Christmas Gifting Beauty Edition

Hi,

So it's that time in year again. It's Christmas and time to start buying Christmas gifts.

Buying beauty gifts can be difficult, you don't necessarily know what people want or whether they already have something. Unless this said person has kindly provided a list for you here are some of my suggestions for beauty gifts.

After talking about how nicely scented the Ted Baker range was in my haul. I had to include a Ted Baker product as part of my gift guide. This Ted Baker Body Souffle Bauble would make the perfect stocking filler or maybe even a secret santa present due to its small size. The packaging alone makes it look luxurious and the size of the moisturiser is perfect for travelling.

Another cute little stocking filler, maybe for a girl who wants to try different higher end tan is this St Tropez Cracker, which has a 50ml St Tropez instant tan suitable for face and body. A bit of a bigger set here but still affordable is this set of three 50ml body buttercreams from Soap and Glory. This is perfect for someone who maybe hasn't tried the brand before or people who just like a good pamper.

One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six

See you tomorrow!

Jess

x

My Beauty Haul

Hi,

So last week it was my birthday, of course this meant that I decided to do a bit of beauty shopping (obvs). Being a bit of a newbie to blogging I have been taking part in a lot of blogger chats on Twitter (@JessieLou33 if you care) and this has made me write a list so long on my notes pages on my phone that I barely know where to start with. Here is a selection of things that I picked up when I went into the aisles of Boots and other such places that I am excited to tell you about...

The first product in my haul is this Ted Baker Body Wash. I have never tried Ted Baker body products before and so when I browsing Boots, these beautiful products caught my eye. The packaging alone is beautiful and could probably persuade me enough on its own as I am a lover of pink. The smell is also divine it is quite fruity and floral smell and is described as a mix of grapefruit, mandarin, mango, neroli, jasmine, patchouli, sandlewood and musk. Personally I think it is the jasmine that makes me like it so much as that is one of my favourite scents.

On a similar sort of vein this is the matching Ted Baker Hand Cream. This has the same brilliant scent as the body wash but in hand cream form. The one that I have is perfect for fitting into any handbag due to its small size although I can't find the small one on the website so it might just be in store unfortunately, Now all I need is the matching body spray and I can smell of the divine scent all of the time. Maybe that will be next on my list.

The next product that I have bought is the Maybelline Baby Lips Dr Rescue in Coral Crave. Although I have bought baby lips before in the normal range and was not too impressed with them I still wanted to try the Dr Rescue range. I don't necessarily want it for the colour pay off although I am big fan of a nice coral colour. I wanted it to see if it would moisturise my lips and keep them moisturused. Although I am yet to try it so I will get back to you on that one.

After reading up on what make-up Little Mix were wearing in the latest music video, I had to run out to the shops and buy these two products. I was actually surprised at how many drugstore products that they used. First up is the Barry M Light Me Up Highlighter, which is a lovely golden highlighter, which is perfect for the cheek bones. I have also used it to give me a bit of a sheen on my eye lids too when I can't be bothered to apply proper eyeshadow. It makes the skin nice and radiant and like you have a glow from within.

The last product in my haul also my Barry M is the Barry M Make Me Blush Cream in Rhubarb Crumble. This is a lovely natural pinky flush of colour that is not too obvious. As it is a cream formula you make it blend easily and seamlessly into the skin, to make it look very natural. I use a stippling brush straight away after I place the blush on my cheeks to blend it in. I like this so much that I may have to get the other two colours as well.

Is there anything that you have bought recently? Tell me in the comments below what you bought, so I can make my wishlist longer.

See you on Monday!

Jess
x

Ten Weekend To Do's

Hi!

So the working week has finished and the weekend rolls around, sometimes I feel like doing nothing but other times I try a tackle a list of things to do. Of course they are all beauty related.

1. Clear out. I finding that clearing out your make-up can make you feel like your de-cluttering you life. Finding that old lipgloss you've had since you were 12, it definitely needs to be chucked in the bin, can feel like your decluttering your mind as well. Tidy space = tidy mind. 
2. Clean brushes. I feel that this is a job a lot of people hate but I make it a bit more fun by putting some Justin Bieber to sing along to at the same time makes it a whole lot easier and makes the times go a lot more quickly. 
3. Clean up. Going over everything with the duster, will make your storage seem brand new and will stop you from looking at muji every other day for new storage...well... at least for a week anyway. 
4. Repaint nails. I find that by the weekend my nail polish from the week before has chipped in at least one place if not more... The weekend is the perfect time to look through your nail varnish collection and decide which one to wear for the week. 
5. Beauty rejig. If you are anything like me, you'll have your everyday makeup in one bag and all the rest stored away. The weekend is a good time to choose new make up to try for that week or discover old faves. 
6. Skin treat. I love treating my skin at the weekend, most weekends I will try to have a makup free day, in which I will try and smother my face in serums and masks to make it nice and hydrated for the week. 
7. Make a wishlist. At the weekend I catch up on all of the beauty YouTube videos and blogposts I have missed during the week. I then create a huge list of things that I want, even though I hardly ever go on to buy them all, making a list is quite satisfying. 
8. Get inspired. This goes along with no7, watching YouTube videos I like getting inspiration for new looks to try especially for going out out. 
9. Fake tan. Like to take time at the weekend to tan. As a naturally ghostly white person I like to take the edge off a bit by adding a bit of colour to my skin. At the moment I am just using a gradual tanner as it gives just enough colour to last me until the next weekend. 
10. Deep condition. If I'm not going out anywhere in particular, I like to take the opportunity to put a hair mask in. I leave it in my hair all day and all night and then afterwards my hair is nice and silky smooth afterwards. 

What's on your beauty to do list this weekend?

See you tomorrow!

Jess
x

Dark Lip Essentials

Hi,

Now that it starts to get dark at like 5pm and all the Christmas stuff is in the shops it is officially dark lip season. Here are my essentials for getting the perfect dark lip.

Lip Scrub 

A good lip scrub is essential to any dark lip. You don't want your lips covered in dry skin as otherwise whatever you put over the top will not look very good as it will all stick. My favourites are both from Lush the Mint Julips and the Santa's lip scrub, they are fantastic for getting the dead skin off and they also taste delicious. 

Lip Balm 

After scrubbing your lips, a good lip balm is an essential to make sure that your lips will take to the colour well. I usually put it on before I start putting my make up on and by the time I get round to doing my lips, it has sunk in. My faves are from Burts Bees Beeswax Lip Balm in either the original or coconut and pear scent the as they have no colour to them so don't interfere with the colour of the lip and they are nice and moisturising. 

Lip Liner

To get a good dark lip I feel a lip liner is essential, I usually outline my lips with the colour and then fill them I find that doing this makes the lip colour last a bit longer and when it starts to fade it doesn't look patchy. I really like the Maybelline Colour Sensational in Midnight Plum and Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Lip Pencil in Wicked, although the Urban Decay one is not a extremely dark it does go well with the lighter berry colours. They are both good at making your lipstick last just that little bit longer.

Lip Stick

Now for the most important part of a dark lip, the lip stick. Obviously there are thousands of different dark lips on the market but these two are my faves. From the drugstore is the Maybelline Colour Sensational Mattes in Divine Wine  this is a true dark lip colour and being a matte formulation means that it does not budge from the lips, deffo one to look into if you don't want to splash out a lot on a dark lipstick. Another one of my faves is a Mac lipstick in Plumful, this is what I would call an everyday sort of dark lip as it is not too dark but can be built if you want to, say if you are going out in the evening. 

What are you dark lip essentials? Tell me in the comments what your favourite dark lip is. 

See you tomorrow!

Jess 

x

Ebay Bargains: Brush Dupes

Hi,

I thought today I would show you some dupes for some make up brushes from ebay. Make up brushes can be very expensive but ebay is a good place to go to get some cheaper alternatives. 

Mac 217 Dupe - RRP £20 (99p - eBay)

Although I already own a Mac 217, I could do with a few more just as I am lazy and cannot be bothered to wash my brushes so often, but when they are £20 its just not worth it. So here is an alternative which means I could have twenty for the same price. These brushes are perfecting for blending eye shadow seamlessly into each other to create the perfect eye look. 

Beauty Blender Dupe - RRP £16 (99p - eBay)

Although I do not have the real beauty bender I do have the Real Techniques version of it. So maybe if you want an even cheaper version of that then you should go for this one, with a massive saving on both of the proces. This sponge helps to blend foundation into the skin and gives an almost flawless finish to the skin, a must for when you are going out. 

Real Techniques Pointed Crease 201 Dupe - RRP £12 (99p - eBay)

This is another brush that I already have which I find perfect for doing blending eye shadow in the crease and also for applying any eye shadow under the eye. It just looks beautiful and applies the perfect amount. Being part of Real Techniques professional line it is a bit more on the expensive side but this dupe looks perfect. 

Urban Decay Naked Basic Double Ended Brush Dupe - RRP £18 (99p - eBay)

Another brush that I already have this one is perfect for if you are on the go and don't want to take loads of different brushes with you as this one has two ends to it. One for applying eye show and blending it in, I tend to find that if I have more colour I will just use different sides of the flat brush to apply them. The only problem with this brush is that I don't know how to store it with the rest of my brushes as I don't want the bristles to get damaged. 

BareMinerals Perfecting Face Brush Dupe - RRP £24 (99p - eBay)

This is a brush that I am very intrigued to try as I do not know how my foundation will react with it. I feel like they would just go down into the dip in the middle and that all the foundation will be absorbed. I am glad that a cheaper alternative is on the market so I don't have to waste my money on something that might not be very good. 

The total value of all of the luxury brushes added together would be £90. Now if you don't fancy spending all of that the cost of all the dupes addeed together comes in at £4.95. What a saving! Is there any brush dupes that you know of? Let me know. 

See you tomorrow. 

Jess

x

Reflecting on 2015 and Setting Goals for 2016

Hi,

Although I may be a little early I wanted to do more of a personal blog post today on a round up of my year and the coming year ahead. I can't believe how quickly this year has gone and I wanted to write some things down, mostly just for myself but I thought you might be interested too. I also want to write my goals somewhere so I can come back to them next year and remind myself of them.

2015 

I feel as though this year has been and end of an era for me. At the beginning of this year I was still at uni and still had a job in retail. I was enjoying life and making the most of every moment I had left at uni. As this was my third year I graduated this year, it was the first time I felt like I have felt proud of something I have achieved. I had spent a lot of time studying in the library and those six weeks or so spent in the library were some of the worst but at least I got to spend it with some of my closest friends. 

Now that I have come back to live at home, life feels a lot different. I feel like I have lost my independence of being an adult and have reverted to a child again, with having my food cooked for me, having to tell my parents where I am going all with the added bonus of having to pay them rent. Not! I also feel so far away from all my closest of friends now that we are all scattered around the country. We aren't just a walk down the road from each other and it takes months of planning to organise anythig. 

2016

So looking back on the last year, I want to set myself some goals so that I have some direction with my life and don't carry on feeling how I do now: 

1. Pass my driving test
2. Save enough money to move out
3. Get a new job in the career that I want 
4. Continue to blog as many posts as I can a week
5. Make time to see friends
6. Make and stick to a proper fitness routine 
7. Try to read books more

Have you got any goals for 2016? Let me know in the comments. 

See you tomorrow! 

Jess

x

Fifty Youtubers You Should Be Subscribed To

Hello!

So after a long day at work, one of my favourite things to do is to come home and chill out and watch some Youtube videos. I love to sit down with a nice hot chocolate and make a huge wishlist of things that I want. Here is my top 50 favourite to watch, it is a bit of a mixture, mostly beauty and fashion but also vloggers and even some fitness channels. 

At Home with Abby

dizzybrunette3

JazzybumVlogs

extrasunbeamjess

Rachel Leary 

Laura Byrne 

Britpoplife Vlogs 

Freddy My Love

Emily Canham 

SophieBelle

Lucy Wyndham-Reed

FitnessBlender

Lucy Wood

Claire Marshall 

Hannah Gale

EvanEdinger

Jazzybum

LoveLaughAndMakeup 

Meg Says

ZOE LONDON

Tati

Zoella

lydia millen

Onnas Little Blog

Melanie Murphy

Patricia Bright

Yoga with Adriene 

Liv Learns Life

sunbeamjess

Gem Lo Valentine

Sam Flockhart 

Emily Valentine Parr

Megan Baker

Helen Anderson 

Kaushal Beauty 

The Little Magpie

PsycheTruth

Stephanie Toms

Carley Musleh 

Samantha Maria

Nicky Lazou

KatesBeautyStation

Olivia Newman-Young

emmerliejay

Catlin Rose

ALittleObsessedUK

ThePersianBabe

JemimaLou

Jonathan Joly

Inthefrow

Hope you have found some new channels to watch. Comment down below with some of your faves.

See you tomorrow!

Jess

x

Autumn Lip Wardrobe: Budget Edition

Hi,

In one of my last posts I wrote all about an autumn eye wardrobe (here), now its time to move on to the lips! I wanted to make this a budget edition too as I have very few high end lipsticks as I want to be sure that they suit me first so I tend to stick to drugstore dupes.

Maybelline Colour Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil in Nude Perfection - now I know that this is meant to be an autumnal post but I couldn't resist putting at least one nude in, for those days when you are just not feeling a bold lip, this is my product of choice. Having being declared a dupe for the Nars velvet lip pencils they are quite hard to get hold of any of the shades but definitely worth it.

Maybelline Colour Sensational Matte Lipstick in Divine Wine - another helping from Maybelline, this time in the form of an actual lipstick it has only just made its way to my lipstick collection. This is a true autumnal colour with a lovely brown undertone which I feel would suit many different skin tones although definitely on the bolder side of things.

Nude Perfection

Divine Wine

Eva's Delicate Rose

Plum Russian

Sultry





L'Oreal Colour Riche Eva's Delicate Rose - again I know this isn't an autumnal shade that you were all expecting, but what can I say I am a pinky nude girl through and through. Again I feel this shade is more appropriate for the autumn with a darkish undertone. Although one negative I would say about these lipsticks is that the smell might put you off, not one of my faves.

Bourjois Colour Boost in Plum Russian - back to the darker more plum based colours. This shade is a much darker lip shade but is not a matte formula, so if you like the look of the Maybelline one but finds matte lips uncomfortable to wear, maybe you should go for this one. I just love the colour of this one although I do find using a lip liner underneath makes it last a bit longer.

Revlon Colour Matte Balm in Sultry - I know, I know this isn't really your classic autumnal shade again but maybe I am just a little scared of the darker lip, I feel like everyones looking at them when I wear something bold. Anyway, this shade I like to wear when I'm going out, again it has a brownish undertone and has a bit of a Kylie Jenner lip look about it, which I love.

What budget lip colour would you recommend, I feel I need to be a bit more daring.

See you on Monday!

Jess
x

Review and Swatches: Two Concealers

Hi!

Trying to find the perfect concealer has become an absolute quest for me over the last few months. As there is nothing worse than having a concealer that does not match my exacting standards. So, here are my reviews on a couple that I have been testing.

Barry M Flawless Light Reflecting Concealer in 2 

I am in love with this concealer, and it has replaced my love for the classic Collection concealer. It is nice and light but has a good coverage to it and it does not cake up or crease. On the down side I think there are only two or three shades so not so good for darker skin tones. 

Maybelline Anti-Age The Eraser Eye 

Again, this has become one of my favourite concealers for under they eyes as the name would suggest. On a side note I have tried this on spots and red patches and although it is not terrible I feel there are better ones out there, such as the Barry M. This concealer I would recommend to literally everyone it is perfect for covering those dark circles.

So there we have it, short but sweet I suppose. I don't like to try too many new products at once as my skin is super sensitive. 

Do you have any recommendations? 

See you tomorrow!

Jess

x

Four Cult Classics: Review

Hello!

Today I am going to review four cult classics and tell you whether they are really worth it. Sometimes with cult classics I find that people can get caught up in the moment and it is hard to determine whether something is good or not or whether people are saying it as everyone else is too.

Here on my verdicts on four of them:

Real Techniques Buffing Brush - Although all Real Techniques brushes I think have the status of cult classic, I feel as though the buffing brush is one that everyone raves about. I have had my buffing brush for a good few years now and I feel especially for the price, that it is of good quality. The only downside is that you have to buy it as part of a set.

VERDICT: YES

YSL Touche Eclat - Now I don't know if this is just me, or whether it is my skin but I do not find this well renown product to work on me. Maybe it is due to my pale skin tone but it just seems to do not very much for me - neither working as a highlighter or a concealer. I much prefer dupes from L'oreal or Maybelline.

VERDICT: NO

Shu Umera Eye Lash Curlers - I have to be honest here I don't have the most experience with eye lash curlers with the only previous ones before this being from Primark. (Which I don't have any more). When I do curl my eye lashes I do notice a slight lift but noting too outrageous. I would say maybe it isn't worth spending the £20 on them and to try some cheaper ones first.

VERDICT: MAYBE 

Nuxe Rev de Miel - Last but not least is the Nuxe Rev de Miel lip balm and as far as lip balms go this is pretty good. I put it on at night and can still feel the reminiscence of it when I wake up in the morning and my lips are feeling pretty juicy. Although I did not know before buying this that it was honey scented, despite the countless reviews that I have read, although this doesn't put me off.

VERDICT: YES

Are there any cult classics that you can think of that I should try? Would love to hear?

See you tomorrow,

Jessie-Lou
x

Autumn Eye Wardrobe

Hi,

I'm not going to lie, eye shadow is my favourite thing to experiment with and although my go to is usually a take on a goldie brown smoky eye. There is something about autumn that just makes me want to try different shades. So here is a round up of some of my faves.

The Balm Nude'tude Palette  - usually £30 

This is one of my favourite palettes as it has a bit of everything in it - it has shades that you can wear during the day and the night and also has that berry shade that can make any eye look look autumnal. It also has two golden shades which can make any smoky eye look beautiful. There is nothing too scary in this palette, but whatever look you choose will create a beautiful look. Of course, being from the balm the shadows are beautifully pigmented and are of a buttery texture. 

Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita Palette - £38

I bought this palette around this time last year and it was my favourite palette to use over the autumn/winter period. The bottom tow colours make the looks perfectly autumnal and the layout of the palette makes it easy to create a look that is  beautiful with hardly ever effort. I don't think it needs to be said but these shadows are beautifully pigmented and I have no other shadows that match in quality, definitely worth the expensive price tag.

Collection Eyes Uncovered Palette in Nude Grey - £3.99

Now on the complete other end of the scale is a palette from collection, I have to be honest when I looked at the palettes in Boots, they all pretty much looked the same but I still went for the grey toned one for more of a cool toned look in the autumn. Again having a few shades makes it easy to create an amazing look and the quality of these shadows is good baring in mind the price you are paying, you can't go wrong with this.

Laura Mercier Longwear Eye Pencil in Violet - £18

Now I do wear eye liner all year round, but I find that having the violet colour for some reason makes a normal eye look a little bit more edgy, autumnal and that you've really put an effort into your makeup for that day, when really, you haven't (when you wake up fifteen minutes before you're meant to leave the house). Although it's not so bold that people are like what is that you've got on, cos no one wants that.

I'm sorry that this is not the most in depth review as I didn't want it to be super duper long but if you would like any more in depth reviews of any of the products, comment down below and I will do that for you. 

See you tomorrow,

Jess
x

Getting to Know Me

Hello!

So I thought for my first ever post on my blog I should do a Get to Know Me post, just so that you can get to know me. (Obvs).

Firstly, we will start with the basics, my name is Jess and I am launching my blog on my 22nd birthday, I don't really have a reason for this just though why not start it now, then I can do lots of Christmas posts as this is my favourite time of the year. (Although I have been secretly thinking about Christmas since the beginning of September, eeeeek). My favourite colour is pink, naturally and I love all things make up and skincare and this is what I intend my blog to be about. Hopefully I will be posting everyday, but we shall see.

Now on to some more questions that I think you would be eager to learn about me.

Do you have a middle name?

Yes, my middle name is Louise and part of it is even included in my blog title. 

What was your favourite subject at school? 

My favourite subject at school was Politics, although I did not start this until year 12, I found it subject that I could easily express my views in and be able to argue rationally with other people about points of interest, it also taught me a lot of things that I think everyone should know.

What's your favourite drink? 

Diet coke. I know it is terrible for you but something about it makes me want to drink it all the time. Probably the caffeine. 

What's your favourite song at the moment? 

My favourite song at the moment is Justin Bieber - Sorry. *Cringes* 

What would you name your children?

If I had a girl I would call her Emelia and if I had a boy I would call him Oliver. Although this changes regularly. 

Do you participate in any sports?

During my life I have participated in lots of different sports including running, athletics, rowing and cheerleading. Now unfortunately, I do not have the time to commit to a sport, but still keep fit by doing YouTube fitness videos. 

What's your favourite book?

Now this is a hard one, whilst at university I fell out of love with reading. I feel as though as I was forced to read books at uni I did not want to read books at all. Although I graduated in July I have only just gotten back into it slowly. So I am going to choose a childhood classic and go with the BFG by Roald Dahl, it brings back so many memories of my mum reading it to me when I was young. 

What's your favourite colour?

Pink.

What's your favourite animal?

Polar bear - even though they are more terrifying than they look. 

What's your favourite perfume?

Marc Jacobs - Daisy. 

What's your favourite holiday?

It has to be Christmas. Literally cannot wait for December. 

Have you graduated from high school?

Yes, I graduated from university this year. 

Have you been out of the country?

This year I was lucky enough to go on holiday to Turkey with my family. Although I do intend to some travelling next year.

Do you speak any other languages?

Well.... I did French and German GCSE but I don't think that really counts as I can barely recall anything now. So I'm going to go with no but I wish I could. 

Do you have any siblings?

Yes, I have one younger sister and one younger brother.

What's your favourite store? 

At the moment it is New Look, but again this changes regularly.

What's your favourite restaurant?

I don't have a specific restaurant but I do love Italian restaurants, I could eat pizza and pasta, all day everyday.

Who are some of your favourite YouTubers?

I have a lot of favourite YouTubers and these again change quite often, but at the moment they are Freddy from FreddyMyLove, Corrie from dizzybrunette3, Anna from Viviannadoesmakeup and Amelia from Amelialiana. All of whom have lovely blogs as well.

What's your favourite movie?

It is very hard to pick a favourite film as there are so many classics that I like so I would have to go with Mean Girls or Lion King. 

Do you like school? 

I did like school, but I am glad I am finished with it now. 

What are some of your favourite TV shows?

Some of my favourite TV shows are House of Cards, Suits, Orphan Black and Made in Chelsea. I have also just started watching Pretty Little Liars. (Shocking I know, I am so behind). 

PC or Mac?

I have never owned a Mac, so has to be PC. 

What phone do you have? 

Gold iPhone 5S. 

How tall are you? 

I think I am 5'8. I swear no one knows how tall they actually are. 

Any pets? 

No. But I am desperate for a black pug. 

Thank you for reading and please leave a comment down below with some facts about you so I can get to know you better too or any advice you would give to me as I am very new with all of this. 

See you tomorrow

Jess

x

P.S Sorry for this being such a long one, but I thought it would be good if the first one was long so that you knew me a bit better.