Berry Season

apocalips
Left to right: meteoric matte, 107, Sloane’s plum
It’s officially Autumn which brings with it my favourite makeup trend, berry lips. During the summer I tend to wear more nude or pink/orange toned lipsticks to suit the season and although I love a good bright lip I always look forward to the day I can begin to wear my favourite darker toned lipsticks again, whether they’re purples, full on reds or something in-between. The key to wearing a wintery lip is a good coverage base, which is hard to wear during summer as we all know that things turn into a big sweaty mess if a full coverage foundation is worn (we’ve all been there, lets not try to hide it) so when the weather takes a dip colder we can begin to put on the fuller coverage foundations, go crazy adding shadow to the eyes and of course lacquering on the perfect bold lip to match. I’ve edited down my favourite three berries, which coincidentally all happen to be from the same brand but are all different shades and different textures, so there’s something for everyone.

Rimmel Apocalips Matte Lip Lacquer ~ Meteoric Matte | Recently released as part of the the new matte line of apocalips this raspberry shade is a matte liquid lipstick which is non-drying and long lasting due to the matte finish. It’s easy to apply because of the doufoot applicator and isn’t expensive at £6.49. This is a good shade if you’re new to the berry trend and don’t want to go all out on the first go or if you have very fair skin this is a good one too as the warmer tone won’t wash you out. A shade similar to this is available in the high gloss formula if matte lips aren’t your thing too, Across the universe.

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Matte Lipstick ~ 107 | This is a classic. A cult loved lipstick which if you haven’t heard of it, you must live under a rock. Out the three this is the most true berry shade. It’s not too purple, it’s not too red, it suits everyone. It’s long-lasting as it’s matte however it’s not completely matte. It does have a slight satin finish so it’s not overly-drying or uncomfortable to wear. Due to the longevity it’s also fuss free as you don’t need to worry that it’s smudged onto your chin during the day either.

Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick ~ Sloane’s Plum | Out of the three, this is probably my favourite of the favourites. This is the most purple of the three and also the most moisturising - as the name would suggest. It’s a very deep purple berry which looks great paired with a smokey eye. Although it’s a very moisturising formula its longevity is impressive and it doesn’t smudge all over your face either. The best way I’ve found to apply it is to put on a thin layer and blot it to create a stain and then apply another layer. 

What’s your favourite makeup trend for the colder months?


~ Jade xx

Personalised star bracelet | NotOnTheHighstreet.Com

birthday present
I love buying presents for people. I always prefer giving to receiving - with Christmas shopping being my favourite ‘to do’ of the year, and something that I start thinking about in August. When it comes to birthday and Christmas presents I like to put a lot of thought into it - I take it very seriously - and like to find things a little special. It was recently one of my best friends birthday and I thought I’d do a post on the bracelet I found for her.
The bracelet is from a seller on notonthehighstreet.com called ‘J & S jewellery’ and it’s fully customisable, you can choose the colour of the chain & beads, the charms and even the card background & packaging. I was really impressed with the quality too as it feels a lot more expensive than it really was. The only I would say is that if you have very slim wrists - like myself - or are buying for someone who has, the bracelet is a little big and will fall down onto your hand slightly - something which I find really annoying but luckily it fit my friend perfectly.
J & S jewellery have an entire range of beautiful jewellery pieces to suit everyone and I would highly recommend taking a look at the shop, it’s free - and fast - delivery to mainland UK too.


~ Jade xx

Repurchased products

batiste
I often post my favourite products in ‘current favourites’ posts however I’ve never mentioned those products which may not be the most exciting or new to the world but are so good that I’ve had to repurchase them, some of them not just once but time-and-time again. So, I compiled a list of some of the products that I’ve repurchased over the years, some of them I’ve mentioned before, others I haven’t and some are necessities which you may not traditionally think of as being favourite products but you repurchase them anyway.

L’oreal Infallible foundation | This is a product which I have spoken about before and written its own post on - which can be viewed here - it’s an all round great foundation that I’m currently on my third bottle of.

Revlon Colorstay concealer | Again this is a product that I’ve written its own post on - which can be seen here - but this is my favourite concealer which I don’t think I’ll be leaving behind anytime soon. As soon as I ran out of this I had to go and buy a new one, and to my annoyance Boots was sold out.

Rimmel Stay Matte powder | I’ve used this product for years and so have lost count of how many times I’ve actually repurchased it. I’ve differed before but this is a product that I always go back to.

Boots Botanics Shine Away Moisturiser | This product has featured in a previous ‘current favourites’ post - which can be seen here - and after using it all up I had to buy another right away. I’ve tried many moisturisers in the past that are all directed at oily skin that all promise to give shine control but none have ever followed through until I came across this baby. 

Batiste dry hair shampoo | For the days when you can’t be bothered to wash your hair or your between washes but your roots are looking a little greasy dry shampoo is always the answer. Batiste is a dry shampoo I’ve been using for years and although I’ve tried others none quite eradicate oil like Batiste does.

Bio-oil | One of those master oils which vanishes hyper pigmentation, scars and marks but also adds moisture to the driest skin. I’ve gone through a few bottles of this and it’s great. I love a good multipurpose a product and I’ve even used this on the ends of my hair when things are looking a bit dry but I don’t have a hair oil on hand.

Toni & Guy Glamour drops | My favourite hair oil. Perfect if you have frizzy hair or if things are looking a bit dry, also great to smooth down anything that keeps sticking up. Its also not heavy so it won’t weigh down your hair.

What are your repurchased products? 


~ Jade xx

For those who struggle with sleep

anxiety
I’ve struggled with sleep for years. I go through fazes of waking up constantly throughout the night or not sleeping at all, to sleeping soundly. I’ve been going through a phase of not sleeping again so I thought I’d write up a post on a few things I do to help when I’m not sleeping so well.

Get in a routine | Try to wake up and go to sleep at the same time everyday, even on weekends if you can. Doing this will train your brain so it knows when it should be resting and when it should be awake. 

Relax | It’s impossible to sleep or get to sleep if you’re stressed, even if you don’t realise that you’re stressed. Before bed light your favourite candle and just chill, don’t do anything strenuous and don’t start over-thinking - easier said than done, I know. If you wake up during the night don’t sit and look at the clock, if you’re aware how long you’ve been awake you’ll become anxious which will make your body tense and make it harder to go back to sleep. If you’re awake for a while get up and do something that isn’t very active, read or take a bath for example and then try to go back to sleep.

Light/dark | Make sure you’re subject to enough sunlight during the day and avoid using artificial light during the evenings. A chemical in your body called melatonin regulates your sleeping pattern and is triggered by light. If you don’t get enough light during the day then you’ll feel sleepy and will want to nap but if you’re exposed to too much light at night you’ll be wide awake when you should be going to sleep. 

Avoid caffeine/alcohol | Avoid drinking caffeine before bed, if you really want a coffee or tea make sure its caffeine free. Also, cut down on caffeine during the day, it may have more of an effect on your body than you think it does. Avoid alcohol during the evening too. Although it does make you sleepy it affects the quality of your sleep so you won’t benefit from the sleep you do get.

Don’t take naps | If you have had a bad nights sleep avoid having an afternoon nap as much as possible as it will just throw your sleep schedule. If you must take a nap try to limit it to 30 minutes before mid afternoon, that way it won’t affect your brains sleep schedule.

Avoid backlit devices | Don’t use your phone, laptop, iPad even your e-reader if it’s backlit up to two hours before bed - this one is what I struggle with most. The light emitted from backlit devices stimulates your brain, in turn making you more awake instead of sleepy.

Environment | Make sure your room is dark, comfortable and the right temperature. You can’t sleep in a bright room or in an uncomfortable bed, and if you're room is too hot or too cold you won’t relax.

How do you avoid a bad nights sleep?


~ Jade xx

The best drugstore concealer

beauty
It’s been known for a while in the beauty world that the best drugstore concealer is the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, which is most likely why you can never find it in the aisles of boots for it’s always sold out. However, I’ve recently been trying out a new concealer which I prefer to the Collection one *gasp*.

The Revlon Colorstay concealer is more moisturising and less thick than the the Collection concealer, meaning it isn’t drying on the skin and doesn’t emphasise any dry problem areas - which is my biggest niggle with the Collection Lasting Perfection, it covers a lot but if you have a blemish thats drying out or your skin is on the dry side it just emphasises that. The Revlon Colorstay is also suitable for under the eyes and for the rest of the face because although it is lighter in texture and more moisturising it still packs a lot of pigment to cover dark circles, blemishes and redness. It is slightly more expensive though and I also struggle to find this in my shade in Boots as well - it’s always when I’ve completely ran out too.

What’s been your latest discovery from the drugstore?

~ Jade xx

A day at the beach | Bournemouth

beach
Last week Lucy & I went on our first road trip down to Bournemouth beach. Over the summer we wanted to go to the beach at some point, however we never got the chance. Recently though, the sunny weather has returned to England so we decided to take the opportunity and drive the two hours south. As we live in the country side we don't often get to see the coast so we took the opportunity to do everything. We obviously had fish & chips and ice cream, went for an obligatory paddle - although the water was very cold, had dinner at a beachside restaurant called HotRocks (I had a red Thai curry - along with a piña colada - & Lucy had Fajitas, which were both mouthwatering but not expensive), had a look around the Oceanarium and had a lovely walk along the waters edge - there's something very relaxing to me about sand between my toes and a sea breeze in the air, it just makes me happy. The weather was also surprisingly lovely for September in England which made the day even better.

A trip to Wollaton Hall | Nottingham

lifestyle
Lucy and I recently took a short trip up to Nottingham. As mentioned in my ‘Plans for twenty fourteen’ post - which can be seen here - I wanted to visit more of Britain this year with Nottingham being part of the list of places for me to visit, as Lucy has family in Nottingham and regularly mentions how much she loves it there. This trip we were only in Nottingham for just over 24 hours so Lucy didn’t have much time to show me around however we did squeeze in a trip to Wollaton Hall. Wollaton Hall is an old country house built in 1588 and was used as Wayne Manor in the Dark Knight Rises, its set in a large deer park and is currently the Nottingham Natural History Museum.

Photography information

Canon 600D with 18-55mm lens, Canon 24mm lens or Sigma 70-300mm lens. Canon EOS M with 18-55mm lens or Canon 24mm lens. Any edited photos are edited using Photoshop CS6. Picture source is given for any photo used that is not directly ours.