Blogsmas day 5 : 2015 wish list.

There is a lot of things everyone wants and unless you are rich or have a rich family, chances are you will have to save.  I am one of them.  As a University student, I don't have a lot of money and what money I do get (I get it in sets of three payments) goes on rent for my ridiculously priced University room (that's what you get for going ensuite!), food and University essentials like books and stationary.  I very rarely have money left for the items I want.  That is why I am starting a new series that occurs maybe twice a year depending on how many items I wish I had through out the year but one thing that will be constant will the the wishlist at the end of a year and to kick this off is my 2015 wish list.

1. Pink Nintendo DS 
2. iPhone 5s 
   
3. To start driving lessons
4. To have a brilliant skin care routine with a few high end products
5. To have another tattoo
6. To get my ears pierced (again!!!)
7. To get engaged! (I know, I know I can wish can't I?  I've been with him for over two years so maybe this could be the next step for us)  
8. To pass my first year at University (only time will tell with this one)
9. For me to keep up with this blog (again, only time will tell with this one as well!)
10. For me to have a blog layout I am happy with (will have to find out how to create my own layout)
11. To fine a decent red lip product that suits my skin tone
    
12. To treat my family to some nice things
13. To expand my make-up collection

These are just some of my things on my wishlist for 2015.  Like I said this will be posted at least once a year and maybe periodically throughout the year if I find things that catch my eye.

Bye for now.

Jess. x

Blogmas day 4 : Countdown to going home for Christmas.

It is official, the countdown has started.  No the countdown isn't until Christmas is upon us, the countdown is for when I go home.  I have one week and one day until I go home and I am getting more and more excited by the hour.

I have never been more excited to go home before.  I guess that's what University does to you.  As much as I am enjoying the Uni life, I am missing home as well.  I miss my family ( I talk to my mum and brother all the time), I miss my other half ( I talk to him all the time too)  I miss my friends, I miss walking on flat land (My uni is on a hill and my home town is flat and most days as I am walking up the hill to lectures, I wonder why I chose a Uni on a hill) and most of all I miss home cooked meals.  Cooking on a budget is OK but most of what I eat is either chips, pasta or rice...all of which is OK but gone are the days when I can be bothered to cook veg and mash everyday (and secretly praise my flat mates for always cooking full meals...how they can be bothered I will never know...just whacking something in the oven and waiting does me!)

Only downside to going home is the fact I won't be relaxing much as I have so many assignments due in the new year and getting them done is a priority.  I am already dreading carrying a case, laptop bag, a bag of presents, wrapping paper and cards and countless amount of books from my accommodation to Bradford station and then through Leeds station to catch my train back home.  I am secretly hoping my other half can pick me up because I really don't want to be dragging all that on a bus to his!

I still need to create some sort of a timetable on which I am going to attack the assignments so that I am not stressing as much as I did in college last year.  I'm sure I will do it and maybe it might make it as a Blogmas post...we shall have to see.

Bye for now.

Jess x

Blogmas day 3 : Body Shop Body Butter and Body Scrub in Vineyard Peach.

Way back in September (when I first got my student loan) I went a bit crazy and did a bit of shopping.  I may or may not have gone a bit crazy but it was all stuff I had wanted for a long time and one of those items was the Body Shop's Body Butter in Vineyard Peach.  I had smelt it during the summer and fell in love with it but I had never gotten round to purchasing it.

I moved to my University and once my student loan went in, I went to the Body Shop looking for a moisturiser as I had noticed my skin looking a bit dry (I was not planning on purchasing the Body Butter at the time)  As usual, the shop assistant asked me if there was anything else that I wanted and that was it...I couldn't pass up the opportunity to walk away from the one product I wanted.  I walked over to the Body Butters and asked her if they had the Vineyard Peach scent.  She walked over to it and grabbed it off the shelf for me.  She then told me that it was on 2 for £16 and that was it...Not only was the skin care items on sale at the time but so was the Body Butters.  My heart raced...I love an offer and this was an offer I couldn't refuse.  Unfortunately, I only needed one Body Butter and by the look on her face she knew what I was thinking and she then grabbed another tub and said that the offer was on Body Scrubs as well.  That was it my mind was made up and I walked to the till and bought all that was in our hands (5 items between us)  I paid for them and walked out knowing that I will be using all the products that night.

The Body Sop Body Scrub.  (Apologies for the state of my photos.  I cannot find a way to rotate them.)

This scrub is a very course scrub and is very good at exfoliating the skin.  I have never used a body scrub before and was pleasantly soft on my skin but exfoliated really well. The scrubbing particles are large enough to see and feel and really does the job.  The scent of the scrub is not what I call a true peach scent but there is a subtle peach smell to it.

The Body Butter is of a thick consistency and I made the mistake of putting a lot of it on my skin and found that a little does really go a long way.  I have used a lot of body lotion products but this one feels really luxurious and is velvety to the touch.  The scent of this is way better that the scrub as this has a proper peach scent to it.  I can see myself purchasing more of this in this scent and in others more than the scrub but I may try other scents with other scents.





With the price of both of these at 2 for £16 makes them £8 each and at full price of £13, buying them on an offer is better value for money and they have a long shelf life as well.  I full recommend purchasing both of them and with so many scents to choose from you are spoilt for choice.

Bye for now.

Jess. x

Blogmas day 2: November Birchbox review

I have watched Youtube videos for about two years now and have noticed how beauty boxes have become more popular over the years and they have become my favourite thing to watch.  I like to see what samples and full size products they get.  From brands I have heard of to brands I have never heard of, from high end brands to those you can get at the drug store,I have always wanted to get my hands on some of the brands.  So this is the whole reason why I decided to delve into the phenomenon called beauty boxes.

There are many different kinds of beauty boxes, Glossybox, Birchbox to name a few and so when I watched the November Birchbox unboxing I knew I had to have it.  And with an email from them ( I had already created an account waiting for January to come) I got an email with a £5 off my first box, I knew I had to take full advantage of the offer so I ordered one straight away.

Another reason why I got the November box was because I wanted to sample the box before committing to a years subscription as if I didn't like it or it wasn't for me then I would waste my money.

I was pleasantly surprised to find I really enjoyed opening the box and looking at all the brands I had only heard of and never actually been able to sample or buy them.

The concept of beauty boxes is simple.  Birchbox.co.uk says "Birchbox delivers luxe beauty and lifestyle samples every month, hand-picked just for you!"  And I agree with them  They have three different subscriptions; the monthly box where you pay £10 plus p&p, A six month subscription where you pay £50 and pay p&p each month or the twelve month subscription where you pay £90 plus p&p each month.

In each box you get 5 products ranging from small sample sizes to full size products.  You also get a lifestyle product which are usually sample sizes.  The box is a simple brown and cream box that occasionally changes depending on what they occasion is or if someone has designed the box.  The November box was their signature brown box.  Inside the box is some cards, some welcoming me to the Birchbox community and some with hints and tips printed on the back of some nice pictures which I will be putting up on my dorm walls. Amongst the cards was a list of products I got and how much they are full sized.

Now onto my box.  Like I said above I was very happy with my box this month and I hoping that this will continue when I purchase the twelve month subscription.  Inside my box was six items, five beauty related and one lifestyle.  I am going to describe them in order of what is on my card and describe my reaction and thoughts on them.  Some products I have tried already and some I have yet to sample.







Disclosure:  I am not being paid to review this product and have not been sent this item for free.  All thoughts are my own and I have paid for this out of my own money.  

My first product is a nail product.  Reverence de Bastien Top Coat.  The price of this is £16 full size and in the box, they have included a full size product.  I have yet to try this but have been on the hunt for a new top coat as my old one is getting kind of gross.  There will be an individual review on this later.



The next product is a haircare product.  Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Hair Mask.  The cost of this product full size is £16 and in the box I got two small sample size tubs filled to the top with the hair mask.  I had my hair cut short in September as I wanted to reinvent myself as I was starting university and starting my new life so a hair cut was in order.  I was told by my hairdresser that my hair was a combination of oily at the roots and dry down the shaft and my ends.  She put a hair mask on and the results was amazing.  I was told to use a hair mask from time to time but I have never gotten around to finding one so I was pleased to see that I had been sent a hair mask sample and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I really liked it.  The smell was amazing and the card says "...this luxurious mask packed with argon oil, honey, amber and crushed pearls"  The texture of the hair mask is very thick but once it hits the water it thins down into a nice, spreadable consistency.  I left it on my hair for a good 15 minutes and once I had washed it off, I noticed a difference immediately.  My hair felt smoother and softer and that was while my hair was damp!  Once my hair dried, my hair felt healthier and smoother.  I would definitely buy this product full size!



Another product I was curious to learn to use was the Lord & Berry bronzer in Sienna.  The price of this in full size is £19 and they included in the box a small sample.  I haven't used this product yet but have swatched it as when I looked into the pan, it looked a bit too dark for my pale skin tone but once I swatched it, I found that it could be the perfect bronzer for me to experiment with as I have never used bronzer before.



Another full size product that was included (yes we was all spoilt this month with full size products) was a lip balm.  Pixi by Petra Shea Butter Lip Balm is a brand I have never heard of before or seen in any shops.  The price of this full size lip balm is £8 and it is a nice tinted lip balm which give a nice red colour pay off.  It leaves my lips feeling soft and smooth especially in this cold, harsh weather Britain has at the moment.  I think I might have to stock up on this at some point if I can't find somewhere that sells it near me.



I know I said I was going to describe things in order but I feel that the lifestyle choice is not a good product so I am going to talk about that one first.  The lifestyle choice this month in my box is a packet of six capsules called Drinkwel.  It is a multivitamin which is described as a product to use before and after a night of drinking alcohol.  I don't drink alcohol that much and when I drink it is large quantities, I am fortunate enough not to suffer the next morning.  I will however, be trying this out on New Years eve/day as last year I was a bit worse for wear so I may do an individual review in the near future.



I went a bit make-up crazy in September and spent a crazy amount of money of items that some would think I didn't need but I felt that I could justify the items I bought.  One of which was a new foundation (review to follow) and after a few weeks of wearing it I found that it clung to my pores and dry areas and even after getting a new moisturiser, it still wasn't right.  I was in need of a primer and didn't want to be spending lots of money on primers that might not work on me so when I opened the box to find a Dr. Jart+ Pore Refine Recover Primer, I screamed a little inside.  I was so happy that I was given it and although I haven't had chance to try it fully, I swatched a little on my hand and I feel that a little goes a long way.

I have heard that Dr. Jart+ is new to the UK and new to Birchbox (the gave everyone a full sized Dr. Jart+ product) the price for the full size product is £18.  I will have an individual review later.  I am very excited to see how this product fairs.



All in all this box lived up to my expectations and have decided I am going to get the twelve month subscription so expect more unboxings to come in 2015.  Speaking of 2015,  I cannot believe how fast this year has gone.  I started University in September and am already a sixth of the way through my degree.  Graduation is slowly creeping up and I know that it is two and a half years away but if this semester has flown by then the next two and a half years will come faster than I want it to.

I think that is it for now.  Keep a look out for Blogmas day 3 and if you have any suggestions on what I can include throughout Blogmas or for any other blog post, feel free to comment below.

Bye for now.

Jess. x