Tag: beauty tips

What’s in my makeup bag?

Hey guys,

I’m back!!! (Well I didn’t physically go anywhere but I had a mini break) I’ve been super busy with work and personal things but I’m so happy to be back writing posts!

Today’s post is about what I keep in my makeup bag, if the title didn’t give it away already (shocker, right?)

Let’s start of with my makeup bag, as many of you know I LOVE Harry Potter so couldn’t resist buying this when I saw it! (Primark £4) I wanted to get a hufflepuff one as that’s the house I’ve been sorted in. However, they only had gryffindor and slytherin in stock so I chose the gryffindor one.

These are the makeup bits and bobs that I keep in it. I have other makeup bags filled with other makeup but these are my go-to’s.

Glitter pigments & glitter primer from NYX

I love NYX’s products, they are of such great quality and value! And they’re cruelty free, bonus!!

Sleek face form and highlight palettes

I’m also a big fan of sleeks highlighter palettes and I love the contour palette, it works perfect for me! I’ve always preferred powered based contours as I find them easier to work with and blend out. The highlight on the body form palette is also my fave, as you can probably tell due to it almost being finished.

NYX & Urban Decay eyeliners

Urban Decay do my favourite liquid eyeliners of all time! I use their heavy metal eyeliners in almost every makeup look I do! The ‘epic ink liner’ from NYX is also the best liquid liner I’ve used as it’s so easy to apply and doesn’t bleed out!

NYX & L’Oreal mascaras

Yes I bought the ‘badunkadunk’ mascara by NYX purely for its name… however, I was pleasantly impressed at its quality. Although it does transfer onto my eyelids almost every time I apply it; and god forbid you rub your eye…panda look it is! But other than that it is good and adds good volume onto my lashes. The other mascara is by L’Oreal and I can’t remember the name for it, but it’s a fibre mascara and is AMAZING! I haven’t used false lashes since and well.. that speaks for itself.

NYX & L’Oreal primers

I love the L’Oreal ‘infallible luminizing primer’ it’s a lovely texture, very easy to apply and makes your skin glow even under foundation! When I’m not using The L’Oreal primer I use my NYX HD Studio primer which matches my foundation, it works really well and keeps my makeup intact, hooray!

Foundation, BB cream and concealers

If my skin is bad I use L’Oreals’ glam nude BB cream as a primer/base under my foundation. Otherwise I use my foundation and concealer as usual. I love the foundation, it’s not too thick but has a good coverage. However without powder it can be shiny.

Rimmell eyebrow pencil & NYX eyebrow pomade

As you can see I’ve almost finished the eyebrow pencil, I love it! But won’t be getting another one as it’s nit cruelty free. However I love NYX’s brow pomade, for me it’s perfect and totally affordable! However I do want to try the ABH one as it’s clearly one of the best from the hype!

And that is all! As I mentioned earlier I do have much more makeup than that but these are the bits I use regularly and love the most!

Whats the favourite makeup product that you have in your make up bag?

Thank you so much for reading today’s post.

Love,

Jess x

Review: VeeBeautyLDN

Hey guys,

Happy New Year!! I’m so excited for 2018, this year is going to be good I can just feel it!

My first post of this year is going to be a review on the lovely products I’ve received off the amazing VeeBeautyLDN!

*all views are my own*

I received the Lash & Brow serum, Cocoa Butter Moisturising Lip Balm and Minty Moment Moisturising Lip Balm.

I’m so grateful to the owner of VeeBeautyLDN as she was really friendly and lovely to approach. I will leave her contact details at the end so please do check her out!

Lash & Brow Serum

How to use

For eyelashes – use at night, apply with the wand as close to the lash root as possible.

For eyebrows – apply the oil onto your finger and massage into the eyebrows in a circular motion.

What does it contain?

Caster oil, Argan oil, Vitamin E and Avocado oil

Does it work?

Yes!!!! Ive used lash serums before and have had no luck at all, after using this for a month I’ve seen a big difference in the length, thickness and health of my lashes, they feel soft but not brittle like they did before. I haven’t used it on my eyebrows as of yet but I’m sure it’ll do the same to them!

My rating

5/5! I 100% recommend this serum if you want longer and healthier lashes!

Cocoa Butter Moisturising Lip Balm

What does it contain?

Beeswax, cocoa butter, sweet almond oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, vitamin E and vanilla essence oil.

Does it work?

Yes! I use this every night and my lips have never been so smooth and moisturised and trust me I’ve tried a lot of lip balms! This is probably my most favourite of them all!

My rating

5/5 again, I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a Lip Balm that keeps your lips in good condition.

Minty Moment Moisturising Lip Balm

What does it contain?

Beeswax, coconut oil, Shea butter, sweet almond oil, mango butter, vitamin E and peppermint oil.

Does it work?

Again this is yes, seriously these lip balms are amazing! I use this one every morning as it helps my mouth feel fresh after brushing my teeth and keeps my lips feeling moisturised for hours! Only needing to re-apply it once during the day! (I work with children so am outside a lot)

My Rating

5/5! I stand by what I said in my rating of the other lip balm, I highly recommend this Lip Balm! It’s very refreshing and does exactly what it says it does, I’m in love with the quality of these products.

That’s all!

Thank you so much for reading this review, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it and if you did want to check out VeeBeautyLDN here is her Instagram and website!

(All views in this post are my own and are completely honest)

Love, Jess x

BLOGMAS – DAY 21 – December Favourites

Hey guys,

Welcome to the 21st day of my blogmas! Only 4 days left! Today’s post is going to be my favourite products from this month!

So let’s get started!

Body care

Sleepy, mask of magnamity, snow fair body conditioner from Lush and VeeBeautyLdn’s eyelash and eyebrow serum and two lip balms. I love using all of these, definitely would recommend for you guys to try it out!

The body scrub by what’s in it for me, smells edible and leaves your skin feeling incredible! (Haha rhymes)

Fragrance

So fragrance were kind enough to gift me with these beauties at the Blogosphere Christmas festival last weekend and they all smell so lovely! So affordable and pretty! You can purchase these from most boots stores and would make great stocking fillers!

Face mask

Im loving this face mask at the moment! You can check out my full review on L’Oréal’s pure clay masks here.

Makeup

This is a recent buy of mine from Urban Decay and it is the Heavy Metal palette. Don’t let this picture fool you, this palette is HUGE well.. in comparison to their other palettes. I swatched it in the shop and bought it then and there that’s how much I loved it! Will do some looks using it soon!

Hair care

I was also luckily enough to be gifted these at the Blogosphere Christmas festival too by Ogx! I LOVE their hair products! Been using their shampoo and conditioners for maybe 2 years now, my hair definitely thanks me for it!

Books

This is my favourite book of this month! I love it! Check out my review for it here.

Netflix

These are my two favourite series at the moment, not just for this month but they’re what I’m watching this month! If you haven’t seen either or any of them I definitely suggest that you should!!

What is your favourite product of this month?

Thank you for reading today’s post, if you missed yesterday’s post you can check it out here.

Love, Jess x

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Want to see what I get up to this festive season?

Follow my Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jessxclare/

Follow my twitter – @jessxclare

Add me on snapchat – jessclarex

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

BLOGMAS – DAY 16 – Secret Santa gift ideas

Hey guys,

Welcome to my 16th post and happy Saturday!

This is the first year I haven’t done a secret Santa but when I did I really did struggle to find something to get.

Today is a quick post as I feel like I’ve done a bit too many gift ideas posts (sorry!)

Let’s get started…

Depending on your budget it could be up to £5 or £10, here are some ideas:

For a joke you could get them Stressticles

Under £5 – purchase them here

Lush Bathbombs

Check out my lush haul post from Thursday it’ll give you some ideas on which bathbombs to get!

Cinematic light box

£10 – purchase from here

Party pong

£5 – you can purchase it here

Yoga dog book

Do they like dogs? If they do they’d love this!

£5 – you can purchase it from here

Thank you for reading today’s post! If you missed yesterday’s posty check it out here.

Are you doing secret Santa this year?

Love, Jess x

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Want to see what I get up to this festive season?

Follow my Instagram Follow my twitter – @jessxclare

Add me on snapchat – jessclarex

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BLOGMAS – DAY 15 – Last minute Gift ideas

Hey guys,

Welcome to day 15 of my blogmas, today’s post is going to some ideas for last minute gifts. If you’re like me and leave Christmas shopping to the last minute then hopefully this post will be of help to you!

So let’s get started…

Fluffy socks

Because…well who doesn’t love fluffy socks?

Primark

Primark

Scarf, hat & gloves set

Perfect present for this time of year!

Accessorize

Accessorize

Mug

Which again is perfect for this time of year, who doesn’t love hot drinks in this cold?

New Look

New Look

Jewellery

Nearly everyone loves costume jewellery and it’s a lovely gift to receive.

River island

River Island

Gift sets

There are so many different types of gift sets out there to get, makeup, bath, nail, perfume and many more

Boots

Boots

Gift voucher

If all other ideas fail then why not get a voucher for their favourite shop.

If you missed yesterday’s post then you catch up on it here.

Thank you for reading today’s post!

Have you done all your Christmas shopping?

Love, Jess x

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Want to see what I get up to this festive season?

Follow my Instagram

Follow my twitter – @jessxclare

Add me on snapchat – jessclarex

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BLOGMAS – DAY 13 – Winter Self Care Tips

Hey guys,

Welcome to day 13 of Blogmas! I am pretty shocked that I’ve made it this far tbh but here we are!

Today’s post is some winter self care tips! As I know Christmas is all about giving and loving others it is also important to take care of yourself!

Here are some tips, I hope you find them helpful:

Get plenty of fresh air – I know it’s tempting to stay snuggled up in bed watching Christmas movies and drinking hot drinks during this season but it is so important to get fresh air. To make it more festive you could go visit Christmas markets and Christmas lights, that way you’re getting fresh air in a festive way!

Pamper yourself – as it’s the holidays take this time to completely relax and de-stress! Face masks, manicures, bath bombs…you name it! Do something that makes you happy.

Organisation – this season gets super busy and hectic for the most of us, and if you’re like me you can’t survive without a diary/planner. Without mine I’d be lost as my memory is like a fish. Organisation doesn’t just work by note form it also could be in your bedroom, organising a shelf, cupboard or draw can really help to declutter your space. You don’t need to declutter all at once, do bit by bit and make it fun! (Well as fun as you can)

Sleep more – yes more! Sleep is SO important for your health and is a good way to recuperate after the stress of Christmas. Resist that urge to watch another episode on Netflix, I know it’s hard but it’ll still be there tomorrow! Your body will thank you for even one more hour of sleep!

Take a break from social media – I really do feel that we are all very dependent on social media nowadays (myself included, I can imagine Graham nodding his head right now as he calls me ‘hooked’). Don’t get me wrong social media is great! But too much….not so great. This links along with the pamper yourself point. We all need some ‘me’ time, without it we would crack up. You can be the most chattiest person alive and still need a break from socialising. And like the famous saying “too much of a good thing is bad”.

When I say take a break I don’t mean be drastic and not go on your phone for a week, because people will definitely worry! Just take a few minutes out of your day to put down your phone, read a book, have a bubble bath, meditate or go for a walk! It definitely works as I’m starting to try myself! I do this before I go to bed, I put my phone down, read some of my book then go to bed; and I’ve definitely been sleeping better since!

Spend time with those you love – it is so important to spend quality time with those who are close to you, that may be your girlfriend/boyfriend, best friend, friend or family member. Every moment is a memory so let’s make each moment count! Spending time with others doesn’t need to be expensive! It could be as simple as a movie day or a pamper day, I love having these sort of days as it’s nice to just chill out together and catch up.

Be positive – yes it is hard sometimes to maintain positive but even just one quote a morning can really help. Standing in front of your mirror and saying to yourself “you can do this” became you can! You can do anything that you put your mind to! Don’t let anyone tell you any different.

Embrace the season – don’t be a Scrooge! It’s Christmas! Eat that chocolate if you want too, buy that dress if you want too, it’s okay to treat yourself! (I tell myself that every time I buy myself a new palette from urban decay or boots..)

The ultimate self care tip is to love yourself!

These are all I have today. I hope they have helped you to think of ways to take care of yourself this festive season!

Thank you for reading today’s post, your ongoing support really does mean the world to me!

If you have missed yesterday’s post which was my first ever book review then click here.

Love, Jess x

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Want to see what I get up to this festive season?

Follow my Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jessxclare/

Follow my twitter – @jessxclare

Add me on snapchat – jessclarex

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

BLOGMAS – DAY 8 – Christmas makeup looks

Hey guys,

I’m so sorry this post is going up so late! Hope you enjoy it just as much!

Today’s post is a few Christmas makeup looks that I did yesterday.

(Prewarning: I’m no MUA so please don’t judge as these were first attempts and the lighting was poor so I apologise beforehand)

Christmas look 1

What I used:

  • Urban decay Smoky palette (grey on outer crease)
  • Urban decay Electric pressed pigment palette (silver glitter)
  • Nyx holographic glitter pigments & glitter primer
  • Urban decay Razor Sharp Liquid Eyeliner

(Can you tell I love urban decay?)

How did I do it?

  1. I used a light grey as the transition shade
  2. I went in with a darker silver/grey to do the outer crease
  3. I applied the silver glitter on my eyelid
  4. Put a small bit of the glitter primer on top
  5. Used a flat brush to apply the glitter pigment
  6. Using the white eyeliner I drew the ‘snowballs’ under the eyebrow

How did I find it?

This was just a random idea that came to my head, it was quite simple and didn’t take me long at all! It’s actually my favourite out of the three looks I did.

Christmas look 2

What I used:

  • Nyx elements eyeshadow palette: Earth (green outer crease colour)
  • Urban decay moon dust palette (green glitter)
  • Urban decay heavy metal glitter eyeliner (gold glitter)
  • Urban decay razor sharp eyeliner (white & green)

How did I do it?

  1. I used the green colour from the Nyx palette as a transition colour
  2. I went on top of this with the green glitter shade from the UD moon dust palette
  3. I used a lighter green shade from the Nyx palette on my eyelid
  4. I drew the wing with the razor sharp eyeliner (white)
  5. I then applied the gold heavy metal glitter eyeliner over my eyelid
  6. Then with the green UD razor sharp eyeliner I went over the white eyeliner with stripes

How did I find it?

This again I completely guessed and experimented, for my first attempt I’m quite proud however there is PLENTY room for improvement. It did take longer than the first look but not by much!

Christmas look 3

What I used:

  • Urban Decay naked heat palette (red outer crease and eyelid)
  • Nyx copper glitter pigment & glitter pigment

What did I do?

  1. I used a medium red tone as the transition shade
  2. I built on this using a darker red
  3. I used a lighter red on my eyelid
  4. Using a small drop of the primer I spread this on the lid and applied the red glitter pigment

How did I find it?

I got inspired for this by a look on Pinterest

I found it really simple to use but it didn’t turn out quite as good as I expected but with practice I’m sure I’ll improve!

If you would like to purchase anything I’ve used in this post here are the links to Urban Decay & Nyx‘s websites

So that’s it for today’s post! I know that the makeup looks weren’t the highest of standards but I’m still learning! I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and maybe even take a bit of inspiration from it!

Thank you for reading as always!

Love, Jess x

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Want to see what I get up to this festive season?

Follow my Instagram Follow my twitter – @jessxclare

Add me on snapchat – jessclarex

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BLOGMAS – DAY 4 – Gift guide for her

Hey guys, today is day 4 of blogmas and I’m already feeling the struggle!

Today’s post is a gift guide for her, as yes it can be hard to buy for us girls but if you know her interests then I hope this post can be of help to you!

If you missed yesterday’s post check it out here it’s a gift guide for him

These gifts could be for your friend, girlfriend, sister, Mum, cousin…etc and depending on your price range some of these gifts might just be perfect! (If I’ve done a good job)

Jewellery

Most girls love a bit of bling as it helps to make the outfit look just a little bit more glam

You can get some lovely costume jewellery from accessorise, Topshop or river island (my personal top 3)

Top left | bottom left|right

If she is into more elegant jewellery and you don’t mind spend that bit more then pandora is the place! Swarozki is also good as well as h samuels but again this depends on your price range and how much you’re willing to spend on this certain person.

Pandora

(Pandora has a Disney collection so if she’s a lover of Disney then I highly recommend something from the collection!)

Makeup

If she is a lover of makeup then why not treat her to a makeup gift set!

Boots and Superdrug both sell some really good ones!

Boots | Superdrug

Gift sets

Sometimes it’s hard to pin point what to buy someone so if you have a vague idea on what they like then a gift set is perfect!

You can get all sorts of gift sets! Some of these are:

• Perfume

• Nail sets

• Socks

• Bath sets

• Body shop gift sets

And many more!

Boots | Superdrug | The Body Shop

Box sets

If she loves a series and is non stop watching it then why not treat her to the box set! That way she can watch it whenever she wants!

Here are some popular box sets that you could get

Lush bath bombs

Everyone should know how amazing Lushs’ Christmas range is amazing so why not treat her with a pretty bath bomb! She’s sure to love it!

Lush

Lush bath sets are a perfect idea, they’re small and sweet! Most gift sets from Lush contain one or two bath bombs and a little gel, depending on the set.

Boots & Superdrug do some lovely bath sets as well

Candles

Around Christmas time it is lovely to have candles around to help it feel festive and cosy at this time of the year. Nothing says Christmas more than a room lit up by candles and smelling like eggnog or ginger.

Yankee candles have some really lovely candles, here are some examples:

Yankee candles

Personalised gifts

I don’t know about you but I always feel personalised gifts are just that extra bit special. There’s so many options from personalised frames to personalised notebooks! Amazon is a great place to get personalised gifts and keepsakes!

Fashion

And if none of the above ticks your boxes you can’t go wrong with a cute gloves, scarf and hat set! Perfect for this time of year too!

River Island | Accessorize

And if she’s a shopaholic or just loves to treat herself once in a while but is fussy then why not a voucher for her favourite shop!

These are all the ideas that I could come up with, I hope it was helpful to any of you who are struggling to buy presents for your friends and family.

Just a little reminder, don’t stress too much over presents, as Christmas is more about being with friends and family and making lifetime memories and that is the most important.

Thank you for reading today’s post and stay tuned for tomorrow’s post when I will be sharing my Christmas tree with you! Yay

Love, Jess x

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Want to see what I get up to this festive season?

Follow my Instagram Follow my twitter – @jessxclare

Add me on snapchat – jessclarex

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Product review: ERA Natur – Bilka

Hey guys,

Today I am writing a review on two products I have got from ERA Natur, this is an amazing company which produce high quality cosmetic products that are all natural and contain herbal extracts and minerals.

We are passionate about using products for personal hygiene and cosmetics made with natural ingredients and with minimum chemistry. – ERA Natur

I ordered two products from ERA Natur which were the Bilka upgrape caffeine + body care – slim fit effect and the Bilka intimate hydrating gel wash.

Bilka upgrape body care caffeine+ slim fit effect cream

What does it do?

It is a body cream with a slimming and firming effect. It’s designed especially for stimulating the blood circulation and reducing fat. If used daily and in combination with the right activities and diet, a visible slimming effect can be noticed!

What does it have in it?

  • Caffeine – a proven stimulant which increases the blood circulation, helps for disposal of fat and water from the body.
  • Combined extract of horse chestnut, ivy & green tea– drains retained water, tightens and smooths the skin
  • Organic grape extract – an antioxidant, strengthens the collagen and elastin structure in the skin
  • Macadamia oil – deeply regenerates and hydrated the skin
  • Shea butter – rich in vitamins A, E & F
  • D-pantherol – increases skins moisture
  • Vitamin E – maintains skins elasticity
  • Menthol – gives immediate feeling of freshness and cooling

How do I use it?

Apply to wanted areas (e.g. stomach, thighs, arms..etc) with massage movements, use after a shower/bath twice a day.

My review

I’ve used this for the past week and I am definitely starting to see a slight difference! I’m using this on my stomach as that is the area I’m focusing on losing weight. Alongside this cream I am eating healthier (mostly) doing more exercise and drinking more green tea. I love the smell of menthol and can definitely feel the soothing feeling straight after. However if you dislike the smell of menthol I wouldn’t recommend this as the smell is quite strong.

My rating : 5/5

Bilka intimate hydrating gel wash

I mistakenly ordered this thinking it was a face wash, I was wrong. This is a cleansing wash for your intimate area.

What does it do?

It provides delicate cleansing in the intimate area without drying out the skin, gives a sense of freshness and comfort

What does it have in it?

  • Organic rose water – hydrates and freshens up, eliminates dryness and discomfort
  • Glycerine – restores skin elasticity
  • Bio ecological agent – neutralises harmful bacteria
  • Lactic acid – soothes and maintains the optimal PH in the intimate area

How do I use it?

Apply an appropriate dose, lather in your hands, wash and rinse with water

My review

I’m not going to go into great detail with this as that’s a bit personal. However after using this for a week I can definitely say it does make the intimate area feel fresher and more hydrated. It also smells really nice.

My rating: 5/5

If you would like to purchase any products from ERA Natur, you can do so here.

Thank you for reading today’s review! Check back later to see my blogmas Day 4 post!

Love, Jess x

Review: Dr Botanicals Tropical Invigorating cream

Hey guys,

I haven’t done a review in SO long I’ve really missed doing them but don’t worry I have plenty more reviews coming your way soon. All views are my own and are 100% honest.

Today I am reviewing Dr Botanicals Tropical Invigorating cream. Firstly, the packaging itself is a huge selling point, so aesthetically pleasing. So if you are one of those people who like to have all their products looking pretty on the shelves this cream would fit right in!

I LOVE this cream, I have nothing bad to say about it! It has a pleasant yet subtle smell which isn’t overpowering once on your face. You only need to use a small amount and it goes far! This means good value for money which is what we all love, right?!

I have been using the cream for about 3 weeks now and have noticed a huge difference in my skin, as it’s gotten colder my skin normally dries out and gets sore and irritable. However, thanks to this cream my skin is soft and as moisturised as ever!

It’s also cruelty free and vegan! What’s not to love?

I would rate this cream 10/10 and would highly recommend for you to try it!

Thank you for reading today’s review! I hope you have enjoyed it!

What moisturiser do you use? Comment below

Take care,

Love, Jess x