Manicure Monday

This week seems to have gotten colder again with a few snow flurries so I thought I would paint my nails in a bright summer shade to make me feel better - and it did the trick! Although its made me really want summer and warmer weather to hurry up.

This Monday I am wearing one of my newest shades from Topshop called 'The Green Room'. It isn't really a green shade, but more of a turquoise/blue. Either way I think its gorgeous and will go really well with some of my summer outfits and bikinis.

The one thing I dislike about Topshop nail polishes is that they don't seem to last too long and I find myself having to properly paint my nails. Meaning I have to add a basecoat as well as a topcoat. I know you should do this every time you apply polish to stop your nails from staining, but sometimes I don't have the time! Anyway apart from that the colours are amazing and I love them!

New Nail Polish Haul

Today I went shopping in Windsor with my mum on a mission to get a few things - new jeans, a new dress, Real Techniques brushes and some new nail polish!

After having a girly night in chatting, watching a film and painting our nails, I realised that among the hundreds of polishes I own, there was nothing that jumped out at me to use. I was tempted to apply a glitter polish but then decided I couldn't deal with the hassle of taking it off...

So whilst in Boots this afternoon (where I probably spent my entire life savings!) I brought five new polishes. I gave in to the Essie Fiji trend and brought myself one along with the Essie No Chips Ahead topcoat. I also got a Mavala polish in Freshy. Also following the trend, I got myself the Barry M Gelly Hi Shine polish in Blueberry (the gorgeous lavender/blue shade everyone is wearing) and as there was a discount on I also got Prickly Pear with is a gorgeous lavender Gelly Hi Shine colour.

Fiji by Essie

No Chips Ahead Top Coat by Essie

Freshy by Mavala 

Blueberry by Barry M

Prickly Pear by Barry M

I also got the Real Techniques Core Collection brush set and was dragged out after I had picked up a few essentials such as face wipes, polish remover, shampoo etc. Make sure you check back for my Core Collection review coming soon!

So I know I have already posted today, but seeing as due to the amount of work I have had to do lately I haven't been posting every day I thought I would post something quick.

On my 'Contact Me' page I have mentioned that I have a Bloglovin' account that allows all my readers to follow me so that they are kept up to date with all my posts.

The web address to follow me is: http://www.bloglovin.com/jessie or you could click on the 'Follow me on Bloglovin' button on the side bar.

It would mean so much to me if everyone that reads my blog would follow me on this. I have had so many readers from around the globe, the US, Sweden, Denmark and so many others!

Thank you all for reading my blog and I hope you continue to :-)

10 Shades of Red, Pink and Brown...

As I was clearing through my makeup collection, tidying and cleaning through all my products and taking some snaps to use in future blog posts, I came across my lip draw and saw many of my favourite lip colours.

In my Fashion Week post, I commented on someones beautiful pink lip teamed with nude makeup. A pink lip is my go-to gem. It can add a spot of glamour and elegance to any outfit and can be teamed with virtually anything.

So, in clearing out and sorting through all my make up bits and bobs I compiled my top 10 lipsticks in the red/pink/brown shades category. Here is what I came up with...

The lipsticks left to right are:

Rimmel Lasting Colour, number 12, Valentine

No.7 Moisture Drenching, number 55, Pink Crush

No.7 Stay Perfect, Classic Rose

Shiseido, Perfect Rouge

Estee Lauder, number 06,Lush Rose

Barry M, number 52

Barry M, number 155

Estee Lauder, number 161, Pink Parfait

No.7 Moisture Drenching, number 75, Sugar Plum

Benefit, Thrillin' Brazillian

I like my lipsticks to look glossy as I find adding a gloss over the top of a lipstick can look heavy, make your lips sticky and on me, I find they come off quicker. 

For the Rimmel lipstick, this is slightly too gloss for my liking, and so I tend to blot it on a tissue after applying and wear a red lip liner underneath to give the lipstick something to stick too.

I tend to rarely wear 'brown' coloured lipstick, however, the Benefit lipstick is more tan and looks great with neutral make up on holiday when you have a bronzed glow.

You may wonder why I haven't featured any Mac lipsticks in my collection. If I was going to do a list including Mac then the whole list would be by Mac! I felt that some of these shades are similar to Mac colours and so gave a fresh alternative to the Mac colours people tend to show. I am thinking of doing a Mac lipgloss collection though because I seem to have thousands of them all over the place!

A bright lip is certainly one of my favourite things to wear and I prefer wearing bright lipstick to a heavy smokey eye. It can add colour to a monochrome or dark outfit and lights up your face.

I can't wait for spring and summer to arrive as then I can wear even more bright lips!

London Fashion Week

Today I went to London Fashion Week 2013! Today was the last day and there was such a buzz in and around Sommerset House which is where the main event happens. This year, Manolo Blahnik designed the backdrop for Fashion Week. Inside the 'Little Black Book' which contains all the details for press and buyers at LFW, Blahnik says 'English women and their style inspire me tremendously. [The] series of drawings represents some of the figures [he] adores...'.

Being in and around Sommerset House Courtyard Show Space provided me with excellent views of the fashion famous, press, bloggers, buyers and general public which had turned out in their masses. If you have never been to LFW, then it is a great place for people watching with its numerous eateries and coffee shops. You will find many of the fashion elite sitting chatting over a coffee and press and buyers roaming the cobbles of the courtyard. I lost count the number of times I walked around, snapping away at anything and everything that caught my imagination. Everyone is carrying a camera or a piece of recording equipment and wandering up to strangers asking to photograph their fur coat (of which there were lots of in an array of colours) or their studded Louboutins (of which I saw many).

All of the subjects of my photos remain anonymous, letting their personal style shine through. This one buyer caught my attention with her immaculate, bare minimum make up with pink lip and white fur coat.

As for the rest of the people I snapped away at, they have mainly been caught on my camera for their original and unique style or individuality. Colour is definitely going to be big this autumn/winter and these fashion goers prove just that...

I love her pearl headress and denim/fur combo - an off duty style winner for me.

Original, with a hint of colour. I love his man (clutch) bag, although he was brave to wear shorts today - it was cold when you were out of the sun!

I love her acrylic Chanel 'dripping' earrings and her studded shoulder blazer. Striped jeans were everywhere today and LFW darling Cara Delevingne has been seen leaving shows wearing some herself!

So there are just a very small selection of some of my favourite snaps of today. My first LFW experience was amazing and I will certainly be back in September for more fashion goodness.

I would like to thank everyone who allowed me to photograph them today and talked to me about what they were wearing and their thoughts on London Fashion Week.

Manicure Monday

So I'm going to try and start a new 'thing' on my blog. You may of seen these on other people's blogs, but I am going to start my own 'Manicure Monday'.

Seeing as I am going to London Fashion Week tomorrow (I am so excited!) I thought I would give myself a DIY nail treatment. There won't be as many steps every time, but seeing as I went to town a bit there's a bit more included!

First of all I applied Badger's Cuticle Care oil to my nails so that my cuticles would soften and I would be able to push them back. You can get many different types of cuticle oils but this smells gorgeous and the tin is really cute! Just look in your local drugstore to find one.

Next I pushed back my cuticles using a metal pointed file and trimmed using a pair of nail scissors and then covered my nails in the cuticle oil again before wrapping them in foil. You don't need special foil for this, kitchen foil works great and is what I used. The aim of wrapping your nails in the foil is to lock in the moisture from the oil, softening the cuticle and nail bed.

I let that soak in for ten minutes (this is where I will point out I did all this whilst watching Crazy Stupid Love with Ryan Gosling in!). After that was done, I filed and buffed my nails using a four way buffer. Usually I hate these things because I'm in a rush and don't have time to do it properly. However, today I sat and concentrated and it actually worked really well and I was impressed with the results. Mine is from Models Own, but the Boots and Superdrug own brand ones work just as well!

Then I applied my Mavala Scientifique Penetrating Nail Hardener. This is a new product I am trying out because I have really weak nails so I though I would give this a go. So far its really good and it soaks into the nail after you have applied it which I didn't realise at first! You are supposed to apply one to two coats per week due to the strength of the product, so I'm hoping it will work well!

Finally, I applied my nail colour! Usually I'm a Nails Inc. or Topshop polish girl, but when I went to the Clothes Show Live in December, I got a Rimmel make up gift and it contained three polishes. I fell in love with two of them and gave the glitter one to my sister. The colour I am wearing is 416 Night Flight and is a deep purple. For tomorrow, I wanted to have really dark nails so I have applied two to three coats to give me a deep, dark purple but not so dark its black.

I added a No.7 top coat when the polish was dry just to add shine and make the colour last longer. I also tidied up my nails using a nail polish remover and some cotton buds by just running it along the nail bed and the sides.

I hope you liked this Manicure Monday post and also a DIY manicure post and I will try to upload a new manicure every Monday!

Keep posted for my photos from Fashion Week tomorrow and also my photos from in and around London, the Valentino exhibition I'm going to and the Picasso exhibition I will be visiting tomorrow!

I Need To Go Shopping

So I may have only been shopping the other weekend, but after watching so many YouTube videos this past week I have realised there are so many things I want to buy! They are mainly all beauty related although I need to buy some new clothes for various parties, dinners and what not. 

Anyway, at the moment I have a few bad breakouts and so I have upped my skin care routine, increasing the number of steps in my morning and evening wash routine and making sure I take extra care. This has also resulted in me watching more skincare related YouTube videos and has opened my eyes to new products and tools.

So many people rave about the Clarisonic Mia range, include the Plus, Mia and Mia 2. The Clarisonic is something that I have been following for a while and have tried various cheaper options such as the L'Oreal Perfect Clean Refreshing Foaming Gel Wash among others. After watching many skincare routines, I really want to purchase my own Clarisonic.

At £120 for the Mia 2, they don't retail cheap, but the majority of reviews suggest they are worth the money. Tanya Burr and Fleur de Force all recommend them and so the time has definitely come for me to invest in one. They come in six great shades, with limited edition colours on their website, but I'm loving the pink and blue shades the Clarisonic comes in!

The other product that I am wanting are some Real Techniques brushes. Many of my friends, YouTuber's and bloggers all use them and when I have seen them they are always so soft and lovely. I think for £21.99 for four brushes (if you buy a collection set) they are an amazing value for money. I'm going to invest in the core collection (the amber/gold handled brushes) as this is the set that I will get most use from. 

So, with all that said I'm off to buy some new beauty treats and do some reviewing! Make sure you check back soon for a review on my new purchases!

25 Facts About Me

I haven't been blogging for a little while and I actually really missed it! Although I haven't been blogging, I have been reading other people's blogs and so many of them seem to be doing the '25 Facts' posts. My favourites so far have been In the Frow's and Zoella's.

So here are my 25 facts that you may or may not know about me...

1. I don't have any pets at the moment. I have had two hamsters, a cat and lots of fish but they have all died :-( However, I love dogs and really want to get a pug!

2. I have suffered from depression, anxiety and paranoia. Last year I visited counsellors and doctors to make me feel better and I got loads of useful tips and help with my problems. I'm a naturally paranoid person but sometimes it can get out of hands...

3. I have slight OCD. I like everything to be organised, neat and tidy and I can't stand being late, plug sockets being left on or stray hairs being stuck on your clothes (something very random).

4. My idea of a perfect night in would be eating chocolate and Ben and Jerry's Phis Food ice cream, watching Gossip Girl or anything with Ryan Gosling in.

5. I really want to see Beyonce live. I LOVE her music and ever since I watched her at Glastonbury I have wanted to see her. I can't wait until tickets are released for her new tour!

6. I have never been to America but I really want to go. I want to see all the things you see in the movies - Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Golden Gate Bridge, Disney World - the whole lot!

7. My first tooth fell out on the day of my third birthday party.

8. My godmother is amazing and she is known as my 'Fairy Godmother' - something that has stuck since I was born.

9. I get tired so easily and when I'm tired I'm usually grumpy - a bad trait but it happens...

10. If I could live in sweats and wear no make up I would. But I can't and so I like to dress up instead - one extreme to the other!

11. I have been to four schools not including nursery or college. This is because we moved house and my parents didn't want to constantly drive on the motorway at six o'clock in the morning so I moved school(s).

12. My birthday is on May 12th.

13. My lucky number is 77. Apparently the most common lucky number is 7 and so I figured 77 must be double the luck?

14. I used to bite my nails terribly and then my mum told me if I could grow them she would take me for a manicure.

15. I like the luxury things in life. Maybe a good thing, but most probably a bad thing because I spend way too much money on something when I could of brought a cheaper version.

16. I'm scared of what the future holds. I want to have a good job and I'm worried life won't live up to my expectations.

17. I hate revising for exams and nine times out of ten when I'm supposed to be revising I'm watching YouTube videos or reading blogs.

18. I'm easily distracted by things. I could be sitting in class and see a leaf blowing around or an advert at the side of a YouTube video could show me to a new clothes website. Actually thats how I found 'Nasty Gal' a really cute online clothes store.

19. I'm a list maker. I have so many notebooks full with lists. This 25 facts post is a list. I list all the things I need to buy and do etc.

20. My favourite place in the world so far is Portugal. Every year for a couple of weeks we go to a place in the Algarve where we have been going since I was four months old. It feels like home and the weather is always sunny.

21. Today is exactly three months until the first day of my GCSE's. I'm trying to keep calm but panicking inside. Three months comes around so quickly...

22. I'm obsessed with the Kardashians, Olivia Palermo, Miranda Kerr and Cara Delevingne.

23. I am so excited to be going to Spain in July with my best friend. Its going to be so much fun and I can't wait!

24. Tomorrow is Valentine's day and I don't have a Valentine :-( When I was in year two, a boy called Felix sent roses to my house and some bubble bath though <3

25. I am very picky. I'm a fussy eater and I like sticking to what I know, thats probably why I have so much unused make up...

I hope you liked my facts and that you learnt something about me!

Hair Care Routine

I wash my hair every other day with Loreal Elvive Nutri -  Gloss Crystal shampoo and conditioner. My hair is dry and damaged after years of straightening it so I need a shampoo that will add moisture and a conditioner that will strengthen it.

My hair is really curly and although I don't mind it being curly too much, I don't like having it curly for school because it goes everywhere and for some reason falls out of my hair tie more easily? Or maybe thats just me...

Every other wash, I use a hair mask because I dip dyed the ends of my hair during the holidays with bleach and so they are all damaged and rough. I don't like not having silky hair and I find that the Elvive Full Restore 5 60 Second Saviour to add more moisture again.

When I straighten my hair I try to use a heat protector spray, but I'm often in a rush or can't be bothered or something thats not really an excuse. Anyway, nine times out of ten I don't use a heat protectant.

There are plenty of cheap and expensive shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, hair sprays, protectors and all that down the hair care aisle at Boots, sometimes it can be tricky knowing what one to buy (I may or may not have brought the best smelling one before regardless of what its supposed to do!)

My top ten hair care tips are....

1. Change your shampoo and conditioner regularly so your hair doesn't become   immune to it.

2. Try to minimise the amount of heat you use on your hair and use heat protector!

3. Brush your hair through while the conditioner is in to get tangle free, shiny, silky hair

4. Condition from mid - length to tips and not your roots. This weighs hair down and makes your hair oily faster

5. Gently squeeze out excess water. Rubbing with a towel damages the hair follicle 

6. Make sure hair is properly dry before styling with heat to avoid the 'fuzzy/frizzy' look

7. Use a treatment mask once a week to repair limp and damaged hair

8. Get your hair cut regularly to avoid split ends

9. Rinse your hair of shampoo, conditioner and product throughly 

10. Eat a well balanced diet to maintain healthy hair

Shopping Haul

Today I went shopping in town and brought quite a lot...

Firstly I went to Topshop to return a pair of shoes and I spent at least an hour having a look at all their new clothes and shoes. I didn't find the Liberty wooden sandals but I did find these gorgeous Marsden suede desert boots. I think they will look great with khaki jeans or a simple skater skirt. I also picked up a new necklace too!

I have spied a lovely Urban Outfitters bikini for the past couple of weeks (ever since it came in actually) and today I finally brought it! Its the spotted halter neck bikini in the colour moss. The bottoms are high waisted - something that doesn't feature on much of my swimwear so its a nice change. I think its going to look great on holiday in the coming months!

I no longer really shop at Hollister, Jack Wills and Abercrombie, but when I do I like to get their lace and chiffon pieces. A while ago I saw a pretty chiffon top with gold beading forming flowers. I got it for a great price in the sale £13 down from £40! The colour is off green, slightly minty so it will look good with denim shorts or jeans.

I also went to buy a new Mac eyeshadow, in the shade Pink Frost. Although the name suggests it may be pink, it is more of a salmon colour and so practically colourless. It is very shimmery and so I am thinking I am going to use it as a powder highlight.

I also went to the Nars counter to get a new blush. Although I like the warmer colours, I thought I would try a new shade and go for a colour with a bit more 'pop'. Desire is a really bright, deep pink that will add colour to any complexion. The blush itself, as with any Nars product is very pigmented and so you don't need to apply too much to add colour - a light sweep will be plenty!

I needed a new notebook for writing down various different odds and ends and so where better to go than Paperchase? I thought that this cute flower notebook would brighten up any desk - holding important notes and looking pretty at the same time :-) you can also buy a matching pen too - perfect!

Carmex. Is there anything else I need to say? Whenever my lips are dry or chapped I can rely on this lip tingling formula to nourish my lips. I had run out and so needed to get a new one. Something I couldn't live without :-)

With HMV closing down, I couldn't resist going in to pick up a few bargains. Although I have downloaded most of the songs of the Teenage Dream album by Katy Perry, I thought I would buy it to get the remainder of the songs I didn't download. As it was a two for £10 offer, I also got the Alex Clare album - Lateness of the Hour. I really recommend both of these albums!