tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88120658875781362112024-03-14T07:58:43.307+00:00Elegant Destinies | UK beauty blogJesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-16872929423871689762014-03-03T18:20:00.000+00:002014-03-03T18:20:23.072+00:00Gluten free buttermilk pancakes.<a href="http://s861.photobucket.com/user/Jessssicaa_xo/media/Blog%20two/IMG_4129_zps9683e98d.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_4129_zps9683e98d.jpg" border="0" src="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/Blog%20two/IMG_4129_zps9683e98d.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a>
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As it is Shrove Tuesday tomorrow, I thought I would share my go-to, gluten free pancake recipe. Now don't be put off by the whole 'gluten free' thing, these pancakes are delicious as they are (you can't even tell that they are gluten free!) and can be easily adapted to a gluten eating diet by changing the flour type. </div>
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This mixture works for me every time and is a lovely, quick treat especially for birthday breakfasts! </div>
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<strong>Ingredients</strong></div>
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- 1 cup/120g plain flour, I'm using Doves Farm Plain White gluten free flour blend.</div>
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- 1 teaspoon baking powder (if you're making gluten free pancakes, check that your baking powder is gluten free too).</div>
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- 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda</div>
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- 2 tablespoons of caster sugar</div>
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- pinch of salt</div>
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- 1 egg, beaten</div>
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- 1 cup/240ml buttermilk (alternatively, I tend to use 1 cup of semi skimmed milk mixed with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, left for 5-10mins).</div>
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- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (can be substituted for vanilla extract).</div>
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- 3 tablespoons of melted butter</div>
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<em>I tend to use cup measurements for this recipe as it makes it easier.</em></div>
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Firstly, I add my butter into my frying pan and set it on a low heat to melt. I also combine my milk and lemon juice at this time, skip this step if you're using buttermilk. </div>
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From there, I incorporate all of my dry ingredients together in a bowl and give it a quick whisk to mix them all together. Then, I add the wet ingredients one at a time (including the milk & lemon mixture and the melted butter), stirring between each addition.</div>
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You should be left with a nice, slightly bubbly batter. I go back to the same pan in which I melted the butter and turn the heat up to a medium temperature and carefully wipe out any excess butter with a bit of kitchen paper. </div>
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Once the pan is hot enough (you can test this by putting a small blob of batter into the pan and seeing how it cooks), go ahead and make your pancakes. As they cook you should see some hollow bubbles develop in the center of your pancake this means that you are ready to flip them over (depending on your hob, this can take anywhere from 30secs-2 mins). After they have been flipped, the pancakes should only take a short amount time to slightly brown on the other side and then they are ready to eat!</div>
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You can use any toppings you like, I used Nutella with strawberries and a dusting of icing sugar (confectioners sugar) & a small knob of butter with golden syrup.</div>
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If you make these, please leave me a comment or send me a photo on <a href="http://instagram.com/elegantdestinies">Instagram</a>! </div>
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Happy Pancake Day!</div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-90260913489589189692013-11-28T17:51:00.001+00:002013-11-28T17:53:24.424+00:00Some tips for dressing/packing for cold climates...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So I just got back from a surprise birthday trip to <em>Lapland</em>...<em> </em>Crazy, I know right!! I only had approximately 3 days notice to get everything ready and packed - it was a challenge but I somehow managed it. When I usually go on holiday, I like to get really excited and research (a bit about the area we're headed to, the climate, local attractions etc) before we go but this time I didn't get a chance to look so it was a kind of figure-it-out-as-you-go type thing. It was a steep learning curve, let me tell you! </div>
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Here are some things I found out and would like to pass on so you can learn from my mistakes/be prepared:</div>
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<a href="http://s861.photobucket.com/user/Jessssicaa_xo/media/5ef42317-d438-423b-b678-a865227d6877_zps3089b0e5.jpg.html" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 5ef42317-d438-423b-b678-a865227d6877_zps3089b0e5.jpg" border="0" height="134" src="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/5ef42317-d438-423b-b678-a865227d6877_zps3089b0e5.jpg" width="200" /></a>- <strong>Don't wear mascara.</strong> I know, I know - I wanted my lashes to look all fluttery and alluring too (especially as that is like the only part of your body that won't be covered up by 3 million layers). But when your eyelashes freeze and you feel like you have conjunctivitis you'll be sorry. You'll also regret it when you walk back into the warm and the icicles melt and your mascara drips onto your face. Such a beautiful look, honestly...</div>
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- <strong>Your nostrils freeze.</strong> Yep. Not sure how, but without grossing everyone out too much, your nasal hairs seem to freeze together with any water residue up there. I'll leave it at that, however if you do want to avoid this - put a little bit of Vaseline on a cotton bud and just run it around the inside of your nostrils. Gross, I know but a frozen nose is annoying and uncomfortable.<br />
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- <strong>There is no such thing as over packing.</strong> Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration but it is<em> very</em> easy to underestimate the cold - I know I did. <em>Minus 25 degrees Celsius... Pfft! </em>I ended wearing most of my clothes every day. My feet HATED me on the first day. I honestly thought they'd dropped off and I'd left them behind in the snow somewhere. I couldn't feel them, it was awful. Another helpful tip that I learnt was the saying 'cotton is rotten'. What this basically means is don't wear cotton socks, as we were at an altitude of 1000ft our feet would sweat despite the cold. Sweat freezes in cotton socks. Wool socks were an absolute life saver, I wore about 3 pairs at all times each day and my feet were still cold.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See what I mean about melty mascara? Haha!</td></tr>
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- <strong>Mittens are better than gloves.</strong> Especially wool mittens and then waterproof mittens over the top. Gloves separate your fingers therefore making them colder, by wearing mittens, you are keeping the warmth of each finger together.</div>
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- <strong>Layers, layers, layers!</strong> I cannot stress this enough. If you are going as part of package, you will most likely be supplied with a sexy all-in-one thermal suit and thermal boots to keep you warm and dry. Don't assume you can just wear normal clothes underneath these. You will be cold. <em>Very cold</em>. </div>
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<a href="http://s861.photobucket.com/user/Jessssicaa_xo/media/1424445_10200620318740558_528707265_n_zps9e013291.jpg.html" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 1424445_10200620318740558_528707265_n_zps9e013291.jpg" border="0" height="640" src="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/1424445_10200620318740558_528707265_n_zps9e013291.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
Each day I wore *cracks fingers*: underwear, full thermal under layers, at least one long sleeve top, a jumper, a thick cardigan, sometimes a hoodie, jeans, jogging bottoms, three pairs of wool socks, thermal boots, thermal suit, neck gaiter, giant woolly snood, woolly gloves, ski gloves, ear muffs and a giant Superdry woolly hat. This kept my core at a comfortable temperature most of the time but my hands or feet were never really more than chilly. <br />
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- <strong>Moisturise.</strong> Despite all the snow, the arctic circle is as dry as a desert. To keep your skin hydrated, make sure you use good moisturisers that aren't water based as they can freeze. Also, don't forget your lips - apply a good lip balm before you go outside (I used my Nuxe Reve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm, it worked wonders).</div>
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-<strong>Don't stop moving.</strong> S Club 7 probably weren't referring to keeping warm when they sang this but it works well for Lapland. On our first day, we retreated to a little wood hut with a fire to warm up after getting so cold. But once you stop moving around, the cold feeling really sets in and becomes painful.</div>
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- <strong>Don't shower in the morning.</strong> Any water residue in your hair will cause it to freeze and it can potentially <em>snap off </em>(even after a good session with the hair dryer). Need I say anymore?</div>
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I hope that helps anyone who is shortly heading off to somewhere cold! If not, I hope you had a little chuckle at my expense :).</div>
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<a href="http://elegantdestinies.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/lapland.html">Click here to see my other Lapland post with more photos.</a></div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-62601300615120005522013-11-28T17:51:00.000+00:002013-11-28T18:14:34.356+00:00Lapland!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Last Friday I flew back into London from an amazing surprise trip to Lapland courtesy of James's lovely parents (what an awesome birthday present eh!). It was such an unforgettable experience, we got to mush with our own husky dog team, I got a kiss from a super cute husky called Bruno, we rode in a reindeer sleigh, went for late night treks into the arctic wilderness, searched for the elusive Aurora Borealis and I even got to drive a snowmobile (which I promptly crashed into two trees. Well done, Jess)! My favourite bit by far was playing with the husky dogs, the day we visited them was actually my birthday and it was just so magical. I got really homesick though after all the fluffy cuddles and missed my own dogs, I am so soppy when it comes to our furry best friends haha! Where we stayed was 250km into the arctic circle and was literally in the middle of nowhere, it was a 2.5 hour drive to the nearest hospital let alone any restaurants or shops. It was really nice being so secluded although it did feel a tad ominous at times, like a empty frozen landscape! One thing which surprised me was how much I liked the cold, it ranged from a mild(ish) -7C to a rather chilly (BLOODY FREEZING) -25C. Once you get used to constantly being icy, it's not so bad at all. Saying that, the locals said that in the depths of arctic winter, they regularly hit -45C... WOW, I can't even imagine how they cope with that. A particularly strange thing that I couldn't get my head around was the lack of daylight, the sun rose at 10:30am then set again at around 2:30am while we were there, it was so easy to lose track of the time and think that it was bedtime at 4 o'clock in the afternoon!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High five if you noticed the funny photobomb in the top right photo... Safe to say we had a giggle when we noticed it!</td></tr>
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<a href="http://elegantdestinies.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/some-tips-for-dressingpacking-for-cold.html"> Click here to read my post about what to wear in Lapland/arctic circle and packing for cold climates!</a><br />
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-80883907273555677342013-09-08T21:33:00.000+01:002013-09-13T14:20:36.257+01:00It's a Sunday #07<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quick run down on my go-to makeup for a night out!</td></tr>
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I really love Sundays, It's not often that I have to work on Sundays so I usually make the most of them and just completely chill out. The Food Network channel has had a 'Christmas in September' weekend so that was my day pretty much sorted! Last night I went out on the town with a big group of my closest chums to celebrate one of my friends birthdays and to say farewell to those heading off to university. I love going out purely for the getting ready process, I love donning the false eyelashes and heels! I realised yesterday that I have a certain look which I always seem to gravitate towards, smoky purple jewel toned eyes with a nudey pink lip. It's for this reason that I'm setting myself a new challenge - I need to get out of my makeup rut and dig out some of the things I don't use so often! </div>
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Do you have a set look you just seem to end up wearing all the time?</div>
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PS- Really annoyed with myself that I've failed at the whole blogging every day in September thing already. It's been a super busy week and it looks like my hectic lifestyle is set to continue for the rest of September so from now on, I aim to pop a post up whenever I have some spare time. </div>
Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-62537223533550920462013-09-06T13:52:00.000+01:002013-09-06T13:52:10.288+01:00The Wish List #02<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.charlottetilbury.com/Eyeshadow/luxury-palette-the-vintage-vamp.html">Charlotte Tilbury The Vintage Vamp palette</a> | <a href="http://www.anyahindmarch.com/Just-Arrived/Joss-wallet/Medium-Grey-5050925780209.html?start=3">Anya Hindmarch Studded Joss Wallet in medium grey </a> | <a href="http://www.emmabridgewater.co.uk/pottery/12-pint-mugs/icat/shahalfpintmug/">Emma Bridgewater Pink Hearts 1/2 pint mug</a> | <a href="http://www.boots.com/en/Ghost-Sweetheart-Eau-de-Toilette-50ml_117658/">Ghost Sweetheart EDT </a> | <a href="http://www.joules.com/Home-Garden/Phone-And-Tablet-Cases/Iphone4case/Handy-Hard-Case-Iphone-4/Navy-Floral?id=O_IPHONE4CASE|NAVFLOR">Joules Navy Floral iPhone 4S Case</a> | <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/168/310/Products/Lips/Lipstick/Lipstick/index.tmpl">MAC Rebel lipstick</a></span></td></tr>
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Okay, It's official. I'm now in Autumn mode. As soon as there is even a trace of winter chill in the air, my tastes all change - clothes, makeup, scents, food.. everything. I suddenly switch from bright and summery colours to warm, rich tones and fluffy slippers. This really cute Emma Bridgewater mug, for instance, makes me want to snuggle up with a hot chocolate. I'm also super excited about Charlotte Tilbury's new makeup collection; her The Vintage Vamp palette is absolutely gorgeous, filled with plum hues and a beautiful gold shade!</div>
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Who else is in Autumn mode, if so, what do you look forward to most?</div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-71217209351034155482013-09-04T10:30:00.000+01:002013-09-04T10:30:05.236+01:00Food diary #01.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is no other way to start this blog post without stating the obvious - I love food. Or more specifically, to cook food. I just love to plan meals, do the shopping and make food for my family. Some people see it as a chore but I really enjoy just taking time to pick out interesting and nutritious food. My Mum owns her own business and before that, she was often too tired when she got back from work to cook, so I just tried to help out where I could and now I just cook everyday without even thinking about it (my Dad shouldn't be allowed near the kitchen!)... I guess it's kind of odd for an 18 year old to do majority of the family cooking haha.</div>
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It can be tricky cooking for everyone; in my family, there are three gluten intolerant people (myself being one of them) so all of our meals need to be free from gluten and they also need to be healthy. As well as being gluten intolerant, I also suffer from an illness called M.E and a couple of years ago, after taking some steroid based tablets to help manage my symptoms, I gained a whopping <i>3-4st in a couple of months</i>. So after writing my <a href="http://elegantdestinies.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/19-things-before-im-19.html">19 Things Before I'm 19 post</a>, I took it upon myself to refine my eating and try to improve my health. </div>
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Phew, that was a <i>lot</i> of info - now for today's food diary!</div>
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I hate faffing around with complicated breakfasts so I usually keep it simple, for today I just had a couple of poached eggs on some brown Genius bread. After I make breakfast I usually prepare some fruit or crudites to nibble on throughout the day. For lunch I just reheated some homemade spicy butternut squash soup and then fancied some bacon (tut tut, Jess!) so I added one rasher. By dinnertime I was shattered from work so needed something quick - I chucked some turkey, more bacon (ha) and mixed peppers into a pan and cooked them with some Nando's BBQ Peri-Peri seasoning. I prepared more veg and some oven chips (a bit naughty but I really couldn't be bothered to make anything else) - hey presto, a slightly mismatched dinner haha!</div>
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I hope you guys liked this post, it's slightly different from the usual beauty/makeup related stuff so I wasn't sure whether to put it up or not :)!</div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-64477974746947181802013-09-03T17:18:00.003+01:002013-11-28T18:08:39.020+00:00MAC Creme Cup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In my opinion there are only 5 lipstick shades a woman will ever really need, a true red, a coral, a bright pink, a berry shade and the perfect nudey pink colour. For me, there is no better nude (that I have found so far anyway) than MAC's Creme Cup. It's a light, blue-toned pink - a real 'your lips but better' kind of colour! It is super versatile too and just looks beautiful with so many different types of makeup, from a sultry smoky eye to a minimal flick of eyeliner. </div>
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It applies so easily and, thanks to the Cremesheen formula it is really creamy and comfortable to wear! It doesn't dry out my lips at all either, which is one of the biggest plus points for me as I suffer with seriously dry lips (damn my weird M.E. symptoms!). The colour is well pigmented and has a slight gloss to it which is really nice as I'm not a huge lip gloss fan as they're usually <i>so</i> sticky - this lipstick is the perfect happy medium. In regards to staying power, lets just say it ticks the box for me - the photo above shows me 2 hours after I first applied it, and it's still looking fresh and even (please note, I did use lip liner all over my lips as a base)!</div>
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I'm now on the hunt to find the perfect berry toned lipstick in time for Autumn/Winter, any recommendations?</div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-56491565280256024202013-09-02T11:30:00.000+01:002013-09-02T11:30:01.642+01:00It's ladies night.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What better way to spend your Friday night than having a good chinwag with some of your girly chums? Now that A Levels have been and gone (for everyone else anyway) some of our little group are heading off to Uni all over the UK so it was only fitting that we have a girls night in to make our last moments count.. ( so dramatic haha). We ended up snapping some rather embarrassing and slightly tipsy photos - these were the best of the bunch!</div>
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It was such a typical girls night in, we had wine, ate chocolate and I got to work </div>
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giving <a href="https://twitter.com/_KirstyWheeler">Kirsty</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/AliceW_T">Alice</a> makeovers. Muhahaha. They did get their own back however when they had a good root through my makeup collection, guessing at which product did what. Then it was my turn for the makeover. I am known among my friends for being really finicky with my makeup and to be honest, they did a really good job although I did look a bit sun burnt thanks to a liberal application of <a href="http://www.makeupalley.com/product/showreview.asp/ItemId=126963/Panic/Illamasqua/Blush">Illamasqua's Panic</a> blush... The picture really doesn't do it justice haha!</div>
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I can't believe we're in September already, it's a new academic year for many of my friends and not much has changed for them. Since last year, loads of things have changed in my life... I've had a slight relapse with my <a href="http://www.meassociation.org.uk/">M.E</a> and I've got a new job which is keeping me super busy! I have so much planned between now and the beginning of January, I'm feeling so positive about the next few months and I'm so excited for Autumn to start kicking in and the leaves to start falling.<br />
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PS- Check out my cute little door stop from Primark, I'm such a sucker for anything tweed-like at the moment. </div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-73992296516800776282013-09-01T21:45:00.000+01:002013-09-03T17:18:54.564+01:00Life Lately<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arimo;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">Life lately has been a tad busy. I've been on two holidays (lucky me!), had lots of new and exciting opportunities at work and I've also got some theatrical makeup jobs lined up. All of this meant that my poor blog got a bit neglected but to make it feel all happy and loved again, I have a bit of an ambitious project - I'm going to blog everyday in September... At least that's the plan! I'd love some suggestions of posts you'd like to see so please leave any requests!</span></span></span></div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-62823372584088219702013-07-12T11:41:00.000+01:002013-07-12T11:42:49.722+01:00Simple travel skincare<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://s861.photobucket.com/user/Jessssicaa_xo/media/Blog%20stuffs/Fin_zps55350595.jpg.html" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Fin_zps55350595.jpg" border="0" height="426" src="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/Blog%20stuffs/Fin_zps55350595.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.feelunique.com/p/Eco-Lips-SPF30-Sport-Lip-Balm">Eco Lips Sport SPF 30</a> | <a href="http://www.feelunique.com/p/NUXE-Reve-de-Miel-Stick-Levres-Hydratant-Lip-Moisturizing-Stick-4g">Nuxe Reve De Miel Stick Levres Hydratant lipbalm</a> | <a href="http://www.boots.com/en/Hydraluron-Moisture-Booster-From-Indeed-Labs-the-people-who-brought-you-Nanoblur_1262210/">Hydraluron</a> | <a href="https://www.lush.co.uk/product/6080/Popcorn-Lip-Scrub">Popcorn Lipscrub</a> | <a href="http://www.steamcream.co.uk/anastasia">'Anastasia' Steam Cream </a> | <a href="http://www.escentual.com/bioderma/bioderma038/">Bioderma Sensibo 100ml</a> | <a href="http://www.origins.co.uk/product/3855/11641/Skincare/Category/Eye-Care/GinZing/Refreshing-eye-cream-to-brighten-and-depuff/index.tmpl">Origins Gin Zing</a> | <a href="http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052&catalogId=11051&productId=1217668&langId=-1&callingViewName&cm_mmc=Paid%20Search-_-Plusbox-_-Link-_-philosophypuritymadesimpleonestepfacialcleanser90ml&cm_mmc=bmm-_-google-_-Boots+Beauty-_-Beauty+-+PLAs">Philosophy Purity cleanser</a> | <a href="http://www.feelunique.com/p/Caudalie_Beauty_Elixir_30ml">Caudalie Beauty Elixir</a> | <a href="http://www.feelunique.com/p/Moroccanoil-Oil-Treatment-for-All-Hair-Types-25ml">Morrocan Oil 25ml</a></td></tr>
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Early Tuesday morning I arrived back in the UK from a lovely, week long holiday on Lake Garda in Italy. I have a few snap-happy posts lined up so stay tuned for that; but for today, I'm talking skincare. I must admit, I have a bit of an obsession with picking up the super hyped products of the moment - as you can probably tell if you look back through my posts... This post won't be too different!<br />
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Good skincare is vital for me, being a makeup aficionado, I want a good base to work with so my skin needs to be in fairly good nick. I am, to be honest, quite lucky that 80-90% of the time, my skin is clear and mostly even but I do occasionally get the odd spot or patch of discolouration; my biggest problem is dry skin, eurgh! What's a girl to do? Buy more skincare if you're like me...<br />
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This is the skinny version of my normal routine, I always try to pack light when I go on holiday - lugging your max baggage allowance around at the airport is <i>not</i> fun. This small collection of products have really worked wonders for me this past week, my skin feels so soft and smooth! The only thing that I took with me that I don't use regularly at home was my travel size Purity cleanser by Philosophy - It was a gift at Christmas so I gave it a shot. It worked well and was a nice all round cleanser but not my favourite, the ingredients list shows that it is not as pure as it claims which turned me off of it a bit. Also, how cute is the tin for my Steam Cream?! I love it, it's so pretty; an honor to have on my dressing table. I'm also in love with this teenie tiny Morrocan Oil, not really skincare but I just couldn't leave it out... The rest of the products are just scaled down versions of my every day skincare routine, the only difference is I add in a few different masks and treatments a week when I'm at home.<br />
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What's in your travel skincare routine?</div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-27541822177947482882013-07-05T09:30:00.000+01:002013-07-05T09:30:02.648+01:00Pin PicksI am the queen of procrastination. I feel bad about it but what can you do? Getting tasks done can be difficult when there are so many interesting things on the internet that I can find to get distracted with. Some call it a bad habit, I think it's a talent - well that's what I tell myself at least. Pinterest is my ultimate vice, I could get sucked up in the world of pinning for hours; I've even passed the pin-passion onto a fair few family members, oops. What better way to excuse my addiction than to make my wasted hours actually useful? Here are a few of my more recent pin picks...<br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/477733472942819642/" style="font-family: inherit;">01. I love this simple, stylish outfit.</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> It could be worn pretty much all year round with a few alterations. I tend to gravitate towards timeless, simple outfits - I find them much easier to wear. Maybe I'm just boring! It looks seriously comfortable too...</span><br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/477733472942819614/" style="font-family: inherit;">02. Beach worthy hair, I wish I could manage this with mine!</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I have spent god knows how much money on countless products trying to achieve this effortless, tousled style. My hair is as straight, flat and thin as it comes. Such a nightmare. </span><br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/477733472942819490/" style="font-family: inherit;">03. Such a humbling and inspiring quote, love this.</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Not much more to say on this really, it's just so true.</span><br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/477733472942819490/" style="font-family: inherit;">04. This made me chuckle, Mean Girls jokes never get old.</a><br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/477733472942819490/" style="font-family: inherit;">05. Rather tasty looking stuffed peppers - yum!</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> As I said in my <a href="http://elegantdestinies.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/19-things-before-im-19.html">'19 things before I'm 19'</a> post, I'm trying to get super healthy and this seems like a reasonably clean recipe - perfect.</span><br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/477733472942819490/" style="font-family: inherit;">06. How cute is this snug reading nook/window seat?!</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">When</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> (hah!) I win the lottery and build my dream house, I will include so many of these little hideaways. </span><br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/477733472942819490/" style="font-family: inherit;">07. Elegant office space, love the flowers and the brick!</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I'm such a sucker for beautifully designed and perfectly organised desk areas.</span><br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/477733472942819490/" style="font-family: inherit;">08. A makeup look - smoky liner by the talented Tiffany D.</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> I really love eyeliner like this, it's like a sexy and slightly smouldering everyday eye. Makeup like this can very easily be adapted for nighttime - a red lip and some subtle contouring, gorgeous!</span><br />
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Who else is a pinaholic? Hands up! I'm thinking of holding a support group...</div>
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PS- I'm currently on holiday in Italy at the moment but I'll be back soon with some Italian themed posts (pretty much just picture after picture of ice cream probably, just a warning!).<br />
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-54022615285270414962013-06-26T18:00:00.000+01:002013-06-26T18:00:35.578+01:00Blanc to BronzeNext week, I will be boarding a plane and heading off to Italy. This means I need to do some body prep... Now, as far as I know, there are two types of 'glow'; the bronzed, healthy looking glow and the pasty, slightly ghostly glow - I am very much the latter (think Voldemort in bright sunlight, eek!). This doesn't bother me in the slightest during the winter months, in fact I love it, milky white skin and berry lips, beautiful. However, Summer is a whole different ball game and especially in Italy where gorgeous, Mediterranean skin is the norm. I don't want to visually impair everyone in a 50 mile radius with my 'glow'... It's time to crack the fake tan out!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.feelunique.com/p/Xen-Tan-Dark-Tanning-Lotion-236ml">Xen Tan Dark Lotion</a> | <a href="http://www.boots.com/en/Clarins-Liquid-Bronze-Self-Tanning-for-Face-and-Decollete-125ml_17653/">Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning</a></td></tr>
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These are my absolute favourite fake tanners, I'm on my second bottle of the Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanner (and I tan <i>very </i>rarely, that says it all!) - both are quite cult products but I think they've earned their place. This version of Xen Tan Dark Lotion is quite over shadowed by it's darker sister, Absolute Luxe, but I find this to be the perfect shade for me... Not orange and not too dark.<br />
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My routine is very simple and fool proof; In the shower, I exfoliate the whole of my body with a body scrub (the Soap and Glory ones are fab), then go over again with exfoliating gloves; I then use an oil free moisturiser on any dry areas, my ankles, elbows, wrists etc. I let that really soak in then head in with my Xen Tan Dark Lotion on a tanning mitt (an essential!) and just rub it in using circular motions working from my legs upwards - this saves any horrible creases later on! I apply the Clarins tanner on my face, ears and neck with a cotton pad or my fingers then just head to bed to let my tan develop while I sleep. Easy, huh? The Clarins tanner is essentially a gradual tanner so I often use it 4-5 nights in a row before I reach my desired colour.<br />
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To keep my tan fresh for a good week, I gently exfoliate with the gloves every day and use copious amounts of body moisturiser to prevent dry skin and the tan flaking off. I love the Palmers Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze as it tops up your tan gradually and really keeps your skin moisturised. Another handy product is the Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs - it gives you tanned, smooth legs in a few minutes; it's taken me some practice to get it flawless and streak free but once you've mastered it, it's super handy for when you need to bare your pasty pins unexpectedly!<br />
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Whats your go-to self tanner?</div>
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-42295361458527604762013-06-24T08:30:00.000+01:002013-06-24T11:34:23.997+01:00IMATS London 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If there is one day of the year that I look forward to more than most, it is the day I go to IMATS. I've been for the previous two years and have loved each and every time. It's so lovely to see so many creative and passionate people in one place. I am definitely the most makeup/skincare/beauty obsessed out of my friends, without a doubt, and when I go to IMATS I feel like I finally fit in somewhere. I can turn round to the person next to me and rattle off how I'm totally in love with *this* lipstick shade and they can respond, knowing what I'm talking about! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.philosophyskincare.co.uk/colourless-skin-treatment/present-clear-makeup,default,pd.html">Philosophy The Present primer</a> | <a href="http://www.boots.com/en/Dr-Jart-Water-Fuse-Beauty-Balm-Cream-SPF25-50ml_1260414/">Dr Jart Waterfuse BB Cream</a> | <a href="http://uk.spacenk.com/Touche-Veloutee/MUK200003374,en_GB,pd.html?dwvar_MUK200003374_color=UK200003374&start=2&cgid=By%20Terry">By Terry Touche Veloutee</a> | <a href="http://www.boots.com/en/Rimmel-Stay-Matte-Pressed-Powder_1015573/">Rimmel Stay Matte powder</a> | <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/156/329/">MAC Fleur Power</a> | <a href="http://www.narscosmetics.co.uk/color/cheeks/bronzer/~/bronzing-powder">NARS Laguna</a> | <a href="http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_123932101999_-1">Urban Decay Primer Potion</a> | <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/154/907/Products/Eyes/Shadow/Eye-Shadow-Pro-Palette-Refill-Pan/index.tmpl">MAC Vanilla (lid)</a> | <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/154/907/Products/Eyes/Shadow/Eye-Shadow-Pro-Palette-Refill-Pan/index.tmpl">MAC Naked Lunch (inner corner)</a> | <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/154/907/Products/Eyes/Shadow/Eye-Shadow-Pro-Palette-Refill-Pan/index.tmpl">MAC Trax (crease)</a> | <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/154/907/Products/Eyes/Shadow/Eye-Shadow-Pro-Palette-Refill-Pan/index.tmpl">MAC Sketch (outer corner)</a> | <a href="http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=1&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=1628035&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=208566&parent_categoryId=208495&pageSize=200&refinements=category~[211502|208566]&noOfRefinements=1">Topshop Coal liner</a> | <a href="http://www.clinique.co.uk/product/1606/22759/Makeup/Mascara/NEW-High-Impact-Extreme-Volume-Mascara/index.tmpl">Clinique High Impact Extreme</a> | <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/154/907/Products/Eyes/Shadow/Eye-Shadow-Pro-Palette-Refill-Pan/index.tmpl">MAC Omega (brows)</a> | <a href="http://www.boots.com/en/Revlon-Just-Bitten%C2%99-Kissable-Lip-Balm-Stain_1208067/">Revlon Balm Stain in Honey</a> | <a href="http://www.love-makeup.co.uk/setting-spray-c-51.html">Skindinavia Original Setting Spray</a></span></td></tr>
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This year, not only did I meet some of the most influential makeup artists in the industry, I also met some of the biggest names in the blogging/YouTube community. I can honestly say that they were all just as lovely as they come across in their blogs/videos. I briefly spoke to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/FleurDeForce">Fleur</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/missglamorazzi">Ingrid</a>, they had a long line of people waiting to talk to them so it was a fleeting conversation but they were so nice and bloody gorgeous! I also got to have a quick chat with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/TalkBeckyTalk">Becky</a> who was lovely, she was wearing such a pretty dress. I love it when you meet someone genuinely cheerful and talkative - they're so easy to be around.</div>
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I was lucky enough to be a few rows back in the 'Power of Social Media' talk which was hosted by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/AModelRecommends">Ruth</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Sprinkleofglitter">Louise</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ViviannaDoesMakeup">Vivianna</a> and <a href="http://www.beautymouth.com/">Caroline</a>. It was hilarious, they had great chemistry as a group and divulged on some of the tricks of the trade and some rather amusing stories and opinions. It was so nice to get the opportunity to talk to the people behind the blogs, very motivational too. I didn't get the chance to chat to Caroline afterwards but Ruth, Louise and Vivianna were all really friendly (and so beautiful) and stood for photos with countless people which was very kind of them!</div>
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If you're a makeup lover or just love the blogging/YouTube community then I'd definitely recommend going to IMATS. I didn't get the chance to do much shopping this year (NARS was absolutely crazy, SO busy) but the brands usually have some kind of discount which is always nice!<br />
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Did any of you guys go to IMATS? Send me your links to any posts you've done! </div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-36886192433747528152013-06-23T17:19:00.000+01:002013-06-23T17:23:35.652+01:00Spring Favourites 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;">01. <a href="http://www.feelunique.com/p/Moroccanoil-Oil-Treatment-for-All-Hair-Types-100ml" target="_blank">Moroccan Oil 100ml</a> 02.<a href="http://www.boots.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052&productId=1189454" target="_blank">Tangle Teezer</a> 03. <a href="http://www.escentual.com/bioderma/bioderma015/" target="_blank">Bioderma Crealine H20 500ml</a> 04. <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/154/907/Products/Eyes/Shadow/Eye-Shadow-Pro-Palette-Refill-Pan/index.tmpl" target="_blank">MAC 'Woodwinked' eyeshadow</a> 05. <a href="http://www.theperfumeshop.com/fcp/product/womens-perfumes/marc-jacobs/dot/2629" target="_blank">Marc Jacobs 'Dot'</a> 06. <a href="http://www.yankeecandle.co.uk/en/uk/large-jar-candles/fluffy-towels+153/invt/1205376e" target="_blank">Yankee Candle in 'Fluffy Towels'</a> 07. Essie polishes in <a href="http://www.boots.com/en/Essie-Nail-Colour-Peach-Daiquiri-15ml_1343432/" target="_blank">'Peach Daiquiri'</a>, <a href="http://www.boots.com/en/Essie-Nail-Polish-Mint-Candy-Apple-15ml_1347603/" target="_blank">'Mint Candy Apple'</a> & <a href="http://www.boots.com/en/Essie-Nail-Polish-Sand-Tropez-15ml_1343446/" target="_blank">'Sand Tropez'</a> 08. <a href="http://avonshop.co.uk/product/make-up/eyes/avon-supershock-gel-eyeliner-pencil-in-blackberry.html" target="_blank">Avon Super Shock gel liner in 'Blackberry'</a></span></td></tr>
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Summer is officially here and I'm sat typing this in a hoodie and fluffy socks, typical. Despite the miserable weather, I've been really into the standard spring trends over the past few months, light floral scents & lighter and brighter colours! Here are some of my go-to items and products this Spring...<br />
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01. Moroccan Oil is an absolute essential for me, I literally don't know what I'd do without it. As a ex-bleachaholic my hair has sustained some serious damage over the years. I've stopped dying my hair now but I'm still living with the consequences - really, REALLY dry and damaged split ends. Moroccan Oil actually makes it possible for me the brush my hair without crying.<br />
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02. Along with help from Moroccan Oil, my Tangle Teezer, somehow, manages to easily glide through and untangle my matted & dry hair - amazing. I have 3 in total, it's safe to say that I am obsessed!<br />
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03. This is a blogger favourite but to be honest Bioderma really does deserve the hype. I have really sensitive eyes, especially around this time of year (hay fever, ergh!) and Bioderma makes removing my makeup a dream. No stinging, bloodshot eyes... Yes!<br />
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04. I love Woodwinked, it's such a beautiful warm, antiqued gold colour when packed on but if you blend it, it transforms into a slightly-less-shimmery-orangey-brown shade! Two eyeshadows in one really, I have a feeling this will be a Summer staple too - It looks divine with a pop of blue eyeliner!<br />
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05. This scent is so fresh and floral, with notes of different flowers, fruits and vanilla. It's still quite a sweet fragrance, which I really look for when perfume shopping. A spritz or two of this would be lovely for during the day or a night out as well.<br />
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06. I don't really associate candles with Spring/Summer but as the weather is so terrible at the moment, I have wanted to just snuggle up with a good read and a candle flickering in the background. I tried to stay with fresh scents to stay in a Summery mood and Fluffy Towels is just perfect - it's a lovely bath time candle.<br />
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07. There's not very much to say about these except 'how gorgeous are these colours?!' The formula is lovely, not streaky or sheer. The only issue I have with them is that I find they chip fairly easily but then again, my nails aren't in the best condition...<br />
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08. I purchased this quite recently but I think I'm in love. I've had the Super Shock liner in black before and really loved that too. The gel consistency makes then so soft and the pigmentation is truly incredible, even in the waterline!<br />
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What have been your favourite products this Spring?</div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-27622116216595237482013-06-16T13:40:00.000+01:002013-06-16T13:40:25.177+01:00Baking for Fathers Day.Fathers Day is upon us once again and this year, I was truly stumped with what to get my Dad. I settled on making him some tasty (hopefully) goodies which is always a winner in my household - food is the way to our hearts, especially my Dad's. We are all foodies, we just love to sit around the dinner table at the end of the day and chat over some yummy food.<br />
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I decided to make two of my Dad's favourite treats, Brownies and Cheesey scones. It's always a bit of a challenge, baking for my family - 3 of us our gluten free so it's usually either a complete disaster or a 'okay, I'll change *this* next time' type of situation. Gluten free baking is all about trial and error. Though, after 8 years of adapting recipes and learning some sneaky tricks, I seem to have a pretty good handle on the whole shebang.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The recipe which I ended up changing entirely... Oops.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The weather in the UK is so miserable right now! I thought it was meant to be Summer!?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The curse of gluten free baking - most things turn to crumbs! </td></tr>
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I am so lucky to have such a wonderful Dad, after we almost lost him a few years ago, I really cherish those little chats we have about music or those giggles about my Mum's quirky habits. Having him here and well means so much to me and I love spoiling him, on Fathers Day especially. I hope you're all having a lovely Fathers Day or just a really relaxing Sunday! If anyone is interested in my gluten free brownie recipe then I will most certainly do a post on it.<br />
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What are your plans for today?</div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-17981980577620813962013-06-14T13:59:00.000+01:002013-06-14T14:06:37.237+01:00GFC is not my friend anymore.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Rumours have been circling for a while on the blogosphere that Google Friend Connect will be retired from use in the not too distant future. I haven't really followed the goings on but posts keep popping up recently onto my feed which are explaining other means of 'following' blogs after GFC is gone. Louise has done a <a href="http://sprinkleofglitter.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/nobody-panic.html" target="_blank">really informative post</a> explaining about what it means - I'm not entirely clued up on the whole thing so head over and check out her post for more info.<br />
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I'll be sad to see GFC go, each one of you who have 'followed' me on here have meant so much and seeing your faces on the side of my blog never fails to make me blush - I mean, you guys want to read <i>my blog</i>?! It just doesn't make sense, I'm just boring old Jess who happens to be an obsessive beauty hoarder and lover of all things makeup. Thank you again to everyone who has clicked 'Join this site' - it really means a lot to me. </div>
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*Anyway, mushiness over!*</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Via<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/216595063300401043/" target="_blank"> Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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I follow a lot of my favourite blogs on Bloglovin' which I find works really well for me. The user interface is super easy and simple to use (even my techie novice Mum can use it without trouble). If you want to keep up to date with any of my blog posts - please feel free to <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/3225811" target="_blank"><b>'follow' me on Bloglovin'</b></a>. It'll make me do a embarrassing cheesey grin, just like this little cutie...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Via <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/477733472941676315/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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I'm always on the lookout for some new reading material and I'd love it if you would leave your links in the comments for me to have a look at!<br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-4049195328919359832013-05-22T23:10:00.000+01:002013-09-04T23:28:17.929+01:00The Wish List #01<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">01. <a href="http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=12556&catalogId=33057&productId=8457063&categoryId=211515&parent_category_rn=208567" target="_blank">Topshop lipstick in 'Macaroon'</a> 02. <a href="http://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/escentric-molecules-molecule-01.html" target="_blank">Molecule 01</a> 03. <a href="http://www.johnlewis.com/dior-diorskin-airflash/p85684" target="_blank">Dior Airflash foundation</a> 04. <a href="http://www.houseoffraser.co.uk/Est%C3%A9e+Lauder+Bronze+Goddess+Eau+Fraiche+Skinscent+100ml/182360966,default,pd.html" target="_blank">Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche Skinscent</a> 05. <a href="http://www.spacenk.com/ARCH-BROW-SCULPTING-PENCIL/MUS300023748,en_US,pd.html?dwvar_MUS300023748_color=US300023748&start=1&cgid=BRANDS&q=hourglass" target="_blank">Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in 'Soft Brunette'</a> 06. <a href="http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/156/329/" target="_blank">MAC Powder Blush in 'Well Dressed'</a></span><br />
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I am a <i>huge</i> lover of lists. If you look on my phone or in my notebooks, you will find page after page of lists. As a beauty/makeup lover also, I have my eye on a few products at any given time so I figured what better way to update my wish list each week than to do a blog post about it!<br />
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01. I've been eyeing this lipstick up for a some time now, it's such a beautiful pink colour! I really love the Topshop lipsticks that I own, the formula is lovely and wears really well. The only reservation I have is that I'm not sure that the colour will suit me... Hmm.<br />
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02. Ruth Crilly sparked my interest in this, I read a <a href="http://www.amodelrecommends.com/2011/11/29/molecule-01/" target="_blank">blog post</a> she did about this perfume ages ago and since then, I have been really toying with buying it. I've heard mixed reviews which leaves me feeling unsure, a price tag of £65.50 is a lot if it turns out to be a bit 'meh'. If you've tried it, please let me know what you think!<br />
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03. Every time I venture into my local department store, I gravitate towards this. I just find it so odd that you have to spray it on, I mean it's not like a typical airbrush system. I've applied it to the back of my hand a few times and it just feels SO lovely.<br />
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04. I was watching one of <a href="http://www.llymlrs.com/" target="_blank">Lily's</a> video's recently and she mentioned how much she loved this summer scent, the way she described the scent made me desperate to try it! My lovely boyfriend grabbed me a sample of this the other day and we both just fell in love with it - it's so summery and pretty!<br />
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05. I've been on the hunt for a new brow product for a little while now and I've seen this particular brow pencil being reviewed on the blogosphere quite a few times. It's quite pricey at £26.00 but I have yet to see a bad review...<br />
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06. This is quite a cult product, pretty much everyone has this blush it seems. I know that so many people love this and swear by it so I figure, why not? I think it will look really cute with a tan too!<br />
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What's on your wish list this week?</div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-49524426191337109932013-05-21T08:30:00.000+01:002013-05-21T08:30:04.129+01:00A Weekend in Devon.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/Blog%20stuffs/505899a2-c8ec-4232-a5af-0e78a9665ada_zps016f5b99.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/Blog%20stuffs/505899a2-c8ec-4232-a5af-0e78a9665ada_zps016f5b99.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/Blog%20stuffs/IMG_1015_zps9e8bab53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/Blog%20stuffs/IMG_1015_zps9e8bab53.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/Blog%20stuffs/collagedfs_zpse626c6ea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/Blog%20stuffs/collagedfs_zpse626c6ea.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/Blog%20stuffs/IMG_1010_zps1d2352ff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/Blog%20stuffs/IMG_1010_zps1d2352ff.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/Blog%20stuffs/IMG_1001_zpsf3610076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/Blog%20stuffs/IMG_1001_zpsf3610076.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />A few weeks ago, I headed off to Devon with my whole family for a weekend break. We stayed in such a cute barn and just spent the time relaxing and having a giggle - it was much needed rest! I thought I'd share a few snaps I took (sorry about the shoddy iPhone quality!) and just say a quick 'hey, how you doin' (Joey Tribbiani, I love you).</div>
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Things have been a bit tough lately, my house is on the market and however selfish & silly it sounds, I'm a little bit heartbroken. I really don't want to move, this is my home and I love it.</div>
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On a cheerier note, I've had a few requests lately for certain posts and i'll definitely be doing them in the near future. I just need to do a little bit of shopping first... Wink wink. Any excuse for a bit of retail therapy!</div>
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Are there any posts you'd like to see on here? </div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-13639911077590818432013-03-22T10:00:00.000+00:002013-03-22T17:38:38.544+00:0019 things before I'm 19.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I need a challenge - and this is it. Everything in my life has changed lately, I've left sixth form, I've got a new job and we're currently looking at moving house. It's all a bit manic. I really want this year to be a good year, I want to accomplish things and keep motivated. I've written myself a list of 19 different things I want to achieve before I'm 19 to help me so, in no particular order...</div>
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- I want to get more confidence when it comes to driving. I passed my test in October and have hardly driven since, not sure why, but now I've lost all my confidence and want to get it back.</div>
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- I want to be a more dedicated blogger. I've dabbled in it with various blogs for the past 2 years but this year, I really want to stick at it. I love doing it, I love the community and now I have a lot more time so... Stay tuned!</div>
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- I really hope to get my makeup career in motion, I've missed the application dates for this year but I want to build a portfolio with the time I have so hopefully I'll get accepted.</div>
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- I WILL <i>run</i> the Race For Life.</div>
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- READ READ READ. I love reading and this year I plan to do lots of it. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Via <a href="http://pinterest.com/imjeessssica/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>)</td></tr>
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- I want to start making Youtube videos that can run alongside my blog posts. </div>
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- I'm going to join the bone marrow donor scheme in honor of <a href="http://alicepyne.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Alice Pyne</a>.</div>
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- I want to learn basic Italian. I'm going to Lake Garda in July and want to know some of the lingo!</div>
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- I really want to go to Harrods - I've never been! </div>
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- I'm going to study Classics in my spare time, I left my classics course at sixth form (the only course I truly loved).</div>
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- I want to really enjoy summer (if we have one). I usually hate summer, it's weird, I know. I just can't bare being overly warm or just doing anything in the heat. I get really moody. </div>
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- I want to be a better 'doggy mummy'. I love my dog to pieces but I feel like since I've been too busy to live for the past year, we've lost our bond. I want to get it back. Yes, I am a crazy dog lady.</div>
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- I want to figure out my style. I love clothing and fashion but I've never really been sure of my own style, I don't know what suits me - I want to find out.</div>
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- I would really like to have body happiness - I don't mean 'skinny' or anything like size related. I just want to feel healthy. My body has had a super tough 5 years and I want it to be reliable now, not faulty. </div>
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- I want get fit, I want to be able to workout regularly without my body crapping out. </div>
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- I want to make the most of being 18 and go out more. I'm such a home girl. I love nothing more then cooking dinner for my family and watching movies, snuggled on the sofa. I want to be a bit more proactive on the socialising front.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some snaps of my recent outings...</td></tr>
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- In late October, my boyfriend and I will be celebrating our 4 year anniversary and I would LOVE to go to Paris for a few days to celebrate. Spending ban starts now! (See below).</div>
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- Money is coming in more frequently now as I have a steady job and I could so easily just spend every penny I get. But that's a bit self indulgent so, I need to be a bit better with money management and saving this year.</div>
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- One of my favourite things to do with James (the boyf) is to watch movies and go to the cinema so I plan to do more of what I love this year. </div>
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Whew! That's an awfully long list, but I'm so motivated to tackle it. I'll keep you posted.</div>
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-15126515249624075392013-03-20T13:57:00.000+00:002013-03-22T17:38:24.187+00:00Winter Favourites 2012-13<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">01. <a href="http://www.lauramercier.com/store/shop/Step%202:%20Apply%20Foundation_Silk%20Cr%C3%A8me%20Foundation_prod210057" target="_blank">Laura Mercier Silk Cr<span style="background-color: white; color: #4e4e4e; line-height: 12px; text-align: left; text-transform: lowercase;">è</span>me Foundation</a> 02. <a href="http://www.boots.com/en/Dolce-Gabbana-Pour-Femme-Eau-de-Parfum-25ml_1272356/" target="_blank">Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme Eau De Parfum</a> 03. <a href="http://www.origins.co.uk/product/3857/11647/Skincare/Category/Masks/Drink-Up-Intensive/Overnight-mask-to-quench-skins-thirst/index.tmpl" target="_blank">Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask</a> 04. <a href="http://www.johnlewis.com/apple-ipad-mini-32gb-wi-fi-cellular-apple-a5-1ghz-dual-core-7-9-inch-display-white/p231825802" target="_blank">iPad Mini 32GB Wifi & Cellular </a> 05. <a href="http://www.steamcream.co.uk/shop/#page=0&top=1&" target="_blank">Steam Cream</a> 06. <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essie-Nail-Polish-Lacquer-Beyond/dp/B00APLA52M" target="_blank">Essie Beyond Cozy</a> 07. <a href="http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_123932010699_-1" target="_blank">Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette</a></span></td></tr>
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So Winter is drawing to a close again (apparently, though I doubt it) and this year I decided to keep a running list of all the things I was loving throughout the colder months. These are the items is longed for when my skin was dry, when I wanted to shake up my daily makeup or when I just wanted a pick me up.<br />
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01. I love this foundation! If I'm going out or just want a totally flawless base this is what I'll grab, It has a lovely texture and is very smooth and easy to apply (I use my Real Techniques Buffing brush to apply it). It has a medium-full coverage but doesn't leave the skin feeling caked - it can be applied sparingly which looks really lovely too.<br />
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02. This perfume is my favourite evening fragrance, its so deep and sweet but not sickly. It has notes of marshmallow, raspberry and vanilla - delicious! I'm terrible at describing scents but all I can say is that so many people asked me what I was wearing when I had this on.<br />
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03. If you look in my bathroom, you will see countless Origins products all used and loved. Out of all of my skincare products the Drink Up Intensive mask is my absolute holy grail item for when my skin is dry and dehydrated.<br />
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04. One of my favourite birthday presents of all time, I got this for my 18th birthday in November and have been attached to it ever since. It's so handy for watching Youtube videos, surfing social media and watching catch up television. Love love love!<br />
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05. I've gone through loads of Steam Cream since I got it for Christmas, I love it so much. It smells so natural and makes my skin feel so soft and hydrated. It's very reasonably priced too!<br />
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06. Beyond Cozy is one of the prettiest nail polishes I've ever come across, it's a beautiful silver colour with just a hint of gold. I loved wearing it throughout winter and I'm also looking forward to wearing it in the summer with Essie's Mint Candy Apple or Peach Daiquiri.<br />
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07. After owning both the Naked palettes I've come to the conclusion that 2 is the best for me. The colours are slightly more cool toned which suits my skin tone better (although there are a few warm toned colours in there too). I use this palette pretty much everyday, the shades are so wearable and blend together very well. Good all round product in my opinion!<br />
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<a href="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/Blog%20stuffs/IMG_2335edit_zps65837574.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/Blog%20stuffs/IMG_2335edit_zps65837574.jpg" width="640" /></a>What were your Winter favourites?</div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-4414888187833709182013-03-05T12:28:00.000+00:002013-03-05T12:28:14.213+00:00The 5 product face with Dr Jart+ Waterfuse BB Cream.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So I'm back from my short break and I'm feeling really good - totally motivated in life all of a sudden! I've completely recovered from my <a href="http://elegantdestinies.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/warning-dont-use-out-of-date-makeup.html" target="_blank">little disaster</a> and I'm able to wear makeup normally again (<i>thank goodness</i>). What better way to celebrate than with a makeup post eh?!</div>
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<img border="0" height="320" src="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/Blog%20stuffs/collageik_zpsd2837ac2.jpg" width="640" /><span style="text-align: left;">Recently I saw a blog post from the lovely </span><a href="http://www.viviannadoesmakeup.com/five-product-face/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Vivanna Does Makeup</a><span style="text-align: left;"> in which she divulged the 5 go-to products that she uses to create her minimal lazy day face. I was totally inspired by the simplicity of it and thought I'd give it a go myself - well its safe to say that it's been my standard makeup most days since. This look is for those occasions where you need to be out the door quickly or just can't be bothered, it only takes me around 5 minutes but still makes me feel put together and dressed for the day.</span></div>
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My five product face currently consists of the Dr Jart+ Waterfuse BB Cream, MAC Studio Finish concealer, Benefit Posietint (as a blush and lip colour), Maybelline Falsies Flared mascara and MAC Espresso eyeshadow (as eyebrow colour and smudged into the lashline). I'm continually tweaking this lineup but this is what I happened to be wearing today. There are so many possibilities with this look, you could leave out the concealer and add in another eyeshadow to create a more defined eye or leave Posietint out and put in a bold lip - it's all up to you!</div>
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I'm going to Italy in July and I think this will be such a lovely summer makeup, especially with the Dr Jart BB cream. It's so light and just evens out any discolouration or small blemishes I have, I would definitely, wholeheartedly recommend it!</div>
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Do you have a simple 5 product face?</div>
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<a href="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/Blog%20stuffs/IMG_2236b_zps82d335ff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-24170259887090403472013-02-01T15:15:00.000+00:002013-02-01T15:15:49.796+00:00WARNING: Don't use out of date makeup!It's been a bit quiet here on Elegant Destinies for the past few days - the reason being that I haven't been very well...<br />
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Late Monday night/Tuesday morning I thought I'd have a look around my makeup collection and just play with some of my less used products. I picked up my beloved <span style="font-family: inherit;"><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Estée Lauder</em> </span>Double Wear foundation, I used to love wearing this and it just got lost under the all newcomers over the years (note word <i>years</i>...). Trying to be a loyal makeup lover - I popped it all over my face and for the next few hours I tinkered with my makeup and created all kinds of crazy looks. When I came to taking it all off though, I noticed lots of small bumps all over my skin. Now, I don't mean to sound like I'm bragging but my skin is usually pretty smooth so these bumps worried me a little. I decided the best course of action would be to cleanse my skin with my Bioderma and leave it to calm down over night. When I woke up the bumps were still there but they hadn't got any worse so I was slightly relieved - I left my skin bare all day as a precaution and thought that as it hadn't got any worse, that I didn't need to worry. I didn't really look in the mirror all day but when my boyfriend said he was coming over I thought that I'd make some effort to look presentable so I sat down at my little makeup area and looked in the mirror... I was shocked to see that my whole face was bright red and covered in small red bumps.<br />
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<b>*Now lets take a moment to appreciate my sheer stupidity*</b></div>
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What did I do next? Yep, you've guessed it. In my desperation, silly old me tried to cover my entire scarlet face with the same foundation I'd used in the first place. This was a very bad move. The foundation refused to blend, it just dragged my face as I tried to buff it in. Suddenly it started burning and I fled to the bathroom to frantically wash it off leaving my boyfriend looking confused and shocked standing in the hallway. After removing the foundation, I started to feel incredibly itchy and sore, I had to try my hardest not to claw my face off. I then began feeling nauseous and experienced sparkly vision - It was scary to say the least. Before I went to bed my Mum tentatively applied Savlon to my raw face, it soothed it a little and I started to feel a bit better. Things were going to be fine... right?<br />
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I awoke to see my Mum peering at me from the end of my bed with a worried face - "brilliant" I thought "I'm still red and bumpy". I sat up cautiously and gaped at my reflection in the mirror opposite my bed. OH MY GOSH. The redness has gone down but my entire face had swollen and I could barely recognise myself.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please excuse the mugshots!</td></tr>
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I ended up going to the Dr's and was told that I'd had a serious allergic contact reaction and he gave me steroid cream. I'm still a bit puffy now and can't wear any makeup for two weeks but I'm so relieved that it wasn't anymore serious! On reflection, I realised that the foundation I used was over <b>TWO YEARS</b> old - Bad Jess!!<br />
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The moral of the story is... <span style="font-size: large;">Throw out your old makeup!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(</span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">unless you want to end up looking like the Face of Boe)</span></i></div>
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Admit it, you have some out of date products lurking in the bottom of your makeup bag, don't you? ;)</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This reaction I suffered is no reflection on the product or<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Estée Lauder as a company</em></span>, it is merely my fault as a consumer for using out of date makeup. I do not wish to discourage people from buying this foundation as I really enjoyed using it when it was at its prime. I will be purchasing a new bottle in the future.</span></div>
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-89788575931377572972013-01-24T12:06:00.000+00:002013-11-28T18:08:25.373+00:00MAC Russian Red Lipstick<br />
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Last week I popped into my local department store and as usual, I went straight to the beauty hall. I had a £50 gift card left unspent from Christmas so I thought 'why not buy something I want instead of something I need' (I use the term 'need' <i>very</i> loosely). As I scanned row after row of different eye shadows, I decided that a lipstick was the object of my desire and my eyes settled upon Russian Red instantly. </div>
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I have MAC's Viva Glam Cyndi which is a much more sheer, glossy red and while it packs a punch - it is nothing compared to Russian Red. It <span style="text-align: center;">is a perfect true red with a blue undertone which is a must for me when buying red lipstick. The blue undertone doesn't make your teeth have that horrible dirty tint which the yellow based reds do. It has good staying power too, the intense colour lasts on me for a good 3+ hours and almost stains the lips once it starts to wear off so the fading isn't as obvious. </span></div>
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<img border="0" height="440" src="http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/ab177/Jessssicaa_xo/Blog%20stuffs/Blog_zpsc0cd14e2.jpg" width="640" />The only negative side to this product is that as it is a matte formula, it can feel a little dry after you've had the lipstick on for a while. I just make sure I apply a balm before I put the lipstick on and this usually helps to alleviate the dryness.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"> Do you have a go-to red lipstick?</span></div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-48288066706731279152013-01-22T22:49:00.001+00:002013-01-24T12:17:49.010+00:00thisworks Deep Sleep Pillow Talk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: small;">thisworks Deep Sleep Pillow Talk - £20.00</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I first heard about this range in Ruth Crilly's (AModelRecommends) </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP9xf7V6PMg&list=UUFcvOUnOcfJKg8QsOZT6gKQ&index=16" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">hibernate video</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, this video was totally up my street and it's definitely worth a watch if you haven't seen it! Having M.E. means that I really need to make time for deep, productive sleep - I can't stay up later than 11:30 or I am useless the next day. Recently I have been having trouble sleeping and my illness has been causing me some hassle so, what could I do? I </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">needed</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> this product, honestly...</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's so simple and easy too, it takes up no time at all. I snuggle into my bed, spritz the spray onto my pillow and rub the stress less roller ball onto my wrists and I'm set for bed! The scent of "<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">Lavender, Vetivert and Wild Camomile" totally relaxes and soothes me, I just close my eyes and focus on inhaling the gorgeous fragrance.</span></span><br />
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I'm not sure if it a placebo effect or not, but I'm sure this works, (oh, that's where they got the name from!) I really do seem to sleep better each time I use it. Price wise, I think that £20 for two products isn't bad at all and I would definitely repurchase these products again and recommend them to anyone who wants a bedtime treat.<br />
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If you've tried these products out, please let me know what you think!</div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812065887578136211.post-43046336419444306762013-01-17T20:59:00.000+00:002013-01-17T20:59:20.534+00:00Snowflakes keep falling on my head...Will I ever grow up? That is a question I ask myself every time it snows. The rush of excitement when you see the weather forecast and you see those little pictures of snowflakes fluttering over your hometown. I love waking up really early and peeking out of my curtains to see a thick, fluffy blanket of snow! Don't even get me started on coats, wellies and knitwear! <div>
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As you may of guessed from my little outburst there, there is snow falling as I type. Much of the UK has had snow over the past week but my town has managed to miss most of it! It snowed the other day but it was more like a dusting of icing sugar - luckily I took a few snaps before it was all washed away by rain. I was being all posey and trying out my new <a href="http://www.enrapturehair.com/extremity-heated-rollers.php#&panel1-1" target="_blank">Enrapture Extremity Heated Rollers</a> - I'm thinking of reviewing them soon so if that sounds interesting then please say! </div>
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As a quick side note, I would just like to say how saddened I was to hear about the passing of Alice Pyne this week. If you don't know of Alice, she was a beautiful teenage girl from the UK who had terminal cancer, a year or so ago she made a bucket list and <a href="http://alicepyne.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">her blog</a> went viral within days. I found her quite early on in her blogging quest and watched as she ticked each one of her dreams off. She was a truly lovely girl who inspired me greatly, I think twice before moaning about trivial things now. I really hope that she is at peace and I send all my wishes to her family. </div>
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Hope everyone is safe and having fun in the snow (if you have any) and I will be back soon with a post about <a href="http://www.thisworks.com/sleep.html" target="_blank">thisworks</a> Deep Sleep Pillow Talk. Also, BIG hello to my new followers :)!</div>
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Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377520732923312018noreply@blogger.com2