Sunday, December 31, 2017

2017 IN REVIEW


With it’s ups and downs, highs and lows, discovering Gordon’s Pink gin and spilling an entire mug of tea on my MacBook, I’m in two minds about how relieved I am to be leaving 2017 behind. I’ve had a really good year. Some months were better than others, and I’ve still had my fair share of utter shite to deal with. Here’s my highs and lows of 2017, my year in review…
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Saturday, December 30, 2017

WHAT I GOT FOR CHRISTMAS 2017


Jasmine McRae coming atcha with the appreciation parade! Meeeerrryyy Christmas, Happy Holidays! I know it’s all pretty much over, and we’re back to our ‘real’ lives again soon, and there’s going to be a huge Lindor-shaped hole in my heart for a long long time, but, I wanted to do a ‘What I Got For Christmas’ post! There’s been some umming and ahhhing on Twitter about whether people are going to write theirs, but I am so grateful and appreciative of what I received, I’d love to share it with you lot…
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Thursday, December 21, 2017

LUSH SNOW FAIRY JELLY BOMB | FAIL!


Um…what? You know when you really want to like something, and it ends up being a massive gross fail? I’ve adored pretty much everything I’ve ever bought from Lush. I bought this bath bomb about a month ago, and since I’ve just come down with a hideous cold, I thought I’d try it out one evening. I was looking forward to it soooo much but it was bloody disgusting. Fail!
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Sunday, December 17, 2017

NOT-SO TYPICAL CHRISTMAS REDS



Due to my love of thinking I’m SUCH an individual, DAHling, I do tend to try to put my own lil’ twist on whatever is in fashion. There’s absolutely no getting away from the fact that you’re gonna have to slap on a red lip at some point this holiday season, but it doesn’t have to be your run-of-the-mill red. These are some of my favourite reds, which aren’t at all what you might expect for the holidays…
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Thursday, December 7, 2017

MY DECEMBER GOALS


Excuse me but is it actually December? Is it actually a whole week into December??? It’s fair to say the last few months have been a whirlwind of university, working and juggling (badly) a study/life balance. With the final few weeks of the year ahead of us, I’ve made a little list of goals that I’d like to achieve this month…
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Wednesday, December 6, 2017

BEAUTY PRODUCTS I'M AXING FROM MY COLLECTION


My blog can feel so repetitive sometimes because I’m always squealing about how much I luuuurve *omg* this amazing new. THING! But I am, deep down, a seriously bitter individual with plenty of complaints to make. Especially complaints over beauty products I’ve saved up my money for, bought, and they’ve turned out to be utter shite. I recently decluttered an entire drawer’s worth of makeup from my collection, and thought it would be interesting to tell you what I’m axing, and why…
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Wednesday, November 29, 2017

MY HOLY-GRAIL EYESHADOW PALETTES



Life is FAR too short to commit to only one eyeshadow palette. I seem to have made it my personal mission to collect every eyeshadow under the sun (except a few pesky ones that I cry over not owning every time I venture into my makeup drawer). I do try to use every palette that I own, and always make an effort to use them up before buying more - which never happens tbh. But saying that, there’s always a few palettes in my collection that I always come back to. I wanna tell you aaaaall about why I adore The Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette, the Urban Decay Naked Palette, and the Nude Dude palette by thebalm. 

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Wednesday, November 22, 2017

INSTAGRAM CATCH-UP


I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t going through a really really really really rough patch at the moment. There’s my third year of uni to consider, working outside of my uni hours, mental illness, emotional + relationship stress, and why don’t we throw in the fact that I’m feeling so low about myself at the moment. Trying to keep blogging and YouTube going is a struggle. But it’s one of the things that keeps me ticking along and gives me such a sense of accomplishment and happiness. So why the flip should I let it fall by the wayside? 
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Wednesday, November 15, 2017

DATE NIGHT @ CÔTE BRASSERIE | 3 COURSES FOR £13.50


Let it be known that I love only three things in this world; a bargain, some food, and a big bloody foodie bargain. I’ve been eyeing up the Côte Brasserie Early Evening Menu for a while now. Côte Brasserie is a French restaurant chain that does breakfast, lunch and dinner. The set menu changes monthly, and it offers 2 courses for £10.50, or 3 courses for just £13.50. This isn’t a sponsored post, but I’m just literally obsessed with the dinner I had on Monday (I’ve been scrolling through my camera roll over and over to salivate over my pictures) and I wanted to do a review!
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Saturday, November 11, 2017

ASOS + BOOHOO WINTER HAUL



After rather impulsively throwing three bin liner’s worth of stuff out of my wardrobe last week, I realised how little winter stuff I actually have. I seem to wander round in the same pair of jeans and the same t-shirt 6 days a week, and I’m suuuuch a lazy sack of potatoes when it comes to fashion and style. However, I’ve started furiously following fashion bloggers on Instagram and I’m feeling hella inspired. I set myself a budget of £100 to pick up a few new staples for my winter wardrobe.
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Wednesday, November 8, 2017

100 BLOG POST IDEAS


When you’re a blogger, it can be easy to get writer’s block and run out of things to write about. I’ve spent so much time scanning the ‘blog post ideas’ google search page recently that I wanted to give some ideas back. Without further ado, here are 100 blog post ideas for beauty, skincare, lifestyle, fashion and travel!
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Thursday, November 2, 2017

EASY, LOW-FAT TURKEY MEATBALL PASTA RECIPE


I’ve been watching a crap tonne of Come Dine With Me, Dinner Date and Gordon Ramsay lately, and now I seem to think I’m actually a chef(??). To be honest, I am completely obsessed with food    and genuinely enjoy cooking so I thought I’d chuck a blog post up about this turkey meatballs and pasta recipe. It’s really easy and, considering I’ve been feeling hella horrible about my body lately, it’s also pretty low-fat. The sauce is slightly naughty, but we can overlook it because TOMATO AND MASCARPONE SAUCE IS LIFE. I worked the meal out to be around 340 calories, making it quite a low-calorie lunch or dinner. 
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Sunday, October 29, 2017

CANDYFLOSS TONES WITH COLOUR FREEDOM ROSE GOLD DYE*


I was lucky enough to receive a box of goodies from Colour Freedom last week! And it came just in time. I had a severe case of, what I’ve come to call it, ‘the pink itch’. I’ve not had rosy hues in my hair since mid-summer, and I’ve been trying to find the time to slap on some dye to get back to being a candy floss fairy princess. 
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Tuesday, October 24, 2017

BRUNCH @ GIRAFFE + OOTD


I’m furiously typing this out now before I forget how lush this breakfast was. And more excitingly, me and Chris did a couple-y thing! We actually left the house for recreational purposes rather than work, uni or a dreaded food shop. Chris was dying from a hangover this morning, which meant I managed to persuade him that brunch at Giraffe was a fabulous idea. I also managed to persuade him to take a few pictures of my outfit for me, so here’s an unusual (for my blog) lil #OOTD / brunch review!


My outfit consists mainly of the amazing jumpsuit I bought from Urban Outfitters a few days ago. It’s called the Silence + Noise Molly Cupro Culottes Jumpsuit, and it set me back a wince-worthy £46, but I’m a little bit obsessed with it. I chucked my new Adidas Originals Gazelle shoes in black with them (because my only other option was heels and I am not about to be staggering around in heels with this unfortunate head injury I acquired last week). Then I wore my Boohoo Faux Leather Biker Jacket which has been discontinued since last year, but a quick scan on their website shows me that they’ve got countless similar jackets. I’ve only just started wearing it because I dug it out from a heap in the bottom of my wardrobe, and it’s probably my favourite jacket at the minute, especially cos the weather is at that weird cold/warm/dunno temperature.



Giraffe has a brunch menu that I can only describe as BUFF. I don’t tend to go for the traditional brunch options - poached eggs are a firm no from me, and an overload of avocado is enough to send me running for the loos. So I chose Huevos Rancheros which are essentially breakfast of the gods. It’s sorta like this low calorie pizza I made last year (link) and it tastes amaaaazing. It’s a Mexican breakfasty-brunchy food composed of black beans, red onions, chorizo, tomatoes, sweetcorn, cheese and a huge pile of creamy scrambled eggs, and it was sprinkled with spring onion (and avocado which I generously donated to my hungover other-half). I ordered a Sunshine Coast Iced Tea, a blend of chamomile and green tea, with mango, lime and fresh mint, to wash it down. Chris opted for the Smoky Bacon Naan and a Mango Mama smoothie which he neglected to let me photograph because it was already in his face by the time I organised the camera. 

We had a lovely morning, it perked the boyf right up, and we grabbed a Costa on the way home. We’re both feeling a little fragile, so now we’re watching Come Dine With Me on the sofa. Such are Sundays!

Lots of love,
Jasmine x
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Friday, October 20, 2017

A LITTLE OXFORD STREET HAUL


I hit my head on some phantom cupboard door/bedframe/handle or SOMETHING last week. It’s given me a nasty concussion and a bloody great dent in the crown of my head. I’ve been to the doctor’s and A+E and had all the scans, and they’ve said it’s all going to be fine, but I’ve been put on bedrest for a week. I actually put off going to the GP because I didn’t want to be that muppet that turns up with a bumped head, and so I tried to go about my week as usual, and even managed to get up to Oxford Street for a little retail therapy (all whilst having a concussion I didn’t know I had, and feeling very woozy and tired). I treated myself to a few new beauty bits from Kat Von D; goddess of goddesses and Spectrum Brushes; a brand I’ve been dying to try.


I went to Debenhams and experienced my first ever Kat Von D counter, and it was amaaaazing. They had every single Everlasting Liquid Lipstick colour on display meaning I got to actually test the colours for myself. I’ve had a few shades on my list for a while, but haven’t been able to hit ‘Buy’ in case they came and were minging. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to choose shades online, I’m SURE you’ll agree. 

I spent a good nine years at the counter swatching all my favourites, and ended up selecting the Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Sanctuary which cost £17. It’s a cool-toned mauve with greige and browny hues. I’ve got a couple of the other shades already at home, so I know I absolutely live and breathe for the formula. These are some of the only liquid lippies that won’t dry out my already-dry-as-the-sahara lips. They’re hella opaque and stick to your face all day - disappearing only after a drowning in Micellar Water OR a pitstop at Five Guys. 



Then I grabbed the Kat Von D ‘Tattoo Liner’ Liquid Eyeliner which cost £16. I love a pen liner, and although I kknnnoooowwww that they dry out quicker and you don’t get as much product out of them, I’m far too ham-fisted to bother trying with the proper gel or dippy-pot ones. It was love at first swatch. Not only is the line really pigmented, but the tip is flexible and super duper thin, meaning I can do little delicate flicks for the day, or gigantic wings to pay tribute to my emo days of 2007.


Then I made a little stop in Boots - initially because I wanted to perve over the Liz Earle counter for a bit. But then I spotted the brightly coloured Spectrum Brushes, which I hadn’t seen in stores before, and immediately parted with £8.99 for the Spectrum Collections B01 Flat Top Buffer Brush. I’d say that their brushes are really reasonably priced; they fit right in with the likes of Real Techniques and NO7’s brushes. And this brush is so bloody soft. It’s so soft and so pretty that I’ve not been able to bring myself to use it yet. Although I’m so lazy with washing my older brushes, I’ll be forced to use it soon. 

This little Oxford Street haul cheered me up no end, and cushioned the pain of being told I’d have to stay in bed for a week just a couple of days later. I’m really looking forward to using it all once I get back to my usual self.

Lots of love,

Jasmine x
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Tuesday, October 17, 2017

IBIZA


If you’ve ever ventured to the land of Ibiza, you may be sympathetic to my plight here…I remember virtually n o t h i n g about the holiday. 
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Monday, October 16, 2017

URBAN OUTFITTERS JUMPSUIT | NEW IN FOR A/W


It’s time for one of my very far-and-few-between fashion related blog posts. I’ve got a few in the depths of my blog’s archives, but for the most part, I wander around most days in skinny jeans and a t-shirt. I’m certainly not ‘on-style’ and I like to think I dress according to what I think suits me and is flattering, rather than jumping on the latest trend because I’m SO INDIVIDUAL (but in reality I’ve spent more dosh on culottes, thigh high boots and embroidered mesh tops in the last year than I’d care to admit). 
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Saturday, October 14, 2017

DEALING WITH A DOWN DAY


I’ve never ever wanted to write about my mental health on my blog. I always wanted to keep it lighthearted and happy and fun, but with it being World Mental Health Day last Tuesday, I wanted to finally open up about my struggle with depression over the last few years. 
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Saturday, October 7, 2017

MY PERFECT ONE-BRAND BASE | NARS


Since I first decided to depart the life of white eyeshadow and concealer lips, and started to really take a proper interest in makeup, NARS has been one of the brands I’ve continued to adore. My first love, NARS SheerGlow Foundation, sent me on a whirlwind romance with blushes, bronzers, highlighters and lip products. And yeah, I’d probably crumple into a pile on the floor if I added up how much I’ve spent, but I have literally never been let down by any NARS thing I’ve slapped on my face. I know it’s not the most cost-effective habit to have, but I wanted to tell you what I’ve got in my most luxurious base routine. (Hint: it’s NARS)…
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Tuesday, October 3, 2017

BARCELONA

Whenever I get to go somewhere, I’m always soooo grateful and feel so lucky. I wanted to show you some of my pictures from Barcelona, where I WENT BY MYSELF AND DID NOT DIE. OH HEEELLLLL YEAH. I sort of panicked towards the end of summer after realising I spent a good portion of it in my pants drinking rosé, so I booked to shoot off to Catalunya and embark on my first solo trip eveeeeer!
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LIFE UPDATE: GETTING ORGANISED



The dreaded words “I’m back to uni tomorrow” seemed to come out of my mouth the other day at work. I’ve just been away on two blissful, wonderful, boozy and self indulgent holidays, I’ve forgotten what 7am looks like, and I’ve not had to haul myself onto the DLR for months. I was not ready to go back. At all. 
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Sunday, September 17, 2017

WHAT I'M TAKING BACKPACKING | BARCELONA



So I'm off on my first ever solo trip tomorrow. I’m buggering off to Barcelona for some late summer sunshine and to dip my toe into the world of backpacking. I’m making suuuuuuch a mountain out of a molehill here, and I'm not gonna lie; I’m absolutely bricking it. I’m only away for 4 nights and travelling is something I’ve wanted to do for YEARS, but I guess it’ll always be a bit daunting on your first time. 
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Saturday, September 16, 2017

A YEAR IN LONDON | WHAT I'VE LEARNT


In honour of my anniversary of moving to the big smoke, I thought a little blog post was in order to celebrate the things I’ve learnt since moving! It’s a lil’ bit soppy and a lil’ bit lighthearted, but I was feeling cute and enjoyed looking back over the last year.
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Wednesday, September 13, 2017

FENTY BEAUTY FOUNDATION | REVIEW


When it comes to a new celebrity makeup line, my default reaction is to roll my eyes and hit snooze. I don’t tend to like them; I think they’re extra money making schemes and they usually end up being a little bit a lot underwhelming. H O W E V E R. The range launched by Rihanna at the end of last week made me do a little wee and clench my fists as I tried to resist hitting ‘purchase’ on the Harvey Nichols website. I just absolutely fell in love with the entire thing. The promotional images, the swatches, the not-so-celebrity price tag? How could I resist?
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LOUNGE UNDERWEAR | REBORN BLACK HIGH WAISTED LEGGINGS SET


Despite my hatred for the current government and the fact that I am 100% confident Teresa May is trying to scab me out of every penny I possess, I got a letter for my FIRST EVER TAX REFUND this year! How exciting! I’ve been pretty skint this summer, and I've been getting progressively more frustrated with not being able to buy myself anything ‘fun’. It wasn’t a huge sum of money, but it was definitely a lovely surprise and really helped me treat myself this month! 
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Thursday, September 7, 2017

3 FALL LIP COLOURS



Well. Operation Summer Body 2017 was a big fat fail. In fact, Operation Have A Fun Summer was pretty much a huuuuge fail altogether. I had intended to go on holiday, save some money, see more of London and just generally have a fun time. I ended up working, working, working, then spending all my money on food and rosé wine and waking up full of regret every day. I struggle without a set routine - I find I really slack without one. Pffft. Oh well. 

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Thursday, August 31, 2017

HAIR TRANSFORMATION @ PINK SAYS


I originally intended to VLOG this new ‘do, but technical difficulties involving a pesky camera charger, combined with a gnarly hangover means that a blog post will have to do! I got a few good pictures, and jotted down a load of information from my lovely hairdresser Katy, so I hope you find this post useful!

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Wednesday, August 9, 2017

SUMMER MORNING ROUTINE


The irony of this blog post is that I’m writing 'My Summer Morning Routine’ whilst wearing a dressing gown AND a hoodie because it is freezing and bucketing down with rain. It is August. I am annoyed. Where is the sun!?

But even so, summer is here and that means that I’m not setting an alarm for 7am and I’ve got a different routine for my more relaxed mornings. 

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Tuesday, August 1, 2017

MY NEW HOLY GRAIL BASE | TOO FACED


Not many things bring me as much giddiness than a new foundation. I’ve had my eye on the Too Faced base products for well over a year now. I’ve dabbled in their products, I already own and adore their Boudoir Eyes eyeshadow palette (review HERE) and their best-selling Better Than Sex Mascara (review HERE : can confirm, it is better than sex), and so I’ve been desperate to try more of their stuff. I’ve seen nothing but fabulousness and love for their Born This Way Foundation and Concealer, and so it was top of my birthday Wishlist this year, and the birthday fairy treated me well!

I’ve got no knowledge of any Too Faced counter near me, so I had to guess which shades I’d need. I used the trusty Foundation Matrix to match my shade online, and it turns out it was pretty spot on. I chose the Born This Way Foundation in Porcelain, and the Born This Way Naturally Radiant Concealer in Very Fair.

For starters, the packaging of the foundation is dreamy. It is expensive looking, and the frosted-glass and sleek black lid make it feel very luxe indeed. The pump is a nice, handy little feature and lately, I’ve had a bit of bother with foundations in tubes and glass bottles with no pumps. The concealer tube matches the foundation, with the ornate golden rim around the lid. The doe-foot applicator is soft and perfectly sized. The lid also clicks slightly to let you know you’ve closed it properly. No leakages for me!

The foundation, in Porcelain, is still quite yellow-toned compared to what I usually go for. Too Faced describes it as having ‘neutral undertones’, but on me, it looks rather beige. However, during the summer months, my skin suits a slightly yellowy foundation as my skin goes a little olive-y when I get a tan. It’s a lovely match and looks very natural. Porcelain is the palest shade that this foundation comes in from Debenhams, so I don’t honestly know if I'm going to get much wear out of it over the winter months as I transform back into my usual corpse-looking self. You can get fairer shades from the U.S website; Swan, Snow and Pearl are all several shades lighter than the ones us UK folk can get here. 


The Too Faced website claims that the foundation is ‘undetectable’, and I’d agree to an extent. The foundation’s finish is unbelievably natural when you apply a thin, even layer. But, it’s one of those wonderful little products than can be built to a full-flawless-glam-not-a-spot-in-sight-goddess-like coverage. It’s wonderfully pigmented and looks like real skin. It’s also really comfortable to wear and tends to last me most of the day (a good setting spray really would help the staying power of this foundation). 

One thing that irks me is that this foundation takes a good few minutes to set. It creases on the eyelids and sides of the nose when you first apply it, so I like to whack it on my face, go and make a cup of tea, and then come back to set it with powder. Then, if it has creased, I can blend it away and set it nicely. 

The Born This Way Concealer in Very Fair is my perfect shade for a concealer. It has slightly rosier tones and is truly pale. I’m quite sparing with concealers at the moment, and luckily I don’t really need them TOO much as my skin is behaving itself spots-wise and I’m getting a good night’s sleep most nights. However, I am using this around my eyes and on my eyelids, just to brighten the area up and to create a perfect base to put my eyeshadows on. 

I did use this to conceal spots a few weeks ago, and it worked wonderfully. It takes a couple of layers to completely cover redness, but it really does mute any angriness and blends the imperfection into the rest of your face wonderfully. When concealing spots, do remember to use a brush instead of the doe-foot applicator itself to stop bacteria getting into the tube! This can cause more spots later on!

I’ve found that both of these babies respond best to a buffing brush, and that once they’re on, they’re on. These are a couple of the best base products for longevity and a natural-looking finish. I love covering my freckles and I do struggle with patchy red areas on my chin and around the nose, and both of these babies work to cover all my insecurities. As someone with oily skin, these are two of the best base products because they don’t go greasy as the day goes on, and I’d completely recommend you try these out if your skin problems sound similar to mine!

Lots of love,
Jasmine x

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Friday, July 28, 2017

WHAT I GOT FOR MY 22ND BIRTHDAY


Ready for the most overdue post on my blog this year? My birthday was on May the 31st, and I was waaaaaaay too excited, busy and drunk to take pictures of all my gifts and write a blog post sooner. Sorry! So instead I’ve dug out a few pictures taken over my birthday week that show you roughly what I received and what I was getting up to.

First things first, and the bestest and most exciting thing ever, was my new MacBook Pro. Technically, this wasn’t supposed to be a birthday present, as it just so happened that I spilt an entire mug of tea over my old one the day after my birthday. Cue the tears and the dramatic overreaction on my part, and my dear mum taking me off to Bromley to see if we could get it repaired. We couldn’t, it was soaked, and so mum surprised me by splashing out on a new one for me. I did lose all my uni work from last year, all my photos and youtube video files, all my passwords and my sims 4, BUT, I ended up with a shiny new MacBook and I'm so grateful and pleased. And so the worst part of all that? The wasted cup of tea. 



Then on the plane back from Venice (Yep, my mum is so extravagant and extra that a trip to Venice was 100% necessary for my 22nd (but honestly I’m so grateful and so lucky and omg it was the loveliest four days ever ever ever)) Mum decided to splash out  f u r t h e r  on a bottle of Chloe perfume, which I’ve wanted for the looooongest time. I’ve been spraying it on me in Boots for the longest time as I’ve been fancying the smell of this more than my signature Daisy by Marc Jacobs, and I’m so lucky to now own it.



A few new pairs of lingerie never hurt anyone on their birthday, did it? These were technically presents to myself, because it’s probably very inappropriate to ask the grandparents for a new set of scanties, right? These are both sets from Primark - the bras are around £8 each and the pants are £3. Both these sets are bloody gorgeous, feminine, sexy, flattering, and above all - they fit my minuscule chest. Weeee!


Moving on swiftly to my baby pink Italian leather backpack from Venice (thanks again mum, I am forever in your debt), which was hilariously rammed into the face of some Italian dude on the Vaparetto just minutes after purchasing it. It. Is. My. Everything. I never knew you could feel emotion towards a bloody backpack, but I do. I’ve always been a backpack kinda girl, I like having both hands free for my phone, glasses of wine, handrails when you’re falling over from too many glasses of wine, for example. It’s pretty big inside and fits all my essentials in, and injects a splash of cute baby pink into my exclusively black outfits. 


Dinner date! Chris took me to Côte Brasserie for a beautiful 3 course meal. I’d never been to Côte before, because I’m a bit sketchy on all that French fodder, but it was soooooo lush and I ate myself almost to death. It was a while ago now, but I remember that I had Egg Benedict to start, and Chris had Calamari and shared Olives. I say ‘shared”; I mostly pulled faces at the grapes of satan and dug around in the bowl for the garlic, pickles and sun-dried tomatoes. We both had minute steaks with fries, and for desert I had sorbet and he had frozen berries with melted white chocolate. Then we drank far too much and it was fabulous. 

All in all, my birthday was absolutely fantastic. I definitely did the whole “I’m 22 OMG I’m nearly dead” semi-mid-life-crisis, but the fact I had my mum over for it was amazing, and Chris was wonderful and my best friend came up to spend the day with us all, too. My Dad is paying for me to go to Ibiza later this year, and I got a few cards with a few dolla billz inside, which have probably all been spent on Five Guys by now, but hey ho! Thank you to everyone who made my birthday beautiful, I’m so lucky. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22! 

Lots of love,
Jasmine x

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Wednesday, July 26, 2017

MY FAVOURITE SKINCARE



I've been really inspired recently to fiiiinally make this video all about my ultimate favourite skincare products. There's a wide range of products, from cleansers, body scrub, pore strips and face masks in here, so I really hope you discover a new product that may potentially help you, too. Don't forget to Like, Comment and Subscribe if you enjoyed watching!

Products mentioned:
Clarisonic Mia 2
Garnier Micellar Water
La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo
Etude House Blueberry Sheet Mask
Superdrug Spa Charcoal Nose Strips
Grounded Coconut Coffee Scrub
GLAMGLOW Supercleanse Mud To Foam
Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser
Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic
Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser Oily/Combination
Sanctuary Spa 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask

Lots of love,
Jasmine x

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Monday, July 24, 2017

MY BEST SKINCARE SECRET | IN-DEPTH REVIEW



If there’s one thing that really gets me excited, it’s finding a skincare routine that makes my face look and feel gorgeous. I’ve struggled with various skin problems for most of my teenage years, and spent countless pounds on trying all different kinds of products from loads of different brands. Some have worked well, for a while, and some have done the exact opposite and made my skin 100% worse. I swear by La Roche Posay’s Effaclar range, and the Origins face masks are a luxurious treat for my skin every now and again. And I’ve now discovered a routine that works wonders for me, too. 

I’m sure everyone has heard of Liz Earle by now; their Hot Cloth Cleanser went a little bit viral and it seemed to be a blogger favourite for aaaages. I first bought it on my 21st birthday, and when that ran out earlier this year, I decided to invest in the 3-step range because I’d loved using the cleanser so much.

I’m 22 now, and I am lucky to be over the worst years of painful, red spots. However, I do still get the odd gigantic crimson boulder pop up (usually directly before an occasion where I’d really prefer it not to), and I’ve always had an oily forehead and nose, and the odd dry patch. My lips are also always really cracked, but I’ll get onto that in a minute!

The Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser is the cult favourite, and it has become my new favourite cleanser. I am cautious about using foaming cleansers nowadays after realising they are super drying and leave my skin feeling tight. This cleanser is creamy and silky, and the cloth helps to lightly exfoliate and remove all the dirt on my skin. I usually wet my face using hot-ish water, massage 1 pump’s worth of cleanser into my face for about 3-4 minutes, and then wipe it away using the cloth and very hot water in circular motions. Sometimes, before I use this cleanser, I like to fill a bowl with boiling water and steam open my pores up, which lets you clean your face a bit more thoroughly. 

After cleansing my face, I grab the Instant Boost Skin Tonic which is essentially a posh toner. I sweep it over my skin using a cotton pad. Liz Earle describes the toner as refreshing, soothing and brightening on the skin. It improves the appearance of skin as it is non-drying, gentle and alcohol-free. It smells really lovely, it reminds me of flowers, and the ingredients are natural. This toner contains aloe vera to hydrate, calendula, chamomile and cucumber to soothe and refresh, and vitamin E which is an antioxidant.

After the toner has settled into my face and dried off, I reach for THE BEST MOISTURISER I HAVE EVER USED. It is called the Skin Repair Moisturiser and I chose to buy the oily/combination formula. There’s also a dry/sensitive formula. I take an almond-sized amount and dot it on my forehead, each cheek, chin and nose, then massage it into my skin until it’s smooth and even. This moisturiser spreads around like a dream, so you don’t need to use much. Again, it contains naturally active ingredients which don’t over-egg the pudding and really work to brighten and soothe the skin. I absolutely loathe most moisturisers because I walk around looking and feeling greasy as anything, but this one sinks in and disappears, and is always very comfortable. The one thing that irks me a little bit about this, is that it doesn’t have any SPF, but I can just about live with that because it’s so comfortable and lovely. 

Back to my dry lips; I’ve always struggled with cracking and dry lips, and it was a friend who first mentioned that it could be because I always use foaming, oil-reducing, magnifying facial products. I never thought it would affect my lips, and even though I thought I was avoiding them, evidently all the moisture-sucking properties of my previous products were making them super dry and gross. They’ve improved a lot since starting this 3-step routine, and lip balm is actually starting to do its job!

A couple of annoying negatives are the sizes of these 3 bottles are a bit inconsistent with each other. The cleanser will run out waaaay before the toner or the moisturiser, and then the toner will run out and I'll have loads of moisturiser left. They’re all also a bit pricey; the cleanser is £14.50, the toner is £15 and the moisturiser is an eye-watering £19.50. But, I am a firm believer in ‘you get what you pay for’! 

My skin always feels much more balanced and hydrated, it looks less tired (despite my ridiculous sleeping pattern at the moment) and it’s making my makeup look better because of the smooth base it is being applied on to. Although I still get the odd spot, I feel like my skin is much less angry because I'm not slathering a load of harsh chemicals onto it constantly. 

I hope this in-depth review was helpful to you, and if your skin concerns sound similar to mine, maybe you could find your next favourite skincare product. I will also mention that the ladies on the Liz Earle counter in Boots stores have always been soooo kind and helpful (they do try to slide in with the cheeky upsets and promotions) and they ask loads of questions to help you find the most helpful bits and pieces for you!

Lots of love,
Jasmine x

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Saturday, July 22, 2017

YOUTUBE: GREY 90S INSPIRED MAKEUP



Products Used:
NARS Pore Refining Primer
Too Faced Born This Way Foundation in Porcelain
Too Faced Born This Way Concealer in Light
NARS Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder
MAC Studio Fix Powder + Foundation
MAC Powder Blush in Taupe
Soap & Glory Voluboost Brow Fibre Gel in Talk Of The Brown
LORAC Pro 2 Palette - Shades: Snow, Beige, Cool Gray, Chrome and Charcoal
Revlon Colourstay Liquid Eyeliner Pen in Black
Urban Decay Perversion Mascara
MAC Matte Lipstick in Stone
Lipcote
Makeup Revolution Highlighter in Peach Lights

The music I've used in this video is my incredibly talented boyfriend's original song 'Landmarks'! You can find him at
https://soundcloud.com/bearsandmirrors

My Clothing:
Pretty Little Thing Cropped Jumper

Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this video were purchased by myself, and the opinions are my own.


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