X M A S - W I S H L I S T

Long time no speak lovely readers! I've finally surfaced from under a pile of university work and job applications to write a quick blog post. I'm in my final year of university and have been really struggling to find a balance between essay writing and blogging... as you can tell from the total lack of posts! But I managed to break away from a computer last week for a mooch around the shops, as all the Christmas gifts have found their way onto the shelves already! I've seen a few of these posts surface already, and I love reading them. So here is a few things I would love to find under the tree, or that I'll hopefully purchase in the post-xmas sales <3

L I N K S <3

Clinique Gift-Set

Cath Kidston Bag (ebay)

Amazon Portable Charger

Benefit Boxed Blushes

Jimmy Choo Perfume

Next Pyjamas

Real Tecniques 'Nic's Picks'

Snowflake Cookie Yankee Candle

Make-up is a good shout for most of us girls, right? Clinique have created the Whole Lotta Chubby Gift Set, which includes 5 mini chubby lip crayons & a little bag to match. At only £20 from Debhenams it's not too cheeky to ask someone in your family or your partner to treat you if they're stuck for ideas! Benefit Blushes are always a little luxury to get at Christmas I think! They're £23.50, so a bit expensive to buy during the year, but a great little treat to try at this time of year. Real Tecniques Nic's Picks are something I've been dying to try since they came out. They're on offer at Superdrug for £20 over the next month... this would be a great little hint to drop on your closest, as 5 brushes for that price is an absolute bargain!

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas in our household without Yankee Candles and Next Pjamas, and they're great gifts for women of all ages. So if you're stuck on buying something for the mother-in-law, or the awkward teen sister, you literally can't go wrong with these two things. Don't forget all the Xmas scented candles go 50% off after the big day, so good to stock up!

The last 3 bits are things I would personally love to try. I've been after a portable iPhone charger for the longest time and after researching lots I think this is the one for me. Amazon are selling the Anker Astro Portable Power Bank for £16.99 with free UK delivery at the moment, instead of close to £50. If you're anything like me and constantly glued to your phone / ipad this will undoubtedly come in handy! Jimmy Choo FLASH perfume is a new favorite of mine, but having never bought it I have cheekily asked my parents for it for Xmas. Perfume is another little luxury I would rarely treat myself to during the rest of the year, so this time of the year is perfect for trying something new. Lastly, I've been dying for a new Cath Kidston bag for the longest time, so if I'm lucky enough I might be able to treat myself in the new year sales!

Hope you've enjoyed the post. 

Feel free to leave your blog links if you've done a similar post!

<3 Jen

B O O K R E V I E W: Perfect Timing

Bit of a different post today, but something I am hoping to do at least 2-3 times a month. As an English student, I'm always reading. Most of the books on my university list are not ones that I would choose ordinarily, and on the most part not something I see any reason to review on this blog. However, having made a conscious effort to delve into books outside my set reading I have come across a few I'm sure you would like. So here's the first...

PERFECT TIMING by Jill Mansell

First line: 'The thing about going out on your hen night, Poppy Dunbar couldn't help noticing, was that nobody - but nobody - bothered to chat you up.'

A catchy first line with underlying humor is, in my opinion, often the best way to start a book. Having spent the year reading Shakespeare and Virginia Woolf, this book jumped at me when I was troweling the shelves of a local second hand bookshop (guilty pleasure right there). Poppy Dunbar, the protagonist, is happily celebrating her hen night when she has a brief encounter with the man of her dreams... who isn't her fiance! Realizing that her feelings towards a total stranger suggests she isn't as in love with her partner as she perhaps thought, Poppy changes every aspect of her life. She ends her engagement, moves to London, finds a new job and emerges herself into an entirely new world.

Moving into a new house, starting a new job and socializing with new people, readers quickly become advocates for Poppy's success. For me, the most infectious part of this story is Poppy. As well as being quick witted and sharp tongued, she's also clumsy and spends a lot of time saying the wrong things / sensationally putting her foot in it. She's described as quirky, yet beautiful, which I think most women strive to be: attractive and interesting too. Being able to relate to such a 'cool' character is one of the reasons I read this book so quickly; you quickly adopt her viewpoint and start thinking like the character. As well as dealing with romance, Poppy is confronted with the discovery of a long lost parent she was otherwise unaware of, which adds a complexity not often found in this genre. Featuring annoyingly lovable characters, we begin a journey with Poppy as she begins to discover who she truly is.

I don't want to give away too much, but if you're looking for a romantic, humorous, empowering story, this 400 page book is for you.

<3 Jen

You can buy this book new from £2 here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Timing-Jill-Mansell/dp/0755331664

H A U L : lunchtime mini-haul

Shoes: New Look - £22.50

Dresses: Select - £15 each

I'm a firm believer that sometimes a little bit of shopping does the soul wonders. We've all had those days where we've nipped into town in an attempt to brighten our moods and it's been a disaster from start to finish; nothing fits, everything is ridiculously priced & you come home empty handed. However, there are some occasions, few and far between, where you strike gold... and this is what happened today! ... I tried on two dresses, as I wanted something new for valentines day, and low and behold, I fell in love with both! In the next shop a gorgeous pair of boots jumped in my hand and bobs-your-uncle... my mood was transformed.

My favorite purchase without doubt are these boots. These gorgeous military style boots, from New Look, are a lovely matte burgundy color and are so comfy! At 5'9 I don't like wearing big heels every time I need to dress up, so for going for dinner or a couple of drinks these are perfect.  They're not big and baggy around the ankle, which is the most important thing for me when it comes to buying ankle boots. I think when they sit well at your ankle, your feet automatically look smaller, so these were a winner all round -- lovelovelovelove!!

The dresses (pictured above) were really difficult to photograph, but are from a shop I would never normally go in so thought they were worth mentioning! Select have some really lovely stuff in at the moment, especially pretty dresses and skirts that can be worn casually or dressed up. 

The first is a burnt orange colour, thick body-con style dress. At £14.99 I couldn't resist. I plan to wear it with black tights, black heels and a leather jacket. Although it's tight, the thick material means it is really flattering and hides any lumps and bumps (always a bonus).

The second dress I caught my eye as I have a wedding party to go to at the end of march and I thought this would do the trick. The sleeves are just over 3/4 length and it sits just above the knee. Again it was a total steal at £14.

Have you done any soul cleansing shopping lately?

Leave your links!

- jen <3

If you've not heard of SELECT before, click here!

They have 15% off for students & free standard delivery in the UK when you spend £15... happy shopping ;)