This is a Goodbye...

Hello again!

There comes a time when you realise that something you had high hopes and dreams for may not go to plan.

Now I believe this isn't ‘failing’ or ‘giving up’… I think this is me realising that perhaps I can’t commit my life to this right now.

As you may have seen my once busy blog – with at least 2/3 posts a week has slowed down somewhat. This has been down to a mixture of things and I want to be honest with you so you too can understand my journey. This has been on my mind for a little while now and I've had to really make sure on what is right thing to do, for me.

Firstly finding new material to write about as a beauty blogger usually means I invest in some new product (yay). But when I'm trying to be a good girl and budget my wallet isn’t so happy about this. So I don’t write as much (boo!).

Secondly my family is my focus – forever and always they come first. This means I may not find the time to write sometimes or will find it hard to get in the ‘zone’ so I’m able to write well (well the best I can!).

Thirdly I'm focusing on my work/life balance and now I'm back at work my ‘free time’ is limited a little more – meaning less writing time.

So really, to gain a little more balance in my life this sadly is goodbye, at least for now.

This hasn't been an easy decision and there will be days were I really miss writing but I don’t like to do things half-hearted. For me it’s all or nothing and if I can’t give my all I don’t want to let you (and myself) down.

I have really enjoyed writing and meeting so many lovely people along the way – thank you for all your support over this past year or so! You have been the reason why I would go back and write new material every week!

Keep happy, keep busy and keep writing fellow bloggers!!
Jess xx

Elemis vs Boots Botanics Brightening Balms

Hi and welcome back to my blog!

This week I was trying the much talked about dupe for Elemis from Boots, the Botanics All Bright Radiance Balm (link).

Now I loveeee my Elemis Pro Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm but I'm not so much in love with it's price tag. When I had heard that Boots had released their own version and people were comparing it to the Elemis I had to dive in and give it a test run too!

This balm is £5.99 and oh my do you get a lot for such a tiny price tag!

This is light and creamy, much like the Elemis balm and glides on without making your skin greasy - massive win!! This looks gorgeous under makeup and gives my skin a wonderful pop of 'glow' too.

The one thing I wasn't so sure on was the amount of shimmer this product has. When you first put it on - oh my I looked like a disco ball! But after a few minutes of letting it sink into my skin and then applying my usual foundation, it actually looked pretty nice.

Now if it came down to it and I had to pick one, I would still pick the Elemis just because it just works - it's effortless and gorgeous - on its own or under makeup. The Botantics balm I would only ever feel comfortable wearing under makeup but I would still say it's worth a go - especially if you're after a more budget friendly option!

Have you discovered any beauty dupes at the moment?

Thanks for reading!
Jess x

Winter Lips

Hi and welcome back to yet another post! :)

This week I thought I would do a nice little seasonal post and as the nights have gotten darker so has my lip colour. I thought it would be nice to show you my 'darker' side to lipsticks and possibly give you a reason to go shopping (sorry wallet!!).

My lip colours of choice this Autumn/Winter have been...

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Nude-ist - This stuff is amazing! One application lasts hours and a little goes a long way too. As it's a long lasting wear product it does tend to dry out your lips a little but for hours of colour I don't mind. I have several of these but this is the most perfect shade for winter!

Avon Lipstick in Ravishing Rose - I originally bought this for my wedding a few years ago but it was much darker than I imagined. The colour is a beautiful deep pink/red that lasts for hours. My only issue with this product is that it does dry out the lips a little and can become patchy after a few hours of wear but for the price tag it's definitely worth it!

Mac Lipstick in Syrup (Lustre) - I love this shade from Mac, it's a slightly more pink choice in Winter but as it's a Lustre finish it stays put really well and gives me a pop of 'girliness' in the cooler months.

Gosh Lipstick in Plum (Matt) - This is quite a darker shade for me and a very daring colour to wear. This has been marked as a dupe for Mac's Rebel so if you're thinking of trying that but not the price tag this is a good one to go for. I love the shade of this and as it's matt finish it lasts really well on the lips. I have worn this a few times and honestly felt more confident than I ever have! This lipstick either has wonder powers or is really that gorgeous - either way a win for me!!

Rimmel Kate Lipstick in 01 - This is from Kate Moss' new lipstick range by Rimmel. I picked this shade as it looked like the most gorgeous pink/nude. I love having dark eye make up this time of year so a nude with that just looks perfect! This was a little paler than I expected but equally gorgeous too!

Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick in Cherie Bow - This one I use with special occasions in the Winter as it gives a gorgeous glossy lip colour that is classic and timeless. It makes me feel ready for a party and stays put for a while too! This one I will always have in my collection - it's just a holy grail lip colour for me.

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Walkyrie - This was in my Cohorted September beauty box but oh my was it a treat! This gorgeous browny/red shade is perfect for Autumn and I have been using this 70% of the time this year! I love the fact that it lasts hours, is so easy to apply and doesn't dry out the lips too!

Mac Lipstick in Modesty (Cremesheen) - This is a solid favourite by all and yes yet again it's stays in my favourites too. This is a brown/nude shade and is gorgeous on every skin tone. I love this as an everyday colour all year round.

I'm sure as the months go on these will change a little and perhaps some darker shades my creep in but for now - these are my absolute favourites!

What lip colours have you been using this month? Any you would recommend? :)

Thanks for reading!
Jess x