Shortlisted For The Company Style Blogger Awards!

Big big news...I've been shortlisted for the Company Style Blogger Awards! After starting out not even considering entering, I can't believe I've actually been shortlisted! It still seems unreal - I only started this blog last year! I really can't thank everyone who voted for me enough. I never expected to get this far (or even be nominated!), so it really is an enormous honour to receive such support from you guys :)

At this stage, the winner of each category is picked from the list of blogs shortlisted. It would mean a huge amount to me if you would go vote for my blog in the 'Best Male Style Blogger' category. All you have to do is click HERE (or click the image below), and then (along with voting for your other favourite blogs) keep clicking the next page button until you get to the male style blogger category. Then simply click the circle next to my blogs name to vote for me, and carry on clicking until you get to the submit page. Thank you in advance for voting if you do want to, it really does mean a massive amount!

On to another subject, school. My first exam (kind of) starts on Monday, and as a result, I won't be on here blogging for a few weeks. It won't be long and my exams finish in early June so after that I'll have lots of free time for blogging.

Please vote for my blog in the Company Blogger Awards and for those of you who are taking your exams these next few weeks, good luck!

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water | Review

Over the last year or so, cleansing waters have taken the beauty world by storm. Yep, you guessed it, I'm talking bout' Bioderma! With it's mystical properties, Bioderma fast became the 'it' product for all beauty bloggers and makeup lovers. Luckily though, more affordable high street brands like Garnier have caught on to the craze, and have finally introduced their own variation of the micellar water.
The Bottle: A fantastic design, this product stands out loud and proud on beauty shelves with it's simplistic yet bold packaging. Another craze you'll have noticed is the love for all things transparent. Whats with this new obsession?? First Apple and it's revamp, then the rest of the internet (e.g Twitter) and now the beauty world is joining in as well! The bottle's modern look gives it a luxurious and sophisticated vibe, but the patches of colour keep it fun and down to earth.

The Water: One word. Seven letters. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Efficient and effective, Garnier's Micellar Water is officially my new favourite. Although I don't wear makeup, this is a great alternative to a full skincare routine when your in a rush or feeling lazy, all I need to do is pour some onto a cotton pad, wipe over my face (usually a couple of times) and then chuck it into the bin. Done! Told you it was efficient ;) This past week I've had revision sessions almost every day (darn you GCSE's) which has meant I've used this pretty much every day and night this week. My skin looks and feels hydrated (I don't feel the need to moisturise as much) and clean each time after using this. Another plus, it does exactly what it says on the tin bottle and somehow manages to soothe and reduce the redness I get in my cheeks, evening out my skin tone.
The Thoughts: Garnier have hit it spot on with a much more affordable option to Bioderma (Garnier's is priced at £4.99 for 400ml) without compromising the great results. Perfect for travelling as well, Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water is definitely a product I'll be repurchasing in the future!
Have you ever tried Bioderma or the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water? What did you think?

Shopping Haul | Manchester

So a week ago today (when I publish this), my friends and I took a trip on the train to Manchester. Where I live there isn't much in terms of shopping aside the town centre, so every so often (when we all have enough money to spend), my friends and I take a day trip to a nearby city. I can't tell you how many times I must've been to Manchester in the past couple of years and bought hardly anything each time (when I've actually had money to spend!). How come we always want things when we can't afford them? Anyway, this time however I was delighted to find my wallet feeling just that bit lighter which means only one thing - haul time!

1. Mickey Mouse Navy Jumper - Primark - £13 approx.
I thought why not start in order of events so these are my very first purchases. A large Primark is sneakily situated in the center of our walk to the Arndale Shopping centre, so like always, we had to go in and spend some. Primark is an absolute fashion haven with it's ridiculously low prices and fashion forward style. However seeing as it was only our first stop, I limited myself to only a few things so that I had money to spend elsewhere throughout the day (and so I could eat). This Mickey Mouse silhouette type design jumper caught my eye immediately when I was looking around. My friend also loved it and so to avoid confusion (and clashing), she bought a black one whilst I opted for navy. This isn't something I'd usually wear but it's so fun and quirky and like everyone in the entire world right now, my friends and I are currently going through a Disney craze (Frozen is the best!).

2. Bike Clip-Art T-Shirt - Primark - £3.99-£4.99 (seriously, throwing away receipts is a really bad habit)
My friends and I got a bit excited when we found a part of the store that was selling a bunch of stuff for £3.99 each (and £4.99 in some cases)! As soon as I saw this I loved it. The logo is just like (if not an exact replica) of the Cambridge Satchel Company logo (and you'll all know how much of a fan I am of CSC). I hate trying on clothes in stores (unless it's something like a coat) because I don't like using changing rooms (especially when I'm shopping with other people cause I feel like I'm making them wait), so when I bought this it was a complete guess of what size I needed (everything in there seemed to be made to a different sizing guide!), and it turned out both good and bad. Bad because I did get the wrong size as it's not too tight, it's just smaller than what I'd usually wear when I'm going out. But good, because it means that I can use it as a pyjama top (I hardly ever have matching sets, just mix-matched clothes I don't want to wear when I'm going out).

3. Union Jack Flag T-Shirt - Primark - £7.99
Another purchase from Primark, it was love at first sight. I am obsessed with flags and especially the British one #proud haha. For such a cheap price and such a great design, I couldn't just leave it there could I? ;) Although, like the bike t-shirt above, it is a bit small for me (damn Primark sizes) (and me cutting off the tags to quickly) but only in the sleeves really so I can wear it fine under a cardigan or shirt.

4. Union Jack Flag Cushion - Primark - £6
When walking towards the checkout, our entire group was swayed by an enormous display of flag interior decor. There were whole areas dedicated to the American flag as well as the Union Jack. For £6, I couldn't miss the opportunity to buy this cushion. Just look at it!

4. Teal Cardigan - H&M - £10
I wasn't really sure whether to go in H&M as we were only near it because some of my friends wanted to go in HMV, but I am so glad I did (and thanks to my two other friends for coming with me - I just feel awkward shopping alone). H&M in my opinion was my favourite part of the day cause everything I bought from there I am over the moon with (and it all fits me!). This cardigan is just...wow *sighs*. It is the most gorgeous colour I've ever seen and unbelievably it was on sale - how much better could it get? Unknowingly, I've actually made quite a good purchase/investment here, as when I got home I discovered blog posts and YouTube videos about Spring wardrobes (and look-books! Tanya Burr's was epic). After a mild panic that I'd have to be seen sweltering in the (hopefully) hot summer sun in thick jumpers and boots, I calmed down after realising my spring wardrobe is more than prepared for with old purchases of t-shirts, pastel green shorts, a coral shirt and some stunning red, white and blue boat shoes etc. As well as new ones (cue this cardigan and union jack t-shirt).

4. Grey Double Breasted Cardigan - H&M - £15
On the River Island website (and in store) I kept seeing the most gorgeous double breasted cardigan ever. And after realising that I really just can't afford a £45 cardigan right now (River Island is really steep nowadays), I gave up. Excitingly though, I spotted this look-a-like mere clothes hangers away from the heavenly blue teal cardigan above! It looks great over either a graphic tee or a white t-shirt for a casual look and it's super wearable, so I'm hoping the colder air (with the bright sun) doesn't disappear too quickly so I'll have a chance to wear this. It does have a slightly scratchy feel to it along with that really strong material kind of smell, which hopefully will go with a good wash and a bucketload of fabric softener.

5. New York Jumper - H&M - £7.99
A jumper. For £7.99. I couldn't believe my eyes. It's quite thin which for £7.99 I kind of expected, but it's great as it means it's a lot easier to wear over things like shirts and won't leaving me too hot if the weather gets hot. This week I've been wearing it to school each day (underneath my blazer and being a good student and taking it off before class starts) and I've been loving it! It also looks great on it's own which is a bonus for when I'm feeling uber lazy and just want to wear something comfy thats the closest thing to hand.

6. Happy Hippy Shower Gel - LUSH - £11.95
On any shopping trip, a visit to the LUSH shop is an absolute must for me. Last Christmas (or even the one before that), I first discovered this amazing shower gel. It smells really zingy and fruity and like citrus! Just as it says on the tin (or rather bottle), it's a great pick me up and wake me up in the morning (which is needed in GCSE year when you wish you could forever stay in bed in the morning). I opted for the largest bottle, 500g which is £11.95 because I've wanted it for a while now and compared to the cost of the 250g (half the size) version, you got more for your money with this one. I've been using it each and every day this week and I love it! There's something really satisfying about seeing a LUSH product sat on your bathroom shelf.
Hopefully I've not missed anything out and I really hope you've enjoyed seeing and reading about what I've bought!
What did you think of this haul? What are your favourite items? Have you bought anything recently?

Beauty Storage

I don't know about you, but I always struggle to find room for anything in my room. Since having my room re-decorated a couple of years ago, I've lost quite a bit of space due to me being both insistent and persistent on wanting a double bed - despite my Dad's warning on the lack of space I'd have...oops. Back to the subject, since my rooms re-do, one of my clothes draws has slowly become entirely occupied with beauty products.
One of my many new year resolutions, was to become more organised, and late last week, I finally did something about the growing hoard collection by also working towards that resolution; I finally got some proper storage for my beauty products. Whilst there's absolutely no room for a tower or some other industrial sized storage, there is room for these two gorgeous baskets...

To a lot of people I'm sure my hoard collection won't look like much at all, but for me it's far too much (which is why larger storage isn't better for me - it would mean I could buy more stuff!). I picked these two baskets up in B&M for about £7.99/£3.99 each (I really need to start keeping receipts). I was ecstatic when I first saw them as I also have THIS matching bed set which was bought at B&M as well!

Now stocked up with all my creams, cleansers and cans, these new organisers will not only make using my products easier (being able to see each product is something I've missed), but they'll also free up the draw for clothes (my wardrobe doors are struggling to shut...double oops).
How do you store all your beauty products? What do you think of these new purchases?

OSMO Matte Clay Extreme* | Review

Being a complete hair nut (read obsessed), when I was offered the chance to review the OSMO Matte Clay Extreme styling product, I jumped at the chance! The fact is I have ridiculously thick hair and every morning I struggle with it in front of the mirror whilst simultaneously trying to juggle the hair dryer. God knows how much I've spent over the years on hair products and the amount of time I must have wasted merely trying to make my hair go the right way is just not worth thinking about, but I'm forever eager to try any product that could tame my annoying hair and so before I have time to start ranting, on with the review!

LUSH Golden Wonder Bath Bomb

Being a loyal Lush lover, I couldn't resist taking the opportunity in December to ask for a couple of their amazing Christmas bath bombs for (you guessed it!) Christmas last year (gosh it sounds so long ago). The year before last I had my first ever test run of their gorgeous golden wonder bath bombs and I was truly impressed :). Not only does it have the most heavenly smell (just like every other Lush item), it transforms your bath into a mystical, magical mixture of colours and golden stars. No joke.

Christmas Giveaway!*

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

*I was sent this product to giveaway but am under no obligation to give it a biased review, all views here are my own and I am not being paid or influenced by anyone*

It feels like I haven't blogged in ages! This weekly blogging thing might take some getting used to. I must say though, I have enjoyed not having to stress about getting two posts out this week (breathes dramatic sigh of relief).

I am so excited for this post as it's my first ever giveaway!!!!!!! I know I said I was going to do a giveaway when I got to 100 followers on GFC (and I still will so help me get closer to that magic number and follow me?), but I was kindly sent this brand new, unopened Philips PT920 PowerTouch Pro Shaver by John Lewis to giveaway to my amazing readers :)

The Rise Of The Teen Blogger

Recently, I added a "The Rise Of The Teen Blogger" button to the sidebar of my blog. It was kindly made and sent to me by talented blogger Sophie from Keep Calm And Look Pretty.

 

Sophie emailed me not long ago inviting me to take part in a post she was planning which would consist of interviews with other teenage bloggers. I replied as soon as I could telling her yes! Sophie has a wonderful blog and I can't tell you how excited I was when I read the email! Soon after Sophie set over a list of fun questions for me to answer. After replying with my answers, all I could do was wait (bursting with excitement of course!)

 

 

 

Last night, Sophie tweeted all of the bloggers included in the post (myself included) informing us the post was live! I immediately went on to Sophie's blog and I couldn't stop smiling ;D

 

The post is so well written and I feel privileged to have been involved. Sophie wrote the most amazing paragraphs introducing each blogger individually and included photos relating to each interview with some Sophie had edited beautifully herself.

 

I wanted to write this post to just tell you all about the post and advise that you go and have a read. Reading it made me so happy last night and the other teenage bloggers have fantastic blogs which I really recommend you have a look at. I hope you'll have a nosy at our answers and that you enjoy the post, if you'd leave a comment saying what you think that would be fab too!

 

Here's the link to the post:

 

http://keepcalmlookpretty.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/the-rise-of-teen-blogger_27.html

 

Thanks for reading!

 

James

 

P.S The button is also now a link, just click on it to have a read!



Review | Philosophy Purity Cleanser

My skin is as annoying as skin can be. In my opinion, there's combination skin...and then there's mine. One second it'll be dry, the next oily, then dry and oily! I have an entire draw in my bedroom (it's a big draw) filled with beauty products, and yet still struggle to find any kind of product which will work with my skin (frowns, pouts and crosses arms).

Luckily though, my Mum somehow manages to find the most amazing products. Recurring brands in my Mums collection include L'Occitane, Elemis and Philosophy. I'm a huge fan of L'Occitane and Philosophy because not only do their products work wonders, but both have a different 'philosophy' (see what I did there?) Philosophy products come with certain philosophies (that word's starting to annoy me now) on them which relate to the products themselves, the Purity cleanser which I'm reviewing has a fantastic little paragraph on the front which I love.

L'Occitane is overall just a fab brand. They don't have these cute philosophies on their products, but their packaging, stores, everything about them is unique and different. The whole brand is friendly and welcoming, and with the added bonus of skin-changing products, how much better can it get? Whenever I've been into L'Occitane, I've always seen something to do with helping charities or 'Going Green' etc. so there doesn't seem to be any bad side really. I must admit, once I see a L'Occitane store, there's no stopping me. The employees are incredibly friendly and always up for a chat at the till and have some useful advice. I have to just add that when they wrap up your purchases (beautifully, I might add), they usually throw in product samples and spray the tissue paper your purchases are wrapped up in as well as the bag itself with heavenly fragrances. What a service ;)

I'm going off topic. As I was saying, in the past month my skin has gotten a little worse and I was beginning to get a bit spotty (I blame the colder weather). My Mum noticed my particularly spot prone forehead and told me to stop using my previous skincare and use Purity for a bit to clear it up.

I had used Purity before and had already been wowed by it's ability to make my skin look flawless (not exaggerating). After only a couple of days of using it again, my skin has almost completely cleared up. This is one bad-ass cleanser.

The cleanser itself is a creamy white colour and has a light yet thick consistency. My Mum and I have both found that there's little need of a moistursiser after using this cleanser (although your skin may feel a bit tight for a few minutes straight after) and our views are backed up by the description printed on the back of the bottle: Formulated for all skin types. Replaces your makeup remover, eye makeup remover, facial cleanser and toner. Deep cleans pores. Hydrates as it melts away makeup.

This one cleanser somehow manages to encompass an entire skincare regime...in one bottle! Obviously accompanying the cleanser with a moisturiser wouldn't go a miss as our skin always needs moisturising. In terms of smell, I think it smells a bit like tea. Not strongly and certainly not if you put your nose in the cleanser and smell it, but when washing your face I find myself catching the faint scent of tea :)

Overall a stunning product which is suitable for pretty much everyone. Purity keeps it's promises and succeeds in every way, will definitely be begging my Mum to re-purchase haha :D

Whats your favourite skincare or beauty product? Have you ever used these brands before? What did you think?

James

What's In My School Bag!

Hello All!

If you follow me on Twitter then you'll know that earlier today I was reading a few blogs where they wrote apologies for not having the time to post much. I completely understood how they were feeling as school (and I'm sure work as well) is so stressful and busy :( I wasn't planning on posting this today but I'm determined to blog more regularly. Blogging makes me so happy, and I love talking to readers and bloggers :) I'm already meeting new people through blogging who have been nothing but kind to me and I really hope this blog and myself can continue to grow with your support :)

Now, on with the post! A while ago, @Itsjayly replied to my rather desperate tweet asking for blog post ideas :L I do have lots of ideas for posts but I'm always anxious that my readers won't like them :L Luckily however, Jaouaher suggested one I've really wanted to do for a while now! :D A 'What's in my school bag' post :) I love watching and reading YouTubers and Bloggers 'What's in my bag' videos :D I think they're so interesting and they always manage to inspire me (and add a few things to my shopping list!)

Firstly, the bag. for school, I use my 15" Batchel from The Cambridge Satchel Company. I think the colour is currently called vintage but I'm sure it was just called classic when I bought it (confused face). I first heard about this amazing brand through watching the (often repetitive) Google chrome advert. The advert depicts the companies rise to fame, from her daughter suggesting her mum should start making leather satchels, to clips of these stunning bags at fashion shows and on elle.com. After seeing the advert consistently for a while I visited their website and fell in love. All of their designs are gorgeous, and each bag is made from fine English leather :) I love everything about this company, and I can't recommend enough that you check out their website/shop (just click on their name above). They also have a YouTube Channel where you can see videos about how the bags are made, and how the brand became such a success. I'm already rambling again ;D

My Mum and Dad very kindly gave me this...last Christmas? I still love it so so much, and I'd love to get another one (I'm obsessed with the Classic 15" Oxblood, I need it haha ;D). 15" is the biggest size you can get, so I thought for school, the bigger the better! It has a small pocket on the front of the bag which is ideal for keeping keys, phone, wallet, mirror, all that kind of stuff. The inside of the bag is just a large compartment, which you fill with whatever you want. This bag is perfect for any use really and as well as using it for school, I frequently wear it on shopping trips to places like Liverpool and Manchester.

Finally, whats in the bag. (I'm sorry if I'm rambling too much).

The basics- These are what I keep in the front pocket: Keys, M&S Lip Balm (I get really dry lips), Mirror, Comb ('s), Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel (You'd be amazed at the amount of chewing gum under school desks).

Body Sprays- I could not imagine coming to school without some sort of body or deodorant spray. After P.E or even if it's just super hot, I like to smell nice :) I usually get this out of my bag a few times a day to top up as my school uniform consists of shirts, blazers, black trousers, ties etc. and they are all clothes which make me both uncomfortably warm, and stop me from cooling down reasonably quickly. These sprays tend to change quite a bit as I don't have certain shops where I live so I can't buy my favourites all the time, but I am currently using (perhaps) my absolute favourite spray ever! I recently went to Liverpool for a shopping trip (here's my post about it) and whilst there, purchased these Hollister Manhattan sprays. I love them so much! Their scent is so fresh, and they smell completely natural.

Fragrance- Again, this changes quite a lot. I am currently using DKNY Men, as my Mum very kindly bought me this on an amazing deal on Escentual. I love the brand DKNY. The clothes are so bright and colourful, and everything about the brand screams New York. The description of the fragrance made me want it even more by stating "Take the energy and spirit of the streets of New York. Combine with the freshest, cleanest elements on earth. The result is Urban Clean. Masculine. Full of Life.". The description also includes "DKNY Men is the perfect complement to it's female counterpart, DKNY Women". This made me want it even more because my Mum had recently bought the women's version (a few weeks before I got the men's version) and it smelt incredible! The Men's and Women's smell gorgeous and if you'd like to check them out this is the men's (although this gift-set is better, as the whole gift set which includes a 50 ml fragrance and body wash costs less than 1 50 ml fragrance, see the price difference and you'll be amazed), and this is the women's.

School Essentials- These are all pretty basic for school: Pencil Case (got it from Blott, such a cool/creative store for stationary!), Maths Set, and Scientific Calculator.

Umbrella- I was kindly given this among other things (like a Gucci Notebook!) when I finished my work experience at Boots (This is my post about it). The umbrella is by/from Joop and I try to take it with me everywhere (rainy England ;D). It opens and closes by pressing a button!



Hair Styling- I've only recently started taking this to school so that if my hair goes a bit odd or if it's windy then I can attempt to fix it, apart from that there's not much else to say :)

Soap&Glory Hand Food- This is the brands famous hand cream :D I know of soooo many bloggers and YouTubers who use (and adore) Soap and Glory. It's a fantastic brand and the packaging is always so fun and vintage. I use this because as it says on the packaging, its non-greasy. I've used so many hand creams that just make my hands look greasy and oily, but this one makes my hands look healthy and moisturised :) Another great thing about this product (I don't know how it does it), is that if I've got quite oily hands at the time when I use it, I've found it actually makes my hands look matte?! I don't know how that works but it's amazing :)

The rest is just stuff like Coursework, Exam Stuff, Lunch and Water :) I really hope you've enjoyed this post! Please let me know If I have rambled in the comment section below (I really hope I haven't!) and if you've enjoyed this post and/or like my blog, please follow me on Twitter, Bloglovin and Instagram (there's buttons in the sidebar). It would also mean an incredible amount to me if you would follow me on GFC (its in the sidebar).

Thanks for reading :)

James

Queen Helene- Mint Julep Masque Review

So this is my second review, and I'm really pleased to finally be writing it! My skin is combination skin, and because of my skin type I find it hard to find products that really work. Thankfully though, I found the most amazing skincare range that has made my skin look a hell of a lot better (read about it here). Although, even when I'm up to my eyeballs in skincare products, I still have those times when I get breakouts. If your someone who puts a lot of effort into your skincare then I think you'll know what I mean when I say that I panicked and freaked out when I saw the spots surfacing.

I can't just wait for them to go, and just keep washing my face daily etc. And spot treatments are realllllyyyy hit and miss with me (although most of the time it's miss). So with both of those options (if you like) out of order, I resort to...face masks. About a year ago, I went through a phase of buying loads of face masks. I bought a lot of them from Lush as they're all made with natural ingredients and you can leave them on for hours without them damaging your skin. I did use some chemical peels from places like Superdrug but I'd always leave them on (by accident!) too long and they'd make my skin look terrible.

This past week I've been eating a lot of ice-cream. I haven't eaten pretty much anything healthy, and so my skin has broken out all over. So my mum provided a solution...Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. I've used it once before and was happy to use it again as it's completely natural (Yes!). When it's first applied to your face, it's quite a strong green colour and as it stays on your face and brings out all the impurities in your skin, the colour lightens. There isn't really a recommended time for it to stay on your skin as you can leave it on for as long as you want. I usually leave masks on for 15-20 mins so that it can make my skin as good as it can. (btw, A bloke in Lush said that Lush face masks (and ones like this) are great to leave on in the bath)

This mask is meant to absorb oil and minimise the appearance of pores. Although, as it draws out all the bad stuff in your skin, it helps get rid of your spots much faster than cleansing and (in my view) more successfully than spot treatments. As the website said it would, my skin feels incredibly smooth after using it and it evens out my skin as I struggle with redness. This mask smells really strongly of Polo Mints, so it's quite a refreshing smell, but it's up to you whether you like it haha :D

This mask is fantastic & I'd recommend it to anyone and everyone as I am more than happy with the results. After using it once, the next day my breakouts were so much better and on the second day, they're nearly gone! Overall, I'm incredibly pleased with this mask :)

The picture above shows when it has been applied on to the face. The picture below shows that after a while it will begin to dry out and crack. Once it's completely dry then it's done all it can, so you can wash it off with water and a flannel (I just use my hands instead of a flannel but it's a much harder & longer process).

Apologies for how bad my skin looks in these pictures!

Thanks for reading this post. Please follow me on Twitter and 'Join This Site' at the side. Please leave me a comment below as I reply to all of them and I love being able to interact with readers. I'm also more than happy for readers to tweet me as I always reply :)

James