Teeny Tiny Topshop Sale Haul

Topshop jewellery sales are definitely right up there in my list of favourite sales, so I was delighted to find that they were having a little jewellery sale when I popped in late last week.

I only got a few little pairs of earrings but I thought you still might like to have a cheeky peek.

Clockwise from top left:

Spike earrings, £7.50 £1.50

Skull earrings, £6.50 £1.50

Spike drop earrings, £7.50 £1.50

Spike cuff earring, £7.50 £1.50

I actually bought these for my sister as part of her birthday presents, so it might be worth a peek if you're struggling for Christmas presents for a friend. She is really fussy and awkward to buy for so I always panic around her birthday/Christmas time!

She's quite quirky and individual so hopefully she'll like these unusual earrings; if not I'm sure I could be the best sister in the world and take them off her hands for her.

I didn't think £29 worth of jewellery was too bad for £6!

Have you bought any gems in the sales recently?

Thanks for reading,

Jo xx



Laura Geller | Blush-n-Brighten blusher and Baked Marble Eyeshadow

So following on from my little make up haul here, a good few of you mentioned that you'd be interested in seeing reviews of the Laura Geller products.

Your wish is my command!

L-R: Laura Geller Baked Marble eyeshadow in Moonstone/Blue Heaven, and Laura Geller Blush-n-Brighten in Berry

I love the packaging of these products, namely the little plastic window that allows you a cheeky peek into the pan. How enticing...particularly when the products look so beautiful in the pan! The pots are really sturdy and I love the globular shape of the eyeshadow. The mirrors are also really quite generously sized.

So let's start off with the eyeshadows. In the pan, they have a lovely swirl of silver throughout, which gives the eyeshadows their shimmer applied to the skin.

They have great pigmentation and a really luxurious, silky smooth texture.



Unfortunately the above swatches don't do the shades much justice, but they are actually really lovely bright shades, particularly the blue which is a really vibrant colour. The eyeshadows last well and have minimal fallout. Overall a lovely little pallette.

Laura Geller Baked Marble Eyeshadow in Moonstone/Blue Heaven can be bought on the Laura Geller website for around £17 here. 

Next up is the Laura Geller Blush-n-Brighten blusher in Berry.



Again, this looks absolutely stunning in the pan, although I was quite worried about the amount of shimmer in the powder! I had mental images of me looking like something out of Twilight, with cheeks so shiny you could use them as a mirror.



However the shimmer is actually really lovely and subtle. I am usually a lover of matte colour on my cheeks, but I actually can imagine myself wearing this quite a lot during the summer months, as it makes your skin look lovely and healthy.

This particular shade is quite dark and probably best suited to olive toned skin, but again it lasted me the whole day with no problems. It definitely needs to be applied in light layers as it builds up really quickly (as I found on my first attempt when I was in a rush for work).

Laura Geller Blush-n-Brighten blusher in Berry can be bought here for around £19.50.

Have you tried any Laura Geller products?

Do you think they're worth their price tags?

Hope you've all had a good weekend. Last night I went to a 21st which was a fancy dress dressed as Lara Croft! My mum and I had spent ages making gun holsters to go round my legs and getting the outfit together but unfortunately a handful of people were asking me why I was dressed as Rambo.

So as you can probably imagine I wasn't very enthralled and kept going back to the bar for more G&T's to take me past the point of caring. It worked, trust me!

I spent this morning nursing myself back to health with a bacon and egg butty and a few brews. Good as new now! I also have this week off uni and placement so that I can tackle the stack of work that I keep adding to at my desk. Wish me luck!

Thanks for reading,

Jo xx

Competition Wins to Date

 Recently (i.e. since about the start of this year) I have become partial to entering a few competitions online in the hope that I might win some goodies.

When I first started doing it, the enthusiasm didn't last long at all. I was wasting my time entering all these competitions and had absolutely nothing to show for it, so my competition entry numbers dwindled down until...

Bare Minerals Golden & Gorgeous set | won on Facebook | RRP £32

...I got my first ever win, and a bloomin' good one it was. A Bare Minerals makeup set!

Once I knew it actually worked and the competitions were real, I started entering a few more again.

I know for a year of entries I don't really have much to show for it, but to be truthful my enthusiasm has been up and down like a yo-yo, and with life and such getting in the way I really don't have the time to sit at my laptop and do it every day.

Anyway, I am so delighted with the bits I have won over the year that I thought I might show you all in one post.

(Apologies for the initially appaling photos, my old camera wasn't great...)

Laura Ashley scarf | won on Twitter | RRP £10

LoveFilm gift card | won on RottenOtter's blog | RRP £29

Vax laminate floor cleaner (exciting stuff!) | won on Twitter | RRP £4.99

Zara voucher | won on Twitter | RRP £25

2 Vitality Boutique tickets | won on Twitter | RRP £16

Sheridan bath mat | won on Twitter | RRP £26

Kiko nail varnish | won on Mollie Muses blog | RRP £3.90 (review here)

So there we have it! My competition wins to date.

I love winning stuff that you wouldn't normally treat yourself to!

Have you ever won any competitions?

What is your favourite competition win?

If you've done a post showing your competition wins please pop a link in the comments below, I'd love to have a nosy!

Thanks for reading,

Jo xx

Makeup Haul

So the other day we had a visit from my auntie. After a bit of a chinwag and a cup of tea, she made her excuses and off she popped, leaving behind a bag of makeup goodies...

...my auntie is always buying makeup (not that I'm complaining, obviously) but due to her very sensitive skin she has to be careful as to what she uses. Which kind of works in my favour. Okay, it really works in my favour.

Here are the fabulous goodies she left me with!

Avon true colour 6 in 1 eye pallette in Glamour Eyes

Bourjois Delice de Soleil bronzing powder in 12 fair/medium

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB cream

17 BB Blemish Balm

Bourjois blush in 92 Santal

Maybelline Instant Anti-Age The Smoother primer

Laura Geller Baked Marble Eyeshadow in Moonstone/Blue Heaven

Laura Geller Blush 'n' Brighten in Berry

I know, I have the best auntie ever, right?!

I am still a BB cream virgin so I am partiularly looking forward to testing these out!

I will be reviewing all of these products but due to the fact that I have a never-ending list of things to review, if you're interested in seeing a review of anything in particular sooner rather than later, please let me know in the comments and I'll put it to the top of my list!

What do you think of the selection?
Have you tried any of these out before?

Thanks for reading,

Jo xx

Ted Baker | The Lookbook of Love

Please note before reading: this exact Lookbook is no longer available on the Boots website; there is a newer set available containing different colour combinations (but which is otherwise identical to the one I have reviewed).

This review is therefore more for the quality of the contents - please see end of post for further details.

So a few months back, my mum received the Ted Baker Look Book of Love as a gift from one of her friends. Not being a huge makeup fan, she gave it to me to have a bit of a play about with.

The set is beautifully presented in a sturdy almost geometric-patterned box and secured with a pretty stretch band. It includes three seperate lookbooks; Day, Night and Party.



Each book contains two eyeshadows, two lipglosses, a blusher or bronzer, three application brushes (which as far as freebie application brushes go aren't actually that drastic) and a handy little mirror.



L-R: both eyeshadows, both lipglosses and the blusher

The daytime Lookbook is by far my favourite of the three. The colours are really natural and the eyeshadows are so easy to blend, each colour compliments the other beautifully.



L-R: both eyeshadows, both lipglosses and the bronzer

Now with both the Night and the Party book I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of the eyeshadow colour combinations. The differences in colour between the eyeshadows are so small (i.e. both eyeshadows are so dark) that it just looks like one block colour when blended on the eyelids, making my eyes look really closed off.

I will definitely be using these eyeshadows seperately and with lighter shades.



L-R: both eyeshadows, both lipglosses and the bronzer

The eyeshadows and blushers aren't as pigmented as you may expect and do need building up, however once applied they will last throughout the day or night.

The lipglosses however do have great pigmentation without being at all sticky or heavy on the lips. I particularly love the party lip shades: hot pink shade and transparent gloss with pink speckles of glitter.

Overall this would make a lovely little Christmas or birthday gift which I would perhaps buy for a younger sister or friend. Once swatched and used, something about this set makes me think that it is well suited to younger teenagers although I can't quite put my finger on what!

I can only find this exact Lookbook on eBay's private listings here , however

Boots are now selling a newer set, Ted Baker: Ready For My Close Up Look-Book

which appears to have much better colour combinations than The LookBook of Love.

This retails for £16

Thanks for reading,

Jo xx



MUA Lipstick | Shade 8

I have a phobia of lipstick. A phobia that I am trying my absolute best to overcome.

This MUA lipstick is the first ever lipstick I have purchased with my own money. Why did I dive straight in at the deep end and pick shade 8, a deep red colour? I'm afraid I can't answer that one...I literally have no idea what came over me. Probably the worst colour I could have picked.
After all, I'm hardly easing myself in with a bright red, am I.

 

Anyway, onto the lipstick itself.

For the price, I think the packaging is pretty decent! I love the fact you can see what shade of lippy you're picking up without having to peek inside, and the black plastic looks simple and clean. Most importantly, it does its job of protecting the lipstick.

Without flash

With flash (aplologies for the sulky pout)

The pictures above make it look a bit pinky but I can't say I noticed this at all in person.
Shade 8 is in fact a warm deep red colour with a lovely subtle golden sheen. Although the colour does need building up on the lips, with a few layers it is a fab shade that is perfect for my skin tone.

The wear isn't great as it starts to fade (unevenly) once you start eat or drink anything, but then again what do you expect from a lipstick with such a tiny price tag?

Fortunately I can't say it has scared me away from lipstick altogether. I may only be brave enough to traipse round the house with it on at the minute, but I did wear it to nip out to the car yesterday.
I know, calm yourself ladies!

I will definitely be stocking up on a few more shades from this range in an attempt to try and overcome my lipstick fear...

...maybe more subtle colours next time.

The MUA lipsticks can be purchased from the MUA website here for a mere £1, and there are 16 shades to choose from.

Do you have an MUA lipstick?

What shades would you recommend to try for someone who isn't used to wearing lip colour?

Thanks for reading,

Jo xx

Kiko | Apple Blossom

So a few weeks ago whilst on placement I had the exciting pleasure of experiencing my first ever bout of 16 hour (yes, 16 hour) night shifts at the hospital. I have to say it was nowhere near as agonising as I expected it to be; the night flew by and after downing a couple of energy drinks before setting off on my hours drive home, I managed (just about) to stay awake until I was safely tucked up in bed.

Anyway, somewhere in the middle of the week whilst drowsily flicking through my emails, I was absolutely delighted to find that I was one of the winners of a giveaway hosted by the beautiful Mollie over at Mollie Muses. It was definitely the highlight of my week!

My prize was a Kiko nail varnish*, a brand that I had never really heard of before and so I was pretty excited to try it out! The shade I was lucky enough to win was Apple Blossom, a light pink colour.

The parcel came beautifully packaged in a gorgeous Paperchase gift box (which now holds my most used bracelets) and mounds of cute orange tissue paper!

It didn't take long until it was on my finger nails and I have to say...I love this pink. It's such a happy, summery shade, that I would describe as a lovely slightly-darker-than-pastel pink.

It's such a cheery colour!

Thanks again Mollie for my lovely prize!

You can buy Kiko Apple Blossom here for just £3.90

Have you tried any Kiko products before?

What colours would you recommend?

Thanks for reading,

Jo xx

Ecotools Makeup Brush Set

A couple of weeks ago I did a haul post (here) for you lovely lot which included my bargain brand spanking new Ecotools makeup brushes which I bought off eBay.

I know it's taken me a while, but as promised I have finally got round to doing the review, so here goes!

The Ecotools set consists of five different brushes and a brush roll which is really handy if you do any travelling or if, like me you commute to work and do your makeup once you get there (just because I'm too lazy to get up any earlier).

It's eco-friendly features include:

• Bamboo handles
• Synthetic, cruelty free Taklon bristles
• Recycled aluminium ferrule
• Brush roll make from natural cotton and hemp
• Reusable storage pouch

But are they any good?

L-R: Blush brush, concealer brush, eye shading brush, eyeliner brush and lash and brow groomer

Blush brush - this brush is so soft and great for either blusher or powder. I have personally been using it for blusher and it blends the colour in really well (no looking like you've been using stencils), without any shedding whatsoever. A truly great brush that I'm not quite so sure how I've lived without up to now - my favourite of the set, hands down.

Eye shading brush - Another great brush that does exactly what it says on the tin. It makes even application effortless and again, no shedding and so so soft.

Eyeliner brush - Now I don't use gel eyeliner but I have instead been using this on my eyebrows to fill in my bare bits. Again, fab. Allows a good amount of precision: not too sloppy and not too severe.

Lash and brow groomer - Unfortunately I can't say I will be getting much use out of this brush, although it did come in handy when I opened a new mascara earlier this week which gave me clumpy lashes. The clumps were really easy to remove using this brush and it seperated my lashes well.

Concealer brush - Great quality (are you getting the general gist here?). Soft, no shedding, no complaints.

 These are really great brushes that I would truly recommend to anyone, whether you are just starting out with makeup or are an absolute enthusiast.

Have you used any Ecotools products before?
What did you think?

I purchased my Ecotools set from this eBay seller for an amazing £3.98

They are unfortunately no longer stocking them, but you can purchase the exact same set here for £4.18 plus free delivery.

 Thanks for reading,
Jo xx

DIY Beaded Bracelet

A few weeks back, a few of my friends and I had a bit of a shopping trip to Manchester. For a while we had been talking about buying some beads so that we could make our own little bracelets...not rocket science I know, but being a bracelet-oholic I was so excited about this!

We popped into The Bead Shop in Afflecks Palace, which is like a dream for anyone with a crafty side to them! It has every different type and colour of beads and charms you could ever imagine, all in one cosy jam-packed room. We literally spent so long in there swooning over all of the pretty beads! I really wish I had some pictures of it so I could show you, I got so excited when I walked in...it's a bit sad really!

Anyway, all of the different beads and charms are individually priced excluding the plain coloured beads, which are priced at something like 10 for 25p.

My beads came to about £4.30 altogether, which may sound a little pricey for a bunch of beads but I think it is still pretty reasonable for a bracelet that I will wear to death!

L-R: Gift* | DIY bracelet | Matalan | H&M | market in Rome

What do you think of my design?

 Do you have a similar crafty type of shop near you? 

Thanks for reading,

Jo xx

Come Dine With Me | Iced Lemon Mousse

 So here we have it, the third and final installment of my Come Dine With Me menu!

Following on from my prawn bruschettas (here) and lamb tagine (here), I made iced lemon mousses for the dessert.

Now this has to be the easiest thing you could possibly make for dessert...it was literally so simple, and went down an absolute treat! Really can't go wrong!

Ingredients:

• 300g jar lemon curd
• Zest 1 lemon
• 300ml pot double cream
• 25g lemon shortbreads or biscuits

(Serves 6)

1. Put 2/3s of the lemon curd into a large bowl with the zest and cream and beat until it holds its shape

2. Dribble over the rest of the lemon curd and divide between 6 small pots/glasses, marbling the curd as you go

3. Freeze for 30-40 minutes

4. Top with crumbs and serve

This was taken before I realised I forgot the biscuit crumbs...oops

How easy is that!?

The full recipe can be found on the Good Food website here



What are some of your favourite desserts to make?

Do you have any good recipes?

Do you enjoy reading recipe posts?



Dennis looking all handsome for the evening!

 Thanks for reading,

Jo xo