Merry Christmas

Hi guys.

I would like to wish everyone a belated Merry Christmas and a happy new year.  As 2015 is about to close, I would like to thank everyone who has stuck by this blog this year as I haven't been as active as I would like to have been and I am hopefully going to be more active in 2016.  

2015 has been a year of ups and downs and as I am well into my second year of university, the work load has been more intense as well as juggling 2 part time jobs and being Student Rep on my degree.  I am going to try and get at least one post out a week to begin with and see where I go from there.

I am going back to my hometown this Wednesday so I won't have any time to do any posts.  I will try and get my first post out in the second week of January and I will announce it on Twitter and Instagram so make sure you are following me on them.  I am also on Bloglovin so follow me on there to get updates of blogposts.

I hope to see you all next year so have a great new year and be safe.

Bye for now.

Jess. X

Blogmas - Day Eleven: My Foundation Collection

From L to R: Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW foundation, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation, MAC Studio Sculpt foundation & Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Tinted Moisturiser.

Hi guys.

Sorry that I haven't been posting over the weekend, work got a bit hectic and I was on so crazy shifts so I wasn't getting in until 11!  

For day eleven's post I am going to talk you through my foundation collection.  It is only small but I want to add to this and have a few foundations I want to try out in the new year.  

Foundation for me is a no brainer!  It has to be high end.  I know that seems a bit petty of me but I have tried drugstore foundations in the past and all of the one's I have tried all break me out the next day and I can never get one that matches perfectly.  High end foundations never break me out and all match my skin beautifully and have a flawless finish.  I don't mind paying the extra money for something that makes me feel comfortable in my skin.

Now my skin is quite dry and so I look for a foundation which has a dewy finish to it, three of which this applies to and one which I will explain below.

Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW foundation.

I first tried this out when I purchased the Flawless Complexion Makeup Kit from benefit and there was a small sample size of this foundation inside.  I instantly fell in love with this foundation and went out to purchase the full size as soon as I could.  

I have the shade "Believe in me" Ivory and this matches perfectly.  I feel this has a medium to full coverage depending on how you apply it.  I have no problems with it creasing and it covers any imperfections easily.  It also has SPF 25 built in so I don't have to think about using an SPF under it (not that we need to worry about sun protection at this time of year in the UK!)  I can't detect a scent to it which is great for those who don't like scented products.  

The price of this is £26.50 and you can purchase this from Boots.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation.

I have recently written a post on this foundation which I will link here.  This has been my go to foundation as it is lightweight yet gives me the coverage I want.  

MAC Studio Sculpt foundation.

This was the first high end foundation I ever bought and although this is a good foundation, it isn't the one for me yet.  I find that this foundation is quite matte and sinks into my dry spots and clings to any imperfections.  It is also quite dark for me as well.  I have the shade NC25 and this is a good shade for me when I have a tan other than that, it doesn't work for me.  I am going to try and make it work by sheering it down with a primer or get a product which helps balance out the foundation.  

The price of this is £25.50 and you can purchase this from Debenhams.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Tinted Moisturiser.

My final product is a tinted moisturiser which I received in a Birchbox this year.  I used to love tinted moisturiser's growing up but as my skin has gotten older, they don't give me the best coverage I need.  

This has an OK coverage which is good for days I only want a natural look or days when my skin is behaving itself.  I don't normally reach for this but I know that when I need it, it is there for me.

The price of this is £27 and you can purchase this from Birchbox.

So that is my foundation collection.  I am going to try and purchase more drugstore foundations to see how they react to my skin but I need to get my confidence up in order to do this.

What is your favourite foundation?  Any recommendations for drug store foundations?

Bye for now.

Jess. X

Blogmas - Day Ten: Favourite YouTubers 2015

The photos here were found on Google and edited by me.   

Hi guys.

Today's post is going to be about my favourite YouTubers I like to watch regularly.  I will also link to their YouTube channels so you can go check them out.  I first got into the world of YouTube when looking up a review of a makeup product and came across some of these YouTubers reviewing it.  I then went on to watching more and more of their videos and then finding more YouTubers to watch.  I cannot tell you how many I am subscribed to and how many different genres of YouTubers I watch.  They really help me to relax after a long day of work or doing uni work plus they inspired me to create a blog to unleash my own reviews and life to which I am grateful for.

So here are my top nine YouTubers that I have been loving this year.

FleurDeForce.

I think Fleur was one of the first YouTubers I had every watched and will continue to watch for as long as I can.  She seems down to earth and her videos are so stylish as well as being funny.  She has introduced me to some high end beauty products through her channel.  Any product I have been inspired to purchase because of her, I have been 100% happy with and trust her decision.  Her channel can be found here.

Sacconejoly's.

The Saccone-Joly's run a daily Vlog channel where they document their lives everyday.  The Saccone-Joly's are Jonathon, Anna, Emilia and Eduardo.  I came across them one day when another YouTuber (I cannot remember who) mentioned them in a video.  I typed in their name and watched a few of their videos and after a few months, I was hooked and went back to watch them from about 3 years ago.  I still haven't caught up since!  Their channel can be linked here.

Zoella.

Zoe...how can I describe her?  She is adorable!  She is down-to-earth and funny. She creates beauty and fashion videos with some DIY's.   I love watching her videos and love everything about her.  Her channel can be found here.


ViviannaDoesMakeup.

Another beauty YouTuber.  Once again Vivianna has an amazing channel and is down-to-earth and honest about her opinions.  Her channel can be found here.

I Covet Thee.

There seems to be a trend here,  All the YouTubers I have mentioned are British or Irish.  Once again, Alix is British and is a sophisticated woman who has given me a few products to put on my already expanding wish list of products in my planner.  Her channel can be found here.

BeautyByKat08.

Katherine is one of my favourites because she is also at University and I can relate to her when I watch her videos.  She is a typical uni student and I love watching her videos.  Her channel can be found here.

Ingrid Nilsen.

Ingrid is the popular missglamorazzi and she is an amazing American who speaks the truth about life and beauty.  She always makes me laugh in her videos and makes sure that everyone is entertained.  I think she was one of the first American YouTubers I watched and will continue to watch her for as long as I can.  Her channel can be found here.

Eleventh Gorgeous.

Two sisters that are so entertaining that I cannot stop binge watching their videos.  Tracy and Steph know how to make serious makeup videos as well as their 'How not to' series.  I love the way they interact with each other and how much they are alike in the products that they select in their videos.  Their channel can be found here.

Jaclyn Hill.

My final Youtuber is a woman called Jaclyn Hill.  I was recently introduced to her by one of my friends friend who raved about how good she was and how amazing her makeup collection is.  I love binge watching her videos and have a few products on my wish list which may make an appearance in my collection soon.  Her channel can be found here.

So that is my favourite YouTubers which I am obsessed with this year.  There are so many more that I love but that can be for another post.

Who are your favourites from this year?  Do you watch any of the ones listed above?

Bye for now.

Jess. X

Blogmas - Day Nine: How to study effectively

Hi guys.

I thought today I would share some tips for those who, like me, are in the middle of writing essays, revising for exams and all the other stuff that comes with uni/college/school.  I am by no means the brightest or the smartest person in the world or professes to be an expert on this subject.  Today's post is my tips and my ideas on how I study for my assignments.

Study timetable.

Now this for me is a hit or miss.  I have used this in the past and when I have made it work, it has made my life easier.  Everyone has a different technique on creating a study timetable but as long as you have set aside time to study then you can organise your time around your academic career.

Organise your time/life.

Again this comes down to using some form of timetable or diary.  I prefer to have a diary or planner for this as I can put all aspects of my life in it.  (I have just reviewed my current planner which I will link here)  Once you have organised your time/life, you can then see what time you have to study/socialise/sleep!  I also put in my planner my due dates for assignments so that I always know when they are due.

Know where you like to study.

Everyone has a certain place they like to study...whether it be in a place that is silent or with friends, the place which helps you best can help you gain the best results.  I tend to work best either in my kitchen or in the library.  I find that if I am in my room, I procrastinate so much!  

Know how you like to study.

There are so many ways to study.  You type in study tips on YouTube and so many videos pop up!  My way of studying is to write the whole sentence or paragraph down and then read back through it and highlight the key points I may need in my assignment.  Seriously...all my notes are covered in pink highlighter or red pen!  Some people may also like to use mind maps or cue cards but I only use them when doing presentations and I cannot get the hang of using mind maps!

Get your priorities straight.

So you have multiple deadlines which all seem to be in at the same time...so what can you do to make time to complete them all?  Well prioritise which ones you feel are more important/due first/take longer to do.  This year I have one assignment due first then two on the same day.  In my head I have prioritised my assignments and am completing them in that order e.g. I have a poster due on one day then an essay and a portfolio due on the same day, so I am completing the poster then doing my portfolio and leaving the essay till last as I know I can complete the other two fairly quickly.

Essentials.

There are many things that can make your life easier at uni and these are some of the essentials I use throughout my uni life.

1. Diary/planner

2. Notepads (I have about 10 so I don't run out!)

3. Lots and lots of pens!

4. Highlighters.

5. Cue cards.

6. Pencils (depending on what course/degree you are doing)

7. Ruler.

8. Text books (either bought or from your library)

9. Laptop.

10. Earphones.

Some of my essentials are obvious ones but still some people can forget them and struggle to complete work.

So these are some of my tips that are helping me through my second year at university.  Like I said above, I am not an expert at all but throughout my academic career I have adapted different study strategies to help me learn to the best of my abilities.  

All I can say it good luck with whatever you are doing through this academic year.

What are your tips to successful studying?  Is there any tips you use that you may want to share?

Bye for now.

Jess. X