Beauty Wishlist

As of late I've been working irregular hours around the clock, full time through the week, full time weekends and very little time in between for eating and sleeping let alone shopping. This means there's a lot of new releases and products that I haven't got round to trying yet, probably good for my bank balance but not for me. I thought I'd share with you a few of the things that are on my need to buy list.... and who knows with Christmas coming up, they might make for a nice gift ;)

The one I'm probably most excited about is the Kat Von D range which has just launched exclusively to Debenahms. I've heard so many good things about the brand but with it being based in the US of A, I had no chance of trying it for myself. Therefore I'm keen to make a hugee order starting with the Lock It Liquid foundation (which has a pale enough shade for me and is full coverage, hallelujah), it's matching concealer, the Tattoo eyeliner and the Lock it Setting Powder. I also really want to pick up some products from the new Benefit Brow Range, I've heard so many people raving about them and they look soo pretty!

With the Autumn months rolling in now, a range of darker lipsticks are a must so I'll be repurchasing the Rimmel Kate Matte lipstick in shade 107 and hopefully pick up some NYX lip products at the same time. If you've read my Nyx Haul post (link here) you'll know how difficult it is to get my hands on the products but there's a few things I might try and order online such as the setting powder (winter = matte everything) and the countour sticks. Im really keen to see if these work better than the powder alternatives to get that fake bronzed glow.

Lastly, I've had my eye on a few things from Urban Decay including their new full coverage foundation and their Matte eyeshadow palette. I have a lot of love for the original Naked palette and my Naked 3 but sometimes you're not in the mood for shimmer and want to strip it back to basics so I'm hoping this'll do just that. I also need to pick up a new Mac paint pot in Painterly because nothing sets my eye makeup quite like it and it's such a close colour match to my eyelid. The final thing I've been eyeing up is something that's been on possibly every wish list since I started blogging - Nars Sheer Glow. I still haven't got round to getting to a stand to swatch the two palest shades but I'm determined I'll get my hands on it at some point! So there you have it, a pretty hefty wishlist 😊 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s are there any beauty bits and pieces on your wish list? 

NYX Haul // First Impressions

For the past so many months, all beauty bloggers have been raving about NYX coming to their local Boots and unfortunately for me, it took a lot longer for it to be introduced to my local. In fact it's still pretty out of the way to get to the only NYX stand and because it's the only one, it's always half empty (the stock I mean, it literally flies off the shelf) crowded or I just can't get my swatching on so when I went to Manchester and saw not one but several NYX stands I couldn't contain my excitement!

My brother had already jetted off to New York earlier in the year and I made sure that he had a huge list of makeup I just needed to have and that's where my love for NYX started. I usually hate ordering a lip product online with no idea what the shades really like but with an ocean between us and a few hours of researching shades online, I decided on Antwerp. It's a similar colour to my Collection Cream Puff Lip Cream in Fairy Cake which is more of a coral shade and since its usually never off my lips, I thought I'd buy a similar NYX one that I knew I would get my wear out of too!

The Soft Matte Lip Creams are my favourite NYX lip product so far as they give such a smooth application and aren't drying in the slightest. I've found they last hours before needing re-applied and when they do eventually fade, they fade evenly so you're not forever checking your lipstick situation after eating or drinking. Therefore when I saw the NYX stand, I needed to pick up another and this time in the shade Cannes. It's a beautiful muted brown/pink, the perfect nude for everyday wear in my opinion! I actually ended up wearing this to the wedding and only needed to top up once (I had it on roughly 12 hours), after drinking copious drinks and a three course meal!

I'm not really a lipgloss kind of gal, lipstick yes, lipgloss no so although I'd heard lots of positive things about the NYX butter glosses I still wasn't sure. I thought I'd pick up one, quite close in colour to Cannes that I could apply over it and Tiramisu seemed like the perfect match. I was over the moon that it wasn't as sticky as I'd expected (think sticking to your hair in the wind) and long lasting. I also needed one of the NYX Lingerie Liquid Lipsticks in my life too - if I'm honest there wasn't that great a shade selection on the day I was there. It was drawing to the end of the day and you could tell that all the most popular shades had already been bought, that being said I was able to spot Embellishment which is a really unique shade, I think.

It's described as a dusky lavender shade and surprisingly I love it! Since I'm so pale (think ghostly) I try and avoid really dark or out there colours or most nudes so that I don't look completely washed out but this is amazing! It's a really flattering colour and I feel like it would suit most skin tones. Again, it's a matte formula but it feels almost velvety smooth on the lips and lasts ages! Overall I'm so happy that NYX is finally available in local Boots and I can get my hands on little beauties like these - my bank balance would probably disagree lol but I can't wait to pick up some more!

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo

P.s what are your NYX lip favourites?

Transitional autumn lipsticks

In the last week or so I've definitely noticed the excitement of other bloggers for the Autumn months, myself included. The dark nights are already rolling in now and I can't wait to snuggle up in the evenings enjoying my favourite tv shows, wear about 6 layers of clothing and drink copious amounts of hot chocolate. Sounds ideal right? It's not only the dark nights and change in weather we notice but beauty wise we see ourselves switching out a few things in our makeup bags for new exciting things as well. I'm one of those people that loves wearing lipstick (usually matte) to complete a makeup look - otherwise it just doesn't seem finished, with that being said transitional lipsticks are a must. You don't want to go all out with the darkest of dark shades but you feel yourself reaching for a berry shade over a coral and therefore I thought I'd share a few of my favourites.

From looking at the photos, you may think they're all berry shades but this is where I promise they are all very different!  The most well known MAC lipstick for this time of year has to be Rebel, which is a satin finish and a lot less scarier on the lips than in the bullet. This is always in my handbag, its so smooth upon application and stays on for the most part of the day. Although we all know mattes are my one true love mainly because I know they'll stay put throughout the day but surprisingly so does this (and it doesn't bleed). I think that's what makes me love it more, it'll always be a staple for my A/W beauty bag!

I always like to keep my posts and favourites, a mix of drugstore and slightly higher end just because there's always an option for everyone and I don't think anything could be more affordable than the Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick in shade 107. Its a beautiful matte berry shade which is probably one of the darkest in this post, I always like to apply a few layers to create a bolder look but with its formula, it only really needs one swipe. Its super affordable and I feel like its one of those berry shades that would suit every skin tone, I'm super pale and it doesn't wash me out too much and on darker skin it looks just as fab!

As for the next lipstick, its probably the darkest of the lot and when it first arrived through the post I was like maybe I've gone a shade too dark but upon swatching realised its not half as scary as it looks. It is the darkest shade still but not too dark. Disturbed is a fairly new purchase from Urban Decay's latest release - its a comfort matte which is supposed to be less drying on the lips and as the name states easier to wear without the feeling of a matte lipstick but with the safety. It's really smooth on application and produces a gorgeous wine colour on the lips and can we just appreciate how gorgeous the new packaging is? I think this will definitely become a firm favourite of mine.

This next pick might cheating because the title says lipsticks and this is more of a liquid lipstick but still its probably my most recent purchase and my new favourite! My local Boots, in fact all Boots I've been to have had barely any NYX products left whenever I'm visiting (because it's so bloody brilliant) and so when I went to the Trafford Centre a few weeks ago, I wasn't as excited about the massive food court or indoor bowling or Victoria's Secret but the giant NYX counter. I was short on time so I was only able to pick up a few things including the  very affordable NYX Lingerie Liquid Lipstick in Embellishment. It's a gorgeous purple-dusky shade which isn't a shade I'd usually go for but I'm oh so glad I did. It wears all day on the lips and I was able to eat and drink without it budging!

Another matte, there's almost a theme going on here. The next is MAC's DIVA, I won't say too much about it because one of my recent posts is a review (link here) if you want to read that instead but the lipstick is amazing! Lastly Illamsqua's Magnetism - this is one I've owned for a while and probably the most drying of the lot in true matte form, the application isn't just as smooth as the others but I can't get over how cute the square packaging is and how it doesn't roll away when you're trying to snap a few photos #bloggerproblems! However it's still a beaut shade although not my favourite and great for that transitioning makeup bag.

I hope this wasn't too length-y for you all but let me know what are your go to Autumn lipsticks?

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo  

MAC Diva Review

I hadn't bought a lipstick in what felt like forever so when I was passing through duty free in the airport and spied the makeup counter's, I knew I needed to treat myself! Sometimes you just can't help it! This time I purchased MAC's Diva - a shade I haven't actually heard too many people speaking about!

I'm terrible at swatching but I still wanted to show you guys the colour accurately!

As I said, Diva definitely isn't one I've heard about all that much but after swatching the lipstick I knew I had to have it! It's so under-rated. Its a beautiful red/burgundy shade (perfect for A/W hint hint) with a matte finish. If there's anything matte in a lip product I will most likely fall in love with it. I know there's quite a lot of people that don't get along with mattes but I think even this lipstick would convert them! The lipstick isn't drying in the slightest, was smooth on first application and barely fades throughout the day.

When I'm wearing makeup or lipstick in general its usually for a long period of time, after applying early in the morning I rarely top up the colour until later in the afternoon. Its comfortable and even after eating (all lipsticks fade after eating, I'm still hunting for that one that doesn't) it hasn't faded that much either and with that hasn't left a horrible stain either!

I know that coming into the Autumn months, this lipstick won't be out of my makeup bag - its the perfect transitional colour and I'd highly recommend adding this to the lipstick collection. Over the past year or so, this is one of the lipstick shades that I keep gravitating towards and its brilliant because they're so universal, they genuinely suit all skin tones! Also considering I haven't heard much of a buzz about Diva, I'd definitely class it as one of MAC's unsung heroes and can't wait to use it now the darker nights are rolling in.

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo

P.s whats your favourite MAC lipstick?

My Go To Summer Makeup

With me being at work a lot and the warmer weather out in full force (well was out) I opted to ditch the makeup and go au natural. Although I was a bit conscious at first, those extra 15 minutes in bed sounded a lot more appealing! If you'd have said to me a few months ago that my makeup routine would become close to nothing, I'd have laughed. I have the same worries as everyone does and usually want to cover up spots not show them off and so I thought I'd write how a few products can both save you time and help clear your skin.

If you've been reading my blog for a while you'll know I love foundation, the heavier and fuller coverage the better and that's why this will come as such a shock. For my base, I've been alternating between 3 concealers, my Nars Concealer, my 17 Phwoarrrr Concealer and my NYX HD concealer, all in the palest shades in the range and no foundation at all. I've been simply using or dabbing them under my eyes (that's a necessity), along my nose, cheeks and a tiny bit on my forehead, blending it out and leaving it as is. They provide a light coverage (but not too light) and even out all the redness that may be there. Then I simply powder over real quick with either my Bare Minerals powder or Rimmel Stay Matte and fix my brows in place with brow gel, no filling in required. It all takes about 5 minutes not even and stays in place all day.

The most crucial step that can't be skipped though is mascara. As someone who is really pale and has light eyelashes they need some definition, lately I've been reaching for either my Soap & Glory Thick and Fast or my Maybelline The Falsies mascara and both have done the job perfectly. Last but not least, the fun part.... lipstick! I simply apply some before I leave the house and jobs done, I'm ready for work in less than 10 minutes.

So there we have it, when getting ready for work or a quick nip to the shops take a minute and think do I really need my Double Wear, eyeliner, brows, contour etc done (I think you get the picture) or can I just make do with minimal? Don't get me wrong I'm first to want full coverage but I think in the summer months its a nice switch to use a lighter base and whats lighter than concealer? Its also a lot better for your skin as it lets it breathe more! Let me know what your usual go the shops or work makeup is like, do you go lighter or full coverage?

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo

M.I.A

Ok so usually I'm quite good at the whole 'keeping on top of things' thing and staying relatively organised but for the past few months I've sort of let it slip. I can't remember the last time I sat down and typed a blog post, I'll sneak in the odd Instagram post just to let the world know I still have wifi but aside from that I haven't touched my google account and blogger. It's saddening really and I've missed it a lot!

I'd like to say that it was because I was on holiday or enjoying the sun in the garden and working on my tan.... if only! It's been miserable and I've been working at placement and my other part time job more hours than I can count! I've had a few reports to do and my workload hasn't exactly been great. I've luckily finished my placement now and I can say it's definitely one of the more rewarding and enjoyable things I've been able to do and I'm excited to have a month off before going back into my final year of University which I'm sure will be busy, busy, busy and include a lot of all-nighter's in the library.

This week however, I've finally got my social life back on track, I'm still working a lot but I'm getting better and finding that work/social balance that we all desperately need. I'm less sleep deprived than I was, still wishing my body clock would let me sleep for more than 6 hours a night but I can't be too nit-picky. With this being said I've finally had a burst of inspiration and decided to write that although I've been gone, I'm excited to return to blogging and start the Jennys Everyday Life 2.0 edition. Oh and reassure everyone that I haven't dropped off the face of the planet! I've also managed to grow in followers during my absence which is absolutely astonishing so a big thank you and hopefully you all enjoy my posts when I get back on track!

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo

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Sorting Out & Decluttering: Foundation Edition

After spending the last week or so & probably most of this week packing for moving house, I finally had to tackle to problem of where was I going to put my makeup? My beloved desk is being put into storage and I'll probably invest in something smaller like Muji, this being the case I thought it'd be best to sort out my 'stash' as such and I was more than surprised at the outcome, I own fourteen foundations, should I be ashamed? Probably! Am I? Not really but I did think it was way too many so I'm going to be making a real effort to use up two or three at least :) 

I thought it'd be nice to share my thoughts quite quickly on each of them (left to right), the first being the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, I'd bought the foundation version originally but it was a little too yellow toned upon application so I picked this one up instead, it has quite a fruity smell but a lovely finish! The next along is MUA's undress your skin foundation which I actually featured in my disappointing products post so that says it all, its just not my sort of foundation. The most recent addition to the collection being my L'oreal True Match, its a wonderful drugstore option which is basically a dupe for MAC studio fix, isn't too expensive and gives amazing coverage in a range which suits every skin tone.

The Rimmel Stay Matte is another than I'm not too keen on, no matter how I apply it it always looks cakey so I think I just left it here for good but I might just throw it out. The Collection lasting perfection foundation, I picked up a while back when buying my trusty collection concealer but I haven't got round to testing that out yet so when I do, I'll inform you all if it went down a treat or not! The next, the Maybelline Fit Me foundation is a lot darker than my skin tone and is what I'd call my 'foundation for those nights when I dare to tan myself' and it works perfectly for that. After that is the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation & this is probably one of the best drugstore foundations, I love wearing it throughout the summer, until recently there wasn't a really really pale shade but the then lightest shade still working for me, since they've released a paler one but either are still good, definitely makes you look more awake in the mornings as the name suggests :)

Next is the No7 Beautifully Matte foundation, this was something I bought last year with a No7 money off coupon and if I'm being honest haven't used all that much, the matte claim really appeals to me though and it may come in handy through the summer so I'll be sure to use it up! The Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation is a little too yellow toned for my skin tone but paired with the Rimmel Match Perfection beside it, it balances it out! The Rimmel one is something I use when I need to lighten a foundation but would be a perfect base if you like a lighter coverage. Another favourite for summer and those 'I don't want to wear make up days' is the Maybelline BB cream - I actually picked up the one for oily skin as its lighter and less orange than the original. I then had to mention my holy grail, Estee Lauder Double Wear which is superb and of course the MAC studio fix, both of which I've wrote posts about and I can't really fault - definitely worth the money! :)

So that's all my foundations in a pretty lengthy post, if you have any other questions about them, leave them below and I'll be sure to answer! Also this post was meant to go up last week so I have indeed moved house!

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s whats your absolute favourite foundation of all time?

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A few new things

I usually enjoy posting my favourites at the end of the month or posting the odd haul or two in between but this time I thought I'd do a mid through the month thing to show all the things I've been loving as of late. I also thought there would be far too many if I left it that long so these are a few of my favourite new things. 

The first thing I did was have a little Paperchase snoop with the intention of picking up a mid year diary/planner as my current one runs out in July and I couldn't cope with the lack of organisation. I was lucky enough to find this aztec printed diary with a week to a page, which is beautiful and has plenty of space & stickers to keep me on track. Since I couldn't just walk out with one thing, its a problem I know this little list book caught my eye, I featured it in my exam post earlier this week and I love it to pieces. The colours are so fresh and spring-like plus the elastic keeps everything from falling out and lets face it, who doesn't want a specific list book to write in? 

I'd also seen a few tweets about the new Topshop beauty range with rose gold packaging so on the day of its release I coincidentally was shopping with my friend and wandered into Topshop, as you do and there were plenty on a cute little display at the front. I'll hold my hands up, anything rose gold and I'm an absolute goner so I resisted slightly although the packing is stunning and only picked up one thing, this gorgeous pastel blue/green colour in the shade 'Boy next door' and its already been on my nails for the past four days without chipping! I also received this gorgeous Iconemesis phone case* in the cat sims feather case design and I adore it, it arrived at a time when my phone case was on its last legs so this is perfect and I've been ever so happy having such a fresh, glossy & high standard case - definitely recommend having a look at their other cases (link). 

Lastly I took a trip to Boots and picked up two of the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet lipsticks in the shades So Hap'pink, a lovely pink-y shade (top) & Nude-ist (pictured bottom), a natural yet still pink-toned nude. The lasting power is seriously good and gives a lovely finish to the lips even after eating and drinking which I was pleasantly surprised by so I can't wait to wear these more through the spring/summer as there shades that'll carry me through to Autumn again and thats a long way off yet!
So that's everything I've been loving through May so far, let me know if you've tried any of these or what else you've been picking up this month too :)    

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s what topshop makeup or bourjois makeup pieces are a must have?

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Weekly Ramble #10

It's hard to believe that we're well into May now, where has the first four months of the year gone? Its that time of year when the suns trying to break out, emphasis on the trying and there's a fair few dull days in between but hopefully this summer we might see some sun, fingers crossed! 

As soon as it hits May its the countdown for my birthday with just over a month to go and my mark for halfway through the year and this year just happens to be the big 2 1 & so I'm even more excited than usual! This weeks been a bit of a mix up, although being off Monday for the bank holiday it's felt like the longest week at work yet, I've tried to be a busy bee this week and have somewhat of a social life whilst I can but let me tell you balancing two jobs and a social life is now a good combination.... I did try however! 

At the start of the week I published my room tour post finally, this I wasn't sure whether to post or not but it seems to have gone down a treat so I'm glad it worked out for the better, you can have a nosy here (link). I did manage to sneak in a Starbucks & of course that and a gossip/catch up session with the best friend comes hand in hand and yes, I did have hot chocolate in May because it was so dull and miserable. The good thing about this time of year of course is the flowers in full bloom and this blossom tree shows that, a dull picture but a nice view walking home. I spend all my time at the train platform and this is my view, surprisingly it was sunny on the day I had time to kill and decided to take photos. 

When I woke up this morning I'd a lovely notification from Bloglovin' informing me I'd reached 800 followers which is a crazy amount of people that I've ever so grateful for so thank you! (a longer appreciation post will probably be coming soon). I also posted a spring clothing haul here (link) and my Accessorize bag arrived in the post - its so beaut and I can't wait to start using it! Lastly I managed to sneak in a pizza hut lunch buffet for a catch up with another one of my good friends and it was scrumptious, salad, pizza and pasta all on one plate with unlimited coke, I was more than content! So that's been my week, a sort of busy one, sort of not, all of my photos were taken on my iphone thats why they've gone a little funny when editing but still you get the jist, hopefully next week will be even more fun filled. Let me know how your weeks been or if you enjoyed this :)  

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s I also bought batteries for my camera so back to regular posting and clear photos I come! Has anyone been up to anything exciting lately?

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Revisited; L'oreal Loves

If you're an avid reader of my blog you'll know I've a bad habit of mentioning a product and not getting back to review it until months down the line which is sort of a blessing if you think about it as I'm able to trial & test the product to see whether I really love it or not but lately I'm determined to try and speed up the process a little so alas here's my review of my new favourite drugstore bits and bobs....

The first and probably favourite of mine in regards to the bits I picked up is the L'oreal True Match Foundation - now I know what you're thinking not another review, please no? but I thought it was about time I tried it out for myself after the hype had died down and boy am I glad I did. Although on the pricier end of the drugstore scale around £9/10 (its still not breaking the bank) its by far the best coverage foundation I've found in all my years of scouring Boots' makeup aisles - its a close second to my MAC studio fix and covers all blemishes and spots on the first application!

There's a superb shade range in the collection and you'll be damned if you don't find a close to perfect skin match - I ended up with N1 'Ivory' and it suits my oh so pale skin perfectly. The longevity of this is actually what surprised me the most, it lasted all day on my skin with the occasional once over with a powder brush & without melting off my face, definitely one to reach for on a day you'll be out of the house a lot! I'm also a big fan of the bottle itself, its adorable & it has SPF 17 for those sunnier days that we're experiencing in amongst all the rain.... can you tell I've found my new favourite foundation of the moment?

As for mascara I'm usually loyal & very rarely branch out and try others that aren't L'oreal Miss Manga or Maybelline The Falsies but this time I decided to try out another L'oreal mascara that I'd heard plenty of positive things about, their False Lash Telescopic Mascara in 'magnetic black'. I always think L'oreal packaging looks sleek & classy and this is no different to that, the only downside I'd say is the bristles which don't move all too much and takes a little longer to apply at first but after a few applications its just the same as any other.

It stays on my eyes all day even on the wetter days without making me look like a panda escaping from the zoo and is a breeze to take off at the end of the day, no rubbing for hours here so I'd say its an all round success and I might just have to repurchase it again (and thats saying something because I'm bloody fussy with mascaras)! So thats what I've been loving recently, trialed and tested, hope you enjoyed and if you have any mascara suggestions, please leave them down below:)

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s what things do you absolutely love from L'oreal?

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Lip Balm Loving: Nuxe

Something I've always been lacking in life is an utterly amazing lip balm that just blows all the rest out of the water, babylips tried and tested, other chapsticks tried, even the trusted vaseline (which has about twenty different uses) and none of them seem to do the trick: so when I heard about the Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm I was a little sceptical. A month or two ago they launched their 20th Anniversary packaging and I decided to pick one up & give it a go since the packaging was even cuter than normal and my lips needed some tlc! (tmi, nearly)  

At first I thought the tub, although adorable was a little small for the price tag but as I've come to learn its not at all, I've been using it daily for a month and there isn't even a substantial dent in it, a little really does magically go a long way which I couldn't be more chuffed about! The red anniversary edition that I picked up smells distinctly of grapefruit which is very spring/summer orientated and I can't stop sniffing it - I'm not sure what the original smells like but I can imagine its just as nice.

The lip balm is primarily aimed at people with dry or damaged lips and it'll probably be a godsend in the A/W months (but thats a long time off yet) but even now applying some before bed gives my lips plenty of moisture and they feel more refreshed and healthy than they have done in ages, whenever I wake in the morning my lips are super soft and stay like that all day. I'm hoping that if I continue to use it, it will repair my lips completely and keep them nourished throughout the summer months.

The ingredients include honey, sunflower and shea butter & honestly they're the perfect combination because I probably couldn't live without this lip balm and thats saying a lot because I usually skipped the whole lip balm phase when applying makeup and just skipped to the lipstick/gloss/liner except for those matte days when you need a little something extra. As I mentioned its slightly pricier than other lip balms but its definitely worth it and I'm now converted, I'll definitely end up repurchasing, I just hope the Anniversay packaging stays around for a while!

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s have you used any good lip balms lately or any that you absolutely swear by?

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DVD Haul

I've only just noticed how little I mix it up on the blog in terms of non beauty related things which is a bit of a let down since I love reading non beauty posts on other blogs so much so I thought I'd incorporate some more. Over the past few weeks I've been on a dvd binge as you will, usually I'm not a huge dvd buyer and my collection is probably a lot smaller than average so I thought I'd build it up starting with a few Disney classics & share with you lovely readers of course!

I'll always be the first person to put my hands up and say I love Disney, always have, always will and this is showing my age but all of my Disney movies I have at the minute are on video (I'm a true nineties kid) & lets be serious no one has video players anymore so I thought I'd have to update the collection into DVD format. Therefore when I seen a buy one get one free offer I knew I'd have to pick some up, this resulting in me buying eight (I told you I binged) Disney DVD's. 

In the end I decided on The Lion King, one of my favourites movies of all time, Peter Pan (the animated version), Sleeping Beauty and The Jungle Book. At first that was all I was going to buy but then I went back a few days after and couldn't resist so I picked up Cinderella, The Lady and the Tramp, 101 Dalmations and Monsters University to join my lone Tangled DVD. I was sort of restricted in the ones I could buy because not all of them were on offer but you can still imagine my excitement and inner child jumping for joy when these packages arrived on the doorstep, can't you? 

To balance it out a little I thought it'd be better to buy a few more 'grown up' movies, I say grown up (I mean not pg), I'm a wild child alright. The first one is the Maze Rumner, I remember seeing this movie last year and loved it, Dylan O'Brien is adorable too and I'm looking forward to the second movie, The Scorch Trials which is going to be released this year (I'm halfway through the book at the minute and I can't seem to put it down). 

After that I bought Gone Girl which is unusual for me because at the age of 20, I can safely say I don't own very many 18 rated movies, I think it's because scary/creepy/twisted isn't really my thang, give me a 15 and that'll do me. I'm now on the hunt for yet more DVDs, I'm dying to pick up a few like Finding Nemo & Monsters Inc as well as some non Disney DVDs too, maybe some rom-coms. I can see me needing new storage in the near future for them too so a trip to ikea might be on the cards and that can never be a bad thing. So yeah I hope you enjoyed this kind of post, let me know!

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo

P.s if you can think of any good DVDs, new or old, leave them below? Have you bought any lately? 

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Concealer-aholic?

I'm one of those people that likes to cover all those pesky spots and blemishes over a bold lip and busy eye makeup anyday. I feel like if you don't have a good concealer, well its just not the same, at least I tell myself that to justify spending yet more money on base makeup, more importantly concealers! I know everyone swears by the Collection concealer and to some extent I do too but I wanted to branch out a little incase I'm missing out on something wonderful AND I hadn't owned a high end concealer so I thought I'd go all out and buy two at the one time....  

The two I decided on are actually quite similar as there both creamy and without a wand, the first was the MAC Studio Fix Concealer in NC15 and the second was Benefit's Boi-ing Concealer in 'Light'. Now I'm usually not an NC at all in MAC, I'm a NW but this actually works on my skin, having pinky undertone foundation and concealer would probably be a bit too pink, so this balances everything out nicely. The Benefit one doesn't go by undertones, instead it just uses the usual light, medium, dark and of course I'm light, if there was an extra light I would probably be that.  

At first I wasn't sold on the potted concealer as such, opting for a wand everytime just for handiness but after loving my 17 phwoarrr paint I realised they aren't actually too bad, in fact they were easier and I found myself reaching for that more often than my ordinary wand concealers as the coverage was just as good, if not better and it included a little mirror so I'm hoping I'll adore these two just as much, I don't fancy using my fingers, especially as the warmer weathers approaching, they'll probably melt slightly but by using a smaller brush I'm hoping they'll blend like a dream and give me the coverage that I really need, I'm sure I'll share my feelings on them at some point, I always do :)

The only major thing I noticed about these two is that the Mac concealer has a lot more product (7g) compared to the Benefit concealer which has (3g), now for the record Benefit's is slightly more expensive around the £17/18 mark whereas MAC ranges around £15/16 so its a lot less for your moneys worth and I actually prefer the lid on the MAC concealer as theres no chance of it falling off, hopefully it won't make a difference to the product inside and I can't wait to get using them both. (It's almost as if I'm asking for bad skin to test them out, I promise I'm not)  

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s has anyone tried these two? or any other high end concealers that they love? 

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March Beauty Favourites

Somehow I've only gotten round to doing my first favourite post of the year, and we're three, well four months in... what can I say this year has started off crazy and hasn't slowed down since, its been all systems go and sadly blogging has fallen by the wayside as a result. This month however thats going to change, no it needs to, I miss blogging. I'm inspired and can't wait to write some new posts  & you bet as soon as I get some proper lighting I'll be getting my routine back up and running, so as a sort of apology, here's my March beauty favourites.....      

As its coming into Spring (well meant to be, we'll ignore the thunder storms outside for the sake of this post) I like to switch things about and although I'm usually a full coverage, matte kind of gal I like to wear as light a base as possible when the suns out, praying my skin isn't acting up and making me self conscious (big tip: drink as much water as you can, clears your skin up in no time), last summer BB cream was my best friend. 

I'm sort of in the middle of mixing up my foundation routine and also just wearing concealer a lot of the time so thats why I haven't featured any this month but primers a different story. I've been switching between two primers as of late, to combat the shine, the well loved Benefit Porefessional which just so happens to keep my skin looking fresh all day and the second being the 17 wow three way highlight which I didn't think would be my cup of tea at all. I simply mix a little in with my foundation and it creates the perfect healthy glow. 

Lips and blush are the main switch in the spring/summer seasons, they're a must. Is it just me or do baby pinks just scream spring? The two lip favourites I've been loving is an Urban Decay revoloution lipstick in Streak which I bought late last year in the summer but never really got the benefit from because in no time it was time for the Autumn shades. It's a brighter pink than I'm used to but it's not too Barbie-esque either so I'm hoping I get my my use out of it this year, the formulas really creamy and it actually lasts quite a while. I've also featured one of my favourite MAC lipsticks, please me, it's matte (I couldn't stray from the matte too much) and is the most gorgeous everyday baby pink. 

Lastly I've been loving my Illamasqua powder blush in 'Hussy' which I always manage to forget about, its a really lovely colour and honestly I should probably put it on my dresser to make a conscious effort to use it! So that's it for March, I know I usually do two favourites post, beauty and non beauty but I haven't loved anything overly non beauty so I'll make up for it in Aprils posts. 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s what have you been loving through March, beauty or non beauty? 

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Accessorize Haul

Now this haul's long overdue, think two months overdue but somehow I've only got round to using the things properly now, am I the only one who loses things amidst their room for ages and then remembers about them? It seems so! Accessorize is a shop I love for their cute and bang on trend jewellery and bags especially in the spring/summer seasons but I haven't bought much from it because of its location, although there is one in the city centre its just seems out of the way and I always forget about it, thats about to change because their stuff is too cute to ignore!

You may think I'm overly strange buying a pair of slipper booties in March? usually I'd be the first to point out that you don't need them but in January thats not the case. I was also trying to be super organised for the end of summer/start of Autumn because its so hard to find a decent pair and I don't think my slippers at present are going to last me six/seven months so I'm prepared and have a back up if needs be. I also really liked the style & the colour and I'm not normally a blue kind of person -they have little pom pom's by the ankle and they're not too long, not too short, perfect ankle covering length so I can't wait to lounge around in these when the time comes.

The second thing I needed or convinced myself I needed was a new purse, I think I featured my purse I'm using at the minute in an old spending ban post, it's lasted me ages and although its still in tip top shape I've now gathered too many cards and theres not enough card slots. Its a lot harder than it sounds to find a purse with lots of card slots and so when I seen this one on the Accessorize website, plain black, sleek and professional with enough room for 13 cards and a hefty sized coin part in the back I knew it was ideal and into the basket it went.

Lastly I picked up this adorable handbag, perfect for Spring and for one of my friends upcoming birthday (this is only one present ticked off the list but its a start). I love the contrast between the light blue and navy, the straps also a good length for wearing over the shoulder and I especially love the gold embellishment. With handbags I hate having to squeeze everything into too small a bag or carrying around a bag, likely to make me look as if I'm going on a three week break but this I've found is the perfect size and I've a feeling my friend will be thrilled with it, I'm sort of sorry I didn't pick one up for myself at the same time  though! So thats all the things I picked up, let me know what you think!  

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s what do you love from Accessorize? Or if you had to pick, jewellery or bags?

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Rimmel - Lets Get Nude

I'm always partial to the odd #notd post, if you're anything like me I'm always painting and re-painting my nails, in fact there's never really a time that I have nothing on, even if it's a nude so I thought I'd share a new discovery of mine. I hold my hands up - I've never owned a higher end nail polish and have no real intention to either, the drugstore options are more than enough to keep me going, plus they're so affordable!

If you'd asked me a year or two about nude nail polish, my opinion was if you can't tell you're wearing it there's no point to putting it on, that opinions changed safe to say. This particular nail polish 'Lets get Nude' is one of Rimmels 60 seconds formula from the Rita Ora range and is super cheap around the £3 mark. All of the shades in the range have quirky names which I really like, a fairly good sized bottle and a nice applicator brush which is always a bonus. 

The nail polish once applied is exactly what it says on the tin, I'm pale and it was a shade darker than my skin colour so the perfect match. It made my nails look lovely and glossy, now I didn't manage to get a really good picture when they were freshly painted but I am wearing it in the above photo and it shows how nice a colour it really is. This is the first nude colour that I've really loved on my nails and with the whole nude lip thang going on because of Kylie Jenner I can see me rocking the nude nail look instead.

 It's just made me want to expand my nude collection more than anything.... and it'll be perfect for work and summer, rocking a black nail or bright yellow although pretty don't exactly scream professional and my nails can still be protected somewhat. The lasting power is also quite impressive as I'd been wearing it around 4-5 days before chipping and that includes working (aka destroying my nails) so I'm quite pleased with this one and can't wait to collect a few more! 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s what are your thoughts on nude nail varnish? Or do you have any faves I should try?

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Springs Arrived

I think its safe to say, Spring has sprung & I couldn't be happier! This was a bit of a spontaneous post this morning on the train and luckily enough I had the photographs to go alongside it in a draft, points for organisations please! This is a shorter post of mine just to welcome in the new season - the first few days of the month have been a bit dubious and just yesterday it was bloody freezing, wet, miserable and gale force winds yet this morning it's as if none of that even happened. 

Luckily enough from our kitchen window we've a view of over the city and it just so happened that whilst I was eating breakfast today the sun was rising so of course I snapped a picture and put in on Instagram (links on the side) if you want to have a nosey - definitely a nice start to the morning. What is it with the sun and lifting everyone's spirits? Usually the dreary train commuters in the morning are just that, dreary and today they were all positively beaming as if it was the height of summer. 

I decided to embrace the weather and ditch the boots & socks I've been wearing solidly since the end of Autumn to my new shoes which show ankle and have cut outs - how daring right? I then decided to put my most spring appropriate lipstick on, my prized YSL lipstick which is pictured above and although I'm not the biggest fan of shimmer, this isn't sticky or overdone, it's perfect! Sadly I left the sunglasses at home, which I'm sort of regretting now as I'm making that really unattractive squinty face when the suns in your eyes out of the train window  - luckily no one can see in! 

As soon as the sun arrives everyone embraces the colour and brights in their wardrobes (or pastels) and it's such a nice change, since my wardrobe is 95% monochrome, I just add a coloured cardigan or the like but still I try. I don't think it's warm enough for crop tops and short just yet but I like that we're on the way - sometimes it's nice to leave the coat at home! And also Easters right around the corner, that's definitely sneaked up on me, 2015s whizzing by and with working all summer I'll definitely be making the most of the sun we do have when I can it the weather has cheered me right up.

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s what's your favourite thing about Spring time?  

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TOP 6: TV

As of late, I've been struggling to find some good old me time, something we all need - especially after running round like headless chickens most of the week (or is it just me?) When I do get an hour or so to myself magically, I usually watch some of my favourite tv programmes, which I've included below. Some tv shows have a hype around them, others that are equally as deserving don't so I thought showing a few favourites in a post like this would be useful as I love finding new shows & getting gripped on each episode!

1. Broadchurch. I was seriously late on the bandwagon with this one, it was well loved all last year when it was shown and had everyone gripped but I didn't have the time to watch it from the start and didn't want to start mid season so I binge watched Season 1 online, before the second began (which was probably a better idea) so I was up to date and it was just as amazing! If you enjoy itv dramas, this is perfect or even just a good old who done it murder, without the gore and blood - definitely a must see!

2. The Walking Dead. Its amazing to see how popular this has become, I remember watching season one way back in the day and no one had really heard of it. If you like zombies, this is ideal, its also way more enjoyable than just zombies as you grow to love the characters and it has a focused plot as well instead of just guts and beheading the undead like some!

3. Awkward. This is definitely one of the less talked about shows but its a light hearted and humurous American show for teens that you can relate to, boys and girls. Its also a lot easier if you do struggle to find the time to sit down as the episode are roughly twenty five minutes compared to the usual 45 minute long programs and trust me, twenty minutes makes all the difference!

4. Gossip girl. An old favourite! I own series' 1-6 on dvd and recently I've been watching an episode or two before bed when I can or just if I'm feeling an early night - it never gets old! I love all of the characters to bits especially Blair and Chuck, they were just meant to be from the beginning, plus the fashion side of things in the show are always so on point! If you haven't watched any of these, you need to open up a new tab and do so now!

5. Pretty Little Liars. If anyone hasn't watched this, you've at least heard about it? (unless you live under a rock that is, its always twitter trending which speculations about A). Its basically four girls are manipulated and blackmailed by an anonymous 'A' after their best friend is kidnapped and to their knowledge killed and this mystery person seems to know all of their secrets & holds them all against them. Theres also some paranoia, cute male leads, love storys, the usual teenage drama and trying to keep themselves out of jail whilst trying to unveil who A is. Its almost the end of season 5 now and its getting oh so dramatic so I'd definitely give it a watch!

6. Revenge. Now I haven't watched the most recent series because if I'm honest I didn't know it was back on my screen (well technically American screens, I'm in time with them) but now that I know, I'm going to be setting aside time and binge watching them all. It basically focuses around the theme of revenge and all the lies and conspiracies that unravel in the process, with of course the odd love triangle here and there.


So thats the lot, thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s what are your favourite shows to watch? Have you seen any of these? Let me know if you like these kind of posts or not too

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Seventeen Stay Time Concealer / Review & Swatches

With the lighter days rolling in now and Spring supposedly on its way, if we ignore the snow thats currently lying outside my house a lighter base is something that I strive for. I've always had a weakness when it comes to lip products but lately I'm finding myself down the concealer junkie route instead & thats where the Seventeen Stay Time Concealer comes in!

Probably the worst swatch ever but hey you can see how pale I am and it still blends in perfectly.
Seventeen Stay Time Concealer - Link 

I'm determined to find myself the perfect concealer, it shouldn't be too hard really to find something that'll brighten my skin on dull days, last all day long, not dry my skin out and most importantly cover all those dark circles and pesky blemishes, right? I'm not too fussy about whether its high end or drugstore as long as it does the job - I'm pretty sure I wouldn't mind paying that little bit more if I knew it was going to work. I actually asked on twitter for a few drugstore options and this Seventeen one kept coming up time and time again so it was next on my trial and error list.

 The Seventeen stand is something I don't pay enough attention to and I ought to, they have so many beauty gems that aren't praised enough so I was happy to try out this concealer as their Phwoarrr Paint is a firm favourite of mine. First impressions, the packaging is very similar to the Collection concealer but then again most drugstore concealers do look very same-y, except theres a heck of a lot more product in the 17 offering and so far the packaging hasn't rubbed away - the one thing I can't stand on products is the writing disappearing.

It claims to have over 18 hour wear time but of course I haven't worn it that long, it has however lasted me the majority of my day, from 7am to 5pm without any top ups which is quite admirable in my book! It has a doe foot applicator which I prefer as you can easily blend with a brush - I haven't been converted to cream concealers just yet and its very creamy so its easy to work with. I have used it under my eyes but I feel like I need a smidge more coverage for those dark circles and combine it with my Collection concealer just to be safe.

I by mistake picked up the shade 'fair' thinking it was the lightest shade as the name would suggest you couldn't get much lighter than that and it blends perfectly into my skin and covers everything I need it to. If you are extremely pale skinned there is an 'extra fair' though which I think would be too pale for most but its nice that they've catered to paler gals if they need it as most drugstore brands tend to forget about them - trust me, I'm usually one of the forgotten ones. Its just a lovely concealer and priced at £4.49 its a steal from the drugstore and I'm glad I picked it up but I still think I'll stay on the hunt for that 'perfect holy grail concealer'. 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s whats your favourite concealer of all time/holy grail?

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