Thursday 27 March 2014

March Haul - Beauty & Otherwise (with Reviews)

















Hi there lovelies!

I'm back with yet another haul... I'm sure you've figured by now I love my beauty finds! :)

This month I had a lot of items to buy and what a perfect excuse to show you my goodies and what I think so far.

Soap and Glory, Breakfast Body Scrub
I lovvveee Soap and Glory products (I have a few things from them this month!). This body scrub is amazing, not only is it kind to the skin yet removes those horrible dead skin cells, but it also smells heavenly. This one smells like cookies, sugary naughty cookies... and who doesn't want to smell like baked cookies while having silky, smooth skin?

Soap and Glory, Smoothie Star Body Milk
This is a body moisturiser and is lovely. Although the formula is a little more runny than I'm used to, it moisturises well and of course, smells divine. This scent has got to be my favourite out of all three. It's very sweet smelling, and to me smells like popcorn. I love the fact that the scent calms down when soaked into your skin but you still get a hint of it still on you - perfection for me, but this may not be to everyone's liking.

Soap and Glory, Sugar Crush Body Wash
I started to run low on my Sugar Fairy body wash from Lush and wanted something sweet but refreshing. I haven't used this one yet as waiting to use my Sugar Fairy up, but it smells amazing. It's scent is sharp and fruity yet with a slight sweet touch. I'm looking forward to using this one!

Soap and Glory, Righteous Butter Body Cream
Now this body cream I've been using for some time and I love it's refreshing scent. It's also got a thicker constancy than the milk (as the name would suggest), meaning it's better for very dry skin or to give your skin that extra boost of moisture :)

Loreal Elvive Fibrology Thickening Mask
I love this hair mask - I'd heard good things since it's launch this month (here in the UK) so just knew I wanted to pick it up. Plus Boots were having a 3 for 2 offer, it was just rude if I didn't ;-) This mask is not only great for dry ends, but it also helps your hair feel thicker. This made such an impression that even a good friend of mine noticed and made a comment, without me even saying I'd used anything different! Well worth an investment if you have thinner hair and at £5.09 it's a bargain (currently on sale in Boots at £2.54 too!)

GHD Straighteners (Version 4.2)
I'd sold my GHD's a couple of months ago as I didn't tend to use them but my hair has grown so much in the past few months that now I can see how useful they would be to have (sort out my hair's natural and messy curls at the ends - not cute!). I got these on eBay, but being jet black I thought they looked super sleek. As per usual GHD hasn't let me down - I love, love, love my GHD's! Never again will I betray you!!

NYX Blusher in Pinched
This blusher is a great dupe for Nars' Blusher in Orgasm. It's a gorgeous mix of peach and shimmer, perfect for Spring & Summer makeup looks. I've been using this daily since purchasing. It was also only £6.99, compared to the Nars version RRP £20.25.

Sleek 'Oh So Special' Eyeshadow Pallet
This eyeshadow pallet is stunning, the shades are beautiful romantic shades that are so pigmented  that even using the brushes in the pallet they glide on in one stroke. The only frustration I have is I'm getting a crease in my eyelids when using this eyeshadow. I'm going to try it with another eyeshadow primer and brush and see if this does the trick. At £7.99 a pallet and such a range of gorgeous pallet's they are, defiantly worth a look! :-)

Paper Chase Cupcake Journal with Pens
Now this is my one non-beauty or hair purchase for the haul. I love having a journal and I'm a bit of an an organize freak so when I saw this cute cupcake journal from Paper Chase I knew I couldn't leave without it. It's been a great place to write my thoughts, ideas for blogs as well as memento's from days out.

I hope you enjoyed this haul, let me know what you guys treated yourself to this month also. I would love to hear your recommendations!

Jess xox


Monday 24 March 2014

Liebster Award

Hi Everyone,

I was nominated by the lovely and talented Dee Hickey for the Liebster Award, check out her blog here. Thanks Dee! :)

So, the trick is that I have to answer 11 questions about myself that Dee gave me. I then return the favour by nominating 11 bloggers & also giving them 11 questions to answer! Very exciting, so here we go... 

My Questions:

1. What is your favourite blog?
Goodness, this is a hard one to answer, I would say it would have to be Louise's SprinkleofGlitter. I love the fact that she mixes being a mum with beauty and fashion. I never get bored of reading her posts! :)

2. What is your favourite place you've visited?
Weirdly enough, I was thinking about this yesterday... honestly it's a tough one as I love to travel. I would say at the moment... for a city it would be New York, a beach holiday Cancun & a mixture of both and throwing in some culture, Barcelona. All amazing places, but I have so many more I want/need to see!!

3. If you could be somebody else, who would it be?
An astronaut, I love the idea of being able to see our planet & new worlds. See a theme here? Also, I have a strong interest in both Space and flying.

4. What is your best joke?
Hmm.. I'm not good with jokes... 

5. What is your party piece?
Heels, always heels! If I go to a party and I'm not in heels it just doesn't feel right haha!

6. Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter? and Why?
Summer, always. What is there not to like? Gorgeous weather, pretty clothes, happier people, going to the beach, holidays... the list is endless!

7. What brings you the most happiness?
Cuddles with my man, kitties & friends :) I'm a very cuddly person..

8. Whats your most used word or phrase?
Not sure on a phrase, but I know I add smileys to everything! :) ;)

9. Why did you choose your blog name?
Thought it sounded cool, plus couldn't see anyone else with it so the choice was pretty easy :)

10. Coke or Pepsi?
Coke, although I'm not sure why... 

11. Favourite ice-cream?
Ben & Jerry's Half Baked.. mmm.. It has cookie dough & brownie.. need I say more? ;)

I nominate:
SmallFishBigPond
LovelyGirlieBits
OfZoe
OhSoChicandFabulous
StephEllis  
TheBeautyLocker

Your Questions:

1. What are your top 5 must have makeup items?
2. What is your favourite film?
3. What made you want to start a blog?
4. Tea or Coffee?
5. What do you enjoy more, watching films or reading?
6. Do you dye your hair?
7. What is your happiest memory?
8. Where was your favourite holiday?
9. What is your favourite drugstore/highstreet makeup brand?
10. What is your favourite colour?
11. Music festivals or art shows?
 
Hope you have fun, thanks for reading! :)
Jess xx

Saturday 1 March 2014

February's Beauty Haul with Reviews 2014

Hi everyone,

I just want to say a quick thank you to those of you who are now following my blog! It's very exciting to see that there are some of you who enjoy reading my reviews and updates as much as I enjoy writing them. Anyway, enough touchy feely stuff.. onto my February haul and reviews!

In February I was trying to behave and not buy too much but I did get some exciting new products.

Loreal Paris Skin Perfection, 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution
This stuff is amazing. Now I still use my Liz Earle, but I wanted something that I could use if I'm feeling lazy and don't want to do my usual full routine but on the same token I don't want to use a face wipe. This stuff is so gentle and easy to use, it's like water but shifts all trace of my makeup in just one wipe. If you're looking for something as a quick fix for when you're not feeling yourself than this stuff is perfect.  The bonus is that's it's only £4.99!


Kerastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique
Now this stuff has been a life saver, it's a little pricey but I only use a 20p size blob on my towel dried hair, focusing on the ends. After blow drying my hair the ends are no longer dry and tangled but instead I have what looks like salon, glossy hair. The one downside of the product is the smell, it's a strange mix between melon and mouldy fruit, not the nicest but thankfully this disappears after you dry your hair. I will defiantly be repurchasing this!

TIGI S Factor Flat Iron Shine Spray Heat Defender
I got this as I was running low on my current heat spray and after reading great reviews on this one I thought I would give it a try. On first impressions I wasn't sure of the packaging, for the price tag I think the packaging could be prettier but the results are great. I haven't had any new split ends since using this on my hair with my irons (quite unusual!) & the smell is amazing! It smells of strawberry sundae - almost an excuse to buy it anyway! I think it's safe to say that this one will be replacing the top spot for me on my heat protector - wahooo more mornings with gorgeous strawberry sprays!

Maybelline Anti-Age Instant Eraser
I thought it was time I tried a new concealer and I'd seen this one used on a makeup tutorial and thought it had great results. First things first, packaging - it's simple, small and cute looking, I love the little sponge on the top - it makes applying it so much nicer. I can't say I've noticed any scent in the product either, which I think is a plus, I'm never sure on makeup with scents. I think the results are very good too, but I don't think it will replace my love for the Collection 2000 concealer. I didn't like the fact that also I bought this in Ivory as I have a fair complexion, however this is a tad too dark for my skin tone. I would like to see more colours available for these concealers. All in all, worth a try but I don't think I will be repurchasing this one.

Thanks again for visiting my blog, and I will be posting more soon!
Jess x