
light or dark? dark
up or down? down, I hate having my hair up

now some random ones.... just for fun :)
rain or shine? rain, makes being inside feel cosier
summer or winter?  winter, it's cosy, christmassy and the perfect time of year to bake
fall or spring? fall :D
chocolate or vanilla? chocolate!
 
 
Thanks for reading and I tag everyone to do this :D
 
Jess
xxx
 


Friday 13 April 2012

Using Up My Stash

Hi everyone!
Today I've decided to start using up my big stash of beauty products before I buy anything else.
I've already grouped together a few half used or random products that I've not really tried, so that I can use them up!


I'll let you know how I get on with this challenge and do a post about the things I've used up and whether I'd repurchase them.

Thanks for reading,
Jess
xxx

Thursday 12 April 2012

FOTD - Urban Decay Mariposa Palette



To create this look I used eyeshadows from my Urban Decay Mariposa Palette, as this is my most neglected UD palette. This is my Mariposa palette...


This palette has a lovely mixture of neutrals and brighter colours, I'm definately going to start using it more often!

Products I Used,
- Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse - Fawn
- Rimmel Lash Acceleration Mascara - Black
- Urban Decay Eyeshadow - Buck(for eyebrows)
- MUA Clear Mascara
- MUA Eyeshadow Primer
- Urban Decay Eyeshadow - Limelight(lid)
                                              - Spotlight and Wreckage(crease)
                                              - Skimp(brow bone)
- BarryM Lip Laquer Crayon - No. 2
- S&G Lip Balm - Sweet Coconut

Thanks for reading :)

Jess
xxx




NOTD - Golden Raspberry

Oooh Sparkly!


Last night I was playing around with a new nail varnish I picked up yesterday and decided I'd do a nail of the day using it. :)

Here are the nail varnishes I used...
From left to right, Collection 2000 Shimmy Shake(£1.79), BarryM Raspberry(£2,99), Seche Vite Top Coat(£9), Sally Hansen Base Coat(£4.50).

To create this look I used the base coat first, then one coat of the raspberry colour, a coat of shimmy shake and then finished it all off with top coat! :D


I hope you enjoyed my first NOTD and thank you for taking the time to read my blog :)

Jess
xxx


Tuesday 10 April 2012

FOTD - Rimmel Based

Here is my first FOTD :)



I know I look a little worried :) But yeah..

I wanted to try out a sample of Rimmel's Wake Me Up Foundation which I got free in an Elle magazine, so i decided to try and use mostly Rimmel products which I already had, some of which I'd never used.

So these are the products I used

- 17 Photo Flawless Skin Primer
- Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation, 200 Soft Beige
- MUA Professional Eye Primer
- 17 Shine Control Pressed Powder, Neutral
- Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara, Black
- MUA Mascara, Clear (for eyebrows)
- Rimmel Colour Rush Eyeshadow, 320 Delicate Rose
- Rimmel Glam Eyes Eyeshadow, Royal Violet
- Rimmel Lasting Finish Blush, 021 Summer Fever
- Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Tint and Balm, 100 Endless Blossom


I'm pretty happy with this look, it feels nice and light for spring, looks pretty natural and I was very impressed with the wake me up foundation. AND all the products were drugstore products which I'm happy about and I managed to resist using my naked palette! :D


Jess
xxx

Product Review - Soap and Glory For Daily Youth Moisturiser

Hi everyone,
 
So, a couple of weeks ago I went to Boots and got sucked into a deal which was when you spent £10 on Soap and Glory products you got a free S&G shower gel worth £6.50, and as I'd been after a facial moisturiser for a while I decided to pick this up.

 
It's the 'For Daily Youth' 6-in-1 Superboost Moisture Lotion, It costs £12 and is available from most Boots stores.

This moisturiser claims to fight the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and maximise moisture levels, so I'm not sure where the 6-in-1 claim came from, however this product is lovely and moisturising, I find it very light on my skin and it smells amazing!

The smell is similar to most of the soap and glory range and the lovely smell definately hangs around for quite a while after you've applied it.



The cream is just a thin, white cream which blends in easily and leaves my skin smooth, soft and looking a little more radiant.


- Overall I'd give this product a 7/10.

- It's a bit pricey for what it is but it does do a decent job.

Thanks for reading :)

Jess
xxx