Thursday 28 August 2014

I have a job?!

Over exam time, I thought it would be a good idea to procrastinate and apply for jobs, just incase my exams didn't turn out as I'd hoped and I needed to work instead of go to Uni. 
I had an interview with Marks and Spencer the day before my last exam but didn't get that job because I apparently wasn't right for it and I was given an interview by Waitrose a little bit after exams. I didn't hear from waitrose for about 3 weeks but when I was at Silchester a couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by a member of the waitrose team and was offered a different job but I couldn't accept until I had my results as I didn't know where I was going to be. Today I got sent an email to accept the offer so it's official - I have a job for university! It apparently finishes in December so it's only a short contract, but I'm happy that I'm going to have extra money available if I need it. 
I start at the beginning of September so I'm super excited, I've never had a job before so it's going to be good having a new start for Uni and a job - I feel like I'm actually growing up!
Jess xx

Wednesday 27 August 2014

A day out in Portsmouth!

On Saturday, my family and I went to Gunwharf Quays shopping outlet in Portsmouth to have a look around and to see what it's like compared to Bicester. There were so many amazing shops there and a really good mix of high street and high end brands which was good to look around. The actual place was big and nicely spaced out so it wasn't too crowded and busy which was one of the problems with Bicester when we went there - this was nice though! 
I ended up buying a shirt from Ralph Lauren and one from Joules which I've been wanting for ages so I was super happy with that! The Ralph Lauren shirt was an amazing deal as it was £25 down from £80! It's such a great quality piece as well, I can't wait to wear it!

Joules on the left, Ralph Lauren on the right! 
There was also a Cadbury's shop that had loads of discounted sweets and Roses pick n' mix which was amazing, just a shame that I couldn't buy a lot of it as I'm allergic to nuts!
Overall, it was a really fun day and if you can, it's such a good place to go for a day out as there are shops there for everyone with any budget!
Jess xx

Tuesday 26 August 2014

Medea at the National Theatre.

On Friday, me and my friend Liv went to London for the day before going to see the National Theatre's production of Medea!
We went to Covent Garden (surprise surprise) and looked around there for a while as we both love it as it's a great place to window shop!
We looked around Kate Spade and I fell in love with this display, the bag is so cute and the flowers look so pretty!

Kate Spade displays are so pretty!
We also went to Laduree so I could get my usual rose, orange blossom and strawberry macarons, and the window display here also caught my eye; it's so pretty!

Yum.
We also had a look around a few other shops including Chanel - it's fun to dream! We went to a sweet shop to stock up for the theatre later and I got so many different flavoured gummy bears, they're all so nice!

We then made our way up to Oxford Street and went to Selfridges which was fun, I love looking around at the stuff I'd never be able to afford! It's Magnum's 25 year anniversary so they have a section in the shop where you can create your own magnum which looked amazing! Sadly there were too many people in the queue to actually get one but hopefully I'll be able to go back and buy one at some point before it stops!

So pretty.
I bought a couple of macarons from Pierre Marcolini in Selfridges too just to see what they're like as there were some really yummy sounding flavours! I got a passionfruit flavoured one and one that had cinnamon, nutmeg and a few other spices in it. Both tested amazing and I would probably say that they were better than Laduree macarons! They do different flavours though so I'll have to switch between the two! 

So so good!
For food, we went to Ed's Easy Diner in Mayfair which was lovely as it was quite small and just off Oxford Street but not particularly busy! I love the soundtrack they have there as well as the whole look, it also does brilliant food which is always good! 

I love their wall designs!
We then went down to Southbank to watch Medea. I was a bit nervous as I'd read that it was quite scary and I don't handle horror very well but it ended up being a brilliant performance by Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy from Harry Potter!) and the rest of the cast. It's a disturbing story to begin with and the performance created a chilling and gripping atmosphere which I felt was perfect for such a story - I'm pretty sure I held my breath through some of it! It was heartbreaking and genius - the setting, music, characters, costumes and everything else were completely on point - I may have to go and watch it again when it's shown in the cinema just to relive it! 
It didn't have a specific time period that it was set in but the costumes suggested that it was a relatively modern setting, meaning that some of the original story had to be changed which ended up actually working rather well! 
After studying it as part of my Classical Civilisation A level, actually seeing a production of it in a modern setting was really interesting as I got to see the impact of the whole play from beginning to end instead of just analysing section by section. It gave me a better understanding of it and I'm really glad I got the opportunity to see it!
The rest of the tickets are sold out but if you have the opportunity to see it in cinemas on 4th September than I wholeheartedly recommend that you do as it's a fantastic production.

Amazing.
Jess xx

Thursday 21 August 2014

The Perfect Pair!

Topic 15 of the 2014 Blogger Challenge was to write about a pair that we think works perfectly together. The first thing that came into my mind was my favourite colour combination - navy and white! It's classy, pretty and suits me really well, plus there are so many pattern combinations that it's just perfect! Navy is basically a neutral so it also means that make up colours I can use isn't restricted!

I've decided to bring together my favourite outfits featuring navy and white that I found online as inspiration.

1. Casual chic.
Picture from here
I love this outfit, it's so casual and chic, I'd happily wear this out to meet up with friends. I also really love the mint colour trainers, they're so pretty! I'm also a sucker for a good scarf so this is just an all round great outfit!

2. Classy casual.
Picture from here
This outfit is more classy and dressed up and something I'd be more likely to wear out and about. I love the riding boots and the stripes!

3. Pop of colour.
Picture from here
I love that this outfit is nearly all navy and white apart from the lipstick and shoes - it gives the outfit another dimension and it's gorgeous! 

4. Just add a blazer!
Picture from here
This outfit is everything I love - blazer, navy, white, polka dots, heels and pretty coloured jeans. Yes please. 

I love all of these outfits and I wish I had everything to create them as I'd wear them all! 
Jess xx

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Instagram love!

I love Instagram and would probably say it's my favourite social media to casually browse as there's such a wide range of people and pictures to look through!
I thought I would share some of my favourite Instagrammers with you today and show you how pretty their photos are! I love how professional their photos always look while still giving a small glimpse into the finer and fancier details of their lives!






















stylewithinreach

Hope you guys enjoyed looking through these as I do!
Jess xx

Tuesday 19 August 2014

I'm going to University?!

Since my not so good AS results last August, I've been working crazily hard to make sure I could get to University this coming September. 5 days ago, I got to pick up my results from college to find out whether I got in or not. 

I woke up at 7am and I had received an email from Reading University telling me that I'd been accepted into their Ancient History and Archaeology joint degree! I had to wait a couple of hours to find out the actual grades I got and I achieved BCC! It isn't as good as I wanted to get, but it got me into the University I've been wanting to go to since I started helping at Silchester in 2011 so it's good enough! For all of the exams I did resits for, I actually got at least a grade higher so I'm really proud of how I did, I also got a grade higher in Classical Civilisation as last year I got a C and I got a B this year! 

I've been helping at Silchester Archaeological field school for the last 2 weeks so I was actually with Reading Uni when I found out that I got in so I got to celebrate with my friends who I'll actually be at University with next year which was really special!

I've also got my accommodation sorted out so I have somewhere to live - it's a really lovely room and I can't wait to start looking for things to make it more homely and pretty! I've been looking at the different societies I can join which look really interesting so I'm looking forward to actually getting to Uni and starting to get involved with it! 

I can't wait to share this next part of my life with you all as it's going to be amazing! 
Jess xx

Wednesday 6 August 2014

Life in letters tag!

All the way back in February, I was tagged by Amy from Blending Beauty to do this tag! I didn't have time to do it as work started piling up around the time I was tagged so now I have time, I'm doing it! 

A - Archaeology. I'm hopefully studying this subject at University come September/October and it's so interesting!
B - Books. I'm an avid reader and spend quite a lot of my spare time reading when I'm not blogging!
C - Clothes. I love fashion and always try to look my best when I leave the house no matter where I am!
D - Diabetic. I have diabetes and have lived with it since I was 11. It's pretty much become a part of every day life now instead of a big problem but I still hope they find a cure eventually as it can be really annoying and hard to deal with at some points!
E - Eyes. My favourite part of my body. They're a really lovely bright green that sometimes look different depending on lighting which is awesome!
F - Food. I'm such a big eater and I love food, not always the healthy options either! I hope to improve what I eat once I get to Uni though!
G - Greek. I want to learn Ancient Greek when I'm at Uni and I've already started trying to get familiar with the alphabet!
H - History. My favourite subject of all time. Ancient History is easily my favourite and I'm hoping to study it as a joint degree with Archaeology next year!
I - Inspiration. I find it everywhere in quotes, books, nature, people around me and loads of other things I see!
J - Jessica. My name! 
K - Kip. I struggled the most with this one...I do love a good nap though! Got to love British slang for creating words like kip!
L - Lipstick. I have a huge collection (over 50...) and I love them all! I love the way a bold colour can bring life to an outfit and add something special to it. I wrote about how I feel about lipstick here!
M - Music. I honestly couldn't live without music. It's such a great way for people to connect and concerts bring people together because of their shared love for a band/artist which I find amazing!
N - Nail Polish. Another thing I have tonnes of. I love the look of nail polish and I find that it's actually a good way to relax as you can't have a shaking hand at all when you are applying - it was a really good calming technique for me during exams!
O - Optimist. I try to be positive and look at things in a good light for the most part!
P - Piano. I played since I was about 6 up until 2 years ago when GCSEs forced me to quit. I hope I can take it back up again some day as I loved it!
Q - Quizzes. I'm obsessed with doing the online quizzes that come up on Facebook!
R - Reading. The University I'm hopefully going to next year!
S - Sweets. I have such a sweet tooth and love to try sweets from different places! English with probably always be my favourite, though the Haribo options in different countries are amazing and always so good, it makes me jealous!
T - Travelling. I love going to new places and I hope that choosing a career in Archaeology leads to visiting lots of historical sights all around the country and world!
U - University. Where I hope to be going in September. I really want to go and I honestly have no idea what I'm going to do if I don't get in - I'll know on 14th August which is terrifying!
V - Volkswagen Up. My car! I passed my test on 5th March and I love driving it!
W - Winter. One of my favourite seasons apart from Autumn!
X - Xmas. There aren't many X words that I like...but Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year!
Y - YouTube. I love being able to find whatever song I want and then be able to watch a stupid cat video 2 seconds later if I feel like it, Youtube is great!
Z - Zodiac. I love looking at astrology stuff as I find it really interesting. I don't believe it, I just like seeing what sort of things the websites say about each different sign and why!

I don't think I'm going to tag anyone in particular this time, but if you want to do this for fun then I say go for it and I tag you! Hope you have fun doing your own!
Jess xx

Monday 4 August 2014

Pink Love!

Lately I've been loving everything pink so I decided to put a list together of my most recent favourites and a little list of things I've had my eye on!

Chanel le vernis nail colour - May


I love this colour so much and I've wanted to try one of the Chanel polishes for a while but they're rather expensive! Hopefully one day I'll be able to actually test this polish and see if it's as good as its reputation.

Crew jumper - Classic Pink


I love these jumpers - I have 2 already and I love this colour! The jumpers are perfect and so soft and pretty.

Essie - Lovie Dovie


This is quite a good dupe for the Chanel polish but I actually have this one! I still need to use it but I'll review it once I have!

Dolce & Gabanna - Dolce eau de Parfum


This technically isn't pink but the flower on top has pink in it so it counts, right?! I need to buy this and it's such a pretty scent that I eventually will!

Natural Collection blush - Sugar Plum

Picture from here (haven't had time to take a picture and this is the best I can find!)
Its an amazing blush for the price and a really lovely colour, it also stays on for quite a long time too!

Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick - Pink in the Afternoon


One of my favourite mid-tone pinks and I wear it most days when I can't be bothered to spend a long time choosing a lip colour. It suits me really well and I love it!

Pink Marc de Champagne truffles


These chocolates from Charbonnel et Walker are honestly the best things I've ever had. I have an addiction but they're sadly rather expensive so I can't have them too often.

MUA Velvet lip laquer - Funk


This is a really bold and bright pink and I love it. I'm loving matte lipsticks lately and this is probably the best I own, the colour lasts for ages and doesn't dry my lips out like quite a few matte lip products tend to do.

Chanel Rouge Lipstick - 62 Irrésistible


It smells of rose macarons, has the prettiest packaging and colour and lasts amazingly long for a lipstick that isn't matte, what isn't there to love?! If these lipsticks weren't so expensive, I'd buy loads more in a heartbeat!

Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick - 101


This is a really pretty matte lipstick and is pretty similar to Pink in the Afternoon but is obviously matte instead. I think this is the lightest colour I can pull off without looking washed out and silly so I'm glad I bought it and took a chance with it!

Fentiman's Rose Lemonade



I love this lemonade so much, it's probably my favourite drink full stop. I love all rose flavoured things but this is just perfect. The bottles are also really pretty and I'm going to use one to hold a flower in my University room come September!

Hope you enjoyed this post, I've never done something like this so I might try it with different colours!
Jess xx

Saturday 2 August 2014

Top 6 Films.

I've finally caught up with the 2014 Blogger Challenges! Topic 14 is about films and a I've decided to write a list of my top 6 films!

1. Aristocats


Easily my favourite Disney film. I learnt how to play 'Everybody wants to be a cat' on piano when I still played and the other songs are great too!

2. My Fair Lady



I watched this on YouTube about a week ago and I loved it! Audrey Hepburn is such a brilliant actress and I love the songs in this film!

3. Despicable Me 1 & 2


I know this is technically 2 films but I love them both so much, I couldn't pick which to put as my favourite! The first one is great but the second is probably better by millimetres as I find it so funny but cute with Lucy!

4. Notting Hill


Best. Film. Ever. Honestly my favourite film; I could watch this all day every day! It's such a brilliant rom-com! Spike is probably one of my favourite characters across all of the films I've seen, he's so funny!

5. You've Got Mail


I've only seen this a couple of times, it's so good! It's also about books and what they mean to people which is obviously a huge plus in my eyes!

6. My Week With Marilyn


Eddie Redmayne and Emma Watson in the same film is always going to be good but this is incredible. I had to study Marilyn Monroe in GCSE history so this film is a fascinating take on the missing diary entries of Colin Clark's from when Marilyn was shooting The Prince and the Showgirl at Pinewood Studios! It's such a great look behind the scenes at one of film's most renowned icons (even though it's partially fictional) and I really loved it.

I always find it difficult to decide on favourites but I think this is as close as I'm going to get to a top selection...I'll probably have changed my mind by next week!
Jess xx

Topic 13