Birchbox January 2017

Hey everyone! Today's post is going to be a review and unboxing of January's Birchbox. I must admit with Christmas and New Year, I'd completely forgot about Birchbox until it arrived last week! This month's theme is Sprinkle of Happiness and it includes a variety of products to help kick off 2017 in the right way.

The first item I pulled out of the box is this shampoo from Kebelo. It has a deep cleansing formula that will essentially give your hair a detox from any product buildup or overstyling. I'm not really fussy with what shampoo I use, usually it's whatever is on offer to be honest. This shampoo doesn't have a very strong scent, but it does smell nice and I can't wait to try it.

The next item is a shave cream by Whish. I have a few products from Whish that I've received in previous Birchboxes and I love them! This is scented with acai and grapefruit which smells amazing! I'm quite lucky in that I don't have sensitive skin so I can test all sorts of products. I already own this shave cream in the almond scent and love that so I can't wait to use this one too!

Up next is this hand cream by Merci Handy. I've never heard of this brand before this product has the cutest packaging ever! Like most hand creams, this is designed to keep your hands super soft. As far as I know, there were a few variations of fragrance in this month's Birchbox and I received a cherry scented hand cream which smells lush! It's the perfect handbag size and I will probably use this to death!

 The next item I pulled out of the box is this concealer crayon from Lord & Berry. This is basically just a pencil that you use directly on the skin, blending with the fingertips. I received the shade Beige which, after swatching, might be the wrong shade for me but it is super creamy and I'm sure I'll be able to make it work!

Last but not least is this nail varnish from Nails Inc. The shade didn't really show up very well but it's a gorgeous dark green. Unfortunately, I can't wear nail varnish because of my job so I'm gonna have to give this away which is such a shame because the colour is so nice and I know Nails Inc are a really good brand!

That's everything in January's Birchbox, if you want to sign up click here. I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts and I'll see you very soon!

Blogmas Day 3 | The Christmas Tag

Hello and welcome to day 3 of blogmas! I stumbled across this tag while looking for some post ideas and I thought it'd be a great way to get everyone into the Christmas spirit. I didn't get tagged by anyone to do this but I'm just gonna go ahead and do it anyway!

What is your favourite Christmas song?

I'd probably have to say Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas! Either that or the original Live Aid song!

Is your Christmas tree real or fake?

My Christmas tree is fake, I don't think I'd ever have a real one as I've been told they make loads of mess!

What is the best gift you've ever received?

I bet if you asked me when I was younger, I'd probably say everything haha! I think my favourite gift was definitely the Blackberry phone I got a few years ago.. I'd waited SO long to get it, and could have cried when I opened it haha

Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?

Okay so theres Rudolph (obviously), Prancer, Dancer, Donner, Blitzen, Vixen, Comet, Cupid.. There may be a couple more but I can't remember haha!

Have you ever had a white Christmas?

I think in 2010 it snowed just before Christmas but every year after that it's snowed in like February which is rubbish! I love a white Christmas!

What would be your dream place to visit for Christmas?

I'd love to go to Lapland and see Santa and his elves, I know Santa isn't real but I bet it would be wonderful! I'd also like to spend Christmas in Australia since it's their summer in December, I just can't imagine myself having a barbeque on a beach for dinner!

Where do you usually spend your Christmas?

I'm usually at my parents' house all day on Christmas Day, last year was really strange because it was mine and Ross' first Christmas in our own place

Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?

Never! I used to leave a mince pie and a glass of milk for Santa and a handful of carrots for his reindeer but my brothers and I were never allowed any presents early.

What made you realise the truth about Santa?

I think a few of my friends at school tried to convince me that he wasn't real, then I saw my parents bringing all the presents downstairs so I didn't really believe anymore.

What holiday traditions are you looking forward to most this year?

I'm just really excited for pigs in blankets on Christmas Day to be honest haha! I'm excited to eat my weight in chocolate and watch all of the Christmas movies!

What is your favourite Christmas movie?

My all time favourite has to be The Grinch, I'm just a bit of a kid at heart I think!

Do you like receiving or giving gifts better?

I LOVE giving gifts, seeing peoples' faces when they open their presents is the best thing ever! I spend so much time planning out what I'm going to buy people to make sure they love their gifts!

I hope you enjoyed reading! I tag anyone reading this that wants to do it! What are you looking forward to most about Christmas?

Blogmas Day 2 | November Favourites 2016

Although this isn't very Christmassy, today's post is going to be about my November favourites. I haven't really bought myself anything new this month, which is a surprise because I'm forever buying things I don't need!

The first thing on my favourites this month has to be mince pies. They are, in my opinion, one of the best things about the festive season! As soon as I saw them on sale in shops, I bought some and have probably eaten far too many already! I know they're probably not the healthiest things to snack on but they are just SO good!

The next thing I've been loving this month is actually Twitter chats! I've took part in a couple of blogger chats this month, #tbhchat and #beechat, and both have helped me learn so much about blogging! I don't take part every time there's a chat on but I'd definitely check them out if I were you!

I've been listening to a lot of new music this month, and my favourite band You Me At Six have released a load of songs off their new album. I'm absolutely in love with their new song Give! They've grown so much as a band and I can't wait to see them live again next year!

Something I've recently got into is Pinterest, I could spend hours looking through makeup looks and different nail designs! I'm still trying to get the hang of it but if you'd like to follow me, feel free! My username is jeezlouisexo! 

The last thing on my favourites list this month is the tv show Gotham. It's basically the story of Bruce Wayne before he became Batman, I'm currently halfway through season 3 which is airing in the US. Every episode keeps me on the edge of my seat and I'm constantly waiting impatiently for the next episode! I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who likes any of the Batman movies!

Okay so that's everything on my favourites list for the month of November, I hope you enjoyed! What have you been loving?

Blogmas Day 1

Hello everyone and welcome to day 1 of Blogmas!

 If, like me, you're new to the blogging world, you may not know what Blogmas is, but have probably a million and one tweets/instagram posts from bloggers about it. Basically, Blogmas is where you upload a blog post everyday leading up to Christmas. I have never done Blogmas before and am a little bit worried about finding things to post everyday so I'll apologise now if I miss a couple of days haha! I have a few 'normal' post ideas and then loads of super festive stuff!

 Anyone that knows me knows that I absolutely LOVE Christmas, it's definitely my favourite time of year! 

Things I am excited for this December

- Listening to Christmas on repeat for so long that I almost get sick of them

- Watching The Grinch (my fave) everyday

- Christmas shopping, some people hate it but I love planning out the best gifts for everyone!

- MINCE PIES

- Putting up the tree and making the house look like Santa threw up everywhere haha!

I'm also looking forward to my first year of Blogmas, hopefully I can keep on top of it! Stay tuned for more tomorrow!

Beauty Confessions Tag

After seeing this post floating through the blogosphere recently, I just HAD to do it myself! I know it is technically a tag and no-one has tagged me to do it, but I'm just gonna do it anyway haha!

Q1) WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST BEAUTY PRODUCT ADDICTION?
I have a very unhealthy obsession with makeup in general but I think my biggest addiction is probably eyeshadow palettes! I have WAY more than I need and some of them are still unused which is a serious problem!

Q2) HOW MANY PRODUCTS FROM YOUR ADDICTION DO YOU HAVE?
To some this might not be a lot but I have around 20 palettes, some of them with very similar shades in! One of my favourites has to be the I Heart Makeup Naked Chocolate palette from Makeup Revolution, it has some perfect nudes and browns to create a soft smoky eye look but still has a few shimmers to add a bit of glam to the look.

Q3) WHAT TYPE OF BEAUTY PRODUCT DO YOU HATE?
I've never really been a big fan of fake tan to be honest. When I was around 18/19 and just start going out clubbing, I used to used St Moriz instant mousse but I only ever tanned my legs! Eventually, I noticed that it smelt awful and was starting to turn my legs green instead of brown so I stopped using it for good!

Q4) WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN BEAUTY?
I'd probably have to say keeping up with all the new trends, I'm usually behind on every new fad that starts haha! Contouring, highlighting, strobing. There's allsorts to keep up with these days!

Q5) WHAT IS ONE BEAUTY COMFORT ZONE YOU DON'T EVER THINK YOU'LL LEAVE?
I think I'll always be one of those people that does my base before my eyes! I know most people bang on about how you should do your eyeshadow first so it's easy to clean up but to me, it just feels a bit weird!

Q6) WHAT IS ONE BEAUTY THING YOU SUCK AT?
Definitely cut crease eyeshadow looks, I keep practising but I think I've got completely the round eye shape to pull it off properly, plus I think I have slightly hooded eyelids so you can barely see it properly haha! I will keep trying though, practise makes perfect after all!

Q7) WHAT IS ONE THING IN BEAUTY THAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE HYPE?
Not many people will agree with me but I'm going to say Kylie lipkits. I do own one and it is good, but it is definitely way overhyped purely because of Kylie Jenner - who is an absolute babe I must say! I've seen a lot of people compare her lipkits to Colourpop liquid lipsticks in terms of formula and while I've never tried Colourpop before, if I were considering a repurchase from Kylie, I'd probably choose Colourpop first just because of the price difference.

These are all of my answers to The Beauty Confessions Tag. I tag anyone that reads this and wants to do it too! Hope you enjoyed!

Birchbox November 2016

Hello again! Today, I have an unboxing and review of this month’s Birchbox which features a collaboration with Tatler, giving you a discount on their monthly magazine subscription!
This month's box also included their Christmas gift guide featuring lots of great products perfect for anyone beauty and makeup obsessed.

The first item I pulled out of the box is a hair brush from Wet Brush Pro. This is such a cute little brush and is perfect for throwing in my handbag. Apparently it can be used wet or dry which is great for whenever you’re in a rush getting out of the bath/shower and need to quickly chuck your hair up!

Up next is an eyebrow pencil from Bbrowbar. I’ve never heard of this company before which is good because I love trying new products! This pencil is in the shade Indian Chocolate and after swatching I feel like it might not be the right shade for my brows since I have dark hair. It has a very creamy texture and seemed to take forever to wipe off my hand which is perfect if the weather’s not too great because then at least you know you’re brows won’t budge haha!

The next product I picked up is a leave-in conditioner from Beauty Protector. I’ve received a few items from this brand before and I’m almost certain that they’re exclusive to Birchbox. This conditioner comes in a handy spray bottle and is designed to help detangle the hair and leave it feeling silky smooth. I’ve never tried a leave-in conditioner like this before so I can’t wait to use this and see what kind of wonders it does for my hair!

Another brand I’ve received items from is Nuxe and this month I got their face moisturising cream. I’ve tried a few of their products and I really liked them so I’m excited to use this! I normally don’t splurge on anything special as a moisturiser as most of them just do the same thing regardless of the price but I’m SO tempted to purchase the full version of this moisturiser because it’s just so good! It has such a lovely scent and makes my skin feel softer than ever!

The last item in this Birchbox is a lip primer from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. I’ve heard of this company but never tried any of their products but after trying this primer, I might have to look at what else they have to offer! This primer has a lovely minty smell which actually made my lips tingle a little when I used it which made me feel like they were a little bit plumper than usual! Although it only comes in a small tube, a little does go a long way! It makes my lips feel so smooth and hydrated and also kept my lipstick on all day with no need for re-applying!

That’s everything in this month’s Birchbox, I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on it.

October Favourites 2016

Hey everyone! I know that this post is a little bit late but I've just had my new desk delivered and had the joys of trying to build it without having a meltdown. 
*spoiler alert: I'm not insane (yet)* 
Today's post is going to be my monthly favourites from October and it's definitely a mixture of stuff, not just beauty and makeup haha!

The first thing I practically have to put on my favourites list and that is my dog, Dexter! Ross and I adopted him from a local rescue and he's settled in so well! We were originally going to get a puppy but then we realised how nice it would be to give another dog a second chance at a forever home so we couldn't say no! My camera roll on my phone is already full of photos of him too!

Up next, I recently entered a giveaway on Twitter to win the Girls With Attitude Fairytale Brush Collection. I'm sure most bloggers and Youtubers have them, so I was so excited when I found out that I'd won them! They're absolutely stunning and are super soft, I'm not even sure if I'll use them because they're just too pretty to ruin!

Another beauty/makeup item I've been loving this month is the Ultra Contour Kit from Makeup Revolution. I bought the powder version as I'm not too keen on cream contouring just because I have quite oily skin. This contour kit is sooo good, it has 6 matte contour/highlight shades and then 2 shimmer highlighters which are all super pigmented! I think it was only around £8 too which is a steal for such a good product!

After briefly seeing them at Leeds Festival in August, I've been obsessed with Mowbeck's song Talkabout. I'm going to end up getting sick of it soon because I just have it on repeat all day!! If anyone else, like me, is into indie/rock music then I'd definitely recommend checking them out. I can't really compare them to any other band because they have such a different sound to anything I've heard before but they are definitely worth a listen!

The last thing I've been loving this month is the tv show Dexter. I'd never seen it before so when Ross suggested we start watching it, I was very excited. We've just finished Season 1 and I'm pretty sure we watched it all over 2 days. Oops! I know I'm probably really late to the party since it was first released in 2006 but I'm honestly hooked!

That's all for this month's favourites, I hope you enjoyed reading about them. 

What have you been loving this month? 

The Boyfriend Tag

Hey everyone! Today's post is going to be a little different, I've seen The Boyfriend Tag quite a few times on YouTube so I thought I'd adapt it for my blog. I've also answered some of the questions from both of us. Before we get into the questions, I'd like to introduce my boyfriend, Ross.

Where did we meet? We first met at college, then bumped into each other in a nightclub a couple of years later.

Where was our first date? We never had an official first date.

What was your first impression of me? Him: you seemed really nice and easy to talk to. Me: fairly laidback, good sense of humour.

When did you meet the family? Him: The day we got together. Me: About a week after we got together.

Do I have any weird obsessions, if so - what? Him: Buying makeup, and phone cases, that you'll never use. Me: Having tarantulas as pets, 25 and counting!

How long have we been together? 4 years on Halloween!

Do you have a tradition with your gf/bf? No.

What was our first roadtrip? We went to the beach with a couple of our friends.

What was the first thing you noticed about me? Him: You have a nice bum :) Me: Your shoulders and arms haha!

What is my favourite restaurant? Him: Probably McDonald's! Me: You don't have one.

What do we argue about the most? Him: Who's washing the dishes. Me: You not listening to me!

Who wears the pants in the relationship? Him: Me. Me: Definitely me!

If I am watching tv what am I watching? Him: The Jeremy Kyle Show. Me: Football or wrestling.

What is one food I do not like? Him: Anything healthy. Me: Fruit.

What drink do I order when we go out to eat? Him: Malibu and lemonade, or just a Coke. Me: Strongbow Dark Fruit, Kopparberg, or a Coke.

What size shoe do I wear? Him: 5. Me: 10

What is my favorite kind of sandwich? Him: Chicken Tikka from Subway. Me: Meatball Marinara from Subway.

What is one talent I have? Him: You find the biggest problems in the smallest situations. Me: Leaving rubbish everywhere!!

What would I eat everyday if I could? Him: Pizza. Me: a Big Mac.

What is my favourite cereal? Him: Frosted Shreddies. Me: Weetabix.

What is my favourite music? Him: Rock or Disney depending on your mood. Me: Rock or Indie.

What is my favourite sports team? Him: Liverpool FC. Me: Arsenal FC.

What is my eye colour? Him: Brown. Me: Yours changes all the time!

Who is my best friend? Him: Conor or your mum. Me: Ryan.

What is something you do that I wish you didn't? Him: Nag at me. Me: Ignore me.

Where am I from? Him: Scunthorpe. Me: Also Scunthorpe.

What kind of cake would you bake me on my birthday? Him: Lemon drizzle cake. Me: Warm triple chocolate fudge cake.

Do I play any sports? Him: No. Me: Football.

What can I spend hours doing? Him: Literally nothing. Me: Playing Fifa or watching YouTube videos.

If I could live anywhere, where would it be? Him: Florida, Australia or the Maldives. Me: Scotland.

Birchbox October 2016

Hey everyone! Today's post is going to be an unboxing of this month's Birchbox. 

          

At first glance this box has a gorgeous pattern and is designed based on the four elements; earth, wind, air and fire. This also matches up with your starsign so because I'm Aries, I received a fire designed box. I love the drawer design of this box, I think it's super cute and could also be used to store other makeup and beauty bits. Apparently the box is glow in the dark too but I'm yet to test that rumour! I'd also like to apologise for the damage to my box, my dog got hold of it before I got chance to take some nice photos haha!

Whish Renewing Mud Mask

The first item I pulled out of the box is this Whish renewing mud mask. It's an exfoliating mask used to brighten and purify skin. I've always been a big fan of mud masks because I have terrible skin so I will definitely be using this! It's also great for if you're in a rush because you can leave it on for as little as 15 seconds!

Rituals Magic Touch Body Cream

The next product is a rich and nourishing body lotion from Rituals, scented with the japanese flower sakura (cherry blossom). It has a super sweet floral scent which I'm not a big fan of if I'm honest but it's a really smooth lotion. Everyone loves a good body lotion so I will definitely be adding this to my daily routine! 

Doux Me Pure Spring Mist

Up next is this water mist which is designed to refresh dry skin. This product baffled me a little bit because it literally is just a water spray.. I did spritz this over my face to try it and I can't lie, it did make me feel very fresh and awake. This spray is perfect for winter months, when my skin gets really dry and needs all the help it can get! I'll definitely be using this to see if it makes a difference to my skin but it's just water so I probably won't repurchase, unless it can convince me otherwise!

Bodyism Beauty Food Supplement

The next product I pulled out of the box is this food supplement which is made with an all natural blend of vitamins, antioxidants and herbal extracts. It claims to help you to feel your best inside and out, which is perfect if for any reason you can't get the right vitamins in your regular diet. You're supposed to put one full sachet in either a glass of water and a smoothie, once a day. I've only received one full sachet, which is only a day's worth so I probably won't benefit from trying this product.

Lord & Berry Matte Crayon Lipstick

Shade Intimacy

Up next is a product I'm really excited about, it's a lipstick crayon from Lord & Berry, which combines a lipstick and a balm that gives a matte finish. It has a beautiful creamy formula and the shade is gorgeous! Definitely one I'll be wearing during the autumnal months!

Number 4 Restore & Repair Oil

The last product in this month's Birchbox is this hair oil that transforms dull hair to shiny sleek locks. It can be applied to dry or damp hair which is perfect if I'm in a bit of a rush! I've never tried any hair oils before so I'm a little bit sceptical but I'll be trying this out to see if it makes any difference to my hair!

Overall, I'd say I'm very happy with this month's Birchbox. I absolutely love the design of the box and will use all the products, except the food supplement but it's always nice to receieve something different to try out!

A-Z of Me

I absolutely love posts that show the real person behind the blog, so when I stumbled across this A-Z of me I just had to do it myself! I thought it would be the perfect way for any readers to get to know the real me! So let's get straight into it.

Autumn. Out of all the seasons, Autumn is definitely my favourite. With Winter coming a close second! I love everything about it, the darker makeup, hot chocolate and duvet days and who could forget the woolly jumpers?!

Blogging. Although I had almost a year break from blogging, I am constantly reading other blogs. I find it so relaxing and love to read peoples' opinions on things!

Chocolate. I have a habit of buying loads of chocolate and eating it all at once, instead of saving some for later like most people haha!

Disney. I spend most of my time watching Sky Movies Disney, or singing along to the movie soundtracks. One day, I WILL go to Disneyland!

Emojis. I think I definitely use emojis way too much. Since the iOS10 update, I barely write anything properly now! My most used are probably the cry-laughing face or the heart-eye face.

Friends. Both the friends I have in real life, and the tv show. I don't have a lot of friends but the ones I do have, I know I can rely on. Also, Friends the tv show is one of my favourite shows!

Google. Anyone that knows me knows that I Google literally everything! I'm always the one with useless facts I've remembered from Googling something unnecessary.

Harry Potter. If I'm not watching anything Disney, I'm glued to the tv watching Harry Potter or re-reading the books for the millionth time! It is my all time favourite book/movie series!

Internet. I spend nearly every minute of my life on the Internet whether it be on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, I'm always online somewhere!

Jewellery. I absolutely love any kind of jewellery, although my collection is only small, I feel like jewellery can either make or break any outfit.

KUWTK. Love them or hate them, the Kardashian/Jenner family are all over social media. Personally, I love them! Kourtney and Kylie are definitely my fave sisters!

Lazy. Most people would agree that I'm a very lazy person in that I'll take any opportunity I can to have a nap! 22 going on 80!

Makeup. I have a slight obsession with makeup, I've definitely got way more than I need and probably have loads of stuff still in the packaging!

Nails. I regularly get my nails done, and feel naked without acrylics on. The only bad thing is I can't have bright colours for work. :(

Obsessive. I have a bad habit of being completely obsessed with something for months to the point where I get sick of it. Unless I'm really interested in something, I just won't bother with it.

Pizza. Another one of my favourite foods is pizza but I don't really rate Domino's or Pizza Hut. Give me a proper greasy pizza anyday, as long as it doesn't have pineapple though because everyone knows pineapple doesn't belong on pizza!

Quotes. I'm constantly on Pinterest looking at cute life quotes and sharing them on my Instagram!

Ross. My boyfriend who I've been with for nearly 4 years! I love him to pieces and can't imagine my life without him even if he is a pain in the bum sometimes haha!

Shopping. I'm a shopaholic, no question about it. When I get paid, I always buy myself stuff that I know I don't need. What is wrong with me?!

Temper. I have a very short temper and constantly have mini breakdowns haha. I hate conflict though and will avoid arguments as much as I can!

Untidy. If I could employ a maid/cleaner then I definitely would. I constantly leave stuff everywhere then complain about having to tidy it up. It's an endless cycle!

Valentine's Day. The only day besides our anniversary where Ross and I will actually show public displays of affection, usually on Facebook but it still counts haha!

Walking. Taking my dog for a walk relaxs me a ridiculous amount. Sometimes it's nice to just walk and appreciate the nature around me.

X-factor. I used to watch x-factor a few years ago but haven't watched it since Simon Cowell left. Even though he's now back, I still don't bother watching it. It's too obvious of a fix nowadays and doesn't make for great TV in my book.

YouTube. What would we do without YouTube? It's such a diverse platform with everything from makeup tutorials to gamers. It's got something for everyone and I love it!

Zoeva. I've been lusting after the Zoeva rose gold makeup brushes for so long! My brush collection will not be complete without them!

So that's the A-Z of me, I hope you enjoyed reading about me. 

What's on your A-Z?