Friday 28 February 2014

Essie - Chinchilly review

I'd like to introduce you to one of my new favourite nail polishes - Chinchilly by Essie. 



I bought this in Guildford when I went with Kate last week and I've been wanting to try it ever since!
Essie nail polishes are hands down my favourite brand and this is such a gorgeous colour by them! It's a grey/taupe but looks purple in some lights which is really pretty! It's gorgeous and classy and seems to go with everything! 
For application, I applied Essie's 'All in one' base and top coat before applying two coats of Chinchilly, then another coat of 'All in one'. 


I applied this on Monday night and there are still no chips at all! I'm honestly so impressed as my nail polish always chips within a day or two, it never looks this perfect after so long! 
Jess xx

Sunday 23 February 2014

A day with Kate take 3!

Half term is always a good time to meet up with people so once again, me and Kate decided to go to Guildford to get some time away from working and the stress of A levels on Friday.
I'd been saving up for this trip for quite a while so I actually got to buy some stuff which I'm happy about! 


Essie's Chinchilly, Rimmel stay matte pressed powder in Silky Beige,
Maybelline Baby Skin, MUA lipstick in Shade 6, Sleek blusher in Suede.
A lot of this has been on my make up wish list for a while so I was really happy to get it all! Ever since I bought Essie's Bahama Mama, I regretted not picking up the duo pack with Chinchilly too as they looked so perfect together. I'm so happy I now have both now! 
Everyone raves about the powder and blusher I picked up and they both seem really nice so far! The blusher is quite subtle so I'll have to see what I can do with it - I'll do a proper review once I've used it a bit properly! 
After buying a MUA lipstick (shade 10 I think...) a while back, I decided to pick up another as it was only £1 and this was the last one left of Shade 6 with the plastic wrapping still on! Its such a pretty pink and I love it so much! The quality of these lipsticks is really good for the price!
I'm probably going to end up taking Baby Skin back as I tried it on my face when I got home and it made my face go really red and basically did nothing to my make up! As it was £7.99, I'm going to try and get a refund from Boots on Monday when I go back to college so I can use the money somewhere else!


I was so happy to finally pick up The Rosie Project, I've been wanting it for ages! I've read the first few chapters (maybe the first 10...) and I'm loving it so far, it's really entertaining and very hard to put down! I can't wait to do a full review! I also picked up Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell as I've heard that it's really good! 
Being true to the traditions of Guildford, I also picked up some sweet treats from the American sweet shop but most of them were meant for my whole family and aren't in the picture. I did figure out that popcorn and candy corn are an amazing combination though!

Me and Kate had such a great day catching up and visiting old shop favourites, it was a great way to take a break from doing my work! 
Jess xx

Wednesday 19 February 2014

Parties and cookie dough.

It's half term this week which in A level terms equals crazy amounts of homework and essays. 
I did however get to go to a party with my college friends on Monday which was amazing. 
Yes, people got a bit drunk but it wasn't out of hand like I know some people can get - it was a more relaxed and happy atmosphere which was great. 
My friend Milly had it round her house and we stayed in her living room pretty much the whole night. She brought in a few mattresses and we put them on the floor so there was loads of space to just lounge about which was awesome! We watched Frozen which was AMAZING. I loved it so so much and I can't wait until I can get it on DVD so I can watch it lots. We also watched Tangled while eating Dominoes and pots of Ben and Jerry's ice cream (me and Chris shared a pot of Cookie Dough pretty much between us...perfect? I think so.) while a couple of people sang loudly and drunkenly along to the songs.
In the end, 6 of us stayed the night with a couple of people on the sofas and 4 of us sharing the two mattresses pushed together which was quite entertaining!
I've only been to one other party with college people and even then I only knew the host so this was really great - I got to spend time with my closest college friends and just have a laugh! Definitely one of my favourite parties so far - Disney, ice cream and laughs is always a good combination. 
Jess xx

Sunday 16 February 2014

This week's favourites!

My presence on the internet has increased to normal levels again this week so I actually have enough things for a favourites post!

1. Lauren Aquilina - Lovers or Liars


I love Lauren so much - she's released two EPs off her own back, has another available for pre-order and is only a year older than me! This is her new video for one of the songs off her new EP (already ordered...it was only £1.99!) and I love it, I can't wait to see what the other new songs are going to be like!

Most of you guys will know that I have an unhealthy obsession with Kate Spade by now. They can be quite hit and miss, but when I find something I love, it's perfect. This season is really pretty and it inspired by Brighton and Paris! 
My favourite pieces:
Je ne sais quoi shirt

Ooh la la Francis

Dorothy coat (it also comes in white!)





Some of these are American so they don't apply, but the ones that do are so funny and accurate!

4. Howl's Moving Castle

I found a post on Tumblr with links to lots of Studio Ghibli films and I watched Howl's Moving Castle over this week - WOW. This might possibly be one of my favourite films. It's adorable, funny and it's just great. I've watched it with English subtitles and being dubbed over by English/Americans (Josh Hutcherson and Christian Bale...definitely worth a watch/listen!) and I loved both - be warned though, you get to hear important background info that doesn't come up on the screen in the subbed version but the subbed is obviously more authentic - you just have to watch and read at the same time!
Subbed/Dubbed

I'm happy with the variation in this post, hope you guys enjoyed it too!
You can suggest things for me to check out in the comments below!
Jess xx

Saturday 15 February 2014

High End vs. High Street.

2014 Blogger Challenge post time! The topic this time is in the title - High End vs. High Street! 

I'm not really sure what counts as 'High Street' and 'High End' as where I live, there are pretty expensive shops but they aren't to the standards of brands like Gucci or Prada. 

Clothes

I think, as a student and having no income (yay for having no time for a job...), I would have to say High Street is my favourite out of the two as they're more affordable and last quite a long time if you choose wisely. Some of my favourites are probably New Look, H! for Henry Holland and Red Herring in Debenhams, Next, Banana Republic and Crew. 
I own a lot of clothes from Crew because there are yearly factory/warehouse sales which are great for buying their clothing cheaper. The quality is amazing and even at full price, spending the money is worth it as the styles aren't seasonal and can be worn for however long you want! 
New Look is great for vest tops and ballet flats as they last for ages and are super cheap for the basics. I'm not a big fan of most of their clothes but when they have pieces I do like, they last for ages and fit me perfectly. 
Debenhams are perfect. Red Herring do some of my favourite pieces of clothing that I wear and will go back to over and over again and my two all time favourite dresses come from H! by Henry Holland. They both fit perfectly, have cute, fun designs that still look good and are made of great quality material. They're also not outrageously expensive. 
Next are the only place I'll buy jeans from. I have quite big legs which makes it a problem for me to buy jeans from designer places but Next make jeans of great quality that last for ages and look good too! There are also loads of styles and not just drainpipe skinny which is helpful for me as I suit straight leg better. 
I discovered Banana Republic when I went to Covent Garden a little while ago and I fell in love. This goes at the more expensive end of High Street with Crew because they go on the same sorts of prices. They have a perfect mix of classy and casual pieces that are amazing and I would happily buy most of their shop if I could afford it. I rarely say that about anywhere so they must be pretty awesome! I wish I could go there more often because the two tops I have from there are both perfect and look great!
I'm not sure how many of these really count as High Street but they're mostly affordable so I think that's how I would class them!

I'm not really sure how to class High End because different people class them as different things. I'm going to say that my favourite (and only) High End brand is naturally Kate Spade though. Their prices are completely ridiculous and a lot of their pieces are very hit and miss with me but when I find something I do like, I fall in love with it and then cry about the price tag. I was over the moon when I found out that there was a Kate Spade shop in London and I was even happier when I bought my first ever piece from there, my stripy bow top. I also have a ring, scarf, purse, bracelet and mug from there and I love them all. The quality is second to none for the clothes and while the jewellery has minor problems (magnetically held bracelets are NOT easy to wear in daily college life), I still love them. I try to go there when sales are on as the price drops are crazily good and make everything vaguely affordable but they're still more expensive than most of theHigh Street brands I previously mentioned! I think if their prices were lower I would be so much happier but I think I'll just have to put up with just staring at the pretty pieces over the internet for a little while longer (or forever unless I get a REALLY good job). 

Make Up

I love pretty much every piece of make up I have ever bought so this is a tough one. 
I would have to say though that as my favourite foundation (Max factor), lipstick (Rimmel), blusher (Ruby and Millie) and nail polish (Essie) are all High Street brands, I'm starting to lean that way.
However, my favourite mascara (Benefit), eyeshadow (Urban Decay) and eyeliner (Eyeko) are High End, so it does even itself out quite well. 
I think that because I use my High Street products more as I don't have a problem with replacing them due to their cheap prices, I can say that I prefer them. I also have fairly good High Street options for mascaras and eyeliners to choose from as replacements for my High End versions. Urban Decay will never be beaten on the eyeshadow (or primer!) front though - I'm definitely willing to spend out for them as they're so good and last for so long! They're also cruelty free which is a nice addition!
I would happily use more high end brands for make up because they are good quality, but the high street ones aren't that much worse and the quality difference doesn't compensate spending another £10/£20 essentially just for a name plastered on the side. Yes, the packaging is prettier, but the product in the tube is what counts really!

I do love both, but for affordability purposes, High Street wins hands down here for me! 
Jess xx

Friday 14 February 2014

Instagram snapshots #3

Happy Valentine's Day guys! I hope you all had a great day either with loved ones or doing something you love!
I've been spending most of my time working over the last few weeks, hence the lack of posts, but I have been taking quite a few photos on Instagram so I haven't been completely dead on the Internet! I actually had more photos than I expected so this will be a bit of a long post!

This English coursework will be the death of me.
Hot chocolate, whipped cream, chocolate shavings and marshmallows!
Prettiest and yummiest chocolates I've had for a while!
What happens when me & mum go to the American sweet shop...
I wish essays were easier.
Caramel eclair and two peach and raspberry macaroons, yum!
Finally!!
Bought myself a treat for finishing my essay early!
Finally sorted it all out!
I love having morning frees.
Perfect boyfriend? I think so.
I could have split this into two posts but I thought it would be nice to put them all up from where I left off, plus I especially wanted the last photo on today's post for obvious reasons! Most of you won't know this but I've been in a relationship with a guy called Chris for a little while now which is pretty amazing if I'm going to be honest! He goes to my college so it's really great as I get to see him nearly every day which is completely new for me! It's also great that we share a lot of friends so yeah...I'm pretty happy at the moment! 
Jess xx

Tuesday 11 February 2014

The University Chronicles: My Final Offer!

I finally got my response from Exeter University! I was so surprised that they offered me a conditional place for ABB! I was so sure I would get a rejection as they are a really good Uni and have an amazing reputation. It had me confused for a while because I wasn't sure if I wanted to change Birmingham for Exeter as my insurance choice but I think I'm going to leave it as I like Birmingham more and the course seems better. I also think that Birmingham would be nicer as it's bigger so has more to explore! 
Obviously I hope I get into Reading as it's easily my favourite course and University and the grades are only BBB (my insurance is being used incase I get higher than BBB...) so yeah...I'm super excited now! I just have to make sure I revise well and get the grades I need!
I can't wait to offically choose my offers on UCAS, it's so exciting!
Jess xx

Monday 10 February 2014

February Wish List

This half term, I'm going shopping with Kate again so I decided to make a wish list! 
I actually have a bit of money so being able to hopefully take some items off this list next week is exciting! 

The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion
£7.99
I've been wanting to read this book for ages and every time I go into a shop, I read a little and it seems really good! I can't wait to read the entire thing! 

Sleek Blush
£4.49
The only blush I own is part of a palette so I would love to have a range of colours that suit my skin tone more and look more natural!

MUA lipstick
£1
I've already reviewed one of these lipsticks a while ago and I really want some more as they're great quality for their price!

MUA luxe velvet lip lacquer
£3
These have been catching my eye for a while and at that price, I can't resist! I just need to figure out which colour I want to buy! 
I know it isn't a very long list but hopefully that means I'm more likely to be able to buy everything on this list and maybe some more!
Jess xx

Friday 7 February 2014

MAC Christmas.

For Christmas, I was bought two MAC lipsticks! I was so excited to open them and I can see easily why people collect them and prefer them over other lipsticks!

I chose this frost lipstick in Viva Glam IV when me and mum went to Reading a while ago. I love this colour - it's a light berry and I love it so much! I think it's perfect for Autumn/Winter!




A surprise lipstick was this Amplified Dark Deed lipstick which was included in a gorgeous bag with a lipglass and lip pencil! I've wanted a dark lipstick for quite a while so this one is perfect! The lip pencil matches it perfectly and even though my application in the picture is horrendous, it stops the colour bleeding which is great! It doesn't last for ages but I wouldn't expect it to as it's so dark! 




Both lipsticks go on really well and are creamy and soft, I really like the texture and feel of them when they're on! 
I'm going to save up and definitely buy some more as the MAC colours are so pretty! 
What are your favourite MAC lipsticks? 
Jess xx
P.S. I reached 150 followers on Bloglovin', thank you guys so much!

Thursday 6 February 2014

Thursday thoughts.

Despite handing my English coursework in last Monday, life has still been trundling along at quite a relaxed pace with not a lot going on. I've figured out that going into college for first lesson and doing my homework there takes away a lot of unnecessary stress so I have time to read and do outside research and work for my subjects which is really great!

A few things that are/have been happening or running through my head recently: 

- Just over a month until my birthday - I'm so excited but scared to turn 18!
- I can't wait to start Uni; I drive past Reading in my lessons so it's just out of reach taunting me!
- I get to go to the British Museum with my Classics class after half term and I can't wait!
- I had to go to the hospital for a diabetic check up yesterday and they told me I have the option to see a psychologist for my needle phobia which might be a good thing, I haven't decided yet. 
- I've decided that when I get to Uni, I want flowers in my room. I don't have any in my room now and I think they're really pretty so I want some when I have a space that is 100% my own. 
- I've finally got a proper, close group of friends and I couldn't be happier! I always feel a bit detached from friendship groups so it's nice to be able to get this now.
- My love for American sweets has been rekindled, I can't believe I forgot how good they are! 
- My driving test is 4 weeks yesterday which is rather scary! I think I'm doing pretty well though and I hope I pass first time! 
- I have to go back to Cardiff and Birmingham Unis within the next two months and I'm excited because I get to look around them again! It will be difficult to choose between them.
- I still haven't heard back from Exeter Uni which is really annoying...I don't want to go there and I have to wait for them to reply which is stopping me from being able to do anything with the rest of my choices! Even if I wanted to go there, I would be put off by now purely because they're being so long with choosing! 

Hope you guys enjoyed reading this! It's nice to just put down my thoughts sometimes! 
Jess xx

Wednesday 5 February 2014

Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick in 008 review

I bought this earlier in the week as I got itchy fingers for a decent lipstick after my disappointments from the Rimmel 1000 kisses lip tint and the Revlon just bitten lip stain
I'm so glad I picked this up! The Kate lipsticks are becoming a fast favourite of mine (my Kate Matte lipstick in 107 is my all time favourite) and this one doesn't disappoint at all! I was originally looking for the shade 019 but they didn't have it so I picked up 008 instead! I'll definitely be looking into the other shades from this range.



As always, the packaging is simple but very pretty. Unlike the Matte version of this lipstick, the packaging is black and I love it! I really want to collect more purely so I can line them up and look at them! 


As you can see, the colour is really subtle but it is slightly darker in real life so it gives a 'lips but better' look. It's a really great every day colour and it has an amazing staying power - it was still on after eating and having a glass of water so I was impressed! These lipsticks also smell amazing which is always a nice change from the horrible plastic smell you can sometimes get from lipsticks. The application is as smooth as ever and is soft and creamy when on which is great! In real life, the colour is semi-matte with a slight sheen which also gives the more natural look which I love - this is definitely my favourite nude lipstick!
At £5.49 from Boots, this lipstick is such a great investment and I really recommend buying one - I'm probably going to buy another sooner or later!
Jess xx

Tuesday 4 February 2014

Rimmel 1000 Kisses lip tint and Revlon Just Bitten lip stain and balm review.

I decided last week that I would use my Boots points to buy a new lipstick and eventually found the 1000 Kisses lip tint by Rimmel. I have to admit I was drawn in by the pretty packaging, smell and the lip balm on the end and then was convinced to buy it once I saw how pretty the colour was. Oh, how wrong I was. 
This product smells delicious and the balm is absolutely great, but the actual lip tint is probably one of the worst products I've ever bought. It worked fine the first time, but decided on the second time of using it that it would pretty much completely dry up so next to no tint actually came out of the marker-like end. 
This makes my next point sound even more stupid because, as an attempted replacement, I went searching through the bargain bin in Boots and found the Revlon Just Bitten lip stain and balm in Passion. I'm oh so glad I only paid £1 for this instead of the full £7.99 otherwise I would be taking it back, much like I'm going to do with the Rimmel tint. I'm keeping it however, as £1 is next to nothing and the balm is good enough to warrant me keeping it. Again, the stain worked really well first time and was a lovely pink colour and actually worked for the second time too, but the nib had dried up almost completely just days after opening it and I was once again disappointed. 

Carry on Cherry.
1000 Kisses lip tint.
Passion.
Revlon Just Bitten lip stain.
Both products needed stupid amount of pressure and shaking to even get the swatch photos and my lips have been left feeling sore just so I could get enough colour out to show you what they look like on. I don't think they came out well at all but the colour for both of them was almost non-existent after about 5 mins of attempting to apply them so it's hardly surprising. 
I'm obviously really disappointed with both of these products, but if you want to buy them, Rimmel lip tint for £5.99 and Revlon lip stain for £7.99.
If I were you though, I would save your money and buy a proper lipstick or a chubby stick dupe as they have less of a chance of drying out so fast. 
Jess xx

Monday 3 February 2014

Discoveries.

With all of the technology we have available to us now, we assume that we've found most of the ancient material that has survived since Roman and Greek times. This is why I was so excited to read about a brand new discovery - a poem by the Greek female love poet Sappho which hasn't been read aloud since roughly 300 AD (according to here - an alternative translation is also available at the bottom of the post)! 

A translation by Tom Payne, available here:


Still, you keep on twittering that Charaxos
comes, his boat full. That kind of thing I reckon
Zeus and his fellow gods know; and you mustn’t
make the assumption;
Rather, command me, let me be an envoy
praying intensely to the throne of Hera
who could lead him, he and his boat arriving
here, my Charaxos,
Finding me safely; let us then divert all
other concerns on to the lesser spirits;
after all, after hurricanes the clear skies
rapidly follow;
And the ones whose fate the Olympian ruler
wants to transform from troubles into better –
they are much blessed, they go about rejoicing
in their good fortune.
As for me, if Larichos reaches manhood,
[if he could manage to be rich and leisured,]
he would give me, so heavy-hearted, such a
swift liberation.

Another translation is available here

It's almost the entire poem which is surprising, usually only small fragments are found and only one complete poem of Sappho has survived! As a Classics student, I got so excited - it's hard to imagine people living that long ago so to find more pieces that were written and performed so long ago is incredible! 
There is also another poem that was discovered (both given to an Oxford Classics fellow together) which is only fragmented so it's an incredible discovery (a little on that here)!
If you want to read the full article with a little historical background and explanation, click here.
Jess xx

Sunday 2 February 2014

Writing Room

A genie has granted your wish to build your perfect space for reading and writing. What's it like?

My friend Imie kindly let me use a pdf file of different blogging ideas to come up with some interesting posts that I wouldn't have thought of!
This one is super awesome and interesting so I thought I would do this by sharing my favourite pinterest photos of what my ideal reading/writing room would have in it! Or at least the sort of things it would include!

1. Somewhere cosy to sit for reading...


2. Inspiration everywhere for writing...




3. Either a wall of books...





4. A room full of books...





5. Or a nook within a writing room for when I need to hide away in others stories!




This post was a little different but I had fun finding out the photos to make it! Hopefully one day I'll be able to live somewhere that I could make one of these ideas come true as I'd love a reading/writing room or just a book nook! They look so cosy!
Jess xx