Favourites of 2013

I would do posts with specific topic favourites but there isn't enough time left in this year to do that so I thought I would put all of my favourite things from this year into one bigger post!

Make Up

BadGal Lash Mascara - Benefit 

I love this so much and always reach for it when I'm wearing make up. It makes my lashes look so much longer while still looking natural which I think is really great! It also doesn't give me panda eyes and only comes off if I rub my eyes so for a non-waterproof mascara, it's amazing! My new MAC mascara might overtake though because it's also amazing!

Bahama Mama - Essie

I know I didn't get this too long ago but I love it so much that I couldn't not include it! The colour is probably one of my favourite Essie shades that I've tried out to date and it's such a great colour for this time of the year. 

Alice in Wonderland eyeshadow palette - Urban Decay
I've actually had this for years and will do a proper review eventually, but I started using more make up this year and these eyeshadows are by far my favourites. The colours are all limited edition and they're so gorgeous, mainly shimmery which I love, and so long lasting!

Kate Matte Lipstick in 107 - Rimmel
I've already reviewed this here but I have to include it as I wore it so much this year. I love the colour, the smell, how long it lasts, just everything! If you only ever buy one red lipstick, make it this one because it's probably my favourite.

Whipped Creme Foundation in Natural - Max Factor
This is the first foundation I've tried that actually covers up the redness and dry patches by my nose so that says a lot. It's so light and the shade is perfect for me so I'm really happy to have discovered this beauty!

Baby Lips - Maybelline
These have been saviours on more occasions than I can count. They smell amazing, look amazing and give a subtle wash of colour if you aren't feeling too adventurous. They also make my lips super soft which is great!

Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Nudists and Raplumzel - Soap and Glory
I love these so much. Both colours are fantastic, applying them is super simple and they last for quite a long time for glosses. I reviewed Raplumzel here.

Books

How To Fall In Love - Cecelia Ahern

I bought this for 99p on my kindle a few of days ago and I finished it yesterday. I'm not usually a fast reader but I tend to read faster on my kindle and when the book is good and boy, was this book good. I love Cecelia Ahern and the new book of hers is no exception. It's such a sweet story about helping someone else and inadvertently helping yourself at the same time. Cecelia definitely knows how to write a good character and a realistic storyline, I recommend this book 100%!

The Last Letter From Your Lover - Jojo Moyes

I read this book over my half term holiday as it was the only one that looked interesting in the sadly lacking selection of books that they had at the holiday home. I'm so glad I decided to pick it up though as I was, again, completely hooked! I didn't like how it was written point of view wise but once you get over that, it's such a great read and has a great ending that was unexpected and so heartwarming! There are a lot of lost memory, self discovery books out there but out of the ones I've read, this is probably my favourite one by far! It follows two storylines in different times and the ending brings them both together in such a great way! It's almost a love story mixed with a detective story and I found it so exciting, I had it finished in about 5 days, in between going out and doing holiday homework!

Films

Despicable Me 2
I loved the first one and this one was possibly even better! The minions are my favourite things in any film, they're so adorable! Apparently they're making a minions film so I'm super excited for that!

Monsters University
I saw this twice, once at the cinema near college who hold a free film night once a month and another later on. First off, it started with a short film called "The Blue Umbrella" which is honestly the sweetest thing on this planet. I loved this film so much, it was funny to see all of the characters we know and love earlier on and to see how they became that way (Randall anyone?!).

General

Costa
The mid-week saviour for me and a couple of friends. It's quieter than the Starbucks just down the road as less college students are there so it's perfect for chatting and getting on with work as it feels more relaxed and laid back. Another plus point is that their coffee doesn't make me feel ill which is always nice!

Car boot sales
I only really went to these in Summer with Mark as my mum doesn't like them but they were always so much fun! I got some amazing deals on a lot of books and just trawling through all of the stuff at each stand made it just that bit more satisfying when I found something great.

My Burgundy Crew jumper
I've only had it for a week or so but I love it and it's probably my favourite jumper I have. It's super warm, looks great and is a really pretty, neutral colour. Definitely going to be a firm favourite for 2014 too!

I hope you guys enjoyed looking through my favourite things from this year, it was quite hard to choose as I've changed a lot and have quite a short memory span so thinking back to Summer is hard, let alone January!

Jess xx

London again!

Over the last few months, I seem to have gone to London more times than I have in the last few years put together, it's crazy but great - it's probably my favourite city! Covent garden is also my favourite part so visiting there a lot has made me so happy!

Last post, I told you at the end how I was given a scarf from Kate Spade for Christmas. It seemed completely perfect and I'd wanted it for as long as I could remember liking their brand, however, it wasn't meant to be. When I opened my present, I noticed that there were some holes in the fabric so considering how much my parents had spent on it, I showed them and we decided that we would take it back to see if we could get a refund (we had to return a t shirt of my brother's too so we killed two birds with one trip!).
We went back up to London yesterday and the people in the shop were really nice, took the scarf back and said I could exchange it for something of equal value! As it was the sale, I came away with more than I thought I would!
The lady that helped me and my mum out suggested this scarf and said it was super popular so I had to snatch it up, especially as it was less than half of the usual price! I loved the matching clutch they had in store a few months ago so I'm really happy as this scarf is perfect. The pattern is amazing and it's almost silky, I love it so much and I'm actually quite glad we returned the other one as this feels much better quality! I can't wait to put an outfit together around it!

I thought that was all I was going to be able to get but it turned out that because it was a sale item, I had quite a bit extra to spend! This owl coin purse was the last in the shop and for that reason he's a bit delicate and has a few circles missing from the back. We were given a pretty good discount off him and I'm so glad as he's gorgeous, so quirky and is made of leather so it's so worth it as the circles can be sewn back on (they were inside him!). 

I had a little bit of money left and after contributing a bit of extra money, I bought this bracelet. I love Kate Spade jewellery and I love bows so this is perfect! It also has a really cute engraving on the inside saying 'tie one on' which is a bit difficult to see in the picture but it adds a little bit extra to an already amazing piece! 

After that, we decided to pop into Banana Republic as there was also a sale on there and their clothes are usually quite expensive. I found the last one of this gorgeous T-shirt for £17.99 and I fell in love with it instantly - it's a little baggy but it looks amazing on, I think it's a perfect lazier looking top which I can't wait to wear! 

The green sleeveless blouse was £29.99 and I found it just before we went to pay. It has little gold buttons and navy details which I completely adore, navy is a weak spot for me I think! It's such a good quality blouse though as most items I own in the same material are see through but this one has a lining so doesn't require another layer underneath which I'm really happy about! 

Both of these shops have such cute bags as well, I always keep them as they're really sturdy and easy to store away! 

I'm so happy and thankful for these late presents - I'm actually quite glad that my scarf was faulty (it was beautiful but the damage was so bad for the price and quality expectations for Kate Spade!) because it let me choose some other gorgeous things I wouldn't have otherwise! I guess some things just happen for the best!

Jess xx

Merry Christmas!

I'm a little late but haven't had time between eating, sleeping and playing games to get on my phone and snap some pictures of my lovely gifts! I hope you all had a fantastic day, got what you wanted and spent lots of time having fun with your families!

I thought I'd share some (most) of my presents with you and you guys could share what you got too! I knew a few of my presents this year for various reasons and I was so excited to be able to actually use them!
This post is very picture heavy so I apologise for that, I'll try and add in some writing here and there!

As some of you may know, I have an unhealthy obsession with Kate Spade so I was so happy when I received this in my stocking (pillowcase...) this year! I've used it every day so far - the handle is the perfect size and the writing is perfect for me! Such a great gift!

John Green is another favourite, I'm super happy to have his books in physical form now instead of a couple of them on my kindle!

Speaking of Kindles, I got this in my stocking too - a Kindle case! I love it so much, it's so cute and is a hard case so it protects my kindle!

This jumper from Crew is probably one of my favourite presents, I've worn it so much already; it's so soft and comfy, I would happily live in it!

I chose the Naked palette when me and mum went shopping the other month so I was super excited to actually get it! I got the eyeliners from Father Christmas and I love them - they go on so smoothly and seem to stay put forever! 

I also chose the MAC Viva Glam IV lipstick (Left hand pink cased lipstick) on the same shopping trip and was given the rest in my stocking! The lipstick, lip liner and gloss came with the gorgeous bag and the mascara was separate. I'm in love with all of them and the lipstick is the one I'm wearing in the picture of my jumper - I've probably been wearing it as much!

These were from my Auntie and Uncle, I'm so happy to have some more make up brushes because I've been using the same brush for my foundation and blush which has been quite annoying!

Left to right: Ballet Slippers, Mademoiselle, Muchi Muchi

Left to right: To Buy or Not to Buy, Orange it's Obvious, Mojito Madness

I also have an obsession with Essie...

My old snow boots have been completely worn out now so mum managed to find a new pair which I'm so happy about as they're super comfy and warm! I wear them when it's cold, not just when it's snowy!

Lots of chocolate! I'm a complete sucker for rose an violet creams and Godiva chocolate pearls so this was a good lot for me! My grandma got me quite a lot of Betty's chocolate which is probably my favourite overall, it's so lovely and the animals they create are just the sweetest, sometimes it's hard to actually eat them!

Some bits and bobs from my stocking! I love these little presents, they're always adorable! I'm really glad I got a new pair of headphones as mine are probably going to break soon knowing my luck!

I LOVE these. Purple leather heeled boots?! Yes please. 

This top is from my grandma and it's so gorgeous! 

I chose this from Zara a few weeks ago and I'm completely in love - it's sheer so something needs to be worn underneath but it looks amazing on!

My grandma also got me these, they've been making me laugh rather a lot, I'm just waiting to see something I've said in a test!

My other Auntie and Uncle bought me my first ever Lush products! The snowman is vanilla scented which is gorgeous and  the one on the left is cinnamon and apparently has popping candy in it! I can't wait to try them!

The aftermath of me & my brother's present unwrapping.

I also had a Kate Spade scarf but it had holes in so we took it back, a post to come about what I bought in exchange!

I feel so incredibly lucky to have family that know me so well and that I got to spend time with them over this holiday (some of them at least)!

Leave me links to your present posts and I'll check them out, or comment with your favourite gifts this year! 

Jess xx

Christmas Eve!

I'm an absolute sucker for Christmas, it's definitely my favourite holiday without a doubt and I can't get enough of the happiness that seems to fill the air around this time - I'm always in such a good mood too! This year, all of my friends have been saying that they aren't feeling in the festive spirit as much as they usually are but I totally disagree, I'm just as excited as ever! Everything is so pretty with the Christmas decorations up and the presents have been put under the tree now so it's just adding to the festive feeling! 

Today I went round to my secondary school friends and dropped round presents and cards which was great fun - I love seeing them all, even if it's only for a short amount of time! It was great because I realised how much I missed them so I will definitely be meeting up with some of them over this holiday and catching up which will be amazing, spending time with them is always so much fun. I felt like Father Christmas as we went through three villages to get to everyone, we also managed to get a pretty decent route so everyone was included on the way! I was so tired by the end of it but I was so happy to have seen everyone.

I hope you all have a great day tomorrow and get what you wanted, eat as much food as possible and have lots of fun with your families! 

Jess xx

How can I not be excited when my living room looks like this ?! 

The Body Shop Colour Crush Lipsticks in Damson in Distress 240 review

I passed my driving theory test yesterday so to celebrate, I met up with a friend in Reading! To treat and congratulate myself, I bought a colour crush lipstick from The Body Shop as I'd heard a lot of good things about them on various websites and in magazines. 

The colour I chose was Damson in Distress which is a gorgeous purple/berry colour. I've never bought a purple lipstick before but this one suits me really well I think so I'm really happy that I chose it! I've been looking for a darker lipstick that isn't red for a while and this one fits the bill perfectly!

The packaging is really simple but pretty and the lids co-ordinate with the colour group they belong to (pinks, reds or browns) which I think it quite a cool way of separating and identifying colours!

The colour is actually darker than this and more purple but my bathroom lights are really bright and always seem to take away some of the colour of my swatches which is annoying! The lipstick is really soft and moisturising and lasts for ages, over 3 hours when I tested it! I love the colour and despite it being quite bright and different, it seems to go with everything which could make it a daring every day colour! I can't wait to wear it out properly (not just testing it) and see how it really does though, so far I'm loving it and it will become one of my favourites I think!

The name isn't actually on the lipstick, only on the website, but the number is displayed by the lips at the top! 

This was £10 and can also be found on The Body Shop website. The swatches they show there are actually quite accurate compared to most websites (looking at you, Boots...) so it's quite easy to choose colours, but just for safety's sake, it's still worth checking them out in store to make sure the colour suits you as £10 is quite a lot for just a lipstick. 

I also love these as they're cruelty free, and with such great quality, I will most likely be buying another of these eventually - there are 23 more colours to choose from!

Jess xx

The Liebster Award.

The lovely Jenn over at HelloGutentag nominated me for the Liebster Award! Thank you so much Jenn, you guys should check out her blog as it's really great! 

The Rules

You need to link back to the nominator 

State 11 Facts about yourself

Answer the 11 questions given to you 

Nominate 11 new bloggers with less than 200 followers 

And give those nominated 11 new questions

11 facts about me

- I own way too many nail polishes and lipsticks - over 20 of each!

- I use my phone more than I should but it's how I keep up to date with everything!

- I own so many books that they don't all fit on my bookshelf, or the piles I have on my chest of drawers, I have little stacks all around my room! 

- I can't decide whether Autumn or Winter is my favourite season yet - I would probably have to say Autumn as a whole but Christmas as a holiday as I always feel so much happier, plus the lights on people's houses are incredible!

- I'm straight edge and won't drink, smoke or do drugs. I don't get the point of any of them and can have fun without them!

- I'm one of those people who will shout at the TV and sarcastically answer them because stupid people irritate me. 

- The last gig I went to was Madness at Alexandra Palace in October and it was honestly one of the best I've been to, the atmosphere was incredible and Madness sounded exactly the same as they do on record!

- I am left handed but don't suffer from the smudge most seem to get when writing, I don't know how!

- I have an addiction to scarves, I also own over 20 of them too!

- I have the fashion sense of a 21 year old American living in New York; way too expensive for my non-existent salary/pocket money! 

- I spend my free time at college walking down by the river, I get a huge sense of peace and happiness from just watching the world go by.

Bonus facts!

- I'm a diabetic asthmatic with a nut allergy, it's rather fun being me!

- I REALLY want to own a typewriter, I think they're so pretty!

Jenn's questions

1. What are you top 3 favorite blogs?

I would have to say The College Prepster, Someone Like You and Kerralina as they're all lovely - Carly is my blogger who I check on every day and is a fashion inspiration for me, I speak to Lauren quite regularly for someone who has that many followers and she is amazing and Kerry is just great, I love following her adventures at Uni!

2. What social media do you use the most? and why?

I obviously use Blogger every day to write/read posts, use Facebook to talk to people, love looking through Instagram, posting little snippets on Twitter and reblogging off Tumblr. I don't use Pinterest as much as I used to anymore. 

3. What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas! It's such a great time of the year and it always makes me so happy! I also love spending the time with family, and everything always looks so pretty!

4. Do you have a car? what kind?

I don't, I'm currently learning to drive but I'll hopefully get one some day!

5. What is your favorite song RIGHT NOW?

Eet by Regina Spektor - I rediscovered it again on Friday and I haven't been able to get it out of my head! The video is also incredible.

6. What are 3 must see shows that you watch?

I don't watch much TV bur I would have to say NCIS, Doctor Who, Sherlock and Merlin (I know that's 4 but Merlin is finished so doesn't count in my book - still an absolute must watch though!) 

7. Favourite movie?

I don't have a single favourite movie but my top 5 would probably be Notting Hill, Aristocats, Avengers, My Week With Marilyn and The Proposal.

8. If you could go ANYWHERE in the world where would it be?

I've always wanted to visit Paris and New York - they both look so amazing and so different from my life now!

9. How do you keep your blog posts organized or do you just go with the flow?

Sometimes I'm super organised and schedule posts days in advanced when I'm feeling particularly creative but other times (most of the time...) when I'm not as free for time or I lack in inspiration, I just write when I feel like it and go with the flow! 

10. How did you come up with your Blog name?

My favourite book is Adorkable by Sarra Manning and it also inspired me to start blogging! I also thought it was quite a fitting name as I'm a bit of a dork so yeah!

11. What do you love about blogging?

I love seeing that people read my posts, comment on them and I also love seeing where my views are coming from, it's really interesting to see how many countries accidentally stumble across my blog! I also just love writing for writing's sake - if I don't become and Archaeologist/Ancient Historian, I want to become a journalist or something along those lines, that style of writing seems to fit me the best!

My nominees!

Kate from letscapturethecastle

Tash from Wanderlustandbabble

Hannah from Twoforjoy 

(not 100% how many followers she has but I love her blog so yeah!)

Caitlin from Oceanicstars

My questions

1. Why did you start blogging?

2. Favourite item in your bedroom?

3. 1 thing you're addicted to? 

4. What do you own the most of? 

5. Do you have any pets? 

6. What is your favourite topic to write about?

7. Any idea about what you want to do when you're older?

8. Do you think you will still be blogging 3 years from now?

9. What is one thing that you're really proud of?

10. Describe your style in 5 words?

11. What is your favourite beauty product?

I was also nominated by Kathryne over at confessionsofanessexgirl so I thought I'd answer her questions as a bonus as I really like them!

1. What is your favourite place in the world?

I love my house, sitting by the river when I'm at college and covent garden in London.
2. What made you start a blog?

I read Adorkable by Sarra Manning last summer and it made me want to start a blog as it sounded like loads of fun!
3. Do your friends/family know about your blog?

Yes, my parents seem to read it quite a lot and some of my friends know about it through twitter and helping me make sure the layout is good!
4. What is the best thing you have ever done?

I don't know! I guess I'm quite proud of my GCSEs as they came out really good (8 As and 2 Bs!), I'm really happy I started going to Archaeological digs, glad I've been on lots of school trips because I've seen quite a bit of Europe and I'm really happy that I started blogging as I've become more confident and made new friends because of it!
5. If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would you keep with you?

My kindle as I have loads of books on there, a water filtration jug so at least I could drink safer water and my medication. I'm a bit too sensible with these sorts of questions!
6. Where do you get blog inspiration from?

Everything and anything - I write what I want, when I want and anything can inspire me!
7. What's your favourite book/series?

Harry Potter is the obvious one but I also love the Hunger Games trilogy, Artemis Fowl series and what I've read so far of the Sunday Philosophy Club books by Alexander McCall Smith.
8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Hopefully working in Archaeology or Ancient History! A museum would be great really.
9. What's one thing you couldn't live without?

Probably my phone...it keeps me up to date with everything going on and it makes it so much easier to contact people!
10. What is your favourite blog?

Answered above!
11. What 1 post are you most proud of writing?

I love all of my posts, otherwise I wouldn't have published them! I really like my favourites post from yesterday though as I think it'll be a great thing to start doing!

I hope you guys enjoyed the double dose of questions, I enjoyed answering them!

Jess xx

This week's favourites!

I thought that a nice thing to start doing would be a weekly update of things I've been loving over the last 7 days! 

1. This video.

My Mum showed me this on Facebook and I thought it was so odd and hilarious - I laugh every time I see it!

2. Which side of your brain is most dominant?

I love doing these types of quizzes for fun because they're nearly always accurate but I love seeing the reasons behind it! I've always been more creative so I'm not surprised at all that I got this result - it's quite ironic that I'm left handed though! 

3. Red Pandas

Surely they must be the cutest, funniest and silliest animals in existence?! Every time I'm not feeling happy, I'll watch this video and it makes me feel 100 times better because it's so damn cute! 

4. Strikingtruths.com

There are so many inspirational quotes on this website, I love to just go through them and read them sometimes, some are pretty great!

5. Girl Power.

This link is great and I love these tips, it made me laugh rather a lot!

Extra non-internet favourites of the week

- Hot Chocolate

- Rimmel Kate Matte Lipstick in 107; I love a good red lipstick and this one is particularly festive! 

- My black beanie hat from New Look; I've worn it three days this week!

- This month's issue of Elle magazine; there's great pieces about shopping the sales and how to style a navy blazer, one of my favourite pieces to wear!

- The Gift by Cecelia Ahern; I started it a couple of days ago and I'm hooked! I love everything she does and can't wait to get my hands on her new book, How to Fall In Love.

Hope you guys enjoyed this, should I do one of these every week? 

Send me links to things to add into next weeks one if you want - either in the comments or via my twitter, @theadorabled0rk!

Jess xx

P.S. I reached 50 followers so go and check my 50th followers blog out - Kristen from alittlelookinsideme.blogspot.co.uk!

It's not everyday you fangirl with your teacher...

Today has been an odd day. I set my alarm earlier than I thought I had so I ended up having loads of time to get ready this morning which was lovely! It also meant that I got to spend more time choosing what to wear and putting my make up on so I was happy with everything!

For my make up, I used Max Factor whipped creme foundation in Natural, Urban Decay eyeshadows in Drink Me, Eat Me and Mad Hatter from the Alice in Wonderland eyeshadow palette, Ruby & Millie blusher (don't know the name as from an old palette), Benefit BadGal Lash mascara and L'Oreal Rouge Caresse lipstick in Lovely Rose.
Vest is old from Next and the cardigan is from Crew. 

I get in to college half way through lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays so I tend to take a walk by the river because it puts me in a good mood and today I got to feed some ducks and geese which was really lovely as I haven't done that for quite a while!

In Classics, we watched The Big Lebowski which was a really odd but funny film, it's a shame we didn't get to see how it ended though! 

In English, we had a quiz in the last half of the lesson which was really fun, our team came second by half a point! One of the questions was "Who lives at 221B Baker Street?" and someone didn't know! Me and my teacher were completely shocked because we just assumed it was common knowledge. We ended up fangirling over the imminent return of Sherlock in the New Year and it's made me even more excited because now I get to talk to her about it when we come back for the Spring term!

I love the end of term as the lessons are always so relaxed with minimal work which is great fun! There is also nearly always food involved which is also great!

How have the last few days been for you guys? 

Jess xx 

P.S. Thank you to all of my new followers, I'm one away from 50 now and I've reached 60 on my Bloglovin so I'm really excited and happy that there are so many more of you reading! 

My Recent Make-Up buys

I don't have a lot of time to write out loads of reviews so I thought that I would do one mini review of each product and a swatch if I can (it's obviously quit difficult to do 2 nail polishes at once!) in one longer post!

Over the last couple of months, I've bought a fair bit of make up due to freebies in magazines, sales or just an impulse buy! 

My most recent pieces! 
From left clockwise: Body Collection maxi lipstick in Vixen, Rimmel Apocalips lip laquer in Nova,
Nails Inc/Kate Spade nail polish in Big Apple Red, Essie nail polish in Bahama Mama, Miners Matte Factor lip paint in Deep Read, Technic whipped foundation mousse in Natural, Benefit Coralista lip gloss, Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker gloss stick in Raplumzel and Eyeko Skinny Mini liquid eyeliner in Black.

Body Collection maxi lipstick - Vixen

I bought this during my half term holiday in Norfolk at a Department store. I found some clearance bins and decided to have a rummage to see what I could find and picked up this! I'd never heard of the brand before but it was only £2 or something so it was worth the risk! It smells really plastic-y and I'm still not 100% sure on the colour, I think it's the wrong shade of red for me but who knows, I might grow to love it eventually! It isn't drying on the lips though and seems to last a decent amount of time.

Rimmel Apocalips lip laquer - Nova

I was so happy to find this in the same bargain bin for only £2.99 as opposed to the usual £6.49! The colour is quite nice but tends to cling to the dry patches on my lips which is annoying, I love the applicator though!

It's brighter in person!

Nails Inc/Kate Spade nail polish - Big Apple Red

This was a freebie with last month's issue of Glamour magazine and it's a gorgeous bright, festive red! I wore it a few weeks ago and it was so nice! The applicator isn't as nice as Essie's but it did the job with minimal skin painting! It lasted quite a long time before chipping which is always nice and I'm really happy I got this colour, it's completely perfect for this time of the year! I just wish I could go back and buy the silver one too, they would look so good together! Sadly they were only available with the magazine so too late now. I don't have a swatch because I didn't think to take a picture while I was wearing it (oops)!

Essie - Bahama Mama

I bought this specifically as a more muted colour to wear at my interview at Reading on wednesday and I'm completely in love! Essie never fail to disappoint! It's such a gorgeous plum colour that goes with everything - it's also great for this time of year as it adds a bit of colour but isn't too bright - almost like a neutral!

Miners Matte Factor lip paint - Deep Red

Another Norfolk buy, only £3.99 and usually only available online so I got really excited when I found this! This has been my go to lip product for the last few weeks or so! I absolutely love it and it reminds me of the Collection lip creams a lot - they even have the gorgeous vanilla cream scent! It goes on really smoothly and lasts for a good few hours! I love the colour too, it's darker than in the picture but is such a wearable colour! My favourite red lip product by quite a way I think! It will be great for this festive season, it matches my Crew fair isle jumper really well!

It's more red - this makes it look quite pink!

Technic whipped foundation mousse - Natural

I bought this in Norfolk for £3.99 as a stand in for my Max Factor whipped creme foundation sample that I was using (finally bought the full version and it's incredible!) and it was good for the price! Now I have my proper foundation, I don't know how much use it will get as it's more drying and clings to my dry patches more but it was good as a filler and matched my skin tone really well!

The colour of my face and hand differ quite a bit so while it looks orange here, it's actually the right colour for my face! (This swatch isn't blended in, it's easier to see the colour like this.)

Benefit lip gloss - Coralista
I got this as a freebie in the last issue of Elle magazine which was rather exciting, getting mini versions of more expensive brand products is always a good, it gives you the chance to see if the full price is worth it or not! Personally, I would never pay £14.50 for a lip gloss anyway but I don't really like this product as much as I thought I would. It is such a pretty colour and has a really lovely smell but the colour just disappeared when it was put on my lips. It makes my lips feel quite soft and it's not sticky but it's also quite drying and I catch myself rubbing my lips together more often than I would like. I'm not a huge fan of lip glosses anyway and this one hasn't changed my mind very much - give me a lipstick any day! It's a nice freebie but if I had the chance, I wouldn't buy it because it's vastly overpriced for something with the same quality I would expect from something half or a third of the price. This is definitely a case of paying for the name rather than the quality.

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker gloss stick - Raplumzel 

Now for the other side of the lip gloss spectrum. After picking up a gloss stick in Nudist with the Girl O Whirl gift set a few weeks back, I've been hooked on these crayon shaped beauties. I knew I had to buy more colours so I opted for Raplumzel, a deep plum colour. (It was also probably also influenced by the fact that there were only 4 left across the range and it was the only one not tampered with, but luckily that was the colour I wanted the most!) I LOVE this product. It goes on so smoothly, it's pretty much just colouring in your lips which is so satisfying! I love how it's in stick form because it makes application so much simpler and not feel like an actual lip gloss. The colour is great and it's so softening and moisturising, it also lasts quite a long time for a 'gloss', if you can call it that! This is definitely worth the money at £8.00 from Boots but probably the most I'll pay for a lip gloss. 

The colour is brighter and darker in person! 

 Eyeko Skinny Mini liquid eyeliner - Black

I am horrendous at doing liquid eyeliner so I always opt for pen versions as they are easier to use! I love this one from Eyeko as the pen is really thin so if you have a really steady hand and quite a bit of time to make sure it's perfect, you can do a subtle thin line that looks amazing! I wear this quite a bit and it doesn't budge throughout the day which is quite impressive because my eyes tend to water a lot in the cold weather. I got this as a freebie from Glamour magazine 2 issues ago and I will definitely be buying it again - a full sized version is £10 and comes in black, brown, purple and blue!

I apologise for the bad line as I find it quite difficult to do sometimes! The mascara I'm wearing is BadGal Lash from Benefit, a firm favourite of mine!

This post was significantly longer than I expected it to be but it was so much easier creating one post with little reviews as opposed to lots of smaller posts trying to come up with a decent length post about a product that I haven't got a lot to say about! I think if I recommended any of the products, they would be the Essie nail polish, Miners lip paint, Soap and glory gloss stick and eyeko eyeliner.

Let me know if you prefer this or individual posts! 

Jess xx

GFC returns!

I feel a bit silly because this morning, GFC started working again so apparently you're now able to follow people again using it! 

I reached 50 Bloglovin followers yesterday so thank you for that, it put a huge smile on my face thinking that 50 people actually read my blog! 

Jess xx

RIP GFC.

I woke up this morning and had a quick look at my stats from the day before as I always do. I'd gained a few followers thanks to the 2014 Blogger Challenge (thank you and hello to all of my new followers!) so I had a quick check to see if that had changed too when I realised my followers weren't loading on my page! A quick check around confirmed my suspicions; Google have finally taken down Google Friend Request, a sad day for everyone. However, there is luckily an alternative way to follow me if you wish to do so! 

BLOGLOVIN'!

If you click the link above, you can follow me and you can set it so you get an email whenever I post something new! I follow pretty much everyone back so you will most likely gain a follower too! 

Jess xx

The University Chronicles: My interview!

On Wednesday, I had an interview at Reading University. As I've been going to their Archaeological field school for the last three years, I was feeling quite confident but also really nervous as I didn't quite meet their grade requirements.

The interview was at the end of the day after a couple of lectures explaining various aspects of the Archaeology and Ancient history course and a visit to the on-site museum (one of the largest Greek vase collections in the country apparently! It was amazing!). It ended up being with one of the lecturers that I had met this summer whilst at the dig so I was extremely happy to be able to talk to someone who already had a vague idea about what I was like! I ended up just chatting to her about my A levels, the books I've been reading for my english coursework, lectures I've been to and, of course, Silchester. 

At the end of it, I got the chance to ask questions which was a really good opportunity for me to get to understand the course more! 

She eventually told me that they would be making me a 'non-standard' offer so I was so excited because they lowered the grades for me! The next day I had an email telling me that I've received a BBB offer from Reading which I'm super excited and happy about! 

The day made me realise how much I also didn't want to give up the Classics side of the ancient world so it's now made it very difficult to choose which University I like the most as Cardiff don't have a Classics department, so if I went there, I would be losing out on that aspect which I don't think I could do without regretting my decision. I think now that Reading is my first choice and Birmingham and Cardiff are joint second. The visit day really helped me understand the University more so I'm quite excited to see what the other two are like! 

The people at Reading were so friendly and welcoming and made me feel at home which was really lovely - I can happily see myself going to University which is always a good sign!
For my interview, I didn't want to go too dressy but also didn't want to look slobby so I opted for my black dove dress from Shikha London, my new brown suede boots from Next and my peacock design coat from Desigual. I also wore Essie's Bahama Mama on my nails as it's dark and a pretty colour that I thought went with the outfit pretty well! I also found that painting my nails was a good de-stressing activity to do the night before!
My one piece of advice for anyone who has an interview coming up is to make sure you're confident, you smile and you make eye contact - you will stand out more if you aren't shy and trying to fade into the background - your interviewer wants to know that you want to be there!
Jess xx

Santa Claus is coming to town.

A few weeks ago, me and my friends at college decided that, as we all have next to no money, we would do a secret santa instead of buying 7 people presents. As it was late night shopping on Friday, we decided to meet up after college, go to the pub and exchange presents there! It was such a great time despite the fact that I was only there for an hour - I love spending time with them all outside of college time, they're great!

I only had one lesson in the morning so I went to my friend's house and met her new puppy while we waiting and she was the most adorable thing! A hyperactive ball of fur!

When we got to the pub, it had such a Christmassy atmosphere which put everyone in a good mood! We then put all of the presents in the middle (without looking of course!) and then we opened them and guessed who got who one by one!

My friend Milly ended up buying me a 4 set of EOS lip balms! I've seen them all over the internet but as they're an American brand, I gave up hope of ever trying them! I honestly love them so much, they're super moisturising without feeling heavy and like you're wearing a thick layer of gunk on your lips and they smell so amazing! They also leave your lips feeling so soft, it's amazing what a difference it makes! The set I was given had Strawberry Sorbet, Pomegranate Raspberry, Summer Fruits and Fresh Watermelon. Strawberry sorbet and Summer fruits are my favourites but I love them either way, the packaging is also amazingly cute and so easy to just throw into a bag! 

How adorable are these?!

The sphere makes application so much easier!

My three best girl friends and I also decided to get each other little presents so two of them brought their in at the same time so I also got some really adorable things from my friends Lauren and Katie!

Katie gave me mine when I was round her house earlier in the day and it's such a pretty cameo style necklace! I love it and know exactly what I'm going to wear with it so I'm really happy with this, it's gorgeous!

How pretty is this?!

Lauren started throwing little gifts at me Katie and Milly which was quite funny, but they were the sweetest, quirkiest gift ever!

This jar of buttons will look so cute on my desk, they'd also be great if I decided one day to make a ribbon notice board that I could decorate with pretty buttons!

The next thing was a handmade soap. It smells of sherbet and has layers of different colours. I don't want to use it because it's too pretty and smells to good to ruin!

The final little thing are these socks which are so so cute it's unreal, they even have little ears! I think they're so adorable so I can't wait to wear them! 

I break up for Christmas in a week and two days so I should be able to blog more after that! 

Jess xx