Monday 30 June 2014

Fashion: Staple Shoe.

Hi Guys!

So i've never done a fashion post on this blog, as much as i love fashion i feel i know a lot more to be able to talk about beauty and make up than i do fashion. However after a weekend break and some serious shopping i picked up a pair of shoes that have not only become my staple shoe, but one of my favourite purchases of all time. Now i'm a converse girl, i own far too many and wear them with nearly every outfit, however for a while i've had my eye on a pair of "tika 2's" from topshop for a number of months now. After deliberating over colours and patterns and the fact that all of my friends thought they were awful i put off buying them. That was until seeing a very lovely girl in Office wearing a same style show (which some people refer too as skater shoes i believe" i asked were the shoes the tina 2's but they were in fact from Office. Well that was it, with in 10 minutes i had tried them on, paid and was at on a bench in the middle of Chester changing my footwear. Since then it's safe to say i should have followed my instincts and bought these shoes earlier! I've barely had them off! They've joined dresses, various colours of jeans and my personal favourite combination with some peg leg pants.

Unfortunately for my bank account there are various other colours and patterns in both Topshop and Office, i'll link some of my favourite ones below, so I'm about to purchase some more!

Not only are these shoes seriously comfy, needed no breaking in and are versatile with their outfit combinations but they are also only £20!!! I can see these being ruined by then end of summer because i have worn them so much.

Other styles i love!
Office- Kicker Slip On (leopard)
TIKA2 (Mint)

Monday 23 June 2014

New Nail Girl- Sally Hansen Nail Growth Activator

Hi Guys!

This week is a review of a product i was so sceptical about! The Sally Hansen Nail Growth Activator promises to strengthen, help growth and improve the health of your nails. I have awfully bitten my nail for as long as i can remember, so when i decided to be "a grown up" and seat getting acrylic nails done at the age of 15 i never looked back.. and for practically 3 years straight i have never had them off. After christmas however i decided to let my nail breathe and start to really take care of them.

It was because of this that i bought the treatment. As you all know i love my nail polishes so it's very rare i don't have polish on my fingers. However since starting to use this i leave the polish off my nails all of sunday until sunday night or depending on what i have planned in the week until a later day.

All you do with this treatment is paint a couple of coats at a time on to each nail, you can see it sink straight in to the nail. I put a couple of coats of this on every time i remove and re-paint my nails. But the deep treatment i give them over the sunday/monday period has really helped a lot more!!

So sceptical Jess was proven wrong again! I genuinely really enjoy this product! It doesn't come with any strict rules on how to use it or what to do before of after.

I actually picked this up in boots just a couple of months ago.. however when checking the website to add the link the boots website actually says no longer available. But check your local stores in the Sally Hanses counter and have a look otherwise, a simple tap in google brings up a fair few amazon sellers where it is available! Seriously check this out if your nails need that extra boost or saving!

See you next week!

Monday 16 June 2014

Let's Get Summer Essential

Hi Guys!

This week i want to share with you my top tips, top products and top essentials for preparing for summer and to keep us happy throughout summer.


The first thing for me when it comes to summer is tan.. yes i fake tan all year round.. but for summer it's just a must! Whether your going to be tanning on a beach. relying on the good old gradual tanner or mixing the both here's what i do! I use St.Tropez tan all year round.. especially for special events and so on, however when it comes to summer and near to my holidays i like to use something a little bit different. I've used the Palmers Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Tanning Lotion for a few years now and i really love it! It gives me the perfect base to go on holiday with! Not only that but it also really hydrates my body before it gets thrown in to the heat! It's really cheap (£5.35), easy to apply and you don't need to be a tanning pro to apply it for great results! Check it out here













Next is nails- for me (a collector of nail varnishes) i have a fair few colours to choose from to brighten up any day.. but for summer i like to go bright! Really bright! My favourites are..
Barry M - Guava (a bright turquoise, in the belly formula)
Barry M - Pink Flamingo  (a bright, in your face, pink that not only makes you feel super girly, but super bright a summery!)
Jessica - Electric Teal (as the name suggests a bright teal colour, a gorgeous formula and a beautiful finish)
A  dupe of the above Jessica Polish is a new release from Barry M, it iso ne of their most recent released belly formulas in Kiwi
Finally Sally Hansen - Big Money (a fine gold and purple glitter combo! Goes on like a regular payoff, and loads of glitter pay off!)



Feet- Now i know i'm not a fan of feet, so the thought of getting my feet out in a pair sandals terrifies me. However i have a little secret i use to make my feet look somewhat nicer! It's the soap and glory Heel Genius, i swipe this over my feet every morning and night to ensure my feet are in the bets possible condition! Pair this with one of the above nail polishes and you set to go!

Finally is makeup! When it comes to summer, i hate piling a load of make up on. It makes me feel so claustrophobic and horrible. So i stick to 5 products! 1- a light foundation like the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation or on a good skin day the Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer, (thinner foundations or just concealers provide coverage but not cake! A nice light base is what it is all about for summer!) 2- my favourite matte summer bronzer, Benefit Hoola.(i love how this gives colour and definition to a simple look) 3- either Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Mascara or the http://www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-Volum-Express-The-Colossal-Mascara-100-Black_1379053/ (big, bolt eyelashes are my favourite all year round, so this is no change!). 4- A brighter eye look from the Urban Decay Naked 3 (i love the versatility of brighter and more neutral eye looks in this palette). Finally number 5, the lips. Now i'm not a bright lip girl, but i need something hydrating in summer so i really love the Revlon Colour Burst's my personal favourite is Strawberry Shortcake. I like how sheer and hydrating these are, whilst still giving some colour pay off and a beautiful finish.




I hope you feel all ready for summer now, be careful, be good and have fun!

Monday 9 June 2014

Hair Care Review- Aussie Miracle Moist

Hi Guys!

I've used aussie products for number of years, it's fair to say i've trial'd tested, loved and loathed some of their ranges! The newest to grace me with it's presence was the "miracle moist" line. I've previously used the 3 minute miracle, and this is my one-stop none-stop deep conditioner that i use every week.

Whilst i have been home from uni, and not having to buy my shampoo and conditioner i thought i'd try some more.. the shampoo and conditioner both retail for £5.99 for this you get a 500ml shampoo and a 400ml conditioner (sold separately) however… they do come in smaller sizes for a cheaper price if you wanted to give them a go.. and also are usually on offer at supermarkets or drugstores. At the minute, they're on offer in Boots!

But do they perform? And are they worth it?
In my opinion they did make my hair feel hydrated, stronger and softer i had used them both. Although i must confess to have used cheaper shampoos and conditioners and had the exact same result. On the up hand though i did find that when i used the aussie pair i didn't need to use my 3 minute miracle as well. Which for me is good as it means using less products in my hair!

Overall i did like them, they have that lovely aussie smell that all their products are tarnished with! I would certainly recommend giving them a go and seeing how you like them, but i must also say to compare them to cheaper brands and let you hair decide what it likes better!

Thanks, and see you next week! Jess  x

Monday 2 June 2014

Should i splash the cash? Dearer Shampoo's and Conditioners…

Hi Guys!

This week i must admit i have felt very grown up.. since finishing my first year on university and moving back home i seem to have put everything in to perspective. Uni has definitely made me grow up, realise what i had when i lived at home and how grateful i should be for everything mum and dad did for me before i went. Whilst i was at uni i obviously had to buy everything myself.. now for me this was a first. If i ever wanted something from shopping it would just be a text to mum or i would pick it up in town with mothers money. So having my own money to budget and spend on everything from food, to beauty essentials i really did look at what i was spending and if i needed to. One cut i made was to my beauty products, did i really need to use a &10 shower gel, which i could pick something practically the same in body care for £9 cheaper. Then i thought about shampoo and conditioner. I have naturally really curly, thick and frizzy hair o it was always a must that i used well known, well branded (and frankly expensive) shampoos to treat my hair, especially since i have been blow drying it and straightening it. However i found myself buying really cheap shampoos and conditioners (rather than my usual aussie ones) and them actually cleaning and conditioning my hair. I used the Alberto Balsam, Coconut and Lychee first and as a lover of all things coconut the smell hit me first, after my dual out of shower drying hair routine i felt my hair to be exactly the same as how it is when i use more expensive conditioners. You can purchase them here for just 99p!




I challenge you, give it a go! See how your hair reacts, and let me know if any of you have every been in a predicament to buy food or beauty products!

I mist however confess to still using aussie products now and again as i do love them, and being back home i thought i might as well take advantage! But as soon as i'm back at uni i'll be back on the Alberto!

Thanks guys! see you next time!

Monday 26 May 2014

REVIEW- Maybelline Express Nail Polish Nail Remover

Hi Guys!

So whilst i am at home for my birthday, i celebrated early with my friends at uni! One of my dear friends bought me this new little Maybelline Express Remover Pot, very similar to the Bourjois one..


I have never used to Bourjois one, so this was my first time of ever using such a contraption. It's basically a giant sponge, in which you poke your finger in to and supposedly comes out with your finger nail clean of nail polish.. in just 1 dip!



Ok, so i'm convinced.. this stuff actually works!!! I was wearing an essie varnish, dipped my finger and out clean it came. It's so much easier and less messy that using god knows how many cotton pads and spilling nail polish remover all over your bed! Now i'm not sure how long these are supposed to last, but i could imagine them lasting a month or so as they are rather larger and the sponge is soaked in remover. One thing about these though, however as well as many other nail polishes.. it is not a fan of removing glitter. I tend to add a thick top coat to my glitter polishes and peel them off each nail rather than trying to scrub aimlessly.

I'm actually really impressed with this product, and for the price i feel it is actually rather reasonable. it retails at £4.99, the same price as the ever so famous Bourjois number.. which i have also heard really good reviews about! You can find it in Superdrug, i would definitely recommend checking this out, if your as lazy or messy as me when it comes to sorting your nails!

See you next week! Jess


Wednesday 21 May 2014

Uni Tip Talk- Making Friends

Hi Guys!

This weeks Uni Tip Talk is one that is probably closest to my heart.

I am a rather outgoing and confident person, however just before uni i got so scared and anxious that i would be living with people who i would;t get on with, that i would't have any friends with and that i would spend 3 years alone in my room…

Boy was i wrong! I never had any need to panic, because everyone else who moved in to that house on the same day as me felt exactly the same. They were just as nervous and anxious of leaving home, starting somewhere new and being around complete strangers. So here i go with my 5 little tips that i promise will help you come to terms with saying goodbye, saying hello and opening your door.

Tip 1
Use social media once you know which uni you have got in to, the union of your uni are bound to have set up some sort of Freshers page where you can not only meet people on your course, but people you will be living with or just going to the same uni as.

Tip 2
When you have moved in, keep your door open.. Prop it open with a chair or a door stop so people know you are in and around. If thy don't know your there they won't speak.

Tip 3
Knock on your neighbours doors, or the doors on your floor, introduce yourself with some chocolates or sweets. Get to know there name and ask them what course they are on or if they are on Facebook or twitter…

Tip 4
Saying goodbye to your parents can be hard and upsetting, but trust me it gets better and you won't cry forever! As soon as they go you need to occupy yourself, talk to neighbours, make a brew or unpack your room!

Tip 5
Go to the social events that are put on especially for you, theres bound to be a party or get to know… session around either in your building or at the union!

I hope these tips helped, i'm really enjoying sharing all these little facts which i wish were around for me when i started last year! If you have any other questions just leave them below or get in touch! Just remember, your never alone as a fresher.. there are loads of you!

See you next time!