#allbloggersgreatandsmall

Tagged by Bumble Bea Me, #allbloggersgreatandsmall is targeted at smaller blogs (less than 1000 followers) to share recognition in the blogging community. 

1.     What makes you want to blog?

I enjoy writing, and that's how it started! I love the whole community behind it where you can get different experiences on the same products/events/fashion/everything where everyone wants to help. I just wanted to have my own say, and write what I want, and if people enjoy then that's great too. To quote Lena Dunham's Hannah Horvath in Girls, "I  may be the voice of my generation. Or at least a voice. Of a generation."

2.     Your Morning skin routine?

I normally start my day with a shower, where I'll use a gentle wash (something like Superdrug's Tes Tree Foaming Facial Wash) and sometimes team with a scrub - right now I'm favouring Neutrogena's Visibly Clear Grapefruit Scrub because I've found it not too harsh but still effective. Then I finish with Clinique's Toning Lotion with camomile and a hefty load of moisturiser. I am a serial moisturiser, I'd do it all day if I could!

3.     Your favorite blogger?

I started off blogging after coming across LLYMLRS in around 2011 and I went from there. But more recent favourites would have to be Lily Pebbles, vipxo and Thumbelina Lillie.

4.     A beauty product you couldn’t live without?

Mascara, namely Maybelline's Falsies Volum' Express mascara. I have very fair eyelashes and with just this it really does transform a look.

5.     Your favorite make-up brand (drugstore)?

Rimmel or Maybelline are top favourites, but Soap and Glory are lifesavers. 

6.     Your favorite make-up brand (High-end)?

I have been lusting over Benefit for a long time *sob*

1.     What is your staple wardrobe item?

I buy an unholy amount of tights (obviously not worn on their own...)

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Beauty on a budget: nude eyeshadow palettes

Makeup bag // Forever 21

Mirror // Forever 21

Eyeshadow brushes // Forever 21

MUA Undress Me Too palette

We've all been there lusting over Urban Decay's Naked Palettes, each of the twelve shades pulling at your heart (and purse) strings. But when you can't afford to splash out almost £40 on one of these beauties, look to the highstreet for dupes that work just as well!

First of all, MUA are probably one of my favourite budget brands. Normally a price tag so low sets off subconscious alarm bells in my head because price generally reflects quality. In this case, I couldn't be more wrong. I've been using MUA's Undress Me Too palette almost everyday since last year and, apart from slight pigmentation differences, is a pretty good dupe for Urban Decay's Naked 2. You may just need primer applied before the shadows if you're prone to oily eyelids that could wear off the shades, although I haven't had a problem!

I also picked up the obviously named, Collection's Nude Eye Palette recently on a whim. A collection of eight eyeshadows and a creamy highlighter. I find that these aren't as pigmented as the Undress Me Too palette but still a bargain palette nonetheless - especially to replace Undress Me Too which can sell out quickly!

The only problem I have with budget eyeshadow palettes are their applicators. Avoid them at all costs! You're much better off investing in a good set of eyeshadow brushes that will last you ages and work mush better in comparison to the flimsy application sticks that come with the eyeshadows. I have two sets I've found to be quite effective but I mainly rely on this set from Forever 21 that I picked up for around £3.


Which nude palettes do you use? Will Urban Decay's Naked palettes always reign over others?

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Skincare tag

As seen on many the beauty blog, the skincare tag. Is it overdone yet? Probably, but I'm late to the party! I'm also sans camera right now due to the misplacement of my battery charger, so I'm currently relying on the lack of quality in an iPhone's built-in camera. First world problems. 

Describe your skincare routine in 5 words

Gentle, thorough, sensitive, moisturising, regular!

 

What's your skin type?

I'd say combination but it's not extreme. I have always had a struggle with eczema/psoriasis which can come along in drier months - mostly around my eyelids and forehead. My skin isn't doesn't get too oily - mainly my nose - but just like everyone I do get breakouts.

 

What's your favourite skincare product?

I love a good facemask! I recently bought the Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque which is really good for cleansing and tightening pores, keeping away blackhead breakouts. I also love Clarin's Toning Lotion with Camomile.

Top blemish zapper

I honestly believe that if you maintain a regular skincare regime you are still prone to a blemish here and there. I'd say that with this, and drinking a lot of water, you should be fine 90% of the time.

Face wipes yay or nay?

I must admit, I do use face wipes. Shock and horror. But I won't use one and leave it there. I find it more convenient to use these initially, especially for eye makeup in my case. But then follow with a gentle cleanser or scrub if necessary and finish with a toner!

Toner yay or nay?

Always yay! Never end a good face cleansing sesh' without balancing those pH levels, gurrrrl *clicks fingers in a sassy S-formation*

High end skincare or high end make up?

Always high-end skincare - as long as you read the ingredients. Just because it's £30 and not £3 it doesn't mean it is doing your skin any favours! I'm also a self-confessed highstreet-aholic when it comes to make up...

 

What's the most unusual skincare product you've tried?

I try not to use anything ~unusual~ to my skin as it's so sensitive. I have seen snail gel on the market (hello, Holland and Barratt) recently though and I could never bring myself to use it. So weird.

Tell us your top skincare tips

- Always take your make up off before bed. If not for your poor skin, at least do it so you don't wake up blind from mascara flaking into your eyes.

- Drink water, and lot's of it!

- Never underestimate the power of regular cleansing. You won't see immediate results when you're doing it but it's beneficial in the long run.

- Toner, toner, toner!

- Regularly cleanse your make-up brushes. What's the use in having clean skin if you're using dirty brushes to apply make up?

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Lush Lip Scrub and Toothy Tab reviews

On a trip to Southampton recently I found myself in a Lush store on the highstreet. There is a huge hype around Lush and it has always intrigued me with it's all natural approach to beauty products. I have very sensitive skin and an abundance of issues with buying products that suit it well. You could say I'm dermatologically challenged and entirely fed up with it.

Now, I'd never actually been into Lush before which might come as a shock. We don't have one local and whenever one has been close it has entirely slipped my mind to pop in. But this was all about to change down in Southampz'.

Bubblegum Lip Scrub - £5.50

As soon as you walk through the doors you're made to feel welcome. Maybe overly nice compared to the stroppy teenagers you normally find in retail throughout the country, but I'd rather this help any day. Before I'd even entered I knew what I wanted, and first up was a Lip Scrub. They are available in three flavours, but I opted for their Bubblegum Lip Scrub after much debate on which smelled the best. They all smell absolutely amazing, but I finally settled on Bubblegum because I panicked and was seconds away from buying them all.

Priced at £5.50 for a 25g pot is excellent value. Maybe a small stretch on student budgets as it's not a necessity but a little really does go a long way. I couldn't stop applying it, it felt fantastic and tasted amazing. I'd truly recommend this as a make up bag essential, especially against harsh Winter winds.

Ultrablast Toothy Tabs - £2.75

I had seen Lush Toothy Tabs before and was instantly intrigued. Located next to the till it was an impulse buy to say the least. Toothpaste not in a tube? Ludacris! They come in the strangest of flavour combinations that make you almost forget you're buying toothpaste. I bought Ultrablast that states it is made with triple mint, wasabi and lavender. Strangely, it doesn't taste as weird as it sounds. This unconventional yet environmentally friendly take on dental hygiene range between £2 - £2.75 so they won't break the bank!

I also purchased two bathbombs that I have yet to try, but can't wait for! It's times like these when I curse my student accommodation for only having showers with not a bathtub in sight.

Do you shop at Lush? What's your favourite product? Let me know below!

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Am I boring? Aren't we all?

"What are your hobbies and interests?" is a question that strikes fear directly into my soul and makes me want to weep. I can't be alone here, surely? I find it difficult to express what I like. I panic and forget everything I have ever been interested in. Ever.

It's cliché to say that you like reading. Everyone reads. Reading isn't special. It's one of those hobbies that, unless you can recite countless literary works of art, leaves you looking like a fool if you say, "Oh yes I read". But yes, I do like reading. I own novels, I enjoy poetry, I have lightly dabbled in graphic novels via recommendation. But hasn't everyone? In reality: No, they haven't. I've met people who have read classic after classic with an extensive knowledge of great works of art. But I've also met people who have never read a book from start to finish.

Television. You can't write on your curriculum vitae that you enjoy television. Well, you can, but you probably shouldn't. You can still enjoy it, but important businessy types don't want to employ someone that comes across as "lazy". But hey, who am I to talk? I am no stranger to a Netflix binge. My viewing history is appalling. Nothing says 'I really don't want to write this essay' more than eight straight hours of Arrested Development surrounded by your own procrastination shame. Am I right? It's even worse when you start wondering what the characters are doing, being completely unable to detach yourself from what's real and what really isn't. I do this with everything my brain consumes all at once. I've found myself pondering over what Blair and Serena are up to before remembering that I am not one of Manhattan's elite and this is not Gossip Girl. I live between Hertfordshire and Essex, not on the Upper East Side.

I also like cooking but, again, who doesn't? You need sustenance to stay alive. Everyone cooks - or at least warms up some form of edible matter in a microwave. Being a student, I see a lot of this. Too much. There's nothing more appreciated than coming home for the weekend and being presented with a home cooked meal that I didn't have to prepare myself. Hurrah! But I do enjoy trying new things within my comfort zone and have a basic understanding of what I enjoy and how to cook it. I used to spend far too much time looking at recipes on the internet only to discover that I am, in fact, far too lazy/poor/still lazy to even bother gathering ingredients (from a supermarket, not like foraging for nuts and berries). But lately I have been trying new things and cooking meals on a student budget is easy if you manage your expenses. Having said that, I have a 'thing' for food you can cook in a mug. Cup-a-soup is like magic. How can powder turn into food after water is poured over it? I feel like a spaceman. It's like sea monkeys but for your tummy. Am I over complicating dried foods? Probably.

I'm a pretty simple human being. I wake up, drag myself into lectures, work part-time and enjoy whatever I want. I've never been upfront in what I enjoy. I love talking to people and being all, "Hey, I like that too!" I was never bothered about plastering my walls with posters of bands I liked or films I'd seen or places I went to. I just like things and stuff and that's all really. So next time someone asks, "What are your hobbies and interests?" I am going to tell them just that. Or blush, stutter and retreat to a safe warm place. Why isn't 'not having a hobby' a hobby yet?


Are you like me and have 'standard' interests? How do you answer that burning question? 

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Haven't we been here before?

I made an attempt at blogging in late 2012 of which turned out to be fairly short lived. I lost my confidence after a series of bad experiences and relationships around me. I recently looked back over what I had posted and realised it wasn't half bad (or that good...) given I had no experience in blogging. We all have to start somewhere, and second chances are commonly associated with the New Year, so I thought I would give this a go again.

This time around I'm going to focus on mainly the positive. I didn't receive any particularly bad feedback, or any feedback at all really, but what I did discover was that I do enjoy writing. When I first started out I was moving onto my second year of A-Levels and, quite commonly amongst 17/18 year olds, I didn't have the thickest skin when it came to judgement. I'm not a particularly outgoing person: I quote enjoy the indoors and familiar people. Maybe even shying away when I really don't need to.

In September 2013 I found myself at university. Four months and one semester later I'm still here and probably undergoing the biggest change I've thrown myself into. I'm trying to transform myself into someone I'm happier to be, and through this morphing outlook I want to start expressing myself. On the Internet. Where people can see. Jumping in at the deep end. Phew.

I'm going to write about things I like, things I don't, what I'm buying (a lot), what I'm doing (not a lot), all that sort of stuff you find on the internet. And I hope someone enjoys it along the way.



Jodie x

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