see you on the other side...

Happy New Year to all you lovely bloggers!

As strange as it sounds i'm glad this year is over. I'm not normally one of those "new year, new me" types of people, but this year i can't actually help it. I'm embracing the new year and  using it as an excuse to make some significant changes!

2012 Goals -

- Work my arse off to achieve good a-level grades & get into one of my chosen uni's

- Blog more: I love blogging & need to make it a higher priority

- Save more money

- Get organised (this is a necessity not a wish!)

- Stop being a pushover!

- Invest in a new laptop

- Try to be more positive (thinking)

It'll be interesting to come back to this post at the end of next year and see if i actually managed any of the above!

Hope you all have a lovely new year & achieve your goals

x x x

it's christmaaaaaaas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS! <3

Thought i would do a very quick post letting you all know that i'm still alive! I haven't blogged in so long, for so many reasons, but I will be making a concerted effort from now on to blog more.

Few random mobile snaps from today...

I was also lucky enough to receive the watch from my Christmas wishlist (post below), but it was too big, so is with the watch man being sorted! I will be spending the rest of my day stuffing my face & watching movies with the famalam.
Hope you all have a lovely day!


<3 Jen x x x

Christmas Wishlist...

I hate that i'm excited for xmas already, as it's over a month away, but with decorations / adverts / songs everywhere I go, i can't hide from it!

I always make little wish lists around xmas time, as a little hint to my parents ;) Obviously i would never get all of these things, but these are some things that have caught my eye...

Urban Decay Naked Palette // ASOS Rose Gold Boyfriend Watch // Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation // YSL Parisienne // Catch Kidston 2 Fold Makeup Bag // Topshop Studded Vectra Shoes // YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick (Nude Beige) // Slippers (xmas isn't xmas without slippers!) // Hangover 2 DVD

Would love to see your wish-lists, 

Link me to your blog if you make one :-)

Jen

♥

Bourjois Healthy Mix Review...

Say hello to my new favorite foundation!

I have been contemplating getting this foundation for a while, and when i got a spout of spots on my chin i decided to try it out & i am so glad i did! I got shade "51" (the lightest shade they stock) and it is a perfect match. The consistency is creamy, but still light and easy to blend. It smells like fruit, which is also another huge bonus as most heavy foundations smell like paint! The coverage it much better than expected too...

I know this is vile, but wanted to show how much it works... * embarrassing breakout*

Price: £9.99

Coverage: medium - heavy

Colour Match: 10/10!

Packaging: 9/10 - love that it has a pump, unlike Revlon / Estee Lauder!

(Left = Bourjois healthy mix // Right = Estee Lauder Double Wear)

The colour is so similar to my colour in the double wear foundation and the coverage is buildable, so almost as good as double wear. Although to be honest, i will still reach for DW on bad skin days! I would highly recommend this foundation though to anyone who is looking for a medium, natural looking coverage. It's easily build-able and is just a good all rounder!

Would love to know if any of you have tried this!

& what are your favorite foundations?

Jen

♥

Dear drain, can I have my money back?

My makeup collection is filled with things i seriously wish i hadn't bothered with. I know i should get rid of all these things, but it feels like pouring money down the drain... after all, you never know when you'll need a bronzer that is a dupe for cement or a lip gloss that makes your lips peel.

#1 - ELF Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder

Dont be decieved by how semi decent this looks in the pan, this is without doubt the worst bronzer that i have ever used. I've read tonnes of reviews saying this is a NARS dupe... it's not, not even close. It's a horrible colour and dull on the skin... i know at £3.50 your probably thinking "well what did you expect?"... alot more, on the whole ELF are brilliant, this product lets them down though.

#2 - Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara

The moral of this story? Don't believe the hype! I have red tonnes and tonnes of reviews raving about this mascara, some going as far as to say this is the best mascara they have ever used. This is one of the worst i've ever tortured my eyes into wearing. It's SO wet, clumpy, smudgy and tear jerking (literally makes me cry!) Applying it is harder than running a marathon (not that i've done the latter, but go with me). If you blink it smudges & you can say bye bye to your eye-shadow! Be warned!

#3 - ELF Liquid Lipstick

Pigment is rubbish. Smells like chemicals. Lasts about a second. Stings lips... need i say more?

#4 - Loreal Colour Riche Lipstick

Ever wondered what it feels like to rub sand on your lips seconds after applying a glossy lipstick? No? Me neither, except this lipstick kindly showed me how it feels... not good. The worst textured lipstick I have ever used, the colours are nothing special either. Avoid if you can!

Swatches (in case you need further evidence...)

(L-R: elf liquid lipstick, ELF blush&bronze duo, Loreal lipstick)

I've had a truly shit couple of weeks, so fancied doing a post that justified my moaning ;-)

Hope your all well, i'm focusing on posting a lot more than i have done as of late!

Jen

♥

sleek minx...

I finally bought a pout paint, after wanting to try them for ages! I planned on buying "milkshake" too, but it looked a bit bright for everyday use, so i settled on "minx".

This is literally the amount you need... about half a pea size because they are so pigmented!

You cannot apply these like like a lipgloss, if you do they will just look wet, thick and smudgy. I dot a tiny amount on my lips and then blend in using a lip brush, which creates a lipstick-y finish. 

They don't have lasting power that rivals OCC lip tars, but they last for a good few hours. If you've never tried something like this before i suggest you try this Sleek one before 'investing' in and OCC, purely because these are not for everyone and are half the price of their american rival ;-)

Sorry this isnt a mega detailed post, i've been ill for ages (hense the lack of posts).

Hopefully i'm on the mend, got lots of good ideas for some new posts, so check back soon!

Jen

♥

the latest additions...

Apologies for not posting in a while, getting back into the swing of sixth form and work has been taking up all my time. Thought i'd do a sort of "catch up" post & share some products that I've been loving lately...

I have never used models own nail polishes before, so when the 50% sale was on i thought i'd take advantage... and i am so glad i did. They have a very similar to my all time faves (Barry M), but they last much much longer!

I really love all the colours i chose, my only regret is that i didn't buy more. The glitter polish jazzes up any plain colour & is so far my most used.

If you haven't tried this brand before, you should! They retail at £5 each, totally worth the price :-)

ELF also had a 50% off sale, which i couldn't resist. Above are the products that really impressed me (i bought a few things that were total crap, post soon).

The studio brushes are amazing, as always. I use the stipple brush to apply cream blushes, works so well. The black tube is the waterproof eyeliner pen which is AMAZING. Thinner than any other pen i have used, and works well on the top and bottom line.

The plumping lip glaze really does work, it leaves my lips tingling and looking fuller.

New favourite mascara, makes my lashes so much thicker and longer than any other mascara i have tried & is so cheap at £7.20 from Superdrug. Having tried a million and one mascaras over the past few months, this one will be a permanent fixture in my makeup collection.

Hope your all well!

Jen

♥

Rose Gold Sunset

After being seriously impressed with how pigmented Sleek eye-shadows are, i decided to try a couple of their blushes. The colours i chose are "sunset" and the much raved about "rose gold".

Rose Gold - my new favourite blush, its gorgeous! Its a mid pink with an obvious gold shimmer. It really suits my pale skin tone & like other Sleek products, it is highly pigmented... so a little goes a long way! I have been after this for ages, but it has totally been worth the wait!

Sunset - is a maroon kind of colour, unlike anything i have bought / used before. It has a slight shimmer, although not as strong as the other. I wouldn't use it as an everyday blush, as i personally think it only suits me with a heavier makeup look.

Left - Sunset

Right - Rose Gold

Jen

♥

TAG - what's in my makeup bag?

I did a similar post to this a while ago, but my makeup choices have changed a-lot in the past couple of months, so i thought i would share the products which i am using more-or-less everyday at the moment...

I have been using this makeup bag foreverrrr... love it. It's from Tommy Hilfiger and i got it when i was in Florida a couple of years ago, for a ridiculously cheap price. It's wipe clean, which is always handy ;)


Face:

Rimmell Dream Satin Liquid has been my go-to foundation for about a year. I am yet to find another foundation that is as close of a match to my skin. I use Topshop Cream Blush as a blush base, i find using it under a powder blush makes it last much longer!


Eyes:

Collection 2000 Fast Stroke Liquid Eyeliner is a staple in my bag. It lasts on my top lids all day. Topshop Bold Liner is another fave, for underneath my waterline. It has a tiny hint of glitter & looks great paired with the Crayon. The Sleek Storm Palette contains my favorite eye-shadows. Day-to-day i wear shimmery gold eye shadows, so this palette is perfect for me & i couldn't reccomend it more! 


Lips:

My makeup routine always begins with lip balm, i'm currently using Nivea's essential care balm. My 2 most used lipsticks are 17 Belle & ELF Runway Pink, both of which are running out! I love Body Shop's lip glosses as they last ages without having the consistency of glue... they last ages too!


Hope your all well, 
as this is a TAG post any of you lovelies should feel free to give it a go,
as always feel free to link me to any posts!

Jen

♥

Monday Musings #7

* Nail Art - if that's what you can call my attempts. I know this print is nothing new, but i thought i would share the results of my first try, as it came out better than expected! I simply used the brush to apply some blue dots & then dipped a small lip brush into the black to do the outlines.

*UNI choices - i'm planning on going to university next year, so i'm at the stage of making my first choices & its horrible! Part of me wants to go to London, but the other part of my is itching to explore a new city! I like the look of Bristol and Liverpool, so will me making some visits soon. I've decided on studying English Language, possibly with creative writing incorporated.

*MODELS OWN 50% OFF - models own are still running their 50% off all nail varnish offer, finishes on Wednesday. Simply add the discount code FIFTYFIFTY at the checkout! :)

Jen

♥

NOTD - floral for fools

* Apologies for the crappy pictures!

I am by no means good at nail art, as you can see! However I do like to play around with designs and see what i can manage. I saw this a while ago on someones blog (i don't remember whose it was, say so if it was you!) & thought it looked pretty & achievable.

The picture is literally the first time i tried it, so there is definite room for improvement, starting with me sorting out my nail beds (ew). I also wasn't sure whether to make the petals dots or lines, so there's a mix of both haha.

I will be doing this again over the next couple of days, so if you want a tutorial just let me know, i would be more than happy to show you!

Have any of you attempted / seen some cool nail art recently? I would love to see, so feel free to leave some links :)

Jen

♥

this & that...

and the award for crappiest blogger goes to - ME!

So I thought i would so a sort of 'round up' post, filling you in on the past week...

I spent last weekend at V festival, as i do every year. It was brilliant once again. Eminem headlined on Sunday and was amazing. Words cannot describe how excellent he was, if you ever get the chance to see him live, take it! He doesn't perform much & it was really special to be lucky enough to see him :)


Then yesterday i picked up some bargains...

Dress - £12.99 // Earrings - £3.99

Bought this from H&M this week & then saw a wicked post by Daisy about how to wear it, which has given me tonnes of ideas that i would never have thought of before. (click here to read her post)
H&M is quickly becoming my favorite shop. Nice clothes & good prices, what more could i ask for?

Favorite make-up find in ages. This Topshop crayon is in the colour "Equinox", which is a gorgeous shimmery gold. I have been using it as an eye-shadow or just in my tear ducts to brighten my eyes. It lasts all day and i haven't found any downsides so far!

Hope your all well & anyone who received their GCSE results i hope your all chuffed :)

The fact that i'm back to sixth form in just over a week is really depressing me,

3 Beauty Bargains...

Some purse friendly products i have been really impressed with over the last few weeks...

1) Beauty UK eyes - Earth
Price - £3.99

Bought this in a "ahh why not?!" moment when i was last in superdrug. I LOVE shimmery eye shadows & at such a cheap price...

I was / am actually very impressed! The 3 shades blend really well together, and although they're not the most pigmented, they do look nice when applied properly. The lightest shade does require a heavy hand, but the other two colours glide on easily.

2) ELF Natural Eyeshadow Palette

Price - £3.50

I am slightly torn with this product... The two matte shadows on the top row are difficult to work with as they barley show on the skin, which to me seems like a waste. 
However the dark matte colour is perfect for creating a smokey look. It also blends really well with the shimmer shades, something i didn't expect.

So overall, i do like this product & would recommend it as you can easily create a variety of different looks.

3) ELF Studio Blush - Blushing Rose

Price - £3.50

LOVELOVELOVE... Easily my favourite find in ages. This is a gorgeous mid-pink, with gold flicks. Extremely pigmented, meaning it blends reaaaally well. Would look great on all skin types / colours. The above colour is really close to what it looks like in real life, unlike the swatch that appears on the ELF website.

Hope your all well!

I'm so happy to see that the riots seem to have stopped, *fingers crossed* that it stays this way!