Sunday 29 July 2012

Travel minis!

After spending most the day packing for my hols tomorrow morning - ahhhh! I thought I'd share some really handy travel sized toiletries I picked up. I'm writing this the day before I leave but will schedule it to publish for when I'm away, to give you lovelies something to read still :) 

I love these little minis. It surprising how much more room in your suitcase you gain by using them - sounds obvious but hey! Boots have a really good deal on at the mo too - 3 for 2 on travel minis! I can't remember how much they all were though, sorrrry. I'll be taking other products (such as shower gel) but these are just the diddy ones!). 


I'll go left to right!

  • Sanex sensitive deodrant (yawn). 
  • I got these two little travel bottles from Boots. They were part of the 3 for 2 deal. I did get 3 of them, but I haven't found a use for the 3rd. These hold shampoo & conditioner. 
  • Another stash I got from the 3 for 2 at Boots is the next 3. I got Lee Stafford hair spray, Batiste dry shampoo & Tresemme heat defence spray. 
  • Also from Boots - Soap & Glory hand sanitizer & Clinique spot gel. In love with both!
  • The last two were from beauty boxes & will deffo come in handy! The 1st is a facial cleanser & the 2nd is sun screen. 
I also got myself a retractable kabuki brush. My kabuki brush I use on a morning is huuge, so I didn't really wanna take it with me. Plus fact, I have wanted one of these for so long! Mainly to put into my handbag through out the day & clutch on nights out. Going on holiday just gave me the excuse to buy one :) 

I went for an ecotools brush as I love all their other brushes. I did a review on an ecotools brush set I recently bought, read it here! I love how eco friendly they are, & the brushes are so soft :)




As a billy bonus I managed to get most of these for free on my Boots advantage card. God bless their card-points-thingy-majig!

Hope you are all well, I'll write millions more posts when I'm back :)

Jen xox

Thursday 26 July 2012

Empties | #1

Empties posts are everrrrywhere. & I don't know why, but I find myself reading each & every one of them! So, I figured I'd do my own :) I think it's a great way to review products - because you've actually used them. So you can give a real good slice of your opinion. It also drives me to use up products that are on there way out & just taking up space!

I don't think I'll do monthly empties posts, as I doubt I'll use up as many as some other bloggers do. So I'll just wait until I have a good amount. Saying that, my first empties post will be a little bare. I only have 5 products for you, but I am trying to write a couple of posts that I can schedule to publish whilst I'm on holiday. So if you're reading this, I'm in New York (yayyyy!). 

Sorry for the pants quality!


  • Cupcake fresh face mask by Lush. I love love this! As I do most Lush products... This face mask worked wonders in mopping up any excess oil on my face. It left my skin feeling amazing & so smooth. I don't have particularly oily skin, but if you do then I'd definitely invest! If you like chocolatey smells, you'll love this too. Would I repurchase? Yes, but I think I'll try some of their other fresh face masks first. 
  • Rose lavender hand N nail repair creme by Sasy n Savy. I got this little 5ml sample from Latest In Beauty. I didn't use it on my hands, just as an intense cuticle moisturiser. I love this & took it everywhere with me. It really improved the quality of my nails & since I've stopped using it I can really tell. Would I repurchase? Definitely.
  • Rehydrating rose daily moisture by Neal's Yard Remedies. I'm afraid I don't really have much positive to say about this product. I'm not a massive fan of rose scent in general, I much prefer body butters as opposed to lotions like this, & also I think I was massively allergic to this. I can't be sure it was this moisturiser but my arms & legs were so irritated whilst I was using this product. Would I repurchase? Sorry Neal, no. 
  • Shower scrub by Gorgeous by Gok. This product came in a great little Gok Wan gift set I had for Christmas. It has a nice scent & the beads inside the scrub are of a nice size. It worked great as a scrub & left my skin feeling really smooth. Would I repurchase? Maybe, but I don't think it matches up to Soap & Glory scrubs.
  • Split remedy by TRESemme. As well as the cuticle cream, I received 6 sachets of TRESemme hair products from Latest in Beauty - 2 x shampoo, 2 x conditioner & 2 x leave in treatment. I've used them all up, but didn't want to keep all of the sachets. Although the shampoo & conditioner were nice, I couldn't really tell a difference after just 2 uses of each. The leave in treatment however was lush! It left my hair feeling so soft & hydrated. I'm always a little weary of leave in treatments, but it wasn't too heavy & left no greasy residue. Would I repurchase? Yes.
I hope I didn't do too badly at my first empties post. Lemme know if you've used any of these products but have a different opinion. Or, if you have found even better products!

Jen xox

Monday 23 July 2012

My Graduation :)

My graduation was last Thurs (19th) & I had THE BEST day ever! I was so sad for it to end.

Here's a brief overview of how the day went... I was invited to attend a prize winners ceremony in the morning, where I received my membership to the Institute of Biomedical Science, then the actual ceremony on the afternoon where I received my diploma. To top of the day my guests & I went for a gorgeous gorgeous meal in Lasan restaurant, Birmingham.

The day was quite tiring, but it was so much fun seeing everybody again & finally receiving those certificates! The free champagne throughout the day helped too ;)

I thought I'd show you the outfit I wore on the day & some of the amazing gifts my lovely family got me.



My dress is actually my Mom's, haha, but it's from Dorothy Perkins. My belt is from River Island & my shoes are New Look :) 

My family were so so generous on the day, bless them. I woke up to banners & balloons around the house, & loads of congrats cards. As a well done my parents also bought me a Michael Kors watch(!!!!).






Ahhhhh, isn't it gorgeous!? I never want to take it off!! The bracelet in my picture above was given to me by a friend who recently came back from Thailand :)


My Nan & Aunty bought me a mortar board Pandora charm. I love it, it's sooo cute!!



Definitely made some good memories that day :D Have any of you guys graduated recently? How did it go?

Jen xox

Saturday 21 July 2012

DIY | Cutie little sock animals

This post is completely unrelated to beauty, but I figured as I want it be a lifestyle blog too I'm allowed ;)

For Christmas, 2010 I received a secret santa pressie on how to make a sock monkey from 2 pink stripey socks. I made the little monkey & he sits on top of the TV in my bedroom :)

The story goes on... When I 1st finished uni (back in May) I was a little unsure with what to do with my time; when I wasn't job searching & unpacking! So, on a bored evening I decided to make another sock animal. Unfortunately I couldn't find the original guidelines, but I had a search on good old Google & decided to make an elephant.  


Here are some pics! I know they aren't perfect & the stitching is visible, but this was the look I was going for. I think it makes them look so cute! Also, these are my first attempts. 





So lemme know what you think! & if you want me to do a guideline on one of them just say down below :D

Jen xox

Wednesday 18 July 2012

Cheap ecoTools brushes

For the life of me I can't remember who's blog I saw a review on these brushes! (Sorrrry, who ever it was!). But anyway, I read the review & followed the link to this amazing bargain :) & everybody loves a good bargain. 

EcoTools are an earth-friendly beauty brand that have amazing brushes. This little set below was bought on eBay for a tiny tiny £3.98!! They did take aggges to be delivered, but they are definitely worth it. Here's the link if you wanna get them too. & just for the record, this exact set would set you back £15.99 in Boots. 




Aren't they gorgeous :) Ahhhhh. I love how eco-friendly they are! The handle's are made from bamboo; which therefore has a low impact on the earth's resources, because it's a highly sustainable plant - don't you know, haha! The bristles are synthetic taklon & 100% cruelty free. Also, reaaaaaaaally soft! & last, but not least, the sleek ferrule is made from recycled aluminium. So, they are just a bundle of loveliness! 


 I was really pleased as well that they came in this cosmetic brush roll. It has came at just the right time with me going on holiday next week :) & you guessed it! The brush roll is eco-friendly too. It's made from natural cotton & hemp.


I've told you about what the brushes are made from, but for any beginners or those new to make-up brushes (like myself!) I'll explain what they can each be used for :) I'll go from left to right on the pic.
  • Eye shading brush - this brush has a rounded top, which gives it a multi-purpose for the eyes. It can be used to apply an all over base & also to apply colour to the crease, not forgetting that all important blending!
  • Concealer brush - again, this brush has a rounded top which is quite pointy. The point is great for accuracy when applying concealer, but the rounded side make it also makes it easy to apply to larger areas.
  • Eyeliner brush - this brush is an angled brush, which I have wanted for agesss. I think it might be a little to thick to apply my gel eyeliner, but I've wanted one for precision on a smokey eye & also for filling in my brows.
  • Lash & brow groomer - I already have one of these, & I use it everrry day! It's quite old tho, so I'm happy to replace it. The brush side is used for the brows & maintaining a nice natural shape, whilst the comb side is to seperate the lashes after or before applying mascara. 
  • Blush brush - this brush is lovely, so much nicer then any of my other blush brushes. It's a large rounded brush used to apply blush over the cheek bones.
I hope you liked my review! & if you are new to brushes, or just want more, I'd highly recommend this 6 piece set. Especially for the amazing prize (link at the top of this post). Can't wait to take them on my travels with me :D

Jen xox

Monday 16 July 2012

Liebster Blog Award!

I always always read these Liebster blog award posts on other peoples bubbles, so I'm v. chuffed to be given my own :D I think the Liebster blog award is a fab idea! It's only given to blogs with less than 200 followers; so it gives us little 'uns a chance to get noticed too.

I was nominated by Lisamello - go check her blog out!!


So, what do I have to do? List 11 facts about myself, answer 11 questions asked by Lisamello & ask 11 questions to the people I nominate. Here are the rules, to be exact -

Rules

  1. You must link back to the person who gave the award to you!
  2. Post 11 things about yourself. 
  3. Answer the questions asked by the person who nominated you.
  4. Create 11 questions for the people who you nominate to answer.
  5. Choose people to give the award to, and link them in your post.
  6. Go to their blog and tell them.
  7. You can't give the award back to the blogger who gave it to you. 

So here goes...

11 facts about moi!

  1. I currently live with my parents & younger sister. Saving my pennies though, & will hopefully get an apartment with the boyf!
  2. I talk to myself.
  3. I have 2 doggies & 2 cats. I'm allergic to all of them, but I love them wayyy too much. Sad face.
  4. I fancied my boyfriend since college, for 5 whole years, before he finally asked me out. Aww. 
  5. I have lots & lots of gay/lesbian friends. One might call me a 'fag hag'.
  6. I was born in Germany, but am 100% British. 
  7. I use to attend a performing arts group. I've performed in places such as the Royal Albert Hall & Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London, as well as in Manchester & Worcester. 
  8. I got my 3000m swimming badge on my 12th b'day. 
  9. I so organised & tidy, I think it might border onto OCD.
  10. My DVD collection is absolutely shocking. It contains films such as Bring It On, Bratz, Lizzie McGuire, The Simple Life, Crossroads, etc. Boyfriends love it, naaaaaaat.
  11. I like the colour pink more then the average 7 year old girl. 
11 questions I have to answer
  1. What did you want to be when you grew up? I always wanted to be an air hostess when I was younger, for one of the fancy pancy air lines. I still think it's a fab job, just not v. practical. 
  2. What item of clothing (or shoes) is at the top of your wishlist? Hmm, this is hard. The weather has been so crappy & unpredictable here in the UK so I haven't bought any new clothes in an ageee. I guess, if there were no money boundaries, I'd say a gorgeous pair of classic Christain Louboutins <3
  3. What feature do you like to read on blogs? My favourites are tutorials on nail art & designs, I love trying them out for my self :) I also love haul posts, make-up storage (I don't know why :/) & reading reviews on products I'm thinking of buying.
  4. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Now, if we are talking image, I would say I'd like to be slimmer or have really thick, long hair. Or personality trait? I'd be less sensitive. Buttt, I am who I am!
  5. What's your best beauty tip? I'm a bit of a newbie to all this, so I'm probably not the best person to give out tips. The tips I'm gonna say are pretty basic, but I think they're a must! You must must must take off your make up before going to sleep. This sounds obvious but the amount of people who don't is pretty grim! Also, I think even if you aren't a make-up kinda gal mascara is still an essential. I don't know about you guys but without mascara I look dead! & the last one is eyebrows. Eyebrows can make such a difference to a persons face. I don't actually fill my eyebrows in, but I find even by keeping them maintained & just giving them a brush in the right direction makes a massive change to my appearance & really frames my face.
  6. Where would you go on holiday if money wasn't an issue?  I'd go to the Maldives, no doubt! Ahhh, dream. 
  7. What celebrity would you love to meet? I'm gonna have to say Britney Spears, just for my childhood sake!
  8. What was one of the 1st blogs you started to read/follow? I think I first found beauty blogging after watching a few videos on YouTube. One of the first people I subscribed too, & then went on to read her blog was Zoella.
  9. What made you start blogging? Well as I said above, I started following peoples blogs after I'd seen various beauty channels on YouTube. A mixture of enjoying reading their blogs & wanting something to occupy my time at uni (when I wasn't in lectures or drunkly with my face in the loo! Mmm..) made me start my own little bubble :)  
  10. Do you prefer books or films? It's films for me. I find it realllly hard to get into books, which is a shame, so yeah I guess films. Also, I love the whole cinema experience!
  11. If you could have any super hero power, what would it be? Ooo, good one. At uni I always, always wanted Bernard's watch (from the TV series), remember that?! Omg, how helpful that would be. Buttt, that isn't a super power. So, I'm gonna say the power to fly. I'd casually fly myself out to different countries on the weekend. Nice.
So, there we have it. My Liebster blog award post :) I'm gonna copy Lisamello & nominate 3 fellow bloggers for the award. I nominate The Wallflower (amaaazing DIY posts!), L'amour Josie (great product reviews) & Helen Rambles On (more great product reviews!). Be sure to check out their blogs :)

Here are the questions you have to answer...
  1. What's your favourite high street make-up brand?
  2. What is your main goal for 2012?
  3. Who is your girl crush?
  4. Describe your style. 
  5. Why did you start blogging?
  6. Where would you go for your dream holiday?
  7. Cats or dogs?
  8. Au natural or made up?
  9. Which beauty product do you repurchase without fail?
  10. Do you have any jewellery you wear everyday?
  11. What is your favourite foundation?
Jen xox

P.S I'm sorry for the lack of beauty posts lately. I've been a busy bee! I have a job interview tomorrow (arghh) & then my graduation on Thursday. Hopefully I'll get round to writing a beauty post some time soon.  

Saturday 14 July 2012

18 presents for 18 years!

Unfortunately for my parents July is going to be a veryyy  expensive month! My sister turns 18 on the 14th & I turn 21 on the 22nd. My sister & I have been very very lucky & for our birthdays our parents are taking us to New York & San Francisco over a period of 8 days! How good is that?! I can't explain how excited I am (mainly for the food & shopping!).

But anyways, my sister said a few weeks back that she was going to buy me 21 presents, so obviously to return the favour (& because it's fun, haha) I am gonna get her 18 presents! Clever, huh?


I'm writing this post before her birthday but I can't publish it untill the 14th July because she follows my blog & would most likely see it! I can't wait to give her them :) I love buying people presents! So, me & my sister are like chalk & cheese - we are nothing alike! But I think I have captured my sisters personality quite well with the presents I've bought. They aren't all beauty products but I thought I'd still share, as I loved buying them all :D





  1. Casual River Island tee.
  2. Some lovely nautical blue & white pumps from River Island.
  3. A bar of cookie & cream Hershey's.
  4. A badge that says 'I heart boobs' (my sister bats for the other team ;)
  5. Coca-Cola flavoured Lipsmaker from Topshop.
  6. The pink thing came pre-wrapped. But it's a pretty decorative sign with a quote written on it about having no regrets :)

  7. A very hungry caterpillar bookmark. Fond memory from our childhood. The very hungry caterpillar that is, not bookmarks...
  8. Dark angels fresh facial cleanser from the ever so lush Lush
  9. A bubblegum flavoured lip scrub also from Lush
  10. 3 pairs of Topshop's girly boxers
  11. A 7mm wooden ear stretcher


  12. A White Stripes book
  13. Another White Stripes book. Repetitive but she loves 'um :)
  14. 3 Cath Kidson hand creams in wild rose, bluebell & honeysuckle.
  15. Maybelline make-up. Silk glam eyeshadow in coral drama, a blush in golden bronze & superstay 24hr concealer in light.
  16. Rimmel polish in chic & cheerful.
  17. I think I got a little excited & wrapped a present before taking a photo. But I also got some really pretty bracelets from River Island.

The most expensive gift of the 18 was a Thomas Sabo skull charm. I just love all the packaging so wanted to show you separately :)


How cute are the Thomas Sabo gumy bears?!

& that's that! I really hope she likes them. Can't wait to give her them :) 

Happy 18th little sis!

xox

Friday 13 July 2012

10 day you challenge | 1 picture


Ahh, the last day of the 10 day challenge! I quite enjoyed writing these posts, & talking about something other than make-up & nails! I hope you enjoyed reading them too :D

So, the last day is one picture of yourself. The picture I've chosen isn't just of me. I picked one of the professional photos taken at the start of my graduation ball. Unfortunately not all my uni pals are in this but I love it, such a good night! :) (Just for the record - I'm 2nd in from the left!).



Aww :)

Jen xox

Thursday 12 July 2012

10 day you challenge | 2 songs



This is soo hard. My fave songs change all the time, & I don't have an all time fave. Hmmmm...

  1. At the mo I think my fave is 212 by Azealia Banks. I love how naughty it is! & it reminds me of the girls at uni & our dutty grinding haha!
  2. I'm quite liking Nicki Minaj at the mo. I really wanted to go see her in Birmingham but I'm so poor, boo! It's cheating, cause I'm not saying a specific song, but Minaj!
Only 1 left!

Jen xox

Wednesday 11 July 2012

10 day you challenge | 3 films


Hmm it's quite hard to chose just 3 films. When I'm put on the spot my mind goes blank! So, I'll chose 3 that spring to mind.

  1. Dead Man's Shoes. This film is amazzzzing. Highly recommend it. I love English thrillers like this, & Paddy Considine is amazing in it. There is, however, one thing I HATE about the film - the gas masks!  
  2. Harry Brown. I'd say this film was in the same genre as Dead Man's Shoes. Basically - english, bit gangster, people get killed. Sorted. I love this film because Plan B & Michael Caine star in it! 
  3. I'll go for a different type of film now... BRING IT ON! My all time favourite film whilst I was growing up. I use to (/still am) obsessed with cheerleading, dancing, all things girly etc. I could quote you this film, chants & all, word for word. Loserrr. 
Jen xox

Tuesday 10 July 2012

10 day you challenge | 4 books


Only 4 to go! Today is 4 books. This will be a little harder for me, as I'm not much of a book worm.

  1. 50 Shades of Grey. This book is absolutely everywhere! When I heard the hype I went on the search for it at my local shopping centre, but absolutely everywhere had sold out. This just made me even me curious, so I bought an electronic copy on my phone. Currently on chapter 6 - so far so good!
  2. The  Intimate Diaries of a London Call Girl. I've read all of the books (3 I believe) & just love them! I thought the TV series was great too. 
  3. Jacqueline Wilson. When I was younger I was obsessed with her books! I had so many, 2 of them were signed as well. 
  4. Glamour. It definitely isn't a book, but it's the only other thing I'd read haha.
Hmm, they're the very best I could think of. Have any of you girls given into the Christian Grey hype?

Jen xox

NOTD | Pink & Brown dots

This is my 1st design using dots, so it looks a little messy. But ya gotta start somewhere!

So I started off with a base coat to prevent any staining to my nails. Using OPIs over the taupe & Rimmels portobella pink I applied two coats of base colour. On my left hand I did pink on most nails, with taupe on my accent nail, & vice versa for my right hand. 





My pink polish is a little old now & has started to get a little gloopy, which makes it really difficult to apply a nice coat. So I added a couple drops of nail varnish remover that contains acetone, give it a good shake & voila! It isn't as good as new, but definitely easier to apply. 

I then painted the opposite colour onto each nail, covering half of the surface. For example... I painted over half of the pink nails with taupe. For the dots I filled down the pointed end of a wooden cuticle pusher. Creating a flat circular surface. The picture is a bit blurry, but you get the jist!


I then placed the brushes of the two polishes upside down, out side of their pots. Using the filled point I picked up polish from the brush & dotted it onto my nails (again using the opposite colour to the base colour). & that is pretty much it!


To finish of I applied a top coat of Sally Hansen's instra-dri. The design isn't amazing, but I'm trying to practice different techniques, with the use of different materials. You can tell by the pictures that I'm also practising getting the quality of my right hand the same as my left! Haha.



What do you think? :) Jen xox

Monday 9 July 2012

Balance Me freebies!


Glamour are on a roll, girls! As if last month's edition wasn't good enough with the free Benefit primer/highlighter/mascara goodies, they have yet another freebie this month too.

This months edition, it says August on the mag cover (I never understood this?!), comes with a free Balance Me product. The products to chose from include the balancing face moisturiser (worth £11), wonder eye cream (worth £11), pure skin face wash (also worth £11) & intensive lip salve (worth £12). When Glamour costs only £2 I'd say this is a damn good investment! Glamour makes for a good read too ;)

I skipped along (or walked) to Tesco yesterday & they had only the moisturiser & lip salve left in stock. Buttt, as I don't currently have any facial moisturiser & I'm trying to find my skin care routine, I opted for the moisturiser - which is a nice 20ml deluxe sample.

The moisturiser , from their daily essentials range, is aimed at normal to combination skin & claims to smooth, calm & hydrate. Facial moisturising also prevents any visible signs of ageing. Although I am only 20 & don't have any wrinkles just yet, but prevention is better than cure, right? So what does it contain? Soothing spruce knot, anti-oxidant rich moringa, meadowfoam oils, skin-brightening bergamot & balancing neroili. I'm not gonna lie, I have no idea what any of these are, but they sound good don't they?! 




It is made from 99% natural products. You can tell this from it's fragrance - although it isn't an unpleasant smell, you can tell there are no added scents. Another bonus is that the products are produced in the UK - I am all for this! 

I used it this morning, for the first time, after rinsing off a face mask. I know that from 1 use I'm not going to see any dramatic differences, but my skin definitely feels smoother & hydrated!

Have you guys used any of the other freebies?

Jen xox

10 day you challenge | 5 foods


This is so easy for me. The only food in the world I won't eat is baked beans. Urghh!

  1. Yo! Sushi. I love love love this place! All my troubles disappear & a smile is on my face when I walk through these doors, haha. I love the concept with the conveyor belt, I love trying their different dishes. The only thing  don't love is the hefty bill!
  2. Momma's chicken & broccoli bake. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
  3. Pizza. Everybody loves pizza!
  4. Wagamama. Oooh their katsu curry. Dream.
  5. Sea food/shell fish. Calamari, muscles, cockles, prawns + 100s & 100s more!
My mouth is watering now. Thank God it's dinner time!

Jen xox

Sunday 8 July 2012

My 1st OPIs!

Call me sad, but I am now a very happy owner of 2 OPIs! :D

I love love love painting my nails, I've been doing it so often lately! Since creating this blog, & following many others, I have became a lot more familiar with various products & their quality. I had heard of OPI before entering the blogging world, but I was simply happy with my Rimmel & Topshop collections. I apologise Rimmel & Topy - I still love you & will use you, but you just aren't enough any more!

So I went on a hunt for OPI! They aren't sold in places like Boots or Superdrug; only salons, hairdressers etc. I found a few places that stocked OPI but, with my disappearing bank allowance, I wasn't willing to pay £10+ for a bottle of nail varnish. Then I realised my cousin has access to a local beauty warehouse (because she is a hairdresser!) & I'd heard that they sell OPI there.

With the beauty warehouse card at the ready I set off! The day I went happened to be a VAT free sale, bonus! So the OPI polishes were being sold at £4.90!! As well as this the store its self does a buy 4 get 1 free. I was in heaven. The colour range is absolutely amazing! & I love all of their random names. I picked out 6(!) nail polishes in total. My boyfriend paid for 4 of them (for my birthday) & I bought 2 - there was no way I could wait until my birthday without owning my own!

So here are the two I bought...


Just spotted the lizard & over the taupe.

I absolutely love them & I can definitely see what all the hype is about. The formula is of the best I've ever used. It's quite a thin polish, so is really easy to apply & doesn't get messy/clumpy at all. To keep the formula at its best there are 2 silver balls in each polish. I love this, because I always find my polishes get old & gloopy, so a good shake before every use will prevent this. The only down side to the thin formula, if it even is a down side, is that you need to apply 2, maybe 3 coats to cover the visible nail line. I love painting my nails though so I'm fine with this! The thinner formula also means that they dry quite quickly; in comparison to thicker polishes like Barry M, which take an age to dry! Another thing I love is the massive brush handles. Because they're quite large they are really easy to get a grip of, making application easy & more precise (no hand cramp too!).

Just spotted the lizard
 Just spotted the lizard is from OPIs amazing spiderman collection. I think it's a gorgeous, unusual colour; with undertones of gold & green. It's also a dupe of the infamous Chanel's peridot polish, but for a much cheaper price! I'm currently wearing this :)
Over the taupe
Over the taupe isn't the most exciting colour, but I've been wanting to try a brown/grey tone for a while. Also, I thought this shade would be perfect for my graduation later this month.

So there you have it, my overenthusiastic OPI post! What are you favourite OPI shades?

Jen xox

10 day you challenge | 6 places



So, I'm half way through the 10 day you challenge! Today is 6 places.

  1. Nottingham. Where I went to uni & had the most amazing 3 years of my life. The best nights I'll never remember with people I'll never forget!
  2. New York & San Francisco. This month I turn 21 & my sister turns 18! Big birthdays :D So my lovely parents are taking us away to the US for a joint birthday present. We fly on the 24th this month. How lucky are we?! I can't wait.
  3. Yorkshire. Where I 1st met my lovely boyfriend. It was about 5 years ago now, on a college field trip.  We didn't get together there & then, but obviously are now :) 
  4. Stourbridge. The place I call home!
  5. Germany. Where I was born & spent the 1st 3 years of my life.
  6. Cornwall. Where my parents, my sister & our dogs would go every summer for a holiday at the same caravan park. Good memories :) 
Aww that was nice, haha. Jen xox

Saturday 7 July 2012

50 followers!

Aahhh I am so chuffed!! My little blog has reached 50 followers :D

I set my blog up on 12th may (so nearly 2 months ago) with no expectations at all! I initially set it up because I enjoyed reading other beauty blogs, & to save my boredom during revision period. I didn't think people would actually be interested in my little rambles. So thanks to all my lovely followers, I really do hope you enjoy reading! 


50 followers also means a future giveaway!! I have never done a giveaway before, but I always enter them so I thought it's only fair :) I'm hoping to do a giveaway when/if I reach 100 followers. So look out for that :) 


I don't like posts without pictures so I'm gonna leave you with the cutest little picture of how I'm feeling today! ...I may have gone out last night & drank a little too much. Maybe. 


AWWWWWW! - courtesy  of Google!
Jen xox

10 day you challenge | 7 wants

Oooh, 7 wants - this will be easy!

  1. I want my own little apartment with my boyfriend now I've finished uni. Unfortunately this won't be for a while yet.
  2. I want somebody to give me a driving licence, haha. Maybe this isn't very safe though..?
  3. I want the wholeeeee of the OPI collection!
  4. I want to win the lottery!! I'd love to pay off my parents mortgage, help out my boyfriend & treat everybody to a holiday. Ahhh, if only...
  5. I want a job that I love, pays wells & puts my degree to good use.
  6. I want lots more lovely followers for my little blog haha. 
  7. I want to be happy & feel confident with my body. 
  8. I want to get drunk tonight ;) 
Jen xox

Friday 6 July 2012

10 day you challenge | 8 fears


Today is 8 fears. Not the greatest thing to write about, but still! Here we go...

  1. I hate hate hate gas masks & the air raid siren. They make me wanna run in the opposite direction!
  2. I had a lot of trouble with a group of friends last year. & I fear that things will never change. 
  3. Just like everybody else I fear any harm to my lovely loved ones. 
  4. I'm nervous that I'll hate my daily routine once I get a job as a scientist. I am way too blonde to be a scientist!!?
  5. I fear I'll always be allergic to dogs, cats, dust & that I'll always have impaired smell/taste & breathing! Arghhhhhhhhhhh.
  6. I'm scared I won't be able to have babies. I have no issues or problems, but that would be awful wouldn't it?!
  7. I'm scared of scary movies! Especially watching them on an evening or when my parents are away etc. Haha, whimp!
  8. I'M SCARED I'M GONNA FALL OVER AT MY GRADUATION IN TWO WEEKS!
Lovely jubbly, 

Jen xox

Thursday 5 July 2012

10 day you challenge | 9 loves


The 2nd day of the challenge is 9 loves. These will be so easy to decide & lovely to write!

  1. I love my little blog! It's still really new to me, so I still don't really know what I'm doing haha. But I am soo chuffed that people follow me & actually read what I have to say. It also keeps me sane when I'm bored too! 
  2. I love love love my boyfriend, Scott. We have been together just under a year & a half. If I were to write down everything I wanted in a man, he has them all! & he helped me through sooo much last year. Can't thank him enough :)
  3. This is a given, but I love my family. I have such a big family - so many aunts, uncles & cousins. They are all really easy going & are always up for a laugh. I also get on really well with my Mom & Dad, & couldn't be without them!
  4. My doggies!! I love dogs soooo much, but unfortunately I'm allergic to them :( It doesn't stop me from loving them tho. I'm currently in the process of finding medication that works for me. Fingers crossed - I reaaaaally want a fat little bulldog when I have my own place!
  5. My uni girls. These girls mean everything to me. I'm so sad I don't live with them any more, but it definitely isn't the end. We already have plans in August to visit each others home towns :)
  6. I love food! Soo much, too much maybe. 
  7. Retail therapy. There is nothing better than treating yourself to a little something every now & again. My favourite retail therapy has to be beauty products, casual clothes & bags!
  8. My little part time job. I work in a bar every now & again when they need extra staff on special occasions, or need me to cover somebody. It's a gay friendly bar/club on my local high street. I absolutely love all the people I work with, including the managers, & think bar work is so much fun. It's also really funny to hear the various chat-up lines!
  9. My last love is new experiences. I really love doing different things, going new places, trying new foods, etc. I will try anything once!
Join in on the challenge & leave a comment below. I'll be sure to check yours out :) 

Jen xox


Wednesday 4 July 2012

NOTD | Colourful tips

As you can see from the end result, I love playing about with my nails! Even if they do look a little child-like :P & with the weather as it is, I need some bright colours in my summer days!

So I began by painting a clear base coat to prevent any staining on my natural nails. I really recommend applying base coats - stained really are ugggly. I then applied two coats of Barry M's mint green to each nail. After they are bone dry I used masking tape as a stencil guide, & aligned where I wanted the coloured tips to start. I then painted the tip of each nail a different colour. The colours I used are -

  • Barry M's matt white
  • Rimmel's tangerine queen
  • Rimmel's funtime fuschia
  • Rimmel's blue eyed blue 
  • Rimmel's rapid ruby
Once I'd finished painting the tips I peeled off the masking tape & applied 2 top coats to each nail of Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri. & ta-da! Done :)




Jen xox