Giveaway Reminder!

Hi everyone,

 

Just a little reminder post about a giveaway I'm running until Saturday, you can see the post here.

 

And here is what you can win...

 

 

Thanks for reading,

Jess

xxx



FOTD - In The Pink

Hi everyone,

 

Here's a pretty basic and natural look that I was wearing last weekend, I went for bright neutral eyes and a creamy, soft pink lipstick.

 

The Products I Used



 

Face

- Maybelline Dream Lumitouch Concealer in Ivory

- Bourjois 123 Foundation in 52 Vanilla

- Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light

- MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle

 

Eyes

- Urban Decay Primer Potion

- Stila In The Light Palette - Kitten, Sandstone, Bare, Champagne, Bliss

- Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner in Nude

- Maybelline The Colossal Volume Express Mascara in Black

 

Brows

- MUA Clear Mascara

 

Lips

17 Supreme Shine Lipstick in Barely Blush

 

 

Thanks for reading,

Jess

xxx

The Perfect Monday Morning Eye Make Up

Hi everyone,

 

So it's monday morning and you don't want to get out of bed? Then you roll over for just five more minutes sleep and the next thing you know you're running late! Everyone wants to look nice though, even if it's just to go to work and I think a bit of subtle eye make up can really make you look polished. So here's how I achieve it in about 30 seconds flat!

 

Ta Dah! It's Maybelline's Color Tattoo in On and on Bronze!

 

If I sweep this over my lid and smudge it into the crease, all using my finger I get the most wonderful effect! I'm not sure what it is about this cream shadow but the results you get make it look like you've put a lot more effort in to your eye make up than you have and they best part is that it look mere seconds to create! All I then do is apply mascara and my eyes are ready to go!

Here are some pictures of my eyeballs for your amusement...

I'm also wearing Rimmel's nude eyeliner in my waterline and a bit of the color tattoo smudged on my lower lash line.
 

Which eye product do you turn to when you don't have time to blend loads of eyeshadows together?

 

Thanks for reading,

Jess

xxx



Mini Tesco Haul - Collection and Nivea

Hi everyone,

 

You know when you get really bored, end up going to 24 hour Tesco and buying beauty products? Not just me? Yeah well that happened last night :) I was pretty well behaved to be honest and only spent eight quid!

Nivea Happy Time Deodorant - £1

I really love the Happy Time shower gel and I love Nivea deodorants, therefore buying this was a no brainer! It works really well and smells of oranges!

 

Nivea Express Hydration Primer - £4

I've heard this newly released product is a bit of a gem, so when I saw it on offer I thought I'd give it a go. I really hope it'll provide me with smooth and soft skin.

 

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Shade 2, Light - £3

This was another product on offer and a repurchase for me. I love this concealer for blemishes and red pigmentation on my face, I'm very happy to have got it for a bargain price.

 

Thanks for reading,

Jess

xxx





Lip Of The Day #1 - L'oreal Caresse Aphrodite Scarlet

Hi everyone,

 

I thought I'd start a bit of a series called 'Lip of the day' or LOTD which will just be a post showing a lip swatch and an accompanying mini review of a lip product from my collection.

This might also stop me buying more lip products as I have loads already!

 

As you can tell from this lipstick's scruffy appearance it's a favourite of mine and I often just chuck it in my handbag to reapply throughout the day. I bought this lipstick after seeing it in  a favourites post by Charlotte from Something Special To Say and I'm so glad I did! It's a sheer, 'candy red' colour and I find that it just perks up any make up look with little effort. It's not very long lasting but very easy and comfortable to wear, it's also super moisturising. :)

 

 

Do you like this type of post?

 

Thanks for reading,

Jess

xxx



10,000 Page Views Giveaway! - Benefit, Barry M, Nivea, Odile & Fleur and Miss Sporty!

Hi everyone!

 

Yay! It's Giveaway Time! I've almost reached 10,000 page views!

 

So I thought that was worth having a little giveaway for, to show my appreciation to you guys! The lovely people who read and follow my blog.

 

Here's what you can win!

 

Here's a closer look at the make up prizes...

 

Nivea Lip Butter in Caramel Cream - I love this yummy, moisturising lip product!

 

Barry M Nail Paint in Amethyst Glitter - A beautiful multi coloured glitter polish

 

Barry M Lip Lacquer Crayon in Cherry Rec - A lovely lip product for a bright lip on a night out

 

Miss Sporty Nail Polish in Fiery Blaze - A funky duo chrome polish

Benefit Sun Beam Highlighter Sample - This is one of the samples that came free with a magazine a few months ago so I had to buy an extra one to include in a giveaway!

 



And here's a closer look at the jewelry...

 

I love these earrings and have some myself, I think the leaves are so sweet and the wishbones and so cute and original.

 

These pretty turquoise bead earrings would add a nice touch of glamour to an everyday outfit.

 

How to enter

- Just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget below!

 

Rules etc

- This giveaway is open internationally!

- Please don't follow to enter the giveaway and then unfollow once it's over, I'd only like people who are genuinely interested in reading/following my blog to enter.

- When the prize is sent I will keep proof of postage but I am not responsible for any lost packages.

- This giveaway is open until Saturday 2nd February and I will announce the winner shortly after.

 







a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Thanks for reading,

Jess

xxx

My Current...Facial Exfoliators

Hi everyone,
 

Here are a couple of mini reviews of the facial exfoliators I'm using at the moment!

 

 

 

St Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub

I really love this scrub, it does a really good job and is quite abrasive but without being harsh on the skin. I use this in the mornings, about 2 or 3 times a week, I love it's fresh, fruit scent.

 

Soap and Glory The Greatest Scrub of All Facial Exfoliator

This is quite a gentle scrub, with 'Smooth-boost spheres' which pop when you're washing your face, which I'm not sure if it does your face any good, but it adds novelty value. This scrub's quite creamy and moisturising which I find nice, especially in the evening which is when I use this the most. I recently looked at the ingredients though and discovered that it contains mineral oil which is meant to be pretty bad for the skin and can clog up pores.         :( But I do like this scrub and will continue to use it unless it suddenly starts breaking me out, but this is my third tube so it should be ok. :)

 

What are your favourite scrubs? Any you think I should try?

 

Thanks for reading,

Jess

xxx

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette Review + Swatches!

Hi everyone,

I was extremely lucky to recieve this palette as a present from my boyfriend last weekend and here are my thoughts on it...

 

 

This is such a beautiful little palette from Urban Decay, it's perfectly petite and contains some lovely shades to create everyday, 'suitable for work' looks to more smokey, sultry looks. When I first saw this palette I thought that it was a bit unbalanced, due to it having three very pale shades which seemed too many. However I think it really works!

 

- Venus provides me with a satin highlight shade to add a bit of shimmer and glam to an otherwise matte look. I love using this to highlight the inner corner of my eyes, it's beautiful satin finish makes the eyes look really awake.

- Foxy is a pale yellow/cream shade which is nice highlight shade for a totally matte look.

- WOS is the shade in the palette which is closest to the colour of my skin, it's great for just sweeping over the lids to even out the skin tone.

- Naked 2 is great as an all over lid colour for when you just want easy, low maintenance eye make up.

- Faint is gorgeous when placed in the outer corner and blended into the crease, it's not too dark for an everyday look whilst still adding ample definition.

- Crave is a very useful shade, it's a black shadow which is leaning towards dark brown. It makes a good lining shadow and is also great for creating a more smokey look by using in the outer corner.

These shadows are highly pigmented, buttery smooth, and also very easy to blend. I really think that UD have improved their eyeshadow formula since the first Naked palette.

Overall I think this palette is great, a fantastic everyday palette, great for people that are new to eyeshadow and also very pratical for travel.

This palette retails for £20 and is available from Debenhams.

Thanks for reading,

Jess

xxx

17 Supreme Shine Lipstick in Barely Blush!

Hi everyone,

Here's a litte review on my newest lipstick!

 

Top swatch is one swipe, bottom swatch is built up.

 

Pros!

- Cheap! Only £4.99!

- Glossy finish.

- Creamy formula, quite moisturising.

- Opaque colour can be achieved easily.

- Easy to wear, everyday colour.

- Can be used for a subtle wash of colour or for a more intense colour. 

 

 

Cons!

- The packaging, I hate how reflective it is and the shape of the lid!

- It will show up any patchy, dry skin on your lips so give them a good scrub and apply a lipbalm first!

 

Overall I'm happy with my newest lipstick purchase, the formula is nice, it's a great, subtle everyday colour and it's inexpensive which is great if I ever want to repurchase it!

 

Have you tried any 17 Supreme Shine lipsticks? Do you have any shade recommendations

 

Thanks for reading,

Jess

xxx

 

 

* The top two photos are taken in artifical light and the bottom two are taken in natural light!



Collective Haul - Urban Decay, Odile & Fleur, Soap and Glory, Maybelline, L'Oreal, 17!

Hi everyone,

I've got a bit of a haul to share with you today, some of these things were gifts and the rest of them were bargains!

 

Odile & Fleur Earrings

I was just mooching around Boots and came across a reduced jewelry stand and these earrings just seemed like such good bargains, it'd have been rude to not buy them! I particularly love the pair of earrings shaped like wishbones! I think they're really sweet and original! I've even picked up an extra pair of the wishbone earrings for my next giveaway!

 

Soap and Glory Peaches and Clean Cleanser

Whilst in Boots I decided to pick up a bottle of my favourite cleanser, It was on offer at £6 as it was and I also had a £3 off voucher, can't complain at getting it for only £3! I got this cleanser in a Soap and Glory gift for Christmas and it's been love ever since!

 

 

17 Supreme Shine Lipstick in Barely Blush

I love 17's Mirror Shine lipsticks so when I got a voucher for 50% off a 17 Supreme Shine lipstick I just had to buy one! I plumped for the shade Barely Blush, a soft natural pink, a review is coming soon!

 

L'oreal Colour Riche Nail Polish in 502 Purple Disturbia

I bought this beauty for an amazing £1.20 from Fragrance Direct! It's a beautiful plum polish with shimmer in it. I really love the formula of these polishes!

 

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch in Ivory

I've heard a lot of good things about this concealer recently so when I saw it for £1.99 on Fragrance Direct I had to order one so I could see if it was as good as my L'oreal concealer. This normally retails for around £6.

 

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

Last but not least, my favourite item in this haul! My very generous boyfriend treated me to this. It's such a dinky, cute palette and being the UD junkie that I am, I just HAD to have it :D I really am looking forward to using it!

 

Have you treated yourself to any new beauty goodies recently?

 

Thanks for reading,

Jess

xxx



Urban Decay Naked Nail Polishes + Swatches!

Hi everyone,

My boyfriend treated me to this lovely nail polish set last week and here are my thoughts on them...

 

Please excuse my horrible cuticles! Swatches are of two coats of polish, apart from Creep which is three coats.

 

Pros!

- Beautiful packaging!

- Mini nail polishes but with decent sized brushes

- Nail polishes have fairly thin, opaque formulas(apart from Creep)

- Decent value for money(£21, so £3.50 per polish)

- All polishes are quick drying, which is a big plus for me!

- A nice mix of light and dark shades, i just wish they'd have made a 'Baked' nail polish.

 

 

Cons!

- Creep is a bit of a fail, it needs at least 3 coats for a decent coverage, might be nice over a black polish but it isn't great on its own.

- Only available online.

- Naked does have a tendancy to be a tiny bit streaky!

 

I think that the polish Sidecar really steals the show, it's a beautiful subtle nude glitter that looks very understated and chic whilst being girly. :)

 

This is quite a simple review but I'm not great at reviewing nail polishes, I just had to share these beauties with you all though!

 

Thanks for reading,

Jess

xxx

 

 



My Top 5...Lipbalms

Hi everyone,

 

If you've be following me for a while you might have realised that I love lipbalms! I apply them mulitple times a day and I love the assortment of flavours, colours and formulas they come in, I can't stop buying them! :)

 

If you'd like to see my lipbalm collection post then click here. I might do an updated post soon as I've had a bit of a clear out. But anyway, here are my top 5 lipbalms...

 

 

 

Nivea Lip Butter in Caramel Cream
 Smells and tastes amazing! A bit like toffee popcorn, very creamy and moisturising. Very cute, lightweight, little tin too. :)

Burt's Bees Mango Lip Balm
A nourishing lip balm with a subtle, natural fruity scent. I love this as my night time lip balm and for using on the go, it's even survived a trip through the washing machine and is still working perfectly!

GOSH Soft'n Shine Lip Balm in Scarlet
A beautiful, glossy balm that could almost be classed as a liptick. Smells and tastes like vanilla/cake and is a pretty muted pink colour, a perfect colour to apply on the go.

Balance Me Rose Otto Intensive Lip Salve
A great freebie from Glamour magazine last year, I wasn't keen on the slightly overpowering turkish delight scent of this when I first bought it but it has grown on me. I use this first thing in the morning before putting my make up on so that my lips are softened and moisturised before applying lipstick. This lip balm really feels like it's doing your lips some good.

Korres Lip Butter in Wild Rose
I wasn't keen on the scent of this product when I got it either but it's very moisturising and gives the lips a subtle red tint. Lovely for days when you don't want to wear lipstick.

What's your favourite lip balm?

Thanks for reading,
Jess
xxx

My Current...Body Butters

Hi everyone,

I thought I'd start a new little series on my blog called 'My Current...', which is where I'll create a post showing you which products in the same categories I'm currently using. I will share my thoughts on the products and give little mini reviews, hopefully this will be helpful to you if you're wanting to try a product that I'm writing about and hopfully it'll be useful to me by making me appreciate the products I own and use rather than lusting after new products!

 

So here are the body butters I'm currently using...

 

 

The Body Shop Coconut Shimmer Body Butter

This is a thick body butter with a very strong coconut smell which stays on your skin all day, it also contains shimmer! The shimmer looks really pretty on the skin, great for using before a night out. The only downside is it takes a while for the product to sink in to the skin, but it is really moisturising!

 

 

Dirty Works Supreme Cream Body Butter

This body butter has quite a thin texture, a sweet slightly floral smell and is pretty moisturising. It's not my favourite as it doesn't feel very nourishing compared to other body butters.

 

 

Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter

I think I'd go as far to say that this is a holy grail product for me, the smell is divine, the texture is great(not too thick and absorbs easily) and results I get from using this are fantastic! I pretty much always have an open tub of this on hand, but it is pretty pricey at £10.50.

 

 

Soap and Glory Peachy Cream Big Butter

I'm so sad that this has been discontinued! I only rediscovered it in my stash of toiletries the other month and it's a lovely product. It's a really thick yet kind of aerated and softens into a really smooth cream when rubbing in to the skin. It's got a very strong and slightly overpowering peach smell which has really grown on me and it's just SO moisturising. I'm sorry to mention a discontinued product, especially as it's a good one but if you have this hanging around unloved, please give it another go, it's great! Please bring this back Soap & Glory!

 

Thanks for reading and please let me know if you like this type of post :)

 

Jess

xxx

My Secret Santa Swap Gift

Hi everyone,

I know that Christmas is well and truly over and that I've had my Secret Santa gift for almost a month but I've been meaning to do this post and I can't wait to show you what I received!

 

The Secret Santa swap that I took part in was organised by the lovely Sammy from Bellini Beauty.

 

I was so lucky to have Kelly  from Kel Loves... as my Secret Santa!

 

Here's what she bought me...

 

 

Kelly bought me an Urban Decay palette! :O I was sooo excited when I opened all my gifts and I left the palette till last thinking it was a bar of chocolate or something as it was so big and when I saw it was a UD palette I did freak out a little bit. :)

The Urban Decay palette that i received was the Dangerous Palette from last Christmas and it's beautiful! It comes with 6 eyeshadows, a mini eyeliner in Rockstar and a mini primer potion in Greed. This palette was something I almost bought when it was released and I'm so happy to have it in my collection.

 

Kelly also bought me...

Nivea Lip Butter in Caramel Cream - This lady must have done her homework and read some of my wishlists on my blog because I'd been wanting to try these little lip butters for ages but I'd been on a spending ban so couldn't treat myself :(

Burt's Bees Super Shiny Natural Lip Gloss in Pucker Berry - I was really excited to try this as I love Burt's Bees lip balms and this did not dissapoint. It's a lovely shiny balm/gloss, that's very hydrating, not at all sticky and has a yummy sweet, fruity, citrus scent/flavour.

Soap and Glory Mist You Madly Body Spray - Kelly had obviously cottoned on to my obsession with Soap and Glory from reading my blog and she bought me this lovely body spray. I already have one of these body sprays in my handbag so it was the perfect gift :)

Essie Polish in Tour De Finance - I love essie polishes so I was very happy to recieve this one, it's a hot pink with quite subtle purple shimmer in it, I've worn it on my toes and it's lovely to apply and such a beautiful colour!

 

Thank you very much for my gifts Kelly and thank you to Sammy for organising it, I'd love to take part in a Secret Santa Swap again as I really enjoyed the whole experience :)

 

Have you done a Secret Santa Swap before?

 

Thanks for reading,

Jess

xxx



Wednesday Wishlist

Hi everyone,

Another wishlist today! :)

 

 

 

MAC Brick-O-La Lipstick - £14

Ever since seeing this lipstick on Essie button's blog and in her youtube videos I've been seriously lusting after it. It's such a beautiful shade! Here is Essie's post, which has great swatches.

 

 

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Eyeliners - £3.99

I've heard that these are great dupes for the Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliners which for under four quid each I'd love to see if they are. I already own the nude shade of these eyeliners and I love it! It's perfect for making my eyes look more awake. I'd love to try the black and bronze shades!

 

Jimmy Choo Flash Perfume - 40ml for £36

I received the first Jimmy Choo perfume for Christmas and I love it! I've read a couple of reviews of this perfume and it sounds lovely! :)

 

Thanks for reading :)

I'm hoping to put some more interesting posts up soon!

 

Jess

xxx

 



Wednesday Wishlist

Hi everyone,

 

After being on a spending ban for a while it's a nice feeling to be able to spend money if I want to. I would like to be more careful with my purchases though, and only buy things that I really want and products I've done a bit of research on.

 

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream - £10.50

I love the scent of sugar crush! I have the scrub and the body wash but I can't wait to get my hands on the body butter! I think I'll wait until there's a 3 for 2 on and there's two other products I want.

 

 

Revlon PhotoReady Concealer - £6.49

I've heard that this is a really well pigmented, creamy concealer and is even good for under eyes. Really want to try it!

 

Bourjois 123 Perfect Foundation - £10.99

I want to repurchase this foundation! I've run out and really want to get myself another bottle, it offers great coverage and is pretty long wearing.

 

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette - £20

Even though I have both of the Naked palettes I would love to buy this. I think it'd be great as an easy everyday palette, for filling in your brows, creating a really simple every day look, creating a smokey look, using the black shade as a liner. A very versatile and travel friendly palette!

 

Thanks for reading,

Jess

xxx

Mini Boxing Day Haul

Hi everyone,

Like a lot of people I went to the sales on Boxing Day, I mainly looked round Boots in hope of some half price Soap and Glory gift sets, but alas they didn't have much. :(

 

I did however get a perfume gift set and some 3 for 2 Soap and Glory products!

 

 

Lacoste Touch Of Pink Gift Set

I picked up this gift set for only £16(ish)! It comes with a 30ml perfume, a 50ml shower gel and a 50ml body lotion. Total bargain!

 

Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Shower Gel

I recieved the body scrub in this scent for Christmas, it smells absoloutly delicious! I just had to buy the shower gel, I will be opening it up as soon as I finish my current bottle of clean on me!

 

Soap and Glory Rich and Foamous Body Wash

I've wanted to try this for aaages, but I was on a spending ban until recently. It's got a really sweet/foodie smell and with all the moisturising ingredients it contains it sounds like it'll be great for my dry skin.

 

Soap and Glory Flake Away Body Scrub

This was a repurchase, I've been without this scrub for a while and I've missed it so much! I think it's my favourite scrub ever, so abrasive but also leaves the skin smooth and softened.

 

What did you buy in the sales?

 

Thanks for reading,

Jess

xxx