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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700 Followers Post

It's scary that my blogs a little over a year old and I have a whopping 700 followers on Bloglovin', I know some people reach that in less than six months but I'd rather less people follow me and for me to post content that I enjoy writing than having to change to suit my readers. Of course I love beauty posts but lifestyle posts definitely find a way of sneaking in and these are actually what I love reading the most so it makes sense but last week I finally reached the massive milestone and I couldnt be happier about it! 

I know I'm not the most regular at posting but with working both full time though the week, with a part time job on the weekend and a three hour commute each day, it's taking its toll. The only irritating thing being the lack of daylight for decent blog photographs but I'm getting there with the bulk photo taking on the weekends, sort of. I always try and take the time to reply to every comment I get on my blog posts as it means so much for someone to give feedback on a post that a lot of time and effort goes into. Sometimes with mass followers its a lot harder to do this and that's why being a smaller blog works just fine for me. 

I do think it's time I had a little makeover but I just don't have the time to sit down and decide what I'd like to change, although I like the whole minimalist blog theme, I think it's too overdone and I like having a colourful background rather than just plain white, any layout suggestions are welcome.... I also tried to take ootd photos the other day for a blog post, who knew it could be so hard without natural light so some more fashion related lists might be up soon, youtubers a definite no for the minute, unless I can get a camera that doesn't drain the battery in two minutes whilst taking videos.

 Also this has been a long time coming but I'm going to do my first ever giveaway soon, I know what I'm buying for it and hopefully you'll all like it, I thought it would be better to do a mix of things rather than just a MAC lipstick (although I would never say no) so yes keep your eyes peeled - hopefully I'll get shopping asap! I'm going to stop myself before this gets too long, a bad habit of mine but I just wanted to say a massive thank you for anyone who's followed my blog so far :) 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s does anyone use GFC? I feel like it's a dying art but I really want to use it still, if anyone does please follow me via that or I'll follow you, either or :) and again thank youuuuu! 

Blogmas Day 2: Something a little different

After leaving a sneaky clue at the end of yesterdays post, I'm extremely excited to post today, in fact its probably one of my favourite December's posts to come and its only day two! At this time of year I love giving (and recieving if I'm lucky) Christmas cards and seeing all the different & utterly cute designs on them all. I also love adding my own messages to the card which are usually long but I think it just makes it all the more personal than a 'Mere Merry Christmas' although that's always nice too!

This year I was buying a card for my friend in Hong Kong, sending my first international Christmas card as you will and realised how fun it actually is receiving letters or cards - an art thats forgotten for the use of social media and the internet, sometimes old fashioned is better in this case! As an after thought I did think about blogging and how the community is so friendly over twitter but with all the different timezones its hard to chat to everyone so I thought it would be a nice idea to send Christmas cards to some of my readers (only if they want me to of course, I'm not an oddball). I've seen a few others do this kind of thing and thought it was a wonderful idea.

I'm all for writing letters and learning things about other people and where they live, a real eye opener and all that, in fact I remember having a penpal in primary school or else it was first year of secondary school, from France and it was so interesting but alas it was only for a short period of time, fun as it was. Therefore in the next few days I'm going to write my Christmas cards and cute, probably far too long and waffly messages inside and sending them on the weekend (fingers crossed), just so they arrive in time for the big day - nothing worse than late cards, well except for late birthday cards. So if you fancy recieving or sending Christmas cards you can either leave me a comment letting me know what you think, email me at jennyseverydaylife@hotmail.com or tweet me @JennysEveryday_ :) Hope you liked this post, it was a bit different for me as well!

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s what do you think about sending things by post instead of social media? Let me know if I'm the only one who prefers harassing the postman for delivered letters

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A Blogging Update

It feels like forever since I've sat down & written a post, since I had a lot of pre-planned posts, maybe it's been a month but I have an excuse, October was a crazy & stressful month for me. I spent a lot of time sorting my work, university etc and balancing somewhat of a social life in amongst it all. I think the change in the weather may have also played a part in the lack of blogging, it's so hard to take photos with decent lighting... something I've never had to really deal with before.

berry lips were out in full force // the closest I've got to an ootd post so far // 21st Birthday Celebrations // I may have bought some Christmas nails to get in the season // More celebrations // No trip to Ikea is worth it unless you try their hot chocolate // Ikea show houses are amazing // Festive nails // Halloween Selfies 

Lifestyle posts aren't posted as much as I'd like on this blog but we're all friends here and that'll probably change, I don't think I've written an update post like this before. October was filled with more ups and downs that I can count and blogging just fell by the wayside (completely unintentional of course) but it's a new month and I'm determined to get my normal blogging routine back on track. A main incentive for this is my little blog reached 600 followers on Bloglovin' which I'm still completely shocked about but ever so grateful and I'll be announcing my giveaway sometime soon.

I've also been enjoying catching up with all of my friends that I don't see as often I'd like and celebrating a lot of 21st birthdays too, it seems everyones birthdays are within a month of each other! My iphone also arrived and I've been abusing Instagram like there's no tomorrow so if you want to see my daily posts on there you can do so here (link here). My provisional license arrived too in amongst many shopping parcels from ASOS so I'm eager to start revising for my theory and I'm hoping to pass my actual test by my 21st (fingers crossed).

Another major thing is that I got a new job which I already love, this is a massive thing for me because I always find job interviews so daunting but luckily this wasn't too bad and it'll probably take up a lot of my time in the build up to Christmas. That and my placement which is finally sorted will take a lot of organisation but I'm still making blogging a priority so I can see I'm going to be even more organised than usual. I also got a much needed hair cut and although the hairdresser probably took a couple of inches at most off, its made all the difference!

Halloween was also a major event this month and I think since Thursday I've had about 10 hours sleep all together so an early night is long overdue. I've also been loving Taylor Swift's new album 1989 which was released earlier on in the week and it's been on repeat 24/7, talk about obsession ey. The only other exciting thing is it's 51 days to Christmas and everyone's in the Christmas swing of things, I've already seen my first tree of the year and it's only three days after Halloween which is crazy! Now mine probably won't be up for another few weeks but I'm extremely excited to start my Christmas shopping and mainly just enjoy what's left of the year.    

I know this was a long and rambly post but that's what I do best and I thought it'd be nicer to update you all on what I've been up to rather than just a "I'm sorry I forgot to blog for a month" but from now on I'll be back to normal. Hope you enjoyed reading it :)

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo
P.s what have you been up to through October? do you ever just take blogging breaks?

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Guest Posting: Five Minute Face

Hey everyone, I'm Jenny from Jennys Everyday Life and the lovely Alice asked me to guess post whilst she's off on holiday  :)  I've a bad habit of rambling on my own posts so I'm trying to keep this a quick one sort of. This post comes in useful those mornings when you oversleep and have a whole five minutes before needing to rush out the door. Whilst living in uni accommodation I practically perfected this routine and I thought I'd share it with you lovely people - no one wants to wake up earlier than necessary after all! 

  

1. Concealer. This is usually a necessity in the morning, no one likes eye bags and potentially looking like a zombie. My concealer of choice is usually the Rimmel Wake Me Up as it has a really nice coverage, gives a slight shimmer and as the name suggests makes me look a little more alive awake. For blemishes the Collection concealer is a must, both take less than a minute to apply and sometimes if I'm really in a rush I'll skip the foundation and just use this and powder - the coverage is that good! 

2. Foundation. This step is optional, as I said if you're a whiz at applying your foundation or don't feel 100% happy not wearing just concealer (we all have bad skin days) then this foundation is great. Its a really good coverage and similarly to the Wake Me Up concealer this has shimmer particles which give the illusion that you're much more awake than you really are! 

3. Powder. If you have oily skin or just like using powder to set your face this can be a life saver. It makes your makeup stay in place all day, perfect if you know your going to be out of the house a while and takes less than 30 seconds to apply. 

4. Blush. Blush can make all the difference to your makeup look, it makes you appear fresh faced and creates a glow livening up your face. My favourite at the minute is the MUA mosaic blush as it works as both a blush and highlighter in one, perfect for when you have little to no time to spare! 

5. Mascara. A must in the mornings! I think if I was really in a rush I could forgo all of the above bar concealer and just wear mascara - theres not many occassions that I go over the door without it. A good mascara can really make your eyes pop and the Maybelline Falsies is my drugstore holy grail - giving both volume and length. 

6. Lips. I'm not really a lip balm kind of person, more of a lipstick gal and the Revlon colourburst matte crayon in sultry is perfect for those rushed mornings. With one swipe you're good to go, the pigmentation is superb and I know it'll last all day, plus I absolutely love the colour - its like a nude but better! 

    I hope this comes in handy next time you're in a rush in the mornings and if you really are a whiz you can always add in eyeliner and bronzer etc. I'd also like to thank Alice again for having me, I really enjoyed this :) Jenny xo  

Daily Blogging, Day 1

I'm so glad that May is finally over, exams and stressing definitely got the best of me and blogging for the past month has been a bit of a let down (for me anyways)... just when I was getting in to the swing of things too! Therefore to make it up to my lovely followers and as a sort of challenge to myself to see if I can do it, I've decided to blog daily for the month of June which is a masssssive challenge for me.

I've already planned out all my posts and I'm so excited to get stuck into writing and preparing them for you guys, June I'm sure is going to be the best month of the year, not biased at all as I have a couple of concerts and its my birthday, the big 20! Is it weird to be dreading it yet somehow excited at the same time? I think so. I also have a heck of a lot more time now that unis finished for summer, if anyone can recommend any good tv shows that would be amazing? I've already caught up on everything in the space of two weeks showing just how much free time I really do have..... therefore this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do something productive with my free time, so be sure to check out my daily posts ;) I hope you all enjoy having a good old read too!  

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo

P.s feel free to leave comments or chat to me on twitter/instagram etc, things like that make my day!  

Brand Loving: Natural Collection

Natural Collection was a brand I was drawn to back in the early days of buying makeup mainly because it was cheap and cheerful, did the trick and had the added bonus of being fragrance free, natural and dermatologically tested. Its only available in Boots stores in the UK and although I own several products from the range I have only recently rediscovered their collection again and thought I'd share my thoughts with you lovely readers. 

Years ago I remember owning a plain black mascara from Natural Collection which looking back did exactly what I wanted it to do and more but I haven't a clue why I didn't repurchase it at the time. It must have been when I became adventurous and attempted to try out every other brand in the drugstore lol, we all had that teenage phase!

As you can tell I own a small collection of things from the brand totalling: 2 lipsticks, bronzing pearls, a blush and a white eyeliner which may not seem like a lot to some but to me its enough for the minute. The blush in the shade 'Pink Cloud' is definitely my favourite product of the lot as it is extremely pigmented and produces the nicest pop of colour to my cheeks with the lightest brush - warning, if you're heavy handed be careful, I learnt this the hard way. It's a gorgeous pink perfect for the spring and summer months to create a natural glow and for £1.99 it's an absolute steal - I definitely think I'll be picking up a couple more of these blushes in the near future. In fact all of the makeup collection is fairly priced between £1.50 and £1.99 which is incredible these days.

The two lipsticks in the shades 'Cranberry' and 'Pink Orchid' are from the Moisture Shine Collection and although people have often classed them as drying I've never had a problem with them. As with all lipsticks I apply vaseline or a lip balm beforehand and they work like a dream. They are surprisingly pigmented considering their price however they don't last all day, this happens with most of my lipsticks and I need to reapply during the day so I'm unsure whether it's just these or not. The only fault being the colour range, it could be improved a little to include darker colours for the bolder lip lovers among us. 

The last couple of things I've picked up recently on a whim is the Sun Tint Bronzing Pearls in 'Sahara Sun' and a white eyeliner for my waterline. Upon first glance the bronzing pearls looking quite a scary colour especially since I'm so pale but the different coloured pearls combine to make a lovely overall colour - nothing too orangey at all. The only downside being the container they're held in, unless your careful or keep the sponge inside they're prone to smashing.  

Overall Natural Collection is definitely a winner and I recommend the majority of the products, the only thing that could be improved is the shades available. If anyones tried anything from the brand be sure to let me know? :)

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

Keeping Organised

I'm a bit late buying a diary this year mainly because I didn't do all that much in January but with the return to University lurking around the corner, it was a necessity. I like to have a place to write down my thoughts, and plan my days and upcoming events - being organised just makes everything a heck of a lot easier. Last year my organiser was filled to the brim it was used that much and that's before I had bills to pay and such. Since being back at Uni two days I'm already suffering from a lack of sleep (tea is definitely my best friend at the minute), lack of food and a bombardment of deadlines, we've really been chucked in the deep end so this little thing will definitely help me to stay on top of things.

Therefore on the weekend I popped into Paperchase to see what I could find and fell in love with this little diary. Its  not too bright a blue colour and has flowers more or less all over the place with a scribble effect at the bottom and although its something I'd never usually go for - hello pastels - it's different and I'm glad I decided to get it. It also has a full page dedicated to each day which I love as the tiny little diaries you can never write enough in... I have a lot to say/plan. This is a diary that I'm more likely to take out with me instead of my plain black one, as its a lot prettier, so this shall now be taking up residence in my handbag with my newly bought blogging notebook, could I get any more organised?

I also realise that this is a much smaller post than usual but I'm still getting used to my timetable and experimenting where the best place to take photos is in my uni house for lighting and such. The photo above I swear was white when I took it but now the background looks slightly blue which is annoying but hey, at least it matches the diary.

Has anybody else got a really cute diary for the year? or any recommendations? I think I might just need another. Let me know :) 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

P.s please feel free to follow me both on Google Friend Connect and Bloglovin'.

FOTD;

I thought I'd share with you lovely readers my FOTD, I was only popping into town for a few things and it was just one of those days when I had little time and didn't want to spend hours doing a full face of makeup. It also seemed a bit wasteful and for this reason I opted for a fairly quick and natural look. 

For my base I experimented a little and mixed together my Wake Me Up Foundation in shade 100 - Ivory and my Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in the shade 51 to create a flawless base (I'll definitely be using this duo again in the future). I then used my Real Techniques powder brush to apply my Stay Matte powder just to make sure everything would stay in place and after that used the Rimmel Sun Shimmer Bronzer on my cheeks to give them a pop of colour. I then used my MUA brow pencil in blonde to fill in my brows and after touched them up with the darkest shade of eyeshadow in my MUA heaven and earth palette - I cannot express just how handy this little palette is. I usually just apply eyeshadow and mascara in the mornings and eyeliner on a special occasion but strangely enough today I decided to go without eyeshadow and apply eyeliner instead, weird right. The one I applied along my upper lash line was my Collection 24 hour felt tip liner in black and then I applied a black pencil along my lower lash instead. Then for mascara I used the new L'oreal Miss Manga mascara which really makes all the difference to my natural lashes. And for lips I used my Babylips in Hydrate to ensure my lips were moisturised and then my Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in Shade 101 - definitely keeping the neutral theme going on. (oh and I apologise for the topsy turvy photos but the landscape photos of my face just didn't show the make up at all).  

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo

P.s feel free to follow me both on Bloglovin' and GFC.

Liebster Award

Hi there guys :) I'm still getting to grips with blogging or blogging regularly, January is such a hectic month! but when I was reading through my comments (which are always lovely - thank you) I saw that Tansy Pansy, Casual Blogging and Nisha Petal had all nominated this blog for the Liebster Award! Thank means a heck of a lot and I feel so grateful so thank you :) 

At first I hadn't a clue what this was, I'd always seen it popping up other peoples blogs but never looked into it any further so I visited their blogs to find out exactly what is was. It's sort of like a Youtube tag and allows blogs who have under 200 followers a sort of platform and a chance to discover up and coming blogs and make new friends along the way. Its a really nice idea and seems to give new bloggers motivation that if they keep going it'll be worth it too. 

The rules are as following:

- mention the person who nominated you with a link to their blog.

- answer the 11 questions provided by the person who nominated you.

- nominate 11 other bloggers with less than 200 followers.

- create a new set of 11 questions for your nominees to answer.

These are the question that I was asked by the lovely Tansy Pansy: 

1. What is your favourite fashion season? Spring/Summer? Autumn/Winter?
It'd a hard one, definitely a toss up between Spring and Autumn, I'm split between my love for pastels and warm cosy clothing as Autumns a good excuse to bundle up in big jumpers and scarves and resemble a snowman.
2. How long does it take you to do your makeup on a day-to-day basis? 
If I'm in a rush about 10-15 minutes, just some foundation, powder, mascara and that's me but if I have plenty of time I'll laze about and it can take half an hour, maybe more.
3. Favourite skin care product? 
I actually posted a review (link here) yesterday about my favourite skin care product at the minute.
4. Is there a novel/film/song that's changed your life or made you think differently? 
Theres more than a few that give you a change of heart afterwards, I think you just need to appreciate life, making the most out of things and to be grateful for what you have, your friends and family and most importantly your health.
5. What's your favourite high street shop? 
You can't go wrong with good old Primark, it's so handy but my all time favourite is either Topshop or New Look. Their clothes and shoes are amazing = not so good for my bank balance.
6. What item of clothing do you find yourself wearing the most? 
I bought a staple black bodycon skirt last year sometime from H&M and it's my go to skirt. It can be paired with practically anything and it's great for chucking on with some tights and ankle boots, perfect for the mornings when you want some extra minutes in bed.
7. If you had enough money to spend a day doing anything you wanted, what would you do? 
I think book all my favourite artists and just have a non stop concert, that'd definitely be a day to remember or my original plan travel the world, but I can't do that in a day unfortunately.
8. How do you beat the January blues? 
I try and save as much money as possible, have lots of pamper evenings and just spend time around family and friends - that always cheers everyone up.
9. Whats the best holiday you've ever had?
I loved going to Italy (on a school trip) it was absolutely beautiful and the weather while we were there was amazing! Aside from that I love going to Majorca/Menorca on family holidays, it always seems so peaceful compared to mainland Spain and the weather is always perfect.
10. What have you most enjoyed about blogging so far?
I haven't been blogging for that long, 18 days off and on in fact but I love discovering new blogs, talking to new people and reading other views and posts on things. It's always lovely!
AND finally as Valentines Day is fast approaching.... 11. Do you have any top tips for being single on Valentines Day!? 
A few big bars of chocolate, a bunch of movies and invite the girlies round for a movie night - just treat it like another day or else spoil yourself silly and do some retail therapy ;)

The questions I was asked by the lovely Casual Blogging: 

1.  What is the reason you started blogging? 
After discovering the world of blogging and Youtube I realised how fun it would be to get involved in something like that and with a passion for makeup and beauty I thought what could be better than starting up a blog. I'd wanted to take the first step and start one up months ago but I wasn't sure how to go about it but then I looked it all up and alas here we are.
2. Who is your biggest inspiration? (Non Beauty or Beauty related) 
I never really had a massive life changing inspirational person, I love my family and friends as they're so supportive and over the years there's always been the odd fashion inspiration but nothing major. A more recent non beauty inspiration is Demi Lovato - she's battled through so much and is such an amazing person. In a blogging aspect it'd have to be either Zoella, Louise or Tanya Burr.
3. Drugstore or high end. Your reasons. 
I like to buy high end things like most people but Drugstore wins, there's just so many new and affordable things to try out.
4. Whats your favourite go to make up look? 
I love just a natural looking base and eye makeup (sort of a my face but better look) and then adding a pop of colour on my lips, normally in the morning I don't have time for much else.
5. You're stranded on an island. Pick three celebrities to be there with you. 
Jessie J, Zac Efron and One Direction - I can't just pick one member so I'll have all five and count them as one ;)
6. What are you looking up to this year? 
I have a University tip to Cyprus which will be something different, my 20th birthday (its a massive one, goodbye teenage years), going to London, most of my friends are turning 21 at the end of the year so alot of parties and anything else exciting that happens.
7.  Where is your favourite place to write your blog? 
This isn't a hard one, either in front of the fire or on my bed. In the summer though I'll be a bit more adventurous and might start blogging from the garden.
8. Fav beauty book? Fav non beauty book? 
It would have to be Bobbi Browns Makeup Manual and the Harry Potter Series! I love them all and they're such a good read.
9. When did you start vlogging? Do you have a Youtube channel or are you willing to start one? 
I don't have a Youtube channel/vlog and I don't really know if I'd be willing to start one. I've only just started my blog so I'd like to get it sorted before venturing off, plus me being me I probably wouldn't even be able to edit the videos lol! That and I don't like my accent when it shows up on video oops.
10.  Skinny jeans or boyfriend jeans? 
Skinny jeans.
11. Tell us something about yourself.
This is my last year being a teenager (well half a year) although I look like a 15 year old so I'm going to make the most of it.

AND then the questions I was asked by the lovely Nisha Petal: 

1. Why did you start blogging? 
This is the same as question 1 above.
2. Heels or flats? 
Is it possible to have an in between, I love wearing ankle boots with a little heel? If not heels, I need all the height I can get lol!
3. Whats your favourite season? 
Summer if we get the weather that we're meant to get - I'm definately a summer baby :)
4. Which one beauty product could you not live without? 
I'd have to say mascara, my eyes look so tiny without it on and I'd be able to cope without foundation or concealer.
5. Are you an intovert or extrovert? 
Around people I don't know I'm awfully quiet but in the comfort of my friends and family I can be quite loud. I suppose it depends on the company.
7. Whats your favourite clothes store? 
Topshop by far, closely followed by Primark, Zara and New Look.
8. Favourite lipstick? 
The Kate Moss Lipsticks by Rimmel are probably my all time favourite - they're just amazing for the price that they are and there's so many lovely shades.
9. Whats your dream job?
This is something I haven't quite figured out yet but I've always got a couple of years to sort it.
10. Whats your favourite quote? 
I have loads I like but I've always thought this Harry Potter quote was a good one "happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light".
11. Your favourite cocktail? 
Sex on the Beach, yuum!

My nominees are: (in no particular order) 

1. Tiana, tianarobina.blogspot.co.uk    2. Chloe, chloesthoughtss.blogspot.com
3. Kate, themakeupdiary13.blogspot.co.nz   4. Samanta, samantamonta.blogspot.co.uk
5. Demi, Beautykiss14.blogspot.co.uk    6. Emma, faithfullyemma.blogspot.co.uk
7. Katie, thesavvystyler1.blogspot.com     8. Melissa, styleebeautyy.blogspot.co.uk
9. Amy, amygg.blogspot.com       10. Robyn, robyncaitlin.com
11. Lauren, birchiebeauty.blogspot.com

AND these are the questions for my lovely nominees: 

1. What's your favourite place to shop?
2. Who's your all time favourite blogger or Youtuber?
3. Describe yourself in 3 words.
4. Whats your ultimate styling tip?
5. What are your 5 top beauty products at the moment?
6. What is your favourite tv series or movie?
7. Chocolate or Crisps?
8. What are your 5 top non beauty products at the moment?
9. Is there anything you are looking forward to in 2014?
10. Who's your celebrity crush?
11. What do you hope to achieve by this time next year?

I hope you all enjoy doing this as much as I did. Feel free to leave a link below if you do:) Good luck! Jenny xo

Review: Shine Control Moisturiser

Over the holidays I indulged in, dare I say it far too much chocolate and sweets even for my liking and my skin really suffered as a result. I had a lot of breakouts, not massive ones but enough to knock your self confidence a little. I usually hate putting make up on my face when my skins like this and hibernate for a few days allowing my skin to breathe but not anymore.

This Shine Control Day Moisturiser from the Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel range had been collecting dust in the bottom of my drawer and on a whim I decided to see if it would make any difference to my skin and I can't believe I hadn't got round to using it sooner - it's an absolute skin saver! Its a gel like consistency and claims to lightly moisturise and care for your skin meanwhile blotting up excess oils and controlling shine. Check, check and check. It definitely does all of the above. It's perfect for everyday use and my skin has improved so much whilst using this, I've suffered from little to none breakouts and my skin just feels a lot healthier. After washing my face in the morning I apply this and for the rest of the day my skin is as soft as ever and as strange as this sounds very touchable - it just makes me want to touch my face which could possibly earn a few odd looks if I'm in public but you get the jist.

This is definitely going to be added to my skincare routine and for being so inexpensive I had doubts about it actually working but that just goes to show not all amazing products have to cost a lot. I think I'm going to have to invest in a few other products in the range to see if they work just as well as this. 

If anyone has tried any amazing skincare products lately or any from this range, please let me now? I love trying new products :) Thanks for reading, Jenny xo 

Beauty Haul

You know you have a problem when you go in to Boots to buy the Stay Matte Powder and you come out with a heck of a lot more. There's so many amazing offers across all of the brands at the minute and I couldn't help but be lured in yet again oops. 

When I walk around the drugstore I tend to forget about why I actually went in and get distracted by all of the other amazing products instead - I really should start making shopping lists. Firstly I picked up the MUA eyebrow pencil in blonde, this may seem a little odd since my hairs now been dyed brunette but strangely enough it still suits and does all an eyebrow pencil needs to do and more. I then saw a huge stand in Boots advertising the new LOreal Paris Miss Manga Mascara, this and the numerous adverts on my t.v (I'll blame them) made me pop it in my basket. My lashes are quite short so I'm always on the look out for something which will both lengthen and volumize them so here's hoping. Once I've used it a couple of times I'll be sure to post a review letting you lovely readers know whether its been a success or not.    

Also Rimmel in particular has loads of great offers on at the moment and I was able to repurchase my trusted Wake Me Up Foundation in the shade 100-Ivory as my one at present is definitely on it's way out with it being my everyday go to foundation and all. Then I popped in my basket the famous Stay Matte Powder (the one thing that I actually needed) - an essential for every makeup bag. Whilst at the stand I realised that although the foundation is one of my favourites I'd never tried the Wake Me Up Concealer and with it being £2 cheaper than normal I decided this would be a good time to, picking up the same shade as my foundation 'Ivory'. Since I was going a little concealer crazy I also picked up the MUA concealer stick in 'fair', I remember buying this months ago and I haven't a clue where it disappeared to so hopefully this one won't do the same. 

Finally I decided to purchase one of the new(ish) Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks. There was an offer in which these ever so popular lipsticks were only £4 something and when I popped in to the shops there were very little left, maybe I just picked the wrong day to go shopping. As there were so little I was only able to pick up one in the shade '180-Vintage Pink', it's the most amazing colour and it really stood out to me as a nice wearable everyday shade. I'm definitely going to purchase a few more of these and I'll be sure to write a little review when they've been tested out properly. 

So that's a couple of the things that I've picked up over the past week (I know its a lot but I got my student loan in and treated myself). Has anyone else been bought anything nice lately? Or any of the above products? Let me know :) 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo          

Vacation Time

With this being my first beauty post I thought it should be about something I could talk forever about, that being my ever growing nail polish collection. Since last year when the Sinful Colours nail polish range was introduced to Boots its been no stranger to my collection and I now own plenty of these little bottles. The colour that I wanted to talk about and probably my favourite by a long mile is Sinful Colours Vacation Time. It's a nudey/pinky toned nail polish which is suitable for all year round and is something I know I can put on my nails and it'll go with everything. It works for all skin tones and is just an all round flattering shade.

The quality is amazing and each time I've painted my nails only one coat has been needed, you'd think with only one coat that there would be loads of chipping but no. There is a huge colour range and it's quickly become one of my favourite nail polish brands within the drugstore. Each bottle holds 15ml which is a lot in terms of nail polish and with it only being £1.99 it's a right bargain and definitely a winner in my books.

The logo on the top I just thought was a nice finishing touch

I apologise for my hand looking so dodgy, the lighting was going and its awfully awkward
to take a photo of your own hand whilst trying to focus a camera, do not try at home.

If anyone has tried any other lovely colours from this range let me know? I'd love to try some that I haven't as of yet. Thanks for reading, Jenny xo  

New Year, New Me, New Blog

For months now I've been arguing with myself whether to finally start a blog and whether I have the motivation to stick to it. With the new year it seemed the perfect opportunity to give it a go.  

Originally I thought hmm let's make a beauty blog because they're the type of blogs that I'm drawn to and shamelessly spend hours reading through but every once in a while a little change up can be good. Therefore I decided that my blog isn't going to be primarily based on beauty but also events and lifestyle posts on my day to day life and the odd occasional exciting thing that happens.

This year I've decided to have a more positive outlook on everything and by doing so made some New Years resolutions. Everyone usually makes those such as 'I want to lose weight', 'give up smoking' or 'eat healthier' to name a few but by the second week of January all that motivation is out the window. As a result I've thought of a few that are realistic for me and that I shall (fingers crossed) be able to keep.

1. Find a proper skincare routine and stick to it - this is mainly due to a lack of effort on my behalf but all wrong doings will be altered in the new year. A little extra time should do the trick.

2. Another beauty related resolution of mine is to experiment with makeup looks and try new products - my usual go to makeup is natural, natural and natural with the odd bold lip and some eyeliner for a night out. Not very adventurous at all so this'll definitely be a big change for me.

3. The usual cliche, an important resolution which I'm determined to keep is exercising. I have a few holidays and trips planned already this year - one being as early as April and I want to look and feel my best. I've already set up an exercising routine which will suit me and only takes up an hour of my day. As well as this I want to start Pilates so this will help me with the whole getting fitter malarkey.

4. My camera wasn't working for the most part of 2013 and because of this its been one of those years where there's a handful of photos when there should be tonnes. Therefore this year my camera will never be out of my hands and the aim is to document everything (well maybe not everything) but most things so in a few years I can look back on them and reminisce.

5. Don't stress and be happier. This is a main one, the last few months of last year were difficult to say the least and I found myself getting wound up over little things sometimes I don't particularly want to do anymore. I've told myself to relax more and not panic so much about university work and deadlines. To do this I'm going to give myself a kick up the backside, learn to prioritize and organise myself properly and more importantly ensure no all nighters are done the night before a deadlines due. This'll definitely reduce the amount of premature wrinkles I was bound to get and will allow be more hours in bed.

6. Who knows, I might even attempt to get my Drivers License.

There's something satisfying about starting a new calendar.

Have you made any New Year resolutions? Or any that you don't think you'll stick to? 

Thanks for reading, Jenny xo