Thank you!

It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon, the sun is shining, I'm having a lazy pajama day and I'm doing my very best to ignore all thoughts of the essay I have to write by Friday afternoon! I hope you're all having a wonderful day wherever you are.

This week I reached over 1000 readers through Google friend connect and I'm honestly completely overwhelmed by that, thank you so much! I'm still not sure what me and my little blog have done to deserve so many wonderful readers but I am so grateful and I appreciate every single one of you more than you could ever know. I know I don't reply to every single comment or tweet but I really really do try my best and I do wish I could devote more time exclusively to replying to everyone. Things are still a little bit haywire in my life but if there's ever anything you would like to know or have a question you'd like me to answer you can always email me, tweet me or ask over formspring.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for making my days that little bit brighter! ♥
xoxo

Antique Gold Leaves.

I was going to ask my boyfriend for a really nice pair of vintage stud earrings for my birthday (which actually isn't until May, nothing like planning ahead eh?!) but in reality I wear my hair down 99.9% of the time so nobody would ever get to see them. Maybe I'll have to get my thinking cap back on in time for my birthday. I don't seem to really want anything other than clothes & make up. Well, an iMac would be nice but lets face it, that's not going to happen!

I'm very much in the spring/summer mindset right now even if it is still freezing cold outside. I blame ASOS entirely because their competitions have only encouraged me to look around the entire site while flinging things into my virtual basket and I've found some wonderful items. Sadly my purse now has a padlock on it and I'm not allowed the key because I may end up spending every penny I have. Before my self imposed spending ban occurred I treated myself to a lovely maxi dress, which will no doubt make an appearance in an outfit post when the weather warms up, and these beautiful earrings.

There are three reasons I love these: they're super pretty, you can actually see them when I wear them and they don't get tangled in my hair! I'm really loving the 70's inspired clothing at the moment, I think it's been stirring up my inner hippie and I can't wait to add a few beautiful pieces to my wardrobe. Until then though I will have to make do with these but I may have to be naughty and purchase them in silver too! Shh!

Are there any items of jewellery you're really loving at the moment? Have you got your eye on any items you'd love to add to your spring/summer wardrobe?
xoxo

Adele: 21.

I love Spotify, I think it’s a great way to stream music for free and I’ve relied on it almost entirely for about a year. What it doesn’t allow you to do, unless you pay, is to take the music with you which hadn’t been an issue for me because there hadn’t been an album I felt I had to have on my iPod. But then Adele released her second album, 21, and I instantly knew that I absolutely have to have it everywhere I go.

Image from: Adele.tv

I'm far from being musically inclined myself and honestly wouldn't know where to start when attempting to review an entire album so I'll leave that to the music critics.  But what I will say is that I think this may just be the album of the year for me. Yes, it is only January but I'm not convinced anything can top this.

Images from: Adele.tv

While I still think Someone Like You may just be one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard, there are a few other real stand out songs on 21. When I first downloaded the album Gem said that I had to listen to Set Fire to the Rain because it was amazing and she wasn't wrong! If I'm not careful I'm going to end up listing every single song on the album as one of my favourites, I do really love them all, but the last two that stand out for me are Don't You Remember and Take It All. I'm a sucker for the ballads,
I really am! If you liked 19, I think you might just love 21!

Images from: Adele.tv

Are you an Adele fan? What do you think of 21?
xoxo

Bourjois Little Round Blush Pots.

As soon as I saw this post by the beautiful Muhsine I knew I had to look into the Little Round Blush Pots from Bourjois more closely. As I was perusing ASOS, the website that tempts me into spending money more than any other, I found a selection of shades in the beauty sale section for under £5 and not being content with just one, I quickly popped three into my basket.

I just love the packaging of these blushers. They come in the cutest little pots with a mini brush, which is perfect for on the go application, and a little round mirror inside the lid. The Paris designs were limited edition I believe but the regular pots are just as adorable. I haven’t put mine away into my blush drawer because they just look super cute sitting on top of my dressing table. I know it’s only packaging but it’s a lovely added extra when it looks pretty too.

They also smell absolutely divine but if you’re not one for scented products I’d stay away from these. I don’t find it lingers for long on the skin but it’s quite a strong scent when you open the pot. For some reason the scent takes me back to when I was a little girl and I would look at my Grandmothers make up and just be enthralled by all the colours. I love when things bring back such happy and wonderful memories.

The first shade I got is number 74 and it’s called Rose Ambré. On my warm toned skin this is the perfect mid-toned peachy rose that when applied with a light hand gives a pretty glow but it can also be easily built up for a stronger look. I can see myself reaching for this a lot in the summer time and I think it’ll look especially beautiful with bronzed skin.

The formula is lovely, I find it very easy to blend but it’s very pigmented so I need to use a very light hand, which I don’t mind. The pigmentation means that I know I will have this beauty in my collection for a very long time even if I use it every single day.

The second shade I picked out is number 32 Ambre D’Or and it’s a beautiful light coral peach with gold shimmer. I’ve been obsessed with peachy colours ever since I saw this video from the fabulous Lisa Eldridge and fell in love with how much the colour lifts and brightens the complexion. Now when I see anything peach I feel compelled to purchase it!

Again I find this so easy to work with, it blends like a dream and I find that I don’t have to be so light handed with this one. The shimmer is just beautiful and I think this is another shade I’ll be reaching for a lot when the sun starts to shine more often!

The last shade I chose is number 34 Rose D’Or this is the colour Muhsine showed on her blog and I just fell in love with it. If I were a blush this is the colour I would want to be. It’s a beautiful mid-toned rosey pink with golden shimmer that is so easy to wear and it instantly brightens up my complexion.

I’ve been wearing this with dewy flawless skin, lots & lots of mascara and a subtle baby pink lipgloss. I really can’t say enough good things about this colour, I think it’s absolutely gorgeous!

These blushers retail for £7.49 each which I do think is a little on the pricey side. However I’ve fallen in love with the shades I have and can’t wait to add a few more to my collection!

Have you ever tried these Bourjois blushers? Are there any other shades I need to get my little blush addict hands on?
xoxo

Photography: Skyscapes.

I go through phases of being fascinated by certain subjects, particularly within my photographic work, but if there's one thing that's been a constant it's the sky and I would say 90% of the photographs I'm most proud of are skyscapes. When I got to University all the focus was on trying different techniques and concepts through all these really short projects and it just wasn't me. It hit me that I wasn't interested in the majority of the course content and all I really wanted to do was be pretentious, tinker around with the film cameras and take pictures of the sky. If I could make a successful career out of that it would be my dream job, sadly I think I'm going to have to keep on dreaming but you never know, dreams come true every day!

At one time I only wanted to capture the most aesthetically pleasing images of the sky even if that meant altering them in Photoshop, and although I still love the resulting photographs, there's a huge part of me that now just wants to capture them as they really are, in their own beautifully organic state. There is beauty in everything, even if sometimes it's difficult to see at first.

The surrounding environment impacts upon the sky greatly and I think that's something that you can really see through the lens of a camera. I love the way street lights alter the colour of the sky just as much as I love being out in the middle of the countryside at night time looking up at the darkness & seeing all the twinkling stars above. It's one of those things that makes me feel so small & yet so alive at the same time.

I have piles of memory sticks and folders full of skyscape pictures and I don't think I'm ever going to stop photographing the sky. I can look at an image and remember exactly where I was at the exact moment I pressed the shutter button. That's what photography is all about for me and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Is there something that really fascinates you? Or is this just the pretentious photographer inside me showing through?
xoxo

What I Wore: There's a fire starting in my heart.

I woke up this morning and there was the strangest bright light shining through my window. I couldn't quite believe I was seeing this mysterious sun that's been hiding for so many months but it definitely put a smile on my face. I'm usually very much a winter girl but this year I can't wait for the summer time.

This dress from ASOS was one of many I have purchased over the last few weeks and it's probably one of my favourites. It is a bit see through so I think I'm going to invest in a little cami to wear underneath but I do really want the other colours too!

My outfit posts aren't as detailed as I would like them to be and I'm looking forward to having my own personal photographer lovely boyfriend close by to take some pictures for me! He's probably going to get fed up of me begging him to take me into the pretty countryside all the time but I'm sure he'll secretly love it! I'm not professing to be super fashionable or anything but I'd really like to expand my blog as much as possible this year so that means you'll probably have to put up with more photographs of my face and perhaps a few videos too! Sorry!

Illamasqua Satin Primer.

Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation.

The Body Shop Cool Dusk Blush.

MAC Rose Ole Highlight Powder.

MAC Vintage Selection Paint Pot.

Collection 2000 Big Fake Mascara.

Wet 'n Wild Retro Pink Lipstick.

Revlon Wild About Violet Lipgloss.

My skin has been having a bit of a freak out over the last couple of weeks so I'm very happy that I picked up a bottle of Illamasqua's Rich Liquid Foundation. It's far too heavy for me to wear on its own but when I use a tiny amount mixed with the Satin Primer the coverage is incredible!It does still give quite a matte finish so I always reach for the shimmery blush and eye colours to make up for that & put a little life back into my skin.

Are you looking forward to the summer time this year? Or do you prefer the colder months?
xoxo

Ralphie: An Update aged 7 months.

The number one most requested post for me to do is always an update on Ralphie my bunny rabbit and I can totally understand why because he's just too adorable! He is without question the star of my blog & I just can't compete with those long fluffy ears and cute twitchy nose!


Ralphie is almost 7 months old now and he's definitely come out of his shell & formed a very cheeky personality! Most of the time he's doing something he's not supposed to or trying to squeeze into his favourite hiding spot which is under my dressing table. If he's ever been suspiciously quiet for a while you can guarantee he's doing something naughty! He's still not overly impressed with being picked up but he loves ear rubs & will sit nicely for them! ♥

He's started getting angry when it's bed time because he's not a fan of being shut in his cage when he's had the luxury of being able to run around my bedroom. If I could have him out all the time I would but it's just not practical so he has to learn! I'm going to get him a bigger cage that looks something like this one. He'll still be a house bunny but he will have more room for his toys and a little ladder to hop up and down. He's only a little bunny so the cage he has now is pretty much a mansion, but I think he'd like having even more space to cause trouble in, I would if I were a bunny!

His favourite thing to do at the moment seems to be running across my bedroom and launching himself on to me. He loves it
and it's quite funny ending up with a rabbit on my shoulder. Maybe he knows I'm Sailor Jennie & he's pretending to be my parrot!!

Despite his love of biting his cage bars at night time when I'd quite like to sleep, I love him very much & I just couldn't be without him now! Just look at that face, how could you not love him?!

Do you have any pets?

Lots of Love,
Jennie & Ralphie ♥
xoxo

What I Wore: You know how the time flies.

I spotted this dress in Primark a couple of weeks ago and I knew I had to have it. I actually think it's partly responsible for my little obsession with birds at the moment because it's just so adorable. For me this weekend is all about relaxing. Selling a house is super stressful, we've had a lot of viewings over the last couple of days and it's like living in a goldfish bowl having all these strangers poking about. This whole process is so bittersweet for me, this is my childhood home but it's already starting to feel like it's not mine anymore. Things haven't been perfect here for a long time but despite that I just know there are going to be tears on moving day! I've certainly learned that in order to change your life for the better there are difficult decisions you have to make & difficult things you have to do.

This dress has become my new lounge dress. You know when you're spending the day at home and you don't want to really get dressed but you don't want to sit in your pj's all day? This is what I reach for on those days. It's not that I don't want to wear this outside, I so do, but I have an abnormally long body and short legs so it's obscenely short on me. I could maybe get away with it with leggings but I'm not sure. We'll see!

Illamasqua Satin Primer. 

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation. 

Benefit Boi-ing Concealer. 

Illamasqua Promise Cream Blush. 

MAC Rose Ole Highlight Powder. 

MAC Vintage Selection Paint Pot. 

Collection 2000 Big Fake Mascara. 

Revlon Baby Pink Lipstick.

I've been keeping my make up so simple and pretty much reaching for the same products on a daily basis. This is partly out of habit and partly because my storage is useless and I can never see what I have in my collection! I definitely need to sort that out asap. But never mind, I'm very happy with these products and I know they're working for me.

Do you have a comfortable outfit you always reach for on lazy days?
xoxo

Naked Skincare: An Introduction.

As most of you probably know I am a big fan and huge supporter of Naked Bodycare. Not only do I think they have some incredible products, the brand as a whole is very ethical and proves that products don’t have to contain a bunch of potentially nasty ingredients to work and that they don’t have to be tested on animals. There’s a lot more information on where Naked stand on a lot of issues that you can read about on the What is Naked? and Naked Values sections of their website.

With hair and body care covered all that was missing was a Naked skin care range, until now! Four new products have been added to the Naked family, which are the Perfect Getaway Cream Cleanser, the Up Tone Girl Gentle Toner, the Bare Faced Cheek Softening Face Wash and the Thirst Aid 12 Hour Moisturiser. The PR Company representing Naked have been kind enough to send me the cleanser, toner and moisturiser to sample and I will review them in full once I have thoroughly tested them out.

One of the first things I always notice is packaging and Naked always have a very simple yet effective and practical approach, which I think, is a good way to go. The bottles contain all the information you need to know and dispense the product inside easily. A pet peeve of mine is packaging that just doesn’t work and if it doesn’t work I’m not going to repurchase. The cleanser comes in a squeezable bottle with a push top, which is perfect for the consistency of the product inside, and you can control how much is dispensed easily. The toner comes in a bottle with a screw top lid and a stopper with a tiny hole in it, so if you knock it over accidentally you aren’t going to tip out the entire contents of the bottle all over the floor. I am very clumsy and that’s the kind of thing that would happen to me! Finally the moisturiser comes in a plastic tub with a screw top lid, which I really like. I know some people prefer creams that come in tubes but that’s not something that bothers me, as my hands are always clean before I dip my fingers in the tub.

The Perfect Getaway cleanser is a cream but compared with my Neal's Yard Chamomile Cleanser which is quite thick, the consistency is more comparable to a lotion. Like with a lot of cream cleansers the instructions tell you to apply the product to cotton wool and wipe over your face and I always ignore these instructions. I don't know about you, but if I did that I would go through a heck of a lot of cotton wool! Instead I have been massaging the product into my skin and removing it with a warm muslin cloth which has been working well so far and the cleanser has been doing a great job of removing my make up.

Scent wise this is very fresh & natural and if you've ever smelled Savlon, to me the cleanser has a slight hint of that. I'm a big fan of natural smelling products so I actually really like this, but if you don't then I would say that it doesn't seem to linger on the skin so that's something to bear in mind. So far I'm really liking this cleanser and it will be interesting to see if I end up liking this more than my beloved Neal's Yard cleanser. Time will tell!

Toners are something that I have generally stayed away from in the past because I associated them with stripping the skin. My opinion changed when I started using distilled witch hazel which is an ingredient in the Up Tone Girl toner so I'm looking forward to seeing what this does for my skin. A big plus for me is that this is alcohol free and with my skin leaning towards the dry side already, the last thing I need in my routine are products that will further dry out my skin. This doesn't sound like it will do that & I'm impressed so far. On a side note, how cute is the name of the product?! 

With ingredients like shea butter & argan oil it's no surprise that this is a cream that offers a lot of moisture but I was pleasantly surprised at just how quickly and easily this sinks into the skin. It has the same fresh and Savlon-esque scent as the cleanser at first but once it's rubbed into the skin it begins to smell quite delicate and almost faintly fruity, so even though it lingers for a little while, it's pleasant and doesn't smell like you've fallen face first into a first aid kit! 

On first impressions I'm not sure if i would recommend this skincare routine for oily skin because of the amount of ingredients with great moisturising properties. I wouldn't let that put you off if you have oily skin and are interested in trying one of these products because I'm not a professional and could be totally wrong! In fact I'd love to know how you get on, but if you would like more details I will of course go into as much detail as I possibly can in my reviews in a month or so.

The cleanser, face wash and toner retail for £4.49 each and the moisturiser retails for £7.49 so this is definitely an affordable skin care range that's also easily accessible. Naked is a brand that's available in Boots & online at NakedBodycare.co.uk.

Have you tried Naked skincare and is it a brand that interests you? Do any of these products sound like something you'd like to try?
xoxo

What I Wore: The Owls Go.

Last week I was super ill and confined to my bed so I had a lot of time on my hands and needed something to cheer me up. I'm sure there are a million things I could have done that would have been more productive but instead I decided to go on a bit of a dress shopping spree and it definitely did cheer me up! 

Dress: Love Label.

Cardi: Boohoo.

Necklace: Very.co.uk.

Leanne Marie tweeted about Very having a really good sale & she was definitely right, so it's thanks to her that I now have this beautiful dress in my life! As soon as I saw it I thought it was adorable and it's also flattering for my body shape. It's knee length which I really love, has super cute sleeves and skims over my hips so it disguises my imperfections while still cinching me in at the waist. You know when you have an item in your wardrobe that you feel really confident in & look forward to wearing? That's how I feel about this dress, I love it! The owl necklace was only £4 and I just couldn't resist. It's adorable and I have a bit of a love for owls and birds at the moment. ♥

Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation.

Benefit Boi-ing concealer.

Illamasqua Promise cream blush.

MAC Rose Ole special reserve highlight powder.

MAC Vintage Selection paint pot.

Collection 2000 Big Fake mascara.

Revlon ColorBurst Baby Pink lipstick.

So far I am absolutely loving my recent MAC purchases and I have a feeling that paint pots are going to be a new love of mine. I can't believe how well it stays on my oily eyelids so I'm already lusting over more shades, oh dear! I said I wasn't going to become a MAC addict but I think I may have accidentally lied!

I also have a question for you guys. When I move I'd like some different storage for my make up and jewellery but I'm not sure what, so I'd like to know how you lovelies store your beauty products and jewellery? I've had my eye on the Malm dressing table from Ikea but it's a bit pricey, so I'm not sure. I'd definitely like something where I can see all the things I have easily but I can hide away so it doesn't look cluttered. I hope that makes sense & thank you in advance for your suggestions!

What's your favourite item in your wardrobe and what is your favourite MAC item? Gosh, I'm full of questions tonight!
xoxo

MAC Cham Pale.

This week I finally caved in and bought my very first MAC make up items! I've been watching the collections come and go over the past year and although I thought they were all pretty, none of them appealed to me enough to purchase anything, that is of course until Cham Pale came a long. I could quite easily have bought pretty much the entire collection but I decided to be restrained and pick out the two products I wanted the most and I'm not disappointed in either of them.

Paint pots have intrigued me for a while because I have a lot of difficulty getting my eye make up to stay put throughout the day and I liked the idea of the paint pots going on creamy and then drying so they (hopefully) won't budge. As soon as I saw Vintage Selection I knew that I had to have it. I'm not big into eye make up as you all know, but I do love the brightening effect that neutral colours can give and this colour would be the perfect base for so many eyeshadows.

It's described by MAC as a frosted dirty peach and I'd say that's a pretty accurate description. I think a few bloggers have said how similar it is to Urban Decay's Sin eyeshadow and they're so right, the combination of the two is gorgeous and so easy to do! I love everything about this, maybe it's the 'first MAC item excitement' but I think it's a beautiful product from the colour to the formula to the packaging!

The second product I knew I wanted as soon as I saw it was one of the special reserve highlight powders. Initially the £20.50 price tag put me off but in the end I couldn't resist, I mean look how pretty that is! I went for the shade Rose Ole which is a light pink with gold shimmer and I love it. As my skin gets drier I find myself lusting over that dewy luminous look more & more and this product is going to be perfect for that.

I think I'm starting to see why so many people love MAC products and although I'm determined not to be tempted by all of the future collections, I have a feeling more products will find their way into my collection this year.

Did you get anything from Cham Pale? What was your very first MAC make up item?
xoxo

Mini Boots Loot & Giveaway Winners!

I dashed over to Boots after work today with the intention of picking just one thing up, of course I couldn't resist having a look at all of the make up stands and ended up with a couple of extra purchases...oops!

As I was getting dangerously close to finishing my first bottle I was in need of a new Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation. I've been using this foundation consistently for months and I thought I was getting a little bored of it, but after a recent foray into Illamasqua foundations I've realised just how good Healthy Mix is. The lightest shade, 51, is a perfect match for my pale skin tone which is something I rarely find with pharmacy foundations. I think usually this is around the £10 mark but at the moment it's on offer in Boots for £6.99. Bargain!

When I saw this I decided that I needed a pressed powder in my life. I'm thinking this will make my life a lot easier in the morning because I won't have to worry about tipping a whole pot of loose powder over. I've been there and done that & it's not easy to clear up! I'm not the biggest user of powder so I think this will last me a good while.

Finally my attention was grabbed by the neat little display of Revlon ColorBurst lipsticks and I just couldn't resist. I know I'm late jumping on this bandwagon but how cute is the packaging?! I opted for a very safe Jennie kind of shade and picked out 020 Baby Pink. This is a beautiful colour and although I really didn't need another lipstick I'm happy I got it because it's pretty and I think that's a good enough reason!

♥

Thank you all so much for being so patient waiting for me to get around to picking the winners for my Accessorize necklace giveaway! It's safe to say I'm sick of spreadsheets now, they are not my friend but anyway, on to the winners!

The winner of the Cameo necklace is...

Alice from An Alien World!

The winner of the Clock necklace is...

Jess from Draw The Stars!

The winner of the Teacup necklace is...

Fern from Fern Laura!

Congratulations! I hope you're happy with your prize & if you could send me an email (sailorjennie [at] googlemail.com) or a Twitter DM with your address I'll send out your prize asap! ♥

Thank you all so much for entering! It's safe to say I've been bitten by the giveaway bug so keep your eyes peeled for a new giveaway sometime in the near future!

Have you ever tried the Revlon ColorBurst lipsticks? Any other shades I need to pick up? 
xoxo

Eyes Lips Face Mineral Lipsticks.

Eyes Lips Face is a brand that I love for affordable, good quality make up and I definitely count the lipsticks from the mineral line as some of my absolute favourites. Before going through my collection I thought I had more of them than I actually do so I'm thinking a sneaky order might be necessary very soon!

The first lipstick I tried from the range is called Nicely Nude which is a pretty neutral fairly light pink colour. At first I was a bit disappointed as I was expecting more of a true nude rather than a pinky nude, but I actually really love the colour so I got over it! It's very similar to my lip colour and therefore a really natural lipstick that will go with so many different looks and be appropriate for many different situations. I wore this to a couple of job interviews last year and it didn't give me that 'oh my gosh you've got really pink lips' look but it was just enough to look as though I'd made an effort. Does that make sense? In the tube this has a really pretty gold shimmer to it but you don't end up with glittery lips at all which is nice.

As summer was approaching I wanted to branch out from my usual pinks and decided to get Cool Coral. This looks so gorgeous in the tube and the colour this gives to the lips doesn't disappoint. On my lips this is quite a pinky coral that's super pretty and also really wearable. I've really missed being able to wear this, when I had pink and purple in my hair corals just looked so bad on my complexion, but now my hair is pretty much back to it's natural colour I'm going to be wearing this more often!

Natural Nymph is what I was expecting Nicely Nude to be and I think this shade was introduced to the line a little later along with a few other colours. When I want a nude lip, which isn't as often as it used to be, I always reach for this one. I don't find it drying at all like I do with GOSH Darling and it's also doesn't wash me out which the Darling lipstick can do. It's more of a peachy nude which suits my complexion nicely and I really like it.

The last mineral lipstick I have is Pouty Petal and it's probably my favourite out of the four. Essentially it's a slightly darker and rosier version of Nicely Nude so while it still looks quite natural, it's a bit more obvious. It has the same gold shimmer in the tube but it doesn't look or feel glittery on the lips. It's just a pretty, very wearable lipstick that I use a lot.

The formulation of all of these lipsticks is wonderful. I don't find them drying, they last a decent amount of time too & at only £3.50 each I think these are really good additions to anyone's make up collection!

Have you tried the mineral lipsticks from Eyes Lips Face? What's your favourite ELF product?
xoxo