Share The Love!

Hi everyone!

You may remember that I did some Sharing The Love on You Tube recently. I’m not really sure if You Tube is my thing, I think I’m more comfortable blogging. For now, I have made my videos private but I’ll probably change my mind again tomorrow.

Anyway just in case you are interested, here is a quick rundown of who I mentioned in my Share The Love videos.

***YOU TUBE CHANNELS***

Claire

http://www.youtube.com/user/FashionTeller17

 Claire has a blog and a You Tube channel. Her blog is amazing and her channel is a little bit newer but I chose her as a You Tuber just because when she is talking about style and fashion she is so passionate and in to what she is talking about. I find her energy contagious. On my mission, I think I’ve got sidelined by beauty a bit but I’ve started to think more about style and adorning pretty things as I read more of Clare’s posts and watch her videos. A couple of her videos are quite different too. One is dedicated to her shoe collection. I’ve seen tens of make up collection videos before but a shoe collection one?! It worked though, a great vlog. Then there was another chatty vlog about how she thought her style was evolving. Again I’ve seen chatty videos before but never one, that took this angle. So hopefully there will be some more videos up soon. In the meantime, check out her channel if you haven’t already and of course, check out her blog http://www.thefashiontellersnotes.blogspot.com !

Tanya Burr

http://www.youtube.com/user/pixi2woo

 When I did my Share the Love videos, I was really in to my Frenched which I doubt I ever would have been able to pull off if I hadn’t watched Tanya’s wearable red lip tutorial. I know she is quite well-known but all of her tutorials seem to work for me. I have been working her Lady Gaga lippie (I do like Satin Taupe) look recently and it is quite wearable. I’ve learnt loads from her and she is a trained make up artist so hopefully everybody can pick up something from her. Tanya also has another ‘fun’ channel which is a good way to wind down if you like ‘A day in the life’ type videos. Oh and of course, look out for the jewellery Tanya wears in her videos because some of it she sells. Remember a certain dancing ring!

Alex

http://www.youtube.com/user/alex27393

 To be fair, I have not watched lots of Alex’s videos yet but I found her channel when I was searching You Tube for some extension videos and I watched one of her videos and then another one. I thought they were good and she covered hair, beauty, make up. She has more then fifty videos up and seems really in to making her channel a success. I have subscribed and think that her channel could be one to watch.

Kathy

http://www.youtube.com/user/xxsgtigressxx

 I wasn’t aware of Kathy’s channel before but she does have a big following so maybe you are already subscribed. However, this channel she is new to me and wow, am I pleased that I found it. I became aware of Kathy’s videos after Laura (Lollipop26) tweeted that the only tutorials she ever watched were on this channel. There are a lot of make up looks on this channel which I will soon be exploring but the video that I have been watching over and over with my 209 in hand, is the Perfect Liquid/Gel liner tutorial.

***BLOGS***

Nicoletta

http://nicolettasbeautyspace.blogspot.com/

 I remember saying in my video that Nicoletta’s blog was my current fave and I still look forward to her posts now. I think Nicoletta is quite new to blogging -I’ve probably only followed her a couple of months- but you would never know. She does a lot of faces of the day but also throws in fashion, hair, reviews and more general posts. She did a lovely one today about appreciating the small things such as a morning with her son and some toast. Nicoletta seems really friendly and posts almost, if not, every day.

Muhsine

http://bubblegarm.blogspot.com/

You all know that I am a big fan of Muhsine’s blog. It covers everything make up, natural beauty, hair and she is just so stylish that you’ll probably find some style inspiration in there too. Muhsine’s photos are great and her posts are always inspiring. She consistently produces very clear swatches with through comparisons. She talks fairly about many different brands. A great blog to check out if you are in to seeing how some of the less hyped brands fare compared to MAC and Nars. The posts on this blog are not ones that could be written without some knowledge, thought and research. Oooh and the odd purchase or so!! Thankfully Muhsine posts several times a week and in addition to this, there is a whole wealth of information on her blog in the form of earlier posts. Sometimes if I have a question (or a blemish), I just search Muhsine’s blog and Bingo, a remedy is found!

IKWYWTS

http://iknowwhatyouworethissummer.blogspot.com/

A new group blog set up by Gemma from Gem’s Maquillage. You may have heard about it but basically you submit a half decent photo of your outfit of the day and Gemma/Victoria will include it in a cute little post with a few more OOTD’s from others. I’m very nosy and love seeing what people are wearing. It is great to see what we wear in common and what more unique pieces people use to distingish their style. There have been points where I have been obsessed with this blog and trawled the net to try and find something spied here. This blog is also a great way to find new blogs as under photos, IKWYWTS will link to the person’s blog.

Laura

http://emeraldgreen88.blogspot.com/

 Laura’s blog is brilliant. She posts regularly, does a lot of looks with a lot of different products. One look that I always remember is a Bollywood one. The looks are always creative and to me, Laura’s technique appears spot on. Laura replies to a lot of her comments and seems an avid reader of many blogs herself, I’m sure she has ‘matchmaked’ a lot of blogs with new followers in Blogland, as she often tags or refers to interesting posts or competitions she has read. Also Laura is so on the ball with future collections, she knows what is coming out and when. A great blog to turn to when compiling wish lists. Laura also does beauty reviews and hauls.

There we go, I know some of my mentions are more well-known then others but I hope you find somebody new to follow here.

Oh and of course, there is Laura, Lollipop26 (http://lollipop26writes.com/) but you are all following her anyway but just so you know I would highly, highly recommend following her if you live on Jupiter and aren’t already. Are there any other amazing channels or blogs that I should be subscribed to?! Let me know and I will check them out.

X

PS I have done a post or two like this before so flick through my wordpress (https://essjay23x.wordpress.com/) archives to see who else I have rated if you are interested.

Some little things and . . ?!

Sometimes I change my mind or discover something new about the products that I have been using and may have mentioned so today, I just wanted to keep you people updated with a couple of things.

MUA Nail Varnish

I posted about one of these recently. It was shade 10. I know I said in my May favourites video on You Tube that it was not really the colour that you would wear out. Well actually, I wore it out on Saturday and I loved it. In some lights it looks quite metallic. A nude with a subtle, tantinglising twist.

In conclusion, I think you can wear this varnish both day and night and that it is great value for £1. I doubt it is a contender for Chanel et al varnishes but neither do I apply it and immediatly think ‘Bargain bucket’. I’m also very impressed by the drying time, it is mega quick!

Creme de la Femme.

I love this. I know that I have compared it to to Snob and I would still say there is a resemblance between them but the two shades are actually quite different color-wise. You can see this in the photos below.

Snob!

Creme de la Femme

 

I am actually finding Creme de la Femme, easier to wear. Again, it is darker and a tinge closer to red then the pinky Snob. I think Creme de la Femme is closer to my natural lip shade and needs less maintenance as the colour wears away. Patching is less evident and it just seems ever so slightly more classy and mature over the course of a day or night.

I have also said that I would wear Creme de Femme when I want the lips to do the talking but actually I have since found that Creme de la Femme is more versatile then that. I have since used it to accompany smoky eyes and this lippie merges in to such a look and plays a meagre supporting role just fine. It lends the lips just enough polish to keep them looking in synch with the rest of the ‘made up’ face without overdoing it. Yep, I admit that my flirtation with Creme de Femme is growing deeper and deeper each day. Really like!

Max Factor Lash Extension Effect Mascara

This is still a great product and does exactly what it claims but the tube seems to have dried out quite quickly. Then again I have been using it quite frequently.

Anyhow, nevertheless I think that ‘m getting just a little bit bored of using this mascara every single day.

The mascara is ok for an everyday look but if I’m going out or want a little extra pisazz, I find myself mixing it with a couple of layers of the beauty tubes mascara. Sometimes I use the primer, sometimes I don’t.

For the first time in my life, I’m actually craving clumps. They can give my look an extra dimension and lend a bit of a ‘cool’ factor!

Green tea

I feel much better in myself and more energetic since I have been drinking tea. However, I have noticed that if I drink the tea on an empty stomach, I do get awfully nauseous within about ten minutes of consumption and a couple of times have been physically sick. I have felt this with a couple of different brands of green tea and regardless of the brand, it seems if I ever green tea on an empty stomach, it really does make me feel sick. It is a horrible travel type nausea too. That horrible that I will not be having green tea on an empty stomach anymore and am keeping a close eye on the situation. I’ve never heard others say of this before. Have you?

And finally there was going to be a pretty bag but uploading issues again so expect a post very soon.

So Girlies, have you got any purchases or products that you want to rave about, diss or update on? Remember I’m on a mission so keep me informed.

X

PS Don’t forget that when I get 50 followers I will have a giveaway or competition. The 50 followers can be from any combo of BlogLovin (link in wordpress sidebar), WordPress subscription(link in sidebar of wordpress blog https://essjay23x.wordpress.com), Blogspot followers (link in blogspot sidebar http://essjay23x.blogspot.com), Twitter (xessjay23x), You Tube (essjay23x) so get following!!! ;)

Scarf delight!

Hi Girlies *waves gorgeous scarf at you*

So today I have done an ickle bit of shopping. Quite a boring but wise haul really, mouthwash, antihistmines, rollers and the most humongous brush.

Of course, as useful as they all will be. It would not be the done thing to return home without something a bit more treat-like.

So I just had to find something that little more special. . .

Ching ching!!!

 

 Yay, my own McQueen scarf. Sort of.

Obviously this is not a genuine Alexander McQueen scarf, like the treasure that Milly from Pearls and Poodles http://pearlsandpoodles.blogspot.com/search/label/Alexander%20McQueen%20scarf and Clarehttp://thefashiontellersnotes.blogspot.com/2010/02/im-barbie-girl.html  (and now Jess from Star Violet beauty) adorns but there are some similarities and I expect it was designed as a much cheaper alternative at Miss Selfridge.

I have had a quick peek again at Milly’s blog and my scarf, as special as it is, is by no means the same as her absolute beauty. Obviously the two, with mine at £12, are not going to compare. The teeth in the skulls are different, the border of the scarf is different, the skulls are proportioned and placed differently, the McQueen scarf looks bigger and much whiter and as Jess said, their scarfs are silk and so, so, so soft. Mine just feels like a scratchy hanky and already has a loose thread but I love it and my scarf has a little bit of appeal in a kind of poor ‘orphan scarf’ way!

I’m glad I found my scarf lovely because after seeing Milly and now Jess (Star Violet http://www.starvioletbeauty.com/2010/06/god-save-mcqueen.html ) so proudly flauting theirs, I was almost about to part with £145 for one just like theirs and I can’t really justify it at the moment.

I think I will evantually because their scarves look so divine. I hope they keep making regular guest appearences in the girls’s posts and videos. However, now that I have my £12 darling, I can wait a little before I purchase the Queenie. I’m going to use my scarf lovely to roadtest the whole notion of scarves while I save a little more. That way when I finally purchase a McQueen beauty of my own, I will know that I really want it for what it is and that it suits me. Until now, I have never really worn a scarf. I’m not even sure how to and £145 seems a lot to spend on my very first one but one day . . !

Right, that is enough dreaming, my scarf and I are off for a dance around the living room! Let me know if you have picked up anything nice lately.

Until next time *gives a little jump and waves scarf madly* *And again* *And again* *And again and . . . skips off*

X

At the dressing table!

So yesterday, I did something that I haven’t done for a long time.

Does anybody else remember playing at their Mother’s dressing table when they were younger?

I do. I spent hours there. Mesmorised by all the little jewels and treasures that it held.

We are not and are still not rich by any means but nevertheless Mum’s dressing table was full of delights and, as we will see in a minute, still is.

Sometimes, it is the simple things which provide the most pleasure.

At this point and that during my childhood, Mum was an Avon Lady. One of my favourite memories is concentrating hard to apply a sample lipstick to my lips. There was always so many colours to choose from. You know, I may have invented overlining! In my day, us five year olds did it with the lippie itself. Very industurious.

Then, there was always a spritz of perfume. Again, an Avon sample.

Then to accessories.

I would slip on one of Mum’s many rings or polish up my very own signet ring, grab a handbag (sometimes courtesy of Granny) and some of Mum’s heels then I would tottle off to help Mum push brochures through the letterboxes or collect order forms.

Amazingly I never broke a leg in Mum’s size sixes even though I was barely shoe size two at the time. I think I walked better in heels back then and I was almost certainly better styled.

Anyways!

Looking for a hairband yesterday, I found myself at Mum’s dressing table again and instantly time stopped and I turned in to a little girl, oohing and ahhing. A complete hour of bliss where it did not matter if my tummy was not 100% toned or that my jeans were feeling a little tight. It didn’t matter that I had a list of To do’s as long as my arm to complete nor did it matter that my car was stuck outside the house completely broken and ready for the scrapheap.

No, nothing mattered as I immersed myself in the delights at my Mum’s dressing table and here is a little peek at some of the gorgeous little treats I uncovered.

 

The Italy bracelet

I remember this one. Dad brought it back from Italy where he had been working. Apparently, he brought it at a market and had to hustle the price down. At the time, I thought not how unromantic this was but how exotic it all seemed and this bracelet was the most beautiful thing that we had all seen.

 

 

 Princess Di’s engagment ring

I remember that Mum treasured this replica (some newspaper promotion) almost more then her own when we were younger. It was one of those look but don’t touch things as were the royal wedding mugs in the kitchen.

 

 

Watch on a neck chain

Ooh! Mum, you must be getting old. I’m sure that these are back in fashion again.

Trinket box

I remember this one. This is where so many of my favourite things lived. Isn’t it gorgeous? A heart and gold with red carpet inside. Quite royal looking. I think Mum might be a bit for the royal family. Oh and I spotted Queenie ear rings too. Little gold studs with the profile of the Queen (Victoria?!) in the middle.

 

 

Silver charm bracelet

Now I have heard Mum talk about this before but I don’t think I have ever seen it. Maybe she treasures it so much that she kept it out of reach from my calamity jane five year old fingers then again, I do remember when I was younger she used to say that silver looked cheap and for more wanton ladies or something along those lines. So maybe this charm bracelet became her little secret. Whatever the reason, I’m glad she has got it out again. She has collected so many charms, I need to find out where they are all from.

‘Colin’ engraved bracelet

The engraving would suggest that this has something to do with my Dad. Quite sweet, really, I guess!

Badges

Hey, there was also a couple of badges from childhood. The Prefect one was 100% mine. Hee hee, a very good student I was and I, er, happen to think that the Blue Trefoil badge might be mine too.

 Lots of perfume

Mum! All that money I’ve spent on perfume and look at all this perfume you have right here. Oh and there, look, is Lola. A present from two of your lovely daughters. One of them, me. Wasn’t that nice of us to give her such a lovely perfume as Lola for Mothers day?! Mum was very pleased although she was absolutley overwhelmed by the bottle then the beautiful scent itself. Typical!

Photo

See, I was blonde once. The blonde little girl is me and the dark haired baby is one of my sisters. I think these were took at Butlins in the early 80’s.

Chocolate

Oops, Mum had some unopened chocolates from France on her dressing table. They were very niced wrapped with an Eiffel Tower charm and each chocolate a landmark. And they tasted very nice too. Sorry Mum but it wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t get in to a little bit of mischief at your dressing room table. I’ll pop to Thorntons later in the week. She won’t mind, really . . !

Well, I hope you enjoyed the little peek at Mum’s dressing table. I only hope one day somebody finds mine as fascinating. What childhood gems do you remember?

Oh and sorry, I know some of the photos are rubbish and do not do the little treasures justice but I had uploading issues (again!) so had to result to the webcam!

X

Coconuts, coconuts . . !

So summer should swiftly be on it’s way and I wonder if this is why I have suddenly developed a fetish for coconut.

I have never really took to coconut products in the past. I don’t like or dislike coconut branded/type beauty products. I have never given them enough time to find out.

No because as a child, I hated all things Coconut-tainted to eat.

However, I have recently been embracing all things Coconut-like. I’m trying to keep my mission as organic as possible and the word Coconut in the branding simply makes the product seem more pure, full of goodness and sunnier!

Also, guess what?

The scent of coconut is so much better then the taste. It is sweetly divine and I love it!

Let me share with you my current Coconutty fave.

The Pink Cow Coconut Creme Body Scrub

I use this every other day as recommended and it keeps my skin looking rejuvenated and fresh. It is not a heavy duty exfoliator but if you keep using it regularly then evantually it will easily maintain ‘fresh’ skin.

This product smells as delicious as it looks and actually does seem to be a ‘beauty goodie’. It has not being tested on animals and is paraben (and allergen) free.

There is no doubt that I may well repurchase this product especially as it only costs £2.99 (Boots).

Then as if Coconut is not summery enough to induce purchase then have you read the little blurb on the front?!

1. Take half a coconut and make sail on a lime blue sea.

2. Be peaceful. . . tell your heart a fairy tale.

3. Say hurray for ‘NO PARABENS’

Ha, I love this. A perfect bathtime product at a rock bottom price. Likey!

******

 I have also been enjoying The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter. I love body butters. Love; love; love! However, I’ve only ever used Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter and yummy Vanilla.

Until now.

Yep, I’ve discovered Coconut which has the same beautiful scent as my Pink Cow body scrub and, as usual with the Body Shop butters, that beautiful scent lingers all day. Yay!

This body butter is a lovely alternative to perfume now that summer is approaching but for those perfume fanatics (aherm!), it also works well as a base for perfume scents. I’ve used it layered with Stunning and Flora and this coconut gem has not failed me. I really feel pretty and more inspired to do something when there is a hint of coconut in the air.  

The ultra-moisturising Body Butters from the Body Shop retail from £5 and I believe you can currently get a free one with the June issue of Marie Claire. I’m not sure if Coconut is included in the offer though. . !

And finally as we are talking coconuts, I should mention Coconut Oil. I have Coconut oil which I purchased from Holland and Barrett and I have been using it on my hair after reading a post by Muhsine  http://bubblegarm.blogspot.com/2009/06/coconut-and-vitamin-e-oil.html.

I have used the oil in a couple of ways.

Firstly, combined with my conditioner/mask and secondly, alone. The first couple of times that I used the Coconut Oil, I My hair shone so much and it needed  little less styling when it is been conditioned with the coconut oil.

However after the first couple of washes with the oil, it seemed to build up and make my hair look greasy even when I had rinsed it out. So I tried shampooing it out too but I still needed to shampoo again the next day. Bear in mind the following: I have a tendency to overuse products; I was using the Naked Shampoo (one which has maybe underwhelmed me a little) and that I was also using Morrocan Oil afterwards on my towel dried hair but I still feel there was some additional build up courtesy of the Coconut Oil. I probably used about one and a half to two tablespoons. I think the suggested amount is a tablespoon but my extended hair is longgg!

Despite the build up, I will be using the coconut oil again but as a more occasional hair treatment maybe once a fortnight or so AND I will only be applying it to the bottom half of my head (ie.all the hair that would be pulled back into a ponytail) as I do not want greasy roots. I’m not sure that there is much of a coconut scent with the oil compared to the other two products that I have discussed but maybe all that rinsing has banished the scent or just maybe, I am always too busy fretting with my hair to notice the amazing aroma that the oil is giving out.

Do you have a favourite flavour when it comes to beauty products? Why not grab something coconut-like and give the summer a little encouragment to make its grand entrance?!

X