Tuesday, May 31, 2016

FALSIES WITHOUT FALSIES | MY FAVOURITE MASCARA



As a student, I pretty much start salivating at the thought of quality, yet really affordable makeup. As a girl who lives and breathes higher end stuff, I’m the first to admit I can be a little reluctant when it comes to using cheaper drugstore alternatives. Having said that, I’m a slave to social media and I’m really influenced by the blogs I follow. Loads of my favourite bloggers and YouTubers have been loving these drugstore brands, so I thought I’d give Seventeen’s Falsifeyes HD Mascara a go! It’s relatively new, and so I haven’t seen many people using it yet (what can I say? I’m such a trendsetter), and so far, I’m hugely impressed!

For just under £7, you get this little pink box of joy. The wand of a mascara is its main selling point, for me. I always look for those teeny tiny spikes because they’re absolutely the best for catching all the small lashes and making my eyes look wider. I’m actually pretty lucky when it comes to lashes; I’ve got pretty long lashes naturally, so I usually go for volumising and curling mascaras. This one ticks all my boxes, and it’s the only one I’ve been reaching for lately. Even though it’s purse-friendly, that doesn’t mean you’re skimping on quality. If you’re as impiverished as I am lately, this little beauty is definitely worth a try! I wouldn’t be without it now.

Lots of love,
Jasmine x

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Sunday, May 29, 2016

NEW TATTOO | TIPS, ADVICE, AFTERCARE


Instead of writing a boring bloggy story-time post about my new tattoo, I thought I’d write something a little more useful and helpful. Given that I now have five tattoos (obviously making me a complete expert) I like to think I’ve got at least a little bit of knowledge. I do get a lot of questions about my tattoos, and my tattoo videos on Youtube are some of my most popular. So, I wanted to write a blog post to hopefully help some of you lot, and to bestow my never-ending knowledge unto you. (Obvious sarcasm, plz don’t hate me).

Here are my top Dos and Don’ts when getting a tattoo. Think of it like a checklist!

Research, research, research
Possibly the most important step you can take when finding a design and an artist! My favourite place to stalk potential artits is on Instagram. You’re bound to come across some amazing people in your area if you look in the right places. I usually find my artists through friends or online, and choosing someone based on their styles and skill is the most important thing. Like, ever. Depending on your design, you should go for artists who do that particular style really well. Don’t ask a traditional tattooist for a realism design, and vice versa. Literally though, stalking artists is the best thing you can do.

Pay a visit to the studio, speak to the artist in person
When you’ve narrowed some artists down, you should go and visit the studio. For my first tattoo, I found a guy online and visited the shop. I was absolutely horrified at the actual studio. It was unclean, untidy and just had books and books of pre-drawn designs strewn about for you to choose out of. That’s certainly NOT my thing, and I’m so glad I paid them a visit before booking anything, or just simply turning up on the day. Also, speaking to the artists in person is a great idea; you can get a feel for who they are, and often they can give you a price quote on the spot so you know what kind of money you’ll need to save up.

Get a good night’s sleep
The night before the big day, don’t do what I did last time! I went out on the large and ended up hungover the day of my most recent tattoo. Alcohol thins your blood and makes it harder for the artist to work. Plus, I felt like total crap! I’d definitely recommend getting a good night’s sleep and waking up refreshed and energised. It might not seem like it, but getting a tattoo is a very physical thing; it takes your energy out of you because adrenaline is shooting round your body for hours at a time.

Eat a whole load of food + get a sugary drink
Have a good, filling breakfast or lunch. Take a bottle of coke or a cheeky red bull with you into the studio. It’s really good to keep your blood sugar levels up so you can stay on top of your game throughout your tattoo. It can quite quite tiring, so it’s great to be able to drink lots and stay hydrated and sugared up. Don’t be afraid to ask the artist for breaks, too.

Relax!
Don’t stress too much about the pain! Luckily for me, I don’t find tattoos painful, but obviously, pain is different for everyone. Don’t panic about the pain because more likely than not, it probably won’t be the most comfortable thing you’ve ever experienced. Take your iPod to listen to, chat to your artist or take a buddy (if you’re allowed to) to chat to. The time will go much quicker if you relax.

Look after your new tattoo + yourself properly
The aftercare of your tattoo is make or break, so don’t get lazy after getting it done. Every artist will probably recommend different aftercare, so ask them what their preferences would be. I usually keep my new tattoos wrapped up for about 3 hours, then rinse it off in the shower, then wrap it back up. The next day, I’ll start slathering good old Bepanthen on and only wrapping it up in cling film when I go to sleep. Another side note; don’t swim for a good few weeks, don’t go out on the bevvies after your tattoo (unless you think you can handle it!) and don’t expose your new tattoo to the sun too quickly. Minimise any risks of ink fading, running or just generally going strange. Your artists will usually advise you on all the basics if it is your first tattoo.

Apart from that, the only other advice I have is to ENJOY your new artwork! Tattoos are one of my favourite things. I was never 100% comfortable in my own skin as a teenager, but now I feel like I’m enhancing myself. There’s something beautiful about the permanence, and the stories you can tell through artwork that you always have with you. So show off your new tattoo and love the new piece of yourself!

Lots of love,
Jasmine x


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Friday, May 27, 2016

NEW TREATS | BOOTS HAUL


As a university student you throw a lot of things away; dishes to avoid washing them, your dignity on nights out, large sums of money on things you don’t need. I’m well versed in the ways of students, and it seems there’s nothing I love more than chucking the contents of my bank account at a Boot’s employee and dashing back to my student flat with my new goodies. I’ve uploaded a Haul video to my YouTube channel (below) so you can watch that if you’d like! Otherwise, here’s a breif list of what I ended up picking up. I curse you, Boots 3 for 2 sale.

John Frieda Beach Blondes Kelp Help Deep Conditioning Masque
Revlon Colourstay Concealer in Fair
Revlon Colourstay Foundation for Combination/Oily Skin in Ivory
Revlon Colourstay Liquid Eyeliner Pen
Seventeen Easy On The Eye Palette in Birthday Suit
Seventeen Skin WOW! Concealer
Seventeen Falsifeye HD Mascara


Lots of love,
Jasmine x


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Thursday, May 26, 2016

21ST BIRTHDAY SHOPPING LIST


Okay people, gather round. If you read my blog, you’ll have seen a few of these 21st birthday wishlist type posts, as I’ve been promised a big shopping spree as a gift from my Dad (because he hasn’t got a clue what to get for me!). Obviously I’ve been dying with excitement, and have been browsing the interwebz in search of all the things I’ve been lusting over for a while but haven’t been able to buy for myself! I’ve finally narrowed everything down, so I wanted to share with you what’s on my massive 21st birthday shopping list! (Sorry Dad’s wallet.)

CALVIN KLEIN UNDERWEAR SET £48 URBAN OUTFITTERS // 90’S RACER CROP TOP £6 TOPSHOP // MAC STUDIO FIX POWDER + FOUNDATION £22 MAC // SOAP & GLORY ARCHERY VOLUBOOST BROW FIBRE GEL £8 BOOTS // MOTO PETITE WESTERN OVERSIZED JACKET £45 TOPSHOP // THEBALM NUDE DUDE PALETTE £29.99 SUPERDRUG // STRIPE CROP TOP £8 NEWLOOK // MATTE LIPSTICK IN TAUPE £15.50 MAC

I’m also eyeing up some studio lighting softbox kits so I can really up my YouTube video and photography game over the summer. I’m also getting my hair done for my birthday; fresh roots, a trim and a blow dry, so that I’m all fresh and silver and beautiful for my birthday celebrations! Apart from all this wonderful stuff, some of my family are coming down to Devon to have dinner with all of us. It’s scary because, in almost 15 months of being together, Chris has only met a small handful of my family! It’ll be such an incredible bank holiday weekend. As well as this family meal, there’s a music festival on the beach I can’t wait to go to, I’m spending time with friends and Chris and I are going kayaking round the cliffs of the beach where I live. So many wonderful things to look forward to! Watch this space for a ma-hoooo-sive haul video, reviews, swatches, lookbooks, new YouTube videos, you name it!

Lots of love,
Jasmine x


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Wednesday, May 25, 2016

COMPLEXION PERFECTION | MIRACLE SPONGE



Let’s just say that this review has taken a million years to appear because I love new brushes/makeup tools so much when they’re clean. That, and I had absolutely no idea how to use it, clean it, exist with it outside of it’s lovely box etc. Obviously, as a blogger, it’s impossible for me to wander through a Boots without picking up something from my current wishlist. A couple of weeks ago, it was the Miracle Complexion Sponge’s turn. Unless you’ve been under a rock for the past year or so, you’ll know that this sponge is universally loved and adored by beauty bloggers and YouTubers alike. Meaning (if I wanted to retain any credibility or dignity) I had to jump very quickly onto the bandwagon and try it out for myself.

As a die-hard buffing brush lover (think the F80 by Sigma or EcoTools Custom Coverage Buffing Brush), I’d never really used a makeup sponge. That is, of course, ruling out the 50 for £1 triangle sponges I used to grab from Primark to apply my too-orange Maybelline foundation when I was 14. I looked at this new RealTechniques sponge like it was a futuristic space ship. What are all these curves, points and edges for? Help plz? As a result, I flung it into my makeup drawer and admittedly forgot about it for a while. Then, watching one of my favourite YouTubers ever Evelina Forsell, I noticed she was weidling the sponge and making it look really easy. Eventually, she ended up with one of the most flawless faces ever and I wanted to give it a go. Of course, it gave me an excuse to buy myself a new foundation too *winky face*.

The sponge is definitely a bit weird to get used to if you’ve been used to brushes for a while. I mean, yes, it does give you a flawless coverage after you get the technique right and use a whole LOAD of foundation. I’m 99% sure I’m using much more foundation when using this sponge. However, the finish of the foundation is really nice and even. You’re never in danger of streaky little hair marks from brushes, and the sponge makes light work of blending in concealer and liquid highlighters too. I’m a little bit divided on this brush; I love the finish, but it does seem like a bit of a faff. I’m not sure, maybe I’m just super duper lazy? Regardless, this sponge is the only way I can successfully get this new foundation onto my face without it looking crap, so, there we go!

Lots of love,
Jasmine x


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