Lovely Things #6

Some lovely little happy things, for a slow Sunday!

1// The latest addition to my Starbucks mug collection, this one from the Starbucks Reserve in Covent Garden. I'm totally obsessed with this mug, I love the charcoal colour and how deep it is, it's perfect for filling with coffee and cradling whilst snuggled up on the sofa. If you're in London & a coffee lover, the Reserve is well worth a visit!

2// Kikki K sent me one of their metal rollerball pens, and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say it's changed my life. Not only does it make my left-handed chicken scratch look pretty, it's the perfect weight too, it feels so lovely to write with! A lot of gushing about a pen I know, but it's THAT good.

3// I was lucky enough to receive a belated Christmas present last week, a Diptyque Liquid Ambar candle. I've had my eye on this since the Christmas scents were announced and was really sad I missed out on picking one up. The only way I can think of to describe this scent is like a sexy church. Heavenly.

4// I'm obsessed with my Instagram frame from Cheerz, I've got it next to my desk with pictures of all my favourite people in. It's quickly become one of my most favourite possessions! I got some prints of my Instagram photos too, and I'm excited to put them into my Project Life album! If you're interested in ordering anything from them I'd totally recommend them, and you can use the code JAYEP0 for £4 off!

What are you loving right now? 

January 2016 Beauty Favourites

January went past in a bit of a blur, I'm still polishing off Christmas chocolate and wishing people a happy New Year, much to their amusement. That being said, I've had a running list this month of products that I've loved, and I had to whittle it down because there were just too many!

Let's start with something a little different. I rarely talk about Shampoo and Conditioner favourites here because in all honesty, I'm not that fussy. I'll happily pick up whatever is on offer in the supermarket and it doesn't bother me all that much. However, I got a kit from Bumble and Bumble for Christmas, containing a miniature version of both their Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Shampoo and Conditioner and oh my word it's love. Despite containing oils to moisturise and treat dry hair, they don't leave my hair feeling greasy or slippy, just clean and hydrated. It smells amazing, it's really easy to get a lather going - a little goes a long way, and my hair is so so happy since I've been using this. The minis lasted me all month and I've splashed out on the full size!

I've been pretty much exclusively using the Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Gel as my base of choice this month. When it comes to January, I'm not interested in heavy makeup, I just want natural, glowing skin, and that's exactly what this gives me. The gel formula is perfect for my parched winter skin, it's very light coverage, but it just evens out any imperfections and discolouration, giving me naturally happy looking skin. 

I have been utterly obsessed with the Zoeva En Taupe palette this month, it's pretty much the only thing I've been wearing on my eyes. I've got a full review on this coming up next week, but let's just say, it's the bomb. 

I've been struggling with my brows recently so I picked up the Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Longwear Brow Pencil at the beginning of the month, and it's totally transformed my brow game. The waxy angled pencil is perfect for thickening out my brows, and the spoolie on the other end is great for brushing the product through, and getting my hairs to stay in line. Not a cheap option but worth every penny.

MAC released a collaboration with Ellie Goulding this month, and for me the standout product is the Cremesheen Lipstick in Only You, a nude toned pink that's just the right balance of pigmented and glossy. It's been living in my handbag this month, and I'm obsessed with it.

And lastly, a mention for the Caudalie Hand Cream which has done an amazing job of keeping my hands soft, despite the cold!

What have you been loving this month?

What's In My Bag - The Travel Edition

I have my car in London these days so it's very rare that I make the trip home on the train, thank god. This week however, I'm heading homeward bound courtesy of Southwest Trains, and I've been packing up all my train essentials into my handbag so I don't spend the journey incredibly bored.

I'm travelling with a small suitcase that contains all my clothes, but I don't want to have to crack that open on the train, so I've put everything I might want during the journey into my handbag. I'm taking my new Carvela Kurt Geiger Darla Structured Tote in Blush Pink which is basically the love of my life. It's roomy without feeling like I'm carrying a suitcase, and I love that it has gold hardware, so few blush bags have gold hardware but personally I think it goes better! It's got a long strap option too which comes in handy if it's loaded to the brim! 

Of course I have my essentials, my Whistles Coin purse which holds all my cards, my iPhone, and my Oliver Bonas travel card holder, which holds my Oyster & railcard. I'm also carrying my vlogging camera, the Canon G7X, just in case!

The biggest thing in my bag is my Kikki K Personal Planner, which is A5 and pretty bulky. I use this for all my blog post planning & any other notes I may need to take, so I'm going to bring this along so I can do a little work on the train. I'd be taking this with me anyway but I figured it'd be handy to have to hand! 

Next I have my iPad, which I'll use for writing posts and articles, and watching 30 Rock if I get bored of working! I'm not taking my laptop on this trip, otherwise I would usually carry that, since the idea is to shut off and relax, but it's nice to have something on hand with books & films on, just in case! I'm packing my on ear Senheiser headphones too, because they're comfier & more noise cancelling than my in ear Beats. 

I've got my iPod too, I don't keep any music on my phone as it tends to decimate the battery life, and I love how dinky my iPod Nano is! I've dropped in my phone charger so it's to hand, I love that this one charger works for my iPad, iPod and phone, it makes packing much easier! 

I keep all my beauty bits in this mini makeup bag from My Little Box, which makes it easier to find stuff, and also makes sure there's nothing rolling around in the bottom of my bag. I find the air on trains super drying, so I like to take my mini Caudalie Beauty Elixir to spritz on my skin if it starts to feel dry. I've got a Bath and Bodyworks Hand Sanitizer, this one is in Cosy Vanilla, and it smells divine, and also my Caudalie Hand Cream. I've got my lip product of choice from the day, and a powder compact too just for touch ups!

What are your must haves for train travel?

Learning to Love Contour

I've never really been into the whole contouring thing, mostly because I figured it was tricky and ain't nobody got time for that. Turns out, it's really not that tricky, you just need the right product and the right brush.

For me, I'm not after that super sculpted look, I just want to add a hint of definition to my pizza cheeks. That's where the Makeup Forever Pro Bronze Fusion comes in. Yes, it's a bronzer, but it's not shimmery or orange toned, and it's not overly pigmented either, so it's hard to go overboard with. For my skin tone, this is the perfect hint of a shadow, super natural looking, but makes all the difference. 

The other half of the contour battle is finding the right brush. For a long time I've struggled to find a brush that is small enough to fit right into the hollow of my cheekbone, fluffy enough to blend the product out easily, and with bristles that pick up just the right amount of powder. Turns out the perfect brush for me is the Makeup Geek Pro Rounded Blush Brush. At only £7.95 on Beauty Bay, it's a bargain, and I wouldn't be without it in my stash.

I'm a contour convert, are you?

Updated Desk Tour

I had a massive sort out of my desk space last week, so I figured I'd give you a little tour of the new set up. I'm super pleased with how it all turned out, and it's become a much easier space to work in. A lot less clutter, and a lot more happy!

My desk & the shelf are from Ikea, and I have a small Ikea Helmer unit to the side that holds paperwork & any other clutter. If you've read my blog for a while you'll know my boyfriend built my computer, it's technically a Mac Pro, with a Samsung Screen. I love it because it's speedy and has a ridiculous amount of storage for all my photos. 

The big metal grid was a late night Amazon purchase (find it here), I love how it looks lent against the wall behind my desk. I've clipped to it my Rifle Paper Co Coffee & Tea Calendar, a postcard from Paperchase, a couple of polaroids, and a Camera Cheat Sheet I got at the WishWishWishXMyLittleBox Photography workshop. I much prefer how tidy this looks compared to all the stuff I had stuck on the wall before. Since taking these photos I've weaved some fairy lights around the edges and it looks super cute! 

My copper lamp may just be the one true love of my life. This was a HomeSense bargain, I love the copper tones and the exposed springs, it's very industrial looking and totally my style! Next to it I have my Gold Belkin iPhone Dock, my Daenerys Targaryen Pop Figure, and a rose gold bottle brush tree I couldn't bare to get rid of after Christmas! The big candle on the edge of my desk is also from Anthropologie, it's a three wick Fireside candle that basically smells like bonfires - I love it. 

Last few bits, I keep my pens in a cup from Ikea, along with my gorgeous brass scissors from Kikki K. I have a little money tin that I found in Waterstones, full of loose change to spend on donuts, because everyone needs one of those! Under the shelf I have an old Birchbox with spare camera batteries & memory cards, my iPad, and my reading glasses in their Happy Jackson case!

And that's it! How long do you think I'll be able to keep this tidy for? 

The Review: Ren Instant Beauty Booster Kit

I managed to bully Con into buying me the Ren Instant Beauty Booster Kit for Christmas when we spotted it with 30% off in M&S in December. I've wanted to try the Glycolactic Mask for ages now, but always baulked at the price, but this kit was cheaper than buying the mask on it's own! All three products in the kit are designed to be quick fixes with immediate results, which I'm all for! 

The mask itself definitely was not a let down, it's got a delicious orange scent and doesn't feel overly gloopy on the skin. It's made with 100% pure fruit enzymes, which help get rid of dead skin cells, reduce scarring and supposedly helps reduce the signs of aging too. I like to use this in the evenings in the bath, and the next morning my skin just looks brighter and healthier, it's like glow in a bottle! 

The Flash Rinse One Minute Facial is a strange product, completely unlike anything else I've tried before. It's packed with Vitamin C and helps really brighten the complexion in yes, you guessed it, one minute. This has come in really handy on early mornings when my skin looks tired, I just apply it, brush my teeth, and then wash it off!

And as for the Firming Beauty Shot, well that's targeted to help firm up the skin and reduce signs of aging. I can't say I notice a huge difference in my skin when I use this (perhaps it's better on older skin) but I do like using this under my eyes when things look a little sunken if I'm really tired.

My first dip into the world of REN was a success! Any suggestions on what to try next?

You can buy the kit for £32 on Cult Beauty here.

The Rain In London

It's typical isn't it, we have a week of beautiful blue skies (even if it is bitterly cold) and then the one day Con and I allocate as date day, it pees it down with rain all. freaking. day. Sigh.

Our plans for a slow meander around Soho therefore, were cut short, and after a long lunch in GBK and a quick few photos in the park in the 30 seconds the rain stopped, we headed home. Where you know, we promptly changed into our PJ's and snuggled up on the sofa watching Inside Out.

 I'm so much happier with my wardrobe now that I'm in capsule mode. I've whittled down my closet to clothes I truly love, stuff I'm confortable in, that's season appropriate, and that goes well with lots of stuff. I've accepted that my life doesn't really require lots of fancy dresses and smart clothes, but rather comfortable and cosy, and I'm very happy with that.

Right now, a large proportion of my capsule wardrobe is based around jeans because, well, it's bloody cold in London and skirts aren't really an option. These are the oldest jeans I have, they're kinda worn and they're only thin but they're so darn comfy that I find myself reaching for them a lot. I'm super into tops like this slouchy one from COS, the shape is just gorgeous, I love the dropped hem at the back, and how the arms are tight but the body is looser. I feel like you can dress these up if you need to, but you can also pair them with trainers & a giant scarf for ultimate comfort.

 Whilst the majority of my clothes fall into the monochrome category (okay, so all of them do), I love playing with coloured accessories. I've been in love with this pale blue and blush pink shade for the longest time, and when Pantone announced them as the 2016 colours of the year, I was happy for the excuse to embrace them even more! I love how these colours go with all the grey in my wardrobe!

 TOP: COS // JEANS: TOPSHOP // SHOES: NIKE BLAZERS // BAG: ZARA // SCARF: OLIVER BONAS // HAT: MICHAEL KORS // UMBRELLA: JOHN LEWIS

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